Citrine Isles

by Diatomic Rex

When their blimp ran into the storm, Ash, Misty, and Brock found themselves in a strange land where the Pokémon there see humanity as pests and enslavers. Now, having turned into Pokémon themselves, their only hope to return home is to participate in their local Pokémon League equivalent. All the while, the nature of what separates Pokémon and trainer blurs.

26. Chapter 26: Capital Crisis, part 3

Water everywhere and not a drop to drink.

Gary Oak scanned the horizon and found no sign of dry land. If it wasn't for the fact that he carried with him a satellite uplink he'd have been lost in the Pacific.

"LAA," Lapras cried out, his tone indicating frustration.

Gary sighed. He got up and reached over to his marine transport's head. "Yeah, I know you're getting bored going around circles. So, am I."

"Laa…." Lapras replied, his tone one of agreement.

Gary sat back down and went through his notes one more time.. He had been at this for weeks, trying to find the crash site. At most, Blastoise had managed to find metal scraps that were at his diving limit, but it wasn't a blimp's carcass.

"No wonder the Coast Guard and Navy gave up, this is hard," Gary said with a sigh. When he had first committed himself towards finding his oldest friend's body, he had thought it would be far easier. All he had to do was to apply some rudimentary mathematics and correlate weather patterns observed from satellites. Instead, he had wasted weeks looking at charts and maps to no avail.

"Sorry, Ash," he imagined himself apologizing to his friend's ghost. Maybe Gramps was right and it was time to move on. But without his rival, what was he going to do? Becoming a Pokémon Master was pointless without the one person in the world who knew what that even meant.

Gary shook his head. Maybe he could ask Gramps. Maybe try his hand at being an actual scientist. But all of that could wait until he was actually home.

Speaking of, where was he exactly?

Gary reached into his pack and pulled out his PokéNav… and noted something odd. According to his coordinates, he was on the exact opposite side of the island he had been camping at.

The boy scratched his head, trying to understand what had happened. He wasn't an expert navigator by any stretch of the imagination, but he didn't think he was that bad. And come to think of it, he would have had to cross the island at least once for him to end up where he was now.

"Laap?" Lapras questioned, concern in his voice.

"Just… thinking. It might be nothing," Gary told his Pokémon and gently rubbed the back of his head. "Or it could be everything."

And the only way to find out would be to see if his GPS telemetry data was accessible. And if not, he'd just need a mechanical clock and some way to measure knots.

---

When Ash awoke, he noted that practically everyone in his team was still asleep. Which was a problem, because he had gotten himself trapped beneath everyone else. Bulbasaur and Squirtle flanked his sides, whilst Pikachu laid on his shoulders and hugged his trainer like a pillow. Meanwhile, Charizard draped his wings over everyone, like a sort of leathery blanket.

Ash recalled that this sleeping arrangement was something he and his Pokémon came up with back when he was human. He'd always thought his Pokemin preferred being outside their Pokéballs when they slept.

Of course, back then, when Ash found himself waking up in a pile of his Pokémon, he just went back to sleep and woke up when Pikachu shocked him wide awake. That wasn't possible anymore, since a riolu's perpetually energized body never seemed to let him go to bed on a set schedule.

Ash considered trying to settle down again, but decided against it; he knew that was a waste of his time. Besides, there were plenty of things he could do. He had a whole house that needed exploration. So the riolu slowly slid out from under his friends, carefully to make sure that he didn't disturb anyone.

Pikachu's arms wrapped around his trainer and Ash was suddenly hit with a confusing mess of fear and embarrassment that didn't belong to him. The Fighting-type didn't know what that was about, but that might have been something in Pikachu's dreams that made the rodent feel that way. He gently moved Pikachu's arm over to grab Squirtle's shell instead.

The boy-turned-Pokémon then broke free from Bulbasaur and Squirtle, and then made his way out of Charizard's wings.

Once he had broken free the dragon began muttering in his sleep. "I'm not stupid….I can read.. honest…"

Curious, the riolu inclined a glance and made his way to his friend's head.

"I'm not… no don't say that…" the Fire-type kept mumbling.

Ash wasn't quite sure what was going on, but it sounded like a nightmare. Charizard's emotions were a swirling mess of things that were hard to discern. Mostly, it felt like he was… scared of something, which could have been anything. The riolu couldn't figure out what it was, but there was one thing he knew he could do. Placing a paw over his ailing friend's shoulders, he dug deep into Charizard's heart. He didn't know how this power really worked, but Ash felt like he was digging deep into himself and… sharing a bit of himself with others.

Charizard's body relaxed. "...Ash?" he muttered, Still in his sleep.

Ash jumped back, not expecting that. He hadn't really tried using that ability on someone who was sleeping before. So, how did Charizard know it was him? The riolu decided not to question it.

He slowly walked out of the room, carefully sliding the door back and forth, in an attempt to make sure no one awoke. Thankfully, he was light on his feet and the floors were clean.

After making his way outside, Ash sighed in relief, but only for a moment as excitement got the better of him. His tail wagging, Ash went to explore his family home. He hadn't really had a chance earlier… yesterday, as the young riolu had mostly spent his time outside. And he had been distracted so much that he never really got to explore.

That changed now.

The jackal pup wandered around the house… mansion… whatever It was, marveling at just how much stuff was just sitting there. He found a library, but that was expected. Another looked like some sort of armory. There were tons of shiny weapons and suits of armor everywhere in what looked like a dozen different styles. And there were so many rooms for people to sleep in that Ash wondered if everyone could have gotten their own room if they wanted! There was so much incredible stuff. His family, the lucario side of it, had done so much. They were so cool, his Gramps, too…

But it felt lonely, being in such a big house.

Ash stopped at one of the hallways and found a large painting. In it, two lucario stood behind a pack of seven young riolu, who knelt towards the viewer in a… seiza pose? The detailing and facial features resembled Ash's grandfather, though much younger.

Ash blinked a second and fixated on the smallest riolu in the painting, the most obviously youngest member of the family. He knew who she was by the way she looked, having seen her before in other pictures when she was older. "Mom?" He gasped.

A sudden realization struck the pup. He hadn't really seen any pictures of his mom when she was very young and this was the first glimpse he had of what her life might have been like. She had siblings, for one. Six other siblings who could have been Ash's aunts and uncles. So, where were they? Why weren't they here?

"Ash?"

The riolu nearly leapt out of his skin. He tumbled the floor and made a thud, only to realize that he was looking at Cinder's concerned expression.

"Couldn't sleep again?" the fox asked, almost ashamed. "Uh, sorry for sneaking up on you."

"It's fine. It's always so surprising since you ghosts make no noise!" Ash said, as he pushed himself off the ground. His eyes flickered to a nearby window and noted the sun was poking out from the horizon. "And it's not that early. So, what about you?"

"Didn't sleep. I've been working on a new project. And I wanted to prepare for a lesson for Brock." She made a quadrupedal shrug.

"Huh, that's cool." Ash then dusted himself and turned towards a door right behind the zorua. A single word was etched into the panel, though it was a bit different from what he was used to. "Hanako?"

Cinder turned, a measure of fear in her voice. "Is that your mother's room?"

Ash's tail wagged at the idea. This was mom's room from when she was his age! He approached the door without a second thought

"Ash!" Cinder snapped. "Is that a bright idea?"

Ash shrugged as he walked over. "I mean, Mom hasn't been here since before we were born. Plus, I kind of want to know what she was like! Like, it's like how you wanted to learn about your mom and dad."

"I suppose it is," the zorua relented. She bowed in apology. "I… I am curious. Your mother had to have been very wise to have helped my parents to join."

Not hearing any further complaints, Ash slid the door open and cracked open his mother's room. To his surprise, he didn't get smacked by an avalanche of dust. In the center, he spotted a small sleeping mat, meant for only a young small occupant, yet it hadn't been eaten away by moths. In fact, it looked almost new.

"Huh, that's weird. Is that normal for twenty years?" Ash questioned. Like, he knew he wasn't the brightest, but didn't things made of cloth rot away after years and years?

Cinder sniffed the air. "I smell a faint trace. I suspect your grandfather cleaned the room and changed the sheets when he could?"

"Huh. That makes sense." Ash thought out loud. He did recall how during some of his phonecalls with his mom, she sometimes said she changed the bed sheets every month despite the fact Ash wasn't even there to use said sheets. Though, he did wonder if his Mom would keep doing that if he had left him for years.

He walked into the room, faint rays of sunlight slipping in through the windows. The light illuminated the room, revealing its contents. On the walls, a small armory of training weapons decorated one side, some of which were broken and battered beyond repair. Three small trophies were set on a nearby shelf, glistening golden in the sun's light.

Ash picked one of the trophies and read it. "These say something about a 'Little Cup'. What's Little Cup?" Ash asked, though he had an idea given all of the other things inside the room. He felt his heart beating loudly as excitement flowed into him.

"It's a fighting tournament for those of thirty to sixty Moons, typically as part of the local school program, but that's optional." Cinder explained as she went over the trophies.

Ash's tail wagged. "Wow…" he stood in awe of the trophies, his mom's trophies. She fought for them, in a tournament no less! The only thing different was that she was the one doing the fighting! The riolu blinked for a second and then tried to imagine his own mom pitting herself in a fighting arena, beating up other kids. He laughed, finding the idea almost ridiculous. "I never thought Mom was anything like this?"

"I mean, it has been at least two hundred Moons. That's plenty of time to change," Cinder spoke. "Like, I saw some of the pictures of my father, and yet I can't imagine him earnestly smiling today. Perhaps she was more interested in fighting in her youth?"

Ash gently returned the trophy to its shelf, as if it was the most valuable thing in the world. He pondered the zorua's words, wondering what that meant for him. In just a few months, he'd gonefrom rookie trainer to rookie Pokémon.

"Hanako was very eager in battle, when she was young," another voice disturbed them.

"Yipe!" Cinder leapt down and immediately transformed into a golden trophy, clattering to the ground.

Ash turned and spotted his grandfather walking inside.

The older lucario looked down at his grandson, an interested look in his eyes. The riolu sensed a great sorrow coming from his elder, something he had no idea how to describe.

"Your mother was always quite competitive and proud of her strength," Gramps continued, half proud, half mourning. "She wanted to be the strongest of her generation, always butting heads and seeking to prove it."

Ash focused on those words, reminded of his own desires. His goal of becoming a Pokémon Master had, in a way, required that he had strong Pokémon on his team; it's only now that he considered that he had to be strong as well. He then realized something: if his mom was a powerful Pokémon, who taught her? Because, from where he stood, he knew he had very little idea of how to properly be… what he was. "Who taught mom?"

"I taught her everything I could in the martial arts." A swell of complicated emotions rippled from Ash's grandfather, anger, fear, resentment, but also a sense of hope. "... Hanako, your mother, was always a diligent student," he said finally.

Stars practically glittered in Ash's eye. It honestly made sense. Who better to teach a riolu how to be one than someone who used to be one when growing up? Now, the question is, how did he explain that to his grandfather without exposing the fact he had only been a riolu for a few months?"

"...I take it you're embarrassed about something?" Gramps asked, likely sensing Ash's emotions.

The riolu nodded his head, knowing there was little point in hiding his shame from him. "I just… never really figured out to be a good riolu." He raised one of his paws and with a little bit of concentration, lit it up with a small burning blue flame. "I know how to do this, but it took me forever to get it working. And some moves like Hidden Power take way too long."

This seemed to deeply trouble Ash's Gramps, though his expression hid it well. "I… I see. You weren't taught by your mother."

"She couldn't really teach me," Ash said, hiding the reason why. He then frowned. "And, well, I wasn't really a good student, either. Like, I just barely qualified to… learn under Professor Oak." Because being a human trainer was not something he felt like he needed to share.

Gramps's mood seemed to lighten slightly as a small chuckle escaped his lips.

"What's so funny?" Ash furrowed his brow, sensing an unsaid joke at his expense.

"Nothing, grandson," though the mirth in his voice said otherwise. He took a moment to still himself and then knelt down to meet him face to face. "Ash, do you want me to train you? Is that why you ask?"

Ash felt ashamed to admit it, but he saw little choice. Especially since he was tired of being on the back foot when fighting against foes. "Yeah. I want to be strong. Can you train me?"

Gramps felt almost thankful to hear those words. "Of course. Anything for you, grandson. There is no shame in wanting to gain mastery over yourself." He then rubbed at his chin. "In fact, if you'd like, I could see if I could help teach some of your friends."

Ash smiled brightly, tail wagging at the idea. They were going to be so strong!

Gramps then looked down… at the trophy at his feet. Ash sensed a small, but noticeable dislike radiating from Gramps, which was then rapidly suppressed. "Zorua," grandfather's tone came out rather reserved. "Please, remove your disguise."

The trophy whimpered before transforming back into Cinder. The fox knelt down and bowed. "Sorry. Sorry. I just…"

"Did Ash invite you?" Gramps said in a calm and measured tone.

"I did," Ash answered abruptly, not liking the… coldness that came from his grandfather.

Gramps took a deep breath and then turned to his grandson. "I see," his tone changed yet again, becoming more neutral. Then, he abruptly changed the topic as he looked out the window. "I think it is best we make our way towards breakfast."

"...Yes, Sir…" Cinder timidly answered.

Ash frowned, but he was starting to get hungry. "Okay, just a minute."

Gramps nodded his head and took this as an opportunity to politely leave. He left the room, leaving the door open.

Cinder was about to follow him, but Ash stopped her in her tracks by placing a paw over her body. Well, his paw sunk into her body, which didn't actually stop her, but the action did prompt the zorua to turn her head backwards. "Hm?"

"Is…. something wrong between you and Gramps?" Ash asked, because this was the first time he had noticed anything of the sort.

Cinder hesitated, both visibly and within her heart. She pawed the floor. "I don't think he likes me."

"But why?" Ash said.

"...I really don't know," Cinder said. "I don't think it'd be polite to ask why. And it's not like he's acted much on it. He seemed content to ignore me when possible."

Come to think of it, Gramps hadn't really spoken to Cinder at all, until just now. So, that begged the question, why? Was it something Cinder did? "... Maybe he just doesn't like zorua?"

"I'm not sure that's the reason." The fox furrowed her brow. "But now that I think about it, he didn't have a high opinion of Sir Fjord either."

Right. Ash remembered that. Fjord seemed okay, so that begged the question of why Gramps was against him as well.

The riolu felt a rumble in his stomach, diverting Ash's attention towards it.

The riolu shrugged and realized he really didn't have the time to waste, thinking up answers to perplexing questions. He shrugged and set his thoughts aside, instead opting to focus on the fact that Geodude promised pancakes. "I guess we can worry about that later."

Cinder nodded her head.

---

The surprising part about alchemy was that it had just enough seemingly normal science in it to throw Brock for a loop. For instance, as the lycanroc read from Cinder's personal recipe book, he encountered a potion recipe that involved a small chunk of powdered limestone. Limestone, as he knew from geology, was primarily made of calcium carbonate. Calcium strengthener bones, which was important because the potion was meant to affect the bones. The potion did as advertised and strengthened the bones of the drinker… within seconds of drinking it.

Brock rubbed his face, trying to comprehend just how a potion was supposed to apply its effects to bones while the liquid hadn't even gotten to the stomach yet, let alone get digested and sent around the body through the intestines and bloodstream. But then again, a frozen Pokémon could eat Rawst berries to unfreeze themselves, even while they were a block of ice.

"Are you ready, Brock?" Cinder's voice reached him. The fox looked expectant, though nervous.

The lycanroc yawned and closed the book, his time with it over for now.

The training fields behind Tajiri manor consisted of flattened earth that had been cleared and set aside from other things. Bamboo walls surrounded an area large as some professional sports fields. After breakfast and the morning roll call, most everyone went there, intending to practice and refine their fighting skills. Most of the others seemed to want to study under Ash's grandfather; Brock, instead, still wanted to learn alchemy from Cinder.

"What did you think about the book by the way?" the fox asked, curious. "The contents, I mean. I know it's a lot to ask since I had over a dozen Moons to study instead of a week."

"The recipe book was easier to understand," Brock sighed. He had gone through some of zorua's other alchemy books over the week. Most of them were full of jargon that likely required years of study to properly assimilate and use. The recipe book in contrast gave a simple, step-by-step guide of what to do and the applications of its various potions. "It's sort of like making a stew, except the ingredients are sometimes toxic to the drinker."

"That's why you use your Essence to alter the substance into something that cannot harm the drinker," the fox explained. "Admittedly, various forms of poisoning were very common in the past. Modern practices and refinements to both ingredients and recipes have made them safer."

Brock hummed audibly, his thoughts likening it to how modern medicine got to where it was today. Treatments of the past were often not as effective as those found today because of both a lack of knowledge and sophistication. As science advanced and people better understood the world and how it worked, safer and more effective medication became more complace. Through trial and error, once incurable illnesses were relegated to history books.

Cinder guided Brock towards a circle consisting of his friends.

"Hey, Brock!" Zubat shrieked as she flew near.

Onix gave his trainer a nod of acknowledgement, whilst Geodude hopped over. Vulpix leaned slightly backwards and greeted the lycanroc with a warm smile.

"Hey, guys," Brock said to all of them. He was honestly surprised to see all of his team here and now. Then again, he didn't exactly check what their plans were. "What's the occasion?"

"Group activity," Onix stated simply. He lifted his tail off the ground and with surprising deftness, displayed its tip to the lycanroc. There was a small clear crystal attached to his tail by some cloth.

Vulpix raised one of her paws and showed a similar stone tied to her wrist. "I… I admit I am kind of curious."

Zubat and Geodude also bore crystals; for Zubat, it was on her neck, whilst Geodude simply held his in the palm of his hand.

Before Brock could ask further, Cinder stepped forward. "It's part of a training exercise," she explained. "You see, as Maiju, we all possess a vast quantity of Essence in our bodies. It is what allows us to use our magical abilities, our moves and powers. And it's something that every Maiju, no matter how young they are, has an inborn ability to access."

Brock nodded his head, having seen this happen first hand. Togepi stood out in his mind, but arguably a more fitting comparison might have been himself. It hadn't been that long ago he had been human, yet despite that, he felt very competent at using his inborn Rock-type powers.

"But let me ask you, what do you do when you use Rock Throw?" Cinder asked the lycanroc

"I…. create a rock and just… throw it?" Brock answered, not sure how to answer this. Whenever he used a move, it was something he simply willed himself to do so, not something that required a deliberate choice. "I mean. Do I create a rock? I think if I had hands, I could simply throw a rock that way."

"But that wouldn't be Rock Throw. You'll simply throw a rock and it might even hurt, but it'll lack the component of Essence," Cinder raised a paw. "Without Essence, you couldn't create the rock, nor bend it to your will. Essence is what separates Maiju from fish, insects, plantlife, and common stone. It is something we all possess, that we are created with." She frowned upon turning to Brock. "Uh… present company excluded, of course."

Brock felt like he was starting to understand. "And harnessing Essence, that's how you perform alchemy?"

Cinder nodded head. "Alchemy is the art of subtly imbuing objects or substances with your Essence to modify their properties. The variant I specialize in is about imbuing substances to elicit effects on the physical body."

Therefore, if alchemy was chemistry, then by extension, that meant Cinder was a pharmacist. "So, then, why is everyone here? And what's with the crystals?" Brock asked.

"Because, not everyone learns to harness their own Essence for crafting purposes," Cinder replied. She raised a paw and revealed a similar stone strapper to her wrist. It glowed brightly with an indigo-violet flame with flecks of tiny sparks of different colors at the edges. "The first step in actually learning alchemy is learning to impart your Essence onto another object. The crystals are designed to temporarily hold Essence and emit light when Essence is stored in them. I want you all to simply try to create the biggest and brightest light you can and to maintain it for as long as possible." She then handed her stone to Brock, which he accepted, letting the crystal slip onto his wrist. He then took a seat beside his friends.

He focused on the stone, not really certain of where to go. It didn't glow at all, so simply thinking about the rock itself proved fruitless. His friends all focused their attention on their stones, also similarly perplexed.

"Hey, what are we supposed to do?" Zubat shouted. "Or uh, more specifically, what am I supposed to do?"

"You simply try to make it glow."

"But I can't see light!"

"Oh. Right," Cinder leaned down, embarrassed. "It'll start feeling warm when you know it's working."

Brock wondered if this really was the correct way to learn about this technique. What was even the first step to using Essence? He frowned, thinking about it. Pokémon used their Essence when using moves, so maybe he needed to try drawing on that power?

The lycanroc tried to imagine himself using Rock Throw, but instead of allowing the move to finish, he tried to cancel the action.

On instinct, he began to create a large boulder, but on seeing this, the wolf instead tried to force that power into the crystal in his paws. The boulder shattered before it could properly congeal. The crystal meanwhile started to warm up, as the lycanroc focused on it with all of his attention. It felt like he was trying to push against a hydraulic pump, trying to move a vast quantity of viscous liquid into a very small space.

But progress came. The clear stone started to turn gray, a dim glow appearing within. Brock was positively ecstatic, glad to have managed to make something work. Yet, as abruptly as it came, the glow died down and the crystal reverted to an opaque state. "... Did I do it right?" Brock said to his friends. "I tried using the same power I draw on when using Rock Throw and it… uh… It just turned gray. It didn't glow very brightly."

Vulpix hummed. "Let me try." She narrowed her eyes and focused intently on her stone. It started to turn red-orange, a small fiery ember developing within. Her eyes widened suddenly, a look of obvious pride at her accomplishment. Then, the glow abruptly faded away, and her expression fell. "What? I thought I had it."

"Did… something happen?" Zubat said.

"Vulpix and Brock managed to create a glow, but it didn't hold," Geodude shrugged.

Cinder hummed in the background, only listening in. She seemed to take a small bit of enjoyment in seeing their progress

Onix lifted his tail and then turned his stone a pale gray, similar to what Brock created. "Use Rock Throw. Result is. Grey stone. Color important?"

"Huh, I have an idea," Geodude declared. He hopped multiple times and then produced a brown colored stone.

"What did you do?" Brock wondered.

"I did the first part of Magnitude, but put the power of that into the gem," Geodude answered. "That part's easy, but… getting something brighter seems to be the hard part."

"So, what if the colors are types?" Brock proposed. "Like, Vulpix produced a fiery color, while Onix and I made gray." He then thought of his idea some more, furrowing his brow. "Onix and I created the same color from using the same move. Would it be the same if we used different moves? Maybe non-Rock-type moves?"

The idea seemed to hold merit and everyone in the group thought to try it out. Different moves resulted in different colors; Fire-type moves resulted in the crystals turning red-orange, electricity made a bright yellow, psychic moves resulted in a deep purple, and so on.

Brock now understood why the zorua had brought everyone in Brock's group together for this exercise: they were there to help each other understand how to work this correctly. He wasn't sure why she didn't just tell them what to do. Wouldn't it have been faster if they knew the what exercise was meant to accomplish?

"So, I've tried Leech Life, how's it look?" Zubat asked. She instead stood on the ground as she found it easier on herself when performing this exercise. The crystal around her neck turned into a dull green.

"Dull. Less intense. Poison Sting brighter," Onix bellowed. The large rock snake tilted his head slightly. "Same for others."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Brock said as his latest attempt, one that involved him trying to use the same power that let him Dig, produced a brown colored crystal.

Onix pointed to that crystal. "Dimmer than Geodude's."

"Huh, I guess that's true," Brock frowned as he realized that his friend was right.

"Right, I think I get it. It's because you're not a Ground-type, like I am," Geodude said. "Like, using your element is more convenient than using a different one, so that's probably a major factor in this Essence stuff."

"Would explain why I kept thinking my Extrasensory wasn't all that bright," Vulpix lamented. "Like Ember isn't all that strong, but it glowed brighter than all of my other moves except maybe Flamethrower."

"Instead, it might be better to think your affinity with Fire is greater than with other types of Essence," a new voice spoke.

Brock shivered, knowing who it was.

Kyoko flashed a small grin at the lycanroc. "Hello, Brock. And associates." The priestess bowed to them.

Onix and Geodue eyed the newcomer carefully, whilst Zubat hid her mouth behind a wing.

Vulpix nodded her head, a stern expression on her face. Brock knew from their first meeting that Kyoko was a sore point for the smaller fox, for a number of reasons. "I suppose it would be, priestess," the rust brown fox replied, using a sort of practiced civility that probably came from how she was raised. "And I suppose you have advice on how to improve my technique?"

"I simply advise being more patient, Miss- Hm, I don't think I got your name the last time we met," Kyuko replied.

"I don't have one," Vulpix replied.

"I see," Kyuko replied back, her tone indicating she drew some conclusions from that. She then turned to the others nearby. "What of the rest of you?"

Everyone present shook their heads.

Brock's body tensed, uncertain of what to make of the scene before him.

A cough interrupted everyone and Brock noticed that Kyuko hadn't come alone. A familiar Blaziken stood nearby. He lowered his head in a bow. "Priestess, we must address the Lord of this land."

"But of course," Kyuko nodded her head before turning back to Brock and his team. "We simply saw you were nearby and wanted to chat before we met the Lord. We should perhaps introduce ourselves."

Brock turned towards the other side of the training arena, where Ash and most of his team were practicing a sequence of dance-like fighting katas together. Mister Tajiri guided them all, correcting his students' posture and helping them better adapt techniques to their bodies. It was impressive, even at this distance.

Seeing them, Kyuko and the blaziken captain headed towards Ash's group.

Brock hesitantly followed them, mostly to see what they wanted. Kyuko's reasoning for coming was obvious enough; they'd spoken about it yesterday. Blaziken, on the other hand, seemingly came out of the blue; he hadn't really made an appointment for himself.

"Huh, that was weird?" Zubat said as she followed behind. "She asked if we had names."

"She acknowledged we existed," Vulpix uttered. "And she acted differently."

"She problem?" Onix asked.

"No… yes… Look, she's…. I don't want to explain it," Vulpix sputtered.

Brock blinked, not having noticed that before. Kyuko still seemed friendly and bea… pleasant to the lycanroc. But, she did talk very little to his friends, Zubat and Vulpix, back when they'd first met her. Maybe that was what Vulpix had been referring to? If there was a change, something must have happened.

As they neared, Mister Tajiri turned to face them, putting the twirling kata's Ash and his team performed to an end. The lucario eyed the newcomers with immediate skepticism before he clapped his hands together and made a short bow. "Priestess, it is good to see you."

"Likewise," Kyuko knelt on a knee. "My services are yours to command. I am honored to serve your distinguished house."

Ash's eyes lit up like stars, enough that Pikachu shoved his trainer's side and laughed about that expression.

Brock meanwhile, felt like he was looking at a Gym Leader inviting a League official for a visit. Idly, he wondered if he had the same look in his eyes when his father was visited by one of the Nurse Joys from Indigo.

"Please, fullfill your duties as a priestess. If you would like, lodgings will be provided," said Mister Tajiri.

"That is appreciated." The ninetales lifted his head and then flashed a glance towards Brock.

Brock nervously looked back, trying his hardest not to lose himself in those eyes, especially not while Vulpix was right there!

Blaziken then went before the lucario and knelt on a single knee, like he was a knight. This act drew Brock's full attention to him.

Mister Tajiri eyed the newcomer. "Who are you, young captain? Are you here as an escort, or do you have further matters to discuss?"

"I am here on official business, on the authority of the Magistrate and of the Throne," Blaziken answered as he looked Lucario in the eye. "I am simply here to request a particular individual who resides in your house at this moment."

"Who?" Mister Tajiri looked offended. "And for what purpose?"

The blaziken captain stared hard. "I request the services of Cinder of Tanzanite, as she is an alchemist of the body."

"What?" Brock had been taken aback by the idea Cinder was being requested specifically."

"How'd they know you were here?" Vulpix whispered.

"I… I filed some paperwork to officiate my name change and put it in the documents while we were out yesterday," Cinder replied. "I didn't expect for services to be called upon, due to my age and lack of seniority."

"And why didn't Blaziken ask you first if you were interested?"

"Because protocol demands that Lord Tajiri be addressed first, since I am a guest on his property and he is of higher standing than I am. Not to mention, I'm not an adult yet. I won't be for a quite a while," the zorua answered without skipping a beat.

Brock blinked. Right, protocol and rules mattered in this society. And the fox was right. It was easy to forget that she was quite young, but Cinder was younger than Ash by a few months.

Instead of answering, Mister Tajiri turned to Ash. "Grandson, what do you think of this request? You know Tanzanite the most."

Ash shrugged. "I mean, it's up to her. Cinder is her own person. She can make her own choices, can't she?"

Charizard, who stood nearby, pounded his chest in agreement.

Brock, too, was in support. Really, even before all of this mess, he had always known that Pokémon were capable of making their own choices. It's just that only now, he knew just how far that really went.

The lucario scrutinized his grandchild before giving him a nod. "I suppose that is true. And I have no reason to deny the request."

Blaziken seemed to accept the answer and turned towards Cinder. "Zorua, Cinder, do you consent to serving the Throne, for a task of high importance?"

Cinder stiffened her back, though she didn't back down nor shiver. "I am willing, though I am curious as to why you sought me out."

Blaziken turned to look at Kyuko and then Ash before turning back to Cinder. "It concerns the Raichu that you encountered yesterday. Her condition is being studied by other professionals. Further details will be provided, as I cannot convey anything else."

Brock blinked. He remembered Raichu from yesterday, how the rodent tried and failed to attack Ash and Misty. Misty defeated her without any trouble, but it still bothered the lycanroc to think something happened.

"I see." Cinder frowned. "What will are my provisions and what am I allowed to bring? Also what of the security? How long will this assignment take?"

"Your safety will be guaranteed, on my family's honor," said the Blaziken. "As for the other parts, you are free to bring an assistant and your tools. Other than that, the rest will be provided for. The assignment has no determined end date, but no more than a week."

"Understood." The fox nodded her head. She then frowned. "I have an obligation I intended to keep. If I do this, I will not be able to fulfill it."

Blaziken turned a side eye to Mister Tajiri, who in turn replied with a hard and threatening glare. He turned back to Cinder. "If it is not too hard, I will compensate you for lost time," he promised.

"I was teaching my friends some alchemy work today. If I perform this task, I will have to delay my teaching," she said.

Brock stepped forward and tried to reassure his friend that she didn't have to do that. "Look, Cinder, if this is important, there's no shame in letting the lesson get delayed for a week, right?"

"I know, but…."

"I might have a solution to this problem," Kyuko stepped forward. "I know enough about the required techniques of Essence Imbuement to impart the lessons. This will free the young lady of any obligations on that front. This shall surely suffice, wouldn't it?"

"Indeed, it should." Mister Tajiri answered.

"Very well." Cinder bowed. "I might need help packing my belongings." She then took Blaziken with her as she made preparations to go.

Vulpix trembled. No doubt disliking the idea of Kyuko being so close. He leaned his body slightly against her, in an effort to calm her down. It worked somewhat, reducing her shaking.

Kyuko stepped towards them.

Brock hesitated, afraid to look at those perfect eyes. No, no. Don't do something stupid. Onix knocked some sense into his trainer by lightly slapping him with his tail, jolting Brock out of his head.

The fox seemed to take amusement in that. "Let's get to business. Tell me, what do you know about Essence?"

---

Misty didn't know why Cinder was leaving the mansion's grounds with a Blaziken carrying her equipment, but there they were, walking down the stairs. Maybe she had important business elsewhere in town?

Of course, Misty didn't have much time to think about it, because a tidal wave of mud came crashing down her.

The mustelid became engulfed by the sudden moving of earth. A panicked surge of emotions ran into her and she threw as much water she could upward to break free. The buizel burst from the mud, fell onto her knees, and coughed. "Goldeen!"

Goldeen levitated over head and giggled. "You were supposed to avoid it, Misty."

"I know that, but I want to complain!" Misty groaned as she looked down at her now coated fur. "Gah. Did you have to use Muddy Water?"

Goldeen seemed to take delight in that. "I did just learn the move. Besides, it's not like you're actually hurt."

Misty grunted as she tried to rub the dirt out of her fur.

"Wow, that looked fun!" Togepi cheered. "I wanna to get coated in mud, too, Mommy!"

Misty's heart warmed slightly, enough to get over her initial discomfort. Like, sure she was… coated in mud, but maybe it wasn't all that bad, if Togepi could see an upside! Besides, the buizel could wash herself off at any time. Or Goldeen could do it.

A shower covered Misty, washing most of the dirt out her fur. On pure reflex, the buizel rubbed away at the parts the dirt had gotten into and brushed them clean. There was no soap, but a proper bath could wait until later.

"Thanks," Misty said, looking up at her flying goldfish. "I'm still going to beat you up with a mallet, you do know that?"

"I fully expect you to try," Goldeen laughed. "But you'll still be covered in mud, if I have my say!"

"You'll have to improve your aim first!" Misty stuck out her tongue. "You only got to me the first time because I was distracted."

"Then, I'll simply distract you," Goldeen promised. "Just as you were a moment ago!"

Misty smiled as the two of them took jabs at the other, each trying to come up with some new stratagem for a battle that would likely never happen. In the back of her mind, a part of her felt it was a little strange, how she had known Goldeen for most of her life, yet they never really bantered before… All because they were different species.

"Misty?" Goldeen's voice rang in her ears. "Is something on your mind?"

The buizel realized she might have forgotten to respond. "A little," she admitted. "Just was thinking about things."

"About me?" Goldeen took a guess.

Misty blinked, taken off guard. "Sort of," she found herself saying. "It's just, when we go back home…"

Goldeen frowned as much as she could with her fish lips. "... Assuming Fjord will even help us."

Misty pouted, seeing her point.

"Go, Mister Six! Go, Uncle Staryu!" Togepi cheered, as she turned her gaze towards the fighting nearby.

Misty watched as Staryu and Cyclizar went at it, lobbing attacks at one another.

"Super Star Spin!" Staryu fired stars in every direction, only for the stars to curve sharply towards his opponent.

Meanwhile, Cyclizar curled into himself and used his tail like a shield to absorb most of the attack. He barged through and slammed his body against Staryu, knocking the levitating starfish away.

But Staryu was not going to be outdone. He corrected himself in midair and like a boomerang, he slammed right back into his foe. "Return to Sender!"

Cyclizar couldn't avoid it in time and went down.

Staryu landed right on top of him, having won that round. "Are you alright?"

"As well as I could be," Cyclizar groaned in pained breaths. He reached down at himself and checked for injuries. "Nothing I can't handle, but man, I'm out of shape."

"That's partly because you clean your plate faster than everyone else," Misty giggled as she approached. "You definitely put on some weight."

"Heh, what can I say? Best food I've had in my life." The cyclizar laughed. He then raised his brand new arm, one that was slightly smaller than its counterpart."Plus, I was short an arm before. Now, I've got one, albeit, it's still growing."

Mist frowned, wondering if it was alright to joke about that now. Then, again, Cyclizar was the one who had the horrible family full of thieves. "... How does it feel, by the way?" she asked, morbidly curious; it wasn't every day where she could ask a question like that.

"About the same, if a little gooey on the inside, I guess." Cyclizar fleshed his digits to test them. "Like, this isn't the first time I lost an arm, so this isn't anything new, but it's always kind of a funky feeling when your bones don't feel like they're completely solid yet. And everything is rapidly growing all at once."

"It's awful, isn't it?" Staryu asked. "And even when it's full size, the limb still has to take the time to solidify. I think I lost my limbs… what, four times?"

"Eight," Goldeen corrected.

"Oooh, can I do that, too?" Togepi declared.

All eyes turned to the little egg, none quite sure how to explain the differences. Misty, herself, felt mortified to hear her adopted child say she was eager to get horribly maimed.

"Togepi, not everyone can regrow limbs, like that," Misty explained.

"But why not?" she pouted.

"Because, that's not how things are," Misty said once more. "Like, we're… both different from Cyclizar and Staryu."

"Right, you can do things I can't do. And I can do things you can't do," the Cyclizar replied as he knelt down. "Like for instance, think of my claws. You don't have claws."

"And I don't have hands at all," Staryu interjected.

"Or even legs, in my case," said Goldeen, as she floated down.

The little egg looked down at herself and then at the others, clearly thinking about it. "We're all… different?... And We're all… Maiju? Pokémon?" she said, testing out the words.

Misty smiled brightly, taking delight in how Togepi learned. "Yeah, we're all Pokémon…" Her voice felt so heavy, saying something that had been true for nearly two months now. "We're all Pokémon, Togepi. That means we can understand each other and can use moves and so on. We're just different kinds of Pokémon."

Togepi giggled. "Ooh, like how Smolive is Grass-type?"

"And I'm Water-type," Misty smiled. She brought a hand over to Togepi lightly patted her on the head.

"And so are the majority of us," said Staryu.

Togepi looked intently with those innocent eyes. "So, why were things different before? When were hu-"

A jolt of panic sunk Misty's heart. She gently placed a finger over her adoptive child's mouth, even though she didn't want to really force her. They might have been far away, but there was every chance someone could listen in.

"Togepi," Staryu snapped, flexing a limb in her direction. "I told you, it isn't safe to ask those questions where someone might overhear."

Goldeen looked around. "Mister Tajiri is practicing balance with Ash in the bamboo fields. He doesn't seem to suspect."

"Suspect what?" A new voice interrupted, its speaker walking towards Misty and her group

Cyclizar growled and went into a defensive posture towards the newcomer, before Staryu got in his way.

"It's fine," said the sea-star. "Ironically, he already knows."

Misty rose and went to greet the person who showed up. "You're… Dewott, right?" she spoke, recalling that this Pokémon didn't have a name and had yet to earn one. "Fjord's son?"

The otter nodded his head. "That's me?" He frowned. "Misty, right?"

Cyclizar lowered his guard, clearly recognizing no hostile intent.

"What brings you here?" Goldeen spoke up first. "Can we assist you?"

"Was hoping to check on the Rockets, how are they?" Dewott began. "Like, we had to kick them out eventually, so I wanted to know how they've been doing on the project."

"Still working on their motor." Misty rolled her eyes.

"Yes, all night and all day, they've been slaving at a furnace to, ahem, correct the pieces they were given," Goldeen explained. "They were very determined, despite most of them lacking actual hands."

"Right," Dewott rubbed at his chin and eyed Misty. "Also, I'm here because I'm kind of curious about something."

"Curious, huh?" Misty rubbed her chin.

"After yesterday, I've been wondering what the answer to my Dad's question was. Like, how are we, humans and Maiju, different from each other?" Misty didn't like that question. She still had little faith in her ability to solve it, if it could be solved at all.

"If you'd like to share the answer, I'd be all for it," the buizel said as she took her child's hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Psyduck turn his normally blank gaze at them, but he didn't leave his spot out on the corner.

The otter accepted that and then focused his attention all over Misty, as though looking for the slightest flaw or imperfection. He seemed almost practiced. "You look so much like us, you know?" Dewott began. "I've seen a couple of humans. All of them from old memory scrolls or something."

"And that surprises you?" Misty said.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I thought it was weird that there's a pikachu and eevee who used to be well, you know. It was strange, but it wasn't so… personal." Dewott shook his head. "But seeing another mustelid, that's different. You like some of the girls that mom would introduce me to."

"What?" Misty blinked.

"Arranged marriage," Cyclizar laughed. "Yeah, that's common here, especially in the upper class. You'd be surprised how many abduction jobs were all about discouraging weddings, for one reason or another."

"Huh." Misty didn't quite know how to take the idea that she was the kind of girl that the wives of rich merchants would choose for their sons or how Cyclizar had once had it as his job to meddle in those affairs. "So, how do I compare?" she asked, both out of idle curiosity and, mostly because she wanted to know how she compared to others of her species.

"You're ord-" Dewott bit his tongue and changed his tone. "Like an aver-" Then he slapped himself. "You're… younger than what my mother would pick!" he said with so much enthusiasm, that Misty rather doubted his sincerity. But at least he was more considerate about what came out of his mouth, unlike some riolu she could name.

"I mean, in a way, he is right," Staryu hovered over. "If you weren't covered in your clothes at the start of this mess, we wouldn't have known you were, well, you."

"Wait, you guys couldn't tell?" Misty squinted an eye.

"How would we?" Goldeen answered. "You didn't inherit any telltale signs from your human form: not your eyes, not your hair, not even your voice. The only thing that's carried over is your fur coloration, and it's normal for your species."

It's a chilling thought to learn that the only reason her friends were still around her was that she still had her human clothing to signify who she was. And to learn just how little carried over to how she was now. She raised a paw to look at it. "... I guess I didn't think about it."

"...It's not physical." This time, it was Psyduck's turn to interrupt. The yellow duck Pokémon clutched his head as he walked over.

Misty and everyone around her wondered just what the thought-addled duck wanted to contribute. "What's not physical?"

Psyduck tilted his head. "The answer to the question?"

"What question?" Misty demanded, agitated that the duck wouldn't get to a direct answer.

"The… human one?" Psyduck winced, as the strain of thinking took its toll.

"How is that supposed to help?" Misty wanted to pound his head in, but she was trying to be better about it, especially right now, Psyduck was trying to help… in whatever way he could.

Psyduck shrugged. "You look like a buizel."

Misty approached, annoyed, but she then had a double take as the thought played in her mind. She looked just like a buizel. She was a normal, aquatic weasel Pokémon, who had no tell tale mark or distinguishing features from her human life. And come to think of it, Jessie looked like any other eevee, while James looked like any ordinary pikachu. So, by that token, whatever Fjord wanted them to find the answer to, it can't be a physical identifying mark, because no such tell existed. "Wow, you can be smart when you want to be, you know that?" Misty said, genuinely impressed.

"Psyduck's lucid moments are a wonder to behold," Staryu agreed.

"I can be what?" Psyduck questioned her.

"Smart! I was complimenting you!" Misty groaned.

"Did I do something wrong?" Psyduck asked.

Misty clenched her fist before dropping it. It wasn't his fault, it was his biology. If he didn't have that stupid headache, he'd probably have all sorts of incredibly intelligent things to say. "Nevermind."

"Okay!" Psyduck said before taking a seat.

Dewott frowned. "Huh, never got to see a psyduck up close before. By the ancestors, that headache has to be awful."

"Hey, shouldn't we be practicing or sparring…. Or something?" Psyduck asked.

Misty's nose twitched. Huh, Psyduck must have been on a roll today if he said a second intelligent comment, despite his… disability. "Yeah, we're supposed to," she confirmed.

Togepi bounced. "Yay! I wanna see more fighting!"

"...You have room for one more?" Dewott asked as he unclipped the seashells on his body and extended blades of water.

Misty licked her chops, suddenly interested in finding out how she compared.

---

Ash felt his legs burning as he continued to run around the property. His team followed him, also running along with him. His tongue hung out of his mouth, his breath almost like steam from an engine. Yet, no matter how much he hurt, no matter how hot he felt, he wanted to make a good impression.

That and Pikachu was still just ahead of him, just a meter away; Ash still wanted to beat him at something. The riolu redoubled his efforts, slamming his feet on the round like a thunderclap. Ash closed the distance and tried to make it past.

The Electric-type's eyes shifted slightly, acknowledging the change of motion. And then with a smile, Pikachu also gave it his all. This brought him another head in distance.

A competitive spirit rising in Ash, the Fighting-type pushed himself harder and harder. His legs throbbed, almost like they were almost on fire. His lungs and heart were set ablaze. Yet he also felt something else. He turned towards Pikachu, who flashed him a smile in between bounces.

An aura of swirling emotions gathered around the two of them, ranging from pride and joy, to eager competitiveness and satisfaction in oneself. Ash couldn't separate which emotions belonged to who, the only thing he was certain of was that they shared this moment.

And then, Ash felt the pain overwhelm him. Had no choice but to slow down.

Pikachu turned his head, considering what to do, but in that span of indecision, the two of them crossed the line in the sand and brought the race to its end.

Ash dizzily stumbled to the ground, feeling truly drained in a way that had become near impossible to achieve since he had become a riolu.

"Ash?" Pikachu stepped over, worried for his trainer.

Ash panted heavily, droplets dripping from his mouth. He slowly regained control of his breathing and managed a few words. "I nearly got you… I'm getting better at this…" he said with pride.

Pikachu smiled, proud upon hearing those words. "Yeah, you almost did! You've come a long way. I'm proud of you."

"And so am I," Gramps said as he stepped over to them. He knelt down in front of Ash and placed his hand over his grandson's.

Ash smiled, feeling the warmth and the pride his grandfather held in him.

Then, to add to it, Gramps reached over to Ash's arms and slipped off the round training weights strapped onto the riolu's arms. Then he went over to the legs and did the same thing. They all thudded onto the ground, making an audible noise."You don't need these anymore, it's time to take a break."

Ash felt immediate relief, like no longer had to carry an extra himself in body weight. It felt almost alien how light he was.

As Pikachu went and undid his own weights, the others stumbled across the finish line as well. Squirtle and Bulbasaur both jogged at a relatively leisurely pace, whilst Charizard hobbled in last. The dragon then collapsed to the ground, also exhausted.

Gramps walked over and shook his head. "Charizard, you shouldn't have expended all of your energy running at first. Now, I know it isn't really fair for you, but you could have done better if you simply paced yourself better."

"Wish I coulda flew," he grumbled.

"And what would have that proved?" Gramps asked. "Flying without actively flapping your wings or utilizing your Essence is one of the most energy efficient modes of transport. You aren't going to become truly strong, if you don't struggle with something."

Charizard grunted, indicating he was paying attention. "Right. That's why we're all covered in weights… to make things even harder."

"And you performed admirably." Gramps nodded in the affirmative before turning to everyone else as they undid their weights.

Ash could swear he'd heard of this training method from somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where. Though that could have been his light headedness. Even before the big sprint around the house for like a dozen times, Gramps had them do all sorts of other exercises and practice fighting moves in some sort of weird dance.

And yet, despite being so tired, Ash felt like he… belonged with his friends in a way that just wasn't possible back when he was human. He trained just like them, under someone else being their trainer to boot. "You guys okay with this?"

"It's a big change," Bulbasaur grumbled. "But I can manage it."

Squirtle slapped his buddy in the back-bulb. "Hey, if it helps, it helps, Boss."

Charizard hesitated for an answer. "I'm here to be stronger. But it's also good to do it with you guys."

"Anything you can do, I can do better," Pikachu chuckled.

Ash smiled, glad for his friends' support. He then wiped the sweat off his forehead… only to realize his head was completely dry. Oh, right. Most Pokémon didn't sweat much or even at all… That was a human thing.

Gramps inclined his head slightly, looking at his grandson.

Ash sensed an awkward sensation coming from him and desperately wanted to avoid the issue. The riolu thought of the first thing that came to his mind. "Why does training hurt so much?" he asked.

"Huh, that's definitely an odd question, Boss," Squirtle said as he hopped over. He sat himself on the ground next to Ash. "I mean, I've done training before and I know it hurt, but I guess I never stopped to ask why."

"I know training injuries the body. If you train too hard, you'll hurt yourself. But I don't know why training, in of itself, hurts you," Bulbasaur added.

"...Does it have to hurt?" Charizard asked. "Like, could we, like, not suffer through the pain?"

Gramps seemed to be amused by the question. "It's actually quite simple. During training, your body tears itself apart."

Ash jolted, startled that such a thing was even happening to him! "Wait, you mean, my body does that every time I train?" He gasped. "I'm tearing myself apart!?"

"You know, your Uncle, Satoshi, once said the same thing, but rest assured, you're not in any danger," Gramps laughed. "You see, children, every time you move a muscle, you actually strain it, causing small tears and ruptures in your muscles and wear in your bones. Yet, the bodies gifted to Maiju are wonderful things, able to mend these breaks and gaps in the body. Through this, they are able to not only mend themselves, but to become stronger than they were prior!"

Stars lit up in Ash's eyes, amazed by his grandfather's words. Not only was he strong, but he was so smart. "So, I'm supposed to hurt myself?"

Gramps raised a single finger. "To an extent and, not frivolously. Your body doesn't like to destroy itself. It knows its limits and thus, once you start hurting a lot, it wants to recuperate and repair what damage it already sustained. If you train past what your body feels it can handle, the body might not be able to handle the new strain and you can permanently damage yourself."

Pikachu made a curiosu face. "So, don't overdo it, if you can. Good to know."

Meanwhile, Ash thought back to a trainer he had met on the road one time, who trained his Pokémon non-stop. AJ subjected his Pokémon to a grueling training, all in an effort to make them stronger. He managed to create a Sandshrew who could shrug off water. And his Pokemon liked him, supported him even, but Ash now wondered if maybe he finally overdid his training. After all, despite the promise to see each other again, AJ never showed up at the Indigo League.

Pikachu seemed to sense this. "AJ?" he asked, probably having the same idea in his mind. After all, he was the only one present who had met the boy.

The riolu nodded his head.

"AJ?" Gramps asked.

"A friend, rival. He believed very strongly the best way to make Maiju stronger was through extreme training, often to the point of exhaustion," the riolu replied, hiding the fact that AJ was human.

"I see." Gramps shook his head. "I can't make any judgments on his ideas without first learning them for myself, but I can hope that he didn't make any mistakes he learned to regret."

He then looked up at the sky. It was bright and sunny. "Hm, I think for now, we'll have to have some individualized training, I already have plans for each of you, having watched your performances today."

Everyone stood at attention, awaiting further instruction. Ash's tail wagged back forth. He didn't like the idea of everyone being separate, but he understood.

"For Bulbasaur, I'm simply going to ask you to modify the basic quadruped katas to account for the fact you have vines. You need better footwork as well, you take way too long to execute your motions," Gramps said. " We'll work from there later."

"Understood," Bulbasaur complied.

"Squirtle, I need you to expand your accuracy and range," the lucario instructed. "Your kind are especially adept at that, so you need to refine your skills there, more and more."

"Huh, I can do that, uh… Sir?" Squirtle fumbled over the right word to say before backing away.

"Charizard, this training, I am afraid might upset you," Gramps sighed.

"Why? What do you mean?" Charizard questioned.

The Fighting-type held up a slip of paper. "This is an address to a tutor house. They will teach you to learn to read." He frowned. "You'll need an escort, but that can be easily arranged."

The big dragon froze.

Ash immediately sensed the dragon's fear, frustration, and … embarrassment. He felt like he wanted to hide.

"I can read, just fine!" the dragon snapped. "Besides, it's not like it's worth anything!"

Gramps shook his head and looked the big dragon in the eye.

Charizard looked back, but his body shook. He might have had the advantage, but the lucario scared him.

"I know how old you are. It's obvious that you're a runt by your species's standards, that your evolution was premature," Gramps said in a mournful tone. "I don't know your situation, but it's clear that your education was skipped to get you where you are now."

Ash felt a little guilty, since Charizard evolved under his watch. He didn't even know Pokémon could read at the time, but now the big dragon didn't even have a basic skill that he should. That's why Charizard had nightmares and why he couldn't make an order correctly. "Is this really necessary?"

"It is," Gramps affirmed. "Charizard, you're a child of school age. You have to learn, no matter how big you've gotten."

"...This is embarrassing," the dragon admitted, clutching his hands together.

"That's why I'm sending you to a private tutor who will not disclose your lack of education." Gramps said. "If this came out, it would reflect poorly on yourself, but also who you serve."

Charizard looked at Ash.. "I… yeah, it would, wouldn't it?" He gulped. "Fine, I'll do it."

Ash frowned, but he understood from Charizard emotions why he swallowed his pride. Because if he didn't go and learn, he'd embarrass the riolu by proxy. The Fighting-type didn't care really about his reputation in that way, but if Ash rejected Charizard's gesture, that might have actually hurt his pride. "...Good luck, Charizard," he managed to say as he took the slip of paper.

"Think of it this way," Pikachu shouted "You're simply removing a weakness!"

"Yeah, you're right, rat." Charizard nodded his head as he accepted that.

Gramps nodded and turned towards Pikachu. "For you, it's simple. You're going to carve a rock using Iron Tail."

"Huh?" Pikachu questioned.

"You're going to practice your coordination and skill at using the move. You'll be graded on your ability to create interesting shapes," Gramps said.

"Okay..." Pikachu trailed off, but he didn't raise any complaints.

"So, what about me?" Ash said giddily.

"For you Ash, we'll do some basic training, to get you used to controlling your Aura," he smiled brightly. "I will teach you everything that you should know."

---

Cinder sat in the back of the cart, whilst Captain Blaziken held the front. Their sawsbuck driver kept a steady pace, moving towards the outskirts of the capital city.

Cinder felt nervous that she was getting assigned to what had been an important task. She wasn't even Master of any real significance; she was simply an apprentice who had graduated and yet to find long term professional employment. Yet she supposed her Master's name carried her, if not her father's title as Sensei of Tanzanite. She didn't like the idea of being away from her friends for a whole week, though..

How are you holding up? Dexter buzzed from her backpack.

"Just glad not to be alone," she admitted. Ash had been willing to allow Dexter to follow her along on this little escapade, which was probably as much as she could hope for. Besides, having a living, talking book as an assistant and a friend made a small part of her giddy.

What do you suppose our task will be? Dexter asked once again. We know it's about Raichu, but not much else.

"I'm not sure. Alchemy related, especially bodily alchemy, is a complicated disciple to fully master," she answered as she looked out ahead. Houses and buildings began to thin, becoming less organized and more spread out as they went.

That was when Cinder saw it, a large fortress-like building with thick wooden and bamboo walls. Old guard towers stood beside a gate consisting of bamboo bars. Behind those bars was a small mansion, not too dissimilar to the one that belonged to the Tajiri family. A simple sign, written in gold lettering, hung over the gate:

ERINITE THICKET DOJO
Closed until further notice

Huh. Cinder recalled that Ash and the others were planning on scheduling or reserving a match to win the next Emera. The only reason they hadn't done so yet was because Ash wanted to spend more time with his grandfather, accompanied by a general desire to ensure everyone was better trained to face an even harder challenge.

Captain Blaziken then got off his seat and passed a slip of paper towards Sawsbuck. Cinder saw this as the opportunity that she needed and stepped off the cart, taking her belongings and Dexter with her. Once the driver was paid, he left them without any further words.

The rooster looked down at Cinder and walked towards the door. "Follow me, Lady Tanzanite. Sensei Tungsten and the others will wish to see you now."

Cinder did as was requested, sensing no reason to oppose. Though, she did wonder just how important this raichu was that an entire Dojo was being closed over her.

As soon as they reached the gate, a group of Maiju, consisting of some carnivine and two lairon, appeared. They barred the way and demanded information in threatening voices. Undeterred, Captain Blaziken simply introduced himself and his mission. Cinder and Dexter introduced themselves, as well.

This seemed to suffice, since the guards at the gate let them through after determining who they were expecting. They opened the bamboo gate and allowed the Cinder and her entourage through.

Why are we at a Dojo? Dexter commented as he floated over Cinder's head. Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't Dojos normally meant to be more accessible to the public?

"The Sensei is also an alchemist and has offered his home and laboratory to assist in the task," Blaziken explained and then frowned. "Technically, the Dojo is still open, but not here."

"Hm, wish we could have informed Ash about that then," Cinder commented.

Captain Blaziken walked up to the mansion. The guards posted at the doors did not say anything, only give the Captain a salute.

"Lady Tanzanite," the blaziken called out. "I regret to inform you that I will not be able to enter beside you as my mission only is to take you this far."

"I understand, just as my task is beyond those doors," she said. The zorua wished for the company, but knew that the Fire-type was simply a soldier following orders. Besides, she already had an escort.

We can do it. Dexter promised, as if sensing her hesitation.

Blaziken nodded his head and then opened the doors, ushering the two of them inside.

The zorua expected many things, but nothing prepared her for what she saw and more importantly, heard.

"...We cannot verify those tests!"

"The evidence we have is not congruent with this proposal!"

"No, that experiment is too dangerous!"

Seemingly a dozen or so Maiju sat around a table, sipping tea, whilst reams of scrolls were scattered about. Everyone wore boxy hats, whilst some word thick, flowing robes if their bodies permitted. It did not take Cinder long to realize that this was not just any ordinary assignment, as she knew that everyone present on that table was an alchemist, just like her.

At the head of the table was a single ferrothorn who seemed to oversee the entire operation, given his hat was taller and more decorated than others. He was the first to eye Cinder. "Hm, it seems we have guests."

The one nearest to him, a noctowl who was so old his feathers had begun to gray, scrutinized the zorua. "Hm, where is your Master, young apprentice?"

Cinder gulped, fear rattling her. She felt like those eyes were burrowing into her, scanning for weakness to exploit. "My Master… has chosen to send me away to learn on my own," she managed to say, knowing it wasn't anything particularly special.

"Hm, an apprentice who has freshly graduated?" said a ludicolo before turning to the ferrothorn "Are we certain we need this one? She is young and inexperienced."

"Perhaps, but the Throne has seen to it that any qualified and willing alchemist should be present," the ferrothorn spoke before inclining his head. "I am Tungsten of Erinite, Sensei of the Dojo. I do not know who you are. Who are you and who have you trained under?"

"I am Cinder of Tanzanite Depths. My…father is the Sensei of the dojo of that town," Cinder answered, the words almost painful to say. She wondered how her father was doing now, all alone. But she knew she couldn't linger. "My Master is Aspen of Opalton. I have served under him for thirty Moons and he graduated me a short while ago."

And I am Dexter. The Pokédex floated over to the table.

Most of the Maiju present were startled by Dexter's voice, perhaps having not realized he was alive. Likely, they thought he was merely a floating book rather than a Maiju. "What are you?" said one.

Rotom, I think… A variant of a baltoy, if it helps. The Pokédex's body shook. I am an outsider and found my way here. Cinder has acted as my guide and I am simply here as her assistant.

"I see," said another. "It is surely the will of the gods, then? Your kind has such a strange appearance, Elemental. What substance is your body made of?"

Externally, plastic… and glass. Internally, silicon, gold, and copper. Dexter listed on.

"Hm, that is quite unusual." Most of the present Maiju got over their initial shock, perhaps having filed him away for later.

Many of the alchemist's present gave Cinder their names, but that information was something that didn't fully sink in at the time. She just gave everyone polite nods.

"So, Scholar Aspen, truly?" said the ferrothorn as he mused. "And you are of… higher birth than most here."

That caused several of the alchemists present to eye Cinder with skepticism. After all, she was a young and inexperienced zorua who had connections with some important people, connections that might have been the reason why she was present at all. Granted, she did not ask for this job, as much as given it.

"So, have you done anything of note? Anything of prestige?" Noivern, another alchemist, dripped poison onto her words.

Cinder almost made a whine, but her father's words came to her, "My daughter, never show weakness to your foes. If they find weakness, they will exploit it."

The fox stiffened her back, digging her feet. She put on a brave face. "I have no accomplishments I am willing to share," she said, because she just knew bringing up her involvement with Ash and humans in general was asking for trouble. "I'll let my actions be all the proof I need."

"Then so be it, we have much work to do," said Tungsten. Most of the room seemed to be in agreement with that sentiment and gave approving nods. "Cinder, Dexter, would you please take a seat?"

Cinder walked over to the table and sat on a nearby cushion. On the scrolls scattered about the table were various artistic renderings of Essence flows, of information about specific types, of studies about language, diagrams of internal anatomy, notes on chakra, and more.

Remembering why she was here, the fox turned her attention to the side of a room and noted that hidden behind a large statue lay the sleeping body of a raichu with fur turning pale beyond her years. More specifically, it was the same raichu that attacked Ash and Misty only yesterday.

"What seems to be the problem?" Cinder asked, hoping that the simple question would break the ice. Most of the room was still against her, after all.

"We do not know," grumbled the noctowl. "Every time we propose an examination to find out, she struggles too much. It's frustrating. She is the only missing person who has returned to us and our only lead in that case."

"She is unwilling to comply?" Cinder asked, almost wincing at the idea of being subject to experiments and examinations by people who she didn't know.

"No," said Noctowl. "Not that we can ask her to do so. She has not been able to understand what we've said to her. And as a result, reacts with visible confusion and struggles any time we approach. She probably doesn't even know who we are; she might even think we are affiliated with the same people who spirited her away in the first place!"

"Which is unfortunate, as we still don't know what has happened to her." Tungsten rocked his body. "Her physical well being has continued to deteriorate, enough now that she can't walk on her own. Though due to her weakness we've been able to glean much, it simply isn't enough."

Noctowl grumbled. "At this rate, it is obvious she will perish without yielding any information as to what happened to her to put her in such a condition. We still do not know where she had been! And the Magistrate wants answers."

"I propose we sedate her!" one of the other alchemists said. "Makes it easier to do our work. She cannot speak anyways! We will lose nothing!"

"And if she reacts badly?" said another. "Are you willing to risk the patient's life!?

It became very clear to the zorua just exactly what the assignment was. The ruling body of Citrine has likely requested its alchemists to identify what was wrong with Raichu, then hopefully use that information to figure out why she disappeared in the first place. This assignment might have been on a secret, need to know basis simply for security's sake.

Cinder tuned out the two bickering maiju and instead went to work puzzling out the situation before her. Raichu's unusual malady had rendered her incredibly weak and unable to understand anything being said to her. Conversely, she could speak to other Maiju just fine, since she kept shouting at Ash and Misty yesterday. It is likely that her outburst yesterday was caused by a combination of trauma and her inability to understand those around her.

The zorua couldn't answer what happened to raichu, but she had an idea for a solution. She looked down at the table and noticed a number of brush pens and sheets of loose parchment nearby. She thought she could use them to enact her plan, but decided against it due to writing being a hassle with only paws. Instead, she turned towards what was above her. "Dexter, can you render text on your screen?" she asked.

Of course. What do you need? The Pokédex replied.

"Just put what I'm going to say on your screen, okay?" the zorua answered. She was about to ask the table to see if anyone else had this idea already, but saw that the table had broken out into dispute.

"ARE YOU DISHONORING MY FAMILY?"

"THIS DOES NOT MATTER!"

"OF COURSE IT MATTERS!"

"Please, be calm," Tungsten said as he brought his limbs over to try to placate both speakers.

The zorua shook her head. She didn't know how this all started, but saw this was a pain. She felt bad for the Sensei, having to put up with this. However, as the table of alchemists continued to argue, she wondered if any of them were paying attention.

So, being frustrated and wanting to show them up, Cinder instead walked over to the prisoner with Dexter in tow.

As if sensing their presence, Raichu blinked her eyes open and stared at the fox and Pokédex. She shuddered, fear and worry in her eyes. "... What do you want?"

"My name is Cinder," she said to Raichu and then turned back to Dexter. "Tell her that for me."

Dexter hovered in front of Raichu's eyes and opened his casing and presented it to Raichu.

Raichu blinked for a second, eyes fixated over to Dexter. "Uh… are you Cinder?" she said, pointing to the Pokédex.

"No, I am," Cinder said.

"Oh, the fox," Raichu said as she exhaled a sigh of relief. "Uh, hello Cinder, hey Dexter." Despite saying such pleasant words, hesitation hung in her.

Cinder's tail wagged, ecstatic about the breakthrough! Raichu could communicate with them! "We alchemists are here to help you," she said." But for that we need your cooperation."

"... I see," the rodent trembled. "Is that why I'm held here?"

"Yes. You're being held here so that we can treat you." Cinder said, trusting in Dexter to keep translating her speech into written words. "But as it stands, we don't know what's afflicting you. We don't even know what happened. We just know that your health has been declining."

Raichu drooped her ears. "...I see." She visibly made an effort to will herself. "What do you want to know?"

"...What do you feel like?" Cinder asked.

"Cold," Raichu said. She looked down at her body. "It's like my insides just… aren't there anymore and I can't feel it."

"Can't feel what?" Cinder probed deeper.

"Like, you know… that thing that's always there…" she said, explaining it poorly. "That spark of power that comes out every time I shock someone. That thing is always there everytime I really want to speed my body up. I just can't feel it anymore."

Cinder blinked, as she puzzled the words out together.

What's she talking about?

"She's talking about her Essence, I suppose. She can't feel her Essence. It's the thing that makes us Maiju, well, ourselves," she said, recalling her words earlier that day. If Raichu couldn't feel her Essence anymore, did that make her… something else? She needed to know more. "Who did this to you?" Cinder turned to ask Raichu once again

It took Dexter a short bit to relay the message into text. Raichu then gave her testimony. "It was someone who looked like my son," she said with a frown. "I don't know who he or she really was, I just know it was someone who took on my son's face and lured me into some back alley.

"A zorua or a zoroark?" Cinder proposed, knowing that there were plenty of her species that were known for ambushing.

"I thought so, yes." Raichu then frowned. "I knew something was up when he got my name wrong. So, being aware of the danger, I shocked him. It didn't break the disguise and he shrugged off the attack." She then made a pained expression. "He then turned into Excadrill and I couldn't shock him anymore; it was like he was immune! I tried to fight him, but I was knocked out."

Cinder's jaws dropped. That just seemed rather bizarre. What kind of zorua or zoroark could not only make a disguise so durable, yet also make one so thoroughly that it conferred some type of type immunity. "That seems implausible…"

I think I might have an idea of what happened. Dexter turned to look at Cinder. There is actually a Pokémon who-

"What are you doing?" Noctowl shrieked as he landed with the thud right next to the fox. "Who gave you permission to approach the subject!"

All eyes in the room were focused upon her.

Cinder fought really hard not to turn herself into a potted plant. "I uh…."

"You could have hurt yourself or the patient!" said Noctowl. "Raichu is our only lead in the investigation!"

Cinder winced and found herself sinking into the floor, an unconscious use of her spiritual abilities. She wanted to run and hide.

"Cinder just asked me questions," Raichu spoke out, clearly unnerved by the shouting. "I don't know what you're mad about, but that's what happened…"

The room stood silent for a moment, as if processing what exactly had transpired. Raichu had spoken Cinder's name, something that she would only know from Cinder herself.

"Alchemist Cinder," Tungsten hobbled over, his voice rather still. "What did you do to Raichu?"

"Nothing…." Cinder timidly spoke. She really hoped that she didn't make enemies because of her stunt. "I assumed that she went to school and was literate. My assistant actually wrote out words on his body. Raichu read them and that's how we've been able to talk."

That's right. Dexter said, also writing those words on his screen. He also then turned to Raichu and requested she stay calm, which did noticeably calm the rodent.

"Hm, a lesson to be more faithing in our Third Emperor's educational reforms, if anything," Tungsten pondered.

"She should have spoken with her senior's first," Noivern complained, making a scowl at the fox.

Cinder backed away and lowered her head in submission.

"Hm, regardless. Now, we have a means to find out what we've been lacking," Noctowl shook his head. "Tell us, what else did Raichu tell you?"

"There's something wrong with her Essence," the zorua volunteered, not wanting to hide anything. "I don't know, but she says she can't feel it."

She also gave us an account of her abduction. Dexter offered. It was … Maiju who not only disguised himself as Raichu's son, but also transformed into an excadril.

"A zoroark?" was the question that hung around the room.

No. Raichu's testimony indicated that her assailant became immune to electricity after transforming into an excadrill. It is because of that, I believe her assailant was a ditto.

"What's a ditto?" the room cried.

"There's a Maiju like that?" asked Noivern.

"Surely, not," asked Noctowl.

"Dexter, can you explain?" Even Cinder did not know what her assistant was speaking about.

A ditto is a Maiju whose only ability is to shapeshift into other forms. It gains the powers and abilities of what it imitates. Dexter then shook his body. They existed in my homeland. It concerns me that you never heard of them.

"That's… unthinkable," Noivern exclaimed.

"Are we really going to take the Elemental's word on this?" said another alchemist. "I can assume that we may have overlooked the written word, but a maiju that can become any other maiju?"

"But if so, then what are we to do? There are methods and tricks to identify illusionists, but would they work on this… 'ditto'?" another spoke.

"The answer is simple then. We have learned much today and we can only widen our knowledge with this information," said Noctowl. He cocked his head slightly and gave him a small bow of acknowledgement. "Well done, alchemist."

The others did did not do the same, though they at least acknowledged Noctowl's declaration.

Somehow, those words scared her even more than the owl simply being opposed to her. She worried that with this praise, came expectations she might never reach again. Cinder did the only thing she could do and bowed her head.

"Alchemist Cinder," Sensei Tungsten spoke in a low tone. "Would you allow us to borrow your assistant for a bit? I am considering how we approach identifying the problems with Raichu's Essence; would you be willing to assist me?"

"It would be an honor," she said, happily submitting to the Sensei's request. After all, he didn't seem to be opposed to her. She took a seat by his side, whilst many of the other alchemists went to request Dexter translate their questions and requests towards the weakened Raichu.

The ferrothorn moved several chakra maps with a vine towards Cinder, which the fox promptly read. Currently, the plan involved trying to see if there was a way to measure and quantify the Essence Raichu still had. And if so, whether or not they could replace it somehow, to hopefully stabilize Raichu's condition.

Yet as Cinder went to figure it out more, she noticed movement in the corner of her eye. She turned her gaze towards one of the side doors of the room, only to catch a small, lanky bipedal silhouette disappearing deeper into the building.

She had no idea who it was, but it might have been nothing.

---

"What do you think Aura is, Ash?" Gramps asked as he walked forward.

Ash bounced with every step, eagerly awaiting his elder's instruction. "I never really thought about it much. It's just always been that blue flame around my hands." They were in the gardens, sitting under the shade of a small tree.

"That's one physical manifestation of it, yes," Gramps answered. "But Aura is more than that. It is one of the main reasons you possess the ability to read emotions and to heal the wounded. Do you know why?"

"No. Not really. I didn't even know they were all part of the same power," Ash said as he wondered. "So, they're all the same thing, the same power?"

Gramps nodded his head. "Aura is merely one way to describe the energy of life that is all around us. Our kind are especially attuned to it, in a way that few others can boast. It is because of this we can shape into different purposes, to heal and to harm."

Ash wagged his tail, liking everything he heard so far. It was the power to protect his friends. "And that's what you're going to teach me?" he said eagerly.

The lucario smiled, though raised a finger. "Yes, but before then I must show you something." He then extended a hand towards his grandson, an invitation to grab on.

At that, Ash didn't hesitate. He grabbed on, interested to see what happened. Only, nothing did. "What's supposed to happen?"

"Breathe deep. Clear your mind," Gramp said with a chuckle, as though this was completely expected.

Ash pouted, but saw no reason not to try. Took deep breath, bringing as much air he could squeeze into his lungs.

"Now close your eyes." Gramps requested as he closed his.

Ash followed his grandfather's footsteps and closed his eyes. He felt the urge to impatiently fidget in his seat, but managed to stop himself.

"And now, open your mind," Gramps called out. "Relax."

Ash didn't even understand the command. Yet despite that, the jackal pup tried to ease himself.

"See from my eyes." Gramps gave a simple request.

Then suddenly, the riolu found himself… letting go. It felt like, he was looking out at a lake and his grandfather pushed him into the waters.

All around him, Ash sensed so many things come into view. Tiny ants formed a trail as they took refuge in one of the trees. Water raced up from the roots to the leaves of trees. He even felt grass slowly extending tendrils. And there were more things that the boy couldn't find the words to. There was simply too much all at once. There was so much beauty in what Ash saw… and he didn't even open his eyes yet.

"It is beautiful, yes," Gramps confirmed. "You could spend all of your time simply studying the life in this garden and you still might not exhaust its mysteries."

Ash opened his eyes and nodded his Head. He had been taught to revere and respect nature, but to see all of it magnified like that had been something he had never expected. He never imagined to see… life like that, not in anything with such clarity.

Gramps eyed his grandchild and smiled, though there was a hint of longing in his heart. "Oh, Ash. I am sorry that your mother never had the chance to show you."

Ash frowned, like a knife twisted his heart. He and Mom never talked about this stuff, because they were human. The truth of who was, his human upbringing, felt like something to be ashamed of. He… had to tell Gramps.

Sensing that, Gramps looked away, also ashamed.

"Ash, there's… something I want to tell you," the lucario said, cutting off what Ash had planned to convey.

"... Is something wrong, Gramps?" Ash said, hesitating on whether or not he should speak. He could sense a massive amount of discomfort, shame, and also longing within his elder. Though none of those emotions explain why he was feeling like that.

"Ash, I..." The elder lucario looked at the house and then back at Ash. Something nameless, but definitely negative feeling, bubbled within him. He hesitated at the word, but managed to say. "I… I want you to inherit the House of Tajiri."

Ash leapt back, stunned at his grandfather's words. He felt like a slab of concrete fell on his shoulders. "Er… Really?" he said.

Gramps gestured towards the house. "Yes. I had… resigned myself into being the last of my House, even having plans to turn this place into a shrine or museum." He knelt down to Ash and brought himself to eye level. "With you, that's no longer necessary."

"I…" Ash's mind raced at the possibilities of what would happen now. Did that mean he'd become important? Did that make him richer than Gary? …. Did that mean he wouldn't be allowed to return home?

"I know it's sudden," Gramps said as he bowed his head. He radiated guilt so bright that Ash felt ashamed by proxy. "So, please think about it."

Ash frowned, still thinking.

"I… I will leave you to this," Gramps said as he stood up. "Try to practice some more.."

"Uh, right, right…" Ash stuttered.

The lucario then left his grandson, leaving him to think on his wooden stump.

Ash worked through his emotions, his feelings. It was… cool to basically have this nice mansion, but it wasn't something he really wanted or needed. What was more important to him were his Mom and his Gramps. He knew he wanted to return home, but at the same time, if he did that, he'd be leaving his Gramps behind to be alone. Could he take Gramps with him? Would he want to travel?

The list just went on and on.

… But as Ash worked through his thoughts, he did realize something, only in retrospect. Gramps felt very guilty, almost like he knew talking about the inheritance was a bad idea…. So, why did he do it?

Ash frowned. Nothing made sense, but one thing was for sure, he needed to ask his friends… later, way later.

---

Those parts about how the body essentially "tears itself apart when moving" is actually true.