Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.
"While separated from the research team in the crater's depths, I found a strange...entity. Whether it was a Pokémon, or even alive at all, I know not. It bore a shell with layers of overlapping hexagons and gleamed brighter still than gemstone. Viewed as a whole, it resembled a mysterious, brilliant disk."
"I have tentatively named this creature Terapagos. I suspect that its very body is made up of the key material that causes Pokémon to shine brightly and crystallize."
"Incredible," ANNA murmured as she eagerly read through this entry of the Violent Book, which had been redacted or outright absent from every other copy of the tome she'd gotten her hands on. "I have never heard of a Pokémon such this, and my people have catalogued thousands of powerful cosmic entities across the eons… Though considering the size of the universe, it's hardly a surprise that we might not have encountered something like this yet."
"Neither has anyone else," Briar said, one leg crossed over the other as she sat across from ANNA in the bus taking them from the small airstrip they had landed at – after taking an even more rickety and cramped plane after transferring at the much larger airport their commercial airline had dropped them off at – to the outskirts of Mossui Town. "Which is why my ancestor was discredited for insisting such a creature actually existed."
"How small minded, but sadly characteristic, of them," ANNA said scornfully, examining the picture Heath had feverishly – but quite artfully – drawn on the opposite page from his entry. It looked like some sort of turtle with a crown on its back atop a huge sphere half obscured in shadow, the visible part made of interlocking hexagons with what appeared to be some sort of tail or waves growing out of its rear upon which a sailing vessel could be seen. The sphere was surrounded by a corona, with stars and planets orbiting it. "But you believe it is real?"
"I do," Briar insisted, a fervent look in her eyes. "And I intend to prove it. Not just because it'll vindicate my ancestor, but because I believe that finding this Pokémon will give us the answers to many of the secret surrounding Area Zero. If my hypothesis is correct, this Pokémon, this 'Terapagos,' may be not only the source of all the strangeness surrounding that crater… But the thing that caused it in the first place."
ANNA frowned. "Geological studies indicate the crater was formed 2 million years ago."
Briar shrugged. "And? It wouldn't be the first time an incredibly powerful Pokémon came to us from the stars in the form of a meteor. Jirachi, Deoxys, Kyurem, Necrozma, Eternatus… And just like the last two, as Heath implied, it may even be the source of a regional phenomenon, namely Terastalization, just as the other two introduced Z-Crystals and Dynamax to our world."
"And if this creature is real, and it is the source of the anomalous phenomena associated with the Great Crater of Paldea… The Tera crystals, the Paradox Pokémon, why the professors' Time Machine was able to work there but nowhere else… Then that means it may also have the power…" ANNA said slowly.
"To send us home," Julie, who'd been reading over her sister's shoulder, whispered hopefully.
"Considering that according to the Scarlet and Violet Books, Paradox Pokémon existed in Area Zero before the professors built the Time Machine, it is certainly possible," ANNA agreed. She sighed. "Of course, we would still need to be able to get back into Area Zero to find it. From what I recall of the professors' notes, there was a deeper part of Area Zero we never got to see where they got the massive and unusually powerful crystals they used in the Time Machine. If Terapagos does exist, it would probably be somewhere down there." She frowned. "But who knows what else is waiting down there…"
"You just leave that to me," Briar assured the twins. "When I'm finally allowed to go to the crater-"
"If," ANNA corrected her.
"When," Briar insisted. "I'll do my best to insist that the two of you can come as well. If, that is, you impress me during this little field trip. Your headmaster has had nothing but glowing remarks for the both of you, and I want to see just what kind of trainers you are with my own eyes. He's rarely one to exaggerate, after all."
"We will endeavor to live up to your expectations," ANNA assured her.
"But… What if we disappoint?" Julie asked anxiously. "Or… They nyot let you take us?"
Briar smiled enigmatically. "Well… to paraphrase Ghetsis, no matter how powerful it is, a Pokémon is still a Pokémon. And even the most powerful Pokémon can still be captured." She winked at them.
Julie frowned. "Should Briar really be quoting Ghetsis? He bad man."
"He was, but that doesn't mean he was wrong about that nugget of wisdom," Briar said. "After all, you wouldn't stop eating sugar just because Ghetsis happened to like it, would you?"
"According to N's testimony, he did not, in fact, like sugar," ANNA pointed out.
Julie gasped in horror. "He really bad man!"
"Regardless, I see your point, Ms. Briar," ANNA conceded. "However, the thing you must remember, is that while a powerful Pokémon is still a Pokémon… That power is not always easily controlled, and those who seek to tame such beings against their will often come to rather bad ends."
Briar chuckled. "You let me worry about that," she said dismissively, much to ANNA's frustration. "After all, in the best-case scenario, you'll be right there with me, and I'm certain the two of you can handle something like Terapagos if even half of the things I've heard about you are true."
"I pray you are correct," ANNA admitted, reluctantly handing the Violet Book back. She'd already copied its contents to her memory, anyway.
"That's an interesting word choice," Hohma, who'd eagerly been recording the exchange noted. "'Pray.' Is that something your people do, ANNA?"
"Certainly. Why would we not?" The perplexed gynoid asked.
"Well, it's just… You know… You're like a hard-core sci-fi robot girl, so wouldn't your people have no use for that kind of superstition?" He said vaguely.
"I am not a robot," ANNA reminded him. "Also, my people are dedicated to studying and understanding the universe. That means we have empirically proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there are in fact forces beyond mortal comprehension governing all of creation and are therefore worthy of respect. Which… Should not actually be a surprise? Nigh omnipotent and actually omnipotent Pokémon exist in this age as well."
"Well. Yes," Hohma admitted. "But, you know, there's a difference between knowing things like that exist and praying to them, I guess? I mean, I guess there's a bunch of religions that worship them, but I don't belong to one of them? I don't really get why we should consider something a God if it can be caught in a Pokéball like any other Pokémon."
"Fair enough," ANNA conceded.
"Even if wrong," Julie quipped.
"Also magic is real," ANNA added offhandedly.
"Wait, really?" Hohma asked in surprise.
"Yes, thaumatology is a fully accredited and respectable field of study back home," ANNA said calmly.
Ohara, who'd been spending the trip struggling not to throw up due to her intense motion sickness, gasped at this, eyes lighting up. "Then… You're a magical android?!" She squealed.
"I am not an android," ANNA replied. "And no. I do not have magic circuits, a mana condenser, or an aether core, though one of my sisters does."
"Oh," Ohara said, looking disappointed, and then very green as she reached for her motion sickness bag.
"Perhaps I should look into getting some installed once I return home," ANNA mused. "Julie can do magic, though."
"Sister!" Julie hissed, turning red.
"Whoa, really? Do a spell!" Hohma cried enthusiastically.
"Sister put Julie on spot! Can't perform under that kind of pressure!" Julie stammered. "Julie also nyot very good at it."
"The spells I have seen you perform seemed well above average," ANNA observed.
"Nyothing compared to Mama," Julie insisted. "She chief as well as top shaman. Try to teach Julie." She looked ashamed. "Julie should've paid more attention."
"It is a sad but universal trait among all living things that we always feel inadequate compared to the giants who came before," ANNA said wistfully. "Mother Computer commands an entire fleet, and I have not even become captain of my own vessel. Those are big shoes to fill, and we do not even wear shoes."
"Don't… Wear… Shoes…" Briar muttered, jotting this all down. "Your world sounds fascinating. I don't suppose you'd be willing to take me to see it?"
"Ms. Briar, if you help us get a fully operational time portal working, I will personally perform the conversion procedure to allow you to live there full time," ANNA promised.
"And Julie hook you up with really nyice girl from back home!" Julie chirped.
"Sister, you are presuming that she is a lesbian or at least bisexual," ANNA pointed out.
"I… might be willing to make an exception where a cute cat girl is involved," Briar admitted, blushing slightly.
Julie chuckled. "Yeah, Julie get that a lot."
Hohma gasped and pointed out the window. "Oh! I think we're here!"
Indeed, it seemed they were. The bus was pulling up next to a lonely stop on the side of the road, surrounded by tall grass, verdant trees, and big stony hills. There were numerous fields of rice paddies not too far away, lining the road as it continued towards a small town in the near distance. Ohara surged to her feet before the vehicle even stopped moving, slamming the door open, rushing into the grass, and throwing up noisily, causing several of the Pokémon that had been waiting there patiently for a trainer to attack/allow themselves to get caught by to immediately change their minds and run away.
"Poor dear," Briar murmured as she and the rest of the students got off the bus with their luggage, the only passengers. "Travel doesn't really suit her, does it? I can't help wondering why she even came along…"
"Oh, I think it's because some mangaka she likes is supposed to be in town this week for a big festival," Hohma said, snapping pictures with his phone. "Open or something?"
The twins stiffened. "Open? Do you mean, by chance, O-PEN?" ANNA asked slowly.
"Huh? Yeah, I think that's the one, why?" Hohma asked, oblivious to the look of excitement on the sisters' faces.
"O-PEN is here?!" Julie shrieked so loudly that several Pokémon hiding in the trees and bushes waiting patiently for a trainer to attack/allow themselves to get caught by were driven away in fright. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! SISTER WHY YOU NYO TELL JULIE?!"
"I was unaware as well," ANNA said, shocked.
"How you nyot know? You knyow everything! Brain hooked up to big space cloud!" Julie shouted, throttling her sister.
"You mean the Internet. And you are correct, I should have known, why did I not… Oh," ANNA realized, an embarrassed look crossing her face. "Now I remember. When I began burying myself in my research, I flagged all my emails and alerts that did not pertain to classwork, my research, or…our absent friends to 'read later' and I… Never actually got around to reading them later. Let me see…ah. Yes, I got a notification several weeks ago that O-PEN would be appearing in Kitakami for this year's Festival of Masks. I have received similar notifications every day since, including the option to buy tickets to attend, as well as the chance to enter a raffle to win exclusive merchandise and prizes."
"KYAAAAHHH! WHY YOU NYOT TELL JULIE SOONER! SISTER BAD! BAD!" Julie screamed.
"This is at least partially your fault as well," ANNA said defensively. "You could have checked your own email to find out about this at any point before now."
"Feh, why Julie bother with that when big brain sister can do it for Julie?" Julie said dismissively. "Julie nyever forgive sister!"
"Julie, we are here now," ANNA pointed out. "Without having to spend nearly as much money, for that matter. And it is not too late for us to participate in the raffle, either."
"… Julie guesses," the prehistoric cat girl grumbled. "But Julie will look totally out of place, didn't have time to make cosplay!"
"Julie, you already look like the sort of person who would exist in the manga," ANNA pointed out. "And I can easily generate costumes for us anyway."
"Julie doesn't like sister's illusion clothes, feels itchy on skin," Julie complained.
"Really? I thought I had fixed that," ANNA murmured with a frown. "Then again, I suppose that given I lack skin of my own, I probably would not notice such a thing…"
"I… Take it this O-PEN person is a big deal, then?" A rather lost Briar asked.
"A big deal?!" Ohara shouted as she rushed out of the grass, looking much better. "She's only the greatest mangaka EVER!"
"She write Julie's favoritest manga, The Ogre's Tale!" Julie said eagerly.
"I would not say it is my favorite manga personally, since there are many ongoing serials back home I find much more appealing, but The Ogre's Tale is indeed a masterpiece of storytelling and art, one of the best pieces of media this era has produced, a long runner that has been going on for several decades now, breaking numerous records for sales and longevity, and has had numerous adaptations in the forms of light novels, anime, stage shows, live action films, video games, and a number of very popular spinoffs," ANNA explained. "Dozens of dissertations and research papers have been written on the franchise's strong themes and motifs, amazing characterization, and incredibly subtle storytelling, with the very first volume foreshadowing events that don't pay off until thousands of volumes later. It is also one of the very few works of fiction that have made me cry."
"You have tear ducts?!" An astonished Hohma asked.
"I was surprised as well," ANNA admitted.
"But Julie nyot understand. Why greatest writer ever in Kitakami?" A puzzled Julie wondered.
"From what I've heard, Kitakami is where O-PEN is from!" Ohara announced.
Both sisters gasped at this. "Really?!" Julie exclaimed.
"Impossible! Kitakami was not even on my list of possible regions she might call home!" ANNA protested.
"… The two of you can't be as big fans you say you are if you have no idea where your favorite author is from," a dubious Hohma muttered.
"HOW DARE," Julie roared, lunging at him, only to be held back by her sister.
"Julie, that is unnecessary. He is ignorant and knows not of what he speaks," she chided her.
"Hey!"
"O-PEN is very reclusive," Ohara explained. "She's only made less than a dozen public appearances, and every time she's wearing a full body costume and mask and never speaks. Nobody knows what her name is, how old she is, and the only reason we even know she's a girl is thanks to a slip-up during an interview several years ago, and there are several fans who think that might've been deliberate rather than a mistake. Nobody she works with knows her identity either, not even her publishers."
"Not even Penny knyows, and she knyow everything!" Julie emphasized.
"Dang, not even Penny knows?" an astonished Hohma murmured.
"There are numerous stalkers and members of the press who have attempted to use illicit and less than legal means to find out more about her," ANNA added. "However, she has a very powerful and exceedingly loyal Gardevoir as an interpreter and bodyguard who has thwarted every attempt to use Pokémon or listening devices to spy on her mistress, and more forceful attempts to discover the truth behind the mask have often resulted in hospitalization, lawsuits, and very stringent restraining orders."
"Julie ships them," Julie commented cheekily.
"You ship every trainer who has a Gardevoir," ANNA pointed out.
"So does whole entire Internet! Can nyou blame them?!" Julie insisted.
"Regrettably, I cannot," ANNA admitted. "In my own time, Iron Valiant are also rather…popular."
"Is that why nyou-"
"We do not need to speak of this in public."
"Whoa," Hohma murmured, eyes wide.
"But now she has revealed her place of origin? Why? What could she be up to?" ANNA pondered.
"What makes you think she's up to anything?" Briar asked.
"Because when her gender was confirmed years ago, it left the fandom so blindsided they were taken completely by surprise when a new and universally acclaimed spinoff was announced, which had been pretty blatantly foreshadowed, but were still reeling so much that they never saw it coming," Ohara explained. "If she is not only revealing that Kitakami is her homeland, but she is coming here in person, she must have something big planned."
"Also, it says online that she is going to be making a big announcement," ANNA added.
"Well yeah, that too."
"Ah."
"Maybe… Maybe she announcing series ending?" Julie suggested, looking torn between elation and dismay at the thought.
"That is certainly possible," ANNA agreed. "It does seem like most of the long-running story threads are beginning to wrap up… However, there are plenty more that are nowhere near resolution, as well as seeds of future plots that could easily keep the franchise going for another few years, or at least trigger a new spinoff or even a sequel series."
"Well, regardless, it looks like the three of you will have to wait until the festival to find out," Briar said, looking amused.
"Indeed," ANNA agreed. "However, something is odd. She claims to be from Kitakami, but this region is so small and the population so low the inhabitants should remember someone leaving shortly before The Ogre's Tale started getting published, which could provide a hint as to O-PEN's true identity… But according to the message boards, no one who was around back then can remember anyone leaving the region at around that time who had any talent or interest in manga."
"So mysterious!" Julie gushed.
"Wait, when did you check the message boards? You just found out about this," a confused Hohma asked.
"Right now. Now that I am no longer in airplane mode, I can easily search the Internet," ANNA explained. She frowned. "Reception is a little spotty, though… Perhaps I should launch a satellite to boost the signal."
"Do it! Do it!" Julie urged.
"Very well."
ANNA converted her hand into its buster form, pointed upward, and fired a shot into the air. Everyone looked up in amazement as a projectile shot into the deep blue sky and disappeared.
"There. That should do it," ANNA said as everyone's Rotom Phones beeped and they checked to discover they now had full coverage, and then some.
"Is this legal?" a concerned Hohma asked.
"I won't tell anyone if you won't," Briar said with a smirk. "In any event, we should probably get moving, after the long trip, I'm sure all of you could use some exercise. Is everyone present and accounted for? I feel like we are missing someone."
Everyone glanced at each other. There was a pause.
"Wait, where's Aliquis?" Ohara asked.
As one, they turned to look at the bus, which had been idling there for the last several minutes for no real reason, as it abruptly began to pull away…
Revealing that Aliquis, still as catatonic as he had been ever since learning that Nemona didn't regard him as worthy of her full efforts, was sitting exactly where they left him inside.
"Whoops," Hohma said.
Briar gasped. "No! I can't lose a student on a school trip!" She stared into the distance, haunted. "Not again."
"Julie. Fetch," ANNA commanded, sending her sister eagerly rushing after the bus.
Once they retrieved Aliquis from the bus by virtue of Julie catching up to it and dragging it back by her teeth, Briar gave all of them a brittle smile. "All right! We're all here! I don't think there's any need to tell your parents or Director Clavell about this little mishap!"
"What's it worth to you?" Hohma asked.
"No homework and none of you need to write a report at the end of the trip discussing what you've learned."
Everyone cheered, except for a disappointed ANNA, who had been looking forward to writing a report.
"Then welcome to the land of Kitakami!" Briar said dramatically. "This is the stage for all the new experiences and learning opportunities you'll have out in nature! It's actually my first time here too. Why, the rice fields really are just dazzling!"
Indeed, the sheer size and breadth of the rice fields was impressive. There were plenty of Yanma buzzing around the fields, the workers angrily shooing them away.
"Up ahead is Mossui Town. That will be our base of operations for the duration of the trip!" Briar announced, pointing at the nearby town. "Now, we should probably head for the community center, seeing as that's where we will be staying, and my students should be waiting for us-"
"Miss Briar!"
Two children ran towards them from the direction of the town, one tall, the other short, just like ANNA and Julie, and clearly siblings, also just like ANNA and Julie. The older sibling was a rather attractive girl wearing a dark blue school uniform with a yellow belt with a pouch on the side, blue and white stripes on the legs, white and red shoes, a red glove missing a thumb on her right hand, long black and red hair with a yellow hairband, yellow eyes, and an irritated look on her face. The other was a boy – unlike ANNA or Julie – wearing a white school uniform with shorts, a yellow backpack, yellow eyes, black and mauve hair, and a headband and glove like his sister. He looked rather shy and awkward.
"Oh, here they are now!" Briar said, pleasantly surprised. "Class, I'd like you to meet my students, Carmine and Kieran. I teach them at Blueberry Academy, and Mossui is actually their hometown!"
Julie gasped; eyes sparkling as she gazed at Carmine. "Sister! Pretty girl!"
ANNA nodded. "Yes, sister, I see her. Her hair is a fascinating mix of colors, her uniform is well-suited for her, and her features are largely symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing."
Everyone stared at her, dumbfounded. "Excuse me?!" Carmine demanded as her brother looked to be stifling a laugh.
ANNA blinked. "Did I say something wrong?"
"Sister! Nyou can do better than that!" A disappointed Julie chided her sister. "Nyou usually have better game than that!"
"You are correct," ANNA agreed, chastened. "Why… Oh. Of course. I disconnected my sex drive a few weeks ago when I began to bury myself in research to avoid being distracted by our attractive female classmates."
"… Wait, you have a physical…" Hohma stammered.
"Naturally. One moment."
One of ANNA's hip compartments opened and ejected what looked like a flash drive, but even smaller and more advanced. A tiny port opened in the side of her head, and she inserted the drive. Her eyes blinked and transformed into cycling progress wheels. "Reinstallation of sex drive in progress… 5%… 37%… 69%… 95%… 95%… 95%… 95%…"
Julie groaned. "Julie hates when this happens," she grunted, hopping up and smacking her sister in the back of her head.
"100%! Reinstallation complete," ANNA announced, her eyes changing back to normal. She glanced at the very confused Carmine. "Your hair is a fascinating mix of colors, your uniform is well-suited for you, and your features are largely symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing."
Ohara gasped and clasped her hands to her mouth, Briar turned red and started fanning herself, and Carmine squeaked, turning the same color as her name. "E-EXCUSE ME?! Y-you can't just say something like that to someone you've just met!"
Kieran and Hohma looked utterly bewildered, while Aliquis looked utterly vacant. "I don't get it," Kieran muttered.
Ohara scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Boys."
"M-Miss Briar! Who are these… Itinerant cosplayers?!" Carmine demanded.
"We are not cosplayers. I am a techno-organic life form from the distant future and my sister is a prehistoric cat girl from the distant past," ANNA said.
Carmine turned up her nose in disgust. "Ugh! And they're chuunis too!"
"We are not chuunibyou. I am a techno-organic life form from the distant future and my sister is a prehistoric cat girl from the distant past," ANNA repeated.
"Wow, those are really good costumes," Kieran murmured in awe.
"They are not costumes. I am a techno-organic life form from the distant future and my sister is a prehistoric cat girl from the distant past," ANNA repeated again, starting to get annoyed. "Is there a problem with my speakers? Can they not hear me?"
"Julie can hear you," Julie said.
"Carmine, Kieran, these are the students who will be joining us from our sister school of Naranjuva," Briar explained. "Hohma-"
"Hey!" Hohma said, waving a hand.
"Ohara-"
"H-hi," Ohara squeaked, intimidated and aroused by Carmine's attractiveness and intensity.
"Aliquis-"
Aliquis did not move or say anything.
"Is he okay?" A concerned Kieran asked.
"No, he's suffering an existential crisis," Briar said dismissively. "And of course, ANNA and Julie, the time twins you've heard so much about."
"These are the sisters you've been raving about?!" An incredulous Carmine demanded. "A bunch of chuunis?!"
"We are not chuunibyou. I am a techno-organic life form from the distant future and my sister is a prehistoric cat girl from the distant past," ANNA repeated once again, starting to get fed up.
Carmine sneered, not having paid any attention to her retort. "It's bad enough that every building, home, and square inch of free space in town is packed with camped-out tourists – not even ones who are here to see the Festival of Masks, but lunatics obsessed with that stupid mangaka-"
"She is not stupid!" ANNA, Julie, Ohara, and interestingly enough, Kieran, protested.
"But now we need to entertain so-called fellow students who are also fans of that hack? Disgraceful! The standards are clearly slipping at the 'prestigious' Naranjuva! What is that Director thinking?" Carmine snarled.
"Hey! Don't talk about Papa Clavell like that!" Julie yelled angrily.
Carmine raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Papa Clavell?"
"Sister, he has asked us not to use that nickname in public," ANNA reminded Julie.
"Julie knyows, but she insulted him!" Julie protested. "And O-PEN!"
"Which does not mean we need to inflict bodily harm on her, despite how tempting it might seem," ANNA said patiently.
"You know, sis, I seem to remember you also liking that 'hack,'" Kieran pointed out.
"That was a long time ago. I've outgrown it," Carmine commented dismissively. "I'm far too mature for such childish drivel anymore."
"You didn't seem to feel that way a few months ago-"
"Shut up! I matured really quickly!" She snapped very immaturely.
"The Ogre's Tale is a story for readers of all ages, though," ANNA pointed out. "Also, my sister and I are both much older than you are, and we do not consider ourselves too old to read it."
Carmine snorted. "And just how old is that?"
"Approximately 217 of your years."
Carmine rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh, sure."
"Wait, really?" Briar asked, amazed.
"Yes. I do not lie," ANNA said.
"Well, you I could believe, because you're a futuristic cyborg-" Hohma stammered.
"Not a cyborg."
"But Julie?"
"Due to her incredibly robust genes, her kind age very slowly. I am not certain if any have died of old age," ANNA replied.
"Julie didn't even knyow that was a thing until Julie got here!" Julie spoke up.
"… I wouldn't mind genes like that…" Briar muttered to herself as Hohma and Ohara gawked at Julie.
"Julie can give them to nyou-" Julie offered.
"Sister, you promised not to bite anyone," ANNA reminded her.
"Oh, right."
"You'll have to forgive my sister. She really did love The Ogre's Tale, same as me, but after her favorite character did something she didn't like she swore off the franchise forever," Kieran said apologetically.
"Shut up, Kiki! What happened with Lady Iron Fan was unforgivable and you know it!" Carmine snapped.
The Naranjuva students who knew what she was talking about nodded in sympathy. "Oh yeah, that was rough," Ohara agreed.
"Julie did nyot see that coming," Julie recalled.
"To be fair, all the hints were there in plain sight, you just needed to notice them," ANNA pointed out.
"Nyou didn't."
"Well, not on my first read through…"
"She actually tried to start an online petition to change what happened-" Kieran started to say.
"Shut up, Kiki! Unless you want me to tell them about the creepy shrine you have to Ogress in your room!" Carmine hissed.
"It's not creepy!" Kieran protested.
"The Ogress dakimakuras, effigies, and commissioned fanart of you and her together would imply otherwise!" Carmine retorted. "And that doesn't even begin to go into the fanfics…"
Ohara gasped. "Oh, you write fanfics? I write fanfics!"
"So do we!" Julie announced proudly.
ANNA nodded. "Indeed. Together the two of us have written a measly several hundred million words on LO3. I do not suppose you have heard of ChronoDuo910078?"
Ohara, Kieran, and even Carmine gasped. "No way! That's you two?!" Ohara demanded.
"Wait, ANNA, you're an AI…and you write fanfics?" a confused Hohma asked. "You know that's kind of problematic, right?"
"I am not an AI, I am a techno-organic-"
"Never mind, forget I asked."
"Impossible! There's no way the two of you could be the authors of the award-winning Ogre Battle Saga, possibly the longest work in the entire fandom, whose quality has been said to be as good as, if not better than the source material?!" Carmine shrieked. When everyone stared her, she stammered and insisted, "N-not that I still follow it or anything!"
"…Nyou're a total Tsundere," Julie observed.
"What? Shut up! No I'm not! I'm a real person, not an anime trope!" Protested the girl with natural red and black hair and yellow eyes living in a world full of incredibly powerful animals, some of which could be considered actual deities, that could be captured and stored in tiny mechanical spheres.
Julie, ANNA, Ohara, and Kieran all nodded solemnly. "Total Tsuntsun," Ohara agreed.
"She has you pegged, sis," Kieran said, causing her to start squawking incoherently. "Can I get an autograph? And possibly hints about the next chapter? You haven't updated in weeks!"
"Yes to the former, as to the latter, the two of us have been… Busy as of late," ANNA said evasively, she and Julie both grimacing. "I believe we will be resuming work on it in the near future."
"Maybe tonight?" Julie asked hopefully. "Julie misses writing with nyou."
"As have I," ANNA assured her with a fond smile.
"Cool!" Kieran said as he handed the sisters a piece of paper, ANNA writing her name in elegant mechanical fashion, while Julie just left a pawprint. "I don't suppose you've read my stories? I go by Orgeluvr1017!"
ANNA and Julie froze. Ohara grimaced. "Orgeluvr1017? The same Orgeluvr1017 who writes all that SI/Ogress smut?"
"It's not smut!" Kieran insisted.
"I used to beta it. It was absolutely smut," Carmine said, a dead look in her eyes akin to the expression of a war veteran experiencing severe PTSD, or Larry every day of his life.
Julie looked confused. "Wait… Nyou wrote stories with nyou and Ogress? Julie thought Ogress was lesbian."
"That's open to interpretation!" Kieran insisted defensively.
"All of her canonical love interests have been female, and she has stated on a number of occasions that she is not interested in men-" ANNA began to say.
"So! Did you read my stories? What did you think of them?" Kieran asked hopefully.
ANNA hesitated. She was incapable of lying, but that didn't mean she wanted to be rude. She just needed a second to think of a gentle way to tell him she wasn't particularly fond of his writing-
"Didn't like them," Julie, as she often did, rushed on ahead while ANNA was lost in thought. "Protagonist blatant Self-Insert lacking any real character traits or flaws. Grammar terrible. Fight scenes boring. Romance unbelievable. Sex scenes boring, unbelievable, and unrealistic. And Julie should knyow. Julie been around block."
"Thank you!" Carmine shouted, throwing her hands upward. "Someone else says it!"
"S-senpai hates me," Kieran whimpered, blue and huddled in a corner of the bus stop under a cloud of woe.
Briar cleared her throat. "While this has been a rather illuminating glimpse into the view of youth culture and a fandom of which I was apparently previously unaware… Carmine, what are you doing here? You and Kieran were supposed to be waiting for us at the community center."
"We were waiting," Carmine huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "But you never showed up, so we came looking for you!"
"Oh." Briar looked embarrassed. "I suppose we did get rather distracted, what with discussing O-PEN and accidentally leaving Aliquis on the bus."
Aliquis did not react to this.
"Carmine, would you and your brother kindly escort us to the community center so we can get settled in?" Briar asked politely.
"S-sure-" Kieran started.
"Not so fast!" Carmine interrupted, pointing a finger at ANNA and Julie. "Miss Briar has talked the two of you up as some kind of wunderkind, but all I see are a couple of chuunis!"
ANNA gave a very long sigh. "We are not chuunibyou. I am-"
"I don't care!" Carmine snapped. "You want to prove you're not like all the other tourists stinking up town, occupying every corner, throwing their trash everywhere? Battle me first!"
The twins blinked and looked at each other. "Which of us?"
"I'll take both of you on!" Carmine declared.
"No," Briar said bluntly.
"I'll take one of you on!" Carmine declared without missing a beat.
Briar sighed. "Carmine-"
"Miss Briar, there's no reasoning with sis when she's like this," Kieran said morosely.
"Hush, Kiki!" Carmine hissed.
The sisters glanced at each other. "Shall we settle this the usual way?" ANNA asked.
Julie nodded eagerly. "Uh-Huh!"
Very serious looks on their faces, they each formed a fist, shook them three times, then thrust them outwards, ANNA's hand becoming a flat plane while Julie's paw remained closed.
"Aha! Paper wins!" Hohma declared.
"Which means ANNA is going to fight," Ohara said excitedly, eager to watch one of the school's top students in action.
"Incorrect," ANNA replied. "Julie chose black hole, while I picked starship, which makes her the winner."
"Huh?" Everyone asked, baffled.
"Nyes! Julie wins! Starship gets turned to pasghetti!" Julie cried triumphantly.
"Spaghettification is not actually being turned into spaghetti or pasghetti. And I still think a vessel with the right hull/shield mix could survive the gravitational forces…" ANNA grumbled.
"When sister getship like that working in simulations, then we talk," Julie said smugly, swaggering towards the dumbfounded Carmine. "Julie nyour opponent!"
"… Sure, whatever," Carmine grumbled, taking out a Pokéball. "I'm going to have some real good fun with you. Welcome to Kitakami!" She called, sending out a Poochyena.
"Thanks!" Julie replied.
"I was being facetious!" Carmine snapped. "For your first experience, get ready to eat dirt!"
"Why Julie eat dirt?" Julie asked, confused.
"Just shut up and send out your Pokémon already!"
"Okey-dokey. Go, Tinka!" Julie shouted, calling forth her Tinkaton.
"Oh wow, she's beautiful!" Ohara gasped.
"And really strong," Hohma agreed.
"Thanks!" Tinka chirped, twirling her hammer.
ANNA's eyes flashed as she analyzed the Poochyena. "Interesting. That Pokémon is level 60, which means it should have evolved dozens of levels ago."
"Yes, but I have a perfectly good tactical reason for keeping her from the evolving!" Carmine bragged.
"It's because she thinks she's cuter this way," Kieran piped in.
"Shut up Kiki!" Carmine frowned, looking at Tinka. "Not the best Type matchup, but… Poochyena, use Fire Fang!"
"Taste my fury!" The Poochyena howled adorably, mouth engulfed in flames.
"Tinka, Gigaton Hammer!" Julie commanded.
"Time for smashy smashy!" Tinka cheered, swinging her hammer.
"You fool! You should've used a Fairy-type move-" Carmine cackled, only for her jaw to drop when Tinka's hammer smashed into the Poochyena's mouth, shattering her flaming fangs, and sending her flying so far she came down in a rice field several kilometers away. "EHHHHHHH?!"
"Tinka, nyou slacking off? Julie knyows nyou can hit harder than that!" Julie chided Tinkaton.
"Well yeah, chief, but she looked so weak, I didn't want to mess her up too bad," Tinka replied.
"Oh, good point. That's very nice of you."
"That's… How dare you?!" Carmine snarled, thrusting Poochyena's Pokéball in Kieran's hands. "Here, go get her."
"But I don't want to miss the fight-"
"NOW, Kiki!"
Kieran sighed and ran off.
Snarling, Carmine turned back to Julie. "If you think I'll let you get away with that…! Take her down, Vulpix!"
She sent out everyone's favorite original Fox Pokémon, the six-tailed Vulpix, who growled cutely as she manifested from her Pokéball.
"This one is also level 60," ANNA noted. "Have you also kept her this way because you prefer her cute?"
"No, Fire Stones are hard to come by out here," Carmine grumbled.
"Tinka, think nyou can take her?" Julie asked the Tinkaton.
Tinka gave her an incredulous look. "That a serious question, chief? 'Course I can!"
Julie grinned. "Julie thought as much!"
Carmine snickered to herself. Just as I thought, she's a total idiot… She's not even worried about type advantage! This will be easy; I'll make her pay for hurting Poochyena! "Vulpix, use Flamethrower!" She said out loud.
Vulpix inhaled, preparing to release a tremendously powerful stream of fire.
"Tinka, Gigaton Hammer!" Julie commanded.
Carmine burst into laughter. "Idiot! I've trained Vulpix very well, you'll never hit her before she sets your Tinkaton on fire-"
She was instantly proven wrong when Tinka flung her hammer at Vulpix, crushing her beneath its weight and instantly knocking her out.
"Nyay! We win again!" Julie cheered as she and Tinka danced about adorably.
"What… But that's… That's not how Gigaton Hammer works!" Carmine shrieked.
"Well, seeing as how Tinka just did that, clearly, it is," ANNA reasoned.
Kieran, sweating and panting for breath, ran back over, clutching Poochyena's Pokéball. "I'm… Back… Did I…" His face fell when he saw Vulpix pinned beneath the hammer. "Awww, I missed it!"
"It's not over yet!" The outraged Carmine snapped, recalling Vulpix, snatching Poochyena's Pokéball back from Kieran, and taking out one more. This will get her for sure… There's no way an outsider like her has seen this one before! "Allow me to show you one of our regional specialties! Go, Poltchageist!"
She threw out her Pokéball, unleashing a creature resembling a black and white tea caddy filled with animated matcha tea powder with a white lid, a sealed crack near the top, and a painted pattern resembling a face. It was carrying a chashaku. On top of its matcha body, just below the lid, it had a yellow swirl pattern. "Matchaaaaaaaaa!" It cried.
"Who's that Pokémon?" Hohma asked, pulling up the Pokédex app on his Rotom phone, only to be beaten to the punch by ANNA.
"Poltchageist: the Matcha Pokémon," ANNA said, scanning the Pokémon. "Poltchageist looks like a regional form of Sinistea, but it was recently discovered that the two Pokémon are entirely unrelated. This one is also level 60. How odd. Further note: this is a Counterfeit Form Poltchageist, meaning it requires an Unremarkable Teacup to evolve."
"What?! That can't be right, it's an Artisan Form Poltchageist!" Carmine insisted as the Pokémon flipped over to reveal a stamp on the base of its caddy. "See? It has a stamp of authenticity!"
"That stamp is a forgery."
The incredulous Carmine shot the Poltchageist an outraged look, and the Ghost-type laughed nervously.
"W-well… It doesn't matter! It should still be strong enough to beat your Tinkaton!" Carmine snarled.
"What about the rest of her team?" Ohara asked.
"I'll get to it when I get to it!" Carmine snapped. "Poltchageist, use Giga Drain!"
"Now hang on, she just sent you out, you don't need to drain me!" Tinka protested nervously as the Ghost-type twirled and pointed its chashaku at her, glowing green.
"I could always use a good top off!" The possessed caddy snickered, a green energy beam shooting from the chashaku and striking the Tinkaton, causing her to gasp as her body glowed green, grimacing as the energy was drained from her.
"Gah… Dammit… That's… Actually not too bad, " Tinka realized. "Right, I'm resistant to Grass-type moves."
"Hey, aren't Tinkaton resistant to Grass-type moves-" Kieran realized.
"Shut up, Kiki! It still weakened her a little! Poltchageist, use Shadow Ball!" Carmine commanded.
Grinning, Poltchageist formed a crackling orb of darkness in one hand, tossed it into the air, then struck it with its chashaku on the way down, sending it flying at Tinka.
"Tinka, knyock it away!" Julie ordered.
"Right, this'll be easy-" Tinka bragged, swinging her hammer through the air…
Only to realize too late it was still partially buried in the ground several meters away. "Oh-"
The Shadow Ball struck her and exploded, sending her skidding back a few feet, wincing in pain.
"Now, Giga Drain again!"
"Okay, that stung," Tinka grimaced as more of her energy was drained.
"Two can play that game! Use Draining Kiss!" Julie cried.
"Well, I don't think it's my type, but sure thing!" Tinka agreed, rushing towards Poltchageist, snatching up her hammer she went. She launched herself at the Ghost, puckering up her lips…
"Foul Play!"
Tinka's eyes widened as Poltchageist grabbed her hammer and flung it – and her – towards the ground, Tinka hitting the floor first, then crying out as her hammer smashed into her head.
Carmine grinned zealously. "We've got her right where we want her! Finish it with Shadow Ball!"
"Tinka, deflect it!" Julie cried.
Tinka struggled to do so, but in her weakened state was a second too slow, and the Shadow Ball slammed into her face and exploded, sending her flying, landing hard at Julie's feet. "Tinka!"
"Guh… Sorry, chief… Looks like this is it for me…" The Tinkaton gasped, struggling to get up.
"Nyo problem! Take a good long rest!" Julie said, recalling Tinka to her Pokéball.
"No way! She lost?!" An incredulous Hohma demanded.
"No trainer is invincible," Briar pointed out. "And besides, she's still in the lead. I'm afraid the outcome of this battle has already been decided, and Carmine is unwilling to admit it."
"Yes! I finally beat one!" Carmine exclaimed.
"Yes, now you must handle her remaining five," ANNA pointed out, causing Carmine to freeze.
"… I did not think this through."
"Hmm… Who to pick, who to pick…" Julie murmured, examining her Pokéballs.
One of them, a Master Ball, rattled.
"Oh? Nyou wanna go? Okay with me! About time nyou got to stretch your wings!" Julie said with a grin, grabbing the shaking ball and throwing it out. "It's nyour time, Roarie!"
The name was aptly chosen, as the Pokémon who emerged did indeed roar very loudly…
Because it was a Roaring Moon!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! WHAT IS THAT?!" Carmine screamed, Poltchageist shrieking in fright.
"Whoa! Is that some kind of regional version of Salamence?!" An amazed Ohara gasped.
"Whatever it is, it's not in the Pokédex!" Hohma cried, pointing his Rotom Phone at the beast.
"No… It wouldn't be," a shocked Briar whispered, frantically flipping through the pages of her Scarlet Book. "Here it is… Just as my ancestor described it… The Paradox Pokémon, Roaring Moon! Believed to be an ancestor of Salamence, it scatters feathers as it flies around at high speeds seeking prey and has an unusual resemblance to a Mega-Evolved Salamence of the present day! It's supposed to be even more savage than its descendent and should be avoided at all costs!"
She glanced back up at the ancient Dragon, blinking back tears. "It… It's even more amazing than I imagined… But how did you manage to get your hands on one?!"
"After Geeta made my sister cry when she forced us out of Area Zero, Rika convinced her to let us each take one of the Professors' Paradox Pokémon with us to try and buy our silence/apologize for stealing our only way home/keep us from killing them or pressing lawsuits so long as we agreed not to use them competitively," ANNA explained. She smiled. "Or at least, not in Paldea. Kitakami, on the other hand…"
"Th-that… That's not… Ms. Briar, she's cheating!" Carmine wailed desperately.
"What? How?!" an offended Julie demanded.
"I've never seen that Pokémon before!"
"Julie nyever see Poltchageist before, either," Julie pointed out reasonably.
"There's a difference between Poltchageist and a… A monster like that!" Carmine shrieked. Outraged, Roarie, well, roared at her, causing her to scream.
Kieran stared at Julie; eyes sparkling. "So cool…"
"Carmine, first of all, that's not cheating, second of all, that's very rude," Briar chided her student. "I'm sure Roarie is a perfectly tamed antediluvian horror from a forgotten age… Right, Julie?"
Julie shrugged and wiggled her paw. "Eh."
Roarie bellowed again. "At long last, I am free again! Beastling, you promised me open skies, plentiful food, and endless battles to hone my claws and sharpen my fangs, yet so far, I've only had one out of three! Why have you taken so long to release me from my prison?!"
"Sorry Roarie," Julie said apologetically. "Had to keep nyou hidden to stay out of trouble. Nyot an issue here, though! Ready to show everyone what nyou capable of?"
Roarie glanced down at the trembling Poltchageist and scoffed. "Really? You dare unleash me against such an unworthy adversary? Well, I suppose beggars can't be choosers… And you have treated me with more kindness than that metal woman who tore me from my home and are working to find a way to send me back… Very well. You should be honored, measly little wisp, for you shall be the first of many to fall before the might of-"
"Roarie!" Julie cheered.
The ancient Dragon rolled his eyes. "Yes. That."
"Huh… It almost seemed like she was having a conversation with it," Ohara observed.
"She was," ANNA explained. "Both my sister and I can understand Pokémon. I because of my linguistics package, and her because her native tongue is akin to the root language all Pokémon share."
"Akin… To… Root… Language…" Briar frantically wrote down.
Poltchageist wailed in fright and hid behind Carmine. "Put me back in the Pokéball! I don't want to fight this guy! Just look at him!"
"H-hey! Don't hide behind me, you coward! Go fight it!" Carmine demanded, shoving her Pokémon forward. "If it's anything like Salamence, Grass-type moves won't be that effective, so… Hit it with Shadow Ball!"
"R-right!" Trembling, Poltchageist formed a Shadow Ball and threw it at the ancient Dragon…
"Actually, Roaring Moon is a Dragon/Dark-type, so Grass-type moves are slightly more effective, but the effectiveness of Ghost-type moves is cut in half," ANNA said conversationally, Briar eagerly writing this down.
"Wait, WHAT?!" Carmine shrieked as the Shadow Ball exploded in Roarie's face…
And didn't leave a scratch. "Wait… Was that supposed to be an attack? Is this truly all modern Pokémon are capable of?! Pathetic!" Roarie roared, causing both Poltchageist and Carmine to scream.
"Then show them what nyou can do! Nyight Slash!" Julie commanded.
Carmine paled as Roarie's claws were engulfed in darkness and he dove towards them. "If that hits, we're done for! Use Foul Play!"
Swallowing hard, Poltchageist grabbed Roarie's claws just before they could strike it, struggling with all its might to use the mighty dragon's own strength against him…
Only for Roarie to just hover there, looking bored. He flicked the Ghost with one claw, knocking it out instantly.
"No! Poltchageist!" Carmine shrieked, pulling her hair.
"I take absolutely no satisfaction in this victory," a disappointed and underwhelmed Roarie complained. "Who will be my next challenger? They'd better be worth my time!"
"Hey Carmine, Roarie is ready for your nyext Pokémon!" Julie shouted.
"She doesn't have any, she only brought three today," Kieran told her, staring at her in awe.
"Really? That dumb. Julie nyever go anywhere without full team. Why anyone go anywhere without maximum of six Pokémon?" A perplexed Julie asked.
"… That's actually a pretty good question," Hohma admitted, he and Ohara, who both only had one apiece, looking Mareepish.
"Why do we do that?" Ohara wondered.
ANNA frowned, detecting a hormonal increase in Kieran. Oh dear. He seemed to be infatuated with Julie now. She should probably tell him Julie had absolutely no interest whatsoever in males of any species…
But on the other hand, she had unfairly blamed ANNA for being unaware of O-PEN's public appearance when she could have looked it up herself at any time. She decided to let her deal with this herself.
"What? That's it?! Seriously?!" An outraged Roarie demanded. He glared at Julie. "You shouldn't have even bothered bringing me out at all! This was a complete waste of my time!"
"Well… At least nyou got some fresh air?" Julie laughed awkwardly.
Roarie scowled. "The next time you send me out, it had better be for a worthy opponent. Or for food. Or if I can finally go for a flight. Or… Look, just make it worth my time, okay?"
"Okey-dokey! Back in Ball nyou go!" Julie said cheerfully, recalling the grumbling Dragon.
"You… Who ARE you?" Carmine demanded as she recalled her Poltchageist.
"A prehistoric cat girl from the distant past," a very frustrated ANNA told her for the umpteenth time. "As I have stated many times. Have you not been listening?"
"I can't believe it… There's no way you should've been able to beat me!" Carmine snarled, getting up and pointing a finger at Julie. "That's it! I will not let this stand! From this day forward, I declare you my rival-"
Julie winced. "Oof, sorry, Julie has to turn nyou down."
Carmine gawked. "Excuse me?!"
"Julie already has rival," Julie informed her.
ANNA nodded. "She is both of ours. We filled out all the paperwork to formally recognize her as our official rival."
"Arven nyotarized!" Julie chirped happily.
"Oh," Carmine said faintly. "Is it… Serious?"
Julie nodded. "Super serious!"
"Yes, we cannot imagine anyone but her being our lifelong rival," ANNA agreed.
"Is it… Exclusive?" Carmine pleaded, looking on the verge of heartbreak.
"Nyep," said Julie.
"While all of us can fight around, it was agreed upon that only she could be our true rival, and we hers," ANNA elaborated.
"Wow! I guess Aliquis never had a chance, did he?" Ohara asked.
"No, he did not."
It might've been the wind, but for a second it almost sounded like the catatonic figure of Aliquis whimpered.
"Yeah, well… I didn't want to be your rival anyway!" Carmine huffed, crossing her arms and looking away.
"Then why did you ask-"
"Shut up!"
Julie snickered. "Total TsunTsun."
"I AM NOT A TSUNDERE!" Carmine shouted.
"You kind of are," Kieran pointed out.
"Shut up, Kiki!"
Briar clapped her hands together, grabbing everyone's attention. "Well! That was certainly a very informative battle, one I think all of us have learned something from!" she said brightly.
"Julie didn't learn anything," Julie said. Briar ignored her.
"But I think we have dallied here for too long. We really should be heading to the community center now, if Carmine and Kieran noticed our absence and came looking for us, then I'm certain the caretaker must be getting worried as well," Briar said. "Everyone, grab your bags and let's get a move on. Carmine, would you like to lead the way?"
"O-of course, Miss Briar!" Carmine said, some of her arrogance returning to her expression. "Follow me, there's no way you outsiders will ever be able to find your way without me-"
"There's only one road and we can see the town from here," Hohma pointed out.
"Yes, well you'll never find the community center-"
"Is it the big white building in the middle of town?" Ohara asked. "The one with flags and a sign out front that says, 'Community Center?'"
Carmine clenched her teeth as Kieran struggled to hold in his laughter. "Just… Just follow me, okay?"
The group set off towards Mossui town.
Then they remembered Aliquis and doubled back so the sisters could pick up his luggage and motionless form and put them on their 'Raidons to carry.
In an otherwise empty classroom at Naranjuva Academy, five students were hanging out. At one point, they had been some of the school's biggest troublemakers, but were now fully reformed and completely ordinary members of the student body.
Or at least, that's what they wanted everyone to believe.
Giacomo was hard at work composing a new track on his laptop, headphones plugged in to better hear it, head bopping in tune with the beat.
Mela was sitting in the much larger Eri's lap, blushing and giggling as her giant girlfriend pampered her.
Atticus was silently leaning against a wall, eyes closed.
Ortega was staring at the clock on the wall, patiently waiting as the hands turned.
All of them were watching the clock, actually, he was just the only one who made it obvious.
At 5:51, Giacomo closed his laptop and began rearranging the desks to form a star shape.
At 5:52, Atticus suddenly stood up and began closing the blinds on all the windows.
At 5:53, Ortega locked the door.
At 5:54, Mela suddenly got out of Eri's lap, the two of them standing up.
And at 5:55, six secret panels silently slid open and admitted a group of Pokémon, every Eeveelution save Espeon and Glaceon. All of them were wearing cool angular shades, except for the Sylveon, whose glasses were star-shaped and coolest of all.
Both groups, human and Pokémon, headed for the center of the room, the Pokémon hopping onto the desks as Vaporeon stood in the center of the star. Each of the students sat in one of the seats and produced a badge, which they held out before their respective Eon. The Pokémon's glasses turned transparent, revealing cybernetically augmented eyes which scanned the badges.
"S-1: Segin recognized," the Umbreon sitting before Giacomo said in a familiar voice.
"S-2: Schedar recognized," said the Flareon before Mela.
"S-3: Navi recognized," said the Leafeon before Atticus.
"S-4: Ruchbah recognized," said the Sylveon before Ortega.
"S-5: Caph recognized," said the Jolteon before Eri.
"All stars present. Transformation authorized," said the Vaporeon. "Verbal confirmation required."
The five put their badges on, tapped them, and performed the Team Star salute. "Hasta La Vistar!"
Their badges flashed, and energy washed out from them to envelop their forms, their school uniforms replaced by their true uniforms; the ones designating them as the five Squad Bosses of Team Star, which was supposed to have been disbanded.
"Confirmation received," the Vaporeon said. "Security procedures engaged."
He partially dissolved, water spreading out across the floor – the five Bosses lifting their feet to keep from getting wet – and flowing up to cover the walls and even the ceiling before seeping into the surfaces of the room, completely isolating them from the outside world. No method of spying in this world could eavesdrop on them now.
"Lockdown complete. All is in readiness. Contacting S-0: Cassiopeia," the Sylveon declared, the eyes of all six Eons lighting up and converging in the air above the desks, forming a hologram of the Cassiopeia constellation. The stars flashed, and then the hologram expanded to engulf the entire room, transforming it into a by now familiar prison cell.
Seated in the center of the desks was the familiar and all too welcome face of the Big Boss, Penny. "Hasta La Vistar," she recited, performing the salute.
"Hasta La Vistar!" Her subordinates and best friends not named Arven, Julie, or ANNA replied.
Her serious face broke into a smile. "As always, it's good to see you all… My precious babies! Oh, just look at you all!" She cooed at the Eevelutions, who happily started frolicking at her feet, overjoyed to see their mistress again. "The new nanotech has almost fully integrated with your bodies now! Soon enough, you guys are going to be the strongest VeeVees in the world!" She pouted. "Ohhh, I wish I could touch you so much! Mama misses her VeeVee cuddles!" She pouted, then her expression brightened. "Speaking of, you'll be happy to hear that I picked up a new sister for you all here at the joint. Melissa, I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the family. C'mere."
"Yes mistress!"
A beautiful girl wearing a rather fetching and revealing form fitting Espeon outfit walked over on all fours, her hologram passing through the desks as she curled up at her mistress's feet, purring happily as Penny petted her. "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Melissa. Thanks to her, I finally have an Espeon of my own, and once I find a Glaceon, I'll have the complete set!"
Not a single Boss questioned Penny treating what was clearly a human in a suit like a Pokémon. As far as they were concerned, Penny was either always right, or was not right yet, and if she said that was an Espeon, then it was an Espeon, end of story.
"She's a real beaut, boss!" Giacomo said with a grin.
"She's so cute! I want to hug her and cuddle her…" Eri murmured, eyes wide.
"About time you got one, boss! Do you think you'll be able to find a Glaceon in the clink too?" Ortega asked, twirling his rod.
"I'm still looking," Penny admitted, smiling fondly as Melissa, a look of innocent joy on her face, attempted to play with her 'siblings,' seeming legitimately confused when the Eons passed through her holographic – from their perspective – body. "Very few of the girls here meet my standards. I was lucky to find Melissa here at all!" She gave her subordinates a very serious look. "Now, just so you know, she's a rescue, so she's come from a pretty bad background. She's completely incapable of refusing the command of anyone she views as an authority figure, which is… Literally anyone who's not her, so you need to be very careful what you say or do around her. I'm trying to train her out of it, but… As brilliant as I am, this seems like more of a job for a psychiatrist, and regrettably it seems that she hasn't had much luck with those in the past."
"We will treat her with as much dignity and respect as we would you or any of her siblings, boss," Atticus vowed.
"Good. I expected as much," Penny said. "After all, I know you've been taking excellent care of my babies in my absence. Not only do I trust you completely, but I've also been watching you the entire time through their eyes. As far as I'm concerned, nothing is too intrusive when it comes to their safety and well-being!
"And speaking of watching, that means I'm fully aware of everything you've been up to since the last meeting, which means you don't need to bother reporting on your activities since I already know about your progress," Penny continued. "And I have to say, great job! Giacomo, the subliminal messages you've been inserting into Iono's streams are not only slowly turning her obnoxious fan base against her but are also increasing mistrust in the Pokémon League and its chairman."
"I can't take all the credit, boss," Giacomo said humbly. "You did a good job setting them up for me after the hack that got you locked up in the first place. I'm just stirring up what's already there."
"And you're doing a spectacular job of it! Mela, I'm really impressed with your work on the new engines. I think even ANNA would be amazed by what you did with the new power source I gave you!" Penny praised the redhead.
Mela grinned and scratched her head, a little embarrassed. "ANNA? Really? You flatter me too much, boss. It wasn't easy, but you know me, when something needs fixing, everyone in Team Star knows who to go to!"
"That they do. And Atticus, I love the new costumes," Penny told the ninja, who bowed his head. "Once they're in use, there's no way anyone will connect them to us."
"I merely transformed your vision into reality, as all true artists should," Atticus said loyally.
"And Ortega? Buddy? Holy Miltank did you knock it out of the park with the new Starmobiles," Penny praised the team engineer.
Ortega smirked, crossing his legs and tapping his rod against the ground. "I had a wonderful time with the new technology you provided. It really opened my eyes to so many new possibilities… Now, not even the sky will limit my imagination!"
"And Eri? Girl? Recruitment numbers are beyond my expectations. If I were there, I'd kiss you, though only if Mela didn't mind," Penny said seriously.
"I wouldn't. Really," Mela admitted, a longing look in her eyes as Eri blushed. "And you can kiss me too while you're at it!"
"I may just take you up on that," Penny admitted, causing her to turn even redder and the boys of the group to mock her good-naturedly.
"It wasn't that hard, boss," Eri said. "A lot of people here think what's going on isn't right, and it's time for a change. I think some of the faculty may have an inkling we're up to something, but so far, they've turned a blind eye to us." She paused. "Although a familiar face has been sniffing around… What should we do about 'Clive?'"
Penny struggled not to burst into laughter. "Clive? Show him whatever he wants, within reason. I get the feeling he's not going to dig too deep. After all, if he can honestly say he had no idea what was happening right under his nose, there's less of a risk of him being accused of involvement in it."
"Speaking of which… Boss, we are all starting to get a little Durantsy," Mela admitted. "You know we love and trust you completely, but… When are we gonna start already?"
"And when will you come home?" Eri pleaded. "We all miss you, especially the VeeVees."
The six Eons all gave their trainer big sad looks at this, eyes wet with unshed tears. Melissa joined in.
Penny winced. "Yikes, right to the heart… Guys, trust me, I want to be with you all too, but prison is the perfect alibi for me, and the less of a chance there is of anyone thinking I'm involved, the less of a chance there is for anyone to think you're behind this too. I initiated Operation Starfall to keep you guys from getting expelled, there's no way I'm going to do something that will render all that pointless now.
"Which is why I have good news, though it's also bad news. Circumstances have changed. It's time to set our plans into motion."
Everyone stirred at this in excitement. "Fucking finally!" Giacomo cried, slapping his knees.
"What do you mean, 'circumstances have changed?'" A concerned Ortega asked.
"Yeah, what's the bad news?" A nervous Eri asked.
"With the twins currently out of the country, this is the ideal time to strike, since there's no way this can be pinned on them," Penny explained. "In addition, it took some doing, but I finally found Nemona… And she's in dire straits. An opportunity is about to arrive that will allow her to escape… But there is a nonzero chance she won't take it, and I leave nothing to chance when it comes to the people I care about. Which is why it's a very good thing that you've got the new Starmobiles and costumes ready, because you're going to need them."
The five Bosses looked concerned as well as excited at this. "Then…?" Ortega asked hopefully.
Penny nodded, her glasses turning shiny and opaque. "That's right. It's time to initiate Operation Seven Shining Stars. The revolution begins tonight."