Chapter Text

The language used in conversations between gods is infinite in depth and complexity. Those few mortals who can hear said conversations, keep from dying to information overload, and understand even the bare minimum of the concepts being traded like molecules between atoms, can spend days dissecting a single ‘word’. Theological transcriptors rely on metaphor so deep in complexity that every sentence requires full paragraphs to understand, and poets who read it will weep at the layers of language used to create even the barest hint of divine melody.

To translate the following conversation into abbreviated English requires so much loss of context, emotion, and information as to make any of those selfsame poets collapse, frothing at the mouth. But it must be done to understand the purely mortal interactions which would come thereafter.

Alaya. Hands off. The overdeity and will of humanity flinched as she went to make adjustments on one of an infinite canvas of worlds. You are not supposed to be here.

I am only giving one of your children a boon, Arceus. The goddess simpered as she wheeled to face the four-legged god-horse ‘standing’ behind her. Surely-

Giving one of my children – my future Chosen, no less – the powers, memories, and regrets of one of your chained Heroic Spirits is not a boon, Alaya. Arceus responded. Especially when it plants the urge to petition you for aid in a time of need. The god-horse stopped, then continued in a tone which could, in a lesser being, be considered snide. Running out of your favorite Counter Guardian again?

What does it matter to you, goat? Alaya’s composure shattered like cheap porcelain. You have a million and one powerful beings to clean up on your world, I have nothing!

If you had bothered to make peace with, and work with, your world soul as opposed to actively fighting her, that would not be necessary. Instead, you continue to insult and belittle her at every opportunity when you’re winning, then scramble when she begins to gain ground. Arceus huffed. And now, even your favorite silver sword-bullets are running out, since you leave them miserable in your service so often.

What else am I supposed to do? Besides, you have infinite worlds under your purview, losing one chosen–

And it’s that attitude which leaves me with absolutely no sympathy. Arceus countered. If you wanted help, ask. Instead, you’re repeating the same mistakes you made with Gaia, pissing off a potential ally.

Fuck off, Arceus. Fine, I’ll go elsewhere…

Not quite. Alaya froze at the satisfied lilt in Arceus’ voice. You owe me forfeit. For this time, where you failed, and the two times you succeeded previously.

…forfeit?

I think I’ll make this a teaching moment, a chance to see what a well-adjusted, competent hero can accomplish with help, as opposed to all the byronic lone wolves you prefer. Arceus decided. So let’s see… well, your chosen favorite, for one…

Alaya yelped as she felt Shirou Emiya’s eleven year old soul leave one of her worlds. No, that’s–

And his sister, of course, to keep her from becoming so broken. Hmm, what’s this TOHSAKA? Might as well keep that out of your hands too…

No! Give them back! Alaya wailed as another two souls were lifted, a fourth joining in. And the Matou? No!

Why you didn’t bother to use one of your agents to wipe the Pillars from becoming Demons I will never understand. Conflict breeds power and development, but Chaldea is not a good enough reason to keep them around. Arceus sniffed again. Ah, and the man. He’s close enough to becoming EMIYA that he might take your deal, so he comes too.

Damn you!

Play with the big boys, you get smacked. Arceus intoned. Next time you go rooting around for spare heroes, go somewhere where the local gods can’t step on you with impunity. Maybe that strange Mushroom Kingdom place?

Gahh!

Shooing out his erstwhile annoying cosmic neighbor, Arceus inspected his five ‘prizes’. Hmm. Reality can’t handle more than three insertions, and all five in one place is asking for the Aether foundation to pick up something. Three groups, maximum distances apart. Let’s see…

For the man… Kalos. With his heritage and skills, dealing with that poor madman Lysandre should be right up his alley. With a flick of a divine hoof, the frail form of Kiritsugu Emiya was deposited in front of the Floette Memorial Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. Curse disposal is within their wheelhouse, if I recall. Not many places left which need that, fortunately…

Now for the sisters. Arceus grimaced as he looked at the state of the younger’s soul. Hmm. Well, at least that worm is dead, now that his soul’s center is displaced… ugh, going to need a bit of spiritual surgery… or exposure to proper levels of developmental aura. He paused. Well, they’ll need partners anyway. With a twist of will, he created a single, brown-furred fox creature, and then thought better of it and created three more. Children like cute things, and these should do the trick. Let’s see… Unova. Big place, social services unfortunately strapped, enough wild areas for odd jobs or resource acquisition, perfect for them. I think. Arceus double checked. Huh, they’re already out of the Cowboy phase… except that one guy. Even better.

And now for the man of the hour. Arceus handed off the Eevee to the boy’s soul, then reached back in and pulled out the Sheath of Avalon. I’ll give this back when it won’t spiritually corrupt and mold the boy’s soul further. He mused, hanging it on his wall. Don’t want him to turn into a Honedge. Now… close to home should work well enough. Welcome to Sinnoh, children.

As the last of his newly adopted and created children flew off to his world, Arceus sat back. That should change things up on this world a bit, without interfering too much in my Chosen’s path. Now just to–

“Hey, what’s going on?”

Arceus blinked. Mew, how did you get in here again?

The little pink pokemon spun around, looking at his boss with adorable eyes. “You still haven’t blocked the drains in your sink.”

Really? Ugh. Arceus groused, looking back at his world.

“So what’s on TV? Ooh, some sort of isekai reality show?”

Fairly close. Get my popcorn, and you can watch it with me.

“Sure!”

Oh, and let Mario know he’s going to have an annoying visitor soon.

“Got it~”

Chapter Text

Sinnoh, Celestic Town

Illyasviel von Einzbern was used to waking up in snowy weather, after her grandfather tossed her into another training trip. She wasn’t used to waking up with someone else, waking up warm-ish, and waking up with a brown critter cuddled up with her.

She was really glad said warmth had prevented her from throwing the fluffball into the woods, since one churring chinning has made her heart melt.

Illya had not known this strange fox-cat for more than thirty seconds, but if anyone happened to it, she would immediately kill the one responsible, their family - extended or otherwise - then herself. The creature was adorable, and, more importantly, was mewling adorably as it tumbled around with another fox-cat that the red-haired boy had woken up holding. The two creatures (they were yelling some variant of Ev-uh as they played. Was that a name?) seemed utterly overjoyed to meet each other, when they weren’t busy demanding scritches from either her or the boy next to her.

She paid no attention to the adults already crowding around them, having already realized that she likely wasn’t anywhere she was familiar with, and, dare she say it, was likely no longer on her world, given the sheer abundance of mana permeating the air. No. The only thing that was currently holding her interest were the pair of fox-cats and the-

“Are you okay?”

‘Why was the redhead right in her face?!’ Illya screamed internally, before realizing that the boy had asked her if she was okay. She pondered that question for a second, before nodding slowly.

“I think I am, thank you,” She replied politely, taking a moment to examine the boy… who was wearing a T-Shirt and Jeans, and he was visibly shivering… but he was asking if she was okay. “Aren’t you cold?” She added hesitantly, not seeing a particular reason she should be unkind at the moment. Grandpa wasn’t there to smack her, which was a major point in favor of kindness.

“...I can handle it.” He murmured. “Um, do you know where we are…” His voice trailed off before a note of shock entered his gaze. Well, at least he understands the severity of our– “Oh shoot, I left the stove on!” He yelped, trying to scramble upright.

“... I think the stove is the least of our worries.” Illya carefully enunciated. “Also, there are a bunch of adults surrounding us, and-”

“Not everyday you see a pair of children and Eevee deposited near the Old Shrine,” An elderly voice mused aloud, clearly intending to be heard aloud. “Wonder what warranted the Legends intervening this time. Feh, no matter. Come children, it is cold out here, and it will be warmer once we head to the Police Station, if only so that none here accuse me of kidnapping you for nefarious means.”

Illya shot a glance over the woman, blinking as she eyed her stern countenance. Coming upright, she dipped into a bow. “My apologies, ma’am, for trespassing–”

“Cut that out. You didn’t come here on purpose, that’s clear, and that can mean any number of things. This close to the Pillar, probably a Mystery Gift. First time for kids, but had to happen eventually.”

The red-haired boy stood. “Ah, Mystery gift?” He steadied himself as one of the fox creatures wove around his legs.

“Explain. Inside.” The woman repeated. “Come along.”

Not exactly in a position to argue, Illya choose to follow, barely noticing the redhead scrambling after her, far too absorbed in the game the pair of fox-cats made of the simple act of walking, scrambling to and fro, tackling each other, wrestling, only to sprint to catch up to the trio, then repeat. Giggling slightly, she only noticed coming inside when the cold abated.

As the door shut behind her, the woman sighed. “Arceus, Darkrai, and Shaymin, this is a new one on me.” Turning around, she gave both children a measured look. “Well, you’re dressed for the weather, but he’s not. And by the fact you two aren’t talking to each other, I suspect you don’t know each other.” She took a seat on a chair, motioning both the kids to a couch. “Sit down near the fire, warm up, and let’s talk.”

“Um, thank you, elder-san.” The boy took a seat, both fox-cats jumping up to join him. Illya sat down, only for one of the cats to sprawl over her lap, belly-up and purring.

The old woman watched them, eyes gleaming. “Hmm. Doubt those two are stolen, but I’ll need to check.” She coughed. “I am Professor Alicia Carolina. And I would like to know how two young people ended up on my doorstep with rare Pokemon treating them like personal servants.” She arched one eyebrow.

“Pokemon?” Illya and the boy chorused, before looking at each other in visible confusion at how in synch they had been in, though totally unintentional. The pair of fox-cats’s ears perked, and both Pokemon sat at attention.

“...right.” Carolina massaged her brow. “Not from around here, indeed… Arceus, what have you dropped on my lap.” She paused. “Hmm. Now, should I put on one of Oak’s old videos, or… nah, I can handle this.”

She stood, taking a stand in the middle of the room. “Welcome, children, to the world of Pokemon.” She held out one hand, a red and white ball rolling out of her sleeve. With a flick of her wrist, the ball snapped open, red light releasing a red and white being which moved to hang at her shoulder.

“Chime-mecho!”

“As I said, my name is Carolina, and I am a student and teacher of history, though that is intertwined with that of Pokemon. Pokemon are our companions, as prevalent as all the elements, whether in our everyday life or in the pages of our history books.”

“Pokemon are mysterious and powerful creatures, but according to legend, here in Sinnoh, the greatest Pokemon were aided by a human in a time of great strife. Since then, it has been a pact that Pokemon and humans coexist within the world, with land given to humans and Pokemon communities alike. And each can go into the place of the other, though to do so is to accept the rules of the other.”

“Those that work closest with Pokemon, and prepare them for battle, are called Pokemon Trainers. In ages past or times of war, Trainers were warriors, who used Pokemon as allies or tools to defend against catastrophe, but today, Pokemon training is a more open and less regimented affair. Battles result in injuries and coin payed, not lives lost and territory taken.”

She chuckled. “And now you’re taking your first steps into the wide world of Pokemon! Your very own tale of grand adventure is about to unfold. On your journey, you will meet countless Pokémon and people. I'm sure that along the way you will discover many things, perhaps even something about yourself.” She paused. “Normally, this is where I’d send you out to begin your journey, but I can see you both have a lot of questions. And I need your names.” She sat back down, the Pokemon at her shoulder happily drifting down to rest.

“... Illyasviel von Einzbern,” Illya stated, processing the overload of information.

“Emiya Shirou. Ah, that’s Clan Name, Given Name, Professor.” The redhead-

“Emiya?” Illya asked, her hands closing around the now named boy’s shoulders, “Any relation to Kiritsugu Emiya?!”

“He’s my old man.” He paused. “When he’s around. He was away from home, on business in Germany when…” Shirou frowned. “I think I was making dinner…”

“... Daddy didn’t abandon me…” Illya whispered after a long pause, tears gathering in her eyes as her whole world shattered with one, simple statement, “Grandpa lied… just like he always does.”

“Ah?” Shirou tilted his head. “Oh, so that’s why he was leaving? Even though he’s sick?”

Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place, and Illya allowed herself a brief moment of awe that her papa was willing to keep throwing himself at Einzbern Castle’s rather formidable defenses. “... He didn’t abandon me…” Her mouth stated without her brain’s permission, stuck in a loop of shattered expectations and perceived reality. “Grandpa is going to pay.”

Professor Caroline coughed. “Considering you both didn’t know what a Pokemon was, I suspect your grandfather is out of your reach, little girl.” She looked down, and Illya followed her gaze to see both the little brown foxes shivering slightly. “Impressive killing intent for a youngster, though.”

“... Grandpa was a good teacher.” Illya said sweetly, already imagining her swift and bloody vengeance. “He’ll regret teaching me though…”

“Please stop scaring the Eevee… or your brother.” Carolina asked, eyeing Shirou, as the boy tried to press himself into the couch.

Blinking, the aura of death surrounding the sweet little girl known as Illya disappeared, and was replaced by a placidly smiling angel. “Okay.”

“...good control.” Carolina replied dryly. “Okay, so… personal history and future vengeance aside, young man, any plans?”

“Ah… no.” Shirou’s brow furrowed as he relaxed. “I… well, I guess I want to connect with my sister, now.” He shrugged. “I have no memories before the fire, so having more family may be… nice.” He looked around. “Ah, or maybe learn about these creatures?” He patted one of the little foxes, getting her to churr. “They seem kind, but you said some were good with magic? Can some heal?”

“Yes,” Illya replied gently, a small but genuine smile on her face, “Is there any reason, Shirou?”

“Well… the old man, for one.” Shirou said softly. “And… well.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I have a bit of trouble with bullies… being able to patch myself up after a fight would be good, right? Dad also told me healing magecraft is really hard, so…” He shrugged.

Carolina coughed. “Magecraft?” She leaned forward. “No Pokemon, but you speak as though you’re a practitioner of the old ways, hmm?” She tilted her head. “Not many who still use magic around.”

“Not magic,” Illya corrects automatically, “Magic violates known laws of the universe, Magecraft works within those limits.” Pausing, she blinks, “There are people who practice Magecraft in this world openly?”

“I’ve met a few witches, there’s a miko or two in the outskirts shrines around here, and the Spirit Channelers and Hex Girls are everywhere, even if most can’t cast a good enough curse to kill a flea.” She shrugged. “I’ve heard tales of wizards in the far west, and the Fairy Folks have some uncanny abilities, but magic is a skill most don’t bother to pursue. Human or Pokemon, using Pokemon abilities is usually easier.” She looked up at the Chimecho over her shoulder. “I could spend a decade learning to cast a levitation spell, or…”

“Chime!” The little Pokemon giggled as it’s cymbal pulsed, lifting several objects into the air.

“...ask my friend for help.” She finished.

Illya’s eyes bugged out, while Shirou looked on with interest. “Ah, I see.” He looked down at the fuzzball in his lap. “Can these little ones…”

“Right now, no.” She peered at the fox with some interest. “I’m no expert on Eevee, but judging by the size of the paws, I’d say they’re a few months shy of their first birthday. Too young to have much experience, they’re only just now combat capable.”

“... But eventually?” Illya muttered, “I think I need to do some serious research…”

“Hmm.” Carolina stood. “Research is fine, but for now, I have some things I have to do. Due diligence and all that.” She looked at the two pokemon, then at the kids. “I believe you both, but I am going to be checking the missing persons reports, and the missing Poke reports. For now, settle in, get used to your new partners, and I’ll make lunch in a little bit.”

Shirou stood up, his Eevee hopping out of his lap. “May I help, Carolina-san?”

“Sure, once I’ve made a few calls.”

“You go ahead and do that.” Illya acknowledged them idly as she made a beeline towards the nearest bookshelf, eyes wide with glee and her fuzzball dutifully following behind her. “Oooh, new books…”

Running her gaze over the titles, she eventually snagged a copy of ‘Ancient Myths of the Sinnoh Region’... and after a moment, grabbed ‘Atlas of the Known World’. Plunking herself back in her seat, she opened the atlas to the world map. “...vaguely recognizable, but not home.” She murmured, running a finger over the part of the map where Germany should be, instead labeled ‘Bussian Region’. Her gaze passed over most of the world, eventually focusing on the oversized island chain which seemed to be replacing Japan and a good portion of mainland Asia. “And we’re here…”

Unova, Northeastern Dream Forest

Rin Tohsaka was pissed.

“Where am I?” She screamed into the sky, eyes darting around as she spun in place. Following her back, the Eevee that she’d woken up beside chittered happily as it carefully stayed directly behind her. Her master, after all, was currently rather angry, and the Eevee, yet unnamed, was a smart girl.

“... I don’t think that yelling at the sky is going to help, Tohsaka-san…” Sakura Matou replied, her voice soft and hesitant. Rin paused, then looked down at her, visibly taking a deep breath. Sakura sat on the ground, holding her own churring Eevee to her chest as she looked back.

Rin finally got her temper under control. “Right, I know!” She replied, frustrated. She almost cut herself off from responding; they were supposed to stay separate, right? But in this situation, family alliances trumped rules by a long dead father. “Okay, first things first. How did we get here?” She shot Sakura a glance. “Do you remember anything?”

The purple-haired girl visibly paused, face scrunched up with effort, before shaking her head sadly, “Sorry. I only remember being in the basement with grandfather before I was suddenly here.” She paused again, “But… It’s strange. I know that something happened in between these moments, but I don’t know what.”

Rin’s face scrunched up. “That fits with my recollection. I was just handling some paperwork when I found myself here.” She huffed. “So… we’re out in the middle of nowhere, with two…” She glanced at the attentive fox-critter looking up at her, tail wagging. “...maybe phantasmal beasts literally cuddling us. Friendly phantasmal beasts.” She crouched, staring at the little creature. “What are you?”

“Eev-ee!”

“...that can’t be your name.” As the little creature nodded, Rin sighed. “Really?”

“Bui!” the creature cried happily, wagging her tail in what the older girl assumed was delight. Rin groaned, even as Sakura hesitated a moment, then said something that shocked the older girl,

“Ano… Tohsaka-san? Is it just me, or is the mana density here noticeably higher?”

Rin reached out her senses, blinking in shock as she felt the weight of the mana on her. “...are we in the Reverse?” She whispered in horror.

Sakura shook her head instantly, “No. Too little mana for the reverse. Grandpa said that a human from the modern age would quite literally explode if we set foot in the reverse.”

Rin shot her a glance. “Well, that’s reassuring.” She muttered, looking around. “But that still doesn’t tell me where we are.” She frowned. “No interim disorientation, no memory of the transfer, but we’re not bound or in danger. Not an assassination attempt.”

“Aren’t you a little young to be under threat of assassination, Ms…?” A new, feminine voice asked, a woman in a lab coat walking out of the woods, a large white creature hopping along beside her.

Rin immediately straightened, weighing a half-dozen factors as quickly as she could. Was this a mundane civilian? She had a phantasmal, so maybe not, but that didn’t mean much in what was completely unknown territory, so–

“Toshaka-san is paranoid, but has reason to be.” Sakura said quietly, standing up. “Do you happen to know where we are?”

“I do, yes.” The new woman stated, “You’re near the old Dreamyard, in the Unova Region. “Cinccino and I were on a walk, and she heard you yelling a couple miles out.” She smiled, trotting forward. “Got lost on a walk…” Cinccino tugged her trainer’s leg, chirping slightly. Frowning, she pulled out a red device, eyeing it, before looking up sharply. “No, she’s saying you don’t smell normal. At all.” Putting the device away, she looked over both kids. “So how’d you end up out here?”

Rin hesitated yet again, once again ceding control to Sakura. “We aren’t sure. Toshaka and I were both at home before we arrived here.” Looking down, she scooped up the little Eevee. “With these little ones. Some sort of Phantasmal.”

“Hmm. Not heard that term for Pokemon before…” The woman mused. “Not from around here at all, then.” She smiled. “Well, I’d be happy to give you some directions, at the very least. I’m Professor Aurea Juniper.”

“Rin Tohsaka.” Rin stated, seeing no reason not to.”

“Sakura Matou.” Sakura demured, bowing, “Could you possible guide us to the nearest town or city?”

“Well, I can guide you back to Striaton City, though I have to ask, do you have any plans after we get there?” Juniper offered, gesturing off to one side. “We can talk while we walk; the sun will be setting in a few hours.”

Rin blinked several times as Sakura stepped over to walk beside the professor, before shaking her head and jogging to catch up. As she closed in on them, she bit her lip before sighing. Worst comes to worst, I hypnotize her to forget us. She’ll be a good source of info until then. Coming up on the opposite side of the woman, she spoke. “Before I make any decisions, I think I need to know my options. What is Striaton City? What’s Unova?”

“Well, Unova is the largest Region of the Ahmician continent. We’re a pretty nice place, with very different pokemon from the rest of the world.” She hummed. “We’re also one of the largest contiguous regions, if you don’t count Russal. Striaton City is one of the larger cities in this part of the region, though it can’t hold a candle to Castellia or New Tork.”

“... Hah?” Rin muttered in what was intended to be a quiet voice, though the wince from Sakura hinted otherwise, “What? Ahmician? Russel? What… Huh?!”

Sakura stared at her once-kin for a long moment, before voicing their befuddlement. “Um, I think we may need to start… a little larger. This isn’t Earth, is it?”

“...oh, you’re skyfallers!” Juniper stopped, smacking her fist on her other hand. “Been a long time since any of you showed up. A few centuries, I think, during the various crises of the nineteenth century.” At their questioning looks, the woman explained. “There’ve been people falling into Garde for ages, though less in recent years.”

“Wait, so… this is normal?” Rin spat out incredulously. “You’re just… accepting this?”

“Young lady, you didn’t even know what a Pokemon was.” Juniper countered. “Saying you’re from a different planet is not that outrageous, considering how common they are here.”

“How common…” Sakura trailed off as a trio of rat like creatures scurried by, leaping up a tree pursued by a pair of little dark purple cats. Looking past the creatures, Rin and Sakura stared into the woods as massive insects, a pair of massive shaggy dogs, and a group of grazing deer-like creatures with leafy antlers passed by their gaze. “...oh. Wow.”

“It’s important to realize, girls, that different worlds, even different cultures will likely have anything from a mild to wildly different take on certain things.” Pausing, frowning briefly as her brow creased, the Professor nodded before continuing, “Like the difference between polite greetings in Kantoian and Sinnohian Culture. Sinnoh, being a mishmash of native cultures and settlers from across the known world at the time, greets people in a professional setting generally with a handshake, much like Unova and Galar. Kanto, on the other hand, generally utilizes bowing, with variations depending on the difference in status and the like.”

“Kanto sounds like home.” Sakura said.

“You do have features like some of my friends from there.” Juniper resumed walking. “But human customs may be familiar, but about Pokemon, I expect you have no clue.” She looked down at the two Eevee accompanying the girls. “So, were those two gifts, or did you just come across a pair of Eevee in the woods?”

“We woke up next to them, actually.” Rin huffed. “I mean, they’re cute and all, but I don’t get why they’re following me.” She looked down at the fox trotting beside her, a smile crossing her face as it looked back at her with a silly grin. “...I don’t mind, though.”

“Bui!” The now named Eevee cried happily, leaping around in a circle.

“I would use her, from now on, Rin.” Juniper lectured, “Eevee are a species of Pokemon who display their sex. Do you see how the lighter bit of their tail is shaped?” The professor gently grasped the Eevee’s tail, the young Pokemon simply sitting there contently as she was used as a lesson, “That heart-like shape signifies that she’s female. Males have a more spiky pattern.”

“Huh.” Rin nodded, watching the fox-cat cheerfully bark as Juniper fed it some kind of treat, “So, these Pokemon… they seem friendly.”

“Some are, some aren’t. Pokemon training used to be practiced to keep homes and towns safe from marauding men and Pokemon alike.” Juniper shrugged. “There’s a lot that goes into training a Pokemon, so you both have a lot to learn if you’re going to care for your new partners properly.”

“... They are like us, aren’t they?” Sakura asked shyly. “They have their own thoughts, their wants, and they have those with good or ill intentions. The little one seems too smart to be a mere animal.”

“Pretty close, though there are some which are smarter than others.” Juniper smiled. “Doesn’t mean you can treat the ones in the wild like humans, of course. Pokemon are smart, but as a general rule they focus on their instincts a lot more than humans do, and they’re a lot stronger besides. Half of all would-be poachers die or end up in the hospital the first time they try to score. Good riddance.” She stopped speaking, tilting her head. “Any more questions?”

Shirou could cook, Illya would acknowledge. Acknowledge with gusto, really; as much gusto as she dug into the katsudon he’d prepared.

“...not entirely certain what all these berries were for, but a quick sniff let me use a few.” Shirou explained as he worked at his own bowl. “Cheri berries give this dish some kick, since you didn’t have chili pepper.”

“It’s good!” Illya mumbled around her food.

“It is.” Carolina acknowledged, taking a bite of her own food. “So, I’ve called around. Pretty certain you two are outsiders, at this point. No missing persons reports of white-haired or red-haired kids, none that weren’t just taking an Unexpected Journey.”

“What’s that?” Illya asked as she daintily dabbed at her mouth with her paper napkin.

“Okay, first thing you should know; kids at ages ten through sixteen take what’s called a ‘Journey.’ The idea in the old days was that you’d go out, and either come back with new Pokemon to help your town, get an apprenticeship and learn a trade, or find a partner or three and settle down in the wilderness and make your own way. These days, the Journey is a tradition, and a lot of kids follow it to get a few Pokemon friends, challenge a gym or two, and then come home and get their secondary education, or start working, if they’re of a mind.”

She tapped the table. “Of course, there are all sorts of kids who want to go on a Journey, but their parents won’t let them, or won’t support them. If those kids can get a Pokemon and get out of their local community, they can declare an Unexpected Journey; essentially getting independence enough to go off and do what all the other kids do. But there’s a catch; a kid on such a journey is considered an adult, and unless their guardians choose to support them, they’re on their own, no matter what happens.”

“... That seems a bit cruel, to force someone to choose between doing something all their friends are doing, but only with more catches, and letting their parents win…” Shirou muttered, Illya nodding in agreement as she happily chewed on the moderately spicy food. She hadn’t even known she liked this till today, but she was going to have to get Shirou to cook something with a bit more… What was something spicier called again?

“Eh, most parents come around. After all, if the kid can catch a Pokemon without help, most of them have potential. And most are smart enough to seek a sponsor.” She grinned. “I’ve sponsored nearly fifty kids who passed through this town, including my own granddaughter.” She shot a glance up to the mantle, and both kids looked up to see a picture of Carolina standing next to a beautiful blonde woman in a black dress.

“Who is that, Professor?” Illya asked softly, noting the fond smile on their host’s face, “Is she someone close to you?”

“My granddaughter, Cynthia. All of my smarts, all of curiosity, three times my drive, and four times my talent.” Carolina chuckled. “Most people know me more as her grandmother, rather than as a Professor. And I couldn’t be prouder.”

“She must be famous then.” Shirou stated with certainty, “Is she part of this ‘Pokemon League’ you mentioned earlier?”

“She is. She’s the Champion, actually.” Carolina replied. “Got the title two years ago. She’s the strongest trainer in the region, or at least, the strongest who bothers to compete.” The old woman cracked a smile, “She almost beat Galar’s Champion at the Master’s Tournament a year ago, as well.” Pausing, Carolina proceeded to add context, “Galar’s Champion, Leon, is undefeated in official league matches. He’s a once in a lifetime savant at battling who actually puts a lot of effort into his craft, and it shows.”

Illya stared at the woman above the mantle, and felt a spark kindle in her stomach. “...she’s beautiful.”

“Yes she is.”

“No, but I mean… she surpassed everyone.” Illya murmured. “...I want that.” She felt that spark catch in her eyes, and looked down to see her Eevee’s eyes flaring with the same light. “Do you think we can do that?”

“Evuh! Ee-vui!”

Carolina laughed. “Well, that’s affirmative!” She set her face in astern countenance. “But if you wanna be a trainer, you’ll need to learn everything a kid learns over ten years before you leave.”

“You’ll teach me?”

“Why not? You seem interesting, and damn if I won’t let a kid wander off unprepared. Last thing I need is a dead kid on my conscience. Even if you do have magic.”

“... Can you teach me as well, Carolina-san?” Shirou asked, a quiet determination flaring in his eyes, “I just found out I had family, and I’m not about to let them go just yet. And I need to find dad, or a way back to him.” He paused. “I don’t know why, but I think he might have come along… but he’s not here.”

Illya started at his declaration, emotions warring within her before she settled on joy. She wasn’t really sure what to feel about her new brother yet; not after this day of revelations, but he seemed to be someone simple. Family was everything to him, it seems, and it’s nice, having someone care enough about her that he’d follow her.

“... Thank you, Shirou.” She said in a warm voice. She was happy, and, to her surprise, that seems to be enough for him.

But as he beamed back at her, she couldn’t help but wonder if Shirou was right. If papa had come to this world with them, where was he?

Kiritsugu Emiya was used to pain. Of all sorts; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Physical pain was his oldest companion. Every Magus felt the burning heat of using magic every time they activated their circuits, but Kiri had also experienced bullet wounds, punctures, lacerations, and broken bones aplenty. More recently, the deep aches and pains as internal organs tried to keep going under the ravages of the Grail Curse.

Mental pain; struggling to keep focus even as the world was forced to slow around him, as he tried to keep his wits and faculties even in the midst of combat. He could deal with that. Emotional pain was more and more common, though. Grief for all those he’d killed, that it all meant nothing. Anguish at the loss of Iri, again, for no purpose. Horror and despair at the fate of Illya, and the burning sting of regret as he saw his adopted son warp more and more.

Spiritual… the Curse. Killing him slowly, exacerbating the other three as it ravaged his very soul.

All of these were present, but the feelings were different now, lighter.

Kiri’s last memories had placed him staggering into an alley after fending off three thugs the Einzbern had set upon him. He’d won, but the effort had left him weak and near-collapse, coughing blood and phlegm into the snowy streets. He’d slid down the wall, trying to catch his breath–

–and the world had warped around him, placing a different wall at his back. Rough brickwork shifted into white stonework, smooth under his hands. As he’d laid there, his circuits and soul were both flooded with clean mana, almost too much for his battered soul to take; he’d taken a deeper breath than he’d felt in years, but that only led him to cough harder.

“Mes Dieux, sir! Are you al– no, you obviously are not, get it together dear!” A female voice, peppy and concerned, cut into his thoughts, and he glanced up to see someone who had to be from a magus bloodline; there was no way a civilian would have hair that pink. But he didn’t have time to consider that, not really. He could already feel his grip on his consciousness fading away, the woman’s words blurring together as the world continued to swim. Perhaps that thug had managed to hit his head harder than he though. He…

“Hey! Stay with me!” The woman with pink hair cried, lightly slapping his cheeks. The pain allowed him to focus. To stay awake. And then a golden pulse of light hit his chest, and he blinked as the pain receded sharply. He glanced past the woman to see…

…was that a pink and cream rabbit monster? The creature tilted its head, guileless blue eyes peering at him before it spoke. “Dino-au-dino!”

“Yes, he needs a full workup!” Kiri watched as the woman took a step back, pulling out a small red and white orb. “Orderly! I need help shifting a patient!”

Kiri’s eyes widened as a massive, muscular figure with red veins popping out of its arms appeared before him, the rough countenance of its face and torso contrasting with the peaked white nurse’s cap on its head. “Choke!” It yelled, before gently scooping up Kiri into a bridal carry. Moments later, Kiri found himself brought inside the structure he was leaning against, eyes darting about as he took in a fairly standard hospital waiting room, with the major exception of dozens of odd creatures accompanying humans or bustling about with red scarves or nurse caps.

“Well now, not often that we get a faller in our hospital.” A voice spoke directly into his brain, causing him to freeze then pivot, his eyes fixing on a tall green-and-white figure wearing a white coat and staff badge, a clipboard and a tablet of some sort floating around it. “Ah, Intern Joy. Please escort this man to the fourth floor, long-term care. Just a cursory scan indicates we’ll need several rounds of Life Dew immersions, over several weeks at least.”

“Yes, Doctor Gardevoir!” Joy chirped. “Come along Orderly!”

“Choke!”

Kiri blinked, then let his eyes roll up in his head. Either he was hallucinating, or he was surrounded by helpful creatures with abilities he couldn’t match. Better just to go with it…

Chapter Text

“...so, this ‘typing’ thing. There are 18 distinct types, but each pokemon can only have two? Why is that the hard cap, as opposed to–”

Juniper raised a hand as they finally stepped out of the forest. “You ask a lot of good questions, Rin. But I don’t know all the answers; Pokemon and Garde still have many mysteries, and it’s the job of professors, like myself and my wife, to delve as deep as we can into figuring them out!” She smiled, motioning to the town spreading out before them. “And here’s Striation City! At the very least, we can get you girls set up with some help here.”

“So the study of Pokemon is a science then?” Sakura asked curiously, snuggling her Eevee, “and a fairly recent field?”

“Recent? No. But it is one of the largest, or perhaps most expansive, fields.” Juniper replied. “Ever since the scientific method became a thing, people have been categorizing, studying, and working with Pokemon. The first Pokedex was created about five hundred years ago, by Professor Laveton, in the now renamed Hisui region, and he wasn’t even the first Pokemon researcher!” Her smile dimmed as they continued to walk forward. “Still, a lot of those early researchers were a lot less… kind. Not the same world as the modern one; vivisections indeed.” She growled the last two words..

Rin, personally, agreed. Vivisections were stupid, especially on living beings that could tell you exactly what they were feeling if you put in enough effort. That or just get a recently dead corpse for the exact same effect. The insane magi rarely lasted long for a reason, or so Kirei told her. Hmmm, now how to redirect the conversation towards-

“We were talking about types, yes?” Sakura asked shyly. and Rin almost facepalmed. All she had to do was ask.

“Yes, we were. Rin, we don’t know why Pokemon can only have up to two types. But it’s a truth which seems mostly invariable.” She chuckled. “Not that Pokemon can’t change types as they evolve, like your Eevee.” At this, both brown foxes perked up from their spots; Sakura’s in her arms, and Rin’s perched on one shoulder.. Rin didn’t mind. The fox wasn’t particularly heavy, and it seemed fairly special and rare, based on what the Professor had told her already, and even more so now.

“Oh?” The Tohsaka heiress asked, arching an eyebrow, though she was unable to hide her small smile.

“Mhm! In fact, Eevee has the most dynamic evolutionary divergence of any Pokemon. They can evolve into eight different species, and all but one of those is very well documented.” Pausing, the professor frowned, before nodding slowly, “There’s a fairly well regarded theory that Eevee likely evolves into one of all eighteen types, perhaps sans the Normal-type, but we have no confirmed reports of any evolutions sans the eight I have already mentioned. Several unsubstantiated reports from the past that we only have second hand records of, and some art, though we have precious little ancient art depicting the Eevee line; a collector who collected most of them lost the entire collection to a fire that many believe was intentionally set by a jealous rival.”

“Well, at least the espionage is the same.” Rn murmured.

Sakura looked down at her Eevee. “So… which one do you want to be?” She asked, only for the little Eevee to cock its head, puzzled. “I guess that wouldn’t be that easy of a choice, huh?” She continued, smiling, “That’s fine! We can choose together!”

“Good of you to ask, anyway!” Juniper chirped, only to freeze as a loud, high pitched voice echoed over the land. “Oh? Ah, that’s Fennel!” She turned, motioning towards a purple-haired woman with a sweet countenance as she ran towards them. “And here’s–”

“Juniper!” Fennel yelled, skidding to a halt right before her wife. “The sensors in my lab are going nuts! We may have actualization of outer-dimensional beings in our area right now!” She hopped in place, holding onto Juniper’s hands. “This is going to be so exciting!”

“The outer-dimensional beings are right in front of you, Fennel,” Juniper deadpanned in sync with Rin, the younger girl blinking at the older woman’s dry humor and smiling. Dry humor was the best! Her sister giggling was also a plus, and Rin secretly made a mental note of it. Father wasn’t here, and nor was Magus Society! She could interact with Sakura as much as she wanted now.

The aforementioned woman started, before nodding carefully, “Fallers?”

“Fallers.” Juniper responded dryly, as if this was a regular thing.

Fennel’s enthusiasm spiked. “Yeee! Oh, wait, how old are you two?” She looked back and forth between the two. “I have so many questions!”

“Nee-san is eleven, and I am ten.” Sakura stated demurely, clearly trying to deflect attention away from her.

“And I would prefer if we be given time to settle before questions, please.” Rin added quickly, receiving a grateful smile from Sakura, which made it worth it. She would have personally not minded bouncing questions off the excitable woman, but it wasn’t that big of a loss either way.

“Aww, too young to really understand dream science…” Fennel murmured. “Anyway, Junebug, are we going to let the authorities know about this?” She cockedher head. “I mean, we probably should…”

“Maybe not. Faller laws here are pretty old. I think something about ownership?” Juniper tilted her head. “I don’t want the girls tossed into the local spin cycle, especially since they’d lose their new partners from the start.”

Sakura squeaked, burrowing her face into Eevee’s fur. Briefly, she felt the monster surge in her, before a nuzzle to her chin calmed her down. She was safe here, and the adults were looking to protect her anyway. A hesitant hand laid on her shoulder reassured her that her sister was trying to reach out… though Sakura wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about that. Shaking off the hand, Sakura took a deep breath, then looked up at the two women, who were looking back at her in concern. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you planning?”

“Well…” Juniper murmured. “We could just… hmm. If it were a hundred years ago, we could bring you in, claim you were from the boonies, or refugees from another region. But that wouldn’t pass muster now.”

Fennel’s eyes darted to Sakura’s hair, then to Rin’s. A wide smile began to cross her face. “Or… Junebug, we are friends with old Alder, right?”

“That’s no way to talk about the champion, Fennel.” Juniper replied. “But… yes.”

“So… we could ask him to post-date some adoption papers.” Her eyes were bright. “I mean, they even look a little like us!”

“Is that legal?” Rin asked, a serious look on her face, “And… do you need help?”

Sakura flinched, before she took another look at these two women. Getting adopted again, but this time by two beautiful, kind professors… She looked over at Rin. “...you’re okay with this? Won’t mom…”

Rin flinched. “...if she’s ever well enough to notice, we can deal with it then. This isn’t home, and this isn’t a Magus bloodline contract.” She swallowed. “When we get home, I can use my authority, talk to Zouken. He’ll understand.”

“...you don’t know what you’re offering.” Sakura whispered. Looking up, she nodded. “But… I’ll take it.”

“You suffered there, didn’t you?” Rin stated softly, intended to be only for her ears, though Sakura heard it anyway, “I was stupid for believing you wouldn’t, I suppose…”

Before they could keep speaking, both froze at a loud sniff. Beside them, Professor Juniper blew her nose. “We’re keeping you. We’re keeping both of you, understood?” She hiccuped, even as Fennel swept around her wife, pulling both girls into a big hug. “And no, Rin, you don’t need to do anything. It won’t be exactly legal, but once everything’s done, no one will be able to tell.”

Fennel’s arms were firm. “Come on, let’s get you two home. I suspect we have a lot to talk about.” Letting them go, she pulled out a pokeball, releasing a floating pink elephant creature. “Munna, we’re heading home. Teleport, please?”

“Mun!”

“Wait, teleport–” Rin began, before the whole world went pink.

Professor Carolina looked up at her four charges as they emerged from the back room of the Pokemon center, flanked by a Joy and a Jenny. She stood up, setting the magazine she’d been reading down. “So, ladies, is everything in order?”

The Jenny nodded, smiling. “The Eevee match no known lineages, and don’t have any of the ink marks most breeding centers use on their charges. No local reports of missing kits in their age range, either.” She flipped over a document. “And… here. Two provisional blue cards, upgradable to citizenship in one moon. We can issue trainer’s licenses then.”

Joy nodded, handing each child one Pokeball. “Your Eevee are in perfect health. Miss Einzbern, yours is a female, and Mr. Emiya, yours is a male. They’ve been registered to you, and you both are in good health as well.” She gave a bright smile. “I hope to see you both again! Just… not too soon, alright?”

“Of course, Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny.” Shirou replied politely, bowing, “Thank you for taking the time to help us.”

Illya scooped up her Eevee, nodding in response. Before they left, Carolina stopped them. “Kids, without a license you should have your partners in their balls.” Behind her, Jenny nodded.

Illya sighed, looking her Eevee in the face. “See you soon.” She whispered, tapping the ball against her partner’s forehead. Beside her, Shirou did the same.

As the three humans walked out of the Pokemon center, the eldest among them snorted. “Well, you’re all legal, for all you’re stuck here for a month. What are you two going to do?”

“I’m going to make sure that daddy taught Shirou magecraft properly,” Illya declared, smiling, “And I’m going to spend time doing research, playing with Shirou, and practicing my own magecraft.”

“Magic, hmm?” Carolina murmured. “There are a few practitioners here in town, mostly at the shrines and temples. Will you need any materials? I know Cogita uses a cauldron and a staff for her work…”

“Chalk is always useful.” Illya replied idly, “I’ll have to figure out pretty much everything else from scratch, though.”

Shirou shook his head. “Dad had barely gotten me past the point of forming circuits. He said I had almost no talent.”

“... What?” Illya blinked after several moments where she had stared at Shirou in sheer shock, “Form- Are you making circuits out of your nerves?! What… No! Magic Circuits are something all magi are born with! How could daddy mess up teaching you something so simple?! ”

“Umm.” Shirou rubbed his head. “He was against training me anyway, and he’s only given me a little instruction so far. He also said he can barely use magic anymore since the war, so…”

“... Not an excuse. Come here.” Illya grumbled, before realizing they were still walking home, “On… second thought, wait till we get home. I’ll open your circuits then. It’ll be painful.”

“As painful as making a nerve into a circuit?”

“Not that painful. Maybe.” Illya allowed, then turned back to Carolina, who’s eyes were open with concern. “Magecraft is dangerous, but it’s even worse when someone’s doing it improperly. It’ll be actually safer here, since you can draw more power without having to strain yourself.”

Carolina nodded thoughtfully. “If you kids say so.”

Shirou nodded once, before he hesitated. “Ah, Carolina-san, where will we be staying?”

“With me.” Carolina responded absently.

Illya’s head spun to face the older woman. She buried her initial reaction of paranoia; it wasn’t helpful, and this wasn’t her world, nor was Carolina a Magi. “... You don’t have to. Shirou and I can probably find somewhere to stay.” She replied after a moment, bashful.

“You could. I could find you a place.” She agreed. “But all I want from the two of you is conversation… and to have Shirou keep cooking for me.” She looked over at the young man, grinning. “How about it, young man? Be my cook for room and board?”

“... I still don’t understand why everyone loves my cooking so much. I just learned because dad can burn water.” Shirou muttered, blushing. “But that sounds reasonable, Carolina-san. We’ll be in your care!”

Illya smiled outwardly, though inside, she sighed. In addition to magecraft lessons, I see I’ll need to teach him about bargaining. She nodded in acceptance. At least this is a fair deal.

Leading them both back to her home, Carolina looked up at the setting sun. “Well, it’ll be dark soon. Shirou, you and I can cook, if Illya has any prep work she needs to do for your collaboration, she should do that.”

“Just a little.” Illya admitted, “I’ll be done before dinner, and I can help if you’d like?”

“I’d like that, onee-san.” Shirou responded, giving his big sister a smile.

When the flash had cleared, Rin found herself in a much smaller community, and had been a little stunned as she was escorted to the home of her new soon-to-be-mother. They had just casually done something that was generally regarded as the realm of True Magic, that or magecraft of the Age of Gods. The Pokemon that had taken them wasn’t even winded, and could clearly do this all day.

Her thoughts filled with possibilities, endless, endless possibilities, and for the first time in a while, Rin was truly happy. Her sister was back, Magic was Magic again, and while the new world she inhabited made no sense, she could learn of it, and how to live in it.

“... That was impressive.” She said aloud, a severe understatement for her awe, but it would have to do. Sakura nodded along.

“A lot of Psychic types can teleport, though most can’t take passengers without training.” Fennel explained. “Munna’s best at bringing me from here to the office and back, though she’s going to need extra treats after getting all of us here in one go!” She booped the little elephant on the nose, letting it give a cheerful bleat. “Thank you!”

“They’re living beings,” Juniper stated at the pair of questioning looks, “They have their own wants, needs, feelings, and thoughts. Pokemon and Humans are symbiotic; we help each other out, and we can’t be at our full potential without each other.” The professor scowled, “Though those who abuse the system do exist, since the power balance is currently in humanity’s favor.”

“... It wasn’t always?” Sakura asked hesitantly.

“No.” Juniper answered, “Those who say that Pokemon are universally good, and only the human trainer controlling them can be evil are morons who haven’t studied history. There was a reason the times before 300 years ago were a terrifying time for a lot of humans.”

“Oh.” Sakura whispered, looking down at her Eevee. “I see.”

Fennel returned her Munna, then put a hand on Sakura’s shoulder, wincing slightly at the girl’s instinctive flinch. “That’s not to say Pokemon are evil either; just that the conflicts between them and humans could get pretty bad. Today, there’s mutual respect and bonds of friendship making things run a lot more smoothly.” She took her hand away. “Come on in, let’s show you around!” She walked towards the large mansion-like building before them.

The girls blinked as they were led inside. Something in them had expected a standard Magus household; with a cultured, posh exterior hiding secret workshops and ancient libraries. Instead, the door swung open with a slight hiss, allowing the girls to enter a massive space with white tile floors. Desks with computers were set along the walls, while a large central area was occupied by a raised dias surrounded by cameras. Juniper swung her arms in an arc. “Welcome to the Nuvema Pokemon Laboratory, the world’s foremost center for research into Pokemon history, origins, and evolution- in the proper term, that is.” She looked back at the girls. “What do you think?”

“It’s very modern.” Sakura said, smiling, “Not at all what we’re used to.” Beside her, Rin seemed paralyzed, looking around with a dazed expression.

“Not everything’s top of the line, but Unova does give me the good funding. I usually don’t have to sweat my research grants.” She walked over towards the massive central platform, motioning with one hand as she moved behind a nearby monitor. “Could you two and your Eevee step onto the platform?”

“Of course.” The plum haired girl replied immediately, dutifully doing so.

“What does it do?” Rin asked, her tone sharp and concealing a note of concern.

“It’s a broad-spectrum analyzer, which we use to take biological data from Pokemon. Works on people, too!” Fennel explained promptly. “Two new Eevee, origins unknown, and two outworld visitors; best to see if you’re carrying anything nasty.” Sakura, on the dias, flinched.

“... I see. Probably for the best. I presume I’ll be going up there after Sakura? Or would you prefer I go up there now as well?” Rin replied slowly, nodding in some minor understanding.

“Go on up. I scanned a schooling Wishiwashi with this once, four beings isn’t going to tax it.” Juniper replied. Rin nodded, not quite getting what was going on, but took her place atop the podium anyway, her eevee hopping off to stand at her side.

“Right, scan underway…” After a few minutes, Juniper blinked. Once. Twice. Then she looked up at Sakura, face twisting into a scowl. “...this Zouken. Did he put that parasite in you?” As Sakura flinched, Juniper growled. “Is this… normal?”

Rin stared at her sister, then blurred into motion, taking a look at the screen in front of her, before her veins began to glow. The table she was gripping began to crack within her grip. “...no. It’s not.” She jerked her head up. “Is this…”

Sakura began to shake, before her Eevee leapt up, forcing her to latch on as he crooned softly. Seconds later, Rin and Fennel wrapped their arms around the softly sobbing girl.

The tableau lasted for a few seconds before Juniper joined them on the podium. “...well, whatever it was, it’s dead now.” Sakura froze at those words, even as the professor continued. “We should be able to remove it… hell, we’ll have to, before it starts to–”

“Enough, Aurea.” Fennel whispered. “We… we can talk about this later.”

“... If Zouken is alive if or when we get back, I am going to ensure he suffers for this.” Rin hissed , eyes alight in frozen rage, an aurora reflected by a glacier. She gripped her sister all the tighter as she continued, “Then I am going to drag father’s spirit from the afterlife and make him suffer. ”

“He’s gone…” Sakura said softly. “He– he told me he put his soul in that worm. So that I would always have him with me.” She shuddered. “It it’s dead… then so is he.”

“...good.” Rin stated softly, in an oddly hollow voice, “Good.”

Shirou flexed his hand, watching a series of blue veins pulse into being then fade as he focused, the sound of a popping fire triggering his circuits. “This is… much easier than the nerve circuit method.” He flexed again. “So… 27 circuits?”

“Of middling quality, yes.” Illya says in reply, nodding happily, “You’re lucky, Shirou. You have a good amount of circuits of decent quality, which is already fairly rare even among established lineages.”

Shirou frowned. “I wonder if my old family…” He shook his head. “Okay. So… I suppose we can practice this tomorrow.”

“Yes, best to let them cool down tonight.” Illya responded, before turning to look out the window beside her brother. “...one day, and everything is different.” She murmured. “A new world, a little brother, and… freedom.” She spoke the last word as though tasting it, her tongue curling as she sounded it out.

“Did you want to talk about it, nee-san?” Shirou asked softly after an awkward pause, his voice gentle, “It helped, for me. Talking to someone, I mean.”

“...papa promised. He promised to come back for me, and then he never did. Or they said he never did.” Illya murmured. “The Einzberns… they kept me there, in that castle. A captive princess.” She tilted her head back, silver hair falling down her back. “But now I’m free.” At her brother’s silence, neither judging nor pitying, Illya continued, “And I’m honestly not sure how  to deal with that.”

Shirou closed his eyes. “...the old man pulled me out of the fire. I don’t remember anything before that.” He opened his eyes, looking at his sister. “Afterward, I was like a zombie. Dad told me that you have to take every day at a time. You’re free, and I’m alive. We have to forge ahead, and leave the past behind.” He paused. “As much as possible, I guess.””

Smiling, the snow-haired girl nodded, “I think I can do that, Shirou.” Closing her eyes, she smiled, “You’ll be there?”

“Always.” Her brother replied without any hesitation whatsoever, “To the best of my abilities.”

“E-vuh!” “Vee!” Two shrimps sounded, as twin critters pushed their ways onto the laps of the siblings. Shirou smiled, running his hands through his Eevee’s fur. “You’ll be with us too, hmm?” Scratching under his chin, Shirou smiled. “I can’t imagine you fighting…”

“That’s because you haven’t seen how well Pokemon fight, boyo.” Carolina interjected from the doorway, smirking, “I have some old recording of my grandaughter’s Eevee. Would you two like to see how absurd these small foxes are?”

Illya looked up, eyes shining. “Really?”

“Sure. After that, I’m certain we can find videos of the other Eeveelutions on the internet.” Carolina confirmed.

As Shirou rose, Illya blinked. “Umm… what’s an internet?”

Rin eyed the arcane device in front of her, blinking at the graphics passing across it in utter bewilderment. “Okay… so, that’s magic, right?”

“No, nee-san, it’s technology.” Sakura replied, watching as the Flareon on-screen blasted aside a group of buzzing Beedrill. Sakura suspected she would never be comfortable around these ‘bug-type’ pokemon. Watching this was more cathartic than she expected.

Aurea and Fennel watched the two from one side. “Pokemon battles come in all shapes and sizes, but every Pokemon is dangerous in its own way. Or, has the potential.” Aurea explained. “Is the potion doing its job, Sakura?”

Sakura looked down at the shirt she’d been provided, her heart skipping slightly as she saw the bulge beneath it; the bandages tied to her torso, right over her heart. “...I think so. There’s no pain.”

“... No, there should be some light stinging,” Fennel muttered, before pausing, “Ah, right. Has the anesthetic worn off yet, Sakura? That might be the reason.”

Sakura paused. “I… don’t feel anything… Nothing worth mentioning, anyway.”

“Ah, right. I can explain this one, Professor.” Rin offered, gently and awkwardly patting her sister’s head, “Magi naturally have an absurdly high pain tolerance because using magic hurts us. Our circuits, when used, heat up, and… it isn’t really a pleasant experience. Sakura probably has an even higher pain tolerance because of… Zouken’s interesting choice of training.” She spat, her face twisting in disgust, “Did the useless worm even teach you anything useful, Sakura?”

Her sister shifted uncomfortably. “...um. I…no.” She shook her head. “No.”

Rin growled. “Well, if he–”

“Nee-san.” Sakura shook her head. “You will not teach me the Tohsaka secrets.”

“But–”

“You need those more than me. And… I don’t want them.”

“...can I at least teach you the basics?” Rin offered, “I don’t need to go into family secrets to do that , so it won’t affect my magecraft’s potency.”

Sakura looked at the hopeful light in Rin’s eyes, and couldn’t help but smiled slightly as she nodded. “...yes, you may.”

Rin smiled back, then paused, looking at the screen. “You know… maybe we could establish a new magical tradition…”

Aurea chuckled as Rin began to mutter about possible magical derivatives of Pokemon. Beside her, Fennel shook her head. “Already fitting right into this family, I guess.” She elbowed her wife. “Was this a good idea, or what?”

“Yes.” Juniper stated, going smugly silent as Fennel tried to figure out exactly what she meant, before she too shrugged and sat back to enjoy the next video.

Chapter Text

Illya frowned as she looked over the odd page in front of her, blinking as she reviewed the options on-screen. “Lady Carolina, how can Pokemon be sold? I mean, they’re… people, right?”

Carolina snorted. “Yes. But they’re not quite human, and Pokemon breeding and training is a big business. Most of them are done with the cooperation of the Pokemon in question, though; it helps any species to get widely distributed and sent to willing, happy partners.”

“I also saw several papers that said otherwise, Professor.” Shirou said, face neutral, “Though I also saw that by far and large the actual sale of Pokemon has dropped sharply in the last fifty years.”

“Heh, yes indeed. Global communications means you can’t just take a Pokemon and sell it off two or three towns away.” She nodded. “Also, there’s a lot more people around that see even ‘working’ Pokemon as friends and allies, not tools.”

Illya turned back to the screen, pouting. “But… these are all so expensive! Except the Wurmple or Magikarp, I can’t afford any of these!” She paused. “Erm, could I–”

Shirou gave his sister a light chop. “No, Illya. You received plenty of pocket money for the week, and you know our Trainer budgets.”

Illya, as it turned out, had no proper context for the value of money. She’d learned fast, but only because Shirou had prevented her from making several impulse purchases and leaving her without any spending cash, including her League Stipend.

“... You’re right, Shirou.” She said eventually, deciding that she couldn’t really, closing down the website, “Besides, it’ll be more fun to catch them anyway!” The girl continued, pumping her fist, “... When do we get to leave, anyway?”

“Three and a half more weeks, Illya.”

“...so, plenty of more time to go make some money, then.” She eyed her brother. “When we’re not training.”

Shirou shrugged. “I have proper circuits, so I can train a lot longer before it hurts too much. But that is a good idea.”

Carolina hummed. “If you kids do want some more money, there’s always odd jobs around the city.” She acknowledged. “Though I’d prefer if you stay in my neighborhood and old town.”

Illya shook her head. “I was thinking more putting my magic to use. I mean, I could probably wish up a gem-finding spell…” She mused.

Shirou shrugged, looking at the screen. “What Pokemon were you looking to buy, anyway?” He blinked. “What is a Growlithe, and why is the Hisuian variant four times the price?”

Carolina sighed. “The Pearl clan, one of Sinnoh’s old families, are the only ones with a proper breeding population, or free access to the areas they roam wild. So anyone wanting a Hisuian Growlithe needs to go through them, and that requires real connections, or a lot of money.”

Shirou nodded. “Why do you want one, anyway?”

“It’s fluffy!” Illya responded.

“... Illya, Flareon has it beat in fluff by far, and a Ninetales has even more fluff than that.” Shirou responded.

“Do you see how pricey a Vulpix is?” Illya responded, shifting to a different page. “Even more than the Growlithe!”

“Oh, huh, you’re right.”

“Eevee doesn’t want to be a Flareon, anyway.” Illya nodded, as her Eevee perked up, nodding in tandem. “She’s more interested in Leafeon, Espeon, or Sylveon.”

Shirou blinked, then looked at his Eevee. “...I suppose that is something we should think about…”

“Bui!” The aforementioned cat-fox barked, looking rather happy, “Ei-bui!”

“Yes, Umbreon or Glaceon would be rather cool.” Shirou muttered, receiving a happy bark from his Pokemon, “Have you considered the Stone Evolutions as well?”

“Ibui!”

Shirou blinked, before nodding, “Jolteon?”

“Vee~”

Illya stared, fascinated, as Shirou and Eevee began to converse.

“Good choice.”

“Bui~”

“... You know, it still freaks me out that you can communicate so well with your Eevee, Shirou.” Carolina muttered as the cat-fox leaped into Shirou’s arms, glomping him. “It takes most trainers years.”

Shirou shrugged, idly adjusting his pokemon so he was more comfortable. “I just had to focus my magecraft on imitating his wavelength.” Shirou pulsed his circuits, letting the light he’d found within surge slightly, blue light dancing over his skin. “See, easy.”

Illya’s eyes bugged out. “What is that?”

Beside her Carolina choked. “...Shirou, is that Aura?”

“...I don’t know what that is,” the boy deadpanned. “I just landed here a while ago, Professor.”

“Does it make you stronger? Can you feel other Pokemon nearby?”

“I haven’t tried the first… the second…” Shirou closed his eyes, letting his senses spread out. “Yes. Your Chimecho is currently getting into the cookies again, Carolina-san.”

Carolina rose, exasperated, looked into the kitchen, then returned her guilty-looking pokemon. “...well. Mystery gifts, indeed.” She muttered. “Do not strain yourself, Shirou. Aura is… well, it’s a sem-legendary art for a reason.”

“Art?” Illya asked, looking a bit lost.

“Because technically anyone can learn it.” Carolina stated, “But only the individual can awaken it. Don’t ask; no one really knows how it works. There’s no way to truly test for an affinity towards it.” She sighed. “I’m going to need to make some calls. If you stumbled into an Awakening, you’ll need some basic training.”

Shirou watched as she walked off, then turned back to Illya. “So… jobs?”

Illya shook her head rapidly. “Shirou, you just discovered you unlocked a hidden power that requires specialized training on accident!” She yelled, waving her arms. “Why aren’t you freaking out?”

“I can’t do anything about it, and we still need money.” Shirou shrugged. “So… job hunting.”

“... Fair.” Illya grumbled, “We should wait till Carolina comes back, though, before we commit to anything.”

Her brother nodded, smiling. “Good point, nee-san.” He heard over to the computer and switched to a new tab, pulling up the local want ads. “So… you’re going to gem-hunt?”

Illya nodded. “Elemental gems and evolution stones are both pretty valuable, but even normal gemstones are worth money. And with Eevee to break rocks or dig with me, we can probably make some cash hunting them down in the rocky woods nearby.”

“Wouldn’t it have been picked clean by now?” Her brother asked, before remembering an important piece of information. “Ah, wait. Elemental gems aren’t like our gems. They form differently, right?”

“Yep!” Illlya chirped, “Though that’s why metals and natural gems are still valuable here. Especially since evolution stones and elemental gems are consumed on use. They practically disintegrate!”

“So there’s always a market.” Shirou acknowledged. “I suppose collapsing gems are useful in that regard…”

“NOOOOOOO!” Rin wailed, staring in horror at the shards of her newest creation. “WHY?”

Beside her, the more studious of her two moms eyed the results of Rin’s experiments. “Why did your family create a field of magic reliant on a very expensive substrate?” Aurea mused, looking over the shattered remains of the six elemental gems Rin had wheedled out of her old battling reserve. “Seems kind of wasteful.”

“It has to do with mystery.” Sakura stated, “It might also have been a statement of prestige, but I can’t actually see our ancestors buying into that kind of talk. I think the family tomes said something about gems being ludicrously efficient in terms of mana storage; they can store mana and spells for as long as they remain unbroken, and most of the mana spent is retained. Most other materials can’t say either.”

Aurea nodded, before she looked over Rin’s work. “Well, that might work here, with something other than the least stable gem formations. However, I don’t keep any precious stones which aren’t Pokemon-related around, and I’m not letting you experiment on Evolution Stones. Those are pricey, especially if they’re shelf-stable.”

Rin sobbed. “A whole new world, and I still need more money…” She looked up at Sakura. “...oh imouto…”

“No, Rin. You cannot have my pocket money. Not even as a loan.” Sakura replied primly. “...you know, since you’re not going to therapy, or training, you could look for stones of your own. Or do some exploring.”

Sakura’s recovery had coincided with Alder sending over the preliminary adoption papers for both girls; letting them stay with the Juniper family even as the real paperwork went through. Of course, as soon as the ladies had full authority over the girls, they’d attempted to set up therapy appointments for both of them.

Sakura had… enjoyed her first session. The Gothitelle matron who was her therapist hadn’t been more than sympathetic, even after reading her memories… and seeing the Beast manifest briefly. Rin, on the other hand, had promptly (and poorly) attempted to psycho-analyze her therapist, though thankfully the Gardevoir simply reported that Rin was ‘stable, if a little stubborn.’ She had then added that ‘If she wants to psycho-analyze someone, she should actually do some research on the subject first, the punk.’

In addition to her mental therapy, the local Joys had recommended Sakura take up some sort of regimented exercise to prepare for her journey; without Zouken’s worm reinforcing her, Sakura was pretty frail. Sakura, however, hadn’t gone for yoga or pilates; she’d taken a look at her options, then signed up for a course at the Throh Judo Center.

Fennel wandered into the room, nursing a cup of tea. “So, how did the experiments go?” She eyed the table. “Ah. I’m sorry, Rin.”

“... Nothing can be done about it.” The Tohsaka heiress stated after a few moments pause, “Besides, it just gives me a reason to divert to another aspect of my family’s craft.”

Fennel hummed, lost in thought. “Magic… it’s not a common thing, these days. Even aura users and Adepts are more common, and you find one of those in a quarter million. But it used to be more common, in the days before Pokemon and humans coexisted.”

“Indeed!” Rin and Sakura looked up to see Aurea’s father, Cedric, walk into the room. “Doesn’t make much sense to do things the hard way when you have Pokemon to help.” He grinned. “Hello again, girls! Good to see my accidental grandchildren again!”

“Hello grandpa.” Sakura replied dutifully, a small smile on her face, “How are you today?”

“Doing well, thank you!” His smile dropped to something less wide. “Well enough, anyway.” He looked over at his daughter. “Alder called me. He can get the full paperwork through the system without much trouble, though the loopholes the Conductors left in the bureaucracy. But it’ll be a little bit before it’s finalized.”

Aurea turned to look at her father. “Oh? How long?”

“Four weeks, maybe five. Despite starting outside normal channels, it’s important to get this sort of thing right.” He looked back at both the girls. “...I know we discussed it briefly, but what do you girls want to do?”

Rin sighed, pushing herself away from the desk. “Well…” She looked around. “...I can’t continue my research–”

“Rin, please do not become mono-focused on your magecraft.” Sakura cut off her sister, then turned back to Aurea and Fennel. “...I like it here. I’d be happy to stay, but…” She looked out the window. “I’d also be happy to see more. I don’t know yet.”

Cedric chuckled. “Well, you don’t need to decide right now. Spend a few days, recover, and do some research.”

“...research.” All eyes spun back to Rin. “Don’t you all need trainers to look over the world? Look at Pokemon, record their habitats, and all that? Could we help?” She looked around the room. “I refuse to freeload, and it sounds like needed work.”

“It’d also be a good reason to explore.” Sakura added thoughtfully, smiling, “A good idea, nee-san.”

“You do not need to feel like you’re a burden in the slightest!” Fennel objected. “If you want to stay here…”

“...then we’ll let them. But both of them have been chained to certain expectations, right? And trapped, in many cases, by circumstances.” Aurea acknowledged. “You’re both old enough to go on your journey, at least in the traditional sense. You might be a little young, Sakura, but going with your sister should be fine.”

“Then it’s settled!” Rin declared, “Time to prepare for our journey…” She paused for a moment, before grinning sheepishly at the deadpan look her younger sister was giving her, “... How do we do that again?”

“Well, first would be doing your research.” As Rin opened her mouth, Fennel silenced it with a shake. “On survival skills, Pokemon, the terrain. You’re smart enough to get all of that down, and catch up on how to use modern technology, in a few weeks.”

“Why would I need to use that out in the field?” Rin groused, before Aurea produced a red device folded in half. “Um, what’s that?”

“This is a Pokedex. Last year’s model, but it’s still a very effective device.” Aurea explained. “Built in scanner, satellite uplink to servers for data storage and communication, archived information about local and global pokemon, and status readings of your own team. All trainers use a derivative of Pokedex tech to manage their teams, but Lab Trainers get dedicated pieces of equipment.”

Rin twitched, a low keening sound coming forth from her mouth as she stared sightlessly at the cursed, cursed device in her (adopted mother) boss’s hands. She almost didn’t notice her sister start patting her head, muttering “there there” as she sank to her knees in abject defeat.

Cedric chuckled as he watched his newest family members. “Well, they certainly bring a bit of liveliness to this house.” He walked over and gave Rin a nudge. “So… going to let this little device beat you?”

“... Never.” Rin growled, standing, “I’ll master the use of technology even if it’s the last thing I do.” She stood, glaring at the device with a scowl. “Okay… so…”

Aurea opened it up, pulling Rin over to her, even as Sakura moved to stand at the woman’s other side. “So, this is how you turn it on…”

Shirou looked over the busted oven with a gimlet eye, triggering his circuits as he started his Analysis. “Let’s see…” He hummed, reading the path the blown fuse had scorched into the metal and the wiring within he wrecked appliance. With a murmur, he felt Eevee press a screwdriver into his hands, and proceeded to crawl inside the device, pulling out the bottom panel and the element to get at the internal wiring.

The woman nearby peered at the legs of the young man protruding from the oven with some concern. “Ah… Young man, I wasn’t expecting you to go through this much trouble…”

“Bui!” Shirou’s eevee replied smartly, the young boy frowning as he began to unscrew the panel he needed to get access to,

“It’s no trouble. Helping people is rewarding, and I know exactly what the problem is here. The fuse blew. Just need to replace it.”

“I see.” The woman murmured as Shirou reached out a hand, Eevee scrabbling through a nearby belt pouch and spitting a widget into the waiting hand. Minutes later, Shirou emerged from the oven, soot-touched but smiling. “Well, I’ll need to test it, but if it works I’ll pay you what the workman would charge.”

“There’s-”

“Deal.” Illya cut in sharply from the entrance of the building, “Shirou, you know what the Professor said about working for free.”

“...yes, nee-san.” Shirou acknowledged, turning back to the woman and bowing. “Thank you for giving me a chance, grandmother.”

“If it works, you’ll have saved me a lot of time and trouble, young man.” As he turned to leave, she pressed a small parcel into his hands. “For your troubles, even if it doesn’t work.”

As Shirou walked outside and returned his Eevee, he took a look over at his sister. “How did you find me, anyway?”

“I just followed the rumors of the little handyman. Care to explain, little brother? We’ve already talked about this.” Illlya grumbled, frustration coloring her tone. And was that concern? That was odd. Illya tended to not emote that openly.

Shirou shrugged. “I’m not a licensed handyman, and practicing my analysis and reinforcement techniques without a practical use seems wasteful. This is a good way to flex them both, and you’re bringing in enough money with your searching. At least, I think you are.” He looked at the bulging pouch at Illya’s waist. “Make any good finds today?”

“That’s not the… Shirou, the people who I talked to, the ones that you helped, they want to reward you. Some of them think you’re being arrogant because you aren’t accepting a reward! Others are quite clearly very concerned! People pay other people for services rendered! That’s just how people work!”

“I know.” Shirou sighed. “But it’s… I guess I’m just uncomfortable asking for payment when I barely know what I’m doing.” He kicked the ground. “Not like it stops them. Most of them send the payments to Professor Carolina anyway.”

“... I’ll drop it for now, Shirou.” Illya stated sadly, “My day went okay. Nothing really big, just the normal elemental gems; though I may have discovered a vein of ore. Nothing too valuable, just some non-precious metals. I’ll be letting the Professor know later so she can do some basic surveying.”

Shirou stopped, and took his sister’s shoulder. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll start charging people for my time, or letting them give me recompense.” He smiled sadly. “I don’t… I’ll try to see things your way.” He looked at the parcel in his arms. “I wonder what this is, anyway?”

“Open it when we get home?” Illya suggested, a small smile gracing her face at his words, “I have to stop by the Pokemart to drop off today’s finds. Anything you want me to buy?”

“Nothing yet.” Shirou shook his head, then changed his mind. “Actually, can we swing by the market? I would like to pick up some fresh ingredients for tonight.”

“Of course.” Illya replied immediately. She liked that Shirou enjoyed cooking; not purely selflessly, of course. Her brother was more of a budding chef than a normal cook in her mind. His food was amazing.

A few minutes later, Illya happily skipped beside her brother as the two of them entered the afternoon market. Stalls of all sorts lined the closed-off street, manned by Pokemon and humans alike as they traded coins for anchovies, carp, fresh veggies, berries, and Pokemon produce. Shirou eyed one stall with interest as he saw fresh Tropius eggs and fruit, then frowned as the implications passed into him. “Wait… aren’t those…”

“Not fertilized, mate. Some Pokemon species lay eggs regularly, with or without mating.” A nearby man explained, setting down his crate of fish. “A lot of larger bird Pokemon are like that. Something to do with needing larger nests, or used to needing such before Pokemon started hunting each other a lot less.”

“Less?” Illya asked, genuinely curious. The man nodded, smiling,

“Good to see young kids like you interested in history. Pokemon aren’t static. Just like us, they’re constantly striving to better themselves. Wouldn’t be surprised if some of the more secluded wilds have herds of domesticated animals at this point.” He shrugged. “Also helps that when injured, a Pokemon can head to civilization and find a Joy or a ranger for help. Used to be, that Pokemon would have to hunt down some protein, wherever it could get it.”

Shirou nodding seriously in response, “Yes. Free healthcare is indeed nice.”

Illya tilted her head. “So… who pays the Joys?”

“The local communities get support from the League. Makes sense to have healing stations everywhere for trainers, you know?” The man finished laying out his catches. “Nice talking to you kids, but I’ve got to sell this lot before the market closes.”

Shriou eyed the fish, a gleam in his eye. “Well, I may be able to help with that…”

Two minutes later, and eight filets of sushi-grade fish later, Shirou happily stuffed his new ingredients into the refrigerated section of his backpack, smiling gayly. “So, Uramaki and vegetables tonight, I think. Any preferences on dessert?”

Illya hummed, her grin turning coy, “Whatever you want, little brother. I chose the last three times. Your turn now.”

Shirou frowned, only to get bumped as he was beginning to look around the market for inspiration. “Oh, sorry.” He looked up to see a young woman with deep purple hair, a single silver streak running through it. “Didn’t see you there.”

The woman glanced over both of them, her eyes sharp. “I think it was more my fault, really.” Holding out one hand, she gave a small smile. “Carly. Nice to meet the two of you.”

“Emiya Shirou.” The redhead replied politely, his own eyes equally sharp,

“Emiya Illyasviel.” Illya added moments later, smiling blankly, “A pleasure.”

Carly looked over the two, letting her hand drop. “...hmm. Not casual enough, I suppose. But I can tell. You two–” She knelt down, getting on their level. “Are going to cause trouble. Good trouble.” Her own smile was fierce.

“... You aren’t some random person, are you.” Shirou ventured after a moment, the blue glow in his eyes fading, “Your aura is far too unique for that. It’s got threads of gold intertwining with it, for one…”

“Sharp, too.” Carly leaned forward. “And you can tell I told a little lie, can’t you?” At Shirou's nod, her smile broadened a little. “Carly’s a name I go by much of the time. But my birth name is Akari.” She stood up. “You’re going to be visited by a descendant of an old friend soon. I just wanted to see if you matched what my friends were expecting… or what they were told.” She stood back up, dropping a bag in front of them. “Try these for your dessert. They’re pretty good, and the orchards don’t sell any around here.” With a wave, she walked off into the crowd.

Shirou picked up the cloth sack, opening the flaps to reveal a half-dozen bright pink peaches. Noticing that his sister had frozen at the stranger’s name, he poked her gently, “What’s wrong nee-san?”

“... That was Akari. The Hero of Hisui. She’s… I guess the rumors were true. She really is timeless or immortal.” Illya whispered softly, “And… she gave us peaches…”

Shirou looked at the fruit. “Perfectly ordinary peaches.” He murmured after his eyes shone. “We’ll need fresh cream and strawberries for parfaits.” He lifted the bag with one arm, heading deeper into the market.

“... Of course the immortal ancient hero is a troll,” Illya muttered grumpily to herself as she trotted dutifully after her younger sibling, “That makes perfect sense.”

Shirou nodded. “Better than being too dour.” He hummed as he scooped up a few bottles of rich Moomoo milk-cream. “Any objections to parfaits?”

“None here,” Illya teased, pushing aside her bewilderment. “I did say it was your turn, Shirou.”

Sakura looked at her sister with a level of trepidation she had not been prepared for. This was… beyond her wildest expectations.

“So, if I just use the index to catalog all the data, it makes cross-referencing my research so much easier! And this is something normal researchers have access to all the time?” Rin nearly bounced in her seat as she rapidly tapped away at the laptop Professor Juniper had provided, a disturbingly wide grin on her face. “And this setup! The code! I think I may have figured out the basics of that lodestone of a Jewel Sword Zelretch left us!”

…apparently, when she got over her aversion to technology, Rin could really appreciate the benefits. Really, really appreciate the benefits. To be honest, Sakura could see how she should have seen this coming; Rin was a researcher. Her aversion to technology was based on tradition. Rin was smart; she wouldn’t hold herself back for tradition. But it was still throwing the younger girl for a loop to see her technologically inept sister devour secondary school level technological texts.

“...we have created a wonderful, terrible monster.” Fennel murmured with abject glee. “Have you noticed she’s started teaching her Eevee how to use a speak-and-spell?”

The Eevee in question looked up, and then began to rapidly tap at the Pokedex between her paws.

Rin absently reached down with one hand, scritching the top of her partner’s head. “Okay, so I think I understand how to use the laptop, Xtransceiver, and Pokedex well enough for casual use. Still working on understanding programming, but that’s not nearly as… user friendly.” She paused, then made a note. “I do object to the linguistic drift this is pushing on me, though. I almost memed yesterday.”

“Nee-san, you’ve already memed.” Sakura deadpanned teasingly, smirking all the while, “Yesterday, at dinner. You said something that was absolutely an internet meme.”

Rin paused. “I didn’t.” She said softly.

“You asked what the dog was doing, dear sister.” Sakura singsonged, “I am aware it actually made sense at the time, but it is a meme.”

“...Agate? Is she correct?”

The newly named Eevee gleefully tapped at her new speaker system.

Rin hissed, leaning back in her chair. “One, don’t call me master. And two, oh hell no!”

“You did it again.”

“Argh!”

Aurea reached over and patted a desolate Rin on the head. “There, there. You’re fine, Rin. No one cares if you meme a bit.”

“None of the other Magi will ever…” She trailed off. “Get the references, actually. This may not actually be a problem…”

“See neesan, you have one more way to thumb your noses at them in a way they’ll never understand~” Sakura chirped in an evil voice, her smile slightly unhinged, “Isn’t that a good thing~”

“I suppose…” Rin muttered.

Agate looked up, face tilted.

“Politics.” Rin deadpanned, “Though that’s if I decide to bother with the Clocktower in the first place. If we return, that is.”

Fennel sighed. “You may not have a choice.” As everyone looked up at her, she gave a sweep of one arm. “Whatever brought you to us… it might take you back. There’s been a few fallers that came and left without warning. A lot more stayed, of course, but there’s always a chance.” She shook her head. “Not anytime soon, though. At least, not so long as you don’t seek out a way back.”

Sakura shook her head. “No, I want to stay here, at least for now.” Her own Eevee, Ren, leapt up to perch on her shoulder, wrapping his tail around her neck.

Rin nodded. “Well, even if we leave, we’ll come back.” She said flippantly. “We’ve got family here now. We won’t remain separate for long.” Any further commentary was cut off as she was lifted into the air by simultaneous Aurea and Fennel hug. Arms reached helplessly as she was suspended between two squeeing lady scientists. “Wait, I was working!”

Sakura smiled as she watched them, feeling the knot inside that held the Beast unravel a little more, a content hum running through her. Three weeks ago, these moments would have been a delirium dream. Now, they were all too real.

And we will do what we must to keep them real, won’t we? For once, Sakura had no objections to her inner monster’s commentary, even as she leaned back in her own chair and watched her loved ones in peace.

Chapter Text

Shirou was outside, practicing with Ritsuka, the young fox channeling his own Aura through his limbs as he mimicked his partner. As one, the two young males moved through their stretches, Shirou moving through his motions as he focused on the power within. As he finished his warmup, he let out a breath. “Right, I guess we should focus on practicing reinforcement. Normal-type energy seems to work pretty well at that…”

“Yosh! That is an excellent idea! I will practice with you!”

Shirou’s gaze snapped sideways, fixing on a small blue Pokemon standing upright on black paws. The little creature appeared as a clear bundle of blue flames as he looked, and his nose scented leather, passion, and the various scents which reminded him of unsharpened steel. “Ah… and you are?” 

“I am Yagi!” The blue jackal replied. “And I am here to assist with your training!”

“He is, yes. So long as he gets permission, and does not run off.” Shirou’s eyes widened as he looked up, seeing an Aura which eclipsed the torch of Yagi’s soul like a bonfire. The much larger jackal-like Pokemon stood, arms crossed, as he stared down at his smaller counterpart. “Yagi, your enthusiasm does you credit, but there is a saying about haste and waste.”

“Yosh! You are correct, sir! I shall do three hundred push ups and two hundred squats to atone for such a mistake!” Yagi snapped off a smart salute, before falling to the ground and beginning his push-ups.

“... He’s not going to stop, is he.” Shirou stated dryly, a small smile on his face as he turned to look at the elder pokemon, “Emiya Shirou, though it seems you already knew that.”

“That I did.” The being cocked his head, and Shirou forced his auric hearing to lapse, allowing him to hear the ‘Lu-car-io’ which identified the Pokemon in question. “We were sent by the Lucario Kingdom, in accordance with the ancient pacts. Our allies, the Clans, passed on that you might be a trustworthy partner for Yagi here. But we need not speak of all of this outside.”

“Yes, Illya-nee would kill me if I conducted political negotiations without her input.” Shirou quipped, clearly amused, “Come on Ritsuka. Cool downs then inside.”

“Of course, Shirou.” The fox replied, “I wonder if Matilda has woken up from her nap yet.”

His question was swiftly answered as the door opened, Illya appearing with a pink-and-white cat-fox grinning in her arms. “Look! Shirou, look, she evolved!” She began to cuddle the happily grinning fairy-type. “Isn’t she perfect?”

“... That was a fast evolution.” Shirou stated after a few seconds of silence as he looked at Ritsuka oddly, “You aren’t going to randomly evolve, are you?”

Ritsuka looked far too smug for Shirou to be particularly comfortable with, but he shook his head. “Not until we’ve discussed it. Matilda seems to have… pushed, somewhat.” He looked askance at his kin. “How are you feeling, by the way?”

“All who oppose me and my queen shall die to painful, pink lasers.” The new Sylveon chirped happily, a placid smile on her face. “I shall be the instrument of her vengeance.”

Illya squeed, nuzzling into her starter’s fur. “She’s so cute!”

“Try terrifying,” Ritsuka muttered, grimacing, “I can see why dragons are weak to fairies. Beyond the obvious interaction between type energies, of course.” 

The Lucario peered at the new pokemon, then looked at Illya. He then reached over and gave them each a pat on the head, leaving both Pokemon and trainer with a blush. “ Well, you two are going to do very well together.” He turned to look at Shirou. “Try to keep them from going too far.”

“You say that like I intend to interfere in Illya’s vengeance on the individuals Matilda is referring to.” Shirou said dryly, a wry smile on his face, “Though I think I’ll stop them if they go too far.”

“...oddly, your attitude fills me with hope.” At Shirou’s questioning noise, Lucario looked around. “ This shall be an extended discussion, so we should probably sit down.”

After taking seats, and letting Illya know why there was a Lucario here, Shirou looked over at the jackal pokemon. “So, why are you here, Lucario-san?”

“Three things. One, you are in need of training; I can tell the barest edges of overstrain on your aura. So, for the next two and a half weeks, before you depart, I am going to spend most of my time teaching you how to train. Second, I am here to assess both of you.”

Illya frowned. “Why do we need to be assessed?”

“How much research have you done into previous fallers– or Mystery Gifts which were people?”

“... Honestly, not a lot. But from what little I saw, the majority of the famous ones were assholes. I’d imagine a lot of them ended up dying rather quickly in the wild, and if the records about the formerly human fallers are right, a lot of the nicer ones never got their stories told.” Illya replied carefully, her expression blank, “I think the most well known one was an Eevee, and the only positive faller that’s widely known and admired.”

“Indeed.” Lucario tented his fingers. “You two break the mold in many respects; arriving together, with what, as far as we can tell, were First Formed Pokemon, and then simply taking time to get your bearings.” He nodded once. “The locals also have good things to say about both of you, and you haven’t tried to run off and locate a dragon to tame or a Legendary to try and capture. All good signs.”

“People do that?” Shirou frowned, looking genuinely baffled, “That’s possibly the most idiotic thing someone could do! Even more so if they’re familiar with either the world or something equivalent to it!”

“And yet…” Lucario sighed. “The Pearl and Diamond clans especially have a vested interest in avoiding those sort of people, after they lost one of their Nobles to a Faller. In contrast, they also have an interest in the positive ones; Lady Akari herself is a Faller, and her efforts allowed the clans to survive to this day.”

“... The immortal heroine is a faller too?!” Illya despaired, eyes twitching, “We met her a while ago, while we were browsing the markets. I think she wanted to test us too. Shirou met her approval, if nothing else.”

“She had good things to say about you, too. Which brings me to my assessment.” Lucario peered back and forth for a moment. “Emiya Shirou. You are too pure, though that is thankfully changing.”

“Too pure? What does that mean?” Ritsuka chirped, even as Shirou frowned.

“All auras have… color is the best analogy. These auras represent what people are, while their surface reflects their current feelings. Naturally, they bleed into each other with time. A ‘pure’ Aura is a sign that a person has stunted feelings. Shirou, your aura is by no means completely pure, but its depths lacked, and to a certain degree still lack, signs of deep emotions. That is changing, and rapidly. But if you remained like that for long, you would become a blank slate for anything which sought to shape you, to your demerit.”

He turned to Illya. “As for you, Emiya Illya, your Aura is dark; but not black, and not evil. You have drive and will, strong desires and dark impulses that you largely have under control… but your core is threaded with emotions of all sorts, positive and negative, and even now strands of brighter hues begin to outnumber the shadows. Alone, each of you might become broken; together, I think you will each help each other, even as your companions grow and help you in their own ways.” Lucario smiled. “In short, I can confirm Akari’s assessment. Which brings me to the third point.”

“Yosh! I have finished my efforts!” Yagi dashed into the room, sliding on the polished floor and coming to a stop. “Have I missed any of the explanation?”

“We were just getting to you.” Lucario looked at Shirou. “Yagi is… less talented than most Riolu. He is strong, and clever; but when it comes to Aura, he is mediocre. But… “

“You and I are alike!” Yagi yipped happily. “We are destined, not by gifts from fate or fortune, but by our own sweat, to become heroes! We are geniuses of hard work, and shall triumph in this world together!” He pumped his arms. “Lord Wyrdeer sent a message to us and informed us that you and I would be perfect partners! And from what I’ve seen, he was right!”

Shirou blinked twice, before standing and going down on one knee. “...are you going to be my sparring buddy?”

“Yes!”

“Are you willing to try and practice slightly dangerous, stressful, and potent techniques and then find the nearest Pokemon with heal pulse to recover?”

“Yes!”

“And are we going to do so much good in all the small ways heroes tend to forget?”

Illya’s eyes were huge and her pupils dilated as she watched an illusion of a setting sun form in the background, her brain trying not to comprehend the two massive grins on the face of the Riolu and her brother alike. “...by the root, there are two of them .” She squeaked.

“Yes!”

Shirou nodded once. “Welcome to the team, then.” He turned back to Lucario, who was slowly kneading his head. “So, when do we start?”

“ Oh dear…”

Ritsuka gave a quiet bleek. “Hmm. I need to learn heal pulse…”

  “Ritsu-nii, Eevee can’t learn Heal Pulse.” Matilda deadpanned. “Also, weren’t you Ritsu-nee yesterday? How’d-”

“Shush Matilda.” The aforementioned Eevee muttered, placing a paw on his sister’s muzzle. “Impossible is a word that only quitters use.”

“Three of them.” Lucario corrected, eyeing the normal-type with some amusement. “I’ll add training you to my rotation.”

“Cool, my Aura Spheres keep destabilizing.” Ritsuka muttered, pointing his nose up and forcing a few wisps of blue aura to spin above his face.

Matilda tilted her head. “Okay, I need to learn that…”

Illya looked at her partner. “I really need to learn how to actually talk to Pokemon. Or do you think you can learn to talk like Lucario-san?”

“Probably easier for you to learn, my Queen. That way you can hear the rest of your court as well.” Matilda replied, before frowning and looking at Shirou. “Can you tell her that please?” Again the Sylveon paused, before smirking in fae glee. “Also, I think I can actually see Aura now. Fascinating…”

It was to this scene of domestic chaos that Carolina walked in, a mug of tea in one hand. “...what have I walked into?” She muttered, taking a sip.

Chapter Text

Rin Toshaka was on a mission. Well, she was on several missions, labeled and bulleted in her new tablet.

First mission; reconnect with her sister. It was going about as well as Rin had expected, though there had been hiccups that Rin was working on overcoming. She did genuinely care about Sakura, though Rin acknowledged that her sister could not have known, given Rin’s insistence on not interacting with her as much as possible; if only to prevent her guilt from overwhelming her. She wished she had, now, but the past was the past, and Rin would not let herself remain stuck in it this time. Sakura was her younger sister, and Rin was going to be the best older sister possible, even if she had already failed so many times.

Second mission; get to know this world. Ongoing, and much helped-along by the internet. Seriously, the only thing which wasn’t on the internet was information about magic! Almost everything else Rin needed to know was either a stated fact, or had reasonable hypothesis hidden in the various research journals out there. Still, the lack of even cursory magical knowledge was disappointing. Though not unsurprising. It seemed magic users enjoyed hiding here too.

Third mission; acquire resources. Aurea and Fennel were being excellent hosts (unlike Sakura, Rin couldn’t quite bring herself to call either of them Mom. Not yet. That wound was still too raw.) but even they had resource constraints. And Rin refused to overburden them with costs when most kids on their Journey left on a shoestring budget. Although she refused to accept charity, Rin would also be caught dead going into a trip with her little sister grossly unprepared.

A chance conversation had revealed a way to work on missions one and two at the same time.

“Still looking for magic, Rin?” Fennel asked, looking over the elder sister’s shoulder. “You’re not going to find much there.”

Rin scowled. “There are references to magic in a lot of historic texts. Aura use, magic weapons, exorcism, wards, even ancient technomagic. But none of it seems to have made it into the modern day, despite this world not relying on mystery, so far as I can tell.” She fumed. “Why?”

Fennel sighed. “Well, magic is… or rather, was a resource intensive endeavor. You needed to train for years, just like in your world, and that made sense when Pokemon were territorial, hostile, or just indifferent to your suffering. But as the ages passed, and we grew closer to Pokemon, the need for magic lessened. These days, unless you’re part of a traditional sect, an old clan, or one of those weird anti-pokemon cults, there’s no impetus for training for magic, when you could just make a few Pokemon friends and succeed that way.”

“... That actually makes a lot of sense,” Rin acknowledged, “It irks me personally, since I don’t think that bettering yourself is ever a bad thing, and freer access to a method of bettering yourself shouldn’t be a bad thing either,” the genius sighed, “but I understand.” She looked at the screen, then swiveled in her spinny chair, holding back the urge to keep spinning. “Wait, are there any local families like that? I could trade knowledge, I suppose, since we’re not competing for power…”

Fennel frowned. “I don’t think so…”

“You wouldn’t. The last Old Family in these parts, or rather, in most of Southeastern Unova, disintegrated nearly fifty years ago.” The two women turned to face Cedric Juniper, who stood at the doorway to the den. “The Rockerfaller family disowned two of their kids, then had their heir die trying to complete their old coming of age ritual.” He sighed. “Why anyone would think trying to fight a Druddigon one-on-one was a good idea, I will never know.”

“I bet the disowned children were either horrified or amused at what would look like Karmic justice,” Sakura mused, having entered the room behind the pair of women, before shaking her head. “Assuming they lived.”

Rin frowned at the bitter notes in her sister’s voice, but simply shook her head. “So, no families left?” She paused. “Did either of the disowned children go back?”

Cedric laughred. “They were disowned for wanting to go and take their own Journeys. I think they saw it as a blessing.” He shrugged. “One went on to become Champion, actually, and the other settled down and founded a successful Battle Bar chain. You’re both too low for Hops and Sawk, but maybe in a decade.”

Rin nodded, before she caught something there. “So… who did inherit the lineage?”

“No one. The Rockerfallers actually tried to get their kids to come back, and when that failed, tried to find and adopt a successor. Whether the kid wanted to or not.” He grimaced. “When they got caught, it was a media firestorm.”

“As it should be.” Rin growled, eyes blazing with fury as she looked upon the relevant article related to the topic of discussion, having looked it up as Cedric had explained. “Kidnapping others is beyond the par. With the power and wealth they had, they should have been able to simply ask . Someone would have answered.”

“Not likely. Not when it meant giving up Pokemon.” Cedric sighed. “Maybe if they’d tried a little harder, or relaxed their standards, but no.”

Rin nodded, letting the lesson sink in before she lit up. “Wait, then what happened to their estate?”

Cedric shrugged. “No one could get in for a long while, not until whatever security they spun up collapsed. By the time any humans were interested, the place had already been pretty overgrown, and Pokemon moved in. I think there’ve been some treasure hunters and ghost-seekers who headed in, but the mansion was off the beaten path. Never heard of anything serious coming from it.”

“...Sakura, would you mind a session of treasure hunting?” Rin asked her sister, smiling. “I’d imagine it would feel good to take from people who tried to do something to someone in a similar position to you.” Silently, Rin added that it would be great for her as well.

“Ah, no thank you, Nee-san.” Sakura demurred, paling considerably. “I’d rather not go into a moldering mages’ mansion.” She swallowed. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.”

Rin stood up and wrapped her sister in a hug. “I get it,” she muttered, even as Fennel joined them.“Sorry if I brought up bad memories.”

“It’s fine.” She took a deep breath and disentangled herself from her sister. “But this does sound like something you’d like, so don’t let me keep you from going.”

It had taken Sakura several hours of reassurances before Rin committed to a day trip into the boonies. It had taken Aurea and Fennel several days to agree to let Rin go alone; both the Professors were quite busy outside of the evening hours, and all involved (including Rin) were in agreement that any exploration of such a place should happen during the day; no need to taunt the Ghost-types.

Rin had been given a temporary companion as a loaner for the trip; a Reuniclus from Cedric’s old team, who would act as both conveyance and defense in case of an emergency. The old Pokemon tended to sleep a lot, but Rin was fine with that so long as he woke up in a hurry at her signal.

Looking up at the imposing but still-intact mansion before her, Rin hitched her space-expanded backpack an inch higher. Beside her, Agate looked up before squeaking. Rin pulled her Pokedex from her waist, and eyed at the translation. “Well, it might be dangerous, but you’re with me, and even most Ghost-types tend to avoid people not out to hurt them.”

<Rin, I know that. The issue is more that I can’t defend you properly against any of the more potent ghosts, and you don’t have enough gems on you to help.> She chirped, the Pokedex dutifully translating the Eevee’s speech using a TTS program that Rin had written out of sheer frustration (how in the blazes was the best TTS program incapable of recognizing nuance! HOW?!), <I’m just saying we should be careful.>

“I know, but this is such an opportunity.” Rin replied, crouching to run one hand over her partner’s head. “Anything stronger than a Ghastly, and we’ll fall back. And if they pursue, we’re gone. Agreed?”

<That is a good compromise. Agreed, Rin> Agate stated happily, purring as the magus patted her head, <The headpats are a welcome addition, as always.>

“Pat slut.” Rin said, amused, and then suddenly appalled. “Root, the internet is corrupting me.” She muttered as she stood.

<Modern slang is modern slang, Rin. Nothing to do with corruption> The Eevee pointed out, hiding her own grin, <Besides, you know how languages evolve. You insisted on binge reading several articles on slang. Stop complaining.>

Rin groaned as they trotted forward, her thoughts on modern vernacular muddled then purged as she felt the wispy pressure of long-faded bounded fields touch her skin. “Heads up Agate, there’s enough leftovers of the bounded fields that I can feel them.”

Agate shivered. <I think I know what they are. They’re Pokemon repellant; I just felt like someone blew an Icy Wind up my spine.> She cocked her head. <Old malice, too. Kind of slimy.>

Rin scoffed, “Stupid of them to hold onto hatred for your species when there was so much they could have accomplished together.” She shrugged, “Ah well, more for me to discover and more for me to shamelessly loot.”

<Have I ever mentioned I love your absolute honesty?> Her partner chirped. <Keep that up.>

“Of course. I hate political bullshit. Why would I force it on my partner in research?” Rin grumbled. With that, she approached the fallen gates between the overgrown walls, stepping up the stone drive. A few minutes later, she pushed open the front door, which swung inward with a soft screech.

<I wonder if ghost types cultivate things like that.> Agate murmured, nosing the hinges. <Adds to the atmosphere.>

“Probably. They have to entertain themselves somehow,” Rin grinned, “I like the ambiance. Very spooky.” She looked up to see the eyes on one oddly preserved portrait following her. “Hmm. Is there a ghost behind the painting, or…”

<Yeah, I can smell one. I think?> Agate sniffed. <Old dust, woodsmoke… and mischief? I didn’t think that was a smell.>

<Ruin our fun will you?> A Misdrevous mumbled as she phased out of the painting, eyeing Rin before turning and floating back through the wall. <No respect for the classics…> She whispered as she faded away.

“I mean, it was pretty fun, but you do realize that both of us are geniuses, right?” Rin said rhetorically, “Gonna have to try a bit harder than that, though I am sorry to ruin your fun.” She continued, a note of apology entering her voice near the end.

The Misdrevous poked her head back through the wall. <I don’t mind that much, really. But some of the others here are nasty, and if you don’t play along, they’ll do a lot worse than give you a fright.> She eyed Agate. <Do you know shadow ball, kit? Or at least bite?>

<Both, though I wouldn’t mind some tips on manipulating ghost type energy,> Agate responded, her tail lashing behind her in concern, <Do you advise that we simply play along?>

Misdrevous shot them both a look. <I suspect neither of you would be able to fake it well enough to not be insulting.> Rin huffed, but did not disagree. The ghost continued. <Probably best if you just left, anyway.>

“Not happening. Shameless looting of rotten magi to be had.” Rin grumbled, “Stupid Rockafellers being stupid and getting themselves wiped out in such a pathetic manner.”

<Listen girl, the family here had magic, and they hid everything really well.> Misdrevous grumbled. 

“You mean like that treasure chest right there surrounded in a really obvious bounded field?” Rin grumbled pointedly, “This kind of sloppy work wouldn’t fool a third rate . Probably a trap, but meh.”

Misdrevaus blinked, then looked over at the chest in question. <...huh. Young mage?> At Rin’s nod, she tilted her head. <Well. That changes things. Yeah, that chest is a trap. Some of the ghosts can see or squeeze through those barriers, and the ones who did got hit with dragon rage, or something like it. If you’re serious about this, though, the upstairs library, the labs downstairs, and the vault in the den are all warded in ways we haven’t managed to breach, and no humans or outsiders have even found them.>

<We appreciate the information, Ms. Misdreavus. Would you perhaps mind serving as our guide? We are willing to negotiate payment, if you require such.> Agate demurred, a satisfied smile on her muzzle.

<Nope. I have to live here, and although I will appreciate watching whatever chaos you stir up, and feeding off the residual life energy you two are giving off, I’m not going to give the Banette in the attic a reason to smash me. You two wandering through here? Fine. Me guiding you? Oh hell no, she’ll leave me discorporal for weeks.> Misdreavus shuddered. Then she blinked. <...also, how common is that device on your waist? Having clear Pokemon-human communication would ruin a lot of pranks.>

<Rin has the only working example in existence. Mostly because she isn’t sure she can mass produce it without the mystery that helps make it function ceasing to work.> Agate bragged proudly, looking smugly at her partner, <I keep telling her the magecraft in this world doesn’t rely on mystery, but she has yet refused to make the bank that is sitting in front of her by patenting it.>

Rin growled. “I…” She then stopped. “I…” She looked at Agate. “I mean, I did use some… I thought…” She frowned. “Okay, I should talk about this with Aurea.”

<You do that.> Agate’s tail lashed.

Misdreavus snickered. <Ah, I hope you two come back someday, maybe in a few decades. In fact, when you’re ready, come back here and you two can die here, and then join all of us for a couple centuries. I think we’d have some fun together!>

“That wouldn’t be the worst fate for an afterlife. We’ll keep it in mind,” Rin stated noncommittally, “Well, we’re off! Good luck with the next visitor Ms. Misdreavus.”

<More like bad luck…> The ghost grinned as she faded out of sight.

<So, if we’re ignoring the obvious trap… where are we going first?> Agate asked. <Also, get out your flashlight.>

“Hai hai. Probably the labs first. Mind as well get the atrocities out of the way before we move on to the hopefully less grim portion of our trip.” Rin grumbled, dutifully pulling out the LED flashlight and turning on her headlamp for good measure. “Lemme get yours, Agate.” The fox grinned contentedly as Rin turned her Eevee’s headlamp on, nodding in satisfaction. “Enough light for you now, miss ‘I can’t not be bathing in sunlight constantly’?”

<Not my fault you monkeys need to worry about skin cancer.> Agate replied smugly. <Let’s go, then.>

Rin nodded, and headed forward. “Right, so we need to go downstairs.” She tapped her chin. “From what I know about magi… well, it might apply. Either their labs will be in a hidden section behind the ‘normal’ cellar, or there will be an obvious way in barricaded to hell and back.” She muttered. “Not sure which.”

A little searching, and politely shooing away a much less coherent Misdreavus and two jump-scare Ghastly, Rin stared down the carpeted, double-sized staircase leading to the basement. “...seriously? No defenses on the approach? Did they just ward the labs themselves?”

<That or the defenses have eroded over time. Or they were so confident in their outer defenses they gave their final sanctum none.> Agate paused, <Or another mage family took offense to them in general.>

“If it was the last one, this place would have been fully looted, or there’d be new owners.” Rin responded, heading down the stairs. “I’m restrained when it comes to Magi acquisition tendencies.”

Agate simply nodded solemnly, <So, shall we?>

Rin nodded, putting one foot on the top step, grumbling… only for her foot to go through the carpet on the top step, leading her to pitch forward, tumbling down the steps with a shriek. Barely managing to reinforce her body, she landed in a heap at the bottom, gasping as hideous laughter echoed around her, a wedge-shaped purple creature fading into existence, two curved talons manifesting beneath its jagged maw.

<Rin!> Agate screamed, not even hesitating before leaping down herself, her maw glowing with dark-type energy as she ferociously bit into the Haunter, dragging them to the floor, <Get away from my friend , asshole! That fall would have killed her!> She growled through a mouthful of ghostly flesh.

The Haunter shrieked as he staggered back. <Gah, back off you little bitch! I need to feed!> He shrieked again as Agate dug in deeper, before he managed to hook her with one claw and toss her across the wide open basement. <Pests, get out here and keep her off me!>

As Agate rolled to her feet, she found herself surrounded, a trio of Ghastly and a quartet of Spinarak, pouring out of the woodwork to pin her down. <I am going to kill all of you , I hope you realize that,> She snarled , clearly furious, <No one touches my human with the intent to kill and walks away, no one .> She then proceeded to erupt in a blaze of light as she evolved through sheer spite and an exceedingly strong desire to protect her human. The split-tailed Espeon’s gem lit with a brilliant, red glow.

One of the Ghastly shook its head. <Nope, not going to fight that . Hey, if you can bash the boss apart, I’ll be real happy!> It and a pair of the bugs immediately turned and fled. The remainder hesitated, then as one piled in.

Meanwhile, the wounded Haunter wasn’t having it his own way. His attempt to pin his prey had run into a serious complication in the form of a reinforced fist, the blending of energies within unable to be phased through. With a series of curses, he spiraled backward, before forcing Rin back with a night-shade blast. <Goddammit, a mage! Come back to your family home, hmm?>

“Nah, the Rockafellers are far to basic to sire someone like me,” Rin cackled as she slammed the Haunter into the floor and proceeded to punt him into the ceiling shortly afterwards, “You kinda suck at combat, by the way.”

The Haunter screeched, forcing Rin to clap her hands over her ears.  “You still suck.” She groaned, her confident smile a touch more forced, “Agate, some help?”

Agate tossed one Spinarak off her, grimacing as its kin hit her with a bug bite. <Trying, Rin! I only know confusion right now, and these guys have super effective moves on me!> She spun, blasting one Ghastly with confusion, causing it to dissolve into purple mist.

As the Haunter began to descend on Rin, hands and eyes glowing with purple light, a thump sounded from the staircase. Looking up, the Haunter and Rin both saw a cracked, dusty porcelain doll standing halfway down the stairs. Immediately, the Haunter froze, eyes going bug-wide. <Oh, shite–>

The doll raised one hand, pointed forward, then pulsed, a purple orb the size of a basketball shredding him in seconds as it flew through him. Behind the dissolving Haunter, the Espeon and her three remaining opponents all froze. Agate gulped. <Rin… that’s a very old, very pissed off Banette. Be. Polite. Please.> She whispered.

Rin coughed, nodding discreetly at her partner. “Hello, Lady Banette. I apologize for the disruption of your peace.”

The doll tilted its head, and then pulsed, a black film of ghostflesh sliding over it like a second skin. Yellow eyes manifested on its face, and the skin grew a wide mouth dipped into a frown. Banette spoke. “...the living have the right to go as they wish, if they are willing to face the consequences.” The wispy, creaking voice filled the room. “But the dead have no place to slay the living. Not without reason.” She raised one hand, tracing a black sign in midair. “Haunter sought to evolve through your demise, and take this place from me. His time within the living realm is at an end.”

<Our thanks, Lady Banette.> Agate bowed, wincing as her wounds flared in pain, <We did not expect to have to fight for our lives today.> As she spoke, she turned her head back to Rin, “Do not start barraging our host with questions. We will die if we piss her off.”

Rin blinked. “When did you learn to use telepathy?” She shook her head, then bowed back to the Banette. “Thank you, regardless.”

The old ghost sighed. “Do not enter my sanctum in the attic, or go into the master bedroom, guest rooms, or nursery. I will spread word that you are not to be harmed.” She looked past Rin, yellow eyes narrowing into slits, and Rin turned to see a heavy barred door, upon which was mounted a powerful bounded field. “So long as you burn that which should never have been taken within those butcher halls.” She spat. “Half the malice of this place comes from those bones…”

“I’ll be honored to torch whatever abomination of magecraft the Rockafellers came up with.” Rin almost spat, only just barely keeping her tone polite, “I can feel the malice too, somewhat, and nothing good comes of that much malice in one place.”

The ghost-type nodded. “Then we have an accord.” She murmured, and Rin felt a knot of energy wrap around her heart– a geass? Done without any rituals… The old ghost turned, collapsing back into her doll as she drifted up the stairs. “Tohsaka Rin.”

“She is powerful. Far more powerful than most would likely give her credit for, Rin.” Agate responded telepathically, tail lashing, “And that wasn’t a geass. At least, not the one you are familiar with. I’d personally call it a pact .”

Rin tilted her head, considering. “If I didn’t know she’d turn me down flat, I might have asked for her to join us. Power like that, understanding like that…” She sighed. “Not going to happen, though. If Aurea and Fennel would even let me capture her.”

“The most you are likely to get is coaxing knowledge out of her. And I would not personally consider it worth the risks. While the rewards might be great, failure is death.” Agate consoled, the longing in her voice letting the older girl know her partner felt the same, “She did give us carte blanche to raid the library though.”

“And the vault. She didn’t mention that.” Rin’s voice was oh-so-slightly thick with drool, before she sobered. “But first, let’s keep our end of the deal.” She turned, then blinked several times as she finally took a good look at Agate. “...oh wait, you evolved.” Rin shook herself. “Ooh, are you okay with this? I know we were still deciding on that....”

“Focus Rin.” Agate scolded, hiding a smile at her human’s concern, “And yes, I am fine with this. Espeon fits me.”

Rin sighed, going down into a crouch and scratching behind her partner’s pointed ears. “Well, you’re not going to be able to ride on my shoulders much when you’ve grown into your new form… and I’m not going to be able to carry you.” She added. “So… walk, or do you want up in the time we have left?”

“I will walk.”

Rin nodded as she stood again, walking through the room filled with broken furniture and dusty boxes to stand at the barred door. Hesitantly, Rin focused, feeling out the energies. “...odd. It’s…” She looked down, frowning. “Why are you hanging back, Agate?”

“I’m being driven off. I can only get so close because of what you’ve taught me.” Agate’s ears were folded back, her tails lashing. “It’s… there’s this pressure that grows stronger, a mix of weight and fear, with every step I draw closer to the labs.”

“Oh, I get it!” Rin smiled. “The Bounded Field; it’s designed to repel Pokemon! That’s why it seemed familiar, it’s the same sort of thing we use at home to keep mundanes out of Magi business.” She nodded, cupping her chin. “Also explains why I’m fine; the wards are intended to let magic-using humans through.”

“That’s nice. Going in alone, or can you bring them down?”

“I’m not going in there alone. Give me a minute…” Rin muttered, pulling one of the few working prototypes out of her jacket pocket. The rock gem surged, and with a curse Rin watched it shatter, the stored power within causing the field to collapse. “There. Better?”

“Much.”

Rin walked forward, then groaned in indignation as the handle turned at her touch. “...all that effort, and they left without locking the door.” She groused.

“Perhaps they never felt the need to; they were the only ones that could truly get in here.” Agate mused, “Best be careful in case it’s a trap regardless, Rin.” 

Rin nodded once, walking forward and opening the door. She peered inside, before opening the door fully. “What were they doing?” She muttered, walking into the wide chamber, only to gag as a noxious smell hit her nose. Behind her, Espeon shuddered, even as Rin spoke. “Rotting meat… and… ugh, is that urine? What were they doing?”

Espeon trotted in, looking around with slitted eyes. “...Rin, you told me you could make mystic codes out of anything, but magical materials and reagents were the best.” Rin turned, her eyes widening as she saw the hides stretched out on upright racks. “Would Dragon leather be a good material?”

Rin gulped, taking in the cracked and sagging mess of what once had been a tanning station, the red-and-blue material hanging from braided cords over long-dry troughs. “...it would, yes.” She said weakly. “Magi would kill for dragon materials.” She gulped. “Wasn’t the Rockerfaller trial about killing a Druddigon?”

“A literal butcher’s shop. She wasn’t being hyperbolic. Rin…”

Rin glanced around, taking in the barrels of bones and storage jars filled with organs. To most magi, a priceless haul, especially given the half-finished weapons and near-completed armors Rin could see deeper into the workshop, next to workbenches and chests. Rin’s face scrunched in rage as she beheld the fruits of the Rockerfaller family. “... My dad would hate me for what I’m about to do, I think. And I’m okay with that.” The Tohsaka heiress stated, pulling out a gem, “Rest now; those who butchered you are no longer among the world, and their legacy will be gone.”

A plume of searing flame poured from her hands, scorched across the room and setting all it touched alight. Within moments, ancient artifacts, rare materials, and the butchered carcasses of a dozen dragon-types began to burn, the magical flames growing in heat as Rin retreated out of the room. She looked back as the door slammed shut. “...the wards will keep the fires contained.” She firmed her lips. “...this was a bust.”

“We still have the library and the vault, Rin.” Agate reminded her trainer primly as the pair began moving towards the second floor, “Knowledge is power, after all.”

“...here’s hoping not all their lineage involved killing Dragons.” Rin muttered. “And why Druddigon? Aren’t there three or four draconic subspecies here in Unova?” She shook her head. “Erg, maybe five…”

“From what I read, Druddigon are solitary, and often live in out-of-the-way areas. Better to hunt them than deal with herds of Haxorus, or even a single Hydreigon.” 

Rin nodded, humming in acknowledgement. It made sense, after all. As they walked up the stairs, she sighed, then started as they reached the top, coming face-to-face with the yellow eyes of the house’s mistress.

“You took nothing. Not the tools, not the metals, not the stones.” Banette tilted her head. “Why?”

“It was all tainted by malice, and nothing good could have come of using those tools regardless.” The heiress replied primly, “And you asked that I burn it. So I did.”

“Good.” The yellow eyes peered deeper. “Keep that light alive, mage-childe. I saw too many of them see it snuffed.” Once again, the Banette spun, drifting down the corridor towards the upward staircase. “Farewell.”

Rin paused, then spoke up before the Banette could vanish. “Ah, which way to the library?”

The ghost paused. “Down the corridor, take the first right. There is a hidden door. I suspect you will be able to reveal it.” She resumed moving, this time a little faster. The magus nodded, already starting towards the mentioned location, 

“Thank you,” Rin stated loudly, “I appreciate it.”

Banette did not respond, merely rounding the corner. Rin shared a look at her partner, and with no further discussion, they headed down the corridor, following Banette’s instructions. Minutes later, Rin was pulling down an illusion covering a stately, plaque-mounted door. She paused, looking at the plaque. “Labeled, despite being hidden. Hmm.”

“Strange, but from what you said magi tend to be somewhat arrogant at times.” Agate remarked, “Bounded field again, Rin.”

 Rin dismantled this one rapidly. “They really didn’t want Pokemon here, did they…” She muttered. Then, as the door swung open, she blinked twice.

Cheerfully bobbing in midair, a gold candelabra moved along the shelves, a quiet humming sounding as a feather duster skimmed pristine shelves in a purple grip. While the other two candles in the candelabra were unlit, the middle candle held a purple flame, a pair of gold eyes running smoothly over the tomes in neat rows. As the floating being finished their work, it spun in midair, heading towards a shelf on the opposite end of the library, drifting along before coming to a sudden halt. Slowly, it turned to face Rin.

Rin blinked. “Hello?”

The Litwick blinked. <Ah, are you real?>

“Yes?” The confusion in the young girl’s voice was self evident, and Agate pawed her face,

<Rin it’s very likely she hasn’t seen anyone real in several years, if not a century.>

<Longer than that, thank you.> The ghost-type blinked, then flinched. <Please tell me you’re not a Rockerfaller…> She then blinked again. <Wait, is that a translator?> The duster and the candelabra beneath her clattered to the ground. <Some sort of artifact?>

<Technology, actually. You have even more to catch up on than Rin.> The Espeon grimaced, looking at her partner, <And no, Rin is not a Rockafaller. She’s a Tohsaka, and a faller. One of the nicer ones though.>

The Litwck blinked. <...I see.> She peered past the girl and her partner, eyes widening. <Did you take down the barrier? Oh that’s…> She looked around the library. <Erm. Hmm.>

Rin walked forward, coming to a stop in front of the spirit. “Proper introductions, then. I am Rin Toshaka. And you are?”

<Very confused, and a little overwhelmed.> The Litwick spun around. <Freedom, and social interaction… based on my calculations, I didn’t expect the wards to fail for another hundred years or so! I thought I had more time!> She paused. <Granted, I’m far less likely to go absolutely mad now, so that’s nice. I ran out of books to memorize thirty years ago.>

Eyes wide, Rin replied softly, “ All of them?”

<A hundred and fifty years, trapped when they renewed the wards. Hiding in the cupboard with the candles, then when they failed to come back, I started reading. I learned so much, but I couldn’t risk drawing enough energy to use magic.> Litwick sighed softly, then perked up. <Oh, but– I suppose you want to read something? Are you the new owner, or…>

<She’s here to shamelessly loot the Library, technically.> Agate replied bluntly. <The Rockafallers have been dead for quite a while.>

<I assumed that. Or hoped, when they stopped coming.> Litwick peered around. <...I feel a little responsible, though. These books, and all their secrets strange, wonderful, terrible, or mundane… I’ve kept them intact for fifty years.>

“You could come with us,” Rin offered suddenly, smiling brightly, “I’m not going to not take the books, but you also know them. I would be a fool to not offer such.”

<...let me think about it.> Litwick responded slowly. <For now, do you have any subjects you are most interested in?>

“Anything dealing with the use of jewels in magic. Discard anything dealing with parts of Pokemon that were taken without their consent.” Rin stated, before pausing at the withering glare Agate shot her, “Please.”

<Hmm. If we discount the use of the gems taken from certain species– Sableye gems, for instance– there were two texts with sections discussing such, and one book which made extensive use of gems of all sorts in Mystic Codes.> She spun, drifting towards a rear shelf. <All three were part of a collection acquired from an extinct family.>

“That makes sense, I’d imagine their specialty was similar to families in my world that used the remains of Phantasmal Beasts; I don’t have as much of a problem with that one due to the open hostility between humanity and most phantasmals.” Rin muttered to herself, “That and none of them are in the open anymore. Those families have mostly died out due to the Phantasmals retreating to the Reverse.”

<Rin, please, you’re muttering again.> Agate grumbled, giving her trainer a telekinetic shove and enduring the mild glare Rin sent her way, <Stop being rude to our host.>

Litwick’s telekinesis lifted three books from a shelf, gray iron-bound tomes thudding onto a nearby reading desk. <Here you are. The sections in question are marked in the indexes.> As Rin opened the first book, she started as she studied the folded sheets of paper with hand-written tables of contents. <I was forced to add one. Most of the older tomes lack any organization.>

Rin absently nodded, already busy flipping through the pages of the tome idly, making humming sounds and notating things in shorthand on her smartphone.

<She’s going to be lost in that for a bit, Litwick.> Agate giggled, rolling her eyes. <Is there anything you’d like to discuss while she’s distracted?>

Litwick nodded once, then immediately flew off, returning shortly with a leather-bound journal. <Ah, I am so glad I no longer need to save paper…> She whistled, opening the tome and producing a feather quill. <So, section twenty-nine; the modern world. Firstly, how have Pokemon-human relations changed in contrast with three hundred years ago?>

Chapter Text

Illya looked over at Shirou, watching as the three students (all currently male; Illya had heard of gender-changing mysteries, but that Eevee used them naturally. How?) attentively meditated before the watchful gaze of the Lucario emissary. She frowned slightly; apparently, using magic tended to interfere with developing Aura; with similar trade offs regarding psionics or elemental channeling. Which made some sense, since all of those sources relied on spiritual energy of sorts, but…

“A little disappointing.” She muttered.

Beside her, Matilda butted her calf, rubbing her head against her thigh. “Vee.” Illya’s pout turned into a smile as her partner reassured her.

“Thanks Matilda.” The snow-haired girl whispered. “Shirou, I’m heading out!”

Shirou nodded without opening his eyes. “Going shopping? Doing research?”

“Heading into the highlands. Still need more resources.” She sniffed. “I have decided I dislike feeling poor, much less being poor.”

Lucario shot her a look. “At least you seek to add to your funds with your own effort. Many would take what they saw as their due.”

“I’m not that spoiled,” Illya grumbled, a pout briefly flickering into existence on her face before she forcibly suppressed it. “Besides, Grandpa basically never let me leave the castle, so it’s nice being able to actually get stuff I want and act like a normal kid.”

“I think normal children lack your advantages… and yet, you also take more risks. Stay safe, child. And check in frequently, please.” He turned a dour look on his students. “These three might run after you to the rescue. Then I would have to chase them down for discipline.”

“I will. Don’t train too hard, Shirou, Ritsuka, Yagi.” Illya waved, Matilda chirping a good bye to her currently male sibling with a wave of one of her feelers.

Illya’s walk took her through the traditional quarter of town, her gaze looking over the old shrines and the various small stalls and markets littering the way towards the Temple of the Three Gods. She shot a look at the tall structure before putting her back to it, heading through the old gats which once marked the edge of Celestic Town, then passing through several more small communities, her steps picking up as she triggered one of her first mysteries.

“Agility.” She murmured, her steps quickening once, twice, then a fourth time, doubling her walking speed each time. Now moving at a respectable blur, she headed off the beaten path and into the highlands at a brisk pace.

“It’s strange, Matilda.” The young tween said softly, the Pokeball in her hand shaking slightly in acknowledgement of her words. “My upbringing says that gods are real, but… I don’t think I’ve ever respected them.” Pausing, the snow-haired girl sighed as she continued speeding up the mountain, noting the hints of snow that were already building on Coronet. “But the creation trio and Arceus… I think I actually like them; they’re largely described as benevolent, and when they do interfere, it’s generally for the good of the world rather than their own amusement.” She paused. “Except when they go mad, and even then… they can and do call on us to bring them back.”

Illya shook her head as she crested a ridge, her sped-up feet bearing her over a small group of Teddiursa foraging in the bushes. “Well, we’re outside civilization now. Come on out.” Illya tapped the Pokeball, letting Matilda materialize beside her. Crouching down, she scratched her partner behind the ear. “The legends of Mystery Gifts say you were created by one of the gods. Do you remember any of that?”

“Vee~”

“I wish… Oh, I’m stupid.” Illya grumbled, warming up her circuits, “Well, Matilda, I think I know exactly how I’m going to talk to you now.” She focused, feeling that odd magic which had seeped into her mind since her arrival; the one which let her hear, speak, read, and write in these foreign lands. With an application of will, she widened its power, before looking down again, magic shining behind her eyes.

She fell to the ground moments later, utterly spent and her circuits burning to the point of agony.

“Ow,” she stated softly, too tired to even muster the energy to scream.

“... My Queen, perhaps do not expend the entirety of your circuit’s capacity at once?” A melodious voice spoke up in concern. Matilda moved over, tendrils carefully helping Illya sit up and setting her back into a sitting position. “Your Majesty should experiment in controlled conditions. Such hypocrisy, considering your commentary to the young lord…”

“Shirou infected me with his stupidity.” Illya grumbled, not even bothering to try and resist, flopping back to the floor moments later petulantly. “My everything hurts and my body is on fire.”

“If the young lord is sharing himself with you, what have you shared with him, I wonder? Reciprocity is key to such relationships, I believe.” Matilda sighed. “Did you at least succeed, my Queen?”

“Yes, I think I did.” The former Einzbern stated in satisfaction, delight dancing across her tired eyes. “Nice to meet you properly, Matilda.”

The Sylveon’s eyes narrowed. “Just because you could not hear me, does not mean we did not know each other,” she sniffed, before relaxing into a smile. “It is good to be clearly understood, though.”

“Fair,” Illya giggled, slowly pulling herself to her feet. “It’s nice, having another person to have a conversation with.” With a final pause, the snow-haired girl started walking. “Let’s do what we came to do now, yes?”

“Sure. Hold up, hog crossing.”

Illya stopped as a pack of Swinub, escorted by a few Piloswine, rolled across the field in front of her, happily snuffing and rooting as they trundled forward. She cocked her head as she watched them pass. “...have you thought about who’d you want as a partner? We can’t catch anyone yet, but we might start looking into options.”

“They would need to meet my standards and yours. Beyond that, I have no objections.”

“And what are your standards?”

“A capacity for violence and elegance, loyalty, and a tolerance for both underhanded acts, strangeness, and heroism. Considering ourselves and our family, all of those will be necessary.” She paused, then let a wide smile cross her face. “Also, it’s best if they are a tad quirky in some regard, or else they won’t fit in our court.”

“Fair enough, I suppose” Illya mused, smiling. “I don’t think I want to pick, honestly. I know that if I try to focus on what I want I’ll never find the family that I actually want, so I think I’ll just take things day by day.”

“Well said, your majesty.”

As the drift of Swinub passed their location, Illya nodded, then paused. “Why do you call me your queen, anyway? We are partners, aren’t we?”

“A young lady who lived in a castle, who was born to one of their heirs and a knight-assassin in their service.” Matilda’s tail flicked. “What else should I call you?”

“Technically, my family stole that castle.” Illya stated flatly. “We’re also the descendants of the maids, not the noble families.”

“Still a castle, still raised as a young lady. Also, most kings steal their castles from the ones who came before anyway. You will do the same when we return.” Matilda’s smile was bright as they trekked into the rarely-traveled ridgelines. “Or just level the place and start over; your choice!”

“We’ll have to level the place; grandfather is the castle.”

“...you’ll have to explain that one to me.” Matilda admitted.

“I just know that he is the castle. Which means I just have to properly burn it all to ash.” Illya shrugged, “I only know that because I heard mama whining about it once.”

“Is he like a Palossand, then? We’ll need a dark type or two, in that case.” Matilda looked around. “This seems like a good area to start.”

Illya paused, then looked at the untouched trees and the dozens of massive stone outcroppings surrounding their stopping place. Unlike more common collecting zones, this one had no trails and no markers; which meant finding places where the world generated resources or old veins of actual metals would be more difficult. On the other hand, anything they could find would be a lot richer as a result.

Illya swung her pack to hang at her side, reaching into it and triggering the function to swap to the toolbag. “Space compression backpacks… you know, Magi in my world would kill to study these, right up until they found out that they were mundane technology. Then they’d dismiss it as beneath them. Grandfather would probably be furious.”

“Based on what you’ve been telling me on the mechanics of mystery, my lady, it’s more likely they’d shit themselves in fear,” Matilda snickered, fae glee evident on her face. “Given that mystery declines as science advances…”

“Doesn’t seem to be the case here, though.” Illya muttered as she withdrew the carved ivory pendant from her bag. Holding it up, she muttered the trigger, watching in satisfaction as her mystic code began to point towards a nearby boulder. “I wonder why?”

Matilda waved her feelers in a vague equivalent of a shrug. “I’d imagine that different universes or dimensions operate on different principles. Other than that, who knows?”

“...I wonder if the differences in Gods have anything to do with it?” Following the pull of her pendant’s seek function, Illya rounded the boulder to find a glistening vein of reddish stone, shimmering slightly in the noon light. “Hmm, this is a big one. I wonder what it contains?” She reached into her pack again, pulling out a pickaxe. “Thank goodness for reinforcement…”

Matilda eyed the rock face. “I could probably blast it…”

“And if there was an elemental stone or gem, blow it all up. I’ve got a chisel and hammer if you want to help.”

Matilda accepted the chisel, and drove it into the bottom of the seam. The two girls worked in tandem, peeling away the hardened energy and allowing the materials which had crystalized within to spill out. Illya grinned as she scooped up her prizes. “Iron chunks, tumblestones… oh, stardust! Good finds!”

“Nothing too exciting, but that stardust is valuable.” Matilda chirped. “Next vein?”

“Sure…” Illya’s voice trailed off as a hungry-looking boulder rolled around the corner. “After we deal with this one, at least.”

“Human! Drop the minerals, and I won’t hurt you!” The Graveler rumbled, rolling to his feet. “Pink thing, tell your human to drop the shinies and run!”

“Is he serious right now?” Matilda asked her queen, irritation flickering across her face, “There are plenty of other minerals around here, Graveler.”

“Easy food is better, and I smell red sand!” The rock type rumbled. “...hmm. Not scared? I’ll fight you for them!”

Illya clicked her tongue. “Well, sure, I guess. Matilda, magical leaf.”

“As you command.” The Sylveon preened, grass-type energy coalescing around her into glowing, multicolored leaves that began bombarding the Rock-Ground Type, “Eat rainbow colored leaves, fiend!”

“Pink thing has grass attacks? Not fair!” Graveller yelled as he was bombarded. “Take this!” The boulder rushed into a clumsy, barrelling tackle, which whiffed right by Matilda as she stepped to the left. Illya raised one eyebrow as the Graveller face planted in the ground.

“Well, this was no challenge at all. Good night, knave.” Matilda deadpanned as she swung herself in a circle, a quick iron tail sending him spinning into unconsciousness. “Idiot.”

“Good work, Matilda.” Illya murmured, petting her partner before moving back to the rocks, “I think, this time, I’ll work on mining while you keep watch. Just in case another rockhead comes at us.”

“Next vein, then!” Matilda chirped, dropping her equipment back into the backpack.

Four veins later, and Illya was pleased at their fortune thus far - up until now, at least. The first two veins had contained the normal crafting ingredients expected from their searching, only in greater quantities and quality than her expeditions closer to town; without her space-warping pack and its weight mitigation, she wouldn’t be able to tote the number of stones and ore chunks she’d found.

The third vein had held a rather nice find; a Sun Stone, which she’d excitedly wrapped up and pocketed in glee. The fourth vein, on the other hand, had only contained trace resources, but had also prompted her frustration, as the Pokemon resting behind the vein hadn’t taken her hammering in stride.

Illya yelped as the Parasect which had been resting in the lee of the outcropping sent another Acid blast at Matilda. Immediately, the fox-cat responded with a quintet of glowing flames; sending the Mushroom Bug reeling as two connected.

Ignoring her trainer’s plight - she had far too many things to worry about with the Parasect trying to remove both of them - Matilda sent an avalanche of stars hurling towards the aforementioned insect. Grimacing at the irate chittering of the bug as they peppered the far stronger Pokemon, she leaped in front of a glob of acid heading towards her trainer, a translucent shield repelling the deadly poison.

“My lady, move.” Matilda squealed as she deflected a second glob with a feeler coated in steel-type energy. “I cannot focus on protecting you and removing the threat!”

Illya nodded, dodging backwards into the thicker shrubbery as she yanked one hair from her scalp. Once she was at a safe distance, she tossed it into the air, transforming it into a flying knife and sending it to thunk into the Parasect’s back. As it spun, she yelled out. “Matilda, Mystical Fire!”

“On it.” The fae fox growled, voice wavering as the quintet of flames flickered into existence once more, orbiting her as she methodically launched them towards the Parasect, a dark look of satisfaction taking hold of her muzzle as they connected. The parasite bug screamed, before lunging forward, claws crossing while they shone with a pale green energy. Matilda screeched as the hit landed, before responding with a Psyshock, sending the insect screaming towards the treeline. Evidently, it had not expected the pair to fight back so hard.

Illya was about to make chase before Matilda wavered, collapsing on her belly in quiet pain. Illya squeaked, running over to her partner. “Matilda, are you okay? Let me get out some potions, hold on–”

“Just… Give me a few minutes.” Her partner panted, grimacing, “That bug did not like us. I think it was trying to kill me and or you, to be quite honest.”

“I thought Pokemon weren’t supposed to do that anymore…” Illya growled.

“In human areas, certainly. In the wilds, well, don’t humans disobey the gods all the time? The Paras line and a lot of bug types are really bad at that anyway, since they evolved during the old times where Pokemon ate each other frequently.” Matilda reminded her. “There’s a reason humans leave a lot of the world to Pokemon, even though most interactions are peaceful.” The foxcat paused, “Also, if you’re buying the tripe that some people love to quote; don’t. Pokemon have just as much capacity to be evil as humans, and that Parasect responded far more violently than acceptable for disturbing his rest simply because he could get away with it.”

“Right…” Illya muttered, pulling out a lemonade. “Here, drink this.”

“Oh, certainly, milady.” Before she put her mouth on the straw, she sniffed. “Hang on, Illya. Go check that place where the Parasect was napping. I smell something… nice.”

Illya nodded after confirming her partner would be okay, then stood up and ducked into the small lee, finding a bright red patch of mushrooms of large size. “Edible shrooms… large and small. Shirou would like these, and I could sell some… but that scent…” Illya carefully pushed aside some of the leaf litter, eyes widening as she revealed a bright yellow fungus with a round cap. “...oh, that smells good…” she murmured, pulling several plastic containers from her bag and tugging on a pair of gloves. “Let’s see…”

By the time Illya finished her harvesting, Matilda was back on her feet and seemed to be in good health. Emerging from the small cave, Illya tucked the last parcel of shrooms away. “Do you think you’re good enough to keep going?”

“So long as we do not disturb any other Pokemon, likely. If you’d like to edge on the side of caution, I’d recommend returning home, however,” Matilda replied after a few moment’s pause, shrugging in a now familiar gesture. “Up to you, milady.”

Illya looked up, then peered into the forest. “Let’s go and hit a few more spots before we turn around. These mushrooms should sell pretty well, but that’s only if Shirou doesn’t snag them for his cooking. We haven’t found enough valuables to make today worth it.”

“I see. Let’s head out, then.”

The two youngsters crossed several ridges without finding another set of veins, before they stumbled on a small scree with a half-broken deposit, a tumble of stones and ores scattered across the ground, along with a single, four-pointed red object. Illya knelt, examining the Star Piece. “Someone broke this vien open… and then didn’t take the prize. Why would they do that?”

“It was likely a Pokemon, my Queen.” Matilda stated after a pause, “After all, some of these outcrops have been known to contain evolution stones.”

“Oh, that makes sense…” Illya muttered, tucking away the star piece and the other treasures. “I wonder what they’re looking for?” She paused, then stopped as her eyes began to sparkle. “Ooh, what if it’s a Growlithe? Looking for a fire stone?” She clapped her hands to her cheeks. “Eee, we could meet a wild fluffy!”

“... My queen, no .”

“All my yes!” Illya squealed. She then paused. “Or… it could be something else… Aren’t there some cold-weather Vulpix which live in Sinnoh? Or a wild Eevee, rare as they are.” She looked down at the ground, frowning as she noted the lack of tracks. “One way or another, following them would let us get our hands on some more treasure without having to waste time or energy. Can you get their scent?”

“Yes. Follow me then, milady.” Matilda sighed, “If we encounter trouble, be aware that we are running.”

“That’s fair.” Illya agreed. “What do they smell like, anyway?”

“I’m… uncertain. The scent is quite faint.” She responded, loping off along the trail, Illya trotting along behind. “Not anything with a strong odor, so not a furred or slimy creature. Not a ghost, and probably not a fighting-type… they don’t have a strong enough scent of sweat for that.”

“So that leaves… rock types? Bugs? Reptiles, I guess…”

“Could be a psychic type, though I can’t think of any of those who evolve with stones.” Matilda replied as they wove through a scree of pointed stones. “Though there’s an odd… bite to it. Like… preservation.” He ears perked up. “Wait, did you hear that?”

The two rounded one last corner, even as Illya voiced her conclusion. “Ice.”

Before them, positioned square in front of a glimmering seam in the rock face, a lone Snorunt carefully aimed upward. With a hiss, a precisely aimed ice spike jammed into the rock face, cracking off another shard of the red-purple material of the mineral vein. As the lump of material turned into a small tumblestone, the Srorunt sighed before forming another spike in front of its face. Deciding to observe the likely female Snorunt before she committed to interacting with it, Illya watched as the little ice-type continued to aim and fire spikes into the wall. After three more spikes, the pokemon huffed quietly, sitting down as she sucked in clean air, obviously tired from her efforts.

“You’re looking for a dawn stone, aren’t you?” Illya asked as she came into the open, approaching carefully in a non-threatening manner. The Snorunt started as she approached, whirling on stubby legs and backing up a step, before abruptly stepping forward.

“Back off, human. Please, find another fount to draw from. This one has been claimed.” She whispered, trying to gather frost in her breath, only for the attempt to sputter out. “...please.”

“I don’t have any interest in stealing from you.” Illya said gently, halting her approach, “... I know what it’s like, somewhat, searching for something.”

“Then…”

“Would you like some help?” Illya said, blinking as the words passed from her lips. After so long hunting for ‘family’, she’d gotten it almost by accident, and now she was floundering. This little one… she didn’t know why the little ice-type wanted to evolve, but to drive her like this… well, Illya knew she would have wanted help. “I mean, I think it would be easier for me to crack open the vein for you.”

The Snorunt shuddered, before looking over at Matilda, who sat with her tail wagging. “...only if you put her away.” At Matilda’s start, she shook her head. “I will watch your back, but I don’t want her interfering.”

“... Ah, you speak of my species’ supposed ability with Aura. If you desire, I will watch from afar, then, Snorunt.” Pausing, the Sylveon shot the other Pokemon a dark look, “Should you harm her, you will die painfully.”

“More like I just don’t want you attacking me if we find a stone.” Snorunt shook. “Hum–” she suddenly stopped shaking, then shot Illya a look. “Wait, you understand me?”

“She does, yes. Her brother understands us even better, though that is because he cheats.” Matilda snickered, her fae amusement clear to any who could hear. “Go, my queen. I shall watch.”

Illya pulled out her pick as Matilda loped off to a safe distance. “Okay, I’ll cut open the rest of the vein. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Illya nodded, and began to swing. The weakened vein cracked, crunched, then shattered under her last swing, a small shower of precious treasures scattering over the ground… including one evolution stone, which hit the ground and bounced to land at the Snorunt’s feet.

A dark purple, almost black stone.

Snorunt fell to her rear with a dispirited thump, small tears of liquid forming on her cheeks and freezing to drop to the ground. “Articuno dammit, why…”

“... You’ll get what you need eventually.” Illya said after a moment, sighing. “Especially considering the deities of this world seem to actually care.”

“...but I’ll get too strong for it to matter.” She replied dully. “I’m getting closer every day… Soon there’ll be no choice.”

“Such is false, Snowrunt.” Matilda interjected from afar, “Or did your parents never teach you how to release the excess energy of evolution?”

“They did. But if you’re in battle when it comes…” Snorunt shivered. “It’s tricky.”

“... Yes, I could understand why you would be concerned, and rightly so.” Matilda admitted, sighing, “Illya, make the offer. I know you are going to.”

“Yeah.” Illya crouched, putting herself on the level with the small Pokemon. “You know, you might be able to cover a lot more ground with a partner or two. And, if we sold or traded this Dusk Stone, we could probably get a Dawn Stone in trade, if we worked together.”

Snorunt paused. “...I… this is not something I’d ever considered. It doesn’t come up much, this far from the trails.” She tilted her head. “Sylveon. I ask thee once, thrice, and three times; can I trust an oath made to this human?”

Matilda stiffened, “... In this case, yes.” She paused, then suddenly let her face morph into a massive grin. “However, there is an easy way to secure said oaths without issue.”

Illya stiffened as Snorunt asked. “And?”

“If you tell her brother of her oaths, he will hold her to them, so long as you do not turn on my Queen.” At Illya’s scowl, Matilda gave a churring laugh. “You know it’s true.”

“At least you didn’t suggest a geas.” Illya grumbled, smiling to let her starter know that she wasn’t actually upset, “You still didn’t need to tell her that I value Shirou that much.”

“...I suppose that’s the best I’ll get. One condition.” As the two turned back to her, she hissed. “I’ve heard of an ‘everstone’. Not something I’ve found. Get me one; if I’m going to be fighting for you, I want insurance.”

“Who said anything about fighting.” Illya grinned, snickering at the Snowrunt’s baffled expression. “I’m not even leaving for my journey for at least a couple more weeks anyway, and being a faller means I have a lot to learn, and I don’t really need another Pokemon besides Matilda yet.” Pausing, Illya considered something, “No offense.”

“Wrong. My Queen, we cannot turn down another fighter.” Matilda scolded. “Earlier today, we really could have used backup, for example.”

“... Right.” Illya sighed, her face falling, “I have an Everstone back home that I haven’t managed to sell yet. It’s yours until we can complete the trade for a Dawn Stone. Those things are honestly pretty cheap regardless since only two species use them in Sinnoh.”

“Thank you.” Snorunt murmured. “So, is this the part where you pull out a Pokeball, or something? I do not know how this works.”

“I don’t have any of those. Not on me.” Illya admitted. “I suppose we’ll have the walk home to talk, then.”

“...that would be nice.”

As the small group began to trot back the way Illya had come, Matilda frowned. “I recall that there are always other ways to evolve without the use of the Stones; places of power or life experiences. Could you not seek one of those out?”

“Unless you know of a recently murdered woman left to die in a snowdrift, or can expose me to enough raw despair that is only broken by the first rays of dawn’s light… no.” Snorunt’s reply was freeze-dry. “I doubt it.”

“... Aren’t there other methods to find the specific evolution energy you need? Literal places of power? Fixed ones?”

“Not for Dawn Stones. The process to create a Froslass requires revelations, not a mere expression of energy. Elemental properties, ethereal darkness? Sure. But to create a Froslass, or by extension, a Gallade, requires something… more. At the right time, and the right place.”

Illya nodded. “I guess you really want to be a Froslass, then, if you did so much research about it. They are powerful, I guess.”

“Yes. But I really just don’t want to lose my hands.”

“Ah, potential body dysphoria.” Matilda winced. “Yes, I can see why that would be a problem.” At Illya’s confused look, Matilda grinned sheepishly. “Sylveon are considered a patron-slash-mascot of transgender individuals by the humans; both of our colorings align exactly with two of their flags, and male Eevee are more common in human society than female ones. I; like Snorunt, did research on each evolution I had access to before I chose.”

“Really? Is that why you were so determined to master Baby-doll Eyes?” Illya asked. “Were you supporting Ritsuka, or…”

“Ritsuka is just bullshit, and I’m half convinced Arceus specifically blessed my sister-yet-brother with that ability specifically to fuck with me.” Matilda growled, eyes flashing in mild annoyance, “That or they’re some gender changing mage’s reincarnation.”

“...so, you chose to be a Sylveon, for another reason.” Illya ventured. “I suppose I never thought to ask why.”

“In part my own desires, in part because Sylveon are widely acknowledged to be the so called ‘best’ of the Eevee evolutionary web.”

“I thought that was… well. The internet claims every evolution except Flareon is the best. And even they have some proponents.” She pursed her lips.

“That discussion can wait till later, or even better forever. I am content and happy with my choice, my Queen. And being a fairy suits me, regardless.”

“I can tell that.” Illya smiled, before turning back to her new partner. “So, as you can see, my relation to Matilda is one part master-servant, one part partnership, and one part family. Besides evolving, what do you want out of this?”

“Once I evolve, getting stronger would be nice…” Snorunt tilted her head. “Also, food. And a wider movepool, if at all possible. There’s a lot of Pokemon out there that resist ice, but that’s basically all I have.”

“I can work with those conditions. Welcome to the team, Snorunt.” Illya hummed. “Speaking of which, names.”

“Ah, the rumored humorous nickname. Though I am uncertain what Matilda is meant to reference.”

“It means Battle-ready, actually.” The Sylveon fluffed her tail. “As I am and always shall be.”

“I actually named her with a human name in mind, and that was only because I found out that unless your name is Ritsuka, Pokemon names often fail to translate properly to human speech since they’re concepts.” Illya shot back dryly, “And I won’t give you one unless you want one. I’m happy to work with Snorunt if I must.”

“... Right, Ritsuka… Why does that Eevee exist specifically confuse me again?” Matilda muttered darkly, “I swear, if I didn’t love them…”

“Erm…”

“They’re my nestmate. It’s my contractual obligation as their sister to shit on them constantly.”

“Right, I didn’t want to have the incest talk today…” Illya groaned. “Ugh, why did Grandfather have to have that talk with me?” She shook her head. “Right, the Spanish Hapsburgs.”

“Ew! No! Gross!” Matilda spat, “My Queen, never imply that again!”

Snorunt chuckled as they continued to bicker. “Well, at least this won’t be boring.”

Chapter Text

…what happened to you is not your fault, and you are not ‘dirty’ or inferior due to what occurred, Gothitelle reiterated, one hand holding Sakura’s as the girl sat on the couch. At this point, I think you can recognize the difference between your own thoughts, that of your other self, and those pushed upon you by outsiders.

Sakura closed her eyes, nodding. I know. But it’s hard, especially after so long… She sniffed. I can still feel them, sometimes– the worms under my flesh… Her breath sped up as she relived the torment of her parasites, shuddering as her mind was pulled back towards darker times.

Gothitelle’s grip tightened. Focus on yourself. Feel your heartbeat, the pump of blood. Feel each part of you, as I taught; ground yourself in reality. The worms are gone, and you are alive. 

…sorry, Sakura responded as she calmed down, finding solace in her therapist’s grip and mind. On her lap, Ren purred, and she moved her free hand to rub between his ears.

There is nothing to apologize for, Gothitelle responded. Those who suffer often have the memory of such burned vividly, if inaccurately, into their minds. Reliving it again is not weakness, merely a fault of the mind, one which can be corrected.

Couldn’t you do it, then?

I can ‘fix’ a broken mind, yes. But your mind is merely wounded and scarred, not broken. And more importantly, those scars touch your soul as well, Gothitelle explained. Altering your mind to mismatch your soul would break you, and not in a way easy to fix. Thus, such alterations must be organic. Besides, your other would be destroyed if I were to begin removing memories; and I think she would object.

I would, yes, Alter Sakura interjected, before the Other faded back into the Prime. …I suppose that makes sense. Thank you for telling me.

With your power, I would not want you to try something on yourself.

Sakura paused. My power?

Ms. Juniper, have you not realized? You have yet to say a word this entire session.

“We… haven’t been talking. At all,” Sakura vocalized for the first time in the whole session, Huh, cool.

Indeed. You have significant psychic potential, Sakura, Gothitelle smiled. Perhaps this will be a reminder that you are not your sister’s inferior, hmm? She sat back, removing her hand from Sakura’s own. Speaking of her, we do need to discuss recent events, don’t we? Now, how did you feel when Rin was late coming home from her expedition?

I would have been more worried if she didn’t call to explain why she was late, Sakura started, breathing a deep, meditative breath, I had been worried the whole day that she would leave forever again, even though I knew it was irrational; Nee-san has been making a genuine effort to spend time with me and atone for her own perceived shortcomings as a sister, and she’s harsher on herself than I would ever be on her.

It’s good that you recognize that. Gothitelle paused. I did notice that you didn’t seem concerned for her safety, merely that she might leave. Why do you think that is?

Nee-san has always been a figure of strength for both me and my alter. For me, she’s the one that was good enough for father to keep. For my alter, she’s the impossible obstacle to overcome. 

She was, yeah. Then she sat down and had a talk with us, Alter Sakura interjected, before once more ceding control to the ‘prime’ Sakura, who shivered almost imperceptibly.

I would like to remind you that your sister is not perfect in any way, no more than you, I, or anyone is, Gothitelle reminded them. From her account, she did have a close call on her trip. When you learned that, how did you react? 

I was scared, Sakura replied instantly, Then a part of me wondered briefly what it would be like to watch her die, but I think that part of me was just a darker version of those idle thoughts all people have, like you’ve been teaching me. Ones we have but will never actually act on.

Nee-san dying would prevent her from atoning, so I was furious with the person that hurt her. I wanted to kill it, but I’m fully aware that is an overreaction, Alter added, before pausing visibly. I’m trying to be better, if only for Prime, you know. It’s not easy. You better appreciate it!

Gothitelle kept herself from shaking her head. Sakura’s mind was interesting, but having the two souls in one head made things difficult at times. Ignoring the waylaid thought for a moment, she continued. I’m glad you’ve developed self-awareness and emotional comprehension. To deal with your emotions, you must understand them, despite what some popular sci-fi movies would tell you.

I liked Vader. Awesome fashion sense.

Is there any other reason? Gotheille asked, sensing something more in the statement,

He redeemed himself for his family. He reminded me of a Nee-san that could have been and myself .

Sakura shook her head as her Alter sat back. But he went too far. We need to learn before we get to that point, not over-commit to our emotions. She bit her lip. Also, he was willfully blind. We can’t afford that.

I don’t know enough of Skywalker’s character to debate that point. But I want to, Alter replied psionically, Huh, is this what it feels like to really like a certain fictional character?

We often emphasize with characters we see ourselves in. I often see myself in a similar position to Obi-wan, Gothitelle admitted. While I cannot say for certain what a ‘real’ Skywalker went through, I think on the whole you have a good grip on his portrayal. He rejected his feelings until they overwhelmed him, despite many chances to come to grips with it, at the advice of a father figure. Gothitelle tilted her head slightly. The similarities are there, that is true.

Sakura nodded, prompting the Pokemon to sit back on her stool. Now, we’ve made some progress today, but for us to keep it up, you will need to keep up with your homework. Practice your self-reflection each evening, and try to meditate once a day if possible. She levitated a slim book out from behind her potted plants. In addition, this is a guide I’ve found very useful for beginner human psychics. I cannot teach you how to hone your powers, but this should teach the basics.

Sakura coughed as she read the title. “Ten Easy Ways to Practice Psionic Pranking?” She mumbled aloud, Ren blinking awake from his nap as his human spoke. Is this a joke?

No, it truly has actually useful control exercises. It is simply directed towards children your age; and they tend to be far less mature than you two are, Sakura.

You may overestimate us. I wonder if I can give her a wedgie from across the room?  

Alter no!

Alter yes!

Gothitelle’s face quirked into a tiny smile. Anyway, we are done here for the day. She looked outside, and as Sakura followed her gaze, the human was startled to see the gray sky streaked with orange and pink. Will you be getting picked up soon, or are you going to walk home? It has gotten a little late.

“We will be fine, I think,” Sakura replied aloud, even as Ren hopped off his perch and stretched on the floor. “Thank you.”

This is my job, but it is rewarding in its own way, The psychic type psychologist acknowledged. Be safe, and I will see you next week.

See you next week, Doctor. Sakura replied, pushing the door open gently so as to not disturb the others in the clinic. As the young girl walked through the clinic towards the exit, Sakura briefly pondered if she’d need to stop by the local market for ingredients since Juniper-Mom was home while her wife was not.

As she walked into the streets of Accumula town, Sakura frowned as she watched the markets close up for the evening. “...I suppose it has gotten pretty late.” She murmured, before turning and heading towards Route One, Ren loping at her side. Looking down, she smiled at her partner. “What do you think, Ren? I suppose we’ll have enough ingredients for tonight at home…”

“Vuh!”

Sakura nodded as she passed outside city limits, heading down the path as the sun slipped below the horizon. Frowning slightly, Sakura blinked before the path lit up in her vision, her Alter doing something which let her see in the shadows of the low light. Thanks.

Can’t have you dying on me, Prime. Her alter-ego demurred, Besides, I’m just sharing what I can see.

Nodding, Sakura continued down the path, watching the woods as a group of Deerling cantered through the underbrush on either side. As she crested a hill, she stopped. A single figure in a long coat stood near a small campfire, just off the path, watching her on her approach. As she slowed to a stop, the man sent out a large, bulky pokemon. “Gliscor, put the fire out, please.”

“Ah, hello?” Sakura ventured, even as the fire was put out by a blast of mud. “Were you waiting for me?”

“Yes, I was.” The figure’s voice filled the air, causing Ren to rock back a step. The man stepped forward, pulling and lighting a signal lantern from beneath his cloak in one motion. With the added closeness and the light, Sakura could see the orange stripes and large buttons on the man’s overcoat, and the curious pink sash worn over the suit beneath. The man’s sharp gaze and sharper sideburns framed a dour mouth and a prominent nose. “I am Ingo, and I have been asked to speak with you. I did not expect to find you on this route, but I am not opposed.”

“Is it because I am a faller?” Sakura asked, running through the reasons someone would want to speak to her and finding none besides that which were not negative.

“Indeed. My clan–” He coughed. “We have experience with fallers. They have the potential to do much good, or much harm.” He tilted his head slightly. “But you are not the only Fallers to have come through in the last weeks. Another train delivered two much alike to you and your sister, on the same schedule, no less.” He set his lantern down. “The Pearl clan has observed them, and they do no harm. But I am the only one here in Unova, so such track assessments passed to me.”

“Two others?” Sakura asked curiously, “May I have their surnames, if not their given ones?” Her sister would appreciate this information regardless, if Ingo was willing to give it.

“Ah, I would be happy to share information once the assessment is complete.” Ingo nodded. “I am not good at people. Not directly. And I do not do stealth well, so sneaky observation is out.” He withdrew a Pokeball from his coat. “I am many things. I am Ingo. I am a Warden. I am a brother, and a Subway Boss. But I am also a trainer, and thus I shall find your heart in the way I know best.”

“... I accept!” Sakura chirped, her eyes alight with glee.

“Well spoken!” Ingo roared back. “Luggage secure, safety checks complete! All aboard!” He spoke, Pokeball flying outward and snapping open, releasing a small green pokemon with a pungent scent.

“Trubbish!” It squeaked, setting itself opposite Sakura.

“Ren, I’m counting on you!” Sakura cried in reply, the Eevee climbing down from Sakura’s head onto her shoulder, then leaping off her arm onto the battlefield as Sakura swung it forth. Ren landed, then immediately cried out in challenge.

“Trubbish, Acid Spray!” Ingo called, leading the little garbage bag to puff its cheeks, before releasing a noxious blast of purple goo towards Ren. The little Eevee dodged, sweeping to the side and replying with a hail of stars which slammed into his opponent.

“Hmm. You trust your partner enough to fight on his own?” Ingo ventured.

“Ren-kun knows what to do. I interject when I feel the need.” Sakura nodded in reply, “We are a team, and we shall act like it!”

Ren, as if acting in tandem with his trainer closed in rapidly, his tail gleaming with the dull silver of steel as he did so. With a bark, he closed the distance and slammed the Trubbish with the Iron Tail, sending the little pokemon tumbling before it rightended.

Ingo smiled. “I see! Trust between partners is essential as we ride the rails!” He took a pose, finger outstretched as his cap slid down slightly. “Trubbish, you have free control! Put up some track hazards!”

Trubbish nodded, before burping, a hail of tiny, purple caltrops arcing from him to cover the battlefield with spikes. Ren was forced to dance to avoid the attack, then flattened his ears as he eyed the field. “Vuh…”

“Careful of the toxic spikes, Ren,” Sakura murmured, thinking hard. “Actually, chase your tail! Get some spin going!”

“E-vuh!” Ren agreed, spinning in a circle until he began to rotate rapidly, spinning across the field and scattering the hazards. Trubbish responded with a counter-tackle, but the force of the rotation and collision left a safe space between the two Pokemon.

“Well done setting up a makeshift Rapid Spin! This is a fine battle. But it’s not over yet! Trubbish, scattershot!” Ren’s opponent opened his mouth, rocky debris filling it before releasing a wide spray of Rock Blast fragments, peppering Ren with sharpened shards four times before the move ended. The Eevee grimaced, content to simply taking the shots until,

“Defend with Iron Tail!”

Sakura’s order snapped him out of the instinctive reaction to simply take the hits, and the Eevee leaned back onto his training to shield himself with his hardened tail. As soon as the barrage ended, an in anticipation of his trainer’s order, Ren blitzed forth with Quick Attack, striking Trubbish with the move and using the opportunity by his opponent’s almost insignificant flinch to flip himself around, planting his four paws onto the Pokemon as,

“Follow up!” Sakura barked sharply, and Ren slammed a dual double kick into the trash-bag Pokemon and sent him flying, gracefully landing back on the ground, tail alight with steel once more, his ears flat against the back of his head in challenge.

Ingo nodded. “Very good! Full steam ahead, and no hesitation.” He looked at his Trubbish, which had slumped over in defeat. “I seem to have underestimated the strength of your partner. Trubbish did well, but this was not a good match.” He held up a ball, and Trubbish vanished in a pulse of red light. “While my true team is still out of your reach, I do have another teammate which may be only a little above your level. Are you out of steam, or do you think you can make the next station?”

“Ren?” Sakura asked, wiping the gathering sweat around her eyes as she asked her starter his opinion,

“Vui.” The Eevee declared gruffly, flicking his ear in acknowledgement, “Evui.”

“We’re good to continue,” Sakura interpreted, her manic delight at the battles showing itself upon her face.

“Safety check confirmed! Klang, continue the battle!” The next Pokeball released a pair of interlocked gears hovering in midair. “Second gear! Prepare for a hard battle! This is no ordinary opponent!”

The steel-type beeped, gears grinding as it buffed itself. “Kl-kl-ang!” As it finished the move, it whirled forward, sparks covering its form as it attempted to bash Ren into the ground.

“Evade with Dig, second pattern!” Sakura called immediately in response, Ren once again giving a small flick of his ears in acknowledgement as he dived into the ground, sparks of electricity striking him before he managed to completely get away. Sakura tapped her foot twice as her starter continued to do as she ordered, more to let herself know the timing of their prepared plan before calling; “Iron Kick!”

Ren burst from the ground a few feet away from Klang, blitzed the Pokemon without the assistance of Quick Attack and slammed his already silver tail into the Gear-Pokemon, attempting to replicate his earlier strike against Trubbish by diving off the larger Pokemon with a fighting type infused kick. The large gears spun with the impact, but Rin’s hit was countered as the Klang struck him with a channeled beam of sparks.

“Well done with the evasion, but Klang is a little tougher than that! Discharge!” Ingo countered, electricity crackling off the evolved steel type and sweeping over and through Ren before he could evade. The little normal-type was thrown, sparks crackling off him as he pulled himself to his feet. “Now, gear change! First gear!” The Klang closed on Ren, metal teeth whirring as they attempted to catch and grind him down.

“Jam it with Iron Tail!” Sakura called, putting her hopes on Ren’s already abnormally high durability. Ren’s tail caught the move, causing the Klang to shudder in dismay at the counter, before backing off, even as Ren winced from the impact.

“You know your Pokemon well, I see! Normally, attempting to counter a natural type user with a move like that would fail, but you two made it work.” Ingo nodded resolutely. “However, this will be it, I believe. Shift up, then prepare for the crash!”

Klang whirred with a set of beeps, the pokemon spinning faster and faster in place before rocketing upward, an orange glow surrounding it. “KLANG!” It roared, coming down in a sped-up Giga Impact. Ren, stunned by the speed, barely managed to get out of the direct hit, instead being sent tumbling by the graze.

“Ren! Are you alright?” Sakura cried into the dust, even as the Klang wobbled in place, unsteady from the vigorous move and the impact with the ground.

“Um-bre!” In response to her worry, a black shape hurled itself out of the dust, colliding with the Klang in another Double Kick. As it reeled, Ren landed, tail lashing. “Umbreon!” He barked, rings glowing on his body, before a blast of dark energy ripped from his throat and struck his opponent, shadows seeping in from the hit.

“It’s not often that a train gets an upgrade mid-journey,” Ingo barked, looking suitably impressed at Ren’s resolve, “That your partner is willing to evolve for you speaks well of your conducting! But the journey isn’t over yet!” He took a pose. “Evolution grants a power boost, but requires a new hand at the helm. Can you adapt?”

“Ren, keep up with Snarl!” Sakura ordered in lieu of reply, eyes tracking her partner, “Try and whittle Klang down!”

The Klang spun, shaking off the dark with ease, but shuddering as it’s power levels dropped with each subsequent hit. It rapidly closed, but Ren danced to one side, avoiding the clumsy strike with a quick attack, pivoting to keep his gaze focused on his opponent. Ren’s third shot connected, but the fourth spoiled off a quickly erected Protect, Klang turtling to keep up its strength.

Ingo’s frown quirked slightly. “Cornered, a bit. No healing, and I do not think I should use another teammate on this track.” He dipped his hat. “So, we go all out. Klang, Brake Break, then prepare for a final crash!”

The Klang spun it’s gears quickly accelerating to max its speed and attack power, hitting it’s climax just before its barrier failed. Whirling out of the line of fire, it sparked ominously as it flew, gathering inertia before coming around for one last attack run. “KLAN-KLAN-KLANG!”

“Dodge it, Ren!” Sakura cried, only for the newly evolved Pokemon to stumble at the last moment, the last dregs of his evolution charged energy leaving him at the exact wrong moment, the Steel Type throwing the Umbreon clear through the air. And as he landed, Klang landed upon him, both Pokemon bouncning to lay upon the dark earth.

Sakura watched, eyes going shut as her opponent’s pokemon wobbled into the air, Ren twitching, but unable to rise. Ingo touched the brim of his cap. “Very close, young lady; very close.”

“We lost.” Sakura muttered.

“Two on one, against a Battle Facility head.” Ingo countered, walking up and recalling his Klang with a quick gesture. “No shame in that. A little more practice, and I would be congratulating you… and likely handing you a Facility symbol.” He paused, then fished in his coat. “As a matter of fact, I think you’ve earned this regardless.”

Sakura recalled Ren, looking over as Ingo pulled out a foil packet from his coat. “Not often that I find the need to issue one of these outside my job, but being prepared is a mark of a good conductor.” He held out the packet, the glint of steel visible within. “As is checking and providing tickets.”

Sakura reached over, looking at the steel train pass card within. “Good for six months?”

“Emmet and I run the battle subway, but we are also the managers of Unova’s core train network.” Ingo explained. “He and I prefer to give out practical gifts to inspiring trainers, rather than useless medals.” He shrugged. “A gold ticket is lifelong, but you’ll need to give us a proper fight to win one of those.”

Sakura and her alter grinned at that. “ W e’d l ov e to, o n c e we bel ieve we a r e clo s e r to your le vel, Subway Master Ingo.”

Ingo blinked. “Ah… do you have an extra passenger in your car?” His brow furrowed. “Regular exorcisms are a necessity for proper maintenance.”

“Alter and I have an agreement,” Sakura chirped happily, her smile growing. “She gets to drive during training and some of our official battles, and she’s happy to let me be the one in primary control.”

“Not possession, then.” Ingo gave an imperceptible shudder. “All-points bulletin, when a ghost does that. Never a good thing.”

Sakura nodded, only to pause as her X-tranciever began to beep. Sakura looked at the device, then froze when she saw the time. “Oh shit, Rin.” She accepted the call. “Ah, Onee-san.”

“Sakura, are you okay? You didn’t call for a pickup, and your device placed you as being in the middle of the woods!” Pausing, the elder sister took a breath, “Do I need to cave someone’s skull in, or have you already taken care of them?”

“Ah….”

Ingo nodded. “Big sisters appear to be similar to big brothers.” He waved a hand behind Sakura. “I am Ingo! I encountered your sister on the path, and challenged her to a battle. She is fine, but her journey has been delayed.”

“Would you like me to send Agate to escort you home, Sakura?” Rin asked, pausing, “If you need her, at least.”

“I will escort her. I have need to speak to you, as well.” Ingo nodded. “We are halfway between stations, but I can put us on a faster track. We should be there soon.”

“Thank you for escorting my sister home, Subway Master Ingo. I will expect you soon; Sakura, did you want me to heat up any leftovers or dinner for you?” Rin added, a note of finality in her voice, “It was hamburgers tonight.”

“That would be lovely, thank you.” She paused. “Ingo, would you…”

“Garbodor plate, please,” He responded. “Hamburger patties are perfect for such a thing.”

“Right,” Rin sighed.

“And that’s the itinerary,” Ingo finished, even as he forked the last of his macaroni into his mouth. “After Emiya and Einzenbern arrived in Sinnoh, my friend contacted me to see if I’d heard anything. Your arrival - and the circumstances - made the rounds, and so she asked me to contact you two.” He looked both the sisters over. “Miss Sakura passes with flying colors, and I can see you’re coupled close. No need for any more safety checks, beyond the norm.”

“Makes sense that the people most affected by fallers in the past have historically checked up upon them,” Rin mused, blinking at Sakura’s ever present smile, “You know Emiya-san, right, Sakura?”

Sakura blushed, causing Rin to blink rapidly. “...yes. How do you know?”

“I wasn’t going to just ignore you!” Rin stammered, her sister well used to her tsundere tendencies by now. “I…” She swallowed. “...messed up. But I still cared. And I watched you when I could.” She drooped. “Not closely enough, though.”

“You tried, nee-san. And that’s more than I thought you did,” Sakura allowed, a small smile crossing her face, “I’ve already forgiven you, you know that.”

“That doesn’t stop me from feeling like an absolute idiot.” Rin deadpanned, a look of true consternation crossing her face, “I wonder how many other things I missed in my self-assured confidence…”

Two coughs sounded as one, Ingo and Ivy each preparing to interject. Ingo nodded, tipping his cap, letting the woman lead. “Rin, you’re being entirely too hard on yourself. You are eleven  years old, and despite being an intelligent and capable little girl, you are not responsible for caring for everyone else.”

Ingo nodded. “A junior conductor is not responsible for the full running of the train, only the tasks set to him.”

Rin’s face darkened. “I’m Fuyuki’s second owner. It’s my job to be on top of things!”

“Didn’t you say you’re the regent, and the one who held the purse strings and communication with the larger magical association, was useless?” Ivy responded, eyes narrowed.

Sakura gulped. “Grandfather told us once that the priest would never move against us, since he didn’t have a heart to care about anything.”

“... Honestly, that… makes sense, knowing the fake priest,” Rin sighed, tiredly waving her hand, “Anyway, something else to talk about now?”

“...we will revisit this later,” Ivy warned. “But for now, sure.” She turned, clapping her hands. “Sakura, I see Ren evolved! Congratulations!”

Sakura nodded, her smile returning. “Yes! He’s an Umbreon now. Is he going to be alright?”

“Aurea thought so. She should be finishing up her inspection soon, and we’ll know for certain.” Ivy responded with a smile, just as the door opened and a black shape bounded to place himself on Skaura’s lap. Behind the newly evolved eeveelution, Aurea Juniper stepped in, carrying a steaming tea mug and a clipboard.

“Everything seems good, Sakura. Ren will be fine.”

“E-on!” 

“I’m glad. I know you’ll continue pushing yourself for me Ren, so I won’t bother chiding you for doing that,” Sakura answered, relief coloring her voice, “... But don’t scare me like that again.”

Ingo shook his head. “Taking the tracks will always be a rough business. A clean train is one underused; best for you to be ready and accepting of little dents.” He called out.

Juniper nodded. “Pokemon can take a lot of punishment, and since development of the artificial healing machines seventy years ago, deaths due to Pokemon battling are very, very rare. So long as you’re in official battles and you withdraw a Pokemon when they start taking actual physical damage, you’ll be fine.”

Sakura nodded, “I knew that. I was worried because I thought I heard something snap internally.”

“Well, yes. Something did.” Ren wilted as Aurea turned a glare on him. “Evolution grants a serious energy high, but doesn’t actually heal wounds or reinvigorate a Pokemon’s natural armor. Him fighting on after his ‘health pool’ was depleted led to him breaking a rib.”

“... I see.” Sakura turned her gaze on the wilting Eeveelution, “No sweets for a week.”

“... Eon…”

“Yes, well, that was before I realized you actually broke a rib,” Sakura retorted.

As they continued talking, Ingo paused as his own communicator began to flash. “One moment please.” He stopped and tapped his wrist. “Emmet, I am still here.”

“Good! I needed to check. Next check-in will be in three hours, unless you are home by then.”

“Alakazam will bring me home shortly, Emmet. Teleportation is very efficient.”

“Good!”

The call ended, and Ingo tucked his device back into his sleeve. “Frequent check-ins are necessary when there have been missing passengers on a ride.” He absently explained.

“Missing passengers?” Rin ventured, not quite getting the situation.

“Sometimes, people fall in reverse.” He shrugged. “I was uncoupled from my brother for two years of his time, and ten of mine. Neither of us were meant to be a single-car train.”

“Ah, the incident that sent you to the Hisuian Crisis,” Juniper stated, drawing the attention of the two sisters, “How is Lady Akari by the way?”

“...she has gotten much more detached from her old cars. A distant track.” Ingo sighed. “My return did her some good, as have some of the other immortals and the Legendaries slowly coming out of hiding.”

Rin’s eyes gleamed. “Legendaries?” Behind her, LIbra floated into view, the little ghost-type taking rapid notes as she smiled at their guest.

“Conductor zone only! Stay back behind the yellow line!” Ingo retorted. “Very dangerous, do not approach without a good reason!” He waved one hand. “Ask me other questions, but that information is not available to passengers.”

Rin nodded slowly, “Fair enough. I actually was more curious on their lore and attitudes more than anything. I have no desire to actually piss off one of the local deities.”

Aurea clapped her hands. “I actually have the most recent reports on the local legendaries available. I’ll need to check them for classified info, but I can hand off the redacted files in a couple days, Rin.”

“Thank you!” Rin grinned, nodding at Sakura, “go ahead with your question now.”

“Ah, thank you nee-san,” The girl demurred, “Akari?”

“...a faller. From time, not space.” Ingo looked down. “I was derailed before her, but the trip cost me my memories. When she completed her journey, saved the world, she gave me her ticket, rather than hold onto it for her own use.” He sighed. “She stayed in the past, and I came home. When we met again, she’d taken the long track to meet my station.”

“Immortality?” Rin asked sharply, receiving a sad nod from Ingo, “Ah. The true kind. She must be lonely.”

“She has her partners, but only a few.” He acknowledged. “Regardless.” He finished his garbodor plate, before looking back at the girls. “More questions?”

“Can you tell us more about being Pokemon trainers, Conductor?” Sakura answered, curiosity glimmering in her eyes, “The unwritten stuff, if you will.”

“Hmm. First rule!” He chanted. “Unless you are very close to home, keep two Pokemon with you at all times, and only make or accept battles which leave you with an active member.” He paused. “Also, the old station rules are not in effect! Locking eyes with another battler does not guarantee a battle. All forfeits or prizes must be declared before the battle begins, not after!” He yelled. “Too many violations, or young trainers getting their starters poached. Do not allow this!”

Aurea growled. “Happens every year, though not on the most recent routes. Jonas Henderson, the Striation Gym Leader, polices the local area pretty well, but past him there are always trainers looking for a quick buck or a new conscript for their team.”

“Despicable,” Rin spat, looking genuinely angry, “Hey Sakura, if one of them tries that with us, shall we teach them why you don’t fuck with magi?”

Sakura blinked, eyes shifting to red for a moment. “Oh, I don’t know. After all, if we win, we get to take from them what they wanted from us, correct? Retribution is fair game…”

Ivy winced. “Girls, please don’t go hunting aggressive trainers. You’re both plenty strong, but I’d rather not have to bail you two out for excessive force.” She paused. “Or justified force. Scare them off, sure, but I’ve seen what one of your Grandr shots can do.”

“Oh we won’t kill them, mom,” Rin replied sweetly, “Just give them nightmares that will haunt them for the rest of their lives~”

Ingo nodded once. “Good compromise!” As both the other adults in the room shot him incredulous looks, he shrugged. “I spent ten years fighting bandits, aggressive Pokemon, and the occasional Diamond clan extremist. Track defense can not be done with half-measures!” Pausing, he shuddered, “Akari no longer believes in leaving survivors after the incident at Mount Coronet.”

Rin nodded. Sakura spoke up. “Ah, do you have any suggestions for another Pokemon?”

Ingo blinked. “Well…”

Aurea coughed. “Sakura, we actually have a Pokemon for you and… well, we had plans for you and Rin, but then Rin went and caught Libra after nearly dying several times.” The regional professor shot her not-yet-adopted daughter and her litwick a look before turning back to Sakura. “You are both technically lab trainers, or will be. And that means a Lab Starter.”

“Oh, but won’t that take one from someone else?” Sakura asked.

“This one… she’s a little bit of a special case,” Ivy allowed. “...actually, should I go bring her in?”

“Sure?” Sakura blinked, before staring at the Snivy that had trotted into the lab, “... She’s very pretty.”

The little pokemon huffed, her leaves sleek. Aurea sighed. “...wrong thing to say, dear.” She motioned to the grass type. “Snivy’s first trainer wanted to go directly to the Contest circuit, but this little lady is a battler through and through. Snivy actually broke loose after a couple months and came back to the lab, but there’s not many trainers who’re willing to work with a Mon who left a trainer before.”

“... You can be pretty and strong at the same time,” Sakura harumphed. “And the contest circuit is useful to competitive battlers for learning creativity.” Snivy groused, huffing. Sakura eyed her, then softened as she felt the trepidation. “But I do intend to pursue the Gym challenge. You don’t need to worry about that. If you don’t want to do contests, I won’t force you.”

Snivy nodded once, crossing her arms. “Sniie.” Her gaze narrowed, and she shot a look at Ren. “Nii-vi.”

Ren leaped down from Sakura’s lap, padding to stand across from the smaller Pokemon as she continued to talk. Rin pulled out her tablet, glancing over the screen. “Snivy says that… well, she can tell Ren might be strong, but she wants reassurance. Also, no dieting. Apparently, that was the last straw with her last trainer.” Pausing, the older Tohsaka stared at the screen for a few moments, “... What kind of insane moron did you have for a trainer?” she continued incredulously, “Pokemon need more calories than the most athletic humans as a baseline , because of the sheer amount of food you guys need after battling seriously. What kind of absolute buffoon would try and put them on a diet ?!”

Aurea groaned, even as Snivy cheered in agreement. “...there are trainers out there with more money than sense. As a registered lab, we choose ten to twenty upcoming trainers to sponsor, but there are always ‘recommended’ trainers we have to take on. Some are good, some are bad, and some are riding off their parents’ money.”

Ingo grunted. “We receive challengers boarding with Pokemon not their own frequently! Without their bonds in order, they fail invariably!” He said sternly.

Snivy looked up, then pointed at Ingo. “Sni-vi!”

Rin looked at Sakura. “Ah, she wants to challenge Ingo. Right now.”

“... Sure. Are you up for another round, Subway Master?” Sakura asked, a familiar fire in her eyes.

“Absolutely not!” Ingo thundered. “You have only just met this passenger!” He shook his head. “Also, my currently capable team members are Gliscor, Alakazam, Chandelure, and Exadrill! You are not ready to fight them.” He stood, then knelt to get on the level of the little grass-type. “Go with your new trainer. She gave me an excellent fight earlier. And when you reach Nimbasa city, seek us out.” He stood. “Miss Sakura! I apologize for the abrupt track derailment earlier, though an inspection had to be made. However, I believe you may be suited to a personal project of mine. I will see you at the station in Nimbasa! Farewell!” The man shot off a sharp salute.

Sakura stood up, and shot one back. “See you, Ingo sir! Thank you for a great battle, and no harm done!”

The man nodded, touching the brim of his cap, then turning and striding out through the doors. The entire room watched him go. Rin blinked, then wiggled one finger in her ear. “He’s…. Very loud.”

Sakura smiled. “I like him. Do you think I can get one of those coats?”

“As long as you don’t start talking like him, why not,” Rin replied gently, shrugging. If it kept her sister happy, who cared what she wore.

Sakura beamed, a happy smile on her face. Beside her, Snivy looked at Ren, and shared a grin of her own with her new teammate.

Chapter Text

“...and I still don’t know why she wandered off up here again.” Shirou sighed as he leapt over a boulder. “She’s out of service range on a day where we’re supposed to be preparing for our trip!”

Yagi nodded, leaping after his training buddy. “Illya is being a little obtuse. While it’s good that she’s trying to keep her promise, Dawn stones are exceedingly rare.” 

Ritsuka landed beside her partners. “Hey, those three can take care of themselves! Besides, I’m pretty sure they’ll remember to come home soon enough.”

Shirou shook his head. “Like she remembered after the last trip out here? She was hours late getting back, and we don’t want her to miss our meeting.” He frowned. “Granny Carolina said it was an important visitor. We need to look our best.” He looked out over the crag-filled highlands they were exploring. “We just need to get in range of her communicator, and we can call her home.”

“Fair enough Shirou.” The currently female Eevee grunted in reply, resolve burning in her eyes, “So, mountain climbing time?”

“Yeah. Best to get started now. Thank goodness that I had the foresight to purchase that climbing gear for all of us.” Shirou stated, more to fill the air with conversation than anything else. Climbing in silence was disturbing.

As he began to pull out the gear, he paused, his nose going haywire with the scent of magic, shifting dust, and fire. “Wait, what–” He looked up, only to see a dome of prismatic light covering the entire region in which he stood. “Oh, that can’t be good.”

“Oh dear. A space-time breach!” Yagi barked, looking disturbed, “It seems that we will have to reset the ‘days since last space-time breach event’ calendar to 0. A pity, last I checked it was at 351.” 

“That’s a thing?” Ritsuka squeaked. “What– we’re in the middle of it! Why aren’t you more concerned?”

“Panicking would simply do more harm than good.” Yagi grunted, feelers flapping in a nonexistent breeze, “We will want to avoid any Pokemon. Those that appear in rifts are far stronger than normal, and are being actively driven to unfeeling rage by distorted space-time. The Pokeball’s effects protect us, but not them.”

Shirou nodded, reaching into his bag and withdrawing a long polearm, the practice naginata solid in his hands. “We’ll need to work our way to the edges, and get out there.” He closed his eyes. “We should head along the mountain steppe. No sense in trying to push uphill or risk our footwork going downhill.”

Ritsuka nodded, then paused, her nose twitching. “Oh no– incoming!”

All three looked up as the distortion closed over them, a sudden pulse of purple light coalescing into a massive, red-and-brown dragon. “TY-RAN-TRUM!” It roared in unintelligible rage.

“Run!” Shirou yelped, taking off with long strides, vaulting with his pole as his pokemon followed him.

“Shirou, I hate to be the one to tell you this,” Ritsuka snarked as she took a look at the Tyrantrum, “But we are not going to outrun a Tyrantrum even on a good day. We’ll have to make a stand at some point.” 

“We can’t fight it!” Shirou shot back. “I’m just waiting for–”

“DAC-TYLE!” Another pokemon, this one a massive spiky reptile-bird, slammed into the Tyrantrum, knocking the massive Pokemon for a spin. The two ancient fossils began to thrash against each other, teeth ripping and tearing.

“-that.” Shirou responded.

“Not enough. Mama’s busy, but the kids want a meal, it seems.” Yagi yipped as a trio of Tyrunts dashed up to circle them. “We’re going to need to fight.”

“Right, I’ll take the one on the right, you take the middle one, and Shirou dances with the smallest bugger till we can help him.” Ritsuka growled, tail turning to iron as she blitzed the Tyrunt she’d ‘called’ dibs on with agility enhanced speed, “Eat steel, rockface.”

“Runt!” It roared as it took the hit, before lashing out with a burning bite. The two pokemon began to dance even as the world around them continued to warp, long-extinct grasses and ferns covering the soil briefly before fading back again, leaving behind odd fruits and flowers.

Shirou slammed an aura0enhanced fist into one of the charging Tyrunt, before spinning and slashing its side with his weapon. The creature screamed, unused to the range advantage of a weapon, before opening its mouth and sending out a shotgun blast of rock fragments, which the trainer avoided with a yell. “Worry about yourselves, I can handle this one!”

“Understood!” Yagi barked, slamming a Force Palm into his opponent, sending her flying towards the Tyranatum, who was still busy dueling the flying type, “I have- persistent bugger, aren’t you.” He grunted, tanking the head-smash with an Endure before countering with a Reversal, slamming the Tyrunt harshly into the ground, “Stay. Down.”

The Tyrunt screeched as it fell, and Yagi sighed with relief, just before a pack of small yellow pokemon dashed forward. “Velo-zolt!” They crowed as they closed on the fallen Tyrunt, others leaping forward to aim crackling jaws at Yagi.

Shirou held back his instinctive reaction to help at any cost, instead swinging his naginata and sending the Tyrunt he was fighting flying towards the encroaching Velocivolts(?) smashing the poor kid against the leader, “Alright, fall back everyone!” He cried, noticing Ritsuka’s rather brutal takedown of the largest Tyrunt, the Eevee having come out of Dig, slammed the rock-type with a Double Kick, then sent him flying with an Iron Tail for good measure. Watching the Tyrunt collide with another Velocivolt, he revised his assessment of his first Pokemon a bit. She was… a bit violent about expressing it at times, but she clearly cared about him and his ideals.

As the three partners disengaged, more cires rose around them, prehistoric and ancient Pokemon materializing out of the distortions as the three broke into a sprint. A Cranidos charged from the thickets to be met with a counter from a Shieldon, while Pokemon more befitting the heights emerged from hiding, Mammoswine tussling with ancient Golem and Glalie. The group managed to enter a long gully and make good progress towards the edge of the distortion before their luck ran dry.

Yagi looked up to spot a trio of Archeops descending on them, jaws trailing frothing slime.  Frowning, the Riolu began to form an aura-sphere within his palms, grimacing as it began to destabilize rapidly. Carefully waiting for the right moment, Yagi threw the unstable sphere, whopping in satisfaction as it burst at just the right moment, sending the trio of primitive flying types into the ground.

“Nice anti-air Yagi!” Ritsuka called, her own shadow-ball following moments later and detonating right as it reached the center of the pile, sending the trio of Archeops tumbling in three different directions, “We gotta keep pushing though!”

Shirou nodded, eyeing the intensifying dimensional instability with some trepidation, wincing as something similar to lightning began slamming into the ground all around them, “The reports I read about recent dimensional tears said nothing about localized storms…” he frowned, face grim, “Something big might be coming.”

“Then we keep going!” Yagi barked, even as the three fliers tried to get airborne, only to be pounced upon by a pack of rat-like creatures.

As they took off running, Shirou couldn’t help but look back, swallowing as the storm took on an ugly red glow. A single bolt of crimson  lightning struck near the center of the distortion, and a massive cry rang above the crowd, the sheer pressure contained within in the roar forcing the trio to cover their ears, lest they lose their hearing.

“SAL-A-MENCE!” The creature roared, massive wings swiping aside all flying opponents as it gained altitude. It then breathed in, before letting loose a hail of purple-gold blasts from its maw, sweeping the exploding shots across the ground, one intercepting the most direct path to the exit. The massive creature howled again, swooping overhead as it breathed purple flames to send a pair of Tyrantrum packing.

Shirou swore, clambering out of the ditch. “Run!” He cried, even as Yagi and Ritsuka ran up the slope to join him, the eevee trailing purple sparks as she skirted too close to the blaze in the trench.

Unfortunately, this was the wrong decision, as the massive dragon turned its attention to the trio of fleeing prey. With a scream, the Salamence breathed out a Dragon Pulse, the burst of energy washing over the group as it connected with the ground nearby. Shirou was sent tumbling, knocked back and to the side; his weapon tossed from his hands as he was sent careening towards the edge, a fall which would separate him from his two partners.

The purple light behind him coalesced into a single point, before a winged figure erupted from it. Wings beat the air as a once-tiny form burrowed sharp, curved claws into Shriou’s shirt, dragging him up and away from the edge as it pulled him back, even as Yagi dashed after his partners. Shirou landed on his feet, and Ritsuka landed beside him, panting slightly as her new draconic tail twitched behind her.

“... You evolved.” Shirou gasped, awe coloring his voice as he shook off the temptation to admire his starter’s new form, “... How much do you think Illya and Dr. Carolina will freak out?”

“Not now Shirou!” Ritsuka chided immediately, bapping her trainer’s head with her tail, “I’m not confident I can carry you, so run! I’ll distract the Salamance until you’re all out of range; recall me when your safe!”

Without waiting for her trainer’s response, the genderfluid Eeveelution launched herself into the air, crying out a challenge to the Salamence, whose feathered wings and white crest marked it as some sort of throwback, spitting a stream of purple flames out from her maw as she repeatedly buzzed the larger Pokemon. 

The Salamence spun, thrashing briefly in mid-air in an attempt to catch the smaller Pokemon, before giving up on anything targeted. Instead, the massive creature beat its wings once, twice– before releasing a massive pulse of shadowy energy, a dense miasma sweeping the air around it and sending Ritsuka tumbling from the sky.

Shirou turned from his flight, Yagi beside him, about to go back and rescue his friend– and missing the arrival of a new human to the distortion zone.

A clear voice sounded as a Pokeball was thrown. “Aster, Dragon Rush.”

Even as Ritsuka looked up at what might have been her killer, an equally sized blue creature slammed into it, fin-blades glowing gold as they crashed their target into the ground. An absolutely massive Garchomp stood over her target, felled in a single strike. She turned, then blinked as she peered down at the fallen Eeveelution. “ Huh. That’s new.” She reached over, one claw hooking under a wing and helping Risuka to her feet. “Up you get. Boss lady has your friends in hand.”

“...boss lady?” Ritsuka turned, her eyes fixing on the very familiar form and black coat of Sinnoh’s current champion. “ Oh. Oh wow.”

“When grandma said I had siblings out of absolutely nowhere, I’ll admit I didn’t expect a pair of fallers.” The aforementioned champion stated, eyes assessing Ritsuka’s trainer briefly before she nodded, “She was worried when a space-time rift opened up on Coronet right at the location you were probably going to be at, so she sent me to help you out. I’m glad; that was a Salamence from the past, ‘Roaring Moon’. They tend to be rather violent when ripped out of their time.” She looked around, then sighed in regret. “Most of these would be the same, in fact. Too bad; there are some interesting specimens here.” She pointed over her shoulder. “Let’s go, and I’ll double back for some scavenging when you all are safe.”

Shirou nodded as Ritskua trotted back to his side, all three youngsters crossing the boundaries back into the real world. Shirou got three steps into the real world before a white blur collided with him, Illya wrapping her brother in a hug. After a moment, she thumped her head on his chest, right under his chin.

“... You scared me.” Illya grumbled breathlessly, resting her chin on his shoulders, “Don’t do it again, little brother…”

Yagi grunted. “Don’t ask for promises neither of us can keep… but we can promise we’ll come home, right?”

“Not good enough. I’m coming with you all from now on.” Illya retorted, frowning at the Riolu, “Not losing my new family without a fight.”

“I can agree to that.” Shirou replied softly. “Though, I was out here looking for you. Did we pass each other, or–”

Illya let him go, taking a step back. “We must have. I ran into… I guess big sister Cynthia on my way into town, and then we both found out you were still up here looking for me.” She shook her head. “Also, flying on a Togekiss is awesome. As soon as the dome went up, we landed, and she headed in after you.”

Further discussion was interrupted by a happy, near-mocking chitter from nearby, and both the Emiya siblings turned to see Matilda inspecting Ritsuka. “Hah, a brand new evolution, and I can still kick your tail, even better than before!” Her grin dropped. “And I am the only one who gets to do it, understood?”

“Of course, oh great and benevolent imouto. I shall endeavor to remember that in the future in case of suddenly Salamence in the future.” Ritsuka snarked back, a small smile flickering across her face before it was gone, “... Well, darn. Now I really have to make Iron-Tail my bitch.”

“It won’t save you. Nothing will, once you’ve recovered enough for me to remind you not to throw down out of your weight class.” Matilda responded, then frowned at the folded limbs on her currently-sister’s back. “Humph. I can’t deny I’m a tad jealous of the wings. Do they work?”

“Yeah. Mercy if I take you flying later?”

“Perhaps. We can make a deal about that later.” She turned, tail twitching. “Okay, we have done the requisite talking. Withdraw my sibling, please, and let’s go see the healers, hmm?”

“Once Cynthia comes back.”

“I’m back.” The selfsame person acknowledged, walking back out while Garchomp and Togekiss flanked her. “So, we’re heading back to Celestic? Pokemon center first, and then we can do the meet and greet we should be having now.” She smiled. “Oh, and… Shirou, right?” She held out the practice naginata. “You dropped this.”

Shirou accepted the naginata with a thankful bow, “I appreciate it, Cynthia-nee-san. It would have been a pain to replace, and my tutor would have killed me.”

Yagi shook his head. “Sensei would have been more upset at losing you, Shirou. Besides, you used it in self-defense and in that of others; if it broke, it would have done more than its duty.” He eyed the blood-touched edge with some interest. “I’m uncertain if practice weapons get names when first bled upon, but I’d say no. Might want to look into getting a live version made, if this is going to happen more often.”

One of the pokeballs on Cynthia’s belt flashed, and a Lucario emerged from the shell. “ Perhaps wait until he’s a little older before having a custom piece created?”

Cynthia sighed. “All Pokemon should return to their balls, please. Someone’s going to have to ride on Aster as it is, and it’s probably going to be me.”

“...and really, I just wanted to meet the kids Carolina took in and thought so highly of. Not to mention the first two Mystery Gift humans in the home regions in thirty years.” Cynthia explained, sipping her coffee. “And you’ve made things interesting, to be sure.”

Shirou nodded. “We don’t mean to, but this is a new world. And, well…”

Illya grinned. “We’re not going to be quiet when there’s so much interesting stuff to do!”

Cynthia chuckled. “That’s a good attitude!” Her smile dropped a bit. “So, I’ve already heard a lot about what you’ve been doing here, preparing for your journey. Is it going to be a walk-about, are you going to take the Challenge, contests…” She sighed. “So many options.”

“We’re going to be challenging the league,” Shirou declared firmly, drawing a look of surprise from Carolina and Illya, “I can’t help people if I don’t get strong,” He continued, eyes firm, “And the league is both the fastest and safest way to do so.” Pausing, he dipped his head towards Illya, “And it gets us the most money.”

Illya nodded. “I also want us to take the Warden’s journey; I’ve found a knack for wilderness scavenging, and would like to hone it and get my Wilderness Credentials.”

Cynthia nodded. “I have those credentials myself, though I don’t need them as Champion. I’d be happy to give you both any tips, for your journeys.” She paused. “Which gyms will you pursue? There’s one here in Celestic, plus the eight main, three or four side gyms, and the two clan gyms.”

“Illya and I owe it to Lady Akari to challenge the two clan gyms,” Shirou mused, nodding slowly. “We might attempt to gain more than the usual eight badges depending on how much time we have till the Conference.” He paused, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, “Ritsuka would also enjoy the extra fights, and so would Yagi.”

Cytnhia hummed. “Sounds wonderful.” She leaned forward. “Any questions for me?”

Illya nodded excitedly, “A lot! First; how did you go about teambuilding?”

“You need to find… well, friends. A lot of trainers look for strong Pokemon first, or ambitious ones. But that’s not the best route; a lot of Pokemon like that will leave after a period of your journey, which means a constantly shifting team composition. Look for Pokemon who want to join your story, and are willing to devote themselves to your dreams, or whose dreams you can help to fulfill.” She paused. “And from there… well, you either need a combat philosophy or a good set of strategems, and figure out how your team can best fulfill that.” She sighed. “Not every Pokemon, not even your oldest or most powerful, can work to every strategy. You may need to rotate team members, or even bench some teammates. It’s hard, so you need to communicate with every one of your partners, and makes sure they’re all communicating with each other.”

“... That makes sense!” Illya mumbled, placing her hand on her chin, her brows furrowed, “Pokemon are people too, so friends will likely always do better than some random person off the street, for the lack of a better term.”

Shirou raised one hand, prompting a chuckle and a wave from the Champion. “I’ve seen a lot of different arguments as to how best feed and water a team in the field. Any advice?”

“I would learn what works best for your team first.” Cynthia answered after a few moments, frowning, “Some trainers try and place their Pokemon on a insanely strict diet from the getgo, forgetting that they’re people. It works for some, the ones that want to excel and have the motivation to do it, but for others, it can sometimes shatter a growing bond because the trainer is overstepping their bounds; at least from the Pokemon’s perspective.”

As the kids nodded, she motioned to her belt. “My team does have some dietary guidelines, but none of us need to follow a regime. I’ve heard you’re a bit of a chef; one thing I can’t advise is letting you or your party eat as much as they wanted. Avoid overeating, and instead have more, smaller meals if your team needs more than two or three a day.” She eyed Yagi, who was taking notes. “...ah, also… as an aside, make certain all your Pokemon have rest days.”

Yagi nodded. “ Yes, that day I only do half my normal routine!”

“That’s not a rest day.” Cynthia scolded, frowning, “I assume you’ve already tried to talk to your Riolu about this, Shirou?”

“Yes, I have. Yagi is stubborn about it, and since it currently is not affecting his health I haven’t protested strongly. Ritsuka and I have an understanding, though.” The boy in question winced, rubbing the back of his head, “It’s not a solution, but it’s a temporary measure.”

Cynthia’s belt pulsed, another Lucario appearing in the room and looming over the Riolu. The large Lucario looked down at the little one. “ Rest, small warrior.”

“But–”

“Sleep, food, mental pursuits. We are not just made of meat and steel, but soul and mind. You need to train those as you heal your body.” He plucked Yagi from the ground. “To bed with you, and then a good meal. You are far too light.”

Shirou watched his fighting-type dragged off, and shook his head. “Probably for the best.”

Cynthia nodded. “It is.”

Illya spoke up. “Umm. Evolution.” She paused. “I mean, most professionals fully evolve their teams, and I’m trying to find a stone to evolve my Snorunt, but there are some ringers out there who are unevolved. What should I do on that front?”

“Fully evolved Pokemon are powerful, yes. And most pokemon tend to want to evolve. Those unique ones that choose to remain in a specific pre-evolution generally are either non competitive battlers or companions, with a rare group of competitive battlers maximizing their innate potential through sheer grit. If you’d like a good example of such a Pokemon, I’d recommend you watch the Indigo Conference from about a year ago.” She paused. “Also… Snorunt?” She reached into the black bag at her side. “I think I have a dawn stone at hand…”

Illya’s eyes shot open as Cynthia withdrew a sky-blue stone. “Wha– I can’t just– those are really expensive!”

Cynthia frowned. “Hmm. You don’t want it?”

“I mean, yes, but not for free!” Illya shot back.

“How about this? On your journey, keep an eye out for old relics or interesting sites.” Cynthia shot back. “And let me know if you two find anything. We’ll call it even if you find something interesting, or you can pay me back when you finish your journey.”

“... I still feel like you aren’t getting nearly enough out of it, but that sounds better than as a random gift.” Illya allowed, nodding, “Deal, nee-san.” She continued firmly, reaching out a hand; one that Cynthia shook with no small amount of amusement.

“It’s a deal.” As the stone changed hands, Carolina entered the room, her hands filled with a tea service, which she set in the middle of the group.

“Well, I see the whole family’s getting along. Thank you for bailing Shirou out, Cynthia.” She looked back at Shirou. “Well, you’ve landed us in a tiny bit of trouble, Shirou.”

Shirou tilted his head to the side in confusion, unknowing of how cute the very act was for only a moment before Illya glomped him,

“Ohmygodsocute!”

“Gerrof Illya!”

“It’s like a couple of Gible.” Cynthia chuckled. “Settle down, please.”

As they settled, Illya sighed. “Okay, but why is he in trouble?”

“I didn’t say he was in trouble, just that he brought it.” Carolina corrected. “Cynthia, what happens to brand new Pokemon or evolutions when they manifest, in the hands of non-professional trainers?”

“I’m guessing the research labs chomp at the bit to study them?” Illya guessed, a sheepish smile directed towards Cynthia who simply shrugged, Shirou nodding along with her, “I’m gonna additionally guess that they get rather pushy about it.”

“Yes. Now, that’s not a huge problem, since I can run interference. But they will want to know more about Shirou, confirm that he won’t exploit or run off with the new discovery.” She looked at Shirou. “And you’re a Mystery Gift. No records and minimal documentation.” She tapped the table. “Of course, the solution is also one I’ve already planned for.”

Carolina nodded, then withdrew something from her coat; a printed email. “Professor Rowan already wanted to meet you two; Cynthia asked him to provide you with a Pokedex. Now, he is extending a more comprehensive offer.”

Shirou’s eyebrows shot up as he skimmed the document, Illya’s rather… creative methods at making him understand contracts and legalize coming in handy now. “... This is… very generous.” By his side, his older sister nodded slowly, eyes the size of saucers. “That is a lot of zeroes.”

“A reminder that that’s per quarter, as a stipend. It will mean you won’t have to worry about feeding your team at all, so long as you itemize your purchases. That’s as extraneous medical care,” Cynthia explained, then pointed further down on the paper. “He does want to meet you before you start your battles proper, though. So you’ll need to catch the train to Sandgem town before you can go haring off into the wilderness if you accept.”

“Shirou…” Illya started, properly flipping through the contract, “This is… a very good deal.”

The boy in question nodded firmly, “I don’t mind at all, nee-san. This lets us pursue our goals with far more ease, and the money will be useful for more than just the stated stuff. Supplies, better camping and traveling gear, et cetera. We can justify it under research expenses; page 4, section A.”

“...already memorized that? Impressive trick. Part of your magic?” Cynthia asked, peering at the third sheet of paper.

“No, I’m just currently looking through and Illya nee-san doesn’t trust me with this stuff; rightfully so, quite yet, Cynthia-nee-san.” Shirou replied idly, scratching Ritsuka’s ears as the Eeveelution demanded pets by butting his head against the redhead’s legs. “Cuddly today, aren’t you Ritsuka?”

“No judging.” The Eeveelution purred, eyes closed in contentment.

“Of course,” Shirou snorted. “No judgment here.”

Cynthia paused as she noticed something, squinting. “...wasn’t Ritsuka… female, earlier?” She ventured peering at the Eeveelution…

Illya groaned, cradling her head in her left hand, and weakly pointing at the aforementioned, now smug Pokemon, “Ritsuka can change their sex at will. They’re genderfluid, and they do not know how they do it. I am assuming magic or genetic experiments at the moment.”

“...Rowan is going to be very excited.” Cynthia said. “And I think this year will be very interesting, all told.” She paused, then snapped her fingers. “I knew I was forgetting something!” She pointed at Shirou. “Shirou, do you know a Matou Sakura?”

Shirou blinked very slowly, “... vaguely, yes. She’s a friendly acquaintance. I assume she was deposited in this world as well?”

“Yes. Processor Rowan was contacted by one of his colleagues, who appears to have adopted Miss Sakura, along with her sister, Rin.” Cynthia remarked as she pulled out a tablet computer. “Ah… Tohsaka Rin. Apparently, Sakura was adopted out?” She frowned. “Regardless, she was hoping to reach out to you.”

“Otouto, you know the Tohsaka and Matou scions?” Illya asked, looking mildly surprised, before shaking her head, “No, that makes sense. You’re extremely good at hiding when you want to be, and Tohsaka-san wouldn’t have any reason to suspect you, I suppose. It would be good to talk, I think.”

Shirou smiled gratefully, “Thank you, nee-san.” Turning to Cynthia, he bowed. “I would love to talk to both of them. Please let them know that Illyasviel von Einzbern is present too.”

“I believe they already know.” Cynthia nodded, then grimaced. “And on to less… pleasant conversations… would I be right in suspecting that your father is Emiya Kirisugu?”

“... Is papa here too?” Illya whispered, eyes blank. Her younger brother immediately moved to her side and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

“Yes. Though we don’t know where he is right now.” Cynthia paused. “Ah, my friend from another region would like to thank him, and would also like to know how he came to have such… lethal and direct skills.”

“... He wanted world peace.” Illya said simply, her voice empty, “He unfortunately fell prey to the mentality of ‘one life for one hundred’ for a while, before he met our mother.” Her voice began to quake slightly, before firming again. “He was known as the magus killer, because when he chose a mark, none have ever gotten away alive.”

“An assassin, dreaming of peace. Well, he seems to be going back to his roots, then.” Cynthia shook her head. “It would explain what happened at the hospital.”

“...what did the old man do?” Shirou asked intently, both children listening as Cynthia gave the broad strokes of Kirisugu’s work.

Chapter Text

Kiritsugu Emiya looked up from his book as the door opened, the sounds of the hospital’s long-term ward filtering through the open portal before the tiny orderly pranced in. Kiri’s ‘personal apprentice healer’ skipped up the small stepstool by his bedside, a pair of wine-red eyes peering at him. “Good afternoon, Mr. Emiya. How are you feeling today?” The Kirlia asked.

“I am well, Amelie. The curse is gone, as you and Healer Blissey confirmed.” Kiritsugu replied pleasantly, relaxing as best he could in the hospital bed. “Though I suppose I am mildly bored. I finished the last book on my current list last night.”

“At some point, I will convince you to read fiction.” His chief minder huffed. “I know you want to learn more about this world, but there comes a time when you need to take a break. And that time has come and gone.” Looking around, her eyes narrowed. “...hold on. I smell… sweat. Have you been exercising again?”

Kiritsugu nodded, not at all ashamed. “Only lightly, as Healer Blissey ordered. I am wildly out of shape, and thus am attempting to return to the peak of my fitness as best as I am able. I will live longer if I am healthy, after all.”

“You already have two hours of supervised physical therapy per day, Kiri,” the little psychic admonished. “Now that we’ve purged that awful curse, there’s no rush for you to get back on your feet–” Her thoughts halted as the lights flickered. Kiri’s mild concern morphed into near-panic as Amelie bent over, clutching her head, mouth opening into a curdled “LEEE-”

“Amelie, what is wrong?” Kiri’s arms shot out, catching the Kirlia as she bent over in pain. “What–” He stopped dead as the entire building shook. He scrambled out of the bed as the lights went out, the room falling into darkness moments before emergency lamps lit in the corners. “Amelie,” Kiritsugu’s voice turned dangerous. “My belongings. Where are they.”

“...pain. So much– why are they–” Amelie’s voice was fragile and mournful. “Why here?”

Kiri grimaced, eyeing the door before moving to stand beside it. Cracking it open, he blessed his habit of getting dressed at the beginning of each day before picking up Amelie and moving into the mostly empty hallway, dodging around the few physicians who were pushing patients into their rooms. The one nurse who turned to address him stopped dead as Kiri’s stride and gait shifted.

One of the Machoke orderlies took one look at Kiri and advanced to him. “Choke-ma.” He grunted.

Amelie stirred in Kiri’s arms. “...downstairs. Your gear is in the basement.” She whispered. “But the invaders… they’re on the first floor.” Her eyes shot open. “Taking– no, no, no!”

Kiritsugu grimaced at the little Pokemon’s pained cries. “Sleep, Amelie. Sensing their suffering will do nothing but drive you insane. Block it, if you can.” With more deadly purpose, the magus killer turned to the Machaoke. “I need anything I can use as an improvised weapon. Whoever is attacking the hospital is likely doing so with a goal in mind, and will take hostages. I intend to educate them on why attacking a place of healing is a unforgivable sin.”

The Machoke grimaced, before heading towards one of the nearby cabinets, emerging with a wide bat. “Choke,” he said reluctantly, handing over the cricket bat.

As Kiri took the weapon, he felt a small hand touch his temple. “...you need a guide,” Amelie said, her mental voice steadying. “I… your mind is… laser sharp,” she said, and Kiri felt her connecting herself to him. “Stable, for all it’s rifts. I will lean on it.”

Kiri’s eyes widened. “Amelie–”

“I know you, Mr. Emiya… Magus Killer. What you’ve done is foul. But not evil, only cruelty in a cruel world. And right now, we need that.” Amelie’s eyes closed. “And you need a guide, and an interpreter. They’re coming up the stairs. Get there first,” she instructed. To his credit, Kiritsugu did hesitate. But then the old training kicked in and he nodded once, moving to an ambush position right where the door would open and waiting. He did not have to wait long, a pair of ridiculously dressed men saunting through the open door with all the confidence in the world.

None of that mattered in the face of a cricket bat, and both grunts were floored, both heavily concussed. Kiritsugu refused to pull his punches, not when they were wilfully committing terrorism. Stooping, Kiri grunted as he retrieved the firearms they carried, before having to dodge back as the two Pokeballs they carried erupted.

One ball spat out a small black hound, white skulls dotting its frame, while the other opened to reveal a small blue toad with orange markings. Kiri leveled his stolen pistol, bullets breaking the Houndor’s aura and sending it tumbling, while the Crogunk only had a moment to take in his surroundings before a pink aura flared around it and sent it tumbling to the ground unconscious.

“Thank you,” Kiri murmured.

“We’ll only keep the element of surprise so long,” Amelie sent back. “More are coming up the stairs– most trainers, most civilians aren’t used to guns.”

“Interesting,” Kiritsugu mused, unloading the magazine of the pistol rapidly to check how many rounds he had. Seven. Good. “Well, I suppose we’ll educate them then, Amelie.” The somewhat former assassin mused, moving into the stairwell with grace that spoke of a lifetime of practice, idly shooting one of the terrorists in the head as he descended down the staircase.

One of the other men, dressed in the same sharp red outfit, stumbled as he rounded the flight. “You– you killed him!” He yelled, scrabbling for a pokeball at his hip.

Kiri grimaced as he put a bullet in the man’s chest. “...not professionals. What were they expecting?” He asked softly, stepping on the Pokeball to keep it from opening as he headed further down.

“Most of the people here battle for fun, if they do at all. Some of the doctors and chiefs are strong Pokemon or have them, but not many. And those…”

“Yours is a more peaceful world. Lethal force would be uncommon, and thus he was surprised when I defaulted to it?” Kiritsugu guessed, receiving a nod from the Kirlia. “An understandable mindset.” He raised his gun as two more trainers burst into the stairwell, shooting down at them before they could react. “But… sometimes, restrictive.”

“You’re not a monster, Kirisugu.”

“No, I am not. A monster would delight in their deaths. I am saddened that they were necessary in the first place, but I will not extend unreasonable mercy to those who attack a place of healing.” Kiritsugu replied softly, “And unfortunately, I cannot spare them without great risk to myself and the others within this building. So die they will.”

“I’m not complaining. Just trying to keep you from slipping,” Amelie sighed. “This is going to set your therapy back so far. And your PT! The strain is going to be hell on your muscles!”

“Better me than any of you.”

“Maybe. But that’s up to us to decide,” Amelie shot back as they reached the ground floor. “Make a sweep of this level, or are we going to go after your gear downstairs?”

Kiritsugu paused, checking how many magazines and weapons he had managed to scavenge. Not that many. “We will clear this floor,” Kiritsugu declared tiredly. “They’d have heard the gunfire, and any hostages would be at risk.”

He slid to the door, opening it and slipping through in time to hear a loud voice speaking down the hallway, in the atrium. Kiri cursed as one red-clad man stopped dead upon seeing him, before spinning to run. Kiri blinked, slowing time enough to catch up, snapping the man’s neck in his rush. He grimaced as the rush of movement caught up with him, bones creaking.

Kiri shushed Amelie from speaking, moving along the corridor to home in on the booming voice. “...your resistance is futile, as you can hear. My companions are already securing the building,” the voice rolled out. “Now, the password, please.”

“...what do you even want with medical data?” Doctor Ferrier, one of the physicians who’d overseen Kiri’s testing, was tapping away at a portable computer, the device itself hooked up a cable splice in the floor. Looking around the room, Kiri saw a large portion of the hospital staff herded onto one wall, guns and pokemon trained on them while a smaller group was being bound. Ferrier was sweating as a tall man in red, black hair contrasting with his pale skin, stood over him, a bulky purple scorpion at his side.

“Not your concern, Doctor. Transfer all the data onto this device.” The tall man shook his head. “Creating a better world requires power, and knowledge serves that goal perfectly.”

“Amelie, can you move that pencil tin slightly, enough that it tips over?” Kiritsugu asked the little Kirlia as he assessed the state of the room. He could probably clear it. In Time Alter: Square Accel. This was going to hurt. A lot. A distraction to start things off would work wonderfully, especially since he had enough guns on him after shamelessly looting the grunts to execute every person in this room, including the grunts. Just enough. But it was enough.

“...they don’t have any psychic types, so they won’t sense me doing it. I can do it.”

Kirisugu nodded, moving into the room as the metal case began to fall. As it clattered to the ground, drawing the vast majority of the eyes in the room to the fallen object, Kiri raised his pistol, centering on the humans first. His eyes narrowed as he began to fire, hitting targets with center-of-mass shots one by one. As the shocked enemies, still disoriented from the noise, spun towards him, Kiri triggered his accel.

“Time Alter: Square Accel!”

With the incantation stated within his mind, the Emiya patriarch blurred before human eyes, rapidly pulling out a new pistol and tracking new targets, prioritizing those that were reacting fast enough. Fifteen bullets left the pistol that was oh so similar to the Glock Twelve from his homeland, twelve bullets found their home in the heads of the ridiculously dressed terrorists. The remainder, including the leader whose purple pokemon absorbed the shots, dove for cover or began to shower his position with attacks, even as two of their number who hadn’t been targeted fainted at the sight.

Kiri wheezed as he dropped out of the Accel, pain rocketing through his body. “Shit–” He mumbled before sighing in relief as Amelie hit him with a Heal Pulse. “Thank you.” He muttered, before the sounds of firing broke apart into yells and hastily barked words.

Kiri leaned back out into the room, eyes widening as he watched a Machamp orderly throw a black hellhound across the room. As Kiri watched, the remaining terrorists and their stunned and disorganized Pokemon were counter-attacked by the hospital staff and a trio of trainers, whose teams began to fight back now that the threat of guns was set aside.

“Mr. Emiya.” Kiri jolted as Doctor Gardevoir blinked to his side, a pink barrier cutting off some spare shots. “I believe we have this handled for now. But the basement seems to have more of these men, and our efforts will have alerted them to their failure.”

“I was making my way down there anyway.” The Magus Killer answered blandly, standing straight as he made his way back towards the stairway, “I’d recommend evacuating. From what I know of this world, I don’t believe the terrorists intend to leave survivors.”

Gardevoir paused, then blinked away, seizing the head of the vest-wearing man in her hands. After a few moments, her eyes shot wide open, spinning back to Kiri. “No… but they are going to try and use an experimental memory-erasing gas on the entire building. As a ‘field test.”

Amelie winced. “That would explain why they are being so brazen. They do not expect any consequences from this attack.”

Kiri nodded, heading towards the basement access stairs. “Heading on down.”

“Hey, I heard that!” Kiri half-turned to see a man in a blue gendarme uniform run up behind him, pistol in hand and escorted by a white dog pokemon and a brown crocodile. “Mercenary, right? Thank you for the assist, but you cannot go alone!” He tapped his badge. “I will join you.”

Kiritsugu paused fractionally, before nodding. “Rules of engagement?” Best to go along with law enforcement so he didn’t end up in too much trouble after the fact.

“All-in.” The man grunted. He glanced over his shoulder, and Kiri followed his gaze to see several bodies not in red clothing. “They shot some of the security staff to prove their point. Leave them alive if possible. Kill them if you cannot leave them safely.”

“Understood.” The former assassin replied, eyes flinty. Executing hostages to prove a point was the behavior of a lunatic. A bully, if he was using a much more quaint term.

The two men and their accompanying pokemon hit the stairs, opening the door to find a red-clad man facing them. Immediately, the former assassin moved into the man’s personal space and engaged him in hand to hand, successfully knocking the man to the floor after a short struggle. The terrorist fell back, bouncing down the stairs to collapse in a heap at the bottom.

“...huh. I bet they know we’re coming now.” The policeman murmured. “Let’s go.” He headed on, down Kiri following behind. As they descended, the man coughed. “So… are you psychic?”

Kiritsugu shook his head, pausing for a moment before explaining, “Magic.”

“Huh. I always thought of that as more subtle. Curses and the like. Maybe potions.” The man muttered as he hit the bottom of the stairs. “So… who’s paying you for this?”

“I was hospitalized here recently as treatment against a… particularly annoying curse. These… ruffians disturbed my rest. I am expressing my irritation with them pro-bono,” Kiritsugu replied dryly, a quirk of his eyebrow the only betrayal of his amusement.

“...huh. Odd that none of them offered you money.” The man responded, looking around the corner, only to duck back as a blast of fire flew through where his head had been. “Okay, two Houndour and a pair of men. Krokorock, want to handle them?”

“Rok!” The brown alligator lunged out of the hallway, blasts of mud shooting from its mouth towards unseen enemies, the bullets sent his way in response blocked as the white hound interposed itself in the way, a baleful glare sent out over a black muzzle.

The man pivoted into the room, firing at the men inside. “Police, get down on the ground!”

“Flare will rise, you pig–” One voice sounded out, before the white dog sprung into the room, cutting off the shout with a growled “Fur-fou!”

Amelie snickered. “Refined hound, my pretty green buttocks. That dog has a mouth on her.”

Kiritsugu’s lips twitched before he pivoted into the room and turned his borrowed firearms on the Flare(?) grunts, “On the floor unless you wish to die.”

The still upright grunt looked the assassin in the eye, before letting his gun slip through his fingers. “...not worth dying here. Where did it go wrong?” He said the last words in a whisper.

The policeman only shook his head as he cuffed both the men, pulling out restraints and ball locks for the two grunts. As he arranged the men in position, Dr. Gardevoir warped into the room. “Mr. Emiya, this room is adjacent to our secure lockers. If you’d like to retrieve your gear now, head through–” one door in the room swung open in a pink glow “-that one.”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Kiritsugu bowed respectfully, before quickly making his way into the locker room and securing his own gear. Amelie hopped down from his shoulder to go rooting through another box as he removed his clothes from the hooks within. Pulling both his standard pistol and his Thompson Contender from the locker, he frowned as he lifted a silver box from the back of the locker. Flipping it open, he stared. “...I should only have twenty six left. How….” He muttered, looking at the six rows of eleven origin bullets.

Amelie shivered as she hopped back on his shoulder. “So this is where your ribs went… regrowing those was a pain.”

“Ah. That was nice of all of you to do, but unnecessary. Those ribs were expendable anyway.” Kiritsugu replied mildly, shaking his head. “No matter, we need to move on anyway. Thank goodness my Sniper and Uzi made the transition as well. I’m sure I’ll need both later…”

As he withdrew his gear and swung it over his back, Amelie peered at the silver bullet-box. “...huh. Not often to see a wheel of Arceus outside a temple. I didn’t think you a devotee.”

Kiri peered at the box, frowning. “Who’s Arceus?”

“...um. I guess your studies didn’t talk about legendaries?”

Kiri paused. “You mean your gods?”

“Yes?”

“Do they interact with mortals at all? If not–”

“Yeah, about that.”

“... Interesting…” Kiritsugu mused. “That would explain the ambient levels of mana being moderately higher here…”

“Right. Terrorists now?”

Kiri nodded, stowing the box in his side pouch and throwing his long coat over his trousers and t-shirt. “...one of those expandable bags will be a good investment,” he muttered, before pivoting and joining the policeman as he prepared to head through the door marked “Maintenance.”

“Ready?”

“Yes. Do you want me on point?” Kiritsugu asked, nodding respectfully at the man.

The man looked at him oddly, even as the hound (Furfou, Kiri supposed) chuffed at his side. “...no, let’s let the furry tank lead.” He eyed his partner. “On go, you know what to do.”

“Fou!”

The man nodded, then put his back against the wall beside the door. “On three. One, two, three– GO!” He snapped one arm out, yanking the door open as he went. Immediately, Furfou charged in, bullets sinking into and stopped by her thick fur even as the Krokorok and man swung out behind their partner.

Kiri spun to follow them, taking in the situation. The wide room was filled with machinery and boxes, and the Flare agents wearing respirators had piled crates to form cover points and barricades even as they and their Pokemon fired back. In the rear corner, a man in a white coat frantically tried to affix several tanks to what appeared to be the central air system. Without any pause whatsoever, the Magus Killer double-tapped the white-coated man, not at all willing to let him finish with his plans. The first bullet connected, before a silvery screen of light blocked the second bullet, a green blob sending up the barrier even as the man collapsed, screaming.

“Shit! Kill them, get the tank hooked up, or Flare–” The chatty man ate a bullet before he could finish speaking, Kiri quickly moving to take out the shooters even as his allies moved to face the remaining enemies.

One man held up a Pokeball, arm shaking. “I challenge you to–” he said, before Kiri put a bullet in his leg, and he collapsed screaming.

“Stay down and you won’t get more hurt.” The man grunted, before turning his attention to the still active shooters.

Minutes later, the room was clear, groaning figures and silent bodies lining the room. As Kiri holstered his gun, he heard the policeman give a quiet cough. “...I can tell you’re no coeur malicieux. But did something happen to your team?”

“Ah, no. I am what the people of this world call a faller. The term ‘mystery gift’ is often used as well.” The Emiya patriarch replied idly, moving to ensure that the man in the lab coat was either dead or incapacitated, preferably the latter. He could have some useful information after all.

“...mon Dieu." The man coughed. “I see, then. It would explain why I’ve never heard of a man like you… or why you bear so many very illegal weapons, for civilians at least, without care.” He looked aside. “I was prepared to look the other way… but given the circumstances, I might–”

“Such discussion can wait until after we’ve brought the wounded upstairs.” Doctor Gardevoir warped into the room, and began levitating the still-living grunts. “Mr. Emiya, thank you for your intervention. But things are about to be very complicated, and we need to talk about it.”

“I understand. I have been reading the laws and circumstances of this world for a reason, but even then I am admittedly on as well taught as a child at the moment. A child about to start their journey, mind, but a child all the same.” He sighed, before grinning. “At least I managed to save the people in this hospital.”

“You did. Including most of us.” Gardevoirs face tightened. “However, that’s not what I meant.”

Minutes later, upstairs, Kiri watched as the various Flare members (those still alive) were herded into the middle of the room. The gendarme shook his head as cries of shock sounded as red wigs and glasses were removed, corpses and living members being identified. “...the old nobility. Servants of the same, corporate investors. These… these are not typical terrorists. Why would these people do this?”

“This world is rotten, overcrowded, and corrupt.” The vested man from earlier spoke up, his handsome face marred from where his glasses had been driven into his eye from a well-placed punch. “Thwarting us here will not stop us from making a new world out of the old.”

“Monsieur Renault.” Gardevoir’s mental voice was dull. “What the hell are you talking about?”

The man chuckled weakly from the ground. “You will see, eventually. Briefly. Then not at all.” He turned his glare on Kirisugu. “But you… Emiya.” He spat the name. “Eighteen of my comrades are dead because of you, and your actions here thwart the true power of Kalos. Do you even know what you have done?”

The Emiya patriarch stayed silent. He was more than used to the ramblings of mages, and nobility would likely be no different. Ignoring an enemy was a great insult, after all.

“Well, we know you now.” Renault hissed. “Flare burns, assassin. We will wipe you clean from the world. And as we burn away your hideous hide, we will cleanse all that associates with you.” He grinned, bloodied teeth from his split lip bared. “Lay down and die quietly, beast, and spare the world your presence.”

“... Big words for a terrorist organization that will be hunted to the ends of this Earth.” The Magus Killer whispered with deadly intent. Stalking up to the noble, he looked down upon him, “I know your type, Noble. You bark pathetically. But you will only whimper when I am done with your organization.”

The man quailed back from the glare, setting his shoulders. “Oh, going to go straight into the lion’s den? Good, you will spare us the trouble.” He grimaced as the policeman hauled him to his feet, even as a fresh group of gendarmes entered the room, led by a man in a long leather overcoat. “This is not the end of Flare, and will not be the last you’ll see of me.” He swore as he was hauled back.

Kiritsugu simply smiled, “If I see you again, you will die, little man.” Shrugging, he turned back to the doctors, quirking an eyebrow. “I would be on the lookout for bribes. Old Nobility and old money. Likely some billionaires as well.”

Gardevoir shook her head. “You’re not at all concerned that he just threatened you with death.”

“Kiri’s heard it all before.” Amelie sighed from his shoulder. “But he is worried. For the rest of us.”

“I hunted far more dangerous targets than that man,” The magus killer said, utterly unconcerned. “And the noble likely does not realize I have more than enough ways to equalize a fight between myself and a Pokemon. I am a magus, after all.” He frowned. “But she’s right. I will need to leave, if only to keep you all from the crossfire.”

“Yeah. Doctor, I’m going to have to end my apprenticeship here.” Amelie said regretfully, even as she telepathically lifted a pokeball from Kiri’s bag. “Can you make certain I’m taken off the hospital registrar?”

“Found your calling then, Amelie? I am glad. You never did suit the role of a doctor. You always struck me more as a combat medic. Go, you silly girl.” The Gardevoire replied with more amusement than either of the pair expected, “What? I am not an idiot. I’ve worked here for decades, and I served during one of the more recent wars on the backlines. I’ve seen the attitude of combat medics. You fit them.”

“... I will not question your resolve, Amelie,” Kiritsugu said simply. He knew better than to argue with a woman that’d set her mind to something, and calling the Kirlia a child would be simply insulting when she was the human equivalent of eighteen. Nevermind that she was young enough to be his daughter.

“Well, at least you know you need me here.” Amelie sniffed as she dropped the ball back into his bag. “You’re not getting out of your treatments that easily.”

As Kiri moved to respond, a loud voice came from nearby. “Excuse me, Mr. Mercenary!” Kiri pivoted to spot the brown-coated man walking towards him, whipping out a badge. “I heard from the local police about your actions here! And your status.” He held up the badge. “I am Agent Looker of the International Police Investigation Division! Before anything else, are you suffering from memory loss?”

Kiritsugu, to his credit, only paused for a moment before shaking his head, “No, I am not.”

“Ah, good. So we do not need to offer that service!” Looker flipped his badge shut before pulling out a pad of paper. “Now, I could hear that you are quite busy… and have just been threatened by an enemy team.” He was quickly writing on the paper. “Now, do you want to become a member of Interpol? You need not answer at this time.”

Kiritsugu shakes his head, “Not at this time. I will definitely consider your offer, however,” he said, before pausing. “Is it possible to be taken on as a contractor so I may carry the weapons I am now informed are highly illegal for a civilian to hold?”

“That is a possibility! For now, please keep them out of sight.” Looker ripped the page from his notebook, then placed it inside a thick pamphlet he produced from his coat. “This is a key points pamphlet and a guide to modern Garde, along with my international phone number! Please do not break too many laws, I do not think I wish to have to try and arrest you.”

“I see.” Kiri nodded. “Thank you.”

“Regardless, I have already had my agents pull up the data, and will have proper documentation sent to you soon, if I do not see you.” He reached into one pocket and pulled out a small pouch. “This contains the… I suppose bounty, for these men. Please let us know if you’re going to continue rooting out Flare; we would appreciate advance notice to have pickup ready for your captures.”

“... I will make sure to contact the number you provided Agent Looker.” Kiritsugu bowed deeply and respectfully. It was very nice that the Law Enforcement of this world was competent. And willing to work with him.

“Thank you!” Looker nodded back. “Even the well meaning Fallers often cause… a lot of headaches.” He sighed. “Why do they insist on poking Legendaries…” He murmured before looking back up. “Now, we need to process all these men. Have a good day, and stay safe, please!” Looker turned and ran back towards the gathering policemen, one of whom was about to pull out a Pokeball. “No, you cannot let your captures challenge you for their freedom!”

“... The only competent police branch. Got it.” Kiritsugu rolled his eyes. “To be expected, I suppose. And what kind of insane idiot would poke literal gods?” He then thought about Magi. “Right, those type of idiots.”

Amelie snickered. “Ah, arrogance… do you know how many morons think I’m an easy target because I’m cute?”

“Probably more than I’d expect,” Kiritsugu replied with a tired shrug. “People are universally idiots.”

“Agreed.” She nodded. “So. We’re off?”

“I suppose so.” He looked back at Gardevoir. “Thank you for your help. Do I pay at the desk, or…”

“Even if cases like yours weren’t subsidized, we wouldn’t ask you to pay after this,” Gardevoir responded. “I will warn you– most people are not as cavalier about death dealt as we are. Stay safe, and stay cautious.”

“I will. Thank you, Doctor Gardevoir, it was a pleasure.” With that, the Magus Killer departed, eyes steely as he began to stalk into the city of Lumiose, hunting for his chosen targets…

“As much as I respect the old man and his skills, he tends to be more methodical than aggressive. Also, stalking?” Shirou questioned as he eyed his sister.

“You want me to tell the story, I’ll be the one to tell the story.” Illya huffed.

On the screen and half a world away, Rin sighed. “Well, given what you’ve told me about your father, I can rest at peace knowing that the insane lunatics that pissed him off won’t be a problem ever again. They still tell stories about the Magus Killer to children, from what I’ve heard.”

Sakura shook her head. “...I know Grandfather did. But I met him once, and… well…” She looked over at Shirou. “He seemed more reserved, then cold, if that made any sense?”

“Sounds about right. The old man always did have trouble talking about his feelings.” Shirou sighed. “Anyway, it’s good to see you’re both doing alright. Sakura…” He grimaced. “I’m sorry. For not–”

“It’s okay, Shirou-kun. You couldn’t have known, and I don’t blame you. I never did.” Sakura interjected kindly, “Just promise me a battle when we meet again, okay?”

“...you’re getting into this, I see.” Shirou murmured. “Of course, Sakura.” He blinked twice. “Ah, so… are we going to meet up, or–”

Illya cut her brother off. “Not going to happen,” she deadpanned. “We have an obligation to Professor Rowan, remember? And Cynthia’s offered us guidance.”

On the other side, Rin shook her own head. “...and on our side, well… Sakura’s been adopted, and I can’t say I’m leaving her anytime soon.” She looked down, then eeped slightly as Agate leapt up to nestle her head under Rin’s own. “Agate says she’ll work on teleporting, and then we can eventually do meet-ups without breaking the bank.” She frowned. “Plane tickets that far are murder on the wallet.”

Shirou nodded reluctantly. “That makes sense. Sorry, I was mostly suggesting it in case we figured it’d be better to be together.”

“I think we’re both set for our journeys, anyway,” Sakura demurred. “We leave tomorrow.”

“...so do we,” Illya muttered. “Hey, we all got an Eevee, and the two pairs showed up with our siblings. How much do you wanna bet some Legendary is screwing with us?”

“No bet,” Rin, Sakura, and Shirou chorused, snickering as they noticed.

Illya shook her head. “Well… I suppose we’re all going to have an adventure. Does that make us all heroes?”

“Depends on who we defeat along the way,” Rin mused.

“Who we manage to save,” Shirou murmured quietly.

“And what we manage to accomplish,” Sakura finished, clenching one fist.

Far to the south, on the same continent as the Emiya siblings, a young man bedded down for the night. He was prepared, or so he thought, for the journey to come, and had planned his starter meticulously. He didn’t know that an incident both eighteen months in the future and fifty-five years in the past had already decided his chosen partner.

In a lab off the coast, a mind was formed in an unnatural body. Soon, the physical god created in a lab would be let loose, and start his own journey to becoming an actual person; but for now, this clone slept, unknowing of the lives and hopes which would be placed in the palm of his hand.

In darkened streets, a man in a long black coat slipped into an alley, seeing the world for the first time. Looking down at a map, he set his sights on a smaller town, looking for a place to get his bearings, guided by his newest partner.

And in the heavens, two figures watched.

“Well, Mew. Is this enough entertainment for you?” One said in an utter deadpan, receiving only the deep belly laughter of one of their oldest children. “This is why I don’t generally like you up here. You still find the most random things utterly hilarious.”

“But it is! So much serendipity, and I just had the best idea ever!”

And four children, half a world apart but bound by fate to a contest which may now never happen, rested and prepared for adventures which would shape their entire lives.

“Also, your narration is way too serious. Who even talks like that?”

Oi, we’re trying to do our job here. You go back to looking at the TV all amused like, mister eons old child.

“Okay!”

Chapter Text

“The Coronet Mountain Line?” Shirou asked as he pulled on his new traveling clothes. “I suppose I never really thought about the train and how it’d work.” He shrugged on his jacket and sat down to pull on his boots. “It’s not a bullet train, then?”

“Nor a subway, as you tend to think about. The Sinnoh Line was founded five hundred years ago by Warden Ingo,” Yagi said as he did push-ups. “It connects most of Sinnoh together, and the southern spur connects across the Orrean desert to Johto and Kanto.” He stopped the push-ups as Shirou rose. “It’s not as fast as flying, but it’ll get us to Sandgem town without stops.”

Shirou looked in the mirror, taking in his outfit. A blue and white long-sleeved t-shirt under a dark brown all-weather jacket, over a pair of sturdy trousers. Shirou had accessorized his outfit with a pokeball belt, and a red scarf, along with a sturdy backpack and a pair of comfortable, waterproof boots.

Behind him, Shirou saw Illya open the door. Blinking, he spun, hoping absently that the mirror had been playing tricks on him. But…

“Illya. You’re wearing pink.”

“And? I’m allowed to not be wearing purple or white!” Illya snapped back, frowning, “Besides, pink is the color of the fairy type here, and I can pull it off as long it’s not that hot pink trash .” Illya’s outfit was characterized in contrasts; a pink and black pleated skirt and a pink shirt under a puffy black jacket. She’d finsished her look with pink-and-black leggings, and a black backpack adorned with the pink fairy symbol.

“No dye?”

“... I’m not going to even begin to think about dying my hair. Mama would kill me, and much more importantly, my hair is similar to hers, so I don’t want to change it too much,” Illya explained, frowning as she played with the braid that Cynthia and Carolina had insisted she learn. “Doing this is a pain, but it does mean I don’t have to cut it and it’ll stay largely out of the way while we travel.”

Shirou nodded. “It does look nice.”

Illya smiled back at him, before she looked over Shirou’s outfit. “Alright, is there a reason you’re dressed like a stereotypical Shonen hero?”

“Because I picked it out for him~” Ritsuka chirped, glaring at Shirou a little, “The idiot was just going to throw a jacket over his normal long sleeved shirt and then throw a backpack on that. No sense of style at all, your brother.”

“Well, thank you for that. Now he looks like he’s going to gather a gaggle of women, and then fail to court any of them.”

Yagi tilted his head. “I don’t get it.”

“How?” Ritsuka blinked, utter bafflement seeping into the air almost palpably. “You were literally watching that shounen anime with all of us. How did you fail to comprehend that those girls were throwing themselves at the protagonist.”

“They were just friends!”

“ Well, I suspect this one’s going to have a childhood friend show up eventually,” Illya muttered. “Shirou–”

“Look, I get what you’re suggesting, but I’m not that attractive,” Shirou deadpanned. “Also, if girls were acting like that around me, I’d stay out of it until and unless they actually confessed .”

Illya hummed slightly. “Okay… makes sense.”

“Good boy!” His currently female Wyrmeon chirped, perching on his head precariously and giving him a pat, “Remember that harems are a lie, and that polyamory is a thing.”

“Hai hai Ritsuka-chan. I know not to believe anime when it comes to relationship advice,” Shirou replied dutifully.

Continuing to snipe and joke back and forth, both kids entered the main room with their Pokemon to find the Professor setting up an old camera. “Ah, you’re all ready! Come in, and get in position.”

With only token grumbling from Illya and a fond exasperated sigh from Shirou, the kids and their pokemon dutifully got into position, Pokemon in front and children in the back, smiling brightly and much more importantly; naturally. A journey was no small thing, and though the Emiya children had not been in this world long, they understood the significance of this tradition they were embarking on.

“Perfect!” Carolina said. “Say ‘Adventure!” As she took a smatter of pictures, she sighed, thinking aloud. “I might need to make this a regular thing. Cynthia can’t sponsor any trainers herself; conflict of interest. But there’s nothing saying I can’t.”

Illya tilted her head. “Don’t some of the other champions sponsor trainers?”

“There’s some politics involved,” Carolina admitted as she packed up her camera, before heading over to the sitting room. “So, do you want me to walk you to the train station, or do you want to take your first steps on your own?”

“If you wouldn’t mind,” Shirou began, looking to his sister and receiving nod to continue, “we’d like to take our first steps alone.” And as soon as he finished the sentence, he and Illya bowed deeply. “Thank you, for all you’ve done for us, and what you’ll continue to do for us.”

Carolina nodded, then stepped forward, pulling the Emiya siblings into a hug. “Don’t you ever forget that my home is open to you two. You’ve been wonderful guests, and I suspect I’ll see both of you in the Lilly of Valley conference.” She let them go, then put one hand on each of their shoulders. “Illya, keep your brother from running off into trouble. Shirou, keep your sister from picking a fight with someone too strong for her. Understood?”

“Got it!” Boy and girl chirped as they waved goodbye. “Shirou and I will give you a call when we settle for the night, okay!” Illya continued, before turning and running out the door towards the station, a wide smile on her face.

Shriou nodded. “I should go catch up.” He murmured, shrugging his backpack on. “Goodbye, professor.” He darted out after his sister, feet pounding on the dirt and the pavement.

Twenty minutes later, the two children arrived at the station, darting into the building and approaching the ticket counter. Illya headed up, lifting her new trainer badge. “Picking up tickets for Emiya?”

The man nodded, tapping at his computer. “Two tickets, Coronet Spine line, Celestica to Sandgem… battling car?” He looked up. “Sure that’s smart for new trainers?”

Illya and Shirou both nodded, “We’ve both got final stage Pokemon and have been training for at least a few months now on our own. Even if we lose, it’ll be valuable experience.” Shirou explained patiently, one of the pokeballs on his belt wiggling in response, “That and Ritsuka- my final stage, would kill me if we didn’t.” He continued with fond exasperation, patting the wiggling Pokeball.

“Matilda- my Sylveon, is the same.” Illya admitted, taking the tickets and giving a tiny bow, “Thank you sir!”

“You’re very welcome miss.” The man nodded, waving them aside, “Good luck!”

A few minutes later, the Emiya siblings watched as the train, painted white with gold accents, pulled into the station, a dozen dars pulled behind it. Conductors in dark navy uniforms stepped off, saluting smartly as passengers climbed off. “Thank you for riding with us! Please come again!” One cried.

Illya tugged on Shirou’s elbow. “The cars with the Pokeball over the doors are the battle cars. Let’s head on over!”

As soon as the car opened to new passengers, Shirou and Illya scrambled aboard. One of the conductors eyed their presented tickets and cards. “Spectating only in cars ten through twelve, please. Car nine is available for your level.”

Shirou and Illya nodded gratefully as they made their way to the mentioned cars, Shirou politely muttering apologies and guiding his sister through the mess that was a mass transit train. Entering car nine, the siblings blinked as they looked it over.

The double-decker car had two half-rows of seats within an expanded room, looking down on a small court lined with more seats. The chairs were scattered with a few children, a couple of older teens, and a few knots of people. In the middle, a man in a ball cap was standing across from a young girl in pigtails. One had a small blue-yellow feline in front of him, while the girl had a pink rotund pokemon.

“Happiny, pound!”

“Shinx, dodge and use thundershock!”

Illya looked at the seats along the ground as the two trainers traded attacks. “Let’s take a low seat. I want to participate, and I don’t think I can from above.”

Shirou nodded, heading over to a small cluster of empty chairs, stowing their bags under the seats and sitting back to watch the battle. As it ended, the bell above sounded as the girl collected her winnings, a few coins, from her opponent. The intercom sounded. “Ladies, gentlemen, and others; please take your seats as the train gets moving. It will be six hours until we arrive at Eternea City. Passengers may move about once we get up to speed. Thank you!”

Shirou and Illya kept to their seats as the car got moving, but as soon as the second bell sounded, Illya stood and walked over to the terminal near the battle court. She hummed as she put her hands on her hips. “So… which of you want the first fight?”

Between the two wiggles, Illya chuckled. “Ah, Fubuki. You want a shot?” She unclipped the ball from her belt, releasing the Snorunt into the room.

Fubuki peered up at her. “If you would, please. I still need to perfect freeze-dry while I’m still a pure ice-type.”

“Got it. Cheer for me, okay little brother?” Illya chirped, before quickly requesting a battle fitting for her level, that of a zero badge trainer with only three month’s experience. Within a few moments, a buzzer on her phone rang and she eagerly made her way to the battlefield.

The trainer across from her was a young man in a green jacket, grinning at her. “Hey there! Let’s have a good battle, okay!” He pulled out his Pokeball. “No stakes?”

“Sounds good to me. We’re just starting out, no need to take every battle with the severity of a league sanctioned one!” Illya cried back, nodding at her second Pokemon, “One on One or Two on Two? Or would you prefer a double battle?”

The man shook his head. “One-on-one, please.” He held up his ball. “Have your Pokemon chosen?”

Illya gestured to Fubuki, “Yeah, I’ll be relying on Fubuki here today.”

“Got it.” He flicked his wrist. “Go, Fluttershy!” A Finneon materialized from the ball, flailing towards the ground before a skein of water formed around her, keeping her off the ground and letting her ‘swim’ in midair.

“Fubuki, I’ll be relying on you.” Illya stated, the aforementioned Snorunt running onto the field with a cry. Within moments, a barrier shimmered into being around the field, almost unnoticeable to the naked eye. Illya’s eyes widened minutely for a moment, before they settled. She’d heard that the League Barriers were a combination of magic and technology, but seeing it was believing. These were wonderfully powerful barriers.

“Fluttershy, use Water Gun!” The little fish chirped, sticking her head out of the bubble to blast a super-soaker’s worth of water at Fubuki with force.The Snorunt, without being ordered by her trainer, dodged the blast partially, receiving a glancing blow as Illya cried,

“Counter with Freeze-Dry!”

Forming the prerequisite shards of glacial ice around her, the ice type hurled them at the water type, a cry of satisfaction leaving her mouth as they struck, snap-freezing her opponent’s bubble and exposing the pokemon to frigid temperatures for a few moments. Illya watched with approval. “Good job!”

“Wait, what!” The boy wailed as the bubble shattered, letting his shivering Pokemon hit the floor. “That’s… oh shit. Flutters, can you–”

“Finn–” The fish flopped weakly before shaking its head from the ground.

A flicker of concern crossed the Einzbern’s face and she marched over to the boy and his fish, rummaging around in her backpack and pulling out a potion, “Sorry, I didn’t realize that she’d gotten it down that much. Here, for Fluttershy.”

“Thanks.” He sighed. “Well, we’re taking this loss, I suppose. Your starter’s pretty strong.” He called over his shoulder ruefully as he returned his Pokemon, turning and heading back to his seat. Frowning, Illya watched him go, before sighing and returning to her seat.

“You did the right thing, nee-san,” Shirou consoled as he gave Yagi headpats, the usually training Riolu currently on his enforced day off, something that Shirou made sure all his Pokemon took, and they ensured he took in turn.

“Maybe, but that wasn’t much of a challenge,” Illya muttered.

“Maybe I could help.” Both siblings looked up to see a young man in a black jacket, blond hair slicked back and a wide smile on his face. “I think these kids might be a little too weak for you. Wanna have a match?”

Illya’s eyes narrowed, looking mildly annoyed at the disrespect her opponent was receiving, “He wasn’t weak. His Pokemon was well trained; she simply did not have the experience that I’ve had with Fubuki and Matilda.” Illya tensed almost imperceptibly as she felt out the boy’s body language. Something was not right about this.

“Maybe,” the boy shrugged. “But that just means they’re not on our level.” He cocked one eyebrow. “What do you say?”

“Hmmm, why not. It’ll be nice to cut loose.” Illya mused faely with a glint in her eyes, nodding at Shirou. “Do you have someone you could do a tag battle with? World Tournament Rules.”

“Actually… I do,” the boy grinned. “He’s a little stronger, though. I’ll go put in for the match.” He turned and walked to the console, keying in the contest. “Ready when you are. Come on bro, we’re doing a Tag Battle!”

A taller boy stood up, walking over to join his brother on one side of the battle court. Shirou stood up, Yagi sliding off his lap to hit the ground. “Shirou… these two feel… slimy.” His gaze narrowed. “I suspect they’re not as they seem.”

“Illya noticed. I did too. We’ll play their game for now, and spring a trap once the time is right.” Shirou stated softly, eyes flinty. He’d learned about predatory trainers and the like, but he hadn’t expected to see them on a battle train of all places. Warden Ingo would be… furious, to put it mildly, based on what Shirou had read about him; and what Sakura had told him.

Stepping onto the defender’s corner, Shirou nodded to his sister as the stadium’s barriers lit up. “How does Four on Four sound? Two per trainer.” He called, hiding his contempt for the pair of… slimy teens.

“Sounds good to me.” The older boy spoke up. “Go, Staravia!” The ball whirled forward releasing the bulky fighting bird to hover in midair.

“Pawniard, get out there!” The red and black soldier pokemon hit the floor with a clang.

“Yagi/Fubuki, go!” The Emiya siblings cried, the Snorunt emerging from her ball with a battlecry, and Yagi stepping onto the field with a grunt of contempt. At an unspoken signal, Shirou continued, “Lead with a quick attack towards Pawniard!” He tapped his palms as he gave the order, Yagi nodding at the sign language.

“Support with Icy Wind!” Illya added, twitching her eyes towards the Staravia.

“Counter the quick attack with–” The younger of the two brothers gaped as Yagi slammed into his Pokemon with a pair of open palms glowing blue. “Wait, what? That’s force palm!” He yelled as his Pokemon was sent tumbling.

As the Staravia banked to attack, it was forced to evade as a blast of ice flew through the air. The wave of frost also hit the Pawniad as it spread. The little soldier shuddered, then came upright, blades shining silver as it dashed forward, pouncing on Fubuki.

“Take it.” Illya stated simply, a protect shimmering into place over her partner to deflect away the steel-type move, “Ice Shard on Staravia.”

“Don’t let Pawniard roam free,” Shirou added to Yagi, the little jackal blurring into position behind the surprised pokemon and sending him flying with a well placed Force Palm, “Detect.” Yagi’s eyes flashed and he dodged the air-cutter sent at him by the Staravia.

“Stronger than I expected!” The older brother said, a note of joy entering his voice. “Come on, Staravia! Use tailwind, give us a boost! Then follow it up with heat wave!”

Illya’s estimation of the older brother rose, “Snowscape, follow up with Icy Wind again.”

As the tailwind took effect, Fubuki cried into the sky, and snow began to inexplicably dance around the battlefield. As she finished the set-up, the blast of fiery energy collided with her, causing her to cry out in pain from the fire.

“Pawniard-”

“Yagi, Aura Sphere.” Shirou barked, sharp eyes easily tracking the figures of Illya and his pokemon through the snow, “End it.” Though injured heavily by the powerful fire-type move, the brave jackal complied, aura collecting in his paws.

“No, don’t-” The sphere of blue energy slammed into the tiny soldier, sending him sprawling, Before Yagi could celebrate, the Staravia flew down, wings smacking him over and over in a barrage of wing attacks. Yagi collapsed, even as Fubuki hosed down the Staravia with Ice Shard.

Fubuki fell back, continuing to fire as the Staravia opened its mouth, red energy sweeping across her just as she sent one last ice spike into the Staravia’s breast.

“Good run, kids.” The older brother admitted as he withdrew his downed bird. “With your starters down, I think that’s my win.” He tossed out his second ball, a lanky dog growling as it manifested beside his brother’s Mankey. “But I don’t think you can handle Houndoom. Hand over your Pokeballs, it’s our win.”

Illya simply raised her eyebrows, and Shirou snorted, pulling his second ball off his belt, “Ritsuka, grace the skies.”

“Matilda, dance upon the earth.” Illya called in tandem, a pair of pokeballs releasing the siblings actual starters and current aces, the Dragon and Faery alighting on the ground and regarding their opponents for a moment, before utterly dismissing one utterly.

“...what?” The younger brother squeaked. “Those… Eevees?”

The older brother started, before his eyes narrowed. “...someone’s been relying on daddy’s pockets, huh?” He frowned. “That’s an even bigger ransom–” His words cut off as cries and gasps came from the watching crowd, one blue-clad figure darting from her spot to head for the doors.

“So, you weren’t looking to just fleece us. You’re Pokenappers.” Illya surmised.

“Hey, if you get into a fight without setting the stakes, it leaves you open. Call it a learning experience.” The elder brother chuckled. “Still, I don’t think two pre-evolved pets can handle Houndoom. Play Rough!” He barked.

“Oh, but I did set the stakes, silly.” Illya giggled, “Matilda, show that fool what playing rough actually looks like. Hyper Voice.”

“Ritsuka, get the Mankey off the field.” Shirou barked, his starter blurring into the Mankey at speed, the quick attack knocking the monkey off his feet and into the skies. Ritsuka spun, both wings smashing the little fighting-type into the barriers in a one-hit KO. As he landed, the Houndoom hit him with pink paws, throwing him back, just before a wide blast of pink energy hit the hound in turn.

“The hell– oh, Pixilate. Wait, Sylveon don’t learn- shit.” The elder brother realized as his second Pokemon was torn apart from both sides. “...a loss. Shit.” He reached into his jacket for another Pokeball, before a sharp whistle cut through the air.

“Match canceled! All trainers, recall your Pokemon!” A conductor strode into the car, shadowed by the blue-clad girl. “You there, was this match a tag battle, four on four?” He looked at Shirou, brow raised.

“Yes - however I would recommend asking one of the other passengers, sir. My account would likely be considered biased.” Shirou demured, nodding towards Illya’s earlier opponent.

“Yeah, these guys were set up for a tag-team.” The boy nodded. “But then the older boy pulled out two Expert-Level mons.” The older brother flinched.

“Really? In car nine?” The man eyed the two brothers. “Present your trainer ID, please.”

“Ah– hey, can we talk about this?” The older brother asked as the conductor drew closer. “Maybe work something out?”

“There are serious allegations being leveled– and no, I don’t want that Stardust you’re flashing.” The conductor countered. “ID, please.” The older brother sighed, presenting his ID… only to flinch as the man drew a portable scanner from his coat. “...your brother’s ID is fine, Mr. Nichols. Yours, however, is counterfeit.” One gloved hand shot out, blocking the elder brother from casting out another ball. “None of that.”

“Ah, Conductor?” Illya interjected, walking up to the League Official, smiling dangerously at the pair of petty criminals he was already dressing down, “I do remember setting the stakes for this battle quite clearly. I told this gentleman right here,” She nodded at the younger brother, “That I requested World Tournament Rules. Given that we’d all be folded under the Junior League at this time, I would prefer if I received my fair compensation. As the challenged, I have the right to set the wager, after all.”

“You do, though the match may just get scrubbed.” The conductor replied. “We need to review the cameras…” He paused as his scanner chirped. “And… these two may have some outstanding warrants.” He sent out a Gallade, who proceeded to restrain the two brothers. “What were you thinking of?” He eyed the two young men.

“Standard forfeit for losing in a PWT Junior match. About ten thousand yen, or one hundred Unovan dollars.” Shirou stated, eyes flinty, “A pittance for a professional trainer, but meant to discourage trainers from incessantly challenging rising stars among the professional circuit.” He paused, “We aren’t claiming to be PWT competitors. We specifically chose that ruleset because we felt something was fishy about the challenge, and my Riolu was uneasy around the challenger.”

“We didn’t agree to that!” The younger brother yelled.

“In a situation with no agreed stakes, there are no stakes.” The girl from before stepped forward, eyeing the two crooks with disdain. “Unlike what your brother would insist. Illyasviel von Einzbern-Emiya requested tourney rules, and you didn’t disagree, instead going ahead to set the match.”

“...ugh.” The older brother groaned. “And who are you, you little know-it-all?”

The girl grinned, closing and zipping up her dark blue hoodie to reveal a teal pentagon mark. “Diaya Isabella, Diamond clanswoman, at your service.” She pulled down her hood, revealing her neck-length wavy blue hair. “Nice to meet you.”

“... A pleasure.” Illya nodded, “Though you are technically incorrect. In accordance with the International Supreme Court’s Decision in Oak versus International Council, in the case where a league trainer sets a condition to lure in a criminal, they are entitled to a portion of the set stakes paid out by the International Council.”

“I’ll put that on record.” The conductor sighed. “If you’ll excuse me, we need to go secure these two before they do something stupid.” He trotted out of the car, the two crooks held by his partner.

Isabella nodded, before spinning to look at the two siblings. “Now, I wasn’t expecting this much excitement already, but I’m glad I got to meet you two so early!” She grinned. “Hey-o, I’m going to be spying on you for the next few months!”

“Our minder from the clans, then? I’d imagine you’re only being so upfront because Lady Akari put in a good word for us?” Illya asked idly, receiving a rapid nod in confirmation. “I appreciate it. If you wish, you are welcome to travel with us directly. Shirou and I wouldn’t mind the company of a clanswoman; especially not one closely related to one of the legendary wardens.”

“Glad you’re being reasonable!” Isabella replied, before her face fell a bit. “Also, I dunno where Donovan is planning on intercepting you two, so if you see a man with a puce jacket and a stick a quarter-meter up his ass, that’s him.”

“Oh, you mean him? He’s been spying on us rather poorly for a couple of weeks now.” Shirou grunted, eyes twitching in remembered annoyance. “He tried to watch you while you were sleeping once, nee-san. I educated him on why that was a bad idea.”

“...wait, really?” Isabella’s mouth dropped open. “Oh hell, that’s… we were supposed to watch you on your journey. I was going to meet up with you two in Sandgem! Did he go directly from the first meeting to Celestica? And where is he now?”

Shirou jerked one finger over his shoulder. “He got on the passenger cars when we all boarded. I’ve been talking with him on my runs, and trading food for info about the clans.”

“You bribed him?”

“No. But he gets chatty over sushi.” Shirou shrugged.

“He hasn’t shared anything classified.” Illya chimed in, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Besides, he makes good conversation regarding magecraft, or as you refer to it, magic.”

“Okay,” Isabella acknowledged. “So… I think it’s traditional for us to battle now, but your Pokemon are tired and two of them are fainted. We can do that after a nap and some healing, or wait until Sandgem.”

“Tag battle with Shirou and I versus you and Donovan?” Illya suggested, mischief and fire dancing in her eyes, Matilda issuing a challenge in tandem with her brother.

“After a rest,” Shirou shot back. “And if we can convince Donovan to join us. Come on, we need to heal up.”

“Enthusiasm is good! Just don’t go too far,” the Diamond Clan girl nodded. “Come on, I’ve got some good seats.”

The Emiya siblings shrugged and followed the clanswoman, chatting with each other in an attempt to get to know the woman who’d be ‘spying’ on them for the duration of their journey. Both already understood the necessity of such things politically, and both clans had likely sent observers that would explicitly respect the sibling’s privacy to a point. And as they settled in, they couldn’t help but wonder who else they might pick up as their journey continued.

Chapter Text

Aurea Juniper watched her wife pacing back and forth, coat flaring as she flitted from one side of the room to the other, “Oh, couldn’t they stay a little longer? It’s so soon! I don’t want them to go!”

Cedric chuckled as he sipped his coffee. “The girls will be fine, Ivy. Besides, it’s not like they’ll be missing too long. They’re both very good at taking care of each other, and promised to call regularly.”

“And you didn’t panic when Junbug left on her journey?”

Professor Juniper smiled as the memory came back to her. “Dad actually insisted on filling out the paperwork for a bodyguard Pokemon.” She sighed. “I miss Stoutland…”

Cedric smiled. “He was a fine friend and partner. But his time came.” He took another sip of his coffee. “You know, at this point he has a few dozen grand and great-grand pups around. We could get a couple for the girls…”

“Grandfather, we’re already equivalent in strength to a three or four badge trainer,” Sakura stated disapprovingly as she walked down the stairs. Turning to look at her adopted daughter, Aurea was only mildly surprised that her battle-maniac had opted for a look that portrayed her love of it. A deep, violet tank-top covered her torso with a burnt red leather jacket with an intricate Eevee design printed on the back pulled over it. Her legs were covered with a pair of dark navy jeans, with hiking boots outfitted on her feet. She didn’t have any immediately noticeable backpack, though she did carry a fannypack that Aurea recalled was far larger on the inside than out. Completing the ensemble was a burnt crimson and white baseball cap emblazoned with the Pokemon League’s symbol, that of a green, delta shaped insignia.

“I’m an old man, and I worry. And having one strong Pokemon and a fine support isn’t enough for three badge strength,” Cedric retorted. “Henderson is going to be a difficult challenge, for both of you.”

“Ah, but Ren is far more than enough Grandpa. Between him and Agate, we’ll be okay even without a Bodyguard Pokemon,” Sakura demurred, tilting her head to acknowledge Cedric’s point. “Nee-san will be down soon. She’s putting the finishing touches on a mystic code for me.”

Ivy looked up, exasperated. “Leaning into her new outfit, huh?”

Sakura shifted. “It is good quality, and it was on sale…” she murmured. “Even if it is… odd.”

“What? So I’m not allowed to play a practical joke as well, Sakura?” The older sibling’s voice called from the hallway leading to their rooms. “Besides, think of the faces they’ll make when I answer quite literally that I’m ‘a witch’!” Rin trotted down the stairs, the long deep purple skirt brushing the tops of her brown boots. The crimson blouse beneath her purple cloak and silver clasp was the only bit of brightness on her outfit, save for the wide-brimmed purple hat, also adorned with a silver band. A well made backpack completed her look. “That and I wanted to test some of the less… horrible enchantment techniques the Rockafellers came up with on my outfit before yours, Sakura. It’s been a success so far, but most of the enchantments will have to be tested during a battle..”

“Ah. Thank you, nee-san.”

“No problem, imouto-dear. I’m not going to make you alpha or beta test any of my new mysteries.” Rin paused, her gaze turning serious, “I wouldn’t ever do that to you.”

Before the statement could generate any awkward silence, Aurea clapped her hands. “So! Two children, two bags, four pokemon. Are you both all ready to go?”

“Yes mom!” The sisters replied quickly, nodding towards each other. They’d discuss more serious topics later , when they were both in the mental headspace to deal with it. Aurea hid a smile that threatened to break out onto her face. Couldn’t let her daughters know that she knew exactly what they were thinking yet, after all.

“Perfect! Then get over here, we’re taking a picture.” Aurea trotted over to the entry passage, setting up her specimen camera. “Let them all out, please!”

Rin stepped forward, sending out Agate and Libra, the little Litwick perching on the brim of her hat. Almost in tandem, Sakura sent out Ren and Ana, the Snivy settling on the floor with a miffed look.

“Say Pokeball!”

“Pokeball!” “Veon!” “Wick!” “Vii.” The group chorused.

“There we go,” Juniper nodded. “So… here you go!” She produced two red devices from a box on the table nearby. “Two Pokedexes, both of them already linked to your Trainer accounts. Sun should be up soon, and then you two can be on your way. Heading to Striation first?”

Sakura nodded. “Mattias Henderson is the gym leader there, right?” She shot a look at Rin, or rather, at both her pokemon. “Rin, have you done any preparation for him?”

“I think we can handle him. Even if he is a Dark-type specialist.” Rin replied.

“Well, good luck, both of you.” Cedric said, standing from his chair and walking with his new grandchildren to the doors. “Going to try and make it the whole way in one day, or pace yourselves?”

“We have no reason to rush,” Sakura replied, glancing at her sister and smiling as Rin nodded in approval. “We’ll probably take the journey as a whole pretty slow in general. We’ll go at a pace that allows us three months buffer before the League and we should be fine.”

“Sounds good. Just remember; no matter how exciting the adventure gets, you’re both children,” Ivy said as they opened the doors. “If you get in over your heads, call the League or us, and we’ll sort out the worst of it.”

Juniper nodded. “Thinking of picking up any Pokemon to add to your teams around here?”

“None yet. We’re thinking that we’ll find partners as we go,” Rin replied, quickly checking her Pokedex. “Yeah, we’re good for now.”

Sakura waved as they stepped off the porch into the dawn light. “Bye moms, bye grandpa! See you all later!”

“Come back after you get a flying partner! Or manage to teach Agate teleport, I suppose.” Cedric called as the two girls walked off.

Juniper cupped her mouth. “Let me know if you scan or catch any rare Pokemon! Have fun!”

“We’ll see you soon, mom and mama!” Sakura waved, her sister giggling as she did the same, “Call you when we stop for lunch and dinner!”

Rin waved over her shoulder as the two girls began to walk up Route 1, pulling out her phone as she walked. “So… I was thinking.” She traced her fingers over the map. “If we wanted, we could go scout some of the smaller attractions and known delving spots across the area as we make our way to Striation… or take a look and see if there were any odd jobs that needed doing on TrainerNet. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Earning money will probably be more helpful in the long run, but we could do both, nee-san,” Sakura suggested, reaching down and giving Ren an ear rub, giggling lightly as she looked over at Rin, “I see that Agate has made you her horse.”

Rolling her eyes, Rin reached back and petted her Espeon, giving the fox-cat head-rubs as she lazily kept a lookout from her perch on Rin’s backpack. “Agate’s keeping watch right now, and Libra prefers to stay in her ball. I don’t begrudge her for her rest.”

“She prefers to be out at the hours of dusk and night,” Agate explained.

Sakura nodded. “I mean, there is another option.” Sakura tapped her Xtranceiver, pulling up a short list of events. “There are some small tournaments in the area, some with prizes. We could go take a look.”

Rin grinned. “I like having options.” She looked at Sakura’s list, then at her own. “Let’s head over to Brasston, and then we can head back onto the main routes if need be. Sounds good?”

“Two days journey? Sounds fine.” Sakura hummed. She looked down, then triggered Miracle Eye. “Up for a long walk, Ren?”

“Looking forward to it.”

It was the second day of the girls’ journey when they finally reached the outskirts of Brasston. Rin stretched as she saw the outskirts of the town peeking through the forest. “Okay, there we go.” She groaned. “I know I’m going to have to get used to this… but I hate sleeping outside.”

“You just like sleeping in, and being outside makes that impossible.” Agate sassed from beside her partner.

Sakura focused on the town, frowning. “...was the tournament supposed to have a bonfire or something? Because that looks like smoke.”

“... No. Sakura, your dex should have an alert from the League if the town’s in crisis. Check it. Now.” Rin ordered, calm descending on her as she pulled out her Pokedex, looking at the screen. “An alert just went out. Someone’s… trying to steal the Pokemon at the convention? And holding them all up with weapons?” She blinked and looked forward. “What?”

Sakura blinked, darkness crawling over her for a split second before fading. “...well, let’s see if they enjoy a bit of Black Magic, hmm?”

“Of course. No need to be merciful either. While we’ll have to take them alive, no other RoE otherwise. I’m marking us as responding trainers, Sakura - let’s go.”

The two girls sprinted into town, coming up on the main square, where a pair of dirty ATVs sat near a wide open sports field. Two men with assault rifles were menacing a gathered group of young trainers and a smattering of older folks. Sounds of yelling came from a nearby church as another man stood guard outside. All three of the visible men wore green-brown camouflage and brown leather, with a symbol of a Sawsbuck’s antlers adorning their backs.

Rin crouched behind a low wall. “Okay, we’re about sixty meters from those two thugs, and eighty from the church,” she muttered. “They have Pokeballs, but they don’t have them out. I wonder why?” She peered over the wall. “And I have no idea what those guns are. Some sort of assault rifle?”

“They’re firearms,” Sakura observed quietly, nodding to her sister. “Probably fully automatic. Do you have a gem that could take them out safely?” Pausing, Sakura eyed her own Pokeballs before shaking her head. She wasn’t quite confident enough in her throwing arm for that idea quite yet.

Rin tilted her head. “I have a Thunder Wave stone, but most of my stuff is too indiscriminate to use near hostages. Boombusts, Heat Wave… I do have a few Shadow Balls, though.”

“Then we’ll go for a Gandr from you and me,” Sakura replied firmly, raising her finger and warming up her circuits. “You take the one on the far left, I take the one on the far right, and we move inwards. Does that work, nee-san?”

“Right.” Both girls came up in sync, pointing forward. Rin smiled as the red-black bolt of light hissed across the space, then grimaced as it collided with the man’s gun, sending it spinning away but leaving him cursing and upright. Sakura’s own shot, a more malevolent deep black tinged with pink and purple, collided with her target and caused him to scream as he staggered, his gun dropping from his hands.

Both girls broke from cover, sprinting as the three upright goons responded to the attack. The man at the Church yelled, aiming downfield but unable to find an angle uninterrupted by his friends. “Freddie, we’ve got a couple of heroes out here!”

The staggered man snagged a ball from his waist, tossing it to the ground. “Heracross, smash these little bitches!” He roared in pain, the bulky bug-type forming and yelling as it opened its wings. “Heracross!” His buddy dropped his own Pokeball, releasing a Sawsbuck, which moved to guard him.

“Ren, take the Sawsbuck with Ana!” Sakura ordered, turning to face her sister and opening her mouth to ask before-

“Agate, we’ll take the Heracross, Libra, help Ren and Ana!” Rin called, before going quieter as she looked at her sister, “Sakura, keep an eye on the trainers. If you get an opening, take em out.”

“Got it.” Sakura agreed. Seconds later, Ren erupted from the shadows beneath the Sawsbuck, slamming his skull into their crotch in a critical headbutt. As the large grass-type staggered, a blast of purple flames covered him, even as his hooves were wrapped in grass knots. The deer fell forward, twitching, even as the sound of two more opening Pokeballs filled the air.

The Heracross lunged forward, springing forward in a pounce. Almost lazily, the psychic type tripped the bug with confusion, sending him skidding into the dirt as Rin threw a Gandr towards it. “No. Bad,” Agate taunted, a cheeky smirk plastered on her face, “Stop charging.”

“Nasty kitty! Bad kitty!” The Heracross yelled as he came upright, pumping his arms and sending sprays of pin missiles into Agate. “ Get stung, kitty!”

Rin ducked beneath her second target’s clumsy swing as she blocked him from reaching his gun. “How about… no.” Rin rammed one foot into the man’s knee, sending him to the ground just as she heard a cry from nearby. She spun, barely dodging an I-beam swung through her torso.

“ Get wrecked, human. You can’t stop the Wild Men! ” The Gurdurr taunted, only to grunt as a heavy weight slammed into him in the form of Sakura, the young girl’s limbs glowing with circuit like patterns as she sent the fighting type skidding with a jump kick.

“Thanks.”

“Of course, nee-san.”

With the obligatory exchange out of the way, Rin blurred as she engaged the Gurdurr, fights and legs blurring as she attacked the pokemon in a dizzying display of martial arts. Her assault was met squarely by the bulky fighting type, the brawler enduring her lighter hits and blocking her harder hits with his I-beam.

Sakura dodged aside as a Braviary swooped down, trying to wrap its talons around her, sending a pulse of darkness to keep it honest even as Ren moved to aid her. He shot her a look. “Sakura, I need to go take care of the gunmen before they decide shooting their friends is acceptable collateral. Can you handle this?”

“Yes, Ren. Send Ana over to help when she can, but I have this one for now.” Sakura grunted, rolling aside from the dive-bombing Braivary, “Now, if only the other trainers in the area would respond…”

“Most of us were already here! And that bastard over there took our Pokeballs!” One man ran up, scrambling for one of the man she’d strangled with his own shadow. “There you are! Go, Murkrow!” He started passing out Pokeballs even as the little dark-type took wing.

As more Pokeballs began to open, one of the last standing men yelled over the crowd as he sprinted past the fighters, backpack pulled on over his uniform. “Let’s get out of here, move it idiots!” The Gurdurr broke off from his sparring even as the battered Heracross and harried Braviary moved to scoop up their trainers.

“I don’t think so.” Rin growled, smiling nastily as they began to flee; away from innocents, away from unacceptable collateral. Fingering one of her nastier gems, one that had earned it’s notoriety as one of the strongest dragon type moves, the magus activated it and reinforced her arm, flinging it with all her strength towards the fleeing criminals, “Draco Meteor!”

Sakura paused as the gem flew in an arc. “I didn’t think you had that working yet?”

“Only partially now. It’ll be enough,” Rin grumbled, then winced as the gem shone brightly before flaring uselessly, crumbling. “...I also have Discharge.” She sighed, pitching the yellow gem to arc in a collision with the leading ATV, causing it to stall out, then explode as its riders were electrocuted.

“Right. Rin, what’s the rules for using experimental mystic codes in battle?” Sakura asked her elder sister.

“That one wasn’t experimental.” Rin whined, pouting at her sister, “The last one I made the exact same way worked! ”

“Didn’t you have Haxorus’ help making that one?”

Before the two girls could continue their argument, they were surrounded by awed and chattering trainers and kids.

“Wow, that was–”

“You kids sure were something–”

“Are you a real witch–”

“Did your hair turn white?”

Rin and Sakura glanced at their surroundings, blanched, and both in turn plastered fake smiles on their face. “Ah, one-”

“Oooh, why’d you use Pokemon moves?”

“Where are you guys from?”

Rin took a deep breath, tapped her throat, and yelled. “OKAY!” The pseudo-boomburst stunned the crowd into silence. “Okay– first, is everyone alright?”

One man yelled over the crowd. “Everyone but Missus Rhoda! Those toughs roughed her up to get at the church coffers.”

“And your victims! Not that they didn’t deserve it.” A woman’s voice carried over the crowd.

“Alright! You,” Rin pointed at a random adult, “Go get Rhoda to the Pokemon Center. They’ll have enough first aid equipment to tide her over until the EMTs can arrive.” Nodding towards another group of people, Rin grumbled, “Go provide stabilizing care to those morons; and tie them up. We don’t want them escaping.”

“Ah, not that I don’t think I need help…” The crowd parted as an older woman in the garb of a Taoist priestess was led forward, a smile on her face. “A witch and a warrior. Duality, once again.” She chuckled. “Thank you for arriving when you did. This was supposed to be a day of fun.” The bruised woman sighed, shaking her head.

“It’s not a problem. We’re lab trainers; it’s our job to intervene when the alerts go out.” Sakura interjected, smiling serenely, “Besides, it was very rude of these… ruffians to interrupt your festivities. I’m glad nee-san and I were able to help you take care of them.” Rin shook her head, stepping forward. “Rin Tohsaka, and my sister…”

“Sakura Juniper.”

“Mmm.” She nodded, then turned to look at one of her assistants. “Well, today’s festivities are a wash. Shep, get the prize basket.”

Sakura blinked as the man hustled off, even as the four Wild Men were bound in the middle of the battle court. “Are you sure you want to give it to us?”

“Sure!” Rhoda chuckled, wincing. “Girls, we were going to give this to the best trainer here anyway. And you two seem to fit the bill.” The assistant returned, a hefty picnic hamper with several potion and drink bottles peeking out in his hands. “All yours. There’s a gift card for Krok-o-Burger in there, along with some more practical things. Enjoy it.” She winced. “Ah, but you will need to stay until the police arrive. While I go get my ribs seen to.”

“We expected as much when we intervened, Ms. Rhoda,” Rin replied steadily, relaxing her diva persona ever-so-slightly in the face of a mature adult, “Do we have to remain here, or are we good to head to one of the local diners to get food? It’s about lunchtime, and since you provided us with these gift cards so generously,” at this the witch-like girl raised the gift-cards pointedly, ”we might as well enjoy them while we’re not in the wilderness.”

One of the men nearby laughed. “Hell, the barbeque is still smoking! I don’t think we were held up long enough for anything to burn!” He turned and yelled, a dozen men and women rushing towards the rear of the church. “Tend those stewpots! Let’s go!”

As the crowd began to break up, dragging the girls along, one of the kids explained. “A lot of places offer food to attract folks to minor tournaments.”

An older woman walking alongside him chuckled. “It’s also a good excuse for a party.”

“Makes sense.” Sakura remarked, eyeing the food, “Especially since most trainers forget how expensive feeding their team and themselves is.”

As the girls were sat down at a long picnic table, they blinked as they watched the four bound trainers being tied up near the tables. “Um… shouldn’t they be held for the police?” Rin ventured.

“It’ll be a few hours until anyone can get out here with a paddy wagon. Better keep them close.” One man muttered.

“Hey, you girls have any preference on your barbeque? Any cut, spiciness?” The man who’d originally directed them to the picnic area called out. “Also, any of your Pokemon vegetarian?”

Sakura and Rin both shook their heads, “No. None of our Pokemon have any dietary needs besides our Litwick, and she already had a feast.” Rin explained, smirking darkly at the look of shock that flickered across the man’s face, “Criminals are fair game, and have been since the dawn of banditry, and Sakura and I provide enough life-force to sustain her easily on our own. Most trainer-bonded Litwick and Lampent are fine with just their trainer. Chandelure sometimes require more, but that’s why that evolution and those who train them are so highly regarded.”

“Huh. Not many people who try to train ghost types, at least not fully evolved ones.” He eyed Rin with a more critical gaze. “Hmm. Not often we see hex maniacs in these parts. Is wearing the hat a new thing?”

“Ah, no. Not a ghost specialist in the making. I just like the aesthetic they have going.” Rin giggled honestly, patting Agate’s head as her starter tried not to drool; not that she blamed her, the food smelled divine . “Though I do fit some of the archetypes Hex Maniac covers, I’m more of a generalist at the moment.”

“Well, that’s fine.” The man shrugged, doing a quick count of the people and pokemon at the table. “Anyway, so… five plates? What do you all want?”

Rin frowned, only to pause as Libra perked up and tittered on her hat, cocking her head. “Ah… I’ll try a pulled pork sandwich, with… corn nuggets and hush puppies? And a salad.” Looking over at Agate, who perked up hopefully. “And Agate wants a rack of ribs, cut separate if possible.”

Sakura nodded. “I’ll have a half rack, and a sausage, please. With bread and fries. Ren wants the same as Agate, only extra spicy.” She paused as she looked over at Ana, who was grinning. “A bowl of brunswick stew and a couple sausages for Ana, please.”

“Coming right up!”

After eating their fill, the two girls took a little while to digest, perking up as a blue and black van with a pair of uniformed officers parked nearby, two policemen and a pair of Growlithe piled out. Sakura looked over at one of their hosts. “So, who were those men, anyway? It seems odd to see so many thugs so… color-coordinated.”

“Erg, they’re from the Wild Men,” The woman beside them explained. “Bunch of redneck assholes, really. Used to be an organization for wildlife preservation, but they also liked the ‘old ways’ of Pokemon fighting and hunting. Even with that out of favor, they’re still a bunch of crooks. Moonshining and petty theft most commonly, but they also do ambushes on caravans and travelers, run guns, and sell Pokemon from wild areas and protected zones.”

“Any advice if we run into them?” Sakura asked honestly, blinking as one of the officers hauled one of the men to his feet.

“Fight them if you can, run if you can’t,” The woman muttered. “...did your parents give you two the Talk yet? New trainers should have it, but some folks try to ignore it.”

“We’ve gotten it, yes,” Rin nodded, before paling. “Ah. I see. They’re that kind of scum.”

“No. Well, not for you two, too young. Though there are some trainers who’ll try to make match wagers with that sort of thing on the line.” The woman hemmed. “There are some stories about more forcible stuff happening, but not often. The other gangs are already at the Wild Mens’ throats enough, no reason for any of them to do something to get people to gang up on them.”

“So they probably are that kind of scum but don’t do it because it would get them nuked from orbit by everyone involved?” Sakura hedged, eyes dark. She did… not like being reminded of the fate that had potentially awaited her.

As the woman nodded, Rin raised a hand. “Other gangs?”

“Yeah, the Wild Men are jostling for turf with the Uptown Crew and the Reapers,” the woman shrugged, before frowning. “Of course, these days, they’ve started to push past jostling.”

“We’re not as read into the regional situation. Would you mind filling us in so we know what to expect as Lab Trainers?” Sakura asked kindly, hiding a frown. It seemed that she and her sister wouldn’t have the peaceful journey they’d want- eh, who was she kidding, this sounded like fun!

“I don’t know the details, but whatever peace existed between the gangs? It’s breaking down, hard and fast,” the woman explained. “Makes me wonder if this was some sort of supply run. Not sure how they’d get a bunch of captured mons to actually fight for them, but there you go.”

“I think,” Rin began, pausing when the sound of sirens began to reach them, “that we’ll have to have a good, long talk with the police. If things aren’t peaceful, it’s highly likely that we’ll be called in as Lab Trainers to assist. Forewarned is forearmed, after all…”

“Speaking of which…” The girls looked up to see one of the officers, a tall woman with silver hair and a tight uniform, giving them an eye. “While I would normally bring you two to the station for your statements, it would require some deviation from your journey. Would it be acceptable for me to take notes and record your statements here?”

“We’re happy to go with you to the station, officer,” Sakura replied steadily, her eyes sparking as she stared the woman in the eye. “It appears our journey will be disrupted by a gang war anyway; and this was already a minor detour. More will not hurt, and Agate knows teleport.”

“I see.” The woman nodded. “In that case, we can go together. Seeing as you have questions, I will take the time to speak with you while we travel.” She looked back at the wagon, her partner standing nearby. “Have you finished your meals? We can wait a few minutes before we head to Swaddleton.”

“We finished enough to carry the leftovers with us, thank you officer.” Rin replied politely, bowing towards the man at the barbeque, “Thank you for the food, sir.”

“Don’t mention it!” The man laughed. “My Woobat’s family to me. Losing her would have been… bad. You’ve got friends here, if you ever need them!”

Sakura smiled, nodding bashfully. Minutes later, both girls climbed into the back of the wagon, along with the female officer, who was busily securing a gag on the last of the prisoners. “Unfortunately, we don’t have space up front for four. Thus, we will speak back here on the drive.” The woman sat in one of the seats, indicating the two across from her. After the girls took their seats and the car started up, the officer removed her cap. “So. I am Captain Bles. And I understand you have questions for me?”

“Rin Juniper-Tohsaka, and my sister Sakura Juniper. Don’t ask about the last name, it’s related to… our father, and his insane treatment of my sister.” Rin introduced herself, scowing at the very mention of her father, “I continue to carry his last name because it holds weight in the world we came from, and as much as I hate my father, I do not hate my family’s legacy. Regardless, we had questions regarding the rise of gang actively. We’re lab trainers, and thus one of the trainers that will be called upon in the event of an emergency according to league bylaws.”

“You…” Bles paused. “While normally, I would say you have nothing to worry about… these are not normal times,” the captain acknowledged. “This is not public knowledge, but several months ago, all three heads of the most predominant crime syndicates; the Reapers, the Uptown Crew, and the Wild Men, perished. Circumstances varied, but there was evidently enough doubt in all three deaths that foul play could be expected.”

“Someone wanted chaos.” Sakura and Rin immediately observed simultaneously, both sisters blinking before giggling lightly, “Continue please, captain. Apologies for the interruption.” Sakura continued, a small smile on her face despite the grim news.

“Likey, yes. Unfortunately, all three deaths were covered up by the syndicates for several weeks, so the investigations have been slow going.” She nodded to the bound men, who were listening with a mixture of sullen interest and anger. “Keeping the deaths a secret also caused tensions and suspicion between the gangs to escalate into violence. And once the skirmishing began, the more ambitious, bloodthirsty, or power-hungry members began to agitate the situation to further their own goals. It’s only a matter of time before fighting escalates into all-out gang war.”

“... And leave the criminal underworld empty once the International Response arrives in force.” Rin grimaced, eyes tracking the gang member’s reactions as she muttered, “The League is crystal clear about their response to large scale violence. Purge with prejudice. The usual ‘take alive’ mandates are lifted, and everything is at the trainer’s discretion. Interpol arrives in force, and Champions are called in to clean up the trash.”

“Someone wants to move into Unova. A new group.” Sakura finished for her sister, eyes flickering with inner darkness, “The question is; who?”

“No.” Both girls looked at Captain Bles as she shook her head. “That is the second, and less important question.” She looked back and forth at the two girls. “Tell me, who are the current members of the Unova Elite Four?”

Sakura opened her mouth, paused, and began tapping her fingers. “...why can I only remember two? And the champion?”

“Because right now, there are only two active members.” Bles said grimly. “Adamaeus Grimsley and Robert Marshall are good men, but they’re stretched thin. Isabelle Freest stepped down six months ago to care for her kids, and though Sabrina Court is training her successor, she is too old to stand as an active member, at least not in a policing role. And her successor is too young for the same tasks.” Bles grimaced. “And for that matter… Champion Alder is 58. He’s nearly too old for field work himself.”

“... The timing is suspicious.” Rin growled, eyes flashing with restrained anger, “Someone knew exactly when to stir the pot; and if it was a normal coincidence, I’ll eat my hat.”

Bles nodded. “But it does mean that, when tensions flare, the questions of who is truly responsible will take a back seat to simply dealing with the chaos.” She nodded to the girls. “You have strong Pokemon. Not strong enough, but at least enough to aid in fringe actions. More importantly, you’re capable combatants yourselves, which means you can handle yourselves in a fight.” Her face darkened. “You are both far too young for this. But we may not have a choice.”

“We have help we can call on as needed. Our friends, both lab trainers, won’t let us handle this by ourselves, and one of them will insist on showing up via teleport if needed.” Rin nodded, before turning to her sister, “What do you say we prioritize gyms over everything? Sticking to urban environments seems to be the best idea with this kind of unrest, Sakura.”

“I agree to a point, nee-san. Wilds near major routes only?”

“That works. Thank you, Sakura.”

“That you worry for me is enough, nee-san.” Sakura replied softly, a gentle smile on her face.

Bles sighed softly. “If you insist on meddling… Please keep the Unovan Police Force informed of all actions.” She insisted. “And leave all base assaults to the League, Interpol, or the UPF whenever possible.” The officer tapped her chin, then frowned. “Also, no killing.”

“We will not intentionally escalate unless they do so first.” Sakura replied firmly, her sister nodding in tandem, “The moment they do, the gloves come off. And we have magic. They have more to lose than we do,” she continued darkly, almost daring the gangs to go ahead and take the gloves off. She’d enjoy it.

“...magic? Interesting.” Bles mused. “I am a Normal Conduit myself, and I assumed you were using Rock and Dark energies. I’ve not heard of combat capable magic-users before, at least not in direct combat.”

“That’s because our world’s method of drawing prana from the environment never caught on here.” Rin explained kindly, genuinely looking to educate the woman; it wouldn’t hurt, and she’d already proven that mystery was less valuable here, if not inversely valuable, “Most mages here only used their internal energies; od, in our world’s terms, to manifest mysteries; what you would call spells. Using ambient mana lets us do more at less cost to ourselves.”

“...I see. Not from here? Your world?” Bles cocked her head. “Fallers? That… hmm.” She shook her head. “Most irregular, but you two are quite young. Too young for Interpol or relocation, I suppose.”

“Indeed. We’ve been vetted by the Clans of Sinnoh, if that helps,” Sakura added, smiling serenely, “Battling Subway Master slash Warden Ingo was rather exciting.”

“...more irregularities. Your files are going to need a lot of modification,” Bles mumbled. “Thank you for being so forthright.” She reached into her belt pouch and pulled out a folding computer. “I need to start putting all of this down. Do you have any more questions?”

“None at all, Captain Bles,” Rin nodded gracefully, before asking a question of her own. “If you would like to sit us down for questions of your own, we’re more than happy to answer them. We gain much and lose nothing from revealing things about ourselves.”

“Hmm.” Bles nodded back. “More sensible than most, at least.” She began to work, and the three women lapsed into comfortable silence,hich was interrupted by one of the tied up men making an inquisitive sound behind his gag. Bles looked up. “Yes, we’re done talking. No, I’m not letting you speak.”

The sisters only gave the criminals a little mocking wave before turning their backs to them and pulling out various electronic devices to pass the time. And the wagon rolled on, carrying them on their journey.

Chapter Text

Shirou stepped off the train, looking around to take in the streets around him. “...is it strange that I’d gotten used to the rustic style of buildings in Oldale town?” He asked quietly, looking down the way.

“No. I have too,” Illya remarked, eyes wide as she looked at the skyscrapers. “Well, to be fair to me, I haven’t ever visited a major city, and though Sandgem Town doesn’t really count, it’s still a lot more urban than I’m used to.” 

“Yeah, Sandgem is a Finneon to the Wailords of Hearthome or Jubilife,” Isabella said easily, stretching. “Still, a pretty important spot. Prelude Beach is pretty much enshrined here.” She grimaced. “If Donovan asks–”

“Wait!” A tall young man in a lavender sweater dashed up, panting. “Hah… hah… Okay. Emiya Shirou! Einzenbern Illya! I will request that you read me in on your future plans!” He looked over at Isabella. “Also, why did you reveal yourself to the Mystery Gifts?” he asked despairingly. “We were supposed to keep proper distance!”

“And I’m not hanging off their arms, so they’ve got personal space. My way’s better.” Isabella stuck her tongue out.

“Donavan, don’t be a hypocrite.” Shirou chided neutrally, causing the young man to freeze and then nod very rapidly.

“Yessir.”

“Well! It’s always nice to see such lively young trainers!” Akari spoke up, looking over the group. Donovan and Isabella both froze, eyes wide.

“Is this going to be a regular thing, Heroine-chan?” Illya deadpanned, before smiling and waving. “Good afternoon!”

“Good afternoon!” she replied. “Well, maybe!” She leaned over, whispering to the siblings. “You two know who I am, and aren’t really intimidated. That’s really nice.” She leaned back. “Plus, when the old goat intervenes to help somebody, I get interested. And I’ve never been one to keep my distance from interesting things.”

“...Lady Akari. It is an honor.” Donovan bowed.

“She just said she wants us to be chill!” Isabella snapped.

“Donovan is incapable of chill,” Shirou quipped dryly, smiling at Akari. “Hello, Akari-san. How are you today?”

“Well enough.” She looked out over the city, vision glazing slightly as she traced the contours of the land with her eyes. “Five hundred years and yesterday, I departed from this place. Once as I see it now, once a barren stretch of land, ripe with potential,” she murmured. “Now I’m here again.” She shook her head, shaking off the nostalgia. “Just in time to see a new group start their journey.” She shot Donovan a look. “So… here to keep an eye on the new kids?”

“Whether or not they’re people of interest, I need to keep an eye on them.” Donovan said. “Either they are threats to the peace of Sinnoh, or they are outsiders in need of protection.” He said gravely.

“... Shirou, we’re keeping him. He’s adorable.” Illya chuckled to her brother, who gave a small smile back in response, before burying her head into her hands, hiding her laughter at Donovan’s confused look.

Shirou shook his head. “Donovan, don’t insult my sister. Also, don’t you only have two Pokemon?”

The Pearl man scowled. “Cottie and Dancer are perfectly fine! I don’t need any more than them.” He sniffed.

“...mate, you will need to expand your team.” Isabella snarked.

Akari clapped her hands. “So! Off to see Kamado’s great-great-great-great-grandson?”

“Professor Rowan, yes,” Shirou acknowledged, ignoring the bickering clansmen in the background. “He offered us a sponsorship in response to Ritsuka evolving into a previously unknown evolution of Eevee, so we decided taking it was in our best interest.”

“Right! The dragon eeveelution!” Akari clapped her hands. “Can I–” Her smile widened as both Eevee siblings emerged from their balls. “Oh, aren’t you both gorgeous!” she said, crouching. “I’ve never seen one like that before. I’ve seen ground and fighting type Eevee on my travels, but that was in some of the unexplored territories, and before modern Pokedex.” She paused. “Hmm. Maybe I should come with you, get one of my own.”

“How many Pokemon do you have, Akari-san?” Illya asked curiously, declining to consider the possibility of an immortal traveling with her for the moment, “I’ve been told by several people to not ask how many you’ve had , but who are your partners in this time?”

“Well… technically, all the current Nobles are willing to fight for me. But as for my teams? I’ve got five mainstays, and six current partners.” She smiled. “So, either eleven or twenty-one, depending on how you ask.”

“Cool!” And that was that.

“Ah, since nee-san doesn’t want to answer, you are welcome to travel with us if you so desire, Lady Akari,” Shirou replied in Illya’s stead, smiling brightly. “Just let us know!”

“No way, kids.” Akari shook her head. “Wherever I walk, trouble fades away– all but the worst. When you get strong enough, smaller threats keep their distance, but the bigger ones come running. You three-” She shot Donovan a look, getting a tiny shrug and nervous twitch in response. “-don’t need doomsday cults, ace trainers, and Alphas attacking because I’m around.” She finished petting Matilda and took a step back. “I’ll see you both again here and there. Get in some good trouble, understood?” She eyed Isabella. “And neither of you are to drag them around, got it? Let them set the pace and the direction.”

“Of course, Lady Akari,” both clansmen chimed, understanding the order for what it was. There was a reason she was so highly regarded among the clans; and it wasn’t just because she had literally saved the world.

Shirou and Illya watched as the woman stepped onto the busy streets, a flicker of shadows marking her passage into the crowds. Illya nodded resolutely. “Good trouble, huh? I like the sound of that.” She walked down into the sunshine with Matilda trotting beside her, looking over her shoulder. “You three coming?”

Shirou simply hefted his bag over his shoulder and trotted off after her, the two tribesfolk falling in behind him.

It was a little bit of a hike to get outside the town and to the large laboratory, and Illya whistled as she took in the structure behind the gate. “...okay, this place is pretty cool. But do any of you guys know why there’s a windmill attached?”

“Knowing what’s publicly known of Professor Rowan, probably something along the lines of ‘aesthetics’ but with an actual reason,” Shirou guessed, shrugging helplessly. “Maybe a granary?

“A lot of researcher laboratories try to remain as monetarily efficient as possible,” Donovan explained. “I know the Oak Lab developed an efficient wind turbine model, and I suppose they may have spread or subsidized the model to other labs to save on power generation. Not everyone has access to thermal power in their backyards, after all.”

Illya tilted her head. “Is electricity really that expensive?”

“Did your world not have ready access to it?” Isabella asked as they passed through the gates.

Before Illya could open her mouth, Shirou cut in. “We did, in most nations. Illya just lived with a family of people who lived in a literal castle in voluntary isolation.”

“Wait, really? I mean, did they have a Lucario or Ghost-type fixation?”

“We don’t have Pokemon.” Illya deadpanned, smiling faely at their look of utter shock, “What? From our point of view, Pokemon are odd . We have something of a similar level of power, but they’ve completely retreated to what you’d call a pocket dimension.”

“...weird. I can’t imagine living without Pokemon,” Isabella muttered as the group reached the front door. “It’s… so out of context.”

“My ancestor would have appreciated a world like that. At least, in his younger years.” The door swung open to reveal a smartly dressed man with gray hair and a magnificent pair of mutton chops. “I assume the world you speak of has its own problems?”

“A Utopia is Stagnation. Ergo, no world would ever truly reach that ideal. Not fully.” Illya explained, nodding, “That is to say, across the kaleidoscope, I doubt no world truly has no problems. A pleasure, Professor Rowan.”

“Well met, Illyasviel.” He straightened. “I have heard conflicting reports whether your family name is ‘Einznbern’ or ‘Emiya’. And your trainer card, as they often do, lacks either.”

“It’s something I’m still deciding on,” Illya admitted, grinning sheepishly, “Einzbern is what I am, yet I still cherish my father’s name at times. I’m working through a perceived and actual betrayal by him, in truth. I’ll probably end up combining the two.”

“I see.” Rowan nodded. “As your card has no last name, take the time to find yourself on your journey. You may find yourself slipping into the decision as you come.” He turned and nodded at Shirou, then looked at the two clanspeople. “Mister Emiya, I’m greatly looking forward to meeting your companion. As for you two, do the clans have need of the Kamado family, or are you here on other business?”

“No, we are simply here to escort those who may be Arceus’ Gift.” Donovan replied, bowing slightly. “Although, I may ask, does the Kamado clan still maintain links to the Galaxy Corporation?”

“Fewer by far than we once did. Though if you approach me…” Rowan stroked his beard. “We can speak about that later, after we come in. Be welcome, all of you. Let’s convene in my lab.”

A few minutes later found the group walking into a large space filled with silver tiles and a large scanner. “Now–” Rowan paused as Ritsuka emerged from her ball. “Fascinating…” He knelt, beckoning slightly. “Would you mind a full inspection? A new Eeveelution… there have been three fully documented in my lifetime, but I’ve never heard of one like you.”

“Not at all, Professor.” Ritsuka chirped, her voice carrying into the ears of even those without aura, “Haha! I figured out the aura trick! You owe me salmon tonight Shirou!”

“Ah, I had heard you were both Aura users, but to teach a non-fighting type such a technique…” Rowan’s eyes narrowed. “Although, as a Mystery Gift, you may not have the same restrictions upon you as I have seen from other Pokemon. Hmm. Unless we could replicate the circumstances, you may be wholly unique.”

“You say that like she’s not already.” Shirou eyed his starter with some reproach. “Are you going to stay one gender through this entire session?”

“Nah. I’ll do both as a special service today.” The dragon stated magnanimously, looking to all the world like a smug cat with an element of foxy mischief, “Gotta give the good professor a baseline for both sexes, after all.”

“Sequential hermaphrodism is not something seen in…” Rowan blinked as Ritsuka changed, then changed back. “...is this a gender-based form change? Hmm.” He stood after giving Ritsuka some pats. “Well, this may be useless from a wider standpoint, but her– their case study may give me insights into how such a transformation might be accomplished elsewhere.” He tapped his chin. “Actually, Eevee populations have always been remarkably stable gender wise, even during cataclysms. I wonder if that’s just a slower form of this phenomena?” He walked over to the scanner. “Apologies, but we may be here a little longer than I’d thought. While I set up the scans, do any of you have any questions?”

“I did a bit of research into Lady Akari after she approached us the first time,” Illya began. “And it’s mentioned several times that ‘For the Wrong done to her, the Clan of Kamado and the Galaxy Team will always remember the debt they owe. But what happened is never really spelled out. What did the Kamado family do?”

“My ancestor decided that it would be a great idea to be a paranoid fool and kick Lady Akari out of Jubilife Village, the only home she’d known in the era-slash-world she’d fallen into because he was utterly convinced she was the problem and was content to bury his head in the sand despite overwhelming evidence otherwise, then he sicced his personal ninja on her, and then he attempted to stop her from resolving the crisis in the first place,” Professor Rowan stated in an utter deadpan. “My ancestor was an idiot. A traumatized idiot. But an idiot all the same.” He sighed. “His efforts to make up for his failings occurred far too late for Lady Akari to accept them, and the Galaxy Team did not lift a finger to oppose him, save for a few scattered individuals. It is a failing which my family still attempts to repay, though the Lady herself keeps her distance.”

“The Clans still remember the insult, though at the time we were unwillingly complicit in the act. It took many years for Lady Irida and Lord Adaman to find ways to make it up to her.” Donovan sighed.

“Indeed,” Rowan mused. “Now, as for the current Galactic Corporation, they have shaken off the debts they owe the clans and Lady Akari both.” Rowan grumbled. “Bah. One cannot so easily slough off one’s history.”

“Indeed,” Illya added neutrally, frowning herself. “Debts, especially to an influential immortal, are serious business. Especially one chosen quite literally by Arceus himself.”

“Well put.” Rowan started. “Actually… is it true that the two of you have been acknowledged and respected by Lady Akari?”

“Acknowledged, yes. Told we were interesting, yes. Respected? Probably not. More along the lines of willing to treat us with respect, and potentially offer us her respect once we ‘earn’ it,” Shirou assessed, nodding firmly to himself. “She has given us a chance to be proven worthy of that, and we intend to do our best to meet those expectations.”

Rowan finished tapping at his computer, and as the scanners whirred to life he turned back to the group. “Well then, if you are on a mission from her, as small as it may be, I may have something for you.” He eyed the two children. “Tell me, how interested would you two be in an annotated map of Sinnoh? With all the little nooks and crannies where interesting things are said to lurk?”

“... Please .” Illya practically shouted from the rooftops, stars in her eyes. “Gimme.”

Rowan chuckled. “Certainly. Though it’s never been digitized.” Rowan walked over, looking back at Ritsuka. “If you could please stay there for a moment? We need to go to my study.”

“Okay!” Ritsuka called, before pacing in a circle and settling down.. “I’ll just take a quick nap while I wait.”

The five humans moved down the hallway, Rowan drawing them all into a large office. One entire wall was taken up by shelves of books and a small walk-in display room. Moving to the display room, Rowan began to unlock a display case. “This book contains the journals, mission reports, clan scrolls, and paraphernalia of Commander Komado’s right hand, the Ninja known as Beni.” He explained. “After the conclusion of the Sinnoh Crisis, Beni explored the majority of Sinnoh, and even settled down and had children. However, none of them followed him into his profession, so he passed his effects to the family, with the understanding that they be used to train any future Shinobi. But Sinnoh has been at peace, and none have needed these materials.” He opened the case, revealing a pair of swords, small racks of throwing knives, wooden scroll cases, and a stack of thin books.

“... Huh, these have all been lovingly used and cared for, and only drawn in anger a few times. Very nice swords, knives, and bladed materials.” Shirou mused, walking over towards the knives as if in a trance, “Those were used to kill the Pokemon that caused Kamado so much trauma. Interesting…”

“Hmm. Magic?” At Shirou’s nod, Kamado peered at the scrolls. “These techniques are ninjutsu. Most use Poison, Bug, Dark, or Fighting energies. The last might be of use to you, but with magic you might be able to use any of these techniques. Well, if you can break the ciphers.” Kamado reached in and unrolled one scroll, revealing an unintelligible mishmash of letters and symbols. “Beni apparently left the key to this code with the rest of his things, but that part of his tools have been lost.” He rerolled the scroll and instead reached for one of the books. “This is Beni’s expedition journal, which includes several maps. Also in code, but the maps themselves may be of use.”

Shirou eyed the journal, only to get cut off as Illya quickly took it from the professor’s hands. “Ooh…” She opened it, then blinked as a folded sheaf of parchment fell out. Snatching it out of the air, she tucked the book into her satchel then unfolded the map. “...wow, this is old.” She whispered. “How many of these sites have been uncovered?” She asked over the top of the map.

“A few, but not many. Beni explored far off the beaten path a lot of the time, or so his journals claim. Those are areas still largely off the main routes or away from city centers.”

“That makes sense. He probably has the best places for a ninja enclave marked as well; he seemed like the type.” Shirou mused, smiling wanly at Rowan’s look, “I can see the experience and the imprint the wielder of a weapon left on said weapon. He was… a complicated man, but in a way, that exploration was a penance of sorts.”

“Hmm.” Rowan eyed the weapons before shaking his head. “I’m tempted to offer you one of these blades, but they haven’t been properly maintained in centuries. The staff does clean them, but even so…” He stopped and turned to Donovan. “Son, are the smiths of the clans still up to making proper war weapons?”

Donovan frowned. “We do have some quality swordsmiths, but I don’t know if they’re able to make weapons capable of fighting Pokemon. That’s an art we haven’t needed in a while.”

“Please pass on to them that I would like to have a proper blade made for Mister Emiya, and let them know the coffers of the Kamado family stand open for when they do.” Rowan instructed.

“I will pass it on, sir.” Donovan responded.

“Good.” Rowan closed the display case, then walked back into his study. “As long as you two are here, I may as well hand these off.” He stepped over to a cabinet, removing two boxes. “Your Pokedexes. Latest model, at least for those available here in Sinnoh.” He looked between the two of them. “Now, Mister Emiya, do you have any requests in terms of payment for your time?”

“That’s honestly up to Ritsuka to decide.” Shirou grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head, “She’s the one going through the tests, she gets to decide what she wants out of it. I’ll give her advice of course; nee-san would kill me otherwise, but she’ll have the final say.”

“I see.” Rowan mused, just before Yagi popped out of his ball, landing in a three-point crouch on the floor.

Springing upright, the little canine barked. “ Yosh! Senpai Ritsuka thought you might attempt to decline or defer payment, so they drew up a shortlist of possible recompense for us.” The Riolu reached down, pulling a folded sheet of paper from his hammerspace. “First option, at Shirou’s discretion; a Pokemon egg, preferably something capable of dealing with Fairy or Psychic types.”

Shirou blinked, before nodding as if everything made sense, “Yeah, you guys would do that wouldn’t you?” He shrugged. “If that’s what Ritsuka would want…”

Rowan shook his head slightly. “Though I do deal with Pokemon Evolution, I tend not to involve myself with the egg trade. I could seek out something interesting, should it be necessary, but I suspect you’ll have plenty of luck getting new Pokemon without my assistance.”

“Alright! Second option, you expand both Lady Illya and Shirou’s carry limit, to allow them to bring more Pokemon with them in the field.”

“That’s certainly doable, though you both will need to keep to the battle rules of six maximum. It does seem somewhat insufficient, though.”

“Perfect! Third, a Technical Machine library.”

“No. Do you know how much I already pay Devon Corp and Silph Co? If you need to use a reusable TM you are of a level for, I will allow you access to my library, but I cannot give you one.”

“Fourth, Wild Area passes.”

“Done.” Rowan finished. “Considering your luck with Pokemon, I suspect that will be a good way to bring in more interesting data anyway.” He turned and headed towards his computer. “It will mean registering you both as research assistants. Speaking of which, Ms. Einzenbern, I heard you were looking to evolve your Snorunt, and had a Dawn Stone for the purpose?”

“I do, yes. Fubuki and I were just figuring out when the best time to evolve was,” Illya admitted, releasing her Snorunt from her ball. “We agreed to wait until we arrived at the lab.”

“Excellent. Would you mind performing the evolution in the scanner, little one?” He looked down at Fubuki.

“That was why I waited, yes.”

“There are not many Pokemon which gain the Ghost type upon evolution. I can only think of a few, and though there is still a substantial Cyndaquil population here in Sinnoh, most of them live in areas which do not encourage their regional evolution,” he explained as he walked back into the main lab space.

Ritsuka looked up, tail trashing as she yawned, revealing her fangs. “ So, I could hear you in the hallway. Are we done yet?”

“Not quite. Demonstrate a few moves, please.” Rowan requested as he headed over to his console. “I’ll put up the barriers.”

Looking up from her book, Illya absently took a bite of her sandwich. “...okay, on the one hand, Paldean-style subs are delicious. On the other, some of the varieties are very weird.” She took a look at her sandwich. “I like the tropical, but who puts noodles on a sandwich? With hot dogs?” She took another bite.

“Honestly, I’m fairly sure people have done similar things on Earth. Some of the best dishes seem insane when you think about them; combining western and eastern food types, for example. After all, pasta started as an eastern thing that Marco Polo imported,” Shirou mused as he bit into his own, absently noting that the flavor was very good. “This is definitely authentic though, given what I’ve heard. Someone really knows what they’re doing at this sandwich shop.”

Isabella nodded. “Shame Donovan darted off like that, but when one of the elders say jump, he hops to it. Even when it’s one of Kamado’s line.” She shrugged. “Rowan’s a good egg, though.”

Matilda looked up from her peanut butter sandwich. “ He’s not responsible for his ancestor’s actions. No more than Illya is for her father’s.”

Ritsuka chirped from where she devoured her own spicy meal. “ Of course not. Still a blemish, though. And his repayment…” Her tail lashed. “See anything interesting on that map?”

“...maybe,” Illya murmured, looking down at her maps. “What do you guys know about the Grand Underground?”

“Big Underground Cave-slash-Mining System found during the colonization of Sinnoh. Has a buncha unique ecosystems, and is theorized to be connected to the surface directly through some yet unexplored tunnels,” Ritsuka answered idly, flicking one of her ears as Matilda’s feelers settled on her. “What’s the occasion sis?”

“Just keeping you honest sister dear. I do have to occasionally remind you who’s the boss between us.” Matilda grinned back faely.

“ Illya.” Ritsuka shot back.

“Touche, sister mine. Touche,” Matilda acknowledged with a shrug. “I’m still above you though.”

As the two Eeveelutions sparred, Illya continued. “The Grand UUnderground connects to a lot of interesting caverns. Caverns which Beni apparently explored, at least somewhat. And he mentioned finding a lot of interesting Pokemon habitats down there.” She flipped the book around. “These days, the ways into the caverns have been blocked off, exploited, or buried. But with our passes, and an Underground Explorer’s license, we could head down there. Earn some money, find some rare or unusual Pokemon, and maybe dig up some artifacts for big sis Cynthia.”

“Probably best to take into account the exits and entrances then. We could use the Grand Underground as an alternative method to travel between some cities, for one.” Shirou mused idly, looking at the map, “Look, there’s a route from Jubilife to Snowpoint. One that takes us under Mt. Coronet.”

“We can double back for that. But the nearest office of the Underground Club is in Oreburgh. That’s also where a Gym is.” She looked down, eyes tracing the map. “So, I say we head to Oreburgh, challenge the gym, get some training and Explorers' licenses, and then head where we wish. You want to challenge the Ice Gym next, or were you hoping to head into Pearl Clan turf?”

“More just pointing out a random interesting route, nee-san.” Shirou shrugged, looking up at her with a small smile, “I’m honestly just happy to follow whichever route you chose. I’ll probably occasionally request deviations, but as a whole I’m happy to go with the flow.”

“Well, at least we have our first stops.” Illya acknowledged, then pulled out her Pokedex. “So… are there any Pokemon we want to hunt down early on?” She traced the electronic map of her Dex. “We could both use more team variety, even if Matilda and Ritsuka have massive coverage at this point.”

“There’s a few Pokemon I wouldn’t mind adding to the team,” Shirou began, a smile making its way onto his face. “A Vulpix would be great, as an example.”

“Mm!” Illya nodded, then looked over at her other Pokemon. “Ah, Fubuki. Enjoying your hands?”

The frosty ghost looked up in the midst of lifting her sandwich to her face. “Immensely. Could we recruit a water or rock type? Something to defeat fire types would be good.”

“If we one across one, sure,” Illya nodded eagerly, pulling out a list on her Pokedex. “I have a list. It’s just a matter of finding the right Pokemon.”

Isabella grinned as the two siblings went over who they hoped to recruit. “Huh, I wonder if I could fill out my team a little bit….” she asked herself. “This will be a good journey, I think.”

Chapter Text

Rin straightened her hat as she clambered out of the Police van. “Thank you for the lift, ma’am,” she said into the large vehicle.

Captain Bles peered out. “It’s no trouble. We don’t have secure holding cells for these men,” she drummed her knuckles on the long-range transport’s side. “So I needed to bring them over here from our holding cells.” She looked out over Striation City, laid out below. “Here to challenge the Gym?”

“We are, yes,” Sakura replied brightly, an easy smile on her face as she cast her gaze in the Gym’s general direction. “Nee-san, have you…”

“Yeah, I’ve got reservations for tomorrow. They’re unfortunately too busy to take us later today,” Rin replied, bowing towards the Captain. “Best of luck with the criminals, ma’am.”

“No trouble, either of you. Please, stay safe, and inform us if you have a run in with any of the gangs.” She nodded, before walking around back to the head of the van. With a rumble, the vehicle roared off towards the industrial part of town.

Sakura smiled as the sisters walked into town, her gaze lingering on the woods outside. “...it’s been a whole month since we wandered out of those woods. It seems so much longer…”

“Well, arriving in a new world does tend to make these things feel longer, Sakura,” Rin teased, eyes flicking around before she sighed, releasing Agate from her Pokeball. “I’d recommend having one of your Pokemon out, though, little sis. Especially if the officer was being serious about how… heated all this gang violence is going to get soon.”

Sakura raised one eyebrow. “We’re in the middle of a major city, with people all around. Rin, we should be safe.” She tossed out a ball, letting Ana walk beside her. “Still, it's always a good idea to let us walkabout.” She tilted her head. “Have you thought at all about how you’re going to handle the gym?”

“I’ll probably lead with Libra and finish up with Agate,” Rin answered, shrugging. “I’ve thought of a few strategies, but Agate is… a bit more powerful than most 0 badge teams are.” Pausing, Rin nodded. “Libra knows more moves than is reasonable, as well.”

“I suppose if Mr. Henderson keeps to a one-badge team, that would work. Even if he’s using dark types,” Sakura reasoned. “Though, it may still be best to prepare. Are we going to head to the Center and a Hostel first, or do we want to go shopping, maybe do some trainer jobs?”

“Center,” Rin stated decisively, nodding firmly to herself. “Free hotel is better than paid hotel, and we need to make sure we reserve a room before the evening rush.”

“Sure thing, nee-san,” Sakura agreed. “And what will we be doing with the afternoon?”

“What do you feel like doing?” Rin countered.

“...well. I do want to get in some practice.” Sakura blushed as she spoke. “So… do you think we could head to some of the pick-up courts in the city?” At Rin’s look, she shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to battle you again, Nee-san.” Her smile took on an edge as her eyes gleamed. “There’s only so much I can learn from winning all the time, after all.”

“Yes yes,” Rin snarked, well used to the remarks by now, “And I wouldn’t mind. I can only learn so much from being trashed repeatedly, after all. I was so sure Miracle Eye would let me actually scrape a draw off…”

“It got you closer, nee-san! And it’ll probably help you against the Gym,” Sakura responded. “Now come on, let’s go!”

“Hai hai…” Rin replied with a fond shake of her head, sedately going in the opposite direction her sister was going. “I’ll meet you at the courts. I’ll go reserve us a room at the center, you battle maniac.”

The Striation Gym was a simple but imposing building; three stories tall, nestled halfway into the dark woods in the north of the city proper, and weathered from age. Walking up to it, Sakura cocked her head. “I wonder if the next gym leader will keep the building. I mean, it seems sturdy enough, but considering the placement and how many repairs it would need…”

Rin shook her head. “Probably not. The replacement Leaders, they’re set on building a restaurant as part of their gym. They’ll be tearing down the building and rebuilding it. It doesn’t meet the regulations required for a restaurant in Unova.”

“I did hear about that,” Sakura sighed. “It’s too bad. There’s very few accredited Dark gyms worldwide, and the new Gym leaders… well, it sounds like they’re not going to offer the challenge Mr. Henderson can.”

“Glad to hear you feel that way, young lady.” Both girls looked up as they entered, taking in the face of the man before them. White hair famed a weathered face, but his body was tall and strong despite his age. Dark blue eyes assessed them both. “Well now… you’d be Sakura and Rin, correct?” He asked, cocking his head.

“Yes, that would be correct, Leader Henderson,” Rin stated respectfully, bowing. “I believe my sister was up first; would you prefer if I waited in the waiting room or would it be okay if I watched from the bleachers?”

Mr. Henderson grinned. “You can watch from the bleachers. Now, normally, have incoming challengers take on a few of my gym trainers as the Gym Challenge. But you two cut a swathe through the trainers in town yesterday, including a few of my kids. So I’ve already learned what I need to know about both of you.” He paused. “You know, my gym isn’t popular with first or second badge trainers for a reason. Care to guess why?”

“You don’t play ‘fair’,” Sakura stated bluntly, snorting derisively at the descriptor. “If they expect a dark type gym leader to play by the rules or codes of honor fighting types generally use, they need to relearn what each type is generally thought to represent. And dark types are the personification of dirty fighting.”

“Heh, good answer. But not exactly right, although in the right vein.” He motioned to the two of them. “Unlike a lot of Gym leaders, I don’t have a set battle team. When you get here? You’re watched, and then I tailor my team to counter yours.” He waved Sakura forward, opening a pair of double doors to reveal a large interior court, the bleachers sparsely filled with young men and women, then advancing across to the other side. “For you, I have a challenge prepared. Two Pokemon to a side, no substitutions, no withdrawals. Challenger, do you accept?”

“I do,” Sakura barked back after a few moment’s thought, eyes aflame in anticipation.

“Excellent. Send out your first Pokemon.” He withdrew a Pokeball from his coat.

As one, two voices sounded. “Go, Ana!” Sakura cried, in the same moment as Henderson yelled “Murkrow, go!” Two pokeballs flew from their trainer’s hands, and two pokeballs burst open upon the battlefield in complete sync.

Ana lighted on the ground gracefully with a calculating glint on her eyes in the same moment a black bird flashed into being hovering in midair, cawing darkly, almost as if laughing, mockingly. Before Sakura or the referee could say anything, Henderson gave his orders. “Murkrow, set up. Bombardment tactics.” Murkrow cackled, then swooped eyes going cloudy for a few moments.

“Leech Seed!” Sakura barked moments behind, her aforementioned Snivy briefly glowing before she backflipped, sending a flurry of seeds towards the flying type. The Murkrow juked desperately, but his efforts were in vain. Several of the small seeds struck home, vines growing roots into their new prey and glowing fiercely for a moment, Ana glowing slightly as the leeched vitality was fed into her. Beak twitching in fury, the Murkcrow cawed again, glowing wings beating rapidly. A sudden wind began to blow from behind him; Tailwind, Sakura realized, even as Ana raised one small forelimb in an effort to protect her eyes, “Ana, Leaf Tornado!” The trainer called with gritted teeth, shielding her eyes from the kicked up dust.

“Evade and start the bombardment!” Henderson responded, Murkrow cawing as he began to swoop around the battlefield, each wingbeat releasing an eddy of wind which formed into a whirling ball of air. Ana’s first flurry of razor sharp leaves hit squarely, sending the Murkrow into a spin before he recovered, the Snivy doing her best to dance between each strike. Her luck ran out entirely after she narrowly avoided a third blast of compressed air, only to run face first into a well placed fourth, sending her sprawling before she recovered, threads of green energy flowing out of Murkrow and into her once more. The flying bird cawed, a mixture of pain and fury alight within their eyes.

“Hmm. Another plot, then switch to targeted strikes, we can’t afford a war of attrition!” Henderson called out, his bird cawing loudly as its eyes shone red once again, the aura of malice around it growing thicker.

“Ana, twister!” Sakura cried firmly, dead set on ending this now, before the situation became untenable. Two Nasty Plots were more than enough to easily overcome what little resistance training she’d managed with Ana, and she did not want to chance Ren taking enough hits to be worn down for the next fight. As if responding to her trainer’s wishes, the Snivy snarled as she leaped and twisted her body almost unnaturally, a blast of purplish whirling energy emerging from her tail and whirling towards the Murkrow, forcing it to take evasive action, buying even more time for the seeds to do their slow, methodical work.

With a squawk of protest, the Murkrow beat his wings at double pace, readying himself for an attack. He swooped down, a blade of wind forming around his wings. His attack run forced him to take a twister burst on the nose, as Ana pitched on her side to avoid the predicted path of the air cutter luckily managing to almost entirely avoid it and immediately following up with another twister to impact the flailing crow. Even as the flying type collapsed, Ana shrieked as fragments of the supercharged wind blade washed over her, a final spiteful strike from the fainting Pokemon. Fitting, especially for a dark type.

Henderson laughed as he withdrew the Murkrow. “Murkrow’s more of a second badge pokemon, and there’s a lot of folks who can’t handle type disadvantages. You’ve trained in the basics well enough to cover, I see.”

“Best to have a strong body first and foremost, and always have a trick or two to cover poor matchups,” Sakura agreed. “Your Murkrow is well-trained, too. His setup was well-practiced.”

“One of the youngest Gym birds I have left,” he said ruefully. “His dam is one of my Elite Challenge teams, but most of them have flown to other pastures by this point.” He shook his head and withdrew his second ball. “Going to keep your girl in? She seems a little battered.”

“Ana?” Sakura asked her second Pokemon. Ana’s response was as predictable as it was firm.

“Snivy,” she murmured, not taking her gaze off Henderson.

“Thank you, but Ana will be staying in.” Sakura’s response to her Pokemon’s wishes was equally firm, her own eyes ablaze as she stared into the Gym Leader’s own.

“Spirited. Good.” Henderson flicked his wrist, speaking even as the light resolved into a bipedal shape, arms lifting. “Fire punch.”

“Crag!” The little lizard boxer hurled himself forward, burning fist leading. Eyes widening minutely, though not entirely surprised, Sakura called, “Evade and counterstrike with Leaf Blade!”

The Snivy made an desperate attempt at evasion, barely managing to dart to one side as the little fighting-type hit her with a right hook, sending her crashing to the mats. Before she could get to her feet, the Scraggy was already darting in for another blow, and this time Ana was unable to evade in time. The second punch knocked her out.

“Thank you, Ana,” Sakura murmured as she returned the spirited grass snake, hooking the pokeball to her belt before pulling out Ren’s. “Ren, I chose you!”

Her starter’s ball arched through the air and released her Umbreon, Ren quietly staring at his opponent as he began circling the other dark type, growling almost inaudibly.

Henderson nodded, a smile crossing his face as his Scraggy began to breakdance. “Umbreon are wonderful pokemon. I’ve trained one or two over my time, but you’re a little low level to be facing mine in combat.” As the Scraggy came back upright, his gaze narrowed. “Rock Smash!”

The scrappy little lizard darted forward much faster than he’d been before, fist gleaming as he leapt.

“Knock them back with Double Kick!” Sakura cried, trusting her starter’s judgement call on whether to endure the hit to get a measure of his opponents strength or to dodge it to preserve stamina. Ren, evidently, had decided that knocking out Ana with a one-two punch merited caution, and danced to the side at the last second before he slammed his hind paws into the Scraggy, sending the Pokemon skidding across the battlefield of the Gym. The little fighting type skidded to a halt, then came upright and pulsed Dark energy, giving the middle finger as he did so.

Growling furiously in response, Ren for a moment seemed to consider throwing caution to the wind and attacking before he mastered himself, throwing Sakura a look that communicated how annoyed he was at the punk before refocusing at her call, “Ren, quick attack!”

The Umbreon was surrounded by a sheen of white before he began leaving an afterimage behind, slamming rapidly into his opponent and dancing back to gain distance from any possible retaliation, even as the Scraggy lunged forward with another Rock Smash. The Scraggy’s attack missed, letting Ren get in another Double Kick, before the little lizard lashed out with a breakdance kick which swept the larger dark type back..

Noticing her opponent was flagging while her Pokemon was not, Sakura opted to go for a deception, placing a very specific emphasis on ‘finish this up’ to let her Pokemon know the move she actually wanted him to use, “Ren, finish this up with a quick attack!”

Twitching his left ear in understanding, the Umbreon began to glow an ominous white, as if he was simply building up for a quick attack. Henderson called out “Take the hit, and use Revenge when–” His call was cut off as Ren smashed into Scraggy like a cannonball, knocking him into the wall and out. “...that wasn’t Quick Attack.”

“I am raising a dark type, Leader Henderson,” Sakura snickered, petting Ren as he came over to her demanding pets. “With that specific inflection I was calling for Skull Bash.”

“Ah! Hah, that’d do it,” he laughed. “Sure you don’t want to stick around and take my place? I think you’d do just fine.”

“Apologies, but if I’m going to settle down in any league establishment I will settle for nothing less than the Elite Four,” Sakura said serenely, inwardly preening at the obvious praise.

“Hah, only fair.” He walked across the field, taking a second to scratch Ren’s head. “You’ve earned your Secret Badge.” He handed off a long dark strip of metal, black metal edged with gold. “How’s it feel?”

“Validating,” the younger girl replied immediately, smiling brightly, “Now-”

“Well done Sakura!” Rin roared from the bleachers as if reading her younger sister’s mind, “Way to go!”

“Nevermind. Now it’s perfect.” She giggled, her smile blinding by this point, “If you’ll excuse me Leader Henderson, I do believe my sister is up next. I’ll be in the stands.”

As Rin leapt down, Henderson gave her a considering look. “Miss Tohsaka. You can probably guess that this will not be an easy fight for you; I don’t need to cherry pick a team like I did with your sister.”

“Even still, I believe in my Pokemon and my tactics, despite both being weak to the type you specialize in, Leader Henderson,” the older sister replied firmly, a spark of challenge dancing in her eyes. “It’ll make my eventual win all the more satisfying.”

“Well said.” He nodded. “But that gives me two options.” He pulled out a single Pokeball with one hand, and tapped two more hanging below his already expended Pokemon. “You can either have a similar match to your sister… or face one of my higher challenge Pokemon.”

Opening her mouth to respond that of course she’d challenge the higher badge Pokemon, Rin forced herself to bite her words back, taking a moment to actually consider things. She was confident that if she was allowed to substitute she could beat a Pokemon of up to Fourth Badge level, albeit only a single one, and it would take both her Pokemon everything they had. However, Leader Henderson was a Dark Type Specialist, there was something he wasn’t saying. “Which badge level, and what would be the rules?” She asked instead, seeking information before she chose.

“He’s one of my fourth-badge team, actually. And I suppose… since you only have two Pokemon, you get one free switch. Otherwise, it’s all going by league rules.” He spun the ball. “Otherwise, we can just do what we did before.”

“I’ll challenge the one. It’ll be a good test of my ability to wear a single strong pokemon down, and that’s an important skill for any traveling trainer to have,” Rin replied firmly after a few moments pause.

“Alright then.” Henderson walked over. “As an additional bonus…” He tossed out the ball. “Drapion, go.” A bulky scorpion-brute appeared on the battleground, grinning as it loomed over Rin. Gulping, not out of fear but out of excitement, Rin grinned, pulling Agate’s ball from her belt and tossing it onto the field lightly,
“Agate, standby!”

The Espeon came onto the field with catlike grace, daintily landing with her eyes closed, ‘I assume we’re going with the standard ‘wear down’ plan in official format, Rin?’ Agate asked her trainer, receiving an affirmative reply mentally, ‘Understood. Let’s get to it then, shall we?’
Mhm

Henderson raised one eyebrow. “Alright then. Drapion, sharpen up, then start slashing!” The brutish dark type chuckled, then ground his claws against each other as he stalked forward, grin wide.

‘Agility.’ Rin called.

‘Indeed. Setting up.’ Agate reported, seemingly dancing in spot as she weaved in and out of the space she was standing in, setting up the boosts even as the giant scorpion approached, the Espeon’s eyes briefly flashing as she set up her own little surprise in the form of a Future Sight.

As the Drapion closed in, he opened one claw, now coated in dark thorns, before sweeping it around covered in a shadowy blade, the Night Slash aimed to sweep the entire area around him. Agate, as if bored (though internally sweating), leaped onto the Drapeon at Rin’s psionic warning. ‘That was Hone Claws or Swords Dance. I’m guessing the former, given how eerily accurate it was,’ the Espeon reported, leaping off her opponents head as his tail blurred towards her, narrowly dodging and somehow managing a graceful landing as she tossed a Confusion towards the Drapion, “This is not going to be fun.” She continued to herself, this time muttering aloud.

“Not polite to speak without letting me get in on that, little fox.” Drapion growled. “Smart not to, but a little rude.” He jabbed his tail forward in a blurring arc, poison forming on the stinger. As Agate leapt away, Drapion opened his mouth and blasted poison from his maw. “Can’t dodge forever, kid.” He rasped, even as his swipes destroyed the shadow clones en masse.

“Indeed!” Agate snipped back, watching her opponent suddenly buckle as the prepared attack triggered and slammed into him with catlike glee. “Just like you can’t take supereffective attacks from me forever~” Her teasing was followed by a glow of her eyes as she attempted to hypnotize her opponent to more easily boost and wear him down.

‘Agate, dodge left, now.’ Rin’s mental call had the fox-cat diving to her left without question, trusting that her trainer wouldn’t lead her astray. The spray of poison that impacted the spot she had just vacated had the Espeon blanching. That had been far too close for comfort.

“Miracle eye?” Henderson asked, brows raised even as his Drapion shuddered and came upright. “Not something I see on trainers your age.” He shook his head. “That throws everything off, maybe.” He focused back on the battlefield. “Still… that just means I need to escalate. Seed the ground, boy!” Drapion snarled, before spitting toxic spikes to cover the field… only to blink as Agate flashed, the spikes doing a one-eighty and seeding the field around him. “...Magic Bounce. Hmm. Maybe I should have gone with a Bisharp instead…” He mused. “Enough clever tactics; sweep her away!”

Drapion lunged forward, claws swinging in massive arcs as he began to relentlessly pursue Agate across the field. Agate blurred and twisted, but the sweeping blows caught her eventually, sending her tumbling and dazed to the mat. The Drapion honed his claws again as he closed in..

Only for Rin to smirk, “Baton Pass!”

With her own grin, Agate gave a cheeky little wave of her tail and retreated into her Pokeball, Libra manifesting on the field in her place, the former Librarian Litwick immediately sending ghostly balls of fire her opponents way. Burns were ever so useful, after all.

“Ah fuck! I hate being burned!” Drapion snarled, before coughing up a Shadow Ball. The ball of compressed ghostly energy smacked into Libra and sent her spinning away, which the Drapion grinned about before pausing. “Oh great, now I need to chase the ghost… should’ve pinned her first.”

Libra flailed, badly bruised, before righting herself in mid-air. “Umm, Rin? I don’t recognize that Pokemon. Should I just use–” She darted aside, enhanced speed allowing her to zip away from questing claws. “Is this guy bug-dark? Should I use fire?”

“Poison-dark,” Rin corrected, eyes narrowed. “Fire is still better than most of your other moves, Libra.”

“Got it!” The little ghost focused, a whirl of fire appearing above her head, the Fire Spin whipping outward to wrap around Drapion in loosely rotating chains.

Henderson blinked. “...the hell? Never seen a fire move like that…”

“Libra is at least a few hundred years old and spent a hundred years plus locked in a library of an ancient dead mage family. She has an interesting way of using some attacks.” Rin replied, watching as the flame band constricted on the hulking dark-type. Drapion lunged forward, claws connecting with Libra even as she volleyed more fireballs into his maw. She was smashed aside once again, before Drapion pounced on her, only to fail as she sunk through the floor and emerged meters away, battered but whole.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to pull the poison battle strategy on a Poison type!” Drapion hissed. “Stay still you little–”

“Libra, return!” Rin cackled, using her one free switch to send her starter back out, “Agate, psybeam!”

With a flash, the psychic fox-cat was back on the field, already throwing the not effective attack at the Drapion, who flinched as it hit him, blinking in confusion as it did no damage.

“Ah, good call, Rin,” Agate complimented her, setting up Miracle Eye once more. “Now?”

“Go ahead and dig,” Rin ordered, a wicked smirk briefly flickering across her face. “Set up Future Sight before you do so.”

“As you wish!” Agate chirped back, setting up the aforementioned attack and diving into the ground as Drapion shook his head, then hissed as his burn and the fire spin wore away at him further.

“Erg… boss, this is getting annoying.” He ran over to the hole in the ground, flexing his throat to hork a sludge bomb down the hole. As the surge of poison detonated, Agate popped up from another hole, sending a wave of mud at the scorpion, even as the ground beneath her burped purple goo. “Oh come on, ground attacks?” He spat another sludge bomb at Agate as the wave of mud smacked him, the orb failing to connect directly but bursting to send sizzling splatters of liquid to scorch the Espeon’s fur.

Hissing in discontent, Agate yet still smirked as the future sight attack slammed into the Drapion, sending him to the floor. Drapion fought to rise, but Agate just twitched her ears and slammed him with another psybeam, knocking him back.

He did not get up.

Henderson chuckled. “Baton pass, Agility, burns… you came prepared for a war of attrition,” he mused. “You know, playing with our food is a failure of the dark type at times. I think I may have indulged in that a bit, to my loss.” He withdrew Drapion and walked across the battered arena. “Your win, young lady. Well executed.”

Breathing a sigh of relief as she slowly came down from the adrenaline she was running on Rin, let out a cheer before walking towards Henderson. “Thank you, Leader Henderson.” She breathed, looking all the world like the excited young girl she actually was, rather than the heiress she tried to be at times.

Sakura applauded, standing to walk up and get a closer view of the handoff, snapping a picture as Rin received her badge. “First badge, in the bag!”

“Really not a first badge challenge, to be honest.” Henderson sighed. “I’m glad you girls were well prepared. I’d likely have trounced a real first-badge kid. As a special reward…” He rummaged in his pockets, pulling out a pair of slate-black discs. “Here. I don’t know if you’ll find a use for these, but they both contain Hone Claws. Useful move, for offensively minded Pokemon.”

Sakura looked at the disc in her hands speculatively. “Hmm. Do you know if Umbreon can learn this?”

“Not supposed to, but then I’ve had some luck teaching Pokemon moves they weren’t supposed to learn. It’s a lot less easy, to be sure.”

“Even if our current Pokemon can’t learn it,” Rin began, humming thoughtfully to herself, “We have access to our private Technical Machine Library. We could also find a use for it down the line.”

Henderson nodded. “Well, glad to have you both here today.” He pulled out his Xtransceiver, tapping a few buttons. “I’ve forwarded you both your payouts. Anything else you need from me before you go?” He looked at Sakura. “Maybe some tips on how to raise an Umbreon?”

“That would be wonderful, Leader Henderson.” Sakura answered, taking out a notepad and pen, “Nee-san, we might be a while.”

“Don’t worry about it, Sakura. I’ll go get my Pokemon checked at the Center, and then go window shop for a bit. Call me when you’re done!” Her sister replied lightheartedly, waving goodbye before she gave Leader Henderson one last bow and left.

Chapter Text

Illya yawned as she emerged from her tent, wiping her eyes as Matilda padded out after her. The crackling of the campfire and the hiss of a camp stove drew her to the firepit in the middle of the clearing, and she wandered over to slump on a log. “Morning, Shirou,” she mumbled, perking up as the boy in question passed her a mug of coffee. “Best otouto.” she mumbled - into the mug, this time.

Shirou nodded as he continued stirring the boiling pot of miso soup, the original fire pit from last night crackling away as he cooked rice over the coals. “Good morning Illya-nee-san. Breakfast will be ready in about five minutes. We’re mostly waiting on the rice. What protein would you prefer this morning?” Pausing, he pointed at his cooler. “We have fish, chicken, or pork.”

“Pork, please. Do we have bacon?”

“Yes, we do, though I’ll have to cook that separately,” Shirou said.

“Please?” Illya and Matilda both used Babydoll Eyes. Shirou just nodded, snapping his fingers to have Yagi pull out the package. Minutes later, the scent of frying bacon filled the air.

“Looking good!” Isabella advanced from the treeline, her Growlithe and Roselia trotting alongside. “Enough for us too, or…”

“No,” Shirou replied honestly. “I only have enough provisions for myself, my Pokemon, Illya, and her Pokemon. If you don’t have your own provisions, I’m willing to share, but I will not be happy about it.”

Isabella drooped. “You’ve said that every morning…” She groaned. “When we get to town, I’ll chip in on the next grocery run if only so you’ll share.” She looked over at the meal coming together, her Pokemon watching with their own shining eyes. “Now I know why Donovan abandoned the mission for your cooking…”

“If you share your own provisions, I am willing to cook for your Pokemon and yourself,” Shirou allowed, finally taking pity on the poor girl.

“Yes! Let me go get my stuff!” Moments later, a load of fresh fish, seasonal tubers, leeks, and a few packages of store-bought ingredients were piled before Shirou, and the young man began preparing the ingredients at a will. As he sped up, Isabella turned to Illya. “So! Excited for your gym battle today?”

Illya nodded rapidly, beaming at Isabella, “I am! It’ll be my first first step to officially battling with Cynthia-nee!”

“...you don’t aim low,” Isabella acknowledged. “So! Neither of you have a water or grass type - that’s the easy way to take out Roark. I thought you might pick someone up along the way, but no dice. Why?”

“Picking up a pokemon that resists or knows supereffective moves versus rock is pointless when we both already have good coverage against it,” Shirou answered, looking at Ritsuka and Yagi with a raised eyebrow. “Ritsuka knows double kick and dig, and despite her wings, she’s not a flying type. She’s additionally been working on other moves for coverage, including mud-slap. Yagi is a fighting type, Matilda knows enough moves to make a well trained Smeargle blush, and Fubuki knows chilling water.”

“Huh. So you both didn’t want to pick up another pokemon just to beat the gym?” Isabella leaned back. “Not that I don’t get it, but not an attitude seen by a lot of trainers.”

“What’s the point of catching a Pokemon, most of whom are lifelong companions, for the purpose of overcoming a single challenge?” Illya asked instead of directly 

“Competitive trainers sometimes treat Pokemon like that. And honestly? Some Pokemon are just looking for some training, a chance to get stronger, then go home.” Isabella shrugged. “A lotta bug types go that way. They stick around, evolve, and then go back into the wild after a year or two.”

Illya looked over at Fubuki, who shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere, Illya. I’m a ghost, and there’s no rush for me to go elsewhere.” She copper her chin with one hand. “Besides, I’m interested to see if or to what extent I can learn magic. I have some ideas.”

Yagi looked up from where he was bench-pressing a log. “ I haven’t sworn an oath to the Kingdom yet, and I think I’d rather stay with you anyway, Shirou.”

Reassured, both fallers settled in to eat. In a few hours, they’d be in Oreburgh, and hit the first roadblock on their journey.

Illya looked around the city with wide eyes. “It’s kinda… industrial, all over.” She mused, looking at the metal siding and tilted roofs rising from the dark stone and earth of the town. Smokestacks from furnaces reached to the sky, white smoke rising into the air.

“That makes sense,” Shirou mused, blinking at Illya’s look, “What? Oreburgh is a mining town.”

Isabella laughed. “Yeah, first mine established by the immigrants here five hundred years ago. The mines here are deep and wide, connecting to the Underground.”

Shirou nodded. “Coal and iron, right? Plus tumblestones and many of the materials used in modern technology.”

“Yup. And that’s why this place has had mostly rock, steel, and ground gyms over the last two hundred years, though there was this one guy who led a fire gym for a while. Might even still be some Rolycoly around from those days,” she mused.

Nodding, Illya fell silent as a quartet of trainers moved towards the gym, laughing and joking. Listening in, Illya frowned. “They seem… confident.”

Isabella sighed as they advanced. “Rock is a good typing, but a lot of trainers assume just blasting in with a grass or water type will get them a win.” As the four boys entered the gym before them, the trio stepped up. “I’ll bet they came here for an easy badge. Especially since Roark’s only been at the job for a year now.”

“His win-rate says otherwise,” Shirou pointed out, receiving a knowing look from the Diamond Clan member, “Well over eighty percent on first challenges.”

“Yeah, Roark uses a lot of ancient pokemon, which throws a lot of newbie trainers off their game,” Illya acknowledged. “Not sure why those boys would think that.”

“Want to watch their matches?” Isabella asked, looking up at the clock on the wall. “We’ve got half an hour before their time slots.”

“It’ll be good for scouting,” Illya mused, looking to her younger brother who shrugged. “Sure.”

Entering the bleachers, the entire group winced as a Budew was sent hurtling back across the line, a young man in a red construction helmet watching the field as a sturdy geodude lobbed another stone into the air. “One down. New capture?” He called over cheerily. 

His opponent gaped. “But–”

“You need a little training for a first badge.” Roark called out, pitching his voice so the whole arena could hear it. “A new capture needs a week of training, if not more, to be ready for battle.” He nodded at the boy. “Send out your next Pokemon or withdraw, please.”

The boy tensed, before throwing out another ball. “Go, Shinx!” The little electric type landed, looking uncertain at the rock before him. “Focus on Bite!”

“Well, you do know your matchups. Geodude, Mud Slap.” The approaching Shinx didn’t last long after the bombardment. “Come back when your budew’s gotten some training. And maybe another Pokemon for your second.” He withdrew his own Pokemon, looking at the three trainers loitering at the base of the battle court. “Who’s next, then?”

“Hmmm,” Shirou mused, taking a look at the geodude with a glint in his eyes. “That geodude is experienced.”

“ Typing and power doesn’t beat skill and training,” Yagi commented. “To be a gym leader… it used to be a lordship. Even a ‘weak’ gym has power greater than any but the Elite.”

Illya watched with interest. The second trainer’s Buizel managed to take out the fresh geodude, only to fall to a small, domed creature. “Hmm, I don’t recognize that Pokemon…”

“Omanyte, a fossil Pokemon.” Isabella identified it. “It’s water-rock.”

After twenty more minutes, the four challengers had all been sent packing, and Roark looked around before pulling out a radio. “Excuse me, is my one-thirty challenger here yet?” He asked. “I was looking forward to them–”

“We’re in the stands, Leader Roark,” Illya called, just barely having heard him speak due to the size of the room, giving the man a dainty wave as she continued. “I believe my brother had the first slot.”

“Ah, wonderful!” He waved as Shirou hopped down and came up to the challenger’s box. “Mr. Emiya, I believe?”

“You’ve singled us out? May I ask why?” Shirou called, returning Yagi from his place at Shirou’s side. Gym etiquette only allowed for one Pokemon to be out at a time, and Ritsuka, as his starter, always had that privilege unless she deferred it to another member of the team.

“Lab-sponsored trainers aren’t too common, and a lot of them last year skipped my gym for one reason or another, if they even do the challenge,” Roark explained. “A pair of siblings with two sponsorships? Well, you caught my attention.” He struck a small pose. “But can you keep it? It’s as hard to maintain as my defense, after all!”

Nodding at his starter, who took her place at his side, he answered, “I believe I will.”

“This will be a two-on-two battle between Challenger Emiya and Leader Crag. The Challenger is allowed to substitute at any point freely, while the Leader is forbidden from making switches. When I declare a Pokemon is unable to battle, the Pokemon must be withdrawn from the field promptly. Challenger, do you accept these terms?”

“I do,” Shirou called. Tradition demanded he did, as it demanded the Referee announce a well known fact before the battle.

“Leader Crag?” The ref called, turning to the Gym Leader.

“I accept,” Roark responded, palming a fresh Pokeball from his bag.

“Then begin!” The Ref called, the whine of a barrier snapping into place resounded through the arena as two Pokemon struck the arena, Yagi rising from his crouch even as a new Pokemon spun onto the battlefield.

“Rolycoly!” The little coal pokemon spun its wheel, preparing for battle.

Yagi’s gaze narrowed, then pumped his fists as Shirou spoke. “Quick attack.” He tapped his palms as he spoke, and Yagi launched forward, speeding up as he came in for a strike.

“Aura’s flaring– Rolycoly, dodge into rock polish! We’re going to need the edge!” Roark called out, the little Pokemon turning on a dime and skidding to one side as Yagi crashed down, barely avoiding the force-palm that Shirou had ordered.

Frowning, the red-haired boy briefly considered a strategy before deciding that if this was going to turn into a slugging match he’d do it on his own terms, “Bulk up!” Yagi dropped to the ground and started doing rapid-fire push-ups, glowing red as he did so, before springing back upright with a sharp “Ri-lu!”

“Hmm. A lot of trainers forget to boost. Good job on that. Not good enough, though. Throw up a screen and start belching sparks!” The Rolycoly puffed, a cloud of dark smoke filling its side of the arena before small shots of fire began to flick from the ash cloud.

“Poorly chosen, sir!” Shirou yelled, blood quickening. “Vacuum wave! Clear the smog!” Yagi smiled, then whipped his arms in a blur, the roiling air busting the smokescreen while the trailing edges caught the rock-type. “Follow up with a quick strike!”

Roark’s eyes widened. “Incinerate! Fire back!” The little rock-type blasted out a glob of coals at Riolu, who took the shot to close the distance and smack his opponent with a force palm, sending him reeling.

“Keep the pressure up, Yagi!” Shirou encouraged, the fighting type grunting as he pursued the reeling rock type, quick jabs filled with fighting type energy slamming into the Pokemon repeatedly. In response, the Rolycoly spun his wheel, kicking sand and mud at Yagi even as he fired more bursts of flame, yet he continued to lose ground. With one final blow, Yagi sent the rock skidding from the field, battered and spent.

“Gym Leader Roark’s first Pokemon is unable to battle! Gym leader, send out your second Pokemon!”

Roark nodded, returning the little rock, and then tossing out a second ball. “Go, Archen!” With a cry, the little flying-type took no time before swooping in and smashing Yagi with its wings. With a grunt, the Riolu allowed himself to be flung backwards, a ball of aura forming in his hands. Which promptly fizzled out, rather predictably.

“Detect!” Shirou barked firmly as the Archen pursued his Pokemon, Yagi smoothly dodging the Wing Attack and countering with a Quick Attack. The two pokemon clashed, only for the little bird to eventually bowl Yagi over before Plucking him repeatedly. Shirou watched, before holding up one hand. “Yagi, tap out!”

“But–” Yagi yelled, the ancient Pokemon on top of him pausing.

“You’re at a disadvantage, and your loss will not lose the match. You’re done.”

“ Yes, Shirou,” Yagi replied, slapping his palm against the ground.

“Challenger Emiya has forfeited his Riolu. Challenger, send out your second Pokemon!” The Ref called dutifully, giving Shirou a nod of respect.

“Ritsuka, I’m counting on you!” Shirou called, the Wyrmeon dashing onto the field from her place at his feet, hackles raised as she glared challengingly at the prehistoric bird. Roark looked her over, before whistling.

“Better to stay in the air, Archen. Even if she can fly–” Seconds later, Ritsuka took off, flapping after Archen, who squawked before swooping away.

“Why do I think I’ve seen one like you before? I haven’t! Why are you so scary?!” Archen shrieked as he wheeled.

“Ritsuka, Dragon Dance!” Shirou called, using the opportunity to boost as the terrified Archen continued to flee the dancing apex predator. Ritsuka’s wings beat double time, before she sped up, catching up even as the hopping Archen started spamming Rock Throws. The resulting clash of iron tail went through the rocks and smashed the little bird to the ground, before landing squarely on his head. Bouncing off, she looked back at her target.

“Are you okay?”

“...I wanna go home now,” Archen tweeted forlornly as Defeatist kicked in.

“Yeah, no.” Ritsuka looked up, letting out a growly chirp. “Gym-leader-san, I think this one’s done. Have another, or…”

Roark shook his head and withdrew the teary-eyed birb. “Right. I think I may have underestimated you, challenger. You’ve earned the Coal Badge, if you’d like.”

As Shirou moved to reply, his Wyrmeon cut him off, already guessing what her trainer was going to do. “Shirou, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d prefer to be tested more before you accept the badge.”

Blinking at the somewhat odd yet somehow totally in character request from his starter, Shirou shook his head in a negative. “My starter would prefer more of a test before I accept the badge, Leader Roark.”

Roark nodded. “I can accommodate.” He withdrew another pokeball, flicking it into full size. “I always keep a few higher strength mons on duty in case of problem trainers. Go, Aerodactyl!”

The draconic predecessor emerged in a burst of red light, drawing gasps from the crowd. It looked down, squinting at Ritsuka. “...oh, something tells me you’ll be a treat to fight,” he rumbled. “Never seen an Eevee fossil mon before…”

Adapting admirably to the changing situation, the ref made a note on his device before coughing to gain both the crowd and trainers’ attention. “To note; Challenger Emiya has earned the Coal Badge, and will now be continuing this match in exhibition format. This will be a one versus one match using standard Ace level rules. Ratings will remain unchanged for Leader Roark, and depending on his performance, Challenger Emiya may be offered an Ace rating. Do both the Leader and Challenger consent to these rule changes?”

With a brief glance at Illya, who was nodding rapidly, Shirou firmly nodded, as Leader Roark did the same after noticeably longer consideration.

“In that case, begin!”

Immediately, both Pokemon took off, but not before Roark roared out. “If we’re taking this seriously… Aerodactyl, set up some course hazards!” The ancient Pokemon grinned, his wings striking off each other and filling the air with jagged floating stones, which began to edge towards Ritsuka as she swooped about. Not fast enough to truly be an immediate threat, Stealth Rock simply wasn’t capable of that, but it was enough that the eeveelution would constantly have to keep an eye out on the changing locations of the aerial mines.

“Ritsuka, continue setting up!” Shirou called, his starter continuing her aerobatics as she continued to boost for as long as she could get away with it, each little maneuver getting faster and tighter as time passed.

Roark winced as he saw Ritsuka continue Dancing. “Rock Polish, then start using Ancient Power! We can’t let her get fully boosted!” Aerodactly roared, chips of rough stone peeling off to reveal marble-smooth stone beneath, before a cluster of rune-carved stones formed before him and fired at the dancing Eeveelution.

“Ritsuka, Backstab!” As Ritsuka finished her final dance, she blitzed out of her move, taking hits on her wings as she blurred beneath her hovering opponent, then flipping up and smashing into his back with an Iron Tail. The Aerodactyl screeched, rotating even as Ritsuka flapped her wings to remain in the air, the smaller pokemon nimbly circling her opponent.

“Knock her out of the skies! Stone Edge!” Roark called, and Aerodactyl screamed, a web of sharp stones launching from the ground into the skies, forcing a screech of displeasure from the other dragon, who was hit in the torso by one of the barrages, knocking her off course but not into the ground as Roark had hoped.

“Ritsuka, hit and run tactics with Dragon Breath!” Shirou called, Ritsuka chirping her agreement as she blitzed towards the Aerodactyl, violet flames tearing into the ancient dragon as she blitzed past him. With a spin, she catapulted up, before smashing down with another iron tail, slamming him into the ground, before following up with more dragonbreath. As the stone lizard tried to flap up, she continued to hammer him, bashing in wings, only to pause as a golden glow lit the room. With a yelp, she launched herself over the ancient pokemon just before a hyper beam blasted past her and struck the barrier around the arena. As she landed, she watched as the larger Pokemon gasped, trying to steady itself, before looking up and seeing her still standing.

“...Arceus, no more, please,” The Aerodactyl gasped, slamming his tail on the ground twice, then slumping over. “I need more agility training.”

“Leader Roark’s Pokemon has tapped out! Challenger Emiya wins!” The ref called, barrier dropping at the declaration. Nodding to the gym leader, the male official returned his attention to the tablet he was tapping away at for some unknown reason, quite obviously content with the outcome of the battle.

“I was a bad matchup for you, sir.” Ignoring the human referee, Ritsuka acknowledged her opponent as respectfully as she could while panting in exertion. Holding that many boosts for that long had taken a toll on her, and it was quite clear that the Wyrmeon wouldn’t last much longer herself, given how hard she was pushing herself, “It was a fantastic battle, either way.”

“Don’t coddle me, little one. I’m too used to fighting ground-pounders,” the ancient pokemon grunted, even as Roark advanced, pulling out his ball. “Stay alive; I’ll want a rematch when I’ve figured out how to fight you properly.” He said before the red light caught him.

“Well done! Mr. Emiya, please come over here,” Roark called. With a short nod of respect, the red-haired boy recalled his flagging starter and marched towards the Gym Leader, bowing respectfully as he arrived.

“First, Mr. Emiya, congratulations for winning my Coal Badge.” Roark handed the small circle of steel to Shirou, who looked down at it with a tiny stirring of pride. “Second, for winning so decisively, and against a greater challenge than normal, I’d like to give you a small reward.” He reached into one of his jacket pockets, revealing a plastic case. Flipping it open, he handed Shirou a disc. “That’s the Technical Machine for Stealth Rock. Highly versatile in skilled hands, but I don’t think you have a partner who can use it yet.”

With another awkward bow and a declaration of thanks, Shirou took both the badge and technical machine, the latter with no small amount of reluctance. His sister’s gaze, however, discouraged any attempt at refusing the reward that he did not personally believe he’d earned. 

As Shirou walked up the stairs, Illya flounced down, her smile wide as she approached her podium. “Hello, Leader Roark!” She began, before the man raised one hand.

“Ms. Illya, before we begin, I must ask your brother a question.” Turning, he looked up at Shirou, who blinked twice. “Is your sister significantly weaker than you?” Illya pouted as her deception crumbled.

“She is more proficient at battling than I am, though our Pokemon are on fairly even grounds.” Shirou answered with a mildly apologetic look on his face as he shook his head. “Sorry, nee-san. I hope you weren’t relying too much on deception for your first badge.” The subtle snark sent Illya’s brow twitching as she took to the field, grumbling something about lippy redheads under her breath.

“Right then.” Roark moved back over to his podium, pressing a couple of buttons. A hatch popped open, and he removed a pneumatic canister from the hidden chute and placed several Pokeballs inside. Moments later, a new canister arrived, and he plucked three balls from it. “Alright then. This will be a two-badge level challenge, with commensurate rewards. Is that acceptable, challenger Illya?”

“It is, Leader Roark,” The Einzbern half-homunculus answered cheerfully, pulling Matilda’s Pokeball from her belt. “I am ready.”

“This will be a two-on-two battle between Challenger Einzbern-Emiya and Leader Crag,” the ref called, going through the motions rather professionally. “The Challenger is allowed to substitute at any point freely, while the Leader is forbidden from making switches. When I declare a Pokemon is unable to battle, the Pokemon must be withdrawn from the field promptly. Challenger, do you accept these terms?”

“I do!” Illya called, tossing Matilda’s pokeball up and down, all the while practically vibrating in excitement.

“Leader Crag?” Once more, the ref turned to the Gym Leader, an ancient ceremony playing out once more.

“I do,” The Gym Leader stated rotely, rolling his eyes as the ref turned away.

“Then begin!” The Ref called, the whine of a barrier snapping into place resounded once more, two pokeballs bursting open and depositing an Eeveelution and an angular stone head on the floor.

The Nosepass fixed itself on Matilda, before abruptly shivering as Roark called out. “Rock polish and get set up!” Seconds later, the panels all over the rock-type shone silver, just before a curtain of pointed stones filled the air with an electromagnetic pulse.

“Misty Terrain.” Illya called neutrally, her voice losing all inflection as she focused on the battle ahead. At her call, Matilda cried out, pink mist spewing from all around her as the terrain effect snapped into place, halving the strength of dragon type moves and preventing status conditions for grounded pokemon, all the while boosting the power of fairy type moves. “Prepare to intercept their attacks with Iron Defense.”

“At once, my Queen.” The Sylveon barked, her feelers gaining a metallic sheen as she stood and waited for the Nosepass’ move.

Roark frowned. “Misty… hmm. Nosepass, Rock Polish again, then begin Danmaku protocol.” He looked at the Sylveon. “Iron Defense… no, that’s something else. Pattern three!”

The Nosepass shone again, then began to spin rapidly, rotating like a top before he began to spin around the arena, Power Gem shots filling the air as he rapid-fired at Matilda. “ Pattern three; rotation turret! Getsmoked!”

Smoothly deflecting most of the gemlike constructs of rock type energy with her feelers, the Sylveon daintily began yawning, a white-cloudlike substance crawling forth and enveloping the rotating turret. “Ah, you’re being too loud. Please, be silent now.” The fae complained, eyes glowing with power as she continued to boost herself with Calm Mind. Iron Defense, after all, was all about giving the sylveon time to gain enough strength to sweep with a knockout blow.

“Keep it up Matilda!” Illya cheered, some inflection now entering her voice as the girl began to get excited. “We’re almost there!”

“Hmm.” Roark studied the board. “Oh, another sweeper. No, not going to let that happen. Switch to Shatter Rocks, Pattern 5.”

“Understood, Pattern 5.” The Nosepass spun against the ground, causing hundreds of rock fragments to fly up and dart inward from all directions, the Sylveon blocking quickly to keep from being penetrated.

“ Why aren’t you getting drowsy… right, the mists.” Matilda hissed as a few rock splinters burst through her guard and dug in. “Ouch! My lady, may I go on the offensive?”

“Go for it Matilda! Draining Kiss!” Illya called with a sweep of her left arm, her starter bounding forth gracefully as a heart shaped orb of energy began to bound back and forth between the Sylveon and her target. The first volley missed, the second connected, causing the rotating Nosepass to jerk, before rotating and releasing another barrage of Power Gem at the Sylveon. The gleaming shards ripped into Matlida, causing her to lurch before Nosepass closed the distance, spinning across the ground.

Roark smirked. “Should’ve kept an eye on the mist. Lock her down!” he yelled.

“ Deploying paralysis field. Getstunnned.” Nosepass yelped as another attack hit him, before releasing a point-blank thunder wave as the mists around the field fell away. Matilda jerked, then winced as sparks ran over her frame, countering with a blue sphere of energy which laid the damaged Nosepass out cold.

“ Urk. My lady, I– I believe I’m paralyzed,” Matilda winced.

“Nosepass is unable to battle,” The ref declared neutrally, “Leader Roark, send out your next Pokemon.”

“Right. Larion, finish her off!” The bulky metal armadillo slammed into the ground, then immediately bounded forward, head shining a dull silver as he slammed towards Matilda. With almost savage glee, the Sylveon took the hit, forcibly anchoring herself as a ball of condensed aura form before her maw. Knowing that Illya is about to call for baton-pass, and unwilling to leave without a parting gift of her own, Matilda launches the ball of aura forward at point blank range.

“Baton Pass!”

Acknowledging her queen’s command, the fae-fox passes the baton to her fellow member of the court, entrusting the rest of the battle to the lady of ice. Even as Fubuki emerged, the charged Aura sphere slammed into the Larion, sending him sprawling across the ground.

“Aura sphere? I didn’t think Sylveon could learn that.” Roark remarked as Lairon struggled back to its feet. “Still, an ice-type? Going in with a disadvantage, even with the stacked buffs.” He observed.

Lairon was far less sanguine. “Oh shit, ghost! Argh, I hate fighting you guys– gals?” He rumbled, even as the arena started to whirl with ice. “And now it’s snowing. Ugh…”

“Deal with it.” Fubuki’s response was filled with far more smug than was healthy for an individual to consume, even as Illya called out her order.

“Icy Wind!”

“As you command, my queen.” The Froslass grinned, fading into the snow and taking her sweet time to reeappear behind the Larion, dousing the steel-type with gusts of icy-wind. The Lairon grunted, enduring the strikes before responding with a headlong rush, head glowing silver as he dove for a strike. Fubuki swirled, grazed by the headlong rush. “Ouch! You’ll pay for that. Get doused, lout.” She lashed out with a burst of Chilling Water, the attack bolstered by the Calm minds she’d inherited.

Larion cursed as the douse of frigid water connected. “ Alright, let’s pin you down.” He stomped, hundreds of Stealth Rock thorns poking through the ground before they fired upward, homing in on the ice-type.

“Retaliate with Ominous Wind!” Illya commanded firmly, sweeping her left arm across her body grandly. With admirable alacrity, Fubuki swept her own tiny arm out, a wave of ill colored wind turning aside several of the stones as they came. The burst repelled the most direct stones, but the indirect shots dug in, the Froslass wincing as the ancient variation of stealth rock began digging into her, sapping her endurance. Almost by reflex, Fubuki shot a blast of ultra-chilled water towards her attacker, seemingly preempting her trainer’s call to do so.

“This is now a battle of attrition, Ms. Illya.” Roark called out. “It could be anyone’s game, or can you insure a win?”

Illya scowled. “I think it’s going to be my win. Are you sure this is a two-badge team?” she shot back. “Fubuki, keep up the pressure. You’re wearing down his offensive power.”

“Yes ma’am.” Fubuki replied, summoning another blast of water. As Larion charged, she blasted the ground, then let him slide past her, hitting his rear with another pulse. “ You know, do you have any ranged attacks other than those little splinters?” She asked as she floated into the air. “You may want to use them.”

The armadillo pokemon hacked, then tried blasting upward with a Rock Blast. Fubuki chuckled as she danced through the falling snow, fading in and out of sight before wincing as the stone splinters dug into her. Below her, the Lairon growled, digging underground.

“Fubuki, we’ve got our chance! Follow that rock!” Illya cried victoriously, a vicious grin flashing across her face. Finally! She’d been waiting for Leader Roark’s Larion to use dig forever now. With a cry, Fubuki complied,. melting into the ground like an apparition in the night. Roark flinched, even as a blast of icy water blew Lairon into the air, Fubuki emerging from beneath with a cackle. Spreading her arms, she began to fire blasts of icy wind, each shot juggling Lairon and keeping him airborne and helpless.

Roark slapped his hand on the podium. “It’s your win, young lady. Well exploited,” he acknowledged.

“Gym Leader Roark concedes! Challenger Illya has won!” Pausing, the ref nodded firmly to himself. “Challenger Illya has won the Coal Badge. Trainers, please meet at the center and exchange pleasantries. This concludes Challengers Emiya and Einzbern-Emiya’s Gym Challenge. We will now have an hour recess for Lunch. Challenges for the Coal Badge will resume afterwards.”

As the various watchers applauded, Illya hopped over the bannister surrounding the court and easily stepped over the wrecked field, approaching Roark as he returned his Lairon. Roark looked up, a smile on his face. “Well, I’m glad you told the truth about your competency. Facing a one-badge team with those two… it wouldn’t have looked good for either of us.” He reached into his pocket and removed his badge from it. “Here you are, young lady.”

“Thank you.” Illya accepted the badge, then looked up at Roark intently. “I also want to meet with you in your role as Master of the Underground,” she said formally, then looked him over a little more closely. “Also… you wouldn’t happen to know the location to challenge Lord Kleavor, would you?”

“Going on the Warden’s Journey?” Roark smiled as the girl nodded. “Well, I might be able to help,” he admitted as the two left the room. “But it might be a couple of days…”

Chapter Text

Faller Four: The Eevees Enter

Original Poster: VaporeonLiker3

I suppose we should start by laying out the facts. Six weeks ago, the high priest of Hoopa and the Space-Time bureau reported the arrival of no less than five fallers on the same day, at three different (undisclosed) locations. Normally, this would result in local chaos (I think we all recall the ‘54 man who stole a master ball and attempted to catch Johto’s Lady Suicune) but after three weeks of no explosions, stupid thefts, or known rampages with unknown causes, everyone got the idea that this batch wasn’t going to cause problems. 

It was only at this point that reports came in that Aurea Juniper, one of the foremost professors of the Unova region, had adopted two girls out of the blue. It didn’t take long before someone figured out both girls had no history, and newly issued trainer cards. Two and two make four.

A little more digging (in public records; no one’s getting past the Unovan Porygon Union) revealed that the girls were sisters, Sakura and Rin. They seemed content to learn more about the world before running off on their journey, but both were noted to be accompanied by Eevee, though one evolved into an Espeon soon after this information was revealed. Two fallers and two Eevees led people to a wards application for two more kids, this time in the storied Sinnoh region. Shirou and Illya already had an indirect media presence in the town of Celestic, where Shirou was known as the Auric Handyman. Apparently, the kid has been Lucario-vetted; a very good sign.

One week ago, all four kids took off on their journeys, and hit their first gyms with teams of two pokemon each. So far, Rin Toshaka has an Espeon and a Litwick, Sakura has an Umbreon and a Snivy, Illya has a Sylveon and a Snorunt (since evolved into a Froslass), while Shirou has a Riolu and a previously unknown Eeveelution, now dubbed Wyrmeon.

All four demonstrated considerable skill and flexibility in their first gym battles. Rin and Sakura fought Dark gym leader Henderson (videos here and here) while Shirou and Illya battled Rock gym leader Roark (here and here).

It seems to be a good year for newbie trainers across the world. Kanto’s Samuel Oak’s grandson, Gary Oak, has already swept two gyms only one month into the circuit. His rival, Satoshi ‘Ash’ Ketchum, defeated Brock of Pewter at an absolute type disadvantage, in addition to receiving several commendations for thwarting organized crime incidents (their threads are here and here). Other names which already have more traveled pages include Brendan Birch, Wally Verdant, Alain Grenadier, Ayumi Sakudo and Leon Dande; all of these new trainers have made significant impacts in the regions they’re journeying through. Add in four new fallers, and this looks like it’s going to be a great year for Pokemon fans.

Edit: no word yet on the fifth and solo faller yet. I’ve heard a few rumors that an unknown man was sighted in Kalos, but there’s no public records spotted, and he’s not shown up on any gym circuits.

Edit2: And now we know where the fifth one is. He has his own thread here, and he’s apparently Illya and Shirou’s dad. Though that’s not the big thing people know about him…

“Hmm, those four will be trainers to watch for,” a young dark-magenta-haired girl with waist-length hair remarked to herself as she paged through Sufficient Battling on her Rotom Phone, the official Pokemon League forum utilized by everyone from fans to professional trainers. Pausing, she opened a video showing one of the gym battles that had taken place in Roark’s Gym. “Especially the one with the Wyrmeon. Not often we see a new eeveelution, right Mana?”

“No need to be patronizingly smug because you and I discovered the normal type evolution, Misora,” the Eeveelution that the now named Misora was snarking at answered in fluent Almian. “Just because we discovered it doesn’t mean we have a monopoly of understanding on my pre-evolution’s evolutions. We’ve talked about this, partner.”

“Blah blah blah ego, blah blah blah size of the sun,” Misora grumbled, blowing a raspberry at her starter and partner. “But it is rather interesting that four fallers appeared at the same time, especially with Mystery Gifts like you, Mana,” the ACE trainer continued, a thoughtful look on her face. It was, after all, rather uncommon for that many mystery gifts to show up in the hands of fallers. Those jackasses tended to never get one in their whole lives.

The Primeon shrugged, lazily flicking her tail against her trainer’s foot. “Eevee and Pikachu are the most common mystery gifts, dumbass,” she chided with exasperated fondness, completely missing her trainer’s point. “It’s not that odd, especially with how active the Legends have been getting lately,” Mana remarked with considerably less amusement, a note of somberness entering the air surrounding the pair.

After all, just last week, a small settlement had been wiped off the face of the Earth by a royally pissed off Galarian Moltres in the Crown Tundra. That the settlement had been primarily composed of smugglers was a cold comfort to the sheer amount of lost life, largely among the innocents they’d kept in cages.

Misora pursed her lips as she nodded, returning her attention to the forum in an effort to put the scene out of her mind. Thankfully, the thread was exploding. Something that almost always happened during the beginning of the season.

QueenofKalos<3

Typical. Only showing Gym Battles. God, can’t we get some Contests in here?

Writer_of_Bad_Fiction

@QueenofKalos<3, you do realize this is the battling circuit section of the forum, right? The coordinator circuit section can be found here. They should have posted this year’s ‘rookies to keep an eye on’ already. Go take a look!

Machop_Stronk

Huh, kid with a Pikachu won against an Onix. With an… Electric Attack? HOLD UP! I CALL BULLSHIT

QueenofKalos<3

Huh, @Writer_of_Bad_Fiction completely missed me trying to stir shit. Damn, now how am I supposed to entertain myself?

KirliaGurl

@QueenofKalos<3 You know the mods get bitchy when you do that. Stop it. Go home. Get some help.

Mana’s amused snort jarred Misora out of her reading momentarily, the Primeon somehow having managed to climb her way up onto her shoulders without her noticing.

“Oi-” Was as far as the ACE trainer got before a rather furry appendage was placed over her mouth.

“Shhhh, my dear trainer. I’m amusing myself,” Mana stated rather smugly, removing her tail before Misora inevitably got it wet with her saliva. Just in time too, her trainer’s tongue was visibly out of her mouth just as the furry appendage was flicked away. “And I told you not to lick my tail. It’s weird.”

“And I told you-” And once more, the tail was back over her beloved trainer’s mouth. Practically vibrating in amusement, the Eeveelution was unfortunately too late to notice her trainer grabbing her and yeeting her off her shoulder. Yowling in discontentment, Mana leveled a baleful glare towards the smug human as she landed, spitefully managing to land gracefully despite sudden thrown.

“Bitch.” She muttered mulishly in her native language.

“I can understand you, whore!” Misora snarked back, before returning her attention to her phone, grumbling only a bit as Mana made her way back around her neck, the Primeon’s chin resting against her right shoulder blade as she attentively kept her eyes on the Rotom Phone.

QueenofKalos<3

@KirliaGurl did you just tell me to stop spreading the glory of Contests in the Battling Circuit Sub-Forum in meme format! How dare you!

KirliaGurl

@Machop_Stronk Yes. The kid won against an Onyx with a Pikachu using an Electric Type attack. After the Onyx was hit by the environmental equivalent of Soak. Try to keep up.

Writer_of_Bad_Fiction

@KirliaGurl @QueenofKalos<3, please take this argument elsewhere. Queen, you’re just fishing for fights now, and that’s not something this forum needs.

FlareonBurnstheHottest

Dammit, another new Eeveelution? I love me some new fluff, but every time my best boi drops even further down the list of best eevee. Can’t we get a bug type, or maybe a Normal eevee? Those have to be worse…

Mana didn’t even get a chance to furiously hiss before her trainer was trying away at her phone’s keyboard, spitting furiously as she muttered under her breath, “Punk thinks Primeon is bad huh? Punk thinks normal types are shit huh?! Imma make this little shit rue the day they were born!”

MisoraOfficial (Verified ACE Trainer)

EXCUSE ME!? Did @FlareonBurnstheHottest call the Normal Type Eeveelution I discovered worse than Flareon?! I’ll have you know that Primeon has all the versatility of a normal type along with STAB-Adaptability-Extremespeed, you punk! Don’t you call my Mana worse than Flareon, who are fighting at a disadvantage cause no one’s managed to make a actually good Fire Type physical move that isn’t Flare Blitz yet!

On a completely unrelated note, props to the Emiya kid for discovering Wyrmeon. Eeveelutions tend to be tricky, as I can attest. We’re pretty sure Primeon isn’t a Pure Bond Evolution, nor is it a Stone Evo given that all of them have been tested uh, rather extensively. We’re currently thinking it has something to do with a mix of bond and environmental conditions, thought hell if we know.

FlareonBurnstheHottest

No supereffective STAB, can’t hit Ghost with STAB, no resistances… yeah, pure normal has some serious flaws. Fire is just outright better, though I’ll give you that the lack of good fire physical moves hurts. We’re working on it, but so far Meteor Impact hasn’t worked out as we hoped.

We’ll do it! But it’s not ready yet.

JolteonisBesteon
I just came over to see what fbth was doin but now im interested

new eeveelution looks cool

give up fbth, flareon is never going to be cool

VaporeonLiker3 (Original Poster)

Bros, please don’t come and pollute my thread…

GaeSylveon

Oh wow there’s a lot of familiar names from the Eeveelution Subforum in here. @VaporeonLiker3 are you still in denial about loving Vaporeon? After all, it is the most compatible for human-pokemon relations~. Now to stay on topic so the mods don’t nuke me from orbit, it’s always nice seeing fallers that aren’t unironic morons who people wonder if they were dropped on their head as an infant. God, I can still remember that moron a few years back who tried to use a friggen Hypno to catch one of the Legendary Birds over here in Kanto. Mew that was a mess. The fact that these fallers are actually respecting our traditions is always a good sign.

SageLeafeon

Oh dear, is that a Flying Eevee? No, Dragon. How the hell do you evolve one of those?

Seriously, do we know any details about that?

AuraGardian

Forget the Eevee, the boy has a Riolu! That’s amazing! Shit, did he even ask for one, or did one go to him? That’s huge!

WeLoveTape

I’m more wondering about the Rin girl’s outfit. Seriously, did she mean to dress up like a Mismagius, or was that just an accident?

Also, WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

WitchyBusiness

@SageLeafeon No, we do not know how Emiya-san managed to evolve his Eevee into a Wyrmeon. He claims that a Time-Space Distortion was involved, which is corroborated by Eiznbern-Emiya-san and Champion Cynthia, and given that said Wyrmeon is already considered odd by everyone close to them, we will likely not know in the near future.

As for the outfit, I will neither confirm nor deny that it was intentional. After all, I’m sure all of you can come to your own conclusions given my User Name. I am rather amused to see that Sufficient Battling, as per usual, cannot stay on topic to save their lives.

AuraGardian

@WitchyBusiness Can you at least confirm you are Rin Tohsaka? And if so, do you know how Shirou got his Eevee?

My_Espeon_is_a_King

Hey, it’s one of the subjects! How is it to have an Espeon as a partner??

WitchyBusiness

@AuraGardian

[A Selfie of Rin is present here. She is looking at the Camera in an utter deadpan]

All of the four fallers that have an Eevee received them the moment they awoke. As far as we are aware, they are mystery gifts.

@My_Espeon_is_a_King

Agate is a gem, and her intelligence is a sight to behold. I’m not only certain she’s smarter than everyone around her, I am also certain she is remarkably kind, and cares for everyone around her.

I also do not doubt that she would end someone for daring to hurt those she cares about, but given my research into the Friendship Trio of the Eeveelutions, that is a fairly normal takeaway.

MisoraOfficial

She’s on your shoulder, isn’t she?

WitchyBusiness

Yes, yes she is. You too?

MisoraOfficial

Mana is indeed judging me right now, yes. And laughing like a Chatot. The gremlin.

QueenofKalos<3

All three of you girls have such pretty Eeveelutions. Any plans to hit the contest circuit?

MIsoraOfficial (Verified ACE Trainer)

I’m a veteran trainer of five years, QueenofKalos. Bold of you to assume I haven’t . You can probably find some footage of my appeals and few contest wins in my dedicated thread, along with a few of the ‘rookies to keep an eye on’, where they keep mistaking me for a new coordinator. I can safely say it’s not for me, not at the level I invest into the battling circuit, but I do occasionally coordinate to keep that thinking outside the box.

QueenofKalos<3

Was asking Witchy and her friends, Misora. Don’t make everything about you.

KirliaGurl

Oh, that’s rich. Still, I am also curious, @WitchyBusiness

WitchyBusiness

I’m a little too busy to go joining contests in any serious capacity, and I refuse to do anything at less than my best. Sakura might, though one of her pokemon is opposed, so it depends on any future recruits she picks up. Illya doesn’t seem to have any contest aspirations, but I don’t speak nearly as often with her as I do with my sister.

WallaceOfficial (Verified Gym Leader) (Hoenn League) (Verified Grand Coordinator)

Dabbling is actually something that is universally advised against for 1st year trainers, @WitchyBuisness. For a trainer’s first year, they should be focused on the circuit they are competing in, be it Gyms, Contests, Showcases, or just the Journey for the sake of it. Once you accumulate accolades, fame, and sponsors, you should most certainly dabble so you don’t stagnate. As @MisoraOfficial has stated, most battling trainers tend to dabble in contests or showcases, largely to develop outside the box thinking. Speaking of, Ms. Misora, are you still committed to this being an off year?

MisoraOfficial (Verified ACE Trainer)

@WallaceOfficial Yeah, I hashed things out with my sponsors, so I’m committed to this year being spent relaxing or handling League Jobs. I needed it after my Elite Four gauntlet last year. I’m burnt out. Word of advice kids? Don’t push so hard that just the thought of battling makes you ill. It’s not fun, realizing that something you enjoy doing is something you can’t enjoy doing due to burnout.

“God, I hate Wikstrom’s Aegislash,” Mana growled, eyes flashing in annoyance. Misora nodded along sympathetically, patting the poor floof around her neck pityingly, memories of their climactic loss against Wikstrom flashing before her eyes as well.

“There, there, Mana. At least we utterly stomped Seibold and managed a win against Gurkinn,” the veteran trainer soothed, scratching her Primeon between her ears. “And hey, it was a narrow loss. Next year, when we take on another circuit, we’ll definitely make it to the Champion, though I’m not sure which region we’ll do a run through yet.”

“Bah, stupid freaking Sword-Ghost thingie,” the irritated normal type grumbled, before snickering as she returned her attention to the phone still held in her trainer’s hands, “Hey, Misora, drama!”

Rolling her eyes fondly, the ACE Trainer returned her attention to her rotom phone, raising her eyebrows at the new posts.

WitchyBusiness

Thank you for the advice, Mr. Wallace. I believe we all have side projects as well as the League Challenge, myself with my research, Illya with the Warden’s Journey, and Shirou with his training. We’re also working local side jobs to fund our travels.

White_Fairy_Queen

@WitchyBusiness Toshaka, stop talking about us behind our backs. Also, this site is really cool, going to need to spend more time here.

@GaeSylveon any advice on how to teach my girl how to keep track of all of the battlefield at once? She tends to monofocus, and that’s dangerous. Is that a Sylveon thing, or just Matlida?

GaeSylveon

That’d be a Pokemon thing in general, actually. It’s why trainers exist in the first place, though there are drills you can run to get them better at it. Sufficient Battling has a few resources. You can find them here, here, and here. There’s also a Eeveelution specific subforum here, where you can talk to experts in handling Eevee and their evolutions, of which @MisoraOfficial is considered a member of (her by technicality, sorry Misora), as is @FlareonBurnstheHottest (not by technicality. He’s one of the acknowledged experts on Flareon). Honestly, it’s kinda surprising to find them out here, though the discovery of a new Eeveelution does tend to do that.

WitchyBusiness

Oh, hello Illya. I didn’t know you had an account. Does Shirou?

White_Fairy_Queen

He hasn’t made one yet, but he probably will at some point.

FlareonBurnstheHottest

Well, all four of you guys picked up non-standard Eeveelutions. You must really trust them, to have them all bond evolve so soon. I’ve heard of some folks who go years without their Eevee evolving, though that usually happens because of lack of battling, not lack of care.

Trainspotter214

@WitchyBusiness someone noted that the Subway bosses put in a commission for a lavender coat; and rumor has it that Ingo was seen in Nuvema a couple days before. Any gossip you’d like to share?

WitchyBusiness

We did have a meeting with Ingo, yes. First I’ve heard of him commissioning a coat, though. It might not be related.

SubwayMasterOfficial_Zekrom (Verified Facility Master)(Time Traveller)(ALL ABOARD)

@WitchyBuisness We are looking forward to your challenge, both you and your sister, Ms. Tohsaka. Please stay behind the yellow lines and do not lose your luggage. Also, congratulations on beginning your journey.

PikachuKing (Moderator)

*Ahem* if we could attempt to stay on topic, it would be appreciated. Additionally, Trainers, if you could keep your communications to Private Messages, it would be greatly appreciated.

That said, it’s nice to see two of the many rookie trainers being discussed chatting within their current thread answering questions. Just keep in mind that Sufficient Battling does have rules, and we’d appreciate if you followed them so we don’t have to issue infractions. Carry on.

Writer_of_bad_Fiction

Thank you, PikachuKing. So, I have to ask, @White_Fairy_Queen, how did you teach your Sylveon aura sphere, if that’s what she actually used?

AuraGardian

@WitchyBuisness @White_Fairy_Queen rewatching your videos, I noticed you react really dynamically to your Pokemons’ cries. Do you guys have aura training?

“Riolu kid is definitely using Aura.” Mana chirped immediately, Misora nodding along with a smile, “I’m guessing the one with the Mismagius aesthetic is using magic, which is odd considering that there hasn’t been a serious mage in a long time. I dunno about cherry blossom, and I’m fairly sure the albino is using a variant of aura.”

“Agreed on the Riolu kid, though I doubt the one with the Mismagius aesthetic is using magic. My- Nevermind, they actually blatantly told us, except the albino.” Misora grumbled, throwing a mild glare at her starter, “You’re insufferable when you’re being smug, you know that?”

“Bitch, I’m always right.” Mana crowed triumphantly in her native tongue in response to her trainer’s use of it, snickering as the exasperated individual in question yote her from her resting place on her trainer’s shoulder. Really, messing with Misora was far too easy these days.

WitchyBusiness

I can confirm that my sister and I have ways of speaking to Pokemon directly; I use magitech, and Sakura has a psychic talent she’s cultivating. I don’t know about Illya, and I won’t speak for Shirou without his permission.

White_Fairy_Queen

All I’m going to say about me is that I bent the rules far enough they work really well for me. Shirou isn’t bothering to hide his Aura training. It’s why he has his Riolu training buddy, so they don’t go overboard too much.

KirliaGurl

If these kids all have special powers, it might be easier for them to teach their Pokemon non-standard moves. Easier to teach when you can practice and demonstrate alongside them. Too bad I’m not actually psychic. Would make things a lot easier…

FocusSashesSave

There’s been a lot of chatter about the kids, but almost nothing about the leaders. Roark flubbed the Emiya match at first, and Henderson still has problems coming up with measured challenges for newbies. Seems like the matches were a little off-kilter. Thoughts?

JolteonisBesteon

ease up on them

new trainers with no battle experience but well-trained partners are difficult to manage

Lt. Surge has similar problems, when he’s not just being aggressive

WeLoveTape

Henderson is retiring soon, and as a Unovan native, I’m sorry to see one of the few Dark-type major circuit gym leaders leave. Unova will be less for his absence. Still, he was always best at the 3-8 badge levels. I do think his challenge for Sakura was fine, but for Rin, he overestimated the edge type advantage gave him. Rin was well-prepared to deal with dark-types, and considering her sister’s ace, that makes a lot of sense.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

MisoraOfficial (Verified ACE Trainer)

To be fair to Henderson, Miracle Eye isn’t actually something Espeon is “supposed” to be able to learn. Nor is it something most rookie trainers actually think of, given the prevalence of thought that psychic types are ‘overpowered’ among the masses. I swear, one Gym Leader *cough* Sabrina *cough* uses an extremely well trained Abra to throw a Pokemon’s attack back at them, and everyone suddenly thinks Psychic Types are the best thing since sliced bread.

As for Roark, I genuinely don’t think he has an excuse. He underestimated the fallers, plain and simple, and got his ass kicked, and actually lost a serious amount of ACE circuit rating as a result. By the way, @White_Fairy_Queen, please extend your brother a warm welcome to the ACE circuit. You aren’t in at the moment, but we expect you’ll find your way into the leaderboards at some point in the near future.

White_Fairy_Queen

My brother is currently confused. I mean, he knows he’s part of the Ace circuit, but I don’t think he ‘gets’ what that means. He just wanted to give Ritsuka (Wyrmeon) a good fight.

SageLeafeon

Speaking of which, is that Eeveelution a trade secret? Misora has been less-than-clear on how Mana evolved, so a straight answer would be nice.

White_Fairy_Queen

I don’t know if I’m allowed to tell you, actually. @GarchompChampion, are Shirou and I allowed to tell people?

GarchompChampion (Totally Not Cynthia)

Illya, we’ve talked about this. For official questions involving League Business, please ping my official Pokemon League account. Not my personal account that I use purely to post memes and fuck with people. But since you asked…

CynthiaOfficial (Verified Champion) (Verified Masters 8) (Sinnoh League)

Yes, you are allowed to tell people about your own suspicions and assumptions on how Ritsuka evolved into a Wyrmeon. You are not, however, allowed to release Professor Rowan’s conclusions and research until he does so in the scientific paper he’s working on.

JolteonisBesteon
how do you have champion cynthia on quick-response

White_Fairy_Queen

I think she counts as like… one of our legal guardians? Maybe a big sister. IDK if we were ever actually adopted by Professor Caroline. I don’t think so, but…

As for the Wyrmeon thing… we don’t quite know, but it involved both a one-on-one fight with a primeval dragon and a battle within a Time-Space distortion. We’re not certain whether either of those were what did it, or if it was both, or if Shirou is just bs.

SageLeafeon

What’s a time-space distortion?

Edit: Wait, those are a THING in Sinnoh? WTF?

MisoraOfficial (Verified ACE Trainer)

@SageLeafeon I’m not being coy on purpose. I genuinely have no fucking clue how Mana evolved. Neither does she. Best we can tell, it was a combination of bond, circumstance, and a seriously tense and heightened emotional state, given she evolved during the finals of the Lumiose Conference as we were about to lose. Which, as you know, resulted in us winning instead when she clapped the other trainer’s Dragonite.

That aside, yes, Time-Space Distortions still happen on Coronet and in the wildlands of Sinnoh. They’re utterly miserable to be caught in, and even more miserable to rescue someone who got caught in one in. They also have recently been picking up again, though the Hero of Hisui has actually stated it should die down by the end of the decade. Given that we know she comes roughly from this time period, it makes sense.

Walked500Years (Hero Of Hisui) (Time Traveller) (God-Llama Chosen)

No spoilers, but yeah, I originally came from this time. I’m really happy to have indoor plumbing again.

@White_Fairy_Queen please let Shirou know that I will be sending another test his way soon. Also, I’ve told the Nobles you’re on your way. Some of them are excited!

KirliaGurl

What. The. Fuck.

“Why the fuck is the Hero of Hisui casually chatting with the albino and aura brats?” Mana blinked from her position atop Misora’s head; having climbed there while her trainer had been utterly engrossed in the drama, looking utterly baffled. Misora could only shrug in response, and as one of the many leaves surrounding the clearing she was in rustled, she stood up, sighing as she put away her entertainment.

“Mana, I assume you’ve noticed our company?” she asked, receiving a nod from her starter, hand going to her belt, where the rest of her team was resting. “You can come out now. It takes a lot more than that to sneak up on an ACE trainer, even one that’s completely distracted by absurdity.”

“I would hope so, miss. Come, we have a lot to talk about…”

Chapter Text

Amelie stared at the fire, before looking back at Kiritsugu. As the building burned merrily, she stared at him in a deadpan. “I thought you said you could cook.”

“I said I could prepare food. Trail rations. Those easy-prep meals seemed like a reasonable offshoot,” Kiri sighed.

“At least it was in an enemy base. We can just blame it on shoddy construction,” The Kirlia mused. “...did we get those Flare guys we had tied up in there out before the fire started?”

“Yes. I didn’t want to chance them escaping, so I took them back to camp. They’re all sedated there right now,” Kiritsugu answered idly, turning around and placing his hands in his pockets. “We should probably get going. Thankfully, we managed to recover enough intelligence on Flare’s general operations in this area.”

“How did I miss that?...” Amelie mused, even as a group of men dressed in fire uniforms ran up, tossing out balls containing water and fire pokemon. All of the men had an emblem of a Pignite on their backs. “Oh, there are the firefighters. I assume we’re not staying for questioning?”

Kiri shook his head, walking off into the woods without a pause. “Definitely not. Even if this badge works, I don’t want to get put into the system.” He ran fingers over his new Interpol badge. “...take out?”

“Sure. There’s supposedly a really good Kantoian Restaurant around here,” Amelia offered, pointing Kiritsugu in the general direction of the city. “We should probably drop off all the Flare Grunts and Lieutenant we picked up at the police station first though.”

“No need to worry about that!” Kiritsugu froze as a familiar voice came out of a nearby alley, Looker walking into view with a smile, one which Kiritsugu and Amelia returned after a moment’s pause. “Good to see you again, Mr. Emiya! You’ve been keeping busy, I see!”

“I have,” Kiri nodded. “Going to join us for dinner?”

“Certainly.” He paused. “Ah, but… I have to ask. Your skills as a fighter are unparalleled, and your magic is a wonder. But are you trained in investigation, at all?” Looker asked as they walked down the street.

Kiritsugu paused, clearly considering something, before he shook his head. “Informally yes, but not to the extent I’d need to for this undertaking.” He paused, before shooting the agent a wry look. “Why did you want to know?”

“I thought as much.” Looker acknowledged. “Mr. Emiya, Interpol is used to working with people out of their element; usually, we partner them up with a more experienced agent. Now, we don’t have any locals, but one of our members is no longer needed in her former role.”

“Someone else to keep Kiritsugu in check? Yes please!” Amelia declared brightly, pumping her small fist in delight. “He set a building on fire by trying to heat a prepackaged meal in a microwave, Mr. Looker. A MICROWAVE!”

“Hmm? Prepackaged? Mr. Emiya, how did you manage to do that improperly?” Looker asked, eyebrows rising.

“I… don’t know,” Kiritsugu admitted after a moment, “My son didn’t allow me in the kitchens, however. Something about burning water?”

“I see,” Looker acknowledged as they reached the aforementioned restaurant. “While I could just assign the agent to you, will you be accepting of your new partner?”

“I would like to meet them first,” Kiritsugu stated firmly.

“Excellent.” Heading into the restaurant, Looker continued, “I may as well give you some backstory as she makes her way here.” Moving to the counter, both men ordered before taking a seat. “To begin with, our agent has long been specialized in dealing with shadow pokemon. Have you done any research into that phenomenon?”

“Only at a surface level. Amelia?” He replied as he took a seat, Amelia taking her place beside him.

“Only the very basics of identifying them. I assume you are speaking of one of the two heroes of Orre?” The Kirlia guessed, her psionic voice sounding utterly surprised.

“There are three, actually. Everyone forgets Rui, I find,” Looker acknowledged as a tray of rice balls were set in front of him. “But, yes. Emmanuelle dealt with the second wave of Cipher, an organization of arms dealers who attempted to create a method to strengthen and destroy the individuality of Pokemon for use in competitions and criminal activity. These altered beings are known as Shadow Pokemon.”

“Wait, how did they ‘destroy individuality?’” Amelie asked, a tinge of horror in her voice.

“Application of trauma and exotic energy to seal the heart of the Pokemon. This in turn results in a powerful attacker whose assaults tear at the aura of the targets, but cannot grow, relate to others, and has a tendency to break into berserk rages.” Looker sighed. “They are… monsters. Tragic ones.”

“As interesting as this is, that tells me nothing about my potential partner,” Kiritsugu droned, filing the information away to look up later. It was very possible Flare would look into the procedure, given their stated ideals.

Looker coughed, obviously a little disturbed by Kiritsugu’s nonchalance. “Yes, well… Cipher was active for nearly a decade in the Orre region, but ran into the issue of needing powerful pokemon for conversion in a remote region with few local pokemon. Though they did purchase some, most of their Pokemon were acquired via the use of Snag Machines; these devices allow the user to steal Pokemon from others. However, these tools also allowed both the first group of heroes and Emmanuelle to steal back Shadow Pokemon, and help them regain their hearts. Cipher was a powerful threat willing to kill, bribe, and kidnap to attain their goals. Starting at age twelve, Elle has been fighting that organization, and the successor groups who have taken up their methods.”

“So she has plenty of experience dealing with criminal syndicates,” Kiritsugu assessed, sounding pleased. “How soon can I meet her?” He continued after a few moments thought, taking a sip from the glass of water that had arrived while they’d been talking.

Looker peered over Kiri’s shoulder, and, no fool, the hitman joined him in looking back. The slender woman who’d entered the building was sporting a scarf and long jacket, the yellow duster covering most of her body. A red ponytail hung down her back, held in place by a pair of goggles as a headband. Emmanuelle looked around, before her gaze lighted on Looker. “Hello, sir,” She said quietly as she slipped between the tables, taking a seat. “What’s the new mission? I thought we’d finally managed to halt the production, but you said it was urgent…”

Looker smiled. “Ah, yes. This is an urgent mission, but so far, we have seen no indication of Shadow Pokemon. Emmanuelle, meet Kiritsugu Emiya, your partner in this mission. Mr. Emiya, would you like to fill her in on the situation?”

“I can do that, yes.” Kiritsugu acknowledged, “Take a seat and order something. We’ll be here for a while.”

Over several small courses of sushi and soups, Kiritsugu laid out what was so far known about team Flare and their operations. By the end of it, Elle was frowning as she sipped her tea. “So this isn’t a Shadow Pokemon case. But it is a case of embedded domestic terrorism with nebulous goals and deep pockets. Is that right?”

“That is how it appears.” Looker said. “Accounting for the absence of Shadow Pokemon, the parallels seem obvious.”

Emmanuelle nodded absently. “Yeah.” She looked at Kiri. “So, what’s your team, besides Kirlia? I’m guessing you have a partner trained for pursuit or information control, maybe a brute for entry work. What else are we working with?”

“I’m not a Pokemon Trainer,” Kiritsugu stated clinically, taking a sip from his drink as he took in the woman’s shocked face. “I’m a retired, professionally trained assassin from another world. A Faller, if you will. Flare ticked me off enough to come out of retirement.”

“...oh. Wait, so you have no Pokemon?” Elle shot a look at Looker. “Umm. So–”

“Mr. Emiya is a wizard! He has some sort of time magic, as far as I can tell, and can strengthen himself like an Aura user. Plus, he is very good with guns.” Looker explained.

“When you say ‘very good’ with guns…” She looked back at Kiritsugu.

“I can manipulate time, though doing so taxes me,” Kiritsugu admitted. “As for how good I am with a gun, I can place myself on the level of or above, with magic, that is, of Tier One Special Forces; the best of the best within my world.”

Elle looked back at Looker, whose smile turned wry. “Ah… considerably better than our elite agents without their Pokemon.”

“...okay.” Elle leaned back. “Right. Well, my team has my Ace, a supporter, a flier, a tracker, and a couple of blasters. If we get the chance, maybe you could pick up a brute or guardian? If we’re going after an entrenched group alone, we might need them. You know, for breaching doors and stuff.”

“We can just use explosives.” Kiri paused, even as Elle blinked. “Ah, do you know where I can get resupplied? I’m running out of what I took from the last armory I raided.”

“I can supply you, yes, but it will take time. Please write-up what you need, and I’ll see about getting it dropped off if it’s reasonable.” Looker checked his watch, then stood up. “I think I’m leaving both of you in good hands. Keep us posted on your plans, Mr. Emiya!” He dashed out of the room, only stopping to drop a handful of coins and bills on the table.

“Hmmm, at least I will have the supplies I am used to having,” Kiritsugu mused briefly, before he turned back to his companion, “Given that we are going to be working together, Ms. Elle, perhaps you can give a general assessment of your skills beyond Pokemon training? And perhaps we can work out a plan on bettering myself in that area…”

Elle nodded, before raising her hand to call for another pot of tea. “Sure thing, let me just wet my lips a little more…”

Chapter Text

Sakura stood over the beaten man, eyes flashing red as she leaned forward. “So, what have we learned, chump?”

The bulky man in a leather jacket whimpered. “You bitch! It was just three kids!”

“Don’t talk to my sister like that!” Rin snarled, even as she palmed three Pokeballs, tossing one back to the teary-eyed kid standing nearby. “Picking on children, how awful.”

“Truly terrible,” Sakura added, saccharine sweetness oozing from her voice. “Such a sad sad man, having to get his jollies from picking on literal children.”

“Shut up!” The man yelled back, foaming at the mouth. “You’re not kids, you’re monsters!” He spat, furiously, only for Rin to toss a blast of energy into him.

“Ugh, he talked way too much. Come on Sakura, let’s go turn these balls in. Should we bring the bastard with us, or…”

“Probably.” The now eerily quiet girl answered after a few moments, lifting the horrid man up with deceptive strength that spoke of reinforcement, “After all, he’s going to need to go confess his crimes in person.”

The boy they’d helped smiled at them both. “Thank you! Come on, Periwinkle Village is pretty close!” He dashed off along the dirt path, which rose along the small ridgeline.

Rin paused, looking at Sakura in concern. “Are you…” She stopped, before shaking her head. “We can talk about it later. Come on, Sakura.”

“...yes, Nii-san,” Sakura murmured, falling in line behind her elder sister, her shadow stretching as she went. Neither girl noticed the two small yellow eyes watching their departure.

“Uh-oh. I’d better tell papa…” A soft voice murmured behind their retreating forms.

“This food is terrible .” Sakura deadpanned viciously, staunchly refusing to touch the horrific abomination that the locals dared to call sushi, pushing the plate aside in favor of the miso that they somehow had managed to not horrifically ruin.

“Yeah, old man Tora really shouldn’t use mudfish for that.” The server sighed, taking away the sorry rice balls capped with brown flesh. “Want to try something else?” He looked over at Rin, who was ignoring her own platter of ‘sushi’ in favor of talking animatedly with an older man in a full suit. “...think I should get rid of hers too?”

“Please. I’ll pay for it if it’s replaced with something that’s not obviously experimental,” Sakura demurred, no longer looking so upset, eyeing the kitchen with sharp eyes. “Not often people bother to experiment with cultural food using local ingredients,” she continued conversationally, clearly probing.

The server shrugged. “We get a lot of folks coming through from around the world to this area to tour the mountains nearby. There’s a few populations of rare Pokemon in protected areas, but if the Pokemon wander into the unregulated mountains looking for a fight or a trainer…” He shrugged. “Sneasel, Riolu… I think I heard there’s even a wild Chansey colony somewhere around here, but they’re protected by every pack and herd around.” He cleared the tray. “And the food’s on the house, don’t worry. Joey would’ve been devastated to lose Silly Mouse.”

“Hmmm. Have you tried craigfish?” Sakura mused aloud as she nibbled on another of the dishes provided, nodding at the information the server had provided, “It’d probably work significantly better than mudfish, especially if you add some non-Kanto based seasoning to it, say something like Paldean herbs.”

“I’ll pass that on to Tora,” The server responded. “Let me go get some replacements.” The server bustled off, the offensive food held far enough away to keep him from smelling it. Sakura smiled as he left, only to let the effort lapse as she looked back down at her hands.

You know he’s just an ass, one who was willing to steal from kids. Other whispered in her mind. If we’re a monster, he’s worse.

“You’re not a monster, Sakura,” Rin idly chided, giving no indication that she’d heard Other Sakura, sighing as she fully turned her attention to her sister for the first time since the incident this morning. “I was fully prepared to do worse to the jerk if he didn’t back off.” Frustrated, yet still trying to talk to her sister, the Tohsaka heiress shook her head fiercely before she continued, “I’m not good with emotions. I’m not good at being the kind of sister you need. And I’m sorry for that, but I can’t change that… I just don’t get emotions sometimes.”

“...ah, Nee-san? Might you not have done that in front of everyone?” Sakura said, flushing slightly as multiple people gave the sisters strange looks.

“... Sorry,” Rin giggled sheepishly. Sakura sighed as the conversations around the room slowly started back up, though the noise around her and her sister remained quiet.

“...so I thought we might explore the nearby areas, and see if there are any local Pokemon who are interested in joining us,” Rin said across the fire, flinching as her marshmallow caught fire. “I guess this one’s yours, Libra.”

“Thank you kindly, Rin.” the Litwick murmured as she stole the burning sugar from Rin’s stick. “Perhaps a little more patience to get the right color next time?”

“Probably a good idea, but I’ve never done this before. Give me some time.” Rin acknowledged the criticism in the intent it was given. “I’m not surprised you’ve got this down though, Sakura. You’ve always been good at cooking.”

Sakura held back a snide comment, instead simply nodding as she carefully spun her marshmallow. “Thank you, nee-san.” She murmured instead, pulling back the golden brown confection and laying it upon a graham cracker. “Here’s yours, Ana.”

“Yes! Come to mama!” The Snivy cheered as the treat was handed over. “Oh yes… could do with some bacon, but this is good…”

“You’d have thought I’d gotten used to how much you love meat by this point, Ana.” Agate mused, the fox-cat lounging around on one of the logs surrounding their campfire, lazy posture belying how the Espeon’s senses were sharply focused on keeping watch around them, “Then again, I suppose you wouldn’t need plants, given you photosynthesize yourself…”

“Plants are fine, but you don’t get much of that tasty fat from them.” Ana mumbled around her S’more. “And Professor Juniper says it takes a lot of protein to get strong. You get that from meat!”

Sakura nodded absently, handing a S’more to Ren before standing up and brushing off her legs. “I’m going to go take a walk.” She said, “I’ll keep a lookout for more firewood on the way.”

Rin nodded absently, tongue stuck out as she tried to imitate her sister’s spiral method with her marshmallow. “Take Ren with you! Everyone says never to go alone anywhere in the wild, Sakura!” she called, groaning in annoyance moments later when her marshmallow caught on fire, again .

“I’m not going far, and I’ll yell if I need help,” Sakura shot back, wincing as Rin flinched at the bite in her tone.

“Alright. Please do,” Rin said softly, absently tossing her burned mallow to Libra.

Sakura huffed as she turned and walked off, even as Libra scooped up the blackened treat from her sister’s stake. Walking outside of the campfire’s light, Sakura moved into the woods, stopping as she got out of sight of the figures sitting around the fire. “...what is wrong with me?” She asked herself, before she shook her head. “No, that’s not right.”

“You’re making a mountain out of a molehill.” Other chimed in seriously, “He called you a monster. Some random ass human off the streets who was being a jackass called you a monster and you’re letting it affect  you like this,” She sneered . “If anything, that just proves you aren’t .”

“I know! I know. It’s just…” Sakura wrapped her arms around herself, letting her emotions leak out. “I can’t help it. It’s like… no matter what I do, it’ll never heal. I’ll always be two steps away from being normal.”

“Normal? Is Rin normal? Is Sempai?” Other snorted.

“They can fake it. I can’t. Not anymore,” Sakura whispered, her emotions roiling beneath the surface. Behind her, her shadow rose up, arms wrapping around her as the area surrounding her darkened. 

“To be fair they’re also kinda ass at faking it,” Other stated much more sympathetically, “Issei practically thinks Rin is a witch , for goodness sake. And besides, normal doesn’t get you to the top, just look at all the Champions.”

“I suppose.” Sakura whispered. “Will we ever stop feeling broken, do you think?”

“Probably. It’ll take a while, but probably,” Other stated. “You might want to scream now by the way.”

“What?” Sakura looked up, a pair of yellow eyes staring into hers, set in an ethereal white face. “Oh–”

“ Sleep, lost one,” the figure murmured, and Sakura’s eyes locked as the ones before her pulsed with ghostly light. “You will be safe when you wake.”

“...dirty pool–” Other’s voice cut off as Sakura tumbled into unconsciousness.

Rin looked up from her seat as Ren shot to his feet, whirling on them and peering into the woods, Agate abandoning her S’more to join her brother. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Rin blinked, before dropping her own confection and darting to them. “Sakura?!” She yelled.

“Something strong came out of nowhere, and then Sakura and them vanished!” Ren barked, eyes sweeping the treeline.

“Something took her.” Agate informed her partner, “Ana, can you track them?”

“What, me? I…” Ana dashed into the woods, peering around. “Look, I can smell… hmm. Fox? I smell fox.” The Snivy frowned, then sneezed. “Like that damned Vulpix my old bitch doted on.”

“Can’t be Vulpix, they don’t have a habitat around here,” Rin shook her head, already furiously typing away at her Pokedex. “Eevee or Zorua. The only vulpines that have a habitat around here.”

“It’s not an Eevee. But… this doesn’t smell like dark-types,” Agate muttered. “And why would they take Sakura?”

“Don’t care!” Ren snarled, stalking past, following the scent trail, only to sneeze as the scent vanished a few meters from the start. “What?”

“Well that complicates things,” Rin growled, running through the various magecrafts that might help, and finding none that came to her immediate attention. “Sakura…” She swore, pulling out her gemstones. “Why didn’t I ever practice dowsing?” She muttered furiously.

“ Arceus dammit, what are we going to do?” Ren asked, tail flicking anxiously.

“Hmm. Why do I sense ghostly energies?” Libra drifted forward, sniffing. “Not Golurk, not Ghastly… hmm. Banette? No, that’s not it…”

“Hisuian Zorua,” Rin hissed , fury coursing through her briefly, “This is not good. Those ghosts tend to be actually malicious when they kidnap people, unlike their Unovan cousins.”

“If they threaten their kin, yes. Or territory.” Libra acknowledged. “This space isn’t marked, and we’ve not seen any Zorua about. Something’s not right…”

Rin barely listened. “...we need more information. How much do you all want to bet there’s a fox den around here? Come on, we need to pack up.”

“We need to find Sakura!” Ren barked. “Do we have time to waste?”

“This one took Sakura. If it was death they intended, she would already be gone.” Libra responded. “They will not kill her out of hand, and she has endured worse before, if the shadows around her are any sign. We have some time yet.”

“Agreed,” Rin nodded firmly, keying in her patron’s contact number. “Professor, we have a problem .”

Sakura woke, cracking her eyelids open only enough to get a vague idea of her surroundings but not alert anyone to the fact she had woken up. Her gaze passed over the rough-cut rock of the ceiling, immediately reassuring her that she wasn’t back in the Basement again. Beneath her, a bed of soft, springy material cradled her back, and the flickering lights she recognized as ghostly witchfire beat back the gloom.

‘Odd for a kidnapping,’ she mused to herself, deciding that she’d gathered as much information as she could while pretending to be asleep. Properly opening her eyes, the former Tohsaka swung her legs around, finding herself on a bed of springy branches covered in fluffy furs. As she placed her feet on the ground, she blinked as a tiny red-and-white form peered around the corner. The tiny fox stared at her, tilting its head.

“Oh hey! You’re awake!” The Zorua bounced forward, coming to a halt at Sakura’s feet. “Hey, hey, are you–”

“Did you have to kidnap me with hypnosis of all things?” Sakura declared flatly, not in the mood to be friendly after the way she’d been treated. Not to mention the various traumas that they had absolutely poked repeatedly. She was getting better at recognizing that now, thanks to Gothitelle.

“...I should get mom. Hey mom! The human girl is awake!” The Zorua spun about, dashing off down the corridor. “She seems a little mad, and I don’t speak human good yet!”

Sakura sighed harshly .

“Well, that was unpleasant.” Other took the opportunity to chime in, apparently having woken up herself, “Was that a Hisuian Zorua just now?”

“Yes. Yes it was.” Sakura answered aloud, already mentally planning how she’d get out of this situation. If anything was going in her favor, her room was an obvious chokepoint, and they wouldn’t expect magecraft from a Pokemon Trainer of all people.

“Ah, you are awake.” Sakura’s eyes darted up as a large, white-furred figure rounded the corner, yellow eyes gleaming. The human voice coming from a Pokemon was a little unnerving, but Sakura could read the genuine relief coming from the figure. Beside the Zoroark, the Zorua from before hopped along beside his mother. “How are you feeling?”

“Recently kidnapped,” Sakura growled , before reeling in her rage, a furious glare the only thing remaining of it for the moment. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”

“Preventing the birth of another of our kind,” The Zoroark said softly, even as the Zorua at her side cowered slightly. “What do you know about how we are born, young lady?”

“Grudges and Malice,” Sakura said simply, her rage deflating slightly at the noble intent. She couldn’t help it; it reminded her far too much of Shirou, “And to answer your concerns, Other and I have an agreement, and we exist in relative harmony. I am more than my grudges and malice, just as your kind now are.”

“You still stink of abandonment and loneliness, human child. Forgive me for being concerned.” Zoroark crossed her arms. “And as much as I would wish it, we are not more than our grudge. That grudge fuels us… to an extent.” She shook her head. “If you are as settled as you claim to be, then we will release you soon. As much as my child would want another sibling, I do not want any to suffer the way our forefathers did.”

“So you’re not going to be my big sis?” Zorua yipped, looking up at Sakura with begging eyes.

“Unfortunately, I’m a package deal,” Sakura giggled, finally relaxing a tad, though her eyes were still far too alert to fool anyone. “My nee-san will be very worried about me, and I’d rather not worry her too much.”

“Is she the one who abandoned you in the first place?” As Sakura moved to protest, the Pokemon raised one clawed hand. “I can tell that said betrayal is in the past, but the act still festers. Our tribe can tell you are much better than the worst case, but the poison is still there. We can help, if you wish to release the pain– or we can bring you from the situation entirely.”

“It wasn’t her who betrayed me,” Sakura began, only to shake her head. “I’d like to say that, at least, and I’d be factually but not emotionally correct.”

“Yep. She’s still a badass though,” Other chimed in, this time audibly, briefly shifting into control before she receded.

Zoroark sighed. “Come, meet the others. Your sister will not be able to find us, so we have time to decide how to approach this situation.” She turned, and began walking back along the corridor. “We have berry oatmeal and pork belly for a morning repast, and we can speak more over a meal.”

“I will disagree that Rin won’t be able to find you,” Sakura stated serenely, though with an edge of anger. “Not with the resources she has at her disposal.” She continued with a whisper, an almost smile flickering across her face. She and Other were in agreement that Rin would come for her. She’d proven as much so far, after all…

Rin Tohsaka was livid. “What do you mean you can’t send out a search party?”

The man, dressed in Ranger reds, grimaced. “Listen, Miss Tohsaka–” He cut her off as Rin moved to yell. “This area is nearly five thousand square miles of Pokemon territories, dens, and wild areas, much of it protected. Sending a team in blind is not something I can sign off on.”

“... You’re not sending in a team blind.” Rin repeated like she was talking to a particularly stupid individual. “You are sending a team of Rangers to one of the three communities of Hisuian Zorua within the area.”

“And if we intrude on the wrong one, my Rangers are going to be stalked for months by angry ghost-foxes, and that will rile up the native populations too,” the man barked back. “I understand you think a Zoroark kidnapped your sister, but without proof of which one of them took her, if any , we’re just as likely to cause enough trouble that no-one will be getting into the area.” He scowled. “Just calm down, and we’ll have scouts see if any of the areas are riled up soon.”

“What’s going on here, Ranger?” A sharp, commanding voice interjected from within the Ranger Station, whose doors had just opened to reveal a pair of teenagers dressed in what Rin vaguely recognized as a Sky Ranger Uniform, the pair goggles on each of their heads cementing that belief. “All requests are supposed to be processed through the Operator, not one of the Area Rangers. Explain.”

“Kids, this is Rin Tohsaka. Her sister vanished from her campsite some eight hours ago, and she believes Sakura Tohsaka, her sister, was kidnapped by Hisuian Zoroark.” The man explained, before pausing. “Ah, sorry commanders. Anyway, she’s asking us to hunt down her sister in the tribal areas, but if we do that, we’re stepping on a lot of toes.”

“... Area Ranger, did you just tell me that you were unwilling to do your damn job because you may somehow manage to fuck up and upset the local population of Pokemon?” The male of the pair said dangerously , eyes sharpening as he glared at the man. “You,” He continued, turning to ignore the clearly useless Ranger and facing Rin. “Details.”

“Sakura and I were camping in the local wild area, at approved campsite C338.” Rin began. “Sakura was working through some… issues, and took a short walk out of sight to collect firewood and get some privacy. Less than two minutes after she walked off, our Pokemon sensed something strong nearby, coupled with Sakura’s disappearance. Our Pokemon smelled Fox and felt ghost-type energy, but were unable to pick up any trail.” Rin finished.

“Which lines up with your belief that a Hisuian Zoroark committed the kidnapping.” The female of the pair stated, nodding, “Ben, our current mission?”

“We can divert for this, Summer,” Her partner declared, sending a glare towards the Area Ranger again. “Alright, Ms. Tohsaka, we’ll be accepting your request. Will you be tagging along?”

“Of course! It’s my sister, I’m not leaving her alone.” Rin huffed. “So, what’s the plan?”

Chapter Text

Sakura brushed aside the curtain of vines which hid the cavern mouth from sight, emerging from her temporary prison onto a mountain plateau, the open space holding a section of seemingly wild growth that Sakura recognized as a ‘wild garden’; a place in nature tended to and cultivated by Pokemon. The entire area was covered in greenery, berry trees interspersed with soft loam,  mountain grasses and shrubs covering the space between. Small groups of white and black foxes tumbled over each other, watched by upright kitsune.

“...if you do leave, I will ask that you keep this place a secret,” Zoroark warned as Sakura stepped into the open. “This is protected land, but the children here are valuable enough to be worth breaking the laws of man or morality for.”

“That goes without saying,” Sakura replied with a firm nod of her head. There was no way in hell she would ever reveal the location of this place. She’d take it with her to the grave .

“Thank you,” Zoroark nodded, even as Zorua bounced off to join some of the cavorting kits. “I suppose, if you believe you do have control over your grudge, we could speak with the elders,” she mused. “After breakfast, of course.” She led Sakura towards a pot, hanging on a wooden tick over purple flames, another Zoroark with their white locks pulled back into a ponytail.

“Other Zoroark?” Sakura sked, even as the cooking kitsune handed a bowl of porridge and a cup of water to her escort, then offered a second set to the girl. Sakura accepted the food with a nod.

“Not all of them,” Zoroark acknowledged. “This area has many species living nearby. I suspect the local Absol would want to be included in this, and I believe the Gothitelle Patriarch and his consort would want to meet you.” She huffed. “If we have made a mistake bringing you here–”

“You have.”

“-our transgression may have greater consequences,” Zoroark continued. “For now, eat. I suspect our messenger will be by shortly, bringing news. We may send her off again to spread the word.”

Sakura took a bite of her porridge, humming at the subtle flavored dish laced with juice and bits of berry. “You can tell I’m fine.” She stared dully back at Zoroark, who’d shot her a skeptical look. “Okay, healing. I am healing. I don’t understand why you feel the need to hold me any longer.”

“Even if you are not being harmed right now by your grudge, you are still in a distressing state, child,” Zoroark responded. “You attracted us. We would not want you to attract attention from something else, or somehow aggravate your wound, you use your metaphor.”

“I suppose that would make sense given the sheer amount of Pokemon that can interact with grudges directly,” Sakura allowed, obviously not happy about the fact the Zoroark had even a remote point in general, “But I’m fine .”

“Then you will not mind us confirming that,” Zoroark said back.

Sakura sighed, not at all pleased, scooping another bite of porridge into her mouth. At least the food was good…

Rin bit into her breakfast burrito, looking over the edge of her mount. Ahead of her, Summer patted her partner on the soft feathers, Latias cooing as she adjusted direction. When the Top Ranger had revealed that she possessed a auric bond with a Latias she could apparently just… summon by carving a symbol into the ground with her styler (with admirable skill), she could honestly admit she’d shat bricks, because what the actual fuck. But hearing the story behind the capture and the bond had changed her position on that. Apparently, Legendaries had a habit of choosing worthy partners and sticking close to or near them, or flat out becoming a trainer’s Pokemon. She’d actually done some research on the topic, only to be immediately walled by one of the Porygon that the international league maintained their data security with. They’d booted her with a firm “That’s classified”, and told her that if she wished to know more, she could wait until she was an ACE trainer.

Which, honestly, made sense. Professor Juniper had told her a little about Legendaries, but only in the most general terms. Legendaries ranged from ‘mere’ apex creatures which controlled vast territories, to literal deities. And this woman had one on call, and treated her the same way which her partner treated his Staraptor ride Pokemon. Of course, said treatment was fantastic, but that wasn’t the point Rin was trying to make.

On Earth, you could never really befriend a deity or phantasmal being. Here, it was only unusual . Humbling, in a way.

And a good reminder not to do anything to attract the attention of the Swords of Justice. Nope. Down that path lay ruin. Absolute and complete death, delivered by very angry justified deer with swords.

“Hey, we’re going to be swooping down pretty soon! We’re in the reserve zone now, and we should be able to find some Pokemon to lead us to the first skulk on the list!” Summer called over her shoulder. “Finish your food, you’ll want your hands free when we land!”

Rin nodded, stuffing the last quarter of her wrap into her maw. Swallowing the food, she had to gulp a second time as Latias began to descend. Coming down, Rin blinked as a dark figure came out of the woods to greet them.

“Rangers.” The dark Zoroark spoke, a baritone echoing as Latias came to a hover, Rin and Summer sliding off of their ride as she gave a gentle barrel roll. Beside them, Ben remained mounted on Staraptor as they landed. “Word going around is you’re seeking a missing kit.”

“We are, Elusive One,” Summer offered as she bowed respectfully, her Latias chirping in agreement, “Have you heard word of the missing child’s location?”

“Not as such.” Zoroark grimaced. “But my den has none of our Hollowed kin. And for that matter, we do not have such a stake in the local Council.” He spread his claws. “My children, siblings, and mate say that there has been more movement from other council members, though.”

“Can you lead us to them?” Ben asked respectfully, watching the Zoroark carefully for any signs that indicated he’d overstepped, and, thankfully, found none.

The Zoroark grimaced, sharp teeth exposed. “As much as I hate to say it, my family is not particularly well-liked. I could lead you to many places, but you would do better without the mistrust we would bring as a result. A thousand curses on my Grandsire,” he finished.

“Bad blood?” Rin asked.

“A horrible letch and a terrible prankster, all too eager to leave others to clean up his messes.” The kitsune sighed. “However, the local hound pack would certainly be willing to help. In fact, it is highly likely that Lady Absol is already in the know about what is going on, if she is not involved already.”

“Then we’ll make our way to their general location,” Summer nodded decisively, bowing once more towards the dark-type. “Thank you, Elusive One. Best wishes to you.”

“And to you as well, Ranger Summer. The winds have spoken much of your valor.” The fox bowed back before he faded away, as if their whole meeting itself had been an illusion.

Rin tilted her head. “...I’ve never had such a cordial meeting with a really ‘wild’ Pokemon,” she stated aloud. “Is that a ranger thing, or something more specific to you two?”

“How about you take the lead with this one Ben, I’ve gotta call this in,” Summer called as she remounted her Latias. Shaking his head with a fond sigh and gesturing for Rin to get on the Eon, he handed her a radio piece.

“Keep that in your ear, and I’ll explain as we make our way towards The Lady’s abode,” he called towards Rin, giving his Staraptor a pat as the pair took off, Rin not being able to catch any visible sign of him giving a command. Shrugging, the girl placed the earpiece in her ear.

[Alright, so you’re a faller, which means you’re more than likely missing a lot of general knowledge of our world that isn’t really covered formally anywhere. So, the Ranger Regions have put a lot of work into coexisting with Pokemon and Nature in general, to the point where Pokeballs, while not outlawed, are culturally frowned upon to the point where almost no one uses them, especially since Summer rediscovered Ranger Signs-slash-invented them. Don’t ask, time travel was involved. But, back to the point, there’s genuinely no need for them in Almia, Fiore, or Oblivia, which are the three Regions that fall under the Ranger Union’s exclusive domain,] Ben explained as they slowly made their way towards the East, both Rangers obviously keeping a beady eye on the forest for landmarks as they traveled.

So Rangers practice more naturalist or traditional ways of interactions with Pokemon? Something to look up, Rin mused.

[What you probably don’t know is, as a result of that dedicating to preserving the harmony of Nature and Humanity, Pokemon Rangers are very widely regarded as almost inherently trustworthy, to the point where Pokemon who aren’t actively panicking will generally happily assist us at least verbally even without the use of our capture styler, though we often formalize those temporary contracts if we need extended assistance by using them anyway, due to the mutually beneficial exchange it provides the wilds. A temporary Auric Bond with a human, essentially.]

[Sounds fantastic. And, since I assume the bond is tested during training, it’s really rare for them to end up corrupt or abusive?] Rin said back. [Even that idiot back at the base just seemed… incompetent, not malicious.]

[Pretty much! While there haven’t never been people who abuse Styler technology, it’s extremely uncommon for a Pokemon Ranger to go rogue. There’s only been one or two in our entire history, and in one of the two cases, an investigation showed that the Ranger accused of going rogue had been psychically compromised during a deep cover operation.] Ben explained, audibly wincing at the mention of the idiotic Area Ranger, [And yeah, the Ranger who was uh… incompetent is currently being recalled to Almia for… retraining. Because our relationship with the League is still relatively new, we really can’t afford to have anyone but our best and brightest within our limited Ranger Stations in the League Regions.]

[Right,] Rin agreed. [Ah… I hate to ask, but you two look barely older than me. How’d you end up outranking him? I’m assuming there’s no Nobility system in the Rangers…]

[There’s not!] Summer called over the radio, evidently having finished her report while Ben had been explaining things, [Ben and I are both Top Rangers as well as Sky Rangers, both of which greatly outrank anything but a Region Ranger in the League Regions. Like the League, the Ranger Union is meritocratic to a fairly large degree, and both Ben and I can claim to have literally saved a Region, on top of being in the top percentile of measurable skill within the Ranger Union. Additionally, we weren’t so much pulling ‘rank’ as promising to submit a report that would have made his life miserable to the relevant individuals. Him calling us ‘Commanders’ was mostly him being a dick and making a shitty joke at your expense.]

[Saved a region? I think I want to hear that story, if there’s not a movie in the works.] Rin answered excitedly, eyes sparkling with stars.

[The Ranger Corps are still auctioning off the rights to it,] Summer admitted, sounding sheepish about the whole thing.

[We can tell that story later. Staraptor’s spotted the pack below,] Ben cut in a little more curtly than he probably had to, [Come on, let’s go meet them!]

Rin was soon back on the ground, looking over Latias with a considering expression. “...is there any chance your brother would be interested in joining–”

“Nope!” The Eon Pokemon chirped.

“Didn’t think so. Well, I think I want a flying Ride Pokemon.” Rin declared. “Any suggestions?”

“Later. Let’s go find your sister first,” Summer chided, looking towards her partner, “Ben? Where are they?”

Before he could speak up, a mixed pack of Herdier, Lillpup, Houndour, and Growlithe boiled out of the woods, happy barks and woofs sounding before the horde of floof, wagging tails, and lapping tongues bowled over all three humans. After a few moments of licking and love, Rin heard a louder, deeper voice sounding over the group.

“Kids, calm down and give them some space!” The smaller dog Pokemon cleared away, revealing a Houndoom whose jaw was quirked in a grin. She spoke after eyeing the group. “Rangers coming here? Well, it’s always good to see you. Here to pick a pup for a youngster?”

“Hello Houndoom.” Summer replied with muffled laugh, gently pushing the Growlithe off her with more care than even professional breeders might use, “We’re more here to look for a youngster than pick up one, if I’m understanding you correctly.”

“Oh? Is this what my mate was called away for?” Houndoom sniffed. “Well, unfortunately, he didn’t tell me before he dashed off.”

Rin cleared her throat. “Ah, even if your mate was involved, we’re looking for my sister. Some of the locals directed us here for a tracker.”

Houndoom perked up, ears rising behind her horns. “ Oh really? Well, I suppose Yawn could help you out. He’s being lazy again. What can you offer the pack in exchange?” She sniffed the air. “You could take and train one of our pups, but I smell psychic cat on you. Might be tricky. Anything else on offer?”

“What exactly are you looking for here, Houndoom?” Rin finally spoke up, having let the professionals handle things for now, “While I would be willing to take on one of your pups, it would depend on what Agate has to say on that matter.”

“Hmm. Do you have any Fire Stones? You smell like Elemental gems.” Houndoom asked. 

“I do.” Rin replied with a nod, digging into her backpack and producing said stone, “Here, take it.”

“Well, you’re definitely paying us in full. Maybe too much…” Houndoom rumbled as she took the gem in her teeth. “Let me go get Yawn.” She turned and trotted off, and Rin took a few moments to pet the happy pack around her. A few minutes later, Houndoom came back, flanked by a shaggy, fluffy hound.

The Arcanine blinked sleepily. “Aww, auntie, do I have to work?”

“Yes you do. Now, you can nap more later.” Houndoom said harshly. “You’ve a little one to find.”

Summer blinked. “You understand them exactly, don’t you?” she accused, pouting a bit. “Any chance it’s not an auric or psionic trick?” she pleaded.

“Tohsaka-Juniper translation earpieces are still patent pending. And require top-line pokedex or phone devices on hand to work properly,” Rin replied, leading to both rangers perking up.

Summer grinned, before turning towards the Arcanine that had just come, “You’re here to help us?”

“I suppose… oh, hey, rangers!” The sleepy doggo perked up, tongue lolling out. “Oh, so I’m working for the Rangers! That’s great!” He looked around. “So, auntie mentioned tracking. What are we looking for? A rare species? Lunch? Runaway boyfriend? Girlfriend? A criminal?”

“My sister,” Rin answered, taking a piece of cloth from her back, “This should still have her scent on it.”

“Ah.” Yawn sniffed the undergarment, before tilting his head up and scenting the air. “...nothing close by, but the wind is carrying it from.. Hmm.” He shifted, turning to present his side. “Well, come on up! I think I know which way to go!”

Rin looked over at Summer. “Umm…”

“Mount up!” The ranger urged, waving one hand as Latias lifted her up. “We’ll follow behind.”

Rin nodded, pulling herself up onto the fluffy dog. “Okay, so– WHOA!” She screamed as the massive dog took off at high speed, leaving the pack behind, a red and brown streak following after. As the two rangers moved to catch up, Rin pulled herself a little closer to her ride. Hang on Sakura, I’m coming!

Sakura frowned as she stepped into the large chamber, looking at the rough-carved chairs and fluffy nests set around the room. Six Pokemon sat in the room, all of them turning to face her.

“I believe I can understand why you felt she might be one of your kin in the making.” The Gardevoir murmured, peering at Sakura. “Are you alright, child?” Beside her, the Gothitelle nodded quietly..

“Yes?” Sakura stated serenely, looking unbothered by the question despite the anger she felt at it. What right did these people have to completely disrupt her life because they were being paranoid and or worried about something that she was seeing a professional therapist for, one that was also a freaking Psychic.

“...your anger is not misplaced,” Gothitelle murmured. “Though our concern is not unwarranted.” He sighed. “ Absol–”

“Chances of something happening to her in the next four months… low but not impossible. But the seeds of catastrophe are still present.” The black-and-white beast sighed. “If she was going on a normal journey, I would think the therapy she is already undergoing to be sufficient.” Red eyes turned to Sakura, gentle in their assessment. “Sakura, could you promise me that you could stay out of danger? Out of areas with high magic, or seeped in spiritual energies? At least for the next three years?”

“That would be physically impossible,” Sakura deadpanned , eyeing the Absol like he was particularly stupid. “Nevermind the fact that the Legendary Pokemon are becoming much more active recently, but this world is steeped in exactly the things you say to avoid by my metric, which is the only metric I have to assess that by.”

“I did have to ask. As for you, other…” Absol spoke, his gaze shifting slightly to gaze at Sakura’s shadow cast behind her. “ Would you kill to defend her, should she be threatened?”

Sakura blinked, before sighing and temporarily ceding control to her Other. “That is a very complex question with a very complex answer, but the simple answer is yes.”

Absol sighed, and one of the Zoroark in the room took up the conversation. “That is admirable, but not advisable. You are, in essence, a ghost haunting Sakura. Any actions which would give you more energy would place greater strain on her soul and psyche. Killing for her or moving through areas of high spiritual energy… it might cause you to grow too much.” She grimaced. “You are stable. We didn’t need to bring you here to quiet your grudge or your minds. But you cannot go on like this.”

Absol chuffed. “Death is not warranted nor moral.”

Gothitelle nodded in agreement. “We could contact one of the Reverse Lord’s ambassadors? He could send an envoy to manage her…”

Zoroark shuddered. “We should not bother the Lord of Spirits for this. His displeasure is… uncomfortable.” She tapped her chin. “I assume you would refuse to be separated?”

Other blinked, laughed hysterically for several seconds while wheezing, then looked at the Zoroark again. “Wait. You’re serious. Who the hell gave you that idea? I’d love to have my own body, but not if it comes at any cost to Prime.” 

“ I meant by distance, though that is good to know. No, I assume you’d not want to be enshrined. I know of a couple of priests nearby who could do that.” Zoroark explained.

“Or rather, I know a few nearby.” Gothitelle corrected. “...hmm. Most of the methods we have…”

Absol perked up. “A thought. Zoroark, have you saved any quiet eggs?”

Zoroark blinked, looking over sharply. “...that is a thought.”

“I think you’ll need to explain,” Other spoke.

“Yes, we should.” Gothitelle peered at Sakura and the one within her. “You may be having someone join your family after all.”

Yawn sniffed at the air, pausing to hop between small spots of firm land. “I gotta say, being able to talk to a human– it makes this a lot easier. My former trainer never got what I was trying to say.”

“I’d imagine so. Communication in general is a very important thing to have between two thinking beings, otherwise misunderstandings will inevitably occur,” Rin nodded primly, a proud smirk on her face. “I… genuinely don’t know why no one ever took the time and effort to figure out a translation, to be honest.”

[Not like people haven’t tried,] Summer said into her ear, starting Rin before she remembered that she’d never turned off her microphone. [Didn’t you have to combine magic and technology to get it working? Most of the magic-users I’ve met don’t understand the mechanics that well,] she observed. [Everyone who cares knows Pokemon can understand us, and experienced humans can understand their own really well. It’s sometimes considered a privilege of high-skilled individuals.]

“That just seems silly, but it isn’t my place to judge cultural traditions I haven’t been immersed in for long yet,” Rin acknowledged, keeping her less kind thoughts to herself. She had, after all, not even seen a fragment of a fragment of this world. It really wasn’t her place to pass judgment.

Well, at least outside of the privacy of her thoughts. She could pass judgment all she wanted there. Then again, Magus culture had just as many, and far worse, hang ups which seemed… trite. So again, not going to judge too much.

The group fell into silence as they continued to ride, only the occasional chatter between Summer and Ben breaking the monotony. Finally, however, Yawn stopped near the tepid waters of the mire they were traversing, looking around with narrowed eyes. “Okay, her scent is getting a little stronger. And I think we’re nearing the Mountain Grotto Skulk, so that makes sense.” He sniffed again. “Hang on, what smells like Krookodile?”

[Rin, get ready, we can see the water moving down there!] Summer cried out, just before the swamp erupted, a half-dozen blue shapes arcing towards the dog and his rider.

“Agate, you’re up!” Rin called as she drew and threw her Starter’s Pokeball out at record speed, before reaching for Libra’s ball, then withdrawing her hand. Libra had a horrible matchup here, and she had support.

With a cry, Agate stood on the field, already falling into a meditative position as she used Miracle Eye without having to be commanded, before her eyes snapped open. “Rin, please remind yourself to buy a Thunderbolt Technical Machine. I’m getting tired of not having coverage against things Psychic doesn’t hit super-effectively.” She snapped up a fast barrier, knocking back the marauding reptiles.

One of the reflected Crocanaw poked his head up out of the water. “Nice work, kitty. Hey, do you like getting wet?” He grinned viciously, before opening his mouth and spewing a rush of water to batter the barrier, his fellow bask opening their mouths to join in. Agate scowled, even as one of the balls within Rin’s satchel pop open, Ana hitting the ground nearby. The lead Crocanaw blanched. “Oh fuck, leaf snake–”

“... You are impeding the search for my trainer,” the Snivy hissed , clearly beyond furious. “You have three seconds to piss off before I end all of you.”

“What Ana said.” Rin nodded sagely, even as Summer descended on her own rather terrifying Pokemon.

“Is there a problem here, little ones?” The Latias chirped cheerfully, a dangerous glint in the dragon’s eyes though her voice remained completely pleasant. “You wouldn’t want to impede our search, would you?”

“...hey, bro, do you know any ice moves?” One of the Croconaw shot off to their leader. As the leader opened his mouth a much larger shape emerged from the water from behind him, one clawed hand wrapping around his head.

“Kids, what the hell are you doing?” Rin gulped as the Alpha Feraligatr came upright over her child, looking around the area. “Lugia and birds, why are you picking on a group of Rangers? And a fucking Eon guardian?”

“...I wanted some training time?”

“Yeah, no.” The Feraligatr looked up at the humans. “Kids. They never think things through, what can you do?”

“... Not much honestly. Except kick their asses when they pick on the wrong group.” Summer blinked, taking a long look at Rin, who was looking very smug, “When did you hook up your translator to my communicator?”

“Your VoiceNav Program demanded I send it the algorithm. I complied because why not. Consider it a free sample. Also, your Styler is technically magitech now.” Rin stated with false dismissal, “Though, I have to ask, Sir Feraligatr, did you see a human my age around here?”

“...listen, I know you humans have trouble telling our genders apart, but I’m their mom,” Feraligatr grumped. “As for humans… not me, but one of the local Unfezant gossipmongers told me she saw a purple-haired girl carried off to the fox’s den.” She jerked one hand over her shoulder, a spiked nail pointing towards the mountain rising behind her.

“Apologies,” Rin bowed, before shutting up as Summer stepped forward.

“Thank you for the information, Ma’am. We’ll be going now, then.” The Aerial Ranger stated, before remounting her bonded Lati and taking to the skies, “Rin, we know which den they’re talking about now! Tell Yawn to follow us!”

“Alright, kids, let’s talk about your punishment. For starters, if you really want more training, how about we go fight the Leavanny colony?”

“But they always win!” Rin heard the Croconaw say petulantly.

Half an hour of travel later, the group came over the ridgeline to look down on a cultivated garden, Rin feeling a little fuzzy as she gazed down at the playing white and black foxes. “...question. As Rangers, is it hard to reprimand cute things?” She asked, looking at one of the fluffy foxes as it nommed a berry below, lowering her binoculars.

“Not really,” Summer shrugged, looking rather haunted. “Just because a Pokemon is cute doesn’t mean it isn’t capable of horrifying things. I can still remember a mission I had a while back after the Oblivia Crisis…”

“I think I want to hear that story later,” Rin replied. “Okay, so, how do we want to approach them?”

Ben shrugged. “We’re waiting for their scouts to see us, then come over to see what we want.”

“Indeed.” All three humans glanced up to see a Zoroark melt out of the shadows, crossing their forearms. “So. Are you Sakura’s sister?”

“Yep,” Rin replied glacially, eyes flinty as she looked at the Zoroark. “And you are?”

“Annoyed and resigned.” The kitsune sighed. “She said you’d come for her, and she was right.” He eyed the rangers. “Listen, she’s fine, but things are a little delicate right now. There’s a ritual underway, and your sister will still be a part of it. If you’ll just wait for a little bit, she should be out soon.”

“You’ve gotten her involved in what? ” Rin hissed. In the bag at her hip, the two balls belonging to Sakura clacked against each other, both visible to the Zoroark.

The vulpine being winced. “It’s complicated, but the elders thought something was wrong with her, and it was decided she needed something with her soul fixed–”

Finally, it seemed Ren had heard enough. With a snarl , the Umbreon burst from his already furiously shaking ball, hissing at the Zoroark with malice dripping from his own aura.

“Uhh, if you want me to take you to her, I guess you can come watch. And I can get someone qualified to explain things…” The Zoroark said, taking a half-step back, waving his hands.

“Oh, if I don’t get answers, I’m going to do a lot more than just watch.” Rin hissed. “Lead on, then.”

The Zoroark nodded, turning and darting across the ridge, Rin and Ren in pursuit.

Sakura gulped as she stepped into the ritual circle. She eyed the pedestal in the middle of the circle with a bit of pain, staring at the still oblong perched there. “...there’s something very sad about a stillborn egg, I didn’t realize before now.”

“It is always a sadness. Some species, like Chansey and many birds, many of their eggs are inert.” The Zoroark elder stepped forward, tracing one clawed finger over the red rings and gray spots on the egg. “Word to the wise; if the egg has the coloration of the species, it had the potential for life.” She whispered. “And it is that potential we will draw upon for the ritual.”

“We will remember their sacrifice, willing or otherwise,” Other spoke through Sakura sombrely, “None deserve to die so young.”

“Indeed.” The Zoroark rumbled, looking to one side. Extending a hand, she took the object from one of the onlookers, holding the glass knife to Sakura. “A few drops of blood, infused with your aura if you can. Anoint the stillborn with it, and then move to your place.” As Sakura accepted the knife, the kitsune stepped from the circle and took her place nearby.

Sakura sliced across the back of her hand, then smeared the shallow cut over the egg. Wisps of shadow rose from the red smear. “That should do it, right?”

“More than enough.” The Zoroark nodded, and Sakura moved to the major node on the circle, across from the egg.

As soon as she reached the spot, the circle sprang to life. Absol, Zoroark, Gothitelle, and several other Pokemon channeled power into the circle.

As the blooming of power began, Sakura heard several yells from the rear. A Zoroark ducked into the room, scrambling to one side as Rin and Ren stalked in, only for both to come up short as they saw the circle. Rin gulped, eyes narrowing as she looked over the circle.

“... Fine, it looks like you actually know what you’re doing.” Rin allowed after several tense moments, before she looked towards Sakura, “You’re good with this?”

“Ah… yes,” Sakura nodded, even as her shadow began to be dragged towards the pedestal, a smile blooming across her face. “It may not have been necessary, but I’m glad you came, Nee-san.” She looked past Rin, brow creasing as she saw two other figures file in behind her sister. “Ah, who are they?”

“Rangers I recruited to help track you down. They were immensely helpful in actually getting to you, Sakura,” Rin replied with a small smile on her face, “Summer-san, Ben-san, we can stand down, this ritual is safe, and involves the consent of my sister.”

“Yeah, I tend not to mess with magic unless I’m desperate.” Summer said. “You never know what they’ll do. One artifact may release an ancient Pokemon, another might turn you into a Pokemon.” She shuddered. “Three days as a Psyduck. That was awful.”

Rin nodded absently, kneeling as she pulled out a notebook and tapped her ball, letting out Agate. “Could you take some video, please?” She asked, even as she began taking notes. “Multi-auric rituals… I didn’t know Pokemon had structured magics.”

“Of course, Rin. Just give me a second.” The Espeon stated respectfully, looking towards her brother, “Ren, are you okay?”

“I am fine, sister. For now, I will simply watch over my mistress.” The Umbreon replied, gaze never leaving his partner’s body, “It appears I will have a new member to the skulk soon, though.”

Rin glanced down. “Oh? Do you understand what’s going on?” She looked up again. “Grass and Ghost energies for new life, Dark for transference and shadow, Psychic for… control?” She frowned. “And Fairy for linking? I don’t think I understand all the elements going into this.”

“It is less that I know and more that I suspect Other is about to get a body of her own,” Ren stated idly as he watched the Pokemon work their magic. “And Rin, I would recommend you gain a mastery of aura at some point. It is distinctly different from the magic this world practices and the Magecraft and Magic that your world does.”

“I’m not as lucky as Emiya,” Rin responded tartly. “Aura requires a sort of… synergy of body and spirit I’ve not come close to mastering.” She looked up and studied the ritual again, then started. “Wait, so am I going to have two sisters, or…”

“Technically yes, going by human tradition. I would imagine you wouldn’t have a problem with one of them being a Zorua, would you?” Agate interjected with a sly smile. “And thank you Ren, I would have never figured it without you mentioning Other .”

“It was my pleasure, sister.” The Umbreon stated with a flick of his tail, closing the conversation.

“...I don’t know how other Magi would react to having a Phantasmal in the family.” Rin mused. “They’d pretend to be affronted to hide jealousy.” She paused. “Well, more Phantasmals. You both count.”

Sakura looked down, watching as her darker shadow pull further and further from her, reaching towards something else.

“Hey, original? In case this doesn't work… thanks for accepting me.” Other murmured within their shared head.

“How could I not? You are me, in some regards,” Sakura replied with a complicated expression on your face. “You are me, and I am you. While you came into existence thanks to my trauma, you are still a person of your own, and I shouldn’t shy away from that.”

“Yeah, but… still. See you soon, hopefully.” With a wrench, Sakura felt something give way, and a part of her mind she’d known was there came rushing back, faded and raw; at once a remembrance and a forgetting, as though something vital was lost but a burden was shed. Part of her soul, drawn off and wicked away, and yet leaving her whole regardless.

As she watched, the shadows whirled forward, sinking into the egg before the power dissipated and the circle beneath her went dark. Sakura gulped, stepping forward. “Is–” Before she could finish her sentence, the egg gave a tremendous lurch. Cracks formed across its surface, before it burst into a rain of brilliant light.

A small gray fox kit, fluffy hair tipped with deep violet, gold eyes tinged red, peered back at her. With a start, the newborn Zorua shook herself. “...this is different.”

“Huh.” Summer remarked from where she’d been watching, “You don’t see that everyday. Wouldn’t have worked outside of this specific species, either.”

“Ah, no. If you can be turned into a Pokemon, then you can be reborn as one,” Zoroark said, walking around to her. “Granted, the risk was almost non-existent under these circumstances, and you’d likely not be able to perform it with such a solid sense of self without finding your perfect match.”

“Well that’s good to know for future reference,” Ben stated with a smile, “Then again, there’s a shortcut to that as well.”

“Hm?” With a glance at her partner, Summer asked Ben the obvious.

“Secret~” The boy in question chirped with a smirk, looking very smug. “Let’s just say it’s a family thing.”

“Ah, family-specific spells.” Rin acknowledged. “They don’t involve transplanting part of your magical nervous system into your children, do they?”

“Nah, nothing like that,” Ben shook his head. “But I quite literally refuse to say more, so don’t ask.” Rin merely nodded. Honestly, his easy rejection was a lot calmer than she would have expected from a magus family. Lineage and lore theft was literally a war crime among Magi; which was one of the reasons the Tohsaka and the Edelfelt had been at each other's throats for centuries.

Sakura listened to the byplay as she walked over to her other half. “How do you feel?” She asked, looking into molten eyes.

“I feel… tiny. This is unfair,” Other huffed. “We are the same age, so why am I a newborn?”

“Well, you have just been born,” Zoroark said, stalking up to inspect her new kin. “Now, your power and spiritual weight seem ready for evolution, but your body is still very, very new. You will need to let it develop and grow into your power. Until then, you will remain a Zorua.”

“I suppose,” Other murmured. “We can work out my training plan after we figure out my name. And how this is going to work.” Her face scrunched into a frown. “ I suppose I’ll need a Pokeball, unless you just want me to ride around on your shoulder or in your shadow.”

“It’ll probably be safer to catch you, Zorua.” Sakura admitted with a frown, clearly conflicted at the thought, before she brightened, “But if you don’t want to be in the ball all the time, feel free to hide in my shadow or ride on my shoulder!”

“That’s fine,” Other allowed, tilting her head as Rin approached. “Hello, sis. Did you learn anything interesting from my birth?”

“A few things, yes. Though nothing I want to or need to use for my own Magecraft or magic.” Rin allowed. “So, how are we going to be compensated for this… diversion?” She asked the Zoroark.

Zoroark arched one eyebrow. “Your sister now has a Shiny Zorua and will not be in danger of having a soul dissociation. We can offer an evening here, and perhaps some training tips. But I do not think we can offer more than that.”

“I did not believe that the Wilds considered kidnapping young in any scenario to be justified , Zoroark,” Summer interjected severely . “If this is what my Rangers in the area can expect, I will be reporting this to both the League and the Union.”

“We were responding to what could have become a spiritual break, and the local rangers had stopped responding to our requests months ago.” Zoroark spat back. “Now, we were in the wrong, and I will accept censure for that, but this incident is due to a communication breakdown months in the making.”

“I don’t think you understand the problem here.” Ben interjected placatingly, “And rest assured we’ll both be having words with the local Area Rangers. We were in the area for a reason, after all.” The boy took a breath, before his eyes hardened and he continued, “You broke the compact of Four Swords. And a Spiritual Break that has not happened yet is not enough of an excuse to do what you did, especially when the person in question has a Gothitelle specifically assigned to her case because of the risk of the Spiritual Break in question.”

“Enough.” And thus, the Legendary in the room spoke, clearly fed up with the argument, quieting all parties before they continued. “Zoroark. Do you deny that you broke the pact?” As she said the words, an oppressive feeling began to linger, as if the weight of the gods themselves were pressing down upon those within the ritual chamber.

“...I cannot deny we broke it.” Zoroark sighed. “With some caveats, but by the word and spirit, we are in the wrong.”

“And Rangers, do you promise to investigate the breakdown of communications? I am aware that in and of itself is your mission in this area as I am partnered to the one known as Summer, but it must be stated for formality’s sake.” The Latias continued, her voice her voice accompanied by the beating of hooves.

“We do.” Both Summer and Ben stated severely, before blinking as the oppressive atmosphere of the room disappeared as suddenly as it came.

“Then nothing more needs said.” The Latias stated firmly and with finality, “You will provide the wronged party recompense. It need not be a life, and should not, but supplies or treasures will suffice.”

“Hmm. You are a mage, yes? Would lore be considered treasure, young one?” Zoroark looked at Sakura. “Our clan has kept a trove of items taken from the sorcerers who once hunted and broke us to what we are. I do not believe you or your sisters would abuse them.”

“I accept.,” Sakura stated instantly, looking towards her sister, who nodded her head sharply, “As does Rin-nee.” She paused, clearly debating something internally. “I forgive you. But I would appreciate it if you or your clan never approached me again.”

“...understandable,” Zoroark sighed. “We will abide by that request.”

A few hours later, Sakura was happily cuddling with both of her older Pokemon, Other wrapped around her neck. “Yes, I’m glad you came. And don’t worry, I won’t be leaving anytime soon.” She looked up, seeing Rin across the newly built fire, paging through her notes. “I’ve got too much to lose, you know.”

Chapter Text

Illya’s brow furrowed as she looked at Roark. “Wait, so… you don’t have a direct line to Lord Kleavor? I mean, he is a rock type, right?”

“Well, right now it’s Lady Kleavor, firstly. And second, well…” Roark shrugged. “Kleavor’s current den is north in Eterna Forest, closer to Eterna city rather than here. The mountains down here are home to Lord Wyrdeer, and he’s the first challenge you’ll face if you want to start the journey anyway.”

“... Huh. Thank you for letting us know, Leader Roark,” Illya answered with a slow blink. “I assume we have your permission to enter the wildlands in that case?”

“You have your pass already, but with your badge, you have wider access, yes,” Roark acknowledged. “Now, Lord Wyrdeer’s challenge is simple; find him.”

Isabella coughed. “Yeah, Lord Wyrdeer is a little shy. He only shows up if he thinks someone’s interesting, if they get together a proper offering, or if they have a delivery for him. You could hunt him down, but I don’t think you want to spend a couple weeks tracking him.”

“Hmmm. I assume you can’t simply tell me what kind of offering would be proper?” Illya asked the Clanswoman, receiving a laugh and a shake of her head at the suggestion. “Yeah, I figured as much. In that case, Shirou, can you help me brainstorm a proper offering for Lord Wyrdeer?”

“...the legends said each of the clans had a foodstuff which was beloved by the Nobles.” Shirou mused. “Beyond that, I can’t think of anything Lord Wyrdeer would want.”

“Saint Quartz? Can never have too much of that,” Ritsuka chimed in, then paused, crossing his eyes. “Wait, what–”

“Ignoring my sibling’s continued lunacy, perhaps we could ask the locals what Lord Wyrdeer could want? Or just see if he has a haunt we could track down? Even the most free-roaming soul has places they favor,” Matilda commented, tail swishing.

“Both very good points.” Roark stated as he watched, clearly amused, “But, I do, unfortunately, have other things that I need to be doing today.”

“Ah, there was one other thing!” Illya perked up. “We have our passes, but to access any of the Grand Underground, we need training. The Underground Explorers’ guild is here, right?”

“Actually… no.” As everyone gave Roark odd looks, he shrugged. “The main guildhall is in Eternia city. Now, we do have a major branch here, but the founders wanted a central location for the guildhall. If you want to get your training here, you certainly can.” He shrugged. “If you’re going to be around for a few days anyway, there’s a class being held in two days.”

Illya sighed. “Well, unless we want to stay in town, we should go establish a campsite.” She paused, then whacked her forehead. “Or we could just stay in the Pokemon center. Yeah, let’s go get a couple of rooms.”

Nods all around, as the three kids and their Pokemon walked towards the Pokemon center, they were watched by a blue-clad woman.

“Huh… so they’re going to try to track down my lord?” She tapped her lower lip. “Should be interesting.”

‘-apples, maybe? Nono, can’t be apples, though it might be a part of Lord Wyrdeer’s favorite. Thankfully, I got little-brother to teach me how to cook and bake while we were with Professor Caroline, so I can make a pie, but I need to know what to put into the damn thing first.”

“...it is far too early for this,” Matilda groused, rolling over to look at her queen. “Illya. You do realize we have time, and access to some resources to figure this out, right?”

It takes a few moments for the demi-homunculus to register that her partner had woken, the girl in question blinking as she looked towards the Sylveon. “Ah… Sorry Matilda, I didn’t mean to wake you. I just couldn’t sleep last night. Bad dreams and nightmares.”

“Tsk, Fubuki is falling down on her job.” Matilda hopped off the bed, bapping the ghost type’s Pokeball. “I know you are new to being a ghost, but you do need to learn Dream Eater.”

“Nightmares taste nasty,” Fubuki whined, before she turned to Illya. “What happened?”

“Illogical nightmare about papa abandoning me,” Illya grumbled, pouting at the wall. “I know it wasn’t true now, but Grandpa essentially brainwashed me into believing it.”

“...the more I hear about that man, the more I want to curse him to die frozen. I think that’s something I can do now,” Fubuki acknowledged, folding her arms like sleeves. “But that is an issue for another time. You are concerned about your pursuit of Lord Wyrdeer?”

“Mhm. I was researching the offerings that the clans gave, and they generally take the form of the Lord or Lady’s favorite food, arranged into something interesting, or a balm.” Pausing to take a breath, the snow-haired girl continued, “So, I was looking around and asking around, and it seems that Lord Wydeer is partial to pie, but none of the trainers are able to tell me what kind of pie.”

“ From what I have heard, most lords and ladies are partial to foods found in their local area. But times have changed, and so may have their tastes.” Fubuki said. “However, if Lord Wyrdeer likes pie, he likely prefers it sweetened with Dazzling Honey.”

“Which would indicate a more tart berry filling.” Everyone stopped and looked over as Shirou sat up, blinking owlishly. “Or using tart apples.”

“Shirou! You’re actually awake at a reasonable hour on your rest day for once!” Illya chirped with a genuine grin. “I won’t have to wait something like two hours to get going today~!”

“You woke me up, though I would’ve needed to get up soon anyway.” He paused when Yagi emerged from his Pokeball, stopping the Riolu from running outside. “It’s your rest day too, Yagi.”

“But training!” The little fighting type protested.

“THAT’S ILLEGAL!” Ritsuka chirped from their position on top of the nearest bed, wings flared in a clear display of threat. “Do I have to pounce on you again, Yagi-chan~?”

“Ooh, fight training!” Yagi took up a combat stance. “Bring it on–”

Fubuki held up one hand. “Hypnosis.”

“FOUL!” Yagi cried out, before slumping over, snoring.

“Thanks Bucky~” Ritsuka sighed, coming down from their position on top of the bunkbed and alighting on the floor near Shirou. “I demand pets, Shirou.”

“Sure.” Shirou petted his partner as he continued speaking. “I’d suggest looking around and finding out what local culture is like. If it is pie, then some of the local shops have likely moved to imitate that dish.”

“Oooh, good point. Thanks Shirou~?” Illya replied cheerfully, giving her brother a quick hug before she took off, headed out of their room and into the town.

Shirou watched her leave the room, looking back at the Pokemon sitting around him. “...how long will it take before she realizes she left you all behind, and skipped breakfast?”

“Within the next ten seconds,” Fubuki guessed, proven correct when Illya sheepishly wandered back into the room with a blush, looking at Shirou expectantly. “Ah, it seemed she only remembered because she recalled it was your turn for breakfast, Shirou.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Shirou nodded, walking towards their bags. “I wonder if the center will let me use their kitchen, or if I’ll need to go cook outside?”

“ How did you get roped into this?” Matilda asked Shirou, watching as he served up a plate of french toast across the serving counter. Around them, dozens of visiting trainers quietly attended to a real home cooked meal, bites vanishing as melancholy and joy swept the room in equal measure.

“Ah, they needed the help.”

“And he’s getting paid, both in cash and ingredients.” Ritsuka blacked, walking by with a tray on his back. Yagi trotted beside him, carrying a serving basket filled with pastries.

“Besides, we’re also getting paid in information,” Illya remarked as she handed Matilda several plates of toast with eggs on them. “This Pokemon Center is one of the ones that occasionally sends Lord Wyrdeer a tribute in accordance with ancient traditions, so…”

“Really? So what goes in the pie?” Matilda asked.

“Aha! They will not inform us until we have helped in the kitchen for lunch and dinner as well! The head chef was most insistent!” Yagi remarked as he returned with a bunch of dishes. “Now, I must away to the dishwasher!”

“Thank you for your sacrifice, Shirou,” Illya acknowledged. “I appreciate you helping me with something that only I really had to do.”

Shirou shrugged. “We are getting paid. Quite well, in fact.”

“Our normal head chef is on leave, and the temp we hired ran off chasing a girl.,” the local Nurse Joy said as she brought a tray of sausages out to the line. “Hiring her was not the best idea, but her marinaded barbeque was too good to pass up.”

“Understandable,” Illya remarked. “It was quite good.”

“It was. I think she left behind her recipe book. Mr. Emiya, do you think you could recreate it?” One of the other employees asked, to which Shirou hummed in affirmative.

“It’ll probably take a few tries to get it exactly right, but generally a recipe is all you need to create dishes, so long as you generally know what you’re doing in a kitchen,” Shirou stated, before frowning. “Of course, getting it exactly like the creator will take some time, since cooking is more of an art than a science, but I’m confident I can figure something similar out.”

“That would be wonderful,” the employee sighed.

Illya nodded and rolled up her sleeves. She wasn’t nearly her brother’s equal in the kitchen, but she’d give her best effort regardless!

Shirou put the finishing touches on the pie, brushing down the top crust with melted butter as he checked the oven with a side-eye. “And… done. One sweet-and-spicy Tomato and Shuca pie.” He set the pie in the oven, then looked over at his audience. “Did I get all of that right?”

“From what I’ve heard, yes,” Isabella confirmed, biting into one of the test pies Shirou had made. “Mmph. These are good!”

“I’m glad you like them. Sweet-and-spicy isn’t the most common flavor combination back home, at least not for baked goods,” Shirou explained. “So getting the berries to work right together with the honey took a bit of work.”

“Okay!” Illya glanced at the time, waving her brother towards the doors. “You go ahead and take a walk, little brother. You’ve been in here for eight hours, you deserve a break.”

“When the timer goes off, go ahead and check it, and pull it out when ready.” Shirou instructed as he shucked off his apron, not complaining after 

“No problem! How long should I set the timer for if it isn’t done? The instructions don’t clarify,” Illya asked seriously.

“No more than another five minutes, you really don’t want to burn the crust,” Shirou explained as Ritsuka and Yagi moved over to walk beside their trainer. “When it comes out, let it cool for an hour before you load it into the basket. It might come apart otherwise.”

“Got it, thanks Shirou!” Illya chirped, Shirou nodding before heading out the door. The girl turned to Isabelle. “So, who’s Lord Wyrdeer’s warden?”

“That would be Marley. She’s… fast. Always on her feet, moving from place to place.” Isabelle snorted. “She’s also considered a little bit of an outlier in her family. They’re all dedicated to tough sluggers, but Marley favors speed freaks.”

“And there’s the fact that I don’t keep any traditional Sinnohian variants in my team.” Illya started, then turned to see a young lady in a black-and-white skirt blouse and skirt leaning on the door, a blue hooded jacket over her outfit. “Hey Isabelle. Glad to see you made it out.”

“Warden Marley, I presume?” Illya asked the new face with a raised eyebrow, “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Well, I heard you were trying to meet with my Lord and begin your journey.” She smiled at Illya. “And then your brother managed to get the recipe for that pie exactly right, from hearsay and rumor. My Lord is going to come running as soon as you put the pie down.” She sighed. “Ah, I do prefer a chase, but you did put in the effort.”

“I did, though there’s got to be more to the trial, right?” Illya asked. “I mean, this hardly seems like enough. Isabelle couldn’t give any other details on the trial, nor could Roark…”

“I change it up pretty frequently, on a case-by-case basis.” Marley shrugged, coming in and picking up one of the spare test pies. “Some people get a fast pokemon and try to ride my lord down, and if they manage that I give them a pass. Some set ambushes, some find and challenge me; when Champion Cynthia took the trials, she and her Togekiss befriended every den and pack in the region and had them send her alerts to narrow down where he hid out.” She shrugged. “If I don’t think they put in enough effort, I usually challenge them to a race, force them into a battle, or give them a task before they get the Plate.”

Isabelle nodded. “Huh, I guess since Lord Wyrdeer didn’t give a huge challenge to the Champion, there’s not a set one? That’s cool, Lady Basculegion always wants the challenger to go catch a Dusclops for her.” She finished her pocket pie, looking her over. “But what are you planning today?”

“Dunno yet.” Marley shrugged, Illya perking up as alarm bells began to ring in her mind. “It depends on what happens with her brother.”

“What exactly did you do to my little brother?” The snow-haired girl growls, hand reaching for Matilda’s Pokeball despite how absurdly outmatched she was. She wouldn’t let anyone get away with harming Shirou. Not while she still drew breath.

Shirou sighed as he ducked into the woods. Yagi dashed past him and bounded into the thicket, legs blurring as he burned off energy, while Ritsuka looked up at him, pensive. “Are you okay, Shirou? You’ve been down recently.”

“...honestly? I’ve been trying to hold onto things a little less.” Shirou reached up, tapping his chest. “It’s weird. In my old world, I didn’t have any trouble being around people all the time, but here, I’ve come to like just… being alone with you guys.” He sighed. “The last three days, with so many people around; I love helping, but it’s really impersonal.”

“Hmmm, I think I understand the problem. You’re trying to reconcile your beliefs and ideals with what you’re feeling, correct?” The Wyrmeon offered, pushing their head against Shirou’s leg, demanding pats more for his benefit then theirs.

“Somewhat. But… not really. I get why I feel this way. I like helping people, but not… not when it doesn’t mean anything.” Shirou shook his head. “I cooked for the center to help Miss Joy and the other staff, but I had to interact with lots of people who just… didn’t care. It wears me out.”

“It’s an Aura thing!” Yagi leapt down from the tree he’d been walking up, somersaulting into a headstand pushup. “Understanding aura involves understanding yourself! So what you feel gets magnified a bit. Very helpful for self-reflection, though the loop can be dangerous.” He came upright, shooting a thumb’s up. “If you really feel that way, we should do something you like! That always helps bring your aura back into balance!”

Ritsuka blinked. “You’re not usually this insightful, Yagi. I suppose it makes sense, though. You are an expert on Aura, at least for your age.”

“I was also given some books for this effort.” Yagi whipped out a small stack of books out of his aura space, holding up the top one, Training a Young Aura Adept. “Sometimes I read them while doing sit ups, or during cooldowns. I’m not allowed to run while reading anymore.”

“You’ve been very helpful, Yagi.” Shirou reached down, ruffling Riolu's head. “I suppose I should go exercise, in that case. It is always rather relaxing.”

“Thank you! I shall–” As one, Shioru and Yagi froze, Ritsuka’s ears shooting straight up. “-ah, do you all feel that–”

With an earth shattering kick, a Pokemon descended between the group, a shockwave of force sending the trio flying off in different directions as the being that Yagi had sensed manifested itself far faster than any of them could have possibly expected. As he wrenched his leg out of the shattered earth, Shirou got a good look at the Pokemon, and gulped.

They vaguely resembled the appearance of a Lopunny - at least, the coloration and everything was consistent with that of one. However, this one was far more intimidating. For starters, it seemed to emanate an aura of pressure that Shirou could practically feel, as if they were something more than that of a normal Lopunny, as though the appearance alone wasn’t enough. Second, the already long ears that Lopunny could use to punch extremely well were even more optimized for the act, while their legs also gained a level of muscle tone that was not present before. Oh, and as if that wasn’t enough, already the bunny was turning to look at him, one of their hands crackling with electricity as the other had a rather obvious aura of ice surrounding it.

“...ah. Shirou, get behind me.” Ritsuka threw himself upright, crouching before the aggressor. “I feel as though there must have been a mistake–” Ritsuka sniffed. “-good sir.”

“Good of you to attempt diplomacy, but unfortunately, it will not do you any good here, kid,” the bunny chimed back, cracking his neck as he shifted his head from side to side, both the ends of his ears coming alight with fire and aura respectively. “Nothing personal kids. I’ve got my marching orders.”

Shirou swallowed. “Ritsuka, harasser tactics. Yagi, light feet and flex. If we have to fight–” Shirou focused, projecting the solid heft of his naginata. “-we’ve got to be smart about it.”

“That…” the Lopunny began, before he blurred, coming between the three of them before they could see it happen, elemental fists ablaze. “Was not the correct answer.”

Before Shirou could even think to do something about it, a fist of ice slammed home into Ritsuka, sending the Dragon Type flying into a tree, bark cracking as he was flung into it, even as Yagi was sent into the dirt by an aura infused punch, the force behind it almost bouncing the tiny jackal off the ground. Seconds later, Lopunny sneezed as Ritsuka rolled upright, tail lashing earth in a blast of sand which caught in his eyes.

Shirou’s eyes widened, and he immediately shifted his stance, blade facing the normal-type. He glazed to one side, his Wyrmeon darting back to his side, then to Yagi–

-who was cupping a slightly distorted chest even as the blue fighter rose to his own feet.

Shirou blinked, focusing, sending out a pulse of aura. As soon as he knew which way Illya was, he shifted his stance, his spear cracking as he smoothly moved it through a throw, pitching it at his opponent. “Ritsuka, whirlwind, now!”

The Lopunny, belying his casual disregard of Shirou’s team, sidestepped the crackling spear as gale-force winds briefly locked him him place, even a Whirlwind not quite enough to do more than force the Pokemon to expend a not insignificant amount of effort ensuring that he wasn’t blown away. He grunted and closed his eyes as the spear detonated, the flash of light and shockwave barely enough to knock him forward a step as the winds petered out. “Exploding weapons, bad idea. Don’t–” As he blinked open his eyes, he paused.

Shirou’s hand clenched Yagi’s ball as he darted into the woods, Ritsuka’s tailwind speeding them both into flight. “If we make it back to town, there will be other trainers,” he panted out as they ran. “He’s a lot faster than us, but we’re not too far out– we just need to keep our distance–” 

“Oh, good, looks like it took you a bit, but you chose the right answer,” a new, feminine voice called from above, sounding quite happy. “You can keep running if you want, but my teammate can help patch your Riolu up. I don’t think Astolfo meant to hit him that hard.”

Shirou didn’t even look up as he cleared the tree line, emerging into the outskirts of Oreburg without slowing. Seconds later, the sounder of the voice was left alone.

Well, not really alone. “Huh, well, I can’t say I can blame him. Probably should have mentioned the Heroine by name,” a second voice chipped in.

“We did send a mega-evolved Pokemon to test him with no warning,” the first replied regretfully. “Too much, do you think?”

“Eh, none of the others would have been intimidating enough. And you’re too instantly recognizable, though I doubt the brats would have known who you belong to.” The second shrugged, clearly not all too concerned by the events that were occuring.

“Yeah, and now he’ll be scared of us, or will call the cops on us. Or both. Now how are we going to give him his reward?” The first retorted.

“Mana, Mana, Mana, you’re worrying too much. We already got that sorted out with the Clans, and we… have Akari-san on speed dial,” the second stated smugly, only to trail off as the reality of her life becoming strange again hit her, “Fuck I’m supposed to be on vacation. Damnit .”

As the pair continued to chat, they were completely aware of Shirou dashing up the walk, weaving around the battle happening behind him, ready to intervene if things started to get… Nasty. Yet on either side of the torn-apart field, Illya and Marley blinked as a red streak blazed by.

As Illya headed to the door, face twisted in rage, Marley got in her way, hands raised. “Hey, Lady Akari will make certain your brother will be just fine. She’s taken special interest in him, dunno why, but it’s not the ‘succeed or die’ kind. Calm down a little.”

“... No, I don’t think I will,” Illya snarled, eyes smoldering with rage as she threw Matilda’s Pokeball down onto the floor, “Matilda, get her out of my way.”

“With pleasure–” Matilda began, only for a much bigger ball of fluff and heat to appear before her. Despite his happily lolling tongue and dopey smile, the Arcanine sitting in front of her was an intimidating sight nonetheless. “-okay fuzzball, get ye gone.”

“Ah? Oh, do you want to play?” Arcanine’s eyes lit up with joy. “I like playing…”

Marley coughed. “Ah, I can’t let you go through… unimpeded. Though your willingness to battle is something I appreciate.” Tension rose as she locked eyes with Illya.

Isabelle slapped the table, before glaring at the pair and pointing towards the door, “OUT! We are not having a clan member ruin another Pokemon Center because of something that I don’t personally agree with and was not informed would be occurring!”

“...that’s fair.” Marley trotted over to the door. “Again, no harm will come to your brother, lady Illya. But I do need to challenge you anyway, so let’s take this outside, and when we’re done, you can borrow Shaggy and go find your brother, if he hasn’t made it back already.”

“... If so much as a single ounce of blood was spilled from him or his team, I’m going to sick Fubuki on you,” Illya growled, before nodding sharply, deciding to trust (for now) that the Clan wasn’t going to hurt her brother.