CHAPTER 2

City Hall wasn't hard to find.

As the administrative power in charge of keeping the city alive and functional, it was smack dab in the center of Belona. If the colorful tapestries and flags hanging off the building weren't already dead giveaways, then the giant lake situated in front of it provided another landmark for navigation.

Central Lake was the source of all our drinking water. Thanks to Water type Pokemon, it always remained nice and full. Clearstones dropped into its depths ensured an abundance of essential minerals while impurities were removed. Deep within the ground, a pipe network ran across the whole city and helped bring water to wells scattered throughout districts.

Among endless stone buildings, the lake's clear and reflective surface held a more natural charm. I used to find it beautiful when I was little… used being the keyword.

After all the books I'd devoured over the years at the library, I wouldn't be satisfied until I saw a real lake on the surface now.

I was out of breath by the time City Hall came into view, but my sprinting turned into a normal walking pace well before then. I didn't want to get told off by any passing Belright Guards. They patrolled the whole city, but their vigilance was especially high in the inner and outermost sections of Belona.

Like usual, there were people camped at the edges of Central Lake. Peddlers with the desire to sell or otherwise barter their goods called out to people on their lunch breaks. In between all the shouting, soft strains of music echoed in the air from the rare bard. Musicians and decently-crafted instruments were few and far in between, but they existed. The earliest survivors had done their best to pass down as much history, knowledge, and culture as they could.

The bards weren't alone. Storytellers, young and old alike, made their voices known as they recited words with careful enunciation. Nearly all of them had attracted some number of people, but one storyteller stood far above the rest. His audience was so large that I had trouble squeezing by.

"The earth roared." An old man spoke in the distance, his frail voice almost a whisper. People clung onto his words like lifelines anyway. "Rain poured down without end. Before my very eyes, the sky was cleaved in two. Strange lights flashed. Beyond their glow, an unknown being began to make its way out of the rift. Black claws tipped with yellow emerged first. Then faceless heads full of teeth followed. Just when I thought I would see the monstrosity in full…"

People jumped as a sharp sound echoed in the air. With a surprising amount of force, the old man had clapped his hands together.

"Lightning struck the beast. Bolts were thrown like hammers as something darted through the skies. As my family and I fled, I threw glances over my shoulder hoping to see the Legend that had saved the evacuees. But it was too fast, too bright for the eyes—"

It was a story I was familiar with. In fact, I knew the old man reciting it very well. The whole city did. At the honorable age of one hundred and two, Isaac Strohm was the oldest living person in Belona. He'd been here since its founding, and he'd survived the Longest Night. Many of the written records available in the city's library and archives had been contributed by him.

Needless to say, he was well-respected. I'd spent most of my free time when I was younger listening to him share first-hand accounts about the past. If half of my knowledge came from reading every piece of text stored in the archives, then the other half came directly from him.

His voice faded into the background as I finally slipped past the throng of spectators. Only a low staircase stood between me and City Hall now. I took the steps two at a time without slipping, and then I practically threw the front doors open.

It was quiet inside. Oddly soothing sounds of pencils and quill pens scratching against paper filled my ears. There were scribes and secretaries doing all manner of work as far as I could imagine, everything from logging new births and deaths to taking stock of available resources. I went to the nearest available person hunched over a desk and knocked lightly on the wood. Inquisitive eyes peered up at me.

"I'm here to pick up some items," I told her. "I have a letter of recommendation."

Said letter was promptly handed over to the woman at the desk. Brows flew up into the air when she opened it and read the first few lines, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Very well. ID please."

A thin metallic card left my hand for hers. Beautiful, neat letters had been engraved into it many years ago along with the symbol of our fair city. The secretary set it down for the time being to go fetch something. When she returned, it was with a faded folder in her grip. She flipped it open while holding my ID card with her other hand.

"Orion Hadley, born to Marissa and Carson Hadley in the month of the White Sea Moon… January 16th of Celestial Year 84…" she muttered.

No matter where you looked or went, the influence of Arceus was far-reaching. Even our new calendar had been styled with the Original One in mind. Yes, Arceus was a great deity who'd stopped humanity from being wiped out completely, but as much as I was thankful for such saving grace…

I also had plenty of frustrations and questions.

Why didn't Arceus intervene sooner? Why were people so content to live here in the underground? Even if the outside was dangerous, didn't they want to leave someday? I found the level of devotion in Belona to be unsettling in all honesty.

Wasn't it up to us to take charge of our own futures from here on out? For humanity to truly rebuild itself?

Of course, all of this stayed in my head. Such thoughts were considered blasphemous and would land you in hot water with the Euria Church. While no one ever got banished or anything for voicing controversial thoughts out loud, they did end up socially isolated. I'd seen it happen twice already to other locals.

I tapped a foot impatiently against the floor. Eventually, the secretary snapped the folder shut and returned my card to me. Her lips quirked into a small smile before falling flat once more.

"Your information has been verified. Happy tenth birthday."

Finally.

My impatience reached an alltime high as I watched the woman head down the hall and disappear behind a door. A full minute passed, but it felt more like an eternity to me. I tried not to grin when the secretary came back with a small bag in her hands. Instead of sitting down once more, she remained standing and withdrew the bag's contents.

I didn't dare to blink as two spherical devices were slid across the counter in my direction. I picked them up without a word.

Metallic red and white surfaces gleamed brightly under the lights. The lack of scratches or discoloration indicated they'd been preserved uncannily well. I stared at their pristine outer shells a little longer, then traced the thin bands of black that circled around to small buttons in the middle.

My fingers itched to press them even though nothing was inside.

Before the world half-fell to ruins, apparently it was a rite of passage for fifteen-year-olds to go on a journey across their home regions. To honor tradition and preserve a piece of humanity's history, every citizen of Belona received a Pokeball when they turned fifteen. It was usually a more primitive model made from materials harvested from the fields and mines.

For people who contributed enough to the city or met certain requirements, they received something different.

A relic of the past. A reminder of what once was.

A Pokeball from a lost era, just like the ones now in my hands.

I was lucky enough to get these five years ahead of when I was supposed to— no, that wasn't right. I'd earned these.

Worked my ass off every single day. Ran errands for locals from one end of the city to the other. Helped out in the fields until my legs gave way from exhaustion. Aced every class and assessment in school… all to get recognition from those above me.

So, so much work, and it had all paid off.

Everything would start from here.

"Now, before you leave," the secretary suddenly spoke up.

Or not.

With more than a little reluctance, I tore my gaze away from my newfound treasures. The City Hall employee wore a stern expression as she stared down at me. "As a reminder, one of these Pokeballs was deducted from your contribution tokens."

I held back a wince and bobbed my head up and down in a silent nod. I would have only gotten one Pokeball today had I not made up my mind earlier this month to pay for a second. Due to the scarcity of modern Pokeballs and the materials and effort needed to make new ones, every Belona citizen excluding the best Belright Guards only ever got one Pokeball in their lifetime.

When, and not if, I left the underground someday, then I was obviously going to need more than one Pokemon with me. Having most of my savings gone in the span of a single day sucked, but my dream mattered more.

"A few other things," the woman continued. She raised fingers as she spoke. "Starting tomorrow, you need to visit Belright Headquarters after class each day. You'll be assigned part-time duties until you graduate from school at the end of the year."

I still didn't understand why I couldn't just quit school now considering I knew the whole curriculum already, but rules were rules.

"Most important of all, you have permission to capture or keep Pokemon of your own. But!" Here, the receptionist paused emphatically to stare me in the eye. "Until you become a full-time member of the Belright Guards, you're not allowed into the tunnels. Any Pokemon you wish to catch must be within city limits. Understood?"

"Understood," I echoed with a smile.

It was innocent enough that the secretary didn't think twice and nodded with satisfaction.

"Have a nice day then."

I was still smiling as I walked out of City Hall.

There were a lot of wild Pokemon who lived here in our underground chasm. Either they left us alone, or they were friendly enough to help us with work in exchange for food. I'd tried getting close to them in the past, but none of those Pokemon had ever clicked with me. Just like the citizens of Belona, they were content to live out the rest of their lives here in the underground. They were far too docile.

There were also Pokemon that the Belright Guards provided, but those were under their organization's collective ownership. They got loaned out and swapped between guards on duty. I wanted a Pokemon of my own.

In my head, I whispered a silent apology.

Sorry, City Hall lady.

I already had a Pokemon waiting for me, and it definitely wasn't inside the city.

Back into the maze of streets I went. Instead of heading home, I went north. After a solid half hour of power walking, I took a sharp turn. I was entering familiar territory now. Up a flight of cascading stairs to an elevated neighborhood, down some sketchy alleys and cracked sidewalks… soon enough, I approached the edge of the city.

Fortified stone walls with lights peeking out of alcoves greeted me. From my position on the upper level of the city, I could see sentries posted by gates.

Down there were 'official ways' out of the city. I wasn't going to use those obviously.

Behind a rundown salon at the end of the street was a certain little cliff ledge. It jutted out in a sharp, thin point, and if you looked across…

There was an opening in the cave wall on the other side, one half-hidden in the gloom. A small entrance that took you to the vast networks of tunnels outside the city.

That opening and cliff ledge also happened to be separated by about ten feet of empty air. Definitely not an easy jump by any means.

I knew because I'd done it before, and I was about to do it again. I'd aced all my assessments in school. That included physical education.

I backed up more than a few steps and took off running into a jump.

For a moment, I felt free as I flew through the air.

Then my feet hit solid ground on the other side, and I let out a grunt. I'd made it. A bit reckless, but I knew my own capabilities best. I took out the Daystone I carried around with me and gently squeezed it twice. Light poured out from the small rock with subdued intensity. On the off chance there were wild Pokemon around, I didn't want to piss them off.

Now with light to guide my way, I walked further down the passage. I made sure to keep my eyes and ears open for telltale sounds of disaster like a passing Rhydon, Arceus forbid. Thankfully, I was alone.

That changed about five minutes into the tunnel when I hit a fork in the road. A familiar Pokemon was waiting for me on top of a half-broken boulder.

"Bell, I brought it!" I grinned, holding up one of two brand new Pokeballs.

Excited chirps were aimed in my direction. Then blue and purple wings took flight, and a Zubat launched herself at me. The impact was almost non-existent as she latched onto my shoulder and nuzzled my neck.

I'd first found this tunnel a year ago and Zubat — or Bell as she liked to be called — shortly after. Her nickname came from how she enjoyed listening to the city bells ring from afar. Zubat were one of the most common species of wild Pokemon around these parts. They typically lived in huge colonies, but they didn't pose a threat so long as you didn't mess with or otherwise annoy them.

Bell had been on scouting duty for her colony when we first met. I'd accidentally aimed sunbeams from a Daystone directly at her while exploring, and the exposure to light had weakened her enough that she'd crashed into my head. I had to bribe her with fruit at the time so that she wouldn't melt my face off in retaliation or fetch backup.

I ended up coming back more and more frequently to map the tunnels and get closer to her. Our tentative ceasefire eventually turned into a long-lasting friendship. Bell had been a curious, spunky little creature long before we ever met, but the stories I regaled her with of Belona and the outside world only excited her further. We bonded over a mutual desire to leave the underground someday… and to get stronger together. She was smaller than average for a Zubat, but she was a born fighter.

My plans for the future were very specific. I needed Pokemon around here who were as ambitious as me, could help me survive on the surface, and weren't too hard to take care of. Food wasn't exactly scarce in the underground, but it didn't grow aplenty either. We had thousands of mouths to feed in Belona. Adding Pokemon on top of that just made things harder. People who owned one got a small amount of extra rations, but they were mostly expected to take care of their Pokemon by themselves. That usually meant shelling out contribution tokens for more food.

Luckily, Bell was easy to handle. She fed off small insects in the caves on her own, and I supplemented her diet with fruits and Berries from my food stash. I'd even taken her future evolution into account. By the time she became a Golbat, we would either be out of here, or she'd be strong enough to hunt in the underground without getting killed. She also checked off all the other criteria I wanted in a partner Pokemon: smart, tenacious, and with useful skills like flight and echolocation.

She also liked headpats. Who cared if she didn't have eyes? Bell was the cutest bat in the world, and I didn't want to hear otherwise.

In the middle of me rubbing the back of her head, Bell let out a series of clicks and chirps in rapid succession. She'd been waiting all day and wanted to try the Pokeball already. My hand paused mid-pat.

"Are you sure?" I asked. It was more a formality at this point given how often the topic had come up, but I inquired anyway. "You could stay with your colony a little longer if you want."

An insistent screech filled my ears. Bell had already said her goodbyes. She'd been ready to leave them for a long time now, for that was how much she valued our friendship and shared dreams.

I didn't make light of her resolution to leave the family she'd been born and raised with. Bell's pointy ears pricked upwards as I raised a Pokeball with my free hand. I gave her a word of warning, then tapped the metallic sphere against the side of her head.

Before my eyes, Bell's form was sucked inside in a cloud of red light. I'd seen the phenomenon before when city guards released their Pokemon, but it was different when I was the one doing it. The Pokeball in my hand seemed to grow warmer for an instant. I felt it shake once in my hand, and then it stilled completely with a soft click.

I let a few moments pass before I pressed a button. The same red light from before shot out and brought Bell with it.

"How was it?" I asked, unable to keep bubbling excitement out of my voice. "Did it feel comfortable?"

If Bell had eyes, I would have said they sparkled. She chirped over and over again in a voice full of wonder.

According to her, she had been teleported into a cave-like environment full of stalactites to hang off of. Everything had looked real enough, but she'd felt on an instinctive level that it was more like a dreamscape. An environment crafted from her desires and consciousness. If she concentrated hard enough, then she was able to hear what went on in the outside world. Altogether, she'd found it a strange but pleasant experience.

I nodded thoughtfully to myself. Sounded about right. I'd read in books that Pokeballs basically digitized Pokemon into simulated environments for recuperation. It almost made me wish I could see the inside of one for myself, but that was impossible.

Smiling, I stuffed Bell's Pokeball into one of my pockets. I still couldn't believe she was really mine now. Sure, we'd been hanging out and training together over the last year, but it was different knowing that I could actually take her around with me from now on.

"Alright, let's eat first. I brought a bunch of food to celebrate today. We can train after," I announced.

Unable to contain her excitement, Bell flew loops in the air while I pulled out small fruits and Berries from my bag. No cake, but this was luxurious enough for my birthday.

While I peeled an Oran Berry for Bell using a knife, the Zubat gave me her latest report. She'd mapped another section of the caves albeit a small one. Our progress was incremental because of obstacles like roaming predators and the sheer labyrinth that was the underground, but I didn't mind. Realistically, I wasn't leaving until years down the road. I had to prepare sufficiently first.

We discussed her findings as we ate.

"So… you found something like this? Wait, there were Rhydon tracks over there? Okay, so we should avoid that area from now on…"

Using a random sharp rock, I doodled on the ground while Bell chattered in my ears. A map of the underground as I knew it slowly revealed itself in the earth. Jeez, just how far up was the entrance to the surface—

Rustle.

I reacted instantly. My head snapped up, and I shot to my feet with Bell's name on my lips.

"BELL!"

The Zubat had already abandoned her meal. A streak of blue darted through the air for the darkness beyond my Daystone's reach. She did not possess eyes, but Bell was still capable of instilling fear. Waves of pressure flew out from her mouth. The Mean Look was blasted further into the tunnel—

"ACK!"

And instead of a Pokemon, a very human cry cut through the air instead. I squeezed my Daystone with a death grip and swung my hand upwards. The rock's light increased exponentially.

Further down the passage, a familiar boy stood on a floating sheet of rock. His limbs had temporarily locked up from Bell's Mean Look, but he somehow managed to stay upright without falling. I wasn't sure whether to be more shocked by him, the strange little Pokemon floating next to him that I identified as a Magnemite, or the fact that he was on a freaking rock hovering inches above the ground. It was a bona fide rock, too, and not a Geodude.

We stared at each other with eyes that widened in recognition.

"Stein Colson?"

"Orion Hadley?"

Author's Note: Took some inspiration from Pokeballs in the Pokemon Adventures manga. I like the idea that Pokemon are aware of what goes on in the outside world even when they're on standby mode. The top half of a Pokeball also becomes transparent depending on if they're minimized or not. Finally: Zubat deserves more appreciation! That's it.

ORION HADLEY, AGE 10
01. Bell / Zubat / Female