《Pokemon Untold》


 1 Prologue: Beginning of the End

    Somewhere on a battlefield


    Corpses were littered on the ground as far as the eye could see. Some human and some Pokemon. The stench of blood and burned flesh permeated the air. It would have been impossible to walk around in a straight line as it was similarly impossible to find even ground. Craters, lava traces, ice frozen grounds, scenes of destruction filled this site, showing that a war like battle had taken place.


    Both sides had clashed and no one seemed to have survived this bitter battle. No signs of life could be detected in the hundreds of kilometres surrounding the epicentre. And no life may be able to develop here again in the future.


    In the middle of this whole chaos stood a blond-haired man in his scaled blue armour. He had a fanatical look in his eyes. The feeling of victory was reflected there, and then a glint full of coldness flashed shortly after when he looked to his front.


    "Hahahahaa! Hahaha hahaha! I told you, brother! I told you, so many years ago and now see what happened. This is all your fault! You could have stopped this all, and now the decision you made back then will haunt you for the rest of your miserable short life that you have left. I told you not to follow him! You have chosen the wrong master!


    Where is he now in your darkest moment? Where was he when you needed him the most? Probably splashing in some stupid pond, daydreaming of peace and order. Cornelius, oh you Brother of mine, it is now too late for regrets. Shall I do you a favour, for old times sake and end your life as quick as possible? A fast death is the least I can do for a stupid man like you.


    I can''t believe I admired you in the past. And now look at our situations, you and me, who was right and who totally wrong?", asked the man Cornelius who was lying on the ground with a gaping wound in his chest.


    Cornelius lied there and felt a burning sense of pain flowing out of his chest region, at the same time a numbing sensation spread from his legs.


    "Is this the end?", he thought to himself, his eyes betraying a look of depression. He was in his forties yet his trained body made him look like he was at the peak of human nature. His silver long hair was covered with dust and foreign enemy blood. His damaged breastplate carried traces of a symbol. It seemed like a red fish.


    "It is not me who was wrong Aurelius. I am sorry that I couldn''t stop you from your strayed path. It was too late when I realised it. But what you are seeking is not a future but complete destruction! Can''t you see it? Are you blinded by the power that he has given you? Have you already forgotten the teachings from our lord?", he coughed out the words with difficulty while blood sprayed out from his lips.


    "and don''t play me with your stupid tricks. You are only buying yourself some time till your teleportation coordinates are picked up so that you can escape with your tail between your legs like a cowardly dog!


    But what do I care, brother. My mission has been accomplished and do you seriously hope to think that with that heavy wound on your chest you could miraculously stay alive and live happily ever after? You and I both know that this would be an impossible dream. Everything has an End. Nothing is eternal. Not even your Lord. But don''t worry, he will soon join you and with him everyone else who dares to stand in the Emperor''s way, hahahahaha!"


    Cornelius gnashed his teeth in response, but he was powerless, there was nothing he could do to stop the chaos from spreading:


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 2 Prologue: End of the Beginning

    Germany, Frankfurt, somewhere in an Apartment


    "I wanna be the very best


    Like no one ever was


    To catch them is my real test


    To train them is my cause


    I will travel across the land


    Searching far and wide


    Teach Pokemon to understand


    The power that''s inside


    Pokemon! Gotta catch ''em all


    It''s you and me


    I know it''s my destiny


    Pokemon! Oh, you''re my best friend


    In a world, we must defend


    Pokemon! Gotta catch ''em all


    A heart so true


    Our courage will pull us through


    You teach me, and I''ll teach you


    Pokemon!


    Gotta catch ''em all, gotta catch ''em all


    Pokemon!"


    "Huh, huh, huh, wow, such an intense song. Ahh, but every time I hear it, it feels like a responsibility to sing with the song along!", said a young man to himself while breathing heavily on his chair in front of his computer.


    On his desk lied a red classic GameBoy with the original ''Pokemon Red Edition'' already set up. His room was full of Pokemon posters in different colours and with different depictions. In a corner was a cabinet with a glass window to look through. Inside standing still were the last evolution forms of every starter Pokemon ever released to date.


    "So many new generations, so many new Pokemon, but the first one. It is still the best. Can''t beat that."


    Many years have passed since the first game editions had been published, and many more have been released in recent years, yet this young man, who immersed himself in nostalgia, didn''t really care about those of course.


    "The developers must be too exhausted. The game principals haven''t changed much since the first one, and some Pokemon don''t even look like Pokemon anymore but rather commodities or inanimate objects. Maybe the franchise needs some break for a decade or so. Or they have to break away from their old traditions. I wish I could experience something different than a new game with new Pokemon but the same gameplay every time.", a small sigh escaped his lips,


    "Maybe it is time to let go of this wonderful world and move on."


    He looked around his room. So many memories were connected to every image and figure and drawing. He had a great collection of all kinds of merchandise that grew bigger and bigger with every passing year. But his discontent with the flow of the franchise also grew more and more. Maybe it was really time to grow up.


    "Let''s leave this discussion for another time. First I should finish playing this gem lying in front of me.", and after he said that his eyes regained their bright green colours and vitality.


    After two hours or so, he yawned a little:


    His apartment was quite luxurious, and he lived his life fully with satisfaction. When his grandfather died, he left his grandson with a huge sum of the money. Of course, his parents manage the money, but this young man decided to spend the rest of his life pursuing his passion. Playing Pokemon and everything that comes with it.


    His parents weren''t amused in the beginning. He should at least get himself a job and become a little independent, they said. And so he founded an Otaku Merchandise Trading Company, dealing with all kinds of Otaku Merchandise around the globe, but especially Pokemon. He used the capital from his heritage, and some of his senior employees were subordinates to his grandfather who helped him out managing the company.


    It must be said that this young man was qualified enough to manage the company himself, it''s just that it wasn''t his true passion to lead a company but play Pokemon. His grandfather not only heavily doted on him but also imparted his life experiences and business knowledge to him in the hopes that he could lead the family company in the future to new heights.


    But as the heavens decided it, this young man did not plan to embrace his grandfather''s expectations. And so his parents took care of it, while he enjoyed his Otaku life to the fullest possible.


    Sometimes he had to sign some papers, talk with some important people, take part in celebrations and business festivities, but nothing could bring him more joy and excitement than training his Pokemon, fighting against trainers, and exploring dungeons and caves. He found other like-minded people on conventions and chat groups or forums, and they envied him for the relaxed lifestyle that he leads.


    As he entered the kitchen, he went to the fridge and opened it.


    "What shall it be, Mars? Snickers? Should I order myself a D?ner?", while he was deep in thought about his next meal, something in his mind prickled,


    "My spidey senses are tickling, but what is wrong? What have I missed?"


    It was a weird feeling as if something didn''t fit in, and the answer laid just in front of him yet he couldn''t really grasp it.


    As he was about to close the fridge. He noted a red liquid flowing on the ground. It didn''t seem like Ketchup, and he couldn''t remember having spilt some on the floor. As he got nearer and touched the liquid with his fingers, a strong stench of iron and flesh penetrated his nose. It was blood! His body shook in response to this discovery.


    "Why is there fresh blood in here?", he asked himself. He traced the blood back to its origin. It seemed to have appeared out from nowhere in the corner of the kitchen, and then based on the movement from the patterns, the body from which the blood leaked out must have crawled into the hallway. Big handprints were visible on the second side door of the kitchen.


    " Shit!", he was confused about what had happened," What is going on? How did someone get in here? The doors were closed, even if I was in my gaming trance, nobody could have sneaked in without me noticing it. Someone is definitely hurt with so much blood on the ground. Should I call the emergency? The police? But what if it is a criminal during his escape? Should I hide in some locker and wait out this situation?"


    But before he could take any action, he heard a deep groaning sound coming from the hallway, followed by the dull sound of a body falling on the ground.


    He saw it as his chance to at least get an overview of the general situation, as the person should be incapacitated for some time now. But just to be safe he took a sharp knife from the kitchen shelves with him.


    Sticking his head out from the door, the first thing he saw, was a man lying on the ground with a grievous wound in his chest. To be more exact, he looked like a knight. The view was worse than a horror splatter movie, though he tried not to focus on the wound, he could still see remains of organs and dried up blood.


    "How was he even able to walk like that???!?? He is a walking corpse, dammit! Is this the walking dead? Shit, I am not prepared for this!", the young man cursed silently in his thoughts. His breathing got heavier, and his expression changed several times per second. While he was still analysing the body, he saw something on the man''s breast. On his breastplate. Something familia:


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    "Wait, isn''t this ... isn''t that Magi...", before he could finish his thoughts, the body moved slightly to the side and revealed a bearded middle-aged man with silver hair and many wounds on his face.


    The man coughed blood on the ground and looked into the young man''s direction after which he said with a weak voice:


    "I can see you lad. No need to hide from me. Ha, ha, ha, hurgh!", another mouthful of blood came out.


    "He is still alive!", exclaimed the young man at this sight.


    In the beginning, his mind was still full of shock which was reflected on his face, but after some seconds, he realized that the man in front of him didn''t seem hostile or harboured any bad intentions.


    After some hesitation, the young man showed himself out of the door and asked:


    "Mister are you ok?", he immediately regretted this question as the man in front of him was obviously not okay,


    "Can I do something for you maybe?", and he had to scold himself again. Obviously, he had to do something. He couldn''t possibly expect the wounded man to accomplish anything.


    "Sir, in your current injured state I think it is definitely necessary not to move or make any unnecessary movements. Don''t worry, Sir, I will call the emergency right away and they will definitely save you. Please, Sir, don''t try to speak or move anymore or else it will get only worse ..."


    "Lad, it is fine. Don''t think of doing anything stupid, hurgh. You see the state of my body. Do you think I can be saved, cough cough! I have arranged myself with my fate already. But I do wonder why I have arrived here of all places possible. You, could you maybe tell me who you are and where I am right now, hurgh," interrupted him the knight.


    "My name is Atiqo, Sir. Atiqo Rodriguez. This is my Apartment in downtown Frankfurt", he answered. When he was honest with himself, he also didn''t think that this man could survive. Heck, it was even a miracle that he could move and talk till now. With this huge loss of blood, if he wasn''t treated right this instant, there wouldn''t be a speck of hope left to save him or keep him alive till the ambulance even arrived. Still, he felt frustrated that he could do nothing to help him.


    "Atiqo, ahh, what a nice name. Nice to meet you lad, this old man goes by the name of Cornelius, cough! Frankfurt, so Germany it is ... haven''t been here in a long time. The Pokemon were peaceful and beautiful the last time I was here.


    Don''t look so sad. I also don''t want to be stuck here any longer in this state than necessary, hurgh. Listen to me well, kid! I don''t have enough time left. What is important is that there must be a reason why I landed here, I think, huh. I initially wanted to land in our Headquarters, but someone must have interfered with the transmission of the coordinates thereby affecting the teleportation destination.


    I don''t really believe in destiny. I only believe in my Lord, hurgh.", the more he spoke, the more blood leaked out, and with every passing second his face got paler and paler. He didn''t have much time left.


    But what did he just say? Pokemon in Germany? Lord? HQ? Teleportation? If the situation wasn''t so serious, Atiqo might have either burst out from laughing or become angry with speaking so much chuunibyo rubbish in a single breath.


    "Is he serious? Or did he get crazy from the wounds and start having hallucinations? Where does he think he is? Star Wars? Or Kanto?", asked Atiqo himself in his mind.


    "I know lad. I can see it in your eyes, you don''t believe me. But our World is at stake here, so please listen carefully. From the pictures in this hallway, I assume you are familiar with our Home World. The Pokemon World.


    But what I am about to tell you is shocking yet true as well. Someone is going to destroy our home! No, he is going to destroy the very fabric of space and time and reality. He wants to destroy everything that our Lord has accomplished. I failed our Lord, I couldn''t stop his nemesis. But he is not allowed to claim victory! We have to stop him till it is too late!"


    It might have been a little embarrassing but even the hallway was filled with cover pictures of several Pokemon Games and the regions within the games as well as many Pokemon landscape sceneries. Actually, his whole apartment was full of them, but the hallway was like his personal ''Hall of Fame''.


    When Atiqo heard the word Time and Space and associated them with Pokemon, his favourite topic, he couldn''t help but ask curiously:


    "But shouldn''t there be someone to stop them, the enemies I mean? If we are talking about time and space, what is with Dialga and Palkia? There shouldn''t be anyone on their power level to meddle with their businesses.", he realised what he had just blabbered out and didn''t know what got into him to talk about it and he also didn''t expect an answer but then...


    Cornelius tired eyes brightened up, and he managed a weak smile on him:


    "You are indeed quite a knowledgable young lad, Atiqo. I knew I wasn''t wrong about you. To even know about the legendary existences and their territorial specialities", but just as he got to this point his face darkened again," they sealed them. They fu@#ing sealed them, those bastards!


    And it wasn''t only those two. Many legendary existences got sealed or disappeared from one moment to the next. The Ancient Order tried contacting them, but we couldn''t reach any at all. And these bastards took advantage of this opportunity. If we don''t stop them, hurgh."


    "Do you mean Cyrus, did Team Galactic plan this all again?", again he couldn''t stop his thoughts from being spoken out loud, and so he spoke about the plot of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl,


    "and what about Arceus, the big boss, one snap, and everything in his way should disappear from existence, no?"


    Cornelius'' eyes widened a little:


    "You even know about the second ancestor! Truly astonishing, indeed! If he had been here, nothing would have gone out of control, but since time immemorial, no one has seen him again. Some ancient rumours say he was slumbering in his eternal sleep. We couldn''t find him at least till now. And as for that Cyrus, you spoke of, he is but a small fry compared to Milord''s Nemesis, cough!"


    Right now he looked more like a dead corpse than a human being. And Cornelius felt as well how he was nearing his end. He spoke heavily and more slowly than before:


    "I really have not much time left in this wonderful world. Atiqo, you must help me. You must help me save the world. Our world.


    There is no one else who is more fitting for this job than you. That is most probably the reason why my Lord has sent me here. I can see it in your eyes. The bearings from a true Pokemon Trainer. You may not be an expert right now, but I can look into your heart, Atiqo. You love Pokemon just as much as I do. You are the only One who can do this right now. But don''t worry. You will not be alone. Here take this."


    Cornelius beckoned Atiqo to come closer and handed him a wristband.


    When Cornelius'' hands touched Atiqo''s hands, he let out a long sigh as if he was released from a huge burden on his shoulders:


    "Sigh!"


    In the next moment something incredible happened. Cornelius body broke apart into countless particles of light. Even the organs on the ground and the bloodstains turned into wisps of light. The next thing was even more shocking. The particles moved in an orderly line into the wristband in Atiqos hands.


    He was so shocked from the scene occurring in front of him that he couldn''t react at all. The remains of the man in the whole apartment turned into light and after some moments everything got sucked into the wristband.


    Then a sound appeared from the wristband:


    [Beep ... beep ... beep ... The system is initiating ... please wait for the transfiguration process to be completed ... beep ... protocol omega has been ordered beep. teleportation starts in 10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3..... .]


    "What? Protocol omega? Teleportation? What is going on?", but before his shock could fade away and he could ask further questions the countdown had ended and ...


    All of a sudden black portals opened up on all sides of him. They spread out gradually till they connected with each other to a sphere and devoured his body whole.

 3 Life and Death

    "Huh ... huh ... huh"


    A young boy ran with heavy breaths through the woods. He didn''t know where to run to, he just knew that he couldn''t stop under any circumstances.


    His clothes were torn on many places, more often than not he fell down somewhere or got caught on some branches. But he didn''t stop. The danger hovering above his head was just too great.


    His body was covered with injuries and deep bites. Blood leaked out of his waist and legs. His movement looked more like stumbling than actual running.


    Sweat dripped down his forehead and he had to breath in more and more. Yet he didn''t allow himself to take a short break and sit down or else he might not find the strength to stand up again.


    His hand palms were skinned sharply because of the stumbling on the ground or supporting himself against the hard tree barks.


    However, the adrenalin was still able to distract him from the pain.


    "Auuuuuuu!", sounded out the shout of a creature in the near distance. In response a couple of other similar shouts resounded as well:


    "Auuuuuuu! Auuuuuuu!"


    "Shit!"


    The boy realized the gravity of the situation and tried to think of a way out. But thinking was getting harder and harder and keeping his eyes open also became increasingly more difficult.


    And then, before he could prevent it, he fell down harshly onto the ground. His right arm bore the brunt of the force yet it was also affected the most. His whole body was now coloured with a mix of blood and dirt.


    He grit his teeth and tried propping himself up but he couldn''t summon the necessary strength to do so.


    The howls of the creatures got louder and louder as they got closer to his location.


    Inside the shrubs and trees in his 20m surroundings, there were eyes already visible that looked down upon the boy''s body. They looked at him the way a predator looked at its prey.


    The boy put his left hand into his pocket and brought a round ball to light. It was very rusty, but there were still colours of red and white recognizable. He couldn''t stop himself and coughed out blood onto the ball.


    Tears formed in his eyes when he saw that. The picture of a man with a broad back came to his mind and the tears fell down his cheeks.


    "I am sorry, dad", the tears filled his view and mixed with the blood on his body, "I am so sorry. I couldn''t do it. I promised you I would protect them, but I couldn''t do it. I have failed them instead."


    He wept and let out a sorrowful cry. His face got paler and he struggled to keep his mind clear. He wanted his last memories of this World to be good ones.


    The boy was lying at the foot of a larger tree on a big field of grass.


    They let out low growls and threatened the person in front of them. They sensed his weakness and wanted to make sure that he didn''t have any trump cards or traps left for them.


    The boy''s eyes were already quite damaged, and he couldn''t see anything except for shadows and bright light. He clenched his left fist in a last effort before the last breaths of live left him.


    His lifeless body lied there silently. The creatures probed him more to see if he just faked it. But after some tests it seemed like their meal was ready to be devoured. They approached him more and these beasts already anticipated the taste of fresh meat.


    .....


    At the same time in the sky above


    Suddenly a tear formed between the clouds and rays of light in the sky. It grew larger with every passing second and stretched from one side to the other. When the thin line seemed to be too long it opened itself as if a giant was opening its jaws.


    Behind the entrance was simply a screen of endless darkness. Yet within the middle a small point of light was visible. It grew bigger and bigger till the whole screen was engulfed in this light.


    Then in the next moment something bright shot out from the screen and fell down the earth.


    A group of pidgey''s and pidgeotto''s was in the way, but they avoided the foreign object as fast as possible. They somehow knew that a direct confrontation wouldn''t end well for them.


    The ball of light moved with an incredibe speed through the air and would have turned the night into day and compete with the sun in terms of brightness.


    The object dropped in the direction of the forest near the place where the boy''s body lied. The small creatures that were about to eat their meal became frightened when they saw the object falling. They thought it was all part of that person''s plan, so they escaped into the bushes with their tails between their legs.


    The mysterious object as if steered through an unknown force moved into the lifeless body and disappeared therein.


    In the beginning nothing happened, but then all of a sudden, the seemingly dead body started shivering like crazy. After a short moment the shivering came to an end but the heart that had stopped beating, resumed its work suddenly:


    "Bumb-bumb, bumb-bumb, bumb-bumb ..."


    His face gradually regained its colours and some of his worse injuries healed more quickly than before. His breathing was still unstable but calmed down to a rythmic pattern after some time.


    Steps could be heard in the surroundings and the bushes rustled a little. An elderly looking man came to light. He wore sunglasses and a straw-hat. His orange-brown hair and a black walking stick by his side were prominent.


    Next to him stood a big Arcanine with a mighty mane.


    "Your were right Arcanine. There is indeed a heavily wounded boy on the ground. Secure the vicinity and make sure nobody disturbs us! I will take a look at him."


    The man approached the boy and bent over to check his pulse.


    "He is still alive, huuh, you''re fortunate boy. But his injuries are too heavy. His bleedings must be treated immediately."


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    He took out two small balls out of his pockets. After pressing on their buttons, they got bigger and reached the sizes of matured apples. They sprang open in the middle and masses of red energy poured out. After some seconds they took on clearer shapes and gained more mass till two newly formed bodies stood in front of the man.


    One of them looked a giant dinosaur with a big plant on its back. The other was a huge bird-like creature with brown feathers and red-golden feathers on its head and tails.


    "Venusaur, patch his body up a little with some vines. Be especially carful with his injured waist and legs. Pidgeot bring him then as fast as possible to the hospital in Viridian City. Be also carful not to move his body too much on the way, or else the injuries could get worse!", he commanded them in a strict tone. The Pokemon growled and twittered in agreement and went to their work.


    After some minutes, the pidgeon was already flying in the distance.


    "Hang in there, boy!", said the old man and was already on the way back with the rest of his Pok¨¦mon when he noticed a small object on the ground. It was round, rusty and covered with fresh blood.


    "Does it belong to him?", he wondered and just to be sure he took out a handkerchief and put the object inside.


    The woods returned to their usual wild state with some screams and shouts echoing from the distance from time to time.


    ....


    In a far-way land, in a huge building on the highest floor


    The doors burst open and a long brown-haired lady in secretary uniforms stormed into the bureau and called the grey-haired man in his black suit in front of her out:


    "Mr.Stone! Mr.Stone! Something happened!"


    Mr.Stone sat in his chair in front of his black wooden desk and was immersed in his newspaper when his secretary awoke him. He looked up and a smile appeared on his face when he saw her so urgently calling him out:


    "Mrs.Fly, what honour do I have to be able to greet you here. Please calm down first, it''s not like time is going to run us out, right?"


    Mrs.Fly did as she was told and straightened her back in front of her Boss:


    "Mr.Stone, our sensors sent signals that they detected great amounts of Infinity Particles in the vicinity of west Kanto!"


    "How great?", he asked back with furrowed eyebrows.


    "Thousand times the amount that results in a standard gym battle."


    "Thousand times?!"


    "That''s not all, when I looked at the weather conditions in that sector with our satellites, the data showed that some kind of anomaly must have happened at a certain point in time, but which also disappeared just as fast as it occurred!"


    "Hmmm.", Mr.Stone had a contemplating expression on his face. The situation seemed like a mystery and very strange from the beginning to the end.


    "Look out for any news reports in that area. Try to further narrow down the location of the occurrence. And send a message to our nearest branch in Kanto to bring a team and scout out the area for further clues. I want a report tomorrow morning at the latest!", he ordered her.


    "Yes Sir!", she obeyed and made her way out to accomplish her tasks.


    Mr.Stone glanced out of the window, still with a thoughtful look on his face and eyes. He smirked lightly:


    "Maybe it''s time for some holidays!"

 4 Awakening

    [Where am I?], a thought emerged within the vast nothingness, it sounded confused and insecure, and as quite as a whisper.


    "I would love to have a Pikachu when I become a trainer hihihi!", vague voices and visions appeared in the dark surroundings, creating a feeling of familiarity.


    [What has happened ...], the disembodied voice wondered to itself.


    "Atiqo, please be more diligent in your studies, the company needs you!"


    [Atiqo ...], that name, it felt important ... but why?


    "Son, cough, when I am gone, promise you will be there for them. You will be the man of the family then!"


    [No ....], a sudden pain ran through its mind, pain and sorrow, but where did it come from?


    "Who bullied you? You will definitely become a Pokemon Trainer Brendon! I will make it possible, I promise!"


    [Brendon ... I promised you, I-I have to ...], it felt like he remembered something, grasped something, but it was a feeling without substance. Just a touch of a memory.


    "Is he a walking corpse?! Is this the walking dead?!"


    [He, who is he ... there was a watch ... ]


    "Huh, huh, the Viridian Forest is bigger than I thought. I hope I will find the Pikachu sooner than later. I promised you Brendon! I will make it possible ... at least for you!"


    [What is going on?]


    "The Pokemon World, huh, so it''s real!"


    [Who is this?!]


    "I am sorry dad. I failed you, I failed them all!"


    [WHO AM I ??!!]


    "Auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!"


    [AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!]


    ............................


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!", a scream resounded throughout the room and was heard even far beyond the hallway.


    Within that room a boy had awoken, his body soaked in hot sweat and a white clinical gown stuck to his skin like sticky honey.


    In the beginning the boy didn''t really understand where he was. He couldn''t even see clearly, his eyes hadn''t adjusted to the light yet. Black and White, that''s what his brain told him his environment looked like. He rubbed his eyes with his hands a little. Then Gray came into play as well, more shapes were visible now, objects with depth appeared suddenly.


    After a while a big body clashed into him. Two smaller bodies joined the bigger one as well. He couldn''t hear them clearly. He only felt a very warm and tight hug. Droplets of water ran down his cheeks. He wondered where they were coming from.


    And then in the next moment his face abruptly turned to the right. A burning sensation filled his face and a force like a ''slap'' must have hit him. But right after the feeling of a warm hug embraced him again.


    His hearing got better gradually and he could sense a couple of distinct but muffled voices:


    After the warm feeling left him, his consciousness drifted again into his head and entered his dreams.


    .....


    "Bzzz ... Lad, can you hear me?", an unknown voice that brought a familiar feeling sounded out in his head, "Hey, haha, it seems like ... bzzz ... energy was barely enough ... Bzzz ... we had to do an emergency landing ... what is important is ... bzzz ... energy crystals ... bzzz ... the watch will help you so don''t worry! ... you have to remember ... become stronger! Stay alive! ... bzzz ... I have to hibernate, so that the watch can keep working ... Whatever it is that you will face, I am sure that you will be able to handle it Atiqo!"


    The name made him feel a certain resonance and remembrance, but it also sounded distant and unknown.


    .....


    He woke up again. The colours were now more distinct. And he had a better grasp of his surroundings now. He was sitting, no, lying on a bed. Some machines and tubes were connected to his body, but he felt quite good already. His whole body was bandaged, and some places were also casted with plasters.


    Before him he could see two young children, a boy and a girl sleeping with their heads on his legs. He felt something warm flowing through his body when he saw them. Outside, the sky was blue and the sun shone through the window. A creature flew from the distance and arrived near his window. It had a small body and different feathers of brown colour on its body. It looked like a ...


    "Pidgey!", he exclaimed out loud.


    If he could, he would have run straight to the window and opened it up to take a closer look at this Pokemon. It felt unnatural for him to see a Pokemon up close, almost like a dream, yet it was right there.


    "Klannnnnng", the sound of something hard falling on the ground could be heard to his left. He changed his line of sight and looked at the door. A brown haired middle-aged woman stood there. She must have let the tablet drop down accidentally. Her teary eyes were clearly visible and judging by her pale and tired look, it seemed she didn''t take enough rest.


    She walked out a couple of steps and raised her hand to hit him. Again.


    He braced himself for the incoming impact ... but it didn''t come.


    She just lightly patted his head and cried silently her tears out.


    "I am sorry Arthur. It was all my fault. I didn''t pay enough attention to you all. Since your father''s death, I had to keep working for the family but I didn''t realize that I abandoned you instead. I am so sorry."


    Arthur felt a stinging pain in his heart when he saw her weeping:


    "No mum, it''s my fault. I shouldn''t have gone to the forest. It was stupid, and it was totally my mistake!", he regretted his decision. It had been immature and reckless now that he thought more about it. The world was even more dangerous than he assumed it would be.


    "Why did you even go out that far? What stupid idea could make you walk into a death trap?! Seriously Arthur, going into a forest full of wild Pokemon?! Alone?! Without any emergency kit whatsoever?! This is a whole new level of recklessness!", his mother voiced out her opinion with an infuriating tone.


    Suddenly, one of the two children lying on his side started moving and cried out loudly:


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    "Boohoo! Boohoo! It was my fault! He did it because of me! I said I wanted to have a Pikachu, boohoo!"


    Arthur was barely able to understand him under all that sobbing and crying.


    He hit him lightly on the back of his head and scolded him for a moment:


    "Shut up Brendon! You''re a man! And men don''t cry! Ok? Besides, I didn''t do it because of you, I did it for you! Someone in our family has to become a Pokemon Trainer, so you have to be strong and make us proud, ok?"


    After that he embraced that small boy in his arms. Again a warm feeling flowed through his veins and body. It felt good.


    Yet, Brendon didn''t stop crying at all, instead he got even louder. Next to him, the small girl also awoke from her slumber and when she realized the situation she also joined him in his actions. Arthur had to make way now for two small bodies. They clung unto him and didn''t let go no matter what, as if they were afraid he would leave them again if they did so.


    The strength in his body gradually left him again, and his sight faded more and more. His mother sensed it and told the children off:


    "Stop now, your brother is obviously hurt and has to rest. Leave him for now, you can talk to him later."


    Arthur felt grateful as his body slipped back into the bed and his mind wandered off.


    ....


    The next time he awoke, he was back again in that same room. This time there was nobody else besides him. It was dark outside, but the moonlight shone through the windows and brightened the room inside. The machines weren''t connected to him anymore and the tubes and needles were gone as well.


    He felt healthy and strong. Strong enough to stand up. He walked around and stepped up to the mirror on the other wall. It looked normal and minimalistic, standard hospital equipment. But what actually perplexed Arthur was his mirror image.


    A young man stood there with crossed arms, at least two heads taller than him. He had bright looking eyes and a mysterious smile on his face. His black hair fitted well to his brown tanned skin. He seemed familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before. They looked at each other for some time. Then suddenly the young man chuckled lightly and mumbled faintly but clearly:


    "What the hell have I gotten myself into, hahaha ...."


    The image changed and now there was a middle-aged man standing in front of him, with silver long hair and bright blue eyes staring at him. He didn''t say anything. He just looked at him as if he was trying to solve a puzzle or a riddle, yet he failed to grasp the truth.


    Then the image faded into dust. The mirror faded into dust. And the whole room faded as well. Arthur plunged down into nothingness, he screamed out his lungs but no sound came out. His body was pushed back and forth, in one direction then in another.


    Different forces pulled on his body, and he felt like he was thrown into a rapid stream that didn''t let him rest for even a moment. His vision warped from what it was used to. His hands started to lose colour and became one with the dark. Then his legs and arms followed as well. In the end there was nothing left of him, yet he was still there in this endless chaos.


    His mind was in shambles and in this endless ocean of dark he was the only light left. No, next to him, he realised, was another smaller light. It flickered fast and erratically. A robotic voice sounded out in his mind:


    [Bzzz, system announcement, energy reserves running low, host in critical condition, initiate psionic barrier around host''s soul, request host to permit emergency landing to the closest stable location, bzzz!]


    A roaring voice responded:


    "Permission granted, go% damn! Get us the fu#€ out of here!!!"


    [Permission received, locking onto the nearest and most stable coordinates]


    [Coordinates found and locked unto, host prepare for landing in 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 ...]


    Then he felt another huge force taking control of the rest of what was left of him, it pulled him into some unknown location and his surroundings brightened up gradually till he saw the endless blue sky before him. It was an amazing feeling, he felt like a bird, free in the whole world up above.


    And then he fell. Rapidly to the ground.

 5 Forgotten

    "You have weird dreams at night, you say?"


    "Yes Doc. It appears every couple of nights. I wake up and find two unknown people in the mirror. And then everything turns black and I just disappear into nothingness. Untill I fall down the sky.", an awkward silence followed after which he added:


    "I know it sounds crazy. Sigh!"


    "Hmmm. Could you describe those two people in more detail maybe?"


    "No. It''s ... It''s as if there is a blur. But it''s just everywhere. I can''t remember much actually, but the feeling, it was so real!"


    "Of course it was, I can imagine that. Don''t worry about it, Arthur is your name? Don''t worry Arthur. I''ve seen hundreds of similar cases to yours. Hallucinations caused by post traumatic memories. Do you remember about what happened that day?"


    Arthur wanted to refute him. It was more than just some hallucinations. It felt like reliving his memories. Though he couldn''t recall when these events could have ever happened to him, there was definitely more to it.


    But he didn''t want to be seen as mentally damaged because of the accident so that he had to stay longer hospitalised than necessary. Somehow a deep fear creeped into his mind when he thought about being transferred to a mental hospital. He shouldn''t have touched that game, Arkham Asylum, but too late for regrets now.


    "I-I was outside, working on the berry fields as usual. And the forest was very close by and I-I", Arthur answered with a slightly stuttering voice. His breathing quickened and his hands started shivering a little.


    The doctor quickly realised the situation and calmed him down:


    "It''s okay Arthur, you are safe here! Just relax and forget it. We can talk about it when you are ready.", he said to him with a kind smile,


    "Anything else, about this dream of yours that you want to share?"


    "There ... there was this game, I don''t remember how it''s called, or what it''s about but, it was fun. It was really fun."


    The doctor let out a chuckle:


    "A game you say? So you''re a gamer? Hahaha, my children also spent most of their time on their PokePhones nowadays. Well Let me show you some pictures. Here, do you recognize this young boy? Or this young girl?"


    The first picture showed a chubby brown skinned boy. His blond hair was tied behind his back. He was having troubles with something on his back. It was the size of a bag, with green colours and some sticks on the side. They looked like ... claws?


    On the other picture was a girl with tied purple hair. She was wearing martial clothes and had a fighting stance. Opposite was a small creature, with a light violet upper and brown lower body, equally ready to fight.


    "No, sorry, I can''t really remember them. They just look a little familiar."


    "Hmmm, is that so. What about these people, how do you feel when looking at them?"


    He showed another picture to him and when Arthur saw it, a warm sensation flowed through his body. His mother and his little siblings, Brandon and Alicia were on that picture. They were outside on a flower field and some flower Pokemon could be seen here and there. The memories were still fresh as if he was right there at this moment. The scent of the pollen, the delicious green grass fields. Oddishs and Sunflora jumping from place to place.


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    "Yes, I can recognize them. This is my family. It was a sunny day and we visited a park near our home."


    "Good, now tell me what or who you see in this picture."


    It was a young middle aged man, with short brown hair and broad shoulders. He had a black and orange uniform and an orange hat on. A pained expression filled Arthur''s face, and streaks of tears poured down his eyes:


    "I failed him ..."


    "Pardon?", the doctor didn''t hear it clearly and asked.


    "Nothing.", Arthur shook his head and cleared his eyes,


    "It''s my dad. He died when I was eight because of a fire."


    "I''ve heard of it from your mother. I am sorry for your loss. But you should know that he died as a hero!"


    "Yes, I know..."


    "It''s okay, Arthur. We can stop the session now. You''ve already been here for almost two weeks now and most of your serious injuries have healed up. You can be released today but you should come back for some check ups every week from now on."


    "Thanks doctor!", he was delighted to hear this.


    "And before I forget it again, here is your Pokedex."


    "Pokedex?"


    "Yes, it was in your pockets when you arrived here, I just forgot to give it back to you haha. You should let someone repair it. Either it''s too old or it might have caught a virus, the texts on the display are kinda cryptic."


    Arthur received a red flat rectangular object. It had a blue bulb on the upper left corner and it seemed to be openable like a book. A sudden rush of reminiscence and nostalgia poured through every pore of his body and he couldn''t help but let out a small smile:


    "Ah, 1.Generation, it is still the best. Can''t beat that!"


    "Pardon?"


    Arthur awoke from his daze and asked confused:


    "What?"


    "What is the best, you said?"


    "Ehh, I-I don''t know. It was nothing, just forget it please." He had slipped out again without knowing. This had already happened a couple of times in recent days, and he didn''t have any control over it. It was as if another person took control over his body ...


    "Kids these days ...", the doctor mumbled quietly but just shrugged it off as another weird child behavior and exited the room.


    Arthur further examined the Pokedex and found the mechanism to open it. A bunch of buttons and a small screen came into his sight:


    "Soo old school!"


    The Pokedex seemed to react to him and the bulb flickered with a light blue light. A row of texts appeared:


    [Emergency ... energy reserves running low ... system transformation to low energy device recommended ... host currently in unstable condition ... system overwrites authority ... Delta Protocol activated ... transformation initiated ... transformation completed ...]


    [System detects host in immediate presence ... biosensors detect irregularities in host''s body condition ... information need to be updated ... host please provide organic sample ...], and just when the last sentence was finished a small needle sprang out of the device, exactly where Arthur''s thumb lied and stabbed into it. It didn''t hurt but Arthur let go of the Pokedex out of reflex. When he picked it up again, the row of texts had changed:


    [Host''s organic sample taken in ... analysis completed ... host''s current body injured ... host recommended to rest ... temporary memory loss incurred by transfusion of souls ... recommended to rest ... conclusion ... probable increase in soul energy after completed transfusion ... ]


    Arthur didn''t know what all of this meant but when he looked at the corner of the screen, something in his heart trembled for a moment when he read the line written out:"Host: Atiqo Rodriguez"


    Something inside him was telling him he knew this person very well ...


    ...


    Outside the room


    When the doctor went out of the room he was greeted by the sight of two people talking together.


    "Thank you so much Mister Stone, I-I don''t know how to repay you for taking care of the hospital bills. I wouldn''t have been able to pay it all up if you didn''t help me. I will definitely repay ..."


    "It''s fine, everything is fine. My company is fully supporting the health and growth of the future generation. It is our duty to nurture them! You don''t need to pay me a single Pokedollar for this!", the man said in kind tone and a friendly smile,


    "When I heard that your son went through such dangerous experiences, I couldn''t help but be overwhelmed by his bravery. Of course it was reckless as well but he reminded me of my youth! I think it would be good if I had a talk with him about this matter, you know, a talk between men."


    "I don''t think that would be a good idea!", the doctor came in and joined their conversation,


    "Arthur is still recuperating from his injuries and his mental state is barely good enough to have him released."


    "What-what do you mean with that doctor?! Is my son going to be ok?!"


    "He is fine as of yet. But his traumatic experiences made him lose most of his memories. The ones he attached the most importance to, especially his family remained undamaged. I would suggest letting him naturally return to his previous life. I think that this way his memories could be reawakened.


    But also don''t expect for him to be same person like he was before the accident. I have heard of cases where some memories were lost forever and entirely new personas were created to cope with that. It''s also for the best now to avoid touching the topic of his accident. He isn''t ready yet. I hope you can respect this, Mr.Stone, I assume."


    "Of course, the health of this young man is of the utmost importance!", he exclaimed yet inwardly he was slightly frowning.


    "Excuse me for now madam. If there is anything that you or Arthur may need my help with, don''t hesitate to contact me!", he told her and gave her his contact information,

 6 Viridian City!

    The same day, his mother finished taking care of the paper work and the release was official. She was visibly happy to see her healthy son standing back on his own feet, yet her expression became more depressed when she thought about the root cause of all this.


    She blamed herself for her son''s accident because their finances had only worsened and she had to work more and take on more part-time jobs, so much so that she had neglected her son''s own troubles. If her husband was still alive ...


    "Mum, what about Mr.Harrington? Did he say something about me missing work?", Arthur asked worriedly. He wasn''t aware of the full extent of their financial situation, but he knew that it wasn''t going to be good if he stopped working on the fields now. It wasn''t much that he earned from harvesting the berries, but currently every Pokedollar would count,


    "and how much did you have to pay for the hospital bills?" he asked additionally. He wasn''t proud that he had burdened his family with worries and he even worsened their debts by getting injured and staying at the hospital for so long now.


    His mum awoke from her troubling thoughts and reprimanded him:


    "Arthur, there are more important things to consider now than our financial balances. You should take a rest and continue your recovery till your are back to full health. Mr.Harrington did make a call, and he expressed his full support for you. It would be fine to start your work again, when you think you are ready.


    But I think you should stop with this now. It was my fault to begin with to even allow you going to work. You are still young Arthur! You should have continued studying at the Trainer Academy instead of plucking berries from the fields. Don''t worry, I will handle the costs somehow, I-I promise I will get you back there so that you can become a fine Trainer!


    And you don''t have to worry about the hospital bill, I met a nice man, Mr.Stone, from a company that supports children in need. He took it upon himself to pay for the bills. When you are ready, we should definitely invite him for lunch or dinner so that we can properly show him our gratitude.


    "Company?", Arthur asked suspiciously.


    "D-d-Devon ... something with Devon I believe, I don''t quite remember though. He gave me his contact number and wished you a good recovery.


    Oh, there were also some policemen who wanted to question you, but the doctor and I rejected them of course. But they will probably come again in a week or so, what jerks! Can''t they see that right now you are not in the condition to talk about that?! We are better to avoid this for now.


    And then there was also a middle-aged man! Yes the man! His name was Oak I think. He was the one who found you in the forest and sent you to the hospital with his Pokemon!


    When Arthur heard about all these information, he had a shocked expression on his face! Devon? Oak? What is going on ?! So he asked again:


    "Mum, are you sure he said Devon? Was it the Devon Corporation maybe? And how did that man who saved me look like, can you remember that?"


    "Hmm, yes! The Devon Corporation! That was it! Do you know them? As for the other man, he had some blue shorts on and a white t-shirt. His face was ... a little old looking and his hair was orange coloured. And his left arm was missing, that looked strange a little. Why do you ask?"


    "N-nothing haha, I had just wondered. The Devon Corporation is quite famous, right? They are mainly operating in Hoenn I thought."


    "Really? I didn''t know that. Have you read it on the Internet?"


    "Yes, exactly!", Arthur sighed in relief. He didn''t want to lie to his mother but he couldn''t explain clearly where his knowledge had come from, but the moment he heard his mother speak about them, his mind trembled a little.


    Devon Corporation, Oak, ... it felt like he had played a game somewhere where they played a role or something. But he couldn''t quite remember what that game was called again. But Professor Oak, didn''t he have gray hair? Did he dye them? A missing arm? And what about the Devon Corp., why where they here? The name ''Stone'' also caused some faint memories to resurface but he couldn''t form any logical pictures yet.


    His mind was a little in shambles and different thoughts and feelings mixed and intermingled with each other, and all of this caused his brain to hurt even more. He had troubles putting them into clear structures, so he took a deep breath and just forgot about it. He could sort his thoughts later again.


    He also wanted to dissuade his mother about putting his work back to rest, but she didn''t seem to listen to him right now as if she had already made her decision. So he put that aside for now as well.


    Becoming a Trainer ... he had already given up this dream of his some time ago. His family needed him, now more than ever, and he only hoped his younger brother could make this dream come true instead.


    "Aunty Latia? Who is that?"


    "Hmm, so you also forgot about her? Sigh, she is our neighbour and she has been taking care of the household and looked after you and your siblings while I was at work ever since ... since your father passed away. Don''t worry, you will learn to love her again! Especially her cooking haha!", her mood changed when she mentioned his father but she quickly tried to cover it up again.


    "Another person I can''t remember about ...", he thought to himself dejectedly.


    .....


    The family of three set off for their way home. Brandon was still in school, while Alicia didn''t want to stay at the kindergarten that day.


    The hospital Arthur stayed in was a little farther away from the city centre but closer to the Viridian Forest, where the accident took place.


    Still the surroundings were more urban than rural looking. The roads were made from asphalt and the pedestrian area from a combination of cobblestone and concrete pavements.


    They walked from the outer edge into the city centre and all kinds of houses came into his view. Old brick houses, colourful houses made of cement and big multiple story houses. The closer they got the more stores, commerce and people they met.


    They took a walk instead of a taxi or the subway. Arthur could persuade his mother as he didn''t want her to pay for an expensive trip back home.


    He was interested in how Viridian City looked like, he had forgotten a lot in these ragards, and his mother only mentioned it to be quite big but when Arthur took in his wide surroundings it felt baffling for him. In his chaotic memories, when it came to Viridian City, he didn''t find much except for a gym, a Pokemon Centre, a Pokemon Market and maybe a house or two but this ... this was a metropolis!


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    Currently he was standing on a square with a Goldeen fountain in the middle, spewing a stream of water in the air which then fell back into a white tiled basin. Around the square were skyscrapers, big panels on the walls and buildings, streets full of restaurants and small shops. The shop''s names often came in combination with Pokemon like Snorunt''s Ice Cream Shop, Blubella''s Garden or Voltobal Electronics.


    People flooding the streets, every time the traffic lights went green. What made the scene even more astonishing was the large amounts of Pokemon accompanying the people to and fro the streets.


    At the hospital the number of free Pokemon was quite moderate, probably to keep patients at rest. But the scene before his eyes resembled a jungle filled with all kinds of Pokemon yet moving around in a regular order.


    "Pokemon ... they really exist, do they ...", an unkown feeling of excitement rose in his heart and started spreading into the rest of his body. Was it happiness? Anticipation or anxiety? He couldn''t quite make out that sensation, instead, he just enjoyed the view of the bustling city playing out right in front of his eyes.


    "M-mum,", he gulped down,


    "had there always been s-so many Pokemon in Viridian City?"


    He wasn''t scared nor excited, but the sheer number just overwhelmed him a little.


    "Yes, have you missed it? It looks really beautiful, huh, Pokemon and Humans living in harmony together.


    "No, no, what I meant is, aren''t there a little too many Pokemon on the streets? Isn''t it dangerous? What if something goes wrong or ..."


    "Well, the police are here, and usually the owners can keep control of their Pokemon.


    The restrictions for movement of Pokemon also aren''t really that strict, but I would guess that insurance companies will demand much more in return in case of accidents or damage caused by one''s Pokemon. But right now, it''s fine as it is!"


    Arthur needed some time to digest her comment. Several questions floated through his mind and he asked her:


    "So why don''t they just keep their Pokemon in their Pokeballs? I mean, sure it is more fun having them around, but keeping them inside for a while wouldn''t hurt and might avoid damage as well, right?"


    It somehow felt more natural to him to always keep his Pokemon in their Pokeballs. As long, as they couldn''t get out, they wouldn''t be a cause for problems. Having so many Pokemon and people congregated in one dense place smelled like a ticking time bomb for him.


    "Hahaha, soo cruel Arthur, I didn''t know you had such thoughts, haha", she laughed.


    "Bad Arty!", giggled Alicia at his side.


    Arthur was confused and made a quizzical expression. He wondered if he had said something wrong.


    "Well, let me ask you this, if you were a Pokemon, would you always want to stay inside your Pokeball? Which living creature would want to live or be stuck all day long in a Pokeball? I imagine it must be quite boring inside, and I wouldn''t bear it longer than 10 minutes, haha."


    "Hmmm.", Arthur answered. Her response ... made sense. It really did make sense. He couldn''t imagine himself to be caged in a small space for a long time. He didn''t have claustrophobia but it still felt very wrong to him, stealing someone''s freedom.


    It was just ... he thought it was normal for Pokemon to stay in their Pokeballs, like it was normal for the rain to fall down and the sun to rise in the east. Just something that was how it was. He didn''t try to put himself into the position and place of the actual Pokemon.


    In general he didn''t really consider their feelings at all when he thought about them. He thought they were cute creatures and cool to have someday but did he consider them equal? Did Pokemon have thoughts and feelings as well? He didn''t know.


    "You shouldn''t worry too much though Arthur. It''s good and fine as long as you consider their well being as well.


    If a person has a good relationship with their Pokemon, they do accept staying in their Pokeballs. Just always keep in mind to treat them with respect! The law doesn''t forbid them moving outside as long as people and property don''t get hurt or damaged.


    At some places and facilities Pokemon activity is prohibited or is strongly regulated. It depends on the situation. We citizens can''t keep more than three Pokemon at the same time in possession and outside as well, according to law. This regulation already limits the chaos by a lot I think.


    And most people don''t necessarily have more than two Pokemon actually. To avoid health issues and such, but please don''t ask me in detail about this haha.


    Other countries handle it differently I think. I heard that in China people in general can''t keep more than two and also aren''t allowed to have them outside their Pokeballs in most public areas, what a pity! What a strict government!


    On the other side of the spectrum ... hmmm ... we have America! There the people actually are allowed to keep as much as six Pokemon at the same time, just like the Pokemon Trainers and government officials.


    Of course, some Pokemon are banned from public places because of the problems they bring with them.


    Fire type Pokemon in general are a kind that shop keepers are highly guarded against because of the many accidents they can and do cause ... damned!", his mother cursed suddenly and quickly looked down to Arthur worrying she could have upset him somehow.


    Arthur on the other hand didn''t show any reactions and returned her gaze quizzically.


    "You, you don''t ...", at first her eyes widened slightly and astonishment filled her face. Then instead of finishing her sentence she became emotional for a second and heaved a deep sigh of relieve,


    "At least, at least some good things came out from your little trip."


    "Hmm?", Arthur didn''t know what she was talking about.


    "Forget it, where was I? Ah, yes, ever since the Great War ended ... It was a warning for many countries around the globe at that time. This conflict significantly shaped the way governmental facilities regulate the freedom of Pokemon nowadays."


    Arthur was stunned by his mum''s vivid narration of events. It made sense that specific Pokemon just weren''t suitable to be kept around with.


    But the Great War? Which one was she talking about? World War I or II? He would have to find out more later.

 7 Berry Burger?!

    Sadly, Arthur didn''t remember anything about the house. It looked like a normal small yellow coloured house in the suburbs of a city. In the backyard was a small gardening area and the house had two floors and a basement. When he stepped into the building a warm and delicious scent entered his nose and made him hungry again. Suddenly something brushed against his legs and he sharply moved down his head. What he found was a ... a fluffy grey cat with a long ringed tail?


    "Nyaaoooo!"


    "Oh, Mr.Nyao is greeting you Arthur, he has missed you a lot, right Mr.Nyao? ", his mother spoke with a cute tone and petted the creature.


    Something in Arthur''s pocket vibrated and Arthur found that the bulb of the Pokedex was blinking rapidly. He looked at the screen and found a new row of texts as well as a picture from the creature before him. The text said:


    [System detected higher density of Infinity Particles, Pokemon discovered, scanning Pokemon, ..., scanning completed, probability of detected Pokemon being Glameow 77,56%, Purugly 11,44%, Whimsicott 2,00%, Jumpl... etc., hostility level very low, status: friendly!" ]


    "Glameow?!", he exclaimed under his breath. Now that he took a second look at the Pokemon, he instantly found the similarities between the one from his memories and the one before him. He had already realized that the Pokemon he saw at the hospital or in the city looked a little different than what he remembered them to be like. It felt like his memories were based on fictional information and now he experienced the real stuff firsthand.


    The main difference was maybe the dynamic movements of the Pokemon. Its swinging long tail, shacking and breathing body and sharp scrutinizing looking eyes, the small details. It felt like being confronted with an intelligent creature instead of the simple and uncomplicated pictures he had in mind. It reminded him again of his naive view on how Pokemon were like.


    Of course, the super fluffy fur it had also differed starkly from the standard Glameow. Maybe a different breed or a special hairstyle?


    "Oh, are you back already?!", asked a shouting high pitched voice from the kitchen area,


    "I will come right away!"


    A big elderly woman came to light from the hallway. Her hair was ashgrey and her face clearly marked by the passages of time. Still, a sort of energy and power was emitted by her presence, something you wouldn''t usually find on elderly but young people instead.


    Under a white apron lilac clothes could be seen underneath and her hands were still covered in cooking gloves, she must have directly come from the kitchen after hearing of their arrival.


    She approached Arthur slowly, took out a pair of glasses and scrutinized Arthur''s face for some time. Her eyes widening she exclaimed loudly:


    Before he could form an answer, Aunty Latia had already hugged him with an inescapable fast move. Arthur had to fight to get fresh air and tried telling her:


    "A-Aunty! I don''t get enough ..."


    "You don''t get enough food?! Obviously, look at you! You have been away for two weeks and your body looks like a bag of skin already! But don''t worry, your aunty knows what you need! I have already prepared your favourite snacks!"


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    When his aunty finally released her grips on him Arthur felt like he might faint any moment. His mother made a wryly smile and sympathetically patted her son on his back a little.


    The table in the living room was laid already and showed him a variety of different dishes. But what caught his eyes were ... Burgers lying on a plate. Finally! He couldn''t hold himself back and grabbed one and devoured it literally. It tasted like in his memories and in a matter of seconds, half the burger was already gone.


    "Hahaha, it makes me happy to see you eat them like that! How do they taste, the Umami Burgers?"


    "It tastes great!", he wanted to tell her excitedly but what came out was,


    "Isch taschte gweaf!"


    "Arthur, where are your manners! Have you already forgotten them after such a long time?", complained his mom unsatisfied and with pursed lips.


    Arthur gulped down the rest and apologized for his rash behaviour.


    "Let him be, Cathelyn. He is a young man already, so he needs those proteins the most!"


    When he had eaten two of the Burgers he asked Aunty Latia:


    "Aunty, did you say Umami Burgers? Why is it called like that?"


    "Well, obviously because it''s made of Umami Berries! Arthur, have you hit your head somewhere? These are your favourites, so you should know the best!"


    Arthur didn''t know how to respond to that but asked curiously:


    "Umami berries? Not meat?"


    "What meat? What are you talking about?"


    "Well, eh, beef? Or mutton?"


    "H?h, what is that supposed to be? Are you trying to make a joke or a fool of these old bones? Listen, less talking and more eating. You better savour them while they are still warm."


    "Arthur, sweety, why don''t you go and eat upstairs in your room. I will explain your aunty what ... what you were up to in the meantime."


    When Arthur went up the stairs, he already had a feeling which one of the doors led to his room. It had a big window inside, a bed and a desk with a computer and some bookshelves. When he was inspecting the books in his possession, he heard a really loud shout from downstairs:


    "WHAT DID HE DO?!??!"


    He flinched a little, and could imagine his Aunty Latia to go wild the next time he saw her. He gulped down in fright, remembering her bear like hug before.


    Shaking off these thoughts he tried to concentrate on the books before him. Luckily he found a general book about berries found all over the world . He directly went to the table of contents and found the page describing the Umami Berries:


    __________________________________________________________________________________________________________


    "The Umami Berry originated from the tropical rainforest areas in the world. But over time when Pokemon and people expanded into the world, the Umami Berry spread its region of influence as well.


    It''s able to survive under harsh conditions, and thrives especially well in forests as well as under water. It''s growing on the Umami tree, and is remarkable for its high composition of edible proteins. The Umami tree is a carnivorous plant and feasts on weak Pokemon. For this endeavour, it also possesses a strong resistance towards elemental and physical attacks compared to other trees.


    The unique biological organs enable this tree to transform the flesh from those Pokemon and use it in multiple ways to ensure its survival.


    It can use it as simple nutrition, spread a seducing delicious scent to lure its prey and it can create its fruits as a medium for reproduction similiar to other trees. Because of its carnivorous nature and ability to transform the barely edible Pokemon meat into a source of proteins, it has been one of the most sought after berries since primal times.


    Researchers also speculate that the genetical lineage of the Umami tree could be one of the closest to the lineage of ancient Pokemon, due to it''s ability.


    The Umami berry looks like a fleshy pink looking fruit, with wet juice on its skin, probably the secrets for the seducing scents.


    The tree growing the berries doesn''t have any distinctive features from the outside perspective but there are hidden roots underground actually that are sensitive towards light movements on the surface. At the right moment they would shoot up and drag their prey back down to suffocate and suck them dry.


    A very gruesome fact is that the ground near those trees is especially well-nourished and creates a beautiful scenery on the surface similar to a great garden. And sometimes not only Pokemon get caught in its traps ..."


    - Berries of the World, the orgin of our food; G.R.R. Martin; 1970, Food Freaks


    ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________


    Depending on the type of Pokemon they devoured, different effects and tastes were introduced to the fruits. Arthur wondered, if the Umami Burgers just now that tasted like beef probably came from a field, how did underwater Umami Berries taste like then? Fish? Or Oysters?


    When he was still stuck in his thoughts, a piercing sound came from the house door downstairs.


    "Arthur! You have visitors!", shouted his mother up in a happy tone.


    "Visitors?", he wondered.


    After taking the steps down he saw two people waiting for him in the entrance. He quickly recognized them as the people the doctor had showed in the pictures. They were both stunned and delighted when seeing he was fine.


    "Alola Buddy, I see that you''re back to full health!", the chubby dark-skinned boy said to him vigorously.


    "Are you really ok?", asked the purple haired girl with a concerned look in her eyes.


    "I am sorry, but who are you exactly?", Arthur had to ask.


    "I have to apologize, but as you see, Arthur still hasn''t recovered fully and his memories are slightly weakened. Please give him some time, and I am sure he will remember you.", his mother explained to the baffled children.


    The girl was shocked a little and a disappointed look escaped her eyes. Yet she covered it up and put up a smile and said:


    "Ah, is that so. I guess I was a little too early here haha. Well, I just wanted to say hi and see if you are fine, so I still have some things left to do and I don''t want to disturb you any longer, bye!", after which she quickly left through the door. Arthur''s mother had a sympathetic expression on her face and the boy looked confused and asked:


    "Hey man, was that your girlfriend?"


    "What?"


    "Just kidding hahaha! I guess you don''t even remember her name anymore, as well as mine haha. So, it''s a little weird but nice to meet you! My name is Khali!"


    "Nice to meet you Khali, well you probably know me already."


    "I guess you just came back today and need some time to recover more. Well, I will see you at work then again buddy!"


    "Work? Do you mean the Berry fields?"


    "So you do remember!"


    "Nahh, it''s just ehh intuition."


    "Oh, well you still remember a little I think. Don''t worry man, it will come back to you, I am sure! Alola then!", he said and left through the door as well.


    "Sigh!". His mother was saddened that her son couldn''t remember his friends anymore. She thought they would lighten up the mood and help him with his recovery but it seemed to have been futile though.


    "Mum, can you tell me who they were?", he asked he with furrowing eyebrows.

 8 A Trainers First Partner

    "I-I am sorry mum.", seeing his mother sad again, Arthur couldn''t help but apologize.


    "It''s okay Arthur. It wasn''t your fault, well not entirely. Things would have been different if your father was still there ...", her eyes lost themselves in the air for a moment, deep in thought. Then she snapped back to reality and looked straight into Arthur''s eyes:


    "Arthur, what you did was very very foolish ..."


    "Yes, yes I kno-"


    "Let me finish first. It was foolish and very dangerous. Going alone into the wild, without any equipment or Pokemon, you didn''t even notify me or anyone else!", just as she was about to burst out in rage she suddenly calmed down,


    "That''s why I realized ... that I can''t ... protect you forever, *sigh*. You will follow your own path Arthur, sooner or later. You will spread your wings and carve out your legend into this world. The most I can do is to prepare you as best as possible before that time arrives. But up until now I have failed in that regard. Very badly."


    "No, you didn''t! I was-"


    "Manners! Arthur McNeal, never forget your manners!", she reprimanded him


    harshly.


    "Yes mum ...", he quitened down again.


    "Well, I can''t always be by your side and take care of you. However, you still need someone to be there with you. Someone to protect you outside in the wild, someone you can rely on when you are surrounded by countless enemies. Your ... *sob* your father told me he was never afraid when he faced seemingly unsurmountable challenges during his adventures, because, because he had his partners always with him by his side.


    You need a partner Arthur. I should have known that long ago but I was just too selfish and overlooked the burden you had been carrying all along on your back.", after that last sentence her creased forehead relaxed a little and a huge burden got lifted up from her shoulders. It was the right decision, she told herself and walked upstairs while telling Aunty Latia,


    "Aunty, could you take Alicia out for a moment please? I and Arthur need a


    moment alone."


    Aunty Latia understood they needed a private moment and brought Alicia out.


    After a couple seconds, his mother came back with a small bag, letting out a long


    sigh.


    "Mum, are you ok?", he asked her worriedly,


    "Where have you been?"


    "I-I, during those few weeks I had a lot of time to think ... and plan. I did the transfer from the ranch just yesterday before you were released. I thought it was finally time."


    "Transfer? What are you talking about?"


    He was still confused but her next actions made his eyes go wide open!


    "Arthur, this, this was a present from your father actually.", her eyes got a little teary and her voice started shaking again,


    When she opened the lid, what revealed itself inside was a shiny red and white ball!


    "What?!", Arthur exclaimed under his breath. A Pok¨¦ball?! For me?! Deep inside, he had always felt jealous about the other children who got their own Pok¨¦mon. They could play and train with them all day and do fun stuff. He knew it wasn''t possible for his family to help sustain another Pok¨¦mon but this didn''t lessen his dejection at all.


    But now the situation had seemingly changed. He could finally become partners with a Pok¨¦mon as well!


    "Wait, you said this was from dad?"


    "Yeah, he found this Pokemon when he did some work abroad. It was gravely wounded and your dad as a Ranger felt responsible to save it. It probably got into a fight with other Pokemon and lost the battle and escaped.


    Ever since then he had kept it at a Ranch and waited for you to grow up.", she explained to him.


    "But, mum, we can''t. We can''t afford this. We shouldn''t ...", he wanted to dissuade her, he could put down his interests for his familiy''s sake, but his mother cut him off sharply,


    "Arthur, there is NO price in this world I am NOT willing to pay when it comes to you and your siblings well-being. The fact that you got injured and endangered yourselves is entirely my fault. You need a Pokemon no matter what. Don''t worry, your mother will make this work out somehow. Just enjoy yourselves, it''s your first Pokemon after all!", she tried smiling everything off but Arthur saw through her facade. Still, he asked her hesitatingly:


    What Pokemon is it?"


    "See for yourself!", she said and smiled at him.


    Arthur gulped down his excitement. As if time had turned back, he remembered an alternative version of his tenth birthday. This time instead of the usual present he could be like every other normal child and summon his first Pokemon!


    He picked up the ball with the greatest caution and pressed on the silver button. A click sound responded to his motion and the ball jumped open and a red stream of light poured out of it on the ground. Two meters ahead of him a figure gradually took form and the red light increased in density and apparently in mass as well.


    The mysterious Pokemon was around Arthur''s waist height and had a humanoid form. It stood on its two feet and white hooked claws on its limbs got recognisable. It had a darker blueish skin colour as well as three red feathers on its tail and one on its left ear. It had a yellow marking on its forehead and chest area.


    Its narrow red eyes stared deeply into Arthur''s as if scrutinizing the person it had been summoned by.


    "It''s ... it''s a Sniebel!", Arthur thought out loudly and exclaimed under his breath. He remembered his Pokedex and used it to scan the Sniebel:


    ["Beep. Scan begins ... Pokemon recognised as Sniebel, dark/ice type, place of origin ...."], after that rows of information appeared on the screen. Strangely it felt very familiar to Arthur somehow and also incredible how many information this PokeDex had access to. Almost like a computer.


    It looked like Sniebel were commonly found in mountain forest areas. They moved in pairs or bigger groups and were agile thieves when it came to stealing Pokemon eggs from other Pokemon. Several of them together could even overwhelm Pokemon with Ranks higher than themselves.


    Its claws were retractable and could gain lengths that were as long as its own arms, and when it came to mobility they could be used to scale tress by punching their claws into the bark of trees.


    Its red pupils allow it to catch more light in the dark which enhances its ability to see in the darkness at night.


    But before his brain could process alle these new information, the actual Pokemon in front of him ... disappeared!


    It vanished into thin air! From one moment to the next, Arthur''s eyes lost track of the Sniebel that had just stood before him seconds ago.


    "What? Where is it!"


    "Oh, so that''s what they meant with being careful about it!", his mum regretfully said realising her mistake too late,


    "Quick Arthur, go find the Pokemon and send it back into the ball. Don''t worry, you just need to be within its immediate vicinity and then activate the mechanism again! I will go look after your sister and your Aunty, just in case. Mr.Nyao, stay with Atiqo and help him!


    "Nyaoo!", Mr.Nyao had appeared right after the moment the Sniebel had disappeared from sight. It might have sensed the change in Cathelyn''s mood and immediately hurried to her side.


    Arthur was feeling unsure and anxious about the situation. He didn''t know what had happened just now. He wouldn''t have expected the Pokemon to run away right after it saw him. Did he smell bad?


    Their house wasn''t quite big and he chose the kitchen as it was directly next to their dinner room.


    Looking around the room, he saw the clock ticking, the plates needed to be washed, the refrigerator was open ... the refrigerator was open! It should have been closed, so why was it opened now!


    He approached the machine and lurking behind the door was the Sniebel, gobbling the food into its small mouth. Eggs, meat, left-over from yesterday. Some entered its mouth, the rest fell onto the ground.


    "Uh, have you been hungry?", Arthur asked it.


    The Sniebel flinched back with its mouth full in a ball like shape. It saw the human from before again and then it disappeared from Arthur''s sight once more.


    "Where is it now?! How can it be this fast?!"


    Compared to Arthur''s shocked demeanor, the Glameow Mr.Nyao was as cool as ice. Like a seasoned warrior, it calmly assessed the situation and found food leftover in one corner of the kitchen. It closed in on the place and suddenly saw something fall down from above ... more leftovers!


    It raised its head and found the Sniebel hiding next to the upper cupboards in a corner. Their gazes met and the Sniebel wanted to flee again when something unexpected happened.


    It couldn''t shake off its head, its eyes from the Glameow. The Sniebel felt like falling deeper and deeper into this creature''s captivating stare!


    Arthur realised that Mr.Nyao had moved to another spot and still looked at something up above. He followed its direction and found the Sniebel seemingly unmoving and still in the upper corner. It had buried itself into the walls with its white claws but this time when being spotted by Arthur it didn''t move a muscle, instead it continuously maintained eye-contact with Mr.Nyao.


    Before this opportunity could pass by, he grabbed the Pokeball intently and pressed on the mechanism while pointing it at the Sniebel. Before the Sniebel could react in any way possible, the red light flooded over its body and dragged it back into the ball!


    Arthur heaved a sigh of relief when the situation looked like being under control again.


    "Thank you Mr.Nyao, you were great!"


    "Nyaoo", shrugged it off but was still feeling good from being praised.


    "Let''s find mum and tell her everything is fine now ..."


    But seconds after the storm had seemingly passed away, a vibration awoke him from his premature delight.


    A tremor ran through his right arm coming from his right hand. The Pokeball in his grip was shaking a little and when he tried forcing it to a standstill ... it just got wilder instead!!!


    "What is going here?!", he was dumbfounded and didn''t know how to cope with the situation at all. It felt like something inside the ball was pushing the vessel in all directions to break free of his hand. Just when he was about to lose control of the Pokeball, the mechanism of the ball activated by itself and revealed its insides bare!


    A red translucent figure took form again yet before Arthur could make out its appearance the figure moved swiftly away from the kitchen. Arthur still stood on the same spot, lost in a daze. It was only the insistence of Mr.Nyao''s light scratches that awakened him from his stupor and made him realise:


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    "SHIT?! MUM!", he had lost sight of the Sniebel and was afraid something could have happened to his mum. Who knows what was going through that Pokemon''s mind.


    He rushed out of the apartment, sighing with relieve when seeing his mother together with Aunty Latia and Alicia not far away from the house.


    Right beside his mother''s legs stood a small pink Pokemon. A Shellos. She was surprised to find Arthur for a moment but quickly adapted and asked him uncertainly:


    "Arthur, have you found it already?"


    "I-I ...", Arthur stuttered for a moment not knowing how to respond to this question,


    "It was there ... Mr.Nyao stopped it but then ... the ball just opened by itself ..."


    "What do you mean the ball opened by itself ...", she pressed on the matter, frowns appearing on her face.


    "Huh, I caught it while it was momentarily distracted but then ... the ball just shook like crazy! And then it opened by itself which is why the Sniebel got out and escaped ... I couldn''t find it anymore. I am sorry!", he apologized ruefully. He had managed to catch it but then fate decided to take another turn.


    "What?! It opened by itself?! That shouldn''t be possible! Let me take a look at the ball!", she was visibly upset and wondered what had happened.


    Arthur handed it over and after scrutinizing the insides a couple of times his mother looked like going on a rampage. Arthur expected the worst and braced himself but ...


    "Those cheaters! This ball must have been a defect! How dare they give out a damned ball like this!", his mother loudly cursed not caring about her surroundings for a moment.


    "Cathelyn! Language!", Aunty Latia reminded her angrily and quickly put her hands on Alicia''s ears.


    His mother noticed her mistake and smiled embarrassed:


    "Ah, sorry. That got over my head.", she calmed down and said,


    "I will have a talk with the ranch again. If they don''t give me a satisfying reason I will sue them their clothes off their bodies in court! I might need to report this to the police as well. We can''t have a dangerous Pokemon running wild in the city like this! Arthur, don''t worry about this. I should apologize instead," she smiled wryly,


    "It was supposed to be your first partner and then something like this happens. Don''t worry, I will definitely get you another one. I promise. Just go back inside and calm down a little. Mommy will take care of everything."


    Arthur saw the stress building up inside her, when was the last she took herself some real rest? His mum was actually just about 30 years old yet her fatigue and worries made her look like little over 40. It pained him to see her like that and he blamed himself for this disaster:


    "Mum, I will go into the city and search for it. It couldn''t have gotten that far either, I am sure I will find it!", he made up his mind to take responsibility.


    "No, that''s too dangerous! You just came back from the hospital! You are not in the right condition for this! Who will protect you if something were to happen?!", his mother argued heavily. She was obviously against his proposition.


    "Nyaooo!", someone unexpected raised his voice. Mr.Nyao got up from its resting position on the ground and walked towards Arthur''s legs snuggling against them and then made eye-contact with his mother.


    Understanding her Pokemon''s point, she pouted slightly:


    "Hey, you''re supposed to be on my side!"


    "Mum, please! Let me help out!", he pleaded again.


    "Sighh, ok, ok, if your father was here, he wouldn''t even argue about this and directly head after that Pokemon, always following an adventure. I suppose it runs through your veins to put yourselves in danger. Mr.Nayo will go with you and if anything goes wrong, what do you do then?"


    "Run away!"


    "Yes, run away! Don''t let me see you again in the hospital Arthur McNeal!", Arthur gulped down slightly. Everytime she mentioned his full name he knew there was nothing more dangerous than not listening to her orders.

 9 Hot Pursui

    Arthur hurried quickly and ran down the way he last saw the Sniebel at. Mr.Nyao by his side easily kept up with his pace and looked a bit bored. Its long curly tail jumped up and down with every step it took but every one of its movements was done gracefully and beautifully.


    Arthur on the other hand felt like approaching the limits of his stamina very soon, sweat building up on his face and his breathing getting heavier over time.


    "I should train more *huh huh*, I am too slow damned!", he cursed to himself for his lacking physique.


    In the beginning right after he left the house, he realised he wasn''t sure where to even begin with searching for that Sniebel. Maybe his mother foresaw he would be unsuccessful either way and that''s why she gave in so lightly.


    Dammit, what could I do to find it as fast as possible!'''' he asked himself and went up and down on the road. Mr Nayao took the time to stretch comfortably and clean its paws.


    The problem was that there were a lot of ways and branched streets the Sniebel could have taken during its escape. Which path should he take? He needed some kind of clue or indication otherwise time would be wasted, time he didn''t have.


    He might have been too hurried with his plan. But just sitting around and watch his mother take care of another problem he was involved in. Again


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    Arthur tried asking the people walking down the streets they may have seen the somehow or at least noticed the direction it took.


    ''''I am sorry but I haven''t seen one, my dear.''''


    ''''What? A wild Sniebel in Viridian City? Kids and their fantasies hahahaha!"


    "Instead of annoying strangers why don''t you go and grab a book? Sniebel originate from mountain regions and snowy landscapes! Why the heck is a Sniebel supposed to be here? They are listed as endangered species and relatively rare. Next time think of a better joke!"


    ''''*Sigh*, why doesn''t anyone believe me here? Is it so weird to meet a Sniebel in a city?'''' Arthur wondered silently.


    Until now he hadn''t spent any thoughts on the diversity of the Pokemon, the composition or the frequency in which they appeared. Though it seemed to make sense that certain Pokemon from far away reagions and less dense places would be rarer as opposed to Pidgeys and Rattatas.


    His mind was empty and he didn''t want to ask anymore. It would be impossible to find the right trail now without a miracle occuring.


    ''''Maybe I should really look into more books, maybe then I would find ...AHHH!'''', a wild thought shot through Arthur''s head just in that moment.


    His hand moved towards his right pocket and fumbled around a little. What came to light was a little portable encyclopedia, a wondrous tool from the 20th century... the PokeDex!


    He wasn''t familiar with the Pokedex and hadn''t tried to find out more about it. There was just so much else on his plate to do he couldn''t find enough time for this item.


    It didn''t belong to him in the first place either, yet Arthur didn''t really know anyone named Atiqo and he couldn''t remember how he got his hands on that person''s PokeDex at all.


    "Well, it can''t be helped, right? Whoever finds lost stuff can keep that stuff, isn''t that the rule?", he asked himself innocently.


    When he was still going to school most of his classmates already had PokePhones and played around with them during and outside class all the time. His parents promised him his own Phone on his tenth birthday but then ... his dad passed away and their finances were strained to their limits. He pushed down his inner desires and put his family''s well-being above all else. Now that he got his hands on an ''ownerless'' device, even if it was quite old, not comparable to the newest PokePhones people usually used, he couldn''t help himself but get a little bit greedy. Of course, he promised to return the Dex if he ever came across its rightful owner. If, that is.


    ''''There is surely something inside that could help me. Definitely!''''.


    He was proud about his brilliant idea and conviced to have finally found a solution.


    He looked at his last entries related to the Sniebel :


    Name: Sniebel


    Realm of Beasts


    Species: Mustela glacies


    Type affinity: Ice


    Highest Class Recorded: Chieftain


    Background information:


    - Snow and mountain regions ...


    -According to history, they were involved with many assassinations ...


    - Were worshiped as incarnations of the god of murder in ancient times ...


    - Loves warm and sweet candies, shouldn''t be fed too much or else ...


    ...


    Tents minutes later


    "Urgh, so many information, so much endless text ...", he wasn''t a lazy person but he wasn''t a friend of useless long rows of sentences that didn''t make any sense either. After another small tip regarding its eating habits and favourite drinks Arthur couldn''t hold on anymore.


    "I give up! Until I find the clue that Sniebel will be gone and hidden god knows where. *Sigh* It''s a waste of time ... maybe I should leave that to the pros ..."


    He turned towards the Glameow of his mother with resignation, and thanked him silently for putting up him and sacrificing its time for him. If Pokemon even had a sense of time.


    Arthur would thank him later on, maybe his favourite Snack? What did Glameow like eating the most?


    He quickly looked it up in the Pokedex:


    Name: Glameow


    Realm of Beasts


    Species: Felis catus tripudis


    Type affinity: none


    Highest Class Recorded: Warrior


    Background Information:


    -Likes rythmic movements and dancing ...


    -Favourite Snacks: salty gummy meat ...


    -Has a highly sensitive sense of smell and an extraordinary olfactoric memory. Even after a brief contact with scents, they can be memorised and traced back to their origin for a certain period of time ...


    Hmm?


    "WHAT?!", Arthur suddenly went into an uproar. Mr.Nayo got scraed a little und jumped to the side.


    It bent its back into an arc and heightened its senses, ready for any incoming enemies.


    But he was only confronted with Arthur''s weird glances at him instead.


    "Nayoo?", it asked back confused.


    "This thing here says your sense of smell is quite strong, could you trace back ... that Siebel?", Arthur asked. He didn''t even consider wether Mr.Nyao could understand him or not, the idea that they could have saved tons of time suppressed all his rational thoughts in that moment.


    ""Nyao!", Mr.Nyao told him confidently and started looking for trails on the ground with its little nose.


    Surprisingly, it seemed to have gotten the message right.


    But what was even more upsetting and irritating for Arthur in his current state of was a completely different question:


    "WHY didn''t you tell me in the first place then?! You could have at least tried man!"


    Mr.Nyao raised his head and his response was only an expression that looked like saying:


    "Kiddo, I am just a Pokemon and you didn''t even ask me once before, duhh."


    After that it continued with its work and sniffed around concentratedly, looking for that one scent of that Pokemon they had met before.


    "..."


    "Ahh, well, you''re right. I am sorry, my fault ... I guess." Arthur said unnerved and accepted his mistake. Argueing with a Pokemon wouldn''t bring any results either way.


    But those rewards he wanted to give Mr.Nyao earlier on ... nevermind them.


    The scent was deeply ingrained in thee Glamemeows memories. It might just hve been a couple of minutes, maybe even less time the had had contact with it. But this exotic odor that smelled like wild pines, pitiful confusion and the breakfast from yesterday ... it was already caught within its system and wouldn''t vanish for the next hour or so.


    The difficult things was differentiating it from all the other smells lingering in the air, constantly produced by the moving constructs and building on the side road. Humans and living beings weren''t that much of an issue.


    It felt like an eternity for Arthur as the clock was ticking and time waa running out with every passing second. Hoewver, his patience finally bore some fruits at least.


    Glameow suddenly sprinted forwards and Arthur didn''t have time left to ask any qudstik questions!


    Luckily, Mr.Nyao was considerate and didn''t leave to far away from Arthu''s side, otherwise he might have never caught up to the Pokemon''s speed.


    He was fully recovered anyway and could continue his pursuit!


    "Hopefully it''s still there! This time, we will get you!"


    He managed to follow the Glameow through the jungle of streets and buildings and even quickened the pace a little, the situation urged him to do so. He didn''t know wether the scent could run dry and the ended up in the middle of nowhere. The earlier they caught up with the Sniebel theb better.


    On the way he saw a lot of Pokemon without any Trainers roaming the streets and parks or flying in the sky.


    It puzzled Arthur how there were stray Pokemon without any form of control or supervision. He didn''t see them as dangerous creatures and they only looked curiously back at him but what if they got into any accidents or were the cause of them?


    The city itself was built like a big circle, divided into several ring spreading out from the city center. In addition, there were two main streets, the Azure Oak Boulevard and the Scarlet Foster Boulevard that crossed in the middle and parted the city into four equal sections.


    They were currently in the southeastern district known as Green Guardian but as they continued to run they slowly approached the central square Arthur and his mother had passed by before.


    More and more shops and stores came into his view that triggered his memory further.


    Suddenly something red was caught in the corner of his eyes, a small detail his brain unconsciously processed and redirected his attention to.


    It was difficult to concentrate and search for such details while running on the pavement, trying not to dash into any people or Pokemon and create any accidents. The many sights and noises dampened his senses even more, but this red feather. This long red feather, that stuck out from the sea of figures roaming the streets, was still fresh in his minds.


    "Sniebel! There you are!", Arthur shouted excitedly.


    "Nyao-Nyao!", Mr.Nyao confirmed to him confidently. They had truly found their target after a hopeless odysse.


    As they closed in on their target, They saw the Sniebel looking around like a small child, seemingly dazzled by all the different attractions.


    It sneaked towards a small fruit and berry grocery and grabbed a couple colourful berries with each of its clawy hands.


    The incredible thing was that nobody in the surroundings noticed a thing, just as it had accomplished its criminal mission the Sniebel vanished from plain sight!


    It took Arthur a couple of seconds and his full focus to rediscover its location.


    "Again, that Vanishing-Move! It''s too fast for my eyes to track!", Arthur determined.


    The Sniebel hid amongst the masses and cheerily ate the goods it just stole, shoving the food into its small mouth without any reservations or a guilty look.


    Arthur apologized silently to the store owner and put his focus back on to the task at hand.


    "What should I do? If I rush to aggressively it will notice me and maybe use that vanishing move again! But if I just continue following it like this, it will do even more bad deeds or escape from my sight sooner or later, sigh ...", Arthur was in a dilemma and couldn''t decide on what to do.


    He looked to the side towards Mr.Nyao, but like the situation before, it was just a Pokemon.


    He couldn''t expect from it to throw out a perfect bullet proof capture-strategy.


    But reality didn''t give him that time anyway. Maybe they got too close to the Sniebel, maybe they behaved to conspicuously or maybe that Sniebel had supernatural Pokemon senses that warned from danger, who knows. As if a lightning bolt had struck its body, the Snibel stopped moving all of sudden and turned its head sharply in the direction Arthur and Mr.Nyao were coming from.


    Their gazes met for a moment, if Arthur needed to guess he would say that a slight shock followed by a derisive sneer appeared on that Snibel''s face telling him:

 10 Unexpected Encounter

    "Wow, so you found me, huh? Don''t think you''re that great!", or something along those lines.


    It then turned around and all of sudden disappeared from a spot like a ninja!


    "Damn, Mr.Nyao, I can''t see him. Can you track it down again?", he asked Mr.Nyao gravely.


    "*Sniff-Sniff*, Nyao!", the Pokemon responded enthusiastically.


    "Alright, let''s go!"


    It turned into another hot pursuit, like the police chasing the criminals, Arthur and Mr.Nyao chased tightly after the Sniebel. They crossed streets, almost ran into cars and bikes, took several turns through small alleys but thanks to Mr.Nyaos sensible olfactory abilities they didn''t lose the trail that easily.


    Another good thing was that the Sniebel apparently wasn''t able to use the Vanishing-Move very quickly in succession, always taking a break or slower pace after its mysterious disappearance. It turned into a war attrition!


    Who would lose their stamina first, Arthur or the Sniebel?


    Arthur wasn''t used to this amount of stress and exercise and his fatigue was quitely accumulating in his body. The Sniebel on the other hand couldn''t be in a better position as it hadn''t been a long time since its escape, no chance it had recovered all of its strength already.


    The only real difference was Arthur .... wasn''t a Pokemon. A variable that could make a huge difference.


    Their hunt had been going on for like 10 minutes already, this sounds very short but be aware that both Arthur and Mr.Nyao were currently stuck in a jungle called ''City'' with all kinds of obstacles and objects they needed to avoid. At the same time they needed to lock onto the closest position of that wild Sniebel that moved like the wind while being careful no to create accidents or followe the wrong path! The Sniebel wasn''t chained to the same rules, hanging and climbing from one building to the next as if it was Spiderman''s reincarnation!


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    Then at the end of one road, the scene grew wider and the party entered a completely different hot spot! It was at an intersection north of the city center, a big traffic circle reserved for cars surrounded an even bigger area that people could use for cross-walking, taking a break or doing photos.


    But currently a different kind of action was taking place in this place.


    Then the girl pointed at the boy angrily and her Eevee shot forward, was that an attack? Arthur was completely confused and got distracted for a second. He belatedly realized that the Sniebel was escaping right through the ongoing Pokemon battle!


    Left with no other choice he headed straight into the same direction. And as he closed the distance between them Arthur noticed many more details about the fighters involved. To his astonishment, he knew the boy on the left already.


    It was Khali Akiona, the guy who had visited him earlier. His dark skin and his alolan T-shirt clearly distinguished him from other people. On the other hand, he couldn''t recognize the girl at all. Except for her red twin tails that made her look quite special, she gave off a vibe of superiority and power, hinting towards a great background.


    He waved towards Khali, trying to get his attention. Khali noticed him and waved back. He tried saying something but the distance was still too great, Arthur didn''t understand anything at all.


    Then he turned his eyes back towards the Pokemon that were clashing with each other.


    The Eevee was fast and attempted several quick dashes to get closer to its target.


    Khali wasn''t daydreaming and promptly told his partner:


    "Webster, use String Shot to slow down its movements!", following which the Spinarak obeyed and shot out strings to prevent Eevee coming further. Its reaction was bit slower, but its precise and accurate aim compensated for this small disadvantage.


    Most attacks didn''t hit at all, the Eevee was quick to react and dodged the linear projectiles in a timely manner as if it was just a walk in the park. But this time it was quantity over quality!


    Before the girl or her Eevee could respond or enact any countermeasures they were already surrounded by small area full of sticky strings. Wouldn''t be easy to get out without being slowed down now! Every step could cost precious seconds wasted on getting rid of the strings. Time the opponent could use to inflict more damage.


    The situation seemed hopeless at first but the Eevee was then throwing mocking looks towards the opponent''s team:


    "Is this all you can do? Hmpf, laughable!", it seemed saying.


    "Evette, use sand attack!", the girl shouted out a command.


    "Eerrrie!", the Eevee answered faithfully.


    Arthur couldn''t really see what was actually happening in that moment, but suddenly from one second to the next a whirl of sand and dust surged from the ground with Eevee at its centre!


    The whirl wasn''t big, only knee-level tall, but it was gushing out from a never-ending source and in a matter of seconds it had fully covered the former sticky surface!


    "What the fuck ....", Arthur''s mind couldn''t keep up with reality. How did a small creature just summon something like that?! This was the first time he witnessed a Pokemon move that bordered on the supernatural realm far from reality. Or at least the reality his mind was comfortable with.


    Anyway, the battle continued on. The Eevee was now capable to cross the field without worry and returned to confront the Spinarak.


    Disinclined towards a close combat confrontation, Khali warned his partner not to get too close with the Eevee and gave another command:


    "Use strings to swing from place to place Webster! Don''t let that Eevee near you!"


    His Spinarak understood and used a string shot from its mouth to pull itself towards a lamppost nearby. Up above the duo continued with their long-distance tactics. Sometimes changing from strings shots to smaller omnious looking projectiles. Poison Sting!


    The Eevee avoided all of them, unimpressed.


    "Don''t think you are unreachable and safe in that high place, cowards!", the girl expressed with gritted teeth,


    "Evette, Hidden Power!"


    Suddenly the Eevee stopped with its movement for a second, and closed its eyes, frozen still. If Arthur had been standing there he would have seen a concentrated expression on the Pokemon''s face appearing.


    "Shit, did she say Hidden Power?!", Khali exclaimed anxiously,


    "Wesbter, get away from there!"


    The Spinarak realized from Khali''s order the seriousness of the situation and hurriedly shot out another string.


    Almost in the same moment, the previously calm Eevee opened its eyes wide and shouted loudly:


    "EEERRIIIIIEEE!!!", Arthur wasn''t sure if he could his trust his eyes, but it felt to him like the air was vibrating and moving in a wave-like motion slapping towards the upper lamppost!


    The lamppost started trembling like crazy, a sound of blunt force crashing onto metal echoed in the surroundings:


    Gooooonnnngggggggggg!


    Luckily the Spinarak could escape most of the centre force hitting it. But it was still injured by the force at the corners, flailing it unpolitely which caused to swing wildly around during its flight.


    "Damned, Webster!", Khali got worried.


    Arthur realized in that brief moment how dangerous a Pokemon battle could turn out to be! All sorts of attacks were exchanged in short amount of time, and only experienced people with sharp eyes could cope with the ever-changing pace of the battle to come up with more and more plans.


    "Wow!", he thought to himself silently. A feeling arose slightly from his back upwards, nibbling on his brain. Excitement, sheer excitement!


    "Wait a sec... I have no time for this!", he noticed only now that he wasn''t here to spectate a Pokemon Battle! He had a mission to accomplish!


    His eyes swept the field looking for its target. And there it was, right on the opposite side of the area, the Sniebel watched the battle as well from a safe spot similarly dazzled by the might displayed in front of its eyes.


    "There you are!"


    Arthur evaluated his options, he could surround the Sniebel from the side, maybe a pincer attack with Mr.Nyao together. This would be a more careful approach but also a time consuming one, Arthur was still weak on his legs. In addition, they couldn''t know if that Sniebel would still be standing there after the time passed by.


    No, he couldn''t risk it. The only other viable option was ...


    Arthur gulped down heavily and turned towards the Glameow:


    "Mr.Nyao, you are faster than me, and we can''t take the same path or it will be too conspicious. You ... try to surround it from one of the sides and I will ...", he then transfered his attention back to the battlefield,


    "the quickest path is always the most dangerous one, heh?", he chuckled lightly.


    Why did he laugh, was there something funny about throwing yourself into a dangerous situation? Maybe the adrenalin was clouding his judgement and mind, but he felt really exhilarated!


    Mr.Nyao just nodded its head, understanding the command and heading carefully towards the Sniebel.


    He had already tried communicating with Khali, but the distance was too great and his attention was still mainly focused on the battle at hand. Rushing straight into the centre of the conflict was dangerous but the fastest way through the circle area as far as Arthur could tell.


    He just needed to be cautious not to get hit by one of the Pokemon''s attack, friendly fire was possible.


    Easier said than done.


    He slowly walked towards the innermost area, the two people and their Pokemon didn''t notice him and were oblivious of his existence and actions. Arthur''s heartbeat accelerated rapidly, reminding him to be wary of his environment.


    He avoided the places full of sticky strings, and took on a lower posture, to prevent anyone but especially the Sniebel to see him.


    The fight was currently concentrated on his left side near Khali and he wasn''t in danger walking in the middle pathway. He felt blessed halfway-through and thought he could get cross this battlefield without any problems cropping up. Sadly ...


    It was in that moment that the Eevee flew through the air, like a kite with its strings cut loose, and landed somewhere heavily on Arthur''s right side onto the ground. The Eevee had successfully evaded all attacks during all this time. All but one.


    In a moment of carelessness it got hit with a Poison Sting and the brunt force in addition to the close distance sent it in an arc-way over the field.


    "YOU DARE!", the girl shouted furiously. After checking after her Pokemon and seeing it was alright she turned her attention back towards her enemies and announced:


    "Time to end this child''s play! Eevee Quick Attack!"


    Khali returned her words:


    "Yes, time to end our date! Webster, use your hanging force and attack head-on!", throwing caution into the wind, he also engaged into close-combat.


    "Shhhhzzz!", the Spinarak shouted with anticipation. It threw some string onto a lamppost farther away and swung itself forward with all the power it could muster.


    Both trainers were caught up in their rage or thrill and didn''t see Arthur in the middle of their attack paths!

 11 Meeting a Hero

    Arthur tried moving, but his body was either too exhausted from the pursuit earlier or the concentrated marsh through this area. His legs were rooted in the ground and didn''t budge even a tiny inch!


    No matter what, his body didn''t listen to his thoughts, shocked still on the spot.


    Just as he was about to get attacked from both sides, Arthur closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst happening. His arms were crossed over his head instinctively and his back bent down a little to offer as little contact-surface as possible.


    ".."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Huh?" But the excruciating pain he expected didn''t come. Instead of never ending pain or loud-deafening noises of colliding bodies it was just ... silent.


    So silent it felt surreal!


    He realised something was wrong and thus opened his eyes slightly. He see could see a massive back through his crossed arms that casted a big shadow on his side. The person owning that back stood protectively in fron of him like a statue with a foundation that was unshakable and unsurmountable!


    Only after little time passed, it dawned upon Arthur that it wasn''t a statue but an elderly man that had saved him from this tiny disaster. The man looked like hugging himself from Arthur''s point of view, but in reality his arms were stretched out in opposite direction each holding one of the fighting Pokemon.


    The right arm took hold of the Eevee while his left arm had a grip on the Spinarak.


    What Arthur found weird was a certain illuminating light that shone from that man''s left arm, as if he wasn''t holding a Pokemon but a lamp instead.


    "Whe-where did he come from?", Khali wondered, just a couple seconds ago the street was empty of any people but then this guy appeared out of nowhere! Did he teleport?!


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    "Hahaha, children these days, so reckless and yet so cute!", chuckled the old man while gazing back down towards Arthur.


    "Errrie!" "Shhhzzz!", the two Pokemon the mysterious man had in his grip were protesting and tried to break free, without success though.


    "Errrieee!!!" "Shhhhzzzz!!!", Both Pokemon were shocked in the first few moments. The world turned upside down for them but then in the next seconds, their instincts started kicking in again and Eevee was the first to find its balance. It landed gracefully on its paws and walked back to the red-haired girl.


    Spinarak used its wide point of view and found Khali during its fall in its surroundings. With a professional Web-shot the spinarak pulled itself back to its partner.r.


    "NO! Not on my fac- Icfant sfek nou!", was the last Khali could bring out before a green object crashed on his head and made him fall down.


    "Hmpf! You deserved that, molester!", Cecile commented, happy about Khali''s misfortune.


    "Cecile! Is this how I raised you to be?!", a deep voice thundered in Cecile''s ears. She looked shocked in the direction of the mysterious man.


    "D-dad! That wasn''t my f-"


    "No excuses!"


    "But -"


    "No! We can have this discussion later! Take your eevee and go home for now, you have done enough here.", her father didn''t leave her any room for negotiation and ordered her streng.


    "But - I - Grrrr, OK!", she struggled for several seconds, feeling indignant about the injustice she had to experience. Yet her father''s words were still law to her, she didn''t want to make him angrier than he already was and left. But before she left she threw Khali one last glance and growled:


    "If I ever see you cross my path again, you won''t have so much luck again!"


    "Is that a yes to our date?", he asked as if the last few minutes had never happened.


    "You ...! Hmpf!", Cecile was overwhelmed with how irrational that boy was and couldn''t think of anything more to repy him. Instead of continuing this pointless fight, she just left, wishing to never see him again. Eeevee accompanied her but turned around one final time and made faces at Spinarak.


    Spinarak felt the mockery aimed at him and his human partner, and angrily vowed to regain honor the next time they met again.


    Khali felt the turmoil in his partner and gave him a light pet:


    "You did great Webster! Don''t worry, next time we will give them a big surprise!"


    "Shhhzzz!" glee filled spinarak and he started climbing around on Khalis body.


    "Ha, haa haha, argh! I get that you''re excited, but please calm down a little!", as his body shook wildly, Khali realized there was another person he had completely forgotten,


    "Arthur!"


    He quickly got Spinarak back on track and ran towards Arthur. As they met up, the first thing he did was ...


    "Ahh, sorry man!", he put his palms together and made a slight bow. While having one eye closed, the other looked at Arthur apologetically.


    "Ahh, haha, no Problem, Khali, right? It was my fault as well I guess. I shouldn''t have run straight into a Pokemom Battle, I guess.", Arthur didn''t take it to his heart, and he was saved after all.


    "No, not at all. I should have stopped it earlier, it wasn''t even an official battle, thank god that guy was there. Speaking of the devil, did you even see him coming? He was just there in a second as if ..."


    "... as if he teleported!"


    "Yes! Teleportation! Hahahaha"


    "Hahaha"


    "Hey, are you guys talking about me?", the mysterious old man spoke to them.


    "Master Oak!" another urgent shout rang out behind them.


    "Oak?", Arthur wondered to himself. It felt like he had heard that name before somehow.


    "Alfred! How are you?", the man answered his call.


    Then after a couple of seconds, a middle-aged man in black butler-looking clothes appeared hastely with two big bags in his arms. His breathing heavily, he must have been in a hurry to come here.


    "Alfred, take a break. Why the hurry?" the elderly man stoppped him worriedly.


    "M-master Oak, I-I huh I have to deeply apologize. I just got informed by Miss Cecile, I was just buying food in the supermarket, I could never have imagined that something could have happened to Miss."


    "Don''t worry Alfred, shit happens, life goes on.", the man called Oak waved him off.


    "No, no, it was a heavy dereliction of duty on my side. I-I deserve to be punished!", the butler demanded reluctantly. His guilt was too heavy it seemed.


    "A-Alfred, please don''t say such rthings in front of children, they might get some ideas-"


    "No MAster! It was entirely my fault, I should have done a better job and carefully supervised little Miss. Please, I deserve punishment! Punish me please!", the old butler demanded strictly.


    "Ha, ha, ha", the man smiled slighly, with creased eyebrows. And as he saw the weird gazes the two boys threw at them, he realized he need to immediately defuse the situation.


    "Ok, ok Alfred, we got it. You want some extra work, no problem here. You see these two boys here, they got somehow entangled into our situation, so why don''t you take care of them for now? I might need to talk with the police for now and explain them the what happened.


    "Ok Master Oak!", he went straight towards the boy and made a small bow,


    "I haven''t introduced myself properly yet, my name is Alfred Drought, the chief butler of the Oak household, if you have any requests don''t hesitate to ask me please!"


    Khali just smiled and didn''t look like he found anything weird about the situation. Arthur on the other hand was distracted and thought about something completely different.


    "Oak, oak ... oak. Where did I hear that before." He looked back at the elderly man''s facial features. His hair was orange-brown like a really hot flame and his eyes also radiated with strong vitality. Only the wrinkles on his face indicated his true age.


    But what surprised Arthur the most was that this person didn''t have a left arm! The lower half just wasn''t there under the sleeves. How can that be? Didn''t that guy grab the Pokemon with both of his arms? Or was it just a misconception on Arthur''s side, a blurry view or something like that?


    Suddenly another image popped up in Arthur''s mind, an old man with light grey hair. His image overlapped with that of the mytserious man, their looks were slightly different but those eyes ...!


    Those eyes that declared confidence and an adventurous spirit, they were exactly the same!


    A name came to Arthur''s mind and as if controlled by an unkown force he asked hesitatignly:


    I-I am sorry Sir, your butler called you Master Oak. Could it be ... are you Professor Oak?"


    The man looked back at Arthur''s eyes and when he heard that familiar name, his eyes suddenly shook for a second. Old memories crossed his mind and he was reminded of a time when he just a small boy receiving his first Pokemon ...


    Reality brought him back from his daydreaming and he took a closer look on that child who asked him that question:


    "Sigh, I am sorry to tell you this, but the Professor Oak that you are looking for has already passed away."


    "What?!", how can this be Arthur thought to himself.


    "What was your relationship to him, if I may ask?", the man inquired.


    "He saved my life! A couple of weeks ago, I was gravely injured inside the Viridian Forest, and my mum told me he had saved me from the brink of death. I-I wanted to thank him.", Arthur told him with a weak voice. He felt sad about his saviour''s sudden death. He saved him but now he couldn''t tell him how grateful he was or how to repay him for his kindness.


    "Hmm, I see ... wait what?", the man''s expression changed from nostalgia to puzzelment in but a breath of time. He took third closer on the boy, approached him and scrtched his chin with his right arm while contemplating. Then an idea struck him.


    "Oh! Oh oh oh! Hahahaah, so it''s you! I remember now, man, I couldn''t recognize you since the last time I saw you you were full of bandages and blood and all that swelling. You''re that kid who got himself into trouble in the Viridian Forest!


    You''re name was ... Archiebald, rigth?"


    "My name is Arthur Sir. But how do you know that about the Viridian Forest?" Arthur ''s mum and the police prevented the news getting leaked out about his accident. He hadn''t been in the right condition to endure the public attention at that time.


    "Oh, Arthur! right. Of course I know, I am the guy who saved your ass back then!"


    "Master Oak, lanuage please! They are just children!", the butler repriminded him.


    "Ah haha, sorry kids."


    "What do you mean? Is-is that true? You really saved me?", Arthur couldn''t trust his ears anymore. This guy had really saved him?


    "Yes, me and my partners I mean. I had some business to attend to ..."


    "In the forest?", Khali interrupted him.


    " ... in the forest.", the man nodded and continued,


    "and then my arcinine found a blood trail leading to you. You looked half dead if I were to be honest, and it''s almost a miracle you survived with those wounds on your body."


    Arthur was shocked to hear this and didn''t know how to respond for a moment. But after a another moment of thought ...


    "I-I wanted to say thank you!", he then bowed on the spot with 45¡ã,


    "I had done something incredibly foolish back then and I was lucky that you had been there to save me and bring me to the hospital! If it hadn''t been for you, than I would be ...", he didn''t finish the sentence and just gulped down his saliva.


    The man looked at Arthur with an impressed smile:


    "Hahaha, no problem. As if I could leave behind such a promising young child to become fodder for those wild beasts! Don''t worry too much about it, when I was your age I did similar or even more dangerous stuff out there! Haha, good old times, sigh. But do you know what your real problem was? Not assessing the possible risks in your endeavor and not preparing appropriate or any kind of possible countermeasures! FOR GOD''S SAKE! You didn''t even bring a Pokemon with you! I am not sure if you were just bold or reckless or both?!"


    Arthur flinched when being reprimanded, but he knew that everything was true!


    "Sigh, well, you are still young and immature so, I guess you can treat it as a good learning experience for your path forward!", he took another look at Arthur,


    "Now that I think about it, there is actually I need to give you. Something that belongs to you actually."


    "Something that belongs to me?", arthur wondered.


    the man turned to Alfred and told him:


    "Alfred, take the kids to the mansion. I will meet you there in an hour or so."


    "Yes Master Oak!"


    "To the mansion? What mansion? I am not sure if-", Arthur wanted to reject as it wasn''t a good idea to follow unknown people into mysterious mansions but then Khali interupted him and agreed right anyaway,


    "What?! You have a mansion? That''s amazing, of course we will come!"


    Arthur looked at him quizzically. Where was this sudden motivation coming from?


    Khali whispered to him:


    "Did you forget that girl earlier? She called him dad! If we were to go visit his mansion now, how high are the chances to meet her again? 100%, exactly!"


    Arthur still didn''t understand why he was so intent but at least he wasn''t going alone there.

 12 Oak Family

    While Blue was taking of some police officers who had arrived because of all the ruckus the children created few minutes ago, Khali and Arthur stood there frozen still and couldn''t over the fact that ...


    "Did he say Blue ...", Khali began, his mouth wide open,


    "... Oak?", Arthur finished the sentence, his eye-brows furrowed and his face filled with confusion.


    Both boys were at first astonished hearing this news all of sudden, but then their reactions changed and both focused on different things:


    "WHAAAAAAAT!?!?!?! That was Blue Oak?! OMG! Was that really Blue awesome Oak, the greatest Gym Leader of all time and the pride of Viridan City?!?! Shit, I can''t believe a legend just talked to me ...,", Khali caused a small uproar, excitement radiating out from his body and soul.


    "Hmm, Blue Oak ... did you also see his missing limb? Are you sure that''s him?", Arthur had a vague understanding of Blue, maybe because his memories hadn''t recovered fully. He could faintly remember he was the grand-child of Samuel Oak, commonly known as Professor Oak. But somehow he didn''t expect to be ... this old. And also missing a limb.


    "Of course that''s him! Why shouldn''t he be! I mean he has his own real butler! As for that limb, there a various rumours like for example that ...", as Khali was about to continue explaining something shocking crossed his mind. His face instantly turned pale and he gained a horrified expression suddenly.


    "What''s wrong with you?", Arthur asked concerned.


    "Tha-that was Blue Oak, the second greatest Trainer of all time, and I almost hit him with my attack! I attacked a hero of the Great War and involved him in an accident, shit, MY LIFE IS OVER NOW!"


    Arthur didn''t get it:


    "Why is your life over, he seemed fine as far I saw him."


    "Damned, easy for you to say, he saved your life after all, twice already! I endangered his instead! And what about the first impression, now he will think I am rowdy or delinquent! How can I ever face him again uuuuuurgh.", Khali''s eyes became distant and passive, stuck in his own depressed bubble.


    "Shzzzz-shzzz!"


    His Spinarak crawled all over his body in an attempt to rais up his mood but Khali didn''t respond at all.


    At the same time Arthur saw his old pal Mr.Nyao walking in his direction. It looked embarrassed onto the ground and Arthur''s expression turned pale suddenly:


    "Damned! How could I forget!", the reason he was actually here to begin with, he had pushed all thoughts aside after being put into a dangerous situation and then being saved by a famous person.


    Everything happened so quickly that he never thought about what he should do instead.


    His mother''s Glameow was fast but the wild Sniebel was even faster. Mr.Nyao also didn''t have the strength necessary to overpower or only stall that cunning Pokemon in a wide open area like the city.


    However, in the end it was mainly Arthur''s failure to arrive punctually at their rendezvous point to blame that they weren''t able to achieve this objective.


    Arthur didn''t put faults at Mr.Nyao and apologized for his mistakes instead.


    He shortly explained the situation he was currently in to his partner and with a combination of gestures and mimics Mr.Nyao got the gist of it. It decided to rest for now and go back home first. Or that''s what Arthur expected it to do if it really understood what he had tried to convey. How do Pokemon understand and see the world, and do they really understand human language?


    With a slight sigh he turned his attention back to Khali. The Sniebel problem needed to be taken care of later.


    Arthur didn''t know how to help his friend for now, but seeing that the butler was patiently waiting further away next a black car, he pulled Khali forward to get moving.


    "What happened to ths young man?", Alfred asked worried.


    "Nothing ha-ha-ha, that''s just a game he sometimes plays, nothing serious really.", Arthur didn''t want to elaborate and shoved Khali into the backseats hurriedly to avoid this topic.


    The car drove off away from the central square and moved north-east towards the more rural areas. After about 20 minutes the landscape changed sligthly and there were less shops or buildings nearby. Instead they entered a forested area cut through by one cemented road.


    Arthur pulled on Khali''s sleeve and finally asked:


    "Hey, could you tell me now what you were doing just then? How did you get yourselves into trouble in the first place?", he was quite curious about since the incident started.


    "*Sigh* Love at first sight, but a path full of thorns Arthur. The moment my eyes fell upon her fiery lava like -"


    THWACK


    Arthur gave him a small slap on the back of his head, just in case Khali hadn''t recovered from his shocked state.


    "Aiaiai, didn''t remember you were this brutal my friend. The thing is like that, I walked down the mall, I just came back from the work on the Berry fields. I then saw her suddenly and our eyes met like we were destin-"


    THWACK


    "Autsch, we stared at each other for several seconds and-"


    "It wasn''t just you staring at her like a creep and after a while she noticed your presence and got frightened?", Arthur asked suspicious.


    "No, no, no. Of course, I am a gentleman. It was mutual! Well, I had this feeling we knew each other, I definetly had it and I am 100% sure she did as well! Maybe we were lovers from a past life reincar-"


    THWACK


    "Broo, you''re giving me headaches man!", Khali whined a little,


    "We alolans embrace the path of peace and serenity. You should embrace that culture as well if you don''t want to end up as a delinquent."


    "Who was the one who started a fight in the middle of the city because of a notion about a past life, huh?"


    "Me and fighting? No, amigo, you got this wrong. This was like a greeting! She said hello and sent her Eevee to deliver that message, I responded in kind with my Spinarak! That''s how people meet each other nowadays."


    "Shhzzzzz!", the Spinarak on Khali''s legs supported him cheerfully.


    Arthur kept sending him weird glances, but decided to let that matter rest for now.


    "Ahh, I forgot to introduce you to my partner in crime. This is Webster, my first Pokemon Partner!"


    Arthur took a closer look at the Spinarak now that the situation had calmed down. It looked small and green, the size of a backpack, and had darker patterns on its back. It was a little hairy on the surface of its body and had six small yellowish claws attached to it as well as two reddish mandibles at the sides of its mouth. It looked curiously at Arthur.


    "Ehh, hello ... Webster?"


    "Shhz-Shzzzz!", it responded happily. It then jumped up all of a sudden and climbed onto Arthur''s body! Arthur didn''t expect this kind of assault on him so suddenly and just sat there like a block of ice, frightened.


    "Hahaha, man sorry, I should have warned you! He is quite mischivious and likes to climb around places and sometimes even people. I think he likes you!"


    Arthur didn''t know if he should be happy or scared. It felt like a mix of both to him. But he didn''t sense any hostile intentions from Webster so he got used to it quickly. That was also the very first time he had this close contact to a Pokemon.


    It didn''t hurt all, but he felt Webster''s claws exerting some kind of pressure on different places on his body to stay stuck on him.


    "That''s enough Webster, come back now!", Khali said after which Webster obeyed and jumped onto his shoulder.


    Then they talked about mundane things in life and Arthur came to know more about his friend Khali. His father was an engineer and an expat who came from Alola to work in Kanto. There he met his mother and they seemed to have a harmonious relationship even though she was often away on business trips herself.


    His father''s wish was for Khali to have an Alolan Pokemon as his first one on his tenth birthday, and his mother wanted it to be a poison type Pokemon because of ''Family Traditions''. To the dismay of his father, Khali didn''t like any poison type Pokemon found in Alola, and instead chose his Spinarak Webster he found by accident when strolling in the forest. His father accepted it reluctantly but made him promise that at least one of his future teammates should be from Alola.


    Khali''s family seemed to be quite well-off Arthur noticed. Not every family could afford to import Pokemon from the faraway region of Alola, considering the different climate, humidity, temperature or air pressure in Kanto it might have taken considerable resources to make the Pokemon acclimate properly.


    He had read that there were sometimes similar Pokemon one could find in Kanto or Alola but because of the distinctive environmental conditions in each region the Pokemon got used to, they also had troubles to live in an environment foreign to them for an extended period of time without sufficient training and conditioning. This phenomenon was known as ''Home Bias''.


    And when disregarding these factors, there were also costly administrative regulation issues involved. Some Pokemon were exclusively found in specific regions and could only be owned by those citizens in said regions which made these regions popular and increased tourism of course. Another problem was that no region or country was interested in exchanging the Pokemon that were native to them with any foreign species of Pokemon. Rattatta for example could be found in almost any part of the world. Those creatures reproduced themselves really quickly and only needed small amounts of food and rations to survive and make offsprings.


    But if there were Pokemon exclusive to one place and somehow got in contact with another regions environment, it could disrupt the well-established ecosystem in unpredictable and catastrophic ways. This process was usually a natural process and Pokemon em/immigration was a common occurrence that happened gradually and slowly so that the ecosystem could adapt to the new parties.


    "I guess, his father''s identity makes things easier for him", Arthur thought inwardly. As an Alolan citizen, it shouldn''t be a problem for him to bring some Pokemon over.


    He didn''t tell Khali about the Sniebel yet. For one he didn''t know Khali for a long time time due to his memory loss, and second it was quite embarassing for him to admit his first Pokemon partner had run away and left the very first moment the met each other.


    Gradually a large black-iron fence became visible on the side of the road dividing the greenery into two sections. The trees became less and less, instead there was a greater focus on bushes and grassfields. Behind the fence Arthur saw bodies of water, moving, jumping, running figures, all around the fields.


    Without realising it Arthur and Khali had already arrived at their destination in front of a big black-iron gate. But what shocked them the most wasn''t the grand scenery and the huge imposing front garden but the stone stele erected next to the big iron gate which said:


    "Viridian Gym"


    After that, the big iron gate slowly opened itself and when the boys entered the area, it felt like they set foot into heaven itself. The serene and calm atmosphere as well as the beautiful garden with the several pools and fountains made them feel tranquil in their hearts and minds. They also found several different Pokemon who played on the different grounds and made the garden look even more heaven-defying. A bit farther away they could see a big manor on a hill, looking down on all places and declaring itself the sovereign of this territory.


    Finally when they reached the actual mansion they had to pass by another gate till they could get off the car.


    When standing right in front of the mansion, the awe and majesty they felt got even stronger than before. It was as if a hidden pressure pushed on their bodies and wanted them to kneel and pay respect to this place!


    The butler had stayed silent all the time and led them to the interior of the building. But before they could get any further, an angry voice stopped them:


    "Why are you two here! Get away from here ASAP or I will call the cops!! Alfred, what is going on?!"


    The person turned out to be Cecile, the girl they had ''met'' earlier. Now that they weren''t in an immediate conflict, Arthur had more time to see her and notice a few things. She appeared to be around the same age as Arthur and Khali and red fiery twin tails emerged from her backhead.


    Her menacing glare made the two boys believe she was going kill them right on the spot!


    Sweat droplets formed on Alfred''s face and he made an wryly smile:


    "Young Miss, I am just following Master''s orders. He told me to bring these young guests into his study room."


    "He did what?!", she exclaimed shocked. Alfred didn''t seem to lie and so she scrutinized the two boys again. She didn''t find anything special on them. One of them looked rather weak and the other was full of plasters on his body. Did they think this was a hospital? But her father rarely took the efforts and requested Alfred to bring people into his personal study so it should be more important than she thought. Usually it was Alfred who took on the Job as his manager and met up with people and reported everything back to her father.


    After a small time during which she still couldn''t come up with a fitting explanation, she snorted coldly and was about to turn around, when a voice called out for her:


    "Hey, wait please!"


    She turned around and it seemed to be the dark skinned one of the two boy''s. She glared at him and asked clearly irritatedly:


    "You again, what do you want?! Do you want another fight?!"


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    "Have you ever tried alolan coconut-cake? If you didn''t yet I could bring you some, trust me, it''s like entering another realm of ...", before he could continue though Cecile turned around and stomped back inside the mansion. Completely ignored!


    "Well, I would say that she definitely likes me! Hehe, she just hasn''t realized it yet."


    Arthur was impressed by his friend and didn''t speak another word on his taste for women.


    "Young guests, if you could please follow me now!", Alfred told them.


    He stood by the side all this time and didn''t dare to leave a bad image on Cecile.


    The entered a big hallway and walked up some stairs, made some turns and finally arrived in a big room.


    The first thing the two noticed was the big collection of books. There were large bookshelves on both sides of the room. The floor was bright and wooden and it had a picture of the World Map carefully ingraved on it.


    There were some couches, a big long table and a large desk in front of them. Behind the desk was an older person, maybe in his fortys or fiftys sitting on a chair. He wore some shorts and a t-shirt. His bright orange hair was enhanced by the light shining through the window behind him and made it resemble fire. The only strange thing was that he was missing his left arm.


    "Thank you Alfred. I think I will be able to take over from now.", the man told Alfred.


    "Of course Master Oak. Please tell me immediately if you are in need of something!"


    "Sure will!"


    After Alfred had left, an awkward silence spread in the room. The man in front of the boys just looked at them curiously and had a smile on his face.


    "Please boys, sit down. You are my guests here. Just relax and enjoy some tea! I hope that you had a good time on your way here!"


    "Yes, yes definitely. It is really a beautiful place!", they told him honestly. They wanted to be as respectful as possible towards him.


    "Hahaha, no need to be so modest. Is the energy pressure too much for you? Here, eat these snacks, they help you acclimate faster!",he said and offered them some biscuit.


    They first wanted to decline but when he insisted again, they took some pieces and just ate them. The moment they swallowed them down, an easing feeling poured through their bodies and filled every centimeter, every nook and cranny inside them. It was as if a burden they didn''t know it even existed, had been lifted from their shoulders..


    "Hahaha, judging from you facial expressions, the cookies must have done their Magic!"


    "They are amazing Sir! Super delicious!!"


    "What did you put inside those biscuits?"


    "That''s a small secret hehe, but I can tell you that it''s not really the cookies that are causing these effects. They just help you acclimate to the higher energy pressure on this hill. You see my grandpa wanted me to build this mansion here because he discovered an Energy Vein under this place."


    "Energy Vein?", Arthur asked confused.


    In contrast to him, Khali was simply shocked when he heard about the Energy Vein. No wonder Webster ran off on his own, the moment they entered this place!


    "Ehh, I guess you didn''t learn that in school yet. Ehh, in a nutshell it''s a rare place where Pok¨¦mon feel more harmonic. Yep, that sounds all right. Pok¨¦mon feel very exhilarated near these kinds of places but humans need some time to get used to the abundance and density of Infinity Energy. I am sure you must have felt some kind of heavy pressure when approaching the mansion. That''s what caused it."


    "Not only that!", Khali''s breathing quickened and he started talking faster,


    "Energy Veins are mostly available in the wilderness! But most veins in urban areas have already been claimed by other parties or factions! It''s super rare to still find one in a big city such as Viridian City! Not only do the Pokemon feel more harmonious and peaceful, but it''s also been proven that the cultivation and training of Pokemon progresses much faster in such an environment than anywhere else! This is simply a heaven made for Pokemon and Trainers alike!"


    "Hahaha, yes, you are quite a knowledgeable one. What''s your name boy?"


    "Ehh, Khali! Khali Akiona Sir!"


    "Khali? Khali ... your mother''s name, it''s not Janine is it?"


    "What?! How, how do you know?!", Khali felt shocked and perplexed when this unknown person actually knew about his mother!


    "Ahh, so she is! What a small world, wow. Now that I look at you again, I do see the similarities. You could say ... that me and your mother, that we are old acquaintances ...", he was distracted for a moment when his eyes fell on Arthur again and he asked him,


    "And you, you''re Arthur, if I remember correctly, right?"


    "Yes Sir!", Arthur responded.


    "You definitely look healthier than before, haha! I am happy you recovered so well. You seem like you have something on your mind, please feel free to ask me anything you want."


    "Ehh...", Arthur had been confused since entering the outer gate and really had some questions he couldn''t find the answers himself to,


    "you told me Professor Oak had passed away. Could you tell me a bit more about him?", something in Arthur''s mind was just shocked and urged him to find out more about this Professor Oak.

 13 Scars of War

    Arthur looked at Blue again and several scattered thoughts that swam through his cloudy mind connected with each other and formed a slightly better picture of him.


    "Blue Oak ... the Gym Leader of Viridian City ... Rival of ...", he mumbled a little when Khali interrupted him loudly,


    "So you are really Blue Oak?! The Blue Oak?! The biggest Rival of Pokemon Champ Red Foster?! Gym Leader of Viridian City, victor over the infamous leader of Team Rocket Giovanni and one of the biggest war heroes of all time?!", Khali asked again, as if he still didn''t believe he was standing in front of hero like him.


    "Red ... sigh ...", Blue glanced at a picture standing on the bookshelves. It depicted two young boys and a girl, one boy with orange hair, a green jacket and dark pants, the other with brown hair, a red jacket, blue pants and a red cap, and the girl with blond hair, yellow clothes and a straw hat on. They looked happy and seemed to have fun on the picture. Sorrow escaped his eyes and he just shook his head.


    "Why do people always have to compare the both of us? Haha, well, it doesn''t help that his name is Red and mine is Blue. But to answer your question, yes I am that Blue Oak that you have heard about, sigh."


    Khali then looked at the missing arm at the left side of Blue''s body:


    "And, and that arm is that really ...", before he could continue though, Arthur had rammed his elbow against Khali''s side,


    "Auuu, what''s wrong with you?! That hurt?!"


    "What''s wrong with me? What''s wrong with you?! Have you flushed your manners down the toilet or what?", Arthur responded a little baffled.


    "Haha, it''s ok boys don''t fight over such small things ...", he then remembered himself and Red, how they always bickered about the most uneccessary things in the past,


    "people always do that, when they find out who I am, so I don''t fault you for that. Ask your question, Khali."


    Khali gulped down his over-excitement a little. He might have overreacted when he saw this legendary character personally in flesh and blood:


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    "Ehem, legends say that ..., eh no hehe, rumours say that you have lost your arm during the Great War when one of the hostile Pokemon bit off that arm by force, and that you still continued to fight after that!!! Is, is that true?"


    "Do you want to hear the truth boy?"


    Khali still excited, didn''t notice anything wrong and answered faithfully:


    "Yes! Please!"


    "I actually got hit by hostile shrapnels and left the wound untreated. I kept fighting and fighting till ... everything was over. But by then the wound was already heavily infected and sore. It was beyond possible recovery with the medicinal standards at that time, so they had to amputate it. That''s how it really happened."


    "Ohh.", was the only response Khali had for this.


    "Hahahaha, yeah, sounds much less heroic then a bitter fight to the death with a monstrous Pokemon, hahaha!"


    "Was, was Red also there? On the battlefield? How was he?"


    But when that question came, it shocked Blue to the core. Many memories came back, death, corpses, blood and the smell of decaying flesh. Things he never wanted to remember again. His whole body started shivering and he pressed his eyelids together to keep his eyes closed shut in the hopes to not see these memories anymore.


    Suddenly an image crossed his mind. A young man in red clothes, lying in a field of corpses and the body of a young woman was in his arms. A torn straw hat lied next to that lifeless body. He hugged her tightly and a stream of tears ran down his eyes and fell on the woman''s pale face. He cried, screamed, cursed loudly and damned the heavens for being cruel!


    Blue opened his eyes again and realized his face was a little wet. He asked the boys weakly:


    "Hey, could you give me that small box over there on that shelve?"


    Arthur was the first to see that something was wrong with Blue and quickly brought him the small box over.


    "Thanks Arthur, ha ha, you are the one saving me now, I guess we are even then ha ha.", Blue told him with a weak voice. He opened the small box and took three pills at once out of it and swallowed them quickly.


    He then grabbed himself a bottle of water and drank like his life depended on it.


    "Ahhh, that''s better. Thank you very much!", he exclaimed with a heavy sigh. His breathing also started calming down.


    "Ehh, Sir, are you ok?" Arthur and Khali asked him both concerned.


    "Hehe, don''t worry about me. I won''t kick the bucket this soon. The doctors call it PTSD, ehh I guess you don''t know what that is. Well, let''s say sometimes some very nasty memories haunt my mind every now and then and I need to take some pills to counter them. Don''t worry too much about this.", he told them and waved their questioning looks off.


    "Rather, let''s talk about why you are here actually.", he said to continue their conversation but to subtly change the topic as well.


    "PTSD?!", Arthur was shocked inwardly. Somehow he knew exactly what this meant. Posttraumatic stress disorder, a mental illness caused by traumatic experiences ... and in Blue''s case it was obviously his time during this war ... but why didn''t Arthur remember anything related to that so-called Great War?


    "Ehem, I just tagged along with Arthur, so you will have to ask him!", Khali answered awkwardly. Somehow he felt responsible for what just happened with Blue so he would rather avoid talking for now, in case he might cause another attack on Blue''s mind.


    Arthur came back to his senses and looked at Blue:


    "Sir, you said you found something that belonged to me?"


    "Yeah, haha. It was surely a scary trip in the forest but It''s not like you didn''t gain anything from it, right?", he suddenly grinned broadly and opened a compartment under his desk and brought out a rusty old ball,

 14 The Pokeball!

    "Is this related to the reason for your small trip into the forest?", he asked Arthur.


    Arthur took the ball in Blue''s palm into his own hands. He could feel the old rust on its surface and he smelled a certain scent ... the scent of blood!


    Suddenly countless images flashed through his mind. Ever since his accident, his memories had been in a mess. He could remember most of the events that had occurred in the forest but the chronology was wrong and disordered. It was as if a film tape had been torn to shreds, some parts went missing while the rest remained in a chaotic order.


    He was in a forest, panting heavily and out of breath. He stumbled forward and only had the thought of escaping in his head.


    "Auuuuuuuu!", loud shouts constantly sounded out from behind and gradually closed in on him.


    He laid there on the ground, leaning against a tree. His breathing slowed down, more and more blood trickled down his body. He took out a small Pokeball from his pockets and a mouthful of a red liquid spurted out of his mouth onto the ball. Tear droplets ran down his eyes and mixed with the red. And then, the memories just ended in the dark.


    Arthur had started shivering uncontrollably since taking the ball on his hands and his teeth were clenching against one another.


    "Hey, Buddy, are you alright?", Khali asked with concerned eyes and patted him on the back.


    "I-I am fine, huh.", Arthur told him weakly when he found himself back in the room and took a big breath of fresh air. The memories felt so real to him, even though three weeks had already passed by now.


    "Don''t worry, I have my fair share of experiences with these kinds of problems, trust me, it will get better!", Blue also patted him on the shoulders.


    "Yes, it''s mine. The Pokeball, it belonged to my dad a long time ago and I kept it with me ever since he died. And then, I heard my brother being bullied because ... because we couldn''t afford to keep any Pok¨¦mon at home.", Arthur explained with a sad expression on his face.


    More of his memories got unlocked or recovered to a better condition. The sad truth was that since his father had died, his mother was barely able to keep their current living conditions in tact.


    And keeping an additional Pok¨¦mon, aside from her own, consumed too much time and resources. That''s why even though Arthur was way past his tenth birthday, the time when children usually get their first Pokemon, he still didn''t have a Pok¨¦mon he could claim as his partner.


    His brother Brendon got mad at people making fun of Arthur and his family and he got into some small fights in school.


    Arthur blamed and hated himself for his incompetence to protect and help his family get out of their predicament.


    He had only heard of Pikachus existing in the Viridian Forest and wanted to try his luck. He didn''t know or foresee that his small trip in the wilderness would end up with him on the brinks of death. He didn''t realize that venturing into the forest would be this dangerous for him.


    The Pok¨¦mon he saw in the city were always harmless and friendly towards him and everyone else. But the creatures he met in the forest, they resembled ferocious wild beasts instead! They attacked him upon sight and he barely managed to get away from one encounter before he made another dangerous encounter with a group of wild Pok¨¦mon again!


    Otherwise he would have never dared to step into the forest, even if he was told to do so!


    He only possessed the one Pokeball his father had left him. Pokeball''s were very costly and only Pok¨¦mon Trainers could afford them in a larger amount. Adventure and Pok¨¦mon Trainer equipment in general was very costly which is why he couldn''t bring anything with him.


    Fortunately, that one Pokeball was enough for him to succeed in his goal to catch a Pikachu! Like a godsend gift, he found a Pikachu after a while of running and escaping from the dangerous Pok¨¦mon. And as if he was blessed by his father in heaven, on the first try he threw the rusty old Pokeball immediately at the wild Pikachu, it got caught as well!


    He was overjoyed at that moment and that joy only got overshadowed by the looming danger of wild hungry Pokemon which were on his heels.


    "Oh man! This is unbelievable! It almost feels like you are wearing some kind of Plot Armour?! Meeting wild Pok¨¦mon without any equipment or Pok¨¦mon on your side and managing to get out alive?! This feels like a story from a novel instead! You would become famous if people found out!", Khali exclaimed extremely shocked at this revelation.


    It was only now that he heard and understood the full extent and severity of his friend''s little expedition. Khali wasn''t sure if he could have done the same without any form of life-saving equipment in his hands. Without Webster by his side, he might have even broken down mentally, all alone in that dangerous situation.


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    A new-found feeling of respect grew in Khali''s mind towards Arthur. Someone like that was just awesome!


    Blue''s eyes gleamed brightly and his mouth wrinkles had curved up slightly when he heard Arthur tell his tale.


    He had only found him almost dead on the spot, but he didn''t realize that Arthur had fought constantly for survival before that moment in the woods! He somehow reminded him of another strongwilled person ...


    "Well, there were some reporters that wanted to interview me during my time at the hospital. The director of the hospital and my mum as well didn''t allow them to, but my mum explained them the situation and articles were made public online. I also think that they will print it out in the newspapers soon.", he told them.


    When he got wind of the situation, he fully supported going public with it, but his mum rejected it, as it might negatively influence his recovery process.


    They compromised instead, and Arthur turned down TV or Live interviews but interviews that were written down were okay. Arthur''s mind only revolved around one thing, money! The remuneration they received for his participation was generous and helped them out greatly, lightening the burdens on Arthur''s mum.


    "I am telling you man, once those go out, you will become a star!"


    Arthur didn''t care about that, as long as it helped his mum out and shrugged his shoulders in response.


    "Well boy, I might have underestimated you a little! To have survived all alone in that forest, you were practically born to become a Pok¨¦mon Trainer! And you sure are lucky as well! Not only did you accurately strike the Pok¨¦mon with the ball to activate the mechanism, this old Pokeball you have here, it''s a miracle it even worked properly!


    Others in the same conditions would malfunction and not even absorb the Pok¨¦mon inside, not to mention capturing them successfully! These defect Pokeballs would land in a special waste disposal site instead and be recycled.", Blue explained.


    Arthur felt happy and honored to gain the recognition and compliment of such a high esteemed figure in the Pok¨¦mon World, even if he knew that becoming a Pok¨¦mon Trainer wasn''t a possibility for him.


    "Wow, hey Arthur! Release the Pikachu, let''s take a look at it!"


    "Yeah? Is that ok here, Sir?", he asked Blue.


    He was also a little excited and wanted to find out more about the first Pokemon he had caught in his life, but that didn''t cloud his mind and make him forget that they were still on the property of another person here. Releasing a Pok¨¦mon in somebody else''s house without permission was very impolite, after all.


    "Yeah, no problem! I am also anticipating it, if I am being honest, hahaha!", he told him with a nod of his head.


    After gaining Blue''s permission, Arthur turned around and stretched his hand holding the Pokeball onto the ground and pressed on the round rusty button and triggered the release of the Pok¨¦mon.


    Weird small crunching screeching sounds toned out from the object, as if the cogs in a machine which hadn''t been oiled for years, were suddenly forced to move and function.


    The ball opened slightly and Arthur felt how a slight warmth spread from the contact surface his hand was touching. A red light spread out from within the ball and shone in a particular manner onto the ground.


    The light grew more and more solid and seemingly out of thin air, the shape of a small creature came into their view. The light then faded away and revealed a yellow body, the size of Arthur''s knees.


    The Pok¨¦ball in Arthur''s hand had become scorching hot and he let it fall down as he couldn''t bear the heat on his hand anymore. A red round mark was still visible on his bright skin.


    The ball let out ''puff'' sound out when it hit the ground, a small spark followed by a little bit of smoke arose from its opening and it laid there silently after that.


    Their attention turned towards the creature that came out from within the Pokeball, a Pikachu.


    "Wow!", Arthur mumbled under his breath. He had never seen the process of a Pok¨¦mon being released from its Pok¨¦ball so close, as far as he could remember. Mr.Nyao, his mum''s Pok¨¦mon, always stayed outside in the open. Arthur felt a sense of incredible happiness when he saw the Pok¨¦mon before him. He unconsciously took some steps forward and had the sudden urge to storm at the Pikachu and hug it in his arms.


    But what happened next shocked him greatly!

 15 Pacts

    The Pikachu jumped at his face with its wide opened mouth full of razor sharp teeth with an incredible speed! Arthur was frozen in fear and couldn''t react or dodge in time! It seemed like his live was at stake here again, but unlike last time, he wouldn''t be able to avoid this calamity with his life intact!


    The Pikachu looked at its prey and was sure of its victory, but then before it even realized it, a sudden aura swept past its body and its fur stood on its ends!


    The whole room was enveloped in this aura in a split second and a certain pressure pushed from all sides at the Pikachu! It was like a warning and a threat, as if to tell, that if it were to continue with its actions, its life was as good as forfeited!


    The Pikachu glanced at the person standing behind Arthur and this person returned that glance with unmoving soulless eyes, the same eyes when one looked at a dead corpse!


    The Pikachu knew it had encountered an enemy it couldn''t resist against, it couldn''t win against, and all the cells in its body told it to stop and surrender or else nothing but certain death awaited it!


    Sadly though, it was already in midair and couldn''t change the path of its trajectory anymore and a collision with Arthur seemed inevitable, at most it could curl up and avoid a direct head to head clash which would minimize the damage of the impact by a part.


    However, before anyone could process what was happening, Blue disappeared from behind his desk and appeared suddenly out of thin air in front of Arthur, his arm stretched out to welcome the Pikachu in his stead.


    Khali and Arthur couldn''t believe their eyes anymore?! They didn''t see how he had disappeared from his spot behind them but he did just appear out of the blue and protected Arthur from the incoming threat! How was that possible?!


    They were afraid that Blue might hurt or break his arm when trying to catch the Pikachu with all its kinetic energy but what occurred next made them completely flabbergasted! Everything happened so fast, the boys weren''t sure if they were imagining things!


    The Pikachu flew into Blue''s palm but instead of a direct clash, Blue moved his hand downwards and pushed his arm up towards the ceiling! The Pikachu changed its path up as well and hit the upper corner of the room!


    "Crackk!", the ceiling cracked at the place of impact with the Pokemon, but it didn''t look like anymore damage was done to it. The Pikachu fell down after some seconds and didn''t budge for a while, except for some small twitching movements.


    Arthur and Khali were still shocked and Blue walked over and did a quick check-up:


    "What? Do I have something on my face? Hahaha!"


    "N-no, no Sir! I am sorry, it was my fault that ...", Arthur said but Blue interrupted him:


    "That the Pikachu went berserk and attacked you? No, no, if someone was at fault here then it should be me. After listening to your narration I should have realized sooner rather than later that you hadn''t formed a pact with the Pikachu yet!


    It slipped my mind and it acted on its own natural instincts, I have disregarded my supervisory duty, so I have to apologize instead boy!", he smiled apologetically.


    "Pact?", Arthur asked stunned. He didn''t know what that meant and what it had to do with their current situation. He looked at Khali but his friend didn''t know much either,


    "I''ve heard of it, but my parents didn''t tell me much either. It''s somehow linked to the relationship between a person and his Pokemon!"


    "Not exactly but close enough!", Blue told them,


    "Pokemon are sentient beings, right? Just like us humans, they have their own thoughts and feelings and personalities. They also build up their own societies and hierarchy in the wilderness, so how come these sentient beings are willing to obey the orders of us humans?"


    What Blue said made sense, it''s just that the boys had never cared to think about it or look at things from another perspective. Arthur was even more astonished, Pok¨¦mon forming their own societies? He could understand the first part but he didn''t know that Pok¨¦mon were this ... smart?


    Seeing their clueless expressions Blue elaborated further,


    "This field of research is still rather unexplored and also a little controversial, and I will explain to you why that is so in a moment. It concerns the mental linkages that are being formed when humans and Pokemon form bonds together, or to be more specific they form ''pacts''.


    There are different kinds of pacts that Pokemon can form with humans depending on the individual circumstances. The pacts allow us humans to work together with Pokemon while assuring our own safety in their companionship. Like the term ''pact'' already implies, it is an agreement between both parties and allows seamless cooperation when needed as well as a connection of common interests. It restrains us from doing serious harm to each other and enables a more peaceful partnership.


    What makes this matter debatable amongst researchers is that these pacts aren''t formed on a material and tangible level. It''s not possible to observe them physically even with the latest technology in our hands. Some say it is related to the soul, a hypothesis that most if not all scientists scoff at. They are more inclined to believe in what is known as the Energy-Resonance Theory!", his face turned serious when he came to this point.


    But Arthur and Khali became even more confused than before. Pacts made with their souls? Was that even possible? And what was this so called theory about?


    "I know, I can tell from the looks on your faces, it sounds hard to imagine, you can''t verify them with our current scientific standards at least. It is a certain feeling that you can sense when your Pokemon are around you.


    When it come to the origins of the pacts, myths speak of a common enemy in ancient times and humans and Pokemon took arms together and fought side by side to fend off that foe. This commitment lead to a sharing of souls between our species - in a literal sense as far as spiritualists or belivers in the supernatural claim it to be.


    Some scientists speculate it to be an advanced survival strategy passed on from generation to generation. Weaker Pokemon joined forces with humans to survive against common enemies like the stronger Pokemon in pre-historic times and lived together in a symbiotic kind of relationship.


    It is true after all that Pokemon are able to use their powers more efficiently alongside humans. Whatever it is and where it comes from, it is irrefutable that it does exist!


    The theory I just mentioned talks about how the energy that permeats our world - the Infinity Energy - enables connections to form between certain individuals, Pokemon and humans due to similar intake of energy. The energy compostion in every individual is very different, and each creates a characteristic resonance frequency. And the greater the compatibility in terms of energy resonance frequency between a human and a Pokemon, the greater the chances for a pact to form!


    At least according to this theory, hehe."


    "Ehhm, but how does that really work? How does it guarantee that both sides hold on to their parts of their agreements? It doesn''t really sound ... binding?", Arthur asked. Something like this was completely foreign for him and he couldn''t understand it at all.


    "Good question boy! Establishing and maintaining a pact with a Pokemon isn''t necessarily an easy task depending on the pact chosen. It can drain your mentality, make you sick and even sent you to the hospital in serious cases! That is why most people don''t keep more than two Pokemon in their households. If not handled well it could lead to irreversible damages to your mind and make you insane!


    Of course the same goes towards the Pokemon involved which usually need a transitioning and adaption period. These pacts, Arthur, they represent risks for both sides! That''s why you wouldn''t thoughtlessly make a pact with a Pokemon. This mental connection goes both ways and damages dealt to the Pokemon can also hurt the owner or trainer mentally.


    The death of your Pokemon can also cause heavy assaults on your body and weaken it either permanently or for a longer time at least. Both sides depend on each other so it''s a necessity that they work together without any problems or the consequences could be quite severe otherwise."


    "Ahh!", Arthur finally understood the concept now, even if he still couldn''t imagine the real reason for it, he got the process now. It was also only now that he understood his mother''s words when she told him about the Pokemon regulations in different regions and countries.


    "But how can this be? Me and my Pokemon Webster, we have never had any problems and I am also not feeling any illness with him by my side?", Khali asked baffled.


    "Webster? Nice name boy! I assume it was your first Pokemon when you turned ten. Like most children do, your first pact is the ''pact of harmony''! You grew up with your Pokemon over a long time which lead to you gaining its recognition and acknowledgment in the most harmless way possible.


    Parents also give their children Pokemon that are weaker so as to not burden them too much mentally. They are almost always Rank 1 Pokemon. Those Pokemon are known to be the easiest to tame and control, you can find them all around the city and they are very docile.


    This Pikachu on the other hand ...", Blue looked back towards the Pokemon still lying on the ground,


    "it has grown up in the wilderness, where it constantly struggled for survival and resources. They fight and resist more against foreign control. It would be more difficult to tame it and form a pact with these types of Pokemon. Capturing and Taming Pokemon are completely different subjects after all, haha!"


    Arthur looked sadly at the broken ceiling and a bad premonition grew in his stomach. As if having read his mind, Blue told him smilingly:


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    "Don''t worry boy! Haha, I told you already that it was my fault, so you don''t need to pay anything up! Anyways, it''s not like stuff like this had never happened in this house before, whenever Cecile goes overboard with her training ..."


    Just in that instant, the doors were forcefully swung open and two people entered the room.


    "Dad!"


    "Master Oak!"


    It turned out to be Alfred and Cecile who had rushed to the study room after hearing the loud banging sounds.


    "Speaking of the devil!", Blue said and looked at his daughter with a grin,


    "Alfred you have come just at the right moment! The Pokemon over here, yes the Pikachu, fetch it up and treat it with some recovery medicine. Be careful or it might attack you otherwise!"


    "Ehh, y-yes Master Oak! I will get it done, anything else? Have you been attacked, do you need anything?", he knew he wasn''t in the position to ask about what had happened and just needed to get his orders done.


    "No, thanks, that''s all."


    "Dad, what happened here? Are you ok? Did you two do something?! I swear if you have something to do ...", she looked at Arthur and Khali with a deadly glare.


    "Cecile! How are you talking with our guests here! Don''t worry about unnecessary things and return to your studies instead of threatening other people!"


    "Hmph!", she harrumphed and wanted to turn around after making sure that her father was well when her eyes fell on the Pikachu that was being carried away by Alfred,


    "This ... Alfred, wait!"


    At first she only had a curios gleam but when she got closer to it, the gleam in her yes brightened up and she started panting heavily:


    "This is ... this Pikachu ... it''s ...!"

 16 Unearthed History

    "Dad, it''s fur, look at it!"


    Arthur and Khali were also curious and took a look at the Pikachu again but they didn''t see anything amiss. Instead they were more relaxed when seeing that the Pikachu became quite and calm now. It frightened them both by several notches earlier.


    Blue observed the Pikachu intensely and even the patted its fur carefully. Then a sudden gleam in his eyes revealed enlightment and amazement:


    "Hmmm! You are right! My girl, you also have very sharp eyes!", he praised her under his breath.


    "Sir, what''s wrong with it?", Khali asked, as he couldn''t stand the silent tension anymore.


    "This ...", he stopped talking for a couple of seconds, starring through the boy''s bodies. His mind somewhere completely else. Then he returned:


    "This, I can''t tell you for now. Arthur, I ... think it might not be the best time to receive the Pokemon. I mean, it''s from the wilderness and it would be the best to tdo some tests first you know? To make sure everything is really really alright, right?", he asked him.


    Arthur suddenly got strange vibes from Blue, as if something had happened and he tried concealing something. Very badly. But it didn''t matter as Arthur fully trusted Blue. He saved his life after all:


    "Sure, if it doesn''t cause you any troubles I would be happy.!"


    "Hahaha, good to hear that. Don''t worry, it won''t take long. It''s actually common to do tests with wild Pokemon first. Who knows what they came into contact with otherwise. It might endanger the people even."


    "Sir, I-I have another question. Earlier right before the Pikachu went unconscious. I-I was sure that I had seen you behind the desk, but then suddenly you just appeared in front of Arthur, how ...?", Khali remembered the incident from before and the shock reappeared when seeing the memories flash in his mind.


    "How that was possible, you mean to ask me?"


    "Yes!", Khali said promptly,


    "Please say superpowers, please say superpowers, please say superpowers!", he thought intently.


    "Sorry, but I don''t have superpowers if that''s what you thought boy."


    "Oh ...", disappointment was written on his face, similar to when Blue talked about his missing arm.


    "Hahaha! Your face, haha, sorry but that''s how it is. Actually, it''s more about ... Martial Arts!"


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    "Yes! Martial ... Arts ...", Blue was about to continue his explanation when a sudden thought came to him and made him dazed for a moment. His eyes lit up and he grinned broadly.


    "Sir? Is everything ok?", Arthur asked concerned, expecting that Blue might experience another traumatic memory.


    "Me? I am fine! Don''t worry, haha! But there is something I just remembered. Hehe, Arthur you see, there are some important procedures that I can''t really take care of at the moment for our Pikachu issue to work out. There is someone I know very well though who could help you out but he usually resides in Pallet City. The thing is, I remembered that he is regularly visiting the Martial Arts Center in Viridian City! So Arthur, if possible I would like you to see him and just talk to him about it. Don''t worry, I will give him a heads-up about everything that happened so far so that he isn''t completely unprepared when you meet up with him.", Blue explained with a mysterious smile hanging on his face.


    "Pallet City? Shouldn''t it be ... Pallet Town?", Arthur thought inwardly and asked him,


    "Who is that person Sir?", no matter what he had to do, he would get this job done so that his mother and his sibling could finally live a better life. His goal seemed so close, only one small task away.


    "Hahaha, you should know him. He is always in the media doing commercials or competing or whatever. It''s my little brother!"


    Khali''s eyes widened in shock at these news and he exclaimed:


    "Wait ... Blue Oak''s little brother ... do you mean ...?! Do you mean Gary Oak?!", Khali asked doubtfully.


    "Yeah, that''s him. He and my sister have taken up our grandfather''s lab and research work. He is living quite well I think. At least the media loves him. Tell him to come home and visit me more often once you meet him, alright?"


    "Y-yes Sir!", Arthur responded hesitatingly. Something in his mind bugged him very hard. Something related to this Gary ... but he couldn''t quite get his head around the reason why.


    "I guess I have occupied quite a lot of your time already, leave me with the ''business'' and I will inform you once everything has been handled properly. Alfred will bring you back to the entrance. Have a nice day boys!", he bid his farewell and Khali and Arthur also didn''t want to waste too much of Blue''s time anymore.


    Arthur was especially grateful for everything that had happened today. He would never have imagined that things would turn out the way they did, starting with Blue''s identity and then the Pikachu incident. It felt almost surreal and he needed some time to process everything.


    As it was already quite late, he postponed his task at the Martial Arts Center for now and just wanted to return home. He also bid farewell to Khali. It seemed like Webster had been prepared all the time for him to get out of the house and pick him up.


    .................


    When he got home, his little brother and sister both gave him a big jumping hug, nearly toppling him onto the ground. He played around with them for a while and then ate dinner with Aunty Latia.


    "Aunty, how much do you know about Blue Oak and Red Foster?", he thought she would know more about them considering her age.


    "Why do you ask?", she responded suspiciously.


    He told her about his coincidental encounter and how Blue turned out to be the person who had saved him. Of course he left out the part about the Pikachu. It''s not like he did not trust her but somethings were better left kept a secret.


    "Hmmm, so it was him. Sigh, that brings back old memories. You remember when I talked about the golden age of Pokemon Trainers? If there had to be representatives picked out for that generation, Blue and Red would be among the TOP 10, maybe even TOP 5 candidates! And I am talking about international rankings, haha.


    They were a famous duo and brought glory and honour to the Kanto region. They were one of the reasons why people moved over to this small corner of the world formerly known as Pallet and Viridian Town. Time has no mercy, on no one.", she took another sad look at Arthur but smiled,


    "You remind me a lot of them. Not only because you are young, but back in the days they were infamous trouble makers, haha. Always causing problems here and there or getting into some fights. I saw them a lot in town, you have to know they weren''t that well-known at the time.


    They only reached that point when ... yeah, the Team Rocket incident. I am not sure if you are aware of it, but before you were born, the Viridan Gym leader had been Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket! Nobody had expected him, an honourable gym leader, to be the mastermind of such a huge criminal organisation.


    They almost would have taken over the whole Kanto region and later on they tried again in Johto! At first they were only seen as a bunch of petty criminals with no order or real power attempting a coup d''¨¦tat, just a small side joke.


    Who could have known they had planted spies and turncoats in lots of political and economical positions?! History would have changed by 180 degrees if it hadn''t been for Blue and Red stopping his organisation''s schemes! You know that movie from Marvel, hmmm Captain America: Winter Solider? Imagine that but in real life here in Kanto!", she get more and more excited the longer she talked about them. A hidden fan, obviously.


    "But how was that even possible? For two people alone to take on such a big organisation? What about the government, did they just do nothing?", he had to ask. It seemed like a herculean task for two young guys to achieve such a feat.


    "Hahaha, of course not, they weren''t alone in this. The golden generation wasn''t made up entirely of those two. There were also others like Kris Teal and Ethan Gold ... etc. who formed a small group of resistance, called ''Trainers United''. They were too young so people overlooked and underestimated them while the real authorities had their hands full dealing with enemies in broad daylight as well as deeply hidden in the dark shadows.


    A couple of decades later, after the Great War and during their second attempt, they had been prepared even more and infiltrated the depths of the Johto region. Johto had been in ruins after the war and these bunch of cockroaches took advantage of the situation and again brought in their own people into high positions of power.


    Red disappeared into seclusion since the the war had ended, while Blue was past his prime already. Trainers United resisted and successfully defeated Team Rocket once and for all, but ... Blue lost his wife during a crossfire.


    It turned out that even the Elite 4, the elite of the elite in Kanto and Johto had been infiltrated by a traitor amongst them. Koga, the ninja assassin and poison specialist. He had fed Team Rocket with lots of secret information while remaining undercover for all those years, that villain!"


    "Wow!", was the only thing Arthur could bring out in this moment.


    "And he even lost his wife ...", Arthur thought further in his mind. He couldn''t imagine the pain that Blue must have been through.


    "Yes, very wow! Even though Giovanni their leader hasn''t been caught after their defeat and people speculate him to be dead, no more problems cropped up ever since. At least not in public sight ... It''s just ...", her expression turned depressed again and black lines formed on her forhead,


    "time has put deep and painful scars on these heroes. I guess you have seen Blue''s wound already. The Great War, it only caused massive destruction and death in its wake. Since the end of the war ... Red Foster never showed his face in public again. He has still kept on to his title of Pokemon Champ, but his wounds must be running very deep. Nobody knows the reason for why he keeps up his isolation, or where he is currently hiding but I can imagine that the horrors were just too much to handle for him."

 17 Meeting a Star

    The next day, Arthur was left with no other choice so he wanted to go around the city and try his luck there again. And when he went up to pack his stuff and change clothes he noticed his PokeDex blinking on and off. He realized for some time now that this meant a message had popped up for him.


    ["System detects violent movement of Infinity Energy in host''s surroundings beep. Detecting unauthorized activation of Pok¨¦ball Mechanism beep. Warning! Sniebel has escaped the Pok¨¦ball! beep."]


    "So it did notice something happening. Can you find it for me?", he had also realized that the PokeDex possessed some sort of voice recognition,


    ["Locating via energy signature and overtaking of satellites possible beep. current energy levels too low for this operation beep. recommending to fill energy levels with energy crystals beep."]


    "And where can I find those?"


    ["Beep. Scanning map, triangulation of higher energy levels beep. Nearest deposit of energy crystals: possibly Mt.Moon beep."]


    "Mt.Moon?! This is, that''s too far away! Do you expect me to travel so far north of Kanto? Don''t you have alternatives?"


    ["Alternatives beep. ... Possible to recognize and locate the Sniebel when in its surroundings of at least 50 meters beep."]


    "50 meters, that''s not enough! The city is too huge, it could be anywhere outside my 50 meter search radius even if I went looking for it. Can''t you make it bigger?"


    ["Beep. Calculated two possible solutions. A: Expand the radius of search parameters to up to a kilometer beep. Issues involved: Detection field is spread too far, sensitivity towards Infinity Energy or other kinds of energetic fields highly increases, the probability of errors increases by 64% , probability that energy signatures get mixed up and target Pokemon gets mistaken increases by 99% beep. ..."]


    "99% ?! Why do you even suggest this then?!"


    ["Solution B: Producing and distributing repeaters over the city beep. Signals sent out by the main unit get amplified and received by nearby repeaters beep. This process allows mapping out the city to find specific energy signature of target Pokemon beep. ..."]


    "This sounds great, why didn''t you say so before ...", before he could celebrate though he found the catch in the next row of texts,


    ["Issues involved: estimated that 100 copies of repeaters are needed to cover the whole city beep. costs involved: 500.000 PKD beep."], Arthur may have coughed blood at this number. He wasn''t rich, he didn''t get any money at home and all his earnings went into keeping up their living conditions, so where the hell should he get these 500.000 PKD from?!


    "So is there nothing we can do? Guess I will have to run around the town and try my luck this way then. Who knows how long it could take, sigh!"


    "This is stupid. I won''t get anywhere with this. Even if I made it to the core, the Sniebel might be at a completely other corner of the city instead!"


    Arthur then reluctantly chose to go to see the Martial Arts Center. He still had a task given by Blue he needed to accomplish. He took a bus towards the city center where a lot of traffic was and where most people and Pokemon gathered.


    In the middle of the square was a fountain again, this time with bronze statues of two young people. One of them strangely reminded him of someone, but he didn''t know whom.


    There was a cinema with new movies like "Nidoking and Nidorina, Love Across Evolutions", "Justice Man and Scyther against the Forces of Evil", or sports TV "Pokemon Battle: International Tournaments Live".


    He saw clothing shops, a Pokemon Center, food streets etc.


    Finally thanks to the GPS of the PokeDex he found a massive building with a sign saying:


    "Underwood''s Martial Arts Center: Train your Spirit and Steel your Heart!"


    It was really big, almost 10 stories tall, it had tall glass windows inside the walls which were about 5 meters high and with which you could look into the dojo.


    What Arthur saw were a lot of people and Pokemon fighting with and against each other!


    The dojo didn''t only have one sort of martial arts it provided to practice. He could see boxing rings, judo mats, even MMA cages!


    There were also fitness machines and weight lifting equipment in the corner of the hall.


    What astounded him a bit was the huge crowd of people gathering in front of the only entrance. Weirdly enough, they were mostly female ...


    "Let me in!", he heard shouts coming from the crowd,


    "I want to see my Gary!"


    "You can''t have him all to yourselves, that is unfair!"


    The crowd got louder and louder and their voices to see this Gary person grew stronger and stronger as well.


    Wait, Gary?!


    "Is this, ehh, a coincidence?", Arthur wondered. He remembered how Khali talked about this Gary,


    "He was famous, right?"


    When he finished his train of thought, a new situation arose at the entrance.


    A big massive guy stood there as a guard but even he felt intimidated by all those women shooting angry stares at him. Sweat dripped down his forehead and he needed to warn the girls and women in front of him every couple seconds to keep their distances but got rewarded with shouts and rage in return.


    He had to endure these situations every couple of weeks now, ever since that ''Gary'' came to their Martial Arts Center and practiced a bit. And every time this happened a huge following of women would bother him to let them all in. Yet he got strict orders from the dojo master to keep the fans away from the real practitioners.


    But now that this situation escalated to this level already, there wasn''t much time now before chaos would break out. They might need to call the police if they couldn''t calm down these fans and disperse them. He gave a quick report to his superior into a communicator and a couple of minutes later, two people appeared from within the entrance.


    One was a tall middle aged man, with dark brown hair, fair skin and a white dojo uniform on. The other person was shorter in comparison, but also definitely younger and more handsome. He had brown-orange hair and a lean muscular physique. He was wearing loose sports clothes and when the fans saw ''his'' sweat dripping down his face they immediately cried out in ecstasy:


    "It''s Gary!"


    "Look at him!"


    "He is so hot!"


    "Gary I love you!"


    "You are mine, Gary!"


    "Kyaaaaaah!"


    "Gary, Gary he''s a man! He can do what no one can!", there was even a group of six cheerleaders shouting their lyrics in a chorus.


    The middle-aged man next to Gary spoke to him:


    "Mister Oak, I know that you don''t intend for this to happen everytime, but my dojo isn''t a hotspot or gathering place for your fan meetings! If this continues on in the future I am afraid that I will have to revoke your membership here!"


    "I understand Mr.Underwood, please don''t worry. I will make sure this will be the last time!", Gary told him reassuringly with a smile on his face.


    The voices of the fans got louder and it became difficult to hear one''s own voice. Yet, when this Gary raised up his arm and made signs for the people to be quite the place instantly turned silent, it felt almost scary.


    "I know, I know you want to see me, and here I am!", another round of shouts from the big crowd and he continued,


    "but you need to respect public order and also this dojo here! If you aren''t intending to do some real sports here, then I think it would be best to move our meeting to another place and time! I herby announce a party at my villa in Pallet City! Everyone of you is invited and gets a picture as well as an autograph! I hope to see all of you there then!", he waved and smiled charmingly at the crowd and from one second to another, again a round of shouts and cries sounded out. It felt like these women would explode from excitement because of this news.


    Fortunately, the crowd dispersed quickly and everyone went their ways. Arthur heard some of them talk about what they should wear and what kind of lipsticks they should use ...


    When his field of view was cleared now, Arthur realized that Gary was about to move back inside. He hurriedly ran forward and shouted:


    "Mr.Gary! Mr.Gary! I need to see you!", but the guard mistook him for one of his fans,


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    "Hey, enough with that now. You just saw him, right? This place is only for members of the dojo, are you a member of the dojo?"


    "Ehh, no, but I-", he got cut off rudely,


    "Then scram! You are only wasting time!"


    Arthur got discouraged this. He was really close to finishing his task but got stopped in the last moment. Was there any other way inside?


    When he was about to walk around the building to find another entrance he heard someone speaking to him loudly:


    "Hey! You, kid! Yes, you, I heard you were looking for me?", the person speaking turned out to be Gary!


    He had heard someone calling his name and he didn''t want to let his fans down so he turned back shortly after.


    He didn''t expect it to be a young boy though:


    "Hey, do you want the autograph now?", he asked kindly.


    "Ehh ...", Arthur was confused for a moment but then got himself back together,


    "No sir, I am not here for an autograph."


    "A picture then?"


    "My name is Arthur McNeal, and Mr.Oak, Mr.Blue Oak told me to come see you because of something important."


    Gary''s smile froze for a moment and he grew confused at first. Then he remembered a phone call he got from his brother and enlightenment spread on his face:


    "Ohhh, so it was you! I forgot it to be honest but it''s fine, come in! We can talk inside!", he turned towards the guard,


    "He is cool, let him in!",

 18 Dream Team

    "Sorry for the fans outside, I always tell them not to come but they don''t seem to listen. I guess I will need to take more strict measurements for the next time.", he talked to himself for a bit but quickly turned back to Arthur:


    "So, you are that kid who thought to himself ''Why don''t I go explore the Viridian Forest without any Pokemon and other precautions'' ?", Gary asked him amused.


    "Ehh, yeah?", Arthur wasn''t sure how to respond to this.


    "Just kidding, haha, I don''t have much of an opinion actually. It was your decision after all. You do remind me of some other reckless fellow though ...


    Well, you could have been more careful I guess. Lucky you that my brother found you."


    "Yeah. Ehm, your brother told me to tell you to come visit him more often."


    "Hmmm. Maybe I should do that. I have gotten a lot of work recently on my table. Coupled with the interviews and TV show appearances, it''s hard to have time left for the family." Gary said with a complaining tone,


    "My Brother stays cooped up inside his place most of the time. I ... I can understand him to a certain degree after all what happened in the past.


    But I am not him! I like the attention! The people, my fans! I love them! It keeps me fresh and alive! Is that weird?"


    "Ehh, no?"


    "Exactly!"


    "But didn''t you take up your grandfathers work in his lab?", he remembered what Blue told him.


    "Yeah! So much work but not enough time. I like you Anthony!"


    "Arthur Sir. My name is Arthur."


    "Arty! Good name! Well, you are here because my brother told you to come and see me right?"


    "Yes, because of that ..."


    "The Pikachu issue I know. The results of the DNA Test and the X-Ray Polarisation are already out. It''s positive Mr.Lucky Guy. Congrats by the way. Isn''t something you would cross by every single day especially when considering your unusual circumstances. The thing is, Blue already took care of everything necessary. He will give you a phone call soon enough I would guess."


    "Ehh, what?", Arthur wasn''t sure how to respond and his forhead creased uncertainly. He didn''t want to sound rude but he couldn''t help and ask:


    "Excuse me Sir, what did you mean by positive?"


    "Hmm?", Gary looked back at him suspiciously until realisation struck him,


    "Ohh, he didn''t tell you ...", then a wide smile appeared on his face,


    "He didn''t tell you hahaha!"


    "Wait, what didn''t he tell me?", Arthur got even more confused now.


    "Then , you don''t know it yet I assume ...", a frown appeared on Gary''s face,


    "Then why are you here, you may ask? Good question. My brother didn''t ask you to see me for some important procedure or anything like that. What he wants is ... me writing a recommendation letter for you!", he stopped walking and looked into Arthur''s eyes during those last words.


    "A, a recommendation letter?"


    "Yes, a letter for the next term in the Pokemon Trainer Academy. You see, most official Trainers can only recommend a limited number of people. Even gym leaders follow that rule to maintain balance and equality. He has used up his chance already for my niece, his daughter Cecile, so he wants me to write one for you, get it?"


    "Why, why would he want that?"


    "Because he likes you obviously. I like you too, so that''s why I wouldn''t mind doing you a favour, but I have my conditions."


    "I, I can''t accept this-"


    "It''s fine. It''s nothing big. It''s not like I would give it to you for free anyway. What I want and more specifically what I need, is an assistant!"


    "An assistant?", Arthur was confused.


    "Yeah, not a manager, I have that already. What I mean is a lab assistant. My personal lab assistant. At least for a certain time until I find a fitting replacement. I always worked together with my sister even when my grandpa died.


    After he passed some lab colleagues left and now my sister is going to start studying Pokemon medicine next semester. Most employees are working under leading researchers doing their own projects. We are understaffed and I urgently need someone to help me out with my research work. So, interested?"


    "But, but I am not a scientist! How could I help you?"


    "Don''t worry, I have my uses for you, so deal or no deal?"


    "I need some time to think about it ..."


    "Why? Haven''t you decided on going to the academy already? Then what keeps you from accepting my offer? You know, even if you are going to be rich, money isn''t the only requirement for entering the academy. That would be ridiculous. My letter can smoothen the path for you. No need to be polite or shy, just take it!"


    Arthur looked at Gary and couldn''t fathom how strange this situation was. A star he barely knew was offering him a rare recommendation letter! Even if he needed to work for him, he wouldn''t mind that work at all. And he didn''t have any concerns actually it was just, this whole kindness Gary showed him overwhelmed him a little again. Just like Blue Oak, Gary Oak was a very nice person as well.


    "Then I will accept your offer.", Arthur bowed earnestly.


    "Hahaha, no need to be so formal, we are both quite young! Do you have a phone number? So that I can contact you."


    Arthur admitted embarrassingly:


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    "I, I don''t have a phone."


    "You don''t have a PhoneDex?"


    "I, I only have an old PokeDex, nothing more."


    "Show me."


    He handed Gary his PokeDex over.


    "Huh, that''s really old. Like stone age old. Not sure if this model even has the wireless internet function ... Oh, wait. It has some apps actually! Ah, yeah, friend codes. I remember how people in the past exchanged their codes with one another. They were a bit more secretive and secure than our mobile numbers nowadays. I also have the app. Let''s decide on a code, ok?"


    "Ehh, what do you mean with that? I haven''t had this PokeDex for long so ..."


    "Ah, yeah. The codes are generated either randomly or decided on manually. If two people want to contact each other, they create a channel online but need that code to enter the channel. Convenient and relatively secure as long as you don''t forget the code. Let''s do it then. Yours is a bit older but I think it''s still compatible with mine. Let''s decide on


    "GaryAndArtyTheDreamTeam", sounds perfect!"


    Arthur thought it was a bit long but didn''t voice out his opinion.


    "Good! Well, now that you are already here, do you want to train a little?"


    "Train? Where? What?"


    "Haha, look around man, we are in a Martial Arts Center! Of course we are training some Martial Arts here!"


    Unknowingly Arthur and Gary had already entered the main hall where all the people and Pokemon gathered and trained at.


    Arthur saw people wearing different kind of clothes, dojo gi, boxer pants, or light jogging clothes. Sometimes people were sparring with other people, and then there were also people sparring with Pokemon!


    He saw someone boxing against a Hitmonchan, sometimes being hit and others hitting back!


    "Isn''t this dangerous?"


    "What?"


    "Fighting against Pok¨¦mon I mean. Like in hand to hand combat, what if a Pok¨¦mon blew off a person''s head!", Arthur asked worriedly. Pok¨¦mon were definitly capable of unimaginable strength. Enough strength to tear apart a human being at least he thought.


    "What?! Hahahah, you are funny man, hahahha! Blowing off a head, hahahahah!", Gary had a hard time suppressing his laugh,


    "Ha, ha, ha, ok, sorry, it was just too funny you know, haha.", Arthur felt a little embarrassed and his cheeks reddened a little,


    "You don''t have to worry about flying heads here pff, haha. Disregarding the fact that all Pokemon have formed pacts already, they are still only Rank 1. They aren''t that dangerous towards humans if you don''t behave like a punching bag, if you know what I mean. Just being a little careful is enough."


    "Rank 1 only?", Arthur wasn''t sure if he heard Gary correctly,


    "But, isn''t that a Hitmonchan over there? Isn''t it already evolved? How can it be only Rank 1?", somehow this thought felt very weird to him.


    "Why not?", told him Gary,


    "I guess you have watched too many movies involving evolved Pokemon! In fact, many of those Pokemon used in movies have a rather low Rank because of risk assurance reasons.


    Arty, don''t think that evolution always means an increase in power! This is a huge mistake a lot of people make because of how the media present them to be.


    Evolution is a field which hasn''t been researched into a lot. Even though Pokemon have existed since time immemorial along with the development of the human race and a lot of ancient texts document the evolution process, there are still many mysteries left unsolved.


    You can''t always see an evolution as a natural growth process. Some Pokemon for example never evolve, others do early on, and then there are some that take a really long time. It also differs if they have been raised in the wilderness or in a human household and the way they live. It also isn''t fixed by species. It is an individual process, but the factors remain a mystery.


    But an interesting fact is that usually Pokemon species that originate from the wilderness are stronger in their evolved states than Pokemon that were bred and raised under human cultivation.


    What I mean to say is that evolution and the battle prowess indicated by the rank don''t really depend on each other.


    A Tyrogue at Rank 1 or 2 could also pose a challenge towards its evolved form. In general the Rank indication isn''t a precise tool to measure the might of a Pokemon.


    To determine the battle prowess many different factors need to be considered like regular training, battle experience, right nutrition and body condition etc. A number doesn''t show a meaningful representation of a living being. The Rank system is just an attempt to differentiate between powerful and dangerous Pokemon and harmless or docile Pokemon.


    And the same goes towards the outcome of a battle. There is more to a victory during a Pokemon match than just a higher Rank."


    "Then ... how strong is that Hitmonchan? What if ... what if one tried to measure the punching power of it? Wouldn''t you gain a good numerical value this way? What if we compared it with others.", Arthur asked with a contemplating expression.


    Gary''s eyes lit up when he heard this and a grin spread across his face:


    "I understand why Blue thinks highly of you know! You were practically born to become a scientist!", he praised him loudly. Arthur was delighted that he didn''t say anything stupid again. At the same time he felt like he had heard something similar from Blue before ...


    "Arty, no Arthur, we are going to become a perfect team, you and me! Back to your question now, you are definitely right. If we took this Hitmonchan as a test sample and measured its punching power it might be about the same as an adults. Yet, it could also be just as strong as a teenager if it didn''t receive any formal training or right nutritious food! Sure, Pokemon have a kind of natural instinct when it comes to battling, much stronger than we humans do however raw power requires more than that.


    But the core idea is basically right. There is a project going on right now in the world, the Pokemon Metabolism Project, short PMP. Leading international researchers are trying to use standardized tests to measure the individual metabolism of all kinds of Pokemon and calculate the average conditions each Pokemon species has and put these into perspective. We know that some Pokemon species are stronger than others, but we don''t know by how much they are stronger. Yet at least.


    This might even cause a revamp in the Rank system and change the way we treat and train Pokemon in the future!


    But of course, this will take a lot of time till usable results are made. They will need to gather tons of specimen of all kinds of Pokemon. Imagine the chaos that can ensue, haha"


    "Wow.", Arthur was astonished and fascinated by Gary''s explanations. It really was interesting and made him see stuff from a totally different perspective. When he was about to ask another question:

 19 Challenge

    "Arthur! Is that you?! Why are you here?", he heard a shocked female voice calling him.


    Gary and Arthur both turned their head in the direction where the voice had come from.


    It was a girl in a white gi and purple hair tied into a pony tail who was walking towards them. She was sweating because of her work-out but the sweat made her skin look glistening and smooth.


    Arthur instantly recognized the girl. her purple hair was quite distinctive after all:


    "Zoe ..., right?", he looked at her quizzically.


    "Yes! Do you remember me again?", she asked with a hint of happiness.


    "Ehh, no, but you were there at my home."


    "Ah, yeah ...", she said realizing her mistake and asked hurriedly,


    "So, eh, why are you here?"


    "Well, we wanted to -"


    "Wait, that''s, isn''t this ...!", she interrupted him when her eyes fell on the person standing next to Arthur.


    "Yeah, nice to meet you too, Zoe. I am Gary!", he told her and looked at Arthur with an all-knowing kind of smile,


    "So, I will leave you two alone here for a moment. I have some very important calls to make, alright? Arthur, you take your time with this nice lady here and I will come back to you when I am finished", and before Arthur could say anything he was already gone.


    "Ah, did I disturb you two? I am very sorry", she made an apologetic expression. She knew that Gary was sometimes here training but this had been her first time meeting him in person.


    "No, not at all. We just had some small talk."


    "Oh, then you just met? Why did you come here then? Did you want to train?"


    Arthur smiled wryly as he wasn''t sure what to say now. He didn''t want to lie to her but he also didn''t want to reveal his deal with Gary or Blue. Just when he was about to come up with something on the spot, a rude call woke him up:


    "Hey Zoe! What are you doing there with that weakling? You shouldn''t talk with people who are beneath our standing, let''s continue our spar instead!"


    The person owning that voice appeared a couple moments later within their sight. It was a boy with tanned skin and black hair. He looked at Arthur contentiously but his face became like a shining sun when he saw Zoe.


    "Rico! Arthur is my friend. You can''t talk to him like that!", Zoe replied with an angry face.


    "This is your friend? I didn''t know that, then I will have to apologize I guess.", he said apologetically but his face still betrayed a look of contempt when Arthur''s eyes met his. Still he kept up his smile and said:


    "I am sorry for my behaviour. I hope you can forget my blunder just now. My name is Rico Nevarrez, nice to meet you ..."


    "Arthur, Arthur McNeal.", he said neutrally. He didn''t understand what he had done wrong but he kept his calm.


    "Well, that''s ...", Zoe couldn''t think up a good excuse now. She had been in a match with Rico indeed, but she became distracted and left when she suddenly saw Arthur entering the hall,


    "let''s do the match later ok? I think I need to rest now for a bit."


    "Well then, let''s go to the Umami King around the corner. I am also quite hungry now", Rico suggested instantly.


    Zoe felt like being in a pinch and didn''t want to be rude even if she didn''t want to go.


    Arthur noticed that and asked her:


    "Could you show me around for a bit? I have only just arrived and I am still not sure about what to pay attention to."


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    "Well, I am sure the people at the service point can help you out with that! They are there at the end of the hallway over there", Rico explained in a nice tone but his eyes clearly told Arthur to back off.


    Arthur wasn''t sure what this guy''s problem was but he somehow didn''t like his attitude and responded in a polite tone:


    "I still think that someone experienced like Zoe would be more helpful."


    Rico''s friendly face suddenly vanished and turned grim. He told Arthur coldly:


    "Mi amigo, don''t you clearly see that Zoe is exhausted and needs some rest? She can''t waste her time with someone like you who doesn''t even know where his place is! !Sal de mi cara, carajo!''", his voice turned very sharp at the end.


    "?Llamas ese pedazo de mierda una cara? !Como divertido ...''!", Arthur''s face took on a mocking expression in response.


    A short silence followed where Rico became puzzled for a moment and didn''t know what had happened just now. Zoe was the first to ask astonished:


    "Arthur! Since when can you speak spanish?"


    "Spanish?", Arthur asked back,


    "Did I speak spanish? When ?"


    "Eh, just now?"


    Arthur was stunned. Somehow an inner voice took over for him and spoke out what he was feeling at that moment. That Rico didn''t seem to hold up his pretenses anymore so why should he? The words came naturally out of his mouth and he didn''t realize he spoke in another language at all. However, before he could answer her though Rico shouted at him angrily and broke his train of thought:


    "WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY FACE?! How dare a commoner speak to me like that!", he gnashed his teeth and stormed up towards Arthur. Obviously he had awoken from his confused state.


    "Wait, Rico! What do you intend to do?!", Zoe shouted at him and stood proactively in front of Arthur. She didn''t want them to get into a fight, especially since Arthur probably still hadn''t healed up yet.


    "I am sorry Zoe, but this is between him and me now. He hurt my honor! And hurting the honor of a man is like attacking his life! It''s a matter of course that I defend it now!", he told her righteously and tried getting through her.


    Zoe still resisted though:


    "Arthur is hurt because of an accident and he surely didn''t mean it like that! Besides he doesn''t even know any martial arts, how can you expect him to fight with you?!", she didn''t get what they had talked about but she wanted to calm the situation down anyway!


    "He should have thought about this before he insulted me and started this!"


    "I started this? You were hostile towards me from the beginning on!", Arthur defended himself.


    "Are you always like this? Hiding behind women and letting them fight for you? Pitiful, but I wouldn''t expect more from you ...", Rico said in a provoking tone.


    "You ....", even Arthur had dignity within him and his patience just ran out,


    "Who said I needed her help! Zoe, it''s fine, I will take care of him!", he knew this was a trap but if he didn''t respond now how could he walk with his head held high and his back straight from now on?


    He agreed with that Rico on one point, he needed to defend his honor!


    "Are you both crazy?!", Zoe said clearly exasperated.


    "Good, seems like some dignity is left within you!", Rico grew a wicked smile on his face,


    "Let''s go to the ring and fight it out there. Three rounds, only one minute each and I even leave you with the first hit! How does that sound? Don''t worry Zoe, it''s just a small play fight. I wouldn''t even think of hurting your friend here, hahaha."


    "Less talking and more moving, amigo!", Arthur passed by him and walked towards an empty ring in a corner. Regret already started building up in his heart but what''s done was done.

 20 Exchange of Blows!

    Arthur''s rising regret increased the closer he got to the ring. It looked like a square and each corner had a pole and all poles were connected with red blue ropes to each other. He swallowed down another mouthful of saliva while staring at the big stage. Coupled with the sound of hits and shouts from the background in the hall his mood turned grim.


    He had never been an aggressive kind of guy or someone who liked fighting with others. He liked watching Pokemon battle each other on TV but him being in a situation now where he had to fight for his own interests made him feel threatened and gave him a heavy feeling in his body.


    He was definitely sure he would lose the fight anyway, it''s not like he wanted to admit he was weak but it was a fact that he was a noob when it came to fighting. Rico on the other hand seemed much more experienced than him. Arthur could imagine that Rico would try and make him look as weak and dumb as possible while avoiding all of his hits and attempts.


    On the other hand his own priorities lied in maintaining his safety and physical conditions. It would be the worst case if somehow he came back home with bruises and cuts on his face and his mother asked how those came to be. He still hadn''t told her about the Sniebel so he didn''t want to add another issue on to the list of troubles and explanations he owed her.


    "What''s up amigo, did you get cold feet? I mean I can understand that you might have overestimated yourself back there. We can still stop this if you admit your wrongdoing and apologize!", Rico told him from behind his back.


    "You wish!", Arthur answered with gnashed teeth. He was here because of this guy in the first place and now he suddenly became a samaritan and left him a way out for an apology? It might be just useless pride but Arthur couldn''t allow himself to be played around with by this guy. Even if he only got one hit he would make it count!


    "You heard him Zoe, this guy just doesn''t want to listen, I even gave him a choice!", Rico smiled at Zoe innocently and shrugged his shoulders helplessly,


    "You can change your clothes within the cabins, I will lend you mine we should be about the same size after all. Don''t worry about the equipment, everything is ready for us. Any questions?"


    "Rico! Do you even think about the consequences?!", Zoe interrupted him,


    "Arthur isn''t even a real member here. He isn''t allowed to do anything right now!"


    "What is there to consider Zoe? He is here to train anyway, right? He is basically a member with a free trial period and I am just showing him some fighting tips as a more experienced member. I am a platinum member and you are the daughter of the dojo master, there is nothing wrong with us handling this and at worst I will take the blame, haha.", he assured her laughingly.


    Arthur felt a warm feeling in his heart when he heard her speak up for him. He could also feel the underlying concern she had for him within her voice. It was weird but even though he had lost his memories about her he understood why they would be friends together. And maybe after this they could be again. He smiled and looked back at her:


    "It''s ok Zoe, nothing to worry about. It''s not like anything is written in stone yet."


    "Yes, yes! Nothing is written in stone yet amigo, that''s the spirit! I couldn''t have said it better", Rico agreed loudly with Arthur, but it was clear that he was suppressing his laughter at the same time.


    Zoe didn''t seem to have calmed down more than before.


    After both boys had finished changing into the right clothing and put on the gloves and head protectives they went on to the stage to begin. All the while a small crowd had formed around the ring with various people talking and anticipating the imminent match.


    "Hey what''s going on here?", a passerby asked someone in the crowd.


    "It''s a match between two youths.", another person told him.


    "What''s so exciting about that? It''s just two kids."


    "What if I told you one of them was a member of the House of Nevarrez!"


    "Nevarrez? You can''t be talking about ... that famous international arms dealer Nevar Corp.? Right?!"


    "Of course who else?"


    "I have heard they were recently working on weapons based off of Infinity Energy and autonomous A.I robots, what are they doing here in Viridian City?"


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    "Don''t you know? The vice principle of the branch Trainer Academy is a member of the Nevarrez family! Maybe that boy is here to enrol and enter the academy!"


    "Ahh, that makes sense. Then, who is his opponent?"


    "Don''t know, a nobody I guess. He doesn''t look strong either, I hope he puts up a decent fight at least."


    ...


    The boys stood opposite to each other and Rico looked at Arthur with fierce eyes and told him:


    "Let''s talk plainly for a moment. I don''t know what kind of relationship you have with Zoe but from now on amigo you better stay away from her. People of your standard shouldn''t mingle with people like us."


    "People like you? What rubbish are you spouting again?"


    "If you don''t want to understand I will make you then!"


    "Less trash-talking and more fist-talking."


    "Hehe, you won''t better regret this."


    "Dito."


    Arthur had enough of talking with that brainless guy and just wanted to start and finish the fight already. He took a stance that he remembered from movies and concentrated on Rico''s movements. As they had agreed he would have the first hit on him and only then would the timer which Zoe held onto start.


    Rico took on a stance of his own and had a playful wicked smile on his face. In his mind Arthur was nothing more than easy prey delivered on a plate. He didn''t believe for a moment he could lose any of those rounds. Instead his idea was to humiliate him in front of Zoe so that he would never dare show his face again in her presence.


    Arthur stepped closer towards Rico while holding up his guard all the time. He wasn''t good or fast enough for any feint tactics. He should better focus on defense and attack only when necessary. It might be a bit shameful but right now enduring until the time ran out was the best strategy he could use to come out unscathed.


    When Arthur felt close and secure enough to Rico he let out a fast punch toward his body and quickly retreated into a safe position and stance.


    Rico on the other hand easily dodged that move and stood there as if nothing had happened. When he saw Arthur retreating he mocked him:


    "Hey, are you a man or a rabbit? You are so fast, I can''t see the difference haha", it was loud enough for the crowd to hear and some even laughed in response. Zoe just shot him angry looks and worriedly turned back to Arthur. She knew Rico was just playing with him but that didn''t reduce her concern in the slightest way.


    Arthur felt indignation as well as some embarrassment. He could understand how ridiculous he must have looked but he endured it and prepared himself for the worst.


    But Rico had something else prepared for him:


    "Hey you know Arthur, if I were to take this serious I would end this in a matter of seconds but that would be too boring right? I think the match still isn''t balanced enough, so I will say this. Hit me as much as you want, I won''t hit back till the last couple of seconds, ok? This should make everything fair and leave you some bits of hope to cling onto right, hahaha."


    When Arthur heard this he wanted to punch Rico directly into his face but that wasn''t possible right now:


    "Well, if he said so, he wouldn''t take back his words I guess.", he chose to believe him and approached Rico again. If he was lying while considering his strength, that would be just pathetic and pitiful. Rico didn''t seem like that type in Arthur''s opinion. For now at least.


    When he was within his reach again, he tested it out again with a quick punch and surely, Rico dodged but didn''t hit back. Arthur took that as a confirmation and attempted another hit, and then another. Both were dodged and hit pure air.


    "Come on man. I am giving you a free ticket to hit me, I can''t make it easier than this ok? Hahaha!", Rico still had enough breath left to coninue mocking Arthur while dodging and avoiding the punches thrown at him. To him they moved with ''mad snail'' speed and he wasn''t even doing it consciously.


    Arthur''s rage quickly built up after all his talk and his hits became faster and faster yet his defense also began showing more and wider gaps. And just when the time for the round was running out, Rico side stepped a punch and hit Arthur back, right into the abdomen!


    It was a clean hit at the spot that wasn''t protected by his ribs and his stomach felt like turning inside out. He had neglected his defense so much so as to let Rico finish him easily.


    Arthur''s knees went weak but Rico propped him up and he whispered into his ears:


    "You should have disappeared the very moment I told you so. Now this is what you get for being ignorant.", afterwards he patted Arthur on his shoulder and asked audibly and innocent,


    "Hey amigo! Are you ok?! I guess I hit you a bit too hard. I am sorry for that. I will try to go easier on you in the next round all right?"


    The crowd didn''t see clearly what had happened. Arthur had been in a wild craze and fell into Rico''s trap as a result. Then he suddenly covered his stomach and the first round ended in the blink of an eye.


    "What a rookie. Doesn''t seem like it''s much of a match. More like a slaughter, poor boy.", someone who had seen the fight play out said.


    Zoe also didn''t see what had happened but noticed Arthur''s weird behaviour:


    "Hey, Arthur are you ok?"


    Arthur needed a couple of seconds until he got himself back together. He took in a bunch of fresh air and waved his arm to show he was fine.


    "Hey, young miss Zoe!", a male voice called out for Zoe from behind. When she looked back she found Gary staring at the box ring in front of them:


    "Can you tell me what is going on here? Who is that boy there?", he asked her.


    "Ehh, well, Arthur and Rico got into a fight and ...", and she explained him the situation from before again.


    "Interesting, Rico Nevarrez. I didn''t think noble people liked hanging out in a dojo as well."


    "Noble?", Zoe was confused.


    "Nothing, forget about it. Let''s see how long Arthur can endure this, haha. This boy is a human magnet that attracts trouble wherever he goes, hahaha."


    .....


    Arthur all the while looked fiercely back at Rico, but held himself back to just jump onto him and become too aggressive.


    It was his fault for overestimating himself and forgetting his defense and it had been Rico''s intention all along to make him believe he was secure and forget to concentrate on his guard.


    He had been naive when believing that that guy had any kind intentions towards him.


    The second round was about to begin, Arthur wouldn''t fall for those tricks again and get goaded but he also wouldn''t repeat his turtle tactic. He needed to vent some hot steam off.


    The only way he could think of to get a good hit and smack Rico''s face was to raise his awareness and predict Rico''s movements. His fists where too slow so they needed to move ahead of Rico''s reaction. Even though this sounded easier said than done it felt like the only alternative to his passive defense to him. He didn''t want to look like an idiot who could only take a beating and so he started taking in Rico''s every move and step.


    He remembered his time at the Viridian Forest again, at that place where time and space seemed frozen and only two rules decided his survival: run constantly and be faster than your pursuer or you will definitely die!


    At that time he forgot where he was, who he was, or what was after him! He only knew that he needed to keep moving, keep thinking and find the best place to move and hide in! His awareness and perception were pushed to a constant peak and everytime he wanted to rest the sound of wild Pok¨¦mon would re-awaken his survival instincts and take control over his body!


    While Arthur was unconsciously re-experiencing those traumatic events the world outside faded away from his sight and only Rico''s physical outline caught his eyes.


    Every step with his feet, every move of his hands and even the movement of Rico''s chest when breathing in and out where seen by Arthur and became pieces of a puzzle that he put together into a clear picture. He had felt this sensation somewhere before as if he had full control over his body and every single cell working but he couldn''t waste more thoughts on this now.


    His breathing was steady once more and he slowly closed in on Rico again.


    Rico didn''t think much about the person in front of him. He saw how focused Arthur got all of a sudden, but that couldn''t fool him either way. Defeat was the only thing Rico would give him in return.


    Arthur got closer and closer and was once again within his reach, but instead of attacking he continued watching Rico move.


    "What''s wrong? Did you get scared? The fight only starts when you do the first hit, we don''t have the whole day!", Rico tried to agitate him.


    But Arthur remained silent.


    Everything in his vicinity lost its colours and his complete focus was on Rico. He still hadn''t grasped the right timing yet.


    Rico slowly lost his patience and just went ahead:


    "Hey, if you aren''t going to come to me then I might as well come to you amigo!"


    Rico wanted to do a feint from the left while attacking from the right.


    At first everything looked alright and he threw his punch from the left side but then the unexpected happened!


    Arthur went full ahead into his punch and took the hit!


    Arthur''s mind had been working like a steam engine all this time. He was constantly taking in information about his opponent and the more data he seemingly got the clearer the picture was he had about Rico!


    When Rico decided to attack him with his left fist Arthur''s instincts told him that it was just a bluff!


    It was just a feeling that Rico didn''t put enough force into that punch. Not enough to be effective in any way possible except for a ruse!


    He decided to trust that feeling in that moment and braced himself for the impact and met the attack full on!


    Rico was stunned in that moment and couldn''t react in time!


    Arthur confirmed his assumptions and took this rare chance and gave Rico an upper cut punch with his right fist! It was strong enough to catch Rico off guard and bring him down!


    "YES! Well done kid!", Gary cheered for him.


    "Bravo!", Zoe applaused delighted.


    From the outside view his attack might have looked ridiculous and laughable but in that one second Arthur felt like he was Muhammad Ali who had defeated the final Boss in the end game!


    It was so damn satisfying to pay back that hit he got from Rico earlier on.


    But just when he was about to continue with his fist bashing, Rico stood up quickly, got himself back together and tightened his guard again!


    He was shocked for a moment and hadn''t expected Arthur to see through his move and make a counter-attack.


    However now that he realized how he was beaten down by Arthur, even if just for a moment, he felt fury rising up in his body because of that humiliation:


    "HOW DARE YOU! I guess one hit wasn''t enough to make you realize the difference between the two of us! I will make you taste a real beating! Let''s see if you will have the guts left to hit me again like that!"


    After that Rico rushed towards Arthur without any regards for his defense and prepared a punch with his right arm!


    Arthur was confused as he could clearly see and defend against the incoming hit. He held up his guards ready for Rico, but then something strange entered his sight.


    It was as if a whirl had manifested itself in Rico''s fist and the closer he got to Arthur the faster the whirl spun around!


    "Arthur, watch out!", Gary shouted agitatedly as he realized too late what Rico was doing!


    Shortly before the impact Arthur had a much better look at the anomaly on his opponent and the first thing that came to his mind was:


    "Rasengan?"


    But before his thoughts could end, he felt a strong force hitting his arms yet ... it didn''t end there!

 21 Heroes arent born

    The moment the punch hit his body he felt something strange vibrate inside of him as if his inner core was shaken as well and took in a part of the blow!


    Arthur lost contact with the ground and suddenly went up into the air. In the first second he felt like a soft feather floating in the air. But only in the first second!


    After that the secure feeling vanished into nothingness and he sensed how he was rapidly falling down and approaching the ground!


    Left with no other possible choices he closed his eyes and protected his head for when the impact came!


    He braced himself and waited ...


    1 second passed


    2 seconds passed


    3 seconds passed


    After 10 seconds where nothing happened Arthur thought something strange was going on and slowly opened his eyes.


    And what he saw baffled him.


    Standing on a wide open street what revealed itself to him were loud voices of people calling for taxis, men and women entering and exiting huge buildings or busses, sky scrapers fell into his view everywhere but ... not a single Pok¨¦mon in sight?!


    "Is this Viridian City?", Arthur wondered.


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    "Atiqo my boy, wait for me!", an old but kind voice called out for him. Arthur looked back unconsciously and saw an old man walking towards him. He stretched out his arm and grabbed Arthur''s hand:


    "Grandpa will treat you to your favourite ice cream shop! How about that?"


    When Arthur saw who this person was he didn''t really know how to react or respond to him but at the same time an incredibly warm familiar feeling spread in his body. Tears began welling up in his eyes for reasons unknown to him and he couldn''t help but ask that old man:


    "I am sorry Sir, have I seen you somewhere before?"


    "Are you joking? Don''t you remember me? Hahahahaha", the old man answered with heartfelt laughter.


    When Arthur was about to say something in return another call attracted his attention:


    "Arthur! What are you standing there for? Come, it''s time to go home!"


    What Arthur saw were two people waiting across the street for him and waving for him to come over. One was a middle-aged man and in his arms was a woman with a bright smile on her face. Both waited there expecting him to come over.


    "What, what are you doing here?", he asked her completely confused.


    "Come over Arty, we don''t have the whole day!", the man next to her called out for him now.


    "Dad?", Arthur mumbled weakly under his breath. He couldn''t believe his eyes and his heart was in turmoil right now,


    "How, how can this be?", he unconsciously started walking towards their direction and stepped on to the road. He forgot the world around him and only thought about reaching his parents.


    Suddenly when he was midway across the street he noticed something fast approaching him from the corners of his eyes. He turned and found a car that was driving right into his position. He had to move and dodge the car but he couldn''t! His body didn''t listen to him and he stood there frozen still.


    Just when the car was about to crash into him a strong pair of hands grabbed him from behind and pulled him back into the safe site.


    "Lad, you are doing quite a few dangerous things these days. Didn''t your parents teach you to watch out for cars when crossing the street?", a deep voice asked with an obviously amused tone.


    Arthur could only now see the face of his saviour. It was an older guy with a muscular physique and silver long hair hanging down his shoulders.


    "Th-, thank you Sir!", Arthur replied gratefully but when taking a closer look at him again it was like this wasn''t the first they had met.


    "Forget it, that''s not important now lad. We don''t have time for you to continue on like this! You need to remember!", the man said with a serious look in his eyes.


    "I am sorry, but what do you mean?", Arthur asked uncertainly back.


    "If you don''t act everything will be lost! And the world will fall into eternal darkness. Look around, what do you see?"


    "What do y-", when Arthur was about to ask another question when he saw what that old man meant to say.


    Everything in his surroundings had vanished and was replaced by pure destruction! He saw fire burning in several places, collapsed buildings piled up one after another, statues or that what remained of them were scattered everywhere in pieces. Dust and smoke reigned over the sky and created a grim scenery before him.


    "What happened?! What is this?", Arthur shouted loudly. This scene was so vivid it couldn''t be a dream! Anxiety filled body and he wanted to escape this place immediately.


    "This is the future lad. And it might turn into the past and presence as well if we don''t stop them!"


    "Who?"


    The man was about to respond when suddenly a mocking shout echoed everywhere:


    "Cornelius! You have failed! You have failed everyone, so why do you still resist brother? Hahahaha ...".


    A man with long blond hairs, blue eyes and a blue scaled armour appeared in front of them. He stopped walking 10 meters away and his cold gaze lingered the whole time on the man beside Arthur.


    "Him lad, we need to stop him and the entity standing behind him!", Cornelius walked ahead of Arthur and stood before him protectively. His clothes slowly took on a red colour and turned into a red scaled armour. Both men picked up swords that were hanging on their waists and closed in on each other.


    "Aurelius, it''s not too late! We can still stop him together!"


    "No, it''s either you or me! Only one of us will walk out of here alive!"


    Both of them gathered their strengths and crossed the last meters in a dash! The sounds of metals clashing with each other filled the entire place and slowly intense colours of red and blue shone from their bodies. The light turned so sharp that Arthur had troubles understanding who was who!


    Just when he was about to close his eyes a strong hand grabbed him by his arm and shouted at him:


    "We have to get away from here! It''s too dangerous!"


    Arthur had squinted his eyes and didn''t recognize who this person was but he agreed that it was too dangerous here. They ran for quite some time but the sounds of the battles were so loud they might as well have been standing right next to them!


    When they stopped at a dead end Arthur needed to take in lots of fresh air to recover again. He asked exasperated:


    "Could you please tell me what is going on here?! Where are we? Why are they fighting?"


    "I don''t really know actually. But that''s not important right now anyway.", the person straightened back and answered.


    "Then what is?"


    The mysterious person now stood before Arthur and they looked into each other''s eyes. It was a dark tanned youth maybe around Gary''s age with black hair.


    "I-, I saw you before somewhere ...", Arthur had a faint memory of him but he couldn''t quite recall where that had been.


    The youth put his hands on Arthur''s shoulders and told him calmly:


    "You need to wake up! If we continue staying here then god knows what will happen to us! You need to save us!"


    "I? I can''t ... I am not a hero!", Arthur told him desperately. This whole situation overwhelmed him too much. He was just a child! Shouldn''t the adults handle this?


    "Listen, heroes aren''t born! Nor are they chosen! Rather they choose their paths for themselves! Look, I-I am also afraid ... but I know that I can''t stay afraid the whole time, not when the situation gets serious!


    He didn''t know why but suddenly his dad''s voice sounded out in Arthur''s mind:


    "I don''t regret it Arthur, I was also afraid at first, but I imagined what a coward I would be if my family was stuck in that fire and I didn''t save them. That would have been an eternal sin of mine ..."


    Arthur stood there speechlessly with a dazed expression on his face.


    "Don''t worry too much, after all we''re in this together haha, if you''re in danger I will help you out!", the youth in front of him told him with confidence.


    "What does this mean?"


    "You need to wake up now!"


    "Please tell me, I don''t understand!"


    "Wake up Atiqo!"


    "My name isn''t ...", he wanted say but his answer got stuck in his throat because he wasn''t sure about the answer ...


    "Atiqo, wake up!"


    "Wake up!"


    "Wake up Arthur!"


    Arthur heard numerous voices in his head imploring him to wake up, so much so that it hurt! He had to close his eyes and held up his head in agony.


    "Wake up Arthur!"


    "I am awake!", he opened his eyes again and responded annoyed.


    Suddenly he found himself in the middle of a field of people that surrounded him. A person fell into him and hugged him:


    "You are awake again!"

 22 I would love to dissect your brain!

    "Welcome back Arthur, did you have a nice dream?", he found Gary amongst the people smiling at him.


    "What happened?", he asked confused. His memories still a bit fuzzy.


    "You were knocked out, that''s what happened after that last punch. We were just about to call the doctor when you woke up. That Nevarrez brat surely had a grudge against you ..."", Gary''s voice went grim at the end.


    "Rico that idiot! The next time I see him I will make him beg you for forgiveness, don''t worry Arthur!", Zoe assured him angrily.


    "Where is he? Where did he go?"


    "When he had realized his mistake he disappeared from our sight! What a coward!", this incident had definitely worsened Rico''s image in Zoe''s mind by a lot,


    "I am so sorry! I shouldn''t have let two of you start this match at all. I should have known better!", remorse showing on her face.


    "It''s ok, it was inevitable. I couldn''t have let him get away with that just like that even if you stepped in between us. In the end I lost because I was just too weak."


    "No, you were quite good actually for a beginner. He just overdid it! Seriously! He made you fly over the ring with a single hit! Doesn''t he know how to hold back?!"


    "How is that even possible?", in Arthur''s mind even if Rico was above average in terms of strength or technique it should be simply impossible for a child the same age as him to have so much raw power! Did he take drugs?!


    "Yeah! That''s crazy! My dad could do that easily but I would never have imagined for him to ...-"


    "Miss Zoe, I think there are more important things to do right now. I will take Arthur here with me just in case something happens, is that ok?"


    "Ah you are right! Arthur please go back to rest! You shouldn''t do any strenuous activities anymore ok?"


    "Don''t worry, I will bring your husband back in the best shape possible! Hahaha!", Gary joked lightly.


    "What?!"


    "What?!", both Arthur and Zoe were speechless for a moment but Zoe got especially flustered.


    Gary took the moment and left the main hall with Arthur in tow:


    "Quite a nice friend you have there, how did you two got to know each other?"


    "She had been my classmate during primary scho-", Arthur stood still for a moment, his expression frozen still.


    He suddenly realized that ... he remembered her again!


    She had been his classmate during the primary courses of the Pokemon Trainer Academy! They were very good friends and she helped him during his time of crisis when his father had died. But what was important was that he genuinely remembered her and the time he spent with her again!


    "Is something the matter Arthur?", Gary noticed his strange behaviour and asked concerned. He was afraid this could be the prelude to an after-collapse now.


    All of a sudden his vision swam and he felt a head-ache nearing!


    "Groaaaan.", he held his head in his hands and pressed against it but it only eased for a bit.


    "What''s wrong Arthur!", Gary shouted but Arthur didn''t hear anything at all!


    Visions flew through his mind, he saw a room full of Pokemon figures, then he stood in front of a heavily wounded person! That person turned into light and that light went into a watch!


    The he saw that same person fight against another warrior clad in blue armor! Sharp light prevented him from seeing more and a loud voice echoed in his head:


    "Wake up Atiqo! You have to wake up!"


    And then it stopped.


    "Huh, huh, huh ...", he was crouching on his knees while breathing heavily. The pain vanished as quickly as it came. Sweat trickled down his forehead and he felt incredibly exhausted.


    He remembered now more than before. And he also remembered the dream he had had during his time when he was unconscious.


    "Hey, Arthur are you sure you are ok? Should I take you to the hospital?", Gary asked worried.


    "No, no it''s gone again. I am fine already, I just feel quite hungry!", he didn''t want to go back to the hospital. This would cause just another pile of problems on his full plate.


    "Hahaha, no problem, let''s go to Umami King! It will be my treat!"


    ....


    The crowd from before had dispersed already. Zoe was still there cleaning some stuff.


    "Zoe! What happened here!", a rough deep voice called out to her.


    "Dad!", Zoe was surprised to find her father here suddenly. He was usually busy training his disciples or giving guidance to other members.


    "Don''t lie to me, you know I can see it", he responded unusually cold. Something must have triggered him.


    "Ehh, it was ... I ...", at first she wanted to bring out a small excuse but seeing that her father was in a serious mood she told him the truth about what had happened during the match.


    "What?! That little bastard did what?!", Zoe flinched back, a bit frightened. Did she do something unforgivable?


    "I am sorry dad, I know I shouldn''t have allowed to ...", the regret she had felt rose up again and she was near crying now.


    Her father realized his blunder:


    "Ahh, sweety, it''s not your fault. It''s that stupid child''s fault! How was his name again? That Nevarrez boy? Rico! How dare he use powers he has no control over! All within my dojo! Does he think he can, he can come and go as he pleases and get away with this?! Not under my watch!", it felt like her father was close to bursting out!


    "Dad, did something happen? Did he do something?", she didn''t know what her father was talking about.


    "This, ehh. I can''t tell you. Not now at least. But he will face consequences for this! One way or another! How is that other boy, Arthur right?", he faintly remembered his daughter''s former classmate and neighbour. He spent most of his time at the dojo and his wife took care of the household, so he didn''t have much contact with him.


    "He is good, I think. He was just unconscious for a some time."


    "Lucky boy, this could have turned much worse for him otherwise. Now to you ...", he looked back to Zoe,


    "It seems like I have been lacking behind in our father-daughter relationship which caused you too lack in certain areas where experience and education are necessary! Let''s do some training exercise together first, shall we?", he revealed a smile that wasn''t a smile.


    Zoe shuddered already but accepted her punishment without complaining.


    ....


    In the restaurant, Arthur and Gary were still waiting for their order to get cooked.


    "So, would it be ok for you to tell me now about what really happened there back then?", Gary asked expectantly.


    Arthur of course knew what he was referring to. The incident and the visions still caused question marks in Arthur''s mind to pop up. What was he supposed to say to Gary? That he was questioning himself, his identity? This whole word and his sanity? Maybe he was still stuck in a dream and he just didn''t realize it yet. So he only gave him a vague answer:


    "You know, since that accident in the Viridian Forest, I have kind of lost my grasp on my memories. But when Rico had hit me and I went down, I got them back, partially. I think. I am still not sure what really happened there."


    "How was it even possible to punch me that far away? Isn''t that defying the laws of physics somehow? And before he struck my arms, I saw some weird whirl gathering in his hand, do you know what that was?", the dispiarity between Rico''s size and his punching power still created great confusion in his mind.


    "What?! Did you say whirl?"


    "Hm, yeah, that''s how it looked to me as far as I remember. Maybe a vortex. It''s weird right?"


    No, no, hahah, that''s not it. Nothing to be surprised about actually, a lot of things are possible in this great world you wouldn''t dare to imagine, ever. It''s just that I wouldn''t have thought that that Nevarrez brat had already started learning the foundations of ''Infinity Force''. You picked the wrong opponent Arthur, bad luck I guess hahaha!", he said casually.


    Arthur immediately noticed something familiar and strange when he heard Gary''s response.


    "Gary, what is Infinity Force? ", he asked him confused. This was the second time already that he heard about this term. The first time had been in the hospital when he received the PokeDex and checked up the information inside. Yet it didn''t provide him with any clear details and rejected him with ''Information classfied! Access denied!'' when he asked for more. And now it appeared again in a completely different context.


    Gary suddenly realized his slip of the tongue but there was no way to take back his words now:


    "I ... I am not sure if I can tell you this right now. It''s kinda classified and only Pok¨¦mon trainers and trainees should have access to this sort of information. How important is it to you, or how urgently do you need to know?", Gary asked hesitatingly back.


    "It''s very urgent!", Arthur answered faithfully and decisively. It had to with his has past and lost memories. If he was somehow able to regain them he would try anything possible to achieve this.


    Gary pondered for a short while but seeing Arthur''s determined gaze he quickly let go of his worries:


    "Ok, ok I get it haha. If you want to know I will tell you. You would enter the Trainer Academy anyway right? So it''s just a matter of time until you learned more about this stuff. And rules are meant to be broken so who cares, haha, but just don''t go around spreading what I am about to tell you ok? Promise me!", he said with a serious expression.


    "I promise!", Arthur said while nodding vigorously.


    "Glad to hear that, haha. I might come into troubles otherwise but I trust you Arthur. Well regarding your issue, if you weren''t a human being I would love to dissect your brain!"


    Arthur''s face froze for a moment when he heard that.


    "Hahahahahah! Just a joke, just kidding, haha! Well your brain is indeed really interesting I have to say.


    First off Infinity Force, do you want the long or short version?"


    "Ehh, I don''t know?", he really didn''t know.


    "Well, hmm, I don''t want to hold a lecture here so let''s make this short. In a nutshell, you could say that human beings are capable to more than meets the eye.


    Have you never wondered how it was possible for us humans to survive amongst these monsters known as Pokemon? Fire spewing, electro shocking, poison breathing wild beasts, how did we manage to come out unscathed and thrive till now?


    As cute as they look nowadays, back in pre-historic times our ancestors were constantly struggling for resources and had to always keep up their guards in case of sudden ambushes by Pokemon. Pokemon have thick hides, scales or skins as well as sturdy physiques, always ready for battles but we humans were so fragile in comparison."


    "Isn''t that the reason why we formed pacts with Pokemon? To protect ourselves?", Arthur remembered Blue''s words.


    "Yes, that''s what is mostly speculated to be the case, but it''s also only a part of the truth.


    Humans were in constant danger and you can''t always rely on external help to get you out of a situation. And that''s where Infinity Force comes into play. It''s our own special way to summon forth unimaginable strength in times of need and danger.


    Most researchers agree that its origin lies in Infinity Energy and its influences on us humans. Pokemon are also able to harness this source of energy which resulted in their different developments of characteristic abilities-"


    "Are you saying that we are Pokemon?! And what is this Infinity Energy? It''s like I am hearing it everywhere I go but I can''t find any explanations for it.", Arthur asked confused.


    "No, no, no! Well, I don''t know, but probably not. I belive at least that humans and Pokemon should have different origins. As for you other question, that''s a whole other topic we could spent hours on talking about. Just accept it as a very powerful source that exists everywhere and that we humans ... might have access to for now.


    What''s important is that Infinity Force as the name implies has deep ties with Infinity Energy. Something very intangible and hard to research into which is why I am very careful with my wording.


    People in history related the core of us humans with different body part like the navel, the heart and the brain.


    And it''s generally recognised that the brain is this very core region. The place where all decisions are being made and all information and memories we gather are being stored.


    It''s interesting I think how your memory loss which should be connected to a neurological issue seems to show relations with the field of Infinity Energy!


    I can''t say what is going on with you without any further tests but I would speculate that somehow that punch of Rico that was clearly reinforced with Infinity Force resulted in a resonance with your deep subconsciousness!


    As a consequence your subconsiousness seems to have influenced your consciousness for some unknown reasons and provoked your deep memories to resurface! This is huge Arthur! You can''t imagine how valuable your brain would be for research purposes hahaha! This could even lead to the discovery of a completely new organ related to Infinity Energy!"


    Arthur didn''t know if he should take that as a compliment and just smiled wryly.


    "So, you are saying that his punch made me recover my memories?"


    "Yes, basically that''s it."


    "Is there a way to do the same without me getting hit?"


    "You shouldn''t think about doing something reckless okay? Neither me or anyone else who knows about Infinity Force would even think of doing any kind of experiments in this direction.


    Let me make this clear Arthur! You were incredibly lucky to not end up as an idiot after that punch!


    I am not sure who taught that foolish boy about Infinity Force but there is a reason for why it is being held back from the general population.


    They know enough to take care of their daily lives like not forming pacts with Pokemon too quickly or not having too many Pokemon out at once. But the secrets of Infinity Force are so immensely dangerous that it would be a risk and gamble to freely distribute them amongst people! And no government would be willing to go that far!


    Pokemon trainees only learn of the fundamentals of Infinity Force and in their later years they all need to sign confidentiality agreements so that it is ensured no important information leak out!


    People from the outside might hear about weird breathing exercises and physique training manuals for health conditioning but they wouldn''t understand or grasp the truth beneath that layer!


    If that inexperienced boy had hit you with that punch on your head, someone who isn''t trained in the ways of Infinity Force ... well, let''s say we wouldn''t be able to have this discussion right now if that had been the case!


    Seriously! I think I will have a talk with the dojo master. We can''t let reckless fools run around and keep endangering the safety of the people!"


    "Is it really that dangerous?", Arthur couldn''t imagine that a simple punch could cause such serious injuries.


    "You saw it, right? That vortex he had in his hands, which he was gathering and concentrating energy with. I could have easily defended myself against it but you? If his output had been too high, it could really have blown off your head in the worst case. You see what I am getting at?"


    "Blowing off my head?!", he asked astonished and a bit frightened. He only recognised now, how close he had been to death again. They were practically acquaintances already!


    "Yes, that''s it! It''s invisible and still deadly! You see now why it would be too dangerous if too many people learned about this. Especially the wrong people like criminals."


    "But, I could see it very clearly and you too -"


    "No, actually I couldn''t.", Gary interrupted him and scratched his head in embarrassment,


    "I sensed it to be specific but I didn''t see it like you. I would need to stand much closer to him and also concentrate a lot more."


    "Then how come I could see that?", Arthur wondered. If even a fullfledged trainer wasn''t capable to do so then how should he?


    "That''s the thing. That''s why I was so surprised before when you mentioned the vortex so vividly. People who aren''t trained in Infinity Force really shouldn''t be aware of any movements of these energies. It''s much too taxing and consumes a lot of mental stamina if you can''t control it appropriately. I assume that it''s a latent talent you unconsciously activated. Your energy perception must be really high ...", just when he was about to continue explaining, a loud wild rumble sounded out from Arthur''s stomach,


    "Grhhhhohhhuhh!"


    Arthur felt a strong wave of exhaustion and weakness washing over him. His face became increasingly red and he had to apologize.


    Shortly after the food was delivered:


    "Right on time, hahah! Let''s get down to the real business, haha, we can still talk afterwards."

 23 Help! A Pervert!

    After a sumptuous meal, Arthur was satisfied and his sudden hunger was gone.


    While eating he had been thinking about this so called Infinity Force and what connection it could have with him and his memories:


    "Gary, could I ask you to teach me how to control Infinity Force? I need to learn it as quickly as possible!", that was the only thing that made sense to him. If he had a better grasp over this power it might really bring out his memories from his sub-consciousness.


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    But Gary just looked at him amused and said:


    "Hehe, if learning to control Infinity Force were this easy why bother studying at the Pokemon Trainer Academy? Listen Arty, children start learning the foundations at the age of ten but even when they become adults some struggle to control this power, so do you still think it was easy and you had to learn it as ''quickly'' as possible?"


    Arthur got struck speechless when he heard this. He didn''t think at all about how difficult it could be and what he needed to do to learn this mysterious power. He actually knew nothing at all. The desire and the urge just got to his head and he blabbered out the first thing that came to his mind.


    "I-I am sorry. I guess it wouldn''t be possible to do it ...", he sighed out dismayed.


    "That''s not what I said, haha. Just don''t hold your expectation too high or you will fall flat on your nose and I promise you it will hurt! Hahahha!", he told him brashly, but Arthur didn''t take it to heart. He saw it as an advice instead.


    "So you mean you can ...", the hidden meaning didn''t go unnoticed from Arthur.


    "Well, it will mostly depend on you. You see I don''t have the time and leisure to personally tutor someone without any sort of talent.


    In the worst case you will have to wait until the academy term starts again and learn the basics there, got it?"


    "Sure!", he responded readily. This was already the best that he could hope for. Gary seemed to be quite a famous and knowledgable person. If even he thought it to be difficult to grasp this power in the short term then Arthur might as well give up on it for now.


    "And don''t tell my brother, kay? He would get mad as hell, if he found out I taught you stuff you weren''t ready for."


    "No problem. My lips are sealed!"


    "Ehh, what ... are you ... exactly doing?", Arthur asked him suspiciously.


    After he threw several more glances at Gary, he gave in and rebuked Arthur while laughing:


    "I am not a pervert if that''s what you think right now. There are specific steps I need to show you bare so you really understand how to execute the technique properly. If you don''t understand it, wrong implementation may bring harm to your body and limit your potential in the long-term! My Grandpa taught it to me the same way."


    "You mean Professor Oak?"


    "Yeah ...", he looked down onto the table, his thoughts seemingly somewhere far away for a moment, reminiscing about the past.


    A couple of seconds later he looked back at Arthur and told him loudly while smiling:


    "Now bask in the light of this adonis-like physique, hahaha!"


    He threw away his clothes to the side and made several more postures to show off his well-built and muscular body.


    He stood there only wearing his boxer-shorts. They were lucky to have taken a private dining room. He didn''t know what other customers might have thought otherwise.


    After Gary was finished posing, he began stretching and explained to Arthur at the same time:


    "Most people actually already possess a certain amount of control over ''Infinity Force''. After all it''s the basic requirement to form pacts with Pokemon.


    It''s a natural occurring process over time and it doesn''t require further practice if you aren''t walking on the path of a Trainer.


    Though people who aren''t trained in using Infinity Force shouldn''t form too many pacts in a short amount of time as it can deplete the reserves and damage your inner core. Health issues with varying degrees would be unavoidable.


    For a child to form a pact with only one Pok¨¦mon is basically already its limit in the short term. It would either need to wait a long time until its reserves had achieved a bigger capacity or use special methods to accelerate this process. The timeframe necessary for full natural regeneration depends on factors like the individual age, mental state and training progress and can be as short as a couple of days or even in some rare cases take several years."


    "What? What do you mean with natural process? Can people learn using Infinity Force by doing nothing?"


    "Hmmm, I think it''s easier to understand if I showed it you. Look at my body and tell me if you notice something."


    After that Gary closed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. For a moment nothing extraordinary seemed to be happening at all. The room was silent except for Gary''s in and exhaling.


    Arthur started wondering if this was another one of his jokes when suddenly ... the lights in the room began to flicker. At first only lightly but as time passed it got more and erratic! Arthur suddenly felt a breeze touching his skin and whirling around the room, the water in Gary''s glass quaked more and more, in the beginning only slight ripples were appearing but it shook wilder and wilder before it finally tilted to one side and dropped its contents onto the table.


    Arthur caught the glass before it could shatter on the ground but the water dripped onto the floor already. No, it dripped onto the floor ... and then gathered and moved further in a direction! It began moving towards where Gary was!


    Now that he took a closer look at him Arthur saw how he was practically attracting all these anomalies towards himself!


    "G-gary, I think something weird is ... happen ...", before he could finish his sentence though the next strange phenomenon had already appeared.


    Gary''s skin ... it started glowing! Only for a bit, but Arthur''s eyes could clearly see it happen right in front of him!


    And then it stopped. From one moment to the next the lights above went back to normal, the wind in the room disappeared and the water on the ground ceased to move. But Gary''s skin ... was still giving off a luminous glow!


    Gary exhaled for the last time and then opened his eyes again and asked relaxed:


    "So, did you notice something?"


    "Ehh, is that a rhetorical question?", he absolutely didn''t have any idea about what had happened just mere seconds ago.


    "Haha, yes, I guess it went a bit too wild. What did you see, can you describe it? Scientists like us need to be able to put any kind of phenomena into words Arty."


    "Well the lights started fluctuating and ... suddenly a wind flow appeared in this room ...", it sounded almost impossible as the room was totally closed off. They could look through a window into the city outside but it had been closed all the time,


    "and either there was an earthquake nearby or your water glass was possessed by a ghost. And your skin ... I hope you are not sick."


    Gary listened to his observations all the while and laughed at the end at his concern:


    "Haha, don''t worry, it''s totally normal. And no earthquake alarm. Do you have any ideas why this could have happened? Any hypothesis maybe?"


    "Is it something related to Infinity Force? Did you do this?", he asked hesitatingly but with a hint of shock.


    Instead of answering his question Gary asked back:


    "Do you remember when I talked about infinity energy and how it existed everywhere around us?"


    "Yes?", Arthur said while nodding his head.


    "Well, the control over Infinity Force and the power behind infinity energy are closely related to each other. This is why all these weird things happened all of a sudden. I exerted influence on the infinity energy around us."


    "And your skin ...", Arthur looked at him quizzically.


    "Started glowing because I absorbed it into my body. Listen closely Arthur because what I am about to tell you is very important. We humans aren''t meant to contain infinity energy within our bodies, we aren''t Pokemon after all.


    Even in this very moment my body is actively trying to expel this dangerous energy and I have to concentrate and stay focused to keep it inside! You can never allow it to remain too long within your system or it will leave long-lasting effects on your body, your cells and your DNA! Understood?"


    "O-ok! But why do you do this if it''s this dangerous to you?"


    "Good question, and this is where our bodies comes into play and does something very interesting and mysterious.


    What we do know or strongly assume is that at a certain concentration of Infinity Energy our bodies convert this powerful yet threatening energy into a less dangerous form, something that we humans can handle at least, a more natural form for us. That''s why this form was named as ''Natural Energy''!


    "Natural energy ...", Arthur exclaimed under his breath. All this sounded surreal, impossible but it also made him feel very excited.


    "And the manipulation of Natural energy is what you know as Infinity force. So to answer your question, no, learning Infinity Force without practice isn''t possible. But the accumulation of Infinity Energy and the conversion into Natural Energy does happen naturally inside us, although very slowly.


    As for the glow, it''s just a result of a flawed absorption. Emittance of radiation is an energy loss.


    If you were to measure the temperature of my skin you would also see a slight increase in the values compared to before. This is also an energy loss.


    True experts wouldn''t show any form of leakages. You wouldn''t be able to tell wether they were ''breathing'' or not."


    "Breathing?"


    "Yes, breathing. This is the whole point Arthur. To be able to control Infinity force you need to incorporate this energy into your body, more than you usually take in. Several different steps are necessary to achieve this and they are all summarized in something we refer to as ''breathing methods''.


    "Why would I need to learn how breathe?", he thought to himself.


    "I can imagine what''s going through your mind right now haha. ''Why should I need to learn how to breath?'', right? Hahaha!", Arthur smiled wryly at that,


    "You don''t actually need to really breathe in. Experts don''t. It''s something you do with your inner body, your mind so to say, not with your lungs after all haha! But it helps as an image for children and can support your progress tremendously!


    This is also a very important point Arthur! A good image in your mind can make your cultivation much easier!"


    "Like a ... vacuum cleaner?", Arthur asked hesitatingly.


    "Pfff-, hahahaha!", Gary was surprised by that response and couldn''t help but laugh out loudly.


    Suddenly the glow also vanished from his skin and his face took on a relaxed state again:


    "A vacuum cleaner, haha, a good image, yeah. If it helps you understand the process, sure why not. You remember that brat Rico? I think he used a whirl as an image maybe. Whatever fits to you."


    "Good, you have eaten your fill now so you should be in a good condition to train already."


    Gary then looked earnestly into Arthur''s eyes and told him:


    "Now, take off your clothes!"


    At the same time the door at the side opened suddenly and a waitress entered halfway through the door:


    "Hello! Was the food satisfying? Do you ... need to ... order some...", she didn''t manage to finish the sentence though and her eyes widened when she finally realized the situation inside the room.


    A boy around 12 years old, a guy almost naked, the room in a chaotic state and did she just hear the guy tell the kid to take off its clothes?


    Before Gary or Arthur could react and do anything, a loud high-pitched scream sounded out throughout the entire building:

 24 Undercurrents

    "KYAAAAHHHH!!! HEEEELP!!!! A PERVERT IS HEREEEEE!!!!!"


    "Miss, you misunderstand something here ...", Gary tried to calm her down but it was useless.


    "D-don''t c-come any closer to me! M-molester! P-pervert! What did you do to that poor child?!", she stammered and took some steps back as she saw him approaching her.


    "Shit.", Gary cursed silently. It seemed futile to try and reason with her so he turned back to Arthur:


    "I think the situation is getting out of hand. Let''s split up first, I need to hide and ... put on my clothes again. Let''s meet up at the Green Garden. It should be more quiet there.", and as he finished saying that he picked up his clothes and ... started dissipating from his feet upwards! He just turned invisible!


    The last Arthur saw of him was a pair of eyes casually giving him a wink before they had disappeared as well. The clothes now looked like they were floating in space ...


    "Shit.", he heard someone curse for a moment and then the clothes quickly ''flew'' out of the room.


    The face of the waitress had turned pale and she looked frightened around the room and back to the hallway:


    "A ghost ... was that a ghost?", she whispered and then fell unconscious onto the ground.


    "Ehhh ...", was the only thing that Arthur could bring out at the moment. He saw the women in the restaurant uniform lying on the ground. She looked ok ...


    He went towards the door and look around the hallway, no signs of floating clothes ... but he heard steps and some approaching voices coming. Better get away now.


    He quickly found a staircase, left the building and disappeared into the masses of people.


    What would the people inside the restaurant think about this incident?


    A police call would be sent out and a patrol would come by and further investigate the case. But based on the testimony of the only witness the police officer would just scoff:


    "Ghosts haha ... if ghosts are real then I am a secret millionaire, pff.", and let the case rest in the basements of the police station.


    "It was probably just a prank played by some immature youths.", the people would say.


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    ....


    Back on the street


    Arthur had troubles finding this Green Garden at first. He wasn''t really knowledgable about anything in his current state and most people he talked to were either tourists or expats or just didn''t know. His luck finding locals seemed abysmally low.


    Then the idea popped up in his mind to just ask the Pokedex again and it worked! The GPS pointed him the way towards the place but when he was about to walk forward he bumped into someone else accidentally.


    He looked up and saw an angry thick square face shooting daggers at him. He even saw some tatoos at that guy''s neck but what stood out even more was his shiny bald head. Arthur sensed goosebumps on his skin and quickly apologized to the man:


    "I-I am sorry, my fault.", he didn''t want to start a conflict with this grim looking guy and quickly fled the scene.


    "Glupyy mal''chik (stupid boy)!", the man spit out through gritted teeth and killing intent flared up in his eyes, but a hand on his shoulders stopped him from doing anything stupid.


    "Comrade, now is not the time to create a scene. Remember, our mission. The Tsar''s orders were to remain undetected for now and gather information. We can''t have you go around and cause a ruckus at every single fly crossing our paths. Understood?", the deep voice of a hooded man on the side asked.


    "Ponimat'' (understood)."


    "Good."


    And they then sunk further in the deep sea of people.


    .....


    Inside a mansion


    "What did you say?!", Rico shouted upset.


    "I am sorry young master, but it''s what the Dojo Master decided on. He even left his own signature on it, so there is no way it could be a fake.", the humble servant replied while keeping his head low.


    "How dare this son of a bitch kick me out from the dojo! Did he forget that I am a Nevarrez?!"


    "Surely not young master, he explicitly stated that he intended no ill will with the house of Nevarrez. But due to some alleged misconduct on young master''s side, a claim without any base of course, he saw himself forced to cancel the membership ... for an indefinite time."


    "I know that Alfonso, I have read that damned letter myself! This is unfair! I did nothing but teach that idiot a small lesson ... AH! It''s him!!!", Rico''s face took on an expression of enlightenment but it quickly turned ugly instead and then finally transformed into rage!


    In a fit of anger he hit the desk behind him with all his might! The legs couldn''t resist the sudden force and some broke down upon the impact. The surface of the table burst apart and cracks formed like spider webs.


    "Young master, please calm down!", the old servant tried to appease him.


    "I am fine.", Rico spoke through gritted teeth,


    "How was his name again? Ar ... Arthur, yeah. There is no way Underwood could have known otherwise. That boy must have asked Zoe to meet her dad and then snitched on me with his very first sentence that ran through his despicable lips!", as he talked Rico''s hands clenched back into fists,


    "Alfonso!"


    "Yes young master!", the old servant responded, ready for any orders.


    "Go find Arthur and ... take care of him a little. Just a little, I think he''s been to the hospital only recently and it would be a tragedy if ... he had to go back this soon hehehe!"


    "Yes of course young master. I will find some people for this task.", he knew better than to dissuade his young master from any reckless actions while in his current state. That boy Arthur could only curse his luck for offending the scion of the house of Nevarrez.

 25 Take off your clothes!

    After some time following the path indicated by the Pokedex Arthur finally found the entrance to the Green Garden.


    It was located at the outer rings of the city while its actual entrance was hidden by conspicuous buildings. Honestly, without a guide like the Pokedex he might have never found this place otherwise.


    He entered the garden and felt like being in a completely new world. Caterpies and weedles were hanging down some trees or eating at the leaves, the tall grass rustled and Arthur was sure to have seen something fluffy and purple moving in between the shades.


    It was also only now that he realised how clean the air was and how peaceful the world could be.


    It was a stark contrast to the busy hectic city life with lots of crowds and countless shops illuminating the streets at all times.


    His PokeDex was blinking and making noises without stopping while informing him of various signals it picked up from the surroundings


    [Attention Host! Higher density of Infinity Particles discovered beep! 93% chance of encountering caterpie! Beep.]


    [Attention Host! Higher density of Infinity Particles discovered beep! 78% chance of encountering ! Beep.]


    [Attention Host! Higher density of Infinity ...]


    [... 47% chance of encountering ...]


    Annoying, he should probably look up a function to deactivate the auto-search temporarily he thought.


    He only wanted to meet Gary, but there wasn''t a function for th...


    "Ahhh!", how could he forget! Didn''t he exchange contact numbers with Gary? Shouldn''t he be able to connect with him?


    After a quick switch to the communication app of the PokeDex, his thoughts were confirmed. His request connected him with another person on the line:


    "Hello? Arty? Is that you?"


    "Yes, it''s me!"


    "Good to hear from you again! That was quite embarrassing, haha, hope nobody saw me :)", Gary laughed and sent Arthur a smile emoticon.


    Arthur didn''t know how to respond and just replied:


    "Probably not ...", well they didn''t see him but his clothes ... .


    "So, where are you? I am already waiting for you here."


    "Yes, that''s why I called, I just entered from the chimchar avenue, and all I see are trees, where should I go next, can you tell me?"


    "Yeah, sure until you come across ..."


    "Ok, good thanks, I will be there in a few minutes!"


    After the call, Arthur quickly found the river and the bridge Gary mentioned to him. It was at a crossroad, and the left direction would lead him to where Gary was.


    While crossing the bridge he suddenly heard a splashing sound in the water below him. He looked for the source of that noise but when he bent over the wooden fence he just found a ... Magicarp!


    The situation was too strange for Arthur and he felt goosebumps rising on his back. He quickly turned around to get away as far as possible.


    And just when he was sure of his safety he heard someone''s whisper in the distance behind. It was a very quiet whisper, as if the person was far way yet he could understand every word spoken clearly and without faults:


    "Don''t despair young carp, it doesn''t matter who you are or where you are from but who you want to be and where you want to go next!"


    Goosebumps! His hair stood straight on his neck and his most inner core shook when the words reverberated in his head. He looked back absent-mindedly but ... there was no one there ...


    "I-I should better hurry up, ha haha!", Arthur gulped down his saliva and quickened his pace.


    ....


    After a little while but without any further hiccups on the road, an unbelievable scene was painted in his eyes.


    He finally found Gary, now visible again and with all his clothes on, squatting on the ground and surrounded by a sea of Pokemon!


    Caterpie, zigzagoon, bellossom and many other Pokemon gathered around him as he fed each one with some food. He seemed fully immersed in the act of feeding them and taking care of them.


    After a moment Gary suddenly looked up and noticed Arthur:


    "There you are! I already wondered when you would finally arrive hahaha!"


    "Yes, eh, took some time to find this place. Do you always feed Pokemon around this area?", he asked nervously.


    "Sometimes I do haha, but this, is something different. What''s wrong? Never seen so many at once?"


    "Yeah, well ...", Arthur''s experiences with large hordes of Pokemon weren''t the best.


    "Don''t worry, these ones are docile. They won''t attack if you won''t either. It might even arouse them if you behave so nervously around them. They can feel and notice your feeling and will get alarmed, so just relax."


    "K, sure, just relax.", he tried to change the topic and forget his uneasiness,


    "So, at that time in the Umami King, did you really just disappear into thin air? Was that ... Infinity Force?", that was the only possible thing that might make some sense.


    "Bullseye! Yeah, it''s a special Infinity Force Technique. I can teach it to you when you are ready, but now you have other challenges you need to take care of first! Come and sit on my place! And also take off your clothes! Hahahaha!"


    Arthur just smiled wryly. At least there was no one around to bother them, he thought to himself "Sigh!"


    He hesitatingly approached the crowd of small creatures and took off his shirt and trousers.


    "Why do I have to do this again?", Arthur said through clenched teeth. Ever since his accident in the forest, he felt a small fear rising up every time when approaching Pokemon too close. Even at home he kept a definite distance from Mr.Nyao, just to be sure. Everyone in his life was accustomed to them like they were as natural as air and light. But there was a small spirit inside him that still preached caution.


    "Did you forget? The Infinity Energy in the space, gathering it to you to form Natural Energy ..."


    "Yes, yes I got that part, I mean this here! And how were you able to gather them up in the first place?", it wasn''t rare for him to encounter Pokemon on the way here but they hadn''t been this curious or trusting towards him.


    "Ah, yes. There are special objects that make such things a lot easier. Have a look towards that spot over there," he explained while pointing his finger.


    Arthur followed the direction and found a small device which continuously released a faint pink gas.


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    "Scientists have tried determining the composition of the move Sweet Scent and came across a key component which could be synthesized chemically. It isn''t as effective as the original molecule but it shows decent effects on weaker Pokemon as you can see.


    As for the reason why, its to facilitate and accelerate your training a little. It isn''t really orthodox and isn''t recommended officially because of possible accidents hehe, but you see Pokemon als discharge a small amount of Infinity Energy and increase the overall concentration by nearly 10% !"


    "Oh, ok.", Arthur nodded his head and sat at the prepared spot. The Pokemon closed in on him and looked curiously at the new arrival but didn''t ... attack him. He heaved a sigh of relieve. They just moved around him, some poked at his naked skin and he even felt something crawling up his back and making his head into its new resting place.


    "It''s said that wandering sages or monks in the mountains already knew of this fact and tried living their lives as closely as possible with Pokemon to reach a higher state of existence ...", Gary kept explaining without noticing Arthur''s state of mind and current predicament.


    "Higher state of ... what?"


    "It doesn''t matter. Just don''t tell anyone about our little activity here, especially the clothing part, kay? As you saw, people aren''t used to this hahaha."

 26 Useless

    "Would I always need to ... take off my clothes for this stuff?", Arthur''s uneasiness returned.


    "Eh, no, if you reach a certain level it wouldn''t matter either way, but you aren''t ready for that. Baby steps first."


    "You see, usually children learn the methods stubbornly by the textbook without understanding what''s actually important during breathing. The results are pathetic in the beginning but over time they slowly develop a better sensitivity for the correct execution with increased understanding of the theoretical knowledge behind everything.


    Sadly, we don''t have time for that in your special case. It wouldn''t work if I just told you what to do. You also need to understand it with your body and soul if you want to make real progress!


    "Even with intense training a normal person would still need a couple of months at the very least to sense the energy particles around them. The reason why I am attempting it though is ... your strong sense of awareness!"


    "My, my awareness?", was that a compliment?


    "Your energy perception to be exact. Or that''s what I assume you have developed somehow. Otherwise you shouldn''t have stood a chance against that Rico brat at all. Yet you got a hit on him, a Infinity force practitioner and even saw his energy enforced attack coming."


    Arthur felt insulted and appreciative at the same time now.


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    "Does that mean that I have superpowers? Is that rare"


    "Hmm, superpowers? No. It isn''t very rare but also not common. Especially in your age at the least. I can imagine that your little trip into the Viridian Forest unearthed some deep hidden potential in your body haha! Maybe it''s because of the enormous stress you had to go through. Aren''t there always stories about the people showing unusual powers in emergency situations? Whatever, the most important thing is that you learn to take advantage of this ability.


    "Can this help with my Infinity Force training?"


    "Of course! If your perception were to mature sensing and possibly manipulating the energy particles would become a piece of cake for you! Well, right now, it won''t give you that many boons. But it could help you understand what it really means to ''breathe''. Only then can you take the first step in your training.


    Arthur did as ordered and ignored the last remark. He slowly breathed in, expanding his abdomen, and breathed out, clearing out his CO2.


    "Ignore all sounds, scents or any signals in your surroundings and only concentrate on my voice. In general there are four principles when it comes to breathing methods: Accumulation, Purification, Concentration and Conversion. You aren''t ready for any of those, but we can try and see if you can do the initial steps of the accumulation phase.


    Imagine yourself in this place right now in your mind. Imagine yourself sitting in a crowd of Pokemon with ... a weedle sleeping on your head, pfff hahah!"


    "Gary!"


    "Okay, okay, serious-mode activated! Hahaha ehem, imagine yourself in this beautiful small place surrounded by the peaceful Pokemon. Imagine my grand manly picture talking to you. Imagine the river in the distance, the endless trees here, the blue sky, the faint wisps of wind travelling through this garden. And then ... erase it."


    Arthur wrinkled his eyebrows and wanted to ask when Gary continued:


    "Erase the feelings of your skin, erase the noise in the background, erase the wonderful scenery piece by piece. River, water, stones, ground, sky, wind, the grass and the trees. The Pokemon, the ground you are sitting on and myself included. Erase them all from your mind. What is left?"


    "Nothing ...", Arthur whispered under his breath. He saw himself floating in a black void, continuously breathing in and out.


    "Perfect. But is there really nothing else? Try to concentrate on some spot."


    He tried. He looked around in this endless void but everything was just ... empty. He only saw himself and nothing el... Suddenly his mind noticed a faint movement in a corner. It might have been just his imagination though.


    "What''s wrong? What happened?", Gary noticed his sudden puzzlement.


    "There was something moving, I am not sure, was nothing probably..."


    "No! That''s good! Zoom in on that and observe further!"


    Arthur''s vision closed in on the spot he saw just now and then he dicovered ... something glittering.


    "There is something glittering, almost like weak sparks."


    "Zoom in! Further! Even further!", Gary ordered excitedly.


    Arthur tried his best and his concentration rose to the extreme! Everything was blended out except for that glittering part of the space which was approaching him as time passed. Breathing became harder and harder and his brows wrinkled even more because of his increasing focus. The mental strain this action put on him became more and more difficult to control. But ... he succeeded!


    The glittering came to an end as he finally approached the mysterious goal, and what revealed itself before him was a ball. A ball of light. A small glowing particle actually that moved around in no specific order. It just moved around endlessly in the infinite darkness around them.


    "What do you see?", Gary asked in a soft voice anticipating the result.


    "A small ball of light. It doesn''t do much, it just moves around and that''s it."


    "That''s it?! Arthur, you see a small ball of light in your mind and that''s it?! That''s huge?! Your energy perception must have helped you detect it otherwise I can''t imagine a novice seeing an Infinity particle on his first try! WOW! I couldn''t do that! What colour does it have?"


    "Hm, white, why do you ask?"


    "Hmm, white is it ... forget it, it''s too early."


    "What do I do now?"


    "Ah, yes, the next crucial step is, attracting it! You need to influence the particle towards your position!"


    "Okay."


    Arthur tried concentrating on the particle a little more, imagining a hand that grabbed the particle ... but that didn''t work out. Then he tried a rope wrapping around the particle and pulling it towards himself ... nope, no success either. He tried a couple more mental pictures but none really worked out. The particle didn''t even stop or showed any kind of signs of having been influenced anyhow. The longer it took and the more he tried, the greater the strain on his body was and in the end the pain was just too much.


    Sweat poured down his body like a river as he opened his eyes again. His breathing was unsteady, almost like that of a person who had run a marathon. The weedle on his head was gone, and Arthur felt like collapsing and taking a small short nap on the spot.


    "Hahaha, I see you are quite exhausted. Normal, I guess when overusing your 6th sense. You will get used to it. What happened? Did you manage it?", Gary asked while giving him a bottle of water.


    "No, huh huh huh, couldn''t huh huh do it huh huh ...", Arthur exlaimed while leaning back with his arms on the ground. The water reminded him of how thirsty he actually was.


    Gary frowned a little:


    "What do you mean exactly? Do you mean you could and then stopped because of the exhaustion?"


    "No, huh huh ...", he calmed a little," I couldn''t do it at all. It just didn''t work out no matter how I tried."


    "No signs of a reaction?"


    "No."


    "Hmmm, that''s not good."


    "Why?", Arthur didn''t like direction the conversation was going.


    "How do I explain it hmm ... You know, when I first started practicing breathing with my grandpa, I didn''t see anything like you in the beginning. And even in the later stages my sight didn''t increase by much. But I kinda sensed the particles around me after a while. I felt them, their existence, and I could also attract them and absorb them. Do you see my point? Our perspectives are completely reversed. I couldn''t see them at all but attract them. You are clearly able to observe them but ..."


    "Not control them?"


    "Exert some basic form of influence on them at least."


    "And that''s bad?", Arthur asked agitated.


    "Huuu, Arty, haha, my friend, being able to see Infinity particles, even if your ability isn''t very advanced in its current from is a huge achievement! You have surpassed most kids who tried their hardest for months or possibly years exercising breathing to even reach half of your awareness level. It''s the first step after all and integral for all the following steps after that. But ... ", Gary stopped suddenly and looked uneasy. As if he was the messenger of a death sentence, he just didn''t know how to convey it properly without making the prisoner worried. This worried Arthur even more.


    "Just say it please.", Arthur prepared himself for the worst.


    "But without any way of attracting the particles, and only seeing the particles is kind of ...


    Arthur buried his face in his hands and said:


    "Useless."


    "Useless."


    " ... "


    "..."


    "The funny thing is that everyone has some talent at attracting particles. It''s a natural function of our bodies yet the fact that you aren''t able to show any visible signs probably means that ..."


    "I have garbage talent, you don''t need to say it, I get it, sighhhh", Arthur interrupted him.


    "Well, I wouldn''t say garbage talent. Garbage isn''t a very nice word.", Gary tried consoling him.


    "Garbage is garbage, no way to mistake it. So I have a hidden ability to see these particles but it doesn''t give me any advantages? Even worse my talent for breathing is lower than, seemingly everybody else?"


    " ...", Gary kept his silence, not knowing how to respond.


    "So the chances of me learning Infinity force are very low?"


    "Not necessarily. It just means that you need to put even more effort into it and that it may take even more time to achieve the average results. Possibly years. I am sorry."


    "Is there no other way?", Arthur asked desperately grabbing for the last straws.


    "Nope, well there are some, but they very very costly and currently out of your reach."


    "Forget it then."


    "Its okay Arthur, not everyone can be a great genius like me.", Gary tried to console him somehow, "I am sure you will be a great Pokemon Trainer anyhow. Just take yourself a little more time, remember, step by step.


    "No, I can''t ...", Arthur mumbled frustrated and threw his gaze onto the ground.


    "What did you say?", Gary asked back.


    "N-nothing.", it was hard for Arthur to explain Gary why he felt this sense of urgency towards learning the control of his natural energy. It was clearly the right path, his guts told him so. Nevertheless he couldn''t change anything about the results. The way things stood right now, it would take a long time for him to learn Infinity Force and find out more about these mysterious thoughts in his mind.


    "If you don''t mind I ... I would like to go home now ...", Arthur said and changed his clothes.


    Before Gary could even say anything Arthur was gone from that small tranquil place.


    "Sheeesh, kids these days. I know it''s disappointing but, why the rush? He should enjoy his youth some more ..."

 27 Swiss Cheese!

    Countless thoughts plagued Arthur''s mind. His past as a child, his troubles and the stress that had accumulated when taking care of his family''s burden, the accident and the aftermath until now. His head felt as if a storm was brewing inside, and everytime he believed he had grasped a thought it would turn into fine dust once more. A headache was coming again.


    "Not again ... huh ...", it was yet the second time this happened already. The first time was after he had fought against Rico, the nausea and the pain nearly made him collapse at that time. He supported his head with his hands but it wasn''t much better.


    He resisted and tried remaining clear-headed, taking one step at a time ahead. He didn''t want to make his mum worry again or go back to the hospital. After a couple of seconds passed by he finally shook himself free of the mind attack.


    "What the heck is wrong with me ...", he leaned against a tree and sighed out.


    Right after leaving Gary behind, which he kind of felt sorry about, his mind got attacked by a sharp pain and a flood of different emotions and memories hit him like a truck. He felt familiar about them but the moment he tried concentrating on them they vanished.


    When he was sure of his condition, Arthur checked his surroundings again and found himself lost in a labyrinth of green walls. He couldn''t even say which direction he had come from nor where the exit was. A possibility to escape his predicament was to call Gary, but Arthur still felt embarrassed about his quick departure and he didn''t want bother him right now.


    How difficult could it be to get out of a garden alone? He was a big boy already!


    10 minutes later, somewhere in the garden:


    "Oh shi1. What a great day. Losing my first Pokemon, endangering mum''s safety, being beaten by a snub and then finding out that my talent is garbage. And to top it of with a cherry, I got myself lost outside. Again ... WRAAAAAAA!", he could have destroyed a mountain with his frustration alone! Why was the world so unfair to him?!


    Just as he was about to give up and call Gary again to come and rescue him ... he heard a sharp hissing sound coming towards his left! His instincts kicked started by themselves and he unconsciously jumped towards the right and hit the ground! He heard a small *thud* as if something had shot into the mud and when he turned around to see what it was he discovered a couple of leaves stuck inside the brown earth.


    "Kyakakaka, you idiot, can''t you aim better? He had practically been standing still before you messed up!"


    "I messed up? You tellin'' me I messed up? I didn''t mess up, your stupid laughter just distracted me as fu¡ì$!"


    "If you didn''t mess it up, then it was your stupid Pokemon that messed up, kyakakaka!"


    "Kyakakakaa, I would like to see you trying, kyakakaka!"


    Two people appeared in Arthur''s line of sight, two boys a bit above his age. The one on the left was much taller, almost 2 meters tall, compared to the person on his right side who looked like 1,50 meters at best. He might have suspected the left guy to be an adult if it wasn''t for his childish face, a weak frame and the tattered clothes. He tried making a fierce expression but it looked even funnier because of his baby face.


    The right guy looked like a dwarf when standing next to his partner and his plump body shape didn''t decrease this impression at all. He had a wide grin on his face and his smile was evil like that of a predator examining its prey. He laughed madly in Arthur''s direction and Arthur might have laughed back at this ridiculous sight presented to him if the situation hadn''t been so tense.


    As the distance between the two parties shrank Arthur also spotted a small little creature next to the left guy. It had a weird thin body and two leaves at its sides but the strangest thing was still its yellow bell-like head. The proportions just didn''t match. Somehow Arthur felt that this Pokemon fit quite well into that group of people.


    "What are you looking at, bitch! Are you in awe of my homey here!", the giant shouted aggressively, in response to that the little Bellsprout raised its head and watched Arthur with condescending eyes.


    "Who are you clowns?", Arthur seemed unperturbed by this menacing lot. He had enough on his plate in the moment so he didn''t bother talking politely to someone who already tried attacking him. He wasn''t stupid. They had definitely planned to hurt him with that Pokemon attack before.


    "Who did you call a clown?!", the left guy got enraged.


    "Kyakakaka, it doesn''t matter who we are. You should better show more respect towards us! Because right now your life depends on our moods, kyakakaka!", the dwarf threatened without any veil of deception.


    "Enough with this shi1! I want to smash that guy''s head right now!"


    "Hey, hey, I don''t even know you guys! It doesn''t make sense!", Arthur felt an ominous sensation going through his body. Apprehension and fear of what was to come.


    "Kyaa, well, let''s just say that you have stepped on some toes, some really really big toes, you shouldn''t have stepped little boy", says the right person (pun not intended :))," and we are just here to ..."


    "Clean up the trash?", the over-grown guy suggested quizzically.


    "No, to clear up any misunderstandings that could have been left behind, kya kyakakakakaak!", and the dwarf fell into his mad laughter again.


    Arthur didn''t understand what kind of situation he was thrown into but it was enough to form one clear thought: Time to run!


    When he was about to step back and turn around, the dwarf shouted amused:


    "Not so fast, why the rush? Kyakaka, Chestnut, stop him!"


    Arthur didn''t care and wanted to get away but after making two steps towards the back region he heard that hissing sound again!


    "Shit!"


    This time his guts told him that it came from both directions and he had no other choice but to turn back and jump. Right in that moment two leaves hit the ground spot that he wanted to step on. Cold sweat dripped down Arthur''s back.


    "If you ain''t wanna become swiss cheese by my homey, I suggest you crawl on your feet to this king and fricking apologize!", the tall guy declared.


    "Chestnut, please, show dignity towards our ''friend''. The client only said to rough him up a little, not puncturing him with holes, kyakaka!"


    "Client? What client?", Arthur thought in his mind," and that guy''s name is Chestnut?


    "Let me guess, he is Chestnut so you''re ... Walnut?"


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    "Pfff, Walnut! Hahahaha!", chestnut couldn''t hold himself back.


    The dwarf''s face took on a red colour and his smile vanished instantly replaced by rage:


    "Shut up, you big pest! Well, I tried to show you some kindness, but it seems like you aren''t able to listen properly. Chestnut!"


    "Yes?"


    "Swiss cheese!"

 28 A game of cat and mouse!

    "Yes, hahahaha ... wait, huh, didn''t you say we shouldn''t blast him with holes before?", Chestnut asked with a dumb expression on his face.


    The dwarf leaned on his partner''s side and whispered impatiently:


    "I know what I said, idiot! I just wanted to threaten him a little!"


    "Ohh, is that so, hahah ha ... did you just call me an idiot?!"


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    "Don''t talk to me, attack him!"


    They turned their gazes back towards Arthur like hungry beasts. Ready to scare and beat the shit out of him they saw him holding something red in his hands.


    "Hey, what are you doing there, babyshit! Hazel, he is tryin'' to call a Pokemon!"


    "No, that can''t be. Our client said he didn''t have any Pokemon with him. He is poorer than us, kyakakaaka!", Hazel assured him confidently.


    "Ah, is that so, hahaah, Homey, Razor Leaf towards him! Lets end this shit right now!", Chestnut ordered boisterously.


    "Damn!", Arthur cursed and tried his best to avoid the green sharp projectiles. He had seen what force these leaves could bring about on mud and wood, he didn''t want to test it on human flesh though!


    Those hooligans already mentioned that they weren''t after his life, a fact which relieved him slightly, but if he didn''t dodge their attacks he might as well just forfeit his life right on the spot.


    He also didn''t want to get crippled and make his family worried again either. Escape was his only option, especially when considering the numerical advantage his enemies possessed.


    The only issue was that damned Bellsprout! In the beginning the Bellsprout made rotational movements with its sides each time when throwing out its leaves. They were targeted at him and Arthur could predict their trajectory and dodge them with timed jumps and side steps.


    The Bellsprout needed a short break of a couple of seconds after every couple shots, maybe to regenerate Arthur speculated, and the throwing speed was also rather slow. Comparable to a good frisbee throw at best.


    But as the distance shortened between the two parties the attacks arrived too fast to cope with!


    Arthur tried using the short breaks every time to retreat and enlargen their distances towards one another or to find a good shielding tree. But his enemies didn''t rest either and advanced with him!


    He fell on the muddy ground and as he watched his hands covered with dirt and sweat it reminded him of his time in the Viridian Forest again.


    Cold shivers ran up his spine as the hopelessness and the impending doom were overwhelming him and grabbing at his heart. Disabling him from taking any actions. But then ...


    "Stand up!", a familiar voice suddenly rang out in his head. A warm feeling showered his body and suppressed the negative thoughts from his mind. A newfound courage rose up in his heart and gave him the resolve to continue! Arthur gathered himself again to seek for shelter.


    Returning to the situation at hand, the other problem was that even if he could see where the attacks were going to hit him, he still couldn''t dodge every single one of the shots in succession! His perception was excellent but his reaction speed suffered because of his exhausted weak body!


    "Aaaaarg!!!", Arthur suddenly shouted loudly and fell onto the ground. His arms and legs took on most of the impact but the greatest pain came from his back region.


    With clenched teeth he pulled out a flat crusty object stuck on his back on the left side.


    It was one of the leaves the Bellsprout had attacked him with, blood stained its corners with success. This time it got its target right.


    The shape of it reminded him slightly of a boomerang with a certain angle in the middle enabling special curving trajectories. Instead of a fresh green colour, Arthur discovered a faint yellowish pattern slowly spreading across the leaves'' surface. Along with the visual change he felt the object crumbling, turning from a solid disc-like shard into a brittle cookie!


    He didn''t have time to contemplate more as his situation was still highly insecure. He swiftly stood up, mustering up his remaining strength to continue fleeing.


    After several minutes had gone by, his clothes were already torn on many sides and qualified for the trash!


    "Chestnut! Why does it take you so long! Has your Pokemon gone blind?!"


    "Shut Up! That babyshit is as sneaky as a rat! But that won''t be the case for long now, hahaha! Homey, don''t shoot at him, cut of his path of retreat instead!"


    As if the Bellsprout had understood its human partner''s intentions it suddenly stopped attacking Arthur directly.


    Arthur took advantage of this rare peaceful moment to take a deep breath of oxygen.


    He was hiding behind a lonely tree, and his wider surroundings didn''t offer anything that could have been used as a cover.


    Even worse, he couldn''t take chances to make a sprint forward either.


    The Bellsprout had changed its target and directed its leaves so that they would hit the path in front of him. Getting blasted by a wave of green shuriken was a fate he couldn''t resist!


    Another shot and he would be down for good.


    "This is the end mothafu$£¤a!!! End of our little game and your little life hahahaha!"


    "He is right, young one! Why be so stubborn? Just come out and take it like a real man. We promise, we will leave you your most precious organs intact, kyakakaka!"


    The two ruffians mocked and intimidated Arthur now that they had grasped victory.


    "If you surrender peacefully, we could negotiate a bit. We aren''t monsters are we Chestnut?", Hazel suggested with a pseudo professional tone in his voice but the most hideous smile possible combined.


    "Listen to me kid, I will crush your nuts and turn you into a goddamn pussy when I catch you! Hahahaha!!!"


    Just when everything seemed certain and without any room for doubts to appear something unexpected happened.


    Arthur emerged from his hiding spot but contrary to the gangsters initial amused ideas, he didn''t come to surrender.


    He came to fight.


    "Aaaaaarrr!"


    Arthur gathered all his courage and turned his direction back, directly towards the Bellsprout.


    "Pfft, hahahaha, his mind has gone nuts, having a death wish, ehh?", Chestnut exclaimed astounded.


    "Poor young mind, couldn''t handle the stress and lost all reason.", Hazel commented sympathetically. There wasn''t any other explanation for why the boy who was constantly running away before had changed his mind to tackle on a direct confrontation.


    But if they could read Arthur''s mind and understand his actions, they would be dumbstruck instead!


    "Homey, silence that bitch and teach him some manners yo!", Chestnut ordered.


    As expected, the next round of shots flew all towards Arthur''s body. Without any hindrance they would hit him hard several times in a row!


    Yet when the two clowns saw the scene playing out in front of them,


    they might have slapped themselves to consider waking up from this dream. But it wasn''t a dream!


    The sound they heard didn''t resemble the ripping of flesh. It was more like, the smashing of cups!

 29 Last-Minute Hero

    Every time the projectiles met his fists or arms they were simply brushed off like annoying paper planes and broken down into bits and pieces!


    "Is-is that kid made of steel? What the heck is goin'' on?!", Chestnut shouted with eyes wide open.


    "This, this is not possible, he was clearly hit several times already, how come not one finishes him off now?", Hazel muttered absent-mindedly. He couldn''t make heads or tails of this situation either.


    ...


    Right before the moment Arthur stepped out of the shadow, a sudden flow of knowledge had flooded into his brain accompanied by a new well of energy! Like a critically dehydrated man in the desert an oasis appeared in his mind and gave him newfound strength to survive! He wasn''t sure about the origin of this sensation, it felt familiar and yet distant to him.


    Anyway, it didn''t seem to impact Arthur negatively so he accepted it and could finally calm down his restless heart for once in this fast paced dangerous environment.


    Somehow thoughts arose in his head which then linked themselves with other stray thoughts that seemed unrelated before but now fitted together to depict a much clearer picture and path forward for him!


    "The decaying leaves, the continues attacks, the breaks ... AHHH! So that''s it!", he screamed in his thoughts loudly,


    "To successively generate new leaves, throw them off with enough kinetic energy so that they hurt and also to target a moving object, that must be enormously difficult to achieve for any Pokemon!".


    He had been hit quite a couple of time already but what he only realized now was that each hit didn''t have the same impact and force as the others did while still maintaining the same shape!


    "This Bellsprout is attacking too inefficiently and wastes huge amounts of energy! The breaks take longer and longer and the leaves can''t even remain in their solid forms anymore after having been unleashed. It''s just that its trainer is too stupid to see that or maybe ... maybe they never had fights this long before under these circumstances.", Arthur analysed the situation and came to a conclusion,


    "Anymore and these objects will burst apart the moment they sent them off! But by that time they could act on other plans and catch me off guard. I have to take this opportunity now!"


    He gritted his teeth and decided to bite the bullet head on!


    "AAAAAAARRRR"


    He decided to get back at them with a surprise attack! He couldn''t outrun them due to his low stamina but if he moved fast and took out the Bellsprout, maybe he could buy enough time for ''him''!


    "Krgh!", the first one of the shots hit his elbow and left a small bruise. It hurt, but not as much as before.


    Then the third came, and the fourth and fifth but ... they all broke off! He swung out his right arm lightly and they just fell apart like a house of cards!


    After a while the leaves didn''t even target him anymore and flew off into all kinds of directions.


    "What''s wrong with your Pokemon idiot! Tell him to attack him now! He is like fish on a silver plate, how can he miss that?!", Hazel couldn''t help but curse at Chestnut''s incompetent partner.


    "I-I don''t know, and don''t you dare call him idiot, you dumbass!", Chestnut defended his Bellsprout. But he wasn''t sure about this unexpected situation either. How did things turn out like this???


    Before any one of them could react though or take any action, Arthur arrived in front of the Bellsprout and lunged his right fist at Bellsprout''s eyes!


    He wasn''t sure about its weak spots but if he could take out the Bellsprout''s visual senses, then maybe he might stand better chances against the rest of the goons.


    "Homey, Vine Whip!", Chestnut barked out in fright.


    Just as Arthur''s fist made contact with the head of the Bellsprout, a sudden small force punched into his chest and made him fly a couple of meters away!


    "Hahaha, are you a baby from the kindergarten? Did you think my homey only knew how to use razor leaf? Children are still as naive as ever! Hahahaha."


    "Huhh, hehehee ....kyakakaka!!!", Hazel sighed out in relief and fell back into a mad laughter again,


    "I must compliment you for your little plan, or maybe luck? Whatever it was, your time has run out now. So stop wasting ours and receive the righteous punishment for defying noble blood!"


    "Noble ... blood ... cough ... cough", Arthur had troubles standing back up from the ground. His clothes were torn apart, and cuts and bruises were evenly distributed all over his body. If his doctor could see him in this moment, he might think he had travelled back in time and witnessed the Arthur from after the accident again!


    Arthur felt hopelessness and critique washing over himself. It was true, it was stupid to believe the Bellsprout didn''t have more attacks in his repertoire available. The vine whip probably weakened as well with decreasing endurance and power but a punch this close ... still hurt like hell.


    He just didn''t think of it! His experience in Pokemon combat was just too lacking. In the Viridian forest, as far as he remembered, he was mostly on the run. People might think he was stupid for entering a dangerous zone without any Pokemon or back-up, but he still had enough reason left to avoid any direct confrontations with wild Pokemon!


    "Hmpf, I told you, things could have developed in a much better way. But who am I to lecture a naive, uneducated brat! Finish him off!", Hazel commanded with a sneer on his face.


    "Finally bitch! You dared to attack my homey


    UNDER


    MY


    WATCH!


    My homey is here for revenge, take a taste! HEAD BUTT!!!"


    Arthur had trouble keeping his vision straight, his eyelids too exhausted to remain open. He saw the Bellsprout rooting its feet for a little moment into the earth, steering its bell shaped head in his direction and then ... storming up to him in a sprint!


    "Shit ...", Arthur knew what was going to happen. He wanted to escape or just dodge yet his body didn''t want to listen to him. Fate was just too cruel ... He closed his eyes, held his hands over his head protectively to avoid any serious brain damages and braced himself for impact,


    "I hope I don''t end up in a wheelchair sigh ...", with clenched teeth, and pressed eyelids, he slowly counted down from 10 to 0. Just to distract himself for that small inescapable moment.


    "10


    9


    8


    7


    6


    5


    4


    3


    2


    1


    ...


    ...


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    ...


    ...


    huh?", he was sure he got the distance and the speed right. He should have been smashed into a meat paste by now. What was his executioner waiting for he asked himself. As nothing was happening, Arthur hesitatingly opened his to check out the situation.

 30 The sound of laughter

    The mysterious Pokemon had grabbed the Bellsprout on its head with its own silvery claws and stopped it from moving any further. The Bellsprout struggled to break out of this confinement and threw its leafy arms at its enemy - but to no avail.


    The mysterious Pokemon strengthened its grip around the Bellsprout, shifted its hips and shoulders into a pitcher''s stance and ... flung that yellowish Pokemon over everyone''s heads into the far distance!!!


    "Brrrrroooorrrrrr!!!!", an odd scream escaped the Bellsprout''s mouth as its image became smaller and smaller in Arthur''s eyes.


    "Hooomeyyyyyy!!!", Chestnut shouted desperately as he witnessed his partner being handled like a baseball. His eyes burned wild, full of worry and rage. For a moment his frustration was set on Arthur but then quickly returned to the Bellsprout still in the air.


    "Damned bitch, consider yourself lucky, tch!", he cursed at Arthur and decided to run after his Pokemon and try and save it.


    Yet, before he could do that, before anyone even realized and processed what had occured seconds ago, the next shocking thing happened.


    The mysterious Pokemon, seemingly dead set on finishing the Bellsprout, dashed suddenly towards a tree, climbed up the bark like a ninja and vanished from their vision inside the sea of green. While the people on the ground still wondered where it went to or wether it would come back, a shadowy figure was seen moving in between the tree''s verdant curtains.


    "It-it it''s following the Bellsprout!", Hazel recovered his voice again and determined the destination of the mysterious Pokemon. The Pokemon jumped quickly from one tree to another as if it was the king of forest hiding in the shadows, reigning in the dark. Only the rustling of leaves and glimpses of of its shape proved its existence.


    But when the Bellsprout apparently reached the highest height in its forced flight, the king of the shadows showed himself personaly!


    The mysterious Pokemon jumped out of a tree and perfectly intercepted the Bellsprout in its trajectory! However, instead of a chaotic collision, the unknown figure pulled back its two extended claws to gather force and then ... started a wild swiping massacre!


    The two claws scratched and swiped at the Bellsprout''s body in an infinite loop, a never-ending bloody feast! The Bellsprout tried defending against this torrent of hits but his small resistance was broken through as soon as it was established!


    "NOOOO! STOOOPPP!", Chestnut cried out in disbelieve at the horror his partner had to experience, at the same time a slight pain attacked his mind making his face slightly paler.


    "Damn, do something you imbecile! Order your stupid Pokemon to attack back, idiot!", Hazel shouted at Chestnut, awakening him from this short trauma.


    Shortly before the two fighters neared the ground again, the dark Pokemon used the Bellsprout as a springboard and narrowly escaped the impact neatly to a safe spot. The Bellsprout on the other hand didn''t have so much luck and hit the earth with its heavy head first causing a small wave of dirt to be thrown into the surroundings.


    Silence covered the battlefield for some moments before a heavy cry resounded in the forest:


    "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!", Chestnut sprinted towards the small bowl that formed after the impact. He fell onto his knees and pulled the Bellsprout''s body into his arms,


    "NOOOOO, what have you mothafuckas done??!!!", Chestnut became his hysteric and his breathing turned heavier.


    The Bellsprout was covered with tons of cuts, green liquids leaking out of those wounds and showing no reactions to its partner''s shaking or shouting.


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    On the other side of the battlefield, Arthur still questioned his sense of reality:


    "What the heck did just happen?", he was almost standing before death''s doors again and then an unknown saviour appeared out of the blue and defeated the Pokemon he struggled so hard with?


    Speaking of unknown saviour, his head moved towards the place where the dark figure landed before. It was still vigilantly observing its target, the Bellsprout, making sure that it didn''t make an unexpected comeback.


    At first Arthur''s eyes were quite hurt and covered with dirt and dust from the falling and fighting against his now defeated enemies. But now he had enough time to clean his face and recover a bit of his vision. His sight set on the mysterious figure, he recognized the body outline somehow but still couldn''t make out the identity of his saviour. Then an image flickered in his mind. The image of a Pokemon he attempted to find and bring back home since the beginning. This image and picture in front of him overlapped and suddenly a light went on in his head:


    "Sniebel *cough*!!!", Arthur gasped, his chest and lungs still hurting. But it was true! He finally discovered his first supposedly Pokemon Partner! Was it a coincidence? Fate? Whatever, he was happy he got rescued anyway.


    "Shit, and here I thought you would be easy game. This Pokemon is yours? What a nice specimen of a Sniebel. It would be great to sell it for a high price, nobles and rich people love exotics like these. It''s getting harder to smuggle their kinds because of increasing species protection laws nowadays. It must be my lucky day I presume kyakakaakaka!", a familiar mad laughter echoed in Arthur''s ears.


    The Sniebel either felt the hostility Hazel sent in his directions or knew he was talking about him. No matter what, the prey had changed in the Sniebel''s eyes and he sent glares back at Hazel.


    "Kriiiiiier!", it tried making a threatening sound.


    "What, you want to attack me? Kyakakaak, know your place you vile beast!", Hazel provoked the Sniebel, pulling its attention all on himself.


    Arthur felt something was wrong. Hazel suddenly got an air of confidence, but where did that come from? His partner''s Pokemon was unconscious so what could he ...


    "No, *cough cough*, Sniebel you have to ...", but before Arthur could give voice to his doubts the unpredictable took place.


    "Super Sonic!", Hazel barked out an order, but who was the receiver?


    The Sniebel was confused but his attention was still fixed at the human in front of him. Then all of a sudden, he heard a scream from an unknown direction:


    "Triiiieeeerrrhhhh!", his visions began turning blurry and the images doubled and superimposed with each other repeatedly! A weird laughter came out of that human''s mouth:


    "Kyakakakaka!", but this time it resounded from all directions and clashed inside Sniebel''s head! His senses were in complete chaos and it was difficult for the Sniebel to gain even balance on the ground!


    Arthur could only see Sniebel tumbleing on its two feet but when he remembered Hazel''s command he would be an idiot if he didn''t understand what had happened. As if to confirm his thoughts, a small blue-ish flying creature appeared, leaving its secret hideout within the shades of the trees to fly circles above their heads.


    "Kyakakakaka! What''s with that stupid face, little boy? Did it dawn upon you? Did you finally realize your own stupidity? Kyakakaka, you never had chance here boy! Let me tell you an advice, always keep a trump card and never reveal it too early, kyakakakaka! This Zubat here is my precious companion! Did you think I wouldn''t have one as well? Too late now, but like I said you never stood a chance, even if you escaped that dumb Bellsprout. You were like a Pokemon playing on a plate we had on our hands all the time, kyakakaaka!"


    "And now, let me surprise you once more, kihihihihakakaka!", an omnious feeling swept over Arthur as he heard Hazel''s hideous cackling laughter.


    "Houndour, reveal your majesty! Grace these primitives with a Fire Spin!", and in response a wild roar filled Arthur''s ears and his world suddenly took on a red colour.


    "GRRROOOOUUUURR!!!"


    A Houndour appeared from the side stepping out from the shadows of the trees and announced its presence loudly.


    It was a Pokemon walking on four paws with short, black fur and a red underbelly and muzzle.


    Its ears and tail were both short and pointed. Two fangs protruded from its upper jaw, and there were white bands on its ankles, and rib-like ridges on its back. Its forehead appeared to have a sort of skull with the eye orbits creating eyebrow patterns above its actual eyes.


    (A/N: Description from Bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net)


    It opened its mouth wide, but instead of a cry, a fiery red energy gathered and shot forth in Arthur''s direction!


    Arthur''s heart stood frozen still and his eyes trembled seeing the fire cover his entire point of view.


    "F-f-fire, i-it''s everywhere ...", he mumbled weakly under his breath.


    The fire wasn''t aimed at his body but it engulfed his green surroundings in a circle including the Snibel.


    The heat on his skin and the temperature rose sharply all of a sudden, inside the ring of fire it felt like a sunny day had turned into a hot desert climate in matter of seconds. And it was still increasing!


    "Kyakakaka, that''s what you brought upon yourself young one! You dared going against your elders, even though we offered you survival!


    Now, even that has become questionable kuhuhu ...hahaha ...kyakaka!"


    "You!!! You deserve hell for hurting my homey!!!", Chestnut returned to Hazel''s side with bloodshot eyes. After his Bellsprout was back inside the Pokeball, he wanted to trash the guys responsible for its current sorry state.


    "Hunter, grab this chance and finish the Sniebel, then have some fun with our young friend ok?"


    The houndour confronted the Sniebel, while entering the battle inside the ring.


    "Groooouurrr!", it bellowed out monstroulsy, happy to unleash carnage on the enemies by its master''s orders.


    "Sonic, keep Sniebel in check! We don''t want any unexpected situations to arise, you hear me?", Hazel asked his Zubat above them.


    "Triiiiiieeer!", it confirmed with a scream.


    The situation was getting depressing, after defeating one enemy, two more cropped up out of nowhere!


    Sniebel was still dizzy from the sonic attack earlier on and was constantly wary of the Houndour in in the front. The fire additionally weakened its physical and mental state and put a lot of stress making a counter-attack even harder.


    The Houndour used this opportunity and attacked aggressively with Bites or fiery Ember-shots from a mid-distance range.


    And everytime the Sniebel got too close or was about to do critical damage it got interrupted by the Zubat with long-distance attacks like Super sonic or Poison Sting.


    The Sniebel was seemingly intent on protecting Arthur for unknown reasons, but staying inside the fire ring any longer posed a much greater danger!


    ...


    Arthur all the while stared frightened at the fires surrounding them from all sides. The roars earlier put him in an anxious and traumatised state of consciousness.


    Deep seated memories from his time in the Viridian Forest resurfaced, and the Houndour reminded him of the beasts that hunted him down till the last of his breaths. The pain and the terror caused by the struggle for his life nearly overwhelmed him and robbed him of his sanity. He was after all just a 12 year old child ...


    But the worst of his fears and memories that slowly flashed by his eyes wasn''t triggered by them.


    No, it wasn''t. It was the red orange flames that embraced his body with a welcoming warmth, seducing his senses, numbing the pain and inviting his mind to fall into a peaceful yet deadly sleep.


    In this moment of savage terror and calming heat, pictures and sounds crawled out from his deep sea of consciousness. Images he had buried for years out of sorrow and regret which made his whole mind and body shiver at the same time.


    He knelt on the ground with one hand half-covering his face:


    "Dad ... I-I am sorry ...", Arthur''s eyes got cloudy and tears dripped down the corners of his eyes as he whispered with his weakened voice,


    "I-I can''t do this dad. I am *hurgh* ... not strong enough. I promised ... but I am not strong *sob sob*.


    The scenery changed in front of his eyes and he found himself back in the hospital. The room was dim-lit and before him lied a man in a grave condition on the bed. Tubes and needles were bound to his arms and torso. The machines made regular high-pitched sounds in the background.


    His body downwards his head was covered in bandages yet his head and face were damaged as well. Burns and scars covered his facial features and it might have been impossible for a stranger to recognize this man as a living human being.


    "D-ad, I-I can''t ...", Arthur instantly recognized the looks of his father.


    The man suddenly raised his head up and looked straight into Arthur''s eyes:


    "My son, you have to do this ... YOU HAVE TO PROMISE ME!", the last words blasted into Arthur and threw him throughout the room. He crashed into a white wall, yet it crumbled away without any resistance and left nothing but dust behind!


    Arthur felt how he was falling down a deep abyss, the darkness grabbing at his arms and ankles, head and legs, however, he was too weak and couldn''t break free from the grips that pulled him down into the gates of Tartarus.


    The last thought that passed through his mind before it faded into nothingness was a heart-wrenching plea, a plea for help:


    "Please ..., god ..., someone ..., whoever there is ..., please ..., save me!!!"


    ....


    The situation on the field didn''t improve at all, on the contrary, it got even worse. Sniebel''s senses grew dull because of the growing heat and his reaction couldn''t keep up with Houndour''s attacks. Sniebel was in a harsh position where it received more damage than he dealt back and the continuing Fire Spin as well as the annoying Zubat prevented any sort of progress. If it went on like this ...


    "Hahahaha, you dumbasses pissed off the wrong people here! There are just some things in this motherfu?!ing world that you need to respect! Myself included, you ass-lickers!", Chestnut kept spouting foul-mouthed nonsense to vent his frustration, and bathed in the misery that the stupid boy and his Pokemon currently experienced.


    His life hadn''t been better, growing up as an orphan, getting kicked out from family to family and finally learning the ways of the streets. But it was in that last section of his life where he also learned the most valuable lessons: ONLY THE STRONGEST SURVIVE!


    The one and only rule that ever mattered and that he stuck to. That kid, it was his own fault for being weak and getting beaten around by them. Even if they hadn''t been sent out, somebody else would have done the job and the results would have been the same.


    "Maybe he will learn his lessons in his next life ...", Chestnut didn''t feel sorry for killing a helpless child and was ready to get out from this shithole to eat a big fat Umami Burger with tripple cheese and extra onions in the next best store asap ...


    Hazel similarly reveled in triumph and victory. This small mission turned out to be more burdensome than initially expected. Partially due to false missing information. Definitely a reason to demand extra money from his employer. When he thought about all the cash they got by getting rid of these small fries his mind was floating on clouds towards heaven!


    Just as both of the criminals thought the job was done and finished a weird sound awoke them from their sweet dreams. In the beginning it was only Hazel who thought he heard wrong, but then Chestnut also noticed something strange. A weird strange sound, that couldn''t possible exist yet still echoed into their ears. Something that came from the same direction where their enemies should be pleading for their lives, begging for mercy or even a quick death.


    What they heard was so strange and unfitting to this situation that goosebumps started rising on both of their bodies and their happy smiles turned into questioning looks with tiny hints of fear sprinkled all over.


    What they heard was happiness. It was delight. Elation. Anticipation. Optimism. Ecstasy ... Exhilaration ... EUPHORIA!

 31 Fire ... is dangerous!

    Laughter rang out and filled the woods to the brim. The laughter contained a huge mix of positive emotions that couldn''t be kept still and needed to be released out somehow. The source of that voice and the cause for the criminal''s distrust was the very same boy they had written off earlier, determined to be naive and seen as an easy job.


    And thus it perplexed both Hazel and Chestnut completetly how this weak-minded and inexperienced boy could laugh in such desperate times. Did he go crazy from all the stress?


    That was the only possible explanation both could think of at this moment. It wasn''t far-fetched for a young child to lose his sanity and become delusional after going through all the hardships they had thrown at him until now.


    It didn''t matter either way for them. His time remaining alive was running low, his fate sealed and carved into a solid stone. Heck, even a miracle was too late to save him now, only if a god-like personaly descended onto earth they might consider a retreat and call the the day off. But fat chance this was going to happen!


    .....


    The Fire Spin gradually cooled down and only small dancing fire snakes remained of the previous confinement of blazing heat. Houndour couldn''t keep up the attack for prolonged amounts of time and simultaneously fight a difficult enemy like that Sniebel!


    Even though it had been weakend greatly and kept firmly in check by Zubat it wasn''t on the level that Houndour could become carefree and let down its guards. The Sniebel''s claws were just as dangerous as they had been when finishing the Bellsprout earlier in the battle.


    Both Zubat and Houndour had witnessed the swift end of their comrade and knew to fear those claws and not let them make any sort of contact if possible. The Zubat was fairly safe, high up in the air, it was the Houndour that had suffered more than once under those deadly claws that were like the scythes of the reaper himself! Several bloodly wounds on its body being proof of their oppoents strenght and power!


    That''s why it needed to let go of the area created by Fire Spin to recharge its energy and keep the Sniebel busy while maintaining a safe distance.


    This lightened the burden on the boy and the Sniebel for a little but it didn''t change the stalemate they were currently in. Sniebel couldn''t keep fighting forever, while their enemies only stalled for time and deliberately elongated the fight and kept avoiding attacks instead of counter-attacking much.


    It was a clear plot targeting Sniebel''s stamina!


    Doubts flashed through its head but it couldn''t come to a real decision yet.


    It was in that moment that something unexpected happened. A huge change fell upon the boy''s body, whereafter the child suddenly started laughing madly without any obvious reason.


    The Sniebel wasn''t knowledgable about humans, but considering the grave situation both of them were currently stuck in, was there really any reason to laugh at all? Or did that child just go mad?


    Whatever it was, the Sniebel instinctively knew something major had happened to the boy. It''s senses were very sharp, sharper than most Pokemon it had ever crossed paths with. His senses had never betrayed him before, and right now they told him a big transformation had taken place inside that boy, for good or for worse.


    However, right now was a very bad for having any useless stray thought and quickly focused on the enemies it needed to deal with first.


    ...


    "HAHAHA hahahaha, hahahaha, hahaha, ha ha ... ha, huh ... huh!!!!", the boy kneeling on the ground spent all the breath in his lungs to laugh as much as he could, give a vent to all the pent up feelings he wasn''t able to unleash in any physical way possible before. He did it for as long as possible, savouring every breath in and out as if they could be his last ones on this earth.


    And damn was it refreshing!


    "Finally, I am out ... huhhhh!", he let out a long and satisfying sigh and made a wide grinning expression, resembling a prisoner that got out of jail and finally had a date with the outside world again, the air, the sunlight, his senses of touch, smell, hearing and sight.


    Even the fricking pain assaulting every inch of his body just reminded him of how good it felt to be alive! Had he turned into fetishist or what?!


    The image people would compare this boy with would be ... a mad man!


    His sigh slowly took on a more reserved tone, and in addition to the rather positive feelings, another pack of emotions formed up. At first slight confusion, then a little bit of anger and then even more resignation and helplessness.


    His wide smile curved up wrly, a far cry from the initial festive mood demonstrated by him.


    "Just how did everything turn out like this? Is this a joke, god?", he asked silently, not expecting an answer anyway.


    Memories flashed by in his mind, memories that Arthur shouldn''t possess and which he could never have dreamed of even in his wildest dreams!


    They couldn''t be experiences from a 12 year old child, no, they weren''t his to begin with!


    These memories belonged to a young man, born to spanish and german parents, raised in the big metropole city known as Frankfurt in Germany, west of Europe.


    He grew up loved by his family and with no desires at all, as all of them had been fulfilled already. He spent most of his time playing his super super super favourite ultimate game, the best game in the world you could say ... srsly, it''s the best, no doubt.


    But all this came to an abrupt end when a mysterious man with silver long hair appeared in his apartment, narrating a crazy story to him and presenting him with a wristband that got him into an even crazier situation, something he still couldn''t get over with easily.


    He set forth on a journey, or rather he was set on it forcefully, that began with him losing his flesh and ended with entering another persons dying body instead!


    He had stepped over the bridge of the endless void to cross into a completely different world filled with unbelievable fantastical creatures that people in his old world saw as fairy tales and characters of children''s fantasies!


    *Sighhhh*


    Atiqo had somehow made his way into the Pokemon World!


    "It really is ... the Pokemon World ...", he raised his head to look at the battle unfolding in front of his eyes. He recognised all of the creatures instantly, even though their plasticity and the realistic dimensions clashed with the images he was raised with, they still resembled the Pokemon he so dearly loved!!!


    "Zubat, Sniebel, Houndour ... they are real, they are really real, hahaha, I can''t believe it even if it happens right in front of my own eyes ... oh, no, not my eyes ...", his rising excitement took a turn for the worse because he was reminded of the state he was currently unwillingly stuck in.


    His own body was gone, and he had occupied another person''s body instead somehow. As ridiculous as it sounded, that was the inflexible reality for Atiqo right now!


    Atiqo''s mind was still in shambles, his memories all over the place, gradually coming back into the right order.


    After entering the vast dark space various forces snapped and bit at his body until nothing was left. And yet he still survived somehow and guided by yet another mysterious force he was put to sleep inside this child''s crippled and severely injured body!


    It was a deep slumber, and one that continuously kept his mind numb and still.


    After some time glimpses of the real world got sent into his consciousness somehow, his awareness redeveloped little by little. Pictures of a hospital, a huge city and a mansion filled his thoughts, but the things that truly made his spirit shiver with passion and excitement were these creatures everyone else seemingly took for granted!


    Heresy! Ungrateful bastards! Why don''t you kneel down and worship these incredible cute beings and offer your lives to them!?!?


    This and many other thoughts swirled through his mind space all this while.


    But the mysterious laws governing his sleep kept him from gaining more energy and he fell from his awakened state time and time again. Restraining him from fully awakening.


    It was only recently that this suppression weakened significantly and his self was able to gather enough strength to manifest itself more and more.


    It wasn''t long for Atiqo to realize that his strengthening stood in direct correlation with the weakening of this body''s main host consciousness, the young boy Arthur McNeal.


    Atiqo''s mind was slowly influencing Arthur''s behaviour and personality in several subtle ways, and vice verca.


    Even now Atiqo could still feel the emotional pain that this poor young child had been through. The loss of Arthur''s father hurting deeply in his heart as if these feeling belonged to Atiqo himself, it was very similar to his own experiences when losing his grandfather who had played a huge part in Atiqo''s live before.


    It was thanks to these experiences that Atiao wasn''t overwhelmed and swept up by the torrents of emotions barraging his heart.


    He could only feel sympathetic and great admiration for that young boy who shouldered so many burdens and troubles on his own.


    But it was ironically thanks to these negative struggles and traumas in Arthur''s psyche that Atiqo could gain more strength and influence over the command center.


    And finally it was Arthur himself who pleaded for help after not being able to handle the situation alone any longer. He literally granted Atiqo the permission to save him and take care of this mess, even though it happened unknowingly.


    Too many thoughts and ideas built up in Atiqo''s mind. Hundreds of questions arose but sadly there was no one to answer them. He could only faintly remember a message that that guy ... Cornelius was his name?


    Cornelius left a message, something that shouldn''t even be possible as Atiqo definitely didn''t forget him turning into light-dust right in front of his eyes!


    Anyway, a lot of crazy things occurred till now, what was a man''s ability to turn into luminous radiant particles even worth nowadays?


    "The message, urgh, what was it about again ...?", his head started hurting, throbbing every second since his reawakening now.


    He hadn''t recovered at all, all his senses were out of control and this made him feel very confused and sick.


    The problem was - Atiqo observed his surroundings with a worried expression - the situation at hand didn''t allow him any comfort or time to recuperate!


    The battle was getting very risky in this moment, Atiqo had watched all the events happening right through Arthur''s young eyes.


    One opponent down, two new appeared and put even more pressure on them.


    The Sniebel was evading the attacks from Zubat when possible and tried defeating the Houndour first. Smart plan, yet the enemies teamwork was flawless and drove the Sniebel into a tight corner.


    But Atiqo wasn''t worried about that, somehow he got the feeling that the Sniebel hadn''t yet gone all out, waiting for some fortunate opportunity maybe?


    That was the mistake!


    "L-listen ...ehrrrm...", Atiqo wasn''t used to this new body yet, even controlling his voice to speak felt very unfamiliar, even alien to him.


    "Am I still a human?", he silently wondered.


    "Cough cough! Ehrm, listen up Sniebel! You have to stop playing around and finish that Houndour already!", Atiqo reminded the fighting Sniebel urgently.


    The Snibel looked at that weird human child, what did it want now? It was the first time they communicated, so it looked back and threw confused glances at Atiqo.


    Yet Atiqo didn''t have the time and leisure to question wether communication with Pokemon was possible or not. He repeated with more strength to his words:


    "I don''t know if you realised it yet but Houndour is a damn Fire-Type Pokemon! You''re Ice/Dark! If that Houndour has recharged its battery you will be burned to a crisp, so hurry up and finish it!", he also didn''t have the time to coat his words in sugar and candy, every second was precious and couldn''t be wasted.


    His long years of playing Pokemon taught him that it was never a good omen or start when a Pokemon battled against another Pokemon with a type advantage.


    Of course things weren''t ''Black'' and ''White'' in the games


    (A/N: Pun not intended ^^)


    but continuing this battle for any longer would definitely play against them, and shove them deeper into the enemy''s trap!


    "Don''t worry! The Houndour is just a Paper Tiger! It''s base defense is only at a pitiful 35 points! Just dodge its fire attacks and finish it quickly!", he shouted out his tips and recommendations in case Sniebel didn''t hear him properly.


    Atiqo admitted it, he was a huge nerd when it came to Pokemon and was aware of a lot of important stats of most Pokemon in the game. Or at least of those he liked, like Houndour for example.


    The Houndour at this time looked confused in Atiqo''s direction. Did it just got insulted?


    Of course Atiqo''s analysis was deeply flawed, as several other factors also came into play determining the base stat values of Pokemon in the games.


    Maybe the Houndour had a higher level, was trained into a tank and might be able to battle for several more hours non-stop.


    Another problem was that his knowledge was only limited to the Pokemon world of the games! Yet this was reality!


    He wasn''t naive enough to believe he got stuck in some kind of Game World where mysterious attribute points and fantastical systems played any sort of role. Or he at least couldn''t be sure of that yet.


    (A/N: lolol)


    He had no shred of doubt that not all if not any mechanics and information from the games could be applied to this foreign Pokemon-like world.


    The Sniebel heard the human child speak, it didn''t fully comprehend the words but got the gist of it. He felt indignant for a second and screamed back at Atiqo:


    "Kriiiiier!", do you think I am a fledgling that just crawled out of its egg!? OF COURSE I know fire is dangerous, dumbass!, it seemed to say.


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    Its anger subsided quickly though and it pointed at the air above them, and Arthur instantly noticed the problem Sniebel faced.


    The Zubat flapped carefully in the air and stalked the Sniebel like a predator did to its prey. It was fully focused on every of the Sniebel''s movements and grabbed any chance available to attack with a sting or sonic wave attack!


    Sniebel got a few lucky strikes at the Houndour in the beginning, but that was just because Zubat and Houndour required some time to get used to the terrain and match their tactics with one another. After that both worked like well-oiled machines and kept Sniebel under close control without needing further instructions from their master.


    Atiqo saw how their tandem tactics worked seamlessly without any openings and weak spots!


    It was a well trained duo, and no matter how much Atiqo loathed these criminals that even attacked small children for some quick money, he couldn''t find any faults in their Pokemon''s teamwork and chemistry.


    "Sniebel could have easily beaten down the Houndour, I see. The only way to break out of this stalemate is by an offensive from the outside!", Atiqo analysed the situation and as a pseudo-veteran of the ''Battlefield'' he also immediately prepared a solution for this issue.


    Sadly he wasn''t a real Pokemon Trainer with a Pokemon to summon, nor did he possess his countless Lv.100 Pokemon from his gaming accounts. That meant there was only way left to go ...


    But then a mocking voice interrupted his train of thought unpolitely:


    "Kyakakaka, you really went mad, child. Discussing battle plans right in front of your enemy, as if you had any chance left, kyakakaak. Ignorance is a bliss, truly, espcially for small weaklings such as yourselves. And what''s all this talk about points and stats??? Do you still think this is a game!


    Hmph, Hunter, show him that playtime is over!", Hazel ordered the Houndour.


    The Houndour let out a sneer and opened its mouth, fire energy gathering in the center of its jaws and it shot out another ring of fire! The Fire Spin had successfully recharged and was used promptly after!


    "Kyakakakaka, tell me boy, how does it feel, being roasted alive and turned into a juicy meaty dish! When we''re finished I am gonna feet your remains to my Pokemon so be sure to rotate properly, kyakakaka, do you hear me? KYAKAKAKAKA!!!", Hazel let out a mad cackeling laughter, amused by his own brilliant humour.


    "Ehhh, Haze, ... I think you should have a look on the place again.", Chestnut told him nervously.


    "Why? The mission is resolved, all that''s left is ...", Hazel was annoyed to get interrupted during his sweet moment but as his eyes swept over the fight scene, his expression grew dumbfounded all of a sudden,

 32 Impending Doom!

    "Where is that damn brat gone?!", Hazel shouted madly, not admitting to have made any sort of mistake on his own.


    "I-I don''t know, he was there and then h-he just disappeared ...", Chestnut tried explaining but got interrupted quickly,


    "Of course he''s gone! I can see that, imbecile! *Snort*", hazel curbed his anger and managed to control his short fit of rage. The boy couldn''t have run have far, especially with those pre-existing injuries plus the burning damage, it''s just a matter of time until he succumbs to his wounds or they found him and ended his suffering.


    "Hunter! Sonic! End that Snibel quickly, try to not to damage its skin too much, I bet I can find some customers who are into endangered species, even if they have been roughened up a little, kyakakaka!", Hazel revealed his sinister plans and ordered his Pokemon to finish the battle so they could pursue the boy again.


    "Triiiiiierr!"


    "Grooouuuuuurrrrr!!!"


    The Snibel suddenly sensed that the situation heated up and his enemies were getting serious now. He turned back into the direction that that human child had fled, mixed emotions filled its eyes.


    It didn''t expect anything from a young fledgling anyway, so the Sniebel seemed relieved that it escaped somehow. Was he finally able to repay its old debts?


    His attention was pulled back onto the field in front of it, the Houndour advancing with a jump while opening its jaw to attempt biting in its flesh.


    The Sniebel evaded the attack like an expert and showed a sneer, conveying contempt for Houndours poor performance.


    But at the same time a shower of well-aimed sonic blasts rained on him by Zubat and made his small feeling of superiority dissipate in a second. A fight against these two opponents wasn''t simple enought that he could allow himself becoming careless. They got its respect for driving him into a corner for so long.


    All the while the flames surrounding the group slowly sipped away Sniebel''s endurance and made his fatigue rise up rapidly! Having made up his mind and no longer bound by any burdens, the Snibel extended its claws out and rushed into the final clash!


    ...


    "Huh, huh, huh, argh!", Atiqo held his limp left arm with his other hand, running on the bumpy ground without care for balance or elegance. He tried to suppress making pained expression on his face and only thought about finishing his objective. His head throbbed like a ticking time bomb and his heart was running on overdrive mode, the miracle drug called adrenalin and near-death experience making this feat possible.


    Atiqo didn''t have any time to think about useless things like pain, broken arms or dazzling stars in his field of view ...


    But it didn''t help that his body was denying him any kind of support!


    Sadly, his re-awakening didn''t come along with an instant heal - super recovery package, he still had to struggle with wordly matters like headaches and exhaustion.


    He had to hurry though. Atiqo wasn''t sure how long that Sniebel could hold out anymore under the continuous barrage of two well-trained Pokemon.


    He clenched his teeth angrily and cursed again. Sniebel couldn''t be considered his partner or friend, but this Pokemon appeared in Arthur''s darkest moment and helped fend off these criminals. This made him Atiqo''s ally as well, no matter what!


    Leaving his ally behind to deal with the enemies on its own left a bitter taste in Atiqo''s mouth. He felt angry at himself for being too weak, not being able to help those that needed help.


    Suddenly, he felt a vibration coming off from his pocket. He put his hand inside and brought a red coloured electronic device to light with a blue bulb in a corner that kept blinking erratically.


    "What the ... is this really what I think it is ...?!"


    If it weren''t for the grim situation and other pressing matters, Atiqo would be excited to finally hold a real Pokedex in his hand, how many times did he have incredible dreams about going onto Pokemon Adventures, catching Pokemon and analysing them with his very own Pokedex?


    He even had a collection of Pokedexes in his own room, one for each generation, though the one in his hand heavily resembled the first generation Pokedex, there were still some slight differences here and there. Mainly the weight was a bit heavier compared to the replica and the metallic vibe it gave off was much more realistic.


    Atiqo found a press button on the side, which opened the PokeDex and revealed rows of text appearing on the small screen:


    [Host''s mental and physical conditions have entered critical state .Beep.]


    [Suggestion for Host to find a peaceful environment and calm mental state and recover immediately .Beep.]


    [Host has lost consciousness .Beep.]


    [... Soul Transfusion has progressed positively .Beep.]


    [Congratulations to Host for successful recuperation .Beep.]


    [Suggestion for Host to find a safe environment and recover from injuries immediately .Beep.]


    [Detecting intense energy signals in Host''s environment ....Beep.; Suggestion for Host to search for the origin .Beep.; High probability that signals are radiated by Energy Crystals!]


    [Reminder to Host: Energy Crystals are required for the System Upgrade; Clearance Level Promotion, A.I. Initiation, Activation of Training Protocol ''Olympus'', Recovery of previous Host''s soul - Cornelius Sullivan -... .Beep.]


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    Atiqo''s eyes shook for a moment when the name ''Cornelius Sullivan'' was caught by them! The guy who got him into this whole mess, his name was Cornelius, right?! What did he have to do with all this now all of a sudden?


    He took a break for second, and let the information sink in his mind. What should he do now? Go after the weird signal and find out more about this mystery? Or continue with his mission and throw himself back into the dangerous fight?


    An image flashed across his eyes, captured by Arthur in that one moment where he thought he would die for sure, smashed by the Bellsprout into a meat paste. It was then that the Sniebel appeared first, out of nowhere and blocked the Bellsprout''s fierce attack like an expert.


    With his heart ignited by a rush of new resolve, Atiqo quickly made up his mind and pushed all other the matters aside for now.


    He knew from Arthur''s memories that the Pokedex was able to respond to him, even if most requests were denied immediately.


    "Ehh, Pokedex, can you mark down the location of that energy signal? I will take care of it later.", it was a weird experience for him trying to talk with a inanimate object. But it succeeded.


    [.Beep. Suggestion for Host to directly go after the signals and prevent any variables to app-]


    "I asked wether you can do it or not, damned!", Atiqo didn''t really have the time to discuss the best course of action with a piece of electronics and asked again with more urgency in his tone.


    [ ... Instructions received .Beep. Marking down location of Energy Signals for later reviewing .Beep.]


    "Sighh, good. Now back to the task at hand.", he put the PokeDex away and disappeared in the curtain of greenery.


    ...


    Back at the centre of the conflict, the situation looked pretty bad for Sniebel. It had miscalculated its own power, his reserves weren''t enough to break out of the conflict, or to even take down one of the enemies that aimed at Sniebel''s life.


    The Fire Spin that continuously gnawed at Sniebel''s stamina ran out of power moments ago, but a completely different disaster struck Sniebel now!


    Its eyes glanced down onto one of its claws, blood gushed out from its right side and the Sniebel had to suppress the overwhelming pain striking his mind and reject the urge to just close its eyes for some small ... mo... ments...


    "Krrrrr...", it wasn''t even able to intimidate the enemies anymore, the Houndour and the Zubat seemed to slowly realize how the scales of the battle had tipped to their favour and dashed into action more unbridled than ever before!


    That''s how its injury came to be. The Houndour just disregarded its own defense and crunched down heavily on Sniebel''s defending paws.


    The problem was that unlike other Pokemon with claws, Sniebel''s claws weren''t coated with hard materials for protection and they were also directly connected to its own nervous system!


    Usually it was a benefit that granted an improved sensitivity when climbing trees, steep hills and buildings. However, this sensitivity now seemingly turned into a disadvantage!


    The Houndour had managed to chomp through its outer defense layers and opened up a path to Sniebel''s nerve endings, leaving them vulnerable to the environment!


    That''s why it currently suffered from intense sensual reactions and difficulties moving its limb correctly. This made it even harder for the Sniebel to shield itself and caused great harm to its already frail mind.


    "Kyakakaka! Look at this poor soul. Has it realized that its struggles have finally become senseless? That they just delayed the inevitabel! Kyakakaka, sadly this won''t help you anymore!", finally the fight was coming to an end. Hazel had the urge to immediately rush after that the boy, but the risk was too great that the Sniebel might cut off his path and even worse, wound him fatally!


    "No, no, no! I won''t be this stupid. That Pokemon is almost finished anyway, there is no reason to hurry.", is what he thought.


    "Hahaha, stupid crappy Pokemon! U''r lucky ain''t coming for you!", Chestnut shouted at the Sniebel overjoyed, however, he promptly turned back to Hazel at his side and pleaded pitifully,


    "Haze, I got hungry, please just finished it and let''s go find that boy and get our money! I need some food, and Homey needs to see a Pokemon Center!"


    "Got it, no need to tell me. My patience has run out as well", Hazel replied with furrowed eyebrows.


    "Sonic, Hunter! What are you doing there! That Sniebel is practically a walking corpse! An unmoving target! Do you need my help to finally get this job done or what?!", Hazel yelled at his Pokemon with an irritated and unmasked tone in his voice.


    Feeling the discontentment in their master''s voice, both Pokemon mustered up even more strength and energy to defeat their opponent!


    While the Houndour was keeping Sniebel busy again catching its entire attention, an opening got exposed in Sniebel''s blindspot, one that the Zubat saw and fully intended to utilize!


    The Zubat put itself in the right position and shot down in a straight trajectory towards its target! The Zubat''s strategy was simple yet effective!


    Flying in a straight line and using the gravity of earth, the Zubat gathered as much force as possible to smash right into Sniebel''s back of the head!


    This might actually endanger Hazel''s plan to get an undamaged corpse so he could sell it for a high price, but this savage Zubat was either drowned in sheer madness or was just plain stupid and had already forgotten its master''s previous orders!

 33 Superpowers?!

    Just as the Zubat was heading straight towards its mark midflight, just as Hazel was seeing his Pokemon and understanding it''s imprudent intentions, just as the Sniebel was feeling something being weird and his senses were telling him to watch its back ... Just as all these things happened, a small fist sized object crossed the air around them and hit the Zubat with a blunt force!


    The Zubat wasn''t halted in its flight, not at all, the object was either too small or too weak or both, but it wasn''t enough for a full-stop.


    What it did achieve though was knocking the Zubat from its planned route, thus subtly changing the destination the Zubat initially had in mind - right in Sniebel''s brain area!


    As Zubat had gotten too much momentun, it wasn''t possible to readjust into a more favourable position or stop its Crash course at all!


    Sniebel felt a sudden breeze cooling down its left side, and sound coming from the same direction that was like a car hitting full on the brakes to stop but still crash-landing into a lamp post. And when the Sniebel looked sideways into the left area the scene in front of him perplexed its weakened mind even more.


    As the clouds of dust that were stirred moments before settled down again, one could see the Zubat laying there weakly covered by dust and dirt on a spot farther away. The ground path leading towards it was raised up, perfectly documenting the several meters it hit first upon the crash. Even a small tree wasn''t spared from the destruction of this shooting star, broken pieces scattered on several places along the tracks.


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    On the sidelines, Hazel and Chestnut were standing there with shocked and dumbfounded expressions on their faces. But while Chestnut still didn''t get what had occured just now, Hazel was already fuming with rage.


    He needed a couple of seconds until he understood why his Zubat was on the ground looking miserable, but as he was enlightened, he couldn''t decide on whom he should direct his wrath towards!


    To his incompetent Zubat that didn''t know it any better and cooked up a plan, that went awry and might have risked Hazel a potential gold mine?


    Their enemy and his Pokemon must have been sharp-shooters, or highly trained in their precision and long-distance assaults, otherwise it was impossible to just call it off as acoincidence or a fluke. The Sniebl might have been a headless corpse by now if it weren''t for that one ''lucky'' strike!


    As these thoughts swirrled through Hazel''s mind, goosebumps raised up along his backline and neck upwards!


    "Shit, who''s this?! Where is that monster, and why is he after us!", suddenly he felt the urge to just leave everything be and run away as far and soon as possible! Fighting against elite combatants wasn''t part of deal here!


    Cowardly as he might be, he knew were his strengths and limits laid. Bullying children was one thing, coping with hidden elites was an absolutely different thing! They were hardly comparable!


    But just as his negative anxiety-stricken urges overwhelmed him, he felt a sudden pull from his sleeves.


    "H-haze, look over there! It''s that bastard kid!", he heard Chestnut''s unpolite but familiar voice and got confused.


    "The kid is here ...?", and as Hazel looked up, it was indeed their target that stood in between the woods, one arm holding a pack of small rocks, the other having another rock in its grip.


    "It''s that kid ... ha ha ... just the kid, ha ha ha, hahahaah, kyakakakaak!", all the anxiety vanished from Hazel''s mind and it was as if Hades had pardoned him of his crimes and granted another lease on life. It was just the kid! Just a damned fluke!


    It wasn''t an elite trainer or its overpowered Pokemon partner that struck his dear Zubat, but just a damned brat that stood on his last legs, barely able to stand right, and who got a lucky shot giving him a couple more seconds to breath before his impending doom!


    *Sighhhh*


    As Hazel breathed out loud, he felt embarrassed for his short-lived but shockingly stupid fear and anxiety. Why would there be a super powerful trainer in their surroundings? That would be too much of a coincidence, a joke by god maybe.


    No, it was a just the last struggles from a stupid boy.


    "Well done boy! You got me there for a second! Making me believe you were more than your outer shell made you appear to be! But did you know a flame burns the brightest right before it ends burning at all?! Your glorious moment has passed, what for? Two minutes! Two minutes more that you could enjoy on this earth!", as he finished his speech, Hazel turned back towards his Zubat that still lay there on the ground,


    "Enough breaks now! Go and bring me that boy''s head! Reclaim your dignity and execute revenge! Or I will release you, we don''t need weaklings defeated by mere juveniles here!", he commanded Zubat with harsh words.


    And just as they entered Zubat''s sharp ears, it arose with new vigor into the air and made itself ready for a new attack! Zubat was tough and although it got hurt during its small escapade earlier it wasn''t enough to call it defeated!


    No, it energised him even more, as Zubat burned with the resolve to destroy the boy that stole his opportunity at victory!


    But just as it was ready for a big mighty Supersonic attack, it sensed a sudden attack coming straight towards it! Its senses foretold danger and the Zubat instinctly avoided the rock that was flying in its direction!


    But after avoiding this one rock, another one appeared right beside it right at the spot the Zubat was currently positioned at, and as he dodged that one as well by a swift flapping move upwards ...


    *CRACK*


    A small rock struck Zubat right at its ears, making it feel slight plain and leaving him in a disoriented state!


    "What the fuc# ...", Chestnut exclaimed with his foul mouth wide open.


    "What the hell ...", Hazel muttered under his breath, through his pact he could clearly feel the force and pain that Zubat suffered from right now, but what actually astonished him was that the Zubat was hit at all!


    His Zubat wasn''t stupid! How could it get hit by some stray rocks thrown by a wimpy little kid!


    "Wasn''t that supposed to be a fluke?", the question resounded through his head for a while ....


    ....


    "What the heck?!", the person who was the most flabbergasted right now was the initiator of this attack himself!


    "How in the name of the great holy Arceus did I do that?!", Atiqo looked at his hand that just threw off those rocks and then back at the Zubat that still flew there like a headless chicken in the air.


    "Do I have super powers now?!", he wondered excitedly.


    Let''s jump a couple of minutes backwards


    Atiqo had been busy gathering and looking for rocks that were fist-sized and which felt good in his grip. Small ones wouldn''t have an effect, and big ones, well he needed to carry them all the way back as well, he didn''t have the power for that!


    His plan was easy to understand, the Zubat needed to be distracted somehow from the outside so that Sniebel could take care of Houndour first and then finish the Zubat after that.


    Of course Arthur hadn''t grown wings now, a head-on confrontation was impossible. But keeping the Zubat at bay for a little while and buying more time with some well thrown rocks should still lie in the realms of possibility!


    In addition, he knew for a fact that Zubats, at least on his earth, were based on bats. Bats were blind and only relied on the movement of sounds they received and emitted to be aware of their surroundings. That''s why he also wanted to target its hearing organs and create a stunning effect!


    Atiqo couldn''t be sure that Zubat''s and bats worked the same way in this world, but it was something he had to work with right now. And as he finished his mission, finding lots of stones, after he returned to the battlefield, he hid himself behind a tree and used his PokeDex to analyse the Zubat thereby confirming his speculations:


    Name: Zubat


    Realm of Beasts


    Species: Microchiroptera sonus


    Type affinity: Wind


    Highest Class Recorded: Chieftain


    Background Information:


    - It is blind and mainly relies on soundwaves to locate its prey and map out its environment.


    [...]


    Feeling a sort of approval after his speculation was confirmed true, he decided to wait for a moment where Zubat was revealing an opening and strike when he could maximise all his advantages.


    Because once he was discovered, it wouldn''t take long time until the barrage against Atiqo would overwhelm him and leave him unprotected to their brutal violence.


    It was a risky plan indeed, and many many things could go wrong but sometimes, you just needed to risk it to get the rewards!


    But as he waited and waited, the opening never came and Sniebel''s injuries grew worse and worse! Then the Zubat came into play and descended in a Kamikaze like path towards Sniebel''s blind spot!


    Realizing that he couldn''t wait any longer, Atiqo felt a sudden impulse, grabbed himself a rock and aimed at the Zubat with his complete focus!


    It was in that moment that it happened ... the world suddenly froze and turned deathly still. The surrounding areas got a bit blurry in Atiqo''s sight, but the Zubat, it stuck there in the air like a statue fully clear and well-defined in his eyes!


    No, it was literally stuck mid-air! It didn''t move, its wings just lay there still ... wait, no, that''s not it!


    "Huh?", Atiqo got startled for a second. He felt that something was wrong, but he couldn''t pinpoint the exact reason to it.


    Atiqo put even more concentration into his eyes, thus noticing slight vibrations coming off from the Zubat''s body! It wasn''t frozen, but it was moving extremely slowly! It would take ages for it to reach Sniebel''s side!


    "What is going on!", Atiqo now observed his surroundings and noticed how everybody else on the field also got affected by this slow-motion phenomaena, he himself also couldn''t move much either!


    It nearly blew his mind away, but his mature self quickly got back on track. He had a target to hit! His life as well as Sniebel''s depended on it!


    As he turned his attention back onto Zubat, his mind worked like a computer, thoughts popped up in his mind that predicted the Pokemon''s movements ahead of its path!


    Atiqo somehow knew exactly where and how to throw the rock to strike the Zubat during its flight! Not questioning this weird but benefitial occurence, who knows how long it would last, he gripped the rock tightly in his hand and as if a spell had run out of mana, the world was filled with live again!


    Sniebel was still fighting off the Houndour, Hazel and Chestnut spectated from the sidelines, and Zubat was in a direct course towards collision!


    However, Atiqo wouldn''t let its plan come to fruition! He still remembered the information like an instinct, this feeling of absolute control and clarity deeply imprinted onto his mind, and with the full force of his right arm he swung foward right behind Sniebel''s back area!


    And it hit! Bull''s eye!


    It felt like a dream to Atiqo, when did he become such a good pitcher!


    But before he could revel in his sudden success, another crisis came in his way! Hazel noticed him and ordered the Zubat for another attack!


    "Shit!", Atiqo cursed in his mind. What should he do now?!


    He was too slow to run away, Zubat''s attacks would hit him either way before he could find a good cover. So he did what he had intended to do from the beginning on.


    "Atiqo, use Stone Throw!", he awkwardly reminded himself in his mind and began taking another rock into his fist ... and then it happened again!


    Like a magic switch having been turned on, the world regained its deathly stillness and the Zubat''s movements and actions lay bare before Atiqo''s prying eyes!


    He threw one rock, but knowing that it wasn''t enough, he made himself ready for another attempt. And the world, as if it was under his command, moved in its own pace when he wanted it to, and slowed down when he willed it otherwise.


    Everytime he observed the Zubat, images sprang out of the static Zubat each moving into different directions, his mind predicted different pathways and actions that Pokemon could take, and Atiqo tried cutting off each one with a well aimed rock!


    Then after the third throw of a rock, the inevitable came! A solid hit on Zubat''s left ear!

 34 No Game, No Life

    "Do I- do I have superpowers now?!", Atiqo talked excitedly to himself. Of course, flight and super strength would have been a more favourable pick for him, but he accepted this mysterious force anyway as long as it helped him survive this ordeal!


    But just as these thoughts crossed his mind, his head felt a slight headache coming his way, dampening his elated mood a little.


    He needed to press his hand on it a little, and the pain was eliviated by small bit.


    "Is this the payback ...?", he murmured weakly. He wasn''t an Otaku just for show, he knew there wasn''t a free breakfast and a warm meal without a price.


    But as long as his pain could be kept under control, it wasn''t enough to stop him from using this strange power. He needed it, or else it would be over with him anyway.


    A strange memory flashed briefly before his eyes ... it was from Arthur, right after the end of his battle with that snobby boy, it was the same headache he had felt back then!


    Of course Atiqo couldn''t be exactly sure of that, and this wasn''t the right time for these questions either.


    He had achieved his goal of stunning the Zubat, and preventing it from taking any actions against him or the Sniebel. Yet that wasn''t enough to knock it out completely, small chance!


    He just bought Team Sniebel a few more seconds that they could gamble for survival!


    While the Zubat was still hovering unsettled or flying around looking lost, Atiqo took this chance to shout at Sniebel:


    "Hey! You there! What are you doing, hurry up and finish up the Houndour, I will deal with this Zubat!"


    The Sniebel saw everything that had happened from the moment the Zubat got shot down until now and it still didn''t understand how that weak human child could stall that damnable enemy and keep standing as lively as he did right now!


    But now that one annoying Pokemon was taken care of, he could finally ...


    Sniebel''s eyes turned into slits and focused on the Houndour in his front. The Houndour suddenly felt a shiver coming from the depths of its soul. Those eyes reminded the Houndour ... of a Pokemon looking at a dead prey ready to get devoured!


    Before it could react, or let out an intimidating roar so that Sniebel shouldn''t have any thoughts, it suddenly disappeared in front of Houndour!


    Where?!


    The Houndour didn''t see Sniebel in its field of view anymore, turned around and couldn''t find traces of its enemy either! Where was it?! Any second longer in the unknown, felt like death creeping nearer towards his life!


    Then an idea popped up in its minds, slowly moving its head up it saw Sniebel jumping on its back in that same moment!


    But to no avail! The Sniebel didn''t let go at all, deeply burying its grip onto Houndour''s neck.


    Houndour felt as if a noose was gradually tightening around his neck, attempting to rip his head apart from its main body!


    It knew that those claws were dangerously sharp to get close to, but their gripping strength was a whole different thing!


    Of course it was natural for such strength to lie in Sniebel''s claws, they were his main weapons after all, and in addition his only mobility tools in possession. Climbing and moving from tall, massive trees, mountains, hills ...etc., without sufficient strength in their claws they would easily risk falling into an early death!


    A mere Houndour trying to break away from a Snibel''s grip? A blissful dream at best! The most Houndour could hope for was its skin and flesh miraculously falling off his body, but that might have been just as bad or even worse.


    Sniebel saw his chance coming, and even though Houndour''s desperate attempts to free itself injured Sniebel a little, it wasn''t enough to escape its fate!


    Sniebel raised its wounded claw, blood still dripping down from the fresh injuries, closed its long single claws together into a spear-looking paw, gathered all the strength it had left and visciously targeted a specific spot at Houndour''s back!


    Sniebel''s tremor senses were still fine in its left paw, and by grabbing the Houndour on its neck Sniebel simultaneously located the place of Houndour''s pumping heart!


    Houndour''s skin wasn''t made of cookies or cake, it still offered great resistance towards all kinds of elemental or physical attacks, but in front of Sniebel''s sharp thrust which had a clear target, Houndour''s skin gave in after only a couple seconds!


    Of course this success didn''t come without a price, Sniebel had to use its already crippled right paw, in addition to all the pain Sniebel needed to endure during this assault, its right claws were in an even worse state right now.


    Blood gushed out from the Houndour''s back, as if a water geyser had sprung up from the ground, and the Sniebel, whose claws were still stuck in that back, was covered in a bloody red aura of a murderer!


    A recovery was impossible, the heart was pierced through with a huge amount of strength, so much so that the muscle tissues couldn''t help but burst apart like bubbles!


    "Grooouuurrr ...rrrrr...", it let out a last miserable growl before collapsing on all of its limbs, its fate already sealed in dead cold stone.


    At the same time, Hazel who was watching from a bit farther away suddenly felt immense pain hitting him from the back of his head, and as time passed it worsened until he fell on his knees and blood spurted out from his mouth!


    He knew it deep down, his Houndour had died! It was truly dead now! The pact was destroyed after its death and it was him who had to suffer from the repercussions the most!


    "GrrrrrAAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!", he let out a scream filled with all his anger and frustrations. His face had paled greatly because of the sudden shock, but it didn''t stop his emotions from running wild at all!


    But why did he feel so emotional rigth now? Was he grieving for his dead partner? Was it because of the way it had died? No!


    It was because of the money! All the resources Hazel poured into raising that Houndour, all the investments he had taken up ... all had now turned into losses instead!


    The Houndour should have been his main Pokemon, a beast that would protect him at all times and stay by his side! It could have evolved into a mighty Houndoom and helped him take over Viridian City!


    Yes, deep down in his heart Hazel was an unscrupulous yet ambitious man! He dreamed of building up his own team of rogues and enter the struggles for power in Kanto''s underworld, vanquishing all the other dark organisations and sitting on the throne only worthy for monarchs!


    That Houndour was his ticket to ultimate power but now ... that dream crumbled into dust.


    ...


    Atiqo currently busy with Zubat heard someone scream and looked in the direction the wails came from.


    He saw Hazel in a disastrous state crying pitifully on the ground.


    "What happened to that guy?", he wondered. Minutes earlier he was acting all high and mighty, spouting nonsense about killing him and Sniebel and now he layed there weeping like a baby?


    Suddenly he noticed something weird ... the silence! What about the battle?!


    His mind had been constantly preoccupied with stalling Zubat, so much that he forgot the main battle deciding about his life!


    As his eyes swept over the battlefield he saw Houndour lying lifelessly on a patch of grass and ... Sniebel standing on top of its back! Atiqo shivered with slight fear when seeing Sniebel in its current state.


    Its body was covered with so much blood, it''s as if he had taken a bath in his enemy''s blood just now! How gory was this fight actually?!


    Atiqo couldn''t tell what blood belonged to the Sniebel and what was the Houndour''s!


    A game character suddenly appeared in his mind, Snibel he ... he looked just like the main character from ''Bloodborn''! Devourer of blood, bringer of death, harvester of life!


    But in the exact same moment he finished his train of thoughts, a sound caught his attention. A sound of a body falling down. His eyes contracted sharply as he witnessed Sniebel collapsing right beside the Houndour''s corpse!


    "Shit, Sniebel!", Atiqo shouted loudly. He let go of the stones in his hands, and clumsily ran towards his new ally. Clumsily because his body was bruised and battered, the adrenalin wasn''t working anymore and the pain attacked his senses like a flood.


    Finding the right balance and advancing with one foot and pulling the other leg at the same time proved to be more and more difficult!


    Finally reaching the Sniebel, Atiqo discovered with shock that its body was likewise filled with cuts, bites, bruises and open wounds. There might have been even more, however they were hard to spot with all the blood covering him like a layer or mantle.


    "No, I-I, you can''t ...", Atiqo''s weak voice quitened down all of sudden. Panic ran through his whole body and left him rooted on the spot. What was this feeling? Why did he feel so sad now?


    He didn''t know that Pokemon at all, he just suddenly appeared and rescued Arthur, him, no both ...


    They hadn''t even spent a lot of time together, barely spoken any words to each other, so why did it hurt seeing the Sniebel injured, almost close to its death?


    "When I came to realize I was in the Pokemon World, I was so happy. I-I wanted to enjoy moments with Pokemon like in the game, do an adventure, battle the gyms and fight the ... the league *sob sob* ...", tears dropped down his cheeks. His eyes were reddening and he couldn''t stop them at all.


    He thought he was mature enough to realize this wasn''t a game but seeing Sniebel in its current weakened and injured state, he knew he had just been deceiving himself.


    This world, it wasn''t game, Pokemon and people didn''t respawn, and health couldn''t be recovered with a Hyper Potion ...


    Fear gripped his heart suddenly, why was he sent to this world? He wasn''t a soldier, he wasn''t a fighter, he just liked Pokemon, so why did he have to watch them suffer so much?


    "Krr.. krrrir...", a quiet but audible voice entered Atiqo''s ears and awoke him from his stupor.


    "You- you''re alive!", he realized astoundedly. His bafflement turned into joy and relief washed over his body!


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    Sniebel coughed up some blood from its mouth, its eyes were still closed, it might have been too weak to even open them but its raising and sinking chest assured Atiqo that he wasn''t hallucinating.


    "I-I need to ... we need to find a ... a Pokemon Center ...", his thoughts were still disordered and his body was too weak to get anything done.


    He had problems standing up on his owns, so how was he supposed to carry the Sniebel with him ...


    "The ball!", an idea struck his mind,


    "Arthur, that boy, he should- he should have put the ball ...", Atiqo tried searching his pockets for the ball that Snibel was supposed to get caught in. He needed a little longer, his hands still trembling from shock but his search was successful!


    A little red ball appeared in his hands, he fumbled around a little and found the corresponding button. Pressing it, the little ball grew bigger until it was the size a big apple. He pointed it at the Sniebel and wanted to get it inside ...


    *swoosh*


    Suddenly a projectile hit the ball in his hand, which flew several meters away and landed somewhere in a bush.


    Atiqo''s eyes followed the direction the projectile came from and found a flapping creature flying circles in the air above.


    "Triiierrrr!"


    The Zubat had freed itself from the stunned state and by its master''s orders prevented the boy''s actions.


    "YOU BASTARD!", Atiqo heard that familiar yet disgusting voice again.


    "Did you really think I would let you get away with this shit?! Killing my Pokemon and then save yours right in front of my nose?!", Hazel''s bloodshot eyes threw daggers at Atiqo, not a bit of mercy or pity could be found in them.


    "Do you know how much money your Sniebel stole from me?! ROBBED FROM ME?! I could have been the king of the world! But you had to do this right?! This has been going on long enough now! I don''t believe you got another Pokemon up your sleeves, Zubat, Poison Sting, RAPID FIRE!", his thunderous shout became Zubat''s command.


    "Rapid ... fire?", Atiqo didn''t understand what Hazel''s nonsense was all about, and he didn''t know that attack move either, what was that? But as he looked back towards the Zubat, his question got answered.


    Several Stings formed up in Zubat small mouth, like ammunition from a machine gun, ready to get fired up all at once ...


    "Damned!", Atiqo couldn''t move at all, he was mentally and physically exhausted, all his cards had been played, but the worst was that he couldn''t save the Sniebel.


    It wasn''t his conflict, yet Sniebel got dragged into the fight as well and ended up severely injured.


    Atiqo was kneeling on the ground, and closed down his eyes. He had done everything he could do, the best he could bring forth yet it wasn''t enough ... regret built up inside him ...


    another voice in his mind overlapped with his own ...


    "If only ..."


    " ... I had been stronger ..."


    *PUT PUT PUT PUT PUT*


    Zubat was fully loaded with Poison Stings and shot them without a pause!


    Hazel and Chestnut watched on with glee, being able to witness the death of this cursed child and its Pokemon partner lessened their pain a little and distracted them from the lossed incurred.


    The stings moved with an incredible speed, within a moment of though they reached Atiqo''s area and then ...

 35 Is he ... the Flash?!

    "Mr.Mime, Reflect!"


    A translucent screen appeared above Atiqo, right before the storm of stings could have hit him!


    The stings hit the screen one after another and got stuck in it:


    *Ching Ching Ching Ching*


    When all the stings were let lose and none followed after, the screen vibrated slightly and a humming tone sounded out through the woods:


    *Hummmmm*


    *Boooooooom*


    Suddenly an explosion made Atiqo open his eyes wide, just in the nick of time to see several stings fly towards the Zubat!


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    "E-escape, you have to-", Hazel called his Zubat out but it was already too late.


    The stings hit the Zubat hard, and no matter which way it tried to flee, the damage it received was still very harsh. Some of the stings hit its wings, piercing through the skins and preventing it from a steady flight.


    It tried controlling its fall pathetically but still moved like a kite with its strings cut loose!


    "Who was that?! Show yourselves!", Chestnut roared loudly.


    "SHUT UP!!!", an even louder roar was thrown back at him, and left Chestnut standing speechless. It even caused him to shudder slightly, as the shout was still resounding in his bones and veins!


    "Arthur, are you ok?!", the same person asked with a worried quiver in his voice.


    Atiqo looked towards the origin of the cry.


    He couldn''t believe his eyes at first, but the red-orange fiery hair was all the prove he needed.


    "You sure came ... at the right moment, haha ...", was the only reply he could bring to Gary. Atiqo knew that Arthur had secretly sent a message to Gary via his Pokedex. But Atiqo didn''t know if he would really get it and arrive on time. Well, luckily it seemed to have worked out!


    Gary stood farther away from them with a Mr.Mime by his side.


    At first his face was filled with confusion but he only needed little time to assess the situation, the condition of the surroundings as well as the lifeless Pokemon bodies told him everything he needed to know. The worst was seeing Arthur''s beaten up body and his torn up clothes.


    "YOU Motherfucker''s have really done it now!!!"


    He dashed with full force towards the criminals and reached them in the blink of an eye!


    Atiqo''s sight was weakened a bit but he felt like seeing sundering flashes of light following Gary''s fist all the way throughout his movements ...


    "Is he ... the Flash?!", Atiqo instantly connected the mysterious show of lightning with one of his favourite comic book heroes.


    Sparks and cracking sounds as if the air was ripped apart, filled the area around Gary''s entire body. Every step he took left black burned footprints on the grass and his fists seemed to be made of pure light!


    Seeing that one enemy was down for now, Gary stepped in front of the shrimp like Hazel and gave him a ruthless roundhouse kick! No, that wasn''t enough to vent his anger, Gary followed the flying Hazel with super speed, grabbed his foot and threw him into the same tree his partner had been sent into!


    *THUMP*


    *Crrrrrrkakakakakaak*


    The tree either couldn''t handle Gary''s overbearing force or the criminals weight anymore, it caved in at first but then burst apart into thousand pieces!


    Storming fury filled Gary''s thoughts and even though he wanted to beat these pieces of scum even more up, he was able to focus on the more important things right now. He turned around and swiftly moved towards his friend and asked carefully:


    "Arthur, how do you feel?"


    "Gary, I-I am ok, Sniebel, he saved me, he needs help, please!", Atiqo quickly showed him the Sniebel and recounted the events up until now.


    Gary saw that ''Arthur'' was stable at the moment, contrary to his outward appearance so he didn''t waste time and took a look at the unconscious Sniebel. Of course, hearing the horrible tale right from the boy''s mouth made his heart feel even heavier and his face paler and he couldn''t help apologizing:


    "Arthur, I am sorry, it''s my fault. *Gulp* I shouldn''t have let you go alone like that ..."


    "Forget that, we can talk later, Sniebel''s condition is more important.", Atiqo shrugged Gary''s worries off like it wasn''t worth mentioning and maintained a serious air, much to Gary''s wonderment.


    When did he get so mature? If his 12 year old self had been put through this much terror, Gary wasn''t sure he could have kept his calm like that!


    "Hmm, the right claws are heavily injuried, I think I can see some bones sticking out, that''s not good.


    A lot of cuts, the head is fine, but there is soo much blood here. Thank god it''s still breathing ...", Gary heaved a sigh of relief seeing air getting sucked into the Sniebel''s body.


    "Is this your partner? I didn''t think you had one."


    Atiqo wasn''t sure how to respond, it might take even more time to tell Gary about Sniebel escaping from Arthur''s house, so he just nodded. There was time for questions later.


    Seeing the wounded boy nod weakly, Gary didn''t press further onto the matter and asked something else:


    "Do you still have the ball? You should put it in immediately!", Gary urged him slightly.


    "Ah, yes! It was just there, when the Zubat shot it away ...", Atiqo looked around a little and found the ball a small distance away from him. Luckily the metal cover was sturdy enough to withstand the sting attack from Zubat and remained undamaged.


    He hurriedly pressed the button while holding it in Sniebel''s direction, a red light shot out and transformed the Pokemon into tiny bits of particles that got sucked into the ball ...


    "Hmm, haven''t I seen this somewhere before?", it felt like a deja vu, but he couldn''t get the right memory to it,


    "Wait, that''s just like ... like when that old man turned into light!", it''s been so long, but the memory was still vivid once he recalled it again. Cornelius, turning into light and getting sucked into the wristband, wasn''t this just like a Pokemon and the Pokeball?


    "Gary, is it possible for humans to get sucked into objects? Just like Pokemon?", Atiqo asked Gary, as far as his memories from Arthur went, Gary was an actual scientist. He also wasn''t sure about the current level of technology in this Pokemon World. For one they were able to keep physical mass in the form of Pokemon in such small vessels, but on the other hand they were still driving with fossil fuel cars ...


    "Huh? Where did this suddenly come from?", Gary was surprised and didn''t respond at first. Was this how children were supposed to react after having been assaulted and getting almost killed?


    Waking up from his little daze he still answered though:


    "No. Well, the latest paper that I read about Pokemon Conversion technology was about inanimate objects and that Pokemon in contact with them could be transfered into the ball as well, but only under certain conditions.


    Humans, I don''t think it''s possible, not with our current technologies. That''s something that could be possible in the future, or in Sci-Fi novels maybe, hehe."


    "The future .... ", Atiqo breathed out silently.


    "You see ...", Gary got instantly hooked when the topic switched to science,


    "the underlying principle that Pokeballs are based on is known as ''Wave-particle duality'' ..."


    "You mean the fact that matter can either behave like particles or waves?"


    "Yeah ... huh? How do you know about that?", Gary got baffled.


    "I, eh ... I watched a video on the ... internet?", he couldn''t tell Gary that this theory was quite wide-spread in his own world, right?


    "Oh, internet, that''s cool.", Gary didn''t know kids these days were so much into sciences.


    "Well, yes you''re right. Lots of scientists contributed to finally discover this phaenomenon, but most importantly it was one specific person in the last century that made a connection between this theory and the composition of Pokemon!


    I have told you about Infinity Energy before, well Pokemon are full of that, at least in the form of particles, Infinity particles! And these little miraculous balls are capable of re-transforming the particles into an energy form and keeping it sealed up!


    And that''s where the problem also lies, we humans aren''t Pokemon. We aren''t made of Infinity particles or energy. But who knows? Maybe one day it will be possible. I mean, surely the people from hundreds of years ago would have scoffed at anyone telling them Pokemon could be kept in tiny balls one day right? Hahahaah!", Gary explained without a break, he had already forgotten in what kind of situation they were in.


    "Ah, yes, what you should really be aware of is that Pokemon staying in their Pokeballs aren''t aging."


    "Huh? Not aging? They don''t get older?"


    "What I am trying to say is that time is frozen still for them, as long as they aren''t in their natural forms. All biological activities are halted as long as they are kept inside. That also means that injuries are stopped, even fatal ones ...", he threw some glances at the ball in Atiqo''s hands,


    "are prevented from causing further damages. That doesn''t mean that it is completely safe to keep them inside all the time though, but I will tell you more about this later."


    Mr.Mime had arrived during their talk, and seeing Atiqo in his horrible state it instantly tried to cheer him up with funny movements and mimes. Suddenly as it approached Atiqo closer, it stopped for a moment as if in deep contemplation and started dancing around Atiqo gleefully.


    "Mr.Mime? What''s wrong?", Gary asked puzzled.


    (A/N: In this World, the Pokemon Mr.Mime is just called = Mime, and that''s why his nickname is actually Mr.Mime here. )


    "Is something wrong?", Atiqo didn''t understand what was going on.


    "Hmmm, it''s just, hmmmm. It seems like ... Mr.Mime is really happy around you.", Gary closed his eyes for a little,


    "He''s saying ... you''re giving off a lot of cosmic energy for some reason ...", his eyes widened in surprise.


    "W-what? I am giving off cosmic energies? And what do you mean, he''s saying that?"


    "Mr.Mime is a Cosmic-type Pokemon, therefore he is especially sensitive towards cosmic forces, energies and such. And well, I can''t really talk with him, not with our human language haha, but through our pact I more or less understand what he is feeling right now.


    He is much more joyous than usual, hahaha!"


    "Y-yeah, I can see that ... wait, Cosmic-type? Mr.Mime is a Psychic-type, isn''t he?", Atiqo noticed something weird in Gary''s answer.


    "What? Psychic-type? What are yo-", but as Gary talked he got interrupted by several noises in the background,


    "Urgghh!"


    "Owwww Shit!"


    Both of them looked in the direction the voices were coming from and Gary regained his angry fierce look again:


    "You scumbags dare to make any sounds?! Seems like you didn''t have enough yet, did you?!"


    These kinds of people, he had seen too many of them. The scum of society, hiding in the dark and living off of shady businesses and other illegal dealings. They grew like weed, put some of them behind the bars of a jail and several new ones took their place and ruled over the streets as if they owned them for years.


    It never truly ended even after Team Rocket had been crushed the second and last time. Instead the dubious and the filthy congregated again in new forms.


    His brother Blue tried to reduce criminality within Viridan City but it never really stopped. It just moved even further into the shadows, away from people''s eyes only deeply hidden in plain sight.


    "Hiiiirkh!", Hazel squeaked loudly in shock,


    "P-p-please Sir! Y-y-you''re a reasonable man, someone of your standing d-d-doesn''t need to waste time with poor folks like us!", his face paled quickly and deep fear was written all over it.


    "What''s wrong with ya Haze, nothin'' to give a crap about. So what, spendin'' sometime behind iron won''t kill ya. If we pay the right guys it won''t be long to come out hahaha ... Hick!", Hazel slapped him on his face.


    "What the fu@#?!"


    "Shut Up you imbecile! Do you even have an inkling of an idea about who''s standing in front of you?!"


    "That redhead? Of course I know him, he''s that bitch from TV!" *SLAP*


    "SHUT THE FU@# UP! YOU''RE GOING TO GET US BOTH KILLED!", Hazel lost his demeanor and shouted at Chestnut with desperate exaspiration, tears already forming in the corners of his eyes, he grabbed Chestnut by his shirt and shook him as much as possible while explaining,


    "This guy is Gary Oak, and his brother is fricking Blue OAK! The Gym Leader of goddamned Viridan City! If the fricking Gym Leader gets wind of this we will end up in the worst place possible! ''Roots Underground''!", his speech got faster and faster and it seemed that Hazel let go of his eloquent tongue and cursed as rudely as possible.


    "R-Roots Underground?!", Chestnut stuttered suddenly. Something finally dawned upon him now.


    "If we end up in that forsaken shithole, you can bet your dumbass we ain''t comin'' out alive, DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW?!?!", Hazel lost the strenght in his short arms but his usual calmness didn''t return a single bit.


    "You should have thought about this before attacking my friend here!", Gary was still angry and it didn''t look like he would share any sympathy with people of their kind.


    "What''s wrong? Why would you end up dead?", Arthur asked curiously.


    " Y-young master! We are so so sorry!"


    "Yes, he''s sorry, really sorry", Chestnut nodded vigorously.


    Hazel ignored him and continued while putting up a huge fake apologetic smile: "We didn''t know ... If we knew you were aquainted with Gary Oak, we would never have even considered taking on this job! It was a trap! That damn jerk, he clearly set us up! We are just victims here, please believe us!!!", Hazel turned to Arthur seeing a chance in him for mercy. In the face of death, even a man could thicken his face to the maximum. This was especially so for criminals and thieves.


    "And yes, we would die, die miserably oh my god!!! *sob sob*Fake tears*


    Roots Underground, that''s where the worst of the worst get in, beasts of humanity that might endanger the whole Eastern Islands region single handedly! The Living Poison Koga! Carnivor King Makarov!


    Archbishop Xavier from the Cult of the Dragon! And many many more criminals that have carved their signature into history with blood and death ...


    All of them are packed in a place far away from civilisation where they couldn''t harm an innocent soul even if they wanted to! Rumors say the government dug a huge hollowed-out cave somewhere with hundreds of Ground and Mineral-type Pokemon at their services!


    They have literally been sent down into the depths of tartarus and struggle for survival under the harsh environmental conditions underground! No one knows how it looks inside, but believe me when I say that it would be like hell!


    So please, please I beg of you ...", Hazel thought his performance wasn''t good enough and knelt on the ground and kowtowed several times. He might have even tried kissing both Gary and Atiqo''s feet if he wasn''t sure that would anger them even more.


    "You attacked a defenseless minor with Pokemon, you injured him and even attempted murder! Are you out of your mind, granting mercy to such vile criminals like you?!", Gary confronted them with the truth, thinking about how much Arthur must have struggled for survival, he felt ashamed and knew his brother would feel even more anger about this ...,


    "You should rather beg for a quick death, because I will do everything in the name of my family so that you never see the light of day again!", letting people like this off, that would become another sin of his and that he didn''t want to risk.


    "Nooooooo!"


    "Young MASTER PLEASE !!!"


    Just as Gary was about to give both of them another round of punches and kicks so that they would finally shut up, Atiqo grabbed him by his shirt and spoke out surprisingly,


    "Wait Gary."


    "Huh?", Gary looked back astounded.


    "I don''t think this is the best way to go about this.", Atqio replied with a firm look.


    "What are you doing Arthur? You know these are criminals right? They tried to kill you, they beat up your Pokemon and for what? Just some money. When they look at you they don''t see a human being but a walking corpse! They don''t deserve any better!", Gary told him and reminded him of the evilness within these criminals.


    Arthur was just a child after all, Gary thought his young mind got touched and felt pity for his enemies, but Gary knew he had to protect him from such thoughts.


    "I know what kind of people they are ... my grandfather once told me that some of his business competitors hired thugs and thieves to vandalize our house and even kidnap me ... as a hostage of course, hehe. Do you know what he did in response?", Atiqo was thinking about his own grandfather for a moment who had already passed away a long time ago. But what he inherited from him, his legacy, was his wealth of experience when it came to survival in the business world!


    "He hired that gang''s competitors instead! Payed them a dozen more and attacked the enemy''s hideout before they could take action! It was a successful assault, and ever since then no shady gangs tried to mess with my grandfather or my family again ...", his small bleak eyes gradually turned brighter and more resolute!


    His feelings had been in a mess since seeing the Sniebel in its wounded state and experiencing his first near-death experience, but he wasn''t a child anymore.


    This wasn''t a game world, he couldn''t apply his light-hearted Fan-mindset here. But the world that he grew up in wasn''t made up of cotton candy either! Death, war, greed and the hideous side of humanity, this was all daily stuff humans had to deal with in his world.


    The situation in front of Atiqo wasn''t any different to that, so he had to man-up and handle the situation like an adult!


    He looked into Hazel''s and Chestnut''s pleading eyes and asked them with a playful but steadfast voice:

 36 Criminal Minds

    "You two, how about you become my subordinates?"


    "What?"


    "What?"


    "What?!", Gary had the strongest reaction from all three of them and he wasn''t sure if he heard Atiqo''s statement right.


    "Arthur, you surely aren''t trying what I am thinking you''re trying to do, please don''t!", he tried dissuading him heavily.


    But Hazel and Chestnut reacted even quicker than him and shouted loudly:


    "Yes, young master, YES! I Hazel swear utmost loyalty to you! I will go through fire and lava and my body shall become thy sword to destroy all enemies attempting to harm you!"


    "Yes, please take me in! And ehh, what ever Haze just said counts for me as well!", Chestnut couldn''t quite remember it but was intent on band-wagoning on Hazel''s lead.


    Hazel was sure that this could be their only chance at escaping from entering Roots Underground! And he would do everything, EVERYTHING to not end up there! Licking someone''s boots? Serving a child, a wanna-be adult? Sure! As long as there was a faint chance to not get sentenced to that abyss, every alternative sounded like heaven!


    What about the dead Houndour? Hazel would kill hundreds of Houndours as well as his own Zubat to get a ticket out of hell! There was no honor or dignity in the world that could make him choose death over life!


    Gary was shocked speechless from Hazel''s quick surrender and personality shift. But more than that he was worried about Arthur''s insane decision, did he hurt his head or something like?


    Taking in the attackers as servants that wanted to kill you just a couple of minutes ago???


    He turned towards ''Arthur'' and grabbed him by his shoulder and looked him deep into the eyes:


    "Arthur, this is no joking matter. Do you even realize how funny this sounds? You are surely just joking around, right??? Right?!"


    Atiqo put Gary''s hands aside and answered him with a serious look:


    "No Gary, I am not joking, not this time. This is my decision after genuine considerations."


    "But why?!"


    "I know it must look irresponsible and completely stupid to you right? I get that. I haven''t forgiven them for attacking me and Sniebel *sigh*... and I don''t have Stockholm-Syndrom, ok? Haha, no, I just realized that these guys weren''t after me, they were after the money! And as long as the person behind them is still out there looking to harm me there will be more people to come!


    If it hadn''t been them, somebody else would have taken on the job and maybe ... even succeeded!


    The enemy must have considerable influence in the underworld or be rich enough to hire these mercenaries ..."


    "Mercenaries?!", Gary''s eyes contracted sharply and looked back at the two defeated criminals,


    "You two ... you are really mercenaries?!"


    "Yes master Oak! Hazel Grant, 2-Star mercenary at your services!"


    "I-I am just called Chestnut, 1-Star mercenary in probation, also at your s-s-services!", Chestnut had problems pronouncing the words correctly, maybe it was even his first time saying them outloud.


    Gary was dumbfounded, he had thought these two were just some random thugs from the streets, now they turned out be actual mercenaries!


    "Arthur, how did you know?"


    Atiqo shuddered slightly hearing both of the perpetrators confirm their status. He wasn''t sure about what 1-Star or 2-Star meant, but these guys were really professionals!


    "I, eh, I mostly guessed."


    "You, ... just guessed?"


    "The Zubat and that Houndour, they worked too well with each other. The teamwork was great and they seemed very experienced, too experienced for some random people from the streets. And considering that they tried to kill me, I can''t imagine any sort of employer to hire random criminals without qualifications to get the job done. I mean the risk for any sort of evidence to be left behind and be traced back and further lead to more investigations ... so it was very highly likely for him to hire professionals instead.", Atiqo briefly explained his assumptions.


    Gary looked at him with amazement in his eyes. Was this him entering puberty??? Gary still remembered Arthur running away after finding out his talent wasn''t good enough to learn the ''Breathing methods'', but that kid then and the person in front of him were like completely different people! Who could calmly analyze the opponent''s abilities and deduce their background so accurately???


    Well, he himself was surely able to do so but, Arthur? Wasn''t he still just a 12 year old with no experience as a Pokemon Trainer whatsoever? His current attitude was exactly the opposite of the image Gary had built up in his mind until now.


    However Atiqo ignored Gary''s weird stares and questioned the two people:


    "Tell me, what was your goal coming here?"


    "It was, ehh ... the first objective was to just hurt the young master a little hehe, just a little ... enough to get you hospitalized for some years ...", Hazel smiled awkwardly at Atiqo, he didn''t want to offend the kid who was his only lifeline at the moment, but explaining to that same person how they had been supposed to finished him off was ... very difficult.


    "But the client emphasized how much more money we could gain by just ...", his smile turned into a tearbreaking grimace and he forced himself to continue speaking,


    killing you off. Ha ha ha ...", Hazel decided to change tactics and save a little bit of false face,


    "Of course I vehemently dissuaded him to do so! Killing children and making them disappear from this world, it''s not as easy as it sounds! And then ... he raised the money onto an even higher level ... hehe urgh. We would get bonuses if we finished you off and didn''t leave any traces behind but ... eh ...", Hazel looked around at the damaged area and the many marks from their battle.


    It was obvious that they had messed up their job, leaving a lot of evidence behind hinting that something had happened here.


    "... we didn''t expect for young master to be such a talented and challenging Pokemon Master, haha ha.", finally Hazel found a chance to turn the situation around and flatter Atiqo as much as possible,


    "We tried our best to restrict young master, but you were so great, smart and ehh innovative in your tactics! It was impossible for us do our job right, I am extremely joyful to able to serve such a great and promising ..."


    "That''s enough!", Atiqo had enough of his bootlicking,


    "What about the client, who is he and what relation does he have with me?", Atiqo himself wasn''t sure about this. From Arthur''s memories, there wasn''t a person he knew that could have been after his life. He was just a young boy, putting mortal enemies aside, that body of his didn''t even have hair on his balls yet probably!


    "This we don''t know young master.", but as Gary threw some fierce looks at him, Hazel felt the necessity to elaborate this more or his small body might get punched again,


    "It''s just that we didn''t see his face at all, we couldn''t really guess what kind of background he had, hahaha ...", he looked at Gary with panic, not sure if that answer was satisfying enough, but considering that he wasn''t punched yet it was a good sign.


    "You''re taking orders from people you don''t even know?", Atiqo was puzzled.


    "Y-yes young master, that''s how the Mercenary Guild usually operates, to keep the utmost secrecy in favour of the Client''s private data, if (s)he wishes so at least."


    "But, we could meet him up again! We were supposed to take our rewards from a pre-arranged location once the job had been confirmed done. If we were to meet up with him for real, I could surely find our more about his background!"


    "No, this idea is dangerous, and not for me actually. For one we don''t know the person''s influential strength, and if you came up, found out his identity and that person realized later on that you didn''t manage to kill me after all ... well, I can imagine it won''t be my life that that person will be after next!", Atiqo dismissed the plan instantly und explained the flaws.


    "Hiirrrrkhh! W-what does young master mean exactly?"


    "Does the Mercenary Guild, or whatever it''s called, allow assaults or even assassination attempts against minors and children? I think that''s highly unlikely otherwise the Guild would have long been closed down by local authorities, right Gary?"


    "I, ehh ...", Gary was still speechless from ''Arthur''s performance and needed a second longer to ponder,


    "Yes, yes, you''re right! As far as I know there should be some regulations within the Code of Honor from the Guild to forbid any actions involving children, hmm, so that means ..."


    "Yes, this whole operation was done illegally under the mantle of the Mercenary Guild! That person wasn''t intending to play by the rules from the beginning on... If I were him, I would even pin down the blame on you guys after you managed to kill me off.


    Now that you failed and if we assume you found out the secret identity of your employer, you two would turn into a liability he needs to get rid off as soon as possible! You could leak out the information, ruin that person''s public image and also lead him into the radar of the police ...", Atiqo concluded his analysis.


    As Hazel listened more and more, his face took on a paler colour level with every second that passed by! So it was really a trap! He knew it, the whole mission was set up to make them act as the masterminds and scapegoats in the end!


    His back was drenched in cold sweat and his heart was close to standing still! Horror! He felt ultimate horror because they had escaped death yet again on such a close note! Even if they succeeded with everything, Roots Underground would still have ended being their cursed destination!


    Chestnut didn''t get anything and watched them talk with creased eyebrows, but seeing his partner getting more and more anxious, he became frightened as well.


    "Then what do we do now?", Hazel asked desperately.


    "Easy, you just void the contract or whatever you signed I dunno. You can tell him you decided otherwise and don''t want the job anymore."


    "But then, won''t he just sent someone else after you ..."


    "He wouldn''t dare to!", Gary interrupted him with an angry tone,


    "Don''t worry Arthur. I just need to have a word with the people in the guild and I sure as hell won''t let anything happen to you again! Hey, how did you even get the mission assigned to you? What about your contract?", he asked them.


    Usually there would be a detailled report about the request or mission sent by the client that each mercenary could look into and use as a basis to either accept or decline a mission. But how on earth did a mission go through the system that endangered a child? That was a serious dereliction of duty on the side of the guild!


    "Well, ehh, it was Chestnut who pulled the job, not me ..."


    Everyone''s eyes turned to that conspicious looking tall hoodlum. But feeling all those stares directed at him, Chestnut suddenly began stuttering:


    "I-I-I was jus'' there, hav''n a snack in a bar and t-t-then some dude in a mantle came by and t-t-told me he had a job offer ..."


    "Oh, so that''s how it went ...", Gary understood the situation now. It was possible to also accept missions directly by clients either in person or indirectly through the internet or telephone for example. The Mercenery Guild had Hubs specially built for meet-ups and networking opportunities between potential employers and employees.


    However, that still wasn''t a viable reason for not making a contract! Every member of the guild was obligated to report and document all jobs taken outside the guild''s sphere of influence and let them get authorized by someone, and even then the guild demanded a certain percentage of the mission''s payment - all this had to be mentioned in a formal contract.


    "Did you even look at the contract properly?"


    Hazel pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and hesitatingly handed it over to Gary.


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    Gary took it unpolitely and quickly skimmed over the details ...


    "That''s it!", he exclaimed victoriously and showed the paper to ''Arthur''.


    "Here ... the person who approved this mission was someone named ''Wormtail''! People in the guild sometimes take on nicknames to hide their identity, but this bastard must know something about this, he''s definitely involved somehow!"


    "Gary, how do you know so much abou the Mercenary Guild?", Atiqo asked confused.


    "Hehe, what do you think? Of course because I am signed up as a Merc myelf! Hahaha, even though I''m currently quite inactive and busy with lab-projects.", his answer shocked Atiqo greatly.


    "W-what, y-you are also a mercenary?!", weren''t they supposed to be the bad guy''s?!


    "Relax, it''s not as bad as you think it is. It''s a lucrative business if you know the right people and have the necessary skills to take on missions. The Mercenary Guild isn''t inherently evil, there is also the Pokemon Trainer Association which is like the official counterpart to the guild.


    The main difference is that the guild is less restrictive towards the member than the association, but in the end they have both the same goal, connecting supply and demand!


    It''s just that for the greater part the guild is more attractive towards ...", his eyes swept disgusted over the two delinquents,


    "criminal scum and shady people with no good background. They basically take anyone who can throw a Pokeball and command Pokemon to get a job done. That''s all the qualification they need and expect from a mercenary."


    "Huh? Then why is it even allowed to exist?", Atiqo asked bewildered. Why could there exist such a thing when it was obviously a congregation of dubios people?


    "Sighh, things aren''t that easy Arthur. The truth is that the world is severly lacking in properly qualified personal or Trainers. Reforms to change things only took place in the last decade and to accomodate the current shortages ... well, this is why the Mercenary Guild is a grey-area kind of topic ...


    And it''s also easier to control evil if you know where it is but that''s a whole different subject.


    "What? Lacking ... Trainers?", several questions arose in Atiqo''s mind but now didn''t look like the right opportunity to ask.


    Suddenly a huge wave of exhaustion pounded Atiqo''s body, his mind was quickly loosing the strength to stay awake and when his knees suddenly slumped down, he also lost control over his consciousness and fell back into a deep slumber ...


    "ARTHUR!", Gary shouted anxiously and rushed towards his side. He could support the boy''s body before he would have fallen down with his face flat on earth.


    Gary checked the boy''s condition and shockingly realized how his pulse had grown weaker, and his face turned into a sickened pale colour. Blood flowed out from his nose in a small yet unending stream and the situation grew more grave with every moment passing by.


    Gary, as experienced as he was, didn''t fall into a panic but instead grabbed a hold of a PokeBall hanging on his side on one of his chains.


    He released the Pokemon and the blinding light revealed a huge Pokemon with wide-spread brown wings, a long neck and a long, pointed, pink beak with a decorative red coxcomb on top of its head.


    "Kkrooooaaaar!"


    "Fearow!", Hazel and Chestnut shouted out fearfully. Such a mighty Fearow with a powerful aura, they didn''t dare to stand nearby and risk getting eaten!


    "Yes ... before I forget the two of you ...", he quickly propped up ''Arthur'' on one side and turned his attention back to the two fear-stricken mercs.


    But this time he didn''t put on a light-hearted or happy expression on his face. He wasn''t angry looking either, but instead the vibe he gave off was ... menacing!


    He took a couple of steps towards them, and with every step Hazel''s and Chestnut''s heartbeat thumbed louder and louder until he stood right in front of them, face to face! Pure intimidation! That''s the signal they got from him!


    Then all of sudden and before the two could even react, Gary grabbed them both by their throats and held them (actually only Hazel) up a couple of centimeters above ground until Hazel was about the same height as Chestnut (who was too tall and still stood there frozen).


    They both struggled to break free from Gary''s grip but no matter how much strength they mustered up, it wasn''t possible!


    "Maybe you can deceive Arthur because he is too young to understand how the real world works, but I can assure you two that I won''t make the same mistake!", he declared adamantly.


    "Hhgghrhss!"


    "Lkswcdnky!", they tried to say something or at least plead or whatever, with their throats tied up it wasn''t possible for them to get anything coherent out, so they remained in their painful suffocating positions hanging. At the same time their faces took on more reddish colours and blood gathered up in their heads.


    "This is a trick I learned from a shepherd in the saharan desert ...", Gary''s eyes took on a ghostly eerie green colour and at the same time that colourful energy wandered from his eyes, over his arms and hands into the criminal''s necks!


    The mysterious energy seeped into their skins and disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared into the void.


    Gary let go of the two, and both landed on their butts, their hands clinging onto their necks as if they weren''t sure they got really freed. They gasped for oxygen with all the power they could pull from their lungs and breathed it in as if it was the most addictive drug on earth!


    While they were busy grasping air for their survival, they realized both a mysterious connection had appeared that started from their neck-area and ended somewhere around ... the location Gary was standing at!


    Gary left the two dumbfounded guys with a few words of advice before taking Arthur''s body and climbing onto the Fearow.


    "Wherever you are, as long as that mark is still left on your bodies, I promise you, I will be able to come and find you scum!"


    That declaration triggered a shivering response in both of them, they looked at each other''s necks but couldn''t anything special there.


    But as the Fearow beat its wing up and down and flew into the distance ... the connection both felt ... was still as clear as before!


    *Shudder*


    *Shudder*

 37 Bad news, Worse news

    The lights went out and Arthur found himself back in the darkness. He''s been here before ... or at least he didn''t feel a sense of uncomfortableness. He tried looking around but there was nothing, just an endless void like always.


    It happened since the accident took place, this space appeared ever since then and he sometimes visited or rather was forced to come by during his sleep.


    Suddenly a sound flew by like a breeze:


    "Swoooshhhhh"


    and Arthur was astonished seeing a ghostly gas fly in his direction. It looked like fog, but every second or moment passing by it gradually took a more familiar shape, almost humanoid.


    The entity floated in front of Arthur, but he still couldn''t really recognize its appearance. The fog didn''t condense tight enough to make facial features possible, only a thin line where the mouth was supposed to be let Arthur know where he should look at.


    He tried touching this gas-ish creature, likewise did the fog-humanoid but ... their hands only overlapped and didn''t truly make contact.


    But as his hand was inside the fog, a flood of images ran through his mind, a room, and ... he has been here before as well!


    That room, the Pokemon figures, the hallway ...


    "It''s my home ...kkcccccc ....", a raspy sounded out in the void. Arthur raised his head slightly shocked, the voice came from the humanoid fog before him.


    "Y-you can speak?!"


    "kkkccc ... course I can speak ... kcccc"


    "W-who are you? What are you?", now Arthur felt more afraid than before, seeing something in your dream was one thing, talking to it - completely different!


    "We met ... kccccc ... before in that destroyed city, I saved you ... kkkkccccc ... remember? My name is Atiqo ...kkkccc... by the way haha.", the entity responded amused, at least that''s how Arthur interpreted it, which was hard considering he talked to a faceless fog creature.


    Arthur concentrated a little and found the right memory:


    "Yes, I remember but ... that was a man, and you''re ... eh, I don''t want to be impolite but ..."


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    "I get it, I''m fat, eaten too much lately, right?"


    "Ehhh ..."


    "Now on a serious side note, ... kkkcccc ... it seems like I used up too much energy, I don''t know ... kkccc ... -rently I can''t maintain my muscular-like body."


    "What does that mean?", Arthur didn''t get it.


    "It''s ok ... kkccc ... you will understand. Just grab the P ... kcccc... -ex and go to the Gree- ... kccc ... again."


    "Wait! What did you say?"


    "... kccccc... can''t stay lo-.... kccck ... see y- ... kccc... -rthur!", before Arthur could respond in anyway possible, the fog dissolved into fine particles that flew away into all directions at once.


    "..."


    "His name was Atiqo ... feels like a familiar name, hmm."


    Arthur thought he could now rest again but just as the situation had calmed down and he believed the silence would reign over the dark again, he heard a sound. Its volume increased slowly but surely and then he could finally make out what that sound was ...


    *RUMBLE*


    A huge avalance came in his direction and swept him up and covered his whole body under countless layers of ice ...


    .....


    Arthur slowly regained his sight, but this time it wasn''t the void that greeted him but snow, lots of snow and whiteness that filled his entire view!


    He looked around sideways and found two Pokemon facing off each other in a fight. The one farther away had a broad body covered in brown fur, narrow eyes, and a wide mouth with small, visible fangs in the upper jaw. The fur on its shoulders was longer and more structured, with rectangular extensions that resemble epaulettes, it had a large, ring-shaped mark on its chest and long forelimbs ending in five claws repectively.


    (A/N: Description from Bulbapedia.Bulbagarden.net)


    "Is that a ... an Ursar-"


    "ROOOUUUUURRR!", a wild shout from that Pokemon interrupted his train of thoughts.


    "KRIIIIEEEERRRR!", the Pokemon opposite replied with its own wild loud shout.


    "This sound, I know that, it''s, ... a Sniebel!", realisation dawned upon Arthur''s mind, it was definitely a Sniebel, the shape and colours matched, but this one looked a bit bigger and didn''t have a large feather on its ear.


    "Is it female maybe?", Arthur was aware that sometimes Pokemon had different body structures depending on the gender, similar to humans.


    He tried to move a little but his body was seemingly stuck in the snow and didn''t budge at all, so he was forced to watch the battle unfold.


    The fight was fierce, both Pokemon fought like their lives were on the line, yes, it was truly a death match! No one was willing to surrender or give in, both Pokemon fought bitterly without concern for any injuries they received or dangerous attacks they delivered, it was a fight between wild Pokemon!


    Using every body part they had, the highest priority was about dealing the largest amount of damage to the target!


    Finally during the endgame, after much blood had been spilled on both sides, after many punches and bites had been exchanged, the heavily wounded Ursaring caved in and slowly fell onto the ground!


    Arthur felt a rush of excitement and relief from an unkown source, seeing that the Sniebel had finally won! He felt his body not stuck in the snow any longer, he could break free now!


    Somehow he felt an urge to run straight towards that Sniebel, a yearning, anticipation, it filled Arthur''s whole body and took control over him.


    But when he reached the battle scene, the view shocked him greatly. The snowy ground was coloured with a bloody red, almost creating a pond full of that liquid. On one side was the dead fallen Ursaring and a bit farther away ... lied the injured body of the Sniebel.


    "NOOO!", anxiousness and sadness poured into him as quickly as he closed in on the Sniebel''s side.


    She was bleeding non-stop from her body and her limbs were all covered in severe tears, wounds and marks.


    "NO! Mother! You can''t die!"


    The Sniebel must have heard the loud shout and tried opening its eyes with the last bits of strength she had left! Looking in Arthur''s direction, she raised her broken limb and carressed him on his cheeks before she lost the power to continue and her body turned frozen still in the red flowing blanket.


    "NOOOO!!!"


    "krrrrriiiiierrrr!"


    Two voices overlapped and transmitted their endless sorrow and pain into the boundless snowy landscape ...


    ....


    The scenery changed, Arthur was in the woods now, climbing from tree to tree, branch to branch. He was surrounded by a dozen other Sniebels and together they were on a hunt for food to feed their growing pack.


    *POWWWW*


    Suddenly Arthur heard a shot from behind and he turned sharply around only to see one of his friends fall down the tree with a large hole in his chest.


    "NO!"


    "Kriiierrr!"


    "Kriiiiiiiierrrr"


    "KKRRIEER"


    All of his friends saw their fallen comrade lying on the ground, on the brink of death, what had happened, each wondered enraged.


    Then the answer appeared by itself. A human wearing thick clothes with a brown beard showed up from the shadows, one of his hand held a long gun, smoke still rising from its ends.


    "Bastard!", Arthur''s mind was filled with killing intent, and he wanted to avenge his friend!


    "Hahaha, usually Pokemon have quite a thick skin and muscle tissue, not easily penetrable by most guns. But this little baby here ...", the human looked with shining eyes at the metallic barrel of the shotgun,


    "This is one of the best guns I could buy from the blackmarket, built with the latest Crystal-Infusion technology available in the market, hahaha, the price was worth it!", his attention turned back towards the Sniebels,


    "Now, please sit still and wait patiently for your turn to arrive as well, hahahaha!", the man turned towards another Sniebel, raised his gun and let out another shot:


    "POWWW!"


    A second Sniebel from the trees and joined the one on the ground, Arthur felt the danger continuously rising and yelled loudly:


    "Retreat! That human is dangerous! Retreat!", while he himself was dashing straight towards the guy on the ground!


    *POW POW*


    Another two shots fired out at Arthur this time, but both barely missed their target and he evaded them successfully. Arthur was an expert hunter in this forest and very knowledgeable about the environment, he knew every bush, grass field or tree stump by heart.


    "Shit!", the human cursed, he needed time to reload his gun.


    Arthur saw his chance coming and headed straight towards the human to end its life as swift as possible.


    But then, when only a couple of meters separated them, the evil human smirked malevolently and said:


    "Snover, now, Protect!"


    Suddenly a screen appeared right in front of Arthur''s path and it was too late for him dodge it!


    *CRASH*


    He smashed directly into the screen and made a full-stop, but the force that moved him forward earlier, now turned against him! The resulting power shattered some of his bones and left him gasping for air.


    "Hahahaha, stupid Pokemon, that''s what we call having a ''Trump Card'' up your sleeves, hahaha.", the man mocked Arthur and grinned when seeing his trophy for the day.


    The other Sniebels had escaped by the time the man was finished dealing with Arthur, it was regretful for him but that didn''t matter anymore.


    He walked over to Arthur and his dead comerades and seemingly talked to himself:


    "Two dead, the prices won''t be high, this gun is dealing quite a lot of damage to the body but you...", he looked at Arthur smilingly,


    "Sniebels aren''t worth shit in Sinnoh here but I''ve heard that in Kanto, hahaha, you''re worth your weight in gold, hahahah!"


    That was the last Arthur heard before he lost his consciousness and his mind faded away ....


    .......


    "NOOOOO!!!", Arthur cried out loudly and woke up, still frightened. He looked around, being wary of his surroundings, guarding against any enemies that could ambush him but ... he was all alone.


    Alone in a bed room, several machines attached to his body, it was dark outside, in one corner of the room there was a weird kind of glass-casket, but it was too far away for him to see and when Arthur sensed his fingers moving ...


    "Damn, huh, I''m me again, huh, I''m back, haha, huh, sighhhh ...", he breathed out loudly several times in a row, the experience he went through was still fresh in his mind and made him completely restless.


    Everything felt so real, all those feelings and sensations that made up his whole self, felt like they had been a real part of him ... even though they were not.


    This, this was too much for him to handle and it also just came without a warning.


    "Am I going crazy now?", ever since his accident weird things happened all the time to him and he thought he gradually lost control over his own life. But what was the truth? Nobody could answer him ... no, there was someone who had an answer.


    "I couldn''t really understand what he said at the end, Atiqo ... but he said something about the PokeDex! I am sure of it ...", hopefully he would find an answer inside the Dex or else, maybe he had really lost his mind and his brain had only played a prank on him ...


    "Please not ...", he prayed to god silently. Either he had to go into a mental hospital or cling onto the hope that weird ghosts haunted his dreams at night ...


    Just as he was about to get off the bed and look for his PokeDex, the door on the side crashed open widely and several people simultaneously toppled on top of one another:


    "Arty!"


    "Arthur!"


    "Young master!"


    "Eeerrrieee!"


    "Damned!"


    Suddenly a bunch of noises and voices intermingled with one another, but Arthur was still able to clearly differentiate them. It seemed like he was in the Oak Mansion again. And the whole family plus some unfamiliar faces had gathered around him.


    It took some moments but slowly everyone became quiet again and Blue was the first person to go forward:


    "Hey, Arthur, no long time no see, hehe.", Blue smiled warmly at him,


    "How are you feeling right now?", his tone now contained a hint of concern.


    "I, ehm, I am good, I think."


    *Sigh*


    Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Blue tried to lighten up the mood a bit:


    "How come we always only meet when you''re somehow involved in a dangerous fight? What''s wrong with you, you little rascal, hahaha!"


    "I am sorry M-Mr.Oak.", Arthur felt a litte embarrassed.


    "You can call me Blue by the way, don''t worry. You also don''t have to apologise at all for what happened to you, no. It''s me who should apologise, that''s definitely on me and ...", he looked sideways as if waiting for someone ...


    "And me, Arty, no, Arthur, I-I don''t know how I can make up for this, this whole thing, I couldn''t protect you-"


    "Just stop Gary.", Arthur interrupted him without regard for politeness,


    "It''s not your fault, no, definitely not, and you did save me so we don''t owe each other anything. But you could buy me an ice as a sign of our friendship sometime, ok?"


    Gary gulped down and looked Arthur deeply into the eyes and only after some time passed, did he smile a little, nod and say:


    "Sure, tons of ice, enough to bury you, haha!"


    "No, I have had enough of that experience ..."


    "What?"


    "Forget it.", it kinda slipped out of his mouth by mistake, and he quickly tried to cover it up again somehow.


    Blue turned serious again and waved his hand for a person to come forward. A girl appeared, a little older than Gary with brown long hair and a white lab coat on.


    "This is my younger sister Daisy, Arthur."


    "Hi, Arty", she also took after he brother and called him like that.


    "She is a doctor-"


    "Doctor-in-training!", she corrected him.


    "A doctor who is specialized in dealing with Pokemon injuries. The reason she is here, we called her here, is partially because of your Sniebel ...", Blue ignored her and began explaining.


    "Where is it? Is he fine?!", Arthur instantly questioned about the Sniebel''s well-being.


    "He is over there.", Daisy pointed towards the corner of the room, where the glass casket lied,


    "It''s been in a critical state before and we can talk about the details later, but he will survive.", she told Arthur in a sweet but serious tone.


    "Sighhh!"


    "It''s too early for you to become happy, Arty.", she said and Arthur felt like something bad was about to come.


    "Arthur, I told you how she is an expert in Pokemon injuries, right? ''Pokemon Pathology'' is also related to ''Human Pathology'' caused by Pokemon ..."


    "What do you mean ..."


    "What my Brother is trying to tell you is that you suffered serious injuires by Pokemon Arty. Very serious injuries ..."


    "How serious are we talking about ...", the level of bad news just rose by big notch.

 38 Oak Family Part 2

    "I-I will drop dead ... the moment I step out of the gates?!", he asked bewildered back, was that a death sentence on him?!


    "Hahahaha, look at your face, hahaha!!!", Daisy fell into a small fit of laughter and couldn''t stay still anymore.


    "S-so that was a Joke, ha...ha?", why did all grown-ups he met make such jokes when the situation was so serious!


    "No, haha, huh, I didn''t lie.", she got herself back together.


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    "Daisy, please, could you be a bit more considerate ..."


    "Be quiet Blue! You''re one to talk, always making fun of me for not wanting to become a ''real Trainer'' when we were small ..."


    "What does that have to do with the situation now ..."


    "Guys, please, could we not argue for a moment ...", Gary tried to calm them down.


    "You have the nerves to ..."


    "Do you think you have any right to ...", both talked back at him annoyed for butting in.


    "Ehem ...", Arthur cleared his throat a little,


    "Could we come back to the ''I am gonna die''-topic just for a second please?", Arthur asked the siblings timidly.


    "Ehh, yeah, sure!", Daisy took the chance to change the subject,


    "Well, you see Arty, huh, how do I start ... You were involved in a battle right?", she asked him.


    "Yes.", he answered unsurely. Actually he only had memories regarding the fight against the Bellsprout ... everything that came after it, the moment the Zubat and that Houndour appeared they were ... they weren''t erased, but seeing those images flashing in his mind they didn''t feel like ''his'' memories or ''his'' actions at all but felt like from somebody else instead ... it was like watching a movie happening from the perspective of the spectator ... but that was too weird for him to explain them right now.


    "And you got injured by several attacks from the Pokemon, right?


    You see Arty, usually Pokemon don''t only deal physical damages to our bodies. There is an energy called ..."


    "Dizzy, he knows what Infinity Energy is, I already explained it to him", Gary butted in again.


    "Me too.", Blue said.


    "Don''t call me like that in front of guests!", Daisy got a bit red and angry at his interruption.


    "So, well, if you already know about Infinity Energy that will save us some time.", she got back on track and became serious,


    "Infinity Energy is highly volatile and very reactive towards all kinds of matter, some might evn go so far and call it ''corrosive''. Strange things happen around this energy that science can''t always explain.


    Lucky for us humans, we have several mechanism to prevent this type of energy to harm our bodies.


    Have you known that there is a very thin acidic layer on our skins that prevents bacteria, viruses and other contaminants from invading our bodies? It''s called the ''acid mantle'' ", she asked him, though it was just a rethorical question.


    Arthur was about to shake his head, when suddenly a flash of information passed through his mind, and he started mumbling to himself absent-mindedly:


    "The pH of our skins is between 4,5 and 6,2 which makes it slightly acidic. Our blood is alkaline on the other hand. Once bacteria that grew accustomed to our skins enter more internal tissues ..."


    (A/N: Credits go to Wikipedia *bow*)


    "... they encounter an environment which they are less adapted to! Oh my god, how did you know that Arty?", Daisy was really amazed hearing this from the mouth of a 12 year old child.


    "He is smart, didn''t I tell you, haha, that''s why I chose him to replace you Dizzy!", Gary was also astounded but grew a little used to this unassuming little boy surprising him time and time again.


    "Hmpf, don''t get cocky Gary, seems like you still didn''t learn your lessons yet!", she responded with a challenging tone in her voice.


    " Hahaha, I ehh... I learned it from the internet ...", that excuse grew a bit old now he thought, but the rest seemingly accepted it as curiosity from a smart kid. He himself wasn''t sure what the heck just happened to him!


    "Daisy, please continue.", Blue asked her.


    "Fine. The point I was trying to make Arty is that we humans have a similar protective layer against Infinity Energy! It''s invisible and covers every one of ours cells. I can''t really tell you how it''s done ...", she looked sideways at Blue who shook his head,


    " ... but it''s there. Or it should be there at least ... in your case Arty, it disappeared!"


    "What?! So, do I really die now?!"


    "No, not anymore ... for now. Disappeared might not be the perfect expression. A more fitting term would be ... ''exhausted''!


    You somehow exhausted so much of the ''Natural Energy'' in your body that there wasn''t enought for maintaining this safe layer around you anymore!


    This by itself is quiet an impossible feat but I get side-tracked here.


    The problem was that during the whole course of the battle you sustained a lot of Infinity Energy- infused attacks!


    The corrosive energy penetrated your body and without that invisible layer the situation was completely helpless for you. Falling unconscious is the smallest problem you could have gotten ...


    You''re lucky my brother was quick to react and bring you here, our Mansion is built on top of an Energy Vein. It permeats this whole building with rich Natural Energy that currently acts as a counter force towards the imbalance inside your body.


    So long as you stay here, the corrosive properties won''t harm you and after some time your protective layer will be re-established again.


    Otherwise, any step outside our territory could make those energy residues go wild again and lead to accelerated cell apoptosis which means ..."


    "Nothing good I guess ...", Arthur said with a grave expression on his face.


    "Nope, nothing good at all.", she smiled while shaking her head,


    "The good news is that the rest of your body seems fine ... considering your circumstances. You have some cuts, bruises, some broken ribs, you lost a lot of blood, it''s a miracle that you didn''t pass out earlier actually when reading all these details haha!", her weird humour sparked out again,


    "But it''s nothing that can''t be fixed with time and rest, and lots of food."


    Blue spoke out again:


    "There are several things that we need to discuss Arthur. Some are more important than others, but the most urgent thing right now is calling your family!"


    "My, family?"


    "Yes, I talked to your mum earlier on the phone and if it hadn''t been for a certain someone who convinced me otherwise ..." Blue glanced back at Gary,


    "... then your mum would be standing here right in front of you already."


    "Oh, shit!", Arthur cursed to himself,


    "How long have I ... passed out?"


    "Language young man!", the butler repriminded him,


    "And it has been 8 hours since young Master Gary brought you back on his Fearow."


    Arthur looked at Gary and nodded at him as a gesture of gratitude, which Gary just waved off.


    "She has been calling several times in the last hours, she is getting worried Arthur and we can''t keep lying to her.", Blue had an uneasy expression on his face.


    Arthur realised he felt bad using his status and authority as a Gym Leader to lie to his mother and abuse her trust.


    "Then what should I tell her?"


    "No, Arthur, you misunderstood my brother here! We can''t keep lying to your mum, it would make her too suspicous, but that doesn''t mean that you can''t ...", Gary''s smile widened into a grin.


    "Of course we aren''t telling you to lie to her ... but just bend the truth a little, hehe.


    Look Arthur, it''s not a problem that you''re here staying with us, not at all! But as long as we don''t know who is after your life and for what reason, it''s just too dangerous to tell your family. They might get involved involuntarily."


    Arthur gulped heavily, when it came to his family there was nothing he would prioritise more.


    Imagining his family to become endangered because he got too careless ... no, he absolutely couldn''t allow that to happen!


    "I understand, I know what to do then ...", Arthur responded with firm resolve burning in his eyes.


    .......


    *BRRRRRRRING*


    "Yes, hello?", a female voice answered on the phone.


    "Hi mum, it''s ehh, it''s me ..."


    "Arthur! What happened, don''t tell me you got yourself back into some trouble! I trust Mr.Oak, but I was already starting to feel worried something might have happened ..."


    "It''s fine mum ...", Arthur closed his eyes, remembering what he wanted to say,


    "It''s just ... that I found the Sniebel!"


    "What?! Really?! That''s amazing Arthur!", his mother hadn''t actually believed her son would be able to catch that cunning Pokemon, especially this quickly.


    "Yeah, well, during my ... attempt to catch it back we kind of got into an accident, and the Sniebel got hurt really bad ...", a depressing feeling soaked his heart again when thinking back to the talk he had with Daisy about his Sniebel ...


    "What, this, I am sorry, but what about you Arthur?", she asked worriedly.


    "I told you I am fine, I got a bit hurt, but ... nothing serious. But I would like to stay here for the time being in Blue''s house, they are currently taking care of the Sniebel ..."


    "Are you sure you can do this ..."


    "I asked him and Gary and they both said I could ..."


    "-wait, did you just say Gary?!", his mum''s voice faltered suddenly.


    "Huh? Yeah, Blue and Gary are here, Gary helped me quite a lot with the S-", but he was interrupted again before he could finish his sentence.


    "You are saying Gary Oak is currently in that mansion?!", was it just his imagination or did her voice go up a few pitches ...


    "Yes, they are brothers ..."


    "Oh my god Arthur, why didn''t you tell me before! Why didn''t you call earlier?!", she suddenly also got a bit angrier,


    "You know what, it''s fine if you stay there until your Pokemon is back to health, but I will have to come over and take a look at Gar-, I mean I have to confirm you are alright and you are behaving like a good child. I will be there tomorrow then!", she instantly transformed from a worried mother into a ... Arthur couldn''t find the right words.


    "It''s ok mum, I am already 12 years old, I can take care of m-"


    "No, Arthur McNeal, don''t talk back to me like that after doing another one of your dangerous stunts again! I will be coming tomorrow and meet that famous friend of yours, bye-bye!", and so she broke the call.


    "..."

 39 Potions, Potions and Potions!

    Arthur couldn''t really understand his mother''s sudden change of mood, but well, maybe she got sick or something, she''s definitely working too much lately.


    He put these things aside and thought back to his talk with Daisy about Sniebel''s condition ...


    ...


    "Good, if that''s taken care of we can-", Blue wanted to begin but got interrupted by Daisy, geez, no politeness amongst siblings.


    "Hey, what about Sniebel, don''t you want to know how he is?", she asked Arthur without regard for Blue''s angry stares.


    "Yes, please, I really want to know!", Arthur responded instantly. Even if his memories were a bit fuzzy, he still knew that Sniebel had put up his life at stake to defeat those villains and save him. Arthur would never forget something this critical and he knew that was a debt he might never be able to fully pay up.


    "His condition is now stable, but that''s a really broad term. He''s had a concussion, several broken bones especially in his arms, a huge load of blood loss ... I nearly head to rob a blood bank to get enough blood together!"


    "I-I ... I will pay it up, don''t worry!", he replied anxiously. The Oaks had already done so much for him and he didn''t want to owe them even more, this would be impolite. Even though he didn''t have much he would still remember this kindness and pay them back somehow.


    "What? No, forget that, hahaha!", Daisy began to chuckle.


    "Arthur, you''re my friend, and friends don''t owe each other! We didn''t do this so you could pay us back, don''t worry about such small stuff!", Gary rebuked him a little.


    "Yes, don''t worry Arthur, saving a life for something so worthless as money, I would do it a thousand times more for you and your Pokemon ... but please don''t have any thoughts about getting yourselves into more danger, ok? Hahahaha!", Blue also waved him off with his one only arm.


    "But didn''t she say she had to use up so much blood?", Arthur asked confused.


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    "Oh ... so it was like that.", he didn''t get embarrassed about this, he simply didn''t know about this system.


    "You will learn about this later in school, so don''t worry too much, haha!"


    "What about ... Potions? Do they exist?", somehow he felt like he had seen this before somewhere ...


    "Potions?", she had a surprised expression on her face all of a sudden.


    "Yeah, like Super Potion, Hyper Potion, Max Potions ... Full Restore?"


    "Pff ... HAHAHA!", Daisy couldn''t hold herself back and fell into laughter, much heavier then before,


    "where, where hahaha, did you get this, hahaha?", she was barely able too ask.


    "I-I don''t know ...", but now he definitely felt embarrassed, did he say something wrong?


    "Oh boy, that was ... I haven''t heard something this funny since, since Gary tried to eat Pokemon Berries and had too fart soooo loud, pfff hahahaha!", old memories sprang up in her mind about her dear little brother holding his butt anxiously.


    "HEY! Don''t bring that up in front of guests!", now it was Gary''s turn to feel irritated.


    "Hahaha, to get back to the potions, Arty, did you play too many games? They sound like straight from an RPG, srsly Hyper Potion, Super Potion, Max ...pfff, HAAHAHA!", she tried it but couldn''t resist when repeating those same words again.


    Blue took over for her, while she was incapacitated:


    "Yes, Arthur, I guess you''re a bit too young, but there are some stores in the city that sell potions. But those are either fake products or extremely highly priced items. When it comes to Pokemon medicine there is a whole slew of medicines similar to the human side, but the term ''Potion'' is a bit more special in the professional Pokemon World.


    Potions have existed since time immemorial, passed down from one generation to the next according to history, and they have many miraculous abilities like instantly healing up a Pokemon''s injuries in but a moment of time! Lost limbs, infections, stress, whatever you could name, ''Health Potions'' could heal it probably. Myths say even the dead could be brought back but ... well that''s a myth."


    "Then, why do we still have Pokemon Centres?", Arthur asked even more confused than before.


    "Well, the answer is quite frankly: War! Humanity''s history is quite long Arthur, many wars have been fought, many factions rose up and declined. And the spread of informtion wasn''t that great in ancient times, lots has been lost or added into over time until nobody was really sure how to create the exact right Potions.


    And the last place where historians believe the complete formulas for all possible Potions to have been located at once, was the Great Library of Alexandria ..."


    "Oh ...", realisation dawned upon Arthur''s face when he heard that name.


    "Yes, you know about it I guess. A wealth of information, a marble of humanity''s accomplishments ... and all that turned into ashes ...sighhh!"


    "Nowadays when people talk about Potions, they mean the products made by certain clans from different parts of the world like e.g. oriental east asia, especially China. It''s said, or at least they claim that their version of the ''Health Potion'' is based on the most complete formula that currently exists on earth.", Gary continued,


    "It could be true, Ancient China has been a similar powerful force as Ancient Greece or Rome, maybe they were indeed able to preserve their information and secrets to a much larger extent and continue doing so until our modern era. Nobody can say that for certain as our neighbour''s lips are tightly sealed on this matter."


    "And they don''t want to share this information because ..."


    "Hahaha, Arthur, I love this part of you, reminds me of my myself sometimes. So young, and so naive. It''s greed Arthur, one of mankind''s most vicious enemies. Greed grew in people''s hearts and made them place their own interests above everybody elses. Of course they could share the formulas but what would they gain in return?


    Do you think they would be satisfied to hand over their ancient family''s inheritances for ... a hand-shake?", Gary said with a rueful smile on his face.


    "What about money?"


    "Would you really accept a one-time sum of money over a continues business-model that keeps you rich and stays stable for like, humanity''s entire time of existence? No, I don''t think so. The real problem is that this formula must be highly complex because no other group or organisation has been able to reproduce their products and not make it ... toxic or deadly.", Gary told him about the latest experimentations he had heard about,


    "Which doesn''t mean that people don''t continue trying to find out that secret. By hook or by crook, many many have tried to somehow get in possession of those clan''s hidden secrets, using money, extortion or even violence but none have returned successful or even alive! They haven''t survived for so long for no reason.,*snort*", he seemed to mock the thieves.


    "So, Potions exist but they cost a lot of money?", Arthur tried to sum it up.


    "Yes, tons of money. But it depends on the kind of Potion you purchase. And there are highly effective ones with a broad range of possibles usages and less effective ones with a decreased amount of the active substances necessary to do all those miraculous things you heard earlier about."


    "Most of times it''s just more cost-effective to go the Pokemon Centre and get your Pokemon treated there. It may take a longer time but the results are still good. Only really wealthy families or Trainers can afford regular Health Potion usages. We gave your Sniebel some by the way."


    (A/N: No, Pokemon Centres can''t instantly heal up your whole Team, in this FanFic at least, it''s like a hospital, but Pokemon do recover faster than humans)


    "What?!", Arthur was shocked, especially after learning so much about the value of these Potions.


    "And before you can say anything, no, you don''t need to pay us up! It was a critical situation and a life needed to be saved.", Blue explained resolutely.


    "Ok, ... thanks ... for everything I mean.", Arthur felt very warm in his heart, these people had done so much for him, and he couldn''t do anything in return.


    "Ehem, ", Daisy got back and cleared her throat,


    "I am sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but your Sniebel isn''t perfectly fine Arty.", she told Arthur in a solemn manner.


    "What do you mean? Did the Potion not work?", he asked confused and a bit shaken.


    "It did, at least for the damages it was supposed to work on. To be honest, your Sniebel was really on the brink of death, we needed to re-animate it several times and only the Potion kept him from having multiple organ failure.


    That wouldn''t have been the worst situation, organ transplantion is also much easier when it comes to Pokemon like blood-transfusions but it''s better to avoid this situation.


    No, the problem is its nerves got cut off in its right claws. It must have really gone all out, and the stacked-up injuries led to severe cell damages and a disconnection of the nerves between its entire right paw and his arm. Right now, when it recovers, it looks like it won''t be able to use that limb anymore."


    "What? You''re saying ... he will never be able to use its ... right claws again?", Arthur asked thunderstruck.


    "If we were to talk about natural regeneration then no, that wouldn''t be possible, even with the overwhelming regenerative capacities of Pokemon, that shouldn''t be possible in a short amount of time. Maybe in several years, or decades, I don''t know.", she delivered the final blow.


    Arthur was close to falling into a depression, his saviour had to pay too much of a price to save him. It would disable the Sniebel for the rest of its life maybe and it was all Arthur''s fault ...


    But then he noticed something, a glimmer of hope, in Daisy''s explanation:


    "You said, natural regeneration ... does that mean, there are other ways?"


    "Yes, you noticed right! There are two I could think of that aren''t illegal. First is that you get in possession of a Top Grade Potion!"


    "Top Grade ... Potion?"


    "Yes Arty, Potions can be categorized into two main Types. The first type is the one previously mentioned, passed down in history into our modern era and kept in secret by ancient clans or families with an equally long history: Top Grade Potions or otherwise known as ''Secret Potions''!


    Secret Potions are also divided into different grades but very few people come across them so that doesn''t matter right now.


    The second type is positioned directly under the Secret Potion and is called ''Junior Potion''!


    Here people either tried to mimic the effects of Secret Potions or create their own Potions using known ingredients that have been used in the creation of Secret Potions according to old texts, research or maybe through ''dungeon'' discoveries.


    Junior Potions can then be divided into high tier, mid tier or low tier Junior Potions depending on their origin and performances. High tier potions are usually made by large research institutes/organisations or even by the government, mid tier potions are made by large companies who sell their products on the market and low tier potions ... you should be careful about those or just straight-up avoid them.


    Low-tier potions most of times are made by very small groups of people, maybe only a single person, and neither the quality nor the safety can be assessed correctly. It''s like russian roulette, you might end up with a huge win but most of times ... your Pokemon will end up in the hospital.


    If you don''t have enough money to buy mid-tier potions, you should just go the Pokemon Centre, take the regular medicines and let time heal the wounds properly."


    "Sadly Arty, we don''t have any Top Grade Potions right now. They are usually sold in limited quantities and only under rare occasions. In addition to that or maybe because of the previous point they are extremely pricy!"


    "If even the Gym Leader of Viridan City doesn''t have access to Top Grade Potions ... then how am I going to do that?", Arthur asked pessimistically.


    "You''re right, it''s very unlikely for that to happen. Sometimes they are won in combination with the lottery but you shouldn''t bet your life or your Pokemon''s on this. But hey, I said there were two methods, right?", Daisy winked at him,

 40 What it means to be a Trainer

    "A Trainer? How does that help the Sniebel?", Arthur asked astounded.


    "Yes, a Trainer! You could become a Pokemon Trainer registered at the Pokemon Trainer Association, become a world-wide acknowledged expert in your field of choice and use your resources to train your Sniebel back into the right shape!", she explained to him.


    "I can help the Sniebel ... by myself?", Arthur still wasn''t sure what she was talking about, wasn''t he just a little kid, what resources was she talking about?


    "Haha, I am sorry, I guess you haven''t heard about what it means to be a Trainer, right?", Daisy asked nicely.


    Arthur nodded shyly. He only knew what Trainers looked like from the media and games and ... not much else. It was every child''s dream to become a Trainer, but he never really questioned what it meant to become a Trainer itself.


    "Well, for starters, let''s talk about the academy. The Pokemon Trainer Academy is a centralised institution administered and supervised by several governmental bodies of Kanto together with the Pokemon Trainer Association. It is a given when you consider that every elected governmental official needs to have certain qualifications as well as experiences as a Pokemon Trainer.


    Of course this doesn''t mean that every Pokemon Trainer is an official haha. Instead they are part of the executive force that keeps Kanto stable and maintains peace in various ways.


    Other regions or countries have a dual governmental system, where one part takes care of human related affairs and the other of the Pokemon related ones. While this might have worked in the past, nowadays the relationship and importance of Pokemon in human society has become exceedingly interlinked with each other, so much so that the dual system was replaced in Kanto in favour of the mixed administration.


    Well ... after a certain event ...", she glanced over at Blue saddened,


    "... it also became clear that Pokemon became a sort of Power that countries needed more control of ... sigh... all in all, the importance of the Pokemon governmental side grew more and more with time, so much so that they took over more and more responsibilities from the human governmental side."


    "But what does this have to do with the Trainer Academy?", asked Arthur curiously.


    "Ahh yes, however, this shift to the new system also meant that every higher ranking official needed to have a certain amount of experience in dealings with Pokemon which resulted in a higher demand for qualified and skilled professionals.


    Therefore, out of convenience and practicality, it became a rule and requirement to go through the Pokemon Trainer Academy education programs.", Daisy elaborated further.


    People called it the ''Golden Age of Pokemon Trainers'' sighhhh, but today it has become much more glorified and kind of an honor to become a Pokemon Trainer. The standards have become higher, the regulations stricter and the fees higher. Not everyone is able to meet the necessary requirements.", Blue took over.


    "H?? I saw mum with her Glameow, isn''t she also a Pokemon Trainer?", Arthur wondered.


    "What? Haha, Arthur no, I don''t mean to make fun of you.", Daisy chuckled for a bit, she was in a good mood today, though Arthur was still confused as to why. Wasn''t everyone who possessed a Pokemon supposed to be a Trainer? She continued:


    "Just because someone has Pokemon, doesn''t make that person automatically a Trainer. That might have worked in the past were not many people cared about this, but today a Pokemon Trainer is a real profession!


    They clear missions, pioneer through new territories, protect the population from natural catastrophes and strive to become stronger with their Pokemon in their specific fields of expertise. You can also see it as a sort of transitioning or stepping stone for your future career.


    Many professions can only be carried out by skilled and experienced Pokemon Trainers. They have more freedom in their scope of action regarding Pokemon affairs or usage than normal citizens.


    However, the right to own Pokemon is completely independent from the profession of a Pokemon Trainer. This right is a fundamental law anchored in our constitution, of course in concord with all the other laws haha.


    You can imagine it like this, our society is made up many different groups of people who need to maintain our region e.g. lawyers, doctors, bankers, salesman, teachers, construction workers ... etc. But not all of these people really need a professional Pokemon Trainer license to study or carry out their jobs. They have their own universities and education facilities.


    In contrast, police officers, field-researchers, rangers, gym-leaders, Pokemon hunters, Disaster fighters, the military ... etc. all these professions need to have a great foundation and education in handling Pokemon!


    A real Pokemon Trainer by our current world''s standards needs to frequently battle Pokemon, maintain peace and order in urban areas for the safety of the population, and help the government enact laws and prosper!


    And to come back to our intial problem, Pokemon Trainees who study in the academy receive a lot of resources that help them grow and become stronger, it''s natural, they are the future foundations of a region after all!


    I am not allowed to go into much detail but it would be possible for you to help your Sniebel recover if you became a Trainee and gained access to the resources the academy provides to its students.


    By making yourselves stronger, your Pokemon indirectly benefits as well-"


    "I think that''s enough Daisy.", Blue cut her off and ignored his sister''s angry stares,


    "I am sorry Arthur but there is only so much we can tell you, a regular citizen of the region. There are certain secrets that the public just shouldn''t know about too much, to maintain the peace, do you understand?", he smiled at him warmly.


    "You mean ... Infinity Force?", Arthur had an idea about what Blue was talking about. He had seen a lot of weird stuff already by watching Blue and Gary in the past couple of days. Infinity Force, this strange power that appeared around them sometimes should be the link to all this.


    "Yes *sigh*", he threw annoyed looks at Gary,


    "I heard my little brother irresponsibly told you about this already. Listen Arthur, the knowledge about Infinity Force is quite a secret because it is a power that can harm people when used by wrong inexperienced hands. That''s why every Trainer needs to sign a confidential agreement to not disclose any of this to a third uninvolved party!


    That doesn''t mean that nothing has ever leaked out or that the public is unaware of it, on the contrary, Pokemon Tournaments, Pokemon Trainer Mixed Martial Arts fights and other contests frequently showcase the usage of Infinity Force for the broad public audience.


    They know it''s dangerous and that only Pokemon Trainers are qualified enough to handle this power but still, better safe than sorry! Besides, there is a multitude of secret organisations that take care of such leaked scandals and involved parties always get punished heavily!


    Actually, this works in favour of the image that Pokemon Trainers have built up in people''s minds and increases their popularity as well as prestige which then causes a rise in application for the academy - a good marketing strategy.


    Just saying Arthur, keep the stuff my brother illegaly told you deep into your pockets, ok?"


    "Ok *gulp*, I understand Blue!", Arthur answered a bit startled. he didn''t know it would turn out to be such a big thing.


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    --------------


    (A/N: This will be a bit longer, so you can skip this if you want. I struggled a little with the idea of powers for humans in the PW. On the one hand they couldn''t be too wide-spread or otherwise peace would be endangered if any random nobody/thug could gain access to superpowers in addition to using Pokemon, terror attacks would be more frequent I guess.


    On the other hand it just felt unrealistic to me that people didn''t know there were superpowers that Trainers or some people could use. It surely would have leaked out at some point in time, thanks to globalisation. Even if in the beginning governments could cover this up by supression of information, people''s awareness would still gradually rise up until everybody somehow knows.


    So I just made it public but restricted to only a small group of people, the Trainers or those with a Trainer license, who gain extensive knowledge and resources in this field. Which doesn''t mean that bad guys don''t have anything to show ... but that''s another topic ;)


    It''s similar to how in ''My Hero Academia'' almost all have superpowers, but only the ''Heroes'' have legal permission to use those powers in public.


    -End)


    ------------------------------------------------------


    "Good, I appreciate this Arthur. I as a Gym Leader have an important role to fulfill, including maintaining secrets secret.


    On a side note ...", Blue looked a little nervous now,


    "If I were you Arthur ... I wouldn''t really go and become a Trainer!", he told Arthur uneasily.


    "Why?", it was as if a hammer had hit his head. Why would the Gym Leader of Viridian City tell him he shouldn''t become a Pokemon Trainer?


    "If it''s about your Sniebel Arthur, I might have other ways for you to procure you a Top Grade Potion, you would just need to stay a little patient. As to why, well ... Gary also told me you had practised the breathing method with him ... and that the results weren''t that good ...", Blue''s face was a bit worried now.


    "Is it necessary to ... have a good grasp over this Force to become a Trainer ...?", Arthur''s mind slowly connected the dots together and formed a speculation.


    "Yes, that''s exactly the reason.", Blue felt grateful that Arthur got his point without needing his explanation,


    "Arthur, Pokemon Trainers don''t have an easy job. It''s actually quite dangerous and could make you lose your life! Without sufficient strength to protect yourself first it''s just impossible to protect others. It''s not enough to have a good control over Pokemon, a Trainer who can''t survive without his Pokemon is not a real Trainer! Remember this.


    Even if you got into the academy through other methods it wouldn''t make your path as a Trainer smoother without a talent to use Infinity Force properly, at least I as a Gym Leader can''t support you in this!", Blue looked towards Gary and said to him,


    "And neither will you!"


    "*Snort*", was the only response Gary had. He didn''t look happy being ordered around by his older brother, but Arthur could see in his eyes that he also agreed with Blue''s statement.


    "I am sorry Arthur that I had to be so rough about this-"


    "No, it''s fine Blue. Some things just can''t be helped .... I guess *sigh*. Either way, it is ok for me if just my little brother gets the chance to become a Trainer, I just want my family to be happy. Right now I want to earn more money and help my mother lessen her work. As long as I can achieve that, I would be satisfied!", Arthur smiled weakly.


    Arthur felt dejected about this. It had always been his dream and now the Gym Leader of Viridian City himself wanted to dissuade him from pursuing this goal!


    If it was someone random Arthur might not have cared but ... it was a Gym Leader! And also a Wartime Hero! If anyone had the experience and right to advise him to do better, it was definitely Blue!


    Maybe he really wasn''t meant to become a Trainer ...


    "That''s so mature of you Arthur! Your mother can be glad to have a considerate son such as you! You know, even without a career as a Pokemon Trainer you can become a successful person. You could work at an insurance company if it''s money that you are looking for, or as typical doctor or lawyer. The world is big and I am confident that you will find a place for yourself somewhere!", Blue tried to cheer him up and encourage him to take a different path.


    "Don''t worry Arty, you''re quite smart and I definitely agree that you would be a great doctor - just like me haha!", Daisy also tried to console him in her own way.


    Gary saw that Arthur needed sometime to digest everything and wanted to leave him some freetime:


    "Guys, I think Arthur has been through a lot already now, let''s give him a break. I have gotten really hungry, who wants to eat something in the kitchen?"


    "Ehh .., yes I have really gotten hungry."


    "My stomach is killing me ...", the others got his message and left the room gradually until only two people were left in the room. And a Pokemon.


    "Erriiieee!", the Eevee finally let out a sound after having been stopped by Celine.


    "*Sigh* You sure caused a ruckus, boy ...", Cecile told Arthur while shaking her head disapprovingly,


    and having her arms crossed and her eyes closed in a mature way.

 41 Anger Managemen

    "*Sigh* You sure caused a ruckus, boy ...", Cecile told Arthur while shaking her head disapprovingly, and having her arms crossed and her eyes closed in a mature way. Her red twin-tails swung from one side to other while she was doing that.


    Ehhh ... weren''t they the same age? Arthur looked strangely at Cecile. Why was she speaking to him like she was an adult scolding a child?


    "I can see from the looks on your face that you don''t have a single clue about the extent of the crisis you just caused, sighhh!", she shook her head again and looked at him pitifully.


    "What would you know about my crisis?", he asked her puzzeled.


    "Well, because ''I'' am a mature lady and my father trusts me of course!", she told him in a proud manner. Actually she eavesdropped on the grown-ups when they were discussing things while Arthur had been unconscious, but it wasn''t necessary for her to tell him that, right?


    "Arty, Arty, Arty-", she said but Arthur interrupted her abruptly,


    "Don''t call me like that!", he got angry.


    "Why? My aunt called you like that and you were fine with it.", she argued.


    "Well, she is a grown-up, and you are just like me on the other hand.", he didn''t back off. It was one thing to be called like that by people he knew or admired, but where would he end up if even children started using that nickname instead of his real name!


    "Please, I''m not like you, I have finished school properly and am attending the prestigious Pokemon Academy branch in Viridian City whereas you don''t even ...", she wanted to continue but realized she had gone a little too far.


    "What? Tell me, what do I not?! Don''t attend a snobby school like you because I am too poor?! Because my mum has to work overtime to take care of three children?! Huh, if that academy is full of arrogants like you I wouldn''t even consider going there!", Arthur''s patience snapped all of a sudden and he lost his reasoning for a moment.


    "How dare y-", Cecile was about to lash back at him but then stopped. She stopped because of the reddened eyes on Arthur''s face and the pure sadness that was reflected on them.


    "Errie?", Eevette didn''t understand anything they were talking about and looked confused at both of them.


    Cecile noticed something shortly after:


    "Your mom works alone? What about ... your dad?"


    Arthur didn''t want to answer her, he didn''t need to ... but for some reason he still told her:


    "He died. A couple of years ago ... because of a fire *sigh*", his mood dropped visibly. He couldn''t stay angry when talking about his family.


    "You know ... my mum, she is also dead. Those bastards from Team Rocket did it.", she cursed silently,


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    "It that doesn''t make it right but ... I''m just saying I know how it feels, you know?", she whispered at the end ruefully.


    Arthur was stunned for a bit. He already knew about this from his Aunty Latia


    (A/N: chap 16)


    but he felt Cecile''s sincerity as he heard this from herself.


    "Forget it, it doesn''t matter anyway, it''s true after all, I don''t have any background to speak of.", he forgave her with a smile.


    "Thank you.", she said quietly. She suddenly felt stupid for using her wealthy standing to pick on somebody less fortunate. It wasn''t his fault after all.


    "Errieee!", Eevette felt the mood lightening up again and became happy.


    "So, what did you say about a crisis?", Arthur wanted to change the subject quickly or else it could get awkward.


    "It has to do with my father, he looked devastated when you got here.", Cecile explained slowly.


    "Your father ... you mean Blue?", he asked her.


    She nodded and continued:


    "You weren''t there when my uncle appeared with his Fearow here. You didn''t see my father''s face.


    Usually he keeps his calm and is silent when things get serious but when he saw you lying in Uncle Gary''s arms ... You looked almost like a corpse Arthur, blood covered half your body and those wounds didn''t make you look nicer.


    He was shocked at first, then enraged and completely devastated.


    My uncle went to get my aunt, and my father patched you up as best as he could. He''s a veteran and knows some things, but the whole time ... his face looked extremely distressed and he always mumbled something ...:


    "Please, don''t die" ...


    Sometimes he would wake up screaming in the middle of the night when he is like that, he has ... troubles with nightmares ...", Cecile looked uncomfortable talking about this and bit on her lips a little.


    She looked cute like that, Arthur noticed slightly, but he quickly focused back on the topic.


    "And then he would always quickly take his pills, because they calm him down ... and suppress his emotions and memories."


    Arthur remembered the pills Blue had used for his PTSD. He didn''t know it was that serious though.


    "And the crisis you were talking about ..."


    "My father, this time ... he didn''t take the pills!" she replied anxiously, worry written on her face.


    .......


    Blue, Gary and Daisy left the room and went into the hallway while Alfred was going to do his own business. Gary looked back and as he saw nobody else nearby he asked Daisy:


    "Why did you that? Why did you lie to him?"


    "Huh? What lie, what are you talking about?", she played dumb.


    "Don''t take me as a fool, I''m not a doctor but even I still have eyes in my head. Several years? Decades? My god, that Sniebel''s right arm is as good as dead and its left arm will take god knows how long to recuperate fully and only if we support it with intensive therapy!", he talked angrily. He was angry at himself for having been too late to come and save them sooner.


    "What? You wanted me to tell that little boy his Sniebel would be disabled for the rest of its short life? Wow, Gary, such sentiments, so much empathic vibes I get from you here, maybe I should have just told him straight away to release that Pokemon and leave it to its own devices, would you have liked that better?!", Daisy shouted back, she clearly felt exasperated.


    She had been called on such a short notice and was expected to perform a miracle on an almost dead Pokemon. And a miracle she delivered! That Sniebel would surely survive and keep its arms attached to the body. For now at least. But she wasn''t a deity, she couldn''t remake cells and revive dead tissue. That''s not how doctors worked, they patched up what was left but didn''t create something new.


    "Tch, damned.", Gary knew she was right but he just needed to vent out his frustration even if it was through pointless talk. He kicked at a wall but that didn''t help much either.


    Blue didn''t comment on their actions and looked stoic. He was heading straight into one specific direction and disappeared around a corner.


    "Wait, Blue! That''s not where the kitchen is! Where are you going?", Daisy called back at him but it seemed the words just bounced off his body and didn''t reach his ears at all.


    "That''s the ... the Training Area!", Gary realized quickly where his brother was heading towards.


    They followed after him but when they reached the entrance, it got already locked down.


    *Swisssshhhhhh*


    Sounds came from the door as it slided to the side, separating Gary and Daisy and the huge hall on the other side. There was a glass window next to the entrance through which they could see their brother still moving forward.


    "Damned, what is he trying to do there?!", Daisy was worried seeing her brother act so strange.


    Gary was quiet, an omnious feeling grew in his mind.


    *Tap Tap Tap Tap*


    Blue''s steps echoed around the huge metallic hall. The ceiling was maybe around 15 meters high, maybe more. The whole area was as large as a soccer field and the light from above revealed the shining metal plates that covered all the walls on all sides.


    This was also the place where sometimes Gym Leader battles took place, but that hadn''t for a long time now. The whole room could be shifted and transformed to accomodate its guests needs, creating different styles of fighting environments through the latest technologies available.


    Usually it would be either Blue''s or Cecile''s personal Training area where they could go full out without needing to worry about the outside world.


    Everything inside was specifically made to withstand stong powerful attacks enforced by Infinity Energy, most of times they would be from Pokemon attacks. But today wasn''t like any other day.


    "Gloria, please activate the sound isolation ... I don''t want to disturb anyone.", Blue seemingly talked to the air and when he mentioned that name his previously unemotional face changed a little bit. But only for second, before his apathetic look reappeared.


    "Yes Darling, will be done immediately!", a warm female voice answered from ... all directions.


    "Activate Mark Lance! Shut down all restrictions, no need to lower their power levels ..."


    "Yes Darling! Activating Mark Lance: Lance Gregory! Data is being transmitted, set-up initialising, access granted!"


    *FUSSSHHHH*


    A loud sound came from the side of wall, as if a large amount of steam had been released all at once. The wall opened up from the middle into the opposite directions and revealed a humanoid looking roboter.


    *Dumph Dumph Dumph*


    The robot walked in Blue''s direction and created thumping sounds with everyone of its steps. Suddenly the air around the surface of the roboter changed ... it slowly took on a different colour, it almost looked like a black uniform. The former humanoid robot slowly looked more and more like an actual human being, his head had green hair and its limbs had now realistic looking hands and feet instead of those metal shaped stumps.


    "Hehehe, look at you Blue, I heard you were quite a hot cake in the past. What happened?", the robot answered in super realistic fashion with a male voice.


    "You scum happened.", Blue gritted his teeth and didn''t stop for one second ever since he entered the hall. He walked unhindered towards the robot-human, maybe not even taking account of that robot standing right in his path.


    "What a shitty attitude, no wonder Giovanni didn''t think you were good enough to join us.", the person mocked him unpolitely.


    But Blue didn''t take notice of any of that, instead he stretched out his left arm stump and closed his eyes for second, still walking.


    Particles of light that hadn''t been there before slowly gathered around Blue''s left side, taking shape in the form of an ... arm! This light arm fit perfectly with his own arm''s end and together they moved so fluently it created the illusion of being just one single whole part.


    "Don''t listen then, I will teach you with my-", before the man could finished speaking, Blue suddenly disappeared!


    The robot looked to its left and not sensing anybody there it turned to its righ-


    *CRASH*


    Blue appeared just in front of the robot and smashed his luminous fist into visage of that man!


    *CRACK*


    *BOOOM*


    That punch had been too powerful for the robot to resist and it just blew up in an explosion after it had been sent flying like a kite with its strings cut loose!


    That caring for that robot''s end Blue continued while shouting further commands:


    "Activate Mark Lambda! Activate Mark Atlas! Activate Mark Athena!"


    "Proceeding with commands ... Activation initialised! Mark Lambda: Lambda Tellero; Mark Atlas: Atlas Deimdorf; Mark Athena: Athena Wintrop!"


    *FUSSHHH FUSHHH FUSSSHHH!"


    Three more openings appeared on the walls and three more robots walked out like monsters from their graves.


    *Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump*


    The whole hall was filled with the cacophony of robotic stamping steps, Blue''s own steps were completely overwhelmed in their sound yet his face didn''t change from its stoic looks and his sharp aura seemed unperturbed from anything happening in his surroundings.


    Gradually the robots also took over different more human like forms. Two man and a woman now stood in front of Blue''s path.


    "Blue, you should have taken the chance when it was offered to you, now it''s too late for regrets, hahaha!"


    "You are not worthy to be called Giovanni''s apprentice, it''s time to wipe your face from this earth!"


    "You are man far from his prime Blue, just give up, you defeated us once but this time victory shines upon us! It shines upon the glory of TEAM ROC-!", before that particular robot could even finish its sentence it had been blown away!


    *BOOOM*


    *CRASH*


    A bitter fight broke out betwen Blue and the three people. They were clearly outnumbering Blue but instead the situation showed that they were still getting suppressed! Punches, Smashes, Kicks, myriads of colourful lights and sounds of utter destruction filled the entire hall! It was chaos, it was madness, it was state of pure violence! However, Blue wasn''t fazed at all, others might have even thought he was taking a small walk in the park!


    That doesn''t mean that he wasn''t hurt or injured, no, several attacks successfully hit his body and damaged him more and more! His left radiating arm had also faded away and just revealed his mutilated stump again. But either he wasn''t feeling any pain or he had a good pokerface because nothing changed on his emotionless expressionless face!


    *Dump* *KRRKKKKRRR* *BOOOM*


    Metal parts flew in all kinds of directions, some were legs, some belonged to a head and others were just identifiable as scraps, slowly the dust settled and only one man was still standing on the battle ground!


    Blue breathed deeply in and out, he had exhausted quite a lot of his energy to defeat these opponents and they had obviously left some marks on him. His shirt was torn and shredded and some of his wounds started bleeding. Yet after only a small time for a pause he continued advancing with great strides forward! It still hadn''t been enough!


    "Activate Mark ... G.", Blue spoke through gritted teeth and this time finally a small part on his face, right above his left eye, twitched a little hinting at barely containable emotions, endless amounts of rage that is ...


    "Activating Mark G.! Authorization needed, scanning authorization level ... command accepted! Activation initialised, starting Mark G.: Giovan-"


    But Blue didn''t pay any attention towards any of that, his whole focus lied on the end of the hall, 10 meters in front of him where he stopped his journey a huge wall opened up and ... several more wall got revealed which needed to opened first!


    Then after a minute of waiting a gushing amount of steam entered the room and covered the opening area in a veil of fog.


    *Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap*


    Steps could be heard echoing into the surroundings and gradually a human contour became visible in the never-ending wall of steam. It was still hidden well but the shape made it easy to tell it was from a man''s body who stood with his arms behind his body and straight and confident before Blue''s line of sight.


    A deep male voice then came out from the same direction and got repeated several times by the metallic walls:

 42 Identity Crisis on Earth

    "Blue, did you miss me?", a deep male voice resounded from within the hazy fog,


    "I knew it from the moment we met Blue, that you were a promising Trainer. So it isn''t surprising to me that we would have to settle scores like this here ...", the figure that stepped out turned out to be a man in his thirties or fourties similar to Blue right now. His hair was combed back and his black suit gave him the aura of an important business guy. His smug smile just enforced that impression further.


    "Have you finally decided to join my side? Take the reign over power into your own hands?", he smiled confidently making a stark contrast to Blue''s grim looks.


    "No, I guess not. I also foresaw this ... somehow.", the man''s smile lessened a bit but then regained his colours again,


    "Maybe I can change your opinion with this fight. What was our last score huh, 399 to ... 0?


    Well, maybe this day the apprentice will finally surpass his master, hehe hahaha HAHAAHAHAH!", the man''s laughter turned crazy and without further hesitation he stormed towards Blue''s position.


    Blue just looked coldy at the robot wearing human skin rushing to him. He couldn''t help but whisper:


    "I have long since surpassed you ... old man.", and he then solidified his cold resolve once more and summoned his flash-light emitting arm again before the battle arrived!


    .............


    "His Pills?, Blue is a grown man, I''m sure he can take care of himself.", Arthur tried to reassure her.


    "I am not worried about him Arthur but about those he is going to confront *sigh*. Well forget it, as long my aunt and uncle are with him he will probably be fine.", Cecile said while sighing.


    Arthur separated the tubes and needles from his body and tried to move away from the bed. At least he wasn''t wearing some kind of gown from the hospital, although the dirty clothes on him didn''t make him feel nicer. Looking at one specific corner of the room he went straight towards the glass-casket that contained his Sniebel inside.


    Cecile also came to his side and commented:


    "My aunt said it''s being kept in a near-comatose state right now with some special gases until it has healed up some of its severe wounds, otherwise it might pain him too much while being awake.


    By the way, what''s its name actually?"


    "Its name ... he doesn''t have one ...yet.", Arthur looked worriedly through the glass to see his Sniebel lying asleep on its back. It looked already much better than before ... but he could see that its arms were highly wounded, several crusts and slight scars already formed up on them.


    He touched the cold surface and mumbled quietly under his breath:


    "Huh, what do you mean, it doesn''t have a name, it''s your Pokemon Partner right?", Cecile didn''t understand and looked confused.


    *Sigh* And then Arthur began to tell the tale of his first meeting with the Sniebel, the chase after that and the reconnaissance in the Green Garden.


    "Wow, you mean to say you haven''t formed a pact yet?", Cecile asked further.


    "Yeah, I think so."


    "Oh ... Arthur, there is another possibility my family hasn''t talked to you about ...", she looked at him unsurely of what exactly to say.


    "What?", he had a questioning look on his face.


    "Well, you could ... just release it actually. I mean you haven''t even formed a pact yet so there wouldn''t be any consequences ... and then you could just get a new Pokemon which isn''t ... ehh ..."


    "Crippled?", Arthur helped with an unsatisfied expression on,


    "What do you mean with release?"


    "Urgh", Cecile saw she had again stepped on someone''s toes but didn''t cave in and stated her point,


    "I mean releasing it back into the wilderness. It''s been a wild Pokemon from the very beginning, it didn''t look like attaching any importance to you except for, except from when it mysteriously showed up and rescued you for some reason."


    Arthur still had an angry look on his face but that didn''t affect his mind yet. He understood her point and kinda also agreed to it. This Sniebel hadn''t been willing to become his Partner in the beginning and he wasn''t someone to force his will on others. The problem was ...:


    "Thanks for your ... kind intentions. But I can''t do that right now. I owe him too much as too let him go back in this state!", Arthur explained firmly. The Sniebel was currently in a heavily injured state, releasing it into the wild like this would mean its sure death!


    He had been in the wilderness himself, though it was only a small distance away from the Viridian City, Arthur knew how ruthless and deadly the Pokemon outside could become when showing any form of weaknesses.


    "*Sigh* Alright, it''s your decision after all.", she had tried to help him, but that was all she could do for him.


    "How long will it take for me, us, to heal up and be able to leave this area?", another thought suddenly came into Arthur''s mind and he spoke it outloud.


    "You mean when you''re fully healed? Em, as far as I got told-", as she could hear from eavesdropping,


    "-it should take you as short as a few days or as long as two weeks."


    "Two weeks?!", his eyes widened when he got this news.


    "Yeah, I was also a bit astounded when I heard this. It looks like your bad ability to attract the Infinity Particles affects this balance-thing in your body and thus delays the healing.", she tried summarising the facts she remembered.


    "No, that''s too long ...", Arthur had to close his eyes for a second, he felt a headache coming ...


    "I get it, you want to go home, but this is quite serious Arthur, you could die because of this, I''m sure we can somehow bring your mother to ...", seemingly oblivious about Arthur''s troubles, Cecile just spoke her mind out and suggested some things.


    Arthur started gritting his teeth and then suddenly his head snapped to the side and he spoke loudly:


    "Arthur, we don''t have two weeks, we need to get there immediately!"


    "Huh?", Cecile turned her attention back to him and asked him puzzled,


    "What did you say?"


    Arthur had a bewildered look on his face:


    "No, I-I didn''t say a-"


    "Arthur we don''t have time for this, we need to go to the Green Garden ASAP!", again his head snapped sharply around and he spoke with a hurried voice to himself.


    Cecile thought something was wrong:


    "Ehh, Arthur are you ok?", did he just mention himself in the 3rd person?


    "I, ehh ...", Arthur''s eyes swept into all directions but he couldn''t see any other human being besides himself and Cecile just now,


    "I might need to, could you tell me where the toilet is?", he requested as normal-looking as he could with a small smile on his face.


    It didn''t look convincing, but maybe he had to do it urgently Cecile thought to herself:


    "Yeah ... sure.", she walked out into the hallway and pointed the way for him,


    "Thanks", he said quickly and hurried his way into the direction shown to him.


    "Boys.", that was Cecile''s conclusion and she quickly forgot about his weird behaviour.


    Arthur held his head with one of his hands and mumbled while walking:


    "What''s wrong with me ...", he didn''t understand his actions, why did he say that to himself outloud?


    It felt like someone had forcefully taken control of his body for a second ... but then again it felt like he had wanted to say it himself! Was he going crazy now?!


    He arrived in a bathroom, more like a bath-apartement, and stood in front of a row of basins and mirrors. Arthur picked a random one to quickly get himself cleaned for a bit, some water-splash on his face wouldn''t hurt and maybe even energize him.


    But when his face was all moistered up and he wanted to grab a towl to dry, Arthur noticed something weird going on in the corner of his eyes!


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    Slowly turning his head around he found an unkown face staring at him in the mirror!


    "AHHHHHHHHH!"


    He stepped several meters back in fright and held his hands in front of himself, was it going to be another fight now?!


    The person in the mirror looked at him amused and a voice came out from it:


    "Hey, hey, hey, we just met not long ago, so why are you so jumpy Arty? Hahaha!"


    "W-who are you?! I don''t know you!", Arthur responded a bit shakely.


    The guy in the mirror still looked amused and started grabbing the edges from the mirror from his side and ... jumped over the glass onto Arthur''s side!


    "N-no! D-don''t come closer or I-I will ...!", Arthur got even more scared now! Was it normal for people to step out from mirrors now?! No, this must be a dream! He had never truly woken up, right?!


    "Chill out Arty, it''s me! Atiqo! Don''t you remember?", Atiqo realized his sudden appearance must have been a bit too much for that young boy to take and thus changed his tactic to a softer approach.


    "A-atiqo? You ...", Arthur squinted his eyes and focused on this ''Atiqo'' more. His lean brown tanned face, that pair of slim arms, those clothes also appeared familiar in Arthur''s eyes .... Realisation then dawned upon him:


    "It''s you! It''s really you! B-but how did you, why are you ...-", it was the same person from his dreams!


    "I am really sorry Arthur but I don''t have time for these questions now.", Atiqo replied shortly but with a slight smile now that they got on the same page things would become easier,


    "I can''t stay here for much longer. I am already feeling the weakness coming back to me ...", Atiqo closed his eyes a little and needed to concentrate for some time,


    "It''s seems like ... we can''t exist both at the same time, Arty."


    "Huh? Both at the ... same time? What do you ...?", Arthur''s face turned puzzled.


    "It''s like, we are fighting for the same position Arty, but there can be only person at one point in time to hold the job. Right now I have to resist your mind to able to appear in front of you but I can''t hold on for much longer!", Atiqo regained his spirit and briefly told Arthur about his speculations regarding their current situation.


    "What? Fighting for a job? I still don''t understand ..."


    "You will, I promise, trust me! But one thing after another Arty. Have you looked at your Pokedex yet?", Atiqo asked him friendly.


    "No, I just woke up."


    "Well, the thing is that our answers to our both questions probably lie somewhere in the Green Garden and that Pokedex looks like it could lead us there!", Atiqo emphasized the last few words.


    "But Cecile said-"


    "I know what she said, and then I told you we didn''t have time for this!"


    "Huh? You said that? How-"


    "Arty, we are running in circles like this. You just need to know right now that we have to get there fast! Who knows what happens in two weeks time? Weren''t we on the brink of death just some hours ago? We have to go there soon or we might miss this chance!", Atiqo got a bit impatient.


    "We?", Arthur noticed something weird in his speech but when he saw the looks in Atiqo''s stares he understood that things seemed very urgent,


    "Ok, I get it. I will ask her and maybe we can do things faster, I hope."


    "But, just to be sure ... you aren''t a ghost Atiqo, right? One that has possessed my body, right?", Arthur asked hesitatingly. He needed clarification on this matter otherwise he would always question his sanity and actions as time progressed. Even right now he wondered if he was still sane talking to someone who literally walked out from a mirror!


    "I...", Atiqo''s face became complicated when he heard this,


    "I don''t know Arthur, I really don''t. I don''t want to lie to you, but I am also having the same issues that you are facing Arthur. Wether I am still sane, if I can still be considered a person ...*sigh*"


    Arthur saw the troubles and the anxiety in Atiqo''s face appearing and got relieved for a weird reason. It felt kind of good knowing ... that he wasn''t alone in this mess.


    "It''s fine for now, we can talk more later, first things first!"


    "Right.", Atiqo agreed.


    Arthur moved towards the exit and then turned back to say something but ... Atiqo was already gone. Arthur was gritting his teeth and forced himself not to screaming out again, he couldn''t do that all the time when something weird happened or his lungs might explode otherwise!


    When he got back to his room he found Cecile still inside playing with Eevette.


    "Hey, you are back. Is everything all right?", Cecile remembered his weird actions from before.


    "Y-yeah, it''s alright now. *Cough*, Cecile I have a request please!"


    "Ehh, ok. What is it?", she asked surprised.

 43 Pokemon Master Rodriguez

    "What? No, I told you Arthur, you have to stay put or else you will endanger your life!", Cecile strongly tried dissuading him.


    "But is there really no way? It''s really important to me to get there, extremely important!", Arthur pleaded with puppy eyes.


    "What could be so important as to risk your life, huh? I mean, it''s just some days you''ll have to stay here longer, can''t this wait?", Cecile could not understand his sudden urgency.


    "It''s ... I lost something, something important to me, when I had to run in that forest it must have fallen out of my pocket, it belonged to my dad you know?", Arthur felt guilty lying to her, but it was an emergency and this also concerned his life and health to a certain point, right?,


    "I''m afraid that it might get burried or swept away somehow. Or there could be wild Pokemon who took it as food! That, I don''t want to imagine that ...", Arthur tried putting on a very sorrowful expression on his face.


    Cecile realized the importance of this issue and why he was pressing on it so much about this.


    She struggled heavily about it on the inside. For one it was too dangerous and life threatening to go out now for him. But then again he had a reason to go there, and she felt sympathetic towards him and his past which was why she struggled to come to a decision.


    However, in the end, she knew what was the right thing to do:


    "I am sorry Arthur...", she shook her head apologetically,


    "... but I am not allowed to do this. Uncle Gary fought very hard to make sure you were ok.


    Bringing you out is just too dangerous now. Let''s wait for a bit, or you can just tell me how the object looks like and I will go out and do something about it, ok?", she replied with a firm voice.


    No matter what he wanted to do, it couldn''t be worth trading his life for it...


    *Sigh*


    Arthur felt conflicted about it. He wanted to rush out and not care about any of their concerns, but he wasn''t that cold. He knew Cecile meant well for him. Yet that didn''t really help him right now anyway.


    "Sorry Atiqo ...", he apologised ruefully in his mind.


    ("Don''t lose your hope too quickly Arty!"), a sudden familiar voice sprang up in his head,


    ("Let me handle this for a sec, ok?"), Atiqo said with a playful tone.


    Arthur jumped up in fright, looking around confused he found nobody else nearby.


    Cecile looked at him puzzled:


    "Are you ok?"


    "Y-yeah haha!", Arthur scratched his head embarrassed,


    "Its nothing, just some weird feeling, haha!"


    ("Don''t freak out Arty, it''s me!"), the voice called him back.


    "Atiqo!"


    "Atiqo?"


    "Ok, you''re quite weird today, but I guess it''s understandable considering everything ...", Cecile brushed it off as another sign of Arthur not being back to full health yet.


    Arthur heaved a sigh of relief in his mind and walked to the window on the other side of the room while sending a message in his thoughts:


    ["Atiqo, is it really you?"], Arthur asked unsurely.


    ("Who else would haunt your mind night and day? Of course it''s me!"), Atiqo''s voice thundered loudly.


    ["Please, be a bit more quiet! My head is bursting!"], Arthur complained instantly while his eyes were pressed tighly because of the loud noise in his head.


    ("AH ... , sorry, got it. This wandering in someone''s mind thing, it''s a new experience for me you see ...")


    ["I get it."]


    ("Look Arty, I don''t want to ruin your game with her but I think I could help you out this time, ok?"), Atiqo suggested amused.


    ["What game? And what''s your plan? To be honest, if I were to continue standing here like a tree she will start thinking I am mental anyway..."]


    ("Hahaha, don''t worry, let me handle this, just take a backseat and enjoy the show!"), Atiqo''s voice resounded loudly in Arthur''s mind again.


    ["Take a backseat? What do you-"], but before he finish his question, a sudden force grabbed his mind and harshly pulled him away!


    His view of that room and the window right before him grew distant very fast and looked far away in his eyes! The edges and corners and sides all stretched infinitely long as if there was no end in sight!


    But then, as swift as that weird pull came, his journey stopped and his senses felt a strange transformation happening ...


    ....


    Cecile played with Eevette, she had a little ball in her hand and she threw it around while Eevette would always run after it, bringing the ball back to her, ready for another round of play!


    "Eerrrrie!", Eevette expressed her happiness and snuggled up to Cecile''s knees.


    "Nice work Eevette, that''s wonderful, you''re doing great haha!", Cecile cheered her on and smiled seeing her little Pokemon Partner enjoy the game. She gave her a little pat and was about to continue when ...


    "Hahaha, what an adorable little Eevee you have here!", a boy came by their side and smilingly observed the Eevee with curios eyes.


    "Yes, I got it from my uncle for my tenth birthday, he said that it would be growing together with me. And ever since then we always stayed together, she''s practically family to me.


    We wake up, eat, sleep and train together! *Sigh* But lately Uncle Gary has been nagging on me a little, pressuring me to think more about the future or it could be too late ... Though I don''t get what he is trying to tell me here. I mean I am already having the best relationship I could have with Eevette, so everything should be alright ..."


    "Hehehe ... What a wise man this ''Uncle Gary'' seems to be, hehehe!", ''Arthur'' let out a chuckle when hearing about Cecile''s troubles.


    "Huh? Why are saying that Arthur?", Cecile asked puzzled. Of course she agreed her uncle was wise but why did he bring that up now?


    ''Arthur''s smile turned into a wide grin and his sudden change of expression made even the Eevee watching by on the side cautious.


    ''Arthur''s eyes continued scrutinizing the Eevee at this time:


    "You know, Cecile right? Cecile, do you know what one of the key aspects in the relationships between Pokemon and Trainers is?"


    "Ehh, love and care?"


    "*Sighhh*", ''Arthur'' as if expecting that answer crossed his arms, shook his head while letting out a disapproving sigh ...


    Huh? Cecile felt like she experienced a deja vu, as if she had seen this scene somewhere before ...


    "No! The most important component in a relationship is ''Evolution''!", ''Arthur loudly declared.


    "Evo ... lution?", Cecile repeated again unsurely.


    "Yes, Evolution! Evolutions shape and frame the relationship between a Pokemon and its Trainer! As the Pokemon evolves, so does the Trainer! And as the Trainer evolves, so does the Pokemon!


    Both are connected by body and soul and share happiness and sorrow with each other, and evolution is the key to bring this bond onto a higher level!!!", ''Arthur'' sounded more and more like a coach giving a motivational speech to his players!


    "Cecile, let me ask you a little question, have you ever thought about the future path your Pok-, no, the path that Eevette should take?", ''Arthur'' kept up his wide smiling face and asked her in a very trustful tone.


    "Future path? I ehh, not sure ehh..." ,Cecile was surprised by that sudden question and couldn''t form a clear thought for a moment.


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    ''Arthur'' saw his chance and continued his sales pitch form:


    "Gary has connected you and Eevette for a specific reason, you see. Eevees in general are a very special kind of Pokemon. They can open up endless possibilities for your future and if guided well their path of evolution is also perfectly attuned to their Pokemon Trainer''s needs ...",


    "What do mean?", Cecile felt uncertain and asked.


    "If you could choose Eevette''s evolution right now, which form would you pick?", he asked her while still maintaining his poker-face.


    "Ehmm, Glaceon looked quite pretty ...", before she could continue though, Arthur had already let out a disapproving sigh.


    "Sigh, oh dear, oh dear. A Glaceon it is ...", Arthur threw some pitiful glances at her and returned to his head shaking and sorrowful sighing, leaving Cecile in a hesitant and shocked state. Did she say something wrong?


    "W-what''s wrong with that? Glaceon can be quite powerful as well, it''s not only pretty ...", she felt the need to defend herself.


    "Cecile ...", Arthur finally responded,


    "You''re a Trainer! You have to think about the strengths and weaknesses of your Pokemon and take their competitive edge into consideration!", why did it feel like a teacher was rebuking his student now?!


    "Glaceon and pretty? Who cares about that?! What''s important is its stats, attack pool, possible builts and even opposite checks and counters! A true Trainer takes all kinds of factors into account when training their Pokemon!", Arthur told her righteuosly,


    "And you picking Glaceon of all possible Eeveelutions tells me a lot about your lacking considerations ..."


    "Hey! You don''t have the right to tell me that!", Cecile got angry. She might have pitied Arthur a little for his injuries and background, but that didn''t give him the right to talk to her like that!


    "And what on earth do you mean with Eeveelutions?"


    "Yare yare ... *jojo reference ^^*, among us experts, we like to call the group of evolutions Eevees can take like that. It sounds fitting, no?", ''Arthur'' answered unperturbed by her little outrage.


    "Hahaha, experts? You an expert? Then you might as well call me the Imperial Princess of the ''Hundred Ancient Clans'' of China!", she mocked Arthur, payback as for what he did before.


    "You haven''t entered the Pokemon Trainer Academy and you already call yourself an expert? I am sorry, but this sounds too much like an unfunny joke.", she scoffed at Arthur''s remark. It was especially annoying to her, as she was related to a bunch of famous and known experts herself. Anybody who called himself an expert in front of her, first needed to climb over the unsurmountable wall that was her dad! Impossible.


    Arthur all the while, kept up his smile and still silently observed Eevette moving on the ground. Seconds trickled by and nobody spoke for some time ... until:


    "Glaceons have the Ice-Type.", he broke the silence.


    "Huh? Of course they d-"


    "They usually have a height of around 0,8 meters and 25,9 kilograms of weight. Glaceon are covered in light-blue fur that can be frozen into sharp quills. They have long, pointed ears, dark eyes, and a small nose. Glaceon have two dark blue, rhombus-shaped markings on their backs, and the tip of their tails and feet are the same shade of blue.


    This Pok¨¦mon is able to create small ice crystals around it by controlling its body temperature. It is capable of freezing its fur into sharp needle-like icicles, used to tackle its prey. It can drop its body temperature below -75 degrees Fahrenheit.", Arthur quickly let out flood of information regarding Glaceon.


    (A/N: Info from bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net)


    "But let''s focus less on the superficial stuff and more about the stats!", he spoke confidently and seemingly being indifferent to Cecile''s change of expression he wanted to continue.


    "S-stats?", Cecile was overwhelmed by Arthur''s elaborate explanations.


    "Glaceon has high defensive stats, physical and special but it doesn''t help if they aren''t backed up by a sufficient amount of health points! It also doesn''t have any significant resistances to make proper use of its high defenses! To go further into its weaknesses, its lacking speed stats make it look as slow as a turtle!"


    "Turtle?"


    "Ehh, I mean as slow as a Slowpoke!"


    "Oh."


    "High defenses but no speed, in a competitive battle, we call that a good Punching Bag! Its only remedy is its very high special attack stat, but even that is overshadowed by its pitifully lacking special attack pool ... Amongst all possible Eeveelutions, Glaceon is the worst you could have picked!", ''Arthur'' finally concluded his critisism against Glaceon and let the information sink into Cecile''s dumbfounded mind.


    Finally, when the silence almost felt too unbearing, she asked weakly:


    "W-who are you and what have you done with Arthur?!", Cecile''s mouth was agape and her eyes looked aghast in ''Arthur''s direction.


    ''Arthur'' could barely keep h¨ªs grinning face from tearing his face apart when he heard that question come out of her mouth.

 44 Hidden Power

    "... Pokemon Master ... Rodriguez ...? Pff, HAHAHAHA!", Cecile couldn''t hold herself back and fell into a slightly mad laughter.


    "Errriee!", Eevette thought they were playing a game and she wanted to play along as well, so she was moving her front paws to Cecile''s knees and looked at her with curiosity in her eyes.


    Atiqo''s smile stuck frozen still on his face at this time and he thought to himself:


    "Was it too much, that last part? I thought I acted quite well ..."


    It took a minute or two until Cecile was back to normal and she asked a little ridiculed:


    "Pokemon Master Rodriguez? Who or what is that supposed to be? Did you watch too many cartoons or what?"


    "What?!", Atiqo''s mind got blank for a moment, no even longer because that tiny bit of information was just too shocking for him!


    "Y-you don''t have a Pokemon Master in this world ...?", he looked at her with a pale face.


    "? What''s that? Who could possibly become a Master of Pokemon? This doesn''t make any sense, haha.", she told him him.


    "What?! No, Pokemon Master?! Then ... does that mean ... Ash lied to us all this time ...", Atiqo''s world just broke down, or at least a big chunk of it.


    The TV Show that moved the hearts of millions of children around the globe was all based on a ... lie?


    This was the real Pokemon World after all, if there wasn''t a Pokemon Master here, where else could there be one?!


    Wait a sec ...


    "Ash! He must be real right? Do you know Ash Ketchum?", he asked Cecile with an almost pleading voice now.


    "Huh, Ash Ketchum? Sure I know him.", that response made Atiqo let out a huge sigh of relieve. His childhood dreams were saved for now.


    "Who doesn''t know him anyway? He''s the next best candidate to become the new Champ and he is my uncle''s best friend. Of course I know him!", she answered with matter of fact-kind of tone.


    "This girl ...", Atiqo realised whom he was talking to again.


    Cecile Oak, the daughter of Blue Oak. Blue exists, so does Red, Red Foster to be exact according to what he remembered. The current champ of the Kanto Pokemon region. And Gary exists, but as the little brother of Blue ... was this really a new World? Or the reflection of the game World in some form? Taking all these things into account, it kinda made sense for Ash to exist as well. Suddenly a different random thought crossed Atiqo''s mind, random but just as important!


    He had a hesitating expression on his face when glancing over to Cecile:


    "Is ... is it true? The rumour about Ash?"


    "What rumour?", Cecile asked uncertain.


    "Well, ... is Ash Ketchum really ... is he really an Immortal?", Atiqo gathered his courage and asked the question all fans of the Pokemon franchise wondered about.


    "H-he he, hahaha, he, Ash Ketchum, hgahahaha, an Immortal, kkkiiihihihihi ...", Cecile was caught again in another fit of laughter and trouble speaking or laughing correctly. She was having a hard time deciding to laugh about ''Arthur''s ridiculousness or seriously give him an answer to that equally ridiculous answer.


    ["Atiqo!"], an angry youthful voice could be heard in Atiqo''s mind,


    ["Are you trying to ruin my image and my life?"], the real Arthur questioned Atiqo''s dubios behaviour.


    ("Oh, Arty!"), Atiqo responded in his mind cheerfully,


    ("You managed to come see the show, how did you like it so far ?)"


    ["Not! Funny! And don''t try changing the subject! "], Arthur replied angrily but with a strained voice as if he he had to speak under a lot of pressure.


    ("Hmm, so you''re feeling it to ..."), Atiqo''s face changed from his previous amused expression and took a more solmn tone.


    ["Yes, urgh ... what is this ... pressure?"], Arthur asked, this time more frugal with his words,


    ["It feels like ... I''m being pushed ... by a fricking plane ... !"]


    ("... I am not sure Arty. I told you, we can''t be there at the same time. Either you''re the pilot and I have to shut up, or I take the fron seat and you go ... into the trunk, haha, you understand?")


    ["I repeat ... Not. Funny.", Arthur responded with a big irritated underlying tone in his voice,


    ["You ... should have ... warned me ... at least ..."]


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    ("Ehh ... yeah, sorry about that. If you just held back, I am sure the pressure would disappear-")


    ["So I can continue ... watching you destroy ... my image, urgh?!"], Arthur stated with imaginary gritted teeth.


    ("I guess, I went a bit too far, haha ... ha ... ehm. But I do have a plan, just relax and enjoy the rest. By the end of this, she will voluntarily hand over the solution to our problem."), Atiqo realized his mistake and assured Arthur of their success.


    [Be quick .... then ... ...."), by the end Arthur seemed to have ''logged out'' of the conversation, at least that''s how Atiqo saw it.


    *Sigh*, Atiqo let out a huge sigh and wanted to rest for a little. Arthur''s appearance caused a slight literal heachache on his part. Sadly he didn''t have anyone to consult about problems related to souls or possessed bodies ... he actually didn''t want to have anything to do with people related to these fields. But reality quickly pulled him back on his feet and left him no more time to consider.


    "Haha ... ha, haaaaaa. Ok, I am good again. Arthur, I don''t know wether you''re pranking me, or I should call my aunt again to have you checked up a second time.", Cecile recovered from her paralysed state. (^^)


    "No, Ash is not an Immortal. He got into lots of troubles and adventures, my uncle told me. Sometimes he was also wounded and well, Immortals should be invincible, no?", Cecile asked with an unsure sweet smile on her face. Inwardly, she thought he had been joking with her all this time.


    "Oh ...", Atiqo got disappointed,


    "Well, I haven''t met him personaly yet. Maybe he just covered his tracks very well. I will found out one day."


    "Sure, hehe."


    "And to your information, I am really an expert when it comes to Pokemon.", Atiqo puffed up his chest, as if to further consolidate his so-called position as an expert.


    "Yeah, Pokemon Master ... Rom .. dego?"


    "Rodriguez! It''s Pokemon Master Rodriguez!", Atiqo stressed out,


    "I am known quite well in the ... underworld!"


    "You''re a criminal, haha?", Cecile had an obvious unbelieving opinion about this.


    "No, of course not. I am talking about the ...Dark Web!", Atiqo revealed dramatically, but inwardly he was sweating a little,


    "But you are still just a child, I don''t expect you to know about the Dark Web and the darker side of the internet..."


    "Who are you calling a child?! Of course I know about it, I am not a baby who still believes in fairy tales and immortals!", she retaliated verbally,


    "That''s where the bad guys sell stolen goods, Pokemon and illegal stuff, right?"


    "Oh, so you do know about it!", Atiqo acted suprised, but deep inside he was relieved. At least this part was still similar to his own world.


    "Of course!", Cecile thought she had won.


    "Well, I am known as Pokemon Master Rodriguez in the Dark Web! There are sections within the Dark Web that have profound and educational value that no one else seems to have taken advantage of.


    I have studied countless webpages full of complex theoretical strategies and mysterious knowledges that could shake the foundations of our society as a whole! And after a long time, I acquired the acknowledgment from a deeply hidden Ancient Order!", Atiqo raised his voice a bit by the end to sound more powerful. That last part, he made up on the spot as he remembered Cornelius that old man, how he talked about an ancient order. Whatever, as long as it fulfilled Atiqo''s needs right now.


    "And ... you expect me to believe all this ... bunch of nonsense right now because ...?", she looked at him, waiting for a confirmation that the joke was over.


    "Oh, the unbeliever needs evidence, experts would recognize one another on the first sight, sighhhh!", Atiqo shook his head,


    "Well, if you need proof, I will deliver! I will prove to you that I am an expert!"


    "And how do you want to accomplish it?", Cecile asked with a mocking tone.


    "Me ...", Arthur''s gaze turned towards an assuming little creature that stuck close to Cecile''s side,


    "Me and Eevette will prove it to you!"


    "Eevette? What do you want to do with her?", Cecile look down to her Pokemon Partner, wondering why she was now suddenly involved.


    "She will help me prove you something that only true experts could be aware of!", Atiqo announced self-confidently.


    "And what could that be? Hmph!", Cecile didn''t believe him at all, but decided to play along with his ''game''.


    An image crossed Atiqo''s mind, a surge of power that shook a lamp post and almost caused public destruction in the city. And Eevette ... was the reason for that surge!


    "Do you remember your fight with Khali?"


    "Well, haha, forget about him then ...", Atiqo quickly tried changing the subject,


    "My focus actually lied on Eevette. The attack she used by the end, it was Hidden Power, right?", Atiqo was quite sure of it but asked anyway to confirm it.


    "Yes it is. My Eevette is super smart just like me. She was able to comprehend Hidden Power after only a year of training!", she explained extremely proudly,


    "Hidden Power is an offensive move not any Pokemon can learn! I don''t really understand it but my uncle told me it''s related to the intelligence of Pokemon. That means Eevette is super smart, able to learn it this soon!", she pulled her Eevee up in her arms and gave it thorough hugging.


    "Eeerieee!", Eevette shouted happily, feeling the warmth from her partners hug.


    "Intelligence??", question marks arose in Atiqo''s mind. Hidden Power wasn''t a TM? Whatever, he couldn''t go back now, he needed to play by his luck this time around.


    "Yes of course I know, I am an expert as I have told you before!", ''Arthur'' proclaimed without batting an eyelid.


    "Sure, hmpf.", Cecile remarked still holding Eeevette tight in her arms.


    "You will believe me sooner than you think. Let me ask you a simple question, what is the secret behind Hidden Power?", a mysterious smile appeared on ''Arthur''s face.


    "Secret? There is a secret?", Cecile''s eyebrows furrowed.


    "Oh sorry, I forgot, only experts know of this secret.", Atiqo replied shamelessly.


    "Please, don''t take me for a toddler! What hidden secret, you are making this up, I can tell!", Cecile believed ''Arthur'' was trying to pull her deeper into his scheme, but she was smarter than that.


    "I told you I am an expert, it''s natural I know stuff you don''t. But just so that I can prove to you that I am not a liar, let''s make a bet!"


    "What kind of bet?"


    "I will tell you about this secret and you will then ask your father wether what I told you is real or fake! I mean, he is the gym leader after all, he can definitely tell right?", Atiqo kept up a playful smile,


    "This should be enough to prove my status."


    "Hmmm ...", Cecile was truly considering his bet, tried to see if he was tricking her or not, but she couldn''t see a problem with his conditions so ...,


    "Deal! If your secret isn''t some stupid childish prank and my father confirms its validity I will ... I will reconsider my initial thoughts about your conspiracy theories and lame expert-pretenses.", she agreed to his little ''game'',


    "If, that is. Otherwise your impression will sink even further in my mind, don''t expect any pity from me by then!"


    "Not a problem, haha!", Atiqo sighed in relief inwardly. The first part of this challenge was over, now the next was on.


    "Now tell me about this super mega secret of yours. Even if you made it up, please don''t make it boring!", Cecile told him.


    "Don''t worry, it''s pretty interesting. You know that even within Pokemon species, not all Pokemon are the same right? One Eevee can be stronger than the other, can be faster, more sturdy and resistent. All these properties are determined during their birth, it''s hidden within their genes! Can you follow me?"


    "Yes, sure, this is basic Pokemon biology.", she still couldn''t see the point of his explanations.


    "Yeah well ... did you know that depending on the Pokemon ... Hidden Power takes on different properties?", Atiqo finally unveiled the secret.


    "What? What do you mean? Hidden Power is a typeless move-"


    "No it''s not!", Atiqo interrupted her,


    "That''s the secret! Depending on the genetics of each Pokemon, Hidden Power can be expressed in different ways, sometimes one Eevee with Hidden Power has properties of the fire type, another Eevee''s Hidden Power could have properties of the water type!


    And this knowledge about the ''hidden'' type of your Hidden Power can be used to set up a trap for your opponents, confuse them and mislead them. The options are endless, but of course, only experts could handle this kind of strategy!", Atiqo elaborated in depth his revelation.


    It was a gamble. He gambled that the information from the games in his world still contained some truths that could be applied in this Pokemon World. Here in this case, it was the relationship between the TM Hidden Power and the IV/DV''s each Pokemon generated upon encounter, in the games that is.


    The IV or DV''s, the hidden base stats each Pokemon had which could be seen as their genetics. Stats that couldn''t be changed, like how some people had physiques that made them inherently stronger and faster than others.


    And Hidden Power had different types depending on the IV/DV values of each Pokemon. In the competetive gameplay, players usally tried to get a specific type of Hidden Power for their Pokemon, so they attempted to breed that Pokemon in various ways to get the right values the moment it hatched from its egg or they used complicated math to calculate them.


    The problem was that Atiqo wasn''t knowledgable about the math involved in the determination of values, nor was he an expert in breeding.


    "That''s not enough!", Cecile suddenly began arguing.


    "What do you mean?", Atiqo asked uncertain,


    "You could have read this up somewhere, just because you read a good book about this you aren''t an expert yourself now. If you want me to buy your story, it''s not enough!", she said unsatisfied.

 45 Truth and Reality

    "This ... won''t be a problem. I see that you are quite a bit impatient, otherwise you could have already known that I had a second point to my revelation!", Atiqo explained with a smirk, no sign of being phased showing on his face.


    "W-what are you calling me?!", Cecile''s face flushed red, embarrassmed of the truth and then angered by him pointing it out like that,


    "I already mentioned it before, but Eevette will help me out in this!"


    "She will?", Cecile''s attention turned towards her Eevee quizzically.


    "Eeerrie?", Evette''s head tilted sideways in a cute manner, not knowing why she had become the center of focus now suddenly.


    "Yes, I will prove to you that I am a real expert by examining Eevette and finding out the type of her Hidden Power! Surely, an amateur or imposter would not be able to reproduce such a feat, right? Hahaha, your father can also try finding out the same thing, and if it matches with my findings there can be only one truth remaining!", he revealed his idea confidently.


    "Hmm ...", Cecile was thinking intensely over his words, but again she didn''t find any loopholes he could use. Of course there were only a limited number of types that Hidden Power could take, and Arthur could get the answer by a stroke of good luck right, but that''s something for another time to think about.


    "Great, you have planned it out quite meticulously ... your downfall I mean! Hahaha...", Cecile let out a mocking chuckle.


    "Does that mean we have a deal?", Arthur narrowed his eyes but kept his calm smile on.


    "Sure, hmpf, a deal to embarrass yourself. I am looking forward to the face you will make when this play over, and your so called expertise gets exposed as fraud!"


    "Less talking, we can''t waste anymore time. Could you please leave the room? I need a couple of minutes alone with Eevette ..."


    "Why??", Cecile questioned him.


    "To work peacefully, obviously. I need a quiet surrounding to make my results as accurate as possible. If you were an expert, you would know that!"


    "Hmpf!", is all Cecile said before slamming the door shut on her way out. She might as well get herself some food, while the brat was busy playing ''expert''.


    .......


    Seeing that Cecile had left the room, Atiqo finally relaxed the muscles on his face and heaved out a heavy sigh:


    "Siiiighhh, what a difficult customer!", Atiqo shook his head a little and smiled wrly. He hadn''t thought it would be this troublesome to convince a young child to believe in his made-up story. They believed in a Santa Claus and Easter bunnies, why couldn''t he pretend to be an expert then?!


    Atiqo was a young adult and it was a miracle that he could keep up his poker face without rolling his eyes everytime the word ''expert'' left Arthur''s small mouth. In the end he had to agree to this complicated bet so that he could gain Cecile''s recognition and make his escape plan even possible.


    The problem was that he had now built up the facade of a Pokemon expert without any experiences as an actual Pokemon Trainer! Neither did he in his World nor Arthur in this world receive any education related to Pokemon Training! Atiqo''s gaming knowledge could be full of half-truth or nonsenses, while Arthur had never left the outskirts of Viridian City - except for that one time in the Viridian Forest of course. Sooner or later his lie could get exposed.


    Of course that wouldn''t matter at all if he couldn''t win the bet anyway. His brain had worked overtime to come up with his theories and assumptions regarding Eevette and her move Hidden Power.


    He didn''t even know if that was true or not though, and if that concept could be applied in this world as well, maybe Hidden Power was completely different to the way it worked in the games!


    Blue might put it aside as child''s wild imaginations, but Cecile definitely wouldn''t believe him anymore no matter what he tried to convince her with.


    Atiqo felt a small heart pounding quickly in his chest, it could have been him or even Arthur who witnessed all these things happening in silence. Both of them felt the anxieties of the other, yet neither could do anything to help alleviate them.


    "Swoohhh!", Atiqo sucked in a great amount of air through his lungs and slapped his cheecks.


    SLAP


    "Don''t worry Arty, I have everything under control, we will get this done in an awesome way!", Atiqo spoke to Arthur inwardly. He might have tried to encourage himself as well a little ...


    "Eevette!", Atqio called out the little Pokemon that had seated itself on his bed.


    "Eeerrie!", she responded cheerily.


    "Come here to your amigo (friend) Atiqo, I will need your assistance in this ...", Atiqo stretched his hand low and beckoned Eevette to come closer.


    "Eerrie?", Eevette wondered what was going on. She approached Atiqo with questions marks arising in her head but then got suprised as that human child tried to hold her up!


    "Eeriee!", she cried in suprise.


    "Don''t worry, I just want to play a little, nothing harmful, everything''s alright ...", Atiqo tried to sooth her unease with his gentle voice. It worked.


    "Interesting ...", this was Atiqo''s second time coming this close to a Pokemon in his life. He could even pet it with his own sense of touch, thus getting a better grasp of how a Pokemon felt like.


    He automatically compared it to a little dog, the fur power was over 9000 with this little one.


    The weight seemed so little compared to how much force it had produced during the fight with Khali''s Spinarak, where did all that energy come from? Was this that Infinity Energy that Gary had talked about?


    Eevette got used to Atiqo''s sudden assault on her and now enjoyed his petting. It was a fresh experience to get attention from another human child other than Cecile.


    "It would be cool to have my own Eevee actually ...", thoughts sprang up in his mind suddenly. Eevee was a good starter and really a broad range of possible paths in terms of competitive gameplay- at least in the games. Plus it looked incredibly cute!


    But that wasn''t important right now.


    "Ok, playtime is over, now we have to pray!", Atiqo let Eevette back onto the ground and took a look at his hand. After confirming his harvest, the first part of his plan was accomplished.


    "Now the second part depends on luck; great Dios (god) above the multiverse, please help these two innocent souls find the right path!", Atiqo squinted his eyes heavily and prayed very strongly in his heart.


    As he relaxed again after finishing his prayer, his attention focused on the cupboard next to his bed. And when he opened it up a small sigh escaped his mouth.


    The thing he had been looking for was inside the small wooden cupboard. His hands carefully wraped around the red square object as if it was a precious gem. The PokeDex still looked the same as ever!


    His insides were tensed to the max as he opened up the PokeDex and a familiar row of texts welcomed him:


    [.Beep. Detecting presence of Host: Atiqo Rodriguez .Beep.


    .Beep. Does the Host need assistance? .Beep.


    .Beep. Detecting Severe energy pollution on Host''s body .Beep.


    .Beep Reminding Host of marked Energy Signals located at the Green Garden .Beep.


    .Beep The System is strongly recommending Host to pursue these signals .Beep.]


    .Beep The System suggests to recover from the current state and pursue signals as soon as possible .Beep.]


    "I get it, dammit. I am trying, but I need your help with something different!", Atiqo responded quite annoyed.


    [.Beep. System is obligated to assist Host .Beep. State your request .Beep.], it responded in a row of text, unperturbed by Atiqo''s tone.


    "Can you analyse a genetic sample for me ... from a Pokemon?", Atiqo tighly pressed his fingers together and hoped his prayers were heard.


    CLICK


    Instead of an answer, a click noise sounded out from the Dex. It took some seconds for Atiqo to realize that a small compartment had opened up above Pokedex. It was square shaped and only offered little space, but it was enough for what Atiqo had in mind.


    He held out his right hand over the small compartment and tiny brown strands of hair fell on the cold red surface.


    CLICK


    Another click tone came, this time because the compartment closed itself as soon all the strands had gathered inside.


    Suddenly loads of rows of text appeared on the PokeDex:


    [.Beep. Sample Received .Beep.


    .Beep. Depolymerisation beginning .Beep.


    .Beep. Cell structure successfully denaturated .Beep.


    .Beep. Begin Analysing components .Beep.


    .Beep. Comparing with available protein data banks .Beep.]


    [....]


    Atiqo understood about half of what the text said, he had majored in biology during highschool. But what freaked him out even more was that this little piece of technology was really able to handle all these operations! It felt to him like he was holding a small laboratory in his small hands!


    Then his attention got pulled back onto the screen:


    [.Beep. Examination completed .Beep.]


    ..........................


    -"So, did you have enough time to rehearse your act? I''m getting bored of this, tell me we can get over this quickly."


    Cecile was back in the room and had a sandwhich in her hand while sitting on a chair near Atiqo. Her right leg was resting over her left one, and she pointed at him with her sandwhich in her hand, as if it would threaten him.


    -"Eerrrie!"


    Eevette cheerfully munched on some Pokemon food that Cecile had brought with her.


    Atiqo unperturbed by her, continued his play.


    -"Sure, no problem, haha, the time has come to reveal my secret knowledge! After several profound tests and measurements, I have come to the conclusion that your Evette is ..."


    .............


    -"Huhh ... huh .... huhh ..."


    The hall had been demolished into smithereens, machine parts lied all over the place. Fluids of different colours leaked from those broken pieces of metal while sparks and electricity flickered from time and time, throwing an eerie light onto the battlefield.


    -"Blue!"


    Gary and Daisy ran over from now opened gate. They had been watching their eldest brother fight against these weird constructs from afar, though they couldn''t exactly make what had taken place in this fight. Their sight had been blocked off by disturbances of the battles.


    Both of them couldn''t hide their shock seeing all the broken robots and metal parts on the ground. But what freaked them out even more was seeing Blue having this crazed look in his eyes ... as if the battle hadn''t ended yet.


    -"B-blue, is everything ... alright?"


    Daisy dared to ask worriedly.


    -"Huhh .... huhh ...."


    Blue didn''t react and continued staring into the distance with a grim look on his face, while taking in heavy breaths to recover.


    -"Blue! Say something, god damn! What is this place?!"


    Gary questioned him irritated and scared. He had never known his brother had built up this kind of facility in the gym.


    -"Ah ... you are ... here ..."


    Colours finally returned on Blue''s face and his eyes showed the glint of consciousness again.


    -"I-I am fine"


    -"No, you are not, look at you ..."


    -"I said I''m fine!"


    Blue shouted back, but realized his mistake quickly.


    -"I am sorry. I shouldn''t have yelled at you ... I may not be that fine. But it''s okay. I have cooled down a little. Fighting helps me calm down, you see."


    Gary pointed at the robots and made a roundabout gesture a the hall.


    -"Yes, I built them. They are ... for training purposes."


    -"Just training?"


    -"Yes. But that''s not important anyway. We have more important things to look into right now."


    -"But-"


    -"Later, we can later ok?"


    Daisy was still worried but decided to swallow down her words for now. She looked back at the robots painting a picture of destruction.


    -"This doesn''t look like just training brother ... sigh", she thought to herself.


    -"Let''s discuss briefly about our next steps. I think that-"


    -"Well, first, you should put on some clothes that don''t like you were blown up by a lightning bolt. I think we can agree on that, right?", Gary threw in his two cents.


    -"..."


    -"..."


    .....


    When the three adults had finished their discussions and were leaving the facility, Cecile and her Eevette showed up suddenly and hurriedly ran up to them.


    But noticing the heavy mood being emitted by the adults, she asked hesitatingly.


    -"Is everything okay?"


    Blue saw her expression and immediately put on a smiling face.


    -"Of course darling. Everything is fine, we had a small discussion about ... some things we have to do. I am in a hurry actually, is it urgent?"


    -"Ehh, can you take a quick look at Eevette please?"


    -"Huh? Why, is something wrong with it?"


    Blue picked up Eevette who was enjoing the presence of him. Unlike the others, she didn''t care about the serious mood at all. Blue inspected her from all sides but didn''t see anything out of place.


    -"Could you tell me .. what type affinity ... she has?"


    -"Type affinity? What type affinity? Cecile, Eevees don''t have a type affinity, they are just Beast Pokemon. At least, not until they have evolved!"


    Gary butted in and told her.


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    -"But he said ... I heard that you could determine a Pokemon''s elemental affinity by the move Hidden Power ..."


    Blue''s eyes shrunk suddenly.


    "Who told you this bullcr- heok!"


    When Blue glared at him, Gary couldn''t help shrinking back. He knew when to retreat, especially in front of a monster.


    Blue showed his daughter his understanding face.


    -"Cecile, this sounds quite interesting, could you tell me where you heard about this?"


    -"I, ehh ...", she wanted to say, she read it up on the internet but ... somehow she had the feeling her father wouldn''t buy it that easily.


    -"Arthur ... told me.", she bit her lips because of her guilt.


    -"Arthur?"


    -"Arty?!"


    All three adults had surprised looks on their faces. A small light went up in Blue''s eyes and a hearty laughter escaped his mouth.


    -"Hahaha, that boy said that? Hahaha, wow, I didn''t expect that."


    -"So it''s wrong? Tch, I knew he played me. I will get back at him for this ...!"


    -"I never said what he said was wrong."


    Blue told her.


    -"What are you saying? I have never heard about this before!"


    Garry argued.


    -"Well, you are still young and inexperienced. What? You finished education at the academy and now you think you own the world? Hahaha, my little Garry, there is so much more in this vast world ...sigh ... so much more you have yet to see and understand."


    Blue got more quiet at the end.


    -"As for Hidden Power, it''s a small secret I learned during my younger days. You can really find out a Pokemon''s aptitude for elements by observing Hidden Power interact with its surroundings. Only real experts are able to notice these small details though."


    -"This... this is amazing! This is groundbreaking! If this is really true and we can verify it scientifically then ...!", excitement was written all over Gary''s face but Blue didn''t intend to let him enjoy the moment for long.


    -"You can''t measure it."


    -"Huh?"


    -"Hidden Power is too unstable, and our current technology isn''t cut out to properly understand and record those split second reactions."


    -"But, how do you know then..."


    As if knowing Garry would ask, Blue''s eyes started flickering. It was only a second long, Gary still saw those lightning-like sparks and features he knew very well from his brother.


    -"Oh ... oh.", Gary''s eyes sunk into depression, as if he had gotten an answer he never asked for. And he wasn''t able to return it either!


    -"Then ... how did Arthur...?"


    -"Arthur that boy, I am also wondering where he got to know this kind of ... information.", confusion and amazement crossed Blue''s mind.


    -"Did he tell you Cecile?"


    -"He ... he said he got it from the internet. The dark web.", Cecile was totally confused about this situation. Her father and uncle acted like it was some super secret, but was it really that important?


    -"HAHAHAHA!"


    -"Hehe, hahahaha!"


    Blue and Gary couldn''t help laughing loudly. That explanation was too unexpected, but exactly the kind of thing a child would say.


    "Hrmph, guys, we have business to attend to.", Daisy interrupted.


    She didn''t care much about this finding, her interests lied in the medical field anyway.


    -"Ah, yes. you''re right. Cecile, me and my brother will go out ... clean up his mess ..."


    -"Hey!"


    -"...Daisy will take care of you for now. As for your Eevee, I can tell you right now. I have already known it since the first time I saw it performing that move.


    A memory from 30 minutes ago flashed across Cecile''s mind and overlapped with the current situation unconsiously.


    -"It''s elemental affinity is ..."


    /I have come to the conclusion that your Evette is .../


    -"It''s affinity is the highest for electric type attacks!"


    /... she has the highest affinity for the electric type!/


    _"..."


    Blue stared at her proudly, and Daisy exclaimed in a lovely voice.


    -"How sweet! Like father like daughter!"


    Cecile at this time stood there with her mouth wide agape. The others looked at her weirdly and glanced to each other.


    -"Cecile, are you okay?"


    -"..."

 46 Somebody Has to Pay! Part 1

    -"Cecile are you okay?"


    No Reaction.


    -"Daisy, take her of her please. We will go and do our ''thing''. Bye sweetie, and please play with Arthur a little, you know he has had it quite rough lately."


    With that, Blue and Gary both left the hallway and went on to do their business.


    Daisy looked at their backs with worry and then focused on her strange acting niece.


    Daisy thought of something mieschivous from the time when she pranked her brothers every morning. She squatted down next to Cecile and closed up her nose.


    It only a second until she finally reacted.


    -"Hey, what are you doing!"


    -"Errrieee!", Eevette thought they were having fun playing a game, and she wanted to play along with them.


    Cecile waved her arms around and pushed her aunts hand away.


    -"Well, it seems you''re still fine, hehe. What was on your mind, you looked like you had seen a ghost Pokemon!"


    -"Arthur ... what he said, it was ..."


    -"What?! Arthur? Don''t tell me ... you are already interested in boys?! OMG, if Blue hears about this-"


    -"No! It''s not like that!"


    Cecile tried to defuse the situation and extinguish any kind of misinterpretation her aunt could have but it seemed to be too late.


    -"Tell your little aunt, what did he EXACTLY say, and don''t leave anything out, I want to hear the details!"


    *Facepalm*


    .......


    Cecile entered the door into the patients room, sighing to herself because of all the trouble she had withstood until her aunt finally let go of her.


    -"Eerrie?", Eevette tilted her head, wondering what was going on her.


    -"Don''t errie at me! Couldn''t you have helped me out a bit? Sighhh!"


    -"What''s wrong ladies? Was it t-too hard to accept the t-truth?"


    A little condescending voice sounded out from the other side of the room. If Cecile hadn''t been in an exhausted state, she might have noticed the quiver in Atiqo''s tone but her thoughts were currently flowing in a different direction.


    Atiqo quickly got up from his seat and approached the two of them. Unlike the way he planned it, his balance and steps couldn''t help but become a little chaotic.


    In reality, Atiqo''s pulse was beating like crazy, did he do it? Was his nonsense blabbering about Hidden Power and type moves actually true?? The next few seconds could either shatter his whole worldview, or throw him onto a completely new world-level of Pokemon-conspiracy theories. Either way, his self was about to experience a mind blowing moment of insanity!


    -"... itwastrue... hrm.", a quiet mumble escaped Cecile''s mouth.


    -"What?", Atiqo didn''t clearly hear her.


    -"What the fuck....", Atiqo''s mouth stood agape. His expression looked just like Cecile''s when she got the confirmation from her dad. All kinds of weird ideas befell his mind suddenly. So there is a relationship between the games and this Pokemon World? Right? There has to be? Was he stuck in a game? Didhetransformintothemaincharacterofthisworld?!?! No, wait, was Arthur actually the main character of this Pokemon Game and he just ... invaded his body??? Luckily, Arthur wasn''t able to peep into Atiqo''s thoughts or else he might have been blown away by Atqio''s brainstorm right now!


    Cecile still in her flustered state noticed Atiqo''s absence of presence, and an idea came to her. Time for revenge.


    She walked next to his side, and pinched his nose shut!


    A second later ...


    -"Hey, what are you doing!"


    -"Hahaha, I see, this is so much fun doing it on others, hahaha!"


    -"Damn, a loss is a loss, be a sportsman- or woman.!"


    Atiqo got back on earth and remembered the situation he was in.


    -"So, does that mean you believe me now?"


    -"I don''t ...", a memory she wanted to rather bury deep down flashed across her eyes, and she swallowed her next words.


    -"So you don''t, sigh, I thought I could trust-"


    -"I believe you."


    -"What?"


    -"I said I believe you. I didn''t expect it, but you were right about the type affinity Eevette has, so I believe ... that you have an expert behind you!"


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    -"What?!", a second suprise caught Atiqo off guard.


    -"You don''t seriously expect me to believe you''re a young prodigy who learned to become a Pokemon Expert through YouTube videos and the internet ..."

 47 Somebody Has to Pay! Part 2

    -"You don''t seriously expect me to believe you''re a young prodigy who learned to become a Pokemon Expert through YouTube videos and the internet ..."


    -"The dark web, it was the dark web!", Atiqo reacted strongly, as if it was a world difference.


    -"Who cares! I saw you have a PokeDex, I am sure you called that expert while I was away and he told you what you needed to know. And it''s fine. A bet is a bet, and I accept my loss."


    Atiqo got struck speechless. How did the situation turn out like this?? There wasn''t an expert behind him! Well, the PokeDex really did help him out a bit, but it could hardly be considered a living being!!


    He didn''t know wether to laugh or cry, but hey, in the end, she still accepted it, so why bother about the details?


    While Atiqo still had to decide wether he had actually won or not, Cecile was sighing on the inside. She still didn''t believe a single cent about Atiqo''s nonsense, and even though she couldn''t understand how he got to know about this super secret knowledge according to her dad, it just wasn''t possible that a boy her age was smarter than her!


    She was raised in a gym leader''s household! She knew a lot about Pokemon and battling! There couldn''t be anyone her age, especially not a boy from a common background who could outmatch her in terms of knowledge. While her pride didn''t let her agree with Atiqo even a single inch,... her guilt did.


    What troubled her all this time was that she didn''t intend to tell her family about Arthur being her source of information, even if it was just nonsense. Yet it slipped her mouth, and unconsciously or not, it hung heavily on her mind.


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    She owed him, somehow. So she just decided to play along with him for a while longer and ''believe he had an expert behind him''.


    -"Errie?", Eevette looked confused, and she still didn''t understand what these humans were talking about.


    "I got it!", a loud voice shouted out suddenly.


    Cecile''s focus went back to ''Arthur''.


    -"Now that we know what Evette''s type affinity is, we can plan accordingly!"


    -"Plan what?"


    Atiqo felt another entitiy urgently pulling at his consciousness, dragging it into the familiar darkness. He could imagine who that was.


    ("Well, it was still fun while it lasted, haha. Time for a little ... nap ...*yawn*")


    -"Arthur, Arthur! Are you okay!"


    Cecile got scared and immediately run towards Arthur''s body. While she was unsure about wether to call for her aunt or not, a weak voice answered her call.


    -"I am ... here. I am still here. Everything is .. fine."


    Arthur woke up and he blinked with his eyes a little to get used to his surroundings.


    -"My god, do you know how scared I was?! What happened just now?! Should I call for aunt Daisy??"


    -"No, no, it''s fine. I just had a small break hehe, ... on the ground."


    Seeing Cecile not believing him, he continued.


    -"Well, I might have exhausted myself a little here, don''t worry about it. I will just take a nap in but a moment on my bed. It''s gotten quite late already haha."


    He scratched his back in embarrassment, and finally Cecile let go of it. Arthur was back, but he couldn''t tell Cecile the reason he just returned was to make Atiqo shut up! He couldn''t do anything while in his observing mode, and it had exhausted him too much to even speak up a little earlier.


    But it was just annoying to see Atiqo talk about ... such embarrassing stuff!


    It felt like being forced to watch somebody make unfunny jokes! He couldn''t let Atiqo ruin his image in other people''s minds! When he felt Atiqo''s consciousness had opened a gap somewhere, Arthur took a hold of that chance and didn''t let go! After some struggles his mind finally re-entered his body!


    -"About your super awesome training for Eeve-"


    -"Forget I ever said that! It was just a joke, haha, just a funny joke!!"


    -"Ehh, sure."


    -"Hrmp, now that I am back-"


    -"What do you mean with back?"


    -"I meant ... now that my back ... could rest up, we can talk about the problem at hand!"


    Atiqo quickly corrected himself.


    -"What do you mean? Which problem?"


    -"The problem of how to break out of this house, and the part where I am still alive while doing that."

 48 Somebody Has to Pay! Part 3

    Darkness prevailed over the calm night, but soon, this tranquility would meet its end, the curtains would rise and the true darkness that had bubbled up inside the depths of Viridian City would come to light.


    ........


    -"Master Nevarez! Master Nevarez! INTRUDERS ARE UPON US!"


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    A guard shricked loudly, and his voice echoed inside the huge mansion of the Nevarez household. Actually it wasn''t the only mansion in the city that the Nevarez family had in possession, but this one was probably the most important one because ... the third heir in the line of inheritance over the family business and also the Vice Principal of the Viridian Pokemon Academy, Fernando Nevarez resided here!


    "What''s wrong here?! Who is causing this?!!", a huge door in the upper levels of the mansion was opened and a tall man with long black disheveled hair appeared in the hallway.


    At first he was perplexed hearing all the noise that came from the ground level, but his years of experience instantly told him that they were under attack.


    He quickly pulled out a small Pokeball from his pants and activated it.


    -"Champ! I need your help!"


    A humanoid, even taller figure appeared in the hallway, it was Machamp! Its two pairs of arms moved fluently, two guarded its master, while the other two got into a position to confront incoming hostile attacks!


    -"The attacks are coming from below, get ready for sudden projectiles! Whoever dared to attack me will taste death!"


    Both of them hurriedly approached the place that created the most noise. It was the house entrance, the biggest area in the house.


    When Fernando entered the scene he couldn''t believe his eyes! Two streaks of lightning, one blue and the other yellow were flashing all around the place! And both of these streaks seemed to be the cause of the problems! Numerous guards and countless Pokemon lied on the ground, groaning in pain and completely incapacitated. The furniture wasn''t spared at all, vessels, walls and the marble ground, everything that could be shattered was shattered into bits and pieces!


    -"NEVAREZ! Finally showing up, aren''t you!", a loud unfamiliar voice called out to him.


    The yellow streak crossed the entire section between in but a second and was about to attack him!


    Machamp now knew where the enemy was and unleashed all its power from its four arms! Veins bulged from its several biceps and a huge was about to destroy its target.


    -"Idiot! That''s just a feint!", Nevarez scolded his Pokemon for its premature action, but it was already too late.


    The yellow streaks momentum stopped suddenly in fron the huge Pokemon and then ... it disappeared from Machamp''s sight.


    -"Groomp?", it wondered where the yellow enemy had gone, but his confusion quickly dissolved and turned into fear! He felt something gripping its neck with an unshakable force and then his world turned upside down!


    The figure clad in yellowish armour had jumped over Machamp''s head and midway during its somersault it had grabbed the Machamp by its thick neck! Using the force of momentum and gravity the Machamp''s head was pulling down the rest of its body onto the marble ground!


    The Machamp desperately tried to get rid of this headlock with two arms, while the other two prepared for the incoming impact!


    But it didn''t budge! No matter how much power the Machamp sent to its muscle packed arms, that tiny shining figure didn''t move an inch! And just as it wanted to use a third arm to get the job done ... a sudden mysterious impulse poured into its nervous system shutting everything down!


    -"Grr...omp?", Machamp couldn''t feel anything anymore, and its body didn''t listen to any of his commands!


    *BUUUMPPPP*


    *CRACKKK*


    Two noises sounded out like waves through the entire entrance hall, one after another as if they were twins.


    Silence reigned over the place. All the rest of the guards who hadn''t been defeated yet looked towards the origin of that powerful blast.


    -"Hurgh ... Champ ...", Fernando''s face instantly turned pale, and a shock wave assaulted his soul notifying him of the horrible news.

 49 Somebody Has to Pay! Part 4

    -"Who ... are you?!", Fernando weakly let out from his throat. The attack on his soul was sharp and painful, he didn''t expect for his Pokemon to die just like that?!! What monstrous human was capable of killing Pokemon barehanded, god damned! And why was that monster after him now ?!


    While those thoughts flashed in his mind, his hands slowly moved into his pants but...


    -"Don''t you dare summon another Pokemon, or your head will be next one to crack open!", a threatening voice thundered into Fernando''s ears. He immediately withdrew his shivering hand from the pocket and held his arms in defeat.


    -"W-what do you want?! And who are you?! I have never met you, so why are you attacking me?!", Fernando screamed loudly, despair filling his eyes. He would have never dared to mess with someone like this, so why would this monster seek him instead?!


    -"Are you sure we have never met, Nevarez?"


    Hearing this weird question, Fernando squinted his eyes and took another glance at the enemy.


    At the same time, the flickering lights and sparks that covered the figure''s body disappeared, now even the facial features were more recognizable. What shocked Fernando the most was the this person''s left arm started falling apart into tiny particles of glistering light while only a stump remained behind. Wait, only a stump?!


    Fernando''s eyes shrunk suddenly as a familiar person''s face popped up in his head. He wasn''t familiar with that person actually, he only met him once, but the circumstances surrounding their meeting made his memory about this person as clear as the sky.


    The person who took part in his commemoration for Fernando''s appointment as Vice Principle of the academy, and the person who usually never showed up in public at all ... how could he forget the face of the Gym Leader of Virdian City?!?!


    -"Blue ... Oak! What are you doing here???"


    -"Tell your guards to lie low for now, then we can talk!"


    Fernando saw he was serious, and he even a sense of madness being emitted by the Gym Leader, so rather than negotiating, he to compromise first.


    -"You heard him! Now the get heck out of my sight!"


    The guards gulped down in fear and didn''t waste a second standing still. Some of them had witnessed how that person defeated the Master''s Machamp! Barehanded! That was just surreal! That Machamp might not have been his main Pokemon, but it was one of his most powerful! Yet it was killed by a human alone. As realisation struck their nerves, their brains finally got the signal to retreat. It took only a second for the space to get cleared.


    -"Brave guards indeed, hehe!", the other person that came with the Gym Leader, it turned out to be someone more well-known, it was his little brother Gary Oak.


    -"Now, tell me why you broke into my house and killed my Pokemon!"


    Fernando tried to scream threateningly but it was more like a dog''s bark.


    The bruises on that person''s face didn''t make the task easier, seems like his home hadn''t been the first to get targeted!


    -"Talk!", Gary kicked the person onto the ground, and when this person was on his knees his voice came back to him.


    -"Please! Leave me alive! I didn''t do anything! I never meant harm to anyone! Please, spare my life!"


    -"Talk, or life will be considered forfeited right here and now!", the usual kindness and warmth that Blue had on his face was all gone. It was just blank coldness that was left.


    -"Hiek! No, no I will talk!"


    -"Who is this person!"


    -"Mr.Nevarez, I presume, m-my name is Porter, P-porter Winehouse, I work at the Mercenary Guild a-as a Chief Agent."


    -"Tell him what you have told us!", Blue demanded.


    -"Sir, please, I didn''t know-"


    *KICK*


    -"Hick! I-I signed and confirmed the mission for two low-star mercernaries. It was ... it was an assassination mission ..."


    -"And who applied for this mission?!"


    -"It was someone from the Nevarez household! Alfonso Nevarez, that was his name! I swear I didn''t know it would be a-"


    *KICK*


    Porter got kicked even harder this time, hard enough to fall unconscious.


    Blue went up towards Nevarez and grabbed him by his collar harshly!


    -"I knew you fucking ancient families had shady dealings in the underworld, and I WAS THE LAST PERSON who enjoyed having your family move INTO MY CITY!


    B-but I didn''t think ...", Blue''s arms trembled a little and his voice shook,


    -"I-I didn''t think you would stoop so low Nevarez, to even involve CHILDREN into YOUR GODDAMN MESS!", Blue lunged at him with his bright shining left fist.


    *SMASH*

 50 Somebody Has to Pay! Part 5

    A tear droplet ran down Blue''s eyes. But Fernando was currently concentrating on surviving this beating!


    *SMASH*


    -"Ehh, Blue, I think that''s..."


    *SMASH*


    -"BLUE!"


    Blue''s fist came to a halt, and let go of Fernando.


    Fernando''s was bruised and battered, but he knew that Blue hadn''t given his all, not even 10 % maybe. It was just a warning. A painful one.


    -"Hand him over Nevarez. Your butler or whatever he is to you, he is being charged for attempted murder, bribery of personal in charge of public duty, falsification of legal documents, and several others including assault on minors!"


    Gary threw some paper towards the man on the ground. As Fernando picked them up one by one, he finally realized the gravity of the situation.


    -"That damned bastard."


    His stupid distantly related cousin had ordered an assassination attempt on a child, while claiming the target was an adult! It was known that the Mercenary Guild also accepted these kinds of missions for a very hefty sum. The targets were always important people of high standing that could protect themselves from such attempts. But it was an iron clad rule that children could never be the objective of such missions. Never. So why did this brain-dead idiot do the exact opposite?!


    He bribed the agent in charge and changed the details of the mission! Somehow the Gym Leader of Viridian City got wind of that and now thinks that he was involved in this!


    Fernando felt like crying! Of course he did, he would do the same knowing these facts!


    -"Oak, you don''t know what you are getting yourself into, what you have done today, my family will never-"


    -"I don''t give a damn about your family. I want you to hand him over!"


    *SMASH*


    -"I-I can''t .."


    Fernando saw the monsterous face of the infamous Gym Leader Blue Oak up close. This time he finally understood why he was more well known by his underworld monicker ''Demon''. Standing so close to him, Fernando felt his hairs stand on all ends! His heart sunk into his knees and stopped beating too loudly, too afraid to make this demon even angrier!


    The vibe that the Gym Leader gave off was full of bloodlust and carnage, only people who had been involved in countless massacres could built up this kind of aura!


    But he knew that he might face even more danger by his family if word got out that he had sent that cursed butler behind bars in person! As thin as their blood ties were, he was still part of the family!


    Handing out family meant the same as killing your own flesh! His family in spain, their ancestral lands, they would punish him heavily for this kind of act. On the other hand he had to survive this encounter with the demon first to even get punished ...


    -"Money? You seriously think that I am the same kind of garbage as you people???", Blue got pissed even more.


    -"What then?? Ancient artifacts?? Secret Potions? Royalty Class Pokemon?? I will get you whatever you want-"


    *KICK*


    -"I DON''T WANT YOUR DIRT NEVAREZ!"


    *KICK*


    *GROAN*


    "I want you to hand him over and deliver justice! I am the Gym Leader of Viridan City! Maybe it''s because I haven''t showed up my face for some time in public but don''t you ever forget, I WILL GUARD THIS CITY''S SAFETY! Nobody is above the law! No one! So someone has to pay!"


    -"Cough ... I get it! I get ... it cough. He ... he is at this address ...", Fernando handed out a card with his shacking arm, the card had an address on it.


    -"Good."


    Seeing that they got what he came for, Blue and Gary made turn for the exit.


    -"Oak! Cough, could you at least not make this ... public?", Fernando asked weakly.


    If people got wind of this, it wouldn''t just ruin him but might also have sever repurcussions for his family abroad which in turn would make his fate look even bleaker.


    -"No."


    -"Why?", despair groaned out from Fernando''s mouth.


    -"It''s time to let them know."


    -"Know what?"


    -"That I am back."


    *thud*


    The doors closed down.

 51 Taking a Ride

    Next day, back in the house


    -"So we got this all planned out, right?"


    "Right."


    -"First I will distract your aunt with my mum when she arrives here, while you go into your dark secret underground lab to get the medicine and..."


    -"We don''t have a dark secret underground lab!"


    -"...to get the medicine that will keep me alive for a couple of hours during my time outside, right?"


    -"Right. But I will go along with you. Got that!"


    -"For the last time, you can''t go with me, they will get suspicious if none of us were to stay there! One of us has to be here and keep them busy, or at least observe them!


    And well, I know where to look for my lost keepsake, you don''t. Got that?"


    -"Nope."


    -"Damn, you are endangering the success of our plan!"


    -"And you are endangering your life with this mission-bullshit! You know who is gonna kill me, if I were to get you killed because of this stupid idea, your mum and my dad would. btw, I still can''t believe I agreed to this.


    -"And I can''t believe you lied to me about not having any way go get me out of here - alive."


    -"I didn''t lie, I just didn''t tell you the whole truth. I am not allowed to take away stuff from my aunts lab!"


    -"Once I have found my keepsake, you and I are quit."


    -"Still coming with you."


    -"No, you won-"


    *DING DONG*


    Both of them looked at each other, and then started moving out.


    There wasn''t enough time left for arguing.


    While Cecile walked into the direction of the secret underground lab, Arthur made himself ready to see his mum again. His face was pale from being nervous.


    Walking down the stairs he heard steps drawing near and a woman appeared in his sight.


    -"Arthur, my boy are you all right?!", his mum instantly recognized him and went up for a hug.


    -"Nah, haha, mum it''s okay. No hugging for me now, I have caught a little cold *fake cough*, I don''t want to infect you or something...",


    he couldn''t possibly tell her about his broken ribs and several other injuries he had because of that escapade.


    Arthur was still injured and only alive thanks to some magic potions that the Oak family had given to him without strings attached. If it wasn''t for them ....


    -"Arthur, are you really alright? You look a bit-"


    -"Forget about this mum, don''t you want to see the house? I also want to introduce you to Miss Daisy, Mr.Oak and Gary..."


    His mother''s eyes started shining in a mysterious light suddenly.


    -"G-Gary...did you just say that... Gary was here?! Where is he?!"


    -"Do you know him by any chance?"


    -"A-alright mum, do you want to meet him? I could introduce you two to each other, and he might sign you an autograph-"


    -"KYAAA! That''s a perfect idea my son, brilliant! Let''s get going, chop chop!"


    His mother wanted to drag him by her hands, but luckily he escaped her grasp.


    It took some time but in the end they both reached ''the living room'', (which was as big as two apartments) and there they found both Daisy and Gary hanging around.


    -"Hey guys, here is my mum, she ehh, she really wanted to meet y-"


    -"Kyaaaa, Gary!"


    The next thing that happened was completely shocking for everyone present, Arthur''s mum crossed several meters in but a breath of time and dashed towards Gary.


    Gary was so scared, he nearly fell from the sofa as he was afraid he would get bodyslamed otherwise.


    -"Gary! I-I-I am your biggest- no, one of your biggest fan- no supporters!


    I''ve watched all of your movies, and also cameo appearances, I am a huge fan of your cosmetics products and..."


    Gary threw some urgent glances for help at his sister and Arthur, but while Daisy was suppressing her laughter with all her might, observing this play with glee and schadenfreude, Arthur bowed down apologetically and swiftly made his way out. Arthur was still struggling inside, a flash of pity and guilt crossed his eyes for a second but his mission was still clear in his mind and he forced himself to move forward.


    As his figure vanished from the hallway, one could still hear a mixture of laughter, groaning sounds and quick cheerful chatter coming from the living room.


    ................


    -"Sorry Gary...", Arthur felt bad for using his friend as a bait, but this opportunity, he couldn''t let go of it!


    He hurried towards their appointed meeting place, taking several steps downwards at once while trying his best not to cause a ruckus. Getting caught by the butler or Blue right now could possibly ruin everything after all.


    Arriving at his destination he saw Cecile curling one of her red twin tails around her fingers while keeping a thoughtful expression on her face.


    -"You sure took your time, didn''t you?"


    -"For someone who says she wasn''t allowed to get into the secret lab, you sure are quick to get back here so fast."


    -"For someone who argues for honesty, you sure are quick at deceiving your mum!"


    -"That''s not the same!"


    -"Yes it is!"


    -"Damned, this is not the right time for this. We have to hurry up, I don''t believe my mum can keep them busy forever, do you have the medicine?"


    -"Of course or else I wouldn''t be standing here duhh.", her face gained a smug look as she opened her fist and revealed a small bottle of green shining liquid.


    -"Is it supposed to... radiate like that?"


    -"Did you get cold feet now? Haha, of course you did."


    -"No, I don''t! Just wanted to make sure you aren''t trying to poison me. Give it to me."


    He tried to snatch it away, but Cecile quickly pulled her hand away. Before he could protest she handed it over with a playful chuckle.


    Arthur took the bottle, clearly annoyed by her behaviour, and as he opened the cap and was about to drink the content ...


    -"I don''t need to poison you, you will do it yourself if you drink it like that, hahaha"


    -"Heok!", Arthur barely managed to stop himself from pouring the whole liquid into his mouth.


    -"Why didn''t you warn me?! Do you think this is a game??"


    Arthur was anxious and angry at the same time.


    -"You took it without further questions , is it my fault you were so hurried?"


    Cecile didn''t find any fault in her actions in any way.


    And after a moment of reflection Arthur didn''t either, he was really a bit to rash. After taking a few seconds to calm down, he asked again, this time more politely.


    -"Can you tell me how to apply this? We don''t have much time, and I really need to get out quickly."


    Cecile was surprised this time, she didn''t expect him to get his grip so fast.


    -"Y-you put it on your skin. It''s a lotion that builds up a membrane around you. It should protect you for some time.", she explained a bit flustered.


    "Okay.", as he was about to take of his clothes and put on the lotion...


    "W-what are you doing?!"


    "I have to apply it on my skin, right? Can''t do with my clothes on, duhh."


    "Then why do you have to do it here?! Go inside a room, or the toilet, eek, boys!"


    *sigh*


    Arthur went into a toilet and put on the green liquid all over his body. He prayed that it wasn''t radioactive, and that it wouldn''t cause any weird diseases on him.


    When he got out and was ready to set off, Cecile couldn''t be found anywhere nearby.


    -"I guess she went back to take care of further distraction. Good, everything is going according to the plan."


    ("All according to Keikaku, haha!"


    -"A-Atiqo, you''re here??"


    Arthur was surprised to hear Atiqo''s voice all of sudden.


    ("Of course Arty, I''m always here. We are in the same boat so to speak. Like sticky glue stuck on your-")


    -"I get it. You are here. But didn''t you say something yesterday about two pilots and one seat?"


    ("Yes, I am not sure why, but somehow the resistance got a bit thinner. It''s still straining to keep up this ''co-piloting'', but somehow I might have gotten the hang of it! Haha! At least I can communicate a bit more with you now before my spirit juice is out."


    -"Spirit Juice, what are you talking about?"


    ("Huh? You don''t feel it? It''s this weird liquid juice that flows all around my body, as if I was taking a nice bath, hahaha! But with my spirit body, hahaha!")


    -"Is that even possible? I can''t feel anything extraordinary."


    ("Maybe I am more sensitive to it, I don''t have that many senses anymore right now - as a haunting ghost I mean. The thing is this juice is making me feel really refreshed and dope, but it does dry out...like right now while I am talking to you. It could be some kind of fuel, some spirit gasoline! Hahaha!"


    -"O-okay."


    Arthur couldn''t really understand what Atiqo was talking about, it also felt weird now, knowing that a another person was watching from the same view as him -constantly.


    It felt like he had only a little privacy left, at least they couldn''t read each others mind. Though they were able to grasp the other''s emotions a bit, it was more like talking to an invisible person standing right next to you. Still weird btw.


    As he exited from the huge door leading to the outside world, he looked into the wide scenery of the Oak territory, a shocking thought crossed his mind.


    -"Ehh, Atiqo?"


    ("Yes?")


    -"How do we get from here ... to ... that Green Garden?"


    ("... you didn''t plan that far ahead?")


    -"..."


    -"Well, I was quite tired and concentrated on my mum and how to not get found out... I didn''t realise I wasn''t even in the city!"


    Arthur lamented his short-sightedness. He wasn''t at home anymore but at the property of a rich family that possessed quite a lot of land. How the hell was he supposed to cross that distance or know the directions to his goal?


    His eyes wandered off to the right side, a black car was parked their. The same one that the butler had brought him with when he was here with Khali the last time. Sadly he didn''t know how to drive car-


    ("I know how to drive cars!")


    -"We aren''t going to steal their car!"


    ("We aren''t stealing anything, just borrowing! Haha!)


    -"It''s the same. I am too young anyway, and my body is too short!"


    ("I can handle that. As long as the cars work the same way where I am from, it should be as easy as a piece of cake.")


    -"Do you know how to break into a car?"


    ("Hmm, well, that could be a problem...")


    While Arthur and Atiqo were still arguing about the feasibility of pulling a quick heist, a loud sound roared all around the place.


    *Kkkroooaaar*


    ("This sound ... I have heard it before ...")


    Only a couple of seconds later a huge flying Pokemon in the air above and dove right into their position! It was a large Fearow!


    -"AHHH!"


    Arthur was scared for a second that this Fearow would pierce his body, but just a moment before the impact the fearow stopped the dive and started landing onto the ground. Its large wings flapped with a strong might thus creating enough updrift to land on its hindlegs, safe and soundly.


    Arthur had to shield his eyes from the sweeping dust though.


    -"Hahahah! What was that? I thought I heard a baby cry here somewhere, but all I see is you, Arthur. What have I gotten wrong, hmmm?"


    Arthur heard a familiar voice coming from the back of the Fearow, and as if to confirm his assumption right, a red haired girl appeared to be the origin of that voice.


    -"Cecile? What are you doing here?!"


    -"I told you I was coming with you, haha."


    -"So you knew ..."


    -"That you forgot about a way of transport for your ''Prison Break''? Yes, I got that. Took you long enough to realize it though, hahaha."


    Arthur felt embarrassed, but it was true. He might have neglected one of the more important parts of his plan.


    ("Don''t take it to heart Arty, all you need is experience, real experience outside your comfort zone. Every Pokemon Master had to start his journey in Pallet Town but they all....", after a while Arthur ignored him again, but he was still thankful for the gesture.


    -"But this Fearow belongs to..."


    -"My uncle. And as we are all family here, Fearsome is one of my most trusted aids here. I have been riding his back since I was six!", she announced proudly.


    -"Fear...some?"


    ("Fearsome?? Hahaha, what a dumb name for a Pokemon!")


    -"Yes, Fear + Handsome! I decided his nickname, it''s incredibely cool and fear-inspiring, right?", star dust glittered in her eyes for a second, or so Arthur imagined it at least.


    He had a difficult time ignoring Atiqo''s roaring laughter in his mind and just nodded weakly with his head.


    -"And it''s okay that we just fly around with it? What about Gary''s consent? And the law and flight regulations?", Arthur cautiously asked. He didn''t want to move from one prison to another during his escape.


    -"Who cares about that? I am the daughter of the Gym Leader of this city, if someone has a problem he can go to my dad directly, hmph! And I am my uncle''s favourite niece ..."


    ("... only niece ...")


    "... which is why I can fly with Fearsome whenever I want. Isn''t that right Fearsome?"


    *KKkroooarr*, it made a loud roar so as to accentuate Cecile''s argument.


    There were tons of questions and problems troubling Arthur''s mind, but he didn''t have time for this. There wasn''t an alternative either, so he might as well take this chance and quickly get away from this mansion. Time trickled by every second they spent on the ground, and the others could find out something was going on if they wasted anymore.


    The Fearow turned its back towards Arthur, and he managed to somehow climb up his way. It was weird but the skin and muscles seemed sturdy enough for his feet to get some good grip.


    -"Are you ready?", Cecile was sensible enough to ask.


    She didn''t forget that Arthur was severly injured, and that every step and hold must have brought some kind of pain to him, even if he didn''t show it.


    -"...Yes, I am ready."


    -"Good! Fearsome, let''s get going! To the Green Garden!"


    *Kkkroooar!*


    Fearow''s wings spread as much as possible and flapped against the air with a strong power to create enough force to take off. After a couple of seconds hovering above the earth, the Pokemon and its passengers flew into the sky and beyond.


    .....................


    The first couple of minutes were very turbulent for Arthur. Even though the force of the wind didn''t hit his face or body directly as Fearow''s body protected them quite well, Fearow still needed some time to adjust to the airflow and the wind. These adjustments occured through subtle movements of its joints and muscles on various parts of Fearow''s body. Subtle for the Pokemon at least, but not so subtle for the little passengers that went aboard the Express Fearow Flight!


    Cecile didn''t show any reactions whatsoever, maybe she was accustomed to this part of the flight already, but Arthur had to change his position every couple of moments because it felt really uncomfortable.


    ("And here I thought it would be cool to have a Flying Type Pokemon in my team. Maybe it''s better to just stick to the land though. Why the grimaces Arty? I thought you got used to this mode of travel already, you have had two rides before this already, right?")


    -"U-Unconscious, I was unsconscious the whole time."


    Arthur spat out through gritted teeth.


    -"What did you say?", Cecile shouted back, as she heard Arthur muttering something.


    The backspace on Fearow allowed a small space to exist where the wind wasn''t disturbing communication too much. But for purposes of safety and caution, both Arthur and Cecile decided to reduce talking as much as possible.


    Arthur was startled, he forgot to speak in his mind instead, so for a moment he wasn''t sure how to respond.


    -"Y-your Eevette! Where is she?"


    This time, Cecile heard him correctly and turned around a little. Arthur had already noticed that she was wearing a suit that looked like what those air-pilots usually wore. When he saw her turn-around, he noticed something big bulging in the front part of her suit. Thinking of certain images in his mind, Arthur became flustered all of a sudden and duck his head a litte.


    ("Naughty Arty! That''s not what this is, hehe, she is too young anyway. Look closer a little, and you will be surpised.")


    Hearing Atiqo''s reply to his actions, Arthur looked back at Cecile''s chest area and found something brown being inside the suit. Two pair of eyes and eras slowly grew out of the suit a little, and Arthur finally realized where Eevette had disappeared to.


    .....


    Back in the mansion


    Gary had a difficult time talking with Arthur''s mum who was in stuck in her own little bubble. A bubble that just got bigger and bigger because of her meeting with Gary.


    Daisy watched her brother suffer with glee. He always put on a smug expression on his face, but this time he showed a look that was a bit more to her taste.


    -"Oh, by the way, where is Arthur actually?"


    Arthur''s mum noticed her son''s absence suddenly.


    -"I haven''t seen Cecile either in a while...", Gary mentioned.


    -"I would love to meet that girl, I am sure she and Arthur would become good friends!", Arthur''s mum replied.


    Daisy threw in some words with a knowing smile:


    "Well, I am sure they have become very good friends by now. They must be together somewhere probably, hehe."


    -"What?"


    -"What?!"


    Both Gary and Arthur''s mum showed suprised expressions but Gary seemed a bit more shocked.


    -"What''s wrong Gary? She is already in that age you know? And she hasn''t come to know that many children her age all this while ..."


    -"Do you really think ... that they are ...", Gary wasn''t sure how to express himself right now.


    -"Who knows? But maybe I am just imagining things ... although she seemed a little too flustered when I asked her about him, hehehe!"


    Arthur''s mum wasn''t sure how to react to this. She was happy her son found a friend his age, but going this far already ... and they only knew each other for a couple of days!


    -"No, no, no, no! I am sure you are mistaken. I know Arthur, and my niece much better. They are too young for this kind of stuff. You must have misunderstood something.", Gary tried to find another kind of explanation.


    -"I am surprised you are so against this Gary haha. Aren''t you known for being a playboy yourself?"


    -"This is different! They are too young!"


    -"Whatever."


    Gary decided that he had to intervene in this matter and have a serious talk between men with Arthur later. While he was still thinking about this, a small thing tugged at his mind, as if he had forgotten something important. Just as he thought he had grasped that very small thing though ...


    -"Gary, your newest fashion line from Prismania City is amazing!"


    -"Urgh."


    -"Haha!"


    ..........

 52 Revelation

    -"Make yourself ready, we are almost there!"


    Cecile shouted to him, while Fearow was making little dive into the green scenery below them. She grasped her goggles and put them tightly onto her eyes while looking forward to the next moments with a mischievous smirk.


    Arthur felt a foreboding sense of danger rising in his guts but just as he was about to open his mouth it happened!


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


    That small dive turned into very sharp dive all of a sudden and Arthur mustered all his strength into his hands and fingers to hold onto the feathers, that separated life and death for him.


    Of course Cecile wasn''t such a crazy maniac as to make such dangerous stunt without having absolute control over the situation, but all that mattered to Arthur right that moment was to not fall into air accidentally!


    "HAHAHAHAAH"


    Sounds were hard to make out because of the swift turbulent air but Arthur could swear Cecile was happy as hell about his current plight. Couldn''t she have warned him about this more clearly?!


    As sudden as the maneuver came, it left as well. Fearow chose a patch of green land somewhere and flapped its mighty wings to settle safely without further interruptions.


    Arthur was the first to quickly back out of the Fearow Flight Express and after feeling the soft tickling grass on his hands and making sure their surroundings were secure he collapsed silently on the ground.


    "What''s up? Was this your first ride or what? Hihihi....", Cecile laughed all the while and made fun of Arthur.


    He was too weakened to rebuke her or give her any other kind of remark. The young boy felt he had exchanged years of his life to survive this ordeal, his mind aging in a short span of time. In addition to that he needed some time to acclimate properly to this new environment.


    ("Take your time buddy, haha, I am sure she didn''t mean ill will towards you.)


    "Easy to say for you, not having a body has his perks ...", Arthur grumbled in his mind.


    ("Ouch, shots fired! Hahaha, deserved it I guess. Luckily your ears didn''t pop up haha."


    "Why should they pop up?", Arthur asked.


    ("Did you think it''s normal for people to fly at high speeds in the air?? We aren''t Pokemon Arty. I haven''t been long in this world, but the last I looked people still walked on the ground rather than fly in the air.", thinking that Arthur didn''t get his point, Atiqo elaborated,


    "Humans aren''t meant to stay for long periods of time in the air bud. Our physique limits us, and at a certain height the decreasing air pressure could kill us. Our ears maintain a certain balance for us, but srsly I wouldn''t want to test where my limits lie, hahaha. I guess that Fearow has a kind of built-in safe zone where the air pressure stays the same but as to how that works ... no clue at all.")


    During their flight Arthur only glimpses of the land below. He saw skyscrapers and lots of building before the scenery changed to lots of green and blue. He had also seen flocks of flying Pokemon but sensing the strong aura of Fearow they must have tacitly decided to avoid their path.


    "So, whats the plan now? Where do we head next?", Cecile approached him and asked cheerfully.


    Arthur looked up warily, almost anticipating her next move that might endanger his livelihood.


    But he remembered that time was tight and answered carefully:


    "I will head out and look around to locate the keepsake. It''s best if you stay here and-"


    "Nope!"


    "You didn''t let me speak ou!"


    "My answer will be the same."


    "Why? Someone should take care of your Fear...some. He can''t stick around on the ground with us all the time."


    "That doesn''t change fact that I am responsible for you!"


    "I can take care of myself!"


    "Judging by your past record, I don''t think so."


    "Grrr..", Arthur gnashed his teeth in frustration but he couldn''t retort that argument.


    Just as he was about to give in, he heard a familiar whisper in his mind and a brilliant idea came to be.


    "I have a better idea. I will move on the ground, while you scout from the air! I will try find the location of my lost item once I get a better grasp over my position and you can follow me from above to look out for any kind of danger I could face! I am sure Fearow''s keen senses coupled with your directions will make our trip much safer this way.", he finished presenting Atiqo''s idea.


    At first Cecile was just about to reject anyway, but hearing about her role and task to stay in the air she couldn''t find a good reason not to support his suggestion. As much she wanted to have the last say in this matter, she didn''t dare become irrational in this situation and let her ego cloude her judgment.


    "Fine, we will have it your way. But the moment I see any swarms, packs, crowds of Pokemon you can bet your butt that I will drag you back home! Damn, why did I agree to this again?", slowly but surely Cecile realised the gravity of the situation again. She would definitely get punished for this if her family ever got wind of their little trip.


    She wasn''t worried about going alone into the park, her Eevee and her Fearrow would protect her in any case. However, she wasn''t that sure about Arthur''s current status. Maybe it had been too reckless to let him move so soon after his attack after all.


    Before she could change her mind though, the boy in question had already turned around and made his way through the bushes and trees in front of his path.


    ...


    While Cecile was up in the air following behind on the back of her Fearsome, Arthur cautiously walked around the ground trying not to trip and injure himself even more. Some stray Pokemon appeared in the trees or dashed from to place to place thus rustling his environment, but none seemed to have evil intentions towards him.


    As far as Arthur could remember from his brittle memories, the Green Garden was maintained in specific ways to attract weaker Pokemon and repel aggressive Pokemon that might harm people.


    This way it was easier to research or catch them here. Lots of young children caught their first Pokemon in such environments. Of course that meant that most Pokemon that lived in these areas weren''t very strong. It wasn''t absolute, but a rule of thumb in the Pokemon World was that Pokemon that feasted upon other Pokemon were usually much stronger for some reason he didn''t know.


    The Green Garden was thus the home of smaller and weaker herbivores. Though it was likely that even then some Pokemon ate others from time to time. At he risk of getting killed of course. If a carnivore type Pokemon were to appear the rest of the herbivores might gang up to kill that ''invader''. Who knows.


    Arthur picked up a red object from his pockets and opened up a display. Of course he had lied about needing to locate his position or attempting to familiarising himself with his surroundings.


    "Hehe, with this little baby here I will arrive at my destination in the blink of an eye", Arthur mumbled under his breath while checking upon his red PokeDex from time to time.


    An arrow appeared on the small display which pointed at a direction somewhere north-east. After every 5 seconds or so the display would refresh to account for his ever changing place on the ground.


    ("Srsly, this PokeDex is even better than Google Maps! I wish I had something like this back at home."), Atiqo''s voice rang in his mind.


    "You don''t have PokeDex there? How do you scan your Pokemon then?"


    ("Arty! We don''t even have Pokemon there, why should we have something cool like a PokeDex then? I mean, I have a lot of merch in my home, anything from the 1.Gen to latest Gen of Pokemon, but they are just Toys after all."), Atiqo responded with a sad underlying tone.


    "Oh right, no Pokemon ....", Arthur remembered he was housing a ghost from another dimension- ehh universe. After spending so much with his family again Arthur regained that feeling of familiarity with Pokemon in his world. On the other hand he felt strange when Atiqo talked about his home World where according to Atiqo Pokemon didn''t exist at all. Instead they other kinds of creatures inhabiting his planet that were less ''awesome''.


    "Well, I guess it should be much safer over there, right? I mean you don''t have to bother with fire -spitting creatures that could potentially ruin your whole city into ashes ...", Arthur got a shiver talking about fire.


    ("Come on Arty! Fire Pokemon are awesome! A bit of heat shouldn''t distract you from their amazing power they can display. Aside from that it depends on the usage of this Power instead of the power itself whether it''s bad or not. People or Pokemon can use their forces to do more harm than good and vice versa, yes, that''s why we have the law, governments and the police guarding our peace. This shouldn''t be different no matter which universe I get sucked in, right? With great power comes-")


    "-great responsibility. I get it. Well, I guess you are right."


    ("Wait, you have Spiderman in this universe?!"


    (Spider-who? You just recited Spinman didn''t you? That comic book hero who got bitten by a radioactive Spinarak and turned into a Human/Pokemon vigilante. I read that comic when I was younger."


    ("Spinman? Really? Whatever..."), Atiqo was weirded out by this revelation and turned silent. It was better not to pry further into this topic he thought.


    "We are almost there!"


    The PokeDex showed them that they were approaching the position of the mysterious source of energy they had been looking for all this while. Arthur felt the excitement radiating off of Atiqo''s spirit. Arthur knew his companion hadn''t told him about everything that happened to them. Why did he posses a mysterious PokeDex that urged him to find random stuff in random places? Why was Atiqo thrown into the Pokemon World ending up in Arthur''s own body?Through their conversations Arthur didn''t get the feeling Atiqo was much of an important person back on - wherever he came from.


    And why was his mind stuck in a huge turmoil ever since their symbiosis took place? Arthur might have died a couple of times without Atiqo''s timely help but his regular headaches haunting him made it hard to have any good feelings towards their common ordeal. Hopefully this discovery could clear some of his questions...


    Similar thought swirled in Atiqo''s non existing head. He may appear with a confident smile all the time, but ever since that meeting with Cornelius in his apartment on earth he hadn''t felt like being in control of his circumstances. His positive and light hearted attitude was mostly a distraction from his current surreal experiences.


    The PokeDex blinked faster and faster the closer they got to the origin of the signal. Arthur walked several meters ahead finally arriving at a tall tree, while throwing weird glances at the arrow on the display.


    "The mysterious signal come from ... this tree?"


    ("No! This can''t be!"), Atiqo immediately refuted his question. He had built a kind of expectation for the thing they were looking for. A spaceship? Fine! An alien grave? Super! A random 5 meter tall tree in the middle of nowhere? What the heck?! How was he supposed to get back home??? The tree didn''t feel magical at all and its barks appeared like every other tree in this forest!


    While Atiqo suffered from a sever case of ''short-circuitness'', Arthur moved his eyes from the tip point of the arrow to a place above their heads. His sight also caught on to some deep marks on the bark itself.


    "I am not a tree expert but these marks look strangely fresh.", he remarked.


    Atiqo awoke up from his stupor and noticed the markings as well as a small area hidden in the thick leaves of the tree.


    ("You''re right! And do you see that patch of green over there around the leaves and branches? It looks quite artificially made for my taste.")


    They both realized that there was more to this tree than met the eye. It might have looked normal on purpose to conceal its true value!


    Arthur gritted his teeth and began climbing up the tree despite the various risks involved in this endeavour. He hadn''t fully healed yet so every strain he put on himself hurt double as much as usual! But this was a necessary price he had to pay - both he and Atiqo were sure of it.


    Every child knew how to climb in Kanto, it wasn''t always useful against Pokemon, but every additional tool in the survival kit could be a potential life-saver! It only took a couple of seconds to reach that weird place on the tree.


    As he approached the structure the clearer his sight became and the mystery fully unfolded! It was indeed an artificial construct, a crude but still practical one. A head sized hole was reflected on Arthur''s eyes. The interesting thing was that the hole was filled with sticks and leaves in its entrance. Looking from afar or from the ground it could have been easily overlooked or get mistaken for some kind of shrubs!


    In reality it was a well covered hideout. Hidden in plain sight.


    "Who made this thing? And how is it ... uhhh... connected to that signal???", Arthur asked out loud while breathing a bit heavy.


    Atiqo didn''t answer yet, some cogs began moving in his mind but they didn''t form a clear picture yet.


    Arthur reached out for the hold and grabbed as many branches and leaves away as he could. In the blink of an eye the hole revealed a small stash of miscellaneous things stacked on top of each other. The foundation was made of small berries, a couple of flashy metal things caught his sight, PokeCoins. Aside from that there were also rings, gems, pearles gathered aorund. Was this the hidden stash from a thief?


    ("Arthur, look, do you see that red gem?!"), Atiqo exclaimed suddenly.


    Arthur moved his eyes around until they got stuck on a palm sized red gem sitting in the corner of the hole. His body unconsciously moved in its direction and pulled out that shiny little treasure to bask in the glowing rays of the sun. Somehow his senses tingled weirdly when his skin came into contact with the object. This thing was more than just some valuable piece of rock, his guts told him so. It was as if a huge tornado swirled inside that little object, but he probably just imagined that he thought.


    Arthur pulled out his PokeDex and as he moved it near the gem to scan it, the Dex started behaving weird.


    [BEEP. ENERGY CRYSTAL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY DETECTED BEEP.][CODE 1256 ACTIVATED BEEP.][ENERGY ATTRACTOR INITIALISED BEEP.][STARTING ASSIMILATION PROCESS BEEP.]


    Suddenly a ray of light shot out from the PokeDex and hit the unusual gem right in the center, the light radiating from their point of contact was so bright Arthur had to let go of the Dex to shield his eyes!


    Nonetheless, the Dex stayed stuck in midair, still summoning forth that bridge of mysterious light without end! If anyone else had been present to observe this moment they might have noticed how the small gem was losing its bright luster with every second that this process continued! At the same time the PokeDex was giving off more and more light, slowly its shape and contours changed as well!


    However just as fast as this phenomenon appeared, it disappeared. Both the Dex and the gem fell on the ground of the hole and seemed as listless and inanimate as any other object in their surroundings. No evidence remained that might have alluded to their extraordinary nature at all.


    Arthur looked back into the hold as he realized that the dangerous part was over. Who would have expected for such a reaction to occur just like that?!


    He grabbed for the PokeDex and was about to confirm if everything was alright and if anything had changed when a strangely familiar voice entered his ear from the side:


    "Hey Lad, long time no see! How are you doing?"


    Arthur''s head jerked sideways to the origin of the voice, a tremor ran through his mind. A tall silver haired man with astute looks smiled upon his face while standing on the very same branch and asked him:


    "Lad, did you miss me?"


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!"


    ("Cornelius!!!")


    Whether it was because of that mysterious man who had appeared out of the blue, or because he had lost his grip over the tree and was falling several meters onto the ground, Arthur still had to scream to let out his surprise!


    .....


    *THUMB*


    "Ohhhh urgh, shiiiiiit. Damned! That hurt!", Arthur cursed out loud with a horrible grimace.


    ("Well, you are still alive, right?"), Atqio tried to console him. According to his understanding, the people in the Pokemon World had a more robust physique for unknown reasons. Even though Arthur had already been in an injured state, this incident would just add another day to recover on his pile of rest.


    "I agree with him lad, as long your spirit hasn''t bitten the dust your body will remain invincible! Hahaha!"


    Both Atiqo and Arthur froze on the spot, their thoughts standing still for a second.


    "..."


    ("...")


    "Hahaha, did I surprise you maybe? Don''t worry, I am already used to that, hahaha!"


    It was then that both youths erupted at the same time:


    "WHAT THE HECK???? WHO ARE YOU?! No, first, did you just see what had happened?! I could have died Mister?!"


    ("Cornelius! Y-you must be a ghost! I saw you die! Right before my eyes I saw you die when you exploded into those lights! How is this possible?! What the heck is going on??? No, wait ... DID YOU JUST HEAR ME?! Can you read my eh- his eh- our minds?!!!")


    Cornelius appeared unfazed by their bombarding questions and responded calmly while holding his arms up:


    "Woa, woa, woa there. One question after another lads, Haste makes waste, haha. I understand that this whole situation must be very perplexing for you but how about we take care of the most important stuff first? I think you would want to discuss things in more appropriate environ-"


    Arthur was about to agree with the man''s suggestions when outraged voice filled his whole head:


    ("DON''T YOU DARE FUCKING SCREW ME OVER AGAIN!!!"), Atiqo might have wanted to use more respectable words considering Arthur''s presence, but it felt like he didn''t care at the moment or rather his priorities lied completely elsewhere right now,


    (DON''T YOU DARE SCREW ME WITH ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR EXCUSES!", Arthur literally sensed the rage in Atiqo''s words. The anguish, the confusion and helplessness Atiqo had held back in the depths of his soul gushed out in this second all at once.


    ("Do you even see in what crazy situation I am in?! I am stuck in this boy''s body for who knows how long as a ghost and the first thing coming out of your mouth is a damned excuse to escape again?! AGAIN?! You threw me out of my home, MY WORLD to this place FOR WHAT?!!! For ... what ...", Atiqo''s voice quivered at the end.


    He might have lost his usual cool for a moment but he didn''t care. He had built up so many questions over time without any kind of outlet to release them all. Atiqo got separated from his family and friends without permission and came into contact with real Pokemon which was nice and all. But in the end he couldn''t shake off the disturbing factors surrounding his transition into this world.


    The bloody Cornelius nearing his death, the exploding light, that mind numbing trip through the endless darkness, it all came back. He need answers, and he needed them right now.


    Cornelius'' smile broke off and his cheerful aura turned bitter. His deep gaze met Arthur''s eyes but his own vision went even further until he came across a young man in his twenties with short black hair and tanned skin. They both confronted each other and while Cornelius inherently possessed an imposing and powerful aura, Atiqo''s stance didn''t shrink back at all.


    Maybe it was his young age that didn''t know any fear, or his insane experiences that hardened him up against any kind of spiritual confrontations but Atiqo''s unyielding expression told Cornelius that he did not intend to take a step back under any circumstances at all. He knew that expression very well from his younger days.


    "Sighhhh, alright lad, you have won. What do you want to know?", Cornelius let out a heavy sigh but the corners of his mouth went up a bit as he talked.


    ("Why?"), Atiqo''s tone softened after his emotions went back to normal.


    "Why what?"


    ("Why everything."), Atiqo replied steadfast.


    "Sigh, well, this will take some time.", Cornelius answered back.


    "We have time.", Arthur replied in Atiqo''s place. He was also very eager to understand their situation better.


    "I might not be so sure about this young one."


    "What do you mean?", Arthur asked worriedly.


    "I realised that I haven''t properly introduced myself yet. Sorry for that lad.", he bowed down a little,"My name is Cornelius Sullivan, Archdeacon of the Ancient Order, servant of his Majesty, the Creator of all existences and his Sword and Shield to all enemies his Majesty may face. And the reason why this - no, why everything happened is because of his Majesty''s nemesis - the Emperor.", his face grew solemn at the end.


    "Wait, this doesn''t explain anything at all! Who is this Majesty, and what''s his deal with that Emperor guy?"


    Arthur''s question might have triggered Cornelius as his tone took on a not so subtle zealous shade:


    "His Majesty is the beginning and the end! The radiant light to all man- and Pokemon kind! He is a transcendent being, an almighty shepherd, while we are his mortal flock!"


    ("Okay, we understand. Very great powerful guy. What does that have to do with us exactly?"), Atiqo felt this conversation wasn''t going anywhere so he interrupted him a bit.


    "The Emperor has been stuck in a stalemate with his Majesty for countless eons. Their conflict has been going on for so long that even our Order''s records can''t exactly say what the original cause of their battle had been. Nevertheless, it doesn''t change the fact that the Emperor is the most dreadful and evil enemy all living creatures might ever face. That''s because his goal entails the destruction of the whole World! The whole universe even!"


    Arthur became stumped at the last words. Destruction of the world? Did he really say that just now? Why did the fate of the universe suddenly become a topic in this conversation????


    Atiqo on the hand had another question in mind:


    ("And what does that have to with me? I am sorry but I am not even from this same universe, why did I get involved in this conflict?"), he didn''t want to sound cold but he wanted to hear an answer.


    "I ... I have to admit I am not sure about this as well. I was originally supposed to get teleported to our emergency hideout but instead I somehow landed in your ... eh-"


    ("Universe.")


    "Yes. I, I didn''t even know there were other universes in the first place, putting aside a universe where Pokemon don''t exist in the first place. But I might have some speculations regarding this wonderous ... event."


    ("For example?")


    "Young Atiqo, there must be a reason for why I landed exactly on your doorsteps. Your universe even. Everything is connected. The only reasonable explanation must be that you were chosen! By his Majesty personally!", Cornelius voice gained more confidence the more he talked.


    (Wait, this doesn''t make sense! Why should I get chosen??"


    "Listen Atqio, everything is connected! Even the universes! You are living proof of that, regardless of your current strange circumstances. If our universe were to perish through the hands of the Emperor, your universe and all the other innumerable ones that might exist would follow! Like a card house that needs each card to uphold the fabric of reality, everything would crumble into the cold and empty void if one card was obliterated!", his explanation was simple but held an omnious and foreboding underlying message. If the Emperor wasn''t stopped all things would cease to exist.


    A small but sharp thought suddenly went through Arthur''s mind who had been silent this time around, as he felt that Atiqo urgently needed some clarifications.


    He instantly gave voice to his thoughts:


    "Did you just say ... teleport?", a lot of crazy had happened to him and even crazier things might happen in the future but somehow this single word immediately stuck out for him. Maybe because it was one of the few simple concepts he could gather and comprehend from their baffling talk,


    "Teleport like in ... teleport teleport???"


    Atiqo also quickly realized the weird nature of that word and thought back to how natural it came out from Cornelius mouth. When did teleportations suddenly become everyday sightings? As far as he remembered even the Pokemon World hadn''t tapped into this complex technology yet.


    Cornelius looked at them with his vision, his thoughts halted for a millisecond as he noticed his little fauxpas. His face made a weird expression and he chuckled clearly embarrassed:


    "Hehe, ahh yeah, teleportations. Maybe I should have told you earlier that I am ehh ... from the future?", he smiled at them apologetically and scratched his back out of habit.


    Arthur''s mouth widened up into a hole, and even Atiqo''s spirit mouth showcased a huge opening gap. Both of their minds were frozen still as they still had to process the implications made by this revelation.


    "Yes, the future. 1000 years from the future to be exact, hahaha!", Cornelius tried shaking off the silent strange mood with a light laughter but it just added another eerie component into the mix.


    A seemingly endless but actually short amount of time later:


    "WHAT THE HECK?!!!"


    ("ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! THE FUTURE?!"


    "T-T-THOUSAND YEARS?!!!!", a shocked female and young voice shrieked, a small distance away from them.


    Arthur, Atiqo and Cornelius all saw a young red haired girl in a flight suit standing next to a tree while pointing with one arm at them. Her arms, no, her whole body visibly trembled and her face showed obvious confusion, shock, astonishment and a hint of fright.


    Her legs went limp all of a sudden and collapsed right on the very same spot. A little brown ball of fur climbed out from the suit and looked at Cecile''s face. The Pokemon hit the face lightly with her paw but after seeing no reactions her vision went towards the trio of men farther away. Her head tilted sidewards in a very cute manner and Eevette gave out a questioning sound:


    "Errie?"