Vali's POV
Despite the massacre that had just occurred, the walk back to Trinity was peaceful. The lush green trees sparkled with everlasting light, rays of sunlight slipping through the swaying leaves. I occasionally saw falling red leaves, signaling the transition between summer and fall that was going to occur in about a month. Even though the pills wore off when we were dealing with Team Rocket, I felt calm.
I haven't felt at peace like this for... quite a while. I'd been dealing with so many problems that I'd forgotten the allure of being alone, away from everything else.
I looked at my Pokemon. Scratch that, being alone with my Pokemon was about the best thing I could experience. It was honestly relaxing and made me wish that life was this simple.
But my life has never been simple.
I couldn't help but think of my mother, Cynthia. How different would things be if she didn't leave us? How happy would my dad be? How happy would I be? I missed out on five years of being a Trainer because of that.
And I would make up for lost time. One day I would kick my mother's ass and Ass's ass in battle. It's funny, really, how my goals were fueled by petty revenge. But I'd long accepted how shitty of a person I was, and I would embrace it.
I would be the foulest fucking Fairy-type Trainer the world has ever known.
***
After a while of walking, we finally made it to Trinity, who looked shaken up. Her creamy skin was pale, giving her a grim appearance. Her countenance had a mix of guilt and fear, making me suspect that she had witnessed something terrible... maybe someone's death.
"Kirlia," male Kirlia was comforting her Trainer, probably sensing what she felt.
"Pikachu..." Pikachu said softly on her shoulder.
"What's up with you?" I asked her calmly.
"She... it... dead..." she said with a wide-eyed look.
I scoffed. "That's it?"
It worked. She glared at me and said, "Of course! She died and it was my fault!" she pointed at the mangled corpse of the female Team Rocket member. It was the fate of the nameless character, I suppose.
I whistled, mildly impressed. "Wow, that Staraptor really did a number to her, huh?"
Kirlia, Eevee, and Hatenna looked at the dead grunt with apathic gazes. Like me, they didn't care. It had to happen.
Trinity looked at me with a disappointed look. "You really don't care, do you? You don't care that another person died—"
I smacked her. "Get a grip," I said in an annoyed tone. "Don't you understand? Those bastards deserved to die. It was either us or them. And I would rather get a girlfriend than die to a bunch of losers with no lives that steal Pokemon for their bullshit plans."
Trinity looked shock as she held her cheek. Her look of hysteria seemed to fade from her eyes, a telltale sign that she realized how stupid she was acting.
"Thank you..." she said. "I needed that."
She took a deep breath, looked me in the eyes with a grateful look and...
Smacked me right back.
I saw it coming, but I figured I deserved that.
I sighed, ignoring the pain. Damn, Trinity really hits hard.
"That was for smacking me," she said with a small smile. "But you're right; this is a dangerous world, and I have to be tough to face it."
"Glad you see it my way."
"But that doesn't mean I'll ever like seeing other people die," she said firmly.
I shook my head. "I never said you had to. I don't want you to end up like me. But just accept that death will happen, especially when we're in the middle of dangerous conflict."
"I'll keep that in mind," Trinity said as she looked at the sky, as if contemplating something. "Val?" she asked.
"Yeah?" I said, looking at the sky with her.
"What would you do if I die?"
I chuckled mirthlessly. "Then I'll die with you."
With that, I went ahead and allowed her to contemplate the meaning of my vague words, my Pokemon following me.
***
"Vali, why do you have blood on your jacket?" Trinity asked me, not at all worried about the answer.
"I think you know the answer."
She stayed silent for a second. "You killed them, didn't you?"
"It was necessary."
"I guess you're right..." she said sourly.
"Kirlia," Kirlia said next to me, hugging me from the side.
"You've been acting clingy lately," I noted.
"Lia," she said simply. I smiled slightly.
"Fine, I guess I almost died a few times, and you don't want it to happen again," I mused.
"Kir," Kirlia nodded.
"Lia..." I felt male Kirlia's murderous glare.
"Kirlia," my Kirlia snapped at her brother, shutting him up. Damn, she's really become ruthless ever since she evolved.
It was getting late. We didn't realize how much time we spent fighting Team Rocket. It was already almost evening.
We camped next to a lake, relaxing for the first time that day.
***
Trinity's POV
I guess I just had to accept that the grunt's death was necessary. She was a bitch, sure, but no one deserved a death like that. Vali seemed to think the opposite.
I didn't understand how he could take lives so casually, as if they didn't matter to him. I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him. He told me his past, but I had a feeling it was incomplete. There were things he definitely didn't tell me.
But despite him being an asshole, I could feel him genuinely trying to be my friend, a prospect that I had to admit comforted me. Like him I distance myself from people. The only people I was ever close to were my brother and my parents.
Speaking of my brother, I wonder what he was doing. Knowing him, he was probably hoping to clear the Gym Challenge as fast as possible so that he could get months of training in before the League.
He had gotten in second place last season, so I was worried about how much stronger he'd gotten. Could I beat him? Could I even beat Vali?
I looked at Pikachu, who looked at me cautiously, as if he knew what I was thinking. I sometimes could understand Pikachu, just like how Vali sometimes understands Eevee.
I decided that I wouldn't think like that. I would try my very hardest and give it my all in the Indigo League, and then I would win. After that I would challenge the Elite Four and battle the Kanto Champion Lance.
But first I needed to get stronger.
Mustering my conviction, I stood up. Vali looked at me curiously.
"Where are you going?" he asked as he began cooking dinner. He picked up cooking very quickly. Maybe he had good cooks in his family or something. I'd noticed that he can learn things fast by just watching. So it was no surprise that he became a decent chef in such short time. I say decent because I'm still better than him in cooking.
"Going to catch a Pokemon," I said.
He raised one eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yeah, I only have two, after all. You have four."
Vali looked at his backpack, which had the egg in it. He seemed attached to it and was very protective of it. It was almost cute. While he waited for dinner to cook, he was brushing Eevee's tail, who looked satisfied.
"True," he said. "Well, dinner will probably be ready by the time you do, so go right ahead."
"Right, let's go Pikachu and Kirlia."
***
I walked through the forest, pondering about which Pokemon I would want to capture. What did I want?
I wanted some type variety, of course. Let's see, Pikachu is an Electric-type, and Kirlia is Psychic/Fairy-type. A Steel-, Ground-, or Poison-type would definitely be difficult to face with my current team, but my main attacker was Pikachu. Kirlia was strong, but he was better for support than being a frontline attacker. I'm sure he'll get over this weakness when he evolves, but for now, I needed to work around Pikachu's weakness.
Sure, types weren't everything, but it was so fundamental that it was one of the most important things to keep in mind.
So I decided that I wanted a Water-type. And conveniently, we were next to a lake.
"Hey, Rotom," I said, holding up my Rotom Phone.
"Yes, Trainer?" Rotom said politely.
"What Water-type Pokemon are in this area?"
Rotom went silent for moment, then it spoke again. "This area holds a variety of Water-types such as Magikarp, Feebas, and Azurill. The last two are invasive species that aren't native to Kanto, so they are rare to find."
"Hmm," I pondered my options. Azurill's evolutions become Fairy-type, which I had already, so I didn't need one. I heard that a Magikarp are a pain in the ass to raise. And a Feebas... I know that Vali's mother, Cynthia, has its evolved form, but I didn't know much about it.
I heard that it was really ugly, though.
"Well, let's just get this over with," I sighed and walked to the lake, unsure of what I was supposed to do. I didn't have a fishing rod, so how would I catch a Water-type? I should have planned this more thoroughly.
"Kirlia, try to sense something," I ordered.
"Lia," he said, nodding, and stared at the water, closing his eyes. When he opened it again, he pointed at where he sensed the Pokemon.
"Right, now Pikachu, Thunder Shock," I said uncertainly, not knowing what I was trying to do. My reasoning that if I attacked, it would come out.
Pikachu looked nervous, but he obliged, sending arcs of electricity into the water. Suddenly, I heard a splash of water and then the sound of something landing next to me.
I looked down and damn near fell into the water.
"Bas," the disgusting-looking fish-like Pokemon said, looking at me with a look of hope.
I almost threw up right then. I knew it was ugly, but I didn't expect it to be that ugly. It looked like some mutated pile of shit. And it was the only Water-type Pokemon there. I knew because no other Pokemon surfaced after Pikachu electrocuted the water.
Even my Pokemon cringed at the sight, backing away.
Feebas looked at us with a sad look. "Fee..." it said glumly and turned to the water.
It was so miserable I almost felt bad for it.
I decided to check its Pokedex entry.
"Feebas, the Fish Pokémon. A Water-type. Called the shabbiest Pokémon in the world, Feebas tend to school in large numbers at the bottom of rivers that are filled with aquatic plants."
Even the picture in the entry didn't look as ugly. And they school? If that were true, where the hell is the Feebas's school? Was it that ugly that it scared away its own school?
I heard that Feebas evolves into Milotic, which is one of the most beautiful Pokemon in the entire world. But I was sure that this Feebas would become the world's first ugly Milotic.
I sighed. "Let's go," I said and turned around, walking back to the camp, my Pokemon eagerly following me.
The last thing I heard was Feebas's sad cries as another Trainer rejected it.
***
Vali's POV
Trinity came back looking dejected. I knew right then and there that she'd had trouble catching a Pokemon.
"What's wrong?" I said as I handed her a bowl of stew and set a giant bowl of Pokemon Food so that the Pokemon could eat with us.
She played with her food, barely eating anything. "Nothing, just couldn't catch anything."
"What Pokemon did you go for?"
"I wanted to catch a Water-type, but couldn't find any."
I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "There's a lake nearby, there should be hundreds of Water-types."
She bit her lip. "I found the ugliest Feebas known to man."
I stared at her with a blank look. "That's it?"
She glared at me. "What? I don't want to look at that every time I battle."
I shook my head. I couldn't believe her. "Just because of its looks? That's all? Let me remind you how much of a powerhouse Milotic is—I would know, my mother owns one. By not catching it because of how it looks, you're being like Pofary, Grim, and every moron we have ever met."
"But that's not—"
"You know damn well it is," I interjected sternly. "Don't even try to deny it. Be it as it may, you're in the wrong for doing that."
She sighed and looked down. "You're right, but..."
"I get it, but you have to understand, any Pokemon can be loved, no matter how ugly it seems. And that also means that any Pokemon has potential, you just need to work with it. Now that's enough, let's eat."
On that note, we ate in awkward silence. I could tell that Trinity was contemplating while she ate. She seemed lost in thought.
After dinner, we decided to take baths. The lake was very clean, so much so that we could bathe without worry.
"I'll go first," Trinity said. "Make sure not to peep."
I rolled my eyes. "Who would peep on you?"
She smirked in a satisfied manner. "It's good that no one would." Then she said, "And I know you wouldn't, you aren't a pervert."
That's why I found Trinity so smart. Instead of feeling offended, she was relieved that no one had the audacity to peep on her while she bathed. Like she said, I'm not like that. I was sort of her bodyguard whenever she bathed, making sure that no one is in the vicinity. Trust me, there's more than one pervert in the world.
We were separated by a massive rock, from which we camped next to. The rock made the lake non-visible from where we camped.
Anyway, the author isn't going to switch to Trinity's point-of-view until after she finished bathing, since this isn't some shitty ecchi anime that shoves tits in your face.
***
Trinity's POV
The bath was refreshing. The sun was setting, making way for the cool moonlight to stream down my face. The water itself felt cool and warm at the same time, as if wanting to make my bath as comfortable as possible.
After like twenty minutes, I got out, dried myself, and dressed, going to the other side of the big rock where Vali sat, his back facing it. I didn't feel worried at all, I trusted Vali, and I knew he wasn't a degenerate. Despite his shitty attitude, he respected people's privacy. That was one of the things I liked about him.
"Guess it's my turn," he said as he stood up. "Be right back, guys," he said to his Pokemon, who looked at him with nods. He had a black sweater in his hands, which I guess was going to replace the Eevee hoodie he had, since it got ripped by the Team Rocket leader grunt.
To my surprise, he let his hair down, blonde-colored locks spilling down his shoulders. I recoiled slightly, taken aback.
I barely ever see him with his hair down, and when I do, I can't help but flinch.
Whenever he tied his hair, his features looked sharp—good-looking, sure, but in a subtle, indescribable way.
But when he let his hair down, he looked like some sort of prince. His blonde hair would slip just past his shoulders, and the bangs covering his left eye would give his right eye a misty look, giving Vali a mysterious vibe that I could not explain. With his looks I would expect girls to flock around him, but he always keeps his hair tied, and his constant hateful looks would be rendered unwelcoming by most girls. Sure, some girls would like "bad boys," but most would think that he's trouble.
When I asked why he keeps his hair tied, he simply said, "It feels better."
While I wasn't attracted to him, per se, I couldn't help but admit that he was attractive. In a friend sort of way, of course.
As he took a bath, I allowed myself to slip into my thoughts, which would always linger on that Feebas. Was I really being cruel by not catching that Feebas due to how ugly it was?
"Yes," a part of me said.
"No," the falsely prideful side of me said.
I propped my head on my knees and sighed. What do I do?
Then I remembered what Misty told me.
"And if you need any tips on Water-type Pokemon, just call me."
That's it! I just needed to call Misty, she'll know what to do. Maybe she'll tell me that any Water-type Pokemon can be strong and such.
I took out my Rotom Phone and dialed Misty.
She quickly picked up.
"Hey Trinity," she said, grinning through the screen. "How's the traveling going?"
I couldn't help but smirk. "Very long."
"Yeah, when I was traveling with Ash and Brock, it took weeks to travel from city to city. I remember all the times I wished I had a Flying-type. Anyway, what's up?"
I proceeded to tell her about the ugly Feebas and how I left it there after realizing how horrendous it was. The more I talked about it, the guiltier I felt.
Misty stayed silent for a couple seconds, which I found uncharacteristic of her. Then she said, "Trinity, do me a favor and forget about the Feebas."
"What?" I couldn't believe what she was saying.
"It's the Feebas near Vermillion Forest, right? In the lake no other Water-type lives in."
"Yeah... why?"
"I remember fishing there once. I caught it with my fishing rod and when I pulled it out of the water, my Pokemon almost passed out from how ugly it was. I love Water-types, but that Feebas should never be captured. It's as if every other Water-type hates it."
I couldn't help but be shocked. I never thought that Misty, a Water-type lover, would ever speak in a such a disgusted manner about a Water-type.
Was I that cruel?
"Well, I guess I should just leave it there," I said bitterly. I knew Misty didn't want to be cruel, but I couldn't help but be upset. "I want to catch a Water-type, but I don't know which."
"You can find other Water-types in later routes," Misty said, regaining her cheery tone. "There are much better ones, trust me."
"I'll keep that in mind," I said, forcing a smile on my face.
"Don't be too upset... it's for the best. It's much safer there than it is anywhere else."
I realized right then that Misty didn't hate the Feebas. She left it there because she thought it would be safer there. It's ugly looks could unintentionally provoke other Pokemon to attack. Despite how disgusted she sounded, I couldn't help but notice that she also cared for it.
"Right," I nodded.
"It's getting late, you should probably get some rest. The journey never ends, now does it?"
I genuinely smiled. "No, I guess not."
"Then goodnight, Trinity, call me more, alright?"
"Anything for a friend."
We hung up, my heart feeling heavy.
What should I do?
***
That night I couldn't sleep. My constant thoughts kept nagging me and keeping me awake.
I realized how similar me and the Feebas were. We repelled Pokemon, we felt bad about ourselves, and we desperately wanted to not feel lonely anymore. I remembered the happiness I felt when I first got Pikachu.
But Feebas had it worse. Both Pokemon and people hated it. I understand what it was going through—it gave up all hope, just like I had years ago.
Then I came to a decision.
It would find love, and I was the one who would provide it. That Feebas has been alone for so long, so we were going to give it company.
Making sure not to wake up Vali, I woke up my Pokemon and beckoned them to follow me. In nothing but my pajamas, I began to walk to the spot where I found the Feebas, feeling determined. It was time to swallow my pride.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked sleepily.
"We're going to catch the Feebas," I said.
"Lia?!" Kirlia asked me, somewhat suspiciously.
"It's going to be part of our team."
Both of my Pokemon looked repulsed at the idea, as if they never wanted to look at that Feebas again.
"Don't you understand?" I snapped. "That Feebas has been alone there for so long, with no Trainer taking it in. Not even its own species wants to be with it. I repel Pokemon, just like that Feebas, and I'll be a hypocrite if I leave it there for that same reason. No, I'm going to catch it, train it, and watch as it evolves into the most beautiful Milotic the world has ever seen."
My Pokemon looked me with wide-eyed looks. Then, they slowly smiled and nodded.
"Kirlia..."
"Pika, Pika!"
My Pokemon apologized.
I smiled. "Don't worry, we'll all apologize when we catch it."
Eventually, we made it to the same spot where I found Feebas. I didn't need Pikachu to shock the water, because it was already surfaced, looking at the moon with a deep look of melancholy that gave me a pang of guilt.
"Hey, Feebas?" I said softly.
It turned to me, looking at me with sadness, thinking that it was going to scare us off like last time, or maybe that we were going to make fun of it.
"Do you feel lonely?"
"Bas..." it said sadly, looking down at the water.
"Do you get ridiculed because of your looks?"
"Fee..." It nodded sorrowfully.
"Then what if you joined us?"
"Bas?" it looked at me with wide eyes, in disbelief at my words.
I smiled. "I know what it feels to repel everyone else, trust me. So if you feel that way, then let me catch you. I promise you this: you will grow into the most beautiful and powerful Milotic ever. So join us."
In that moment, when I looked at its watery eyes, I couldn't help but see its innate beauty. It didn't look as ugly. I could tell that it had a bright future ahead of it.
Feebas looked so happy it could have cried right then and there. I saw the pain and the sadness it bore all these years, and the loneliness that came with it.
It swam to me, tears almost slipping out of its eyes.
***
In the lake...
Feebas's eyes nearly burst with tears as the Trainer looked at her with such a happy expression, giving her a sense of hope for the first time in her life.
All her life it seemed that everything hated her. She was ugliest Feebas ever, even by Feebas standards.
At birth she scared away her own parents, who expected her to be ugly, but not that ugly.
She's been alone and everyone who comes near her gets scared away by her looks.
Feebas trained alone, trying to grow stronger in order to evolve into a Milotic, but she never could. And no matter how strong she grew, no Pokemon ever respected her.
And now a Trainer wanted her...
And she wanted to make her proud.
***
Trinity's POV
I looked at the Feebas's hopeful expression and held out a Poke Ball.
"So is that a yes?"
"Feebas!" it jumped and headbutted the Poke Ball, being sucked in.
It shook three times and clicked.
I caught Feebas.
Grinning, I sent it out.
"Guys, welcome the newest member of our team!"
Pikachu and Kirlia looked at it with smiles, getting over their disgust. Instead of looking at its external appearance, they looked at its internal beauty.
"We'll become strong," I promised Feebas, "and we'll become beautiful in the process."
"Bas!" it said excitedly, wanting to make me proud.
I checked my Rotom Phone, since it added Feebas to the Pokedex, and realized that Feebas was a she.
Heh, my first female Pokemon.
***
Vali's POV
My alarm (which I didn't set) rang in the morning.
"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you."
"Goddamnit, Rotom!" I snarled. "Did you really fucking rickroll me?"
Rotom burst out laughing. "That's what you get, asshole!" then he shut himself off.
"Did you really just get rickrolled by a Rotom?" Trinity asked, trying not to laugh.
I shook my head and ignored the question. "So you caught Feebas, huh?"
"How did you know?"
"I saw that you weren't in your sleeping bag last night, so I figured you felt guilty and caught it."
"You're right... I did."
I smiled slightly. "You caught an underdog, huh? Then train it well, and show every bastard who spat on it that it will surpass everything they will ever do."
"I will, don't worry," Trinity smiled at me.
"I'm glad I'm not the one who caught it," I admitted.
She looked confused. "Why? Is it because of its looks?"
I shook my head. "Not at all, it's because... my mom has one," I said bitterly.
Trinity winced. "I see..."
Afterwards, we ate breakfast, washed the dishes in the lake, and disassembled camp. I made sure to take the pills before we left.
Afterwards, we packed everything and once again continued our trek to Vermilion Forest.
***
As it turns out, we were very close to Vermilion City. It took about four hours to walk there, actually.
When we emerged from Route 25, we sighed in relief.
"We're finally here," I said, wanting to finally find out about the strange power we possess.
"At least it didn't take as long," Trinity said.
Then I looked at the city and couldn't help but be impressed. Vermilion City was a large, sprawling city with large buildings and bright colors. It was aptly named due to the color vermilion being incorporated in the overall aesthetic of the city.
"Well, the laboratory is going to be fun to find," I grumbled.
Then we spent another hour actually walking to Cerise Laboratory, being guided by my Rotom Phone's GPS app. Jeez, Vermilion City was massive. We sometimes became distracted by what the city had to offer. There were so many interested-looking places to visit. What I really found interesting was that Vermilion City was a port city.
Cerise Laboratory was close to a Pokemon Center. We walked through a short trail that led us into the woods near it. The laboratory was located at the end of the trail. It was like a cross between a house and a laboratory.
We stood in front of the door. "Do we knock?" I asked.
Trinity shrugged. "I guess." Then she rang the doorbell.
We waited there for five seconds, before someone opened the door. At the doorway stood a man with maroon hair, green eyes, square-rimmed glasses and a white lab coat. I figured that he was Professor Cerise.
"Hello," he said with a friendly smile. "You wouldn't happen to be the ones who are supposed to deliver the Silver Wing I'd ordered?"
"Uh, Silver Wing?" I asked, confused.
"No, we aren't," Trinity responded. "Professor Oak sent us."
"Ah!" he said. "My mistake. You must be Vali and Trinity." He looked at the Pokemon on our shoulders. "You two must be the Pikachu and Eevee that Professor Oak gave them."
"Pika!"
"Vee, Eevee!"
The two Pokemon introduced themselves.
Professor Cerise had a gleam in his eyes. Then he looked back at us and said, "You two must come in, then."
He opened the door wider and beckoned us to come inside. We did and, immediately, we got a tour of the laboratory.
I was really interested in the equipment that Professor Cerise had access to. There were many monitors displaying information on Pokemon that I'd never seen before. I also noticed that there was an entire dome where various Pokemon were being kept.
When Professor Cerise caught me looking, he smiled and said, "That's the dome where Ash and Goh—my former assistants—keep the Pokemon they captured during their time working for me."
I flinched at the mention of Ash. "Wait, you mean Ash worked here?"
He nodded. "Yes. He had no goal back then, so he decided to become an assistant alongside Goh. And then he began to participate in the World Coronation Series. And you already know how that ended."
After that, we toured the house, which looked bigger on the inside than the outside. I noticed that there were extra rooms, which I figured were for research assistants.
We went back to the lab, where a guy with messy-blonde hair and glasses rushed to Cerise as soon as he saw him, frantically saying, "Professor! Lugia disappeared from the radar!"
Cerise sighed. "It isn't the first time. And the delivery of the Silver Wing is taking too long."
"Professor," I began, "what exactly is a Silver Wing?"
Professor Cerise looked at me and flinched. "Right, I forgot that most people have never seen a Legendary Pokemon."
"Legendary Pokemon?" Trinity wondered.
"Well, that brings us to the matter at hand," he replied. "We'll talk about that in a bit."
The blonde-haired guy looked at us curiously. "Who are these two?"
"Vali and Trinity, meet Ren, one of my assistants," Professor Cerise said.
Ren looked at us with eyes of recognition. "You guys must be those two Trainers who are challenging the Kanto League, I've seen you two on TV once."
"Great," I grumbled.
Trinity flashed a quick smile. 'Nice to meet you." She elbowed me. "Don't mind him, he doesn't really like being on TV."
"I don't see who would if they were in your shoes," Ren eyed me sympathetically. "People really hate you."
"Thanks for reminding me," I scowled.
Professor Cerise cleared his throat. "Ren, where's Chrysa?"
"She's at her desk, working to find another trace of Lugia."
"Well," Professor Cerise said to us, "let's introduce you to her as well."
We went to another room, where a purple-haired woman was working on her desk. What I found intriguing were the excessive amount of Psyduck merchandise littered around it.
"She must really like Psyduck," I blurted out before I could stop myself.
Trinity sighed.
The woman heard me and turned around, curious.
"This is Chrysa, my other assistant," Professor Cerise explained.
Chrysa smiled at us. "I'm Chrysa, a Psyduck-lover, if you couldn't tell."
"Trust me, I can tell," I muttered.
Chrysa didn't seem offended by that.
"Well, I'd better get back to work," Ren said and sat at his desk. "It was nice meeting you two, but I got a lot of work ahead of me."
"Any signs of Lugia, Chrysa?"
"No, Professor, no signs at all. The atmospheric readings we got weeks ago are completely gone."
"I still want to know what a Lugia is," I said.
"Well, keep searching," Professor Cerise said. "I'm sure we'll find it eventually. Now, if you excuse me, I have to talk with these two."
***
We went back to the main room of the lab, anticipating our talk. We were getting so close to finding out what the glow on our hands were. I felt so restless.
"Have a seat," Professor Cerise said and sat down. We sat down, too.
"Do you two have any ideas what Legendary Pokemon are?" he asked us.
"Nope," I said.
"Not a clue," Trinity answered.
Eevee and Pikachu shook their heads.
"I thought so. Legendary Pokemon are Pokemon so powerful they cannot be classified as normal Pokemon, to the point where they can affect the environment around them and wreak havoc when provoked," he explained.
I suddenly had a realization. "Years ago, in the Sinnoh League, a guy named Tobias destroyed everyone there with just two Pokemon. They were Pokemon no one has ever seen before. Are they Legendary Pokemon?"
Professor Cerise nodded, seemingly impressed. "You're a smart boy. Yes, you're right. The Pokemon Tobias showed in the league were Darkrai and Latios."
He typed something on his keyboard and two Pokemon were displayed on the monitors. One was a dark humanoid Pokemon with billowing white hair, and the other was dragon-like and had a blue body and a white underbody.
Darkrai... why did that name ring a bell? And its appearance... I feel like I've seen it before...
Then memories flashed through my mind.
Darkrai stood in front of me, looking at me coldly. Then it brought its hand up and shot a dark orb at me... everything went black...
Someone shook me out of my reverie.
"Vali, are you okay?!" Trinity asked. "You're breathing heavily."
I shuddered slightly and shook my head, clearing my head. "Nothing, it's fine. Must have dozed off or something."
Professor Cerise looked at me with some concern, probably not believing me. I guess he just knows too much about Legendary Pokemon to know how dangerous they are, so he figured that I met one of them before. I could barely remember when, but I knew I had.
"It looks to me like you've seen Darkrai before," he looked at me inquisitively.
"Nah," I lied. "I've never seen that Pokemon in my life." I seriously did not want talk about it.
Trinity looked at me like she didn't believe me, but she didn't say anything. I had a feeling she would expect a talk soon.
Professor Cerise just sighed. "Anyway, Darkrai is even more special. It's a Mythical Pokemon, a tier beyond regular Legendaries."
"Something even stronger?" I asked, shaking my head. "How do people catch them?"
"They prepare their whole lives to meet even one Legendary Pokemon. They are just so ridiculously rare and powerful that no normal Trainer could handle them," he explained.
I've read fanfictions with the main character getting Legendaries in the first chapter. What about me? Where are my Legendaries? Nope, apparently I have to do this shit the hard way. Figures.
"And you research them?" Trinity asked.
Professor Cerise had a thoughtful look. "That's part of my research. I research the mysteries of the world alongside my assistants. Due to their mysterious natures, Legendaries are a major part of it."
"And where do we come in?" I asked, raising one eyebrow.
"I want to figure out what's causing this abnormality," he said seriously. "My assistants got readings when they visited your school. The energy signature there was... perplexing. And Professor Oak and I believe that you two may be the key to uncovering this mystery."
"So, this means..." Trinity began, piecing things together.
"Yes," Professor Cerise smiled. "Become my assistants."
"Assistants..." I muttered.
"Vee..." Eevee said, thinking about it.
We could go to other regions, experience shit we could never experience before, uncover mysteries, maybe even go Indiana Jones.
The more I thought about it, the more excited I became. I never thought about becoming a researcher, but this is a big chance. I could travel the world and learn more about Pokemon.
I made my decision much quicker than I expected.
Looking at Trinity, I knew that she was thinking the same thing. Like me, she's loved Pokemon ever since she was little. And unlike me, that fire has burned strong, even after she discovered that she repels Pokemon naturally.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked her.
"Right," Trinity said, looking up. "We'll do it."
Professor Cerise looked at me.
"I'm in," I said calmly, "I want to figure out what's going on."
He smiled kindly. "Then let's talk about the terms."
***
We spent another half hour settling the terms of our new job. We would get paid after every research task we completed. And we would be able to use the lab as a base of operations, so we didn't have to go camping or stay in a Pokemon Center. Food would also be provided, which was a relief—I didn't want to pay for more overpriced Pokemon Center food.
We would be sent to do all sorts of tasks, not only the ones that help us get closer to the truth. I guess we saw the opportunities we could have if we were to take this offer.
"There will some times when you two will separate to do different tasks," Professor Cerise said. "Is that okay?"
Trinity and I looked at each other. Eevee and Pikachu looked at each other, as well.
I shrugged. "It's all good, I guess."
Trinity scratched her chin and said, "Sure. We'll have to do things separately sometimes, we understand."
Professor Cerise nodded. "I ask because I know that the two of you are traveling companions."
"It's fine."
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot," Professor Cerise stood up. "You two have to let me be able to see your Pokedex entries and captures."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I have to add you to the Legend Dex, which is only accessible to researchers. And in order to add you, I have to connect your Rotom Phone to the server, which automatically receives information from it."
"The Legend Dex is hidden from the public as a precaution to prevent unauthorized individuals from finding Legendaries and capturing them for their own purposes?" I guessed.
Professor Cerise nodded affirmatively. "Astute observation. Yes, it would be detrimental if this data were to fall in the wrong hands."
Trinity spoke up. "Then add us to it."
"Right away."
We spent another ten minutes setting up the Legend Dex for our Rotom Phones. It took longer than it should have because my Rotom kept fucking around, occasionally blasting Rick Astley "Never Gonna Give You Up."
I was relieved when we finally shut it off.
I remembered something and turned to Professor Cerise. "What is a Lugia, exactly?"
He showed us a picture of Lugia on his computer.
"This. We've gotten readings a few times but we were never able to research it. Ash and Goh rode it once, but we couldn't get much information from that."
My eyes widened. "Wait, I've seen that!"
Professor Cerise damn near fell from his seat? "Really? Where? What did it do?"
I hesitantly pulled out the silver feather I'd gotten by the strange bird-dinosaur Pokemon. "Lugia flew above us and dropped this feather on Route 2."
His eyes widened. "So it chose you."
"Chose me?"
"There are legends of the Rainbow Hero and the Silver Hero. The Rainbow Hero is chosen by Ho-Oh, who drops the Rainbow Wing, and the Silver Hero is chosen by Lugia, who drops the Silver Wing. Legend says that the Rainbow Hero and the Silver Hero will be forced to fight one day, and only one can collect both feathers."
"Oh, great," I grumbled, "I'm destined to fight someone in the future."
"But this is huge!" Professor Cerise said exuberantly, "This means that you can summon Lugia!"
"Wait, wait, time out!" Trinity said. "You mean that you weren't kidding about that?"
I looked at her blankly. "Why would I lie about that?"
"You could have shown me!"
I shrugged. "I didn't see a reason to."
She sighed and shook her head.
"Do you have anything else from a Legendary Pokemon?" Professor Cerise asked.
"Well..." I pulled out he crescent-shaped feather. "I have this."
His eyes lit up. "That's a Lunar Wing! That's from Cresselia! It can heal people who are tormented with nightmares by Darkrai. You have the possibility to meet two Legendary Pokemon."
"Here I go again, joking things into existence," I grumbled. I was glad he didn't ask where I'd gotten it from.
I clenched my fists and bit back a curse. "Then if Cresselia gave me this, then it means they're nearby," I thought bitterly.
I looked around suspiciously, already knowing who has been following me this entire time. She was here.
Trinity made an exasperated sound. "Val, you haven't bothered to tell me any of this?"
"I forgot," I said pretending that nothing was wrong.
"You forgot?" she said, glaring at me. "You forgot these two very important pieces of information?"
"I have a lot on my mind," I shrugged.
She sighed again. "You really are stupid.
I wasn't paying attention to her. I looked out the windows and glared. I knew she was out there.
***
Outside...
The blonde-haired woman smirked when she saw Vali glare.
"He knows," she mused. He knew she was there, but she was hidden so well he wouldn't be able to see her. "But he doesn't know why I'm here. This will be fun."
Cresselia looked at Vali with a happy expression.
The woman rubbed her head fondly. "Yes, I know you're glad to see him, but we won't talk to him for a while," she grinned. "I have a feeling that things are going to get interesting. Wherever he goes, I'll be there."
It was almost like she was telling the future... or maybe she's the one responsible for what's about to happen next...
***
Back to Vali.
I looked back to Professor Cerise and Trinity, trying to not to think about it.
Professor Cerise was about to speak, but a ringing sound came from his computer. He checked the notification and knit his eyes.
"I have a task for you two," he said, looking at us with a gleam in his eyes.
"A task?" I asked. "What task?"
"Recently," he began, "Ghost-types have been harassing the people of Hearthome City."
I blinked. "But that's normal. It's where the Ghost-type Gym is. While it isn't exactly a Ghost-type city, Ghost-types have always hung out there, sometimes pulling pranks on the locals. But even so, the people living there have always had a good relationship with the Ghost-types.
Professor Cerise flinched, as if remembering something. "That's right, Vali, you're from Sinnoh."
"I don't like putting it that way," I grumbled, "but yeah."
I'm surprised that he didn't care so much about my reputation. In a way, I was glad for that. He treated me as a person and not as Cynthia's son or as a publicly-known sociopath.
"Vee?" Eevee looked at me curiously, her tail twitching. I guess she knew what I was feeling.
I ignored her and asked, "Why is it happening?"
Professor Cerise adjusted his glasses and spoke, "You've been gone from Sinnoh for a long time, so I don't blame you for not knowing. In the past few years, a multitude of people have moved to Hearthome, which is considered the most desirable place to live in Sinnoh. And a good majority of those people have been capturing a lot of Ghost-types around the area."
My eyes widened as I realized the implications of this. "And because people don't normally capture Ghost-types there unless the Pokemon allows them to, the Ghost-types have taken this as a threat."
"Exactly," Professor Cerise said grimly. "And now the Ghost-types are fighting back, being organized by an unnamed authority."
"Wait a minute," Trinity chimed in, "why are there so many people catching Ghost-types there?"
"Well, it's partly due to Eterna City's Gym," Professor Cerise said with a frown.
I made a face. "Gardenia, huh?"
"Wait, you know the Gym Leader there?" Trinity asked me.
"Yes," I said vaguely, "I know every Gym Leader and Elite Four member in Sinnoh."
"That's right," Professor Cerise nodded, "Gardenia has a, ah, fear of Ghost-types. And in the past few years she has grown into such a strong Trainer that most people can't beat her."
I raised one eyebrow. "That strong, huh?"
"Yes. So they're looking to capture Ghost-types to get an easy victory on Gardenia."
"Damn it Gardenia, are you still fucking losing to every Ghost-type you face?" I mentally shook my head.
"And this offended the Ghost-types, right? So what are we supposed to do?" Trinity inquired.
Professor Cerise sat up straighter. "You two must go to Hearthome City and discover what is causing this union of Ghost-types. I suggest you look in Hearthome Forest."
"Hearthome Forest?" I said, befuddled. "There is no Hearthome Forest."
He winced. "That's because the Ghost-types created it."
"What?!" I exclaimed. "That's possible?"
Professor Cerise nodded. "I believe that a Legendary plays a big role in this. But which one, I'm not sure."
"So you're telling me that we have to go to Hearthome City, calm down the Ghost-types, and quell a Legendary Pokemon?"
"Precisely."
I sighed. "Guess there's no choice. I never wanted to return to that place, but let's do it."
"Vee!" Eevee said excitedly, wanting to visit another region.
"Trinity?"
"It's our job, so," she shrugged, "why not?"
"Pika, Pi!" Pikachu agreed.
Professor Cerise smiled. "Then you two will go tomorrow morning. You will board a plane to get there."
I guess I was returning to Sinnoh after so long. I promised to myself that I would never go back to that place, but there's no choice.
I had to return home.
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We're finally at the point of no return. The stakes will get higher as Vali handles difficult research tasks that could prove to be life-threatening.
Now that they're research assistants, we will get to move on to mini arcs. The next arc will be called the "First Task Arc." Vali will return to Sinnoh and meet some familiar faces.
No, he will not reunite with Cynthia since she spends the summers at Undella Town in Unova. That will be for later...
The next chapter will be them getting their third badge since they still have some downtime before they have to go to Sinnoh.
This is one of the rare times where I upload two chapters in one week. I'm doing this so that I can focus on my book for a week, since I'm very close to finishing it. So don't expect a chapter next week unless I have a change in plans.
Well, Legendary and Mythical Pokemon are a possibility now. Do you guys think that Vali will capture one? And if so, which one?
Yes, it took almost thirty chapters for them to become research assistants, but they literally had no reason to before.
I know we haven't seen any abnormal Pokemon since the Ursaring attack in Chapter 2-3, but that will change next arc.
And yes, Vali knows Gardenia and every other Gym Leaders, as well as every Elite Four members. Let's just say he's a Child of Sinnoh. His return will be known by all.
Oh yeah, Vali will collect Arceus Plates during research tasks, but he wouldn't know what they are. He technically isn't supposed to, but a certain someone asked him to, and it isn't Arceus. What does this mean for his future? What role will he play in the future? No, he isn't favored by God, so things will be hard for him. He is the descendant of a certain villain, after all...
As always, feel free to suggest characters, Pokemon, and locations that you would possibly like to see next. I'm not the only one imagining this story after all. While I'm the writer of this story, your feedback is crucial. I hope that we can build a community out of this.
Well, I'm going to take a break for like two days. See you guys later.
Make sure to comment your thoughts on this chapter!