Have I finally done it? Topaz? Can you hear me? Excuse me dear reader, but I cannot speak right now. I must attend to our protagonist, first and foremost.
~x1x~
Location: Dreamworld?
My eyes popped wide open, while I felt fully rested and aware. My last memories were of tucking in Holyn and drifting into a deep sleep seconds later. I surveyed my surroundings, finding myself in an endless prismatic abyss on all sides. Colors shifted between all sorts of beautiful shades, forming elaborate yet beautifully simple patterns. My thoughts were far too coherent and lucid for a typical dream, yet the environment felt far too… ephemeral for me to consider it reality.
Despite the uncertainty of the situation, I felt a firm calmness in my heart. My usual anxieties had yet to creep up. Only idle curiosity. With caution I attempted taking a step forward, but found I could not move. Or… could I not perceive myself moving?
I looked down and found I had no body. Just a vague mist around what should've been my body, melding with the other colors of the world. It was an abnormal sight, but I remained unperturbed. The atmosphere was enigmatic, yet familiar. My instincts made it known that I was in no danger.
Haven't I been here before?
"Indeed you have."
An eloquent man's voice echoed throughout the world, the focal point of my sight beginning to coalesce into a small figure. I could not make out their silhouette due to the slight fog that surrounded them and the rainbows shifting everywhere, but they appeared to be around 4 feet tall.
"Greetings Topaz, and Happy New Year. Unfortunately, due to my condition, I was unable to tell you that sooner due to our… predicament," The voice explained. It was a masculine voice with a formal tone. It sounded vaguely like an older Jade, judging by the accent, but the parlance was too distinct. For one thing he excluded any snide remarks in that greeting.
"Uh… Happy New Year to you too?" I said doubtfully.
"Hm, good. You can speak properly this time. I'm sure you're more accustomed to using your words to communicate rather than your direct thoughts and feelings, yes?"
"This time…? I was here before?" I asked. Everything was oddly familiar, but I could not place it.
The voice hummed. "So you do not completely remember, but your body does. You appear more comfortable in this state considering before you were incapable of speech," the voice observed. "Do you recall when you collapsed in December and regained those memories of Nero's funeral and your parents? We spoke near the end."
His words ignited a spark in my brain. The psychedelic atmosphere had made me complacent, but I did remember this place.
"You're the fancy man! You said you were a guide and that you were going to help me choose my narrative!" I exclaimed. "Whatever that meant..."
The silhouette nodded. "Correct, and I am here to congratulate you on another milestone. I have accounted for Holyn the Cranidos into my calculations and how he will impact your destiny. Thanks to his entrance, The Fool arcana has been bolstered alongside my abilities."
"What do the Tarot cards have to do with you? What do you mean 'impact my destiny'? As in my future? Can you predict my future?" I questioned.
"Short answer: No. I can theorize your future and offer my own personal opinions if inquired." The voice finished. "And yes I have a hand in the cards. In essence, the more your cards develop the better I become. Today The Fool has gained a new member, increasing the number of outlets of power it has which in turn has increased my abilities enough for us to have our first proper exchange. To simplify, the more pokemon that join your team, the stronger The Fool becomes. It's indicative of your development, after all. Though members joining your team isn't the only way it can grow stronger… I think."
My brain was gradually getting its bearings and I had so many questions to ask, but the voice shook what I assumed was their head. All I could see was a blob.
"I know, I know, you wish to question me, but I'd like to ask my own question. Have you enjoyed your time in Oreburgh? Your brain has galvanized a bevy of new thoughts, ideas and concepts. Please relay them to me in order of importance."
My mind screeched to a halt. I had so much I wanted to ask, yet now I was being questioned. It felt strange to be on the other side and I wasn't sure what I totally wanted to say, so I decided to just blurt out what felt best.
"Being a trainer is awesome!" My enthusiastic cheer echoing across the space. "I got to uncover ancient artifacts underground, travel across the region to attend a prestigious fossil expo, had lunch with champions, saw tons of cool exhibits, met completely new pokemon, got a brand new friend out of the whole exchange and explored a brand new city! I want to do this all the time, this has been amazing!"
"Hm hmm hmmm," The voice hummed several times. "I see go on, go on."
For some reason I felt like he was jotting something down, but he still appeared as an amorphous blob. Regardless, I continued explaining in detail all the fun I had had today until the voice finally stopped me.
"I see… so what do youwant to do now?" He asked.
Once again another tough question, but this time I had a more concise answer. "I'd like to… keep traveling. I want to see more of Sinnoh and eventually the world."
"But you are still a youngster. You cannot enjoy all the privileges a grown trainer has to offer," The voice countered.
I shook my head. "That doesn't mean I just want to stay in Sunyshore until then. I want to keep experiencing new things, meet new people and make my own discoveries."
"It's winter in the Sinnoh region. The land is at its most treacherous and I can assure you neither your uncle or the champion would permit you to go unattended," The blob pointed out.
"It's fine if I use public transportation… At most I'll need a chaperone," I countered.
"Would Volkner do?"
"No, Volkner has too many responsibilities to humor me. One of his pokemon maybe…" I figured.
"Cynthia will still protest this. She just wants you to be safe," the voice reminded me.
"My team and I can handle ourselves. We'll be fine."
"And where do you want to go exactly? This journey might as well be productive," the voice inquired again.
All the questions were growing exhausting. "Is this your way of guiding me? Since it feels like you're making me do everything."
"Indeed it is. It's much easier to come to a conclusion with another perspective. I ask the questions and you concoct the solutions, but it all remains your choice. I am simply allowing you the chance to create your own narrative!" The voice declared rather proudly. His confidence was fairly infectious. "You are an intelligent young man. You do not need the strange voice in your head dictating your life."
"Well… I don't have the last answer for you yet, but once I wake up I will," I half laughed before determination filled my core. "This is a selfish and childish request, but even for a little bit I want to see more of the world. At my own pace."
The voice sniffled slightly as though he was holding back tears. "You have grown up so much! A valiant answer indeed!"
"Are you cry- no nevermind. More importantly, what should I call you? You explained so much, but I still don't know who or what you are."
"Wel… I am a guide… I believe? I am not… particularly sure, but all I know is that I woke up shortly before you acquired The Fool arcana. That was the trigger, the first step in your life's journey. Since then I have been learning from within this void and calculating your course through life. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say I am a pokemon living within your mindscape, but I do not know which one. Likely one you have never even heard of before. And due to that, I have no recollection of my species," The voice sighed mournfully. "My apologies if my answer is vague, I too wish I had something more tangible to offer you… though if you are curious I can tell you I identify as male."
The colors around him dimmed slightly. While I was no expert on the logic of this world, my instincts provided enough instruction. These troubles weighed heavily on his heart and he wishes to find an answer as well. So maybe…
"Pokemon existing in human heads isn't unheard of. Over in Unova they have intensive studies about the Dreamworld and the living, breathing pokemon that dwell in one's unconsciousness. Whether that's you or not doesn't matter to me cuz we'll find the answer and figure out where to go from there. Alright?"
The light around the voice glowed brightly once again. "Alright… if you insist that is the correct course," He added proudly.
"As for a name… Rogelio comes to mind. " I had no clue where the name came from, but it just felt… right? The sixth sense can be quite fickle.
"Rogelio!?" His tone was hesitant, as though he was unsure. He began mumbling to himself in deliberation as I watched. "Originating from Spanish culture, it means famous spearman. So in essence you are saying I am a forward thinking person. A trendsetter. A pioneer! Befitting of an individual of my stature. I shall approve it! You have made a fine choice, Sir Topaz!"
The light around him shone even brighter than before once he accepted the name as his own. He seemed to relish in the glory of his new name as it filled him with power. I could even hear him humming the Dragoniteball Z theme song in joy. Rogelio was certainly a piece of work, but obviously he had great taste.
"Heavens, it seems a simple name was enough to empower myself… I thank you again for such a fine name. Now I, Rogelio, must bid you farewell. This conversation was enlightening for the both of us. Fear not, our next contact will be much sooner than our last. I have many promising ideas I wish to invest in before we may speak again. However you decide to proceed, just know that I am with you," Rogelio bowed elegantly at the end of his farewell. His form was a bit clearer now.
"Peace out, Rogelio," I chimed back before I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
~x2x~
Location: Hotel Room
Exhaling deeply, I opened my eyes to stare at the hotel ceiling. The morning drowsiness was completely absent, in fact I felt amazing. I looked over to see all three of my pokemon were beginning to awaken as well with loud yawns. Donut greeted me with a half awake squeak, followed by a Lou buzz and Holyn barking.
I eased myself out of bed and began to contemplate how I'd tell my team what the hell I just experienced.
This'll be a doozy.
Once everyone had awoken (as usual Donut was exceptionally difficult to jumpstart) I gathered them around me on the bed, trying to sort out what I wanted to say to them all.
"So… you remember the fancy man?" I asked.
Donut and Lou nodded. Holyn nodded when he saw them nod, but Donut told him to stop.
"Welp, he's back and he gave me an idea. Or more like. He led me to an idea of my own creation. He's sort of roundabout. Also his name is Rogelio now-"
I gave my team a quick summation of the events of my dream and my desire to explore more, as well as the destination. It was a bit surreal to explain to them the details of the dream, but fortunately my desire to travel was sensical enough.
Lou, unsurprisingly, welcomed the opportunity with open mandibles. Holyn was a bit confused, but I think he got the gist that we were going to have fun and was all in. Donut was less enthusiastic than the other two, but judging by his lack of protest I didn't think he cared as long as he got ample time to sleep while on the road. I decided to press on his account.
"You got anywhere you want to go, Donut?
Donut looked down a moment, rubbed his stomach before looking back up at me. "Pika."
I squinted. "Besides breakfast…"
He pouted before looking at the other two who each had expectant looks. With an exasperated sigh, he shrugged his shoulders. "Chu."
To any other human that was a basic squeak, but to me that was clear affirmation. He was down if everyone else was down. I fist bumped each member of the team before rubbing my chin.
"Glad we're all on the same page. Now we just need to figure out where to go…" I pondered.
~x3x~
Location: Route 207 South Entrance
After getting ready for the day, I got a text from Cynthia that she would be busy for the morning, but that I was free to head back to the expo or just walk around the city if I wished. Eager to be inspired, I left the hotel with my team and began traversing the city once again, looking for where I would like to go.
Feeling a bit exploratory, we headed towards the north exit of Oreburgh City, leading to Route 207. And more importantly, Mount Coronet. It took a bit longer than I expected to navigate the city and reach the gate exit, but even from there Coronet towered above everything. The peak of the mountain was shrouded by the immense clouds, impossible to see through.
It was huge when I was on Reginleif with Cynthia, but now… it's gargantuan.
Deeper into Route 207, I saw the endless hills in store for anyone who wished to make it towards the Cycling Road and Eterna City. Several trainers who I had seen from the expo passed me by on their bikes, making their way to Route 207. All I could do was watch enviously as they passed me by.
Holyn gazed up at me before turning ahead and walking deeper into Route 207.
"Holyn, we can't go too far without telling anyone," I reminded him.
"Crani dos rani," He retorted. I took a second to figure out what he meant. Unfortunately, I hadn't figured out how to decipher his way of speaking, but his meaning quickly dawned on me.
"But I suppose it's still fine. Like I said, not too far," I reasoned. Holyn jumped for joy before heading deeper into the route.
There was a distinct lack of vegetation compared to say Route 222. Primarily mountainous terrain going uphill as we were leaving the valley Oreburgh hid itself away in. Hidden in the pine trees I could spot gligar and zubat resting from a night on the prowl. On occasion I would spy a ponyta gallop over cliffs with complete confidence. Pineco rested in the trees and shroomish napped amongst the resilient undergrowth.
Donut and Lou strolled alongside me while Holyn darted ahead, sniffing around like a curious canine. Over the course of yesterday, I had found that he was more than eager to explore every nook and cranny he found. Even the smallest new experience enraptured the young dinosaur.
At the current juncture I watched him follow a tiny kricketot minding their business. If they had noticed him following them, they didn't seem to care. That is until they stopped dead in their tracks, twitching their antenna in the air. Holyn stopped in turn, wondering what had happened to his new bug friend before they darted off into the brush.
"Maybe they sensed a predator?" I guessed. Holyn stuck his head into the bush looking for his new friend, while the rest of us watched from afar.
"Ro-" Holyn stuttered as he leaped out of the brush with a gible munching on his head.
Donut and Lou jumped into action ready to assist their friend, but I put a hand up to stop them. "Not yet."
The gible had managed to bite his dome, which was virtually indestructible. Holyn wasn't in pain, mostly uncomfortable and surprised. If he needed help he would get it, but right now I wanted to see what he would do.
"Raaaaaah!" Holyn roared before running to the closest and largest boulder he could find and began slamming the gible into it repeatedly. Each impact made an unpleasant boom sound as the gible's eyes bugged out in pain. It took only three slammings for them to jump off and face Holyn down.
"Smart play, Holyn, stay focused the battle isn't over," I warned him from the sidelines. Holyn barked in confirmation. Gible roared into the distance before charging at him with a slash. Holyn charged forward with headbutt and easily overpowered Gible, knocking him (judging by his fin) back.
Angered, Gible inhaled deeply before spewing hot draconic fire in Dragon Breath straight towards Holyn. Once again he barreled through it and while he managed to hit Gible, he had taken noticeable damage.
"That form could use some work. If he had leaned a bit forward, he could've blocked most of it and kept attacking," I noted for later.
Gible got up wobbly, but able. His teeth glowed black before he charged at Holyn with a true Bite attack. Unlike last time, Holyn didn't just barrel through. Instead he stood his ground, shifted his stance to be lower and more imposing and leered at his opponent. His eyes turned a demonic red shade, lowering the resolve of Gible and sapping their will to fight. They stopped dead in their tracks and dug straight into the ground.
Once they were gone, Holyn relaxed his posture and began panting with his tongue lapping sideways. Like nothing had happened. I ran up to him, pulled out a bowl and filled it with water ready for him.
"You did amazing out there even without instruction. I'm proud of you, Holyn," I praised him. "You'll be a star on the battlefield in no time."
Holyn glowed under the praise as he lapped up his water while I sprayed him with a potion. He was still terribly green, but he thankfully had some nuance to his moveset. Lou crawled up to him and began pointing out the flaws in his form in my stead.
After I finished tending him I surveyed the area and noted far fewer pokemon in the area and turned back to Oreburgh.
"I don't want to take any chances in case a Garchomp shows up that isn't Reginleif. Let's head back."
There were no complaints as we returned the way we came. As we walked back, I spotted a Nosepass slowly entering a cave which reminded me of something I had not thought of in years.
"Ya know… a few days before I went into the Underground for the first time I read an article my mother had written about Mount Coronet and how pokemon evolve using the innate electromagnetism within it. It inspired me to look deeper into pokemon research and everything that goes into it. How influential Professor Rowan's discoveries were to the world. It was influential…" I muttered.
I turned back to Mount Coronet wistfully. Even the most experienced trainers had trouble there and my team wasn't ready to traverse it comfortably. Especially in winter.
"I wonder if I could ever be of use to Professor Rowan…" I said softly. "He came all the way to the hospital and Nero's funeral yet I haven't even spoken to him properly in years…"
My attention was drawn to the southwest, where his lab was located in Sandgem Town. It was decently close and not a treacherous journey especially with the railroad.
"I did tell Rogelio I was looking for a journey… hmmm." The gears began spinning within my head. "I think I know what I need to do next. Let's head back to the hotel, I'll explain on the way."
Picking up the pace, I began to speed walk back to the hotel rapidfire explaining to my team what I wanted to do.
~x4x~
Location: Hotel Lobby
Once we got back to the hotel, I headed straight to the hotel lobby where the videophone and transfer machines were located. I took my spot at one, connected my phone and dialed Volkner. After a few rings, he finally answered. I was greeted with Volkner dressed in a blue robe, bedhead and mug full of coffee.
"Topaz? This you? It says you're connect to a transfer machine," He yawned. "Why do you always wake up so goddamn early? Just sleep in for once, you're on vacation."
"Good morning to you too, Volkner and I refuse. Gotta eek out every hour of daylight and someone's gotta sleep when Violet doesn't," I retorted. "Anyway, I wanna do something a little crazy, but I need one of your pokemon. Can you help me out here?"
He rubbed his eyes and stared at me. "...it's too early for this shit. Go on."
"I'm not ready to go home. I want to see more of Sinnoh just for a little bit, but I figured you wouldn't let me go without a chaperone-".
"Especially after you turned vigilante in October," He reminded me.
"So I was hoping I could ask one of your pokemon to be my escort… they have the authority after all," I pointed out.
Volkner rubbed his eyes and pinched his nose. "Where do ya wanna go?"
I smirked confidently. "Sandgem Town and Lake Verity. I want to speak to Professor Rowan and I need to see the lab where my parents used to work in."
"Ya know I could take you there any time," Volkner noted.
I laughed at the proposition. "Where's the fun in that? Going on a journey on your own merit is part of what makes being a trainer so amazing."
"That's the most Rod thing I've ever heard you say." Volkner nodded nostalgically at that. "Ya know, while you can travel in any season, anything can happen during winter. You could get stuck in a snowstorm out there and I'll have to pick your ass up. Can't this wait till spring?"
"No. It needs to be now," I pleaded. "I-I feel stuck in Sunyshore. I love it and working under you and everything, but I feel… stagnant. But thanks to this mining trip, I got to travel all the way to western Sinnoh and see Oreburgh in all its splendor for the very first time. And I'm not ready to just end it here."
Volkner scratched his head and yawned again, ruminating over what to do. He was silent for a long time until he finally spoke up.
"We're alike in so many ways…" He muttered. "Remember when Cynthia first came to the gym and destroyed my father?"
"Of course," I chuckled. "I definitely remember my commentary. And the way the battle sparked a fire in your eyes. You were so excited I thought you were gonna interrupt the battle to start your own sooner."
"I would've if I didn't respect them so much," He corrected me. "Before then I was in a rut, just like you. Returning home from my journey, working as a gym trainer. Doing the same ole shit. I was going stale. Then Cynthia arrived and gave me something new to work towards. A new height to reach."
The sweet sight of nostalgia was written all over his face. "Guess you need to reach for your own heights, huh… you can go. Just remember to stick to the trains and don't go too far off route."
"Thank you!" I shouted, while Volkner sipped his coffee casually. "I promise to take the trains, be careful and come back better than ever!"
"Tch, you better. And tell Cynthia before you go. She'll worry about you otherwise," He warned. "As for who will go with you, Froberge?"
Moments later the familiar Luxray appeared onscreen. He purred a greeting at the sight of me.
Froberge would be perfect. I'd never really told anyone, but he was my favorite on Volkner's team. When he used to walk me to school I used to talk to him about all sorts of stuff. It felt good to vent to him even if I couldn't understand him.
A second later, a large Electivire practically pushed Froberge offscreen and pointed a finger at me demandingly. "Elec vire vire!"
"Roland?" I questioned.
Volkner looked his partner pokemon up and down before sighing. "He thinks Froberge will be too lax on you, so he wants to go and frankly that sounds like an excellent idea. So, it's Roland or nothing."
Donut audibly groaned in the background. He was very much so a second, much stricter dad for the small Pikachu. Roland chose to ignore him.
"Roland, Froberge and I will be fi-"
"Vire," He crossed his arms in denial. I groaned in tune with Donut.
"You were way less of a hardass when you were an Electabuzz. Fine… come along," I sighed. Volkner hid his sneaky grin behind his mug before he recalled Roland and walked over to the house's transfer system. A few seconds later, a familiar pokeball appeared in front of me. I picked it up and sent out Roland who banged his chest with gusto.
"Thanks for joining us," I said sarcastically, earning me a quick jolt and a glare. "Yeesh, that stings a lot more than Donut and Lou's. Fine fine, I'm sorry. We're glad to have you."
Roland was by far Volkner's strongest pokemon, the strongest gym leader and by that logic one of the strongest pokemon in the pokemon league. It was an honor to have him be your chaperone… when he doesn't treat you like a delinquent child in need of discipline.
Satisfied with my apology, he leaned over and finally noticed Holyn. Holyn jumped to the forefront and greeted the yellow giant wholeheartedly. Roland looked down at the little dino and began scratching his neck much to his enjoyment. Volkner continued watching from the screen.
"So the Cranidos?" He asked.
I chuckled awkwardly. "So there's been some developments."
~x5x~
Location: Oreburgh Train Station
After briefly introducing Holyn to Volkner and Roland and having him send me over more clothes, we headed towards the Oreburgh train station which was where I told Cynthia I'd like to meet up with her. Unsurprisingly, I spotted her standing off to the side, likely to avoid drawing attention with Reginleif by her side as usual. Steven and Mythril were with them as well engaging in light conversation. Once I saw them all I ran over to greet them.
"G'morning everyone, thanks for coming!" I greeted.
Steven spoke up first. "Good morning Topaz, hope you do not mind Mythril and I. If you wish to have a private conversation with Cynthia, simply ask and we will take our leave."
I shook my head quickly. "Nah, it's nothing like that. Cynthia, I… just need to say something and before you ask I did speak to Volkner about it and he's down."
She raised an eyebrow before her eyes fell on Roland. "That makes me wary off the bat, but what is it?"
I looked up at her with the most confidence I could muster. "I'm heading to Sandgem Town to meet Professor Rowan."
Her eyebrow stayed up, meanwhile Steven leaned against a rock with a curious expression.
"I would hope you mean by train, given how you're still underage and we're at a train station," she said calmly.
"Well… yeah. Volkner said it was too cold to travel on foot anyway…" I noted dejectedly. If only it was summer.
Her eyebrow raised higher. "And deadly. And you're not experienced enough yet. I know you've had a taste of vigilante justice, but me, Lucian and everyone worked hard to make sure the laws are fair. The railway exists in large part for junior trainers like yourself to see other parts of the region without risking the very real possibility of death."
"I know, I know. I never used it much till now, but now I have a reason! I want to see the lab my parents worked in and talk to Professor Rowan, but I also wanna experience Sinnoh on my own-"
Roland cleared his throat behind me.
"-with chaperoned guidance," I finished.
She relaxed a bit, chuckling to herself while looking at Roland. "And I take it the condition for him being allowed on this excursion at all is that you accompany him and his team?"
He folded his arms and nodded affirmingly. Donut groaned once again, causing Roland to give him another glare. As per usual it rolled right off Donut's general apathy.
"I've got my team, money, experience, common sense and Roland. All we're doing is heading to Sandgem, in the corner of the region with the lowest mortality rates. We'll be fine!" I reasoned.
She sighed. "Common sense doesn't include going after slave traders with yourself and an unknown girl and her partner, but sure." She smiled somewhat more sternly than usual at me, Donut and Lou. "You know if you go off the beaten path it'll mean more boring training that you need to stay awake for, right?"
Donut groaned even louder while Holyn looked a bit excluded so he trotted over to Reginleif for attention. Reginleif smiled, giving small rumbles and patting his head gently. Likely explaining what was going on.
"As if Roland will let us do anything fu-," I caught myself. Steven chuckled at my slip-up.
"Come now, Cynthia, I'm sure Topaz knows how to take care of himself and his pokemon. He's not a normal youngster, he's a gym trainer and leader's nephew. He has my confidence," Steven appealed for me. "Besides… I'm sure he put quite a lot of thought into this. Something spur you to action?"
My conversation with Rogelio immediately came to mind. "In a way."
She glanced at Steven. "One of us needs to be the cautious one. Like Roland."
He ceased scolding Donut to nod. She then came in, hugging us all. Holyn noticed and quickly ran over, barking for a moment before he realized Cynthia was all too happy to include him in the hug. "Stay safe. Be well. And call me if you come across any more evil people."
"Will do. You have fun doing… whatever champions do."
Steven gave me a sagely smile as patted me on the shoulder. "Take care out there. Let me know if anything exciting occurs, including if you come across any evil people."
His encouragement eased my tension, as my heartbeat relaxed more. "And you can tell me about how you're going to implant that Electric spire shard into New Mauville next time we meet!"
"I am quite excited to begin that project myself!" He laughed.
Moments later the train strolled onto the platform. I turned to everyone one last time before my team and I boarded the train and found seats. Everyone got comfortable as I began checking my phone in excitement for anything fun we could do in Jubilife since we'd be passing by there. Once the train started moving I realized something very important. I could not make the same mistake again.
"I… should tell Jade I'll be out for a while."
Everyone in our group nodded along.
~x6x~
PoV: Professor Rowan
Location: Rowan Laboratory, Sandgem Town
Rowan sat alone in his lab tapping away at a new paper he planned to publish, based on the chemical reactions between Milcery and the different fruits that determine the appearance of their evolution into Alcreamie. He rubbed his temples as he pushed away his uncomfortable sleepiness.
A sound body resulted in a sound mind and Rowan had adapted his lifestyle to best suit his research and his health, so to be perturbed by unexplained drowsiness was irritating at best. He surmised he had an unpleasant dream that disrupted his sleep, so he had prepared a mug of peppermint tea to ease his nerves.
"Professor, I found the notes you wanted," A youthful voice called out before entering his office.
Rowan sipped his tea as he turned towards the boy in a red cap with a Sinnoh style red scarf around his neck. He held several files in his arms and by his feet a quirky Turtwig jumped up to greet the professor.
"Much appreciated, Lucas," Rowan stated plainly as he gently petted the Turtwig. "Please leave them on my desk."
"Always a pleasure," Lucas replied, as he strolled over to organize the files out of Rowan's immediate workspace. He stayed a moment longer than usual before pulling out a particular article. "I actually wanted to ask you about this one."
Rowan took the file and skimmed the contents. It was an old article about happiness evolution and its ties to Mesprit in mythology. "This has nothing to do with our current subject and was mostly theoretical. What brought this on?"
"Nothing in particular really. I was looking for what you needed and I saw this was about Mesprit. Considering how close Lake Verity is and I still haven't even seen them yet I got a bit curious. So I did a little reading and the author mentions how often in mythology Mesprit would be an entity of growth. Most of the pokemon in the myths with Mesprit evolve with high happiness, but the stories aren't necessarily even happy. Most of them are quite sad or they end up worse off, yet they still evolve. Am I missing something?" Lucas inquired. Turtwig tilted his head in equal curiosity.
Rowan took another look through the old article and ancient memories began to resurface. He was not a man who wasted words, so he carefully formed a response in his head.
"Happiness is relative, Lucas. We all have emotions, we all feel. One could live an impoverished, unremarkable life and be significantly happier than the most successful entrepreneur. It's all a matter of perspective. Being a trainer means managing many different personalities and temperaments, learning how they all tick, what brings them joy. What brings them pain…" Rowan's voice trailed off near the end. "In a way, you could say Mesprit is helping these pokemon come to terms with their emotions and that resolution causes an evolution."
Rowan exhaled deeply from his nose before handing the article back to Lucas. "Of course, I could give you the scientific explanation for why pokemon evolve via happiness, but humanity cannot even figure out our own bodies' machinations, much less pokemon. That's why we work. There's always more to discover."
Lucas' and Turtwig's eyes shone in renown at Rowan's wisdom. "I think I get it a bit better now, Professor, thank you!"
"Hey Lucas, you promised you'd help Piplup and me with our new combo move!"
"Lucas, get your scrawny butt out here or I'm gonna fine you! It's time for a battle and this time I'm gonna win!"
Rowan and Lucas turned around to find Dawn and Barry with their partners Piplup and Chimchar squeezing through the door.
"Sorry Professor, can we borrow Lucas and Turtwig for a bit?" Dawn pleaded as she put on her signature white knit cap over her long blue hair. "As you can see, we need them for a bit of special trainin'!"
"Pip plup!" Piplup tapped his chest with confidence.
"Chimchar learned a new move and we can't test it on Piplup since he's got the type advantage so you're up, bucko!" Barry pointed accusingly at Turwig who tilted his head in confusion.
"Turt?"
Lucas turned to Rowan for permission who simply gestured towards the door. Lucas returned it with a nod before picking up his partner and making his way out the door with his friends. Once they had left, Rowan took another look at the file before finding the authors' names: Rod Heart, Rhea Groves.
Rowan leaned back into his chair, turning to stare out the window in the direction of Lake Verity. "Was that a dream..?" Rowan mumbled to himself. "Or an omen?"
~Chapter 28 & Arc 3: Invisible Ties Fin~
Question: Favorite pokemon professor's theme song? Rowan's theme is crazy nostalgic for me. It's the opening theme of DPPt and the lab's theme, so it signifies the beginning of the journey and it has this magnificent, impactful vibe to it which fits for such an imposing, but kind figure.
Author's Note
And Arc 3 is finally finished and we can move on to Arc 4! Topaz is exploring western Sinnoh, heading to Professor Rowan. This arc has been quite a bit different than Arc 2, but I hope everyone enjoyed it. I feel like after all the action crammed into two days we needed to pace ourselves again. I've got big plans for Arc 4, so stay tuned!
- Hullo, co-author here! I'd like you to know that the process of getting this chapter to where it is gave me a headache. That headache was not caused by Holyn, cavity-inducing levels of sweet he may be. But otherwise, there's loads more to come soon and I hope you look forwards to it!
Trainer: Topaz Heart
Age: 12
Class: Junior Gym Trainer
Deck: Fool, Devil, Strength, Hermit, Fortune.
Team: Donut (Pikachu), Lou (Charjabug), Holyn (Cranidos).
Allies: Rogelio (?).
x
Donut (Pikachu/M)
Equip: Eviolite.
Moves: Thunderbolt,Thunder,Iron Tail, Brick Break, Quick Attack, Rollout, Tickle, Charge, Thunder Wave.
Ability: Static Chance to paralyze opponent upon physical contact.
Likes: Pastries, sweets, naps, relaxing, quiet, Topaz's bag.
Dislikes: Bitter food, stress, stupid decisions, feeling alone.
x
Lou (Charjabug/M)
Moves: X-scissor, Wild Charge, Acrobatics, Mud Shot, Iron Defense, Screech, Dig, String Shot, Thunderbolt.
Ability: Battery Boosts allies' special attack.
Likes: Bugs, war, General Topaz, usurping oppressors.
Dislikes: Birds, criminals, condescension, threats to allies.
x
Holyn (Cranidos/M)
Equip: Hard Stone.
Moves: Headbutt, Leer, Focus Energy, Pursuit.
Ability: Mold Breaker Bypass enemy ability.
Likes: Friends, playing, TV dramas.
Dislikes: Friends arguing, sad endings.