Shout-out to The one who reads and writes for pointing out a plot hole that I now must bullshit my way out of.
Friends in Strange Places
"And, they are your friends. No matter how much they scream they're not." - Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach
Ash
My phone's been blowing up all morning, since the moment that story was brought up on the news.
Last night, the power went out at the Saffron City Pokemon Center. Fate must truly be a cruel mistress, as a Meowth had needed emergency surgery at exactly the wrong time. Fate took things a step too far when the electrician was delayed by a Snorlax falling asleep on the road and putting traffic at a stand still.
Luckily, that Meowth survived because of one factor that fate didn't expect: a selfless and powerful Pikachu who very nearly gave up his life by draining his own electricity to keep the power going as long as possible. That Pikachu survived because any pokemon who was present and healthy had shot enough electric-type attacks at him to revive him.
I can think of only one Pikachu who would go that far for a stranger.
My buddy is a hero. I want to hold him and cover him in kisses and tell him how proud I am and how much I love him.
I also want to kill him, but I'm pretty sure that's the fear talking.
Unfortunately, when I arrive at the Saffron City Pokemon Center to ask Nurse Joy about this heroic Pikachu, my excitement morphs into disappointment. Pikachu and his friends, presumably the same group that Ella told me about, had left some time last night. The worst of Pikachu's condition had been treated. Since they were all "wild pokemon" - I inwardly cringed at that - it wasn't as if anyone could force them to stay.
Nurse Joy meets my frustration with a tired, "You're not the first person to ask about that Pikachu, and I'm sure you won't be the last."
I get the sense that she's been having this exact conversation a lot today.
I want to scream over how close I was to seeing my buddy again, but there's nothing to be done. Gardevoir could use a check-up anyway - considering my close involvement with Poke-X, I've been having him checked out more often than I normally would - so I hand over his pokeball.
With a heavy heart, I step outside for some air. There has to be someone around here who's seen something, who has even a general idea of where Pikachu might have gone. Even a simple point in a random direction would be better than nothing!
"Mush!"
The exclamation, coming from a pokemon, captures my attention.
"Mush, my pet!"
The response is less enthusiastic and comes from a pokemon with a slightly deeper voice. "Why did I offer to carry you?"
There is a group of four standing a few feet away from me: two humans and two pokemon. One of the humans is a man with glasses and light blue hair tied back at the nape of his neck. The other is a woman who also wears glasses, though hers have thick purple frames instead of her friend's thin brown ones, and has her magenta-colored hair pulled up in space buns. The pokemon are a Wobbuffet who seems to be regretting his life choices and a Meowth who is having way too much fun sitting on his friend's bulbous head.
A Meowth. Could it be…?
No one has noticed me yet. The trainers are giggling at their pokemon. "You brought this on yourself, Wobbuffet!" the woman says.
"Now you must face the consequences!" the man teases.
"I hate you guys," Wobbuffet moans.
Meowth thwaps his tail against Wobbuffet's back. "Didn't you hear me? I said muuuhhh…"
His large eyes lock on me. His companions follow his gaze and jump ten feet.
"Sorry," I say. "Your pokemon are just really cute."
That soothes them a bit.
Now that I'm getting a better look at the group, there's something familiar about them. But, it will have to wait.
"Say, uh, this might be a coincidence, but," I turn to Meowth, who shrinks back a bit, "by any chance, are you the Meowth that Pikachu saved?"
The group all look at each other then suddenly gather into a huddle and talk in low tones. Near the end, the Wobbuffet gives his species' signature salute and lets out a hearty, "That's right!"
When the group separates, the man says to me, "Why don't we find a quiet place to talk?"
I tell them that I have a pokemon being looked at, so we all sit down at a picnic table by the battle field behind the Pokemon Center. We're the only ones back here. I sit across from the trainers, who identify themselves as Jacob and Jessamine. Meowth sits between us on the table, and Wobbuffet is content to stand beside Jacob.
Taking turns, the trainers explain that Pikachu showed up out of nowhere with some other pokemon, confirmed to be the same group Ella told me about. When Nurse Joy came out and asked if anyone had any electric-types she could borrow, Pikachu was the only one available. He had no reservations about being the only one powering the entire building, and he apparently refused to stop even after Meowth was out of surgery. (Meowth awkwardly cleans his whiskers at that.) What happened next, I already learned from the news.
"So, that's our story," Jessamine concludes, fidgeting with the collar of her blouse.
"And, we're sticking to it," Jacob adds.
Meowth nods, and Wobbuffet salutes again and belts out, "That's right!" I'm guessing he does that a lot.
I hum in acknowledgement. "Any idea where those pokemon went?"
Jessamine shrugs. "Your guess is as good as ours."
"As you can imagine," Jacob runs the back of his hand over Meowth's back, "our minds were on other things."
"I understand," I say. "Thing is…I'm pretty sure that's my Pikachu. It's a long story, but we got separated, and we have been for a while."
Trainers and pokemon get matching strange expressions. Sympathy or…maybe guilt? No, that can't be it. These guys didn't have anything to do with Pikachu's disappearance.
Wobbuffet cups his hands around his mouth and whispers to Meowth, "We have to give him Pikachu's message."
Message? Pikachu left me a message? With the pokemon? How did he expect me to get it? The last time we saw each other, I couldn't understand any pokemon but him. And, Team Rocket's Meowth, but he doesn't count.
Did Zapdos tell Pikachu about my new ability? Did Pikachu assume I would get it on my birthday, and that's why he left a message with this Meowth and Wobbuffet?
Meowth frowns and inches closer to Wobbuffet. "How do you propose we do that?"
Before I can blurt out that I can understand everything they're saying, Jacob says, "Uh, well, we'll be sure to keep an eye out."
Jessamine grins in the same weird way as her friend. "Push comes to shove, we can always snare him in a net." Jacob elbows her and she glares at him. "Well, we could!"
I only half-hear them. My ears are trained on the pokemon.
"Just come out and say it," Wobbuffet begs of the normal-type. "What does it matter now?"
Meowth narrows his eyes. "You got leaves for brains? Do you know what this twerp will do if he finds out we're Team Rocket?"
"You're who-what?!" I almost shout.
All eyes are me now. "Is something wrong?" Jacob- James asks me.
I look from one person or pokemon to the next and wonder how I could have been this stupid again. I mean, come on! A woman with magenta-colored hair. A man with bluish hair. A Meowth and a Wobbuffet. They didn't even change their voices! How do I keep doing this?
At least now I know why Pikachu left a message with them. Turns out they do have a means of passing it on.
"You're…you're Team Rocket," I stammer.
Panic shoots across their faces. Jessie masks hers with a grin and a dismissive wave of her hand. "Team Rocket? Who are they?"
James tries to match her expression, but it looks more like a grimace. "They sound like a bunch of rotten ne'er-do-wells."
"Yet, so handsome!" Meowth chimes then slaps his paw over his mouth when he hears the human words. Jessie motions to strangle him, but James holds her back.
"We are so screwed," Wobbuffet says.
Jessie huffs and crosses her arms. "Fine. Prepare for trouble. Make it double. Blah blah blah. Now, how did you figure it out? I designed these disguises myself."
Meowth opens his mouth. Wobbuffet puts his hand over it.
"Um, so..." I rub the back of my neck. "This is kind of a recent thing, and you're gonna think I'm lying, but," I glance meaningfully at Meowth and Wobbuffet, "I can understand pokemon now."
Blank stares meet my admission. Then, Jessie bursts out laughing. "If you're implying that you have the faintest of what those two were whispering about a moment ago-"
"Jessie, I think he's serious," James says.
Jessie laces her fingers together and props her chin on top of them. "Alright, twerp," she says with a smug grin. "Prove it. Tell us what they were saying."
I gauge the pokemon's reactions. "Wobbuffet was saying how you need to pass on Pikachu's message." Their mouths fall open. "And, Meowth argued that you shouldn't give away that you're Team Rocket."
"What the hell?" Meowth exclaims. "The twerp is me in reverse!"
Jessie and James make incoherent noises and rapidly switch their wide-eyed gazes between Meowth and me.
James recovers first. "You can actually understand what pokemon are saying? How in the world did you manage that?"
I don't feel like going over everything Zapdos told me about it. "It just sort of happened," I say. It's not a lie. "So…Pikachu's message?"
"It's nothing earth-shattering," Jessie says once the shock wears off. "He just wants you to know that, despite everything, he's doing alright."
Meowth wags his finger with a playful grin. "And, don't you go getting a tattoo without him."
That spurs a giggle from me, which I suspect was Pikachu's intention. "As if I would!"
Even if Pikachu isn't here anymore, that message is a comfort in how recent it was. It would have been sent out yesterday at the latest, which implies that Pikachu most likely is still okay and might even still be in the area.
"Thanks for telling me," I say. "It's a real load off my mind."
James smiles. "Pikachu's done a lot for us lately. Passing on that message was the very least we could do in return."
"Hell, if it weren't for Pikachu," Meowth flicks his tail toward James, "this guy would be the only one of us left."
Confused now, I glance at Jessie and Wobbuffet, the former of whom mutters, "You had to bring that up didn't you?"
"It's true, ain't it?" Meowth retorts.
"Back up," I say. "How would Jessie and Wobbuffet not be here?"
"We ran into some trouble on the way here," Wobbuffet says somberly.
Jessie sighs. "I'll give you the short version. I couldn't sleep, and Wobbuffet doesn't need much sleep anyway, so he and I went after this strong pokemon that lived near where we made camp."
Of course you did, I stop myself from snarking.
"Pikachu was there too, heaven knows why. The pokemon attacked us, and…" Jessie trails off for a moment. "And, Meowth is right. That nut job would have killed me and Wobbuffet if Pikachu hadn't knocked it out."
"Jessie's too proud to say it," Wobbuffet says, "but we owe Pikachu our lives."
Meowth nods and wraps his tail around his front paws. "I second that. Or, would it be third? Either way, I still can't wrap my head around it. Not like we ever gave Pikachu a reason to be nice to us."
A sad smile pulls at my lips. "He doesn't need a reason. He's Pikachu! Come on! You guys should know that by now." Something occurs to me, and I ask, "Say, if you guys wanted to repay him, why just pass on a message? Why didn't you take him home? You know where we live."
They respond with dead silence and vacant stares.
"You do know where we live, right?"
Still nothing.
You know those moments in anime when something so stupid happens that the characters can only react by falling over? That's how I feel right now. "Are you telling me that you've been following us around all these years, and you don't know where we live? I'm not complaining, but isn't that kind of ridiculous?"
Jessie braces her hands on the table and bears her teeth. "First of all, you are not the only person we've ever targeted, twerp! Don't flatter yourself!"
"And, second," James says more calmly, "we don't follow you. We just sort of end up on similar paths."
"We're not really sure how it happens," Meowth says.
Wobbuffet shrugs. "It's kind of freaky."
I scoff. "Look, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not always the sharpest. But, even I'm not dumb enough to believe that we just so happen to be in the same place at the same time all the time."
James waves his hands pleadingly. "That's the whole truth and nothing but the truth! I swear it on my nana's grave!"
Jessie balls her fists. "If Pikachu is so familiar with us, why didn't he ask us to take him to…wherever it is twerps frolic? Hm?"
Why didn't he? The question pings off of my heart.
I fling Jessie's own anger back at her so these guys can't see how rattled I am. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe it's because every time he spends more than five seconds alone with you people, he ends up in a cage! Maybe it's because the last time you guys took him anywhere, we ended up in this fucking mess!"
They all flinch when I slam my fist into the table. Yeah, let them feel bad.
(They don't feel half as bad as I do.)
Silence falls. Then, I sigh and prop my head in my hand. "Pallet Town." Team Rocket makes curious noises. "I'm from Pallet Town. If you run into Pikachu again before I do, bring him there. Or, Pewter City or Cerulean City. Our friends Brock and Misty live there respectively. Or, Lavender Town. My aunt Vivian lives there, and I've been there helping with her research. Wherever's closest, but Pallet Town would be best."
"Noted," James says.
Jessie folds her arms on the table. "I hate to admit it, but we really owe Pikachu. The guy risked his life for us twice. Even lost a body part in the process!"
My heart stops. I lift my head but am unable to speak.
All four Team Rocket members grimace and go pale then paste on anxious grins. "Oh, that's right!" Jessie chirps. "You don't know about that, do you?"
"It seems there's been a bit of an accident," James adds uselessly.
"Your buddy looks a little different nowadays," Meowth says.
"But, not too different," Wobbuffet says, "if it's any consolation."
Pikachu lost a body part. How? Which part? Did it happen fast enough that he didn't feel it? Or, did he suffer in the process?
(This is my fault. If I wasn't so stupid all the time, my buddy would never have disappeared, and he would still be in one piece.)
"How?" I breathe. When no one answers, I say it louder. "How?"
Jessie cracks first. She sighs through her nose and adjusts the glasses I'm pretty sure she doesn't need. "It was that pokemon I mentioned. Pikachu pushed me and Wobbuffet out of the way of an attack but took a hit in the process."
And, if I know Pikachu, he didn't worry about himself until everyone else was safe. Goddamn martyr. I'm the same way, and he rightfully calls me a hypocrite any time I point that out about him. (Pokemon will often emulate their trainers. I'm terrified that he gets it from me.)
I can't look at anything but the picnic table. "What part?" I ask. Was it an arm? A foot? Please don't let it be his tail! He loves his tail!
Meowth points to his ear. "A piece of his ear's missing. Most of it, actually. Good news is that it doesn't seem to have affected his hearing."
"It certainly could have been worse," James says with a strained smile.
It could have, yes, but it still happened. The mental image of Pikachu with only one ear threatens to unravel me.
There's an announcement over the intercom, calling for me because my pokemon is ready for pick-up. I stand up on weak legs. "Thanks for the heads-up," I say to Team Rocket. "That would have really freaked me out when we met up again."
Though, I can't say what I'll do when I see it for myself.
I am numb as I lift my backpack off the ground, throw it over my shoulders, and walk through the back door. Gardevoir hasn't said anything about sensing my emotions lately. I wonder if he still has that ability switched off, for lack of a better term. For his sake, I hope he does.
I spend the walk down the blissfully empty hallway composing myself. I've never been good at hiding my emotions, and the last thing I need is anyone asking what's wrong. Gardevoir, I know I have to tell, but everyone else in the Pokemon Center is a stranger.
My smile must look more real than it feels, because Nurse Joy suspects nothing when she holds out the little tray with a pokeball on it. "Sorry about the wait. Gardevoir took up a little more time than we expected."
My smile fails, and my hand hovers over the pokeball. "Is everything okay?"
Nurse Joy is living up to her name, which settles my nerves. "No worries. Your Gardevoir is in perfect health! But, he and one of our pokemon had gotten to talking, and," she winks, "let's just say he might have a little surprise for you."
Interesting. "Alright." I take the pokeball. "Uh, thank you, ma'am."
I tip my hat, and Nurse Joy and I say our goodbyes. Once I'm out the door and standing on the sidewalk, I let Gardevoir out and strap his pokeball to my belt. He appears in a flash of white light and daintily smoothes the protrusions hanging around his legs.
"I hear you have a surprise for me," I say.
Gardevoir gives me a smug side-eye. "Guilty as charged. There's something I've been working on for a while, but I can't show you right now."
"Ah, come on! At least give me a hint!"
"I'll think about it…after you tell me what's on your mind."
Of course. I finger the straps of my backpack and don't meet his eyes. "Were you feeling what I was feeling?"
Gardevoir responds with a sympathetic smile. "I'm a pokemon, Ash. I don't need to be a Gardevoir specifically to know when something's up with my trainer."
That's true. Pokemon are extremely intuitive.
Another trainer walks out the door, and I whisper to Gardevoir, "Let's go somewhere private."
A loud psst draws our attention. Wobbuffet is standing at the side of the Pokemon Center and waving me over.
I briefly think it over and say to Gardevoir, "Sorry. Give me a sec," before returning him to his pokeball and walking up to Wobbuffet and dropping to one knee. "What's up?"
"I won't keep you," Wobbuffet says. "But, there's some stuff about Hatterene that the guys aren't privy to."
"Hatterene?" The name sparks something in my brain.
"That's what Pikachu called her. The pokemon we mentioned."
Then it hits me. Hatterene is the name of the pokemon Ella was talking about, the one she befriended and wanted to catch. It couldn't be the same one, could it?
Wobbuffet is oblivious to the torrent inside of me. "I don't know why Pikachu was there in the first place, but it sounded like they were friendly until Jessie and I got there."
"You think so?" Because friends don't…cause serious damage to friends. Then again, Jessie said that the damage happened while Pikachu was defending them, so…friendly fire?
"Definitely. When Pikachu defended us, it sounded like Hatterene took it as him being on our side. Guess she saw it as a betrayal."
I suppose that would make sense to a newcomer. My stomach sinks deeper. "I can only imagine how well Pikachu took that."
Wobbuffet rubs the back of his head. "He was pretty upset, to say the least. But, there's something else…"
He tells me about a condition called psychosis. Apparently, when psychic-types use their inherent telekinetic powers too often, it takes a toll on the pokemon's mind. So much so that the pokemon goes completely mad.
"I'm not trying to justify anything," Wobbuffet concludes. "I just think you should have the whole picture."
My head is spinning more than ever.
Pikachu befriending a dangerous pokemon is nothing new. But, it's never ended badly before. And, it especially never ended with permanent injuries.
And, what about Ella? On the phone, she sounded like she really cared about the Hatterene she'd stumbled across. What are the odds that it's the same one that hurt Pikachu? Pretty good, if I'm being honest. I checked last night, and Hatterene - and by extension, its evolution line - isn't something you find in this region. But, Ella made it sound like her and her pokemon's visit with Hatterene went great.
There's a story here. I wish I knew what part I was missing.
"Ssshhhiiiiiiitttt," is Gardevoir's drawn out response after I fill him in.
"My thoughts exactly," I reply.
After parting ways with Wobbuffet, I had taken a walk to clear my head. This led to me plopping down on a park bench near a fountain. The only people nearby are some kids playing on the playground with their parents close by, but that's far enough away that I can talk to Gardevoir in low tones without looking insane.
Having two-way conversations with my pokemon in public is taking some getting used to. I did it on the subway on the way here and got some weird looks.
"Do you think it's the same Hatterene?" Gardevoir asks.
"I wanna say no, but it sounds too coincidental. It would be one thing if Hatterene was a normal pokemon to see in Kanto. Even a rare one. But…" I sigh and lean back. "My brain is fried." A low gurgle and a familiar sensation resonates from inside me. "And, my stomach's empty."
Gardevoir shrugs. "I could eat. Worked up quite an appetite in the Pokemon Center."
I give him a side-eye. "When are you gonna tell me what your little surprise is, anyway?"
Gardevoir hems and haws before raising his chin proudly. "I hope you weren't too attached to Psybeam, because I won't be using that anymore."
The words flow through my head until a real smile forms on my lips. "You have a new move?"
Gardevoir happily kicks his legs to and fro under the bench. "I've been working with that Slowpoke from the wrestling group. It took some doing, but I can officially say that I can use…"
I wait. And, wait. Until I can't stand that stupid grin. "Stop doing that!"
Gardevoir laughs. "Heal Pulse. I can use Heal Pulse now."
"Whoa! For real? That's awesome!"
Heal Pulse allows the user to heal another pokemon's injuries. It's one of those attacks - if you can call it that - that is more for use in the field than in battle. Unless it's a multi-battle.
"What made you wanna learn that?" I ask.
Gardevoir folds his hands in his lap and looks down at them in a bout of shyness. "Well, seeing all those sick pokemon… I-I know I can't get too close without risking infection, but I still wanted to help."
My heart warms. "Gardevoir, that's so sweet."
His blush is very visible over his white face. "I just don't like seeing folks get hurt, you know? Unless it's a battle, but that's different." He frowns. "And, Poke-X is…just plain scary."
And, Pikachu is still in the thick of it. Charizard, too. Team Rocket didn't say anything about him. 'Course, I didn't ask. Maybe I should have.
Two figures walking down the street in our direction catch my eye. One is a thin woman with pale blond hair in a high ponytail. I don't know her, but I do know Ella, who is speaking intently to her. Patches is riding on Ella's shoulder as usual. There's a yellow thing on Ella's head that has to be the Joltik she caught at the power plant.
Ella sees me and stops to wave. "Hi, Ash! Hi, Gardevoir!"
I spring off the bench and cross the street with Gardevoir right behind me.
"Hey, you three!" I greet Ella and her pokemon. "Great to see you again!"
"Your name is Ash?" says the older woman. "You wouldn't happen to be Ash Ketchum, would you?"
I scan the woman up and down, but nothing comes to me. "Do I know you?"
She smiles and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You're about to. I'm Miriam Waybright. I believe your aunt mentioned me."
"Oh, you're Miriam!" We shake hands. "It's great to finally meet you. This is my buddy, Gardevoir." Gardevoir curtsies at the introduction. "I assume Aunt V mentioned him?"
Miriam gives Gardevoir a once over. "No, she didn't."
Ella and her partners have been watching the exchange with matching odd, guarded expressions. Now, Ella nudges Miriam and says, "You have a psychic/fairy-type as well, don't you?"
She said that kind of weirdly, but it does remind me that Aunt V mentioned that Miriam used to have a partner pokemon. Hatenna, I think. Aunt V said that they weren't partners anymore, though. Miriam must have caught a pokemon on the way here.
"Really?" I say. "Can I meet it? You wanna meet it too, right, Gardevoir?"
Gardevoir pumps a fist. "Hell, yeah!"
There's a flash of something on Miriam's face, but it's gone so quickly that I wonder if I imagined it. "Of course!" She snaps her fingers. "Hatterene. Out."
Hatterene?
In a burst of light, a pokemon leaps out of its pokeball and lands beside Ella. The pokemon is taller than me, though, her face is just below eye level with mine. She sports a blue to pink to white ombre going from top to bottom. A long tentacle hangs from the top of her head and ends in a large, three-fingered hand. No arms or legs that I can see, though closer inspection suggests a small body hidden beneath a shell of what appears to be hair. A tiny purple bead hangs around her neck. Slanted black eyes gaze at me with interest.
This is a Hatterene. The species of pokemon Ella was trying to befriend. The species of pokemon that attacked Jessie and Wobbuffet and…injured Pikachu.
There's no way…
Oblivious, Miriam happily introduces her pokemon, who realizes where she landed and leaps to her trainer's side. "This is Hatterene. Hatterene, this is Ash, Vivian's nephew."
Hatterene makes a surprised noise when she hears my name and stares at me so hard, I worry she'll shoot lasers from her eyes. Miriam must have told her about me, but this is quite a reaction. That's one intense pokemon!
Wait a second. "Hatterene? Isn't that the final evolved form of Hatenna? Aunt V said you didn't have Hatenna anymore."
Miriam frowns then that friendly smile returns. "Did she? Seems there's been a misunderstanding. I only left Hatterene at home for a while to visit my mother. She's allergic to fairy-types, you see."
Ah, that makes sense.
Ella says just loud enough, "You told me she was allergic to psychic-types."
Miriam almost flinches then brings a hand to her cheek. "Did I say fairy? I meant psychic."
I look from one trainer to the other and wonder how many more pieces can fit into this puzzle. But, I'm going to play under the assumption that this is a different Hatterene, seeing as I have no proof otherwise.
I turn to the pokemon in question and hold out my hand. "Either way, it's nice to meet you, Hatterene."
Those eyes are drilling through my soul…
"...Not a handshaker, I see…"
Miriam chuckles. "Ah, pokemon are a mystery, aren't they?"
Before I can agree, Ella sidesteps Miriam and latches on to Hatterene, an act that finally makes Hatterene stop staring at me. Ella's pokemon mirror her too-wide grin. "Say, uh, now that you've finally let Hatterene out of her pokeball, maybe I can borrow her for a moment?"
Ella doesn't wait for a reply. She just yanks Hatterene a short distance away and starts whispering to her.
Okay…
I glance at Gardevoir, even though I don't expect him to have an answer. Predictably, he just shrugs.
Miriam watches the group for a moment before turning back to me with carefully contained irritation. "Is your friend always like this?"
I rub the back of my neck, embarrassed on Ella's behalf. "I haven't known her long enough to answer that."
"Same," Gardevoir says.
Miriam hums before letting it go. "So, Ash, I understand you've been assisting with Poke-X. How's that going?"
Even without constantly worrying over Pikachu and Charizard, my answer would be, heart wrenchingly terrifying. But, I don't want Miriam to think that I can't handle it. So, I say, "It's going, I guess. Just wish I could do more."
Miriam tilts her head. "Oh?"
"Aunt V doesn't want me working with the pokemon directly. I mean, I get it. I've never been much of a science guy, but I'd still like to help out more."
Miriam purses her lips and tugs on the straps of her backpack, considering. "I know something you could do that doesn't involve science."
"Yeah?" I prompt.
"Well, technically, it does involve science." She shrugs one shoulder free and whips her backpack in front of her. "But, all you'd have to do is push a button."
Ready and able, I jab my thumb at my chest. "Now, that's something I can do!"
Gardevoir rubs his hands together. "Lay it on us!"
Miriam opens her backpack and pulls out a silver disc that looks like a small dinner plate covered in metal panels. She zips her backpack closed and puts it back on. "This is a special device that your aunt and I made." She turns the disc over and opens the bottom panel, revealing a black button. "When you press this button then set the device face down on the ground, it will expand upward until it kind of resembles a fire hydrant."
Gardevoir and I stare at the disc with rapt attention. "What does it do then?" I ask.
Miriam grins at our enthusiasm. "When a pokemon gets close, it sprays out a special pheromone, causing a chemical imbalance in the immune system that triggers a…" She sees my blank expression and backtracks. "Basically, it helps us achieve our goal."
Of stopping Poke-X, she means. This pheromone - whatever that is - must be the equivalent of getting a vaccine!
"Man, science is so amazing!" I cheer. Gardevoir nods with an affirmative noise. "What do you want me to do?"
"Word is that there's a huge horde of pokemon just outside of the city. I thought it would be a great place to put it. I was gonna do that myself and then head to Lavender Town to help your aunt. But, since you're here…"
"I can do that! I can totally do that! Just tell me where to put it!"
Miriam gives me directions but admits that she doesn't know the exact location of the horde. Only that the territory is surrounded by an incredibly thick layer of foliage that makes it hard to find. No problem. I've found hard-to-find stuff before!
I thank Miriam profusely as she hands me the disc and I stow it in my backpack. Finally, a chance to really do something! I make a mental note to find the horde and explain the situation to them - particularly the alpha or whoever's in charge - before putting strange human stuff in their territory. I hope they're comfortable with humans. If not, Gardevoir will be there. He'll vouch for me.
Miriam mock-bows. "I leave this in your capable hands."
I flash her two thumbs-up. "You can count on us!"
"What he said!" Gardevoir says, copying my gesture.
Satisfied, Miriam turns to Ella and her partners, who are still talking to Hatterene. "Hatterene, we're leaving."
Hatterene turns to her then sends Ella an oddly sad look before Miriam gets impatient and returns Hatterene to her pokeball. Rude, but alright.
"I'll be on my way, then," Miriam says to me. "I'll fill Vivian in when I get there. I assume she knows what you're doing out here?"
"Yeah," I say. "She knows I might be gone for a few days."
"In that case," Miriam says. She turns to Ella, who has rejoined our group. "Thank you for the escort. Perhaps we'll see each other again some time."
Ella's smile is forced, and her pokemon don't bother hiding their sour expressions. Huh. "I certainly hope so," Ella says.
Miriam is nonplussed. She nods at Ella then says to me, "I guess I'll see you back in Lavender Town."
I tip my hat to her. "See you there."
Miriam walks away, and I don't miss the glare Ella and her pokemon send Miriam's way. In fact, most of this encounter has been a stark contrast to the bubbly personality I've come to expect from Ella.
"Is everything alright?" I ask.
Ella glances at me then at the ground. "Um…"
I wager a guess. "Say, uh, by any chance, is Miriam's Hatterene the one you wanted to catch?"
Ella sheepishly fiddles with her glasses. "Yeah. Kind of. But, there's a little more to it."
"Oh?" My stomach chooses that moment to loudly demand food. I grin in embarrassment. "Could we discuss this over lunch?"
There's some kind of city-wide mandate that pokemon have to remain outside or in their pokeballs. Pokemon who work indoors with their trainers have to have clearance from the Pokemon Center. I even saw a sign on the gym's door that stated that participating pokemon also need to be given a written bill of health.
Poke-X is the reason for this. I wonder how much worse this will get as it spreads.
Ella and I went into a restaurant and got take-out so we could eat outside with our pokemon. We returned to the park near where we met up and sat across from each other at a picnic table. Now that our pokemon are seated on the grass nearby and munching on their own food, Ella and I pull ours out of the bags.
Between bites of her sandwich, Ella tells me about her first meeting with Miriam, who told her the same story about visiting her mother. However, Ella says that the story she heard from a local was that Hatterene had been living at an old shack for what was implied to be several years.
"And, Hatterene confirmed that Miriam was lying when I asked," Ella concludes. "I don't know what to make of it."
I chew on a forkful of salad as I ponder this. And, wonder once again if it has anything to do with the Hatterene who attacked Jessie, Wobbuffet, and Pikachu. I swallow. "That's a tough one. I'd never met Miriam before today, but she's friends with my aunt, so I'm inclined to believe she's on the up and up. Still," I spear a cherry tomato and some mixed greens with my fork, "I don't think a pokemon would lie."
Ella picks up one of her fries and stares at it listlessly before sighing. "Do you think I'm overthinking it? I mean, Hatterene chose to stay with Miriam. She wouldn't do that if Miriam was, like, hurting her or something, right?"
That's…hard to say. Pokemon have big hearts, bigger than we can comprehend. I've seen pokemon get verbally and/or physically abused and still have nothing but love for their trainers. Some of my own pokemon wouldn't leave their abusers until they were told point-blank that they were unwanted. And, even then...
I swallow my mouthful, though it goes down like a stone. "Pokemon are…loyal. Incredibly so."
My eyes wander to Gardevoir, who is sitting cross-legged beside Ella's Joltik and shiny Pachirisu. Like them, he is chowing down without a care in the world, but I can tell the three of them are listening. It sickens me to think that, while Gardevoir's old trainer abandoning him is awful, other trainers have done much worse to their pokemon.
"That being said," I go on, "Miriam's working to stop Poke-X like me and my aunt and a bunch of other people. How bad can she be?" Saying that doesn't stop the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. "But, I'll be sure to keep an eye on them when I head back to Lavender Town."
Ella is somewhat pacified. "Thank you. Why are you in Saffron City, anyway?"
"Did you see the news this morning?"
She didn't, so I tell her about the Pikachu who powered the Pokemon Center all by himself. I then abbreviate my encounter with Team Rocket that confirmed that the Pikachu was in fact my buddy.
"Whoa! That's nuts!" Ella exclaims.
"That's one way to put it," I say. My salad is mostly finished, but I can't eat any more from the pit reopening in my stomach. "But…there's something else."
I don't want to say it out loud, but I know I'll have to at some point.
I steel myself and work to keep my voice steady. "According to Team Rocket, there was a run-in with-with a really strong pokemon," who may or may not be leaving for Lavender Town with Miriam right now, "and…and Pikachu got hurt."
Ella freezes with her water bottle halfway to her lips. "How hurt?"
Just say it, Ash. Get it over with.
The words won't come if I look Ella in the eye, so I say them to my plastic bowl. "They said he…he…lost an ear."
Ella says nothing for a moment. Then, "WHAT?!"
Her scream startles me so badly that I almost fall out of my seat. Our pokemon are also staring, and I see some people across the road looking as well.
Not that Ella notices. "No! Not my perfect Pikachu!"
My voice is quiet from shock. "Your...what?"
Ella takes great offense to my comment. She shoots to her feet and slams her hands down on the table and leans in as much as she can. I, a burly six-foot-seven, three-hundred-and-change pound man, shrink back as this tall but skinny girl in large glasses and pigtails lays into me. What a sight we must be.
"Don't you understand? Have you never looked at your own pokemon? That sleek fur, those proportions, and don't get me started on that beautiful tail! A pokemon that flawless comes around once in a lifetime-"
She screams again, this time because a blinding rush of electricity overtakes her. I squint against the brightness and wonder what the hell is going on now.
The light blue bolts vanish as quickly as they appeared. Ella slumps down over her seat and on to the ground. A certain shiny hops up on the table, and it all makes sense.
"Sorry about her," Patches says.
I don't reply. I'm too busy wondering how Ella can be more upset about Pikachu than I am. And, thinking how well Patches would get along with Brock's Croagunk.
"What just happened?" Joltik asks, echoing my thoughts.
"I don't know," Gardevoir says. He climbs to his feet and walks over to stand behind where Ella lays in the grass. "But, this is as good a time as any to show off."
Gardevoir touches the red horn on his chest. Circular waves of pale pink light drift off of it and pass over Ella. I stand up for a better view as Ella's burns fade away. Heal Pulse really is an awesome move. I wonder if Gardevoir will want to keep it after all this Poke-X stuff is over.
Despite everything, a proud grin pulls at my lips. "So, you did learn Heal Pulse. That's awesome, Gardevoir!"
Ella shakes her head clear and leaps to her feet like nothing happened. "Thanks, Gardevoir!" My pokemon nods in acknowledgment.
"You okay, Ella?" I ask.
"Oh, that was nothing." Ella gives Patches's neck a scratch. "This one's been zapping me for as long as I can remember. I'm surprised I'm not immune yet!"
"I dread that day," Patches mutters.
I say to Ella, "That's the risk you take when you raise electric-types. Pikachu zaps me a lot, too."
At the mention of Pikachu, I half-expect Ella to go off again, but she proceeds as if that never happened. "Poor Pikachu. I hope he's alright."
According to Team Rocket, he claims that he is. I don't see what's so "alright" about losing a body part. But then, that's the way my buddy and I are, isn't it? Our philosophy seems to be, "As long as I'm still breathing, I'm a-okay!" It always hits differently when I'm not the one getting hurt.
Plus, we've never faced damage like this before.
Ella sits back down, and I do the same as she asks me, "What kind of pokemon was it? Must have been something pretty scary to cause that kind of damage to another pokemon."
Oh, boy. This conversation is going to be even less fun than the last. "It-it was… Supposedly, it was…a Hatterene."
Ella, Patches, and Joltik, who had climbed on to the table, stare blankly at me. Gardevoir fidgets and looks like he wants to be somewhere else.
Ella shakes her head clear. "Well, it can't be the same Hatterene. Can it?" she adds hesitantly.
"Beats me," I confess. "Did Miriam's Hatterene…attack you or your pokemon at all?"
Ella shrugs. "She threw a rock at me, but her kind are territorial, right? And, she calmed down once she realized we were friendly."
"Do you think it was that Hatterene?" Joltik asks Patches while their trainer is lost in thought.
Patches tilts her head. "I want to say no. Like Ella said, Hatterene was pretty chill after the initial drama. But then, from what we heard, Hatterene aren't found in the wild in Kanto."
"Let's assume it is the same one," Gardevoir adds. "Based on what Team Rocket said, the whole thing transpired from a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?" Patches repeats.
I nod and throw in my two cents. "Wobbuffet caught up with me after we parted ways. Based on the little that he heard, it sounds like Pikachu and Hatterene were friends up to that point. Pikachu was protecting Wobbuffet and Jessie, and Hatterene took that the wrong way. If it is the same one, it doesn't necessarily mean that she's vicious."
Sick, if anything, I think, recalling what Wobbuffet said about psychosis.
"He makes a good point," Joltik says.
"You said Wobbuffet told you this?" Ella asks. "Like, a Wobbuffet?" Her amber eyes widen, and she presses her hands to the table and leans forward like she's going to jump me again. "Wait, I thought only Team Rocket's Meowth talked! Are you saying their Wobbuffet does too?"
Oh, right. I haven't mentioned that yet. "No, he can't. But, I know what pokemon are saying."
Trainer and pokemon share the same open-mouthed shock. Patches recovers first and scoffs. "He's lying. Humans can't understand us."
I look the Pachirisu dead in the eyes and say, "Well, this human can."
Patches is so startled that tiny sparks shoot off of her. Joltik looks ready to collapse. Gardevior is amused in a "been there, done that" sort of way.
Ella is still in the same position, leaning against the table with her mouth open. "You can really understand pokemon? Why didn't you tell me?"
I rub the back of my neck, feeling like I'm under a microscope. "Honestly, it just started yesterday. Kinda cropped up out of nowhere. I don't really get it, but it's awesome!"
"That's amazing!" Ella leans forward a little more. "How does that work? Does it sound like real words? Like a person is saying it?"
"Not really," I reply. "Pokemon still sound the same. I just…know what it all means, I guess."
Ella moans and plops down on her seat. "I'm jealous!"
I chuckle. "I'd be happy to tell you more, but Gardevoir and I have work to do."
At the curious looks of Ella and her pokemon, I open my backpack, which is on the bench beside me. I pull out the disc that Miriam gave me and explain how it sprays out…something that's supposed to prevent the spread of Poke-X.
When Ella presses for details, I have to confess. "Okay, the truth is that Miriam tried to explain it, but she lost me after 'fairy moans.'"
Ella scrunches up her face. "Do you mean pheromones?"
I grin in embarrassment. "Maybe. All I know is that this thing," I hold up the disc, "is supposed to help keep pokemon safe. And, that's all I need to know. What's wrong?" I ask when Ella makes a pensive face.
She shakes her head. "Sorry. It's just… You said Miriam gave that to you, and…" She picks at the colorful bracelet around her wrist. "Am I overthinking again?"
"Nope," Patches says certainly, her tiny paws on her hips. "I say Miriam is bad news."
Joltik nods. I turn to Gardevoir, who shrugs and says, "Don't look at me. I wasn't there for the whole Hatterene thing."
"But, did you get, like, a vibe from her?" I ask him.
He sticks his tongue out in thought then shrugs again. "I don't know. We only spent, like, two minutes with the woman. She seemed a little curt, but that doesn't make her evil." Patches huffs at that.
Ella's eyes and mouth are wide open. "You really can talk to pokemon!"
"Yep," I say with a thumbs-up. "And, it's awesome! But, back to business. I get why you're worried, Ella. I'm worried about Hatterene too, now that I know the story."
At least, part of it. We still don't know if Miriam's Hatterene is the same one that attacked Pikachu, Jessie, and Wobbuffet. But, knowing me, I'd worry either way. No pokemon, regardless of what they've done in the past, deserves an abusive trainer.
"That being said," I continue, "Miriam is working with my aunt and her team. They're all trying to stop Poke-X, so Miriam can't be that bad, right?"
"I guess." Ella doesn't sound so sure, but she lets it go for now. "So, where are you supposed to put that thing? Just set it in the woods somewhere?"
"Kind of." I stick the disc back in my backpack. "Miriam said there was a big horde that lives nearby. She wants me to put it near there."
Ella's expression lights up with interest. "Hold on. You're not talking about the horde with the Raichu, are you?"
Now it's my turn to be interested. "The Raichu?"
Ella grins and brings her fists to her chest. "I heard there's a super special Raichu that lives in the forest up north of here! That's why I came this way. I have to see it for myself!"
"That does sound pretty cool! What makes it so special?"
Ella adjusts her glasses with an eagerness I can relate to. "Hold on to your hat, 'cause this is big! Literally. The Raichu is an alpha pokemon!"
"Awesome!" I say. "Now, I wanna see it, too." I wonder how big an alpha Raichu is. It's gotta be at least as tall as Gardevoir.
If only Pikachu and Charizard could see it.
But…if Alpha Raichu is part of that horde, maybe it would know something-
Ella raises her index finger. "But, wait. There's more." She leans forward and cups her hand around her mouth as if sharing some great secret. "The alpha Raichu…is also a shiny pokemon."
My jaw drops, as does Gardevoir's. An alpha pokemon is noteworthy. A shiny pokemon is even more noteworthy. A pokemon that's both at the same time is…
Is…Pikachu's…
No, Pikachu said she was dead.
No, wait… He didn't. He said that she was taken by poachers and that he "can only assume the worst."
Is it possible…?
"Ash? Earth to Ash?"
Ella's voice snaps me out of it. But, not totally. "Male or female?" When Ella only stares at me, I clarify. "The Raichu. Is it male or female? Do you know?"
"Does it matter?" Ella asks.
"It-it might," I say.
While the pokemon all glance at each other in confusion, Ella pulls out her phone. "Let me see. There are plenty of pictures online, but not all of them are that great. Oh! Here's a good one." She shows me the screen. "See the tail? That's a female, alright!"
That is a good picture. It shows three pokemon: a Sableye, a Ludicolo, and of course, the shiny alpha Raichu, who is a little taller than Ludicolo. They must all be friends, as they appear to be walking together while talking and eating berries. And, yes, Alpha Raichu's long tail has a blunt tip instead of pointed, marking her as a female. Her head is turned, so I'm not sure if she has that facial scar that Pikachu mentioned.
Could this really be Pikachu's mother? An alpha Raichu or a shiny Raichu could be passed off as a coincidence. A shiny alpha Raichu cannot.
One thing, I can say with certainty: I have to meet this pokemon.
