Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Idly standing around, a silver haired girl stood in front of a PC, tapping her foot impatiently. The screen only showed static, the sound of it bugging her like an annoying Cutiefly. She fixed the collar of her jacket, glancing around the room. There weren’t many people besides the ladies at the counter and one mother daughter couple looking around at the magazines. Then, she heard the screen come to life. The girl whipped her head towards it, seeing the back of a person.

They had short black hair with red streaks running across it. The silver haired girl tapped the screen with one finger, watching the person rummage around. Then, they turned around. She saw a young woman, maybe a bit older than her, staring back at her. Her skin was a nice almond tone and her hair covered one of her eyes. She gave the silver haired girl a smile.

“Hey there! Can you hear me through this old thing?” She asked, her voice incredibly clear. The girl quickly turned down the volume, spotting the mom from that couple earlier glancing at her. She sighed, nodding.

“Mhm. Loud and clear.” She said, letting a bit of an exasperated tone in her voice. The woman didn’t seem to notice as she grinned, crossing her arms.

“Great! Fancy meeting you, finally. My name’s Amanda. I’m what you would call a scout.” The woman said, introducing herself. A spark of confusion flashed through the girl’s mind.

“For what?” She asked before thinking, silently cursing at herself. Amanda only looked at her with slightly widened eyes.

“For the Aevium league of course! My job is to guide you newcomers through our procedures. Here’s some basic information: There are eighteen Gym Leaders to defeat - along with our Elite Eight! I’ll be formally meeting you in person at East Gearen City!” Amanda paused, seemingly catching her breath. “Now, let’s get the basic registration out of the way.”

Amanda was not kidding when she said it was “basic”. The League Scout only needed a copy of the girl’s ID to set her up for her new trainer ID. The rest Amanda needed was just her name and gender. The black haired League Scout grinned, looking back at the silver haired girl.

“Done! Now, Ae-Ri… Please tell me if I’m pronouncing it right.” Amanda said, her tone apologetic. Ae-Ri didn’t mind at all. She smiled slightly.

“You’re good. People get it wrong a lot.” She said, fiddling with her ponytail. Amanda let out a dramatic sigh of relief, possibly for fun. Maybe to relieve stress. Anyway, she continued.

“That's good! Now, when you make it to East Gearen City, head straight to the central lab. It isn’t hard to find, just straight from the pier, through the terminal, and along main street.” She interrupted herself, putting on a stern face and putting a hand on her hip. “Don’t wander off before meeting up with me! It’s dangerous wandering East Gearen without a Pokemon. We’re giving you a starter once you arrive.” Now Ae-Ri was mildly worried. She crossed her arms, furrowing her brow.

“And by dangerous you mean…?” She trailed off, letting the sentence hang in the air. Amanda either didn’t hear her or didn’t hear the concern in her voice.

“After all of that, you can find some place to rest and later, we can set you up for your journey!”

“Uhm - Amanda - ?”

“Thank you for your time! I’ll see you at East Gearen, Ae-Ri! Have a safe trip.” The scout must have cut the connection as the screen returned to static. Ae-Ri pushed her glasses back up, shrugging to herself. Guess that was it.

“See you later…” She muttered, fully knowing she wouldn’t be given a response. Then, a soft cough caught her attention. She glanced over at the counter, spotting one of the ladies waving at her.

“Have you finished your registration process?” She asked politely. Ae-Ri returned a polite nod back, walking over with one hand in her jacket pocket. The lady smiled, turning to her computer. “Then let me print out your new trainer card.” After a few seconds, Ae-Ri was handed her card. She looked at it, turning it over in her hand. Huh, it was nice. She gave her thanks to the counter-lady and walked off, her shoes scraping the wooden floor.

The salty breeze passed by her nose, letting her sigh. Ae-Ri grabbed at her jacket zipper, pulling it up and down as she looked around. Her mom should be here soon, hopefully. They were settling in Aevium, which sounded nice to Ae-Ri. After they were situated, she would probably take on the league. Weird. Ae-Ri never thought she would be willing enough to travel around the region, leaving her mom.

If she were to be honest, she was just a bit scared at that thought.

But, Ae-Ri heard a familiar voice, her shoulders slacking a bit as she turned to look towards it. And there she was.

“Ae! Did you finish your registration?” Nancy asked, the pink haired woman walking over. Her white lab coat grazed the ground with the woman’s long strides. She came to a stop, looking at Ae-Ri’s trainer card, her pink eyes filled with interest. The silver haired girl smiled, turning the card in her hand again.

“Hey, 엄마 (mom). I just finished.” She said, pocketing the ID. Nancy gave a fond smile.

“Great! We’re almost docked. Aevium is a beautiful region, once we settle the rest of your registration in East Gearen, we’ll set off for Akuwa Town. It’s a colder place but it sounds lovely.” She explained, her eyes bright with glee. Ae-Ri listened, nodding as she fiddled with her glasses more. She felt like she should have been more excited, not having this strange nagging feeling. The girl felt her shoulders sag again. Nancy seemed to notice.

“Are you alright, dear? You’ve been quieter since last night…” Ae-Ri stiffened, clearing her throat. In truth, she didn’t sleep much last night. It could have been her Eevee, Sapphire, keeping her up. But, it was most likely her own fears and self-afflicted doubt gnawing at her. She tried to brush it off, putting on a small smile. The region can’t be that terrifying, right? Even if it had an entire desert and everything…

And even then, she was turning eighteen this year. She had to get a grip of herself. She couldn’t act like this forever.

“Oh, I’m alright. Just some jitters.” Ae-Ri lied, beating down the wave of uncertainty rising inside her. That seemed to soothe her mother enough as Nancy smiled, pulling Ae-Ri into a hug. She only ever liked hugs like this from her mom. They made her feel warm and safe.

“That's good to hear. Now, maybe you should go and find Augustus, he will surely have a lot to say about the region. It might help you on your journey!” Nancy said, pulling back from the hug to resting a hand on Ae-Ri’s shoulder. Meet the captain? Huh, it sounded… Intimidating.

“Sure, what are you going to be doing?” Ae-Ri asked, crossing her arms. Was that a flicker of uncertainty in her mom’s eyes? If it was there, it was gone now. Her mom quietly chuckled, her eyes soft.

“I’ll be busy doing my own thing. Explore the ship, have some fun, will you? Sapphire might want to tag along.” She added, winking. Ae-Ri nodded, smiling. She watched her mom walk off, not stopping until she was out of view. Luckily, their room was right next to the registration room. Ae-Ri entered their cabin, immediately being attacked. The large fluffball caused the girl to crash to the floor on her back.

“OW! Come on, Sapphire, put your claws away!” Ae-Ri laughed, feeling the battering, soft paws of an Eevee against her face. She could hear a high pitched trill of glee from the Pokemon.

The Eevee wagged her tail at Ae-Ri before leaping off of her, letting the girl fix her glasses. Ae-Ri got back to her feet, letting Sapphire leap into her arms. She gave a small kiss on the Eevee’s cheek before exiting the cabin.

“We’re going to be walking around the ship, be on your best behavior.” Ae-Ri said, a hint of a teasing tone slipping into her voice. Sapphire trilled innocently, folding her ears like she did no wrong. The girl rolled her eyes affectionately, patting the Pokemon’s head. She started towards the left hallway, her strides long and (hopefully) confident.

Now, time for some sightseeing.

— ~ —

The sea was nice, Ae-Ri thought. She didn’t have any vivid memories of coming into contact with it before this trip, but it soothed her ears. The calls of Wingulls and the soft waves rolled around her brain with ease. Sapphire seemed calmed as well, snuggling into her trainer’s comfortable jacket even further.

The pair passed by a few other passengers, one of them giving her a strange look. A woman that may have been in her early twenties. Ae-Ri saw how piercing her eyes were, a Houndoom sitting at her feet, its head laying in its paws. Ae-Ri shook off the discomfort, ignoring the woman, and continued down the hallway.

“This ship’s huge… I should have expected that, but this is a maze.” She muttered to herself, holding Sapphire closer. The Eevee protested, trilling with complaints as they continued. Then, they found themselves at the bow of the ship. The salty breeze swirled around Ae-Ri, causing her long hair to blow towards the ocean. She took the breeze in, feeling its chill.

Sapphire pressed closer into Ae-Ri, no longer complaining due to the chill. The girl stepped closer to the edge of the bow, passing by other passengers. She grabbed the edge of the boat, watching the sea-water part as the large vehicle travelled.

“Woah. The ocean’s vast.” Ae-Ri breathed. She could see the horizon line, but not the end of the ocean. She thought about how large this body of water was. It intrigued her greatly. Then, a voice cut through her thoughts.

“Do you know me?” Ae-Ri jumped, causing Sapphire to trill and fluff her tail out. She whipped her head around to the left. The source of the voice was a tall girl, maybe her age, with long black hair that hung over her shoulders. Her bangs covered one of her eyes, revealing one, deep magenta eye boring into Ae-Ri. Her face seemed to be chiseled into a permanent frown, her jaw set and her lips pressed into a thin line.

She was flustered for a second. Did she know this girl? She didn't think so, at least. She didn’t look familiar at first glance… Ae-Ri shifted her feet, her brown eyes filled with confusion.

“I’m sorry, I don't think I do.” She said warily, stroking Sapphire’s fur. The girl seemed unphased physically. But, Ae-Ri could see a change in her one magenta eye, even if it was for a second. Could it have been… Disappointment? Either way, the girl gave her what could have been the evil eye, and walked away. Weird… She shook off the strange encounter and left the bow of the ship, spotting the Captain's quarters.

Sapphire squirmed out of her arms, leaping towards the door. The Eevee scratched at its white, wooden surface, chirping indignantly. Ae-Ri quickly pulled the little Pokemom back. Her first impression would NOT be her Eevee leaving scratches on the pristine, white door. She gave Sapphire a soft glare as Ae-Ri cleared her throat, opening the door.

Immediately, she was rushed by a scent of what could have been vanilla mixed with lavender. It was a nice smell but way too strong for her liking. Sapphire squeaked, digging into Ae-Ri’s jacket. Maybe away from the strong smell?

Then, she saw an older man with a grizzly white beard and kind eyes. He donned a stereotypical Captain's hat and outfit. The Captain sat at his desk, looking up from some paperwork to see Ae-Ri. He cast her a warm smile.

“Ah, you must be Ae! Your mother has told me a lot about you. Sit down, sit down.” He offered her a chair across from him. Ae-Ri felt it with her hands. Smooth wood with intricate grooves carved into it. She took a seat, letting Sapphire lie down in her lap. The Captain clasped his hands together as he spoke. “First time in the Aevium Region, I presume? It’s a wonderful place, really. What do you know about it?”

“Well… All of my information is from books I’ve read.” Ae-Ri said. Some of it was fuzzy but she could make out one piece of info. From one of the guidebooks. “I think it’s made up of three regions?” The Captain nodded.

“Floria, Terajuma, and Terrial. There is also Neverwinter, but most people never go there.” That name clicked in Ae-Ri’s mind. That must have been the cold region. Sapphire made herself more comfortable on her lap as Ae-Ri listened to the Captain some more. “Your mother told me you were registering for the league, so I’m sure you know the basics.” He said, smiling. Ae-Ri nodded, stroking Sapphire’s fur once again.

An alert went across the ship, catching her interest. The Captain grinned, standing up from his chair. “Looks like the Farewell Banquet is soon. It’s just to celebrate safe travel.” He added, winking at Ae-Ri. She understood that, but imagining so many people in one room made her a bit nervous. Sapphire scrambled to her paws, leaping onto the girl’s head. She almost lost her balance standing up, using her hand to keep the Eevee steady. The Captain only smiled further.

“I’ll be heading for the banquet room to finish the last pieces of set up. You may explore the ship at your leisure. It’s been nice talking to you, Ae-Ri.” He said. Ae-Ri gave her thanks and watched as the Captain left the room. She followed shortly, letting Sapphire balance on the top of her head. The girl saw the grand double doors as she walked down the steps and assumed that was the room she had to go to.

Once she entered, the room was incredibly dim. The talk of others filled the air, the nice sound of a piano playing along gently.

“Huh, this looks nice.” Ae-Ri mumbled to herself, spotting her mother at a table. Strangely, the dark haired girl she saw at the bow earlier sat across from her. Even stranger, an unfamiliar Pokemon sat next to her. It was humanoid, with a cone-like body that was layered, making it look like a dress. Its teardrop shaped head was alien-like to Ae-Ri, it didn’t look familiar at all.

Nancy spotted her, waving at the girl. Her thoughts left as Ae-Ri walked over, letting Sapphire leap onto her chair.

“There you are, Ae! The banquet’s about to start. Please get settled.” She said, her pink eyes warm. Ae-Ri gave her a small smile, settling in the chair next to her. Sapphire trilled with delight and sat in her lap, her paws criss-crossed in a dainty manner.

The Captain started to speak.

“My name is Augustus. I have been your Captain during this wonderful voyage. And it is my honor to invite you all to this Farewell Banquet, where we celebrate the end of our voyage, and the start of a new beginning.” He paused, glancing around the room with a smile. “Now, I won’t keep you all waiting. Let us celebrate!” Everyone gave a polite applause, the claps filling the room.

Ae-Ri took Sapphire’s paws and made the Eevee give her own little applause, earning a happy squeal from the small Pokemon. Suddenly, the happy chattering and applause was interrupted by a sharp voice.

“Sorry, but I think there’s something we need to take care of.” Ae-Ri looked towards the voice to see three people at the center of the room, PokeBalls in their hands. She recognized one of them as the woman who glared at her in the hallway, the one with the Houndoom. Her mother stood up from her seat. What was happening?

“This ship is under our control now.” Suddenly, the passengers revealed themselves to be completely different. They wore black uniforms with a large red X in the middle. Ae-Ri’s eyes widened. She brought Sapphire closer to her chest as her mother stepped up to Augustus. The pink haired woman glared at the three infiltrators.

“What is the meaning of this?!” She exclaimed, holding her own PokeBall. The Pianolady looked up from her large instrument with fear.

“I-Is this a hi-jacking?!”

“You must be crazy, standing in front of us like this. We’ll let you sit back down, take our generous offer!” The guy in the middle said. He must have been their leader. All three of them sent Pokemon from the balls. The main thug let out a Poochyena, the woman a Houndoom, and the other woman an Ekans. Nancy stood her ground. She didn’t retreat.

“I refuse.” She said, her voice hard. Ae-Ri was confused, standing up while holding Sapphire.

“암마- ?”

“You’re gonna regret that lady!” The thug yelled, his Poochyena growling. Nancy whipped her head around towards the dark haired girl. What was going on? Ae-Ri still stood still with confusion.

“Crescent!” Nancy snapped, looking at the girl. The girl - Crescent - looked towards the woman. Her face didn’t change at all. “Get Ae-Ri out of here!” Crescent looked at the confused girl. What?

“W-Wait-!” Before Ae-Ri could spit out another word, everything exploded. A noise so loud she could hear it ringing in her ears. Then it was white.

— ~ —

Smoke. That’s all Ae-Ri smelled when she woke up. Then she heard a blaring fire alarm. Her vision was blurred, everything ached. Sapphire battered with her paws at Ae-Ri’s side, trilling with worry. Then, she could smell ash. And felt the warmth around her. The girl hacked up spit, trying to cough out the smoke in her lungs.

Ae-Ri found herself lying on her side, her arms wrapped around her Eevee who was still trilling and battering with her paws. Her head was spinning and her hands felt raw.

She felt sick. Like she was about to puke. Ae-Ri got to her knees, letting Sapphire bound out of her arms. Nausea reached her head. Okay, she was done. The girl let herself retch, but nothing came out. Arceus above, this was shitty.

Ae-Ri still felt horribly nauseous but got to her feet, swaying slightly. Now that she took in her surroundings, everything was on fire. The warmth and smoke threatened to choke her. Oh. It clicked. She was inside the Captain’s Quarters.

His desk was on fire, the flames licking at his chair and her own feet. She stumbled back, hitting the wall behind her. Sapphire chirped with concern, jumping onto her trainer’s shoulder.

So, she was somehow teleported out of the hall and into this burning room.

Great.

“엄마… We need to find 엄마…” Ae-Ri muttered listlessly. Her head was still cloudy and her thoughts were muddled and confusing. Sapphire chirped, scratching at Ae-Ri gently.

No. The girl gently slapped her head. She had to focus. Terrorists were taking over the ship and she had to find her mom. She took Sapphire in her arms and went down the stairs.

Once Ae-Ri entered the main room, smoke hit her in the face. She coughed, waving away the thick smog. Flames spread around the room, engulfing the seats and wooden floor. It was everywhere. These terrorists were not messing around…

Through the fire alarms and thick smoke, she could hear a groan. Ae-Ri glanced around the room and saw a young looking man leaning against the wall. He didn’t seem too injured, only a few bruises and small burns here and there. He spotted her, his eyes wide.

“You there! Thank goodness you’re alright!” He said, coughing in-between words. He let go of the wall, hobbling closer to the middle of the hallway. “I was just hanging around here and a huge explosion went off! I don’t know who’s alive in there or not but this is - !”

Then, Ae-Ri saw a disk of orange flesh appear in the air. It warped and materialized into a strange being. It looked humanoid and alien, with its orange body and strange arms. Orange and teal flesh intertwined with one another, forming a DNA shape.

Then, the creature rushed forward and slammed into the passenger. He couldn’t even let out a cry. Ae-Ri almost screamed herself. She gritted her teeth, slapping the side of her head.

“There’s nothing you can do - Nothing you can do -” She panted, heading towards the banquet hall, its double doors destroyed. She had to find her mom.

Once Ae-Ri entered the hall, more smoke blasted her face. The room was a mess. Tables and chairs were flipped over or a pile of ash. Fire engulfed the wooden remains. The fountains on each side of the entrance burst, letting water leak all around the room. Not even mentioning the gaping hole in the center, leading to the bottom deck.

Ae-Ri spotted a familiar face. The Pianolady dragged herself from underneath her now destroyed piano. She spotted Ae-Ri.

“You!” She exclaimed, getting to her feet. The silver haired girl rushed over with Sapphire, looking the Pianolady up and down to check for obvious injuries. “Oh kid, I’m really glad to see you! I don't know how you got out of the blast range but kudos to you!”

Ae-Ri cut to the chase. “Are you alright?” She was sure the lady was alright. No obvious injuries. “Have you seen my - my mom - at all?”

“Your mother? I don’t know… I was out like a light after the explosion. But, Augustus might know. He was awake the entire time.”

Ae-Ri saw the old Captain staring at a large wall of flames, unmoving. The Pianolady saw as well, yelling,

“Augustus! You're too close to the flames!”

“My ship…” The Captain muttered, his voice breaking. “My beautiful possession… She won’t be making it to her destination after all.”

“The ship can be replaced! Now we need to worry about the others still trapped or alive on her hull! Look, Ae survived. Others might have as well!” Ae-Ri thought of the man taken by the strange alien creature. Was it really better for the survivors?

Augustus turned to face them, his eyes blank. Ae-Ri could see his singed beard but other than that, he seemed fine. The Pianolady was losing some of her patience.

“Have you seen Ae’s mother anywhere? You were conscious the entire time.” The Captain seemed to be processing the question slowly.

“Nancy…? She leapt down the hole to follow the perpetrators.” That made Ae-Ri’s blood run cold.

“She… Jumped down there?” The silver haired girl pointed down at the large hole in the middle of the room. Augustus nodded. He looked down at the hole. Smoke rose from it, clogging the room.

“Come on Augustus, we need to get off this thing!” The Pianolady yelled, now fully desperate.

Ae-Ri weighed her options. The hole didn’t seem too deep. Maybe a few meters? She could handle a jump like that.

Sapphire seemed to think so as well. The Eevee chirped down at the hole, squirming in Ae-Ri’s grip. Now or never. She took one step back and leaped into the smoking hole. She couldn't even register the Pianolady’s voice as smoke blinded her.

She landed much messier than she would have liked. The tip of her right foot hit the floor first, causing her to roll that foot and fall to the floor on her knees. Ae-Ri inhaled sharply, quickly cleaning her smoke-covered glasses and got to her feet. Her right foot was in pain but she had to ignore it.

“Not any better down here… We need to hurry.” Ae-Ri muttered to herself, holding Sapphire tightly.

They ran through fresh smoke erupting from flames. She kept telling herself she had to hurry. The ship wasn’t going to hold on much longer.

Sirens blared in her ears. Smoke blinded her vision. The acrid scent of the ash and burning wood was messing with Ae-Ri’s mind.

She could feel her breathing starting to get difficult. Her foot throbbed even more as she continued to run. Sapphire chirped with worry, her paws tapping Ae-Ri’s arm.

Ae-Ri was about to cross over to the next area until an explosion tore through the floor. Fragments of burnt metal and wood flew through the air. The girl flinched back, shielding Sapphire as the scraps sliced at her face.

Then, a gray-haired man leapt from the newly exposed hole. He rolled across the floor a few times, quickly getting to his feet. That was all to evade the Pokemon that floated from the hole. Ae-Ri recognized it as the strange Pokemon with Crescent.

She could hear it giggling as it shot blasts of energy at the man, chasing him down.

Ae-Ri couldn’t care less at that moment. At least the strange Pokemon was on their side.

Only a bit more left to go. She had to hurry. She just had to. Ae-Ri made it to the ship’s rear. One door was the only way to go.

Once she unlocked it, she didn’t see the floor anymore. It looked like a swimming pool gone wrong. The cargo bay was completely destroyed.

The girl waded through the water, covering her mouth as coughs racked her body. She could feel her eyes tearing up from the smoke. Sapphire chirped with exhaustion as the pair continued.

There. She was right there.

Ae-Ri spotted her mother amidst the rubble and cargo, her gaze hard and focused. She seemed to be fighting against another one of the terrorists. A woman with dark purple hair and eyes hidden by a pair of sharp sunglasses.

“I’ve had enough of this.” Nancy spat, her Sylveon standing in front of her. “No more of this running around. What are you doing? And why?”

The woman considered for a moment. Then spoke. “Perhaps you should be less concerned about me, and more concerned about our guest that just joined us.”

“What?” Nancy seemed genuinely perplexed before turning around. Her pink eyes widened. “Ae! But… What are you doing here?! I thought Crescent…?” She quickly shook her head, trying to hide her distress. “She was supposed to send you somewhere safe!”

“I’m not leaving without you. I just won’t.” Ae-Ri said, fixing her gaze on the purple haired woman. Sapphire growled at the lady, her hackles high.

“Sorry. Safety is long gone for both of you.” The woman said. She grabbed at one of her PokeBalls. “For now, we're going to go ahead and take our target. You.” She pointed at Nancy, alarming the woman.

Ae-Ri was left confused and mildly terrified. But, her mom stood strong. She only looked bewildered.

“... Me?”

The lady scoffed, obviously annoyed. “Yes, you. What, did you think we wanted to take your kid or something?” When her gaze settled on Ae-Ri, Sapphire snarled, her claws unsheathed and her tail bristling. The lady ignored the angry Eevee. “I was only going to go after you, but since both of you decided to just deliver yourselves to me, I’ll be happy to take both of you back to HQ.”
Suddenly, the strange orange alien creatures appeared. Two of them. Both of them aimed towards Nancy. Ae-Ri took an instinctive step back. Sapphire continued to growl, her fur hackles high.

Her mom let a sigh escape through her nose. “There’s no future for this ship. Or for anyone else you’ve put this through.”

“I’m glad you see things my way.” The purple haired lady said, smirking.

“But,” Nancy continued. “I will create hope for at least someone.” Despite the threat at her front and back, she turned around to face Ae-Ri. There was a smile on her face… But her eyes only betrayed deep sadness. “Ae… I know we’ve been a bit distant, but I want you to know that I only want your happiness. While it hasn’t been too long, I Was glad to be able to share my time with you.”

“엄마- ! 엄마, no! It doesn’t need to- !” Ae-Ri’s cries were cut off by Nancy. The smoke was getting stronger.

She could see Nancy holding a hand to her chest, her Sylveon facing down the alien creature. “I’ll hold them off as long as I can. You need to run. Now!”

“No!” Ae-Ri cried, breaking into a coughing fit. The smoke was becoming too much. She could feel her eyes stinging, brimmed with tears. But, she couldn’t decide if it was from the smoke or her mother’s words.

“Enough of this.” The woman spat, heading towards Nancy. Her Sylveon attacked, shooting a Moonblast straight at her. She evaded, letting it burst a hole in the ceiling.

“Wherever you are, know that I’m smiling down upon you. Protecting you. That’s a mother's love!” Nancy declared, her own tears dotting the edge of her eyes.

Ae-Ri’s chest was tightening, she couldn’t feel Sapphire anymore. Nancy only continued. “Make new friends, share memories, live your life! Go. Run.”

Her mother delivered her message. It should have been plain and simple.

It just wasn't.

Even then, Ae-Ri ran. She ignored her throbbing foot, the smoke fogging her glasses, everything. She only focused on running. Running with Sapphire, to fulfill her mother's wish.

She got to the main floor through the stairs, looking around for an exit. There. The entrance to the head. She ran for it. But then, one of the orange aliens appeared in front of her.

Ae-Ri backpedaled, watching it with wary eyes. It stared her down, its soulless, beady eyes boring through her. Then, before anything could happen, a piano fell on top of the creature. She looked up and saw the Pianolady staring down at her from the hole.

“Run, kid! Do it for all of us - !” Ae-Ri could see one of the strange creatures appearing behind the woman. Tears clouding her vision, she ran.

She made it. The salty sea breeze filled her lungs with fresh air. The chill ran around her body, causing her to almost buckle to her knees. Sapphire suddenly chirped indignantly, her claws unsheathed.

“Sapphire? What is- ?” Then, the purple haired lady leaped from a hole in front of her. Ae-Ri cried out in shock, stumbling back. Then, another set of footsteps. She looked over her shoulder to see the gray-haired man stepping out from the exit.

“It’s over. You have nowhere to run.” The man said, his voice cold and deep. The realization hit Ae-Ri. If the woman was here, Nancy was already gone. She bit back tears and tried to think. The only exits were overboard. Could she make it? Could she and Sapphire make it?

She didn’t think so. She didn’t even know if she knew how to swim.

“Your mother made a heartfelt speech, but this is the real world.” The woman said coldly, stepping closer. Ae-Ri glanced between her and the man, hugging her Eevee closely.

This might be it.

Then, the sound of a boat. It alerted all three of them.

“Huh?” The woman said out loud, looking outward at the sea. Cutting through the tense and silent air, a screech resonated through the sky.

“Bawwww!!!” Before she could react, something ran straight into Ae-Ri. She found herself speeding across the ocean, the ship and two terrorists becoming specks in the distance. What - ?

“Baww!” She looked down. She was on the back of a bird Pokemon. Its red feathers and pointed head shot like a missile through the sky, its wings outstretched. How was she not falling off this thing?

In the distance, she spotted a pier. A gloomy, gray pier. They were so close. The ship was so, so close.

Now that the tension was gone, Ae-Ri felt her body ache. Her foot throbbed furiously. Sapphire batted a gentle paw at Ae-Ri’s chin, letting out one chirp.

Now, it rained. And hard. It was battering against the girl’s back. Ae-Ri only hunched over to not let Sapphire get wet. The bird Pokemon continued to fly over the ocean.

They were almost at the pier. It felt like a horrible dream. A nightmare she had to wake up from.

She just couldn't. This was reality.

Ae-Ri let her tears fall. Her glasses fogged up, her eyes misty and unfocused.

Her tears mingled with the rain.

Chapter Text

Once the bird landed on the pier, Ae-Ri cried all her tears. She had nothing left inside her to muster anymore of them. The bird Pokemon let one wing fall to the ground. The girl took this as her sign to step off of it. She climbed off and gave a polite bow.

“Thank you. Thank you for saving us there.” Ae-Ri said, her voice trembling. The bird Pokemon nodded, folding its wings to its side. The sudden realization hit Ae-Ri like a train.

She escaped. She was long gone from that ship. Someone saved her. Everything happened so fast. And she felt like shit.

Her knees almost gave out, the rain continuing to beat against her back. She felt as if she could take a week long nap. And by Arceus above she needed it. The sound of a boat caught Ae-Ri’s attention. She looked to her left, seeing a speedboat come to an abrupt stop next to the nearby hangar. The door to the building opened.

Ae-Ri looked up to see a person. A tall older woman with wavy red hair that fell over her shoulders. She wore a simple white and red dress which was getting soaked by the rain.

She strode towards Ae-Ri, her face written with concern and worry. The bird Pokemon moved to the side to let the woman pass.

“Oh dear… Thank goodness. I was able to save at least one person. Are you hurt?” The woman checked over Ae-Ri, her gaze filled with concern only a mother could have. It reminded her of Nancy far too well.

“엄마-” Ae-Ri hesitated after using her usual name for her mother. She paused and tried again. “My mom - They took her. And everyone. They left no one -” She choked on her own words. The woman’s eyes widened slightly, then relaxed.

“Your mother… What happened back there?” She asked, her voice soft.

“It was an attack. An arranged one. They tried to take over the ship, infiltrating it. There was a bomb - and fire all over the place - my mom tried fighting off one of their leaders and… I…” Ae-Ri stopped her spluttering of words. She tried to hold herself together. She had to. “She told me…”

She couldn’t find her voice. It wouldn’t come.

The woman wasn't impatient, letting Ae-Ri sort out her words.

“She told me to escape.” Ae-Ri choked out, feeling new tears at the corners of her eyes. “She wanted me to live.” Every word felt like sand in her mouth.

“Which is where my Talonflame found you…” The woman finished, her brow furrowed with concern. She reached for Ae-Ri’s face, wiping at a still bloody cut on her left cheek. Her slender finger felt warm against the girl’s face. It felt too familiar, once again. “I’m so sorry you went through that. It sounds much too harrowing for someone of your age to go through. I was making my way from Terajuma to East Gearen when I got the distress call.”

Ae-Ri settled her eyes on the Talonflame, ignoring Sapphire’s squirming. The large bird Pokemon pecked at his wings, cleaning them. He let out a low warbling sound, looking at the woman. Her eyes betrayed regret.

“We tried making our way over there as fast as possible and… Well…” Ae-Ri interrupted the woman, blurting out words before she could stop herself.

“That organization is still out there. They said they were going to take all of us back to their HQ.” The girl shivered at the thought. Her mother was there now, with everyone. Where were they?

The woman nodded, obviously still worried about the girl. Then, she suddenly brightened up.

“Oh! Where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself.” She said apologetically. Her Talonflame cawed, earning a small smile from the woman. She turned back to Ae-Ri, her red eyes kind. “My name is Tesla. Tesla Von Brandt. I’m from the tropical island of Terajuma. What might your name be?” Ae-Ri hesitated for a second, then relaxed. Tesla seemed trustworthy. Hopefully.

“Um… Ae-Ri. But you can just call me Ae.” She muttered, holding Sapphire closer to her chest. The Eevee protested, trilling with annoyance. Tesla only chuckled.

“Ae-Ri? That is a wonderful name.” Ae-Ri felt a wisp of a smile form on her face. Tesla seemed to notice, a small chuckle escaping her.

“Now that that’s out of the way, I wanted to say that I wouldn’t worry about your mother.” She said, her tone genuine. That perked Ae-Ri up a bit. Maybe her mom was alright! Maybe all of the passengers were fine!

But then, something in the back of her mind told her the opposite.

“It looks like the group that attacked the ship was Team Xen.” Tesla continued, stroking her Talonflame’s feathers. “They’re an organization that seemed to just have popped up in Aevium out of nowhere.” Ae-Ri thought about the terrorists - Team Xen - some more.

Why were they doing this? Didn’t they say her mom was their target? Why hijak and take all of the passengers? Nothing made sense.

“But, they’re known to be incompetent, or rarely active. That’s what is so confusing about this. I believe this is their first actual attack?” Tesla said, her lips pursed together in thought. This was one hell of a first attack then, Ae-Ri thought bitterly.

The thought of those people in black wanting to kidnap an entire ship, it made her mind run mad. Why? How did she escape? This shouldn’t have happened in any timeline.

Tesla let a solemn sigh escape, looking at Ae-Ri with motherly concern. It still hurt, that gaze. Too familiar. All too familiar.

Sapphire the Eevee seemed blissfully unaware for now, sniffing the rain curiously. The red-haired woman grinned, running a soft hand through the Eevee’s fur. Then, she had a sudden look of realization.

“Oh, but this means you’re all alone now, aren’t you?” The thought hit Ae-Ri like a Bouffalant. She was alone. She and Sapphire, they were alone in the world together. “If you don’t mind me asking, what do you plan on doing now?” Ae-Ri whipped her head towards Tesla.

The image of Amanda flashed through her mind. She knew what she had to do. “Go to Gearen Laboratory. I’m supposed to meet Amanda there.” Ae-Ri said, her voice still trembling slightly.

That earned a smile from Tesla. “That is a wonderful idea. You need all of the manpower you can get to get through the region.” She scratched Sapphire’s fur while saying it. Then, her gaze hardened and turned serious. “I think I’m going to head to the wreck site and see if I can find more survivors.”

Ae-Ri doubted that, in the back of her mind. The ship was already sinking once she reached the cargo area. But, she kept her mouth shut. Tesla climbed onto her Talonflame, the rain soaking her hair.

“I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.” She said, looking directly at Ae-Ri. “Things will work out eventually if we are patient.” Her smile made the girl believe that. She so desperately wanted to believe that.

“I… I would love to believe that.” Ae-Ri said honestly, feeling a bit embarrassed at her response. Tesla chuckled, tossing her red hair over her shoulder.

“We’ll see each other again soon, Ae. Clear the way, pretty please?” Ae-Ri stepped to the side, watching at Tesla and her Talonflame stepped to the edge of the pier. “Full speed ahead, Talonflame! Tailwind!” Then, they shot across the ocean, becoming specks in the distance.

Now, they were truly alone, in the pouring rain. Ae-Ri looked towards the building up the stairs. That must be the gate to East Gearen.
There’s nowhere else to go, she thought, fatigue suddenly creeping in. Whatever, she had to do this. With whatever mental strength she had left, Ae-Ri walked towards East Gearen.

The ladies at the gateway were at least nice, ignoring her dirty state and only letting her through. She was grateful that they didn’t ask her questions. Once Ae-Ri entered the city, the lights were the first thing she noticed.

They were blinding and harsh, flashing across the street. Ae-Ri tried to ignore them, only to get increasingly annoyed by the light reflecting off the lens of her glasses.

The next thing she noticed was the large building in front of her. It held a large sign at its entrance

GEAREN LABORATORY

That’s where she had to go. Ae-Ri held Sapphire tightly (mostly for comfort) and continued towards the lab. Once she entered, she spotted a familiar black and red hairdo.

Amanda was right at the front, her eyes widening at the sight of Ae-Ri. “There you are! I’ve been waiting here forever. But damn, you don't look so good. Are you alright?” She asked, genuine concern in her voice.

Ae-Ri looked down at herself and focused for the first time. Her jacket pockets had small holes from stray burns. Small bruises and burns littered her right leg, and her right foot still bent a bit awkwardly to make it feel stable.

Then she noticed her face. It must have been from the stray metal and wood, as tiny, shallow cuts were spotted all across her face. One jagged cut went from her right cheek to her lip. The wound was still bleeding.

“I… Ran into an incident. It took a while.” Ae-Ri half-lied, not wanting to explain everything again. Amanda seemed suspicious but dropped it quickly, thank Arceus.

“Okaaay. Let’s head over there! Then, we can get to my favorite part of the registration.” The scout said with glee, heading towards the counter. Ae-Ri followed, glancing as a couple people looked at her.

Sapphire softly growled, detering the passerbyers away. Ae-Ri chuckled, running a hand through the Eevee’s fur. She earned a chirp of content. Once she caught up to her, Amanda was tapping at a keypad, humming a small tune Ae-Ri didn’t recognize.

“Hm… Alright, right through here-”

“Not so fast.” The loud, deep voice made Ae-Ri jump slightly. It sounded too much like the man from the ship. But, Amanda only sighed with slight annoyance.

They saw a tall, almond skinned man come from the back, giving Amanda a mildly annoyed gaze. He had messy dark hair with gray tips and a braid at his side. Still seeing him, Ae-Ri thought of the man from the ship with a grimace.

“Where have you been? I’ve been trying to call you for weeks now.” He sighed, clutching the bridge of his nose. Amanda only laughed awkwardly, fixing her hat. Wait, hat?

Ae-Ri looked back at Amanda, finally comprehending the fact the girl had a hat. And strangely, a long ponytail. Didn’t she have short hair on the voice call? The man seemed to notice as well.

“... What’s with the hat? I thought you said they weren’t for you?” Amanda reacted as if she just noticed her hat. She subconsciously fixed it, letting another awkward chuckle slip.

“Uh, sorry! I’ve been a bit busy.” She said, looking to the side. She looked back at the man, a grin across her face. “Also, yes, this hat is new.” Amanda said, whipping her ponytail as if to emphasize it.

Ae-Ri couldn’t help but chuckle. The man seemed to agree as well, cracking a small smile. Amanda liked that as she said,

“I decided to change up my look, is all. It got you pretty stunned, didn’t it?” The man rolled his eyes affectionately, pocketing one of his hands. Amanda stepped up, resting one hand on Ae-Ri’s shoulder and pointing at the man. “Anyway, Ae-Ri, this is Jan. He’s my brother. Jan, this is Ae-Ri.” The girl gave an awkward wave.

“Um… Hi.” She said meekly, holding Sapphire up to her face. The Eevee chirped with confusion at Ae-Ri using her as a shield. Jan chuckled, obviously finding it amusing. Huh, was he making fun of her?

“Nice to meet you.” He held out one of his hands. Ae-Ri peered behind her Eevee, taking it slowly. He shook it politely, continuing. “I’m the head manager for the Aevium League. My sister here is the co-manager. Or at least, she’s supposed to be, but she’s been slacking off recently.” He gave her a look.

Amanda laughed. She really didn’t seem to mind at all. “You know I’m bad at the paperwork stuff! You know that!” The scout joked, cracking another grin. Jan rolled his eyes, putting a hand on his hip. He seemed to really mind. Ae-Ri chuckled to herself, thinking about what having a sibling would be like.

“You’re right. If I left you with all that documentation, I think you’d burn this laboratory down eventually.” He sighed again, twirling his braid. He gave a small smile towards Ae-Ri. “But, whatever. I won’t keep you two here. It was nice meeting you, Ae-Ri.” They said their goodbyes and continued.

Ae-Ri followed Amanda to the back. The scout entered through the backdoor, closing it behind her. The silver-haired girl was about to open it until a person crashed into her.

A high-pitched yelp was heard and Sapphire screeched with surprise, jumping out of Ae-Ri’s arms and onto her face. Both figures crashed to the floor, papers flying in the air.

Ae-Ri hit her head on the floor with one hand covering the bottom. Her right foot twisted on the ground, sending pain up her leg. A groan was heard from across her, causing Ae-Ri to sit up. She saw a younger looking girl sitting up as well, rubbing her head.

She had a short, blonde bob that was curled at the sides. Her large gray eyes looked a bit dazed. Papers were scattered all over the area, littering the ground. The girl groaned with pain.

“Owie… Wait! I’m really sorry about that!” She suddenly said, gaining her composure. The blonde girl started quickly gathering up her papers in a frantic manner. Without thinking, Ae-Ri gathered a few as well. The girl continued to apologize, bowing her head.

“It's fine, really. I think you took the worst fall.” Ae-Ri joked, feeling a bit embarrassed at the attempt. The girl seemed to find it funny at least, chuckling under her breath. Once they gathered all of her papers, the girl quickly ran away. Sapphire leapt into Ae-Ri’s arms, her fur bristling.

“... Well.” She muttered, smiling a bit. The girl finally entered the back room. Amanda stood to the side with her arms crossed once she entered. The scout blew a piece of hair away from her face, turning towards a man behind a desk.

He was a tall, older man with short blonde hair. His shiny, white lab coat grazed the floor, glistening in the light. His hands were behind his back, and he was staring up at the large screen behind him.

On the screen was an annoyed looking woman. Her hair, tied into two pigtails that swooped downward, was a bright red, matching her ruby colored eyes. She also wore a strange uniform. Was this a business call?

“And above all else, make sure she’s there for the pickup.” She said, her voice shrill and a bit grating. The man nodded, his hands clasping tightly behind his back. He let a small sigh escape through his nose.

“... I assure you that things have already been set into motion.” Ae-Ri felt the awkwardness radiating off of Amanda as the scout cleared her throat.

“... Professor Jenner, I've brought the new trainer as requested.” Amanda said, her voice exaggeratingly loud. Ae-Ri flinched back from the noise as the blonde man - Professor Jenner - Turned around. He quickly turned off the call and coughed.

“O-Oh, Amanda. Didn't think you'd get here so soon.” Jenner chuckled, his laugh a little nervous. Sapphire sniffed the air towards him, piquing Ae-Ri’s interest. Amanda let out an exasperated sigh.

“So soon? We’re technically late!” Jenner coughed again, looking towards the right awkwardly. Then, his gray eyes settled on Ae-Ri.

“In any case, welcome to my laboratory, Ae-Ri. I am the lead scientist here at Gearen Lab. I was hired by Jan and Zumi-”

“Professor, you always put the trainers through this lengthy introduction!” Amanda rudely interrupted, pulling on the end of her hat. Ae-Ri forced down a small chuckle. The Professor just seemed a bit excited, that’s all. Amanda for sure wasn’t. “Can’t we just skip this for one?”

Jenner looked a bit taken aback and cleared his throat, a warm but slightly embarrassed smile spreading across his face. “A-Ah, I suppose you’re right. In that case, please take Ae-Ri and help her choose right away!”

That’s when Ae-Ri remembered. Every beginning trainer gets a starter Pokemon. How did she forget that? Amanda cut through her thoughts as she grabbed the silver haired girl’s wrist, causing her to yelp in shock.

“This is the best part! Let’s go!” Half dragged to the room by Amanda, the first thing Ae-Ri saw was the table full of Pokemon with PokeBalls sitting behind them. Then she saw the other two. The starters must have been divided by type. Grass, fire, and water. Amanda stepped beside her as Ae-Ri looked at the Pokemon, who now turned to look at her with curiosity.

“This is a hard decision, but if you’re having trouble… There’s a machine in the back of the room that will drop down a random Pokemon from the ones you can select here. Good luck!”

“Th-Thanks, Amanda.” Ae-Ri said, letting Sapphire leap to the ground and inspect the Pokemon. The Eevee immediately went to the Grass type table, her nose leading her along the way. She immediately leapt onto the table in front of one of them.

Ae-Ri noted that it was taller than Sapphire, but not by much. It had a sleek shape with a pointy snout and a tail with a blade end. Its red eyes glared suspiciously at Sapphire as the Eevee sniffed at it. Ae-Ri heard a low hiss in the pit of its throat.

Strangely, the girl was drawn to the little Pokemon. It seemed… Closed off. It reminded her of herself. She wanted to get to know it and grow close to it. Ae-Ri stepped up to the table, staring down at the Pokemon. Amanda seemed to notice the girl’s intense interest as she said,

“That one’s a Snivy. He’s… A bit peculiar. He’s very picky about who cares for him and really only likes Professor Jenner. He’ll most likely scratch at or bite anyone who he doesn’t like and is a bit standoffish compared to the others.” Ae-Ri heard a hint of warning in Amanda’s voice as she continued to look at the Snivy. She bent down to his eye level, letting Sapphire leap onto her head.

The Pokemon gave her a curious look, giving her what looked to be a raised eyebrow. Ae-Ri continued to stare in silence as the Snivy stepped a bit closer. He curled his tail around him as his red eyes stared back. She smiled at the Pokemon, putting out one hand to touch him. That’s when the Snivy hissed again, scratching quickly. Ae-Ri flinched back and she heard Amanda sharply inhale.

Ae-Ri looked down at the shallow scratch on her palm. Then, she stared at the Snivy again. He seemed to look a bit guilty, staring at the table and averting his gaze. Ae-Ri chuckled, standing up. “Can I take him?” She turned towards Amanda, smiling. The scout seemed a bit shocked but beamed, nodding.

“Glad you came to a conclusion! His PokeBall should be right behind him.” Ae-Ri reached over carefully to pick up the capsule, its smooth texture cool against her skin. She laid it out for the Snivy, who looked down at it and rested his claws on it, letting himself into the ball.

Ae-Ri looked down with silent excitement as Sapphire chirped indignantly, wanting to know what was going on. The silver haired girl let the Snivy out of the ball, leaving the snake-like Pokemon standing on the floor and looking up at her.

“Do you like the name Jade?” She asked, looking at him like he understood her. He gave her a quick hiss. She took that as approval. Ae-Ri grinned and walked over to Amanda.

“Hold on one second.” Ae-Ri stopped in her tracks at Amanda’s voice. The scout took out her own PokeBall, a wide grin spreading across her face. “I want to see how you fare in a battle. Wanna do a one vs one? My Pokemon against your Snivy?” Ae-Ri looked down at Jade, who stared back with glistening eyes. He wanted to battle.

“Sure. Go, Jade!” The Snivy leapt onto their makeshift battlefield as Amanda sent out her Pokemon. It was a small creature with a large hat and a small pink body. It was rather cute. It smiled sweetly at Jade, who glared harshly at it on all fours.

“Go Hattenna! Growl!” The Pokemon - Hattenna - sent a growl towards Jade, stopping him momentarily. Ae-Ri assumed it lowered one of his stats. Sapphire trilled encouragingly as the girl was thinking of what to do.

“Um, Jade? Use-” Suddenly, the Snivy rushed forward. Two thick vines unfurled from his yellow leaves on his shoulders. The Pokemon struck the Hattenna forcefully with the two vines, sending the small Pokemon squealing as it was sent flying. Even Amanda seemed shocked by the Snivy’s attack, looking stunned. The Hattenna laid on the ground and didn’t get back up. The battle was over, and so quickly.

Ae-Ri was worried she upset Amanda. Or at least, Jade, upset Amanda. But, the league scout only smiled, chuckling with delight. She returned the Hattenna to its ball, looking at Ae-Ri with bright eyes. “You got a feisty one there. He’s a born battler.” Jade looked cooly at Amanda, padding back over to Ae-Ri’s side. She looked down at the small Pokemon, surprised to see him so composed after his attack. Amanda gave her one last smile and turned to leave.

Ae-Ri continued to look at Jade, furrowing her brow. What was he thinking? She wanted to know. She wanted to fight alongside him, even if Jade might reject her for now.

Then, she turned back to Amanda. “U-Um, Amanda?” The scout turned around, her eyes curious. She waited for the rest of the question. Ae-Ri coughed, playing with her ponytail. “What attack did Jade use there?” She mumbled, feeling her face turn slightly rosy. Amanda only grinned.

“Vine Whip. It’s a basic grass type move, you’ll get used to it. See ya later, Ae!” On that note, the league scout exited the room. Ae-Ri assumed she should as well. She exited down the stairs with Jade at her side and Sapphire in her arms. She saw Jenner look up from a pile of paperwork at his desk.

“So you made your decision?” His eyes were drawn to Jade, who crossed his little arms. The professor smiled softly. “Interesting. You picked him?” Ae-Ri nodded. She could tell the professor was fond of the Snivy. That made her feel a bit bad for choosing him. But, Jenner didn’t seem bothered by it at all. “I’m glad he’s found a trainer after all this time. He’s a feisty one, make sure you look after him.”

“Of course. Thank you, Professor.” Ae-Ri said, giving him a small bow. She was about to walk towards the door when a voice made her freeze in surprise.

“Hey, Professor. I finally analyzed all of the data I got from Amethyst Cave. I’m gonna clock out for the day now.” The girl saw that the source of the voice was a boy about her age. He had dark, spiky hair and dark eyes. He was rather tall and wore a long sleeved jacket with a red scar wrapped around his neck. He noticed Ae-Ri, giving her an inquisitive look. “Oh, who’s this, Professor?”

“This is a new trainer. Her name’s Ae-Ri. Ae-Ri, this is Ren. He’s my assistant down here at the lab.” Ae-Ri gave him a small wave, contrasting Sapphire’s loud chirps of greeting. Ren was now looking at her with deep interest in his eyes. He offered out a hand which Ae-Ri hesitantly took.

“A new trainer, huh? You look kind of tough.” Ae-Ri didn’t get what he was saying for a second. Then she realized he was looking at her untreated injuries. Something in his eyes told her she was about to walk into an awkward situation. “Would you want to do a quick battle? I promise I’ll go easy on you.” Ren asked, his hand already on a PokeBall.

Oh great.

“Uhm- Well-” Ae-Ri started, her voice trailing off. She had no idea how to refuse him without making herself look rude. Ae-Ri could feel her chest tightening as she struggled to think of a response. Her entire body was screaming at her to find a nearby hotel, crash, and sleep for the next week. Fuuuuuuuck-

“I think she’s a bit tired, Ren. Maybe you two could do it another day?” Jenner offered. Jenner you godsend. Ae-Ri thought with relief, the tension leaving her body through a deep sigh. Ren looked mildly disappointed but shrugged.

“Fine by me. Do you need any help navigating the city?” Ae-Ri thought about his offer carefully. She decided very quickly that she did not want to talk to anyone at the moment.

“I-I would just need a map. But thanks for the offer.” She said quickly. She really hoped Ren wasn’t offended. Luckily, the boy took a spare map from his jacket pocket and handed it to Ae-Ri.

“It was nice to meet you. Hope you enjoy Gearen.” Ren left on that note, leaving Ae-Ri and Jenner. The blonde professor clicked his tongue, tapping his fingernails against his desk.

“Do you have a device at all, Ae-Ri?” He suddenly asked, catching her a bit off guard. She patted her jacket pockets and felt nothing. She shook her head slowly. “That’s not a problem. Here, take this for your travels.” Jenner handed her a small device that looked like a mini gaming console. Ae-Ri took it carefully into her hands, rubbing her fingers across its smooth surface. “It’s a Cybernav. It has many uses and will most definitely help you along your journey.” Ae-Ri couldn’t help but smile, pocketing the Cybernav.

“Thank you for everything, Professor. Have a good day.” Ae-Ri and Jenner said their farewells and she left the lab. Finally, East Gearen was hers to explore.

Chapter Text

East Gearen was not exactly what Ae-Ri expected. It was a rather gloomy place with a lot of rain and many grumpy people. She was just walking around and someone insulted her out of the blue.

“You look like you crawled out of a dumpster.” A random woman said in front of the Poke Mart. Ae-Ri was too tired to deal with it.

“Thanks.” She said flatly, self-consciously wiping away some of the dried blood on her face. Other than that, she was able to buy some basic supplies and a good backpack. She also caught the attention of a nice lady who patched up most of her face. It was nice to walk around a bit after the boat hijacking. Her foot felt a bit better after moving it a lot and Sapphire was loving the rain. Even then, the city felt a bit daunting for Ae-Ri.

For her and Sapphire’s sake (mostly her sake), they went back out to the Oceanic Pier to get some much needed air. Jade seemed to be fine with the rain as well, his smooth coat nice and shiny. They passed by a grassy area that contained five Pokemon. They were small birds with red heads and blue bodies that chirped at one another.

“I wonder what those are.” Ae-Ri muttered. Sapphire chirped indignantly, wanting to go over to the birds. The silver haired girl silently observed the birds for a few seconds. Then, without warning, Jade shot towards one of them and was beating it into the grass with a Vine Whip before Ae-Ri could even comprehend what was happening. Once the realization set in, Ae-Ri started to panick at the shrill cries of the bird Pokemon. “JADE! STOP THAT!” She exclaimed in a panic, rushing over to the fight. The Snivy stopped to give her a nonchalant look, pointing at the bird Pokemon. It was now fainted on the grass. Ae-Ri was incredibly confused.

“What do you-?” Jade rolled his eyes and pointed at Ae-Ri’s bag. She frowned, pulling it from her back and opening it. What was the Snivy on about? Then, she saw it. PokeBalls. “... Ohhhhhh. I see now.” She reluctantly took out a ball and stepped over to Jade and the fainted bird Pokemon. Jade slinked over to her side as she bent down. She really hoped the bird Pokemon wasn’t dead.

Ae-Ri gently tapped the PokeBall’s button against the bird Pokemon. To her shock, the ball opened and sucked in the Pokemon with a blue light. It shook three times and let out a soft click. In her pocket, her Cybernav vibrated. The girl took it out to see a notification from one of the apps.

“Pokedex? Huh…” She opened it to see the bird Pokemon registered into the database. Apparently it was a Fletchling. It was registered as the Tiny Robin Pokemon and was a Normal Flying type. “I really hope the ball healed it.” Ae-Ri glanced at Jade with a disgruntled look. He only scoffed. She had no idea what she was going to do with him.

“Alright, come out Garnet.” The girl sent out the Fletchling, relieved to see that the little bird was healed. She looked at Ae-Ri with interest, warbling. “I’m sorry about Jade. Are you okay with joining us?” She asked, standing up as she looked down at the bird Pokemon. She noticed the gleam in Garnet's eyes. Ae-Ri wasn’t too worried about Garnet rejecting the offer. The Fletchling warbled with delight and flew up to rest on Ae-Ri’s shoulder, her sharp claws gently grasping her jacket. Ae-Ri could feel the excitement reaching her body as jitters went all over it.

After that, they decided to go back to the city. Ae-Ri wandered around and tried to ask people if they knew who Team Xen was. Maybe Mrs. Tesla was still around and she could ask her about them some more…

Most of the civilians had no idea what she was talking about. Not all of them were exactly polite about it either. When she was making her way to the west side of the city, there was a strange man blocking a bridge to the west of East Gearen. He had a large red backpack with baggy sweats and a white shirt. He gave her a glare as she stepped up to him.

“Uhm- Hey, do you know anything about a group called Team Xen? Anything at all?” Ae-Ri asked, a bit worried about if this man was going to mug her. Instead, he took out a PokeBall from his pocket.

“How much would you pay me for it?” Ae-Ri did not have the energy to humor this guy.

“No thank you.” Without another word, Ae-Ri left disgruntled and annoyed.

After that encounter, her desperate search for clues about Team Xen led her to an incredibly fancy hotel that contrasted the drab look of the city. The building wasn’t exactly to Ae-Ri’s taste either. When she actually entered it, it looked exactly like how she imagined it would. Fancy, white, and full of rich people who were wondering why this random girl entered their hotel. Begrudgingly, she stepped up to the clerk, who gave her a very strange look. Ae-Ri could see him looking her up and down.

“Can… I help you? If you’re looking for a reservation- Let me just make this simple for you. There is no way a child like you could afford our services.”

Believe me, I do not want to talk to you either. “A-Actually, I’m just here to ask some questions. Do you know anything about-?”

“WEEEEEEEEEEE!!!” A shriek of absolute delight interrupted Ae-Ri. Before she could react, she saw a large object rushing towards her at shocking speeds from her left. Sapphire shrieked and leapt onto Ae-Ri’s head, Jade immediately climbed onto the clerk’s desk, and Garnet warbled with shock as she shot into the air, leaving feathers strewn around the floor. Ae-Ri could do absolutely none of that. The blunt object collided with her at full-force, sending newfound pain up her chest area. She tumbled to the floor, catching the top of the desk to cushion her fall.

“Holy shit-!”

“Owie powie kazowie, lowie! That hurt!” Ae-Ri finally saw who the source of that shriek was and what crashed into her. A fallen hotel trolley laid still a few feet away from where she fell and the young girl that was in sitting in front of her. She was probably the same age as Ae-Ri and had dark, shoulder length hair that covered one of her dark gray eyes. She had a red hairpin pinned in her hair and wore a baggy dark gray sweater with a red scarf wrapped around her neck. She rubbed the back of her head.

“M-Ms. Blakeory! What on earth are you doing?!” The clerk cried with horror. Ae-Ri still felt frazzled at the encounter, watching the girl leap to her feet with ease. Sapphire chirped with worry as she leapt into Ae-Ri’s lap. Garnet flew down to rest on her shoulder as if nothing happened and Jade watched the girl with an annoyed glare in his red eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you not to use the trolleys in such a barbaric manner!” The clerk barked at the girl. She only giggled and stuck her tongue out at him with amusement.

“I’m sure it’s fineeee-”

“And now you’ve gone and hit this hooligan with it!” The clerk cut off the girl, ignoring what she was saying. Ae-Ri didn’t exactly appreciate being called a “hooligan” and got to her feet, giving the clerk a glare. He didn’t pay any attention to her. “I pray to Arceus they don’t file a lawsuit!” He waved at Jade to get him off of the desk, earning a hiss of annoyance from the Snivy. The clerk flinched back from the bristling Pokemon as the girl laughed.

“Awww, quit worrying so much! They don’t even have a scratch on them! They were the one in front of my trolley first, maybe I should be filing the lawsuit, hehe!”

“Now what are you on about-?” Ae-Ri started, confused and a bit worried at the girl’s words. But, she was cut off when the girl whirled to face her. To Ae-Ri’s surprise, her look of amusement turned into a look of guilt and maybe mild embarrassment?

“Okay but for real, sorry for slamming my trolley into you like that! It was an accident, really!” She apologized, giving Ae-Ri a sheepish grin. Huh, her apologetic tone was incredibly genuine, and completely different from her cheeky tone from before. Ae-Ri could respect that, even if the girl ran her over with a trolley.

“Uhm… Thanks for the apology?”

“And thank you for forgiving me! I hope you didn’t get too banged up. Oh yeah, the name’s-”

“MS.BLAEKORY, stop wasting your time with this street rat!” Oh, right. The clerk existed. Ae-Ri gave him an unimpressed glare at the insult as the girl gave him a raised eyebrow. He grabbed his fedora and sighed with annoyance. “The helicopter you requested is waiting for you on the roof as we speak!” At the mention of that, the girl’s eyes widened.

“OH CRUD, I FORGOT I REQUESTED THAT! I haven’t even packed yet, hah!” She laughed, fiddling with her scarf. Ae-Ri was not surprised that this young girl was able to request a helicopter. She was more surprised at how unbothered she seemed. “Val’s going to kill me if I’m late again… Well, I gotta go! It was nice crashing into you!” On that note, the girl ran towards an elevator at shocking speeds, leaving Ae-Ri with the clerk. She was left absolutely confused by the encounter, looking towards the clerk. He sighed and gave her a condescending look.

“Now, what did you need-?”

“You know what, I’m sure you don’t know either. Uhm… Bye.” Ae-Ri quickly turned to leave with Jade leaping off of the desk and deliberately kicking some dust into the clerk’s face. As the clerk coughed, the Snivy blew a raspberry at him, stepping into a walking pace with his head high. Ae-Ri couldn’t help but laugh at the display. She was very sure the clerk would not want to see her again any time soon.

Once they exited the hotel, Ae-Ri encountered a tall man with a rather peculiar earring standing next to a beaten up white truck. He seemed friendly enough so she walked up to him. He looked at her with curiosity.

“Excuse me? Do you happen to know anything about an organization called Team Xen?”

“Huh? Team Xen?” The man pondered for a second. He then shrugged. “Sorry miss, never heard of the name before.” Ae-Ri expected as much but couldn’t help feeling crestfallen. The man seemed to notice as he gave her a reassuring smile. “I hope you can find someone who knows. I can’t help with that, but if you need a lift to get somewhere, you can come to me. I travel a lot around Aevium. I usually act as a free transporter for trainers with this beauty.” He slapped his truck affectionately, smiling at its worn out surface. Ae-Ri appreciated his offer, noticing how aged the truck truly was.

“Thank you. Could I catch your name?”

“People usually just call me truck guy.”

“Thank you, truck guy. My name is Ae-Ri.”

“Anytime, Ae-Ri.” The two of them parted with a small bow from Ae-Ri and a wave from truck guy. She hummed a small tune as she and her Pokemon walked past a purple building that had a sign next to it. That must have been the gym. Connected to it was a purple house with foggy windows at the front. Loud music could be hear blaring from the house, mixed with the sound of an electric guitar. Jade hissed, covering his ears and trying to get away from the loud noise. Ae-Ri was just going to walk by the house until she heard yelling coming from inside of it.

“WAIT, WAIT! THE BEST PART OF THE SONG IS ABOUT TO COME ON!” A feminine voice screamed, almost drowned out by the guitar. The voice sounded a bit higher pitched and young sounding. Another voice joined in, this time sounding much older.

“Veronica?! How many times do I have to tell you not to blast music like this?!”

“Ugh… Mom?! Can’t you wait three seconds? The beat is about to drop!” This girl had some balls to be talking to her mom like that. Or her mom was more lenient. Ae-Ri couldn’t dream of her talking to Nancy like that in an situation. However, Veronica’s mother didn’t seem to be having it.

“NO. That’s enough, I’ve had it Veronica! Your incessant annoyance is too much for me! The neighbors have been complaining, the police have come and warned us!”

Sounds like Veronica is about to get her ass kicked… Ae-Ri thought, not wanting to imagine what was about to happen next. Sapphire was listening with intent, her large ears craning to listen. Garnet seemed less than interested, as the little bird Pokemon was dozing on Ae-Ri’s shoulder.

“WHO CARES?! EAT THE POLICE!” Veronica screamed, cranking up the volume further. Ae-Ri was so bewildered by this girl that she ignored the music threatening to burst her eardrums. Was Veronica suicidal? Did she have a death wish?

“I SAID ENOUGH!”

“Stop!” Suddenly, silence. It was strangely ominous to Ae-Ri. Even stranger, the music abruptly stopped. Seems like Veronica was about to meet the consequences of a mother’s wrath. “... H-Hey, why are you looking at me like th-that? Cool it!”

“Veronica Vasile, I said I’ve had ENOUGH!” The mother screamed with such rage Ae-Ri almost ran off. Jade seemed to be finding this rather entertaining, his blade tail swaying back and forth. A high pitched scream that was seemingly from Veronica was heard as all of a sudden, a girl burst from the roof of the house and flew into the sky. She crashed onto the pavement with a loud thud, laying down face first. Ae-Ri stood in shock for a couple seconds before she shrieked in surprise.

“HOLY SHIT- Are you alright?!” She exclaimed, standing over the fallen girl who she assumed was Veronica. She turned over on her back, looking up at Ae-Ri with large brown eyes. Her hair was a vivid purple color and two pink flowers were pinned to the sides of her hair. She dramatically grabbed at her chest as if she was in a stageplay. Ae-Ri was mildly confused now that the panic faded away.

“Ouch… It looks like that wretched wench has defiled things once again… She’s gone too far this time… I’ve been fatally wounded…” She coughed, sounding like a dying Loudred. Ae-Ri would have laughed if she wasn’t so stunned. The silver haired girl had so many questions. How was Veronica talking about her mom like this? Why is she acting as if she’s acting for an audience at a broadway show? How the FUCK did she survive getting thrown out of a house through the roof and landing on the pavement face first?

“Uhm… Are you really okay-?” Ae-Ri asked, wondering if the girl hit her head a bit too hard on the pavement. She was interrupted by another loud, dramatic cough by Veronica. This was becoming comical.

“This is… The end for me… I need you… To do me a favor…”

“Seriously, do you need to be taken to a hospital-”

“There’s this store on the shopping district called ‘The Berry Emporium’... Totally kickass place, by the way…” Veronica drawled, putting her arm over her forehead in a dramatic manner. Ae-Ri was now wondering why she was sticking around to hear this girl ramble. She could hear Jade snickering as Veronica continued. “Their Pecha Berries are so sweet… So nice… If only I could have one last bite… I must taste a Pecha Berry one last time before I go…” Ae-Ri could see Veronica look up at her for a split second as if she was checking if Ae-Ri was still there. Then she returned to her theatrics.

“... So what you’re telling me is you want me to get you a Pecha Berry.” Ae-Ri said simply, a bit stunned at the girl’s request. Veronica coughed loudly as if to deliver the message further. Ae-Ri decided she’d humor the girl. It might be funny. “Alright, alright. Just… Stay here?” Jade let out a long hiss that seemed to be his own form of laughter.

“Please…” Veronica wheezed, rolling back over. Ae-Ri paused and then left Veronica on the floor. She wondered if someone would accuse her of murder. If someone did she was going to give Veronica a piece of her mind. Luckily for Ae-Ri, the building that was seemingly the Berry Emporium was close by. It was right next to the Poke Mart she visited a few hours ago.

“Alright… The Berry Emporium… It’s probably this, right?” She asked Sapphire, standing in front of the shop with a large Lilligant sign on its side. The Eevee gave a sniff in its direction and nodded, her eyes gleaming. Ae-Ri assumed she smelled the berries. Garnet woke up, tweeting with interest. Jade seemed less then interest. Seemed like berries did not sway him. Ae-Ri took a deep breath and stepped into The Berry Emporium, the strong smell of berries hitting her in the face. Luckily, it was a nice, sweet scent that tickled her nose. The lady at the counter gave her a smile and waved.

“Welcome to The Berry Emporium! How may we help you today?” She asked, looking at Ae-Ri expectedly. The girl twiddled her thumbs as Sapphire’s eyes darted around all of the berries.

“Uhm… Well…” Ae-Ri started, her voice a bit higher pitched from nervousness. The lady was patient as Ae-Ri sorted out her words. “There was this girl, I think her name’s Veronica? Veronica Vasile…? She said she was… Dying…” Ae-Ri said slowly, cringing at her own words. She could see the woman’s face slowly changing into a frown. “A-And she asked for a Pecha Berry of all things…” The lady sighed with annoyance, closing her eyes and grabbing the bridge of her nose.

“Oh, that tears it… Please wait here.” The lady walked to the back, leaving Ae-Ri standing there awkwardly. She shifted her feet and glanced around the shop. There were a couple people browsing berries with their own Pokemon. Maybe she should buy some. Sapphire was certainly interested. And she should probably make it up to the lady for wasting her time. A few minutes later, the lady came back holding a berry wrapped in a white cloth. It smelled absolutely vile. “Please give this to Veronica, it’s exactly what she asked for.” She said coldly, handing it to Ae-Ri. With one sniff, Sapphire recoiled back and leapt out of Ae-Ri’s arms, almost landing on Jade. The Snivy hissed in shock and returned himself back to the safety of his ball.

“Oh… Uhm…” Ae-Ri was at first wondering if the lady made a mistake. But, she could see the intent in her eyes. “Thank you…?” The lady sighed again, crossing her arms.

“Please tell our dear, dying friend Veronica that I am getting tired of her swindling others to get these berries for her. Especially since I usually have to deal with them.” Ae-Ri felt bad for this woman. She seemed rather tired. Even if the berry smelled absolutely atrocious, she assumed it would teach Veronica a much needed lesson.

“Alright… Uh… Could I buy two Oran Berries? They’re just for my Pokemon, y’know…” The lady seemed to perk up a bit, giving Ae-Ri a small smile.

“Of course. Let me just get those and I’ll send you on your way.” She disappeared into the back once again and swiftly came back with two wrapped Oran Berries. Compared to the foul smelling Pecha Berry, they had a very nice, light smell to them. She handed them to Ae-Ri. “Have a good day.”

“Y-You too. Thank you.” Ae-Ri gave a small bow and left the shop with the three wrapped berries. The girl paused, carefully putting the Pecha Berry into her backpack. Sapphire looked up at the Oran berries expectantly, her tail wagging. Ae-Ri chuckled, bending down. “Alright, alright… Here, you take this one, and Garnet takes this one. I’m going to assume Jade isn’t too interested.” She got a shake from the Snivy’s ball in response. Sapphire squealed with glee as Ae-Ri offered the Eevee the Oran Berry in her palm. She took the Oran Berry from her trainer’s palm and held it with her front paws, resting on her back ones. The Eevee munched on it with delight. As they walked, Ae-Ri offered pieces of the berry to Garnet, who happily took it in her beak. They eventually came back to the house, finding Veronica in the exact position they left her. Sapphire finished her berry and went up to Veronica, sniffing her. Ae-Ri knew she was just humoring the girl, but she still felt slightly annoyed that she went along with this.

“Hi. I have your berry that you wanted, for some reason…” Ae-Ri started, taking off her backpack and setting it on the ground. Veronica turned her head to face Ae-Ri, her eyes lighting up.

“Y-You got me a Pecha Berry?” She asked, looking at Ae-Ri with hopeful eyes. The girl sighed through her nose, carefully taking out the wrapped berry from her backpack. She cringed away from the foul smell that emitted from it. Although, Veronica didn’t seem to notice it. Her brown eyes lit up at the sight of the berry. “Th-That’s… A Pecha Berry from the Berry Emporium! So delectable, so tasty, so exquisite. The taste is unimaginably delicious… Hand it over, now.” Veronica got up to her feet at such speeds that Ae-Ri could not comprehend it. Ignoring the girl’s rudeness, Veronica did not need to say that twice. She handed the berry to the girl with zero hesitation. The girl started to greedily eat it as Sapphire leapt into Ae-Ri’s arms, looking up at her and back at Veronica. Ae-Ri had the feeling the girl was about to be faced with some consequences.

“So… Are you-?”

“So tasty… Thank yo-” Veronica was about to thank Ae-Ri before she stopped. The girl gave her a curious look, stepping up to her a bit closer. The girl looked… Red? Her face looked like it was sunburnt on a summer day. Ae-Ri gently tapped her shoulder, receiving no response.

“Uh- Are you alright?” She asked, now genuinely concerned for the girl. Luckily, Veronica was able to get out a few words.

“H-H-H-H-H-H-H-H-.... HOTTTT!!!” She yelled, running around like a headless Torchic. Whatever made the berry smell that putrid, it was definitely hitting Veronica now. Ae-Ri brought out a water bottle and threw it at Veronica in a panic. The girl took it with zero hesitation. Ae-Ri watched in shock as the girl downed the entire water bottle. By the end of it, she was panting with sweat beading her face. Seeing her now, Ae-Ri felt maybe a bit bad for giving her that Pecha Berry. The girl let out a dry cough. “That berry you gave me… It was filled with wasa… wasahaha… wasahahahhaha…” Shockingly, the girl was giggling. A grin spread across her face as if Ae-Ri told a funny joke. The silver haired girl gave her a horribly confused expression. “WASAHAHAHABI!!! HAHAHAHHAHA!!!” Veronica chortled, giggles escaping her formerly red face. Ae-Ri was stunned by this response. But, the girl’s laughter was contagious, as the silver haired girl felt her own laughter escape her. The two girls got the laughter out of their systems before they settled down, sitting on the pavement in a criss cross applesauce position. Veronica gave her a wide grin as she wiped away a tear.

“I can’t BELIEVE I fell for that! Were you the one who put the wasabi in that berry?”

“Uhm… No, actually. It smelled really funky on the way here, I think the berry lady figured you out.” Ae-Ri said, still giggling. Veronica sighed dramatically, putting her hand to her forehead.

“Well, I guess my days of swindling passerbyers are over… Anyway, just to formerly introduce myself, you probably hear my mom call me Veronica back there, but I would politely ask you to call me Venam.” That name definitely fit the girl’s image better. Venam put her hands around her hips as she spoke. “Veronica’s such a prissy name! I hate it. I want to be called Venam. It’s cooler and sounds scarier.”

“I guess if you think that… N-Nice to meet you, Venam. I’m Ae-Ri. I came to East Gearen a few hours ago.” She said, fiddling with her glasses. Venam gave her a surprised look, which quickly turned into a grin.

“I’m going to assume you signed up for the league challenge? Well, East Gearen’s Gym Leader is standing right in front of you!” Venam declared, getting to her feet with a toothy grin. Ae-Ri wasn’t too shocked by this. The girl’s house was connected to the gym after all.

“I did, yeah… I-I’m not good at battling, though.”

“Huh? Then why sign up at all?” Venam asked, sitting back down and looking at Ae-Ri with a raised eyebrow. The girl hugged her knees to her chest, playing with her fingers as she tried to create a response. Sapphire trilled as she pawed at Ae-Ri, her tail drooping with worry. Ae-Ri’s face must have changed significantly as Venam quickly waved her hand. “You don’t need to answer that if it makes you uncomfortable!” Ae-Ri almost jumped at the girl’s exclamation. Venam let out a quick cough and changed the subject. “Would you want to meet my friends? They’re cool people, and I think I should introduce my new friend to them.” Ae-Ri gave her a curious look.

“You consider me a friend?” She asked with a joking tone. Surprisingly, Venam looked incredibly serious about that. Now Ae-Ri was confused. She met this girl what, an hour ago? How was she already considered a friend? Why was Venam so willing to call her friend? “You’re serious?” Ae-Ri asked with surprise, stroking Sapphire’s back. Venam laughed, gently slapping Ae-Ri’s shoulder, causing her to flinch back slightly.

“Hell yeah! You seem like fun, aaaand it sounds like you have nowhere to go. You could hang out with us for the time being!” Venam explained, her eyes gleaming with excitement. Ae-Ri was rather surprised and touched by Venam’s offer. She didn’t exactly have anywhere to go at the moment… And having someone that she considers a friend would be nice.

“Well… If you’re really okay with it, where do you meet your friends?” A cheeky grin spread across Venam’s face. Oh Arceus above, what was Ae-Ri walking into?

“The nearby abandoned sewers. No adults check on it so it’s a perfect place for all of us to hang out.”

“Wouldn’t those sewers be abandoned for a reason-?”

“ANYWAYS- We’re planning on meeting down there like, right now? Damn, time flies by fast. But, if you have something to do or somewhere to be and can’t come that’s fine. But, I’m going to assume you have no other plans.” Venam was right on that one. Ae-Ri wasn’t too sure if she would regret this or not. But, she didn’t have much to do as of now. Venam was the first person to offer her some sort of friendship, she couldn’t turn it down, could she? Ae-Ri decided at that moment.

“Alright. Do you want to walk over now?”

“Sweet. Come on, I’ll show you the way.”

Chapter Text

Black smog oozed out of the the smoke shafts as Ae-Ri and Venam walked over to the sewers. The rain battered them, with Venam not being too bothered by it. Ae-Ri assumed this was the normal weather in East Gearen. She spotted a closed roll-up door that seemed to be the entrance to the sewer. Venam ran up to it first, about to open it. All of a sudden, she glanced over Ae-Ri’s shoulder and fell to the floor like a limp doll. Ae-Ri squeaked in shock until she heard a voice behind her.

“Arceus above Venam- When will you learn?” Ae-Ri turned around at shocking speeds to see Ren. He had an incredibly unimpressed look on his face. He was looking right at Venam. Ohhhhh. Ae-Ri understood now. The boy then turned his attention to Ae-Ri, one of his eyebrows raised. “Ae-Ri? What are you doing here? Don’t tell me Venam made you come here-”

“S-She didn’t make me do anything! She kinda just… Uhhh…” Ae-Ri trailed off, staring down at Venam. She could see that the girl was in the exact position she was in when she asked Ae-Ri for a Pecha Berry. Venam coughed dryly, earning an incredibly annoyed look from Ren. Ae-Ri assumed the two of them knew each other. At least, she hoped they knew each other. The silver haired girl started again. “We were just coming over to the sewers to meet her friends-?” Ae-Ri was cut off by Venam letting out an exceptionally wheezing cough as if she was trying to get their attention. Ren rolled his eyes and stepped over to the fallen girl, looking down at her. Venam then started her spiel.

“Please, Ren… That poor old, wretched, disgusting woman has done it again…” Venam clutched her chest with dramatic intent. She looked up at him with her best pleading eyes. Ren pocketed his hands and didn’t respond as Venam continued. “I’ve been fatally wounded… This time for real. I cannot go on anymore. All I ever- wanted was a Berry from The Berry Emporium… Ren, please… This is my last request…”

Aaaand there it is. Ae-Ri could feel herself about to laugh. Ren seemed less then impressed. He let Venam continue some more. “I need the succulent, beautiful, EMPOWERING taste of an Oran Berry. Please… Do it for me?” Venam pleaded, letting out a wheezing cough. The purple haired girl did not spout out that many adjectives when she was trying to convince Ae-Ri. However, even with the extra effort, Ren only sighed with annoyance.

“Nice try, Venam. You know that won’t work on me. Cut it out and get back up on your feet.”

“PLEASE.”

“Jeez, just get up, Venam. Or should I say… Veronica?” Ren asked, the grin in his voice very obvious. Venam stood up so fast Ae-Ri couldn’t even see her. She could see the girl’s smoldering brown eyes as she was inches away from Ren’s face.

“DON’T CALL ME VERONICA.” She spat, her hair practically bristling. Ren didn’t flinch or even react. He waved her away.

“Yeah, yeah. Just open the door.” Ren said, his voice dismissive. Venam sighed dramatically, crossing her arms and giving the boy a hurtful look. It was a rather strange face on the girl.

“Ren, you’re horrible. You wouldn’t grant a dying girl’s wish?”

“You’re a girl? I must be blind. I thought you were just a feral Primeape with no direction.” That earned a snicker from Ae-Ri, who caught the attention of Ren and Venam. The purple haired girl glared at Ren, her hands on her hips.

“Nice going, Ren! You’re embarrassing me in front of Ae-Ri!”

“I’m going to guess you’ve already done that.” Ren retorted, turning to Ae-Ri with crossed arms. Before the girl could reply, Sapphire nodded, trilling with amusement. The dark haired boy chuckled as he spoke again. “Sorry about her. Venam can be a pain in the ass.”

“I am RIGHT HERE-”

“Aaaaand she might occasionally beg you for food and be annoying and all that jazz.” Ren chuckled, glancing at his purple haired friend. Ae-Ri could understand where Ren was coming from. But, she could see he was just joking withher.

“It’s fine, hehe… She was the one that invited me to hang out with you guys anyway.”

“And we might never get to that if we stand around out here like starstruck Sliggoos! Come on, let’s enter the sewer already!” Without another word, Venam opened the roll-up door and ran in, her purple hair disappearing. Ren sighed deeply, looking towards the direction she ran in.

“I don’t think she realizes that we would have entered a while ago if she didn’t try to pull that act… Anyways, do you want to enter the sewer together? You can get lost down there easily.” Ae-Ri nodded, stroking Sapphire’s fur.

“Sounds like a plan.” On that note, Ae-Ri and Ren entered the sewer. The smell immediately hit her, which Ae-Ri already predicted was going to happen. It smelled of mildew and smoke, causing her to lightly cough. Sapphire tried to escape the scent as she buried her face into Ae-Ri’s jacket. Garnet already returned herself to her ball as Ren and Ae-Ri entered the main room. Now that they were at the heart of the sewer, the scent was much more potent. Murky water licked at the stone platforms as a couple highschool aged trainers battled one another. Ae-Ri was surprised to see the place so lively. Ren must have noticed her expression and grinned.

“Welcome to our abandoned sewers. Venam was the first one to invite people and set this place up, it’s fun on occasions. Wild Pokemon can be found down here too.” Ren added, sending out a Growlithe. It must have been his as the Pokemon rubbed its head against the boy’s leg. Ae-Ri and Ren continued down the sewer and navigated its maze-like interior. Meanwhile, Ren struck up a conversation.

“So, how did you end up in East Gearen anyway?” Ae-Ri flinched slightly at the question, images of fire and smoke entering her mind. She shook it off, grabbing onto a railing tightly. She had to push it away.

“Uhm- I was going to come on the S.S Oceana but…” Her voice faltered, not being able to finish the sentence. She could see Ren’s face immediately fall.

“Oh. I’m- I’m really sorry about that.”

“It’s alright.” Ae-Ri lied, gripping the railing even tighter. She tried to ignore the smell of ash in her nose. Why was she suddenly smelling it? They walked in silence for a few moments before Ae-Ri asked,

“Would you know anything about Team Xen, Ren?” The boy’s eyes widened slightly. He took a complete stop to look at Ae-Ri.

“I’ve only heard them by name. I thought they were just a small crime organization, but I heard they were the ones who hijacked the S.S Oceana.” Ae-Ri gritted her teeth, remembering the strange purple haired woman and the gray haired man. It made no sense. Mrs. Tesla said the exact same thing earlier. How could a small criminal organization pull off something like that?

“It was them. I’m sure of it. But, it doesn’t make sense... They were taking people from the ship, they-” Ae-Ri stopped, the smell of ash in her nose getting stronger. She couldn’t shake it off. Ren noticed her pause, frowning slightly. The silver haired girl could feel Sapphire pawing at her arms, trying to get her attention. All she could see was burning hallways and pieces of shrapnel flying past her face. The sounds of crackling fire and the echoing of her mother’s words filled her ears.

Make new friends, share memories, live your life! Go. Run.

“Ae-Ri, are you alright?” Ren asked, genuine concern creeping into his voice. Ae-Ri snapped back to reality, staring at the boy bewildered. He scratched the back of his head, not taking his eyes off of her. “You looked like you zoned out for a second. Are you good?” No. She wasn’t. Her mouth didn’t copy her thoughts.

“I-I’m fine. Let’s catch up to Venam, she must be impatient by now.” Ae-Ri said, passing by Ren in quick strides. She could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head. Fortunately for her, he dropped the subject. The two of them traveled deeper into the sewers, passing by trainers who were battling one another or wild Pokemon.

Ae-Ri’s head was growing cloudy, the scent of ash not leaving her nose. Ren and his Growlithe walked slowly behind her, looking around warily. The silver haired girl’s vision flashed between the sewer and the burning hallways of the S.S. Oceana. She didn’t understand why these flashes came up now of all times. Maybe because Ren asked that question? Now her head was starting to hurt a bit; great. All of this combined caused Ae-Ri to not spot the Pokemon flying towards her.

“Uhm, Ae-?” Ren called out a warning a little too late. Ae-Ri glanced up to see a furry purple mass inches from her face. Then, that furry mass smacked into her. Sapphire leapt out of Ae-Ri’s arms with a shocked squeal as the girl fell backwards, catching herself on the railing with a loud bang. Ren yelled in shock while Sapphire immediately attacked the Pokemon, slamming into it with her side. It let out a high-pitched squeak as Ae-Ri groaned.

“What the hell was that-?” She thought out loud, seeing Sapphire pinning down the Pokemon that hit her. It was a purple bat Pokemon with large ears and wide yellow eyes. Ren’s Growlithe was circling it like a Sharpedo, his teeth bared. The boy extended his hand towards Ae-Ri. She took it and hoisted herself up, lightly dusting her clothes. “Thanks. Anyway, what Pokemon is that?”

“Looks like a Noibat. They like to hang around in these sewers in colonies. It must have ran into you on accident.” Ren explained, looking towards the pinned down Noibat. Sapphire was still pinning it to the floor, her tail bristling. Ae-Ri’s never seen the Eevee this aggressive before. The girl stepped over to the Pokemon, bending down to look. The Noibat was rather confused and it chirped indignantly, flapping its wings in protest. She simply stared at it for a couple moments until Ren spoke. “You should catch it.” Ae-Ri looked towards Ren at those words.

“Huh?”

“I think you should catch it. You certainly seem interested.” Ren said, slight amusement in his voice. Ae-Ri looked back at the Noibat, her brown eyes looking at it intensely. She thought about it for a bit. She did need more Pokemon, and the Noibat was right there…

Without a word, Ae-Ri took out a PokeBall from her backpack and bent down to her knees. She gently tapped the ball against the Noibat’s forehead, watching as it was sucked into it like how Garnet was. It rocked three times in her hand and let out a loud click.

Ae-Ri felt the Cybernav buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out to look at the new entry. Ren looked over her shoulder to see that the Noibat was entered in the girl’s Pokedex. A small smile went across her face. Apparently, Noibat was a Dragon Flying type and registered in the Pokedex as the soundwave Pokemon.

“Come out Malachite.” The Noibat exited his ball with a loud pop, fluttering off of the ground with his wings flapping. He looked around confused before settling his yellow eyes on Ae-Ri. “Do you like that name?” She asked, watching his large ears as they swiveled towards her. Malachite chirped with delight. Ae-Ri took that as a yes.

“I’m sensing a pattern in your naming.” Ren said as Ae-Ri got to her feet. She gave him a curious look. “Do you like gemstones at all? I would hope you do if all of your Pokemon are named after them.” He joked, his Growlithe stepping to his side. Ae-Ri fiddled with her ponytail as Sapphire leapt into her arms and Malachite clung onto her backpack with his feet and hands.

“Well… I am interested in them. And uh- They’re pretty.” Ae-Ri mumbled, shifting her feet. Why was she acting embarrassed by this? Ren only chuckled lightly.

“I think you’d like Amethyst Cave. It’s this large mineshaft full of amethysts, it’s rather pretty. I go there for data excursions for the professor.” Ae-Ri pricked her ears at the mention of amethysts. They were rather pretty, kind if like sapphires. Both were cool colors that shined nicely in dark places. Ae-Ri might also just like the colors purple and blue. Cutting through her thoughts, Ren suddenly asked her a question. “Would you want to go with me, Venam and our friend? We’re planning on visiting it for some exploring after our friend finishes her trip to Goldenwood Forest by next week.” Ae-Ri was taken aback by the offer. She was a bit confused as to why these people were being this comfortable with her.

“Uh… Uhm-” Ren cocked his head slightly to the side.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to-”

“No I want to!” Ae-Ri suddenly interrupted, quickly feeling embarrassment wash over her. She coughed dryly as Ren waited, a small grin on his face. She cleared her throat, holding Sapphire tightly. “I mean- I want to. It sounds nice.” She paused. “...I don’t understand why you and Venam are being this nice when you only met me a few hours ago but-” Ae-Ri paused again, cutting off her honest thoughts. She was being stupid. But, Ren didn’t say anything. He only cracked a grin and took a few strides past her, looking over his shoulder.

“We can talk more later. Like you said, let’s go see Venam.” Ae-Ri looked at him for a few moments and nodded, following the boy as they went deeper into the sewer. The sounds of Malachite’s chirps echoed through the sewers as Sapphire sniffed with annoyance, her ears flattened. The murky water splashed onto the concrete, licking at their shoes. Finally, the duo found Venam outside a door, tapping her foot like an angry Bunnelby. She looked over her shoulder to see Ren and Ae-Ri.

“Finally! You two are as slow as Slowpokes!” The girl exclaimed with annoyance, her brown eyes slits. Ren rolled his eyes as Venam sighed, turning to the door. “Come on, in here.” Venam said, opening the door and running in. She didn’t wait to leave it open for the two of them. Ren entered first with Ae-Ri following right behind him.

The room they entered was rather large. Sewer water surrounded the platform they stood on, drenching the edges. A large generator sat at the end of it, humming with life. The lights were a bit dim but compared to the rest of the sewer, Ae-Ri could see infinitely better. That’s how she saw Venam on the floor reaching her arm limply towards a girl. She had a familiar blonde bob and was facing away from Venam, sitting on her knees.

“Please, that wretched old hag that lives deep within the concrete forest… She has fatally struck me once again…” Venam wheezed, gaining zero attention from the blonde haired girl. Ae-Ri let out an amused snort as Ren only looked even more unimpressed.

“How often does she do this?” Ae-Ri whispered to Ren, not being able to hide her amused smile. The boy simply sighed, his shoulders sagging.

“Way more than she should be doing.” He walked over to Venam, lightly kicking her arm. “Are you seriously trying to swindle Melia of all people? You know she won’t fall for that.” Ren said, looking towards the blonde girl. Now Ae-Ri knew who their friend was. Melia… Huh. Venam let out a groan of annoyance, picking herself up back to her feet and glaring at Ren. She then turned her head away from him, crossing her arms.

“A girl’s gotta make her way through life somehow! It’s nothin’ personal.” Venam said matter of factly, sticking her tongue out at Ren. The boy rolled his eyes back at her, walking towards Melia. The girl was still tinkering with whatever she was doing as she spoke.

“Venam, I'm trying to concentrate. Please keep it quiet on set!” Now Ae-Ri recognized that voice. This must have been the girl she crashed into at the Gearen Laboratory. Venam let out a drawn out sigh, raising her arms in the air.

“Alright, alright,.. I GUESS I’m done with the Berry bit. For now.” Venam added, giving Ren a smug grin. She then turned to Melia, letting out what sounded like a whine. “I’m just soooo bored. You said you’d done with this hours ago!”

“I know, I know, I'm sorry. I just can’t really find the issue with this thing…” Melia muttered, lightly smacking a blunt object. Now that Ae-Ri stepped closer, she saw that it was a complicated looking control panel. It must be controlling the generator. She sighed, sounding mildly defeated. “But I am trying to get to the bottom of this, I promise!”

Melia finally stood up and turned around to face everyone, showing her storm gray eyes. Now Ae-Ri was certain that this was the girl she ran into. Especially when Melia's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Ae-Ri.

“It’s you! I ran into you at the lab!” Melia exclaimed, pointing at Ae-Ri. Venam stood with her arms crossed, her brow slightly furrowed.

“Did everyone meet Ae-Ri before me…?” The purple haired girl muttered to herself. No one heard her as Ae-Ri waved.

“Literally and figuratively…” Ae-Ri quipped, earning a sheepish smile from Melia. Now she was worried. Did she upset the girl by accident? “I-I’m sorry if I upset you with that I'm just joki-”

“It’s alright! I was the one who ran into you anyway, haha…” Melia said, chuckling lightly. “Venam did mention her and Ren gained a new friend, I didn’t know it was you.” Ren coughed, catching the attention of the blonde girl.

“So, back to the generator issue. What exactly is the problem?” He asked, stepping over to it and lightly banging it with his knuckles. Melia shrugged, bending down to tinker with some of the switches.

“I have no idea… It seems jammed in some way. Oh yeah, our trash bags disappeared so I assume that our experiment failed, what a pain.” Melia groaned, sounding royally disappointed. The generator seemed to have impeccable comedic timing, as it suddenly started to tremor and shake. Ae-Ri and Venam took a small step back. The silver haired girl saw the gym leader send out a Seviper.

“Uhm….. I’m gonna guess that isn't normal.” Venam said, watching as the generator shook some more. Ren stepped back from it, his Growlithe snarling at the generator. Ae-Ri could see Melia staring up at it frozen. She gently took Melia’s arm and pulled her back from the generator.

“Didn’t you guys say you were experimenting with trash bags? What if-” Ae-Ri was cut off as they saw something ooze out of the generator. It looked like… A clump of garbage? Then, it revealed itself some more. Now at the top of the generator was a Pokemon that looked like a lump of trash with two appendages sticking out of its head. It had an open mouth of sharp teeth and two wide, unblinking eyes. Its body was a strange magenta with blue markings. Ren let out a strangled sound of surprise.

“Holy shit, it happened again-?” Ren yelped once the Pokemon leapt out of the generator, landing on the ground with a tremor. Now that Ae-Ri could see its full body, it has two arms with one larger one that had three nozzles at the end. It let out a thundering roar, pointing the gun arm at Melia and Ae-Ri.

“Garbodor?! Looks like our experiment worked!” Venam exclaimed, pointing out two other Pokemon peeking out of the smaller parts of the generator. They looked like green trash bags with similar sharp teeth to the Garbodor. Melia sent out a small Pokemon, which looked to be a Togepi. Strangely, it was a clean white color with a pale yellow egg-like shell around its body.

“Looks like it's a Ruthless Pokemon! I’m going to hope you have an idea of what that is!” Melia said, looking towards Ae-Ri. The term sounded rather familiar. The girl had a vague memory of a book saying they were wild Pokemon that were significantly stronger than their normal counterparts.

“Uhm- I think I do??” Ae-Ri said, not taking her eyes off of the Garbodor. Ren’s Growlithe started to attack the trash heap Pokemon, sending balls of embers towards its body. The fire didn’t seem to do too much damage to it.

“Melia, take the other Trubbish!” Ren yelled, sending out a blue frog Pokemon that Ae-Ri recognized as Froakie to help his Growlithe against the Garbodor. Melia immediately took action, sending out another Pokemon with her egg Pokemon. The boy looked towards Ae-Ri in a frantic manner. “Can you help me out here?”

“Uh- Uhm- Do I just send something out?”

“Yes! Anything can help!” Ren yelled, wincing as he saw his Froakie get smacked by the gun arm of the Garbodor. Ae-Ri quickly took Garnet’s ball and was about to send her out. All of a sudden, her other PokeBall vibrated and Jade sent himself out, launching himself towards the Garbodar. Ae-Ri yelped in shock.

“JADE! You can’t-” Ae-Ri started, seeing the Snivy’s vines unfurl to hit the Garbodor with a Vine Whip. She could see how little it affected the Pokemon, even more than Ren’s Growlithe’s attacks. The girl attempted to return Jade to his ball, feeling Malachite fly towards the Garbodar and start attacking it from above.

Once Ae-Ri pointed the ball towards Jade, she could see the blue aura start to suck the Snivy back into his ball. The Snivy hissed at Ae-Ri, forcefully breaking the connection and continuing to attack the Garbodor. The force of it made the silver haired girl physically recoil back. Ren’s eyes were wide with shock.

“Did he just-?”

“Jade, stop this!” Ae-Ri yelled, panic shooting through her until it reached her head. Sapphire leaped into the fray of the battle, trying to forcefully drag Jade out of it. The Snivy hissed in protest, slapping the Eevee away with a Vine Whip. Sapphire trilled in shock as she was sent skidding across the floor. The Eevee quickly picked herself up and snarled at the Snivy. Venam and Melia seemed to be handling their Trubbishes well, their Pokemon seemingly uninjured for now.

Jade latched onto the Garbodor’s gun arm, wrapping around it tightly. The Trash Heap Pokemon roared in pain, slamming the Snivy into the floor. Ae-Ri shrieked as she saw Jade fall limply to the ground. The Snivy staggered to his feet, obviously in pain. The Garbodar smacked Jade with its gun arm, sending the Snivy flying towards the railing.

“STOP!” Without thinking, Ae-Ri rushed towards the Snivy with new found adrenaline. She heard Ren yell towards her as she grabbed Jade in her arms, earning a wide eyed look in his red eyes.

“Ae-Ri DON’T-” She didn’t hear the rest of Ren’s yell of warning as the silver haired girl saw the Garbodor looming over her. Her brown eyes widened slightly as the Pokemon’s gun arm rushed towards her. She couldn't react quick enough. The force of the arm slammed into her face, sending her reeling back. Her glasses flew off of her face as Ae-Ri banged her head against the floor. It felt as if her skull was vibrating inside of her.

That’s going to hurt later, Ae-Ri thought through her haze of pain. She struggled to sit up, her head throbbing in the back. Jade was still in her arms, his body absolutely frozen. Through her blurry vision, she could see Sapphire ferociously attacking the Garbodor, her usually playful trills full of rage. The Eevee ripped at it with her teeth, pieces of its garbage body flying around the room. The Garbodar roared in pain as Ren took his chance.

“Froakie, Bubble! Growlithe, Ember!” The two Pokenon combined their attacks into a swirling ball of energy, sending it towards one of the Garbodar’s appendages. The attack struck its right appendage, knocking it right off. The Garbodor wailed, now sounding like a pained child.

Out of nowhere, Malachite swooped towards the Garbodor from the air, striking it with a powerful Wing Attack. That sent the Garbodor to the ground, its large, beat up body causing the ground to shake. It was over. Ae-Ri couldn't believe it.

“Arceus above- Ae-Ri are you alright?!” Melia exclaimed, returning her Pokemon and running towards the girl. Ae-Ri still felt rather dazed, her head still throbbing and her vision still blurry. She must have had a bloody nose as she felt something wet dripping down her face. Ren picked up her glasses, turning it in his hand. He saw that one of the lenses had a crack snaking across it. Meanwhile, Venam caught one of the Trubbish in one try. The purple haired girl then came over towards Melia and Ae-Ri.

“Goddamn, I expected you to get way worse than a bloody nose!” Venam said, sounding strangely impressed. The silver haired girl staggered to her feet, clutching the back of her head. She cracked a small smile at Venam before grimacing at the pain. Jade slinked out of her arms, returning himself to his ball without a sound. Ae-Ri didn’t notice as she spoke.

“I think I’m fine- I’m just half blind now…” She said, being able to see Melia’s wide gray eyes rather clearly. Although, Venam was a bit blurry next to her. Ren came over and handed Ae-Ri her glasses. The girl looked down and let out a sigh, touching the crack. She put it on away, the crack very obvious in her vision. “Do any of you happen to know someone who could fix these?” Malachite flew down to cling to her backpack, acting as if nothing happened. The Noibat yawned, snuggling his head into Ae-Ri’s neck.

“We don’t have an optometrist in East Gearen… My dad might know someone?” Melia offered, shrugging. Sapphire leapt into Ae-Ri’s arms as she gave the blonde girl a peculiar look.

“Who’s your dad?”

“Professor Jenner! He has a lot of connections, if I ask him he might be able to help.” Now that Ae-Ri thought about it, she wasn’t too surprised. The father and daughter looked rather alike, right down to their gray eyes.

“Thanks, where are we going from here now?” Ae-Ri asked, looking towards the fallen Garbodor. It was picking up the pieces of its body that Sapphire ripped off and was sticking it back to itself. Now that it was defeated, it looked rather sad and less like the “Ruthless Pokemon” that it was before. Melia stepped over to it, her strides confident. She bent down towards it and spoke with a stern voice.

“Immediately attacking others won’t make them like you, especially if you smack them in the face. Please be kinder in the future.” The Garbodor stared up at the girl for a few moments. Ae-Ri spotted in the corner of her eye that Venam was clutching a PokeBall tightly, her brown eyes burning into the Garbodor. The Trash Heap Pokemon let out a croak, picking itself up and sliding deeper into the sewer and out of sight. Ren laughed, crossing his arms.

“We love Melia, our favorite Poke whisperer.” He joked, earning a small, mildly embarrassed grin from the blonde girl. Venam sighed, pocketing her PokeBall and glaring towards the direction that the Garbodor went in.

“At least it’s gone now. And our experiment worked!”

“What was the experiment even on?” Ae-Ri asked as she took her backpack to open it for Malachite. The Noibat chirped with delight as he made himself comfortable inside the backpack, snuggling into it with his wings wrapped around his body. Meanwhile, Venam responded to her question.

“We were testing to see if we could turn trash bags into Trubbishes by using the sewage from the sewers. We just left it out for a while and boom, here they were.”

“We didn’t expect a Garbodor to come out of it though… And Melia’s little quirk activated again.” Ren commented, returning his Froakie and Growlithe. Melia sighed with mild annoyance, looking down at her discolored Togepi clinging to her leg like a lost child. Ae-Ri gave it a curious look.

“Yeah, about that… I don’t know why it happens. That was a shiny Garbodor, those types of Pokemon are usually really rare. In Aevium they’re a bit more abundant, but I just seem to attract them rather easily. That’s why my whole team is shiny and why Hapi looks like this.” Melia referred to the Togepi when she said its name. Ae-Ri couldn’t wrap her head around it. She didn’t want to think about it too much with her head distracting her.

“Interesting, never heard of anything like that… God- What time is it?” Ae-Ri muttered, feeling sudden fatigue creeping up on her. Ren pulled out his CyberNav, his eyes wide as he saw the time.

“Oh shit, it’s eight pm.” Venam’s eyes were wide at the statement.

“WHAT?! MY MOM’S GOING TO KILL ME.” She exclaimed, her movements suddenly frantic. Melia seemed less worried, resting her hand reassuringly on Venam’s shoulder.

“I’m sure it’ll be alright! How about this, we all go to your house with you so your mom can’t get mad at you.” Melia suggested, a cheeky smile on her face. Venam immediately stopped panicking. The gears in her brain seemed to be turning as the idea stewed inside of it. Finally, the girl grinned.

“Great idea! Let’s go before she throws me through the roof again!” Without another word, Venam sped out of the sewers, leaving Melia, Ren and Ae-Ri. Ren looked terribly confused as he looked towards the two of them.

“What did she say about her mom throwing her out of the roof?”

“Long story. Come on, let’s just follow her.” Ae-Ri said, running outside first. She could hear Ren and Melia behind her as they quickly found their way out of the sewers. Sure enough, it was night. The stars were completely obscured by dark clouds as the trio ran towards Venam’s house. Once they got there, they found the purple haired girl standing idly outside the front door. She spotted them and waved.

“Alright, imma open the door. And if my mom attempts to murder me, I am trusting you three to have my back.”

“Who knows, it might be fun watching your ass get beat.” Ren joked, snickering. Venam shot him a playful glare.

“And fuck you too.” Ending that conversation, Venam opened the door with a spare key. She stepped inside first with Ae-Ri, Ren, and Melia following shortly. They found themselves in a rather quaint house with the stairs to the left and the living room at the center. Venam stood still for a couple seconds, glancing around the house. She perked up and let out an ecstatic laugh.

“Looks like mom isn’t home! She must have gone on another small business trip, hell yeah!” Venam immediately ran upstairs, the sound of a door slamming open reverberating throughout the house. Ren followed her as Melia stepped over to a bookshelf in the living room.

Ae-Ri stood still, her eyes darting around the house. It felt a bit strange to be inside of it, especially since Venam’s mom was gone. Also the fact she’s only known these three for a couple hours. Her eyes caught a framed photo resting on a small table. It showed three people, one older looking man, one older woman, and a much younger girl with brown hair and a lively expression on her face at a park. These must be Venam’s parents. And Venam must be a natural brunette.

“Hey, Ae-Ri!” The silver haired girl whipped her head towards Melia, who had a small grin on her face. “Let’s go upstairs, Ren and Venam must be setting something up.” The blonde girl started up the stairs, her steps soft. Ae-Ri looked back at the photo for a couple moments. She saw how happy Venam’s mother looked in it, watching her lively daughter. It reminded Ae-Ri of Nancy. Where was she now? Where did Team Xen take her and the other passengers? She frowned slightly, her brow furrowed.

“HEY AE! CAN YOU HELP US OUT UP HERE?!” Venam yelled, causing Ae-Ri to jump slightly. She heard banging upstairs and Ren yelled something that she couldn’t make out. The silver haired girl glanced at the picture again and finally yelled back,

“C-Coming!” Ae-Ri walked up the stairs with Sapphire squirming in her arms, wanting to explore the new environment. The silver haired girl let the Eevee walk in front of her as they found themselves upstairs. There were two doors: one open, one closed. Ae-Ri saw that the open one contained three high schoolers who seemed to be battling a bunch of sleeping bags.

“THIS STUPID FUCKING BAG WON’T OPEN-” Venam screamed in rage, tussling with a jammed zipper. Only one sleeping bag was undone on the floor next to the purple haired girl. This operation was obviously not going well.

“That’s because you’re yanking it like it owes you money!” Ren laughed, almost done opening his sleeping bag. Melia sat on the floor with the third sleeping bag, fiddling with its zipper. The blonde girl was the only one who didn’t seem to be getting annoyed by the bags. Venam spotted Ae-Ri in the doorway.

“Thank God you’re here! Help me open this bag before I break the zipper!” Venam exclaimed, yelling with annoyance as she continued to yank at the zipper. Ae-Ri fought the urge to laugh as she walked over, stepping over guitar picks and sheet music that littered the floor. Venam’s room was incredibly stylized to her taste. Her walls were purple and guitar picks littered the floor. Ae-Ri noticed the gaping hole in the ceiling, realizing that was what Venam flew out of earlier. The girl’s bed sat next to the dividing wall of the room, its purple sheets rather neat.

Sapphire immediately leapt into Venam’s bed, making herself comfy as the purple haired girl watched. She turned to Ae-Ri with a serious look. “Your Eevee has no shame.” The silver haired girl laughed, taking the sleeping bag when Venam held it out.

“She just likes to make herself comfortable. Anyway, what’s the problem with this thing?” Ae-Ri asked, fiddling with the zipper a bit. She could see that it was jammed into the outside of the bag. Venam sighed as if years were taken off of her life.

“We haven’t used these things in a while. Aaaaaand I might have jammd the zipper myself somehow.” Venam said, sitting on her bed in a criss-cross applesauce position. Ae-Ri examined the zipper and gently tugged the material of the sleeping bag, successfully freeing the zipper after a few tugs. She was able to slowly open the sleeping bag until it was wide open. She laid it on the floor and decided to claim it as her own.

“So, is this just an unplanned sleepover?” Ae-Ri asked, seeing Melia successfully open the bag. Venam nodded, a grin on her face.

“Since mom isn’t coming back until tomorrow, I decided we could all bond better this way! And I don’t feel like staying home alone today anyway.”

“Melia, should we tell Professor that we’re staying here for the night?” Ren asked, laying out his sleeping bag next to Venam’s. Melia nodded, standing up to bring the bag next to Ae-Ri’s.

“I was already planning on running over to the lab to get some pajamas for us, I’ll just tell him when I do that.”

“You don’t need to do that-” Ae-Ri started, immediately being cut off by Melia.

“I refuse to have a sleepover with any of you in those clothes after we spent an hour in a sewer!” She said, her tone stern. But, the smile on her face contradicted that immensely. Ae-Ri looked down at her clothes and realized the blonde girl was probably right. Ren definitely seemed to agree, nodding vigorously.

“Can we all take showers too?” He asked, looking towards Venam. The girl yawned, waving her hand lazily.

“Yeah, yeah. While all of you do that, imma patch the hole in my roof.” She leapt off of the bed, alerting the sleeping Sapphire. The Eevee trilled with annoyance, leaping out of the bed and onto Ae-Ri’s sleeping bag. Venam exited the room, seemingly to get materials to patch the hole in the ceiling. Ren sent out his Froakie, who rested on his sleeping bag.

“I’m gonna head back to the lab now, I promise to come back with pajamas!” Melia said, running out of the room and down the stairs. Ae-Ri heard the door close downstairs with a loud click. She and Ren were alone once again. The boy ran his hand through his hair, flopping on his sleeping bag.

“Did you think about my offer?” He asked, catching Ae-Ri off guard.

“Huh?”

“What I asked you earlier, about going to Amethyst Cave next week? The offer is still on the table.” Ren said, a grin on his face. Ae-Ri thought about it some more, watching Sapphire make biscuits on the sleeping bag. She didn’t need to dwell on it for too long.

“Sure. It’s after Melia visits Goldenwood Forest, right?” She asked, stroking Sapphire’s fur from her back to her tail. Ren nodded, his Froakie leaping onto his shoulder. He scratched its chin as Venam entered the room holding a large wad of duct tape in one hand and a three foot ladder in the other.

“Alright you tall people, you guys are helping me with this.” Venam said, stepping over to the hole in the ceiling. Ren got to his feet and took the ladder, placing it underneath the hole. He looked at Venam as she handed him a large piece of tape.

“You’re not even that short. Why do you need to ask me to do this?”

“Five four is short when I’m in front of you, Ren! How about this, we can take turns, and Ae-Ri holds the ladder.” At the mention of her name, the girl stood up and nodded. She walked over and bent down, holding the ladder in place. After a long twenty minutes passed, the hole was fully covered with black duct tape. Ren stepped off of the ladder, letting Ae-Ri fold it up.

“Looks good for now. Did you even explain to Ren how you got the hole in your ceiling?” Ae-Ri asked, looking between the two. Ren shook his head, a small smirk on his face. Venam scoffed with annoyance, flopping onto her sleeping bag.

“Blah blah blah, I was blasting music earlier, my mom got mad, she threw me through the ceiling and I landed hard on the pavement.”

“And you lived? I’m shocked.” Ren commented, resting the foot ladder against the wall. Venam gave him a toothy grin. At that moment, the downstairs door opened and before they knew it, Melia was at the doorway to Venam’s bedroom. She had a large bag around her shoulder with clothes sticking out of the top.

“Sorry for taking a bit, dad and I tried finding ones that we thought would fit Ren and Ae-Ri.” Melia panted, setting down the bag with a thump. “You guys look through that and pick one. I’m showering first.” The blonde haired girl took a pair of yellow pajamas and exited the room. Ae-Ri and Ren stepped over to see two sets of pajamas inside of it. One was a darker gray with a Poochyena design and the other was a nice light purple with a little Espurr printed in the corner. Ren immediately took the Poochyena one, which Ae-Ri didn’t complain about. The girl took the Espurr ones and stared at it for a bit.

After a few minutes, Melia came back to the room in her yellow pajamas, her hair still damp. Ren took his turn in the shower as Venam stood up to grab her own pajamas from her drawers. Melia sent out Hapi, who politely sat on the sleeping bag. She sighed, lying down on the sleeping bag.

“I feel so much better clean… This is actually really nice.” Melia said, sounding tired from her voice alone. Ae-Ri could feel the fatigue creeping up on her too. She removed her teal jacket to be left in her white tank top and her long sleeved pants. Ren came back after about ten minutes, wearing some oversized Poochyena pajamas.

“These are really nice, Melia. Where did your dad get these?” Ren asked, staring down at his pajamas as he stretched it out slightly. The blonde girl shrugged.

“Probably in Grand Dream City while we were still living there.” Melia turned over in her sleeping bag to look at Ae-Ri. “Do you want to go next? I don't think Venam would mind.” The silver haired girl looked to see that Venam was still digging through her drawers.

“Sure. I’ll be right back.” The girl took her pajamas and swiftly exited the room. Ren yelled at her from inside.

“Bathroom’s downstairs!”

“Thanks!”

— ~ —

Melia was right. Ae-Ri felt infinitely better when she was clean. She stepped out of the bathroom in the Espurr pajamas, her hair damp. Being out of her normal clothes felt like a physical weight was lifted of her.

“Damn, Ren was right. These are really nice…” She muttered, fiddling with the collar of the pajamas.

The girl went back up to Venam’s room, finding the purple haired girl racing out of it with pajamas in her arms. Melia looked like she was about to pass out, her gray eyes fluttering open and closed. Ren sat in his sleeping bag, his Growlithe lying at the end asleep. He saw Ae-Ri and waved.

“Looks like someone’s ready to clock in for the night.” He referred to Melia, a small smile on his face. She turned over to force her face into her pillow.

“I might pass out before Venam even gets back up here…”

“You would be wrong about that!” Venam yelled, catching all three of them by surprise. Her purple hair was still wet, sticking to her face with a couple droplets staining the carpet. She wore some simple button up pajamas and stepped over to her sleeping bag, lying down. Ren gave her a raised eyebrow.

“You were in there for what, three minutes?”

“Hey, I shower fast. Don’t judge me.”

“Riiiiiight…” The boy said, obviously sceptical. He let Venam off easy, lying down himself. Sapphire yawned and rested her head on her paws at the end of Ae-Ri’s sleeping bag. Venam’s voice drew out as she yawned.

“I would love to do normal sleepover activities but I think all of us are about to collapse any minute.” She muttered, turning over to the right. Ren nodded, his eyes looking a little hooded. Ae-Ri heard light snoring to her right and saw that Melia was already asleep with Hapi right next to her. “I have been proven right. Night losers.” Venam said, turning to the side to not face Ren and Ae-Ri. The boy rubbed his eyes, yawning.

“You gonna stay up?” He asked Ae-Ri, his voice fatigued. The girl shook her head lightly, pulling at the sleeping bag’s blanket.

“Probably not.” The girl noticed that the lights were still on and stood up, walking towards the light switch. She flicked it down, seeing the lights turn off in an instant. The only light source they had was the hallway light. The girl saw Ren looking like he was ready to clock in. “Night, Ren.”

“Night.” Ae-Ri carefully stepped over to her sleeping bag, making sure not to wake Melia or Venam up. By the time she slowly got herself under her sheets, Ren was peacefully asleep, making no noise. Now, Ae-Ri had the silence to herself.

It was strange. She was inside a friend’s house. A friend. How did this happen? How was she having a sleepover with these people? Ae-Ri didn’t get it too much, but she was happy nonetheless. She was happy that she was fulfilling her mom’s wish. The girl found friends and she was making memories. She was living her life.

Ae-Ri grew increasingly more drowsy, the soft snores of Melia and Venam lulling her to sleep. Sapphire trilled in her sleep, her ears flattened as she dreamed. Ae-Ri wondered if any of her friends were dreaming right now. She hoped they were good ones.

Before she knew it, her eyes shut close, the serene silence washing over her. Ae-Ri had one last thought before sleep finally overcame her.

This was a good first day…

Chapter Text

By the next day, Ae-Ri was sitting in the Gearen Laboratory at noon, flipping through a pamphlet about Pokemon battling. Sapphire sat on the table right in front of her trainer, trilling with boredom as she played with her paws. The silver girl was rather focused on the pamphlet, reading every word very carefully. Ren was the one to recommend it to her in the first place.

Back at Venam’s house, she and Ren were the first to wake up and found her mother, who Ae-Ri learned was named Chasity, shocked to find three other kids inside her house (Ae-Ri felt rather bad about that part).

Venam got an earful as expected, but Chasity ended up being a rather inviting individual. The plum haired woman offered breakfast for the three uninvited guests and helped Ae-Ri find a cheap hotel she could stay in for the time being. She kind of reminded Ae-Ri of Tesla, both having the warmth of a true mother.

The girl was now reading through the section of the pamphlet that discussed moves. She chewed on a small butter cookie that Melia gifted her thoughtfully, reading the entire passage as intricately as possible. If Ae-Ri wanted to challenge Venam, she needed to learn the basics. That battle in the sewers wasn’t even a Pokemon battle on her part. All she did was get tossed around like a rag doll.

Suddenly, Jade popped out of his ball, standing on the table in front of Ae-Ri. Catching her by surprise, the girl almost toppled over her chair. The Snivy gave her an annoyed look, a low hiss in his throat.

“Jade? Do you want to talk…?” Ae-Ri asked, setting down the pamphlet to give the Snivy her undivided attention. This was the first time he came out of his ball since the sewers. The serpentine Pokemon crossed his arms, his forked tongue slipping in and out. Sapphire eyed Jade with a suspicious glance, her nose and hackles high.

“Is it about the sewers from yesterday?” Ae-Ri started, trying to warm up to the Snivy. Jade was strangely silent, his tail drooping a bit. He seemed… Embarrassed? About what? Jade let out a drawn out, annoyed hiss.

The Snivy looked at Ae-Ri with sharp crimson eyes. From his gaze alone, she knew what he wanted. She knew why Jade was so frustrated with her.

“I know I've been frustrating you.” Ae-Ri said, clasping her hands together. She sighed deeply, fiddling with her ponytail. “Look, you like to battle, and I don’t. I know you’re acting like this because you crave battles and you feel like I'm holding you back. Which I am, but…” Ae-Ri ran her hand through her hair, her voice trembling slightly. “That was scary, alright? Back there in the sewers, I thought you were doing to die, Jade.” The Snivy hissed in defiance, his red eyes flashing with anger. It quickly dissipated, replaced by slight embarrassment and guilt.

Even then, the serpentine Pokemon flicked his tongue, crossing his small arms and lifting his chin in a haughty manner. He looked at Ae-Ri with the corner of his eye, his gaze demanding.

“I want to learn, Jade. I hope you know that. I don't want you or anyone on this team to end up in a situation like yesterday.” Ae-Ri paused for a second, searching for the right words. She could see Jade raising a metaphorical eyebrow towards her. “Would you… Be able to teach me the basics?” She asked, offering out a hand towards the Snivy. She could see the suspicion in Jade’s eyes, his tail swaying slowly as he thought.

Sapphire leapt into Ae-Ri’s shoulder and intently watched the Snivy, her brown eyes wide with interest. The silver girl really hoped Jade was willing to help her. If he didn’t, this would be rather awkward.

After a few minutes of silence, Jade rested his blade-like tail on Ae-Ri’s hand, a cool expression on his face. The girl took that as a yes. She felt a surge of relief and euphoria go throughout her body as she gently rested her other hand over his tail.

“Thank you very much, Jade. Now, let’s have everyone come out.” Ae-Ri took Garnet and Malachite’s PokeBalls and rested them on the table as the two Pokemon let themselves out. The Fletchling chirped with interest as Malachite drowsily yawned, rubbing his ear with his paw. Ae-Ri clapped her hands together, a smile on her face. “Alright everyone, we’re gonna go out and attempt to train for a bit. We would most likely want to battle Venam in a few days, so let’s see how this goes.” Sapphire trilled with glee as she snuggled her soft fur into Ae-Ri’s neck, earning an affectionate scratch on the chin from her trainer.

Malachite climbed into Ae-Ri’s backpack as she made her way to exit the laboratory. Sapphire rested in her arms with Garnet perching on her shoulder. Jade simply walked beside her with his tail swaying. Suddenly, a little girl ran into Ae-Ri, clutching the taller girl's leg as she sobbed into it. Stunned by the sudden touch, Ae-Ri stammered as she spoke.

“H-Huh? Are you alright?” The little girl looked up at Ae-Ri with large eyes, tears running down her face and her lip quivering. She grabbed at Ae-Ri’s pants as she blubbered a response.

“M-My Starly was taken by a-a bunch of gang members- Th-They said he would s-sell for a lot i-in Sashila Desert and-” The girl stopped as she let out more sobs, looking completely inconsolable. Ae-Ri processed the girl’s words for a couple moments. How could a gang steal from a little girl of all people? It’s a little girl for Arceus’ sake!

“Would you have any idea of where they went?” Ae-Ri asked, bending down to look at the girl. She tried to rub her eyes as she sniffed, giving the silver girl a small nod.

“P-Probably Oceana Pier…”

“Alright, how about this, you stay here, and I’ll get your Starly back.” Ae-Ri pondered for a second. She then glanced at Garnet and put her finger out, letting the Fletchling climb onto it. “You can stay with Garnet. Can you keep her company while we’re away?” She asked, putting out Garnet to the girl. The Fletchling chirped, fluttering over to land on the girl’s hand. She broke out of her sobs for a moment and let out a small giggle, gently petting the bird Pokemon. “Good. Just… Sit at that table. I’ll be back with your Starly.”

The girl’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Ae-Ri, a big smile across her teary-eyed face. “Th-Thank you miss! I-I’ll take care of your Fletchling as well!” She exclaimed, running over to the table. Ae-Ri watched the girl for a few moments before standing up, dusting her pants as she looked down at Jade. The Snivy had an odd glint in his eyes, a small smile appearing on his face.

“You seem excited about this. Well, time to head for Oceana Pier.”

— ~ —

Once they exited the terminal, Ae-Ri spotted three bikers at the pier underneath the hangar she met Mrs. Tesla at. They were cornering the Starly, which chirped indignantly at them. It flapped its wings fiercely, hopping away from the bikers.

The silver girl crept up to the gang with Malachite’s PokeBall tight in her grip, her knuckles white. Sapphire stood on her shoulder, her ears pricked up and her claws unsheathed. The Eevee’s eyes were gleaming with the lust for a fight. As Ae-Ri got closer, she could hear the bikers speaking to one another.

“Come on, let’s get this stupid pigeon under control before the boat arrives. These things are rare in Aevium, it’ll sell for tons in Sashila.” One of them commented, sending out a Grubbin against the Starly. The bug Pokemon gnashed its sharp, orange mandibles towards the bird Pokemon. That's the moment where Ae-Ri leapt out of hiding and clonked one of the bikers on the head with Malachite’s ball.

The biker exclaimed with shock at the sudden attack as Malachite was sent out, flapping his wings with newfound energy. “Malachite, Wing Attack the Grubbin!” Ae-Ri yelled, remembering the attack the Noibat used on the Garbodor.

“Noi~!” The bat Pokemon swooped down to strike at the unsuspecting Grubbin, sending it flying towards its trainer. The Starly warbled with confusion as Malachite landed in front of it, his wings flared out and his ears pricked up. One of the bikers - seemingly the leader - turned to look at Ae-Ri.

“What's this kid doing here?” He snarled, holding his own PokeBall. The silver haired girl glared at the biker with Sapphire hissing on her shoulder.

“You are not taking that Starly anywhere.” She said, holding another PokeBall. The biker laughed harshly, sending out a Poochyena. The dog Pokemon snarled at Ae-Ri with its exposed fangs bared.

“Let’s see you try to stop us! Poochyena, Bite this idiot!” The Poochyena lunged for Ae-Ri, its canines gleaming and white. The silver girl quickly jumped back, letting Jade exit his ball and attack the Poochyena head on. The Snivy tackled it, headbutting it in its underbelly. The dark dog Pokemon let out a pained whine as it was tossed towards its trainer, picking itself up and snarling. Meanwhile, Jade gracefully landed on the pier, a smirk on his face.

“Jade, Vine Whip the Poochyena! Malachite, use Supersonic towards the bikers!” Jade hissed with delight as his thick vines unfurled from his yellow leaves. He struck the Poochyena as it attempted to bite one of his vines, earning a slap across its snout. Meanwhile, Malachite screeched at an impressive volume towards the bikers, making them shut their ears. The leader quickly turned on Ae-Ri, his eyes blazing with anger.

“Little shit! Poochyena, Bite the Snivy at its face!” The Poochyena got back to its paws from Jade’s Vine Whip and lunged at the serpentine Pokemon. It clamped down on the Snivy’s snout, causing a hiss of pain to leave Jade. Ae-Ri tried not to panic as she continued to fight.

“Toss your head to shake it off and tackle it!” The Snivy’s eyes gleamed with understanding and jerked his head back, sending the Poochyena to the floor and off of his snout. The serpentine Pokemon turned on the Poochyena, tackling it like a Gogoat. The dog Pokemon yowled as it crashed into one of the nearby buildings. It slumped to the floor and fainted. Malachite chittered at the Starly, continuing to smack away the Grubbin that tried to fight it off.

“Give the Starly back!” Ae-Ri demanded, her brown eyes blazing. The energy that rushed through her was unexpected. Maybe this is how Ren and everyone felt when they battled. The biker leader had a growl in his throat as he returned his Poochyena. At that moment, a ship docked itself at the pier. Ae-Ri’s eyes widened as a grin went across the biker leader’s face.

“Came just in time. Come on, let’s take the bird and go!”

“Wait-!” Ae-Ri started, being interrupted by a sudden, unforeseen force of energy. A new tension filled the area, weighing against her chest. Then, a low sigh was heard.

“Nuh-uh-uh. Don’t fly away, little dove.” A voice whispered, having a strange quality to it. Before any of them could identify the voice, a strange chant filled the air. It sounded like no language Ae-Ri had ever heard before. The sound and pronunciation of the words was awfully mystical and gave Ae-Ri a strange, foreboding feeling.

By the end of the mystical chant, a low rumbling was heard from the earth. Then, with a loud crack, three spires of stone stabbed through the ship, lifting it out of the water. Ae-Ri let out a yelp, seeing splatters of blood on the windows. The bikers stood stunned as the voice sighed again, clicking their tongue.

“Little dove, little dove, little dove, pity little dove.” Ae-Ri glanced up to see a woman sitting on top of the roof of the ferry terminal, her legs crossed. Pink energy surrounded her and a green book levitated around her, flipping its pages on its own. The woman had fluffy brown hair that swooped at the ends with similar brown eyes that seemed to glow. A mischievous smile was seen across her face as she stood up, staring down at the bikers with a shadow across her face.

Now that Ae-Ri looked at her closer, her book reflected a green light, changing her eyes as it passed by her. The woman clicked her tongue again, flipping the pages of the book with her finger. “A bird can no longer fly with clipped wings~.” She crowed, her brown-green gaze boring into the three bikers. Her expression suddenly contorted into one of disgust, her eyes dark. “We can’t have peasants like you running around.” She spat, her voice harsh and gravelly.

Malachite took the time to usher the Starly towards Ae-Ri, quickly retreating into her open backpack. The girl couldn’t take her eyes off of the woman, the pressure around her making her head hurt. Was it magic? Was this woman wielding magic? She knew the woman conjured the stone, so what magic did she have? Why was she here?

The woman floated down to the ground, landing in front of Ae-Ri. Her brown eyes held a cold anger as venom laced her voice. “Do you think you’ll just be able to do what you please?” She asked, giving the bikers a small, terrifying grin. They could say nothing and simply stared at her. She laughed a laugh that only crazy people could conjure up. A laugh so shrill and high pitched to the point it sounded unreal. Her book stopped in front of her, letting her flip through its pages. “That’s too bad. For you at least.” She added, the mischievous grin spreading across her face. Ae-Ri continued to watch as the woman glanced over her shoulder at her.

The magic woman’s brown eyes stopped Ae-Ri in her tracks. There was something scary about them, the way they looked at the silver girl. It was as if the woman was looking right through her. But, the brown haired woman simply flashed her a mischievous smile as she turned back to the bikers.

“Now, look at what we have here! A couple of no good thugs trying to steal a poor pigeon.” She exclaimed, her voice full of mocking. The Starly chirped at Ae-Ri, fluttering up to nestle in her hair. She barely noticed as the woman pondered, continuing to flip through her book. Then, she stopped, her brown eyes gleaming with madness. “As punishment, you three shall be my faithful servants. You shall stay with me at the Alvavors Ruins where you will learn to be proper men and servants. Any objections?” She concluded, closing the book with a forceful flick of her finger.

The only thing Ae-Ri knew at the moment was that these bikers were fucked.

Somehow, the biker leader spoke up. “Yeah, just one-” Before he could finish speaking, the woman chanted the unfamiliar language. He suddenly levitated into the air, his bike and all. His other gang members could only stare up at him as he squirmed. The leader protested.

“Hey hey, would you- just-!”

“I’ll meet you back at the ruins, Charles.” The woman said with a warm smile, her finger pointing at the leader. He gave her a perplexed look, quickly arguing back.

“My name ain’t Charles, it's Rick!”

“Goodbye Charles!” The woman said cheerfully, completely ignoring the leader’s objection. She gave a lazy wave as the biker leader started to levitate away from the pier and across the ocean. At this point, Ae-Ri could only watch. She couldn't leave, couldn’t speak, she could only watch the madness unfold. The woman let out another unhinged giggle as she sent away the other two members with a similar disrespect.

“You too, Daniel. And how could I forget about poor ol’ Peter. I’ll see you all at the ruins~.” She crowed, chuckling. By the time the bikers were out of view, the brunette seemed rather pleased with herself, dusting off her hands. She suddenly turned on Ae-Ri, causing the girl to yelp in shock. She stared at her for a couple moments before bringing her attention to the Starly sitting on the silver girl’s head, chirping with delight.

“It seems Starly is doing fine.” She commented, pointing a finger at the nesting bird. Ae-Ri glanced up, just noticing the Starly that was making a nest of her hair. The woman chuckled again, the glow in her eyes fading. “The name’s Karen. I’m-” She paused, her brow furrowed. Ae-Ri gave her a raised eyebrow as Karen shrugged, sighing. “Actually, let’s keep that a little secret for now. Just giving out all the info in the beginning is boring and deprives mystery, would you agree with me?” Karen asked, giving Ae-Ri an expecting glance. The girl tripped over her words, stammering.

“I-I guess so-?”

“Wonderful!” Karen exclaimed, clapping her hands together. She suddenly turned to look at the impaled ship, her eyes mesmerized by the stone. Ae-Ri looked as well, grimacing at the blood that stained the windows. Karen seemed to notice, a grin spreading across her face. “Do you like my little stone creation?” She asked, giggling. Ae-Ri couldn’t respond before Karen started again. “Magic is a beautiful thing. A beautiful thing humans tend to push away because they fear it.” She said, a sigh entering her voice. Before Ae-Ri could react, she suddenly asked another question.

“Have you ever heard of the Garufa?” Strangely, the name clicked in Ae-Ri’s brain. She must have read it in a guidebook somewhere. Once again, Karen spoke before Ae-Ri could respond. “The Garufa were an ancient tribe that roamed the world centuries ago. They harvested Pokemon's power and sealed their souls along with their Pokemon’s souls into a book.” She explained, her eyes shining with glee. Ae-Ri didn’t know what to be scared of more, the fact the Garufas sealed away Pokemon souls or the fact that Karen seemed so intrigued and almost admirative of it.

“It allowed them to enhance their power and cast magic parallel to their Pokemon’s type.” Karen paused all of a sudden, pondering again. Ae-Ri noticed she seemed to do this a lot. Was this another unhinged trait of hers? The brunette sighed, a smile going across her face. “Look at me ramble. Don’t worry, it's funny.”

Nothing you just said was funny. Ae-Ri thought, mildly horrified by everything about Karen. She turned to the ship again, leaning forward to look at it better. She tapped her finger to her chin as if examining what her stone creation did to the ship.

“You don’t suppose the driver of this ship survived this little… Uproot.” Ae-Ri knew they didn’t the minute she saw the blood on the window. Karen seemed rather unbothered by it, shrugging. She put her hands on her hips as her gaze never left the ship. “Hmph. They probably had family, but who really cares about family anyway? I find stone much more lovely.” Ae-Ri felt a particular stab in her heart at that statement. She could see Nancy’s face in her mind, desperately telling her to run from the burning ship.

Karen turned around towards Ae-Ri again, bending down slightly to lightly boop the Starly on its beak. “Starly, you are free now. Return to your trainer.” As if she spelled the Starly, the bird Pokemon chirped and flew off of Ae-Ri’s head and towards the terminal. The silver haired girl was still flustered by this entire encounter. Karen looked back at the stone, not looking at Ae-Ri as she spoke. “I’ll be cleaning up this mess I made. You go on and finalize the request you started. I’m sure that girl will be thrilled to see that her beloved pigeon is safe from harm’s way.” And with that, Karen had dismissed her.

Without another word, Ae-Ri left the scene, holding Sapphire in her arms tightly for comfort. Jade walked a bit closer to Ae-Ri, his tail lashing as he looked back at Karen. The silver girl wanted to stop thinking about the brunette. Trying to wrap her mind around the strange woman made her head hurt.

Whatever, Karen had a point. She had to make sure the Starly got back safely.

— ~ —

Luckily, the little girl was absolutely ecstatic at having her Starly back. Garnet also seemed to be rather content, flying over to Ae-Ri to perch on her shoulder with a happy warble. Once the silver girl said bye to the little girl, she was wandering the city again.

Venam was busy with gym duty, Ren was at the library studying, and Melia was somewhere at the lab? She must have been helping her dad with something. Ae-Ri just knew she had to wander the city to find something to do. She could train against a couple of the trainers, that first battle against the bikers went strangely well in her opinion.

About an hour passed as Ae-Ri got the courage to battle several trainers, winning most but losing a few. She didn’t mind, at least she was getting the experience.

While she passed by Chrisola Hotel, Ae-Ri spotted a Pokemon staring out at the sea. Once she got closer, she saw it was a Buizel. Its twin tails drooped to the point they rested on the stone, its head drooping as well.

Why was it so sad? Ae-Ri felt depressed even seeing it. The Buizel seemed so… Dejected.

The silver haired girl quietly walked towards it, sitting down next to the weasel Pokemon. The Buizel gave her a surprised expression and jumped back, its tails lashing back and forth.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay.” Ae-Ri said softly, pulling her backpack off of her back. The Buizel eyed her suspiciously as she opened it, carefully avoiding a sleeping Malachite. She fished around until she found her canister of Pokemon treats that Melia gave her. She pulled it out and showed it to the Buizel, taking off the lid. “Here. Do you want one?”

The weasel chittered, casting her suspicious glances. Sapphire leapt from Ae-Ri’s shoulder and walked up to the Buizel, trilling at it while gesturing towards Ae-Ri. The Eevee bounded back to her trainer, staring up at her with her wagging tail. The silver girl chuckled, seeing what Sapphire was doing.

She tossed one of the treats into the air and Sapphire caught it, chewing on it with delight. Ae-Ri petted the Eevee’s head, looking over Sapphire to see the Buizel. It gave her a curious look, its tails whirring.

“Here. I can just leave it here.” Ae-Ri offered, setting down one of the treats a few inches away from her. She could see the Buizel’s gaze going from the piece of food to her. The weasel Pokemon seemed on edge over her presence. Did its trainer do something to it?

After a couple moments, the Buizel slowly stepped up to the treat, eventually taking it and chewing on it slowly. Ae-Ri smiled as the weasel Pokemon looked up at her with big eyes, resting and seeming more at ease. “There we go. Now, what happened to you little buddy-?”

“Hey, Buizel!” A harsh, male voice interrupted Ae-Ri. At the sound of it, the Buizel squeaked with terror and raced to hide behind Ae-Ri. The girl stood up and felt the Buizel clutching her leg, its little body shaking. She saw the source of the voice, a blonde man with spiky hair and a scowl. He called towards the Buizel. “I found out I could teach you some really good moves if I went to a move tutor! I’m giving you a second chance!” Ae-Ri glared at him, immediately piecing together what happened to the poor Buizel.

“Did you abandon it?” Ae-Ri asked, her voice cold. The man scoffed, casting her a condescending glare.

“Who’s asking?” Ae-Ri felt a rush of anxiety overcome her, quickly washing away as anger replaced it.

“Me. I found it near the hotel all alone, did you abandon it?” She repeated, her tone more dangerous. The man laughed as if she told a funny joke.

“Why are you so pressed over this? I abandoned that Buizel since it couldn’t do anything good in a fight!” Now Ae-Ri was getting increasingly more angry and annoyed. How could a trainer abandon a Pokemon like that? And for its fighting prowess alone?

“That isn't fair. Pokemon aren’t tools that you can just throw away.”

“A Pokemon’s only use is in battles. Now, give me that Buizel and this doesn’t need to get messy.” The man said, holding a PokeBall. Ae-Ri glanced down at the Buizel, who clung to her leg like its life depended on it. The small orange Pokemon trembled furiously, its tails spinning rapidly. She couldn’t give it back to this guy.

“No.” Ae-Ri said simply, letting Sapphire onto the soon to be battlefield. The Eevee trilled with delight, staring defiantly at the man. The blonde man scoffed, sending out a Bulbasaur.

“You’re going to regret that, Bulbasaur, Tackle!”

“Intercept it Sapphire! Quick Attack!” The Eevee struck first, launching herself towards the Bulbasaur at shocking speeds. Sapphire collided with the Bulbasaur’s head with her own, sending the grass type reeling back. The man spat with annoyance.

“Start being useful! Use leech seed!” The Bulbasaur picked itself and growled, shooting seeds from its bulb. They planted around Sapphire, wrapping around the Eevee’s legs. She trilled with annoyance, biting at the ever growing plants. Ae-Ri watched with wide eyes as the Leech Seed sucked Sapphire’s energy, leaving the Eevee weakened.

“Sapphire! Switch out!” Ae-Ri sent out Garnet, who cut Sapphire from the Leech Seed attack. The Eevee returned to Ae-Ri, her movements slow and unenergized. She collapsed to the floor next to the girl. She looked down at Sapphire concerned, bending down to stroke her. She returned Sapphire to her ball that she rarely used and returned to the battle.

“Garnet, swoop down with a Peck! Get it in its bulb!” The Fletchling chirped in response, swooping down with her sharp beak. The bird Pokemon struck the Bulbasaur at its bulb, piercing through it. The grass type cried out in pain as Garnet pulled her beak out of the bulb, ripping chunks of plant material out of it.

“Shake it off Bulbasaur!” The man exclaimed, completely ignoring the state his Bulbasaur was in. Ae-Ri could see it slowly collapsing, its energy leaving it through its injured bulb. Eventually, the Pokemon fully collapsed to the ground. Ae-Ri returned Garnet, looking at the man unimpressed.

“This fight’s done. You leave the Buizel alone now.”

“Why you little- Fine! I’ll just take it by force then!” Before she could react, the man rushed forward and grabbed Ae-Ri’s wrist, shoving her against the railing. He fully pinned her to the railing, his other hand shoving her wrist into it. The silver girl was about to kick him until the Buizel behind her shot a Sonic Boom at the man, sending him reeling back. He yelped in shock as he let go of Ae-Ri, letting her fall against the railing.

She watched as the Buizel faced its former trainer, chittering angrily. Ae-Ri could only guess it was speaking every grievance it had with this guy. The girl simply watched as the man picked himself up, a cut on his face from the Sonic Boom. He snarled,

“Fine! Stay with lame trainers like her! Don’t come crawling back to me when you regret it.” For the man to talk a big game, he scrambled out of there quickly. Ae-Ri picked herself off of the railing, dusting off her clothes and looking down at the Buizel. It chittered, a big smile across its face.

“That was amazing, he doesn’t deserve Pokemon like you.” Ae-Ri said, smiling as she bent down to the Buizel’s level. It seemed to beam at her words. Suddenly, the weasel Pokemon stepped up to Ae-Ri, resting its paws on her knees. She looked at it shocked. Did it…?

“Do you… Want to come with me?” She asked, looking at the Buizel with wide eyes. The Pokemon barked in response, its twin tails wagging. She took that as a for sure yes. Ae-Ri smiled, taking out a PokeBall. The Buizel let her catch it, its ball rocking three times in her hand.

Ae-Ri looked down at the ball with a soft smile. Another new friend.

“Welcome to the team, Aquamarine.”

Chapter Text

Five Days Later.

Five days had passed since Ae-Ri met Karen and since Aquamarine had joined the team. In those five days, she had gotten a lot of tips from Ren and Melia, with Melia being a more seasoned battler.

“You gotta learn your Pokemon's moves and their weaknesses first! Also, make sure to pay attention to how they move in battle! A fast Pokemon can really change the game depending on the situation.”

They were obviously tough trainers, both of them having different styles while battling. It gave Ae-Ri some much needed experience. The training also aided in her learning about her own team. Their quirks, their preferences, how they like to fight, it was rather useful information.

One day when they were resting at the lab after a few rounds of battles, Ren gave her some good insight that Ae-Ri was still thinking about.

“Remember, you’re not just commanding your Pokemon, you’re their director. They have the power and the conscience to make their own decisions in a battle, they just need directions from their trainer, suggestions even. For example, your Snivy is really adamant while fighting, yeah? My suggestion is to let him do his own thing while you give him some strategic pointers and directions. That Snivy knows what he’s doing, it’s kind of scary how calculated he is.”

Unsurprisingly, Ren was very much right about Jade. He hated orders and already knew his style of battling. What he did appreciate was strategic suggestions. Ae-Ri could always see his red gaze gleaming with excitement during battle. Luckily, the silver girl was learning about her partner even more. Jade seemed to rely on quick, graceful movements and distractions using his abnormal tail blade. He then hits back hard on the opponent once he distracts them enough, earning a strong, damaging hit.

Ae-Ri was having fun learning about her team the more she went on. She didn’t realize Pokemon battling could be this fun. Today, she was outside the Magnolia Library battling a little girl and her Phanpy. Aquamarine took the stage, having the type advantage. The little weasel Pokemon loved getting up close to opponents and then decking them in the face with an attack.

“Aqua, water gun!” Ae-Ri yelled, now much more confident in her battling abilities. After the days of training and her friend’s advice, it felt much more natural to direct and strategize with her teammates in the midst of a battle. The Buizel shot up to the elephant Pokemon using his propeller tail. Once the Buizel was inches away from the Phanpy’s face, he shot a stream of water from his mouth at the Pokemon, drenching the Phanpy. Aquamarine landed on all fours as the Phanpy fainted, landing on its side with a wet thud. The young girl took the loss rather well. She returned her fainted Phanpy and beamed up at Ae-Ri.

“Thank you for the battle miss! Have a good day!” The little girl exclaimed, skipping off towards one of the apartment buildings. Ae-Ri waved and turned around to walk away with Aqua and Sapphire. Shockingly, she turned to see Ren standing a foot away from her, causing her to jump back and exclaim in shock. The dark haired boy had a cheeky and amused grin across his face.

“Ren! You can not do that to me!” Ae-Ri laughed, the shock escaping her body through jitters. The boy let out a laugh that he desperately attempted to hide. The girl gave him a soft punch on his shoulder, earning a mock groan from the boy. His dark eyes stared down at Aquamarine, who barked up at him. He chuckled, turning his attention back to Ae-Ri.

“That was a good battle. Do you wanna talk inside the library?” Ren asked, pocketing one of his hands. Ae-Ri nodded, returning Aquamarine and letting the boy lead her way through the big building.

The library was obviously rather large and full of trainers with their Pokemon. Ae-Ri hugged Sapphire close. She couldn't help but feel a bit nervous with all of the people. Ren paid the entrance fee, finding a spare table for them to sit at. The boy sat across from her, tapping his fingers along the wooden surface.

“You’re challenging Venam today, right?” Ae-Ri nodded, playing with her ponytail. Sapphire neatly sat in her lap, licking her paws to scratch her ears. Ren took out a small notepad, laying it out in front of the silver girl. “Do you have a plan for the battle?”

“Well… I was planning on leading with Sapphire first. She’s fast and is good at scouting out Pokemon.”

“Perfect. For additional information, Venam’s battlefield looks like a stage.” The boy drew a rough sketch of what looked to be a typical stage for a band performance. “Some moves will be powered up on the field if you gather enough ‘hype’. Basically, you need to give the audience a good show.” Ae-Ri felt a small wave of dread wash over her.

“O-Oh Arceus… Uhm, what happens if I don’t do that…?” Ae-Ri asked, scratching at the table with her nails. Ren gave her a curious look, noticing her stimming.

“You’re not okay with crowds? Well, if you don't, I hope you know Melia and I are gonna cheer for you no matter what. And for Venam, of course.” Ren added, his cheeky tone sliding in. Ae-Ri gave him a small smile.

“Thanks, Ren. And Melia as well.” She and Ren talked for a few minutes longer before they saw the clock hit noon.

“Looks like it’s time. If you need to plan more, I’ll see you at the gym.” Ren said, standing up from his chair. He casually waved at Ae-Ri as he walked out. The silver girl waved back, now alone with Sapphire. The Eevee leapt onto the table, trilling at the girl and wiggling her ears. Her fluffy tail swished back and forth in excitement. The sight of her partner made Ae-Ri’s stress die down even a bit. She gave the Eevee a pat on the head, a smile on her face.

“We’re doing this, Sapphire. Let’s go meet Venam.”

— ~ —

This was the first time Ae-Ri has ever entered the gym. She’s been to Venam’s house many times this past week, but she’s never felt the need to explore the gym. The silver girl took in a deep breath, stepping in through the purple doors before she could change her mind. She was met with purple stairs that descended downward, leading to a closed door at the bottom. Sapphire bounded down first, trilling at Ae-Ri as if telling her it was safe.

The girl followed the Eevee shortly, ending up in front of the door. She could hear the cheers of a crowd and a royally familiar guitar riff. Well, she couldn’t turn back now. Ae-Ri took in another deep breath, her heart pounding.

She opened the door.

The first thing she saw was the crowd. A large, roaring crowd where all of their attention was on the stage in the middle. Venam stood on that stage, holding her signature purple guitar. The girl unsurprisingly had immense crowd control, yelling into her mic words Ae-Ri couldn't hear. Whatever she said certainly got the crowd hyped up.

Her attention then turned to Melia and Ren, who stood on the outskirts of the crowd. They spotted Ae-Ri, with Melia stepping up to her first.

“Ae! You came here just in time!” The blonde girl exclaimed, her gray eyes shining with excitement. “If you act like the way you did in training, you're gonna do great up there.” Ae-Ri felt her face flush slightly, which she attempted to cover. That only made Melia chuckle.

“Break a leg up there.” Ren commented, giving the silver girl a reassuring pat on the shoulder. All Ae-Ri could muster was a thumbs up, the crowd ruining her entire brain chemistry at the moment.

Sapphire trilled at her and gestured towards the stage. She could see the stairs that led up to it. She had to go there. Ae-Ri casted one more glance at Ren and Melia, who gave her reassuring smiles. She sighed deeply, maneuvering her way through the crowd to the stairs. With Sapphire at her side, she stepped up to the stage.

Ae-Ri saw a painted battlefield on the colorful tiles of the stage, indicating two trainer boxes. She obviously took the one that the stairs led her to. Venam noticed her, a toothy grin across her face.

“Well, look who it is! Our challenger has finally arrived, people!” The purple haired girl exclaimed, shredding with her guitar. This earned an uproar from the crowd, causing Ae-Ri to stumble back. Sapphire pawed at her legs, giving her big, shining eyes. The silver girl closed her eyes and breathed deeply, opening them again to see Venam at her trainer box, her guitar slung around her shoulder. She held a PokeBall in her left hand.

“Ya know, I’ve been waiting for this. From what Melia has told me, you’re not half bad! I’m excited to see if you can outclass the average Timmy for once.” Venam laughed, her voice booming through the room. Ae-Ri grabbed at her PokeBall in her hand, a newfound surge of excitement rushing through her.

“Thanks for the opportunity, Venam. Should we get the show on the road?” She asked, a smile spreading across her face. Venam, taken aback by this response, grinned widely.

“Hell yeah!” She ran to her trainer box, facing Ae-Ri. Venam quickly cleared her throat. “Alright, this is a four versus four battle, once one side has their entire team faint, the other side wins! Let the battle begin!” Once the girl finished her rules, the battle had commenced. The crowd raged around the battlefield as both sides sent out their leading Pokemon.

Venam threw out her ball to reveal the Trubbish she caught in the sewers. Ae-Ri let Sapphire leap into the battlefield, still clutching the other PokeBall in her hand.

“Quick Attack, Sapphire! Don’t let it attack first!” The Eevee shot forward, energy surrounding her body. Sapphire slammed her head into the Trubbish before it could react, sending it reeling backwards with a low croak. Venam immediately shot back.

“Rock Blast, Trubbish!” The trash bag Pokemon heaved itself back up, its body expanding. A large piece of rock was shot out of its mouth, hitting Sapphire and knocking her backwards. Ae-Ri flinched but reacted accordingly, seeing the Trubbish expanding to send another rock towards her Eevee.

“Sapphire, leap over the next rock and use Sand Attack!” At that moment, the Trubbish belched up another rock, this one larger than the other. Sapphire leapt to her feet and sprung herself up with her back legs, landing on the rock that was hurling towards her. She leapt off of it with her back legs, propelling herself towards the Trubbish. With this movement, the Eevee was able to whack the Trubbish in the face with her tail, sand exploding from it.

“Trubbish, Venam’s Kiss before it escapes!” The Trubbish let out a cough, sand getting in its eyes. Even then, it still attempted to attack Sapphire. It sent a poisoned kiss towards the Eevee, which shot to the right. Sapphire was able to dodge it, landing gracefully on her paws. Ae-Ri saw her opening.

“Quick Attack, finish this!” Sapphire trilled with delight, shooting towards the Trubbish like a furry missile. She slammed into it with her entire body, sending the Pokemon flying with a groan. The Trubbish lay fainted at Venam’s side. The girl scoffed, returning the Trubbish.

“We’re just getting started. Go!” She threw out another ball, revealing an Ivysaur. The grass Pokemon roared, the bud on its back blossoming. Ae-Ri could see it was an evolution of Bulbasaur.

“Sapphire, switch! Malachite, your turn!” The Eevee ran to Ae-Ri’s side as the girl threw out the ball in her hand, revealing her Noibat. Malachite drowsily yawned, pricking his ears up at the battle before him. “Swoop up and use Wing Attack!”

“Intercept the bat, Ivysaur! Use Leech Seed!” Malachite soared upward, shining in the stage light with his wings flared out. Venam’s Ivysaur shot seeds out of its blooming bulb, which planted their roots into the stage. It quickly grew large, growing vines as Malachite dived down to deliver his attack. They snagged his legs and wings, trapping him in the air.

“Bite the vines! Then use Double Team!” Malachite chewed at the vines trapping him, ripping through them with his sharp teeth. Once he was half free, he let out a high pitched screech. Suddenly, many copies of Malachite surrounded the battlefield, flying above the Ivysaur in a cloud of shadows. Venam laughed, her eyes sparkling.

“Come on, Ivysaur! Razor Leaf through all of them! Don’t let them confuse you!” Malachite continued to shred through the Leech Seed attack as the grass Pokemon shot sharp leaves towards the clones, cutting through them with ease. Each of them disappeared in a puff of smoke as each leaf sliced through them. Once Malachite was free, he was able to dodge the Razor Leaf on his own. However, the Leech Seed zapped some of his energy.

“Go for a Supersonic!” The Noibat screeched, a horrible sound wave emitting from his ears. It directly hit the Ivysaur, sending it into a confused state. It roared with confusion, looking around the stage as if it didn’t know where it was.

“Ivysaur, Venam’s Kiss! Try to break through it!” The Ivysaur attempted to shoot a poisoned kiss at the Noibat, which strangely hit itself instead. The grass type stumbled backwards, giving Malachite the opening he needed.

“Wing Attack!” The Noibat swooped down with a screech, slicing through the Ivysaur’s bulb. It roared in pain, its newly cut leaves strewing across the floor. Malachite swooped back up, flapping his wings as he saw the still confused Ivysaur attempt to attack him. Venam seemed even more hyped up. Ae-Ri could certainly hear the crowd enjoying this. She attempted to tune them out as Venam shouted,

“Go for Venam’s Kiss! It’s near that stagelight!” The Ivysaur turned towards Malachite, sending a poisoned kiss towards him. It hit the Noibat right in the face, earning a screech of surprise. He staggered, his wings sagging a bit at the attack. He must have been poisoned.

“Malachite, just a bit more! Use Wing Attack!” Through the poison, Malachite swooped down at shocking speeds, too fast to let the Ivysaur avoid him. The Noibat sliced his sharp wing across the grass type’s side, landing on the ground beside it with a stumble. The Ivysaur groaned, falling on all fours and fainted. Beside it, Malachite fell to the floor as well in a mess of wings, the poison kicking in. The crowd roared with excitement.

“GO VENAM! YOU GOT THIS AE-RI!” Somehow, Ae-Ri could hear Melia's screams of encouragement through the noise. Venam was vibrating at this point, her grin so wide it could have reached each of her ears. She returned her fainted Ivysaur at the same time that Ae-Ri returned Malachite. She gently held the ball and put it into her bag.

“You’re not half bad!” Venam yelled, catching Ae-Ri’s attention. The gym leader had a great ball in her hand, her grip on it tight. “Let’s see how you can deal with this. Hit’em hard Whirlipede!” She sent out the Whirlipede, which was a round, ball-like insect with sharp spines. Ae-Ri could tell it was more defensively bulky. So…

“Alright, Aqua. Do your thing.” The silver girl threw out the ball, releasing the orange weasel Pokemon onto the field. The Buizel chittered with excitement, arching his back as he got on all fours. Both Pokemon rushed towards one another, their trainer’s directions blending with each other.

“Go for a rollout! Hit it before it hits you!”

“Growl, Aqua! Lower its offenses!”

The Whirlipede bowled towards Aquamarine at shocking speeds, its spiky hide ready to slam into the Buizel. The weasel Pokemon chittered and growled at the Whirlipede, causing it to flinch slightly. It still barrelled into Aquamarine, sending the Buizel flying into one of the grids of the stage. However, it did do less damage.

“Go for a Sonic Boom!” Aquamarine climbed the grid and onto the stage light, whipping his tail to send the attack towards the recovering Whirlipede.

“Cut through with another Rollout!” The bug Pokemon barrelled towards Aquamarine picking up the pace. However, it did get hit by the Sonic Boom attack. It was taken off course and slammed into the grid of the stage, dealing some damage to itself including the Sonic Boom. The impact rattled the stage, some of the stage lights swaying.

“Venam? Aren't you worried the stage will break-?” Ae-Ri started, genuinely concerned over the quality of the stage. Venam immediately cut her off.

“We worry about that later! Go for a Venoshock Whirlipede!” The Pokemon shot poison through its spines towards Aquamarine. The attack knocked the Buizel off of the stagelight, earning a bark of pain and shock. The orange weasel crashed to the floor, his body limp and weak. “Finish it, Whirlipede! Use Twineedle!” Before Ae-Ri could react, the Whirlipede attacked Aquamarine with a sharp, poisonous spine, stabbing the Buizel in the leg. The weasel Pokemon fainted after the final attack. Ae-Ri returned him, feeling terrible that she let him continue to fight.

“I’m sorry, Aqua.” She whispered, gently stroking the ball. She quickly pocketed it, looking at Sapphire. The Eevee leapt onto the field, her tail swishing in the air. The silver girl noticed how the Whirlipede stumbled, its body trying its best to stay on its feet.

“It’s on its last legs. Finish this with a Quick Attack!” Sapphire rushed forward, slamming into the Whirlipede to the point she caused a crack in its exoskeleton. The bug Pokemon skidded across the battlefield, ending up fainted at Venam’s feet. The girl laughed with delight, returning her Whirlipede. Ae-Ri could hear the crowd roaring around her, their cheers making her feel faint. She tried to focus on Venam’s bright brown eyes as she held her final PokeBall.

“Alright, let’s end this Seviper!” The purple girl threw out the PokeBall to reveal a large snake Pokemon. Its dark blue body was coiled into an accordion shape with yellow markings snaking across them. Two red fangs the size of Sapphire poked out of its mouth, its face curled into a sly smile. A forked tongue slithered out of its mouth as it raised its sword-like tail. Ae-Ri and Venam both yelled out moves at the same time.

“Baby-Doll Eyes, Sapphire!”

“Use Venam’s Kiss!” The Eevee reacted first, giving the Seviper an innocent gaze with her ears flattened. Ae-Ri could see the snake Pokemon flinch back for a second and look in confusion. Then, it hissed and attacked, biting one of Sapphire’s legs. The Eevee squealed, leaping back as the Seviper ripped its fang out of the Eevee. Ae-Ri could see Sapphire was still hurt, but the attack did much less than it was supposed to.

“Baby-Doll Eyes again! Just a little bit more!” Sapphire’s eyes gleamed as she sent another puppy-dog eyes esc gaze towards the Seviper. Once again, its guard was down for a moment. “Quick Attack it!” The Eevee’s gaze immediately sharpened as she sped towards the snake. She turned in the air to slam her entire body into the side of the Seviper, knocking it against one of the grids. The fang snake Pokemon hissed, glaring at Sapphire as she landed on the stage.

“Seviper, Glare! Then Venam’s Kiss!” The Seviper picked itself back up, shooting towards Sapphire to give her a sharp glare. Ae-Ri saw it paralyze the Eevee in place, her fur bristling from her head to her tail. This gave the fang snake Pokemon enough time to bite down on her leg, raising her up and swinging her towards one of the grids. Sapphire yelped as she crashed into the stage, shaking the overhanging lights.

Ae-Ri didn’t even check to see if Sapphire fainted before frantically returning her to her ball. Venam arched an eyebrow at the girl as she gripped the PokeBall, her palm sweaty. Her breathing got a bit more rapid as she hugged the ball close to her, warmth radiating off of its smooth surface. The silver girl attempted to ignore the deafening whispers of the crowd. She couldn’t decide if the whispers were worse than the terrible noise from before.

“Uhm- Are you alright-?” Venam called from the other side, her tone a bit awkward. Ae-Ri blinked and quickly slapped the side of her head, pocketing Sapphire’s ball. She fixed her glasses and took out her last PokeBall.

“I-I’m fine. Let’s finish this.” Ae-Ri said, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. Without another word, she sent out Jade, who came out in a fighting stance on all fours. His blade-like tail swished slowly in the air, his red eyes gleaming with excitement. It dawned on Ae-Ri how similar the Snivy’s tail was to a Seviper’s tail. Venam quickly went back into her battling mode, her eyes blazing.

“Dragon Tail, Seviper! Knock it back towards the lights!” The Seviper launched forward, curling its tail to hit Jade with it. Using his small size, the Snivy maneuvered his way out of the attack, launching himself into the air.

“Use Tackle, Jade! Get the Seviper in the head.” The Snivy twisted his body to propel himself towards the large snake, his head colliding with its own. Jade flipped and landed on the ground gracefully as the Seviper staggered. “Get it with another Tackle!”

“Knock it back with a Snarl!” Jade launched himself into another tackle as the Seviper let out a loud hissing snarl, a wave of energy hitting the Snivy. He hissed in pain as he was knocked backwards by the attack. Ae-Ri flinched slightly as Jade quickly picked himself back up, brushing off the attack. He lunged and clamped down on the Seviper’s tail, fastening his small fangs into its skin. The snake Pokemon hissed as it wagged its tail back and forth in an attempt to knock the Snivy off.

“Vine Whip, Jade!” The Snivy didn’t let go as his two vines unfurled from his yellow leaves. He slapped at the Seviper's eyes, temporarily blinding the Pokemon. He then wrapped the vines around its throat area, letting go of its tail to slam it into the ground.

“Venam’s Kiss, Seviper! Knock it off of you!” The Seviper sent a poisonous kiss towards the Snivy, hitting him in the chest. His vines unraveled from its throat as he was sent flying, crashing to the floor of the stage. Ae-Ri felt her blood run cold as she saw the Snivy staggering up, one of his red eyes shut. The Seviper lunged and shot its blade tail towards Jade, who only blocked it with his own. The two serpentine Pokemon started to trade blows of their tails, clashing like it was a duel.

The cheers of the crowd came back as they cheered on one of the snake-like Pokemon. Jade was slowing down a bit, his tail movements getting sluggish. He fastened his teeth into the Seviper’s neck, still waving his tail to block the poison snake’s own.

Then, blue light erupted from Jade.

It sent the Seviper reeling back, its forked tongue sliding in and out. Ae-Ri watched with wide eyes as the Snivy changed before their eyes. His neck grew taller as his blade tail became longer. His head grew along with his body as the leaves on his shoulders curled further. Once the blue light dissipated from Jade, it revealed his new form. Jade hissed with glee, his longer blade-like tail swishing back and forth. Ae-Ri could see that his fangs became more prominent, just like a Seviper’s. The Snivy evolved.

The Servine let out a high-pitched trill as he sent a spiral of leaves towards the Seviper with a flick of his tail. The tornado hit the snake Pokemon directly, knocking it back further. Ae-Ri could only watch stunned as Jade continued to fight. She could see the adrenaline of the evolution rushing through his body. The Servine headbutted the downed Seviper right in the middle of its body, his head reeling back from the impact.

The fang snake Pokemon lunged its head to retaliate, only to be interrupted by Jade’s blade tail. It cut across its face, making the Seviper hiss and recoil back in pain. With one last attack, the Servine sent another Leaf Tornado towards it, picking up the snake Pokemon and sending it crashing towards one of the grids.

After a couple moments, the Seviper fell to the floor. It didn’t get back up. Ae-Ri won.

The roars of the crowd were so loud they threatened to deafen the girl’s ears. She could feel her body swaying as the shock filled her. Jade won this for them. They won, in some way and somehow. As if in sync, the adrenaline racing through the Servine faded as he fell to the floor with exhaustion while Ae-Ri stumbled and fell to the floor as well, catching herself with her elbows.

“Holy shit! That was metal as hell!” Venam yelled, returning her Seviper as her brown eyes gleamed. She bounded over to Ae-Ri, offering out her hand with a wide grin. The silver girl stared at it for a few moments, her gaze looking from the hand to the purple haired girl. Then, she took her hand, letting Venam heave Ae-Ri to her feet. Her grin didn’t fade as she flipped her hair. “Well, you won fair and square! Melia and Ren were right about you, you’re good! And you told me you’re not good at battling, hah!” Venam laughed, the sound music to Ae-Ri’s ears compared to the crowd.

The silver girl felt a smile going across her face as Venam brought her to the center of the stage. The purple haired girl took Ae-Ri’s hand and rested a small badge onto her palm. The girl could see it was a small purple heart.

“Here’s the Poison Heart Badge from yours truly! Thanks for the battle Ae, that was fucking great.” Venam added, her voice more hushed. Ae-Ri smiled at her friend, the badge feeling light in her hand. The silver girl looked towards the crowd and saw Melia and Ren in the back, their eyes gleaming with excitement. It hit Ae-Ri at that moment. These people–Venam, Melia, and Ren–They were happy to see her win. They were cheering her on. Even Venam during that battle, she was having fun. The crowd didn’t matter at that moment.

“And thank you for all the help these past few days.” Ae-Ri said, turning back to Venam with twinkling eyes. The purple haired girl gave her a slap on the shoulder, yelling something incomprehensible towards the crowd as yells filled the room. Their noise was deafening, terrifying even.

Although, Ae-Ri felt happy. With the badge in her palm and her friends, she felt happy.

Chapter Text

“So, you two are heading for Goldenwood Forest?” Ren asked outside the gym, his hands in his pocket. All four of them exited the loud concert venue to talk privately outside. Ae-Ri could barely think straight in that gym…

Melia nodded, clutching a briefcase with both hands. She had her usual soft grin that seemed a bit more excited than usual.

“Yup! Unless Ae needs to do something first, we’re gonna head there right away!” Ae-Ri looked towards the blonde girl, seeing the sparkle in her gray eyes. Huh, she was really excited about this. The silver girl smiled while stroking Sapphire’s fur.

“You can go without me for a second. I’ll meet you in the forest.” She said, thinking about how she wanted to talk to Ren and Venam for a bit longer. Melia gave her a thumbs up before departing towards the west. Ae-Ri turned back to Ren and Venam after watching Melia leave. “Are we still doing Amethyst Cave after this?” Ren nodded.

“Yup. Probably around three or four? Depends on when you and Melia come back.” Venam crossed her arms, her brow furrowed.

“Why are we doing this again?”

“To give Ae-Ri a grand tour! Also the fact I thought it would interest her.” Ren said, glancing at Ae-Ri for some backup. She chuckled, a bit touched by how eager the boy seemed.

“Yeah, I got interested after Ren mentioned it. Sorry about interrupting your day, Venam.” Ae-Ri said, hoping her joking tone was obvious. The purple haired girl gave her a playful eye roll.

“After you gave me that battle, I got nothing to complain about.” Venam checked the time and ran a hand through her hair, fiddling with one of her flower hair clips. “Looks like my mom wants me back for chores… I’ll meet you guys at four when we head down to Amethyst Cave. Bye losers.” Ren and Ae-Ri waved goodbye as Venam entered her house. The dark haired boy looked at Ae-Ri, his onyx eyes having an odd sparkle in them.

“Hope you have fun in Goldenwood. I’m gonna go help the Professor with something.”

“Thanks for everything, Ren. I hope we can enjoy Amethyst Cave with everyone later.” The two of them departed as Ae-Ri headed towards the Route 1 station.

Once she entered, she spotted a familiar redhead. Her eyes widened at the sight of Tesla, who was inspecting a map.

“Mrs. Tesla?” Ae-Ri called. The woman looked over her shoulder, her red eyes widening slightly at the sight of the silver girl. A soft smile creeped across her face as she turned to face Ae-Ri, her hands clasped together.

“Well hello Ae-Ri! How has Gearen been treating you? I really hope you’ve been doing alright…” Tesla said, slight concern lacing her voice. Ae-Ri pushed back the thoughts in her mind that reminded her of Nancy. She didn’t want to spoil her mood before even entering Goldenwood Forest. The girl gave the red haired woman a small smile.

“I’m doing well. Actually, I’m heading over to meet my friend in Goldenwood right now.” Ae-Ri said, glancing at the map full of directions. Tesla's eyes lit up, her demeanor turning calm once again.

“How lovely! Hm…” The woman thought for a second, her brow furrowed slightly. Ae-Ri gave her a curious look as Tesla grinned, giving the girl an apologetic wave. “Wait here for a second.” The silver girl waited as she was told as Tesla walked over to the ticket man near the gate. After finishing a small talk with him, she walked back to Ae-Ri. “Alright, I set you up with permanent free train rides at this station.” Ae-Ri’s eyes widened at the statement. Tesla could just do that? And why? “I’m well known around this area, I think this should serve you well in the future.” The woman added as if reading Ae-Ri’s thoughts. The silver haired girl didn’t know what to say at first.

“I- I really don’t know how to thank you-”

“Oh, don’t worry!” Tesla laughed, resting a soft hand on Ae-Ri’s shoulder. Her soft red eyes left such a warm feeling inside the silver girl. It still reminded her too much of her own mother. “I just hope that this will help you in the future. Now, I’ve held you back for too long. Have a good trip Ae!” At that, Tesla left the station.

Ae-Ri stood in front of the map for a few moments, feeling Sapphire push herself up to look at it. The silver girl smiled, thinking about Tesla.

“Let’s head to Goldenwood, Sapphire. Melia’s waiting for us.”

— ~ —

The blonde haired girl sat on a bench facing a vast lake, her briefcase resting at her side. Melia was deep in thought as she waited for her friend. The mutters of the people around her and the train screeching to a stop couldn’t interrupt her. She could only think about Ae-Ri.

How weird that she became friends with the strange girl as quickly as she did. She had so many thoughts about the silver girl, specifically about her demeanor. In the first few days, Ae-Ri seemed rather shy and apologetic. Melia one time saw her apologize to Professor Jenner for barely running into his table. She was also quite nervous and harsh towards herself, always talking herself down and nervously twiddling with anything she got her hands on. Strangely, Melia also got the energy that she was hiding something. Not in a malicious way, in a way that she’s trying to not make it a problem for others.

However, after getting to know her over an entire week, Melia could confirm she liked Ae-Ri.

The more she hung out with her, the more she learned about their mysterious silver friend. Even with her awkwardness and nervous nature, she was a soft individual who wanted to help in any way possible. Melia looked back on how insistent Ae-Ri was on helping Professor Jenner with errands and cleaning up the practice battlefield after training. Ren usually joked with her about that when the girl compulsively cleaned.

“You know you don’t need to clean it, right? It’s usually cleaned once we leave.”

“I know it's just- I feel a bit bad leaving a mess just like that. Kinda feels like my responsibility to clean it, haha…”

Another thing Melia noticed about the girl was that she seemed rather sad all the time. It wasn’t obvious, but Ae-Ri wasn’t all that good at hiding it. Even when the girl was smiling, Melia thought she could see a hint of sadness in her brown eyes. Her demeanor in general when she seemed happy was strange. But, after Ren told Melia a bit about Ae-Ri’s situation and how she got to East Gearen, she understood why the silver girl acted the way she did.

Melia had seen genuine moments of pure happiness in Ae-Ri. A big example was when she practiced Pokemon battling with Ren. The fire in her eyes was something Melia didn’t expect to see in the girl. She just seemed to get more excited and animated when she battled. Even after, Ae-Ri grew incredibly talkative, wanting to talk to Ren and Melia about her Pokemon.

The blonde girl was glad to see the more happy moments of their new friend. She was happy to see Ae-Ri seem more relaxed and comfortable around them. Even Venam, who Ae-Ri didn’t talk to too much, was enjoying having her as a friend. Melia could see it during their gym battle. The way Venam laughed and the intense look in her eyes were a sight for Melia to see. She hadn’t seen the purple girl look like that in a while.

Ren also seemed rather close to Ae-Ri, being the one to suggest showing her Amethyst Cave. Although, Melia suspected he had another reason for suggesting it.

The blonde girl was a bit surprised by how well the girl got along with everyone in their little group. It felt like fate that they all met. That they were meant to be together.

And because of that, Melia knew she was going to miss them.

Melia sighed, lightly tapping her foot against the ground. She needed to stop thinking about that for a while. She just wanted to enjoy this time with Ae-Ri and then have fun with everyone in Amethyst Cave. One last time. Melia wanted to relish this.

“Uh, Melia?” The blonde girl looked over her shoulder to see Ae-Ri behind the bench, her brown eyes curious. Sapphire, her Eevee, was sniffing at Melia’s hair for some strange reason. The silver girl cocked her head to the side slightly. “You alright? You looked a bit down.” Melia chuckled, waving her hand lightly. She wouldn’t let those thoughts ruin this.

“I’m alright. How was the train ride?” The girl stood up, holding her briefcase in one hand to face Ae-Ri. The silver girl shrugged her shoulders, subconsciously playing with strands of her ponytail.

“It was fast, I was kinda surprised. Is the entrance over there?” She asked, looking towards a path next to the train. Melia nodded, a smile spreading across her face. The blonde girl gently took Ae-Ri’s hand, feeling the silver girl flinch back ever so slightly at the touch.

“Yup! How about we head over there now?” Melia said, the excitement coming back to her body. She had to remember she was here for her dad, but she could have some fun with her friend, right? Ae-Ri nodded slightly before being half dragged by Melia towards the entrance with a cut off yelp.

“M-Melia-?!”

“Let’s go! It’s beautiful in there, you’ll see!”

— ~ —

Well, Melia was wrong about the forest just being beautiful. It was absolutely stunning.

The first thing Ae-Ri saw was a vast, clear lake with sunlight sparkling on its surface. Then it was the beautiful golden trees that surrounded them, the leaves drifting to the ground. The girl quickly figured out that the trees were this forest’s namesake. Pokemon skittered around the underbrush and the trees, the sounds of birds chirping entering Ae-Ri’s ears.

Ae-Ri stood still for a few moments, taking in the fresh scent of leaves and the stunning forest in front of her. It felt almost unreal. Melia seemed to notice, giggling at the girl.

“Are you impressed?”

“It’s… Stunning.” Ae-Ri said simply, letting Sapphire leap out of her arms. The Eevee ran after a wild Sentret, chirping at it. Melia laughed, her grin wide.

“I knew you’d love it. How about we sit there for a bit?” She pointed towards a spot near the lake. “Then we can enter the caves later.” Ae-Ri nodded, her eyes glancing around at the soft golden colors of the forest. She and Melia sat down, looking across the lake together. The blonde girl played with blades of grass as she spoke. “I do have another reason coming here. I want to see some ‘Butterflies of Fate’.” Ae-Ri tipped her head to the side, her eyes curious.

“What are those?”

“People have said there’s Vivillon with beautiful blue crystal wings sighted around here. I would love to get some photos of them for my scrapbook!”

“Do you like photography?” Ae-Ri asked, her interest piqued. Melia nodded, her gray eyes sparkling once again.

“Yup! I’ve liked it since I was a kid. Do you like to do anything like that?” The girl asked, scooting a bit closer to the silver haired girl. Ae-Ri thought about the question for a moment, did she like to do anything artistic?

“Well… I like music, I guess.” She answered, having warm memories of a piano. The soft sound of the keys filled her ears the more she thought about it. Now Melia seemed interested, craning her head closer to Ae-Ri.

“Really? Do you play any instruments?”

“I like the piano if that counts.”

“Of course it does! You gotta plan for us one day.” Melia insisted, gently elbowing Ae-Ri. The silver girl chuckled, imagining herself playing the piano for anyone. She didn’t even know if she was good at it.

“I mean, I’m not that good at it-”

“You said the same thing about battling. Look at you now.” Melia said, chuckling. Ae-Ri blinked at the blonde girl for a few moments before a smile creeped across her face. The blonde girl was right in some way. Ae-Ri could always relearn the piano if she needed to.

“Huh, I guess you’re right… Should we be going now?” Ae-Ri asked, noticing they sat at the lake for a few minutes longer. Melia looked at her Cybernav, her eyes widening slightly. The girl leapt to her feet with the briefcase in her hand.

“Yup! Follow me, we’re entering the cave over there.” Ae-Ri picked herself up from the ground and called Sapphire over. Once the Eevee leapt onto her shoulder, the two girls started to walk across the lakeshore. She continued to take in the scents of the forest, the scent of sweet grass tickling her nose. Melia led her to the gaping mouth of a cave, which the blonde girl entered first. Once Ae-Ri entered, she was surprised to have the soft scent of water hit her nose.

The cave was dim with a river running through it. A bridge led them to the other side as they navigated the dark cave together. The sounds of Pokemon in the water and the cave filled Ae-Ri’s ears. It was kind of pretty in a strange way.

“Goldenwood Cave isn’t too active. But my dad found something deep inside it that he wanted me to investigate.” Melia explained, humming a small tune as they walked through the cave. Ae-Ri assumed that’s what the briefcase was going to be used for. After a couple minutes of walking, they found themselves at a large mural in the back of the cave. Ae-Ri noticed the unfamiliar text underneath the painting.

Melia rested her briefcase on the ground, opening it up on her knees. Ae-Ri leaned over to see a complicated looking translator inside of it. The blonde girl started to tinker with it, pressing several buttons and taking a photo of the mural. She inputted it into the machine and let it do its work.

“So, this might take a while. If you want to explore the cave, I’m just gonna stay here.” Melia said, not turning away from the briefcase. Ae-Ri nodded. It couldn't hurt to explore for a bit.

“I won’t be gone long.”

“Tell me if you find anything!” At that, Ae-Ri left to explore. She let Jade walk beside her, who’s head now reached her waist. They walked around the cave in silence with Sapphire occasionally chirping with curiosity. Nothing was really going on in the cave, just a bunch of Pokemon and running water.

Unfortunately, nothing really happened for a while. She walked around for what, fifty minutes?

Then, Ae-Ri spotted something in the darkness. A striped tail slithered across the floor, vanishing into the shadows of the cave. Jade suddenly lunged at it, landing on the end of the soft tail. The owner of the tail shrieked with shock, attempting to run off. The Servine pinned it down with his vines, restraining the Pokemon. He hissed at it with as much intimidation as he could muster.

“I think we need to work on your interaction skills, Jade…” Ae-Ri commented, walking over with Sapphire leaping off of her shoulder. Jade rolled his eyes, sticking his forked tongue out towards the silver girl. She leaned over next to the Servine, seeing a Furret staring up at her. Its big eyes were wide with shock, small chirps escaping it. Sapphire sniffed it, her eyes wide with interest.

“Hm… I guess we could catch this one.” Ae-Ri took out a Great Ball, leaning down to let it gently tap against the Furret’s head. The Pokemon entered the ball as Jade furled his vines, watching the Great Ball rock back and forth. Fortunately, the Furret was caught. Ae-Ri grinned as she let it out. The ferret Pokemon chirped at her, its small paws neatly placed together.

“How do you like the name Topaz?” Ae-Ri asked, petting the Furret’s head. Topaz chirped with delight, his tail swaying back and forth. He leapt onto the girl’s shoulder, his tail wrapping around her right shoulder and his head nuzzling into her neck. His purrs vibrated against Ae-Ri’s skin, his paws neatly tucked under his head. She chuckled, scratching the bottom of his chin. “You're rather clingy.” She commented, feeling her Cybernav vibrate in her pocket. Ae-Ri took it out, checking the time. “We should probably head back to Melia. She might be wondering where we are.” Jade nodded as he was returned to his ball.

When she made her way back over, she saw Melia sitting next to the briefcase looking rather bored. Then, the blonde girl spotted Ae-Ri. Her gray eyes settled on the Furret, an odd twinkle in them. Ae-Ri spoke first.

“How's the translation going?” The blonde girl didn’t respond as her gaze went between Ae-Ri and Topaz.

“...... Looks like you got a new scarf.” Melia said matter-of-factly, an amused smile on her face. Ae-Ri glanced towards Topaz, who purred and nuzzled his head into her neck. The silver girl smiled, scratching the top of his furry head.

“Guess I did. His name’s Topaz.”

“He is absolutely adorable.” Melia stood up, her eyes shining as she walked over to the taller girl. She held out a hand to the Furret and slowly caressed his cheek. Topaz blinked towards the girl, a purr rising in his throat. The blonde girl giggled, looking up at Ae-Ri. She let out a light cough, walking back over to the briefcase and kneeling down. The silver girl followed as well, craning her head over Melia’s shoulder.

“Was the entire message decoded?”

“Yup! Only took an hour, haha…” Melia sighed, clicking a couple buttons as she looked towards the screen. A small ping was heard from the translator. “There we go. The message should be fully encoded!” The blonde girl said with glee, her eyes shining. Ae-Ri kneeled down to look at the screen, letting Topaz continue to nap on her shoulders. Melia read out the entire message.

“The light within the belly of Ouroboros shall never cease, lest the flames be doused by the will of the suffering.”

Melia and Ae-Ri blinked in silence. What a strangely threatening message in the middle of a cave, the silver girl thought, her brown furrowed. Beside her, Melia clicked her tongue, her eyes slightly wide.

“... Well, I think the ancients need a day off, and possibly some therapy.” Ae-Ri couldn't help but laugh at the blonde girl’s remark.

“Probably more than some.” She added, earning a laugh from Melia. The girl started to pack up the briefcase when suddenly, the cavern shook. Ae-Ri immediately grew alert, taking the blonde girl’s arm and pulling her back from the mural. Melia looked terribly confused as she looked at the mural.

“What the hell- Is it-?” Before she could finish the sentence, a section of the mural broke off with a loud crack. The two girls watched in silence as a pathway inside the mural opened up for them. Ae-Ri stepped up to it first, having Sapphire sniff towards the darkness. Topaz let out a yawn, blinking his eyes as if he just noticed what was happening.

“Looks like the mural collapsed. And…” Ae-Ri trailed off, craning her head towards the opening. She saw… Light? A torch? Some sort of light source was behind the mural. “Looks like it leads somewhere.” She informed Melia, looking over her shoulder towards the blonde girl. Her eyes suddenly glistened with interest. She made her way over to Ae-Ri with her briefcase.

“Woah, no one’s ever documented something like this before…” Melia thought out loud, her brow furrowed as she thought. Ae-Ri gave her a raised eyebrow as the girl smiled, making up her mind. “Let’s do some exploring. Maybe I’ll bring back more for my dad than I thought I would.”

“H-Huh? And if we get lost-?” Ae-Ri started, genuinely worried. Melia laughed, stepping into the secret passage first. She called out to Ae-Ri from inside, her voice echoing off of the walls.

“Come on! It can’t be that bad!” Before she knew it, the silver girl heard Melia giggling as she continued deeper into the passage. Ae-Ri sighed, looking down to see that Sapphire followed Melia as well. Well, guess she had to go in now.

With Topaz still sleeping on her shoulders, Ae-Ri entered through the dark tunnel.

It smelled rather musty inside of the cavern. The only light sources were torches that blazed in the darkness, illuminating a long wooden bridge. Ae-Ri took the time to carefully cross it, not wanting to test how old the rotting wood was. She spotted Melia on the other side in front of an opening, her eyes wide. The girl was bathed in golden light, rather strange for the inside of a cave. Ae-Ri made her way over. Once she stood next to Melia, she understood why the girl seemed so shocked.

“Woah. What is this place?” What the two girls saw were stairs that led to a grove rather similar to Goldenwood Forest. Although, it was obviously much less disturbed. The leaves blew quietly in the wind, the golden light peeking through the shadows of the trees. A grin started to slowly spread across Melia’s face. She started to quickly descend down the wooden stairs. Ae-Ri quickly followed, almost tripping over the steps.

“This is amazing!” Melia exclaimed, taking out her camera and taking several pictures. Ae-Ri kicked away some leaves, pocketing her hands as she looked around. It was beautiful, just like the rest of the forest. She looked ahead towards Melia, who seemed entranced by the grove. “Looks like people have been back here…” She muttered, looking towards the bridge in front of them.

“Doesn’t seem like a lot of people.” Ae-Ri commented, starting towards the bridge first. The silver girl had several thoughts circling around in her mind. Why was this here? Who found this originally? Why was it so well hidden? Across the bridge, she spotted a strange structure. A castle? Fueled by curiosity, the girl quickened her pace to see the structure closely. Melia followed behind her, continuing to snap a few photos.

Once the two of them got close enough, they were standing in front of a large stone structure. Two twin staircases were on each of its sides, leading up to the top of the building. Although, a rusty metal gate blocked them from continuing further into the castle. Ae-Ri lightly kicked it, watching it shake. “How weird. Who had the time to build this?”

“And why hide it behind a mural…?” Melia wondered out loud, taking photos of the castle. She started up one of the stairs as Ae-Ri grazed her fingers across the walls of the castle. Sapphire scratched at the ancient walls, her fluffy tail wagging with curiosity. Suddenly, the silver girl heard a loud gasp from above her. “Ae! You need to see this!” Melia exclaimed, her voice high with excitement. Ae-Ri quickly abandoned her sightseeing, walking up one of the stairs.

Once she made it to the top, her eyes immediately widened. Melia stood in front of a tall statue of a godly Pokemon, its stone weathered. And around it circled two Vivillons with crystal blue wings. Ae-Ri slowly stepped up to the blonde girl, not taking her eyes off of the statue.

“This is…”

“Incredible! And there’s the crystal Vivillons!” Melia squealed with glee like a small child. She started to furiously take photos, circling the statue like one of the Vivillons. Ae-Ri stepped up to it, recognizing now that the Pokemon was Arceus. The Creator. A golden plate rested on the surface of its pedestal. The silver girl saw unfamiliar engravings in its weathered surface. She gently traced her fingers around the characters.

“This is all so… Weird.” Ae-Ri concluded, staring up at the Arceus statue. It looked like it was staring directly at her. How weird. Melia suddenly tapped the girl’s shoulder, alerting her. The blonde girl’s grin didn’t falter as she packed her camera.

“We should give this place a name.” The girl decided, looking towards Ae-Ri. The silver girl cocked her head to the side, earning a giggle from Melia. “What about… The Silent Grove. Even if we aren’t the ones to find it, I think it fits this place well!” Ae-Ri nodded, her brown eyes gleaming with amusement.

“Sounds good.” She commented, looking around the forest some more. Melia paused, lightly tapping her foot thoughtfully.

“We got a lot more than we came for! We can probably go home now but…” The blonde girl trailed off, letting out a small noise as she thought. Ae-Ri only looked at her as the blonde girl seemed to light up with an idea. “It would be a waste to not spend some time here. Come on, follow me.”

With her curiosity piqued, Ae-Ri followed Melia back down to the front of the castle. The girl opened her briefcase and took out a picnic setup. The silver girl’s eyes widened with surprise as before her eyes, the blonde girl created a nice little picnic.

“Ta-da! I won’t be able to finish all this, so let’s just enjoy and talk!” Melia offered, sitting down and patting a spot with her hand. Ae-Ri assumed that was where she was going to sit. With a smile, the silver girl sat down with her legs crossed. Topaz slinked off of her shoulders to sniff at a piece of stray toast. The Furret quietly took it in his paws as the two girls started to talk.

“So, I heard a bit from Ren but… How did you get here? To East Gearen.” Melia started, her eyes filled with interest. Ae-Ri winced, images of fire flashing through her mind.

“Um… Well… The SS Oceana attack.” She started, her voice trembling slightly. Melia’s eyes widened slightly as she continued. “It was strange. And awful. My… My mom got taken with everyone else by Team Xen.” Ae-Ri said, hugging her knees close to her chest. She tried to calm herself as she continued. “A-And they almost caught me until I got help- It… It…” The girl stuttered, not being able to say anymore. She couldn't get the scent of ash out of her nose. Melia frowned, her hand inching closer to Ae-Ri until it rested gently on the silver girl’s hand. She flinched back slightly at the touch, looking towards Melia.

“I… I’m really sorry that happened to you. And your mom.” She started, her voice soft with sympathy. The blonde girl continued as she saw Ae-Ri looking at her feet. “If there’s any silver lining to this, you got to hang out with Ren, Venam, and I!” Melia offered, a small, reassuring smile on her face. Ae-Ri couldn’t help but chuckle. The blonde girl was right in some way. Melia laughed, shaking her head lightly. “We aren’t the most excited crew ever, but we're happy to welcome you.” She rested her other hand on top of Ae-Ri’s hand, her touch warm.

The silver girl found herself smiling slightly. She couldn’t forget about the incident, but she was glad to have some people to call friends. “Thanks, Melia. To all three of you.” Ae-Ri said, her voice quiet. The blonde girl smiled, her gray eyes suddenly turning conflicted. She let a small sigh escape, gently retracting her hands away from Ae-Ri. The girl gave her a curious look, retracting her knees away from her chest.

“W-Well…” Melia started, her voice faltering. She quickly found it, coughing lightly. “That offer is only for Ren and Venam now. This is my last day in East Gearen.” The statement caused a wave of shock inside of Ae-Ri.

“What? Where are you going?” Melia shifted her feet, playing with her fingers as she spoke.

“Grand Dream City. I haven’t been there since I was a kid.” The blonde girl sighed wistfully, staring up at the sky. Melia paused again, trying to find the words. Ae-Ri waited patiently as Sapphire leapt onto her lap, batting at a leaf stuck in her fur. “I’m heading there to become this region’s Normal Type Gym Leader.” The blonde girl said, cringing at the statement. Now that didn't surprise Ae-Ri too much. Melia was difficult to challenge in training, she was much more experienced than Ren by a long shot.

“Congratulations on the promotion.” Ae-Ri said, noticing the girl’s slight smile that quickly turned into a frown. The silver girl shifted her feet awkwardly. “I’m going to guess you’re not too sure about this?” Melia let out another sigh, running her hand through her hair.

“I… I’m not too sure. My dad was the one who pushed me to become a gym leader. I can’t back out of it now.” Melia said, her voice cracking slightly. She gritted her teeth, clutching her leggings with her other hand. “I’m going to be thrown into a city I know close to nothing about. Alone.” Her voice shook at the last part. Ae-Ri noticed her body starting to shake slightly. “I… I don’t want to be alone, if I’m going to be honest. I don’t like being alone.” Melia said firmly, her lips pursed into a frown. She bit her bottom lip, her feet gently wrinkling the blanket. “I don’t want to disappoint my dad but… I don’t want to be alone in the big city. Or at all, for that matter.” The girl muttered, resting her head on her knees.

Ae-Ri thought for a moment, taking in all of Melia’s words. She could understand what the girl was saying. Who would want to be alone in a city like that? Even if it was for a big promotion, what kind of life would that be? Why would anyone be willing to live it? The silver girl could see the sadness in Melia’s eyes. She didn’t want to leave, that was for sure. So…

“... What if I went with you?” Ae-Ri blurted, her face flushing slightly at the bold claim. Melia looked towards the girl with wide eyes. She started to play with her collar as she continued. “S-Sorry for the sudden offer… I was just thinking that if you don’t want to be alone, what if I went as well?” Melia continued to look at her. The blonde girl suddenly shook her head.

“No, that would be selfish of me-”

“Hey, I’m the one offering.” Ae-Ri cut her off, resting her hand on Melia’s. “And besides, maybe I can find out more about Team Xen and where they took the SS Oceana passengers.” She said, giving the blonde girl a reassuring smile. Ae-Ri was a bit scared of the big city, but she could do this for Melia. The blonde girl’s eyes were wide, her body frozen. Then, a smile spread across her face, small tears of happiness dotting the edges of her eyes.

“Thanks, Ae. It means a lot.”

“You did a lot for me. I’ll return the favor.”

After that, the two girls simply talked while enjoying some sandwiches. Ae-Ri would say they were rather good sandwiches. Sapphire played in leaf piles with Topaz while the girls laughed together, talking about certain embarrassing moments about a certain Gym Leader they knew. Before they knew it, time had passed considerably. Melia checked her Cybernav with wide eyes.

“Looks like we’re done here. Let's roll up the blanket.” Ae-Ri nodded, getting to her feet and taking the right side of the blanket. She took it in both of her hands with Melia taking the other side. “Alright! Now three, two, one-” Suddenly, a cold chill filled the air. It traveled up Ae-Ri’s spine, freezing her in place. Melia froze as well, her gray eyes suddenly wide. When it passed, the two girls looked at one another.

“Did… Did you feel that-?” Ae-Ri started, being cut off by a deafening boom. Both girls looked towards the forest, seeing smoke billowing into the sky. Melia’s eyes were now wide with horror. She quickly dropped the blanket, grabbing her briefcase in her hand.

“It sounded like it came from Goldenwood Forest… Come on! We need to go there now!” She said frantically, already running for the entrance. Ae-Ri followed quickly behind, returning Topaz and picking up Sapphire.

Once she ran to the stairs, Melia already entered the cavern. Before Ae-Ri could enter, she looked above her to see a Pokemon. It had sharp, pristine white fur with a blue blade on the side of its head. Its sharp red gaze bore into Ae-Ri as if it was seeing right through her. Dread suddenly washed over her body. She recognized the Pokemon as an Absol. She quickly ran into the cavern, the special quirk about Absol circling around her mind again and again like a horrible carousel.

Absols were omens of disaster.

Chapter Text

Ae-Ri followed Melia out of the cave all the way to the entrance, the air suddenly thick with tension. The sharp scent of smoke made the girl recoil back. Something happened in the main forest. It smelled like fire. Faint screams of fear were heard as the two girls exited the cave, being met with a terrible sight.

At least six unfamiliar individuals were seen blocking any possible exits. To add to the dread, Ae-Ri saw they all wore familiar black uniforms. The next thing she noticed was that the lake completely dried up. Magikarps flopped around in pain, fire engulfing some of the defenseless fish Pokemon. Smoke billowed from the lake and traveled into the sky, blotting out the sun. How did they do this? How could they do this?

“Team Xen?!” Melia exclaimed, taking a step back with the briefcase. Even before that the attention of the grunts was now on the two girls. Sapphire hissed and bristled, leaping out of Ae-Ri’s arms to stand in front of her defensively. One of the grunts, a tall young man, had a sly grin on his face.

“I’m glad you’ve heard of us. Now, we need the blonde girl to come with us. Any resistance will result in a firm display of our wrath!” Now Ae-Ri was confused. She turned to Melia, spotting an equally bewildered look on the girl’s face.

“What are you on about?” Ae-Ri demanded, her gaze turning back to the various Xen grunts and their trucks. The man laughed, increasing the girl's confusion and irritation.

“We were ordered to take Melia into custody. If you’re smart, you will step aside and let us do our job.” He said, his tone condescending. The blonde girl took an instinctive step back, her grip on the briefcase tight.

“Why me…? What did I do?” The girl asked, her voice quiet and confused. The grunt scoffed, taking a PokeBall from his pocket.

“You don’t need to know all of that.” He sent out his Pokemon, revealing it to be a Meowth. However, something was off about it. A dark energy surrounded its body like a cloud of smoke. The Meowth also growled dangerously, its eyes resting on Ae-Ri and Sapphire. It hissed with rage, puffing its fur up. Melia’s eyes widened in shock.

“Is that-?”

“Madelis couldn’t hide its appearance, but here it is! A Shadow Pokemon, a Pokemon that has its hard completely closed off. A perfect fighting machine, isn’t that how all Pokemon should be?” The man crowed, letting the Meowth spit and hiss in pure rage. Ae-Ri could feel a steady anger rising inside her throat. The Meowth looked angry, but also seemed to be in pain. It didn’t want to be here. It didn’t deserve this.

“What the hell makes you think you could treat a Pokemon like that?” The girl spat, letting Jade come out of his ball. The Servine let out a low hiss, facing the grunts with a red glare and his swaying tail. Melia stood frozen on the side, her brow furrowed. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she gave Ae-Ri’s shoulder a shake. The silver girl glanced at her.

“Ae, there’s something in the briefcase that can help us.” She whispered, her gaze switching from Ae-Ri to the grunts. She gave the blonde girl a raised eyebrow.

“What? What is-”

“Hey, what the hell are you two whispering about?” The grunt demanded, stealing back Ae-Ri’s attention. The silver girl saw the other grunts grabbing their PokeBalls as well. “Meowth, stop them!” Jade leapt first with a loud cry, slamming into the cat Pokemon.

As the two Pokemon tussled, Sapphire joined in as well, attacking the Meowth with the Servine. The Meowth hissed and spat, clawing at Jade’s face and kicking Sapphire away.

Ae-Ri turned back to Melia, who was frantically opening the briefcase and inputting in a quick code. The silver girl saw the other Xen grunts sending out their own Pokemon. In response, she immediately sent out every Pokemon she had in her backpack.

Garnet immediately swooped in to attack a Poochyena with Aquamarine’s help, Malachite tackled into a Shroomish with a sharp cry, and Topaz drowsily slapped his tail at a Cubchoo. The sounds of grunts shouting commands made Ae-Ri grow more frantic.

“Melia, I think you need to work a bit faster-”

“Done! Take this!” The blonde girl pulled out a strange device, handing it to Ae-Ri quickly. The silver girl looked down to see a glove like contraption in her hands. It was the length of her arm, its surface cold. Melia sent out her own Pokemon to fight off the grunts, giving her more time. “It’s called a Snag Machine. You can use it to catch the Shadow Pokemon.” She explained quickly, handing Ae-Ri a PokeBall. She gave the shorter girl an absolutely bewildered look.

“Catch it? But it has a trainer already.” Ae-Ri said, slipping the glove contraption onto her right arm. It felt light once she snapped it into place, curling her fingers to see the metal glove copy her movements. Melia gritted her teeth as she watched her Pokemon fight.

“You need to trust me. Throw a ball at the Meowth.” She said firmly, her gray gaze boring into Ae-Ri. They had to try something, anything to get out of this.

The silver girl nodded slowly, stepping up to get closer to the Meowth. She could see Jade covered in scratches with Sapphire continuously throwing sand in the Meowth’s face. With all her strength, Ae-Ri threw the ball with the machine and let it hit the cat Pokemon in the head.

Shockingly, the Meowth entered the ball with a shake. The grunt commanding it watched in shock as the ball rocked three times, returning itself to Ae-Ri’s palm. The girl’s eyes were wide as she looked down at the PokeBall.

“What was-?”

“Hey! You stole my Meowth!” The grunt exclaimed in disbelief. He pointed an accusatory finger at Ae-Ri. “I raised it from an egg! You can't just take it!” Melia glared at the man, her gray eyes fiery.

“If you cared for it, you wouldn't have made it go through the shadowfication process! Ae-Ri did it a favor.” The girl spat, venom lacing her voice. Ae-Ri couldn't take her eyes off of the PokeBall in her hand. She caught a trainer's Pokemon. How was that possible?

The Xen grunts suddenly looked wary of the silver girl. Their Pokemon were taken down by Ae-Ri’s team as Melia sent out her own Pokemon. Ae-Ri saw she sent out her Togepi Hapi, along with a Stufful, Wooloo, Eevee, and Buneary. The silver girl pocketed the caught Meowth, looking at the bewildered Xen grunt.

“I’m reporting this to Executive Zetta! The rest of you take care of Melia and her friend with the machine!” He said, running off towards the dried up lake. Ae-Ri and Melia looked towards the Xen grunts, noticing more coming out of the trees. The silver girl assumed this “Zetta” was the main perpetrator of the attack. They had to get to him first.

“You take left, I take right.” Ae-Ri said, glancing at Melia. The blonde girl nodded, her expression grim.

“Got it.” And at that, hell broke loose.

The two girls ran through the chaos, occasionally calling out commands to their Pokemon. Ae-Ri could see Sapphire battering a Tympole with her paws, Aquamarine blasting away a Sinstea with a Water Gun, Malachite and Garnet dive-bombing a Shadow Finneon, Topaz smacking a Shroomish with his tail, and Jade sending Leaf Tornados towards a Ducklett. The silver girl also took the time to keep an eye on Melia, who was busy dealing with her portion of the grunts.

“Hapi, Ancient Power!” The girl exclaimed, watching as Hapi launched several large fossils towards a Tynamo.

Ae-Ri weaved through several grunts, watching as her team moved on to a different opponent. She glanced up to see a grunt in the trees, holding a PokeBall. Before Ae-Ri could react, the grunt sent out a Taillow. The bird Pokemon swooped down to attack the girl's face without warning.

Its sharp beak slammed into the rim of her glasses, sending them flying off of her face. Ae-Ri panicked as her world went blurry, masses of Pokemon and people melting together. Then, she saw the blurry form of the Xen grunt send out another Pokemon. The girl saw a green blob that got up in her face. She saw it was a Cacnea, surrounded by shadow energy. Her eyes locked with its dead, black eyes. It seemed to smile, its energy sinister and cold. The Cacnea spun its orb body, striking Ae-Ri in her left eye with one of its spiked arms.

She cried out at the sudden pain, feeling the blunt spines digging into her skin. Ae-Ri smacked the Cacnea away in a panic, feeling its spines tear at her face.

The Cacnea fell to the ground, immediately being attacked by a hissing Sapphire. The Eevee barreled into the cactus Pokemon, bowling it like a ball into Malachite. The Noibat grabbed it with his small clawed feet, flinging the Cacnea towards the trees. The bat Pokemon trilled drowsily once the shadow Pokemon was out of view.

Once the Cacnea was off of her, the girl instinctively put a hand to her eye, pressing down with her fingers. She shut it tight, feeling warm blood dripping down her face and her hand.

“AE! What happened?!” Through her good eye, she saw Melia stepping up to her, the girl’s gray eyes wild with panic. Jade was with her, holding out Ae-Ri’s glasses with his vines. The girl graciously took them, gingerly putting them back on her face. She still kept her left eye shut as she spoke, her voice trembling slightly.

“D-Does it look bad?” Ae-Ri could still feel it bleeding, staining the lens of her glasses. Melia winced as she gently grazed the puncture wound with one of her fingers. The silver girl flinched at the touch, cringing at the pain.

“It doesn’t look like it hit the actual eye… right above the upper eyelid and the bottom of the eye.” Melia carefully wiped away some of the blood with a handkerchief.

Once the blonde girl was done, Ae-Ri slowly opened her eye, feeling the aching pain as she did. She couldn't open it fully without it bothering her, but the girl felt a wave of relief when she could see out of it. Melia handed the now bloody handkerchief to Ae-Ri, who pressed it against the top of her eye.

Ae-Ri looked around to see that most of the grunts deserted. All of their Pokemon were beat. She let out a deep sigh. “Looks like we dealt with all of them. We should head to the lake.” Ae-Ri said, already turning to go. Melia gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

“Ae, you can’t just walk around with that untreated.” The girl stressed, her fingers trembling slightly. Ae-Ri pursed her lips, ignoring the sting of the open wound as she took the handkerchief off of it. She had to focus on Melia, on getting the girl out of the forest. They couldn't stay here.

“I can wait. We need to find that Zetta guy and get you out of here.” The girl pulled away from Melia’s grip, looking at her over her shoulder. She could see the girl about to retort. Ae-Ri cut her off, keeping her tone soft. “They’re after you. We should focus on getting to East Gearen and telling your dad.”

Sapphire leapt onto her shoulder, gently licking her cheek. The girl smiled, stroking the Eevee’s fur. Melia bit her bottom lip, her brow furrowed. Weirdly, the girl started to rummage through her pockets.

After a moment, Melia pulled out two band-aids from her pockets, sticking them onto Ae-Ri’s injuries before the girl could react. Shocked, she gently stroked the band-aids as Melia sighed.

“That should do for now. We’ll go with your plan just… don’t overexert yourself.” Ae-Ri almost laughed, giving the girl a small smile. She wasn’t too sure how well she could uphold Melia’s request.

After that, the two of them stepped into the now dried up lake. No trace of water could be seen, showing no sign this was once the stunning lake Ae-Ri saw a few hours ago.

In the center of the dried lake was a tall man wearing a long gray coat. Hearing the sounds of their footsteps, he fully turned around to face them. His pale blonde hair and dark gray eyes bore a strange resemblance to Melia.

This must be Zetta.

“Oh? Look at what the Meowth dragged in.” Zetta hissed, pocketing one of his hands. He held a PokeBall in the other, his gray eyes boring into Melia. The blonde girl took a step forward, her hand clasped around her own PokeBall.

“Why did you attack Goldenwood Forest?” She spat, sending out Hapi in front of her. Zetta scoffed, a small smirk going across his face.

“The people were resisting, so we did what we had to do.” He sounded so casual about it. Even if he was a part of Team Xen, Ae-Ri couldn’t believe what she was hearing. What they had to do? They had to blow up an entire forest?

“You had to ruin the forest? You were required to?” Melia curled her hand into a fist. Zetta ignored her, staring intently at the blonde girl. He stuck out his finger towards her lazily.

“Hm… It looks like you're Melia.” The girl flinched, her gray eyes slightly wide. Zetta clicked his tongue, his gaze turning towards Ae-Ri. Sapphire bristled in his direction as the man furrowed his brow.

“And you’re…” Suddenly, his eyes widened with surprise. The silver girl watched in confusion as Zetta barked with a laugh, bringing his hand to his head.

“You’re that girl from the cruise ship! Ae-Ri, was it?” The girl froze in place. Maybe she should have expected this sooner. Team Xen would definitely be aware of her by now for escaping the attack.

A thin grin appeared across Zetta's face. He held up his PokeBall. “Looks like I can knock out two birds with one big stone.” The blonde man threw the PokeBall into the air, sending out a yellow Minior that seemed to shine even in the smoky area.

Ae-Ri glanced towards Melia, seeing the girl tense up. Hapi entered the battlefield with Sapphire leaping off of the silver girl’s shoulder. Zetta took out another PokeBall, sending out a tall Quilava. It went on all fours, its fiery mohawk blazing brightly. Ae-Ri and Melia attacked together.

“Hapi, Ancient Power against the Quilava!”

“Cover for Hapi, Sapphire! Hit the Minior with a Sand Attack!” The Eevee ran up to the meteor Pokemon to slap her tail across it. Sand exploded from her fur as the Minior closed its eyes from the sand.

Meanwhile, Hapi launched several fossils towards the Quilava, who didn’t take the chance to dodge. The fire type simply took the hit, coming out a bit bruised. Zetta smirked, his gray eyes dark.

“Smokescreen, Quilava! Minior, use Self-Destruct!” In the next moment, the Minior started to glow brightly as the Quilava blew a plume of thick smoke towards Sapphire and Hapi.

“Tug Hapi back, Sapphire!” Ae-Ri frantically called, blocking her face as the Minior self-destructed. The explosion knocked Sapphire and Hapi backwards, sending them to the dirt. Melia gritted her teeth, trying to see through the smokescreen.

“Way too thick… Hapi, switch out! Go Wooloo!” The blonde girl returned the Togepi to send out a Wooloo with black wool. The sheep Pokemon carved its hooves into the dirt. “Use Rollout to clear out the smoke!”

Ae-Ri withdrew Sapphire, watching as the Wooloo curled into a wool ball and started rolling around at shocking speeds in the smoke. The silver girl decided to send out Garnet.

“Alright Garnet, use Peck!” Once the smoke dissipated just enough for the Quilava to come into view, the Fletchling dove towards it like a torpedo.

Garnet sliced her sharp beak across the Quilava’s face. The fire type recoiled back, its flames erupting as it grimaced. Zetta didn’t flinch, taking out another PokeBall.

“Snorunt, use Shadow Wave.” A Snorunt was sent out, surrounded by shadow energy. The small ice type shrieked with rage, sending a large wave towards Garnet and Melia’s Wooloo. The Fletchling swooped out of the way, chittering with annoyance. On the other hand, the Wooloo was struck by the attack, sending it flying towards Melia.

The blonde girl grimaced, returning the Wooloo and sending out another Pokemon. “Go Buneary! Use Double Hit on the Quilava!” Ae-Ri saw the Quilava on all fours, its flames blazing. The silver girl realized what she could do about the Snorunt.

As Zetta attacked Melia’s Buneary, Ae-Ri took out a PokeBall from her pocket. “Flame Wheel Quilava!” The man commanded, his Quilava engulfing itself in flames and rolling towards the Buneary. The Buneary bounded around the Quilava, boxing it with its ears once the fire type stopped the attack. Ae-Ri saw her opening with the Snorunt.

“Garnet, Ember against the Snorunt!” The Fletchling spat a small ball of fire towards the ice type, striking it in the face. The Snorunt landed on the ground, now burned from the attack. Ae-Ri threw the PokeBall as hard as she could, knocking it against the ice type’s face.

The Snorunt entered the ball, rocking three times in the air before letting out a loud click. Zetta watched unphased as the ball returned to Ae-Ri’s palm.

“A Snag Machine…” He muttered, eyeing up the machine on the girl's arm. Ae-Ri glared at the man, ready to enter the fight once again.

Suddenly, Garnet’s body was bathed in blue light. The exact blue light Jade had during the gym battle. Melia and Ae-Ri watched wide eyed as the tiny bird Pokemon grew significantly in size. Her wings grew in size, her talons grew wider, and her head grew angular.

By the time the blue light exploded off of her, Garnet evolved into a Fletchinder. The bird Pokemon let out a high pitched cry, launching herself towards the Quilava. Melia’s Buneary laid fainted at the girl’s feet covered in burns. The blonde girl returned the bunny Pokemon as she watched Garnet’s body become engulfed in flames, slamming her beak into the Quilava.

The fire type was sent flying, crashing into the earth walls of the lake. It slid to the ground defeated. Zetta returned his Pokemon as Garnet ruffled her feathers, landing on Ae-Ri with her talons gently clawing her shoulder and back. The silver girl grinned, scratching the bird Pokemon’s chin.

“You did amazing.” Garnet chittered, pulling one of her wings over her face in embarrassment. Ae-Ri returned the Fletchinder, sending out Jade. The Servine hissed with glee, slowly waving his tail back and forth.

Melia sent out Hapi once again, focusing on Zetta. The blonde man sighed, taking out a green PokeBall with small yellow accents. A small grimace went across his face as he stared down at it.

“Sorry, buddy.” He threw out the PokeBall, sending out a strange Pokemon Ae-Ri had never seen before. It was a chimeric Pokemon with each front leg being strangely insectoid and the two back legs looking like paws. Strangest if all, it wore a heavy looking helmet with a large cleaver-like horn at the top.

Melia looked at it bewildered. Seems like she’d never seen it before either. “What the… Hapi, Echoed Voice!” The Togepi sent a loud sound wave towards the chimeric Pokemon, seemingly affecting it very little.

“Zepto, Double Hit on the egg.” The chimeric Pokemon charged at Hapi, striking the smaller creature with its front legs. It scored two claw marks across the Togepi’s face, sending him flying. Hapi wailed like a child, his face bleeding from the attack. Melia bent down towards him, worry streaking across her face.

Jade, not happy seeing the small egg Pokemon crying, hissed at Zepto. He went on all fours, waving his sword-like tail towards the chimeric Pokemon. That seemed to catch its attention as its masked head slowly looked towards the Servine.

“Jade, Leaf Tornado to pick it up off of the ground!” Jade sent a large swirl of leaves towards Zepto, picking the chimeric Pokemon off of the ground. The leaves sliced at its skin like blades, drawing blood in several places. However, the Pokemon didn’t falter as it was carried into the air.

Zetta scoffed, lazily waving his hand towards Ae-Ri. “How silly. Zepto, attack the girl.” The chimeric Pokemon launched itself towards Ae-Ri, who wasn’t prepared for the attack. She saw its insectoid claws reaching out to strike her in the face before she could move.

Jade grabbed at Zepto’s back legs with his vines, reeling his head back with a high-pitched cry. The force sent the chimeric Pokemon backwards, letting its claws barely graze Ae-Ri’s face. Suddenly, Sapphire leapt towards Zepto, trilling angrily as she slammed her entire body against the Pokemon’s chest.

Shockingly, the attack bodied Zepto, sending it crashing into the dry lake. Jade and Sapphire landed gracefully together, glancing at one another for a moment. Ae-Ri could only watch in silent shock as Zetta smirked.

Melia finally saw her opening, watching as Zepto staggered to its feet. “Hapi, Ancient Power!” The Togepi trilled, sending the stones towards the chimeric Pokemon. They struck Zepto in several places, ricocheting off of its mask. The Pokemon was injured, but not defeated.

Zetta returned Zepto, a strange grin on his face. “What a nice display of skill. Bravo.” The man said, giving a slow, lazy clap. Melia sprayed Hapi with a potion, cradling the Pokemon as she fixed her eyes on Zetta. The blonde man chuckled, his gray eyes boring into Ae-Ri, leaving her mildly uncomfortable. “You even managed to snag the Snorunt I’ve been training.”

The silver girl looked down at the pocketed PokeBall. She looked back at Zetta, her gaze defiant. “I hope you’re happy with what you did to it.” Ae-Ri watched the blonde man, who simply stared back at her. Melia got to her feet, taking a step back.

Ae-Ri returned Jade and Sapphire, taking an instinctive step towards the blonde girl. Her gray eyes were stormy as she stared warily at Zetta, holding Hapi close.

“So, now that we beat you…” She trailed off, fixing Zetta with a cautious glare. He chuckled, putting his arms out theatrically.

“Yep, indeed you did. I think it’s time we test out this new weapon I got.” Suddenly, a void of energy appeared behind him, looking as if it ripped itself through space. Ae-Ri watched it with wide eyes, feeling the sheer power and malice that radiated from it. What the hell was it?

Zetta laughed, giving the two girls a toothy grin. “This is what happens when you fuse a rift with the essence of a Pokemon.” Suddenly, the energy of the rift seemed to be sucking in its surroundings like a vacuum. Ae-Ri and Melia dug their heels into the ground, watching as flopping Magikarps were helplessly sucked into the rift.

“What the hell is-?” Melia started, shielding her face with her raised arms. The wind started to blow the trees wildly, sucking in large branches that barely hit the two girls.

“Melia, duck!” Ae-Ri cried, watching as an entire tree flew over their heads. Zetta looked towards the silver girl, his coat blowing in the wind the rift created. He craned his head back towards the rift.

“Now, Dimensional Rift… Devour Ae-Ri!” As if it listened to his command, Ae-Ri could feel the winds of the rift sucking her in specifically. She could feel her feet being dragged inch by inch from where she was.

She noticed Melia reaching towards her in a desperate attempt to drag her backwards. Ae-Ri couldn’t let the blonde girl get sucked into who knows where.

The silver girl let go of the ground, feeling her body being forcefully flung into the air at shocking speeds.

“AE!” Melia screamed, now digging her heels back into the ground. The blonde girl’s agitation was the last thing Ae-Ri heard before entering the void, feeling the darkness clinging onto her until it went black.

— ~ —

The first thing Ae-Ri felt was rain. Cold, pounding rain against her back. The girl groaned, feeling a splitting headache strike.

“Owwwww…” She mumbled, picking herself up from where she laid on her back. Ae-Ri observed she was sitting on a wooden pier, the planks rotting with mold underneath her palm.

Sapphire leapt at her chest, trilling with worry as she pawed at Ae-Ri’s neck, her eyes round with worry. The silver girl laughed, ignoring the headache and stroking the Eevee’s fur.

“Thanks for the save back there. You and Jade.” Ae-Ri added, smiling down at the Eevee. Sapphire trilled with relief, leaping onto the girl’s shoulder.

Ae-Ri picked herself up, looking around at her surroundings. She stood at the edge of the pier, a vast ocean to her left. To her right, an ominous path surrounded by dark trees with pink grass. How nice.

“Is the dimensional rift stuff making it pink…?” The girl wondered out loud, heading towards the path. She walked in silence, feeling the squelch of the wet grass underneath her feet. Sapphire flattened her ears trying to shield herself from the rain.

Once Ae-Ri took a turn, Jade released himself from his ball, taking the time to examine the path ahead. He hissed, sticking his forked tongue out as the silver girl stood in front of a red gate.

The trio passed through the gate, finding another that led to a pathway of thick trees. Ae-Ri took a needed deep breath, entering through the gate.

They found themselves at a lake with five waterfalls surrounding it. The biggest one stood at the middle, cascading violently with white foam splashing at the bottom. A small half bridge led to the middle of the lake. At the end of it laid a Magikarp flopped on its back.

Jade watched it, his nostrils flared with suspicion. Ae-Ri stepped up to it, ignoring Sapphire’s trills of worry. The silver girl stood over it, watching its round eyes staring up at her.

“Uhm…” She muttered, wondering what to do with it. All of a sudden, the Magikarp leapt into the water, sending a small splash towards Ae-Ri’s face. Jade hissed, leaping towards the spot where the Magikarp one was bristling. Sapphire leapt down next to the Servine, sniffing towards the water with her ears pricked.

Ae-Ri watched as the Magikarp traveled up the waterfall, its leaps large. The fish Pokemon leapt onto a red gate at the top, being enveloped in a white light. The Magikarp leapt back down into the lake, its small form swimming around. The silver girl watched as its shape started to grow, rapidly at that.

She took a step back as the ground started to tremble. The girl yelped in shock, maintaining her balance as Jade and Sapphire looked around with bristling spines.

Ae-Ri looked up as a huge shadow looked over her. A Gyarados as tall as an average office building loomed over her in the water, its red eyes enraged. The serpentine Pokemon let out a bellow, its roar almost sending the silver girl backwards.

“Huh?! What the hell did Zetta-” Ae-Ri shrieked in surprise as the Gyarados lunged towards her. The Pokemon was only intercepted by Jade, who sent a Leaf Tornado at its face. Sapphire sprang towards it, sending a Sand Attack in its eyes.

“Wait!” Ae-Ri looked up to see… Melia?

The blonde girl was standing on the Gyarados, her form like a hologram. She looked agitated, directly staring at the silver girl with wide gray eyes. “Ae, I don’t know where you are, or if you can even hear me…” She started, her voice trembling. Melia clenched her fists, shaking her head. “But, I won't let you fight this alone! I promise!”

The Gyarados let out an enraged roar, slapping its tail in the water. It sent a small wave towards Ae-Ri, splashing at the girl’s legs. Jade hissed, his vines slapping at the serpentine Pokemon's face. Ae-Ri regained her focus, determined on getting out of this mess alive.

“Jade, strike at its eyes with a Vine Whip! Sapphire, use Swift towards its face!” The Servine started to strike at the Gyarados’s eyes, his hits fast and quick. Sapphire launched deadly stars towards the serpent’s mouth, hitting it in the inner part of its throat. The Gyarados roared, lunging at Jade with its powerful maw.

Jade sliced his sword-like tail across the Gyarados's face, causing it to bleed. Ae-Ri sent out Malachite and Topaz, who looked around confused before facing the Gyarados.

“Supersonic, Malachite! We need to confuse it! Topaz, use Fury Swipes! Go for the face everyone!” Malachite shrieked, sending blaring soundwaves towards the large rift Pokemon. Topaz leapt at shocking heights with his tail and legs, latching into the Gyarados's face with sharp claws.

The rift Pokemon roared with confusion, waving its head back and forth to knock off all of the Pokemon. Malachite swung around, avoiding its large head to hit it with a Wing Attack. Ae-Ri sent out Aquamarine and Garnet as well, a bit worried about how the two of them would fare against the Gyarados.

“Alright, you two play defensive. Aqua, use Growl. Try to stay away from the fighting for now. Garnet, you fly up and distract it. Give everyone else an opening.” The two Pokemon nodded, understanding their assignments.

Aquamarine spun his propellor tail towards the Gyarados, sending out a slew of growls and chitters. Garnet shot upwards, flapping her wings to send strong gales of wind towards the rift Pokemon. The Gyarados snapped its jaws towards the Fletchinder, missing her as the bird Pokemon shot further upward.

Jade took this opportunity to attack the soft part of the Gyarados’s throat. The Servine constricted his two vines around it, tightening his grip to reel himself towards the rift Pokemon. The Gyarados roared in pain as it kept getting pummeled with attacks.

Sapphire shot swifts down its throat, Malachite slapped it continuously with powerful wing strikes, Topaz climbed across its spine to deliver slashes across its entire body, Aquamarine started to blast it with Water Guns to distract it, Garnet was continuing to send gales of wind its way.

“Jade, be careful!” Ae-Ri yelled over the thundering rain, now pounding against the lake like bullets. The Gyarados’s agitated movements were stirring up the water, sending waves licking the sides of the half bridge the girl stood on.

Jade dug his claws into the Gyarados’s throat, his vines continuing to constrict it even tighter. The Servine seemed to be getting tired, his movements becoming more strained. Luckily, the rift Pokemon was slowing down.

Its roars started to sound more like wheezes, its attacks growing less accurate. Jade couldn't give up. He couldn't. The Servine climbed up the Gyarados, feeling for the softest part of its throat.

He sliced his claw across it, earning a shallow cut in its throat. Jade grinned, eager at finding their way out of this mess.

The Servine took his sword-like tail, reeling in his vines to leap into the air. Before the Gyarados could attack, Jade sliced his tail across its throat, letting its blood splatter onto the water and half bridge.

Ae-Ri quickly returned the rest of her Pokemon, watching as the Gyarados let out a wheezy roar of pain. The rift Pokemon came crashing to the ground, falling into the water sitb a great splash.

Jade landed beside Ae-Ri as the splash soaked them both, smelling like blood. The silver girl coughed, shivering lightly from the cold.

“You did great… You did great…” Ae-Ri said breathlessly, watching the Gyarados in a state of shock. Was it dead? Did Jade kill it? The Servine was certainly covered in its blood. His tail was drenched in it as well as it flecking across his face.

Melia appeared once again on top of the Gyarados, a relieved smile across her face. “Good… You did great Ae!” The silver girl couldn't help but grin, glad to hear her friend.

Suddenly, the darkness was coming back to her. The rift felt as if it was collapsing. Ae-Ri’s eyes widened as darkness engulfed her vision once again.

— ~ —

“You kids are annoying.” Zetta growled, wiping away a smudge of dirt across his face. Melia faced him, breathing heavily as Hapi battled against a now healed Zepto. The Togepi was weak, trilling with exhaustion. “Zepto, let's finish this.” The chimeric Pokemon have a low growl in response.

Please be alright, Ae. Please… Melia urged, clenching her fist tightly. Suddenly, the ground trembled. Zetta looked around with disbelief, his face dark with horror.

“No… My rift-” The rift behind him proceeded to spit out a teenage girl, who happened to be Ae-Ri. The silver girl landed on the ground, groaning.

“I never want to be wet again…” She muttered, getting up from the ground with her arms. Melia smiled wide, taking Ae-Ri’s arm and forcing her up.

“Ae!” She exclaimed, almost wrapping the girl in a hug. Ae-Ri, still bewildered, smiled at the sound of Melia’s voice.

Zetta sighed, looking towards the rift. “I see… My rift- was interrupted, not slain.” This caught Ae-Ri’s attention. The Gyarados wasn’t dead? The blonde man chuckled, looking towards the two girls. “Looks like I still have an advantage here.”

Melia grabbed Ae-Ri’s wrist, her hands shaking. “Ae, we should run while we have the chance-”

“Stop.” Zetta ordered, taking a step towards them. Suddenly, a big Pokemon leapt from the side of the lake and right between the blonde executive and Melia. Ae-Ri saw with wide eyes that it was the Ruthless Garbodor from the sewer.

“Garbodor?!” Melia exclaimed in shock, watching bewildered as the garbage Pokemon pointed its gun arm towards Zetta. The blonde man was equally confused.

“What the- What is this thing doing here??”

“GARBO!” The Garbodor looked at Melia and Ae-Ri, waving its arm towards the exit. Melia gave it a wide eyed stare.

“You… You want us to run?” She asked, her voice trembling slightly. The garbage Pokemon nodded slowly, turning back towards Zetta. Ae-Ri did not expect to see a Pokemon have such a turn in behavior. Melia seemed agitated by this decision, her legs shaking. “But, we can’t just leave you here-”

The Garbodor bellowed in protest, not turning away from Zetta, who glared at it with malice. Ae-Ri rested her hand on Melia’s shoulder, gently pulling the girl away.

“It’s giving us a chance. Come on, let’s get out of here while we can.” The girl urged, wanting to leave Goldenwood Forest at that moment. Melia hesitated, gritting her teeth. She returned Hapi, letting Ae-Ri take her wrist and lead the two of them out of the forest.

Zetta watched them leave, fixing the Garbodor with an angry glare. “You’re going to regret that punk.” He spat, pocketing one of his hands. “I’ll make this quick for both of us.”

— ~ —

Ae-Ri and Melia quickly made it to the train, sitting at one of the tables together. Both of them were quiet, fully comprehending the events that transpired.

“...... Why do you think they’re after you?” Ae-Ri asked after a few minutes of silence. Melia laid back against her seat, her brow furrowed and her eyes dark.

“I… I have no idea.” She said honestly, sounding weary. “I don’t know why they’re going to such an extent.” Melia glanced at Ae-Ri’s eye for a moment. The blonde girl played with one of the curls of her hair, continuing to talk. “Once we make it to East Gestern, we need to find my dad. I…” The girl paused, her voice trailing off. She took a deep breath, clasping her hands together. “I think my dad knows something.” She admitted, her gaze dark.

What? Why would Professor Jenner know anything? “Why do you suspect that?” Ae-Ri asked, crossing her arms and watching Melia curiously. The blonde girl hesitated, gently tugging at her sleeve.

“I… I don’t want to say it. Not when I’m not sure.” Ae-Ri nodded, not asking anything of it after that. The rest of the trip was traveled in silence. Ae-Ri continued to try to wrap her head around the entire Goldenwood incident.

What did Team Xen want? What were they after? How could they create shadow Pokemon and Dimensional Rifts?

What did they want with Melia?

Chapter Text

The minute the train stopped, Melia practically dragged Ae-Ri to the Pokemon lab. The blonde girl was moving at a quick pace, staying silent as the duo entered the lab.

Ae-Ri waited behind Melia as she peeked through a crack in the back door. The silver girl twiddled with her thumbs, ignoring the returning sting from her eye injury. She saw Melia stiffen up, her body frozen. The blonde girl looked towards Ae-Ri with fearful gray eyes.

“I… Oh Arceus above…” Melia muttered, her grip on the doorknob tightening til her knuckles were white. Ae-Ri wasn’t catching onto anything.

“Was the professor in there?” She whispered, resting a hand on the door. Melia’s lip quivered, her teeth gritted. The girl looked as if she was on the verge of tears. “Was it…?”

“He’s not alone.” Melia whispered, her voice strangely cold. Her fingernails scratched at the doorknob as her hand tightened into a fist.

The blonde girl took a deep breath, fixing her gaze onto Ae-Ri. “Follow me.” Melia quietly opened the door and entered the room, her steps light.

Ae-Ri peeked in to see the blonde girl hiding behind a bookshelf, beckoning her to come over. The silver girl silently walked over, looking through the books to see the scene before them.

Professor Jenner was standing at his desk, his gray eyes dark and his eyebrows furrowed. The normally calm man seemed rather agitated, playing around with his sleeves and pacing back and forth. However, there was a second person in the room. Ae-Ri’s eyes widened when she recognized them from Professor Jenner’s video call.

There was the same woman with red pigtails standing at the other side of Professor Jenner’s table. Now that Ae-Ri could see her more clearly, she could see the large red X that branded the woman’s clothing. The same X every single Xen grunt had back in Goldenwood.

The girl had to suck in her exclamation of shock. Professor Jenner with Team Xen? And he didn’t seem threatened by the woman… That couldn’t be it. Professor Jenner wasn’t like them.

“You know, I didn’t appreciate being hung up on like that. It was very rude and I should have reported you for misconduct.” The woman said in a haughty manner, her hands on her hips. Ae-Ri hated her the moment she opened her mouth. Professor Jenner sighed with annoyance, not stopping his pacing.

“People entered the room, Madelis. What was I supposed to do? And that happened a week ago, why are you still thinking about it?” The red haired woman–Madelis–snorted with annoyance. She crossed her arms.

“You could have locked the door? Not that it particularly matters. Zetta should be picking up Melia at this very moment.”

Professor Jenner stopped his pacing, his expression twisting into one of pain. He sighed, sounding exhausted. “Yes…” His voice trembled immensely. The red haired executive raised an eyebrow at him.

“Why so glum? You knew this was going to happen.” Her tone was blunt, completely ignoring the dejected look of the professor. Madelis continued, her shrill voice hurting Ae-Ri’s ears. “From the moment we gave you the job of looking after Melia as she grew up, we made it very clear.”

“Melia was only going to be with you temporarily.”

Ae-Ri felt Melia stiffen next to her. The blonde girl was hugging her knees, her eyes wide as she listened. She looked as if she was going to cry.

Professor Jenner crumpled a piece of paper underneath his palm, his teeth gritted. “I haven’t forgotten… I’ve never forgotten.” He muttered, his voice cracking. The Madelis watched the man, her red gaze unimpressed.

“Hmm… Well, for your sake, I hope that is the case. I told you getting attached would ruin you, and it looks like it has.” Professor Jenner fixed a glare onto the red haired woman, his fist clenched tightly.

Before she could continue, Ae-Ri felt Melia standing up next to her. The silver girl looked at her with wide eyes as she watched her friend walk out from the bookshelf.

“Melia, wait-”

“I knew it.” The girl said, her voice thick with emotion. Her appearance shocked both Professor Jenner and Madelis. The professor beamed, a wide smile on his face.

“M-Melia, you made it! Thank goodness!” He exclaimed, clasping his hands together. Melia said nothing, her gaze dark and her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

Ae-Ri stepped out shortly, warily staring at Madelis. The red haired woman looked angry, turning towards Professor Jenner. The man continued, his excitement and relief not being contained.

“Ae too! I’m so happy to see both of-”

“Jenner, what the hell are you playing at?!” Madelis snapped, stepping up to the professor’s table. “Melia is supposed to be in Goldenwood Forest! What is she doing here?!” The red haired woman slammed her palm down on the table, her red gaze boring into Professor Jenner. He responded quickly.

“She-”

“Just be quiet!” The professor’s voice faltered as Melia snapped at him, her frame shaking. Ae-Ri kept her gaze on Madelis as her blonde friend started to speak. “I knew the moment I found the Snag Machine in the briefcase. You gave it to me today of all days… With that code…” Her voice quivered more with every word. Ae-Ri could see small tears in the corners of Melia’s eyes. “You did that because you knew! You knew this would happen!” The blonde girl pointed an accusatory finger at Professor Jenner, the tip of it shaking.

“Melia, please-”

“After all these years, you were never my real father. You never told me the truth!” The girl was now crying, her voice incredibly hurt. Ae-Ri now wondered: did Professor Jenner let her wander off with Melia for her field exploration so she could help Melia during the attack? Is that what was happening here?

Professor Jenner looked horribly guilty, his body stiff. “Melia, please listen-”

“I’m DONE listening to you!” The girl spat, her face contorting into one of anger. “Everything you’ve done was to set me up!”

“Enough of this!” Madelis interjected, turning on Melia. “I don’t know what is going on here but I intend to end it. Come, Houndoom!” The red haired executive sent out her Houndoom. The hellhound let out a howl as Melia stood her ground.

“I’m not scared of you! Hapi, come out!” The girl sent out her Togepi, who chirped with confusion. Ae-Ri was about to send out her own Pokemon before Madelis’s Houndoom set a ring of fire around the executive and Melia. The girl yelped in shock as the flames licked at her clothes.

“Melia!” The blonde girl ignored her friend’s cries, focusing her anger on the red woman in front of her.

“Hapi, Yawn!” The egg Pokemon sent a loud yawn towards the Houndoom, who suddenly looked rather drowsy. Madelis scoffed.

“Houndoom, Incinerate!” The hellhound produced a ball of fire which it shot towards Hapi. The Togepi was able to dodge it, letting it fly past Melia and hit the wall behind her. After the attack, the Houndoom fell asleep standing up.

“Ancient Power! Do it while you can, Hapi!” The Togepi chirped indignantly as it sent wave after wave of ancient rocks, hitting the hellhound. The Houndoom fell to the ground, still in a deep sleep. Hapi sent another wave of Ancient Power, hitting the fire type in the head. This woke up the Houndoom, letting it stagger to its feet.

“Houndoom, honey, Incinerate the little egg. Now.” The hellhound shot another ball of fire at Hapi, this time hitting it. The Togepi was badly injured just by the one attack.

Melia's eyes widened with horror. “Hapi…” She gritted her teeth, returning the Togepi. She sent out her Buneary, who faced the Houndoom. “Double Hit!” The bunny Pokemon leapt at the hellhound, smacking it with its ears two times in the face. The hellhound bit down on one of the Buneary’s ears, shaking it back and forth.

“Snarl, Houndoom!” The Houndoom flung the Buneary upwards, striking it with a powerful Snarl. Melia clenched her jaw as her Buneary crashed onto the ground and fainted.

Ae-Ri tried to peel her eyes away from the fight to see Professor Jenner. The man seemed to be frozen in place, his eyes wide and his frame stiff.

“Go Stufful!” Melia sent out the bear Pokemon, who faced the Houndoom with a smile. “Use Stacking Shot!” The Stufful flung itself towards the Houndoom, pummeling it repeatedly with its paws. The hellhound snarled in pain, bruises forming on its body as the Stufful punched its face, making the dog Pokemon fall over.

Madelis curled her lip, her hands on her hips. She let her Houndoom stagger back to its feet, its tail whipping side to side. “Incinerate, don’t let it hit you again!” The hellhound growled, spitting the large ball of fire towards the Stufful, hitting it in the stomach.

The bear Pokemon cooed in pain, falling at Melia’s feet. However, Madelis’ Houndoom buckled to the floor, falling on its side in exhaustion. The dog Pokemon panted, now beat and fainted.

Once it fainted, the ring of fire around the two of them dissipated, leaving a shocked Melia and annoyed Madelis.

Ae-Ri knew Melia was a good battler, but she didn't expect this. The girl never went this hard during training. Professor Jenner was wide eyed. Even he was impressed by his daughter’s performance.

“Incredible…”

Madelis rolled her eyes, returning her fainted Houndoom. “I must say, whoever taught you to battle, taught you well.” The executive said, a tinge of surprise in her tone. She took out another ball, a smirk going across her face. “However, sometimes battles aren’t enough to settle differences.”

“Don’t talk down to me…” Melia muttered, glaring at the woman harshly.

“All of your Pokemon are weakened, and I only used one Pokemon. You think you can take on the rest of my onslaught?” Ae-Ri sent out Jade, who hissed towards Madelis with heightened aggression. The silver girl glared at the executive as she laughed, the sound grating to the girl’s ears.

“You think this will help her? I advise you to stand down and let us take this into our hands.” Melia stayed silent, her eyes blazing with annoyance and anger. Professor Jenner seemed like he wanted to make a move, his feet shifting. However, he didn’t move an inch.

Ae-Ri’s thoughts were racing. How could they defeat the executive? How can Melia and Professor Jenner get out of this safely? “You can’t win against three of us.” The silver girl looked towards the blonde professor, who stiffened at her gaze.

Madelis raised an eyebrow, her expression unimpressed. “Really? Jenner won’t help you, he's smarter than that, yes?” The woman purred, looking over at Jenner with a hard gaze. This entire time, Melia was pondering, her eyebrows furrowed. Suddenly, she lit up.

The girl sent out Hapi, catching everyone’s attention in the room. “One last attack, Hapi! Use Metronome!” The Togepi trilled, waving his small hand. In the next moment, Hapi and Melia started to glow white. Ae-Ri recognized that glow.

Teleport.

The blonde girl’s eyes widened, her gray gaze turning towards Ae-Ri. “Ae, wait-” The silver girl reached out to Melia as she was teleported away. Her fingers grazed the girl’s shirt, the lab turning white. Professor Jenner and Madelis were gone. The light blinded her eyes just like on the S.S. Oceana.

When the white light dissipated, Ae-Ri found herself on the grass with Jade at her side. Her head felt like it was being split open. “Ugh… Never getting used to that…” She muttered, sitting up.

The silver girl looked around to see pretty cherry blossom trees. Where were they teleported to? And where was Melia? Ae-Ri spotted a sign: Route Two.

Her eyes widened. Amethyst Cave. Amethyst Cave was on Route Two. What did Ren say earlier?

“Amethyst Cave's located at the end of Route Two. It’s the way to Sheridan Village, which should be your next badge. It’s full of powerful fighting type trainers that are led by a sensei named Keta.”

Powerful trainers. Melia is probably heading there to be safe. She must be somewhere else in the route.

Ae-Ri sprang to her feet, shocking Jade immensely. The Servine hissed, his sword-like tail cleaving the grass. The girl whipped her head around to see the path through the route. She started to run.

The silver girl was aware that Team Xen would be notified of Melia’s disappearance soon. She had to get to her friend first.

She couldn’t fail her.

Jade cut through long grass and smaller trees, letting Ae-Ri run freely. The wind rushed past her ears and her steps squished the grass beneath her. She could barely comprehend the pink trees and the flowers dotting the grass. All she focused on was Melia.

Ae-Ri spotted a bridge coming up, watching as Jade ran across it first. A strange shop set next to it, a sign next to the door. The girl didn’t have time to read it.

As Ae-Ri started to cross, she heard a small giggle behind her. The girl whipped her head around, facing a Misdreavus that was an inch from her face. She stumbled back, tripping over her feet and landing on the bridge with a yelp. The Misdreavus giggled again, its hair feelers charging up an attack.

Jade came running in, slicing the Misdreavus away with his tail and landing in front of Ae-Ri, his hackles high. The Ghost Pokemon staggered back, a soft sound escaping it.

“Ugh, we couldn’t just get this over with?” Ae-Ri saw two people come from the trees, both of them wearing Xen uniforms. The voice came from a ginger haired woman with a bored look chiseled into her face. Her companion was a tall young man with dark hair and soft eyes. He looked towards the woman confused.

“Huh? Why so annoyed Sharley?” He asked, his voice containing a heavy accent. The ginger woman grabbed the bridge of her nose, letting out a deep sigh of annoyance.

“My name is Sharon, Eli. SHA-RON. Arceus above- I just had to be paired with someone who doesn’t know the native language.” Sharon spat with annoyance, ignoring Eli’s still confused look. Ae-Ri got to her feet, glaring at the Xen grunts. Zetta was already here. She didn't have any more time.

“Let me pass.” The girl hissed, watching as the Misdreavus returned to Sharon’s side. The Xen grunt clicked her tongue, her green gaze boring into Ae-Ri. On the contrary, Eli apologetically waved at her, sending out a Murkrow.

“Sorry! We must stop uhm… You! Yes, you.” He said, a smile across his face. Ae-Ri somehow found the Xen grunt strangely endearing. She ignored it, holding another PokeBall tightly.

Sharon’s Misdreavus and Eli’s Murkrow flew towards Ae-Ri, who sent out Sapphire as Jade leapt at them with a cry. “Leaf Tornado, Jade! Against the Misdreavus! Sapphire, Swift against the Murkrow!” Jade whipped his tail, throwing a spiral of leaves towards the ghost. Sapphire shot small stars at the Murkrow, latching onto one of its wings.

“Peck, go!”

“Shadow Sneak, Misdreavus.” Jade was struck by the shadow sent towards him, sending the Servine reeling back in surprise. Eli’s Murkrow stabbed its beak at Sapphire’s face, drawing blood. The Eevee yelped in shock and retaliated with her unsheathed claws.

Ae-Ri itched to run across the bridge. She couldn't leave her Pokemon, but what about Melia?

What could happen to Melia if she wasted time?

All of a sudden, Jade slapped his tail at the Misdreavus, sending it flying. He then leapt at Sharon, scratching at her face. His blade tail waved furiously as his clawed feet latched onto the Xen grunt’s clothes.

Shocked, Ae-Ri took this as her time to bolt across the bridge. Sapphire ran as well, leaping into her arms as the two of them ran for it. She could hear Eli and Sharon’s banter as she ran.

“ARCEUS CHRIST- DAMNED SNAKE!”

“W-Wait-! Off snake, off! Sharlene does not like!”

“Run after the girl instead Eli, god-!”

Before she knew it, she couldn’t hear their voices. Jade joined her shortly, ruffling his leaves with satisfaction. Ae-Ri now had to focus on Amethyst Cave. She couldn't stop. She had to-

The girl suddenly tripped over a sheet of ice, falling to the grass. Ae-Ri rolled to protect Sapphire from the fall, landing on her elbows. Jade hissed as footsteps approached them. The girl stood up, looking around to find herself surrounded.

“Looks like Eli and Sharon did as well as we expected them to do.” A tall male Xen grunt was looking down at her, a Bergmite at his side. There were two other grunts as well, who occupied Jade with their Pokemon. The Servine hissed as a Taillow and Charmander teamed on him.

Ae-Ri held Sapphire close, earning a squeak of protest. The Eevee leapt out of her arms, her hackles high as she stood in front of the silver girl.

A Glameow approached Sapphire, catching the Eevee’s attention. She bristled and hissed, determined to protect her trainer. The Xen grunt in front of Ae-Ri smirked. “Now we need to take out their trash. This should be easy.” Fear started to spike through the girl’s body.

Ae-Ri was about to speak before someone else interrupted her. A very familiar voice.

“SEVIPER, VENAM’S KISS!” All of a sudden, a Seviper slammed into the Xen grunt, delivering a poisonous kiss to his face. Ae-Ri watched as he screamed at the sudden attack and pain, catching the other grunts off guard. Venam then came into view, her purple hair messy and tangled. Her brown eyes were fiery as she entered the battle.

Ren soon appeared as well, his Growlithe joining the fight with Venam’s Seviper. His Froakie–now a Frogadier–was helping Jade fight off his attackers. The boy bored his onyx eyes into the Xen grunts.

“Get out of here before we make you!” Venam’s Ivysaur also came out, ensnaring the Glameow attacking Sapphire. Ae-Ri sent out Garnet as well, who picked off the Taillow attacking Jade. The Xen grunts took the hint and ran off, returning their Pokemon.

Ae-Ri looked at her two friends with wide eyes. Ren turned to her. “You alright?” She ignored his question, the panic setting in once again.

“Melia- She’s at Amethyst Cave. We need to go there now.” Ren’s eyes widened slightly.

“The Professor said she would be there as well… How did you-?”

“You two can talk later!” Venam snapped, already running ahead with her Seviper. The gym leader was incredibly agitated. Ae-Ri worried that she would do something stupid. The girl returned Jade and Sapphire and ran after their friend, with Ren right behind her. The boy was talking in-between breaths.

“How did you guys know to come here?”

“The Professor told me- He… He got taken away-”

“What?! Where is he??”

“I don’t know- A weird voice showed up and a Gothitelle sucked him into a portal- After that, I found Karrina and she led me to Venam.”

“And Karrina is-?”

“Local gang leader. She thought there was a Xen admin at the abandoned lab across Junction Bridge- Turned out to just be a crazy scientist- Venam and I got down here as fast as we could and here we are.”

By the time Ren was done, they made it to the mouth of Amethyst Cave. Its dark maw was studded with glittering amethyst crystals. It would have been beautiful if the situation had been different. Ae-Ri and Ren entered, finding Venam looking around frustrated.

“God- Where do we go from here?!” The girl exclaimed, stomping her foot with anger. Ren stepped up to a bridge in front of them. Ae-Ri looked down to see that the cave was several layers. It was dim with barely any light seeping in.

The dark haired boy kicked up dirt, stepping onto the bridge. “If she went to Sheridan, she would have gone this way-”

“She took a wrong turn.” A sudden interjection caught everyone's attention. Ae-Ri saw that on one of the rocks stood a masked figure. They were completely covered from head to toe, showing no sign of their skin. A strange aura radiated from them.

Venam’s eyes widened, her hair practically bristling. “What are you talking about?” Her voice now sounded small, nervous. The figure didn’t move from where they stood.

“Fear clouds the mind. It makes us not think straight. Your friend went deeper into the caves, she is no where near Sheridan.” Ae-Ri could feel her blood turning cold. Melia might be cornered by Team Xen. Ren seemed frozen as well, his mind comprehending what the mysterious figure said.

Venam, on the other hand, clenched her hand into a fist. Ae-Ri could see tears dotting the corners of her wide eyes. “No… NO!” The gym leader ran down deeper into the cave, catching Ren and Ae-Ri by surprise.

“V-Venam!” The dark haired boy ran after her, the darkness swallowing him up. Ae-Ri looked at the mysterious figure, who scoffed.

“It is a futile effort. Your friend is already gone.” The silver girl glared, a surge of annoyance and anger rushing through her head.

“Stop saying shit that won’t help.” At that, Ae-Ri ignored the figure and entered the depths after her friends.

As expected, it was even darker the deeper she went in. She could hear the scuttling of Pokemon in the darkness. Through the darkness, the silver girl could see flashes of yellow. Strangely, Joltiks bounced on the walls. Were they common here?

Ae-Ri ignored the strange bugs, finding a mine shaft. She spotted Ren looking around, his Frogadier at his side. His onyx eyes spotted the silver girl.

“There you are! I lost Venam.” He gritted his teeth, his voice sounding agitated. Ae-Ri let Sapphire out of her ball, stepping up to Ren. Her brown eyes shifted towards the bouncing Joltik.

“Are the Joltik… Normal?” She asked as Sapphire climbed up her leg and onto her shoulder. Ren shook his head, his onyx eyes dark.

“No… It’s weird, I was here a week ago and I spotted no Joltiks.” The boy shook his head furiously, slapping the side of his head. “We can’t think about that. We need to find Venam and Melia.” He didn’t need to say it twice.

Ae-Ri went ahead, letting Ren investigate the bridges. Sapphire sniffed the air, cringing back at the musty scent. The silver girl was wary as she traveled through the darkness. Images of rift Pokemon and Xen grunts popping out at her filled her mind. Suddenly, a small chirp caught her by surprise. It was on top of her head.

The girl yelped, jumping slightly and causing whatever was on her head to fall into her hands. She saw it was a Joltik, except its body was a lime green. A set of purple eyes stared back at her brown ones. The small bug clicked its mandibles with glee as it wiggled on Ae-Ri’s palms. The silver girl blinked a few times before putting it in the pocket of her jacket. She continued through the mine shaft with the Joltik in that pocket.

Once Ae-Ri came across another bridge, she spotted Venam. The purple girl was standing over a cowering Xen grunt with her Seviper constricting him into place. The silver girl could hear the gym leader yelling at the grunt.

“CAN’T YOU FUCKERS BE HELPFUL FOR ONCE?!” The girl spat, kicking up dirt angrily. The grunt let out a shriek, looking up at Venam fearfully. Ae-Ri carefully stepped up to her friend.

“Uhm… Venam?” The gym leader turned to Ae-Ri, her brown eyes filled with agitation. “Did the grunt say anything useful?”

Venam scoffed, crossing her arms. “All he said was that a Xen Executive was after Melia. But, he never said WHERE.” She shot a freezing glare at the grunt, her Seviper smiling slyly at him. Ae-Ri gently grabbed the purple girl’s shoulder, wishing fiercely that Venam would just leave it be. Zetta was down here with them.

“If he’s beaten, leave him. We need to travel deeper.” Venam seemed hesitant, but she begrudgingly called off her Seviper and started to walk across the bridge. Ae-Ri found Ren and the two of them followed the gym leader deeper into the cave. The silver girl forced Sapphire to go into her ball at that point.

The deeper they went, the more dread filled Ae-Ri’s body. Where was Melia? Did she get away somehow? Did Zetta lose her? The silver girl drowned in her panicked thoughts as the trio crossed another bridge.

On the other side was Zetta, his back turned.

Another Dimensional Rift stood in front of him, the energy making Ae-Ri flinch back. Ren took a step forward, his strides confident and his fist clenched in anger.

“Are you the Xen Executive? Where’s Melia?!” The boy demanded, his Frogadier ready to fight. Zetta didn't turn around, his stature strangely stiff. Ae-Ri looked closer, noticing he was holding something in his hand. Something that barely grazed the floor. Once he didn’t respond, Venam stepped up next to Ren, her hands on her hips and her mouth in a scowl.

“Answer us you prick! What did you do to Melia?!” Ae-Ri suddenly felt a terrible feeling washing over her. Zetta was trembling, ever so slightly. The blonde man let out a low sigh, his voice shaking slightly.

“Melia… Is dead.”

The three words hung in the air. Silence filled the cavern as that simple statement cemented into the minds of the trio. Ae-Ri could feel her blood turning cold. Melia dead. Melia was dead. They were too late.

She was too late.

Venam grew strangely silent, her eyes staring down at the floor. Ren’s onyx eyes flashed with rage. The boy pointed an accusatory finger at Zetta. “Don’t lie to us! You-”

He was interrupted as Zetta twisted around and thrusted forward what he was holding in his hand. Ae-Ri could practically feel her heart dropping down to the pit of her stomach.

Melia’s hand bag.

Covered in blood.

It was soaked in it. Ae-Ri couldn’t believe it. She just couldn't. How?

“I found a Galvantula gnawing on this.” Zetta hissed, venom entering his voice as he showed the bag to the trio. Ren clenched his fists, not giving up.

“Shut up! You’re just trying to trick us-!”

“Ren. Stop.” The boy snapped towards Venam, his mouth agape. The girl was shaking, her brown eyes staring directly at the red bag. “That's Melia’s bag. Her dad sewed a Togepi on it for her birthday. It… It has to be.” Her voice was hoarse and broken. She sounded like she was about to sink into the ground.

Ren clenched his teeth, his hands now shaking. “He has to be lying, Venam. He has to be-” The boy’s voice faltered, the realization hitting him like a truck.

Ae-Ri couldn’t take her eyes off of the bag. What had gone wrong? How could this happen?

She thought about Melia at Goldenwood Forest. The blonde girl’s soft, happy smile as they walked through the trees and her agitated expression as she talked about Grand Dream City.

She would never make it to Grand Dream City. Ae-Ri’s breath quickened as she remembered their conversation.

“I… I don’t want to be alone, if I’m going to be honest. I don’t like being alone.”

“I don’t want to disappoint my dad but… I don’t want to be alone in the big city. Or at all, for that matter.”

Ae-Ri let her die alone.

She let Melia die alone.

Her friend was subjected to her worst fear in this dark cave.

How could Ae-Ri do this to her?

The silver girl was shaking, her hands not being able to move. Images of the S.S. Oceana filled her head. She left them too, at that moment. She left her own mother on that ship. She left all of those people to be taken to God knows where by Team Xen.

How could she fail them? How could she fail Melia?

Zetta lowered the bag, a dark look going across his face. Suddenly, he started to chuckle. A crazed, desperate chuckle. The blonde man held a hand to his eyes, his head reeling back as he laughed.

“Looks like I failed… The boss won’t let me live, not after this big of a failure.” The Executive glared at the trio, looking towards his Dimensional Rift. “Looks like I just need to bring all three of you down with me!” At that, his rift started to suck in everything around it. Just like at Goldenwood. Pieces of stray amethyst and rocks flung towards its dark maw.

Ren and Venam were sent flying before they knew it. Ae-Ri watched as they entered the rift before they could express the shock on their faces. The silver girl dug her heels into the dirt as she was slowly pulled towards the rift. She caught Zetta's expression, a sneer across his face.

“Let’s hope the rift does its job and gets rid of you this time.” At that, Ae-Ri couldn't fight back. She was thrown towards the rift and darkness took hold of her a second time.

— ~ —

When Ae-Ri opened her eyes, she felt soft grass underneath her. Then, she spotted Ren looking around at the trees. The silver girl stood up, finding Venam sitting at the edge of the water. She stared across the vast body of water expressionless.

Meanwhile, Ren spat with annoyance. “Where are we? What the hell is this place?” Ae-Ri answered before she could think, her voice strangely empty.

“A Dimensional Rift. He had one back at Goldenwood as well.” Ren took a double take, his onyx eyes filled with confusion.

“Have you been in one of these before-?”

“Yes.” Ae-Ri couldn't stop thinking about the bag. About Melia being gone. She should have been faster. She shouldn’t have wasted time.

Ren watched her dejected expression, his gaze turning to Venam. The boy let out a trembling sigh. “We need to get out of here you two.” Ae-Ri didn’t respond, her brown eyes staring down at the pink grass. Venam responded instead, her voice thick.

“What's the point? Melia was already dead once we stepped foot in that cave, what do we do now?” Ren looked appalled, his onyx eyes wide. He stepped over to Venam, clenching his fists as he retorted.

“We have our lives, Venam! We can't just give up!” Venam didn’t look at him. She continued to stare out towards the horizon. Ae-Ri couldn’t speak. She looked at Ren and Venam. The boy continued, his voice growing increasingly agitated. “What about us? Me, Ae? What about you?”

The gym leader gritted her teeth, gripping her skirt underneath her hands. “... I don’t care anymore.” Now Ren looked angry. He raised his voice, which was strained with emotion.

“So what? You’re just going to die here? We’re letting Melia’s killer get away!” The boy exclaimed, small tears dotting the edges of his eyes. “That man was the true cause of this, he drove Melia down here! And now he is walking out of Amethyst Cave scott-free as we speak.” Venam suddenly straightened up, her brown eyes wide.

“H-Huh-?”

“If we don’t do something, he will be able to get away with killing Melia.” Ren continued, his body shaking slightly. Ae-Ri felt the need to interject.

“Zetta.” Ren turned his gaze to the girl. She scratched at her jacket arm subconsciously. “His name is Zetta. He’s dangerous, he made these Dimensional Rifts.” The girl tried her best to not think about the bag. She just couldn't.

Ren looked conflicted, his onyx eyes furrowed. Venam stood up, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. The boy turned to her. She took a deep breath, exhaling with new conviction. “You’re… Right, Ren.” She admitted, her brown eyes pained. “We can’t let that guy get away with this. We need to find the source of the rift.”

Now that Ae-Ri thought about it, she could guess what it was. The girl cringed at the thought. “I think I know what it is.” Both Ren and Venam’s gaze turned to her. She bit her bottom lip. “I think… It’s the Galvantula that killed Melia.”

Ren froze, his body turning stiff. Venam next to him looked oddly calm. She replied bluntly. “Then let’s find it. It killed Melia.” Ren whipped his head towards her, his onyx eyes wide.

“It was probably wrangled into this, Venam. It probably killed Melia because she scared it-” His voice faltered and got caught in his throat. Venam interjected, her voice full of venom.

“It's the Galvantula or us. Which do you choose?" Ren grimaced, his brow furrowed. A sudden realization seemed to fill his eyes.

“Do we need to… Kill it? To escape the rift?” His voice sounded small. Scared. Ae-Ri cringed, knowing the answer. She nodded slightly, causing the boy to inhale and exhale deeply.

His voice was shaky as he spoke. “Let’s… Let’s travel into the forest.” Ae-Ri nodded, following Ren as Venam went ahead. They followed the straight road which led them to a dead end. This dead end contained a large purple egg with pink spots. Gray Joltiks surrounded it, standing on the rocks around it.

Ae-Ri suddenly remembered the Joltik in her pocket. She took it out, watching as it scurried up her arm and onto her shoulder. The girl was reminded of the bloody bag as the Joltik nuzzled its soft body against her neck. She quickly took out a ball and caught it, stuffing it into her bag.

Venam stepped up to the egg, hands on her hips. “So this road ends with this huge egg?” She turned to Ae-Ri and Ren, her brown eyes confused. Ren stepped up to it, resting his hand against its surface.

“It probably contains the Rift Pokemon. Galvantula. We need to get it out of here.” Before any of them could respond, Ren tapped his knuckles against the shell. A crack sprouted at the top, causing everyone to flinch back. Ren looked at it confused. “I barely even tapped it…”

The crack grew larger and larger, splintering down the shell of the egg. Ae-Ri’s eyes widened as some of the shell gave way. Something shot out from the dark crevice. The girl forcefully yanked Ren back, watching as a swinging tail with a large stinger swung back and forth from the opening of the egg. That stinger would have stabbed Ren if he stood there any longer.

Venam looked up at it as she sent out her Seviper. “Do Galvantulas usually grow tails…?”

Ren let out his Frogadier, his eyes narrowed. “No. They don’t.” More of the shell of the egg splintered off, revealing beady eyes from the inside. Ae-Ri fought down the fear rising through her body and sent out Sapphire, who bristled at the sight of the egg.

“Venam, can you handle the Joltiks?” The girl asked, earning a swift nod from the gym leader. She turned to Ren. “Can you help with the Galvantula?” He nodded, his gaze not coming off of it.

Sapphire leapt at it, landed on the shell as its large tail continued to swing around. “Sand Attack! Right in the eyes!” The Eevee swung her tail, slapping the beady eyes with a tailful of sand. Ren’s Frogadier rushed forward, holding frubbles in its hands.

“Send the frubbles in its eyes! Then use Smack Down!” The frog Pokemon threw the frubbles directly at the Galvantula’s eyes, temporarily blinding it. Then, it shot a rock from its mouth towards its shell, collapsing the walls of it to reveal the Galvantula.

Shockingly, the Pokemon had three heads. It let out an ear-piercing shriek, sending an Electroweb towards the Frogadier. The shocking web made contact with the frog Pokemon, trapping it to the ground.

“Sapphire, Swift!” The Eevee shot painful stars towards the Galvantula, striking and cutting at its face. The Rift Pokemon’s large tail swung around aimlessly, its weight too heavy for the Galvantula to balance it. It slammed into Sapphire, sending her flying into the rock walls.

Venam cleaved away Joltiks with her Seviper, calling out commands as the bug Pokemons scurried away fearfully. Ae-Ri returned the fallen Sapphire, sending out Topaz. Ren grimaced as he returned his Frogadier, sending out a Trapinch.

“Sand Tomb, Trapinch!”

“Go, Topaz! Helping Hand!” The Furret granted the Trapinch a boost, letting the small Pokemon send a fierce Sand Tomb towards the Galvantula. The pillar of sand struck the poison and electric type hard, causing it to stumble. Ae-Ri saw an opening.

“Fury Swipes! At the neck area!” Topaz leapt at shocking heights, launching himself like a fluffy torpedo towards the Galvantula. He extended his claws, slicing down hard on the Rift Pokemon’s neck. Before they knew it, the Furret sliced the left head clean off.

Blue blood poured out of the stub like a cascade. It stained the grass and traveled down the path like little rivers. The head rolled away as the two remaining ones cried out in pain, confused as to why the connection was broken. Ae-Ri tried her best not to react as Topaz landed gracefully, his paws stained with the Galvantula’s blood.

Ren looked like he was about to be sick. The boy continued, despite the strain in his voice and the way his eyes turned away from the blood. “Trapinch… Bulldoze!” The orange Pokemon stomped its front feet, sending a crack through the ground towards the Galvantula.

A spire of rock appeared from the ground, spearing the right head right through. The tip of it was coated in blue blood, stabbing itself through the middle of the Galvantula's head. The head moaned in pain as Ren’s Trapinch ended its misery, sending another Bulldoze to slice its head off.

With its other heads gone, the lone Galvantula head stumbled, two bloody stumps at its sides. Now that Ae-Ri looked around, all of the Joltiks were gone. Venam drove them all away.

Now Ren looked like he was about to puke. Venam stepped up to the Galvantula, her brown eyes burning. “I’m finishing this. Seviper, Dragon Tail!” The Seviper let out a hiss, its blade tail surrounding itself with energy. It raised it high, the shadow of it reflecting across the confused Rift Galvantula’s eyes.

The Seviper went straight down, cleaving its tail through the Galvantula’s head. The snake Pokemon ripped its blade tail through the Galvantula’s body all the way to the tail. Once it was done, the Rift Pokemon fell to the ground, split in half from head to tail. Its blood pooled onto the grass, draining into the lake around them. Protruding pieces of broken exoskeleton fell to the ground, cut cleanly by the Seviper’s attack. Ae-Ri couldn’t believe it.

Ren turned away from the Galvantula, his hand grabbing his mouth. “We killed it- Oh my god we-” Ae-Ri breathed heavily, watching as her friend struggled to say the words.

“We… We had to do it, Ren…” She said hoarsely, not finding any sort of comfort in her voice. Venam said nothing as her Seviper returned to her, its tail and lower body covered in the Galvantula’s blood. Suddenly, the rift shook violently. All three of them looked around as darkness filled their vision.

They won.

— ~ —

Once the trio found themselves back in the cave, Ae-Ri’s eyes immediately darted around for signs of Zetta. Ren reacted in the same fashion.

“Zetta! Where is that little-” They turned to where he was, seeing nothing. The air grew thick with tension and disappointment. Venam spat at the ground, kicking dirt with her shoes.

“We’re too late. He’s escaped.” Suddenly, a strange but familiar voice interjected.

“I wouldn’t jump to conclusions so suddenly.” All three of them looked around for the source of the voice. It came from behind them. “Ae-Ri, please step aside.” The girl stepped to the side as asked. To their shock, Zetta was thrown past them like a rag doll. The Executive fell to the floor, his face covered in dirt and bruises.

The trio looked down at the beaten up Xen Executive with bewilderment. Who was able to beat him up this way? At that moment, Ae-Ri realized what the voice sounded like. The girl she saw at the boat appeared next to Zetta with her strange Gothitelle.

“You three made it out of the Rift… Far faster than I anticipated.” Her voice sounded like it was made from stone. Blunt and hard. Zetta groaned, looking up from where he lay beaten up. Venam crossed her arms, her hair bristling.

“Great, who is this now?” Ae-Ri spoke first, pointing a shaky finger at the girl.

“You… I saw you at the S.S. Oceana.” The girl didn’t answer, her magenta eye boring into Ae-Ri like a dagger. The girl sighed deeply.

“I hide in the shadows, and strike when need be. Those who are unfortunate to make contact with me know me as ‘Crescent’.” Now with a name, Ae-Ri was more confused by this girl. Why did her mother ask Crescent to teleport her away? And why did she fail?

Ren looked at Crescent with narrow eyes. “That voice… That Gothitelle… You’re that voice back at the Professor’s Lab!” The girl glared sharply at Ren.

“That was me, yes. Seeing you three here is very disappointing.” Her voice was dead and blunt, her eyes unnervingly sharp and cold. “It’s irritating when ignorant people ignore my advice. Especially when that advice was said to protect a certain individual.” Crescent looked towards Ae-Ri, obviously indicating her. “I’m disappointed, you followed the girl when she had no hope of surviving in this cave.” Ae-Ri froze, the blood and bag flashing in her mind.

Zetta groaned, glaring up at Crescent. “Argh… Today just isn’t my day… I have to deal with idiots from all corners…” Crescent harshly kicked the man, causing him to recoil back. The girl glared down at him, her Gothitelle giggling as she spoke.

“Zetta, you repulsive animal.” A trace of venom entered the tone of her voice. “Don’t you ever have something of value to say?” The Executive didn’t respond, possibly not wanting to receive another kick. The wisp of a smirk appeared across her face. It left to keep her chiseled frown. “Good, stay quiet. Animals that cannot behave cannot be allowed to stay out in public. I’m going to put you in a nice place where you can cause no more harm.”

Now Ae-Ri felt uncomfortable watching this. She glanced at Ren and Venam, who gave her equally uncomfortable looks. Crescent looked towards her Gothitelle. “Gothitelle, if you would.” The Pokemon giggled, looking towards Zetta with a smirk.

Sudden fear entered the man’s eyes. “W-Wait- What are you-?” Before he could finish, he disappeared before their eyes. Appalled, Venam spoke first.

“What did you do to him?! Is he dead?!” Crescent looked at her with dead, unamused eyes.

“He is in fact alive. Even then, that is inconsequential. He will be dealt with later.” The girl looked towards the trio, her magenta eye narrowing slightly. “That being said, I told you that this path would lead to nothing but despair.” She pointed at Ren, who froze at her gaze. Crescent dropped her finger. “Yet, you ignored these claims and continued on this pointless endeavor.”

Ren clenched his fist, his teeth gritted. “I didn’t ignore them. I knew well what you said back then! But I chose to do something about it! We chose to do something about it!” The boy exclaimed. Venam was looking at the ground, her brown eyes looking dead. Ae-Ri looked towards Ren, her mind filled with images of blood.

Crescent didn’t react, her eye boring into all three of them. “And what exactly did that bring?” Ren couldn’t respond, his eyes narrowed as he turned away. “Exactly. You’ve endangered yourself for a girl that was killed far before you even had a chance.” Venam flinched slightly, her legs trembling. The gym leader fell to her knees completely dejected.

Ae-Ri was the only one to look Crescent in the eye. The girl looked directly at her as she spoke. “You three were way in over your heads. You’ve set yourselves up for failure.” Crescent leveled her gaze to Ae-Ri, something in her magenta eye being different. “Ae-Ri…” She started, abruptly cutting herself off before continuing. “No, all of you. Go back to East Gearen this minute. Involving yourselves in the affairs of things that do not pertain to you will result in nothing less than tragedy.” She turned away. “These past few events have been proof of that.”

Ae-Ri somehow found her voice, her throat feeling thick and her mind clouded. “We…” Her voice trembled. “We had to do something… We couldn't just…” The silver girl couldn't finish, her eyes clouding with tears. Crescent didn’t react, didn't turn around. She only spoke more.

“This is the price of being weak.” Light shimmered around her as her Gothitelle prepared to teleport them away. “Remember that.” At that, Crescent was gone, leaving the trio alone.

Silence filled the cavern. A thick, terrible silence. Ren sucked in a breath, tugging at his scarf. “Let’s… Let’s go home.”

Venam didn’t say anything, silent tears falling down her face.

Surrounded by Venam and Ren, Ae-Ri felt something rising in her throat. Her mind could only replay the terrible moment of Zetta revealing Melia’s bloody bag. It could only replay her failure.

She had killed their friend.

They left the cave as a trio, leaving one behind.

Chapter Text

They all traveled back to East Gearen in silence. It was a cold, tense silence that threatened to choke Ae-Ri. Even after they entered the train, blood and Crescent was all the girl could think about. She dared to glance at Ren and Venam, who were sitting next to and across from her respectively.
The dark haired boy was resting his arm on the window sill, his gaze fixed on the scenery outside the window. His whole body was as stiff as a board. Ren made eye contact with Ae-Ri, spotting her gaze through the window reflection. He closed his eyes, running a hand through his hair.

On the contrary, Venam refused to look at the silver haired girl. She sat across from them with her arms crossed, her eyes red with tears. The purple haired girl blankly stared at the table, her face contorting into looks of anger and grief.

Once the train stopped at East Gearen, Venam left quickly. She didn't give Ae-Ri or Ren a second thought. The silver girl watched as their friend disappeared out of the station, her purple hair the last thing she saw.

Ren gently tapped Ae-Ri's shoulder, barely alerting the girl. Numbness started to spread from her head to her body. It seemed to ache.

She slowly turned to look at Ren, her brown eyes glistening with tears. The boy took a deep breath, taking the girl's wrist and walking both of them out of the train station.

Ren stopped at the Pokemon Lab, letting go of Ae-Ri's wrist. He stayed silent, glancing at the girl and cracking the slightest smile at her. After that, he walked away towards Venam's house. The silver girl was now alone.

The minute Ae-Ri stepped into the Pokemon Lab, she was taken to the hospital wing for immediate attention. Whatever happened in the hospital wing was a blur, all the girl could think about was the bloody hand bag Zetta held.

The day she stayed in the wing, it rained terribly hard. It didn't seem to stop. The girl stared out of the window, occasionally grazing her hand across the bandages over her eye. What a cruel twist of fate that it rained as hard as it did.

She was discharged from the hospital wing about two days later. Her eye healed well, apparently. Once the girl was ready, Ae-Ri left to head for Venam's house.

When the girl opened the door, Venam was sitting at the couch with one of her arms resting on the arm rest. Her brown eyes locked onto Ae-Ri, her eyebrows furrowed. The silver girl stood at the doorway unmoving, the rain beating against her back. Venam continued to stare, her hand curling into a fist. Without a word, the purple haired girl turned her head away from Ae-Ri. She took it as her hint to leave, closing the door.

Ae-Ri dwelled on Venam's reaction as she headed for her hotel.

— ~ —

Five Days Later.

Venam hated feeling like this.

She hated feeling so powerless and helpless. She hated feeling so angry and sad and disheartened. She hated not feeling the motivation to leave her house or face Ren and Ae-Ri.

She hated how she felt towards Ae-Ri.

Venam just couldn't look at the silver girl. She couldn't look at her without feeling a wave of bitterness and anger towards her. The purple haired girl kept telling herself that it wasn't Ae-Ri's fault that Melia was dead. She kept telling herself she couldn't blame the girl for the death of their friend.

However, she knew what her true feelings were. She blamed Ae-Ri. She blamed her for not being strong enough to protect Melia. She was angry at her friend. She couldn't look at her without thinking of that damn cave, without feeling bitterness.

She thought about how hard the silver girl fought against the Rift Galvantula. Venam thought about the flashes of determination in Ae-Ri’s eyes as they fought. She just couldn’t help but wonder where that was for Melia.

How did this girl randomly arrive at East Gearen and become their friend? How did she get so close to Melia?

Why couldn’t she save Melia?

Venam thought about how Ae-Ri came to her door five days ago. She felt a bit bad for giving her the cold shoulder. But, seeing the silver girl was too much.

The purple haired girl heaved her body to her feet, staring down at the floor. Venam could feel her hand curling into a fist at her side thinking about the silver girl. Thinking about Ae-Ri made her think about Ren, then made her think about Melia.

The last time the purple girl saw her, Melia was smiling. They were all excited to travel down to Amethyst Cave together before Melia had to leave.
Why did she have to leave like this?

New tears started to fall from Venam's face before she could stop it. Her throat filled with sobs and threatened to choke her. The girl turned around and banged her fist against the wall, breathing heavily. She didn’t notice how her knuckles ached.

Venam curled her fingers tightly, her nails stabbing her palm. The purple haired girl gritted her teeth, fiercely wiping away her tears. She sat back down on the couch, her head resting on her raised knees. The girl continued to wipe her tears.

As she sat there, all she could wonder was why.

— ~ —

Ren was worried.

Both Venam and Ae-Ri were avoiding him for the past week. He didn’t know if it was intentional, but it concerned him greatly.

Venam left her house after five days, but she was acting differently. Something about her was off, like she was bottling up the grief and masking it. Her smile didn’t feel genuine, her mannerisms felt half-hearted, not like how Venam usually was. She seemed more subdued, more stiff.
It scared him.

However, he was more worried about Ae-Ri. He hadn’t seen the girl at all. He started to think she was truly avoiding him. Last time the boy tried to go to her room, he was stopped by her Servine. The snake Pokemon flicked him away with a hiss.

It was obvious that Ae-Ri wanted no one near her.

Ren didn’t know how he felt. Sometimes he felt anger, sometimes he felt guilt, sometimes he felt grief, sometimes he felt overwhelming sadness and the need to sob. And sometimes he felt terrified of ever having to mutilate a Pokemon just like they did that Galvantula. Even thinking about it made Ren feel sick.

He hated how he couldn’t do anything for Melia. He hated Team Xen. They ruined everything. They killed Melia. They caused Professor Jenner’s disappearance. How could the professor be a part of them? Ren couldn’t believe it. The professor was better than they ever could be.

The more Ren thought about Team Xen, the more angry he felt. All he wished to do was make them pay.

But for now, he couldn't do anything. He was weak.

He tried to take a walk to get it out of his mind. The boy wanted to try to talk to Ae-Ri again. He had left her alone for a few days but couldn’t help wanting to check up on her.

Ren entered the hotel and traveled up to Ae-Ri’s room, knocking his knuckles against the door. “Hey, Ae? I just wanted to check up on you because I was worried-” The door opened before he could finish. Jade the Servine was there once again, his red eyes glaring up at the boy.

Strangely, the Servine hissed and opened the door fully, letting Ren in. Confused, the boy stepped inside. The room was dim with one table lamp being the only light source. It looked rather neat and Ae-Ri’s PokeBalls rested on a table. However, the girl was nowhere in sight.

At first Ren was relieved that she left the room. That relief was immediately crushed once he spotted an Eevee on the girl’s bed.

“Sapphire? What are you doing here?” Ae-Ri never left the Eevee. She was always with Sapphire every time Ren saw her. The Eevee trilled, her ears drooping and her tail bristling with anxiety. She immediately leapt out of the bed, walking towards the door.

Ren followed, looking towards Jade. The Servine gave him a cool red glare, beckoning towards Sapphire. Jade wanted him to follow the Eevee. She waited at the door, trilling at the boy. “Will you lead me to Ae?” Sapphire nodded, racing out of the door as Ren ran with her.

He only hoped that Ae-Ri was alright at that moment.

— ~ —

Ae-Ri couldn’t sleep.

She was scared to sleep. She didn’t want to hear screeches of pain and see blood. When she slept, all she heard was screams. The screams of a single girl.

Every time she woke up yelling, she would see her Joltik clicking his mandibles up at her. The girl couldn't help but flinch back every time she saw him. All she could think about was the Galvantula that killed Melia.

The silver girl couldn't move for a few days. So many things reminded her of Amethyst Cave. She had never felt so terrified to go outside. Even her own thoughts scared her half to death.

Ae-Ri kept thinking she should have died in that cave instead. She should have taken Melia's place. Everything would be better if she had died. Venam wouldn’t be so dejected and angry. Ren wouldn’t look so guilty. Melia would still be alive.

The girl was scared to see the faces of Venam and Ren. She was scared that their faces would prove her thoughts right. That they did blame her.

Now, Ae-Ri sat on Oceana Pier. It was the same pier that Tesla’s Talonflame left her on. She stared out towards the ocean as raindrops dripped through her hair and down her back. The girl left her jacket in her room, forgetting all about it.

Her hand grabbed at her left arm, rubbing up and down as her glasses were clouded up by the rain. Ae-Ri came out here so she could stop thinking about Melia. Now she was thinking about her mom. How she let her down as well.

Both times, Team Xen took away people she cared about. Both times, she was unable to help and resulted in both of them either missing or dead. Ae-Ri hated this. She wished she was strong enough to save Melia, that she didn’t waste time back on Route 2. She told Melia that she wouldn’t leave her alone.

Now she’s dead. She died all alone in that dark, cold cave.

Ae-Ri’s hand rubbed her arm quicker, her nails hooking her skin. Her skin started to tingle as she rubbed her nails along it. The screams that filled her sleep found themselves in her ears. She always saw blood, both red and blue pooling underneath two different bodies.

She should have died in that cave. It would be better for all four of them if she did.

What purpose does she serve? She couldn’t save her mother either. Ae-ri didn’t even know if she was alive or dead. Ae-Ri was nothing. She couldn’t help, she couldn't save people, she couldn’t even save her friend when it mattered most. Now Venam hated her and everything was slowly falling apart.

She thought about Crescent. How she told her how futile her effort was. Ae-Ri realized the girl was right. That she was weak and wished for too much. That she charged into a situation that she couldn’t fix past that point.

Her skin started to become irritated as her nails scored across them further. It turned red as she rubbed and rubbed.

Ae-Ri couldn’t face Venam. She couldn’t face Ren. She couldn’t stop thinking about Melia. She couldn’t stop thinking about her mom. It only made things harder. It only made it hurt further.

The girl’s nails started to rip into her skin. She dug them in and gripped her arm tightly. She needed to block the thoughts out. She couldn’t handle them right now.

Her nails dragged through her skin as she forcefully ripped up and down. At every tear, she thought of someone. Mom, Melia, Venam, Ren, then it repeats. Tears started forming at the edge of her eyes, mixing with the rain that dripped down her face. Ae-Ri couldn’t even feel the pain in her arm. Her ears were ringing with screams and her thoughts cloudy.

The silver girl tore into her arm, her thoughts still not leaving her. They still tormented her. Then, someone caught her wrist, forcefully pulling it away with a yell.

“AE?!” The girl flinched at the touch, snapping her head up to see Ren, who held her wrist tightly with his hand. The boy’s onyx eyes were wide with shock and fear. His hand was shaking as he held Ae-Ri’s wrist. “What are you-?” Cutting him off, Sapphire suddenly leapt into the girl’s lap, trilling with worry. The Eevee snuggled her head into Ae-Ri’s lap, pawing at her arm.

The silver girl finally seemed to register why Ren looked so scared. She looked at her left arm. It was bleeding in several places with large, jagged tears ripping into her skin. Ae-Ri looked at her nails, their edges painted red.

At the sight of her own blood, the girl couldn’t take it anymore. She started to sob uncontrollably, hugging her legs and shoving her face into Sapphire’s fur and her knees. Ren gently let go of her wrist as the girl wrapped her arms around Sapphire, her tears mixing with the rain.

Ren sat next to Ae-Ri, taking the time to not disturb the girl. He casted her a horribly concerned look, his voice a bit quiet. “Are you…? Why are you…?” He sounded so agitated by this. Ae-Ri didn’t get it.

She could feel the blood running down her arm and onto the pier. Rain battered her back as she let a shaky breath escape her throat. “I… It should have been me.” She choked out, tears continuing to run down her face. The silver girl didn’t look at Ren as she spoke.

The boy’s eyes widened with shock and dismay. “What-? No! You're not thinking straight right no-”

“No, Ren.” Ae-Ri cut him off, her voice thick with tears. Amethyst Cave was washing over her all over again. Melia’s bloody bag appeared in her mind. “Venam wouldn’t be like this if it was me- I… You…” She couldn’t find her words, wincing at the pain she now felt in her arm.

Ren was terrified. He was terrified over how broken his friend was at that moment. He wasn’t aware that Ae-Ri was thinking this way. He pushed away thoughts of his father as he spoke. “Ae- No, it’s not your fault. Whatever you may think, it isn't.” The girl didn't respond, her face buried in Sapphire’s fur and her knees.

She let out another shaky breath. “I don’t know anymore, Ren.” Her voice was husky, like a hollow shell. “I don’t know what to think anymore. I don’t know if you hate me, I don’t know if Venam hates me, I don’t know. I don’t-” Ren gently rested his hand on hers, alerting Ae-Ri. She looked up from her knees to reveal red rimmed eyes.

The boy let out a shaky sigh, a strange tingling sensation going along his skin. “I don’t hate you, Ae. Venam doesn’t either. She’s processing her emotions, she has a different way of grieving. We all do.” Ren started, his onyx eyes seeming to search for the words. Ae-Ri pursed her lips with doubt. The boy continued. “I’m- I’m so sorry for making you think that way if I did-” The silver girl immediately cut him off.

“N-No! It was my own stupid brain telling me-”

“Stop.” Ae-Ri looked at Ren with surprise as he sighed again. “None of this is your fault. The mind is… Hard to deal with. It makes you believe things that aren't true.” The boy’s onyx eyes were brimming with understanding. “I know that feeling. It’s terrible, and makes us do terrible things. I miss Melia, and I know you do as well. But don't think you killed her, because you didn’t. It was Team Xen who did.” The boy spat the name as if it was a bad taste in his mouth.

Ae-Ri looked towards the ocean again, dwelling on the boy’s words. She didn’t know what to believe. Ren fiddled with his scarf, looking towards the ocean as well. “You know, you didn’t know Melia for too long. But, you guys hit it off really well. I was kind of surprised.” The boy chuckled lightly, a small smile going across his face.

The silver girl thought about the smile Melia had as they walked through Goldenwood. She thought about how comfortable the girl felt around her. Maybe Ren was right. “Maybe…” Ae-Ri muttered, her voice sounded listless.

The boy furrowed his brow, continuing to talk. “Listen, it’s okay to be sad and it’s okay not to be. Like I said, people handle grief differently. That's what my dad told me, at least.” Ae-Ri was surprised to hear a mention of Ren’s parents. Out of everyone, he never talked about them. The boy seemed to notice her gaze, chuckling. “I don't mention my parents often for… Reasons.” He let out a dry cough, moving on to the topic at hand.

“But, the point is, it’s been several days now. I’m done crying and feeling guilty.” Ren stood up, staring at the ocean and then at Ae-Ri. “I want to fight for Melia. I want Team Xen to pay. They did this to her, you didn’t. You gave your all to save her.” The boy stopped, letting out a small, shaky breath. His eyes darkened as he muttered. “Sometimes, fate can't be changed.”

Ae-Ri said nothing, dwelling on her friend’s sentence. Maybe fate couldn’t be changed.

Maybe Melia was destined to die in Amethyst Cave no matter what she did.

Ren took in another deep breath, grabbing at his scarf. “What I’m saying is that I’m leaving. I’m leaving East Gearen.” Shocked, the silver girl snapped her head towards him.

“What? Why are you-?”

“I’m leaving to get stronger. If I stay here, I won’t be able to avenge Melia. And… Well… I have unfinished business to attend to.” Ren gave her a slight smile, his eyes sad. “I don’t want to leave Venam but… I can’t stay here. I suggest you don’t as well.”

Ae-Ri tipped her head to the side slightly. “Why?”

“You should continue the league challenge. Your next leader should be in Sheridan Village. I suggest you head there.” The silver girl felt her skin turning cold as she heard the name. Sheridan Village. She had to go through Amethyst Cave to get there.

Ren seemed to realize this, shaking his head. “I know it’s going to be hard to get through that place. It will be for me. But… I feel bad for saying this, we need to move on, Ae. We won’t forget Melia but we can’t dwell on this forever.” The boy said, his voice betraying his weariness. “That isn’t how life works. It would be healthier for the both of us to leave East Gearen and keep moving forward.”

Ae-Ri dwelled on this, rubbing Sapphire’s fur as she was deep in thought. To be fair, she didn't want to stay here. Ren was right on that part: It wouldn’t help for them to dwell on Melia. The silver girl still believed that she had something to do with her friend’s death. But, she couldn't be like this forever, right?

Then she thought of Venam. The thought of the girl made Ae-Ri scared. How would she react to both of them leaving?

“How would Venam react…?” Ae-Ri muttered, looking up at Ren. The boy pursed his lips, his brow furrowed. He let out a low sigh.

“To be honest, badly.” He paused, looking down at the ocean. “But, even if it’s selfish and if it would hurt her, I want to do what’s best for me at the moment. I’m going to tell her I’m leaving and apologize, it won’t feel right if I just disappear.” Ren was staring at his reflection in the murky water, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Ae-Ri looked down at her own reflection, seeing red-rimmed eyes and messy, soaked hair. The silver girl knew that Ren was right. She couldn’t stay here. Not after everything. Even then, the thought of Venam made her doubt.

“... I think you’re right.” Ae-Ri admitted, curling her hand into a fist as she rested it on her knees. Ren looked down at her with surprise. The girl pursed her lips. “I… I can’t stay here.” She looked down at the water, guilt washing over her. “I just–Venam–”

“She doesn’t hate you, Ae. I promise.” Ren said fervently. “Venam is… Difficult to deal with. She’s in a state of anger right now, she isn’t thinking straight.” Ae-Ri couldn’t believe him, not after the encounter from before. But, he stayed silent. The boy sighed, putting a hand on his hip.

“I’m going to go now. Just know…” He paused, furrowing his brow as he mapped out his words. Ae-Ri tilted her head to the side slightly as Ren continued. “ I care about you. Venam does as well in her own way.” The boy grinned softly, his onyx gaze resting on the silver girl. “You are loved, Ae.”

Shocked by this, Ae-Ri sat still, soaking in the words Ren just said. She was loved? Even after everything? Nancy still loved her, even after she ran. Ren said he cared and loved her, even after Melia. The boy coughed lightly, offering his hand to the girl.

“Come on, let’s go back to the city together. I can give you some bandages to get your arm patched up.” Ae-Ri winced, looking down at the bloody scratches. She turned to Ren’s hand, taking it lightly with her other hand.

“That sounds good.”

– ~ –

Once Ren helped Ae-Ri fix her arm, they said their goodbyes. The boy left about an hour ago and handed her a small gemstone hair clip.

“I saw it at a store earlier and thought you would like it. You could give it to Sapphire if you want.”

Ae-Ri looked down at it, appreciating the gift immensely. She clipped it onto Sapphire’s ear, who helped the girl pack her bag with Jade’s help. The silver girl tried to keep Amethyst Cave out of her mind, aware that she had to venture down there to get to Sheridan Village.

Ae-Ri swung the backpack over her shoulders, letting out a deep sigh as she looked at her bandaged arm. She slapped the sides of her face, shaking her hair out before looking back at the hotel room. Sapphire batted at the girl’s messy hair, brushing her bushy tail over her face. Ae-Ri chuckled, gently playing with the Eevee’s fur.

Once she checked out, the silver girl started to walk towards Venam’s house. Ae-Ri couldn't help but feel nervous. Ren probably said his goodbyes already, how would this affect Venam? She knew her relationship with the girl was already rocky, she was scared it would get worse.

She arrived at the front door quicker than she expected. Ae-Ri faced the purple door, jitters traveling across her spine and arms. The silver girl stepped up to it, her hand resting on the doorbell. She hesitated, her finger retracting back slightly. Ae-Ri could feel her hand shaking. Sapphire batted at her face, trilling impatiently.

Right. She couldn't chicken out. Ae-Ri slapped her face again, ringing the doorbell with more force than she wanted. The sound seemed to reverberate through her ears as she stepped back slightly.

Venam answered the door quickly.

The purple girl looked a bit more disheveled, like she wasn’t caring for her hair. Her brown eyes looked curious for a second before they became dark at the sight of Ae-Ri. The silver girl’s throat felt dry, her words scraping at its walls.

“I–Venam–”

The gym leader sighed with annoyance. “What do you want?” Ae-Ri flinched, sensing the aggression. She smoothed her ponytail out, gritting her teeth.

“I’m leaving. I just wanted to say goodbye.” At this, Venam has a strange reaction. Her eyes widened slightly, her mouth a bit agape. The girl’s entire body went stiff. Then, a look of anger laced her brown eyes. Ae-Ri could feel herself shaking slightly as her friend let out a huff.

“Huh… So just like that?” Venam started, her arms crossed. Ae-Ri took in a deep breath, gripping the strap of her backpack. The gym leader looked so shocked. And hurt. “You and Ren… So what, I just need to stay here by myself now?” She muttered, her brow furrowing. Ae-Ri let out shuddering breaths, her voice trembling.

“I–Venam, I can’t stay here–I’m–I’m so sorry–” The words felt so fake on her tongue. Why did none of it feel genuine? Venam fixed her with a hard gaze, cutting the girl off. Ae-Ri grabbed at the sleeves of her jacket, gripping her arm tightly. Her heart thumped rhythmically as Venam closed the door slightly, her fist clenched.

“Fine. Do whatever the hell you want.” The gym leader closed the door at that, the breeze flying by Ae-Ri. She stood still for a couple moments, blinking a few times. She tugged at her sleeves, stopping herself from grabbing at her hair. That went just as well as she suspected. Why was Ae-Ri so disappointed? She knows why Venam is mad at her. She should have expected this.

So fucking stupid. She was so stupid for expecting anymore.

Ae-Ri quickly walked away, not wanting to bother Venam any longer. She had plenty of time to think about it on the train ride.

Once the girl got on the train, she laid her head down, staring out the window. Sapphire rested on the table, tucking her pass underneath her fur as she purred. The Eevee wrapped her tail around, digging her snout into it until she slept soundly.

Ae-Ri observed the landscape passing by her gaze, her silver hair falling over her face and the table. She thought about many people as she watched rolling hills and herds of Pokemon. Venam, Ren, Melia, Nancy, Tesla, the list could go on. Then she thought about Team Xen, Zetta, the Garbodor, both Rift Pokemon, Goldenwood Forest, she trailed off afterward. How did so much happen in a single week? Ae-Ri didn’t get it. She grumbled, turning her head so she rested on the table face first.

She just had to get to Route 2. She could do that, right?

– ~ –

Ae-Ri made it to Route 2 with no interruptions. At this point, she was shocked she got here safely. The silver girl didn’t take the time to observe the route, praying she could go through it as quickly as possible.

The smell of flowering trees and crisp wind filled her nostrils, soothing her senses. Sapphire rested on her shoulders as Ae-Ri found herself in front of Amethyst Cave, her movements rigged as she stepped up to it. The cave's gaping maw seemed larger than before, the darkness threatening to suck her in.

Sapphire leapt off her shoulders and bounded for the cave, sniffing towards the entrance. Ae-Ri sighed and shook out her nerves. There wasn’t any other way she could take to Sheridan Village, she had to remember that. With her head high, Ae-Ri followed her Eevee into the cave.

Now that she wasn’t in a state of terror, the cave was rather beautiful. Amethysts were spotted in every corner, light shining off of their gleaming surfaces. Ae-Ri stepped across the bridge, finding herself in front of a cascading waterfall studded with amethysts at the sides. The cool water splashed her face as the silver girl walked by.

Despite the reminders, Ae-Ri took in some of the sights. The cave was pretty, there was no doubt about that. She wished to explore it and maybe take a sample of the amethyst along with her. It would be nice to have something to distract herself…

The silver girl fought back the temptation, continuing onward with Sapphire now at her side. As she climbed up some carved stairs, Ae-Ri was met with a strange sight. The cloaked figure from the incident.

The silver girl grew defensive almost immediately, taking a step back. Anger and resentment started to fill her as they stared back at her blankly. “So… It seems like you’ve failed?” They started, not waiting for an answer. They scoffed, their masked gaze making Ae-Ri uncomfortable. “That’s hardly a surprise.” Ae-Ri wished to punch this person in the jugular.

“How is this supposed to help me?” Her voice came out colder than she intended. The figure didn’t say a word, their fist clenching silently. Ae-Ri continued, anger boiling over. “It already happened and I already suffered, why should you remind me of it?” The girl’s voice cracked, the image of Melia’s bag and the blood circling around her mind.

The figure let out a deep sigh, one that sounded old and fatigued. “I tried to warn you three that this was a hopeless endeavor.” Ae-Ri flinched, remembering Venam’s silent anger towards her and her talk with Ren at the pier. Was it hopeless? Could they not defy fate? The figure took a step forward, looking taller now that they were closer. “But now you know the pain of losing someone. That pain will stick with you forever.” Now Ae-Ri was angry again.

“I knew that feeling before Melia.” She spat, her fist clenched as she tried to control the anger slowly rising up her throat. “I know it will stick with me because it has. You don't need to be telling me this.” Sapphire bristled at the figure, staying close to her trainer as if the strange person would attack. Ae-Ri grew weary, her hand hanging lazily by her side. “I need to move forward. I can’t dwell on this.” The girl’s voice cracked with desperation.

The figure seemed taken aback by this, their stature turning less rigid. “... Moving forward?” They whispered, their voice so quiet Ae-Ri could barely hear them. They let out what sounded to be a small laugh. “You want to move forward? There is no such thing. Only endless pain and despair.” Their voice came out rough, their teeth gritted.

Ae-Ri was a bit surprised by this sudden emotion. The mysterious figure stood still a while longer, observing the silver girl. Then, they walked away without a word.

“... Let’s leave this cave, Sapphire.” Ae-Ri sighed, picking up the Eevee as she continued along, trying to keep the strange figure out of her mind. She entered a winding tunnel that had barely any light penetrating it. She encountered several trainers who wished to battle her. They were taken care of by Jade rather easily. The silver girl was thankful for her snake friend, she did not have the mental capacity to deal with other people at the moment.

She made it to a path leading to the end of the cave. Ae-Ri saw the sign that led to Sheridan Village. She could finally get out of this cave.

Then, a person appeared in front of the sign in a flash of bright light.

Not weird at all.

Ae-Ri saw the person had dark hair tied into two braided twintails. Suddenly, they turned around with a camera flash. “Say cheese!” Ae-Ri jumped back at the sudden light, the hairs on her neck spiking upward. Now that she could see the person, she saw the face of a young woman with dark skin and blue eyes holding a camera. She gave a sheepish grin.

“Oh wait, I think I was supposed to say that before firing away.” She muttered, looking down at the camera in her hand. The woman let out an awkward giggle, pocketing the camera quickly, she snapped back into position to face Ae-Ri. “That aside, I suppose you’re in my memory banks now!”

“... What?” Ae-Ri was heavily confused. The woman laughed, jumping with glee.

“You’re funny! Anyway, it looks like you were randomly selected as a participant in the fun games!” The woman gave fake fanfare, throwing her arms up with enthusiasm. Ae-Ri stood there blinking a few times.

“...... Huh?” This woman was overstimulating her to a concerning degree. She only giggled, teleporting inches away from Ae-Ri’s face. The girl yelped in surprise as the woman smiled widely.

“Your prize? A ticket to the entrance of Sheridan Village!” She squealed, taking Ae-Ri’s hand in her own. The silver girl was too perplexed to react. “Now, let the fun games begin!” A flash of white light engulfed Amethyst Cave, blinding Ae-Ri momentarily.

Once the light faded away, Ae-Ri found herself in a strange dimension. She stood on a tiled path with a pattern of pink and purple squares. Bright green grass surrounded the path with pink trees in various shades. Strangely, there was a scent of strawberries and whipped cream that was subtle enough for Ae-Ri to enjoy it.

Sapphire sniffed around, her ears pulled back with curiosity. Ae-Ri put her in her PokeBall in the meantime, wishing to explore the strange dimension herself.

“Up here!” At the voice, the silver girl looked over her shoulder to see the woman vigorously waving her hand, coaxing the girl over. Ae-Ri saw she was standing in front of three purple rocks as she made her way towards the woman. “Welcome to the first game we’re going to play! Hidden in one of these rocks lies a purple pebble. If the pebble I'd found within a rock, you’ll proceed!” She squealed with delight, jumping up and down.

Ae-Ri examined the rocks, trying to find any difference in one of them. She sent out Topaz, who knew Rock Smash. The Furret looked around in confusion, sticking his nose in the air to take in the new scents. The woman watched with a wide grin as Ae-Ri grazed her finger across the rock’s surface. Maybe she was overthinking this.

After a couple minutes, the girl decided on the middle one. “Topaz, could you–?” Before she could finish, her Furret smashed through the rock with ease. As it crumbled, it turned into many small pebbles. Oh. Ae-Ri got it now. She smiled as the woman did a flip in the air, pumping her arms up with excitement.

“Hooray! You found the pebble! Get it? Cause you created the pebble by breaking down the rock? Heheheheheheheh…” The woman gave Ae-Ri a wink, giggling as she couldn't contain herself. The silver girl chuckled, amused by the woman’s enthusiasm. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers, causing the rocks to disappear in a cloud of sparkles. “Alright, Game #1’s over! Let’s move on!” The woman snapped her fingers once again, causing herself to disappear.

In reality, Ae-Ri saw her appear behind a line of trees up ahead.

The silver girl smiled, now enjoying these “fun games”. She stepped up to the trees, watching the woman as she cleared her throat. “Okaaaaaay, Game #2. This one will be a bit more difficult.” Ae-Ri could see that the woman was being very serious about this. “For this game, you just need to find the fake tree! Have fun!”

Immediately, Ae-Ri could see the obviously fake tree to the right. It was a replica of the woman in front of her in a comical tree costume holding faux branches in both arms. The silver girl stepped up to the “tree”, resting a hand on its top. She could hear it speaking. “Photosynthesis… Photosynthesis…”

Ae-Ri was very sure that trees couldn’t speak.

“Is it this one?” She asked, grinning as she waited for an answer. The woman pondered, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

“Are you sure? I can give you another chance.”

“I’m sure.” At this, the tree turned around, revealing her face to be exactly like the woman in front of her.

“Aw man… How’d you know? I thought my disguise was perfect.” The “tree” pouted, her faux tree branches wilting slightly. The woman’s eyes were wide, a gleeful noise escaping her.

“Wow, you got it! I’m impressed!” She snapped her fingers, causing the trees to disappear. “Now, time for the final game! Ohhh, I’m so excited!” At that, the woman disappeared in a flash of sparkles.

Ae-Ri followed the path, her mood improving significantly as the fun games continued. She saw the woman standing in front of a cherry blossom tree on an island. Once the silver girl stepped up to her, the woman grinned widely, spinning around to face her.

“Now, for the third and final game… It’s a Pokemon battle!” She exclaimed, her twin tails floating in the air out of excitement. Ae-Ri was a bit surprised by the simple challenge but didn’t complain. This woman seemed like a fun battler. “Actually, I saw your fight with Venam back there! I wanted to speak to you but got a bit nervous, hehe…” She chuckled, scratching her head sheepishly. At the mention of Venam, Ae-Ri’s mood dampened just a bit. However, she quickly shook it off. She was having the most fun she has had in a while, she couldn't spoil this.

“Sounds good. What's your name, if I can ask?” Ae-Ri took out a PokeBall from her pocket. The woman grinned, two PokeBalls floating around her with yellow energy.

“The name’s Nim! I’m a traveling gal just trying to make friends and have a fun time! We're going to be besties, I won’t take no for an answer!” At that, she threw out the two PokeBalls with a flick of her finger. Ae-Ri took out an extra and sent hers out as well.

Nim's PokeBalls contained a Solrock and Lunatone, who stood side by side. Ae-Ri released Jade and Aquamarine, who gave each other a knowing glance. “Both of you go for the Solrock! Aquamarine, defensive! Jade, offensive!” The two Pokemon sprang for the Solrock at the command.

“Alright Solrock, Harden! Lunatone, back up Solrock! Use Ancient Power!” The Solrock’s rocky surface glimmered, hardening its shell further. Jade struck it with a Leaf Tornado, still dealing considerable damage to it even with the boost. Aquamarine faced the Lunatone, taking the defensive for Jade. He growled at the Pokemon, taking the Ancient Power hit well with the debuff.

“Water Gun, Aqua! Push it back!” A geyser of water shot from the Buizel’s mouth, striking the Lunatone in the eye. Jade slapped the Solrock away with his tail, sending another Leaf Tornado towards it.

Nim’s eyes brightened as the battle continued. “Fire Spin, Solrock!” The sun Pokemon shot a column of flames at Jade, which was doused by a Water Gun from Aquamarine. The Servine gave his teammate a curt nod before returning to the battle. The Buizel chittered with glee as he sent a Sonic Boom towards the Lunatone.

“Confusion, Lunatone!”

“Vine Whip, Jade! Grab at the Solrock’s appendages! Aqua, dodge and use Pursuit!” The Buizel barely dodged the attack, rushing forward to strike the Lunatone with his front paws, knocking it out cold. Jade unfurled his vines underneath his yellow crown, grabbing the Solrock’s top and bottom appendage. Quickly, he shoved the sun Pokemon into the grass, sending a Leaf Tornado towards it. The two Pokemon rested on the ground together.

Even at the defeat, an expression of awe was on Nim’s face. “Wowie, you won! You’re top notch, just as I expected!” The psychic returned her Pokemon, putting her hands on her hips as she continued. “I knew you were tied by fate the moment I saw you beat Venam! So cool…” She whispered, her eyes shining.

Ae-Ri felt a bit embarrassed by the compliments, her face flushing slightly. “I… Thanks, Nim.” She returned Jade and Aquamarine, pocketing her hands. Nim stood still for a bit before sitting down, patting the patch of grass next to her.

“Come on! Sit!” A bit surprised, Ae-Ri walked over and took a seat, feeling the soft grass underneath her palms. Nim giggled, playing with one of her braids. “Sorry… I have one last game to play.”

“Really? What is it?” Nim shifted her body to face Ae-Ri, her legs crossed.

“Here are the rules: Answer this question with the truth, no matter what it is.” The psychic stuck out her pinky, looking at Ae-Ri expectantly. The girl took the pinky with her own, curling around it.

“I swear I will.”

“Alright… That question is… Did I cheer you up?” Ae-Ri knew her answer. She didn’t need to think about it.

“Yes, Nim. You really did.” The girl laughed, resting her head against the trunk of the tree. Nim leapt to her feet, pumping her fists in the air.

“YES!!! I wanted my first impression to be a real good one. So that you wouldn't forget about me.” Nim winked, sitting back down with her hands in her lap. She looked at Ae-Ri for a moment, her eyes wandering. “I know you and that Ren guy had a big talk about grief and what not. But, I thought I’d pitch in and spread the happiness, you know?” Ae-Ri nodded, now grateful for Nim’s games and upbeat attitude.

“It did help, Nim. It felt nice after so many days of numbness.” The psychic gave her a toothy grin, which quickly faded into a small frown.

“Okay, confession time. I watched you guys battle Zetta.” Ae-Ri froze at the name, remembering the Dimensional Rift and the Xen Admin’s talk about dragging them down with him. Nim took in a deep breath, gripping her sleeve with her hand. “When he sucked you guys into the rift, he threw Melia’s bag into the depths. Well, I went down to retrieve it. The water levels totally destroyed it by then but I did pick something up.”

The psychic pulled out a small card from her sleeve, handing it to Ae-Ri with two fingers. The silver girl took it gently, seeing Melia’s name printed onto it. It looked like an entry card of some sorts. Ae-Ri turned it over with her fingers, giving it a slight smile.

“Thanks. It means a lot.” She pocketed the card, feeling happy she had a piece of Melia with her. Nim perked up again, the yellow energy around her swelling up.

“I’m glad you’re happy! But, I’m sorry that I couldn’t help. Like I said, I’m just wandering trying to find companions. You caught my eye so I watched you for a while.” Ae-Ri wondered why anyone would be interested in her. But, she stayed quiet.

A PokeBall was summoned in front of Nim, who spun it around with her finger as she sighed. “I used to travel with someone. I had to leave them a while ago, it made me sad but…” The psychic trailed off, seemingly losing her words. She picked herself back up, changing the topic.

“Anyway, I hope this was fun! You’ll get through this Ae, I know you will. Have fun in Sheridan Village!” Nim grabbed Ae-Ri’s hands into her own, making the girl flinch in surprise. The psychic laughed, giving her a cheeky grin. “Don’t forget about your bestie Nim!!” In a flash of white light, Ae-Ri found herself back in Amethyst Cave. She looked around for Nim, who was nowhere to be seen. However, her voice suddenly echoed in the silver girl’s ears.

“Don’t worry! I’ll be watching over you on your journey. Imagine that I’m your guardian angel of some sort!” With a final giggle, Nim left for good.

Ae-Ri stood still for a bit, looking at the sign and then at the exit. She laughed, looking over her shoulder.

“Bye, Nim.” At that, the silver girl walked up the stairs to enter Sheridan Village.

The smell of cherry blossoms swirled around her.

Chapter Text

Ae-Ri found herself suffering severe whiplash as she entered Sheridan Village. Compared to East Gearen, it was a quaint village with wooden houses and a peaceful atmosphere. Children were running around with a ball in front of a rusty gate and people of many ages could be seen conversing and training together.

The scent on the breeze smelled of flowers, soothing Ae-Ri greatly. It was a significant upgrade from the smoke she always smelled in East Gearen. She started to walk around, looking everywhere that she could. The dirt road was surrounded by bright green grass and wildflowers blowing in the wind.

Wishing to bring little attention to herself, the silver girl walked towards one of the larger buildings quietly. She spotted the sign that read Cherry Blossom Inn. That might be a good place to start. Ae-Ri started to power walk over.

The group of children playing with the ball stopped to look at the stranger, their eyes wide with interest. Ae-Ri tried to ignore them, feeling their gazes burning into the back of her skull. The girl took a deep breath, grabbing at her arm and squeezing. She felt a bit better.

Once she got closer to the inn, Ae-Ri spotted two people talking next to a campfire. One of them was an old woman with an interesting cane. It was taller than her and held a strange fairy shaped design with green wings. She wore long red robes and was hunched forward, resting both hands on her cane.

Across from her was a young girl with bright purple hair tied into a messy high ponytail. She wore a gray shirt and had a lithe, muscular build and beautiful purple eyes that reminded Ae-Ri of the amethyst clusters in Amethyst Cave. The air around them was tense.

“It’s hopeless, Eldest. Things are just too broken.” The girl gritted her teeth, clenching her fist. She shook her head in frustration, looking towards the fire. “It’s been like this for an entire year. Now it’s just getting worse. He won’t come out to eat–Heck, he won’t come out of the house in general.” The purple girl sat on one of the log stumps, her brow furrowed and her lips curved into a frown. She looked towards the Eldest. “He’s neglecting all of his duties, it isn’t healthy!”

The Eldest sighed deeply, her gaze sympathetic. “I’m sure the Sensei has his reasons. He’s lived… A complicated life.” She concluded, grimacing. The older woman took a seat next to the girl, giving her a small frown. “Something that only he can understand, but–”

“Sheridan Village is a place of community!” The girl interrupted with her exclamation, leaping to her feet. She kicked wood sheddings into the fire, her gaze dark and her body tense. “We’re here for him–I’m here for him–Why won’t he trust us?” She looked towards the Eldest desperately, her voice cracking. The older woman stayed silent as she continued. “If the leader isn’t in sync with his people–it will all fall.”

The Eldest set her cane in front of her, looking wistfully towards the fire. “In all my time in this village, this has happened once before.” A slight smile creased her aged face as she looked towards the purple girl. “And even through that dark hour, we rose victorious in the end. Standing strong.” A weary sigh escaped her lips, her eyes closing. “So please believe me when I say things are going to be alright.”

The muscular girl's creased brow betrayed slight doubt. However, she nodded, her eyes flashing with determination. “Alright, I’ll put my faith in you, Eldest.” The older woman smiled, giving the girl a small pat on the shoulder with her cane. She giggled, waving her hand as she stepped towards the inn. “Now, the inn needs me. I’ll see you later.”

“As you wish.” The Eldest watched as the young girl stepped into the building, her purple ponytail disappearing as the door closed. The older woman stood up from the fire, her gaze catching Ae-Ri. The silver girl let out a squeak of surprise, embarrassment rushing over her. Why did she think eavesdropping was a good idea?

The Eldest had a strange reaction to seeing the girl. Her eyes widened slightly and her body went a bit tense. “Oh dear…” Ae-Ri, uncomfortable, stepped closer to the fire, standing across from the older woman. The Eldest stumbled back in surprise seeing the girl up close. Confused, Ae-Ri gave her a raised eyebrow.

Why’s she acting like she’s seen me before?

The Eldest gave a dry cough, giving the girl an apologetic but uneasy smile. “Please excuse my rude disposition. I was just… Taken aback.” Ae-Ri had no idea what she was taken aback by. Was it her randomly appearing in the village or something else? The girl could not handle any other secrets at the moment.

“Uhm… It’s alright. I kind of eavesdropped on your conversation to begin with…” Ae-Ri mumbled, fiddling with her ponytail self-consciously. The Eldest chuckled, waving her hand.

“It’s alright, child. I’m sure you would have learned sooner or later.” The anxiety escaped Ae-Ri, her body easing up. The Eldest beckoned her over, to which the girl complied. The woman gently tapped the inn door with her cane, fondness spreading across her gaze. “Welcome to Sheridan Village. If you need a place to stay, I run this Inn right here.”

Ae-Ri gave a small smile, bowing her head slightly. “Thank you, Eldest.” The older woman chuckled, returning the small bow.

“Good day to you…?”

“Ae-Ri.”

“Ae-Ri. Enjoy Sheridan Village.” The Eldest entered the inn and leaving Ae-Ri alone. The silver girl weighed her options. She could explore the village some more or enter the inn. She did want to talk to that purple girl…

Ae-Ri entered the inn before she could think about it more. Immediately, she saw the muscular girl offering towels to a woman. “Here you go Ms. Apple! I would like to apologize for the wait.” A bright smile spread across her face, earning a chuckle from the older woman.

“Thank you, Aelita. You’re a wonderful young woman.” Aelita. That was her name.

Aelita waved goodbye as the woman left. Then, her purple eyes landed on Ae-Ri. The silver girl froze under the blinding gaze, anxiety reaching her head. Aelita stepped over to her, giving her a smile. “Hey there! Are you here for the inn?”

Ae-Ri fiddled with her ponytail, her anxiety worse than usual. “Uhm… Actually, I heard your conversation with the Eldest earlier…” The silver girl cringed as she saw Aelita’s expression turn into a small frown. “I… Uhm… I came here to battle the gym leader but… Is he going through something?”

The purple haired girl sighed, taking Ae-Ri’s wrist. Shocked by the touch, she flinched slightly. “Come to my room, we can talk more there.” Before she could say anything, Ae-Ri was taken upstairs into Aelita’s room.

It was rather normal with some Pokemon plushies resting on a bed in the corner and a desk on the left. Aelita took a Kirlia plushie, examining it wistfully. She sighed, placing it down before facing Ae-Ri again. “So, Keta, our sensei… He’s been distant, to say the least.” The girl pursed her lips, looking down at the floor. “He hasn't interacted with the village in a while. As of recently he’s stopped talking to anyone completely…” Aelita trailed off, clenching her hands into fists.

“He hasn’t been taking gym challenges as of lately, so sorry about that…”

“Th-That’s alright, if he’s going through something I shouldn't bother him…” Ae-Ri muttered, pushing hair out of her face. Aelita gave her a slight smile.

“Thanks. I could try talking to him in a few days if you'd like.” Aelita offered, crossing her arms. Ae-Ri smiled, nodding her head. The silver girl couldn't help but realize how relieved she felt. Sheridan Village felt much less suffocating than East Gearen did.

Aelita cleared her throat, tipping her head to the side slightly. “Sooo, what’s your name?” Ae-Ri stiffened at the sudden question, quickly gaining her composure before the purple girl could notice.

“Uhm… It’s Ae-Ri.”

“Huh… Never heard a name like that one.” Aelita grinned, her purple eyes twinkling with interest. She walked over to Ae-Ri, taking her hand. The silver girl froze on the spot out of sheer shock. Aelita didn’t seem to notice as she moved on. “Can I show you around the area in the meantime? You seem like good company.”

Good company? Me?? Ae-Ri, still shocked, nodded her head slowly. She did not know what else to do, feeling like a Deerling in headlights. Aelita grinned widely, half-dragging the silver girl out of her room.

“Alright then! Let’s go!”

“Wh-Whuh–?!”

– ~ –

The first thing Ae-Ri learned about Aelita was that she was very energetic and fit.

To the point she dragged both of them all the way out of Amethyst Cave without breaking a sweat.

By the time they made it to Route 2, Ae-Ri was still confused over how they got here so fast. Aelita took her up some stairs, letting go of the girl’s hand. Once Ae-Ri regained her ability to perceive, her eyes settled on the largest tree she had ever seen.

It had a thick trunk that towered over the both of them with branches practically covering the sky. These branches bursted with petals of various shades of pink. Petals swirled in the wind, filling the place with a sweet scent and a beautiful pigment. The wood was a deep maroon color with a heart carved into the bark. It contained two initials.

K + T

Aelita put her hands on her hips, smiling as she saw Ae-Ri’s expression of awe. “This is the tallest tree in the general area. We call it the Big Blossom.” The purple girl walked over towards the trunk, resting her hand on the heart. A small flash of sadness streaked across Aelita's face before a smile replaced it. She looked towards Ae-Ri, beckoning her over.

The silver girl looked up at the inside of the tree, seeing winding branches and pink cherry blossom petals. She hesitantly rested her hand on the trunk, the bark feeling rough and aged against her palm. Aelita continued to talk. “I usually come here if I need silence and a nice atmosphere. Reading books here is also great.” Ae-Ri looked at the purple girl, listening to her as she spoke more.

Aelita talked a lot, except all of it had this enthusiastic air to it, as if the purple girl was enjoying every moment and every word. She always had this twinkle in her eyes, betraying her excitement.

It made Ae-Ri feel nice.

“Ae-Ri? You alright?” The silver girl snapped back to reality, blinking several times to register Aelita's head tilt. “Looks like you zoned out a bit.” Ae-Ri shook her head, embarrassment steadily rising throughout her body.

“S-Sorry– I tend to do that–”

“No need to apologize!” Aelita interrupted, giggling. She leaned against the tree as she continued. “I should be saying sorry for talking so much, I can’t help it.” Ae-Ri saved a hand at her, shaking her head.

“Oh– You're alright, I… It’s nice to hear you be so enthusiastic.” Ae-Ri immediately regretted everything, tempted to bang her head against the tree trunk. Although, Aelita only gave her a small, maybe confused grin. Soon, the purple girl couldn't help but let out a laugh, carving her hand through her hair.

“You’re fun to be around, Ae. Is it alright if I call you that?” Aelita asked quickly, her purple eyes wide. Ae-Ri nodded, a smile now slowly forming across her face.

“People usually call me that… Uhm…” The silver girl muttered, not knowing how to continue this conversation. Luckily, Aelita sat down, patting the patch of grass next to her. Wordlessly, Ae-Ri sat down right next to her. The purple girl continued the conversation, to the girl’s relief.

“Where are you from, Ae? If I can ask that, of course.” Aelita asked, raising her arms over her head as she stretched. Ae-Ri shifted her feet, wondering if she should tell the girl the truth. She let out a small sigh.

“Uhm… I don’t really know.” The girl answered honestly, earning a raised eyebrow from Aelita. Ae-Ri tugged at her leggings, looking down at the grass. “I came to Aevium on a trip with my mother, on the S.S. Oceana.” She looked over to see Aelita's eyes widen in shock.

“Were you–?” Aelita cut herself off, not finishing her sentence. Ae-Ri took the hint. She nodded slowly, that feeling of worthlessness coming back.

“Y-Yeah… I only got out because someone saved me. I… I couldn't do anything to help. I just… Ran.” Flashes of fire and Galvantulas and blood went through Ae-Ri’s mind, the air suddenly turning cold. She hated how she ran. She hated how she couldn't help.

Then, a soft touch snapped Ae-Ri out of it, shocking her immensely. She whipped her head towards Aelita, who rested her hand on the silver girl’s shoulder. She gave her a soft, reassuring smile, understanding filling her purple gaze. “I heard it was a Team Xen attack. There were grunts and executives swarming that boat, you shouldn't blame yourself for a terrorist attack they planned.” Aelita said, her tone firm but sympathetic.

Ae-Ri blinked a couple times, not understanding what Aelita was saying for a second. But, at that moment, the girl reminded her of Melia. The silver girl smiled softly, leaning against the trunk of the tree. For the first time in a while, she felt almost fully relaxed.

“Thanks, Aelita. You’re nice to talk to.”

“No problem! Do you wanna stay here for a bit?”

“... Sure. That sounds nice.”

– ~ –

“Do you know other languages? I only know a bit of Hoennian myself.” Aelita always made some type of small talk every few minutes. However, Ae-Ri could always answer her questions easily. The pure haired girl didn’t make them confusing to understand, she was straight to the point.

“Well… I know a bit of Korean, if that helps.” Aelita sat up quickly, looking at Ae-Ri with interest.

“Really? Can you teach me a word?” The silver girl grinned internally. She hoped Aelita wouldn't be offended in some way.

“Say 씨발.”

“She-baal–? What does that mean?”

“It just means fuck.” Aelita looked a bit frazzled before a cheeky grin went across her face. Ae-Ri couldn't help but laugh, feeling accomplished by this reaction.

“Well, at least I know something. Can you teach me more swears?” Aelita asked, earning a good laugh from the silver girl.

“Maybe later. I might need to write them down somewhere…”

They talked under that tree for what felt like hours. Ae-Ri learned a lot about Aelita. Apparently, the sensei was her father and her mother, named Taelia, died in an accident years ago. She had grown up in Sheridan for her entire life and barely stepped foot out of it and Route 2. She was enthusiastic, fun to talk to, and Ae-Ri felt very comfortable around her. Aelita was a nice change of pace from everything that happened in East Gearen.

By the time they were done, they could see the sunset. Aelita’s eyes widened at the sight of the sun sinking into the sky. She grabbed Ae-Ri’s wrist, forcing both of them to their feet. “Look! The sunset’s really pretty here, over there!” The purple girl pointed towards the horizon, her eyes bright with excitement.

Ae-Ri rubbed her eyes, looking towards where Aelita was pointing. She saw a beautiful orange and pink sun halfway into the ground, its rays streaking across the sky in bright hues of yellow and orange. “Woah.” The silver girl didn't want to say anything, she didn't want to distract Aelita from the sunset.

The purple girl smiled widely, her grip on Ae-Ri’s wrist comfortable and warm. “I always love seeing it. I can never get tired of it.” Aelita sighed wistfully, her purple hair practically glowing in the sunlight. Ae-Ri couldn't help but admire the girl basking in the sunlight. Her purple eyes seemed to glimmer with her ponytail blowing gently in the wind.

Suddenly, Aelita let go of Ae-Ri’s hand, racing for the stairs they went up. “Race you to Sheridan! I promise I’ll look out for you!” The purple girl yelled, already running down the stairs before the silver girl could even comprehend what was happening. Then, she yelped, running after Aelita.

“Aelita–?! Wait!”

“Come on, Ae! Last one to Sheridan’s a rotten egg!”

– ~ –

Aelita beat Ae-Ri by at least five minutes.

“You’re a good runner!” The purple girl said as Ae-Ri arrived at the entrance of the Cherry Blossom Inn, panting from exhaustion. The silver girl gave Aelita a small thumbs up, going back to dying slightly.

“You run– Very fast–” Ae-Ri said in between breaths, recalling Aelita stopping several times so she didn't lose sight of the silver girl. Aelita giggled, flicking away her ponytail.

“Thanks! Now, do you want to rest in the inn? I can book you a room.” Ae-Ri nodded, hoping she could get some actual sleep tonight. Aelita entered the inn, leaving the silver girl to sit near the fire. She wiped away the sweat that streaked her face, bending down to watch the flames. They danced in the wind, whorls of yellow and orange swirling together with embers flying around the air.

Aelita opened the door again, tapping Ae-Ri’s shoulder. “Follow me.” Without another word, the silver girl entered the inn. Her new friend led her down the right hallway, opening the farthest room. “Here you go!” Aelita fanned out her arm, leading Ae-Ri into the room. It was a nice, quaint room with a bed and a small desk in the corner and a mirror on the left side wall. “Make yourself at home. I’m going to go to my room if you need me.”

Aelita started to walk away, giving Ae-Ri a wave of her hand. “See you tomorrow, Ae!” The silver girl could only give a small wave. She urged herself to say something, with nothing coming out. Instead, Ae-Ri set her backpack on the desk, taking out all of her PokeBalls. She sent out Sapphire, who trilled with glee at the sight of Ae-Ri. The Eevee leapt at the girl, who caught the furry beast in her arms.

Sapphire licked her face affectionately, earning a giggle from the silver girl. “Alright, alright– I missed you too–” Ae-Ri chuckled, resting Sapphire on the bed. The Eevee sniffed around, sticking her nose into the sheets.

By the time Ae-Ri was done, it was night. Moonlight shined through the window next to her, giving the room some natural light. The silver girl’s jacket rested on the chair, exposing her injured arm. She let out a yawn, looking towards Sapphire who slept next to the pillow.

Then, Ae-Ri looked towards the mirror. She hadn't seen herself in a mirror in a while. The girl was a bit surprised at what she saw.

A smile. A genuine, soft smile across her face. Ae-Ri sat there staring at the mirror for a few moments, dumbfounded by the look on her face. What had this day done to her? How did she smile so quickly?

She thought of Aelita and her cheerful voice. Her new friend…

Ae-Ri let out a small, shocked laugh. She laid against her bed, staring up at the ceiling, she couldn't stop giggling at the thought of her smiling like that. She must have looked like an idiot in front of Aelita…

That thought felt good.

She wanted to smile like an idiot more.

Ae-Ri just wanted to savor this moment of happiness. She could never forget Melia, and never would.

But, for once, maybe she'll get a decent sleep.

Miracles can happen once in a while… At that thought, Ae-Ri drifted into slumber, still smiling at the thought of Aelita.

Chapter Text

Four Days Later

Another nightmare.

Ae-Ri could hear Melia’s screams, echoing in her ears and never ceasing.

These screams weren't real.

They weren't real.

Suddenly, the scene shifted. Ae-Ri looked around, her eyes settling on a completely headless Galvantula crawling its way towards her. Blood dripped from the stem like a waterfall, its guts spilling out from the incision in its belly. The only sounds Ae-Ri could hear were the Galvantula’s insides dropping to the floor and the harsh noise of its dragging feet.

Fresh fear rested deep within Ae-Ri's being. Why couldn't she move? Why couldn't she do anything? Why couldn't she stop it?

Why was she so useless?

Before she could do anything, the Galvantula stopped, its furs on end. Ae-Ri watched it with wide eyes, not being able to take her eyes off of the blood.

Then, the large bug lunged towards her.

Ae-Ri woke up with a start to something green and furry resting on her chest.

She shot up, causing the Joltik to fall to her blanket. The small bug Pokemon wiggled its little legs as it laid flat on its back. It regained its balance, shaking its hairs out and looking up at Ae-Ri. She flinched back, seeing its many eyes resting on her. The Joltik skittered towards her, causing Ae-Ri to shrink away. She just couldn't face it.

The bug Pokemon seems to frown, stopping in its tracks. Its green hairs bristled a bit, maybe alarmed by how Ae-Ri was reacting. She felt bad, but she could only see the cascading stumps of a Rift Galvantula. Only Melia’s blood red hand bag.

The Joltik looked up at her, its furry mandibles twitching. Ae-Ri let out a shaky sigh, her shoulders falling and her grip on her blanket faltering. She grabbed at her arm, wrapping her fingers around to give a hard squeeze. The little Pokemon in front of her observed with curiosity, not moving an inch.

“... I’m sorry.” Ae-Ri muttered, looking down at the Joltik. She hesitated in putting a hand out, her entire arm twitching. Only yesterday she unraveled the bandages encasing it. She uncovered half-raw cuts that scored her skin, caused by her own self.

The small bug Pokemon didn’t move, its violet eyes fixed on her face. Ae-Ri didn’t move either, staring right back. She didn't know what the Joltik wanted, or what it was doing.

It then proceeded to jump onto her arm.

It took Ae-Ri every single nerve in her body to not throw her arm up and let the Joltik fly out of the window. She simply froze, looking out of the corner of her eye to observe what the Pokemon was doing. The Joltik gently brushed a foot against her cuts, stepping back a bit to rest on her skin. It clicked its mandibles thoughtfully, shaking its fur out to rest on her arm.

Ae-Ri looked at it with piqued interest, daring to reach over with her other arm. With the gentlest touch she could muster, she grazed the Joltik’s hairs. It felt strangely soft underneath her finger.

She continued to watch the Joltik, which closed its eyes and rested its furry legs on her skin. It was so small against her arm, fitting between two cuts on her unaffected skin. Ae-Ri couldn't help but smile.

It was cute when it didn’t give her nightmares.

Suddenly, she realized something. “Huh, I never gave you a name, did I…?” Ae-Ri muttered, gently scratching her finger against the Joltik’s back. It let out a small buzz, still sleeping soundly on her arm. She smiled fully, raising her arm up to gently pick up the Joltik and place it on the windowsill. The moonlight struck its green hairs, almost making it shine.

Ae-Ri rested her head on the windowsill, looking up at the moon and stars. It was beautiful tonight, shining brightly down on the world. She turned her gaze back to the sleeping Joltik. A smile escaped her lips once again. She sighed.

“I think Peridot fits you well.”

– ~ –

The morning glare woke Ae-Ri up.

She woke up with a yawn, her silver hair a tangled mess. Sapphire slept across from her, seemingly climbing into bed once Ae-Ri slept again. She groped around her nightstand for a hair tie, snatching one up and quickly tying her messy hair into her usual ponytail. Ae-Ri looked over to see that the windowsill was empty. A bit surprised, she looked around the room, spotting Peridot jumping up and down on the desk with her PokeBalls.

“Good morning to you too.” Ae-Ri mumbled, remembering that Joltiks were electric types at the sight of him. The Pokemon was jittery, sending small sparks of electricity out of his body as he jumped and jumped. Ae-Ri couldn't help but grin, getting out of bed to grab her jacket resting on the back of a chair.

She quickly put it on, wishing to hide her injured arm for now. While she was putting on her shoes, she noticed how beat up the jacket was. Small holes and burn marks were scattered about, mostly at the edges. Ae-Ri paid it no mind, she could live with a burnt jacket.

“Did you get all of your jitters out?” Ae-Ri looked over to Peridot, who stopped jumping to look up at her. In response, he quickly scurried over to his PokeBall, letting himself in with a cloud of light. She smiled, grabbing all of her PokeBalls to put them back into her backpack.

Sapphire let out a yawn, giving a big stretch on Ae-Ri’s bed. The Eevee leapt onto the floor, climbing up her jacket to rest on Ae-Ri’s shoulders. She gave her a quick scratch on the chin before exiting the room.

Once she entered the lobby, she saw Aelita handing a woman a stack of books. Ae-Ri watched as Aelita gave the woman a smile and waved her goodbye. Then, her purple eyes settled on Ae-Ri. She walked over, her voice containing a sing-song tone.

“Morning Ae~! And morning to Sapphire as well.” Aelita added, smiling at the Eevee who gave her a cheerful chirp. She climbed down Ae-Ri’s arm to affectionately rub her tail across Aelita’s leg. She bent down to give the Eevee a pat on the head, her smile bright. Ae-Ri smiled, the action quick and effortless. It was easy to smile around Aelita. So easy.

“Hi Aelita. Are we…?” Ae-Ri trailed off, looking towards the window to distract herself. Aelita tipped her head to the side slightly, waiting for Ae-Ri to finish. She turned back to Aelita, biting her lip. “Are we… Uhm– Meeting with the Sensei today?”

Aelita nodded, conflict flashing across her gaze. However, she put on a smile. “We can walk around Route Two a bit before we do anything. It’s always good to move our body to wake ourselves up.” Ae-Ri nodded. Both of them started to walk towards the door before Aelita stopped. “Wait, I almost forgot! Be right back.” She ran up the stairs to her room, leaving Ae-Ri standing at the front door.

After a few moments, Aelita came running down with a teal track jacket over her shoulder. She beamed as she handed it to Ae-Ri, who looked at it curiously. “I noticed how banged up your normal jacket is. You could use that one if you want!” Aelita said, clapping her hands together. Ae-Ri looked down at the jacket, the soft fabric smooth and nice under her fingers.

“... Thanks, Aelita.” She smiled, turning around and carefully removing her old jacket, wishing to hide the scars. Ae-Ri slipped on the track jacket, looking over her shoulder to see Aelita grinning. Sapphire batted at the new jacket, climbing up Ae-Ri’s arm to rest on her shoulders.

“Looks great! Come on, let’s test it out and go to Route Two.”

– ~ –

It was a nice day. The sun casted a glare across Ae-Ri’s glasses, causing her to blink a few times. Aelita hummed as she walked, her ponytail bobbing up and down. Sapphire walked next to Ae-Ri, sticking her nose into any patch of grass she could find. Aelita’s Combusken came out as well, running towards a tree. It raised both of its clawed feet, slamming into it with all the force it could muster. The bark splintered into the air until the flesh of the tree was revealed.

“Nice job Combusken! Your kicks are getting even better.” Aelita said, a triumphant chirp coming from the Pokemon. Sapphire frolicked through a patch of wildflowers, getting several of the petals stuck in her fur. Ae-Ri looked over at Aelita, who returned her Combusken.

“Aelita, if I can ask… What is going on with the Sensei?” Ae-Ri shifted her feet. She didn't know if she had the authority to ask this question.

Aelita pursed her lips, a small sigh escaping her. “Our Sensei, Keta… He’s my father actually.” She cringed a bit, taking a seat on the grass. Aelita beckoned across from her, willing Ae-Ri to sit. She complied, the soft grass swaying around them. “He’s been distant for the past year. He hasn't always been like this. Our Sensei has gone through a lot, but he was still connected to Sheridan, to the people. Now, he just stays inside his house in isolation. He doesn't even answer me anymore.” Aelita hugged her knees, her voice cracking.

Ae-Ri repressed a shiver of familiarity at the Sensei’s behavior. “Did something serious happen before he went into isolation or…?”

“Nothing that I know of. Whatever happened must have taken a toll on him to conjure up this reaction.” Aelita picked at a wildflower, holding it up and watching its petals fly away with the wind. “I’ve had a weird feeling about today. Like everything’s going to work out some way or another.” Ae-Ri cocked her head slightly, wondering how Aelita got to that conclusion. From previous events, all Ae-Ri seemed to bring was misfortune.

“Could I ask how?”

“I… I’m not completely sure. It has something to do with you, I can make sure of that. I just need to figure out what it is.” Aelita set down the now naked flower stem, smiling at Ae-Ri. “I know it’s only been several days, but you’re a good person, Ae.” Ae-Ri was a bit taken aback by this, coughing to cover up the strangled noise that tried to escape her throat.

“W-Why do you think that–?”

“Just from being around you. The way you treat your Pokemon, treat people, treat even in-animate objects really.” Aelita teased, reminding Ae-Ri of when she apologized to bumping into a potted plant the other day. She looked at the grass in slight embarrassment, playing with her hair. Aelita laughed. “I’m just saying, you’re nice to be around and I like being around you. I’m sure others feel the same.” Ae-Ri recalled Venam’s coldness towards her, how her friend closed the door in her face. She started to claw at the grass, breathing a bit quicker.

Would Aelita feel that way about her after learning what happened at Amethyst Cave?

A concerned look washed across Aelita’s face. She gently placed a hand on Ae-Ri’s own. “You alright? Sorry if anything I said bothered you.” Now guilt replaced the sudden fear.

“N-No, it isn’t your fault. It’s just…” Ae-Ri trailed off, leaning forward a bit to play with her fingers. Grass stained her skin and was lodged underneath her nails. “I’m glad you like me, Aelita. A-And I like you too.” That earned a smile from her.

“Aw, I’m glad you like me too!” Aelita looked around, standing up and offering her hand to Ae-Ri. “We’ve been out here for a bit longer than I planned. Ready to meet the Sensei?” Ae-Ri didn’t really know if she was ready for anything. Though, Aelita’s word gave her confidence. She let out a small sigh, returning Sapphire to her PokeBall.

“Ready as I’ll ever be...” She took Aelita’s hand and got to her feet.

– ~ –

“Well, here we are.”

Ae-Ri was led to a rather large house that rested on top of a hill. They passed by a battlefield on the way. She assumed that’s where all gym battles were held. Aelita stood in front of the door, taking a deep breath and looking back at Ae-Ri. Now a bit nervous, she nodded slightly, getting closer to the door as well. Aelita knocked her knuckles against the wood, her body tense.

“Sensei? It’s me, Aelita. Please let me in.” They were met with silence. Aelita stepped away from the door, her hand clenched into a fist. Ae-Ri frowned, seeing that the door wasn’t budging. Then, it slid open before their eyes. Aelita grinned with surprise, taking Ae-Ri’s wrist. Before she could say anything else, they went in.

The Sensei’s house was big on the inside. A table sat in the center of the main room with two pots of pink flowers on top. Across from the table was the Sensei, his back turned. He had dark hair and his shoulders sagged a bit. “Aelita, what is it now? I told you not to come near the house.” He turned around, now facing the two of them. Ae-Ri stiffened a bit at what she saw. Keta’s face was pale and almost drained of color. Wrinkles lined his face and neck, showing his age. What caught her attention the most was his eyes. They were dark, a shadow seeming to cast across them. No life sparked in his empty, dull eyes.

This was a husk of a man.

Keta faced Ae-Ri, his eyes freezing her in place. “I don’t remember inviting you into my house.” His voice was tired and dry. Though, it sounded strangely familiar to her ears. He clicked his tongue, turning away from her. “It must be customary for trainers to waltz into people’s houses unannounced, but this is crossing the line.” Ae-Ri shrank back, wishing to get the Sensei’s cold gaze off of her. Aelita stepped forward.

“I-It’s okay, Sensei. I brought Ae-Ri here.” Keta now turned to Aelita, pocketing his hand. Ae-Ri scratched at her jacket arm, tapping her foot against the wooden floor.

“Why have you brought her here?” Keta asked, his annoyance steadily growing. Aelita sighed, biting her bottom lip. She faced the Sensei, stepping up to the table and resting a hand on it.

“I… No, we came here because we’re concerned about you. You’ve been stuck in this place for months, everyone’s wondering where you’ve gone. The villagers think you’ve abandoned us. If this goes on, people are going to leave sooner or later.” Keta said nothing, staring at the wooden floor before looking over at Aelita.

“That would be for the best. There is no future here.” Aelita stumbled in shock, appalled at his words. Ae-Ri thought about all of the trainees and children who trained and played together. All of the inhabitants in this village seemed to care deeply for this place. Weren’t they Sheridan’s future? What made the Sensei think this way?

“How could you…?” Aelita whispered, sounding as if she was about to cry. A sigh escaped Keta, his expression hardened. He turned his back on them.

“It’s all a hopeless endeavor. There’s no point in any of this.” Now Aelita was angry. She clenched her fist, gritting her teeth, Ae-Ri observed Keta, taking a few steps forward. Aelita persisted. She gripped the table tightly.

“I only want to know why. Why won’t you talk to us? Why won’t you just give us a chance?” Keta stiffened a bit at Aelita’s last sentence. He stopped in his tracks, silently clenching his fist. Silence choked the room until he let out a deep, weary sigh. Keta turned around and looked straight at Ae-Ri, his gaze freezing her once again.

“Ae-Ri, please meet me in the garden. I wish to speak to you.” Ae-Ri raised an eyebrow, scratching at her jacket.

“Me…?”

“That’s your name, yes?” Keta rested a hand on the door to the garden. “Aelita, if you would give us a moment.” Aelita frowned, glancing towards Ae-Ri and back at the Sensei.

“But–”

“I am giving you your chance.” Keta interjected, his voice icy. “Take it.” Aelita seemed to immediately understand, stepping back. Ae-Ri felt the urge to run away from this conversation.

“I-I understand.” At this, Keta left the room and entered the garden. Ae-Ri looked at Aelita, her nervousness evident. “You’ll be fine! At least he’s giving us a chance, I’ll wait out here for you.” She gave her a reassuring smile, not calming Ae-Ri’s nerves one bit.

“Y-Yeah… Yay…” Ae-Ri stepped up to the door, taking one more glance at Aelita. Then, she entered the garden.

It was a small blanket of grass with a small tree at the end. Keta stood at a grave which rested underneath the branches and leaves. He was on his knees, resting flowers in front of it. “Taelia, I try so hard to smile… But it’s just impossible.” His voice cracked with grief, his hands resting on the grass. Keta bowed his head to the grave, staying in that position for a few moments before standing up. Ae-Ri stepped back, feeling guilty for walking in on this.

“... What was her name again, Melia?” Ae-Ri sharply inhaled at the mention of her name, wildly confused as to how Keta knew her name.

“H-Huh? How do you–?”

“Have I confused you?” Keta turned around to face Ae-Ri. “Maybe you will recognize me in this state.” He whirled around, suddenly becoming the masked figure from Amethyst Cave. Ae-Ri recoiled back, a shocking anger going through her.

“That was you?” She exclaimed, recalling her talk with Keta before she met Nim. Keta stepped closer, heavy breathing coming from his mask.

“Indeed it was. Have you come all this way just to bother a man already in his pit of despair?” Keta asked dryly. Ae-Ri shuffled her feet, feeling more uncomfortable as time went on. The Sensei let out another sigh, taking off his mask to reveal his dull gaze. “You’re either a despicable child, or clueless.”

“I-I’m sorry for bothering you when you’re going through something…” Ae-Ri stuttered, stepping forward. Why was she doing this? She’s just going to stumble over her words over and over again. Keta’s expression didn’t change as she continued. “It’s just– Uhm… H-Honestly, I came here for a gym battle but… Uhm… Ae-Ri stopped, willing herself to hold eye contact with Keta. “Why did you approach us at Amethyst Cave…?” She couldn’t help but ask. She wanted to know why.

Keta huffed, whirling around again to reveal himself in his normal clothes. “I predicted what was going to happen to your friend. I spoke to you three honestly and expressed my thoughts. That is all.” He pocketed one of his hands, looking over at the grave. Ae-Ri breathed slowly, the events of Amethyst Cave coming back to her. Keta snapped his gaze back to her. “Either way, I promised Aelita that I would give her a chance. That’s something we all want, don’t we?” Ae-Ri nodded slowly, biting her lip at the thought of her mother and Melia. She would ask for another chance to save them both.

“Melia… It seems her life was left up to that very chance.” Ae-Ri could feel small tears welling up from her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, thinking more about bloodstained dirt and grass. Keta sighed again, looking up towards the ceiling. “I bet your friends said something like ‘If only I were stronger’.” Keta let a small noise slip, seemingly a laugh. “It’s all bullshit, There’s nothing that could’ve been done in that cave. Fate is already written.” Ae-Ri pursed her lips together. They had to have had some sort of chance, right? There had to be some universe where they rescued Melia.

Keta was now a few feet away from Ae-Ri, his shadow casting over the grass. “You came here for a badge, yes? I have a test for you, Ae-Ri. Are you up for this task?” Ae-Ri looked up at him, locking her eyes with his own. Brown met gray. She no verbal response, simply nodding. The wisp of a smile went across Keta’s face. He seemed impressed. Relief flooded through Ae-Ri’s body until it made her light-headed.

“Hmph, very good. In that case, listen closely.”

“Do you remember the bridge where I met your trio? Go west and find a rock with an amulet attached to it. Touch the stone. If something happens, proceed. The way to Amethyst Grotto will open and within this place, the Soul Stone lies. Retrieve the stone, and well.. We shall see what happens. Do you understand?”

Ae-Ri swallowed, taking a deep breath. “Yes, Sensei.”

“Good. Also, you are to do this alone. Leave Aelita out of this.” At that, Keta dismissed her. Ae-Ri left the garden a bit winded. She saw Aelita leaning against the wall, her eyes brightening at the sight of Ae-Ri. She bounded over to her.

“How did it go?”

“The Sensei gave me a test. If I succeed… I get a gym battle.” Aelita grinned widely, giving Ae-Ri a hug. She stiffened at the sudden touch. Though, Aelita’s touch was soft and safe. She felt safe in her touch. Ae-Ri relaxed again, smiling as her friend retracted from the hug.

“I knew you could do it! What do you need to do?”

“I-I need to go Amethyst Grotto…? It’s somewhere in Amethyst cave apparently. The Sensei emphasized that I need to do it alone…”

“I’ll wait for you at the inn, good luck Ae!” At that, Ae-Ri went on her way back to Amethyst Cave. Alone.

She didn’t take the time to observe the cave. She had seen it enough. With the help of Jade, Ae-Ri traversed through the tunnels in silence, playing back everything Keta had said in her head. West from the first bridge… A stone with an amulet on it…

Eventually, she made it to the bridge. She took a sharp turn to the right, passing by waterfalls and crossing over bridges. It didn’t take too long to find the stone Keta was talking about. It was adorned with an amulet that had a pink gem. It was rather pretty, a nice shade of pink that reminded Ae-Ri of the Big Blossom. Jade walked up to it, curling his long tail around it. “Please be the right one…” She muttered, resting two fingers on its surface. Almost instantly, an entryway opened in the wall next to her. Ae-Ri jumped back in surprise, watching the entryway with awe. Jade walked up to it first, hissing at the dust that emitted from it. He waved his blade tail towards Ae-Ri, beckoning her to come. She cleared her throat, fixing her backpack and entered through with Jade.

She found a ladder inside of the small cave, Before she even moved, Jade already started climbing down it. “Jade! Wait!” Ae-Ri started to climb down the ladder, her eyes widening at what she was climbing down into. It was a beautiful flower garden with bright red trees scattered about. Once she landed on the ground, Jade was already investigating the trees and flowers. Ae-Ri walked forward, the strong smell of the flowers filling her nose. A nice breeze blew past her, rustling the tree leaves. She found a few empty pedestals surrounding a triangle shape on they ground. Ae-Ri stepped in the middle of it, examining the pedestals curiously. How was this place created?

Then, stairs led to a purple stone resting on a pedestal. Energy swirled around inside of it, drawing Ae-Ri in. Looks like this was the Soul Stone.

“Ah… So you’ve made it to this place. I must say, I’m surprised.” Ae-Ri jumped back at the sudden voice, alerting Jade who came slithering to her side. In front of her very eyes, an apparition appeared. Jade hissed, his hackles high. The apparition looked like Keta. Although, he looked… Younger. More lively.

“... Keta…?” The spirit chuckled, a small smile went across its face.

“Very close.” It stepped up to Ae-Ri, slightly transparent to the point she could see through it. “If you are here, that means you have a pure heart. Astounding… It looks like Taelia was right after all.” Taelia. That name again.

“If I may ask… Who is Taelia?” The Keta apparition flickered, sadness filling its eyes.

“Taelia… My love. I miss her dearly.” Keta smiled, his eyes still full of grief. Ae-Ri recalled the initials carved into the Big Blossom. K + T, it must have been Keta and Taelia.

The apparition seemed to take notice of the situation, chuckling apologetically. “Sorry, I should explain. We are Keta. Or, more specifically, a part of his soul that he has severed.” Now Ae-Ri was even more confused.

“Severed–? How did he sever his own soul?” Keta sighed, his form flickering.

“He wished to seal away his emotions… His humanity… I am all of that. Although, with you here, it is clear my influence has not him.” Ae-Ri compared the two Ketas she had seen. He was truly a husk of a man, in all forms.

“... Why did he separate you two?” Keta grimaced, a long sigh escaping him. He was weary, but explained.

“We suffered a great loss years ago, and because of that… We suffered greatly. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. We wanted to separate ourselves from the pain. And with the help of a friend… Our humanity has been lost.” Keta looked down at his spirit form, looking back at Ae-Ri. “Even if he threw me away, he couldn’t destroy me. So, I was banished to this land. Even then, we are still connected.” The spirit paused, grabbing the stone from the pedestal. He walked up to Ae-Ri and held it out. She accepted the stone with two hands. It felt heavy against her palms. She looked down at it with awe shining in her eyes. Keta smiled.

“Please, take it. Show us your pure heart. Bring Keta’s humanity back. For us.” At that, the spirit disappeared. Ae-Ri stood there for a few moments, looking down at the stone. She breathed deeply, looking towards the pedestal.

“I promise I will. For you.”

At that, Jade started to tug her towards the exit with his vines. She gently placed the Soul Stone in her bag, following her Servine out of the grotto and back into the cave. Once she exited the grotto, she saw Keta standing near the stone. His dull eyes widened in shock at her appearance.

“Y-You… You were able to enter the Grotto, Ae-Ri?” Keta asked in obvious disbelief. Ae-Ri said nothing, pulling out the Soul Stone from her bag. She stepped over to Keta, handing it to him with two hands. He took it, looking down at it as if it was an old friend. Keta held it tightly, beckoning Ae-Ri to follow him. “Come with me for a moment. There is something I wish to try.” Ae-Ri raised an eyebrow, seeing he was heading for the Amethyst Depths. A shiver went across her spine. She hadn’t gone down there since Melia’s death.

“... Okay. Lead the way, please…”

– ~ –

They found themselves at the exact same bridge. The exact same place where the rift was.

The exact same place where Melia died.

Ae-Ri’s chest was tight, the air wanting to suffocate her. She stayed back, watching Keta step up to the broken bridge. He held out the Soul Stone, closing his eyes. “Now, let’s see…” Keta breathed slowly, concentrating his very being on the stone. Ae-Ri watched, slowly connecting what he was wishing to do. He was trying to summon Melia’s spirit.

After a few moments, Keta opened his eyes again, seeing nothing. Ae-Ri could feel the disappointment rushing through her. “It looks as if Melia was destroyed even beyond the grave. What a cruel twist of fate this is.” Ae-Ri couldn’t stop her tears. Her friend couldn’t even have a peaceful afterlife. She couldn’t rest peacefully.

Keta turned around, noticing Ae-Ri’s expressions and tears. “... Ae-Ri, I must admit. I am taken aback by all of this.” He stepped up to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. She wiped away her tears, trying not to think about Melia. She didn’t want to spiral. She couldn’t spiral. Keta sighed, the smallest smile appearing on his face. “You have passed my test. I’ve given you a chance and you have taken it.” Ae-Ri managed a smile, bowing her head.

“Thank you, Sensei.” Keta retracted his hand, handing the Soul Stone back to Ae-Ri.

“I have another request for you.” A bit surprised, Ae-Ri looked up at him.

“Hm…?”

“You wish to challenge me, yes?” Ae-Ri’s eyes widened. She nodded.

“Come back to Sheridan. I wish to challenge you as well.” With that, Keta left for Sheridan. Ae-Ri stood there shocked by the Sensei’s request. He wanted to battle her? He wished to?

She wanted to get out of the depths quickly. As she left, she started to think of tactics for the battle.

Everything went well, just like Aelita said. Fate seemed to be in her favor.