TEAM: Lucy (Chikorita) & Jackson (Hoothoot), Surpurna (Pidgey) & Venio (Bellsprout), Squeakers (Rattata) & Arachnio (Spinarak)

"Detours, all the paths we're taking.

Feet sore, all these caves keep changing.

Step's blight, lost on our own pacing.

Sunlight, with it gone I'm aching.

Noises, sounds assimilating.

Darkness, walls of deep engravings.

Spaces, where there's no escaping.

Faded, senses dissipating…"

Guess it should've been obvious that Lucy couldn't handle dark places like this either. She didn't stop muttering to herself until Jackson startled her by landing nearby.

"I know you're doing this to calm yourself down, but the rest of us are still here, you know." Jackson's head was tilted her way. "Yeah, it's all dry and musty and stuff, but this place doesn't seem that bad to me."

Lucy's huff was heard before her sigh. "That's easy for you to say. You actually like it here in the dark. You lark."

"And that's why I'm better suited to lead this time." Jackson's red eyes didn't look too bothered by the quiet air as he hopped ahead. "Don't want you bumping into any of these weird looking walls."

Lucy just shuddered. "And I got up early this morning thinking we were going to see National Park! But now I'm lost here in the dark. With this lark."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

Lucy's eye roll was obvious even here.

Wesley decided to speak up. "Don't worry you two, this is just a quick stop, we'll quickly make it to National Park after we're done. And we're not lost." Leaning between them, looking between them, he spoke up quietly, his voice bouncing off the hallway's walls. "Not lost in the dark, just… exploring this new landmark."

"With a complaining Chikorita's snark."

"While we're far from New Bark."

Hearing the two of them snickering to themselves helped the place feel slightly less eerie, Wesley could admit as much. Even following his Pokégear's light, he kept his pace steadily cautious. It helped to know there was a ladder nearby so they could leave whenever they wanted, but he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. And not by those stone statues they kept walking past.

As adventurous as he was, Wesley had never really been in a cave before. There was that one cave on the way to Violet, but being an errand boy never called for a delivery there. Meanwhile, the Ruins of Alph were a place that felt expansive in its dark mystery, yet contained in its looming walls. The lack of an open breeze made way for echoes of other sounds. His own footsteps. Lucy and Jackson's quiet squabble. Somewhere far above, a cry of "my paws have so much power!" after yet another rock was smashed to bits. His own faint chuckle, finding it nice to be reminded how much fun Cue was having with that Rock Smash TM.

Least that meant she must've been getting a lot of shards. He wondered how Arachnio was doing with the Magikarp he caught by the surface.

Roko still stuck close by, not quite as unnerved. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying herself in this dark, if the content smile on her face was any indication. Instead of an alert stance, her eyes were on her own Pokégear, slightly narrowed in thought, earphones probably feeding her some more ideal ambience. Wesley couldn't help but wonder what kind of things she would've heard if it weren't for those.

He slowed down to match her pace. "This place gives me the creeps. Are you sure we're not being watched?"

Roko's gaze darted his way before she tilted her head in a softening expression. "The researcher man who let us in said the Pokémon here are completely harmless. Nothing to be worried about." It was thanks to that researcher man that he was able to teach his Pokémon Rock Smash, so there was no questioning that goodwill.

That still didn't answer Wesley's question, though. "I remember that, but the fact that we haven't run into any Pokémon is what's setting me off." His eyes scanned the surroundings once more. It was still just him and these peculiarly scripted walls. Did that letter just blink…?

"Even if you can't see them, you can still hear their voices… kinda." Roko paused to stare at her Pokégear's screen. "I read that there's some sort of noise here and only here that can be heard at specific frequencies. Supposedly, it's these Pokémon's voices, trying to reach out to some sort of… distant alpha Pokémon. Oh, that's how the Ruins of Alph got the name."

Wesley tried his best not to dwell over the idea of invisible whispers happening all around him. "So… what, are you listening to those voices right now?" He eyed her earphones.

There was a knowing glint in her stare as she nodded. "Mhm! It kinda just sounds like some faint, indecipherable noises… singing, maybe. Whatever it is, I just think it's fascinating to hear something only Pokémon should be able to naturally hear. I didn't even know radio frequencies could tap into things like that! Oh, would you like to listen?"

"Uh, sure!"

He couldn't say no to her—aaaand she had already reached for his ear. And… those were definitely noises.

"That's… hmm. I didn't know there were Pokémon that sounded like that."

Ones he couldn't see. That were all around him somehow. He could tell why Lucy was antsy about being here if she could just hear these… echoing melodic chants. Probably not a good idea to eavesdrop on that…! Probably a good idea to bring his Pokémon back to their Pokéballs…!

"... just gimme one second, Roko."

Wesley deftly handed her earphones back with a slight bow before turning on his heel. Thankfully Lucy and Jackson weren't too far ahead, nor did they need much convincing to take a breather, which saved Wesley the trouble of bumbling through the dark a moment longer. As he tucked his Pokéballs safely back into his bag, he breathed out a sigh of relief knowing they were a smidgen safer.

With that done, the hallways should've been several footsteps quieter, but his breath passed alongside more sounds somewhere else. Somewhere in the walls, almost sounded like talking…? It wasn't those Pokémon calls, was it?

Being subtly reminded that he wasn't alone left Wesley quickly trudging back to where Roko must be. He was guided by his own Pokégear's light, saw her Pokégear's light, and caught up with her to see that her back was turned, observing a wall.

"Oh, Wesley, you should see this!" She waved for him without turning her gaze. "The text here is a bit more legible than the rest… something about a clan who left the statues here… Seems there are hidden chambers around the place too."

Normally Wesley would've been thrilled to see what a chipper Roko had to say, but he had enough of thinking where eyes and voices may or may not be. Not that he wanted to put a stop to her fun, either. He could've just left on his own, but…

"Roko, uh, I'm thinking of stepping back up into the sun. Do you wanna head back soon?" He knew better than to leave her alone. He heard another rock-shattering rattle in the distance. "I'm sure Cue's gathered enough shards for us by now. Yum yum berries." He could've sworn he heard something after saying that.

Instead of returning the phrase, Roko remained quiet for a moment to tilt her head his way, her pigtails bobbing as she did. There was a thoughtful look on her face, one of slight concern. Not even Wesley's words could hide the breaths his face held back. Guilty as charged. "Aw, Wesley. Well, this place is pretty cramped…" She trailed off. She heard something too.

More footsteps. Wesley quickly looked around, remained where he stood, heard the presence rapidly approaching…

… until he and Roko looked down to see her Marill and Togepi playing tag in the dark.

"Oh, phew." Roko sighed with him, the Marill running around her legs as she did. "Bouncy, we have to go."

"Bweh." There was the sound of Bouncy tripping at the Togepi's shove. It was up into Roko's arms for him.

"Okay, now Shard—" But when she called for the Togepi, the egg-shaped youngster had already ran back into the darkness. "Shard, wait!"

"I got him!" Wesley held onto his hat as he took off.

"Togepriii! Priii!"

Wesley's initiative already had his legs moving. It took an eye-narrowing second to figure out which turn of the hallway that Togepi went, but following the sound of those trills shouldn't be too hard. The newly hatched Pokémon was amusingly named after what they came to these ruins to look for, so it only felt right to take that shard gathering more literally. He could do that much to make it up to Roko, at least.

A spark of yellow crackled just within arm's reach. Wesley blinked at the sight of electricity, right before he saw that small buildup of energy surge towards his leg. Wait, that's a Thunder Wave—

"Priii!"

The sound of Shard's delighted cry came alongside Wesley's shocked yelp as tried to stop himself from keeling over. His pace almost screeched to a stumble, but as he caught his footing, he also caught the sight of Shard waggling his little nub of a finger before running further ahead.

"Okay, okay, walk it off…" Numbing leg aside, Wesley was not going to let this rascal of a Togepi get the best of him!

So the little Togepi had a little Metronome. That just made this a spicier game of tag. Wesley knew a thing or two about trying to deal with Pokémon attacks being thrown at him.

Elements of all kinds gathered at Shard's fingertips as Wesley picked up the pace. Flashes of fire and all sorts of beams lit up the hallways before being thrown haphazardly. Those attacks left Wesley slowing down, but whenever anything windy or powdery was conjured, he knew his way around those. Still, he almost lost his balance when he pivoted out of the way of a thrown rock that shook the ground. There should be absolutely no reason for this Togepi to sound so thrilled causing trouble in a place like this…!

There came a Vine Whip, one Wesley knew a newbie couldn't aim properly. As he ducked beneath that, his larger steps quickly started to close the distance. Thankfully, for his sake as well as the ruins' integrity, there was nowhere left to run. With that last attack, the Togepi had ended up running towards a dead end wall.

Saved Wesley the trouble of having to go for a rough tackle, at least. As pantingly winded as he was, he wiped the sweat from his brow before reaching for Shard. "Whew… okay, tag, you're it. Now, back to Roko for you—"

He scooped the little rascal in his arms only to see that Shard waggled his finger yet again, right in front of his face. The Togepi's giggles intensified with the energy that gathered, leaving Wesley to widen his eyes and brace himself—

A flash, a stumble, and a Togepi wriggling free. Whatever move that was, it left Wesley more blindingly disoriented than anything. With a groan, he blinked, picked himself up, and rubbed his eyes. The ruins' darkness blotted back into view where the bright white flash faded.

Shard was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a doorway where the wall used to be.

Wesley sighed. The lack of a tagged Togepi in his arms gave him more pause than the lack of a dead end ahead. It was back to a pursuit through the dark, through a chamber he was sure wasn't here before—

Footsteps. These ones were different. Wesley had already flattened himself against the wall just mere steps in, peering in the face of new company. It was hard to see these distant figures in the dark, but… they had voices.

"... well, ain't this our lucky break!"

Shard was being picked up by a taller, darkly dressed figure and it didn't take long for the baby to sob. It took Wesley a clenched fist's worth of restraint to not lurch forward at the sound of the Togepi's wails, but he stayed where he was. He spied Shard's desperately waggling finger, which was completely unbeknownst to the others, and…!

… Shard's cries fell silent as he fell asleep. Come on, of all the moves to pull…!

"Finally. If this thing didn't shut up I was gonna take matters into my own hands. This makes things much easier."

"That's a Togepi, isn't it? Y'know, those are pretty rare, we could get paid well for such a pricey find!"

That was all Wesley needed to hear. "Hey!" He was quick to spring forward with a cry that caught both of the shady people off guard. "You better let that Togepi go!"

"Huh." The person holding Shard under his arm was looking down at him. In the light of his Pokégear, Wesley could see the bold red letter on his uniform. "Is this your Pokémon, kid?"

Wesley cleared his throat. Clearly, loud intimidation wasn't going to work here. "No, but—"

"No buts!" The other quickly raised her voice, stomping in such a way that left him backpedaling. "Finders keepers! If you want this rare Pokémon, you better pay up!"

Their combined scowls spoke enough bad news, as if it wasn't already clear these people weren't to be reasoned with. He pulled out a Pokéball, and—

"You've seen too much." —so did they. "Don't try anything funny."

Wesley was faced by even harsher glowers now, the kind that would bore through him if he didn't leave. These thieves had him on the backfoot, gloved hands almost clutching their Pokéballs with a trigger finger grip. As much as Wesley knew he couldn't make a move, he wasn't just going to let them get away. He wasn't going to back down. Not when Roko's Pokémon was on the line. He had to do something…!

His eyes darted around before landing on his arm. The Pokégear on his wrist was still flipped open.

"Roko—"

"Koffing!"

Before Wesley could breathe out another word, dense smog flooded the chamber. His own coughs cut himself off. His eyes started to water. He desperately tried to keep track of those thieves, but he had to shield his eyes. Still, he heard footsteps, they were making a run for it…!

"... Surpurna!"

The toss of the Pokéball was all he could muster before the taste of smoke forced a wheeze. He could hear the footsteps getting farther and farther away. And then he heard his Pidgey stirring up a breeze. He blinked, and with a rush of wind, the Smog was gone.

Wesley took a quick breath, but the dark silence of the musty room wasn't any more promising. They couldn't have headed back into the maze of rooms, so how did they…

Ladder. Wesley saw it nearby, the closest thing to light, and immediately took to climbing. If those two made it to the surface, there's no telling where they'd run off to, and the thought only hastened his pace.

Up the ladder, out the entrance… back into fresh air and bright sun. The ruins' surface was as empty as always, but the sight of the sandy site wasn't much solace. Where did they…

The urge to go running was taken over by the need to double over with coughs. He found himself leaning against the nearest wall, clutching his chest as his knees wobbled.

"Wesley." Surpurna had still followed, the Pidgey looking up at him with gentle concern. "Wesley, don't push yourself."

"I won't, I won't…" There came the regret of climbing up that ladder too quickly. There came the regret of underestimating that Koffing's smoke. He couldn't take this standing. Sitting would have to do.

"Hey, boss!" Now that he was closer to the ground, he saw Cue and Arachnio scurrying his way. "We gathered a lot of… Whoa, boss, what happened? Did you get roughed up down there?"

"There were two people… I think I got poisoned by their Koffing." Wesley coughed again. His lungs stung with every word. "They took Shard… and they might've escaped outside…"

The Rattata's curious gaze faded. "Were they shady looking and wearing black uniforms with a big red R on 'em?" Wesley stared in surprise before nodding, and Cue sighed. "I knew they were bad news when I saw them. Those Pokémon pilferers went that way."

Past the rest of the sand and rocks of this expanse was the exit to greener paths, where Wesley's eyes followed her pointing paw.

As if she didn't look certain enough, Cue pointed her nose to the air. "You said they had a Koffing, right? I know their smoke when I smell it, and it's definitely that way."

Wesley didn't need any further convincing. But when he tried to prop himself up— "Ghhhh…" —his body quickly gave way.

"Wesley…" There was Surpurna's stern concern again.

"I know, I know…" he grumbled. "I know I shouldn't push myself, but… hhh…"

His words were already failing him, and his back fell against the wall. Everything those ruins threw at him had already worn him out, but against his Pidgey's wishes, he couldn't just keep sitting here forever… Huh?

He felt a poke on his leg. It was from Arachnio. On the Spinarak's back, he carried a Lum Berry, and the way he stood looked as if he was offering it. Did he always have that…?

"Oh, thanks." Wesley wasn't going to say no to that. Though it wasn't until one bite in that he wondered when or how he got that. All Arachnio said with his stare was that he was glad to be here.

With a sigh of relief, he scarfed the rest of the berry down and felt it take effect immediately. His coughs subsided, he felt it easier to breathe, and as he got back up, regaining the feeling in his numbed leg felt like an added bonus.

"That hit the spot." He dusted his hands off and got ready to move.

Surpurna quickly flapped to perch on his shoulder. "I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but are you sure this isn't too much for you to handle right now?"

There was no denying how right she was to worry, but… "Roko's Pokémon is on the line. You are right about this being dangerous, though." He took a moment to glance back at the ruins he came from, gaze lingering there before quickly looking towards the path out. Cue was already waiting, ready to take off on his word. "And that danger is exactly why I have to handle this and act now."

With a spring in his step, it was time to spring into action. Route 32 was a long stretch of a path, but Wesley wasn't planning on slowing down, and neither did Cue. Knowing Venio lived on this route, Wesley could only imagine what kinds of Pokémon also lived here, but the Bellsprout in question did a good job of shooing them off.

"Felicitations, we're simply passing by on the search for a certain pair of malefactors!"

Repelling the wild Pokémon probably wasn't Venio's intention, but it sure made the trek past grassy ledges a smidgen more convenient. It was a good thing the Pokémon seemed pretty docile on this route too.

Past grass, past a fishing pier of a walkway, and onto where the sandy ground returned, Wesley caught his breath at the path's end.

He found himself leaning against the wall of the building nearby. "I didn't even know there was a Pokémon Center built out here." He wiped some sweat from his brow. "At least we can recover here if things go awry."

Cue was a few steps ahead, clearly still raring to go with how she paced in place. "They went this way. In the cave. We've almost caught up to them now, I can feel it."

"Looks like we're making good time, then."

No time to waste, he flipped open his Pokégear for light and followed the Rattata in. Taking that dark plunge from one cave to the next. Union Cave, according to the sign.

"Oh, Union Cave!" Venio was still clinging onto his shoulder, speaking matter-of-factly. "Y'know, I heard a thing or two from the Wooper and Hoppip on my route. Word on the Route 32 wind says that this place got its name for how many layers it has, easy to get lost in."

"It's… pronounced Union, but thanks for the heads up. In the meantime, let's just keep our heads down." Wesley quickly recalled the Bellsprout into his Pokéball, and the cave became several echoes quieter.

The damp place was eerie enough as is with the faint flaps of Zubat occupying the distant heights. Being lost was the least of his concerns, he mainly kept his eyes on his Rattata as she scurried to lead the way. Minute by minute, wandering through the dark with nothing but blind faith, he could hear the footsteps he was getting closer to, until…

"Hey… boss?" Cue glanced back at him with a whisper. "We're getting pretty close. Mind if I hide in my Pokéball for a little bit? Just to take a breather, is all."

Wesley didn't mind. She wasn't wrong about that R-uniformed duo being nearby. He heard their voices and hid behind a rock as he got closer.

"... it's all your fault we took this wrong turn down the stairs, I don't even know if we're gonna make it back to Slowpoke Well in time! Proton's gonna kill us once he realizes you took his Koffing!"

"Hey, take is a strong word. I just borrowed it. When he wasn't looking."

Their uniforms may have been hard to make out in the dark, but it was even harder not to hear them when they were bickering like this. Confessing to stealing that Koffing too, no less…

Wesley reached into his bag, grabbed four of his trusty Pokéballs, and had them shrink to fit between his fingers. Time to move.

"Nowhere to run now!" He stepped out boldly, quickly eyeing the thief who held a Togepi-sized sack under his arm. "I'm going to take back my friend's Togepi no matter what!"

"Urgh, of all the times…!" The sack thief grimaced, already backpedaling, already scrambling for a Pokéball with his free arm. "You're playing a dangerous game, kid! Go, Koffing!"

Caught him by surprise, good. Wesley swung one arm forward as soon as that Koffing's Pokéball flash lit the corridor. Poisonous smoke flooded his way, but so did the cool breeze that blew from behind him. Return to sender, part one. First was blowing away that Koffing's smoke.

"You can't keep me down that easily." Wesley remained where he stood, watching as the two thieves were disoriented by the smog blown back their way. "Now, Surpurna, Venio! Gusty vine!"

The Bellsprout was already laying low, in position. From where the smog was still clearing, a pair of vines rose up, ensnaring the Koffing in an instant. It resisted Venio's pull, but that's what Surpurna was for. Return to sender part two, she swooped in, sent the Koffing back with a powerful Gust, giving Venio enough momentum to swing it around before hurling it—

"Argh!"

—back to whence it came, the thrown Poison type striking the thief's gut.

"Not so fast!" The other thief quickly stepped up with a Pokéball of her own. "Deal with them, Ekans!"

Wesley had a feeling there was backup. He just had to rouse up his own. "Lucy! Jackson!" He swung his other arm, and from their Pokéballs, the Chikorita and Hoothoot were already running ahead. "Rise and shine! Growling uproar!"

The Ekans had already lunged their way. With the air now clear, Lucy and Jackson both took a deep breath, and as Wesley covered his ears, he felt the corridor shake in that single shout. The mix of Lucy's melodic pitch and Jackson's booming voice repelled the Ekans back to its trainer, bewildered and reeling.

Wesley called his team back to his side and held his head high. Jackson's Uproar continued to reverberate around with a fading ring. "All according to plan."

"What are you so smug about?!" The Ekans trainer snapped as she helped her Pokémon back up. "We can still beat you up!"

Wesley smirked and eyed the other thief. "Let's see if he has anything to say about it."

The thief downed by the Koffing had pushed the Pokémon off of him just in time to see the very awake Togepi poking his head out of the sack he held. Shard had managed to poke a finger out as well, waggling it as he started to glow an intense light, concentrated energy growing white hot and fit to burst—

"Okay, that's it!" The sack thief let out a pained yelp before dropping Shard. His gloved hand quickly pulled something out from his pocket. "Guess I'll just have to use this!" It was… a metal box with an antenna on it?

Whatever it was, the Ekans trainer looked ready to lash out at him for it. "You idiot, did you take that from Proton too?!"

"Borrowed!" He snapped back, fiddling with the metal box. "Now how do I… Whatever, you asked for this, kid!"

Wesley braced himself, only to gasp when Surpurna and Jackson fell as if something was weighing them down. He quickly knelt down, ready pull out healing items, but he saw that Lucy and Venio were being affected by something too..

"I feel… weak…" Surpurna was short of breath.

"Wesley…" Lucy looked up at him in a strained movement. "It's that… noise again…!"

Wesley couldn't hear any noise, but he saw the way Shard stopped glowing and started wailing in pain. That box was definitely more than meets the eye, there was just the matter of getting to it somehow… First, he needed to make sure his Pokémon were safe.

"Hah! How's that?!" The crook with the device just laughed at him. "Your Pokémon are as good as finished!"

The other thief was still glaring knives. "You're a moron, you know that?! This is affecting our Pokémon too, you know!" She gestured her arm towards her suffering Ekans before returning it into its Pokéball.

"So?" The man shrugged before recalling the Koffing similarly.

"Are you trying to kill the Togepi?!"

The man looked down at Shard's state before panickledly fiddling with the box again. "... How do I turn this thing off?!"

Wesley had just brought his team back into the safety of their Pokéballs. At this point, after all the pain these thieves had put him through, he was just about ready to run up to them and deck them himself—

Arachnio had let himself out of his Pokéball. The Spinarak struggled to stand, but he still looked back at Wesley with a nod that said to depend on him. His body pulsed with ghostly energy before his eyes flashed, his horn glowed a darker shade of purple, and the energy gathered to fire out as a beam.

"Now what do you think you're—waugh!"

The crook was interrupted by the sudden shot. The beam struck, and ethereal smoke poured out of it, enshrouding the thieves with a nightly shade somehow darker than the rest of the cave.

"Ugh, I can't see! Now look at what you did!"

"Me?! You're the one who made me pack for this trip in the first place!"

"What does that even mean?!"

As unexpected as Arachnio's new move was, it left those two bickering, and more importantly, vulnerable.

"Let me settle this!"

Cue had already emerged from her Pokéball, leaping at the opportunity. Without a word from Wesley, despite the immediate strain she felt, the Rattata had already taken it upon herself to jump into the tussle in the smoke.

There were shocked screams and grunts, and Wesley could've sworn he heard a punch being thrown. A moment later, the box flew out from the shade. Cue was quick to leap after it.

"My paws… have so much power!"

With a single punch, the box was smashed into pieces. As the metal parts fell dull against cave rock, Shard's pained cries stopped with it, and Wesley saw the way Cue and Arachnio immediately perked up.

"Nice to have that Rocket racket shut down, eh, boss?" Cue rubbed her paws together with a proud grin. "How 'bout you tell me how good I did—"

"Stupid rat!"

A sudden strike left Cue reeling on the ground. Wesley caught her in his arms, glared at the crook who kicked her—

"Ekans!"

—only to get glared at back. In a flash of that snake's eyes, Wesley's everything grew numb, and his shoulder hit the floor. He could barely turn his head, left to watch as the Ekans used Glare on Shard as well. The Togepi shuddered in silence before being shoved back into the sack.

"Next time, let me handle interference. We're done wasting time here."

"No…!" Wesley only managed a pained grunt.

Reaching for them wasn't working. Watching was all he could do, watching as they left him there. Watching as they stepped away, further and further into the darkness.

Everything fell quiet except for his breathing. He could barely move, almost feeling suspended where he was, until… a nudge?

Through the corner of his eye, Wesley saw Arachnio crawling underneath him, trying to push him up. It took some effort, but before Wesley knew it, he was back to sitting up. The most he could do was prop himself up against the wall, but he was glad enough for the concerned Spinarak's help.

The little spider looked keen on staying by his side all the while. "Thanks, Arachnio." Now that he was sitting up, Wesley looked at the Rattata still in his arms. "Cue, you alright?"

Her breathing was quiet, but she still mustered a smile his way. "I'm a bit shaken… but… I could ask the same for you, y'know."

That kick must've gotten to her. Wesley didn't blame her. "I can just… walk this off." Wesley feigned a smile of his own. A weak laugh was all he could do to hide the shame of being stuck in such a state. Empty handed, too…

He sighed, and he looked to his side to see another Pokéball flash. "Oh, those two dealt a real number to you, huh?" Lucy stared at them all, pausing with a thoughtful look. "Alright, let me try something."

The Chikorita cleared her throat, and a breeze wafted out of her waving leaf. At that moment, the lonely cave chamber started to carry the scent of a familiar breeze, akin to flowers by a sea shore. All the while, Lucy continued humming a calming melody.

The display of scent and song was as refreshing as it was nostalgic. Wesley couldn't help the smile on his face, even moreso when he felt that calming sensation surge through him as well. As if he was waking up from a nap, he found himself stretching his arms and legs as the numbness faded.

"Thanks, Lucy." He took a calm breath, getting up to give her a pat on the head. "How long have you been practicing that move?"

"Mmm, this was my first time getting my Aromatherapy right. About time, too." Lucy cocked her head with a knowing look. "It's been hard enough seeing everyone get hurt, and I know how much trouble you get into wearing yourself out like this."

"Well… hope you don't mind me getting right back to it, then." Wesley adjusted his bag strap with a sly smile. "I still have some crooks to catch."

The Chikorita rolled her eyes. "That's just like you, Wesley." She stepped to match his pace. "Still, who else am I going to sing a victory song with? After we win, of course."

Wesley pumped a fist at her determined gaze. "That's the spirit."

With a pleasant aroma and the hum of a song fresh in his mind and body, it was time to move deeper in. It would take far more than that to leave them down and out, and Wesley was only more motivated by the union of the Rattata, Chikorita, and Spinarak still eagerly following him through this cave.

"Wesley! Wesley, where did you go…?"

Only her echoes returned. Roko lost track of how long she was left to wander. The last trace she got of Wesley was that brief phone call that got cut off, and that didn't help her worrying self. It didn't seem like she could hear Shard, either. At the very least, other than her Pokégear, she had the light of Sky's electricity to help her through the ruin's dark corridors.

She was sure she circled this path before. No Wesley, no Shard, just a ladder. She knew how to climb a ladder, and she also knew that a Togepi couldn't do that, so he couldn't have left through there. Back to searching.

Being lost wasn't… the worst feeling in the world. Familiarizing herself with the Ruins of Alph was quite the experience, and she even stumbled into certain rooms containing murals with loose, sliding tiles. Dabbling with one of them led to her being confronted with these peculiar Pokémon called Unown, who were at least as docile as she was told. She caught a few and made a note to send them to the professor as soon as she got back to a PC. Hopefully he wouldn't mind some extra subjects of study.

As the eerie chambers continued to loom and warp all around her, she was left to wander, and wonder why the Unown's voices still echoed in her mind. She was certain she had taken off her earphones, and it stayed that way every time she checked to make sure. The ruins must be getting to her. Blinking amidst surroundings of fading light was starting to get to her. Her worry for Wesley and Shard was only increasing with every step, step, step…

… that open doorway wasn't there before. She recalled seeing an inscripted word there. Not to mention she could smell traces of something putrid that used to be in the air. She followed it.

"... and I'm lost… nothing left here… they must've beaten me to the punch…"

There was a voice. It was just a whisper, but she still heard it. Still recognized it. Her Shinx was already on edge at the sight of him and his Magnemite.

"Hey!" Kept her feet planted firmly this time, a Pokéball clutched at the ready. "What did you do with Wesley?!"

"Gah! Why are you…?! How did you…?!" Roko did not expect him to jump at that. The redhead scowled at her before pinching the bridge of his nose. "Listen, aroma lady. If you're looking for your bird keeper friend, I didn't run into him, I didn't do anything with him."

… Peculiar nicknames aside, the silence that fell after his words didn't reassure her much. She was doubtful, very doubtful, but… it didn't sound like he was lying. It still looked as if he was irritated at the sight of her.

She took a quick breath before pressing further. "I know… I know you're a Pokémon thief. And I've been looking for my missing Togepi. Did you take him?"

"Tch." The accusation didn't help his frown, and under the faint glow of his Magnemite, she saw it deepen. "A Togepi? I wouldn't need a weak Pokémon like that. If you're going to be worried about anyone taking your Pokémon, worry about Team Rocket."

Roko tilted her head. "Team… Rocket?" Her Shinx did the same.

"Don't know who those thieving cowards are? Best you keep it that way." The redhead didn't look any more pleased with the way she was staring at him. "Tough luck about your Pokémon, but I'm done sticking around. There's nothing left for me here."

Any hesitation rooting her in place slipped when she tried to reach for him. "Wait…!"

"I said I'm done!"

On that call, his Magnemite moved. Roko quickly caught the way it started glowing brighter, so she stopped where she was, covered her eyes…!

… only for the move to fizzle out. Instead of a flash of light, there was just a faint, brief, but painful buzz in the air. The Magnemite looked to be struggling to float because of it.

"Of course." The redhead sighed and returned his Pokémon into its Pokéball. "Another signal, another transmitter to deal with. Don't follow me."

He didn't spare her a glance before leaving on that word, quickly climbing up the nearby ladder. Roko was just left in silence, stuck to blink in astonishment at everything that just happened. She knelt down to give Sky a pat on the head, thankful to be unharmed.

And yet she couldn't help but think about what that redhead told her. He didn't fight her, he didn't take or steal anything from her, all he did was give her a vague warning. A rather rude warning, but still.

All she knew for certain was that Wesley and Shard were nowhere in sight. If these Team Rocket people were trouble, then…

Roko wasn't usually the type to disobey instructions. But she was going to follow that redhead.