Pokémon Gakutensoku--Under The Stars

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Previous parts:
Safe Passage, All Together Now, Cultivate The Vine, A Little Something Extra, Homecoming, Renewal, Face the Future, Milestone, Hearth's Embers, The Span of Two Decades

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"Ok so what we're gonna do!" Arven slammed a finger down on the map that dominated the lighthouse's table, "We're gonna start here!" He pointed to a town on the western coast. "And we're gonna pick up the food then, and we're gonna haul it up to here!" Another dramatic point, up into Socarrat Trail. "And we're gonna set up camp--" He raised his finger as if to make another dramatic gesture but instead signaled vaguely to the area. "--Somewhere around here. We'll be more specific when we get there."

Penny scoffed. "Juliana is carrying the food. My backpack is full up already." Rather than her usual Eevee bag, a large bright yellow pack sat beside her.

"I am certain that my pack has more space." Arturo glanced at his own, a much larger backpack in orange with yellow reflective strips. "To carry the tent is no effort for me, so do not worry about the weight."

Arven shook his head. "Ok, the weight is one thing for you, but there's also only so much room, and we've also got to account for the walk back."

Juliana was reading down a checklist, as everyone had been given one for their own supplies. "And if the campsite bathroom doesn't have toilet paper and soap, they come by to stock it pretty quick if you call, right?"

"Uh...I assume they do," Arven admitted. "To be honest I never really had to rely on that sort of thing."

"Gross." Juliana stuck their tongue out a little. "Sometimes I think you're actually a Mabosstiff."

Arven stammered. "Hey, I wash my hands!"

Nemona, who had been taking notes, laughed. "They call you a dog and that's your first impulse?"

It made sense to Arturo. Food had always been important to Arven, and with it cleanliness. But before he could voice that, Penny's phone rang and the girl excused herself from the table to take the call.

The interruption gave Arven the chance to check his own list. He read something to himself and nodded. "All right. I'm gonna need everyone to go over their lists again and make sure you have everything. And yes I'm gonna remind the squirt when she gets back."

As Penny had only gone to the other end of the room, she flipped Arven off. Only Arturo noticed it.

"You knoooow," Juliana added smugly as they tapped their pencil eraser against the table, "she's up to your ear now and so am I, and we both have another growth spurt left."

"Big adult man," Nemona grinned.

"Awww, you don't count! You're freakishly tall!" Arven objected. To Arturo, he added "Nemona here has been taller than me for as long as I've known her, and that includes when we were little kids."

Arturo nodded. "I recall her presence, though direct memories are murky. You did complain about her frequently, however."

A brief silence before Juliana burst into sputtering laughter, heartily patting Nemona on the back. Nemona giggled, and Arven grabbed at his head in embarrassment.

Their varied reactions were confusing. Arturo had not meant it as anything but a statement of fact, as Turo's primary memory of the girl from down the road. He could understand in hindsight why it may have hurt her feelings. But instead, she was merrily laughing, and it was Arven who seemed most stung by it. Even then he showed no signs of emotional pain, more a begrudging sense of not wanting to deal with something. Best to cover all the bases. "I am sorry if my statement caused any harm. I wish to make amends." He quickly glanced at Juliana.

Nemona reached across the table and patted his hand. "It's ok! I came on a little strong back then."

"A little strong!" Arven's groan turned into a laugh. "I was checking under my bed for you!"

Arturo remembered that time. It had only been for a few days, but they had been quite a hectic few days, as Turo had been trying to finish a report and Miraidon had been nursing a suspicious sneeze. He was rather impressed that Arven's woes had gotten through Turo's scientific haze, even though that was quite an uncomfortable thing to be impressed by.

Juliana, a lopsided smile on their face, nodded sagely. "I think things are fine now. But it's good that you're putting some more thought into it," they murmured across the table, low enough that the others couldn't hear under their laughter.

He tapped his ear to verify that he had heard, and looked up at Arven. The young man was smiling, laughing, seemingly without a care in the world. Such a far cry from that horrible day three years ago.

Penny resumed her place at the table, next to Arturo. "So polite when someone's on the phone, you guys," she groaned, voice flat. "I'll be sure to return the favor."

Ah! "Sarcasm, correct?"

"You got it, my man," Penny praised in almost the same tone, with her hand raised.

He thought it might be a dismissive gesture until Juliana reached across to push his hand against Penny's.






The five of them loaded into the Flying Taxi, Nemona instructing the driver to charge Arturo's ticket to her League account, and with a flurry of flapping wings above, they were off.

It was a sight that Arturo could never tire of. Paldea was beautiful from all angles, but there was something special about it from the air. Perhaps it was because it was the only view he couldn't achieve on his own.

He had tried once. He had constructed and tested a flying machine from various bits and bobs he had found around in the far future. But when the machine dashed itself across the ground and he was left with a shattered leg, the length of time it took to repair himself taught him that perhaps it wouldn't be worth it.

There wasn't any reasonable way that Arturo was going to share that story with the others; not without unsettling everyone there. But when he turned inward to watch his companions for a moment, he saw that they were all eagerly looking out their own windows.

Nemona was easily able to see out of Penny's side, and from her position in the middle, Arturo was able to see her relaxed smile. Everyone's vital signs indicated eagerness, excitement.

Nobody needed to talk. There would be plenty of time for that when they reached their destination, and then around the campfire.

So everyone took the moment as it came.






And far too soon, they were back on solid ground, the cab flying off to its next pickup. Ponteleña was a port town known for walkability and public art, located at the convergence between the ocean and the river draining from Lake Casseroya. At the entry of the town was a little kiosk of sculpture tour maps and points of interest around the smaller locale. Trainers rarely came to it as it had no League facility nor center, but life there seemed pleasant.

"Arturo!" Juliana called out, waving and laughing, full of gleeful energy. "Come with me! I gotta show you something amazing!"

Penny sighed. "They get like this here."

"Oh? It is a lovely town from what I have seen," he mused. "I do not think Turo came here, and anything he knew of it was deemed unimportant a long time ago."

Arven adjusted one of the bags onto Miraidon's back. They had been able to finagle a harness that could carry more of their supplies, and he settled part of the tent kit into place with an encouraging pat. "Yeah, you'll see why if you follow them. It's practically a mission for them when they come out this way."

Arturo took note that Arven's heartrate did not change at the mention of his father. "All right. Then I shall." He followed the trainer along.

"I'll send you a message when I get everything!" Arven called after.

When Juliana saw that Arturo was following at last, they yelled happily. "Come on! It's just over here!"

They hurried over together, past centuries-old buildings still populated, down a pedestrian street paved with well-worn clay bricks, and into an oddly shaped plaza with an unusual dual-spired building at one end. Juliana eagerly continued across the plaza and stopped in front of a spindly metal statue. "Look! Look!" They were pointing excitedly as they turned back towards Arturo, rocking up on their toes excitedly.

The statue was a bit patchwork, pieced from metal bits, but the form of a Squawkabilly was evident. Sleeker than normal, as the usual bushy feathers atop its head were smoothed backwards. With wide eyes and the beak seeming to form a smile, it was an engaging sight. "It is certainly expressive. It seems jovial."

"Hold still!" Juliana shouted, although they lacked any signs of alarm. A moment later they tossed their Rotom Phone into the air and posed excitedly. And then stopped, posture deflating a little. "Uh. Arturo. I know I asked you to hold still, and I should elaborate on this next time, but I want to take a picture and for that, would you like to face the camera?"

He turned his head, first towards Juliana, and then back towards the hovering phone. "Ah yes, of course."

"Wonderful!" Once Arturo was positioned in the correct direction, Juliana took his hand and brought their conjoined hands together to pose in front of the statue as if offering a place for the bird to step up. "All right, say 'Perfecto'!"

Arturo smiled and exclaimed "Perfecto!" with a bit of enthusiasm. Once the Rotom had snapped the picture, he held still until the strange little device went back to Juliana. "That is what people are saying now before being photographed? I have more than one file of Turo being asked to say 'patata' for a photo."

It took Juliana a moment to realize what he was saying. "Oh yeah haha...look down."

He did so, and finally noticed that the tile beneath the statue's perch was inlaid with the word PERFECTO. "I see. It is a custom then?"

"Nah, that was just his name. He lived in a store and yelled at people and he was so popular that he got cakes and wine all day." They paused. "...He lived probably a lot longer than one would think with a diet like that. I got to come see the Perfecto celebration last year!" Again they rocked up onto their toes. "It's not all about him but they have a part of the local carnival and it's so much fun! We should go some year!"

Arturo was initially concerned at the unusually high energy Juliana was displaying, but on a scan, he saw that their vitals were within normal range. They were simply excited, and even moreso to show him something they enjoyed. Juliana had demonstrated quite the fondness for those colorful birds, after all.

He knew the perfect things to say next.

First, drawing on a social habit that he would have otherwise deleted from his databanks if it were not for it intertwining with a memory of Arven. "I am a bit surprised, then, that you did not ask me to say 'look at the birdie' as the photographic cue."

Their face shifted from an odd bit of astonishment to a broad grin, and a deep laugh came from their chest. "You've got a point there! Gah, I wanted you to look AWAY from the birdie though!"

"Ah yes. I suppose that would have been mixed signals." Arven and Nemona were estimated to take another hour or so to finish their supply hunt, and with Penny's stated goal of getting a cold drink and doing some last minute paperwork before heading to the campsite, it left Juliana and Arturo with some time together. "Juliana, would you like to hear the story of a species called Iron Clef?"





The group reunited, Arturo accepting the heaviest backpack, and they headed out together. The bridge across the river was small but sturdy, and many pokémon splashed in the water below. Nemona leaned over the side and waved at a Magikarp. "You know, I swear I saw a purple Magikarp once!"

Arven scoffed. "You were seeing things."

"Not necessarily..." Penny had the lightest pack but it still slowed her pace, so she was in the midst of climbing on Miraidon's back. "Magikarp have been bred in a wide variety of colors for ponds as a massive status symbol. It's possible you saw one, but if you did then it either somehow escaped from a pond, or someone released it."

Juliana hadn't stopped smiling since the Perfecto statue, and stories of the raucous parrots of the future only widened their grin. And Arturo had promised to draw a picture of it when they settled at camp! But the idea of someone releasing a pokémon with no natural instincts into the wild put a stop to their pace.

A controlled release generally returned a pokémon to where it had originally come from. And release of breeding stock had to be carefully regulated. Pokémon generally have strong natural instincts and will adapt to flocks of others of their kind, for the most part. However, something bred to be domestic, over the many generations special patterns would require to develop, would have long ago lost those instincts.

"I imagine someone must have caught it really soon after, then..." they said aloud, in the same airy tone Arturo recognized as a sign that Juliana was upset.

"Yeah, probably," Penny nodded. "It's like shiny pokémon where they're generally captured before they can get eaten. Having a lot of reckless kids running around the countryside can lead to some positives. That Magikarp, if it existed and wasn't just a trick of the light, is probably someone's Gyarados now." She paused for a casual exhale. "Though they just look normal when they evolve. In ponds they'll get fed everstone powder in their grit."

By this point, the entire group was looking at her, including Miraidon, slowing its pace to look back at her.

Nemona coughed slightly. "Are you...looking to train a Magikarp? Because I can find you a--"

"No, there was an anime about it a few years ago." Her voice betrayed nothing, but Arven furrowed his brow as he thought about something she had told him before.

Instead of continuing the topic, however, he instead cheered slightly. "I can see the first sign for the campsite! Let's dig in, people! I wanna set up camp before noon!"

"I'm gonna roast so many marshmallows!" Nemona proclaimed with her fist thrust to the air, though her pace only picked up for a few steps.

"Sugar!" Penny agreed with gusto as she prodded Miraidon to move a little faster.

Arven laughed. "Hey Arturo, we can break you off a little bit, right?"

"I suppose. Although I would prefer one before it is roasted." He gestured to his throat. "I do not want to risk it getting stuck."

"Ohh yeah, I guess that would be an issue." Juliana laughed a bit at that. "You'd be analyzing it for years or something. Wait, how long do roasted marshmallows last? Arven, do you know?"

The young man scoffed. "Why would I know anything like that? I don't think that's going to be on the curriculum of any cooking or nutrition class."

"Hey, you're the master of the campsite."

Arven paused. "Oh. Well in my case, they last about thirty seconds."






The campsite was nestled in a grove, with plenty of both shade and sun amidst the constantly autumnal surroundings, and the midday light seemed to shine right on the proper spot. There was no specific place for anything other than the campfire, which was designated by a circle cleared of grass. Though it had been cleaned, it still bore evidence of previous fires.

A list of rules stood nearby, and beside it, bins for waste, recycling, and campfire goods disposal. Arven whistled and rested a hand on one of the bins. "Whoo, they don't usually have all of these."

Penny, who had gotten herself a candy bar in Ponteleña, slid off Miraidon and deposited the wrapper in the recycle bin before starting back for the saddlebags. Nemona set her bags down and stretched before starting to set up the table. Juliana left their backpack and doubled back around for the restrooms the group had passed not long earlier. Arven began setting up the first tent, and Arturo watched him for cues on how to set up the second.

When the table and one chair was assembled, Nemona flopped down and yawned. "Ah man, I'll sleep well tonight!" she laughed.

By that point, Juliana had returned, and was setting up the campfire. Penny had assembled a tripod for a telescope and was unfurling the sleeping bags. Miraidon was sunning itself in the clearing, and Mabosstiff sniffed the air, aware of others of his species in the area.

Arven paused to stretch his back and looked over at Arturo. "Hey, you've got the hang of this."

"I was built to learn and follow instructions quickly," Arturo reminded him as he threaded a rope through a stake and knotted it just as Arven had.

"Oh...yeah, I guess you were..." It was evident that Arven's mood had shifted, that he was suddenly uncomfortable, but Arturo wasn't clear on why. "Hey uh...tonight we're going to do some stargazing if you want to join us."

"Of course. I greatly enjoy stargazing. I know little of them, but they are always beautiful to behold."

Arven chuckled, though his discomfort was still present. "I imagine they must look really different in the future."

Arturo planted another stake exactly as far from the base of the tent as the one before. "They look the same as aesthetics are concerned. Supernovae are as rare as they are now. However, they shine in different places relative to us, so the sky itself looks different."

"Makes sense." Arven resumed setting up his tent. "By the way, we'll need to make sure the fire is out tonight. Do you have like, heat sensor vision or something? You can't just douse it and have that be it, and we'll need to be able to light it again tomorrow so we can't get it too wet either."

"'Or something' may be the correct way to refer to it," Arturo confirmed with a smile. Arven's nervousness was clearing up. "I am able to sense temperatures around me, and can pinpoint identify heat and cold sources within a considerable range."

"Good. On that subject, hey Juliana!" Arven called out to the younger trainer, who looked up. "You and Ancho about ready?"

"You got it, boss!" Juliana had already gotten the Skeledirge out of his ball. "Just say the word!"

Arven raised a fist over his head. "Let 'er rip!"

Ancho padded over to the campfire and, after looking up at Juliana for approval, reared up on its hind legs with the small bird on its snout hopping to the ground to form a firey microphone, and let loose with a powerful Torch Song directed on the assembled wood. A moment later, the fire sizzled and cracked, and Ancho flopped back down, the bird returning to its nesting spot.

Off to the side, Penny clapped softly.

"Didn't even singe the grass," Nemona noted. "Impressive. That's the mark of a really experienced fire type."

Juliana laughed appreciatively. "It helps him to have the microphone there to focus through."

"Don't sell yourself short! Oh!" Nemona thought about something for a moment. "You should tell Arturo about your gym adventures! How you became a trainer in the first place!"

Arturo was about to say something, but Juliana spoke first. "Are you trying to convince him to be a trainer too?"

The young woman pouted comically. "It's a possibility..."

With a lull in the conversation, Arturo laughed softly. "I have no desire to be a trainer, but you seem to wish to battle me. Juliana, if Ancho would be amenable to such a thing, might I borrow him?"

Nemona shot to her feet so fast that she nearly knocked the table over. "Please say yes, Ancho!" she cheered.

The Skeledirge only rolled over, the fiery chick hopping onto his belly so they could both absorb as much sun as possible.

But Miraidon padded up and sat expectantly next to Arturo's tent.

Penny looked up from dragging the water barrel out. It rolled, so it was simple even for her spindly frame, even if Sylveon had to help her prod it along. "Looks like you've got a battle buddy."

"Yeeeeeah!" Nemona's enthusiastic shout startled Arven into releasing one of the tent poles, which hit him in the face.

"Ow!"

"Sorry..."






"Eeeeee I can't wait!" Nemona was practically vibrating with anticipation. Having to wait until the camp was set up had been an experience in nearly saintly patience, and she skipped her way to the area that Arven had told them would be safe for a battle.

Penny followed behind, shaking her head. "Arturo, let me be the first to welcome you to the Nemona Survivors Club."

Walking next to her with Miradon on his other side, he quirked his head. "I do not understand."

"Look..." Penny inhaled through her nostrils as she considered how to phrase it. "Nemona's our friend and we all love her, but she comes on very strong. Especially if she wants to battle." She looked over at Miraidon and winced comically, as if apologizing in advance for what it was about to be subjected to.

"I see." A brief memory played in Arturo's mind, a sandy haired girl grabbing Turo by the wrist and insisting he come see something. "I am familiar with such types of people."

Juliana jogged up beside them. "It's a shame Arven won't get to watch this. I get that someone has to tend the fire, but still."

"On the upside," Penny offered, "he's also starting on lunch and we know he protective he is of his cooking."

"Oh god. No interruptions, no trying to nab anything from the prep area..." Juliana laughed. "Arturo, it may be for the best that you can only have tiny bits of food because Arven is a *really good* cook and all of us have gotten yelled at for trying to get at his food early."

Arturo nodded. "It seems to attract pokémon as well, if Bestie is any indication."

"Oh yeah, I should let him out." Juliana fumbled with a pokéball for a second before the Flamigo manifested with a squawk and immediately started running circles around the four of them. "Thanks for the reminder. But yeah, this one will get into anything and everything!"

Nemona had reached the head of the field, and was fiddling with her phone and muttering to herself. The others couldn't hear her, but Arturo could make out that she was planning which pokémon to use. Finally, she seemed to make a decision, and switched one of her pokéballs with one from the PC, the new one appearing in her hand in a flash of light. "All right! Arturo, I'm ready! Miraidon, you ready for a battle?"

The dragon waited patiently at Arturo's side, but looked back towards Juliana for a second.

"Yeah, I'll give you a snack when this is over," Juliana laughed.

Arturo patted Miraidon's shoulder. "I have witnessed your battle prowess both through my creator's eyes and when you bested the Guardian of Paradise. I have the utmost confidence in you."

Miraidon nodded and wiggled slightly as if loosening its muscles.

Across the field, Nemona revealed what she had chosen. "Go, Milotic!"

Light wound around her as the elegant sea serpent manifested, letting out an otherworldly call that everyone had to imagine would sound utterly terrifying underwater.

But a quick check of Arturo's records revealed something strange. "You are aware that Miraidon is an electric type, correct? Do you plan to terastalize?"

Nemona shook her head. "You don't have a tera orb, so nope! It's fine!"

Juliana nodded. "I see what she's doing."

"Do not tell me." Arturo took a step back from Miraidon and took in the battlefield with some measure of glee. "This is, after all, my first true battle as myself."

"Oh huh." Penny had assumed he would have gotten the chance at some point in his years in the future. Even without a league, a temporary ally seemed natural. It was what all the animes did, after all.

Nemona bounced in place as she called over "I'm glad to be your first then! Shall we begin?"




Juliana stepped up to serve as referee, and Penny drew out her phone to record the proceedings. Nemona bounced from leg to leg with excess energy. On the other end of the field, Arturo examined the field, then looked back at Miraidon. "I am certain that you can succeed, even without terastalization."

The dragon nodded without looking back, sizing up Milotic. Despite the clear water typing, it was clear that this was no ordinary foe. And Nemona was, after all, the only rival to regularly defeat Juliana.

"Are both trainers ready?"

"Yeeeeah!" Nemona cheered.

"I am." Arturo's voice was focused.

"In that case..." Juliana raised an arm, and brought it down with a shout of "Begin!"

Immediately, Milotic brought forth the waters of Surf, but the wall of water had almost no effect on Miraidon. Electricity spread from Miridon's body throughout the terrain as the dragon darted forward with Arturo's shout, pulling in close and leaping into the air, swiftly transforming into its ultimate mode to swirl up the raw energy of Electro Drift.

As powerful as the blow had been, the water type seemed to suffer no ill effects from it, and it was already starting to move into its next move. With a gesture from Nemona, the Milotic swung her tail to bat mud at Miraidon, covering its engines and slowing its actions.

Arturo considered this. He may have to order Miraidon to resume its low-power mode so as to increase its speed again, as well as enable it to enter different modes faster if need be. And despite seeming unaffected by the powerful electric attack, Milotic was showing small signs--increased heart rate, deeper and slightly staggered breathing--that Electro Drift had indeed struck hard.

His thoughts took a millisecond before he realized that Electro Drift was the only viable move he had, but it was also all he needed. The altered terrain and Milotic's vulnerability to electric type attacks would whittle down its high special defense in no time!

Or that was what he thought in the moment before Milotic blasted Miraidon in the face with a beam of ice.

Miraidon tumbled backwards, righting itself and firing off a ray of concentrated tera energy. It wasn't nearly as powerful as it would be if the dragon had been able to terastalize, but it was enough to have a visible effect on Milotic. The sea serpent reeled back in surprise.

Nemona laughed, shouting encouragement at her pokémon. "Shake it off! Get back in the game and heal up!"

Was it advisable for a trainer to speak to their pokémon for more than move selection? Arturo honestly had no idea, nor how Milotic intended on healing. "Miraidon, you have the advantage. Another Electro Drift!"

Miraidon lept into position again, but one of Arturo's questions would be swiftly answered, as Milotic brought its tail to its face and fanned a kiss towards Miraidon, the fairy energy hitting it mid-dive. Though it did nothing to stay the powerful impact, it was clear through Milotic's body language that the kiss had healed her at Miraidon's expense.

Arturo's predictions had to constantly update, and he was not certain how to properly gage what to do next. The electric terrain wouldn't hold up much longer, and he had to hope that Miraidon could overpower this foe before then. He had long ago dumped the security program's champion data as unnecessary, but he was certain that no Milotic had been in Nemona's set, as it was not native to Paldea.

The dragon was breathing heavily, unused to needing to exert itself so much, but rallied and glanced back at Arturo for another command.

A passing thought, one that took no time and did not interfere with Arturo's actions, was that if Miraidon were just slightly more mechanical, he may be able to send signals directly to its mind. It seemed as though trainers and pokémon who were truly in sync, however, did not need to resort to any technology for that.

Milotic slithered around in place as she formed another Ice Beam. "Miraidon's on its last legs!" Nemona encouraged. "Hit it one more time!"

But it was evident from the droop of its tail and tendrils that Milotic was also exhausted. "Strike quickly!" Arturo's voice was firm, delving into a much more mechanical tone than he had used in years.

Enough for Juliana to watch him in concern, but his eyes remained brown, with no distorted glow to them.

Both pokémon lunged.

The air around Milotic frosted, the grass underneath it forming ice crystals as she fired off a desperate beam.

The air around Miraidon crackled with the sheer power of the lightning said to be able to split the world.

All present knew this would be the final strike, no matter what. Juliana gritted their teeth as they willed Miraidon on. Arturo clenched his fist at his side, analyzing all possibilities but knowing whatever was in motion was too late to change. Penny winced at the bright light but kept filming. Nemona held her breath.

Just as Miradon was about to slam full force into Milotic, the Ice Beam struck it full on. The power of the blast was enough to alter Miraidon's trajectory, pulling it out off the deadly wheel. It fell to the ground, utterly spent.

The electricity on the field sputtered out.

Juliana, a look of utter disbelief on their face, raised a hand. "The winners are Nemona and Milotic!"

"Aww!" Nemona cheered as she hugged Milotic and handed it a Max Potion, offering one to Miraidon as well. The dragon hauled itself to all four feet, back in its basic form, and accepted before slinking back to Arturo.

Arturo nodded. "You did an excellent job."

Miraidon rested its head on his chest as it had done at Lydia's house, indicating that this was fine.

"Hey, Milotic can clean up that mud if you want!" Nemona called. Sure enough there was still mud on Miraidon's engines.

"Would you like that?" The dragon nodded at Arturo's question and padded back over. Juliana was waiting there and petted its head as Milotic gave it a good spray.

Penny hadn't set her phone down once. "Arven says that was great. He missed some of it because he had to set up the pot to boil, but he saw the end and wants to congratulate you both."

"Aww! Tell him that's really sweet!" Nemona was stroking Milotic's smooth scales, a gesture that Milotic greatly enjoyed, prompting some of the species' legendary singing.

Arturo approached, reaching out to pet Miraidon as well. "What a thrilling battle! What do you believe we could do differently if Miraidon and I were to ever team up again?"

Nemona thought for a moment, her hand slowing, much to Milotic's dismay. "You're really strong, both of you. But you personally need to be a bit more adaptable. You only used two moves, and I'm going to guess that that spinning electric wheel was the only super effective move that it has." She looked down at Miraidon. "Is that right?"

The dragon looked up at her, then at Milotic. "Agias."

"But you have something really good," Nemona continued, "and that's that Miridon trusts you fully."

"We did work together. It was there when I was created."

Juliana chuckled. "I imagine it was real confused at seeing you."

Arturo thought back. The first time he had seen Miraidon, he had reached out a hand, only for it to look over at Turo as if wondering something only known to the two of them, and he had been confused as to why he could not understand it. "It did watch my construction. But I was unlike any of the cyborgs that Turo specialized in, that it would have been used to being around, and I wonder if that was not behind some of its hesitance."

"It's warmed up to you if it's willing to battle with you," Nemona said with a firm nod and a smile. "I think if you study some strategy and learn to adapt, you could be a really good trainer. I'd be more than happy to teach you!" Her smile broadened. "I've been thinking about possible teams that could resonate with you, and if you want, I can go over some ideas with you!" Her heart was pounding, clearly with excitement, so Arturo was not worried.

He shook his head. "I do not wish to be a trainer. However, I would not be opposed to the occasional battle, if Miraidon will humor us."

Right then was the happiest he had ever seen Nemona, and one of the top five happiest that Penny and Juliana had ever seen her. "REALLY?!" It came out louder than she wanted, and she giggled. "Really?! That's incredible! Ok, so something you want to keep in mind--" And immediately she launched into an explanation of beginning battle tactics.

Penny sighed. "Classic Nemona..."

Juliana patted the smaller girl on the back. "Classic Nemona..."




As soon as the group retuned to the campsite, Miraidon hurried to lie next to the fire, rolling onto its back to sun its belly.

Arven, who was stirring a pot on a metal stand over the fire, laughed. "Hey there. Have fun?" To everyone else, he pointed over to the bags nearby. "The paper bowls are in there. I've just been keeping it warm, but come and get it!"

"Awesome!" Nemona was first to grab one. "Battling sure does work up an appetite. I'll get the berries for the pokémon after I grab some of this~"

Penny wandered up to the pot. "What did you make?"

Arven stirred up a giant ladlefull. "Pasta primavera! I got a bunch of fresh veggies back in Ponteleña."

"Don't forget that giant zucchini mom unloaded on you." Juliana was setting the picnic table. "I think she wanted that damn thing out of the house."

From the amount of zucchini in the pot and the remainder still on the cutting board, it had indeed been a massive one. Arturo was impressed. "Her garden is very fertile indeed."

"Well yeah," Juliana remarked in a matter of fact tone. "That's what she does for a living. She does gardening books."

"I can see why. She is very skilled at it. I admire that skill."

Juliana paused in their work to pat Arturo on the back. "Hey, with Arven headed out, she's going to have space for a student. I'm sure she'll teach you gardening. Planning on making use of that little area behind the lighthouse?"

He thought about it as Penny reached next to him to grab a wooden spoon. "I may. It would be a good use for that space, and hopefully benefit the soil and wildlife."

"That's pretty smart." That was Penny. "So you'd be growing a bunch of flowers and stuff?"

"I suppose I would. I would see what she recommended."

Arven nudged onto the picnic table's seat with a big bowl in front of him. "That sounds like a good idea. She'd probably like you as a student."

Nemona sat next to him and took a bite of the pasta. "Aaah this is so good! Food always tastes better outside."

"I'll take your word for it." Penny set her bowl on the table but took a bite before sitting down. "Though this would be really good inside as well."

Arturo, not able to have a bowl for himself, sat beside Penny and looked around the campsite now that it was fully established. "This is a very beautiful location. I feel that I understand why you are drawn to this place."

The somewhat awkward wording brought some smiles to those at the table. "I'm glad you like it, robot man." Arven was gesturing with his own fork. "Hey, don't forget to get a bite for yourself. You'll probably have to cut the veggies into tiny pieces if you want to analyze all of it in one spoonful, but this'll be gone before you know it."

"Of course." Arturo worked his way off the bench again and took a moment to examine his surroundings again, tilting his head to the sky. "What a lovely day."

Juliana passed by with a full bowl and stopped next to him to follow his gesture. "It really is."

Together, they watched a Kilowattrel soar overhead, until Juliana decided to finish the route to the table.

As the last one to get his taste, Arturo found very little left in the pot, but there was enough to draw out a small bit of each vegetable and some noodle into the spoon. He was about to take a bite until realizing he should eat at the table with the others.

He sat next to Penny again, but on the other side from before. Arven looked up at him but said nothing.

"Give it a try! It's really good!" Nemona encouraged with a point of her fork before diving back into it.

Arven laughed with his mouth full.

So Arturo took a bite, the small slivers of vegetables easily sliding into his processing area. "I see..."

"Yeah?" Penny leaned in curiously.

"It is extremely nutritious, despite the fats in the sauce. The vegetables are excellently grown." He smiled. "Juliana, please let you mother know that I find this amazing. And..." With a turn back towards Arven, he continued. "As expected, your work is phenomenal. Your dedication to nutrition even in a dish that would generally be considered relatively unhealthy is admirable."

Arven's smile burst into another laugh, sounding much different from the one he had let loose a moment before. "Thank you! Haha, yeah, a lot of animals, humans included, are drawn to fats and sugars, and you've got to indulge *sometimes*. Besides, it's good to get some carbs in you when you're going to be doing stuff like hiking."

Before Arturo could say anything, Penny, not looking up from her phone, added "Not you specifically."

"I wonder what indulgence is like for a robot." Nemona was almost done with her bowl. "What do you do when you feel like being excessive?"

Arturo had to think about that for a moment. How did one define being 'excessive'? 'Indulgence'? "I suppose..." he began, with another pause to think. "Doing nothing is indulgence for a machine who is both built to work and enjoys working. But I also enjoy simply observing the world around me. But then..." He brought his hand to his chin in ponder. "Observation is part of scientific research, so it could be argued that I am still working. In truth, then, I cannot truly say."

Penny coughed slightly. "This 'work'. Is it in the room with us right now?"

He started to look around. Arven coughed slightly. "It's a saying. It's like..." Though he struggled to summarize it. "Uh...like 'why are you thinking about that right now'."

"It's more like 'you're bringing unrelated baggage to the conversation' with the implication of sarcastic paranoia," Penny clarified. "But even then I guess that's not really...exact."

"Language is weird." Juliana had started to look it up themself, but decided it wasn't actually worth it unless Arturo asked.

Instead he nodded. "Agreed. I would have liked to have experienced how language will develop in the future, but it was not a primary concern."

Everyone took a moment to parse the multiple tenses in that sentence.







Arven sighed and wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Phew! Nemona, good job out there!"

She waved to him before turning back to throw the flying disc for their collective pokémon.

He flopped down on the ground near a tree, next to Arturo. "I can't believe she's actually outlasting me at something. Usually her endurance is shit, but I think she's still hyped from your battle earlier."

It took a moment for Arturo to respond, and his eyes flashed one at a time before he did. "Yes, her vital signs have remained elevated since then. However, they remain within safe parameters, so I am not concerned."

"Eh." Arven sat back to enjoy the sight of the pokémon playing before something dawned on him. "You were sleeping with your eyes open, weren't you?"

"Not quite. Although I suppose for a human, it would be close enough." Arturo didn't look at Arven, watching the playful scene in front of them as well. "I am observing everything in our surroundings. The trees, the sky..." He gestured as he spoke. "The pokémon around us, the elements in which the grass grows...It is very unusual to see a perpetually autumnal biome, and I am attempting to understand how that is possible." With a small smile, finally directed towards Arven, he added "I am bolstering that study with some browsing through scientific journals."

"Haha!" With a tilt of his head towards the sky, Arven laughed. "Wow, you really are curious about everything. I never even wondered why this place is like this."

"And yet you are very curious as well." Arturo leaned back too, imitating Arven's position. "Your drive to explore the world of nutrition, in order to help others. It is beautiful to behold, and I greatly admire you."

"Heh...never thought about it as beautiful either."

After some silence, Arturo reached over and took Arven's hand.

The young man blinked in confusion at first, but didn't pull away. After more silence, punctuated only by the laughter of their nearby friends, he whispered "...I remember when I was sick once. Dad was in the middle of writing a report, but he..." His voice was soft, the tone was choked, hushed. "He sat with me. Held my hand. Wrote his report on his clipboard, but he held my hand..."

Arturo let him talk, remaining still.

"All I could think of was that he was still more focused on his report...Dad was a selfish guy, but that wasn't all he was..."

Arturo nodded, saying nothing.

"That's something I've been trying to wrap my mind around. He loved me, but he...I guess he did show it sometimes, but..."

"It wasn't enough."

Arven nodded, but lapsed into his own silence.






As evening set in, Arven returned to food preparation, and Penny connected the telescope to the tripod. "We can take it over to the cliff if we can't get a good view," she mused, taking a peek through it. "Ugh. Yeah, we're getting blocked by the trees."

"Would the campfire also be too bright to see stars?" Nemona, who had worn herself out with the previous running around, asked from where she was sprawled out on the entire side of the picnic table's seat.

"I'onno."

Juliana yawned. "It took me way longer than I wanted to admit to figure out the damn pun in her name. It's ion plus 'I don't know'."

Arturo had very little to do, so he sat on the other side of the picnic table and had been watching the local wildlife for the past half an hour, with particular attention on a Forretress that clung to a nearby tree. It hadn't moved in all that time. "Whose name?"

"A streamer. She's what people call a 'variety streamer'." Penny fussed with something on her phone as she walked back to the camp. "She's also a gym leader, electric specialist, so she streams her battles. Does a lot of 'just chatting' content, and--oh yeah, she's live right now." She set the phone in Arturo's hands.

On the screen, the brightly colored celebrity was talking merrily as she rubbed a very happy Bellibolt with a sponge, telling everyone that it can only be slightly damp or else they would get the shock of their lives. Arturo watched for a minute before handing the phone back. "What a strange person. She seems to care about what she does, but she also goads her audience for money frequently. And I do not believe the Magnemite on her head are...real."

Penny pocketed the phone again. "Yeah no, they're a prop. They're like those Skitty ear headphones that move around, but more advanced." She smiled just a little. "I've peeked into her records. How old do you think she is?"

He thought for a moment. "Twenty four."

With a smirk, Penny pointed upwards. "I don't think you're going to guess this."




By the time Arven was finished with dinner, everyone had gotten ready. He set a large skillet of chilaquiles down on the picnic table with a laugh. "You guys would not BELIEVE how long it took me to get some tortilla chips for this. I think there must be some sort of sports game coming up. Everyone's stocking up."

Juliana started cutting a slice from the baked nachos in salsa, making sure to cut it so their portion of egg didn't take from the next part. "When we moved here I remember mom trying to find tortillas and it drove her nuts since that's a different thing here. She kept being shown these potato cakes and didn't know why."

"I like both of those," Penny said as she took a sip of some campfire tea.

"Yeah because they're so fatty and full of carbs." Arven rolled his eyes comically. "I cannot figure out how you remain a twig."

Arturo, with his spoon in hand, tilted his head towards Penny. "You are still growing, and thus using a considerable amount of energy towards that growth. Once puberty tapers off, your metabolism will change, and it would be advisable to alter your diet accordingly."

Arven stared meaningfully at Penny. "I've been trying to tell this one that for three years and it hasn't made a dent."

"Hey, I gotta eat all the trash I can now, right?" she smirked. "Gotta experience the *flavor*" The emphasized word was bolstered by a hand gesture with wiggling fingers "before you'd have me eating granola bars and broccoli the rest of my life."

"I like broccoli," Juliana murmured to Nemona, who giggled.

With everyone else having gotten their own, Arturo scraped the pan for his serving. Everyone had made sure to leave a touch of everything for him, and though this offering was quite unhealthy, lacking the nutritional value the fresh vegetables the earlier meal had included, it brought back some pleasant memories. A chip, saturated in jarred salsa, the last remnants of a supermarket party platter brought to a study session, was somehow the most desirable food in the world to a university student at three am.

He smiled softly.

"I take it you like it then." Arven was watching him expectantly, his own fork raised midway to his mouth.

"Of course. I enjoy everything you make." Arturo rested his hands on the table, all finished. "Not simply because you make it, but because you are genuinely skilled."

Nemona patted Arven on the back. "I'd hire this guy as my personal chef if I could!"

"Aww shucks..." The young man looked almost embarrassed for a moment before his expression got more serious. "For real I want to work somewhere that I can help pokémon. Probably teach their trainers what's best for them and everything."

"That's super admirable." Penny pushed her empty plate away. "I haven't really given much thought what I'm going to do after school. Something in cyber-security maybe, but I'm not sure."

Nemona perked up. "La Primera mentioned you had a job offer in Galar!"

"God no!" Penny's sudden objection quickly faded. "She wants me to work for someone there. That's all. There's no way I would."

Juliana tilted their head. "What's wrong with them?"

"Personal objections. Macro Cosmos isn't great."

Arturo noticed that Arven's held his breath for just a moment before returning to normal, but he didn't ask further. "Well it will always be up to you, of course."

After taking a drink of a canned soda, Juliana looked over at Nemona. "Well, Nemona's got it all figured out. Top Champion in training and all."

Nemona paused. "Yeah, it should be fun! If it's what I want to do..." Before anyone could ask further, she grinned. "It's fine! I know I would enjoy being a professional battler, but there's just...so much that goes into being the Top Champion." The grin tightened into a comical wince. "Chairwoman Geeta is involved in *so* much business, and I wouldn't be doing that, but I'd still need to hire so many assistants, and Anna just isn't going to be enough..." The comedy faded from her expression and she looked wistfully out towards the ocean. "...It's a lot more stressful than I would have thought. And besides, there's a whole world out there and I don't..."

After a few seconds, it was evident that she wasn't going to finish her sentence.

Arven brought a hand up, slowly, thinking it through before deciding to rest it on her shoulder. "You ok?"

"I actually am." A moment later she turned back towards them. "It's just something I have to figure out for myself. But I really am ok." Her voice was bright.

Juliana nodded. "Yeah, I can't really figure out what I want. I have so many interests that I'd easily see myself doing for a living, but I still can't really see myself doing any of them, if that makes sense." With a grin at Arturo, they explained "If it doesn't, I can explain it."

While he was thinking, Penny spoke softly. "It makes sense to me. I'm probably a lot more focused than you, but even that leaves a lot more options than most people would think, and it can be really overwhelming."

Arturo let them talk amongst themselves, listening with his passive data input. It felt inappropriate to talk about someone else's aspirations rather than his own, but Turo had always known that he wanted to devote himself to the study of Area Zero, as far back as he could remember, as long as he had known about the place. There had never been any doubt of what he wanted, even when he thought it would be impossible to do so. To uncover the secrets of the world was, after all, his passion, and there were no greater than those of Area Zero.

He didn't dare bring it up. So he was relieved when Juliana again turned to him to ask "Hey Arturo, what do you want to do now that you're back? I know you talked about wanting to make a garden, so is that part of your research?"

"Oh, I..." There was no real need for him to trail off, but it was part of his programming to sound more natural in his speech. "I have not truly thought about it. I do enjoy research, of course. And I suppose I have little need for money, but I will eventually need to be able to pay the bills, so I will require some sort of income."

Arven laughed. "Yeah, dad paid the electric and water for years in advance but it's gonna run out at some point, so if you want us to stick around, you'd better be ready."

Everyone else chuckled, but Arturo could only notice how this encouragement was so different from Arven's initial distance.






After the sun set over the far curve of the ocean, something everyone had watched off and on as they cleaned up from dinner, they headed over to nearer the cliff, Nemona carrying the assembled telescope from before.

Once it was set firmly into the grass, Penny took a glimpse through it and adjusted some dials on the side. "There. That should give us some good views. It's not very powerful but it's pretty good."

"Where did you get this from, anyway?" Nemona asked as she looked up at the moonlit sky. "God, it's so beautiful here."

"School equipment lab. They let you borrow scientific tools even if it's not you field of study."

"Oh, that must be new." Nothing of the sort had existed in Arturo's experience.

Juliana had been watching what looked like a star at first but was probably a satellite. "One of Clavell's implementations. He wants everyone to learn as much as possible, and make it accessible to everyone."

Arven wasn't looking at the sky at all, but rather back at the campfire that he had left in the care of Cloyster and Juliana's Veluza. "Not just science stuff. I took out a sewing machine from there a few months ago when I needed to mend some clothes. Though their thread color selection is pretty limited."

"That makes sense. Certain colors would be more popular, especially for mending." Arturo glanced at the telescope, finding it to be in good condition. "Clavell has always been admirable. I am grateful to know him in person."

Arven patted him on the back. "You want to go first?"

Penny stepped aside and gestured to the telescope.

"No thank you. I do not require one." A slight whirr from Arturo's head, and his pupils widened to an unnatural size. "I can simply adjust my settings."

"Um...That's...that's good." Arven had taken a step back at the sight. "I uh...we shouldn't shine any bright lights at Arturo right now, you guys."

"What do--OH GOD." Juliana's own eyes were wide, jaw dropped. "Geez, warn someone when you're gonna do that!"

Penny had looked away for a moment. "What did h--ohhhhhhhh..."

"What? What's going on?" Nemona looked around, finally following the common point of their aghast expressions. "Huh. That makes a lot of sense, actually."

Everyone turned to stare at her, Arturo's pupils still surreally wide.

It took a moment for Nemona to realize what everyone was doing. "...His eyes are screens, right? So it only makes sense that they'd act like a camera lens."

"Yes, exactly!" Arturo nodded excitedly.

Penny coughed. "I'm not sure if I'm more shocked that none of us got that, or that Nemona DID..."





Everyone took turns looking through the telescope. Nemona readjusted it briefly to examine the nearby islands, but found nothing in particular.

"It's a really beautiful night out..." Arven sighed. "I'm gonna miss this when I go to Lumiose."

"You'll have to be sure to get plenty of camping trips in when you have free time!" Juliana reminded with their face to the telescope.

Penny tilted her head towards the moon. "Who knows. Maybe we'll look at the same star together, even apart."

Arven turned to face her. "You got that from one of your animes, didn't you?"

"Maaaaaaybe."

Juliana gestured for Penny to take the telescope again. "Arturo, how's your observation coming?"

Arturo remained perfectly in place but smiled softly. "I am comparing this with the starry sky in the future. So far I have located forty three stars that will still exist in that era."

"Just forty three?" Arven's voice was a little concerned. "I know that's not that many. I can see like...probably a thousand of them from here."

The sky did indeed permit views of a seemingly endless cosmos. Even under the brightness of the moon, hundreds of stars shone in a spectrum humans could see. And more evaded that view, invisible to them and even to Arturo. "There are likely more that will continue to live on. But stars have their own life cycles. Nothing we see here today were among the earliest to light the sky, nor will they see the end of things. They are like us, shining only for a brief time in the history of the universe, brightening all around them."

Nemona sighed happily, still watching the sky. "That's a beautiful way to put it."

"Thank you. Juliana says I have a way with words. Although I told them that is how communication works, I later found that it is simply an expression."

Juliana laughed, sharply enough that a Forretress on a nearby tree dropped to the ground. "Glad you could figure it out."







They returned to camp near midnight and split into groups to the tents. Monstro drenched the fire and Mabosstiff dug soil over the ashes, in a way that would dry out and be easy to reignite when they returned to camp after their hike.

And a long hike it would be. They would be out until mid afternoon, checking out points of interest in the surrounding area. So an early start was quite necessary.

Nemona fell asleep almost immediately. Penny sent some texts to her Star friends before sliding a sleep mask on and curling up around a pillow in her sleeping bag. Juliana pulled their own sleeping bag tight around them, the night air still a bit chilly, and tried to ignore all the intrusive thoughts that had built up over the course of the day.

In the other tent, Arturo fumbled with the zipper. "You know, I do not require sleep. This is entirely unnecessary."

Arven reached over to help him out. "Sleeping bags are complicated sometime. They don't look like they would be, since they're literally just bags, but a zipper this long has a bigger chance of being caught on something." After finagling the pull back into place, he laughed softly. "You wanted to have the full camping experience, right? Sleep mode at the picnic table isn't gonna cut it."

"I suppose..." Arturo had brought a pajama set that had looked comfortable at the store, but was proving to be a bit small. Oh well. Perhaps he could reuse the fabric somehow later on. "Arven, does it trouble you for me to be in such close proximity?"

"Uh..." The question had been entirely unexpected. Getting used to Arturo's quirks was going to take some time. "Not really. I mean, I arranged the tents knowing that you'd be in here with me. I wouldn't have done that if I wasn't ok with you being here."

Between them, Mabosstiff was already drowsing, and looked up at Arturo as if trying to will him to lay still and be quiet.

Arven laughed. "Hey, this is his first time camping. Properly anyway. Cut him some slack!"

The dog whined slightly before nuzzling up next to Arven.

"He loves you," Arturo admired as he settled down. "It is always heartening to see such bonds between living things."

"You're alive too. Ever thought of getting yourself a buddy like this? Nemona wants to hook you up with something."

"We discussed this earlier, in fact." Arturo closed his eyes. "I have no desire to have a pokémon partner at this time, although I have not ruled it out for the future."

With another laugh, more subdued than a moment before, Arven settled down with an arm around Mabosstiff. "You think about the future a lot? Like, the immediate future, not the one you were in."

Arturo took a moment. "I believe I think of the near future most of all. The next few days to a few months are my primary concern at the moment. I am still adjusting to living in this era, and am not used to having interpersonal relationships..." He trailed off through there was no need for it.

"Yeah, I get ya. It'll be a few months before I leave but I can't stop thinking about it..." Arven trailed off as well, trying to think of what more to say. "But I guess it's nothing compared to the changes in your life. Can't even imagine what that's like."

Arturo noted that Arven's voice was airy, thoughtful, distant. He was likely deeply considering the situation at hand. "I have always known you were a caring person, and I thank you for extending that compassion to me."

Arven scoffed softly. "You're a good guy. And you didn't deserve anything he--" Sudden silence, for nearly ten seconds. "--You and I are kinda in the same boat. Miraidon too."

Outside, Miraidon stirred at the mention of its name, but quickly settled back down.

"But anyway," Arven continued, "We should get some sleep. Good night, man."

"Good night, Arven."







After a quick breakfast of instant oatmeal with fresh sliced fruit, everyone gathered their goods for the big hike. They planned on having lunch once they reached their destination, and would need to bring everything back with them.

Arturo leaned over to pet Mabosstiff, who was going to walk along with them. "Thank you for taking care of Arven."

The dog nuzzled against his hand and barked happily.

Arven was in the process of tying off a bag on the other side of the picnic table. "You two getting along over there?"

"I certainly hope so. Although I confess that I am not entirely certain how to tell."

The young man nodded. "Well, that's a good bark. Means he likes whatever you said to him, and you're petting him in a way he likes too."

Arturo took a mental note, eyes flashing for a moment. "Thank you. I have added that to my files."

Nearby to Arven, Juliana approached. "Need any help?"

"Nah, I think I got this. Bestie's gonna come along, right?"

"Yep, and Miraidon! But..." Their gaze turned downward as they leaned in close. "I wanted to ask how everything went overnight. It sounds like you're getting along, but I wanted to make sure."

He set the bag deep into his backpack and patted Juliana on the back. "Juli, it's fine. I know you're always really concerned for everyone, and that makes you a really attentive friend, but you also see that things are fine, right?"

They nodded, eyes still averted. "I'm sorry."

With a smile, he turned back to his pack. "Hey. Did you have a bad night yourself? You were really happy when you went to bed."

"I don't know. I never really sleep well in a sleeping bag. When I travel as a trainer, I usually have a cot and stuff."

That smile grew to a grin. "And access to plumbing."

"Well yeah, I'm not a dog like you are." Juliana said it so matter of factly, as if being called on in class to recite what the teacher had said. They were finally smiling themself. "I know I have to work on some things, but..." A quick glance at Arturo spoke volumes.

"Go talk to him then. He'll tell you the same. And hey." Arven again patted Juliana on the arm. "You like talking to him. I'm just a regular guy. There's no way I could ever be more interesting than a time traveling robot."

They elbowed him in the arm before darting off, but headed towards Penny instead, helping her with her own backpack.






"Everyone ready?"

"Ready!"

"Aye-aye!"

"Yes."

"I guess."

Arven began the walk with a long, purposefully dramatic step, and everyone followed his example as the first step of the trail.

The first leg of their journey took them southward, towards the cliff over Lake Casseroya. Along the way, Nemona stopped to take some pictures. The group paused to let Mabosstiff tussle with a wild Mabosstiff, the two of them having a great time before Arven's jogged back over to him. Arturo, fascinated by its color, studied the lichen on a tree by running a brief chemical analysis. Penny had to readjust her boots, but was able to keep up with the others. Juliana, followed closely by Bestie the Flamigo, recorded some videos that focused mostly on their friends.

"Aww, Bestie, you got in front of the camera again," Nemona griped. "All I see is feathers..."

Penny laughed, just a little bit. "Juli, control your bird."

"He's high energy." Juliana grabbed Bestie by the neck in a way that Flamigo trainers had to learn how to safely do. "You need to be mindful of when people are filming. Got it?"

The bird simply stared out in the goggle-eyed way birds have.

"Glad we could come to an understanding. You'll get to fish when we get to the lake." They released Bestie, who ran around in circles for a moment.

Arturo watched the comical display with a smile before approaching. "Juliana, may I ask you something?"

"Always, my man!"

The enthusiasm was heartening. "You clearly love birds, which is very admirable. You have a special passion for Squawkabilly." The species name came out clumsily in Arturo's patchwork voice and he made a note for later to work on that. "Yet you do not seem to have one. You are certainly a skilled trainer, and able to care for many pokémon."

Juliana sighed, slumping into a shrug. "Yeah but..."

"Hey, we're going again!" Arven called from the front. Juliana let go of Bestie, who resumed running around in circles even with the group in motion.

"Ok so as I was saying," Juliana continued, walking next to Arturo. "Squawkabilly are very intelligent birds. A lot more than Doofus over here." This was accompanied by a pointed thumb at Bestie. "And so they need a lot more in their care than training and attention. They're also not great in battle. All of this also applies to Chatot and other similar species, understand."

Arturo watched Juliana's body language relaxed as they spoke, becoming more animated and their voice brightening as they talked about the science behind why keeping a psittacine as a pet should only be done by those who can properly meet their very specific needs, and that there were more of those needs to be met than most other types of pokémon."

"Y'see, it's been shown in tests that they need effectively constant input. Even in the wild they get bored and that's why they're so prone to mischief. They're making their own entertainment."

"Of course. I have observed that with many highly intelligent species."

"Then you get it! Of course, I'd fill my entire house with them if I could." They were smiling broadly and excitedly, and the thought seemed to make their heart beat a little faster. "God, if I could live in a wildlife area, that would be great. I'd like to have the modern conveniences though. I had this one pokémon that had been stranded in another region--well, you know where Kitakami is. There was this little ogre that had been left there when her trainer died, and she was there for a long time, and so after..." They considered their words and winced slightly. "Oh god, I'm going to have to tell you the whole story some other time. But long story short I caught this ogre, and eventually found where she came from, and me and this kid I met in Kitakami took her back there. Her species is really rare so they live in a nature preserve, but some others that the rangers think were her parents found her!"

"It was so sweet!" Nemona cheered. "Juli showed us all the video later. They were all crying."

"Kieran didn't want you to film him crying," Penny recalled with a sly smile.

"Manly tears!" Arven crowed. "We can blubber if we want!"

Arturo was incapable of physically crying, but still agreed.

"The rangers send us updates sometimes. This was about a year ago, and the last update was..." They checked something on their phone. "Oh, a little bit after you came back. You hadn't been added to the group chat yet so you wouldn't have seen it."

He had checked the backlog once he joined. "Oh, is that the photo of the green leafy species with the round orange face?"

"Yeah! Isn't she the cutest?!"

He thought for a moment. "The photographs tend to be a bit unclear but I can imagine that she is quite adorable."

"Ogerpon is the cutest!" Arven asserted this with a firm nod. "Only met her a few times but yeah."

At his side, Mabosstiff barked.

"Hey now, I said cutest. You're more stately and handsome."

A more satisfied bark.






As they walked, Juliana skipped to the front of the group and begun waving their hand as if to signal to everyone to follow. "And we're walking, we're walking..."

"What are they doing?" Arturo wondered to Nemona.

But Penny answered instead. "Pretending to be a tour guide."

Nemona giggled. "I think it's cute."

Arven just laughed and picked up the pace a little.

"All right, to your left," Juliana was facing backwards so they gestured with their right hand, "you'll see a nest of Forretress near the top of three different trees."

Sure enough, there were multiples clinging around.

"I've seen more Forretress around in the past two days than I think I've ever seen in my entire life." Penny had only glanced up to the treetops for a moment.

"I like the wild Mabosstiff around here!" Arven, of course. "It's always refreshing to see them."

"And to your right," Juliana continued, "you'll see Casseroya Lake. Now, who can tell me the lake's tourism slogan?" This was said in a very deliberate tone, as if speaking to small children.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Nemona raised her hand like she was in class. "I know it!"

Since she was the only one who offered an answer, Juliana pointed at her.

"The tourism slogan is 'Life Slows Down At Lake Casseroya'!"

"You got it!"

"Yay!" Nemona tried to jump in place but couldn't manage more than raising up on her tiptoes for a moment. "What do I win?"

"Uh..." Juliana's facade dropped for a moment and they looked around, dipping down and picking something off the ground. "This leaf!"

It was a fine looking leaf, yellow but not yet crisp, with no insect holes or rot. Nemona reached for it and held it aloft like a trophy.

Arturo smiled. "It is good to see Juliana in such high spirits."

Penny was smiling too, though it never got very big. "Yeah. They really put themself through the wringer these past few years."

"I wonder..." He glanced away, out at the water. "...It was the right thing to do in the end, but I do regret having to have asked them for help."

The girl nudged him in the side. "You forget. You weren't the only one who did."






A short time later, their tour led them down a decline nestled between higher outcroppings. A small hole was carved into the cliff wall ahead of them. "Ahead of you, you will see the remnants of what was once the Groundblight Shrine, imprisoning place of Ting-Lu, the fabled Vessel of Ruin." Juliana's tour guide voice was starting to grow more exaggerated. "It is currently believed that this artifact once took on the guise of a pokémon after absorbing the fear felt by an ancient tyrant's subjects."

Nemona snapped a picture. "Oooh."

"The vessel itself currently rests in the holdings of the Paldea Regional Museum, along with the other Treasures of Ruin."

"Oh yeah! La Primera was talking about that!" Nemona was very proud of this knowledge, smiling brilliantly. "She's looking forward to the exhibit about them!"

"Ms Raifort was grumbling about that a few months ago," Arven said as he wandered over to examine the hole. "She was trying to get access to them in advance and kept getting denied."

Nemona laughed. "Sometimes I miss her classes. She's gotta be up to something but class was always entertaining."

Arturo went up to the hole next to Arven, scanning it quickly. "Fascinating. The soil in here seems to be nearly untouched by present day influence."

"There was a--" Juliana paused, having started in their regular voice, before continuing in the exaggerated tone. "--Until recent years, there was an impenetrable door in this spot, but it vanished under mysteeeeerious circumstances." For some reason this part of their delivery delved into ghost story territory.

This was starting to raise Arturo's curiosity. "How is it that you came to know so much about this?"

Juliana's eyes went wide, and he noticed their increased heart rate. "Uh--If you look around us, you will notice that we are standing in a ravine. Ting-Lu was said to be able to split the earth simply by lowering its head to the ground--!"

All right. He would approach the subject later.






Everyone continued on, pausing for a travel lunch on a ridge that showed off the vastness of the lake below.

Juliana, who had dropped the tour guide act some time ago, was watching Miraidon chase around an outbreak of Dondozo. "Gettem!"

Arven flopped on the ground and took a peanut butter and preserves sandwich out of his bag. Though in typical Arven fashion, it wasn't nearly as simple as it appeared, as he had made the preserves and bread himself. "Hey Arturo, since you were watching Juli's adventures back then, did you see their reaction to seeing a Dondozo for the first time?"

After a brief search, Arturo could find nothing. "I am sorry."

"Aah, yeah that's right, it happened when I was on the phone with them. You didn't know they were helping me out until..." The young man trailed off for just a moment. "Yeah, a few more hours...after we defeated the titan..."

"I wish I could have seen that!" Nemona remarked loudly. "I bet it was an amazing battle!"

With a laugh, Arven continued. "Yep that's Nemona all right. Anyway, I was on the phone with Juli, they were on Miraidon's back in the water, and suddenly they *screamed*." He waved his free hand as he talked. "I could hear all this splashing and gasping, but the screen was going nuts so I couldn't see what was happening. Then I hear another scream that was something like" he took in a bit of a breath first, "'HUGE CATFISH', among other things."

"Probably some things you won't repeat in polite company." Penny was typing on her phone and didn't slow down.

Juliana was returning to the others. "Yeah basically. I think I made up some exciting new swear words when I saw that thing."

Arturo took a seat near Arven but not immediately next to him, and did a quick search. "The average Dondozo is thirty nine feet long. It is unsurprising that you were startled, especially as you did not grow up in this region."

A muttered "holy crap" from under Penny's breath.

He continued. "I am finding that the largest ever recorded Dondozo was in the Bodincus region only three years ago. It was an estimated seventy one feet long."

Everyone stopped what they were doing.

Juliana and Nemona, ever so slowly, turned their head towards him.

Penny stopped typing, finger poised over her phone.

Arven whistled under his breath. "...dang. Imagine all the fried catfish you could make from that. Feed a village for a year with the right preservation."







"All right, so we're walking..." Juliana was back at it.

Penny, walking slowly, softly added "So, I got a message from my dad today."

Arturo was the only one who heard her. He would not ask why she spoke so quietly, and fell back in step with her. "Oh? Is he well?"

"Y-yeah." Though she had spoken, she seemed surprised that anybody engaged with her statement. "He's fine. He really likes the outdoors. Sent me an image of a waterfall he saw in a cave." She tilted her phone's screen so Arturo could see.

Despite the dim lighting from both a handheld lantern and a slight crack in the cave ceiling that Arturo knew would widen into collapse in a few hundred years, the waterfall was very well visible, falling into a pool that itself spread into a small stream that went out of shot. "Ah! How beautiful!" He smiled. "Humans are drawn to flowing water, and waterfalls are exceptionally popular. I enjoy them as well."

She nodded. "They're nice to look at, even to someone who isn't an outdoor person. Plus if you see a waterfall in a video game, there's generally a secret behind it."

"How fantastical!"

After a moment, she giggled softly. "I'm sorry. It's just funny to hear a time traveling robot powered by magic crystals sound enthused by something as comparatively mundane as a secret behind a fictional waterfall."

"I suppose that is a...fair assessment of the situation." He looked confidently ahead as they walked. "But you must remember, I love fantasy. It is a stunning look at the human imagination, and the stories are often delightful and thought provoking, especially those that are used as parallels of the real world."

Penny thought about that for a moment. "If you like...I can suggest some video games with good stories. You may get really into them."

"I would like that very much."







Meanwhile at the front of the group, Arven laughed out loud. "Y'know Nemona, when you first told us about Anna, I thought for sure you were making her up."

"Arven!" Juliana chided.

"Why would you think that?"

"Heh..." He shrugged. "Your perfect girlfriend who was also your rival but she goes to school in a different region?"

Nemona nudged Arven in the ribs, an impressive feat as they were both still walking. "You dork! You were even in a class with her!"

"Haha--ow! Yeah, once you showed me her picture I had a vague memory, but we didn't really interact." He rubbed at his side. "Ow, you've got a strong elbow."

"Imagine what it must feel like to be elbow dropped by a Hawlucha..." Juliana mused. "Anyway, can't wait to meet her at last. You said she's eager to see what mom did with the house, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sure mom will want to have her over. With snacks!" Juliana accompanied this with a fist pump.

"Ooh, snacks," Arven cooed approvingly. "She'll be back before I leave, right? I could whip up a few things."

"Yeah. She'll be here either...middle or end of May. Her plans are a little iffy but it's one of those." Nemona's smile was just a little lopsided, as it usually was when she talked about Anna.

"Ah good. I don't leave until probably the middle of August. Depends when the dorms open up." Arven's voice was drifting into a determined intensity. "And I've got a good one too! I already know I'm gonna be on the second floor, so I don't have to haul stuff far, and it's across the street from a general goods store that's open late, and a block from a cafe, and it's not far from a park. It's got a lot of pokémon in it, they say, so Mabosstiff will have a great time running around playing with them."

Mabosstiff barked happily.

Arven paused to think of something, and when he continued, his voice was back to normal. "It had a weird name, and a number for some reason. Wild...park something. I think."

"Ugggggh!" Nemona groaned. "I wish I could go with you. Lumiose's redevelopment has been REALLY good for pokémon battling! There's a few special leagues they have there that I've been looking into for if I ever take a trip there!

Alerted by Nemona's louder sound, Penny had tuned in to the conversation in front. "I met the former gym leader once. He was giving a talk at a uni in Motostoke to a bunch of young science students. Have his autograph somewhere."

Nemona laughed. "That's so cool! I have a bunch of gym leader autographs too! Never got his though. Maybe if I write to him, he'll send me one even though he's not the gym leader any more."

"It could not hurt," Arturo added as he caught up with the others, having kept track of their conversation from the beginning. "In his youth, Professor Turo often wrote to those he admired."

"Yeah, dad kept a big file of replies!" The mention of his father hadn't bothered Arven at all. "A lot of big name scientists and a bunch of authors. Even a few movie directors. The earliest was dated when he would have been six, so he was doing it for a while."

"They always did brighten his mood to receive a reply." Arturo closed his eyes in the memory of it all. Even in the darker times of his formative years, it had brought a smile to the young scientist's face. He rubbed at his left arm unconsciously.





Another stop, where everyone climbed an outcropping and admired the higher view. Nemona took pictures, while Juliana took a panning shot video, pausing to scroll in to various things.

It was easy for Arturo to commit anything to memory that he wanted. And so he watched Arven, preserving a perfect scene of the young man in the full sunlight, the bright smile across his face as he teased Penny for being on her phone in the midst of nature, as he threw a stick for Mabosstiff, as he pointed out a nearby Scyther, as he was simply Arven. And Arturo, despite the joy of everything around him, couldn't help but feel a twinge of melancholy.

Everything was changing. That was the nature of things, after all. And he was fortunate that Terapagos had returned him to this particular time. Arven was still in Paldea, was still young. His acceptance meant that Arturo would get to see him grow up.

In too many scenarios he had played out in his head, Arturo had envisioned arriving to find an elderly Arven, sometimes on his deathbed. And it was nearly inevitable that Arturo would outlive Arven, as well as his other friends. Not by much; he estimated his own remaining lifespan at eighty to one hundred years.

But even in the shorter term, things would change. Arven would leave for Kalos in a few months. The camping trip would only last for about twenty four more hours.

Turo had compartmentalized time in such a way himself. As much as he preferred to look at the long term when it came to time, a necessity for anyone studying the far future, he had always had lingering thoughts at the back of his mind. The conference would end in a few hours, he would finish a book in a day--the general knowledge that any current experience would be over, that he could never truly live in any moment.

He rubbed his arm again.

Juliana, who was pocketing their phone, called out "You ok there?"

"Ah yes!" he answered in a crisp tone.

"You keep doing that bit..." They rubbed their arm the same as he was. "Do robots itch? Is it your jacket?"

He smiled reassuringly. "No, it is simply a physical quirk I inherited."

They brightened. "Neat. Like that thing where you bring your hand up like you're stroking your chin but never actually do?"

"Yes, exactly."

Juliana smiled. "You're really weird. I like that." A moment later, they wandered a bit away to resume looking around.

The soft cool mountain breeze, the sounds of the forest, the way the light trailed on everything, Juliana's smile, Arven's laughter, Miraidon's quiet vocalizations...all of those were part of that moment. And Arturo took them all in, saving every detail in his memory.







"Ohhhhh man, I thought we'd never get back!" Nemona groaned as she flopped back on the picnic table's bench.

Juliana called out Skeledirge to reignite the fire. "My legs are jelly."

Arven sat at the other side of the table and loosened his boots. "How the heck far did we go today?"

Arturo didn't need rest, and stood by with as much energy as ever. "Would you like it by meters? Or an approximation?"

"Aaaahahahaha..." Arven laughed, exhaustion in his voice as he leaned back. "Yeah it was more rhetorical, but I appreciate the offer, robot man."

Penny took a quick picture of her friends at the table and sent it to someone. "Would anyone mind if I took a little nap before anything we do next?"

Arven shot to his feet. "We're gonna bake stuffed bananas!" Even with his boot laces loose, he went over to the food store, which had been protected by Cloyster and Scovillain. After slipping them some treats first, he withdrew four bananas, holding them in the crook of one arm as he pulled out some bags of various things.

"Ooooh, stuffed bananas..." Juliana took his place on the picnic bench and sighed. A quick drink from a canteen yielded an even longer subsequent sigh.

After thinking about this for a moment, Penny yawned. "I think I can stay up for stuffed bananas. But not for much longer after that."

Nemona pushed herself to a sitting position and took something out of her pocket, downing it with a drink of water before laying back down. "Ughhhhh a nap sounds good. But bananas first."

Arven dropped the bags on the picnic table with glee. "Ok everyone, I got chocolate chips, I got marshmallows, I got those little caramel cubes, I got gummy orthworms for some reason..." He glanced up at Penny before returning to the bags. "I got a little chili sugar, I got smashed crackers, I got strawberries, I got candied ginger, I got everything you need for a high energy snack!"

"You got a little foie gras in there?" Penny chuckled to herself.

"Fuck you!" Arven said briskly, with enough bright in his voice to make it clear it was a joke.

Nemona waved a hand above the table. "Need any help cutting them up?"

"Nah, but you can open the bags if you want something to do."

Arturo perked up. "Ah, I will do so if you wish."

Juliana finished their drink before responding. "Arven, if I may."

He nodded.

"Ok so, Arturo, let's make this a group project. These caramels are in tiny little plastic wrappers so we need to get them out and it's really tedious, and the wrappers all have to be clean if we want to recycle them."

Arven, who had turned around to fetch his knife, interjected. "These wrappers are biodegradable. But yeah they're still hell to get off of them. They wrap 'em ridiculously tight. But *someone* didn't get the long thin ones that come in the twist wrappers."

It took a moment for that to sink in. "Oh!" Nemona jolted when she realized. "Oh you just said to bring caramels. That was what the store gave me when I asked!"

"It's fine; we can just cut them up." There was only earnestness in Arven's voice.

Arturo looked expectantly at the young man. "I can do that."

Nemona shook her head. "I can do it. I was the one who didn't understand the assignment."

Penny approached and gestured for Nemona to scoot over. "That doesn't seem like a reason to take everything on yourself."

Juliana pulled in a breath as Penny sat down across from them, and Arturo noticed that their heart was beating just a slight bit faster than normal, but it relaxed quickly. "That's true. We'll need more knives though."

"Oh!" Nemona again. She fumbled in her pocket for something, pulling out a keychain with a small multitool dangling from it. "I've got this one. It's not good for much but it can probably cut those."

"Why the hell," Penny asked with a bit of concern, "do you have that?"

"I donno. Just like to be prepared for anything. I used it to cut some bark off a tree once for science class."

"You graduated two years ago," Arven pointed out.

She laughed under her breath. "Yeah I think I really just use the emery board and the can opener sometimes. Oh, I used the screwdriver once."

Arven began cutting into the bananas, lengthwise, careful not to puncture through to the other side. "You guys are gonna have to watch how much you stuff into these things. And I wouldn't be just cramming everything in, either. The flavors will be awful if you do that. Be selective and plan things out."

"Why do I feel like you're addressing this towards me?" Penny grumbled with a small smile.

"Gee Penny, why DO you feel like I'm addressing that towards you?" Arven didn't look up from his work, but he was smiling too. "It couldn't possibly be the fact that you subsist entirely on the absolute most unhealthy diet on Arceus's green earth, could it?"

She pouted comically, in a way that reminded Arturo of Arven himself as a small child.






Soon, the bananas were by the fire, with Arven tending them alongside Scovillain. "I don't think the gummy orthworms are going to melt," he muttered, loud enough for the others to hear him. "But everyone did a good job on the caramel. That's all melting really nicely."

"Awesome." Nemona was lying down again but extended her arm to flash a thumbs up.

Juliana was jogging back to camp, holding everyone's freshly filled canteens. "Aww, not ready yet?"

"God, you guys! You've gotta learn patience!" Arven turned one of the bananas around with a stick. "They'll be done in a few minutes."

Arturo sat patiently next to Penny, taking in the sounds of the forest with his eyes closed. "I do not mind waiting."

"Yeah but you've got that robot zen thing going on," Penny murmured. "You're always studying and learning and you don't get bored."

Nemona added "And you don't crave banana goodness!"

Arturo paused. The idea that his natural state would be perceived as "zen" by his human friends was something strange. After all, Juliana had complained of being overwhelmed by taking in so much information, and that was a mere fraction of what he could perceive. But that he was designed to do so was all the difference.

As much as he loved humans, being a robot had its advantages.

He smiled. "Thank you for that, Penny. I had not thought of it in that way before."

Nemona struggled to sit up, grabbing onto the edge of the picnic table and flailing slightly before managing to right herself. "Yeah, you always seem so calm. Your tone is always so even. Even when you were battling and things were unfamiliar to you, it ws like you kept a cool head. I'm telling you!" She gestured excitedly. "You could be a great trainer! I could teach you!"

"I thank you for the offer. Though I do not wish to be a dedicated trainer, perhaps if Miraidon would humor me again at some point in the future, we could have another battle."

She grinned wildly. "Perfecto!"

For a fraction of a second, Arturo perhaps thought that she meant to take a picture.





With the hot bananas slid in front of everyone, on paper plates that were already soaking through with various juices and liquid sugars, it would take a moment of patience before they were cool enough to eat.

"This is driving me insane..." Penny prodded at hers with a biodegradable fork. "It's RIGHT HERE and I can't eat it."

"Technically you could." Arven smirked as he addressed her. "You'd have a scalded mouth but you could."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

Arturo remembered something he had read online. "Did you know you can drink lava? But only once."

Everyone groaned.

"Oh god, a dad joke..." Juliana laughed. "I can't believe it. You really do have a father's mindset."

"Nah, can't be. Dad never made jokes."

"That's depressing." Penny said that quiet enough that only Arturo heard her."

"So!" Nemona chirped, "Arturo, I have a question."

Juliana would recognize the redirection as one of Nemona's rare moments of emotional awareness, the kind she had when she suggested that everybody take the long way home from Area Zero. They looked up at Arturo expectantly.

"Of course. I love questions."

"Do you think you'd ever go back to being a scientist?" Nemona was trying to slice her banana without looking at it as she spoke, with mild success.

A gentle smile crossed his face. "I think I will always be a scientist. That I never truly stopped. It is, after all, what I was meant to do."

Ever so slightly, Arven looked away.

Arturo continued. "Although if you meant as a profession, I do not think so. It would be nearly impossible for me to do so, and even if I were able to, I do not know that I would be satisfied with it." He seemed wistful as he spoke. "I spent three hundred years performing freelance research, and in that regard I believe I would like to continue as a hobbyist."

"Would you LIKE to have a job?" Juliana asked. "I know you don't have much use for money, but the lights in the lab won't stay on forever."

"Oh! I can cover your bills!" Nemona said, a little too fast and a little too loud.

Arturo shook his head. "I have considered perhaps some sort of online position, but not seriously. I suppose I ought to." He was not going to speak of the prospective nature preserve, not yet.

Penny again poked at the banana and made a face at the amount of steam still emerging from it. "Since Clavell knows who you are, have you considered working at the school? They probably have some really good positions you could fit into. Data entry, office work, maybe a librarian."

Two computer-based jobs and one markedly removed from that, more into the realm of a personal interest. Arturo felt a slight figurative warmth at that.

"Yeah, you'd be good at all of those." Arven patted him on the back. "You could probably read all the books in the library and be able to find everything people needed."

"We know I have already read one." When they had visited the school to meet with Clavell, Arturo had noted the presence of the Violet Book, still in the same place it had been when Turo had chanced upon it all those years before.

Though the reference seemed to escape Nemona. "You're always doing analysis, and you like Lydia's garden so much. Maybe you could learn how to do that."

Juliana laughed. "I'm sorry. I just got the idea of Arturo in a straw hat, selling vegetables at the side of the road."

Everyone had a good chuckle at that.

"Robots takin' our durn jobs!" Penny giggled.

"It would be very quaint to see. I think it would be adorable," Nemona said with a smile.

Arturo turned to Penny. "May I ask your permission to imitate something you did? I am trying to develop my own laugh."

Penny grimaced slightly. "You want to giggle? I mean, if you want to try, I can't really stop you."

"I recall that one of Turo's childhood friends had the most delightful giggle. It always made him feel good to hear it." Arturo tilted his head up slightly and emitted a strange high pitched staccato whine. "...Hm. That is not even close. I will have to adapt my approach..."

Arven again patted him on the back. "I think it may be better if you do that where there are better acoustics."

"Yes, you are right. It would be easier for me to adjust if I can hear the subtle tones. By the way, I believe that both Penny and Nemona's bananas have cooled enough to not damage the tissues of the mouth."

Penny wasted no time digging in. "Oh! Oh sweet Arceus that's good!"

Arturo gestured towards Juliana and Arven. "Yours will take less than a minute, at present cooling rates."

"Sweet." Juliana clapped their hands together.

"Yes, very much so."









Evening set in slowly, and everyone settled around the fire for a game. "All right..." Nemona began. "Never have I ever...tripped over my own shoelaces."

"Doubt," Arven chuckled.

Juliana nudged him with their elbow before taking a drink from their offered bottle. It was club soda, bitter and far too carbonated, and they winced from the nasty taste. "Ugh."

"You ought to drink as well, Arven," Arturo reminded him.

Arven sighed. "God...I tripped on a rock, not my shoelaces! They just happened to be untied at the time."

Nemona tilted her head a little with a tight lipped smile. "Maybe half a drink?"

"Hey, Juliana was the first one to drink so they've got to go next!"

"Those are the rules." Penny chided. "Or...the ones we're using."

"Ok fine." Juliana stuck their tongue out at the lingering taste as they thought. "Uhhhh...never have I ever..." Their gaze flickered towards Arturo for a moment as they considered if they should name something that would apply to him. He did have his own bottle in hand, though he couldn't have near as much as anybody else. "Hm. Never have I ever thrown up in public."

Nemona and Penny immediately drank. Nemona only took a single gulp, as her own beverage was much harder than those of her younger friends. "Yep."

"No details." Penny was adamant.

"I believe in the case of a tie, Penny will go next as she has not gone yet."

"You're really devoting memory space to a stupid drinking game, aren't you?" Juliana had to laugh at the thought.

Arturo nodded. "For now. Once we leave, I will delete the file."

Penny was taking the taste of the club soda a lot better than Juliana had. "All right. Never have I ever uh...cheated on a test."

Arven's hand twitched around his own beer before he hesitantly raised it to drink.

"Arven!" Juliana admonished.

"I'm not surprised," murmured Penny.

Arturo seemed hurt. "Arven...would you like to talk about it?" he asked as he rested a hand on the young man's arm.

Arven paused for a moment in confusion before laughing. "No. No I do not."

Nemona sucked in a breath. "You weren't cheating off me, were you?"

He leaned back. "You know I never sat close enough to you for that. By choice."

Before he could give his own prompt, Juliana raised a hand partway. "Uh. Does it count as cheating if I intentionally gave Mr Jacq the most flattering answers on his quizzes?"

"I wouldn't." Penny rolled her eyes ever so slightly. "He's the neediest man in the entire world and I think he would cry if anyone told him that they didn't like his class."

"Right, right...can't have him running off to Ms Raifort for approval."

They both nodded firmly.

"Uhhhh, ok..." Arven cleared his throat. "Never have I ever...smoked."

Arturo dipped a finger into his drink and then into his mouth.

Everyone glanced at him with some concern. "Hey, it's about you, not your memories," Juliana reminded him.

"I wished to test a plant's chemical makeup in a variety of ways." His response was very matter of fact. "I suspected that it would be a hallucinogen, and I was correct."

"Wait so you--"

"I was unaffected. If I was an organic being, however, I have no doubt I would have been overwhelmed by false inputs."

Juliana laughed, a sound much deeper than their normal voice. "Ohhhh my god that's--I can't even imagine you trippin' balls."

"Oh no, it did not impact my ambulation. As I said, I was unaffected. Wait--" He thought for a second, eyes flashing slightly. "Ah. A slang term for the effects of certain mind-altering substances. Carry on. Hm, for my choice..." He knew it right away but paused as the others had. "Never have I ever attended a festival."

Penny had her bottle partway raised before setting it down. The others looked confused, tilted heads and furrowed brows.

He smiled. "Would you like to do so? There are many coming up across the region."

And they all groaned. "Man," Arven chided, "I mean sure but that's not how you play the game!"

"I'd love to go with you but yeah, let's all talk later." Juliana almost took another drink but stopped when they remembered what was in their hand. "Eesh."

"So then I ought to pick another?"

Everyone nodded.

"Ah, in that case. Never have I ever broken a bone."

"You don't have bones! That doesn't count!"







Settling back in for the night after a long evening of more stargazing, Arturo closed his eyes and focused on the sounds around the campsite. The humans were away at the nearby wash station, leaving him and a few of the pokémon alone.

Miraidon had already settled in for the night, napping at Ancho's side next to the still-warm ashes of the campfire.

He wondered what Miraidon truly thought of him. It had been confused when he had first been created, but still always seemed to regard him as a different entity from its beloved human partner. And in turn he had been fond of it, but not to the same degree Turo had. It was reasonable to assume that the feeling was mutual.

During his existence within the Zero Lab, he had found himself thinking of Arven, but he never felt a direct connection to the boy. He cared, but it was not the same.

Thoughts of Professor Sada were even more distant. Despite all his memories of the grinning girl at Turo's side, the dear friend who held his hand in the best and worst of times, Arturo mainly thought of her in the context of a brilliant researcher that his creator still harbored a perhaps ill-advised affection for.

But when he was alone in a strange land, a wild future, his thoughts drifted to the past. He had to define himself in his own terms, but his creator's memories, his life, were an unshakable part of Arturo's sense of self. And part of his development was examining his inherited thoughts to determine his own beliefs and feelings.

It was easy to realize some things. That he greatly admired Director Clavell was one of the earliest, as there was never any doubt. It went beyond Clavell's interactions with Turo, into how he approached the very concept of education. Though he had never been a teacher directly, his belief in the joy of discovery was evident to all who knew him.

Others came harder.

Arturo remembered the exact moment he realized that he had, entirely through memories he never experienced, developed a fondness for Sada. Not love, he told himself. He could never dare claim to be in love with someone he had never met. But he had longed for a hand to hold, and realized that he wanted it to be hers. He wanted to ask her about her latest research, to hear her complain about some small thing, to watch her as she would take in everything around her, winding a strand of hair around her finger and sighing contentedly as she did.

And...when he had thought back on Arven, how the boy had always had the sunniest smile, the kindest words, the most unconditional love even through every passing year had tested that more and more...

At first he had only felt sorrow. Regret, for something neither of them had any ability to control. That all he had to greet Arven with were words that both were and were not his own, words of grief for the years missed, wasted, that could never be returned. A father's love, spoken through a vessel that had only been shaped after that father had abandoned his beloved boy.

Arturo had left without hesitation. Doing so would ensure that Paldea would be a safe place for everyone, including Arven, but it wasn't until later that he realized that he *missed* Arven, beyond regret, beyond sorrow, beyond grief.

That was, after all, what he had told Terapagos. After over three hundred years, after having done everything in the far future that he had wanted to do, that feeling had only grown until he could no longer ignore it.

He didn't dare to imagine that he could ever have that role in Arven's life. After all, Arven was a grown man. He had no need of a father. But a few months ago he would have been content simply speaking to Arven once. The knowledge that he was safe would have been enough for Arturo, and he could have been content in continuing on in the Paldea that had existed only in someone else's memories.

At least, that was what he had told himself. And he had believed it at the time. Perhaps it would have been true, had things turned out that way.

Arven was returning to the tent. He was laughing with Nemona, teasing her about something. Penny and Juliana were close behind.

That they were all happy was a beautiful thing. That they had a world to be happy in was even better.

As Arven settled into the tent and twined his fingers in Mabosstiff's fur, Arturo turned his head over to him. "Thank you for inviting me on this trip."

"Hey, sure thing, man. I'm glad you came." Arven didn't look back at him, but it was clear he was smiling. "Shame we go back tomorrow. But Nemona wants to do this again before I leave so Anna can join us."

"That sounds delightful."

"Yeah. But I don't know if it'll happen. At least not then. But hey, no reason it couldn't--" Arven paused to yawn, prompting Mabosstiff to yawn as well, much louder. "--happen some other time." Another yawn. "Ugh. G'night. Glad you're here."

"Good night, Arven. Mabosstiff." As Arturo set himself into sleep mode, he could only think about how fortunate he was.