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kintsugi

golden scars | pfp by sun
Location
the warmth of summer in the songs you write
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. silvally-grass
  2. lapras
  3. golurk
  4. booper-kintsugi
  5. meloetta-kint-muse
  6. meloetta-kint-dancer
  7. murkrow
  8. yveltal
  9. celebi
oooh wow you've been busy! delightful backlog to catch up on here.

chapter 7
It's interesting to see how deep the apocalypse stacking goes on this one! Nuclear fallout from Kanto already seems like a pretty short end of the stick, plus lack of natural resources to begin with, and now a super deadly plague. I was originally going to write that this seems like way too much to realistically go wrong in such a short span of time, but, *sad 2020 sounds *

But it's definitely interesting to see how this affects the characters--oh yeah, got orphaned by the plague, but that's sort of the least of my problems is a super bleak outlook, and it does explain why everyone is a walking bucket of trauma lol. Given how relevant it is now, I'm weirdly curious about how this disease plays into the larger scheme of things--the abandoned ghost towns are really neat (and Wes assuming that they were left behind because people are too silly to realize how long diseases linger vs ... just being sad that their friends and family died there, oof, big sad abandoned sounds, poor misanthropic baby). Are there other societal differences? I feel like you can't have a diseases burn through your population and not really see the aftershocks of it more sad 2020 sounds.

I also thought it was really powerful how Wes and Rui have different reactions to their parents dying when they're young--Wes is grim, almost it is what it is, you know? He doesn't think he can do anything about it, and his parents dying is just a big piece of shit on top of the shit cake. But for Rui it's a source of pride, something to aspire her to strive towards. And whether Wes realizes it or not, this event certainly shaped him into who he is today, just like it did Rui. Really nice setup here!

Next was Novo. Wes hadn't got a good look at the Umbreon before returning him, so he wasn't sure what to expect - and he certainly wasn't prepared to see blood dribbling down his foreleg. Novo looked up into Wes' eyes with a weak mew. "Bri."
I found myself wishing I had a better metric for how brutal battles are supposed to be--I know from earlier chapters that it's at least somewhat common for pokemon to die, and Wes certainly seems familiar with that setting, so I wasn't sure why blood was surprising here?

Also! If the blood is still dribbling! Do pokeballs keep them in perfect stasis then, where literally nothing changes? Eternal fandom questions haha, lots of things to unpack from that. If so I was wondering why Wes later suddenly feels the need to turn the shadow pokemon into the police in immediately, when conceivably they could probably hold onto them for a bit in case a better opportunity arises.

It was more like an ambush than a real battle,Wes growled to himself.
dropped a comma here!

"You take really good care of them." Rui's voice jolted him out of his thoughts; she'd been so quiet, for once, he'd almost forgotten she was still there. She was curled up on the mattress with her back against the wall, watching him tend to his Pokémon with a small smile.
I thought this was really interesting commentary on battling/training--to me it seems like Wes is doing the bare minimum from what's described (looking them over and patching them up). So if this is above average ... oof! ouch. sad. oh no.

But a tiny part of him whispered that maybe, just maybe, he'd been afraid to leave behind something that had been so integral to his identity for so many years.
ohhey he's finally realizing that he's not as at peace with this as he keeps telling himself he is

The harsh growl sounded from behind them. Over their shoulder, he caught a glimpse of Wakin's snarling face, the viciously triumphant eyes, the gun in his hand.
! oh boy there are guns! curious to see how they'll intersect with pokemon, since especially for higher-profile trainers like Wakin, they seem to have a lot of overlap and/or be inferior.

They sped off through the desert, and he thought he might have heard some words thrown over the boy's shoulder, but he didn't catch them.
couldn't quite picture this--is this boy shouting over his own shoulder? Was he looking away in the first place?

He did, however, catch the gleam of hatred in his eyes.
I did really like this ending line for the dream sequence. You don't remember everything about what you do or say, but you remember how you felt.

The only pair of eyes that had ever regarded him with kindness.

"Do good, kid."
oh! no! my theory that this friend was secretly Wes is probably blown

chapter 8

A bit of a bridge chapter, but still some good stuff in here! The Pyrite scene-setting is really fun, and we get a closer look at how society would function/fail to function in the midst of all of the stuff going down.

Also, yay more Rui development! I'm glad that we're getting some look into her motivation and why she's wanting any of this. As mentioned a bit before, I wasn't quite sure why they decide that they have to go to the police right away--it seems like both of them are super distrustful of law enforcement, and neither of them really think this will help any? Both of them can pretty much count their police interactions on one hand, and all of them end with "and then my life became irrevocably and unquestionably worse"--it felt weird that their first instinct here was to go to the cops. I sort of see the case for Wes just wanting to drop the goods and gtfo, but I didn't quite follow why that's his real suggestion, or why Rui goes along with it (since she knows firsthand that the police don't seem to care about issues of pokemon/property for individuals).

Rui spluttered a little in disbelief. Her hair was a mess from their high-speed drive, with wispy strands sticking out at all angles.
I liked how this chapter opens--both the narrative and the characters are really refusing to look the events of the previous night in the eye. And instead we get shenanigans about speed limits and messy hair. (Is Wes' hair a perpetual shitshow then? lol)

He almost snorted at the thought. Friends. Right. As if he would ever care to be friends with other human beings. His experience over the years very convincingly solidified his belief that they were all either rotten to their core - or incredibly stupid. Neo and Novo had proven to be the only source of friendship worth investing in.
This felt a bit too on-the-nose tbh. Which I'm a bit torn on, since teenagers can also be pretty quick to phrase these cynical and derisive rejections of humanity--it's one thing to feel these things (which the story has definitely made clear that Wes does), but it's another one to just blatantly say them like this? Not sure! I personally liked the more subtle cues Wes drops ("why does everyone keep touching me"/all of his convos with Rui).

Several Trainers around the battle yelled and dove for cover as lightning bolts and psychic blasts shot from the ring and into surrounding buildings. Fluff and feathers flew; the two Trainers shouted helplessly at their raging Pokémon, but both of them were now beyond reason. The Ledyba and Shroomish, temporarily forgotten, exchanged a glance and cautiously edged away from the scuffle.

The girl finally returned her Flaaffy and whirled on her opponent. "What is WRONG with you?" she yelled. "Forfeit this match right now!"

"What?" he shouted back. "Your Pokémon was even worse!"
Tying in with the blood thing as well with respect to setting up normal battle stakes in this setting--here it almost seems like we're seeing up that shadow pokemon are basically as destructive and dangerous as non-shadow pokemon. And in this case, where both Noctowl and Flaaffy are doing exactly what their trainers are telling them to do (where the previous concern was that shadow pokemon disobeyed humans), it doesn't seem like there's any difference at all.

"That's because I do have a personal issue with them." Rui raised her eyes to meet his, and there was a cold anger in both her face and her tone. "They didn't lift a finger when my starter got stolen from me."
The governing forces of this fic are pretty Interesting to me as well tbh! The police in pokemon games seem ... generally incompetent, but here they're both incompetent and really abusive/manipulative. Oh no. Big yikes lol.

Wes decided now was as good a time as any to let Neo and Novo out of their Pokeballs. Normally, he didn't like to walk around Pyrite with them out in the open; Snagem may have been the most notorious gang for Pokémon trafficking, but they were not the only ones, and Pyrite was a trafficking hotspot. However, after seeing the mess in the square, he decided some cover would be a good idea.
haha and that one line about the blood still has me thinking--so like, does time pass for them at all? Are they aware of the outside world? Do they just pop up in different locales and are like, oh neat, Pyrite?

"Or should I call you Snagger Leo?"
ahaha so his secret identity is Japanese, got it! nice easter egg

chapter 9

I really love how the hole only gets deeper for Wes haha! Lying his way into this has now expanded to getting the mayor of a small town lying on his behalf; he is sooooo far up shit creek right now with his relationship with Rui, lol. I keep thinking we're kicking this can down the road, but I see now that we're just adding to it and making it way worse.

Conniving police chief is definitely an aesthetic I can vibe with, oof, sad law enforcement sounds. Sherles' lie at the end is just such a ratfaced thing to do omggggg.

I see what you mean about departing from the plot of Colo in these next few chapters, and I'm absolutely here for it! I normally hate failing upward stories, but in this case failing upward keeps pitting Wes into a worse and worse position with Rui, so I'm super excited for it--he's stumbled into being a cool noble big boi with a mission and powerful friends, but he actually wants none of it lol. I'm curious if he'll just eventually give up and start acting the part of the hero at some point, or if he's gonna fuck it all up before he makes it there.

Questions, so many questions, were bursting through his mind. How did he get this picture? And who took it? And how did he know where to find the hideout in the first place? How?
I do have a lot of questions too tbh! So they know where the Snagem hideout is, but Wes (who was relatively high up in Snagem) is completely unaware of this? This seems like a huge tactical advantage that the police have, and it'd be kinda silly to blow it right here on the off chance that Wes ends up 1) being a traitor 2) being captured and blabbing or 3) just blabbing anyway. I imagine they're waiting to take out Snagem until the time is Right or whatever, but it does seem really hard to approach the Snagem hideout without being seen given how isolated and in the middle of nowhere it is--drones? Traitors? Teleporters? Idk but it definitely seems like the police have a huge advantage here and I'm not sure why they'd just reveal this info when maintaining its secrecy would help a lot more.

"You mean, more than it already is?" Sherles asked wryly. "What more do I have to gain from you? I already have you where I want you."
"Now that's a good question." Sherles straightened a little, regarding the Snagger with critical eyes. "Why would I want you, of all people? I certainly didn't intend to involve you originally - but then you went and pulled that stunt in Eclo Canyon, and it had me wondering what you knew. And where your loyalties lie. If I'm not mistaken, you were no ordinary Snagem grunt. You were the best they had, a top-tier worker, were you not?"
hahaha police mood, sad, oh man, oof.

I did wonder why they're so quick to believe that Wes is on their side here? It seems like he could easily be double-crossing them--just because he's anti-Snagem definitely doesn't mean he's pro-cops or pro-Pyrite or anything. He did blow up the last building of the squad he was with and he hasn't enthusiastically come out in favor of Pyrite, just stopping Snagem, so to an outsider I feel like he seems more like a loose canon than a potential ally.

"I mean it's obvious. Hiring other people to do all the dirty work for you while treating them as less-than? Sounds like every other authority figure to me."
easy persuasion check, amazing, excellent charisma

"I...didn't want you to get involved." It was technically the truth, but in the current context, it sounded...so much nobler than it actually was.
oh yeah, this is never gonna backfire, ever.
 

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
Hello again!! Always a pleasure to see your reviews! :D


I was originally going to write that this seems like way too much to realistically go wrong in such a short span of time, but, *sad 2020 sounds *

Now, this is why I enjoy your reviews so much - you pick up on the most subtle things thst most of my readers don’t! I won’t spoil anything here, but I will say that you are absolutely right to be a little skeptical of all these things just *happening* to go off all at once. ;) (although, yes...sad 2020 noises indeed.)

I found myself wishing I had a better metric for how brutal battles are supposed to be--I know from earlier chapters that it's at least somewhat common for pokemon to die, and Wes certainly seems familiar with that setting, so I wasn't sure why blood was surprising here?

This is something I hope to clarify more in future chapters. We haven’t had much opportunity to see “normal” battles yet, as most of them have been straight up survival mode.

As mentioned a bit before, I wasn't quite sure why they decide that they have to go to the police right away--it seems like both of them are super distrustful of law enforcement, and neither of them really think this will help any? Both of them can pretty much count their police interactions on one hand, and all of them end with "and then my life became irrevocably and unquestionably worse"--it felt weird that their first instinct here was to go to the cops. I sort of see the case for Wes just wanting to drop the goods and gtfo, but I didn't quite follow why that's his real suggestion, or why Rui goes along with it (since she knows firsthand that the police don't seem to care about issues of pokemon/property for individuals).

This was an awkward bit that I struggled with. If I’m being perfectly honest, I couldn’t think of a more compelling reason for them to go to the police other than “they feel they have no other options and, uh, the plot needs to move forward somehow!” xD I know, lazy on my part. I still don’t know what I could add to this to make it more convincing


(Is Wes' hair a perpetual shitshow then? lol)

Oh, absolutely. Not that he cares. Lol


This felt a bit too on-the-nose tbh. Which I'm a bit torn on, since teenagers can also be pretty quick to phrase these cynical and derisive rejections of humanity--it's one thing to feel these things (which the story has definitely made clear that Wes does), but it's another one to just blatantly say them like this? Not sure! I personally liked the more subtle cues Wes drops ("why does everyone keep touching me"/all of his convos with Rui).

I had a lot of doubts while slipping this in for the exact same reason. I think I’m going to rework this paragraph to be a little less obvious while still portraying Wes’ general disdain for people.

And in this case, where both Noctowl and Flaaffy are doing exactly what their trainers are telling them to do (where the previous concern was that shadow pokemon disobeyed humans), it doesn't seem like there's any difference at all.

You done did it, you called me out! xD This is something I hope to make clearer in future chapters, but it’s been a struggle for me. Normally a Pokémon being extra vicious would stand out from a regular one, but with this being Orre and all, it’s not exactly uncommon for trainers to command their teams to play dirty. It’s been a difficult balance of portraying Orre’s grittier battle culture while still maintaining the fact that shadow Pokémon *are* more dangerous than the average mon. I’ll definitely pay extra attention to this moving forward so I can more clearly outline the differences.


ahaha so his secret identity is Japanese, got it! nice easter egg

I’m so happy you caught this, nobody else has!!

Your other questions will be answered in coming chapters, so I don’t want to spoil anything prematurely! But I love hearing your input, as it really forces me to think about all the details of the story and how to go about fleshing them out. I’m definitely no expert, and I’m learning a lot as I go (which is probably pretty obvious, heh). So, thanks for taking the time to consistently offer your insight - it’s invaluable to me!
 
Chapter 10: Victims and Warriors

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
Chapter 10: Victims and Warriors

Wes had been in a plethora of uncomfortable situations within the last few days, but this one might have been the worst of them all.

Duking had introduced him and Rui to his two children just outside his home before sending the kids back inside with Wes in tow. The mayor remained with Rui outside the back door to the kitchen as he caught her up to speed on their investigation plans.

Wes would not quickly forget the burning stare from Duking as his son and daughter happily led the Snagger inside. The mayor said nothing to him, but he didn't need to; that look said everything Wes needed to know.

Try anything and I'll kill you.

So here he sat in the modest kitchen, trying not to fidget as he took in the yellow painted walls around him and attempted to ignore the girl's penetrating stare; she sat at the kitchen table across from him, looking him up and down as though silently critiquing every detail. For all he knew, she probably was.

Marcia (or Marci, as she had very adamantly insisted she be called) was the younger of Duking's two children. Her brother, Secc, had given a quiet but polite hello before retreating back into his book where he sat at the other end of the table.

Whatever her brother lacked in sociability, Marci more than made up for it with hers. She was loud, energetic, talked way too fast, and reminded Wes far too much of a certain redhead - a fact that was not helped by her auburn colored hair.

And, as luck would have it, Marci was particularly interested in Wes; she studied him from across the table as though he were a textbook and she was preparing for a test.

He was just about to ask her what in Mew's name she wanted when she finally spoke up.

"Dad says you're a Pokemon Trainer."

Wes blinked. "...Yeah. I am."

The girl frowned at him. She looked him up and down once more.

"But you don't look like a Trainer," she blurted.

Wes had absolutely no clue how to respond to that. What was that even supposed to mean?

"Because Trainers dress different!" Marci continued, apparently not expecting a response to her previous statement. "They wear cool shirts and shorts and they have cool bags for all their stuff - oh, and they wear hats, too!" She leaned forward as she spoke, eyes sparkling, as if she were imagining herself in those clothes.

She sat back and scrutinized Wes' face once more. "They don't have weird stripes on their faces, though," she remarked matter-of-factly.

Wes stared at her. What did this girl want from him?

He forced an air of patience into his tone. "Well...I'm still a Trainer-"

"Yeah, but you don't look like one."

Good lord. This girl was pushing buttons Wes didn't even know he had.

She gave him a toothy grin. "Your coat is cool, though!"

"...thanks."

"So...um..." Marci trailed off for a moment, shifting a little in her seat. Then she leaned forward again, face eager, and asked, "Can...can I see your Pokémon?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Wes saw Secc peek over the top of his book.

He could not possibly have been more grateful for the opportunity to turn the attention away from himself. "Sure." He pulled the Pokeballs from his belt.

Neo and Novo stretched happily as they emerged from the beams of light. They blinked and sniffed the air, taking in their surroundings. Neo waved his tail excitedly and Novo turned to his Trainer with a questioning look. "Umbri?"

Marci gasped so loudly that she might as well have sucked all the oxygen out of the room. Secc lowered his book and craned his neck to get a look at the Pokémon from his end of the table.

"Oh my gosh!" Marci squealed so high Wes was sure she would summon a flock of Zubat. "Secc! Secc, look, they're Eeeveelutions!"

Secc abandoned all pretenses of remaining aloof. His eyes widened in awe as he approached their end of the table and he got a better look at Neo and Novo.

"Wow...wow," he whispered. He looked at Wes, his eyes shining almost as bright as his sister's. "Did you raise them yourself?"

Wes nodded.

Secc crouched down in front of Novo in utter amazement. "Wow..." he said again.

Neo was reveling in all the attention; he purred loudly and rubbed up against Marci's legs with a happy chirp. She squealed again and immediately sat on the floor to pet him, a gesture that the Espeon greeted with enthusiasm.

Novo twitched his ears nervously and sat closer to his Trainer. Secc cautiously reached out to pet him, and Wes noticed the hairs rise on the back of Novo's neck. He placed a hand on the Umbreon's head.

"It's okay, Novo," he said. "They're..." What? Safe? Not a threat? (Though a threat to his pride, maybe.) They certainly weren't close enough to be called friends, not when they'd just met.

"They're okay," he finished.

Novo blinked at his Trainer. In an act of trust in Wes' judgement, he relaxed his shoulders and allowed the boy to stroke his pelt.

"He's so soft!" Secc exclaimed with a grin.

Marci was giggling hysterically as Neo pranced about her, begging for more attention. He rubbed his face against her shoulder, flicked his tail across her face, then flopped onto his back in front of her in an appeal for belly rubs.

He was quite possibly the most shameless Pokémon Wes had ever seen.

The door rattled from the other end of the kitchen as Duking and Rui came in from the house's side entrance, accompanied by another young man that Wes didn't recognize; he had spiky, dusty brown hair and a Plusle perched comfortably on his shoulder.

Rui blinked in surprise at the scene before them, a warm smile spreading slowly across her face.

"Dad, Dad, look!" Marci cried happily from her seat on the kitchen floor. "He has the coolest Pokemon!"

The Plusle on the newcomer's shoulder let out a reproachful chirp. "Plu!"

The young man laughed and patted the tiny Pokémon's head. "I'm sure she didn't mean anything personal, Plu."

Duking's eyes flickered over the sight before landing on Wes. He couldn't be certain, but Wes thought he saw Duking's eyes narrow just a little. The man didn't seem to appreciate the fact that his children were already associating so closely with the Snagger.

"Right," he said evenly. His eyes remained trained on Wes as he spoke. "That's nice, Mar. But it's time for both of you to get on your homework."

There was brief spell of groaning and protesting from both kids, but a stern look from their father caused them to sigh in defeat. Marci kissed the top of Neo's head before hopping up, and Secc gave Novo one last chin scratch before standing and returning to his books at the table.

As Wes rose from his seat, the mayor gestured to the young man beside him. "This is Silva, by the way. He helps me manage the Colosseum and is a close family friend of ours. He'll be helping us with the investigation." Silva greeted Wes with a wave and a friendly grin; Wes merely responded with a nod.

"Can we help with the investigation too, Dad?" Marci piped up from her spot at the table; she hadn't even bothered to open her textbooks yet.

"No, Mar. Please don't ask again."

Marci sat back in her seat with a defeated sigh, and Silva reached out and ruffled her hair with a laugh. "Don't worry, Marci, it's real boring stuff anyway. Lots of paperwork and long meetings." He lifted Plusle from his shoulder and let the Pokémon hop onto the table in front of Marci, who greeted him with a giggle.

"You always get to help out with stuff, though." Secc was the one who spoke up this time, though he kept his eyes on his book as he mumbled.

"That's because I'm a grown-up, and grown-ups get to do boring things. Take my advice and don't become one."

"More boring than math?" Marci wrinkled her nose at the still unopened book that rested in front of her.

"Marci, stop your complaining and get on your homework." Duking shot his daughter a stern look. "You should both count yourselves lucky that you even have the chance to get an education. Most kids in Pyrite aren't so lucky."

Most kids in Pyrite don't even have parents, Wes thought dryly.

"Does Pyrite have a school?" Rui asked in mild surprise.

Marci chipped in before her dad could reply. "No. Dad's making us do online school through some lady in Johto." She scowled. "We're the only kids in Pyrite who have to do homework."

Secc snorted and rolled his eyes. "Gee, how terrible."

Marci glared at him. "Just because you're some nerd who actually likes it, doesn't mean the rest of us do!"

Secc clearly had a scathing retort at the ready, but Duking cut in before he could deliver it. "Enough. Marci, if I hear one more complaint out of you, you're going to your room."

Marci slumped in defeat and looked down at her book with a wistful sigh.

"I can help you out later, if you'd like!" Rui flashed the girl a warm smile. "I was pretty good at math when I was in school."

"Really?" Marci looked up at her, eyes shining with admiration.

"Really!"

"That's a nice offer, Miss Everlin, thank you," Duking said as he gave Rui an appreciative look. "But for now, Mar will have to manage on her own. We need to get you both settled in."

He gestured for them to follow him as he made his way through the open doorway that led into the living room. Rui and Silva made friendly conversation with one another as they followed suit.

Wes fell in line behind them with a quiet sigh; he was sure they'd be put in some stuffy guest bedroom, and he wasn't looking forward to it. Not only did the idea of staying in someone else's house make him uncomfortable to the highest degree, it was a house filled with several people. As if dealing with Rui for the last few days hadn't exhausted him enough already...

But of all the things he'd been expecting, a secret cavern was not one of them.

He stared in surprise at the room Duking had led them to; the entrance to the cave itself had been hidden behind a bookshelf in Duking's office, which was just off from their living room. "Stuffy" was certainly not the appropriate description here; the cave was impressively sized, large enough to fit a table in the center of the floor and several mismatched chairs around it, a handful of bookshelves lining the walls, and, next to a door on the back wall, a waterfall that trickled down the stone into a tidy pool on the floor. The pool must have had an outlet to drain somewhere, as it didn't spread or flood across the floor.

"Wow...wow!" Rui breathed in awe. She'd been speechless for the last minute or so, mouth gaping as she took in their unexpected surroundings. She turned to Duking with an expression of pure, unadulterated excitement. "Did you build this?"

Duking chuckled a little at her amazement. "Silva and I built this place some years back out of the cliffside behind the house. It started out as a fun idea for the kids, and then...I guess we got a little carried away with it."

Silva grinned. "Well, it helps that Duking has a couple Rock types on his team. It was fun for all of us."

"This is so cool!" Rui turned to Wes with a beaming smile. He held back a snort; she looked for all the world like a five year old child on their birthday.

"We have two bedrooms just through the door there." Duking nodded to the other door on the back wall. "They...well, they're not much. Kind of small and nothing to write home about, but I hope they're comfortable enough for you."

"Are you kidding?" Rui laughed. "We get to stay in a secret cave! This is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me!"

Not that your standards are very high, Wes thought to himself. He didn't know much about Rui's hometown, but clearly the girl hadn't seen much. Though he had to admit - this hideout was impressive.

"Well, I'll give you both some time to settle in," Duking said. "We should have dinner ready in an hour or so, and you're - ah - welcome to join us." Wes noticed his gaze darken ever so slightly as the mayor glanced at him; hospitality aside, this man was certainly not happy to have Wes at his dinner table.

I don't want to be here, either, you know.

Neither Silva nor Rui seemed to pick up on this, as Silva cheerfully bade them farewell and followed Duking back out of the cave and into his office, and Rui bounded over to the doorway from across the room.

She threw Wes yet another child-like grin over her shoulder. "Feels like we're real spies or something, doesn't it? Working undercover and staying in a secret base?"

Wes was about to scoff at her and tell her how stupid that sounded, that they were not actually spies, when he caught sight of the unbridled joy on her face. Arceus above, he'd never seen such a pure expression before.

He decided to let her have this one. "Sure."

The bedrooms were indeed small and nothing extraordinary. Aside from a bed, lamp, and small dresser in each one, they were completely bare. Much as he disliked staying in someone else's home, Wes had to admit he preferred this over a more typical bedroom; he could almost pretend he was in a small shelter on a Snagging mission, which felt much more natural to him.

"You know," Rui's voice sounded from her room across the narrow hallway, "we ought to let those Pokémon out of their balls and get to know them a bit."

"What, the crazy ones?" Wes asked in disbelief. He closed the door to his room and frowned at her as she emerged from hers.

"They're not crazy, Wes, they're just...damaged," Rui said. "They're not going to get any better by sitting in their balls all the time, and you are their Trainer now."

"I'm not their Trainer."

"You are for now," Rui said stubbornly. "Besides, they've been in their Pokeballs since yesterday. We should at least let them eat something."

She had a point there, though the thought of confronting any one of the savage Pokémon made Wes feel uneasy. "Fine," he said, "but we're not doing it inside. I don't think Duking would thank us if his house got destroyed."

Rui smiled wryly. "You sure like to think of the worst case scenarios, don't you?"

Wes snorted and hefted the bag onto his shoulder. "Call it a talent."

He made his way back through the cave and made a point to ignore Rui's giggle behind him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rays of the setting sun bathed the town in dusty gold. Wes was grateful there was still plenty of light out; Pyrite was not a place to be wandering the streets after dark.

For the sake of privacy and to avoid prying eyes, he'd found an abandoned lot out near the edge of town. He'd only ever seen a few groups of street kids loitering around the area before, and with evening closing in, they would either be finding a place to hunker down for the night, or they'd be scoping out potential thieving opportunities. His instincts proved to be correct when they found the lot empty.

He decided to send out Makuhita first, though he wasn't sure why; perhaps he felt that fists would be easier to dodge than a jet of flame or a stream of water or a flurry of leaves. Not that he felt any more at ease about it.

Makuhita blinked and slowly looked around; it didn't seem to be too fazed at the drastic change of scenery, though it was hard to tell anything from the blank expression.

Wes glanced at Rui. "Does it still have that weird aura? Or something?"

Rui nodded, looking Makuhita up and down with a concerned gaze. Wes noticed she wasn't just looking at the Pokémon; her eyes seemed to be taking in the space around it as well, taking in sights only she could see.

She turned back to him. "It's still there. His aura is just...off. But he doesn't seem to be as aggressive as before."

Makuhita looked up at them both, apparently noticing them for the first time since looking at his surroundings. "Ma."

Something about Rui's statement had stood out to Wes. "'He'?"

Rui nodded again and returned her attention to Makuhita. "Yeah. I can tell a Pokémon's gender by their aura. Females and males have certain patterns about them...the Bayleef is also a male, by the way. Quilava and Croconaw are female."

Wes had no response to that, and could only shake his head slightly. Mew have mercy, this girl was weird, and her ability to see aura was still unsettling to him.

"Ma."

Wes jumped as he felt a tug at the hem of his coat. He looked down and, to his surprise, found Makuhita tugging at the blue fabric.

"Um. Can I help you?"

Makuhita stared up at him; Wes resisted the urge to flinch. Docile though he seemed to be, those eyes were still so hollow, so soulless, so...empty.

Rui crouched down to level with Makuhita, and pulled something from her jacket pocket. "Here, this is for you. I think you'll like it."

Makuhita turned to look at her, and gave a few slow blinks before taking the treat, a small biscuit, from her outstretched hand. "Ma-ku."

Wes shot her a look. "Where did you get that?"

Rui grinned up at him. "I grabbed a few from the Phenac Center yesterday. They had a whole jar for Trainers to take some, and...I mean, I'm not a Trainer, but I thought I could give some to Neo and Novo at some point." She looked back at Makuhita with a gentle smile. "I think this guy needs it more, though."

"Ku." Makuhita nibbled away at the treat. He sounded somewhat pleased, though his expression remained as blank as ever.

He didn't seem all that different, Wes thought. His insane rage in battle aside, Makuhita was behaving like an ordinary, mild-mannered Pokémon. As he watched the fighter finish his treat, Wes thought he looked...almost normal.

Then Makuhita looked up at him again with those eyes and that blank, lifeless stare.

Almost.

"You should name him," Rui said suddenly.

"I-what?"

"Every Pokémon should have a name, shouldn't they?" Rui got back to her feet. "I doubt those thugs had a proper name for him, so you should give him one."

"Rui, he's not my-"

She shot him a sharp look. "Wesley Lycas, he's your Pokémon until we can get him better, so you should treat him like it," she said.

Arceus, you're bossy as hell.

Wes sighed in defeat and looked down at the Pokémon. Fine. It wasn't like naming him was a big deal, anyway...right?

Wes stared at the Makuhita. The Makuhita stared back.

A name...it had been so long since he'd named another Pokémon. He couldn't even remember how he came up with ones for Neo and Novo; they had simply come to him.

And just like that, a name for Makuhita popped in his mind.

"Maku," he said.

He heard a light sputter and looked over to find Rui giggling at him. He frowned at her. "What?"

"M-Maku?" she asked with an amused grin.

"Yeah, what of it? It suits him."

"That wouldn't, I don't know, have to do with the fact that he's a Makuhita?"

"Shut it. It's a good name. Right?" Wes addressed the Pokémon. Makuhita cocked his head to the side, then nodded. "Ma."

"See? He likes it."

"Well, what are you gonna name him when he evolves?" Rui's grin spread wider. "Harry?"

Wes scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous." He paused, then added nonchalantly, "I'd call him Yama."

At this, Rui let out a real guffaw of laughter. "Did-did-did you just make a joke?" she choked.

He shot her a sideways glance. "Would that be so hard to believe?"

"Well-yeah!" She spluttered. "I don't think I've seen you laugh at...at...anything!"

"Not my fault if most people have a terrible sense of humor."

"Oh, really?" Rui folded her arms and cocked her head to the side, still grinning. "So yours is better than everyone else's?"

"Exactly."

"How humble of you."

"I try."

Rui's eyes lit up with an idea. "Tell you what." She clasped her hands behind her back. "If I can make you laugh by the end of this mission, you buy me a Pokepop."

Wes stared at her. "That's stupid."

"It's a bet! So if I lose, you get something out of it."

He snorted and folded his arms. "And what would that be?"

"Hmm..." Rui squinted up at the sky for a moment, lost in thought. "How about...I buy treats for your whole team?"

That...actually was somewhat tempting. Still -

"You have no money," Wes deadpanned.

"Only because of current circumstances!" Rui said. "Once I get a new P*DA, I'll have access to my account again - and yes, I do have my own money, in case you doubted that," she added dryly.

Wes looked at her expression and realized she was actually serious. He shook his head in disbelief. "Fine, I'll play along, but only because it means free treats for my team."

"Oh, you think so?" Rui leaned forward with a mischievous smile. "I have plenty of jokes up my sleeve!"

He rolled his eyes. "And they're probably all terrible."

"Ha! Just you wait, Lycas. I'll get you."

"I'm sure."

"Ma?" Maku's voice caught Wes by surprise; he'd almost forgotten the quiet Pokémon was still standing right in front of them. Maku was looking between him and Rui with a somewhat hopeful gaze.

"Sorry, bud, I don't actually have any treats on me," Wes said wistfully. He threw Rui a sideways smirk. "I'm sure we'll get some soon, though."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ma. Ma-ku." Maku gestured to Rui with his fist.

She blinked at the Pokémon in surprise. "Oh, you mean my treats!" Maku nodded, and her face fell a little. "Um, sorry, Maku, I don't have that many, and was saving them for the others..."

Maku blinked. "...ku." He looked down in disappointment.

Well, great. Now Wes felt sorry for him. Neo and Novo's begging tactics were one thing; he'd caved in to them from time to time, and they'd lived their lives knowing and trusting in his affection. But this poor Pokémon...he acted for all the world like Rui was the first human to ever show him kindness.

"It won't hurt to give him another one," he said to Rui.

She raised an eyebrow at him, then grinned. "If you say so." Instead of offering the biscuit to Maku, however, she dug one out of her jacket pocket and held it out to Wes. "You give it to him. You're the Trainer, after all."

Wes paused, then took it from her hand, knelt down, and held out the offering.

Maku blinked and slowly took the treat from Wes' hand. He nibbled at it - then took a larger bite, and then a larger one, until he shoved it all into his mouth. He looked at Wes and mumbled through a mouthful. "Ma."

"You're welcome. I think." It was a bit difficult to read Maku compared to Neo and Novo; Wes was used to relying on twitching ears and waving tails to tell him what they were feeling, and Maku's expressionless gaze didn't help things, either.

He suddenly noticed the sun was sinking lower in the sky; they would need to get a move on if they wanted to address the other Pokémon. After explaining to Maku that he would need to go back in his ball for now, he returned him.

"So, Wes, what are you going to name the other ones?" Rui was smirking at him. "Let me guess - you'll name the Quilava, 'Quilly'?"

"Shut up, Rui."

"Oh! How about 'Bay' for the Bayleef?"

Wes rolled his eyes. "You know what, if you're so good at names, then you should name them."

"Wait-are you serious? Do you mean that?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

He thought for a second, then shrugged. "If you want to, then...sure. Why not."

Rui beamed at him. "I'd love to!"

"Knock yourself out, then. But make sure they're at least decent ones."

"No promises. Maybe I'll name one of them 'Princess'."

"...You know what, I take it back. I'm keeping the naming privileges."

"No, wait, I was kidding! Let me name at least one!"

"Fine."

And with that, Wes tossed out the next Pokeball.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She blinked and took in her new surroundings as the light from the Pokeball faded.

She didn't recognize this place - not that that was new, per se. She hadn't recognized the last city she was in, either; all she could reliably remember of her life before that was white walls and bright lights and cold metal tables...

And pain. Lots and lots of pain.

She twitched at the memory, the flames of her mane and tail sputtering in response. The dark monster in her chest stirred.

A voice met her hears, and she snapped her head around to see...two humans. One with hair as red as the flames of her tail, and the other in a blue...something. It was somewhat like the coats the humans wore within those white walls. Somewhat.

The first one, the red one, looked at her with a smile. She felt her skin crawl at her flank and lunged at her side with her teeth, gnawing away at the sensation. Then she scratched behind her ear, and raised a hind leg to scratch her other side, and -

Itch. Itch. Itch.

It had been a long time since she'd actually been itchy; ever since leaving the white walls behind, the sensation never returned. But she'd grown so used to it, that constant prickling sensation under her fur, that it felt unnatural, wrong even, to be without it. So she had itched and scratched and twitched and clawed herself bloody in various places in an effort to keep calm.

But these humans made her nervous, and nervousness made her want to twitch, scratch, bite, and that blackness in her heart stirred even more, threatening to rear its ugly head -

"It's okay."

A voice made her raise her head. The red one was looking at her and cautiously approaching her, but it wasn't the outstretched hand that was frightening, oh no; it was that smile on her face.

She didn't like that. When the white-coated humans would smile at her, with sharp and pointy things in their hands, it was a sure sign of more pain to come.

The blue one muttered something under his breath that she didn't quite catch, and the red one laughed. She shuddered; her flames flickered as she twitched and spasmed anxiously.

If a smile was a hint of pain to come, then laughter was a guarantee.

Yet there was something...different about the red one's face. She didn't know quite what, but that face seemed...gentle? Mild?

She didn't know humans could look like that. It unsettled her.

She caught sight of the blue one's face and found something else: wary cautiousness. Distrust.

Ah. That was an expression she recognized.

Another spasm took her left shoulder, and the red one was coming ever closer. She tried to hold still, but the harder she tried, the more she twitched. That imaginary itching sensation was tingling, prickling, crawling under her skin and it was everywhere, all over, everywhere -

Fingers brushed the top of her head.

"Qu-qu-QUI!"

She didn't mean to, she really didn't, but it was so unexpected, her body was twitching so much, and that blackness was clawing at her, telling her to hurt, destroy, tear - and oh no, oh no, she didn't mean to, she was sorry, sorry, so sorry -

The blue one yanked the girl out of the way as flames belched over their heads. She heard a shout, saw them both staring at her in alarm.

Oh. Oh no. The humans hated it when she did that.

She would be punished for this, she knew. And punishment always hurt. And after the punishment, they would come at her with more sharp things poking under her skin, the itching would be back tenfold and it would make her wish she could crawl out of her own pelt like it always did and that monster inside of her would take over and please she didn't mean to, she didn't mean to, she didn't mean -

A strange smell hit her nostrils. She slowly raised her head and only then realized she'd curled into a ball in an attempt to hide from the world.

A gloved hand was cautiously extended in front of her, holding...food? She blinked and raised her head a little higher to meet the blue one's eyes. That wariness was still there, but there was something else, too...more softness? She wasn't sure.

"Here." His voice was quiet. "Take it."

Slowly, very slowly, she craned her neck forward to take the morsel from his hand. She delicately clutched it in her teeth, then immediately snapped her head away before he could have a chance to do - something. Hit her, or stab her with something sharp, or yank her by the ear.

One of those things, certainly. Humans always did those things.

He continued to speak to her, but she didn't catch the words; she was busy gulping down the food. Who knew when her next bite of food would come? Best to eat it all before he could take it away.

"May I?"

The girl's voice again. She shot a wary glance upwards to see her reaching out a cautious hand.

The blue one growled. "Rui-"

"It's okay, Wes. She's just scared."

What was wrong with this human? Her eyes were so kind, her voice so gentle, she was so different from the white ones...

She licked the last of the crumbs from her muzzle as she stared at this strange human...then reluctantly bowed her head. If this girl wanted to touch her, she would make it happen one way or another, anyway. Humans always got what they wanted in the end.

The hand brushed her head again, and even though her entire body quivered with phantom itchiness, she was prepared this time. It would hurt, but if she didn't struggle, it wouldn't be too unbearable -

Soft.

The girl's touch was light. Fingers gently brushed through her fur, stroked the top of her head, scratched behind her ears. She felt her muscles relax ever so slightly at the sensation. It felt...nice.

"Kohna."

She blinked up into the girl's eyes. So warm. The girl spoke again.

"Kohna. Can we call you that? Do you like that name?"

A...name? She twitched her ears. She'd had a name, back in the cold white rooms, but she could never remember it very well. SD00245...something. It was long and strange, and never felt like much of a name.

Kohna. It wasn't bad. She even...kind of liked it.

She slowly nodded her head.

The girl smiled again - Kohna's flames sputtered nervously at the sight. The blue one spoke to her. "We'd keep you out for a little longer, but we need to meet with the other Pokémon, too, so you'll have to go back in your ball for now." He grimaced a little. "Sorry."

Sorry? Sorry? Did this human just apologize to her? A Pokémon?

She mulled these things over and over in her mind as the light from the Pokeball sucked her back inside. Food. Gentle touches. A new name.

These humans were very strange, indeed.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Even before she could take in her surroundings, she was ready.

Her Trainer only ever let her out of her ball for two things: meals and battles. But she learned very quickly to always assume she was being unleashed for the latter. Taking too long to gather in her surroundings had earned her some painful blows from advancing foes in the past, so now she knew better. Always be ready. Always be prepared to attack, to fight, to win.

Some Pokémon took little pleasure in battling, but she was not one of them. She relished the opportunity to tear at her opponents, to send them sprawling in the dirt, to make them bleed, make them hurt. It was a welcome outlet for the rage that constantly simmered in her chest.

And yet, as she tensed her muscles and lashed her tail and snapped her powerful jaws...there was no attack, no hailstorm of fire or lightning or whatever else aiming straight for her head. She blinked and looked up at the two humans standing in front of her - two unfamiliar humans.

It took her all of five seconds to size them up. She came to a single conclusion with a derisive snort.

Pathetic.

They were all alike, humans. Thought they were so mighty just because they could suck her back into a Pokeball if she behaved too wildly, just because they could strap her down to a table and muzzle her jaws shut while they inflicted all sorts of misery, just because she knew that if she didn't obey their every whim, she would have hell to pay.

But humans could posture all they liked. She knew the strength in her scales, the deadly force of her fangs; she had the real power.

She glared up at the two strangers, unflinching, undaunted. Her willfulness would surely not go unpunished, but she didn't care. She'd had worse, and she would endure worse in the future. Pain only made her stronger, so she welcomed it.

"Oh, Wes, look at all of her scars..."

The girl cautiously stooped down to her level and looked her squarely in the eye with...was that pity?

She lashed her tail again, kicking up a cloud of dust behind her as she did so. She, a mighty Croconaw, was not to be pitied. She was raw muscle and strength and ferocity; she was a fighting machine, designed to destroy, to obliterate, to win at any cost.

Pity was not for her, no; it was for the weaker Pokémon she encountered in those cold, tiled rooms, the ones that wailed and struggled and sobbed even as the light faded from their eyes and the life ebbed from their limbs. They were the fragile ones, the ones that cried with every stab or blow or stroke of pain.

She'd never cried; she was made of stronger stuff than they.

A low growl rumbled in her throat as she leered at this pitiful little human in front of her. She would make sure this girl knew the truth: She was a warrior, not a victim.

She was not to be pitied. She was to be feared.

But before she could make her move, the other human stepped forward and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. He murmured a word of caution, made her stand and take a few steps back.

She growled again, and he locked eyes with her.

Those eyes did not contain the same aggravating sympathy as the girl's did - but there was no fear in them, either. They held caution...and something else. A quiet, burning defiance, almost as if he were daring her to test him.

She was not sure whether she despised this or respected it.

"Um, hello." The girl took a step forward again, ignoring the glare from her companion. "It's nice to officially meet you. I'm Rui, and this is Wes, your new Trainer." She gestured to the man beside her with a smile. "It's probably confusing to take all of this in at once, but don't worry, we'll take good care of you."

Another lash of the tail, another mocking snort. As if she needed reassurance. She needed nothing, never did, never would.

"If...if it's all right with you, we'd like to give you a name," the girl continued. "How does Nani sound?"

She looked at the girl with a cold, deadpan stare. Names were of no importance to her, least of all names given from humans. She'd never acknowledged the name given to her by the white-coated ones, and she certainly wouldn't adhere to anything these ones had to -

"It means 'mighty wave' in Alolan."

The use of the word "mighty" gave her pause. Hm. Perhaps - perhaps - she would consider it. She supposed a warrior did need a worthy name...

"We'll give you time to think about it, if you'd like." The man spoke this time. He was still looking at her with that fiery gaze of his. "You'll need to go back in your ball for now, but we'll have food for you later. You can mull it over in the meantime."

It was odd, the way these two were speaking to her. From her experience, humans only addressed her to bark orders, yet these ones were just...talking. As if trying to have a conversation.

She glared at them both. She had no response for them.

They exchanged a look. The man simply shrugged and held up her Pokeball. She looked at him one last time and thought she caught a glimpse of something softer in his eyes.

"We'll see you later, okay?"

The beam of light engulfed her, and as darkness swallowed her up, she snarled to herself.

No matter if these two were somewhat different. Humans were all the same, in the end.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"Right. Okay. We'll deal with him later."

Wes shakily got back to his feet and shoved Bayleef's ball back into the bag as he huffed this statement.

The second Bayleef had been released from his ball, the Pokémon bellowed in rage and launched a flurry of leaves straight for their heads; Wes had only narrowly managed to shove Rui down and duck under the slicing green blades before returning him.

Rui was slower to get to her feet. "His-his-his aura..." Her voice betrayed the fact that she was trembling slightly.

"Yeah, I know it's messed up, that's the point-"

"No, I mean-it was worse!" Rui exclaimed. She turned to Wes, face distraught. "It was like...like it was consuming him or something!"

Wes frowned at her. "Maybe some are worse than others?"

"I...I don't know...maybe?" She bit her lip and glanced at where the Bayleef had been standing just a moment before. She looked back at Wes, her eyes pools of worry, and asked the question that had been festering in the back of his mind.

"Wes...how are we going to fix these Pokémon?"

"I don't know." And for all his frustration at being in this situation, for all his annoyance at being kept from his destination at every turn, Wes found himself genuinely wishing he knew the answer.

The terror in Quilava's eyes, the scars lacing Corconaw's body, the emptiness in Maku's eyes...

Whoever was responsible for this was a monster.

"We'll figure it out," he said. He looked Rui squarely in the eyes. "We just need some time. And starting tomorrow, maybe we'll get some answers."

She nodded, and her anxiety seemed to ease a little. She glanced at the fading sunset. "Well...we should probably go back, right? I'm sure they'll be waiting for us."

Wes sighed a little. Right. The day wasn't over yet; he still had to deal with people before he could retire peacefully for the day. "Yeah. Let's go."

And with that, they left the empty lot behind.
 
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Chapter 11: Defeated

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
56E3FB58-35DD-49D8-8D83-AB9577C3A8E2.jpeg
Artwork by @Dragonfree

Chapter 11: Defeated

Wes stared at the scene before him, at an utter loss for words.

The kitchen had transformed from the previous night; the table had been scooted to the very center of the floor, with a second, foldable one set up and pushed against one end to make a single long, mismatched dining table. The air was buzzing with chatter, and the smells of a variety of breakfast foods wafted about the busy, cramped space.

"Mar? Where'd you put the bacon?" Secc's voice sounded from where he stood near the stove, scrambling eggs in a large pan.

"I put the plate over there, on the counter." Marci was busy flipping pancakes next to her father and made a vague gesture to the other end of the kitchen; Wes did a double take at the sight of the massive mayor in a flowery apron and wondered for half a second if he was in a bizarre dream.

"Where?"

"Over there."

"I don't see it-"

"That's because you're blind."

Before Secc could snark a reply, the side entrance to the kitchen swung open, and in walked Silva, Rui, and two dark haired children Wes did not recognize. The kids waved excited greetings to Duking and his kids as Silva and Rui brought in what looked to be grocery bags.

Rui caught sight of Wes and grinned. "Good morning!" Plusle, who sat sat atop her head, mimicked her greeting with a chirp.

Wes blinked in surprise; Rui looked entirely different today, and it took him a moment to realize why. Her usual pigtails had been let down and pulled back into a half ponytail, allowing the rest of her red hair to cascade down to her shoulders, and her skirt and jacket had been replaced with a plain, light blue T shirt and blue jeans. She suddenly looked much older than before.

"Morning," he said slowly.

The two unfamiliar children stepped into the kitchen to greet Secc and Marci, and Wes met Duking's eyes with a bewildered look.

"I thought you only had two kids," Wes said.

Duking raised an eyebrow at him. "I do," he said cooly. He gestured to the pair. "This is Nett and Megg, Secc and Marci's friends. They come here often and take online classes with my kids."

"Hello!" Nett chirped in response. Megg grinned and gave a shy wave as the two carried a stack of plates to the table.

Wes responded with his typical nod, but the kids still looked at him hopefully, as if expecting more. "Um, hello," he mumbled awkwardly.

Megg set her last plate on the table before fully turning to him. "Are you the Trainer helping Duking?" she asked eagerly.

"...Yes."

Marci chipped in from her end of the kitchen. "And he has the coolest Pokémon, Megg!"

"Really?" Megg glanced between Wes and Marci as her eyes lit up with excitement. "Can I see them?"

Wes shrugged. "Sure, you-" he broke off with a frown as he looked about the kitchen and found his Espeon and Umbreon were nowhere in sight. Where had they gone? They'd only just entered the kitchen with him -

"Umbri?" Novo poked his head out from under the table and looked up at his Trainer.

"What are you under there for?" Wes mumbled. He gestured for Novo to step out, and the Umbreon happily trotted to his side. Neo, apparently also under the table with his brother, followed suit with a chirp, though Wes noticed he moved a little sluggishly. He frowned at him, but Neo merely blinked up at him contentedly.

"Oh, wow!" It was the boy, Nett, who spoke up this time; he'd already taken a seat at the table, and Megg sat down beside him. "An Espeon and an Umbreon! They're really rare, aren't they?"

Wes felt a prickle of unease. He was not keen on where this conversation could be heading, and he preferred to avoid questions about where he got Neo and Novo if he could help it. He decided to vaguely answer this question with a noncommittal shrug.

Nett looked like he had more questions to ask, but before he could continue, Duking broke into the conversation as he brought a plate full of waffles to the table. "Alright, everybody, let's settle in and eat, shall we?"

Wes was still digesting the sight of him in that obnoxiously frilly apron. Rui surprised him by nudging him in the ribs - how long had she been standing next to him? - and the two took a seat.

Everyone settled in around the table - the now very crowded table, Wes realized. He found himself needing to take deep breaths. There were so many people, it was so loud, and there was so much food -

Wait.

He'd been so busy taking in the busy scene, he hadn't noticed just how much food there was sprawled atop the tablecloth. Wes stared in disbelief; he'd never seen so much food all in one place, being offered to him for free. Unless he included snatching food from the open-air markets in Phenac, but he had a sneaking suspicion that didn't count.

"This looks amazing!" Silva exclaimed from his place at Rui's other side. "Looks like you guys worked hard this morning!"

"It'd be better if Marci hadn't lost the bacon," Secc muttered.

Marci swelled with indignation. "I didn't lose it, I left it on the counter right where I said it was!"

"Well, it's not there anymore!"

"Probably because you moved it somewhere and forgot about it!"

"Why on earth would I-?"

"Secc. Mar," Duking sighed. "Drop it."

The two siblings exchanged glares and fell silent.

"Now, then!" Duking beamed at them all (well, everybody aside from Wes), his massive form towering over everyone else at the table. "Dig in!"

The chatter multiplied as everyone dished up their plates. Marci, Secc, Nett and Megg all conversed about school - Wes only knew this because Marci's voice was so loud it carried easily from their end of the table - and Silva was saying something that made Rui laugh and Duking chuckle. He quietly dished some food onto his plate, and when nobody was looking, stashed some biscuits in his pocket, just in case; rule number one of his upbringing had been to never pass up an opportunity for a meal, whether current or future.

He may have been likely to stay here for a while and receive regular meals in the process, but nothing in life was certain. That was another thing his childhood had taught him.

"So, how do you two know each other, again?" Rui's voice tugged him from his memories, and he decided to focus on it, if only to attempt to drown out the rest of the noise in the small kitchen.

"Oh, I'm just a family friend-" Silva began.

Duking barked out a laugh. "I may have introduced you as such, but that's a bit misleading." He clapped Silva on the shoulder and grinned at Rui. "Silva here is family to us. Been with us since he was a kid, and he's one of the best people I know."

Silva shrugged off Duking's grip on his shoulder, looking a little embarrassed at the praise. "You make me sound so noble, Duke." He then addressed Rui. "Duking's the one who deserves all the praise, though. He and Dahlia took me in when I was really young - I lost my parents to Noctis, see. I was wandering the streets when they found me. Practically raised me as their own." He flashed the mayor a grateful smile. "I owe everything I have to him. Who knows where I'd be now if he hadn't found me."

Wes held in a bitter snort. He had a pretty good idea of where Noctis orphans usually ended up: either on the streets, in a gang, or dead. More often than not, the first two options led to the third one fairly quickly.

"Oh, that's so sweet!" Rui beamed at them both. "I take it Dahlia's your wife, then?" she asked Duking.

A small shadow passed over Duking's face, and he gave her a pained smile. "Yes...she was. I lost her a few years back. To Noctis."

"...Oh." Rui's face fell. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't-"

"Not to worry, Miss Everlin." Duking waved a dismissive hand. "You couldn't have known. The last several years haven't been easy on us, but we've been able to manage."

Rui murmured something in response, but Wes' attention was directed elsewhere when Secc spoke up from his end of the table. "Um. Wes? What's wrong with your Espeon?"

What? Wes frowned and glanced over his shoulder to where Secc was pointing; Neo was slouched on his haunches in the doorway to the kitchen, head bowed and panting slightly.

"Neo?" Wes asked, concern flickering in his chest. "What's wrong?"

Neo blinked up at him with a somewhat dazed expression. He staggered to his feet and took a wobbly step towards his Trainer...then another...

...And then vomited a massive heap of undigested bacon all over the floor.

Silva, who was closest to the mess, hastily scooted his chair away with a squawk of disgust; Marci's mouth dropped open, and there were a few seconds of stunned silence.

Wes slowly bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh, for the love of Arceus."

Rui erupted into a fit of laughter, breaking the tension and sending the kids into a fit of giggles. Silva chuckled weakly, still edging his chair as far away from the puddle as possible.

"Well. S'pose that explains where all the bacon went," Duking grunted. He fixed Wes with a deadpan stare. "You're cleaning that up, kid."

Rui leaned over her plate, laughing so hard that tears were leaking from her eyes. Wes heard a loud burp; he snapped his head around to see Novo sitting contentedly near the kids' end of the table, licking his muzzle.

Wes couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. "You too?"

Novo blinked, then ducked his head, paws shifting guiltily.

The laughter multiplied, and this time even Duking joined in with a light chuckle. Cursing under his breath, Wes rose from his chair to take care of the nightmare on the floor.

So much for having an appetite.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Rui insisted they give the other Pokémon breakfast before heading to meet with Sherles. Wes agreed on the condition they do so outside once again; he didn't trust one of them not to snap and go berserk, and he was already on rocky enough terms with the mayor without being responsible for the destruction of his house.

Duking took notice when Wes set Bayleef's Pokeball aside on the table and frowned. "Why aren't you taking that one?"

"He's too aggressive," Wes answered curtly. "I figured I'll deal with him when I have the time and space."

"Hm." The mayor eyed the Pokeball thoughtfully. "Silva and I have some work to do in the Colosseum today. I could let him out with my team and see if I can wrangle him."

"That would be great!" Rui chirped, but Wes threw him a wary look.

"Maybe. He's pretty wild and attacks on sight," he said.

Duking narrowed his eyes. "I think I can handle it," he answered coldly.

Wes held back a scoff and finished packing his bag before heading out the door with Rui. It's your funeral.

Duking had been generous enough to provide Wes' team with Pokémon food from his own supply. It was low-grade quality, but Wes hadn't expected anything much (it was Pyrite town, after all), and Neo and Novo had lived their whole lives living off odd meals of questionable quality and had turned out healthy enough. High quality Pokémon food was a luxury that most Trainers simply couldn't afford.

The Espeon and Umbreon, however, were in no need of breakfast after their display in the kitchen. After a thorough scolding ("Just because it's bacon doesn't mean it's yours!"), they were promptly returned to their balls for a time-out. Wes was certain they would both sulk and pout afterwards, but he would have to deal with that later.

"Do you think it's a good idea to let them all out at once?" Rui asked as she eyed the three Pokeballs in Wes' hand.

"They'll have to get to know each other sooner or later," he said. "Might as well introduce them now." He shot her a sideways glance. "Let me know if any of them show signs of getting out of hand, though."

Rui knotted her eyebrows together and nodded.

The three Pokémon blinked in the sunlight and shifted as they took in their surroundings. Maku sat passively, taking in the scenery with no expression whatsoever; Kohna snorted and twitched, pawing at the ground anxiously, and Nani (Maybe? Had she accepted that name?) immediately crouched into a battle stance, snapping her jaws ferociously at the other two in turn.

Wes had no way of interpreting her fierce growls, but the message was clear, nonetheless: "Which one of you do I get to tear apart first?"

Kohna squeaked and recoiled, flames sputtering as she twitched and spasmed with more intensity. Maku met the Croconaw's gaze head on, and Wes thought he could hear a low growl rumble from within.

"Easy."

All three heads snapped to him, noticing him for the first time. Wes kept a cautious distance, crouching down in an attempt to look as non-threatening as possible.

"You're not here to fight, all right? I'm your Trainer now, which makes all of you teammates. I figured we could get to know one another."

Kohna relaxed a little, though she stil raised a hind leg to scratch obsessively behind her ear. Maku simply stared, while Croconaw huffed and leered at him.

Wes met her eyes. "Nani, right? Is that what we can call you?"

She snorted at him. Wes had no idea how to respond to that.

"I'm...going to take that as a yes." She glared at him, but didn't protest, so Wes assumed his guess was correct and continued. "Right. Nani, meet Maku and Kohna." He gestured to the other two.

All three exchanged wary glances with one another. Nobody seemed eager to break the ice.

He sighed. Well. So much for that.

"Let Neo and Novo out." Rui's hand rested lightly on Wes' shoulder as she spoke, and he only barely managed to hide his flinch. Her touch wasn't unpleasant, per se, and was much less threatening than most, but it was far too foreign of a sensation for him to be comfortable with it.

He glanced at her over his shoulder and saw that she was closely observing the Pokémon before them. "You think that's a good idea?" he asked.

She nodded and shifted her gaze to his. "I do. They're the only...ordinary Pokémon here, and maybe some interaction with them will do the others some good. Besides, they're teammates, too."

Wes was aware of that, though he knew he would look like a pushover for letting them out of their time-out so early. Other issues were more pressing, though, so he gave a nod of agreement and rose to his feet before turning back to the three before him.

"You have two other teammates I'm going to introduce you guys to. Their names are Neo and Novo, and they are not-" he broke off to give Nani a hard stare, as he saw her tensing into battle position once again, "to be attacked. We don't attack teammates. Ever. Got it?"

Nani lashed her tail in frustration and reluctantly relaxed her shoulders. Kohna and Maku listened quietly.

They all flinched a little at the bright bursts of light; it seemed they were highly sensitive to sudden sounds and movements. Novo stretched luxuriously in the sunlight, and Neo immediately set to bounding about playfully at Wes' feet. "Spi, spi, spi!"

Novo pricked his ears forward, his attention fastened on the three Pokémon eyeing him warily. The hairs rose on the back of his neck in apprehension.

"Neo, Novo." Wes stepped closer to his Umbreon in an effort to calm his nerves. He gestured to Nani, Maku and Kohna. "Meet your...new teammates."

Novo relaxed a little, but stayed where he was, craning his neck forward and sniffing the air so as to smell them from a cautious distance. Neo, however, cocked his head, then pranced right up to them with a cheerful greeting, tail waving in the air. "Spiiiiii!"

Kohna flinched back. Nani growled, curling her lip to show her impressive fangs. Maku simply stared.

Neo paused, looking at each of them in turn before rubbing up against Maku with a friendly purr. "Esp!"

For the first time, the fighter showed something other than rage or dull acceptance. He blinked and took a step back, and Wes saw utter confusion overtake his face. "...Ma?"

Rui giggled from beside Wes. "This is so cute!"

It's cute until it isn't. Wes was still keeping a close eye on Nani. She growled whenever any of the Pokémon came too close, and stiffened as Novo cautiously approached the group, but so far she was behaving herself. Still, he didn't think it wouldn't take much for her to snap her jaws at any one of them.

Once greetings had more or less been exchanged, Rui helped Wes break out the food and sat beside him as the team ate. He took extra care to keep everyone apart as they are, just in case one of them had any food aggression; Novo, though now much calmer, had been a nightmare to deal with when he was a young Eevee, and Wes was not about to risk unpleasant exchanges with the newcomers.

While they waited, Rui pulled out Wes' P*DA. She'd asked to borrow it the night before, and ever since, she'd been obsessively searching all over the internet for any possible information on the Pokémons' afflictions, but so far her search had come up empty. Wes wasn't surprised at this, and even told her she was unlikely to find anything, but she insisted on searching nonetheless.

Once they were all set and returned to their Pokeballs, they rose to their feet. Rui slipped Wes' P*DA into their bag and hefted it onto her shoulder, and Wes spared the old thing a disdainful glance. Much as he disliked the idea of spending more money, he would probably need to get a new one. The old tote from Grogan was not at all suited for Training.

Rui was practically chomping at the bit to be on their way to the police station, so they quickly made their way into town. "Today's our first official day on the job! Isn't that so exciting?"

Wes grumbled. "Sure."

She scoffed. "Gee, Wes. I'm gonna have to ask you to turn down your enthusiasm a little."

He shot her a look. "Well, why are you so excited? I thought you hated the police, yet here you are, helping them out."

"That's exactly why I'm excited!" Rui beamed at him. Wes vaguely wondered if her face ever hurt from smiling so much. "You don't understand, Wes - I've had this gift of seeing aura all my life, and was always treated differently because of it. And now I've found a real use for it, a way that I can not only help Pokémon, but people, too." She turned her head back to the road in front of them. "And if I can help with this investigation...maybe I can prevent other Trainers from experiencing what I did. Maybe I can actually do something."

"So it sounds like you still don't have much confidence in the police's ability to get anything done," Wes remarked dryly.

Rui shrugged. "Well, to be honest, they don't seem confident, either. Why else would they be looking for volunteers? Still, at least they're trying to do something. It's more than what I expect-"

THUD.

She wasn't able to finish her thought, as at that exact moment, a blur rushed at them from a side alley and collided straight into her. Wes jumped, someone yelped, and Rui tumbled to the ground with a cry; when the dust settled, both she and a young boy on roller skates were sprawled in the dirt.

"What the hell-" Wes helped Rui to her feet and snapped at the boy, who was clumsily picking himself up off the pavement. "Watch where you're-"

"I-I'm so sorry!" Rui gasped. She brushed past Wes and approached the stranger. "Are you okay?"

...You're welcome, I guess.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay!" the boy grinned sheepishly at her. "Uh, real sorry miss, I guess I wasn't paying attention-"

Wes narrowed his eyes at him.

"No, no, it's alright, I'm not hurt or anything," Rui said kindly. "But you should be more careful, you might not be so lucky next time."

"Yeah, sure thing, miss! Uh, I gotta go, but thank you!" he flashed her another charming grin, then made to breeze past them both.

Wham.

Wes seized the boy by the collar and pinned him up against the wall near the alley.

Rui squawked in dismay. "Wes! What are you-"

"Give it back," Wes snarled.

The boy's eyes widened in fear. "I - I dunno what you're-"

"I wasn't born yesterday, kid. Give it back. Now."

A fire sparked in the boy's eyes. "You're crazy!" he spat.

"Wes, stop!" Rui shouted. She pulled hard at the back of his coat. "What is wrong with you?"

"You've got five seconds to hand it over before I make things difficult."

"I - I ain't -" The boy struggled weakly against Wes' grip, but was quickly realizing his efforts were futile. "Fine!" he snapped. "Just lemme go, okay?"

Wes released him, but remained tense and ready in case the boy tried to bolt. With a hateful scowl, the boy slipped Wes' P*DA from his pocket and thrust it out to him. "Here. Happy?"

Rui's eyes widened in shock. "What - how did-?"

"I'll let you go this time, but don't push your luck. Others won't let you get off so easily." Wes fixed the boy with a cold stare.

"Fine, then!" the boy bit back. "I didn't want your stupid P*DA, anyway!"

He straightened out his rumpled shirt, and Wes noticed his trembling fingers, the barely restrained tears in his eyes. The ripped and smudged clothes, the greasy hair, and the boy's thin frame were all a dead giveaway to his life on the streets.

The boy glared bravely up at him, and Wes heaved a small sigh.

Damn those sad, frightened eyes.

"Here." He thrust a handful of bills out to the boy. "It's not much, but it'll fetch you a good meal. And for Arceus' sake, don't target anybody you can't run from."

The boy stared in disbelief for a second before cautiously taking the money from Wes' hand. He glanced at it, then shot Wes a hateful look and spat out an obscene insult that made Rui gasp in horror. Before either of them could respond, he shot off like a rocket and disappeared around a corner.

Rui gaped after him, utterly speechless for a moment. "That was...something else," she said feebly.

Wes gave a resigned shrug. He took Rui by the arm and continued forward to their destination before answering.

"That's Pyrite for you."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Duking was already inside the station with Sherles when they arrived. Rui greeted him with a warm hello, which he returned. He did not acknowledge Wes, and Wes was perfectly fine with that.

"All settled in, I take it?" Sherles asked brightly. He briefly glanced at Wes with the tiniest hint of surprise in his expression. Wes wondered if he'd expected him to attempt to cut and run already.

"Oh, yes!" said Rui. "Duking's home and family are wonderful, aren't they, Wes?" She faced him with a smile. He noticed both Sherles and Duking glance at him.

"...It's nice," he said curtly.

Rui shot him a look, as if to ask, that's all you have to say? He ignored it.

"Well, that's good to hear," said Sherles as he straightened his uniform, "Now, let's get to business, then. If you'll follow me-"

"Oy, Chief!"

Wes heard the door burst open behind him with a shout only a split-second before something rammed into his back. He stumbled forward in surprise, then whipped around with a snarl. "The hell?"

He was face to face with a young, ginger-haired officer that looked to be close to his age. The officer stood tall in his navy uniform before saluting the Chief and continuing loudly, "Chief Sherles, sir! I'm here to give my report of this morning's-"

He broke off as he finally noticed Wes for the first time. He blinked, then greeted him with a bright smile. "Oh, hello! Who're you?"

"Johnson." Sherles narrowed his eyes as he addressed the officer. "You're late."

"Yes, sir, sorry, sir. Got held up by those kids again on my way here, they wanted to say hello to Frego and -"

"Johnson, if you're going to let those kids pet your damn Arcanine every morning, then leave earlier. No more excuses."

Johnson straightened and grinned wider. "Yes, boss!"

"Don't call me 'boss'. I'm your Chief."

"Sorry, boss."

Sherles sighed. Duking chortled in amusement.

Wes couldn't help but stare at the young officer in disbelief. Is this guy for real? The lopsided grin on his face reminded him of a dopey, idiotically happy Growlithe with their tongue lolling out of their mouth.

"Right, then. Johnson, this is Wesley Lycas and Rui Everlin, the volunteers for our savage Pokémon case I briefed you about yesterday evening."

"So you're our brave volunteers, then!" Johnson chirped cheerfully. He smiled at both Wes and Rui in turn. "A pleasure to meet you both!"

"You too, Officer Johnson!" Rui said warmly. When Wes didn't reply, she jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow.

He sighed. "Yes. A pleasure."

Mother of Arceus, I have to deal with too many damn people.

They filed into Sherles' office, and for the second time that morning, Wes forced himself to take a few deep breaths. The room was entirely too small for so many people, and the fact that Duking was large enough to fill the space for three individuals didn't help matters.

Sherles had pulled a few mismatched chairs into the room for everyone to take a seat; Wes made a point to choose the chair closest to the door. Rui pulled one back to sit beside him, to his mild annoyance.

"Well, no point in beating around the bush," Sherles said as soon as he'd taken his seat behind his desk. "We need to formulate a plan on how to go about this investigation."

"I thought you already had a plan, boss?" Johnson asked lightly. "That's why we got these two, right? Speaking of which," he grinned at Wes and gestured to the metal sleeve on his arm. "Is it really true that's a Snag Machine? And that you stole it?"

Wes eyed him warily. How much, he wondered, did this officer know? Did he know who he was, or had he been told the same cover story as Rui?

"Yeah, it's true," he said tersely.

That dopey smile spread wider across Johnson's face. "I guess you could say you snagged the Snag Machine, then. Heh. Snagged, get it?"

Wes stared at him. Sherles heaved a long-suffering sigh while Rui at least gave him a weak chuckle.

...Yeah, he has no idea.

Duking shook his head at Johnson, though he had a small hint of a smile showing under his mustache. "It's no wonder you and Silva get along so well."

Sherles cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "As I was saying," he said pointedly, "we have a plan, but the specific details have yet to be worked out. Namely, the details of how we intend to get these savage Pokémon away from their Trainers."

"But - I mean - don't you have the authority to seize Pokémon if you have proof of abuse or criminal conduct?" Rui asked with a frown.

"Oh, believe me, we've tried that route a handful of times," said Sherles. "Unfortunately, it has only served to slow us down. The moment an officer shows up with their badge, all suspects scatter and go into hiding for weeks, sometimes months. We haven't been able to get anywhere with that."

"Oh…" Rui looked down at her lap, brow furrowed in thought.

"Which is why we've come to this," Duking said. He shot a wary glance at the machine on Wes' arm. "We need to make progress on this case, and the only way to do so at this point is through...less orthodox means."

"Which is where you come in, right?" Johnson asked brightly as he turned to Wes.

Wes looked Sherles steadily in the eye as he answered. "Yes," he said slowly, "but we haven't gone over the details of how I'm supposed to Snag these Pokémon."

Johnson glanced between Wes and Sherles in confusion. "Well...with that thing, right?" He pointed at the Snag Machine.

Sherles rolled his eyes. "He means how we plan to get away with it. Which, to be frank, is the reason I've called you all here. I can't imagine any one of these Trainers will take kindly to having their Pokémon stolen from them, and it certainly wouldn't take long for word about your snagging to get around to the others."

"And then none of them will want to come within fifty feet of me," Wes remarked dryly.

Unless they're trying to kill me, which...wouldn't be unlikely.

"Precisely. Which begs the question: how we plan to move forward." Sherles looked at each of them, but nobody said anything for a moment.

"So we have to find a way to take these Pokémon from their Trainers without them noticing…" Johnson frowned at the Chief. "I don't think that's even possible, boss. No Trainer is going to just not notice someone's missing from their team."

"Oh, they'll notice eventually," Duking said as he rubbed his chin. "But if we can at least make sure they don't notice right away, and don't make any connections between that and Lycas…hmm."

Nobody spoke for a moment as everyone pondered the situation. Wes folded his arms and sat back in his seat, unsure of how they would find an answer.

I really wish they'd thought this through before blackmailing me, he thought bitterly. This might have all been for nothing.

He shot a glare at Sherles, but the Chief was looking down at his desk as he rubbed his temples. He spoke and acted like he was perpetually tired with a headache - which, if he was constantly having to work with the likes of Johnson, was probably true.

Wes glanced about the room as he rifled through his thoughts in search of a solution. Both Rui and Duking had focused expressions, evidently lost in thought. Johnson appeared focused as he looked at the bulletin board over Sherles' shoulder - wait, no. He was just distracted and looking at the wanted posters. Wes sighed and returned to his thoughts.

Stealing something without anybody noticing right away…

Wait.


"Pickpocket."

Everybody turned to Rui as she spoke. She was suddenly grinning widely, a gleam of mischief in her eyes. She turned to Wes, and he knew she was thinking the exact same thing he was.

"With all due respect, Miss Everlin, I don't think anybody here has the qualifications for that - except maybe you." Duking narrowed his eyes accusingly at Wes. "And you're too well known among those Trainers to get away with it."

"I am, but she's not talking about me." Wes looked at Rui, and before he even realized it, he was returning her mischievous grin with his own. He turned back to the others.

"We might know a kid…"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The late afternoon sun relentlessly showered its rays over the city of Pyrite. The old metal buildings absorbed and then amplified the heat, sending ripples through the air. It felt for all the world like the town was a dry, dusty oven.

Not that Wes was complaining; he'd grown used to the heat long ago. He did notice, however, that Rui was panting and frequently wiping sweat from her brow, even as they stood in the shade of a building next to the town square and observed the battles taking place.

She noticed him looking at her and shifted a little defensively. "Agate doesn't get this hot, okay?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Honestly, though, how are you not dying?" She threw a disbelieving look at Wes' coat. "That thing doesn't look light at all."

He shrugged. "It's common knowledge to keep yourself covered in the desert to protect from sunburn."

"Yeah, but is a heavy coat really necessary?"

"I'm used to it."

Rui shook her head at him. "You're crazy."

"Thanks, I'm flattered."

She snorted and turned her attention back to the square where two Trainers were preparing to start a battle. Wes folded his arms and leaned back against the wall. He had his reasons for never parting with the old, worn out coat, but he was not eager to share any details.

Light flashed from the square as the Trainers summoned their Pokémon; he threw Rui a sideways glance. "Anything?"

She shook her head and sighed. "Nothing. They're all normal." She slumped back against the wall dejectedly. "After seeing two at once yesterday, I thought there'd be a lot more."

"If Sherles' reports are accurate, then there's quite a few of them around here," said Wes. "We just have to figure out where they are."

He'd made a point to keep his Pokémon in their balls as they watched. Having a Pokémon by one's side was a common enough occurrence in Phenac, but in Pyrite, it was only an invitation for unwanted attention; at best, a Trainer wanting a battle, and at worst, Pokémon traffickers looking for new targets.

"What happens when we do find one?" Rui asked.

"Well, until we can find that kid again, we'll just make a note of who the Trainer is. Try to catch their name. But nothing much is going to happen until we can find our pickpocket."

"I barely even remember what he looks like," she said. "It all happened so fast."

"I remember. We'll find him." Wes heard Rui snort, and glanced at her to see her frowning at him.

"Yeah, I'm sure you got a good look when you pinned him against a wall and threatened him," she said dryly.

Wes scoffed at her in disbelief. "Are you seriously guilt tripping me right now? Over not letting him steal from us?"

"I'm just saying, you could have been a little gentler with the poor kid," Rui shot back. "You didn't have to put the fear of Arceus into him!"

"Yes, I did," Wes snapped. "All it takes is one failed attempt to get you killed around here. I was teaching him a lesson."

She looked at him with narrowed eyes for a moment before relaxing slightly. "All right, I'll take it. But for Mew's sake, Wes, you don't have to be so rough with people. Not everybody is out to get you."

He snorted and turned his head away. Of course she would believe that. She had yet to learn what he had as a small child: everyone was out to get something.

You know nothing about how the world works.

In a small, strange way, he almost envied her for that.

They sat in silence for a while as they watched the battle unfold. Wes had to admit he shared a little bit of Rui's sentiment; they'd been out here for hours, hoping to at least spot another strange Pokémon, but had had no such luck. He'd been under the impression that they were everywhere, but perhaps the other Trainers were more careful than the two they'd seen yesterday.

"Look who's back in town, hmmm?"

A silky feminine voice sounded from the street and broke through his thoughts. Wes turned to its source - and only barely managed to hold back a groan.

She sauntered up to him like a prowling Persian, hips and hair swaying from side to side as she moved. Her tight clothing accentuated her curves in all the right places, and her boots clicked against the dusty pavement with each step.

"Emok," Wes said flatly, "what do you want."

She came to a stop several inches too close for his liking and smirked at him, one hand on her hip. "Is that any way to greet me? I've missed seeing that handsome face of yours, you know."

"What do you want, Emok."

Emok laughed softly. "Oh, there's a number of things I'd want from you, darling." She reached out to his chest and traced the clasp of his coat with an idle finger. "But maybe a battle would do...for now."

She gave him a sultry, half-lidded look that nauseated him.

"Wes?" Rui spoke up uncertainly, frowning between the two of them. "Who is this?"

Emok raised an eyebrow at the redhead, apparently noticing Rui for the first time. She snorted and grinned back at the Snagger. "What are you doing around town with this wallflower?"

"Wallfl - EXCUSE me?" Rui spluttered angrily. "Just where do you get off calling me a wallflower?"

Emok tossed her a simpering smile. "Don't get too bent out of shape, sweetie." She stepped closer to Wes, bringing her face uncomfortably close to his as she addressed him again. "Surely you don't intend to keep this...little thing around for company?"

Wes scowled at her, but Rui broke in before he could reply.

"What, like you're better?" she spat. "He's far too good for you!"

Emok snapped her attention back to the redhead with a gleam in her eyes.

Mew help us all. Wes needed to do damage control, and fast, before things got too heated.

"Rui." He fixed her with a burning look. "Shut it."

Emok barked out a laugh. "'Rui'? Arceus, even your name sounds prissy."

"Oh, that's rich, coming from you!" Rui bit right back, blatantly ignoring Wes altogether. "What were you named for, the sound of a Meowth coughing up a hairball?"

Emok's eyes flashed; she stepped toward Rui with a snarl, hand reaching for a Pokeball on her belt.

Wes shoved Rui back and stepped between them. "Enough." Arceus above. Between Emok and Cail, it was like the redhead was trying to pick a fight with every stranger on the street. He glared at the Trainer in front of him. "Emok, I'll let you have your battle, but afterwards, you get to answer some questions for me."

There was still fire in her eyes, but she met Wes' gaze with a flirtatious grin nonetheless. "I'm flattered, sweetheart, but if you want to know more about me, buying me a drink will do just fine."

Rui snorted loudly from behind Wes' shoulder. He shot her a scathing look.

"Next battle, then," he said to Emok. The one in the square was winding down, its victor already apparent.

"Glad to hear it," she said smoothly. Her eyes flickered to the Pokeballs on his belt. "Oh, and don't think I didn't notice you've got some new additions. I'm excited to see them in action."

Oh. He hadn't thought about that. "They're too new," he said quickly. "I'm still getting them used to the team, so I don't plan on-"

"Are you holding out on me?" Emok narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. "You know how I hate the idea of someone going easy on me."

"That's not-"

"Don't patronize me, Lycas. If you want answers to your questions, then I want to see what you've got."

Rui snarled from behind him. "You little-!"

Wes threw an arm out in front of her to stop her from approaching Emok. He matched the Trainer's fiery gaze with his own. "Fine."

A sly smile curled over her lips. "Good," she purred. She jerked her head to the now empty battle square. "Shall we?"

Wes nodded, and she turned and strode over to her side of the ring. Rui spoke up in a hesitant murmur.

"Are you sure about this?" Her eyes flickered with worry. "You've seen how they can get in battle…"

"I'll call them off if it gets too heated," Wes replied as they walked to the yellow circle. "Worst case scenario, I'll have to forfeit and we still get to see what she knows."

"That's not the worst case scenario and you know it."

She had a point, and Wes didn't have a response to that. They'll be fine. This is worth the risk...hopefully.

Rui took her place outside of the ring, several paces away, but remained where Wes could see her out of the corner of his eye. If Emok had an unusual Pokémon, Rui would signal to him.

He locked eyes with Emok, two Pokeballs in hand. She gave him a curt nod, and they simultaneously sent out their Pokémon.

A Zubat and a Gulpin materialized across the ring. Novo shook hismself as he emerged, then pricked his ears forward at his opponents; Kohna glanced about, then pawed at the ground nervously when she caught sight of the other Pokémon.

Wes crouched and called them to him as Emok did the same with her team; it was a common practice to fill in one's team on what was happening before throwing them into battle without warning - though not every Trainer gave their Pokemon such courtesy.

Novo trotted up to Wes and affectionately bunted into his arm, which Wes returned with a chuckle and rub behind his ears. Kohna was slower to follow, continuously glancing over her shoulder at the opposing team.

"Kohna." The Quilava turned to Wes as he addressed her. "As you can tell, we're about to have a battle. I know this is your first time with me, but I promise if you just listen to what I tell you, you'll be okay. Alright?"

She fidgeted a little, her back leg twitched, but she nodded her head. "Qu-qu-qui…"

"Novo here will watch your back, and you should watch his, too. Work together and this will be easy." He glanced at the Zubat and Gulpin before returning to look at his Pokémon with a grin. "Too easy."

Novo kneaded the ground in excitement and let out a bark. "Umb!" Kohna sat up a little straighter.

He rose to his feet and found Emok and her team waiting for him. She placed a hand on her hip and tossed him her usual, seductive smirk. "Ready, sweetheart?"

"Don't call me that."

She laughed. "Ooh, you are fun to tease." A glint entered her eyes, and she shouted her first command. "Zazo, Supersonic that Quilava!"

"Novo!" Wes barked.

The Umbreon sprang into action and leaped in front of Kohna before launching his Swift attack. The starry rays smacked into Zubat and sent him tumbling through the air, knocking his Supersonic waves askew.

Another shout from across the arena, and Gulpin lurched forward, poisonous fluid bubbling from his mouth. Wes called to Kohna.

"Kohna, stop that Gulpin! Ember!"

Kohna looked back at Wes with wide eyes. "Quiii?"

He frowned at her. "You don't...know that move?"

She shook her head.

Novo yelped as Gulpin's Sludge grazed his side; he bravely held his own as he fought off both foes at once.

Wes clenched his teeth. They didn't have time for this. He'd never heard of a half-grown Fire Pokémon not knowing Ember; weren't half of them born knowing that?

"Right, ah, how about Scratch?"

Zubat dove for her. She scrambled out of his reach, just barely avoiding his Bite, before looking back at her Trainer in fear.

Not even Scratch? He threw out his last guess. "Tackle?" Surely even she would know -

"Qui…" Kohna whined and hunched low as she shook her head, flames sputtering sporadically, legs twitching.

Her terrified eyes looked up at him, and Wes realized she was not afraid of the attacking Pokémon - she was afraid of him.

"It's - it's alright, it's okay-" Except it wasn't okay; Novo was taking hit after hit from the Zubat as he targeted Gulpin, and even though the attacks were weak, he would surely be worn down soon enough.

Emok cackled from across the arena. "You weren't joking! Are you telling me your Quilava doesn't even know how to battle?"

But she did know how to battle, Wes had seen it. Back in Phenac, she'd been on a rampage, her Trainer letting her run wild. The only command he could remember hearing from them in that battle was -

He looked at Kohna again. "Shadow Rush?"

A spark entered her eyes. Her flames roared to life as her fur bristled, a snarl escaping her throat. At the very mention of the move, Kohna's entire demeanor transformed.

He had no idea what that meant, but he would take it for now. "Right - Shadow Rush Gulpin!"

She moved before he even finished his words. She lunged for the little green Pokémon, teeth and fangs flashing, then slammed into him with reckless, brutal force. Gulpin was sent rolling across the ring, but wasn't out of commission just yet.

Finally! Wes called for her to keep it up before shifting his attention to Novo, who was snapping in frustration at Zubat. The little bat's sporadic flying pattern was making him a difficult target to nail down.

"Dark Swift, Novo!"

"Briii!" Novo let out an enraged snarl before launching a Swift and Dark Pulse in rapid succession. Zubat flitted about to avoid the wave of blackness, but was unable to avoid the starry rays infused with Dark energy. He tumbled through the air again with an ear-splitting shriek.

A beam of light caught Wes' eye; Emok was returning her now unconscious Gulpin, muttering curses under her breath.

"Zazo! Supersonic Quilava!"

The Zubat dove for Kohna, narrowly avoiding Novo's jaws as he lunged for a Bite. Wes was about to give another command when Rui's voice broke through his focus.

"Wes! Kohna - call her off!"

"What?" he barked at her. "What are you-"

"Wes, there's something wrong with-!"

A bellow of rage cut her off, and Wes snapped his attention back to the battlefield.

Kohna was thrashing furiously in the dirt, kicking up a cloud of dust with each movement. Zubat flew at her, but Novo intervened and knocked him back with another Swift. Kohna staggered to her feet and raised her head.

Wes did not recognize her.

An unearthly rage gleamed in the Quilava's eyes; every muscle was taught, her flames raging higher than ever, her lips curling in a vicious snarl, revealing pointed fangs.

He made an effort to call out to her. "Kohna-"

She spat a massive ball of fire at the fluttering Zubat, striking him directly and ramming him into the dirt where he lay still.

So you do know fire moves.

But Kohna wasn't finished.

She breathed another jet of fire towards the motionless Zubat. Emok shouted and reached for her belt to return her Pokémon; Novo sprang forward and barely managed to deflect the flames with a Protect, giving her enough time get Zubat safely inside his Pokeball.

"Kohna!" Wes could hardly believe this transformation. This was not the terrified, timid Quilava of just a few moments ago.

He stepped into the ring to approach her, and heard Rui shriek behind him. "Wes, NO!"

Kohna was oblivious to Wes' presence, however. Instead, she turned to Novo -

And blasted him with fire.

Novo yelped shrilly as the force of the attack sent him rolling, his pelt badly singed. Wes swore vehemently. "Kohna, STOP!"

She didn't seem to hear him; she advanced on Novo as he struggled to his feet, breathed in to launch yet another assault -

"KOHNA!"

She froze.

In an instant, her demeanor changed yet again. Kohna blinked, her flames dying down as the muscles in her body relaxed. She looked about with apparent confusion - saw Novo, saw Wes running towards them. "Qui...Qui?"

Wes knelt beside his Umbreon to assess the damage. He let out a breath of relief upon seeing that it was nothing too serious; he would need a trip to healing machine and a Burn Heal on top of that, but he would be fine.

Novo leaned into his Trainer's arms, and Wes could feel him trembling. He clenched his jaw and returned him to his ball.

He rose to his feet and glanced over at Kohna, who cowered under his angry stare. "Kohna, what the hell was that!" Wes spat.

"Qu-qu-qu-"

"I'd like to know, too!" Emok stomped up to Wes, her face twisted with fury. "You trying to kill Zazo or something? Huh?!"

"I didn't tell her to do that, Emok-"

"She's your Pokémon!"

"And I told you she was new!" Wes bit back. "I didn't want to use her, if you remember!"

"Wes." Rui's hand on his arm startled him. He shot her a glare, but her eyes were on Kohna, who was now whimpering and curled into a ball.

Rui looked up at him with a saddened expression. "Return her," she said softly.

Despite his anger and Kohna's dangerous behavior, he couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her. He nodded and quietly returned her. They would have to sort things out with her later.

"I'm not paying you!" Emok snarled. "You played dirty!"

"What?" Rui's voice sharpened. "He won fair and square before any of that stuff happened!"

"'That stuff'? Zazo was almost-!"

"Stop." The two fell silent as Wes pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, Emok, I won't ask you to pay me. But I do need you to answer some questions for me." He raised his head and met her eyes. "Either you pay me and walk away, or you don't and you answer my questions."

She narrowed her eyes at him. Wes was acutely aware of the fact that she could walk away without giving him anything at all, and nothing short of threats would stop her.

"I'm sorry about Kohna," he said. "I really am."

Her face softened a little. She sighed. "I guess I did sort of force you into using her, but - I dunno what you're doing with a Pokémon like that, Lycas."

I don't know, either.

Emok folded her arms. "Here's the deal. I'll answer three questions for you, and then I'm out of here. Good enough?"

Rui looked like she wanted to argue, but Wes silenced her with a sharp glance. "Yes. Good enough," he said. He jerked his head to a nearby alleyway. "Let's talk somewhere less crowded."

Emok raised an eyebrow at that, but she didn't protest. "You lead the way, then."

He did just that, with Rui beside him. She said nothing, but the worried expression on her face mirrored his thoughts. His mind went back to her question from the previous evening.

How are we going to fix these Pokémon?

And though he hated to admit it, the question left him feeling utterly defeated.

I don't know.

Author's Notes:

Me: *promises that the plot will finally start picking up*

Also me: *publishes like 3 more slow chapters of introducing and establishing characters and plot*

Me: *sweats nervously*

Okay I'm sorry guys, I grossly underestimated how long it would take me to set up all of these new characters.
BUT! It is time well spent, and I do not regret it!

I do apologize if these last couple chapters have been a snooze fest for you, though. This story DOES have lots of action in store, so just hang in there and fasten your seatbelts!
 
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Chapter 12: Belonging

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
TW: This chapter contains depictions of child abuse that may be upsetting for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

Chapter 12: Belonging


It hurt to breathe.

Not that Leo wasn't used to it; ugly bruises, bloody scrapes, and deep cuts had become a regular part of his daily life since he'd been recruited to the team. Most Snagem adults needed an "outlet" for their stress - or so they claimed, at least - and his small size had made him an easy target.

But today was different; today, he'd been targeted by none other than Gonzap himself.

It had all happened so fast; Gonzap was publicly berating him in front of several crew members over something minor - something that wasn't all that uncommon in and of itself. But then, without thinking, a snide comment had slipped from Leo's mouth the second his boss had turned his back.

He came to regret that decision very quickly.

He wasn't even sure how he'd managed to escape afterwards to his favorite hiding spot, a small crevice in the canyon wall a short distance behind the base. All he knew was that if he stayed in that building, beaten and weakened as he was, he would not survive much longer. Weakness was eagerly exploited by other Snagem kids who were desperate to rise through the ranks and ensure their own survival.

The second he staggered through the narrow opening into a wider, cave-like niche, he crumpled to the floor and his senses left him.

Had he been here for minutes or hours? He couldn't be sure. Time was nothing more than an agonizing blur as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Perhaps it wouldn't matter whether he'd stayed at the base or not; maybe he was going to die here anyway, alone in this miserable corner of the desert...

He tried to sit up, but the pain in his ribs was too great. He collapsed back to the ground and blacked out once more...


-----------------------------------------------------

Water.

The next thing he knew, a bottle was being pressed against his parched lips, water trickling into his mouth. Leo gulped it down greedily, the cool liquid providing welcome relief to his dry and scratchy throat. How strange...where was this water coming from?

He forced open his eyes. Though his vision was hazy, he could just make out a figure of a dark-haired man hovering over him. With a jolt of terror, he recognized the Snagem uniform the stranger was wearing under his blue coat.

He shoved the water bottle away and tried to scramble out of the man's arms. Leo heard him yelp in surprise. "Woah!"

He didn't get far; after trying and failing to rise to his feet, he collapsed onto the sand once more, gasping through the white-hot pain in his chest. A hand rested on his shoulder, and Leo tried to flinch away from the touch.


"Easy there, kid." The man's voice was gentle. "I'm not here to hurt you, okay? Take it easy..."

The boy raised his head to glare weakly at the stranger. He then noticed a Sandslash sitting beside the man, and his panic rose even more.


"S-stay away!" he gasped.

"I'm trying to help you, kid," the man sighed. "I won't do nothin' to hurt you, swear to Arceus. Here." He held out the water bottle to the boy. "You're dehydrated. You need to drink."

Leo scowled at the bottle and pushed it away. "I don't...don't need...your
help-"

"Yes, you do. I don't blame you for wanting nothin' to do with me, but you won't make it out here if you don't let me help you. Please, kid."

His entire body was pulsing with pain, his mind felt fuzzy and unfocused, and he no longer had the strength to hold his head up. Leo slumped in defeat. "F-fine," he mumbled faintly.

The man gave a brief nod and a relieved smile. "Good...I know somewhere we can go that's safe, but I'll have to carry you. Just hang in there, alright?"

His voice sounded distant, as though it were fading away. Leo barely managed an incoherent murmur in response. He was dimly aware of being lifted up and hefted into the man's arms, and the resulting wave of pain plunged him into blackness.

---------------------------------------------------


"Just who the hell do you think you are?"

Gonzap's roars of rage haunted Leo's dreams. Every word was enunciated with another blow from his mighty fists.


"I'm going to tell you something, boy, and I'm only gonna say it once, so listen good."

His massive hand closed around the boy's throat and hauled him up into the air until his feet were off the floor. Gonzap leaned in, lips curled in a snarl, and the feeling of his breath in Leo's ear sent shivers down his spine even as he gasped for air.

"You always have been, and always will be, a worthless little scrap. You are nothing, you hear me? Nothing. Don't you ever forget it, Leo."

And he, Leo, never would.


"So, what's your name, kid?"

Leo narrowed his eyes at the man as he sat across from him and slowly worked alway at the sandwich he'd brought. He moved carefully so as not to aggravate his injuries; even several days later, sudden movements still caused his chest and head to flare up in pain. He was propped up in a sleeping bag against a rock near the cave wall, and had scarcely left his spot since being carried to the small, secluded cave.

The man watched him intently, waiting for an answer. Leo shifted a little uncomfortably, his many bandages crinkling as he moved. "M-my name's Leo-"


"No, kid. I mean your real name."

Leo stared. "But...that
is my real name."

"Is it?" His companion leaned back against the opposite cavern wall, folding his arms with a scowl. "Or is it the name Gonzap assigned you when he dragged you onto this Arceus-forsaken team?"

Leo had no idea how to answer that. Sure, Gonzap had given him his name on the day they'd picked him up off the streets of Pyrite, but he hadn't thought much of it. Every kid was given a new name once recruited to Snagem; that was just the way things were.

Rather than try to come up with a response, he frowned and shot back, "Well, what's
your name? You never told me."

The man chuckled. "You never asked." He held out a hand with a grin. "Name's Alden. At your service."

Leo slowly shook his hand in bewilderment. This man was so strange, so...
different from all the other grown-ups at the base, from the way he spoke to the manner in which he carried himself. He was kind, yet held an air of weary authority, as if he was both fully aware and tired of his own self.

Leo jumped a little at the sound of Alden's P*DA pinging. With a sigh, Alden pulled it from his pocket to check the message, then rose to his feet.


"Duty calls. I'll be back later tonight. I'll leave Flick here with you, so for the time being, just get some rest." At the mention of his Sandslash, he unleashed her from her Pokeball and she promptly curled up beside the boy.

"Can I go back yet?"

"Not just yet. Give it a few more days. And remember, nobody can know I helped you get back on your feet. Gonzap or Wakin will have my hide for being soft on you."

Leo blinked up at him. "But why?"

Alden looked away from him at that question. "Because...in their opinion, anybody who isn't strong enough to survive on their own has no place in Snagem. And people don't just
leave Snagem." He shot Leo a firm look. "Don't let that discourage you, though. You're a tough kid, I can see it. You'll make it far here, you just need a fair shot."

Alden glanced through the narrow cave opening to the darkening sky outside, then back at the boy. He then removed his coat and tossed it to him. "Here. That sleeping bag will keep you warm, but take this, too, just in case."

He slung his bag over his shoulder and made to leave. Leo situated himself into the warm fabric of the coat, then spoke up again. "Um, Alden?"

Alden glanced at him over his shoulder. "Yeah?"


"...Thanks."

Alden grinned at him. "No problem, kid." And with that, he left.

Leo glanced at Flick and reached out to stroke her fur, being careful to avoid the sharp spines along her back. Flick raised her head and chirped at him, then rested her head in his lap, which brought a smile to his face. He rubbed her ears and pondered the question he'd meant to ask Alden before he left.


Why help me, then?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another morning, another breakfast filled with inane chatter, too many voices, and too many people. Even after several days in Duking's household, Wes remained just as uncomfortable as he'd been the first night they'd arrived.

I will never get used to this.

Not that that sentiment bothered him. The busy, messy kitchen that was always full of food, the cozy living room that held odd messes of homework papers and kids' games, the constant sound of laughter and conversation that could be heard from anywhere in the house...all of these signs practically screamed the same message to him, over and over: You don't belong here.

Wes was all too aware of this. After the stunt he'd pulled at Snagem, he didn't belong anywhere - which was just fine with him, he adamantly told himself.

He briefly glanced over his shoulder through the kitchen doorway and into the living room beyond, where his team was eating their breakfast. After a few days, Rui had convinced him to allow the new Pokémon out and about in the house as long as they were kept under a watchful eye. She claimed that their auras seemed calmer when spending down time outside of the Pokeballs, and insisted that having more time around people and other Pokémon would do them some good.

They were behaving well enough so far, though on more than one occasion he'd caught Nani eyeing the family Plusle, Plu, as though trying to determine if he was an appropriate snack size. Rui said he was just being paranoid, but Wes trusted the Croconaw about as far as he could throw her - in other words, not at all, considering she'd bite his arms off first.

Silva and Duking were absent this morning on account of managing something at the Colosseum. Rui was gone, too, saying something about an errand she needed to run with Johnson's wife, Lyvia. The two girls had only met a few days ago when Johnson and Lyvia came over for dinner, and they had wasted no time at all in forging a new friendship.

Not that any of that mattered to Wes; to him, she was simply another person he was forced to deal with on the regular. He was beginning to think the madness of constant socializing was never going to end.

Despite his relief at having less people at the table this time around, however, he was acutely aware of Rui's absence this morning. She often chatted enough for the both of them, and Wes hadn't realized how much he'd relied on her being somewhat of a buffer between him and unwanted conversation.

"Hey, Wes, tell us about Neo and Novo's evolution stories!" Megg said. She, Marci, Secc, and Nett were gathered at their usual place at the end of the table.

"Oh, this should be fun!" Johnson, who sat directly across from him, chimed in with a wide grin, looking just as excited as the kids did. Wes looked at that childlike expression and heaved a quiet sigh.

Why are you here, again?

He shrugged and returned his attention to his scrambled eggs. "There's not much to tell, honestly."

"Aw, come on!" Wes didn't need to look up from his plate to know Marci was giving him her best pouting face. "There's gotta be something. How did Neo evolve?"

Wes took a bite and replied in a deadpan tone. "He fell out of a tree."

Johnson barked out a laugh as the kids burst into giggles. "Now that's a story. What happened?"

"That's it, that's what happened. He ran up a tree, fell out, and evolved."

"But was that all?" Nett asked with a small frown. "I thought there was usually a trigger that made Pokémon evolve."

Wes merely shrugged again. "Probably got a rush from falling down, I suppose. That's all that happened."

Secc was the one to speak up this time. "What about Novo?"

Wes paused and shot another glance at his team over his shoulder; Novo had finished his meal already and was now playfully tussling with Neo while Kohna and Nani watched with varying expressions, Kohna looking faintly terrified and Nani looking disdainful. Maku was perched atop the living room couch and gazing out the large front window, something Wes caught him doing rather frequently.

He watched the Umbreon wrestle with his brother for a moment before turning back to the table. The circumstances behind Novo's evolution had been...less than pleasant.

"He evolved in a fight," he said carefully.

"Ooh, a mid-battle evolution!" Johnson exclaimed. "Always wanted to see one of those."

I didn't say it was a battle. Wes didn't bother to correct him, however. It would be easier to let them go along with that.

Marci bobbed up and down in her seat. "Tell us about the battle!"

...Great.

Mercifully, Wes was saved from having to invent a story on the spot by the sound of the kitchen entry door bursting open.

"Good morning, everyone!" Lyvia said cheerfully as she entered the room with Rui in tow. She smiled at the kids as they returned her greeting, then moved to take a seat beside her husband.

Wes was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that a man as clueless as Johnson was able to find someone to romance, let alone marry. He'd wondered if Lyvia was just as odd and naive as the officer was - but she, remarkably, was quite normal, and even good-looking, to boot. Her short, curly black hair framed her kind, round face, her smile was remarkably warm and genuine, and she greeted everyone with a friendly wave, not unlike Rui.

...Perhaps she was a little naive, then, Wes thought. Anybody who could be so carelessly friendly to random strangers on the street had to be, to some extent.

Lyvia scooted awkwardly through the crowded kitchen; it was already difficult for a regular person to get around in such a small space with so many people, let alone someone as pregnant as she was. After a few mumbled apologies and Megg and Secc scooting their chairs in as close as possible, she was able to settle in beside Johnson with a weary laugh.

"I tell you, some days I think this baby can't come soon enough!" she breathed.

"Well, tell her to wait a little longer, it's not time yet," Johnson replied with a wide grin before greeting her with a kiss.

Rui stepped further into the kitchen and threw Wes a particularly bright grin, which immediately raised his suspicions.

"What?" he asked.

"We have a surprise for you!" she said. She and Lyvia exchanged a knowing look before she pulled something from her shopping bag and tossed it to him across the table. "Ta-da!"

Wes stared at the object in his hands. It was a Training bag - and a nice one, at that. The sleek black and white design was one thing, but he could tell from the material that this was not just an ordinary bag; it was specifically created with capsule technology, a highly sought-after feature that allowed items to be stored in massive quantities.

"Oooh, is that a Trainer bag?" Marci gasped from her end of the table. All the kids leaned in for a closer look, eyes wide.

He looked up at Rui in shock. "Where did you get this?" More importantly, how did you afford this?

"Pyrite's got some good wares if you know where to look!" said Lyvia brightly. She must have read the expression on Wes' face, as she quickly added, "And don't worry about the cost. It's mine and Johnson's treat."

Wes stared at them both, faintly mortified. "What?"

"It was Johnson's idea," Rui said. "He noticed the bag we've been using wasn't...well...made for Training, and he insisted on getting you a new one."

Wes looked between her and the officer, hoping that at least one of them was joking.

"I can't accept this."

Johnson laughed and waved a hand. "Of course you can! Consider it a thank you for volunteering for this mission. No average person would be so willing to do that for us."

But I'm not a volunteer, I didn't sign up for this, I'm not…I don't...

Something incredibly heavy and unpleasant weighed in Wes' chest, making him feel as though he might sink through the floor. It pulled at him from the inside like a dull, persistent ache, twisting his stomach into knots, and felt remarkably like…

Guilt.

"I can't take this. Really. I don't deserve it."

Rui laughed. "Stop being so modest and just accept the gift already!" She sat in the empty seat beside him and began dishing her plate. "Besides, you need it. That old tote was ready to fall to pieces if someone so much as looked at it the wrong way."

She did have a point there, but it didn't serve to make Wes any less uncomfortable. "I - I don't-" he looked back up at Johnson and Lyvia. "Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely! With your help, we actually have a chance of getting somewhere in this investigation." Johnson grinned wider. "You could say we'll...have it in the bag."

Secc snorted into his hashbrowns. Megg and Marci giggled while Nett slowly shook his head. Lyvia rolled her eyes and addressed her husband with a sigh, though her face still held a small smile. "Are you telling me that the entire reason you wanted to give the bag to Wes was so you could make that joke?"

He smiled at her. "Might have been part of the reason."

An agitated bark from the living room interrupted the conversation; Neo was bouncing playfully around Nani as she snapped at him in a rage, his paws just barely dancing out of reach of her furious jaws. Novo yapped at him in distress, glancing from his brother to Wes in a plea for intervention.

Despite the sigh that escaped him as he quickly rose from the table, Wes was grateful for the excuse to leave. Once again, the thought that played through his brain in a constant loop was brought to the forefront of his mind.

I don't belong here.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"I did good, didn't I?"

Rui grinned at Wes as they made their way through town to continue their search for their pickpocket, Neo weaving between them and Novo trotting faithfully beside his Trainer.

Even after several days of searching, they'd been unable to find much of anything in terms of the boy or strange Pokémon. Their only stroke of luck had occurred a few days prior, when Rui managed to spot the Flaaffy's Trainer in another part of town - but without a means to steal her Pokémon, Wes found no point in challenging the Trainer.

Wes glanced at Rui, caught off guard by her sudden remark. "Did good on what?"

"On the bag! I picked it out, you know. I may not know much about Training, but I know capsule technology when I see it."

Wes tried to ignore the knot in his stomach at the mention of the bag; he hated to even look at the thing, but he couldn't very well refuse to use it without looking ungrateful or raising suspicion. Instead, he attempted to divert the conversation away from it.

"I'm surprised that you do, considering you couldn't even tell the difference between Pokeballs back at the Outskirt Stand," he said dryly.

She scowled at him. "Hey, I'm not a Trainer, okay? Besides, it's not like I had a reason to know the difference between Pokeballs. That was the first time Papi has needed any for a long time."

"I'm surprised he needed any at all," Wes said. He suppressed a grumble at the mention of Rui's grandfather; this whole mess could be boiled down to the fact that he'd sent his granddaughter on an errand for some stupid Pokeballs, and for what reason? "You said he was teaching the village kids how to catch Pokémon?"

"Yes!" Rui said brightly. "Oh, and when I spoke to him the other day, he said they actually spotted some Oddish in the forest! So the rumors were true! Wild Pokémon are coming back to Orre!"

Wes looked at her in amazement. He hadn't expected to hear that, but his attention was primarily focused on another part of her statement.

"Forest?"

"Mm-hmm." Rui nodded and clasped her hands behind her back, her boots kicking up small clouds of dust off the pavement as she walked. "My village is right at the edge of Agate Forest. It's a beautiful place."

"There are forests in Orre?"

Rui shot him a look of mild surprise, and Wes realized just how much shock he'd been displaying in his tone - but he couldn't help it. He'd scarcely seen any trees in Orre, let alone a whole forest. He'd thought he would only ever get the privilege of seeing such a thing once (well, if) he ever made it to Johto.

"As far as I know, there's just the one that I grew up in," Rui said. "But it's pretty sizable! Are you telling me you've never seen a forest? Ever?"

Wes shook his head.

She beamed at him. "Well, that settles it, then! You have to come visit my hometown. I can show you all of my favorite places, and take you to the best waterfalls!"

"Waterfalls?" Wes' mind was positively bursting now. Since when did Orre have any of these things?

He was pulled out of his bewilderment by the sound of Rui laughing. He blinked at her, utterly nonplussed. What was so funny?

"S-sorry!" Rui giggled, shaking her head. "I've just never seen someone so amazed at the idea of trees and waterfalls!" She smirked at him. "It's rather adorable."

Adorable? Adorable? Wes stared at her. "I didn't - I don't - what's that supposed to-?"

Rui laughed again, even harder this time. "Merciful Arceus, you are so easy to tease!"

Wes broke into a scowl. "Stop it."

Rui raised a hand to her mouth in an effort to stop laughing, but only managed to snort instead.

"Alright, I'm leaving you behind." Damn it. Why did his face feel so warm?

"Wa-wait! Don't be like that!" Rui jogged to keep up with him as he significantly increased his pace, and grabbed his sleeve, still failing to stifle her laughter. "I'll lay off, okay? I was just messing with you, you Grumpig."

"I am not a-" Wes broke off with a huff. "Whatever."

In the corner of his eye, he saw Rui bite her lip to hold in her laughter.

You're lucky I didn't leave you in that damn sack in Phenac.

He refocused his attention on the alleyways they passed by, scanning for any sight of the boy. They'd visited the places Emok had suggested several times already, but Rui insisted on checking again at different times of the day, just in case.

Wes reflected on what precious little information Emok had given them regarding savage Pokemon several days ago.

"Well, they're definitely being distributed, but I couldn't begin to tell you where from or who's responsible," Emok had said as she folded her arms and leaned against the alley wall across from him.

"Then how do you know they're being distributed?" he asked.

"A hunch. But a solid one." She idly looked at her painted nails as she spoke. "I've asked a few Trainers here and there, as I wouldn't mind getting one for myself, but not one of them would give me a straight answer. Whoever is giving out those Pokémon is taking solid measures to make sure nothing gets traced back to them." Emok looked back up at Wes with a smirk. "That's two questions, by the way. You've only got one more."

"I'm aware," Wes said coldly.

"Funny you should be asking me about these Pokémon when you seem to have one yourself. Where'd you get that psycho Quilava, again?"

"I'm the one asking the questions."

"Alright, easy." Emok raised her hands in a gesture of submission. "No need to get testy, sweetheart."

Rui gave a snort of disgust from beside him. She threw Wes a sideways glance, and he knew they were both thinking the same thing: they weren't going to get much more from her.

"Right, then." He turned back to her. "Last question, do you know a blonde kid on roller skates that lurks around here? Had a bandana in his hair."

She folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Are you really asking me if I know one scraggly brat from another around here? They all look the same to me. And I don't exactly spend my time on street scraps." She slipped him a sultry wink. "I've got bigger fish to fry."

"You're really despicable, you know that?" Rui took a step forward, bristling, but Wes threw an arm out in front of her to keep her at bay.

"Any idea where a kid like him might hang out, at least?" he said briskly.

Emok shrugged. "Could always check some of the abandoned lots at the edge of town. I see groups of em there sometimes...oh, and that creepy lady's place - what was her name? She's the one that thinks she's some sorta witch or something. Fortune seeing and all that crap."

Wes frowned at her. "Fateen?"

"Yeah, that's the one. I see kids hanging around her hut at odd times. Don't ask me why, though. She's a crazy old Golbat if I've ever seen one."

That was odd, he thought. As far as he knew, Fateen was the town's self proclaimed Psychic, and frequently offered readings and other odd services to Trainers as they passed by her door. Wes had never bothered to learn more about her, and often steered clear of her hut whenever possible - he, like many others, found the old woman's presence rather off-putting.

"Right. Thanks for your help." He nodded to Rui, and the two made to leave.

"Wes?" Emok called from behind him. He paused to glance back at her, and was mildly surprised to find that she didn't have her usual mocking or flirtatious expression; instead, she wore a small frown.

"I don't know what you're doing asking these questions, and quite frankly, I don't want to know. Just...be careful, alright? Anybody who can keep that many Trainers quiet has got to have some real power under their belt."

She had a point there - not that Wes hadn't considered this himself. He simply gave her a curt nod and tried to ignore the foreboding prickle that traveled down his spine. "Thanks."

And with that, they had left.

"Hey, Wes, look!" Rui's quiet gasp pulled him back to the present, and she raised an arm to point at the oddly colored hut down the street.

He followed her gaze and spotted a small cluster of kids milling around the back of Fateen's multi-colored hut. Their heads were ducked low, and they appeared to be speaking to one another in whispers, glancing about furtively as though afraid of being discovered.

"Emok was right," he said in surprise. He hadn't actually expected her tips to be of any help.

"What are they doing?" Rui murmured as she squinted at the scene.

That was a good question. On closer inspection, he realized the kids were actually standing in a line of some sort. They were ducking in and out of the tent, and once one reappeared, they quietly slipped behind a nearby building and out of sight. Fateen herself was nowhere to be seen.

"Think she might be smuggling something to them?" Rui asked with a frown.

"It sure looks like it." But what, exactly, was she peddling off to them? Not more unhinged Pokémon, surely? He glanced at Rui. "Only one way to find out."

They carefully made their way across the street towards the hut. As they came close, Wes addressed Rui again in a low voice.

"Alright, we have to be discreet about this. If we're too direct or raise their suspicions, they'll scatter and-"

Rui, however, wasn't listening. She stepped up to the group with a smile and a friendly wave. "Hello!"

Dammit, Rui -

The kids froze, all eyes on her, then exchanged nervous glances before one of them in the center stood up and spoke. "What do you-?"

He froze as he recognized her, eyes wide. "Aw, hell!"

"Oh, it's you!" Rui exclaimed.

Wes stepped forward before she could damage things further and addressed the boy. "Look, kid, we don't want any troub-"

The boy bolted into the tent.

Wes bit out a curse and tore after him, Neo hot on his heels; he shouted for Novo to stay with Rui as the rest of the kids yelled and scattered and he heard Rui shout his name behind him, but his sole focus was on the boy scrambling through the inside of the hut.

The tent itself was full to the brim with colorful fabrics draping across every surface and shelves adorned with a wide variety of strange and colorful objects, from crystals to sparkling beads to jars of herbs. The boy nearly slammed into a tiny woman stocking the shelves, causing her to squawk and topple over in fright; Wes saw him fixate on one overstocked shelf near the front exit.

Oh, don't you dare -

He dared.

A deafening CRASH rang in Wes' ears as the boy ripped the shelf from the wall and sent it careening to the floor behind him. The woman behind Wes yowled a stream of profanities as Wes attempted to plow through the wreckage and slipped on a smattering of beads. He tried and failed to catch himself and slammed to the floor instead, glass shards slicing at his palms through his gloves.

"Dammit-" he snarled. "Neo!"

"Esp!"

Neo pulled ahead and sailed over the debris in a single, graceful bound. He landed deftly in the sunlight just beyond the tent's opening, then darted out of sight in the direction the boy had fled.

Wes pushed himself up off the floor and burst through the opening flap, then pelted after his Espeon, the woman's shouts continuing from within the hut.

He caught a glimpse of Neo's tail whipping out of sight around a corner and down a narrow alleyway; Wes sprinted past it and down the next alley, calculating where the boy would go next. The kid obviously had experience running from danger and was well aware of which routes to take - but two could play at this game, and Wes was no novice himself.

Having a Psychic Pokémon certainly didn't hurt matters, either.

He blew past a cluster of dusty Trainers hunched low in the shadows; they yelped and leaped back as he ran past, but Wes paid them no mind. He skidded around another corner and caught a flash of blond hair disappearing behind a nearby building.

Perfect.

Wes slowed his pace, allowing himself time to catch his breath, then made his way behind the building. Even before the empty lot came into view, he could hear the boy's angry shouts.

He was suspended in the air, encased in a blue bubble of Psychic energy, thrashing and snarling as Neo yapped and bounced around beneath him in a springy sort of victory dance. "Esp! Esp! Esp!"

Wes gave a breathless grin as he walked up to the chaotic scene. Neo caught sight of his Trainer and barked triumphantly, tail waving proudly in the air. The Espeon trotted up to him and was rewarded with a rub behind the ears.

"Good job, buddy," he breathed.

"Put me down!" the boy howled. "Put me down NOW!"

Wes looked up at him. "Look, kid, I'm not here to hurt you-"

"I DON'T CARE!"

He was frantic, struggling desperately despite how futile his escape attempts were. Wes heaved a sigh.

"Swear to me you won't run and I'll let you down."

"I do! I swear!"

"Alright, then." Wes nodded to Neo, and the Espeon's eyes glowed. The boy was lowered to the ground and the blue bubble vanished.

There was a brief pause in which he glared daggers at both Wes and Neo. He opened his mouth as though to say something - and then made a break for it.

"Spi!"

The bubble was back around him in an instant. The boy flailed and snarled in fury, spitting one obscenity after another.

"What did I just say about running?" Wes snapped.

"I'M SORRY, OKAY?" the kid bellowed. "If this is about the other day, then I'm sorry! And I didn't take nothin' else, I swear!"

"That's not what-"

"If ya want money, I don't got none!"

"I'm not here for-"

"Wes!"

Rui staggered into view, clutching her chest and gasping for air, Novo padding beside her; unlike Rui, the Umbreon appeared rather bored with the whole affair, and showcased this by sitting idly at Wes' feet and stretching his jaws into a wide yawn.

Rui leaned forward with her hands on her knees for a moment to catch her breath before straightening up. An expression of horror filled her face as she took in the scene.

"What are you doing?!"

"He ran. I stopped him," Wes said curtly.

"For Mew's sake, Wes! Put him down!"

"Not until he hears us out."

"Shut up! I don't care what you want, I ain't helping you!" the kid spat.

Wes snapped his attention back to him with a growl, but before he could respond, Rui shoved herself between them and addressed his hostage in a gentle tone.

"I'm sorry about this, I really am. We just wanted to talk to you, I promise."

"I got nothin' to say to you, lady!"

Rui sighed and shot Wes a glare. "Put him down."

He scoffed at her. "He's just going to-"

"Now."

They glared at each other for a moment, then Wes relented with a venomous grumble. "Fine."

He signaled to Neo, and the bubble burst once again - this time dropping the boy to the ground with a yelp and a hard thud.

"Wes!"

"What?"

Rui looked as though she wanted nothing more than to throttle him. Instead, she settled for throwing Wes a murderous scowl before turning back to the boy and offering her hand. "Here. Let me help you."

He jerked away from her. "Don't touch me!"

She retracted her hand and knelt in front of him, undeterred by his rudeness. "We're not going to hurt you, I promise. Can you tell us your name?"

"Like hell I'm gonna tell you!"

Wes massaged his temples in frustration; this was going nowhere. He stepped up beside Rui, pulled a few bills from his pocket, and thrust them out to the boy. "Just hear us out. Alright?"

The kid eyed him warily, glancing between him and Rui, then reached out to take the money, but Wes jerked his hand back at the last second. "You can have this after you listen."

His face melted into a scowl. "Fine."

Rui offered again to help him to his feet, but he ignored her outstretched hand and pushed himself up, dusting the dirt from his clothes - not that it did much. His baggy shirt and shorts were so ragged, dirty, and torn, Wes was convinced not even a wash would make much of a difference.

"Right. Tell us your name, kid."

He took a moment to answer, as though holding out in a small attempt to spite him. He finally bit out a reply. "Lon."

Rui gave him another kind smile. "That's a nice name. I'm Rui, and this guy here-" she jerked her head to her companion with a note of annoyance, "is Wes. Sorry he's such a jerk."

Wes shot her a withering look. He was about to remind her that this whole fiasco was her fault for not listening to him, but if Rui caught his glare, she ignored it and continued.

"We've been looking for you because we want your help," Rui said. She clasped her hands behind her back and maintained her friendly smile, and Wes witnessed Lon's tense features relax slightly. If he weren't so frustrated with her at the moment, Wes might have been a little impressed at her ability to disarm the kid. Maybe.

Lon folded his arms and frowned at them both. "Help? With what? And what's in it for me?"

Wes chose to answer this one. "A place to stay and three square meals a day for your pickpocketing services."

Lon's eyes widened in disbelief for half a second - then he snorted and shook his head. "Nawww. You ain't serious."

"We are serious." Wes shifted his stance a little, and the movement was enough to make the boy flinch. He paused at the sight, and forced a softer air into his tone. "What we need is someone with your skills for a long term operation. If you cooperate with us, we'll make sure you have a roof over your head, a bed to sleep in, and food to eat. You have our word on that."

The boy fixed him with a flat stare. "How am I supposed to know you ain't lyin'?"

"Look, we won't force you if you don't want to." Wes returned Lon's steady gaze. "The way I see it, you have nothing to lose, here. Either you don't come with us and you go back to your life on the streets, or you come with us and have a safe place to stay."

That statement finally seemed to get through to him. Lon blinked, then furrowed his brow as he looked between Wes and Rui once again.

"...My team, too?" he asked quietly.

Wes frowned at him. "You have a team?" He hadn't noticed a belt or any Pokeballs on the boy.

Lon shifted a little and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah. I got three. An' I ain't goin anywhere without 'em."

Wes found himself glancing downward at Neo and Novo, both of whom had placed themselves loyally at his feet on either side. He hadn't expected the kid to have Pokémon of his own, but he was certain that Duking would be able to help out with that. In any case, the boy wouldn't be accepting their offer if his Pokémon weren't included, and Wes could hardly blame him.

He looked back up at him. "Yes. Your team, too."

Lon chewed his lip for a moment as he thought it over. "Okay," he said slowly. "I'm in. I think."

Rui beamed at him. "I'm so glad! I promise we'll take good care of you!"

Lon looked at Wes expectantly; he handed the money over and a small grin took over the boy's face. "Are y'all really for real?"

Rui laughed. "Yes. Really for real."

The tiny flicker of joy in Lon's eyes was not lost on Wes. Despite his annoyance at the kid's stubbornness, he couldn't help but feel a tiny prickle of warmth. He may have had his issues with Duking and some of the man's methods, but there was no doubt that the kid and his team would be in good hands under his roof.

Lon looked at the bills in his hands with an expression of awe and disbelief. When he looked back up at them again, his face was positively shining with excitement.

"So, whaddya want me to do?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seemed that, after several days of fruitless searching, their luck had taken a sharp turn for the better all in one day.

Lon stared up at Wes, eyes wide in horror. "You're kiddin' me."

They stood at the outer edges of the Battle Square, observing the battles taking place. They hadn't been there long before Rui pointed out a semi-familiar face watching the scene from the other side of the street: the Noctowl's Trainer from their first day in Pyrite.

Wes glanced at the boy. "Time to put your skills to the test, kid."

"Are you serious? You want me to - to-" he glanced around warily before lowering his voice. "Steal his Pokémon?"

"Not just any of his Pokémon. He's got a Noctowl we're after, so pay attention to which ball it's in. When the battle's over, I need you to snatch it from him."

Lon glanced between him and Rui, positively thunderstruck.

"Who the hell are you people?"

...That's a good question.

Rui gave a weak laugh. "I know how it looks, but I promise we have a good reason for this. We'll explain everything later, okay?"

Lon gave her a long, studious stare before relaxing his shoulders a little. "Okay," he said slowly, "if you say so…"

Wes glanced briefly at Rui, and for the second time today, he found himself mildly impressed by her ability to charm wary strangers. Had she not been so naive and pure, such a talent would be a dangerous weapon.

"So…" Lon turned back to Wes. "You gonna battle him, then?"

"Sure am."

Lon didn't respond right away, but Wes caught the gleam of excitement in his eyes all the same. He couldn't help but feel a little eager himself; battling gave him a thrill that he could find scarcely anywhere else…

Aside from Snagging.

No!
He shoved that thought away with a bolt of anger. You're not a Snagger. You are not one of them. Not anymore -

That low, gravelly snarl whispered in his ear again. Are you sure about that?

Wes clenched his teeth. Screw you! Get out of my head!

Once a thief, always a thief, boy,
the voice hissed. That's all you ever will be, and that's all anybody will ever see.

Snarling under his breath, Wes pushed himself off the wall behind him and marched across the street towards his selected opponent. Neo and Novo followed suit, and a concerned chirp from his Umbreon met his hears. "Bri? Umbri?"

The Noctowl's Trainer looked up as Wes approached. His eyes flickered over the Eeveelutions trotting at Wes' side, then back up at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"I take it you wanna battle?" he asked in a slow, drawling voice.

"I do," Wes said curtly.

The man smirked. Wes took a brief moment to take in his appearance in case Lon should fail in his thieving attempt; he had short, spiky brown hair and impressive sideburns curling down his face. His leather boots and jacket were coated in a thin layer of dust, a sign of how much time he spent in the outdoors and on the streets of Pyrite. His stony facial features made him look older at first glance, though on closer inspection he didn't look much older than thirty or so.

"You so cocky you had to show off your Pokémon before we even started?" he asked.

"Yeah. Sure." Wes wasn't interested in conversation; the sooner they could start this battle, the sooner he could more easily ignore that voice inside his head.

The man barked out a laugh and extended his hand. "Name's Nover. I'll take ya up on that challenge. Next battle, then?"

He shook the man's hand. "Wes. And yes."

Several minutes later, he stood in the ring across from Nover, having recalled Novo to his ball. Wes knew he was taking a risk by using one of the newer additions to his team, but after coaching them through several training sessions in the abandoned lot at the edge of town, he was feeling more confident. At the very least, he'd managed to avoid outbursts like Kohna had had in their battle against Emok, which had to count for something - although, oddly, none of them seemed to know any moves beyond Shadow Rush, which he and Rui had both found a little concerning.

As Wes called Neo close and prepared to send out his second Pokémon, he caught a glimpse of Lon retreating to the shadows in the corner of his eye; he had instructed the kid to keep his distance from him and Rui whenever possible, to prevent himself from being associated with Wes' battles, and to keep a low profile as much as he could. Not that he needed instruction on the last bit; any street kid knew all about trying to go as unnoticed as possible.

Wes sent out Nani as Nover unleashed his two Pokémon: a Ledyba and a Wingull. The two Trainers crouched to address their Pokémon.

"Right, Nani, this is your first official battle with me, so be sure to listen carefully, alright?"

The Croconaw leered at him, and Wes began to wonder if he hadn't made a huge mistake in choosing her. Of all his Pokémon, Nani was far and away the most difficult for him to manage; while Maku was compliant and Kohna was eager to please, Nani had made it clear that she would rather call her own shots, thank you very much. Wes had usually managed to coax her into cooperating with him, but only just by the skin of his teeth, and he had a suspicion her cooperation was more out of boredom than it was out of respect.

"Nani, Neo's got a disadvantage against the Ledyba, so focus all of your attention on them. Neo will take care of Wingull, and then together you can work on his Noctowl. Sound good?"

Neo chirped. "Esp!" Nani narrowed her eyes and merely snorted at him.

...I really hope that was a yes.

Wes stood, and the two took their place inside the ring. Nani's eyes lit up at the sight of her opponents, and she snapped her jaws at them with a ferocious snarl, tail lashing in the dirt.

Nover shouted the first command. "Silver wind! Wing attack!"

"Psybeam, Neo! Shadow Rush!"

Neo leaped gracefully to the side and avoided the Ledyba's silvery gust with ease; he spat a colorful ray of Psychic energy at the Wingull, but missed as the bird dodged at the last second. Her wings flapped furiously as she dove from the air to ram Neo with a Wing Attack - only to be bowled over by a bellowing, raging Nani.

Wingull let out a squawk as Nani's Shadow Rush forced her to the ground. She struggled to rise, only to be rammed again with another Shadow Rush.

"Wh - Nani!" Wes barked. "The Ledyba!"

Too late. Neo, distracted and confused by Nani's sudden change of plans, was not prepared for the Ledyba's next attack.

Wham!

The Espeon's shrill yelp of pain pierced the air as he took a Comet Punch to the side and was blasted off his paws.

Wes cursed under his breath. "Neo, Confusion! Nani, lay off the Wingull-"

But there was no need; Nani had already hammered the poor thing senseless. She stood proudly over her fallen victim, tipping her head back and snapping her jaws in the air in a show of victory. Nover hastily returned his Pokémon with a grumble, frowning at the Croconaw's antics.

Neo staggered to his paws and attempted to launch a Confusion at his rapidly advancing foe, but only managed a weak hit before the Bug Pokémon buried him in a Silver Wind.

"Shadow Rush!"

Nani seemed to have very suddenly and conveniently regained her hearing. Instead of rushing to Neo's aid, however, she took her time in swaggering over to her teammate, chest puffed outwards in some sort of display of bravado. Neo deflected another attack with a Protect, then finally managed to nail Ledyba with a powerful Psybeam, sending him tumbling through the air in a daze. The Espeon took advantage of the brief reprieve to shake the dirt from his pelt and regain his bearings.

At long last, Nani seized her opportunity. She sprang upward and managed to latch her claws onto one of Ledyba's feet, then hurled him into the ground much like she did with her previous opponent. She sprang forward to ram him with a Shadow Rush -

A flurry of brown feathers and an ear-splitting screech; Nani was thrown backwards as Nover's Noctowl came into play. She bellowed in rage and was back on her feet in an instant, lunging at the massive bird with a murderous snarl.

Damn. Wes had been so busy assessing Neo's condition after his beating, he hadn't noticed Nover summoning his Noctowl until it was too late to call out a warning.

"Nani! Focus on Ledyba!"

If Nani heard him, she certainly showed no sign of it. Nover called a command and Noctowl dove at her again, but this time she was ready, and met the blow head on with her own Shadow Rush; the collision sent both of them tumbling backwards through the dirt.

Meanwhile, Neo engaged with Ledyba once more, struggling through another Silver Wind to strike the bug with Confusion.

"Dammit all!" Wes spat. "Nani!"

She finally seemed to hear him. While Noctowl staggered upright and attempted to take flight once more, Nani turned to face her Trainer.

She looked Wes dead in the eyes, snorted, then tossed her head back over her shoulder and lashed her tail, kicking up a cloud of dirt squarely in his direction.

Did she just-?

Neo let out a weary yowl of triumph; Ledyba was downed at last, done in by a well-aimed Psybeam that had thrown him to the ground followed by a Return. Wes wasted no time in sending him after Noctowl, who was now tearing ferociously at Nani and looked more than ready to draw blood.

A vicious snarl tore from Nani's throat; with every blow Noctowl dealt, she struck back harder, and the attacks were increasing in intensity from both sides. She lunged in at the nearest opening and snapped her jaws shut around the bird's leg with horrifying force.

The resulting scream of pain from the other Pokémon made Wes' blood run cold. Such a scream should never be heard in a casual battle setting, not ever, and yet - Noctowl's Trainer looked largely unconcerned.

"You're fine!" he snapped. "Shadow Rush!"

"Nani, stop!"

Neither Pokémon seemed to be hearing their Trainers anymore; the two were little more than a whirlwind of feathers and scales as they tore at one another, their cries twisted with rage. Nani released her hold on her opponent's leg and snapped her jaws in an attempt to shred Noctowl's wing -

BAM.

On Wes' command, Neo rammed into Nani with a simultaneous Return and Confusion, ripping her and her foe apart and sending her flying across the ring. Despite the brutal force of the blow, Nani was back on her feet and whirled on him in a matter of seconds, fangs bared, ready to rip into Neo with savage pleasure -

She vanished in a beam of light just before she could make contact. Wes shoved the ball back onto his belt with a shaky curse. He should have known, he should have known this was a terrible idea -

Noctowl rammed Neo with terrifying power, sending him rolling through the dirt. Wes heard him snarl even as he struggled mightily to rise back to his paws.

"Protect!"

Neo managed to summon the silvery shield just in time; Noctowl bounced off of it with a solid thunk. Wes took advantage of the opening to send out Novo, then promptly recalled Neo. The Espeon had done more than enough, and there was no need to keep him on the field any longer.

The final moments of the battle were mercifully short; Novo made quick work of the already weakened and badly injured Noctowl, and Wes couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief to see her returned to her Pokeball. Her leg was stained red, having sent small droplets of blood around the ring in her frenzy to keep fighting.

Wes returned Novo and looked up at the other Trainer from across the ring; Nover scowled sourly at Noctowl's ball before clipping it back onto his belt, then strode across the field to Wes.

"Well," he grunted, "couldn't be helped, I suppose."

He was remarkably unfazed by the violent turn of events mid-battle. Wes fixed him with a burning stare.

"Sorry about that. You probably want to get your Noctowl's leg looked at."

Nover snorted and waved a dismissive hand. "Naw. She'll suck it up."

Wes clenched his teeth and bit back a scathing response. Instead, he kept his words to a minimum as Nover paid him and thanked him for the battle, then watched him turn and walk away in the direction of the Colosseum.

"Wes?" Rui's voice made him jump. She was looking at him with mild concern. "You alright?"

He heaved a weary sigh and ran his hand through his hair. "It happened again, didn't it? She lost all control like Kohna did."

"...Yes." Rui's reply was quiet. "They both did. Her and the Noctowl." She shook her head. "What was he thinking? Pokémon aren't meant to battle like that, but he didn't care at all…"

Wes didn't reply. He knew exactly what Nover had been thinking; he'd met too many Trainers in Snagem with the same methods, the same mindset. The only thing that ever mattered to them was results, rules and Pokémon's welfare be damned.

He glanced around and noticed Lon was missing. "Where's the kid?"

"Already on it. I think." Rui frowned a little. "I didn't even see him disappear, but I figured he was just being discreet...you think he'll come back?"

"Only one way to find out. Let's see if he turns up."

They headed to their previously appointed rendezvous point, an old lot outside a warehouse near the Pyrite Drop. The Battle Square was much too public of a place, and for Lon to be seen with them after every battle would raise suspicion all too quickly.

As luck would have it, Lon was already there waiting for them, a wide grin on his face and a Pokeball in hand. An Igglybuff was perched comfortably on his shoulder - a rather cutesy Pokémon for such a rough kid, Wes thought. "That was too easy."

Wes held out a hand, and Lon gave him the Pokeball. "You sure this is the right one?"

"Duh. I wouldn't make a dumb mistake like that." The smile faltered from his face a little. "That Noctowl...there's something wrong with her, isn't there?"

Wes nodded and carefully slipped the ball into his bag; he would have to officially Snag her later to overwrite her Trainer's I.D. associated with the ball, but first he and Duking would have to try to look over her injuries. "Yeah. There's something wrong with her. And we're going to...try to fix it."

Arceus knows how.

"And...and your Croconaw, too?"

Wes sighed and nodded again. "Yes."

Lon dropped his gaze to the ground and nudged at a pebble with his foot. When he raised his head again, he wore an apprehensive expression. "Do...do you know what's wrong with them?"

"Not yet." Rui spoke up gently. "But we'll figure it out, I'm sure. The first thing is getting these Pokémon away from where they can hurt other people."

Lon chewed on his lip, evidently lost in thought.

"Let's get back to Duking's, shall we?" Wes suggested. He didn't want to admit it, but the events of the day had left him exhausted, and the more he thought about this hopeless mission with these damaged Pokémon, the more tired it made him.

"Yes, let's," Rui said in agreement. Wes caught her looking at him with concern in the corner of his eye; he brushed past her and ignored it, and led the way back to Duking's home.

He didn't know how long they'd been walking, himself lost in thought while Rui chatted with Lon and got acquainted with his Igglybuff (who was apparently named Ozzy). He gave a small start of surprise when he felt Rui's hand on his arm and found himself looking into her blue eyes, which were shadowed with worry.

"We'll figure this out, Wes," she said fervently. She kept her voice low, supposedly to keep Lon from overhearing, though there was little need; the boy was animatedly filling in his Pokémon about the day's events and on where they were heading, and was entirely oblivious to their conversation.

Wes blinked at her. "I never said we wouldn't."

"No, but you seem...overwhelmed." Rui gave him a small smile. "I do think they're getting better - slowly, but surely. And I know there's a way to help them recover. I just know it."

And even though her baseless optimism usually annoyed him, even though her persistent positivity often wearied him...Wes found himself starting to believe her, though he had no idea why.

He said nothing to her, and she didn't press him for a response, but as Duking's house came into view, he couldn't help but feel just a little lighter than before.
 
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WildBoots

Don’t underestimate seeds.
Location
smol scream
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. moka-mark
  2. solrock
Hello ... um, Yellow! ;)

Quick caveat: writing this review on my phone! Gonna proofread as best as I can, but autocorrect is a wild ride. DM me on Discord if you need me to clarify anything.

Your fic has been on my list for a while, and I’m happy for the excuse to spend some time with it. I never played Colosseum—man did I miss out!—so it’s been fun meeting these characters for the first time. And remembering what the early 2000’s were like, oh my god. It’s like Nintendo made Sandstorm by Darude into an entire region, from geography to costuming. (I’m also reminded really strongly of Cowboy Beebop.) So with very fresh eyes and without further ado, here are some general thoughts on chapters 1 and 2!

You’ve done a nice job establishing your main characters. Wes has so much personality—I’m a shameless sucker for a terse, brooding boy—and his relationship with his pokemon makes for a nice dynamic. Even without adding Rui into the mix, our main three have plenty going on to keep things interesting! They clearly work well as a team, yet still push each other’s buttons a little. I appreciate how Novo and Neo each have some catlike moments and some doglike moments. Sassy Neo especially stands out. I feel like I’m still getting to know Novo.

I’ve pulled out a couple quotes where I noticed grammar issues or language that could tightened up, but mostly ... I was just having fun reading.

It would only take any newcomer a brief view of the landscape to see why.
Suggestion: A newcomer would only have to glance at the landscape to see why.
(How many newcomers does Orre get though? Doesn’t exactly seem like a tourist hot spot.)

Among the chaos, no one seemed to notice one person in particular dashing from the building, with two Pokemon sprinting at his side.
I wanted a little more about Wes’s physicality here to help us see why he might’ve or should’ve stood out. (Obviously it’s not his outfit! Lol.) It could be as simple as him running the opposite direction from everyone else.

he ran straight for a massive hunk of metal that vaguely resembled a motorcycle.
I feel like you can just tell us it’s a hover bike! That’s not so different from a motorcycle that it’s impossible to imagine, and it immerses us in the setting a little more.

A terrifying roar of rage sounded from behind the trio, and the Trainer turned his head to see his least favorite person in the world: a massive, hulking man with no hair (though he made up for that with impressive eyebrows and facial hair), charging straight toward them, his face red and contorted with unfathomable fury.
A couple redundancies here: no hair/facial hair (maybe swap to “beard”?) and massive/hulking (pick one). Other pieces of this I wanted to get a little more space with to let the impact sink in. It might be nice to break this into two sentences: 1) big man, angry eyebrows. 2) His face turns red abs contorted with anger.

Anger and bitter satisfaction alike swelled inside his chest. He faced his now-former boss with a growl.

"If you're going to threaten me," he said, "call me by my real name." He sneered. "It's Wes, by the way. In case you forgot."
Nice, nice, nice. I do wonder why he was using this other name for him though!

The motorcycle engine started with a roar, and in one smooth motion, the young man swept astride the motorcycle.
Hmm swept astride isn’t quite working for me, but that might be personal preference.

Its rider slammed on the gas and he and his Pokémon sped away, leaving the scene of wreckage behind in a cloud of dust.
We know his name now, so it feels weird to refer to him so distantly as “its rider.”

His Umbreon gave a yip of hearty affirmation. His Espeon, on the other hand, squinted at him, then sniffed airily and turned his head away from his Trainer.
Cat cat cat cat cat

Neo. Is this about me manhandling you back there?"

The Pokemon, Neo, irritably flicked his tail in response.

Another sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. But there's a time and a place for gloating over a victory, and doing so while escaping from an exploding building is not it.
Amazing. Great character moment.

The scene dissolved into darkness, and a man's husky, menacing voice spoke in a snarl. "It's time you learned this lesson, boy."

Another shift, another dark room littered with Pokemon lying ominously still, and there was another voice, a kinder voice, accompanied with a sad, tired smile.
I wanted a little bit more specificity in this dream sequence to really drive home the impact! Maybe some specific pokemon (or specifics about how they’re laying wrong, etc). Might be nice to let Wes move through these rooms a little and actively try to turn away from these memories (only to be unable to escape!) instead of the camera’s eye cutting in and out.

But! I think the nightmare sequence is an effective move here. Wes is clamped down tight around his secrets and feelings, so it’s nice to get a glimpse at where his heart is with all this.

The diner cellar. Payment for a night's stay in the musty place, where he and his Pokemon would be hidden from prying eyes.
Payment is an odd juxtaposition since the previous sentences refer to place. This information—that you can pay for rooms—might be better placed with the first description of that he diner. Which! By the way! Not sure if this is a canon or original location, but what a great set piece. I also enjoy the physicality of the breakfast sounds and voices coming through the ceiling.

Umbri?" The markings on his coat glowed softly, gently illuminating the dark, dusty cellar.

He forced a feeble smile and placed a hand on the sleek black head. "
The second “he” I mistook for Novo instead of Wes at first, since that’s who “he” has been referring to last time.

One time deal, remember?"
*one-time

At the sound of his name and "bacon" being used in the same sentence, the Umbreon lifted his head and yawned. "Umbri?" He pricked his ears forward and gave his Trainer a hopeful look.
Omg cutie. This felt real, haha.

Under normal circumstances, he would have had to resort to swiping table scraps for all three of them, but thanks to the cash he'd snatched from the hideout, he could afford to dote on his Pokémon just a little. After yesterday, he figured they deserved it anyways.
Priorities! And this was a good bit of world-building. I guess Snagem didn’t pay well. Tough times in Orre.

On the wall across from where they sat was a flatscreen TV, arguably the most modern thing about the place. It was showing some old, obscure cartoon that nobody seemed to be watching.
I like that even on this modern TV, the cartoons are old.

His gaze remained steadfastly fixed on them, and he only returned his attention to his plate after they drove away and out of sight.

Wes had turned his attention elsewhere. He ate his breakfast quietly while discreetly scanning the occupants of the place.
Good team: one watching inside, the other watching outside. Might be nice to get a little psychic power play here?

He figured battling while on the job for Snagem hadn't really counted, considering the main goal had been thievery and not victory.
I can’t tell if this means that he didn’t normally fight to the end of the battle, just until he got his haul, OR if it mean the battles he won previously didn’t feel like real victories because they were tainted by the theft. I think this distinction matters, and I’m tripping over “victory.”

After all, eccentric fashion choices weren't unusual in Orre.
CLEARLY NOT. 2003 is alive and well here.

He noticed Neo walking with a particular swagger after his breezy victory before sauntering into the sidecar. Show off.
So much personality!

Perhaps he simply wasn't used to such pristine buildings and clean streets. His life had consisted of dirt, sweat, and rust, and none of those things seemed to belong in such a perfect place as Phenac. Plus, there was an air of false grandeur about the place that repulsed him.
MOOD.

Neo swatted playfully at the swaying fabric before bounding ahead to be at the front of the group, where he usually preferred to be.
OMG I love this detail.

Perhaps it was obvious, or maybe Wes' personal history had taught him the signs; either way, it was clear to him that these men were not up to anything wholesome, and everything about their demeanor screamed, "shady business". He got to his feet with a sigh and turned away. "Not our business, bud. We're here to get away from those kinds of people, remember?"
I wanted this to be two paragraphs to really highlight the moment of Wes recognizing what’s happening and then turning away anyway. Split at “He got to his feet”?

"Wha' do you mean, take a rest? We're almost there!" Wes could head their conversation as he approached.
I wanted these sentences to switch places to better show a cause and effect: he heard their conversation, and here’s what it is.

In a synchronized motion, Neo and Novo gracefully moved across the white stones,
This shows how practiced they are! Good team.

The girl named Rui looked up at him with shocking, bright blue eyes.
I’d cut it to “Rui looked up at him.”

"Wes", he said shortly.
Oops, your comma escaped the question marks here, haha.

"But you ought to take this young man with you!" Marla gestured to Wes. "If those criminals are coming back, you ought to have someone with strong Pokemon."

"No," Wes said shortly. "I have places to be." He'd taken far too many detours today already.
LOL Wes is not here to babysit or be voluntold for a task. This moment definitely shows that he’s operating on a different wavelength from these city folks.

Sticking your neck out for people is what gets you killed, it snarled. Don't be a fool, boy.
I’d un-italicize “it snarled” to make clearer which part is the thought/memory.

But then he noticed Novo, practical though he was, shift uncomfortably and look up at him. Never once had his Pokemon led him astray. For all the survival instincts Wes' upbringing had drilled into him, he would always trust his Pokemon, his family, more than anything else.
Hmm where was this trust earlier when he was arguing with them?

"You're such a kind gentleman!"

I'm definitely not.
LOL I like that about you, Wes.

One more small quibble: it looks like your threadmarks are out of order! (An easy fix.)

Rumor has it this is your first fic??? WTF. Nicely done—an incredibly solid first go. I’ll definitely be back to read more later (and I guess I’ll have to bring my own bacon because now I’m hungry.) See you soon!
 
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HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
Um, HELLO?? I was so not expecting to see you here so this totally made my whole week! :D
Was going to respond to this sooner, but trying to get around on this site on mobile is a NIGHTMARE so I waited until I could get on a desktop lol.
Yes indeed, this is my first real attempt at...writing in general. Hopefully it isn't painfully obvious - and if it is, I'll just have to learn as I go, I suppose!
The feedback on typos/grammar is MUCH appreciated! Even after proofreading and betas, they still manage to slip through the cracks. And - ah! It's so exciting to have a reader who hasn't played the game before - hopefully I wrote this clearly enough that things still make sense to you even without prior knowledge of the plot! On that note, I wish I could take credit for the train/diner setting, but alas, it does exist in the game. I merely added some details like the cellar. Either way, it's been a blast writing descriptions for all of these rusty, run-down places!
Thanks so much for taking the time to read! I hope you continue to enjoy the story moving forward!
 

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
Oh, quick question - how do I fix the order of my threadmarks? No idea how they got out of order in the first place, haha
 

Negrek

Abscission Ascendant
Staff
Oh, quick question - how do I fix the order of my threadmarks? No idea how they got out of order in the first place, haha
Hmm, well, they look like they're in the right order to me? But if you take a look and see that they're out of whack, I believe if you click on "Index" in any of the threadmark areas (at the top right of the first post in the thread, if you can't find it elsewhere), then click the button with three dots on it near the top right, then click "Sort Threadmarks," you can drag and drop them into a new order as desired.

Just for future reference, I'm more likely to see questions like this if you post in the help and suggestions forum... I (or other people who might be able to help) can't keep up with every fic thread, so a question posted in one can be easy to miss.
 

kyeugh

you gotta feel your lines
Staff
Pronouns
she/her
Partners
  1. farfetchd-galar
  2. gfetchd-kyeugh
  3. onion-san
  4. farfetchd
  5. farfetchd
hey there! wanted to check in on this fic—to be honest, the title is snappy and really caught my attention! looking at some other reviews, it seems this is a novelization of colosseum (?), which will make this an interesting read for me. i'm wholly unfamiliar with colosseum or XD, so this fic will be my first look at these characters and this story! so far, i'm having a great time reading—you have a lovely style. looking forward to catching up with this story!

1. escape

right off the bat, you do a great job establishing the setting. on a similar note, i feel like this first chapter does a great job introducing us to wes. the very first scene is definitely a flashy one to start on, what with the explosions and the animalistic, screaming man. really pulls me in and invests me in wes's story immediately. i'm left wondering what the history is there, but i trust we'll find about that before too long. i am kind of surprised that the bearded man just lets wes go—he knew that wes is the one who blew up the building, right? do they not have vehicles of their own that they could chase him down on? seems like catching him would be a pretty big priority given he just blasted their base and it doesn't seem like they're trying as hard as one might expect.

wes's relationship with his pokémon is really great. he feels very paternal, like he's trying to be firm with them but can't hold out against their cute little faces in the end. i also really enjoy how distinct their personalities are; they feel like characters in their own right, not just tools to be used.

overall, this chapter is short and sweet. if anything, i think fleshing out the introductory scene with the explosion could be good. you sort of tell us that it's chaotic in summary, with lines like "the scene sprung to life"—but overall we aren't given many concrete details outside of what's happening directly to wes, and i think giving some more love to this very vivid scene would be good!

The only sign of life was the occasional tumbleweed that rolled lazily on by.
are tumbleweeds actually alive? i'm not actually sure but i'd always assumed they're dead so this caught me off guard.

"This is YOUR FAULT!" He screamed.
"he" should be in lowercase here, as it's continuing the sentence of which the dialogue is a part. i noticed a few similar errors; definitely something to watch out for.

the dream sequence is very vivid! my eyes usually glaze over during dream sequences bc they rarely feel like dreams to me and mostly come off as heavy-handed, but i thought that the constant shifting here made it feel very dreamlike. good work on that.

"I know it'll help, bud, but I've got to be able to sleep on my own sometime." Wes closed his eyes briefly. He was exhausted, and yet returning to sleep would undoubtedly mean more nightmares, more voices, more things he'd rather forget...he opened his eyes again and looked at his Umbreon. "All right...just one more night," he said wearily.

Novo purred in response and brushed his face against the Trainer's shoulder. The traveler lay back down in his sleeping bag and closed his eyes as his Umbreon touched his nose to his forehead and purred gently, using Hypnosis.
this is a really neat and cute detail. did you come up with this or is it in the game? either way, i really love it, and it feels perfectly in character for what you've shown us of novo so far.

2. interference
bit of a meatier chapter here! while the first chapter was good for introducing us to wes, this chapter did a great job sort of getting the wheels spinning on the plot. you've planted the seeds here for a detour from wes's plan to escape orre, presumably involving rui and the messed up pokémon she saw before. i really enjoyed the scene in the diner, too—the atmosphere you established was great, and we got in a nice amount of worldbuilding about the nature of team snagem (which i'm very curious about!) and the role of the police in orre, as well as public attitudes towards both.

wrt willie, i'm kind of left wondering about the narrative purpose that battle serves. given how quickly the battle was wrapped up, it seems like you could just as well leave it behind. on the other hand if willie ends up being a major character later and this was his introduction, you'd expect the scene to get a bit more attention.

your description of phenac was fun, and i'm wondering if it'll be the stage of the rest of the fic—you introduced a few named characters here! and i love that he just stopped in to get some supplies and get out, but (largely thanks to his morally upstanding pokémon) he couldn't help himself from getting into a big old mess. it was a nice touch that wes saw the whismur trainers going to their truck at the outskirt stand. i wonder what they were doing there, and whether we'll see the outskirt stand again?

one thing that sort of bothered me about wes in this chapter was that i thought that the amount of hesitation wes expressed toward getting involved with the human traffickers was a lot. after a certain point i stopped reading it as "this guy just really doesn't want to get involved" and started reading it as "this guy is just kind of being an asshole." i think if he agreed to help (reluctantly, even) after the first time his pokémon insisted, that would be plenty, but unless your intent was to make him out as kind of a jerk, waiting until his pokémon insisted twice was kind of a lot for me.
"I said no, guys." He donned a teal trench coat that fell past his knees and began to pack up his belongings, pausing only to give them a stern look. "Last night was a special treat, but today we have to get on the road as quick as possible, which means nothing fancy for breakfast. And that's final."

Naturally, not ten minutes later, he found himself sitting sitting across from his Pokemon in the diner, watching them each chow down a fresh plate of bacon.
this cracked me up pretty good, lol.

The diner was just as shabby on the inside as it was on the outside. Still, there was a homey feel about the place, peeling wallpaper and rusty metal windows notwithstanding. The smells of various breakfast foods drifted through the air while the signature Western music played quietly in the background. On the wall across from where they sat was a flatscreen TV, arguably the most modern thing about the place. It was showing some old, obscure cartoon that nobody seemed to be watching.
i really liked this description—i feel like i've been here before. good stuff.

"Hah!" Wes gave a start as the gruff man from the back barked out a laugh. "Serves 'em right, the rotten thieves! Shoulda blown the whole lot of 'em away!" He rose to his feet and stretched.

"Aye, I'll level with ya there." The owner nodded approvingly as he he spoke, and the woman up front gave a disdainful sniff.

"I don't understand how authorities haven't at least made some progress," she said. "Whoever bombed that shack has done more than they have in thirty years!"
i liked this bit; random folks talking at the tv seems absolutely appropriate for a diner like this, lol. plus we get some nice insight into how the average joe feels about snagem, and—more critically imo—the police (or lack thereof). seems like wes stepping in where the law has failed is a minor pattern already by the end of this chapter. definitely gives it a bit of a western vibe, which fits perfectly with the dusty setting. i also enjoy that wes's reaction is anxious, not jubilant. tells us a lot about his character.

Phenac city was often referred to as "the jewel of the desert", and it was easy to see why. Laid out in a circular pattern, with the tallest buildings at the northernmost top of the circle, the city gleamed with white stone and crystalline waterfalls flowing along the streets. The desert sun reflected off the sparkling water and white structures, making it blindingly bright to look at.

To Wes, it was a literal eyesore.

Perhaps he simply wasn't used to such pristine buildings and clean streets. His life had consisted of dirt, sweat, and rust, and none of those things seemed to belong in such a perfect place as Phenac. Plus, there was an air of false grandeur about the place that repulsed him. He'd preferred to avoid it on his previous missions if he could help it, but today's errands deemed it a necessary destination.
i like this description a lot, it paints a very vivid picture of an immaculate city in the heart of the desert. although i am having a little trouble imagining the "top" of a city; probably you could just cut that word out, describing the area as the "northernmost arc" of the city or something would probably be just fine.

We won't be here for long, Wes told himself as he and his partners walked to city gate. Just head to the market, grab supplies, and get back on the road. In and out. Simple.
ElGzjzNXgAEJc6s.jpg


The Whismur trainer's lip curled, and he bellowed at his Whismur.
i found this sentence a little awkward. maybe "The Whismurs' trainer curled his lips, and bellowed at his pokémon."

"HAH?!" Trudly roared in fury at his partner, who stood frozen in shock.
wasn't a big fan of the "HAH!?" here—i feel like the sentence does just as well without it. "roared in fury" gets the job done sufficiently by itself imo.

Much to Wes' surprise, a girl burst out of the sack, gasping great gulps of air. Most of her red hair was pulled up into two pigtails, and the rest of it was drenched in sweat and plastered to her face. In fact, she was almost entirely drenched in sweat - not surprising, as Wes couldn't imagine how hot it must have been inside the stifling burlap.
haha, sounds like a main character! 👁

"Those men grabbed me because I saw something," said Rui. "They had a Makuhita and there was something really...really wrong with it. I need to report this to the Mayor so somebody knows about it!"
ooh! this sounds like maybe it's related to shadow pokémon? i know nothing about shadow pokémon, just that they exist and they're in the colosseum games; interested to learn more about that.

Mew above, she's sure passionate, thought Wes. She was awfully fired up and upset, all for a Pokemon she didn't even know. What is wrong with this girl?
the reference to mew here caught my interest. i know he's used arceus as a stand-in for god in similar phrases before; is religion something you've thought much about here? or are you sorta just subbing in deity pokémon names where it feels right? curious to know this.
 

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
aaaah thank you for stopping by and reviewing! I was not expecting this, so it was a very pleasant surprise! It makes me happy to hear that the title grabbed your attention! ;)

I’m going to try to keep my responses under the spoiler tag, but I’ve never tried this before so...we’ll see how this goes. XD

i think fleshing out the introductory scene with the explosion could be good. you sort of tell us that it's chaotic in summary, with lines like "the scene sprung to life"—but overall we aren't given many concrete details outside of what's happening directly to wes, and i think giving some more love to this very vivid scene would be good!


Ah, yes, this initial scene is definitely missing something, I’ll be the first to admit that. I’d love to come back and workshop it a bit, but I might need to give it more time until I’m sure how exactly to go about it!


are tumbleweeds actually alive? i'm not actually sure but i'd always assumed they're dead so this caught me off guard.

Random factoid of the day: yes! Tumbleweeds are living plants! Source: I live in Western USA. LOL


this is a really neat and cute detail. did you come up with this or is it in the game?

Not an in-game detail, though I wish it was! The entire scene in the cellar was my doing; I don’t thing the diner even has a cellar in the game.

wrt willie, i'm kind of left wondering about the narrative purpose that battle serves. given how quickly the battle was wrapped up, it seems like you could just as well leave it behind. on the other hand if willie ends up being a major character later and this was his introduction, you'd expect the scene to get a bit more attention.

Ah yes, another scene that needs to be workshopped. Without divulging too much info, there is a reason for Willie being introduced here - but I’m just not sure what to do with this scene. I don’t really want to write out the entire battle, but I also want him to have enough screen time to be memorable. I am definitely open to any suggestions, lol.

one thing that sort of bothered me about wes in this chapter was that i thought that the amount of hesitation wes expressed toward getting involved with the human traffickers was a lot. after a certain point i stopped reading it as "this guy just really doesn't want to get involved" and started reading it as "this guy is just kind of being an asshole." i think if he agreed to help (reluctantly, even) after the first time his pokémon insisted, that would be plenty, but unless your intent was to make him out as kind of a jerk, waiting until his pokémon insisted twice was kind of a lot for me.

That’s understandable - and to be honest, Wes *is* kind of a jerk, here. He’s desperate to get out of Orre as soon as possible, and is prepared to walk over people in order to so. He has his reasons for being so hesitant to go out of his way for other people, and for trying to look out for himself first, even if a small part of him disagrees with these methods.

the reference to mew here caught my interest. i know he's used arceus as a stand-in for god in similar phrases before; is religion something you've thought much about here? or are you sorta just subbing in deity pokémon names where it feels right? curious to know this.


I wish I had a super in-depth answer for this, or plans to get into religion in this story, but...I don’t, not really. Certain myths and legends will be explored, but as for religion in general, I just don’t feel like I have any plans for it to justifying diving into the topic. So basically, it’s just a way for people to curse and/or express themselves. Kind of a lazy answer, I know... but, well, that’s the real answer. XD Perhaps I will figure out a place for it, or a way to develop the world more in that regard, but for now, it is what it is.
 

Umbramatic

The Ghost Lord
Location
The Yangverse
Pronouns
Any
Partners
  1. reshiram
  2. zygarde
yESSSSSSSSSSSSS DELICIOUS ORRE FIC I'M GONNA SNORT IT IN MY NOSTRILS -sniiiiiiiiff-

or just chapter 1 for now for my current review blitz strat and our review exchange. I will be back for more because you reviewed so many Heroes After All chapters! Thanks for that by the way.

This is an interesting take on the Orre opening! You do a good job of adding to canon events, and I look forward to More of that. Seeing the spaces in between various plot beats is nice. Wes having Traumatic Nightmares is a nice touch. Will there be more? I hope there's more. Traumatic nightmares are the good shit. Especially when they Portend stuff or fuel angst. Which are you doing? Both? I'm not sure yet!

I also love the inclusion of Pissed Gonzap, an entity distinct from regular Gonzap by his incredible rage. His dialogue was fun. Also Wes gets to be COOL escaping from him and riding off into the sunset. Wes always needs to be cool. Just... driving away from the fucking explosion like a fucking badass. That's my boy.

Also. Espeon and Umbreon. Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute. I love that wes can understand them. I love their body language. I love Espeon being a brat. I love that they love bacon. (Though where does the bacon come from? That's disturbing.) They are cute, 10/10, would pet. But especially Espeon. Don't tell Umbreon I said that. Especially because Umbreon is normally my favorite Eevveelution (IF YOU COULDN'T TELL) and it'd be awkward.

I will be back for chapters 2-5!
 
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Pen

the cat is mightier than the pen
Staff
Partners
  1. dratini
  2. dratini-pen
  3. dratini-pen2
Hi HellowYellow! I've heard some good things about this fic, so I'm excited to jump in. I've never played the Orre -- pretty much everything I know about the region comes from a few scattered fics. (If you're interested in checking out more Orre fics on TR, can I recommend @kintsugi's handfuls of dust and @Chibi Pika's Damaged Goods?) It'll be fun to get more grounding in this world and meet Wes properly.

This was a really enjoyable opener--events moved snappily, and I immediately got a strong sense of our protagonist. He's clearly not a choir boy, but he equally clearly cherishes his pokemon and so I am prepared to be on his side. This chapter does a solid job setting up stakes and goals. We saw Wes blow something up; of course he wants to hightail it out of here. But the summary suggests that won't be so easy, and thus conflict looms.

I'm in two minds about your choice to open with an omniscient POV and gradually narrow in onto Wes. It does let you have cool moments like "It wouldn't be quiet for long." and the badass name drop, but at the cost some clunky moments in the opening section, as you're forced to avoid using Wes' name. I also want a bit more of a sense of how my protagonist feels during such a critical moment. Subcontracting that to that narrative as in "A terrifying roar of rage sounded" has less impact for me than it would if Wes were the one feeling the terror from hearing that roar.

The opening does also raise a few logistical questions for me. Why did no one attack Wes? Do none of them have pokemon? Do none of them have any kind of vehicle, or were those all blown up too? How much should Wes realistically be fearing pursuit here?

I would also have been curious to see an interaction, even if a short one, between Wes and the proprietor of the diner. It's an easy cheat to let us know how Wes fits into the world to show how he's perceived by and interacts with other people in a more standard situation. Is he a regular? Were the people whose building he blew up regulars? Is he worried about the diner owner remembering him, or selling him out?

Some line-by-lines:

An earth-rending explosion shattered the stillness as flames burst from a section of the dilapidated building. The scene suddenly sprung to life with shouts and screams as people in dark uniforms emerged from the destruction, darting back and forth in panic and confusion.
Think this could read a little more punchily if you grounded these sentences with the action, like, "An earth-rending explosion shattered the stillness. Flames burst from a section of the dilapidated building, followed shortly by screams. People in dark uniforms emerged from the blazing building, their faces masks of panic and confusion."

Among the chaos, no one seemed to notice one person in particular dashing from the building, with two Pokemon sprinting at his side.
This reads a little oddly to me--did nobody notice or did nobody care? Everyone's dashing from the building, right? Maybe if Wes was dashing from a particular part of the building different from where the other people where, suggesting his shenanigans?

"Go, go, GO!" the young man shouted at his companions as he ran straight for a massive hunk of metal that vaguely resembled a motorcycle. He sprang nimbly onto the seat and glanced into the sidecar to where his two partners should have closely followed. But instead of two, there was only one, his Umbreon, watching him tensely for further commands.
This feels a bit wordier than it needs to be. Maybe, "Go, go, GO!" the young man shouted as he raced for a beat-up motorcycle parked on the desert sand. He sprang onto the seat, revved the engine, and glanced quickly into the sidecar, where his two partners should have been safely ensconced--only to find his umbreon watching him tersely.

His espeon was still a few yards back, yipping loudly." etc

found his Espeon a few yards away, yipping loudly at the people fleeing the burning building, tail waving triumphantly in the air.
oh my, so much characterization for the espeon here already.

He didn't speak Pokemon, but the young runaway figured if he did, he would be hearing a choice selection of colorful insults.
"The young runaway" is a pretty clunky epithet.

The Espeon's barks cut short in a yip of surprise as his Trainer hauled him off off his feet and shoved him under one arm.
He sprinted back to the motorcycle and dumped the creature rather unceremoniously into the sidecar next to his brother, ignoring the Pokémon's cries of indignation.
This feels a little over described for a quick moment. (double "off" too). A lot of this can be by implication, like "The Espeon's barks cut short as his Trainer hauled him up and shoved him under one arm. He dumped the pokemon unceremoniously next to his brother, ignoring his cries of indignation."

A terrifying roar of rage sounded from behind the trio,
Mentioned this above, but I feel like this would hit harder if we felt Wes being terrified by it, rather than being told it's objectively terrifying.

a massive, hulking man with no hair (though he made up for that with impressive eyebrows and facial hair)
Hah. I think "no hair on his head" would read a little more clearly--I had a short double-take of "oh but he does have hair."

Anger and bitter satisfaction alike swelled inside his chest. He faced his now-former boss with a growl.
Getting some more reaction like this worked in would add texture to the scene.

"If you're going to threaten me," he said, "call me by my real name." He sneered. "It's Wes, by the way. In case you forgot."
I can see Wes is a drama queen. This should be fun.

The man roared again, this time too incensed to form any words. He barreled toward the Trainer and his Pokémon with a murderous expression.
No pokemon?

It was time to go.

The motorcycle engine started with a roar
Nice snappy sentences here, creating a good sense of urgency.

The motorcycle engine started with a roar, and in one smooth motion, the young man swept astride the motorcycle.
We've had a lot of Wes getting on his motorcycle. Think you can just say the motorcycle engine started with a roar and leave us to work out that he got on it.

He raised his left arm high above his head, sunlight glinting off a strange metal contraption that encased it. Holding a small remote in his hand, he looked his former boss dead in the eye, smirked, and pressed the button.

KA-BOOOM!
That's one hell of a mic drop.

The giant man's screams of rage continued, but they were drowned out by a monstrous roar as the motorcycle kicked into gear.
Small point, but "The giant man's screams of rage were drowned out by a monstrous roar as the motorcycle kicked into gear." feels more immediate.

A wooden sign hung from a post near the door and was swinging lazily in the desert breeze.
Maybe, "A wooden sign swung lazily in the desert breeze."

grinned at the two Eons.
Eons? This may be an Orre thing getting lost in translation.

His Umbreon gave a yip of hearty affirmation. His Espeon, on the other hand, squinted at him, then sniffed airily and turned his head away from his Trainer.

"Spi."
Yus, always glad when pokemon remember slights for more than a sentence.

"Neo. Is this about me manhandling you back there?"

The Pokemon, Neo, irritably flicked his tail in response.

Another sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. But there's a time and a place for gloating over a victory, and doing so while escaping from an exploding building is not it."

Neo flicked his ears back and looked at the ground, looking slightly abashed. "Esp." He then looked back up at his Trainer with a small glare. "Espi-esp!"

"I know, I shouldn't have been so rough. I'm sorry, bud, really. How can I make it up to you?" He glanced at the Outskirt Stand, then back at his Pokemon with a sly grin. "How about I get you a whole plate of bacon and we call it even. Truce?"

Neo's eyes grew wide and he leaped to his feet. "Es-PI!" He waved his tail excitedly in the air, all injuries to his pride forgotten.

"Bri!" There was a reproachful bark from the Umbreon.

Wes rolled his eyes, but was still grinning despite himself. "Fine, fine, bacon for everybody. Don't get used to it though, you hear? This is a one-time deal."
Adorable exchange. So cute, so wholesome.

(don't think we need "The Pokemon, Neo." Just Neo is fine in context.)

Muffled cries, the screams of Pokémon, a child sobbing quietly in a corner - images and sounds flickered and blurred together, one coming right after the other as if in a disorganized photo reel.

A flicker, and there was a dark room, in which a child was sobbing over the limp form of a Pokémon's body. He looked up, tear-stained face twisted with anger. "This is YOUR FAULT!" He screamed.

The scene dissolved into darkness, and a man's husky, menacing voice spoke in a snarl. "It's time you learned this lesson, boy."

Another shift, another dark room littered with Pokemon lying ominously still, and there was another voice, a kinder voice, accompanied with a sad, tired smile.

"Do good, kid."
All the initial sensations here are auditory, so the photo reel metaphor didn't completely land for me.

(Accompanied takes "by" not "with.")

He sat bolt upright with a gasp, drenched in sweat and shivering.
Think he should be "Wes" here.

Again, he thought shakily. Again. When in Arceus' name will they stop?
I don't know much about pokemon in Orre. Is the region Sinnoh adjacent?

Novo, unconvinced, bunted into his arm again with his head. He placed a paw on his Trainer's lap, giving him a stern stare.

"I know it'll help, bud, but I've got to be able to sleep on my own sometime."
Another lovely interaction.

Novo purred in response and brushed his face against the Trainer's shoulder. The traveler lay back down in his sleeping bag and closed his eyes as his Umbreon touched his nose to his forehead and purred gently, using Hypnosis.
Unhealthy habits of self-medication via pokemon sleep moves? Wes and Haru can be friends.

Just before drifting off to a dreamless sleep, he had one last coherent thought.

The sooner we leave this Region, the better.
Solid closer here.
 

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
Fancy meeting you here!! Thanks for stopping by!


I'm in two minds about your choice to open with an omniscient POV and gradually narrow in onto Wes. It does let you have cool moments like "It wouldn't be quiet for long." and the badass name drop, but at the cost some clunky moments in the opening section, as you're forced to avoid using Wes' name. I also want a bit more of a sense of how my protagonist feels during such a critical moment. Subcontracting that to that narrative as in "A terrifying roar of rage sounded" has less impact for me than it would if Wes were the one feeling the terror from hearing that roar.

Ah yes, the more feedback I get, the more I’m convinced that I need to eventually come back and rewrite this first chapter...or at least this first scene! There’s a lot of potential here that I just haven’t reached yet, but thanks to all the feedback, I have a clearer idea of what I want for the future rewrite.

"An earth-rending explosion shattered the stillness. Flames burst from a section of the dilapidated building, followed shortly by screams. People in dark uniforms emerged from the blazing building, their faces masks of panic and confusion."

Oh I LOVE the specific suggestions, thank you, bless you!


I can see Wes is a drama queen. This should be fun.

Yes, indeed he is xD



Eons? This may be an Orre thing getting lost in translation.

I saw this used in another fic a while back in reference to an Umbreon/Espeon duo, but...ehhhh. I’m not sure I like it, so I’ll probably scrap it in future revisions.

I don't know much about pokemon in Orre. Is the region Sinnoh adjacent?

My personal head canon is that Johto and Hoenn are adjacent, as mostly Gen 2-3 Pokémon are found in Orre. But another headcanon of mine is that the use of “Arceus” is pretty universal across all regions. I mean, he is the god of ALL Pokemon.

Unhealthy habits of self-medication via pokemon sleep moves? Wes and Haru can be friends.

HAHA yes, yes they can!! XD
 

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
OMG hi!! So happy to see you here!


yESSSSSSSSSSSSS DELICIOUS ORRE FIC I'M GONNA SNORT IT IN MY NOSTRILS -sniiiiiiiiff-

this might be my favorite intro to any review I’ve received, ever. XD

Traumatic nightmares are the good shit. Especially when they Portend stuff or fuel angst. Which are you doing? Both? I'm not sure yet!


Both...both is good. ;)

Wes always needs to be cool. Just... driving away from the fucking explosion like a fucking badass. That's my boy.

Such a drama queen, I LOVE HIM

They are cute, 10/10, would pet. But especially Espeon. Don't tell Umbreon I said that. Especially because Umbreon is normally my favorite Eevveelution (IF YOU COULDN'T TELL) and it'd be awkward.

Hey same! Novo’s a cutie, too, just a little more...tightly wound. XD
 

Flyg0n

Flygon connoisseur
Pronouns
She/her
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. swampert
  3. ho-oh
  4. crobat
  5. orbeetle
  6. joltik
  7. salandit
  8. tyrantrum
  9. porygon
Alrighty! This is probably my first Orre fic I can think of. From what I gather, it seems to be a rewrite of Pokemon Colosseum, which is great. It's been years and years since I played those games, so this is practically fresh to me. I read chapters 1-3, so I'll give my thoughts on those.

You've given us a fantastic introduction to our trouble protagonist, Wes. He has a simple goal - get out of town and get out of Orre. Unfortunately, nothing ever stays simple does it? I really enjoy your characterization of Wes. Very accurate, and you've given us additional insight into his character.

The pacing here feels great. You started with a literal BANG, just like the games. You weave in some lovely character moments with Neo and Novo, and their contrasting personalities. You have some nice atmospheric moments of describing how rundown and derelict just about everything in Orrre is.

Wes's dreams intrigue me, but also very sad. I love how much he and his pokemon care for each other, and look out for each other.

I thought your battle description was very good, I could get a solid picture in my head of the fight between the two Whimsur and Wes's pokemon. Also, really enjoyable prose overall. Everything felt smooth and easy to read, and there wasn't really anything that jarred me out of the story. Once I started reading, I really got into the story.

There was one thing that did throw me off was chapter 3 though. There was a really big space between lines, which I guess is a formatting error? It made it hard to read.

I'll give some line by line thoughts.

"I know, I shouldn't have been so rough. I'm sorry, bud, really. How can I make it up to you?" He glanced at the Outskirt Stand, then back at his Pokemon with a sly grin. "How about I get you a whole plate of bacon and we call it even. Truce?"

Neo's eyes grew wide and he leaped to his feet. "Es-PI!" He waved his tail excitedly in the air, all injuries to his pride forgotten.
This interaction was really cute. The pokemon have a lot of personality and its sweet to see the way Wes cares for them. Although I did find myself wondering where bacon comes from in the pokemon world....

"Bri!" There was a reproachful bark from the Umbreon.

Wes rolled his eyes, but was still grinning despite himself. "Fine, fine, bacon for everybody. Don't get used to it though, you hear? This is a one-time deal."
Right. "one" time. Alright Wes, we'll see about that. :3

Just before drifting off to a dreamless sleep, he had one last coherent thought.
This was a really nice interaction between him and his pokemon.

"Hah!" Wes gave a start as the gruff man from the back barked out a laugh. "Serves 'em right, the rotten thieves! Shoulda blown the whole lot of 'em away!" He rose to his feet and stretched.

I feel like these should be on their own lines, although I could be wrong. Writing 'Wes gave a start' on the same line as 'HAH' made me think that he was one who said it, when in fact he was reacting to someone else.

"This is the only time, got it? Don't make me pretend to be some hero." Neo and Novo chirped and strode eagerly at his heels.
Neo and Novo really shine as the stars of this story. They're adorable little consciences, reminding him to be a good dude. The mix of the three of them make for fantastic combos and fun stuff.

But then he noticed Novo, practical though he was, shift uncomfortably and look up at him. Never once had his Pokemon led him astray. For all the survival instincts Wes' upbringing had drilled into him, he would always trust his Pokemon, his family, more than anything else.
YYEEEEE so cute. You've really done a good job hammering in the familial bond between Wes, Novo and Neo.

"That's really generous of you, man," said Dash. He looked relieved. "Maybe we can all go together -"

"No." Arceus forbid Wes get saddled with more unnecessary distractions today. He quickly thought of an excuse. "You two should go to the Town Hall and report this incident. Make sure authorities know about what happened."
This line really amused me because it feels just like that part in a videogame where the NPC's want to tag along and you're like; 'NO thanks, I'm good."
Love Wes's personality.

He was momentarily saved from the agonizing small talk as they rounded a corner and the marketplace came into view.
I feel you Wes, I do. I hate small talk.

“Wes.” The Mayor continued to look at him, as if expecting more, so he sighed. “Wesley Lycas.”
Nice name!

“It’s not like I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours in a sack or anything!”



“...oh.” Wes suddenly felt incredibly stupid. “Right...sorry.”
I was literally just thinking 'but Wes she spent the last 24 hours in a sack.' She beat me too it, heh.

It should be smooth sailing from here, he thought.

Filed under: "Words proceeding unfortunate events"

Anyways. Really cool story so far, genuinely appeals to my interests at this point. A high chance I'll read later/continue to read! I actually don't have any big critiques to say, since everything seems solid so far. Usually when grammar/prose/etc is on point, it comes down to a blend of preference and story direction for me. But chapters 1-3 look great! Good job!
 
Chapter 13: Evolution Origin

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
6CF2C12C-CC95-47BE-A74B-63ED779EDF52.png
(Art by Pen)
Chapter 13: Evolution Origin

Ten Years Earlier

Neo loved the outdoors.

There was just something about the way the sun warmed his brown and tan pelt and gleamed off every surface. There was something about the way the desert winds tickled his ears pleasantly and carried with it all kinds of smells from faraway places, tingling his Eevee senses. The sand beneath his little paws was soft, and it was sosatisfying to swipe at it and watch it blow to dust.

He didn't just like being outdoors. He relished in it.

And so it was that, on this particular day as he, his brother, and his Trainer sat outside a short distance from the Snagem base in the shade of a large desert shrub, he pranced about with glee.

The young boy watched him from under the shrub as he and Novo ate their lunch. "Lunch" was probably a generous term, as there was only a handful of kibble for the two Eevee and a bare-bones sandwich for Wes. But food was food, and none of them would complain about that.

Neo frolicked in the sun and batted at the wind as though it were a tangible enemy he could ward off with only his paws. He rolled in the sands, then leapt to his feet and shook it all off in a cloud of dust. He blinked happily at his Trainer, who watched with a small smile on his face.

Neo loved seeing his Trainer smile. It wasn't a common sight, so when it occurred, he relished it as much as he did the sun.

Novo sat beside Wes with a dignified air. He always sat up straight and stiff, like some sort of sentry. Playing and rolling around in the dirt was beneath him - or so it was indicated, what with his head held high and the way he watched his brother with a disdainful gaze.

Neo snorted at him. Killjoy.

The wind kicked up a bit, causing the branches of the shrub overhead to creak as they rubbed against one another. Neo pricked up his ears at the sound; he had an idea.

"Vee!" he barked, and bolted straight at the shrub's base.

"Neo!" he heard Wes call his name in surprise as the Eevee clawed his way up the brittle branches. "What are you...?"

Neo climbed farther up into the shrub, claws scratching at the rough bark as he ascended. He would get to the very top of this thing, and then he would be the tallest he'd ever been-!

Crack.


The branches gave way beneath his paws as they snapped in two, too fragile to bear his weight. Neo squeaked in surprise and scrabbled frantically for a foothold, but to no avail; the branches showered down to the ground, and the Eevee came tumbling down with them.

He landed in the sand with a solid whump! He heard his Trainer shout his name and his brother give a surprised yap. Dazed, he sat up and shook bits of leaves and bark from his fur.

Neo felt branches sticking out of his fur from all angles, so he promptly busied himself with trying to pull them from his pelt. He was tugging at a particularly stubborn one when a strange, unfamiliar sound reached his ears. He looked up in alarm.

His Trainer was laughing.

Neo stared. He'd never heard the boy make this sound before. He'd heard laughs from the bigger humans at the base, but those sounds were harsh, cruel, and unpleasant. This was...entirely different.

Something warm bubbled up in his chest. Neo kneaded the ground with his paws and gave a pleased yip. "Vee!"

His Trainer wiped tears from his eyes and looked at the Eevee with a wide smile - a real smile! - before bursting into another fit of laughter. The warmth in Neo's chest grew and he couldn't help but purr. Seeing his Trainer like this made him so...so...

Happy.

The sun's rays seemed to suddenly intensify. Neo was now warm all over, and everything around him was bright and glowing...

Wait. Glowing?

Bright white light filled his vision. Neo caught a glimpse of Wes' shocked expression before the light overtook him completely. He wanted to cry out in fear, but he couldn't make a sound, couldn't do anything except wait as the light and the heat threatened to swallow him whole -

It stopped.

Neo blinked open his eyes. The light was back to normal now, and the heat had faded from his body. He saw Novo and his Trainer staring at him in alarm.

Novo barked. "Vee!"

Neo flicked his tail. What was the matter with - huh?

His tail felt...different. Longer. Narrower. Neo glanced over his shoulder, and a slender, forked tail was now where his bushy one should have been. The sun glinted off the fur on his back; his coat was now sleek and light purple in color, and when he moved, he could feel a new sense of power in his now slender legs. He was bigger now. Taller. Stronger.

He was fabulous.

Neo turned back to his family with excitement. He chirped at his Trainer, but the sound was different, more melodious than before. "Espi?"

"Neo..." Wes broke into yet another wide smile. "Neo, you evolved!"

He rushed forward and scooped him up into his arms. Neo blinked. The boy was so much smaller now...or was Neo just bigger?

That new, wonderful sound reached his ears. Wes was laughing again.

Neo closed his eyes and rubbed against his Trainer with a hearty purr. He would do anything, be anything, go anywhere, if he could hear that sound more often. The warmth returned to his chest again, and he embraced it.

Happy.

———————————-

Novo didn't quite know why he hadn't evolved yet.

He sat next to his Trainer as the boy worked on his bike, the setting sun casting a faint glow on the two of them. The dark-haired man been working alongside him earlier, but he'd had to leave a few hours ago. He'd left his tools with the boy and cheerfully told him he was sure he was getting the hang of it.

Novo didn't like many humans at the base, but this dark-haired man was an exception.

There was a distinct clank, and he heard the boy curse from under the hood. Novo twitched his ears and rubbed up against his Trainer's leg. Surely they would go inside soon? They'd been out here working on this old hunk of metal all day, and it was getting late.

His brother Neo had been returned to his ball about an hour earlier; since evolving into an Espeon, he now quite literally rose and slept with the sun. As soon as the sunset had started to fade from the sky, he'd fallen asleep in the sidecar. Wes had returned him so he could get some proper rest.

Now it was just the two of them in the fading light. Wes had a flashlight clenched between his teeth as he continued to work on the massive engine. Despite Novo's desire to return indoors before it got cold, he couldn't blame the boy for staying out here as long as he could. They all preferred to stay away from the base, and the people inside, as much as possible.

Novo watched the last of the sunset ebb from the sky as he pondered. His brother had been a fully evolved Espeon for a few months now, so what was keeping him from evolving? He knew closeness with his Trainer wasn't the issue; he felt a rush of joy every time he looked at the boy, and he loved him just as much as he loved his brother. And while it only hurt his pride just a little that he now got totally steamrolled by his brother in all of their play-fights, here he was. Still an Eevee.

He could evolve, so why didn't he? Novo wished he had an answer.

The sound of boots crunching on sand made him prick up his ears; he turned his head and saw three figures walking towards them. He brushed against his Trainer again and alerted him with a low growl.

Wes pulled his head out from under the hood and tugged the flashlight from his mouth. He gave the Eevee a questioning look until he, too, noticed that they had company. He turned to face them with a glare.

The three visitors came to a stop a few paces in front of them. Novo felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck as he recognized the one at the forefront of the group. The humans called him "Sage", or something equally stupid, to match the sickly green color of his hair. He was young, still a teenager, but he still had several years on Wes, and he had just as much savage viciousness as any Snagem adult. His friends on either side of him were roughly the same age as he, and the three of them stared Wes down with a menacing air.

"How's it goin', Leo?" Sage sneered. His words were amicable enough, but his tone suggested otherwise.

Novo felt his Trainer tense beside him. "What do you want?" he snapped.

Novo couldn't sense emotions as acutely as his brother could, but he didn't need to, at least not with his Trainer. Two years with the boy had taught him everything about his mannerisms and emotions; he knew exactly how he was feeling at any given moment just by observing his body language, his voice, the changes in his eyes.

Right now, Wes was afraid.

He hid it well, and his emotions were usually indecipherable to anyone that wasn't his Pokémon. But Novo knew, from his tense posture and narrowed eyes and the tiniest quiver in his voice. He was afraid. And, given who was standing in front of him, he had every right to be.

Sage laughed, but it wasn't a nice sound. It was cold and cruel and smacked of barely restrained rage, nothing at all like the way Wes sometimes - well, rarely - laughed.

"You hear that, boys?" Sage called to his companions, still leering at Wes with a chilling glare. "He wants to know what we want."

His cronies chuckled darkly. They all stepped closer.

"You're playing a dangerous game, Leo," Sage said in a low growl. "Trying to one-up everybody else by snatching missions out from under our noses? Now that's ballsy. Or maybe you're just stupid."

Wes folded his arms and leaned his head back. "Or maybe you're all just incompetent," he said coldly.

"What did you just say to me?"

Sage stepped forward again with a hiss. He was now frighteningly close to the boy, looming over him.

Wes tensed further, but kept his voice steady. "You heard me."

A terrifying, predatory gleam entered Sage's eyes. Novo stepped in front of his Trainer, baring his teeth and fluffing out his fur as far as he could. "Veeeee!"

The teen scowled down at the Eevee and curled his lip in disgust. "So that's it, huh? You think you're better than everyone else just because you've got two fancy Pokémon?"

"I don't have anything to prove to you," Wes bit back. His hands were curled into fists at his sides now as he openly glared at Sage. "You're just a bunch of low-lives who pick on smaller, younger targets to make yourselves feel better. You're pathetic."

WHAM.

The older boy's fist was so fast it seemed to have come out of nowhere. Wes staggered backward into the motorbike, and Novo flew into a rage. "EE-VEE!"

His teeth ripped into Sage's calf. The teen screamed in pain and lashed out at the Eevee, his fists berating every inch of Novo's small body. Novo simply sank his fangs deeper, bracing himself against the painful blows -

He was suddenly wrenched from his foe as Sage was sent careening into the sand. Novo shook himself and looked up to find his Trainer standing over him, eyes burning furiously, fist still raised from the devastating punch he had landed on Sage's jaw.

The other two boys roared in fury, and before either Wes or Novo could react, they lunged forward.

To face even one of the boys would have been difficult for his Trainer, given the significant size difference, but two on one made it an impossible fight. Novo lunged into the fray, biting down wherever he could, tearing with his claws. One of the boys landed a solid kick in the Eevee's ribs and sent him rolling across the dirt.

"Wait!"

Sage staggered to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth. His friends froze at the command. One of them held Wes by the collar of his shirt, the other hand raised in a fist to continue the beating. Wes coughed weakly, a dribble of blood going down his chin. More blood was streaming from his nose, which appeared to be broken. He glared at Sage with seething fury.

Sage leered at him with a bloody grin. "Hold him." The boys did as commanded, each one taking an arm and wrenching them behind Wes' back. Sage stepped forward, his face twisted with sickening glee.

"I'm about to really enjoy this, Leo," he said. He raised a fist.

"VEE!"

Novo staggered to his paws and lunged forward, ready to tear into Sage's other leg. This time, however, the teen was ready for him. His boot connected with Novo's rib cage, followed by a resounding crack.

Wes choked out a cry as his Eevee was sent rolling through the sands again, yelping in pain. "N-N-Novo!"

"Right. Where were we?" Sage returned his attention to his victim.

"You bastard!" Wes bellowed, struggling vainly to break free. "Too big of a coward to face me by yourself?"

"Well, I didn't want your little pets to get in my way, did I? Speaking of which..." Sage's eyes flicked to the Pokeball on Wes' belt where Neo was contained. He addressed his lackeys.

"Take it."

Wes thrashed and cursed, but could do nothing as Neo's Pokeball was ripped away from him. Sage's friend tossed the ball to him, and he caught it with a smirk.

"You know, an Espeon would really boost my credibility around these parts, don't you think?" Sage grinned at Wes again. "And you even did all the hard work of evolving it for me. Thanks, Leo!"

Wes spat an insult at him that wiped the smirk right off the teen's face.

"You just never learn, huh?" Sage snarled. His gaze then rested on the open toolbox that sat a pace behind the boys, and his eyes gleamed. "I know something that'll fix that foul mouth of yours."

The conversation hummed in Novo's ears as he tried and failed to rise from where he lay. His chest was on fire, and it hurt to breathe, let alone move, but his Trainer was in danger, he needed him...

Through a haze of pain, Novo saw Sage step up to Wes with a wrench in his raised hand.

He struggled to his paws and lurched forward with a wail, but he was too slow, too late.

Blood sprayed across the rusty surface of the motorbike. Red spattered onto the sand. Novo heard his Trainer scream in agony, heard the boys' raucous laughter, heard Sage howl, "Let's go again, shall we?"

And something inside him erupted.

He wasn't aware of the flash of light or the heat emanating through his body. He wasn't aware of his high pitched howl of rage morph into something deeper, louder, more sinister. All he knew was that he was lunging forward, his paws barely grazing the ground as he flew at Wes' attackers, at these creatures that could barely call themselves human, ready to tear into them with wild abandon.

His fangs flashed. His claws shredded. A strange dark energy was pulsing from him, knocking the thugs backward just before he ripped into each of them with savage pleasure. Their screams turned from ones of rage, to ones of pain, and then to ones of absolute terror.

"Novo, STOP!"

His Trainer's shout pulled him back to his senses, and Novo halted his assault. The three boys were huddled in the sand in front of him, shaking, bloodied, crying in fear, all bravado completely forgotten. Novo advanced a step, snarling, and in an instant all three of them were pelting back to the base as fast as their injured legs could carry them.

Novo spat at their retreating figures in disgust, and that's when he noticed that the pain in his ribs had vanished. Next, he noticed a strange light emanating around him - no, from him - in pulses. He blinked down at his sides, and where a fluffy brown coat used to be, there was now a sleek black pelt with glowing yellow rings.

He was no longer an Eevee, but an Umbreon.

Wes' ragged voice tugged him from his daze. "Novo..."

Novo turned his head to find his Trainer slumped in the sand, his face almost completely slathered in scarlet. Blood was streaming from his mouth and nose, but most concerning was the horrifying gash across the boy's face that ran from one cheekbone to the other.

Novo bounded up to him with a worried rumble in his throat. "Umbri?"

Wes gave him a shaky grin and rubbed his now significantly longer ears. "You...finally evolved..." His words came in painful gasps.

"Briii?" Novo whined and nuzzled his Trainer's face. He heard a tiny, pained sob escape from the boy. A hand gripped the fur tightly around the Umbreon's shoulders.

"Are...are they...are they gone?" Wes' voice was little more than a shaky whisper. Novo nodded, and the boy's eyes clouded with fear. "Neo...N-Neo-"

Novo glanced around for any sign of his brother's Pokeball. He found it resting in the sand just a pace away, having been forgotten in the ensuing chaos. He bounded over and nosed it back to his Trainer.

Wes grabbed the ball in a shaky hand and pulled it close to his chest. Another sob escaped him as he curled into a ball in a vain attempt to escape the pain.

Novo quietly bowed his head and licked the blood from his Trainer's face. Those boys would never bother him again; he'd made sure of that. As Wes wrapped an arm around the Umbreon and cried, Novo came to one very solid, very clear conclusion.

He would do anything, be anything, go anywhere to make sure his Trainer never cried, never hurt like this again.
 
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Chapter 14: Perspective

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
Chapter 14: Perspective

"This is where y'all live?"

Lon's face was a picture of shock as he took in the sight of the sizable house. Compared to the sprawling, luxurious buildings in Phenac, Duking's home wasn't extraordinary by any means; it was a simple cabin-style home that might have once looked immaculate, but time and dust had coated it to more or less match the look of the rest of the town and the plateaus surrounding it. But in Pyrite, where most housing options were limited to rundown apartments, it may as well have been a high-end mansion.

"More or less," Wes said. "We're guests here, as are you - so if you're thinking about taking anything, don't." He gave the boy a hard look upon seeing the tiniest hint of mischief cross his face. Wes knew that look all too well, as he'd worn it himself more than once.

Lon scowled. "I wasn't gonna."

Yeah, I'm sure.


As they walked up the steps to the front door, Wes noticed Lon hover back slightly, fidgeting nervously. He then realized the boy had since returned his Igglybuff to his Pokeball, and wondered if he was preparing to bolt again.

Rui must have noticed this, too, as she paused and turned back to Lon with a kind smile. "It's really okay, Lon," she said gently. "It's perfectly safe here."

Lon shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glancing between her and Wes. "You sure? You promise?"

"Yes. We promise."

Wes looked at him and jerked his head to the door. "We'll go inside first, if that helps. Nobody is going to force you inside."

This seemed to calm the boy's nerves a little, and he nodded. Rui then opened the door and they filtered inside, Lon trailing in behind them.

Wes was not prepared for the chaos awaiting them on the other side of the door.

He heard a woman's voice first, a rough cadence that was shrill with distress. As he, Lon, and Rui stepped inside and shut the door behind them, he caught sight of Duking attempting to soothe an elderly woman who was ranting in hysterics.

The sound of the door snapping shut caused her to turn and see them. Her eyes, magnified behind a pair of oversized spectacles, immediately fastened on Wes.

"YOU!" she barked. She pointed a gnarled finger at him and took a menacing step towards him - and it was only then that Wes realized she was absolutely tiny. She couldn't have been any taller than his waist, and Duking's massive form behind her only served to exaggerate her petite frame even further. Her stern, wrinkled face seemed barely large enough for her massive spectacles, which magnified her eyes and gave her a distinct look that resembled a Flygon.

"You!" she said again. "You're the one who destroyed half my wares!"

Wes stared, utterly bewildered. "What?"

"And you chased down this poor boy, too!" She threw a sympathetic look towards Lon, who, oddly enough, suddenly had his hands idly in his pockets and was wearing a smug grin. "What business do you have with him? You street thugs are all alike, targeting helpless children!"

"I think there's been a misunderstanding-" Rui began, but she was promptly cut off.

"Duking!" The old woman whirled back to the mayor, who was pinching the bridge of his nose with a weary sigh. "This is him, the one who destroyed my house! Why is he here?"

Duking raised his head to throw Wes a withering glare. "Of course it was you," he growled.

Wes snarled at him. "What's that supposed to mean? And who the hell are you?" he snapped at the woman.

"Wes!" Rui hissed and jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "Don't be rude!"

Lon folded his arms and grinned wider. He threw Wes a triumphant look. "Serves ya right for chasin' me."

You snarky little -

Duking heaved another sigh and gestured to the sofa. "Why don't we all take a seat and I'll explain?"

The old lady gave an ill-tempered grunt and took a seat in a cushioned armchair near the fireplace while Duking sat in another beside her. Wes took note of her multicolored robes and glittering jewelry, and he suddenly realized who she was: Fateen, the self-proclaimed Psychic of Pyrite.

"You're our new recruit, I take it?" Duking asked Lon as he cautiously took a seat on the very end of the sofa farthest away from all of them - and closest to the door, Wes noticed. The amusement on his face from earlier had faded to wary nervousness.

Lon looked Duking in the eyes and slowly nodded.

"A pleasure, then," Duking said warmly, and extended his hand for the boy to shake it. Lon did so, though not without hesitation; the man's sheer bulk was clearly intimidating him. "What's your name, kid?"

The boy glanced nervously to Wes and Rui before answering. "Um. Lon."

"Lon, eh? Nice to meet you. I'm Duking, the town mayor - though you might already know that."

I seriously doubt it, Wes thought. Kids on the street couldn't care less about who had what titles or who was supposed to be in charge; the only thing worth remembering was who was a friendly face and who meant them harm.

Lon stared at him for a moment, then snapped his attention back to Wes with an accusatory look. "You didn't tell me you was workin' for the mayor!"

Wes raised an eyebrow at him. "And?"

"Is this a trap?" Lon bristled. "Are you fixin' to turn me in?"

"Easy, there kid, you're not in trouble," Duking said. "We'll explain everything."

"I certainly hope so!" Fateen said briskly. "I'd like to know what business you have with this poor boy, and why your rogue friend here decided to run him down like a Houndoom on the hunt!"

"I wouldn't have chased him if he hadn't run," Wes grumbled.

Duking shot him a sharp look before addressing her. "I promise, Tee, there's an explanation for all of this." He gestured to the two seated on the sofa. "This is Rui Everlin and Wesley Lycas, and they're volunteers for Sherles and I. They've been working on a case with us. And this -" he then addressed Wes and Rui, "is Fateen, gifted Seer and talented herbalist of Pyrite. She is an honorable woman and deserves your respect." His gaze sharpened and bore into Wes on the last word, and Wes returned it with a glare.

"Pleased to meet you!" Rui said brightly. Fateen looked at her and seemed to soften a little at Rui's smile.

She looked back at Duking with a sigh. "Am I to understand you have plans to involve this poor boy in your investigation?"

"Only if he would like to," said Duking. He spoke to Lon. "Seeing as you're here, I take it you'd like to help us?"

Lon nodded again. Wes could tell he had questions about why the mayor, of all people, was hiring him to steal Pokémon for him, but he said nothing. It was best (and safest) to never ask questions.

"Allow me to explain what it is we're doing here," Duking said. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, then glanced at Fateen. "Tee, I know you won't approve of everything you're about to hear, but just bear with me until the end."

Fateen's eyebrows knotted together, but she said nothing and gave a curt nod in response.

For the next several minutes, Duking filled them in on the basics of the mission, from the savage Pokémon to Wes' supposed volunteer work to Rui seeing their aura. At some point, Plu the Plusle wandered into the room and hopped onto Duking's shoulder; the mayor idly rubbed the Pokémon's ears as he spoke, and the sight of a tiny creature perched on such a hulking figure was almost comical.

"...And that's where you come in, kid," he finally said to Lon with a small smile. "To be honest, I'm not fond of the idea of putting a kid like you in this kind of danger, but you have my word that we will operate very carefully and do everything in our power to make sure none of the thefts are traced back to you."

Lon shifted in his seat. "My Pokémon will be safe, too, right?"

"Of course."

"This is quite the mess you're in, dear," Fateen said to Duking, her arms folded and a thoughtful, concerned look upon her face. She looked much less hostile than before, though there was still a disapproving air in her tone. "How do you know any of this will work?"

"We don't, Tee. But we have to try. Most importantly, we have to find who is behind this."

"Hm." Fateen mused for a moment, then sighed. "Well, I must say, I'm disappointed, dear. All this work, and you never once thought to ask for my services?"

Duking frowned at her, but Rui spoke up first. "Services? You mean...like, fortune telling?"

Fateen shook her head and waved a dismissive hand. "Oh no, child, none of that. I mean my medical expertise. Surely you'll need someone with treatments available should any of these Pokémon get too close to one of you or your teams."

"I didn't think you would want to be involved in something like this," Duking said with a frown.

"Normally, no. I prefer to let the Trainers sort out their problems amongst each other and to leave it at that. But lately, I've had far more children at my doorstep than I would like with either their own injuries or battered Pokémon. I suspected something was wrong before, and this confirms my suspicions."

"Strange you didn't know about all of this already," Wes said dryly. "Thought you might have seen it coming, what with your Sight and all."

Rui nudged him a second time with a sharp glare, but Fateen merely looked at him. "One does not simply See whenever they wish, my dear. It is a gift that manifests itself whenever it may."

Wes snorted, but said nothing more. Strangely enough, the woman actually grinned at him in amusement.

"You are a skeptic. No matter, however; I see now that you have a good heart, despite your...destructive tendencies. I will quite enjoy working with you, I think."

Wes stared at her. What did she mean by that? Her shift in attitude towards him was rather unexpected - but he caught the faintest glimmer of mischief in her eyes, and he felt unsettled under her knowing gaze.

Duking looked as though he was about to question her himself, but he was suddenly interrupted by a sound at the top of the stairs by the entryway.

A yelp of surprise and a thud caused every head to turn to the stairs to see Marci awkwardly clinging to the banister halfway down the steps, a look of pure horror on her face. Judging by the way she was half-sitting, half-standing on the stairs, it was evident she had slipped.

A hiss came from the top of the stairs, out of sight. "Ugh, Marci!"

Nobody said anything for a moment. Then, Duking spoke slowly in a low voice.

"Marci. Secc. Were you listening in?"

Marci got to her feet and answered far too hastily. "No!"

Duking narrowed his eyes. "Secc. Come on out."

There was a brief pause, then Secc slowly shuffled into sight, standing a step above his sister and looking incredibly sheepish.

"What did you two hear just now?"

The siblings both spoke at once: Marci with a nervous squeak and Secc in a defeated, deadpan tone.

"N-nothing!"

"Everything."

Duking closed his eyes and raised a hand to his face, muttering something under his breath that sounded like, "Arceus help me."

Fateen chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "Come now, dearie. You didn't really think you could keep something like this from them for very long, did you?"

She had a point there, Wes had to admit. So far, the explanation for Wes' Pokémon had been that they were sick and needed treatment - which wasn't entirely untrue, Rui had pointed out - and that Secc, Marci, and their friends were not to go anywhere near them. New Pokémon would be worked with either in the empty lot at the edge of town, or in the secret cavern after the kids had gone to bed, and Lon's presence would be explained as a relative of Johnson's that needed looking after - but to Wes, the whole thing had sounded rather flimsy from the start.

The gathering was shortly broken up after that. Fateen politely excused herself and left after giving Duking a stern reminder to keep her informed. Duking pulled his kids aside to speak to them privately and Rui offered to show Lon to his room - a guest room just off the living room that had once been Silva's.

Wes shook his head as he followed after Rui and a very dazed, confused looking Lon.

More damn people to deal with.

The following day, Wes inwardly decided to take back almost every complaint he'd ever had about Duking's kitchen feeling too small - it wasn't ideal, but it was much, much preferable to Sherles' small office. At least the kitchen had windows.

He was seated across from the Chief, Duking in a chair beside him, as Sherles once again hammered away at him for any information Wes had on Snagem. Unfortunately, his knowledge had been a disappointment to Sherles and Duking both; while he knew that Snagem had a second base that they had no doubt retreated to after the explosion, he couldn't tell them where it was or what it looked like, nor could he tell them what Snagem ever did with their stolen Pokémon. Such information had been closely guarded, only made privy to the higher-ups in the team.

The irony of this was not lost on him; after all, it had been Gonzap's offer to promote him that had led to Wes defecting in the first place.

Sherles, at least, seemed to be willing to take Wes' answers at face value. Perhaps he figured the Snagger had no reason to lie to them, not in his current situation and certainly not because of any love or loyalty to his old team. Duking, however, had accused him more than once of trying to hide something, which Wes had to repeatedly refute.

Seriously, what's your problem with me?

As Sherles winded down his questioning, Wes was prepared to write this meeting off as another fruitless waste of time - but Sherles didn't dismiss him. Instead, he said something that took Wes by surprise.

"I believe it's time to talk about Miss Everlin," he said.

Wes blinked. "What about her?"

"I'm not entirely comfortable with things as they stand." Sherles straightened a bit in his chair before continuing. "I agreed to your condition not to share your identity with anyone - even my own officers - but I'm having my doubts about keeping things from her." He looked Wes dead in the eyes. "I think you ought to consider telling that girl the truth about who you are."

Wes stared at him for a moment, hardly daring to believe he was actually serious - but the Chief's expression didn't waver. Wes scoffed. "I hope you're joking."

"Why would I joke about this, son?"

"Because it's insane," Wes said flatly. "You think she'll want anything to do with any of us once she finds out I - no, all of us - lied to her face?"

"That is certainly a concern, I won't deny that," said Sherles. "But I can't help but feel the longer this charade continues, the riskier things will be. I can't guarantee your identity will remain hidden. It may be for the best to get everything out in the open sooner rather than later."

His reply had been perfectly calm and steady, yet Wes narrowed his eyes at that last statement. "Is that a threat?"

"No, I assure you it isn't," Sherles said evenly. "Believe it or not, Lycas, I'm only speaking out of concern for you and Miss Everlin. She seems to be quite fond of you, and I believe she deserves to know the truth. After all, this mission wouldn't be remotely possible without her."

"The answer is no," said Wes. "I told you from the beginning that I don't want people knowing who I am, and it's going to stay that way."

Duking, who had been listening to the exchanged with a thoughtful expression, cleared his throat and spoke up. "I gotta side with Sherles on this. My kids are one thing - I didn't want them involved in this whatsoever, and I don't want the integrity of the mission compromised by their knowing about it." He scowled a little before continuing, clearly still unhappy with the way things had played out the day before. "However, Rui is different. She willingly placed herself with you at the front and center of all of this, and it doesn't seem right to be keeping secrets from her."

"'Doesn't seem right', does it?" Wes folded his arms and stared hard at the mayor, trying and failing to keep his rising frustration from showing. "Funny that should come from you - from both of you - when you've blackmailed me into this whole damn operation in the first place."

Sherles raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather I arrested you instead? That was your only other option, if you recall. I wasn't about to let you just walk out of my office, not with the evidence I had against you."

"And authorizing me to steal Pokémon for you?" Wes shot back. "Last time I checked, that was still illegal, with or without your permission!"

Duking snarled. "You've got some nerve preaching to us about what's legal, kid!"

Wes snapped his gaze up to meet Duking's. "Well, maybe it's about time someone told you you aren't above your own rules!"

The mayor stiffened in anger, and looked fully prepared to fire back an equally snippy response when Sherles raised a hand and quieted them both. He looked at Wes, and while his voice remained measured, there was a new heaviness in it that wasn't there before.

"I won't try to pretend that I'm a saint, here," he said. "I was fully aware of what I was signing up for when we set out to find you for this mission, and I knew that going this route would mean doing things I have never once considered in all my years of service." Those icy blue eyes bored into Wes, unwavering as always. "Should my actions in this investigation be made public, I will certainly lose my position and any credibility I have ever had. It's quite possible it would undo everything I have worked for, everything I have strived to build within this force."

Wes glared at him, unwilling to back down despite that intimidating stare. "Why do this, then?"

"I suppose...after thirty years on the job, of giving everything I had to serving this town, of trying to make things better for the folks around here...I got tired." Sherles paused and dropped his gaze, and all at once, Wes could see that tiredness in him; in every line on his face, in the slight slump of his shoulders as he spoke, in the cadence of his voice, in the fibers of his very being.

"I got tired of doing all that and not accomplishing a single damned thing," he said. "And I got especially tired of watching kids die on the streets."

He looked back up at Wes, and there was a quiet fire in his eyes that spoke of decades of exhausted frustration.

"That," he said softly, "is why I'm doing this."

Wes said nothing for a moment; he knew Sherles' sincerity was not the kind that could be faked or invented, and as he soaked in the Chief's words, a thought spoke quietly from the back of his mind: that maybe, just maybe, this was a man he could eventually come to respect.

It didn't change the fact that this mission was still little more than a fool's errand, but it was something, at least.

He spared a glance at Duking, but there was no need to ask for his thoughts on the matter; the man's firm expression of weary determination was more than enough. And, as much as Wes disliked him, there was something to be said for his willingness to take so many children under his wing. Wes wasn't sure he'd ever met anyone quite so willing to go out of their way for street kids without expecting anything in return.

He sat back in his chair with a sigh and finally broke the silence. "Fine. I get it. But that doesn't change my answer." He looked back at Sherles. "My answer is still no."

He could tell by the look in Sherles' eyes that he wasn't satisfied with the answer, but he didn't protest. Instead, he leaned back and sighed. "I won't force you, Lycas, but I won't pretend I like it."

Duking looked at him with an odd, unreadable expression. "Why so adamant, kid? Are you afraid of what her reaction would be?"

Afraid? That word made Wes bristle. He was not afraid of anything, least of all some random, naive girl's opinion of him.

"She hates thieves," he said. "Lost her starter to them some years ago, and has a personal vendetta against them. She finds out who I am, and I can guarantee she won't stay on the investigation. I don't think she'd be too excited about working with a thief - or with people who have lied to her from the very start."

Duking looked at him steadily. "You didn't answer my question."

What do you want from me? Something flared defensively in Wes' chest. Was it anger? Frustration? Fear - no, not fear, never fear, he was not afraid, not vulnerable, not weak. He didn't know what it was - all he knew was that it made him want to snap at the man before him.

Sherles must have sensed this, as he once again intervened just before Wes could say something. "Never mind that. If you've got nothing else to say, Lycas, then this meeting is dismissed."

Wes gave a curt nod, and all three of them rose to leave. He noticed Duking hang back and exchange a few words with Sherles, but he didn't care to stay and find out what they were. He walked out the building and into the harsh sunlight.

Duking's question had unsettled him, but the most bothersome thing was, Wes couldn't figure out why. He wasn't afraid of what Rui would think - honestly, who gave a damn? She was nothing more than a clueless girl from some insignificant town, and he couldn't care less what she thought of him - hell, they weren't even friends. Why would he care?

And yet, despite the fact that he let out Neo and Novo in an attempt to calm his agitation with their presence, the question needled at his mind for the rest of the day.

Maku couldn't remember.

He sat atop the sofa in the living room and watched the world go by outside the large window. It had become a favorite spot of his; here, sitting in the sunlight, he could peacefully ponder without fear or disturbance or interruption - well, most of the time. The smaller humans liked to talk to him sometimes, but he usually didn't mind.

His Trainer, at least, seemed to understand his need for privacy, and gave Maku his space whenever he desired it. He appreciated that about him.

The sun settled on his skin and wrapped him in a blanket of warmth. Maku liked the sunlight. If he sat in it long enough, it seemed to transport him to another time, another place...another lifetime, even.

He had vague memories - or what he thought might be memories - of his life before cages and needles and cold tiled floors. Sometimes he thought he could remember blades of green grass under his feet, a warm breeze washing over him, the sound of laughter and a young girl with bright, blond hair...

But then, they would fade away. Sometimes he wasn't sure if they were actual memories, or simply snippets from a long-forgotten dream.

Maku couldn't remember, and he was alright with that. He wasn't sure he wanted to remember.

Because if he did remember, then he would have to also think about his most recent memories. Ones of pain and terror and misery, ones he tried his best to blot out and shut out, ones he tried not to feel. He would have to think about how he might have been happy, a lifetime ago, but that it had all been ripped away from him. That laughter and bright sunlight had been replaced with blinding sterile lights overhead and cold, indifferent voices discussing what to do next, what new methods could be tried -

He shuddered and forced away all thought, all memory, all horror that threatened to bubble to the surface.

Maku couldn't remember. He did not want to. He did not.

A soft, playful growl met his ears from behind him; he didn't bother to turn his head to the source. The Umbreon and Espeon were tussling behind him, engaging in antics he'd given up on trying to understand. It was bizarre, the way they were fighting, and yet also...not fighting. No blood was drawn, no yelps of pain or fear ever escaped. What was the point of fighting or battling if you weren't doing everything in your power to win?

Fwomp!


A blur of black and yellow entered Maku's peripheral vision as Novo flopped onto the couch beside him - evidently, his brother had more or less thrown him there in their "fight". Maku turned his head to stare at him, and the Umbreon, splayed on his back with his paws in the air, blinked up at him apologetically before rolling to his feet.

"Play?"

Maku gave a start; the high-pitched chirp could only be addressed to him. He turned around fully, and saw the Espeon looking up at him from the floor, tail weaving excitedly, eyes bright.

He stared. "...Play?"

Neo chirped again, kneading the carpet with his paws. "Yes! Play!"

"What is...play?"

Novo hopped off the couch to sit beside his brother. He cocked his head to the side as he looked up at Maku, looking somewhat perplexed at the question. "Play?" He spoke in a thoughtful rumble. "Play is..."

"Fun!" Neo interrupted with a bark. "Play is fun!"

Novo swished his tail in agreement.

Maku looked blankly between them. "Fun?"

It was Neo's turn to look perplexed. He twitched his ears, and his tail slowed in its movement, lowering slightly to the floor as he pondered how to answer. "Fun. Fun is..."

"Happy."

Maku and Neo both turned to Novo as he answered. He was looking at the Makuhita with a calm, steady gaze. "Fun is happy."

Happy?


Maku frowned. He knew what the word meant, and yet...he wasn't sure he could remember what it was. Had he been happy before? Did it feel like the sun? He was certain he hadn't experienced it in the White Rooms, but if he closed his eyes and pondered, he thought he could remember...a girl's laugh, her arms around him, the trees swaying in a warm breeze...

The images were almost immediately swallowed up by newer, fresher ones; restraints rubbing at his raw, bloody wrists, sharp and painful pricks as needles slid under his skin, the sounds of his own screams echoing off the walls -

No. No. No. He would not remember, he would not think about it, he would not -

"No." The word escaped him in a snarl, a little more fiercely than intended. He opened his eyes and saw Neo flinch at his sudden hostility; Novo continued to fix him with that unwavering gaze of his.

"No!" Maku barked again. "No play!"

Neo's ears drooped in disappointment. Novo looked him in the eyes and responded with a soft, steady rumble. "No play," he acknowledged.

He rose to his paws and nudged his brother over to the other side of the room where they could continue their antics and leave Maku in peace. Maku watched them go, and felt his muscles steadily relax; he hadn't even realized he'd tensed up in the first place.

He turned back to the window, to the sunlight, and closed his eyes once more as he focused on soaking in its warmth.

He liked the sun. He always did - had he? Did he like it before?

He shook his head, cleared his thoughts, and tried to remember.

...Or was he trying to forget?

Neo had a problem.

He stretched his paws out in front of him as he lazed idly on the floor of the waterfall cavern. He'd been dozing beside his brother for a while now, and he was very ready for a change of pace. He reached out a paw and nudged his sleeping sibling.

No response.

Another nudge. Novo did not move.

Neo then reached out with both paws and lightly battered at his brother's back.

Novo cracked open an eyelid and fixed him with a blank stare and a low, rumbling growl.

Neo retreated with a sigh. He knew better than to push further - previous experience had reminded him that, while he might have been the harder hitter of the two, Novo did in fact have a type advantage on him, and would not hesitate to use it when his afternoon naps were interrupted.

Neo rolled to his paws, tail flicking in annoyance.

Yes, he had a big problem, all right: he was bored out of his mind.

Normally, he'd appeal to Wes whenever Novo wasn't reciprocating his desire to play, but on this particular afternoon, his Trainer was in the office beyond the hidden bookshelf door, in a meeting of sorts with the other humans and discussing...something. He knew it had to do with the strange new Pokémon they'd been encountering, but beyond that, he didn't care to know the details.

To make matters worse, the nice redheaded girl was in the meeting with them, thus eliminating all of his first options for a playmate. But no matter; this was a household full of children, after all, and they all relished the opportunity to shower him with attention whenever he appealed to them for it.

He approached the computer desk on the other side of the room where all four kids were gathered and was almost immediately rebuffed.

"Sorry, Neo." Marci addressed him with an apologetic grimace. "We gotta get this assignment finished today. We'll play with you later, okay?"

Neo let his ears and tail droop; Nett laughed and rubbed his head. "Later, we promise!"

Neo chuffed and walked away. "Later" was a problem, because "later" was not "right now."

His gaze rested upon Kohna, who was curled up near Novo, and an idea occurred to him.

He padded up to her and sat directly in front of the Quilava, wrapping his tail neatly around his paws. He cocked his head to the side as she blinked her eyes open and looked up at him with a wide, questioning gaze.

"Play?" he chirped.

She stared at him, a flicker of alarm entering her eyes. "P-p-play?"

Neo purred and rose to his feet, kneading the rough stone floor in excitement. "Yes! Play!"

Kohna blinked at him, then slowly shook her head, scooting away from him nervously. "N-no. No play."

Neo wanted to push her further, but he saw her flames begin to sputter in her anxiety, and decided his brother would not thank him for prodding her into a burning frenzy while he was sleeping beside her. With a sigh, he turned away from her to scope out his next target.

He saw him almost immediately; Maku was sitting upright against a bookshelf, watching the waterfall spill down the back wall, as though lost in thought. Neo took a step forward, but Maku shifted his gaze to him and fixed him with that blank, flat stare of his.

...Right. He'd already tried the Makuhita the other day with no success.

He lashed his tail in frustration. He was so restless, he was so bored, and nobody wanted to play -

A splash drew his attention to the pool of water at the back of the room; Nani, oblivious to everyone else in the room, was frolicking about in the water, evidently having a grand time in spite of herself.

Yes. Yes!

He was at the water's edge in an instant, tail weaving hopefully in the air, ears pricked forward. He chirped a greeting, and Nani froze in her play, her gaze automatically shifting to his. Her eyes narrowed and a growl rose in her throat.

"Play?" Neo mewed.

Nani curled her lip, revealing an impressive set of fangs, and the growl rose to a snarl. "Go. Away."

Neo was undeterred. "Play!"

She snapped at him. "AWAY!"

Clearly, she wasn't understanding what he wanted. He decided to help her out with a demonstration, and swept his paw through the water, flicking a few droplets in her direction.

"See? Pla-"

SNAP.

He just barely managed to dance out of reach of Nani's flailing jaws as she lunged at him, enraged, her movement spraying water in every direction. A bellow escaped from her maw and echoed off the cavern walls.

Yes. Yes. Yes!

"N-N-Neo!" Megg gave a terrified squeak as Nani launched herself from the pool, dripping water onto the floor. "What are you doing?!"

Neo trilled in response, prancing across the floor as he expertly dodged her fangs. "Plaaaaaay!"

He heard Secc urgently say something, heard a bark from his brother from across the room - he was awake, did he want to play, now, too? - but Neo was busy darting and weaving across the room, yapping in delight as Nani lunged at him time and time again.

"Fight!" she roared. "FIGHT!"

"No! Play!"

She spun and lashed her tail at him, managing to just barely glance a hit off Neo's shoulder. He barked, mildly surprised at the amount of force she'd packed into the blow, but no matter; she would learn how to play properly, she simply needed some practice.

He was so caught up in the excitement, however, that he hadn't been paying attention to what was behind him. Neo moved to spring backwards, only to collide into a pile of wooden crates with a solid k-thunk. What were those doing there, anyway? He glanced at them over his shoulder and -

Nani's snarl was suddenly close - very close. He snapped his head back around to see her looming over him, jaws parted as she prepared to lunge -

She vanished in a beam of red light. Neo blinked, baffled, until he caught sight of Wes standing across the room with Nani's Pokeball in hand, an expression of alarm written on his face. The door had been swung wide open, with the kids anxiously gathered around it; evidently, they had interrupted the meeting to put a stop to the charade.

And to ruin all the fun.

"What the hell, Neo!" Wes barked at him. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do, and we were scared she might hurt him-!" Megg's voice was unusually high as she apologized profusely to Duking over Wes' shoulder.

Neo wilted a little and dropped his gaze to his paws. What was so wrong about trying to play?

He heard the sound of Wes' boots on the floor as he approached him. In the corner of his eye, he saw his Trainer crouch in front of him, felt him place a hand under his chin and raise his head until he was looking up into Wes' golden eyes. He was frowning at him, but his expression had softened a little.

"Don't be too hard on him." Rui was close behind Wes, speaking over his shoulder. Her gaze was soft as she looked down at Neo. "I think he was just trying to make friends."

Wes sighed and rubbed Neo's chin. "Are you going a little stir crazy, buddy?"

Neo blinked and nodded. Wes said nothing, but he didn't need to; Neo caught a ripple of understanding from his Trainer, and an unspoken sentiment seemed to pass between them. In all their years at Snagem, they'd spent as much time as possible outdoors and on missions in the field; neither of them had any memories of being stuck inside so consistently, nor of being surrounded so closely by so many people.

They were out of their element here, and Neo knew that Wes was painfully aware of it.

"Tell you what," he said after a brief pause. "After this meeting is over, we'll go to that abandoned lot on the edge of town and you can run and play to your heart's content. Okay?"

Neo lit up at the prospect. "Play! Please! Play!"

A small smile flickered across Wes' face, and Neo purred with joy; it was a welcome, if rare, sight to see. He stepped into his Trainer's arms and rubbed into his chest, his purrs growing louder as Wes stroked his fur. He thought he might have even heard a tiny huff of laughter from him, but Neo couldn't be certain over the sounds of his own rumbling.

"You gotta give me thirty more minutes though, alright? Just thirty, and then we'll play."

Neo chirped. "Yes!"

Thirty minutes of waiting would normally feel like a lifetime; but as Neo sat through the remainder of the meeting in Wes' lap, perfectly content and relishing in the sensation of Wes' hand stroking his fur, it felt like no time at all.

The last few days had been nothing short of a whirlwind - but then again, Rui supposed she could say that about every day since she'd set out on her errand for Pokeballs; it had only been a few weeks since leaving home, and yet, with all the excitement, it felt as though it had been months.

"Rui, dear, are you certain you want to stay?" her grandfather, Eaugun, had asked one morning over a video call on her newly replaced P*DA. The many lines of age on his face deepened as he frowned at her, his worry reflected in his icy blue gaze.

Rui heaved a long-suffering sigh; the question was brought up in every call, and despite her constant reassurances, both of her grandparents never ceased to worry. "Pap, I'm completely fine, I promise. It's not like I'm doing this alone, and Duking and his family have been perfectly hospitable!" She shifted on her small bed so as to sit in a more comfortable position. "Besides, I'm not even the one doing the dangerous work. That's on Wes, and he and his Pokémon can handle it."

"And who exactly is this young man?" Rui's grandmother Beluh pushed herself into the frame, and the concern on her face was slightly more accusatory than Eagun's was. "You've mentioned him an awful lot, yet we have yet to even see him! Really, the least he can do is let us thank him for all he's done for you!"

If she had been speaking to anyone but her grandmother, Rui might have rolled her eyes. Instead, she sighed again and said, "I've offered to have you meet him on one of our calls, but he's - been busy. And he's just not very…"

She trailed off, searching for a suitable word. "...Social."

Truth be told, Wes seemed highly keen on not interacting with her grandparents, though Rui wasn't sure why. She wasn't going to push him, though, and she certainly wasn't going to mention that to them; her grandmother didn't need any additional reasons to be suspicious of him, in any case.

The camera shifted, then the screen blurred into a sudden jumble of color and chaos; Eagun had dropped the P*DA again. Rui smiled a little as she heard Beluh's voice gently chiding him in the background; her grandfather had never been great with technology, and it was rapidly becoming an expectation that he would fumble the P*DA at least once every video call.

After a moment of shuffling, the camera was righted on their faces once again, with Eagun grinning sheepishly.

"Never will get used to these things," he said. Rui responded with a laugh.

"Well, see that you make him join our call one of these days," Beluh said sternly - she was not one to be deterred from their conversation, despite the interruption. "And at least promise us you'll be back home soon, if only just to visit. We weren't exactly prepared to send you off on some grand journey, my dear!"

"Shouldn't that be expected in a family of Trainers?" Rui asked with a grin.

Beluh shook her head with an exasperated sigh. Eagun chuckled at Rui's response. "Does that mean you're thinking about Training again?" he asked.

Rui's breath suddenly caught in her throat; she felt her chest tighten and gripped her P*DA a little more firmly than necessary, feeling the laughter drain right out of her.

"No, Pap. I'm not."

Her face must have clearly reflected her inner feelings, as she saw Beluh's expression soften and she noticed the teasing spark leave Eagun's eyes.

"Never you mind," he said gently. "We just worry and want you to come home safe."

Rui forced another small smile, though judging from her grandparents' faces, she failed to make it a convincing one. "I will. I promise."

"And see if you can bring this friend of yours!" Beluh said. A sly grin slid across her face. "I have so many questions for him."

"Oh, please. It's nothing like that, Nan."

"Are you quite sure about that?"

"What are you - I don't - yes!"

A mischievous twinkle entered Beluh's eyes. "Hmm."

This time, Rui did roll her eyes. "You haven't even met him, and now you're pushing me at him?"

"Who said I had to push?"

Rui was floundering for a response when a shrill cry cut through the audio. "Pi-pi-pika!"

"Ah, yes!" Eagun said brightly. "Rika would like to say hello!"

The camera, no doubt now held by Beluh, panned downward until a round yellow face and two pointy ears came into view.

"Pikaaaaa!" Rika squealed in delight as soon as she caught sight of Rui's face, her red cheeks sparking excitedly. Though her muzzle and the tips of her ears were growing silver with age, the Pikachu still held as much energy and vivaciousness as her Trainer, Eagun.

Rui broke into a wide smile. "Rika! Good to see you!"

Rika took the next several minutes to tell Rui an exciting story, waving her paws and chirping, while Eagun attempted to translate - it was something about the trees near the Relic, apparently.

"She's been quite interested in the Relic, lately," Eagun said with a small frown at the Pikachu. "I can't be sure why, though, and she doesn't seem to know, either."

"Maybe because of the new Pokémon showing up?" Rui said.

Rika tilted her head to the side, then shook her head. "Pi. Pika!"

"No, it's something about the Relic itself, I think," Eagun mused. "But I suppose Pokémon have always been somewhat drawn to it."

That was true, although Rui couldn't ever remember Rika taking a specific interest in the old stone that sat in the center of Agate Forest. Local legends said it was guarded by a powerful and mysterious Pokémon; Rui herself had always liked to believe they were true, even though there had never been much evidence to suggest that they were.

Both Eagun and Rika admitted they were at a loss, and the conversation turned to other things; idle chat about Beluh's volunteer work at the hospital and Eagun's training of the young prospective Trainers, until Rui heard Marci calling for her and she had to say goodbye. Light teasing and cheerfulness aside, she still caught the traces of concern on their faces before the screen went black.

She pocketed her P*DA and ventured out the door with a sigh. I'll be perfectly fine. It was about time I left home and did something, anyway.

Marci met her halfway across the cavern and led her to the living room with a bounce in her step - something the girl always seemed to have, Rui had noticed with amusement.

"I wonder what Pokémon you'll find today!" Marci said excitedly. She looked up at Rui with a wide smile, as if expecting her to throw out a couple guesses. Ever since they'd overheard the conversation regarding the mission three days ago, she and Secc (and Nett and Megg, whenever they came by) had been having a blast coming up with names for the new Pokémon and playing with them whenever Wes or Duking was around to supervise - much to Duking's worry and dislike.

Rui merely laughed and said, "Who knows?"

Lighthearted as her response was, Rui couldn't help but feel a sinking sensation in her stomach; everyone on the investigation was already beginning to feel overwhelmed, and she knew she wasn't the only one beginning to wonder if they'd bitten off more than they could chew. Since adding Lon to the operation three days earlier, things had been rolling forward rather quickly - and soon they had found themselves surrounded by more savage Pokémon than any of them knew to deal with.

Thanks to Lon's skills and Wes' battles, they had managed to acquire three new Pokémon in addition to the Noctowl: a Misdreavus, a Skiploom, and the very same Flaaffy they had spotted on their first day.

However, after evaluating each of them before allowing Wes to officially Snag them, one thing had become painfully clear: they had a lot of work cut out for them.

Misdreavus, whom Marci had named Dio, took it upon himself to wreak absolute havoc whenever and wherever possible, and as a result, needed to be kept under strict supervision whenever he was out of his ball. Nyra, the newly named Noctowl, was still healing from her injury and was adamant on not letting anyone get too close; every change of her bandages came with an hour of coaxing and a plethora of Duking's homemade Pokeblocks. Skiploom, or Pim (once again named by Marci), was mercifully laid back and quite easy to manage - so long as no Pokémon set her off, anyway. Rui was certain she was never going to get the sickly, overpowering Sweet Scent out of her clothes after Kohna had suddenly sneezed and caused the Skiploom to erupt in the middle of the living room.

Perhaps most concerning of all, though, was the Flaaffy. Rui had chosen the name Marlow, but whether or not the Electric Pokemon had any qualms with it, she couldn't be sure; the poor thing immediately curled into a ball and trembled uncontrollably whenever anyone, human or Pokémon, came too near.

"It's odd, isn't it?" she'd asked Wes worriedly after yet another failed attempt to soothe her. "We saw her battling the first day here, and she wasn't terrified of everything then."

"That was a battle." Wes had kept his eyes trained on the shivering lump of fur across the cavern. Even with an entire room of space between them, the Flaaffy's terror was almost tangible. "She couldn't afford to be like this."

"It's amazing she was able to battle at all," Rui murmured. They both kept their voices low in an attempt to keep her calm.

"She had no choice." There was a bitter edge in Wes' tone, and Rui gave him a questioning look. What did he mean by that?

He never gave her one, and the look in his eyes made her afraid to ask.

As Marci led her through Duking's office, Rui heard Wes' voice just before the living room came into view.

"Oh, come on, Neo. You've had your turn for years."

Rui stepped into the room in time to see Neo, padding away from where Wes sat on the sofa and in an obvious sulk. She blinked in surprise to see not Neo, but Maku sitting in his lap.

Wes must have caught sight of the expression on her face, because he merely shrugged and said, "Don't ask me. He just wanted to sit here."

Maku blinked up at her with that usual blank expression of his - although, Rui could have sworn she saw just the slightest hint of contentment there.

She grinned back at Neo, who had curled up in a corner next to his brother with a huff. "Poor guy got booted, did he?"

"Look, I'm not a futon. I can only fit so many Pokémon in my lap at once."

Marci giggled. Rui noticed Secc sitting in one of the armchairs and promptly did a double-take when she saw Bayleef sitting beside him, humming in contentment as Secc rubbed his neck under his leaves.

"Look who's making progress!" she said with a grin.

Wes snorted. "He still wants nothing to do with me."

"Fi's just getting used to people, that's all," said Secc. The Bayleef nudged him affectionately, and the boy smiled.

Rui blinked. "Fi?"

Secc flushed. "Y-yeah. I, uh. Named him." He threw a worried look at Wes, but Wes merely waved his hand.

"It's fine. I doubt he'd accept a name from me, anyway. He seems to like you a whole lot more."

That much was certainly true. After several failed attempts to work with the Grass Pokémon, it had become clear that he actually didn't have many problems with anyone - save for Wes and his team. Rui guessed that, after the beating he took in Phenac, he saw Wes and his Pokémon as a threat, and as such, would have nothing to do with any of them.

Fortunately, he'd taken to Secc quite quickly, and now they could at least count on the Bayleef being in the same room as Wes, Neo, Novo, and Maku without launching into a rampage.

Secc brightened at the response and returned his attention to Fi. Marci looked on with a touch of envy on her face, then turned to Rui.

"Wouldn't it be cool to be a Trainer, Rui?" she asked.

For the second time that morning, Rui forced a smile. "Of course!"

"Why don't you have any Pokémon, then?"

Both Secc and Marci looked at her curiously, but Rui was especially aware of Wes' gaze; he'd never pried for more information since their first day in Pyrite, but no doubt he had his own questions.

Rui shrugged her shoulders and hoped her smile remained a convincing one. "I'm just not cut out for Training, I guess. It's not my thing."

Secc seemed to accept this answer, but Marci's eyes went wide. "Really? I've always wanted to be a Trainer!"

Rui was searching for a proper response when Wes suddenly spoke. "Well, let's get going. Lon's already waiting for us outside." He gently nudged Maku off his lap and called his team to him before returning them to their balls.

Rui let out a tiny breath of relief. It was hard to tell if he'd interrupted the conversation for her sake or not, but either way, she was grateful.

Marci bade them an energetic farewell as they walked out the door. Once Wes informed Lon of their route, the boy set off on his own, this time with an Azurill perched on his shoulder. They had agreed it was for the best that Lon not be seen with Wes or Rui, in case Trainers started connecting the dots and suspecting the boy's involvement. He needed to go as unnoticed and unseen as possible.

"Thanks for that, by the way," Rui said as they headed deeper into town.

Wes raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

She laughed a little. "For saving me back there. I know Marci means well, but I didn't know what to say."

He shrugged and looked back to the road ahead of them. "No idea what you're talking about."

Rui grinned. Of course he would say that.

After a moment of silence, he spoke again, though he didn't look at her when he did. "You'd make a good one, though. If you ever wanted to try again."

"Wh- a Trainer?" she spluttered in surprise.

He rolled his eyes. "No, a street performer."

She looked at him, somewhat befuddled, then grinned. "I think that's the first compliment you've ever given me."

He shifted his bag and looked mildly uncomfortable. "I'm just saying."

"Well...I don't think I'll ever train again," she said. "But...thank you. That means a lot to me, actually."

He didn't reply at first, and Rui wondered if he ever would, but then he muttered a reply. "You're welcome, I guess."

And for the rest of the morning, Rui couldn't stop grinning.
 

Pen

the cat is mightier than the pen
Staff
Partners
  1. dratini
  2. dratini-pen
  3. dratini-pen2
Back for chapters 2 and 3, in which Wes' attempts to forsake Orre for Johto go swimmingly.

I continue to enjoy Wes as our narrator. His own experiences and cynicism let him bounce amusingly off of his surroundings and off a peppy, sheltered character like Rui. Wes, Neo, and Novo also continue to make a great triad. Neo as reckless, loud, overeager vs Novo as reserved and more pragmatic comes through well, and what I particularly liked was that Wes' knowledge of their personalities shapes how he responds to them. He's more likely to brush off something Neo wants because Neo 'gets like that,' but will lend more weight to Novo when he chooses to assert himself. Rui's a little flat so far, but I liked the moment when Wes sees past her bubbliness to notice that she's hungry and exhausted. I imagine we'll learn more about how her aura power has shaped her life. I am curious, if pokemon are so rare, how has she even had the chance to test that ability?

The snippets of Orre worldbuilding are intriguing so far. The pokemon rarity thing is a really fun concept to play with. Some more expansive thoughts down in the line-by-lines, but it caught me off-guard because the scene with Willie felt to me like one that would play out in a world where pokemon and training is common. If major cities don't sell pokeballs, then I can't see training being common enough that there's the same culture of 'hey, let's have a poke battle' that exists in other regions. I also fell like Wes' pokemon would draw more sideways looks? I wonder why pokemon have left Orre--the lack of water, obviously, but there are lots of pokemon that seem like they are designed to exist in desert conditions. It's interesting that the pokemon we've seen so far--eeveelutions, zigzagoon, whismur, and one mentioned makuhita, are in a sense those types closest to human, normal and fighting. Are rock and ground and steel types abundant, but just extremely difficult to train?

There were a few points in here where I felt my suspension of disbelief a bit stretched. The biggest one was the encounter with the mayor. I'm wondering if this is a game logic residue thing, but the idea that you just walk into a mayor's personal home and have tea is odd, to say the least. Even in a corrupt and incompetent city, mayors have better things to do--meetings that accomplish nothing to attend, meals to be bribed at, etc. There are ways I could see that conversation happening--for example, the mayor would probably be interested in doing a photo-op with the rescued kidnapping victim, but that would require a bit more effort and tactics on Wes and Rui's part. Their interaction with the mayor felt very perfunctory--it would maybe make more sense to me for it not to be the mayor they spoke with, but some other, lower-level official? More on this in the line-by-lines, but I'm still trying to wrap my head around what enforcement system the city has. No police is odd--ineffective or corrupt police still equal police.

The other place I didn't quite buy the plot was at the end. Why does Wes suddenly need to come up with a plan to get Rui to come with him without raising her suspicions? He literally told her he'd leave her after they ate. Seems like all he had to do was say, "It's been real" and vanish into an alleyway.

All plot and world-building poking aside, I had a fun time reading through these. Looking forward to next chapter, when Wes finally ditches Rui and leaves for the paradise of Johto. That's what's going to happen, right?

He was awakened the following morning by the sound of footsteps and chatter from the diner overhead. He was slowly gathering his bearings as he sat up, stretched, and yawned, when a familiar smell wafted to his nose...
Second sentence a little clunky here,. Maybe, "Wes was awakened the following morning by the sound of footsteps and chatter from the diner overhead. He sat up, stretched, and was slowly gathering his bearings when a familiar smell wafted into the room...

Omg. The meme lives.

"No, Neo." Wes shoved the Pokemon off of him with a grumble.
"with a grumble" feels a little odd when we are getting the actual words he's saying.

Naturally, not ten minutes later, he found himself sitting sitting across from his Pokemon in the diner, watching them each chow down a fresh plate of bacon.
Naturally. So pure.

Under normal circumstances, he would have had to resort to swiping table scraps for all three of them, but thanks to the cash he'd snatched from the hideout, he could afford to dote on his Pokémon just a little. After yesterday, he figured they deserved it anyways.
Ah, makes a lot of sense. It's a nice exception to his pragmatism that he's prepared to splurge for his friends.

Neo paused from his feast to watch them intently, his ears pricked forward, eyes trained on a large burlap sack that rested in the truck bed. His gaze remained steadfastly fixed on them, and he only returned his attention to his plate after they drove away and out of sight.
Hm, probably just something minor that won't matter later on.

Wes had turned his attention elsewhere. He ate his breakfast quietly while discreetly scanning the occupants of the place. It was relatively empty

"Wes' attention was elsewhere. As he ate his breakfast, he discreetly scanning the other diners. The room was relatively empty . . ."

Still, the young man was anxious for them to be on their way.
"the young man" is a pretty clunky epithet, that I don't think we need? Wes or he works best when we're in Wes' POV.

"Hah!" Wes gave a start as the gruff man from the back barked out a laugh. "Serves 'em right, the rotten thieves! Shoulda blown the whole lot of 'em away!" He rose to his feet and stretched.

"Aye, I'll level with ya there." The owner nodded approvingly as he he spoke, and the woman up front gave a disdainful sniff.

"I don't understand how authorities haven't at least made some progress," she said. "Whoever bombed that shack has done more than they have in thirty years!"
Nice to know where public sentiment stands.

The Trainer turned back to his plate and inhaled deeply, willing his heart to stop racing so fast.
Trainer is a common noun and doesn't get capitalized. Again, don't think we really need an epithet here, we're in Wes' head.

"Can I help you?" He growled.
Growled is acting as a speech tag here, so the "he" should be uncapitalized. Growled does fel a little over the top to me as a descriptor. The subsequent one about speaking curtly felt more realistic.

"Fine", he grumbled.
Comma should be inside the quotation marks

The sunlight made his bright pink hair even more shocking to look at, and Wes quietly snorted to himself in disbelief. Pink hair. Unbelievable. Not that he had much of a right to mock strange hair color - his own was such a light, sandy blonde, it was often mistaken for silvery white. Still, at least he could blame genetics instead of poor decisions.
Hah, enjoying Wes' judgment here. And a nice way to sneak in some physical description of Wes.

It was over before it had even begun. Wes called for Neo to use Confusion and Novo to use Bite, and before either of their opponents could launch a solid attack, they were both lying motionless in the sand.
Skip battles 2020!

"Yeah?" Willie grinned at him again. Such open friendliness from a total stranger. He was far too naive for this place.

"You should be more careful about who you challenge to battle. Your Pokémon are easy targets, and there are still plenty of Snaggers out there." He pulled his goggles over his eyes and gripped the handlebars tightly with gloved hands. "Don't pick fights you have no chance of winning." With that, the motorcycle roared to life and he drove off, leaving a bemused Trainer in his wake.
Huh, my initial reaction was confusion, because why would anyone bother stealing super low-level zigzagoon. But I guess if pokemon are that rare they have some utility or value to someone?

The desert sun reflected off the sparkling water and white structures, making it blindingly bright to look at.

To Wes, it was a literal eyesore.

Perhaps he simply wasn't used to such pristine buildings and clean streets. His life had consisted of dirt, sweat, and rust, and none of those things seemed to belong in such a perfect place as Phenac. Plus, there was an air of false grandeur about the place that repulsed him. He'd preferred to avoid it on his previous missions if he could help it, but today's errands deemed it a necessary destination.
I liked the contrast here between Phenac City's outward beauty and Wes' reaction to it.

("deemed" isn't something errands can really do, and as a word feels a little elevated/archaic for your overall tone. I think "today's errands made it a necessary destination" would work fine.)

They had just stepped through the city entrance and started their way to the center of town
You can 'start to make your way', but you can't 'start your way.'

"shady business".
Period goes inside the quotes.

They had set down the sack and now appeared to be quietly arguing with one another - but they weren't the ones who held his attention this time.

The burlap sack was moving.
Yikes!

"What, they have a Pokémon or something?" Neo's tail lashed, and Novo flattened his ears against his head. He frowned at them. "Not a Pokemon? Then what...?"

Oh.

He looked at the sack again. Whatever - no, whoever - was in the sack was struggling fiercely, and this prompted a bark and a kick from one of the men.

Merciful Arceus, he thought. Kidnappers?
I guess as a former pokemon thief, the idea of people kidnapping a pokemon wouldn't be a big deal to him?

I kind of wonder if Wes could would work that part out himself though--would people really use a burlap sack to capture a pokemon in a world where pokeballs and whatever snag devices are exist?

He had absolutely no obligation to interfere in what was clearly a messy situation, especially considering they were in enough hot water as it was.

Let someone else handle it, he thought. Preferably someone who didn't have an entire gang of thugs out for their blood.
This checks out, though it would help if I had more of a sense of his urgency--how close behind him he thinks the gang is. So far he's seemed pretty leisurely.

He only made it two steps before Neo sprang in front of him, fur bristling, giving his Trainer a hard, burning stare. Novo stood cautiously at Wes' side; Wes knew the Umbreon would go along with whatever plan his Trainer thought best, especially if it was the safer route. Neo, however, seemed to have his own agenda at the moment.

"Move."

"Esp."

The two glared each other down for a moment, Novo glancing between them. Wes had all but made up his mind to return Neo to his Pokeball when his brother stepped forward, cautiously moving between them, and looked intently into Wes' eyes.
I guess partnership has its limits. Wes planning to recall Neo here to end the discussion feels distinct from his grabbing Neo to stop him gloating and endangering them. Doesn't feel like the kind of thing that a plate of bacon would forgive.

Interesting how Novo tips the balance here.

"Pipe down, Trudly!" his partner hissed. "We can't go around shoutin' our business, someone might hear us -"

"Someone like me, for instance?"

The pair whipped around to find Wes standing a few yards away, arms folded, his Eons at his side. The first man, Trudly, addressed him in a low growl.

"Listen, kid, I dunno what you heard, but you best keep to your own business if you know what's good for you."

Wes raised an eyebrow. "Very scary. Consider me intimidated."
"Shut your trap, Folly! Don't throw around my name here! We can't have everybody knowin' who we are!"

"...but you just said my name!"

Trudly blanched. "Aw, hell-"
Heh, the banter here is a little cartoonish, but it's fun.

The Eons responded immediately to the veiled phrase, having executed it hundreds of times before.
I like that they have preset strategies! Makes a lot of sense, particularly in a double battle.

('the Eons' still not doing much for me)

With a final Bite and Confusion, the Eons sent their foes tumbling backwards.
The battle started to feel a bit mechanical here. In general I think my eyes start to glaze over when I see a lot of capitalized pokemon moves--feels like I'm in a video game and it's just a matter of back and forth until the HP bar reds out.

He had half a mind to walk away right then and there - he'd done his duty, after all - but then decided, more out of curiosity than anything else, that he might as well stay to make sure the victim was all right.
This does seem like your biggest hurdle to justify him staying. Maybe Neo and Novo have already joined the crowd and it would cause a scene to get into another argument with them?

Much to Wes' surprise, a girl burst out of the sack, gasping great gulps of air.
Wasn't sure what surprised him here. He knew it was a human. He's surprised a girl was kidnapped? Why?

Wes paused. Giving out his name to perfect strangers was not on his list of things he wanted to do today - but then again, rescuing a kidnapping victim hadn't made it on that list, either. "Wes," he said shortly. He didn't offer his full name, and was grateful when she didn't ask for one.
The back-and-forth in Wes' mind and his compromise flow well here.

"The Mayor?
Mayor on its own isn't capitalized. You would capitalize Mayor Escade, but if you're talking about the mayor, you don't do so. Titles get capitalized only before names.

Not that it will do much, he thought to himself. The only "authorities" in Phenac City were the staff at the Town Hall, and they could do little more than raise awareness and alert the citizens.
So does Phenac City have no police force? It seems pretty big and prosperous, which means lots of banks and merchants and the kind of people who want that sort of protection. Is it that the government is so weak that that kind of thing gets contracted out? Like, merchants have to procure their own body guards because they can't rely on government protection?

The girl noticed this, as she commented for what must have been the fourth time on how beautiful the city was.

“I haven’t been to Phenac in a long time, but it’s even more beautiful than I remember!” she said in awe. “It’s so lovely!”

Wes shot her a look. “So you have been here before.”
The first sentence here is kind of clunky. You could go with something dryer, maybe?

Like, "This fact hadn't been lost on the girl.

"It's so lovely," she gushed, for what must have been the fourth time. "I haven’t been to Phenac in a long time, but it’s even more beautiful than I remember!"

The familiar, growly voice rang in his head again. The best lies are half-truths, boy.
I like how the lessons of his former life still guide his actions.

“Well, you should definitely visit sometime. It’s completely different from anywhere else in Orre!”

How would you know?
Hah!

Ace Trainer
Is this some kind of official title? What do you have to do to be recognized as an ace trainer?

Wes raised an eyebrow at her. Pokeballs? This girl was just getting weirder and weirder by the minute. “Phenac doesn’t sell Pokeballs anywhere.”
“Pokeballs are useless if there aren’t Pokemon to catch them with,” said Wes dryly.

“Well, you see, Papi - my grandpa - he’s hopeful!” Some of the brightness had returned to Rui’s eyes. “There have been rumors of wild Pokemon sightings around the area up north, so he thinks they might be migrating back into the region!”

“But those are just rumors,” he said. “There’s no way they’re true.”
!!! Wait, so pokemon are super rare in this region? Oh, that really shifts things around. We've seen plenty of trainers around, and no one seemed to make a big deal of Wes having pokemon, so I didn't expect that. What does it mean to own pokemon in a region where they are all but extinct? I imagine they'd end up being reserved for the people with the most money and power, a sign of status. Do pokemon thieves basically function as a means of redistribution there, taking pokemon from people who got lucky enough to find one and selling them off? What about importation from other regions? Is Orre just so poor it can't even afford that? Desert regions often have oil stores, though in the world of pokemon, that may mean less geopolitically than it means in our world.

I don't think I've ever read about a region where pokemon are a scarce commodity! Looking forward to seeing what you do with that.

Even if Wes hadn’t known this to be the mayor’s home, it would have been easy to guess.

Of course, the bright banner that stretched across the pillars and read “MAYOR ES-CADE WELCOMES YOU!” was also a slight giveaway.
Huh, in small towns mayors might be forced to use their personal home as an office, but in a big city that seems weird?

“Wes.” The Mayor continued to look at him, as if expecting more, so he sighed. “Wesley Lycas.”
Are we meant to take this as his actual last name? It seems super odd to me that he would give it to the mayor of a whole town when he's trying to be cautious. The next thing he knows his name could be in the newspaper. Feels like he'd just give a fake last name?

It really looked like it wanted to kill the other Pokemon.”

Wes sat back in his seat, absorbing all this new information. This girl was clearly sheltered - that had been obvious from the beginning. He, unfortunately, had seen Pokemon kill on command more than once. It was certainly not unheard of, and something that was all too common in Orre’s crime rings.
I'm enjoying this dynamic of the girl asserting things and Wes mentally countering from his experience.

“You do know that Pokemon can and do sometimes kill other Pokemon, my dear?” he asked gently.

“I know that!” Rui said in frustration. “I do! But they only do so if commanded, right? Well, this Makuhita was on a rampage and was acting of its own accord - its Trainer couldn’t even stop it!”
Hm, the way she says this makes it feel like the emphasis is on 'kill because trainer says so' and 'kill on own accord' which--I'm not sure one of these is inherently worse than the other? It seems like the proper distinction is really 'kill for a reason' vs 'kill senselessly,' which rampage definitely implies.

This makes me think of the anime episode Island of the Giant Pokemon, where it's asserted that pokemon on their own are never evil, but they do evil things sometimes if they have evil trainers who order it. I've always found that a really interesting concept to wrestle with. Do we think pokemon can't be evil in the way animals can't be evil? If they have no agency, then yes, they can't be good or evil, because they aren't making choices. But if they can make their own choices--as they clearly can in your fic, and we saw with Neo and Novo--then it seems like they could have the capacity for both good and evil decisions in them.

Wes didn’t trust drinks from strangers, so he quietly declined his tea.
Nice little detail, very telling. I like how it's automatic--no threat analysis of, would the mayor really drug a random kid? Nope, no drinks from strangers.

They really love and trust you...and it’s part of the reason I knew I’d be safe walking with you.” She grinned at him.

Wes decided it wasn’t worth pointing out that she could have deduced this from Neo and Novo’s evolutions - Espeon and Umbreon only got their evolutions from bonding with their Trainer, after all.
I wonder how common knowledge that would be, if pokemon are so rare?

He exuded an air of cold, crisp, precise cruelty as he walked. Wes had seen his share of men drunk with power who thought they had it all - but this man knew he was in charge, and was keenly aware of his own authority.
When trying to make a big impact, less can be more, particularly with adjectives. Three in a row here feels like list and diminishes the impact.

Maybe, "He walked with an air of cold precision." (since you invoke his cruel expression subsequently, and I'm not sure how a walk looks cruel.)

Johto. Wes had only heard stories of it, but it sounded like a beautiful place, so entirely different from the sandy Orre Region. He’d heard about green forests that stretched as far as the eye could see, of giant shining lakes, of mountains that stretched so high you couldn’t see their peaks. He’d dreamed of seeing it from the moment he first learned of its existence.
Yes! Johto is very good.

Wes took a closer look at her. For all her smiles and cheerfulness, he noticed for the first time that she was still a little pale, and her fingers were shaky as she fidgeted with her necklace. “You haven’t eaten.”
This was a nice moment.

And yet...he had gone long stretches without food before. He knew firsthand how unpleasant it was, and he was certain that this girl had no means of getting food for herself. There was no way she still had any money on her after being kidnapped.

The low voice came into his head again. Remember this, boy. Don’t stick your neck out for nobody.

Anger burned in his chest at the intrusive voice. You don’t get to tell me what to do. Not anymore.
I like how Wes' empathy here is very direct--he knows the feeling, so he can relate.

I think I want a little more here on why he chooses to reject the voice now--this is the third time we've had it intrude, and the past times he followed the words as good advice.

By Phenac standards, it was “seedy”, but compared to the Outskirt Stand, it may as well have been fine dining.
Nice, comparison is always a good way to make the world feel fuller.

(commas go inside quotation marks)

Neo and Novo looked up at her in alarm from their meal and Wes began to feel uncomfortable as heads turned in their direction. Why was this girl so loud?
Mood.

It should be smooth sailing from here, he thought.

And then he heard a voice that turned his blood to ice.
Well, that optimism lasted exactly zero lines.

If she found out who she was...he remembered her face in the Center as she spoke about Snagem. The anger in her eyes, the righteous fury. There was no way she would let him off if she knew. Not a chance.
Wes’ mind raced. He scrambled to think of a way to get out of this city without setting off Rui’s suspicions.
I'm a little confused--weren't they going to part ways after he fed her? Why can't he say "gtg" and yeet?
 

HelloYellow17

Gym Leader
Pronouns
She/Her
Partners
  1. suicune
  2. umbreon
  3. mew
  4. lycanroc-wes
  5. leafeon-rui
AAAH Tetra your review just made me so HAPPY?? It's really nice to see what has been landing for readers, and you just brought ALL the feel-goods with you to this review. You're the MVP, friend.

I thought your battle description was very good, I could get a solid picture in my head of the fight between the two Whimsur and Wes's pokemon. Also, really enjoyable prose overall. Everything felt smooth and easy to read, and there wasn't really anything that jarred me out of the story. Once I started reading, I really got into the story.

AAAAAH THANK YOU


Although I did find myself wondering where bacon comes from in the pokemon world....

Uh, yeah...*sweats* I definitely didn't think about this as much as I probably should have before writing it. I would say that in the Pokemon world there is either a way to manufacture artificial meat, if you will, or farming still exists similar to how it would in our world, which...idk how I feel about that last one. So we'll just go with the former, eh?

I feel like these should be on their own lines, although I could be wrong. Writing 'Wes gave a start' on the same line as 'HAH' made me think that he was one who said it, when in fact he was reacting to someone else.

Ya know, I actually noticed these lines before you left your review and thought, "would this be confusing?" Glad you said something! I separated them into their own paragraphs, so hopefully that helps!

YYEEEEE so cute. You've really done a good job hammering in the familial bond between Wes, Novo and Neo.

OH THANK YOU. I really really wanted to nail down the family dynamic that they all share.

Filed under: "Words proceeding unfortunate events"

Haha, so sad, Alexa play Despacito.
 
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