Chapter 1
House of Hollinder
August, 3017
"To finish out this seminar, I want to remind you all of something…" The presenter powered down the slideshow as the whiteboard it had been projected on went blank. He sauntered to the center of the platform, leaning on his cane. "We've entered the days where it is more dangerous to be a Pokémon Ranger than ever before. It may not seem like it. But to be the world's most prominent protectors paints targets on our backs for predators of the common people."
"You might say, 'There's peace because there's no war.'" The presenter shook his head. "… It's how the public sees us, the current force who keeps the peace, and how we treat them. At least, how they think we treat them…" He eyed the audience of leaders for the Pokémon Rangers Association. They all sat relaxed throughout the fanciful auditorium with bored faces. "We are the strongest Pokémon trainers on earth. Which means we are the only ones who can hold ourselves and our teams accountable. Because if we don't, the people will." He sighed, resting both hands on the metal, Arbok head of his cane.
"So, in light of recent events… All I ask is for you all to at least pretend like you care about your jobs. I'm not in such a mood to redefine responsibility to you. Keep it in mind for the future. With that, this meeting's adjourned." He watched the pitifully low attendance of the audience stand from their seats in silence and exit. He packed his presentation items in his bag and followed suit.
The sound of his dress shoes against the tile floor of the hallway leading to the main entrance only amplified the boiling of his blood. With each step, his face felt the contained tensity crescendo under his skin. Just as he swung the glass door open, he heard a voice behind him. "Major Hollinder! Hey! Hold on!" Hollinder stopped and turned back. A man who looked around his late twenties, jogged towards Hollinder, seeming like he had been looking all over for him. "Hello, Officer Iluni. How is the evening treating you?" Hollinder greeted. "Jeez, Major. Your presentation must've really riled you up for you to still be talking like that. Lighten up a little."
"Honestly, I don't know how you can in these times, Iluni. The bulk of the workload lies on rangers like us while the rest slack off live like celebrities, oblivious to how the common man despises them. I don't know how the association affords to provide the Pokémon Rangers such luxurious housing, with how little I feel we do as a whole." Hollinder and Iluni walked outside, as the summer night air brought a cool relief to the Major's face.
"I don't doubt that Lugia's flood has caused unrest. It's been three years and it feels like we're still showing the Kalos Region how to stand on its own feet. But we gotta be hopeful that the times will heal, you know? High ranking officers like you should be leading by example in that regard, don't you think so?" Iluni asked.
"Iluni, do you know how large Lumiose City is now? There are 52 million people living here as of January. It's practically doubled since the flood, for all the people that lived in the cities washed away by Lugia had to end up somewhere. That's what, 25 million? That many people had to find a place to live in Lumiose in such short notice that it broke the system of the city at its seams. Everyone from locals to refugees are in need of support from their region's leaders and what do they tell us? The Pokémon Rangers? "Respond to domestic crisis as you see fit". A real test of initiative that was, and I'd say, nobody's been passing it."
"What I'm saying, Iluni, is Decidueye and I can only do so much. From feeding the homeless refugees, to responding to stray Pokémon attacks, to combatting damn gangs from taking advantage of this influx of lost and confused people, what more can I do than ask for help from my own comrades?" Iluni walked silently, for the overbearing truth of Hollinder's statements kept his lips closed.
"…Speaking of gangs. One's been on the rise, my team's discovered. They call themselves Molcanloc. I only know this cause I was able to beat it out of one of their goons before he croaked. Cyanide tablet inside a fake tooth. We're dealing with THAT kind of shit when it comes to Molcanloc. We suspect they move all kinds of merchandise in and out of the region. From stolen valuables to synthetic credits, to drugs, to people and Pokémon. They've-." Hollinder interrupted. "They aren't news to me, Iluni. I know…" Iluni noticed Hollinder seemed disturbed at the mention of the gang.
"Iluni. If you wouldn't mind focusing your team's efforts on helping the locals rebuild, I would greatly appreciate it. Forget about the Molcanloc, for now. Leave them to me and the other Majors." Hollinder requested. "Why, Major? I thought you would want more help in dealing with organizations like that." Iluni questioned. "As a friend, Iluni. I'm asking you to just trust me on this one."
Iluni stopped and stared at the back of Hollinder as he kept walking momentarily, before racing back to him. "You know, when I get promoted to Major, you and all the other Majors better let me in on all of your secrets." He smiled, nudging Hollinder with his elbow. "I don't take pride in the secrets we keep. We keep them to keep everyone safe."
They reached where Hollinder's personal car was parked in the staff parking lot. "I'll be back in four months. Home in the Johto Region calls." Hollinder informed Iluni. "Now that's a hefty break." Iluni put his hands on his hips. "…I have a project I'm working on at home. It's very important in-." Iluni held his hands up to stop him. "Hey, I'm not judging or anything, Major. If anyone in the association deserves a break, it's you. I hope you get all the rest you need." He nodded. "Thank you, Iluni. I'll see you in January." The two friends shook hands.
"Oh, Iluni, I wanted to say… My condolences, for Drapion. He was one of the strongest Pokémon I've ever met. If you're-." "Come on, go on home! Longer you stay in Lumiose the less time you get with your family and whatnot." Iluni waved his arms, gesturing for Hollinder to get in his damn car already. "…Right. Goodbye Iluni."
Hollinder drove off, away from the parking lot as Iluni waved from behind. "That means a lot coming from you, Hollinder. And yes, I'm managing just fine." In his crossed arms, he tapped a finger rapidly against his shoulder, as he spoke softly to the empty parking lot. He then turned away, bearing his usual smile across his viciously scarred face.
"Home at last." After a 20 hour travel time from the Kalos Region to the Johto Region, Hollinder sunk into his shoes as he stood at the foot of a loose gravel road, which winded far into the trees of a pine forest. The woodland road was long to Hollinder's house was long, yet it was a walk he had been anticipating with excitement for many months.
As he walked, his cane struck the ground, crunching pine needles and dirt beneath it with every other step. About halfway down the path, he stopped and turned his head to gaze at the light of the setting sun breaking through the trees beside the path. "…Can I help you?"
Behind him he heard the click of a gun pointed at his back. "Major Hollinder. If I could just have a moment of your time." A silken, low voice requested. As Hollinder began to turn, the unknown assailant halted him. "Ope-. Keep facing forward. I just got some questions and we'll be done here." Hollinder now could see all of the people cloaked in ghillie suits poking out from behind trees all around the path, aiming their weapons right towards him. He heard multiple bootsteps hustle onto the path to join with the questioning assailant.
"I'm all ears." Hollinder raised his free hand to the air, signaling surrender. "First, where would Dr. Rutigen be at this moment? Our group requires his resources once more." The assailant asked. "Your group, huh? What were you guys called again? Caca Party or something?"
*BANG*
Hollinder kneeled with intense pain, clutching his hand which now had a hole blasted through it. The assailant walked closer behind him. "You must've forgotten where you and your Pokémon Rangers stand in Lumiose City. There's no need for the lot of you playing police officer in our region. You should've died with your general when Lugia washed half the continent away. Now… I'll ask you again. Dr. Rutigen, where is he?"
"I don't know, did you check under the couch cushions?" Hollinder grunted. The assailant kicked him fiercely to the ground, with Hollinder's cane tumbling to his side. "Sir, I really don't know! I've been on a plane for Arceus knows how long. I'd figure you would've known that, considering you followed me all the way here." Hollinder groaned. "Hm… maybe Major Hollinder isn't cracked up to who I thought he'd be. For now, I'll move onto question two. Where does the association keep their mega stones?"
Hollinder breathed deeply, trying to contain the pain. While he lay, he watched the Arbok handle of his cane glare back at him. A faint white light blinked occasionally through the left eye of the small Arbok bust. Upon seeing this, Hollinder turned his attention back to his assailant. "…If I had to guess, we keep them in the mega stone drawer. Should be labeled, mega stone draw-!"
*BANG*
"GAAHAAAHHH" Hollinder writhed, feeling the piercing hot round lodged in his foot. "Perhaps our intel was wrong about you. But a Ranger isn't made Major by mistake." The assailant growled. "Just… Let me go home… I'm supposed to… be on vacation, dammit…" Hollinder heaved, digging his fingers into the dirt. "I hate to disappoint. But it's not like there's anyone waiting for you there. Your wife and kid are out back helping the trees grow now." The assailant sighed, as he took a step back towards his group.
Hollinder could hear them talking to each other as he lay on the ground. "…This one's a lost cause. He's just playing dumb with me..." "…Maybe you shouldn't have shot him up so much…" "…A high ranking officer like him ain't exactly easy to find, you feel?..." Hollinder noticed a faint shadow shoot over the trail as he listened to his attackers mutter to each other.
*TCH* *TCH* *TCHTCH* *TCH* *TCH* *TCHTCH* *TCH* *TCH* *TCH* *TCH*
The camouflaged men began dropping to the ground with brief yelps as black arrows sank into their skulls one by one. The attackers standing on the open path looked around in a panic, watching their allies being taken out by the arrows from the sky. "What the-." The questioning assailant spun around with pistol in hand, only to see Hollinder standing on his own two feet, composed and focused, wielding a compact sub machine gun, he aimed at the attackers. Hollinder promptly sprayed them down while they were distracted by the chaos in the trees.
Both the path and the woods adjacent fell silent simultaneously. Hollinder lowered his weapon to his side, as he approached the dead assailant. "Molcanloc… Crafty bunch." Hollinder looked up to the sound of wings pulsing from the sky above. The Arrow Quill Pokémon, Decidueye descended to the ground before him. "Where's Noivern?" Hollinder asked first. Decidueye pointed with his long, feathered wing down the road towards the house. Noivern, the sound wave Pokémon, appeared down the road, flying straight for Hollinder and Decidueye. "There she is." Noivern landed before them, with an anxious expression on her face. "Noivern, are Dorsey and Kade safe?" Hollinder asked. Noivern trilled with worry. She scratched the dirt with her claws as she looked back down the road. "Alright, carry me there. Before my adrenaline wears off." Decidueye lifted Hollinder into the sky with his talons, quickly flying him to the house with Noivern in tow.
Less than a minute passed before they reached the lone little house at the end of the road. After Decidueye lowered Hollinder to the ground, Hollinder hobbled to the front door, ignoring the bodies that lay scattered on the lawn. Bodies of which were identical to the attackers before.
"Dorsey!" Hollinder called out in a haggled voice. "Dorsey!" The front door swung open. A haggard, young woman with a shotgun stood defensively. Upon seeing Hollinder, tears welled up in her eyes. "Jeffrey!" She threw the gun to the side on the porch and ran out to hug him. "Dors- Ow! Ow! Easy, I'm riddled." He hugged her back with his good arm.
"It's Kade and Ralts! We can't find either of them!" Dorsey cried. "Are there any other combatants on the property and around?" Jeffrey Hollinder asked her as he held her shoulders, trying to calm her down. "We… No, we took care of all of them. But, not even Noivern could find Kade and Ralts with her soundwaves!" She trembled in Jeffrey's arms. "Alright, let's think for a second. If you didn't find them among the Molcanloc, they could be hiding somewhere. Were you with them when you got attacked?" "They… were out playing in the woods. By the time Molcanloc got here, they had the house surrounded. Going outside would have been abandoning my cover. But I should've blasted through to the backyard! I shouldn't have stayed at the house!" "Shh, we're alright. We're okay. Let's send Noivern and Decidueye to look for them. For now, you and I can get rid of all these bodies around our house." Jeffrey signaled with his hands to the two Pokémon, before they both took off into the air, soaring in different directions above the trees. "Kade and Ralts. They're only six and their sense of camaraderie challenges experienced Pokémon Rangers. As long as they're together, they'll be just fine."
As evening turned to night over the roof of the forest, Kade stood by Ralts on a large stump with his small hands on his hips, admiring their work on the hollow tree. "This is so cool Ralts! It's like a house!" Kade pulled back a large leaf from the base of the wide, rotting tree, creating an opening to the fort within its trunk. The two climbed inside and sat against the concave wall of wood, staring off into the moonlit sky that pierced through holes in the tree's ancient bark. "Look how bright the moon is, Ralts! It feels like it's still daytime, it's even still warm out." Kade whispered. "Ralts." The small Pokémon pulled their leaf-door closed from inside the tree.Kade felt the cool grass and leaves lying around him. "I wonder what time it is. We can't be too late getting back, or mom will really kill us this time." The wind whistled through the gaps and cracks of the fort. Leaves swirled around the base of the tree, kicking up dead pine needles that partially buried them. As Kade thought about getting up and going home for the night, he and Ralts fell right asleep.
Kade awoke to a gentle breeze tickling his nose. He looked up through the holes of the fort, for a moment, losing all sense of time. The moon now high in the sky, shining its beams directly through the opening at the top of the dead tree. "Oh no! I fell asleep!" he turned to see Ralts sleeping in a pile of leaves as well. He pulled the big leaf back hurriedly, anxious about what his mother would do when he comes back home. As he was about to call for Ralts to awaken, he suddenly heard a strange humming coming from down the steady slope, a ways away from the tree. Its source was hidden by the dark, dense forest, but was slowly making its way in their direction. "Hey Ralts, wake up! I think mom came looking for us!" Kade whispered.
He then noticed a green colored glow approaching from deep in the forest, and as the voice became more audible, it sounded nothing like Dorsey's voice. "What the heck…" "Ralts." The small Pokémon rolled over from his sleeping spot and joined Kade to see what he was looking at deep in the forest"Be quiet." Kade shushed. The two lay on their bellies, peering out of the entrance.
To their horror, and wonder, they saw the shape of a wildly inhuman entity making its way straight for their fort from down the slope. It's prismatic silhouette had a vibrant green glow to it, which illuminated a small space around it. It's bipedal body looked like a jumble of crystals, with leaves sprouting from the top of its head and shoulders. Three yellow, rhombus shaped eyes were the only facial features it bore on its smooth, shining face. Kade closed the leaf and quickly nestled to the back of the dead tree's interior and held Ralts close to him, panting in fear.
"Hm, I wonder when this got here." The creature had a low and friendly voice. Kade held his breath to listen. The strange creature paced around the tree briefly before speaking again. "I must say this is a nice structure you two built. Very impressive." Kade and Ralts sat still as could be as Kade tried to soften the sound of his breath. "You have no need to hide, for there is nothing here to hide from." It was a voice so pure, capable of piercing any listeners' anxieties.Kade put Ralts to the side and slowly crawled from the fort, his newfound curiosity guiding him to this inviting presence. Ralts followed him out quickly, clinging to Kade's hand.
The mysterious visitor turned to face them, revealing the entirety of its splendor. It's body looked like it was shaped by a master jewel cutter, the surface of its torso and limbs adorned with a variety of polygonal shapes, it's countless angles reflecting the moonlight. The palms of its hands were like emeralds with four crystalized fingers protruding from them. It had no feet, its legs instead narrowed out to pointed pillars that appeared to be standing on thin air. And yet this creature was giant, standing over seven feet tall.
"Hi!... What, uh… Are you a Pokémon?" Kade asked, his voice shaky. "I am." The tall creature knelt down to meet Kade. Kade stumbled back a little. "Do not be afraid. Harm happens not in this place." It held a shining hand towards Kade and lifted him to his feet. "I must ask, what led you to my woods?" Kade recalled what they were doing and looked around at his environment. He noticed to his surprised that the trees surrounding them were nothing like the ones that outlined the forest in his backyard. These trees were enormous, reaching hundreds of feet into the air. "We were just playing outside our house, and we went into the forest. We probably got a little lost, but… this place is so cool! I didn't know there was a place in our forest where the trees grow so big!" Kade couldn't help but be enchanted by his surroundings. The creature chuckled. "Yes, the trees grow quite tall here. I too find them very beautiful."
"Now, tell me again, did you simply walk here?" "Yep!" Kade replied. "How interesting…" The creature looked around, swiveling its decorative head in a complete rotation before facing Kade and Ralts again. "Understand, little ones, that this forest is far, far away from any settlement of man. This forest is timeless and is where mortal life on this world first began. It is a holy place, you see, a place which I keep hidden from the rest of the world."
"Why do you keep the trees hidden?" Kade asked as he sat down on an old stump. The creature sat on the ground next to Kade and stared towards the distant, black mountains. The creature's sigh sounded crisp as TV static. "Well child, there are those out there that don't appreciate trees like we do. People such as that would make a special place like this unclean, for they would prefer their worldly towers over trees on these hills." "So they're bad people?" Kade pressed further.
"None of them are." The creature spoke as if it were to further explain, but instead sighed with a vague tiredness.Kade, so caught up in how this was the coolest moment in his life so far, analyzed every detail of the creature next to him, and couldn't help but notice its sadness. It turned its head towards Kade, glaring at him with profound intrigue. "It has been eons since my last communion. Mankind grew unappreciative of the gifts I brought. I secluded myself within this forest I am tasked to watch over. This place is to be kept secret until a holy day. It is the only place my presence isn't met with hatred anymore."
"…I don't really know what you're talking about..." Kade replied, looking down at his feet. "...I mean, I don't hate you. But I don't really know you either. But… Just because I don't know you doesn't mean I hate you! My Mom told me that there are lots of people I don't know that are probably nice people. And the people I do know I really like." Kade turned towards Ralts, who sat on the grass next to him. "Like my Mom and my Dad and Decidueye and Noivern and Ralts are all really nice to me! One time my Dad even took me to Lumiose City, and I met more kids like me, and they were nice too! Maybe you were only in places where people hated you." Kade gasped as an idea popped into his head. "I can show you!" Kade leaned against the creature's long, crystalline arm. "I can take you to the places where my friends are! I think they'll really like you!"
A cool breeze rustled the leaves in and out of the fort as the trees around them swayed with the wind. "I appreciate the offer." The creature said, patting Kade on his head with its enormous hand. "But I must decline, for I am bound to this forest. It is as I said, there is no place in the human world for me, but it seems there already is for you." Kade lowered his head in disappointment, not quite understanding what the creature meant, but knowing that no meant no. "Then… I'll find a place for you! I can get all my family and my friends together, and I can bring you there! Because I know wherever they are, it will be a nice place anybody would wanna be!" Kade couldn't stop smiling at the thought of his genius plan.
"…I am delighted it was you who fell upon my forest this night." Despite never seeing a face like the creature's before, Kade imagined it smiling as it spoke. "I'd be lying if I said I have never had encounters with pleasant humans such as you from time to time." It said. "Did other people come here before?" Kade asked, hoping this was a special case for the creature. "There are times, at just the right moment, unique minds slip through the border of this forest. As if a door is left opened for them…" It explained. Kade nodded, not knowing what 'unintentionally' meant. "Were they nice people?" he asked.
A cloud passed beneath the moon, covering the forest floor in darkness, but the creature's illumination kept the vicinity dimly lit with its green glow. "…The best." It clutched its face in what appeared to be distraught. "Our interactions were so brief, however…" it focused on Kade, sitting on a stump next to him, with the same big smile across his face. "Let me recall…" It said in a soft tone. "That's okay. You can tell me later!" The moonlight flashed back down onto the forest as the cloud drifted further across the night sky. "I think I'm already past my bedtime. Mom isn't gonna be happy." Kade looked at the half awake Ralts sitting next to him. "Oh yeah! My name's Kade, I forgot to tell you. What's your name?"
The creature picked up an old twig, as it held it, leaves began growing miraculously from its tip. Kade and Ralts watched this spectacle in awe. "…I have been called many names, Kade. I see names as something I collect. I find it fascinating the names that humans create for me." The creature handed Kade the twig, of which his first instinct was to lick it to see what the glowing plant life tasted like. "Can I give you a name too?" Kade was ecstatic to forge a name for this creature himself.
"I would… be grateful." "Okay let's see." Kade began studying the creature. "Hm, it's gotta be a good name for someone really tall and lives in the forest." Kade was in deep thought, as he studied the creature. "I know! Your name can be Dorbee! Hehehe. It kind of sounds like my mom's name but funnier." Kade relished in his cleverness and comedic genius, as he sat mentally attributing the name Dorbee to the creature. "Never have I been given a name by a human child, and yet…" The pure joy Kade exuded seemed brighter than Dorbee's latent glow, catching Dorbee's eye. "… I would say, this is my favorite name I have ever received." Hearing this caused Kade to leap from where he sat, where he shouted Dorbee's name with glee, running around the creature as it sat. Ralts got up and ran with Kade, simply happy to be involved.
"Calm now. Your formidable speed is rendering you beyond my perception" Dorbee held an arm before Kade and Ralts in the middle of their circuit around it, where Kade instinctively climbed Dorbee's enormous forearm. "Okay, okay." After a brief inspection, Kade sat in the palm of Dorbee's outstretched hand like a stool. He leaned over and lifted Ralts up to join him.
"For this name, I wish to give you something in return. Whatever you desire, I will make it yours." Kade's eyes grew wide. "Really?!" "You gave me something that has incredible value to me, it is only right for me to return the favor." Kade turned to Ralts. "Anything, huh." He looked at Ralts, as the small Pokémon rested in his lap, already falling asleep. Kade thought for an unusually long time. The period of silence that followed was the longest it had been so far.
"Dorbee, can you make it so I know what Ralts is saying?" he asked. "To talk to Pokémon, is that your wish?" Dorbee clarified. "Yes! That would be so cool! I've always wanted to know what Ralts says." Dorbee lifted its free hand, and after a few seconds, it began to glow. "I shall grant your request, Kade. In thanks for the gift you have granted me." Both Kade and Ralts stared at Dorbee as a faint ball of light materialized and grew in its hands, shining like a tiny star. The light left its's hands and slowly drifted through the air, into Kade's forehead, causing him to gasp. His irises expanded and retracted rapidly after the light had dissipated into his head.
"Ralts?" Kade turned to Ralts, blinking a few times. His eyes were wide with overflowing joy. "It worked! Yes! Yes, I CAN hear you!" Kade picked up Ralts with all his might and hugged him, shaking with happiness in Dorbee's palm. Kade looked at Dorbee. He set Ralts downand jogged across Dorbee's arm, hugging the crystalline Pokémon as tightly as he could. "Thank you so much." Kade said as joyful tears overwhelmed him. "Anything for a friend." Dorbee hugged him back.
Dorbee brought Kade and Ralts down the slope and through the grassy field below. The moon revealed the path before them as Dorbee led them through the forest. Kade was astonished by the scenery around him, from the lowest valley to the highest hilltop, Dorbee carried the two around their domain, showing the two the extent of its wonder. At every location, the boys played and chased each other around the large being.
Finally, as they stood at the ledge of an overlook, Dorbee turned its head to the horizon, seeing the very faint rays of light from the morning sun flow above the distant hills. "Now you two, I must be on my way. And you should depart to your home. You don't want to stay here too long." Dorbee said. Kade looked up, still holding onto Bob, with tears streaming down his face. "Can I stay just a little longer?…" Kade sniffled. "We can't leave yet... You're my friend now…" Bob lowered Kade to the ground. "As you are mine, Kade. Because of that, I'm sure we will meet again." "But I…"
Kade stopped. This sudden goodbye, the morning sun approaching, this was all playing out like dreams he's had in the past. "…Oh…" The faint, navy blue evidence of sunshine leaking onto the sky's horizon must be the sunlight shining through the curtains in his bedroom back home. As he came to terms with the possibility that everything so far was a dream, he wanted his final moments in this place to not be him whining about not wanting to leave. "Dorbee… I'll… I'll make it so that you'll wanna leave the forest and come see me and Ralts! It's what I said before! I'll make you a place where only the nice people are. There won't be any evil people there, so you won't be scared to come." he rejected this as a dream. "I promise!" he stood tall, pointing at Dorbee. "…I am glad to hear it…" Dorbee positioned itself before Kade and outstretched its arms towards him and Ralts. Kade felt a tingling inside. The last thing he saw was the creatures hands tremble vigorously, before finding himself and Ralts in the backyard of their home.
Kade felt as though he had woken up. He held his frowning face, feeling dizzy. He looked around at the trees in the backyard, which were disappointingly different to the trees of the mystical forest. "…That's so stupid." He started to tear up. "Why can't dreams like that ever be real?" he muttered beneath his hands. He gathered his bearings and began to wonder why he and Ralts had fallen asleep in their backyard. "Ralts?" His small Pokémon companion nudged his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm ok. It's-." he paused, turning to Ralts in shock. He just heard Ralts ask if he was okay, he was absolutely certain those words came from his mouth. He thought he was still dreaming, as he rubbed his face, trying to wake himself up again. He turned to Ralts once more. "Ralts?" He asked. "Yeah, I'm good… Really good." For the first time, words were music to Kade's ears.
"…Why is it so dark out?" Kade peered up at the sky to see it vacant of the full moon that was just there. "And it kinda smells bad out here." He plugged his nose at the stench of blood that littered the grass around him, unfamiliar with the smell. But all he could see was the silhouettes of trees standing in the way of the porchlight, which illuminated the back of their house. The trees, the bushes, the grass, the bodies, all hidden in the darkness of the night.
Kade and Ralts suddenly felt an intense push of wind behind them. Kade turned his head. "Oh, Hi Noivern!" Noivern's stressful face was hidden in the night, as she swooped them both up into her wings. She shrieked with joyous relief. "Geez, Noivern. What's wrong?" He asked, patting the top of her head with his tiny hand. He could see the faint glitter of her tear-stained face from the reflection of the porchlight.
"Noivern! You find them?!" Dorsey shouted from the porch. Noivern hurried to Dorsey, still carrying Kade and Ralts with her. "Oh my-!" Dorsey wrapped her arms around the two young ones immediately. "Where in the world were you two?!" She cried. "Mom, you wouldn't believe it! We-." Just as Kade was getting ready to explain, the glint from one of the body's arms lying in the yard caught Dorsey's eye. "Shh. Shh. You can tell me all about it tomorrow. Let's go inside, and you two need to go to bed! Don't you know how late it is?"
After Dorsey quickly put them to bed, she tiptoed out of their bedroom, closing the door behind her. She stopped and leaned her back against the door. There, she stayed perfectly still. The relief of finding her children was still swarming her mind. "…ugh…" She gently rubbed her hands on the smooth wooden door. "…I guess Arceus hasn't abandoned us yet." She muttered.
Dorsey met with Jeffrey and the two Pokémon in the living room, where Decidueye was aiding Jeffrey in extracting the bullet from his foot. "Were either of them hurt?" Jeffrey winced as Decidueye administered a drop of ointment on his wound. "They were fine. Wherever they were, it seemed like they were having fun." Right then, Decidueye removed the bullet with instant precision. "Shit!" Jeffrey hissed, trying to be quiet. "Huh… Well… That means Molcanloc never found them either." He took deep breaths while the pain subsided. "I'll ask him about it in the morning."
Once the final bandage was wrapped, the four sat down in the living room, inspecting a lone corpse of a Molcanloc assailant Jeffrey had dragged in. He rummaged through their clothes, going through the pockets of their combat jacket and body armor. Pocket after pocket, Jeffrey continued to find nothing within any of them. "These guys had nothing but the weapons they were carrying… Why?" he said as he worked. "What's also strange, is that there were no Pokémon among their forces. Last time there were. And the time before that… and before that." Dorsey pointed out.
Jeffrey then felt something unusually solid when investigating the collar of the corpse's combat vest. He held it up, lifting the head of the body a few inches from the floor. "Cut this open." He ordered Decidueye. With a swift motion of his wing, Decidueye slit an opening on the surface of the reinforced fabric. Jeffrey stuck his fingers into the cut and removed a thin, hexagonal-shaped piece of steel. It's flat surface contained a glowing, neon green grid against a black background. Upon seeing this, both Jeffrey and Dorsey fell silent, for they recognized this device.
Jeffrey made a handwriting gesture with his hands towards Decidueye. The Pokémon stood up and made his way into the kitchen, where he retrieved a whiteboard and a marker from one of the pantries. "Damn, still nothing." Jeffrey said as Decidueye returned with the whiteboard. (They're listening to us) he wrote. (These guys they sent were plants. Not actual agents of Molcanloc. They look more like junkies pulled off the streets).
(This time they will send real agents). Jeffrey scribbled. Dorsey sat and thought for a moment, trying to ignore Jeff's foreboding glare. "Alright," she began, out loud. "How about this? Let's leave tonight and find a place to find a hotel for the night. We can relocate to the other safehouse in this region tomorrow. Since they definitely know where we are there's no point in staying here." Dorsey held out a hand, requesting the whiteboard. (You, Kade, Decidueye, and Ralts should stay here. I'll take the car with Noivern. We'll meet whoever is chasing us). Jeffrey gripped the side of the whiteboard in protest, but Dorsey kept writing. (You're injured. You and Decidueye stay here and protect Kade and Ralts incase our enemy catches on).
"…Sounds like a plan. I'll load up the car." Jeffrey took the listening device and the body and brought them outside with Decidueye where they began piling up bodies. Dorsey headed to her and Jeffrey's bedroom with Noivern following her. She rummaged around in her drawer of keepsakes, pulling out a multitool, handgun, a strange metallic cube, and brilliant multicolored stone. She held the stone in her hand for a moment, its translucence giving its own, rainbow-colored glow against the palm of her hand. Noivern stared with anticipation. "Just in case."
After getting her equipment ready, she loaded up the SUV in their garage, stuffing the passenger seat with enough items and bags to resemble the shape of a person. She threw the back seats down to let Noivern crawl in on her own. As she pulled out of the driveway, she saw Jeffrey outside continuing to stack bodies. He turned and waved silently, his calm and focused gaze read to Dorsey 'I trust you'. She waved back before speeding down the dirt road.
The drive felt like an eternity. Dorsey's focus constantly diverged between the road and the military-grade GPS mounted to her dashboard. The journey was irritatingly uneventful. "Calm down. This is expected." She told herself. "They won't act until the conditions are perfect."
She pulled up to an automobile charging station with an adjacent convenient store. She stepped out of the SUV and plugged it into one of the stations, before going inside the store. The store clerk was lounging on his stool, unconsciously scrolling through his phone as Dorsey entered. Dorsey headed to the refrigerated section, where she perused the shelves of canned coffee drinks. As she stood making her decision, she noticed the enormous, cloaked physique of a stranger appear behind her in the door's reflection.
This mysterious individual was still as they towered above Dorsey as she selected her drink. "Oh, there it is." She opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a tall can of 'Johto Premium: Caramel' from inside. "You know, for gas station quality, Johto Premium is some excellent coffee, especially for long car rides. It's also inexpensive. Only downside is the crash you get later on in the day. What do you think?"
Dorsey spun around, drawing her pistol to shoot. But the stranger was on their guard, as they fired their own weapon at Dorsey. Dorsey slammed against the refrigerator door behind her, cracking the glass. She slumped to the floor, dropping her handgun to her side. "Holy shit-!" the store clerk shouted in shock, before the stranger turned and promptly shot him, painting the store's selection of e-cigarettes with blood.
The stranger stepped forward towards Dorsey, removing a brown leather gloved hand from inside their navy blue trench coat. They reached down to Dorsey, observing behind a mono-lens visor which reflected Dorsey's limp body. The rest of their face was hidden behind a thin, nylon winter mask. Covering their hair was a simple black beanie, which sagged down the back of their head.
As the stranger's hand inched towards Dorsey's body, the windows of the convenient store suddenly exploded as Noivern burst into the building, blasting through the shelves of snacks and souvenirs. The stranger tried to aim their gun towards the Pokémon barreling towards them. But Noivern collided with them in her onslaught, where she forced the stranger through even more shelves and walls, until a gaping hole was formed from one end of the store to another.
Outside, Noivern flung the stranger into a drainage ditch next to the parking lot. The stranger spiraled through the air and landed on their feet with absurd finesse. Above them, they saw Noivern's Dragon Pulse hurtling down towards them in the form of a violet beam of death. The stranger leaped out of the way as the area where she stood exploded into mud and stones.
The stranger pulled a second pistol from their jacket. "You're done." Their voice projected through the small mechanism covering their mouth with a sharp, static tone, masking any sound of a human voice. The stranger fired eight rounds into the air with each pistol. Noivern, who anticipated the bullets, darted sporadically around in the sky. Each and every bullet missed her, almost by a mile it seemed to her. She lowered and prepared to blast her attacker with her Dragon Pulse once again. A sharp pain suddenly drilled Noivern's back. She felt all eight of the fired rounds piercing through her hide. She plummeted to the ground as the bullets continued pushing into her body. She let out a painful screech.
"I see your gimmick now." Dorsey stood at the edge of the gaping hole in the gas station, looking down into the ditch. The stranger made a swiping motion with their hand, and the bullets in Noivern's body shot towards Dorsey. Dorsey held out the metallic cube she had brought with her, and all eight bullets snapped onto the cube's surface. They made clicking sounds as they collided with the cube and stuck to it, where nine bullets could be seen magnetized against it.
"Stay dead this time." The stranger retrieved a flash grenade from their utility vest underneath their coat. They threw it towards Dorsey as it burst before her. A flashing ball of light flickered repeatedly right next to Dorsey. She shut her eyes tightly, holding the cube outwards in anticipation. The stranger's visor protected them from the blinding flashes, and they rushed at Dorsey while she couldn't see.
"Rise Noivern! I'm here!" Dorsey raised her other hand, revealing the brilliant stone. The stone itself briefly flickered before a flash of colored light then illuminated from behind the stranger. They turned in confusion, only to find Noivern in her mega-evolved state, inches from the stranger's face. Her body had grown in size. Her wings more pronounced. Her claws and talons more vicious. Her gaze more intense.
Noivern made a heavy slash at the strangers head with her claws. The stranger dodged quickly in the zone Noivern had predicted, where Noivern then grabbed the stranger by the center of their vest and tossed them high above the ditch. "What-?" Noivern contracted her neck before releasing a Dragon Pulse so potent and powerful, it lit up the parking lot and surrounding area with purple. The Dragon Pulse drilled the stranger, rocketing them into the sky.
Dorsey and Noivern watched the Dragon Pulse beam fly like a shooting star into the distant night, until its light, as well as the stranger, could no longer be seen. "I don't think anybody would survive that. Not from a mega-evolved Pokémon."
They stood in silence for a moment longer before Dorsey broke her composure. "Oh my gosh, are you alright!? You got shot in the back, my baby!" she hugged Noivern tightly before inspecting the wound. Noivern released herself from her mega-evolved state, shrinking in size. "We have first aid in the car. But we gotta leave before the cops come. Let's go."
"…And this was a what you saw?" The following morning, back at the house, Jeffrey and Decidueye had Kade and Ralts sat down at the table as they enjoyed their peaceful breakfast of omelets and razz berry jam on toast. "I don't know what it was, Dad! But they looked like a Pokémon! I swear me and Ralts were just in the forest by the backyard, and suddenly it came to us at our fort-!" "Calm down, Kade. Remember we don't shout while we're inside."
Jeffrey paused, turning to see out the large window by their dining room which provided a view of the backyard, and the forest beyond. "…A Pokémon with no name." he mumbled to himself. "Actually they had a lot of names." Kade commented. "Hm." Jeffrey passed Kade's statement off as partial nonsense, still peering out the window. Decidueye eyed him, knowing that his trainer was about to craft a decision.
Jeffrey thought for a long while, almost disassociating from the room entirely. Decidueye cooed, bringing Jeffrey back into reality. "After everything, I've never heard of something so… strange happening." He turned back to Kade. "Did this Pokémon ever… try hurting you and Ralts?" he asked. "What?! No!... Sorry." Kade hushed himself. "They were really, really nice. They liked the fort we built, and they seemed like they wanted to be friends. But… I don't know why they can't."
"But now I know what Pokémon say." Kade said offhandedly. "Is that so?" Jeffrey was still mulling over the different kinds of Pokémon Kade and Ralts could have encountered in the woods, before grasping the full extent of what Kade just said. "Wait-. Really?" "Yeah. I don't hear the noises they make anymore. I hear words now." Kade explained. Jeffrey raised an eyebrow. He had awareness of his child's vast imagination, but it was an extremely rare occurrence that Kade would blatantly lie to him. And whenever Kade would, it was always too obvious. But Jeffrey wanted to make sure. "Kade, do you remember when we talked about being honest and dishonest?" Upon being asked this, Kade became visibly frustrated. "I'm not being dishonest! I'm telling the truth!" Ralts piped up next to him, patting Kade on his arm. "See?! Ralts just said I'm being loud again!"
Jeffrey held onto his doubts, until he turned and saw Decidueye's intense expression. The Pokémon sat frozen in astonishment. Jeffrey observed his Pokémon's reaction, while Kade and Ralts quietly argued with each other. "Hm. Alright then. Decidueye. Tell me, what year did you and I meet Dorsey and Noivern?" He asked. Decidueye replied with his usual Pokémon speech. "Dec…idueye." Jeffrey turned to Kade. "What did he say, Kade?" he asked, putting Kade on the spot. "3007, at the shipyard… Dad, what's a shipyard?" Jeffrey shot Decidueye a scolding glare before affirming Kade's answer. "That's right." He nodded. "…Unless this is some elaborate prank you're all putting me up to." "Dad!"
Just then, the front door opened and Dorsey stepped in with Noivern behind, both carrying bags of groceries. "We're home!" she announced. "Mom and Noivern have food!" Kade and Ralts lept down from their chairs and hurried to Dorsey, hugging her. "Good morning! Here-, take this bag. It has the pecca berry pastries in there." She informed. Kade and Ralts let out a victorious war cry as they grabbed the bag from Dorsey and hurried to the kitchen. "Decidueye, can you make sure they put everything where it all goes?" she asked. Decidueye went to action, helping Kade and Ralts put food away in the correct pantries.
Jeffrey came and hugged Dorsey upon her return. "How did you and Noivern fair last night?" he asked in her ear. "We met an agent of the Molcanloc we think. One we haven't seen before." she began. "And?" "Like usual, they tried assassinating me, but they fell for our bait. Had a little scuffle and blasted them to the moon. But Noivern got hurt. Her back isn't in good shape." Jeffrey looked at the enormous patch placed just below the base of Noivern's wings as the Pokémon passed by with a prideful expression. "I see…" Jeffrey took the bags from Noivern, easing her load. "Next time. I'll be the bait."
Jeffrey turned to bring the grocery bags to the kitchen but Dorsey stopped him, tugging on his sleeve. "I don't want us to keep being bait, Jeff." Jeffrey looked at her. It had been a long time since he could see this sizable amass of stress buildup in her eyes. "…I know." They stood together silently while Kade and all the Pokémon put groceries away together. "…I'm sorry this is our reality. To live on the run."
Jeffrey looked into the kitchen, where Decidueye lifted Kade to place a small bag of candy in the highest cupboard. "But I've noticed… Kade's reality seems vastly different than ours. All this moving around is just an adventure to him." He turned back to Dorsey. "And I'm willing to hike to hell and back to keep it that way. We may not be able to find that normal, peaceful life. But Kade already has it, he's living it, right now, as we speak. To preserve that, I'd fight every agent of the Molcanloc a thousand times over. Because so few in my life get to have that nowadays. So if I can provide that life to just one person, then it is worth dedicating my life to."
Dorsey clasped his hand, guiding her thumb against his skin. "He wants to be a Pokémon Ranger, you know. He admires you so much." Jeffrey cracked a vague smile through his stone-faced stare at the floorboards. "So the boy's got dreams already…" The gravity of Dorsey's words made Jeffrey's knees weak. "…But how terrible of a parent would I be to allow our son into a job so dangerous. There are implications to being a Pokémon Ranger. Thousands would hate him just for the title alone. He himself would be hunted. I couldn't-."
"You tell me to listen to you but you won't even listen to yourself." Dorsey interrupted. "You want to preserve the world as Kade sees it? Then we'll do just that. For as long as we can. But there'll come a day when he'll grow up and head out on his own. We like to imagine it, but we just can't hide the horrors of our lives from him forever. What we CAN do is prepare him so that he's strong enough to handle anything. And I mean ANYTHING, Jeff."
Dorsey hugged him. "It's okay to be scared. The things that happen to us are really scary sometimes. But we can always rely on each other for protection, we can rely on our Pokémon. The whole reason we're hunted in the first place is because of how formidable we are." She said. "You're right. We are strong. And with our help, Kade and Ralts could be the strongest pair of rangers yet." They both turned and watched Kade and Ralts flick grains of salt at each other. "Also, apparently Kade can talk with the Pokémon."
"Hm? What?"