CW: Ultra Beast stuff (abduction, poisoning, fear), memory alteration, (minor) character death, mentions of euthanisa, mention of Pokémon death
Alola 1983 C.E.
Volo thought he'd hated Arceus. The hatred had been dulled by Slowking's influence but it persisted enough for Volo to know he hated Arceus more than anything else. That was until he saw an Ultra Beast for the first time.
Or, well, he didn't see the actual Ultra Beast that first time. He saw the rip in space and got a glimpse of the Ultra Space that existed beyond this world. It tore into him in a way far worse than any injury Volo had gotten before or after his Arceus-given healing abilities. It was terrible, like staring into something the human mind just couldn't understand but kept trying to anyway. He knew he hated them though.
Nanu cried immediately upon seeing it. He was eight years old and maybe someone else would've said he was too old to be crying but Volo wanted to cry too so he couldn't fault Nanu for crying. They'd been playing with Persian and a couple of the younger Meowth when they saw it. Once he'd realized what was happening, Volo began shoving Nanu, Persian, and every Meowth he could find under the porch.
"Dragonite!" Volo called as he shoved the last Meowth under the porch. Dragonite had been around for awhile by this point and was starting to get up there in years but he was still plenty powerful. "Stand guard. Keep an eye on that… thing. If you feel like something's wrong, smash the porch, grab Nanu and the Meowth, and use Extreme Speed to fly away as fast as you can."
Dragonite nodded and Volo ducked under the porch. Nanu grabbed Volo's arm immediately and said something incomprehensible but probably had something to do with the order Volo had just given Dragonite. Volo put an arm around the boy and tried his best to murmur something comforting but he didn't think it was very convincing. They hadn't seen any threats exactly but it felt like a stark sense of danger had been pumped directly into Volo's veins and he was sure Nanu, Persian, and all the Meowth around the house could feel it too.
Spiritomb showed up after a couple minutes with Slowking close behind. Slowking couldn't quite fit under the porch so Volo unwrapped one arm from Nanu to pull his Pokémon friend under. The porch probably wouldn't actually do much if the danger they all felt was real but it gave Volo some comfort to know that he and his Pokémon were positioned around Nanu and the younger Meowth. Hopefully it gave them some comfort too.
Eventually, the paralyzing fear left Volo's body but he still didn't move. Many years down the line, he'd learned that fear he felt was a symptom of the Ultra Beast's presence and its disappearance meant they were in the clear. He didn't know that now though and Volo still wasn't all that willing to abandon their spot under the porch, even if Dragonite was barking that everything was okay.
Then, Spiritomb started wailing and Volo couldn't understand what they were saying but he didn't think it was good for Nanu and the group of newly-hatched Meowth to be around that right now so he pulled everyone out from under the porch and ushered them into the house. A few of the Meowth he'd missed ran to him in a heartbeat and quickly clawed their way up to hang off his shoulders. Volo didn't shoo them away.
Nanu wasn't crying anymore and Volo considered that win. His favorite Meowth was on his lap and Nanu was petting him softly. Spiritomb was still wailing though so Volo momentarily left Dragonite in charge of Nanu to pull them aside.
"Shush. You're scaring them," Volo told them but his words weren't heated. "What's the matter?"
"K͏U̸CH͝IN̛ASH͜I!͞ ́M͢IA̕!̡"
"They're not here. I know," Volo soothed, realizing what the problem was. He couldn't understand Spiritomb as well as he used to but he understood enough. "You can go look for them if you want. I need to stay here with Nanu until someone else gets back."
Spiritomb shook their head so fiercely that Volo almost couldn't bring himself to return to Nanu's side in favor of just holding onto his Pokémon until their fear went away. He couldn't abandon the kid though, not now. He could do both though. Tucking Spiritomb's keystone under one arm, Volo sat on the couch next to Nanu until Kenjiro returned.
"Nanu? Mia? Volo? Kuchinashi?"
"I'm here with Nanu," Volo called, prompting Kenjiro to run into the living room. He relaxed visibly upon seeing them. "Dragonite, Slowking, Persian, and all of the Meowth are here but Kuchinashi took Mia shopping. Vaporeon's with them so they should be alright but…"
Volo trailed off. Vaporeon was younger than Dragonite but Vaporeon didn't age nearly as well as Dragon-types. An afternoon walk to the grocery store was about all he could handle nowadays. If it came down to it, he'd battle to protect Mia and Kuchinashi but Volo was pretty sure a Hydro Pump would knock him off his own feet and a Surf was completely out of the question.
Kenjiro nodded at Volo's words. "I'm going after them."
Volo rose to his feet, shaking his head. "You stay here at the house with Nanu. I'll go."
"Not happening. It's my wife and kid. And I'm Interpol. It's my responsibility."
"You also have a responsibility to your grandson," Volo shot back. "Spiritomb and I can't die. You can do your Interpol stuff later. Let me and Spiritomb just find Kuchinashi and Mia."
"You can both go," Nanu spoke up, drawing Volo and Kenjiro's attention back to the boy. His words were brave but his tight grip on his Meowth betrayed how he really felt. "I'm okay here. Dragonite will keep the house safe."
Volo gave up the fight rather quickly after that, sending Spiritomb off with Kenjiro and Slowking to look for the rest of the family and check on the city. He desperately wanted to go out there himself but the thought of leaving Nanu was unbearable at this point. He wasn't sure what he should be doing but he didn't know if Kenjiro would know any better. He tried feeding Nanu dinner but he wasn't hungry. The TV wasn't getting any signal. Going outside to play sounded terrifying. Most of the Meowth were back to normal within a couple hours but it was impossible to ignore what had happened. Volo ended up letting Nanu crawl into his bed and eat ice cream out of the carton. Bad parenting maybe but they both deserved it.
Nanu had dozed off by the time Volo heard the front door open. Slipping away as silently as he could, Volo hurried to meet whoever had come in. To his surprise and disappointment, only Kenjiro, Slowking, and Spiritomb had returned. No Kuchinashi, Mia, or Vaporeon.
"What happened?" Volo demanded as Spiritomb drifted over to press into Volo's side. It was uncomfortable but Volo put his arms around his Pokémon without hesitation.
Kenjiro swallowed. "It was, uh, you remember the stories about the monsters the island guardians fought?"
Volo nodded. He did. He still loved myths and legends and Cogita would shove her way into Spiritomb's consciousness anytime he came across a new one.
"Turns out they're real. Interpol has monitored a couple incidents like this. You saw that thing in the sky? The monster makes a portal like that and comes into this world. It- There are different kinds of monsters but this one- It takes people."
Volo felt his stomach drop. "What do you mean it takes people?"
"It's this big- It kind of looks like a Tentacruel. It uses its tentacles to drag whoever it drags away and poisons anyone who tries to stop it. It- it took Kuchinashi. Mia's in the hospital and Vaporeon's at the Pokémon Center. Volo, it's… it's not good."
Volo swallowed thickly. "What… what do we do?"
"You should probably go to the Pokémon Center. Vaporeon- the beast poisoned them. Vaporeon and Mia, I mean. Mia's not taking it well but Vaporeon's bodies are practically built to survive that sort of thing. He should be alright but there was some talk about his age and quality of life. You-"
"I'm not letting them put Vaporeon down." Maybe it would be more ethical and Volo really didn't want to watch yet another one of his Pokémon die but the news of Kuchinashi hadn't even hit yet. He couldn't start thinking about losing Vaporeon too.
"Go talk to them. They could probably use his Pokéball too. You know, so they can put him in one of those healing machines. I don't really know how it works. You're his trainer though. You need to be there for him."
"And Mia?"
Kenjiro looked down. "Visiting hours at the hospital ended. You're not- They'd probably let me back in but I thought I should come by to check on Nanu. You're family but I don't think the hospital's going to see it that way."
Volo understood what he was getting at. It'd never come up but he'd seen it on TV. There were rules about who could visit who in a hospital. Kenjiro was Mia's husband. Volo was just some guy who lived in their house. Some guy who'd helped raise their son and grandson but, in the eyes of the law, still just some guy. He couldn't see her tonight. He could be there for Vaporeon though.
The next morning, Kenjiro didn't say anything when he caught Slowking altering Volo's memories. He was breaking every rule they'd agreed to but Kenjiro couldn't blame him for wanting to forget.
Alola 1985 C.E.
"I've been wanting to bring Vaporeon to some other parts of Alola. You know, see how he likes the water in different places," Volo said easily, only half-lying. "If you're going to be headed in the same direction, we may as well travel together."
Kuchinashi hadn't wanted Volo to come along on his trial run. Granted, Volo hadn't asked. He knew he was just being overprotective. He was probably being overprotective now but Volo didn't think it was unfounded. Besides, Nanu didn't seem to mind.
"We should start on Melemele then," Nanu decided aloud. "I think that's where new trial runners start and I don't think Meowth's ready for the Ula'ula trial yet. And I read that you can find Eevee on Melemele. That probably means there are other Vaporeon for Vaporeon to talk to."
Volo appreciated that Nanu didn't call him out even though he could definitely see through his lies. He did really want to bring Vaporeon to some new waters but he could do that whenever he wanted. This was more about keeping an eye on Nanu. With his mother and grandmother dead, his father missing, and his grandfather devoted to whatever he was up to in Interpol– something with Ultra Space, Volo suspected– these days, that left Nanu with no one but Volo and after all they'd been through, he wasn't opposed to the company on his journey. Nanu wasn't very good with other kids his age anyway. Volo probably wasn't helping that by tagging along but he couldn't bring himself to care. Keeping an eye on his boy was far more important.
Alola 1993 C.E.
When Kenjiro died, Volo wasn't surprised. Once Nanu grew up a bit more and got himself into Po Town's police academy, Volo had more free time on his hands to poke around in Interpol business. Kenjiro was running on fumes since the death of his wife and throwing himself into this project to get his son back wasn't exactly good for his health.
Nanu waited an appropriate amount of time before applying to join Interpol but Volo still wasn't happy about it. He stuck around enough to make sure Nanu wasn't getting in over his head but then Vaporeon's health took a pretty big dip and his attention was focused elsewhere. He still saw Nanu around the house at least. Even if it wasn't nearly as much as he'd like.
Alola 2003 C.E.
The second time an Ultra Wormhole ripped open over Po Town, Volo found it a lot less terrifying.
Oh, it was still pretty damn scary. He'd been out in front of the house again trying to teach a few of the new Meowth a couple new moves. Mia mostly bred Mewoth for the wealthy, the type looking for a family pet to spoil. Meowth were perfect for that but Volo's Persian opened up a whole new target customer base. There was a new generation of boys at the dock battling for pocket change and even more young trainers setting out on their Pokémon journey. A well-bred Meowth was the perfect battle companion for anyone willing to look past their demanding nature.
The newly-hatched Meowth usually weren't happy to be picked up but their terror kept them still as Volo began grabbing them and throwing them under the porch just as he had all those years ago. This time, he recalled Dragonite to his Pokéball and tried to be a bit gentler when he pulled Slowking down with him. There was no little Nanu to protect this time but the Ultra Wormhole's fear-inducing power still wormed its way into his bones and he still had a couple dozen Meowth to worry about.
Actually, not having Nanu there might've been worse. Mia, Kuchinashi, and Vaporeon hadn't been home the last time and now Mia was dead, Kuchinashi was long gone, and Vaporeon had racked up all kinds of medical expenses before his death thanks to the poisoning from that strange creature. Lying there with the Meowth and Slowking under the porch, Volo's mind had to wonder where Nanu was.
He was immersed in Interpol now. Volo wasn't and Volo was really regretting it right now.
Something hit the ground in front of him, dragging Volo out of his own head. His eyes locked with another pair. Human eyes, he realized. Young. Not as young as Nanu had been but it still jump started something in his brain. Instantly, Volo started crawling forward, ignoring the Mewoth's cries for him to come back to safety under the house. Volo's elbows and knees scraped the earth uncomfortably but he was solely focused on soaking in the sight in front of him.
The girl was probably a couple years older than kids were when they started their Pokémon journeys nowadays. Too young, in Volo's opinion. Journeys were a time to grow but they could be dangerous. Kids didn't deserve to see the suffering Arceus inflicted upon this world. They certainly didn't deserve to experience anything like this. The girl's eyes were wide with fear, fear too deep to solely be explained by the strange influence of the Ultra Wormhole. She didn't appear injured though, as far as Volo could tell. Her purple hair was askew and her clothes were tattered but she appeared fine otherwise.
Volo surfaced from under the house just as another being touched down.
It let out an ear-shattering screech, making the girl curl in on herself and nearly sending Volo back to his hiding place under his house. But no, he couldn't just abandon a child to this horrifying creature standing over her. It was humanoid in a way that screamed wrong. It was thin in some places and bulging in others, making it tip in an unhinged way that just rubbed Volo's brain the wrong way. It was colorful too, too colorful. Pokémon- Volo knew Pokémon. Pokémon normally only had two or three main colors. This one's bulbous head was mostly white but it was covered in a yellow, pink, and blue pattern that just didn't mesh together well. It was unnatural. Anyone could tell from just the site of it.
"Spiritomb, Dark Pulse!" Volo ordered, flinging his Pokéball forward and reaching down to drag the girl to her feet all in one motion.
"Tomb!" Spiritomb bellowed, bursting from his ball, and hurled ribbons of dark power at their foe. The creature ducked, bending unnaturally at the hip and completely avoiding the attack. Volo took the opportunity to drag the girl back.
Volo didn't think it would be safe to get her under the porch with the Meowth so he just wrapped his arms around her and placed her between the house and himself, using his body as a barrier between her and the monster. Slowking was wiggling out from under the porch after him and seemed to sense where he was needed. Volo gave him an ever so slight nod and Slowking took up a position next to them, ready to block them from any attacks that came their way.
"Dark Pulse again!" Volo barked when the creature shrieked in pain from the attack. Dutifully, Spiritomb launched another Dark Pulse, giving Volo a moment to focus on the trembling girl in his arms. "Hey, are you alright?"
"Where am I?" she rasped, eyes wide as she tried to look past Volo at the creature Spiritomb was fighting. "What is that thing?"
"I don't know," Volo said honestly before backing up. "Wait. I meant I don't know what that thing is. We're in Po Town."
"Where-"
"Slow!"
The girl was interrupted by an alarmed cry from Slowking. Volo glanced back over his shoulder and saw the creature's white head flying right at them. Volo, for all he was trying to keep appearances up for the girl before him and the young Meowth hidden under the house, couldn't help but scream. Slowking was quick to react though and redirected the bulb with a skilled combination of Hydro Pump and Psychic, sending the sphere high into the sky where it promptly exploded.
It happened so quickly that Volo felt like he couldn't even react. The sheer volume of the explosion drowned out any and every thought he had. The girl was screaming again and Volo forced his hands over her ears instead of his own. It would suck but Arceus's power would heal any damage done to them. He couldn't say the same for her.
Volo forced his eyes back to the battle. He couldn't afford to look away again.
The creature's head was gone but it was still standing. After a moment, another white sphere appeared and began inflating. What a horrifying sight. Volo knew he had to act fast. "Spiritomb, Shadow Ball! Slowking, Hydro Pump!"
Spiritomb slammed the creature with another Shadow Ball and Volo heard the Hydro Pump go off but didn't see it. He let his eyes flicker away and he saw Slowking knocking away another head flying toward them, sending it right back into another one of those colorful creatures. "There's another one?"
"There are a lot," the girl said softly and Volo took her word for it. He thought he'd be able to fight off this creature and that would be the end of it but it seemed that wouldn't be the case.
Volo reached into his pockets and pulled out the rest of his Pokéballs, tossing them out around the house. He wasn't much of a battler anymore but he still had echoes of memories of a man who'd taught him to fight, two centuries of leading warriors into battle, and his own trial run here in Alola. His Pokémon were anything but weak. Dragonite and Persian were on it in an instant, taking command of the rest of Volo's Pokémon and spreading them out across the perimeter of the house. About half of the Meowth under the house darted out and joined them. Snatching up one of the younger ones who tried to join the battle, Volo dumped a Meowth into the girl's arms. "If one of the heads comes near you, take him and run. Meowth, do your best to protect her."
"Owth!"
The girl clutched Meowth with one arm and reached into her pockets with the other. She looked confused but Volo could tell the moment her fingers made contact with something. "I… I have Pokéballs?"
"Do you know how to battle?"
The girl's eyes were glassy. "I… I don't remember. I don't even remember what Pokémon I have. Oh Arceus, why don't I remember?"
Okay, she was starting to panic. Volo didn't know how to handle that. Amnesia too. He could probably handle amnesia but not in the middle of a fight, not when he was trying to defend his home and keep everyone alive. "I hate to do this but I'm going to need those Pokéballs."
Volo took them from her, hoping the Pokémon within were battle-ready and clever enough to recognize the severity of the situation they were in. Having the girl's Pokémon turn on him was just about the last thing he needed right now. In a single toss, Volo released all six Pokéballs.
"Espe?"
"Meta!"
"Zam!"
"Mismagius!"
"Lati?"
"Kou!"
Espeon, Metagross, Alakzam, and Mismagius were a surprise. They were all pretty powerful Pokémon and Volo really wasn't expecting that. The Latios and Raikou were a whole different story.
"Okay, I can work with this," Volo said more to himself than anyone else and let himself get swept up in the battle.
