Chapter 6

I held my hands out to the sides, palms open, showing that I was unarmed. My Pokémon still stood in a circle around me, shivering with fear, but still steadfast in their desire to protect Misty and me.

"Um… h-hello? I don't think I am who you think I am. So far as I know, we've never met."

"Scott!" Hissed Misty. "Why are you trying to talk to it?! We should be running!"

"Maybe I can help calm it. The forest has become unsafe for anyone else! Maybe if we calm it, it'll pass on and people can travel through here again!"

"Beloved… my Adam, so noble. So self-sacrificing… even now you only think of others."

Who the hell was Adam? "Look miss, my name is Scott. Not Adam. I don't think we've ever met before, I'd remember you."

"The golden wheel turns and the universe spins. What was once, becomes anew again. I recognize you, beloved. I've been waiting. So looooooong."

"P-please miss, can't you let us go? We won't come back, we promise!" Misty asked. She was literally shaking so badly she looked like she was freezing.

Unfortunately, her speaking up seemed to infuriate the ghost.

"Interloper! Scarlet woman! Home wrecker! He is mine!" Her white hair split into nine writhing tendrils of ghost-fire lit fury, lashing back and forth angrily as her eyes turned crimson. "Begone!"

Misty screamed as she was thrown through the air by an unseen hand. "No! Don't hurt her!" I screamed, leaping to catch her before she hit something hard.

The ghost began to shimmer and flicker as her rage grew, a strange quadrupedal shape taking its place for a few moments, as the woman's form fell back into place.

Wait. I knew that shape. I knew this legend.

Growing up and playing the games, there had always been one particular species that had struck me as particularly tragic. For all that the games stressed the bonds between trainer and Pokémon, one species alone stood out as having an unfair deal. One particularly long lived species.

"I call you by your true name! Ninetales, please, stop this!" The ghost froze in shock, and Misty fell into my arms, weeping, the ghostly force that held her finally letting go.

The ghostly young woman faded away, leaving an obviously ancient ninetales sitting demurely, a look of intense longing in her eyes.

I knew it was you, beloved. Her voice in my head was a rich, deep feminine tone. You may not remember, and you may not be the same, but I recognize you all the same.

She sent me images across the mental link, of a life lived long ago, before the invention even of the pokeball. A Vulpix who found a lost human boy. A young man who risked his life for her. A journey to Hoenn, an impossible choice. A human lifetime of joy and love, followed by almost a millennium of loneliness. And he looked exactly like me.

"Oh… oh my god. I'm so sorry. You've been alone all this time?"

The ninetales seemed to smile, a thing involving her eyes and nothing else, as she shook her head no. Her nine beautiful tails whirled and flourished, before parting to reveal a small russet shape.

"Awwww! She's so keeeeeeyuuuuuuuute!" Misty squeed. She fell to her knees, holding her arms out to the small Vulpix, who began running straight towards her.

Misty's eyes widened in joy, a smile creasing her face as the adorable young fox jumped towards her…. Only to springboard off of her face, knocking her backwards in the dirt to land in my arms.

I marveled at the small fox, she was soft and warm. I felt a small presence at the edge of my consciousness, like a caller at the door, asking to be let in.

I relaxed my defenses, much like I had started to do with Ralts, and let the little fox in.

Joy. Curiosity. Travel. Together?

"You wish to travel with us?" Ralts looked over at the small fox in my arms. I could sense a conversation happening, but I was blocked from its content. Finally, the two nodded in agreement.

Vulpix looked me in the eye before seeming to ask me a question.

Challenge?

"You want to fight us? Very well. Let's show her what we can do, Ralts!"

"Ra!"

Vulpix jumped from my arms to take an aggressive stance, Ralts teleported between us. For several seconds, we three stood motionless, the two small pokemon studying each other as the ninetales watched on. Then vulpix jumped into action.

She leapt into the air, firing a barrage of tiny fireballs directly at Ralts. "Teleport out of the way, keep moving, use confusion when you see an opening!"

Ralts cried out an acknowledgement as she began spamming teleports, appearing for a second, before disappearing to somewhere else. Every so often, she'd fire a confusion at the vulpix' unprotected flanks, before teleporting away again.

Vulpix, however, was wily in her own right. Several times, she'd set up an invisible Hex attack to go off right near where Ralts teleported to, hitting her with a squeal before she could teleport away again.

Suddenly, the teleporting flashed in a new way, before multiple Ralts appeared at one time, all firing a confusion attack. Up until now, there had only been one Ralts on the field at a time, this was a new attack.

"That's double team! Good job ralts! Keep hitting her again! Set up a crossfire!"

Indeed, the vulpix was quickly overwhelmed. No matter which way she dodged or jumped, there was still a ring of ralts, all firing very real confusion attacks that converged on the vulpix' position. Soon, the small fox was breathing heavily, dazed, confused and exhausted.

I hurled an empty pokeball at the exhausted fox, pulling her into the ball before it fell to the ground, shaking and rattling violently. Finally, the ball pinged, before teleporting away. Vulpix was mine.

The ancient ninetales gave me one last look, nodding in approval, before she faded into the forest.

Take care of my offspring, beloved. I will be watching.

I fell to my knees, utterly exhausted. My Pokémon, still in their protective circle, looked at me with respect, and in the case of my three newest captures, a sense of awe. I looked back at them with a tired smile.

"Well that was eventful, huh guys?"

Misty looked at me in a bit of a shock.

"I can't believe that happened. The ghost was an ancient ninetales? I've always heard rumors that they had otherworldly powers, but I've never seen them in action."

"What, really? I'd think they'd be well studied by now. Surely any decent fire type specialist has a ninetales."

"Not really, no. Vulpix are fairly common, but ninetales are still somewhat legendary. You see them in champion matches sometimes, but even there, they're really rare."

"Huh. Well then." I stood up, stretching and popping my back. "Wanna go back to town? I figure we can rest up before tackling the Viridian forest tomorrow."

"Sounds good Scott. Let's go."

An alarm beeped in professor Oak's lab. One of his trainers had caught a Pokémon that was transferred to the ranch.

Samuel Oak rose from his nap, blearily rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Hmmmm. Let's see what we've got then. Young Scott, eh? What did you send me?"

The ball materialized in its receptacle, before opening with a burst of light. The professor exclaimed with joy as the small fox materialized before him.

"Ah! A vulpix! And such a beautiful specimen at that! Where did Scott find you, eh, little friend?"

The young vulpix vixen looked around fearfully before fixating on professor Oak's aged countenance.

Human. Mine. Where?

The professor considered for a few moments, puzzling out what the young fox was asking.

"Oh! Where is your trainer?"

Agreement.

"He most likely has six Pokémon with him already. He's only allowed to have six at a time. Any others are sent here. This is my ranch! A place to rest and relax when you aren't training or battling."

Sad. Desire. Human. Mine.

"Oh don't you worry, my dear. I'm sure Scott will send for you soon! Most trainers routinely switch out their on belt and reserve Pokémon! Patience, little one. Patience."

Vulpix was unamused.