Chapter 39: Opera is Cool
'It's so nice to just sit here on the docks, empty my mind, and have a nice round of fishing. Just me, my silly little land tank, and whatever I manage to drag up from down there... Don't look at me like that, I'm not using a pokemon fishing rod! I'm using a perfectly normal fish fishing rod! The only pokemon this bait could possibly catch is Loafy, and he's busy harassing other fishermen at this time.'
-"GOSH DANG IT YA GREEDY OCTO- GET THE HELLA WAY FROM MY GOOD ROD!"
-"Octillery..." *nom*
'Never change, Loafy. Never change.'
'Speaking of which, the locals finally all came back, save for a few families who decided to move up to Violet or Goldenrod City. And that one kid. He's busy doing... whatever it is young trainers do after weeks on the road. Probably regretting not packing enough underwear? Bah, he's ten. It's the perfect time for him to go out into the world and make mistakes! But besides him, it's nice to have a little human company again!'
'No, I don't count Riley, he's a weirdo. A nice guy, sure. But such a weirdo.'
'The regular fishermen are hanging around the docks, passing beers back and fourth and giving me the odd look. They've been pretty tame since learning I can't be captured anymore. They're especially tame after learning that if they try to catch my daughter -LITERALLY EVERYONE- will turn against them.'
' E'
'But other members of The Cooler Crew are fair game, so they're excited to catch some pretty tough pokemon! Mayor whats-his-face even thinks the extra strong pokemon in this area will bring in tourists! And after talking with the lot, some of my old teammates actually do want to be captured eventually, so I'm fine with it to.'
'I hear Emperor is looking to retire. Good for him! He's probably gonna let some kid or a nice old person catch him and just hang around town. I'll put the word out next chance I get, as best as a jellyfish can put the word out, so hopefully someone takes the bait.'
'My kid is busy playing right now with her new friends, some Goldeen spawn from up the river and one of those Squirtle kids who decided to stick around. That little one is owned by Nurse Joy. Well, technically it was adopted by Chansey, but Joy owns the pokeball. Having a turtle nurse in training ought to go a long way to improve their image around here, not that we blame the kids for what happened to them, but still. I'm looking forward to it!'
'Let's see, what else? ...Nah, it's been pretty uneventful lately. Ever since Ranger boy got called away, probably on some new trouble, things have been blessedly quiet. I could really get used to this sort of thing~'
As Jessie contemplates his new, quiet life, a soothing song comes wafting out over the waves.
"Now what? ...Scuse me gents, watch my ride for me will you?" Leaving his cart with the confused men, Jessie dives into the water and swims out to check on the noise.
He soon arrives at a woman, beautiful and alluring, but of a species he has never seen before. She sings passionately up on her rocky perch, but there is a hint of desperation and loneliness to her voice. Noticing his approach, the lady stops her ensnaring performance and prepares to swim away.
"Woah woah! Easy there, didn't mean to startle you. I'm just checking out the noise is all."
-"Prima..." She relaxes slightly, but stays cautious.
"I see you're nervous. No worries, I totally get it! If some strange Tentacool comes up to you it's better to play it safe, right? Well, I'll stay right here. How's that sound?"
-"Prim. Primarina."
"Great! Well as I was saying, my name is Jessie. I'm something of a leader to the pokemon around here. Basically it's my job to look out for these fine folk. And who might you be?"
-"Primarina. Prima prim?"
"No, no I haven't seen anyone looking for a lost pokemon, Cyan. But I'll tell you what, there is a Poke-center just over that-a way. It has a permanent seaside location where we water types can swim right up to receive treatment. I'm sure if you ask Chansey, they'll be able to put out a call for your trainer."
-"Prima!" Seeming to get over her nervousness finally, Cyan gracefully leaps into the water beside the floating Tentacool.
-"Prim prim?"
"Haha, sure thing. I'll be your escort! But I have to ask, what's a classy lady like you doing in a rural place like this? I mean, I've seen Dewgong swim by here before, but never a pokemon like you."
-"Primar, rinaaa... Prim!"
"I'm sorry, did you just say, teleportation?"
Elsewhere, Riley arrives at a ruins, chasing down leads to a missing professor. Sending out a search team, he locates nothing but wild pokemon native to the local ponds. All traces of the professor, his research, and his personal effects, seem to have vanished without a trace.
The only odd thing remaining in this place is a single floating... glitch?
-"This looks just like it was described by the association reports. Hey Pichu, isn't this that 'Phantom Pokemon' phenomenon that Poke-centers are reporting around the region?"
-"Chu chu." They nod, immediately recognizing the stretched out form of a floating, non-colored Wartortle. The empty space burns with the sound of static and undulates with various nonsensical images, each movement bringing a wave of new images and nausea.
-"Let's not get too close then. Remember what the report says about these things."
-"Touching one tends to... alter, the things it comes into contact with."
