"Sorry, Zorua," Ash told the ghost fox.
"I'm quite alright, really…" Zorua told as she walked ahead of the group. She turned her head back to speak, "The pain has already subsided."
Ash frowned, still feeling like he did something wrong. He knew that Zorua was rather shy and that she did not like fighting the same way as most he and everyone else did. So, when he threw a Force Palm through her during the short morning practice, he was worried that he might have hurt in more ways than just the physical.
"Ash," Pikachu called out. "You just forgot you knew Odor Sleuth. It's a mistake."
"Pikachu, the whole point was to use the fact that she's intangible by default to have evasion training without actually getting hurt." Ash spat. And he messed that up.
"...If it helps, I now am very motivated to learn how to dodge," Zorua gave a pained laugh.
Ash winced.
Goldeen flew over him. "It's nowhere near the worst training accident I've seen, Ash."
Ash tilted his head.
"Staryu once flew into the kitchen cabinet and smashed several glass jars on top of himself." Goldeen turned back and flashed her trainer a smirk. "So not only was he covered in broken glass, but also peanut butter and honey!"
"You traitor!" Staryu let out an exaggerated gasp. "Goldeen, that was so mortifying!"
Misty gave an audible chuckle as she patted Staryu to calm down. "Oh, I remember that. We had to rush immediately to the store to replace everything."
Staryu slumped in surrender, though it was very exaggerated.
Ash slowly nodded his head. It might have resulted in no serious injuries, but it was definitely an embarrassing moment.
Onix slithered over to the Riolu, his giant body casting a shadow over Ash. "Ate Geodude," he said simply.
Everyone, not just Ash, turned towards the hopping living rock, the same thought ran through their minds.
"Wow…" someone said.
Geodude let out a slight shrug. "Don't know who had it worse; him or me."
Brock nodded with his friend, confirming this was indeed the case.
That definitely made the Riolu feel better about himself. Suddenly, his own mistake seemed that much less painful.
Still, he had to make sure Zorua was fine. "So, uh Zorua, you still up for some practice later?"
"I… believe so," Zorua said in a timid tone.
Ash hoped that meant she forgave him.
"Are we there yet?" Pikachu asked.
"Provided we are not lost," Zorua replied, her tone somewhat bitter. "Which is why I am thankful I have walked this road before."
Ash flashed them both a smile. Hopefully, they wouldn't get lost and miss out on the sole reason they rushed to this island in the first place.
The Riolu turned his gaze forward, excited by the promise of what lay ahead. The mountain path they had taken snaked over green hillsides and thickened forests. In the distance, a mountain stood alone, barren of lasting foliage, beckoning them forward. In a way, it almost reminded him of home, when he explored the wilderness with friends.
All over the road, Pokémon appeared, usually flying overhead or perched in the trees. And as they went on, there seemed to be more of them.
It was only as they crested the next hill did they see their destination.
It resembled nothing less than a medieval castle from Galar or Kalos, with stone walls that had been overgrown by dense vines. Red and orange banners draped over the walls, whilst on the center of the gatehouse was an oversized reptilian skull.
It almost looked out of place.
Outside the walls, small village consisting of both permanent buildings and improvised tents stood. A mass of Pokémon waited patiently by the gates.
"What is that?" Ash pointed.
"That is the Hall of Memories at the heart of the Hyacinth Highlands," Zorua answered, her eyes transfixed on the site. "It seems that the Festival proper has not started yet, though it would have been fine if we missed the opening ceremony."
"It…doesn't look like a library." Ash brought a paw to his chin. He thought that they were going to a museum or library, not a castle. On the other hand, it did look more impressive than where he originally thought they were going to.
"It was not, not originally, but it serves as one now," Zorua answered, she then grew a smile. "Come, let's get closer." She bounced forward, a visible energy in how she walked. Thankfully, it seemed like she was doing better now.
"So, how is this a festival?" Misty questioned. "I get that this isn't like back home, but is going to the library really the point?"
"Misty, have you seen the prices on books? Scrolls are somewhat affordable to the average Pokemon, but they have to write nearly everything by hand or paw here." Brock stated. "Whoever runs this has got to be incredibly wealthy and is basically showing off."
Zorua nodded at this. "Yes, that is correct. Under normal circumstances, access to the Hall, and especially its deeper records is restricted without paying a sizable sum of money; technically affordable to us, but costly enough that we're really better off not paying for it. The Clan who owned the Hall had a tradition every ten moons to grant a week of free access to any visitors."
Ash quietly thought about his brief stay at Scholar Aspen's place. He had a big library. "So, how much stuff do you guys think is in there? Because I think even Scholar Aspen had more stuff than Professor Oak."
"Ash, Professor Oak uses computerized records and has access to the internet. He doesn't need a very big library full of books since his servers are basically very compact digital libraries. On top of that, if he doesn't have information, he could always get that information from someone else who might have it." Brock stated with a laugh. "In fact, your Pokédex if it was an actual book could be over hundreds of pages long or even thousands depending how thoroughly documented it is. And that's just for Kanto Pokémon. And then we can add all of the personal information you can put into it."
"Wow…" Ash felt the weight of his backpack increase, as if he was suddenly aware of just how much he had been made to carry. He felt he needed to… add to Dexter, somehow.
"...How?" Zorua gaped, awestruck.
Pikachu chuckled. "Humans learned to write in electricity!"
"Incredible…" Zorua shook her head. "Either way, while we're inside, there are a number of records from outsiders who came into Citrine, among other things. Going into the Hall can only help us."
Everyone followed Zorua as they walked through the village and towards the castle.
In front of the gatehouse and drawbridge, a large crowd of Pokémon gathered. There had to have been hundreds of visitors There was everything from a Kangaskhan, a herd of Tropius, to a very literal school of fish. All of them stared in anticipation, waiting for something.
"Hey, Brockruff, this remind you of anything?" Geodude called out to his trainer.
Brock nodded his head. "Yeah, it's just like Cameron Castle in Rota. It's north of Pewter City and Mt. Moon."
Zorua for some reason gave Brock a bewildered stare.
"Huh, maybe we should have gone there," Ash commented as everyone stepped close to the gathering of visitors. Maybe he could do that after he met with Pidgeot once again, which would probably come after Professor Oak. Actually, that brought up an idea. "Hey, wait, so, this is meant to be a library and museum?"
"The oldest and most prestigious private collection in Citrine," Zorua answered, a sliver of excitement in her tone. "Most of its collection is in the form of physical documents and artifacts, though it does also possess an extensive trove of scrolls containing the memories of ancestors."
"That's what I wanted to hear." Ash set his bag down and immediately dug through it. He pulled out his belt, stripped of its Pokéballs. Further, he also took out Dexter. He slung his oversized belt like a sash and strapped his trusty Pokédex near a holder right near his shoulders.
"Ash, you look ridiculous," Pikachu commented.
"Maybe," the Riolu admitted as he opened Dexter's case and pressed a few buttons.
You have activated recording mode. Dexter's electronic voice rang out.
Pikachu's eyes widened. "Oh, I get it, you're going to record what you're looking at when going through the library."
"Yup!" Ash smiled at his closest friend. "That way, when we go home, Professor Oak can see some of it." In fact, he was pretty sure that as far as field research went, this was way better than Gary capturing a hundred different types of Pokémon.
"Technology is incredible," Zorua murmured.
"Ash, aren't you forgetting something?" Misty deadpanned.
Ash, not realizing what she meant, looked around and saw his hat on the ground. Oh, right, his hat must have fallen off. He bent and put it back on. "Thanks, Misty."
"That's not…" Misty slapped her face. "Ash, you're a Pokémon!"
"Yeah? We've been that way for weeks now," Ash said back. It was sort of obvious.
"Um… nevermind," Misty groaned.
Then, just as Ash was about to ask what they were waiting for, his question had already been answered.
The gates in front of the castle rose.
A gigantic living spire - a Gigalith - walked out, the fanfare of trumpets echoing from the cavities in its body.
Ash felt the sound reverberate into his bones. He took Dexter into his paws, directing its camera to where the event unfolded.
The crowd of onlookers immediately fell silent, their eyes locked onto the event that just happened.
From behind the Gigalith stepped forth a Marowak. However, unlike any Marowak he had ever seen, this one bore blackened scales instead of the more common brown. In his hands was not a bone club, but an ornate staff from which blue fire emanated from its tip. There was also something off about his skull helmet, but Ash couldn't tell from this distance.
"Who is that?" Ash said.
"That would be Curator… Dust, I think," Zorua answered, though her tone was soured.
"I think that's an Alolan Marowak?" Brock supplied. "But he's not using a bone club."
Zorua gave him a terse look. "...Why would a Marowak use a bone club? Their bones are too valuable for any combat use."
Brock looked like he wanted to answer back, but the Curator raised his voice and spoke to the crowd.
"I greet you, humble visitors!" the Curator spoke with a voice just as loud as Gigalith's trumpeting noise. "I welcome you to my Clan's ancestral home, where the memories of Citrine have been gathered and preserved for future generations!"
The crowd broke up into an uproar. Some Pokémon even literally used Uproar.
Even Ash, who normally did not care much for schooling, suddenly felt excited at the prospect of… going to the library.
Curator Dust raised his staff. "The first Bearer saved my ancestor and taught him to write. It is from there that my family learned not only to pass their bones to those who came after, but to give their words and their memories to their descendants!"
"Now, for seven days, as is the tradition of my family, I invite you strangers into my house and offer you the wisdom and knowledge inside!" The Curator turned his back to the crowd and swung his staff forward.
The Pokémon took this as a sign of permission and rushed into the castle.
"Come on!" Zorua yelled, her tone full of excitement as she ran into the library.
She wasn't the only one as most of Ash's friends also ran inside.
"Wow, she must be reallyexcited!" Pikachu laughed. He turned towards his trainer and gave him a smirk. "So, what are we going to look up?"
"Not sure." Ash answered with a shrug. "But I'm fine just going in and seeing what's there!"
Pikachu smirked. "Sounds like a plan!"
Brock felt great. Between the midday Sun pouring its light over him and the fact he was far away from the ocean, the Rockruff felt energized. He barely kept himself from running in as soon as the go-ahead was given.
Instead, he followed his closest friend, because it had been a while since he spent any real time Onix.
"Follow, Brock!" the big Rock-type bellowed as he slithered forth and moved into the castle's bailey. Most Pokémon opted to get out of his way as he pushed into one of three separate entrances.
"Stone tablets and scrolls for your inspection!" shouted a Graveler. "Read the signs! Be careful what you read!"
"Sounds interesting," Onix murmured, turning to Brock. "Maybe worthwhile."
Brock chuckled. "I still don't know how you learned to read."
The Graveler ushered them inside with little fanfare.
Onix slithered inside the building and there was still plenty of room for him.
They walked into a room with incredibly tall granite shelves that were taller than even Onix was. Podiums, ladders, and stepping stools covered every shelf, most designed so that a Pikachu or other rodent could easily climb them. Each shelf was then divided into what medium it used to store information, with numerous stone tablets occupying bottom areas, few books forming the middle, and a moderate collection of scrolls near the top.
For some reason, the Castle had been designed with Onix accessibility in mind; a feature rare even in Citrine. Coupled with its unusual architecture for what Brock had seen so far, it was clear that a different cultural inspiration created it. Not that Brock was complaining.
Then, realizing that he had only been paying attention to Onix, the Rockruff turned back and found that only a few were still following him. Only Vulpix, Bulbasaur, and Goldeen followed Onix's lead.
"Should we turn back? We lost the others," he told his starter.
"Should be fine. Just library. " Onix informed him. "Visited other sections?"
"You're probably right," the trainer nodded his head. Zorua, Misty, and everyone else might have wanted to find something that interested them. He then turned to those behind them. "Hey, guys, why don't we go look around and see if anything interesting pops up?"
"Sounds good!" Vulpix shouted eagerly.
"As you wish, Sir Brock!" Goldeen informed them as she floated over to a nearby bookshelf.
The Rockruff moved over to a section of stone tablets with a heading labeled "Hisuian Histories".
Brock sniffed at the stones. Sandstone, slate, and hardened clay filled his nostrils the same way the scent of flowers wafted into a human nose; Rockruffs were apparently strange like that.
He pulled loose one of the tablets and rolled it onto the floor and read the inscription.
I commit this memory of the old homeland that I left behind, now many, many moons ago, so that others may know how humanity-
Before Brock could finish reading, he found himself in an open field.
His mother, an Arcanine, knelt down and offered him food.
He eagerly accepted and lightly cooked it with an Ember before digging in.
Mother was so proud of him.
But then a human came from the bushes.
Mother stood in front of the human who then sent a Whishcash against her.
Mother fought bravely, but the Whishcash overpowered her and drenched her in water and mud.
Mother instructed him to go away, to run as far as he could.
He ran, darting through the bushes and running through the trees.
He turned back only once, to see his mother disappearing into a red and white sphere.
It was the last time he had seen his mother.
"Brock!" a voice called.
The Rockruff blinked several times, realizing that his breathing was heavy and that tears streamed down his eyes. "Mom, are you there?" he said weakly. When was the last time he had seen his mother? Why did she have to leave him? Could he go back to her now? What about everyone else, his brothers and sisters? His father?
A vine reached him, drawing Brock away from his thoughts.
Bulbasaur wiped away his tears and then gently patted him on the head with a vine. "Take it easy."
Brock found it hard to take it easy. He just saw his mother being taken away and…
Vulpix rubbed her side against his. "Calm down, okay?" she said, her tone filled with anxiety.
The Rockruff stared at her. He could feel her heartbeat and her warmth from here. She even smelled nice.
Brock took a deep exhale and slowed his breathing. The explanation gave him the leverage he needed to detach himself from what he had seen. He looked down. "... I saw the memory of a Growlithe who lost his mother to a trainer… it made me think about my mom and how I haven't heard from her in ages…"
"I miss my Mom, too," Vulpix told him. "When we go home, we can see them again."
Brock shut away his tears and found his grip on himself. "Thank you." He turned to the stone tablet that caused this. "What… why did that happen?"
Vulpix let out an exhale as she backed away. "Zorua told us about these. They can induce a state of hypnosis on the reader, to make them experience something that isn't actually happening. What you saw was not real. It's the same thing that some scrolls do to teach readers new moves, like with Misty and the Scroll of Rest."
"That might be why it affected me so badly." Brock slowly nodded, lingering on the memory.
"You miss mother," Onix stated directly. "Long time. Since seen."
"I know," The Rockruff set aside his sorrows. It was at least centuries too late to do anything for that Growltihe, but for him, Brock still had the hope his mother would return to the Gym one day. "That Growlithe…"
"Rockruff not Growlithe," Onix offered him. "You are Brock."
He was a Rockruff, wasn't he? Brock the Rockruff, or as Geodude started to call him Brockruff. He wondered what Geodude might call him once he finally evolved.
"Thank you, all of you," he told his friends, his tail shaking furiously.
The three of them flashed him smiles.
"So, what do we do now?" Bulbasaur questioned.
Goldeen then hovered above them, making herself known. "Might I suggest reading something else? Perhaps something more positive?"
"I wouldn't mind," Brock answered as he climbed onto his feet and shook himself. It was little wonder that Pokémon in Citrine did not think positively of humans, if this was what they remembered. Sure, the same thing sort of happened back home, but these days, it was the responsibility of the trainer to also capture any young Pokemon if you took the parents.
Bulbasaur returned the offending tablet from whence it came. "Hm, I think I saw something about a birthday party. Let me see if I can find it."
All around Misty, the museum seemed to stretch onwards. A gallery of oil paintings showed everything from serene family portraits to the fiery destruction of war. Statues of Pokémon, both mortal and divine, dotted the room. Trinkets and tools then filled the space inbetween, with golden combs and battered armor providing some examples.
The Buizel led her small entourage towards the museum over everything else in the castle. It came down to a simple, pragmatic reason: neither Togepi nor Zubat could read. Also, Charizard tagged along for some reason.
"Don't burn anything," the Buizel told the dragon.
"I'll be extra careful!" he promised.
"Uhuh…" Misty doubted he could keep it. The last thing they needed was Charizard burning a hole through their coin purse. Sure, Team Rocket's donation still kept them afloat, but they needed to get back to selling food before that ran out. Hopefully, the Pokémon here were interested in buying high quality food.
That however, was a Future Misty problem, not when Present Misty had something far more important.
She gestured to her precious adopted daughter and pointed at the field around them.
There was a painting depicting a humble Mareep using electricity to cook rice, while nearby was a proud team of Pokémon sharing a trophy together. There was also a collection of what looked to be skulls that she delicately made sure her adopted daughter never noticed.
"Mommy, look!" Togepi pointed a limb towards a slate statue of a big cat. "What's that?"
The Buizel felt an instinctive fear crawl up her spine as she examined its imposing figure from its hairy mane and star shaped tail. "That is a Luxray. They're very physically strong Electric-types."
"Ooh!" Togepi giggled.
Zubat hovered over to the statue. "Hey, Misty, what's that weird thing on its leg?"
On its left foreleg was a bracelet containing eight gemstones, those was the only part of the statue that was colored. "That's Looplet, I think. Hang on, there's an inscription."
Charizard moved over to the plaque and it outloud. "It says this is the first Bearer."
"You mean the one who everyone keeps talking about?" Misty snorted. "Is he that important?"
"Is he that important!?" a voice shouted, as if offended.
The speaker practically leapt in front of Misty before she could turn. A Cubone stood before the Buizel, a clay mask in the shape of a skull covering his face and a wooden staff in his hands. "How don't you know?"
Misty opened her mouth, but the Cubone cut her off.
"We're talking about one of the greatest heroes in Citrine's history!" Cubone continued.
"I wanna hear more!" Togepi beamed. "Tell me more! Tell me more!"
Cubone stared at Togepi and raised a hand in jubilation. He knelt down. "Okay! So you see, little girl, Bearer Luxray did not only create the first Looplet, he was also a great hero who brought peace to the land! He battled many evildoers wherever he went through, but also taught the gentle in many things."
"Oooh!" Togepi stared in awe.
Misty recovered, now that Cubone wasn't basically shouting at her. At least, Togepi was enjoying herself.
"Wow. He sounds incredible. Where did he come from?" Zubat was the one to question.
"Hm?" Cubone pondered a thoughtful look. "Well, nobody knows, but it has long been speculated that he came from a tribe that was annihilated and he was the sole survivor. Hence why he encouraged peace."
Misty gave Cubone an inquiring look and also kept Togepi close in case the answer to her question turned out to be something girls her age shouldn't hear. "What do you mean by annihilated?"
"Well, back then, Citrine was not as nice a place to live in as it is now. Many thousands of moons ago, our ancestors were quite savage and warlike, living often in trees or caves, as their bodies permitted," Cubone explained. "Tribes of Maiju, often linked familially, fought for the limited resources of the land. This was before farming, so food was limited."
Togepi looked at him with a confused look on her face. "But food is everywhere because Mommy gives it to me!"
"But I don't gather the food myself, Togepi," Misty told her. "Someone else has to make it and those people are called farmers."
Togepi gave her a thoughtful look.
The Cubone gave her a nervous grin. "Anyways, in the particular era where Luxray showed up, it was said that there was a great famine and war over what little remained, though records from that time are spotty since writing was not given to us then," Cubone continued. "Many Maiju prayed to the gods for deliverance, a savior. The gods were always distant, but we had always been aware of them watching us. Luxray became that champion."
Charizard stared at Misty, his eyes asking a question that also played in Misty's mind.
The Buizel nodded to him and asked their guide. "How are you sure Luxray isn't an outsider?" Or more specifically, how sure were they he was not human?
"We don't know, but that's another popular theory of his origins, since we don't know from which island he came from," Cubone continued, a chuckle escaping his lips. It was clear he enjoyed talking about this. "But historical documents address him as of the Rota Tribe."
"That's all very fascinating!" Misty said, thinking about the country of Rota just a stone's throw away from her hometown. What were the chances that this Luxray came from there? He didn't have to be a human either, he could have just as easily been a Pokémon who stayed around humans.
"So, what happened to him? He had to have been pretty strong, huh?" Charizard asked.
Cubone shrugged. "We're not sure. Literacy had only just started back then. We do know he met with the gods to end the crisis plaguing Citrine, but otherwise, we don't know where he went. Though some say he died in the process, others say he lived a fulfilling life. We may never know."
Maybe he went home? Misty hoped.
"Can we learn more!?" Togepi shouted, drawing attention to herself.
Cubone knelt down and patted her on the head. "She's so cute." He turned to Misty. "I assume she's yours based on how you're holding her?"
"She's adopted," the Buizel clarified.
"Well, if you turn over here, you can see Luxray being seated with many of his companions!" Cubone directed the group to a painting featuring a dozen other Pokémon seating around a picnic. "Some of them, such as Marshall Lucario and Hunter Pidgeot, are even storied heroes in their own right."
"I wish I could see," Zubat lamented her lack of eyes.
"What does it look like to you?" Misty questioned as she eyed a painting with a dozen Pokémon in the frame, almost an echo of Ash's own pictures with his own team. "With your echolocation thing?"
"I think it's like a terrain map? Brock told me about those once," Zubat whimpered. "Paintings aren't completely flat because the paint often adds slight increases to texture. It doesn't end up looking anything like a face though."
Misty nodded. "Well, if you want, I'm sure you can train yourself up to being a Golbat."
"I hope I don't stay that way for long and go straight to Crobat as soon as I can. I'm not liking the idea of having my tongue sticking out!" Zubat let out a laugh.
Cubone chuckled as well. "Now if you follow me we can-" the earthen reptilian stopped talking as his gaze was transfixed onto a different group of Pokémon.
Misty turned to where he was looking. Zorua hovered around the Curator, asking him questions while he knelt in front of some busts of Marowak with ornate bejeweled skulls in what looked like prayer.
"You!" Cubone spat as he rushed to them.
Several of the other guests backed away from Cubone as he went to the warpath.
The Curator lifted his head and turned to face his accuser, his stone mask made of darkened stone, an "Clay," he grumbled in a flat tone.
"Dust, why were you handing out Emeras!?" Cubone spat.
Jumping away, Zorua promptly turned herself into stone and pretended to be part of the gallery.
Misty and her group rushed over to her, as the Cubone and the Curator met each other.
"I gave them their just reward, brother!" Curator Dust spoke to the smaller Ground-type.
"Because they added to the collection?" Cubone, apparently named Clay, spat back.
"It's our inheritance!" The Curate defended himself. "It is our responsibility to add to it."
"And we're supposed to gauge people for their worthiness!" Clay said again. "At the Dojo, which is also our inheritance!"
"What's more worthy than expanding the collective wisdom of the land?" Dust replied. "Our virtue is Wisdom!"
"Funny that you say that!" Clay responded, staring his brother in the eyes. "Because we both know that's not how it's supposed to work!"
Both brothers glared daggers at each other and continued to bicker.
Misty walked over to Zorua and calmly asked, "Is this normal?"
The stone statue became ghostly flesh; Zorua fell out of her illusion and landed on the ground with a thud. "I think? I don't know either of them personally, but I have heard the two have been at odds ever since they inherited the Dojo from their parents at an early age."
"When was the last time you added anything to the collection?" Dust shouted.
"I do plenty of work gauging the strengths of competitors! Unlike you!" Clay replied.
Misty was mildly entranced by the scene of two brothers shouting at each other over the other being irresponsible. Why did this feel… familiar?
Charizard looked at her and gave her a snigger, as though he found it funny.
"So, they both own the Dojo and the Hall of Memories?" Misty asked. It must have been like how Erika had a perfume store.
"That's correct. That's why the Dojo is effectively closed during the Festival; it's technically open, but because the Dojo's students double as an honor guard for the Hall of Memory and there's so many visitors, there's a long wait to access it." Zorua replied with a sigh.
Meanwhile, Clay and Dust came to a close.
"Well, that's how you feel, I'm not talking to you!"
"Same here!"
"Shut up!"
"I'm not talking to you!"
They turned their backs on each other and walked their separate ways.
Clay the Cubone wandered over to Misty and her group. "Sorry about that, but I think we'll have to cut out the tour for today. Maybe if you'd like, we can pick it up at some other time!"
"No problem!" Misty said, just glad at no longer having to listen to those brothers bicker. Now where did she see that before? "We can do some exploration on our own!"
"Splendid!" said the Cubone as he wandered off.
Misty turned to Zorua. "So, what exactly were you bothering the Curator over?"
"I intended to request access to certain records that are not normally open to the public. Namely, a number of records pertaining to visitors from outside. The Hall of Memories does has a partial collection of records," Zorua shook her head. "But I was interrupted."
"That's fine, we still have plenty of time," Misty promised the fox. "We can afford to try another time."
Zorua's tail shook lightly. "Yeah, you're probably right."
Misty gave the fox a smile. "By the way, I think I have some ideas about the first Bearer you might want to hear."
"Oh, do tell?"
"Hey, it's my idea first! I claim plagiarism!" Charizard shouted.
Ash did not know how long he had spent in the Hall of Memories already, but he was not bored. How could he be bored when he spent that time with friends?
"Hey, here's a nice battle between a Croagunk and Krabby," Pikachu said as he held a scroll up in the air.
"And there's this really cool three on three featuring birds!" Ash declared as he held up a scroll in his own hand.
It might have helped that instead of reading ordinary books, the Riolu and his friends occupied their time going through the collected memories of whatever caught their attention, watching them as though they were actually Ash, he mostly focused on the memories of important battles. He did not now need to know the full context of everything, not when all he wanted to see was the fighting.
In one memory, a heroic Gallade fought his dastardly twin brother; in another, a duel between a Dragonite and a Clefable shook the sky and earth; in yet another memory, a Houndoom stood against an encroaching army and fought to the bitter end. And that was just the surface of it.
This beats TV by a longshot.
Ash thought.
"My favorite so far has got to be the Temple of the Sea," Staryu declared as he stood up from a stone tablet.
"It looks too tacky," Geodude spat back. "Like, a place like that can't be real!"
"It most assuredly exists!" Staryu spat back.
"Uhuh, and I suppose one day I'll go live to see it!" Geodude rolled his eyes. "I don't know how these things are made, but are all of them real?"
Psyduck stared at the stone tablet Staryu was just looking at. "It feels real."
"Huh? How do you know that?" Ash questioned.
"... I don't know?" Psyduck tilted his head.
Everyone groaned.
"They're as real as we can make them!" said a voice.
Ash turned and saw that dark scaled Marowak he saw at the opening ceremony. "Oh, you must be the Curator… Dust, I think?"
"You are correct," the Marowak said, tilting his head, eying Ash. "But suffice it to say, our records are recreations of the events in question as they're based on the donated memories of those who experienced them."
"That sounds cool," Ash said. Having gone through maybe a dozen different fighting scenes, he definitely saw how valuable they were. "Why're you here?"
"I spotted an oddly dressed Riolu and I felt I needed to investigate," the Marowak answered frankly. "Are you from the Capitol? You don't see many of your kind outside of there."
"No, I'm an outsider," Ash replied simply. His friends had warned him about revealing he was human, but saying he was an outsider was perfectly fine. Most apparently assume there were no humans in Citrine at all.
"Ah, a foreign Maiju? I welcome you then!"
Collect… Dexter buzzed suddenly. Pallet Town…
The Curator eyed Ash's Pokédex. "What was that?"
"Oh, that's just my Pokédex!" Ash said with a forced grin. Behind him, he could see Staryu and Geodude approach him. They were probably thinking about if the Marowak was a danger.
"How curious. What does it do? Other than sputter words, that is," the Curator eyed the Riolu. "I have never seen anything quite like it before."
"It's a device that records things," Ash said, somewhat eagerly. After all, the Curator was basically Professor and Professors liked to… science. He pursed his lip as he thought about how to explain it. "I guess you can say that it makes memories about what it sees and hears."
"Fascinating, may I see how it works?" the curator requested.
"Uh, sure!" Ash said as he took Dexter into his hands. He pressed a button and went to see if he could have the little device play the conversation he was currently having.
Pokédex… The Pokédex sputtered. Index…
"Was it supposed to do that?" Curator Dust questioned.
"Let me try again." Ash winced. Hopefully he didn't break Dexter or anything. Maybe he ought to try a different mode. He opened Dexter's case and set it to scanning the Curator. Hopefully, its most basic functions worked properly.
Analyzing. Marowak. Fire/Ghost… Dexter buzzed, the image on the screen depicting the Curator. This Marowak uses crafted weapons and headwear. Atypical for its species.
"How odd," said the scanned Marowak. "Why does it say I am atypical?"
"I don't know, Dexter has not really said something like that before," the Riolu scratched his head.
"I think he's saying you're unusual because where we're from Marowak and Cubone use and wear bones," Staryu spoke up. "It does look quite stylish on you, I might add."
"Ah, that makes perfect sense then. We were much the same, but it fell out of fashion in Citrine once we learned to make use of clay," the Curator murmured. "To think our cousins across the sea have not changed much."
Ash was about to make a comment on that, but was distracted when Pikachu grabbed onto his chest.
Dexter clattered to the floor.
"Ash! Ash!" Pikachu cried out. "I found it! I found it!"
The Riolu wept as his closest friend wrung the life out of him.
"Pikachu, you might be going a bit far!" Geodude snapped.
Pikachu blinked and let go.
Ash fell onto the floor with a soft thud. "Ow."
"Sorry!" Pikachu gave his trainer an awkward grin.
"What's going on, Pikachu? What did you find?" Ash said as he picked up his Pokédex and rose.
"I found that… that Pokémon!" Pikachu said exasperatedly, a paw pointing to behind him.
"Pokémon?" the Curator said.
"He means Maiju," Ash said dryly.
"Whatever!" Pikachu waved. "It's that… bird thing we saw. You know! After the Spearow!"
It suddenly clicked what Pokémon Pikachu was talking about. That one that Dexter could not identify before! "Wait, where is it? Is it in the building?"
Pikachu shot him a look. "No, silly! I found it in one of the records!"
"Oh, I guess that makes sense!" Ash then realized it was probably too big to fit inside the castle.
"You mean that Pokémon you can't prove wasn't a yellow Fearow?" Geodude gave Pikachu a look.
"It's real, I tell you!" Pikachu protested.
"Sure, I'll believe it when I see it!" Geodude countered.
"I do admit I am curious about if that story is true or not," Staryu commented.
"This has piqued my interest as well," the Curator spoke.
Apparently, Pikachu had been trying to tell the other Pokémon in the group about that strange Pokémon for a while.
The electric mouse scampered toward a stone tablet that had been pulled out from the wall. He slid it out slightly and pointed at it. "This is the one!"
"But that's…." the Curator murmured.
Ash knelt down to the tablet and read the inscription.
I commit this memory of what I saw when I came to this land, so that others might know who saved me.
Ash found himself clinging to a piece of driftwood upon the open sea.
He had never felt so exhausted before, with the very act of breathing itself being so difficult that he felt it might have just been easier to give up.
Rain cascaded all around him, the waves battering his one lifeline. The overcast drained the hope in his heart.
All he could do was wait for the inevitable.
Then the air shifted.
The rain ceased abruptly, the clouds parted, the waves stilled.
Golden sunbeams entered his eyes.
With the last bits of his strength, he tilted his head skyward to see his savior.
Surrounded in a corona in fire was a bird far larger than he had ever seen. Feathers coated in seven colors, a crest of gold, and eyes that seemed to stare at the very core of his being.
He did not know why he was saved.
Ash blinked as he averted his gaze from the inscription. Pikachu was right. That was the Pokémon! He stumbled off his feet and turned to meet his close friend, his breathing heavy. "That was it! You found it!" he cried. Finally, after months, they knew what that strange Pokemon was.
Pikachu laughed. "Yeah, after all this time, we found it!"
"That was trippy!" Geodude responded, his stony hands rubbing himself with a towel. "You guys really saw that on the day you met?"
"Of course they did," Psyduck answered.
"Oh my," came from Staryu.
"You mean to tell me that you saw one of the Ho-Oh?" the Curator spoke, squinting one of his eyes from behind his mask.
"Yeah! We did. We just did not know that's what they're called," Ash declared. "Pikachu and I saw one on the day we met and we've been friends ever since."
Pikachu leapt into a hug, covering the Riolu. "We got off on the wrong foot, neither of us really wanting the other. But we're friends now!"
Ho-Oh. Fire/Flying. The Rainbow Pokémon. Dexter spoke, grabbing everyone's attention. This Pokémon has divine significance due its connection to storms, rainbows, and rebirth.
Ash grabbed hold of his Pokédex and stared at it. Dexter couldn't identify that… Ho-Oh back when he started his journey; maybe that upgrade Professor Oak gave him was not so useless after all!
"That's putting it mildly! I admit I find it hard to believe, but there might be truth to your words," the Curator went over to the stone slab and put it back into its shelf. "And if you truly have seen one, especially one that may have blessed you with companionship…"
He shook his head. "I must ask, if you'd like to donate that memory to us."
Ash and Pikachu stared at each other, unsure of how to take it.
The Curator continued. "Ho-Oh are among the divine. It is rare for a mortal to see any of them altogether; to have one appear before you, that is something… valuable to experience."
On the one hand, Ash knew that the Curator might offer something in exchange for the memory… whatever that process actually entailed. On the other, his friends scolded him about letting slip that he was human in a land full of Pokémon who hated that. The Curator seemed nice enough, but what if someone else found out?
"Can we think about it?" Ash managed to say.
"Yeah, it's a big decision," Pikachu added.
"Very well. I shall ask another time. How long will you be staying?"
"Oh, we're going to be here until the Dojo opens," Ash said. "We're here to get the Emera there!"
"Hm, I might have an appropriate payment, though I suppose we shall talk about that later," the Curator said. He lowered his head in a bow and then walked away.
"That was weird," Ash told his starter.
Pikachu shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm just glad we finally found that strange Pokémon!" The electric rodent then slapped Ash on the back.
"Professor Oak is not going to believe us," Ash laughed.
"I'm not sure I believe you, and I saw that stuff, too," Geodude shrugged. "It's not like you got pictures."
"Yeah, that's right," Ash said as he flicked Dexter open one more time. He went into its logs and went to see what sorts of pictures it had. And then he saw something strange.
The Riolu rubbed his eyes and narrowed them as he looked at the screen. The most recent picture was one of Ho-Oh, as the gigantic bird looked right at him in the vision.
…How did Dexter get that?
"Memories carved in stone." Brock muttered aloud.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash questioned his friend without looking at him, his eyes looking at the red box in his paws.
It was night time and they had gathered together in a small campground a bit away from the village. Because of how late they arrived, there was little housing available. What did exist was too expensive to give shelter to all of them. So, they opted to set up a campsite, as that was cheaper than anything else. Thankfully, they already bought supplies when they hit landfall, because food prices were even more ridiculous.
Most of them had already fallen asleep, leaving only a few to remain awake.
"Carved in stone is a saying, that something is permanent, enduring. And this place stores memories on stone tablets, memories that otherwise would be forgotten with time as people forget and those that remember die." Brock continued. "So, the memories stored here are enduring, permanent, and will never fade."
"I was wondering how Fire, Rock, and Ground related to… a library," Ash mused. "Of course, that could just be because the Pokémon that founded it were Cubone, I guess?
"That's also true!" Zubat exclaimed from her perch. "...Though I think the only ones I saw were the Curator and his brother."
"Hey, Ash, you going to keep looking at that thing?" Pikachu questioned.
"A little. Dexter's been acting weird lately," the Riolu said. Admittedly, he only barely knew how to use his Pokédex. Sure, he's gotten better at knowing how it works, but he did not know anything about how to fix it.
"You better make sure it's working, Ash. Because that's our only ID," Misty said from nearby and let out a groan. "Oh, that's going to be a pain when we get home."
"Don't remind me," Brock said.
Remembering how he almost got arrested in Viridian City, Ash desperately hoped the problem was going to fix itself. Thinking quickly, he decided to test its functionality again, aiming the Pokédex at a target he had already scanned in before. "Hold still, Pikachu!"
Pikachu. This Pikachu is registered to Ash Ketchum. Previously registered to Professor Oak.
Pikachu shot his trainer a bemused look. "That's a new one. I wonder why it's talking about my registry information and not Pikachu in general."
"Maybe it's a feature you have never tried before?" Brock suggested. "I never had a Pokédex before, so I don't know."
"Wait, I got an idea!" Pikachu snatched Dexter from his trainer's hands and pointed right at him.
Ash Ketchum. Home Residence: Pallet Town. Original Species: Human. Current Species: Riolu. How this was achieved is currently unknown. Updating information.
"Huh. How does it know it's me?" Ash blinked. His Pokédex often said some weird stuff, but apparently it was aware he turned into a Riolu.
"It does have eyes and ears, doesn't it?" Zorua turned her attention from her journal. "It can see the world around it and it can record speech. So, maybe it knows because it can observe?"
Ash shrugged. Maybe Zorua had a point. He did recall something about it having the ability to update trainer information automatically, to account for the owner growing up and getting older. But how did that explain it knowing what species he was?
"Hey, Boss!" Squirtle shouted as he ran into the camp.
"Hey, Squirtle!" Ash set Dexter aside and greeted his friend. Come to think of it, Squirtle had been nowhere to be found all day. "I didn't see you at the library. Where'd you go?"
"I actually ended up in the Dojo! I stayed there all day and watched Pokémon fight each other!" Squirtle shrugged. "I had a bit of a problem finding where you guys were, but thankfully Onix is pretty noticeable!"
"Pleasure," said the big Pokémon.
Ash gave Squirtle a smile. "I hope you had fun then! We had a great time at the library."
"It's sort of like watching a lot of old videos, except it's actually enjoyable!" Pikachu said as he took a seat near his trainer. "We even found that strange bird I told you about!"
"Yeah, it's called Ho-Oh!" Ash filled in.
Misty shot them both a look. "You know, I don't know if I want to believe that you actually met Ho-Oh on your first day as a trainer and you didn't know what it was called, but…" she gestured to herself. "I think the standards for what's believable are not what they used to be."
"Huh, maybe I should go and check it out!" Squirtle declared. "It's still open right? I'm not feeling all that tired."
"You just want to skip morning training with Pikachu," Bulbasaur said dryly.
"Guilty as charged!" Squirtle laughed.
"Don't worry, I'll just electrocute you awake!" Pikachu gave the blue turtle a malicious smirk. "I want to practice this move I heard about called Electric Terrain that prevents sleep."
"Better you than me," Ash gave Squirtle a nervous grin. He knew who Pikachu intended to use that move on eventually."
Squirtle frowned.
"To answer your question, the Hall of Memories is open at all hours. Many of its acolytes and guardians are nocturnal, so the night crew should be active," Zorua spoke up. "Additional, mind if I join you, Squirtle? I don't need to sleep and I think I might have a better time making a request from the Curator with less of the guests awake."
"Right, Ghost-type." Squirtle shrugged. "I see no problem with it."
Pikachu yawned and slightly leaned his back against his trainer's side.
Ash held onto his starter and frowned. He did not feel tired at all. That had been the weirdest part of being a Riolu so far, that he just had too much energy to feel the need to sleep. A part of him wanted to accompany Squirtle and Zorua to the Hall again to add more to Dexter, but he did not want to leave Pikachu behind. Besides, he couldn't exactly practice his punches in a museum without the owners getting very mad. "Hey, before you go, mind if you guys take Dexter with you? You can use him to record anything you're looking over."
"You mean it!?" Zorua eyes widened in shock.
"Are you sure that's a bright idea, Ash?" Misty questioned.
Ash shrugged. "It's just a trip to the library."
Misty gently patted the sleeping Togepi. "Fine, but it's your fault if they br-You know what, it's probably safer in their hands than yours."
"Hey!"
Pikachu giggled.
Ash gloomily set Dexter back into recording mode and handed the Pokédex to Squirtle, simply because he had hands. "All you have to do is point its camera at things you want it to record, alright? Dexter can even take pictures of events within those stored memories… somehow."
Squirtle nodded. "I won't let you down, Boss."
"We'll use it wisely!" Zorua spoke excitedly.
Smiling as they left, Ash considered what would have been the most efficient way to burn as much of his excess energy as possible. Now, how did Hidden Power go again?
Zorua eyed the small contraption that had been given to Squirtle.
To think that that small box held the potential to store vast quantities of information, all with minimal effort on the holding Maiju's part.
Ash had given them a simple request, to use the Pokédex to record as much information as possible so that the Riolu's Master may review it when he returned home. Though the information that Master Oak would have wanted was unlikely to interest Zorua as he apparently focused his studies on Maiju, she felt that being entrusted to use the Pokédex was its own reward.
And to think that not too long ago, "Dexter" had given her the biggest scare of her life, but it also gave her… friends.
"You know, back when I met Ash," Squirtle began. "I didn't think this was what I'd be up to… how many months later."
The two of them made a slow walk towards the village. They passed through a number of campsites along the way, most of their denizens slumbering.
"That seems to be the popular opinion amongst everyone," Zorua nodded her head. "But, I don't think any of us hate him for that."
"Yeah, well, the Boss is a nice guy," Squirtle chuckled. "I was once the leader of a small gang of Squirtles. We caused a bit of havoc in our wake."
Zorua stared not at the Pokédex but at its holder, with a bit of fear. "You were a bandit?"
"No!" Squirtle protested, arms crossed, but then frowned. "Well, maybe! We did steal food and caused minor property damage, but there were lines we didn't cross. We weren't murderers or anything really heinous."
He made a thoughtful look. "What's the word? It starts with a D. Maybe deli… Delinquent, yeah that's what we were!"
Zorua lifted her head. That at least seemed better, in that he was less say someone who would murder others or stage kidnappings and more civic annoyance.
"Anyways, Zorua. We didn't exactly have a place to stay or call our own, because our trainers abandoned us and we couldn't exactly go back to the wild. So, we caused problems for humans, because that's what worked for us. It kept our bellies full and gave us something fun to do." He then let out a laugh. "Funny thing is that Team Rocket put an end to that. Meowth convinced us that we'd be best off working with him, against trainers."
It seemed to be a recurring trend that many of the Maiju that followed Ash had a dislike of humans and trainers. And yet every time, the Riolu won them over. Pikachu was one, Bulbasaur counted as well, and now Squirtle. Arguably, she, herself, fit that mold. "I imagine that arrangement did not work well."
"We learned that the hard way." Squirtle nodded solemnly. "Meowth tricked us into capturing Pikachu, but in the end, we were going to be discarded, just like our old trainers did for us."
He stopped walking. "In the ensuing fight, I ended up getting caught in the blast of an explosion and got knocked on my shell. I thought I was done for, but… Ash, Boss, someone who I had wronged up until that point saved me, even putting himself in harm's way for my sake."
Zorua had no problem envisioning that.
"One thing led to another. We saved Pikachu. Then I led my gang to stop a fire that was caused by the fight. Overnight we went from troublemakers to heroes… all because one kid gave a damn. Because of Ash, my old gang has a place to call home, one where people respect them," Squirtle shook his head. "I don't think I am ever going to pay back the debt I owe him. That's why he is the Boss, and I'm not."
"... But Ash likely doesn't even consider it a debt," Zorua pointed out.
"That doesn't matter, because I do." Squirtle stated simply. "He may be my friend as well, but… this is something I have to do."
There was a silent moment as the two Maiju looked at each other.
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Zorua mustered the courage to speak first.
Squirtle tapped the Pokédex on his chest. "Fill up the Boss's Pokédex of course. He did just ask us."
"Pokédex, you say?"
Zorua repressed the urge to flee as she turned towards the speaker.
On the road between them and the village proper stood a Totodile.
"Tell me, what's a Pokédex?" Totodile spoke again, inching closer on scaly feet.
"Who's asking?" Squirtle stepped in front.
Zorua moved behind Squirtle, a shiver of fear in her gut. That Totodile overheard them, but how much? Did that mean he now knew that Ash was human?
"I am!" Totodile happily declared. "I overheard you talking and I couldn't help but notice talking about a Pokédex near the end."
"It doesn't matter to you, does it?" Squirtle said in a neutral tone.
Zorua felt a fit of panic surge through her. Her eyes searched for an escape route. Currently, they were in the village though only at its outskirts. The few buildings here were spaced far apart. And there were no other Maiju present. Perhaps if they had to make a retreat, they could go through one of the alleyways and evade Totodile that way. And yet, there was something about that that also made her apprehensive, yet she could not place a digit on it.
Totodile continued to approach, undeterred. "Oh, it matters to me quite a lot," his jaws extended into a toothy smile. "That's a Kanto-Johto Pokédex, isn't it?"
Squirtle gave Totodile a wordless stare.
Zorua continued to search around. At the last moment, she spotted shapes moving discreetly in the shadows. That could only mean one thing. "We're being surrounded!" she shouted to her partner.
Totodile leapt forward bringing his jaws forward.
Squirtle flung his tail and batted the small crocodile away.
Zorua turned her body and prepared to launch a Swift at the closest shape. Yet, before she could launch her attack, she found herself knocked to the ground.
He twisted herself quickly and turned to face her attacker. Her eyes widened. "You!"
It was that Sneasel they had met at her Master's estate.
"Took you long enough!" Totodile told him. "I was struggling coming up with things to say."
"I got here in time, that's what matters," Sneasel said to him in a flat tone.
Then, things went from bad to worse as Gligar and Voltorb also left from hiding. The four Maiju trapped Zorua and Squirtle in the middle.
"Did you follow us?" Zorua kept close to Squirtle's back.
"No," Sneasel told her, his tone cold. "Quite frankly, I didn't expect you to show up here of all places. Not that it matters." He raised a clawed hand. On his wrist was a golden Looplet bearing two glittering Emeras.
"What do you want with us?" Squirtle donned on his strange eye coverings, his sunglasses, and turned to Sneasel.
"Many, many things," said Gligar in a cheery tone. "But really, it's nothing personal. Scholar Aspen is being unreasonably stubborn! I would suggest you come in quietly!"
Zorua shivered. The Keepers likely wanted to imprison her to either force her Master into compliance or to use her for labor. After all, they were not on the best of terms with each other and the Keepers always needed more elixirs.
Squirtle spread his arms and readied to fight.
"So, we're doing this the fun way?" Sneasel spat, as he flexed his claws and twisted his neck.
Squirtle let loose a Water Gun.
Sneasel sidestepped out of the way and leapt to close the distance. Purplish ooze coated his claws and he went for a lunge.
Squirtle conjured a transparent barrier, stopping the blow from connecting. "Hah! Nice try!" He then blasted another Water Gun in his direction.
Sneasel fell backwards, evading the counter attack. It seemed that Squirtle had the other Maiju on the defensive.
But it was not to be.
A torrent of water hit Squirtle, forcing him to roll to avoid getting caught on his back.
"I could have handled it myself!" Sneasel spat at Totodile
"Sorry, but it's clearly two on two!" Totodile spat.
Sneasel gave the Water-type an annoyed look. "Fine, whatever." He then turned towards Gligar and Voltorb and shouted. "You two better not interfere!"
Zorua immediately knew that things were not going to go their way. She panicked and flew a stream of stars at Sneasel.
Too fast for him to avoid, the Sneasel blocked with his arms.
But in turn, a jet of water hit her side and forced her to belly. "Stop that!" Totodile snarled.
Zorua rose to her feet, her fur damp and her thoughts filled with icy terror.
Yet she had little time to think about it. Sneasel appeared right in front of her, his claws laced with darkened energy.
Before she could react, Squirtle stood in the way, taking the blow on his shell. He forced through and smacked the Fighting-type with his skull.
Sneasel took a step back, but still stood. His eyes burned with furious intent. He dug in his feet and pushed forward, his claws in hand.
"Zorua, run!" Squirtle shouted as he ran forward and charged at Sneasel once again.
Fear overwhelming her, Zorua did not have to be told twice.
She leapt over a Water gun from Totodile and made a break for it. She had to find someone, anyone. Maybe if she shouted!
"Gah!" Squirtle yelled.
It had suddenly occurred to her that Totodile never aimed for her at all.
Turning to face a glance at the fight behind, she saw that Totodile had knocked Squirtle onto his back with Water Gun, giving Sneasel a distinct advantage.
Fearing the worst for Squirtle, Zorua considered if she should stop and help him. Maybe if they worked together, they could win!
It did not matter what she chose.
Zorua felt her legs lock up as though they were entrapped in… something. Looking down, she could see a pulse of electrical energy run through her body. Thunder Wave!
"I told you not to interfere!" Sneasel snapped at Voltorb.
"She was going to run away!" Voltorb defended itself as it rolled towards the fox. "Not that she could have outrun us anyways, but it's still, this is going to cause less of a ruckus!"
Zorua panicked and tried to keep herself moving, forcing her legs to move. With the induced paralysis, each step felt like a titanic effort. She was not running any time soon.
All she could do was turn to watch Squirtle.
Sneasel loomed over the trapped turtle. He brought his claws together and balled them up. He brought them down square onto the turtle's shell in a Rock Smash. Once, twice, thrice.
Squirtle's breathing became heavy, as fatigue and injuries took their toll. But he stood defiant, and tried to fight back.
Zorua wept tears. There was no way she could ever be that brave.
But Sneasel had none of it. He backhanded Squirtle's face and snatched his sunglasses.
"Hey, give those back!"
"You seriously wore sunglasses at night?" Sneasel looked over them in his hands. He then shattered them with a light twist of his fingers.
Squirtle stared, his mouth agape.
Then Sneasel decked Squirtle. He did not rise.
"Totodile, he's your responsibility," Sneasel said, as he took the Pokédex from Squirtle's unmoving body.
"On it!" Totodile said, as he walked towards the unconscious turtle.
I have to get out of here! Zorua tried to move her legs again, but the paralysis was too strong. She couldn't move an inch.
Sneasel looked at her with a cold stare. His claws flicked at the Pokédex, as if he knew how to use it.
I am Dexter, a Pokédex Unit programmed by Professor Oak. My assigned trainer is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town.
"Huh, that crazy old man?" Sneasel mumbled to himself. "And who is this Ash? What makes him so special?"
Zorua stared up at her captor, fearing the worst.
Then, he threw a toxin coated fist into Zorua's side.
The fox tumbled to the ground, a burning sensation in her sides. Though she was part spirit, her body was still flesh enough for poison to eat away at her.
"What a weakling," Sneasel sneered. He held up one of his claws. "You have a type advantage and you're so scared!"
Zorua whimpered, the poison in her body burning through her.
Out of desperation, she tried to use an illusion to turn into something, anything else, but Sneasel jabbed at her.
"You disgust me," Sneasel sneered. "At least, the Squirtle had the guts to stand up and fight. You? You shiver in terror just from looking at me. You don't have any fight in you at all, do you?"
This was all true. She was so useless. She whimpered. "Who…. Who are you?"
"Since you asked." Sneasel grew a cruel smile. "My name is Silver and I will be the strongest there ever was!"
Dark power flowed into his claws.
Zorua felt a cut slice into her, but the pain was short lived. Her eyes became heavy.
Well, that happened. I went back and forth on who exactly Sneasel was, because from the start, I wanted a good rival character. I eventually settled on Silver because of when this fic takes place and because he never showed up in the Anime.
Also, I'd like to thank everyone who Reviewed since last posting. Last update at time of writing has 6 reviews for the previous chapter, a record for this fic.
AzulAztech: Glad you like it.
Guest 16: Actually, we know that Orre is not in Japan due to a number of reasons. Namely, Johto and Hoenn are referred to as "distant lands". If Gen 5 existed, there'd be more Unovan Pokémon. It's similar to why Red and Blue Rescue Team only go up to Gen 3, yet every other PMD game is up to the current dex for its era.
ThePilotArchangel: Glad you like it. I put quite a bit of effort in figuring out everyone's personalities since most of the Pokémon characters don't talk, since there's a real lack of any interactions of Trainers turning into Pokemon. Some were easier than others. Squirtle for instance had a ton of things to work with, as you can see in this chapter. His backstory, his attitude.