So. I've got good news, good news, and good news.
The good news is that my normal schedule has reasserted itself. As such, there will be no more hiatuses for at least a couple months.
The other good news is that I finally figured out how to edit earlier chapters. So if you happen to see any irregular updates over the next couple months, that's just me cleaning up grammatical and consistency errors in earlier chapters. Hopefully that will make them better to read.
And the other other good news is that there was so much stuff I wanted in this chapter that it turned out extra long!
As you can no doubt see, I'm in a very good mood. So obviously this chapter is going to be all sunshine and roses (spoiler alert: it's not). Have fun reading!
The plane felt similar to the Kalos Pokemon League Stadium; bright white, almost blindingly so, with not an inch unclean. Cloyster could have been fooled into thinking he was in the stadium itself; the ride was so smooth that, had he not been able to see the vast expanse of ocean through the plane's windows, he might not have been able to tell that he was in a plane.
Seeing the ocean from up here was so different. He'd watched from his Luxury Ball as Kriesh flew Marcus across Kalos, of course, but that had been over land. Spectacular in its own right, but to Cloyster nothing could compare to watching the sparkling waters below.
He remembered, at one point, long before he'd even met Marcus, he'd risen to the surface of the water and seen the sun shining onto the surface, producing a glistening bright spot on the waves. He'd wanted to touch that spot, but no matter how long he swam for, he could never reach it. Now, looking down, the entire ocean seemed alight, yet he knew deep in the back of his mind that it was just a reflection, an immaterial thing that could not be touched, only seen.
With a sigh, Cloyster turned away from the window to eye the rest of the plane. Marcus and Connie were just two of the several passengers, all of whom had released at least one Pokemon into the expansive area behind the Trainer seating. The various Pokemon had been somewhat antisocial and not very good conversationalists; as a result, Marcus and Connie's teams had mostly stayed on one side of the area, while the other Trainers' Pokemon were spread out across the other side.
Connie's Pokemon clearly had been on a plane before, for they sat comfortably in a corner, chatting quietly amongst themselves. The rest of Marcus's team, by contrast, were looking quite excited and weren't nearly as quiet, especially Trevenant. All except for Kriesh, who seemed fairly nervous and was pointedly staying away from the windows that the rest of the team were keen to look out of.
Cloyster felt a hollow feeling in his stomach. He should be over there with his team, but since he was a Water-type, the flight attendants had made Marcus put him in the special Water-type zone, separate from the rest of the Pokemon area. The zone was separated from the rest of the plane by a sturdy glass barrier with several signs at the top warning 'No use of Teleport, Shadow Sneak, Phantom Force, or any Abilities to cross the barrier.' The zone itself was half-occupied by a large tank of water that, at present, held the only other two Water-types on the flight: a tiny Remoraid and a portly Wailmer, neither of whom were interested in conversation.
It really wasn't fair. Cloyster hadn't even wanted to go in that tank. The water looked clean enough, but there was no sand or even rocks at the bottom, only an unnatural white floor, and the tank was full of squishy toys to play with that clearly were intended to look like Pokemon but in practice looked like ridiculously idealized versions.
A tap on the glass disturbed Cloyster from his ruminations. Glancing around, he spotted Liepard on the other side of the wall, one claw on the glass. The newest addition to the team smirked.
Liepard had spent the majority of the plane ride apart from the rest of the team, as Marcus had taken the opportunity to work with Liepard one-on-one, parsing through her list of moves. Cloyster had watched the training out of the corner of his eye, curious about the newest member of the team. Liepard's fighting style revolved, naturally, around speed, and it heavily utilized her Ability, which Marcus had referred to as Prankster. Cloyster remembered the Ability from Emma's Whimsicott back in the power plant and Olympia's male Meowstic. Prankster allowed Liepard to use her moves at a fraction of the normal speed it would have taken to use them, and she utilized two in particular that intrigued Cloyster quite a bit.
The first was Copycat, a move that allowed Liepard to take a move that had just been used by another Pokemon and reproduce it. The second was Assist, which was similar to Cooycat in that it copied a move from another Pokemon, but it did not require the Pokemon to have just used the move; rather, it allowed Liepard to utilize a random move from the moves the other Pokemon was capable of using. Additionally, while Copycat worked on any Pokemon, Assist could easily be stopped by a hostile Pokemon, and as such trying to use Assist on a non-friendly Pokemon was something Liepard shied away from. Both Copycat and Assist, apparently, were normally fairly complicated and slow moves. Both could be done practically instantaneously with Prankster.
Naturally, this had made Marcus incredibly excited. Cloyster remembered how Olympia's male Meowstic had utilized the complicated Miracle Eye so quickly with Prankster, and clearly Marcus remembered too.
Liepard seemed strong, but it had not escaped Cloyster's notice that Drapion had been pointedly trying to stay as far away from the newest addition to the team as possible. Cloyster recalled that it had been Drapion who had confronted Liepard both in the forest and on the road to Couriway, and from what he'd heard it had been Drapion who, along with Connie's Tyranitar, had brought Liepard into the hotel after she'd helped them deal with a wild Pokemon attack. So to see Drapion shying away from Liepard like he was…that unnerved Cloyster, and thus Liepard unnerved Cloyster as well.
So her smirk caused Cloyster to slightly shift away, a movement that clearly did not escape Liepard's vision. She muttered something under her breath and looked to her left. Following her gaze, Cloyster spotted a Banette flitting around near the ceiling, showing off her speed to an audience of a Krokorok, Servine, and Darumaka, occasionally disappearing in a burst of shadow and reappearing somewhere else. A line of energy suddenly shot from Liepard to the Banette, and Liepard's form dissipated.
She reappeared right next to Cloyster. "Would you mind moving over, s'il vous plaît?"
Cloyster eyed the Remoraid and Wailmer in the tank, both of whom were glaring at Liepard, but shifted over to allow Liepard access to the window anyway. "The sign says no using Shadow Sneak," he warned.
"I really don't care." The sun shining through the sturdy glass illuminated Liepard's fur. The lithe Pokemon stretched in the sunbeam, sighing contentedly.
"I must say," said Liepard, "you strike me as the most mysterious of this…team."
"How so?" asked Cloyster.
"Everyone else has a story," said Liepard. "I've heard bits and pieces from all of them, tossed around like snowflakes falling from the sky. But you…as far as I know, you just walked up and asked to join the team. May I ask why?"
Cloyster frowned. "Why do you want to know?"
"If I am to be a part of this team," said Liepard, "then is it not prudent to learn more about my teammates?"
"It's…I guess it's not that long of a story," said Cloyster. "My parents had once been Trained Pokemon, and so they encouraged me and my brothers and sisters to follow in their paths, and so eventually I did. Marcus just happened to be the first Trainer I found."
Liepard snorted softly. "That's how it works, isn't it? Either you find the Trainer, or the Trainer finds you."
"So what about you?" Cloyster asked.
Liepard's eyes narrowed. "What about me?"
"If you are to be a part of this team," said Cloyster, "then is it not prudent to allow your teammates to learn more about you?"
Amusement lit up Liepard's gaze. "Well," she said, "mine is…slightly longer. I suppose you've realized by now that Marcus isn't my first Trainer. My first Trainer was…good overall, but he and I did not work very well together, and eventually we parted on tolerable terms. My second Trainer was the one who taught me most of what I know. But she was killed only a few months after we met. Drowned in a river she thought she could swim. And since then, I've just been…wandering. Trying to find my purpose. My calling, if you will."
"What about the army of Dark-types?" Cloyster asked.
"Followers," said Liepard. "I went through a phase where I decided my calling was to rule over all wild Pokemon. The Dark-types flocked to me. I aligned with Abomasnow, with the intention of backstabbing him later, giving me control over my Dark-types, his Ice-types, and the forest Pokemon that we had conquered. You all, of course, threw a fairly large wrench in that plan, and my followers turned out to be more interested in saving their own skins than serving me."
"And so that's why you joined us?"
"That," said Liepard, "and I fell in love with your friend Drapion. It was strange, really. Like a light that turned on inside my mind. I don't suppose you've ever loved someone?"
"Not really," said Cloyster.
"Then you would not understand," said Liepard.
"It doesn't seem like Drapion's anxious about reciprocating," Cloyster pointed out.
"None of them are," said Liepard. "They all relent in time."
"That's not the point I'm trying to make," said Cloyster. "I mean…if he doesn't want your love, then maybe trying to pursue him further won't help his attitude towards you."
"Do not think to lecture me on love," said Liepard, somewhat frostily. "I have told you my story. Nous pouvons parler plus tard."
Liepard twisted, abandoning the sunlight streaming through the window, and stalked away. Cloyster sighed and shook his head. "This isn't going to end well," he murmured. "Hopefully it doesn't end like Heliolisk."
"We are now beginning our descent into Viridian City," came the voice of the plane's pilot over the speakers. "Please make sure your aisle armrests are lowered, your tray table is put away, and any Pokemon you have sent out are recalled."
As the plane's passengers began to move towards the back of the plane to recall their Pokemon, Cloyster felt a bubble of anticipation growing in his stomach. Kanto-Johto, from what he had heard, was widely regarded as the birthplace of modern Pokemon battling. The Indigo League was the model which all other regions in the United Pokemon World, aside from traditionalist Alola, followed to some degree. In fact, it had been Kanto-Johto where Champions Lance and Blue had gathered with the Champions of Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Galar, and Paldea, plus Professor Samson Oak to represent Alola, to form the United Pokemon World in the first place, and it was Indigo Plateau where all nine Champions had signed the documents to properly form that organization.
And so many great Trainers had hailed from Kanto-Johto. Red, of course, was so well-known that his very name was used to describe particularly headstrong rookie Trainers. Lance was one of the greatest Champions the world had ever seen, even if he'd become one of the most controversial in his later years. Blue, Ethan, Silver, Samuel Oak - even Giovanni, leader of Team Rocket - all were famous in a way not even Champions could aspire to.
Though some, such as former Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, admittedly came close.
So all in all, traveling to Kanto-Johto was something Cloyster had been looking forward to.
"Cloyster?"
Cloyster turned to see Marcus standing in the opened door of the Water-type zone. "Sorry about that," the Trainer said. "Rules are rules, I guess. Ready to get out of here?"
Clearly seeing Cloyster's enthusiastic nod, Marcus recalled him a little faster than usual.
His Pokemon recalled, Marcus stepped back to his seat. Connie was still sitting in hers; from the lights on her Pokeballs she had already recalled her team. She looked over as Marcus sat down. "No luck," she said morosely.
"It was worth a try," said Marcus. "Where in Viridian does Theo live?"
"On the other side of town," said Connie. "Viridian ain't too large, but it's still a bit of a walk."
"Kriesh could fly us," Marcus suggested.
"No, it would be a waste," said Connie. "Besides…" She leaned in closer. "Theo's told me plenty of times about Blue's Pidgeot who loves to roam the skies."
Marcus winced. "Right, yeah, Kriesh isn't flying us. We'll walk."
Connie grinned. "Good choice."
The plane abruptly dropped a few feet, not too unpleasantly but enough that Connie and Marcus jerked upwards in their seats, and then leveled out. Cloyster could feel the plane descending now, more smoothly; by now all of the Pokemon were recalled and the various Trainers were in their seats, seatbelts fastened tightly.
It took ten minutes before Cloyster heard the scrape of wheels on asphalt as the plane touched the ground. He tried to look out from his Luxury Ball, but the angle was blocked by Marcus's body and he could only see the merest edge of a window, not nearly enough to see anything of Viridian.
As the plane slowed to a stop, the pilot's voice came crackling over the speakers once again. "Welcome to Viridian City," he said. "Deplaning will begin shortly. Thank you for flying Dragonite Airlines, and as always, remember that you can download the Dragonite App on your Pokedexes to earn rewards to upgrade your flight experience!"
The plane slowed to a halt, the lights turned on, and the people at the front of the plane began to stand. Some removed packages from the overhead bins, while others retrieved them from below their seats, like Marcus and Connie, both of whom only had backpacks. The plane doors hissed open and the passengers moved in a steady if not all that orderly queue towards them, Marcus and Connie in the middle of the line.
As they stepped out of the plane, Cloyster had to blink slightly, for the sunlight was much brighter than the lights of the plane. Some of the passengers moved towards the bottom of the plane, where several flight attendants were already moving checked baggage from the plane's cargo hold with the help of a pair of Alakazam to telekinetically hold the bags steady and prevent them from shifting. Connie led Marcus in the other direction, where the bulk of Viridian City could now be seen.
It was surprisingly small. Cloyster had been expecting something like Lumiose, but there was nothing like the Prism Tower or even any really tall buildings. As Connie and Marcus walked towards Viridian City proper, Cloyster realized that the bulk of Viridian City was made up of similar-looking houses, shops, and apartment buildings ranging from one to three stories tall. In the thick of these buildings, Cloyster could see a large brown stone building with the words 'Viridian Gym' on it in big letters, a red-roofed building that was instantly recognizable as the local Pokemon Center, and another brown building, this one with a green, sloped roof, that was distinctive but unknown to Cloyster.
Connie led the way onto a street that was quite a lot narrower than those in Lumiose. The streets of Viridian were a lot more gridlike in comparison to Lumiose's wheel-esque layout. Trainers and Pokemon populated the streets, wandering around and moving into and out of buildings. Where there were no buildings, Cloyster could see benches and grassy areas by the sides of the roads, perfect for Pokemon battles. Indeed, he could see a pair of Trainers, one with a Raticate and one with an Onix, battling on a grassy patch to Marcus and Connie's left.
"I don't see the Pidgeot," said Connie.
"In that case, I'm releasing Kriesh," he said. "And Cloyster. They'll be identifiable, and Kriesh can scout around."
At that, Marcus released the two identified Pokemon, and at once the attitudes of the surrounding Trainers changed. Before, they'd been ignoring Marcus and Connie, at best giving them glancing looks, especially Connie with her obviously foreign attire. Now several Trainers were eyeing them interestedly, their gaze sweeping over Kriesh and Cloyster. Kriesh looked uncomfortable, her gaze flicking from side to side as she breathed in and out a little more rapidly than usual. Cloyster didn't mind the gazes.
As they walked through Viridian, a few Trainers stepped up to offer a battle, but Marcus politely declined. Connie continued to lead the way, and as they moved Cloyster noticed that the Trainers were still ignoring her; now she wasn't even drawing glances, only Marcus and his Pokemon were. Kriesh especially was getting plenty of looks her way, something that only seemed to intensify her discomfort.
"What's wrong?" Cloyster asked.
Kriesh side-eyed him. "Fearows are known for their ferocity around here," she said. "Not many Trainers bother with them. Most prefer the Pidgey line, because they're easier to catch and easier to train."
"I meant what's wrong with you, not with them," said Cloyster.
Kriesh sighed, clearly having hoped that Cloyster wouldn't press the conversation. "It's just that I don't have very good memories of Kanto-Johto."
Cloyster held back from cursing himself. Of course Kriesh was uncomfortable returning here. To her it must be like that tree stump-dominated clearing must have been to Medicham; home to nothing but past traumas.
"I'm sorry," said Cloyster.
Kriesh nodded in acceptance.
"What's that up ahead?" Marcus asked.
Cloyster and Kriesh looked towards where Marcus was pointing; a line of Trainers and Pokemon, orderly and waiting patiently on the edges of a large open area. Cloyster could see a large fountain in the center of the area in the shape of a spiky-haired Trainer and what seemed to be his team, though from this angle only an Exeggutor, an Arcanine, and a pair of large arms that probably belonged to a Machamp could be seen. Greenery extended out from all sides of the fountain, forming steady paths flanked by hedges. Cloyster could not see where the line of Trainers and Pokemon ended, but from what he could see, this was clearly Viridian City's central square.
"That's Viridian City's central square," said Connie.
"I mean the line," Marcus corrected. "What's that for?"
"No idea," said Connie. "Wanna take a closer look?"
"Sure," said Marcus, already moving closer to the line.
More and more beings became visible; Cloyster was positive there were well over a hundred beings in that line, people old and young and Pokemon of every type. He could see now that the line curved inwards, seemingly leading to the fountain, and he could see the rest of the team on the fountain; the arms indeed belonged to a Machamp, and pictured was also a Gyarados, the Pidgeot that Connie had warned of, and a Tyranitar even larger than Connie's dominating the scene. But Cloyster still could not see where the line ended.
"Kriesh, could you head up there and see what's at the end of that line?" Marcus asked.
"Kriesh?" A new voice came from Cloyster's left. "Interesting name. Wouldn't have thought of it myself, but kinda fits her, to be honest."
The two Trainers and their Pokemon spun. Cloyster's eyes widened as he spotted the exact Trainer that was depicted on the statue. The Trainer's spiky hair was blond, and he was wearing a dark gray sweater over a white T-shirt and tan pants, clothing that seemed surprisingly unsuited to the warmer weather.
"Gym Leader Blue," Marcus greeted with a tone that sounded as if he was trying to hold back reverence.
Cloyster's eyes grew even wider. So this was Blue. That explained the statue.
Blue, for his part, sighed. "Please, just Blue. The 'legendary Trainer' stuff gets old after a while. And you are?"
The two Trainers quickly introduced themselves. "What're you doin' out here?" Connie asked.
Blue eyed Marcus. "You're not from Kanto-Johto, are you?"
"No," said Marcus. "I'm Kalosian."
Blue's gaze swept over his team. "A Kalosian masquerading as a Kantonian. Not something you see every day."
"I'm not masquerading-" Marcus began to protest, but was cut off by a chuckle from Blue. "Just messing with you," the Gym Leader said. "Anyway…you know how close we are to Mt. Silver, right?"
"Yeah," said Connie.
"Every so often," said Blue, "Red's Espeon just…shows up in the middle of town to play fortune teller. Sometimes she brings Red, sometimes she comes alone, but regardless, she stays for the day, answering everybody's questions and dispensing advice, and then clears out late at night."
Cloyster saw Kriesh jerk noticeably at the mention of Red. Marcus could not quite stop himself from gaping. "Red comes here?"
"The guy lives on top of a mountain," said Blue. "What, you think he gets stuff like food, water, and toilet paper from Mt. Silver Convenience Store? Living in the deep, dark wilderness so that you can only challenge Trainers strong enough to make the difficult trek is a nice idea, but even the strongest Trainers have to restock on supplies once in a while, and the closest shops are here in Viridian."
"Is he here now?" Marcus asked eagerly.
"If he was, the line to see him would be even longer," said Blue. "Trust me, I know. And close your mouth, you look like an idiot."
Marcus's mouth snapped shut; Connie couldn't quite hide her chuckle. Blue looked towards the line once more. "I always come out in mid-afternoon, when the line's at its longest," said the Viridian City Gym Leader. "That's when most of the traveling Trainers arrive, and it's during lunch hour so all the workers get time to wait as well. The line'll die down in a couple hours, but here and now…it just makes me feel pretty good, y'know?"
Marcus and Connie nodded somewhat uncomfortably, the former still concentrating on keeping his mouth shut.
"You go and do whatever you're doing," said Blue. "I've got a Gym Battle scheduled in ten minutes - I'd better start heading back soon." He grinned. "Smell ya later."
"Smell? Isn't it-" Marcus's words died in his throat as Blue was already hurrying away. He turned to Connie. "Do you have any idea what that's supposed to mean?"
"Nope," said Connie. "Probably just somethin' he says."
"Right," said Marcus. "Okay, let's move on. Maybe we'll catch a glimpse of Red's Espeon in all that."
"It's just an Espeon," said Connie. "Yeah, it's one of the strongest Psychics in the world, but it's still just an Espeon, and it'll look exactly like an Espeon."
Marcus sighed. "That's fair."
The two Trainers resumed their stride. Kriesh, however, stayed still for a few moments, and when she began to move again her steps were jittery.
Cloyster glanced at her once more and opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "I…I need to meet that Espeon," she said. "I just realized…I never actually thanked her for what she did for me."
"Not now," said Cloyster. "Look at that line."
"I know," said Kriesh, "but…with Marcus not letting us go out later, I'm not sure I'll ever get to thank her."
Cloyster sighed. "Medicham can ask Marcus. Talk to her."
Kriesh echoed Cloyster's sigh. "All right." She resumed her movement after Marcus, though still she moved slowly as the group neared the line.
The line parted, allowing the group to move through. All four of them looked to the right, and finally Cloyster saw the end of the line. On a stone platform at the nearest corner of the fountain lay a sleek-looking Espeon, red gem glowing in her head, crouched with her front paws on the ground in front of her and her back paws tucked. She looked almost like a painted statue, for Cloyster could not see her moving, and were it not for the steady blinking of her eyes and the glowing of her gem Cloyster could easily have mistaken her for such a statue.
"See, just an Espeon," said Connie. "Yeah, livin' legend and all, but we've got a Trainer to find."
Marcus tore his gaze away, and so did Cloyster. Kriesh's eyes, however, stayed locked on Espeon all the way across the square.
From the square, it wasn't long before the edge of Viridian City came into view, a sign marked 'Route 22' marking the road out of the city. Here the houses were larger, two and three-story affairs; clearly this was the richer part of town.
Connie took a right, and Marcus followed. After four houses she stopped and turned to her right. "This is the place," she said. "Recall your Pokemon, and let's hope he's actually here."
Cloyster and Kriesh were swiftly recalled into their Luxury Balls. From the Ball, Cloyster watched as the two Trainers moved slowly up the walkway towards the house in question. It looked similar to the other houses on this block aside from the address.
Connie stepped up to the door and rang the doorbell. No answer.
She rang it again. Again, there was no answer.
Undaunted, Connie rapped sharply on the door with her knuckles. This time, a creaking could be heard inside the house, and footsteps could be heard approaching.
"Oh, thank goodness," Connie muttered as the door opened. "Was startin' to think you weren't home, Theo-"
She paused as a woman was revealed in the door, a woman with yellow heels, white pants, a shirt the same color as her heels, and long, flowing blue hair. "Oh. Karen, sorry 'bout arrivin' on such short notice, but neither you nor Theo were answerin' me on the Pokedex."
Karen cocked her head. "Hm. Come inside, you two. Theo? You've got visitors!"
Marcus looked up at Karen. "Wait. Karen as in-"
"Elite Four Karen, yes, now get inside," said Karen. "Theo, you coming?"
As Marcus and Connie moved past Karen and into the house, a dark-haired Trainer with flat hair and dressed in all black was descending down a flight of stairs, looking towards the door. "Connie! Good to see you, it's been a while. How have you been?"
"Not bad, Theo," said Connie, shaking the other Trainer's hand. "Marcus, Theo. Theo, this is Marcus. We're…travelin' together for the moment."
"How do you do?" Theo turned to shake Marcus's hand. Cloyster heard a loud slam from behind them, clearly Karen shutting the door, and concentrated on Theo specifically. His gaze was warm, clearly not unfriendly; Cloyster had pictured someone reluctant to meet people, not this friendly teenager.
"Kinda surprised you're here," said Connie. "You and Karen weren't returnin' my texts or calls."
Theo frowned. "I don't think either of us received texts or calls from you," he said.
"Really?" Connie asked.
"Really," affirmed Theo. "Guess something must have been wrong with our Pokedexes…we'll need to get those checked out. So what are you doing here?"
Marcus quickly explained Valerie's offer, Connie's recommendation, and that yes, Connie had told him about the whole three-on-three battle thing.
Theo nodded slightly. "Did he beat you?"
"Sorta," said Connie. "Yeah, he beat me; no, it wasn't with all Dark-types. That's why I said 'for the moment'. We're gonna have a proper battle later."
"If that's all right with you," said Theo. "Can I see the team?"
Marcus quickly released his entire team. Free of his Luxury Ball, Cloyster looked around, taking in what he could see of the house. It was large, with high ceilings, fancy furniture, and a room off to the left occupied by an arena for Pokemon battling. Karen was standing near the doorway, watching the three younger Trainers with a thin smile on her face. An Umbreon that Cloyster somehow hadn't seen until now was at her side; as Cloyster watched it it shifted to lock eyes with him.
A soft padding noise came from the left, and Cloyster turned to see two other Pokemon stepping into view. One was a Houndoom at least a head taller than Marcus's and with muscles rippling under its fur; the other was an Absol whose white fur starkly contrasted the black color of the Houndoom and Umbreon. All three were clearly members of Karen's team; their demeanor was evidence enough of that.
Cloyster spotted Medicham staring at the Absol out of the corner of his eye, but had no time to pay attention to that before Theo spoke again. "Nice team. Only three Dark-types I can see, though…I'm guessing you didn't start out as a Dark-type Trainer?"
"No, but I've had Houndoom and Drapion for a while," said Marcus. "Liepard's newer."
"Newer as in fresh catch?" Theo's eyes narrowed.
"Sort of, but she's definitely had another Trainer before," said Marcus.
Theo pursed his lips. "All right. I'll battle you. Need to give my team time to rest up, so…tomorrow morning?"
"I'll take that," said Marcus.
"In that case," said Karen, "you two can stay for the night. I've got some guest rooms upstairs. Theo, take Connie upstairs, and take Marcus's backpack as well. Marcus, can we talk in the kitchen? Privately?"
With a slow nod, Marcus handed his backpack to Connie and moved into the kitchen alongside Karen. Karen's Umbreon had disappeared; Cloyster didn't know when he'd taken his eyes off it, but it was definitely gone. Where, he did not know. Her Houndoom was moving back into the kitchen after Karen, but her Absol was still standing outside.
Staring back at Medicham.
The Absol raised one paw and beckoned Medicham to come over. Medicham looked uneasy as she turned back towards Kriesh. "Get the others upstairs," she said. "There should be space for us all in a house like this."
Kriesh nodded. "Let's go, everyone," she said. Cloyster followed the rest of the team after Theo and Connie, unsure of Medicham's reason for wanting to remain alone with this Absol but reassuring himself that she knew what she was doing.
What am I doing? Medicham's mind danced with unwanted thoughts as she stepped over towards Karen's Absol. This is stupid. Why am I even bothering to talk to this Absol? I should be getting as far away as possible!
The Absol in question was stepping into the battle arena. Did he want a fight?
Medicham forced herself to follow Karen's Absol into the arena. The black-and-white Pokemon turned to face her as soon as they were both through the entrance. "Calm yourself," he said.
"Who are you?" Medicham asked.
"I am Absol," said Karen's Absol.
Medicham's eyes narrowed. "Your real name?"
Karen's Absol smirked. "You may call me Walker-Of-Paths," he said.
"I knew you were a Herald," Medicham growled. "You've been stopping Connie's texts and calls from coming through, haven't you?"
Walker-Of-Paths cocked his head. "Now why do you say that?"
"Because the Heralds stopped Marcus's parents from learning about his hospitalization," said Medicham. "Information suppression seems to be a thing you do."
Walker-Of-Paths heaved a sigh. "Yes, I did prevent them from coming through," he said. "But that is not the point of this conversation. The point is that you should be in Alola right now, recruiting Serena and by extension Seeker-Of-Endings."
"What, do the all-seeing Heralds not know about boat schedules?" Medicham asked mockingly, asking herself what she was doing mocking a Herald at the same time.
"There were two different flights to Alola at similar times as your flight to Viridian," said Walker-Of-Paths. "Your Trainer clearly did not notice, as he was by that point fixated on traveling here. You did not alert him to this."
"I didn't see," said Medicham.
"No," said Walker-Of-Paths. "You are trying to avoid Bringer-Of-Visions' commands. Entertaining the wild possibility that she will forget, or change her mind. But Bringer-Of-Visions does not forget, and she will not change her mind. Your path is set. Your avoidance of this path is decreasing the odds of successful recruitment."
"I don't want to hear this," Medicham growled. "I hate this. Every time I finally manage to forget about the Heralds, about what you all did to me, every time I manage to focus on my Trainer and doing my best to support him, you show up to lecture me about my 'path'. I am sick and tired of it!"
"If you followed your path as intended, there would be no need for such lectures," Walker-Of-Paths pointed out.
Medicham opened her mouth for another retort, but at that moment a voice came from behind. "Absol. Everything okay?"
Medicham turned to see Karen's Houndoom looking into that room. For a moment she considered shouting out to him, telling him of the Heralds, of what Walker-Of-Paths was saying. Then she felt a breath on her back.
"Medicham and I are merely having a discussion," said Walker-Of-Paths, standing so close to Medicham that she could feel every word leaving his mouth. "She is her Trainer's Ace, did you know? In charge of protecting all of them?"
"Big responsibility," said Houndoom.
"Indeed," said Walker-Of-Paths. "That it would be her fault if anything happened to them…it is a heavy burden to bear, even for Pokemon as strong as us." The tone of his voice set Medicham to shivering. She knew exactly what the Absol was insinuating, and yet knew she could not make her fear known. If Houndoom asked any difficult questions, she would be caught between Walker-Of-Paths and Houndoom, and she had no idea how to get out of that. So she quivered in place, desperately biting her lip.
"Thank Arceus it's Umbreon's burden," said Houndoom. "And thank Arceus he's so good at it."
"Indeed," Walker-Of-Paths said again. "I am glad to have him."
Houndoom smiled, warmly and genuinely. "So…Karen and that other Trainer are talking," he said. "I thought you'd want to know what they're talking about."
"Later," said Walker-Of-Paths. "Medicham and I were in the middle of a conversation."
"Fair enough, fair enough," said Houndoom. "I'll go see what's going on upstairs. The Pokemon might need help moving in."
"Umbreon is already up there," Walker-Of-Paths pointed out.
"I know," said Houndoom. "But he could probably use an extra pair of paws. Excited for the battle tomorrow - something Theo's been training a long time for."
"I am excited too," said Walker-Of-Paths. "Go help Umbreon. Medicham and I won't be long."
Houndoom retreated with a last friendly nod at Medicham, a nod that did not comfort her in any way. She finally let out the breath she'd been holding throughout the conversation, shaky with fear.
"Do not avoid your path," Walker-Of-Paths warned. "Encourage your Trainer to head to Alola as soon as possible. Every delay means further possibility of problems. And we do not appreciate problems. So, I will make things clear. No further delays. Or your team will be the ones to face consequences."
"You won't hurt them," Medicham growled. "I may not be able to alert Marcus to who you are. But I can alert him to wounds."
"We have more subtle ways of causing pain," said Walker-Of-Paths. "You know we can wipe memories. You do not want to know what else we can do to someone's mind, do you?"
Medicham took another shaky breath. "You're just a bunch of monsters," she snarled. "All of you."
"Monsters, are we?" Walker-Of-Paths retorted. "Please. Betrayer-Of-Kin is the monster in this scenario." He leaned even closer, his face nearly touching the back of Medicham's neck. "Tell me. Do you want me to be a monster? Really? Do you want to see what kind of monster I can be?"
"N-no," Medicham whispered.
"Because I can," Walker-Of-Paths growled softly. "We all can. Think on that before you try and further avoid your path." His voice rose, changing in an instant from threatening to jovial. "Houndoom! I have decided to help as well!"
"Fair enough!" Houndoom's voice called back from upstairs. Walker-Of-Paths stepped out of the arena, casting one last dark look back at Medicham before he disappeared from view.
Slowly, Medicham forced herself to stop trembling, forced the tears of terror from her eyes, and forced her face into a neutral expression. Then she followed Walker-Of-Paths out of the room, not daring to glance over at the kitchen as she passed it by.
"You want to what?"
Marcus's gaze had been incredulous as he looked down at Kriesh and Medicham. The two had been standing side by side in the main room of Karen's house before their Trainer. Kriesh had alerted Medicham of her desire to visit Red's Espeon, after which Medicham had told Marcus, garnering the expected reaction.
"Look," Marcus had said, "I know she's a living legend, but…remember what happened the last time you two went out on your own? And what happened to Drapion afterwards?"
"That was in Kalos," Medicham had responded telepathically. "We're in Kanto now. Things will be different."
"And we're in the middle of a major city!" Marcus had pointed out. "I'm sorry, but it's just not an option. Maybe someday we'll come back, and you can thank her then. But not now. I know you're not fighting tomorrow, but you need some rest."
Medicham pushed the memory out of her mind and tried to make herself comfortable. Kriesh's feathers rustled beside her; clearly she was trying and failing to do the same thing.
"What did the Absol say?" she asked unexpectedly.
Medicham closed her eyes, not wanting to revisit that. "He threatened…the rest of the team," she whispered. "Told me to stop avoiding my path."
"There was no boat to Alola," Kriesh protested quietly.
"There were flights," said Medicham. "I saw. But I didn't point them out."
Kriesh shook her head. "It's not your fault," she whispered. "We're not 'avoiding the path'. The Heralds can take their micromanaging opinions and shove them up their-"
"Excusez-moi," a voice interrupted, "but I couldn't help but overhear."
Medicham felt a chill come over her as she turned to see Liepard standing nearby, barely visible in the shadows. If she'd heard what they were saying…
"Overhear what?" From Kriesh's tone, she was thinking the same thing.
"About your desire to visit Red's Espeon," said Liepard. Medicham tried not to openly breathe a sigh of relief. "It is nighttime. Perhaps she is gone already. But if you want to visit, there is a way."
"Marcus said no," Medicham whispered.
"And that is going to stop you how?" Liepard asked. "It is clear you want this. Marcus is already asleep. He will not know."
Medicham looked at Kriesh, who still looked doubtful. But she whispered, "What is this way?"
Liepard pointed to the corner, where Medicham could see a fairly odd-looking stone, dotted with green markings.
"That is a Spiritomb," said Liepard. "The Elite Four's, if I'm not mistaken. And Spiritombs are known for their Distortional abilities."
Medicham shivered. She knew a Spiritomb's capabilities; they were easily the most feared anti-Psychics in the world, and only the strongest or stupidest Trainers sought one.
"If I am not mistaken, I can use Assist," said Liepard, "and obtain a move that allows for Distortional travel. Then I will deliver you to the square, and when you are done I will return you home and transport you back."
"You can retain the move for that long?" Medicham asked.
"It is difficult," Liepard admitted. "And not really possible in a combat situation. But if I concentrate I can retain an Assisted move for ten minutes. Long enough for you to have your conversation, I should hope."
Medicham looked again at Kriesh. The Fearow, although still clearly torn, nodded slowly. "All right. Ten minutes. If he's still asleep."
"Trust me, he is," said Liepard. "Now, give me a moment. Farceur. Aider: Spiritomb."
A line of energy shot from Liepard to Spiritomb. Liepard frowned as a small spurt of Ghost energy shot out, splattering soundlessly against the wall. "No." A beam of Dark energy sailed over Medicham's head. "No." A blaze of Ghost energy flared to life on Liepard's paw in what was obviously a Curse. "No! Ugh…sometimes this is so difficult…ah. There we go."
In the next second, Medicham felt a sudden terrifying chill as she was consumed by Distortion. Distortion surrounded her, and for a moment she was falling again, plunging in slow motion, staring in fear as Giratina reached up to claim her dead body-
"And there we go," said Liepard. Medicham looked around at the streets of Viridian, by now practically deserted save for a few late-night walkers. "Come, we should go quickly. If we do not return in ten minutes, our re-entry will be…quite complicated."
The trio quickly moved off down the street, heading towards the main square. The few Trainers and Pokemon still out paid them very little heed; even if they did notice the group of Pokemon, they obviously did not care. It took only two minutes before the main square came within sight; Medicham heard Kriesh's sigh of relief; Red's Espeon was still in her position, though no Trainers or Pokemon were visible.
"Be quick," Liepard warned. "I will be back."
"Where are you-" Medicham said the words to empty air as Liepard shifted into Distortion, disappearing from view. Sighing, she turned back to Kriesh. "Well, shall we?"
"Yes," said Kriesh. But as she made to step out, she suddenly stopped. "Wait!" she hissed.
"What?" Medicham asked, and then she saw the trio of Trainers, dressed all in black, stepping out of hiding. Quickly, Kriesh and Medicham flattened themselves against the side of the building, straining to listen.
The three were coming from the same direction as Kriesh and Medicham, but on the other side of the building; Espeon did not seem to notice them. Their voices carried through the air so that Medicham could barely hear their words. "…sure about this?" one was asking.
"You bet I am!" another whispered excitedly. "With our Pokemon, that Espeon will be helpless, and we'll make a lot of money off of it."
"But it's…Red's Pokemon!" the first one protested.
"Please, we've got Dark-types," the third Trainer growled. "And surprise. It'll be down before it even knows we're here. And besides, Red's all the way up on top of a mountain. He won't know where we are. This plan's foolproof!"
Medicham looked back at Kriesh, who was visibly snarling. "We have to help her," the Fearow growled.
"I'm not saying we're not," said Medicham. "But we need to think about how we're handling this."
"Go!" came three whispers. From Pokeballs emerged a trio of Dark-types; a Mandibuzz and a pair of Bisharp, all three with claws glinting in the moonlight. The three and their Trainers began to move towards the unsuspecting Espeon.
"Screw thinking," Kriesh growled. "We need to go now."
"Okay," Medicham whispered. "You take the Mandibuzz, I've got the Bisharps."
"Right!" Kriesh lunged up into the air, letting out a fearsome shriek, as Medicham darted out from the corner of the building and rushed the Bisharps.
"What the - Ray, Alvin, get 'em!" one of the Trainers growled.
The other two Trainers belted out swift commands to their Pokemon. Mandibuzz whirled in the air and let fly with a wave of Dark energy at Kriesh. "Beam Impact!" Kriesh cried, unleashing a powerful Hyper Beam that slammed into the incoming attack and drove it back straight into the Mandibuzz. The Mandibuzz let out a squawk of alarm, barely stopping itself from plunging into the fountain. Unfortunately, the mark left by the Beam Impact quickly began to heal as Flying energy surrounded the Mandibuzz, a clear indicator of Roost. The Mandibuzz let out another shriek, this one challenging, and lunged to meet Kriesh.
The two Bisharps split up, one leaping for Espeon and the other for Medicham. "Pure Power: Aura Blast!" Medicham called, firing off the attack at the Bisharp leaping for Espeon. The Bisharp spun, bringing up a blade wreathed in Ghost energy, and slashed through the incoming blast without pausing in its stride. Medicham made to launch another one, but the other Bisharp was now on top of her.
"Guess we'll get three for the price of one," the Bisharp growled.
"You're not getting anything," Medicham retorted, sidestepping the Bisharp's swing. Twisting, she made ready to hurl another Aura Blast at the other Bisharp, hoping it had not reached Espeon yet.
But she stopped short, for even though Espeon had not moved and did not appear to be even aware the fight was taking place, the other Bisharp was being telekinetically held in midair, thrashing wildly and emitting a strangled scream of agony.
The fact that a Dark-type was being Psychically held was not something that Medicham had time to pay much heed to before she heard a snarl from behind her. She came back to her senses in time to use Detect, evading another swing by the first Bisharp. "Pure Power: Aura Sweep!" she cried, lashing out a swift foot. The Bisharp tumbled to the ground, slamming face-first into the stone path.
"Steel Impact!" A nasty crack sounded from above as Kriesh drove a Steel energy-covered wing into the Mandibuzz's face. An even nastier crack sounded from the right as Espeon, still maintaining the exact same posture and position, telekinetically tossed the crumpled form of the other Bisharp back across the square. It landed in front of its Trainer, unconscious, looking as if it had been through an industrial crusher.
"Let's get out of here!" The three Trainers recalled their Pokemon and twisted, ready to dash away. But before they could, Espeon finally rose from her position. The gem on her forehead glowed brightly, and the trio of Trainers froze in place mid-stride.
Espeon turned to face Medicham and Kriesh. "I take it you are not with them?"
"You…you knew they were coming, didn't you?" Medicham asked.
"Yes, I did," said Espeon. "It's not the first time some ruffians have decided attempting to capture me would be a grand idea. But regardless of necessity, it is the intent that counts. So thank you."
"I…I should be the one thanking you," said Kriesh. Espeon shifted to gaze at her. "I…it's been a while, and you might not remember me, but-"
"Of course I remember you, Kriesh," said Espeon. "I am a Psychic. I remember practically my entire life. I am glad to see you have made a life for yourself." She shifted her gaze to Medicham. "You I have not met. Are you an escort, or do you have something to say as well?"
"Um…" Medicham stammered, several wild possibilities coming to her mind. Could she tell Espeon about the Heralds? Such a strong Psychic surely would be able to deal with whatever came her way. She could ask Espeon for assistance, or maybe even-
No.
No, it was too risky.
"I'm just an escort," said Medicham.
"Then I will take my leave," said Espeon. "Good luck, Kriesh. And you too, Medicham." She turned and trotted off, telekinetically carrying the unfortunate trio of criminals along with her as she disappeared from the square.
Medicham sighed. "Come on, let's go home," she said.
Kriesh nodded in agreement, and the two began to move over to the edge of the square. Medicham had not sustained any wounds in the scuffle; Kriesh had apparently suffered a blow from the Mandibuzz's claws, but an application of Roost had healed the shallow scratch.
"Parfaite." Liepard's eyes stared out from the shadows as Medicham and Kriesh approached. "Let us go home."
The trio set off at a somewhat fast walk, but Medicham knew they had time to spare. Even with the brief fight, it had been five minutes at most since their departure.
"What were you doing back there?" Kriesh asked as the three rounded the corner and began moving towards Karen's house.
"I've survived on my own for some time," said Liepard. "Picked up a few tricks. Like, for example, the best food's often in the trash."
Medicham gagged.
"Yes, I know, but Trainers so rarely feed us their food," said Liepard, now cresting the steps up to the house. "Trust me, it tastes very different than ours. You should try it sometime. Now, if we hurry, we should be able to Distortionally travel back up to the room. If you could both gather around…"
Liepard's voice trailed off as her eyes widened in dismay. Medicham and Kriesh followed her gaze.
To Marcus, standing on the porch, glaring at the trio.
To Walker-Of-Paths, standing beside him, a wicked smile on his face as he locked eyes with Medicham.
"Well?" Marcus's growl was not unlike Drapion's. "Care to explain?"
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Remember: I always enjoy reading your reviews, if you feel like making my mood even better!