Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue - The Ranger

“Extreme Speed!” The Ace Trainer in front of her cried out, Arcanine bolted forward with a burst of supernatural speed. Lena didn't need to speak as Lucario, or Arthur, leaped over the fire canine with a practiced grace to his movements with enhanced senses from Detect and drew a bone staff made of Aura in midair. Arthur then swung down, landing a clean blow in the middle of the canine’s spine, which sent the Arcanine tumbling to the ground in pain. The Trainer cried out in shock — no Pokémon had ever intercepted Arcanine mid-Extreme Speed! Yet, there he was, down and out cold on the dirt.

To Ranger Lena, though, Arthur was just showing off. He didn't need Detect to avoid the attack.

“Arthur, if you’d please.” The Aura Pokémon gave a resolute nod and walked over to the fallen Arcanine and moved his paw forward. His tassels gently waved as a blue and pink Aura flowed into Arcanine.

“Sorry about that… Arthur can be a bit of a showman.” Lena apologized. Arthur scoffed at her in mock offense but then smiled faintly.

“Well, I don’t know what I was expecting… I thought for sure though that Scolipede and Arcanine would have been able to beat you with their new moves today…” the Ace Trainer said with a slight sigh. “Just means we’ll have to train harder….” 

Arcanine stirred a bit, then blinked away the dizziness from his eyes. While not fit for another battle, he was well enough to make it to the Pokémon Center; he turned to face the Ace Trainer wearing a defeated expression but perked up once she gave him a scratch behind the ear.

Lena moved to give her a Sitrus Berry, but the Ace Trainer recalled Arcanine to his ball before running off, a quick thank you being yelled out by them as their form retreated into the distance. Lena just sighed and turned to Arthur with an inquisitive expression on her face.

“What do you think? Top 16? Top 32?” Lena asked. Arthur crossed his arms and glanced in the vanishing Ace Trainer’s direction, a soft rumbling left his throat that Lena knew as a hum before he spoke.

“Her bond with her team is strong, but she needs to work on more than just raw power. ” He mused; Lena nodded and hummed back as she started to think back to the battle. The Ace Trainer’s (what was her name … Miki … ?) Scolipede had almost gotten a knockout on her other partner — speaking of which, she needed to be looked over before anything else.

Lena gently pressed the button on the Dive Ball at her side; a blue light flashed as her other partner appeared. However, Lena was more focused on the bruise, however, and kneeled down to look at it better. The injury was almost bigger than an adult fist at the Floatzel’s side and seemed to spread slowly still.

The Water Type’s expression was embarrassed as she glanced down at her chest and saw the full impact of what she did in the battle had on her, which prompted her to glance away with a blush on her orange fur. 

Though no amusement came from either of them, Arthur hissed and winced as he spotted the purple splotch darkening and growing on the Floatzel’s body. And Lena, having already grabbed a Super Potion from her pack, reached forward and felt the injury with a gentle touch to make sure there was nothing critically injured, careful not to make the Floatzel more uncomfortable than she looked, physically at least.

‘Hm… nothing broken … A night of rest and a visit to the Pokémon Center should take care of it.’ She said to herself as she started to spray the Super Potion. Floatzel's posture relaxed a tad as the medicine started taking effect quickly, the purple bruising started to fade already thanks to the fast-acting medicine. The purple area on her body faded into a yellow and dissipated slightly at the edges… the Floatzel’s tense shoulders finally relaxed fully as she also let out a breath she didn’t know she held either.

Meanwhile, Arthur stepped up to his teammate with a teasing look now that she was being healed and knew it wasn’t serious…

“Leaving me to handle the Fire Type all by myself wasn’t nice, Rina. ” He spoke with an attempted flat tone, even if it held a bit of a teasing edge, Rina turned to him and let out her own scoff. 

“Float-Floatzel…Float-Zelel” (Please, I knew you could have handled it. Don’t think I missed hearing Lena say you were showing off.) Rina said and crossed her arms slightly. Lena couldn’t help but chuckle at her team and family bantering like this. Meanwhile, both Arthur and Rina shot each other a smile at making their Trainer laugh.

It had taken some time, but while Lena could understand Arthur easily thanks to his Aura translating his speech into his thoughts easily, using that Aura to translate others fluidly was still something they were practicing. The main issue was that as of right now a Pokémon’s Aura basically had to go through Arthur’s before reaching Lena, meaning there was still some ‘noise’ in the signal.

She stopped spraying the now-used Super Potion and put the empty bottle into her back pocket, moving her hand around for a moment before it exited instead with two berries for her team.

“Here, for both of you,” Lena said while handing both Arthur and Rina the Sitrus Berries she had meant to give to the Ace Trainer; both Pokémon perked up and started eating them with gusto. Lena chuckled again at both of them as she pulled out her Styler, checking the clock.

‘4:30 PM… might as well check in and get these two in a Pokémon Center. I should probably check to see what Quests came in; we’ve done enough battling for today. ’ She hummed as she navigated the menu to reach the radio setting, selecting the ‘Unova Operator Frequency‘, and moved her arm closer to her mouth to speak. “This is Ranger Lena, calling in to signify intent to leave Route 23 and head back to heal my team and to check in on any open Quests, over,” she said, waiting for an Operator to respond.

“Ranger Lena, Operator Axel receives your intent, marking you off Route 23… acknowledge?” Lena smiled slightly at hearing his voice, being the first Operator she interacted with after coming to Unova.

“Acknowledged. Anything to be aware of on the way back?”

“Not much, though if you’re flying back we’ve gotten some reports of some Flying Types migrating back for spring, so be aware of congested air traffic.”

Lena hummed before she turned her gaze towards the sky. An Unfezant followed by a flock of Pidove flew towards their breeding grounds in the south, if she squinted she could just barely notice the faint blue underbelly of some Swanna as well. “Thanks for the heads-up, I didn’t even realize it was that time of year already…”

“Yeah, with how things have been going down, I’m not surprised, had a couple others say the same too…” Axel said with a light sigh, suddenly sounding a bit tired through the radio.

Lena groaned. “Oh Arceus, what happened now…?” She could imagine Axel leaning back in his chair and running his hands over his face before putting them behind his head with a deep breath.

“Oh, nothing big, just a few hardliners from the League calling the Ranger Union a bunch of Plasma sympathizers just ‘cause we dare to advocate for Pokémon rights…. Trainers releasing Pokémon in habitats where they shouldn’t — some moron released a Larvitar in a forest out by the lab on ‘15, Twins know how long a search mission is going to go in that area… calls for budget cuts in retaliation for our support for the Unova Diversity Act… Y’know, standard operating procedure.”

Lena groaned loud enough to make both Rina and Arthur look up from eating.

“Are you kidding? I mean, after everything with Team Plasma I can understand some resistance, but—” Lena cut herself off before she went on a tirade, shaking her head and regaining control of herself. “We can discuss it off frequency later, sorry. Ranger Lena, signing out.”

“Understood, have a safe trip back. Operator Axel signing out.”

Lena sighed before she turned and realized Rina and Arthur were looking at her with expressions of concern. She gave a faint smile, trying her best to placate the two. “Don’t worry, it’s just more humans being stupid.”

“Floatzeel… Zel-Float…Float-Float.” (You’ve been saying that a lot since we’ve been in Unova… are you… sure you don’t mind being here instead of Almia? Or Sinnoh?) Rina asked gently, clasping Lena's hand soothingly. Arthur had a similar look of concern, but Lena moved before either could speak again, kneeling down and wrapping them both in a gentle hug.

“Listen to me, I know you two always want more. Don’t lie, I know how much you two enjoy battling, getting stronger… as well as making sure you can protect me....” Her voice quivered before trailing off a bit. “I’m more than happy to handle the human bureaucracy for you two if it means you're happy but… we all need to heal after Team Plasma.” Her tone softened as she thought back to more than a year ago...the emergency sirens, the deafening noise, the panic…, the fear….

“Lena, you’re here, the siege is over… you have us… we don’t need to stay in Unova if you aren’t happy here. ” Arthur’s grounding voice shot through her thoughts, making her blink as she realized both he and Rina had put their paws around her back now and were leaning into the hug.

Taking a breath, Lena shook her head before speaking again. “I am happy, I have my partners, my family here, we’re helping people both in Towns and Routes, life is good.” She responded with a gentle squeeze and breathed… simply just… being, enjoying the embrace of her family.

After a minute she broke the hug and smiled back at the two before she moved her hands to each of their Poké Balls and held them out. “Come on, let’s get you both healed up, you did great today.”

And with that, both Pokémon pressed their paws at their Poké Ball, both turned red and vanished into an identical light into the capsules. Lena held her smile as she pressed the button on the Dive and Great Ball to shrink them before putting them on her belt. She stood up and stretched for a moment, her mind debating if she should ride the Subway… if Lena did, her team would be upset they didn’t do any battles despite having just fought a couple ones that day. So Lena pulled her Styler out as she started looking for an Unfezant to fly back…

“Welcome to the Nimbasa City Ranger Depot… oh! Hello, Ranger Lena!” The front desk clerk, Ivan, greeted them with a cheerful expression; his Swoobat hung upside down next to him from a pole suspended from the ceiling, chirping happily and giving a wave with his wing. Lena chuckled a bit and waved as well as she walked up to the desk.

“Good afternoon Ivan and Bruce, I hope today hasn’t been too busy.”

Ivan just shrugged in response. “Nothing major , but with everything happening with the Unova Diversity Act, we keep getting emails and calls about every minor Pokémon, you know how it is. Been running myself ragged sending out the same generic email response for every single Growlithe or even ‘supposed’ sightings of Weedle which turns out to just be Venipede. Have to document it all anyways.” He said with a slight chuckle; Lena shot him a slight look of pity.

“Yeah, glad I’m in the field rather than at a desk… left my Team to get checked up at the Pokémon Center after some battles, but wondering if any new Quests come in?”

Ivan leaned forward in response and quickly started to type on his computer. “Let me see… ah, yes. We have some of the finest ‘show me this Pokémon today only’, or ‘please remove this single rock that bothers me’ Quests today.” Ivan chuckled but shook his head as he ended his theatrics, and started selecting some of the ‘real’ Quests to send. “Besides those, we have a couple; but none that’ll satisfy your battle-hungry team.” He replied with a slight teasing smirk that made Lena snort. Pressing a button on the keyboard, Lena’s Styler beeped as it received the new information. “Man, it’s so much easier to get Quests to everyone with this…”

Lena didn’t disagree, but she felt there was something lost… like it was disconnected from the personal relationship that Rangers should have with the community. Granted, she supposed with places with a higher population than Almia or Oblivia, it made sense to a degree…

She didn't voice her thoughts, however, and simply gave Ivan a smile and a slight nod. “Thank you. Is anyone else in the common room?”

“I think Axel and Lois are there now — ah, sorry, it's Ampere with Louis, not Lois. It’s odd that there are three Rangers in Unova all with similar sounding names, Lewis, Lois, and Louis…” Ivan said with a slight hum at the end, Lena chuckled though as she thought about it, it was a bit odd.

“We’ll need to figure out nicknames eventually. I’ll go in and say hi, you’ll make sure that Ivan takes a break, won’t you Bruce?” She asked playfully, with Bruce chirping and giving his best impression of a salute. Ivan rolled his eyes but waved Lena off as she walked towards the common area.

Moving her Styler to the electronic lock, the door beeped and slid open to reveal a rather cozy room with couches around a TV mounted on a wall. In Lena’s opinion, they were the best damn couches in all of Unova, based on how often she would find herself falling asleep in minutes after a long day. Against another wall was a table, fridge, sink, microwave and stove, a dishwasher… all the modern amenities one could need.

The TV gently blared as two people and Ampere the Ampharos sat on the couch and a backwards chair looking at the TV. Lena walked over and sat down on an unoccupied couch with a breath and glanced at the two; Axel was on the chair, arms crossed over the top and resting his head with his dark sandy blonde hair. He was listening intently to the TV before perking up as Lena sat down. On the couch next to him was Louis, short black hair with a bit of a tan on his skin, with Ampere lying across his lap asleep.

“Lena! Welcome back. Hope the air traffic wasn’t bad?” Axel asked; Lena shook her head in response as Louis turned to her with a smile as well.

“Nothing major, but thanks for the heads up. I went at a lower altitude to be safe.” She said, giving a nod to Louis as well, who returned it and shifted slightly to face Lena without disturbing Ampere.

“Yeah, the air traffic was bothering Mistralton City’s airspace. Had to help guide some Duckletts and their Swanna parents away while planes were incoming. At least we didn’t have to deal with the passengers on the flights who got delayed.” Louis said with a chuckle, which Lena and Axel mimicked in agreement. Lena started to look over the Quest list while the TV was on in the background.

‘Let’s see… ‘I wanna see a Minccino’s evolved form’, might be interesting… I’d need to find a Cinccino or a Trainer with a Minccino looking to evolve and be open to evolving in front of someone … . Though it could take a couple days to find a high-grade Shiny Stone’ Lena considered before deciding against it. She continued scrolling as Axel started to speak with a casual tone.

“Yeah, tourists are the worst… even here, where catching Pokémon and Battles are allowed. I can’t even imagine how it is in Fiore or Almia.”

“Oh, don’t even get me started. I can’t even begin to explain how many times I’ve had to confiscate illegal Poké Balls or explain to someone that just because they have Badges, that doesn’t mean they’re allowed to train in the forest either.” Lena groaned aloud while throwing her head back. The sight made Louis blow out an amused breath and Axel moved his hands in Lena’s direction as if to say ‘See? Exactly!’. Lena just shook her head with a faint smile before looking back at the Quest list.

Her ears tuned out Louis and Axel’s conversation following conversation as she scrolled through idly, the reporter on the TV moving onto the next topic.

“...and following reports of the International Police stopping yet another illegal smuggling operation, the League has shared a message showing they are grateful for their assistance in the matter —”

Lena’s focus snapped up to the TV at the mention of smuggling as Louis groaned at the anchor calling the League ‘grateful’. “Give me a break… If you were more grateful, you’d let the Rangers help with gathering information on the origins of the Pokémon instead of relying on the International Police.”

Lena and Axel turned to him both with a pinched expression, their distaste for the International Police clear. Lena rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed, almost regretting what she was about to ask. “What’s the damage this time?”

“From what I’ve seen on the report internally, illegal shipment of Pokémon heading to Orre, most likely was going there before heading overseas.” Lena cursed under her breath as he nodded in agreement. “Pokémon are going to be checked over before they decide what to do next… tsk.” A scowl formed on his face, and Lena couldn’t help but feel a similar expression forming. The International Police were good with human crimes, especially with the rise in Teams the last couple years, but they still struggled with handling Pokémon related crimes compared to the Ranger Union.

“Does the Ranger Union have no say in it?” Lena asked, with Axel answering with a shake of his head.

“Nope. Because it was within Unova’s borders, and it’s mostly related to ‘illicit human affairs’ as they put it, they’re claiming jurisdiction. They only want Ranger’s assistance in the handling of the Pokémon involved, but not the final decision. It’s something, I guess.” He sighed with a tilt of his head as he leaned back, lightly holding onto the back of the chair. Axel shot a glance at Lena’s belt for a moment before he hummed. “Arthur and Rina getting checked out?”

“Yeah, Nurse said it’d be an hour or two. Arthur’s fine, but I’m going to have to have a word with him about sportsmanship — using Detect for a critical strike in an exhibition match isn’t cool. Rina though... She grazed a point-blank Solar Beam—.” Axel and Louis winced in sympathy. “Yeah, wasn’t pretty. Thankfully, it was either a new move or wasn’t fully charged, as she still won with an Ice Punch.”

Axel chuckled softly and shook his head, with an almost disbelieving expression. “Man, I don’t understand how you can keep up with either of them. I know you came to Unova so they can battle more, but at this rate, you’ll be able to sweep the League with just those two.”

Lena just shrugged slightly, moving over to the counter and reaching for an apple. “I mean… I’ve considered doing that maybe when I retire, but… the image of a former Ranger turned ‘career battler’ might be… counterintuitive if the Union wants to press for Pokémon Citizenship in regions.” She said with a sudden scowl as she thought about how most Regions with a Pokémon League struggled with legal citizenship for Pokémon because of how prevalent Pokémon Battles are. Most of the ‘reasons’ given by politicians are that “they’re too stupid to be citizens” or that “the language barrier between Pokémon and humans would make that too complex.”

The thought alone made her bite into her apple with a burning hatred. Even without Lucario’s Aura, the language barrier didn’t stop Lena from understanding her team. Sure, it was a slow process and difficult at times, but they were her family. That time and effort and work is what they deserved! But... she did concede it made the learning process much easier, and it certainly helped get some nuance in conversations that wasn’t possible otherwise.

It was things like that which made Pokémon rights so prevalent in places like Fiore, Almia, and Oblivia, where Pokémon are able to hold jobs, become full citizens, and get the same benefits as a human under the Ranger Union’s eye.

'Shame that the Pokémon League can feel like a decade behind sometimes…' She mused to herself with a bitter tone. Axel glanced at her expression and asked what she was thinking about, causing her to relay her thoughts again. Axel winced at the frankly aggressive tone she had but nodded in agreement. Louis however, hummed, thinking back to the conversation beforehand as Lena glanced at her Styler to cool her thoughts down.

“Twins, Lena, you look like you’re going to murder that apple. Is being a Trainer really that unappealing to you?” Axel quipped, breaking her out of her brooding.

Lena steeled herself for a second, trying to temper her anger. “It’s not an issue with being a Trainer and battling, not at all, it’s everything next to it tied to the League.” 

With another breath, she gathered her thoughts before continuing. “It’s just... for all the League claims to care about Pokémon rights, they treat Pokémon like they’ve got the intelligence of a brick and are utterly incapable of functioning without a Trainer, and expand cities into habitats with no effort for relocation. Remember Castelia Sewers breaking directly into the Relic Passage?” She said with a pointed tone. Louis in particular nodded at that, the two of them having been on the Mission themselves when the company contracted to construct the sewers revealed that information to the League. “Ugh. It’s no wonder you-know-who rose to power so quickly with their false message; they’re evil, and they co-opt a necessary topic and sent it back years...” Lena looked back down at her Styler again, trying to cool off a bit.

Axel looked down with his brows furrowed in thought, but Louis just gave a big harrumph.

“I say go for it — the League, I mean. Who knows, maybe you’ll even become the Champion and press for that change.”

‘’I need training tips for my Timburr’, that one is actually tempting… I’ll need to check to see if Arthur would be up for it…’ Lena's face then shifted into a pinched expression as she processed what Louis said.

She shifted and gave Louis an icy stare. “And have to deal with politics? I’ll pass. It’s bad enough for Iris, and she was a Gym Leader. Granted, Drayden was assisting her, but....” Lena resolutely shook her head; she had absolutely no desire to get involved with that.

“Well, Alder is assisting her now with politics which… okay, that’s a bad example.” Louis grimaced, realizing what he just said. Alder hadn’t been hugely supported, but he was an ally for the Ranger Union pre-Team Plasma, despite not battling much because of the loss of his partner. He was at least respected as a man of the people with how he traveled across the Region among Rangers and Trainers giving advice, wisdom, and mentoring.

Then Team Plasma shattered that image into a million pieces. The true leader, Ghetsis, had kidnapped a young child, isolated him in solitary confinement for years, changed his name, groomed him to be 'king' of a terrorist organization, and manipulated him into gaining the trust of the legendary Pokémon Reshiram. After demolishing the Elite Four, Alder might as well have conceded defeat without even fighting, his attempt was so poor due to him wandering the region instead all those years. During the ceremony where the new Champion ‘N’ was to be crowned, Team Plasma’s castle rose from the ground and pierced the Pokémon League for all to see. It was only thanks to the efforts of an actual child named Hilbert, the awakening of the legendary Zekrom, and N’s betrayal of Ghetsis at the last minute that Team Plasma was thwarted.

Alder’s support within the political sphere evaporated after the events, and he retired shortly after a battle with Hilbert, who refused to take the spot and… vanished, much like Red did all those years ago.

Alder was at least mentoring Iris into the position with a transitionary period. However, despite being stronger in battle, she hadn’t mustered up enough political strength yet to push back against the reactionaries that had sprouted up, pushing more and more support to the International Police because of their actions in rounding up the Seven Sages of Team Plasma after the attack.

“Gonna be a bit of time before she gets settled in, we’re still feeling the after-effects of Team Plasma, probably for years to come…” Axel murmured. Lena nodded slightly and sighed, sitting down on an empty couch as she bit into her apple and opened her Styler to the list of Quests.

After scrolling through the list of minor jobs she wasn’t interested in, Lena's face hardened as she noticed one at the bottom just recently submitted an hour ago. ‘Accumula Town - Assistance needed concerning sensitive topics ‘.

The subject line gave little information, and the description was equally vague. Intrigued, Lena opened the Quest.

Hello,

I apologize if this is the wrong channel to send such a request, however, I would like to request a Ranger’s help with a sensitive matter that can’t be discussed over email due to the privacy of an individual. Please reach out via email or call.

I hope to hear back soon,

Clare Ranton - Coordinator, Unova Child Welfare Services

Xtransceiver: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Email: [email protected]

Lena sat back as her eyes skimmed the message again. She hummed absentmindedly trying to put together possible ideas, biting into her apple as she sat in silence. ‘Alright… so, a child social worker wants help with… what I assume is a kid in the system, possibly one without parents or a role model to look up to... There’s no Gym Leader in Accumula Town, so that makes sense, but there’s no information here to confirm that idea… ‘’  

Lena took another bite of her apple before an unexpected hard crunch followed by a bitter taste distracted her as she bit down right on the inner seeds. She glared at her apple as if it had offended her. Realizing she had eaten the apple down to the core, she stood up and moved to throw it out as she pondered the message once more… the Xtransceiver number at the end of the message was like a beacon for her eyes…

Her Styler rang, jolting her from her thoughts. She picked up the incoming call without checking the ID.

“R-Ranger Lena speaking.”

“Ranger Lena? This is the resident nurse at the Nimbasa Pokémon Center. Arthur and Rina are both ready to be picked up.” The nurse’s caring tone brought Lena out of her stupor for a moment as she quickly refocused.

“Ah-ah thank you, how is Rina…? She took a point-blank Solar Beam to the chest...”

“So that’s what it was… she will be fine, Ranger Lena. The bruise suggests the Grass Type Energy wasn’t fully stable, so it wasn’t at full strength when it hit, however, she may still feel a little tender when sleeping tonight. I can go into more detail if you’d like when you arrive.” The nurse responded kindly, her tone gentle as if she sensed the faint bit of background worry that Lena had.

“That would be great, actually. Thank you, I’ll be right over.” Lena replied before she hung up the call and stood up, stretching for a moment as Axel and Louis looked over at her; even Ampere blinked slowly from his apparent nap and looked around as if hit by a Confuse Ray, making her turn to them real quick. “Have to grab Rina and Arthur. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Ampere chirped and the guys waved goodbye as she headed out, her mind forgetting the odd Quest for a moment…

After Lena grabbed her partners out of the Pokémon Center, she let them out as they leisurely strolled by the attraction section of Nimbasa City. Lena glanced up at the Ferris wheel as the sun was slowly turning the sky an auburn color. Lena pulled her coat closer to herself; Lena was thankful she had grabbed it from her Ranger-Union-and-League-provided room at the Pokémon Center. She kept it over her Ranger uniform since she was too lazy to take it off.

…Though, if she stopped to think about it, a lot of Rangers she noticed kept their uniform on off-duty since the Siege of the Pokémon League.

‘Stop, don’t go down that Buneary hole.’ She chided herself as she focused on Arthur and Rina. Rina was waving to a child riding the Ferris Wheel up above, and Arthur…

‘Ah, damn, he noticed.’ Lena winced internally as Arthur stared at her with a troubled expression. She gently reached forward and scratched behind his ears, making him blink in surprise for a moment before subtly leaning towards Lena, maintaining his concerned expression.

“Lena… are you thinking of that time again?” He asked softly, just quiet enough for Rina to not hear. Lena shook her head in an attempt to refuse his concern, but a slight narrowing of his eyes along with the barely visible blue wisps told her he had seen right through it with his Aura. Forcing her to slump her shoulders and admit it.

Taking a breath, she couldn’t help but nod barely, shifting over to a nearby bench to sit for a moment as she could already feel the impending conversation. “...Yeah.”

Arthur moved in front of her to meet her gaze, as her own couldn’t quite meet his look without flicking for just a moment away, but she managed to focus back onto him. His expression was a mix of concern, worry, but also firm as his paws gently took one of Lena’s hands and gently squeezed as if to ground her. “ Lena… please don’t lie to me, we both know you can’t… but do you need a break? You know that the Ranger Union would more than happily grant a leave to visit Almia or Sinnoh for a vacation… ” 

At this point, Rina had noticed her partners had stopped walking behind her and quickly went over next to Lena, her own expression mirroring Arthur’s as Lena could only shake her head.

“No, I don’t need a vacation… I don’t think I could right now.” Lena said with an empty chuckle, but took another breath as she started to think and speak at the same time. 

“I just don’t think that… I can do that right now, I just need to see what else I can do to help Unova heal right now, you know?” 

“FloatZeeeel. Float… oatzel…” (Unova will still be here if we take a break… we could even be reassigned if you wanted to go to another Region… maybe Hoenn or Fiore?)

Lena tilted her head back and forth, before shaking her head. “Maybe… but just… I feel like I need to do a bit more in Unova to help, then we can take a break… unless you two want a break?”

Arthur and Rina shot each other a brief glance, with Rina frowning and shaking her head. “FloatZEeeel-Float.” (I’m not taking a break until you do, I can keep going.)

Arthur sighed, most likely debating internally about something, but similarly nodded at Rina’s words. “ I do not require a break, both Rina and I will stand by your side for whatever you choose. ” 

Lena could feel her chest ache, pulling both of them into the second hug for the day and taking another deep breath as a gentle smile formed on her face. “And what did I do to deserve such amazing Partner Pokémon as a Ranger?”

Feeling them hug back for a moment at her gooey, warm tone, Lena was reminded of Arthur’s strength as he applied a tad more pressure than normal and leaned closer into the hug with Rina. It always surprised her, but this came with the territory of having a Fighting Type partner… 

‘ One of these days, Arthur’s gonna teach Rina how to use Strength to hug me, I won’t be able to escape Fighting Type level hugs then… ’ Lena thought for a moment… laughing before pausing as something nagged at her about teaching and Fighting Types…

After a moment, she was able to dislodge the mental reminder she had. “Oh! Right, that reminds me…” She started as she shifted out of the hug despite wanting to stay in it. Arthur moved to leaning against a tree next to the bench while Rina got onto the bench next to Lena as she pulled out her Styler to pull up the current Quests.

“There’s a Quest I thought you might have been interested in — ah, damn.” She said as she looked at the list, the one labeled ’I need training tips for my Timburr’ marked as ‘taken’ now. “Sorry Arthur, someone else snagged it before me. It was a Quest to help someone train their Timburr. I thought you may have been interested as a Fighting Type.”

At that, Arthur shrugged, but Lena could tell he was a tad disappointed. These things happen unfortunately; they were used to it as a part of being Rangers. “A shame. It may have proved enjoyable to guide another.”

“Floatzell-ZelFloat-Float.” (We’ll get the chance to do that eventually… though, I am rather sore honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted to be a training dummy for a Fighting Type shorter than me.) Rina complained with a faint huff, rubbing her paw against her lower stomach where the bruising had mostly faded but still felt tender.

“I’ll keep that in mind… maybe we’ll need to get you a Rindo Berry to hold in battle?” Arthur suggested gently after thinking for a moment. The idea of held items came up often with the three of them, but nothing ever seemed to stick. Rina seemed to mull the idea over before she turned to Lena. “Zelll… Floatzel-Zel?” (Maybe… what is the taste of it again?)

“Bitter, with a hint of spice.” Lena recited from memory, her Berry class back at the Ranger School burned into her. Rina contemplated it for a moment before wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“I suppose we’ll have to strike out a lot of consumable berries then, won’t we Lena… Lena? ” Arthur asked as he turned to their mutual partner, her eyes fixated on her Styler with a puzzled expression on her face. Arthur gently nudged her with his Aura, and she snapped and blinked in surprise.

“A-Ah-! I’m fine — sorry… There's just this odd Quest that’s been on my mind, from a CWS worker in Accumula Town.” Lena explained as she tilted her Styler screen to show Rina and Arthur, who peered over with curious expressions. “It doesn’t have a lot of details, which… I suppose if it’s concerning a kid in the system, they wouldn’t want it to be on a public record if it’s concerning enough to request a Ranger,” she explained. Arthur and Rina looked annoyed at the ‘under-the-table’ method some feel like they need to take.

“Floatzel-Floatzel! GRrrrr…” (Why do stuffy humans need all this paperwork just to have someone get help? For Pokémon, it’s as simple as doing! Faster too! We try to help our young before serious things happen, unlike those fat Purugly!) She growled out. Arthur said nothing else but nodded in agreement, with Lena noting that his Aura felt a little heavier.

“No objections there, Rina… but people want transparency with Rangers, so if something happens tied to a previous Quest, everything is documented down to the last minute detail. Even if they name the kid ‘John Doe’, people can link things back or make assumptions.” Lena grumbled slightly. She then sighed and stared at the request; debating on if she should even consider it.

She glanced at both Arthur and Rina for their opinion, as they would be taking part. “What do you think? There are not a lot of details but…” Lena asked both of them with a slightly raised eyebrow, the two of them glancing at each other before thinking.

Arthur spoke first. “Our jobs, our roles, as Rangers, are to protect people and Pokémon first and foremost. That is why we strive to get stronger every day… so that we can do these requests, no matter what things may lie without us knowing.” Arthur affirmed. Rina nodded in agreement thereafter. Lena’s expression shifted on her face before she snorted slightly, shook her head amusedly, and smiled.

‘…Well, that decides that, now doesn’t it?’ She mused to herself, as she pressed a couple prompts on her Styler to mark the Quest as taken, and copied down the Xtransceiver number on the Styler before she navigated to the transponder function.

‘Let’s see what awaits us, shall we?’

Chapter Text

Chapter 1 - The Quest

The call that night had gone pretty well, all things considered. Lena spoke with Clare, who from the sound of it was in the process of finishing her day, and was surprised a Ranger had gotten her Quest so quickly. In a quick phone call born out of a desire to not work during off hours, Clare scheduled a time for Lena to visit the Accumula Boarding Home the next day at 9:30 AM. Thankfully, it wasn’t located too far from the Pokémon Center; she confirmed from the address it was just down the road.

The next day, after excusing herself from standard patrol to handle the Quest, Lena called Clare to let her know she was on her way before she took flight on an Unfezant. Feeling the air on her face was always a joy to Lena as she watched the Unova Region below pass by, seeing the Pokémon and people pass by living their lives…

It was a beautiful reminder of why she became a Pokémon Ranger.

Still, her thoughts nagged at her about this Quest. It felt odd to head to Accumula Town, one of the quietest places in Unova. Located in the southeastern peninsula, with Striaton to the north and Nuevma to the south. The only notable thing about the town was its music scene, being the birthplace of many jazz bands like ‘The Accumula Beats’ or the ‘Unovan Underground Orchestra’. Lena frowned thinking about the phone call from the night before. Clare didn’t provide many details, but specified that it was concerning a specific child in the system, and it was private…. Either that or she was hiding something; she seemed nervous over the call.

‘We’re coming down soon anyway, not like I need to wait long… ’ she mused to herself as she saw the city come into view. One gentle pat and a squawk later, the Unfezant shifted his wings slowly making for the Pokémon Center. Landing away in an open spot, Lena gently hopped off and stroked the Pokémon’s back. She smiled at him as she pulled out a couple of berries from a pouch in her uniform and held them out for the Pokémon.

“Thank you for helping me, here, as a treat.” She said as the Unfezant let out a happy trill before gently taking the berry from her hands, making another happy squawk in thanks before flying off. Lena's Styler made a beep on her side to signify that the Pokémon had been ‘released’ from the Styler’s influence.

Lena felt her own Poké Balls gently wiggle on her belt, particularly Arthur’s. A light chuckle slipped out as she glanced down at them and passed her finger over them. “I know, I know… I’ll let you out after the meeting, okay?”

At her soft tone the wiggling stopped, but she felt Arthur’s Aura whimper through the capsule but tapered off in understanding. Lena rolled her eyes, but still held a grin on her face.

Occasionally checking the GPS on her Styler for directions, she headed towards the boarding home, smiling and waving to the people and Pokémon around. Some looked on with surprise, others in a bit of awe, and others still in suspicion; Lena supposed it made sense since Rangers are so rarely seen around here due to the lack of activity.

‘Though, with not just one, but technically three former Gym Leaders in the area, that’s probably another reason…’ Lena mused to herself for a moment before glancing back at her Styler, taking a right from the street the Pokémon Center was at and glancing to the park across the street. Her mind paused for a moment as something about it felt familiar, but she couldn’t recall why. Discarding the echo of the memory for now, she turned left on Carlyle St. and continued on towards her destination.

To Lena’s surprise, the outside of Accumula Boarding Home didn’t look as she originally envisioned; it was… clean and maintained. The building, while clearly old, had a clean coat of paint that was inviting and bright, with windows in seemingly every room for the residence. A waist-high fence was on the outside with an electronic gate leading to a sidewalk path at the entrance. Some kids outside were playing with toys, or even a small Pokémon such as a Lillipup and a Skitty. Another kid sat in the corner of the yard with a Purrloin sleeping in his lap, reading a book away from the rambunctious younger children. It really befitted the overall energy of Accumula Town, peaceful and uneventful.

Off to the side was an Audino supervising the children and tidying up some scattered toys. Lena noticed he had a lanyard with a laminated badge on it, designating that he was a certified ‘Helper Pokémon’ for the Accumula Boarding Home.

The Audino’s ears twitched slightly as Lena walked up to the gate. Turning around, the Pokémon perked up with a smile as he recognized the Ranger uniform, prompting him to stand up and dust himself off before walking over. Some children looked over with curiosity as Lena smiled at them before turning to the Audino, glancing down at his badge to get his name. “Hello, Jiro! I’m here to meet with Clare Ranton concerning a Quest?” She greeted as she quickly navigated her Styler to the message about the meeting, before turning to show Jiro to verify.

Jiro took a moment to squint at the screen before perking up, letting out a happy noise and moving his badge to something at the side of the gate. A clicking noise was heard as it swung open slowly. The Audino motioned Lena to follow, but not before he made a noise and pointed to one of the older kids who perked up excitedly. Some of the younger ones groaned “Why does she get to be in charge again?” and “She always spoils our fun…”

Lena did her best to hide her chuckle, and followed Jiro closely as they walked into the building. “Active kiddos aren’t they?” She asked, Jiro chuckled slightly and nodded in response. “Audi… dino.” He said with a sigh. Lena wished she had Arthur out at the moment, but she could still understand the “Yes, very active” from the tone alone.

Jiro quickly guided her to an office in the corner of the main lobby. To the left straight across was a cafeteria, allowing whoever was in the office to monitor the children. Lena could tell there was something sweet cooking up inside the kitchen, possibly Pecha Berries as an ingredient?

Jiro opened the door, and Lena followed in thereafter. The office was an amusing mish-mash between a professional administrative area and a cozy, happy environment for children. On one side were bookshelves, a large wooden desk, a whiteboard, a calendar with too many meeting dates listed, and a few filing cabinets that looked ready to topple over from how full they were. The other side had some sofas, picture books, a few plushies, and one of those wire toy mazes with beads on a small coffee table.

Complementing the two-tone office was a lady who simultaneously looked like she was always full of energy and eternally needed another cup of coffee. Clare Ranton wore a white and gold striped summer dress with her gray hair in a bun, like a caring grandmother baking cookies. Behind round glasses were a pair of eyes with weight to them which couldn’t be conveyed over the video call, which was sadly expected in her line of work…; however, she still had an energy to her posture despite it all.

“Ah, Ranger Lena, yes? It’s good to see you in person! I apologize for the… obtuseness of this Quest.” Clare said politely, Lena nodded, smiled, and raised her hand out to shake, with Clare returning the gesture and smiling at Jiro. “Thank you so much for guiding her here, I know how much you have your hands full with the little ones out there…” She said gratefully. Audino waved her off and made a noise as if to say ‘please, it’s my pleasure’. Bidding them both farewell, he turned to head back outside, and Lena shifted her attention back to Clare. 

“Thank you again so much for agreeing to meet with me so soon about this. Please, have a seat.” Clare’s eyes seemed to age even more as she spoke. 

“That’s what Rangers are here for… what can I help with? There wasn’t a lot of information over the phone, so forgive me if I’m going to have to ask a few questions.” Lena asked kindly. A gentle smile formed on her face as Clare took a deep breath and sighed. Leaning to the side of her desk and opening a drawer, she grabbed what looked like a couple folders; two of them were nearly the size of the width of her thumb. 

“The reason for this Quest is one of our wards, William. He’s been in the system for about… two and a half, almost three years now? I’m his... fifth? sixth? case worker assigned to him.... Dragons above, even I’ve lost count.” She said with a sigh, leaving Lena looking a bit shocked and prompting a delicate follow up.

“Is he… ah, troubled?” She said as she looked at the tiles of the files… recognizing two police reports, and a psychological evaluation. However, Clare shook her head, but looked concerned still.

“No, William...” she exhaled slightly in exasperation. “He’s not a problem child, if that’s what you're asking. No doubt he’s troubled given what he’s gone through, but he’s always open to helping others. He’s quick to pick up things in school, and most teachers have had nothing but compliments, but he’s been described as….” Clare rambled for a moment before she bit her lip, struggling with her words for a moment.

“He’s been displaying some tendencies that are concerning.” She finally placated, grabbing one of the thicker manilla folders on the table and opening it up, shifting it closer to Lena. A picture paper-clipped to the top corner of a brown-haired pale kid in a yellow sweatshirt that was a size or two too big. His closed-mouth smile at the camera didn’t look… genuine. Lena hummed as she scanned the page, noting a couple of details.

‘Date of birth, July 6th, year unknown… estimated to be four or five years old when he entered the system... found off the side of Route 2 alone and brought to a nearby Pokémon Center... no belongings other than the clothes on him... huh…’ Lena hummed as she scanned through the page, her posture shifting slightly into something more serious and her face drooping in sympathy as she turned back to Clare. “Yeah, I can see a kid struggling after experiencing that… were his parents... um... not a good fit? Is that why he didn’t return to them?” 

“No signs of abuse, if that’s what you’re asking, but no, we couldn’t find them. Anywhere.” 

Lena looked shocked for a moment, before quickly recovering and asking a follow up question. “In Unova?”

Clare sighing as the weight hanging over her intensified before elaborating. “Nowhere. Not in Unova, Wimuno, Orre, Indigo, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Galar, Kalos, Paldea, Zdarova, and Novograd. Fiore and Almia didn’t have any records either. I even had a friend check in Alola despite not having a League. It’s possible they could live somewhere else but…” Clare pinched her nose and sighed heavily. “He’s been a ward of the state ever since, making it clear in absolutely no uncertain terms he doesn’t want to be a part of any foster family. Early on we just thought it was… you know, it was him missing his family, not wanting to replace them. Something that counseling, partner therapy, and most importantly, time, could fix.”

“That’s… understandable, if… sad.” Lena said softly, pity rolling in her chest as Clare nodded with a barely audible hum. 

“One of the first things we noticed early on was how independent he was. He knew how to do his own laundry, make his own food, studies on his own, but he never really interacted with the other children.” Clare said with a more pointed tone, now leaning forward. “I may be new to his case, but if we ask him to join in on an activity, he’ll do so with no issue, but always prefers to keep to himself and blend into the background.”

“What about partner therapy? Did he get an assigned Pokémon through the school instead?” Lena asked.

Clare chuckled without amusement and shook her head. “No, he outright refused both . Multiple times.” Clare breathed out before refocusing. “And he doesn’t have a phobia, far from it. He’s honestly great with all the Pokémon here, better than most of the other kids I’d say… Poor Jiro sometimes has marker stains on him after dealing with the younger ones drawing, and William’s always been more than happy to help scrub them off, no hesitation whatsoever. He’s great at cleaning actually…” she said with a hum as if considering something, before shaking her head at the thought and continuing on.

“On top of that, from what teachers have told me, he’s like an encyclopedia for Pokémon, naming even those they didn’t know until they searched online… which is a bit… odd considering other notes on his file, but, well… I guess he did fix the computer a few times, so maybe he —I’m getting distracted, sorry.”

“No, no, it’s fine, any information you can give me is greatly appreciated.” ‘I still don’t know what the ‘matter’ is, but regardless,’ Lena mused to herself for a moment before continuing. “Could it be attachment, like why he doesn’t want a foster family? There’s a couple Rangers who refuse to have a new partner after an old one passes away...” She suggested softly.

Clare shook her head. “Sadly, no. He’s claimed that his family owned no Pokémon, and never interacted with Pokémon before he was in the system… saying his home was ‘similar to Orre’, though I’ve heard that’s changed in the past couple years.” Lena nodded as she recalled reports from the Ranger Union about Pokémon returning to Orre after Cipher was dealt with the second time.... Something nagged at her, though....

“He’s really good with Pokémon? That doesn’t…”

“Make sense? No, I agree. By all accounts, William’s an anomaly. Maybe it’s a part of his upbringing? Some people just have a knack for it, I suppose...” Clare said with a half shrug, but shook her head, refocusing her thoughts as she stared at Lena. “The biggest concern right now, however, is his tendency to go off Route without supervision, or even a partner to defend himself.”

Lena inhaled sharply and her eyes shot open in alarm. Arthur and Lena’s Poké Balls wiggled on her belt, and Lena had to discreetly pat them down to soothe them. She didn’t say anything but motioned with her other hand for Clare to continue. Clare glanced out of the window for a moment and sighed, where the treeline for the forest could be seen in the distance. 

“It started a bit after he was found, when leads were drying up for where to search for his family and place of origin…” Clare started off while looking thoughtful, as if organizing the information mentally before speaking. “He has a habit of… vanishing, wandering off and showing up just walking down the road in town, or closer to Route 2’s Gate.” Clare said with a sigh, rubbing her face slightly.

“Then one night, he didn't show up, and a search was put out. It was reported they found him wandering back from the outer bounds of Route 2, where even more experienced Trainers wouldn’t dare go.”

With a slightly despondent sigh, Clare continued. “At first they thought he was retracing his steps to find his way home, like most kids would do… They explained to him what most kids know before even going to kindergarten: never go off Routes, and if you do, stay where you are, don’t move, and don’t have any food on you…” She said with a slightly shaky tone. 

Lena glanced away for a moment as she ran through her own history lessons before and during Ranger School. 

It’s one thing to read about it, or watch information videos you can disconnect your mind from, but in person? In front of you? To experience it during a rescue or ‘recovery’ mission? 

It’s sobering.

“And even then, he still goes? Knowing how dangerous it is off Route?” Lena asked with her arms crossed now. Clare nodded seriously.

“He knows better than to do so. Not too long after the first time he snuck out, there was a report of two children planning on wandering off as well, and he apparently was cursing up a storm that would make Drake from Hoenn blush. These two kids are older than him and they were nearly in tears at the scolding… And yet, somehow, he always slips away. Sometimes he returns late at night before it’s considered lights out. Other times, he slips away until the next morning, and we don’t realize it until Jiro lets him in through the front.” She said with a reluctant breath at the end, Lena getting a clearer picture of what this Quest was about, but new questions formed in her mind now.

“Why does he do it, though?” ‘There’s almost always a reason behind someone’s actions’ ; Lena’s mind tried to break it down, still staring at Clare to see if she had any insight, but she just frowned.

“Frustratingly, he’s been silent about that, even in therapy and counseling. He’s really perceptive about when adults want information from him, and we don’t want to force anything out of him.” 

“So, I’m guessing you want me to trail him and try to figure it out?” Lena asked. Clare sighed and nodded in response.

“Yes. The local police know about this as well, and even put up a notice at the gate for Route 2, but he still slips around it somehow. When they tried finding him with their Herdier, they weren’t able to find him until he came into the outer bounds of the Route, never any further.” At this, however, an angry expression started to form on her face as she continued. “In the reports, the police considered doing a Psychic interrogation during their initial investigation when he was first found. However, my predecessor stamped that out thankfully.” She said with an aggressive ‘tsk,’ from her mouth. Even Lena failed to hide her scowl as Clare spoke now with a frown.

“As a result though, the police have… given up following him, especially since he always comes back. Saying there’s nothing else they can do without further ‘information’.”

Lena hummed at Clare’s response, a curse forming in her mind about the usefulness of police in… any damn Region at this point. She pushed that aside however, and thought for a moment on what to ask next, wanting to get more clues to prepare herself and her partners on what they may encounter. “Is there anything else noticeable…? Things off about William on his way back?” 

Clare grabbed a file near the middle of the pile and opened a police report, flipping through it for a specific section. “No injuries, which is a miracle. However, there was… one thing that previous case workers overlooked, but—ah, here.” She said as she pointed at a specific section, Lena looking over it now.

Child was found unharmed at 23:43, wandering back from the forest. No injuries sustained, and no evidence of latent psychic energy or manipulation found, however clothes showed a very faint trace amount of ash on it. Child refused to speak about the ash, simply stating ‘I tripped’, which lines up with a faint dirt patch on his pants. As the child is a minor and under Unova state care, no further psychic investigation was conducted due to the insistence of the current case worker.

“Ash… there’s no Fire Types in the area, at least on record.” Lena muttered, her mind running through Pokémon that may have been able to use a Fire Type move… though, without clear information it was all just speculation, something to be aware of. ‘The only other source I can think of is if someone was training a Tepig or Pansear, but no rookie Trainer would go off-route like that...’

“Thank you, this helps show he encountered some type of Pokémon… if I can ask, where is he now?” Lena questioned. Clare grabbed a sticky note in response and quickly wrote an address. 

“He takes classes at a different schedule as he actually was able to jump ahead in most subjects, but seems to struggle in others, so a volunteer teacher, Mr. Davidson, made him a specific curriculum. Lovely man, kind, and tried to push for William to get a partner through the school program but… he refused that as well.” She sighed, writing Mr. Davidson’s name, email, and Xtransceiver number on a sticky note before handing it to Lena. 

“You’d have to ask him more about what William’s like in school, but I’ll email him and let him know that you’re working with William now, if that’s alright with you.” Lena nodded in confirmation. “Anyway, the school’s just around the block on Adams Rd., so William walks on his own since we don’t have enough staff to chaperone him between places… blame that on the shifting budget and Team Plasma.” She lamented bitterly. Lena nodded in understanding and started typing the address into her Styler as Clare continued. “The time he wraps up varies depending on his schedule, but he’s also been known to stay at school later to study. Now that I think about it, he might be doing that intentionally....”

“Thank you, I’ll probably give Mr. Davidson a call sometime in the next day or two, and I’ll stop by the school and see if he’s getting out of class soon. Is there anything else about William I should keep in mind? Habits? Traits… personality?” Lena asked as she navigated instead to the notes app on her Styler for Quests. 

Clare sat back in her chair, clearly having something more to add, but unable to formulate it. Her eyes narrowed in contemplation before finally speaking. “Do not go expecting a lost child. He can read the room like an adult, and can tell when someone is trying to pry information out of him. I worry about him, you know... no kid should have to go through what he’s been through, and I worry he feels like he’s had to grow up fast, but… that’s a concern for me at another time.” Lena hummed thoughtfully, but nodded as she put the sticky note in her pocket and glanced at the picture on the top of the first folder. “May I take a copy of the photo, actually?”

“Oh—Yes, of course! Sorry—I should have made a copy.” Clare said with a faint curse, but Lena waved her off and switched the mode on her Styler and moved it over the photo, an almost green barcode light appearing over the file as she scanned the photo. Lena then looked at her Styler’s screen and nodded as it came in perfect.

“Thank you, I’ll head out now, and I’ll contact you if anything comes up?”

“Yes, thank you again so much… I just hope it's nothing major, I feel that William’s already got enough on his plate…” She said with a slight sigh, but smiled at Lena who nodded, turned, and headed out the door.

Duty calls. 

“We’re going to need to focus on this one.” She said with an iron tone, making both Arthur and Rina look at her seriously and nod. Both of them already understood the situation having listened in through their balls. 

Lena started to run through possible difficulties they may run into as they walked, showing them both the picture of William she scanned. Arthur hummed and a frown made its way onto his face for a moment.

“The fact that he returns uninjured indicates another Pokémon watching over him… there have been cases before in my pack's history where they assisted a human child to get back home, but to return multiple times suggests some… familiarity, to an extent.” Arthur muttered. Lena hummed as well for a moment to think…. 

‘That’s what I was thinking too… but for William to go so deep, and for the police to be unable to locate where he is going, despite my misgivings on what their methods are, is… odd.’

“Floatzel-ZelFloat?” (And he wore a yellow sweatshirt that looked a bit too big for him? Brown hair?) Rina asked, calling Lena from her own musings as the Floatzel looked down the street.

“Ah… hold on—yes. Why?” Lena asked with a confused expression. Rina pointed without another word as Lena’s eyes followed. At the far end of the street next to the school was the fence lining the forests of Route 2; people and Pokémon were walking by like a colorful mess. Lena focused past the crowd, spotting someone who wore the same bright, eye-catching yellow sweatshirt and had the same brown hair in the photo walking towards the edge of town. She glanced down for a moment at the photo on the Styler, before she glanced back up, as if to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. 

Yep, that was William.

He looked around warily in both directions, before he ducked under the fence and disappeared into the treeline of Route 2. No one else gave him a second look.

The three stared for a minute before Lena swore and broke into a sprint as he vanished from sight. Arthur read her Aura’s intent and ran ahead, swinging on streetlights and soaring with Extreme Speed; Rina ran on all fours and weaved between people’s legs like a needle through a thread. People turned and looked shocked at the commotion.

‘Just our luck that he started off ahead of us, I hope Arthur can memorize his Aura at least… ’ Lena thought to herself as she pushed her body to run, Rina clearing the crowd ahead of her.

Arthur was waiting for the two of them at the edge of town, focused with a mix of concern on his face. “ I was able to glimpse his Aura signature… we can… we should be able to track his path through the forest. ” He said, though not as confidently as he normally would with other Quests or Missions Lena picked up. 

She ignored that, however, trusting her partner to do his thing. “Show me then. No time to waste.” She said, no hesitation in her tone. Arthur nodded and gently closed his eyes, a faint blue Aura shimmering around him as he reached one paw forward. Lena took his paw, and the world turned blue and black.

Aura, the life-force of every living thing… Lena had to admit, when it was mentioned as a topic in school, she thought she understood it since she studied like a madwoman. 

Oh, how arrogantly naïve she was.

When Arthur, a Riolu at the time, had shown her what he saw the world as, it was like a veil had come undone, as if Lena herself could see for the first time. It was overwhelming, beautiful, and… in some aspects, terrifying. It showed how little Lena had truly known and understood the world around her.

To a Lucario, Aura was almost like the essence of life giving form. They could see and sense the ebb and flow of life itself around them at all times, washing around them and swirling like a beautiful painting… 

The only catch was that Lena had to keep her eyes closed to see it. Aura is such an overwhelming sense that Lena’s only way of managing it is to replace her sense of sight with Aura detection. Lena tried keeping her eyes open once... the headache after wasn’t fun.

With her eyes closed, however, she could see the outlines of the trees, the blades of grass, the lichens and mosses, the mushrooms, and all the plants that made the forest alive. Arthur was a deep blue fire of tenacity, passion, and fighting spirit, controlled and cool, whereas Rina was a gentle river flowing into a tumultuous waterfall, churning water into a fine mist. Other Pokémon around her flared in different moods, energies, and feelings, in a manner difficult to describe in words alone. 

Lena glanced forward to the forest, turning her head to where she last saw William. Her eyes flicked back and forth as she felt Arthur’s own Aura guide her gently on where to focus… a bit to the right, further into where Route 2’s general area would be. 

‘That would explain how he kept getting past any guards or Trainers — he would just sneak outside town when no one was looking....’

Suddenly, she felt what Arthur was directing her towards. A faint Aura slowly shrank into the distance.... It looked like a dark, compressed mess of Aura at his center, but with no defining traits, it felt paradoxically hollow. It was also dim, far dimmer than any child she had seen before, almost as if she could see through it — but it was there; just barely echoing in between the trees and bushes, like a spark for a fire not yet started or even smoldered out.

If she didn’t know any better, she’d have thought William was dying.

The sight, combined with the passing thought was enough to make her let go of Arthur. “That’s… William?” Lena worriedly asked as Arthur simply nodded. Breathing deeply, she recollected her own thoughts. “Alright, okay. Arthur, guide us, but keep some distance so he doesn’t know we’re here. We’re right behind you.” Arthur nodded and walked forward, Rina and Lena following closely behind as they headed deeper into the trees.

“How far is he going…?” Lena muttered to herself as she took in her surroundings. It had been some time since they started trailing William, and the darkness of the leaves above almost made her mistake it for night. They were truly far enough away from the Route that she felt isolated from society. 

Rina stayed close to her, eyes scanning the surrounding forest… until she stopped and began sniffing the air, with a troubled expression on her face. Lena glanced back, about to ask what was going on, before noticing that Arthur had stopped as well, with his eyes closed even tighter. A barely audible growl left the Aura Pokémon as his face fell into a mix of confusion, frustration, and trepidation as he spoke. “ Something isn’t right… he’s vanished. ”

Lena paused to look around at the trees and thick bushes around them. All of her senses screamed at her that something was wrong, but only the faint breeze of the wind echoing around the forest responded… Rina looked around with a concerned expression.

“Float… Floatzel.” (Not just him… every single Pokémon, it’s like they avoid this area....) She whispered. Her fur stood on end as the three of them looked around… Lena held her hand out again, wanting to see for herself.

“Arthur, let me see again. I want to confirm a couple things.” She said as she closed her eyes… Arthur gasped her hand with his paw; Lena’s closed eyes suddenly filled with the faint outline of the surrounding Aura… 

Lena turned her head around them and noticed that Rina was right, when before there was always at least a couple Pokémon either in the trees, or hidden away in the bushes, there was nothing. No Pidoves, or Venipedes, no scurrying Patrats. It was silent, almost as if all the surrounding lights had been snuffed out.

Lena felt her blood go cold as she ran down the list of what this could be. She had seen reports of these instances, where there was a Pokémon so strong that others avoided its territory. However, she paused… there were no clear signs of Pokémon marking its domain — no claw marks on trees, no clear footprints in the ground, and no clearly disturbed foliage. Neither Rina nor Arthur made any sign of sensing a powerful Aura or scent of a strong Pokémon… to simply vanish like that didn’t have good implications as she started to think it over further… 

‘Maybe a Psychic has been teleporting him away? No, the police report indicated there was no psychic tampering or energy. There would have been multiple Aura signatures or a distorted field, even for just a moment which Arthur didn’t signify he saw, so what else could it be…’

“Come on, he couldn’t have vanished… or…—” Lena didn’t finish her sentence, cutting off that stray thought like Cut on a small bush. Letting go of Arthur, she bit the inside of her lip and subconsciously moved her left hand to her Styler. Too absorbed in scanning the forest trying to find any trace of either William or a Pokémon, she didn’t notice when Rina put her paws on Lena’s arm and gently squeezed, making her jump out of her own skin.

“Floatzel-Float… Floatzell…” (Lena, breathe with me okay? We’ll find him, he couldn’t have gotten far.) Rina said, taking a deep breath which Lena mirrored. Her nerves were still flayed, but she straightened herself out and recentered herself.

“Okay… okay.” Lena breathed out, and shot Rina a grateful smile.

‘What could we be missing then…’ Lena said, looking at the surroundings more closely. There were only trees and bushes around them, with shadows casting around them. Lena watched the shadow of the leaves wave for a moment as a wind washed over the top of the trees, creating a crashing sound that sounded like a gentle, ghostly noise…

Lena paused, her thoughts starting to turn. It… may have been a stretch, but… “Arthur, can you… try using Foresight while using Aura?”

Arthur looked at her with a puzzled expression, but nodded, closing his eyes again as his tassels floated in the air. His blue Aura had a film of gray over the surface as he looked around, and then flinched, suddenly losing focus. Looking shocked, he opened his eyes and he pointed off in the distance. “He’s there. Deeper in... just barely. There’s a field, similar to ones found in Relic Castle or Celestial Tower, masking him... as if the spirit of this place wishes for no one else to sense him. Lena, there weren’t any… wars here? ” He asked gently. Lena stared at where Arthur sensed William as she mentally ran through her Unovan history courses she had to take before transferring here, with a frown finding its way on her face as she shook her head.

Places of conflict and burial sites are excellent at gathering latent Ghost Type Energy, attracting Ghosts like Yanmas to Combee honey.

All the more concerning that Arthur said there was something similar here.

“No, not here.” She said firmly. Rina and Arthur steeled themselves as they walked forward, Arthur guiding them through…

They followed William’s signature hastily, trying to make up for lost time. As the trees started to thin out, the three of them had to be careful not to trip on roots or fallen branches. Arthur stopped and kneeled on the ground, making a motion to stay quiet before grasping both Lena’s hand and Rina’s paw.

Lena nearly gasped, but held her mouth shut as she was instantly surrounded in a sea of purple ghost energy, unnaturally flowing around them all as she felt a chill run down her spine… 

‘This no doubt is caused by a Pokémon, I want to say a Ghost Type but… it’s uncomfortable, almost sticking to me.’ Arthur's inner voice echoed in her head as he mentally trailed off… an uncomfortable feeling ran through the Aura link, causing Lena to shift slightly…. 

‘I don’t feel that at all, it’s almost as if it’s pushing away from me.’ Rina countered. Lena glanced at her and noticed the ghostly energy struggling to stick to Rina or weigh her down.

‘Is this is why the police couldn’t find anything? They would use Normal Types, but the ghostly Aura would just phase right through them… but why was it affecting Arthur more than Rina… was a Pokémon who was dual typed causing this?’

‘Stay alert… I don’t know what’s going on, but I don’t like it…‘ Lena thought out, her intentions understood by Arthur and Rina who had turned to face forward. Lena made out the faint outline of William through the rock face, realizing that he had something on his back from how he shifted before sitting down. He seemed relaxed, his faint Aura already wavering and looked to halt entirely, as if completely at home. Lena sent a brief message to her partners that she was about to let go for a moment, curious about something as the warm, ghostly sensation around her and her link to Arthur and Rina vanished in an instant. This left her with… nothing.

It was jarring, for her senses to feel everything and more with Aura, akin to a controlled sensory overload, only for everything to be disconnected like a headphone jack pulled away from its device. She could only hear the trees’ leaves gently wave in the wind, the temperature of the air almost perfect for the spring. A sweatshirt would be all one would need just in case, as the sun’s rays gently beamed into the clearing in front of them provided a comfortable, but not overbearing warmth. While Lena couldn’t see everything, it was clear there were no other Pokémon, no other humans. Absolutely nothing except the tranquility of nature and solitude. 

‘I suppose I can understand why he would want to be here, away from it all.’ Lena mused to herself as she took a slow deep breath…. Closing her eyes for a moment,she let herself relax… it was almost hard not to. 

She forced herself to focus though, grasping Arthur and Rina’s paws before turning her head forward. William was looking around with a faint feeling of confusion emanating from him, almost unnoticeable with how small his Aura was…

‘Who is he looking for? ’ Rina’s thoughts bounced through the link, her head focused forward as she stared at William's form. Lena frowned and glanced at Arthur, who shook his head.

‘Whoever is causing this field, most likely…’ Arthur thought with a twinge of anxiety he usually didn’t have. Lena bit her lip as she scanned back and forth between the openings behind closed eyes, but didn’t see any fluctuations or changes in the purple miasma.

‘Then… where are they? ’ Lena thought rhetorically, a feeling echoed by her partners.

And then, suddenly, without warning, Lena was yanked by the collar of her uniform from behind and hurled forward with force. Lena screamed, flailing through the air as similar cries came from Rina and Arthur right after. All of them sailed before landing in the clearing in front of them, painful noises leaving all of them from the impact of the hard soil.

‘Dammit, of course we forget to check behind us… ’ Lena, berating herself, tried to push herself up quickly but fell right back down as the ground shook. Arthur and Rina quickly stood up protectively in front of her, with Arthur summoning his Aura staff and assuming a battle-ready position, while the air frosted around Rina’s jaw, a snarl echoing in her throat.

In front of them, where they had just knelt before, a cream-colored body emerged from the shadows. With glowing red eyes piercing the darkness as it approached, the seven-foot-tall behemoth paralyzed Lena with a haunting gaze. Pushing her fear down, she quickly began to run her eyes up and down the body of the approaching Pokémon to identify it. It had a faint wispy tail, matching their fur, waving in a nonexistent wind with ethereal energy; only now did Lena notice that the breeze, which had flowed through the clearing before, had stopped entirely.

It looked similar to a Typhlosion at first glance, however the non-cream colored fur differed in pattern and went around the front under its neck with three slightly discolored spots across it. Something poked at her memory…, a memory she had to ignore as she focused on the moment.

She remembered her training. When approached by a territorial Pokémon, first, identify the threat level. For now, it was medium. The Typhlosion had thrown them out in the open and was clearly displeased but wasn’t outwardly aggressive. Good, she could work with that.

Second, state your reason for being there to the Pokémon clearly and directly. With her thoughts running a thousand miles an hour, she introduced herself with a shaky voice. “I’m sorry for intruding. I was sent to see w-why William was going to the forest alone without a partner.”

At this, the Typhlosion’s red eyes seemed to narrow, but nothing outwardly changed. Arthur and Rina quickly spoke up in her defense.

“She’s a Pokémon Ranger, and we’re her partners! It’s our mission to protect and help Pokémon and people, like you and young William! There isn’t any need for conflict, we simply wish to assist others and uphold our duty!” Arthur spoke with a noble, if placating tone. This didn’t please the ghost, making him snort as he read through Arthur’s words for the attempted de-escalation it was, narrowing his glare further. Rina spoke up next however, an almost defensive edge in her tone.

“Floatzel-FloatzelFloat!” (She’s helped save so many people, and we’re her partners because of that, and we simply want to help because that’s who we are! That’s it! Even if we’re trespassing, you didn't need to throw her like a brute…)

Typhlosion’s gaze relaxed slightly at Rina’s words, and seemed… pleased? Amused? Either way, the badger still didn’t fully back down however and instead looked forward past the three of them. Lena soon saw a shadow loom over her, turning around to see William clearly annoyed at being followed. His yellow sweatshirt was too big for him and ended just above his lower thigh, and the sleeves were bunched to cover his hands.

William stared at her for a moment in disapproval, before sighing and giving a soft nod to Typhlosion in reluctance. The Typhlosion’s eyes flickered for a moment between the three intruders, leaving Lena fearing for a moment that he would not heed William’s silent command.

With a soft trill, the ghostly energy surrounding them intensified, lighting the clearing in a deathly, ethereal glow. The temperature plunged several degrees, sending a shiver of swanna-bumps down Lena’s limbs. It felt unsettling — wrong, even, as if her very soul was shaken to its core. Lena looked over and saw even Arthur quaking in fear, the ghostly energy corrupting his Aura sensing. 

And then the old monster stood up to his full height as the ghost energy condensed into Will-o-Wisps and converged into Typhlosion, lighting his collar into a pale violet. The sunlight returned, filtering through the trees, and the rest of the forest was visible again. And at the sight of the purple flames on the collar, Lena remembered.

She remembered visiting the Hisui Archival Museum in Canalave City, which had a section on the original Pokedex with some of the scanned surviving records on display… one of them being a Typhlosion with this exact collar. It was labeled as one of the ‘Lost Pokémon of Hisui’, as no Quilava had ever evolved into the ghostly variant in modern history. Scientists speculated they died out due to changing environmental factors, despite attempts from both Johto and Sinnoh to find any remaining populations.

Lena supposed they didn’t look hard enough if a kid was able to find one.

As the tension dissipated, with the sunlight filtering through the trees again and the ghostly flames dying, William spoke for the first time, looking frustrated and exhausted. 

“Who the hell are you?”

Lena felt a migraine building, with Arthur and Rina looking equally exhausted as they realized what was about to happen within the next couple hours.

‘This report is going to be a nightmare.’

Chapter Text

Chapter 2 - The Debate

The outward appearance of the Unova Pokémon League echoed the ruins of the Relic Castle in terms of age. Its stone was weathered by the sands of time, yet it stood tall and proud above the entire Unova region. It was a place to represent how far one had come collecting Gym Badges to fight the Elite Four, dignified, capable, and a show of willpower of both Trainers and Pokémon.

And it was made all the more disappointing that it hid the boring standard government building on the inside. The walls of the room she had been directed to had a processed, hardwood like appearance that reflected the harsh lights above. The wall’s texture matched the round table she, and others, had been seated at for the past… two? Possibly two and a half hours?

Lena took solace in the fact that at least the chairs were comfortable to sit in during this clusterfuck of a meeting, glancing around the room to note the occupants one more time.

Across from her were two people that, in hindsight, Lena shouldn’t have been surprised were involved. The recently-crowned Champion Iris sat at the middle of the table on the opposite side of Lena, with Elite Four Shauntal sitting to her right. Iris, in a purple business dress with pink and white accents, wore a combination of slight exhaustion and worry etched into her face. It reminded Lena that Iris was only thirteen; she wasn’t the youngest Champion in world history, but she was certainly the youngest in Unovan history.

Shauntal, meanwhile, displayed none of the excitement that Lena assumed would normally come from the discovery of a lost Ghost Type. No, Shauntal seemed resigned and anxious, with her eyebrows pinched faintly, and her fingers twirled a pen she was using to take notes.

And where in the world was Alder?

Meanwhile, to Lena’s right at one head of the table—

“What you’re suggesting is completely, and utterly outrageous, and an insult against every child protection law I’ve ever read!” Clare’s voice cut through the room with righteous fury. She wore her summer dress from earlier that morning, but it was noticeably more rumpled than before as she stood up. In front of her was an even larger pile of files than when Lena had first met Clare, leaving the Ranger slightly intimidated at how quickly she grabbed them all….

Lena rubbed her forehead and schooled her expression, forcing herself to not nod along with her in agreement. Instead, she looked across the room to who Clare was rebuffing.

On the other end was an International Police representative for the Unova Region. He only introduced himself as ‘Jake’, wearing a smile that matched his tone, but not his words. He was wearing a pristine suit and tie with a communication device in his ears. Even without a pair of sunglasses, he looked like a stereotypical special agent. His expression was perfectly level, though Lena could tell his black hair was clearly just combed before he got into this meeting.

Despite that, there was not a hint of him being ruffled or concerned by the outburst, as if he didn’t just suggest forcefully reading a minor’s mind with an Elite Psychic Pokémon on the faint possibility that his family may have been involved in smuggling. Lena wished Arthur and Rina’s Poké Balls were on her hip instead of being looked over by the on-site staff at the Pokémon League. At least then she could feel their calming presences on her.

Lena was glad that the kid wasn’t in the room; William refused to leave the Hisuian Typhlosion’s side when both of them were moved aside by the Pokemon League nurses for a health inspection. The Ranger, however, did not miss how the Typhlosion’s eyes flared protectively when the International Police agent suggested separating them for a full inspection. The nurses, thankfully, rebuked his ‘suggestion’, and directed him to this very conference room… that Lena was now stuck in, listening to his dribble.

“In light of all the circumstances, we need to consider every available option. We have someone — no, a child more specifically, whose background is at best, questionable, and has an ancient, thought to be extinct Starter. That starter, being not only a national icon of Johto and historically significant in the Sinnoh region, is also protective of them like an adult would a child. Ms. Ranton, with the lack of evidence, assumptions can and will be made about the situation.” The agent said in a demeaning tone.

Iris stood up, glaring at Jake with frustration that burned away the exhaustion from before. “And how would you feel if you had your mind forcibly opened by a bunch of adults you didn’t know? Fear makes those things hurt you know, and you wanna do it to a kid?” Iris accused with a tone fitting for a Dragon Trainer — no, a Champion. The room felt an intensifying oppressive Aura directed entirely at the agent for just a moment. Lena was sure if she had Arthur out and was viewing the Aura, it would look like a snarling dragon with flames breathing out of its maw; it was honestly awe-inspiring, if intimidating, to just feel the Aura of a Champion level Trainer so close.

However, a hand raised caused that Aura choking the room to snap suddenly to the hand like a Frosmoth to a Flamethrower. Shauntal sent Iris an unwavering look, a silence falling that eventually prompted the Champion to sit back down after a moment and take a breath. The sheer oppressiveness of Iris’ Aura lifted, but the presence of the dragon remained lingering over them all like a warning. Lena felt a bit of pity for the thirteen-year-old to be thrust into such a situation, but also grateful that she had allies in her corner. 

‘ Or at least there should be. Seriously, where is Alder?’

“The Unova League will sanction no such act. Groups from both Johto and Sinnoh are already inquiring about the existence of William’s Hisuian Typhlosion.” Shauntal said with an ironclad tone, stressing William’s name as she stood up and leveled Jake with a firm stare.

“What do you think the reaction would be if they found out that you violated a child’s mind forcefully to get answers on a hypothetical?” She asked pointedly, the agent staring back without a change to his expression before she shook her head. “Unova’s League refuses to let you do such a thing. While William may or may not originally be from Unova, it doesn't matter. We must, and will, protect our people.”

Shauntal then pressed on, not giving anyone else a chance to jump in. “If I may continue, you, and even myself, haven’t even been able to separate William and Typhlosion apart long enough to do individual tests. According to what limited things we know about a Hisuian Typhlosion, they assist lost souls… it’s possible they see William as a sort of ward. And we all know about what an angry Kangaskhan will do if her child is injured, or worse.” Everyone at the table winced at the scene she was writing.

“At the same time…” Shauntal sighed deeply, “This Typhlosion is old. Powerful. Chandelure, my ace , flinched when she saw them….” Shauntal trailed off, looking conflicted before continuing. “...The Unova Pokémon League doesn’t feel comfortable leaving William alone with the Typhlosion.”

Iris sighed and crossed her arms, frowning with a confused look on her face. “I don’t get it... from what has been said, William has no indication of wanting to go on a Journey and get Badges, which makes no sense. It would be the easiest way out of this mess for him….”

Shauntal tried not to wince at the bluntness. It was clear she didn’t disagree, but probably was hoping for a… more polite way to say it. “...It’s true. Badges are a measure of a Trainer’s ability to handle Pokémon. William is too young to prove himself on a Journey, nor have any recognized third-party Pokémon authorities provided evidence of his ability.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to take away what he may consider the only family he has!” Clare shouted, glaring now at the Champion who held firm. Lena could tell that Iris was agreeing with Clare based on how her eyes were looking back.

Another voice, who had stayed silent up till now and that Lena had almost forgotten, spoke up. “A person’s first Pokémon imprints both ways. I, as well as other professors, would consider it cruel and unusual punishment to remove either of them from the other. Especially, given his… background.” Professor Juniper said softly, then leaning forward with her hand crossed in front of her. The red earrings she wore swung as she looked at both Clare and the Champion. “That was not what you were suggesting, was it, Elite Shauntal and Champion Iris?” Juniper asked, extending the olive branch to both of them. A relieved sigh left Iris as she nodded quickly, while Shauntal simply nodded without showing her expression. Clare still glared, but as her eyes flicked between the two, the tension stayed high as neither party seemed to move forward with any other idea.

“My, my… what a meeting to walk into.” A sudden voice came from the doorway, opening up to reveal someone Lena did not expect at all, and almost made her stand at attention on instinct alone.

“C-Chairperson Erma! W-What are you doing here?” She asked, unable to hide her shock. The chairperson of the entire Ranger Union — and technically her boss — chuckled and gave a teasing smile to Lena.

The Chairperson was wearing her usual outfit, the upper section reminiscent of the standard Area Ranger uniform with a white section under it. While not for outside work, the long dress section looked to be made of a study, if comfortable material. The rib cuffs had a yellow section around the end of the sleeves, where her wrinkled hand grasped a cane with an equally yellow top for her to help her walk.

“Come now Lena, I heard that one of our Rangers was in a meeting with an International Police agent and the Champion of a Region. And I couldn’t just leave her alone to have all the fun in that meeting, now could I?” She said playfully, her cane making a wooden tapping sound as she stepped forward. Lena pulled out a chair for her; Erma said a quick “thank you, dear” before she sat down and pulled herself forward.

“Now, what a day this has turned into… governmental representatives from Johto and Sinnoh are already inquiring us about details concerning the Hisuian Typhlosion, a lone child being the one who discovered him as well? Oh, what a story this’ll be at the end of it all.” Chairperson Erma chuckled haughtily as she raised a hand to cover her mouth.

Iris flinched slightly and bit her cheek, but nodded in affirmation. “We know that. This meeting is an… attempt to figure out what to do now…” She sighed in frustration, albeit undercut by a panicked undertone at the thought of this becoming more of an international incident than it already was.

Shauntal glanced at Iris for a moment before she shifted two papers in front of her, one with an insignia of a Lugia and Ho-oh wing to form a heart, and another that had a light pink and dark blue wax icon on the top of the letter. “Conservation groups in Johto insist that Typhlosion should be immediately given up to find out the reason their branch originally stopped evolving. Sinnoh's historians, archivists, and remnants of the Diamond and Pearl Clans also request that Typhlosion be researched in their region, as Hisuian Typhlosion were only documented to be found in Hisui… until now.”

Chairperson Erma’s brows furred for a moment, and hummed. “Quite. Yes, we don’t want this to cause anyone else more stress, let alone that poor child without any family.” Erma said pointedly, the grip on her cane shifting in a way that made the International Police agent flinch ever so slightly.

Erma’s eyes swept across the table before she turned to Lena. “Ranger Lena, if you would be so kind, can you please give your own findings on how the Typhlosion and William interacted?”

Lena took a moment, flustered by the sudden attention on her, but nodded, quickly standing up. “Y-Yes Ma’am, of course.” She cleared her throat for a moment and attempted to clear her nerves before she spoke.

‘It’s just like doing a Mission Report or Summary back at a Ranger Base. No big deal that you’re doing one for the chairperson of the entire Ranger Union, no big deal at all!’

“When first interacting with the Typhlosion, they were protective of William, nearly identical to my own partners. When they, ah… approached me from behind and forced me into the clearing, they took William’s signal to stand down despite us technically being… invaders, so to speak. It was clear they valued and followed William’s opinion on the situation.” She said carefully, purposely leaving out the part where Typhlosion surprised and caught all three of them completely off guard.

Chairperson Erma nodded and hummed at the statement. Even Professor Juniper looked pleased by that statement. “I see, and afterwards, once all of the needed channels were notified, how did they respond when you informed the two of them of what was to happen?”

“The entire time, Typhlosion would stand close to William, almost touching him. William seemed… resigned to his fate, but was clearly anxious, like he was expecting this to happen. Typhlosion was defensive and growled occasionally, but did nothing further, seemingly understanding that any further action might… endanger them both.” Lena said carefully, though she didn’t miss how Jake paid specific attention now.

“I can say, despite William refusing to speak any further about any specific details, Typhlosion trusted him, and William trusted Typhlosion akin to a Trainer or Ranger who had been with their Pokémon for years.” She summarized. Chairperson Erma stared for a moment before smiling and nodding, clearly pleased with the summary.

“Thank you. As you can see, young William and Typhlosion have a bond…. A bond that should not be torn apart, not only for concerns for their well-being, but also to avoid any retribution from an old ghost.” Erma said with a hum and an almost sage-like nod. Shauntal nodded in agreement.

“Due to the nature of this case, the International Police are open to taking official custody of both, to keep their established bond firm without undue stress.” The agent said with a soft wave of his hand, as if that would assuage the earlier fears.

Clare stood up instantly, and slammed her fist so hard into the table that Lena worried that she broke her hand. “You bastard — you’d just use that as an excuse to do a complete psychic evaluation!”

“All wards of the international police regularly go through psychological examinations with Elite Psychic Types because of their cases. All questions are voluntarily, and comply with every region’s law on psychological evaluations, and with minors—”

“Oh, don’t give me that bouffalantshit! His previous therapy and psychological evaluations with emotion-sensing Pokémon suggested that reading anything beyond surface-level thoughts is traumatic for him!” She shouted back.

Jake merely crossed his arms and leveled Clare with an unimpressed look. “And that doesn’t raise questions for you? Concerns?”

Clare grit her teeth. “Of course it does! He’s a kid! He has memories of his family and clearly loves them still, and had something force them apart across what we can only assume is over multiple Regions!” Clare incensed with a passion. Lena wondered if Clare's Aura had an affinity for Fire Types.

“So, this would be a case of international kidnapping? Which falls in our jurisdiction?” Jake spoke with a hint of a smug tone. Clare didn’t let up, however, grabbing a file from the stack she had brought and slapping its contents on the table.

“I would admit that, if your own organization didn’t say, and I quote: ‘the evidence provided neither confirms, nor denies, that this could be an international psychic kidnapping incident. Local departments within Unova will need to provide more evidence before such a case can be reopened at an international level’ .” She hissed out, hitting the paper as if to punctuate her statement. Jake looked nonplussed, simply shrugging.

“Given the circumstances, we can easily reopen the case and go through the proper process in accordance with our agreement with Unova.” He said as Clare turned red with rage and gritted her teeth.

“Oh, how convenient for you to do it now with a thought-to-be-extinct Pokémon on the table now, and not when I asked…” Clare trailed off as she grabbed another folder in her pile, opening it and rifling through it for a moment before she pulled out a couple print outs, glancing at the date before speaking. “...four months ago.”

She slid the copy to Jake for him to stare at. Clare didn’t stop there, reaching back into the folder again to grab another three email chains, and even a mailed letter that had thick red ink saying ‘return to sender’ . “ And in multiple emails. And a written letter.” She threw them on the table as if they disgusted her. Jake didn’t react verbally, but the subtle twitch of his lips showed it got a reaction of some kind.

Clare continued, however, and pulled out more documents. “And don’t think I don’t know how your inter-regional agreement works. Section C.122 on the International Police’s policy on acquiring custody: ‘ if someone is found or suspected to be involved in some sort of international incident and Interpol wishes to claim custody of said individual, the Region’s presiding Champion must agree in writing in accordance with that Region’s established laws.’ However, in the Unovan Individual Rights Act, 15 U.C. § 1791: ‘ a majority vote of Unovan representatives must also agree to any act that moves an individual with a Unovan Citizenship, or in the care of the state outside the region.’ ” She said while sitting down, glaring at him. The room fell silent as Lena couldn’t help but blurt out what was on her mind as she looked at Clare with an impressed expression.

“Dragons above, you were ready for that.”

Lena instantly regretted the words leaving her mouth, but the faint smile and side eye from Chairperson Erma told her she was amused as well.

Meanwhile, Clare was blushing at the reaction, faintly embarrassed, but still smiling at the praise. “After the ah… Giovanni Case in Indigo, I reviewed every law that may or may not have come up with certain people… William did not have any documented Region before Unova, which uh… brought it to the forefront of my mind.” She explained quickly, before turning to the Champion with an almost desperate look.

“Champion Iris, I know that the standard age for Trainers in Unova is fourteen. However, you yourself went on a journey at a young age with approval from Mayor Drayden, and even took his position for a time as Opelucid City’s Gym Leader afterwards.”

With a breath, as if to prepare herself for what she was about to ask, Clare continued and looked at Iris desperately. “What you did is inspiring, and I want to ask if you’ll consider extending the same opportunity for William that you yourself got.”

Iris nodded for Clare to continue even as Shauntal tried to subtly interject with a hand. Clare either didn’t notice or ignored her, and started grabbing more files out, passing them out around the table.

“Are these… academic records?” Lena asked curiously as she glanced at the lettering and the subjects… full marks for Galarian… even beyond just the elementary level.

‘Algebra and Discrete Math? Calculus?! Granted, they’re lower than Galarian, but I didn’t take Calculus until college! Except for History, which is his lowest score, they’re all better than what I got…’ Lena grumbled as she continued down the list.

Iris however, looked a bit embarrassed and tried to lead discreetly within Shauntal’s earshot, though everyone could still hear her. “ Pst… What's Discrete Math? ”

Lena couldn’t help but be slightly distracted by Shauntal looking a bit embarrassed herself, and whispering to Iris in a tone that was not as quiet as it should have been. “ I don’t know, I was a Galarian Major. ”

Clare motioned in Iris’ direction. “See? William’s academics show he’s insightful and intelligent enough to surpass a champion who was allowed to leave early on a Journey as well!” She said with a grin that could only be described as the Purrloin that ate the Pidove as Jake just grunted in response.

Lena hid her snort with a breath, instead looking down the list once again. The aforementioned subjects and grades were eyebrow raising for someone who’s age wouldn’t place them in a class higher than an Elementary School level.

Jake recovered and raised his eyebrows. “While I can see the argument for his maturity… that doesn’t explain why his Pokémon Care classes are marked to contact the instructor.”

Lena blinked before looking down the report card again in finer detail. His Pokémon Care classes were indeed listed, but had a ‘N/A’ next to them. The legend indicated the reader to reach out to the instructor for more information, with their contact info below.

Lena and Clare locked eyes for a moment, seeming to share the same idea, before Clare turned back and addressed the room. “When we first found him, William’s hands-on experience with Pokémon appeared to be lacking. His home region apparently had no Pokémon, and none of his family, neighbors, or community members raised Pokémon either. However—!”

Clare put her hand up to pause Jake’s incoming objection. “His teacher, Mr. Davidson, says that he showed better control and care for the school’s Pokémon than most children, but didn’t feel comfortable giving a letter grade as he didn’t have a Pokémon at home. And, as he refused to be assigned a permanent partner, he felt it would be better for him to be contacted to explain his performance.”

“And why would William do that?” Jake said with a raised eyebrow, clearly not buying the explanation.

Clare snorted, and waved her hand to the wall where a photo of William and the Hisuian Typhlosion had been blown up on a projector. William was close to the Fire Ghost Type in the photo, posing for the photograph with the same ingenuine closed-mouth smile. “It’s obvious now in hindsight, I’d say.” She said with a defiant look in her eye. Jake grunted slightly, giving in to that answer.

“While this documentation helps… it wouldn’t be enough of a case for the groups outside Unova. That’s not even considering letting him off on his own with a thought to be extinct Typhlosion.” Shauntal sighed deeply. Iris looked uncomfortable, but clearly felt compelled to agree. Lena silently cursed Alder again for leaving Iris on such politically unstable ground.

“Well, this is quite the conundrum then, isn’t it?” Chairperson Erma said with her characteristic faux-playfulness. The room stood still again as she spoke. “The International Police do not wish to leave such a person with a curious past, even if they are just a child, unsupervised? Am I correct in that understanding?” She phrased carefully. Jake looked away for a moment, before turning to Erma and nodding.

“Yes, Chairperson Erma. If I can speak freely, given the last couple years, with children handling Region wide incidents, the International Police had taken a policy to get ahead on such events. Especially given the disappearances of Red years ago, and now Hilbert — who has the Legendary Pokémon Zekrom, might I add.” He said with a smirk. Lena noticed how Professor Juniper narrowed her eyes at the mention of the former Champion’s name.

"Team Rocket, Teams Aqua and Magma, Team Galactic, and now Team Plasma less than two years ago right here in Unova. Every time a child had to step in to dismantle a criminal organization — two, in Hoenn’s case — all while the government, law enforcement, and league twiddle their thumbs and overlook this repeating pattern. On top of William’s actions of clearly hiding the existence of this Hisuian Typhlosion, he’s exceeded standard expectations in school, is from an unknown region who nobody has provided any information about, is adept at handling Pokémon despite his also alleged background, but he also doesn’t desire to be in the public eye like normal Trainers from his protests about Gym Challenges. Would you not agree that this is a set of suspicious circumstances that is grounds for another international crisis?” He continued, letting an uncomfortable silence fall over the room.

An uncomfortable chill ran down Lena’s spine as she considered Jake’s words… they weren’t wrong technically. No, all of them were technically correct, but she knew he was punctuating this to distract from the fact he was talking about a child . Not a criminal or even an adult. This was a child.

Clare looked to make the same connection. Her eyes glared like an Arbok through her glasses at Jake, and she was looking about ready to leap across the table and throttle the man; Champion, Elite Four, and Pokémon Ranger in the same room as her be damned.

Iris and Shauntal had grimaces on their faces instead, most likely having flashbacks to the day of the Pokémon League Siege from the scene that Jake was painting… the invisible threat of possible inaction.

Professor Juniper had a barely flicker of expression, slightly clenching her jaw, but it was just as quickly smoothed out to give nothing away as she simply stared at Jake.

Chairperson Erma only hummed and nodded slightly, seemingly unperturbed. “I see, and if he was supervised by a trusted figure, that would lay such fears to rest?”

Jake smiled, seemingly thinking that the Chairperson was on his side. “Yes, that would allow the International Police to—”

“Perfect. Shauntal, dear, correct me if I am wrong, but that’s similar to the Unova League’s concern, is it not? Would there be any objections to an independent third party traveling with young William and the Typhlosion, and monitoring him throughout a Journey?” Chairperson Erma said with a hint of a smirk as she turned to Iris and Shauntal, cutting the agent off who jolted at the sudden change in focus.

“Yes…? That would be… a… solution….” Shauntal trailed off, nervous as to what Erma was suggesting. “While every Gym Leader is a mandatory reporter, not every Journey involves Gym Leaders. And… Clare has shown at the beginning of this meeting that he has no interest in, or intention of even going to Gyms, which would at least provide support that he can handle this Pokémon to other outside Regions and groups.”

Jake, recovering from losing control of the conversation, took the opportunity to interject. “Interpol could fill this role, and we would be more than happy to offer an experienced agent to do so. We could even inquire one of our more specialized agents who battles freq—”

“We already have a perfectly suitable Top Ranger in this room who can do so, and would have the authority as a strong Trainer as well.” Chairperson Erma cut Jake off again with a fully formed smile that Lena felt was manipulative and downright evil.

‘Wait, doesn’t Chairperson Erma work with a Gardevoir? I’ll have to ask Arthur if her Aura has a Fairy bias next time …. ’

Snapping herself out of her thoughts, Lena looked around to gauge the reactions of everyone else. Shauntal, Iris, Juniper, and Clare all seemed to slump a bit in relief, whereas Jake looked shell shocked at being cut off again. It took Lena a minute before she realized everyone’s eyes had turned to her.

The realization hit her like Arthur’s Focus Punch.

“M-Me?” Lena said with a confused, surprised squeak. Slowly turning towards Chairperson Erma, she was greeted with that horrifying smile she just used against Jake, before Erma turned back to address the other members of the table.

“Ranger Lena has known her Partner Pokémon, now a Floatzel, from even before she graduated from Ranger School. On top of that, her absolute dedication to helping others gained her the respect of a Riolu, now Lucario.” Chairperson Erma said with a proud tone to her smile, a hint of a teasing tone also entering her voice as she spoke further. “Why, both of them love to battle if reports from other Rangers are any indication, which would be perfect for a Journey.”

Lena couldn’t help but glance and notice the intrigued look on Shauntal, and more intimidatingly, Iris’s face. She had a hungry gaze to her eyes that made Lena suppress a gulp at the thought of fighting a Champion.

Chairperson Erma continued on, thankfully. “She also assisted during the siege of the Pokémon League, and evacuation of Route 10 and Victory Road, saving many lives. She’s also been in Unova for five years now, so she's experienced with this Region's geography.”

Her words caused Lena to feel a swirl of emotions in her chest, feeling both warm from the sudden praise… but that warmth was constricted and muffled by a tightness that she had to shove down lest it distracted her further as Chairperson Erma continued to speak.

“Finally, the Ranger Union is an independent organization separate from any Region. Meaning, if you have any requests or conditions you’d like to meet, we can follow such requests provided they do not go against our purpose.” Chairperson Erma stated before glancing at every party at the table. Silence fell over them all, with no one verbally agreeing or disagreeing yet.

Jake, however, frowned, seemingly resigned to losing his position. “While I cannot speak about my superior's comments, a condition if Ranger Lena acted as a sort of… mandatory reporter to resolve the concerns about his background would suffice.”

He crossed his fingers together and leaned forward on the table. “It’s clear he is not revealing everything he knows, and the situation about how he came to be in Unova is suspect. If Top Ranger Lena could find answers to such questions and concerns, the International Police would have no reason to take him in.” Clare glared at him but Jake said nothing else.

The lack of a verbal response prompted Chairperson Erma to nod slowly, but she kept eye contact with him as she did so.

“We can look into arranging that, yes. What about the Unovan government? Do you have any requests?” Chairperson Erma asked Iris and Shauntal.

The two whispered for a moment as they discussed something, before turning to the head of the Ranger Union suddenly. “A-Ah, yes. We would like ah… any Pokémon of note to be reported to the League, just in case such an event like this happens again…” Iris stated, biting her lip anxiously, but relaxed as Erma nodded. “And we would like to encourage William to take on some gyms. He doesn’t need to do all eight, but the words and Badges of our Gym Leader’s would help… politically.” Iris winced, as if admitting it hurt her. Shauntal glanced at her, probably disagreeing with her phrasing, but Chairperson Erma nodded as well to that request.

“That is more than perfectly understandable given the situation.” She said gently before closing her eyes with a hum from her throat, then opening and turning to Clare and Professor Juniper. “You both have voices here as well. What do you request?”

Professor Juniper closed her eyes and took a deep breath but stayed silent as she seemed to consider something. Clare noticed and took the floor instead. “Yes, I would like to make sure the physical health and mental well-being of William and Typhlosion are maintained above all else.”

“Of course, that aligns exactly with the Ranger Union’s mission statement… anything about research or studying, Professor Juniper?” Chairperson Erma asked.

Juniper’s eyes were still closed, silent for a moment before she finally responded. “I would like to do a physical of the Typhlosion myself before they head out, just to have a baseline. In terms of research, however…” She paused for a moment as a barely noticeable frown formed on her face.

“I will need to speak to Professor Rowan and Professor Elm concerning specifics first. This is a Starter Pokémon technically from their Regions, so I would like to speak with them before making any specific requests. They may have comments about what they’d like to have looked into with their Region’s ‘Starter’.” She said, moving her hand forward as if presenting it as a request.

Chairperson Erma stared at the professor for a moment before tilting her head in acknowledgement. “I see, yes, that's understandable… granted that William provides permission for you to do such an exam.”

“Yes, of course.”

The Chairperson looked around the room for a moment before nodding. “Seems we’ve reached a consensus. Well, I suppose we should—”

“Hold on, o-one moment, If I may…” Iris said while standing up, getting everyone's attention.

“I want to ask William what he would like first. While he is a minor, he should be able to say what he wants.” She declared firmly. The faint feeling of her Dragon Aura seemed to flare out, empowering her statement. Despite her age and demeanor before, there was no room for objections.

With no one speaking, Iris turned to Shauntal, asking for her to bring in William. The Elite Four member frowned, but nodded with a bow and walked out of the room to grab him. This left the remaining six to sit and awkwardly wait in silence.

Lena glanced at Chairperson Erma during then with a faint questioning look over what just happened, but she only smiled with the same playfully evil grin back.

Shauntal returned a few minutes later, William and Typhlosion following behind her. He was standing close to William protectively, but the ghostly flames that Lena had seen before were gone. The Typhlosion’s red eyes scanned across every person in the room. They flicked from Iris to Shauntal, to Clare and Professor Juniper, to Lena, who got a narrowed look for half a moment, and then to Chairperson Erma. Curiously, Typhlosion seemed to relax a bit looking at Erma.

Upon looking at Jake, however, The Fire Ghost Type's eyes narrowed sharply with a soft rumble, and Lena’s breath caught in her throat by a sudden, overwhelming force surrounding the air. Typhlosion’s red eyes glowed a fiery red, and faint wisps of ghostly energy appeared around its collar.

Iris and Shauntal had already started to reach for their Poké Balls, and Lena had tried to reach for her Capture Styler out of reflex; however it was like her very being was on strings, just barely being held back as her mouth went dry.

William raised his left hand and looked at Typhlosion. Like before, his expression commanded the old ghost without a verbal word. For a minute that dragged on like an hour, the Typhlosion held firm, maintaining a tense pressure throughout the room.

Suddenly, the tension was cut just as instantly; the lights above seemingly returned to their normal output as Typhlosion’s red eyes seemed to stop glowing. Everyone at the table let out a breath… and also seemed impressed at the clear display of control. Though Lena noticed that Jake was sweating just barely, she couldn’t help but smirk behind her hand.

‘ Good, he deserves it for all the bouffalantshit he tried to pull. ’

Speaking of, William was still wearing the bright yellow sweatshirt, with his right hand in his sweatshirt pocket, clenched tight in clear nervousness despite the even look on his face. His eyes flicked around the room to everyone analytically, as if scanning for threats, only finally stopping once they met Iris’s eyes.

It's said that a Trainer’s eyes are the window to who they are, much akin to Aura in a way, and Lena wondered what each of them saw; given Iris’ draconic Aura, and William’s faint, barely flickering wisp of one.

William's own eyes were a green-blue tint, but Lena barely noticed the faint ring of hazel around the pupil, just barely noticeable. They didn’t twitch or so much as react to Iris staring at him with her brown, or even red, eyes. A dragon faced with a mouse in its den was one way to describe it.

“William… I want to just ask one question, for me, and for everyone.” Iris started. “What do you want? Not Unova, not the International Police. What do you, William, want?”

A silence followed, with William the first to blink, surprised by that question as he opened his mouth for a moment, before closing it again.

He glanced down at the table and floor as he thought. Typhlosion rumbled deeply from their chest in concern, leaned forward, and gently placed their paws on his ward’s shoulder. William smiled briefly before his expression fell again and he finally spoke.

“I’d… l’d like to go home, and see my family… but we don’t always get what we want.” He brutally said with a hint of bitterness as he sighed and looked back up with a sad smile at Iris. “So I… don’t know. I don’t know what I want, beyond that.”

Iris stared at him for a long moment, closing her eyes as she contemplated his answer before nodding. She opened her eyes, a soft gaze in them as she stared at the table for a moment, but her smile had a conflicting tightness to it as she replied. “And that’s perfectly okay, to not know what you want to do, or know what you are doing. It’s something everyone is still trying to figure out through their life.” Iris chucked as she said this but Lena could hear the sadness and pain behind it.

She moved past it, however, looking up at William with a sudden determination in her eyes. “William, if you are to go on a Journey with someone else in person because of your age and circumstances, with your Typhlosion, would you be okay with that?”

William frowned but said nothing, instead glancing up at Typhlosion who let out a small noise. The smaller kid hummed and nodded back at the gentle giant, as if understanding the intent, and turned back to Iris, albeit looking a bit more hesitant than before. “I… am open to such an idea, yes.” He said carefully, measured.

Iris said nothing for a moment, as if gauging his expression, but eventually nodded back with a smile. Shauntal saw this as an opportunity to take over.

“I see no reason for the Unova League to object to such a plan then. Ms. Clare, can you please take William and Typhlosion back to his current residence for now? The League will send the authorization for a Trainer Kit, and funds for other supplies directly to you tomorrow morning; but if he needs to gather any belongings…” Shauntal asked gently.

Clare finally let out a relieved sigh; all the tension built up from the meeting left her shoulders while nodding gratefully.

“Yes, I will do that now… Thank you, Champion Iris and Elite Shauntal for this.” She said with a shaky voice before she turned to Lena and Erma, giving a polite smile and bow. “And thank you both for this plan.” She added before shaking Professor Juniper’s hand and giving a nod as well.

Lena noticed Jake was left out of her goodbyes, though the two did glare at each other on the way out.

William followed behind, his eyes scanning the room one final time before he halted for a moment as if to say something. Shaking his head slightly, he left the room, Typhlosion following close beside him as the doors swung closed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3 - The Aftermath

“My, what an event this is turning out to be…” Chairperson Erma commented as she and Lena walked down the hall. The light from the late afternoon sun illuminated a massive painting of the fabled ‘Swords of Justice’ facing a storm in an orange hue.

If Lena wasn’t distracted by trying to process what just happened earlier, she might’ve had the chance to admire its grandeur. Doing her damndest to keep her expression neutral, Lena had just enough presence of mind to hum and nod at Erma’s comment. That didn’t seem to fool the Chairperson, who looked up at Lena with a raised eyebrow. “Come now, dear; you can speak freely. I know you must have questions.”

Lena hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. “Chairperson Erma, I… why me? Why not someone more qualified like… Kellyn… or Solana?” Her question dripped with nervousness, fearful of speaking out of line.

Chairperson Erma simply nodded at the question as if she were expecting it. “Kellyn and Solana would be the first thought for who to pick for this mission, yes. However, there are a couple of factors that lead me to think you are better suited….” Chairperson Erma trailed off before she walked to the window that overlooked the entrance to the Pokémon League.

Lena followed her gaze and stared outside, where two Trainers were battling at the moment. A Crustle and a Jellicent clashed as both Trainers screamed their commands with such ferocity that Lena swore she could feel the window pane rumble. “What do you see there, Lena?” Chairperson Erma asked, staring at the battle with an expression that didn’t give away any of her thoughts.

‘This is a test of some sort…’ Lena thought to herself before she stared at the battle for a moment… noting the Trainer’s Pokémon, how they held themselves…

The Trainers’ emotions were running high clearly with the expressions on their faces, lost to the world around them except for the battle and their Pokémon. Lena took a minute to compose her answer.

Lena thought about Rina and Arthur and how close they were with her in battle. The echoes of emotions of great battles long past washed over her, affirming her answer. “I see… bonds. Bonds between a Trainer and their Pokémon, to prove how strong they are, how far they’ve come, and how much they care for each other. Strengthening that bond in the battle to one day prove to the world how close they are.

Chairperson Erma watched her with a fixed expression that softened and nodded. “Good, that’s exactly the answer I would expect from you. It is not an answer I would expect from Kellyn or Solana.” She sighed, shaking her head before elaborating.

“They’re both from regions where there’s no battles or Poké Balls. They have open minds, don’t get me wrong, it’s a requirement to become a Ranger, but…; however, their personal upbringing would cloud that vision on a Mission like this. They wouldn’t see the display that a Trainer and their Pokémon can have through a bond the same way you can…” With a sigh, the Chairperson got a wistful look on her face.

“I suppose that’s one failure of the Capture Styler. It can convey friendship and intention for a temporary bond, but most times, it won’t make a bond as strong as battles can. Do you see what I am seeing?” She asked gently. Lena glanced at her Capture Styler on her hip and the two empty belt slots where Arthur and Rina usually were.

“... Yeah, I see what you mean….” She murmured. Chairperson Erma smiled, nodding at her reply and expression.

“I’m glad… now — let’s get you back to your partners. I can tell you’ve been longing for them.” Chairperson Erma said kindly before walking towards the Pokémon Center facility within the Unova League, with Lena following closely behind.

As Lena and Erma entered, the Ranger noticed Arthur and Rina were already out in the lobby by the counter, both turning to her with excitement. The sight of Arthur’s tassels waving faintly in the air with a blue aura was enough to hint to her that they were waiting for her after their checkup. Her two Pokémon ran over, practically tackling her with a hug that she only withstood because of years of it happening before.

“H-Hey guys—! I missed you too… everything turn out fine?” Lena squeezed them gently, careful to not poke herself on Arthur’s chest spike.

“Yes, but we had to do a blood test for diseases. They were unsure of what Typhlosion may have encountered previously and wanted to be ready.” Arthur grimaced, Rina and Lena both wrinkled their nose in sympathy. Most Steel Types that still have blood have thicker veins, which can make getting blood harder for testing.

Getting blood drawn from a needle that can piece steel wasn’t exactly pleasant for anyone involved.

“Ah, someone’s gonna want a Casteliacone then I assume?” She teased him with a raised eyebrow. Arthur tried to keep his face stoic, but his tail wagged in excitement. A quick glance at Rina made both of them double over in laughter as Arthur attempted to play it off.

Chairperson Erma’s signature haughty and playful laugh brought all of their attention back to her. “Ahh, I love moments like this… it brings me back years.” She smiled fondly before replacing the look on her face with a leveled expression.

“I apologize for the hastiness, but we need to talk about a couple of things now. Lena, can you please fill your partners in?” She asked. Lena nodded and quickly explained the meeting that had just occurred. Rina and Arthur looked shocked at the idea of being issued a Mission directly from HQ, from the head of the Ranger Union, no less. Lena paused as she remembered Chairperson Erma’s phrasing before turning to her with a confused expression.

“On that note… I remembered while you suggested me for the mission in the meeting but, I’m not even a Top Ranger. I don’t even have a Fine Styler, so why did you say I was one in that meeting?” Lena asked.

Chairperson Erma raised an eyebrow and hummed, turning away from Lena and her partners. She paced around slowly, her cane tip-tapping on the linoleum, drawing out the moment and leaving the three of them to stew in their own confusion.

After what felt like a few minutes, Erma finally turned back to the three of them, with that same eldritch fae smile she used on Jake earlier that afternoon. The room took on an unsettling aura, and Lena quivered in her boots. Rina’s fur stood on end in anticipation, and even the ever-stoic Arthur was visibly sweating, and his tassels were raised in alarm.

“Is that so?” Erma voiced, but her tone wasn’t asking or questioning. She already knew the answer as she turned to face Lena and her partners, her eyes locking them in place and all of them barely flinching back.

“Y-Yes…?” Lena’s voice came out an octave higher than it normally did.

That faint, fey-like smirk somehow grew even larger. “Well, I suppose we should fix that now,” Chairperson Erma replied, slamming her cane down twice onto the floor. A resounding thud echoed in the hallway, and Gardevoir appeared out of nowhere next to Erma. The sudden appearance made the Ranger and her Floatzel jump in surprise, while Arthur reflexively raised his paws…

It took a minute for the three of them to calm down. The Gardevoir was a completely normal member of his species, and Lena didn’t think much of him, until Lena’s eyes instantly fixated on a package he was holding.

Lena inhaled sharply and felt a lump form in her throat as her voice failed her. The golden seal of the Ranger Union on the box shined in the light.

‘No, it couldn’t be...’

The oppressive, nervous atmosphere melted uncannily into a warm, fuzzy feeling that almost felt like being squeezed by a hug from a family member you haven’t seen in years, prideful and happy for you. All of the worries and stresses of the shitstorm of a day washed away into a mix of almost choking joyful emotions.

“Ah — thank you dear.” Chairperson Erma said to the Gardevoir, who smiled and politely bowed, taking her cane as Erma took the package. The Chairperson walked forward to Lena, who was paralyzed in shock.

“Ranger Lena, do you accept the roles and responsibilities of being a Top Ranger? And swear to protect the bond between Pokémon and people?” Chairperson Erma asked, her voice snapping Lena out of her shocked daze. Lena balled her right hand into a fist and put it over her heart, and raised her left hand like she did all those years ago when taking the Ranger oath back at the Ranger School. Arthur and Rina suddenly stood to attention, matching her pose.

“I, Ranger Lena, accept this responsibility and swear to protect the bond between Pokémon and people.” She solemnly swore, barely able to contain the excitement in her voice as Chairperson Erma smiled and pressed a button on the side of the container. The container hissed as the airtight seal popped, revealing the shape of the standard Almia Fine Styler.

“Then, with joy, I induct you as a Top Ranger, along with your partners, Rina and Arthur. I know you’ll all do amazing work.” Chairperson Erma said with a smile, holding the package out. Lena gently took out the Fine Styler and inspected it in further detail. Its appearance differed from what she expected in subtle ways; instead of the bright red of her normal Ranger uniform, it had a black finish on the top half, with everything below red. However, the usual Ranger Union logo was gone from the back end. In fact, it appeared and felt slimmer to a degree than what Lena had seen in the field.

Gently sliding her hand through, she noticed how comfortable the interior felt. Her eyes were awestruck as she opened it, lifting the top up from its clamshell design and watching in amazement as the Styler booted up, the Ranger Union logo appearing. Lena’s Ranger ID and the Ranger picture she took on reaching Unova appeared, along with her Ranger designation, which was updated before her eyes.

“Top Ranger,” Lena muttered to herself in disbelief.

They did it.

They did it!

They were Top Rangers!

With an excited squeal, she suddenly grabbed Arthur and Rina in a tight hug, squeezing them tight and lifting them before spinning around, both of them vocalizing their own excitement on the matter.

“FloatZEeelFloat!” (We did it! You’re a Top Ranger! I’m so proud of you, Lena!)

“You worked hard! You deserve this Lena!”

“Guys…no, we worked hard, thank you—gosh—I’m—” Lena had to wipe her eyes as tears of happiness leaked out, looking at both of her partners, who looked up with just as much joy and happiness. Chairperson Erma’s smile at the scene made her look many years younger as she handed the Gardevoir back the now-empty package. Walking forward to the group, Chairperson Erma gave her newest Top Ranger a glowing smile.

“Never forget this feeling, Top Ranger Lena. Use it to push you forward… I’m sure you have a couple questions about your Fine Styler.” Chairperson Erma with a hum. Lena took a moment to compose herself before nodding; back into focus mode… mostly.

“Y-Yes, Chairperson Erma. If I can ask, why is the Ranger Union logo missing?”

Chairperson Erma nodded seriously before answering. “That is because for this Mission, I feel it is better that you keep your status as a Top Ranger under the table. You will need civilian clothing to wear over your uniform.” Erma leaned in closer, dropping her voice into a near-whisper. “Come up with a narrative for yourself if anyone asks, and keep it consistent. I’d suggest selling yourself as a volunteer ‘just doing a favor for poor, underfunded and overworked Clare’. Though… that may lead to more questions online and otherwise, the absolute Mandibuzzes that people are . ” Chairperson Erma quietly grumbled in frustration.

“Think about what’s going to happen once young William goes to a Gym, or releases the Hisuian Typhlosion in public for the first time? Your newfangled internets are already going to throw a fit. How much worse do you think it will be if these internets know that a Top Ranger is escorting the poor boy?” She asked Lena, who thought about it for a moment before she flinched physically, already foreseeing the potential social media storm…

“I can see your point, yeah… would there be any… other restrictions?” She asked hesitantly.

Chairperson Erma laughed and shook her head. “Goodness, no! You are not an Area Ranger anymore. You know that Top Rangers have more control over the Missions and Quests they take, and what procedure to take during them.” She chuckled, but quickly leveled her expression again.

“Remember that Top Rangers, while still under the banner of the Ranger Union, can make choices without the Ranger Union’s approval. This is a sign of trust, but also responsibility. Use it wisely, especially with a Mission that so many eyes are on you. Mind what you write in your reports, especially the ones for Interpol.”

‘Unova, Johto, Sinnoh, the International Police, and even the Ranger Union… Everyone has a hand in this pie, don't they… and in the center, a kid too smart for his own good with no known parents or info on where he came from with an extinct Pokémon.’ She thought to herself, feeling the sudden weight of the ramifications of what this Mission meant, of what William could have been feeling at the time.

Everything had been thrusted on top of him suddenly… the thought panged Lena with guilt at technically playing a part.

She forced down her feelings of guilt quickly. ‘No. I may have unintentionally forced this onto him but I am damn sure I’m not going to leave him in this mess alone.’

“Well, I suppose I should take my leave….” Chairperson Erma said suddenly, snapping Lena from her own musings as the Chairperson stepped away, one more lingering question about the meeting on her mind finally resurfacing.

“A-Ah, wait… Chairperson Erma…” Lena started to call out, making the Chairperson pause and turn to her with a quirked eyebrow, waiting for Lena to continue speaking. “I… don’t know if you know the answer to this but… where was Alder? I would have expected him to participate in the meeting with Iris but… Shauntal took his place I assume?”

Chairperson Erma actually looked to think about this for a moment, humming with a frown forming on her face… “Those with the ability to take power are not always those with the ability to keep it. Alder was always a man sitting upon a throne of sand as it slowly weathered down an hourglass, waiting until those underneath him would snatch him from his own house of cards.... And now a new heir to the throne begins anew, shoring up their sand, dredging from the seas, fighting the tide until their time comes, and the hourglass turns once again.” 

Lena looked on with no idea of what she was talking about, but wisely said nothing.

Erma huffed in amusement before waving her free hand aside. “It matters not, just know that instead of him, you’ll be dealing with Iris and the Elite Four for the time being… as long as the committee doesn’t find a bigger reason to shove their nose into this than needed.”

It took a moment until it finally clicked for Lena. “So... you’re saying that while the Elite Four backs Iris, the League doesn’t?”

Erma covered her mouth in haughty amusement. “My my, now that’s quite an accusation isn’t it? Might not want to vocalize that so boldly, yes?”

Lena felt a sudden rush of heat flow through her face, and she nodded at Chairperson Erma’s non-answer. Erma smiled back after removing her hand, but her face was still serious.

“Should you need anything, your Fine Styler can call me directly, bypassing any Operators. Use it if you need to talk about concerns, issues, or otherwise… I know that the League and International Police will reach out soon as well.” Chairperson Erma stated as she walked over to Gardevoir, who was patiently waiting and offered his arm for the chairperson. She gently took his arm with her free hand and looked at Lena one last time. 

“Stay safe, Top Ranger Lena, Rina, Arthur, make the Ranger Union proud.” Chairperson Erma said before smiling, and with a sudden flash, vanished in the air and leaving Lena, and her partners alone.

“Zeeeeelll....” (Why can’t she ever just give a yes or no answer...) Rina lamented.

“It’s… most likely to make sure the wrong information doesn’t get out from anyone passing by who may be listening in…” Arthur tried to placate, but Lena just chuckled slightly and shook her head.

“No, she just spends too much time with Gardevoir.”

“Floooat… Floatzel?” (So… what next?) Rina asked, turning to Lena who froze, visibly thinking through what needed to be done. After a few moments, she made up her mind.

“First, head back to Accumula Town to rest for the night in the Pokémon Center. If we’re going to be going on a Journey we’ll need to visit the store tomorrow with William as well. While he may have been able to navigate the woods just fine, I’d rather be prepared and have our own supplies just in case…” Lena paused for a moment, humming while she glanced at her Area Ranger outfit. She realized it had been a while since she actually went shopping for casual clothes…

“... I’ll need to get a new wardrobe as well if we need to keep being a Ranger under the radar.” She said, nodding at her own plan as she looked at Arthur and Rina. “Any objections?”

Neither of them had any. Lena grinned, still feeling a mix of emotions over the events today, but couldn’t help but hold that smile as they headed out to prepare for their next chapter of being a Ranger—no, a Top Ranger.

The next morning was a flurry of hurried activity, with Lena waking up in the Pokémon Center bed to the alarm of her Fine Styler after she, Arthur, and Rina all slept like Musharnas.

Thankfully, as a Ranger she had experience with waking up in different places constantly, and quickly situated herself for the day. After eating breakfast ( if Rina added a Chesto Berry or two to stay awake, Lena wouldn’t blame her ), reviewing most of the emails sent by the League, International Police, and Ranger Union this morning ( Arthur’s insistence to review the flurry of automated emails sent the night before was ignored; she’d have time on the road ), they headed out to the Accumula Boarding Home.

The three of them arrived at Accumula Boarding Home around 8:50 AM to familiar sights from the day prior. The kids outside playing all turned at the sight of the Ranger from yesterday returning — with two fully evolved Pokémon, no less. The excited voices and whispers starting to run across the yard alerted Jiro to the entrance.

Perking up at the sight of a familiar face, the Audino quickly dusted himself off as he stood up, starting for the gate with a smile and a greeting. Thankfully, with Arthur out, Lena understood him perfectly.

“Au-Dino! Audinoo Aud.” (Welcome back, Ranger Lena! Thank you so much for taking Ms. Clare’s Quest, and for helping with William.) He said with a bow as he undid the gate.

Lena simply smiled and nodded. “Of course, it’s my job as a Ranger after all—oh! These are my partners, Rina and Arthur.” Lena replied, quickly introducing her Pokémon and causing them both to give a smile and polite greeting.

“Greetings, caretaker Jiro.”

“Floatzel-float!” (Nice to meet you!)

Jiro seemed a little confused at first at how well Lena understood him, but after a little bit he connected the dots and perked up in happiness. After that, he quickly motioned them to follow him.

On their way into the building, the Audino pointed at one of the older kids in the yard, but Lena couldn’t remember if it was the same kid from the day before. “Audino! Audino.” (Riley, you’re in charge.)

Unlike yesterday, however, none of the kids complained, too busy not-whispering amongst one another for all to listen.

“I wonder what she’s doing back here?”

“Oh—it probably has something to do with that big Typhlosion that came back with Ms. Clare and William last night!”

“That’s not a Typhlosion idiot , Typhlosions are red!”

“Maybe it’s a shiny?”

“I thought shiny Typhlosions were green.”

“Shut up George.”

“Ooooooo! I’m telling!”

Lena chuckled at the excited whispers as they headed for Clare’s office. Lena could see through the glass that William and Typhlosion were already in the office, but Typhlosion had to slouch due to his height. Clare, meanwhile, was doing some paperwork and looked to be putting a folder together; the bags under her eyes were deep purple, and the empty cups of coffee told Lena she’d pulled an all-nighter preparing.

At the knock, Clare turned and smiled at them, holding up a hand for them to wait a moment; she shoved a couple more papers into a file before she stood up and made for the door.

Jiro held the door open for her, with William and Typhlosion following behind. Lena glanced at their expressions, noting how William’s expression seemed conflicted, though he tried to give Lena a small polite smile. One of his hands was in his hoodie pocket, and the other carried what looked like a string backpack filled with some clothes. Lena reasoned to herself that it was most likely as a stopgap until they got a Silph Co. bag with his Trainer Kit.

Typhlosion’s red eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't react otherwise. Instead, he stayed close to William as he shuffled out and moved to his full height, stretching from being hunched over for so long. Lena did her best to not take an instinctual step back and instead focused on Clare, who was double-checking the file’s contents in her hands for a moment before she raised her gaze to meet the Ranger’s.

“A-Ah, good morning Rang—er, Lena. Sorry, it’s been a bit… hectic as you can imagine.” Clare gave an exhausted sigh and closed the thick file before holding it out to Lena. “Here is everything concerning William you’ll need; medical records, academic transcripts, passport, and a form signed by me and Mr. Davidson so he can go on a supervised Journey just in case. And everything else I could think of.”

Lena blinked in surprise at the amount of files. She already anticipated that she would need to get a Silph Co. bag, but this practically forced it. Lena forced a smile and took the files.

“Thank you, everything we can get is appreciated.” Lena replied gratefully.

With a faint sigh, Clare turned to William and kneeled down slightly to look at him at his eye level, handing him a slip of paper. “William. I know that… things are somewhat out of your control right now, but please, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me once you get your Xtransceiver.” She said with a gentle, if firm smile.

William took the paper into his hands, staring at it for a moment before putting it in his pocket. He then tried to give Clare his own slightly crooked smile, as if unsure how to respond. “I’ll… remember that. I’m sorry I wasn’t the… easiest kid, I guess.”

Clare snorted in exasperated amusement. “Please, William, compared to some of the other children here you’re a saint. I want you to be happy, and if that means I have to stay up all night doing paperwork to do that, then so be it. Government bureaucracy being an insufferable slog isn’t your fault at all. You have nothing to apologize for.”

William grimaced, but said nothing in rebuttal. Clare seemed to take that as a win.

Turning to Lena now, Clare handed her another print out she had folded into one of her pockets, the official Unova League symbol at the top of it.

“This is the authorization for the Trainer Kit the League sent me, along with the account info to be charged for any starter supplies a normal Trainer may have.” Clare said, before pausing, looking around aimlessly, and putting a faux, thoughtful expression on her face. “I didn’t see anything about restrictions about you also adding things onto this purchase… but if anyone told you that, you didn’t hear it from me.”.

Lena, perhaps, should have been more concerned about technical appropriation of League and Government funds — especially with a morality tether in the form of Arthur next to her — but decided to let it go. She nodded and put the paper on top of the folder she was holding. “Thank you, for everything. If anything comes up I will reach out as well.”

Clare nodded at Lena in response, but sighed and had a slightly sad expression as she looked at William again. “I’m going to miss you William, and I’m sure Jiro is as well.”

Jiro seemed to freeze, as if realizing something with a slight panicked expression; William in turn winced and glanced outside at the kids. “Right… might be a good idea to force them to clean Jiro up if they draw on him.” He muttered softly, shooting the Audino a sympathetic glance.

“That’s what I plan to do.” Clare with a hint of a barely noticeable dark chuckle. The case worker moved on, this time turning to the Hisuian Typhlosion and leveled him with a stern expression. “You listen here too, protect William no matter what. You may purify souls but even my anger will reach the afterlife to get you if you don’t.”

Lena was shocked at the tone she took with the ghost, but the old Pokémon let a rambling chuckle echo in his chest and nodded at Clare in amusement, agreeing with her words.

‘Huh, Rina also gave a more direct response yesterday… something to keep in mind.’ Lena mused to herself, before glancing at the time on her Styler. The store shouldn’t be too busy around his time, provided nothing else comes and Muks things up. “Thank you again for everything, Clare. I’ll make sure William, and Typhlosion are safe.”

Clare smiled thankfully, and started to walk them out, Jiro following behind them. As they walked out, the kids stared at the group as they walked to the gate, a wave of hushed whispers.

Clare had a flash of exhaustion on her face, most likely from the thought of all the questions from the kids she’d have to answer. It smoothed out quickly as she opened the gate, giving William and Lena a warm smile. “I wish you the best of luck, William and Lena. Take care, please reach out to me if you need anything!”

Jiro waved goodbye as well, William turning and giving a half-smile to them both, waving softly with his free hand as the Accumula Boarding Home slowly faded away more and more as the group walked.

Lena glanced at William as they started for the Pokémon Center. “Great weather we’re having at least, perfect to start a Journey on.” She said with a clearly forced smile. William only nodded and glanced up at the clouds with a quiet hum.

Another awkward silence followed.

“I… suppose, it’s not too hot at least….” William’s face contorted into a faint grimace that just as quickly vanished. Typhlosion rumbled next to him wordlessly, but William understood it well enough, rolling his eyes as they continued down the street.

“Did you see the baseball game last night?”

“What baseball game?”

“The one between the Cerulean Starmies and the Nimbasa Rufflets?”

“I didn’t watch it, I was busy handling emails… how did it turn out?”

“I don’t know, I only saw the top of the third while packing.”

Another awkward silence followed.

Rina groaned, with her head rolling back. “....Floatzeeel.” (This is painful . Are all human conversations like this?) Even Arthur couldn’t help but wince. Though, it did get a sudden chuckle from William, his awkward expression shifting to something that wasn’t hesitation or a false smile.

“Pokémon are a lot more direct than humans… would make a lot of things easier…” William mused while chuckling.

Lena couldn’t help but tilt her head in agreement, while Rina could be a bit more blunt than other Pokémon, in general that was a good rule of thumb to have…

‘Wait a second, Arthur only translates for me—’ The second the thought completed in her head, she snapped her gaze to William and then glanced back up at the Hisuian Typhlosion.

“...You’re translating for him, aren’t you?” The accusation forced the entire group to stop now as William winced, biting his lip but nodding. The Fire Ghost Type simply rolled his eyes and glanced down at William.

“TyphPhloosion. Typhlosion.” (We weren’t going to be able to keep it a secret for long you know, especially not with someone with a Lucario.) The old ghost spoke with a soft, if weighted tone. It sounded similar to Erma almost, except masculine, and somehow even older…

“Yeah… just wasn’t sure how… to approach that… or, any of this.” William grunted, guilt with a touch of uncertainty still weaved between his words. The Ranger could only sigh as neither of them had a good way to go about this.

With a sigh, she decided to take the initiative and at least try. “I… I think we should start over, our initial… ‘meeting’ wasn’t the best, and I, and my partners wanted to apologize.” She said earnestly, Rina and Arthur similarly bowing their heads and muttering out apologies.

William, for his part, looked surprised, if his raised eyebrows and how he jolted was any indication. “I… it’s fine, you were just doing your job.”

He seemed to level his expression, looking a bit guilty as he glanced to the side. “I don’t see any other way though around this…” He said with a faint sigh, glancing at Typhlosion, who let out a soft noise as if grunting, but he seemed to acquiesce to whatever wordless question was asked, nodding back at his ward.

Lena took it for what it was though, and smiled the best she could given the situation. “Well, I’ll start with me. My name is Lena Winifred. Born and raised in Eterna City, but moved to Almia for Ranger School. And I’m a Top Ranger as of… yesterday, actually.” She said with a light chuckle; William however raised an eyebrow, noticing the change of title.

“...Did you get promoted because of this?”

“...Yeah. I did.” Lena bluntly confirmed, before continuing with a slight cough to clear her throat. “I’ve been a Ranger for… shoot, almost a decade now though.” She reminisced lightly before turning to Rina and Arthur. “These two are my partners, Rina and Arthur.” Rina waved and Arthur did a polite bow.

“Rina’s been with me even before I was a Ranger. We met when I was a kid back on 205N, and I kept coming back there to play with Rina until eventually Rina convinced her Mama to let her go with me to Almia, and stay with me once I graduated Ranger School. We still go visit her every time we’re in town, but I worry about her sometimes since she’s getting up there in age…” 

‘Speaking of which, it has been a while since we visited… maybe after…?’

Before she could get more distracted, Lena shook her head and continued on. “Anyway, my family took care of Rina… but apparently she heard the day I was going to graduate and snuck ahead of them when they got to Almia to tackle me to make sure no other Pokémon became my partner beforehand.” She said with a faint chuckle at the memory, while Rina blushed as red as a Tomato Berry.

“FloatZEeeeell… Floatzel-Zel.” (You were gone for months and they didn’t let you have a ‘Partner’ until you graduated… what else did you expect…) She pouted, Arthur chuckling slightly in the background before Lena turned to him.

“This here is Arthur, he joined in Sinnoh as a Riolu when me and Rina pulled him from an avalanche by Mt. Coronet. He’s been with us since.” Lena explained as she started to think back to years ago. She had been called in from Almia after a devastating earthquake caused collapses in the Sinnoh Underground, and rockslides on Mount Coronet. The Ranger Union was asked to help with the rescue, and being from Sinnoh, Lena was one of the ones selected to help with the avalanche search and rescue.

Lena was still new to the job at the time, and had to admit, she was nervous, but being a more junior Ranger meant she was really only expected to assist with helping people get back down the mountain, and getting them medical assistance and supplies as needed. 

However, when she spotted two black Riolu paws sticking out of the snow on the way down, she had sworn she had used Dig herself that day with Rina with how fast the two of them dug him out.

Thankfully, he was okay, just disoriented… and after realizing what happened, Arthur used his Aura with Lena to help find more Pokémon and people. Despite that, they weren’t able to find any pack of Lucario, or traces of them throughout it however… Rina and Lena had all but already decided to take Arthur in, cementing him as her second partner. 

From the corner of her vision, she could see Arthur glance at her, but a feeling of warmth and appreciation followed through their Aura link that felt like a warm hug, but only for a moment as he glanced back to William and Typhlosion. “ It’s a pleasure to meet you both, formally. ” Arthur said with a bow. Rina rolled her eyes at her partner’s formality, but still smiled all the same.

“Floatzell. Floatzel.” (It’s nice to meet you both… so long as you don’t throw us again.) Rina said with a raised eyebrow at Typhlosion, who didn't seem to react with anything except his own raised eyebrow.

William glanced between the three before he gave his own, awkward smile. “I… I suppose it’s our turn then, my name is William.” He said a tad quietly before he turned to Typhlosion and placed his right hand gently against him. “And… this is Charon.”

The now named Charon stepped forward to the three of them now, his red eyes were not hostile thankfully, but the height was still a tad intimidating as he stared at the three of them.

“Mrrph... Phloision-Typhlo.” (Greetings, Ranger Lena, Floatzel Rina, and Lucario Arthur.) William, however, frowned, nudging the Fire-Ghost Type gently with his elbow when he didn’t speak anymore. “...And?”

“Tyyhp…?” (And… what?)

William’s expression fell flat, unamused. “The apology we talked about?”

“Tyyph… grrrr-Phlosion.” (Apologize for what? All I saw was a stranger stalking a child with her two fully evolved Pokémon.) Charon replied with a hint of a smirk, turning his head away from William who just sighed and let his head fall.

Charon, however, did shoot a look of amusement out of sight from William to the three. Lena and her team did their best not to react at being called stalkers, or the uncharacteristic sassiness this Typhlosion was displaying to his ward.

William cursed under his breath with another sigh, shaking his head before speaking louder with an apologetic look to Lena. “I apologize about him, he’s… being protective.”

“No, no. It’s fine… we’re the ones anyways who… ‘stalked’ so to speak, and put you in this mess.” Lena said, ignoring William’s attempt at a protest and instead looking at the Typhlosion with an inquisitive look. “Charon… where does the name come from? Never heard of anything like it.” She asked aloud, genuine curiosity filling her tone.

William’s expression seemed to suddenly close off, shifting to a half frown. “From home.” He said a tad quickly and plainly.

Before Lena could press more, William glanced around at the slowly growing passersby glancing at the group with a slightly uncomfortable expression forming on his face. “We… should get going, and get out of the middle of the street…”

Lena followed his gaze and similarly winced. “Yeah… come on Rina, Arthur. I’ll let you out once we reach the Pokémon Center.” She said before grabbing the Poké Balls on her belt and held them out for them. Both of her partners gave a nod, before pressing at the button at the front, vanishing into a light into their capsules.

William looked at both of the Poké Balls with a complex expression and hummed. Lena sighed and placed the balls back on the magnetic clips before glancing down at William. “Come on, let’s get your supplies before the morning rush really begins. Charon still needs a Poké Ball I’m guessing?”

William frowned but nodded slightly. “Yeah… he technically does.” Charon snorted slightly and muttered something in response. Whatever he said, made William’s face twist slightly and glance up at him for a moment, but otherwise he said nothing else and forced his expression to face Lena.

Lena didn’t respond or comment on that, simply humming as she thought to herself. ‘Just another oddity of this kid.. Oh well, I’ll wait until he’s comfortable. ’ She reasoned to herself before motioning William and Charon to follow, the three heading out now.

Pokémon Centers in Unova had shifted to opening up side shops of Poké Mart within the building a couple years back. Most places in cities and towns still had general stores, but the Poké Mart was everything you’d need eighty-to-ninety percent of the time for Trainers.

As Lena expected, it wasn’t too busy at this time of day. The Poké Mart section off to the right of the entrance to the Pokémon Center, a single clerk who seemed to have a plastered customer service smile on his face. The rest of the Pokémon Center lobby on the left had some lingering Trainers with their Patrat or Purrloin just coming in for a checkup, but nothing of note.

Though, there was a noticeable silence that filled the entrance as a Top Ranger with a Floatzel and Lucario, followed by an ancient Pokémon stepping behind an estimated seven year old like a Ducklett. Everyone looked at the assembly with wonder, though all of them stayed back with Charon staring at those brave enough to attempt approaching.

The clerk blinked in surprise at the entourage shuffling through to the full Poké Mart side, but did his best to plaster another smile on his face as they approached. “Hello! Welcome to the Accumula Poké Mart, how can I help you today, Top Ranger… ?”

Lena gave her best courtesy smile. “Lena, just call me Lena. I’m here for a League Starter Kit — ah, here we go.” She said as she shifted her grip on the files slightly, letting her grab the sheet that Clare had handed her earlier and pass it to the clerk.

The clerk in question looked a bit puzzled as he started to look over the sheet. ”Huh, don’t usually see Rangers getting one…”

“Not for me, for the kid with the Typhlosion.” Lena said, causing Lena and the clerk to glance at William and Charon behind them. Charon was staring at the wide selection of items on the wall, and even poked a Poké Doll with a confused expression on his face. Meanwhile, William seemed to be moving his head to an inaudible song, and seemed to be looking at other items just down the aisle.

The clerk blinked, and flicked his eyes back to Lena. “...Alright then, let’s see what we got here....“ before glancing back down at the paper as he started typing into the store computer..

“Let me see… authorization ID, date, name of Trainer — shoot, sorry to ask, but can I get your Ranger ID? Requesting verification before I can proceed.”

Lena quickly rattled her Ranger ID from memory, the clerk typing just as fast into the side number pad on the keyboard and pressing enter… the system pausing for a moment before the clerk smiled and seemed to relax a little as it loaded.

“There we go…. Yep, one complete Starter Trainer Kit… and huh, an ‘additional allowance to be used by Top Ranger Lena’s discretion’. Never seen that one before… has an extra ₽20,000 to be used for other supplies.” He muttered before shrugging, and making a quick motion to the back. “I’ll grab the kit, you can decide what else you’d need to grab in the meantime.”

As the worker went into the back, Lena ran through her mental list of items both she and William would need, but was cut off by William grunting behind her. He heaved what looked like a collection of campsite items in a collapsible basket that could be used to wash pots and pans, onto the counter.

As Lena glanced over the items to check them over, she was surprised to see William had grabbed a majority of the items she was thinking of getting already. Campsite-rated Repels, two rechargeable flashlights, two first aid kits, and reusable cookware were all among them. Meanwhile, Charon lifted two sets of tents and placed them next to the basket.

Lena looked at William with a raised eyebrow, slightly impressed that William had carried all that, but also curious. “Well, that makes things easier… most people wouldn’t think to grab stuff like this…” She said, with memories flashing back to her of the beginning of the training season; the flood of calls for help from new, unprepared Trainers was always something that Rangers had to mentally and physically prepare themselves for.

‘It’s a wonder how some of those Trainers even lasted the days that they did… or hours, in some cases.’ Lena cringed to herself, but looked back down at William who shrugged lightly in response to the previous question.

“Dad took me camping sometimes, so I know the basics....” He responded, his tone reminiscent as he seemed to think back, but he shook his head and glanced at the collection of items with a faintly nervous expression. “And… this’ll fit in the bags we’re getting?”

“I mean… it won’t if we get a normal bag.” ‘Which some Trainers don’t, or can’t get,’ Lena mused to herself for a moment before continuing. “However, we’re gonna be getting Silph Co. bags, which will let us store everything we’d need and more, so it won’t be an issue.”

At this, William seemed to blink and glance at the items again. “Right… I suppose that would do it…”

Lena blinked at his reaction, slightly amused, and confused. “What? Never seen one?”

William frowned and shook his head. “No, I have, I just never understood how they worked... I wonder what happens if they get punctured…?” He mused quietly.

He evidently must not have been quiet enough as the store clerk, walking in carrying a plastic box with a Unova League symbol at the top, answered William’s question. “Kid, you’re asking a question me and my co-workers ask ourselves every now and then. Those bags are rated for a Hyper Beam from a Dragonite, so no idea how you’d even poke a hole in it in the first place.” The clerk said with a light chuckle as he looked at William, seeming to take in his age and stature, before glancing back to Lena for a brief moment, as if putting the pieces together.

He didn’t comment however, simply smiling at William. “So, you’re the one getting a Trainer kit… here you go kid, one Starter Trainer Kit.” He said as he placed it on the counter. William looked at it and tentatively reached forward, lifting the top off to reveal a collection of items.

Lena glanced inside as well, noting there was a collection of five Poké Balls, a Potion, and a dedicated Town Map. While devices like Pokégears or PokéNavs, or even Lena’s Fine Styler, have built in map features, Lena always found that having a dedicated backup was helpful in the worst case scenarios.

William seemed a bit surprised at the inclusion as well, humming and looking it over for a moment before putting it back in the packaging. “Huh, that’s more than I thought I’d get… thank you, sir.” He said with a polite nod and smile, the man chuckling goodnaturedly in response.

“No problem, though I’m guessing you’re gonna need a bag as well to carry all this… your extra allowance should let you and Ranger Lena here both get a Silph Co. bag along with general supplies. Is there anything else I can help with?”

Lena thought for a moment… doing quick mental math at the supplies William had grabbed already, and what she estimated the rest should cost. However, she paused mentally and glanced down at her clothes as she remembered what Chairperson Erma said before… “Do you have travel-rated clothes as well?”

“Floatzeeeelll… FLoat-FloatZel-zel.” (It’s odd seeing you out of your uniform, but... you look good…. Different, but good. I like it.)

“Glad I can appease my fashion stylist.” Lena joked, raising her eyebrow at Rina before looking at a mirror in the Pokémon Center’s changing room.

Instead of her Ranger Uniform with the Ranger Union logo plastered front and center, she had a dark gray t-shirt on, with a bright red leather jacket with white accents on top. The jacket, like her standard uniform, had multiple pockets across the front to put items in and an insulated hoodie. Her standard hiking boots and belt still fit well, but she bought a fresh pair of black jeans that offered a better fit, and had enough of a visual difference from a Ranger’s uniform. Rounding out the look were a pair of fingerless Trainer gloves and a Unova League baseball cap. She looked like an above-average, experienced Trainer at first glance.

‘Good, exactly what I’m going for.’

She grabbed her Silph Co. bag from the floor, a brown scout pack styled bag with a Poké Ball logo on the top, with many expanded pouches littering the front. Quickly hoisting it over her shoulder, she headed back to the entrance of the changing rooms, waiting for William. Both Arthur and Charon were leaning on the wall silently.

“Still changing?” Lena asked. Arthur nodded while Charon just grunted, seeming to stare through the wall in the direction that Lena assumed William was….

The four waited for another minute before Charon perked up, his eyes following through the walls as William finally emerged.

Not much had changed about him, as he had swapped his yellow hoodie… for another one. Lena briefly felt exasperated at how it was still a size or two big on him, but it was at least better than before since it didn’t go all the way down to his knees. The hoodie also had a Poké Ball design on it, unlike his original that Lena knew he had kept. He also had a fresh pair of blue jeans, and proper shoes equipped for long hikes and treks through Routes. A brown Trainer belt with the magnetic Poké Ball clips rounded out the look.

‘He looks like a mini-Trainer... or like a young kid cosplaying their favorite pro Trainer...’  Lena thought to herself, thinking for a moment about what Trainer would be William’s favorite, but discharged the thought and took in the rest of his appearance.

Unlike Lena’s bag, his Silph Co. bag was yellow, but smaller and with the design of a Pikachu’s tail on the top pouch. His Xtransceiver was resting on the cuff of his sweatshirt, which… looked a bit goofy, but it at least kept his left sleeve from covering his hand.

He walked over to the four with a slight smile, but Lena could feel his anxiety underneath the façade. She smiled at him, attempting to try and calm his nerves. “You look nice, like a real Trainer now.”

William briefly looked away in embarrassment, uncertain about the praise, but gave his best attempt at a genuine smile at Lena. “Thanks, we should probably get that taken care of then…”

Lena’s eye twitched slightly at the deflection, but said nothing and moved towards the desk—

“Good morning, Lena!”

A sudden call for her name made her suddenly turn around with a confused expression, her eyes widening at seeing Professor Juniper nonchalantly walk into the Pokémon Center with a smile. 

“P-Professor Juniper! I… what are you doing here?” Lena asked. William looked similarly surprised as he gripped his backpack straps and glanced at Charon.

The Professor’s face melted into a confused frown. “You didn’t get my message?”

“I told you to check again before we left.” Arthur said to Lena with a smug tone. Lena flushed in embarrassment and quickly opened her Fine Styler to her emails and scrolled down, only to see one directly from ‘[email protected]’. It was sent last night, but was drowned out by the other emails she had gotten congratulating her for becoming a Top Ranger, and the automatic administrative spam informing her of her new benefits.

With a wince, Lena awkwardly smiled. “Sorry, got drowned out in the rush of things happening.” She replied, making Juniper give a slightly sad smile, nodding in understanding.

“No worries. I completely understand… I’d prefer to talk to William and Typhlosion about this as well.” She said, turning to the two.

William looked a bit surprised by the sudden attention, but Charon didn’t seem to mind.

“...Yes, Professor?” William asked, keeping his tone even to mask whatever emotion he was really feeling; Juniper’s own expression shifted to something a bit gentler in response.

“I’m sorry to ask for another thing, when others are already making you do so much… you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s okay.” William tried to insist, giving an awkward, polite smile of his own before he continued. “You’re one of the people who stood up for me and Charon at the table yesterday… I gotta repay that somehow.”

Lena noted that Professor Juniper’s own expression turned to one of pity… her eyes seeming to search for William and glancing at Charon for a moment before she seemed to find something. Her smile became less pitying, and more… curious. Intrigued.

“My colleagues, in Johto and Sinnoh, are both curious about your Hisuian Typhlo— sorry, Charon.” She quickly corrected with a quick bow, and to Lena’s shock, Charon returned as well.

Professor Juniper picked up where she left off quickly. “My colleagues are interested, and want me to get some data points for them… however, I want to record them in a specific way.” She said with a growing grin.

“Could you entertain the idea of me watching you and Charon in a battle?

Chapter Text

Chapter 4 - The First Battle

A battlefield of packed dirt, the sun high in the sky, no one else on the field…. If it wasn’t real life, Lena would have described the scene as something out of a classic Western movie, like A Fistful of Poké Dollars .

Most Pokémon Centers have a few battlefields in the back for both professional Trainers and townspeople to let their Pokémon work out within the confines of the town or city instead of going out to a Route. The biggest issue was that they were public for all to see, meaning someone could record them without permission.

Thankfully, Professor Juniper had apparently used her authority to request a secluded, private section with little fuss. On top of that, the Musharna which the Professor brought with her (and “belonged to her assistant”) was also monitoring the area. Said Musharna was currently setting up a psychic barrier around the field in case things got heated.

'Granted, with a Fire Type, things are probably gonna get a bit hot either way.’ Lena mused to herself as she idly played with both Rina’s and Arthur’s Poké Balls in her hand. Normally, Lena liked to have them out spectating, but Professor Juniper had asked her to keep them returned for the time being until the battle started.

While it was a practice match, and she wasn’t going to go full throttle for William’s first battle, she also couldn’t deny her curiosity to see how he and Charon would react. The two already seemed to have a close camaraderie that professionals have only after years of working together, and yet William couldn’t have met Charon more than a couple years ago. Moreover, Charon was experienced, and held himself with an air of authority that the oldest Pokémon have only after living to old age on their own. Dare she say it, this was exciting!

‘...Damn, maybe I am a battle junkie like Rina and Arthur...’

Lena looked over to William, who was sitting next to her on the small spectator bench looking at the field. Charon, ever dutiful, stood next to him and kept looking around for threats.

“So, rules wise, how much do you know about battles?” she questioned suddenly, glancing down at him curiously.

William, too lost in his own thoughts, jolted suddenly before regaining his composure and finding his words. “Uh... fight until the opponent is exhausted and knocked out, or the other Trainer yields, returns all their Pokémon, or forfeits them from battle?” William half-asked, half-stated.

Lena raised an eyebrow as she frowned. “I mean… that’s not wrong, but… incredibly simplistic. Was this not taught in school?”

“Not… really, at least for me. Since I didn’t have a partner Pokémon, I was doing geometry or history while the others did practice battles outside sometimes. Most of what I know is… only from osmosis. Never really intended to be a professional trainer or anything like that.” William winced, as if admitting it hurt him.

“No worries. This won’t be a serious match so there’s no real major rules besides staying within the field, and no permanently wounding .” She glared the last part at Charon, who only scoffed in offense as if to say ‘ Who do you take me for?’ . Lena returned her look to William, forcing a kind smile on her face to try and help him feel less of… whatever he was feeling.

“We can look at the League Rulebook once we get your Trainer License after this, I’ll help you review that to get the finer details if you’d like,” she offered, which made William nod and give a smile that didn’t feel awkward or forced like she had seen before.

Then a thoughtful expression grew on William’s face like a lightbulb went off in his head. “Switches aren’t gonna matter for me, but are you gonna switch? I know you have Rina and Arthur,” he asked.

Lena shook her head and tried to give her best smile. “No, not here. Maybe if you catch another Pokémon in the future, but for this battle, I can only use a Pokémon until I recall them.” She answered. William raised an eyebrow at her phrasing, something that Charon caught onto as well, as a snort and rumble came from his chest.

‘What are they planning...?’

Before either of them could respond, Professor Juniper walked over to the bench they were sitting at, with the Musharna floating behind her as she glanced around the field. “Sorry about the wait, had to set up all the camera equipment. We should be good to go now,” she explained, with Lena nodding in response.

Charon, meanwhile, glared at the cameras around the field and let out a mix of a growl and rumble in his throat, and William noticeably winced in response. “Charon—it’s fine, Clare said that Professor Juniper stood up for us in the meeting. If she can trust the professor, we can as well.” The Typhlosion only grumbled some more and crossed his arms.

Professor Juniper seemed to understand what Charon was referring to, because she turned and leveled the old ghost with a serious expression. “You have my word that such recordings and data will not leave my lab without William and you being informed and asked first, on top of them being monitored by a data security team of Porygon-2. I only plan to inform Professor Elm, and Professor Rowan at this time about the data, who must verify their identity every time they want to access it. No one else can access, or will know about this.”

Charon stared at Professor Juniper, his crimson eyes fixed against her own green ones. A moment passed, then two, before he finally relented and gave a nod with just a faint narrowing of his eyes. ‘ Keep your word ’ seemed to go unsaid by Charon.

William covered his face in either embarrassment, exhaustion, or a mix of other unidentifiable emotions.

“Thank you again for being so accommodating with all of this,” Lena said, hoping to distract and take attention away from Charon’s protectiveness about William, but Professor Juniper simply waved her off.

“Please, it’s no trouble at all. I completely agree with both William, Charon, and your own wishes to try and stay out of the public eye as much as possible…. Dragon’s above, the forums are already going to be a nightmare this season,” the Professor grumbled lightly.

‘Son of a Bisharp… I’m gonna need to contact the admins later, dammit. For now, let’s ignore that… can’t do anything about it now…’ Lena forced herself to put that concern away despite the brief cold sweat she felt. Turning to William, who looked to be staring off into space at the field… she gently called his name, making him snap out of his thoughts with a jolt.

“Uh — sorry…” William said sheepishly, prompting a rumbling from Charon’s throat which he appeared to ignore. Lena figured it was pre-battle jitters… especially for his first battle, against a seasoned Pokémon Ranger.

She’d be nervous in his shoes as well, heck, she was impressed he was taking his as well as he was. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Arceus knows I wasn’t calm in my first battle. It’s okay to be nervous,” Lena said with a soft tone.

William gave a half-hearted smile, but sighed still. “Thank you, but… ah — nevermind.” William’s voice quieted and his posture looked to close off again and shrink slightly into himself. He cut whatever he was about to say by walking over to one side of the field, Charon following behind him.

Lena internally frowned at William closing himself off again so soon after opening up and relaxing. She sighed internally. ‘ Baby steps, he’ll open up when he’s ready. ’ Lena repeated to herself, letting out a sigh as she trailed her fingers over her belt again and mentally thought about her plan. This wasn’t a serious battle, but she did want to apply a little pressure to see what kind of Trainer William would be.

‘ Let William make mistakes, see how he reacts, and then let’s see how Charon listens to him. ’ Lena reassured herself mentally, nodding as she palmed Rina’s Dive Ball and walked over to her side of the field. Professor Juniper moved to the referee box, a couple cameras around the field recording the battle from multiple angles, a red light appearing all of them as she pressed a button.

“This will be a standard battle between Trainer William and Trainer Lena using Unova Regulation C for Standard Single Battles. Neither trainer will be allowed to switch, and the use of held or field items is forbidden. Both trainers can recall their Pokémon at any time, but doing so will forfeit them for the rest of the battle. The battle will end after all Pokémon on one side are unable to continue, or if a Trainer resigns. Trainers, are you ready?” Professor Juniper called out officially for the recording.

Lena always thought the official League calls were stuffy and too long but it was probably the result of some legal Garbodor that required it.

The Professor looked to both of them to make sure they were ready, but Lena was entirely focused on William, trying to gauge his posture. Lena could tell he was forcing his face to be neutral, but his left hand clenched in his sweatshirt pocket told of his nervousness. William took a deep breath and looked forward at the field as a frown found its way on his face.

Charon, however, was staring straight at Lena unwaveringly, his red eyes piercing into Lena’s very being. She had to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine, squeezing Rina’s Dive Ball tightly to try and get a modicum of comfort from the familiar feeling.

She brought the ball to her lips and whispered quietly, “Remember, we just want to see how Charon and William respond, but don’t let him push you around. With that said…” Lena took a moment to gather her words before continuing. “...If I don’t give an order to respond back to an attack, don’t act implicitly like we’ve trained; I want to test what they’ll do when they’re at an advantage.” The capsule shook slightly as Rina got the message.

William stopped looking at the field and instead looked at Lena directly; something in his eyes looked… different, but she was too far away to tell exactly what it was.

“Trainers, select your first Pokémon!” Juniper shouted to the field.

Lena reeled her arm back and threw Rina’s Dive Ball forward as a rush of excitement ran through her. “Rina, get ready!”

As the Dive Ball popped open, the Floatzel appeared on all fours in a watery blue flash before moving to her full height. A wave of excitement rushed through Rina as even without facing Lena, the Ranger could tell she was grinning at Charon.

She then vocalized something Lena couldn’t directly understand, but from her tone sounded like she was respectfully taunting her opponent. Charon gave no response and slowly lumbered onto the field, rolling his muscles and popping a few stiff joints. Gradually — and maybe a bit overdramatically — raising himself to his full imposing height, the Hisuian Typhlosion lit his collar up with the same ghostly wisps Lena had faced before in the forest clearing. Once again, the air changed, and an unnatural pressure weighed down on everyone. This time, however, it didn’t feel like the discomforting malaise that pushed her away like in the forest, or the pure distilled fear and unspoken promise of eternal retribution like in the meeting.

No, if Lena had to describe this new force she would liken it to that staring into the abyss when looking down the edge of a canyon or a cave in the dark. The very air around her stilled at Charon’s presence , as if the world around them all was waiting for the old ghost to stare back.

Lena rolled her shoulders and forced her focus on the field; the display wouldn’t shake her.

Professor Juniper looked at everyone on the field before nodding and throwing her arms down as if they had flags. “Begin!”

“Rina, Bulk Up and charge in,” Lena cried, even as Rina was already executing the move. While not outwardly visible, if Arthur was with her she would have seen Fighting Type Energy surrounding Rina’s muscles.

As Rina bolted forward on all fours, kicking up dirt, Lena shifted her gaze back to William and Charon for a brief moment, noting that William was looking at Rina with narrowed eyes.

“Stay away, use Agile Quick Attacks in between,” William ordered quietly.

‘What’s an Agile—’

Lena didn't even finish her thought, before in a white flash, Charon crossed the entire field in less than half a second, with such fervent speed that he had to use his paw to catch himself from slamming into the barrier. A shocked Rina looked at Charon with a wide expression.

Lena didn’t let that stop either of them, already onto her next plan of action. “Agility, then Aqua Jet, hit and run, let him come to us!”

Rina pooled Psychic Type Energy into her tails, speeding them up and causing the air to crack like a whip behind her. Right after, she leapt forward, Water Type Energy surrounding her body as she disappeared in a blur.

Changing her direction repeatedly — compounded by the boost from Agility — made it impossible for Lena to track Rina’s movements. Charon grunted as Rina grazed his sides as he continued to use ‘Agile Quick Attack’, forcing him to brace himself and grip the ground to keep himself upright. Rina darted away with Aqua Jet after every hit, dancing and weaving in and out like a boxer.

‘Seems like these ‘Agile Quick Attacks’ don’t have anything to do with Agility at all, so Rina’s still faster. What is an ‘Agile’ move then?’

William appeared to face similar issues keeping track as his eyes danced around the field, only to stop, compose himself, and close his eyes... and then smile.

‘Why did he close his eyes...? Rookie mistake...’

“Slow her down!”

Charon charged backwards, getting as much distance as he physically could between Rina and himself. His collar burned bright as he suddenly threw his hands forward and slid across the ground with a sparkling white aura that condensed into yellow stars—Swift. Her voice didn’t reach her throat to warn Rina in time.

The Normal Type stars shot forward, seeming to miss the Floatzel only to curve around, forcing Rina on the defensive. She jumped, took sharp turns, and even used her own Quick Attack to try and outpace them, but the Speed Stars kept coming. All the while, Charon leaned forward in anticipation, carefully watching Rina dodge and weave trying to stay out of the firing line.

‘Okay, so he’s trying to limit Rina’s movement and then punish her for tripping up. A bit naïve as a Pokémon can just shoot down the projectiles, but I’ll give him this one to see what he does with it...’

After a minute or so, Rina took a turn too sharply and her hindpaw couldn’t get enough ground. She slipped, and the Swift stars rapidly pelted into her side, causing the Floatzel to cry in pain and skid across the field.

Without any verbal prompting from his Trainer, the Typhlosion bolted across the battlefield in a white flash towards Rina with a Quick Attack before she had even landed on the ground. The momentum from Charon’s speed and weight smashed into Rina with a devastating impact that was sure to leave a contusion when they were done.

....But the old ghost wasn’t done yet.

Following Rina's launch into the air from the impact, Charon chased Rina’s trajectory to the ground and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. Rina, still reeling from the previous hits of Swift and Quick Attack, could only weakly shake her limbs in a desperate attempt to free herself.

With a feral cry, Charon pounded her into the ground with enough force to make it shake even through the barrier, forcing Lena to have to catch herself from falling. From the corner of her eye, Lena noticed the Musharna straining to keep the shield around the arena stable, but she was more focused on crying out her next command.

“Rina—Brine! Get him off!”

The ground rumbled again before a gushing rush of pressurized water sounded as a cry left Charon, hitting him in the face. He didn’t lose his grip on her though, instead dragging her across the ground and breaking into a full sprint , leaving a trail of mud and a crevice of dirt in their wake.

‘Arceus Almighty, what was that ?’

...But Charon still wasn’t done yet.

Charon, still holding Rina by her neck, spun around and threw her upwards as his collar flared. Charon didn’t even take a deep breath before a beautiful torrent of flames, illuminating the area purple and orange from its intensity, hit Rina dead center in her chest.

Another noise left Lena’s partner before she landed on the ground in a cloud of dust. Charon wasted no time and quickly backed up to get some distance from Rina, finally giving her some time to recover.

Everyone waited with bated breath for the dust to settle…. Time seemed to slow down.... Lena’s heart pounded in her ears....

Rina rose from the dust cloud. Ugly red bruises coated her body; her fur was scorched in multiple places. Lena noticed her movement, staggered from the rapid succession of attacks. The Floatzel took a moment to steel herself before she spit out a bit of blood onto the dirt, and grumbled something that Lena couldn’t understand. Charon responded back with as much of a respectful tone as a snarky old man could give.

She’d have to ask Arthur later what they said.

Focusing back on the battle, the Ranger frowned… something was off. William had never battled before, but the way Charon was acting was akin to a professional Pokémon whose Trainer had worked together for years, with the kind of experience built up to know what to do without being verbally asked. Not giving the other Trainer any information on what move they’re using, and their Pokémon knowing what they meant. Following up and pushing advantages. Punishing mistakes viciously. Not giving her opponent a moment to think or react.

Lena was shown evidence of his intelligence before, but if she was being honest with herself, she didn’t believe it. How could this quiet kid who barely said more than five words be some hidden savant?

‘Unless Charon knew to do that kind of combination attack from previous experience, and all the contingencies of when it goes wrong, that kind of follow-up would only happen if—’

The realization hit her like a Thunderbolt.

‘—if William’s able to communicate with Charon non-verbally.’

In hindsight, the signs were obvious, with how William acted with Charon in the forest and during the meeting at the Pokémon League. She almost laughed at not realizing it sooner.

Rina, arriving at the same conclusion, looked back with the biggest grin on her face in years, and Lena couldn’t stop herself from smiling right along with her.

‘ Alright, now we’re game. Let’s see how you handle— ’

“Heal up.”

William vocalizing his first command in a while shook Lena’s concentration with Rina, and time seemed to resume at a normal rate. It took a second for Lena to process what he had just said, but once she did the sudden change in tactics made Lena visibly short circuit.

Charon blinked sleepily, then dozed off as the effects of Rest washed over him. As the scuffs and marks on his body from Rina’s Aqua Jet started to shrink on Charon’s body, she took the opportunity to capitalize on it.

“Rina, Waterfall!”

Rina surged a wave of Water Type Energy around her and charged forward, like a mighty river. Except....

Rina was slower than expected, and the effect of Agility was completely gone . It wasn’t her staggering from the beatdown before, Charon had somehow removed it. It took her a moment to figure out why, but when she did, her heart dropped into her stomach.

Bulldoze. When Charon stomped the ground, he used Bulldoze. Normally a well-trained Pokémon knew to dig in their feet to ride out the shockwave and prevent themselves from losing too much speed, but by dragging Rina on the ground she wasn’t able to do that, prolonging the effect.

Looking at the Typhlosion, her heart stopped as she noticed his eyes were blinking instead of being completely closed, just barely… groggy looking, as if he was struggling to come out of sleep…

Lena didn’t have a chance to take her command back, as William issued his first direct, proper command of the entire match. “Wild Charge! End it!”

Shock ran across everyone’s faces except for William and Charon, who jolted to sudden alertness as his fur glowed yellow from Electric Type Energy surrounding his entire body. A feral cry erupted from him as he smashed right through the Waterfall that Rina attempted to hold before faltering. The Water powered Move collapsed against Charon’s attack, and she was launched into the air with a painful cry.

Lena could only look with wide eyes as her partner bounced on the ground, struggling to get back up before letting out a breath and collapsing. Typhlosion shuddered in recoil. Lena felt Arthur’s Great Ball shaking at her side after having sensed it.

“Rina the Floatzel is unable to battle! Trainer Lena, please select your next Pokémon.” Juniper yelled from the sidelines.

Lena looked at her fallen partner with an odd taste in her mouth; it had been a while since any of her partners were outright knocked out. While, yes they had taken it a tad easy for William’s first battle, to be caught completely off guard…

Well, just meant the kid’s gloves would have to come off.

“Is… she going to be okay?” William’s cut voice across the field, looking… nervous, even a tad guilty as he stared at Rina’s electric burns and splotchy red bruises.

Lena put on a soothing smile and nodded, “She’ll be fine after the Pokémon Center looks her over.” Thinking back, she couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. “I mean, just the other day, she took a nearly point-blank Solar Beam, and came out of it with just a painful bruise.”

William’s expression was one of surprise and near disbelief, seeming to relax just a tad, but still flicked over to Rina’s body on the ground in an emotion that seemed to be a mix of worry and tad guilt… prompting her to reach for her belt. “To ease your concern…” Lena replied as she palmed Arthur’s Great Ball and pressed the button. In another flash, the Aura Pokémon appeared next to her and she could feel the aura link between them strengthen. Arthur for his part sensed the mix of emotions, giving Lena a pressed look…

He acted automatically, running over to his fallen partner and using Heal Pulse. The faint pink and blue aura flowed around the two as Rina slowly started to open her eyes. She groaned and pushed herself up, rubbing her chest lightly.

“F-Floatzel… Erk… Floatzel-Zel… Float zel… ” (A-Agh… that’s… gonna hurt. Didn’t expect an Electric move…) Rina grunted out, hissing and jerking her paw away at her still sore side.

Arthur continued to use Heal Pulse, noting the damage with a hum and a slowly forming frown. “ I’m impressed and concerned that you took this much damage two days in a row… was the Solar Beam not enough yesterday?” Lucario scolded; Rina rolled her eyes, but winced as the Fighting-Steel Type helped her stand up.

Lena pulled out Rina’s Dive Ball to return her. “You did well; get some rest, okay?” she said as the beam touched her body. The Floatzel visibly faded for a moment before vanishing, but not before sending Arthur a look that said ‘have fun’.

Lena put Rina’s Dive Ball back on her belt and looked at William, whose expression was still a bit nervous even from the impromptu healing. The Ranger figured that it was most likely due to inexperience in seeing actual injuries… but it would most likely be something that she would need to help temper down through his Journey.

For now though, Lena put on a reassuring expression and tone. “She’ll be okay, don’t worry. Just needs to be looked at by the Pokémon Center when we're done… so let’s wrap this up.”

She pulled her new gloves for a moment down her wrist, making sure they were on tight and glancing at William and Charon… William’s expression could only be described as ‘ oh shit ’, or ‘ I fucked up ’.

“You know, you’ve impressed me, I didn’t expect you and Charon to be in sync so well…” ‘ And not give out commands,’ went unsaid, but Lena wasn’t put down about that, in fact, she felt excited. Arthur’s aura mirrored her emotion, turning to Charon and William and getting into a fighting stance, his paws burning with a faint blue flare…

“Let’s see if you can keep up with some weights taken off” Lena said, turning to Professor Juniper who had stayed silent, and gave a nod to her. Juniper nodded back before glancing at William and Charon with a look that Lena couldn’t identify from this far, but it was enough to suddenly snap William out of whatever haze he appeared to be in.

William breathed in and out for a moment, a soothing trill came from Charon as he stayed on his side of the field, but the flames around his collar seemed to burn even brighter as he locked eyes with Arthur.

‘ William’s able to communicate with Charon non-verbally like we can, albeit not with Aura. So far the two have shown to be highly aggressive and brutally punish mistakes, but can be a bit passive until they get to that point. Let’s show ‘em a thing or three, eh?’ Lena thought to herself, feeling a wave of acknowledgement from Arthur as the aura link flowed her feelings, emotions, and intent back at him…

“Trainers, are you both ready?” Professor Juniper’s voice sounded. Lena gave a resolute nod in response, in contrast to William’s tight nod. Both Pokémon stared each other down with an eager fervor, fiery blue flames fueled by aura ready to clash against purple, ghostly wisps. A silence rolled across the field with a faint breeze, echoing the western scene…

‘Heh, if only there was some dramatic music and a Brambleghast rolling by...’

‘Focus, Lena,’ Arthur chided.

“Begin!”

‘ Foresight; be ready for Charon to rush in. ’ Lena thought quickly. Arthur shifted his stance in preparation for an attack as a pale white film of energy surrounded him for a brief moment before vanishing.

Just as Lena predicted, Charon nor William weren’t going to hang back idly. With a speed that still felt impossible for a hundred-year-old Typhlosion, Charon bolted forward on all fours using Quick Attack, or perhaps an ’Agile Quick Attack’ as William called it. Crouching down in anticipation, Arthur summoned a glittering blue aura staff a couple feet long.

As an inferno of purple ghostly fire charged forth like a Bouffalant towards the Lucario, Charon channeled his momentum and twisted into a full-body uppercut. Arthur quickly braced himself with both hands on the staff to block the attack. He managed to avoid getting hit but was sent flying upwards from the hit, sending the Lucario sailing through the air with a grunt.

This wasn’t his first rodeo though; following on near-instinct by the amount of times he had practiced it, Arthur charged himself full of Normal Type Energy and vanished from everyone’s sight. A split-second later, an enormous plume of dust and dirt kicked up suddenly as Arthur touched the ground in a three-point landing just behind Charon, landing in a heavy crouch to prepare for a counterattack.

Lena grinned at the perfect opportunity for a counterattack with Charon’s back turned. ‘ Bone Rush, put the pressure on. ’

With a flash, Arthur charged forward, his aura staff creating a blue afterimage trail as spun his staff with his right hand upwards. Charon, now aware of Arthur behind him, turned around just in time to barely graze the hit.

The old ghost roared in intimidation and lit his right paw aflame and wound up a hook. Arthur, unfazed by the display, parried the punch and retaliated with a swing of his staff.

For the next few moments, both William and Lena were locked in concentration between a fierce close-quarters battle between Charon and Arthur. Charon tried to grab and throw Arthur a couple times, but was out-ranged by Arthur’s staff every time.

A flash of flames from a Fire Punch barely burning past the fur on Arthur’s body as he shifted to avoid being grabbed.

A strike from Arthur barely brushed Charon’s side before he leaned forward and went back in for another strike.

Each graze was minuscule, but each side hoped it would be enough to break the concentration of the other in this dance.

Out of frustration, Charon shot a Flamethrower out of his mouth, but Arthur spun his staff to snuff out the flames.

Charon tried to apply more force to it, his collar almost seeming to crackle as he pulled more Fire Type energy. Arthur countered by spinning his aura staff with Ground Type energy, cutting through the flames and allowing him to start stepping closer within striking distance.

In a desperate hail-mary, Charon’s collar and back exploded with a purple-orange flame that coated his whole body as he somersaulted forward into Arthur, before bouncing away at a safe distance. The Flame Wheel scorched the Lucario long enough to stop him from chasing Charon.

‘Pull back and Calm Mind.’

The lull in the fight gave everyone a moment to breathe and look at the results of the scuffle. Arthur’s fur was singed in multiple places and a couple places looked sore and swollen, but otherwise he was mostly okay. Charon was breathing heavily and had multiple scrapes and contusions scattered across his body, but the raging red eyes of his told everyone he still had enough in him to go another round or two.

William’s eyebrows were pinched together as he stared at Arthur with a mix of emotions; Lena could make out a hint of awe and trepidation… but it was snuffed out into something almost akin to vindictiveness.

Charon growled something that Lena couldn’t understand, but it must have been a Taunt as Arthur clapped back immediately.

“Rina’s Scald burns more than your flames, old man.”

Charon took a deep breath as the red eyes of both Pokémon met each other. Lucario returned his aura staff as the aura tassels on his head started to float. Lena could feel his mind emptying all outside stimuli as he became one with himself and Lena. A well of magenta Psychic Type Energy — invisible to the naked eye — surged between her and Arthur as he used Calm Mind once… then twice…

Charon and William didn't say a single word either, or react to what Arthur was doing. Lena figured they might be doing the same as Charon’s flames grew and swelled, but never seemed uncontrolled…

‘Let’s see if they can keep that control, pepper him at long range!’

An emotion of acknowledgement ran through the line, and in Arthur’s paws, wet droplets of energy coalesced in each of Arthur’s palms. The Lucario pressed his palms together to combine the orbs into one larger sphere and hurled the Water Pulse through the air with a burst.

Charon’s collar seemed to burn even brighter as if insulted and roared with such ferocity that Lena heard Professor Juniper squeak in fear.

The fiery wisps around Charon’s neck grew in intensity, with Lena barely noticing trails of purple Ghost Type Energy that were pulled from thin air in front of Charon. The energy coalesced into a large purple flame that hovered in front of Charon, and flickered with the intensity of a wildfire.

The Water Pulse hissed as it collided with the ghostly fireball and vaporized into steam. Charon lifted a hand as if holding the orb, and blew into the core, making it split from the center into three orbs and fly forward. The purple mass swirled with an inner white core, and flared wispy black flames.

Lena swore she could make out faces .

‘ Swat them down, don’t let them touch you. ’ Lena schooled her emotions to keep calm, which fed through her link to Arthur, soothing his nerves at the hitherto unseen move.

Arthur quickly put his palms together once more; the blue flames of his aura swirled as the signature move of the Lucario line, Aura Sphere, formed. Arthur let out an aggressive cry as he threw the Aura Sphere forward, aiming to hit at least two of the cascading orbs. The sphere of pure energy homed in on the front one, looking like it would be just able to hit the one next to it as well…

Or at least, it would have if not for the other two spheres curving around the resulting explosion as it clashed against the frontmost ghostly orb. The orbs seemed to move like they were remote-controlled, similar to Will-O-Wisp, and they were heading straight towards the Lucario.

Lena felt a rush of shock return from Arthur, but she shot it down on her end and reacted quickly. ‘ Detect!’ Arthur‘s aura reacted almost automatically, gathering Fighting Type Energy to give him enough dexterity to jump and twist between the two orbs. The ghostly orbs flew past him colliding with the barrier, causing it to crack and shudder as Musharna strained to keep the barrier stable.

Arthur landed on the ground, reforming his aura to gather mold into another Aura Sphere. Boosted by the Calm Mind, it sailed through the air at near-supersonic speed before hitting Charon right in the chest. Typhlosion grunted in pain as he staggered back, clutching his chest and panting… but also confirming Lena’s suspicion that they had used Calm Mind as well, as it didn’t leave as much of a bruise as she’d expected.

William huffed, looking frustrated, but not defeated. Charon growled from deep within his chest and clenched his fist; Lena was barely able to make out faint wisps of glowing green energy around it as the Typhlosion charged forward.

Lena realized their play instantly. ‘Drain Punch — they’re getting desperate! Go for damage! ’

Arthur’s palms pulsed in the air, blowing the dust and smoke around him away as a wave of water collected around his paws before throwing another Water Pulse forward at almost the velocity of an Extreme Speed.

It was too fast for William or Charon to react as they charged directly into the Pulse, Water splashing against the Typhlosion’s face. Stumbling and trying to wipe the water off of his face, he tripped and fell into the dirt. Crying out in pain from the super-effective attack, Charon struggled to push himself upwards, clenching his head like had a bad migraine. The mane-like flames on him didn’t dissipate, but they seemed to become more wild and uncontrolled… waving back and forth as Charon’s eyes started to glow red as he swayed. His eyes were wild and completely unfocused, shaking even.

Lena didn’t hide the smirk forming on her face. Unless one had an item or Ability that negated confusion, the only reliable method of curing it was recalling a Pokémon or switching out, neither of which William could do. Instead, the only true way around it was through sheer willpower and maybe some meditative techniques to help focus the addled mind.

The flames on the Typhlosion’s back crackled and grew haphazardly and uncontrollably his motor functions scrambled; his arms twitched as he panted heavily, struggling to keep himself upright. His eyes hazed over, though the flickers and wisps of feral-like anger lingered still as his body drooped over like a dying tree. The Fire Type was barely able to catch himself as he pulled against his muscles, letting out a raspy growling noise as he twitched and shook, lumbering slowly to his feet.

Of course, what she didn’t expect was for William to suddenly look ghostly pale, with his eyes widening but unfocused. Lena barely noticed that he was gritting his teeth as his legs took a step, as if trying to stabilize himself on unstable ground…

“C-Charon, h-hel— dammit—Overheat—! ” His voice was strained, choked, even panicked as he screamed it out, as if giving the command hurt.

Lena’s concern was thrown out instantly once she registered what he said, her head snapping back into the battle. Charon snapped to attention as well, gaining enough awareness to execute the order. “Shi —Arthur — ! ” Lena started, but it was too late.

With felt like the intensity of a thousand Magcargo through the barrier, Charon’s collar overtook his own body, the normally purple flames turning orange, then white, then blue, before exploding out . The entire barrier was visible, shuddering and straining under the force and heat of the attack. The entire area was overtaken by flames, consuming the view of Charon and Arthur and forcing all the humans to cover their eyes.

Lena felt the aura link shudder, fade, and die out.

The flash of hot flames rushed upwards as the barrier visibly shook from the strain; Musharna looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel trying to keep the explosion contained in focus. Lena heard something crack and splinter for a moment… and then quiet.

Lena tentatively moved her arms away from her face and looked at the field… already seeing what she was expecting…. The entire field was charred black, burnt, and smoldering. Arthur was face down, his fur scorched head to toe, and completely unconscious.

“Arthur the Lucario is unable to battle!” Juniper yelled from the sidelines. “All of Trainer Lena’s Pokémon are unable to battle. The winner is Trainer William with a score of 1-0!”

The old Pokémon was panting heavily, struggling to breathe. The flames around his collar, normally a ghostly purple that exhumed upwards towards the afterlife were snuffed and smoldering, the spiritual energy exhausted. Finally taking a minute to relax, Charon continued to sway from the trailing effects of confusion, but managed to catch himself from falling to the ground, but was clearly exhausted and spent. William, on the other hand, looked as pale as a Moomoo Milk carton but was breathing easier. Although he looked panicked and ran over to Arthur’s unconscious body.

Lena hurried over as well, not missing the sudden stream of curses unfitting of a child flying from William’s mouth under his breath. Grunting from Arthur’s weight, Lena watched him carefully turn Arthur over to set him on the ground face up.

William sighed in relief when he saw the rise and fall of the Lucario’s chest, but he still reached into his bag quickly and started grabbing multiple items. Ranging from Burn Heals, Potions, and even Rawst Berry cream, William started applying everything with a nervous, jerky movement.

On one hand, it was impressive that William was responding so quickly for an opponent's Pokémon taking such a hit. On the other hand… Lena was concerned.

Just what were battles like where William was from to where a practice match elicited such a response?

Lena gently placed a hand on William’s shoulder, making him freeze up like when a Pokémon felt cornered or scared. “Hey, it’s okay. Don’t worry. Arthur’s taken more damage than this before. Here, let me help.” Lena said softly, trying to reassure him, William’s shoulders relaxed as he nodded, took a deep breath, and stepped back a bit to let Lena help.

A liberal amount of medicine later, and the worst of Arthur’s surface injuries already started to heal over. William stopped spraying for a moment and stared at the Max Potion working its magic, seeming frozen until Lena nudged him with her shoulder gently with a concerned glance. He snapped from his daze right after, returning to spraying the upper body of Arthur as Lena followed behind with the cream…

‘ Yeah, Arthur’s gonna feel this tomorrow, even with a Pokémon Center. Let’s focus on the first thing though… ’ Lena thought as she glanced at William, who let out a breath as he finally finished applying the Burn Heal, and started speaking before Lena could.

“I—fuck, I’m sorry.” William apologized.

Lena blinked back with wide eyes and raised her hands before William could continue any further. “It’s okay. Injuries happen. Arthur has taken a lot worse before.” She tried placating. “Honestly, I’m impressed you were able to catch me and Arthur off guard like that,” ‘And concerned about your reaction in the middle of the battle,’ Lena mused, but didn’t voice, knowing that William would Withdraw faster than a Dwebble if she pressed him.

Sadly, William cringing and looking even more guilty showed it had the opposite effect. He stayed silent as he took the Max Potion and started applying it to Arthur… who finally started to come to his senses.

“L-Luc… Lucario…” Arthur’s voice was a raspy, wheezy, incoherent jumble.

Lena whistled. “Wow, Charon really did a number on you, did he Arthur?” Lena asked rhetorically. Arthur pushed his upper body up with a grunt, and William jolted back to not get in the way.

“L-Lu car — Dialga’s shiny toes — rio .” Arthur attempted to voice. Aura swirled around him as he tried to regain his bearings, a light chuckle leaving her as she shook her head.

“Don’t worry about translating until tomorrow, you hear? You need a checkup at the Pokémon Center before you do anything, mister.” Lena said with a raised eyebrow. The Aura Pokémon sighed and met Charon’s eyes. The Fire-Ghost Type stared back with a clear gaze as the confusion had fully worn off and he lumbered over next to William surprisingly quietly.

“Lucari- good battle — Rio-Cario. Your strength —Lucario.” He vocalized, Lena only picking up pieces of it, but snorted as she grabbed his Great Ball and aimed at him.

“You can discuss the battle later with Charon, for now, get some rest… Rina’s gonna have a field day with you after you know.” Lena teased. Arthur suddenly panicked as he realized what Lena meant before being hit with the beam. Lena felt the capsule shake, a faint wave of… a whimpering and pleading aura slipped through, but she just snorted and returned the Great Ball to her belt.

The Ranger returned her gaze to William, whose expression was a mix of nervousness and guilt. Hoping to shatter those feelings, she reached out her hand to William to shake. “Hey, good battle, you put my team on the ropes, and I’m impressed you were able to do that for your first battle.”

William stared at Lena’s hand for a moment, an awkward, half-smile formed that was becoming familiar to Lena as he politely reached forward to shake her hand. “I… panicked, and got lucky. I know you were taking it easy with Rina anywa—”

“Imma stop you right there.” Lena interjected, squeezing the handshake a bit tighter as William suddenly looked even more nervous. Daring him to object, she continued, “Firstly, you caught me and Rina off guard by using commands that didn’t hint to your intentions, and somehow hid that you used Bulldoze to remove Agility. Most League Tournament Trainers don’t even think to do that.” She stated, raising her other hand with one finger outstretched, then two.

”Second, you outright overpowered me and Arthur while using almost no verbal commands, which is something that no Trainer has done in a long while.” A third finger went up, William looking a bit uncertain from all of the words, but Lena kept going.

“Third, you’re even coming up with variations of existing moves that work to your strengths. I have no idea what ‘Agile’ Moves are based off of, but I’ve been battling for years and most Trainers focus more on learning a lot of moves, instead of working on expanding fundamental moves.” Another finger raised as she started onto her final point.

“Lastly, you and Charon already have a really good synergy, chaining moves together and punishing mistakes. The only thing I can see you improving on is approaching opponents when pressure is put back on you, and maybe being a little less passive when looking for an opportunity to punish a mistake, but you need to give yourself more credit than you are right now.” Lena pressed, hoping that whatever weird hangup that William had would go away.

William stayed silent, his smile getting a bit tighter before suddenly clapping from the side from Professor Juniper made him and Lena jolt.

' Oh, right. She was observing the battle. ’

“She’s right about everything, you know.” Professor Juniper started as she walked over. Musharna floated behind a bit lower than one would expect… and even with her eyes closed, seemed to be glaring at Charon.

“You’ve exceeded my expectations for how you would battle and how Charon would respond… and cemented my own decision.” Juniper said, smiling as she shifted the bag that Lena had barely noticed and reached inside, pulling out a device that made William gasp.

“P-Professor Juniper—but I’m not—”

“A sponsored lab Trainer? No, you’re not, but that doesn’t limit who I hand these out to.” Professor Juniper smiled as she held her hand out. “This is yours. I won’t take no for an answer.”

William bit his lip, seeming… hesitant to even touch the device, but he broke through whatever worry he had still and reached forward to inspect it. It was the standard Unovan Model of Pokédex, with a dual screen that slid up when active…

Lena noted — with growing exasperation — that the color scheme was yellow .

William pressed the button on the device, watching it beep and suddenly turn on, the screen underneath rising up and shifting into place, on the top screen, it was displaying the first-time boot sequence, displaying William’s Trainer ID and name.

‘A custom paint job and it’s pre-loaded with William’s information. She planned to give him this from the start, didn’t she?’

“There is one thing that I should note, though. With the introduction of new Pokémon from other regions into new habitats, I’d like to get some data on where the new populations of Pokémon now live. As you can see here—” Professor Juniper pointed out a shoulder button on the rear of the device, “—you can view and record the habitats of Pokémon in various environments. All I ask in return is that you log what new Pokémon you see in places they haven’t been documented yet. I’m sure Lena can help you as well.”

“I… thank you — I don’t know what to say…” Will said, his eyes blinking in a daze. Meanwhile, Lena looked at Professor Juniper with a raised eyebrow.

Professor Juniper smirked back with a twinkle in her eye that gave her the same creepy feeling as she did with Chairperson Erma.

She refocused quickly, as if she never had the look in the first place, and glanced down at William who had shut the device off and put it in his sweatshirt. “Then don’t say anything you’re not comfortable with. I know that this has been a lot of change for you in such a short time. Even with Charon, and Lena, you’re scared, aren’t you?” She asked, with a soft tone and expression.

William winced, but didn’t deny it, and the Professor nodded slightly. “Fear is a powerful motivator, but you shouldn’t let it control you. Do you intend to have only Charon your entire Journey, or do you plan to catch strong Pokémon to stop being ‘afraid’ and look powerful?”

William grimaced, instantly shaking his head. “I don’t… or — didn’t, plan on catching any Pokémon. It’s wrong to force… anyone to work with me.” He said carefully. Lena’s eyebrows furrowed as she digested the statement, but she didn’t have time to parse it fully as Professor Juniper hummed shortly after.

“What if a Pokémon wanted to join you, would you let them?”

“If… they wanted to, of their own accord, then… yes.” William said hesitantly before his eyebrows raised in realization. The same damn smile formed on Professor Juniper’s face (although it didn't seem to bother William as much) as she reached back into her bag and pulled out a container with three spherical shadows inside it.

“Then, let me offer you one more partner for your journey.” She said, kneeling down and pressing a button. The container hissed as it opened, and the noise of three Poké Balls opening rang out to nowhere. The forms of three Pokémon, the Unovan Starters, took shape.

Lena’s eyes scanned over them all. Snivy appeared almost smug, putting hands on their hips and tilting their head as if presenting themselves. Tepig had an excited look on their face, their coiling tail wagging back and forth as they looked around at all the people. Noticing the professor, they instead turned to Lena and William with joy and excitement.

The odd one out was Oshawott, who was quite reserved and glanced between the three humans with a guarded expression.

William instantly picked up on it, his face dropping in concern as he looked at the Sea Otter Pokémon. “Is… Oshawott okay?”

Professor Juniper’s shoulders slumped with a heavy weight as she reluctantly answered. “Oshawott here… for reasons that I still haven’t been able to figure out, seems to be a bit... skittish. Whenever I’ve observed him playing with the other Pokémon, he prefers to keep to himself, and if engaged, tends to... close off and be more defensive. A lot of Trainers haven’t really liked that, preferring a more... eager or active partner... as a result…” She trailed off. Lena was unable to hide the frown on her face…

A sudden chirp came from Charon of all people, kneeling down to meet the scared little one with what Lena could only describe as an eager expression on his face. Whatever concern Lena thought might arise from the old ghost spooking a young Pokémon silly died in her mind as Oshawott stepped forward in interest.

Whatever wordless conversation they had made William follow in Charon’s steps as he too stepped forward and kneeled down in front of the Water Type. William looked away for a brief moment, possibly trying to collect his thoughts, before turning back and speaking in a tone soft enough that it couldn’t have hurt a Joltik.

“Do you feel… lost? Like, you don’t feel like you belong with others, or you aren’t sure you fit in?” He spoke softly, with no weight or accusation in his tone as he stared into the Water Type’s eyes. Oshawott stared into the young Trainer’s own and slowly nodded.

A smile laced with melancholy formed on William’s face as he closed his eyes tight. “It sucks… it really does… I don’t know how it works for Pokémon, but humans can be the same way.” He said with a mirthless, painful chuckle that held the weight of years of built-up emotion.

It didn’t stop William from opening his eyes again and slowly offering his hand forward to the Oshawott. His smile was small but soft, and his eyes full of a warmth that Lena didn’t know he had. “Why don’t… Why don’t we find our own place together, then? If you want…”

The Oshawott stared at the outstretched hand, his own widening eyes darting between William’s hand and face… before turning to the towering Hisuian Typhlosion, and squeaking what Lena assumed was a question.

Charon quickly glanced over to William before he trilled softly back with a gentleness and love that reminded Lena of her grandfather rocking her to sleep in that old chair of his when she was still a young girl. “Typhlo… Phlosion. Typh.” His voice rumbled, though what was said exactly was unknown to her.

Oshawott looked down at the ground for a moment in thought before he looked back up at William’s still hovering hand….

A moment passed. Then two. Then maybe a couple more.

After what felt like an eternity, the Oshawott reached forward and placed his own flipper on top of William’s hand. William smiled back and squeezed gently.

“Oshawott… do you have a name?” He asked just as softly.

The Oshawott shook his head as William hummed, closing his eyes… before speaking.

“How about… Ronin?”

Oshawott looked confused but interested, stepping closer to William as he started to explain without prompting.

“Where I’m from, it’s the name of a traveling warrior looking for a home and something to believe in, wandering until he finds someone or something worthy to fight for.... When that happens, the lost Ronin becomes a mighty and respected Samurai, honorable warriors and great protectors. The word Ronin more directly translates to ‘wave man’, or ‘person of the waves’. I think that’s fitting for a young Oshawott who’ll someday grow into a powerful Samurott fighting for his family and his friends, who’s strong enough to channel waves with his physical strength.” William elaborated. Oshawott paused and looked down, ruminating on the title… it felt like another minute had dragged by before he looked up and nodded.

Charon let out a happy rumble from his chest, looking with joy between William and the newly named Ronin. Lena and Professor Juniper also smiled off to the side as the young Trainer squeezed and shook the Water Type’s flipper one more time, cementing the name and new bond with a smile that to Lena, while small, looked genuine.

“Welcome to the family, Ronin.”

Chapter Text

From: [email protected]  Sent:  07:23 

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission

Hello,

My name is Lena Winifred. I am a Top Ranger working on a Mission on behalf of the Ranger Union, Unova Pokémon League, and the International Police regarding an underaged Trainer, William. His Trainer ID information, and generated League Net username as he has not logged in yet, is below:

Trainer ID: 693884837995

Username: William (*)

Attached are the related documents from the Ranger Union, Pokémon League about my existing League Net account, and proof of identity from the Ranger Union.

Due to the nature of the Mission, I am staying with William throughout the course of his Journey until stated otherwise. In accordance with the Pokémon League Privacy Policy, I am requesting that my own League Net account be given monitoring privileges for William’s account, as well as be notified of any mention of his profile if able.

If you have any questions, or need further info, please let me know. 

Best Wishes,

Lena Winifred - Top Ranger, Ranger Union

Fine Styler Contact Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Email: [email protected]

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  07:23

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Auto Reply

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to the League Net help email! It seems like you’re referencing a law, as such, we recommend that you reach out to our legal team at [email protected] concerning this matter.

If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to email us back at [email protected]!

Best Wishes,

League Net Mailbox 

NOTE: THIS EMAIL IS AN AUTO REPLY. TO HAVE THIS REVIEWED BY A HUMAN, PLEASE RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE.

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  07:25

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Re: Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission

Hello,

This is my response for the auto reply to be reviewed by a human, hope to talk to you soon! :-)

Best Wishes,

Lena Winifred - Top Ranger, Ranger Union

Fine Styler Contact Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Email: [email protected]

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  09:57

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out to the League Net help email! Your email has been turned into Service Request 5488411, and routed to our admin team. Please give them upwards of 24 business hours to respond.

Best Wishes,

League Net Mailbox 

NOTE: THIS EMAIL IS AN AUTO REPLY. ALL EMAILS IN RESPONSE TO THIS MESSAGE WILL BE ADDED TO YOUR TICKET

‘Son of a Bisharp…’

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  12:23

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

I am out of office until Monday the 17th. I will answer all emails in the order they are received when I return.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

Best Wishes,

Chris Abernathy - League Net

Automatically sent on Thursday, March 14th, 20XX at 12:22.

‘You have got to be kidding me.... Is there nobody else to answer the ticket?’

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  9:52

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

Thank you for submitting Service Request 5488411, concerning monitoring an account for an underaged Trainer. My name is Chris and I’ll help you today. Unfortunately, the email chain does not look to have attached properly, can you please forward the email in question?

Best Wishes,

Chris Abernathy - League Net 

‘Can you read?’

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  12:25

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

Attached is the forwarded email, as well as all the original attachments! If you have any questions, or need further info, please let me know! 

Best Wishes,

Lena Winifred - Top Ranger, Ranger Union

Fine Styler Contact Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Email: [email protected]

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  13:12

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

Thank you for forwarding the email, looking at the nature of this request, I’ve escalated this issue to the appropriate party. I’ve routed the ticket to the next level. If you do not hear back within 24 business hours to respond, please reach back out to this email chain.

Best Wishes,

Chris Abernathy - League Net 

‘Aren’t you an admin…? Fine, okay…’

‘It’s been 5 hours, how long does it take to forward a damn email?’

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  07:13

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Fwd: Re: Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

My name is Raegan Rylee, I was informed by my co-worker Chris that you needed monitoring privileges for an underaged Trainer. We previously spoke to Professor Juniper about an account of this nature, however, for verification, we will need the following documents:

Pokémon League Trainer Notice, containing the user’s Trainer ID, their full name, as well as your own Trainer ID so we can properly link the account notification to yours as well. 

Ranger Union Disclosure of Mission Intent, along with proof of Ranger Status for verification purposes. 

Once provided, we can get the permissions added to your account to be notified of any mention of the Trainer, view comments and private messages to the Trainer before they are sent or published if they are detected by our filters, and mark other comments and mentions for review by a site admin.

Best Wishes,

Raegan Rylee - League Net 

‘I… I already… is it not on the service request…?’

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  07:17

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Re: Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

Attached is my original email, as well as all the original attachments which should cover everything! If you have any questions, or need further info, please let me know! 

Best Wishes,

Lena Winifred - Top Ranger, Ranger Union

Fine Styler Contact Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Email: [email protected]

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  08:33

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Re: Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

Thank you for these documents. However, none of these documents contain the Trainer’s last name, and are missing any proof of permission for going on a Journey. If you can provide those documents, we can move forward.

Best Wishes,

Raegan Rylee - League Net 

‘You’ve gotta be—’

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  08:47

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Re: Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

William has no known last name at the current time due to the nature of his case. Attached are scans of a signed permission form from both his case worker from the Unova Child Welfare Services, and his Teacher, along with their contact information at the top.

Thank you,

Lena Winifred - Top Ranger, Ranger Union

Fine Styler Contact Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Email: [email protected]

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  09:03

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Re: Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

Thank you for these documents and clarification. As they were scanned, and not faxed, we will need to verify the authenticity of these documents. 

Please give us upwards of five business days to reach out to the Unova Child Welfare Services, and William (*)’s Teacher.

Best Wishes,

Raegan Rylee - League Net 

‘Oh, for fu—’

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  09:09

To:  [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];

Subject:  Re: Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

I apologize for bothering you both so early, but can you please provide proof that this attached document scanned with a  Fine Styler  was both signed by you for a League Net Admin?

Thank you,

Lena Winifred - Top Ranger, Ranger Union

Fine Styler Contact Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Email: [email protected]

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  10:15

To:  [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];

Subject:  Re: Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

I signed this document, and confirm my permission and intent of letting William go on a supervised Journey. If you need any further details, please contact me in a separate email chain to prevent the original chain from being cluttered.

Thank you,

Clare Ranton - Coordinator, Unova Child Welfare Services

Xtransceiver: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Email: [email protected]

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  10:20 

To:  [email protected] 

Subject:  League Net Contact Number.

Hello,

I hope you are doing well, and I hope the League Net Admins have not been giving you the runaround. I wanted to provide the direct phone number of the Unova League Net for future reference because I know how ridiculous they are over email. Just say ‘Clare sent me’, and that should take care of most things as this phone number is technically is under the table and isn’t public to most.

Unova League Net Admin Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for anything, or give me updates on how William is doing. 

(Or if Jake, or any other Interpol stooge shows up again.)

Best Wishes,

Clare Ranton - Coordinator, Unova Child Welfare Services

Xtransceiver: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

‘Clare, you are a saint…’

From:  [email protected]  Sent:  13:27

To:  [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];  

Subject:  Re: Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

I can verify that I signed this document as well. If you need any further details, as with Clare, please contact me in a separate email chain to prevent the original chain from being cluttered.

Thank you,

Mr. Davidson Smith - Educator, Accumula Public School District

Office Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Working Hours: M-F, 7 AM - 5 PM.

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  09:37

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Re: Re: Service Request 5488411 - Monitoring Account of underaged Trainer for a Mission - Ticket Generation

Hello,

As verification has been provided, I have linked William (*)’s League Net account with yours. On viewing his account after searching for it, you should be able to view all his accounts like any other Trainer account. However, now you will be able to mark comments for League Net admin review, and be notified of all mentions of his account across the site. On top of that, you will also be able to see all messages as well directly sent to his account through League Net, and copies will be sent to your listed account email.

Attached is a guide for the features of account monitoring. If you have any further concerns or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach back out to our email, or directly to my own email.

Best Wishes,

Raegan Rylee - League Net 

From:  [email protected]   Sent:  21:02

To:  [email protected]

Subject:  Service Request 5488411 has been marked as resolved

Hello,

Your Service Request, 5488411, has been marked as resolved. If you can, please fill out our  survey  on how we handle your request, and you’ll be automatically entered into a chance to win an Apricorn Poké Ball set made by Kurt himself!

Best Wishes,

League Net Mailbox 

NOTE: THIS EMAIL IS AN AUTO RESPONSE. RESPONSES TO THIS EMAIL ABOUT HOW YOUR CASE WAS HANDLED WILL NOT BE REVIEWED. PLEASE FILL OUT THE SURVEY IN THE LINK ABOVE.

‘Free Pokéballs? Eh, okay. Guess I can rant about having to wait 4 days just for the guy to not read the email... What kind of company is running their IT...’

Beta Readers:

David “TheBlizWiz” R

Chapter Text

Interlude - Thoughts of a Pokémon, Professor, and a Public Cafeteria

The inside of the rooms that Pokémon Center gave Trainers were comfortable, much more than William’s bedroom Charon had seen at the Accumula Boarding Home. It had two large beds, a desk and chair, and carpet flooring with quite a few stains. The closest washroom was down a small hallway in the room to keep it away from the sleeping area. The kitchen was compact, but had enough room for a sink, stove, and fridge; strangely, it didn’t have any scent of coffee that humans seemed to be so fond of.

‘Why drink pesticide when a Chesto Berry works just as well?’ Charon’s repeated thoughts on the matter surfaced again; it was something he could never understand about humans throughout his existence on this plane, especially when they would always make it almost toxically sweet.

Human oddities aside, it was a good place to rest. The sun was about set but hadn’t quite reached the point of tinting the sky. William had brought dinner back to the room for them after Charon and Ronin had been looked at by not only the nurse, but also the Professor. While he had been poked and prodded before by both professors, it had been interesting to see what changes they’ve made in the last hundred years… or so.

“What… kind of Trainer is William?” Ronin asked suddenly but quietly. Drawing himself out of his thoughts, Charon looked down at the young Oshawott, meeting his faintly curious expression.

Charon took a moment to close his eyes and think… but couldn’t find anything concrete yet to give. “Hmm… I’m not sure yet,” Charon hummed before turning in the direction that William had gone to wash up… and clear his head after what happened in the battle.

The Oshawott‘s face shifted into confusion. “Weren’t you his Pokémon before me?”

“Not exactly. No, it is more accurate to say that he is my ward.” Charon said, which he knew clarified nothing from the expression the Water Type gave him... 

The Typhlosion sighed, closing his eyes in thought for a moment before explaining. “Many moons and seasons ago, William appeared here in his current… state, against his will, his soul lost and condemned…; I have seen it only a handful of times in my existence. Hisuian Typhlosion are guides for lost souls… and while William may still have a physical form, it would be a crime for me to not assist someone so lost in mind, body, and spirit.”

Ronin’s expression was still confused, but shifted to something softer. “Appeared…? He was forced here… to be a Trainer?”

Charon’s chest grew heavy with a great weight, pulling him down as he sighed and felt himself physically slump. “Yes… to both.”

He paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts to explain it to the young Water Type. “He comes from a land far beyond our own… and one that is beyond this plane, by means that still eludes him or I. His body forcefully shifted and changed — which has… caused some complications, but it could have been worse.” Charon mirthlessly chucked for a minute. “The adults say William is wise for his age. I wonder if that holds true if they knew how old he really is….” 

Charon shook his head and grumbled as he thought back to those early days when he first found William. ‘ To this day, I will still never understand human stubbornness and bureaucracies. ’

Turning back to Ronin, Charon continued. “While I cannot comment on his ability or nature as a Trainer yet, I can speak for how he is as a person.”

“Aren’t… humans able to hide themselves? Like what he was doing with the red lady, and the professor?”

The Oshawott impressed Charon with his observational skills, but he still had much to learn about this world. “Oh, young Ronin… a soul's true nature cannot escape a Ghost.” 

Charon chuckled with maybe a bit of a sinister tone, but he quickly moved to explaining. “William… yes, he hides his true self among other humans out of fear for what may or may not happen to him if he reveals the truth… and from what he has explained, he is right.” 

The old ghost growled as he remembered the young soul’s woes and fears of what may happen if he revealed himself. Charon was tempted to hide them both away until it had all passed… human cruelty has not changed throughout the ages.

“...If it does come out, he won’t be able to be a Trainer… be free?”

The silence from Charon spoke volumes. Ronin stared at the Typhlosion for a long moment before nodding. “Okay… I won’t tell anyone then.”

Charon stared at Ronin for a long moment as a smile came onto his face. “...Thank you. While William hides himself from humans in higher positions, his true nature still shines through in moments beyond his soul.”

With a hum, Charon sat back for a moment and let his mind run over William as a person and as a soul. “He’s what some may call an ‘overplanner’, but he does so because he cares for others, and worries about what could happen through his inaction…. Even if I disagree if it should be his responsibility, he’s taken it on his shoulders on top of his preexisting burdens.” 

“At the core of it… he cares for others more than he cares for himself, but feels conflicted on how he can help with the restrictions he has now.” As he ruminated on this, Charon frowned slightly as he started to remember William's initial questions and anxieties about Pokémon battling he had asked him before.

“It can also be a bane for him due to his needlessly anxious, overplanning nature, but we have yet to see…. I’ve had to educate him on the nature of battles due to his preconceived notions.”

Ronin listened with rapt attention, his own expression pinched as he thought about it… before frowning… “Okay… so you’re the Trainer?”

The old Typhlosion laughed heartily; he wasn’t entirely wrong. “In a manner of speaking, I suppose… but it has been many, many seasons since I’ve really fought… oh, so many seasons and moons…” Charon said with wistfulness entering his tone… 

‘The last major battle I remember fighting was… the war with Zdarova? Shortly after that, maybe…?’

He forced himself to focus, turning to Ronin with a sigh. “That does, however, remind me… we are both learning for this new age. While time has weathered my knowledge and understanding of modern battling, William has never fought nor has had experience truly with any real Trainer before this. We will make mistakes that may seem… odd.” With a grunt, Charon grumbled and crossed his arms. “...Like what happened today.”

Ronin looked nervous at the serious expression on Charon’s face. “Do… you mean the burnt field?”

“Exactly.” The old Typhlosion growled out, shaking his head before pausing as he heard the noise of the washroom door unlocking. William emerged, his expression nervous and exhausted. It was clear his thoughts were elsewhere in the look in his eyes.

Charon pushed himself from where he was eating dinner with Ronin and walked over to their Trainer, standing as much of his full height as he could as he stared down at William.

“You panicked.” Charon stated simply, both scolding and voicing his concern at the same time towards William. The tone must have surprised Ronin, who seemed to let out a squeak in the background.

William, for his part, seemed to expect it as he sighed in frustration, but not at Charon. “I know. Having your brain and other senses scrambled at the same time isn’t exactly pleasant for humans...” William started, with a tone that seemed to protest against the Typhlosion, yet within, his soul had pain, regret… guilt. 

“Confusion wasn't in Hisui either, so my experience wasn’t better than yours, kid .” Charon grumbled aloud, stressing the kid part. It made William wince in shame, withering under the Hisuian Typhlosion’s gaze as he continued.

“I am saying it now so that even unconsciously you will remember, and not make this mistake again… Overheat is fine in organized matches, but in a friendly match with no stakes, especially when I’ve used Calm Mind, it should not be used in a panic like you did.”

With another faint rumbling growl, Charon continued. “I wasn’t able to control my body. Imagine what would have happened if I used a Strong Overheat with no restraint?” William’s soul seemed to squeeze in on itself from what Charon could feel through the link.

“I know you’ve said before that you’re not comfortable giving orders, and that at home, battles would technically be considered... what did you call it... cockfighting?” William nodded in confirmation, looking a bit squeamish. “I get your discomfort, but you must understand that I am fighting alongside you, not on behalf of you. I need you to be my rear guard and my second opinion, and when I’m incapacitated or focused in the heat of battle, I have to trust that whatever decision you make is the right one. Using a reckless move such as Overheat like that is not only dangerous, it breaks that trust . Do you understand?”

William’s other hand rubbed one side of his forehead. “I-I know, I’m sorry. I tried to stay calm, but I couldn’t — I didn’t know what was going on and it was the only thing that might have worked and I thought I was — or was gonna throw up and then they’d see something was wrong and—” His voice clipped and cut off, as if his throat was tightening from just the memory of the event as Charon could see him swallow.

Charon could see and feel the tumultuous conflict with William, and thought back to that moment of the battle…. Water Pulse had changed since he last encountered it in a serious fight… to inflict a new status effect like that… he was glad it was not around when he battled before.

As soon as he got hit by the wave, it was like all of his senses were being attacked all at once, his ears rang and everything turned blurry, his muscles struggled to respond or move on their own, and his vision blurred and doubled. The only thing he could focus on was his link between William and what they had been using… and ‘hearing’ William was… distressing.  

‘charon i cant—’

‘everything is spinning—’

‘i— why cant i move—’

‘charon— help—’

‘please—’

‘get it away—’

They should have predicted the effects of feedback in their link… the Typhlosion had worried about this since seeing his soul empty of the same life energy that followed everyone. He could only hope at the time that his soul being different would lead it to not affect him as they never intended to fight like this. 

Evidently, that wasn’t the case.

It was his own fault as well to an extent that he attempted to rectify as soon as one coherent thought registered what was happening. Barely managing to keep it from completely overwhelming William with whatever focus he had left. Even then , the feedback still going through was enough to send his ward into such a panicked state.

He dreaded to think what would have happened to William’s psyche if he didn’t do that.

Charon, on his end, had felt like he was reduced to his base instincts as well, only focusing on two things. The target, and his charge. And when the foggy voice of William’s voice entered his ears calling for Overheat in a desperate plea…

Well, he acted automatically.

He was glad to see William act so swiftly to assist Arthur afterwards. Once he came to his own senses, he had to admit he was in awe at how quickly modern medicine could actually heal instead of only dulling pain until it could be treated. 

However, that still left the issue at hand…

Sighing softly, Charon moved downwards to William’s eye level, placing his paws on William’s shoulders and looked him in the eye. “I know, and I’m sorry I did not realize that it would impact you as well. However… there will be others who may attempt to use Confusion causing Moves on me, and by extension, or even directly, on you .” 

William stared into Charon’s own eyes with faint worry, but nodded at Charon’s words, knowing them to be true as he continued. “You… and to an extent, I, will need to build better tolerance, control, and in your case, restraint on your dependency on it in battles when it comes to our link. Especially since we have young Ronin as well.”

“I know, I’m sorry I panicked.” William said with his tone exhausted, yet, not resigned. 

“We have time, William.” Charon stressed softly. “I know you have a weight… especially now with these International Police and the busybody League watching…” 

Charon growled at that thought, those in control always feared what they didn’t understand, or sought to exploit it until discarding. That was a constant throughout history. 

He forced it away for now, instead focusing on helping ease his charge’s worry. “Things have been forced into motion… but we can work around them. You do not need to panic. You are not alone in this, kid.” Charon stated, the ‘kid’ nickname much softer than before, more endearing, making William sigh and nod while leaning into Charon quietly… 

The moment of pause ended when William jolted slightly as Ronin’s flipper placed itself on his leg in support, making the Typhlosion chuckle and send a smile down to the young Water Type, pride in his eyes with a hint of excitement. 

What a band they’ll make… Charon may not know what kind of Trainer William is now, but from the physical, to the spiritual, he was William’s guide no matter what path he took, or who opposed him… and he knew Ronin would join him on that oath as well to watch him grow.

He wondered how Unova, or even that Professor would react in time if things panned out as he hoped…

Professor Juniper’s personal study was quiet and organized, with stacks of papers and folders neatly sorted to the left of her computer, and a cup of coffee she had made before the League meeting was to her right. Sadly, the cup had long since gone cold, but the professor still sipped at it as she thought about the day, sitting back in her chair. 

She had just finished sending a group email to Professor Elm and Rowan to set up a voice call to discuss the aforementioned ‘discovery’, but with no mention of what it was in the email for security. She wasn’t about to break the promise she had made to Charon. Also on her computer were her compiled notes on Charon’s health that the on-site Pokémon Center staff had assisted with just today after the battle, stored on her private file server.

But Professor Juniper wasn’t thinking about any of these things. No, instead she kept thinking about the young boy who had found the aforementioned Typhlosion… dragged into the spotlight without choice, sooner than he should have for his age… 

Much like the three Trainers she gave Starters to as well almost two years ago.

‘Could I have done more?’

It was a question that Aurea had asked herself after the attack on the Pokémon League many times before. Three Trainers she gave their starters just a little under two years ago; two of the Trainers she had seen growing up from when they were young children threw themselves right into the middle of it; one Trainer never returned.

And she did nothing to help them.

All she did was watch with Bianca in horror as the news showed Hilbert sprinting up the stairs that had stabbed at the heart of the Pokémon League to face Team Plasma alone right after fighting the entire Elite Four. 

The Gym Leaders stood by and watched it happen, but at least most of them stepped in afterwards against the sages. The Elite Four had no such excuse, and stood by and let it happen. Champion Alder stood by and watched it happen. 

And so did she. And Juniper didn’t even have the courtesy to watch in person.

Almost as if she was being tested by the Twins themselves, she heard her door open behind her. 

“Professor? Are you okay?” A voice called out, Bianca poking her head in. 

Forcing a smile on her face, she turned to her new assistant who was standing in the doorway. 

“Yes, just reviewing my observations today, that’s all. Thank you for letting me borrow Musharna today; I’m sorry she was so exhausted by maintaining the barrier…”

Bianca didn’t look convinced by the clear deflection, but smiled anyway and nodded. “Of course Professor, it was no trouble at all. She’s resting now with the others… though, it sounds like the Pokémon that was in the battle put her through the wringer holding everything together.”

The Professor snorted. ‘ That’s certainly one way to phrase it.’  

From her estimations after reviewing the battle footage, Charon must have used Calm Mind at least twice, and Ranger Lena’s Lucario used it an estimated three or four times during that stare down. And it still wasn’t enough to protect him from the sheer heat of a Hisuian Typhlosion.

She couldn’t lie; she was both fascinated and frustrated by the use of non-verbal commands in battle; subtle status moves were challenging to identify through visuals alone. She’d have to analyze the recording again later with Professor Kukui; it has been a while since she spoke with Burnet as well…

Before she could get sidetracked further, she focused her thoughts to respond to Bianca. “The battle… got a little heated, literally. If the move at the end was a Ghost Type I wouldn’t have been surprised if the shields would have broken entirely… Musharna was a great help in keeping everything contained. Thank you again for letting her come with me, her assistance was invaluable today.” 

Bianca looked a bit flustered at the praise, but smiled and nodded. “I’m always happy to help! Do you need anything else I can help with?”

“No, nothing for now… just need to sort through the recordings… I’m sorry to ask, but can you close the door? I need to keep the privacy of the Trainer who is in them.”

‘ That I wish your group could have had. ’

The passing thought nearly made Juniper’s smile falter, but it must have been unnoticeable as Bianca only smiled back and nodded before leaving. Juniper maintained her smile until she heard the door click, only to sink into her chair and close her eyes. Visions of the three young Trainers more than a year ago setting out with their Starter Pokémon, so bright-eyed and excited, only for Team Plasma to ruin everything.

Bianca seemed the most alright of the three of them, but her self-confidence was shattered, and would take years to heal. Her situation with her father didn’t make things any better… there was a reason Juniper had put in a guest bedroom at the lab….

Cheren had thrown himself into his work, and she knew he was a Gym Leader now, as well as a teacher at Aspertia City at Alder’s recommendation. However, he had been so busy… or distracted himself with work from the thought of his best friend vanishing suddenly, that he didn’t come back to Nuvema Town. 

Hilbert didn’t even return , simply vanishing after beating Alder and rejecting the title of Champion. With little preamble or stated reason besides “I’m going to find N”, then simply flying off on Zekrom with his entire team shortly after. His Pokédex continued to ping its status code, meaning he was alive, but she assumed that he manually turned off the tracking, or being so close to Zekrom’s electric field constantly had fried some components. She, nor even Professor Oak who had designed the forsaken device, could get a readout on his location. He hadn’t even called his mom before he left.

She felt responsible, even if it was through inaction. She was the one who gave out those Starters to the three of them. Bianca, Hilbert, and Cheren, and saw what happened to the two friends left behind.

‘Could I have done more?’

And now, there was… a child being thrown out to the political Lycanrocs, monitored through proxy by the League and the International Police. She at least had a better opinion of the Ranger Union than the others; however, a Journey was supposed to be about self-discovery, learning about oneself… not forced to take center stage between the disaster of politics or, Twins forbid , possibly take on terrorist organizations.

She didn’t think the Unova Region could take a second one so soon.

William didn’t even appear to be over seven years old… and it was why she forced herself to take more proactive steps before she arrived. She set up his Trainer ID — and by extension his League Net account — as well as made sure enough information was temporarily censored until his first Gym Battle. (Though Lena might have a bit of trouble getting access, with her not being a Regional Professor….) On top of that, Juniper prepared a Pokédex with the beta software ‘Habitat Mode’ installed to help him navigate the changing Unova biodiversity with the Unova Diversity Act, as well as one of her Starters… 

Everything surrounding him also pointed her in the direction that something was different about William as a new Trainer, compared to how Bianca, Cheren, and even Hilbert were. 

With the clarity of hindsight, Professor Juniper turned back to the beginning, picking apart all the threads with a finer focus. First, William’s intelligence both academically and emotionally.

From what Clare had presented in the handouts, he was clearly ahead of his peers, with discrete mathematics and calculus being college-level courses. (...After looking up what discrete mathematics was first, of course.) The only oddity was his history grade, but everyone had their weak points.

With grades like those, it would have been trivial for him to get accepted into an advance placement Ace Trainer program once he was older, get a partner Pokémon, or even a Starter early from the various opportunities. He could be a rising star among the battling, or even academic world if he wanted. And yet, he refused, repeatedly according to Clare, to even consider the idea of a partner Pokémon. A chance that most children would physically leap at the chance to get, he declined.

From Clare’s descriptions of William during the first half of the meeting, William was determined to both keep to himself, yet not cause any problems in the two to three years he had been in the system. He wanted to go under the radar, not stick out. Hiding himself through bureaucracy to just appear like a kid who just… had some holdups. 

Honestly, it was almost impressive. 

While the answer appeared obvious to others on why he did so, something still wasn't right. Charon’s and William’s relationship… it wasn’t just that of a kid, and an old, friendly Pokémon. William’s emotional intelligence about what was going on nagged at her… she didn’t buy that he was just forced to grow up early. It was something else.

Running her thoughts back again to the beginning of the meeting, she took a deep breath. The Professor certainly didn’t expect to see an extinct evolution of Typhlosion this week, and she certainly also didn’t expect to have such conflicted feelings and have to put on such a mask during that mess of a meeting. 

And she never expected a seven-year-old to be wearing such a controlled mask as well to hide his true emotions and thoughts, even if some slipped through the cracks when he was surprised by Iris’s question. 

“…we don’t always get what we want.” William’s words echoed in her head again, adding onto all the oddities and contradictions.

‘While that’s true in life sadly, why are you so certain? So resigned to it, or even going on a Journey?’ Juniper thought to herself, frowning as she started running through the meeting again with her eyes closed.

She was too busy schooling her thoughts and expressions among the various groups and acting as damage control until Chairperson Erma walked in. She had to temper the Unova League being over reactionary, still struggling to maintain itself with a Champion retiring so soon after the attack on the Pokémon League itself and with poor Iris not having nearly enough political capital; while keeping the International Police from strong-arming the situation and separating an apparent young child from their first Pokémon.

‘ It’s like they don’t even care about the optics of that, so soon after Team Plasma. ’ She thought with a twinge of bitterness, but she took a deep breath and refocused her thoughts. 

When William walked in with Charon by his side akin to a protective guardian, Juniper out of everyone at the table was probably the least affected by the display when the Hisuian Typhlosion seemed ready to drag Jake to whatever afterlife there was.

No, she was more fixated on William, who commanded Charon with a simple motion of his hand and a look, the old ghost acquiescing after some time and a silent conversation.

If the situation was anything else, Juniper would have been tempted to call the scene staged. A nearly screen-perfect performance to show his control over such a strong Pokémon to convince others of his strength, and she knew others may have called it such as well.

William’s eyes, however, afterwards, weren’t the eyes of a child surrounded by adults, curious with childlike wonder about who they were, or scared as if about to be scolded. It was sharp, focused, the gaze of someone who knew they were walking into a den of Luxray. 

That’s what convinced Professor Juniper that it wasn’t a display, William telling Charon to stand down. It was the act of someone not wanting to show their hand, possibly out of fear they were masking expertly, or maybe even foresight, knowing they’ll need those cards later. A level of emotional intelligence that no child should have in this situation.

But most damningly, it was almost like William was expecting to be pulled into this mess. Putting up no apparent resistance to being told he was to go on a forced Journey, monitored which most Trainers would dread and protest vehemently.

He just accepted it, resigned to it.

Even so, however, his first ‘battle’ showed that even if he was resigned to it, he wasn’t going to take off the mask yet.

His alleged first battle with Lena was a clear display of keeping his cards close to his chest in battle, a technique only experienced Trainers used after years of building trust with their partners. While it was very likely that Charon had some sort of training before William, normally there would be some struggle between a new Trainer and their Pokémon. Yet, Juniper observed no friction between the two, William and Charon were completely in sync.

He was capable of baiting opponents and capitalizing on mistakes, or making them make mistakes.

And the second battle showed that they didn’t need commands, at least… mostly. Lena clearly had more experience fighting non-verbally with Aura, and by all accounts was the more honed trainer. 

Though, William also showed a degree of… uncomfortableness at the injuries that battles could give Pokémon. It appeared contradictory at first glance from the batting style Juniper observed.

‘ Aggressive, and punishing… hallmarks of past experience or tutoring? Or… someone who feels cornered and lashing out? ’

It was a musing for another time. She shook her head to refocus her thoughts on their communication…

While Lena and Arthur clearly used Aura to communicate, she pondered more about how William and Charon communicated… it was clear they had a link of some sort, and trusted each other… but the confusion at the end…

Charon nearly looked like he was having a seizure while standing, similar to Pokémon who had never experienced confusion before, with those glowing red eyes that looked feral…

She had glanced at William to see how he would react as a Trainer under pressure, but he appeared to be having his own panic attack and be in pain. The hand in his sweatshirt was gripping his body, his face pale, his eyes unfocused and shaking as he struggled to speak. Juniper could barely make out his plea for help from Charon before calling out for Overheat.

Arthur was lucky to have used Calm Mind so many times to raise his defenses, with how much energy Charon put into the attack, he probably would have been aching for days if he hadn't. Whether it was from confusion not letting Charon control the output or out of protectiveness for William, she didn’t know. Maybe both.

Maybe it was Charon doing something with how they communicated, or the effects of whatever happened to William lessening, but he was able to rush forward to take care of Arthur’s burns immediately after battle. 

Too many maybes. She was going to have a long couple of nights after this....

Juniper waited until he, and a moment after Lena, assisted with getting Arthur at least back on his feet before stepping forward. She noted how William looked and sounded as well, unlike a kid or even a normal Trainer, he looked… reserved, and attempting to downplay his actions knowing that Overheat was overkill for such a match.

It was a level of awareness for someone so young that divided him from his peers, or other Trainers she had seen.

It made her wonder what would happen on his Journey, silently praying to the Twins, or Arceus Almighty, or whoever was listening, that he wouldn’t have to go through what any of her previous Trainers did. Unlike them, he was going to be forced into the public almost close to day one with the existence of Charon.

It was… one of the reasons she offered him a Starter as well. And to her joy, he picked Oshawott, connecting with him at a level no other Trainer had picked up on.

If anyone asked, there was dirt in her eye that was making her eyes water. 

Juniper sighed in exhaustion, anticipating the all-nighter she was probably about to do. She grabbed her TV remote on her desk and pressed a button, turning the TV on the wall on… she may as well listen to what was going on while preparing her discussion with Elm and Rowan tomorrow… 

She may have not done enough with Team Plasma the first time, but she was going to make damn sure that she did enough this time. 

“Good evening, and welcome to UBC7 News, the center of Unovan information and beyond. I’m your host Valerie, and this is The Nightly Report with Valerie.”

“Tonight, let’s start with the most recent development. The Pokémon World Tournament, recently built in Driftveil City, has announced that they are sending invitations to Gym Leaders to help promote the battle facility. As of now, they’ve only confirmed they’ve sent invitations within Unova, but rumors say that some invites have gone to Gym Leaders from out of the region.”

“That’s sure to push excited Trainers starting this League season to train as much as they can with their team, and we can’t wait to see what that brings with the season starting less than a month ago. We’ll be the first to show live footage of battles if any Leaders outside the region decide to participate.”

“In other news, a report from the local Pokémon Rangers show that there is an increase in Weedle, Kakuna, and Beedrill appearances within and around Pinwheel Forest, suggesting an infestation. The local Venipede population has been noted to become more frightened of travelers and started to appear deeper in the forest, with one report from a witness indicating that they are being attacked by Beedrill.”

“As of this time, the Rangers advise Trainers and any passerby to avoid the deeper sections of the forest until they can identify the location of the possible infestation. A possible closure of Pinwheel Forest to investigate and handle the infestation is reportedly being discussed.”

“This also comes at the heels of the Unovan Federalist Caucus calling for the budget of the Pokémon Ranger within Unova to be slashed by over half due to the effect that the Unova Diversity Act had had with the following statement.”

The video feed cut to a politician standing outside the Capitol Building at the League.

“‘The ineptitude of the Ranger Union assisting our law enforcement with removing Pokémon that fall outside the act is a clear showing of being pointless red tape that weakens our great Region. Their continued demand to introduce new Pokémon from outside of Unova that disrupt our native species and populations, attack Trainers and travelers, and refuse to take action when issues arise and sit back and twiddle their thumbs while leaving our overworked local law enforcement to clean up the mess. The Ranger Union has been nothing but a detriment to our national safety, security, and welfare and should be treated as the foreign enemies of the state that they are.’”

“The Ranger Union themselves declined UBC7’s request for comments. However, insider reports suggest that Rangers are currently investigating a Pokémon’s origin that falls outside of the Unova Diversity Act. The International Police has been assisting local police with Trainers who break the ‘Release Policy’ in place, but allegedly, no information is being passed onto the Rangers about the location of where some Pokémon were released.”

“Only time will tell how this will develop. Public opinion of the Rangers is still higher than the Unova Pokémon League among Trainers according to a recent poll by Passerby Analytics. It is noted though that the areas closest to the Pokémon League, and Route 10 show statistically higher support for law enforcement and even the International Police. You can find the full report on their website.”

“And with that, that wraps up our nightly recap… ah, my apologies, one moment…”

“...”

“I-Is this true? This happened just now?”

“...Understood.”

“I apologize for the interruption, however we have breaking news.”

“It is reported by the International Police that one of the Seven Sages of Team Plasma, Zinzolin, has escaped custody.”

The Pokémon Center’s cafeteria fell silent at the sudden announcement, disbelief, and shock freezing everyone in place. After a moment, the hushed murmurs transformed into sharp discussions as the shock the information gave everyone was replaced by a tidal wave of emotions from every spectrum. Lena leaned forward, trying to read the captions on the TV, her food largely forgotten about right now as the voices of the surrounding patrons filled her ears.

“He escaped? How?!”

“Interpol sucks at holding criminals…”

“Was it an inside job? Or—?”

“Shh—I’m trying to listen.”

“Did he get his Pokémon too?”

“Is Team Plasma returning?”

The voices started to grow even louder, the food being forgotten for the most part by everyone… until a quiet whisper nearest to her made her snap from her private musings. 

“Fuck…. you were wrong Charon....”

Lena turned to look at William, sitting across from her with his eyes locked on the screen. He was grinding his teeth as he stared at the mugshot of Zinzolin, panic clear in his eyes, uncaring if anyone around saw or heard him…

Chapter Text

Chapter 5 - The Early Days

Just like the day before, the Pokémon Center lobby wasn't as crowded in the morning, but it was definitely noisier. Discussions mostly bounced around the announcement from the night before, with each passing Trainer seeming to restart the conversation in the lobby again and again. Despite her own lingering worry, Lena did her best to ignore it. Instead, she stared at the screen of her Fine Styler as she read the latest email, her shoulders lowering in slight relief.

‘Finally, all the League Net Bouffalantshit is done… for now.’

Lena let herself sink into the couch, exhaustion etched on her face from the constant back-and-forth emails and an awful night of sleep before. Lena, still waiting for the nurse on duty to call her for Rina and Arthur, felt the oddly anxious energy bounce inside her as she tried to distract herself waiting for William to come down from his room. 

Taking a deep breath, she started to run through the updates she had gotten from the nurse on duty about her two partners. Rina recovered well, and would just have small patches of fur trimmed due to electrical damage. Arthur, sadly, would still be sore because of the burns and intensity of the boosted Overheat.

‘The power of modern medicine is powerful, but sometimes it sadly can’t beat rest and time…’ Lena mused to herself, tapping through her Styler’s menu to reach the website to log into the League Net forms. While site admins added the permissions she would need, she'd rather make sure herself after the disaster of an email chain….

With William being a fully registered Trainer and set to take on Gyms, a bare profile was automatically generated once it pulled the most up-to-date data from the League database. Thankfully, Professor Juniper yesterday had already taken some precautions when she registered William as a Trainer for them.

Lena logged in and typed in William’s Trainer ID in the search bar, waiting a moment for the page to display before she sighed in relief. A feeling of gratitude directed towards the Professor formed when she saw the profile noticeably bare of most identifying information as it fully loaded.

League Net - The Official Worldwide Forum for Trainers!

Profiles → William (*)

Official Profile -

Full Name: William (*)

Preferred Name:

Age: 7

Registered Town of Origin: Private

Currently Registered Pokémon: 2

Confirmed Team Members:

SYSTEM NOTE  - Submissions on hold by League Net admins at the request of Professor Juniper.

Verified W/L/T Ratio: 1/0/0

Badges: 0

Click  here  for more detailed stats.

Profile Bio:

SYSTEM NOTE  - This Trainer has not filled out their bio as a part of their first-time login process.

Records of Note -

SYSTEM NOTE  - No records at this time for the user.

Unfortunately, even with Professor Juniper sanitizing as much of William’s profile as she could, especially his current team, the same couldn’t be said about his picture. The picture that was tied to William’s Trainer ID was at the top of the page, which they had taken when Charon was getting looked at by Juniper. A seed of worry started to fester in Lena’s mind about him being recognized more and more as time went on… more eyes, and more attention on one kid.

‘As much as I loathe to admit it, that shouldn’t be a problem if William doesn’t release Charon out in public more than he already did… and to make sure we keep the cover story straight.’

“Are… you okay?”

‘Speak of the Delvil...'

As if her stray thoughts summoned him, William’s sudden voice made Lena snap her head up. His eyebrows, pinched in concern, complemented the faded bags under his eyes, indicating he too had similarly little rest last night. Ronin was sitting in the hoodie of William’s sweatshirt, half-asleep and still trying to blink away the morning grogginess. Behind him, Charon stood at full height, staring at the passing Trainers with their Pokémon, most of them staring in wonder at the monstrously tall Typhlosion in the lobby.

It was almost as if the twin dragons were mocking her.

Ignoring that for now, Lena closed her Styler and turned to him. “Yeah, I’m doing alright, why do you ask?”

William stared at her for a moment with the same expression, before he let it fall, shaking his head with a frown. “Nevermind, sorry… Rina and Arthur are still being looked at?” He questioned, glancing at the desk with a guilty expression.

“Yes, but this is normal. I requested them to go through a full look overnight to be safe. They'll finish up soon and bring them out.” Lena said in an attempt to placate William.

“Mm…” William sat down on the couch in front of Lena, then shifted his backpack around and started to rummage through it. “While we’re here… anything else we should get? Any other food, traveling supplies…?” 

“Hmm… I think we should have everything, and if not, worst case we can forage for berries. Route 2 isn’t more than a day or two of travel to Straiton City and our supplies should cover that...” Lena trailed off for a second or two in thought. “That reminds me… what’s your long-term plan? After Straiton City, I mean.” Lena asked.

William’s arm froze halfway into his bag for a moment. “Well, the whole reason I’m getting Gym Badges is for the League, right? I figured they would appreciate it if I did them in the standard order….”

“‘Standard order’? What do you mean by that?” Lena questioned in confusion.

“The order in the badge container. First is Aspertia, then Virbank, Castelia, Nimbasa, Driftveil, Mistrailton, Icirri— wait, no Icirrus closed, uhhh…”

“Opelucid, then Humilau.” Lena supplied, connecting what he was going for in her head.

“Right, thank you. I’m still not sure if I’m going to go get them all, but… doing them in that order also means that we wouldn’t have to go backwards across the whole region later if we started with Castelia. So I was thinking of taking the subway in Striaton to Aspertia then going from there.”

“I... suppose that’s a fair point about backtracking, but I still think you should at least start at Castelia, since it’s on the way there and you can take the subway back to Nimbasa directly.”

“Yeah, maybe…”

Lena started to run through the Types of the Gym Leaders in the ‘Standard Order’... a faint amused feeling rising up in her as she pieced together William’s plan. “Feel like the standard Gym Order gives you the best chance with Charon?”

William’s face scrunched in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Normal, Poison… Bug… all of those are either completely ineffective, or weak to Fire and Ghost Types. Thinking of being cheeky?”

At Lena’s teasing tone, William frowned and shook his head. “I… wasn’t even thinking of using Charon unless I had to. I think we both know the League would… be less than thrilled if I did that.”

Lena looked a bit stunned for a minute. “No…? You yourself said that the Gym Badges are for the League, and I think they would actually prefer if you use Charon in battle. Shoot, I would expect the Leaders to deviate from standard procedure and bring a Pokémon from a higher badge group just for Charon. If you really wanted to make things easy on yourself, doing the ‘easy’ gyms first would give you time to prepare Ronin or whatever other Pokémon you bring along.” 

Before William had time to respond, a voice behind them piped up. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but are you Trainer Lena?” The nurse had a tray with a Dive and Great Ball resting on top.

Lena felt her shoulders relax and release some tension she didn’t know she consciously had. “Yes, that’s me, thank you… how was Arthur?”

The nurse glanced at Charon and William briefly, before looking back at Lena. “Well, honestly, we're impressed with the field triage done. That helped most concerns we would have had. However, we recommend applying a constant paste of Rawst Cream for a day, or adding Rawst Berries into his diet instead, if he prefers.”

With another side eye to the only Fire Type in the lobby, she continued. “On top of that, limiting his battles to avoid Pokémon with Fire Type Moves for the day will help. Here is a full list of documentation about this visit as well.”

“Got it. Thank you so much for everything.” Lena said with a polite nod of her head as she took the paper from the nurse and slid it into her bag before reaching for her partner’s Poké Balls. As soon as she grabbed them, they shook in her grasp, Arthur’s excitement slipping through via his aura. The familiar feeling made Lena smile, she missed them too.

She didn’t hesitate and pressed the front buttons. In two flashes, both capsules popped and the Lucario and Floatzel took shape next to the Ranger. As she looked over them, Rina looked better than expected, with only some barely noticeable patches of fur that were cut or textured carefully to remove any traces of Electric Type damage. Arthur’s fur, however, was noticeably thinner than before, with scattered discolored splotches.

“Good morning Lena, I hope you slept well. Both of us are fully recovered from yesterday.” Arthur said with a nod. 

“Floatzzeeeel… Floatzel-atZel.” (You only say that because you want a chance to fight Charon again.) She retorted, the smirk on her face growing with every word.

“It’s not wrong to want to grow stronger with a defeat.” Arthur said plainly, both Rina and Lena chuckling in response. 

William stood up from where he was sitting and approached the three. Charon walked behind him while carrying Ronin in his arms, who looked a tad warily at the two new Pokémon, or more specifically Rina.

The sight of the other Water Type made Rina perk up even more somehow, turning to Lena. “Float-zel? Floatzel-zel?” (Did Professor Juniper give William a Starter? Is he coming with?)

Lena laughed at her reaction and nodded, making a motion to William to introduce the new team member. William looked a bit surprised at being put on the spot, but quickly caught on and looked to the Oshawott. “T-This is Ronin, he decided to join us after the match.” He said quietly as Ronin looked at Rina. “Sha-wott.” (Hello… I’m Ronin.)

Rina practically had stars in her eyes as she looked at Ronin, clasping her hands as her tail started waving giddily. “Float-Zelzel- Floatzelll!” (Hello, Ronin! I’m Rina the Floatzel! Are you able to use any Water Moves yet?)

Ronin’s expression shifted, becoming less cautious as he shook his head. “Oshawaaatt. Osha-Shawott.” (Not… not yet, that is what we planned to practice today.)

Before Rina could offer to show the Water Type some Moves in the lobby, Lena interjected, still smiling. “If you want to show him some advice later, I’d recommend it once we’ve made some time today… I’ll release you both at the first rest point on the Route.”

Rina deflated like a balloon in disappointment, but understood, giving a nod. “Floatzeeel… Floatzel-float.” (Alright, but I’m holding you to that!)

“Calm yourself Rina, you’ll have more than enough chances to help train young William’s team… or fight them.” Arthur said with a twitch of his paw, Lena rolling her eyes with a smile at both of her partners' antics.

“Battle junkies looking for an adrenaline high, the both of you… I’ll see you both in a bit. Return for now.” Lena said as she rose both the Dive and Great Ball at them, the beam reaching them just as Rina shot Arthur a look that said ‘look who’s talking!’ before they both vanished in a flash of light. She shrank the balls before placing them onto her belt, stretching for a moment as she grabbed her Silph Co. bag and put her arms through the straps.

“Well, we should probably head out… you may want to return Charon, at least until we’re on the route… lest we get more eyes on us.” Lena said carefully, glancing at William’s and Charon’s expressions as she said it.

William noticeably frowned, but didn’t verbally protest as Lena watched him grab one of the minimized Poké Balls from his belt. He clicked the button in… except it didn’t expand to its full size. A soft curse slipped from his lips as he pressed it longer this time, finally making it expand suddenly. He was surprised by the sudden motion and nearly dropped the capsule and had to catch it with both hands.

“Damn—physics-defying—” Lena felt her eyebrows raise again, a twinge of amusement at hearing the swear from William, which shifted to concern then watching him struggle with the Poké Ball. Charon above them let out an inaudible grumble, gently placing Ronin back into William’s hoodie as he did so.

William glared at the Poké Ball for a moment before aiming it at Charon, pressing the middle button again this time. However, instead of the return beam beaming out, it opened suddenly, swinging back and hitting William on his wrist.

Another quiet curse left him as he yelped and dropped the Poké Ball… only for it to spin backwards and fly back towards William’s hand. Thankfully catching it, William backed up and attempted to aim it again… except his finger traced across the middle button, shrinking it once again from the contact. He swore again, this time a bit louder.

‘Wow, he really does swear like Drake…’ Lena's mix of amusement, and concern grew more by the second as she watched him… realizing that no one must have shown him how Poké Balls work, or never held one in his hand.

“Touch-activated bull—” He hissed to himself before he expanded the Poké Ball again. He only sighed this time instead of trying to use the return beam, defeated, as he lifted it up to Charon.

The Typhlosion rolled his eyes, letting out a small series of grumbles that Lena felt like was a complaint from just the tone alone. Though he pressed the button in the middle afterwards, his body suddenly turned red, vanishing in a flash into the capsule.

William stared at the Poké Ball for a moment, Lena watching him silently stare daggers at the ball as he pressed the front button one more time. Thankfully, it shrunk without issue, and William placed the Poké Ball back onto his belt, albeit with a noticeable hesitation.

“Are… you okay?” Lena asked, returning the question back he asked her.

He grumbled for a moment under his breath, Lena could only decipher “...damn balls don’t make any sense...” before he shook his head and looked back up at her.

“Yeah, just tired. We better get going before we burn more daylight though…”

It was an obvious, clear deflection, but Lena just nodded, humming to herself and giving William the best smile and nod she could. She then tilted her head to the door, starting to walk out with William following close behind.

She could press at it later while on Route 2. They had a couple hours of walking anyway to get through.

If Route 2’s terrain could be described in a few words, it would be pastoral, yet heavily traveled. There was a clear path that over the years Trainers going through had followed clearly. The sun beamed down from above, with the trees and foliage along the path providing a nice shade for both Trainers and Pokémon. With it being early in the season as well, they had seen no other Trainers on the pathway themselves. 

…That said, Lena had seen a scant few wild Pokémon in the last few hours.

While most wild Pokémon on Routes such as this understood that most Trainers had no ill intentions, it was still a tad surprising that not one Pokémon, not even a bold Liepard or Purrloin, had even stood in their path.

Lena had her… suspicions, however. Lena reasoned Charon had been in the area for so long that the local Pokémon could still sense his presence and knew to stay away. A part of her wondered if such dynamics were healthy for the route’s micro-ecosystem, but she supposed it would correct itself in time given that William and Charon would be leaving. 

Charon was currently engaged in controlling two floating, purplish-red will-o-wisps as Ronin was trying to dodge them. His collar gently waved in the faint breeze as they all walked, but didn’t glow with any real intensity.

Ronin carefully avoided the first wisp with a quick shift in either direction. At the same time, he would cautiously look at the second one that drifted close at the same time. It was a careful dance he was performing between the two, stamina-draining movements, mixed with spatial awareness.

William watched with a furrowed brow silent and lost in thought, and occasionally flicked his eyes towards Charon. Lena couldn’t help but stare in fascination. While William may have been ahead of the curve for most things, this type of training seemed… specialized.

“So, where did you get this idea?”

William blinked his eyes rapidly, as if losing concentration as he glanced at Lena. “Charon’s old Trainer.”

She had suspected that Charon had a Trainer beforehand — it was obvious from his ‘Agile’ moves and attacking style in the battle yesterday — but William saying it so bluntly threw Lena for a loop. “...What?”

William’s voice came out quieter as he elaborated. “Charon’s old Trainer. He… had one before me, but… he… isn’t gonna want to open up about it though. Not yet, at least….”

Lena took the hint and nodded briefly in response, but glanced at the old Typhlosion with a new understanding….

It was natural for certain Types to outlive their Trainers, especially with Dragon, Steel, Rock, or Ground Types. Ghost Types, though, always seemed to… ‘move on’ around the same time as their Trainers. Some experts thought they went to guide their former Trainer through to the afterlife, or to reunite with them again.

Lena’s chest tightened for Charon, and a faint pity echoed within. ‘What made you want to stay behind…?’

She ignored that thought, it wasn’t her place to interject. Instead, she tried to divert the conversation to the training itself. “So… explain to me what the training here is for?”

William frowned, looking uncertain. “It’s… endurance training, mostly. And a bit of instinctual training to be aware of your surroundings without needing calls from a Trainer to dodge.”

The method was sound, and from what Lena could observe, it was playing into Ronin’s already naturally more defensively inclined style. Why was he being so hesitant about it?

“Do you feel different?” Lena asked, watching as Ronin barely caught himself from heading face-first into a flame, spinning his body around it to avoid touching it.

William held his frown, shaking his head. “No, I don’t think it’s wrong… I just…” He sighed into a groan in clear frustration. “I don't know what I’m doing, or… really anything about training, and it’s not like other Trainers want to give their ‘trade secrets’ away online.”

Lena instinctively scowled at that mindset. The idea that “Elite” Trainers had exclusive top-secret rights to all their information and knowledge spat in the face of everything that Oak and Laventon worked for all those years.

‘Instead, let new Trainers reinvent the wheel every damn time, with all the blood, sweat, tears, and pain that comes with it. Sure, that sounds much better.’ Lena sarcastically thought to herself, before glancing down at William who had gone back to watching Ronin with a careful gaze. His eyes followed each of his moments, but also kept a close eye on the flames Ronin sidestepped one, but too far as the other one circled in—

Like a light switch, the pale ember went out with a puff of smoke half an inch before it could touch Ronin, the Oshawott faltering in his steps for a moment. He caught himself before he fell to the ground, panting from the drawn-out workout.

Charon rumbled lowly to the Water Type as William stopped to look Ronin over. Even with his fur being nearly waterproof, sweat glided across and looked to stick to it, and his breathing showed he was winded. No burns or injuries though, a testament to Charon’s fine control… when not confused.

After looking Ronin over and seeing nothing of note besides the exertion from training, William glanced up at the sun in the sky which hovered somewhere a bit after high noon. “Might be best to stop for a break for food now… how far are we into the Route?” He asked Lena, who flipped open her Fine Styler and pulled up the map feature…

They had made… surprisingly good time, all things considered. If they hustled, they might make it to Striaton City before nightfall. But she had promised to let Rina and Arthur out to stretch and eat… and maybe it would be a good opportunity to let William relax a bit more around her… hopefully.

“We’re pretty far along, so I’d say that now’s a good time for a rest stop. Let’s find a clearing away from the main path.” Lena stated.

William nodded at her assessment, before focusing on Ronin again. “We’re gonna take a break, but if you want to continue after we eat, let me or Charon know.” He said softly, the Water Type staring up at the young boy before nodding. William moved his hands forward and gently picked Ronin up from under his arms, before carefully shifting to put him in his sweatshirt. Ronin carefully gripped onto William’s shoulders to stabilize himself, but otherwise looked comfortable. The sight was rather cute. 

William turned to the Typhlosion and muttered something quietly. Charon rumbled shortly after and nodded, heading forward off the main path with William following behind closely. The Top Ranger was a bit confused until William turned back with a faint look of realization, quickly explaining. “Ah — sorry, Charon’s been on Route 2 for so long that he knows all the spots away from the public eye. So it would be unlikely that other Trainers will wander in, hopefully at least...”

‘Ah, well I won’t say no to that I suppose…’ Lena thought to herself before nodding to William, and started following close behind William as they pushed off route for a break…

Charon eventually brought them to a cozy little area with trees and bushes stretching high into the sky making plenty of shade. Lena had brought out Rina and Arthur for lunch, which was a standard mix of Oran and Leppa Berries, though Arthur had a few extra Rawst Berries thrown in.

William followed along, and cut slices of the berries up for Ronin, but put helpings of berries into a bowl for Charon. Lena noted that Typhlosion ate his berries one at a time after toasting them gently.

Their Pokémon were all eating together, and Rina was sitting next to Ronin talking to him with an excited tone.

“FLoatZeeel. Floatzel” (So, you’ve been working on your movement while walking? What about any moves yet?)

“Shawoott… wott-osha…” (Not yet. Charon wanted to build up how I move first…)

“Typhlosion-Phlosion.” (Movement and positioning are a keystone to battling… plus, I figured you’d enjoy most showing a young Water Type what a real Aqua Jet looks like.) 

The old Typhlosion interjected for a moment, before pausing and stretching out for a moment as he forced his muscles to tense before decompressing while he ate.

“FLoatzel. Floatzel-oatzel…” (Aw, well, your friend Rina is more than happy to show you the ropes! This Fire Type wouldn’t know the first things about a Water Move anyways.)

“Typhlosion. Phlo.” (He knows enough about shocking them.)

Rina laughed at that, conceding the point, and shifted to nudge Arthur gently with her elbow. “FLoooatzel. Float-Zel-Float?” (Well, we’ll just have to make sure that Ronin can keep you in check then old man, won’t we Arthur?)

Arthur bit down on an Oran Berry as he nodded slightly. “It is our responsibility to help guide those younger than us down the right path… even if that path we push them down includes the ability to beat an old man.”

Charon simply chuckled at that, and the ghost of a mischievous smirk formed for just a moment before he resumed eating. Ronin, for his part, was completely unperturbed by the idea of being able to take on Charon one day.

Pulling her attention away from the conversation, Lena decided to make herself two basic Pecha Berry and Oran sandwiches. Meanwhile, William only made himself a single cheese sandwich and was drinking his bottle of water.

“Not… gonna have anything else?” Lena pressed gently with a raised eyebrow. William just shook his head slightly while taking a sip of his water bottle.

“Not that hungry. I had breakfast, so that’ll keep me going until dinner.” He deflected as he stared into the forest with a gaze that looked outwards for miles…. The bags under his eyes seemed to grow heavier with every passing moment.

“You’re… worried about Zinzolin, I’m guessing? Didn’t sleep because of it?” She asked softly.

William flinched as he ate, but recovered quickly. “I mean, who wouldn’t be worried about a terrorist escaping.” He sighed. His eyes darted between Charon and Ronin, the latter listening intently to Rina’s teachings.

Lena tilted her head to concede the point. He wasn’t wrong about his worries, given everything that had happened… especially since they did have a much younger Pokémon in their group.

‘I know he’s smarter than he looks, but he’s just a kid, right? Do I lie to him and tell him that bad guys always lose and the good guys always win, or will he think I’m patronizing him?’

For now, she glanced back at him and tried to give a reassuring smile. “It’ll be alright. 

With almost all of Unova on high alert, he’ll be found eventually, and they’d be even dumber to go anywhere near a Top Ranger. The chances of us encountering him are close to nil.” Lena said with a confident tone, though it didn’t look to convince William as turned to her, leaned in a bit, and raised his left eyebrow to a comical degree.

“I thought you were in disguise…?”

“Uhh… no comment…?”

The incredulously raised eyebrow was all the response William gave for a moment, before he shook his head and focused his attention back forward. “Never know what’ll happen sometimes…” Was all he cryptically muttered before he finished his sandwich and washed it down with more water. Lena stared at him with a faltering smile before sighing and leaning back. 

Her mind briefly traveled back to the day of the Pokémon League siege before she felt Arthur’s aura gently nudge her, thankfully snapping her train of thought in half.

“Don’t let young William’s anxieties rouse yours as well. It'll be okay. We’re stronger than before and we continue to get stronger each day. Rina and I will do everything to protect you.” Arthur reassured Lena as he bit into a Rawst Berry. Lena smiled and shot a glance towards him and Rina… who had actually stood up and was now standing a few feet away from everyone with Ronin as well.

Rina spoke to the young Water Type with an instructor-like tone…. Sadly, the full intricacies were lost on her because of the distance they were away.

Ronin stood back as Rina charged forward in repeated motions. It was a lot slower than normal, but Lena could still identify it as an Aqua Jet by the distinctive buildup of Water Type Energy. It started around her mouth, swirling around her before condensing the energy into a fine stream and releasing it like a high-pressure water cutter behind her, sending her shooting to the other side of the clearing. Dust and dirt rose as she planted her feet down to catch her before sliding off into the surrounding forest.

Ronin looked up with wide, almost shining eyes. Lena watched the entire display with an amused look.

“Man, she was really excited to show him, huh?” She said with a light chuckle, turning to William who was watching with a curious expression adorned on his face…

“Yeah… I guess… I thought… hmm…” He looked lost in thought for a minute before turning his Xtransceiver on… only to immediately throw his head back and groan loudly.  “Software updates… should have expected this…”

Lena laughed heartily. “Oh, that’s something no one can escape, not even Rangers. Every time there was a new update in Almia, we had to sit there and wait for it to download from an Operator before continuing on our patrol. Technology and its updates are always at the most inconvenient time.”

William glanced over at Lena amusedly, laughing under his breath at some untold joke or something he wasn’t saying. Lena noticed his shoulders relax a little as he watched Rina and Ronin. The Floatzel was sitting down now, holding her palm out as Ronin gently placed his flipper on as Rina’s entire body glistened with water, the Oshawott focusing on the water bubble slowly forming from nothing…

“Is… Rina showing him how Water Type Energy feels?”

Lena nodded, impressed by his observation skills. “Right on the money there. A good way for younger Pokémon to get the feel for more Type Energy is to… ‘feel’ it themselves. Since Ronin is so young, he can probably spit water but not use something akin to a Water Gun yet….” Lena paused for a minute in thought. “…Actually, what moves does Ronin know?”

William responded so quickly that Lena figured it had to be his memory. “Tackle and Tail Whip… Water Gun is usually learned early on by Oshawott from what I know, but….” With a frown, William sighed and shook his head. “Nevermind, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, I guess… one sec, sorry.”

Getting up from where he was sitting, William started stretching for a moment before walking over to Charon who was watching Rina and Ronin. The Typhlosion turned to his ward for a moment before turning back to the two Water Types. The Trainer and the Ghost Flame Pokémon having a silent conversation among themselves with slight glances at each other now and then.

This allowed Arthur to move next to Lena, having finished his meal and having his own silent conversation with her as well through aura. ‘It is good to see that Rina is enjoying tutoring another Water Type… perhaps I shall teach Ronin about proper fighting stances once he evolves into a Dewott.’

‘Don’t want Rina to have all the fun, huh?’ Lena shot back with a raised eyebrow and smile, but nodded in agreement at the idea. ‘I think that would be a good choice… we don’t know if William is gonna catch any Pokémon from how he phrased his answer to Iris… or if he even has a natural affinity for any type.’

At this, Lena frowned again and fixated her gaze on William as her thoughts turned back to what she had seen back in the forest. How William’s aura was so… small and dim, and could almost be described as dying out.

She had seen the aura of those who were close to the end throughout her time as a Ranger, but even they had identifying traits and aspects of themselves that made up the aura, that defined who, and what they are.

William had none of that.

As if sensing what Lena wanted to do, Arthur gently placed a softly glowing blue and white paw on her shoulder as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her vision turned blue and black and as before, she could see and feel the aura of the Pokémon and those around her, Arthur’s burning spirit acting as a familiar anchor.

Lena looked to the Floatzel, Rina’s flowing waterway from before felt… almost gentler as she showed Ronin how to use Water Type Energy. Meanwhile, the young Oshawott’s aura was akin to a spatter of rain from above, with no clear direction or form… still being defined.

She turned her focus away from that for now, focusing instead on the Typhlosion and young Trainer side by side. Looking at Charon’s aura, it was honestly mesmerizing; a burning hot core within, ready to explode at a moment's notice. Yet, clearly tempered by age and experience, surrounded by ghostly purple flames that filled the rest of his being. It was both warm, almost inviting, and yet foreboding… a warning of what lay underneath if he erupts.

‘Well, we got a preview of that with Overheat yesterday.’ Lena thought for a moment, feeling Arthur wince physically and emotionally through their aura link at the memory of the move.

‘Charon’s Overheat… I… wouldn’t want to be hit by such an attack again so soon.’ Arthur murmured through the link, Lena mentally wincing in sympathy before glancing at William…

His aura was still as dim as it was the day before, a dark, compressed mass of aura that still had no defining traits. However, there was something surrounding his being now, almost like a film of ghostly wavering energy.

‘So Charon is connected to him somehow, which is how he can understand everyone like with me and Arthur… but it’s not aura alone, or else it would be tethered directly to the core of his aura… it’s something else… a workaround because of his aura? Or…’

The sight puzzled Lena, but she sighed and opened her eyes. She didn’t have enough personal experience with Ghost Types to put that together right now. Arthur also removed his paw with a concerned expression on his face… but Lena said nothing as she ruminated on her thoughts.

She didn’t miss how Charon shot her and Arthur a slight narrowing of his eyes for a moment before turning back to Rina and Ronin.

‘Ah… I hope that doesn’t come back to bite us.’ Lena winced, but sighed and stood up for a moment, stretching herself and glancing at the sky… they had spent long enough resting, might as well head out until nightfall…

William noticed her standing up and turned to face her slightly. “Time to head out?”

“Yeah, let’s clean up real quick. We can get further along Route 2 today, but will probably need to camp out.”

William nodded and hummed, already moving to clean up their rest spot with the Ranger. Lena couldn’t help but glance at William as she did so, her thoughts still attempting to piece together the puzzle that was this kid.

The rest of the hike was rather uneventful, allowing Lena to breathe a little and take in the nature of the area. The few passersby on Route 2 seemed more concerned with their own business than William or Lena’s; the most they got was a wave or a quick hello.

Rina and Arthur had taken up walking alongside Lena, with Rina talking about water type energy manipulation with Ronin who was still adorably cuddled in William’s hoodie. William had reluctantly returned Charon as they started to pass more and more people.

Nightfall approached before long. After a bit of searching next to the main route, the Ranger found a location of what she assumed was a previous campsite because of the presence of a smoldered, makeshift fire pit. The evergreen trees provided a good deal of privacy, the foliage was thick enough that no one could check in without purposefully navigating to where they were.

The firepit looked well maintained, the rocks around it carefully set up to keep fire and kindling inside, suggesting a regular level of maintenance by passing or previous Trainers. On top of that, two hollowed-out logs surrounded the fire which would be perfect for her and William.

Before they could relax though, they did still have a small bit of setup to go through…

William released Charon once they finally decided to use the spot, and went to set up their tent on their side. Meanwhile, Lena and her team worked like a well-oiled machine as they got the outside of the tent set up in less than half of the time it took William to get the tent out of its packaging.

After setting up the inside of her own tent, she started to prep the site, spraying a careful amount of Max Repel around the site for when they sleep… careful not to apply too much as to make their own Pokémon uncomfortable…

As she did this, she glanced over to see if William needed help. However, she was amused to see Ronin gently wet a spot on the ground with a gentle trickle of water, before William hammered in the stake.

Charon was looking at the instructions to set up the tent in one hand, while keeping the structure of the tent straight enough for William to pound the stakes in with his other hand due to his height. He was grumbling under his breath, which prompted William’s face to scrunch up as if eating a raw Rowap Berry.

“There’s nothing wrong with using a tent, Charon. Good shelter for camping is a safety thing.”

“Typhlloosion… Plosion-Typh.” (We didn’t even have tents in Hisui, kid. You slept on the ground and if the wild Pokémon didn’t kill ya, your back certainly did. Made the kids stronger. We was better fo’ it then.) The Fire Ghost Type muttered as he stared at one stake as he held the tent straight.

“Right, and now you can have a nice, plush, padded bed for your creaky, crunchy, old man back when we're camping. Meanwhile I get to be the one attacked by Pokémon in my sleep by your obnoxiously loud snoring and constant blanket thievery. Tell me who’s stronger now, eh?” William clapped back. Rina and Lena howled in laughter on the other side of camp, and Arthur was struggling to maintain his composure.

“...Phlsion. Typhlosion.” (...Fine, I’ll try to not yank the blanket too much, but you’re gonna experience back pain soon enough kid if Ronin keeps hanging from your hoodie.) Charon bit back, the realization enough to make William pause mid-swing as if realizing it for himself.

The Typhlosion snorted slightly at his face before leaning down and shoving the stake into the ground without it being dampened by Ronin, William glanced at the display and rolled his eyes, but stood up as he hammered the last stake in on his side.

Lena gave the tent a quick appraisal as she finished using the can of Max Repel, nodding in approval. It wasn’t perfect, slightly crooked by one or two inches, but it was still a damn fine job.

Especially for someone who apparently last camped out with their family years ago, even younger than he was now if his comments were anything to be believed.

She chose to push that aside, she wasn’t gonna look a gift Blitzle in the mouth. “Nice job, I’ll finish spraying this and then we can sit down to eat… anything in particular you’d like?”

William was surprised by the offer, but stopped as he thought for a moment… “I mean… I’m not sure what would be food-safe for an Oshawott… I’ll need to check that.” William muttered as he started to pull out his Pokédex, navigating to the entry on Oshawott as Lena thought for a quick moment.

“Well, Rina’s diet is gonna be close to identical because of their habitats; so any food I have would be good for them, just look for any restrictions in that section.” Lena said, her mind going back to her habitat and wildlife classes back at school, and then in even finer detail at the Ranger School.

“Oh — uh… t-thank you.” William’s voice dropped an octave from his surprise, and gratefulness… but Lena turned around and shot him a sudden smirk.

“Doesn’t mean I’m cooking it. You’re gonna be learning how to cook through this as well.” She tried to tease, but the look of sudden concern on William’s face created a faint feeling of… nervousness in her.

“...We… better use my cooking ware then.” William said cryptically as he opened up his bag and started to pull out utensils…

“You burnt your pasta somehow.”

“Well, at least I used my own cookware, right?”

“You burnt pasta. In water.”

“At least it was my helping of food and not anyone else's!”

“Clare said you made your own food!”

“Yes, I made sandwiches, and frozen food that you just pull out from the oven or microwave.”

‘Twin Dragons, strike me down.’ Was Lena’s thought as she placed her face in her palms, her shoulder shaking in incredulous, disbelieving laughter at the sheer ridiculousness. She pulled away after a moment, shaking her head and looking at William who was eating a helping of pasta with Pomeg sauce to help mask the slightly burnt taste.

“I’ve eaten worse before, don’t worry.” He tried to assuage.

Lena could only stare at him before sighing, glancing to the side where Rina was using Scald on the pots and cookware like a pressure washer, with Ronin watching intently next to her. Arthur scrubbed them clean as well with a sponge, but she couldn’t help but overhear something from him directed to Charon. The Typhlosion was drying off everything handed to him before placing them onto a towel to be stored back into their bags later.

“You shouldn’t light your Trainer’s food on fire when he isn’t looking.”

“Typhlosion. Typh.” (Kid needs to learn how to cook; a sandwich is not dinner. He doesn’t have to be Beni, but pasta is too basic. He needs to learn more complex foods.)

‘I mean, there’s a lot of different ways to make a sandwich. Those Paldeans can get pretty creative with them right?’ Lucario countered.

“Typh…. Lolosion-Typhlosion-Phlo-Tyyyyph.” (Whippersnapper’s idea of a “sandwich” is putting two pieces of cold cheese in between some white bread. Doesn't even bother to grill it with butter most times. Sinnoh Almighty as my witness, I’ll go back to eating hardtack rations infested with Nymbles if I eat another fucking sandwich any time soon.)

William looked a bit hurt by that one.

‘Well… I… guess that’s one way to push him to expand his horizons.’ Lena mused with a sigh…. Best to leave that be for now.

Besides, the sandwich he ate for lunch must have not filled him up, as he was practically inhaling the almost-inedible Flamethrower-roasted pasta. He finished eating within a few minutes, finishing up and going to help with the dishes…. Most of them were already cleaned by the time he got there, but he still helped with what he could.

After that was taken care of… there was a very noticeable lull in any conversation. The night seemed to creep on slowly to Lena, as William sat across on the other log, seeming to play a game with Ronin on his Pokédex where he had the little Sea Otter guess a Pokémon’s Type from their picture. Little guy was surprisingly good at it, but he tripped up with the Goomy family and thought they were Poison Types.

Ronin eventually got sleepy and retreated into William’s tent. Arthur and Rina returned to their balls for the night as well, either sensing or figuring out that their partner would be up for a bit.

This left only Lena, Charon, and William around the fire, with the Ranger gently poking it with a stick to shift firewood around to make sure it was healthy.

Lena could only sigh… he was relaxing a little around her… she thinks, but not enough to let her through whatever walls he had put up.

William was still busy fiddling with his Pokédex, his fingers tapping away at the slide-out keyboard… the yellow of its casing made Lena look him over again. His hoodie and backpack were almost all mono-yellow, except for the periwinkle Poké Ball design on the hoodie section.

It was clear he had some affinity for the color, but she knew so little about him that even that detail felt… superficial.

‘Alright, that’s it, I have to ask. Getting too quiet anyways…’

“So… yellow is your favorite color, I’m guessing?” She less asked, and more stated with a glance up at William, hoping it would attempt to prompt any noticeable response from him.

William paused from scrolling through the Pokédex and looked at her, just nodding while looking a bit surprised by the question. “Uhhh… y-yeah. I like yellow, it’s my favorite color…”

Lena was about to comment on her own favorite color, before she remembered the Silph Co. Bag he had selected, with the iconography of a Pikachu’s tail on the back of it. If she squinted as well, she noticed it was on his shoes as well, though not as noticeable in the dark at the time mixed with the dark shading of the shoes. “Is that because Pikachu is your favorite Pokémon?”

At this, William fell silent for a moment to think… looking off into the woods for a moment with a faraway look in his eyes. It was enough to prompt Charon to rumble softly suddenly at him, snapping him from his thoughts. “A-Ah, well… that’s one part but…”

William leaned back slightly after putting his Pokédex back into his pocket, his hands moving to the log he was sitting on as he spoke. “My… I went to my grandmother’s house a lot when I was young… er, younger. Mom and Dad had jobs, and it wasn’t safe to leave a child alone, you know how it is.”

A couple of years ago, this statement would have concerned Lena and many others about the living conditions a kid was in. Now though, after the siege by Team Plasma… she couldn’t help but horrifyingly find herself to agree with that statement slightly.

William didn't look to notice her thoughts on the matter from her expression as he continued. “Anyway Grandma, ah… she had this yellow jacket, not a sweatshirt but… a soft, comfortable jacket. I always associated going out with her to the library or… wherever with her and that jacket. Felt… safe, I guess, nostalgic.”

A very long and very uncomfortable silence followed with William’s face looking almost crestfallen, his eyes drifting to the fire and stared at the flickering flames before Charon rumbled something softly. After a good minute or so, William finally gathered his resolve to speak again.

“Grandma…” William paused, as if uncertain about his words for a moment, clearly changing what he was going to say. “I kinda just leaned more into the color yellow as a result… I had other sweatshirts, but… yellow just felt right, so I think I just leaned more into that, even unconsciously. Pikachu is one of the most yellow Pokémon so…”

Charon moved over to wrap an arm around William in sudden comfort, a soft expression on the Fire Ghost Type as William leaned closer into him and took a deep breath. There was a weight in William’s eyes as he was clearly thinking back, reminiscing about life before.

“…Does Charon remind you of your grandparents?” Lena asked, her mind making a sudden connection at the sight of how Charon cared for William, and how William may have mentally… associated him after being separated from his family.

William appeared startled at the question as the old Typhlosion briefly looked towards William before bellowing out a hearty belly laugh, nearly falling over the log they were sitting on. He patted William on the back pretty roughly, making the boy double over a little before finally calming down.

“…Fuck. Is it really that obvious?”

William’s expression looked almost abashed as he said it. It made little sense to Lena as it was nothing to be embarrassed about in her opinion, especially considering everything that had happened. “What do you mean?”

William took a moment to gather his thoughts again, crossing his arms and thinking. “Well… I’m sure you’ve noticed how protective Charon can be of me.” He put on a bit of a pouty face, finally looking more like the child he really was. Charon suddenly started laughing again and pointing at him as if to say, “look at your face!”

William only raised his eyebrows in response to Charon, their expressions so visually contrasting that Lena couldn’t help but laugh herself. The entire atmosphere around the camp noticeably had changed, feeling lighter… less tense…

The young Trainer continued after a moment, turning back to Lena. “Well, when he first found me alone in the woods he started asking about who I was and… well… let’s just say who my grandfather on one side of the family would have been was not the best role model.”

William shrugged as if not completely agreeing with his own phrasing, but glanced back up at Charon for a moment before continuing. “Old man Typhlosion over here wanted to show him how to be a real Grandpa or something, I dunno. Eventually, I just gave in and started referring to him as my Grandpa.”

“Was that before or after you named him Charon?”

William thought for a moment with a hum before he answered definitively. “Before. I tried asking what Charon’s name was one day. Realized pretty quickly I could never pronounce it, but he explained it was the name of an old Onryō in Hisui. Something about a vengeful ghost?”

William shrugged, as if not off put by the idea of his grandpa figure being vengeful. “There’s a story back home about a guide for spirits who have to cross a river, and his name was Charon, so I went with that instead…. Makes sense for what Hisuian Typhlosions are said to do… and what Charon has, and is doing for me.”

While Charon’s old name could have prompted concern, William looked to reminisce instead with the expression that formed on his face. After a moment, it turned into something curious as he turned back to Lena. “So how did you come up with Arthur and Rina’s names?

“Well, Rina named herself after wanting something similar to my name, but…” Lena cracked up a bit as the memory came flooding back.

“…Arthur, back when he was a Riolu, was watching some really cheesy movie from Galar about this knight named Arthur and fell in love with it. If you really want to tease him, ask him about the flight speed of an unladen Trumbeak carrying an Exeggcute. Just be ready to get punched in the face!”

William’s face suddenly got very pale at the idea of that, but a smile still formed on his face to show he was amused equally by it. “Uh, I’ll… pass on asking him, but… an unladen Trumbeak is the equivalent here, huh…”

At this Lena remembered the comments by Clare about William’s home. “Oh, I guess if Pokémon weren’t common back home, they must have had a variation on it… on that note, what movies and shows have you seen?”

William frowned, tilting his back and forth as he thought about it. “I haven’t really watched a lot of movies, or shows in Unova… I guess you could call me uneducated in those matters. I just never… found the right time, I suppose.” A flash of something washed over his face, looking heavy, but it smoothed out just as quickly.

Lena snorted at the idea of William calling himself ‘uneducated’, her mind trailing back to the grades she had seen before… though, one sticking point prompted her to speak up.

“Hey, what is discrete math?”

William blinked at the topic change, befuddlement forming on his face. “Where did that come from?”

“Clare passed around your school grades during the meeting at the League to prove that you were a smart kid who could take care of yourself, and Iris leaned over to ask Shauntal what discrete math is. Except she did it way too loudly and everyone heard it. Apparently, they didn’t teach it in Shauntal’s Galarian courses.”

The two laughed a bit before William explained that it had something to do with sets of numbers and graphs and computers, or something. Lena didn’t understand any of it, but William clearly did.

The atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed than before… Lena smiled as she continued to tend to the fire with the stick she had. Each question asked, and the responses given slowly and slowly filling the empty picture frame that each of them had for each other still.

The warm glow of the fire was tapering off slightly as they talked, causing William to shoot a glance at Charon. “I’m sorry to ask, but can you keep the fire going longer…?”

Charon let out a snort, but his collar ignited as he walked over to the side and took a deep breath before letting a stream of flame breathe life into the slowly smoldering flame. It gave the campsite a comforting warmth as the flames of Charon grew a gentle purplish-red, embers flicking into the pale moonlit sky above.

Lena mused for a moment, smiling warmly at William as he watched Charon keep the fire alive. More and more pieces of the missing puzzle that was William were coming into focus… but it still wasn’t clear yet.

And that was okay for her.

‘You may not be fully opening up… but take your time. I can wait for you to open up at your own pace… I just hope I can be someone you can trust when you do.’

Chapter Text

Chapter 6 - The Trainer’s Eye

The early-morning sun above beamed down on Route 2, pleasantly shining down on Pokémon and humans alike. The cool temperatures and gentle breeze added to the ambiance and serenity. A textbook-perfect morning for traveling.

“So… when is Regulation C even used? It seems… too restrictive to use. I know that the battle with Juniper was at her request, so I can get that to eliminate any variables in the data she wanted to collect…”

‘Oh, right... I promised I’d go over battle regulations with him, didn’t I?’

Sighing lightly, she tore her eyes away from the trees along Route 2 down at the screen of her Fine Styler, flipping it back open to show the Unova Pokémon League Rulebook on both screens. William was next to her with his Xtransceiver scrolling through the same document, albeit with more difficulty because of the screen size. 

Lena thought for a moment through her memory to recall, quickly coming up with an answer. “It’s most common during certain special tournaments or events. Gym Battles, Elite Four, and Champion battles use B. And A is…”

“Common street battles, right…” William finished as she looked at him expectedly, but he was slightly frowning as he glanced back at the small screen on his wrist. “The size of this thing is gonna be the death of me…” He muttered as he carefully pinched it to zoom up to scroll up faster, and then zoomed back in. The slightest touch of his finger across the screen sent him scrolling back down, prompting a curse under his breath as he repeated the action.

Lena gave a sympathetic smile, grateful for her new Fine Styler that had much bigger screens and navigation controls. ‘I’d be in the same boat with my normal Capture Styler… only a button and directional pad to navigate? Only voice control to type? No thanks.’

Around them, their Pokémon were out for fresh air, as they thankfully hadn’t seen any travelers in a while. Charon stood a bit behind William and stared off into the distance through the trees and forest. He was holding Ronin as he did so, who was speaking to Rina who walked beside them both.

“Oshaaawott… Osha-wott-wott?” (Water is… pressure?)

“Float-Floatzeel… Zel-Float-Floatzel.” (You ever hear the phrase ‘go with the flow’? For Water Types, pressure is everything . Physical water moves are all about managing your Water energy into a consistent flow, but Special moves are all about building up Water energy and releasing it all at once.)

Arthur nodded and hummed in agreement with Rina's analogy. “ Indeed. When I use Water Pulse, it feels like a rush of water filling up my arm and hands, until I release the water forward. When I use Ice Punch, it feels… more akin to building it up, gathering it and adding instead of pushing… ”

“Zeeeeeel.” (Ice Moves are different, let’s not confuse him too much right now.”) Rina chastised.

“Oshawott? Osha?” (What about… Water from my body? That I don’t… release?) 

Lena diverted her attention from that conversation and turned back to William as he spoke up again. “What about scoring? I remember that Professor Juniper said ‘1-0’. Shouldn’t it have been 2-0? As Charon knocked out Rina and Arthur…?”

Lena shook her head slightly but understood where the confusion came from. “No, it’s scored based on how many Pokémon either side has remaining. For example, if someone had a team of… five, and I took out three, but they knocked out my full team of six, their score would be 2-0, and mine would be 0-2.” She clarified. 

William still seemed a bit confused. “Why would you score it like that though?”

Lena bit her lip. ‘Kid always asks the tough questions, doesn’t he.... How do I explain this nicely....’

“It’s a... holdover... from when battling was less... organized, if you understand my meaning....”

William looked at her for a minute before the light bulbs went off inside his head. “...When battles were about survival and not for sport. Right... um...”

The conversation quieted for a few minutes before William finally spoke up again.

“There was… one other thing I wanted to ask about…” William scrolled up slowly instead of doing his pinch-swipe-pinch method, stopping at a section as he squinted to read for a moment before speaking up again. “What’s… with the phrasing of ‘manual switches’? How is that defined?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like…” William paused for just a moment, raising his hand out as he visibly put together his sentence before speaking. “Moves like Roar force the opponent’s Pokémon to be returned, so that wouldn’t be a manual switch, right?”

Lena nodded, prompting him to continue. “So what about U-Turn? That’s a move a Trainer can call that attacks and then switches the user out. Would that be considered a manual switch since they chose to use it?”

“No, it’s... it’s more of just a property of the move itself.” Lena grunted in frustration for a minute. “It’s kind of hard to explain, admittedly. Moves can be weird like that.” She turned to William, who was looking away with his face hardened in thought, Klinklangs turning in his head.  “…You’d make a good lawyer, you know that? I don’t even think the League has thought about that before.” 

William turned back, with that small stunned look Lena had begun to pick up on whenever he was brought out of his thoughts suddenly. “Uh… I’ll pass. Too much paperwork. And I don’t have a suit.”

Lena laughed heartily. “True, paperwork sucks.” It was strange to Lena that William was so fixated on the rules when most Trainers wouldn’t even remember the first half of the book since the battle formats were so heavily standardized.

William turned his Xtransceiver off after that, seemingly satisfied with the review as he sighed and rubbed his neck. “I just hope that we don’t get too many battles on Routes, the idea of being too far…” 

Lena glanced at him as he trailed off, her mind filling in the blanks as to why he was so anxious about battles. The beginning of the review he focused on was practically only about when Pokémon could be returned, and penalties on the use of excessive force... “Too far from a Pokémon Center? It can be nerve-wracking the first couple of times, but that’s why there's one in almost every town… plus a Poké Ball’s stasis can help in dire situations.”

She knew it was because of the incident with Charon using Overheat… given the not-so-subtle glances William kept giving at both Arthur’s patchy, uneven fur, and the heat vents on Charon’s back.

She couldn’t stop herself from frowning as she thought back to when William had run forward to the field after Overheat had hit the Lucario. The panic in his movements was genuine, and how he applied the Burn Heal was stiff, but good even for a starting Trainer. It was good instincts, and he clearly had some experience with medical care, but he was going to get himself hurt if he ran up like that again.... 

“Yeah, without a Pokémon Center….” William murmured, but was clearly lost in his own thoughts to properly respond before he shook his head. “Doesn’t matter anyway… just gotta keep going and hope —”

“Heeey!”

A sudden voice from the side cut William off, the entire group turning to the right to look at the source. From what looked like a thinner path emerged what looked like an eleven or twelve-year-old to Lena from his age and voice. 

A Youngster Trainer. Someone with a limited Trainer license with permission from parents and teacher, limited only to the Routes surrounding their town, and certain Pokémon they can have in their team. He had a grin a mile wide and spoke with an excitement that made Lena’s head spin. “Man, I was wondering where everyone would be today! The Route felt almost empty!”

Lena gave a friendly smile and looked back and forth for a moment down the route as she thought about it. “Well, it’s early in the season. Give it a week and Route 2 will probably have a lot more Pokémon Trainers coming through.”

The kid snorted slightly. “Yeah, and they’ll all be a week behind everyone else. If I want to get ahead, I have to train now!”

He was so fired up that Lena practically could see the flame in his eyes alone before he calmed down and quickly introduced himself while pointing a thumb at his chest. “The name’s Carmen! I’ve just been going back and forth to prepare for my full license next year!”

“Nice to meet you Carmen, my name’s Lena, a —” A quick nudge from Arthur’s Aura quickly reminded Lena of what she was supposed to say, the jackal shooting her a discrete look as she nearly blurted out from muscle memory. “— volunteer right now.”

She turned to face William, who was staring at Carmen with the same mask Lena had seen on him before. The polite, ingenuine smile had found itself on his face as he looked at Carmen. “Hello, hope you’re doing well today Carmen. I’m William.”

The change in William’s posture was also noticeable, becoming straighter… stiffer. It was like all the work Lena had done to help him relax had come undone within a few short seconds. ‘ I hope it’s just because he’s being shy... or does he think something’s wrong because of the lie? ’

Carmen didn’t notice, or didn’t look to care about the awkwardness of William, simply grinning and looking at the Pokémon in their party. “You sure have a lot of strong Pokémon. Are they all yours?” He asked, turning to Lena, who had to shake her head.

“Only Lucario and Floatzel, their names are…” Carmen had already turned away from Lena, making her trail off. He was looking at the Hisuian Typhlosion with the Oshawott in his hands, his eyes trailing to William. He stared at him for a moment before realizing struck him and he pointed at him, enough to make William flinch back in surprise. 

“It’s you! You’re the one the gate attendants were complaining about!” He cried out with a sharp, almost accusatory tone at William. Lena quickly interjected and raised a hand to stop Carmen from speaking as William started to look uncomfortable. 

“Hold on, what do you mean complaining?”

“Well, I speak to the gate attendants a lot, because they have to check my Trainer Card to make sure my Youngster License hasn’t expired.” Carmen started, Lena following along and thinking back to when they passed the Accumula Gate to Route 2…

‘ Oh yeah, the guard there had given William a bit of a side eye… my own Ranger and Trainer ID had stopped questions, though. ’ She thought before barely wincing, seeing where this was going…

“They said that a little kid who is a smartass—”

“Hey, watch your language, kid!”

“—has been making them look bad. And they were relieved that he was finally moving on to bother other gate people, and had an Oshawott!” He said with a growing grin, eyes fixated on William, before he tilted his head with a questioning look. “They mentioned he was young, but I didn’t think he was a baby .”

William said nothing, holding his stiff smile and just gave a slightly helpless shrug. Charon was the one who actually looked unamused by the descriptor, and glanced at William who said nothing, but his eyelid did twitch faintly. 

Almost like a scene straight out of a movie, Carmen pulled out a Poké Ball from his belt and pointed it at Will, expanding it while having a grin. “You might be smart enough to avoid the gate, but when Trainer’s eyes meet, they must battle! I challenge you and your Oshawott!” 

‘Ah yes, the ‘Trainer’s eye’.’ Lena mused as a reminiscing smile formed as she remembered her own younger days. It had absolutely no legal bearing and held the same weight as being ‘double-dared’ to do something on school grounds. Kids and younger Trainers still used it as a declaration to start a battle, even if no one could force you to battle.

‘Being dared to do something, though? Oooh, you better do it then.’ The thought had a teasing tone, and Lena couldn’t help but chuckle despite herself. She had to admit that she entertained the idea of passing Trainers while on patrol on a Route. With a lot of Regional culture being so ingrained in battles, it was an almost… unspoken joke about what happens when two Trainer’s eyes meet. 

William stared at the Poké Ball for a moment before looking back at Charon and Ronin with a raised eyebrow. A brief, silent conversation happening between the three with no one else's input. Lena almost felt bad for Carmen, who was standing there awkwardly in silence as that happened, glancing at Lena with a brief look of confusion.

Whatever they silently spoke about didn’t take long, with William turning to him with a faux, almost perfect customer service smile if not for the fact it was on a seven or eight-year-old face. “We appreciate the offer, but… no thanks, we’ll pass.”

Carmen reacted like he was physically struck, even angry like a Lillipup who had its toy taken away. “W-What?! Why not?”

“None of us are interested in a battle at the moment, so we’ll be continuing on.” William said with a faint bow before turning and heading forward. Lena did her best not to keep her growing smirk visible, though it was hard as Charon had also turned with William and was walking away.

Carmen looked absolutely baffled, outright confused by what was happening, almost making Lena break into laughter as he turned around to chase after William. ' Whew William, gave him a taste of reality early?’

“ Carmen… might simply be a bit too eager, I feel. Our battle two days ago might still be fresh on William’s mind… ” Arthur chimed in, a thoughtful look on his face as Lena glanced over at him. The patches of burnt fur had mostly disappeared, but there were still faint sections that would take another day to heal fully…

‘ That’s a fair point… William’s mood after that battle had been… off. ’ Lena thought to herself, the laughter from before vanishing as she glanced at William now… who was doing his best to ignore Carmen badgering him for a battle.

“Come on! You’re a Trainer, and Trainers battle!”

“When they want to.” 

“Well, duh! You aren’t a real Trainer if you don’t want to battle like their Pokémon!”

“So, by that logic, Pokémon aren’t Pokémon if they don’t battle either?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Lena quickly walked forward with Rina and Arthur to not get left behind. William was doing an impressive job sidestepping Carmen as he held his Poké Ball out again and pointed it at William. A deeper frown formed on her face at the sight. Even most Trainers would relent after being told no… why was he so insistent? 

“If you think you’re such a hotshot with a fully evolved Pokémon, you should be able to beat me no problem in a battle then with your Oshawott!”

“His name is Ronin, and he doesn’t want to battle either.” William said, his tone similar to a parent telling a kid ‘no’.

“Why not? Both too scared?” Carmen tried to taunt, William’s shoulders sinking as he closed his eyes before rubbing between them and sighed. It was a bit jarring to see William so clearly frustrated.

Ronin, still in Charon's arms, looked similarly frustrated with a glare directed at Carmen. It was an emotion that Lena hadn’t seen in the young Water Type and almost seemed… contradictory to what Professor Juniper described.

“Carmen, with all due respect, we just want to get to Striaton City.”

“You’ll be able to after battling me! It’s not fair that you have a Trainer License while I am still a Youngster! Prove that you deserve it!”

‘Ah, and there it is…’ Feeling some sort of inadequacy at not having a normal Trainer License while a younger kid has one, and a fully evolved Pokémon.

Granted, their situations were likely very different, and if news about a Youngster licensed Trainer having a lost evolution Starter… 

Just thinking of the slippery slope and tidal waves that would cross every Region from the news of that formed a physical headache for her. Said headache must have been contagious as William unfortunately looked to be feeling himself in real-time.

“Jesus kid, you’re giving me a migraine already…” He continued to rub between his eyes and stopped walking, taking a deep breath while looking even more frustrated than when Lena had found him and Charon for the first time. 

After a moment of silence from William, a deep breath more akin to a sigh left him, his eyes opening with a glare at Carmen. “Fine. We’ll have a battle..” 

There was the faintest bit of resigned forcefulness in his tone before he turned around and walked over to Lena. A wave of… almost forced calm seemed to wash over his expression before he spoke, mirroring the tone as well. “I’m sorry to ask, but can you be the referee for this match?”

Although his expression was indifferent, his posture looked exhausted in the short time he had Carmen badgering him. Lena shot him a pitying look and nodded. “Yeah, I will. Glad we reviewed those battle regulations?” She teased to try and lighten his mood. William nodded, but sighed in resignation.

“Yes, but I really should have kept my mouth shut about hoping for not a lot of battles…” William muttered, walking over and kneeling down to Ronin, who had been put down by Charon now and was staring up at him.

He spoke softly to the young Water Type, an almost guilty tone present within. “I’m sorry to put us in this situation so soon before we could work things out more, but are you okay with battling like we discussed?”

Ronin glanced over at Carmen, his eyes narrowing as he simply nodded in response. William sighed and stood up to face Carmen, who was smirking like a Liepard as he made a motion with his hand for everyone to follow.

“Come on, I know the perfect spot for a battle near here. You’re going down, Typhlosion kid.”

Carmen had led them to an opening on Route 2 that previous Trainers had clearly used, with evidence of previous skirmishes all around with holes, divots, and marks where Poison Type attacks had landed.

‘I’ll probably need to put in a report to have this spot reviewed to make sure it’s not getting out of hand or disturbing any Pokémon here.’ Lena noted to herself as she stood off to the side of the area, Arthur and Rina next to her to observe the battle as well.

William was on his side, kneeling down and speaking to Ronin and Charon. What they were speaking about was unknown, but William’s serious face was met equally by Ronin, who nodded in response to what William was saying. Lena did her best not to frown, she didn’t know if it would hold true, but William seemed to take battles… a bit too seriously. 

‘Is it from anxiety, though? Or something else…?’ She cut her own musing on the matter to glance over at Carmen, who was casually throwing his Poké Ball up and down before he yelled across the field.

“Hey! Put away your weird Typhlosion! I don’t want any tricks from whatever he can do!”

Lena could make out the offended look on Charon at being called weird, and less so at being accused of possibly cheating. William shot Carmen a glare across the field but pulled Charon’s Poké Ball from his belt. He expanded it… on the second attempt this time, and the Typhlosion simply poked the button to disappear in a flash.

‘ Well, let’s get this show on the road… ’ 

Lena stood straighter, clearing her throat for a moment to make sure her voice was clear as it took a more formal tone across the field. “This will be a single battle between Trainer William and Trainer Carmen using one Pokémon each as agreed! No items can be used as agreed. The battle will end after either Pokémon on one side cannot continue, or if a Trainer resigns. Trainers, are you ready?”

She may have shortened it compared to Juniper, but it covered everything that would be applicable here. William’s face had transitioned that would look neutral to the other Trainer, but Lena picked up on the other habits he had shown. The slightly pinched eyebrows, and the lightly clenched fist in his sweatshirt among them. 

William sighed but nodded. Lena barely was able to hear him mutter “...let’s get this over with…” under his breath as he forced himself to focus on the field. 

Carmen gave a more enthusiastic “Heck yeah!” and raised the Poké Ball in his grasp eagerly.

“Trainers, select your first Pokémon!” 

“Patrat, come on out! We’ve got a fight!” Carmen yelled as he wound his arm back and threw the Poké Ball forward, sailing through the air before it popped open with a white flash. On the field, the form of a Patrat appeared, who looked around from side to side before staring at William and Ronin.

“Patrat-Rat…” (You’re the opponent Carmen’s roped into battling today? Sorry kid, but I’m gonna fight the best I can!) The Normal type chittered out, looking at Ronin with a smirk and glance from the corner of his eyes.

Ronin simply walked forward onto the field with no preamble or call from William. Lena thought it looked almost reminiscent of Charon. Was Ronin possibly trying to be like the elder Pokémon? 

‘Lena, focus,’ Arthur chided through the Aura link, though there was a hint of amusement in his tone as Lena shook her head and focused. Rina nearly broke it again by crying out her own words of support.

“FLoatZEEEEL! FLOATZEL!” (Wash him away Ronin! You got this!)

Lena distracted herself from laughing by raising her hands, and after a moment of pause for each Trainer, she threw them down. “Begin!”

“Patrat! Go in for a Tackle!” Carmen screamed at the field, throwing his hands to the side as his partner charged forward on command towards Ronin, jumping left to right to avoid going in a straight line. The Water Type in response lowered himself, almost looking to wobble back and forth as if to gauge which way Patrat was going to go with his tail moving left and right.

“A-Avoid, like we practiced.” William stuttered after a moment of pause, as if forgetting to instruct Ronin. His eyes were darting around to follow Patrat’s movement as he charged forward. 

Ronin halted for a moment as Patrat neared, before suddenly rolling to the right to avoid a full-body collision and darting forward deeper into the field. Patrat slid into the ground from putting his full body weight into the Tackle, but he caught himself, got back up, and quickly moved for Ronin once again.

“Keep the pressure, Patrat!” Carmen screamed as Patrat charged for Ronin again. The Oshawott in question had stopped his dash forward and was carefully following Patrat’s movement before suddenly shifting to the side to avoid another Tackle. Patrat didn’t land on his body this time, and instead slid a lot less, before leaping into the air towards Ronin, who had just turned to face him.

“D-Dodge! Down!” William rapidly cried suddenly, his eyes going wide as he did so. The sudden cry made Ronin freeze for just a moment, but he followed the outburst. It was barely too late to avoid all the damage, with Patrat’s arms and claws catching Ronin’s sides as he grazed him. The Oshawott cried out in pain and shifted from the force of the attack, but got up quickly and stared at Patrat, who was skidding across the ground with his back turned to the Water Type.

“Tackle!” William cried next, even sounding panicked as Ronin glanced at him for a millisecond before leaping into action. He slammed his entire body weight into the Normal Type almost like a football player, sending Patrat sprawling for a moment.

Lena couldn’t help but frown… it was like William was attempting to use the same strategy he had used on Rina, but Ronin was far too young and green in battles to be using any status moves the same way Charon did.

“ While this is Ronin’s first battle technically… he and William aren’t… no, hold on… ” Arthur chimed in quietly, his eyes scanning the two Pokémon on the field as he closed his eyes, and his tassels floated for a couple seconds. Lena turned with a confused expression, but Arthur opened his eyes and looked impressed at Ronin and intrigued. “ Tail Whip, so.. that’s their play strategy. ”

“Still… Patrat has clearly seen more battles…” Lena murmured, glancing at William who was clearly stressed as he watched Ronin on the field. The Oshawott shifted, barely avoiding another Scratch that grazed just barely against his own scalchop, before shoving his body into Patrat with another Tackle. 

“FloatZeeeell. Zel-Floatzel.” (Ronin is gonna win, no doubt about that.) Rina responded confidently, crossing her arms and smiling as she watched the fight go down.

Carmen appeared frustrated by William’s tactics, his face etched into a frown and his eyebrows pitched as Patrat grunted slightly while pushing himself up, a red bruise forming at his side as he stood on his two feet. “We’ve got the first hit in still so we're ahead, shake it—”

“Follow up — Tackle!”

While Carmen was thrown off by William interrupting him, Ronin didn’t hesitate to charge forward and slammed into Patrat again with another strike of his body. Carmen looked angry with a scowl forming on his face now, turning to Lena and pointing at William as Patrat was sent flying again and rolled on the ground, the same bruised spot looking bigger now.

“Hey! That’s not fair! I wasn’t finished speaking!”

Lena kept her face neutral and shook her head, trying her best to act as an impartial referee. “According to League Rules, if a Pokémon is standing or listening for commands, any Trainer or Pokémon can attack or use moves. You’ll need to speak faster!”

Carmen’s fists clenched and he growled to himself. “Fine then! Tackle, then Bite!”

Patrat let out a chattering noise, glaring akin to a Leer at Ronin who was rubbing the raw scratch mark on his side. The Water Type leveled a glare right back with his tail still whipping back and forth. 

William on his side looked a tad uncomfortable, even looking about to speak for a moment, hesitating before he seemed to change his mind on his order in his mind. By then, it was too late. Patrat already charged forward in that moment of nothing from William and was on top of Ronin.

Ronin attempted to avoid again, but Patrat used the sudden momentum of using Tackle to shift their momentum sharply, pushing him on top of Ronin and pinning him to the ground. He reeled his head back as a dark miasma surrounded his buck teeth to pierce the Water Type.

Ronin’s eyes were wide as he struggled underneath, and William’s posture was almost in a panic himself with his eyes wide, about ready to leap into the field himself to stop the battle. 

Ronin’s flippers moved automatically before any of that could happen, and he grabbed the scalchop on his stomach and shoved it forward towards Patrat’s mouth at the same time he bit down.

There was a horrid scraping noise as Patrat’s teeth and the Dark Type Energy of the move ground against the makeshift defensive tool, but the attack was only deflected. The momentum of Patrat’s Bite carried him down Ronin’s arm, and a trickle of blood formed as he scraped down it to about halfway, a painful cry leaving the Oshawott.

“R-Ronin — Throw him off and end this!” William finally grabbed his voice and used it after hearing Ronin’s pain. 

The Oshawott narrowed his eyes and let a growl from his throat, before practically backhanding Patrat’s head with his scalchop by yanking his arm away, which cut him more, then whipping it back across his face. The movement made Patrat jerk and stagger back, as a cut formed on the side of his cheek from the force and angle of Ronin’s scalchop hitting him.

Carmen waved his hand to the side, cutting the air as he cried out an order with a frustrated tone. “Oh, no you don’t! Patrat! Use Tackle to get away!”

With a bit of space, Ronin pushed himself up and took a deep breath as Patrat attempted to get away with empowered Normal Type Energy, but Ronin gave chase as quickly as he could.

“It’s no Quick Attack, but Tackle still forces the opponent forward a bit…” Lena murmured as she frowned and crossed her arms, but Rina was grinning next to her, looking excited and almost bouncing on her feet.

“Floatzeel. FLoatzel-Float-Float…!” (He’ll catch up, I know it. Come on Ronin…!) Rina said in response with a face-splitting grin.

Ronin was panting as he ran, his eyes focused on Patrat who was darting back and forth as best he could. Almost as if a dam had broken, Ronin let out a loud cry of his name and leapt into the air as a rush of water swirled around him and added a lot of speed to his momentum. The sound of rushing water drowned the sound of Carmen’s disbelief out, as did Rina’s triumphant cry from the side. 

The force of the sudden move shot him forward, crashing directly into Patrat who let out a squawk of pain with his eyes bulging. His body launched away from the attack and crashed into the ground in a cloud of dirt, rolling until he came to a stop, as a groan left him before falling silent. He was down for the count, and Carmen’s slump of his shoulders at being defeated sealed the deal.

Lena quickly raised her hand in William’s direction. “Patrat is unable to battle! The winner is William and Ronin with a score of 1-0!” She yelled even as William rushed forward to check on Ronin. Technically, Trainers were supposed to wait until the referee had finished their call out, or all Pokémon were returned, but she couldn’t fault him for being worried from the drops of blood running down Ronin’s arm from Bite.

‘ It is something I will need to talk about with him though… ’ She made a mental reminder to herself as she glanced in Carmen’s direction to see him gently lifting Patrat with a defeated look. To be defeated suddenly by a sudden move not used in the entire battle was rough, but Carmen appeared to be lost in his own thoughts and made no motion to return him yet. 

William’s eyes darted across Ronin as he sprayed a Potion over his injuries, the anxious expression over his face shifting and softening slightly as Ronin looked up at him. “You did great, Ronin… you did amazing with that Aqua Jet, and using Tail Whip before practicing the idea on short notice… you took it home today.” He said with a huge helping of praise and warmth in his tone, genuinely smiling at the Water Type.

‘And to use it without commands… man, that’s even more brutal for any unsuspecting Trainer…’ Lena said before she turned to Carmen, who was frowning and glaring at William as he stepped forward with Patrat gone from sight, making her assume she had returned him.

“Hey! Why didn’t you call out Tail Whip, even use Aqua Jet sooner!? Are you a psychic and said nothing to order him?!” He accused William, who was frowning as he carefully stood up and turned to face the older Trainer.

“Stat raising and lowering moves are a necessity for higher-level battles. Just because a Trainer doesn’t give a command doesn’t mean a Pokémon needs to be inactive on the field.” He countered, giving a moment of thought before speaking again. “You could have used Leer by telling Patrat to use it from afar as well.” 

Carmen seemed even more sour at the advice, William only sighed and shifted his bag slightly to open up a pouch. He reached in and shuffled around for a moment before he found what he wanted, a fresh Potion, which he then lifted to Carmen to offer it.

“Use this to heal Patrat, I know we’re still a while away from a Pokémon Center.” William said with an attempted gentle tone, but Carmen must have felt it was patronizing from the sour expression that formed.

Still, he took the Potion with a bit of a forceful grab and ran off back toward the main Route 2 path. Lena noticed him grab Patrat’s Poké Ball as he did so, clearly going to heal him, but apparently not in front of them.

William sighed, looking a mix of guilty, frustrated, and even drained as he watched him head off. In contrast, Rina was excitedly talking to Ronin on the ground, praising him for his use of Aqua Jet, prompting the Oshawott to blush from the praise. Lena ignored that conversation to focus on William’s discomfort over the battle.

“You know, you could have refused to battle in the first place if you didn’t want to.” Lena said gently, not missing how William slumped a bit more and nodded.

“Yeah, I know. I could have, but he probably would have pestered us until we reached Striaton City…” William said as he closed up his backpack and put it back on, glancing slightly at the faded cut on Ronin’s arm from the Potion before he glanced in the direction that Carmen had scurried off to. “...On top of that, I know Ronin isn’t gonna get experience from just training with Rina or Charon… I need to get those bureaucratic metal pins anyway…”

Lena hummed at the bitter comment. He wasn’t wrong, but battling seemed to be a source of… disconnect for him. Even when he fought Rina, the rather tame injuries made him ask her if she would be okay… it showed he was either highly empathetic, kind, nervous, or fearful for one reason or another.

“Are you scared about the injuries you cause?” She asked in the same gentle tone, William tilting his hand back and forth as he formulated a response.

“Sort of…? I just — injuries are inevitable in a battle, I know. However, I… just need to get used to them. Even with Charon’s explanation on how Pokémon feel about battling, I don’t… I’d rather the battle ends quicker for both sides, instead of dragging it out or — nevermind.” William cut himself off with a sigh, while Lena noted how he was closing himself off again and she couldn’t help but frown herself.

She internally sighed at the sight, but recognised that it wouldn’t be good to push in this situation… instead, she’ll piece together his performance during battle.

His actions, while sound, were a lot sloppier than when he fought together with Charon. Stuttering, having to give commands more directly besides some moments when Ronin took the initiative like with Aqua Jet or using his scalchop to deflect the Bite. The only bit that went smooth for William and Ronin was using Tail Whip without orders, which is what allowed Ronin to win as he did.

‘He’s not as collected as he seems. The link, or whatever he and Charon have, acts as a sort of crutch for him. He plans a lot ahead of time, though, which is impressive and carries most of his nervous actions.’ Lena gathered to herself, looking at William who was speaking to Ronin for a moment before he moved his hand to his Poké Ball. Fumbling only once as he expanded it, he managed to actually return Ronin through the return beam, staring at the Poké Ball for a moment as it shook once before he minimized it.

Noticing Lena staring at him as he turned around, he quickly clarified. “Ronin was feeling tired, and… I want to get him looked at the Pokémon Center first before anything else.” 

Lena nodded and glanced at the sun… they should have enough daylight to reach Striaton City still if they hoof it a bit. She communicated this to William, which had a noticeable effect of making him relax a little. “That’s good. Let’s head out then.”

Lena agreed with a hum and tilt of her head, Rina and Arthur nodding in understanding as she returned them to their own Great and Dive Balls. She placed them on her belt before she took the initiative and started for the main path, William following close behind.

Still, she couldn’t help shake the feeling of wrongness, and the disconnect between battles that William had despite being aggressive with his style. A thought she had from his first battle returning to her in a different form…

Just what happened at home where William was from to create such a response to even such a low-level battle? Such nervousness and panic at the sight of injuries?

Chapter Text

Chapter 7 - The Dreams at Striaton

Striaton City used to be a bustling hub of activity, not only having a Pokémon League Gym with the gimmick of having three leaders, but places like the Pokémon Energy Laboratory, the Trainer School, and its public garden made the city a go-to tourist attraction. It brought eyes to the usually sleepy corner of the Unova region, one that the residents had been clearly grateful for.

Even with the changes that time brought, such as the abandonment of the lab, the Gym Leaders stepping down, and even a new shiny Trainer School being built on the opposite side of the Region, Lena noted that the city still felt fairly populous and busy. The decorative street tiles were pristinely maintained, and the buildings had flowerpots and gardens hanging from the window stills, it was a healthy smaller-scale city nevertheless.

Even the loss of jobs from the Pokémon Energy Laboratory only went on to change the distribution of people who came into Striaton; the workers who went to the restaurant after a hard day of work were replaced by Trainers who explored the ruins to train or catch the unique Pokémon found in the area. 

(Though privately, Lena held her own gripes about the owners of the building letting the public go free in and out of it and catch and battle as they please in a ruined, falling apart building. At least they let the Rangers in to make sure the biodiversity was kept healthy.)

They arrived at the entrance to the city almost on the dot right at 5:00 PM, the Top Ranger taking a breath from the light exercise as she stretched and felt a light burn in her legs from the hurried pace they took. It had been a while since she had done an extended jog like so on a Route, it felt nice.

Sadly, William on the other hand… clearly had a different opinion, even if the light jog was his own idea. 

Even though he took off his sweatshirt and tied it around himself as they jogged, it wasn't enough to keep him cool. William was panting, red in the face, huffing for air just behind Lena, stopping just a couple feet and placing his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"Ha… dammit… gah… how the hell d-do… you…" He grasped for his water bottle in his bag, drinking as if he had never had a drop of water in his entire life, still panting in between gulps.

Lena, contrastingly, felt an amused, incredulous expression form on her own face. "I mean… just a perk of being outside constantly, I suppose. The drills they had us doing at the Ranger School were pretty brutal…"

William narrowed his eyes, as if he didn't believe Lena before he sighed, panting some more before finally pushing himself up, muttering all the while. "The 'FitnessGram PACER Test' was bullshit… didn't prepare me for anything…"

Lena couldn't help but laugh lightly at his comment, she vividly remembers some Student Rangers muttering similar curses. "I don't mean to harp too much, but we didn't have to do this, I said we'd probably still reach here by daylight even if we didn't jog."

He just nodded, grunting due to soreness from not properly cooling down after the exercise. "Y-Yeah… I know…" He stopped for a breath, and another drink of water from his water bottle again, finishing it off before continuing. "Aah… but I already knew I was out of shape, so figured… might as well… it's only gonna get worse once we're on more rocky terrain."

While she could see how he got to that conclusion with his logic, it didn't make it fully sound. "It's said that a Journey isn't a sprint…." She paused, tilting her head back and forth as she rethought that statement.  "Well, unless you want it to be… what do you want your Journey to be? Rushed and hurried? With you panting like this to reach every town?"

A harsh grimace formed on William's face, Lena reasoning it was him imagining the image and physical exhaustion of that. However, he fell silent and didn't retort… his grimace not lightening as she decided to continue, seeing an opportunity with this line of conversation. 'Maybe I can get him to open up about his goals… or home.'

"Journeys are all about self-discovery, about finding and growing into one's self, finding a passion or… what you wanna do in life. I mean, some people go on a Journey for years, it's not something you can rush."

William's grimace lightened, shifting to something thoughtful. "Then what made you decide you wanted to become a Ranger?" 

The question made Lena pause her thoughts, thinking back… "I think… well, I didn't go on my own Journey, so maybe not the best example…" She prefaced to be safe. William eye's got a bit sharper at the detail, but he stayed silent as she gathered herself.

A frown formed on her face as the memory started to resurface. "I think… most likely around the time when me and Rina had found the aftermath of a poacher's operation when we were young and wandering around Eterna Forest." Lena tentatively said, feeling the Floatzel's Dive Ball shake slightly on her belt at the mention of that event. Even Arthur's Great Ball shook, most likely feeling the swirl of her aura at remembering the event.

William stayed silent as Lena continued. "There… weren't any poachers there, thank Arceus, but it was clear what the operation was." Lena said with a breath as she crossed her arms, and a pointed expression came onto her face as she took a deep breath. She was too young to realize what some of the contraptions were, but she eventually learned in Ranger School, and from the rare instances of seeing Pokémon with them during her time as a Ranger.

'It was a bit of a blessing to not fully understand it when I was so young, but…'

She pushed her musings aside, not wanting to give William the same visual imagery in his head (if he didn't already have it in mind), continuing on instead. "I reported it to a Trainer in the town who was an adult since I was so young. And well, he didn't feel comfortable going to check it out even when I told him there were no more poachers, and the police took their sweet ass time to respond… " She spat with a bitter tone, crossing her arms and taking a breath to recenter herself.

A moment paused before a more thoughtful, if almost determined tone of voice came from her. "After that… I guess I, and by extension Rina, wanted to do something about it ourselves… even if we didn't know what yet. A Ranger came into class one day, I think as a part of a job fair program…? And after the presentation I think… that's just kinda what sealed the deal. It was the avenue that we could take to help Pokémon… and well, the rest is kinda history." 

She remembered the day she officially became a Ranger and ran out of the gates to the Ranger School, so excited to get to her Buizel partner back in Sinnoh, only to then be tackled by Rina the second she stepped out the gate…

The memory made her smile and feel warm as she lost herself in it, so lost in fact, that she didn't even realize that they had reached the Pokémon Center until she heard the automatic door whirr open in front of her. The sound snapped her out of her own thoughts, and Lena blinked in a daze as William looked up at her with a faint look of concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah — yeah, was just reminiscing lightly." She responded quickly while shaking her head slightly to force herself to reorganize her thoughts. 

William just nodded and hummed, seeming to understand as he grabbed Ronin's Poké Ball from his belt as well as his Pokédex for his Trainer ID while they walked up to the Nurse's Desk. As he and Lena walked through the usual check-in process, Lena remembered that she still had a question from their previous conversation that William managed to deflect from. "Hey, what do you want from your Journey then?"

His polite smile to the Nurse faltered slightly as he placed Ronin's Poké Ball on the tray, but not before whispering something that caused it to shake once before he set it down. A quick 'thank you' left him as an Audino took the tray to the checkup room in the back of the Center, before finally responding to Lena. "Well, it's not like I have much of a choice yet. Have to get a couple Badges to get the League or Interpol from taking Charon… or me."

Lena wasn't fooled though. 'Another deflection.'

Being direct would probably make him close up like a Clamperl, so Lena tried to lighten the mood with a teasing tone. "I mean, you have to have some kind of idea. Come on… if you're embarrassed about it, I swear you have nothing to be embarrassed about." 

The younger Trainer only held his slight frown as they started to walk away from the front desk, heading down the hall to the Trainer dorms they would have for the night. "I wasn't lying though, my first… 'goal', if you can call it that, is to get through all the red tape the Pokémon League and the International Police seem determined to throw up. Getting a couple Gym Badges is the best way to do that. "

Lena could understand William's weariness towards the Pokémon League, and Interpol.... Was, well, Interpol. The thing that stuck out the most to her was that the Ranger Union wasn't on the list he mentioned.

Ignoring the petty mental laugh she did towards them in her head, she quickly responded to stay on topic. "So, your goal is to get stronger then? That's a pretty common goal, most Trainers in the season have the same goal."

William hummed… not necessarily agreeing with Lena, but appearing more to concede a point… which point it was, it wasn't clear to her. Another silence fell over them as they eventually reached William's room, and the Top Ranger could tell that William was anxious about something. 

The way his hands squeezed the key card as he placed it in front of the door sensor to open it, along with all the previous comments and his… focus on getting through Gyms…. He was more tightly wound up than a Spoink. Something Lena couldn't help but feel partially responsible for… 

'He needs to do something to relax, to distract him...' Lena quickly stopped him from going into his room by speaking up suddenly, blurting out the first thing that came to mind. "W-Why don't we let our Pokémon relax tonight?"

William's hand hovered over the door handle, his head turned to her to show confusion etched on his face.

Seeing him pause was enough to prompt Lena to continue, grabbing her footing quickly. "It's late in the day, and early enough in the season that no one else will really be there to bother us for a battle. So we can relax as we go around the area, maybe do a quest… while our teams decompress? Then we can get dinner afterwards."

"Where would we go though? I… think that letting Charon out in the public garden park would be bound to draw eyes still…"

'Shit, he's right… ah…  what else was in the area?' 

Lena's mind raced, going through everything she knew about the area so as to not lose the potential chance. 'The former Gym? No, the siblings battle guests sometimes, and even if they're former Gym Leaders, they're probably at least somewhat in the loop… dammit, the only place is…'

Suppressing a faint shiver at the idea of having to feel the weird energy of the place, even just for a bit, Lena quickly spoke. "How about the Dreamyard? No kids or adults should be there around this time of the season."

William's face shifted into something considering as he responded. "Won't Ronin be looked at overnight though? Wouldn't want to leave him alone in the center…"

Though his care for his new team member was clear, it still amused Lena how he underestimated the healing capabilities of a Pokémon Center. "I guarantee that he'll be healed before the hour is over. We can wash up and get fresh clothes, and Ronin will probably be all recovered."

William still appeared oddly hesitant, but looked to be considering it at least. He rocked his head back and forth before he nodded and gave the best half-smile it looked like he could muster. "Alright, I'll… go wash up then…. Meet you in… the lobby?"

Lena smiled back, just nodding before moving to turn to her own room. "Works for me, I'll see you downstairs in a bit."

As Lena started to walk to her own room, her smile shifted to a frown… and a deep breath left her as now she felt anxious.

'Dammit kid, you've got too much on your mind. Let the adults handle all the heavy stuff and just enjoy being a kid while it lasts...' She thought with another sputter from her lips as she played with her own room card in her hand, tapping it against her palm and she thought to herself to plan for tonight…

'Alright, let's see if any small Quests can be done in… or preferably outside the Dreamyard too… something easy that can give William a goal to focus on tonight instead of stressing over Gyms or Plasma or whatever else is on his mind. Rina and Arthur can keep an eye on Charon and Ronin… yeah, yeah. That's a good plan.'

With a newly reformed smile, Lena walked with a slight pep in her step, Rina and Arthur will enjoy the time to relax as well most likely, tonight will be good. 

The sky had a noticeably darker tinge, but it wasn't sunset yet thankfully, allowing the group to carefully walk about. The path towards the Dreamyard was straightforward, but it was clear that nature and Pokémon had overtaken the surrounding area with ease. The trees around made it feel like they were choking the former human establishment with nature. Still, it gave an almost melancholy feeling, yet the sounds of Pokémon echoed in the wind to counteract the feeling. It was a quiet flavor of lively, peaceful. 

The Pokémon didn't even mind the rather large group of evolved Pokémon and two humans walking through, content to observe from the bushes or trees. It matched the overall tranquil aura the place gave off, somewhere you could find a nice place to rest and take an afternoon nap in.

"I'm surprised some of the supports are still standing…" William muttered to her left, his eyes tracing over the rebar that had been laid bare to the elements, twisted and chipped by time. 

Lena nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it surprised me too when I first came to Unova, but Conkeldurr and Gurdurr assisting originally probably helped."

William looked interested suddenly, turning to Lena with a curious expression. "So, how does that work? Pokémon Employment? I've tried to look that up, and some stuff for Almia or Oblivia came up, but nothing really for Unova, or… any of the main regions. Hell, even Galar had more than I could find for Unova…"

At this, a chuckle found its way leaving Lena's throat that seemed… dark. Even Charon looked a tad perturbed, turning from looking at the ruins to the Top Ranger. Rina and Arthur let out a chuckle and sigh respectively.

"Float-Floatzeeel. Float." (Now you've done it. Good luck.)

"Don't talk his ear off Lena, unlike that other poor Trainer…"

"Oh, there's a lot I can tell you about Pokémon and employment and work status. I'll tell you all about it while we do the Quest, don't worry, Arthur and Rina will keep an eye on Charon and Ronin." She said with an ardent, if worryingly level, tone. Her smile matched this while turning to William.

The younger Trainer looked a bit concerned, glancing at Charon and Ronin as if for assistance, but Charon simply glanced at him and snorted, pulling the Oshawott from his hoodie to leave him to his fate. Ronin on the other hand looked slightly confused, but waved 'goodbye' at William as Lena gently pulled his sweatshirt to guide him away from the Pokémon. She did, however, hand Arthur a quick pouch from her bag before continuing to drag William off. 

"W-Wait — what even is the Quest—"

"Oh, nothing too complicated, someone just wants some photos of some Pokémon nearby, that's all. Come on, I can tell you all about it while telling you about the history of Pokémon Labor Laws, starting with —"

As Ronin watched his new Trainer get dragged off, he glanced around at the group of Pokémon he now found himself in. A slightly confused… with a pinch of nervousness leaving him as he spoke. "So… what do we do now?"

Rina beside him stretched slightly, mirroring Lena as she let out a sigh and smiled as she turned to Ronin. "Now? Whatever we'd like. If you want to try and practice Aqua Jet a bit more, we can do that…" She paused, humming as she started to consider something… "...or if you'd like to get a bit of practice with Water Gun, I have an idea we could do… been a while since I've done any target practice…"

Arthur rolled his shoulders and hummed… glancing at Charon with a raised eyebrow. "If they are going to do training, I would not mind going against you again in a sparring match… Grandpa."

The Fire Ghost Type snorted, but didn't seem to take the taunt to heart as he looked up and down at Arthur with a raised eyebrow. Ronin noted that Charon's eyes paused briefly on each of the discolored patches of fur the Lucario still had. "Well, 'Grandpa' ain't interested, whippersnapper. This old man is going to explore, it's been too long since I've seen anything other than stuffy office buildings, or forests."

Charon also shot Ronin a careful look from the corner of his eyes, one that Ronin knew instantly what it meant.

'Don't reveal anything to these two while I'm gone.'

Ronin's eyes hardened just barely, and a subtle nod left him. Arthur frowned at being so thoroughly rejected but nodded as he respected Charon's choice. The Typhlosion then started to lumber off in a different direction, all while Arthur glanced down at the pouch Lena gave him and let out a sigh. "I suppose it has been a while since I've relaxed… Rina, will you be okay with Ronin?" 

The Water Type snorted and waved Arthur off. "Yeah, yeah. I will be, you know me. Go ahead and find a nice quiet place where you can read whatever you want. I'll shoot our signal in the air if we need you."

Arthur nodded respectively to Rina, before nodding to Ronin as well and then turning, and leaping to the top of the towering wall, before vanishing from sight in moments as he lept further into the Dreamyard.

This left the Floatzel and Oshawott alone, Rina turning smiling at Ronin with eagerness. "So, where do you want to start?"

Ronin thought for a moment, thinking before looking up at Rina. "Can we do Water Gun? I want to get better… it seems like a better follow-up if I need to avoid an attack…"

Rina tilted her head back and forth a bit, something Ronin had noticed her Trainer do as well a couple times when William asked a question to her. "It can be, but it all depends on the situation… though, you did amazing with Aqua Jet today."

Ronin couldn't help but frown slightly from the praise, denying it with a shake of his head. "I… should have done it better, it needs a bit of a build-up right now…"

Floatzel shook her head, frowning now. "Hey now, that's no way to talk about yourself… has Grandpa been making mean comments?"

Ronin quickly shook his flippers at the fellow Water Type in a slightly panicked wave back and forth to deny her accusation. "N-No no! I just… I don't want to make my Trainer worry… he always gets so scared about seeing Pokémon hurt… so if I can have a better reaction to defend myself… he won't be scared…" He explained, Rina humming and crossing her arms before nodding. 

"Yeah… I can see William being like that…." She muttered, before smiling and looking down at him. "It's nice that you're worried about your Trainer and taking initiative, but that doesn't mean you should put down your own accomplishments. I haven't heard of an Oshawott pick up Aqua Jet as fast as you!"

Ronin couldn't help but feel his cheeks warm, flustered by the praise now and turning away, only making Rina giggle before making a motion. "Come on, follow me… we'll get Water Gun down for you to show William by the end of the night, I guarantee it."

Rina couldn't help but feel giddy as she guided Ronin to an open area inside the ruined facility, the chitters and mewls of Patrat and Purrloin around them, curious about the newcomers, but not bothering them as they went along their own lives. The shade of the facility casted shadows across the floor, but they still had more than enough daylight for what Rina wanted to do.

She was practically bouncing in excitement as she glanced around at the walls and ceilings, yeah, this would work perfectly. Her tail, which was wrapped around a bundle of sticks she had collected on the way here, shifted so she could grab them with her arms.

"So! Let's get ready to practice Water Gun, but have some fun with it… have you ever seen humans play darts?"

Ronin tilted his head, shaking it as she expected which only made her grin. "Well, they have this thing called a target, which they throw a dart at. We're gonna make some targets, and use Water moves as our dart!"

As she said this, she moved to a soft patch of grass that was overtaking the concrete floor, and stabbed a stick into the ground to keep it from moving. Ronin watched with curiosity, his eyes following Rina's every movement. "Now, with this… we'll need to make the target."

Taking a deep breath, Rina could feel the cold build up inside her body, her throat feeling superchilled as frost formed in the air around her mouth as she let out a low-powered Ice Beam on the stick. The crackling of ice gathered around the tip of the dead appendage, growing bit by bit until the weight of it almost made the stick start to lean, which is when she stopped.

The size was nearly the same as a tennis racket, easily large enough for target and force practice for Water Gun… though, it did need to be cut down a tad, the front was a bit too bulky…

"Hey, Arthur, would you mind — " Rina stopped herself mid-sentence, feeling a tad embarrassed as she remembered that Arthur wasn't with her right now. "Ah… right."

Ronin stared for a moment at the makeshift target, before glancing down at the scalchop on his chest, before back at the ice. He moved forward, taking the scalchop in his flipper before he glanced at Rina. "How… how much do we need to cut it?"

Rina glanced back at Ronin, looking a tad surprised, but smiled as she plucked the stick out of the ground and laid it down carefully in front of the Oshawott. "More so on the front, the sides need to be holding most of it together so that when it's hit, it shatters, or at least enough to be noticeable."

Ronin nodded, looking at his scalchop for a moment and back at the ice, weighing the side and what Rina said for a moment before he placed a flipper on it to keep it from moving before he started to cut into it, slowly carving away from him.

Rina leaned a bit closer, curious about Ronin's movement, and noticing how comfortable he was at carving the ice, slowly flakes lightly spreading and falling to the ground where it melted. "Hey, that's pretty good, you have experience using your scalchop to cut?"

Ronin paused for a moment, before nodding and continuing to slowly carve it down. "Yeah, I'd… cut the berries with the professor sometimes, or would…" He paused, frowning as the young Pokémon attempted to find the right word. "...peel branches or trees with it. It was nice… I could be alone from the other Pokémon and they wouldn't bother me. I could think."

Rina hummed, watching Ronin continue to carefully cut more and more ice away before he spoke up again. "Besides, William was good at removing a lot of things too when he was younger, I wanna be like him."

"Oh? What do you mean?"

Ronin visibly faltered, his scalchop catching in the ice as he stuttered for a moment before he spoke up. "H-He… ah… Charon said h-he had a lot of habits when he was little… er. Like p-peeling labels off of small toy cars, or… wallpaper, which… got him in trouble. Charon said t-that dexterity would be good for me to learn… please don't tell Charon or William about the wallpaper… "

Rina couldn't help but chuckle, a cheeky grin forming aimed at Ronin to help ease the young Water Type's worries. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me… and gives me the excuse to tell all sorts of stories about Lena when she was younger as we set up."

Rina was glad to see Ronin relax, the Oshawott smiling back up at his mentor as she grabbed another stick seeing that Ronin had skillfully carved off enough of the ice to make it almost perfectly smooth, yet thin enough to be broken by a strong enough Water Gun.

The Floatzel smiled, taking a deep breath and relaxing herself as she reflected for a moment. It had been a while since she was able to mentor any Pokémon, she enjoyed it more so than Arthur, though he did enjoy fighting Pokémon they did help with a move on the Quests that Lena would sometimes get that they could do…

She started to think about the moves that Ronin might be able to learn once he gained more mastery over Water Type energy. 'Surf is a good all-rounder move, but Waterfall may be better, considering he seemed to lean more for physical attacks…'

Well, she still had to cover the fundamentals with him, shaking her head slightly, she grinned as she took another deep breath as the chill of Ice Type energy filled her, and she blew on another stick once more to create the next target…

Despite the entire area almost feeling… off, in a sense that would normally keep him alert, Arthur couldn't help but feel tranquil and at peace, almost ready for a nap. He kept his wits about him nevertheless as he leapt up another level of the deteriorating facility, the roof completely gone and providing a nice source of light that was slowly turning orange.

The Lucario took a deep breath, staring out at the slowly setting sky before he shifted over to a wall and sat down against a wall. Opening the pouch that Lena gave him, he carefully pulled out a stack of three worn, but clearly very well-kept books.

'Where was I…' It took Arthur a moment as he opened the top book to where a black bookmark had been placed, his eyes scanning the page for a moment as his mind started to recall. 'Ah, yes, about halfway through the princess's time masquerading as a knight…'

Of Courage, Of Tribute, an old story that Lena had gotten when he was still a Riolu, and one to teach him how to read human language. He read the Sinnohan translation and edition during that time, but he spotted a Galarian version when they transferred to Unova. Lena grabbed that (and some music disks with written lyrics for Rina that Arthur swore he could hear in his sleep sometimes to his horror) to help them both adjust to the new Galarian language.

He intended to read it sooner… but they got swept up in Ranger work, and then the siege happened and…

'Well, it had been a while either way…' Arthur thought with a shake of his head, dispelling those thoughts before he decided to discard his place and scroll to the beginning. Though he didn't need to read the story to learn Galarian, a re-read would probably help his understanding… 

The first couple months of him reading Galarian did make him wince in hindsight… but the idea of re-reading it did make him feel a bit excited, his tail wagging behind him just faintly as he started.

'Let's see… 'In a land before our time, of knightly order and of kings and queens, there was once a soon-to-be queen and her Bisharp…'

His mind started to paint the scene once again, of a castle towering over a kingdom, pale marble shining in the sunlight, a collective of both Pokémon and People milling around the castle to prepare for a festival. An energy of joy and excitement consumed the halls entirely like a wave, one that even the then princess was having fun with. She was assisting with decorations and talking excitedly with a servant, despite her position, her dutiful Bisharp standing close by, yet holding up a ribbon to keep it off the floor.

"The sight of this would cause a scandal, Lady Isabelle. A soon-to-be queen helping a lowly servant with tasks? Think of what the Rookidee will sing…" The servant said with both respect and a tone of teasing. The princess smiled and shot a look with a twinkle in her eyes back at the servant.

"Oh, let the rabble talk. I won't have a single word of protest helping a childhood friend, Joan." At this, Joan sighed and shook her head, but the smile never vanished from her face as she turned to the Bisharp standing resolutely.

"At least you have a partner like Bisharp to protect you from the masses, who knows what they'd dare say if not protected by such a strong knight."

At this, Isabelle huffed and seemed to almost pout. "How rude, I'll let you know that I can protect myself. I took more than enough lessons with squires to know how to use a sword or polearm."

Joan's expression fell flat, looking a touch unamused. "With your father's knowledge?"

"Father would love that his daughter is able to protect her people, and herself if the time comes."

"I hope that it doesn't for your safety, and my sanity."

Despite her flat tone, Joan and Isabelle couldn't help but laugh at it, even Bisharp's shoulders shook in a silent chuckle… the day joyous… energy all around and spreading…  the light of the sun beaming through and seeming to almost cut through all worries…

'It's strange… knowing what comes next, though I suppose that is the joy of re-reading something you know well…' Arthur mused with a hum, smiling slightly as he was excited to read through and see what Isabelle would go through once again as he turned the page…

Charon had seen many abandoned locations throughout his time on this plane, each one having their own reason. It always differed from place to place, but the reason could always be told by the decaying architecture, the remnants of what once was, and the lingering souls that clung to the place.

The basement of the Dreamyard had sunlight shining through holes in the ceiling that had been worn by time. It was bright enough to the point where someone who wasn't a Ghost Type would have been able to see well enough. The holes may prompt questions from others about the structural integrity of the building, but Charon could feel in his bones and through the whisper of souls abound that this place would still last for decades.

He nudged a fallen paper to the side with a huff, glancing around at the bookcase that fell over. Every document was written in Galarian, but the formulas might as well have been Unown writing, and it was clear someone took the time to write it out carefully to reference, but it was just… left to rot. 

'I never really understood why humans would leave things such as this in buildings… ages ago, such a loss would be considered incompetence.' He shook his head as he thought to himself, thinking about how every resource would be desperately clung onto in case they were needed later, and for fear of someone else obtaining them.

Charon stopped walking for a moment, taking a deep breath, already knowing where his thoughts were leading back to.

'No. I will not think of that again, not now.'

With a huff, he continued deeper, feeling the gentle, almost guiding pull of his being lead him into the facility, further and more remote than where other Pokémon tended to dwell. An Ariados and Raticate hissed at him earlier, but a simple stare and narrow of his eyes sent them on their way in a frantic scurry. 

It was curious though, the place was stained with Psychic Type energy all around it, in the walls, the floor… even the weirdly colored glass he saw in a case earlier seemed to glow purple. Yet, he had not seen a single Psychic Type as of yet. 

'It doesn't matter, as long as they do not get in my way for my duty…'

Finally, after what felt like a walk too long to find, Charon saw it. Huddled in the corner, scared, yet invisible to all except those in touch with spirits, a flickering, wisp of a soul. An almost rotten essence surrounds it, corrupting what once was a living being.

Melancholy, and a gentle weight were placed on the Typhlosion as he stared at it, it has been long since he had seen such a thing. "Now, how long have you been down here…?"

He walked forward to the flame, noticing how it would pulse and flicker at his appearance, even seeing it glow in a faint… fright? "It's alright… have you never seen my kind before?"

The soul didn't react, or respond, simply pulsing in place as Charon carefully lifted the soul from the ground, holding it in his palms as he observed it… carefully looking at the corrupting presence around it… feeling it attempt to touch him, yet easily rejected like a Paras' poison coming in contact with antivenom.

'Ah… it has lingered too long on this plane, a simple cure…'

He paused, not moving an inch as his collar lit up around him, illuminating the dark area in a pale purple and red tint as he spoke aloud. His tone measured, but like an iron wall into the darkness. "You do not hide yourself well enough, Psychic. Reveal yourself, I have no business with you."

'I'm impressed. Most Ghost Types, nor other Psychic inclined Trainers are able to sense me.' A feminine, if loose-sounding voice echoed around Charon, a glance behind him revealing his stalker. It was the same species as the Psychic who made the barrier for the battle the Professor had with her. 

They looked to be a floating, sleeping baku floated up into the light, with a pink mist emanating from its head like the old incense burners that Charon lit himself ages ago.

Charon let out a grunt at the praise the Musharna gave him, as if it was to be expected. "Psychic Type tricks don't escape me, even with the staining of Psychic energy all around here…" 

'Ah… you sense it as well? You are an old, old ghost. It has been too long since such a true Ghost has visited… I am the keeper of this Dreamspace.'  She introduced herself, Charon turning to look at her with a dismissive noise. Maybe long for her, but he could tell she had not been alive as long as himself.

"I am Charon, and I can tell it's been too long since you've had a Ghost clean through, that's clear…" He said as he turned his attention back to the soul in his palm… taking a soft breath before breathing onto it. The spiritual flames licked his palms as he constantly blew, but the rot and stain of the soul in his palm slowly started to flake off, flickering before burning into an ethereal crisp. 

Charon continued this for a full minute before stopping, and looking over the soul with a careful, crimson gaze. The aspects corrupting the soul had vanished, leaving what looked to be a newly departed soul in his palms… flickering peacefully… calmly… the ethereal flames almost seemed to have smothered it in a warm, protective flicker around it.

'Curious… I don't believe any Musharna here has not seen a Ghost treat a soul in such a way…'

Charon's flames around his collar grew as he pulled the soul close, a variable mix of warmth and cool washing through him as it was consumed by the flames, and he could feel everything that the soul was. The regrets… the joy… the memories of their being… all of it briefly brushing against his being.

'...Before they consume them.'

Embers flickered off his ghostly mane as he focused on making sure the soul was purified, whole… before releasing them to the beyond where it should have been so many years ago. The flames around his collar reached what seemed to be a crescendo, reaching almost the wall behind him and bright enough that would require anyone else watching to cover their eyes. 

Just as quickly, it subsided, and the ghostly flames around his collar flickered back to their normal wisp-like appearance. It left Charon a hollow yet fulfilled feeling spiritually, a deep breath leaving the old Pokémon as he closed his eyes. He could still feel the energy of the soul on this plain, slowly traveling further and further away… until he could no longer feel it among them.

Musharna stayed silent behind him, her eyes visibly closed, but Charon could tell she was staring at him, as if wanting to read his own soul to understand why such a Ghost would be gentle.

He couldn't help but feel a twinge of some emotion at being so clearly stared at. William, of course, stared when he did this to a departed Pokémon the first time, but that was understandable for him. He watches and observes everything.

…William also understood the reason and meaning behind the process. Or at least, better than amateur so-called 'experts' on Ghost Types. The things he's heard in passing… well, he might as well dispel some myths for a young Psychic. Some at least.

"Souls don't taste as good before they are purified." He deflected with a grunt. Before continuing without letting her speak up. "I know that emotions can influence your kind, an angry soul will be blistering, stubborn to let go, and a soul that lingers too long in the elements will decay… be rotten."

'Don't Ghost Types feed on those negative emotions?'

"Some do. Such Ghosts only feed and consume. I have no interest in that, as a guide."

'Ah… a guide of souls, I see. Yes, that does make more sense… and the taste is only an afterthought?'

"Would you let rotten food go somewhere where it may harm others? Or infect other rotten food?"

'...No, I suppose I would not. Dreams are my kind's domain, but we are more… archivers, of them, rather than guides. I have had to guide some younger humans who accidentally have nightmares while asleep here… so I suppose I guide some through dreams…'

Charon's collar smoldered itself out as he started to walk back the way he came, the Musharna following. He didn't protest, a twinge of curiosity finding its way into him as to the nature of this facility. He could most likely ask William, but his information was… scattered, or limited. "And what did the dreams of the humans who ran this place say?" 

Musharna stayed silent, but the cloudy mist of dreams emanating from its head shifted, akin to someone running a hand through it. 'Some dreamed of hope, for their findings to help others… some dream of the wealth that this place could have provided them only in their dreams, and never in reality.'

Charon snorted at that, the usual array of human wishes then, he saw similar things echoed in souls… "The usual for humans then." 

'Indeed, but they are each a fascinating insight into a person…. Soul and dreams are similar from certain perspectives, are they not?'

Charon couldn't disagree, Sinnoh knows that the Lunar Pokémon herself would be upset if he did. "They can be. Souls are everything that makes up a being… while dreams can be everything that could make up a being…"

'Yes, I suppose they are… though, I'd like to believe that dreams can be… well, I'm sure you've had souls you couldn't understand, or were confused by.'

The Typhlosion let a chuckle rumble in his chest, stopping fully before turning to the Psychic Type. "Oh, I have many stories I can tell… in over the one-hundred years I've been on this plane, I've seen much. Why don't you sit down, young 'Keeper'. Let me tell you a couple stories of souls I've seen…"

"...and that brings us to the end of Galar's mining coal strike, with the agreement of reconciliation between the Rolycoly line native to the mines, and the miners and Trainers who supported them, and the Galarian Government," Lena said in a hushed whisper from the tall grass, glancing at William next to her who blinked once, twice, and then thrice, before he finally spoke.

"I'm… surprised that the government gave in," William muttered, before pausing and humming before shaking his head. "Actually, no, that makes sense. Rose wasn't the Pokémon League chairman then…"

Lena felt baffled as to why that would make more sense, but ignored that for now as she watched as William carefully lifted his Pokédex with the camera function on. His eyes were now entirely focused on the screen's preview of the photo, aimed solely at the side of the ruins, where two Ledian were relaxing on some fallen rubble, eating berries together without a care in the world.

He pressed the button to focus the shot, waiting a moment before pressing it in again, his Pokédex making a faint shutter noise as the shot was in almost perfect focus, much better than what Lena could have taken with her Fine Styler. 

And she felt so, so tempted to ask where he got those skills, but she tried to hold back as the entire point of this detour tonight was to let him relax, and not have to worry about… much of anything.

She must have not hid it well enough on her face, as a slight glance from William made him sigh as he focused on taking another photo; this time of a Crobat hanging upside down in the shade, asleep. "You know, you can ask if you want."

Lena bit her lip, shifting slightly, though, not from any physical discomfort. "I… don't want to impose. I know how…"

"How much I try to hide things about myself?" William said while shifting his gaze to Lena with a raised eyebrow, before moving back to the camera with another focused expression, taking another photo. "It's… nothing against you, just… everything else around… give me a moment to think."

The words were soft coming from him as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. If it was to reminisce, or to carefully formulate his response, Lena didn't care at that moment as he started to speak. 

"My mom, she's a photographer. Bought her own cameras and would do photoshoots of families, weddings, births… all that." He said with a smile flickering on his face as he glanced at another Pokémon, a Kricketune gently weaving a calming tune that seemed to reverberate in the Dreamyard. A gathering of Kricketot around it, rubbing their antennas together as well to match the tune, and adding a peaceful chime as a back.

"She… would bring me sometimes, sometimes needed help to carry stuff inside or to tape down the extension cords… but sometimes she had me help take photos, and taught me the basics." He murmured, listening to the tune the Bug Types with a distant look in his eyes before raising his Pokédex, and taking another moment to focus as another picture was taken.

Lena didn't stop him, even though they had already gotten the photos the Quest required. 

Other Pokemon seemed to also be watching the impromptu symphony as well with them, Lena spotted some Watchog with their pack of Patrat, Purrloin watching from the side, and even a stray Munna looking down from above, the picture a perfect representation of just… peace, and tranquility. 

"It's just… I don't know, the muscle memory of it, something I've kept still I suppose… of home." William spoke up finally, glancing at his Pokédex to see the photo he took. The waning sun in the sky had given way to auburn sunset at this point, with rays of light visible as it cast against the gathering of Bug Types, and the other Pokemon. It was honestly a really impressive shot, perfect for a phone background, computer wallpaper, or a magazine.

Lena didn't miss how he fell silent, his eyes transfixed by the photo before he took a deep breath and pressed a button. His Pokédex's screen went black with the top screen sliding back as he pocketed the device. He was content to watch the hoard and listen to the beautiful melody the Pokémon played. 

"You'd never see anything like this at home… this world surprises me still…" William murmured, his eyes closing as he seemed content to just listen and… be, looking to actually relax as Lena had intended. His words rang true though, sights like this, while Lena knew would happen in the wild, were still a wonderful surprise to see; even for a Ranger, who was closer in touch with nature and Pokémon habits.

"Yeah… me too." Lena said softly, a smile forming as she was content to watch as well… this memory, this moment, committed to her memory. 

…and as if the Twins or The Original One itself were out to spite her, a sudden, rapid series of beeping came from her Fine Styler. Her body jolted, acting on autopilot and flipping it open to shut off the notification and cover the speakers so as to not disturb the Pokémon.

Thankfully, none of them looked disturbed, minus a lone Purrloin's ears twitching, and looking in their direction before disregarding them, focusing on the music once more. Lena couldn't help but still send a mental apology to the entire group… but glanced down at her Styler's screen now, her eyes entirely focused on reading the critical notification.

"Lena?" William's voice entered her ears, but she ignored him, her eyes fixated on the notification as her heart skipped a couple beats.

UNOVA RANGER PUBLIC ALERT NOTIFICATION - REQUEST FOR RANGERS NEARBY TO HEAD TO THE NACRENE CITY POKÉMON CENTER. 

ASSISTANCE NEEDED FOR UPCOMING CRITICAL MISSION IN PINWHEEL FOREST.

Notes: If possible, request nearby Trainers with Fire, Psychic, Rock, or Ground Types to join. Monetary Reward included. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 8 - The Crowd of Noise

If Lena was biting into her energy bar with a bit more aggression than normal and was pouting, she'd refute those claims, and call it an implanted memory from a Psychic Type.

‘Then again, Arthur would probably be the first one to call me out.’ She thought with a light mental grumble, glancing over at William who was eating a Chesto Berry and watching the windows at the passing subway tunnel. 

As he watched the tunnels go by, she typed into her Fine Styler with her free hand, the photos she and William took for the Quest attached in a message to the original requester. She read it over one last time before pressing send… thankful that Stylers used both radio, satellite, and network communications as the upload speed was consistent.

‘Quest Complete…’ She thought to herself, somewhat grateful that she had the time to sit down and do this, since by the time they arrived in Nacrene City, it’ll be close to the start time of the Mission…. Which, they would have arrived way before if William didn’t insist on taking the subway.

“We could have just landed outside Nacrene City.” She found herself saying without realizing it.

William glanced away from the window, raising an eyebrow. “Lena… we went over this, remember? You’re technically ‘supposed’ to be a Trainer guiding me…” He took another bite of his Chesto Berry before continuing. “...Rangers are allowed to carry an additional person on a Flying Type in any circumstances. However, Trainers cannot use Fly for transportation of a second person unless it is an emergency, and I can’t fly myself because I don’t have any license to do so.”

‘Dammit, William, you’re too smart for your own good...’ Lena quasi-grumbled to herself in her head, knowing that William had a point, a really valid point… but she really wanted to fly, it was near sunset too... “I could have just said I was a Ranger to anyone watching us… I have my Fine Styler to prove it… I mean, I am heading to a Mission anyways…”

“...but you’re not going there as a Ranger.”

“...I’m going as a Trainer on paper technically, yes. I will let the other Rangers know though so they aren’t caught off guard if they see me use my Fine Styler.” Lena added, making William frown and look a bit thoughtful. 

“How many others are there gonna be actually…? I know Ace Trainers are a part of Missions sometimes from the reports on TV, but how many people outside of Ranger’s will be at the Mission?” 

William’s question prompted Lena to lean back and run through her own memory… “Public volunteers aren’t called on usually unless the scale is larger than the available Rangers are able to handle… usually, something like three, or four Rangers would be able to handle an outbreak of Pokémon no problem. It’s usually just catch the target Pokémon species with Styler, and remove the Pokémon from the area to a designated meeting point, and then the Ranger there will help with relocating.”

Frowning, Lena couldn’t help but wince as she started to think back to the message once again. “...The fact that they’re asking for any able-bodied Trainers is… concerning, but shouldn’t be too bad for Pinwheel Forest…” Pausing, Lena frowned as she started to think about all the policies and rules that Trainers would need to know and go over during the Mission briefing. “Maybe I should go in as a Ranger… might help keep the chain of command with Trainers who are on their own…”

William tilted his head, as if conceding the point, but looked uncertain. “Maybe, but this is safer overall if we’re trying to keep a lower profile… arriving there at least, instead of flying in dramatically.” William grimaced at the thought, but Charon’s Poké Ball rattled on his belt, distracting him enough from his thought and making him glare for a brief moment before resuming his makeshift dinner.

Lena couldn’t help but cross her arms as she finished off the energy bar. “Looks like Charon agrees with me.”

“The only Flying Type that flew people in Charon’s time was also a Psychic Type, and let kids jump off her with reckless abandon apparently… that wouldn’t pass clearance today I bet.” William shot back, rolling his eyes as Charon’s ball shook again, as if offended. 

Lena started to run through her mental list of Flying Types that were also Psychic, but was cut short as the train lurched side to side, the distant sound of what was rumbling echoing through the cars. The other passengers seemed unconcerned and undisturbed, and the sleeping Minccino and their Trainer didn’t even wake up. William meanwhile, gripped onto his seat tightly, his eyes wide as he looked around. “Holy fucking — What was that?!”

Lena shot him a glance at his sudden swear, but paused for a moment, humming with a frown as she thought about it… they were on the Orange Line… which was the Multi Line… “Probably one of the Subway Masters using Earthquake ahead on the Battle Cars, they must have been running this line tonight.”

William froze and turned to her, his eyes wide in a way Lena had not seen before, which she quickly tried to calm. “The Battle Subway has the same safety standards as a normal subway, and even tighter standards than most official battle facilities, it’s safer than street battling actually.”

The young Trainer’s expression didn’t change, shifting to incredulous as he let out a shaking breath before rubbing his face and resuming to eat the Chesto Berry in silence… Lena rolled her eyes as she started to smirk. “Regretting not flying now, are you?”

Without missing a beat, William countered back quickly. “I’d still take an Earthquake-ridden train over flying without a harness or other safety procedures any day.”

Lena stared at him, before her voice was a touch softer as she realized what it might be. “Do… you have a fear of heights?”

William didn’t freeze, but shook his head before he paused, hesitating. He was clearly fighting with himself as he worked out his response, as if uncertain. “More of an anxiety with flying… there’s just a lot of outside factors…”

The Ranger hummed in response, but couldn’t help but frown at William’s phrasing. There was a lot to unpack in that sentence, but a chime sounding throughout the car’s PA System took her attention…

“This is the Nimbasa bound Orange Line. The next stop is 14 St-Percy Square in Nacrene City, estimated arrival time - five minutes. ” Came the automated voice through the PA, the sound awakening the sleeping passenger in the corner and her Minccino. The sight of that was enough to prompt Lena to run through her plan in her head again, nodding once.

“Alright, so here’s what we’ll do once we get off.” She said, bringing William’s attention to her again before continuing. “We’ll head to the Pokémon Center, and get a room for tonight. I already canceled our rooms from Straiton’s Pokémon Center, so there shouldn’t be any booking issues related to that.” 

“...Are we sure we’ll have room in Nacrene’s Pokémon Center?”

Lena was starting to notice that William was a bit too paranoid. “We will, even if it’s a double room. It’s too early in the season for it to be booked entirely, so you might be able to get a good night of rest while I go to the Mission… probably be back past midnight.”

William started to frown, prompting Lena to raise her hands in mock-defense. “What? Growing kids need their sleep, I did warn you that Chesto Berry might keep you up…”

That must have been the wrong thing to say, as William flinched slightly and winced. “I-I — that’s not what I was… I mean that —” He grunted, shaking his head before sighing and focusing forward instead, his shoulder’s slumping slightly. “...nevermind…”

Lena looked at him, her eyebrows pinching slightly in worry and confusion… William’s mood doing an entire one-eighty from when they were at the Dreamyard. ‘Did I say something patronizing? I mean, I know you’re more mature than most kids, but… you do need your rest just the same as others, right? Do you think you can’t rest?’ 

Taking a breath herself, Lena finished her own energy bar. Some day she’ll puzzle him out, but for now… she’d have to refocus for tonight, and completely get back into the game of a Ranger once they got to the Pokémon Center and got a room.

“I apologize, but yes, every Trainer room is booked. Even the Ranger Rooms given the situation. You might have some luck with a hotel, but I’m getting calls saying they’re overbooked as well…”

‘Dammit William, you Jynxed it...’

The Pokémon Center was packed like a can of Wishiwashi; by Lena’s estimates, there must’ve been at least 60 people all milling around trying to make space in the lobby, and the cafeteria had to be well over the occupancy limit.

“I just hope I can get my Lillipup looked at before the aftermath, who knows how long the wait is gonna be after all the Trainers and Ranger’s come back…” 

“What’s happening with Pinwheel Forest? I saw a Ranger and a Police Officer placing barricades on the front —”

“Johnny, you’re being too paranoid again. Not everything is a conspiracy; sometimes shit just happens.”

“Arceus Almighty, Val, you’re being so fuckin’ naïve. First they start bringing in new Pokémon, and now they’re blocking off the entirety of Pinwheel Forest to cover up what’s happening with the Venipede and Sewaddle! It’s all part of that damn diversity law led by that Fae bitch!”

Lena couldn’t help but rub her head slightly, feeling the sickening, caustic aura of the guy from across the room just from his words and attitude. Definitely a heavily Poison attuned trainer. 

Among all the chaotic conversations, Lena tried her best to refocus… though, the words and noise kept yanking her attention every which way. 

“Where are you camping out then, since the main section is blocked for tonight?”

“Eh, might just trek to Route 3, I know it’s gonna be crowded by the gate, but might as well, be somewhere close still.”

“They should’ve let us in the damn museum, what, does the League not consider it a ‘support’ area just because Lenora saddled her job with the only other golden boy they had the last League season?”

“Remember last time there was an emergency in the forest and they opened the museum to the public?”

“Think there will be an Antidote shortage for a bit? I remember them talking about Weedle in the news…”

“I’m betting it’s gonna be Full Heals, they always requisition the best stock for their own needs…”

“Oh boo fuckin’ hoo, Lenora lost her precious little skull, let’s all throw us folks in the Pokémon Center while the League Patrats are off snorting aeruginascin.”

“Ayy-roo-gin-a-what-now?”

“That’s the shit they put in X Special. Gets you trippin balls deep like Daddy in his one night affair with—”

“Fuck’s sake Johnny, there’s kids around! And how the fuck do you know this?”

“What can I say? I’m a sommelier of hard drugs.”

“Ma’am? Are you okay?”

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Lena refocused on the one manning the front desk, who wasn’t the usual Nurse, but instead one of the lab technicians who was usually in the back. Looking entirely exhausted. 

She forced herself to clear her throat. “Yeah, sorry, got distracted by, uh, those two,” pointing at Johnny and his friend ‘Val’, who similarly looked about done with him as everyone else around him.

The technician groaned. “Oh, yeah. That man has been going off for the past hour. I’m considering kicking him out, but he technically hasn’t done anything wrong yet.”

‘I really need to make sure that William can be somewhere safe… I uh, don’t think I want him around that Johnny guy...’

With a sudden curse in her head, Lena maintained a smile and waved it off. “It’s fine… I was just trying to figure something out, sorry, I saw everyone but I just wanted to make sure there weren't any rooms… I’ll get out of your hair now… good luck.” She said, giving the tech a nod who smiled back with a hint of an exhausted, grateful expression.

With a quick turn, she awkwardly navigated through the crowd once again, making her way to the rightmost wall, where William was leaning against it while sitting on the floor with his bag in his lap. Lena shifted to move her bag to her right side, then similarly leaned her back against the wall before sliding down to sit next to William. A sputter started to leave her lips as Lena rubbed her arm slightly as she tried to formulate a plan to make sure William would be able to rest, but also not be out in the open…

William, in turn, was looking at his Pokédex which displayed a map of the area with pixelated representations of Pokémon spread out, his attention focused as he seemed to be pressing certain button combinations... While she was curious, she ignored that for now… “So… there wasn’t anything available…”

Nodding slightly, William stopped whatever he was doing with his Pokédex to look out at the crowd once again, his eyes scanning across and flicking from person to person. “I think they… evacuated the entire forest. Look at some of the gear on some of them.”

Lena looked over them all once again, picking up on what William saw. Hastily stuffed away tents, or sleeping bags either poking out of bags, or in people’s arms… Some even wore comfortable sleeping pants or shirts, hammering in the fact that indeed, they had pulled out everyone from the forest that they probably could.

Lena hissed her through teeth as she looked around… ‘That… says a lot more than I was expecting… shit, I stop being an Area Ranger for less than a week and I’m that out of the loop? ’ 

She could berate herself for her slip up later, for now, she still had to figure out how to get William somewhere away from all the chaos. Biting her lip, she tried to work through her plan once again, feeling like invisible walls kept blocking her own thoughts as they tried to gather, forcing them to slip away from her own focus.

And then, like the Twins were purposely making it so she couldn’t think, William started speaking again.“...I’m sorry that I insisted we take the subway, I know it took longer and… probably might have made it otherwise…” William said, almost too low for her to hear, but just loud enough to make her be able to detect the hint of underlying guilt and shame in his tone.

Waving her hand at him and turning to him, she tried to quickly assuage such feelings. “Please, no, it’s fine William. It’s my fault for not thinking this through, don’t worry… I shouldn’t have tried to press someone who had a fear of flying to fly on a bird Pokémon they didn’t know. I’ll make a plan for us.”

William frowned, visibly his face shifted into a grimace, seeming to want to come up with a rebuttal, before he just shook his head and sighed, slumping a bit more into himself as he turned back to the Pokédex again.

His mood had shifted drastically since the Dreamyard, almost like all the work Lena had done earlier to help him relax had come undone… a pit of guilt and shame building in her stomach. Arthur must have sensed it, because his Great Ball wobbled on her belt. She passed her finger over it, feeling concern pass through from Arthur’s aura, even Rina’s Dive Ball shook for a moment.

“I’ll be fine… don’t worry, just gotta think this through… a lot is happening here…” Lena murmured, attempting to soothe her partners as she gently ran her finger over the capsules… the shaking stopped, but she still felt the lingering emotions and hesitation from Arthur. She tried to ignore it as she started to run through her remaining options… 

Even if she pulled her rank for the Pokémon Center staff just to keep an eye on him, they were already swamped with work and she didn’t want to give them more headache during this whole mess… plus the ‘X-Special’ man was…

‘Yeah, no, Pokémon Center is a no go, I’m not leaving William in the same room with a… druggie with anger issues… how the name of the Twins did he even get… nevermind.’ She was going to need a Psychic Type to force those memories away, even as she physically shook her head to move onto her next point.

They technically could set up a campsite a bit away from town to keep William away from people… but leaving a seven year old alone — even if he had a fully evolved Pokémon — left a taste in Lena’s mouth that rivaled a Yago Berry. If a couple Trainers, or Arceus forbid, anyone newsworthy caught wind of William having a young Starter, and a fully evolved Pokémon thought to be lost…

Well, that means the entire purpose of trying to keep him under the radar until the first Gym was broken within the first couple days of her own Mission.

…Which meant the only real option was to keep an eye on William herself. During the Mission.

‘Dammit… I don’t want him near this, but…’ Lena sighed and turned to him with a look that she could feel wasn’t fully confident. “I… I hate to ask this, but would you feel comfortable coming with…?”

William’s eyebrows raised, and he was clearly surprised by the change in her plan, but he nodded all the same, maybe even too eagerly. “U-Uh, yeah, I can help out if… if that’s what you mean.”

‘I mean… not exactly what I meant, but that works.’ Lena thought, sighing and glancing at the crowd. “I know it’s… sudden, but… I can’t really find a better solution to get you somewhere safe, and where people won’t try and poke into your business if they get curious…”

William shook his head, seemingly not bothered. “It’s fine, don’t worry… Charon can help if we can get away from other Trainers. And if not… worst case scenario, I just try my best to stay out of your way.”

Lena grimaced at his phrasing, unsure if it was coming from a place of realistic thinking, or some weird low self-esteem thing. ‘ Now’s not the time to think about that… ’

Instead, she pivoted the conversation, sighing and leaning back against the wall as a faint resigned feeling took root in her chest. “I’m sorry still, about not being able to get you a room, I mean...”

William shook his head, waving her off with his other hand. “It’s fine, I’ve had long nights before.” 

“Sneaking out to visit Charon?”

He tilted his head, nodding slightly in agreement. “That’s one, but not the worst I’ve had.”

“Not the worst? What, did you stay up past —”

“Attention everyone!” A voice from a megaphone rattled Lena from her musing enough to blink and turn to the source with a jerky movement, where a Ranger had stood up on top of the front desk, and was scanning the hoard of Pokémon and people.

The crowd went silent, and all eyes locked onto him before he spoke, “I’m the Pokémon Ranger designated for this incident, and I’m calling on volunteer Trainers who are willing to assist with this matter so that Pinwheel Forest can be reopened for travel as soon as possible.”

At this, some of the murmuring started again, but the Ranger continued. “Will everyone who is willing to assist, and who has any Pokémon with a type advantage over Bug and Poison Types come with me? Everyone else, please follow the directive of any fellow Pokémon Rangers, Pokémon Center Staff, and Law Enforcement at this time, thank you.”

‘Shoot, what’s his name again? I know he’s usually assigned to Pinwheel Forest…. M-something right? Matthew? Mitchell? Michael?’  

Lena stopped her musing as she realized some Trainers started to follow ‘M-something’ down the hall, and she went to take a step forward before glancing back at William for a brief moment to speak with him…. Only, she quickly realized he was not behind her, but now in front of her, stopped a couple feet away as he realized she had not followed them.

“We’re… going with them, right?”

Lena blinked, opening her mouth for a moment, before nodding and holding back an internal sigh. “Yeah, we are. Just… stay close. This isn’t ideal, I know, but I’ll explain more about this later.”

Taking the lead, and walking a bit faster they were fast enough to merge with the group following the Ranger. Lena felt her instincts kick from when she last did a Mission like this… during the siege. 

Despite the memories, she still glanced around at the other Trainers as they were led into the Center’s private conference room, already gaging their strength. Her eyes flicked from the type of Poké Balls on their belts, to how they held themselves as they walked, and sorting where they might best be able to assist out of sheer reflex. She had to catch herself from saying anything aloud though, but still mentally sorted them.

William stayed close to her side, his face impressively serious as he focused on the Ranger in front without flicking to anywhere else in the room. She noted though, that he was playing with Charon’s Poké Ball in his hand, rubbing his thumb around the ridge of the capsule as he focused without glancing around at any of the other Trainers. Almost as if trying to ignore the slight glances some of them were giving him. 

Before she could subtly ask if he was alright, the Ranger in charge stood at the head of the table, a Simisear handing him a remote which finally sparked the name she had been trying to remember. ‘ Miguel! That’s his name! ’

“Alright, so it looks like we have all our volunteers… here…” Miguel trailed off as his eyes locked with William, the almost invisible furrow of his eyebrows giving enough away for Lena to know exactly what he was thinking. His eyes then flicked to Lena, the furrowing intensifying as he took in her ‘uniform’. It was enough to prompt her to shift her left arm just enough to clearly show her Fine Styler, her own eyes staring back at him to send a silent message.

Whether or not he received it, Miguel continued smoothly along. “Ahem, anyways. Thank you so much for agreeing to assist us on this mission, I’m Miguel, one of the regular Rangers who patrols Pinwheel Forest. As such, I’m going to run through everything related to this…”

Pressing a button on the remote he was given, the screen behind him shifted to what looked like an aerial view of the forest, one that Lena herself had seen a couple times. “So, as you’ve probably heard, Pinwheel Forest has had a budding infestation of the Weedle line, even though they’ve only been approved to be on Route 12 as a stable habitat.”

‘So, most likely migrated? Those have been happening more often…’ Lena started to think to herself… her body naturally shifted back to not be obvious as her mind started to wander, tuning out the standard speech Miguel was giving that she had given others before on previous volunteer Missions she had run… 

‘I suppose that would make sense… from what I heard on the TV, they’ve been really aggressive too, most likely trying to establish their own hive? Were they kicked out of their previous hive…?’ Before Lena could continue to go down that line of thought, she glanced back up at Miguel, just to check where they were…

On screen, was the standard instructions for properly treating poison, one that Lena knew all too well. Wash the wound with clean water, spray an Antidote over the wound… wrap it… all the standard stuff for low-level poison from Beedrill, and backups in a worst case scenario. 

All things she reviewed in Ranger School over and over again. Along with various other poison treatments for more advanced Poison Types… learning how to treat poison for a Steel Type was… interesting, even if those cases were highly limited. Despite that, she made sure to review them just in case for Arthur’s sake.

‘Corrosion is such a weird ability… only… the Salandit line has the ability? Wait — no, the Glimmet line also rarely does…’ Lena mused with a hum, before shaking her head, her thoughts were still too scattered from the day… she had to focus.

Her mind glanced around the room again, starting to take in the other Trainers to gauge who may need to be paid up with who… but her thoughts were shattered again by a passing comment she heard.

“What the heck is a kid doing here?”

Lena had to hold a wince back physically, the comment… was fair. ‘I don’t want William here either for his own safety… but the optics for every option aren’t the best…’  

After that comment though, that’s when more started to fill the air, just barely under people’s breath, hushed, disconnected whispers… or maybe she just started to notice them now that she was focusing… or trying too.

“He’s not seriously going to be on this? Youngsters can’t join Missions…”

‘Well, he’s not a Youngster you know, which is fair, he is young bu—’

“Probably hasn’t even had a battle, look at him trying to be all serious…”

‘Well, yeah he needs more experience with Ronin, but Charo—’

“Hey, she looks a bit young to be his parent… think she’s his babysitter?”

‘I mean, it’s more like he’s—’

“I bet he doesn’t even have any Badges, bet you he’s gonna be crying before half-a-hour. Stupid wannabe Trainer kids…”

“I hope we don’t get paired up with him, bet you he has only a house Lillipup, probably all he could handle…”

“Twins above, he’s past his bedtime… they’re making anyone Trainer these days… his Pokémon probably barely listens to him…”

Lena felt something burn inside her at the comments at William, her teeth gritting slightly as she forced herself from turning directly at the speakers. She could also tell that Arthur and Rina similarly felt angry, with how Arthur’s Aura felt tight , restraint and holding itself back from lashing out even though the Great Ball. Meanwhile, Rina’s Dive Ball got colder, condensation forming around it at the comments…

She didn’t let her own emotions show on her face, instead shifting her posture a bit taller, straighter… taking a deep breath similar to when Arthur showed her how he meditated… and cleared his thoughts. She wasn’t nearly as experienced with Aura, or as in touch as the Lucario was, but she could feel her mind wash away the distractions, her very presence almost seeming to challenge the rest of the Trainers to continue.

Some comments trailed off mid-sentence, one even making a muffled choking noise. The attention started to shift instead to Miguel speaking now, instead of Lena or William.

‘I know it’s a stressful situation but that does not give people the right to make comments about a kid, make comments about me if you’re going too…'

Taking another deep breath to prevent herself from saying anything aloud she didn’t intend to, and with as much of a subtle glance as she could, her eyes darted to William to check on his reaction. She knew that he would be getting comments about his age eventually… but from Trainers in a volunteer Mission? 

William’s expression gave nothing away, she could only see the same impassive expression staring dead on at Miguel. His thumb continued the repetitive motion of before however, slowly dragging around the ridge Charon’s Poké Ball in his hand and paying no mind to any of the other Trainers.

‘...I’ll speak to him later, make sure he’s okay…’ Lena mused, adding it to her ever growing checklist of things she needs to do, and keep straight… 

“...with that said, please put this number on your communication device of choice.” Miguel said with enough force to direct her attention to him again as he pressed a button on a remote. The screen behind him shifted slides, showing the emergency frequency number for this mission. There were a series of beeps, and clicks around the room as Xtransceivers, some PokéNavs, and even one decade old Pokégear were turned on to add that number. Lena subtly opened her Fine Styler at an angle to add it in at the top of her communication list.

“This number will be active for the remainder of tonight, if you, or your partners need to report something you see, need to retire for the night, get into trouble, anything at all… please use this line to reach a Ranger to assist.” With a serious look, Miguel leaned a little over the table, leveling everyone with a firm gaze. “Do not hesitate to use this. We would rather have a false alarm and a resource be overused, than someone not using it and getting them, their Pokémon, or other hurt… or worse.”

With a sigh, Miguel stood back up and nodded, gazing across the group before making a motion to another Ranger, who leaned down and grabbed a box from under the table before placing it on top. Inside, were hundreds of Nest Balls, all in their shrunken form which was impressive enough that Lena almost was about to comment, before another box of Nest Balls was placed next to it.

“Take as many Nest Balls as you can carry, however, please tell us how many you are grabbing… we sadly do have to document that.” He said with a joking tone, some understanding laughter echoing from some Trainers, and others grumbling… “Once you grab what you feel you can carry, please exit the Pokémon Center and meet up with Ranger Hillary to set up groups and other procedural work, she will have her Beartic out so you can easily spot her.”

At this, the room slowly started to shrink as people started to move… more and more people grabbed Nest Balls before heading out… Lena was glad that they were in the back of the group for the inevitable conversation…

Sure enough, as soon as the two of them reached the front and once the last Trainer had left the room, Miguel’s posture changed. He flicked his eyes to William, who was shoveling Nest Balls carefully into the pocket of his hoodie before pausing and seeming content… before he frowned and grabbed one more, quickly moving his hand across his hoodie and tapping as he re-counted before looking up at Miguel. “Twenty Nest Balls.”

Miguel blinked, then blinked again before staring at Lena. Lena glanced at William to direct him outside, but William already put the pieces together, looking just a tad guilty. “I’ll… head out by Ranger Hillary, let you two speak, I’ll wait for you outside…”

Holding back a thankful look on her face with Miguel staring, Lena watched as he retreated outside the room, making sure the door closed softly. The room was now silent, with only two Rangers, and a Simisear who mirrored his partner’s expression towards Lena.

“So… mind telling me what’s going on with…” Miguel started, making a motion up and down at Lena, making her raise her eyebrows.

“An emergency Mission goes out at nine-o-clock at night and you’re surprised I’m in my civvies?” Lena shook her head and crossed her arms. “Orders from Chairperson Erma herself. I have a… long term Mission, and I can’t really wear a standard Ranger Uniform.”

Miguel’s eyebrows shot up at the mention of Erma, whatever he was going to say in rebuttal dying on his tongue, even Semisear was shocked. “Well… alright, but how does that relate to the kid?” Regaining a serious expression, he frowned and shook his head. “He doesn’t even look like he has any Badges, Lena. A Mission like this isn’t a place for a greenhorn Trainer, what Pokémon does he even have that’s good against the Weedle line?”

“A Typhlosion, for one.”

Miguel raised his eyebrows, clearly intrigued. “Parents were professionals then, eh? Old family Pokémon?”

‘Shoot, I need something quick.’ Lena forced her expression to not shift as she ran through possible excuses…. She said she was a guide to that one kid William fought earlier that day, but Miguel would sniff out that lie in an instant… something to not prompt further questions, but let her stay with William… and then, like a bolt of lightning, William’s words came back to her forefront. 

‘I know Ace Trainers are a part of Missions sometimes from the reports on TV…’

Doing her best, Lena started to speak a bit fast, as if she hadn’t clearly come up with this on the spot. “Y-Yeah, kid’s a prodigy or something. Apart of some early Ace Trainer program. They uh… didn’t want to send him out alone though due to his age, so they’re having me go with him… he was apparently taking college classes, or something with discrete math for his age, so that helped with the support to let him go on a Journey early.”

Miguel, to her relief, nodded at the explanation, but couldn’t hold back a growing frown. “I… can get the reasoning, but I don’t like the idea of any kid being in a situation like this. Sure he can’t stay at the Pokémon Center? Wait for a… smaller scale Mission for his first time?”

Even while she was giving herself a mental high-five at her lie, Lena let a sardonic laugh leave her as she shook her head, her smile having no happiness in it. “With what room? The Ranger designated rooms are taken up as well for tonight… and I dunno if you heard about the uh… ‘Johnny’ guy in the lobby…?”

“...Alright, fair point… hotels are booked up too?”

With a sigh, Lena nodded. “Completely booked according to the Pokémon Center staff… and he's seven years old so I don’t want him camping out alone. He is a Trainer, yes, but seven still. I’d prefer to keep him out of this too but…”

A silence filled the room, a heavy sigh leaving Miguel before he spoke again. “This is a bad idea, I’m just stating that, and I think you know as well.” Lena schooled her expression, but couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Miguel didn’t stop though, taking a deep breath before finishing his thought. “However… even though I’m one of the Ranger’s assigned to this Mission, you technically outrank me now so I can’t tell you what to do.”

Lena’s brain short circuited for a moment, before she remembered she was a Top Ranger now… which did allow her more flexibility than she expected herself to have.

“Right… I know. I don’t like the idea either, but I’m going to keep an eye on him, we just need to catch as much of the Weedle line, which shouldn’t be an issue for him.” Lena declared, Miguel staring at her for a moment before shaking his head and laughing. 

“Yeah, well with how young he is, he might drag you into trouble… just, radio in if you need anything, alright?”

With a nod, and a mutual dismissal, Lena turned and started to walk out the door. Nudging it open with her shoulder, she shifted her gloves before making sure her Fine Styler was secure around her left arm as she walked down the hallway.

Her mind was already starting to run through scenario after scenario, a plan formulating from all the information she knew about the situation… capturing the Weedles with her Styler would be fine , but she couldn’t do it with the group itself, so she’ll need to pull away and go her own route with William. 

‘Benefit of that is that he’ll be able to release Charon as well. ’ Lena thought with a slightly relieved note, before shaking her head. She should meet up with William outside before thinking over anything specific.

After navigating through the crowd once again, it was easy to spot William, with him wearing his yellow sweatshirt; and how he clearly sat apart from the rest of the volunteer Trainers who were mingling among themselves. Though, the group did seem a bit larger now, with some of their own Pokémon out now. There was a Darmanitan, a Houndoom, a Gothorita, and even a Grumpig, all mingling close to their Trainers, but also conversing lightly with the other Pokémon.

And William and Ronin clearly kept to themselves, clearly separate; though some other Trainers did shoot him the occasional glance at William as he tapped through the Pokédex silently and with Ronin chewing on his own Chesto Berry in his lap.

William glanced up, noticing Lena and nodding before speaking to Ronin too soft for her to discern as she walked over. The Water Type nodded before William picked him up and put him in his hoodie; shifting slightly due to the weight, he stood up and walked over to Lena with a look of concern. “Everything okay…?”

‘Jeez kid, you really are anxious…’ With a light nod and wave, Lena tried to push his concerns aside. “Yeah, it’s all good. I’ll explain later.” 

With that, a very deliberate clearing of the throat brought everyone’s attention to the Ranger next to the Beartic, Hillary’s eyes glancing across the crowd for a moment. It was similar to Miguel, but this time she was sizing up everyone, identical to how Lena had done so once she had entered the room. “Alright, now that I have everyone’s attention, follow me. We’re going to the entrance of Pinwheel Forest where our rendezvous point and station will be. We’ll also go over any questions, or minor details so don’t run off.” 

She paused, making sure her words sunk in before turning and walking, her Beartic standing closely behind her and letting out a huff as she also huffed and mirrored her partner. The group slowly started to head in the direction of the forest, William and Lena slowly merging close with them, but still staying in the back.

After a minute of pause, William glanced up at Lena with a questioning expression. “Not gonna release Arthur or Rina yet?”

At the mention of her partners, her hand instinctively went to her belt before she caught herself and shook her head slightly. “No, once we’re in the forest, then I’ll release them…we’re gonna go on our own after Hillary finishes, I’ll take care of that though so there’s no questions, don’t worry.”

William hummed with a nod, glancing at the night sky and taking a deep breath, rolling his neck slightly as they headed away from Nacrene City… falling silent and seeming lost in thought.

Lena decided to do the same, letting herself have a moment to think to herself before the long night, the forest seeming almost to stretch far above the group as they walked deeper into the darkness…

Chapter Text

Chapter 9 - The Foreboding Forest

On a normal night, the moonlight above would be a pleasant backdrop to a beautiful stroll, reflecting on the surface of the water by the bridge as it broke through the treetops of Pinwheel Forest.

The sight of sleeping Sewaddle on the trees cuddled between Swadloon, the more recent addition of the Slakoth line asleep and hanging from a tree… Audino helping younger Pokémon be brought back to their parents after a long day of play... all would have been a backdrop for a perfect night stroll through the forest.

There was none of that tonight.

The Pokémon all around them either scattered at the sight of the humans, or watched them with careful eyes as they walked by… the atmosphere thick with uncertainty and… fear. There wasn’t any other way to describe it, and Lena didn’t need Arthur out to just feel it on the back of her neck.

…Despite that, some of the Trainers in front of them were still mingling in light conversation in front of them as Hillary and her Beartic guided them to the meeting point. Lena did her best to ignore them as she continued to work through her own plan, but one of the Trainers turned slightly back to her and William, his Houndoom walking next to him, his expression inscrutable from the darkness and angle.

“Hey, so… what other Pokémon do you even have, kid? An Oshawott ain’t gonna cut it against a Beedrill if you encounter one.”

Lena could tell the guy was fishing for information, and his tone, while on the surface seemed like it was out of worry… it had a hint of condescending under it. Before Lena could speak up first, William beat her to it with a surprisingly even tone. “A Fire Ghost Type, he knows Aerial Ace and Rock Slide, so Type coverage isn’t a problem if we fight Beedrill.”

The Trainer’s expression shifted to something more akin to confusion. “A Fire Ghost Type…? I mean… Lampent is great with things like Flamethrower, but their physicality won’t let them throw much… I mean, you do you kid if you even managed to teach them that moves, but there isn’t anything your Oshawott can do to protect you if you get swarmed, how old is he anyways?”

Ronin seemed to glare at the man, and William’s own tone was a bit more pressed, focusing on the Trainer now with a fixed stare. “Ronin needs a bit more experience battling and aiming Water Gun in environments he’s not used to, such as low light environments, and it’ll be nice to get Weedle or Kakuna out of trees without causing any permanent damage…” Pausing for a moment, it was clear William was considering adding something before shaking his head slightly and staring forward… clearly dismissing the man from further conversation, while Ronin was glaring at the Trainer and his Houndoom in defiance.

Said Trainer only scoffed slightly, shaking his head and muttering about ‘stubborn kids these days’ as he turned forward, his Houndoom doing something similar, even sneering at William for a moment before mirroring the Trainer. Lena waited a moment for the man’s attention to be taken away before looking down at William, speaking in a hushed, but gentle tone. “Hey, are you okay? The other Trainers were talking about you earlier and that wasn’t right…”

William seemed… too blasé about it, Lena would say it felt almost forced as he gave a slight wave of his arm. “It’s… fine, they shouldn’t, but I’ve heard worse working before. You haven’t been insulted until someone called you a son of a protestant whore.”

“Buhhh-wh-what?”

Before she could even attempt to parse what a ‘protestant’ was, she started to make notes of William’s body posture. It was… too straight, rigid; his other hand was in his sweatshirt pocket making a left to right repetitive motion, and then she noticed that William’s other hand had his Pokédex as he walked, and with one missing Poké Ball on his belt…

'He’s been rubbing Charon’s Poké Ball as some sort of grounding agent, or… anxiety stimming method.’ Lena realized, her own hand moving down to Arthur’s Great Ball unconsciously… feeling his Aura instinctively reach out for a brief connection that surrounded her with a brief comforting warmth, even Rina’s Dive Ball shook slightly.

Lena moved her hand all the way, rubbing both Poké Balls on her belt, and shooting them an appreciative glance, but turned back to William quickly after. “You know you don’t have to put on a brave face all the time you know… I know it’s been a stressful couple of days for you, and that’s putting it mildly.”

William turned back to Lena with a fixed look filled with a cocktail of emotions, one of them being to her surprise, concern directed at her . “And what about you…? You’re in the same boat as I am.”

Before Lena could question what he meant, he continued. “You’ve just been promoted to a — ah… higher level —” He said carefully, glancing briefly at the Trainers in front of them to make sure no one was listening in on purpose before continuing. “— and this is sudden for you no doubt, and then you’re given an assignment that requires you to trek all over the Region for your boss for an indefinite amount of time following a kid around… ”

Glancing back at the Trainers in front, he waited a moment before continuing, his tone lower than before. “...And on top of that, you’re attempting to keep doing your normal Ranger obligations of Missions and Quests… I don’t… know you too well, but even to me that… I dunno, just… I know I haven’t been helping, wanting to rush to Straiton, then not flying here causing us not to get a room… but…”

The worry in his tone wasn’t uncharacteristic, but having it directed at Lena herself so pointedly did prompt a mix of emotions she wasn’t sure she could work through right now… but it was clearly another deflection, or at least, to a degree.

…Even if Lena couldn’t deny some of his concerns, given the last two years.

“I’ll be fine… just… ” She paused for a moment, knowing William could read people really well, Lena deciding to give a little for him. “...it has been a lot, but I’m good to keep going. It’s the adults responsibility to do so. Just don’t shoulder other’s worries on yourself kid, that’s an easy way for gray hairs early.”

She could see that William was frowning slightly, hesitating again before he just nodded, but he clearly was not convinced…

There wasn’t any time to investigate it further, as Hillary made a whistling noise, suddenly grabbing everyone’s attention. Lena turned to observe the scene, seeing Hillary standing in front of a setup canopy with a table underneath. On the table, supplies were easily accessible for people to grab with boxes of Nest Balls, Antidotes, even Potions of various tiers. Hillary’s eyes passed over everyone as the Trainers stopped their various discussions, flicking from Trainer, to Pokémon, back to Trainer.

To Lena’s grateful surprise, she didn’t linger on her or William, just simply nodding. “It seems that you’ve all started to organize yourself into groups. Good, makes this easier.” Hillary said as she opened her Styler. “As Miguel most likely said, my name is Hillary, I’m one of the other Ranger’s in charge of this Mission. I’m here to answer any questions, and provide other support as needed… yes?” She halted her speech, as one of the other Trainers had already raised their hand.

“Yeah, so… where are the Gym Leaders for this situation? Why isn’t Burgh, or even former Leader Lenora assisting?” She said, her tone a bit pointed and maybe even accusatory. Said tone made Hillary sigh deeply, even her partner Beartic mirrored her with his breath visible in the air from how deep he sighed as well.

“Due to the fact that, as far as the League is concerned, this is an issue related to a foreign intruding a local Pokémon habitat. As a result, the Ranger Union is obligated to step in to assist with capturing, handling, and relocating as many of the species to a proper location for the safety of Pinwheel Forest’s diversity, and for the safety of travelers and Trainers.”

It was clear she was reading something from memory, Lena has had to give answers as such before… but she didn’t expect Hillary to continue. “On top of that, the Pokémon League has specifically ‘requested’ that the Ranger Union handle the situation independently without involving any body of them, and the Nacrene Police only just gave us the approval to close Pinwheel Forest for a volunteer Mission.”

‘So… the League wants the Ranger Union to clean up their mess with how they handled the Diversity Act then, got it. ’ Lena thought to herself with a scoff she couldn’t hide, some of the other Trainers echoing similar sentiments with mutters under their breath…

Another Trainer, next to the Darmanitan, spoke up with a more impatient tone over the voices. “So, what is the money going to look like? I don’t wanna have to split my earnings with anyone else who doesn’t pull their weight.”

He didn’t name anyone specifically, but Lena could feel the brief side eye some Trainers were giving her and William, thankfully, Hillary spoke up faster. “It will be based on how many Pokémon the individual has caught. When you return to this home point, the Nest Balls with Pokémon of the captured Weedle line will be tallied up, and logged with your Trainer ID.” Taking a breath, she continued. “After the Mission has concluded, and the total amount of Weedle, Kakuna, and Beedrill you are registered to have caught are totalled up, a deposit will be made to the League Account tied to your Trainer ID. If you have a private bank account you’d prefer, please let us know during the conclusion of the Mission so we can get the details down.”

That seemed to stem some of the people's concerns… Lena making a mental note to see if she could exclude herself… she’s still getting her paycheck for being a Ranger so William could use a bit more spending money since the starting stipend wouldn’t last forever…

‘Maybe as an apology for dragging him into this… he doesn’t seem inclined to do much battling, so wouldn’t be getting money from that… ’ She thought to herself for a moment before Hillary continued, forcing herself to snap up.

“If there are no more questions… Please remember to stay in your groups while out in the forest, stay away from the outer boundaries, have the emergency line on hand, and please do not hesitate to take any Antidotes, Nest Balls, or Potions. Just let us document who took what so the finance team doesn’t bite us with an audit.” She joked, mirroring Miguel in the beginning.

After her comment, some of the Trainers started to disburse, Lena about to walk off as well, but William gently grabbed her jacket, making her turn to him. “Something wrong?”

“You got Nest Balls?”

“Uh… no… I uh…” William’s eyebrows fell, a slightly unamused expression on his face as Lena could feel Rina’s Dive Ball shake, probably with amusement at her expense. Sighing slightly, she turned and walked over to the table with a faint grumble as she started writing down her Trainer ID and noting down how many she was taking.

Apparently Hillary was also a tad amused, smirking to her as she started grabbing them, glancing around to make sure that no one else was nearby, she began speaking. “So, big leagues now, huh? Gotta say, I’m a bit surprised you weren’t promoted earlier…”

At this Lena’s hand hesitated, and her face shifted into something confused, her brain giving her buffering response automatically. “Huh?”

With a wave, she tried to dismiss whatever she was meaning to say. “Never mind, just wanna say congratulations, it's still a big leap still nevertheless and we’re happy for you.” Then, as if Lena wasn’t still trying to process her last sentence, Hillary’s eyes turned a bit more… intrigued. “Still though, surprised that you got put on essentially monitoring duty for the long term as your first ‘big’ Mission.”

At Lena’s still confused expression, Hillary clarified. “Miguel sent me a message while we were walking, he should be here soon… but, basically, just giving me a heads up what your plan was…” Shooting a glance to the side, Lena followed similarly, noting how William had grabbed four Antidotes and was writing down his name on a check-out sheet next to them… his Pokédex out as he copied down his Trainer ID as well for the items.

Hillary turned back to Lena with an amused expression, prompting her to sigh. “Yeah, it’s… been a long couple of days… I uh… haven’t been able to check the main Ranger communications if people are sending me messages.” Lena said awkwardly, making Hillary shug in response.

“It happens, still a bit surprised you’re here though… would have thought that you would have focused on your main Mission.” Hillary said… her tone was still more curious than pointed, but Lena could tell she had her own thoughts.

“Well… heard what was happening, so I knew that the Ranger’s in the area would be limited if they were calling for Trainer volunteers, no point in me not helping if I’m trying to be a ‘Trainer’ undercover.” Lena said, maybe a tad defensively, but Hillary didn’t seem to care, simply nodding.

“I suppose. Just don’t get yourself or the kid hurt. The Beedrill are really nasty lately… actually…” Hillary trailed off, glancing at William before shaking her head. “Nevermind, keep in contact, stay safe.” She finished, politely dismissing Lena as she had a perplexed expression on her face, but nodded in a goodbye before turning around to head into the forest with William close behind.

After a moment, and once they were far enough away, William spoke first. “So… what’s the game plan?”

“Well — shoot, let’s get everyone out first.” Lena started, even as Rina and Arthur popped out of their Poké Balls at her voice, William fumbling for a moment from the bright light, but released Charon as well, who shook himself off and grunted slightly as he materialized next to William.

“Typh… Phloosion…” (What I wouldn’t give for a hand crafted Poké Ball…)

“I’ll look into that for you later…” William said with a roll of his eyes, though his tone didn’t have sarcasm on it as he turned back to Lena, who was making sure her Fine Styler was fitted on her arm correctly. Arthur spoke first before she could, his expression clouded with concern as his tassels rose with a faint blue glow as he took in the aura of the forest.

“Lena… there’s a presence of… fear surrounding the forest. The local Pokémon are nervous, afraid… confused.” Arthur said, a tad quietly as he looked around, as if speaking too loud would disturb the balance even further just from his voice.

“Well… let’s see if we can’t alleviate that, but keep an eye out for any defensive Pokémon outside of the Weedle line.” Lena responded, making Arthur nod in understanding. After that, she turned back to William and his team, and crossed her arms. “I’m going to be honest… I’d rather not have brought you here, a situation with aggressive Pokémon and this situation aren’t things a seven year old shouldn’t be close to…”

She noticed William’s shift in posture at her start, but she continued. “However, given that I couldn’t leave you alone anywhere safe either… We'll work down to the west part of the forest together, I didn’t see anyone head in that direction so no one should see Charon at least. We’ll focus on catching the stray Weedle and Kakuna. Leave any Beedrill to Rina and Arthur and I… don’t want to start a forest fire with a Flamethrower, so try and stick to Ember if possible.”

William winced at that mental image, but Charon seemed to huff. “Typph-Grrrr…” (I’ve been in Unova for decades. I know how to control and aim my flames…)

Lena nodded, but still raised her hand. “I know, but better safe than sorry… Rina know’s Rain Dance, but we’re not trying to disturb the other Pokémon here more than they already are.”

Charon grumbled still, but conceded the point, William shifting his bag slightly as he glanced down at his Pokédex, a frown forming as he stared at it. “I’m not sure if we’ll even see any Beedrills this way…”

“What do you mean?” Lena asked, only making William shake his head.

“I’m… probably overthinking it… just… sorry, nevermind… we’re already behind, so let’s get going…” He said, putting his Pokédex away as Lena frowned at the clear deflection… but just nodded and took the lead. The group fell into a silence as the noises of the forest surrounded them; the Mission officially started.

Three hours had passed, and Lena already made note of several things.

Firstly, Pokémon were staying away from the main areas, hiding, and shortly after they began, a Sawk who was staying with a group of younger Pokémon flinched at the sight of William, and looked nearly ready to fight… if not for the towering Hisuian Typhlosion glaring at him.

There was a brief conversation between the Fighting Type and Arthur, where it was revealed that William’s yellow sweatshirt made them think he was a Beedrill.

It genuinely surprised Lena how quickly he swapped it out after that for a red one, which surprised her even more that he had more than one color of sweatshirt, Rina even commented that it almost made him look like a mini-Ranger.

Secondly, the air was wrong. The very aura of the place was wrong, and it only got worse the deeper they went in.

Lena could feel it against her skin with a faint tingle at the back of her neck, almost taste it on her tongue as time progressed, and even as Kakuna and Weedle were being caught more and more…

She wondered how the other Trainer’s were fairing, or if it was being she was staying linked with Arthur during this to help find where more Weedle and Kakuna were located.

All of this hammered in how serious this was to the Pokémon of the forest as well, and how badly the Beedrill and its line have impacted the biosphere.

‘Well, we’re here to fix it. ’ Lena mused to herself, shaking off the thought and taking a deep breath to refocus as she positioned herself seeing a Kakuna hanging from a tree, blinking as it stared at Rina with beady eyes as she distracted it.

Her right arm braced her left, her Fine Styler primed and aimed at the Cocoon Pokémon, a moment of pause and silence broken by another breath. Then, with a subtle movement of her finger, the Capture Disc flew forward across the air past Kakuna, before she pulled her arm back causing it to curve back around.

Using the Fine Styler made Lena feel like a conductor at an orchestra, her left arm swiping across the air with a rhythm as she guided the Capture Disc around the Kakuna dangling from the tree. Blue after images were visible in the air, forming an almost complete circle. In a few quick cycles, the circle was complete and coalesced into a white light around Kakuna, who shook slightly and blinked.

“Capture complete…” Lena muttered with a faint smile under her breath, stretching for a moment with a pop in her back, before quickly documenting another captured Kakuna on her own private Mission log… she knew that Hillary and Miguel would have their own, but documenting everything was still a habit…

‘Twelve Weedle, eleven Kakuna… ’ Lena mused with a hum… glancing at the time for a moment; it hadn’t even been more then a hour and she had already caught that many. Arthur stood resolutely by her side, eyes already closed with the blue glow of aura around him as he observed the forest for the next group… and Rina was already walking up to gently pull Kakuna down from the tree, who chittered in response.

“Kk-KkKk-KKk.” (Being moved. Held gently. No threat felt. Are you Queen?)

“Float-Zel, FFLoat!” (Yes, I am a queen, but not yours!)

Lena couldn’t help but snicker under her breath from Rina’s antics, her mood slightly rising as she closed her Styler and pulled out a Nest Ball from her pocket while expanding it. Kneeling down, she lightly tapped it against the Kakuna’s head where it vanished in a flash. It shook only once before the button flashed, signifying a successful capture.

Lena couldn’t help but take another breath, shifting her bag around for a moment and putting it in an empty pouch. Inside, the other Nest Balls of her captures lay, ready to be given to the other Rangers at the meeting point once she runs out.

“ Be glad that William reminded you to grab some before we left.” Arthur said with a low tone, one that seemed chiding, but she knew he was just poking fun at her as well. “It would have been awkward to explain to the other Trainers how you managed to wrangle so many Kakuna and Weedle without capturing them.”

“I know, I know… just been a while since I’ve actually done real captures as a Ranger, can you blame me for being excited? Even if they’re easy, it feels nice to use my Styler again regularly…” Lena defended herself, Rina humming slightly and agreeing with her, but than grimaced.

“Floatzel-Floaat… Zel-Float.” (The Weedle are a little spicy… stupid stingers…) Rina grumbled with a cross of her arms, glaring at her hindpaw where a slightly red spot was visible from when a Weedle had headbutted her without her noticing. Thankfully, the Poison Sting wasn’t strong, and didn’t even poison her, but Lena still applied an Antidote to be safe.

'William still has a couple just in case… speaking of which...'

She turned around and squinted in the dark, he was actually a bit challenging to see, still wearing his red sweatshirt. William was crouching low to the grass with Charon next to him somehow even lower than he was with no flames from his vents emitting as they watched, almost akin to a predator, a Weedle slowly crawling up a tree.

William carefully wound his arm back and threw a Nest Ball at it; the aim was a tad off, but the tracking of the capsule kicked in and shifted it just enough to land a hit at the side of the Bug Poison Type who let out a noise of surprise. It disappeared in a green flash before it landed on the ground without even shaking, already confirming the capture as it fell.

William stood up and rolled his shoulders as he went to pick up the ball, while Charon lumbered up a bit slower and grumbled. Ronin poked his head up from the grass like a Furret, looking side to side… probably having not seen anything due to his height.

“Typh-Phlos. Flosion.” (You missed the Sudowoodo, kid.)

“That’s a tree, grandpa.”

“Flosion. Phlo?” (Well you aimed at it, didn’t you?)

William snorted, but kneeled and grabbed the Nest Ball. “I’m doing my best, not all of us can use souls to track Pokémon, some of us need that automatic tracking.”

“Flosion. Phloooisn-Typh…” (Then just get better at throwing. Trainers these days have it too easy…) Charon complained with a roll of his eyes. William didn’t say anything in rebuttal, simply shrinking the ball down (after visibly pausing to make sure he did it right) and walked over to Lena, his team close behind.

‘Oh, shoot, I just realized… ’ With a sad smile at him, Lena's face shifted to something sympathetic. “I know that a Trainer’s first ‘real’ capture is supposed to be special… I’m sorry that you didn’t get that…”

William didn’t seem bothered by it, just waving it off. “I didn't really intend to… capture a new team member anyways… anytime soon, I guess… so doesn’t really bother me…” he trailed off, seeming to struggle with the words he wanted before he shook his head and dismissed the thought.

The young Trainer then handed Lena the recently caught Weedle, but also fifteen other Nest Balls from his pockets, making her whistle slightly.

“Man, you are catching a lot… I wonder how many the others have caught…”

William hummed, frowning slightly before he asked his own question, his tone sounding… worried, concerned. “Have you seen any Beedrill yet?”

Lena paused at this question, but shook her head. “None yet, I haven’t seen any…”

William seemed more perturbed by that, but Lena quickly waved a hand. “They’re probably all by their nest for the night… it might be deeper in, so the other Trainers probably got some.”

William only hummed at her response before feeling his sweatshirt pocket again, frowning at the amount of Nest Balls he had left. “Maybe… I’m running low on Nest Balls, can we head back and grab some more?”

“Oh — Yeah, we’ll probably catch a couple on the way back anyways…” Lena said, glancing at Rina and Arthur with a silent message through Aura to be more aware now since she wasn’t gonna use her Styler so close to other Trainers.

As they started to walk back, William was silent, and had at some point got his Pokédex out and was scrolling across what looked like… a map? Ronin was sitting in his hoodie and looking at the device as well. William also had an empty Nest Ball in his hand as he walked, Lena watching him carefully to make sure he didn’t trip over any roots as he was very focused on the device.

Before they reached the main camp, right around the corner, William did pause long enough to swap the Nest Ball in his hand for Charon’s Poké Ball from his belt and hold it out. Charon rolled his eyes at his ward, tapping the center button and vanishing after a moment. William simply held the capsule as they started to walk into the group, Lena noticing that a good handful of other Trainers were sitting down under the outdoor canopy that had been setup.

Miguel was talking to Hillary in a hushed tone, a concerned look on her face that shifted one she noticed Lena and William emerging from the left side of the path. “Welcome back, everything okay?” She asked while flicking her eyes up and down at the two, her shoulders relaxing a little…

“Yeah, we’re doing good. What happened here though?” Lena asked, noting how Miguel’s shoulders slumped as he sighed and crossed his arms.

“We’re struggling to keep contact with any Beedrill long enough to capture them, We’ve only gotten two Beedrill captured by Trainers, and only one from me on my way in.” A frustrated sigh exited Miguel before he glanced over at the Trainers sitting down. “We are finding Weedle and Kakuna scattered about, which we’ve gotten some. Apparently the Beedrill that are sighted engage in hit-and-run tactics… scattering the Pokémon and Trainers, and just… leaving. They don’t come back.”

Lena paused putting the Nest Balls from the table, her hand frozen in midair as her mind processed the information. Should could similarly feel Arthur’s confusion and concern at that comment through aura…

‘That… so they aren’t defending the nest? Or a queen Beedrill? Why not? ’

Arthur grunted at her side and glanced at the darkness of the forest around them. “ Is it possible they don’t have a nest…? ”

“No, with how long they’ve been here, and the amount of reports, they’d have to have a nest… but they aren’t centralized right now for some reason.” Lena replied aloud, even as Miguel and Hillary gave her a confused expression.

“Floatzel-FloatZEeel. Zel-Flo?” (It is a bit odd that we’ve been seeing so many Weedle and Kakuna here and there… but no hive of them… don’t they usually work in groups?)

“Mind filling us in here…? We don't have whatever psychic magic you have.” Hillary said with a cross of her arms, Lena feeling a faint blush raise to her cheeks, but quickly explained what her partners were saying. The two other Rangers nodded in agreement, but the confusion remained, a frustrated expression forming on Hillary’s face.

“Doesn’t help that the police haven’t been giving us the exact location of the attacks when people call it in. All the reports just list ‘Pinwheel Forest’, Bouffalant shit.” She said sharply, before Miguel elbowed her and tilted his head at William, who was staring deep in thought at his Pokédex but still heard the comment as a scowl formed on his face.

“Glad to know the fucking police in Nacrene City are just as dense as Accumula Town’s.” He said with a sarcastic, absentminded tone. Either he missed, or ignored Miguel and Hillary’s choking sounding reactions, as he started to walk over to the Trainers sitting down, who looked up at him with various looks and he started to ask them a question while showing them the screen on his Pokédex, most of them though, just seemed to just be amusing his question.

Lena couldn’t focus on that, instead having to focus on Miguel and Hillary, along with their partners shooting her incredulous, even slightly accusing looks, making her raise her hands in her defense. “He was swearing like a sailor before I came into the picture, don’t look at me!”

Miguel’s eyebrows rose a notch, snorting as he shook his head. “Yeah, well make sure he doesn’t swear when in a Gym Battle if he wants to get on the Ace Trainer Program. They’re starting to review those in finer detail.”

“I haven’t actually seen the Typhlosion you mentioned yet…” Hillary said, glancing at William and Ronin, or more specifically, the Poké Ball that he was holding and kept rubbing with his thumb as one of the Trainer’s pointed somewhere on the screen of the Pokédex.

‘Shit, I hope that lie spreading isn’t an issue. ’ Lena cursed, already feeling Arthur’s unimpressed stare at her back even without Aura.

She didn’t have time to dwell on it, as William stood up suddenly and was walking back to the table, shifting his own bag around and opening it up to an empty pouch, with a firm expression on his face. “I’m taking thirty Nest Balls.”

The three were surprised, but gave no protest as he grabbed them from the container, counted what was in his palm, before dropping them into his bag, and repeating it.

Lena blinked for a moment, before she realized she also hadn’t given them all the Weedle and Kakuna they had caught. Fumbling for a moment, she started to place the Nest Balls containing them in a container on the side of the table, her mind scrambling to catch up as William zipped up his bag slightly, but open enough to easily get into it if need be.

William waited for her to finish giving the two Rangers their catches, and for her to write down how many they had caught… she wrote down her Trainer ID for the check in sheet and William’s which she thankfully was able to recall. Then she grabbed some Nest Balls as well before William seemed to take the lead. “Come on, let’s head to the northern part of the forest… Charon wants to check something.” William said, his tone pointed in a way that gave Lena the hint that he didn’t want to release Charon in front of the other two.

Without preamble, he started to walk down the pathway, Lena hesitating for a moment before following close behind, Rina already speaking to Ronin.

“Floatzel-Float-ZEeeel?” (What’s going on, what’s got your Trainer in a tizzy?)

“Sha-Wott. Oshaaaa.” (William thinks there might be something else going on… Charon felt…) The Water Type paused, struggling to find the right words. “...Wott.” (...Off.)

Lena’s face scrunched up, but she refrained from commenting until they were far enough away. After about a minute, she could barely make out the figures in the light of the rest area, William glanced behind them before feeling comfortable enough to release Charon. The old Typhlosion shook his body slightly, muttering something under his breath that Lena couldn’t discern, but he stood up and let his collar illuminate. “Ty. Phlos. Phlo.” (You thinking what I’m thinking, kid?)

“Mostly… the Beedrill aren’t doing this at random, that’s for sure. It’s not a mistake we haven’t encountered them yet from where we went.” William said, Lena suddenly raising her hand to pause them both.

“Wait, wait… backup a moment, what are you talking about?”

William froze, his thoughts clearly thrown off by the sudden question, but he responded quickly enough. “I was looking at the Pokémon found in Pinwheel Forest back at the Pokémon Center… just was curious to see what information the Pokédex could give for specific Pokémon…” Pausing for a moment, William motioned to Lena’s left arm. “Sorry, can you pull out the map on your Styler first? It’ll be easier to show and explain…”

“Sure... One second.”

William flipped open his Pokédex again, as Lena was busy pulling up the area map. “Remember the software Professor Juniper mentioned she added, the Habitat Mode?”

Lena blinked and ran through her memories… the words faintly ringing a Chingling in her head. “Uhh… yes?”

Her tone must have not convinced William judging by his expression, but he didn’t let it distract him. “Well, it’s supposed to only show you all the Pokémon in a designated area from the most recent up to date information and sightings… but if you do this…” Using both hands, he pressed a few buttons at once, before finally pressing the center button a couple times. The entire screen went black, before suddenly some kind of old computer text thing appeared. BOS or something?

William then proceeded to type away at a speed that astonished Lena.

/usr/william/home# cd /dex/habitats/pinwheel_interior/

/dex/habitats/pinwheel_interior# tail logs.dat -1024 | grep Sewaddle

March 3, 20XX - 08:17 - Sewaddle sighted at (25.1678, -119.1796)

March 3, 20XX - 08:17 - Sewaddle sighted at (25.1861, -119.1814)

March 4, 20XX - 08:17 - Sewaddle sighted at (25.1009, -119.1004)

March 4, 20XX - 08:17 - Sewaddle sighted at (22.1009, -115.4272)

March 4, 20XX - 08:17 - Sewaddle sighted at (19.8374, -110.4107)

March 7, 20XX - 08:17 - Sewaddle sighted at (17.7834, -95.5687)

March 7, 20XX - 08:17 - Sewaddle sighted at (15.1009, -92.3547)

...And on and on it went.

Lena peered over incredulously. “Wait, is that location data for every Pokémon in the forest? How does that work?”

William looked thoughtful for a moment before his face fell into a frown. “I... don’t actually know. I think it might just do an area scan whenever somebody with a Pokédex or other recording device walks by to record what Pokémon are around for research purposes.... I’ll have to ask Professor Juniper later…?”

“...How in the name of the Twins did you figure this out?”

William suddenly looked very, very exhausted. “Every machine has to have some sort of control alt delete combo, your Fine Styler probably has—”

“No, I meant… how did you type all that? How did you know the commands? Aren’t Pokédexes supposed to be… locked down?”

William went silent for a moment, looking just a hint embarrassed. “…Don’t tell Ms. Clare but uh… I might’ve… uh… modified… the shared computer a bit to let me install some video games, and uh… miiight have disabled all the child safety crap for my account. Allegedly.”

Lena did her best ‘I’m disappointed in you’ look.

He quickly cleared his throat after an awkward beat of silence and motioned back to the screen. “I decided to cross reference the dates with the other Pokémon in the forest… like… look at the coordinates for Sewaddle for example…”

With a nod, she opened her Styler and started to glance between the two devices, cross-referencing the coordinates on her Styler’s map. Most of the locations were along the eastern edge of the forest, outside the normal boundaries for most travelers. “The coordinates are similar in the beginning, dunno why it seems to be in the middle of nowhere though...” William muttered, his tone a bit confused…

“That’s… one of the main breeding locations for the Sewaddle, I think…. It’s a bit farther north than it was last year when I read them but nothing too unusual...” Lena said, though with a bit of concern laced into her voice.

His frown grew more pronounced as Lena said that. “Well… I don’t think it is anymore, because if we compare it with the Beedrill sightings…” William started navigating to the command showing the Beedrill coordinates by pressing up a couple times and entering it, prompting another wave of text to appear.

/dex/habitats/pinwheel_interior# clear

/dex/habitats/pinwheel_interior# tail logs.dat -1024 | grep Beedrill

March 3, 20XX - 08:17 - Beedrill sighted at (32.1861, -123.1654)

March 4, 20XX - 20:28 - Beedrill sighted at (31.9958, -121.7892)

March 7, 20XX - 09:22 - Beedrill sighted at (24.5168, -109.2357)

March 7, 20XX - 15:24 - Beedrill sighted at (23.1598, -110.1256)

March 8, 20XX - 12:21 - Beedrill sighted at (25.9871, -120.7535)

March 15, 20XX - 10:56 - Beedrill sighted at (24.5498, -120.7895)

March 16, 20XX - 09:44 - Beedrill sighted at (25.1562, -121.4782)

March 16, 20XX - 16:17 - Beedrill sighted at (25.1726, NaN)

ERROR: Coordinate invalid for Beedrill sighting at 3/16/XX 16:17, Stack trace:

March 18, 20XX - 11:59 - Beedrill sighted at (23.1781, -98.1588)

Lena’s eyebrows furrowed as she focused on the timestamps between the Sewaddle and Beedrill. One Beedrill popup appeared, then two, then three started to appear closer and closer to the colony. Suddenly, there was that sudden wave, and the Sewaddle coordinates changed, and the Beedrill sightings overtook their original location.

Before she could interject, William started to speed through the commands again, where a similar picture was painted with the Slakoth line near the northern, outer reaches of the forest, their tribe suddenly getting scattered and pushed inward towards the main paths.

Then, sightings of Beedrill starting to appear more frequently closer around the main path, Lena’s eyebrows furrowing and hissing as she started to realize what was happening from the pattern

‘They’re deterring Trainers and by extension, Rangers from seeing the true extent of their action by being so aggressive and pushing the native Pokémon inwards… shit, this is worse than I thought. ’

“And going to the last two days…” William muttered as he sped through again, Lena noticing the Beedrill starting to appear more and more frequently in the north-eastern section… until he got to today's date, and pointed at a couple specific positions. “...and here is where the Trainer’s were attacked by them tonight, literally trying to prevent them from going further…” He paused for a moment, his voice getting low, but not low enough for Lena to be unable to make out “...like guerilla warfare…?”

The comparison made Lena feel a bit confused, but she ignored it for now. “But… why? Why do all this?” Lena muttered rhetorically, frowning as William let out a frustrated sigh.

“No idea, but Charon’s… sensing distress in that direction, most likely they’re doing something to… cause it.” William phrased weirdly, frowning and glancing at the old Typhlosion, who said nothing as he stared off into space with his ruby eyes with an indiscernible look in the direction the Beedrills were appearing.

Arthur frowned and closed his own eyes and focused, his tassels floating for a moment before nodding and crossing his arms as he stared in the same direction. “ I sense it too now… the air is muddled with so much emotion it’s… hard to track, but it’s most potent in that direction. ”

Lena hummed… glancing up at Charon with a serious look. “Would you be able to guide us there?”

The Typhlosion said nothing, simply staring off in the distance for a moment before blinking once. Whatever daze he was in lifting off of him as he turned to Lena. “Phlo. Typhlosion.” (Yes. Follow me.)

Without further preamble, Charon started to walk forward into the darkness, his collar like an almost mesmerizing beacon as William started to follow closely behind. Lena glanced at the darkness of the water as they started to walk over the bridge… the clouds veiling the moon above, making the water look like a deep, dark abyss of uncertainty, much like what they were walking into it felt like…

Twenty minutes later, the group was still following Charon deeper and deeper into the forest… the landmarks that Lena recognized getting fewer and farther between. William had picked up a piece of wood along the way and gave it to Ronin to whittle into a walking stick with his scalchop and water pressure manipulation. When asked, William said something along the lines of “talk soft and carry a big stick” which was probably just some young boy thing.

But maybe it was to distract himself, if the heavy, furrowed expression glued to his face for the past hour or so was anything to go off of….

“So… are Missions like this normal?”

Lena blinked out of her thoughts, glancing over to him. “What do you mean?”

“Like… is the sudden appearance of a new species of Pokémon on a Route or forest, or wherever enough to call for a Mission, I suppose Pokémon migrate but… agh.” William shook his head, trying to find the right words. “I guess what I’m trying to ask is at what point does new Pokémon being introduced to an area, aside from harming other native Pokémon or travelers, would call for a mission. Like, at what point is it just nature doing its thing or is it a problem that needs to be fixed?”

Lena quickly reached back mentally to her old lessons from the Ranger School. “Well… for starters… let me use Sinnoh as an example, as it’s the Region I know best next to Almia, and probably the best case of when a Mission isn’t called.” Lena started, clearing her throat for a moment to give another moment to gather her explanation.

“Let’s take… Iron Island for example, do you know where that is in Sinnoh?”

“Yeah, you get there from… Canalave City.” William said, seeming to take a moment to recall something before answering.

Lena rolled her eyes. “There’s more than just one ferry there, but whatever. After a League season ended in Hoenn, the Rangers there started to get reports of Sableye and Mawile being found in the mines. You know what the diets of those two are, right?”

“Um, probably rocks and minerals? Mawile’s a Steel and Fairy type, and Sableye has a thing for jewelry. Can’t say I’m too familiar with either of them beyond trivia, though.”

“Sableye don’t actually eat the gemstones they find, but close enough. Anyway, Iron Island’s ecosystem is surprisingly delicate as all the native Pokémon there have different nutritional needs. Almost all of the Pokémon who live there are lithotrophs, but their specific dietary needs vary. A Steelix needs more magnetite and limonite compared to a Graveler, for instance.”

“Okay, so what’s the catch?”

“Well, Mawiles are predators by nature, so their diet is to consume processed minerals by consuming other lithotrophs. And Sableyes are attracted to places of greed, valuables, and anything shiny — they feed off of the emotions of greedy individuals. So when a colony of Mawiles start picking fights with the native populations, the natives start digging for new food sources and hiding places, exposing new valuable minerals like sperrylite. That attracts the Sableyes and makes everything worse.”

A frown found itself on William’s face as he considered this. “And this was supposed to be a case where a Mission wasn’t required?”

Lena couldn’t help but smile at his reaction. “Well, among the materials exposed, were also highly concentrated pools of the same material that is used to make Metal Coat, which then allowed more Onix natively living there to evolve.”

William started to nod, seeing where this was going… “Which… than in turn created more tunnels? Leading to more living space, which then also in turn caused more resources to be available to the Pokémon?”

“Got it in one! It’s a delicate, but honestly fascinating microcosm of species being introduced, albeit, unintentionally, providing a huge boon for the already existing species. That’s why whenever those suits say something like ‘Introducing non-native species hurts out native Pokémon’ or something, they’re wrong, because they fail to realize that a little bit of competition helps make the whole ecosystem more stable long term.”

The young Trainer hummed, nodding along before he moved onto the inevitable topic. “And when things like the Unova Diversity Act happen? Basically having humans force it?”

“Float-Zel.” (Rangers get blamed for every small thing outside their control.)

William snorted at Rina’s comment, but turned to Lena still for the serious answer, her expression shifting into something frustrated as she nodded. “As much as I hate to say it, Rina’s right.”

With a sigh, she continued on. “The Ranger Union’s done multiple studies showing that increasing Pokémon biodiversity helps strengthen a region’s already existing population of Pokémon… when the government doesn’t half-a— half-bake the implementation and neuter all the funding.”

‘I think William’s foul mouth is rubbing off on me...’

“Politics.” William said with a flat, disdainful tone; a sigh left him as his expression started to become more thoughtful… “So, how do Legendary Pokémon fit into that then? I don’t believe for a second that a Pokémon like Virizion would let a crisis in Pinwheel Forest go on as long as this one?”

Lena nearly tripped in her footsteps at the question, catching herself before stopping dead in her tracks like a Deerling in headlights, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. Arthur visibly recoiled and Rina whipped her head back so fast that a small part of Lena’s brain still functioning after that bombshell was concerned she might've sprained her neck.

“H-How — who told you that?! H-How did you know that?!” Lena was fully turned towards William now, the frustration from thinking about the Unova Government and League evaporating from shock, as if a Poison Type attack had been dumped directly over it.

William stopped walking under her gaze, clearly surprised by her reaction. “What… do you mean?”

“What do I — How do you know that Lady Virizion’s usual domain is in Pinwheel Forest?!”

William's face shifted just slightly a new expression that Lena hadn’t seen before, anxiety, realization, and fear, his tone matching it. “It’s not... common knowledge that Virizion was here…?”

Lena sputtered verbally before mustering up as much Top Ranger professionalism as she possibly could, even with the shocked incredulity staining her voice. “Common knowle— no, it most definitely isn't. I didn't know about Lady Virizion’s presence in the forest until a couple years ago, and such information is supposed to be confidential and on a need-to-know basis.”

William seemed frozen at that info, the light from Charon’s collar enough for her to notice that he had gone pale. And Lena could still see the subtle hints of his anxiety such as how he was biting his lip, or how one of his hands retreated to his sweatshirt pocket and squeezing the fabric inside.

Unable to hold back a sigh with a mix of emotions about what this could mean, her own clear exasperation echoed with her tone. “Please tell me the truth… how did you know that?”

William was quick to respond, despite being nervous. “Uh, shit — w-well it’s common knowledge at home… u-uh… and Charon has been here l-longer than I have, so he just confirmed that…” He was looking behind her, probably pleading with him to step in.

Lena took a minute to compose herself before quietly and slowly turning around to face Charon. “Is this true?” Silently, her Aura reached out to Arthur, telling him to look for signs of deception; his Aura flared in acknowledgement.

The Typhlosion snorted dismissively. “Typho... Lolo...Sioooon.” (What, you think she wasn’t going to notice a foreign Ghost invading her territory? Of course I know Virizion, and I’ve known her long before any of you were born.) He turned around and started walking down the path he was leading them on again. “Ty. Phlolo. Typho…” (You humans gotta’ remember I’ve been here long before there were people living here. What you call Unova I still call Isshu, and I, and many other Pokémon don’t care about what you think is ‘confidential’ or not.)

He turned around to look at the group who was still standing where they were. The group reluctantly started following behind.

“Lolo Tyyy.” (“Now are you going to answer my Ward’s question or not? I think it’s a fair question, considering I don’t feel Virizion’s presence anywhere nearby, either.”)

Lena left his question to stew in silence for a bit as she considered her words carefully. She may have been a Top Ranger now, but she wasn’t sure of her limits of what she was allowed to disclose…

“I… don’t think I’m allowed to say where she is at the moment, but you are right in that Lady Virizion is currently somewhere else. I’m sure if she were here, she would have taken care of this issue long before it would have gotten out of control.” With a sigh, she leveled William with a stare… though it probably came off more like a pleading look. “With that said, please keep this information to yourself… ”

An anxious chuckle left William’s throat before he spoke. “I know, that’s why I didn’t ask around the other Trainers and Rangers earlier…”

Lena’s stare faltered, and she could only take a deep breath and pinch the bridge of her nose. “...We will be having a conversation about this later.” She grumbled to herself, saying no more even as her mind raced with possibilities.

The sounds of the forest were deafening as the group continued on in silence.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10 - The Scramble of Life

William knew about Virizion’s location.

The silence permeated throughout the group, making every step feel like a second in eternity. Her body focused on following Charon to their destination, while her mind was traveling along her own loose, scattered thoughts. The landmarks she could point out as a Ranger who had patrolled the forest before blurring into background static and noise.

William knew about Virizion’s location, not suspected, knew.

Her eyes darting to William for what felt like the nth time this hour, it was easy to see how he walked closer to Charon since the revelation of before. He had become silent as a sleeping Togepi, not a single word leaving him since.

Of course, there were always rumors moving about on forums, stories of sightings around their domain spoken at gatherings, but nothing actually confirmed for the public, even with Swords of Justice being more active in recent times… especially after Team Plasma. The Ranger Union had more contact with them than the League due to them being out in the field more, helping Pokémon and humans; but even then, it was only and strictly on a need-to-know basis. 

Lena didn’t even know about Virizion’s location until the… after Route 10 and Victory Road collapsed.

‘ No. No. I will not think of that now… Not now. Not while I’m on a Mission. ’ She stopped herself, taking a deep enough breath for Arthur to glance in her direction, but she forced herself to ignore it. Recirculating her thoughts, she returned back to the main point she kept turning over in her head.

William didn't just know about Virizion’s home domain from a rumor. The way he said and phrased his question, with such certainty… that was someone who knew. Yes, Charon said he told William, and… personally met her, but before that….

“...it’s common knowledge at home…”

Lena couldn’t help but feel her frown get even larger as she glanced at William’s back, he purposely wasn’t looking at Lena, instead looking around at the trees around them with Ronin doing similar. ‘ But that doesn’t make any sense… you said that Pokémon weren’t really around where you’re from… right? How would it have been common knowledge? ’

‘...Was that a lie? Or was the common knowledge comment a lie… what about other things?’

The piercing thought nearly made her trip, but she smoothly caught herself from stumbling on a tree branch before continuing the line of thinking, trying to keep herself from jumping to conclusions. ‘ Of course he’s not telling me the truth, he’s a kid and… I’m an adult who technically uprooted him from what he’s known. Of course he wouldn’t trust me… I know it’s only been a couple days since we’ve known each other but…’

Halting her conflicted emotions, she started to run back through the conversation again… noticing how panicked William had looked when he realized he messed up. He was scared , genuinely. 

‘ What are you scared of though…? I… I hope it’s not me, but is it… the knowledge that you know about Legendaries? Or…. is it what someone could do with that knowledge, or — ’

“Typhlo-Phol.” (William, Ronin, stay behind me.)

“ Lena, the trees—! ”

Like a Bubble Beam being popped by a Bullet Seed, Lena heard the air being cut and then the sound of impact in front of her that popped every line of thought. Her eyes started to catch specks of dirt rising from the ground followed by hissing and bubbling, rapidly approaching her. Her instincts took over and she jumped back just as the dirt started to rise up from where she once stood. Arthur surged forward and spun his aura staff around to defect the projectiles where she once stood. 

Meanwhile, Charon took a short breath and shot his own projectile, soaring across the field like a fastball before colliding and exploding slightly. A pained buzzing noise was heard along with a thump in the clearing in front of them as the Ember scorched the body and illuminated the area long enough for the sight of yellow and black stripes to be visible.

Lena’s body was already in motion, the Capture Disc flying between the trees and starting to curve around the fallen Bug Poison Type, but the anger was clear in its eyes. It aimed one of its stringers forward, a purple shine surrounded it for a brief moment before it shot out with an almost liquid glob towards the line of the Styler, forcing Lena to arc it upwards to avoid hitting it, but causing the toxic move to splatter on a tree with a sickening hiss.

This distraction was enough however, for Rina to jump in with an Ice Beam from her maw, hitting the ground until it reached the Beedrill’s other stinger, freezing it in place from the weight of the ice as it built up. The Poison Bee buzzed angrily and looked to aim at the Floatzel, but Arthur had run forward with Extreme Speed and slammed his aura staff against the still-free stinger, pinning it into the ground.

The Beedrill let out another high-pitched buzzing noise, writhing and attempting to get out of its predicament, but the capture disc resumed its cycle around it, spinning faster and faster. Like before, the glow of the rings around it finally collapsed in and the Beedrill’s body flashed, no longer attempting to struggle, but looking upset and angry, emotions overflowing still.

Lena breathed in and out for a moment, the adrenaline of the encounter still rushing through her as she glanced at William to make sure he was okay. He was frozen, his eyes going wide as he gulped and both of his hands squeezed the stick tight that Ronin had continued to strip down… it was just now that she noticed the end of the stick had been sharpened enough to a point that it looked like a makeshift spear, the Oshawott holding his scalchop similarly and looking a tad angry at the fallen bug.

Charon started to walk toward the Beedrill with William following close behind, Lena doing similarly as Arthur stood above it, still making sure it wouldn’t use its other stinger even with it being ‘captured’. It stared up defiantly at the group, a vibrating hiss directed at Charon and and Arthur, before locking eyes with Lena, its wings waving back and forth with a noise that made William shiver and wince beside her.

She had to ignore that for now, staring back down at the Beedrill and crossing her arms, trying to appear as stern as possible. “You know, it’s not nice to attack people and Pokémon at random, this isn’t even near your hive.”

“BBBzZZZ-BBbbzzz-!” (I do my job! Hive will get new space, forest will become home that Queen wants!)

Lena mentally paused, but physically kept her stance and expression the same, already finding a point to press on. “Oh? And what home is that?” 

An almost gurgling hissing noise echoed from it, beady red eyes staring up at the Top Ranger with disdain. “BZzZz! HHzZZZZBBbbzZ!” (A home for Beedrill and eggs! And no one else!)

Its eyes narrowed at Lena, a flutter of wings happening as it seemed to tremble in absolute fury. “HHzZ-BZzzzz. BBBZZR! BBZZZHHHssSS!” (Queen was given forest. Told to take what she needs! Hive needs to remove other hives for eggs!)

“ And what of the other Pokémon in the forest? Do their lives, their family, not matter? ” Arthur spoke evenly, but Lena could feel the restrained anger in his Aura, his paws burning blue as he held the aura staff motionless. 

“BZZzZ-HHISSsss… BZZz-ZBZZz.” (If they not strong to protect own hive… they do not deserve it, like purple bugs.)

At those words, there was a shift in the air, Lena barely noticing how Charon had turned away from the Beedrill towards a direction… the wisps of ghostly fire around his neck growing, making Lena take stock of her situation and look around as well. 

It was then she realized that they had gone off the main path maintained by the League and Rangers, heavily. She hadn’t noticed in her own thoughts… and as she looked around in the darkness, she couldn’t identify if or how far they were from the ‘open-to-the-public’ area of Pinwheel Forest they were at this point.

Before she could question anyone, a sudden sharp gasp left William, followed by Charon’s eyes seeming… horrified. “Typh…. Phlosion…!” (They’re already… Almighty Sinnoh…!) With a start, Charon got on all fours and started to bolt in the direction he was staring in. 

William said nothing, but fumbled with his backpack and threw a Nest Ball in the direction of the Beedrill before running after Charon. Ronin actually jumped out of William’s hoodie and used Aqua Jet to get ahead of him to follow Charon. Lena and her partners stared in shock and confusion, surrounding a Nest Ball that barely had flashed to signify the capture was complete.

“W-Wait — Will —!” Lena lurched forward and grabbed the Nest Ball, her knuckles scraping against the ground for a moment before she kicked off and started running after him with Rina in tow. Arthur leapt into the trees and started to gain on them… Lena gritted her teeth slightly as she tried to reorient her mental compass, to see if they were heading even further away from the main path, ‘off-route’ as it were.

Her anxiety about that was cut short however, as a new noise entered the sound of the leaves and the breeze… the sound of echoed buzzing, wood from trees splintering, followed by a rumble of crashing leaves, and pained noises drowning it out.

She could still make out Charon’s glowing collar in the distance, standing before a clearing immobile as William finally got to him and stared out… Lena ran up behind him and was about to speak up before her eyes bore witness to the scene in front of her.

An entire group — no, what looked like an entire hive of Beedrill were flying in and out of a clearing of what looked like a Venipede nest. Like javelins, Twineedle from a multitude of Beedrill pierced the air, some trying to hit any visible target. It didn’t matter if one didn’t hit, another three Beedrill aiming in the same general direction would have hit one of their targets. 

Venipede scurried about in a panic and attempted to avoid the attacks. Some Whirlipede tried to protect their home, but were unable to properly hit the flying targets with Rollout, even as their hardshells protected them. Meanwhile, multiple Scolipede looked pained, while still attempting to defend Venipede behind them with Venoshock and Iron Defense, but Lena saw some collapsed on the ground, with Twinneedle embedded in their body…

If there was a word to describe time slowing down, yet simultaneously speeding up, Lena would describe the scene in front of her as that. And Lena knew this nightmare was only just beginning.

Her body started to feel like it was moving through Muk sludge, the panic and chaos of the scene in front of her paralyzing her body for a moment from shock, even as her mind screamed at her. 

Finally, with her training and memories of past Missions rattling in her head, time resumed for her body to speak, Rina and Arthur already standing ready at her side at seeing the situation.

“Rina! Stay with me and help me focus on capturing, Arthur — ” She froze, her mind racing to decide what to do as Arthur’s aura flared intensely. A quick glance at William and Ronin let her see Charon standing protectively in front of them. He would be okay with Charon. “Arthur, go in and get as many you can to safety and heal the most critical with Heal Pulse! Don’t hold back on defending them! All out!”

Arthur didn’t even glance at her, jumping in with his aura staff glowing brightly in the night as he leapt forward towards a group of Venipede hiding behind a Whirlipede that was being targeted by multiple Beedrill. With that, Lena glanced at William and put on a firm expression. “Catch what you can, but defend yourself. Don’t put yourself in the line of fire!”

Before she could hear William’s response, she ran in with Rina next to her, her mind already organizing certain Beedrill into groups, on how to capture them and how aggressive they were acting. 

‘ Two on the left, fast and nimble, four on the right, targeting a Scolipede —’ Her thought halted as she glanced up above, seeing an absolutely massive Beedrill flying overhead, watching all this chaos unfold. Two smaller Beedrill were next to them for a moment, and the slightest movement of their head, along with pointing from their needle suggested to Lena who this was.

‘ The queen… alright, that's the eventual target. ’ 

She was too high up in the air to capture her directly, so they’d need to bring her to them. Glancing at the four Beedrill to her right, her body started to move; her right arm braced her left as her fingers made the full releasing motion, feeling the Styler kick back against her slightly from the full force being applied.

The Capture Disc flew across the clearing, and she purposely arced her arm to make sure the Capture Line went across the line of vision of every single Beedrill, distracting them from their target and making some of them flinch from the bright light of the line.

It didn’t last long, with all four of them now focusing on the Capture Line like Lena intended, her arm swinging to make the Capture Disc avoid a volley of Twinneedle at it. The dirt on the ground was getting displaced, clouds of dust forming from not only the attacks from the Beedrill, but from how fast the Capture Disc was spinning above it as Lena forced her arm to move in finer and more precise movements.

The line started to glow more, even as the Beedrill got more aggressive with some trying to physically stab the line with their stingers, but Lena’s control was too fine. Although it didn’t look much like a circle, the line connected with itself enough, glowing brightly before enclosing around the group, halting their attack mid-motion as they slumped to the ground and looked towards Lena.

She paused, but only for a moment when she noted how they still looked absolutely angry at her, but made no motion to attack. Sure, some Pokémon were still upset after being captured… but this felt… more.

Grabbing Nest Balls from her pocket, she quickly threw them at the captured Pokémon to completely remove them from the field. Her eyes were already scanning for the next target closest to her as she made sure the Capture Disc was loaded back in her Styler. She glanced at where Rina’s Bubble Beam was going to try and focus on a slowed Beedrill, but her eyes did flick to Arthur for a moment when it caught the light from his staff, glowing bright with pure Aura.

Across the field, there were a group of three Beedrill twitching on the ground as Arthur corralled a group of Venipede and Whirlipede away. One Whirlipede was struggling to roll, with gashes on its front, enough to make Arthur pause and quickly use a Heal Pulse… Lena couldn’t help but note that he was carrying what looked to be a hatchling Venipede in his arms as he did this.

This wasn’t just a nest or hive for the Venipede, this was specifically where they laid their eggs.

Of all the places to attack, this was among the worst that the Beedrill could have hit. This was targeted , an invasion, not just an infestation. 

With a revived urgency, she didn’t even wait to identify another group, recalling the Capture Disc and swinging her arm to send it forward again. Her eyes flicked to the closest group, two Beedrill who were watching her from a distance away and started to move away as the Capture Disc got closer to them, but they had clearly seen what happened to their friends. 

They bolted away in different directions, moving fast and rapidly changing their direction mid-flight. Lena mentally cursed, before she felt the ground tremble slightly as a sudden avalanche of rocks and dirt landed over one of the Beedrill. The attack caused it to try and go lower to avoid it, but instead it started to tumble against the ground, rolling end over end and letting out pained buzzing noises before it came into contact with a sudden flying Nest Ball and vanished.

Her eyes followed the trajectory, and her blood froze and her body went cold. William was in the open surrounded on both sides by Charon and Ronin, his head whipping back and forth between targets with a mix of emotions on his face that she couldn’t read in the chaos.

‘ What in the name of the Twins are they doing…!? ’

Her attention was snapped away from the sudden panic by an incoming yellow blur from the corner of her vision and a cry from Rina she couldn’t discern, but she still got the meaning from the tone alone. Instincts took over and she shifted downwards suddenly as a Beedrill neared looking to attack her with a Fury Attack. 

Rina in return, let out an angry noise and leapt at the Beedrill with her fangs still emitting frost before she bit down outright, the frost building up rapidly around the Beedrill as it screeched and buzzed in pain.

Rina then threw the Beedrill to the ground, where it bounced once, then twice, before it stilled after a moment of twitching. She was panting angrily, glaring up at all the flying Poison Bug Types before an almost feral growl left her throat before she spoke. “FLoooatZEL! Floatzel!!” (I’m the target here! Don’t you dare touch her, you parasites!)

Lena cursed as her thoughts started to unweave, but her training took over. She ignored the Beedrill on the ground in favor of issuing a new order to Rina so she could focus. “Rina! Distraction!”

Though her earlier words weren’t laced with Dark Type energy, it appeared it was still as effective as a Taunt as she separated from Lena to follow her command. Several Beedrill looked absolutely pissed and started to hone in on Rina, one shot a volley of Pin Missiles, another moving in to jab with Twineedle, and another seemed to almost glow red with anger, and charged in outright enraged.

Rina responded by shooting forward with Quick Attack, avoiding all the attacks before shifting and using Aqua Jet to slam one in the chest and into the ground. Other Beedrill started to notice the interlopers however, and shifted their focus away from the scattered Venipede families.

However, as a result of this, Lena could see her partner’s body become peppered with stray shots, noises of pain leaving her as she shot a wide Bubble Beam at the offending foes, some clipped their wings, some hit dead on, but more just kept joining.

“Charon, Flamethrower! Ronin, Water Gun any that come near!”

William’s voice made her whip her head back to see him looking in the direction of an incoming Beedrill as a sudden volley of flames consumed it from Charon, while the Water Type on the other end shot a torrent of water specifically at the wings of another Beedrill that dared to come near his Trainer. The water crippled their flight from the weight on the wings just long enough for Charon to shift his head and shoot a fine Flamethrower at Ronin’s target that looked more akin to a blowtorch with how fast it exited his maw.

The young Trainer wasn’t idle either, grabbing Nest Ball after Nest Ball to hit one Beedrill after another, ignoring them as the capsules stilled after a moment. His left hand gripped the stick tight enough that his knuckles were white, as if a sharpened stick would beat a Beedrill stinger. 

His eyes flicked to Lena as she neared, but he refocused on Ronin and Charon even as she felt her words rise up from her lungs to scream over all the chaotic noises on the field. “William — what are you doing?!”

“Defending — ! Rock Slide — !” William cried out, forcing Charon to shift his posture as he sank his hands into the ground and let out a growl and ripped the ground up almost like a rug into the sky. The Rock Type energy crumbled in the air while falling on approaching Beedrill, but some saw the Move coming, darting outside its range while only one or two got clipped by the hailstorm, flinching just enough to disrupt their flight falling to the ground.

Grunting, Lena forced her Styler forward to the Beedrill, she didn’t register the force of it launching the Capture Disc as she started to move her arm rapidly to capture them before they fully regained their bearings. Thankfully, the damage caused even by the slight hit from Rock Slide was enough to weaken them that the Styler was able to complete the capture quickly, their bodies glowing as they stayed slumped on the ground, angry still, but passive.  

The entire situation had gone up in flames, Lena glancing around to try and find some avenue she could get William out of this. Everywhere she looked, the buzzing of the Beedrill, and the pained noises of Pokémon around her competed for her attention all at once.

In front of them, more Beedrill were now looking to focus on them, behind them, she could hear Rina’s Bubble Beam popping against Beedrill, along with the noise of something hitting the ground, to her side, was Arthur defending another group with his staff spinning to deflect both Pin Missile and Twineedle.

‘ They’re becoming more aggressive… ’

The realization of a Fire Type nearby among the Beedrill most likely acted like a powder keg, and the sight of their members slowly dwindling, or becoming ‘passive’, only added fuel to the mess.

Glancing over at Rina and trying to salvage the situation, Lena aimed her Styler forward to assist, the disk flying across the forest as she tried to focus on a slower group of Beedrill, dripping wet most likely from her Bubble Beam. Although slowed, the buzzing Pokémon scattered once they saw the circle start to form as she moved her arm, the hoard hitting the Capture Disc with the tip of their body, causing the blue line to disappear into sparkles. 

‘ Dammit! There’s just too many of them…! ’ 

Her building worry was stomped down to prevent it from overwhelming her, and she was about to call out for William to at least get out, but before she could she had to duck back as a lone Beedrill decided to try and take their chance at attacking her. She swiped her arm back, the motion triggering the automatic return of the Capture Disc back to her Styler, and letting her launch it again at full force. Attempting to distract the Beedrill, she started to swipe her arm around to form the Capture Circle.

Her attempt only seemed to anger them even more, before the circle could form fully, it flew to the side and looked to aim an attack at her… its stingers glistening with toxins dripping from it aimed squarely at her. Her mind already started to run through poison treatment procedures, and what items she had on her to treat it… until a Nest Ball hit the Beedrill square in the head coming from the opposite direction, practically clotheslining it from the force.

Before it could let out a noise of pain or surprise, it vanished into the capsule and started to shake, Lena froze at the sudden event, but William’s voice snapped her out of it.

“Capture it when it breaks out — Ronin, keep going for the wings!” He cut himself off as another Beedrill attempted to get close to his team, Ronin responded by shooting his Water Gun forcefully once more, pushing the attacker back and making them flail in the air until they hit the ground in a soaked heap.

Lena turned back to the fallen Nest Ball, watching the light on the center flash red as it shuttered violently, making her start to spin the Capture Line wide ahead of time. By the time it was making its third circle, the Nest Ball burst into two halves as a dazed, but furious, Beedrill emerged. 

It was too late though, and by the time it gained its bearings and looked around for the person who threw that Nest Ball at it, the Capture Line was glowing and finally closed around it. Beedrill’s body glowed similarly for a moment, looking even more confused, but less agitated, letting Lena grab her own Nest Ball from her pocket. She fumbled with it briefly before she chucked it at it, removing it completely from the field as it vanished with a flash into the ball without it even shaking once on the ground.

Her mind started to turn, a new plan forming slowly… Rina was slowing them down with Bubble Beam, which did have the unintended side effect of knocking some of them clean out after the barrage was too much. However, she still had to deal with just the sheer volume of Beedrill… 

‘ Okay, think, reassess… we’re outnumbered, we have to play the long game, whittle them down. ’ She thought as she already was priming her Fine Styler to attempt to capture once again with a new plan. Lena took a breath for a moment, recentering herself before she cried out across the field. “Rina! Whirlpool! Gather them up!”

While different from how any of them were trained on the situation, the Floatzel didn’t hesitate. Rina’s cry was followed by the sound of a swirling torrential burst of water, a swirling mass of water forming around their mouth that shot forward and tripled — no, quadrupled in size as it left her mouth. 

Like a tornado tearing across the field, Beedrill were swept inside, taken completely off guard from the sudden change in attack as they desperately tried to regain their orientation, impossible to do inside the swirling vortex.

Seeing exactly what she wanted, Lena swung her arm forward almost akin to a throw, the Capture Disc speeding across the forest as her eyes followed the trajectory of the Whirlpool. She swept her arm in an arc to make sure neither the line nor the Capture Disc would be in contact with the swirling mass, though due to its size the circles were wide, not closing in on themselves as fast…

Gritting her teeth, she moved her arms even faster, forcing the Styler to accelerate the process as she felt her arm burn from the movement. She could see the Beedrill start to at least surface the torrent, fighting back against it and causing it to lose energy. Thankfully, her extra force she put in allowed the Capture Line to fully glow and connect, finally closing around the Beedrill just as the Whirlpool collapsed. The Beedrill looked dizzy and disoriented as they collided with the ground in a heap, some even landing on top of each other, but they didn’t make any motion to jump back into the fight.

The number of Beedrill actively attacking was noticeably lowering, Lena could at least see the sky without being completely overwhelmed from the scale of the Bug and Poison Type Pokémon. However, that didn’t mean they were out of danger yet, as she could hear William’s frustrated noise after another rumble of the ground, Lena glanced to notice that Charon had attempted another Rock Slide to hit a group of Beedrill, but only one out of the five were hit, completely overtaken by the falling rocks.

William looked slightly frustrated, glancing at Charon while he threw another Nest Ball at a fallen Beedrill, the ball going wide, but thankfully the fleeing Beedrill didn’t interfere with the tracking as it hit the one that had fallen from the Super-Effective attack. “No Heat Wave?”

“Typh-Ghr…Pholosion!” (No, I don’t know that, kid!) 

“Dammit — what about a wide Ominous Wind?!”

“Typhlos-Plhos!” (Too narrow, it targets the soul of the — down!)

William reacted instantly, hitting the ground as Charon snarled with embers sparking from his mouth as he wound his fist forward engulfed in flames, meeting a Beedrill diving towards them head-on. The Fire Punch launched the Beedrill away into a tree, where they splat with a shuddering of their body before falling unconscious. William didn’t even bother throwing a Nest Ball, but pointed in a direction for Ronin to shoot another Water Gun, which seemed to be getting less and less pressure as time went on… the young Oshawott starting to run dry.

Lena turned her attention away, she needed to find a solution to this , now. Before it got worse than it already was.

A quick glance at Arthur indicated he wasn’t doing much better, more than seven Beedrill next to him lay completely knocked out, their arms and even wings crumpled, but Arthur was struggling with the sheer number of them as he continued to direct others to safety. Some Whirlpede were actually attempting to hit the Beedrill attacking him to assist their saviors, leaping into the air with Rollout. This didn’t stop Arthur from having to rapidly use Quick Attack, or even Extreme Speed to just keep avoiding more Twinneedle attacks. Two Beedrill even looked to be closing in with sharp stingers…

Then a crackling frigid beam of ice overtook the incoming attackers, the temperature dropping enough that even Lena could feel a rush of cool air hit her as Rina nailed the two bugs in a solid encasement of ice from afar. Lena couldn't tell what she screamed at Arthur across the field, but the nod from the Lucario indicated he got what she said.

Although most of the Venipede had left the area, some Scolipede were still present, trying to protect their nest from the attackers… or protect their young. One in particular was surrounded by a group of three Beedrill shooting at it, behind it was a hollowed-out tree. The fully evolved bug’s body wobbled, but did its best to hold firm, its eyes closed tight in pain…

“Rina! Back me up! Gather them again!” Lena cried out, sending the Capture Disc flying forward towards the three Beedrill without hesitation. Her mind was already putting together how to do this.

Her body shifted as she arched the line across the Beedrill, instantly drawing their attention to it as they buzzed angrily and diverted their attention to it instead of the Scolipede. Lena then arched it to the side, forcing the Capture Disc to make a sharp turn and the Beedrill to mirror it as they tried desperately to shoot it down. Lena’s left middle and pointer finger curled and twitched together as she forced all her focus on where the attacks were coming from, deftly causing the Capture Disc to make the slightest adjustment to narrowly avoid another Poison Sting or Twinneedle. Slowly wearing out the group until another swirling mass of water collided with them from Rina, another Whirlpool consuming them as Lena didn’t wait for all of them to be taken up to start circling the Capture Line around them.

However, the rapidness of the order, or Rina starting to tire out from the attacks she had taken must have not provided the Whirlpool with enough energy, as it broke up before Lena could complete the capture. The Beedrill shaking the water off themselves and looking ready to scatter once more…

Almost like a Flash attack however, the entire area was lit up by a fiery orange glow that burned Lena’s eyes due to its proximity, but it was also enough to force the Beedrill to cover their eyes and shy away in place. Despite her eyes and body burning from the sudden heat that covered the field, Lena wound her arm back around and started to spin the Capture Line around the Beedrill rapidly as fast as possible. 

Her arm burned as she conducted it, watching the circle around the group get more and more solid… glowing blue… and in a final crescendo, it closed around them, the Beedrill fluttering their wings to the ground but still covering their eyes from the scorching light and shying away from the super-effective attack in primal fear.

Lena forced herself to turn to the source, her eyes blinking before shifting to a squint to try and keep them from drying out from just the pure heat of the attack. Charon was using a monstrous Flamethrower while on all fours at a hoard of Beedrill in the air that were diving for them. His normally fiery purple collar glowed bright orange and roared above him almost like a normal Typhlosion, pure Fire Type energy being pulled into the attack.

Like Cutiefly falling from the sky, tens of Beedrill fell from the torrent of flames as it continued, flames surrounding their body for a moment as they hit the ground…. Most that landed didn't move, but the ones that did move did only for just a moment. Lena could see the tell-tale signs of them being burned as those ones collapsed as well.

The attack held longer than any Flamethrower Lena had seen, even when Charon’s flaming collar started to shrink into itself more and more like a flickering candle, he kept it going until William spoke up. “Charon — stop!” He had a panicked look on his face as he turned to his guide, noticing how Charon panting slightly from the move he just used, pushing himself up with one paw before shaking himself off. The flames around his neck were still low as he regained himself after using such a move.

“Typh… Phlosion… Grrr… Phlo…” (Kid… don’t worry… oh , it’s been a while since I’ve held a Strong Style move that long…)

William cursed, glancing at Ronin and noting how he was getting exhausted as well… Lena couldn’t help but glance at her own team now, noting how Arthur was using Heal Pulse on a group of Whirlpede, while also gritting his teeth as visible poisonous needles stuck out from his body. He may have been immune to Poison Type and being poisoned, but Twinneedle being a Bug Type had still whittled him down…

‘ Dammit Arthur, don’t overextend yourself —’ 

“Shit, Lena there’s one — God dammit — Ronin, get ready!” William said suddenly, disrupting her thought before bolting forward, Lena reached for him, but couldn’t grab his sweatshirt in time to stop him. She stole a glance back at Charon, who managed to gather himself enough to start shooting rapid-fire Embers at approaching Beedrill the best he could. He paused for a brief moment and glanced back, his crimson eyes meeting Lena gaze with an unreadable message, before both of them turned back to their targets and moved.

William had run forward towards the fallen Scolipede who was in front of the tree, he kneeled down with his head jerking over injuries as he tried to shakily open his bag for healing supplies.

Lena felt her throat close as even from afar she could tell they were too much, the Scolipede didn’t so much as move as William hesitantly placed a hand on its body… for just a moment before he glanced down to his side. That’s when she noticed a Venipede was next to him, gently nudging the fallen Pokémon every couple of seconds, a desperate look in the eyes of the Bug Poison Type as they turned to look at William. 

“Fuck — Lena, I don’t — I-I don’t know —” He halted, and that’s when Lena heard it. A more… intense buzzing. The kind of buzzing that made all the hair on the back of her neck stand up on all ends, rattling inside her ears and head to the point where she swore it was physically inside her.

Turning to the source, she saw the queen was actively in the fight now, apparently the sight of the monstrous Flamethrower was finally enough to bring the queen into the fray despite the danger.

Moving from singular targets with an unnatural speed, its stingers had a dark miasma about them which clued Lena into thinking that it was using Pursuit against the fleeing Pokémon… until it saw Lena and William.

Hate born of malice, made it change focus as it shifted and dove across the field for them. Lena heard Ronin cry out defensively, the Oshawott grabbing something from the bottom of William’s hoodie while having water surround him. Like a bullet, he shot through the air for the Beedrill with an Aqua Jet, water splashed around William and Lena due to the proximity, but she paid it no mind as her breath got stuck in her throat. 

The young Water Type was in no way strong enough for such a Pokémon yet, and images of what was about to happen shot through her mind in a panic.

William looked to ignore Ronin bolting away, instead focusing only on the Venipede who was still staring at the fallen Scolipede, trying to say soft, but shaky words to them that Lena couldn’t hear from the noise around her. 

To his right, the queen did not expect a sudden rush of water to hit her before she reached the ire of her anger, and seemed to falter for a moment as Ronin charged right into her… before she turned red and seemed to vanish into the Aqua Jet.

Ronin’s Aqua Jet finally ended with him in midair, but Lena could make out his flippers holding a Nest Ball, which made her realize that he had been holding that through the attack. He pitched it forward with an aggressive cry into the forest as it shook violently with the button blinking red in the air. Lena felt a thought of shock hit her at the plan, but she shoved that down to focus on what was in front of her.

The Venipede seemed to ignore all around them, before making a surprised noise as William did his best to scoop them up towards his chest with one arm, his other arm still holding the sharpened stick.

“I-It’s alright — we’re getting you out of here…” Lena barely heard him make out as he glanced over to Ronin and jerked his head in a direction, prompting the Water Type to rush back to his side. Before he could reach William, the flash of a broken Poké Ball appeared in the forest and the angry buzzing of a Beedrill echoed in the clearing. Its eyes glaring red hate towards everyone as it dove forward towards the group with stingers glowing for a Twineedle attack.

Lena’s body reacted automatically, saying nothing as she pushed her body in front of William to protect him from any attack… before the Beedrill shimmered in midair, and then almost vanished in a blur. 

She didn’t have the physical time to react to what happened, but the noise of the Beedrill suddenly on the other side of her made her mind realize what just happened.

Aerial Ace.

She only had enough time to shift her head to see the queen stop the move and start to dive forward from the new position, two stingers dangerously close to the group… it looked to be moments away from touching them before a sharp stick suddenly halted its approach, jabbing right into its stomach.

Lena saw the stick that Ronin had sharpened for William stabbing into the midsection, not puncturing, but definitely surprising the insect as the momentum of its attack was suddenly stopped at a very fine point.

“Ronin — SLICE HER!”

He shoved the stick forward to push the attacker back, Lena heard something crack as he did so, but she couldn’t tell if it was the stick William was holding, or something in the exoskeleton of the queen Beedrill. The motion must have been akin to another gut punch for the Beedrill as she faltered back away from them and moved a stinger to her stomach where William’s stick had pushed into it. 

Another rush of water sounded behind her and she felt some water hit her as Ronin flew above them, stopping mid-attack with his scalchop in hand before he dragged it against the queen’s body. The speed that the Aqua Jet provided allowed his scalchop to drag against her body akin to a blade. It was no Razor Shell, but Lena could see a line of blood form on her body as Ronin flew past, a pained hissing buzz leaving the queen as it moved another stinger to the cut.

Wasting no time, and with time feeling like it was slowing for a moment as she reacted, Lena felt her body burn as she lifted William and the Venipede up in one go with one arm, and ran. William let out some sort of noise, or maybe said something, Lena couldn’t tell as she focused on getting away from the queen before she recovered.

She could hear the rush of water behind them as Ronin caught up, but Lena didn’t dare to glance back, instead doing her best to squeeze her link with Arthur through Aura as quickly as possible. ‘ Arthur! Backup! I need —’

She couldn’t complete her thought, feeling a pull at her leg as they pushed forward and caused her to suddenly hit the ground, her grip on William being lost as she saw stars.

She forced herself to turn, her throat constricting as she saw one of her legs entirely encased in webbing. She glanced around, finally seeing some Beedrill overhead who had shot the one who had attacked their matriarchy, before they were suddenly hit by a frozen Ice Beam from Rina from afar.

She suddenly heard tearing, turning back to see William gripping the String Shot and ripping it away from Lena’s trapped leg with a grunt, but doing the best he could to wipe it away “Come on — stupid sticky —”

The Venipede William was carrying suddenly made a noise, William freezing for a brief moment before hitting the ground as a sudden torrent of toxic Poison Stings flew across the air inches away. William made a noise and pulled the Venipede close to his chest. The attack only lasted a couple seconds, but it felt like hours as they waited for the noise of the attack cutting through the air to stop. Finally, after a moment he shifted up and went to pull the rest of the Sting Shot away, freezing as he noticed the shadow of the queen Beedrill just over them.

Her eyes were directed at William, its proboscis dripping with what looked like a mix of saliva and toxins as it panted and stared at the two… the cut Ronin had made dripped a flow of blood, and the spot William stabbed with the stick had a ghastly purple bruise already forming that covered its entire midsection.

But it continued to stand strong, looking at the two humans under her, ready to put an end to this. William reached for a Nest Ball to grab them some time, and Lena attempted to at least awkwardly shoot a Capture Disc as a distraction. Her voice was stuck as she tried to scream at William to run, time seeming to slow for her again as hundreds of images ran through her mind of what was about to happen once again…

Then, a flash of blue slammed into the queen, and an angry, feral growl followed. The force of Arthur’s attack sent the queen a bit away from the momentum, but he followed up with his aura staff, staggering it once again with a quick strike downwards, sending it collapsing to the ground. Arthur then shifted, practically leaping on top of the queen with what looked to be Strength focused entirely in one of his closed paws, making her body sink into the ground and leave an indent as he panted. The queen struggled, buzzing once again and forcing another echoing slam sounding in the forest as Arthur let out a furious cry on impact as the queen finally stilled.

Lena looked shocked at her partner’s brutality for a moment, but she was pulled away from it by William grunting at her side, ripping away the rest of the webbing around her leg… his face pale as he turned to her, panting heavily most likely as the adrenaline looked to be wearing off. “A-Are you okay? Shit — I… h-here…”

He moved his hand to help Lena stand up, the Ranger taking his hand, and then reflexively placed her other hand on his left shoulder as he shifted and stood up with her. He struggled a little, his legs wobbling probably due to overestimating his actual strength, reminding Lena to stand up herself on her own so as not to burden him.

The Ranger grunted and started to take stock of the area… the entire breeding area was ruined from the chaos. Dirt was ripped up from the attacks, poison needles sticking out of the ground like fallen javelins, areas either scorched or soaked from Water or Fire Type attacks… but the Beedrill were fleeing now, seeing that their queen had been taken out and were inclined to flee, lest they get targeted next. Scores of tens of fallen Beedrill surrounded them, either captured in Nest Balls, or completely unconscious from being beaten, frozen, or burned.

Lena couldn’t help but let a bubbling laugh leave her as the reality hit her.

They did it.

William panted heavily next to her, no doubt exhausted as he shakily kneeled down and opened his bag, but she couldn’t help but feel a rush of energy flow through herself as she stood up and took a deep breath…. 

There was still a lot to do, reporting on what the Beedrill had been doing, capturing all the fallen Beedrill from this, relocating them to a safe place… Helping the forest Pokémon rebuild the ecosystem and biosphere…

…Figuring out who released the Queen in the first place would be the main one… the League would have to get involved at this point…

But still. They did it. The crisis was over, for them at least.

As she wiped her forehead, Rina suddenly let out a choked, horrified noise. Snapping her head towards her, Lena nearly fell down as the Floatzel tackled her and started to look her over. 

“Float-FloatZEL! Fl-Float? Zel?” (Lena! You’re bleeding! Where were you cut — where did they hit you?)

…What?

Now with Rina suddenly on top of her, Lena looked down at her hands, seeing a bit of blood on the back of her palm. Reaching up to her forehead, she confirmed that the liquid running down her hair and forehead was, indeed, sweat. Quickly feeling around her body, she noticed overall she felt sore, but nothing hurt as if she was cut or seriously injured. 

“Grk— Guh— Braaaaahhhg—”

William was kneeled over vomiting onto the ground.

Charon let out a panicked noise, kneeling down next to William while looking him over now. Ronin was looking equally worried, glancing frantically between Charon and his Trainer with his own noise that Lena couldn’t tell if it was a cry of William’s name, or of shock. Kneeling down quickly, Lena’s mind was rushing through issues while her eyes darted over William, looking at his head, and gently moving her hand carefully so as to not directly touch it.

‘ Vomiting, oh, Twins, does he have a concussion? Or — is it stress? Did he cut himself? Or — or —’

Where his shoulder was soaked from Ronin’s Aqua Jet, the water had made the fabric darker and damp, allowing it to hide a slowly building bloodstain. The fabric looked almost burnt, sizzled away, and identical to Poison Type attack's effect on clothes… and under it, Lena could see his skin turning purple around a raw cut.

Her eyes flicked to the ground, seeing bits of Pecha Berry where he vomited, his bag open at the side, and a half eaten berry in his hands, suggesting he had already attempted to eat one or two before the one he had. The reality of the situation hit her as William’s face got even paler, his body shaking as Charon let out a panicked noise, saying something she couldn’t discern all the noises started to blur.

With her thoughts falling around her, she ripped her own bag open and reached for an Antidote to try and stabilize William. Her vision closing around the edges as she barely was able to grab the item, her own throat dry as before she could rip William’s sweatshirt off to apply it, he lurched again and vomited.

Lena shifted over to him, waiting for him to stop coughing before starting to lift the sweatshirt up off of William to get to the injury, but instead Charon took over and ripped it off outright, allowing them both to see the full extent of his shoulder. 

“Thyh… Phlosion…!” (Oh, Sinnoh… William—!)

The entire upper left shoulder was a sickening purple, more so than what a bruise would look like, the poison already working its way through his body with speed that Lena hadn’t seen before. She wiped away the light blood still pooling… seeing the full injury… horror running through her as she was, it wasn't deeper than a fingernail. He had been barely grazed and still was poisoned.

The blood leaving now wasn’t red, it was changing colors as the toxins seeped in, Lena starting to apply the Antidote to try and stabilize him… 

One second passed… the purple still spreading down his arm… even as she followed the entire path down with the medicine for his body to absorb it as soon as possible.

Then two seconds passed, nothing reacting still, Lena feeling her breathing stop as she realized the Antidote had no effect on him.

Lena’s vision turned into desaturated, colorful TV static. Her arms turned to jelly. Her breaths became quick and light. Memories of that day began racing through her head.

Elle . 

Ringing in her ears.

Leone.  

Her palms drenched in clammy sweat.

Micah.

Her legs gave out and she fell forward.

Not again.

The TV static changed channels, now looking like the ground.

No.

Her head made contact with the ground.

Please.

“— ena…! Lena! We need to get William to a hospital! Call for a medical helicopter! We won’t be able to Fly him there! ”

Arthur’s yanking Lena up by shoulder was finally enough to bring Lena back to reality. Her body movement was jerky as she opened up the Map on her Styler and saw her exact GPS coordinates before she navigated back to hit the first radio frequency on the screen. Practically screaming to anyone who could hear on the line, she desperately tried to keep her own panic out of her voice.

“T-This is Top Ranger Lena Winifred of the Unova Ranger Union! I need air evacuation to Castelia Children’s Hospital immediately!” She screamed, just as William’s face started to turn pasty white, his eyes unfocused with his body swaying to the side as he muttered something under his breath, unable to hold himself up anymore. 

Charon caught him, panic written all over the Typhlosion’s face as he held his limp ward, before letting out a horrified noise that Lena wasn’t able to discern, but snapping her back into what she was doing. “I have a child in critical condition, suspected toxic poisoning from a Beedrill! I’m in the northeast side of Pinwheel Forest, coordinates 49, -135. Send a helicopter and a stretcher, I-I don’t think he’s stable enough for me to Fly him over there!”

Lena went to reach out to check William’s vials, to see if she could do something, anything. Charon only pulled William closer to himself in response, clearly not about to let anyone else touch his ward right now as his presence almost seemed to shrink down, almost as if it was to protect William’s entire being. His red eyes stared at his ward whose eyes were closed, but whose body shook slightly with labored breathing. 

Her left hand nails dug into her own palm as she repeated her desperate cry. “I-I repeat, I need a helicopter evac to Castelia Children’s Hospital to coordinate 49, -135 immediately! Over!”

Lena could only shakily pull her other hand away and stare as the reality of the situation seemed to almost come crashing down above her as a whisper left her lips. “ Please… don’t die on me William....”

Chapter Text

Chapter 11 - The Wake-Up Slap 

Medical wards were always places that made Charon’s fur stand up on all ends, even before he evolved. When he was still a Quilava, he always dismissed it as an uncomfortable place where he would get injected with medicine that would make him feel all funny, but by the time he evolved... Well... The lingering souls of the sick and deceased always itched at him uncomfortably, reaching out to him to be properly guided into the afterlife.

It didn’t help that proper medical care during his times were hard to come by — treatments often boiled down to aggressive medicines like opium, pseudoscientific quack treatments like blood letting, or.. well...

Takashi’s Lilligant was never able to walk again after what happened to her.

Thankfully, it seemed that this ‘children’s hospital’ was a lot more welcoming than he was used to. The beds weren’t made of wood and Starly feathers, the rooms had electric lighting, the tools were clean, and the rooms were a lot more colorful.

A ribbon of green wrapped down the hallway, and from that ribbon, like trees, paintings of young Pokémon sprouted, looking cheerful, friendly. A Leavanny smiling and taking care of a Togepi and a Eevee on one end, with the rest of the wall showing other Pokémon at play. Buneary and Lillipup running in a game of tag, a Pidove near the ceiling in flight looking down among the group… even the old Typhlosion had to admit it looked pleasant.

Completing the mural in the corner of the wall was a small signature. Charon could only make out the first three letters, ‘Bur..’ before it devolved into meaningless squiggles.

But inviting as the artist tried, the room still felt colder than the Alabaster Icelands during the solstice, because none of the amenities could make up for his grandson nearly reaching his deathbed, in critical condition from toxic poison. 

His red eyes entirely focused on his ward’s soul which lay dormant in the hospital bed. He would love to be next to him like a watchful guard, but apparently Fire Type Pokémon weren’t allowed to be in the same room when they were using an ‘oxygen mask’. 

He had to restrain himself from walking in there himself, knowing he would most likely distract the healers and nurses keeping him at least stable , but this provided a… necessary opportunity. 

His eyes moved to the Ranger who sat next to him, her eyes staring endlessly forward, seemingly motionless, but her soul screamed with a deafening Whirlwind of emotion. Arthur sat next to her, as if to comfort her when her mistake brought this situation into fruition.

Rina had taken Ronin away… somewhere, to help distract the young Pokémon at Charon’s suggestion since he looked up to her. Charon counted that as a blessing in this situation, though the side glance the Floatzel sent his way suggested she could already discern his true purpose. 

Still, she said nothing, which he appreciated… even if this did make him an ‘enemy’ later.

With the couch creaking under him, he stood up at his full height and looked down at the Ranger. She didn’t even respond, continuing to simply staring forward, even as Arthur shifted to try and meet Charon’s gaze.  

Only once he spoke, making sure his tone carried as much weight that a ghost could have, that the Ranger flinched out of her fugue state. “What in the name of Sinnoh Almighty were you thinking?”

It wasn’t a question, and she knew that when she looked up at Charon with her own gaze. He had to give her credit, Lena didn’t look away from his blistering glare, but he didn’t give her a chance to speak as he continued. “You let someone in your care get hurt walking into the equivalent of an active war zone , and then you didn’t even use all the tools at your disposal to ensure he was kept safe.”

She actually looked frustrated at this, her face shifting into a sort-of glare. “It wasn’t supposed to be like that. The original point of the Mission was catch and release, standard Ranger protocol —”

“And does ‘protocol’ have anything to say about when a group of Pokémon are actively targeting the nests of other Pokémon? Killing their young?”

The Ranger flinched at that, and even Arthur, who had looked ready to defend his partner, had his ears fall at Charon’s words. 

“I know you can fight and organize better, you’ve fought me and that was still better coordination than what happened. I saw how you looked up at the queen, so why did you not have Arthur, or Rina target her from the start?!”

“The Beedrill would have become more aggressive — wild Pokémon, especially Beedrill, are known to swarm attackers of their hive… it would have put a target on our back even sooner than when you used Flamethrower if we targeted the queen.” Arthur countered, managing to find his resolve as the Ranger couldn’t respond.

His words nearly caused Charon to explode, the unbridled anger that had been boiling beneath the surface like the apparent explosion that caused the Temple of Sinnoh to explode. He could feel his body heating up as he turned to Arthur now. The Aura Pokémon did not flinch under his gaze, staring back with his own crimson eyes.

“ My goal was to protect my ward from Pokémon who saw everyone else as invaders in a place that wasn’t even their own, they themselves were already attacking in this situation.” Charon growled out, pointing a finger at Arthur. “Most Pokémon that do this act desperate, or are taught and trained. They were not desperate, they were aggressive from the start and this was a coordinated attack.” 

“And being even more aggressive caused them to target us, which is what led to William getting — being — !” Her voice rose, but it was clearly strangled from emotion, conflicted.

He didn’t care.

“Then why did you not call for backup in the first place? I know you can communicate with others with those fancy devices you have now, getting more Rangers to support would have helped in either case. Isn’t that part of your beloved ‘protocols’ ?”

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Charon knew she had no excuse.

Her soul knew she had no excuse.

With a dismissive noise, Charon turned around and started to stomp out of the room, Arthur attempting to interject. “W-Wait, Charon — the doctors —”

“I am going to stand outside my ward's room until he is well.”

“People might —”

“I don't care. He’s my ward, my grandson, my family. I don’t give a Patrat’s ass about what anyone else thinks right now.”

Briefly Charon turned back around, smothering his burning anger long enough to calm his mind to stare back at Lena and Arthur with a withering glare. “I made a promise to William to protect him in this life and the next. Either help me do that, or stay out of my way.” He resumed his march towards the hospital room, leaving the two to stew in silent contemplation.

Charon took a deep breath as to not let his presence overwhelm the others within the building as he walked down the thankfully empty hallway. Despite the burning anger about the situation, he couldn’t help but feel the cold chill of worry and anxiety wash over him as he shifted to standing outside the door to William’s hospital room, as close to his soul as he could be while he lay unconscious for now.

Lena didn’t register the room getting any colder, despite an enraged Fire Type rightfully leaving.

No, she was lost in recalling the events over and over again, now that she was finally sitting down to take stock of it all; but Charon’s words were bouncing in her head like a hyperactive Spoink.

Contrastingly, her mind replayed every single minute at a Shelmet's pace, going over every choice and action of the Mission she had made, every second of every minute of every hour. She knew that Arthur was attempting to get her mind off of it since Charon left, but she couldn’t focus on anything except what her mind kept replaying involuntarily for her. 

It had started out like a normal capture and release mission, they caught Weedle and Kakuna spread around the forest… 

“You let someone in your care get hurt…”

They brought them back to the rendezvous point, and… and… 

“You didn’t even use all the tools at your disposal to ensure he was kept safe.”

It was only when William noticed the abnormal migration patterns and went deeper that… that…

“That you went off the path, Lena Winifred.”

The voice spoke with such clarity that Lena couldn’t help but be snapped out of her daze by force, looking up to see the last person she wanted to see right now, Chairperson Erma.

Her face was unreadable as she stared at Lena, and despite the Top Ranger not wanting to meet her bosses face right now… she couldn’t look away, her own eyes locked as the Chairperson stood like a monolith towering above her while she wasn’t even standing at her full height. Next to her stood Gardevoir, whose expression gave nothing away.

“Arthur, please go with Gardevoir.” Erma said, her tone as hard as solid steel and left no room for argument. The Lucario, ever loyal, looked tempted for just a moment to protest, but soon stood up and walked next to the Embrace Pokémon, following him out the door.

Chairperson Erma continued to stare before she spoke again, her tone a mix of a couple things, but the heaviest among them all stood above everything: disappointment. “Of all the things that could happen in less than three days, I didn’t expect you to make the same mistake that started this in the first place.” 

Lena couldn’t even find the words to respond to Chairperson Erma as she continued. “Not only do you go off the normal section of the forest, which was technically outside the original Mission space, but you also stretched yourself too thin, which let William get injured.” 

With a deep sigh, Erma shook her head. “And then, he gets in such a state that you call for a medical helicopter evac on the open channel no less. You’re lucky that you didn’t give his name, but you do know that Volunteer Missions that Trainers take apart in get added to their Trainer Record by the League, correct?”

Only nodding slightly, Lena swallowed as if her throat felt entirely dry, Erma continuing without interruption. “So any curious Trainer, or news reporters, is going to poke into the situation, and inquire about why a child was also airlifted to Castelia Children’s Hospital, when he also only had three days of being a Trainer.” 

Erma’s presence took up the entire room as she started to pace back and forth, each impact of her cane against the hard, tiled floor, echoing like a ticking clock. “A catch and release Mission is supposed to be straightforward. Yes, while he is… younger than most, there is a reason that those are the most common type of Missions for volunteer Trainers to be asked to assist with.”

“It wasn’t — it escalated beyond catch and release.” Lena found herself saying without realizing it, Chairperson Erma raising an eyebrow and turned to Lena while most of her body faced away. An awkward silence entered the room until Lena realized she was waiting for her to explain. “T-The Beedrill. They were driving the native Pokémon towards the main path of Pinwheel Forest, and driving people away if they got too close near their… target at the time. That’s why Beedrill specifically weren’t being found by Trainers or Rangers during the main Mission, they were busy attacking and driving the native colonies out around the forest. ”

“Which wasn’t happenstance?” Erma asked with a raised eyebrow, her tone giving no indication on how she felt about the claim.

Lena shook her head, taking a deep breath before continuing. “When we arrived, they were attacking a Venipede nest, where they had laid their eggs, and were …” Lena had to take a moment to gather her words, remembering the sight of the Scolipede that William had run over too to help the young Venipede. “...killing members of the nest, and the Queen targeted any that attempted to flee specifically with Pursuit, and could use Aerial Ace.” 

Lena struggled for a moment, Charon’s words still hammering in her skull as she thought through everything again…  “That’s… they were aggressors from the start. This wasn’t just a situation w-where a Pokémon took root or migrated to the wrong place, this… the Queen Beedrill intentionally planned this… war against the Pokémon of the forest, and was seemingly… maybe, planted there…”

Chairperson Erma fell silent, tapping her cane in place for a minute that dragged on and on… even though it was probably only a couple seconds. “...I see. So it went beyond the scope of the original information given…”

The Chairperson was clearly processing this information, her eyes narrowing as a heavy silence followed. After a minute had passed, she posed her next question. “And what did you do first in response when you first saw the situation? ”

Lena had to take a second to respond, despite having gone over every action of herself for the last twenty four hours multiple times. “I sent in Arthur as he had Heal Pulse to help the wounded and to evacuate, while… Rina was next to me for help while I captured… the Beedrill.” Her voice started to trail off, the weight of her failure resting heavily on her throat as the pieces in her mind were coming together.

Erma didn’t care about whatever discomfort she was feeling with her next query. “So, you followed the standard Ranger operating procedure for an aggressive group of Pokémon for ‘Catch and Release’ Missions still.”

Lena didn’t respond verbally, and just nodded.

“And what about William and his team?”

“They… attacked, and William caught as many as he could…”

“Did you inform him of the procedures that normally fall outside of what a Trainer would do in this situation? Of what a Ranger does?” Erma’s voice felt so pointed that it almost psychically hurt to hear.

“...No.”

“So, you essentially threw a new Trainer into the deep end after you initially responded incorrectly to a situation, and then only with the benefit of hindsight understood what the situation was.”

Lena felt like multiple rounds of Gravity had been used on her with every word Erma said, only nodding.

Chairperson Erma stayed silent for a moment afterwards, before sighing once again. “You realize that this weakens the case with allowing William to go on a Journey, correct? Both the League and especially the International Police are going to poke whatever hole they want from this.”

“I-I know—”

“Do you?” 

When Lena didn’t respond, Erma just stared what felt like a hole through her, burning deep into the core of her being. After a second of eternity had passed, the Chairperson turned around and started for the door, the sound of her cane touching the tiles ringing in her ear before she paused right before the automatic door opened. “I know these past couple days have been different, Lena. And one's self is their worst critic… you especially, so I won’t say anything else on the matter for now.” 

Turning back just enough to meet Lena’s eyes, Chairperson Erma had that monolithic appearance once again as she spoke. “So, what are you going to do about this, Lena Winifred? What are you going to do about this to make this right?”

Silence followed as Lena couldn’t find an answer, but Chairperson Erma didn’t wait, walking out of the room and into the hall to leave the Top Ranger to ruminate on her thoughts.

Chairperson Erma took a deep breath as she exited the family waiting room where her Ranger sat. Despite her position, she never enjoyed giving such a talk to her Rangers. But, the circumstances willed, and this qualified for such an occasion.

She had read the hastily made after action report by Ranger Miguel when she requested it, and although the main details had been missing about the conflict, the results were not.

Over fifty Weedle total from all Trainers, forty-seven Kakuna from all Trainers, those seven of which were set to evolve soon, and over thirty Beedrill found in the aftermath of the Venipede nest.

Missions didn’t even go beyond ten for the fully evolved Pokémon in most cases. 

In any other circumstance, Erma would have called this a success, and used this as ammunition about the critical nature of Rangers to Pokémon Leagues in every Regions, and especially to rub it in the face of the International Police. Even more so with how the Unovan League was failing to do any of the necessary integration work for proper introduction of new species of Pokémon into the region. A ‘hate to say I told you so’ moment, if she ever had one.

However, everything surrounding it soured what should have been a victory.

Lena technically didn’t break protocol by bringing a ‘Trainer’ off route, especially since she was now a Top Ranger and had the technical authority to bring a Trainer along on a Mission. It was when you throw in the fact that the Trainer was the focus of two other organizations, and got critically injured by the queen Beedrill who clearly was a Trainer’s Pokémon originally that everything fell apart.

The tactics that the other Breedrill used and with her using Pursuit on the fleeing Venipede, as well as the fact that it had used Aerial Ace… had that information been known ahead of time she would have called in Kellyn and Solana.

‘Perhaps I’ll have to bring one of them out of their current assignments, if only to train Lena. An incident like this tends to be fractal...’ Erma mused.

‘And maybe someone that understands what she went through wouldn’t be bad either...’

Regardless, everyone did all they could in hindsight, missing what should have been vital information obtained before the Mission.

Chairperson Erma had already narrowed down a mental list of possible sources for where such a TM could have been purchased, but it didn’t help that it’s a widely available TM across Regions, but that would still need to be investigated later… 

The only issue is that the League would need to be involved as this had turned into something beyond just an aftereffect of the Unova Diversity Act. The thought was enough to bring a grimace on her face.

And then… the curveball of the night, Arthur’s hesitant reveal to Gardevoir that William knew that Lady Virizion’s domain had once been Pinwheel Forest.

Although the excuse that Charon had met the Legendary Pokémon previously and simply passed that information is plausible, and most likely true to a sense, the way Arthur described William’s reaction solidified it in her mind.

“ He didn’t know that information wasn’t already commonly known, and if he knew, he clearly wouldn’t have said anything. ”

A mistake on William’s part, for sure, but that’s a matter for another time. A matter still, but not now… best not to jump to conclusions. 

The Cherubi on top of this all was him getting poisoned, an Antidote failing to treat it even after he ate Pecha Berries, and how he fell critically unconscious on the helicopter ride over to the hospital.

Nothing else about the successes of the Mission mattered at that point, Erma most likely would have had a conversation with Lena even if it didn’t end in the mess it did now.

As she continued her walk down the hall, she noted how Charon stood tall next to the door by William’s room, no doubt intimidating at least some of the doctors and nurses that walked by. Erma found the sight somewhat calming and couldn’t help but smile.

It always warmed her heart to see a Pokémon so dedicated to protecting their Trainer, or charge.

It wasn’t even four-o-clock in the morning yet, and it was no surprise that Lena had looked terrible, on top of stressed, and exhausted. Yet, Charon seemed content to stay away until his ward awakened, despite some scuffs from the battle at the Venipede nesting grounds hours before.

At the noise of Erma’s cane, the ghost seemed to perk up just slightly, glancing at Erma’s direction and seeming to relax for a moment as she walked down the hall and stopped next to the Ghost Flame Pokémon. “No news yet?”

Charon took a deep breath before shaking. “...Phlo. Shion.” (...He is asleep, but the poison worked… too fast on his body, so they needed to give more antitoxin than normal.)

Erma nodded with a hum and sighed heavily. “Poison is a nasty thing. I’ve seen more than enough Rangers get afflicted with all types of poison from all kinds of Pokémon.” She started, taking a deep breath thinking back for a moment. “Roserade, what a sickeningly sweet trap… Tentacruel is a common one we have to deal with in Kanto.”

Charon looked at her, wincing before responding. “Typh… Phl-Sion…Phlolo…” (In Hisui… Paras and Croagunk poison were the most common. I think I disliked Paras more for how aggressive they are… even with knowing about their nature, they caught so many by surprise…)

Erma hummed in sympathy, but frowned at the mention of the Mushroom Pokemon. “Yes, Paras can be… tricky. Took the Ranger Union ages to figure out how to handle them, and then Parasect…” She muttered for a moment, before she shook her head. Best not to get into the discussion of the ‘Parasect Defense’ for now. “Well, that’s not why I brought poison up in the first place. I want to ask you how many Pokémon… or people, the Ranger Union has lost to poison.”

Charon froze at the question, narrowing his eyes for a moment before he answered, though with more hesitation than she expected. “...Typhlo, son?” (Over a hundred? Or… have you lost count?)

“None.”

Charon couldn’t help but stare in pure shock as Erma took a step forward and looked off to the side. “Times have changed since Hisui, old ghost. Times have certainly changed… but with changing times, comes advancements.” 

She started to pace gently back and forth, mentally chuckling to herself as she understood why Lamont had wanted to start a school specifically now, feeling like an instructor to a young student, despite Charon being only a couple decades older at most. 

But, she made sure her face looked unmoving so as to not distract from the point she was making. “As head of the Ranger Union, I’ve made sure that every Region we are stationed in has ample access to antitoxins, medical supplies…”

Taking a breath, Erma started to walk back and forth in front of Charon. “Despite my… misgivings about the internet, it’s the very foundation of which the Operators that Rangers depend on in the modern age, and they can communicate critical needs across Regions in seconds.” Memories started to fly back to Erma, a melancholy smile finding itself on her face. “And before then, well, I made sure that if my own partner and I needed too, we would be able to get the supplies as needed to any of my Rangers, as well as those they protect… those were sleepless days and nights…”

As to not lose herself in memories of bygone days, Erma continued. “Regardless, William will get the care he needs, and I’ve even called in an… associate of mine, Dr. Eirin is her name, for this case to handle this.”

Chuckling slightly, she remembered how annoyed Eirin was at the sudden call due to time zone differences, but she immediately went straight to work with Erma’s requests without a moment of hesitation. “She’s already reviewing William’s file, and as she’s an… independent party, no League or Interpol eyes are on this… yet.”

Charon let out a noise, grunting slightly and glaring in the direction of the family room with a rolling rumble in his throat. “Typhlosion- Phsion- Loooshion.” (At least there’s one person in the Ranger Union who can choose to do the right thing. Instead of following some backwards ‘procedure’ trying to maintain a fake level of ‘control’.)

‘ Ah, how best to play this… it is understandable he is angry, but I can’t have him being antagonistic and possibly cause a divide that’ll let the International Police have more sway… let’s see what I can do. ’ Erma hummed for a moment, tapping her cane on the floor for a moment. “Charon, back in Hisui, an attack like this would not end unless the aggressive party… is entirely eliminated, yes?”

Charon turned back to her, the hallway getting a tad warmer as he stared at her, their eyes meeting in a contest. The Alpha Typhlosion, to Erma’s credit, didn't back down and just nodded. “I see, and most Pokémon moves and attacks were brutal . Focused on domination of a single target before moving onto the next… is that how the Beedrill were acting as well?”

“...Phlo. Llosion, Typh Phlosion. ” (No. What is your point, my ward , my grandson, almost died from them. If it were my choice, I would have used more flames then I did.)

“My point is that they were coordinated. Spread out. Organized by focusing on weak points or groups… which is sadly why William was targeted most likely.” Erma stated, her eyes narrowing at Charon. “Top Ranger Lena, yes, while she made a mistake on processing the situation, fell back on her training, those procedures… still a mistake, but the same one you made.”

Charon looked to be hit by a Fake Out, but Erma continued. “You just admitted you would have used more flames. However, trained Pokémon… or at least, Wild Pokémon who got diction from say… a queen Beedrill, would know not to go all in against a Fire Type that has over a century of experience. So they go for smaller targets… or try to split groups apart to pick off, or send in sacrifices meant to wear down a target, burn them out…”

Silence overtook the hallway as Charon clearly thought on her words, replaying the events of that night… but Erma decided to strike while the iron glowed. 

“Soldier, who won the war with Zdarova and Galar?”

Charon’s fur instinctually stood on end in response, and the room rapidly started rising in temperature, only for the heat to sputter out like a dying campfire. 

Erma took the silence as the answer she was expecting. “I see. You probably know better than I do about how your adversaries fought in particular battles, but their strategy of Gorilla Tactics and “fighting dirty” became standardized going forward.”

“...Typ-Phlos-Sion? Phlsi on ?” (...And you suggest I do the same? Target indiscriminately? )

“I am not saying to perform acts that compromise promises, or morals you make with your ward. You need to re-learn the battlefield— did you even use any moves or techniques that focus on a wider area that won’t impact those next to you? Heat Wave? Eruption?”

“...Plosion…. Lolo-Typhlosion. Lo-Phlo…” (...No, I don’t… those moves weren’t in Hisui. Never learned them…)

“Then you will need to expand your toolkit first and foremost. These are the words of someone who’s had to adapt the Ranger Union to the modern age, despite difficulties… because one mistake, no matter how much of a permanent impact it seems to have made, you carry with you forever. It means you need to adapt, or you will get passed up by Pokémon who haven’t needed too, like tonight.” 

Charon’s gaze didn’t move an inch as Erma stared back for a good minute, before he finally let out a snort and seemed to sink, conceding just barely .

Erma considered a win, but she pressed a bit more. “I know not what either you or William will face… and I have not known him as long as you, but do you see him as a Trainer who throws himself into danger headfirst? Even at his own peril?” 

Charon looked up at this again, but Erma held a hand out to stop him. “I am not criticizing him for it. I am simply stating that if you are to be a responsible guide and his Pokémon, as much as he is your ward and your Trainer, you need to be equally responsible as well in your half of the equation.”

Erma tapped her cane, punctuating her words. “War has changed, soldier. Adapt to the times. When lives are on the line, a dirty win is still a win, and a clean loss is still a loss. And unlike last time, do you not have someone worth fighting for?”

As silence seemed to mute all other sounds as she finished, Erma tapped her cane twice on the ground, and her partner Gardevoir suddenly appeared next to her. Erma took his arm gently before turning back to Charon, her eyes a mix of calm sympathy and cold, calculating sternness.

“...Oh, and one last thing before I forget. Lena might have joined this whole mission by happenstance, but your continued cooperation is not an accident, for I would have assigned her to this mission otherwise. You two have a lot more in common than you think you do. Perhaps time to get to know each other better would serve you both well.”

“Typh-lolosionlo.” (If you think she’s like me , then your eyes will need to be checked fae.) 

Erma chuckled a little then nodded all sage-like as a pink glow of a teleport slowly creeped up from under her, starting at her legs.

“Goodbye Charon, I hope we can see each other under better circumstances.”

And after a wave from her partner, they vanished in an instant, leaving Charon alone in an empty hallway… left to his own thoughts until his ward awoke.

Dr. Yagokoro needed another cup of tea, or two, just to begin to understand the discrepancies on this child’s file.

With a sigh, her eyes resumed at the top of the page, reviewing everything she had just read to ensure she was not missing anything, even as part of her grumbled at her day suddenly being prolonged. 

It had been a pretty typical day at her lab and clinic so far. Two patients had seen her in the morning for simple checkups, lunch had no one calling for her in the middle of it which was a rarity nowadays, and the rest of the day ticked on slowly, with no surprise walk-ins, it provided her more than enough time to work on her personal experiments.

She had resumed grinding down a Doom Seed she had grown into a powder to brew into a cup of tea for Reisen. Her previous experiments on grafting Fighting-type energy into her had failed to achieve this “Mega Evolution” she had heard about, but had induced a significant increase in size and behavioral changes. She hoped this Doom Seed would both sate her increased appetite and maybe reduce some of the aggressive tendencies. 

And then, like she was being mocked, her phone rang. Not her office phone, her personal phone, the sudden ringtone completely throwing her off her focus, and instinctively annoying her before she recognized the ringtone.

Few people knew her phone number, fewer had personal ringtones assigned to them to know what they were calling for. And a quick glance at the caller ID displayed on what some youths would call an ‘ancient’ flip-phone, told her that her old friend and business associate Erma had called her.

Her own personal annoyance at being interrupted was cast aside — Erma did pay generously to have her on retainer for situations exactly like this.

Although she might have to start billing her more. Erma’s Gardevoir was quite bothersome — she swore he always made his teleports as disorienting as possible just because he liked watching her feel sick afterwards, the naughty Psychic he was. 

“Pix-ie!” 

Blinking for a moment to get rid of the words imprinted on her eyes, she turned and saw her companion Yomi place a tray on the counter, four cups of gently steaming tea sitting inside. Even with a mask on, the nutty aroma of the pot of kukicha helped ease some of the stress of the night away.

“Ah, thank you, my companion.” She said to the Clefable, smiling through her mask as she turned back to the file once more… if there were four cups in the tray, she should expect…

Without turning around, Dr. Yagokoro sighed and leaned back into her chair. “If you wanted to speak to me, I’d appreciate it if you knocked. Patient confidentiality and all.”

The sound of a cane tapping along the floor, along with a chuckle filled the nearly empty lunch room as Erma walked up to the open chair next to the doctor. “And since when did you ever concern yourself with such matters, Eirin? Last I heard you were experimenting with some pill to induce nightmares.” 

“It’s the Butterfree Dream Pill, and it cures nightmares, not causes them.”

“Right, tell that to poor Goro, yes?” 

Gardevoir gently pulled out a chair for Erma, smiling before he took a cup of tea with Clefable and sat on the other side of the table, the two Pokémon gossiping as they usually did. Erma took a sip from her own cup of tea, humming at the blend. Dr. Yagokoro slid her mask off mentally, slowly letting the stress of the night wash away …. 

“ So, my friend, what do you see? ” Erma asked suddenly, switching to their shared native tongue and dialect. Dr. Yagokoro felt all that stress nearly come back on, but her face took a more focused look as she glanced around at the few people who were also eating either on the other side of the room, or a couple tables behind them.

Dr. Yagokoro sighed, and took a big sip of tea before she set it down, her mind already working through everything.

“ The patient, William… ” She paused, her usual script of including the entire name being tripped up as she realized there was none listed, but it was only for a moment as she continued smoothly on. “ ...had a severe reaction to Beedrill toxins that by all accounts, should have been cured by the Pecha Berry we found in his system. However, this wasn’t an allergic reaction, as he never entered anaphylactic shock, thank Ho-oh. ”

Erma hummed, her eyes narrowing as she took another sip of her tea, prompting Dr. Yagokoro to continue. “ The toxins found in his body were discovered to be less than 5 milliliters, and this is just from a passing strike of Twineedle. However, further tests confirm that the type of toxin was potent, more in line with a trained Beedrill’s ability to manipulate Poison Type Energy, but nothing that would be considered ‘abnormal’.” Memories of previous encounters with Beedrill poison entered Dr. Yagokoro's memory for a moment, as she narrowed her eyes. 

“ The medically accepted amount of even a trained Beedrill’s toxin that is able to be absorbed by the body with only mild sickness is more than a couple thousands times what his body took. Trainers that specialize in Poison Types have even volunteered for studies to find the upper limit of the human body, reaching almost quadruple that. Such a small amount should not have done such damage to his body. ” Dr. Yagokoro stated, Erma was silent as she processed the information with a pressed look on her face.

“ It did however, so how did his body react to the toxins? ”

Taking another deep breath, lest she go into a rant, she continued. “ The toxin spread throughout the body at a rapid rate, almost as if it was tissue paper. It put up no defense that could be expected of a healthy child and we were required almost quadruple the amount of antitoxin that a normal case of Beedrill poison would have required just to stop the spread, and had to then handle the side effects akin to his body fighting back on the antitoxin… but only part of it, leading to needing to administer medicine to counteract any possible overdose symptoms. We attempted to use Life Dew on him due to the effect the toxins started to have on the healthy tissue on his shoulder and arm which… had no effect, but the cocktail of multiple drugs at that point was finally assisting in flushing his system. We still took steps slower than normal, due to his lack of a reaction to the Antidote Ranger Lena attempted to apply just in case, as well as the fact that Life Dew did nothing. To be safe, we applied the medicines one at a time, to monitor his vitals with every additional dose. He is stable… if on enough medicine to make even Whitney’s Miltank faint. ”

Erma hummed… her face gave away nothing to onlookers, but Yagokoro knew it was grave with the information given. Stopping at a specific page, she pointed where his blood labs had been documented. “ Aside from that, I did review the blood labs as well, the antitoxin from both the Antidote and the higher medical variation we gave him was found to be surrounding the Beedrill venom, as intended, but the nearby blood cells were not producing the expected protein reaction. As a result, his body seemed to be producing more white blood cells that counter-reacted to what should have been an protein cellular deconstruction of the venom and the general medicines included to promote homeostasis to stabilize him were completely unreactive to any aspect of his white or red blood cells. ”

Erma took a sip of her tea, humming as she looked to process the statement, before she glanced at Gardevoir. “You got that, yes?”

Gardevoir nodded with a pleasant smile, Erma smiling back. “Good, it’ll give Professor Hastings something new to translate for me later.” 

Yagokoro sighed for a moment before shaking her head and glancing at Yomi, who only giggled at the plight of her partner. “It seems I am alone…. Erma. ” She shifted back to her native tongue, snapping Erma instantly back as the Chairperson of the Ranger Union, already having in mind what was needed. 

“Eirin, this was just from less than a drop of poison. And even then, quick thinking and actions only do so much. There needs to be a permanent… solution, or plan.”

“ May I make a treatment plan for him? I… feel like I am technically the best suited to… look into this matter. ” Yagokoro asked, her tone a bit… sly.

Erma’s eyes glinted in a mixture of amusement. “Oh? The Mad Doctor of Johto, The Brain of the Moon, sees another experiment? I suppose you did say the Chansey’s Oath was more of a suggestion…”

Dr. Yagokoro rolled her eyes. “Like you wouldn’t have called me if you were really concerned about the outcome I would produce, Miss Queen Bitch of Almia.” 

The two just looked at each other and shared a laugh. For as much as Erma got on her nerves, they were good friends in the end.

Erma’s face shifted back to a serious expression as she closed her eyes, something that Yagokoro picked up on, knowing that her friend was heavily considering the next plan of action with all the information presented to her. “ What are you planning to do? I agree with you entirely, however, just know that this may come up later if the League or the International Police try to request information… the League will back down from patient confidentiality, but the less concerning info to the International Police, the better. ”

After what felt like a minute of organizing and adjusting her mental plan with that information, Eirin spoke. “ I want to do a genetic analysis to fully understand what happened to his body, and develop a dedicated future treatment or prevention plan.” Her expression grew grave glancing over at some of the other papers in the pile. “All of this is all from less than a drop of poison you’d need a microscope to see… he’s been lucky. What happens if he has an allergic reaction to a different medicine? His body isn’t reacting to a lot of our methods as expected, something inherently different is about him that goes beyond just…” 

As Eirin trailed off, Erma looked to be almost chewing on her words, but nodded in agreement. “I agree completely, this is beyond just a one off abnormality. I don’t want his future care to happen blind, or with a random doctor on his journey, who knows who they’ll report to.”

Doctor Yagokoro’s own frown formed, before she tilted her head in a considering manner. From what she could gather from even just a preliminary exam, there was indeed something interesting with his Aura…

“ ...May I use whatever I find or discover for my own personal experiments? Separate from anything related to William, of course. ”

Erma didn’t so much as flinch from the expected request from her. “ You have my approval for whatever you need, friend. Just do it privately is all I ask. ” Erma stated, drinking the rest of her tea before standing up. “I hate to leave so suddenly, however I must be going for now, I have a long night ahead of me back in Almia, as well as prior obligations. Please call me once the patient is cleared to leave.”

With that, Erma made a glance at Gardevoir who sighed, but said a goodbye to Yomi, who bowed politely as well. Erma’s arm was taken by him, but before they could use Teleport, Yagokoro held a hand up to stop them.

“Before you go, friend… do you know where this child is from? I could get some baseline samples from the area to try and help identify this…” She asked, grabbing a quick pen to jot down a location, but paused when she saw Erma frown, sighing and shaking her head. 

“I’m afraid not, but if you know of another method to do so, go ahead. I am intrigued myself.”

And with that, Erma and Gardevoir vanished in a brief flash… Yagokoro sighed at the sight of her old friend vanishing, before pausing as she realized that Erma had left the two containers of tea on the table for her to clean up.

“...I hate Psychic Types.... . ”

The minutes dragged on and on, which then turned into hours as Charon's focus split between holding Ronin, and maintaining his insight on William’s soul. Rina had brought Ronin back after he had fallen asleep from just the sheer exhaustion, but the slight glare in her eyes at Charon did indicate she would have her own words with him later about what he said to the Ranger. 

Despite that, neither of them said anything at the moment so as to not wake the young Water Type. Time ticked on, and on, and on… William’s body lay quietly on the hospital bed in the room… until like a Wailord had been finally lifted from his entire being he woke up.

…Mostly, at least.

Charon still had to wait until the nurses removed the oxygen mask… but even after that, they insisted that they waited until he’s ‘more stable’. Claiming that they were unsure of what his exact reaction would be when he fully regained consciousness. 

Well, they didn’t have a link to his soul, and could tell his thoughts on everything… despite how ‘muffled’ they were.

Charon didn’t like that sensation at all , his eyes flicking through the doors and looking at his ward’s soul… still empty and almost devoid of the natural life essence, but now with a disgusting ichor surrounding it, leftover from the toxins that had invaded his body. It was slowly shrinking, but a mix of whatever medicine they pushed into him in an attempt to stem the poison from spreading muffled everything else about him…

At least they didn’t use enough Pep-Up Plant to kill an Alpha Snorlax.

The healers must have thought that they made their point, as they seemed content to leave Charon standing outside and walking away, most likely to speak to the Ranger. Charon let out a dismissive noise before he waited another moment for them to turn the corner before he opened the door to William’s room; he wasn’t going to let anyone else see his ward.

Inside, William wore a child’s hospital gown, adorn head to toe with a variety of Pokémon all wearing medical attire, or holding bandages or blankets with thermometers in their mouths. A wire plugged into his wrist… an ‘Eye-Vee Drip’ if he heard them correctly describe what they did to him from the door, and a sort of clip-on device on his left pointer finger that attached to a regularly beeping monitor, showing his ward’s heartbeat… and a number listed as ‘temp’ with a ‘C’ under it that kept bouncing between 39 and 40…

His left shoulder had a tight wrapping around gauze directly on his wound. His skin around the infection area still looked purple, ugly, an unpleasant reminder of what transpired… but compared to what state he was in hours before… the old Typhlosion had to say, the fae was right about advancements in the modern age…

“The… power of s-sciii…ence.. f-fuhuck.” William groaned out in response to Charon’s passing thought as he barely propped himself up on the bed, a pillow at his back as his eyes blinked sluggish, his voice dry and a tad slow. His voice enough to cause Ronin to blink awake in Charon’s arms… turning to his Trainer with a relieved expression on his face.

“Easy, kid… don’t push yourself… “ Charon gently murmured as he sat down next to the bench by the bed, it creaked slightly as he sat down on it still…

William only grunted, breathing slow and heavy as a half-grimace formed on his face as Charon could see him flex his right hand repeatedly, as if testing his muscles and motor skills. His ward swallowed, and took a deep breath before he turned to Ronin and a lopsided, unfocused smile formed. “Roooonin… who’s theee behst… Watuuer Thyph… Typh… in the woooorld…”

The Oshawott blushed, but actually turned away, seeming to slump over in defeat. “I couldn’t protect you enough though… you still got hurt and—”

“ShshhhHsh… you’r shooo break… so bre… brave… egh…” A full-grimace formed now as he struggled to find the right word. Charon lightly touched their connection once again… William’s being still… clouded by the medicine flowing through his physical body… scattered, yet sluggish dragging themselves forward. Charon winced as he felt a phantom echo of what his ward physically felt… it felt somewhat disconcerting having his ward be this out of it.

“Yoou wur shooo braave. Shoo… fasht… and… shlicey.” William finally said before taking a breath that descended into what seemed like a giggling fit. “Oooh goddd . I’m on shoooo maany drugs.”

He slowly started to look around the room, Charon feeling a vague nudge to help him find something… though the concept only vaguely sent over to him.

After a moment, Charon managed to finally discern it, reaching next to William’s bed where a clipboard hung from the wall that seemed almost an inch thick with papers with a pen on top of it. Charon pulled it closer to look at it himself for a moment, before frowning a the complicated names and percentages; William started to make ‘grabby hands’ at him for it which prompted him to carefully place it in his lap as to not drop it on the floor and alert anyone else he was in here.

“You shouldn’t use your left arm, kid… ” Charon started, but William ignored him, and he knew he ignored him because of the mental eye-roll he got through their link he could practically feel … Charon snorted despite the situation. 

Even when drugged up, his ward had enough mental energy to give the elderly sass.

William’s lips moved as he read his medical chart, a hum leaving him as Charon watched him… it was clear his body and mind were still completely exhausted even with him attempting to push himself. “Understand any of it…?”

“What the hellll ish… ‘Remeyo Extract’...?” 

“A medical term you shouldn’t be trying to pronounce right now…” Charon replied, but William did not respond as he stared intently at a pie chart… most likely showing the total percentages of medicine they gave him. Sighing slightly, Charon gently squeezed through the link… feeling William’s state and noting how he was trying to force himself to stay awake… try, being the key word.

‘Sinnoh above kid… you’re more stubborn than Kamado… and he was deposed for it.’ Charon thought with a slight sigh… but he knew that William was tapering off… the medicine's effects were still weighing him down more… and more… as if slowly floating off a cliff on the wings of a Flying Type.

He was okay though, recovering, alive. ‘And being alive is what matters… nothing else does. Not that Ranger, not Team Plasma, not any person in a fancy suit, nothing else matters right now…’

…Despite that… there was the constant nagging at his senses. Of souls around this place… something that William must have noticed with how Charon’s felt through their connection as he turned to Charon with probably the most pitiful nagging expression he’s ever seen.

“Charrrn… yoouh… yooou have yoourr joob…”

With a snort, Charon shook his head. “My duty is keeping an eye on you, my ward… others can wait.”

William’s face shifted to an almost pouting expression… “Chhhaarrreen… pleeeaaase… I knnhow… it… b-bhothers youh…”

Charon knew that this was William’s way of trying to comfort him… to let him distract himself and assist some souls lingering about the place while he was here… and he was going to sleep soon, if their link was anything to go by…

…Sinnoh, he had such a sap for a ward. 

‘ I’d rather have a sap with a bleeding heart than anyone else, however. ’

Taking a breath, he stood up from the bench, William was going to drift off either way, best not to let him be more distracted. “Fine, you win… but I’ll still be nearby, so don’t get any ideas . Or even try thinking about them. You still need to recover.” 

Turning to the side, Charon looked at Ronin who was watching their Trainer for a moment before turning to face the Typhlosion as he stood up. “I’m going to do what Wiliam says and do ‘my job’... yours is now to make sure no one else bothers him when he falls asleep, and keep him company…” Glancing at William who had managed to find a pen… he had flipped the clipboard over and was trying to write… something on the hard back of the clipboard, to minimal effect.

‘ Didn’t even wait for me to leave the room, I swear kid… ’

Letting out an exasperated breath, albeit, with a hint of a smile; Charon turned back to Ronin who nodded seriously. “I’ll… keep him safe… he’ll be okay, I won’t… let him be alone.”

Charon’s smile turned a bit warmer, nodding at the Water Type before he started to wander off… best to leave before a nurse let him ‘officially’ in as well… They tend to give smaller Pokémon passes to see their Trainers anyways…

As Ronin watched Charon saunter out of the room, he took a deep breath while turning to his Trainer, hooked up to wires and monitors very clearly out of it…

Even with medicine pumped into him, it was clear that William’s ‘overplanner’ habit as Charon described it was bleeding through, with how he stared at the back of the clipboard with a funny expression. Ronin barely was able to get a glance at where he was sitting, but it looked more like scribbles that only vaguely looked like letters. 

Ronin had seen what worry could do to a human, the Professor worrying about the green hat lady behind closed doors was proof enough. As gently as he could, he walked across the bed to where William laid, and gently started to pull the clipboard away.

William resisted, but only just for a second before he nodded just a tad too much, his head almost seeming to bounce on the uptick. “You’right… shond’t… useh… hospit… too expesnsihsve… ” William paused, blinking as he made a hissing noise and looked a tad nervous… “FHuuck… I houp… hope… Leenah has insurrence…”

The Water Type wasn’t sure what ‘insurrence’ was, but he pulled the clipboard away now that William looked to be distracted by whatever mental tangent he was on now, but shifted slightly and started to look around… “Roonin… bachpack… need… to whrite… w-write… down… ideeeeasss… ”

“William… you can write after you heal…” Ronin tried to say firmly, but gently as best he could for his age, remembering Charon’s previous comments about how a Trainer should take the advice of their Pokémon… 

…Granted, Ronin realized that was with the condition that the Trainer was healthy and mentally sound, which William, on lots and lots of medicine and recovering from being poisoned, was not.

“Buuut ideaaaaasssszzz…” His speech slurred, whining like a child as he saw what he was looking for and reached for his backpack, sitting on the chair to his right. Ronin panicked as he saw William grab it and drag it off the chair to bring it to him, but suddenly started to shift forward due to the center of gravity shifting near the edge of the bed, and how his left arm wasn’t holding it with enough force. 

Ronin rushed forward and grabbed the edge of William’s hospital gown and pulled back, William seeming to regain his balance with the extra pull and heaved the bag onto his lap while letting out a tired breath. The heart rate monitor started to beep a bit faster, spiking like Ronin’s own anxiety at nearly seeing his Trainer fall off the bed.

“Fhhhuck, are melt m-myy muscells…?” William visibly paused, his eyes narrowing as he stared at nothing. Ronin could see what little mental ability Wiliam had left was going into parsing what he said… 

Whatever he had concluded, he didn’t say as he shifted the bag again before he placed a finger on either side of the open hole where the two zippers didn’t fully connect at the top, and pulled it apart. Ronin couldn’t help but sigh as he thought back to the battle in the forest…

He was glad that Rina helped him focus on Aqua Jet first, but he couldn’t help but grimace at how… he couldn’t do much during the battle.

Even with William’s idea of using the Nest Ball to hold the Beedrill back or temporarily subdue them, followed by soaking them with a Water Gun aimed at the wings to give them trouble flying, he could only wait for someone like Charon, or Arthur to step in to finish the job…

He’s only had one real battle as well… what William was saying about mistakes started to bounce in his head… he was relying too much on William’s direct commands, or planning beforehand. Ideas like using Tail Whip without notifying the opponent… weakening them slowly… those worked, but in the moment, when chaos erupted and he had to figure out how to disorient the enemy to keep his Trainer safe?

He needed to react better, find better ways to weaken them… without William planning beforehand.

He may have not said it, but William most likely felt the same way… 

He had too, right? After he couldn’t even step in to protect his Trainer… he was supposed to embody what a ‘Ronin’ was, and he couldn’t even protect the one human who reached out to him instead of others…

He’ll need to remember to ask William if he can do more battles… if not for experience for both of them, than for Ronin to prove himself.

With a tight resolve filling his chest, he turned back to William who looked frozen, blinking at the inside of his backpack.

Two yellow, heavy-lidded eyes were poking out, blinking back at him.

“Hhhrmmm.” William… ‘said’, to Ronin however, it felt more like a verbalization of what his disoriented mind was processing. Nevertheless, he blinked once again as a Venipede crawled out of the bag slowly, saying nothing as it gently crawled onto his chest and practically pressed him further into the bed, seeming to… vibrate, even purr against him. 

Ronin felt panic rise through him while William blinked back once again, but his eyes were getting even lower… the exhaustion and weight of all the medicine finally weighing on him.

Two yellow, heavy-lidded eyes blinked back at him while its body purred against him.

“W-Who are you…?! W-What are you doing in my Trainer’s bag…?!” Ronin hissed at the poisonous intruder, who was ignoring him at the moment, entirely staring at William. Glancing at William as he blinked slowly again, Ronin could tell he was noticeably getting more and more tired… 

For a moment, William’s face looked to consider this Bug-Poison Type that had somehow snuck its way into his bag, laid there silently until he opened it up fully. Ronin could see the Klink struggling to turn inside his head, pondering how he should react.

And he just hummed again at the sight, his eyes fluttering as exhaustion seemed to finally start weighing him down…

“Are hallucinanantions a sssidde… effect offffh… Remieeyeyo Exxtract?? Cuuz… thatz a Venerpeede....” He said sleepily, pushing the bag aside and pulled the cover on the bed up close to his chest, bringing the Venipede closer to the upper part of his chest as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he focused on the Venipede vibrating gently on his chest…

“Comfery bugg....”

William passed out not even a minute later, all while Ronin quietly hissed and tried to get the bug to move without waking his now sleeping Trainer.

Chapter Text

Chapter 12 - The Lowest Point

A sharp scream down the hall hit Lena like a Take Down, her entire body jolting and her head jerking upwards. Her vision was cloudy and misty for a moment as she rapidly blinked away a groggy feeling she didn’t recall having just a couple of minutes…? 

Hours…?

She couldn’t recall how long it had been since Erma left, panic rising up her throat as she stood up stiff as a ramrod and rushed out of the family waiting room while looking down the hallways. Arthur, who at some point must have closed his eyes and leaned against the wall to sleep, was at her side more awake than she was at this point, and even Rina’s Dive Ball burst open suddenly as well, looking around for the cause. (When did she come back…?)

Lena was already moving, seeing the panicked nurse in front of William’s room, staring inside with both hands covering her mouth in horror. Lena’s own heart sank as well, but whatever the nurse was seeing was enough for her to ignore what she was saying to her, shifting the medical cart that was in front of William’s room and rushing in.

‘ Is he bleeding more? Oh Arceus, what if the anti-venom didn’t work, or if he was allergic, and it finally kicked in? Did he fall off the bed and hit his head, or — or — ’

Lena felt like she physically couldn’t think as she moved, her own thoughts continued to trip up with panicked, unrealized concepts as her vision just now finally started to focus….

The scene, however, made her pause, her eyes blinking in both grogginess and in confusion.

In the bed, was a very concerned Ronin, his entire body emanating nervousness as he focused entirely on William’s chest, where there was something there wasn’t supposed to be.

A Venipede.

Lena blinked, staring at the Pokémon as her mind continually tried to process the scene in front of her. 

“O-Oshaawaaatt…! Shaawaaatt..!” (Now you’ve done it…! All this noise is going to wake up my Trainer…!)

“Vvvvvvede. Pedepepe. Venipede.” (Will stay. Hive Leader good human. Comfrey Bugg stay with Hive Leader.)

“W-Waaatt…! Shaa...!” (That’s not the point…!)

The commotion finally must have drawn the attention of others, as a doctor with a Clefable pushed their way into the room, a serious expression on their face as they held a thick file in their hand and looked around, her voice taking control. “What in the fires of Ho-Oh is going on in here?!”

Before anyone could answer, another body rushed in, the entire temperature of the room rising in response. Charon’s collar was alight, ready for a fight, and Lena felt for a brief moment that he was about to attack everyone in the room to protect his ward if they stood in his way.

However, once Charon laid his eyes on William, and the intruder, his face similarly shifted into something perplexed and he stared… 

All the while, the lone Venipede turned to look at the new visitors. “Vedevede. Vvvvvenipede.” (Humans bother Hive Leader. Do not bother Hive Leader.)

“Sha-Woooott…!” (They’re here because of you…! ) Ronin hissed, clearly attempting to still be quiet for his Trainer. Lena finally gathered her thoughts, and panic started to overtake her as she remembered that Venipede was a Bug Poison Type.

In the room with the poisoned child. 

Not only in the same room, but resting on the poisoned child’s chest.

“Shit — where did they come from…!” Lena hissed, already starting to move close to try and remove the offender, but Charon beat her by shifting past to grab the Venipede himself, who scuttled across the bed to William’s legs in a panic.

“Vvvede! Vvvedevede.” (Do not remove! Hive Leader accept Comfrey Bugg.)

“Ty — Phlosion!” (And you’re going to get my ward poisoned again — stay still —!)

The Venipede dodged with a bit too much mobility for a grounded Bug Type, avoiding Charon’s careful reaches to not disturb William from his rest. 

It didn’t help anyway though as a muffled groan from William made everyone freeze and turn to the young child in the bed shifting and grumbling from the disruption…

“Yur… all sho… looouud…sHhhsh…”

“Shhh… it’s okay, don’t worry, we’ll leave quickly in a moment, just let us take the Venipede away…” The doctor said to William gently, who blinked back with the same level as someone awoken far too early.

“MMnnn…. noo… comfrey bug stay… sheee… hehee… bugg buuuurrs…” He muttered, the aforementioned bug moving up the bed suddenly at the mention of her and laying on William’s chest. Lena stared as she did indeed ‘buur’, vibrating gently like a Purrloin and creating a soothing, rhythmic noise. William sleepily petted the bug completing the picture and… looked rather endearing to an extent.

That didn’t change the fact that there was a Poison Type still in a poisoned child’s hospital room.

“William, you can enjoy the Venipede later, you have to heal first, we don’t want you to get poisoned again …” Lena quietly stressed, reaching for the Venipede who stared at Lena with beady eyes.

“Nipede. Vene vvvene.” (No touch! Red Lady not have permission.)

“Well, I’m not gonna let a Pokémon with Poison Point poison a child by accident,” Lena said, trying to be as nice as she could with a pointed, if mildly frustrated tone. Regardless, she reached forward this time not caring if she poisoned herself. 

William, apparently hearing this grumbled before speaking again. “Sheeh doeshn’t…” Lena froze as he reached forward suddenly and sleepily squished the midsection of the Venipede’s body, rubbing his arms up and down for a moment before leaning back down on the bed. “Nouuh… nooo poiission poiunt…only burrr… buhhg burrr…” He muttered sleepily… his eyes fluttering as he closed them, the Venipede resuming its feline-like purring on William’s chest, almost like a soothing lullaby. 

An awkward silence filled the room despite that, with the humans in the room not exactly knowing what to do or respond. Charon said nothing, and simply moved to sit down on a chair that very much was not designed for a human or Pokémon his size. The chair creaked and sank an inch from the sudden weight. 

Lena and the doctor both stared at him, but his red eyes just glared back. “Phlo, Typhlosion. Tyyyph. ” (I’m staying here until my ward wakes up; if a bug can somehow sneak through the hospital… I’m not leaving until he’s awake.)

“Oshaa… w-watt…” (She… came from William’s bag.) Ronin said hesitantly. Charon turned to him, before glancing at the open bag on the hospital bed. A slowly dawning realization started to fall over everyone.

“Are you saying… this is a Venipede from Pinwheel?” Lena said, blinking as she tried to put together when the Pokémon could have snuck into his bag, the only time the bag was open was when he was attempting to eat Pecha Berries… meaning…

“Float-Zeeell… Float-Zel-!” (She’s been in his bag since he was poisoned… Arthur-! Why didn’t you notice her!)

Arthur, for his part, looked a tad embarrassed. “ I… must have overlooked her, I was more concerned about… other things, much like Charon I assume, ” Arthur said, trying to extend an Arboliva branch to Charon… most likely figuring he was the next one to get asked.

The Fire Ghost Type looked... disgruntled... or embarrassed? Lena struggled to tell as Charon crossed his arms and looked at William with a side glance before responding. "Typhlo-phlosion. Phlosion-Lolo." (I was more distracted by all the ghosts still lingering around and my grandson’s soul. Excuse me for missing one spirit while I'm distracted.)

Meanwhile, the doctor sighed and glanced over at her partner. “Yomi… please notify me immediately if the Venipede causes an adverse reaction, I still have labs to do, but if the Venipede doesn’t have Poison Point… “ An exhausted, exasperated look formed on her face as he turned to the Ranger now. “Come with me, I have a couple of things I wish to discuss with you.”

A faint shiver ran down Lena’s back; the tone was similar to Erma’s, a command she was compelled to follow despite feeling an initial protest at wanting to stay in the same room as William… but…

A brief glance over to Charon, and how he glared at everyone else in the room, and especially her… she probably shouldn’t…

With a nod, and a dry swallow, she followed the doctor out of the room, Rina and Arthur behind her as the doctor closed the door behind them with a quiet ‘click’... the nurse who had screamed was still there, looking nervous and a tad embarrassed as the doctor turned to her with a strange expression. 

“Dear, go get some water from the cafeteria. I’ll be providing primary care from now on.” 

The nurse looked hesitant. “B-But the director said —”

“Just tell the director that one ‘Eirin Yagokoro’ said so, and make sure to record his reaction on video.” She said with a hint of a playful smile. The nurse looked a bit confused by her tone of voice. Nevertheless, she nodded and started to walk down the hallway, but not without giving one last glance at the two.

As she turned the corner, the doctor took a breath and turned to Lena. “Now then, allow me to get straight to the point, Erma asked me to assist with this matter…”  She explained, making the Top Ranger feel nervous, and already expecting someone Erma personally asked to start dressing her down as well. 

However, ‘Eirin’ waved a hand in the open air, most likely seeing her expression and posture shift to become more nervous. “I don’t care about whatever mistakes were made in the Mission, I know Erma most likely gave you her speech. I care about the patient’s well-being, and the well-being of those around them, which includes you .” 

Lena blinked — this was not the way the conversation was supposed to turn. “I-I’m sorry, what do —”

“Ranger Lena, without looking at your Styler, or any of the clocks, what time is it?”

The thought made Lena freeze, and on instinct, she almost reached out to Arthur to ask him through Arthur, but the unamused, if concerned emotion she got from him was enough to make her physically wince and glance out down the hallway. The sun was shining through, so it was morning now… probably… early? It couldn’t have been that soon… “I… eight-o-clock? Maybe… nine?”

“It’s half-past-eleven, Ranger Lena.” The doctor stated. The realization made her flinch as she mentally ran back to try and remember when she fell asleep on the hospital chair, only to come up… blank. 

She only remembered Charon walking off, Erma coming in and talking to her, and thought she remembered every word of the conversation…

…After that though, nothing. Only the floor of the hospital she was staring at and… static.

“You and your partners are clearly suffering from sleep deprivation, exhaustion, and stress, and that’s only what I can list from just looking at you. This won’t help anyone.” Pointing at Lena’s chest, Eirin’s expression was firm, clearly not taking any protests. “You are going to go to the Pokémon Center and get some rest. Doctor’s orders. William won’t be fit for release until tomorrow, and you’re going to need to rest up for that.” 

Almost as if making a concession, she closed her eyes. “...I will notify you when he is awake, but you and your team need to rest… I promise, there will be no more scares for him. You have my word.”

Lena couldn't find the words, they were stuck in her throat as she tried to find some rebuttal, she couldn’t rest, she shouldn’t , why should she when the person she failed to keep safe was in a hospital bed and she was able to sleep in the comfort of a Pokémon Center and she—

“Flo-Flolatzel. Float.” (Lena… breathe, she’s right.) Rina’s gentle voice cut through her thoughts, washing them away as she blinked, and found herself still standing in the hospital hallway… 

“Floatzeeell… Zel-Float…” (We can’t do anything now… we all need rest… and you need to wash up.) Rina said gently. Lena glanced down at her attire and realized that she was covered in dirt… and bits of blood still from the injury on William’s shoulder.

Another wave of exhaustion followed, and with a grunt she could only nod and respond. “Okay…”

While the doctor’s expression was firm, an echo of a caring twinge still shined through as she nodded and turned around, organizing  the cart the nurse had left by the door to William’s room in a clear dismissal of the Ranger. 

Meanwhile, Lena could only awkwardly start to walk down the hall to the elevator… her thoughts felt like they were running a thousand miles an hour yet also muffled as she started to look over Rina and Arthur.

They looked as exhausted as Lena felt. Arthur, who was doing his best to play it off, had his eyes closed as he leaned against the wall of the elevator as it started to move…

In the chaos and worry, she hadn’t had them looked over by the Pokémon Center… more guilt started to gnaw at her core. Arthur sensed this instantly, opening his eyes and turning to Lena with an ironclad face. “ Lena, do not feel guilty over this; we wouldn’t have gone to the Center without you. ”

“I-I should have at least had you looked over, the poison was enough to affect William, even if it wasn’t a direct sting, and I should —”

“ What’s done, is done… Neither myself nor Rina would have left you alone to worry either way. ”

Lena’s arms shifted, crossing into a self-hug as she took a deep breath and grit her teeth. Frustration at her partner’s insistence to put her comfort over theirs bubbled, yet a feeling of warmth and comfort at it at the same time clashed. It all swirled around a core of her guilt over all the events which continued to stain her emotions.

She couldn’t find a response, she didn’t have one the entire time they walked to the Pokémon Center, which felt like a blur. She remembered the person at the front desk of the Pokémon Center asked her the standard questions, but she couldn’t recall what they or she said, everything was static to her. 

She remembered handing over Rina and Arthur’s Poké Balls onto the tray for them to get healed from last night properly, Arthur’s almost grounding Aura drifting away, and Rina’s Dive Ball shook slightly as she set them down. Her body went through the motions, until she found herself alone in a Ranger reserved room in Castilia’s Pokémon Center. Wearing comfortable clothing and sitting back in the bed… her eyes feeling heavier and heavier even as her thoughts raced without direct or focus… the gentle embrace of sleep surrounding her.

She didn’t even register that there was a room waiting for her at the request of Chairperson Erma until later…

The minutes seemed to tick on and on, the hours melding together in the old Typhlosion’s mind. Charon refused to budge from the seat as he watched his ward sleep. Ronin had been tired, and Charon had let the Water Type fall asleep next to William’s head. After carefully positioning him to share the extra large pillow William’s bed had, they were now peacefully asleep.

However, the… intruder remained.

The Venipede stared at Charon as she continually purred against William’s body. Charon did have to admit that the sound was much more pleasant than the constant beeping of the machine for William’s heartbeat. The Clefable, Yomi, was also surprisingly no-nonsense for a Fairy Type, at least, with regards to Charon’s questions about everything that was being pumped into William or hooked up to him.

‘ The fae was right, medicine and technology have advanced a long way… ’ Charon thought to himself with a deep breath before refocusing on William’s soul; the corrupting ichor from the Poison Type energy from even just the glancing blow thankfully hadn’t touched that, but his physical body… 

Charon couldn’t help but feel his chest burn in anger at himself for not checking on his ward immediately after the fight. He had seen how pale he was getting, and his repeated attempts to calm himself and stay focused on getting help didn’t go through to Charon.

His ward knew something was wrong, but like with when he was confused… It was too late.

Even though the Pokémon ‘battles’ in Hisui were more vicious, Charon continued to replay the events of last night…

Back then, humans weren’t considered a threat, and as long as they stayed out of the way between two fighting Pokémon; the most the Wielder might get is dirt over their clothes, or maybe a cut from debris from a stronger attack.

Seeing how the Beedrill dove for William, or tried to attack the Ranger directly… 

He wasn’t sure what to think about that yet.

Charon’s musing was cut in half, however, as he could feel William’s soul start to stir. The Typhlosion’s eyes flicked to the ’Eye-Eevee Drip’ that Yomi said was providing him medicine directly… it was empty now, so hopefully his ward wasn’t as… incoherent as before.

He didn’t push his ward, however, letting his body naturally pull itself into consciousness bit by bit… William’s breathing shifted just the slightest bit for Yomi, who had remained silent in the room as well to notice and glance at the monitors. With a hum, the Clefable wrote something on a clipboard, speaking without turning to Charon. “Your Trainer should be fully coherent in a couple more hours, I will notify Master in a moment about this as she has some… questions, if you are able to answer them.”

The Typhlosion raised an eyebrow, normally he could converse with his ward about things beforehand but… giving his state and how this could have ended up…

“What kind of questions?”

“Like if she could do some... experiments on him. She’s particularly interested in his aura, or lack thereof. She has some interesting theories as to how she could... use... them for research purposes. Completely academic, in nature. And I promise that he won’t be harmed like... some of her... other test subjects.”

‘ I take that back, this Clefable is just as insane as all the others....’

Charon took a deep breath… possibly two, pushing aside his worries to think about this logically. William had mentioned to him that he felt… extremely lucky to have not had any major medical issues in the past three years that would have warranted further scrutiny, but maybe that was a bane with how events had played out. “Explain these ‘theories’. ”

“Well for one, Master’s concerned that a lot of the medicine we normally use for cases like this won’t work on William, and she wants to make sure other doctors will know how to treat him better if he gets hurt again. The most potent of medicines all work off of aura but... they don’t seem to work on him. Master thinks it might be genetic, so she wants to get a blood sample and a mouth swab and a few other things. Honestly quite tame for her, thankfully. Don’t ask her about those Dream Pills, it won’t end well. She also thinks the lack of aura might cause him to have abnormal effects when exposed to Aura energy used in moves — perhaps he could have an affinity artificially grafted onto him? Master tried doing that once with Reisen to try and Mega Evolve her — Reisen is a Lopunny, they can do that — but it only ended up just making her absolutely insane all the time. Those red eyes of hers still give me nightmares... Did I mention the Dream Pills? Do NOT take those—”

‘ What in the name of Cresselia is a Dream— No, no… Charon, focus on your ward, and what he needs… ’

Rubbing his paws at his face for a moment, the old ghost worked through the information even after Yomi continued speaking… almost missing the small promise she had made in the beginning.

‘...I promise that he won’t be harmed…’

A fae’s promise is not to be taken lightly, it was a contract. One that is impossible to break, lest there be unforeseen consequences for the one who broke it…

Cutting Yomi off, Charon grunted and just nodded. “Okay. I’ll need to speak to my ward so he can give his consent but…” Charon trailed off, Yomi stopping whatever… part of her ramble she was on to fix Charon with an almost alien stare that vanished like the wind in a split second as she just nodded, as if nothing had happened.

Charon hoped he didn’t make a deal with Distortion Incarnate, but he could only stare back as Yomi suddenly turned around and started for the door.

“I’ll leave you two be then so you can discuss that while I let Master know he will be fully awake in a couple hours; she’ll come in once you press the top button on the remote.” She said, pointing to one of the… many cords wrapped around the bed, Charon took a moment but found what he thought it was… he’ll let William know when he’s fully awake, simply grunting and nodding.

Yomi nodded, before giving Charon a sly smile. “Feel free to take all the time you need to discuss it once he’s awake, a family should discuss all options presented to them before making any choices after all.” She said while maintaining her expression, the Typhlosion couldn’t help but return his own flat expression on his face, too exhausted to deal with the fae on top of his worry.

He ignored that as the door closed with a soft click… sighing and turning to William as he started to shift in his bed, his mind beginning to awaken… Charon continued to stare, and wait… the Venipede staring at him with big, beady eyes he tried to ignore. 

He couldn’t.

“You have something you want to say? ” Charon said lowly, trying not to disturb William further.

“Hive Leader make final decisions. Hive members do not.”

Charon glared, his crimson eyes fixing the Centipede Pokémon on the spot as he could not hold back his slight rumble in his chest this time. “Well, he isn’t awake to make medical decisions for himself at the moment, so a responsible guardian needs to. And it… will be for the best, to prevent incidents like this in the future.” He worded carefully, the Venipede shifting an inch back across William’s chest, but not backing down as she continued to stare at Charon.

“You cannot protect Hive Leader from all?” The simplistic, broken statement was still enough to make Charon flinch like he was hit with the blunt hammer. His chest started to gnaw at himself again and his anger at her comments burned away…

He didn’t get a chance to respond, as he was distracted by a sudden rolling groan from William’s throat. He rolled his head to the side, his eyes squeezing tight as it looked like he had swallowed a really sour berry.

“F-Fhuuuck… is… is this-ach… is this whaut… haungovers fheels like…?” William's voice sounded raspy, dry… he’d had to ask to get him some water if they'd allow that. They better.

“Hey, kiddo…” Charon started gently, his eyes glancing over every movement from William as he blinked a couple of times… his eyes slowly opening and becoming less pinched as he tilted his head up to stare forward… his nose nearly touching Venipede’s.

William stared, blinking a couple more times as Venipede continued to purr on his chest for a moment before finally speaking. “Hive Leader now awake. Hive Leader too warm. Hive Leader need rest.”

His ward stared at the Venipede, his face giving nothing away or even reacting to her words. “Charrroon?”

“...Yes?”

“There’sss.. a Veniperede… on mmy chest.”

“...Yes, there is.”

William continued to stare, and Charon watched as he shifted slightly, causing her to slide down his chest with the cover. William lifted his hand and awkwardly moved it to press a finger at the nose of Venipede, as if he questioned reality. The bug’s eyes focused on his finger to the point of becoming cross eyes and her pupils expanding, her body started to vibrate and purr even louder as William gently poked her.

“Hmm.” William blinked again as Charon could see the wave of confusion wash through him. William worked his jaw once, then twice… a frustrated look formed on his face as it was clear he wasn’t as mentally clouded as before, but his body was still… disconnected from what he physically could do versus what he wanted to do. He rolled his head to the side and stared at Charon with slight desperation, Charon taking a moment before reaching out spiritually towards his ward. 

He tapped into the deepest recesses of William’s soul, before filtering out the impurities from the poison and medicine… spiritually connecting to what his ward truly was , no longer bound by the physical restraints of his addled body but the pure essence of his soul , the true William, displaced across space and time, sent by the Almighty for reasons only They know.

‘charon theres a bug on my chest and its very comfy and purrs like a cat and its very nice to cuddle but grandpa why did you kidnap a bug’

…And maybe for reasons the Almighty didn’t know either.

‘No, she snuck inside your bag after you…  fell unconscious.’

‘ah well then i hope ronin doesn’t become jealous about this cuddle bug oh pun oops… is this the venipede distribution network at work?’  Came from William as he turned back to the Venipede and gently started to pet the bug as she continued to purr and vibrate.

Charon couldn’t help but feel a smile flicker on his face. ‘He’s a big Oshawott, he’ll manage…’ That smile shifted into a frown as he glared at Venipede, who continued to stare at William’s hand as it sluggishly moved around. “She’s a slippery thing, I couldn’t grab her when we found her on you. We’ll probably need to make sure she doesn’t sneak anywhere further.” Charon said aloud, his tone pointed and direct at Venipede as she turned to the Typhlosion and let out what seemed to almost be a chitter of protest.

“No take back! Hive Leader accept Venipede.” She snapped back. William blinked with a puzzled expression on his face… which looked more like when someone had drank a bit too much sake. 

“Sheensh whhen?” He asked aloud, Venipede turning back to him and looking immensely happy, wiggling back and forth on William’s lower chest.

“Hive Leader accept Venipede. Called Venipede ‘Comfrey Bugg’.” She chittered. 

“Whhhuuut?”

“Hive Leader give Venipede name. Venipede name now ‘Comfrey Bugg’. Venipede not have name before. Comfrey Bugg now have name. Comfrey Bugg have hive. Comfrey Bugg have Hive Leader.”

William blinked and turned to Charon who looked just as confused. With a side eye, Charon glanced at Ronin who was still asleep, leaning his body against the side of William’s pillow.

‘ You’ll need to ask Ronin when that happened, he was the one in the room when she came out of your bag. ’ Charon responded through their link, William glancing at the sleeping Oshawott for a moment. The Typhlosion could feel a sudden weight surrounding William, already knowing where his ward was going and sending as much gentle, but smothering warmth as he could through the link.

‘ William, you are not allowed to feel guilty, this is not your fault. ’ Charon declared, making William frown. To his surprise, he found a surprising amount of resistance coming from William’s soul at this… there always was some unneeded self-guilt that seemed to come from just himself, but this was… different than before.

William seemed to push it aside as he turned to Venipede once more. ‘i guess we have a venipede now… hm i should be more worried but i think im still too drugged up right now ’ William gently picked the vibrating bug on his chest into the air… staring intently into her eyes.

“Hive Leader lift Comfrey Bugg.”

At this, William’s expression shifted. “Nhhho… I whill give betttur nhame…”

“Comfrey Bugg get two names. Venipede not get two names. Comfrey Bugg confused.”

“Nnnhhho... Comfrey Bugg iss youuurrr johbb, not nhame.”

“Comfrey Bugg understands. Comfrey Bugg is not name. Venipede job is ‘Comfrey Bugg’. Venipede has job in hive. Venipede will get new name.” 

William nodded before taking a moment to close his eyes, Charon could ‘hear’ his soul mentally start to parse through names…

‘whats a good bug name... maybe something from that ant movie? bala? was that the ant queen name? wait no that was dreamworks what was the other ant movie... ala? ada... atta! thats it, atta. would atta work?’

‘Uh, may—’

‘but wait venipede isnt an ant yeah, no scolipede are based on scolopendra gigantea that doesn’t work gigantea isn’t a good name galar would probably sue because gigantamax centiskorch… ‘

‘Sinnoh Almighty kid, no drugs are gonna solve your soul’s ADHD.’

‘its not a drug problem its a drug solution charon’  William physically and spiritually paused as he worked through his statement, frowning. ‘wait that doesn’t work here damn — okay — hold on’ Taking a deep breath, William squeezed his eyes shut and grit his teeth, Charon feeling his being shift as he…. attempted to focus.

‘okay so maybe a more normal name? well no not normal venipedes a bug poison type… nature… thorns… but shes also strong and fast and cares about her friends and family...’ William’s words shifted more to… images through their link, becoming less words and more concepts. Charon could see William look through images of various characters in his head before narrowing down to two options. The first was what looked like a child holding a staff, a dress of reds and purples and pinks, with numerous vines akin to a rose. The second was a blonde-haired girl on a broom with a black and white dress, an oversized pointy hat, and a round disk with flashing lights.

‘which do you think is better charon?’

‘Why would you name a Venipede after a thieving witch? Go with the red dress girl.’

‘her name is viridi’

Tilting his head back and forth, he glanced at Venipede with as gentle of a look as he could… opening his mouth before stopping to look back at Charon. ‘charon can you ask her if venipede is okay with viridi as her name i cant string together a sentence i don’t wanna fuck up’

‘Fine… but I want to speak to her first, if you aren’t going to question her reasons for joining — then I’m going to have to ask those questions.’

The old Typhlosion glanced down at the Bug Poison Type with a firm, but considering gaze, ignoring William’s defensive protests from his soul. Taking a moment to gather what William remembered of the origin, he stared down at her and continued, curious about something. “Why do you want to join William? If you’re hoping for a relaxing time, you joined the wrong Trainer to do so.”

Venipede stopped vibrating, looking instead at Charon in William’s grasp with her antennas lowered. The Bug Poison Type looked small as she started to speak. ”Hive is dead... Hive Leader is dead. Hive Leader protect Venipede when dying. Venipede try to protect Hive Leader. Venipede fail.” 

Charon didn’t miss how Venipede’s voice warbled, her body shivering before she turned back to William. 

“Venipede see yellow human. Little Yellow Human protect hive. Little Yellow Human is strong. Strong Yellow Human protect Hive when sick. Venipede go with Strong Yellow Human. Venipede protect Strong Yellow Human when sick like Hive Leader.” 

She moved forward, her eyes beady and widening as she stared up at William’s face, vibrating and purring once more.

“Strong Yellow Human is William. William is new Hive Leader. William give Venipede job. ‘Comfrey Bugg’ mean protect William. William make Venipede strong. Venipede will be strong for William and hive. Venipede will be Comfrey Bugg for William and hive.”

Charon stared at Venipede, his crimson eyes staring into her being with a slight narrow… as she spoke, although it was clipped, fragmented speech like most Bug Types had when first caught, her own soul resonated with her true thoughts and emotions with every word she spoke.

The Typhlosion only sighed, knowing his ward would be enough of a bleeding heart once he’s fully coherent to let her join anyways… “William wants to name you Viridi… the name comes from the story of a goddess of nature, protective of those she considers hers…” The information that William could remember seemed scattered, but Charon could see the connecting threads… 

“Human actions… destroyed the place she cared for, so she chose to fight back.” Charon said carefully, glancing at his ward once some of the other information started to flow through, questioning if that name best fit… but still, he could see the connection that William was making enough for it to make sense…

It mattered not anyways, as the Bug Poison Type spoke up. “Venipede accept new name. Venipede now ‘Viridi’ in hive. Viridi will be Comfrey Bugg for hive. Viridi will be strong for hive.”

William smiled as Viridi turned to him, vibrating in his hands as he set her down gently on his chest and sighed. “Wehlcom to theh fammlly… Viridi…dede…” Charon could feel William’s being shrinking down on itself in embarrassment from the seemingly automatic speech reflex, but Viridi did not seem to care. She simply stared up at her ‘Hive Leader’ with her big, beady eyes at being officially accepted into the new ‘hive’.

With a breath, William sat her down gently and reached for his bag, starting to rummage through it sluggishly. ‘ well might as well find a poké ball for her now… shit there’s still a lot of nest balls in here… do any of them still have beedrill in them thats a problem i cant think through right now’

Charon couldn’t help but roll his eyes and grumble, lifting the bag away and placing it on the seat next to him, as to not let his ward shift through all the items in the bag that would either make Palkia blush or cry at the affront to the Legendary’s domain.

‘ You should rest more, my ward… don’t think I can’t tell how exhausted you still are. ’ Charon chided gently with a glance as he made sure William’s bag wouldn’t fall over. 

William grumbled and tried to look at Charon with a hint of rebellion. ‘charon weve already wasted enough time i may be drugged out of my mind but i should at least try and—’

‘You won’t be able to do anything in the state you are now. Your body is still… what was the phrase from your home… ‘coked up’?’ Charon shot back, his crimson eyes narrowing to try and hold the best firm look he could, but feeling a twitch of a smile form from William’s visceral reaction through their link.

‘I regret teaching you about modern slang . The internet was a mistake. ’ Came William’s most coherent message as he grumbled and rolled his head back… sighing as it met his pillow on the bed and he stared at the wall. Viridi seemed to notice the change and gently crawled up to William’s chest, where the bed sheet did not cover him.

“Hive Leader too warm. Hive Leader need rest.” She said, agreeing with Charon without realizing it. William glanced to his side where Ronin still slept at his bedside. He seemed to give into his situation as he carefully shifted his arm against the pillow itself so Ronin was resting on his upper arm instead, before pulling him closer to his body. Charon didn’t miss his ward’s emotions, however, even as the lingering medicine in his system weighed him down.

‘... i still need to plan though we need to get the badges to avoid the league and interpol and get stronger before team plasma attacks just in case we cant waste time… ’ William’s voice was getting quieter, but Charon still felt raw exhaustion, fear, and nervousness buried within his soul… images of what was to come, or could come, flashing through.

The human imagination sometimes was more frightening than reality, but the old ghost knew that William’s images probably had the most merit out of anything.

‘And we will, I promise William. Once you recover.’ Charon soothed, trying to calm his ward before he spiraled again by placing his hand gently on his forehead as an almost grounding warmth. William’s eyes blinked slowly as he took a deep breath… his eyes staying closed as his body started to drift back to sleep against his wishes… and with a gentle nudge from Charon.

The link between the two started to weaken from his approaching slumber, Charon let it fade to not strain William’s fragile state even more. His words, images, everything became more scattered akin to broken Tumblestone until finally like words on a page too short, they drifted off into silence as he finally fell asleep.

Charon held his hand on William’s head, holding it in place until he could feel the link between them fully disconnect like driftwood becoming invisible at sea, pulling away slowly as he huffed and crossed his arms. 

He was content with waiting until William woke up. He’ll watch him and his slowly growing family…

“You cannot protect Hive Leader from all?

Viridi’s words bounced in his head, making him scowl silently in the room, his eyes glancing back at his charge. They had done well these last couple of years, in the beginning, and the wild Pokémon off Route 2 knew to leave Charon and his charge alone just from him being in the area for so long before. 

Now, however? He would also have to contend with Pokémon who were trained by and fought with humans, again.

The memories that came with that thought were unpleasant, and memories that should have been left to wither away with time, Charon forcing himself to take a deep breath.

He’ll protect his ward. He made that declaration years ago. Nothing will change him from that path and goal… no International Police, no Pokémon League, and certainly not a Ranger who couldn’t see a situation for what it was.

…Nothing would change that, even as his own thoughts started to nag at him.

‘ ...but can you protect him enough ? ’

Chapter Text

Chapter 13 - The Extra Lowest Point

Another… couple of hours passed by, he thought. Charon filled the time by glancing around the room, and he knew anyone else who saw him would make it seem like he was bored, staring off into space.

However, he couldn’t help but still watch the lingering souls drifting about… his collar barely lit with Ghost Type energy as his body itched .

Spirits always lingered in places they departed, hospitals and medical wards chief among them. Some go adrift in the world. However, there were usually no Ghost Type Pokémon near hospitals… or at least, not ones humans had found .

Despite souls being on a different plane, Ghost Types tended to follow the idea of ‘territory’, avoiding active human locations considered… ‘off-limits’. Yes, there were outliers, there always are, but that means some places, like places of healing, would be… crowded.

He couldn’t do his kind’s duty at the moment, not this time… he had to stay here. No matter how much it continued to grow and itch at his being.

“Chaaron…? A-Are you — ” William’s quiet, sudden voice dragged him from his thoughts, and then a series of dry coughing that followed made Charon shoot forward and gently rub William’s back. The noise must have awakened Ronin, as he shot up from his sleep and looked around for a moment, before turning to William and letting out a concerned noise. Viridi continued to vibrate on William's chest while staring up at him, even as he started shifting upwards so he wasn’t on his back.

“F-Fhuak… gha… dry… ish… there water…?” William questioned with a disgruntled look, before going into a light coughing fit again. Charon glanced around and frowned as there didn’t seem to be any sink… gently connecting to William once more.

‘I don’t see any sink to get water, no… the Clefable said to call the doctor in by pressing the… top button?’

‘clefable when was there a clefable?’ William questioned while turning to Ronin and giving him a gentle pet and a comforting smile the best he could to ease the Water Type’s worries, though his verbal “I’m o-ohkay Ronin…” came off still raspy, only calming Ronin down slightly.

‘When you were still incoherent from the medicine; she’s the doctor’s partner.’’ Charon clarified, before pausing, glancing at Viridi, who was looking at him directly with an impressively direct stare… best to mention it now.

‘She… also mentioned the doctor wanted to do some tests because of your lack of Aura…’

William froze at that, Charon picking up on his hesitation at ‘tests’… but his ward waited to continue, not making any hasty conclusions which prompted the Typhlosion to continue. ‘The healing medicine they had is heavily based on Aura. So that’s why they had to use so much medicine on you… and they’re worried about other side effects of Type Energy on you.’

William’s face contoured as he weighted it back and forth, Charon feeling the building anxiety clash with the hard logic. ‘i know weve been really lucky thus far with only the confusion incident but fuck that’s just more points of access for people to question things’

‘ ...I know, but I’d rather have concrete information in case this does happen again… what would happen if you were paralyzed by a Thunder Wave? ’ Charon pushed the question out, William freezing and wincing as he thought about it.

‘my heart would probably explode fuck yeah youre right lets do the tests…’ William sighed and looked around for a moment, his eyes catching… what looked like a tethered remote wrapped around the arm of the bed.

After untangling it, William’s eyes glanced over the buttons on it before pressing the topmost one. It glowed, but William ignored it and sighed as he set it back down before slumping in his bed. ‘dammit… i knew that having no aura would be a red flag but fuck’

“Are you okay…?” Ronin asked quietly. William smiled and shifted to give him a hug.

“Y-Yeah… I’m o-okay… you w-were so brave…” William said aloud, his voice clipped and scratchy because of dryness. Charon grumbling and hoping that the doctor brought water… but William glanced at the two, before glancing at the clock on the wall and wincing. “You two need rest… C-Charon, can you grab their Poké Balls sh-so they can rh-rest for now…?”

“N-No! I can stay until you get out…!” Ronin attempted to protest, but William shifted to hug the young Starter Pokémon to comfort him, gently stroking his head with a thumb.

“I’ll h-hold your Poké Ball for a bit… but you and Charon still need to rest… you too Viridi.” William said with a slight side eye. Viridi’s antennae twitched as she vibrated.

“Viridi go into green ball. Viridi let humans look over Hive Leader.” She chittered before scuttling over to William’s bag… impressively leaping across the bed to the chair. She paused for a moment before turning around to look up at Charon. “Big Fire Type. Is Charon name or job?”

Charon snorted and crossed his arms. “It’s my name given to me by my ward. My job is to help guide him, which is why he named me that.”

Viridi chittered, her eyes unmoving as she stared up. “Viridi understands. Charon open bag. Viridi need green ball. Hive Leader command.”

“Alright, fine, bossy bug…” Charon grumbled, rolling his eyes while reaching forward to zip the bag open.

“Viridi not bossy bug. Viridi is comfrey bugg.” She said before turning right back around and crawling in. The inside of it shifted before she crawled out with a green Nest Ball between her mandibles, with other capsules spilling out of the sides as she crawled out. She placed it on the chair before nudging it around and headbutting the button, her body turning red in a flash before vanishing into the Nest Ball.

‘...is this technically the procurement or theft of government assets the rangers gave us that so —’ Charon ignored his ward’s inane rambling, glancing over at some of the other Poké Balls before he noticed the plain, red one that belonged to Ronin. He grabbed it, along with Viridi’s, before turning to the Water Type. Ronin turned his head away from the hug to glance over at Charon, who returned it with a gentle gaze. “I’ll make sure he’s okay, don’t worry… you need some rest to make sure you can protect him as well.”

That finally prompted Ronin to give in. The Water Type nodded before looking up at William, who gave him another hug. “I’ll be r-rhigh here… get some rest, okay…?”

Ronin nodded as Charon handed William both of the Poké Balls, William holding his out for Ronin to press himself… who hesitated for a bit before finally pressing it, leaving only the two of them in the room.

William remained silent for most of it, except for the occasional shuffle to adjust his position in bed, or a heavy breath the rose and sank with his chest. Charon could tell his soul was processing everything finally… the drugs almost entirely worn off, but the exhaustion remained like constantly building weight. ‘i wonder how rare having limited aura actually is… i know that you said that it’s odd for a soul as old as mine to have no aura but you must have seen some people with less than usual in Hisui’’ William posed, glancing at Charon who rumbled slightly and rubbed his chin as he thought back, pausing as he frowned as he realized he didn’t know himself.

‘I had fully evolved in Hisui, but… there were other things I was more concerned about,’ Charon communicated, William wincing but nodding in understanding.

‘ ...I’ll have to ask lena later to ask arthur she or him probably have seen more instances of low aura. ’ William’s mention of the Ranger made Charon scowl, but thankfully his face wasn’t facing his ward to show it. Sadly, William still detected the change in Charon.

‘charon whats wrong she clearly has experience with aura to some degree as you mentioned arthur sharing his sight with her and shes probably a professional about first aid so makes sense that some aura related deficiency case this crazy world probably had she might know ’

‘Oh, I don’t think she’s much of a professional, no matter what her fairy boss says.’ Charon said, doing his best to hide the growl in his throat even as he just thought about her, but his ward had spent years around him on top of being connected via their soul link must have been enough for William to narrow his eyes at him.

‘lenas a top ranger charon yes she just became one suddenly and had this mess of a human being thrown in her care but she’s doing her best’

“And what kind of Top Ranger puts a kid under their care in the hospital a couple days after meeting them? What kind of Top Ranger doesn’t understand the danger of poisoning? What kind of Top Ranger can’t recognize when a Pokémon is aiming to kill anything in their path? What kind of Top Ranger is she?” Charon couldn’t help but say aloud with a burning voice, crossing his arms and looking at William with a fixed stare. It confused him why his ward wasn’t seeing the same as he was… and instead, he looked almost… taken aback at Charon’s words.

William’s soul link went quiet for a few moments before bubbling up in anger in a way that surprised Charon. ‘and who are we to judge? if it werent for lena id be dead on the forest floor dying of poison. if it werent for lena we wouldnt be able to try and stop team plasma. if it werent for lena id still be hiding from everyone trying to sneak out every day just trying to find you. if it werent for lena i wouldnt have been able to meet ronin or viridi technically. if youre gonna get mad at her then at least fucking acknowledge our mistakes that night!’

Charon had to pull all the strength of Arceus Almighty to not vaporize everything around him in a fiery, emotional rage. On the other side, William’s link tried to soothe him down and simmer the heat, but he didn’t budge on his position as his eyebrows furrowed with a stern look forming.

‘look Charon. we werent blameless either. we didnt even tell her what we were doing before we started running off. we didnt communicate during the fight at all like we should have or knew how too. lena made a lot of mistakes, not discussing how to communicate or calling for backup was one of than, but we made those same mistakes.’

With a deep breath, William cut off his rant and squeezed the covers tight for a moment, centering himself before continuing. ‘i knew that was i did was dumb, but… i panicked, dont blame lena for my mistake of running off. i got poisoned, and as morbid as it is, it’s better for us to know the worst case now.’

‘were alive, were safe, and were gonna get better and improve. thats all we can do.’ Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the Hisuian Typhlosion and fixed him with a stare. ‘im not going to make you like her or anything but you need to at least make up with her to a neutral level. not now while youre angry but sooner rather than later. That's an order.’

The two continued to stare down at each other. Time froze for a moment before a few knocks at the door finally broke the tension and caused both of their heads to snap to it.

Despite feeling like she got hit with a Giga Impact, and weighed down by a Steelix, Lena pushed herself up to the sound of her Fine Styler ringing on the bedside table, her vision too clouded by sleep to see the caller ID as she picked up.

“Ranger Lena speaking?” She found her mouth moving on autopilot, her other hand wiping her eyes as she tried to swallow to get rid of the dryness in her mouth.

“Ah, I apologize if I woke you. This is the resident nurse at the Castilia Pokémon Center. Arthur and Rina are both ready to be picked up. We’ve performed a full detox for them, and made sure they got the rest needed.”

Lena still felt her shoulders relax at hearing her partners were okay, but it didn’t relieve as much stress as she expected. “No, no, it’s fine, thank you for the wake-up call… anything I need to keep in mind?”

A hum was audible over the speakers before the nurse responded. “Arthur may feel a tad sore because of the excessive Poison Stings used against him, but he has no symptoms of poisoning whatsoever because of his Steel typing. Rina had lingering toxins when she came in, but she’s showing no further signs of poisoning. If she feels weak or tired, some Pecha Berries added to her diet today and tomorrow will flush out any phantom symptoms.

Lena blinked, doing her best to commit the nurse’s words to memory… but just sighed, giving up when she tripped over her own thoughts. “Thank you, I’ll come down to grab them in a bit… I just, uh… need some time to wake up.”

“Of course, they’ll be ready for you.”

Lena said a formal ‘thank you and goodbye’, before hanging up. As she did, it defaulted to showing the home screen of the Fine Styler, with the time in the corner showing 7:34 PM.

‘Shit.’ She navigated to her call function on her Styler, glancing through the menus to see if any notifications had come through she had missed while she was asleep.

No new voicemails, no missed calls.

No updates.

Her head rolled back, hitting the backboard of the bed with a faint ‘thud’ as she took a stabilizing breath. Her thoughts swayed back and forth like a Spinda that had used Teeter Dance.

‘The standard Ranger operating procedure dictates that wild Pokémon must be —’

‘What good is the procedure when you can’t even keep one kid from being —’

‘If you didn’t follow it, they may have become more aggressive —’

‘We might have had the momentum in the battle and that might have prevented —’

‘Following the procedure was the right thing to do, there was nothing you could have done, your actions had no impact on the outcome, that's what they said last time —’

“And I still didn’t fucking save them at Victory Road, and I didn’t save William here .” Lena hissed out involuntarily as the memory resurfaced, making her close her eyes again and take another deep breath… her body still felt like it was sinking into the headboard of the bed after she exhaled.

Most of her thoughts went quiet after this… but her mind still replayed everything at Pinwheel Forest like a scratched CD skipping without control. The helicopter ride… hearing the medical responder’s voices raise as they attempted to stabilize William… asking her questions she stumbled through as she looked through his medical record she hadn’t had the chance to review from Clare hurriedly to them… and then sitting in the waiting room, anxious as she could do nothing but ruminate on her thoughts.

And, like a phantom in her ear, Erma’s words returned to her.

“You realize that this weakens the case of allowing William to go on a Journey, correct? Both the League and especially the International Police are going to poke whatever hole they want from this.”

Interpol may try to use this instance as a reason she can’t be trusted, and try to replace her with one of their ‘agents’, who would go Twins knows what behind closed doors.

“What are you going to do about this, Lena Winifred?”

…She’ll need to review his medical file in finer detail. Everything. She’ll need to ask the doctor for every aspect that may or may not have an effect. And then, she’ll need to tailor her report to the League, Interpol, and the Ranger Union carefully, and specifically, to not give Interpol more of a pull…

“What are you going to do about this to make this right?”

William… didn’t know about the procedure she was trying to follow. They were on two different mental tracks, and that was her fault. She got too focused on the 'now' and didn’t call for backup.

She caused him to get poisoned, because she didn’t tell him what she was doing, and didn’t pay attention to him, that’s why he ran off on his own.

She was treating the situation like she had before, she lost the forest for the trees, and that’s what led him to get hurt…

She… needed to communicate better. She wasn’t just traveling along on his Journey; she had to teach him. Just because he was good academically doesn’t mean he can read minds.

She failed as a guide, and guardian, and as a mentor.

‘No wonder Charon hates me for not doing my job…’

Before Lena could ruminate more, her Fine Styler rang again, making her jump slightly, as she looked at the display. She didn’t recognize the number, and it was calling her direct line… a slightly hesitant expression formed on her face as she pressed the answer button. “Ranger Lena Winifred speaking… u-uh… may I ask who this is?”

“This is Dr. Eirin Yagokoro. We spoke this morning concerning your own… lack of rest.”

Lena felt herself about to ask a question, but the doctor beat her to it. “William is fine, in fact, he’s how I got your number…” At this, Lena couldn’t help but swallow, interrupting whatever Yagokoro was about to say next.

“I-Is he okay? Is he still poisoned?”

“Yes, he’s conscious. The Beedrill poison is almost entirely flushed out of his system. Now we just have the medicine we gave him to worry about, along with some other details…” Worry started to bubble up a at her tone, but Yagokoro just let out a mutter under her breath that Lena couldn’t discern over the phone. “The bottom line is that he’s awake and more cognizant than before, and as I promised, you may come visit him now —”

“I’ll be over in ten minutes.” The words flew from Lena’s mouth before she processed her own sentence, and she quickly leaped out of bed. The energy and exhaustion from before now replaced by adrenaline and… a goal.

Hopefully, it’ll keep her going for what she’ll have to do tonight.

The next couple of minutes were a flurry, but Rina and Arthur were next to her as she all but ran to the children’s hospital. Her clothes hastily thrown on, she was sure she had almost lost her hat twice as she navigated the still busy Castelia City streets as she kept pulling it down over her head.

True to her word, however, she arrived at the hospital in less than ten minutes. After confirming her ID at the receptionist and getting a visitor sticker, they hurried to the elevator to bring them to the correct floor. Every second between the elevator beeps felt like it dragged longer… and longer…

Lena couldn’t help but feel a sudden anxiety build up in her as she watched the elevator number tick up, her left leg bouncing slightly…

What would William say to her now?

Would he be upset? Angry? He has every right to be…

Would he want a different Ranger—

‘ Lena. ’ Arthur’s voice gently snapped through to her from his Aura, making Lena’s leg tapping against the elevator floor stop as she glanced at Arthur, who was giving her a pointed, but concerned side-eye. ‘ We aren’t in the room yet… we’ll take everything one step at a time, and Rina and I will be here for you every step of the way. ’

A deep breath left Lena as she nodded, just barely. The ‘ding’ of the elevator drew her attention away before she could properly respond, forcing her to step out onto her floor as a doctor and nurse were looking to get in.

She continued to walk down the hall, her eyes flicking over to the waiting room where a new family was waiting, but she just as quickly turned away to continue walking down the hall, seeing William’s room and standing in front of it for a moment…

The door was closed, but the handle showed green, meaning it wasn’t locked, but voices inside clearly suggested that William was talking to… someone, most likely the doctor. Lena reached forward, about to knock, but hesitated for only a second. Squeezing her hand for a moment as she steeled herself.

‘Dammit Lena. Get yourself together. You were just here hours before. He’s fine, he’s alive. Just knock on the door.’

She rapped her knuckle gently twice on the door before gently turning the handle and pushing it open, poking her head inside.

William had fewer wires and IV drips connected to him and was drinking water from a plastic cup in his right hand as he continued to lie on the bed. He had turned to the door as she opened it, his face shifting across a couple of different expressions; surprise and relief, mixed with awkwardness and… almost shyness? No… trepidation.

Not… the worst emotions that could have been on his face. On the flip side, Charon stared at her with an indiscernible expression, his arms crossed as he then turned away.

She… could accept that, but she was distracted by Dr. Yagokoro, who was standing and holding a clipboard with her Clefable, Yomi holding a tray with… a couple empty cups of water on it at this point. “Ah, Ranger Lena. Come in, close the door, please.”

After shuffling in with Arthur and Rina just behind her, she made sure the door clicked shut before walking forward, William looking up at her with the same odd mix of emotions, but Lena could see that a Poké Ball and… Nest Ball was in his other hand not holding the cup. He was slowly and gently rubbing them as if they were a comforting object. She assumed one was Ronin’s Poké Ball, but the other… most likely the Venipede’s.

Before the passing thought could distract her if that counted as the procurement or theft of government assets, she opened her mouth to say something, anything. The words she had thought about, sat on and tried to perfectly crafted and prepared to say to William repeatedly suddenly vanished from her memory, and the first word she could come up with exited her mouth instead. “Hey…”

William gave his awkward smile as he usually did, just nodding and swallowing. “H-Hey…”

Another awkward silence followed, as it was clear neither of the two humans knew what to say for a moment, before William just sighed and began speaking first. “I’m sorry for us fucking up at Pinwheel Forest.”

The apology shook Lena like an Earthquake making her physically flinch and look in surprise. Apparently it surprised Charon as well, as he whipped his head around, only to be met with the strikingly stern side-eye of William.

Whatever was said between them didn’t matter as Lena interjected first, incredulousness staining her tone. “I-I — for what? I was the one who didn’t see the situation as it was, and was following Ranger procedure too close to where I let you get hurt —”

“Yes, but we’re the ones who ran off without telling you what happened, and also we got in the way of what you were plannin—”

“B-But I didn’t even tell you what I was doing, I just said ‘defend yourself’ and —”

“And that was a mistake, yes.” He said once again, cutting her off, before continuing on. “But both of us were tired . It was past midnight… I think, pretty sure — we were running on fumes and stress either way, and the hecticness of the situation was too much for two people…. My team's actions of running off, not telling you what Charon sensed, and then me running over to Viridi’s parent to see if…” William grimaced, but shook his head before he spoke again.

“We both fucked up. This isn’t about who screwed up more. We both did.” He said with finality, but Lena still couldn’t help but feel a heavy knot in her chest…

“You’re a kid, you shouldn’t — It’s not your responsibility to clean up an adult mess.” She tried to say, trying to take responsibility for her failure. William’s face in response contorted into… not a grimace, not a scowl, but something… uncomfortable, like he didn’t know how to respond, almost seeming to shrink into himself.

Dr. Yagokoro seemed to find now a good time to interject. “It seems like you two have a bit to discuss later…” She started, grabbing a clipboard from a Clefable (What was her name… Yami? Y-something…) that Lena just noticed was in the room next to her as well. “However, there are a couple of things I need to go over with you both now that you’re here.”

Lena couldn’t help but glance at William one last time before turning to the doctor, taking a breath, and nodding. “Yes, I’m sorry…”

Dr. Yagokoro hummed for a moment, before glancing down at the clipboard once, then back up at the two of them. “For now, William’s body is stable, and the toxins inside should be all but flushed out… he will have some weakness in his left arm and shoulder for about a week, but that should calm with time. However, we still need the primary cause for this, which I think we have narrowed down…”

“That being…?” Out of the corner of her eye Lena saw that William frowned, as if he was already expecting the answer.

“His Aura, or lack thereof.”

A frown found itself on her face as she glanced over at William, but he didn’t respond verbally, only grimacing as Dr. Yagokoro continued. “There’s been few documented cases of someone with such a low Aura, most people could go their whole lives without hearing the term, but for someone who is a Trainer… especially traveling with a Lucario… I’m sure you’ve seen his lack of one Ranger Lena, judging by your reaction.”

“Yes… it was… concerning.” Lena said, her eyes darting to William again. He noticeably didn’t look in her direction.

“Well, William is stable, despite that, and will be medically fit to leave tomorrow morning, but I want to ask if you’d be alright with allowing me to do some tests. Hypoauraemia is the closest case I could find to relate to young William here, but even though the medical techniques we performed had limited success, we had to brute force his body to respond the way it needed to recover with traditional medicine…”

Lena blinked, her tongue feeling twisted before she could even begin speaking, but Dr. Yagokoro must have noticed her expression. “Ah, I apologize… I forget not everyone is familiar with my research sometimes.” She straightened her posture a bit, and Lena couldn’t help but notice the off-white lab coat she was wearing. At a glance, it looked white, but upon closer inspection, the white color was tinted slightly blue and red on opposing sides, as if it had been thrown in the washing machine on hot with a bunch of other clothes.

“I may do a lot of primary care, but I prefer to think of myself as a medical researcher first — treating patients is more of a byproduct in the pursuit of science.” She did a dramatic bow, with a rolling hand wave. “To introduce myself formally, my name is Dr. Eirin Yagokoro, and I’m a world-renowned researcher into Aura and its effects on both people and Pokémon. Hypoauraemia is a term I... what’s the Unovan term.. ‘coined’ myself. It refers to a lack of Aura-creating proteins in the bloodstream.” She pushed her glasses up further onto her face.

“Are we sure Erma knows her…? Even Erma’s Aura isn’t… this chaotic.”

“Floa-ZeEehl.” (She smells of fae . She’s definitely one of Erma’s… fae people.)

‘Where did she meet such a mad psycho doctor then? ...This lady’s practically snorting Fairy Dust... Her fae aura is sickening to be around....’ Lena quietly agreed while wrinkling her nose.

Eirin chuckled to herself, but quickly calmed down and looked back down at her clipboard. “In any case, William’s lack of aura proteins is certainly a unique scenario to study, and I believe it would be an excellent case study for my research. To study how Aura interacts with a body that lacks many of the intrinsic immunities that the LU224 antibodies produce is unprecedented and I can’t help but—”

“This is... great... and all, but what about William’s condition? Is he getting better? Is this going to happen again?” Lena cut in, not hiding her obvious discomfort with Dr. Yagokoro treating William more like a test subject than a patient.

“Ah, yes... William’s condition. He is stable and recovering, thankfully. I would hate to lose such a fascinating subject so early. But, if you are asking for a diagnosis, we extracted a little less than 5 milliliters of Beedrill venom from William’s bloodstream, which is within the bottom 10th percentile of typical Beedrill stings that lead to hospitalizations. I believe that the lack of LU224 and GA159 is causing his body to react abnormally with Aura and Type Energy. In commoner’s terms, his body appears incapable of properly processing chemical reactions that use any Type Energy or Aura, good or bad. Combined with his young age, it likely caused the poison to have such a dramatic adverse effect.”

Eirin pushed her slipping glasses further up on her face, clearing her throat and taking her first breath in her explanation before continuing.

“In any case, I want to do a small round of tests similar to…" Humming slightly, Yagokoro debated the right analogy with herself before speaking. “Similar to… an allergy test on William here to measure his Aura. In return, I’m already working on a treatment plan for William for general injuries, and I’ll work on some emergency auric medicine at my lab. My plan is to develop something similar to an epinephrine pen for allergic reactions or insulin injections for diabetics, but I need to make sure his body won’t react incorrectly. He has already given his consent, but considering you are serving in loco parentis I’d like to ask for your permission as well.”

“I mean, I don’t want something like this to happen again, so yeah—”

“Good! Now, leave. I have tests to do.”

“—I guess it’s— wait, what?”

“Please leave the room. You’re interfering with my research.” Eirin slowly walked towards Lena and her Pokémon to coax them out the door.

“But wait I just got here what—”

“I need to do some tests concerning his Aura, and I cannot have any outlying data points interfering, and I only know how to filter myself and Yomi out of my results from decades of practice.” Dr. Eirin said as she started to push them out the door.

“U-Uh, wait— where should I go— I still need to write my report and response for —”

“If you need privacy to write that, there’s a break room with a Ranger Union certified laptop courtesy of the Bit— I’m sorry, Erma , two doors down. The room is supposed to be for hospital staff only, but no one objected when ‘The Brain of the Moon’ needed a private breakroom to research a case.” Dr. Yagokoro said, not holding back another chuckle that almost seemed to echo Erma in such a way that made Lena and Arthur shiver…

Even so, Dr. Yagokoro continued to gently lead Lena and her team out until they were pushed out of the door, leaving her awkwardly standing in the hallway with a mix of emotions…

“Floaat…ZEeell…?” (I guess that… went better than expected…?) Rina started, glancing back at the room with a mixed expression herself… Lena mirrored her action and worked her jaw.

“I… I don’t... know yet, honestly…” She murmured, before glancing down the hallway and starting for it, her head turning back to William’s room for a moment, hesitating before finally walking down the hall. Her eyes darted over the room labels. Before just as Yagokoro said, two rooms down was a room labeled `Break`... and a sticky note was on the door written in Johtonian.

This room... reserved for Dr. Yagokoro... incident. Please use the room on... as a...

“I’ve spent too much time in Unova, I’m getting rusty…” Lena muttered.

Arthur squinted at the sticky note. “No, I think it's because her handwriting is atrocious.”

Lena pushed the door open to look around as Rina and Arthur followed behind.

The breakroom Dr. Yagokoro reserved was even more spartan than most Pokémon Centers had, which was saying something as most Pokémon Centers didn’t even have a fridge in their break rooms.

It had two vending machines, a couple tables with matching chairs that looked like it was bought from a generic box store, with a bowl of berries and other fruit shifted into the corner as if no one wanted to touch it, and a couch that had its feet sinking to the sides. One table had a Devon Corp laptop with Ranger Union stickers sitting there taunting her with the report she needed to write.

Thankfully, it had a working coffee machine and a cabinet stocked with enough coffee to last a single night of a long hospital shift. Or probably only half with how tired she, Arthur, and Lena were now.

And was that a small vial of peppermint fragrance? What was that doing there?

Rina immediately flopped herself down on the sofa and Arthur slowly lumbered himself over to the coffee machine. The smell of cheap coffee beans perked her up a little, giving her a small reprieve from the long night she was in for.

The words on the screen swam incomprehensibly on the page, the words colliding in her mind like a Whirlwind, making her forget what she just typed. Losing her spot, and with her vision blurring and watering, Lena blinked. She raised a hand to rub her eyes and sat back in her chair.

Looking away from the computer screen made the whole room around her turn an ugly, ghostly shade of yellow, with the UI ribbon still floating around at the top of her vision.

“Don’t sit too close to the computer, Lena. You’ll burn your eyes out.”

Arthur’s mocking voice broke her out of her stupor. Sending him an annoyed look, she forced herself to stand up. “You write the damn report then...”

The fruit bowl from earlier was essentially empty. Only Wiki and Cheri Berries remained, and apples sat at the bottom of the bowl like an ironic statement. Rina looked over with Pecha juice running down her mouth in embarrassment.

“Float-Zeeel… Float…” (Sorry, I was hungry... ) Rina said, still taking up residence on the couch in the corner to rest. Both of them refused to return to their Poké Balls to fully sleep despite Lena’s repeated offers and saying this would take a bit.

Shaking her head, Lena waved her off. “No, it’s fine, don’t worry… we can get dinner after we talk to William again tonight when Dr. Lunatic is done with… whatever she’s doing.” She shifted her attention back to the coffee machine as it started to make the… third, or fourth cup of the night. Maybe fifth. It had been running nonstop for Twins knew how long.

“I’m not sure she'll be done anytime soon… it looks like she’s still just… getting information from Charon… William seemed to have fallen asleep. They’re just… talking.” Arthur said, leaning against the wall like before, eyes closed in an almost meditative state.

“Still…? Have you…” Lena hesitated, knowing what she was about to ask Arthur… “... Can you go down the hall and see what they’re saying?”

One of Arthur’s red eyes opened to look at Lena, conflict and hesitation in his gaze. She knew he could feel why she was asking this. Her own worry, fear of the unknown, and wanting to know if… there was anything she needed to do better to keep him safe.

In turn, however, she could feel how asking him to do that made him feel. “Lena… that would be a breach of trust. And the doctor, however much of a lunatic she may be, said that she needs William alone to get accurate measurements. You want him to get better, right?”

“Well, Charon’s still with her… he didn’t seem to come up in that conversation.”

“Charon is a special case; those two have a unique connection. I am sure the doctor is fully aware of that.”

(Zelele. Float.) “Even more of a reason for Doctor Crazy to study him.” Rina snarked.

“I know, but I… I want… need information to keep him safe. I can’t… I can’t mess up again. Even if… there were outside factors. I can’t mess up again like this… and I want to make sure she isn’t… doing anything too crazy.” Lena’s tone unwavering, but heavy with emotion and… almost a desperate twinge to it as Arthur briefly looked away and shook his head.

“ Lena… I understand that you’re worried. I am as well, but is breaking whatever trust you have left when you’re already in hot water with Charon worth it? Let alone… how William would feel. ”

“You can blame me, they can blame me all they want. I just… please. Arthur, this is… it’s important.” Lena asked, her tone not backing down, understanding how much of an ask this was… knowing she was in the wrong, but…

She had to know something at this point. She couldn’t… she couldn’t wait anymore. Something that Rina must have similarly felt. “Float-ZEEeel. FLo-Zel! Loatzel!” (Arthur, I know it’s a breach of trust. But we shouldn't be kept out of the medical loop either during tests. Lena has a right to be worried and know what’s going on too! Especially if she’s acting as ‘ loco parentis ’!)

Hearing and feeling both his partner's worries… their genuine concern, broken Arthur down enough as he grunted. “...Okay.”

A wave of overwhelming relief came from Lena as Arthur shifted away from the wall and pushed the door open before heading down the hall. Rina shifted over to Lena by the coffee machine and placed a paw on her shoulder, the Aura link between each other holding strong as Lena covered one of her ears to... hopefully cut back on any ‘feedback’...

Without direct contact with Arthur, sharing senses was always heavily disorienting at best… or a massive sensory overload if they tried all the senses at once that prompted a killer headache to rival one from a Ranger Union afterparty. Though, the smell of freshly brewed coffee would probably help stave it off…

Lena focused on the phantom sounds that Arthur was heading now… the gentle steps from him down the wall, the faint noise of heart monitors in a couple rooms over… and then the noise of muffle speaking behind the door. Thankfully, being a Lucario, he could… ‘overhear’ the conversation easier than any human would be able to through the hospital doors.

“...The fact that William has had no issues up to now is quite astounding to me… his vaccines appear up to date, but… no documented side effects… has he ever gotten a cold or fever while at the foster house?”

“Typhlosh. Phlosion-Typh…” (A couple times… but he would take whatever cabinet medicine he was offered and would shake it off after a couple days… even if it didn’t work.)

There was a sound of walking back and forth, possibly from the Doctor pacing in thought.

“You wouldn’t happen to know what kinds of medicines he was taking, would you whether they were Aura based or biologically based? ..... Ah, you’re right, that was a foolish question. Still, that does make things harder, as I can’t establish a link between them... He doesn’t appear to have any Aura whatsoever, and based on what we’ve observed, standard treatments like Pecha Slurry are ineffective, whereas dialysis and liberal use of Beedrill antivenom were. Albeit, the amount we had to use was quite abnormal; I’d estimate in the 90th percentile or more..... Perhaps a medicine I already use for Hypoauremiacs could work?”

There was a humming noise from the Doctor.

“ Perhaps I’m approaching this from the wrong direction. Tell me, have you observed any… oddities, with your link with him?”

Silence followed Eirin’s question, Lena unable to stop herself from tapping her finger impatiently on her mug… twitching… though that may have been the coffee she was still sipping.

Finally, Charon spoke. “Phlosion… Typhlos-Sion. Fhlosion…” (There was… an incident when I was hit with… Confusion from a Water Pulse. It was feeding back into him until I cut the link…)

Realization hit Lena. ‘So that’s what… caused that panic attack... but why didn’t he admit to it sooner than?’

A feeling of hesitation came from Rina… ‘ Maybe… he was worried about what having… no Aura meant? ’

Confusion, frustration, and doubt rose in Lena. ‘ Why would it though…? He’s smart, so he should have known it was an issue than… ’

‘ Shush! I’m trying to focus…! ’ Arthur snapped.

“— concerning, but if he doesn’t intend to use you for Gym Battles, it shouldn’t be… too much of a concern… though I wonder if you were frozen or paralyzed… is it only a phantom sensation? Is his body processing it incorrectly?”

Before she could continue, a sudden, long, rumbling noise sounded in the room. Lena paused for a moment… before realizing that it was a yawn from Charon.

“Ah, yes, I suppose it is late…” Eirin started, her own sigh echoing in the room. “I suppose you need to get your own rest. William certainly needed it as well…”

A grumble left Charon, grunting before he spoke. “I’m not sleeping until my ward is well. I was up long nights in the war. I’ll do it again.”

An almost overwhelming wave of confusion wracked Lena on all sides from both Rina and Arthur, her own emotion was identical. ‘War? Arthur, did I hear that right?’

‘Yes… I… that may explain a couple things…’ Arthur trailed off, compilation echoing around the link from all sides, but an air of uncertainty hanging above.

‘He is… old... Perhaps he was in the Indigo Civil War? He could have taken part in that…’ Rina mused, prompting Lena to tilt her head back and forth as she considered it.

‘No, he was from Hisui, remember? I don’t think they brought in any mercenaries. And he was in Unova for ages. Remember his comment on Virizion?’

‘Maybe the Great War then?’ Rina asked.

‘No, too recent…’

‘Then that only leaves...’

‘...the Zdarovan Retaliation...’ Lena finished.

The link went dead silent, despite everyone’s thoughts racing like a Ponyta or Rapidash that had just used Agility. Lena’s mouth felt dry, and despite not physically speaking, struggled to get her words together.

‘ I… Arthur, your… pack, it was around since then… right? ’

Arthur’s side had a mix of emotions swirling about, but acknowledgment was the primary one.

‘ Yes… it was a very… brutal time. It’s why Lucario or Riolu are seldom seen in Sinnoh… ’

‘ Uh… I hate to interrupt, but… why aren't Charon or Eirin speaking? ’

Rina’s comment snapped Lena and Arthur back out of their uncomfortable musing, and that’s when they finally registered the sound of impending footsteps near the door Arthur was in front of.

In an instant, Arthur was leaping down the hall just short of Extreme Speed, shoving the break room door open but then grabbing it carefully so it wouldn’t slam against the wall before pushing it close. Rina was leaping over tables before she flopped back down on the couch, trying to seem like she was exhausted and dozing off. Meanwhile, Lena tried to act naturally by going through the automatic motions of making another cup, awkwardly shifting her bag around and reaching in to find the bottle of Moo-Moo Milk she had been using as creamer.

While rummaging around, the impending sound of approaching footsteps got closer, but not from the link. This was followed by the door swinging open with a forceful push; Lena still jumped in surprise despite expecting it as the room notably got warmer and heavy footsteps followed.

“Tylolo.” (Oh. It’s you .)

Despite the panic from before, Lena couldn’t help but wince at Charon’s stare, which was fixed directly at her. Thankfully, it didn’t appear that he looked further into her soul, as he let out a frustrated huff as he walked towards the bowl that Lena had explored earlier, shifting over to it and picking through it.

“Phlo. Sion. Tylophlosion-Lolsion?” (No Chesto Berries. Of course. What kind of ‘children’s hospital’ did you bring William to that can’t even supply a bowl of fruit?)

“The closest one I could get him to.” Lena retorted with the slightest bit of heat, but her voice came out more tired than frustrated. Her words, or maybe her tone, must have made a point, as Charon only chuffed in response.

Lena stole a glance at the Typhlosion, but Charon didn’t notice or care as he instead grumbled over to the couch and sat down next to Rina. The poor legs of it slid out even more, with the base nearly touching the floor because of his weight.

There was tension in the air from multiple angles, Lena glancing over at Arthur who was leaning against the wall… and to Rina who was awkwardly on the couch next to the enormous Typhlosion… a silent conclusion reached by all of them.

‘Just act normal, don’t think about it...’ Lena thought to herself as she looked up and down at Charon. His eyes had just the faintest touch of visible bags under them, something that almost seemed to blend into the natural eyeliner-like appearance of his species. The Ranger did mental math in her head… slowly realizing that Charon had been awake for over thirty-six hours.

‘ I don’t blame him though… I tried to stay awake too… ’ Lena thought before she glanced over at the coffee machine… her fingers tapping on the counter for a moment as she deliberated, before pushing it aside. She might be on his shitlist, but that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t at least try .

Shifting her cup to the side, she grabbed a clean one from the cabinet and grabbed the most potent pod of coffee she could find hidden in the back behind all the other containers. Turning the temperature up after she put it into the machine, she waited for the cycle to begin once more…

The moment of silence, only broken by the hum of the machine and the dripping of the new cup, offered Lena a second to think… her mind running back over Charon’s last words to her in the waiting room…

“I made a promise to William to protect him…”

“Either help me do that, or stay out of my way.”

‘ I’m trying my best… just… if I can’t help William, at least let me help you do the job. ’ She thought of her hand on her arm, the machine finally finishing its new brew with steam rising from the oily-black surface of the mug. She almost added milk and sugar on reflex… but paused. Wasn’t there something about how Sassy Pokemon usually prefer a bitter taste?

Turning around, she grabbed the extra cup and walked over to Charon, placing it on the table in front of him gently. The clink of the ceramic made him shift his head upwards to it, his eyes following her arm back to her face, which she hoped didn’t convey the wrong emotion. “Here.”

The old Typhlosion rumbled. “Phlo... Typho.” (Why are you handing me bug pesticide? A Chesto Berry works just as fine....)

“I tried looking, but I couldn’t find any either. But... I think you’ll like this.”

“Tyty. Phoo.” (I’ve drunk coffee before. Too sweet. Hate it.)

“Well, I didn’t add any milk, cream, or sugar. Found a nice, rich, black roast. Just try it for me. I think you’ll feel better.”

Charon stared at her for a solid minute before he snorted in annoyance, but took the cup anyway. He looked at the cup in disgust, but reluctantly took a sip.

He did a double take for a moment, looking at the cup with a surprised expression before taking another tentative sip… staring at the cup again with a surprised expression.

... And then proceeded to chug the rest in two mighty gulps without any hesitation.

Lena was barely able to hide the smirk on her face as Charon let out a satisfied sigh, and held the cup in both his paws. “...Typhlosion!” (“Almighty Sinnoh… where was this in Hisui…?”) He half-joked and half-whined before glancing at Lena.

An awkward silence followed.

It dragged on for a moment.

Then two.

Then even longer.

Lena darted her eyes around from side to side, unable to look Charon in the eye, as Charon stared into the dark abyss of the coffee cup in frustration.

“Ty... Lo?” (...Would you be able… to make another cup?)

Lena mutely nodded, taking the mug from Charon and moved to go through the motions again while the Alpha Pokémon stood up and followed her. The Typhlosion stopped next to her, towering above… Arthur and Rina behind them were attentive, watching carefully out of worry but… still not stepping in fully.

“Ppphhhoo. Lolo.” (William told me to apologize to you.)

Lena’s hand froze as she pressed the button on the machine to start it, her voice gone as she turned up to face Charon. He was looking forward towards the wall instead, not meeting her own eyes.

“Sionlolo. Typholo. Tyty.” (I won’t… apologize for what I’ve said, however. And you still need to earn my trust that William will be safe under your eyes when I can’t help.)

Lena sighed heavily, and her voice weak. “I...”

“Ty... Typhotypho. Sionlo...” (But… I spoke with The Fairy Boss of yours, and William too, and I’m realizing that... I wasn’t blameless either.)

Lena, Arthur, and Rina all looked over in shock. “Wha—.”

“Tylopho. Phlosion-Typh Tyty.... ” (I still stand by my... view of the original situation, and I still think you were wrong to take those Beedrill alive in the first place. If it were up to me... during Hisui, I would have just roasted them and moved on. But...)

Charon seemed to age decades, weighed on by heavy emotions. “Sionloty. Typho... Typhlosion Ty.” (William named me Charon for a reason. I made a promise to him to be better, and not to be who I used to be. And if that means I have to learn what this ‘Ranger’ nonsense is, then so be it. My idiot grandson is going to keep getting into trouble anyway, so I might as well have someone else to monitor him. Just... do better about not getting him hurt again. You and I made mistakes, and we need to learn from them.)

The coffee machine finished up just as Charon did; the Typhlosion turned, grabbed the mug, and took a sip… Lena just nodded while taking one of her own breaths to soothe her nerves. “...Okay. I… I will. We will. I’ll teach… William and you about procedures, and calls to keep him safe… we’ll train Ronin and that… Venipede too, to make sure they’re able to protect him too.”

Charon grunted in an agreeing way, taking another heavy ‘sip’... which was more a deep gulp of the mug, making him swallow air. With a surprised noise, he pulled the mug away and cleared his throat to hide a cough.

He stared at the mug for a moment, grumbling “...alpha discrimination…” under his breath as he turned around to face the coffee machine. He froze at the sight of it, looking at it with the eyes of a Geodude encountering an electric light for the first time. He placed the mug underneath the machine, waiting for a moment before carefully raising a paw forward… poking the power button on the machine, making the light turn off with a chime.

Silence followed until Charon turned to Lena with a deadpan tone. “Ty...Typhloosion?” (“...How do you use this damn thing?”)

For the first time in more than a day, Lena smiled and laughed.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14 - The Inflection Point

“Could've been worse…I still have one good shoulder…” William rubbed his left shoulder gingerly through the same oversized yellow sweatshirt he wore when they met. Lena shot him a pitying glance as she continued to sign the release paperwork. Next to her, Arthur nodded in solidarity while carrying William’s backpack for him, despite his initial protests.

“You’ll heal faster if you put as little strain on it as possible… plus, Lena would have carried it instead.” Arthur responded, Lena nodding in agreement before sighing to herself. William’s hand slowly trailed over the wrapping on his left shoulder, where the Beedrill’s Twineedle grazed him…

Lena forced herself not to say anything. With an overly dramatic, flourishing movement of the pen, she wrote her signature, flipped the stack back over, gathered all the papers neatly together, and handed it over to the hospital receptionist. 

They took it and gave it a quick glance over, before nodding at Lena. “Looks all good, I gotta say… never expected to need to grab the air ambulance documents. You got a rare experience, kid.”

Lena winced, but William instead looked quite puzzled.

‘Do people not get airlifts to the hospital where he’s from...?’

...

‘...Oh, wait. He passed out. Right, probably didn’t remember any of it.’

The receptionist didn’t seem to notice as he scanned the signed copies of what Lena signed, putting them in a folder before handing said folder to Lena, along with a bottle of medicine that… Lena couldn’t recognize the name, meaning she needed to double check to make sure Dr. Yagokoro added nothing… concerning. “Specially prescribed anti-inflammatory medicine and painkillers… and copies of the documents for your records, just in case. You should be good to go from here, but if anything comes up on our end, we’ll reach out to the Ranger Union as notified.”

She nodded, taking the folder and pill bottle and gently slid it into her bag where William’s previous medical documents were as well. Thankfully, she sorted through her bag the night before to remove all the extra Nest Balls and properly return them… along with all of William’s catches that she had moved over to her bag at… some point, she couldn’t recall exactly when during the entire mess of the last three days. Regardless, her bag was quite neat right now, and she slid it in without issue and closed it back up.

Saying another thankful goodbye, she turned for the exit, William and Arthur close behind her. William gently rubbed his elbows as he walked, almost seeming to press into himself as they exited the door. Working her jaw slightly in worry, Lena glanced down at him, noting the far off look… clearly stuck in his own thoughts. On his belt were all three of his team members, returned to their Poké Balls for some long-overdue rest… but it was clear he hadn’t been… just out by himself for a while. 

He had said hello to them that same morning after Dr. Yagokoro finished all her tests the night before. She explicitly mentioned early this morning when Lena came to grab William that they couldn’t rest in his sweatshirt hoodie until his shoulders were better to the distraught protest of Ronin and Viridi. The memory of her team's proper introduction to Viridi was… quite memorable. 

The scene of Venipede staring dead-on at Rina… mildly amused her, as neither of them moved an inch. Lena watched the staredown occurring in William's hospital room, the sun barely poking over the horizon as it was before eight A.M. She felt it was way too early to be awake after the last couple days, but Dr. Yagokoro cleared William to leave… and Lena wanted to get him out of there sooner rather than later. 

The only thing keeping her awake was the cup of coffee in her hand as she watched the scene; Charon had already drank two cups and well on his wayto make a third. He would still shoot glances at William every now and then, who was slowly petting the Venipede and Ronin, clearly waking up slower without the luxury of coffee.

Finally, Venipede broke the staredown with a question. “Venipe. Venipedede.” (Hive Leader travel. Red Fighting Lady Hive come with?)

William paused his petting, his brain clearly processing the statement before he nodded lightly. “Yeah — yeah, we are… we’re gonna be together for the foreseeable future so… if you can, please introduce yourself Viridi.”

“Venven. Pede Veni. Vvven Pedepede. Peedeven.” (Venipede name Viridi. Viridi job is Comfrey Bugg. Red Fighting Lady. Big Yellow Aunty Oshawott. Blue Walking Herdier. What are name?)

William looked embarrassed at Venipede’s direct descriptions with sudden stuttering leaving him, his reaction in direct contrast to Charon, who barked out a laugh. Even Lena felt herself barely hold back a snort to prevent herself from coughing at her sip of coffee. Arthur being described as a ‘Blue Walking Herdier’ created an image of him wearing a cheaply made costume in her mind; the Aura Pokémon turned to her and shot her an affronted look that nearly made Lena double over in laughter.

“Zelzel! Flooaaat!” (I’m Rina, and I’m not an Oshawott, I’m a Floatzel! Ronin is the Oshawott over there!)

“Venven Pede. Vvven. Pede?” (Ronin say Rina is Aunty. Ronin is Oshawott. Floatzel not Aunty Oshawott?)

Rina’s face now mirrored William’s, which had turned a deeper red that rivaled the shade on Lena’s jacket. He moved his head into the palm of his hands slowly, either to hide his embarrassment or out of exasperation. Lena couldn’t tell as she covered her own expression to hide her laughter.

Ronin must have seemed a tad exhausted himself, turning to the Venipede. “Shaa… Wott… Osha.” (Viridi… she said that jokingly because she helped me train, we’re not actually related…)

“Venipede Ven. Pedepede.” (Viridi not understand. Aunts are related. Mother Sister or Father Sister. Hive Leader describe them.)

“Zeel-Float... Zelzel! Float!” (I mean, I guess I’m flattered... Wait no, not the move Flatter! Just like... y’know, it’s kind of you to think of me as part of your family, Ronin...)

Viridi must have picked up on that, because she turned to William. “Venven. Pedepede.” (Hive Leader. I flatter you.)

....Or not.

William’s face wasn’t visible, but Lena heard a noise that sounded equally exasperated and embarrassed as he tried to bury himself deeper in his double-facepalm. Charon guffawed so hard he started coughing and was on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Ronin started flailing his little arms and Rina tried to explain to Viridi about how that’s not what ‘flatter’ means. Viridi responded that flatter means love, and she loved William as part of the Hive in her own broken language, which only made things even worse. And Lena? 

Well, Dr. Yagokoro was now giving her a checkup after the Doctor thought Lena was having a heart attack. 

Arthur, stoic as ever, attempted to save face.

“Ahem, moving on. I am Arthur the Lucario, at your service. I admit I have not been referred to as a ‘walking Herdier’ before; I suppose if you must refer to me in terms of other Unovan Pokémon, you could think of me as a Zoroark with the temperament of a Bisharp.”

“Venipedede. Vven. Pedepedpe. Veni.” (Illusion Trickster and Dark Knight. Old Hive Master tell stories. Lucario is both. Viridi understand.)

Lena didn't need to look at their Aura link to feel Arthur’s pride being pierced like a Drill Peck at being called a ‘trickster’. Instead, she focused on trying to recover from... whatever that was earlier. Raising her hand slightly to get Viridi’s attention, she managed to hide her amusement in her tone as she spoke. “I’m Lena, and I’m a Top Ranger along with Rina and Arthur. Our job is to protect and help people and Pokémon everywhere. But if anyone asks, I’m an Ace Trainer training William, okay? Bad people might try to hurt William if they knew I was a Top Ranger with him.”

“Veni.” (Viridi understand.)

“I… explained as much as I could before you arrived, so you won’t need to worry about other Trainers or Wild Pokémon getting the wrong idea.” William clarified with a still slightly embarrassed tone he tried to hide, Lena nodded and hummed slightly before pausing as her mind ran through Viridi’s own introduction again.

“It sounds like William assigned you a job, right? What is a Comfrey Bug?”

William’s head returned to his palm with a mortified ‘Oh, god…’ leaving him as Charon suddenly started to laugh louder. Viridi did not detect the embarrassment from her Trainer. “Venvenpede. Veniven. Vvven.” (Viridi is Comfrey Bugg. Comfrey Bugg mean protect Hive. Comfrey Bugg mean protect Hive Leader. Comfrey Bugg burr for Hive Leader when sleep. Hive Leader like burr.)

Lena couldn’t help but grin as William tried to give a flustered explanation about how he apparently said it while he was on all the medicine. She ignored it in favor of speaking to Viridi.  “Sounds like you’re quite the cuddle bug then, huh?”

“VVeniveni. VVenven.” (Viridi not cuddle bug. Viridi is Comfrey Bugg.)

“Yes, and cuddle bug she may be, neither she nor Ronin are going to be able to travel on William’s shoulder for at least a week.”

To their right, Dr. Yagokoro had regained her own composure, Yomi next to her moving to disconnect the various monitors and patches on William. Dr. Yagokoro already started into a light instructional tone towards Lena, who fumbled slightly to flip open her Styler to take notes. 

“As I’ve said, William’s system is fully flushed of toxins, and I’ve already begun work on a solution for any complications in the future. However, his left arm and shoulder will feel weak and sore for the next week. I want you to make sure that there is little to no pressure put on his upper body as a result… even his Silph Co. bag will need to be carried by someone for a couple of days…”

“Shaaawoottt!” (But I need to keep watch for bad people and Beedrills!)

“Vvveeenpede! Pepepede!” (Viridi is Comfrey Bugg! Virdi protect Hive Master!)

Charon snorted. “Typholo...” (More like you both want to sleep in William’s hoodie...)

The narrowing of Dr. Yagokoro’s eyes instantly silenced all three of them. “If you want your Trainer to heal properly so he can do that, you’ll need to make sure no tension or strain is on him as possible.” She then turned back to Lena, instantly resuming her speech. “On top of that, I’d recommend documenting any changes in his Aura you find as well with Arthur, and make sure —”

Lena struggled to type that fast, her Styler’s autocorrect working overtime. “H-Hold on — wait — I’m still —”

“ — also make sure that he takes the prescribed medicine twice a day by mouth with meals. If the medicine gets stuck, drink a glass of milk—”

Back in reality, Lena shook her head. ‘A true tragedy… especially since none of them stay around the same size when they evolve.’ Lena briefly thought that William may need to get a bigger tent if Viridi evolves into a Scolipede and was still a cuddle bug, but didn’t comment on it aloud for now. It was still a long way from now for either from what she could observe.

As they continued to walk outside, the noise of Castelia City started hitting their ears now, the hustle and bustle of the city visible just outside the children’s hospital campus. Lena thought for a moment about what they could do in the city to take his mind off the past couple of days, but William spoke up first.

“Can…we head to the subway? We’ll need to go there to get to Aspertia City the fastest anyways…” 

Lena frowned, turning to him as she thought about it… “You know, Castelia’s Gym uses Bug Types, we could take care of that Gym while we’re here… Charon would be more than enough to take it on especially at a zero badge level, or even a higher tier.”

‘Especially if he was trained to fight in conflict.’ The stray thought almost seemed to whisper in her ear, but Lena swatted it aside for now. 

Now was not the time.

William shook his head, his own frown forming. “Again, I don’t think the League would… particularly enjoy that, nor would that be good for trying to keep a lower profile.” Seeing Lena’s confused expression at his words, he sighed as he crossed his arms in a way to grip his elbows. “The Gym Battles are all recorded. I’ve seen reruns sometimes on the TV back at Accumula for some battles. They use it for advertising, promotional videos, all that…”

Before she could go down that rabbit hole on how she felt about that, William continued on. “But that would mean Charon would be visible to the public on recording, and they would know exactly what Trainer he belongs to, which kinda… runs counterintuitive to what I want… yeah, my record will be available later, but… they’ll need to manually look for Charon then.”

Lena crossed her arms this time, mulling over his statement… she could understand wanting to keep privacy.

Despite that, his privacy would only last as long as his first Badge anyway with LeagueNet… but William wasn’t looking to be a career battler, so she guessed he didn’t have to worry about long-term sponsorships but… 

Lena still didn’t know what exactly he wanted from his Journey, remembering that William avoided answering back in Straiton City. She didn't have the chance to ask as he spoke again, however. “And… to me at least, it makes no sense to use Charon when Ronin and Viridi need to get stronger, having Charon carry through the Gym would stunt their growth long term… especially since Viridi and I have had no time to get in sync…”

‘Okay, that last one makes sense, and… probably would be better long term.’ Lena conceded mentally, nodding with a hum as she ruminated on that… but her eyes flicked over to William’s stature. 

He looked exhausted. His eyes had bags under them, and it was clear he was physically exhausted, especially after how much medicine they had to pump into his body. He looked exactly like someone would after a multi-day stay in any hospital. 

Still, it was clear he was forcing himself to keep going for… some reason.

‘Is it to get stronger so that Pinwheel doesn’t happen again? Is it because he’s stressing himself out over the League and Interpol…?’  

“Are you sure you don’t… want to rest in Castelia for a bit? We don’t exactly have a hard time limit…” Lene tried to placate, but William quickly shook his head more adamantly this time, his eyes narrowing as he stared forward.

“No, with Pinwheel Forest most definitely on my… whatever the hell counts as a record in this Region, I’d rather keep pushing forward… at least for now…” William said, sighing and… looking bashful. “... Plus, I’m not really a fan of, uh… big cities, they’re a bit too loud for me.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that…” Arthur said, understanding what William meant, most likely remembering times where he was overwhelmed when he just evolved from a Riolu. Lena glanced around the street off the hospital front… It wasn't busy as she had seen Castelia some days, but granted, it was still before eight AM, in a couple hours the streets would be swarmed by Pokémon and people… even more so than now.

“... The subway ride should take about an hour and a half… we can rest the rest of the day if I feel tired…” William replied in a placating way, yet a hint of hesitation still lingered in his tone. The Ranger started thinking it over, before she nodded. 

“Alright… we’ll take the subway then. If Arthur can’t find an objection, I sure won’t have any of my own.”

William actually looked to perk up at that. Lena couldn’t help but smile as she filled the tidbit of him, liking trains or subways away in her memory…

One piece at a time to put together the puzzle… one piece at a time.

The passenger cars for the Red Line were surprisingly roomy, but most likely because they wanted to give enough room to allow someone to release their Pokémon in the car itself. The windows provided an amazing view of the passing scenery, and especially of the water as they traveled across it, showing the sun shining and reflecting the car on the water… If Lena looked close enough, she could make out Mantyke and Mantine playing a game of trying to keep up with the subway train just barely beneath the water’s surface.

The rhythmic ‘click clack’ of the wheels rumbling against the tracks was a soothing experience. However, sadly, it would fall apart soon after the conversation that Lena knew was about to come. Arthur looked conflicted when Lena asked to return him, but he eventually acquiesced. This was supposed to be a one-on-one conversation for now.

Before she could prompt it, William must have noticed that change in atmosphere, speaking up first. “So… where do you want to start?” William asked, his eyes not turning away from the passing scenery, but it was clear they had to have this conversation either way. 

With a sigh, Lena’s eyes glanced at the passing sights before turning back to William, leaning forward now and clasping her hands together. “Saw right through me, huh…?”

A light shake of William’s head was what she got in response. “Not really… just… probably the first time we’ve had in a while to just talk about what happened… one on one.” With another sigh, he shifted slightly, facing Lena now with his full attention.

‘Let’s rip the bandage off…’

“From… the beginning, I shouldn’t have put you in that position,” Lena started, making William frown and about to speak up, but she moved a hand forward to stop. “Please, let me say my piece.”

He hesitated, frowning but nodding, leaning back into his seat silently as Lena continued. “I’m a Top Ranger and yet… I put a kid into a dangerous situation, and nearly got him killed because I was following procedures from memory too closely, and didn’t realize the situation for what it was.”

William physically held himself back from interrupting her, but Lena kept going. “I could have insisted that you stay behind. I could have tried to get another Ranger to fly you back. I could have tried to find another room, I didn’t do any of that. I didn’t even call for backup via the emergency line, which was created specifically for a situation like that.”

“And then… I led you off Route, the very thing that started this mess in the first place… and then I expected you to know the damn procedures I was following, causing our actions to conflict and everything to spiral, I-I didn’t even call for backup like I should have when I tunnel visioned.” A sardonic smile formed as she looked at William. “I know you’re smart, and I’m not saying this to patronize you, but I don’t think you would have studied Ranger procedures, shorthands, or anything of the sort.”

William’s hands squeezed into a fist, and he took a deep breath. Lena could tell she had made a point to him at how he glanced away, allowing her to continue. “To add to all of this, I didn’t even review your medical file beforehand to know if you had any allergies or — shoot, any preexisting conditions before we started your Journey. As a designated guardian, I’ve just been a total failure. Then, in a panic, I called for an emergency airlift to get you to the hospital on a public channel. Your identity wasn’t over the line, but people are still going to look into it… it’s not gonna be hard to put together your identity once the first Gym Battle happens…”

The weight of all her actions felt like it was physically pushing her into her seat, and she could only sigh and lean her head back. “So… I’m sorry, I’m the one who screwed the Mission up, I’m the one who didn’t even check if you were injured immediately after, maybe I could have done… something, I-I don’t —” Her voice just clipped, as if it had fallen off the cliff of her own emotions. “I’m… sorry doesn’t cut it, and I know that, but I’m… I’m sorry, William.”

The only sound that followed for a moment was the sound of the subway with the rhythmic double striking noise of the wheels on the track. Lena waited for whatever criticism William would have for her.

It continued to stretch on, every second feeling like eternity before William took in a deep breath and exhaled, but still stayed silent, clearly processing his own words.

Then, like a spell, the silence broke. “If you’re going to take responsibility for your mistakes, then at least let me take responsibility for mine.”

Lena’s eyes snapped open as she turned to him, ready to placate William, but he started speaking faster than she could. “Yes, you made mistakes, but most of them can be fixed, or you’re already working on fixing them.”

“Yes, logically, you should have left me at the Pokémon Center, but…” He shrugged, before wincing in pain from the movement on his shoulders. Instead, he motioned around with the lower half of his arms, forcing a pointed look on his face. “What else were you supposed to do, given all the other circumstances? No Ranger would leave a sevenish or whatever year-old alone in a Pokémon Center packed with a bunch of other Trainers with a rare thought to be extinct Starter evolution, along with a young Starter Pokémon who hasn’t been in more than one battle with his Trainer.”

“I— I should have at least tried to find someone to watch you—”

“On a short notice? When there was an active Mission ongoing that clearly needed more help?” William countered. “Lena, you would have been stretching yourself too thin, only giving you more stress… and on top of that…” Shifting slightly, he pulled out his Pokédex, clearly making sure she saw it. “Would the other Rangers have found the Beedrill attacking the Venipede nest that night if we didn’t go off the path? If I didn’t use the Habitat feature to narrow down where they were moving too?”

Lena mentally scoured her memory. It wasn’t impossible but… 

“No… you’re right. The queen Beedrill was trained… or at least, one of them previously had a Trainer… they would have known to avoid humans, Ranger’s especially, if we didn’t walk to them directly.” Lena defeatedly said. William nodded, before pausing and looking at Lena with a furrowed expression.

“Wait, trained? What do you mean…?”

“The queen was using Aerial Ace, Beedrill don't learn that naturally. And… she was using Pursuit on fleeing Pokémon, a move that is most commonly used in battles on Pokémon fleeing as well.” Lena said, William thinking for a moment… falling silent as he thought about it…

“So it was released…?” William muttered, before frowning and shaking his head. “Sorry, it doesn't matter right now. What matters is that if we didn’t go over to the Venipede nest, the queen Beedrill would have still been out there, and other Pokémon homes around the forest would have gotten attacked like this.”

“B-But you got poisoned! Y-You almost died!”

“Which was a combination of me and Charon not explaining what was going on in the first place, and me running off to check on Viridi’s parent without telling you what I was doing because I panicked and wasn’t thinking with my head.” William insisted, stabbing the air with a finger to punctuate his words. “I wasn’t communicating, and then I made the big fuck up of separating from the group. If I didn’t do that, maybe I wouldn't have drawn the attention and ire of the queen and gotten poisoned.”

Lena felt her own shoulders shrink, feeling a tad exasperated at William’s almost… refusal to blame her. “And I just said ‘defend yourself’, expecting you to know what that meant! And then I got angry because I didn’t explain Ranger Mission procedures properly to you so you could work with me during then. I should have called other Rangers for backup and support instead of focusing on the Beedrill!”

William moved his hands apart in the air, his head tilting to the side in a ‘I’m waiting’ sort of pose, but his eyes still looking at Lena. “Then teach me.”

Lena blinked, mentally recoiling as the response hit her ears. “...What?”

“Then teach me, yes, we didn’t go over Ranger procedures before this. That was a mistake. Yes, you maybe should have called for backup, but hindsight is twenty-twenty. Yes, maybe you should have gone over it with me in better detail because it’s not expected for beginning Trainers to be working directly with a Ranger one-on-one, but I don’t think we expected to run into the clusterfuck we did.”  

A pit swirled in Lena’s stomach, and her voice became firmer. “William, you’re a kid, you… you shouldn’t need to worry about procedures, o-or processes in emergency situations —”

“Can you tell me with a straight face that I wouldn’t be safer if I knew the procedures to follow along with you, at least?”

“But you shouldn’t need —”

“Yes, a kid shouldn’t need to know them, but if we’re going to be doing more Ranger Missions or Quests, I should at least know them just in case.” Taking a deep breath, William’s eyes fixed Lena on the spot, looking sharp and pointed as he continued. “I’d rather work with you than against you. Again, me and Charon didn’t tell you what was going on. You only realized when we were at the nest itself. There was no time to review procedures, make a plan, nothing. And then my team’s actions countered against yours.”

With a tilt of his head and before Lena could protest, he sighed and stared out the window for a moment. “We read the situation differently. Maybe we read it more aggressively than we should have, or maybe you did it too passively and tried treating it more akin to a normal Mission. I don’t know, but it’ll be safer for both of us if we’re at least on the same wavelength.” His head turned back to Lena, eyebrows raised. “Do you disagree?”

A breath left Lena, which was a mixture of disbelief, confusion, and… maybe even defeat. It didn’t feel like… a bad defeat, but it felt… bittersweet. 

‘I might have preferred it if you were angry… at least that would make sense. You shouldn't be acting like an adult… you shouldn’t need to be the responsible one.’ She simply shook her head, trying to organize her words, trying to understand William. “How can you… be so forgiving? An adult failed here, and then you got hurt, poisoned, and then almost died. I know I’d be angry.”

A pointed look formed on William’s face. “I’m alive and getting angry wouldn’t… help anything, especially since I’m traveling with you.” With another sigh, William leaned forward, his hands locking together as he looked at Lena. “The only thing we can do is get better from this…”

Silence overtook the car again, Lena broke eye contact first, looking out the window and seeing her reflection in the glass as the sun shone through, before it plunged into darkness as the subway started speeding through a tunnel… the lights inside still reflecting enough for Lena to make out her own face in the glass.

“You’re too forgiving, you know?” Lena muttered, William staring at her for a moment and frowning again.

“It’s… easier to forgive others than yourself.” He finally responded after a moment, his eyes looking at the floor of the car. “It… doesn’t matter who’s more forgiving. What are we going to do about this?”

“I… need to teach you Ranger protocol, and communicate better with you.” She started, pausing for a moment before frowning. “I… I still don’t feel comfortable telling you exactly what you need to improve on. You shouldn’t have to hold yourself to the same standards as a Top Ranger or — any adult.”

William grimaced at her statement before sighing. “Then I will…” He muttered, falling silent and ruminating on his thoughts for another moment, visibly pausing and looking uncomfortable. “I’m… I’m still not comfortable making commands in battles. That most likely held me back even during then.” William said with a wince. He then sighed, seeming to sink into himself like Lena had. “It makes me feel like I’m responsible for my team's pain when they get hit, or I worry about making a bad call for them…I… I need to overcome that.” 

“Were battles that… brutal? Where you were from?” Lena asked, hoping to get an answer to that lingering question. 

William’s hand squeezed slowly, subtle enough for someone to ignore it, but a habit that Lena was picking up on whenever he was anxious about answering. “They’re not really a thing at home, so I’m just not used to it, I guess.”

Lena leaned her body forward, resting her arm against the armrest. “...Y’know normally, you’re pretty good at lying, but that’s a pretty weak one.”

William looked at Lena in surprise. “I’m not lying, just…” He frowned, working his jaw along with his words before he spoke. “I’m… I’m not telling the whole truth, you’re right. But they really aren’t common at home and I… I'm still not used to seeing them in person face to face still, and dunno how best to explain it.”

“And how am I supposed to believe that with everything else? Even in places like Alola, which doesn’t have a League, Pokémon battles are still deeply a part of the culture there. Even Almia and Fiore, where Poké Balls and ‘owning’ Pokémon are illegal, still get streamed League matches on TV.” Lena countered with a light wave of her hand, pressing on more as she fixed William with a pointed look.

“On top of that… if they weren’t really a thing back home, I don’t think the battle between Charon against Rina and Arthur would have ended like it did. You knew that trick with Wild Charge and Rest. That’s not something a Trainer that came from a place where battles are uncommon would know, you certainly caught Rina and I off guard for sure...”

William’s frown stayed prominent, fighting with his own words clearly as he thought through Lena’s comment. “It’s… home didn’t get any… real footage of official battles, or anything like that…”

“But battles between Pokémon still would have happened? Even if they were wild.”

“If there were any Pokémon where I lived… it was like Orre, but worse, no street battles, no League, and I only knew the basic ‘rules’ of battles because of what other people said or games…”

“Hold on, pause… games?” 

William seemed to go a tad paler, but it might have been a trick of the light, as he spoke quickly enough. “There were popular games at home that… you could simulate Pokémon battles in basically, albeit, limitedly. It still was enough for someone like me to learn type matchups, and what a move does when I was young…”

Lena blinked back, staring at William… a slowly creeping realization dawning on her. “And… how do they play?”

“Uh… technically, you and the opponent select the move, and then the Pokémon who’s ‘faster’, either by pure speed or if the move is something like Extreme Speed or Quick Attack, goes first… and then this repeats until one Trainer loses. And it was sprite based… er — 2D images, or 3D, but… they never showed the injuries, or how the moves actually looked… that's why I'm... uncomfortable, I'm just outright not used to the injuries and… yeah.”

At this, Lena let out an (admittedly) dramatic groan and rolled her head back. “You’re kidding me… I lost to a battle simulator kid…”

“B-Battle simulator kid…?”

With a sigh, Lena explained. “Back in school… Before I was a Ranger, every so-often there would be an exchange program between somewhere like Pokémon Tech in Kanto, where they are more focused on… the information, rather than the practical experience of how to battle… those programs use only battle simulators.”

“...and I’m guessing they were a bit… lacking?” William asked quietly, wincing slightly.

“Yes, they almost always lost… and always got confused afterwards and insisted something was wrong…” She discarded the growing thought. Best not to go on that tangent… for now. 

"That’s not important. You’re telling me you used games to base your knowledge on battling? You didn’t watch any real battles before coming to Unova?"

William looked a tad uncomfortable, maybe even embarrassed, as he gave a small tilt of his head back and forth that was close enough to a nod for Lena. “I mean, I saw some real battles when I was in the foster home on the TV, or at school during field days, but… mostly games, and Charon’s practical experience, yeah…”

She stared at William, blinking and laughing with a shake of her head despite herself. Before she could question her own mid-life crisis about her battling skills, she ran back through everything William said… his original comment… 

“They’re not really a thing at home, so I’m just not used to it, I guess.”

It wasn’t an outright lie, just a lie-by-omission… which, all things considered, someone who didn’t have firsthand experience with William would probably take it at face value. It was impressive, in all honesty.

…She didn’t understand why he would try to obfuscate that. His explanation… it made sense to a limited degree based on some of his reactions. Albeit, it did make him seem incredibly sheltered which seemed to go against a couple other things she noticed… 

Lena shook her head. She could pick that apart later. 

Refocusing, she tried to push aside a slightly growing annoyance at herself for losing to a battle simulator kid. Crossing her arms, Lena tried to give a slightly stern look that probably looked more akin to a pout. “Hmph. The original answer to my question was still a lie-by-omission, so it’s close enough in my book. Where did you learn to ‘lie’ like that anyway? I don’t think your parents would like you doing that.”

“Charon... has experience in it. I don’t know if he’d be willing to talk about it, but I’m sure he could help you lie better if you ask him.” William replied carefully, glancing at his belt for a moment.

“What do you mean ‘lie better?” Lena asked, a slight smidge of offense in her tone.

William leveled her with a critical expression, almost as if analyzing her body language before responding. “To start, you freeze up and stutter a lot whenever you’re lying. That’s an easy way to show people you’re not telling them everything…” Raising his hand, he motioned to himself. “I try to give them something close-ish, as just giving some info lets the listener draw their own conclusions and lets their mind autofill the blanks… usually.”

The reasoning was… surprisingly sound, way too sound and aware for a kid, but… if Charon told them… 

‘Well, Ghost Types usually tend to be more mischievous.’ Conceding the point, Lena simply glanced down at her own belt, the blue and reds of Arthur’s Great Ball catching her eye. “Well, you’ve never had a walking morality rope attached to you… even me coming up with that Ace Trainer cover story for you on the fly for the other Rangers at Pinwheel Forest has Arthur staring daggers at me, despite how necessary it was.”

Said Great Ball shook, and she felt a nudge of… some type of offense from Arthur. She wasn’t sure if it was her feeling like a lie was necessary, or from her describing him as a morality rope, or something else.

“...You'll... need to explain that to me later, so we’re on the same page.” William said slowly, a twinge nervous. Lena realized she hadn’t filled William in about it…

She’ll need to do that as soon as possible. Especially since she just sent the report to the League, Interpol, Ranger Union, and Clare about the events of Pinwheel Forest, and the current cover story… 

“I will, sorry, It’s been hectic, and it was a spur of a moment thing… give me a moment to reorganize my thoughts and remember where we were…” Lena explained, recentering her scattered mind. As she ran through the conversation overall, like a lingering Stealth Rock on the field, she remembered the one thing about Pinwheel Forest they hadn't talked about.

William knew where Virizion was, and he thought it was common knowledge. 

“Okay… back to you're original concern for yourself, I can help you with adjusting to battling, maybe let you use Rina while I use Arthur if it’ll make you feel better… but that aside… we still need to talk about how you knew Lady Virizion’s domain was Pinwheel Forest.” Lena said, trying to keep her tone even, but not aggressive as to not make William freeze up. 

William’s face shifted despite her attempt, becoming even across his face, masking his emotions. Lena could still catch the shift to anxiety for a split second, which Charon’s Poké Ball twitching practically solidified it, but he didn’t burst out… 

“Charon told me about her… I’m not going to just talk to every Trainer or passerby about where she was, so you don’t have to worry about me spilling whatever confidential information Legendary Pokémon are to the League, Interpol, or Ranger Union.” William said evenly, his eyes meeting Lena’s as he spoke. 

She drummed her fingers against the side of the window and processed his statement… trying to find the best way to navigate this in her head first. Legendary Pokémon… some Regions considered them sacred, towering over normal Pokémon in a way that wasn’t just from raw might. Some said they were the pure personification of Type energy, or of the world itself.

And in recent history, that didn’t seem too far from the truth. 

“You know why I would be worried though, right…?” She asked carefully, but William said nothing, which prompted her to continue. “My parents, when they were younger… There were always stories of mythical Legendaries, and maybe someone who’s claimed to have seen even the lake spirits or maybe even an Articuno during some migration season, but the sightings of Legendaries thought to be just myth were rare. Now though, in the last decade…”

“Their sightings have increased… along with some evil team of the week, around the same time.” William finished with an uneven tone, Lena nodding but pressing on.

“And on top of that, guess what’s usually been associated with most of their confirmed sightings…? As much as Jake was a… professional pain going about it, he brought up a good point about why it was Interpol’s concern…”

William looked deeply uncomfortable… and… angry? The second emotion Lena didn’t expect, but he spoke with a tone equal to it. “A literal kid who hasn’t become Champion yet gets involved with catching or encountering a Legendary Pokémon, or fighting off some team, because apparently the police couldn’t with their own thumbs up their asses.”

The sheer volatility in his tone surprised Lena, but… she couldn’t help but agree.

Teams like Aqua and Magma put them center stage, Galactic targeting Sinnoh’s lakes, and now Plasma…

Even places without a Pokémon League weren’t safe from a technically greenhorn Ranger, or young Trainer from stepping in, like Almia with Altru Inc, or even Orre with the S.S. Libra abduction…

‘The Almia Times never said how they got that clear photo of Kellyn catching Darkrai...’ Lena mentally scowled at the thought, but held her own expression steady…. 

All of this basically culminated in the various Pokémon Leagues and areas where the Ranger Union worked with them trying to find a balance of not informing the public of known habitats and the rest spots of such Pokémon with them becoming more common. 

Sure, not every Legendary Pokémon had the same level of secrecy. The legendary bird Pokémon among the ones frequently spotted across the world, Kanto and Oblivia being the most frequent hotspots for them. And an excavation project might accidentally stumble across a legendary giant domain now and then to where there was even League mandated insurance to cover the cost of the event. Even in Unova, in recent memory, it wasn’t uncommon to hear about the Forces of Nature causing a mess, or even of the Swords of Justice assisting Pokémon and humans in need… 

However, their ‘home’, their resting location, was always something unknown to the public, and kept under tight surveillance online, both for the Legendaries' privacy out of respect… 

And for the safety of not only Trainers, but Regions as whole with the rise of Teams like Plasma or Galactic.  

“So you can see why I would be worried, right? I mean… Interpol already sees that you are checking some of those boxes, which is one of the reasons why they wanted to 'control' the situation…” Lena started, making William frown and grimace. 

He now drummed his own fingers on the side, a thoughtful expression on him as he was clearly calculating what to say. His face then shifted to a bit more of a hesitant expression… “I know you’re gonna… have to tell the League and Interpol that I know of Virizion at least in your report, but… what are the actual ramifications of that?”

Despite William not answering the question fully, a different train of thought entered her mind at his question. “Before I answer that… I’ve been noticing that you haven’t lumped the Ranger Union in with them as well… not that I’m complaining.” Lene tried to joke to bring a bit of levity, but only got a slight twitch of a smile from William that returned just as quickly to a nervous expression.

“I mean, you’re doing your best and you’re nice. And Erma brought in that doctor to help me…” He shot a smile in Lena's direction, before he turned away and seemed to glare at the wall. “The League though? I… the Unova Pokémon League at least, seems like an even more bureaucratic mess than back home, which is saying a lot. And they did seem to leave Iris out to dry from when I briefly met her. Maybe that was just Alder, though.”

Lena couldn’t disagree with that, her thoughts briefly turning to poor Iris that Alder left a mess for… along with things like the League overall refusing to consider the idea of Pokémon citizenship like in Regions where the Ranger Union is the de facto power…

Before she could go on that mental tangent, she turned back to William to refocus the conversation. “And Interpol?”

“Jake is a fucking twat.” 

The sheer bluntness of the statement was enough to push a snort through Lena's nose, almost making her cough while collecting herself. “Y-You know, I should tell Ms. Clare how much you’re swearing.” 

William shrugged and a slight smirk formed on his face. “Her words, not mine. Granted, she didn’t expect me to overhear…”

“Just don’t do it on camera, please. Gym Battles have audio recorded.”

“...No promises.”

Lena shook her head, her chest rising and falling with a light laughter she kept contained… but her gaze turned more appraising at William. “That isn’t the only reason, is it?”

William looked at her, his expression at first glance confused, but Lena could tell how carefully measured it was. “I mean… I don’t buy for a second that Interpol isn’t also on your… pardon my French, but Bouffalantshit-list as well…”

“French?”

“O-Oh, uh, Kalosian. Sorry, it’s called France where I’m from.”

‘Huh… interesting tidbit, but… not the time.’ Lena quickly filled that away, but nodded. “Fair enough, but I technically work in government and have had their policies go completely counter against some of the Ranger Union’s goals and impede our work…” 

Her voice rose a level, and she couldn’t help but force a deep breath through her before she could continue down that rabbit hole any further. That would take more than the entire rest of the train ride. “...Regardless, I can understand a Ranger having a dislike for them, but… what about you?”

William fell silent for a moment… looking to the side as he gathered his words. “First off, they let Zinzolin escape. One of the head members of Team Plasma… and this is on top of Ghetsis already having evaded arrest for the past two years.”

Lena grimaced, the implications not lost on her on what William was saying… “That… is true… but they’re on national wanted lists, the second they’re spotted in public, every law enforcement officer, Ranger, League affiliated Trainers like Ace Trainers to the Elite Four in the area will be alerted and converge on them immediately… do they really concern you that much?”

William’s face shifted, his expression some mix of concern, anger, and… fear. “It’s…not just because I’m worried about lingering Team Plasma remnants, it’s some of the International Police’s decisions that I… disagree with, and… scare me.”

His voice trailed off, becoming unnaturally quiet while he looked out the window, seeing nothing but the darkness of the tunnels… Lena could feel there was more to that conversation. A lot more.

It was clear though that he would not speak any further on that for now, that much was clear… and it was now that Lena could barely tell how one of his hands slipped down to his belt, gently rubbing one of his Poké Balls in one of his anxious ticks.

‘I could… press, but…’ Lena took a deep breath and just nodded, accepting his ‘answer,’ for now. ‘I don’t want to push him today… he got out of the hospital, and I know that I’m already poking sensitive information that makes him scared enough as is… ’

Something nagged at her though, she knew she was forgetting to ask something… but her thoughts were scattered around so much she couldn’t remember where they were last in their conversation. “Uh… shoot, where were we before this…?”

William froze too, looking to the side… reloading his own memory. “I… it was about knowing about Virizion, and the ramifications of me knowing concerning the League and Interpol…?”

“Ah, right…” Lena thought for a moment, her mind going back to the day of the Route 10 and Victory Road collapse… working through the unpleasant memories to remember the procedure. “Certain Legendary Pokémon are known about, but the League does not publicize their locations, if they know about them at all. Unova is actually an outlier because it has the Swords of Justice interact with humans so often…”

William hummed at that info, digesting it as Lena continued. “Trainers who encounter them have a note on their private file by the League, just in case something comes up. The reason I was so surprised about you knowing about the exact location was because only experienced Rangers and Gym Leaders have that information when it’s relevant, and with it being spot on, that also surprised me. Even Ace Trainers rarely get that info… I’ve been in Unova for a while and… I’ve…”

Trailing off, Lena debated for a moment, looking at William who looked at her with a pointed… and concerned expression. ‘Screw it, might as well…’

“I’ve… seen Terrakion, in person.” The revelation caused William’s eyebrows to shoot up, while also making Rina and Arthur’s Poké Balls shake, but she ignored them, even as Arthur’s Aura gently reached out to her, and as much as she instinctively wanted to reach out to it, she clamped herself down to focus on William’s reaction.

It was obvious there were a lot of questions he wanted to ask. She could see it in his eyes. The how, the why, and the what… but he hummed and just nodded, leaving it be. “So, at most, they’ll just be a note on my file letting them know I knew of her normal home?”

She felt surprised that he wasn’t pressing more, but Lena also felt grateful that he could tell she was… uncomfortable about it. “Ah, yes, that’s about it… Interpol might … no, they will scrutinize it more, but… I specified in my… quick update about the situation that Charon told you… though, not sure how the Unova League will like that. Or maybe the other way around, either might press for me for more…”

“...And I could repeatedly just use the excuse that Charon told me,” William said, making Lena raise an eyebrow, but tilt her head, as if to concede the point. 

“I mean… that’s true, but they might wonder, you know?”

“They can wonder all they want, but that story is true. Charon has met Virizion before. A couple times, if I’m not mistaken.”

“When did they meet?”

William pursed his lip and Lena briefly saw Charon’s ball twitch. “You’d have to ask Charon for the full story, but they first met shortly after Charon arrived in Unova. After that, it was usually whenever she needed help in the area. He hasn’t seen her for years now, though…” 

Lena cursed in her mind. “Well... that makes things more difficult. A one-off meeting is one thing... like with me... but it’s repeated contact that starts raising flags.”

William shrugged. “Charon’s been alive longer than them. He probably has some sort of diplomatic immunity against their bureaucracy.”

Lena couldn’t help but catch a laugh leaving her throat. “I-I don’t think… that’s how that works.”

“Wasn’t there a Wyrdeer at some point that was some sort of political representative?”

Now that got Lena’s attention, her eyebrows raising in shock at him knowing such a foreign tidbit. “Actually, yeah. Barely over a… century ago? Right at the end of the Hisui era, I think… I need to review my Sinnoh history anyway… How did you know that? I thought history was your worst subject?”

William’s eyes glanced down at his belt for a second before snapping back up. “Charon was curious about how Hisui ended up after he left, so I did some research for him. That was one topic that came up.”

‘That lines up with him being a veteran of the Zdarovan Retaliation… he would have left before then… ’ Lena mused while glancing similarly at the Poké Ball on William’s belt… but shook her head before she could get derailed again. “You’re right, actually… speaking of, the remnants of the Diamond and Pearl Clans were one group who wanted to take Charon after they found out.”

At this, William’s face got complex, and Charon’s Poké Ball twitched again. “That’s… interesting… I wonder if —”

“This is the Accumula-bound Red Line. The next stop is 11 St. John Madden Square in Accumula City, estimated arrival time - five minutes.”

The sudden announcement of their destination made both William and Lena perk up, freezing as they glanced out the window…

“…Did we somehow miss Virbank and Floccesy Town?” William asked, a confused expression on his face, but Lena quickly shook her head.

“No, Floccesy Town actually doesn’t have a stop… I… guess we just missed Virbank in our discussion?”

William frowned, but nodded… thoughtful before he spoke again. “So… when we stop, do we get rooms setup at the Pokémon Center, and then go onto Route 19 to train…?”

The sudden change of topic made Lena pause again, the plan seemed sound… but…

Her eyes traveled to his shoulder for a brief second, and then back to William's face. “Hold on, how are you feeling? Did they give you a dose of the medicine before we left?”

William shook his head and tried to wave her concern aside. Noticeably, he did this with his right arm. “I’m feeling fine… probably will crash tomorrow, but… might as well keep going while whatever they gave me in the hospital is still in my system.”

Counter to his words, the bags under his eyes she saw before they got on the subway were still there, along with the exhaustion of just leaving the hospital after being poisoned to near-death.  

This is a pattern she had realized before when William pushed himself to run to Striaton City days ago, and then repeating today when he wanted to get on the subway. 

And she wasn’t gonna let it go on. “Sorry, but… no.” And before William could protest, she used the best stern look she had seen Rina use on younger Pokémon. Surprisingly, it seemed to have an effect as he hesitated, giving her enough time to speak. “Don’t lie. I can see your exhaustion. You have literal bags under your eyes, and you just left the hospital. You’re taking at least the weekend to rest in the Pokémon Center. You have no reason to keep pushing yourself this much, and you can rest.”

‘Why do you feel the need to push yourself so much?’ Went unsaid, but Lena mentally filled it away. It was a question she would need to ask later. 

William attempted to start a rebuttal, but he shifted his left arm and shoulder, causing it to grind against the seat, making him wince and grit his teeth. The noise caused his belt to rattle with his Poké Balls, making him turn to them. No one burst out, but he must have gotten the message as he slumped forward in his seat and just nodded with a sigh. “...Alright.”

Lena continued to hold her stare at him for another minute, before finally nodding. Her hand instinctively ran over her own Poké Balls on her hip… 

Yeah… they’ll get stronger… better… they’ll make sure he’s safe this time. He doesn’t need to push himself until he burns out.

She’ll do her job right this time.

She had to.

Chapter Text

Interlude - Lena’s Pinwheel Forest Report

From: [email protected] Sent: 01:23 AM

To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];

Subject: Update - Hisuian Typhlosion/William Case 

Hello,

This is not a formal update report as promised, and I still plan to provide such an update soon. However, transparency urged me to create an after-action report for recent events that lead to William needing to be treated for Beedrill toxins at Castelia City children’s hospital as a result of the recent Mission in Pinwheel Forest.

He is being released tomorrow after overnight monitoring and is healthy (with only a sore arm for a couple days), but the abnormal circumstances still prompted me to create this document.

I’ve attached it to this email for all to review, and to ensure that everyone is brought to the same level of understanding about the situation. If any party has any further questions or concerns, please let me know.

I will write my first formal report on the completion of the first Gym battle, this one is specifically to focus on the facts of the situation.

Best Wishes,

Lena Winifred - Top Ranger, Ranger Union

Fine Styler Contact Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Email: [email protected] 

Attached: LWinifred_PWF33225AAR.pdf

Response: To William becoming poisoned as a result of a Beedrill during the recent Pinwheel Forest volunteer Mission for Trainers.

Mission ID: PWF_33225

Type of Event: Civilian Injury and Response

Scope: Lena Winifred’s Actions

…

Action 1: I wanted to assist with the ongoing crisis once I saw the notification, and moved as quickly as possible to get over there and did not verify the capacity of the Pokémon Center rooms. I was also unaware that the entire forest had been evacuated at the time.

Result: Due to the hectic nature, I did not brief William on Ranger procedures, leading him to be unaware of what certain phrases or instructions that are commonly used by Ranger’s to Trainers.

…

Action 3: I got distracted in my own thoughts when he revealed that he knew the location of Lady Virizion’s home domain while Charon guided us to the Venipede nest. Most likely due to a combination of factions tied to stress and lack of sleep as it was past midnight at this point, and during a time of circadian low.

Result: I did not notice how far we were off the main area, and did not notice the first Beedrill. I didn’t review the procedures we may need to take in this event.

…

A full two minutes passed with no one at the table saying a word. Both Professor Hastings and Principle Lamont knew Erma would not interrupt their usual gathering with anything that was truly needless. 

There was always political hoopla Erma would have to deal with, the organization of Rangers between multiple Regions, negotiations between governments and groups, managing supply-lines for Rangers doing Missions or Quests in areas with not a lot of infrastructure... the list could go on.

Despite this, come Groudon’s Desolate Land or Kyogre’s Primordial Sea, Erma always made time for her childhood friends, and who she considered the other parts of the Ranger Union Triad.

She created the Ranger Union, crafted the backbone and political force to protect nature and Pokémon, and keep the balance as a promise to the world.

Professor Hastings created the Capture Styler itself. If Pokémon Trainers were to Poké Balls, Rangers were to Capture Stylers. He crafted the way to make pure emotion essence transferable in a non-permanent or mind-altering way similar to the Poké Balls. Without the Capture Styler, the Rangers of today would not have been able to do a tenth of what they could do now.

And Principal Lamont created the Ranger School and prepared for the future of the Ranger Union. Creating the building blocks to teach students about Pokémon and how to preserve nature, sparking the young minds the way a principal should. Letting any student come to him for questions, advice… yet not holding back on when a student makes a mistake. Truthful in his words and never cowardly, but never cruel . Only wanting the best for every student that walks through his door.

It also helped that all of them could iron out issues at all levels of the organization with these consistent meetings, friends with a common goal. So when Erma’s partner Gardevoir appeared suddenly with a tablet in his hand and had a split second conversation with her that made her grab it in an instant, the other two knew to keep silent until Erma was done. 

Erma’s face was impassive as she finally turned the tablet around so that the two across the table could see it. “I need your thoughts. This is about the Pinwheel Forest Mission that happened in Unova this week.”

The two reviewed the email. Hastings, true to his name, read through it the fastest and responded the quickest. “In terms of a report for internal use only, it’s professional, leaves little room for objections, and has planned resolutions which follow normal protocol…”

Erma said nothing as Professor Hastings narrowed his eyes, knowing he was going to continue. “However, this feels almost… too focused. Sanitized. Even with the mention of Virizion, that would be enough to make any Ranger rattled and add more information.”

“The contents itself?” Erma specifically pressed, making him hum and rub his beard once again. 

“Given the… nature of her Mission that you’ve shared with us, and from what you’ve told me in a rush to make her Fine Styler, discretion is key.” His finger tapped the cane leaning on his chair as his mind ran through the information once again. “The International Police have their own agenda. The information is strictly factual about what happened with the Mission, and as such, only the facts should be here, nothing speculative. The facts are here, but even then, it felt like it glossed over Virizion…other reports usually go into more detail about even the slightest mention of a Legendary encounter, but for her true Mission, a footnote is preferred.”

Nodding at Hasting’s assessment, Erma’s face was tight. “Indeed, I completely agree. No need to give them more information than absolutely necessary, but… it feels sanitized of messy details, almost as if…”

“... It’s trying to focus on Lena’s mistakes and the facts. Nothing else. Put the spotlight and blame on her.” Lamont said with a concerned tone, before pausing and scrolling back up to the original email. “... she sent this past one o'clock in the morning, Unova time. Meaning she wrote this all in one sitting, most definitely.”

Erma nodded and took another sip. “And this report is almost identical in structure to past reports that Ranger Lena had done after the collapse of Victory Road.”

The frown that Lamont had stayed as he turned to Erma. “You think she’s falling back into previous habits?” 

“Time will only tell. I suspect it, at the very least. Twice is coincidence, but we have yet to see if thrice will be a pattern.” Erma stated, waving her hand lightly for Lamont to hand over the tablet. She grasped it in her hand as he did and leaned back. Silence fell over the group for a moment as all three of them thought, with Hastings frowning slightly. 

“A ‘Habitat Mode’… I’ll need to reach out to Professor Juniper about that, see if I can get that working with Stylers as well.” 

“Of course that’s the first thing you think about… you can do that later, but now, we have other things to worry about,” Erma said with a chiding tone, making Hastings look bashful but nod.

Another silence fell over for a minute, with Lamont glancing over at Erma. “I believe you already have an idea? Judging by your expression?”

“I do, I have someone in mind to speak to Lena, but I will need to confirm if he will be willing to do so on short notice. He had a similar experience, yes, but I do not want to press either on this sore spot if this is a one off instance of a Report, or Lena going through the same experience mentally.” Erma stated with finality, making Hastings and Lamont nod in agreement as she started to compose a new message…

From: [email protected] Sent: 02:32 PM

To: [email protected]

Subject: Informal Request 

Hello Ben,

Would you be able to call me about a matter concerning a Ranger in Unova when you are available? This isn’t an official Quest or even an informal request, but I would like to know if you’d be able to assist with a matter that’s better spoken about over the phone.

Thank you,

Chairperson Erma - Ranger Union

Contact Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

…

• At the fall of their queen, the other Beedrill started to retreat and scatter in a panicked, unorganized fashion allowing us to take stock of the situation.

• • It was then that it came to light that William was grazed by a single Poison Sting, and started to have a violent reaction to being poisoned.

• • He took Pecha berries, but they had no effect. 

• • I started treatment immediately on seeing the poison spread and attempted to administer an Antidote. It had no effect.

• • I called for an immediate air evacuation to Castelia’s Children's Hospital on the open channel. I did not verify what channel I was on beforehand.

• I attempted to keep him stabilized until medical personnel arrived. 

• • I was unable to answer some of the specific questions that they had when they did arrive from memory, but I had his medical documents and was able to answer them eventually.

• William then underwent medical treatment for two days at Castelia’s Children's Hospital, he is expected to be released this morning with no complications after a night of monitoring.

…

Action 4: I did not call for backup during the main conflict with the Beedrill due to the frantic nature of the event.

Result: I stretched myself too thin, attempting to complete the Mission while trying to ensure William’s safety on my own.

Action 5: I did not ensure that William was unharmed immediately after being attacked by the queen Beedrill. The oversight was most likely caused by a combination of factors identical to Action 3, on top of a drop in adrenaline with the crisis supposedly being over.

Result: It took longer for me to realize that the traditional methods of healing poison would not work on William, and for me to realize he was poisoned at all.

Action 6: I did not review the medical documents provided to me by Ms. Clare concerning William’s health before this event. I had planned to review them that night in Striaton City’s Pokémon Center, but due to the nature of the sudden Mission, I could not.

Result: I could not give adequate responses to medical personnel once they arrived, hampering their response in assisting William as I attempted to read his medical information for the first time.

From: William (Journey)

Don’t worry, Ms. Clare. I’m fine, just got grazed by a Poison Sting and staying another night to make sure there were no complications. Please don’t give Lena a hard time. She’s already tearing herself apart from it.

Clare’s finger hovered over the call button for William. She had been expecting a response from Lena after she received that message from William on her Xtransceiver, but she didn’t expect something like… this .

‘Twins, it hasn’t even been a full week since you’ve left… you’re going to force me to retire early William, and probably force Jiro to wear sound-canceling headphones so he doesn’t panic when my heart stops every week with what you do.’

It probably helped that William consistently responded to her when she did message him, so she knew he was at least okay… but it was everything else that concerned her.

‘ Is he getting enough rest? Is he healed or downplaying concerns others have for himself as he usually did here? ’

‘ What will the League say about Virizion? ’

‘ What bouffalantshit is Interpol going to do from this? ’

‘ Is Ranger Lena enough to keep him safe? ’

Clare felt surprised at the sudden spike of rage at herself towards the passing comment about Ranger Lena. Forcing her to take a deep breath and sip of her coffee that morning. Jiro was a Legendary himself in Clare’s book for brewing it every morning.

Ranger Lena… Clare’s experience with her has been nothing but professional and kind, and having a Lucario is no small feat either. It’s why she was so open to Lena being the one to travel with William on his Journey, combined with Chairperson Erma’s praise.

Oh, it didn’t fly over Clare how Erma had clearly promoted her then and there from Lena’s surprised reaction. However, on the way back to Accumula Town, she had asked William about his feelings on traveling with Lena, and his response was… telling.

“I’d rather travel with a Ranger than anyone from the League or Interpol.”

It may have been blunt, but it grew clear to Clare that William had some apprehension about both groups. He was more perspective than he should be, and with Charon’s reaction to Jake…

Either way, it didn’t matter. That William told Clare not to give Lena a hard time actually… brought some relief to her, actually. 

Out of all the children here, Clare didn't miss how he would keep to himself mostly, something documented by the previous case workers here as well. He never connected with anyone, and it actually eased some of her worries in a strange way that William felt comfortable enough around Lena to speak up in her defence.

Back in Accumula, Clare couldn’t think of any kid William would be close enough to do the same with… he would much rather keep to himself with whatever homework he had, or go on the computer… or sneak out to out of bounds of Route 2.

Though, it was nice to not have to worry about trying to fix the darn thing after some naïve kid would try to download a ‘free, battle-ready Porygon’ from some website, and instead brick the entire computer.

Although she did find a new Administrator account with all of the daily time limits and firewalls overridden... 

Dispelling the thought, she glanced back at her Xtransceiver, still showing the contact information for William, staring back right back at her. She could still call him, she’s already been messaging him over the last day once he sent that message.

…Or she could trust him and Ranger Lena, and give him time to breathe and… at least pretend he’s free.

She put the device to sleep. It would be better for William’s own mental health that it didn’t feel like there were more eyes on him than there already were… She would check in on him before his Gym Battle though, make sure that he still has another adult in his corner…

Action 2: We traveled by subway as due to the nature of my primary Missions, I am supposed to be acting as a Trainer. Trainers cannot use Fly for transportation of a second person unless it is an emergency. To maintain William’s desired anonymity until the first Gym, I choose to go by subway to keep appearances. 

Result: We got there later, and by then, all rooms in the Pokémon Center, and nearby hotels were taken up. As William is a child, I did not feel comfortable leaving him alone, even to camp out near Route 3 where numerous Trainers would be, and made the decision to bring him along despite my own reservations. Due to the workload of other League and Ranger affiliated staff, I did not feel right to ask them for help keeping an eye on him and kept the responsibility to myself.

“What do you mean you told the Rangers to work on their own?! You have no authorization to even make that decision!” Shauntal’s voice echoed in the room towards the screen, which showed what Iris could only describe as a wrinkly prune of an old-fart that looked too smug for his position. His name was Something-Lehman, sounding as pompous as his tone.

“As the elected official of Castelia City District 1, I concluded that—”

“That doesn’t give you any legal power to—”

“—It would be disastrous for the League to allocate resources to something that the Rangers have to clean up themselves legally. As such, and as I’ve had free time, I’ve been helping the front desk League Staff handle certain requests. They’re all interns, you see, so they need a good guiding hand.”

“This is clear obstruction—!” Shauntal attempted to start, only to be cut off again.

“Elite Shauntal, I’m simply… assisting. The manager of that department left suddenly, and one of the poor current interns who just joined looked overwhelmed as I was passing by, so I offered to help. That is perfectly normal in any organization for people above to step in when current heads cannot run their area effectively.”

The way his lip curled into a grin made Iris’s blood boil. She couldn’t help but scowl and stand up from her seat to glare down at the screen. “The Unova Pokémon League is not some company you can run into the ground! You have no authority over any of the League Staff, no matter who you are! You let this go on for how long?! This may have been able to be resolved weeks ago in a less disastrous manner, and yet you use power you do not own to what?! For what purpose?!”

“Well, young Champion, someone has to look out for the Region’s interests. Especially when we’re still recovering from not only an attack, but the sudden loss of our longest standing Champion. It makes sense there would be some confusion that needs to be addressed on the priorities of what the League should and should not do.” He patronizingly said, red forming around the corner of Iris’s eyes and something giving under her with a crack.

The sudden flinch of fear from the man’s face was satisfying, but Shauntal cut in, her voice barely holding back her rage beneath a chilling tone. “Mr. Lehman, consider yourself under formal investigation. The Elite Four will vote for your removal before the end of the day. I hope you have your affairs in order.” 

With those final words, Shauntal pressed a button on the laptop and ended the call. The sudden heightened emotions of the air swept away into pure exhaustion. Iris turned to Shauntal with an expression of confusion and lingering anger. “That’s all we can do? Under investigation?”

“As much as it pains me to say it, yes.” The Ghost Type specialist started, her pen already in her hand as she grabbed a notepad that was to the right of the laptop with a seemingly endless amount of items furiously scribbled onto it. Shauntal wrote 'Mr. Lehman' aggressively and underlined it before speaking once again. “If the Unova League feels that an elected official has done something egregious , like Mr. Lehman has, with a full vote of the Elite Four, we can petition to remove them from office. But… to charge him? That’ll need to go through the courts.”

“He admitted to undermining the League authority for his own agenda!”

“And he will get punished for it. Caitlin will make sure of it…” Shauntal’s ironclad voice trailed off, exhaustion returning to her once again. “...After she’s done with Interpol concerning Zinzolin escaping custody… which reminds me, Marshal will need to talk to the League interns to ensure the chain of command is properly understood in the event someone leaves suddenly…”

The movement of her pen looked like it was physically draining Shauntal as she added it to the list… another thing for the already stretched Elite Four to do. Iris felt a pit in her stomach, and she couldn't help but let a frustrated growl leave her throat as she slipped back into her own chair. Her arm rested against it awkwardly, and she turned and realized that she had actually broken the wooden arm of it by just pressing against it in frustration before.

It was a painful reminder that she was strong, but not in a way that mattered right now.

She may have been the strongest Trainer in Unova who stood up after Alder stepped down, winning against every Gym Leader after she made her petition to become the Champion with no formal successor. Afterwards, she even battled every member of the Elite Four, and then Alder himself.

The battle against him was especially political theater, but every previous battle showed her strength. She got support from everyone in the League, Trainers inside and outside Unova, and became Champion. Publicly, it was believed and said that Alder would mentor Iris into her position, but even then, she knew that wouldn't be the case. 

She hadn’t seen him in months at this rate. 

And now, the Elite Four as a whole was fighting to keep things afloat, while working with an elected government that was wholly reactionary to the events almost two years ago.

Shauntal was doing her best along with Drayden when he could get away from his duties in Opelucid City, to help further mentor Iris into the political side of Champion. Even then, Iris knew that Shauntal also handled a lot of the backend administration duties that a Champion in other Regions would do under normal circumstances.  

And now she’ll need to get the process underway to remove Mr. Lehman, another thing on her already full plate.

Marshal had been still working tirelessly to review all procedures that Alder had overlooked and left to rot, which is what led to the chaotic response when the castle rose out of the ground… and then the landslides and collapses afterwards. He was training other League personnel and staff on proper response procedures to prevent that panic from ever happening again… 

And now he’ll need to go to every department and ensure that the chain of command isn’t misunderstood. Iris couldn’t fault the poor interns for being abandoned by a supposed mentor… but she still felt frustrated no one thought to reach out to anyone in the Elite Four, or her. She walked past them every day for Twin's sake to make sure everything was alright! 

Caitlin was working with law-enforcement with her Gothitelle since Zinzolin escaped custody… and now she would need to investigate Mr. Lehman for obstruction of League operations on top of that. 

A trained Beedrill got released in Pinwheel Forest now too, falling into the League’s lap, meaning an investigation would be needed to determine the when, why, and how this happened.

Grimsley also managed the League’s finances surprisingly well. At least, Iris thought he was. He kept muttering “at least we’re not betting on black, or in the red” , so that had to mean something… right?

On top of their attempts to put out fires in every corner of Unova, Iris felt dread rising at the thought of this reaching Chairperson Erma’s ear as well, if it hadn't already. A shiver escaped Iris as every fiber of her being curled at the thought of being the ire of her anger. Chairperson Erma was nothing but kind to her in their…limited emails back and forth when she became Champion, but Iris’s Aura couldn’t help but always itch at her skin when interacting with her. 

Despite this… Iris knew Erma was very politically savvy, just before how she carefully navigated that meeting before with finesse that made her jealous…

Iris groaned again, turning to the laptop where the subject line of the email Top Ranger Lena sent was barely visible, along with her information on what happened in Pinwheel Forest. That’s what started Iris and Shauntal down a rabbit hole which led to their ‘conversation’ with Mr. Lehman. 

The Rangers being told they couldn’t ask any League officials for help, when Burgh, a Bug expert was literally across the bridge in Castelia City felt almost like a special case of purposeful incompetence. 

Caitlin may have control over her explosive temper, but Iris felt no shame in saying that Mr. Lehman would beg for a deal just to avoid her after the first day, most likely.

And now, someone got hurt because of this incompetence. Not just someone, but a kid, a kid with a thought to be an extinct Starter, and a kid who already showed some… distaste for getting Gym Badges or being close to the League. 

Or maybe he could just see how much of a mess they were.

“Shauntal…?” Iris started quietly, making Shauntal stop what she was writing for a moment.

“...Yes?”

“What do we do about William and Lena?”

Sighing, Shauntal leaned back in her chair. “Are you asking between friends? Or as someone acting as a Champion.”

“I’m asking as Iris, the thirteen year old Champion, wanting to help a seven year old kid.” Iris replied, her tone steely as it was heavy.

Hearing this, Shauntal twirled her pen in her hand, thinking before she responded. Silence reigned over the room as she clearly thought through Iris’s statement. “Well… we will need to put a note on William’s Trainer file that Charon informed him of Lady Virizion’s domain… Other than that, until Ranger Lena provides her former first update, the choice of the Pokémon League is to hold off from further action regarding William and Charon,”

Iris blinked, before narrowing her eyes. “That’s… it?”

“We don’t have enough information to act at the League, and the situation is delicate enough as is… Ranger Lena came up with a cover story to keep things quiet for William if people around them in Unova ask questions. But if Johto or Sinnoh hear that a Trainer got hurt because of a screw-up by the Unova League being unable to manage its own judiciary, causing a trained Pokémon to slip under the radar and cause an infestation?” Shauntal said as her tone rose with every syllable, reaching a fever pitch before she took a deep breath and set her pen down and locked her fingers together. Iris took this moment to cross her arms and glare back.

“You know that’s not what I meant, Shauntal.”

“The League needs to focus on what’s in our power to do, as painful as it is to say. I’ve already messaged the others to come together to remove Mr. Lehman in a vote. Getting him removed that’s all you can do as a Champion for William and Lena.” Shauntal holding a hand up quickly was the only thing stopping Iris from outright objecting. “We can’t go in person as a Champion to help. You’d get spotted in an instant, giving William away, which ruins the entire point of Ranger Lena’s cover story… we can only do what we can to support it.”

Iris could feel her teeth grinding as she chewed on Shauntal’s words. Logically, she could understand where Shauntal was coming from, the upper echelons of the League were already stretched too thin to do much else than put out fires…

…but if she was going to be Champion, she would at least try her best to prevent fire. And see if she can do something as… an apology. 

“I’m going to give the Gym Leaders a heads up about William and Lena, and see if I can at least do something as an apology.” Iris stated, making Shauntal turn her head to her with a slight look of alarm.

“But that’ll —”

“Let them know that, yes, he is a special case. However, it’ll also prepare them to not make any mistakes to create more of an incident.Gym Leaders have given each other a heads up about a Trainer before, I was one myself. I know what they talk about between each other.”

Iris’s tone was unwavering, her eyes staring at Shauntal, almost daring her to counter.

Shauntal didn’t, her shoulders untensing in… relief , her expression almost seeming proud as she just nodded.

“Okay… we don’t have the full story from Lena, so if you can, ask her to send her the information to us, but give the Gym Leaders a heads up about this just in case they encounter any of them sooner.”

Iris couldn’t help but smile before turning around to get her own laptop. It may have been a bit, but that Gym Leader email list should still be active…

‘Good thing Shauntal was focused in on the first part as well…’ Iris couldn’t help but say to herself with a bit of a mental giggle as she pulled out her Xtransceiver, to message a friend…

From: Toxic Rocker (Poison Unova Gym)

Heeeey rox 

yeah

when is the band in town again

not till october, gym leader shit

think you could get the band together for a surprise nite?? ;)

why? make a wish or something?

almost

or you just miss me

one of the old farts did something, and a kid got hurt

oh shit i was joking

told rangers they werent able to ask the league for help with Pinwheel

its the leagues fault either way so wanna try and make it up

apparently I can’t do anything as ‘champion’

they said nothing about being a friend of a rockstar ;)

whos this kid again?

the one the typhlosion that I had to have that meeting about

william was his name and he has a ranger lady with him on journey since hes 7

imma send a email to the other leaders so everyones on the same page soon for the story

shit that kid got hurt?

ok ill see what i can do

maybe turn it into a gym encore or smt idk

♥️ ty 🤘

guessin you want vip tix too

duh

alright ill let the door staff know

you still owe cook an autograph yknow

Message read 2:38 PM

From: [email protected];  Sent: 02:48 PM

To: [email protected];

CC: [email protected];

BCC: [email protected];

Subject: Upcoming Trainer

Hello,

I know this is so sudden but I wanted to give everyone a heads up about a young Trainer who may be coming your way soon. His name is William, and he has a Top Ranger named Lena following him due to his age being even younger than I was. He does have a Hisuian Typhlosion, and there is a cover story that Top Ranger Lena is going to give the League. I'll send everyone that information once I get the full details.

If anyone encounters him before however, please treat him as you would any other challenger. He’s not even 10, he doesn’t deserve to have all eyes on him from inside, and outside Unova. (More than there already are anyways).

If you have any questions just let us know! 

Best Wishes,

Champion Iris  - Unova Pokémon League

Xtransceiver Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

…

What will be done:

I will be reviewing Ranger procedures with William, to ensure communication between the two of us is unhampered. I failed to clarify what may need to be done.

I will ensure I will not overload myself to the point of task saturation and let myself make mistakes slip through the cracks. This includes, but is not limited too: becoming distracted, overworking myself in moments of circadian low and high stress.

I will make sure that I review every aspect of William’s medical information, and maintain constant contact with the primary care doctor he has been assigned to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. On top of this, I will be training his Pokémon in medical care as well so that in the event I am incapacitated, William will still be able to get help.

I will also be training William’s, and my own Pokémon further as to ensure we are all capable of defending ourselves against future threats.

…

From: [email protected]; Sent: 01:30 AM

To: [email protected];

Subject: Re: Update - Hisuian Typhlosion/William Case 

Hello,

Thank you for the information concerning this case, and the events in Pinwheel Forest. We will monitor this closely, and we do hope to see your formal update soon concerning this matter.

International Police

Contact Number: (xxxx)-xxxx-xxxx

Chapter Text

Chapter 15 - The Brief Respite

The second Lena’s back touched the couch, an overwhelming weight enveloped her along with a deep breath leaving her soon after. They had just arrived at the Aspertia Pokémon Center and she had got two rooms for the time being, and William said he was going to wash up after being in the hospital for two days. Lena had a moment to gather her bearings after that conversation on the subway, her head rolling back slightly and almost hitting the wall.  

As soon as she did however, the flash of Poké Balls opening signified judgement day was coming for her. She tilted her head forward and saw both Rina and Arthur looking at her with a mix of emotions. They both glanced at each other for a moment, clearly nervous about how to approach.

“I know what you're both gonna ask about, you don’t need to tip-toe around it,” Lena bluntly brought up with a sigh. 

At this, Arthur took the initiative. “Do you think telling William about Terrakion was the best course of action…? That moment is…”

“Float-Zeeel… Float-Floaalt, Floatzel.” (I’m… with Arthur on this one, Lena… that moment was… it wasn’t a good one…) Rina followed up as Lena closed her eyes and took a deep breath to center her thoughts.

“It doesn’t… matter. It was bound to come up somehow… it’s in the past, and we did everything we could.” Lena’s voice clearly hid how paper thin her emotions were truly feeling about it as she glanced at the Floatzel for a moment, but not at her eyes. 

“...Lena…” Arthur’s voice was gentle, but leading, Lena shook her head and opened her Fine Styler, she needed to see what the League or Interpol responded with to her—

“Lena, I know what you’re doing…” Arthur’s voice was gentler, but still pointed, making Lena frown at him for picking up on her own mental misdirection for herself, but decided to just hopefully put the issue to bed.

“It’s been more than a year. We did everything we could at Victory Road, even with a Legendary coming in, there was nothing we could do. We just… gotta move forward, keep getting better so it doesn’t happen again.” Lena refuted, trying to go at it from a different angle. 

Arthur shook his head. “Lena. Don’t think we missed how you reacted when the Antidote wasn’t working…”

Lena involuntarily flinched, words started coming out faster than she could think them through. “I know, I just… I needed something to show William that he could trust us… me. He has secrets, and things he’s uncomfortable about… and so do we… but we need to show him we trust him so he can trust us, even if he doesn’t have the full picture. He knew not to ask about it, and…” 

Lena trailed off, the words falling off the tip of her tongue. Rina just sighed at this, shaking her head as she moved and gently wrapped Lena in a side hug. The Floatzel’s floater pressed against her partner as her paws gently wrapped around her back and front into a comforting squeeze.

“FloatZeeeel… Zel-Float Floatzel.” (That doesn’t mean that you need to bring up bad memories… you need to take care of yourself too Lena…) She comforted, making Lena slump slightly and lean into her partner’s grasp.

“I am, just… it’s been a hectic couple of days… I — No, we’ll be okay, I promise…” Lena trailed her words at the end. She wasn’t sure if she was convincing herself, or her Pokémon…

She stayed in the hug for a few more moments, glancing at Arthur, who stared right into her with the clear expression: ‘this conversation isn’t over, but I’ll drop it for now.’

She tried not to look away from Arthur as she pulled out of Rina’s hug, using the chance to shift her focus back at her Fine Styler. “Let me look to see if anyone responded…we’ll check in on William after to get lunch.”

She quickly navigated to her email and saw two new ones, one from Interpol, and one from Iris…

She didn’t expect Chairperson Erma to respond, and Clare would have called her directly knowing her. Tapping Iris’s email first, she read it over, her eyebrows raising higher with each passing line.

“Huh… Iris let the other Gym Leaders know that I’m going to be traveling with William… doesn’t mention the Ace Trainer part, but just that there is a cover story.” She said, making her partners look up in surprise at the information. Lena hummed and tapped the casing of her Fine Styler for a moment to think. A light snorting noise from Rina broke her barely formed thought as a smirk formed on the Water Type’s face. 

“FloatZel. Float-Lel-zel.” (You’re gonna need to come up with a better ‘cover story’ then, maybe talk with grandpa since you’re bad at lying according to a kid.) She teased, making Lena glare at her with indignation along with heat rising to her cheeks.  

Arthur shook his head. “It’s not a bad thing that Lena is bad at lying. It means she is so true to her words that doing anything but goes against her nature.”

“Yeah, I’m just trustworthy and honest — wait — you think I’m bad at lying too?!” Lena accused, making the Lucario cross his arms and look away. 

“I refuse to comment further. I wouldn’t want to tell a lie.” Arthur replied, Lena not missing at the smallest twitch of a smirk.

“Betrayal, from my trusted partners.” Lena groaned despite a smile on her face, shaking her head after a moment and refocusing on the screen. “Well, if both of you say I’m bad, I’ll speak to William at least to get the story straight between us both before sending a response to Iris to pass along… now, the next email…”

She navigated back before taping on it, and read through… her amusement from before blowing away as a frown formed on her face. “...That’s it? ‘We will monitor this closely, and we do hope to see your formal update soon’— that’s it?”

She shook her head and closed her Fine Styler with a bit of a huff. ‘No, I’m not gonna bother to give it more thought than needed. They’re just being spooks and probably trying to make me anxious.’

Before her partners could question further, she stood up and stretched for a moment, feeling her joints pop slightly with a satisfied sigh as she released it. “Forget it. Let’s get lunch. We need to make sure William isn’t trying to train in his own room with how determined he is to push himself…”

She grabbed her bag and slung it around her shoulder before heading for the door, Rina and Arthur behind her. William’s room was right next to her own thankfully, something she specifically requested just in case something happened with the medicine Dr. Yagokoro prescribed once he took it… a frown formed on Lena’s face as she remembered it.

‘Shoot, I still need to make sure it’s nothing… concerning, wouldn’t put it past that fae doc to put some mysterious powder in it.’

Dispelling the thought before she could go down that Buneary hole, she gently knocked on William’s door, waiting just in case he was changing.

Lens heard faint shuffling inside, followed by a series of footsteps that ended with Charon opening the door just barely. Before Lena could speak, he silently opened the door fully and revealed the sight of William passed out completely on the bed.

He wasn’t alone, with Viridi on his chest like at the hospital, vibrating and purring as her job of ‘Comfrey Bugg’ entailed. Ronin looked like a Teddiursa plush in William’s other arm, though not asleep as he turned slightly to the door. He didn’t move however, staying close to his Trainer as a watchful sentry. Lena could hear Rina making the Floatzel equivalent to a ‘d'awww‘ behind her at the sight.

Lena could see that William had at least washed and changed before jumping into bed with his hair wet and wearing a long-sleeve shirt instead of his hoodie. The slow rise and fall of his chest clearly showed he was one step down from being hit with Hypnosis before.

‘...Guess I was right to make sure you rested before we did any training.’ Lena mused, before realizing Charon was staring at her with a raised eyebrow, prompting her to speak in a whisper. “I’ll come back at dinner to make sure he gets food…”

Charon nodded and moved to close the door, but Lena put up a hand. “Hold on, wait…” She grinned and shifted her Fine Styler slightly as she moved to the photo application, zooming in on the scene with Viridi and Ronin looking at her with puzzled expressions. She ensured the flash and shutter was turned off before taking the photo, grinning slightly as she tilted and showed Charon.

The Typhlosion stared at the photo for a moment before rolling his eyes. Lena turned to walk away as Charon silently closed the door to let his ward rest in silence as well.

“Well… I guess we have some free time until dinner… we’ll just rest in the room just in case, I’m gonna go through and see what I can pull up about Ace Trainers to send to the League I suppose… and research the medicine that Dr. Yagokoro prescribed.” Lena said to her own partners.

“Floatzel-loatzeeel… Zel-loatzel?” (I wouldn’t put it past her to put something like X Attack in it… what’s the human equivalent of that?)

“Steroids, but that at least has medical applications. X Attack… egh.” Lena said with a wrinkling of her nose at the thought before returning to her room… she’ll focus on the medicine first. More pressing either way…

Making sure William wasn’t a Slakoth the entire day, Lena knocked on his door at dinner like she said. Silence followed, before a soft groaning noise sounded along with shuffling inside. It took another ten seconds, but eventually William opened the door, his hair completely messed up from going to sleep after he showered, and looking half-asleep still.

After she told him it was dinner time, he grunted and muttered something completely indiscernible before closing the door to… presumably get ready. It took about another three minutes for him to reappear, Lena turned from poking about her Styler’s menu idly at the sound of William’s door opening, wearing a fresh pair of clothes with his backpack half-slung around his right shoulder.

“Nnnope. Can’t put stress on your shoulders.” Lena said simply, carefully taking the bag into her own arm so she was carrying her own as well as William’s. William sighed, but gave in as he followed Lena down to the cafeteria and got their respective dinners. 

Lena had tried what was called a ‘Spicy Juicy Curry’ from Galar, while William got a helping of vegetable soup and water. Lena was about to tell him to get more food, but William made the argument that he hadn’t really eaten much at the hospital and didn’t want to upset it suddenly with something more extravagant. 

She narrowed her eyes at him and hummed, but dropped it for now. 

For now. She would teach him how to cook by the end of her Mission and expand his horizons no matter how many pots they had to get through. 

The medicine Dr. Yagokoro prescribed was just a pill to be taken while eating, a mixture of light steroids and painkillers. Lena couldn't pronounce half of the names in the mixture, but looking them up online seemed to show they were at least medically common. 

Either way, William swallowed it with no complaints before they dug it. Their Pokémon were around their table eating the provided Pokémon Center food, except for Charon who William said he would get food for later without a crowd.

A slight silence was over the table, but Lena could tell that William was still waking up. She waited until he was about halfway done through the rice until she finally spoke up. 

“So… I wanted to let you know what I told the League and the International Police in the update email I sent them,” Lena explained, raising her arm with the closed Fine Styler. “Just so we’re on the same page and… just for transparency.”

William froze just slightly while eating, but nodded, making a motion for her to continue while he listened. “First, I stated only the facts. I mentioned nothing concerning why the poison had such an impact on your body. The doctor hasn’t reached out about… the science-y stuff behind it, and I felt that it’s too speculative for a formal… report.”

The slight slump in William’s shoulder she saw was relief. His lack of Aura, and how he knew it was an issue but didn’t speak up sooner was something she had to ask directly about later. Even with how Charon glared at Arthur and her last time… she’ll need to go about it carefully, but soon. 

“On top of that, I did… mention that Charon told you about Virizion. Surprisingly, neither the League nor Interpol have… mentioned anything about that. The League, or at least Iris, actually is reaching out about the Gym Leaders to let them know about the cover story.”

“The Ace Trainer one? So… the Gym Leaders know about me now by name?”

“Yeah, and that… you have a Hisuian Typhlosion.” Lena winced at the end before she continued on. “I still need to get the specifics of the ‘cover’ to them in a documented form, which I’ll do before we go to a Gym. Thought this would be the best way to stop… any other sudden questions from them or awkward moments in battle.”

A hum left William as he lightly nodded, taking a sip of water before responding. “Got it… I… actually don’t know much about the Ace Trainer program. Is there anything I should know…?”

Lena felt herself thinking about William’s question, before she caught herself and shook her head. “Not now. We can talk about that later. What you need,” she emphasized while lifting her spoon slightly and pointing it at William. “Is to rest this weekend, no training, no talking about things that require school level focus. You’re a kid who just got out of the hospital. You need to rest."

A silence fell over the two, only broken up by the surrounding sounds at other tables and their Pokémon eating next to them. William didn’t have a rebuttal towards her statement, judging by his expression, but it was clear he still felt… discontent. Silence fell over them again except for the noise of those eating at other tables and their Pokémon eating next to them.

Sighing, Lena continued to eat her own meal while she worked through her thoughts. ‘I don’t get it. Most kids would be jumping for joy at the idea of a day off, but do you truly think you can’t rest?’

‘Maybe it’s because he hasn’t been given the choice or option too?’ Arthur voiced through their link gently, Lena glancing over for a moment towards her partner, but didn’t turn her head to him to immediately give away they were communicating.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Has he truly been able to do what he wants? He was told to go on a Journey, he was told to get Gym Badges… those were things presented to him as the only options.’ 

Arthur looked a bit thoughtful as Lena could feel him reminiscing. ’As a young pup, we were always told what to do, where to go in our pack. It wasn’t until… I met you and Rina, that I really had a choice to decide what I wanted… I decided to learn how to read, and I think only the leader of the pack could read Sinnoh script…’

Before he could go down that line of thought even more, Arthur refocused. ‘Regardless, even if William doesn’t have Aura for me to read from him, I would think he’s… a people pleaser. Almost like you.’ A slight twitch of his expression hinted he was teasing, but his Aura shifted back to seriousness, concerned. ‘William… hasn’t really done anything for himself from what we’ve seen, besides going to visit Charon which may have been the only time he had privacy at the boarding home…’

‘...He no longer has that choice to be alone and do what he wants.’ Lena finished, not able to suppress her sigh aloud and focused on William now, speaking and getting his attention while he was mid-sip of his soup.

“Look… I’m sorry. I know that my idea of going to the Dreamyard ended with you getting poisoned that night. I’m bad at choosing things to do to relax…” Lena said, before making a motion to him. “So… what do you want to do? You and our teams still need to relax this weekend, so no training, but… what do you want to do?”

William looked surprised by the sudden initiative, blinking in surprise as he set down his own spoon. “U-Uhaa… I… I dunno… uh… what’s in the area?”

Taking a moment, Lena flipped over her Styler and opened the map function, showing an aerial view of Aspertia City. “Let’s see… we could go to the park, I hear it has a great view… we could just explore the town and see what’s available…”

William stared to the side for a moment, lost in thought before biting his lip… his tone was hesitant, maybe even shy. “Is there… an arcade nearby?”

Lena moved back to her map on her Styler, typing in the search function and waiting a second for a couple of results to pop up. “...Yes actually, one is a couple blocks down… you wanna do that for the night? It’ll probably be around six by the time we get there, but we could do that and do something else tomorrow.”

It took a moment longer than it should have, but William eventually nodded. “Y-Yeah, I just… I haven’t been to one since… home, and they were already a dying breed there, so… wanna see what they’re like here, I guess.”

‘Oh yeah, didn’t he say he hacked the boarding home computer to download games?’ Instead of voicing that aloud, she only gave a smile and nodded. “Well, I have no complaints here… I uh, I haven’t played a game in a while, so I can’t give any recommendations. But I’m sure we could find something you’d like.” Lena tapped the closest location on her screen to save the address for directions.

“Okay… yeah, that sounds good…” William replied a bit quietly, albeit with a small smile as he glanced over at Charon’s Poké Ball on his belt, having a silent conversation with the old ghost.

As William did this, Lena couldn’t help but let out a very light sigh of relief. 

Progress! Small progress, but progress nonetheless!

Even just walking down the street to enter the arcade filled Lena’s ears with the sounds of ringing bells, pixelated explosions, and the sound of engines revving up for racing games through the windows. A neon sign at the top spelled out ‘Flynn’s’ on the corner building, displaying it all to see.

William giggled a little while looking up at the sign, making Lena turn to him. “What? Something about the name?”

“Kinda… just reminded me of a movie back home, but I dunno if it was released here…” William said, before shaking his head. “Nevermind, let’s see how much the machines cost...”

Following William in, the noises from before only amplified in decibels. Wall to wall, classic arcade machines were displayed proudly, showing the gameplay demos or having a user playing in front of them. It wasn’t as busy as Lena expected, with at most maybe around ten or eleven people lingering around, leaving most of the machines open.

‘Works perfect for us… maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have Rina or Arthur out to watch…’ Lena thought as she looked around, noting how it wasn’t as cramped as she thought it would be. William, with noticeable reluctance despite choosing to do it, left his team behind at the Pokémon Center so that Viridi could have her first official physical from a Nurse, and Ronin and Charon could get an official look over since they refused to leave his side while he was in the hospital. 

Lena didn’t feel completely comfortable not having at least one Pokémon per person, so she brought Rina and Arthur with her, but both said they were fine with resting in their balls in case it was busy. With it being light on people though…

“Hey! Nice to see you admiring the classics, but mind getting out of the way of the door?” A voice called out; Lena turned to see a man behind the counter. His hair was greyed, and the very slight wrinkles under his eyes showed his age. However, the combed-back hair and beard gave him the feeling of an old friendly Ursaring as he smiled at the two.

“A-Ah, sorry sir, first time being in an arcade for a while…” Lena started, making the man wave her off, still holding the smile.

“No trouble at all. I usually only get the regulars now so it's always great to see new faces. You a Trainer? Just came into town?”

“Ah, yeah. Just uh… traveling together, but taking the weekend off to relax and rest up, so took William here since he wanted to. I’m Lena.” She said, quickly shaking the man's hand which he returned.

She noticed his hands had ‘Trainer’s calluses’ as she shook it, something usually only seen after what would be decades of high-level battling. While this piqued Lena’s interest (and Arthur’s judging how she felt his Great Ball twitch), she pushed it aside as he talked again. “Always love teaching the new generations about the classics. So! Kid!” At this, William turned from observing the arcade machines with an expression Lena couldn’t catch in time back to the man with a surprised expression. “Name’s Kevin, tell me, what kinda games do you like to play? Side-scrollers? Racing games? Fighters?”

“U-Uh, all the above, but mostly RPGs,” came William’s instinctual response, making Kevin grin somehow ever larger. 

“Ah, a real connoisseur, then? We sadly don’t have any real RPGs here, but if you enjoy those games, you’ll find something soon enough…. Games are unlimited play for one hundred for a kid, and a hundred and fifty for an adult though, but you’re free to look around until you find something you wanna play.” Kevin stated, but Lena had already moved her Styler forward towards the pay pad before William could get his Pokédex out.  

“H-Hey —”

“Nope, I’m paying. I have a normal income, you don’t,” Lena stated, making Kevin laugh as the machine beeped and accepted her payment, making Kevin place two cards on the counter in response. 

“Here you go! Just scan this in front of any machine, and it’ll let you play. Let me know if you have any issues!” He grinned, sliding the cards on the counter forward. William and Lena took the cards, and both gave a polite thank you before venturing in.

Everywhere Lena turned, there was another game, another genre she didn’t recognize, overwhelming for someone who’d only ever played games in passing. She turned to William to distract herself. “So… uh, see any games you recognize?”

William waved his hands back and forth, but he didn’t seem disappointed. “Kinda, I didn’t… expect there to be any direct games from back home. Some games are similar enough for me to know how they play… interesting to see how they differ, though.” 

At first, he gravitated to what looked like some game with Krabby and Chewtle walking around the screen on a black background, but then paused and turned his head to look at a different machine. His expression turned softer as he walked up. The arcade frame had a green checkerboard frame and what looked like cartoon ‘viruses’ and a doctor holding comically oversized pills with opposite colors.

“Huh, makes sense they would have a version of this…” William said quietly, placing his card by the scanner with a beep, causing the machine to register a credit as he placed his hands on the joystick and buttons.

Lena stayed quiet as she watched William play. It looked to be a puzzle game, matching the colors of the pills with the ‘viruses’ in a pill bottle… matching four to remove them all…

‘I dunno who I would trust more… this guy shoving as many pills as he can to solve a common cold, or a crazy fae doctor…’ Lena idly thought as William slotted a yellow pill in by pressing a button at the right moment and causing it to vanish, smiling slightly before realizing the support for the pills on top also vanished, causing them to fall down.

“Dammit.” William muttered, his eyes narrowing as he started slowly digging himself out with the new pills he would get… the method was inefficient, but safer. The bottom and sides were a colorful mess by the end, but he wasn’t even halfway filled up to the top until he slotted the final pill and ‘won’, with a cheerful jingle playing.

In the reflection, Lena could see his smile was a tad melancholy, but he spoke with a warm tone before she could question it. “My parents played a version of this game when they were in college, my mom especially. Neither of them were really into games like I was, but… this was always the game we could play together when they re-released it… nice to see a form of it over here as well.”

Lena didn’t know what to say… though her mouth started moving before her brain could plan a proper response. “Did you win against them?”

William laughed suddenly, shrugging. “It was even, I'd say. It would depend on the night, as Dad was good with putting the pills in the right place, while Mom was great at surprise combos, filling your screen with garbage. It was nice, fun…”

He trailed off, looking at the screen asking the user to press continue for a moment. William pressed it, but held the stick down to drop the pills faster until he got a quick game over screen, bringing him back to the title screen. “That’s all. I just wanted to reminisce… let’s see what else they have here.”

Lena stayed closed but nodded, but not before taking one look at the game's name and making a mental note. As she filled it away, she turned back to William who was now looking at a fighting game that… looked pretty violent judging from the demo as she watched a man in what looked like a Drapion-themed outfit throw a chain and suddenly impale the other person and drag them to the other side. 

“Huh, they’re using the Genesis version… I wonder if the cheat code would work…” William said out loud, before frowning and (to Lena’s relief) shaking his head before moving on to another fighting game next door. This one seemed much more tame, Lena noting that one of the primary characters was a Lucario with a red headband, shooting an Aura Sphere. 

“No, we’re not getting Arthur a headband…” Lena amusedly whispered while glancing down at the Dive Ball that shook, Arthur’s capsule trembling and a flicker of… gentle pleading Aura reached out to Lena. 

“Here, jump on player two, I wanna see how similar this one is to home…” William said, making Lena jolt from her one-sided conversation to awkwardly moving next to him as he went to the character select screen. It took a moment for her to figure out which button was ‘accept’, but she selected a Mienshao wearing a blue top, while William thought for a moment before going with Lucario with the headband. 

“Not sure how different it’ll play… might as well go with something similar…” He said as he chose a random stage, making Lena roll her shoulders slightly as she tried to remember the last time she played a fighting game…

…Has she ever?

‘Shoot. Uh… can I distract him while I learn the controls?’ 

“Played a lot of games back home like this?” She asked as the stage loaded and the characters did their introductions, though her tone probably showed her true intention.

William could tell obviously from how he chuckled, but he still shook his head. “Not arcade games, I was born after their prime sadly, so most of the games I did play were home console games, or handhelds…” He started as he moved his character left, clearly giving Lena and himself some space. He moved his joystick in a half rotation while trying certain buttons, but he continued to speak. “Though, I still got the classic game education. My family had an NES in the basement I’d play. That’s when I first played games and… it stuck.”

“Stuck… how?” Lena asked as she struggled to mirror William’s actions… making her pale slightly as an Aura Sphere came flying across the screen and almost hit her had she not accidentally jumped trying to do what William was doing. “H-Hey —”

“Hold away from my character to block.” William stated ‘helpfully’, before his character approached Lena's from his side as he answered her question. “Well… got me into computers, wanted to know how they work, wanted to do something with them for my career…”

Lena struggled to focus, stuck holding back as William’s character used an overhead kick, and then again, preventing her character from moving despite her health bar ticking down slightly. “So video games — come on, move… video games are the reason you know how to get around computers — what the—”

The Lucario on screen suddenly grabbed Lena’s character and threw her in the direction William was holding the stick, suddenly sending her to William’s side. “Grab with both buttons… but… technically? It led to that eventually, I mean…”

Lena squeaked, losing her concentration on the topic while physically panicking as the Lucario approached. She held the joystick in one direction, then shifted to the opposite, then back and forth, before hitting one of the bottom buttons. The screen suddenly flashed and suddenly the meter at the bottom on her side became empty.

“Shit — oh, I’m not —” William now was panicking as the Mienshao dashed across the screen, rapidly kicking the Lucario in a flurry as William slumped his shoulders slightly at the attack connected as his attempt to block failed.

“I did it! What did I do?” Lena said, feeling a tad giddy at the spectacle, at least, until a similar flash happened on William’s screen, and a burst of an Aura Sphere shot across, hitting Lena’s character multiple times until her health bar ran empty. The ‘P1 WINS’ screen flashed shortly after and William couldn’t help but smirk, the ‘comments’ from the peanut gallery at her belt not helping a slight competitive displeasure. Arthur’s Aura pulsed with a teasing pride, while Rina’s Dive Ball trembled as if chuckling.

“Special move with the meter at the bottom…” William turned up to Lena, holding his grin against her slight pouting glare. “Come on, let’s see what other games there are?”

“Oh, I’ll find one to beat you in, you can’t be good at everything.” Lena mockingly said, making William (and her team judging by how her belt rattled) laugh as he moved through the hallway of games once again.

William tried multiple games he seemed familiar with as the night went on, or at least a version of them. He would point out differences to Lena or reference trivia about their development, almost like a museum curator. A couple of other patrons gave him or her an amused look, but everyone seemed content to keep to themselves. Lena surprisingly got used to the noise level as it faded into the background. William walked down another row of games before pausing and looking at a screen. 

“Oh shit, never seen that in person...” Lena turned to see what he was looking at, and her eyes got assaulted by what looked like garbled letters and numbers, with half of the screen looking broken. The poor arcade cabinet looked ready to put itself out of its misery with the visuals, and Lena couldn’t help but feel bad for the poor orange Ghastly that seemed to keep going in circles without a maze to guide it on screen.

“Is it broken…?”

“No, just a regular who likes to give us more work while being a showoff…” 

Kevin’s voice caused both of them to turn to the man, who was shaking his head slightly while looking at the machine. With a sigh, he pulled out a worn Ultra Ball and opened it; in a yellow flash, Lena raised her eyebrow to see a Pokémon she normally didn’t see often, a Porygon2. The digital Pokémon let out a beeping chirp, facing Kevin with absolute attention.

“Jerry, our friend decided to leave us a visit again.” Kevin motioned to the glitching screen, making Jerry sink a little into the ground and let out a series of beeps. Their Trainer understood it somehow, shaking his head with a chuckle. “Yeah, a real piece of work he is… can you sort it out?”

Another series of beeps followed, and Lena and William could only watch in fascination as Jerry turned around and almost seemed to sink into the screen as if it was rubber, and then vanished from view. The display suddenly turned off, William looking a bit concerned by that before Kevin made a pausing motion to halt his worries. “Jerry turns off the display while they fix it ‘cuz it gets a bit… psychedelic when a Porygon starts messing around with older machines. Normally, turning it off and on would fix it, but there’s a memory chip that I haven’t been able to replace yet… wanna keep the scores, so have Jerry go in and reset the game manually.”

William stared at the blank screen now with total attention, his eyes going wide with an indiscernible expression. “That’s amazing…” He turned back to Kevin and asked a question that seemed almost entirely foreign to Lena.

Kevin understood it completely, surprised but his tone eager as he gave a just as technical response to the young Trainer. Lena couldn’t help but feel completely out of place, like when two Mechanics would complain about the technical aspect of repairing Stylers or some new computer they got mandated to use by that League that they had already taken apart and put back together six times because of some inadequacy in the chip manufacturing.

This pattern repeated for a while, William asking a question, and then Kevin responded in kind, eager for someone to be curious about his partner before William finally said something she could decipher. 

“I know Jerry is a Porygon2, but… is what they say about the Dubious Disc true for Porygon-Z? About how their behavior becomes unstable? I read about it in the Pokédex, but… never seen one for myself, or… well, a Porygon either technically.”

Kevin frowned and crossed his arms, clearly waiting a moment to find his words before responding.

“Setting aside how difficult it is to get your hands on a Dubious Disc, it’s a horrible thing for a Porygon to go through. I mean, just look at how it changes the Porygon’s body — their tail and limbs get ripped off and stitched back together wrong. But... I think what really makes me uncomfortable is just how unstable it turns the Porygon into. Jerry over here already sometimes requires me to remote in and do some routine maintenance to fix memory leaks and segfaults and bad sectors and whatnot, but something about the way that Disc is programmed just...”

“It feels like you’re torturing your Pokémon every second of its life for power…” William finished, deeply uncomfortable and glancing toward the machine. 

Kevin followed his gaze and sighed. “Yeah, I didn't even consider evolving Jerry because of that specifically. A buddy showed me a ‘cracked’ version, and I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the start of the code that Twins or Arceus-forsaken Dubious Disc was written in…” 

With a shake of his head, he gave a slight wince to Lena and William. “Sorry, to put down the mood there. If you want to play this game, you might need to wait until next time you visit. Jerry’s gonna take a bit to make sure all the scores get copied over right… can’t use Trick Room to change his speed here, haha!”

“No worries, just saw the kill screen and haven’t seen one in person, only videos.. sorry for taking up your time and… bothering with that last question, but thank you for answering!” William said with a slight mix of a bow and nod of his head, Lena giving a thankful nod to Kevin as well, which he returned before turning back to the broken machine as the two continued down the row…

As Lena’s brain finally came back from the defensive fugue state it put itself in, she turned to William. “Really into computers, huh? Sorry, I can’t do any back and forth like that. I couldn’t really understand a word you or Kevin were saying until the end there.”

William actually blushed a bit, looking a bit abashed. “A-Ah, sorry… It's been a while since I’ve actually talked to someone about computers like that…”

“No, no, I’m glad honestly… maybe I’ll see if any of the Mechanics I know could give you a run for your money with computer techy stuff, since it’ll fly over my head for sure unless it's something more mechanical...” Lena said as she started to idly check her Fine Styler, noting it was getting late and about to suggest heading back to the Pokémon Center. 

She turned to William to ask for his input, but paused when she saw what looked like four plastic model motorcycles connected to an arcade machine against the back wall. Its multiple screens played a demo that looked to be from four different first-person perspectives over a three-dimensional race course.

“This a racing game…?” Lena asked, prompting William to look over to where she was.

“Huh? O-Oh, yeah it is. It’s multiplayer, so four players can race against each other like the car machines, but you gotta lean to turn instead of using a wheel as it’s a motorcycle.” He clarified, turning up to face Lena with a curious expression. “Why? Do you wanna give it a go?”

Lena had to hide a grin. Now this was something she knew, and Rina and Arthur could tell by how her belt rattled from her spike in Aura. Instead of jumping on, she waved her hand forward towards the machine. “You know what? Can you give it a go? I wanna watch it first…”

William looked a tad confused, but nodded before heading over. He pressed his card against the reader and the machine instantly registered the credit. He then climbed up and awkwardly hoisted his leg over because of his height and settled himself in before he pressed the button. There was a dramatic animation and flash before it brought him to the vehicle select screen. 

Lena could recognize every single brand, Mauville Bikes, Mach Motors, Rickshaw’s Wheels, making her realize this was more of a brand promotion game… Even so, she had to admit: the models were high quality as she could only spot a few inconsistencies… 

William chose one model from Cyllage’s Cycles, Lena noting how the stats were mostly about control. After selecting his obvious color of choice, he selected a track that was rated three out of five stars, with a couple of tight turns and bends. The game took a moment to load before it loaded into the race and started a count down… and he was off.

It was clear it had been a while since William played such a game, but his choice of control over speed was clearly one as he got used to the game’s feel, turning in a way to not bump the walls… carefully braking when taking a corner tight… but…

“You’re biking wrong,” Lena proclaimed aloud automatically as Wiliam finished, making him turn to her with a confused expression even as he input his time, which showed him in the top five on the leaderboard.

“What do you mean?”

“You're slowing down like it’s an Acro when making turns, which makes sense if you want control, but Cyllage’s Cycles motorcycles don’t have the same frame of Mauville Bikes to be as agile for those turns so you’re losing speed overall.”

Before William could respond, already looking dumbfounded, Lena spoke again, shaking her head and glaring at the model on the screen. “That’s not even considering the fact that Cyllage’s Cycles prefer a HV-Four engine for their models, and then they design the frame for control the engine would give anyway with enough practice by the user. If they gave it an inline-four engine, it would have both control and speed, but they don’t, making it a beginner’s trap bike.”

William looked up and down at Lena for a moment, clearly not having gotten any of her rant. “I… didn’t realize you were a biker. You don’t look like a biker… your jacket is way too bright, and missing a Pokémon design on the back.”

“Cheeky, aren’t ya?” Lena commented while moving over and scanning her badge against the machine next to William. She shifted her leg over the fake bike and could not hold back her grin any longer. “Select another course, whatever difficulties you want. I’ll show you how to actually bike.”

William stared in shock at Lena, before a slight grin formed as he scanned his card again to go again. “Alright, if you say so…”

This time, William chose the ‘Mach’ model from Mauville Bikes, prompting Lena to shoot him a look. “Are you sure that’s a good choice?”

“High speed, but at the cost of low control. High risk, high reward.”

“Tsk, tsk… you’d do better with the beginner's trap.” Lena said as she locked in her choice of a Rickshaw’s Wheels CV8. Her hand already gripped the clutch and throttle, her foot shifting to the mock shifter on the machine… her body naturally leaning forward…

“Let’s see… do they… ah, they do have it…” William muttered to himself, grinning slightly as he selected it too fast for him or Lena to get a map preview. She could only make out ‘Prismatic’-something before the stage loaded.

She rolled her eyes despite smiling. She’ll let him try to pull a fast one for now.

It wouldn’t last long.

“How the fuck…” William muttered in awe and disbelief, finally finding his voice as they walked out of Flynn’s. Lena’s hands were in her pocket with her own grin fixed on her face as she turned to face him as she walked down the street. 

“Told ya you were biking wrong. You need something with gear shifting to really get and maintain speed and control.”

“T-That’s not — I mean, how did you not — I — you swear you’ve never played that game before?” William looked absolutely flabbergasted as he lightly jogged to catch up. Lena shrugged in response, despite the smile on her face.

“Nope.”

“Then how the fuck—”

“I’m from Eterna City, William. Biking capital of Sinnoh? Cycling Road right to the south?” Lena reached into her pocket to pull out her license. “Got this when I was sixteen. You can even get a motorcyclist license before you can get a regular driver’s license in Sinnoh. Bike culture is one of our trademark things. Of course I know how to ride a bike. How did you not know any of this?”

William pouted a bit, showing off his age for once. “Sheesh Lena. Where I’m from you only buy a motorcycle if you’re a dumbass teenager with a death wish or a 50-year-old Dad in a midlife crisis. Forgive me for not knowing everything about biker culture from a place I’ve never been to.” 

Lena softened up a bit, realizing that she was ribbing on him a little too much. “My Dad was the one who got me into biking. Started me on a regular bicycle with training wheels when I was three. Probably earlier than when he should have done that but... whatever. Wasn’t long after that he brought me on his Yamabiko sitting in his lap... Probably also wasn’t the safest or smartest thing to do but... the feeling of the air rushing past me, the sights flying by… It was exhilarating and it just… stuck with me. Kept riding for years. Got myself a Rydel X380 when I was seven. Used to race all the kids to the other side of town.” 

Lena looked upwards, fondly reminiscing.

“Saved up a bunch of money from my first year and a half as a Ranger for a Rickshaw AX7 Turbo. Still have it in my parent’s garage whenever I’m back home. There’s nothing like the wind flying in your face riding down Cycling Road, after all...” 

“Huh… is that why you like flying?” William asked, making Lena tilt her head with a thoughtful expression.

“Huh, you know… probably… never thought about it like that.” She hummed, thinking about it for a moment before shaking her head to not get distracted. “Anyway, eventually I want to ship my bike over here to Unova, but of course I’d have to rent a storage unit... Same problem here as in Sinnoh; no place to put it...”

William blinked and let out an impressed hum, though his expression showed how flabbergasted he was. “I still can’t believe you got the top score by a full minute….”

“Oh please, give me a day and I could probably bring it down by another half minute.”

At this, William fell silent for a moment, before starting to laugh, making Lena turn to him with a pointed expression. “What’s so funny?”

“N-Nothing, nothing… just had the… visual of a speedrun documentary.” He moved his hand across the air for a moment, changing his voice to mimic someone he had heard before. “And finally, after five years, the person to break the sub-two minute barrier wasn’t any of the previous world-record holders. It wasn’t AndrewG, and it wasn’t even Matt Turk, no, it was a Top Ranger who hadn’t even played the game before, Lena Winifred.”

Despite herself, Lena couldn’t help but burst out laughing into the night, William joining in shortly after as they continued heading to the Pokémon Center to sleep. Her hand gently ran over the Poké Balls at her belt, and she could feel Arthur and Rina’s joy through it with how they gently shook, even without any Aura.

‘Yeah, tonight was a good night.’

Beta Editors/Readers:

David “TheBlizWiz” R

Garmfild

Post Release Edit:

Special Thanks

Suddler - For pointing out an awkward sentence with a misplaced word, thank you!

Chapter Text

Chapter 16 - [The] Breakfast at Jenny’s

Morning grogginess stuck to Lena like a Grimer’s sludge as she dragged herself to the Pokémon Center lobby with Rina and Arthur, despite only being eight in the morning. They may have stayed up too late at the arcade the night before, and her hubris was coming back to bite her.

‘Though… if Rina didn’t steal the last Chesto Berry that would at least have kept me going… ’ She mentally grumbled while glancing over at the Water Type who looked much more awake than her partner. 

“The two of you, honestly… I understand that sleep hasn’t been good the last couple nights, but using a Chesto Berry is just as bad as using caffeine as a crutch.” Arthur chided with a shake of his head.

“Flo-Zelloat. Floatzel- El Zel-loatzel.” (Oh, hush Arthur. Like you haven’t had to use a Chesto Berry as a quick pick-me-up.)

“What I’m saying is that we have a younger Trainer, and their Pokémon traveling with us. We shouldn’t encourage bad habits.”

“Ship probably already sailed on that front…” Lena muttered, stepping aside to let another Trainer pass by. “William was eating a Chesto Berry on the subway ride to Nacrene which… now that I think about it probably didn’t even work since the Pecha Berry didn’t, but Ronin was eating one as well while I was speaking to Miguel… and we got Charon into coffee now… which… that’s on me, I suppose…”

“You two are corrupting the youth and elderly with your presence now. ” Arthur said with a shake of his head. Lena glared at him while Rina seemed more offended and elbowed the Lucario's side.

“Lo? Zel-Floatzel-Loat ‘Floatzel’-Zeloat?” (Oh yeah? Well, why don’t you join in on Ronin’s training then if you’re so afraid of me ‘corrupting’ the young ones?)

“That is the plan. He’ll need to learn proper dueling stances, which I have more experience in. Remember the time you asked to borrow that Marowak’s bone from the other Ranger? Who won that ‘duel’, if you can recall?”

Before Rina could respond, Lena reached for both of them and teasingly flicked them both with either hand. “No fighting in the Pokémon Center before I’ve had my coffee or breakfast… William already messaged that he’s awake and waiting for us, so let’s see what we’re doing today before you junkies start looking for a training high.” Lena rolled her eyes at their antics. “Can’t go anywhere with you two, I swear…” 

Lena vigorously shook her head to dispel the grogginess one last time as they entered the main lobby. William was sitting on the couch with his yellow sweatshirt staring at his Pokédex with Viridi, with Ronin on his lap as well to look at the device.

Maybe it was the lingering sleep, maybe it was the absurdity of the sight. Lena couldn’t tell, because as she approached William she felt herself do a double, then a triple take. Lena stayed silent for a moment as she reached in front of William and continued to stare, as if waiting for her eyes to ‘autocorrect’ what she was seeing.

They didn’t.

“William?”

Looking up slightly from his Pokedex, William's eyes met Lena as he looked up at her. "Yes, Lena?"

"...Why is Viridi on your head?"

William's eyes glanced upwards, clearly meeting Viridi's bug-eye stare back as neither responded for a moment, until he finally spoke with a bit of a lawyer's tone. "Well... I can't have either Ronin or Viridi in my sweatshirt hoodie because of the strain on my shoulder, according to the doctor... but they never said I couldn't have Ronin or Viridi on my head."

"Ven-eneni. Veneven." (Viridi claim head. Head now Comfery Head.)

Lena could only take a deep breath and sigh as she put her head into both of her palms. 

“Shaa? Oshawott?” (Rina? Why is Lena covering her face?)

“Floaat-Float. Zellll…. Loatzel. Float, Floatzel.” (Your Trainer is skirting the rules. Following them but… not adhering to what was intended exactly. She’s also tired, so that’s probably too early for her to process that.)

“Asha! Sha-wott! ” (Oh! Like what Charon said!)

“Loa — Zel, Float-Zel?” (Yes — wait, Charon said what?)

Ignoring the conversation lest she go down another mental train of thought, Lena pulled her hand away as she sat down next to William with a sigh and rubbed between her eyes. “I should have kept my mouth shut on Route 2, about you being a good lawyer...”

“Still too much paperwork, and I don’t have a suit. Those are expensive and I’d outgrow them if I got one now. And I’d have to run a nail salon, too.” He responded without missing a beat, scrolling through the Pokédex entry for Oshawott. 

Lena couldn’t help but snort at the idea of William in a mini-suit. “At long as it’s not blinding yellow … wait, a nail salon?”

William smiled cheekily. “Reference you wouldn't get. And if you did, you’d have Ms. Clare ground me by now.”

‘Why would she ground you for that but not ground you for going off Route — eh, nevermind…’

Instead, Lena focused on the other priority, turning to Viridi as she tried not to let too much chipper politeness slip into her tone. “Viridi, I know I’m not your ‘Hive Leader’, but can you please get off William’s head? I don’t want him to strain his upper shoulders or neck any more than needed.”

“Nipede. Veni vvvene. Pedevvvene” (Viridi no move. Lena Wini Red not have permission. Hive Leader give permission.)

Sighing in his own exasperation now, William glanced up from his Pokédex again to meet Viridi’s eyes with a gentle, if embarrassed tone. “Viridi, can you please get off my head for now, like Lena requests? I promise that after I get better, you and Ronin will be able to use my shoulder or hoodie or head.”

“Veni-Pe. Ven-veni.” (Viridi move. Hive Leader request.)

At this, Viridi carefully crawled down William’s back and around his stomach until she was sitting on William’s leg even as Ronin took up most of William’s lap space, almost like a divider between Lena and William. 

Lena rolled her eyes in amusement, but smiled at William now. “You know, I’m honestly kind of impressed by how well you’re handling a new Pokémon. You’re following all the points for raising a Venipede.”

“I am?”

“Yeah, Venipede hives have a clear hierarchy with a Scolipede at the top, giving direct orders. Sometimes other members of the hive may give advice, but usually the Scolipede makes decisions on their own. Here, you would be the Scolipede, and for a Venipede to be given a name as well signifies importance and the usual role in the hive, which would be your team.”

“Vipede-vvven. Vvveneipede. Vvvene-Pede.” (Viridi job ‘Comfrey Bugg’. Hive Leader give Viridi name Viridi. Viridi protect hive as ‘Comfrey Bugg’.)

William glanced at Viridi, a smile flickering on his face, though his shoulders slumped in relief after Lena’s explanation. “That’s a relief… I’ve been meaning to look into the habits of a Venipede hive once I get a chance to do so, but keep getting distracted…”

“Oshaaawott-’sha’-Osha.’” (Charon says William is ‘overthinking’ things.) Ronin chimed in, prompting William to blush. The lone Poké Ball on his belt containing the Fire Ghost Type shook as well, making William glare at it for another second. 

“It’s not overthinking if I’m trying to be the best Trainer I can,” William countered with a warm, if flustered tone, while gently petting both Viridi and Ronin.

Lena smilied and her heart felt warm and fuzzy. Despite all he had already been through, William didn't lose an ounce of his caring heart.

The tender moment was cut short by Lena’s Styler and William’s Xtransceiver flashing with their respective ‘general’ notification sounds. A quick check of her Styler later...

 “Ah… seems like I just got the payment for the Mission… same for you?”

William nodded numbly, staring at the screen with a wide-eyed expression. “U-Uh. Yeah… Lena, how much is usually made for volunteer Trainers?”

“That depends on what Pokémon are considered ‘caught’... there were a lot of Beedrill at the end… why?”

William remained silent as he grabbed his Pokédex from his pocket. After he turned it on and pressed a couple buttons, Lena could see his Trainer ID, along with the current money associated with it in his account.

Name: William (LNU)

Trainer ID: 81213

License: Trainer

Money: ₽18,120

Registered Pokémon: 3

“Huh, yeah, that’s a decent lump sum for a starting Trainer honestly, more than I got… they probably counted any burnt Beedrill as ‘yours’.” Lena commented, but William’s shocked face shifted to disbelief as he pulled the Pokédex back and stared at the screen. 

“Starting? Lena, you could buy a decent car with this kind of money back home.”

Lena laughed in incredulity. “A car? What in the name of the Twins kind of car would you buy? Something without doors? You cannot buy a car that cheap.” 

“Well, a used one at least. My own — my mom used one that was only two thousand, used… family friend but —”

“Two thousand?! You’d be lucky to find a used car for under sixty thousand in Unova, even from a retired grandma.”

“...Sixty thousand is about the price of some mid-level luxury cars at home...” William phrased carefully, making Lena blink.

“...You have to be joking — how could cars be that cheap? No, I refuse — there’s barely enough demand for cars for them to be made that cheaply, only bikes ever get that cheap.”

Silence and a stare from William was his response. Lena realized he wasn’t joking. “W-What, so everyone has a car? If they’re that cheap?”

“...At least near my home, it was basically a requirement… my dad had to drive an hour out each day and back to get to work and home…”

The mental jigsaw puzzle of William’s home started out simple enough. Then William flipped the table and she had to redo it all. Then William cut the pieces with scissors so they didn’t fit anymore. And then he threw in a tub of plastic building bricks with all the little pieces buried at the bottom. And now William had just torched the whole thing into a pile of ashes.

Just where in the world did he live before, where cars were two grand and commuting to work took an hour?

She rubbed her face with both of her hands and dragged them down in light exasperation. “It has to be just… currency differences. Yeah, it has to be,” Lena reasoned aloud… mostly for her own mental sanity. She shook her head. Too early, she still needed breakfast. “Economics aside, today you’re still relaxing, so what else would you want to do?”

William glanced back at his Pokédex, clearly still paralyzed at the amount he received, before he turned the device off and pocketed it… glancing back at Ronin and Viridi, who were looking up at him now. “How about… the park? You mentioned yesterday there was a park with a view? I kinda want to give Ronin and Viridi time to relax and look at the view…”

‘Not exactly for you, but I’ll let it pass…’ Lena nodded, but glanced at Charon’s Poké Ball. “Is Charon okay with that? I know you don’t… really want to have him out in public…”

William glanced at his own belt, falling silent as he had his own conversation with the old Pokémon before looking a tad offended. “He said, and I’m paraphrasing here: ‘get your darn butt outside, you’ve already spent too much time indoors at the boarding home and before, you got less sunlight than a Ghost Type, you…’ no, not gonna say that.” Another pause, followed by the Poké Ball shaking once more with William’s face scrunching up. “Charon, this isn’t Hisui. That analogy doesn’t even work!”

Rina and Lena couldn’t hold back their amused laughter as William glared at the Poké Ball shaking, before he sighed and shook his head. “Alright fine, grandpa , I'll go outside… but we’ll need to get breakfast first…”

‘Oh, right…. Breakfast… actually…’ Opening her Styler for a moment, Lena pulled up the map once again. “How about we actually go out to eat? Eating breakfast at the Pokémon Center is fine, but we just got paid, so how about we get something special?”

William thought for a moment before nodding, though his face hardened as he raised his Pokédex and looked at Lena. “Fine, but I’m gonna pay for my team's food at least.” 

“Fine, fine… let me see if I can find a breakfast diner open for Pokémon as well…”

The diner they eventually found looked a tad out of place, nestled between the modern high-rises and apartments. It was clearly built when Aspertia was growing into the small suburban city it was now, with the outside having worn paint and a weathered sign saying “ Jenny’s ” in a classic stylized font. 

Even with it being early in the morning, the diner appeared to be a hotspot for locals as the inside was packed with the few booths looking recently cleaned. William asked Lena what day it was when they walked in, and she responded it was Sunday. At this, he suggested they order food to-go for a makeshift picnic at the park instead.

Taking one look at how little room there was for their entire team, Lena agreed as she took two menus and they navigated to a small booth that sat across from the main counter. The dinner was busy, the counter alone had a trainer with their Gurdurr, a Gothitelle with someone who looked like they just came out of the Pokémon Musical. 

Even with how crowded it was, the servers moved with ease through it all like a dance, one smoothly avoiding a businessman in a suit with a crossword newspaper that moved behind them to an open single seat on the counter as Lena and William moved to their own booth. Even the TV overhead playing a news channel only added to the lively noise of the diner.

After a minute, a waitress came over to them before Lena could get to the next page, chipper smile and notepad in hand. “Welcome to Jenny’s! My name’s Clarissa and I’ll be your server this morning. What can I get for you two?”

“We’re going to be ordering to go for a picnic, but ah, I’m still deciding, so I’ll be a bit, but for now…” Glancing back at the menu, Lena dragged her finger down the list of drinks before stopping.  “I’ll take a pot of coffee and a cup of milk for now.”

William was looking at the menu with pinched eyebrows for a moment, before speaking up finally. “Could I please get an Oran Juice, if that’s alright?”

“Of course! I’ll be back with those as quickly as possible!”

Once the waitress had left, William looked back towards Lena with a pointed, if concerned, stare. “A whole pot of coffee? Arthur has no comments about having that much caffeine?”

Lena rolled her eyes. “I’m only having a cup. The rest is for Charon… and I’d be more worried that the old man’s going to die of a heart attack if he drinks the entire thing. I don’t think he realizes that coffee nowadays is a lot stronger than it was 150-something years ago.” Glancing down at the menu again, her eyes shifted between a few different options before finally deciding on some pancakes, eggs, and hash browns. The place didn’t seem to have any good Sinnohian options anyway….

Now feeling a bit more awake, Lena brought up something Ronin mentioned she pushed aside earlier. “Hey, just curious… what was Ronin talking about?”

“Hm?” William looked up from his menu, confusion written on his face.

“You know, ‘skirting the rules’?”

William thought for a moment and looked to the side, clearly trying to recall the morning in his mind before the lightbulb finally went off. “Oh…! Well, I was going over the official battling rules with Charon, and we were talking about how they’ve changed over time. Er... I guess it’s more accurate to say that I was trying to talk about how the rules have changed but he was more focused on grumbling about how ‘it was better back in his day’ and ‘that the kids these days don’t know a real battle where the Trainers had to avoid moves too’   but I think he was just being grumpy.”

“I mean, Pokémon battling as a sport was just starting out, right? Wasn’t there one of the… I can’t remember their name, but one of the Wardens who basically kicked started the first official rule set for battles?”

William nodded, but not without frowning and hiding his hands below the table, probably to make it less obvious he was clenching the ends of his sweater again. “Yeah... you’ll uh, have to talk to Charon about that but uh, one of the Pearl Clan Wardens made a lot of the rules that still stand today. Six Pokémon maximum, no using items like Revives during official battles, he was… is still considered one of the best Trainers. Or Wielders I guess. I think that term came later. According to Charon... that groundwork was all him.” 

“What was his name?” 

William clearly hesitated. “...Don’t remember, but I think it’s like Nob-something… after translating from Hisuian, at least…”

William shook his head, dispelling whatever thought he had before he continued. “Either way, I was comparing it to the Unova Rules, and Charon started nitpicking every small loophole or exception that could give someone an advantage, with how ‘legalese’ they’re written.”

Lena frowned and looked at him pointedly. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with seeing flaws in rules, but the regulations are there for a reason, to keep battles safe. Trying to find ways around it could lead to you and your Pokémon getting hurt.”

“I completely agree, but the issue is that… regulations usually come up as a reaction to something, not because someone explicitly broke them.” William’s expression shifted to something more contemplative. “Laws and rules usually only define what you can’t do, not what you can do. And even when it says what you can’t do, it’s… flexible, malleable, and allows for loopholes, or exceptions. Because someone didn’t…realize they existed, or put them there on purpose .” 

Continuing, William’s voice was thoughtful now, distracted. “...Charon’s said… a law or rule will never say something like ‘You cannot take things that don’t belong to you’, no, instead it will define what taking is and what ownership is and then leave deciding where the line between borrowing and stealing is for later… interpreted by… judges who oversee a case, or leave for lawyers to argue… though, that’s not even considering the definition of ‘stealing’ could change over time, as language changes too… I mean…”

Lena’s stomach slowly dropped and a sinking nervousness crept up on her, as the implied idea of battling before rules solidified, compounded with Charon fighting in the conflict with Zdarova hanging over her. “I don’t like where this conversation is going….” 

“Huh?” William turned to Lena, with a confused expression, before either coming to the same or different conclusion as Lena as he quickly threw up his hands and waved them back flusteredly. “Oh shit — Nonononono, not like that! What I’m trying to say is that — a battle strategy can still follow the letter of the rules the League sets, but not really the spirit of them. You know, like how there’s a rule about how many switches you can make in a—”

“Here’s a coffee, milk, and Oran Juice,” the waitress cut in while placing the drinks on the table. “Are you two ready to order?”

William looked a little frazzled from being cut off suddenly, so she ordered first. “Yeah, can I get the Pancake Platter with Pecha Syrup, hash browns, and two fried eggs, Sunyshore style for me… and…” Quickly glancing at the menu one more time, she quickly found what Arthur and Rina would like and added those as well.

Clarissa wrote it down without pause before turning to William. “Okay, and for you?”

“U-Uh… I’ll take a stack of plain pancakes and a banana… and — uh…” William quickly looked down at his menu, rattling off three things for his team.

“Alright, I’ll get those ready for you both in to-go trays. Anything else?”

Lena quickly shook her head and said a polite thank you, William echoing similarly with a stutter as he watched the waitress leave before speaking up again. “Hate when that happens… I always lose my train of thought…” William sighed, then shook his head and frustration away. “Dammit, what was I saying?”

“You were suggesting you go steal something, then started talking about switching in battles.”

“Wha — no, it was a comparison! I was using it as an example!” He said with a tad bit of indignation, throwing his right arm up in defeat to the amusement of Lena. Lena blew on her coffee to hide her teasing smirk. It was interesting to see how William could be quite theatrical sometimes…

Still that little voice in the back of her head that told her something fishy was going on was on full volume.

William continued, not seeming to notice Lena’s smirk. “If you want an actual example that doesn’t do any harm to anyone, then look at when I had Viridi on my head earlier. Dr. Yagokoro said neither Ronin nor Viridi could be in my hoodie to cause strain to my shoulder, but that doesn’t count for being on my head .”

“Wouldn’t that still cause strain and harm to you ?” Lena made a mental note to question the doctor just in case…

“What I’m trying to get to is that…” William started, clearly ignoring Lena’s question with a faint twitch of a smile. “...There’s usually a limit to how many times you can manually switch in an official League battle, right?”

“Yeah… I can understand why there are limits for official levels, but even in a street battle, I haven’t seen either Trainer switch their Pokémon over six times. It just wouldn’t make sense.” Lena replied, before pausing when William physically hissed at her response. “What?”

“...What if both Trainers conclude that the only optimal play is to switch? Battles can be decided by either Trainer not being able to switch at a good time…”

“I mean… yeah, that is true and I’m sure there’s some non-League affiliated battle out there that’s had over ten or so switches…”

“Okay… I’m gonna paraphrase this story, as Charon told me when I started talking to him about switches, but… there were two… Tra— Wielders , who were in a battle that was ‘official’, for the time at least.” William started, before pausing to look down at the Poké Ball on his belt. 

He continued after a second. “Yeah, right. So. They were in a tough battle, they were both down to just two Pokémon each — Charon thinks it was a Shellos and Staravia vs a Geodude and Wormadam — and it was really tense, y’know? Every move counts. Well, Shellos doesn’t want to fight Wormadam but can handle Geodude, and Staravia can’t handle Geodude but can handle Wormadam…”

“And Geodude can take on Staravia but doesn’t want to battle Shellos, while Wormadam can take on Shellos but not Staravia.”

William theatrically raised his hands to halt Lena before she could interject. “So… let's say you have Shellos out in front of Wormadam. What do you do?”

“Alright… I would… switch to Staravia.”

William nodded, taking a quick sip of his drink. “Sorry, dry throat, okay; now I have Wormadam out in front of Staravia, so I need to switch to Geodude.”

Lena picked up on the point quickly. “So then I would switch to Shellos and then you would switch to Wormadam and we’d be right back where we started again.”

“Exactly. It’s like an old movie back home: the only winning move is not to play.” William said in a tone that punctuated the point. Lena blew on her steaming coffee as she thought about the quote… and even as she took a sip, she couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down her back even as William continued. 

“Both of them realized this, and then they started switching, on and on… the battle lasted hours with both Wielders too stubborn to actually give in or accept a tie, or give in. There were no rules stating they had a switch limit, so… they just did. The battle only ended when the sun went down and it got so dark nobody could see anymore. They then just declared it as a loss for both of them. People hated it too, and I think the two Wielders got reprimanded.”

Lena looked with an incredulous look. “So… it became just a game of spite ? To see who would give in? And people were okay with watching that?”

“Well no, I did say they were reprimanded. But not having a rule for a switch limit in the first place let them do that.” William grumbled under his breath and shook his head to continue. “It was one of the things that Charon picked up on reading the rules, especially with how they define ‘manual’ switching..”

Lena leaned forward a bit, setting her coffee on the table. “... And you’re saying the Unova League has… similar issues? Even though they limit switching?”

“Manual Switching. They don’t limit moves that force switches. I guess the reason is that since using a move like U-Turn still attacks that endless battle I just described wouldn’t happen.” 

Lena paused as she thought about it… a frown forming on her face… he asked about moves that switched out before, didn’t he?

“Let me ask a quick follow-up,” William said, leaning back as he moved to drink more of his Oran Juice before responding. “Are there any… social taboos beyond the League’s official rules for how many times a switch move like that can be used?” He pressed, tapping the table slightly as he did. 

“No? Moves like that are pretty interesting to watch from a spectator since moves like those don’t initiate a pause by the referee. It just keeps going, and it’s up to the Trainers to adjust to that. It forces the Trainers to, like you said, actually battle.”

“Huh… it doesn’t pause the battle…” William muttered, as if realizing something… he fell silent for a moment, making Lena worry before he started shaking his head. “Sorry, just… still trying to get past what I’ve seen at home or tried on the simulator games… Showdown was what one of them was called and everyone could play it for free, so it was most kids’ or even adults’ only opportunity to ‘battle’, as long as you had an internet connection.”

“That’s… surprisingly forward. Even Kanto Tech doesn’t offer their simulator for free.” 

“Really? Hm… I dunno how Kanto Tech’s simulator works, but Showdown was turned based, both Trainers choose their moves and whichever Pokémon is the ‘fastest’ mathematically is the one that uses their move first…” Before Lena could roll her eyes and make the comment, William did it himself. “Granted, Pokémon can’t be broken down into pure numbers and spreadsheets and be 100% accurate, but they needed some way to run the battles on a computer in a way for children to understand.”

Lena snorted while nodding in agreement. “Better you can see that than some kids who only use simulators at least… sorry, continue.”

“Right, anyway… Here's an on-the-fly scenario that highlights the issue I think. Let's say you’re facing a Dudunsparce...”

“…Do you mean Dunsparce? ” Lena questioned, her face scrunching up in confusion as William shook his head.

“No, Dudunsparce, the evolution of Dunsparce.” William started with a definitive tone, though his own face shifted into a confused expression as well.

“Dunsparce has an evolution?”

“U-Uh… yes? Evolves after learning… Drill… Ru— no…”  He went silent, clearly trying to run through his memory before he tapped the table definitively. “Hyper Drill. That’s it… once it learns that move, it evolves. “

Lena’s been to a lot of Regions, Sinnoh, Almia, Unova, but she’s never even heard of such a Pokémon. At this, she frowned and pulled up her Fine Styler and looked through the Ranger Browser under ‘D’. “What Region was it discovered in?”

William froze for a moment and thought, clearly not expecting the question. “Paldea, I think it would be…?”

“Ah, that would explain why…” Lena said as she closed her Styler, already knowing it wouldn’t be listed with a sigh. “Paldea is one of the few Regions the Ranger Union is entirely barred from operating in, and hasn’t really contributed much Pokédex information. Pokémon from there are not well known among the Ranger community unless you came from Paldea specifically.”

She grunted and crossed her arm, a frown forming as she shook her head. “Champion Geeta has always cited ‘internal factors’ in the Region for the ban and hesitation to release information, and yet in the same breath, she’s always more than willing to send food and medical aid to other Regions when they, or even the Ranger Union request it. It makes no sense to me, and Chairperson Erma has tried to push back but… somehow Geeta seems almost unbothered by whatever magic Erma always works. The same goes for Galar since Chairperson Rose became the chairperson of their League… It’s been something I’ve never quite understood….”

William looked really interested in that, his eyebrows raising. “Huh… a Region can just bar the Ranger Union—?” He cut himself off, shaking his own head as if to dispel the tangent. “Wait, no, we’re getting off-topic, sorry…”

“You have nothing to apologize for…? I’m the one who brought it up…” Lena started, before realizing she had another question to ask later... ‘ How do you know about Paldea Pokémon? Did your home have some contact with them? ’

William didn’t notice her questioning expression as he clearly tried to refocus. “Where were we…? Ah, right, you’re going against a Dudunsparce, and they’ve been… annoying. They used Stealth Rock in the beginning of the battle, while also using Tailwind to make up for speed or Yawn to give it more time, or maybe instead Coil for survivability…”

“Alright…” Lena nodded, following along so far… she and her team have gone up against others who have tried to set up like that before… nothing unusual there…

“Then, just as you’ve worn them down, Tailwind is about to run out or they’ve just used Coil a couple times after Stealth Rock — maybe some Spikes too if you’ve got the opportunity — it uses Baton Pass to another Pokémon. Let’s say… a Psychic Type, like Espeon, is fresh and ready to attack… and Espeon starts with using Trick Room.”

At the mention of Trick Room, Lena groaned and nearly felt her mind twist just thinking about it. “Oh Arceus , Trick Room… even higher level Trainers barely understand how it even works, and it’s rarely used…” She took a breath and frowned as she thought about Espeon’s natural speed…. “Espeon would be slower than most Pokémon though, because of that. I don’t understand where you’re going with this…”

William winced, but nodded. “That’s true; Espeon was the first one that came to mind off the top of my head… there’s probably a better fit for the Pokémon. The bottom line is that you don't need Espeon to physically move, they just need to use one more move afterwards, Baton Pass.”

Alright, he completely lost her, a confused expression forming on Lena’s face. “Okay… so you’re back to Dunspar— Dudunsparce… But you only get a couple minutes of Trick Room left without Espeon on the field to keep it up.”

“Right… it’s risky,” William conceded with a tilt of his head, his face getting pressed as he tried to find his words. “The main thing is that Dudunsparce can now use Dragon Tail without worry of its own speed.”

“Alright… but then that just forces the opponent’s Pokémon on the field to switch —” At this, it finally hit Lena, her eyes widening. “Oh… into Stealth Rock… and Spikes...”

Nodding, William continued. “Exactly. And they can keep using it, over, and over again… once Trick Room is ended, Baton Pass to Espeon, heal with Wish, and setup with Trick Room again, and even Espeon can keep itself afloat with its own use of Morning Sun… repeating all this while the opponent struggles and their Pokémon keep getting hit with Stealth Rock.”

With a bit of desperation and horror at the idea of facing such a strategy, Lena couldn’t help but shake her head. “B-But… that’s still a bit risky… having to rely on Espeon, if the opponent gets their own field hazard up, you’ll fall for your own strategy.

“Right, and… again, this is on the fly, and there’s probably a way better way to do it—”He paused, humming as he started to think in a bit more detail. “In fact…. if you can train a Dundunsparce to use Sleep Talk after Rest, you wouldn’t even need Trick Room… throw in Toxic on them and you could just force your opponent to watch as their Pokémon slowly fall…”

There had been ‘stalling’ strategies in competitive battling before. Lena vaguely recalled hearing about a Trainer with a Wobbuffet in Kalos doing something similar… but to lock a Trainer into a scenario where they could only watch as their team slowly succumbed to Stealth Rock… It was a little terrifying. Especially coming from a kid. “William… how did you even — why would you even come up with a strategy like that?”

“You think that’s bad? That’s not even my strategy. Even more annoying strategies existed online. They actually had to implement an “Infinite Battle Clause” and a Turn Limit because two guys figured out how to make a battle never end . And those were only two Pokémon on the team I listed, there could be another four waiting still…” William said with a shrug, letting Lena take a moment to realize that giving free access to a battle simulator would allow people to have a lot of time to craft… monstrosities.

“How do you make a battle never end? Your Pokèmon are going to get tired eventually, right?”

“Not on a simulator like Showdown… we didn’t have any Pokémon to actually try these strategies, we had to learn the pitfalls ourselves… for better and worse.”

“Well, okay, how did they make the battle not end on this... ‘Showdown’?

“Um, I think it was two Wobbuffets trapping each other while unable to hurt each other. And a few programming bugs made it so that nobody could do anything. Don’t quote me on that though, I don’t remember the specifics...”

Lena stared for a moment, her mind giving the brief image of two blue statues, staring at each other for all of eternity… the sun rising and falling with the moon day in and out…the mental image enough to prompt a half-snort. 

‘Still, the idea of that… I’m not sure I’m glad you don’t want to catch specific Pokémon to see if anything like that will work in the real world, or nervous that you’ll have open availability to do so if you change your mind.’ Lena mused to herself before sitting back in the booth while thinking on the strategy…

It was odd to her, William coming up with a scenario where the opponent couldn’t attack, and kept getting switched into a hazard like Stealth Rock. Repeatedly, and… especially since he’s shown he isn’t used to seeing Pokémon get hurt.

Despite this, Lena frowned as she thought it over again, not wanting to discourage William from opening up. He seemed interested in talking about this on his own accord, a far cry from how he was on Route 2, Lena taking a sip of her coffee, now cool enough to enjoy.

The strategy was a gimmick, clearly… it could be effective, but… “It’s… risky, and it would take a lot of luck, especially if the opponent has a Pokémon resistant to Rock, like Lucario, or if you miss, the opponent could shut you down. Your Pokémon could run out of energy and be unable to use Roar or Dragon Tail… even a Leppa Berry would only be a temporary stop-gap…”

William nodded in agreement, but winced at Lena’s comments. “True… that’s just one example… but the point isn't that the strategy is risky.” William said as he leaned forward while taking a sip to finish the rest of his Oran Juice. “The point is… that the League's Rules allow the strategy to exist. It’s not against the rules whatsoever.”

“Right, but… Trainers and spectators would call it what it is, a gimmick, and once you find out how to break the gimmick, your team falls apart.”

William shrugged, but nodded in agreement. “I don’t disagree, it would annoy people, or people online will hate it, but the League set a limit for manual switches in their match, but gives an exception for moves that automatically switch a Pokémon out. Which means someone can always defend it as a ‘legal’ strategy, even if you disagree with it personally.”

At Lena’s frown, William continued with his own frown while he glanced at the table. “I don’t like stall strategies like that, but I know it could be useful depending on the opponent. Personally, I would want to be more… in control, and not depending on such a narrow strategy gives you more options in the long run…” William glanced out at the window, working his jaw before continuing. “I don’t enjoy seeing Pokémon in pain… it’s a lot different from a screen, but I can acknowledge that Toxic or Stealth Rocks are useful tools in battle…”

Lena couldn’t help but sip her coffee, just nodding. “I think that… thinking about setups and rules like that does help in planning, but it matters more about how you and your team react on the fly. Not everything can be broken down into a string of moves you can use in the same order to ‘win’. Someone will always outsmart you.”

“I know, but… I’d like to be prepared… especially since I need to get Badges without Charon, or try too at least…” William muttered, looking a tad morose with a frown forming before suddenly the ‘clink’ of a server tray made him snap up. Clarissa had returned with seven to-go boxes stacked, a pile of three and four, along with a plastic thermos for the coffee.

“Here’s your order! Is there anything else I can get you today?”

“A-Ah, no, thank you so much…” William said before Lena could. “If you could, can the check be split by our respective orders…?”

“Of course! I’ll be right back with it!” Clarissa said as she headed up to the front, leaving William to glance at the slight tower of food…

“Shouldn’t be too heavy… right?” William said as he glanced at his backpack, most likely trying to figure out if he can put the food inside. Lena rolled her eyes and shook her head. 

“Still not letting you carry your bag until tomorrow. Doctor’s orders, you know. I’ll help you put it in and carry both of our bags to the park.”

William sighed, his body language clearly hoping Lena forgot about that as she moved over and helped him organize everything into their bags. She then carefully poured the rest of the coffee into the plastic thermos and sealed it, putting it in the front pocket, closing it up before slinging both her and William’s bags on her shoulders. Turning to the young Trainer, Lena saw he had his Pokédex out, clearly to make sure he could pay and Lena couldn’t try anything. She still rolled her eyes with a smile as Clarissa came back with two pay devices for their bill.

Payment went quickly enough through her Fine Styler and William’s Pokédex, and Clarissa bid them a great day which they returned. Lena then turned to William and made a motion with her head as she headed for the door. “Come on, let’s find a place to eat at the park. Never actually been to Aspertia long enough to visit, so it’ll be nice for some sightseeing.”

William nodded and stayed behind her as they walked out, though Lena’s mind continued to turn a bit about the switch strategy that William suggested… 

‘If you weren’t so adamant about not wanting to be eye-catching to others, I would be more worried… good thing is that Viridi is the only one who can learn such a switch move for you, or I’d be more worried than about what evil thing you’d create.’  

The morning continued to wear on, Clarissa took a breath as she walked away from her current table of an elderly couple, her mind running through everyone she had to check in or serve… 

As she did so, she noticed the man in the suit at the counter continued to sip his current drink, making Clarissa mentally sigh and walk over to him. “Do you need anything else, sir?“ Clarissa asked from behind the counter, her tone keeping her customer service tone as she watched the business man down the last bit of the current shot of espresso that he had ordered. ‘ Twins above, why would you need seven different cups with seven shots of caffeine? What company makes you work on Sunday that you need that much? ’

“Ah, no thank you ma'am, I’ve got all I need…” He started as he folded the newspaper neatly on the counter along with the napkin he had been endlessly scribbling on the entire time. 

“Of course sir, if I can just have a card for payment?” Clarissa asked, the man nodding as she glanced at the word search the man had been working on for the past half-hour…

...Wow. he was terrible at crosswords.

4 Across: Kantonian Noodle: Laws

12 Down: “Me too”, formally: Dr.Yagokoro

10 Across: Muscular Pokémon: Sheltered?

7 Down: Wood-cutting tools: Showdown

9 Across: “There’s a storm brewing”: BatonPass

11 Across: Not genuine : PaldeaPDex

15 Down: Not serious, appear clever: Knowledgeable

19 Across: Study of the biosphere and the Earth's atmosphere on time scales: NoPokémon 

Clarissa wasn’t the best at crosswords, but ‘laws’ isn’t the right answer to a 4-letter Kantonian noodle. It was obviously ‘miso’.

The man pulled out his wallet to fish for his credit card, and Clarissa noticed an Interpol ID card in the clear plastic sleeve in the front.

‘Guess that explains all the coffee. Was probably on night shift… oh, wait…! ’

“We have our complementary Jenny’s discount for active-duty officers!” Clarissa said as she suddenly remembered the discount list she could offer.

The man seemed a bit surprised at this, and looked around quickly before setting down again. “No thank you. It’s on the company card anyway.” He said as he pressed the card in, and tapped through the menu to pay. After he did so, he grabbed the newspaper and shoved it under his arm before having a polite smile that seemed… planned, too careful.

What a strange man. At least he tipped well.

Chapter Text

Chapter 17 - The Story Of Us — Part I

Viridi stared out at the ‘park’ as Hive Leader had called it, observing while she ate her breakfast. A collection of Cheri and Oran Berries cut up with leafy, if slightly bitter greens that towered above her head. Though, in her excitement, Hive Leader had to stop her from eating the white ‘sty-row-foam’ that Hive Leader said wasn’t food despite how it crunched…

This is why Viridi followed Hive Leader — she never got food like this in her old hive. He’s kind even when still healing! 

Nevertheless, Viridi ate slowly and looked out among the younger humans in the park running about, or on their knees. The ones that caught her curiosity were the ones on their knees, holding some sort of colored stick and dragging it against the ground.

“Hive Leader.” She started after finishing her current bite, turning her whole body around to face him as he ate his own stack of some sort of ‘warm’ food he called a pancake. “What small humans doing? With colored stick?”

Hive Leader swallowed his own food, and took a drink of water to wash it down before glancing out at the playground to see what Viridi was referring to. “Ah, they’re drawing, using chalk.”

“What is chalk? Is chalk food?”

“No, it would probably hurt to eat chalk. Please don’t try…” He laughed before pausing. “Hm, you can probably make a painting with berry juice like chalk though…” Hive Leader muttered, before turning to Charon, who laid on the ground behind the tree they were under. 

He was staying out of sight from most Trainers while two cups of the steaming liquid lay in front of him that Lena Wini Red was also drinking. That Hive Leader would turn to Charon at all though, Viridi feel… confusion.

She saw how Hive Leader would look to Charon for more information before giving it to Ronin or Viridi, or ask an in-depth question. She saw her old Hive Master do similar, but that was with Pokémon, not from another human, a Trainer.

The voices of the forest often said that a Trainer’s voice is the law among their ‘Hive’. A Trainer had access to techniques and knowledge that went beyond what anyone in the forest may know or learn without the guidance of a human hand.

Her new Hive Leader, and even Lena Wini Red, of the other Hive, didn’t… match her expectations.

She asked why Hive Leader would ask Charon questions about training, back a moon ago when he was preparing to sleep in that fluffy human nest…

“Charon helps me fill in the gaps between what I don’t know… he gives me advice on what I should do or say when I dunno how best to answer or move forward.”

“Charon. He your Hive Leader? Is why you ask him?”

“In a sense, I guess… but he… guides me. That’s why I came up with the name Charon for him. Though I, as well as he, can disagree if we feel differently about something.” 

“Why disagree? Trainer Hives listen to Hive Leader Trainer. No matter what. If Hive needs defense. Hive focus on defense.”

Hive Leader looked concerned while shifting up slightly from where he was laying and looking at Viridi. “What… gives you that idea?”

“Forest Pokémon. In Other Hives. Word of Trainers travel.”

Hive Leader’s expression relaxed. “Ah… well, maybe for some Trainers, but… you have as much of a voice in the Team — er, Hive, as Ronin or Charon… I don’t want to force any of you to do anything, and I don’t… I don’t wanna make a wrong decision.” 

“Viridi not understand. Trainer Hives decide. Trainer Hive follows.”

Hive Leader played with his cover for a moment before speaking. “Do… Do you think your Hive Leader knew how to be a Hive Leader when they were a Venipede?”

“Hive Leader not Venipede. Venipede not know how to be Hive Leader. Hive Leader is Scolipede.” Viridi stated, her head tilting in confusion at the idea of a Venipede being a Hive Leader, the idea silly to think about!

Hive Leader nodded. “Right… I'm closer to… Venipede, maybe Whirlipede, then a Scolipede. Charon however, can and has more experience battling or using moves than… well, anyone in our group does.”

“Even those from Lena Wini Red?”

“That’s not her… you know what, close enough, but yeah. Charon hasn't fought in… a while, but he has more practical experience… I may have ideas as the Trainer, but Charon can help put those ideas into workable methods with advice.” 

Hive Leader shrunk into himself, rubbing his shoulder. “I don't know how to train Pokémon, and I want to make sure I do the best I can for you and Ronin… but I may not listen to him all the time, because of personal differences or feelings, but I can recognize that what he went through helped shape his view. Hopefully, we can come up with something that works—”

“—chi Berries though would be a mess to clean up, especially if it was warm and humid… hey. Viridi. Bossy bug.” Charon’s voice brought Viridi's attention out of her own memory and towards the Typhlosion, who stared at her with a raised eyebrow. After a second he let out a huff and turned to Hive Leader. “William, were there any Hopo Berries in her food? She’s spacey.”

“Viridi not spacey. Viridi is ‘Comfrey Bugg’!” She protested, vibrating in place and making Hive Leader sigh, before poking Charon in the face. The old Fire Type blinked in surprise and then looked at Hive Leader with a flat expression.

“Charon, no antagonizing.” Hive Leader stated, making Charon roll his eyes and settle back down. Viridi feel a bit of satisfaction, and… warmth, seeing the interaction, like the Cheri Berries in her breakfast. 

The scene was reminiscent of Old Hive Master scolding another Venipede back in her forest. Back in her old home… granted, with the ages reversed. 

Her new Hive acted similar to her old, even though Ronin was not a Venipede, he still acts like one would. Looking up to Hive Leader or Charon, someone above their ‘job’, seeing if they can do something or if what they are doing is right…

And of course, like her old Hive, names held a significant importance. She had heard that not all Trainers name their team; the notion confusing to even think about. She felt worried when Hive Leader said ‘Comfrey Bugg’ was not her name, but when Hive Leader named her ‘Viridi’, the almost vibrating warmth that filled her body nearly made her vibrate out of her exoskeleton.

Yet… the differences still confused her. Reminded her she didn’t understand Trainer Hives outside of the limited information she would get from Pokémon of the forest, or of Old Hive Master’s encounters.

She nibbled on the leafy part of her food, her mind spinning as she turned back to Charon who had resumed laying down as if taking a nap, yet his mugs were now empty of the bitter liquid.

She understands Charon's role of ‘guide’ for Hive Leader, and that Hive Leader was a long, long way from home… but would Hive not break down if every member felt different on what to focus on? Even when Hive Master would get advice, he would make the final decision, and the Hive would follow.

Why were they traveling with another Hive? Hives in the forest never combined… worked together, yes, but never combined. A group too big was easy picking… easy prey… 

If a decision for any member of the Hive came not from Hive Master, Hive would fall… like Hive Master fell.

Viridi stopped mid-bite for a moment, her entire body shivering as a bubbling toxin lay in her stomach. She couldn’t think about that. Not while she had to focus on her new Hive.

Turning to Red Fighting Lady… Lena Wini Red, Viridi narrowed her eyes slightly as she thought about how she had even said that ‘bad people’ might want to hurt William because she traveled with them. She was clearly the leader of her Hive, with Big Yellow Aunty Oshawott Rina, and Trickster Dark Knight Arthur always deferring to her orders or instructions. 

Yet… she was like her Hive Leader, letting her Hive members have input, choose… Rina seemed really close to Ronin, almost akin to the adult Scolipede in old Hive. Even now, she was giving the young Oshawott advice on certain moves as they shared the same Type as they ate. If Viridi didn’t know beforehand, she could have mistaken Rina for a part of her own Hive.

Arthur appeared much more comfortable staying closer to his Hive Leader as he ate. Viridi knew that Pokémon like Trickster Dark Knight are sneaky, yet deathly loyal to their own Hive Leader. It is why she called him Blue Walking Herdier, how he would stay close to Lena Wini Red no matter the time. 

Even then, he would seemingly… scold Lena for drinking the bitter liquid. Even Hive Leader agreed with Arthur’s declaration that Ronin could have none of it, despite Charon grumbling about them being ‘sugar-addicts’.

There were too many questions she had, too little she understood… 

Yet, she remembered when the Little Yellow Human tried to help the Scolipede, despite clearly not knowing how or what to do, and how Little Yellow Human grabbed her and pulled her away from the angry invader.

She also remembers how she couldn’t do anything to stop Little Yellow Human from getting hit, and could only watch and warn him as he tried to help Lena Wini Red who had pulled him away before.

Even then he still got grazed, and had to get help from the funny smelling building and the Old Fairy Healer.

Despite that… Little Yellow Human looked at her, and gave her a name, a place in his Hive when she had lost her own. 

Viridi felt a hand touch her, shivering as she turned her head, seeing her new Hive Leader with a small smile and petting her as he had finished his breakfast. As she glanced around, she noticed most of the other Hive had already finished their food as well, cleaning up their space and getting ready to leave.

She turned back to her Hive Leader, her eyes staring up at own warm expression. She may not understand how a Trainer’s Hive, or even her Hive Leader’s Hive works yet, but she would get stronger in it. She will live up to her name of Viridi, and her job of ‘Comfrey Bugg’. No matter how many things she’ll have to learn or adjust to.

The morning sun felt different from the day before. The sun yesterday was a gentle warmth that bled through the shade as they ate their special breakfast, and Rina recalled it being like a calming blanket for an equally quiet day.

The sun directly beamed down on them like a warm, welcoming hug as they walked up to the famous Aspertia City lookout.  It was as if the clear blue sky and warmth of the sun was telling them ‘we welcome you to this world’. Rina felt even more warmth bubbling inside her heart at seeing Ronin’s expression and eyes grow wide looking out, most likely having been in a lab for most of his time before joining their group.

Today, however? The sun energized her, making her insides jitter like an Elekid in a thunderstorm. Rina kept bouncing on her heels as they headed towards a private training spot Lena scouted out earlier.

‘Maybe Lena is right to call Arthur and I battle junkies… I know she enjoys it just as much as well though, heh.’ 

The sound of William’s Poké Balls opening woke her up from her daydreaming. Ronin and Viridi instantly started looking around at their surroundings, while Charon stretched to his full height with a pop of his back, taking stock of the area.

“Alright, now that everyone’s here,” Lena’s voice cut in, “There’s a couple things we can work on today. First and foremost, William…” 

“Y-Yes?”

“You need practice issuing commands and improvising in battles. So you’re gonna partner up with Rina today and spar with me and Arthur.”

Rina immediately shot Arthur a competitive grin, which he returned with equal excitement. Lena cleared her throat before Rina could even begin a playful pre-battle taunt. “I won’t be using any aura communication with Arthur, so you don’t have to worry about that, but I want you to get used to issuing commands verbally. It kinda seems to me like you’ve developed some bad habits with Charon.”

William seemed a bit hurt but acknowledged it with a nod.

“Rina, follow his directions directly; don’t interpret or improvise. If he misspeaks, follow what he says exactly. For better and for worse.” 

“Don’t rush in with Ice Punch into a Solar Beam again, is what she’s saying.” Arthur teased.

“Yeah, and don’t show off either with Detect.” Rina quickly countered back.

Charon interjected before anyone else could continue. “While you’re doing that, I’m going to put these two through their paces, then. It’s high time they learn some fundamentals.” 

Lena frowned and was about to comment, but William interjected. “W-We talked about it before we came here… It’s nothing bad or anything... just some basic exercises and fundamental move techniques...” 

“Well… if you talked about it, that’s fine. There should be another clearing through the trees…” Lena said, but not without shooting a slight side eye between Charon and William.

The old ghost only huffed, crossing his own arms before staring down at Viridi and Ronin. “Alright, you two. Follow me, and I’ll explain what you'll be doing once we get there.”

‘Aww… I’m not gonna be able to help Ronin! He just learned Water Gun too…’ Rina couldn’t help but think to herself with a twinge of disappointment as the Typhlosion walked through the trees and leaves with the two smaller Pokémon in toe.

Lena turned back to Rina and William. “Now, I know you haven’t partnered with Rina before, so I’m going to give you twenty minutes of prep time on the other side of the field. Do whatever you want, but once that time is up, you’re gonna be facing me and Arthur.”

William looked a tad nervous at Lena’s serious expression, but nodded and tapped at his Xtransceiver to set a timer. “Alright… I guess we should get started then…” William said before turning to Rina and making a motion to the other side of the field with his head.

As Rina followed him, she already started raising her arms up, letting her muscles strain slightly as she stretched. “So… where do you want to—” She let out a breath as she released the stretch, moving her arm across her chest and pulling. “—start then…? We can talk about moves first.”

William thought for a moment, his eyes turning back to Lena and Arthur, seeing them do their own stretches and pre-spare workouts. With a bit of hesitation, he mirrored Rina’s pose, pulling his right arm across his chest… “W-Well… hm… I’m… not sure, we could do moves or… even how Arthur fights…” 

“Well, Arthur’s straightforward…” Rina started, an eyebrow raising as she watched William try his best to mimic her. “He’s good with maneuvering, nimble, and can block a move with his Aura staff… but that’s not gonna really help in the end. I know how he fights already, and he knows how I fight.”

“R-Right, but… ah… I’m not sure how either of you fight… I know you were holding back s-slightly…” William paused as he shifted, mirroring Rina’s pose as she bent to touch her toes. “...D-During the battle with Charon — fuck…”

It was clear he was straining himself beyond what he recovered. Rina held her pose, but glanced over at him. “Hey now, you don’t need to mirror me… you’re still healing. Lena only let you off ‘house arrest’ because you insisted to her you were fine.”

“I-I… am… just need to—damn hamstrings…!”

William finally managed to reach his toes. He started to push himself up, but stopped to take a breath with his hands on his knee, letting him glance over to see Rina’s expression. “I am fine… I’m not going to get any better just sitting around… plus… Ronin was getting anxious about training, so didn’t want to sit about any longer…”

Rina felt the déjà vu hit like a wave from Surf. ‘Not going to get better just sitting around… where have I heard that before… even his expression is—’ 

WHOOSH!

Rina yanked her head across the field at the sound of rushing air, where Arthur flew through his warmups with his Aura Staff. His eyes focused forward in a state of Zen. Throughout it, Lena would nod, or glance over to Arthur, indicating she was clearly communicating with him silently.

Finally, the ringing Chingling struck her. “Arthur! That’s who you’re reminding me of!”

William turned to her, confusion written all over his face. “W-What?”

“Sorry, you’re just acting similar to Arthur after Lena and I pulled him out of the Mt. Coronet avalanche…you would have mistaken him for a sugar-addicted Spoink with how he acted right after. Almost like a newborn Riolu pup even though he was closer to my age…” Rina clarified before thinking a bit more. “Though, you’re more… you’re serious, but I’m not sure what the right word would be…”

“Thoughtful? Broody?” William suggested.

“You said it, not me.” Rina snarked.

William rolled his eyes with a smile as Rina continued. “The day after we pulled him out we were registering him to Lena to join us, but he could barely sit still long enough to get a proper look over… though, he did mellow out as time went on…”

“Age and experience tends to do that…” William murmured with a nod, before glancing over at Arthur as his expression started to turn… “I’m… maybe I’m assuming, but aren’t Lucario packs rare in Sinnoh nowadays? Did that avalanche…?”

The way William’s voice turned quieter, softer, instantly clued Rina into his own thoughts. ‘Ah. Way to go Rina, you forgot that William’s too perceptive.’

Instead of shying away… her own voice matched William’s tone. “...Yeah, we couldn’t find his pack. That’s why we took him in.”

Rina mulled over her thoughts as the memories of that time began to rise. . A light internal debate started within herself about if she should bring it up, but… since she already started… 

“It was one of Lena’s first official Missions when she graduated, I was still a Buizel myself.” Rina mussed while glancing over to Lena, her face looking younger for a brief moment. “We were just supposed to be backup support, so… we didn’t expect to find a Riolu’s paw sticking out of the snow while we were delivering supplies to the main Rangers and Ace Trainers.”

“We dug him out and warmed him up back at the base camp, but as I said, he ran off while also dragging Lena along…” Rina shivered, the echo of frost biting her once again as she remembered seeing her partner drifting into the cold, harsh, landscape by a young Riolu. She was trying to comfort some young Shinx herself, but bolted out to follow them once she noticed her partner’s voice trailing away. 

And then, he stopped and grabbed Lena and Rina directly and… “He showed us his own Aura sight, which was a shock, especially for Lena but… we could see the people and Pokémon under the snow with it.” Like lanterns in the snow, the weight of life and snow pressing down against them. “Then, we shifted from being seen as extra Rangers to one of the main groups locating people to get them help. Despite that…”

“We couldn’t find a trace of his pack whatsoever.” Rina stated, remembering discussing the topic with Lena after that day, when Arthur had finally tired himself out using his Aura enough to sleep. Even after the exhausting Mission, neither Rina or Lena could find it in themselves to rest with their thoughts swirling.

The Buizel was a bit confused about all the attention on the Riolu at first, and echoes of frustration rose as Rina remembered the insensitive questions people asked him, questions that were better fit for later.

…Once Lena explained, it made sense however. “The avalanche wasn’t the primary reason for his species' rarity in Sinnoh. Lucario and Riolu were already protected species in the Region for… eighty years, and to find one in the wild is an instant way to have questions directed at you. Rangers, conservationists, Lab Trainers, heck, even Gym Leaders at the time like Mr. Sumomo and his Lucario joined the search once news got out.”

“But… nothing, no bodies, no trace… even when the snow melted, nothing.”

“...And you think he was pushing himself to get stronger, to distract himself?” William asked, looking at Arthur now with an expression that did not fit his age.

“You know, I don’t think you’re allowed to have that level of perception. Charon isn’t here to cheat for you by looking into souls…” Rina said flatly.

Before William could protest as she saw him about to with a blush on his face, Rina realized something. “Speaking of… it's a surprise you can still understand me, considering he’s far enough away that I can’t hear him or the others…”

William froze, his train of thought derailed. “W-Well, er…” 

“You don’t have to share… I’m sorry if it’s… personal, or…” Rina already started seeing the telltale sights of William clamping up and Squirtleing inward like before. 

William said nothing for a moment, then two, before, to Rina’s surprise, he finally spoke. “It’s just… hard to explain… he linked to me via my soul, instead of using Aura like with Lena. I don't know the intricacies of how he does it, but it let me understand at a further range, and through Poké Balls we found out…”

“And that doesn’t strain him? Or you? Even Arthur can’t translate through Poké Balls… and Charon is old…” 

William half-snorted, smiling a tad. “He’s actually apparently gotten better with age, if you can believe it… he would call himself a ‘fine Hopo Berry wine’ until I told him I saw a few grey furs.”

Rina hid her laugh behind her arm as William’s smile mirrored hers, his shoulders relaxing. “The link isn’t much more than background noise to him and he’s the one maintaining it. It… helped a lot when trying to find him when I would ah… go off Route.“

William waved his hand in a way, as if nudging something. “Once I got close enough to the ghostly field, you know, the one he put up to ward Pokémon and people away? He would just be able to… ‘push’ me the right direction to go until I got close enough to communicate through the link fully to guide me to the meetup spot. Helped also keep wild Pokémon away who tried to bother me or him…”

“Only ever happened once or twice… but they learned why not too afterwards.” He said carefully, shivering slightly before shaking his head, as if to dispel the image.

Doing her best not to dwell on that frankly concerning idea, Rina hummed… her own curiosity overtaking her about the topic. “Huh… and how long did it take you two to figure out the soul-link-whatever? I know that most other Ghost or Psychic Types usually take a year on average once they meet their Trainer, unless they’ve known them all their life…”

The hesitation came back in an instant, but William had a careful expression on his face now. “... It was actually the first couple minutes we met… thought it was more out of necessity.”

“Huh?”

“I…” William paused, his right foot barely bouncing in place for a minute. Clearly debating what to say… “Waking up in a different place, not in your own bed that you fell asleep in, surrounded by forest echoing noises that seem alien, and… other things would make anyone panic I think.”

Before Rina could process that statement, he continued with a tilt of his head towards where Charon walked off with Viridi and Ronin towards. “Add in the fact that there's now an almost nine-foot ghostly fire badger standing in front of you with red eyes, and well… I’m lucky he was the first one who found me.”

For a moment, Rina didn’t see a young Trainer standing in front of her, carefully hugging himself as he glanced over towards the forest for where he last saw the closest thing to a family. No, instead she saw a young Riolu in a similar pose, shivering slightly and looking out towards what was a mountain of snow and rocks… his own pack, his family, nowhere in sight as someone taller than them stared above like a towering monolith. 

Then, she blinked, and the blue shifted to yellow, and the white of the snow turned to earthy greens and browns. William continued to stare in that direction, before turning back to notice Rina staring at him. He shifted uncomfortably before quickly speaking. “A-Anyways… just need to keep getting better as a Trainer, he’s already putting in more work than I am for training them, and… that’s not right for Viridi and Ronin. I’m their Trainer, it's my responsibility… to actually help them too.”

‘Oh Arceus, it’s like looking into a mirror for me too…’

Rina couldn’t hold back the memories now, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes as her own words echoed in her mind…  when she was the eldest Buizel in her Mama’s nest… 

‘It's my responsibility to help the youngest kits when our Mama can’t!’

Mama Floatzel needed the help, it was her responsibility, no one else…

‘Don’t worry… your big sister is here… I’ll stay with you until Mama feels well enough…’

Even if the worst didn’t happen she didn’t want them to realize… she wanted to keep them happy…

‘Come on, you can use Aqua Jet! Think of how proud Mama will be when she sees you using it!’

“—ina…? Rina? Are… are you okay?”

In an instant, Rina was pulled back to reality, finding William looking up at her with a look of concern on his face. “Oh… yeah. Yeah, fine… just thinking, you’ve reminded me of some things.”

William looked concerned, but just nodded and made a noise of acknowledgement, accepting Rina’s answer. Before he could say anything else, Rina raised a paw, getting his attention again. “Hey… William, just know it’s okay to ask for help with Ronin and Viridi, okay? I know you were kinda thrown into this whole Journey, but… you’re a good kid, despite how tight-lipped you are.”

‘Let me give you the help I would have liked.’

Her thoughts went unsaid. But that didn’t matter. William flustered at her compliment. “U-Uh, thank you… I-I know, just…I don’t want — I don’t want to be… spoiled by other help.”

Before she could protest, he continued while rubbing his left arm slightly. “I feel bad enough that I don’t really know how to train Pokémon… not something you go over in school or basic battle simulator… it was always ‘just fight’, but not the how beforehand… so flying by the seat of my pants…”

He quickly raised his hands and waved them in front of him back and forth, halting anything Rina was about to say. “N-Not that I’m not grateful! You’ve done more than you’re o-obligated to with Ronin, and I can’t thank you enough for teaching him Aqua Jet early. And I know Arthur said he wanted to show him how to stand properly with a weapon, and…”

“I just, it means a lot to me, but I need to learn how to train as well so I can be an actual Trainer too… That means getting over whatever hang ups I have, and adjusting to actually commanding and not… freezing.” He finished with a grimace.

“And you will,” Rina said with a finality, making William turn to her. “You’re a quick learner like Arthur actually, but it's okay to make mistakes… I mean, Arthur might learn quickly, but even he made mistakes…”

William glanced over to the Lucario, who Rina could see from the corner of her eye that he was doing an elaborate, effortlessly looking multi-strike ‘warm-up’ towards the open air.

‘Way to not ‘show off’ Arthur.’ Rina grumbled to herself, noting William’s expression. Instead, she lowered her voice and carefully leaned closer to William. “Here’s something Arthur wishes I would forget…. He started learning Dig half-way through the Mt. Coronet Mission, just from watching me use it to pull people out of the ground…”

“Then, two days later, he made an eight-foot hole overnight from Dig to show Lena he learned the move and used it outside her tent so she could see it when she woke up… not realizing that humans take a couple minutes to wake up sometimes.” 

Rina barely held back a snicker as William’s expression shifted to one of incredulous amusement. “She barely caught herself from falling in, but you should have heard the yelp she made.”

William couldn’t hold back his own giggles even through his own fist, Rina finding herself unable to hold back as well with the memory resurfacing… ‘Oh, Arthur is going to chase me for telling that story, but it was worth —’ 

A loud, sharp beeping came from William’s wrist, making both of them jump. William quickly looked at his Xtransceiver and sighed. “Shoot… that was the halfway point… we’ve got ten minutes left before the battle…”

“I’m sorry… shouldn’t have gotten us distracted…” Rina started, shaking away the last of her giggles as she tried to refocus to be serious now… “We still need to go over moves…”

William nodded, but tapped his fingers on his Xtransceiver, his eyes narrowing in thought. “Actually… speaking of Dig… I might have an idea…”

“We don't have much time to flesh it out, so let me ask, if you use Dig, how much can you hear underground…?”

Chapter Text

Chapter 17 - The Story Of Us — Part II

The air popped as Water Gun contacted the weak Rock-Type-infused projectiles that Charon rolled their way. Ronin felt his chest swell with pride at having broken almost each one before it got close to him, but his chest would just as quickly contract as he breathed for air while looking for the next oncoming target.

Muck and dirt covered him from head to toe from the training, and scuffs from close calls ached on his sides as he panted. Unlike before, when the other Starter Pokémon would roughhouse back at the Professor's lab and Ronin cautiously stayed to himself… it didn't feel like his senses were screaming at him to get out of the way.

In fact, instead of avoiding, he was pushing back, gaining ground more than he 'defended'. Feeling the rushing current of Water Type energy inside him burst out at another incoming boulder, he smiled. 'Charon's advice really is helpful… I'd like to see any other Oshawott use Water Gun this fast… ' 

He had heard what Professor Juniper and the nice green hat lady had said about Starter Pokémon having the Ability to use moves of their Type stronger in times they were close to fainting. Charon's guidance made him feel like he could do it on command if he so chose. 

Though, it wasn't without trade-offs… Ronin could feel the dripping core of his Water Type energy slow the more and more he used the technique. He snarled at himself, his chest tight as he breathed in, squeezing every inch of his body to build his attack up. A Water Gun more than doubled his size bursted out towards his target once the pressure finally let loose.

The air and boulder cracked, the incoming obstacle giving way with the torrent of water that punched right through it. Still, he forced his attack to continue for another moment, before his own gasping cut it off entirely. His entire body felt drained, weighted…

A sharp whistling noise which caused Ronin to freeze for a moment, making him turn to their 'instructor' for today as that was the signal for the end of this exercise. With his arms crossed and expression stern, Charon stared at them with an intensity equally matched by the embers that crackled around his collar.

Still… Ronin didn't feel intimidated. He felt glad Charon was taking his request for training seriously. He needed to be stronger… 

'I can't let William get hurt again.' 

Ronin stated this to Charon at the beginning of the training when he asked for his reason why they needed to get stronger. It was a rhetorical question, one clearly meant for themselves to think about, but he didn't miss how the Typhlosion's eyes had a brief warmness at his declaration.

Faux burning commands and directions immediately replaced the warmness, but Ronin still didn't miss it.

As he walked over, he saw how his… 'partner' had done.

Viridi was moving from the other side of the field, looking near spotless, as if not a speck of dirt had collected on her body from the exercise. She said nothing and paid Ronin no mind and crawled over to where Charon stood as he instructed them to do beforehand. Her boulders were unshattered, and all gathered near the edges of the makeshift arena where they had come to a stop from losing momentum. 

The rocks had sizzling needles poking out of them that bore into the rock face, slowly disintegrating it. The trail the boulder took was visible from the broken needles on the ground from it rolling over them.

Ronin recalled her body looking like it was gliding across the ground with how fast she was skittering out of the way of the incoming projectiles. She would then halt once in a safe position and send another volley of Poison Sting at the target she avoided. None of them contacted her as she avoided them all, compared to how a couple of incoming rocks had grazed Ronin in the beginning. 

The Water Type couldn't help but feel like the dirt on his body from the boulders were a bit of a mark on his performance now. 

He kept his expression level despite the light jealousy as he continued to walk to Charon and stopped in front of him next to Viridi. He forced his body to stand straight and looked up at the old ghost with attention, unflinching in the piercing gaze of crimson eyes. 

"This was only part one of the training this week. I hope you are both aware." He started, Ronin feeling the air around them get hotter, and dared not look away. "William plans to schedule the Gym Battle for the end of the week. Are you going to give up before then?"

"No!" Ronin shouted, even with his throat being a tad sore from the repeated use of Water Gun.

"Hive Leader said to train. Why Charon asking if Hive give up?" Viridi asked, her demeanor nowhere near the level of energy Ronin was putting into the training.

Ronin glanced in her direction, doing his best to hold in his faint frustration as Charon spoke again. "Well, since you are so excited, let's try to push your limits little by little…"

Charon's collar burst into ghostly flames waving in the wind, a smaller will-o-wisp building up at the base of each. Growling slightly and tilting his head upwards, the wisps flew up into the air. Ronin followed with his eyes as they fell down to earth with no influence from the wind or gravity. 

The purple embers took spots around the makeshift training ground, some on top of the deformed boulders, some disappearing hidden behind them. All hovering in place and bright, the tips flickering in an unseen wind on a string. "On my mark, you will touch as many embers as you can in the allotted time. You may not use moves, only use your body's natural abilities. Do not hesitate to charge through. View them as an opponent threatening to run through you into William. You need to be physically fast, think quickly, and decisively!"

Ronin nodded in determination while he readied himself. Taking a deep breath, Ronin looked around at the wisps… his eyes quickly locating the closest ember hovering above the ground… 

'I can get there in no time with Aqua Jet, but Charon's right. I can't always rely on my moves. I have to be physically strong enough to push myself there as well… especially if I need to push William out of the way.'

The thought made Ronin tremble, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. The sound of a miniature fiery burst behind them echoed into the sky soon after, and Ronin could feel the faint wave of heat from the force of it. Ronin broke into a spring onto the field, directly towards the closest flame.

To his dismay, Viridi reached a purple ember first, with her body leaping through as the flame vanished on contact. Ronin let out a noise, but quickly shifted towards the second closet ember without hesitating. He leaped over a small pile of rock slush to touch one flame, vanishing just as the previous.

Speed and navigation, that's what this training was for, and Ronin didn't have either of them to the same level as Viridi…. 

'Not yet… I'm sorry Oshawott, I haven't found another Trainer eligible for Starters… I will through, I promise. I'll find a Trainer for you.'

He pushed himself forward while holding onto the words of Professor Juniper. She promised to find him a Trainer, and she did. 

He has to keep the promise he made to his Trainer now.

His muscles burned and his small lungs aching as he forced more and more air through his body. He slid between two boulders that were close together to snag another ember, even as his mind whispered to him to keep going.

'Do you feel… lost? Like, you don't feel like you belong with others, or you aren't sure you fit in?'

The words of his Trainer only added fuel to his fire. He trudged up a mountain of muddy slush that was the same height as him, kicking off it with all his might to reach another flame face first. Even with the flames being more Ghost Type energy than Fire, he felt warm as he thought about why he needed to get stronger.

'Why don't… Why don't we find our own place together, then? If you want…'

He didn't slide down; he leaped off the small mountain and was off again. Ignoring how Viridi, skittering forward with speed that made her hard to follow even from the corner of his eye. 

Ronin still tracked her despite it, ensuring he wasn't on her path to one, as he knew he couldn't beat her in speed. He mentally tailed that Viridi had five, and almost to her sixth flare 

He was only on his fourth as he leaped through his latest one, already looking for the next target. Frustration rose when he realized he was behind, before freezing as a voice that wasn't Charon's called out. "Time! Come on back…"  

From the corner of his eye, he noticed Virid climb down from the pile of rocks and dirt she was on top of and started crawling away. Ronin wheeled around to the voice to see William next to Charon, and then to the left of the field, Ronin saw Rina, Arthur, and Lena standing a small bit away.

Both Rina and Arthur looked lightly scuffed from the practice battle he remembered Lena speaking about having William do. Though Arthur looked entirely soaked with water and mud, much more than Ronin himself was.

The sight of Rina eased a bit of Ronin's frustration… though he had to force a bit of a smile as he waved and smiled at her while heading back to Charon and William. The two of them were having a silent conversation of some kind as they usually do, Ronin could tell based on their eyes twitching slightly in each other's direction. Though, Ronin knew that he probably wasn't the best at hiding his frustration and… worry, judging how William's eyebrows furrowed and looked concerned.

'What is William going to say?'

William kneeled down, crossing his legs as he had his Pokédex out. His expression from before turning into a warm smile while glancing between the two of them and the screen. "Alright, you two did great, and I'm getting an idea of what to focus on for both of you…"

The dirt and muck that covered Ronin's body felt heavier, as if punctuating how he felt about his own performance. The way William turned to him first lifted it almost instantly. "To start, Ronin, the control you have with Water Gun is amazing for someone who just learned it. Even if you didn't use Strong Style at the end, I'd still say it's almost on a par with how hard you can hit someone with Aqua Jet without it. That's awesome for someone who just learned the move a couple of days ago." 

Pausing for a moment, William typed something into the Pokédex and looked thoughtful. "...However, what you want to focus on is up to you… you have two options we can focus on. We will focus on both in the long term, but which would you rather focus on now? Physical or Special? Close up, or ranged?"

Ronin spoke up quickly with his decision. "Physical, I don't want to be slow. I want my body to be strong."

William raised a hand, looking firm but still gentle. "Just so you know, one's mobility is not the same as… strength. For example, Viridi has mobility on her side, but she's… squishy." William explained while motioning to Viridi.

Punctuating his point, William gently leaned forward and poked Viridi on her middle abdomen, slightly squishing downwards just barely. After he moved his hand away, the Venipede chittered and buzzed in response. "Hive Leader squished Viridi. Why Hive Leader squish Viridi?"

"To get a point across… you're fast, and can get across a field easily, but a couple hits might drain you quickly unless..." William trailed off, typing on his Pokédex. "Viridi, you know Defense Curl, correct?"

"Rolling defense move. Viridi knows move."

"Can you show me real quick?"

Almost instantly, Viridi curled up on herself. The segments of her body shining soon after, appearing more reflective from Ronin's view.

After a moment, William reached forward and pressed down again on the similar spot. This time, his finger wasn't able to press down at all. It was firm all the way across. "Huh… so that's how it feels…" 

William started muttering under his breath, clearly in his own mental tangent before flicking his eyes to Ronin. "You know what, I'm curious… I'm sorry, Ronin, can you use Tail Whip on Viridi?" He asked before he shifted back for a moment. 

Ronin glanced back at William, making sure he backed up enough before he shook his lower body. He felt the Normal Type energy that was so… empty of definition, yet flexible, malleable. His tail wagged back and forth with the energy towards Viridi. She trembled as it washed over her, clearly impacted even though she couldn't see the move.

After his performance, William reached forward and pressed down gently again to see his fingers giving the same amount of give as before Viridi used the move. He hummed as he looked a bit perplexed. "Viridi, how do you feel? …You can uncurl now, sorry." Viridi's body rolled out again, retaking her original pose as she looked up at William. 

"Viridi feel normal. Why Hive Leader squish Viridi?"

"Just trying to understand the physical effect between stat raising moves and lowering moves on the body…" William said with a sigh, shaking his head. "Nevermind, sorry… alright… give me a moment to get thoughts in order…" Closing his eyes for a moment, William took a deep breath while Charon stared down at the two. His crimson eyes flicked back and forth before glancing at William with their silent discussion.

As they did this, Ronin glanced over to Viridi. She glanced back with her own stare that gave nothing away about her thoughts, how she felt about the training, nothing. She made her speed look effortless in a way that Ronin felt almost… guilty for not being able to be as fast.

He always heard how a Starter Pokémon is the cornerstone of a Trainer's team, and even saw how the green hat lady's Emboar stood like a monolith above all the other Pokémon at the lab. He had a physical presence as he stood next to her while she took notes on some new Pokémon the Professor had brought, protective, a wall…

And then there were the videos he saw Professor Juniper watch of a Trainer in a blue jacket and red cap, with a Samurott standing to him. The fully evolved Water Type could draw his seamitar faster than the camera could pick up, cutting through an attack before moving forward to strike. Formidable in every way, and a showcase of the final evolution of what he could become for William.

"Alright, I have a plan… I think." His Trainer suddenly spoke, before looking up for a moment as if double checking. He nodded after a second and turned to Viridi. "Viridi, you're fast and nimble, but you are going to need to break through moves. Next time we train, Charon is going to teach you Agile and Strong Rollout since you'll need to pick up those techniques early on to help learn how to use them for other moves as well. Do you have any objections?"

"Viridi will… listen to Charon. Hive Leader's command." She responded, William waiting a moment before nodding and smiling, seeming to relax a little. 

"Thank you… I know that this differs from what you're used to back at your own hive... but Charon can help with Rollout better than I can. You'll need to get a feel for how Agile and Strong moves work like Ronin does now." William explained, making Viridi look between Charon and Ronin above with a blank expression in her eyes before making a chitter of acknowledgement. 

Even with a bit of faint smug joy at getting Charon's advice down first, Ronin kept his expression serious as William turned to him. "Now… I know you want to focus on your physical abilities… Tell me what you mean by that."

"I… I want to get faster, better."

"Right… but faster at what? You already said you don't want to be slow, but what does that mean for you?" William gently pressed. "You're excellent at reacting and making split-second decisions in your head, even if the speed isn't there yet to follow it. Charon and I both saw how you kept track of where Viridi was and decide what target to go for next so you wouldn't be fighting her for an ember. That's even with the fact that she was going fast enough that it was hard for either of us to keep track of her."

"That's awesome. I will not understate your accomplishments. We can train to focus on just general speed and physical strength if you want to improve it more. That means we'll look for a physical move to work on learning well, but we'll also focus on skills under that umbrella that can extend beyond physicality. Like… reaction time, for example. What do you think?" William asked, making Ronin look down for a moment at his own scalchop…

The ability to react… to strike back against those who challenge his Trainer, like the Samurott in the video cutting through the attacks with a single swing.

That's what he has to become. If he wanted to make sure the Trainer who promised him a family, a place he could belong, says safe.

'If I can't be faster than Viridi… I just need to react faster.' Ronin thought to himself, nodding as he gave his answer to William, without mentioning the Venipede. 

His Trainer smiled and nodded. "Alright, if that's the case then I think the best option for you next would be to learn Razor Shell… which means using Water Type energy through your scalchop. Charon says Slash would be better, but I think Razor Shell would give more utility at the moment, and allow you to test how to flow Type Energy through your scalchop." 

William leaded back with a thoughtful expression. "I'll see if I can find videos of other Oshawott or Dewott using it, but for now, focus on slashing motion with your scalchop with both left and right flippers. When you evolve, you're gonna get two of them, so might as well adjust to both sides now and start building a reaction to attacking or defending with either."

Ronin nodded with his own serious expression, but beamed at his Trainer's support and advice.

William stood up and stretched, letting out a relieved sigh. That sigh turned into a sharp grunt as he rubbed his left shoulder gingerly. "Dammit… keep forgetting how sore it still is…"

The smile flattered at that, even as Lena made a comment about wrapping it up for today so he can heal. Oshawott stared at his Trainer… the kindness, the helping guiding hand that he extended to him…Ronin had to get better, so no one could hurt William again.

He glanced over at Viridi, his eyes narrowing slightly. She may have joined their group suddenly, and she was nice to William, which is all Ronin needed to accept her… she was a family member…

'But that doesn't mean your speed will make you better than me, rival.' 

The words on the page slipped from Arthur, making him lose his spot and forcing him to return to the top of the page for the third time in the past hour.

Reading Of Courage, Of Tribute was usually good at letting him wind down after a day of training, but something wasn't… clicking this afternoon. Even though Lena mandated William and their teams rest the rest of the day after his shoulder bothered him, he still tried to insist on signing up for the Gym battle. Lena shut him down and dragged them all back to the Pokémon Center… but apparently he then went to use the Pokémon Center public computers to research something, making Lena go back out to coax him back into his room. 

…Or maybe it was because he got hosed down by Rina herself to clean off all the muck from her 'surprise' attack. Using Hydro Pump underground after using Dig wasn't what he expected her to do. Even with her using a different strategy and battle style with William who was still struggling to give more direct commands… 

At least she technically had to clean up her mess.

'Speaking of Rina…' Arthur glanced over and saw her lazing about on the couch of Lena's Pokémon Center room, snacking on Leppa Berries while watching the TV. The sound was low but still enough for her to at least make out the song in the Pokémon Musical performance from how she gently hummed the tune as she ate. 

"You didn't need to use Hydro Pump… though it was strong, I'll give you that…" Arthur started, turning the page he spent far too long on.

Rina swallowed her snack before responding. "It's been a while since I've used it, so it surprised me too. Besides, it was William's idea to spring a trap. Blame him, not me."

"Did he specifically say to use Hydro Pump?"

Rina smirked with a shrug, all but saying 'no.' "He tapped on the ground to signal me to strike without saying it verbally. He never specified how."

"Wasn't the whole point of the exercise to force him to use verbal commands?"

"Yeah, and he did. He's still a little shaky but… he's improving, remember that Protect call?" Rina said, making Arthur just nod… 

It was the last move of the battle, after Arthur went sky high by the underground Hydro Pump. Lena had told him to use Bone Rush before Rina used Dig, and he was still holding onto the move for when she jumped out…

Well, Rina jumped out after shooting him upwards. As Lena hadn't given another command, he maintained Bone Rush for an aerial strike while William and Rina struggled to find him. The young Trainer must have realized what was happening even if he didn't see Arthur, as he called a second before…

"Protect! A-Above you!"

It saved Rina from a surprise knockout, but Lena had called the spar there after Arthur jumped away... now covered head to toe in mud and water.

…He would be lying to say he was… not displeased, but he had to admit that the surprise attack did work by throwing him off. 

There were still smaller things William had to improve that Arthur noticed throughout the battle. Moments where William opened his mouth, before closing it and squeezed his hand for a moment, clearly struggling to think ahead…

'Rina is right, credit where it's due, William only learned Rina's moveset beforehand. He was probably struggling to sort through them…' Arthur mused for a moment, turning to the side before pausing as he noticed Rina's fixed expression, no longer focusing on the TV. "Rina, what's wrong?"

"It's just… I wish he would open up a bit more, if not for his sake, for Lena's then." The mention of their partner made Arthur pause and turn to her, seeing Rina's Aura swirl with worry, pondering, and slight frustration. "He's too wound up and seems hesitant to even ask for help." Rina started chewing a Leppa Berry a bit more aggressively than needed before leaning back. "It's just… I know he has a lot on his shoulders thrown onto him suddenly, especially for a… seven? Eight-year-old?"

"I… wouldn't be able to tell. William's Aura is so minuscule I can't discern anything from it…" Arthur murmured, putting the bookmark between the pages and closing his book. He could tell this conversation would be a bit from how Rina's Aura pulsed.

"I doubt even he really knows if he was separated from his parents at four or five…" Rina muttered before pressing forward. "He seems insistent… no, not insistent… scared of even opening up or asking others for anything. He tried to apologize for taking up my time for tutoring Ronin even."

"He's a good kid, but he's too independent, for good and bad. I can't tell if he's scared to speak up about home or before we met him because he sees it as bothersome, or some other reason." She said, throwing her paws forward and sighing. 

Arthur pulled himself away from the conversation and closed his eyes, focusing inward on his own Aura. The brilliant, burning blue of tenacity and control, the core of what he is… 'Rina is right. William… he acts older than a seven or eight-year-old, taking his responsibility as Trainer seriously… too seriously.'

The blue flare flicked with hesitation… doubt creeping in. 'His hesitation towards giving any details is a red flag, however.'

Questioning and suspicion poisoned the bright blue Aura, turning it shades darker. 'He even originally tried to hide that his home had simulators for no reason. He hides so much about himself from the outside, including his knowledge, or misattributions with that knowledge… like Virizion.'

"I can understand your frustration…" Arthur started with a grunt, regaining Rina's attention as he crossed his arms. "Lena's Mission is to help guide, protect, and understand William and his origins. Our purpose as her partners is to assist her in that goal…" 

He barely held back a scowl. "Yet I didn't even consider that his lack of Aura may put him in harm's way, yet he clearly knew judging from his reaction back at the hospital. I can't help when he lies or misdirects because he has no Aura… or even detect that he was so heavily impacted by the Poison until it was too late…"

A soft sigh left the Floatzel as she shook her head. "Arthur, you're being too hard on yourself again. Even the doctors were confused about that. You're doing more than enough." At the frown of disagreement that formed on his face, Rina looked more pressed. "You're acting like William right now, taking too much onto yourself."

"Like he isn't akin to you as well? With the younger Buizel's in your mother's nest?" Arthur countered.

"I never said he wasn't… but he's putting too much on his shoulders when he's still healing them, literally! He even tried to schedule the Gym battle today until Lena shut it down! I hope that they're booked until next week when we go tomorrow…" Rina grumbled while shaking her head, glancing at the TV even as her attention was elsewhere.

Arthur turned the words Rina said in her mind… a slightly uncomfortable pit forming at the connections between William and themselves… and… "The similarities are… concerning. I mean, Lena… is like Charon, in a certain way."

"What do you mean?"

"...Do you… recall what I saw in Lena's Aura after the Victory Road collapse?" Arthur asked steadily and carefully, feeling his own as well as Rina's pang of darkness around each of their Aura's at the mention of that time.

"..Yeah. I… I do." Rina started, uncomfortable with the topic, but pressing on. "She… no, none of us were in a good place. Does Charon have the same… 'scars', as you called it?"

Arthur wordlessly nodded, thinking back to the first time he saw Charon's Aura. Back on Route 2. He couldn't even sense Charon through his Aura when they first tailed William off Route 2, and then when he revealed himself… 

Anger that looked ready to erupt underneath scars and cracks that paradoxically mixed with a cold indifference towards the 'intruders'. The wisps of red that filled his eyes almost had an Aura onto itself that made the bones inside Arthur tremble with fear even as he stood up to defend Lena in case. The air itself felt like it was weighing Arthur down, as if commanding him to yield.

Yet… there was also possessive protectiveness, a mix of warmth shielded by an outside haze of ghostly influence. As if saying — no, declaring: "This soul is not for you. He is under my protection. I will not hesitate to remove you if you threaten him."

William made Charon stand down, simmering anger and coldness vanishing into concern directed towards William, the same protectiveness lingering above. The flames of red across his gaze vanished, only to reveal red eyes just as piercing, and a collar of purple, ghostly energy.

Charon's Aura was old, older even than Arthur could recall ever seeing in his life. Yet, it was potent with otherworldly energy mixed with a burning drive that was befitting a dual Fire Ghost Type. 

Yet… the weight that Charon forced on them during that first encounter, he wore on his own Aura as well. Scars and cracks across the molten, ghostly core… along with… something deeper within that only he could see if he focused. But he ignored it, focusing instead on the 'injuries' around Charon's Aura… the pain inflicted by reality manifested.

'But what caused those injuries to you…?'

He had seen many of them from Pokémon and people in the last three years, Trainers who had their Pokémon 'liberated', Pokémon who couldn't find their Trainer anymore… or those who lost people during Route 10 and Victory Road's collapse. 

Lena bore them as well. Scabbed, and pushed deep down to move on… but Arthur could still see it, even Rina could tell just from how Lena acted sometimes. 

The scars from those who suffered and were trying to heal.

The other kind that Arthur saw… were from the criminals who let those scars on their Aura infect and become their new self, redefining them and corrupting all Auras around it given enough time...

And Arthur… wasn't sure which kind of Charon had. The words from William and Charon themselves, and even Lena's own internal thought he caught flying back…

"Charon's old Trainer. He… had one before me, but… he… isn't gonna want to open up about it though. Not yet, at least…."

'What made you want to stay behind…?'

"I was up long nights in the war."

"Charon has the weight and similar scars that Lena carries… but I can't see the true nature of them. I'd need to physically touch Charon as they are too old compared to Lena's, but… I can assume what they were from." Arthur murmured.

"...The Zdarovan Retaliation, whatever he went through… or did," Rina stated uncomfortably.

"...Yes."

Silence fell over them, the faint noise of the TV nothing but static to them now as they ruminated on this.

Arthur spoke after an uncertain amount of time. "I think… Charon is trying to make up for something with helping William… like how Lena was after Victory Road. Maybe William doesn't want to reveal what happened before to keep Charon's privacy, so he's so secretive about everything to compensate." 

"I mean… maybe? I can agree that he's trying to make up for something, especially if… he was in a war. And I can agree that William and Charon have a connection as he was the first real Pokémon William saw…" Rina rolled over her words, as if they were stuck in her teeth like the leaf of a Berry. "...But from how he phrased it to me early, William met Charon in Unova, not before, so it can't be the only reason he's so secretive."

"I definitely see Charon's Aura as conflicted… remember when we watched him give the equivalent of Ranger School endurance training to Ronin and Viridi?"

Rina shivered. "Please don't remind me. The stories Lena told me… Charon's lucky that Ronin was enjoying it, else he would have gotten a Hydro Pump."

"...Right, enjoy the Wild Charge he'll give you afterwards. My point is that he wasn't… enjoying it either, but he kept forcing himself through it." 

The Lucario let out a sigh before shaking his head again. "That's not even to mention the…" His tongue rolled inside his mouth as he closed his eyes and tried to force himself to visualize it once again without Charon in front of him. "The… mark."

"Mark?"

"It's… less attached to his Aura, and more his being… but it's faintly reflected in his Aura, I don't think Lena notices it when we share sight…" Arthur clarified, frowning and shaking his head. "Something… an event, a Pokémon… a person, something left an imprint on him… and I'm not sure if it's good or bad."

Rina stayed quiet as Arthur struggled with his words, but he shook his head. "I don't know what it is… maybe another Lucario who has more experience with Aura would know… maybe another —"

"I'm stopping you riiight there." Rina said suddenly, her voice firm enough to make Arthur turn in confusion, before suddenly being pressed into a suffocating enough hug that he couldn't let out more than a yip of surprise. "You. Put. Too much. On yourself. Did you not just say that William does the same as yourself?"

Arthur tried to give a rebuttal, but it was smothered out by Rina squeezing him with strength that rivaled a Machamp, and warmth to rival a Slugma. "You. Are doing the best you can, and I know that you'll keep improving. We'll keep helping Lena the best we can for this Mission… and we'll break through whatever is around Charon or William to help her, bit by bit. Okay?"

Arthur finally shifted himself enough to get air gasping slightly before letting out a defeated noise. "Fine… but I am going to work harder at least."

"I didn't expect otherwise… but know that I'll be right here to pull you back if you overwork yourself or push yourself too far, like she's doing with William, alright?"

"...Alright." Arthur said, a defeated, but not downcast sigh leaving him as he took a deep breath and returned the hug. The tension around his body lightened as he thought to himself.

'I may not understand William's Aura… but… I'm going to try and understand Charon's. Maybe that will be enough to help Lena through this.'

Chapter Text

Chapter 18 - The Trainer School

“Are you sure you want to sign up for the battle today? I know I sent the full ‘cover story’ to the League last night, but that doesn’t mean we need to do the battle this week.” Lena asked as she carefully side-stepped a little girl and a Mincinno playing a game of tag.

“Yeah, I‘m sure. Better to get it done now than later…” William responded, shifting his backpack a bit.

Lena sighed. “You know, most Trainers who try to challenge the Gym within the first week or two of their Journey have a rough time…”

“And usually lose, I know. I’ve seen the statistics…” William trailed off as he turned his head. .

It took a minute for Lena to read William’s facial expression and realize what she just said. “I wasn’t saying that —”

“S’alright, I knew what you meant. But still... I don’t have forever to prepare. One way or another, I gotta get that badge so the League gets off my ass.” William sighed in annoyed exhaustion. “Just gotta keep pressing on…”

Lena just shook her head. “I suppose, but… Viridi hasn't been in any battles yet, and Ronin’s only done one formal Trainer battle. You sure you don’t want to battle against some other Trainers first just for some more experience and practice? It’s only Tuesday…”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Worst case scenario, I get a rematch. Best case, I get the Badge and we move on. It’s better to know what my weaknesses are now anyways.” With a sputtering of his lips, William’s shoulders slumped. “I mean, I’d rather not have to get enough Gym Badges to get whatever third-parties and the Unova League to cool their tits with their invisible time limit, but we don’t always get what we want. Might as well do what we can now and figure out what’s needed to improve on now rather than later.”

Lena coughed into a fist and shot William a faint reprimanding gaze. “You know, we really should talk about the language you use… even if you’re right.”

“Language is a tool and I’m gonna use it no matter how many people look at me funny.”

Lena stared for another couple seconds before giving up and shaking her head, though his continued self-defeatism continued to bother her.

Still, not even her worry for WIlliam could keep her from smiling as she saw their destination: Aspertia’s Trainer School.

Memories of her school days in Eterna City and the Ranger School in Almia resurfaced in her mind, coated in a warm honey of nostalgia. Though... the school was much more modern than the one in Eterna City. Wallpaper was freshly applied with a nice blue hue at the entrance and front desk. Lockers stood for the students, freshly painted, without a hint of flaking paint or locks worn to where the numbers weren’t visible. The linoleum floor was freshly polished with a scant few rubber skid marks, and the carpets looked like they had been soap-cleaned recently.

“Man, the maintenance is great here, leagues better than my high school at Eterna City…” Lena said with a whistle. Her eyes glanced upwards, trying to see if a student managed to spear a pencil in the ceiling tiles, but the telltale pockmarks were absent.

“That's probably because it’s subsidized by the League; It is both a Gym and school after all...” William commented, glancing at some art projects on display at the front as they walked further through the entryway.

Pausing her admiration for a moment, Lena glanced around and noticed the frequency of the Unova League symbol on some benches or lockers. It seemed a bit excessive... 

“Twins above, you're right… not even the Ranger School had this many Ranger Union logos…”

“The power of state-sponsored sports: because why pay teachers when you can play football?” William deadpanned. 

Lena made a sharp disgruntled noise as she put it together as well. The noise loud enough to make William turn to her with concern. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I just have… opinions on the League, especially the International League. It makes me wonder what kinda mindset they focus on here, that’s all.” Lena stated plainly, hoping William wouldn’t press as she could feel her emotions rising already. Arthur’s Aura gently reached out to her in consolation, which helped a little.

William sadly looked too curious now. “Like… how they focus on Trainers and battling?”

Sighing, Lena continued. “Trainers yes, battling no. It’s more… things held back throughout Regions because of the Pokémon League system overall.”

Lena didn’t want to elaborate, but seeing William’s silent, inquisitive expression was enough to prompt her to continue. “Okay, so… what do you say the Pokémon League’s primary function is?”

“...Well… it’s the government for most regions, right? To maintain the health, stability, and peace of its people is what it should be doing…” William winced, hissing slightly. “If they’re doing it is up to the debate of the people though, that’s of any government, however.”

Lena tilted her head. He wasn’t wrong, but not exactly where she focused on. “I mean, you’re right, but I’m not talking about the government side of the League here.”

“Government side?” William asked, clearly lost.

“Yeah...? The civil government division, with the Congress and courts and—oh. Right. Yeah, we can talk about that more later. But for now just know that there’s two parts of the Unova League: the civil government and the national division of the International League for battling. And while I think everyone has their own opinions on the government, my.... strongest opinions are with the Pokémon side of the League at the top, or the Pokémon League Association.”

“And those opinions are...?”

“The Association sets the standards for how Regions with a League operate, but are generally flexible enough to allow Regions to have their own say on certain matters. However, it still has ‘hard rules’. Those rules usually center on how Pokémon and Trainer autonomy are treated.”

William nodded along, looking thoughtful as Lena pressed on. “Now… what do you think the primary motivators of economies under a Pokémon League are under the Association?”

“The League Season?”

Lena nodded. “Right. Which requires both Trainer and Pokémon, as a pair, a team . Battles cannot exist without a Pokémon, and by extension, the entire economy cannot exist without Pokémon taking an active role in it.”

“But, what happens when a Pokémon wants to attend a school, or work a job they’re interested in, what does that require?”

William didn’t take long to respond, a frown already falling on his face. “A Trainer, I assume?”

“Exactly, a Pokémon in a Region under the Pokémon League with very few exceptions has to have a Trainer to navigate the system that the League themselves put them under.” Lena explained, glancing and realizing they reached the receptionist desk… A bell sat in front of her, and even though she could press it right now she decided to finish her thought, turning back to William.

“The League Association as a whole struggles to really tackle the issue of Pokémon autonomy or representation, everything needs to be started by a human. I mean, no one bats an eye if an Alakazam attends university classes or writes a scientific paper, but in the eyes of the Association they’re either ‘wild’ or ‘captured’ And I hate that word.”

“But… some Pokémon like Metagross are said to be literally smarter and think faster than human supercomputers?” 

William’s incredulous tone told her all she needed to know about his own opinion, making her nod. “Exactly! Despite their economic system depending on them, it’s always ‘too hard’ to consider, or ‘language barrier is too complicated’ and ‘not everyone is a Psychic’. The Ranger Union has shown it works in Almia and Fiore! Arceus , it’s not hard, it’s just... arghhh.... ehhh.”

Lena huffed in frustration, her hand gently trailing down to her Poké Ball belt and feeling Arthur’s Aura gently reach out in soothing understanding, and Rina’s Dive Ball twitch, clearly mirroring her emotions.

William’s face fell, turning thoughtful and he looked up to Lena. “So… you feel that the League as a whole doesn’t have enough autonomy towards Pokémon, mostly because the economic system they’ve built around the Gyms and battling encourages it?”

“Basically, yeah…”

“...But you enjoy battling, right? Which isn’t allowed in Almia and Fiore? And battling… is mainly a Pokémon League regulated thing?”

Lena couldn’t help but sigh, leaning against the wall next to the receptionist’s desk. “...Yeah. It’s… frustrating, and… I don’t know how to feel. It’s one of the reasons I hesitate to think about doing a run through any Gyms…” 

Taking a moment to think about her words, she started to speak. “I was in Almia and Sinnoh beforehand as an Area Ranger, but… I moved specifically to Unova to allow Arthur and Rina to battle more, among other things. Battling with them, it’s… it’s great, I love it… but as a Ranger, I… I don’t think I can do a Gym run while also upholding what it means to be a Ranger.”

“Why…not?”

William’s sudden question made Lena turn to him with a start, his expression puzzled. “I mean, if anything , people seeing a Ranger battle at a national level could help build the idea that battling and being a Trainer is about autonomy and separate from the League. It’s something that shows and builds connection, but requires both Pokémon and Trainer to be equal partners to really excel in. You can be the change that you want to see by encouraging that mindset, with how Rina and Arthur work with you.”

Lena fell silent, thinking of William's words. “I... I don’t know. Where would I even start?”

William just motioned to her belt, holding her partner’s Dive Ball and Great Ball. “Just keep doing what you’re doing. I mean, Arthur and Rina are already pretty independent on their own, right? And they’re always looking to throw down. I don’t get why you’re Pidgeo— Pidgey-holing yourself to being one thing or another; there’s nuance in everything.”

“‘Nuance in everything’? You’re not from here, are ya?” A joking voice cut in from the receptionist desk.

Lena actually felt her mind do another double take, a grin forming as she recognized who she was. “Chiaki? I didn’t know you worked here!”

Chiaki looked at Lena with an equally met grin. “And I didn’t know you were in the area! How have you been?”

“I’ve been… busy . Missions and Quests keep coming in, you know? What about you?” Lena asked, returning the question, prompting Chiaki to snort and nod slightly. 

“Yeah, I know what you mean. Except for me, it’s dealing with parents calling in their kids sick, or someone else complaining because they missed the PTA meeting they scheduled, I swear…” She lightly chuckled, waving her hand aside for a moment before leaning forward slightly. “How are Rina and Arthur? Last time I heard, Rina was still angry about Arthur making her shoot an Ice Beam in her own mouth during a practice match between them?”

“Ha! She returned the favor by singing one song on repeat for months, you know, the ones I got when we first arrived in Unova… I can still sometimes see Arthur twitch when the first few notes get hummed around him.” Lena said, feeling Arthur’s Aura shudder through his Great Ball, while Rina’s Dive Ball shook with what could only be amusement and laughter.

As Chiaki started laughing at that, William looked over quizzically, his voice quiet, as if not wanting to interrupt. “Someone you know?”

It took Lena a second before she remembered William was there. “Ah, sorry. William, this is Chiaki. She was a Ranger Base receptionist for a couple bases across Unova for a time, so I got to know her well in my time here.” Turning back to her old friend, Lena’s own expression turned curious. “I heard you were moving, but I didn’t know you entirely changed positions…”

Chiaki nodded, leaning back into her chair before sighing. “Yeah, after Team Plasma, I just… needed a change of pace. Still want to help, but… you know.” Chiaki lightly murmured at the end, but Lena just nodded and felt a slightly somber feeling rise for a moment.

Everyone was still healing from it… she understood that, and the faint twitch from Rina and Arthur’s Poké Balls told her all she needed to know about their feelings.

Chiaki turned to William, a curious expression on her face now as she looked at him. “So who’s this? Never heard a kid speak so… elaborately, before.”

“I think the word you’re looking for is erudite.” William quipped.

Chiaki and Lena turned and stared, a beat of silence followed before William realized with a faint flush of his cheeks at the attention. “What? Just because I swear a lot doesn’t mean I don’t know my vocabulary…. I just choose not to use it sometimes.”

“...Didn’t you say earlier ‘Language is a tool and I’m gonna use it’?”

William’s mouth twitched upwards. “Why say lot word when few word do trick?”

Lena tried to hide her snort of amusement. Tried. “ Snrk , alright Mr. Alakazam… Chiaki, this is William. We’re here to just sign him up for a Gym battle later this week.”

Chiaki’s smile stayed on her face, but her eyebrows furrowed, glancing again at William… her eyes traveling up and down. “He’s a bit young even for a Youngster, isn’t he?”

“Ah — no, no… sorry, he’s actually a part of an accelerated Ace Trainer program, I was just given the Mission of monitoring him because of his age under the guise of an Ace Trainer.” Lena said quickly, slightly impressed at how smooth she could lie about it now. She knew Arthur would disapprove… but it was a necessary evil for now.

Lena smiled to herself at how Chiaki seemed to buy it a bit too easily… It probably helped that it came from a Ranger as well.

“Huh… well, gonna need to see his Trainer Card then… you got that on your Xtransceiver kiddo?” Chiaki asked, before her eyebrows shot up even higher as William pulled out his Pokédex, and tapped it a couple times to display his Trainer information. “Oh dam — dang… got one of those too? Man, you must have really caught people’s eye...” She exclaimed, catching herself before she could swear to Lena amusement.

Though, William seemed less amused by her comment of catching people's eyes, giving a stiff smile and shrugging slightly as he moved to hold his elbows in either hand.

Before Lena could comment on it, a new voice entered the scene. “Chiaki? Is everything alright?” Turning to her right, she saw the Gym Leader who replaced the retiring Lenora, and someone who was at the League during the Siege walk in, Cheren Yeosin.

He held what looked like a Pokémon League branded gradebook under his arm, with a couple stacks of stapled paper that helped solidify the model appearance of a teacher. His black hair still had a cowlick, and it was longer than she last recalled seeing it when the announcement that he would become a Gym Leader. Something else about his posture right now differed from then… it was more… rigid? His expression pressed, but his eyes held curiosity.

Regardless, she didn’t have time to dwell much, as Chiaki quickly spoke up. “Gym Leader Cheren! No, no issues at all, just registering a Trainer for a Gym battle.”

Cheren nodded, his eyes first going to Lena with a clearly appraising look, before she put up her hands to stop him. “Sorry, not me. It’s for William here.” She clarified with a quick tilt of her head, making Cheren’s head turn to the kid in front of him. She was a tad amused by how he blinked twice, possibly his eyes adjusting to how much yellow William had on?

To his credit, Cheren didn’t let it distract him for long and turned to Chiaki. “And he has a full Trainer License?”

“Let me double check… yep, registered by Professor Juniper as well, actually.” She said, tilting William’s Pokédex to show Cheren, making his eyebrows raise even higher and look at William with a more appraising look, calculating.

“I didn’t expect her to do it for me… I’m not even a lab sponsored Trainer…” William said, his tone lightly demure as he met Cheren’s gaze. 

The Gym Leader shook his head. “Whatever it was she saw, it must have been something… it has been a bit since I’ve spoken to her…and Bianca…” Cheren trailed off, but quickly refocused as he opened the gradebook and looked through it while shooting glances at William. “Is this your first Gym Battle?”

William nodded, but said nothing else. Cheren stayed silent for another moment as he made a note on the page he had opened before he closed the book, glancing at Chiaki. “I’ll take care of the official League introduction this time, don’t worry. Would you be able to find him an open time slot?”

“Are you sure, Gym Leader Cheren? You mentioned the battle performances you need to grade on top of the Gym Trainers you need to mentor—”

“I’m sure, Chiaki. It’s my job and responsibility as a Gym Leader, nothing I’m not supposed to handle already.”

“If you’re sure… I’ll get all the other paperwork needed, at least for this, don’t worry.” She said, before turning back to Lena and smiling. “Catch me later, I need to get William his Gym Badge case… speaking of… what color do you want?”

Lena bit her tongue. ‘Come on William, why not blue or red for Viridi or Ronin —’

“Yellow please, if that’s alright.”

‘...Twins save me.’

“That’s more than alright… we should have more than enough yellow here somewhere…” She moved to turn around before pausing. “Oh, here, take your Pokédex back for now. I’ll find that case by the time you get back…” Chiaki said as she placed the device on the counter for William to grab, which he did and slid it back into his sweatshirt pocket. Chiaki smiled before standing up and walking to the back to find the cases, while Cheren turned back to the two visitors.

“Follow me, I can show you where the Gym battles happen while I go through all the preliminary information… The other classes are in session today, so no one should bother us, but ah… I apologize if I don’t talk, still reviewing some written exams.” He explained before turning and walking deeper into the school. Lena and William quickly followed.

Lena observed the walls as they walked, seeing the colorful projects from all ages hanging on the walls. Most, if not all, had some relation to Pokémon or battles…

Type effectiveness charts, held items, status moves… This was a Trainer School. There was the odd non-battling related project sprinkled about, but those were becoming uncommon as they headed further toward what Lena assumed was the ‘upperclassmen’ wing of the school.

Cheren flipped over a paper while walking and sighed, marking it with his pen. Lena leaned over to William and quietly whispered. “I know he’s new, but he’s got the teacher persona down pat for a Gym Leader… kinda impressive.”

“He’s tired and stressed.” William bluntly whispered back, his expression fixed with a frown as he stared at the Gym Leader with… concern?

“Huh?”

“Pulling double duty as a Gym Leader, but also acting as a teacher in a new city. Think of all the kids who’ve probably just recently signed up…” William explained, shaking his head. “I don’t envy him… my dad was a teacher. I saw how busy it could get for him with just one job, but Cheren having two, and this young?” William didn’t continue, only looking at the Gym Leader with concern and pity.

Lena opened her mouth to comment on that new tidbit, but the noise of a door opening suddenly with something just a slam caused the group to pause and look over. Lena’s brain first registered seeing spiky hair like a Qwilfish, with a shade of navy blue that matched what looked to be track pants for running. Then her eyes registered the flash of red from the vest that the student wore that matched the intense fiery passion in his eyes, and white accents along the vest matched the side-bag around his waist.

“Gym Leader Cheren! I have a quick question about battling against — who are they?”

Cheren sighed, but looked… exasperatingly amused, with a smile now on his face. “Hugh, I’m going through a… bit of a tour at the moment. I’ll come by when I’ve finished.”

“Oh, all right! Rosa also had some questions that she wanted to ask you! Don’t forget!” Hugh stated before turning around and heading back to the classroom, where an exasperated teacher stood shaking his head at the student’s antics.

As the door clicked shut, Cheren sighed and wore an apologetic expression as he turned to face William and Lena. “I’m sorry, Hugh signed up as a temporary student on the battle track before his Journey… ” Glancing back towards the door, Cheren smiled slightly. “Great battler too, he’s raised a Tepig from birth… I’d make him a Gym Trainer if he had gone on his Journey already, in all honesty.”

Lena hummed politely, before turning to make a comment to William about maybe seeing if he would like to battle later. Whatever she was going to say stopped in her throat as William started speaking a bit faster than normal, his posture straight and alert. “No, no, it’s fine sir. Ah… when is Hugh starting his Journey…?” 

‘Sir? Why is William formal now?’ 

Cheren didn’t notice William’s change, looking thoughtful instead. “Oh… I think he can technically go now, but he's just waiting for his friend to get her first Pokémon as well to start with her…” Nostalgia covered Cheren’s expression for a moment, before he shook his head and continued.

“I think her mom said she was reaching out to Professor Juniper for a surprise around her birthday… so around six months I believe, if I recall correctly. Why do you ask?”

William glanced to the side as he spoke. “Ah. I uh… wanted to know when to expect him to be about when traveling…” Before anyone else could comment on his sentence, he turned back to Cheren. “He’ll make a great Trainer, you’ve taught him well.”

“A-Ah, thank you, that is… really nice to hear. I’m striving to do my best as a new instructor here.” Cheren said, his eyebrows raised and looking proud as he glanced back at the classroom Hugh was in as well. Lena stared at William instead however.

It wasn’t enough that his hands were in his sweatshirt pocket, and that his posture was straight, attentive… but his expression looked ingenuine, like the photo Lena had first seen from Ms. Clare. 

Something clearly affected him, but Lena could only make a mental note to ask about it later as Cheren cleared his throat. “Sorry for the delay, follow me, we’re almost towards the battlefields.”

They resumed following Cheren down the hallways, the Gym Leader still marking and making notes on the papers he had with the occasional hum or sigh… After another two minutes, they neared a door leading to the back of the school, with two stone statues next to it bearing a carved crest of the Unova League. 

Cheren stopped in front and put his pen in the clipboard before turning around. “I hope this doesn’t come off wrong, but another reason I wanted to speak with you both is that I realized you two were the one the Gym Leaders were notified about. I wanted… to get to understand what kind of Trainer you are before the battle, I suppose.” He said, turned to William who winced.

“I’m not trying to stand out…” William murmured, Lena shooting him a sympathetic look from the side.

Cheren raised an eyebrow. “Pardon if I’m being direct, but there was mention of a younger than normal Trainer who would pass through, followed by a discrete Top Ranger as well. That isn’t quite… normal, but I can understand not wanting too much attention…” Before either could comment, Cheren turned to Lena. “And I assume you’re the Top Ranger… Lena Winifred?” Cheren asked, an analyzing gaze on his face.

Lena smiled and reflexively raised a hand to shake his, Cheren following shortly after with a firm handshake. “Yep, Top Ranger Lena at your service…” She greeted Cheren, who nodded in response. 

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how many Badges have you gotten?”

Lena shook her head, her smile twitching even though it was a fair question. “None, actually. I went to Ranger School as soon as I could, so I didn't go on a Journey for Badges… It was a… passing thought for when I retire as a Ranger, but don’t know if that’s what my partners would like.” 

Cheren looked surprised, but nodded and pulled away from the handshake, now looking between the two. “I suppose I’ll give the full briefing, then. Follow me.” He motioned as he pushed, then held the door open for the two of them leading outside. Lena followed with William trailing behind her, and she whistled as she looked around the massive outdoor battlefield.

The place had a clearly new and very well maintained appearance, with elevated bleacher stands for spectators on the left and right of either field. In the middle was a spot for the referee to stand, where a box sat next to each of the fields, a headset and two flags on top of it… most likely left out the last time a battle happened.

“So, with this being your first Gym Battle, let me go over the rules and expectations…” Cheren cleared his throat and shifted into ‘lecture’ mode. “Gym Battles are to test a Trainer’s strength, but also to test other skills. This includes their reaction and quick thinking, flexibility, and their bond with their team.”

‘I can tell he’s reading off some script provided by the League. I mean, I won’t fault him… he is still new and young, but… this is what I mean. The League focuses on the Trainer, not Trainer and Pokémon like it should be.’ 

“Each Gym Leader’s Pokémon depends on the challenger’s status and the Badge level, but you may face a Gym Trainer if the Leader is busy with high-level challenges. If you want to do the battle against the Gym Leader, you may be put on a waitlist until the Leader is available. However, during a Challenge Battle you will always face the Gym Leader.”

“Challenge Battle?” William’s eyebrows pinched together in confusion. 

“Yes, it’s optional most times, and up to the Gym Leader’s discretion if a Trainer is ‘ready’ for it. You face a Pokémon or team the Gym Leader personally trained, which is at a higher Gym Badge level than the one a Trainer would normally fight against. It’s… more flexible, allowing the Gym Leader to personally tailor it for the challenger, although there are still standards the Gym Leader has to follow. Other benefits follow if you win the Challenge Badge, including a higher monetary prize, and your Badge being ‘valid’ for an extended period to qualify for the Unova League Conference.”

William relaxed, satisfied with the answer. “Huh… got it, what determines the amount of Pokémon the Gym Leader uses? Does it depend on how many Pokémon the challenger has?”

“That depends on the Badge level, the Gym Leader’s professional judgement, and the type of battle. Some Gym Leaders will choose to use a full team of six if one goes for the challenge battle for the 8th Gym Badge, for example.” Cheren stopped himself and glanced down at William’s belt, the six slots on it half full. “Now that I think about it… I know what one of your Team members is, but do you have any other Pokémon you plan to use in our battle?”

“Two, I… don’t actually plan to use Charon… the Hisuian Typhlosion, at all. Hopefully.” William said, Lena noting how he tensed back up while hiding the identity of Ronin and Viridi, most likely not to give Cheren an idea beforehand. 

William’s insistence on not using Charon made Cheren frown. “Not at all?” Cheren asked, humming as his fingers started to tap the side of the folder and papers he was holding. His shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment. 

‘He must not get many ‘high level’ Trainers yet to fight…’ Lena mused, knowing he had a personal team from his Journey that reached the Elite Four, so he might have been craving a more intense battle…

For a moment, Lena considered battling him, but her own conflicted feelings notwithstanding, and that William already had his first ‘capture’ taken from him in a way from the sudden Mission made her stomp down the idea. She would not steal his ‘moment’ for his first Gym Battle as well.

“If it’s a privacy issue that’s your concern, I will have to warn you that you will still get noticed as the Gym Battle videos are published online, and linked to your LeagueNet account as a verified battle in a Gym.” Cheren explained, clearly confused at his reaction. This explanation made Lena freeze as she realized she hadn’t gone over logging into LeagueNet with William.

‘Well, that might be for the better…’ Lena thought, her mind traveling down the dark, and twisted road that the internet can provide. She dared to shoot a glance at William, who looked even more confused now as he parsed Cheren’s statement.

“LeagueNet…? Oh, right, that thing that Professor Juniper mentioned…”

“Yeah, I meant to help you set it up earlier but… it’s been busy…” Lena trailed off, realizing in horror with how much had happened in the last week.

Cheren glanced up at Lena, trying to read into her comment before moving on. “Yes… all League Battles are recorded, and in Unova, specifically published online the evening after the battle happens. It’s a new rule the League instated after Team Plasma happened, but... if you ask me I think it’s for monetary reasons…” The Gym Leader couldn’t hold back a sigh. “You’ll be noticed since the LeagueNet forums are publicly accessible on the internet, and I’m sorry I can’t assist with that.”

William, unsurprisingly, did not look thrilled by this information. “Got it… thank you for the heads up…”

“...Of course, it’s a Gym Leader’s responsibility to prepare, test, and inform a Trainer.” Glancing for a second at a wall clock near the entrance back into the School, Cheren’s posture straightened back up. “In the meantime, let me go over the standard procedure of how the main battle against a Gym Leader will go....”

Lena had to admit it mildly amused her to see Cheren surprised by all of William’s questions about procedures, the rules, edge cases, and technicalities, but all the questions eased the new Gym Leader back into more comfortable ground. Eventually though, William ran out of questions and seemed… content, but something clearly remained  on his mind as he had fallen silent and stared at the ground. 

As they walked down the hallway, Cheren graded more written assignments on his clipboard as they returned to the front. He kept having to push his glasses up as they slipped down, and he apologized even more than William would for being quiet, but it provided Lena a moment to reflect and glace at William from the corner of her eye. ‘The first Gym Battle would give battle jitters to anyone… but honestly, I’d say that at least Ronin and Viridi could sweep through, even with William’s insistence on not using Charon…’

Though, something else was bothering him… Lena didn't miss how his hands retreated into his sweatshirt pocket, the fabric inside squeezed tight.

The voice of Chiaki calling for them suddenly drew their attention, making Lena realize that they had made it all the way to the front while lost in her own thoughts.

‘I need to stop doing that… no wonder Arthur tells me to focus.’ She thought with a slight huff at herself, but focused as Chiaki motioned them over with a slightly apologetic look.

“Sorry, I need William’s Trainer ID again, the page refreshed and cleared it out… and, well, technically he has to review a couple forms since this is his first Gym Battle… But hey!” Chiaki brightened as she pulled something up from the desk in plastic wrapping. “I found a new yellow Gym Badge case for you once we’re done!”

“Bureaucratic paperwork for a yellow Badge case, truly, a sacrifice that is worth it.” William deadpanned.

Cheren snorted in amusement as William walked over. He pushed his glasses back up and refocused on grading the papers he had, but not without glancing at Lena.

“If there’s anything else you need, I can do my best to assist, though… he is a rather unique Trainer…” Cheren muttered, looking over to William as he flashed his Pokédex information over to Chiaki.

‘ Might as well try… ’ With a breath, she nodded, trying to give her best smile. “Actually… yes, possibly…” Glancing back at William, she took a deep breath, lowering her volume just a tad so William wouldn’t be able to overhear on the other side of the room. “I know you mentioned the Gym Battles are recorded, but is it possible to… I dunno…” Tilting her head back and forth, she shrugged and refocused on Cheren. “...delay it by a couple of weeks? He’s... well, he’s a kid. I don’t want a seven-year-old out on the internet like that....”

Cheren sighed, his face falling as he grimaced. “I don’t… disagree, however the video recordings are technically owned by the Unova League and the Unova Government… They legally have to be uploaded by the Gym at the end of the day so they can process them, and then they post them after tying the win to the Trainer’s profile.” He explained carefully, hesitantly. Lena crossed her arms as a frown formed. 

“Maybe it’s because I haven’t done a Gym Challenge, but that seems a bit like a privacy violation… even his identity can’t be fogged out? Obscured?” She tried conceding, Cheren simply shaking his head, and frowning harder.

“I don’t disagree with either of your points. Twins above, I know Champion Iris agrees, but... politics.” He sighed while glancing back to William, who now turned the Badge case over in his hands as Chiaki typed something into the computer. “After the incident with Team Plasma, during the mess of investigations and arrests, the government passed a law in the name of national security to make all Gym Battle recordings public because N…”

Cheren’s jaw tightened, but he continued smoothly enough after adjusting his glasses again. “...He used a different team at every Gym Leader, and the hardliners used that as a reason to tighten down harder. They said if the battle recordings were public, someone at the League could have raised an alarm bell earlier....even though none of the previous Team Plasma incidents ever raised an alarm bell…”

His tone held bitterness, Lena remembering that this was someone who was in the middle of it all when it went down. His friend Hilbert is still missing for all parties concerned… and like William had said, he’s now thrown into the position of teacher and Gym Leader…

She could sympathize, but… she had a Mission still, and William’s discomfort concerned her. “I… Alright. Can you at least notify me when it’s about to be posted…? I have his LeagueNet account monitored, but a heads up to know when to sit down to review what people are saying about him… or to him, would be great.”

Cheren nodded, looking relieved as he rolled up his left sleeve to reveal a Xtransceiver. “Yes, I can at least do that. What’s your contact information? I’ll send a message from my email once I hear it’s going an hour after…”

Lena relayed her Fine Styler’s contact information, and Cheren took a moment to type it in... “Let me just test this real quick… to make sure…”

He quickly started typing on his Xtransceiver and after a second Lena heard her Styler ping, making her open it and look at it reflexively. 

Message to: Lena Winifred

From: Cheren Yeosin (cyeosin @aspertiats.edu.uv )

System Note: This message was sent from an email, formatting may have been removed.

Subject: Test

Test Message.

Message Seen: 3 seconds ago.

“Yep! Got it.” Lena stated, closing the Fine Styler and turning back to Cheren.

He smiled sympathetically. “Again, I’m sorry that my hands are tied… but… thank you for understanding. I’m trying to keep everything down on my own. I know I have a lot to prove and… live up to as a Gym Leader.”

‘ To prove myself.’ Went unsaid, but Lena just nodded and tried to give her best smile. “It’s fine… don’t worry, just… William’s already gone through a lot… don’t want to add more onto his plate.”

“That, I can understand…” Cheren sighed and rubbed his eyes and nose, before straightening up and nodding. “I wish you and William the best of luck in preparing. It’s my job to test him to the League’s requirements, so I don’t plan to take it easy on him.”

Lena felt her own smile grow a bit more, and a bit of competitive spirit flaring up. “And don’t think he’ll take you lightly just because you’re a new Gym Leader… he’s gonna hit back hard.” She countered. It might have just been a trick of the light, but Cheren’s glasses glinted a bit at the challenge as he pushed them further up his face.

“Everything should be covered for the Gym Battle, but I think recess is going to happen soon… might wanna get out of here before the halls become a mess.”

Lena turned to see William walking up, putting his empty Badge case away, forcing a smile with a subtle anxiety that she was increasingly becoming familiar with.

Lena took the hint.

“It was great to meet you today, Gym Leader Cheren. Thank you again for giving us your time.”

Cheren returned the handshake, smiling. “Of course, it’s my duty after all as a Gym Leader, take care, both of you…” He trailed off looking at William as he straightened his tie slightly and clearly put on a slightly tough posture. “You may be a new Trainer, but it’s still my job to test you.”

William just nodded, his smile still stiff as giving a polite half bow of his head. “Thank you again for your time. I’ll see you for the battle.”

With that, Lena and William turned to head out. Lena could see his fingers playing with the end of his sweatshirt sleeve, the subtle biting of his lip…

“Hey, are you… doing okay? A first Gym Battle would make everyone nervous…” Lena whispered.

William’s jaw shifted before nodding slightly. “Yeah, I’m okay… just… Gym Battle is scheduled for Thursday at noon… I only have one more full day to train and plan…” William trailed off, clearly bouncing in his own head and running through a lot of things at once.

It was clear something else was bothering him, but Lena decided to tackle the most likely cause of his anxiety. “You’ll do fine, believe me. You’re already leagues above most zero Badge Gym Battle Trainers I’ve seen in passing, even if Viridi doesn’t have much practical experience yet.” With a breath, Lena put on a placating tone. “We can train after lunch, and part of tomorrow?” 

William let out a sigh and nodded again. “Yeah, I’d like to do that… I want to get a more concrete foundation before the Gym Battle…” 

“We’ll see how things go, but I’m hungry. You want to get some pizza?”

“Sure, but don’t put any Pinap Berries on it…”

Chapter Text

Chapter 19 - The Starting Line

‘Water is pressure. Let it flow through you. Let it push against you. Let it build up and let it release. Water is pressure. Let it flow through you. Let it push against you. Let it build up and let it release. Water is pressure. Let it flow through you. Let it push against you. Let it build up and let it RELEASE....’

Swish- thunk !

Nothing.

Ronin’s scalchop was now stuck in a log, buried about a quarter of an inch in. The cut along the top of the gash was mired with splinters and was angled poorly, indicating he had wobbled his flipper as he struck the log. And worst of all, the scalchop was Cubone-dry.

A complete and utter failure. Yanking the scalchop out in frustration, Ronin walk-of-shamed over to the same position again, glancing over at the others. His gaze settled on Viridi and Charon first, where the Typhlosion was using a Rollout at a speed he had never seen for a Pokémon his size. Even the Tepig from the lab who held off on their evolution had to wait to build up the Rock Type energy around the attack. Meanwhile, Charon would barely step forward before throwing himself into a forward roll head-first and somehow managing to form a boulder with Rock-Type energy before hitting the ground. His target was a boulder that had a pile of stones and rubble scattered around, broken off from the massive indent made from impact.

And Ronin couldn’t manage to cut a stick. 

Not good enough.

Inadequate.

Unacceptable.

Viridi stood to the side, observing Charon like William asked her, but Ronin could tell she felt uncomfortable at having to take ‘orders’ from Charon. She would continuously glance in the direction William went to practice with Lena, Arthur, and Rina before looking back at Charon.

“Viridi understand. Viridi want Hive Leader to see.”

“Well, you still haven’t mastered Agile Rollout. Once you do that, you can show William. Now, try to replicate what I just did. It’s draining, but we’re going to do this until you can use Defense Curl into Rollout at a moment's notice.”

“Why wait? Hive Leader right there.” Viridi motioned her body towards Ronin’s direction.

Viridi’s comment and William’s footsteps made Ronin turn around, seeing his Trainer walking up to him and looking at the work he had done on the log. Behind him a ways away, Ranger Lena typed into her Styler as Rina and Arthur went through their own exercises and workouts, apparently finished with William’s command training for the day.

“Jeez, you’ve been doing a real number on this log. You’re doing a great job!” William complimented. 

Ronin just glared at Charon’s boulder before turning around and slamming his scalchop into the log.

Splinters scattered in the air from the strike, a couple grazing across his own face as he yanked his own scalchop out again. “R-Ronin?” Ignoring William’s voice, Ronin tried to force energy through his scalchop and struck again.

“H-Hey, Ronin, what’s wrong?”

Ronin just glared at the log, hoping to make it combust from anger alone as he yanked the scalchop out again. It didn't, so using that anger instead, he slashed the log once more with a frustrated cry, getting half-an-inch deep with one strike this time.

“Just give him a few minutes to cool off. He’ll be fine.” Charon called out across the field. Ronin didn’t dare look behind him at anyone else's reaction as he continued to try and push his inner energy out, letting it build and grow, push against him, push through him as he tried to release it through his scalchop. 

One strike. Nothing.

Two strikes. More splinters hit his face and arms.

Four strikes. He could feel the anger boiling away, like steam in a pot losing all its water, the very water he needed to use Razor Shell.

Eight strikes. His body felt sore, and he was heaving with every breath. Slowly and painfully dislodging the scalchop from the log, the anger that had just fueled him drained away, the rushing torrent of water now a pathetic leaky faucet.

Ronin felt his eyes tear up as he slumped to the ground.

Not good enough.

Inadequate.

Unacceptable.

And now tired, pathetic, and worthless.

“See? Told you. He’s fine.” Charon yelled over again.

“Charon, he’s absolutely not fine! Ronin looks heartbroken!” Rina yelled in response.

Charon huffed and walked over to Rina and Lena, seemingly to argue, but some soft steps behind him caught Ronin’s attention first.

"Ronin…? Are you… do you want to talk about it?” William’s voice was quiet, worried, and gentle all in one. Chastising himself internally silently, Ronin refocused on his Trainer.

“I haven’t been able to use Razor Shell yet… All I have to do is focus the water energy and push it into the shell. I keep trying and trying and it’s not working.” Ronin glared back to the log in frustration, staring at the numerous cuts and slashes made over the course of the couple hours they had been training. It stood like a monolith he didn’t have the strength to topple or cut down.

William stared at the log for a long moment, before taking a seat on the ground and scooping Ronin into his arms and giving him a hug.

“You know it doesn’t matter to me how long it takes for you to learn Razor Shell, right? I still think you’re doing amazing.” 

Ronin looked up at William as he continued. “It takes time to do new things, to learn how to do them right. Some people and Pokémon learn at different paces. I know that it’s frustrating , painful even, when it feels like you’ve hit a wall and something just isn’t working but… I’ll still be here to help you, Ronin. You’re not alone.”

The Oshawott couldn’t help but huff, William picking up on his own deep-rooted dissatisfaction. “You don’t think that Rina started out with say, Hydro Pump, without starting from Water Gun, do you?” William asked. 

Ronin hesitated, but eventually shook his head. “Right… learning a new move or skill takes time, it can sometimes take years, and that’s okay. I’ll be here to help you through as long as it takes.” William gently said, giving Ronin a gentle squeeze through the hug, even as he tried to shake his head and protest.

“B-But… but the Gym Battle is tomor—”

“Just because we don’t have a move ready for the Gym Battle doesn’t mean you aren’t doing enough, that’s my fault for putting the pressure on you without realizing, and I’m sorry,” William said sincerely. He took a deep breath and pulled Ronin closer before continuing in a quieter, even softer tone.

“I know that… I’m not the Trainer you deserve, worrying about what’s coming constantly and… I know that I’m putting the weight of the future onto you as well,” William whispered, his eyes glancing to the side with guilt. “I… I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I didn’t realize it sooner. You shouldn’t have to bear that, I have no right to put stress on you like that. Just… Please, don’t be so hard on yourself, you don’t deserve that, you’re doing amazing and more than I deserve.” William gently assured. 

Ronin looked up to him to protest William’s words on instinct, but his Trainer started speaking again before he could interject. “Just practicing this lets you be more skilled with your scalchop, which is just another tool to be used when you're in a battle so we might not even need Razor Shell if you’d rather go a different path.”

Ronin sniffled a bit. “What do you, what do you mean by a tool?”

“Right, even this training today helps you use your scalchop standalone, like…” William trailed off as he pulled out his Pokédex. “Have you ever seen a Gurdurr? Or any of its evolution?”

“Y-Yeah, they have big m-metal beams. The Professor had some at her lab s-sometimes.”

Smiling at Ronin identifying the Pokémon by name, William continued. “Right, and they primarily use it to fight, or channel their moves through like your scalchop. However, they can also use the beam as a defensive tool using no moves whatsoever.” Tapping again onto his Pokédex, William pulled up a video and lowered the device to show Ronin.

A Hitmonlee attempted to land a kick aimed for a Gurdurr’s chest, only for the Gurdurr to slam the metal beam into the ground in front of him.

BONK!

Hitmonlee's Trainer hissed in sympathy as the Pokémon hopped around on one foot trying to shake off the pain of slamming into solid metal at full speed. Gurdurr ran forward after yanking his metal beam from the ground and used Slam, hitting Hitmonlee while they were recovering from the defensive attack. 

William winced at the video, but Ronin stared at the screen, transfixed at the possibilities.

“See how Gurdurr used their beam to defend themselves even though it wasn’t through a move? Just because you can’t use a move or Type Energy through your scalchop yet doesn’t mean you can’t use it. Look at the log you’ve been practicing on. You’ve done some serious damage still even without using Razor Shell.” William explained, making Ronin turn back to the work he’s been doing for the past couple hours with a new light.

“So… what else can I use it for if not attacking?” Ronin asked quietly, looking down at his scalchop again on his chest as William hummed.

“I mean, just because you’re not using a move through your scalchop doesn’t mean it’s not a tool you can use to attack with. It can be both. You could even knock away say… a small hit over your body, like Bullet Seed if you have a fast enough reaction. You’ve even deflected physical hits like Bite with that Patrat on Route 2 already, so you’re already getting there. Huh, I wonder if maybe you could like... parry a Bullet Seed…” 

William trailed off, Ronin seeing how his Trainer’s eyes shifted into a distant far-away gaze, lost in his own thoughts. William had been doing this since yesterday when they signed up for the Gym, even during the training today, and every time he would just wave it off. 

Ronin knew William was up late the night before, with how he continuously shifted throughout the night. All done carefully and slowly so as to try to not bother Ronin or Viridi, but enough to make Ronin notice still.

He didn’t comment on it however, even now. He needed to focus on getting better, stronger for William before something else happened. His Trainer needed a Pokémon to fight back and protect him. William always focused on what was ahead for them, wanting to make the best for his Pokémon; Ronin had to do similarly, focusing on improving for the Gym Battle that stood in front of them.

Concern still welled within Ronin, even with his own self-given goal as his focus. Especially when William blinked out of his state, clearly surprised and shooting Charon a look from the corner of his eyes. “Sorry, didn’t mean to… sorry, one second.” Shaking his head free of his thoughts, William took a deep breath before looking back at Ronin. ”I’ll try and look up some better videos later and come up with more ideas, but I know you’ve been working hard the past two days, just…” 

Grabbing Ronin’s flippers gently, William squeezed them with care and a smile to the Water Type. “ Please don’t get frustrated with yourself. It takes time to work towards a new skill, and you're putting in more work than I can ask as your Trainer. I’ll do what I can to help you work towards whatever goal you want, just… don’t judge yourself hard, you’re doing amazing.”

Ronin’s eyes flicked to William’s shoulder, covered by his yellow sweatshirt, and hiding the still-present bruise and injury from the Beedrill. His Trainer was weaker than every other human here from what Charon had stated, of no fault of his own. Even a Water Gun from him might leave a bruise the size of a Watmel Berry, while on Lena, she would at most just get a simple soak.

Yet, William cared for Pokémon like him, who didn’t have a home or family to connect to, or had lost one, like Viridi. His thoughts notwithstanding on the Bug Poison Type as his rival, Ronin understood why William would reach out to Pokémon like him or her.

So while he nodded at William’s request, deep down he knew he had to keep going. Keep pushing .

His Trainer planned for their future, to ensure they’ll be okay, so Ronin will keep working to make sure he can protect his Trainer. Even if he wasn’t getting the hang of Razor Shell, he’ll make sure he’s ready for the Gym Battle.

He won’t fail.

Lena remembered a saying from one of her old instructors from Ranger School, ‘Preconceived notions and assumptions make understanding new things difficult.’

The mental jigsaw puzzle of William’s home, of his past that he had torched, cut up, and scrambled around, continued to make it difficult to prepare the first report for everyone. The Ranger Union, Interpol, the League, and Ms. Clare and Professor Juniper all wanted different things, and she had to compile from the broken pieces.

Every assumption she could try and make to put it back together only made the pieces fit awkwardly. Every preconceived notion as to what a normal kid should know made the already shattered picture only harder to understand.

The screen of the borrowed Pokémon Center laptop burned into her eyes for an hour and a half after training, until Rina and Arthur dragged her away to get dinner for everyone. Her scattered notes from the past two weeks only bullet points still no closer to putting that puzzle back together. She didn’t have a convenient conspiracy board crossed-crossed with red yarn like those old detective shows either. 

She didn’t expect to have an answer immediately about the puzzle of William. She never expected to even have the full picture now, a seven-year-old who masks their emotions and withdraws when pressed about his home would do that.

“...The fact that he does that normally, only makes it more obvious at how anxious he’s been ever since yesterday, though.” Lena mused to Rina on the way back, thankful to finally let her thoughts out that had been bouncing around all day.

“FloatZel-FLoat-Zel…” (Well, if Ronin is any indication today, maybe that’s Charon’s fault.) Rina commented bitterly.

“Maybe, but… I think that’s a separate issue. Or maybe Ronin is reflecting William a bit too much. I do think William handled it well considering how quickly Ronin perked back up… but that’s just another thing on William’s mind now.” Lena said, thinking back at all the habits she spotted today.

How he squeezed his hoodie sleeve tight as he thought, how he would bite his lip or cheek, or how he would stare at nothing during training. Lena would snap him out of his thoughts, and he would wave it off, saying he’s just ‘thinking of the Gym Battle’.

“Just… the Gym Battle is tomorrow, so I can’t blame him for thinking about it, but he’s more stressed than even I was for my Capture Styler Proficiency Exams. And I was more than double his age.” Lena sighed, carefully shifting her grip on the takeout bag with her and William’s dinner as they turned the corner to William’s room.

Arthur finally spoke up, carrying food for himself and Rina, while also carrying two portions for Charon due to his Alpha size. “Just keep in mind that William has had little experience with battling publicly. He’s only done some private battles, so that may be the source of his stress.”

“I know, and I’ll talk to him over dinner… hopefully he’s receptive enough to try and open up a little instead of masking it up again,” Lena commented as they reached William’s room. The door to his room was barely ajar, but open enough for Lena to nudge it open with the toe of her boot.

Walking in, Lena’s team saw William hunched over the table, looking intently at scattered sheets of paper and biting his lip. Viridi sat at the table looking down at the paper, and Charon held Ronin as they stared down from above over their Trainer’s shoulder.

“Screech would work to help set up, but Work Up would make it a game of keep-away,” William muttered, completely lost in his thoughts and shaking his head. “Dammit. I don’t even know if Defense Curl works with Agile, going in blind with that.”

“Typh-Phlosion. Phlosion-Looosion, Phlosion-Typhlo.” (You’re worrying too much. Even if Viridi is squishy, Rollout would still let her break through whatever windy breeze that Pidove could bring up.)

“Veninini. Peeededii.” (Viridi will roll. Only stop when safe. Go fast.)

“That doesn’t mean that Gust wouldn’t still hurt… egh.” William sank into the table before looking up and jolting in surprise at Lena and her team’s appearance. “O-Oh shit—!”

Lena realized she should have knocked with how off William had been the past two days. “Sorry, I just got dinner. What are you working on?” She asked, setting down the food on the counter and walking over to get a better look with Arthur and Rina close behind. 

“A-Ah, nothing important… just… plans for tomorrow, and… probably the future. Nothing really worth bothering yourself about, it’s my responsibility.” William replied, looking off-kilter as he glanced over the pages and started hastily organizing them to make room for dinner.

The fact that there were so many papers though made it take an awkward long time, especially when a couple slid off onto the floor. William’s cheeks flushed as he watched the papers scatter, before turning back at Lena who raised her eyebrow. “This doesn’t seem like ‘nothing important’. What is it specifically?”

“...Battle scenarios for tomorrow, reaction plans, anything I can come up with really just to feel better about the battle,” William admitted, awkwardly shifting enough of the papers aside so Rina could pass out dinner for Viridi and Ronin so they could get started eating.

After another moment of stacking papers to the side, William finally shifted one of the sheets over for Lena to see. While a Pokémon’s name at the top looked written in what looked like wobbly doctor’s note chicken scratch, underneath it were neatly organized flow charts with connecting statements, phrases or reactions to certain situations.

“So this is a battle plan for Cheren specifically?” Arthur asked, glancing over as he started to eat his own meal. 

William nodded. “Exactly, I’m trying to make a plan beforehand for situations. It’s Cheren’s team against only Viridi and Ronin, and since it’s out of the three Pokémon that I know he has for a zero Badge battle, it’s even possible he may use all three , or just two. I want to at least try and plan for worst case scenarios before tomorrow.” William’s demeanor eerily mirrored the Student Rangers that Lena recalled would cram the night before their Quest and Mission procedure exams.

“Well… alright, hit me with what you have so far, then we can eat.” Lena beckoned with a wave with both hands, making William look up and blink.

“I… well, okay, um…” William awkwardly shifted the sheets, pulling out one that showed he had done his research at least to Lena. On it were three Pokémon: Patrat, Pidove, and Lillipup, and had moves listed for each of them. Some had question marks next to it, like Patrat having Detect, or Pidove having Gust.

“Focusing on reacting to the moves Cheren uses, huh? Have you watched any previous Gym Battle videos? See what strategies he uses?” Lena questioned, making William tilt his head back and forth.

“Something like that. I’ve looked online to see what Pokémon he’s used previously for battles, but also just used the Pokédex to see what moves the Pokémon can learn.” William answered, before pausing and moving to erase Helping Hand from under Lillipup. “No way he’d use that though, no idea why I wrote it down, this isn’t even a Double Battle. Would they have Baby-Doll Eyes instead…?”

Lena frowned, looking at the paper again before shaking her head. “Maybe it’s my own bias, but I’d say focus less on the moves and more on the tools he may have in general and how to counter them. Lilipup might have Baby-Doll Eyes, but I feel it’s better to plan more in general and what you’d do when, say, your defense or attacking options are weakened. You can use the plan in more situations than just one Pokémon.”

“I mean, ideally we’d be able to lower their own defenses enough so that our attacks aren’t a problem. Viridi would use Screech, and if we’re lucky, get them poisoned, but that’s not a guarantee with Poison Sting. I just consider that a bonus and don’t rely on it.”

“And that’s good,” Lena stated encouragingly, making William turn to her. “But shouldn’t really make strategies on ‘gambles’ when your team is still growing. It’s better to make a plan without them, but I’d still say don’t hesitate to capitalize on them if they do occur.”

William rolled her words in his head, nodding after a moment. “Right, yeah that makes sense. I just… there’s a lot that can happen with battles, so I feel like not exploring possible avenues might leave me being a bit awkward in the moment if I don’t at least try and think about it beforehand.”

“Floatzel-loatzeeeeel. Floatzel! Floaaa-Zel!” (Gramps is right, you’re overthinking it. Ronin and Viridi will be fine! They did great today when we trained!) Rina stated with a roll of her eyes between bites of her dinner, making William tilt his head to her point, but still looking uncertain.

“I mean… yeah, I probably am. But I’m also thinking about how we react, or work in battle.” William turned towards Arthur and Rina. “If Lena gives either of you a vague command that the opposing target doesn’t know what’s going to happen, you still react on your own, correct?”

“ Of course. ”

“Floatzell!” (Yep!) 

William nodded, motioning back to Ronin and Viridi. “That’s what I’m trying to work towards with Viridi and Ronin, something not too complex for tomorrow, but also the foundation for later.” Shuffling some more papers around revealed a new page with various moves that Ronin and Viridi had. He pointed to the move ‘Screech’ under Viridi’s name, an arrow pointing out towards a verbal command that didn’t say Screech. “Basically, shorthands or commands to not give a lot of our intentions away, and give us more wiggle room. I want to work toward the point where more direct commands aren’t needed. Viridi and Ronin are going to need more battle sense for that, which is only developed by practice and time, which we don’t have so… kinda a stopgap measure for myself.”

Lena started looking it over and felt genuine approval rise up. Short commands were some of the first things taught in Ranger School to prospective Rangers. ‘If you can’t get your idea across in a few words, those are precious seconds that may be needed to help someone.’ One of her instructors said that and it stuck with her and Rina. It definitely helped that Arthur could communicate directly with her via Aura, slotting right into her own training.

She noted though that Viridi had more direct, structured commands than Ronin’s, most likely crafted to fit her and what she was used to in Pinwheel Forest. Some of the commands William had for moves weren’t even words, some were motions, like snapping or waving his hand in a certain way. “Some of these depend on your Team being able to hear you, or see you, or even remember the command. That’s not always a guarantee, plus if you’re coming up with it the night before. Not a lot of time to practice with them.”

“Right… which is why I made the reaction flow chart for myself too, if being too vague isn’t working.” William flipped back to the three pages, skimming what he had written earlier. Lena could see the multiple options listed for the various moves that each of Cheren’s Pokémon might use, with direct commands William would use. “This is also mostly just to keep myself in check. Battles are… complicated, but I have to do them. I might as well try and make sure I don’t make a really simple wrong call or freeze up…”

“Phlosion, Lolosion. Typhlo-Phlosion?” (As I said, you’re worrying too much. What was it you said about plans?) 

“No plan survives contact with the enemy. I know, but knowledge is power.” William countered, frowning again while looking at Pidove’s page. “I just don’t know how to handle Work Up…”

“Work Up?”

“It’s the TM the Gym gives out for winning, and they also use it too. We can lower their defense with Screech no problem, like I said before, but we have no solution if they keep raising their attack. No Haze here to make life easier.” The young Trainer muttered. Lena barely understood his under the breath grumbling about something called a ‘Dekaja’ before he started shaking his head again. 

“I just… I need to have a structure, a plan, to fall back on, or at least a foundation I can pretend I can use. I need to be doing more for Viridi and Ronin as a Trainer, especially since we haven’t had many battles together. Thinking on the fly for me is… hard still, but I need to do better.”

William’s nervous ticks were plain to see, but Lena could only watch as he sighed and grabbed Pidove’s page, crumpling it up before throwing it in the trash bin next to him. Her eyes following it, Lena now saw numerous other papers shoved inside from previous planning attempts, and a couple of other papers crumbled into a ball, or on the ground. It was clear that William had gone through numerous attempts. 

“It’s a skill you’ll develop as you battle more. It’s good to strategize, but if you focus too much on it, you’ll end up becoming too rigid like I said before.” Lena said, keeping her tone gentle, but hopefully informative. “I get being worried, especially for a first Gym battle, but failure isn’t a bad thing, it’s a learning experience.” 

“I know, don’t be afraid to fail, it’ll only hold you back from trying,” William said before leaning into his chair with a sigh. “I still want to come up with something . Pidove is gonna take to the air most likely, but if Viridi can at least soften them up for Ronin if she feels comfortable enough. I don’t want to put them in a bad position they aren’t comfortable with.”

“Veni-Venen. Pedede.” (Viridi do task for hive. Hive Leader too bouncy.) Viridi chittered out, her tone straightforwardly blunt.

“Osha-wooott. Sha-whaot.” (I can take on a Pidove! I need more practice anyways.) Ronin said, making William glance between the two before just nodding lightly. 

“Alright… we’ll plan a bit more before bed for Pidove, but yeah, let’s eat for now.” William said, finally relenting and setting his pen down as he moved the other three pages to his bag. 

“Well, at least let’s get these scraps of paper into the recycling bin before the food makes them unrecyclable.” Lena said, shifting to the bin next to William and grabbing the trash bag for all the paper, and then grabbing some of the papers that missed the bin. 

Most of them were similar in structure, but it was clear that William developed the model bit by bit. Scribbles and large Xs crossed out previous ideas, or half-developed flowcharts. On one hand, it was very interesting to see how William’s thought processes developed. On the other hand, the stress was obvious to see. 

One crumpled-up ball caught Lena’s eye, entirely covered in pen ink as if to scratch out the page itself. It blotted out the page to the point where Lena couldn’t discern much of the text, only snippets. It looked more like a list of bullet points than anything.

Purrloin (maybe Liepard)

Shadow Tr iad - Possible Triple Battle 

All thre e Tr ainers at once?

O th er Pok ém on:  

B ish arp - Charon

Abs ol - Vir idi

Acc elg or - Char on

Bane tte - Char on

Locat ion: Op elucid City , Frigate , Icirru s City?

Tim e lim it: 6 months? 7? Ma ybe 8?

Possible solutions: 

“Hey, what’s this?” Lena asked, uncrumpling the paper and holding it up to show to William. He glanced at it for a moment before looking away as he moved to help Ronin and Viridi get their dinner Lena had brought. 

“A bad rough sketch of a possible… battle scenario when I was workshopping how to make plan outlines. I was trying to come up with a hypothetical. I couldn’t think it through, too many factors.” William responded, his voice even.

“Twins, you must have hated it, nearly ripped through the paper.” Lena mused, flipping it over and looking at how hard the pen’s indent was pressed into it. She couldn’t even make out the text on this side.

“I hate how I can’t find a solution more than the sketch itself...” William’s voice held an undertone that Lena couldn’t read. He was probably just hungry, but she felt like he had to reassure him.

“If you want, after the Gym Battle we can try and revisit it? Maybe a fresh pair of eyes could help?” 

William froze for a half second, long enough for Lena to notice, but short enough that she couldn’t comment on it. “I… maybe one day, but I kinda… feel a need to solve it myself. It’s a personal puzzle.”

Lena glanced at the state of the paper. “Can’t be very ‘personal’ to you if you nearly ripped through the page.”

“Adversarial puzzle then.” William clarified in a deadpan tone.

“Alright, ‘adversarial’ puzzle. Well, I’ll just keep it until you want to return to it…” Lena rolled her eyes, folding the crumpled paper into her pocket for later, before moving to finally eat dinner with their teams. 

Still, she didn't miss how quiet William was throughout it… never finding a good opportunity to ask about how he really was feeling.

‘I’ll ask after the Gym Battle, that’ll be a better time…’

“...ym… hern… Gym Lead… Gym Leader Cheren?” The sensation of someone’s hand gently shaking his shoulder, and their voice acted like a Thunderbolt to Cheren. His entire body shot up along with his eyelids, causing light to painfully stab into his eyes.

“Ng — uh — wha… C-Chiaki? What are… what is…?” Cheren languorously asked, his eyelids still feeling like weights despite the sudden mental shift in… in…

What… was he doing before now?

Feeling something stuck to his face, Cheren moved his hand to it and peeled it off. Moving it away from his face, he blinked a couple more times as his eyes focused on identifying it. It was a keycap from his keyboard. With dismay, he turned to his screen, showing the Gym report the League required, half-filled out correctly. 

Aspertia Gym - Monthly Performance Report 

(TO BE FILLED OUT BY GYM LEADER ONLY)

Badge Level Battles/Performed by Gym Leader:

0 Badge: 23

1 Badge: 19

2 Badge: 15

3 Badge: 10

4 Badge: 0

5 Badge: 0

6 Badge: 0

7 Badge: 0

8 Badge: 0

Ace Trainer Badges: 0

Registered Gym Trainers: 2

Badge Level/Battles performed by Gym Trainers:

0 Badge: 9

1 Badge: 5

2 Badge: 2

3 Badge: 0

4 Badge: 0

5 Badge: 0

6 Badge: 0

7 Badge: 0

8 Badge: 0

Ace Trainer Badges: 0

Summary of Gym Activities: As the seson has just started recentl, and as aspertia city Gym and Trainer school haves simultaneusly opened this month has as expected been the busiest time. Former Gym leader Lenora has unfortunate not been able to overse any battles but inline with league requirmnts i have mad surgrt5rt4fgyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

‘... That’s right, today’s… it's Wednesday now. I just finished talking to the Gym Trainers today with our weekly review, and started grading the Status Condition exams, but remembered that I had to fill out the monthly Gym Performance… ’ With a sigh, Cheren highlighted the pages of text the keyboard started filling out when his head hit it, already mentally starting to go through it again for the numerous typing mistakes he made half-asleep before the sound of ceramic gently hitting the table made him turn his head up.

Chiaki stood over his desk, a soft, if concerned smile on her face. A cup of coffee in her left hand, while her right had set down a steaming cup of one in front of Cheren, the earthy-roast scent allowing some of Cheren’s body to wake up. “It’s past seven, Gym Leader Cheren, I came in to see if you needed anything else before I headed out and saw you passed out. Decided to make something quick in the break room.”

“Ah. thank you.” Cheren started with a smile before reaching forward and grabbing the cup, gently blowing on it before freezing. “Wait, did you say seven?!”

Chiaki sighed and nodded, leaning against the wall now and taking a sip. “Yep. Seven-thirteen P.M, to be exact.” Shaking her head slightly, she fixed him with a stare. “Isn’t Lenora supposed to help you with some of the overhead as a part of your first year? I know she had more Gym Trainers, could she send some over to assist with some of the battles?”

Cheren frowned, setting his mug down and shaking his head. “Former Gym Leader Lenora is busy after the infestation in Pinwheel Forest. It’s turning into a criminal investigation now from what I’ve heard because of a representative illegally barring the Rangers from requesting League assistance. She may not be a Gym Leader, but she’s still the strongest Trainer in Nacrene City and has the most political strength, so she takes part in a lot of the meetings…”

‘ I don’t want to bother her, she has more pressing things to worry about. It’s my responsibility as a Gym Leader either way to be able to handle this. ’

“Right, I heard about that from my ex-Ranger colleagues…” Chiaki muttered, before dispelling the thought. “Alright, you could still have Pedro or Serena do more battles? I know you’ve been taking most of them lately.”

“They’re still training their own personal team for the Gym… I have Pokémon ready at every level, but I don’t wish to rush them. I also don’t want to give the League the impression that their new Gym Leader is pushing battles he could do onto his Gym Trainers.”

‘ I need to prove myself, still. ’

Chiaki let out a huff of air, clearly not satisfied, but not about to push the issue. “Well, alright. Just let me know what I can do to help still…” 

“You’re already doing more than I can ask for Chiaki. You’re acting as the School receptionist as well as the Gym receptionist, I’m not going to add more to your plate.” Cheren started warmly, giving her a smile. Chiaki stared at him for a moment, smiling back with some emotion he couldn’t read while shaking her head.

‘...Maybe I am too tired. I’ll get dinner and head home soon. I just need to finish these papers… and the report.’ Cheren mused with a wince, taking another sip of coffee before he nodded to Chiaki. “If you're all done for the night, you can head out. Please don’t worry about locking up, I’ll do that once I finish up.”

“Alright, Gym Leader Cheren, if you say so.” Chiaki started, moving for the door before pausing and turning back. “Actually… real quick clarification question, if a Trainer is a part of the early Ace Trainer program, they’re required to take the Challenge Battle, correct?”

“All Trainers as part of the Early Ace Trainer program are required to take part in Challenge Battles. The Pokémon that the Gym Leader uses is up to the discretion of the Gym Leader, but they must take into consideration the Badge Level of the Trainer, the size of their team, and what Pokémon they have if known.” Cheren stated automatically, the memory of all the Gym Leader guidelines and rules he crammed for weeks straight once Alder told him he was nominating him suddenly to replace Lenora flooding back. 

He shook his head as he caught himself about to continue to the next paragraph, turning to Chiaki instead. “Why do you ask? It’s still a bit early in the season?”

“Oh, just wanted to make sure I filled the right information for your battle tomorrow.” 

“Wait — I have a Challenge Battle tomorrow?! Who’s the Trainer?” Cheren asked, wide awake now even though he hadn’t finished even a third of his coffee.

“With William, You know, the young kid with the yellow sweatshirt? He’s apparently a part of some early Ace Trainer program according to Ranger Lena, but it’s shifted due to his age. Had to put it in manually, but wanted to make sure.”

Cheren blinked in shock, sitting back in thought. ‘ He’s a part of an Ace Trainer program? That… would explain the Hisuian Typhlosion, but… why would he say he’s not trying to stand out then? ’ 

Something felt off… Cheren frowned and played with his tie, shaking his head to try and focus without everything clouding his thoughts. “Tomorrow at noon, correct?”

“Yep, right after your morning class.” Chiaki stated, making Cheren nod even as he mentally sighed. He could make that work, he had to.

“Got it. Thank you for the heads up Chiaki, I… wasn’t aware he was in the early Ace Trainer program.” Cheren stated, making Chiaki frown now.

“Really? Apparently it’s why Ranger Lena is following him, due to his age being younger than the standard one…” 

“I actually remember an email from Champion Iris that was sent to every Gym Leader about Ranger Lena traveling with him last week… That’s probably why the Gym Leaders were given a heads up, so they weren’t surprised by this.” Cheren muttered, nodding to himself before turning to Chaiki. “I’ll take care of it, thank you for the heads up.”

Chaiki said her goodbyes, but not without sending him one last look of concern as she headed out of the school, Cheren waiting for the door to close before he took a deep breath.

It had been months since he battled anything over third Badge strength. He had longed to battle at full strength with even his personal Gym Team, but no challengers had come to him for such a battle. They always went with the longer running Gym Leaders, given there was more information about what they had versus him. And the fact that Aspertia was out of the way for most people, they had been coming to him first, and then heading to Virbank afterwards… 

He was treated like the first Gym now, easy, trivial. Even though he had reached the Champion during the Team Plasma Siege and helped fight back.

He could maybe scratch that itch with this battle, he heard an offhand comment by Shauntal about how the Hisuian Typhlosion even made her Chandelure shiver…

‘No, No. Cheren, reign yourself in.’ He chastised himself sharply, shaking his head and frowning. ‘ An Ace Trainer program he may be in, but he still has no Badges. The two Pokémon he has are probably not as trained as the Hisuian Typhlosion, and Ranger Lena mentioned he doesn’t want too much attention. Not that I can blame either of them but...’

Taking a moment to think, Cheren closed his eyes. ‘ I can use two normal Pokémon I have ready to use for the basic, zero Badge Challenge Battle, visually, they’re identical to the ones I use in the standard battle, so no one can bring attention to that. For the third Pokémon I can use a challenge beyond his Badge rank that should be suitable for his Hisuian Typhlosion…’ Cheren opened his eyes and nodded, suddenly feeling energized about the upcoming battle.

‘Alright, Trainer William. Let’s see what you’re made of tomorrow.’

Chapter Text

Chapter 20 - The Eyes of Flame

The sun shone over the freshly maintained field as spectators filled the bleachers, enjoying the pleasant weather. As Cheren waited, he noted to himself of the handful of Trainer-to-be spectators, most likely trying to ‘study’ the Gym Leader before they took him on for themselves.

Among the spectators, Cheren spotted Top Ranger Lena, a Floatzel, and a Lucario next to her, waiting for the battle to begin. Another passing thought entered his mind as he observed her Pokémon with the slight lull before his next opponent. ‘They look impressively strong, even more curious why she didn’t do a League run, or get any Badges herself.’

Straightening his tie, he dispelled the thought before he heard the noise of the door leading from the school into the open battle arena unlocking. Turning to the opposite side of the field from him, his opponent walked in. With three Poké Balls on his hips, two regular Poké Balls, and one Nest Ball, a yellow sweatshirt that still looked too big for him with how long the sleeves were, stood the young Trainer William. 

Cheren was no Card Sharpedo, but he liked to think he had a pretty good ability to read people. It was an incredibly useful skill to have in battles. He’d never admit it to her face, but one of the biggest reasons why Bianca stood out as an inexperienced Trainer compared to him is that she had no awareness of her own body language — if she tried to make a big play, she’d tense up in excitement; if she was stumped, she’d look confused; if her plan didn’t work, she’d pout in disappointment.

To most people, William’s face might be best described as disinterested, bored, or uncaring. Or maybe that he hadn’t gotten enough sleep, which was probably true. But to Cheren, the way his eyes kept darting between the different cameras, the spectators, the referees, and Lena in the stands described everything he needed to know. 

Someone once told him, and he didn’t remember where, that the eyes are a window to the soul. If that was true, then William’s was wide open. 

William was a nervous wreck barely keeping himself together.

‘I know it’s your first Gym Battle and all, but my job is to make sure you’re learning. Worst thing you can do in battle is lose your nerves....’  Cheren mused as he caught the carefully placed wireless microphone for challengers pinned on his blinding yellow sweatshirt. He had one on his tie as well for the League recording of the fight, and as a Gym Leader to communicate with League personnel if the battle drowned out their voices. Turning to one side of the field, the referee was engaged in a conversation with the cameraman who nodded back as they did their final checks. They occasionally glanced at Cheren, waiting for his signal.

‘It’s time then.’ Cheren thought as he took a deep breath, standing up straighter. Making eye contact with the cameraman and referee, he gave them both a nod when they glanced back his way to signify he was ready. They noticed and started their procedures to get the battle started. The League provided barrier generators forming around the arena, still allowing the audience to see the action. The spectators noticed, and their voices rumbling with excitement for the battle.

The red light on the cameras mounted carefully around the field told him that the cameras were rolling and the microphones had gone live, prompting Cheren to start the Gym Battle proceedings. 

“Welcome to Aspertia City's Pokémon Gym, challenger William.” He announced, quieting the crowd as he continued to speak. “I'm Cheren, and I will be your opponent for today. I will be here to test you and your partner’s capabilities to earn your first Gym Badge. Are you ready?” 

William on the other side gave a nod at his statement, but didn’t break eye contact with Cheren as he himself pulled out a Poké Ball from his own belt… It was a shame that the rules forced him to put William in this situation, but he could try and bend the rules the best he could. 

“As a new Gym Leader and battle instructor, I still have a lot to learn, but let’s see what you’ve learned as a Trainer thus far in battle!” He declared, saying his piece as he always did before. 

The referee raised both flags up, starting his standard beginning speech. “This will be an official Gym Battle between the challenger Trainer William from Accumula Town and Gym Leader Cheren of Aspertia City!” 

The crowd cheered politely, though the Floatzel next to Lena let out a bellowing cry. Cheren noticed that it made William smile slightly with a chuckle and glance in their direction before turning back to the field as the referee continued their call. 

“This battle will use the official Unova Regulation B set for Standard Single Battles. The use of League approved held items are allowed. Both Trainers can recall their Pokémon at any time, but doing so will count as a manual switch, if no switches are left, that Pokémon will be considered forfeited from battling for the rest of the match. The battle will end after all three Pokémon on one side are unable to continue, or if a Trainer resigns. Trainers, are you ready?”

Cheren gave a nod, grabbing a Poké Ball for the first member of his team from his belt and expanding it, noting that William’s hand traveled directly to the lone Nest Ball he had with no hesitation. He took a minute longer to expand it then most, but then held it close to his mouth, speaking quietly enough for the microphone to not pick it up before nodding to the referee. ‘So he has a plan, let’s see how it stacks up for an Ace-Trainer-to-be.’

“Trainers, please release your first Pokémon!”

“Come on out, Patrat!”

“Like we planned, Viridi.”

In two flashes — one white, and the other earthy-green — their Pokémon appeared on the field, with Cheren taking a look at William’s first choice, a Venipede. He’s fought a couple of them before, mostly ones found on Route 20 by new Trainers; was he going for a poison to wear him down? He also noticed that William didn’t ‘throw’ the Nest Ball, instead lightly tossing it forward only a couple feet before fumbling to catch it as it returned to him. He winced as it hit his left hand. An injury?

He didn’t have time to voice concern, as the referee took one last look at both sides, before raising his flag for both sides. “Let the Gym Battle for the Basic Badge…” With a dramatic pause, Cheren let one more deep breath leave him at that time before the flags were thrown down. “...begin!”

“Make some noise.”

“Patrat, use —”

Before Cheren could finish his sentence, an absolutely earsplitting Screech echoed around the arena that made the Gym Leader and Patrat wince. He recovered quickly, waving his arm forward. “Tackle! Start to apply pressure on them!”

Patrat, clenching his eyes tight, charged forward as the Venipede continued to let the Screech go on. ‘So he’s planning on weakening Patrat to make up for the lack of hard hitting moves naturally on a Venipede. Alright, that’s a good play, but what happens when you can’t?’

Less than ten feet away, Viridi finally paused the horrible noise plaguing everyone right as Patrat leapt forward with the full force of a Tackle. Viridi responded by simply rolling to the right like a Lillipup.

As obtuse of an evasion strategy it looked, it allowed her to completely evade the attack before skittering for Cheren’s side of the arena with an abnormally fast speed for her species. 

Patrat, surprised by this tactic, caught himself and skidded to a stop in front of William, turning to Viridi’s current location. Cheren immediately issued his next command. 

“Stay on them! Get in close before they can use Screech again!”

Patrat let out a chattering noise before charging back for Cheren’s side of the field. Viridi stopped with a bit of a skid and turned around to face the approaching Scout Pokémon. William paused for a moment, weighing his options before calling out his own command. 

“Repeat, then Poison Sting when close!”

Cheren couldn’t hold his wince as another loud noise rang out, now closer to his ears than before. Even so, the picture of Viridi’s place on William’s team began to form in his head, of her purpose in this battle, and how he would counter it to test William as his role as Gym Leader.

William seemed to train Viridi for speed, and status lowering, not a bad play. I would have done the same myself in his position, but why not go for Defense Curl for survivability? Let’s try to force him to act…’ He thought before another horrid noise echoing in the arena pulled him from his thoughts. Patrat grit his teeth but charged forward. Cheren watched Viridi for the right moment for the Poison Sting, waiting just until her tail twitched with the faint toxic scent entering the air even through the battlefield’s barrier…

“Now! Detect into Tackle!”

“Keep firing, they can’t hold it forever!”

Patrat started towards his target without hesitation. Viridi let loose her barrage of poisonous darts in reaction, the venomous projectiles similar to a Bullet Seed from the speed and rate of fire alone.

Cheren felt the intrigue rise in him at this strategy. Detect was very effective at making a single attack evadable. The Fighting Type Energy assisted the senses and guided the Pokémon through and away from attacks, the issue being that if used multiple times in a row or maintaining it proved to be taxing . The fact that William knew this was impressive, but it didn’t mean he could break through it.

Patrat's aided movement started to falter as he avoided the continuous assault of Poison Sting, and Cheren could see a couple of stingers graze against his sides. Even so, the Normal Type still held the Detect as he closed in. Viridi’s tail, surrounded by the purple miasma of Poison Energy, slowly shifted to a more white shade. The rate of fire slowing just as another stinger hit Patrat’s tail…

Despite Viridi’s efforts, it wasn’t enough. Patrat shifted to the right of Viridi, before forcing his body forward into a Tackle and smashing Viridi to the side. The Bug Poison Type chittered in pain as she flew to the side, her body rolling end over end. Cheren noticed William’s fist squeezing as his body shifted forward for just a moment, even with his feet staying in place.

Cheren couldn’t stop to think about the behavior, especially with William crying out shortly after. “Viridi, get back to this side, and Defense Curl! Wait for my signal!”

Cheren watched as Viridi darted across the field in a quarter of the time that Patrat did so. Letting out a hissing noise at the other side, she rolled up into herself as her body faintly shimmered in the sun, the Normal Type Energy beginning to surround her.

‘So now he’s going for defense — no, that doesn’t matter. How did she get so fast?’ Cheren mused for a half second before Patrat grunted. Turning to his Pokémon, he noticed that the stings that did land from Viridi made the spots on his body turn a sickening purple as the poison set in deeper than before.

They were on a timer now, unfortunately. Cursing mentally, Cheren yelled his next move. “Bite, Patrat! Bear down! Listen for their signal!”

‘Bear down’, meaning make sure they flinch. Dark Type Energy surrounded Patrat’s front teeth with malicious intent as he chittered and darted forward. Cheren watched as William shifted, trying to anticipate when the move would hit and getting ready to call out to Viridi as another wave of Defence Curl washed over herself.

Twenty-five feet, Patrat’s front paws pushed him forward. Twenty, William muttered something under his breath that Cheren couldn’t discern across the field. Ten feet, Patrat shifted his teeth and head upwards for the final motion. He was too close for Viridi to come out of Defense Curl to retaliate. Cheren figured that William misjudged the time it would take…

Then William smiled, and Cheren barely noticed his right hand snapping .

Viridi’s body immediately spun into a roll, dirt and rock kicking up at either side of her from the Rock Type Energy that bounced off the psychic barriers while instantly propelling her body into Patrat.

He had no time to react. The normal visible buildup of Rock Type Energy that most Venipede he had faced before happened in an instant. The impact sent Patrat’s body sailing forward in the air across the field with a pained noise. Without hesitation, Viridi continued to somersault on the ground like wheels on a car narrowing in for another hit and run. Cheren knew that Patrat wouldn’t be able to avoid midair, even with Detect. 

“Try and brace for impact!” He warned. 

Patrat, doing his best, shifted part of his body into a ball to minimize impact while letting out a determined cry. A second later, the second impact of Rollout cut that cry off and sent him tumbling to the ground.

Viridi uncurled herself, skidding across the field and nearly landing face first at the barrier. She turned around quickly and stared for William’s side of the field as a dust cloud had formed where Patrat landed. Cheren could see that poison and the double whammy of Rollout hits, on top of multiple rounds of Screech, was too much. Patrat’s back was visible for the whole arena, now completely knocked out.

“Patrat is unable to battle! Trainer William and Viridi win this round!” The referee called, raising a flag in William’s direction. A volley of claps and cries of excitement echoed in the stands, especially from Lena’s side of the field.

Cheren raised Patrat’s Poké Ball and returned him, but brought it up to his mouth with a smile. “You did well, don’t worry,” He whispered before putting his Poké Ball back on his belt. Turning to the field, Cheren made sure his microphone was on before speaking. “I must say, I’m impressed that you’ve trained Viridi to use Rollout that fast without losing power. Even with Defense Curl and her quick speed, that Rollout was still stronger at the start than I’ve seen with most Trainers.”

William gave a small smile, but still shrugged, uncertainty written all over his face. In contrast, Viridi looked to be preening on the other end with her eyes. After a moment, the young Trainer found his words. “Thank you, Gym Leader Cheren. Viridi put in a lot of work training her Rollout, the credit goes to her.”

‘Downplaying his own achievement. Makes sense that he doesn’t want to stick out, but then why use non-verbal commands? That’s quite advanced and people will notice, especially for someone so young with no Badges.’ Cheren thought without shifting his expression, simply nodding instead at William as he grabbed the next Pokémon on his belt. “Regardless, let’s see how you handle a Type disadvantage. Pidove! Come on out!”

In a flash, the Normal Flying Type took to the field with a flutter of his wings and a trill. Cheren saw William’s eyes narrow, darting between the two Pokémon as if weighing his options. Viridi, on the other hand, remained unfazed. 

“The challenger has thirty seconds to choose to continue with his current Pokémon or switch!” The referee called out.

William hesitated for about half-a-second before kneeling down to Viridi. He wisely turned off his microphone before having a quiet conversation with Viridi; her body vibrated in some sort of response.

Pushing himself up, William pulled out his second Poké Ball, whispering into it. Cheren mentally prepared himself to see William’s second Pokémon, but couldn’t hold back his raised eyebrows as William put the Poké Ball back on his belt right before the referee was about to count down from five and spoke out. “Viridi will stay in for now.”  

Confused noises and murmurs ran out across the spectators at this decision, but Cheren didn’t let that distract him. Neither did the referee, besides a slight side eye to William as he raised his flags. “The challenger’s Pokémon will be staying on the field against Gym Leader Cheren’s second Pokémon. The second battle… begins!”

Cheren raised his hand upwards, knowing how to play the field to push William. “To the sky! Growl!”

With a trilling chirp, Pidove’s wings spread out and, with a slight running start, soared upward with a final kick off the ground. Flying high above what Viridi’s Rollout could reach, the Normal Flying Type let out a piercing, aggressive cry downwards that carried an almost mocking tone to it. 

Viridi’s body trembled, but she glared at the flying bird nevertheless. William responded in kind by speaking louder. “Screech, but be ready!”

For the third time this match, another horrid, metal-like scraping echoed around the field. ‘He’s able to lower Pidove’s defense faster than we can lower his, but he doesn’t have a way to lower our attack at all at the moment.’  

“Start using Gust! Scatter her, then Work Up when you can!” Pidove's wings flapped harder and white energy pooled into them at his words. The force generated from the rapid motions turned into disarming and painful wind streams aiming directly for the Venipede below.

Before the full effect of Gust hit, William cried out. “Break through! Then Repeat!” Viridi used Rollout even faster than before, like a tire screeching on the asphalt. Cheren was certain that Viridi’s speed began to increase abnormally now as her body spun forward across the field, Gust missing completely.

Finally, the realization clicked into place for the Gym Leader. ‘Speed Boost! That’s why she’s so easily able to react first, even if William's commands come after mine.’  

Pidove tried targeting Viridi again with Gust, but she was too fast for it to land a direct hit. Rollout helped to ground her and break through the Flying Type Energy, but Cheren could see it wasn’t without consequences. Dirt, dust, and rocks peppered Viridi along with Flying Type Energy’s naturally super-effective nature on her. Viridi started to wobble between every Rollout, yet pressed on despite the disadvantage.

It was a dance, Pidove using Gust while Viridi was on the back foot with Rollout to avoid the attack while continuing to shred his defenses between every slight pause with Screech. Pidove couldn’t go in for even one hit anymore; Viridi was just simply too fast and his own defenses weakened.

‘If we can’t go in for long, we’ll just have to go quicker anyways.’

Waiting for Viridi’s Rollout to trail off for a moment, Cheren quickly capitalized. “Quick Attack! Dive in!”

“Make it rain!”

William’s odd command made Cheren pause, but Pidove did not. His body shifted forward, before turning into a blur and striking Viridi who cried out from the force of the impact. She bounced against the ground from the attack… but the extra protection of Defense Curl prevented anything from piercing. Viridi shifted in the air with her tail glowing purple aimed at the sky instead of Pidove.

Needles of poison shot skyward towards the sun, forcing Cheren to cover his eyes from the glare… then gravity started pulling them back down.

Wasting no time, Cheren issued a defensive command. “Gust! Blow them all away!”

The angle of the sun forced Pidove to squint upwards as he aimed the Gust to blow the attack away. The displaced stingers peppered the protective shield around the arena, making some in the crowd flinch away with yelps of surprise. Pidove let a squawk out as needles broke through the defensive attempt, sending him into a spiral towards the ground.

Poisonous pinpricks peppered his body as he caught himself and struggled to fly through it all and land in a safe spot. As soon as he did, another Screech echoed across the field. Pidove looked furious at the noise and covered his ears with his wings, letting Cheren note that no Poison Sting had actually poisoned him. Even with some of his feathers looking frayed or burnt from poison, he still had more than enough energy to take on Viridi. In contrast, her body expanded and contracted with every breath, clearly reaching her limit.

‘ It’s impressive that you used Rollout to work through your weakness… but it’s not gonna be enough for Viridi to take this match if you can’t do enough damage, will you make the right choice if we…? ’ 

“Growl, then react to their next move with Quick Attack!” Pidove let out another aggressive cry, almost feral-like anger directed towards Viridi. 

William frowned and instead of calling out a move, he shifted his belt and raised one arm and Cheren could see a Nest and Poké Ball in each of his hands. “I’m using a Switch! Viridi, return!”

Viridi didn’t turn away from Pidove, glaring at the bird as the beam of the Nest Ball surrounded her body. William took a deep breath as she vanished from the field, before similarly tossing the Poké Ball to make it land where Viridi once was, his expression hardening. “Let’s take it home, Ronin.”

With a popping noise, Cheren started as an Oshawott took center stage, his eyes laser focused on the Water Starter. ‘ So that’s what you’ve chosen from Professor Juniper, the same as Hilbert.’

The echo of sand from Route 4 battered against his cheek once again as he cried out for Pidove to take the field. Hilbert’s own Oshawott, who had evolved into a Dewott by then, was ready to strike despite the sand acting as a constant distraction… 

And a pointless distraction it was, as Dewott’s movement was precise and calculated, unhindered by the weather. Hilbert’s voice pierced through the sandstorm with a strategy intentionally crafted to break through Cheren’s own plan. 

And then in a blink, he was back in the Gym field, staring at another Trainer with an Oshawott… both looking to have a clear plan to try and take him down. Nostalgia bounced around Cheren, followed by a complex wave of grief, confusion… anger.

‘No, not during a Gym Battle. I can sort out my feelings on Hilbert not even telling his friends if he’s okay another time. I can’t do that while acting as a Gym Leader.’ Cheren thought to himself, forcing himself to focus and almost missing the referee officially stating William’s switch according to the regulations, letting him have the first verbal move. “You’ve made the smart play switching them, so let’s see how you react! Pidove, now!”

Following the command from before, Pidove blurred forward into a white flash. Ronin reacted without William even speaking, charging forward to meet Pidove head on what was unmistakably an Aqua Jet. The audience excitedly cried as the surge of water struck, and Cheren couldn’t help but join in with them, impressed by the quick response. 

Even Hilbert’s Starter didn’t learn Aqua Jet until he was close to evolving into a Samurott. To have Ronin ready to react to Pidove immediately without giving command showed why William was on an early Ace Trainer track.

Both attacks clashed in the middle of the arena, fading away as they fell away from each other from the force, but Pidove was on the backfoot. Ronin quickly capitalized with Water Gun the same time as William cried out. 

“Keep up the pressure! Focus on the wings!”

“To the air! Quick Attack out of there!” Cheren countered as Pidove covered himself the best he could from Ronin’s attack, the torrent still sweeping his body away. Ronin leaped forward into another Aqua Jet, but Pidove gathered himself before spreading his wings out to dispel the water. With all the Normal Flying Type’s might, a Quick Attack pushed him out of the way of Ronin’s Aqua Jet, now flying over to William’s side of the field now to get away.

Ronin came out of the Aqua Jet, Cheren quickly adjusting his plan. “Focus on dive attacks! Get out of range!” 

William looked up at Pidove, his eyes following the Pokémon’s movement for a second before it vanished in a blink with Quick Attack. The move hit Ronin’s back before he could react, prompting a cry of pain as a bruise and cut from the sharp beak’s impact.

Pidove dove upwards to avoid retaliation, too high for Ronin to hit with Water Gun. William grit his teeth, eyes darting around the field for an answer. Ronin pushed himself up with the forming purple bruise and dripping cut, turning to William with a series of cries. The exact meaning was lost to Cheren, but William followed along with a quick glance up at Pidove before nodding.

“I trust you Ronin! Use the field to your advantage, on my mark!”

Gazing at his Trainer, the Water Type nodded with determination before grabbing his scalchop with his flipper. Cheren narrowed his eyes. ‘Can you use Razor Shell? No, what is it about the field…’ Cheren scanned the arena for a second, before shaking his head to refocus on Pidove. “Dive in when you get the chance, but don’t let them act!”

Pidove glided in a circle, mentally calculating the best angle to dive bomb Ronin at. Ronin’s tail waved back and forth repeatedly, anticipating, waiting… scalchop low to the ground, almost dragging against it.

Cheren likened it to a game of Torchic. William watched Pidove carefully, his right hand tapping his side in rhythm with Pidove’s wings as he glided around the arena in a circle, getting lower and lower from building exhaustion and the water weighing him down.

Ronin watched similarly, not moving his body, but tilting his scalchop ever so slightly depending on where Pidove was. Pokemon and Trainer in sync to try and defend against a foe they couldn’t target with their current options directly.

Like a spark, Pidove flapped his wings in a pattern of three before diving forward as the white energy of Quick Attack surrounded him. William barely had time to open his mouth before the attack was inches away. Ronin reacted despite this, shifting just enough to force half of his body to move out of the way, with the beak barely glancing across his scalchop which he used akin to a shield to force it to glance away.

Despite that, Quick Attack still clipped the left side of his body. Ronin cried out in pain as he flew backwards to William from the angle of the attack. From where the attack landed, a light gash formed as it began to bleed. At the sight of the injury, Ronin’s Trainer squeezed his hand tightly, his leg jerked forward in a halted step.

Both of them said nothing while Ronin pushed himself back up. With his scalchop low, he glared at Pidove as his tail continued to wag back and forth. William’s fingers tapped once again on his side, his lips moving in a beat.

‘Are you trying to anticipate Quick Attack? What does the field have to do with it, though?’ Cheren mused as frustration at not being able to puzzle together William’s strategy bubbled inside.

He wouldn’t normally have the zero Badge challenge battle Pidove fly so constantly and conveniently out of range of the challenger, but the response by William was… odd. He had a solution for this, his Hisuian Typhlosion… Why wasn’t he switching now?

‘Either way, if you’re playing the long game, Ronin won’t last another two, maybe even just one more Quick Attack by my estimate.’ Cheren thought while staying silent, watching William tap his finger in time with the wings…

Then, Pidove did pause, wings hesitating between flaps while preparing for another dive bomb. William’s finger stopped mid-tap as Pidove's body shifted forward to dive, his mouth moving automatically with a cry. “Now!”

As Pidove’s body started his dive, Ronin dug his scalchop deep into the ground before he yanked it forward. Clumps of dirt and mud flew into the space in front and above him from his previous water attacks, directly into the path of the Quick Attack. Cheren realized too late with horror as to what happened. Pidove squawked and coughed as the makeshift attack coated his wings and eyes. The Normal Flying Type tried to divert the Quick Attack away and roughly landed into a skid.

Ronin let an aggressive cry sound as his body charged forward in a furious rush of water. Aqua Jet slammed into Pidove’s side with a painful thwack, launching his body across the field into a crumpled heap. Cheren didn’t even need confirmation from the referee. He knew Pidove was down for the count.

Some booing, some cheering, and others voices bounced around the Arena, but some stared in shock like Cheren himself. The shock eventually turned into disbelief, then shifting again into a calculated interest at William and Ronin as he returned Pidove to his Poké Ball “I have to say, I don’t think I expected your Venipede to last long enough to lower Pidove’s defenses enough for Ronin to clean up the fight. Using the field as well is a surprise… to use the dirt from Gust and mud from your own water attacks as a makeshift Sand Attack is a technique not seen at this level.” He said, trying to lay down praise for William.

William rubbed his neck, an almost embarrassed, awkward half smile forming on his face. “Again, I did little. Ronin put in the work during training. All the credit should go to him and Viridi for their performance.”

Ronin brighted from the praise, straightening his posture despite the bruising, clearly rearing to go. Even as William technically had one Pokémon left still.

Cheren closed his eyes and took a deep breath, shaking his head with a plastered smile on his face. “Still, you do not give yourself enough credit, if I could, I would have awarded you with the Basic Badge already…”

Sadly, he couldn’t go beyond League rules, his hand reaching for the other side of his belt where a Poké Ball shook, ready for release. “Unfortunately, following League Regulations, this is a Challenge Battle. I'm required to give you a challenge beyond your Gym Badge rank before such can happen.”

Confusion completely overtook William’s face at that, and a similarly confused rumble echoed across the crowd. Cheren ignored that in favor of rearing his arm back and throwing his last Pokémon for the battle. “Stoutland! We’ve got a fight!”

Stoutland crashed onto the field with a loud cry, staring down at Ronin for a moment as the oppressive glare of Intimidate washed over the field. Ronin flinched back, faltering for a moment and turning back to his Trainer. William froze in similar shock with his eyes staring at the Stoutland, paralyzed, unable to speak.

At this, Ronin turned around and the hesitation from before was gone, looking furious at the sight of the larger Normal Type. He gripped his scalchop tight and let out a noise akin to a growl.

The murmuring and noises from the crowd filled the arena, but it was all silence to Cheren and William. The referee glanced between William and Ronin, and after another ten seconds of silence from William in his daze, the referee raised his flags. “The Challenger William has chosen not to switch his Pokémon, the third battle between Gym Leader Cheren and Challenger William… begins!”

“Stoundland! Bite!” Cheren called while crossing his arms, keeping his face purposely impassive. He had talked to Stoutland beforehand about the battle, and he knew that the Big-Hearted Pokémon wouldn’t permanently hurt Ronin. ‘The point of this isn’t to scar or injure, it’s to force you out of your plan going in. You’re using status moves expertly to gain an advantage… but what if they aren’t enough?’  

The sight of a charging Pokémon ready to bear down on his team member must have been enough to snap William out of his state, crying out quickly in a panic. “R-Ronin! Evade!”

Ronin reacted without hesitation, Aqua Jet surrounding them as they flew forward towards Stoutland. Right before the canine could chomp down, Ronin pivoted at a hard right angle, the force of Bite making an audible crack in the open air.

William flinched from the noise, opening his mouth to give another command to Ronin, but no words came out. The young Trainer entirely frozen and his thoughts visibly unwinding in front of everyone like a rope coming undone.

Cheren didn’t give any leeway, calling out once more. “Cut him off, he can’t evade forever!”

Ronin let out an aggressive cry at seeing his Trainer paralyzed. Pausing his motions as he was far enough away, his tail wagging back and forth. Cheren recognized it as Tail Whip, before Ronin stopped and moved to dart to the other side of the arena via Aqua Jet.

However, Stoutland used Tackle at the right time to push himself forward, slamming into him mid-Aqua Jet; the Water Type move crumbling with an audible crack from impact. Both of them moved in the same direction from the force of the attack, with Ronin letting out a pained, choked cry in mid-air, before his body hit the barrier of the field and fell down.

Cheren didn’t even think William saw Ronin struggling to stand up, panting and swaying slightly. Despite that direct hit, he started forcing his aching, bruised body to stand for his Trainer… even though he was half-a-second from falling down.

William didn’t wait, shakily raising Ronin’s Poké Ball with panic and fear straining his voice. “R-Ronin! Return!”

Ronin didn’t react to William’s voice, simply glaring at Stoutland who returned to his own side of the field, looking down at the Water Type with just as impassive of a gaze as his Trainer had ordered him. In a red flash, Ronin exited the field, leaving another wave of hushed whispers roaming the stands above the Gym Leader and Trainer.

William looked at Ronin’s Poké Ball for a moment, his left hand shaking slightly as he put it back on his belt after shrinking it. His head barely turned, his eyes glancing to the right side of the stands above them.

Cheren followed his gaze, even as the referee spoke of William's thirty seconds to select a new Pokémon. His eyes met Lena’s, who was leaning forward in her seat gripping the railing similar to her Floatzel, with her Lucario placing a paw on both of their shoulders as if to hold them back. Lena's eyes darted between William, Stoutland, and Cheren, unadulterated anger burning inside them.

…did he just see the railing bend under her fingers? 

Discarding the thought, Cheren tried to maintain his expression, but his own eyebrows shifted, barely furrowing. ‘Why… are you surprised? This is a Challenge Battle as required by the League for Ace Trainers? Yes, he may be a kid, but he’s on the Ace Trainer path with a Typhlosion? Did you not look up what Challenge Battles for Ace Trainers are like? Yes, I usually use Herdier, but I need to test for his entire team…’

The background noise of the crowd murmuring, hushed whispers swirling around like a Whirlpool, but the referee’s voice cut the noise like a Slash. “The challenger has fifteen seconds to call out their next Pokémon, or they are considered forfeit!”

William’s fingers twitched, his head glancing down at his belt as he finally reached for the final Poké Ball on his belt… containing the alleged Hisuian Typhlosion. To anyone else, it looked innocuous, as if a young Trainer could catch a fully evolved Pokemon with just a Poké Ball.

To Cheren though, the fact William had his Hisuian Typhlosion in a normal Poké Ball showed that William didn't need a higher quality Poké Ball to catch him. It proved William’s potential as a Trainer, if a bit rough around the edges.

Yet… William stared at the capsule, thinking, his expression shifting to exhaustion — no. Resignation.

Cheren didn’t have time to question it, even as the referee shot both him and William subtle glances and called down to the second. At least, before the Poké Ball in William’s palm opened up in front of him in a flash, without William pressing the button.

A wave covered the entire arena. The temperature dropped rapidly at the appearance of the Fire Ghost Type, as if the heat was stolen from the air. A cold sweat started forming on Cheren's back as his eyes locked on the form of the thought to be extinct Pokémon.

The Hisuian Typhlosion stood on all fours, his paws digging into the dirt, and a wispy patch of fur akin to a tail waving behind them with no wind. He slowly lumbered up from his pose, akin to an elder getting up from a chair with a cane. The sight would be innocuous for anyone seeing it, maybe even pitiable due to the apparent age from Hisuian Typhlosion. 

‘ ...So why am I… why is it hard to breathe? Why… Why is Stoutland shaking? ’ Cheren thought, glancing at his Pokémon who actually took a step back away from his next opponent on a shaky back foot. Cheren instinctively moved his hand as if to comfort his Pokémon, before he realized his own hands were trembling. 

The Hisuian Typhlosion finally stood up to his full height, towering over the field, and Cheren couldn’t hold back a flinch at realizing that he was almost nine feet tall . The open arena suffocating, the air itself seeming to leave in fear at the appearance of an old ghost. The Gym Leader realized that this movement… it wasn’t because of age.

It was due to protective rage . And screaming at him, Charon’s senses all indicated a threat..

‘What on earth is…? What did I…!?’ Cheren’s thoughts had scattered, unable to finish as if they had left the arena, like some people in the stands. The remaining spectators looked terrified or frozen in awe from the slight side glances he barely could get. Cheren’s chest tightened as his eyes locked with William’s final Pokémon, whose own eyes slowly opened.

Like an endless abyss, nothing else existed around Cheren, or Stoutland. Nothing else mattered . In the gaze was a wild might that flared out from his crimson eyes, waving in the open air that demanded you pay attention at a primal, instinctual level.

The worst part of this all was how measured it was. This wasn’t the rage of an angry Hydreigon that was barely controlled with Hyper Beams flying around the field, this wasn’t the rage of an Arcanine scorching the ire of its rage to dust. This wasn’t even the rage of freshly evolved, uncontrolled Gyarados.

Cheren had heard an old saying from Alder once: “Fear the wrath of a gentle soul.” He didn’t get it at the time, but he understood it now.

“I-I…” The referee took a deep breath, Cheren barely seeing the flag shaking slightly as he raised it. “The… the c-challenger’s Pokémon h-has a-ah... Gym Leader Cheren’s f-final Pokémon... the…I…The third round begins!”

Despite the barely made call to start, there was no move called out by either Trainer, no. The first words came from the Typhlosion. 

The Typhlosion’s voice was nearly silent, but it didn’t matter. Every syllable boomed around the room, the echo shattering bones and shaking everyone to the core. 

“ Typhlos. Phlosion… Typh-Phlosion. Pholo-losion… Phlo. ” 

Cheren didn’t understand the literal translation, but Stoutland did. The Big-Hearted Pokémon, one of the most fearless Pokémon Cheren knew, immediately dropped his tail between his legs and crouched as low to the ground as he could, before turning back towards Cheren with the most pitiful, pathetic look he had ever seen from him.

“Charon, are you sure?” William’s voice was quiet, too quiet for Cheren to tell what emotion was in it. 

Charon said nothing, the seconds ticking by like a moment in eternity. The entire arena held its breath as William sighed, his shoulder slumping with his eyes closing.

“Alright…”

William looked up to meet Cheren’s eyes.

“I’m… sorry, but we wanted a normal battle, with just Ronin and Viridi. But sometimes we don’t get what we want.”

William looked towards Charon.

“Charon... Eruption .”

At those words, Charon exploded. Light started surrounding and entering his body with a near-feral cry as his collar finally burst into flames, rising into an inferno that covered William’s side of the field. Panicked noises from the audience similarly erupted as the air of the arena turned blistering and overwhelming in less than a second. Rage fueled the move with more force than Cheren thought was possible for an elder Fire Type.

Frozen despite the heat, the Gym Leader couldn’t react as a fierce explosion started ripping across the field. Pure Fire Type Energy seeped into the ground, hot air tearing the ground upwards as the barrier strained from the attack, visible to the audience as dust, flames, and rocks bounced against it.

Questions about why it was so fast didn’t matter. Questions about what slight he unknowingly did to William didn’t matter. He needed to react, even as he was still watching Stoutland try to avoid the hailstorm of fiery boulders crashing down, as well as the chunks of the field ripped from under him.

“S-Stoutland — Work Up into Crunch!”

The Normal Type let out a strained bark in affirmation, before diving to the side to avoid before a flaming boulder smashed into him. Cheren noted the white energy surrounding Stoutland’s body as his Type Energy fueled his physical prowess. Even as he hesitated for half-a-second between the moves, despite the fear from before, Stoutland dove forward with his jaw suddenly barring wisps of Dark Type Energy towards the Fire Ghost Type—.

“Again.” 

A second explosion ripped across the field, and the ground rose from below into Stoutland’s face, slamming his jaw shut with a pained bark. The force of the blast sent him flying back towards Cheren, but the flames and rubble rising from the ground grew thicker, clouding the field.

For a brief moment through the haze of heat, Cheren could make out red eyes that looked like they were on fire themselves. Dust and flaming rubble covered Cheren’s view shortly after, making Charon’s visage disappear entirely while swallowing up Stoutland as well

Cheren heard a thump that echoed in his ear despite the angry cry from Charon still going. The volcanic Eruption lasted for a couple more seconds, before like a faucet, it was closed off.

The industrial fans on either side of the arena started to spin up automatically, taking away the dirt and dust from the field and revealing the inevitable. 

Stoutland’s normally long fur mustache looked maybe a tenth of its normal size, burnt off from the attack that hit his face. Under the patches of fur that were completely gone across his body, Cheren could see his body was bruised from chunks of flaming rubble landing on him

However, he was still breathing, but completely knocked out. 

But that wasn’t why Cheren stared in shock. It was the fact that the area around Stoutland where he fell was specifically still intact, carefully avoided while the rest of the field appeared ripped apart, burned, and disturbed.

Cheren’s throat was dry as he swallowed at his realization. ‘He was holding back. Eruption usually rips across the field indiscriminately, leaving nothing intact. But… then the field would have gotten destroyed entirely. Charon could still control the Fire Type Energy. He was angry, protective, but he was still holding back.’

The cold chill returned, Cheren feeling his throat tighten and his body reluctant to follow his command as he slowly dragged his gaze off his fallen Pokémon to see Charon standing by William. The purple wisps on Charon’s collar flared akin to a normal Johtonian Typhlosion with their intensity, nowhere near the ‘gentler’ depictions that he had read about Hisuian Typhlosion. The flaming red glow of his eyes, akin to ghostly wisps, locked squarely at the Gym Leader as he stood protectively over his Trainer.

William meanwhile, had his head slightly tilted down at the Big-Hearted Pokémon, his body posture suggested a pity, or even shame would even be a word to describe it. Then, he looked up, staring at Cheren directly.

Resignation, confusion, exhaustion… fear. All mixed into one.

The crackling of the Hisuian Typhlosion’s collar was the only audible noise to Cheren, even as the referee shakily called the battle in William’s favor. The echoing embers continue to ring in his ears despite silence falling over the entire Gym arena.

Chapter Text

Interlude III - Aspertia Gym Aftermath: Part 1

“Cheren Yeosin, what in the name of Twins were you thinking?! ” Shauntal’s voice sharply exclaimed through his computer speakers, frustration oozing from every syllable.

Cheren hesitantly stared forward at Shauntal, struggling to maintain his composure. “I was informed that he was a part of a new accelerated Ace Trainer program due to his age. I followed the official League rules that all Trainers in any Ace Trainer program must take part in Challenge Battles. I treated the battle as such and he won the battle today, so I awarded him with the Challenge Gym Badge…”

The lights started flickering behind Shauntal as her expression hardened. Her face briefly illuminated the computer screen, reflecting Cheren’s grim expression back at him. Only with a deep and heavy sigh did the lights return, leaving Cheren to stew in his own guilt. “You’re right, all Trainers in the Ace Trainer program must do a Challenge Battle when going for a Gym Badge. William is not in any Ace Trainer program. There is no program for a Trainer his age.”

Cheren physically recoiled. “I-I’m sorry, what do you mean? Is that not why Top Ranger Lena is traveling with him? He is younger than a Youngster.”

“And who told you he was in any Ace Trainer program?”

“One of my Gym’s employees who previously worked with Top Ranger Lena, so I had no reason to doubt her.” Cheren worded carefully, pausing for a moment before he continued. “As this wasn’t brought up during last week’s meeting with other Gym Leaders, I was under the impression it was a recent development.” 

“And who is responsible for the paperwork? Your employee, or you?”

“...Me. The Gym Leader.” He answered, albeit quieter this time.

Chiaki put in the paperwork, but that didn’t matter. It was Cheren’s responsibility through and through, he wouldn’t let anyone else take the blame for this.

A tense silence hung over the call until Shauntal seemed to release it with an exhausted sigh, much unlike the tense, angry, bitter exhale from earlier. “You’re right that this was a recent development. Top Ranger Lena informed the League at the beginning of this week that this would be the general cover story she would give out to passing Trainers or other inquisitive people from an email. We then relayed that out to all the Gym Leader’s League emails Monday night, so I can assume you did not review that email?”

Cheren’s stomach dropped like it had a full-sized Boldore in it, his ears ringing as he spoke. “I… no. I haven’t checked that due to the school’s email using the same system for login, so I can only be logged into one at a time. Out of habit, I’ve only been checking that one as it’s busier from emails from students and parents. I usually check my League email on the weekend as a result.”

More silence followed, only after what felt like a minute did Shauntal speak. “Has former Gym Leader Lenora reached out to you this week? Did you reach out to her? ”

“N-No. She hasn’t, and I haven’t. She’s been busy after the incident in Pinwheel, I haven’t wanted to bother her since she has her own hands full.” Cheren responded, his voice wavering, knowing it wasn’t an excuse even if it sounded like one.

“...I see.”

Another minute of silence passed, every second felt like Cheren was being dragged mentally along sandpaper. “...If you are only going to log into one email, set up forwarding for either your school email, or League email, I don’t care which one. More notices will be sent out concerning this matter and others, and holding the responsibility of a Gym Leader means you can’t miss them. Understood?”

“I understand.”

Shauntal nodded. “Good. No action will be taken against you, nor do we not want to make this more of an international incident than it already is. The only thing the Unova League can do is make the Ace Trainer ‘cover story’ real now to stop others from questioning why a child has a fully evolved Starter. Professor Juniper is already dealing with some of that fallout…”

“The Professor — w-why?” Cheren pressed, the Boldore in his stomach evolving into a Gigalith at Shauntal’s words.

“The existence of the Hisuian Typhlosion was something the Unova League tried to keep under wraps as long as possible publicly ,” Shauntal stated, staring at Cheren through the screen. “Some information got out to Sinnoh and Johto, and Juniper has been working with their Professors, but the public as a whole didn’t know until today when William used him in your battle. Professor Juniper was able to request that his registered Pokémon be kept private until his first battle, but now…” Shauntal trailed off, but the point had been made.

Cheren could barely breathe, realizing now why Lena was so adamant on trying to keep William as anonymous as possible.

Nuvema Town became a hotspot for the media after the events of the League Siege, mainly because the savior Hilbert lived there, but also because everyone knew he had a Legendary Pokémon. The events of Hoenn, Sinnoh, and even Regions not in the Pokémon League, like Orre or Almia had brought Legendaries to the forefront of society and conversation in recent years.

Hilbert didn’t stay around town much during that time, and then left shortly after on Zekrom’s back.

Realizing with horror and swallowing with a dry mouth, Cheren knew he just threw William to the Mightyena of the global public with his mistake.

He only came out of his realization at Shauntal’s voice, nearly making him jump out of his seat. “I’m not trying to be adversarial, or talk down to you, Gym Leader Cheren. I’m trying to be the ‘nice cop’ of the League. Iris was… is less than happy from the information from Top Ranger Lena about the Gym Battle —”

The piercing screech of a dragon’s cry echoed somewhere behind Shauntal, quickly followed by distant rumbling, her video vibrating at the same time. Shauntal’s expression shifted into something even more exhausted as she glanced behind her.

“W-What was that?” Cheren barely asked, his eyebrow rising with concern and surprise.

“That was probably Marshal’s Conkeldurr smashing into another wall from Haxorus’s Outrage.” Shauntal flatly stated before turning back around, taking a deep breath. “Back to the main point… I’m not trying to be the ‘bad cop’, I know that you are still learning and adjusting to your roles as a Gym Leader and as a battle instructor, and I cannot fault you for it. Alder nominated you suddenly for both jobs in his place, and without giving you any warning beforehand, but his nomination was not without merit. You are a skilled Pokémon Trainer, especially for your first three years. However, you need to be on top of both responsibilities you bear. Both teaching and testing new Trainers as an educator and a Gym Leader.” 

Cheren forced himself to nod as Shauntal carefully eyed him. The Gym Leader barely caught Shauntal shaking her head a fraction of an inch, but he hoped he imagined it. “I’d best prepare yourself for comments from all sides, the video of the battle is going live tonight at 5 PM due to the law. I’ll let the other Gym Leaders know during the League meeting later tomorrow that the plan going forward is for William to be on a real Ace Trainer path, if only verbally. If there’s any questions about your battle with him, prepare yourself. That’s all for now, Gym Leader Cheren.”

With that, the call ended, returning Cheren’s computer to his desktop of a photo of himself, Bianca, and Hilbert with their starters. The dusty screen barely reflected his own expression, forcing him to stare at their joyful expressions taken by Professor Juniper shortly before they left on their Journey.

Unable to stare at it anymore, Cheren simply let his head limp forward, hitting the keyboard with a blend of exhaustion, frustration, unease, and disappointment. He couldn’t even direct his thoughts anywhere, it was just… white noise. Static. The dark, blackness of the classroom feeling like it would swallow him whole.

Suddenly, with a pop and flash of light in the room he registered as a Poké Ball caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He failed to lift his head in time to see the Pokémon who released themselves, and let out a strained sound of surprise as his body was suddenly coiled with a familiar warmth. 

“Serperior — What are you — ?” He started to ask, instinctively moving to get out of the coil before being frozen in place by his Starter Pokémon’s crimson, reptilian eyes.

Warmth, comparison, care, and worry were all visible, unlike the flaming eyes of rage from the Hisuian Typhlosion he had to bear under earlier today. He stopped trying to move out of the hug, instead, breathing and letting his body relax into it, his Starter coiling a bit tighter around him protectively.

He messed up.

He had to keep going though.

He didn’t have any other choice.

Maybe if he did, his friend would come back.

Maybe if he did better, he could finally live up to him, to Bianca, to Professor Juniper, to the expectations of Alder, and the League as a whole.

Maybe he could finally feel like he was finally above water.

‘ I… first thing I need to do is warn Ranger Lena, the video is going live today, I promised to warn her… I should warn her about what the League’s plan for the cover story is… ’

With a deep breath, he started awkwardly moving his arms through Serperior’s coils to type up the message.

‘ I don’t deserve forgiveness… but at least I won’t leave them blind. ’