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Chapter Text

Agh, you bleedin'...!

B-Bolt Leader, come in, this is Bolt Three. I've got a Sin on my tail, he's not budgin'. I'm circling back to rejoin formation, stay alert for-

AH! AAH! I'm hit! I'm hit, major damage to left wing! I'm losing altitude, my... shit, my ejector seat won't give! Does anyone copy?!

A-anyone?!

...p-please, God, I...

...i-if anyone can hear me, tell my mum I... I love...ghh...!

G-God save the King!

A dry wind blew through the barren knolls of the midlands, producing a ghastly, ambient song to break the seemingly endless silence that ruled these lands. Though dust drifted lazily along with the stale breeze, it seemed nothing else was soon to budge. However, the crunch of dirt and pebbles in the distance was quick to announce that, despite everything, the rocks on the ground were not alone in this wasteland.

Slowly but surely, the source of the sound that had entered the dried riverbed revealed itself as a small party of wagons bearing large structures, all of them varying in size and structure and surrounded by Pokemon looking around warily at their new surroundings. The pitch black sky above offered no comfort for the young Rockruff near the head of the caravan as she peered into the dark valley ahead, remaining close by her father as he led their fellow townsmon on.

"Where are we gonna go now?" the Rockruff asked. The hunched-over Lycanroc beside her looked down at her with his glowing red eyes, a sparkle of determination coursing through his face.

"Amethyst Town went this way yesterday fer the Tunnel. We're followin' them," he said in a deep, thick voice. His daughter blinked, unsure if she had heard that correctly.

"The Tunnel? I'm sorry, but are you mad? You said it yourself, the place is-" she began.

"I know what I said. But... see, times're changin', dear. These Isles aren't safe for the nomad towns anymore, and it's only a matter of time before the cities begin to fall. Salvation Township can't survive for much longer here," Lycanroc said. "The White Continent is safe; if all goes well, we'll stake a claim by the seaside and..."

He gave a bittersweet smile.

"...and your children won't have to know what these damned Isles were like."

Rockruff watching as his face filled with vigor, Lycanroc stopped and turned to address those following him. Salvation Township was modest at best for a nomad town, with just over three dozen Pokemon walking alongside the Mudsdale-drawn wagons they called home. The cramped two-story structures built on the wagons had begun to show their wear, though the Pokemon here were no less devoted to pitching in. Some carried heavy loads, some helped pull and tend to the wagons, others still limped along, unable to contribute due to some scarring injury. All of them stopped in their tracks as their leader took a breath.

"Hear my words. We are goin' to a place where death does not reign. We are goin' to a place where the skies shine blue and grass graces every field, where our children may run and play in peace without fear of the Darkness, the Behemoths, nor any other horror they have wrought. Let me tell you, Pokemon of Salvation Township, the stories you have heard of the White Continent are true, and you are soon to behold 'em with your own eyes! Through the Great Tunnel, our future awaits! Follow me, and we'll soon live not as survivors, but as Pokemon!"

A loud cheer echoed along the ravine's walls, and with newfound resolve the party continued forwards, the wagons creaking as they lurched on. Unfazed by her father's passionate words, however, Rockruff glanced up at Lycanroc worriedly.

"They won't let us through, Dad," she said. Lycanroc hesitated in his words.

"We'll figure something out, my love," he tried to reassure her. Giving him a long look, Rockruff turned her gaze to the dirt in front of her. He knew the truth as well as she did: the Pokemon at the other end were not welcoming. All they could do was pray for mercy.

Tearing her thoughts from this pessimistic outlook, Rockruff cast her eyes upon the black sky above. For as long as she could remember, that thick, seemingly endless canopy of pitch dark clouds had hung in the sky above her, and she knew from her father that none of her forefathers remembered it as being anything but. There were, of course, stories of a time where this Darkness was absent and the Dark Isles were a green and pleasant land, but the details were hazy at best, ludicrous at worst. There were even times Rockruff would toy with the idea that these legends were just that: legends. Was it really so far-fetched to say things had just always been this way?

She could only hope so.

As Rockruff considered this, she suddenly snapped out of her daze. Something was wrong. As her face scrunched up, she pinpointed the reason: the ground had begun to ever so slightly tremble before her paws. Cursing to herself, she took a glance back. Many of the Pokemon behind her wouldn't have been able to feel the disturbance, given they were not Rock or Ground-types, but much to Rockruff's horror, it wasn't her being paranoid; her father appeared to have noticed as well.

Kneeling down and placing a paw on the ground, Lycanroc's face fell as he looked back. By this point, the disturbance had escalated into noticeable quaking, and it seemed the townsmon had noticed. Confusion turned to panic as the earthquake reached a crescendo, and everyone's worst fears were realized as a loud, awful roar echoed from the south. The glow of Lycanroc's eyes seemed to falter for a moment as a massive shape appeared on the horizon from where the sound had come.

"Quaker..." he said breathlessly. His stupor didn't last long, as he tore his eyes from the creature and to his panicking town. "Board the wagons! Full speed ahead!"

Rockruff did not hesitate to bolt from her spot as she weaved around the scrambling Pokemon, her heart racing as another roar drowned out the screams around her. Scrambling through the door of one of the towering wagons, she kicked her few belongings into a secure spot before glancing out the window. The quaking seemed to have calmed, though this didn't last long, for as Rockruff watched, a massive fissure opened maybe a kilometer to the west, bringing about even more intense shaking and sending fire and magma high into the sky. As she marveled at the horrifying sight, Lycanroc jumped aboard before leaning out and barking some indistinct order. With a lurch that sent Rockruff tumbling into the wall, the wagons of Salvation Township sped forward at full speed.

Blinking stars out of her vision and staggering to her paws, Rockruff glanced out the window. Thankfully, it seemed none of the wagons had had any issue and were now following Lycanroc's own, speeding away from the figure now well visible on the horizon: a colossal Nidoking, its armor scarred and its face one of untold rage. Giving another roar, the Behemoth stomped its foot, bringing about another earthquake. Rockruff barely had enough to behold the thing before her father gave another frantic order and she was thrown to the side. Seeing magma erupting to the east, she deduced they'd just avoided plummeting into a fissure, though that didn't help her mood as she groaned and got up.

"Some warning'd be nice next time," she growled. Lycanroc muttered an apology as he stared out the window for a moment, then climbed up to the second floor, leaving Rockruff to watch as the Behemoth gave an enraged roar at the escaping town.

Salvation Township would be able to escape Quaker, it seemed, but at a cost. The wagons' metal wheels would need repairs, the damage to the structures such speed entailed would need to be addressed, and the Mudsdales would need to be given extra rations, at the very least. Wood and food were not exactly easy to come by, and if they ran short, then...

There was a single mystery dungeon in the area, as far as Rockruff knew. Thankfully, its anomalous properties ensured it still grew vegetation, though the Pokemon of this town were by no means dungeon-divers. Unless they were to catch up with Amethyst Town, there would be few who would volunteer to go in for the resources they needed. What if no one volunteered this time?

Trying her best to put these thoughts aside, Rockruff made for the dirty pile of rags she called her bed, curling up as she stared out the window behind them, the wagon rocking around her as the Behemoth continued trying to pursue them. As she laid there, Lycanroc peeked down from the ladder, looking at his daughter in pity. Though his duties called, he climbed down, squatting to nuzzle Rockruff's size.

"It's going to be alright, darling," he reassured her. Though Rockruff was a bit annoyed at the interruption, she felt lulled to calm by Lycanroc's words, finding comfort in his glowing red eyes as he sat there with her. Her father's comforting arm around her as he watched the window with her, she quietly repeated his words to herself, as if saying it enough would make it true.

"It's going to be alright. It's going to be alright... yeah..."

…

...urgh, where... I'm alive? Oh, Arceus, I'm blind!

Nope. You're just dead.

Gah! Who's there? Sh-show yourself!

I would if I could, and trust me, we'd be here all day if I stopped to explain that. Now-

Allow me. Apologies, human, he is not used to such interactions as this. Neither am I, for that matter.

What...?

In short, we are here to return you to the realm of the living.

I... wait, stop. I'm actually...?

Yep.

…

I understand this is very sudden for you, but please-

Yeah, no kidding.

Hey, don't get smart with us. Void's right there, we can always-

Brother. Enough. Please bear with us, human, this will not take long. All I wish is to ask you a simple question.

Um... s-sure.

If you were to lose everything you held dear, would you still fight in the name of the greater good?

What? What sorta question is that?

I mean... yes. Of course I would.

…

…

...very well.

I think that's everything. Let's send you back, then.

What?

With our weapons in hand...

And to the darkness a bane...

Rise for your nation...

And let her not die-

Wait!

A loud gasp echoed as the figure's eyes tore open, though this quickly devolved into dry coughing and wheezing as dust and unfamiliar dry air filled his lungs. Steadying his breathing, he panted and took a long look around. Much to his confusion, he found himself not in any familiar location, but inside some dry, claustrophobic cave. His brow furrowed in confusion; this didn't make sense. He was sure he hadn't been anywhere near a cave when he d-

Wait. When he'd what?

…

When he'd died.

"Wh... o-okay, this is..." he rasped, frowning as he dug through his memory. This was explainable, surely he'd just had a bit too much fun the other night. However, as he scoured his mind, his face fell as he realized just how bad it was. Apart from instincts, concepts, and some other useless things, nothing else sprung up.

In short, his memory wasn't about to be of much help anytime soon.

Perhaps that was why he felt... wrong? He couldn't put his finger on it, but something just didn't feel right about... well, anything. This was secondary to him, however, as all his focus was on the metaphorical wall he'd found in his memory.

"No... no, this can't be right. No, there's gotta be something. A name, surely I can remember my name?" he muttered to himself, turning his focus back into his mind. A minute of thinking passed before a distant memory seemed to reveal itself, only to try and fizzle out again. By that point, however, he'd managed to get enough information to fill in the blanks.

"L...? Lee... Lee. Okay, my name's Lee. Heh, still got that, at least," he nodded to himself. "Right, Lee, how did you... die?"

He knew for sure this had to be some sort of exaggeration, perhaps some fantasy, but as he skimmed over the single dim memory he could find, he wasn't as sure.

A flaming mechanical steed hurdling out of the sky. His horrified voice screaming for his mother, then a blessing to some king. The rocky ground, the fire, the pain... then blackness. A pair of voices, then this.

"Right, so I die horribly, get interviewed, and that's it. That's all I've got. Bloody great," Lee groaned to himself. Knowing at least this, he tried to push himself up, though his legs immediately failed him and he fell to the ground. Groaning, he looked back at his legs, squinting through the dark to try and see the cause.

"...wh-?! What the fock?!"

Furry, black hind legs were just barely visible through the darkness. Horrified, Lee kicked his leg. The leg he saw kicked as well, and what he felt from the kick confirmed his fears. There was no question, these alien limbs were his legs.

As his panic mounted, a bright blue glow started to shine from his... fur?! With light illuminating the cave now, he could behold what he had become in all its glory. His arms were much the same as his legs, only with a blue pelt, and a star-tipped tail whipped about frantically. Feeling at his face, Lee's eyes widened in recognition.

Glowing blue fur. A star-tipped tail. Rather large-feeling ears.

Against all conceivable explanation he could muster, Lee had become a Shinx.

"...

...wh... what the fock? What the fock?! No, th-this can't... I-I-this is a dream! I-I've snapped! This can't be real! This... oh, no, no, no, no..."

As Lee hyperventilated, whimpering out his woes and pressing against the wall with his strange limbs, something nagged at him. His inner voice of reason, he would call it, seemed to muster up some rationality and give the mental equivalent to a stern look.

'Stop. Just... stay calm, breathe. Panicking is not going to help you here... uh, Lee, right? Yes, Lee. Shinx or not, that does not change the fact that you are still alive.

You can sit here and cry or you can try and find help. Surely you can find someone who will understand. This cave has an entrance, no doubt, you had to have gotten in here somehow. Figure out how to walk and get out. Do it for Mum.

...see? Progress already, you know you have a mum!'

As he reassured himself of this, he slowly began to calm down, and before long the blinding glow his new fur coat had taken on fizzled out. After just lying there for a few minutes trying to comprehend the situation he was in, Lee gritted his teeth and rolled onto his belly. Putting his paws under him, he pushed himself up, then staggered a bit as he tried to find his balance. Before long, though, he steadied his new quadrupedal stance, glancing down at his paws as he chuckled a bit.

"Right, so far, so good. Now just fer walkin', easy enough. I hope," he muttered. Hesitating for a moment, he put one paw out in front of him, followed by the one behind it, then repeated this with the other side. Though only a single pace forward, Lee couldn't help but grin.

"Roight, that's one small step for man! Or, er, mon," he pondered, his ears drooping. "Ugh."

Grimacing, he tried again. Right front paw, right back paw, left front paw, left back paw. Right front, right back, left front, left back. Right, left. Right, le- wait, not that left-!

He fell forward with a yelp. With a groan of frustration, he started all over again, though he was sure he could make it. He hadn't seen or heard any Pokemon, so nothing much stood in his path, all he had to do was make his way to the surface. Maybe once he got some fresh air, he could consider his next move. The nearest city, perhaps, surely someone there would believe he wasn't a Shinx. With this basic plan in mind, Lee picked which was was up and began staggering that way, his spirits high.

What seemed like hours dragged by before Lee spotted something different ahead. An exit! Wiping his nose bloodied from one too many tumbles, he made his way forwards, closing his eyes as he ran out the exit in anticipation of sunlight...

But it never came.

Confused, Lee opened his eyes, only to stumble back as he let out a small gasp.

Dead. That was the only word that came to his mind as he beheld the wasteland before him. All he could see was kilometers of dirt and rock and nothing more; no trees, no grass, no Pokemon, no buildings, just... dead. Above him, black clouds hung motionless in the sky, occasionally producing a flash of lightning that illuminated the hills for Lee to behold. And behold them he did, standing there for a moment to just take in the surreal landscape.

The first question on most minds would likely ask what had happened, Lee guessed, yet that was not his main concern here. He wasn't about to last a day here, not unless some miracle graced him. He would have expected at least a patch of dead grass, but alas, it looked as if vegetation had never even existed here in the first place.

"Okay. No plants, that means no Pokemon. No Pokemon, that means no food," Lee noted. "Cock."

With this in mind, the Shinx cautiously began his trek down the slope below him, licking his dry lips thirstily. Remaining here wouldn't help his situation, he knew that much. He needed food and water, and his best option now was to go out and find any if he could.

As the ground leveled out below his paws, Lee happily noted he seemed to be getting walking down, so he finally took his eyes off his still-unfamiliar paws and looked ahead. When he did, though, a flash of lightning illuminated a strange anomaly on the horizon. Lee blinked confusedly as he peered into the distance.

"Wot...? Right, no, that was just a mountain, is all," he said to himself. "...then again, mountains don't move."

Another lightning strike in the distance only proved this statement, revealing the shape of a Nidoking in the distance. Staring as the monster's roar met his ears, he tried to comprehend this newest development among several. That couldn't be a Nidoking, could it? Lee was no Pokémologist, but he knew for sure those didn't typically grow to be the size of skyscrapers.

He didn't get far in his consideration, however, as he suddenly tripped. Yelling in anger at his accursed limbs, he made to get back up, only to find this particular fall hadn't been his fault. No, a deep trench nearly as wide as him was carved into the earth, and a quick look up revealed several more of these. They looked recent, too, perhaps a day or so old. Lee's ears stuck up as he recognized what these were: tracks.

"Yes! YES!" he whooped. "Someone had to've built whatever left these! Roight, okay, I've just gotta catch up with whatever left 'em. Which way, th-"

A horrible, enraged roar from the monster on the horizon met Lee's ears, earning a hard flinch from the Shinx.

"Yep, definitely away from that," he nodded, glad for once there wasn't much water in his system. With this decided, he turned and began walking along the tracks, giving the giant Nidoking behind him a paranoid look as he did.

This was a risky gamble, Lee knew, but it was all he had; his only other option was to lie down and wait for dehydration to catch up with him. Despite what other horrors he knew surely awaited him in this strange new land, he held his resolve all the same.

He was willing to take the risk.

Chapter Text

What was loneliness?

As Lee continued following the tracks embedded into the dirt, coming up on what he felt was an hour, he began to feel like he understood the answer.

No matter how far he walked, it was all the same. Black skies, barren knolls, no sign of life. Just him and the trenches in the ground. Those tracks that had offered him so much hope not long before now only seemed to serve to mock him; it seemed the more he walked, the less likely he felt it he'd ever see anyone at the other end.

Had he just spent precious, vital time on a wild Swanna chase? Was he going to drop from dehydration before he could find whatever had left these? Had he been doomed from the second he'd woken up like this?

This... this couldn't be it. Lee had too much on his mind that he had to get to once he found some sort of sustenance. How had he become a Shinx? Why? Where had his memories gone? Who exactly was he before this? Where was he? Why was the sky like that? How were there wagons going around without any plants to sustain a civilization?

All this and more to die with him—

"No. No... it had to have stopped eventually. It had to have been goin' somewhere, no way could they have been ridin' to more of the same. Jost... keep walkin'," Lee growled to himself.

His mouth was dry and tasted of salt. His stomach was already beginning to protest its lack of sustenance. His legs still felt unfamiliar and strange beneath him, only now they ached and begged for rest. That demon on his shoulder only whispered louder with each passing minute with no sign of life.

Lee did his best to keep his eyes on the tracks before him.

Food couldn't possibly grow out here. Logically, he was most likely the only thing alive here.

He kept his eyes on the tracks.

There was no way a tree could've grown and provided the wood for any sort of transportation, not in this environment. These couldn't have been left by wheels if that were the case, right?

He kept his eyes on the tracks.

He was already becoming thirsty. Dehydration would set in within a few hours, and he would be dead within days, and that was going off human limits. It was probably much less for a Shinx.

...he kept his eyes on the tracks.

He was completely, utterly alone. No one was coming to help him. If someone did find him, they wouldn't be able to identify him, alive or dead. Why care about a lowly Shinx, anyways? He could try to write a note to explain his circumstances, but with what?

…

Lee finally stopped, hesitating a moment before sitting down between the twin trenches in the dirt, shaking his head.

"What am I doin'?" he whispered to himself, remaining still for a moment before lying down and putting his chin on the dirt. As he stared up at the thick, dark clouds, he thought back. Back to his only memory from before this doomed venture.

It was still hard for him to grasp without any context to go off of. An iron steed roaring as it fell from the sky and towards sheer rock, his final words before dying in a blaze being a blessing for king and for country... that was something, he thought. Better than wasting away of dehydration in the middle of this wretched wasteland, at least.

"...Mum. Whoever you were, I'm sorry... I—" he cut himself off, his eyes still on the sky. Something was different about the blackness. Was that... movement? Yes, a flash of green, another of blue, another of... were they flying towards him?

"...oh, Arceus, thank Arceus!" Lee choked out, scrambling to his f— paws and sprinting towards the anomalies. Those were Pokémon! Against all odds, there were Pokémon out here! He was going to make it!

His run was cut short as he tripped over his own unfamiliar legs, though he could hear the buzzing of wings clearly by now. As he pushed himself up to get a good look at his apparent saviors, he made out a Vibrava landing softly on its legs, followed by a Rookidee and a pair of Gligars, all of whom peered at him in bewilderment.

"Okay... hear me out. I don't know where I am or what happened before this, and I need help. Wherever you're sheltering, I'll do wot I can to repay you if ya take me there," Lee quickly tried to negotiate, slowly and non-confrontational as to not alarm what could very well be wild Pokémon. The Vibrava's wings buzzed a bit as it looked back at the other Pokémon behind it.

"You ever seen anything like this one?" it asked. Asked. Lee stumbled back in shock, his fur flickering a bit at the shock of hearing words coming out of the little dragon's mouth.

"H.. h-how—" he began before his inner voice kicked in.

'Of course you can understand it. You're a Shinx, you muppet.'

His ears rearing back, he bit his lip as he accepted this explanation, waiting for an answer from the talking Pokémon as they began to discuss among themselves.

"Any idea what he is?" the Vibrava asked.

"Queen only knows. Must be a type from outside, look at that pelt," one of the Gligars answered, female judging by its voice.

"Well, what do you think? Do we take him in?" the male Gligar asked, only to be whacked in the head by his counterpart.

"You damn fool, of course we do! See, if we don't know what he is, no one else does!" she pointed out, looking at the Vibrava knowingly. "And if no one else knows what he is..."

Lee took a couple steps back from the group, only for them to take a couple steps forward as they continued talking.

"Ahh, I see. Yeah, I hear Toxtricity up north'll pay well if he can't tell what one o' these are. What do ya think we'll get, five thousand shillings?" the male Gligar asked.

"Pah, fer this one? Ten thousand," the female said.

"Ladies, ladies. The best bet's to auction him off, we'll let 'em decide," the Vibrava said, keeping his eyes hungrily staring into Lee's own.

The Shinx's eyes darted around to try and find a route of escape, though there was little options. Any way he could run, they could fly, they had the advantage, and there was too much risk of losing the tracks. That meant the only option was... but he didn't know any moves, nothing! How was he supposed to...?

"Go on, Rookidee, get him! Do us proud!" the Gligars encouraged, parting so the Rookidee behind them could meet Lee's panicked gaze. Without hesitation, the bird released a shrill chirp and flew at him, its talons almost gleaming in the darkness. Before its attack could connect, though, something sparked in Lee's memory, sending him diving out of the way. The Rookidee flew over him before turning back around, planting its talons in the ground before charging at Lee, its beak glowing with a pale blue energy. Peck, Lee recognized.

As he tried to strategize in real time, he kept planted in place and allowed the Rookidee to barrel towards him. Before it could connect, though, he dove down and threw a paw up, pulling the bird to the ground with him. That instinctive drive returning, he kept the Rookidee in his hold as it tried to flap and scratch free, and as he rolled onto his back, he tightened his foreleg around its neck. The Rookidee squawked and sputtered futilely as it tried to fly away, though to no avail. A moment passed before it fell into unconsciousness, leaving a scratched-up Lee to release his chokehold and let it fall to the ground, staring wide-eyed down at the dirt.

Had he really done that? That... had that been in those memories he was missing? Was he trained in that somehow?

Lee's brief reprieve was cut off by a sudden remembrance, his eyes darting up to meet those of the Vibrava and his Gligar cronies. The three of them didn't seem to quite know how to feel: he could see disappointment, bewilderment, and most of all, anger. Indeed, the three prepared attacks as they glared at him, prepared to fight in their little Rookidee's stead. Lee reluctantly assumed stance, knowing his odds. He had had trouble with just the Rookidee, but three at once? There was no way he could come out of this. But... alas. It was better to go down fighting, he figured.

Before any of the two could make a move, the gang of Flyers seemed to stop as if noticing something. Peering down at the ground and shifting their feet, their eyes widened before they all flew away in a rush, allowing Lee a view of what they had felt. His stomach sank.

What was that? Was that a building? Buildings? No, they had wheels, they were being pulled by teams of Mudsdale, and they were coming right for him...!

Lee yelled and scrambled out of the way of the towering things as they roared over where he had just been standing, allowing the Shinx a good look at them as they passed. Those were not buildings, it seemed, not entirely. These were what appeared to be a fleet of large covered wagons, three-story ramshackle structures built atop them that swayed with the wagons' movements, looking as if someone had taken several houses and tried to mash them all together in an unsightly stack. The wheels were reinforced with thick metal to support the enormous weight, and the windows dotting the structure framed Pokémon faces. This... this couldn't be real. A flotilla of great wagons bearing an entire town populated by Pokémon just rolling by...

As Lee took a second to stare at what was undoubtedly the strangest thing he'd seen thus far, his inner logic suddenly kicked in.

Tracks. Wheels. This was civilization! It was weird, but civilization nonetheless!

Lee immediately began sprinting after the fleet of wagons, though he didn't get far before the buzzing of wings sounded from above. No sooner had he processed this did he felt the wind get knocked out of his chest, Vibrava pinning him down as his wings quietly flapped.

"Ah-ah, not so fast, boy. The townies aren't savin' you here, you aren't goin' nowhere," the dragon said snidely. Lee struggled against his weight, trying and failing to reach back to get him off before desperately watching the fleet move away. Before he could quite think of what to do, he let out a final, desperate call in its direction.

"Help! Help! Help, damn you, I need—" he yelled, though this was quickly silenced as one of the Gligars stepped on his muzzle.

Lee struggled and flailed as the gang pinning him to the ground began to discuss how they might further subdue him for transport, the Shinx continuing to helplessly watch the receding wagons. He'd had a shot, but he'd blown it. He was going to be sold to some rich collector or worse, his one chance at finding answers was past, and his only hope at escape was... slowing... down? The chatter above Lee's head quieted down.

"...shit. Shit, stay cool. We didn't mess with 'em, they got no reason to mess with us," Vibrava said quietly, clearly nervous as he remained still. Lee's wide eyes watched hopefully as the caravan continued to slow, though as moments passed, it seemed little more was happening. Perhaps they were just getting a look, weighing their options, deciding it wasn't worth their—

A deafening boom rang out as a fork of lightning erupted from one of the structures, striking one of the Gligars. Being a Ground-type, he was unaffected, though this was still enough that the three Flyers scrambled off of Lee and fled, finally allowing the Shinx reprieve. Immediately, he scrambled to his paws and sprinted for the wagons as best he could, his heart racing as he saw Pokémon gathering at the windows to watch him. Behind him, he heard the gang of Flyers yell as they apparently regrouped.

"Come on, now, wands at ready! A good Petrify should do it!" Vibrava's voice barked, wielding some sort of stick and aiming it like a rifle in Lee's direction. As Lee kept running, a bolt of energy hit the ground next to him, only encouraging him to run faster. He heard the apparent wands fire off more shots after him, though before he could see where it would have landed, a horrible scraping sounded from behind. What appeared to be a rock wall had erupted between him and the Petrify Wands' payload, and the move's source quickly made itself apparent.

Lee screeched to a halt and staggered back, his back pressing against the rock wall as a set of wicked, glowing red eyes revealed themselves from the wagons. As Lee watched, what was evidently a Lycanroc of midnight breed jumped off one of the wagons and began bounding straight for him. Instinct kicking in once more, he momentarily debated whether to run or stand his ground, though as the beast approached him, it crouched down and extended a paw rather than maul him as he had expected.

"Come!" it commanded. Lee stared bewildered into the Lycanroc's crimson eyes for a second, though the voices of the three Flyers behind the wall convinced him to leap into the arms of the imposing wolf, who immediately began sprinting back towards the wagons. "I got 'em! Full speed! Quagsire, Zoroark, to defense!" he barked in a thick, deep accent.

Lee held on tight as the Lycanroc turned and ran back for the wagons, making the distance in a matter of seconds and leaping aboard. As the vehicle suddenly lurched beneath him, he turned his eyes back towards the rapidly receding wall of rock, where the gang had stopped to argue among themselves, presumably whether pursuing the caravan for him was worth it. As they shrunk in the distance, Lee felt Lycanroc tense up as Vibrava flew into the air and prepared a Dragon Breath, though the dragon seemed to decide against it at the last minute, choosing instead to fly over to the fallen Rookidee as his group disappeared into the distance.

As Lycanroc gave a quiet sigh of relief and stood up, he looked down at Lee quietly before picking him up once more and carrying him through an opening in the wagon's side.

"Don't worry. Yer safe now." was all the wolf said as he toted Lee through the claustrophobic rooms of the wagon-building.

Even here, being carried by a hulking midnight Lycanroc in the bowels of a rickety moving three-story structure mere moments after a painfully close call with being sold as chattel, Lee couldn't help but share a quiet, relieved laugh with himself. He'd found help, and in extension, proof there were sufficient resources for some sort of society out here. Proof that he would survive.

For the first time since he'd awoken, Lee finally felt at ease.

"Blue fur, brown eyes. Blue fur, brown— ah! According to the book, this one's a... Shinx? Eh, says yellow eyes, but other than that. Native to grasslands in the Sun Continent, it says. This one... appears on the older side, he's bigger than this says. And look at his mane, it's growing out. Close to evolving, this one is," the Chansey standing over Lee read out.

Said Shinx shifted in his makeshift cot as the floor bumped and rocked under him, looking around uncomfortably. The cramped room he was in was apparently this caravan's infirmary, though the instruments and boxes of old berries sliding with the wagon's rocking didn't incite much comfort in him. What was more, he apparently had a welcoming party: crowded at the other side of the room, Lycanroc sat watching him, several other Pokémon craning their heads around him to see the strange newcomer. Lycanroc, however, thankfully seemed less interested in the unfamiliarity of Lee's strange new body.

"Wot's it say, then?" he asked. Chansey flipped through the parchment pages of the book she was holding, squinting at the diagram before her.

"Doesn't look like much is wrong with him. 'Side from some bruises and the dehydration, he made it out fine," she said. "Lucky, weren'tcha?"

Lycanroc gave a little nod before slowly approaching Lee, who felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine as the dog's crimson eyes seemed to stare into his soul. Said dog took a seat by Lee's cot and tried for a welcoming smile.

"Right, then. That's oatta the way, a few Orans is all to worry 'boat. Wotever questions y'have, ask 'em here," he said. Immediately, a thousand questions all flowed onto Lee's tongue, each competing to come out as the most pressing. He barely had time to think most of them over before one escaped.

"Why'd ya help me?" Lee blurted out. Lycanroc chuckled a bit.

"Well, we couldn't just leave ya there, could we? Was the right thing to do," he reasoned. "Dark-typed or not, I couldn't leave a 'mon to a lot like that."

Lee hesitated for a bit.

"...I... thank you, sir. I'm... I'm in yer debt," he said. As Lycanroc nodded, the Shinx looked around. "Where... am I, exactly?"

"You're aboard the flagship wagon of Salvation Township," Lycanroc said. "We're followin' Amethyst Township on the Deliverance Trail, en route to the Tunnel."

"Wot? No, where am I? In the world?" Lee demanded. Lycanroc blinked confusedly.

"Er... on northern Midlanil, of the Dark Isles," he said.

"Where... ah," Lee sighed, figuring he wasn't about to get any answers from this. "Okay. Can I... speak to yer leader? I'm in a bit of a pickle, I'd say, got nowhere to go. Wh-where can I find them?"

Lycanroc only gave a little smile.

"He sits before you. Chief-Mayor Lycanroc o' Salvation Township, at yer service," he said, his gaze turning to the floor as he put a claw on his chin. "Hrm. If you got nowhere else, as you claim... I s'ppose we can keep you aboard a while. To the next safe city, at least."

Lee sat up, blinking.

"Ya'd do that?" he asked.

"Course," the Chief-Mayor nodded. Lee thought for a second, suspicion towards the dog and this whole town brewing for a bit before he pushed that down. It was either this or taking his chances with the outside again...

"Yer a saint, sir," Lee thanked him. Lycanroc only scratched at the fur on his head.

"No, no. It's nothin', really," he said. "Come, I'll show ya aroand; next town on the trail's on Dragon's Eye, won't be due fer another four days at normal pace. Best get a feel for the town, mm?"

Lee nodded and stood up shakily, only now beginning to take notice of how awkward he looked walking on his still-strange legs as the bunch of gathered Pokémon parted to let him and Lycanroc pass. Among them, Lee's eyes met with a Rockruff, sitting by the door and watching with an air of suspicion. Noting said Pokémon there, Lycanroc paused.

"Ah, a lovely coincidence. Shinx, this is my child. You'll be seein' Rockruff aroand much, it's best you start off well with 'em," he said. Lee gave a quiet cough, his tail automatically flicking behind him.

"Er, n-noice to meetcha, sir. The name's Lee. Charmed... to...?" he trailed off, stopping as he noticed Lycanroc fail to withhold a cringe. As the two watched, Rockruff's look of suspicion intensified into a glare.

"I'm a girl," she spat. Lee stumbled back a step as he went pale under his blue fur.

"O-oh. I'm... sorry. I-I couldn't... tell?" he sputtered, though this only seemed to annoy Rockruff even more. Before he could do any more damage, Lycanroc cleared his throat.

"Come, Shinx. Much to see," he hurriedly said, almost pushing Lee out of the infirmary as he muttered a quiet apology back to his daughter. As the two cleared the room, Lycanroc glanced down at him awkwardly.

"Ahem. You... 'ave a proper name. I take it yer a 'mon o' power," he said.

"Er, n-no. Do Pokémon just not 'ave names?" Lee asked. Lycanroc hesitated for a bit, giving Lee a bit of a confused look.

"Not in these isles, no. Too much of a risk to get attached," he said matter-of-factly. Frowning at this observation, Lee decided to not push that question too much, following the chief-mayor as Rockruff continued to watch disgruntledly from the door.

As it seemed, the infirmary was not alone in how claustrophobic it seemed to Lee. Crammed together around him as he exited was a litany of varied cramped rooms, all apparently serving some purpose to this mobile town. Over a dozen Pokémon sat around him, sitting in the most secure spots in this room as they watched the windows fearfully. However, as the two passed by, pushing past a rope ladder leading into the ceiling, their demeanors turned to those of respect and curiosity.

Glancing around at the state these Pokémon were in, Lee's little frown deepened. The wagon he was standing in couldn't have been more than three meters wide and ten in length, and this was the flagship wagon, likely the biggest of the bunch; the other wagons of this "town" were likely even more cramped. How and why were these Pokémon choosing to live like this? While he knew he should very well be fearing for how he would fare in here, he couldn't help but feel a mute sorrow for this town.

As he glanced out a window to watch the barren land fly by outside, Lee listened to Lycanroc as he gave the brief tour.

"The largest room 'ere is the barracks. You'll be sleepin' 'ere, unless you see a pantry more fittin'. Leisure's up the ladder on floor two fer yer free time; you're a four-legger, best to ask a Flyer to help ya up. Food is limited, so rations'll be allotted three times daily. We'll know if ya take any more, and we won't tolerate it. Now, up there is- oh?" Lycanroc asked, noticing Lee impatiently waiting for a lull.

"This is a swell establishment you got, but... where the fock is this thing goin'?" he demanded. Lycanroc blinked at the language, though immediately regained his composure as he continued walking.

"Well... best to follow me fer that. S'easier to explain in the war room," the Chief-Mayor said. Lee opened his mouth to inquire about the name, though as Lycanroc opened a door to the outside and gestured him on, he let out a quiet sigh and reluctantly followed.

"Best git ready, this'll be rough," Lycanroc warned. As Lee ignored that and stuck his head out the door, the mane of black fur around his neck blowing in the stale wind as he looked around for this war room, he suddenly felt an arm wrap around him before he found himself no longer planted on solid ground. Lycanroc held the Shinx tight as he jumped the ten-meter gap from one wagon and onto another, then back again to grab a rope and swing the remainder of the distance. For his part, Lee contributed what he felt was the only natural reaction to such a situation.

"YAAAAAIEEEAAAAH!"

As Lee screamed in sheer and utter terror, the ground sped below him in a deadly blur, his hind legs dangling and kicking for solid ground that wasn't there. Being thrown around such that it felt he'd drop any second, he instinctively kicked and clawed at the arm that had put him in this situation, though its grip only tightened as Lycanroc, his ears flat against his head to drown out the screaming, finished the last leg of the perilous trip. The fear of God sufficiently put into Lee, he scrambled onto the wooden floor the second Lycanroc let him go, hugging it close before looking back up at the wolf.

"Wot the devil is wrong with you?!" he half-shrieked.

"Sorry 'boat that. Tha's the only way to this place," Lycanroc justified, frowning at the scratch marks left on his arm.

"What place—?" Lee asked as he pushed himself to his paws, pausing as he finally got a good look around the room he'd been carried to. Before him sat a somewhat spacious room, large enough for a round table bolted to the floor where a Pokémon sat asleep. A Zoroark...? No, it was white, that couldn't be right. Parchment notes in a language alien to him and shelves filled with books and scrolls adorned the walls, and in the center of the wall opposite to a large window pointing forward was a map, this showing a rough sketch of an archipelago. As Lee looked around at the room, Lycanroc gave a little grin.

"Welcome to the war room, the heart o' our trip to the Tunnel," he said. Lee blinked.

"I... why'd ya take me 'ere? If this room's that important—" Lee tried.

"Humble up, lad, you aren't the only one. All this is replaceable, wot matters is safe with us," Lycanroc said, tapping his temple. Lee glanced around again.

"Right. What's the Tunnel, then?" he asked. Lycanroc immediately went to the map, pointing to a spot on the northernmost island on it.

"The Tunnel, see, is the only land route outta the Isles. Built by the Ancients before the Darkness arose, it bridges the Channel between the Isles and the White Continent; truly a marvel. No town can cross the Channel, not withoat years o' modifyin', so that is where this town's headed," he said. Taking his claw off the spot Lee assumed was the entry point to this tunnel, the wolf traced along a line going down. "We are headin' fer the Deliverance Trail, the safest path fer towns like this to take on their route there. It's a long 'n hard journey, since it still goes through Behemoth territory, but should a town make it, it's worth the risk. See, across the Tunnel... the Darkness has no dominion. The sky is clear and the sun shines unimpeded."

Lee cocked his head at this, gathering three things in particular from this. First, this "Darkness" wasn't just a local thing, it was the whole archipelago. That didn't bode well.

Second, what was a Behemoth? He only wondered for a moment before he suddenly remembered what he'd seen out there near that cave: a mountain-sized Nidoking, its roars like thunder... that seemed like a likely candidate. But there was more than one of them...? Maybe that explained why this town was on wheels.

Third and most importantly to Lee, though, there was a way out of this place, back to where things were normal. Perhaps a way back to human civilization...

"The Tunnel lies guarded, p'haps as to let not any ferals out, but towns've made it. Once the threat of the Behemoth is behind 'em, most remove their wheels somewhere in the White Continent, one e'en stopped down in Grey Proper. Fer this town, I plan on... ah," Lycanroc sighed. "My apologies, I'm ramblin'. Ya just came within an inch of your life and 'ere I am—"

"No, no, it's alright. Er... are there any humans on the other side, by chance?" Lee asked, though deflated as Lycanroc only blinked in confusion.

"What is a human?" he asked. Lee gritted his teeth, feeling his hopes start to fleet away before he got a hold of himself. Of course he wouldn't have heard of them, no sane human would ever want to venture into these Isles (at least, not willingly, as he could say from experience) and it seemed he'd been here his whole life. It was too early to call. For now... he supposed he'd hold the fact that he'd been human. It wouldn't help him in this situation.

"I-I'll explain another time, long story. Go on," he said. Lycanroc gave a quizzical expression before nodding and taking a seat.

"If you say so. Fer this town... I wish to settle her on the beach, somewhere in the White Continent. One with fruit trees aplenty, one where we can watch the sun set every day. Queen above, I hear it's beautiful. Rockruff'll lead this town on, and she'll live knowin' she'll watch the sun rise, that she'll be free of wot our forefathers endured..." Lycanroc stopped. "...ahem. I know, it's optimistic. And we know where optimism lands us, mm?"

"No, no, I... well, it's better to try fer that than go another day like... that, right?" Lee asked, pointing back towards the bulk of the wagon. "You've got a chance, may as well take it."

Lycanroc thought for a second before grinning and clapping Lee on the back, the Shinx yelping as his legs buckled beneath him.

"Ah, yer a rare breed. A 'mon who still knows to hope. Where y'been since Absol passed?" he asked.

"Agh, y-yeah..." Lee groaned as he got back to his paws. With another look around, then out the window at the barren landscape ahead, he pursed his lips. "Say, if yer really headin' there... could I not be dropped off? I think I'd like to come along."

Lycanroc cocked his head. He thought for a bit before looking over at the table.

"Zoroark!" he barked. The strange white-and-red Pokémon jolted awake, turning to face Lycanroc as he spoke again. "Get a proper bed ready fer Shinx."

"Yessir," the Zoroark nodded, standing and walking out of the war room with her strange wispy mane billowing behind her. With this, Lycanroc smiled again, a sight quite horrible on a Pokémon of his kind.

"You may've not earned yer citizenship yet, but let me be the first to welcome you to Salvation Township, Shinx," he said. Lee found a small grin growing on his face.

"Thank you, sir. Lee's fine," he said. Lycanroc nodded as he picked Lee up to leave.

"I'll do my best to remember," he said. As he jumped from the door to return to the bulk of the wagon, Lee held on tight, managing to think amidst the instinctual panic.

All things considered, he considered this a good start. While he wasn't much closer to figuring anything out, he at least had a roof over his head and food to eat. Even if it was a claustrophobic nightmare and lumbering on wheels, it was something.

Despite everything, things could've been far worse, and that was all that mattered to him.

Rockruff looked up as the telltale thump of someone returning from the helm sounded, getting to her paws as she saw Zoroark walking in.

"Wot'd they talk about? What's Dad done now?" she asked.

"Don't know, missed most of it. All I know is I'm makin' a bed fer the 'mon," Zoroark shrugged as she moved on. Rockruff stared after her, gritting her teeth.

She didn't like this, not one bit. An odd stranger turning up, a type no one in town even recognized, and her father had just let him in? Now, she knew as well as any that courtesy was valuable, Lycanroc had made sure to drill that into her head, but something about that Shinx rubbed her the wrong way, even barring that introduction.

The way he walked. The strange accent he spoke in. The fact he had a proper name. The very idea an Electric-type had even wound up in the middle of Midlanil without explanation.

All this could be explained away, she knew, but it'd be a stretch, to say the least. And besides... the book Chansey had read from said this Shinx species was supposed to have yellow eyes. Why were this one's brown, then?

Something didn't add up, and Rockruff fully intended to find out what.