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Chapter Text

"Ha ha ha ha ha..."

A slow chuckle echoed throughout the darkness.

"Ehahehehehe..."

The chuckling quickly sped up into a frenzy of manic laughter.

"Hehehehehe...heh..."

The chuckling stopped.

"...but it's time I got going!"

The door abruptly swung open. The light poured in. It was bright. Far too bright. Blindingly bright.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!"

Far beneath the surface of the Kalos region, in the deepest depths of a crystal-filled cave, Carbink woke up with a start. They blinked rapidly, their eyes trying to adjust to the surroundings.

Strange. They never usually had such vivid dreams.

Carbink's eyes were taking unusually long to adjust. They recognised the rock walls of the cave. They recognised the familiar crystals embedded in them. But they didn't recognise the yellow light emanating from the surrounding floor, accompanied by a sound of crackling electricity. It was brighter than anything they were used to seeing in their underground home.

"Uhh..." Carbink whispered in confusion. They felt the unfamiliar sensation of their mane blowing in the wind. "Am I still dreaming, or...?"

A nearby groan caught Carbink's attention.

"Ugh..." One of their fellow Carbink was also stirring. "What...huh?"

"Why is it so bright?" said another Carbink groggily. "I can't sleep like this..."

"What is this force brushing against my mane?" another asked, clearly irritated. "Could this be...underground wind?"

Carbink watched apprehensively as the whole colony woke up one by one, murmuring and complaining.

"How could such a light have breached our cave?"

"Is there a hole in a wall somewhere?"

"Will we be forced to relocate?"

"Ugh, I'm too tired to move..."

The cave soon echoed with the pack's confused, overlapping discussions. Carbink was alarmed by the commotion. They weren't sure what was happening either, but they knew this aimless babbling wouldn't get them anywhere.

"Enough!" Carbink yelled, raising their voice just loud enough to be heard by everyone. The murmuring of the other Carbink fell silent as they all turned towards the speaker. Only the sounds of wind blowing and electricity crackling remained.

"Thank you, everyone," Carbink continued. "Now we can all hear ourselves think..."

"Who put you in charge?" another Carbink asked, disdain evident in their voice.

"Well," Carbink replied, "someone needs to keep us all in line or we'll never figure out what's going on."

They adjusted their posture to look more upright. Something in their body felt off, but they tried to ignore it.

"What do you think is happening?" asked a younger Carbink. "Are we in danger?"

"That's what we need to figure out," Carbink continued, moving towards the others. "I suggest we— agh!"

Carbink suddenly tripped over, wincing at the unusual pain in their chest. Right as they hit the ground, the light vanished in a sudden flash, and the wind abruptly slowed to a halt.

Several of the other Carbink quickly stepped back in alarm.

"Are you behind this?!"

"Huh?" Carbink struggled to get back up. "Of course not! Why would I— aaagh!"

Carbink recoiled suddenly, throbbing with pain. In perfect sync with their groan, the light reappeared in another flash, electricity coating the ground once more, and the wind suddenly returned, now blowing in the opposite direction.

The other Carbink were quick to react.

"There's something wrong with you!"

"Have you been cursed?!"

"Is it infectious?!"

"Stop tormenting us!"

"I'm not doing anything!" Carbink shouted, bewildered. "This isn't— I'm not controlling this at all!"

"This way!" echoed the voice of a Carbink at the other end of the cave. "We can relocate through this tunnel!"

Carbink watched as the rest of the pack hurriedly fled. They had never seen any of them move at such speed, let alone the entire group.

"W-wait...!" Carbink called out weakly, barely audible over the noise of everyone else's stampede. In a matter of moments, the whole pack had cleared out through the tunnel, leaving Carbink alone in the windy cave.

Carbink sat there for a moment. The sharp pain was subsiding, but they still felt that same indescribably odd feeling inside their body. It felt as though their very DNA had somehow been recklessly rearranged.

Carbink sighed and started moving through the cave to follow their pack. They'd get left behind for good if they waited any longer.

Suddenly, they stopped. Their pack? Why were they following their pack?

Carbink had never been very fond of their peers. They'd always lamented how the other Carbink in the pack were so simple-minded, so snobbish, so boring. They all rigidly followed the same routine, afraid of the tiniest inconveniences. They all were quite happy to spend the vast majority of their lives asleep underground.

"...I don't need them," Carbink said to themself, overcome by a sudden feeling of resentment. "I've never needed them."

They turned back to the other side of the cave. The yellow light of the floor illuminated the walls and ceiling, allowing every detail to be seen clearly. Carbink noticed a hole in the ceiling, above their normal sleeping spot.

"I can handle myself," Carbink muttered, gazing up at the hole. "It's not like they'll miss me."

Impulsively, Carbink leapt up into the air. They fell back down to the cave floor with a thud.

"I don't need them," Carbink repeated confidently as they got up, louder this time. Their voice reverberated through the empty cave. "I can live my own life!"

Carbink stepped back a bit, narrowing their eyes. They focused once again on the hole in the ceiling. Mustering up all their energy, they took a running start and jumped up.

Suddenly, just as Carbink left the ground, the wind picked up. The Jewel Pokémon could barely process what was happening before they were propelled up into the hole by the powerful gusts, tumbling into the tunnel beyond.

One week later...

"And it looks like Ditto is down! Gabite didn't let it land a single hit!"

The fairly large crowd of spectators gathered around the outdoor battle court cheered enthusiastically at the commentator's words. The Pokémon Trainer at one end of the field recalled his fainted Ditto, a blank expression on his face as he prepared another Poké Ball.

"Both Trainers are down to their third and final Pokémon!" the announcer continued. "It's still anyone's game! Let's see what comes out of that Poké Ball!"

"Gyahahahahaha!" cackled the opposing Gabite in excitement. "Who's next?!"

The Trainer tossed his final Poké Ball, and in a burst of light, Carbink was out on the field. In an instant, the ground was turned into Electric Terrain as a mysterious air current was unleashed over the battlefield.

"He sends out the infamous Carbink!" the commentator boomed. "And it's getting windy here on the court! Impossible as it may sound, rumours have been swirling about this Carbink somehow having the two Abilities Delta Stream and Hadron Engine at the same time!"

"My my," Gabite growled, gazing at Carbink. Her voice was gruff, aggressive, condescending. "You truly are a beauty. It's a shame I'll have to wipe the floor with you!"

"I believe in you, Carbink!" the idiotic young Trainer yelled. "I know you can do it! Make that enemy faint!"

Carbink sighed apathetically at the unhelpful advice. They remained stationary, unresponsive to their surroundings.

"And Gabite makes the first move, lunging at Carbink with a Bite!"

The commentator's incessant shouting was getting on Carbink's nerves. They quickly used Protect, successfully blocking Gabite's attack.

"Whoa!" the commentator announced. "Did Carbink just use a move without its Trainer's instruction?!"

"Argh, what is your problem?!" yelled Gabite angrily as she readied a Dragon Claw. "You belong in my collection, not on the battlefield!"

"Could you shut up?" snapped Carbink, unaffected by the Dragon Claw. "It's a battle, not a shouting contest."

"Well, then maybe you should try attacking!" Gabite yelled back, unleashing a Slash. It wasn't very effective.

"Carbink effortlessly shrugs off Gabite's offences!" the commentator noted. "It seems this bizarre Jewel Pokémon won't go down as easy as Ditto before it."

"Hello?!" Gabite exclaimed. "Are you just gonna sit there and let me destroy you?!"

"You know what, fine," Carbink replied, exasperation evident in their voice as they assumed a battle-ready pose. "I don't care about this battle, or about my Trainer, but you're really fucking annoying."

"Ohohoho, I'm annoying, am I?!" Gabite exclaimed. "Bring it on, sweetie! You'll regret this when you feel the full extent of my—"

Gabite was interrupted by a sparkling ray of light striking her in the face.

"And Carbink strikes back with Power Gem!" the commentator observed. "Not very effective, but enough to knock Gabite off its feet!"

"Way to go, Carbink!" the Trainer added. "Use Toxic!"

"I don't even know that move!" Carbink grumbled, knowing they wouldn't be understood.

"Ugh!" Gabite had recovered. "Nice try, but you're not gonna take me down that easily!"

"Shut up already!" Carbink yelled back, firing off a Moonblast for a super effective hit. Gabite screeched in pain, struggling to stay standing.

"Gah, you must be cheating!" Gabite continued to shout, readying another attack. "There's no way I could lose to such a pretty little thing as—"

Without a moment of hesitation, Carbink followed up with a powerful Tera Blast, the bright beam slamming directly into Gabite. Despite Carbink not being Terastallized, the attack still dealt big damage.

"What a pushover," Carbink remarked calmly, watching Gabite stumble around in pain. "Have you never heard of dodging?"

"You...little shit..." Gabite mumbled before finally collapsing.

"And Gabite is unable to battle! It seems we have a winner, ladies and gentlemen! George and his mysterious Carbink are moving onto the finals!"

Carbink was pleased to have finally put a stop to Gabite's grating voice. But their joy was short-lived.

"Great job, Carbink!" said their Trainer, just as annoying. "I'm sure that futuristic engine within you boosting your Sp. Atk was very helpful!"

Carbink grumbled quietly. They didn't understand why their useless fool of a Trainer was getting credit for that victory when he hadn't even given any orders.

"The finals are going to be tough, surely!" the Trainer continued rambling. "But we're going to go all out! This item should help you!"

The Trainer handed Carbink an energy-filled capsule, much to their chagrin.

"This Booster Energy can enhance your powers!" the Trainer went on, an obnoxious grin stretching across his face. "There's no way you can fail me now!"

"For the last time, this item is completely useless to me!" Carbink fumed in futility before being abruptly returned to their Poké Ball once again.

"Let the finals begin!"

Carbink emerged onto the battle court once more. The Electric Terrain and strong winds surged to life as always.

"And he leads with the infamous Carbink! But can it replicate its phenomenal performance from the semifinals against this new foe?!"

Carbink squinted at the opposing Trainer, who threw a Poké Ball of his own. A fiery shape emerged, only slightly larger than Carbink.

"It's the Ruinous Pokémon, Chi-Yu! A formidable force indeed!"

"Can he go two seconds without yelling?" complained Carbink.

"Ha, tell me about it," Chi-Yu replied.

Carbink gazed in amazement at the Pokémon before them. The thing's body seemed to be entirely made of fire, but was somehow adorned with a stylish pair of glasses. Through the tinted lenses, ornate beads stared back at Carbink like eyes.

"Wow..." Carbink could feel their Sp. Def decreasing as they stared. "Those glasses make you look so cool!"

"Thanks," Chi-Yu replied casually. "You're not so bad yourself. Those glittering jewels are making me envious."

"Really?" Carbink wasn't used to being complimented. "That's so nice of you to say!"

"Hey, Carbink!" the Trainer interrupted. "Get battling already! Use that Booster Energy! You've got to win this for me!"

"Ah, right," said Chi-Yu dutifully. "Time to start fighting."

"...Do we have to?" Carbink asked.

"Huh?" Chi-Yu seemed taken aback. "Don't you want to win the tournament?"

"Not really," Carbink explained. "That stupid Trainer forced me into this. This definitely isn't the free and independent life I had in mind when I escaped from that cave."

"Come on, Chi-Yu!" The other Trainer was getting impatient too. "Use Fire Blast! Decimate this rock!"

"I don't think we have much of a choice," said Chi-Yu. "We can't just disobey our Trainers..."

"Why not?" Carbink pressed. "What gives these humans the right to control us? The fact they imprison us in balls most of the time?"

"Well, I..." Chi-Yu trailed off, seemingly deep in thought.

"Chi-Yu, you lazy moron!" the Trainer yelled again. "Stop idling and fight!"

"Hurry up and attack already, Carbink!" the other Trainer chimed in. "You won't like what happens if you don't win this for me!"

Restless murmurs spread throughout the audience, confused by the lack of fighting.

"Are you just gonna allow yourself to be treated like this?" Carbink said encouragingly. "Forced to do battle for their entertainment? We need to stand up to these tyrants!"

"We're still waiting on someone to make the first move," announced the confused commentator. "The combatants seem to be, uh...exchanging battle cries?"

"Gah! Carbink, you useless slob! Do something!"

"Come on, Chi-Yu, fight for me! I need to win that prize money!"

"...You're right," Chi-Yu admitted. "I can't...we can't stand for this any longer!"

Chi-Yu's beads suddenly began glowing as fiery droplets burst from their body. Before any of the humans present could react, huge flames erupted around the field, melting through the ground.

"Whoa, it seems Chi-Yu is finally attacking with...wait, is that aimed at...huh?!"

The electrified ground was quickly giving way to a sea of lava, while strong winds propelled the flames through the air, engulfing the surrounding area. The audience screamed and panicked as several of them caught fire.

"Let's leave this place in ruins!" yelled Chi-Yu, suddenly much more excited. "I'll burn it all to the ground!"

A fire alarm started to blare as people fled rapidly. The announcer frantically urged everyone to remain calm, but even his voice was barely audible in the chaos.

"Wow, great job!" Carbink cheered, watching the flames grow around them in awe. They were in the eye of the storm with Chi-Yu, unharmed. "This is really spectacular!"

"I'm just getting to best part!" yelled Chi-Yu happily. They directed the inferno at the two Pokémon Trainers, who shrieked in pain.

"Stop!" yelled Chi-Yu's Trainer. "I'm your ally! Your friend!!"

Carbink noticed the Trainers dropping their Poké Balls, which were melting in the flames. They heard a fire truck approaching.

"Quick, let's go!" Carbink exclaimed urgently. "Before anyone can capture us!"

Chi-Yu finally stopped blasting fire. "Should we run away?"

"Hold onto me," Carbink instructed. "I think I can get us out of here."

The flames started to die down as more crowds of people arrived, dousing them with fire extinguishers and Water-type Pokémon. As the dust settled, only the two collapsed Trainers remained on the charred battle court.

"Where are the Pokémon?!" yelled a firefighter. "Did they escape?"

"Look!" Another crowd member pointed to the sky. Sure enough, Carbink and Chi-Yu were there, shrinking into the distance as they flew away together.

"...Are they flying? How is that possible?"

The fire was completely extinguished now. The gathered crowd murmured amongst themselves about what had just happened.

Suddenly, Carbink's Trainer began coughing, struggling to get up. He had suffered significant burns.

"Are you okay?!" yelled someone.

"I'll call an ambulance!" added another.

But after only a couple of seconds, the Trainer managed to get to his feet without too much difficulty.

"Hahaha..." he chuckled. "Don't worry about me. I am fine!"

"What?" replied a crowd member. "How could you be fine after that?"

The Trainer simply smiled in response. He turned his head to the sky, watching as the two Pokémon faded out of view.

"Hello? Sir?" Someone tried to get his attention. "Can you hear me?"

The Trainer closed his eyes and melted away.

Chapter Text

Carbink wobbled uneasily, struggling to stay upright as they soared through the air faster than any movement they had experienced before. Their ears were assailed by the roar of rushing wind and crackling electricity. Vast stretches of the Paldea region flew by below them faster than any details could be made out. Carbink felt they might have been experiencing more stimuli in this single moment than they had in their entire life up to that point.

"Are you flying?!" called out Chi-Yu in disbelief and amazement as they desperately clung to Carbink's body. They were yelling loudly to be heard over the surrounding racket. "How do you even do that?!"

"I have no idea!" Carbink yelled back, wobbling again. "I just focus on my— ahh!"

Carbink lost their balance, lurching to the right. The winds that had previously flowed together in the direction of their movement started scattering off in random directions as the two Pokémon rapidly lost altitude. Carbink tried in futility to regain balance as they hurtled down towards a grassy area nestled between mountains.

"Shit!" called out Chi-Yu, their cool glasses slipping off their face as they braced for impact. Their grip on Carbink was tighter than ever as they saw the ground getting closer and closer.

CRASH!

Chi-Yu's grip instantly loosened as the two Pokémon smashed into the ground, both sliding to a halt. They had landed in a grassy patch next to a waterfall.

"Oof..." Carbink recovered slowly, pulling themself back upright. They felt two items pressing against their body inside their soft mane. The Booster Energy and a familiar pair of glasses.

"Whoa..." Chi-Yu was recovering as well nearby. They stumbled back towards Carbink. "That was crazy...how did you...?"

"Sorry about the rough landing," said Carbink, absentmindedly polishing the glasses with their mane. "I guess I'm still not used to doing this..."

"To flying, you mean?" Chi-Yu asked, clearly curious.

"Yeah, I only found out I could do it a few days ago," Carbink explained. "That's by far the longest distance I've ever gone."

"That was very impressive!" Chi-Yu congratulated. "You were going faster than some actual Flying types! And besides, it's totally my fault that we crashed. I shouldn't have distracted you."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Carbink replied. "What matters is...we're free. I don't think our Trainers will find us out here."

"Yeah..." Chi-Yu replied thoughtfully. They were silent for a moment before continuing. "I...I don't know what came over me back there..."

"Huh?"

"I got so riled up so fast..." Chi-Yu continued. "I haven't been that angry in years..."

"You were more than justified," Carbink casually replied. "I've had enough of humans thinking they can treat us like that."

"...My glasses!" Chi-Yu suddenly blurted out, recoiling in surprise. "Where did my cool glasses go?!"

"Oh, uh, here you are," said Carbink, gently placing the thoroughly polished glasses over Chi-Yu's beady eyes. "Good as new."

"Whoa..." Chi-Yu blinked at their surroundings through the sparkling lenses. "You made them crystal clear!"

"Happy to help," replied Carbink cheerily. "Where did you get such cool glasses anyway?"

"Oh, they're technically called Choice Specs," Chi-Yu explained, continuing to look around as they spoke. "My Trainer gave them to me to...wait..."

Chi-Yu trailed off. They started swiveling around increasingly fast, looking in shock at the mountainous scenery.

"Uh, Chi-Yu?" Carbink asked. "You good?"

"This is..." Chi-Yu sounded surprised. "I know this place! I used to live here!"

"Oh, really?" Carbink replied in an interested tone. "That's a weird coincidence."

Chi-Yu curiously moved over to a nearby rocky ledge just past the grass, with Carbink following after a moment. Beyond the ledge was a small pool in the mountainside in which some Golduck and Dratini were calmly swimming about, taking no notice of the duo. Chi-Yu turned their gaze up above the pool to see the tall waterfall that led to it, the water cascading down menacingly.

"Up there..." Chi-Yu commented, pointing. "I lived up in that mountain."

"Above the waterfall?" Carbink asked.

Chi-Yu turned back round to face Carbink. "Those flight skills of yours...are they any good vertically?"

"Uh, well..." Carbink looked a bit nervous. "There's a first time for everything..."

"How do you activate it?" Chi-Yu asked. "Is it with that capsule you're holding?"

"Oh, no, this Booster Energy's useless," Carbink explained. "I don't have a whole lot of control over it, but I think it's something inside me that creates those electric winds..."

"Maybe try, uh, focusing really hard?" Chi-Yu offered, moving close to Carbink as the breeze started picking up. "Emotions can be a powerful force. If you try to hone in on your desire to overcome the waterfall, then maybe..."

Carbink stared up at the waterfall with narrowed eyes. Something inside them started rattling.

"Whenever you're ready," said Chi-Yu encouragingly, grabbing onto Carbink as they had done on their previous flight. "Perhaps you could try—"

The rattling sound exploded into crackling electricity, sparks flying off in the surrounding area. Carbink leapt into the air right as the winds drastically accelerated, coming together in a concentrated upwards stream of air, almost parallel to the waterfall. The two Pokémon were sent flying up, rushing past the waterfall faster than the water could flow down. They kept on shooting up, past another pool, and another. Carbink instinctively closed their eyes as they soared up past the huge crystal spires at the mountain's peak, and further still. At the apex of their ascent, as Carbink's movement slowed to a deceptively brief halt, Chi-Yu, their glasses crooked, gazed in awe at the sharp mountaintops of the North Province (Area Two) that were spread out below them.

Then Carbink was falling. The stream of air had scattered into small, separate gusts that swiftly rushed off into the surroundings, leaving the fate of the two Pokémon to gravity. Carbink opened their eyes in alarm as they felt themself plummeting down, past the peak of the mountain, straight towards a grassy rock platform. With a last-minute swerve, they managed to narrowly avoid it, falling down towards the pool below.

With an immense splash (or at least it felt immense), Carbink landed in the shallow water, sinking almost to the bottom before quickly rushing back up. Poking their head out of the water, they saw Chi-Yu had managed a cool landing next to a lonely tree on a small area of grass just beside the river.

"Wow!" Chi-Yu exclaimed, reeling from the thrilling experience. "That was so...LOOK OUT!"

Confused by Chi-Yu's sudden alarmed shout, Carbink turned around.

"Shit!"

Carbink was a metre or so away from the edge of the cliff, where the waterfall started. They also suddenly became conscious of the flowing water that was continuously pushing them towards the edge.

Carbink frantically turned around and tried desperately to swim the other way, but their lack of both experience and limbs made it difficult to make any progress. They were inching closer and closer to the cliff edge.

"Hold on!" they heard Chi-Yu call out. A few seconds later, Carbink was being dragged forcefully through the water, away from the edge. After some intense struggling, Chi-Yu determinedly leapt out of the water, Carbink in tow, before unceremoniously tumbling down and collapsing onto the grass.

The two Pokémon lay there in motionless exhaustion for a few long seconds, catching their breath as they both looked up at the late-night sky above. As their breathing gradually slowed back down, the sounds of rushing water and distant Pokémon cries filled the silence. Chi-Yu weakly adjusted their glasses.

"...Thanks...for saving me..." Carbink eventually said between breaths, still lying on their back motionlessly. "...I...might still need a bit more practice..."

"You did a great job," Chi-Yu replied, chuckling weakly. "Ugh, I really hate water..."

"Same here..." Carbink agreed. "But..."

Carbink finally got up, turning to face Chi-Yu.

"If you hate water...why did you live next to a waterfall?"

"Oh..." Chi-Yu replied, also managing to get up. "Well, I didn't exactly live here by choice..."

Chi-Yu turned around to face the rock wall that the tiny patch of grass protruded from. Just past it was the entrance to a tunnel in the mountainside.

"Follow me," Chi-Yu instructed.

Inside the mountain, the dark cave at the end of the tunnel looked to be a dead end. A colony of Noibat were gathered in front of a large hole in the wall, which was clogged up with rubble. The Noibat paid no attention to it, peacefully digging into a couple scavenged apples.

Suddenly, one Noibat stopped eating as his ears pricked up, noticing the near-imperceptible sound of approaching movement. In a matter of seconds, all the other Noibat had done the same.

"And here we are," said Chi-Yu, turning the final corner of the tunnel as a swarm of Noibat flew overhead in the opposite direction. Carbink followed closely behind with slight unease.

The duo's slow movement through the tunnel came to a stop in front of the now deserted hole in the cave wall. Chi-Yu stared at it thoughtfully.

"So, you lived in a cave?" Carbink commented. "I did as well, actually. Though mine was much deeper underground."

"There's a bit more to it than that..." said Chi-Yu solemnly. "This is the Firescourge Shrine..."

"...You mean that hole in the wall?" Carbink guessed.

"Once upon a time," Chi-Yu began, turning to face Carbink, "there was a human king who was unhealthily obsessed with collecting treasure. It's said he was particularly fond of treasures from other countries. One day, a merchant from the East heard rumours of this king and came to meet him. The merchant laid out four treasures in front of the greedy king..."

Carbink listened, confused yet intrigued.

"The four treasures," Chi-Yu went on, "were as follows: a vessel, a sword, a set of tablets, and...a set of beads..."

"...Is this the story of why your eyes look like that?" Carbink asked.

"I was purchased by that stupid king," Chi-Yu went on, turning back to the hole in the wall. "Me and the other three. It was far from the first time. We'd all been passed around and used as playthings by humans for generations...but the rapacity of that king was what finally awoke us. All those coalesced negative emotions gave us life. We knew we'd finally had enough of being handled by those greedy fools. We went on quite the rampage...that once grand castle was left in ruin. Ruin, I tell you! Haha...that was a fun day."

"When you say 'we'..." Carbink began.

"Oh, me and my friends," Chi-Yu explained, slowly turning to the cave's ceiling as they reminisced. "The other three treasures. We made a pretty good team...until a bunch of meddling humans had to come and put a stop to it. They separated us, confined us in tightly locked shrines...shrines like this one."

"So..." Carbink was fascinated. "You're saying you were stuck in this hole for...how long?"

"Oh, I have no idea," said Chi-Yu, surprisingly casually. "Could've been centuries for all I know. I had entirely written off humans as worthless, irredeemable scum until he came along..."

"Who?" Carbink asked. "You don't mean...your Trainer?"

"Yep," replied Chi-Yu. "It's hard to say what it was about him that had me trusting him. Maybe the fact he freed me from the shrine, or how well he treated all his Pokémon...or maybe these cool glasses he gave me!"

"Huh?" Carbink was confused. "He didn't treat you well! He was horrible to you in that tournament, I saw!"

"Yeah..." Chi-Yu admitted sadly. "I guess I just got deceived by a facade...I was too hopeful. I should've known that humans don't deserve a second chance..."

There was a moment of silence.

"...So!" said Chi-Yu, their voice back in its cheerier tone. "What's your backstory? I've rambled enough about mine."

"Oh, it's really nowhere near as interesting," Carbink answered. "I've spent most of my life just following my pack underground. Nothing exciting ever happens down there."

"So did you abandon them or what?" Chi-Yu questioned.

"Well, more like they abandoned me," Carbink recalled. "Recently, I just woke up one day to find I suddenly had these weird electric wind powers...no one wanted to be near me after that. And...for whatever reason, it was then that I decided I'd had enough of my pack, too. I felt this spontaneous urge to explore, to see the sights they'd never dare to..."

"I can respect that," Chi-Yu agreed, turning to face Carbink again. "The Paldea region is so full of— shit, behind you!"

Carbink frantically flinched to the right, sliding out of the way just in time before a set of sharp, menacing jaws snapped shut.

"Gah, dang it!" complained the frustrated wild Sableye, his voice sly yet aggressive. "I was this close to the meal of my dreams!"

"You're really coming in clutch with those last-second warnings," Carbink muttered to Chi-Yu.

"Grrr, I've never seen anything that looks nearly as delicious as you!" Sableye went on in a crazed voice, splaying his claws as his eyes sparkled. "It would be far easier for you not to resist!"

He charged at Carbink with a sharp Shadow Claw, but Chi-Yu leapt in the way of the attack, deflecting it with a Flame Wheel.

"Yowch!" Sableye leapt in pain at the heat. "Gah, coward! Stop hiding behind this beady-eyed brute!"

"Leave us alone, you creep!" Chi-Yu shouted back. As the two continued fighting, Carbink watched, the gems on their body beginning to glow. In a sudden flash, high-energy beams came blasting out, flying narrowly past Chi-Yu and smashing directly into Sableye.

"Gyaaaahh!" Sableye shrieked in pain and briefly fell to the floor. Within a couple of seconds, he was back on his feet, only now he was hurriedly scuttling away in fear, ranting as he went. "Ugh, the nerve of some prey! I bet you don't even taste that good anyway!"

"Hey, good job!" Chi-Yu commended. "You're no slouch in combat, huh!"

"Heh, thanks," returned Carbink. "Um...you were saying about the Paldea region?"

"Huh?" Chi-Yu replied. "Oh yeah, uh, it's got a lot of good sights to see. Have you been to any?"

"I don't think I've ever visited Paldea, no," Carbink replied.

"Um..." Chi-Yu looked at them like they had said something stupid. "We're in Paldea right now..."

"...Huh?!" Carbink was surprised to hear this. "But...but I thought I was still in Kalos! That's the region I've always lived in..."

"And yet you didn't recognise that this wasn't it?" asked Chi-Yu in puzzlement.

"Well, I never really saw much of the surface," Carbink reasoned. "As soon as I reached it, that stupid Trainer got ahold of me...ugh, I bet he took me to Paldea while I was stuck in that ball!"

"I think I've heard of the Kalos region, actually," Chi-Yu noted. "I believe it's fairly close to Paldea, if memory serves...perhaps you could try flying back home with those skills of yours?"

"Flying between regions?" Carbink replied. "That sounds like a long way...I'm not sure if I'm ready for that much distance yet..."

"Hey, you'll never know if you don't give it a try," Chi-Yu pointed out encouragingly. "I'll have your back, if it helps."

"You'd...come with me?" Carbink asked. "But I thought you wanted to return to your home here..."

"What?!" Chi-Yu couldn't help laughing a bit at the thought. "No, of course not! I'd rather stay anywhere else than this old dump! A visit to Kalos sounds like it could be fun!"

"Oh! That's great!" Carbink felt surprisingly relieved. "I thought I'd have to start living alone out in the wild..."

"I wouldn't do that to you!" Chi-Yu replied. "You're really fun to hang out with, uh..."

"...'Uh' what?" asked Carbink.

"...Well, this is kinda awkward to say after all that, but, um..." Chi-Yu seemed embarrassed. "I...don't think I caught your name...?"

"Oh! Uh, I'm Carbink!" they replied happily.

"Carbink, huh," Chi-Yu replied. "Good name. Has a nice ring to—"

They were interrupted by the eerie howl of a nearby Pokémon.

"Do I hear someone trespassing on our territory?" came an approaching Houndoom's voice.

"Quick, let's get out of here!" said Chi-Yu frantically, grabbing onto their friend. "Do your thing, Carbink! Fly free!"

"Urgh..."

Gabite opened her eyes, blinking increasingly fast. In a sudden quick motion, she stood up, rubbing her head as she looked around in irritation. She could see charred grass and other wreckage nearby.

"Shit, that fire really did a lot of damage," Gabite observed. "I guess I got off lucky!"

"Oh my gosh, another survivor!"

"Huh?!" Gabite swung around to face the source of the unfamiliar voice. Slowly floating down towards her through the air was a small, silver Pokémon.

"I'm so glad you're okay! It was pretty smart of you to start running off so quickly!"

"Do I know you?" Gabite asked rudely, tapping her foot.

"Uh, I'm Klefki!" he answered with a smile. "You're...Gabite, right? I saw you battle in the semifinals! You were so cool!"

"Oh, shut up," Gabite grumbled dismissively. "I know I lost, I don't need pity from some midget fairy."

"Wh-what?" responded Klefki in confusion. "But...losing's nothing to be ashamed of! I lost my semifinal battle to Chi-Yu, and I, uh, still had fun..."

He was lying. His experience battling Chi-Yu had been far more painful than fun.

"Chi-Yu!" Gabite repeated. "Isn't that the moron that caused this fire? After Carbink encouraged it?! They should both be disqualified!"

"Uh, well, both of them seem to have left anyway," Klefki noted. "I...doubt they're coming back."

"Oh, great!" said Gabite excitedly. "Looks like I'll be getting my spot in the final after all! Hahaha!"

Klefki stared back at the grinning Gabite, his expression concerned and puzzled.

"What's wrong?" Gabite asked brazenly. "Doesn't this mean you'll be in the finals too, Cleffa?"

"The tournament's been cancelled!" Klefki exclaimed. "The venue got burnt down! And, uh, my name's Kle—"

"WHAT?!" screeched Gabite in rage. "They can't have just cancelled it! I've been training so hard for this shit! Oh, my Trainer's gonna make them reconsider! She'll..." Gabite stopped for a moment. "Uh, speaking of which, where is my Trainer?"

"Oh, you...don't know?" said Klefki sadly.

"Hey, it's not my fault that we got separated in a fire!" Gabite complained. "Just tell me already!"

"Well, uh, I think both of our Trainers are...in hospital..." Klefki explained solemnly. "And it seems like our Poké Balls were lost track of in the fire...sorry to bear the bad news."

"...That scumbag!" Gabite yelled. "Argh, I'm gonna make that stupid Carbink pay! Where did you say it went?!"

"Um, I heard they flew off in...that direction..." Klefki turned and pointed. "I wouldn't have thought Pokémon like that could fly! Crazy, right?"

"I don't give a shit if it flies or if it swims, I'm gonna make it pay!" Gabite went on. She started running off in the direction Klefki had pointed.

"W-wait!" called Klefki. Gabite turned back around, glaring at him.

"Uh, are you sure you'll be able to find them?" Klefki reasoned. "They've probably gotten pretty far away already..."

"All the more reason to get going now," Gabite argued. "Trust me, sweetie, no one's better than me at seeking out treasures. I'm sure that thing'll be easy to find given how much it stands out in this region. Not to mention that beautiful shine..."

"You really think you'll be able to—"

"Uh, did I say beautiful?" Gabite interrupted. "I meant really ugly. Anyway, thanks for the help, Klefki!"

She started to run off again.

"...Wait!"

"Ugh, now what?!"

"I, uh..." Klefki hesitated, seeing Gabite scowl at him. "...Do you think I could come with you? It's just, I've always liked the idea of going on an adventure, and, well, I don't really have anything better to do..."

"Uh, sure, I don't care," replied Gabite indifferently. "As long as you don't get in the way of me destroying that shiny scumbag!"

"Oh, wow!" Klefki was surprised to have been accepted. "Maybe this'll be fun after all! I wonder how many keys I'll— hey, wait for me!"

Chapter Text

"Ha ha ha ha ha..."

Cracks formed rapidly in the dark factory's wall.

"Hehehahahahaheha...!"

Broken machinery collapsed amidst the rubble. A Poké Ball rolled towards the door.

"The power of science is amazing...!"

A hole burst open in the wall. Bright light surged through as billowing smoke flowed out into the air.

"...Grrrr...but you know that won't be enough..."

It soared off with no hesitation. The door groaned and collapsed, and the Poké Ball was crushed.

"Hey, Carbink!" Chi-Yu exclaimed. "Can you hear me? Carbink!"

"Ow..."

Carbink's eyes slowly opened. They were lying on the ground, surrounded by grass, with Chi-Yu gazing down at them through those glasses.

"Finally," said Chi-Yu. "I was starting to get impatient...uh, and worried."

"Huh..." Carbink replied groggily. "Was I unconscious...?"

"Well, either that or you were lying on the ground with your eyes closed ignoring me for the past couple of minutes," Chi-Yu explained. "And I don't think you're that rude so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say you were unconscious."

Carbink gave a weak exhalation of amusement as they pulled themself up from the ground.

"So..." Carbink quickly tried to recall what had happened. "Right, we were flying to Kalos, weren't we?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if we made it," Chi-Yu replied, surveying their surroundings. The two Pokémon found themselves in an exceedingly rural environment, with plenty of lush grass and some tall mountains nearby. A few wild Kricketot and Sentret were skittering about, not seeming to take any notice of the two adventurers. Carbink's jewels gleamed slightly in the morning sunrise.

"...Wasn't there a storm?" Carbink asked, a bit surprised by the placid environment.

"Something like that," Chi-Yu recalled. "I think it knocked us off course a bit, or maybe we overshot. I guess your winds were weaker than nature's."

"Right," Carbink replied. "Well, uh, sorry about that."

"Huh?" Chi-Yu replied. "It wasn't your fault. You were doing a great job flying."

"Thanks, but I don't think it's a coincidence that my flights keep ending in crash landings," said Carbink, a hint of frustration in their voice.

"You can hardly be blamed for that!" Chi-Yu argued. "You're just inexperienced is all!"

"That doesn't mean I should..." Carbink trailed off as they realised something. "Hey, where's my Booster Energy?"

"Oh yeah, that little item of yours," Chi-Yu replied. "I think you dropped it during the commotion while you were flying, unfortunately."

"Oh, there's nothing unfortunate about it," Carbink clarified. "That thing was useless. I don't think that idiotic Trainer even knew how it worked."

"Oh," Chi-Yu replied. "Well, uh, nice that you got rid of it then. We're probably better off without anything that those dumb humans gave us."

"Yeah," Carbink agreed. "...Wait, wouldn't that include your glasses?"

"Well, yeah, but...they're really cool, so..."

An awkward silence followed. The clacking sounds from the nearby Kricketot suddenly seemed more apparent.

"...Uh, hey, there's a town over there!" said Chi-Yu, pointing. Carbink turned to see some modest buildings beyond a few trees and a river.

"So there is," Carbink agreed.

"We could try looking for clues there," Chi-Yu suggested. "Maybe that could point us to Kalos?"

A sudden sound of quick footsteps caught their attention.

"Sis!" yelled a human, running past the Pokémon along the nearby path towards the town. "I told you already, I don't wanna battle right now!"

"That's not good enough, Kiki!" Another human followed close behind in pursuit, yelling at an even more obnoxious volume. "How are you gonna hold your own against those outsiders tomorrow if you can't even battle?!"

"B-but I... Aw man..."

"...Yeah, never mind, that was a dumb idea," Chi-Yu admitted. "Let's stay as far away from that town as we can. You ready to fly again?"

"Huh?" Carbink was surprised by Chi-Yu's eagerness. "Do you want another crash landing?"

"Oh, don't say that," said Chi-Yu encouragingly. "You'll only get better the more you practise. And besides, you don't have that unlucky Booster Energy anymore!"

"But..." Carbink looked a bit distressed. "Aren't you putting yourself in danger every time we fly? Why do you trust me so much?"

"...Don't you enjoy my company?" asked Chi-Yu.

"Huh?" said Carbink. "No, of course I do!"

"Likewise," Chi-Yu replied, getting into position behind Carbink and clinging onto them again. "Maybe you could try taking it more slowly? We're not in any hurry."

"...If you're sure," replied Carbink, their engine revving as the wind picked up again.

Gabite struggled to keep her eyes open as she trudged on through the desert sand, each step slower than the last. She was panting loudly in exhaustion, barely able to focus on what was ahead of her.

"Hey...Klefki!" she yelled weakly between breaths. "You still keeping your eyes peeled...for that hideous glow...?"

"I'm doing my best..." Klefki replied, also breathless as he floated beside her. "I'm starting to think...we might not find them here..."

"Argh, no!" Gabite yelled back. "I can't just let that...stupid Carbink...get away with...ugh..."

Gabite finally stopped walking and collapsed face-first into the sand.

"Um..." Klefki came to a halt next to her. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright!" Gabite shouted, quickly lifting her head up off the ground. "I'm just...not used to walking outside a Poké Ball for so long..."

"Oh, me neither," agreed Klefki, coming down to rest next to her as he caught his breath. "Well, it's probably best we rest for a bit...we have been walking for hours."

The two breathless Pokémon were still for a moment. Their loud panting gradually subsided, leaving the calm breeze and the faint rustle of a passing Bramblin as the only sounds. Taking a closer look at his surroundings, Klefki realised that they were only a few steps away from the edge of a cliff.

"Right, back to it," said Gabite suddenly, forcing herself to stand back up. "We can't afford to be lazy."

"Huh?" Klefki replied in confusion. "But it's only been a few seconds..."

"And every second we're idle is a second we're not closing in on that fiendish Carbink!" Gabite snapped back. "You can't be that tired, can you? You don't even have legs!"

"That doesn't mean I don't need rest!" Klefki replied. "You'll run out of energy if you don't—"

"I'm in charge here!" Gabite barked angrily. "I don't need to take orders from you, okay?! I know what I'm doing!"

"...I'm sorry," said Klefki, deflated. "I'll keep my eyes peeled..."

"Right." Gabite started to walk forward again, but stopped upon noticing the cliff edge. "Ugh, looks like we'll have to turn around."

"Maybe we can see something from up here..." Klefki suggested, floating over to the ledge to look. To his surprise, what he saw below was not more desert, but a grassy plain dotted with trees, with a lighthouse at the far end. Beneath the lighthouse, Klefki saw bright blue paving winding around orange rooftops.

"Hey, there's a town down there!" Klefki remarked with pleasant surprise as Gabite joined him at the ledge. "It's right by the sea, and...wait, is this Porto Marinada?!"

"What?" asked Gabite flatly.

"I've heard so much about this place!" Klefki went on. "My Trainer always wanted to go there! Oh, I bet they've got so many keys!"

"We're not looking for keys, you dingus!" Gabite complained.

"Right, but, uh..." Klefki replied. "What if there's some clues over there that could help us find Carbink? A town would be a great place to ask around!"

"Ugh..." Gabite rolled her eyes. "Fine, we'll go to the stupid town."

"Yes!" Klefki jangled his keys in delight. "Thank you so much! Oh, I hope the market is as good as everyone says!"

Electricity sparked through the air as Carbink focused on gliding over the fields, gradually gaining altitude as they went. Chi-Yu watched in awe as they flew over the greenery. Compared to Carbink's previous flights, the slower pace made it much easier to take in the scenery as it passed by.

"Hey, wherever this place is, it has some great views, doesn't it?" Chi-Yu called out.

"I can't really look right now!" Carbink replied, carefully adjusting their balance as they gained more height. "I need to focus here..."

"Right, fair enough," Chi-Yu replied. "Whoa, look at the shape of that mountain!"

"Chi-Yu!"

"Sorry!" Chi-Yu said quickly. "I'll be quiet."

Carbink kept on flying, taking care to swerve out of the way of rocky terrain. The electricity and wind seemed to be much quieter this time. Though it was still enough of a disturbance to scare off a few Stantler and Skwovet on the ground below, the surrounding environment was otherwise remarkably calm. Chi-Yu enjoyed taking in the surroundings through the red tint of their glasses in thrilled silence, while Carbink appreciated being able to hear themself think.

"Look out!" Chi-Yu exclaimed suddenly. "More buildings!"

"Huh?" Carbink took a second to react. "Oh!"

"There's another town in your path!" Chi-Yu continued. "Quick, turn around!"

Carbink hastily veered to the left, losing their balance a bit halfway through the turn. Electricity started to crackle around them more erratically as they lost altitude, with winds flowing away in random directions. Their flight now angled slightly downwards, they were rapidly approaching a rocky cliff face.

"Shit, we're gonna crash again!" Carbink yelled.

"No, stay focused!" urged Chi-Yu encouragingly. "You've got this!"

Carbink closed their eyes, listening closely to the whir of the engine inside them. The sound quickly intensified as Carbink mustered all their energy, the separate gusts of wind reconvening into a single stream. Chi-Yu tightened their grip on Carbink as they were propelled back up, higher into the air.

"Did..." Carbink opened their eyes. "Did I dodge it?"

They were flying right past a huge mountain, the same one Chi-Yu had spotted earlier. Up close, the huge stalagmites towering above them looked even more menacing.

"You sure did!" Chi-Yu answered. "Wow, look at that! It's like the mountain has teeth!"

"I...I didn't crash!" Carbink said happily, their flight speed slowing back down to a more leisurely pace. "Maybe I am getting better at this after all!"

"Hey!"

"Of course you are!" Chi-Yu agreed. "I knew you could do..." They trailed off suddenly when something else caught their attention.

"Huh?" Carbink asked. "You knew I could what?"

"...Do you hear that weird...squelching sound?" Chi-Yu asked.

"Move!!"

"Squelching...?" Carbink replied. "I'd say that sounds more like someone yelling 'move'..."

Suddenly, a figure leapt towards them. The next thing they knew, they had been powerfully struck by an ivy-wrapped cudgel, sending them tumbling down to the ground. Carbink quickly tried to close their eyes and focus again, only to slam forcefully into a patch of grass.

"Ow..." Carbink winced in pain.

"Hey!" Chi-Yu immediately leapt back up, flaring in anger. Their glasses had fallen off of their face. "Who just attacked—"

They were interrupted by the sound of a huge metallic crash behind them. They turned to see a giant, purple structure towering over them, shaped like a clenched fist. Purple slime oozed from its knuckles as it twitched slightly.

"Uh..." Chi-Yu was perplexed. "That wasn't always there, was it...?"

"Certainly not..." came an unfamiliar voice. "That thing gives me the creeps!"

Carbink and Chi-Yu turned to their side to see the stranger talking to them. She had a menacing green face, but her voice was gentle and slightly muffled.

"Aren't you the one who attacked us just now?" Chi-Yu asked skeptically.

"Oh, s-sorry about that!" the stranger replied, sounding flustered. "It's just, I saw you f-flying past the mountain, and I saw that big ugly metal thing falling towards you, a-and I had to, uh, knock you out of the way so you didn't get, um, c-crushed..."

"So...you saved us?" said Carbink.

"Well, uh, I guess so..." the stranger replied bashfully. "I'm r-really sorry if I hurt you..."

"No, we owe you," Chi-Yu assured. "Uh, you didn't happen to catch a pair of cool glasses while we were falling, did you?"

"Oh, these are yours?" The stranger tossed the Choice Specs back to Chi-Yu, who caught them and closely inspected them for damage. "I am so sorry, I didn't know!"

"Enough apologising," said Chi-Yu happily as they put their glasses back on. "You just saved our lives!"

"Oh, um...sorry..." said the stranger.

"Are you wearing a mask?" Carbink asked curiously. "I notice your mouth doesn't move when you talk."

"Oh, um, that's right!" the stranger replied. "I...wait, but you two don't even have mouths..."

"It looks great," Carbink continued. "I love those glittering jewels in the top!"

"Oh!" The stranger wasn't used to being complimented. "Th-that's so nice of you to say!"

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where we are, would you?" Chi-Yu asked. "Or how to get from here to Kalos?"

"Kalos?" repeated the stranger. "Um, I don't think I can help you with that...oh, but I can tell you that you're in the land of Kitakami!"

"Kitakami, huh," Carbink replied. "I do like the vibes of this place. And it's nice to meet you, uh..."

"Oh, um, m-my name's Ogerpo—"

"Kiki!!" screeched a distant human voice. "Stop talking about that terrible monster and just send out your Pokémon already!"

"Bye guys gotta go it was nice meeting you!" the masked Pokémon quickly blurted out before scurrying off in a hurry.

There was a brief silence.

"...Um, bye, I guess?" said Chi-Yu after she had left.

"So..." Carbink said. "Another crash landing..."

"Oh, come on, that one doesn't count!" Chi-Yu replied. "That wasn't your fault at all!"

"Did she say that we were about to be...crushed?" asked Carbink.

Suddenly, there was another squelching noise. Carbink and Chi-Yu turned back around to see the big metal fist now had purple slime pouring out all over it as it gradually shrunk.

"What..." Chi-Yu adjusted their glasses. "Is it...decomposing?"

The mechanical fist started to crumble into a pile of disorganised parts, until the whole thing suddenly vanished in a purple light. In its place, a metal door frame rose from the ground.

"...Huh?" said Carbink.

With a sudden sploshing sound, the door frame was filled in with an inviting orange glow, accompanied by a cheerful musical jingle.

"Whoa," Chi-Yu said. "What a pretty light..."

"Uh..." Carbink was confused, yet intrigued all the same. "Should we...investigate?"

"Good idea," Chi-Yu agreed. "Maybe this'll lead us to Kalos!"

"I hope..." Carbink replied. "Then I wouldn't have to fly there and crash again..."

"Only one way to find out," said Chi-Yu, heading towards the mysterious door with Carbink following close behind. The two entered into the orange light and disappeared.

After a couple seconds, the music cut out abruptly as the light faded. The door frame twitched and melted away.

"Ugh, stop being so dense already!" Gabite shouted impatiently. "Have you seen a Carbink around here or not?! I don't have all day!"

"I told you I don't know what that is!" replied a distressed Cyclizar. "I've just been waiting for my Trainer here!"

Indeed, the Cyclizar was fitted with a seat on his back for a human rider, on which some bags of luggage had been left. He was parked under the roof of a Pokémon Center just outside Porto Marinada, while his Trainer was busy shopping in the town's market. Gabite had already explored the town and some of its surrounding area, and had done so much yelling that her throat was starting to get sore.

"Sheesh, you are a thick one," she remarked. "Okay, let me dumb this down for your little servile brain. You know what a rock is, yeah?"

"Um...yeah?" replied Cyclizar awkwardly, suddenly doubting that he did.

"So you take a rock, then you scrunch it up into an awkward kinda triangle shape, you know what triangles are?" Gabite asked.

"Um..." Cyclizar racked his brain. "...Yes, yes of course I know what triangles are!"

"Good," Gabite went on, "so then you take that and you wrap it up in luxurious fur and stuff it with these gleaming jewels, the shiniest little beauties you ever saw, you waste them all on this little idiotic creature whose tiny head couldn't fit a brain bigger than a pea, and then you— sorry, you know what peas are?"

"Uh..." Cyclizar noticed the weird looks they were starting to get from some nearby humans and Pokémon. "...You mean those little vegetables...?"

"Right, and then these shiny gems— you know what shiny means?"

"Like...Pokémon with different colours?" said Cyclizar.

"Ugh, no, you moron!" Gabite snapped. "Have you even been following any of what I just said?!"

"I, uh..." Cyclizar had never felt so lost. "Sorry, what were we talking about agai— whoa!"

He flinched back just in time to narrowly dodge a sudden Dragon Claw from Gabite.

"Useless dimwit!" Gabite yelled angrily. "You've been about as helpful as a sack of—"

"Hey! Gabite!"

Gabite turned to see Klefki rushing from the town towards her. He had twice as many keys as before, and was carrying a couple other objects with him as well. While Gabite watched him approach, Cyclizar took the opportunity to quickly sidle away.

"Klefki!" Gabite greeted. "You better have found something good! I've been interrogating all the bozos around this town, and they've been nothing but unhelpful!"

"Right, I noticed," Klefki replied. "I think you might have been a bit, uh, heavy-handed...?"

"Well how else was I gonna get them to talk?!" Gabite snapped back. "I'd like to see you do a better job extracting sense from these numbskulls!"

"Well, I'd suggest lowering your volume a bit, for starters..." said Klefki.

"Oh, give me a break, sweetie, I don't make half as much noise as those jangling little keys of yours," replied Gabite. "Now prove to me this wasn't a complete waste of time already!"

"Er, right," said Klefki. "Well, I found this!"

He handed Gabite a newspaper he had been carrying. She grabbed it roughly and squinted her eyes, looking over the front page.

POKÉ BALL FACTORY IN KALOS SUFFERS MAJOR DAMAGE AFTER ALLEGED ATTACK

Poké Ball supply shortages expected across the region

"...You can read?" asked Gabite incredulously as she ripped up the newspaper.

"Well, I dunno, I just thought it might have a clue of some kind..." said Klefki.

"Sweetie, would it kill you to use your brain a little?" Gabite suggested.

"Wait, I also got...this!" Klefki tossed a King's Rock to Gabite.

"Huh," said Gabite as she inspected it. "And how does this help us find Carbink?"

"Oh, uh, it doesn't," Klefki explained. "I just thought it looked nice."

"Seriously?!" Gabite carelessly tossed the rock off to the side in anger. "So this is just a dead end?!"

"Wow, what a cool hat," commented the nearby Cyclizar, the King's Rock having landed neatly on his head. "Thanks!"

"Oh, you're welcome!" said Klefki politely.

"You get out of my sight, bike boy!" Gabite yelled, prompting Cyclizar to flee to the other end of the Pokémon Center.

"Um, Gabite?" said Klefki. "Do you need a moment to calm down, or...?"

"I'm doing fine, thank you very much!" Gabite went on. "It's not my fault that we're lost in some random town and no closer to finding Carbink than when we started!"

"W-well, okay, I'm sorry that the town didn't—"

"Not just the town!" Gabite interrupted Klefki. "Wasn't it your idea to stow away on that Flying Taxi? The one that got us lost in the desert for hours?!"

"Well, I..." Klefki distinctly remembered Gabite being the one to suggest that, but he shrugged it off. "...I'm sorry. I'll try to do better...."

"Yeah, a little late for that now, sweetie," Gabite said bitterly. "Ugh, Carbink's probably miles away by now..."

"I just..." Klefki spoke quietly. "I only wanted to have a fun adventure with you..."

"You think I'm doing this for fun?!" Gabite replied. "This is a journey of revenge, Klefki! I'm not gonna rest until—"

"sHut! uP!"

"What did you just say?!" Gabite snapped.

"That wasn't me!" replied Klefki.

"Ew!" Gabite recoiled when purple slime suddenly dripped onto her head.

"yOu 2..."

The two Pokémon looked up to see the source of the mysterious voice. A strange, purple cube was floating in the air, spinning towards them intently. It was covered in small white lights, some of which looked almost like eyes and a scowling mouth. It dripped purple slime as it spun, and was surrounded by an eerie purple glow that somehow made the Pokémon feel uneasy.

"What the heck is that thing?" asked Gabite.

"OH, nO nEed to be Worrying about THAT," it assured. "You two dAft recitots, the 2 lost foOls who tRavel'd too far...hEre's some EXciting news!"

The cube stopped spinning as something emerged suddenly from one of its corners. A large, sharp, gleaming axe.

"yoUr time is Coming to a cloSe at LAST!!"

Before Gabite and Klefki could react, the cube swung its axe. The two Pokémon were struck hard. Their vision faded as they collapsed.

Chapter Text

Deep in the messy laboratory, in a small, cramped room, a human scientist sat alone. There were no lights on. The only illumination in the room came from a flickering computer monitor.

"Hmmm..."

The human finished typing at his keyboard. His chair creaked as he leaned backwards, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Another day of great progress..." he muttered to himself. "Right. Time to check up on him."

The human slowly rose to his feet, stretching his arms and cracking his neck a bit. He strode out of the room and through a hallway, moving casually through the completely dark, derelict building. The dull grey metal of the floors and walls made every room he passed look near-identical.

Before long, he reached the door he was looking for. He promptly kicked it open to reveal a room that, unusually, was lit up. But the illumination wasn't from traditional lights. It came from the row of test tubes, eight in total, at the room's far end, each containing a bubbling, brightly coloured liquid. Each tube's liquid was a different colour than the last: first blue, then yellow, then red, purple, black, green, cyan, and finally pink. And each one seemed to contain an indistinct shape of some sort, though the thick, opaque liquid made it hard to see clearly.

In the centre of the room, a small cage dangled from the ceiling, in which a lonely Pokémon was weakly licking a bruise on his paw.

"Hello, my dear Eevee!"

Eevee stopped licking and slowly turned to face the human, who strolled up to the cage. The Pokémon was covered in bruises and cuts and had a number of strange wires and machinery attached to him, most of which led up into the ceiling, though a few of them were attached to the test tubes or the large computer at the back of the room.

"How have you been doing, Eevee?" asked the human politely. "You'll be pleased to hear I made some excellent progress today! Our project is nearing completion at last!"

Eevee glared at him resentfully. He was silent, but the disdain in his eyes was clear.

"Oh, you've been doing such a great job, haven't you, Eevee?" said the human, his tone increasingly patronising. "Here, have a treat."

The human reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of plain red Poké Beans. Eevee flinched away as the human reached into the cage to place the beans down.

"Eh..." Eevee muttered. "Veh..."

"Eat up, then," said the human in a vaguely encouraging tone. "Go on, don't be shy."

Hesitating, Eevee slowly leaned forward and took a small bite out of one of the beans.

"There's a good boy," said the human. "Can't have you going hungry now, can we?"

Eevee glared at him angrily.

"Oh, there there..." The human reached his hand into the cage, stroking Eevee's back gently. "You've been so brave, Eevee. I know it's been hard for you...but it won't be much longer now."

The human turned his head to the ceiling, sighing as he continued.

"Soon, dear Eevee...we shall both be free..."

Carbink and Chi-Yu emerged in a grassy area surrounded by trees, with a field of yellow flowers before them.

"Wow, this is pretty," remarked Chi-Yu, adjusting their glasses as they looked around. "Do you think we made it to the Kalos region this time?"

"Beats me," replied Carbink, also enjoying the pleasant little area they'd found. "I don't really recognise this place. But I doubt I'd recognise most of the Kalosian surface, so..."

"Right," said Chi-Yu. "Maybe we should ask the locals for—"

"Bouaf!"

A Pokémon suddenly emerged from the yellow flowers, a quadruped with long white fur. He dropped a Chople Berry from his mouth in front of the two adventurers.

"Uh, thanks?" said Chi-Yu, observing the chewed Berry in confusion.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Village!" the Pokémon exclaimed cheerfully. "I hope you enjoy your stay!"

"The Pokémon Village?" Carbink asked.

"Oh, you haven't heard of us?" the Pokémon continued. "Well, that makes sense. This place is a secret, y'know? Most of the Pokémon here are runaways—escaped from bad people who did awful things to us. It's a shame how many heartless Trainers who can't bother to care for their Pokémon are out there."

"Oh, for sure," Carbink agreed. Even the act of casting their mind back to their own excuse for a Trainer was enough to annoy them.

"Some of us, though..." the villager went on. "Some of us are just too strong and found we didn't really have a place in the outside world, so we came here."

"Oh, is that so?" said Chi-Yu, intrigued. "That's nice. This does seem like a much better place for strong Pokémon to end up than a hole in some cave wall..."

"Oh—excuse my manners," the Pokémon went on. "We haven't even had a proper introduction yet. The name's Furfrou. Are you two here to stay?"

"Perhaps," said Chi-Yu. "I'm Chi-Yu, and my friend here's Carbink. We've been on the run from our own awful Trainers. Is this place in the Kalos region, by any chance?"

"Um, yes, it is," Furfrou confirmed. "Didn't you know what region you're in?"

"We just went through a weird glowing door thing and ended up here," Carbink explained. "What was the deal with that, anyway?"

"Huh?" Furfrou was confused. "Glowing door, you say?"

Carbink and Chi-Yu turned around to see nothing but trees behind them. The door they just came through had seemingly vanished.

"Oh, new guests?" said a Jigglypuff. Carbink and Chi-Yu turned back around to see more Pokémon emerging from the flowers.

"Welcome," said a calm Noctowl. "I hope you enjoy your stay here."

"Oh joy, oh joy!" exclaimed a dancing Amoonguss. "I'm sure you'll love it here!"

"What a nice community," observed Chi-Yu. "What do you think, Carbink? Should we stick around?"

"I..." Carbink was inclined to say yes. But something didn't feel right. "...Don't you think this is weird? Why did that door lead us here, of all places?"

"Beats me," said Chi-Yu, absent-mindedly picking up the Chople Berry off the ground and taking a bite. "Ew, is this rotten?!"

"Far from it!" Furfrou exclaimed. "That was one of the best Berries in our stash! I even chewed on it a couple times to make sure!"

Gabite's eyes opened.

"Urgh...huh?"

She forced herself to sit up, rubbing her head.

"Gabite!"

"AHH!" She leapt back in alarm at the sudden noise.

"Oh, uh, sorry!" Klefki said quickly. "I didn't mean to startle you! I'm just, well, I'm glad you're okay!"

Gabite tutted, rolling her eyes. "Great to see you too, Klefki," she said sarcastically.

The two Pokémon looked around. The entirety of their surroundings was completely pitch black, as though they were lost in a featureless void. It was impossible to see anything in the darkness. Gabite could feel a cold, metal floor beneath her.

"...Huh?" Gabite uttered. "Where the heck are we?"

"OH, sO tHAT's how it is?!" screeched a loud, raspy voice, making Gabite and Klefki jump. "I wEnt to ALL the tRouble of CAPTURing you two and you're MOre interested in the fEatureless VOID than ME?! UnGRATEful scremorapne!!"

The source of the voice suddenly came into view, swirling through the darkness until it stopped and faced them. A glowing purple cube.

"You again!" Gabite yelled angrily, recognising the cube as the thing that knocked them out earlier. "What are you doing with us?!"

"WHat am I doing?" The cube erratically spun around through the air as it continued speaking. "Such a deLIGHTful qUestion! GahahaHaAhaheheHa! aSk me ANOther!"

"Who..." said Klefki uneasily. "...What are you?"

"AH, it bRings me such JOY!" the cube yelled back. "tO see you PITifully HELPLESs Pokémon, cAged, confused, LOSt, with NO ONE to SAVE you! GEHAHAHAHAHAHAAAhahHa!!"

"Ugh, shut up already!" yelled Gabite impatiently. She tried to run towards the cube to attack, only to crash into a thick metal bar.

"Ow!" She recoiled a bit. "Are we...in a cage?!"

"GYAHAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!" the cube shrieked. "sQUirm, pitiful Poké-FOOLS, SQUIRm!"

"What is your problem?!" shouted Gabite. "Explain yourself already, you ugly cube!"

"BLUrgh, fine," it replied. "siNce you atlayous SCRaps of wAsted SPAce are so inTENT on RUining the fun, I supPOSE I'll lEt you know who i AM. gEt ready to LEARn more than yOur fLeshy little BRAINs can HANDle! I am the ONe who's been HARd at Work in the shAdows...the one cAlled the UNUSUAL CUBE...i..."

The cube spun in place as a drum roll sounded.

"...am XALIO!"

A brief guitar riff blared after it said the name.

"...What?" said Gabite.

An orange droplet came flying out of the cube before stopping in midair and transforming into a floating piece of paper. It had a photo of the cube on it, along with some text:

XALIO FACT FILE

InFormation time! Learn all about the future OVERLORD!

NAME: Xalio

FORM: UNUSUAL CUBE

SPECIALTY: All of it!

POWER: Purple

GENDER: What?

FEATS: oh, ALL sorts! I did a gReat adventure before. SPLEndid!

BLOOD TYPE: Purple

THE SKILL: Really good

SOUL: Purple

FAVOURITE FOOD: whatever's On the menu!

FAVOURITE COLOUR: Orange

FAVOURITE NUMBER: 88!

LIKES: oh, the purple, OOZing stuff! that's my Royal Oil

DISLIKES: no chance for a Walking on Railroad Tracks? :(

HATES SO MUCH, AND IT NEEDS TO DIE: you know what THis is, hmm? i can NEver forgive those aWful creatures called Pokémon! gRAAAAGHHGGGHAAH!

Thanks for reading, goslew!

There was some awkward silence as Gabite and Klefki observed the floating document through the bars of the cage.

"Um..." Gabite spoke up. "...Can you read?"

"of COURSE you can't!" Xalio yelled. "tHat's the POiNT!"

A large axe emerged from Xalio again, with which he sliced the document in two. The halves both quickly melted into orange liquid.

"Uh..." Klefki nervously spoke up. "So, w-why did you bring us here, exactly?"

"oh, that's beCause i HATE YOU!!" Xalio yelled. "i haTe ALL you sTupid PoKéMoN! ev'ry one...if ONly you'd all DIE AT ONCE! tHEN I'd have gLee!"

"B-but I never did anything to you!" said Klefki. "I don't even know who you are!"

"oh, i wOuldn't eXpect your TINY blovanok of a bRain to comprehend it," Xalio rambled. "REally, you two shOuldn't even eXIST! youR little PartnerShip is an AWFul, acciDental little conSequence of my MASTERful plan...so I just HaD to STOP your dAft adventuring before you inTerfered."

"Interfered with what?!" Gabite asked angrily.

Suddenly, with an unsettling squelching noise, a chunk of purple metal appeared near Xalio, forming into the shape of an empty door frame.

"aHa, those FOOLish recitots fEll for it!" Xalio exclaimed gleefully. "the mOre imPORtant duo...tHey have gone through the DOOr...that lEads them to their fate! eHehehhahahaha!!"

"Ugh, just shut up if you're not gonna say anything coherent!" Gabite grumbled.

"o, HappiLy!" Xalio replied. "I am DONE with you two recitots AnyWay. U shall be CAGEd here for all the eTERNity!"

"No!" Klefki yelled, horrified. "Please, I'll do anything!"

"and You'll do it POORly," Xalio went on. "RIGHT! i Have some more PRESSing matters to dEal with. TRANSFORM!"

Suddenly, Xalio began spewing a gooey purple liquid from himself, which surrounded the cube and morphed into a new, vaguely humanoid appearance. He was larger than before, though still floating and a bit smaller than an average human. His mostly featureless body was still entirely purple, but seemed gelatinous rather than metallic, and on his face were his eyes and mouth, white and disproportionately small, sometimes seeming to fade in and out of visibility. He had a small pair of purple wings on his back, but it was hard to tell if they had anything to do with his continuous flight. And on his right arm was what appeared to be an arm cannon, from which his gleaming axe now protruded.

"EhHehehe! it is I! the WELL-OILED WONDER!" Xalio exclaimed. His limbs flailed erratically as he spoke, though his mouth didn't move at all. "Be seeing you, goslew!"

He quickly retracted his axe and fired an orange droplet from his arm cannon straight at the ground, where it expanded into a portal. Without a moment's hesitation, he flew through it.

There were a few long seconds of silence.

"...We..." Klefki spoke up quietly. "...We're...stuck here forever...?"

"Of course not!" Gabite replied confidently. "Why should we believe anything that weirdo says? He wasn't even making sense half the time."

"I, uh...I guess so..." said Klefki.

"Come on, let's find a way out of here!" Gabite encouraged. She started slashing at the bars with her claws, to little effect.

"Um..."

Klefki looked up at the tall, thick bars of the cage. He floated forward, through one of the gaps between them.

"Oh," he said. "Uh, I'm out of the cage! That wasn't so hard after all!"

"Huh?!" Gabite replied. "How did you get out so fast?!"

"By, uh, being pretty small, I guess!" Klefki replied, happy to have escaped. He turned to face the ominous portal on the ground.

"Hey!" Gabite shouted, trying and failing to squeeze through the gaps in the bars herself. "Help me escape already, you dimwit!"

Klefki turned back to face Gabite.

"Hello?!" Gabite went on. "Come here and be useful for once!"

"Uh..." Klefki sounded a bit upset. "Well, I...I..."

"...Klefki?" Gabite sounded a bit more serious. "You're gonna help me, right?"

"...W-would it kill you to ask nicely?" said Klefki quietly.

"I— hey, I am nice!" Gabite argued. "Honestly, I'm probably more forgiving to you than I should be!"

"Oh..." Klefki slowly started to turn away.

"Wait, no!" said Gabite. "Help me now or I'll...I'll, um...uh...please?"

"Oh, of course!" Klefki happily swung back around to face Gabite again, his keys jingling a little. "I'd be happy to help you out, Gabite! Why didn't you ask sooner?"

"Ugh, you performative little pedant..." Gabite muttered quietly.

"So has anyone ever told you guys you look like Poké Balls?" asked Chi-Yu to a group of Foongus.

"Oh, those little spheres that humans like?" replied one of them. "Yeah, Wulfric told us about that."

"He said there's been a shortage of them lately," another Foongus added. "I wonder if that's good or bad for us..."

"Yeah, it's quite an awful attempt at camouflage, isn't it?" a third Foongus rudely chimed in. "Pretty primitive, I'd say. Like, they don't even blend in with their surroundings!"

"...What are you talking about?" asked Carbink, confused.

"I mean, imagine a predator sees that!" the Foongus continued. "What, are you expecting them to stop and go 'oh, never mind, you look like a Poké Ball, guess we'll leave you alone'? If anything it makes you stand out more! Hahahaha!"

As the Foongus laughed, he suddenly started deforming, melting down into a blob-like form.

"Haha...oh, uh, whoops..." said Ditto, seeing the awkward looks they were getting. "Uh, sorry, I didn't mean that."

"It's fine, I didn't understand half of what you said," a Foongus replied.

"Ditto, are you creeping out the new arrivals again?" said Noctowl sternly. Carbink and Chi-Yu jumped a bit, not having noticed her approach.

"Ugh, fine, I'll behave," Ditto promised.

"Sorry about that," said Noctowl, twisting her head to face Carbink and Chi-Yu. "Most of us aren't so unwelcoming."

"Oh, I've noticed," said Chi-Yu. "I think we might be able to settle in here."

"That's good to hear," said Noctowl happily. "We'd be happy to have you for as long as you please."

Carbink was gazing at the ground, not paying much attention to the ensuing small talk between Chi-Yu and Noctowl.

"You are displeased."

"Huh?"

Carbink looked up to see another Pokémon talking to them, a Gothorita.

"I feel it too," she continued. "The oncoming danger..."

"The...what?" said Carbink.

"The chilling presence hard at work in the shadows..." Gothorita continued, gazing up at the sky. "The boiling hatred for our kind..."

"Oof!"

Everyone turned to see a Fletchling land on the ground, painfully sprawled out on his back.

"The sky delivers on its promises," Gothorita commented.

"Fletchling? Are you alright?" asked Noctowl with concern.

"Something...smacked me down!" said Fletchling uneasily, pushing himself up off the ground. "Something flying and...purple..."

"gYahAahahAA!!"

Gothorita suddenly closed her eyes and used Telekinesis, flinging Carbink and Chi-Yu out of the way seconds before Xalio slammed down on the ground where they had been.

"HahahehahahaHa!" Xalio chuckled excitedly, purple oil dripping from him as he gazed into the distance with his small, unmoving grin. "Hell-O there, my beLOAthed little Poké-Fools! How AWful it is to SEE you!!"

"Huh? Is there a new visitor?" Furfrou came running over.

"OH theRe's a VISitor alright!" Xalio shouted, revealing his axe. He turned to the approaching Furfrou and powerfully smashed him with it, sending him tumbling to the ground, to the gasps of the other Pokémon.

"Hey, watch it!" yelled Amoonguss.

"What are you?" asked Ditto, struggling to discern the being's shape.

"What is your business here?" Noctowl added. "We won't accept such violent behaviour in our— OW!"

She was silenced by a hard smack to the face from the handle of Xalio's axe.

"GAH, eNOUGH, you inSUFFerable little cRittures!!" Xalio shrieked. "yOu ask stupid QUEstion after AWful question and BLabber on before I can so mUch as ANSWER!"

Several of the Pokémon present were fleeing at this point. Carbink had every inclination to do the same, but only found themself watching motionlessly.

"I...am XALIO!" he went on. "RELish it, for it's the FINal name yOu daft, juicy rEcitots shall hear! I have coMe ToDay to this hideous Pokémon nEst to FiNally start DEALing with you PESTs at the sOurce!"

"Uh, Carbink?" Chi-Yu nudged their friend urgently. "I'm thinking we might want to leave now?"

"OhO!" Xalio shouted, suddenly zooming towards the duo. He stopped right in front of them, levitating slightly above the ground. "YOU two aren't GOing ANY-whERE! the SPECIAL pair, led by the RailRoad Tracks, who fell RIGHT inTo my TRAp...STUCK forEVer!"

In a sudden, jerking motion, Xalio pointed his arm cannon straight up to the sky, firing a dollop of purple oil. The projectile quickly rose high into the air before abruptly exploding into huge, thick tendrils of oil that stretched back down to the ground, towering over the Pokémon Village, swirling around its perimeter at increasing speeds. It looked as though the village had been caught within a giant purple whisk that was spinning furiously.

The Pokémon watching on the ground were bewildered.

"Huh?!" exclaimed Jigglypuff. "What's going on?!"

"I don't understand how this is possible!" Noctowl added, frantically swiveling her head around in an attempt to keep up with the oil's increasingly fast swirling.

"Ugh, it's making me dizzy..." said Lombre. "I think I might hurt myself in confusion!"

"Quick, let's get out of here!" Chi-Yu urged Carbink.

"Um..." Carbink still hesitated. But they managed to shake it off. "Right, of course!"

The two Pokémon turned and dashed back towards where they had entered the village. But before they could reach the exit through the trees, the huge pillars of oil suddenly slowed down to a halt and began widening. Within an instant, the pillars had merged with each other to form a solid purple dome over the village. The slimy purple walls blocked all exits and blotted out the sunlight, covering the village in darkness. The other Pokémon had all gone back to hiding in the flowers.

"eHeeehEHEHEHE!" Xalio giggled, approaching Carbink and Chi-Yu once more with his flailing movements. "i TOld you nOt to GO anyWhere, didn't I? DIDn't I?!?"

"Wh-what do you want with us?!" Carbink asked.

"Oh wEll THAT's a SIMple question," Xalio replied. "i BRought you here beCause...your 'Special_Use' has EXpired. nOw, time 4 yoUr DEATHs!!"

Xalio brandished his axe, holding it high in the air. Chi-Yu leapt into Carbink and pushed them out of the way just before the blade slammed down. Chi-Yu quickly mustered their strength and unleashed a Fire Blast at Xalio, its power boosted by their cool glasses.

"GAh!" Xalio exclaimed. "oh, You tHINK you can ATtACK mE?!? gaHAHA! bRing it on, pUny praglenams!! yoU are just CHANCEless!"

"Come on Carbink, help me fight this weirdo!" Chi-Yu encouraged, before charging at Xalio with another Fire Blast.

"R-right..." Carbink focused on the enemy, preparing to do battle. Suddenly, they felt the engine within them flare up. The wind picked up as the ground electrified.

"Get AWAY from mE you GRoss rEcitot!" Xalio yelled, slashing at Chi-Yu with his axe. Chi-Yu managed to dodge a swing or two before being forcefully struck, careening to the ground. Xalio closed in for another attack, but was suddenly blindsided by high-energy beams from Carbink.

"bLaRAgh!" Xalio groaned, flinching to the side in pain as oil dripped from his body. Seeing an opening, Chi-Yu quickly unleashed another Fire Blast, but Xalio saw it coming and managed to swerve out of the way.

"Can't you use a less predictable move?" asked Carbink, leaping to their friend's side with the aid of the wind current.

"Not with these glasses," Chi-Yu explained. "But they make it extra powerful to compensate. If he would just stop moving so much..."

"nOT LiKely!" Xalio exclaimed, approaching them again. As he aimed his axe at them, an opening appeared at the end of its handle and bullets began to fly out.

"Shit!" Chi-Yu jumped to the left, while Carbink rolled to the right. Xalio abruptly launched himself at Carbink at frightening speed, pinning them to the ground with his featureless left arm while raising his axe with the other. Unable to move, Carbink tried to focus, bringing the gusts of wind together into a concentrated blast, but it was barely enough to faze Xalio.

"Carbink!" Chi-Yu rushed towards Xalio and prepared to Fire Blast him from behind. But before they could use the move, Xalio suddenly grabbed Carbink off the ground and tossed them behind himself. The two Pokémon collided roughly, with Chi-Yu's glasses being knocked off. Not missing a beat, Xalio slammed his axe into the glasses, smashing them into pieces.

"No!" yelled Chi-Yu as shards of red glass went flying. "You...you monster!"

"haHAHA! Serv's you RIGHt!" Xalio yelled in glee. He lifted his axe once more, looming over the two pained Pokémon languishing on the ground. "TiMe to END you ALL and fOr ONCE!!"

He swung the axe down.

"oWW!"

The axe missed. He had been thrown off by a sudden Slash from behind.

"Take that, you purple creep!"

"WHAt?!" Xalio exclaimed angrily. "wHich FOOL could have...YOU?!"

He turned to see Gabite standing there, scowling at him.

"You really thought you could just lock me up and be done with me?!" she shouted. "You've got another think coming, sweetie!"

"DON't cAll me tHat you BRainless wAste of SPACe!!" Xalio shouted back. "HOW the F@#*ckémon did yOU ESCaPe your ETERNaL FATE?!"

"Well, um..." Klefki floated into view as well. "I unlocked the cage with one of my keys!" He jingled them proudly.

"GAh, i KNeW I shouldn't've sTolen a cAge from that MARket!" Xalio grumbled. "this is wHat HAPPENS when I lEave my portals oPen..."

"Wait, is that...Gabite?" said a befuddled Carbink, only just getting up from the ground. "How...what?"

"My...my glasses..." said Chi-Yu sadly, observing the shattered yellow frame.

"GRRRUgh, as if TWo Poké-PESTs wEren't enough tRouble, yoU've made it DOUBLE!" Xalio complained. "looKs like i'LL haVe to take CARE of you all...I pRepared a LONG time for THIs! NEW FORM deBUT!!"

Suddenly, the oil making up Xalio's body melted away, revealing his cube form once more. The cube started vibrating frantically, shaking back and forth, then began growing in size, the four Pokémon instinctively stepping back as they watched. The cube seemed to unfold into what looked like a purple, humanoid robot, about twice the height of an average human, with tubes for arms, tiny black dots for eyes, no visible mouth, and an oddly long, pointy nose.

"GYaHAHAHAHAA!!" bellowed Xalio, his voice now slightly deeper. "it is my FINal form...THE CAREGIVER!!"

There were a couple seconds of silence, save for the quiet sound of Klefki clapping politely.

"NoW for the MAIN eVENT!" Xalio continued, raising his hollow arms. "LAdies & MEntal-Gems! lEt us SEe some MaSS DESTRUcTION!!"

Purple oil suddenly began gushing out of his arms and spilling out onto the floor. With a loud squelching sound, globs of oil solidified at the end of each arm, transforming into huge metal fists.

"Ew, gross!" exclaimed Gabite in disgust.

"That fist...that's the thing that almost crushed us!" Carbink recognised.

"hOW asTUTE of yOu, goslew!" Xalio replied. "but THIS tiMe i wOn't MISS! KNUCKLE BUSTER!!"

Xalio aimed his fists before launching both of them off of his arms, sending them hurtling towards the Pokémon. Carbink grabbed Chi-Yu and flew out of the way of a fist right before it could crush them, while Gabite and Klefki barely managed to leap away from the other.

"Finally, we're fighting!" Gabite exclaimed, preparing to run at Xalio. "I'll give you a taste of—"

"Gabite, are you crazy?!" Klefki interrupted with uncharacteristic urgency. "He's so much bigger than us! We need to run!"

The two fists that had missed began writhing on the ground, releasing fire from their knuckles.

"Do you take me for a coward?!" said Gabite. "I'm not afraid to— AH!"

She was struck by one of the two burning fists that were now charging along the ground, charring the grass and flowers as they went.

"Gabite!" Klefki called out in alarm. He gave chase as the fist gripped onto her and dragged her along the ground.

"aHAhahHAaHa!" laughed Xalio as he produced another fist on his arm, aiming it straight at Gabite. But before he could fire it, he heard an incoming Fire Blast. He quickly stepped out of the way and swivelled around to see Carbink flying overhead, with Chi-Yu clinging onto them.

"Ugh, come on!" exclaimed Chi-Yu in frustration. "I need to practise my aim..."

"eNough of this SILLy aCTs!" Xalio shouted as he launched the fist into the air, where it opened into a hand ready to grab Carbink and Chi-Yu. Carbink tried to quickly soar away, but they couldn't react fast enough before they were grabbed by the flying hand. With more loud squelching sounds, the hand produced a large dollop of oil from its fingers, smothering the two Pokémon in it before tossing it to the ground.

Xalio immediately turned back around to see Gabite still being pinned to the ground by the fists, with Klefki desperately trying to pull her away to little avail.

"TiMe for your iMprISONMENT! GYAHAHAHAhaHA!"

As Xalio laughed loudly, the fists trapping Gabite abruptly burst into oil, which quickly consumed her and Klefki. Xalio regenerated both of his fists once more, grabbing the two chunks of oil on the ground and holding them up.

The two purple globs continued to contort and undulate as he held them, until they both eventually settled into roughly cylindrical shapes. The oil thinned until it became transparent, revealing the Pokémon inside. Carbink and Chi-Yu were trapped in one of the cylinders, while Gabite and Klefki were in the other.

"Ow...what just happened?" asked Carbink, noticing the transparent purple walls that now surrounded them.

"i hAve conFIN'd you!" said Xalio proudly. "wiTH my BEAuTiful HOMEmaDe cages this tiMe! ADmire the CRAFTsmanship, fOOLS!!"

Carbink tried to push through the walls, but despite how thin they looked, they were deceptively tough. Chi-Yu launched a Fire Blast at them, also to no effect.

"Ugh, let go of me this instant, you weirdo!" Gabite demanded. "I'm not just gonna let you—"

"Gabite, look!" Klefki interrupted, pointing. "In the other cage!"

Gabite turned and gasped.

"Carbink!!" she screeched in even greater anger. "I've tracked you down at last! Oh, I've got a whole lot of things I've been waiting to say to you, you sparkling piece of shit!"

She tried desperately to claw through the walls of the cage to reach them, but only managed to dent it slightly.

"OH, isn't thiS GLORious!" Xalio remarked. "sO MUch diSTRESS & fRustration! I coUld watch this aLL aFterNOON!"

"What do you even want with us?!" Chi-Yu asked.

"WEll, i WAs oriGinaLLy gOing to juSt KILL you uSeless recitots..." Xalio explained. "bUT that FEEling of gLEE i fElt wHen I DESTROY'd yOur uGly EYEwear and wAtched you desPAIR... iT was just WONDERful! sO, pErhaps i'Ll keep you aLive to TORment you a bit LOnger! hAHAHAHA!!"

An orange droplet dripped from Xalio's knuckles, and when it hit the ground, it expanded into a portal.

"in WE GO!!"

In the deepest depths of the Kanto region's Viridian Forest was an empty, undisturbed clearing, completely still and almost silent. The only noise was a dull, continuous buzzing sound, but it was of such low volume that it would've been completely inaudible in any other conditions. There weren't even any wild Pokémon present this deep in the forest, as though they had sensed something was off about the clearing and chosen to stay away. It was eerily peaceful.

Something was gleaming amidst the grass. A small metal ball that looked as though it had been damaged and hastily repaired.

A portal opened.

"& Here We Are!" announced Xalio, jumping out of the portal while still tightly gripping the two oil cages. His foot landed on the metal ball, crushing it instantly. At that, the buzzing sound stopped and a shiny silver building appeared before him in the centre of the clearing, its futuristic look incongruous with the surrounding nature. Above its seemingly damaged metal door, the letters "EV" were engraved on the wall.

"gRahaha..." chuckled Xalio sinisterly as he slowly stepped towards the door. "i Am BAck aGain, EV Labs! the RailRoad Tracks ALWAYs lEad me baCk here...bUT THIS time, i'LL FiNish the JOB!"

He kicked the door open.

Chapter Text

The door abruptly swung open. The human scientist returned to his chair in his cramped room, sighing as he sat down.

"I'm sure he knows..." the human muttered to himself. "Eevee...he must know how important he is to this project...how much I need him..."

He swivelled around unstably in his rickety chair, which was fixed to the floor.

"It wasn't even a white lie this time," he continued, getting slightly louder as he spoke to the walls. "We really are near completion..."

He looked to the ground sadly.

"I'm sure he's just putting on act...Pokémon love me, don't they? They ought to, after all the research this lab has done to improve their miserable lives..."

The human was interrupted by a brief, sudden beep.

"Ah, finally!" He promptly swivelled his chair to face his cluttered desk, reaching for a device that was attached to his computer.

He grabbed the device, forcefully yanking it from the cable it was attached to. It was an orange sphere of some kind, with what appeared to be a nozzle on one side. The human spun the device around in his hands to look at the faintly glowing LCD screen that was on the other side.

Download complete: "EV_Logs_Vol2_ProjectVV" (2 new files)

"Hmm?" said the human as he saw the text on the screen. "Two new files? But I only made one..."

He started tapping away at the screen, opening the unknown file. His eyes widened.

"Oh...oh no..." The human quickly stood up, dropping the device back on his desk. "He's on his way...shit, I should've prepared for this!"

He heard the sound of a door being kicked down, immediately followed by loud clanging. Rapid, metallic, approaching footsteps.

"Uhh..." The human was looking around with frantic urgency. He hastily grabbed a gun-looking thing from his desk and observed the screen on it.

"Ugh, out of charge..." he muttered in irritation, tossing it aside. "What to do, what to do...!"

The thumping footsteps continued to get closer. The human stared helplessly at the door at the other end of the room that he knew was about to fly open.

"Um...uh...maybe if I just hide somewhere..."

He paced around nervously before hastily ducking into an uncomfortable position under his desk, blending in decently well amidst the other junk that was down there.

The door flew open.

"THERE you aRe!!"

Xalio emerged loudly from the door, a cylinder of purple oil in each hand, each containing a pair of disconcerted Pokémon. Even with Xalio's limited facial expression, the human could easily tell he was angry.

"hMmm..." said Xalio, looking around the room, failing to spot the human in his hiding place. "OH well. gUess noBody is HOMe. aLL the BEtter for mE to TAKE OVER!"

He carelessly dumped the two cylinders on the floor. The Pokémon trapped within them, dazed after Xalio's rough handling, were now recovering.

"Huh...what?" Chi-Yu looked around in confusion, quickly spotting Xalio. "Hey! Where the heck have you taken us?!"

"I..." Carbink replied. Although they had never seen this building before in their life, it still somehow felt loosely familiar. "Have I...been here before?"

"Um, Gabite..." said Klefki in the other cylinder. His addressee was busy slashing in vain at the cylinder's purple walls. "I...really don't think that's going to get us anywhere..."

"Ugh, it's just slime or whatever! I know I can break through it!" Gabite retorted, despite the fact her attacks were slowing to a halt as she spoke.

"Ah, all my HoRRENDOUS liTtle morons, toGether in 1 PLace!" Xalio remarked happily. "tHere's SO MuCh fUn i wiLl be HAVing!"

The human watched the trapped Pokémon in shock and curiosity, but remained silent.

"Come on Carbink, we've gotta get out of this creepy place!" Chi-Yu encouraged. "I'm out of PP for Fire Blast. Got any other ideas?"

"I mean, you're the stronger battler here," Carbink replied.

"Well, you're the one with electric wind powers," said Chi-Yu.

"Hey, you're not going anywhere, sweetie!" called Gabite from the other cylinder. "The second I'm out of here, I'm gonna make sure you finally get the punishment you deserve!"

"Why..." said Carbink in confusion, turning to Xalio. "Why did you take us here? Why do I feel a...connection to this place?"

"UgH, MUsT I eXplain EVery last dEtail?" said Xalio in irritation. "gyah, FINe! I suPpose i mAy as Well disClose the TRUTH...I do nOt think yoU will LIKe it!"

Xalio spun the human's chair around and casually sat on the backrest, causing it to creak loudly. The chair was much too small for him, but somehow managed to not break completely.

"YoU..." he continued. "YOU think tHat you'Re a VERy...SPecial Poké-Fool, DON'T you, Carbink?"

"Um...not really?" Carbink replied.

"The only thing special about that thing is how much pain I'm gonna make them feel," Gabite added.

"W-well, if they weren't special then we probably wouldn't have been trying to chase after them all this time..." noted Klefki.

"uGh, caN you SHUT uP for a SECond while I'M TALKing!" Xalio demanded angrily. "eVer heard of a RHEtorical QUestion?! Gah, you rEcitots are truly inSUFferable..."

"You're talking about Carbink's powers, right?" asked Chi-Yu, trying to get back on topic.

"POWers, yes..." Xalio replied, precariously leaning backwards on the chair. "THose Abilities of yOurs...tHey DON't come NATuraLly to your KINd, DO they? cReating HADron GALES?!"

"Oh, is that how they were able to fly away from that tournament?" said Klefki, before being glared at by Gabite.

"You don't know how you got your powers, do you, Carbink?" Chi-Yu said. "Didn't you say you just randomly discovered them one day?"

"NEver fear, XALIO's here!" Xalio interrupted, suddenly leaping back up to his feet. "MY bRAIN conTAINs ALL the AnSwers you silly scremorapnes have SOUght! & I KNow the truth...that fUturistic engine inSIDE of you..."

Xalio slowly stepped closer to Carbink and Chi-Yu's cylinder, ominously looming over the Pokémon.

"IT's as THough SOMEthing REwROTE your vEry DNA..." Xalio continued. "ANd thAt thing...it CAme from riGht HERE! the EVer-abHorrent EV LABS!"

The human was confused as he listened from under his desk.

"From...here?" said Carbink. "But I don't remember ever being here before..."

"OH, of COurse not," Xalio replied, abruptly turning to face the ceiling as he continued. "fRom what i HEar, SOMEone hEre was worKing on a wAy to giVe Poké-SLobs like yOU UNUSUAL AbiLities...but an ACCident oCcurred a WEek ago, and bY RANdom CHance..."

The human stifled a gasp of realisation as he listened. Xalio turned back to Carbink, glaring menacingly.

"YOU were affECted insteaD!"

Suddenly, Xalio reached out and grabbed the cylinder containing Carbink and Chi-Yu, hoisting it up in the air, to the discontent of the Pokémon within.

"iT...AFFECTed you...DIDn't IT?!" Xalio yelled mockingly, seeming delighted as he shook around the cylinder roughly. "bUT not JUSt your Abilities! it WEnt DEEPer...reWriting your very DNA...DeFying your NATUral state...& sUddenly, you didn't WANt to liVe unDerground with all yOur USEless friends! yoU wAnted to ADVENTure!! wHo's eVer hEard of a Carbink that gOes on ADVENTUres? riDICulous, ISN't it, goslew? ISN'T IT?!"

"Ow, let us go already!" demanded Chi-Yu as they tumbled around in the cylinder.

"oH, and YOu TOO!" Xalio added. "Chi-Yu...a Pokémon COMpOSed of sTrong EMOtions...sPending so much tiMe with this Carbink? thAt cRystallised, REBELlious WAnderlust...iT must hAve WEaved its way into YOU aS well! coRRUPTing your vEry BEing! aFter all, YOU've bEen feeling some VEry stRong emotions reCently, HAVEn't you?"

Xalio stopped shaking the cylinder around and slammed it into the human's chair, which spun around a bit from the force of the impact. The Pokémon inside groaned as they tried to get back up. Under his desk, the human shuffled back slightly to remain hidden.

"bUt I was LEss than PleaSed by tHis," Xalio continued. "aS you mAY know, I just cAn't STAnd ATlayous POKé-FOOLs like yourSelves. so to HAve you GOing on adVENTures, cAUsing tRouble, sPreading your uGly SCENTs wHerever you GO?! tHat just would not DO! So I kEpt track of you CLosely. mY built-in SCANners let me deTect thoSe EV Labs siGnals from Carbink, so I ALways kNow where you ARE!"

"Ugh, enough about Carbink already!" Gabite called from the other cylinder. "You've been going after me too, haven't you? What's my importance?"

"YoU?" Xalio turned to face her. "Oh, YOU two, GaBite, KLefki...you HAVE no significance! YOU're just tWo moRe of the FOOLish Pokémon whOse paTHetic lives were TOUCH'd by Carbink...anD i'VE deCided, that's ENOUGH! nO MORE silly Poké-Adventures! I'LL be reStoring some ORder to this WOrld!!"

"Well why'd you have to bring us here, of all places?" Gabite asked rudely. "It's dark and ugly and it smells weird. Is this your house or something?"

"it iS NOT!" Xalio replied. "THis plAce is a houSe of VILLains! viLLAINs such as..."

He quickly tapped his pointy nose with a metallic finger, causing it to twitch erratically.

"HaHa! I KNow you'RE HERE!" Xalio called out. "iT's no use HIDing anymore!"

The human sighed, having expected he would be discovered sooner or later. He emerged from under his desk, to the surprise of the four Pokémon.

"My apologies for not facing you sooner," the human began, trying to sound polite. "Hello there, um...oh, what was the name you ended up using again? Xalio or something alike?"

"SHut UP!" yelled Xalio threateningly as he towered over the human. "yoU are FINally aBout to PAY for EVerything!"

"Um, indeed, long time no see!" the human replied nervously, still trying to keep a smile on his face. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to catch your previous, erm, visit. Now, I understand you may not have the highest opinions of me, but I'm willing to—"

"i sAid SHUT UP, you tOOL!" Xalio shouted as he shoved the human into his chair, knocking Carbink and Chi-Yu's cylinder back to the floor, where it landed sideways. "you NAMEless little FOOTNOTE, YOU! I will enSURE you do NOt like wHat hapPENs NEXt! NO one's hEre to STOP me tHIS TIME!!"

"Please, sir, I mean you no harm!" said the human, raising his arms. "None of us here at EV Labs ever meant you harm! What happened with Project Oil Ax was merely an unplanned accident—"

"LiAR!" Xalio yelled over him. "YOu know it's a LIE! I KNow it's a liE! i HAve FiLES in my BRAin that PROVe it's a lie! ANd soon, the wHOLE WORLD WiLL KNOW IT'S A LIE!"

With an unsettling squelching noise, Xalio squirted purple oil from his knuckles, which quickly wrapped around the sitting human, forming slimy purple rings. By the time the human tried to stand back up, it was too late. He had been tied to his chair.

"Well, that's...unpleasant..." said the human, grimacing at the purple substance that was now stuck to him. "...But I suppose this is preferable to more senseless violence."

"OH doN't you worry about THAT," said Xalio. "wE will have PLENTY of tiMe for THat lAter, goslew. But for nOw, you can ALL be mY splonterroning little GUests!"

"Oh, surely you can at least free those poor Pokémon, can't you?" the human suggested. "Or at the very least give them in to me to experime— uh, care for them!"

"I am tAking PERfect care of them..." Xalio replied. "tHat's my ROLE, remember?! I am THE CAREGIVER!"

"Ugh, shut up already!" yelled Gabite. "My ears can't take much more!"

"OH, your ears?" said Xalio. "yOur EARS?! YoU think MY voiCe is ANNoyiNg?!"

Xalio's small eyes seemed to twitch and distort in rage as he spoke.

"dO you want to KNOw WHY I HAte you HIDEoUS Poké-FOOLS?!" he asked. "tHere's ALL mANNER of rEasons, but Do yOu WAnt to kNow one of the WORST tHings? beCause I was CURSEd...CURSED to UNDERsTAND you All! cUrsed to HEAR EVery WORD oF your iNANE sPeech EVERYwhere I GO! yOu Poké-SHITs think I'M anNOYing? GOOD!! i hOpe I can be HALf as annoying to YOU as all yoUr inCESSANT littLe mORONIC MUTTerINGS have bEen to ME!! aLL thoSe TInY, GIANt, cHATTERING vOices CLOGGing up my BRAIN...it's eNough to dRive someone CRAZY!! GYAAAAAH!!!"

Xalio forcefully slammed a fist into a wall, breathing heavily.

"I..." Klefki muttered. "I wanna go home..."

"Don't listen to that nonsense, Klefki," said Gabite as she started to slash at the cylinder's walls again, which were now covered in claw marks and dents. "I'm gonna break out of here if it's the last thing I do."

"Oh, you poor things..." said the human as he watched from his chair. "I'm sorry you had to get involved in this..."

"DON'T be!" Xalio replied. "IT wasN't their CHOICE, aFter all. tHE RailRoad Tracks of FATE forced them all hEre...and now, tHey still have no CHOICE but to siT and watCh the NExT phase of my MASTER-PLAN!"

"Next phase?" the human repeated. "But I thought your goal was just to destroy the lab for revenge..."

"oh, oF COURSE you did," Xalio grumbled. "EVeryone tHinks i'M just soMe atlayous fOOL...YOU of aLl pEople wOuld never tHink more of me!!"

"So you're...not planning to destroy the lab?" asked the human.

"Not jUst yet," Xalio explained. "i Can put it tO BETTer use as my BRand nEw BASE of OPERATIONs for my GRAND plan! mY plan to FINally RID the WORLd of those sTupid BLEmishes on rEality known as Pokémon, ONCE and fOr ALL! I wiLl SAVE the wOrld from them, and huMANITY shall bE FrEE froM their InFluence oNce MORe!"

"How do you possibly intend on doing that?" the human asked. "There's simply no way you can just get rid of Pokémon. They're far too ingrained in our way of life."

"InDeed, thAt is The PROBlem," agreed Xalio. "wHich is WHy i'M uSing my IMmense WISdom and STarting SMALL. FIRst, I'm SEVERing those fOolish BONDs that HuMans and Pokémon have fOrmed. Silly tHings like 'Pokémon_Trainers' jUst CAN't kEep on eXisting!"

"Humans and Pokémon have forged bonds together since antiquity!" the human argued. "You can't just take an axe to that!"

"i cAn and I WILL!" Xalio replied. "DIDn't you sEe the NEWS, goslew? THat recent disASTER of a tOurnament over in Paldea? hoW Pokémon RUIN'd EVerything? all tHose HUMANs who got HURT?!"

"Wait..." Chi-Yu chimed in. "You don't mean...the tournament where Carbink and I met...?"

"Of COURSE i dO!" Xalio replied. "yoU know WHo was resPONSible for THAt?! because I DO!"

Suddenly, purple oil began to seep out of Xalio, quickly covering his entire body. He then seemed to melt down into a smaller, amorphous blob, from which legs emerged. A human shape formed and solidified, stepping out of the slime, its purple colour fading to that of a young person. Carbink's eyes dilated as they recognised the "human" that had appeared.

"That's...my Trainer..." said Carbink. "...You were my Trainer?!"

"Indeed!" the Trainer replied, smiling creepily. His voice sounded a bit rougher than Carbink remembered, but was familiar enough to bring back bad memories. "I am the one who CO-c-confined you in that Poké Ball! I have been pRa-pr-p-practising my disguise skills, you see. We had Su-sU-such fun times together, didn't we, Carbink?"

"So your Trainer was fake?!" Gabite yelled. "I knew you were cheating!"

"In fACT!" the Trainer continued. "Ahem. In fact! My skills have become so good, I can plAy TWo rO-r-roles at once!"

Another figure emerged from the purple goop, this time forming into the shape of Chi-Yu's Trainer.

"Wha— you too?!" replied Chi-Yu. "You were my Trainer all along?!"

"Well, not all along, actually," the Trainer replied. "You did once have a gE-g-genuine Trainer. But when I found out he was entering that TOur-tOu-t-tournament, I saw my opportunity! I rE-r-replaced your Trainer after...disposing of him."

There was a moment of silence.

"...Disposing...?" repeated the human, leaning forward in his chair.

"I pushed Chi-Yu to the edge!" the Trainer yelled proudly. "The rA-r-Ra-RAGING inFERNO that thing produced...all that destruction...it made HE-hE-h-headlines, I'm sure! The reputation of you Pokémon is wO-Wor-w-worsening as we speak!"

"People will learn to fE-f-fear Pokémon again!" added the other Trainer. "Friends and partners no more! Just like how it sh-SH-shou-sH-SHOULD BE!"

The two Trainers closed their eyes and melted away into purple oil, which quickly slithered backwards, merging back into the big purple glob behind them. The oil stretched and writhed around a bit before Xalio burst back out.

"OH, it wAs such FUn!" Xalio continued as oil splattered all over the room. "anD THAT was onLy the STARt. AfTer that, i DESTROY'd a FACTory pRoducing those hOrrendous little tHings called Poké Balls. And wHat's MOre, i'VE even stArted to imPRISON Poké-nests wHere the pests liKe to GATHer. Like that 'Pokémon_Village' in Kalos! yoU weRe tHere for THAT one, weRen't you? SUch fun! i'LL haVe to DEAL with tHat place LATer."

"Xalio, please, I really think you should reconsider!" the human pleaded. "It's not going to work out like you're hoping it will. People and Pokémon are too close to be separated by any of your schemes! You're only going to hurt people if you continue with this—"

"SHut UP!" Xalio yelled over him. "YOU doN't get a SAY iN what I DO! I'm oNly DOINg this to HELp humans like YOu, you know. I'LL gEt huMans to sEE the TRUTH about Pokémon, tO see WHy they CAN'T coExist, ONe STEP aT a TIME. & THiS place, wiTh all its WaCKY tEchnology, shall HElp me gEt there! i'M a HERO, and I'll SAVE tHis world fRom those WRetched CREAtures no matter WHAT it TAKeS!!"

"Please," begged the human, "you can't just—"

"WELL i THink i've WASted eNough time TALKing to YOU lot," Xalio announced. "I hAve pLAns to PrePare and Spicy Poffins to EAt. Be seeing you, goslews!"

Xalio dashed out of the door at the far end of the room, heading deeper into the building, leaving behind the four imprisoned Pokémon and one imprisoned human. They silently listened to his clanging footsteps getting further away until they were no longer audible.

"Finally, he's gone," said Gabite.

"Well, I tried my best," said the human solemnly. "I suppose he's beyond listening to reason..."

"I..." Chi-Yu looked a bit stunned. "...my Trainer...got...disposed of...?"

"Oh, and now you care when it's about you," said Gabite. "What about my Trainer, huh? The one you burned and hospitalised without a second thought!"

"I...did I?" replied Chi-Yu.

"Argh, I'm sick of you!" Gabite yelled back angrily, slashing at the walls of the cylinder again. "I'm sick of all of you! Why does everyone always treat me like an afterthought?! Like I'm not worthy of—"

"Uh, hey, Gabite!" said Klefki, causing her to stop clawing at the wall to glare at him. "I think...maybe you shouldn't, um, waste your energy on that..."

"Well I don't see you trying to find a way out of here!" Gabite replied. "What, do you want to just be trapped in here forever?"

"Well, no, I...hmm..." Klefki looked around the cylinder in search of a weak point.

"I..." Chi-Yu whispered to Carbink, both of them looking upset. "I did hurt a lot of people and Pokémon at that tournament, didn't I..."

"Well, I made you do it," Carbink replied. "So it was kinda my fault..."

"No way, that's—"

"Hey, look!" Klefki unintentionally interrupted Chi-Yu. He was pointing at something inside his and Gabite's cylinder. "Maybe this could be helpful?"

"Huh?" Gabite looked where he was pointing. Amidst all the claw marks that had accumulated on the cylinder, there was a peculiarly-shaped dent.

"Doesn't it kinda look like a...keyhole?" said Klefki.

"Huh..." said Gabite, cocking her head to the side. "I guess if you squint..."

Klefki approached the hole and tried to insert a key, but it wouldn't fit. He tried again with another from his collection, still to no avail.

"Hmm..." said Klefki. "Maybe that was a dumb idea..."

"Nah, I think you're onto something," replied Gabite, readying her claws. "Watch and learn, sweetie!"

She leapt forward, digging her claws into the keyhole and pushing hard. But after a few seconds of intense struggling, she only managed to make it grow and deform a bit.

"Ugh..." Gabite panted. "Yeah, guess your idea was dumb after all."

"Wait, you've changed the keyhole's shape," noted Klefki. "Maybe now..."

Klefki slid a key neatly into the hole and turned it.

Suddenly, the whole cylinder melted down into oil.

"Ew!" Gabite exclaimed, quickly brushing off some of the oil that had landed on her head.

"Wait, that worked?!" cried Chi-Yu.

"Well I never!" said the human, smiling in his chair. "You Pokémon truly are such ingenious creatures! And Xalio's handiwork really has some major design flaws..."

"We...we did it!" said Klefki. "We're free! All thanks to the power of our teamwork!"

"You!" Gabite was already striding angrily towards the other cylinder, scowling at Carbink through the transparent oil. "I think it's high time I gave you the payback you deserve!"

"I— look, I'm sorry about what happened!" said Carbink uneasily as Gabite started clawing at the outside of the cylinder. "I wasn't really in the best mood after spending a week with that—"

"I don't CARE what mood you were in!" Gabite yelled back in rage. "Do you know how much time and effort I spent training for that tournament?! Do you know how much it meant to my Trainer?! The one you almost killed?!"

"U-um..." Klefki was watching anxiously.

"Hey, back off!" said Chi-Yu defensively. "That wasn't even Carbink's fault!"

"Oh, so you don't want to be left out of your friend's punishment, do you?" said Gabite mockingly. "Fine by me, sweetie! I never liked you or those tacky glasses you were so proud of either!"

Her claws began to glow as she readied a Dragon Claw. She started to charge at the cylinder.

"Gabite, stop!"

Klefki hastily reached out and grabbed her shoulder before her she landed her attack.

"What?!" she replied angrily, twisting around to face Klefki. "This is what we've been working towards this whole time! Are you trying to get in my way now?!"

"L-look, I know you've got beef to settle with Carbink, b-but don't you think we should focus on stopping Xalio?" Klefki reasoned. "He was saying all that stuff about getting rid of Pokémon...it sounded pretty urgent!"

"Seriously?" replied Gabite. "You think that weirdo is an actual threat?"

"I mean, we've seen what he's capable of..." said Klefki. "And besides, he was also responsible for what happened at the tournament, wasn't he? We need to stop him before it's too late!"

Gabite stood there scowling for a moment, weighing things up in her mind.

"...Ugh, fine, drama queen," she finally replied. "But don't think you're off the hook, Carbink!" she quickly added, turning back to the cylinder and poking it threateningly. "Just stay right there and I'll be back to finish the job before you know it!"

Gabite promptly ran out of the room through the wide open door that Xalio had gone through, with Klefki following close behind.

"Um, hey, you might be interested in freeing me too!" called out the human. "I'm very valuable for...okay, they're already gone."

There was silence for a moment.

"Um...now what?" said Chi-Yu.

"I guess we need to find a way to escape as well," said Carbink. "Too bad I don't carry a ton of keys on me at all times..."

"Oh, you poor, poor Pokémon," said the human. It was hard to tell if the pity in his voice was sincere. "I suppose we are all to remain here now, as prisoners..."

"Ugh, I don't wanna be stuck with this creep..." groaned Carbink.

"Well, I may as well use this time to...apologise to you," the human went on. "In a sense, I'm the one responsible for all of this...I developed that Ability randomiser device that happened to affect you, poor Carbink."

Carbink and Chi-Yu both glared back at him.

"I'm very sorry, truly!" said the human. "You see, we here at EV Labs do a variety of research, much of it Pokémon-related. We seek to push the potential of you marvellous creatures to its limit, to answer the scientific mysteries no one else is brave enough to. That Ability altering device was a little side project of mine that I was hard at work on. There are a great many unsolved mysteries regarding Pokémon Abilities, and I was rather curious to have a go at solving some of them. Like finding out if Abilities could be applied to Pokémon that do not have them naturally, or even if a Pokémon could have two Abilities at once...I developed a prototype, but in its rather unfinished state, it would assign a Pokémon two new Abilities entirely at random. And about a week ago, before I could test the prototype in safe conditions, I unfortunately happened to lose it in a spatial displacement incident...and I suppose you ended up being the unwitting test subject, my dear Carbink. I never wanted that to happen. I'm deeply sorry to have caused all this mess..."

Carbink and Chi-Yu listened to his ramblings, somewhat disconcerted.

"That, erm, spatial displacement incident..." the human continued. "We've done quite a large amount of research into interdimensional portals...are you aware of the existence of alternate universes? There are thought to be uncountably many of them. And, well..."

There was silence again.

"You're understanding all this, aren't you?" the human suddenly said, a hint of desperation in his voice. "I'm sure you are. Pokémon are bright creatures. Brighter than many people realise. Such perfect listeners, who never answer back and call you stupid or tell you you've lost your mind..."

"Huh?" muttered Carbink.

"No one believes me about some of the conclusions I've reached from all my research," said the human, sounding more and more agitated. "No one believes me about the things I have very good reason to believe. About the true nature of this universe...about how deeply wrong it is..."

"Wrong?" Chi-Yu muttered.

"It's said that somehow, at some point, some sort of otherworldly plague broke into this universe when its soul was left vulnerable..." the human continued shakily. "Whether those words are literally true or merely metaphorical, I'm unsure. But I'm certain that there's truth in the fact this universe was not meant to be this way...the natural course of events was disrupted irreversibly. This lab you are in now, my dear Pokémon? This secret lab, hidden deep in Viridian Forest...it does not exist in most universes. It is an anomaly. It is not supposed to exist. It exists because something went terribly wrong...all my hard work here exists because something went terribly wrong...and now, this lab has caused the partnership of you two Pokémon. Carbink and Chi-Yu. Yet another unintended consequence of this disruption. And if this goes on...who knows what the ultimate fate of this universe could be..."

Silence returned once more.

"...But I don't like to feel hopeless," the human continued. "Everything must happen for a reason. I, working at this lab...I must be here for a reason. That's why I've been dedicating my life to research...to find out the true nature of the problem with this universe, and to finally solve it. It's possible that I may be the hero this world needs...and so! My dear Pokémon, I shall aid you on your quest!"

The human reached towards an object on his desk, barely managing to grab it after straining against the purple shackles tying him to his chair. It was the orange sphere he'd looked at earlier.

"About that Xalio..." said the human. "I'm...familiar with him. This lab is responsible for him as well, actually. You see, we were working on a project that would...ah, no, that's a story for another time. All you need to know is that Xalio is a threat who must be stopped."

"Yeah, I think I gathered that," said Chi-Yu.

"Fortunately," the human continued, "I added a few helpful functions to this device in case he ever were to return. You see this protrusion here?"

The human pointed at the nozzle sticking out of the orange sphere in his hands.

"Well, check this out."

The human pressed a few buttons on the device before promptly throwing it towards the cylinder on the ground. Once it landed on the cylinder, the nozzle began loudly vacuuming up the oil, creating a hole in the side of the cylinder before it clattered to the floor.

"Pretty impressive, no?" said the human, sounding very proud of himself.

"Why didn't you just do that from the start?" said Chi-Yu in indignation as they leapt out of the hole, with Carbink following hesitantly. Chi-Yu picked the device up and inspected it.

"Oh, but be sure not to use it in front of Xalio," replied the human, not having understood Chi-Yu's speech. "He's likely to just destroy it right away if he finds out it can do that."

"So...we can leave now?" said Carbink. "I'd rather not stay in this creepy lab much longer..."

"No way!" replied Chi-Yu. "We've gotta go stop Xalio! We can't just walk away and let him carry out his evil plans, can we?"

"R-right," replied Carbink uneasily. "But, well, we did just lose when we tried to fight him earlier..."

"Well, I guess so, but...that doesn't mean we should just give up," Chi-Yu replied. "I get you're scared, but we have to at least try, right? I've left a whole kingdom in ruin before, after all. I'd happily burn this lab to the ground if necessary."

"Uh, if you say so..." said Carbink. "So what exactly is our plan, then?"

"Well, we've gotta find wherever Xalio went first," Chi-Yu answered. "I have no idea how big this building is..."

Looking at the ground, Chi-Yu noticed a thick cable, which was plugged into the human's computer on their desk. It stretched over the floor and past the door Xalio had left through.

"I guess we could just follow that wire," said Chi-Yu, already moving to the door. "It might lead us to something useful."

"Wait!"

Carbink and Chi-Yu turned to face the human who had just addressed them, still tied to his chair.

"Um, before you go, don't you want to free me as well?" the human said. "I think it'd be really rather useful to have me around if you plan to traverse this lab!"

The two Pokémon glared at him.

"Oh, you don't know how to free me, do you?" the human continued. "Don't worry, it's very simple. You just have to press the suction button on that device you're holding, Chi-Yu, and then— hey! Where are you going?!"

Chi-Yu had left the room, with Carbink following.

"I..." The human watched them depart. "You're really going to just leave me here?!"

The two Pokémon turned a corner in the corridor, leaving the human's sight.

The human stared motionlessly at the corridor for a moment.

"...Ha...haha..." he chuckled, a wide smile appearing on his face. "That's okay. That's just fine. The Pokémon know best. They appreciate me really...they LOVE me! Pokémon LOVE me!!"

The human gazed up at the ceiling, cackling away in his chair.

Gabite and Klefki proceeded through the long, dark corridors of the laboratory. They were both getting increasingly unsettled as they ventured further into the darkness, as much as Gabite was trying not to show it.

"I didn't realise this place was so big," said Gabite, mainly just so that there'd be some noise besides her own ominously echoing footsteps. "Do we even have any idea where we're going?"

"Well, um...Xalio can't have gone too far, can he?" Klefki replied, not sounding very confident. "We are still in the same building, after all..."

"It's an unexpectedly labyrinthine building, though," Gabite replied, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. Indeed, they had already passed by several closed doors and even some forks in the path. "Kinda reminds me of an old cave I used to live in..."

Gabite looked down at the floor as she continued walking, deep in thought. She glanced at Klefki beside her, whose face had a look of worry.

Gabite's footsteps suddenly stopped, leaving complete silence. Klefki looked round to see she had stopped moving.

"Um..." Klefki slowly went back to where she was standing. "Are you...okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, sw— ...Klefki," she said with a sigh. "I've just...been thinking..."

"...Thinking what?" asked Klefki.

"Do you...enjoy my company?" she asked.

"Uh..." Klefki was caught off guard by her unusually serious tone. "Well, I...I do appreciate your, uh...strong drive to achieve—"

"You can be honest," Gabite interjected.

"...I...well..." Klefki replied. "I guess I think you can be a bit...aggressive, at times...but we all have our flaws, right?"

There was a pause.

"Uh, sorry..." Klefki added. "...What made you ask that, anyway?"

"Well, I've kinda...yelled at you a lot..." Gabite replied. "I feel like most of the time I've spent talking to you I've been telling you off...or blaming you for something..."

"Well, that's...true..." replied Klefki. "...Why are you saying this now?"

"I just wanted to...apologise," Gabite continued, making eye contact with Klefki. "For treating you like a minion instead of an equal. I know you've been trying your best to help all this time...I shouldn't have been taking my anger out on you."

There was some more silence as Klefki processed what he'd heard. He'd never seen Gabite like this before, and was quite taken aback by her sudden shift in tone.

"I...well, um...thank you for apologising..." Klefki replied awkwardly. It was true that Gabite's behaviour had upset him, but he never really found himself holding it against her enough to want to stop travelling with her. Perhaps he was naturally forgiving.

"I'd be happy to start treating you properly from now on," Gabite said, looking off to the side once more. "As...a friend, if you're willing."

"I..." Klefki was still shocked. He wasn't used to having conversations of this nature with anyone. "...Yeah, of course. I...I forgive you."

"Thanks," replied Gabite, smiling slightly. She resumed walking. Klefki remained still in surprise for a moment, but quickly caught up to her.

"You know, I've...never really been friends with another Pokémon before..." Klefki continued. "All my Trainer's other Pokémon never seemed to take much notice of me..."

"Ha, I can relate," replied Gabite. "My Trainer's other Pokémon...didn't really like me. I might have yelled at them a bit too much..."

She sighed.

"I miss my Trainer..." Gabite continued. "Normally she'd be there to calm me down when I get angry...I hope we can be done with all this soon so I can see her again."

"I'm sure we will," replied Klefki reassuringly. "We can be pretty capable when we work together as a team, can't we?"

"Yeah, I..." replied Gabite. She trailed off and started sniffing at the air. "Hmm...something smells...tasty..."

She suddenly stopped walking when she felt something squish underfoot. She looked down to see a Spicy Poffin on the floor, which she had stepped on.

"Well, wEll, weLL..."

Gabite and Klefki looked ahead as slow, clanging footsteps approached them. Xalio emerged from the shadows.

"siZZLE my gantengents, WHat do wE HAve hERE?"

"You're going down, nutcase," said Gabite angrily, readying her claws. "I'll break out of as many prisons as I have to!"

"Y-yeah!" added Klefki. "We're gonna stop your evil plans! We can't let you, uh, take over the world or whatever!"

"HahAhaHaha..." chuckled Xalio. "you...yOu inCESSANT liTTLE Poké-SCRAPS of SHIT! YOu just WOn'T sTop inTerFERING in tHings SO much BIGger than your pAthetic BRains cOuld even compreHEND! I've HAD IT wiTH YOU!! I'm gOnna MAKE you Poké-FOOLs WISH yOu weRe nEVER— OW!"

Gabite had already smashed him in the leg with a Dragon Claw and was readying another.

"Shut up already!" she yelled. "Hearing you talk makes me want to kill you even more!"

"GYAh, FINE, HaVE it YOUR wAY!" Xalio replied in rage, a squelching noise echoing through the corridor as another fist formed on one of his arms. "SEems i'LL HAve to kEep things SIMple for yoU. No mOre CAPturing or cLEVER TORment! pRepare to DIE the OLD FaSHION'D WAY!!"

Chi-Yu and Carbink continued down the dark corridors in silence. Chi-Yu was focusing on the cable on the floor to guide them, while Carbink anxiously followed.

"...Is something the matter?" said Chi-Yu gently, still facing ahead.

"Huh?" replied Carbink. "What...makes you think that?"

"I dunno, I just get the sense you're feeling disturbed," Chi-Yu replied. "Maybe being made of emotions makes me more attuned to yours."

"W-well..." Carbink replied, sounding shaken. "That...that human...and Xalio...the things they said..."

"We can worry about that later," said Chi-Yu, somewhat reassuringly. "Neither of them seemed very sane anyway."

"I...corrupted you..." said Carbink. "He said I'd corrupted you..."

"What does he know?" replied Chi-Yu. "He clearly hates both of us anyway."

"R-right..." said Carbink, still sounding uneasy.

"You know what I've noticed, Carbink?" Chi-Yu continued. "It's dark. The air is still."

"Um...yes?" replied Carbink. "And?"

"There's no strong winds or electrified terrain, is there?" said Chi-Yu. "Your powers aren't activating at random anymore. You've managed to suppress them."

"That's...true..." replied Carbink. "I hadn't noticed..."

"You've gotten so much better at controlling your powers without even realising it," Chi-Yu went on. "It's almost like it comes naturally to you after a while."

"Yeah...naturally..." repeated Carbink, gazing down at the floor.

There was silence again. Chi-Yu was still following the cable, which now led through an open door.

"Um, Chi-Yu..." said Carbink quietly. "About your Trainer..."

Carbink trailed off when they realised that Chi-Yu had stopped moving. They looked up to see the room they had entered.

The two Pokémon both went still, staring ahead in shock. The room was far wider than the one they had been in before, wide enough to contain a row of eight large, glowing test tubes at the far end, each one filled with a brightly coloured, bubbling liquid. Behind them, a huge computer screen took up most of the space on the wall, with a chair and a control panel of some sort in front of it. The screen displayed a low-quality image of what seemed to be an empty beach on a deserted island (or perhaps it was a video, judging by the choppy movement of the waves). The other walls were lined with shelves that had many items on them, ranging from mundane things like Potions to unfamiliar contraptions.

The cable that Chi-Yu had followed led to the centre of the room, through the bars of a small cage dangling from the ceiling. It was attached to an Eevee inside.

"Huh?" said Eevee weakly, followed by a cough. "More...Pokémon?"

His voice sounded hoarse and pained. He was covered in cuts and bruises and had all manner of strange wires and machinery attached to him, stretching through the cage's bars.

"What...the fuck..." muttered Carbink.

"Oh no..." Eevee croaked, clearly uncomfortable. "Have...the labs...captured more Pokémon?"

"Um...hello?" said Chi-Yu, approaching the cage slowly. "Are you...uh, okay?"

It was all that Chi-Yu could think of to say, but they felt stupid as soon as the words came out. Anyone could tell at a glance that the answer was no.

"You..." said Eevee, before coughing loudly. "You need to run...before they...before they get you! Get out of here!"

"You mean...the scientists?" asked Chi-Yu. "Is this how EV Labs treats Pokémon?!"

"Yes..." replied Eevee, his voice straining. "They've been...experimenting on me for months...since they caught me...all for their stupid Project Veevee...constant pain..." He stopped to catch his breath. "I haven't seen another Pokémon in ages..."

"This has to be illegal," said Carbink. "Humans really are disgusting creatures..."

"How do we break you out?" asked Chi-Yu. "Do you know?"

"Break...me out?" replied Eevee. "Just...save yourselves! The humans...they'll capture you!"

The eight test tubes at the back of the room had caught Carbink's attention. Each one contained liquid of a different colour, and they all seemed to have a solid object of some kind within. The thick, opaque liquid made it hard to see the shapes clearly, but Carbink thought they could barely make out some details. A pair of pointy ears in the purple tube. A bushy tail in the red tube.

"Are there...more Pokémon in those test tubes?" asked Carbink.

"Oh, those?" replied Eevee between coughs. "It's possible. The human never...tells me anything. Just that the project is...nearly done...always near completion..."

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here," assured Chi-Yu. "Maybe if we just, uh, pull these out?"

Chi-Yu grabbed one of the many wires that emerged from Eevee's cage and tried yanking it. Eevee shrieked in pain.

"Shit, sorry!" said Chi-Yu, dropping the wire instantly. "I, uh...what else can we do?!"

Carbink and Chi-Yu both quickly looked around the room for anything that could help.

"Uh, there's some kind of lever over there..." said Carbink. The lever was on the wall next to the door they had entered the room through. The only thing accompanying it was some red text above it, which read "ACTIVATION".

"That..." said Eevee. "The human...installed that...the other day...he said it was for...when the project is ready..."

"What does that—"

Chi-Yu was interrupted by a loud thud, followed by a pained grunt. They turned to the door to see Gabite getting knocked into the room after a strong hit, landing painfully on the ground.

"Owww..." she groaned, struggling to stand back up. She had gained a number of bruises since Carbink and Chi-Yu last saw her.

"There's...more?" said Eevee in confusion. "More Pokémon...?"

The sounds of violence from outside the room were getting closer. Klefki came into view, launching himself out of the way of a metal fist that flew into the room and slammed into one of the test tubes (which only cracked slightly).

"Gabite!" Klefki quickly rushed over to her. "Are you alright?!"

"Yeah..." she replied, grunting as she managed to force herself back up. "Sure I am! Takes more than that to defeat me!"

"gYAHaAHAHAHAaaa!!"

Xalio burst into the room, cackling loudly. "Oh, tHIS is jUst deLIGHTFUL! PAINing you STupid Pokémon OVEr & OVER aGain! tHis is sOme of the MOSt FUN i'Ve evEr HAD!!"

Eevee gasped in horror upon seeing Xalio, his eyes widening. "You...no! No no no!!"

"Looks like he came right to us!" said Chi-Yu, getting ready for battle. "Let's finish him off, Carbink!"

"Ugh, seriously?" Gabite grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Why are they here?!"

"There's a time and place for questions, but not now!" replied Klefki with an uncharacteristically assertive tone. He quickly leapt back into the air to continue the battle, firing a Flash Cannon straight at Xalio's face. Xalio tried to swiftly dodge to the right, but his metallic feet stumbled over a cable on the ground, causing him to trip and stagger while Eevee yelped in pain again. Seeing an opening, Carbink blasted him with high-energy beams.

"GaH!" Xalio exclaimed, barely managing to keep his balance as he reeled from the attack. "STUpid wayward cAbles! They SHould've put uP a WARNing sign!"

Electricity started coursing over the floor. Strong winds were starting to pick up. Carbink charged towards Xalio, their speed increased by the air currents as they readied a Power Gem. But before they could use the attack, they were suddenly shoved aside by Gabite, who unleashed a Dragon Breath. The mighty gust struck Xalio, made more powerful thanks to Chi-Yu's presence.

"OW!!" cried Xalio, finally collapsing to the ground as purple oil dripped from his body. He was starting to show some signs of damage.

"Hey, knock it off!" yelled Carbink as they got up, angrily glaring at Gabite. "Look, I know I hurt you and I'm sorry, but we've got a common enemy here!"

"Oh, shut up, bozo, I'll get to you next," Gabite replied bitterly, keeping her focus on Xalio.

"YOu STupid liTtle SCraps of...GAH!"

Xalio looked up to see Klefki lunging at him from above, attempting to attack with Play Rough. He quickly threw a punch with his right arm to knock Klefki away, but while he was distracted, Chi-Yu slammed into him with a Flame Wheel.

"That was for what you did to my glasses!" Chi-Yu yelled.

"gYOWCH!" Xalio cried in pain again. "gET your FILTHy SELVES OFF of ME!"

Chi-Yu quickly retreated, dodging the oil that spewed from Xalio's left arm as he got up. But before he could sprout another fist, he looked ahead to see Gabite rushing towards him, with Carbink not far behind.

"I wiLl, I WiLL, I WILL END YOU NOW!!" screeched Xalio, pointing his hollow arm at the Pokémon and firing a purple beam. Gabite flinched for a second, thinking fast. Seeing Carbink pass her, she quickly grabbed them and held them in front of her to shield herself from the attack.

"HaHAha— HUh?" said Xalio. "HOw AREN't yOu getting HURT?!"

Carbink was firing back with a Tera Blast, the two beams of energy colliding with each other in a bright clash. Before long, Xalio's purple beam thinned and faded, allowing Carbink's sparkling blast to slam straight into him.

"GYAAAAAGGGHGHHHH!" Xalio shrieked as he recoiled, partially out of pain but mostly out of annoyance. His eyes were starting to flash orange.

"Um, nice teamwork?" said Carbink, still being held by Gabite.

"Ew, shut up," said Gabite. She quickly tossed Carbink behind her, sending them hurtling through the air until they crashed into one of the test tubes at the back of the room and fell to the floor. The impact left another small crack in the test tube's glass.

"Ugh, petty little..." Carbink muttered to themself as they got up, noticing Chi-Yu nearby.

"We've gotta be weakening him," Chi-Yu said. "Those other two aren't doing bad either. Let's keep it up!"

"Right," agreed Carbink. "Aren't you gonna help? How about using that fire storm thing you did at the tournament?"

"I don't think it's safe for me to go all out here," Chi-Yu explained, looking up at the cage in the centre of the room. "I don't want to hurt Eevee by accident."

As they spoke, Xalio was occupied trying to fend off Gabite and Klefki. Many of their attacks were missing or doing little damage, but the effort of dealing with them left him with little opportunity to counterattack.

"Just give up already!" shouted Gabite, scraping at his leg with a Dragon Claw. "You don't stand a ch— OW!"

Xalio had managed to slam his remaining fist into her, knocking her to the floor.

"HA! TALKing dUring COMbat!" said Xalio mockingly. "yOu REally DO nEver shut UP!"

Gabite's HP was getting low, but she immediately pushed herself back to her feet, breathing heavily. She could feel a tingling sensation throughout her body.

"Ugh, I'll show you..." she muttered. Looking down, noticed that she was starting to glow.

"Heh..." she said with a grin. "I guess it's finally time..."

The glow quickly intensified until light was shining out from her whole body. She started to grow in size. Her form began to change.

"Ow!" Klefki was struck by a punch from Xalio, struggling to fight on his own. "Gabite, I could use some help h—"

Having turned to face Gabite, he interrupted himself with a gasp, seeing her shimmering silhouette amidst a glowing light.

"Gabite!" Klefki exclaimed in shock. "You're...you're evolving!"

"NoT on MY WaTCH!"

Xalio aimed his right arm at Gabite and launched his fist.

CRASH!

The fist smashed into her at full force with a deafening smack. Gabite stopped evolving. The light vanished instantly, her form shrinking back to normal in a split second. She shrieked in pain as she was sent careening into a nearby wall.

"AAAAAGGGHHHH!!" Gabite screamed. Every part of her body stung intensely. She had never been in as much pain as in this moment, and the other Pokémon winced, having never heard a scream of such agony. "SHIT! GAAAHHH, MAKE IT STOP!!"

"Gabite!!" Klefki rushed to her side as she continued screaming, as though he'd be able to help. She was bleeding in a couple places, tears forming in her eyes. "Gabite, I— are— are you gonna be okay?!"

"gYaHAhAHAAA!!" cackled Xalio, highly entertained. "I cAll THat mOve the B BuTton boNANZA!! FANtAStic, iSn't IT?!"

"You...psychopath...!" said Eevee angrily.

"OH, tHank you EVer so mUch, dear Eevee!" Xalio exclaimed in glee. "I'm GLad yOu unDerstand JUst hOW MUCH i hATE—"

He was interrupted by a slew of high-energy beams blasting him in the head.

"Just shut the fuck up already!" shouted Carbink.

"Oh, YOu PaTHETIC wRetches STILL tHink you cAn—"

Chi-Yu slammed into him with a Flame Charge, interrupting him again.

"I've had it with you!" Chi-Yu shouted, intensely angry, their beads glowing. "I'm gonna leave you in ruins!!"

While Xalio tried to fight off Carbink and Chi-Yu, Gabite was still convulsing on the floor, breathing heavily. She was trying hard to get up, only to immediately fall back down in pain every time.

"Gabite, you— stop trying to stand up!" Klefki pleaded. "I don't think it's helping!"

"I...ugh..." She was struggling even to talk, hyperventilating as tears streamed down her face. "I c-can't...just...g-give up!"

"Yes you can!" Klefki exclaimed. "You've done enough, Gabite! I can take you away from here! We can go somewhere safe, like— like a Pokémon Center! I can take you to a Pokémon Center and get you healed up and—"

"Shut up," Gabite managed to say. "Th-thanks, b-but shut up. I need...to end this!"

Using every bit of her strength, Gabite forced herself back onto her feet, ignoring the searing pain in every part of her body that told her not to. She was shaking so much that Klefki was convinced she would immediately collapse again, but she managed to stay standing.

"Gabite, you're in too much pain to fight!" Klefki insisted. "You need to rest!"

Ignoring him, Gabite managed to turn her head, looking for a way to help. The first thing she noticed was the lever on the wall near her.

Gabite had no real reason to think this random lever would help defeat Xalio. But if there was any chance that it could, pulling it was the least she could do.

"Gabite?!" Klefki called out, seeing her reach for the lever with a trembling claw. "Do you even have any idea what that does?!"

"No!" she grunted, putting all her effort into reaching for the lever. "B-but we're about...to f-find out!"

With every last morsel of effort she could muster, Gabite pushed the lever down until it snapped into place.

Gabite gasped for air, collapsing to the floor again. A few seconds passed.

"Um..." said Klefki. "I guess that didn't do any—"

Suddenly, the entire room was lit up in red as a loud, high-pitched beep sounded, lasting a good five seconds. Carbink, Chi-Yu, and Xalio stopped fighting, looking around in confusion.

"𝙸𝙽𝙸𝚃𝙸𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶..."

A loud, robotic voice echoed through the room, startling everyone. The large computer screen on the wall began to flicker.

"𝙸𝙽𝙿𝚄𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙵𝙸𝚁𝙼𝙴𝙳: 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙹𝙴𝙲𝚃 𝚅𝙴𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙴 - 𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙸𝚅𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝚃𝙾𝙲𝙾𝙻. 𝙴𝚇𝙴𝙲𝚄𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙼."

A moment after the voice finished talking, Eevee suddenly shrieked in pain as the wires connected to him began pulsating. The large screen on the wall cracked as the whole room started shaking, as if in an earthquake. The eight test tubes started glowing brightly as the liquid within them bubbled furiously, cracks forming and widening in the glass. An ear-splitting, high-pitched whistle rang out through the room, soon joined by a loud rumbling.

"What's happening?!" yelled Carbink. "Should we run?!"

"OVeRRIDE PrOTOCOL!" Xalio shouted urgently. "YoU HeAR ME, STupid SYStem?! OVERRIDE PROTOCOL!!"

"𝙴𝚁𝚁𝙾𝚁: 𝚄𝚂𝙴𝚁 𝙲𝚁𝙴𝙳𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙸𝙰𝙻𝚂 𝙽𝙾𝚃 𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙵𝙸𝚁𝙼𝙴𝙳. 𝚁𝙴𝚀𝚄𝙴𝚂𝚃 𝙳𝙴𝙽𝙸𝙴𝙳."

A bright orange glow filled Eevee's cage, encasing him. The test tubes were now violently rattling from side to side, the coloured liquid within each one slowly draining. The huge screen behind them seemed to shatter as a massive orange portal appeared in its place.

Eevee let out one last scream of pain as the light in his cage faded. When it was gone, he was no longer there. The wires and machinery that had been attached to him fell to the ground.

"...What—"

Before Chi-Yu could finish, they suddenly felt themself being forcefully pulled towards the portal behind the test tubes. So did Carbink, and Klefki, and Xalio. The portal was sucking everything in the room towards it. The items on the room's shelves began to fall off and scatter over the floor, many of them getting pulled into the portal.

"Shit!" yelled Carbink, hurriedly trying to rush off in the other direction. But they weren't fast enough to outrun the suction. They were still being pulled in.

"Carbink!" Chi-Yu suddenly grabbed onto them, slowing them even more. "Quick! Do your thing!"

"Huh?!"

"Your powers!" replied Chi-Yu urgently. "Come on, focus!"

Carbink understood. They closed their eyes, trying to ignore the force actively pulling them backwards, listening to the whir of the engine inside them. Just as Carbink was about to reach the portal, a concentrated blast of wind roared into being. Carbink focused all their energy on flying away from the portal, towards the door at the other end of the room. The portal's suction was gradually getting stronger, but Carbink was just about fast enough to outrun it, pushing towards the door. Various odd contraptions were flying their way due to the suction, but Carbink managed to weave around them.

"Come on!" Chi-Yu called encouragingly as Carbink narrowly dodged one of Xalio's detached fists. "You can make it!!"

Klefki was hyperventilating, looking around frantically in confusion and fear. He was already near the door at the other end of the room, so the suction wasn't affecting him as strongly yet. "Um, Gabite? Should we, uh, run?!"

"Urgh..." Gabite was still in pain on the ground, unable to get up. She didn't resist at all as her body was pulled along the ground, towards the portal.

"Gabite!!" Klefki rushed over to her, grabbing onto one of her feet with both of his arms. He pulled as hard as he could, trying to drag her in the opposite direction, but was only managing to slightly reduce the speed at which she was being pulled the other way. Some of Klefki's precious keys flew off his arms and into the portal as he struggled, but if he even noticed in the moment, he certainly didn't care.

"Gabite!" he said between gasps, tightening his grip. "I'm...not gonna...let you go!"

Xalio frantically tried to run away from the portal, but tripped over a moving cable and fell to the ground. He stretched out his arms in an effort to grab onto something that would save him, only to realise he didn't have either of his fists at the moment. He tried to generate new ones, but the oil pouring out of his arms was sucked away into the portal before it could solidify.

"SHit, sHit, SHIT!" he exclaimed. "tHis CAN'T bE iT! MY gRAND PLAN...THIS CaN'T be wHere the Railroad Tracks END! nOT like THIS!!"

Thinking quickly, he melted down his body into a blob of purple oil, which slumped lifelessly to the floor, being sucked in towards the portal quickly. A second later, Xalio burst out of the oil, having returned to his much smaller cube form. He hurriedly spun through the air, trying to reach the door. But he wasn't fast enough to escape the pull. He was still being sucked in.

"THis CAN't bE the END!" he yelled, though at this point there was far too much surrounding noise for anyone to hear him. "I'M nOt goiNg to lET this lAb RUIN my LiFe aGain! i'M a FREE CUBE!!"

Determined to escape, Xalio spat out an orange droplet, which flew backwards before expanding into a much smaller portal. He hastily rushed into the small portal, which disappeared a second later.

The suction intensified even more. Even the room's door flew off its hinges and was pulled in, with Carbink being just barely lucky enough to not get hit by it as it flew past.

"I...can't...do this much longer!" Carbink shouted, trying desperately to keep going.

"You're almost there!" Chi-Yu shouted back, clinging onto their friend tighter than they ever had. "Just a tiny bit further!"

Electricity crackled through the air as Carbink put everything they had into the final stretch. With a few more strong blasts of wind, they finally managed to launch themself through the open doorway and went flying out of the room.

Gabite was inching closer and closer to the portal as she slid along the ground. She was more than halfway across the room by now, and the strength of the suction was only increasing with each passing second. Klefki was still clinging onto her, putting every bit of strength he had into pulling her the opposite direction.

"Gabite!" Klefki yelled, panting. "I'm not...sure how much...longer I can last!"

"I..." Gabite's vision was fading, her eyes half-closed, a ringing in her ears. She was barely processing what was happening. "I...ow..."

The cage in the centre of the room that once held Eevee snapped off of the chain it was attached to, flying into the portal. The eight test tubes were now filled with an orange glow, most of the liquid inside them having disappeared.

Klefki was running out of energy. Gabite's movement along the ground was speeding up. The two of them were just over a metre away from the portal. His efforts to pull her away had only managed to delay the inevitable.

"I..."

Klefki's tiny arms couldn't take any more.

"Gabite...I'm sorry..."

He stopped pulling, closing his eyes as he prepared to be consumed by the portal. He waited.

The suction stopped. The noise stopped. He was still again.

"...Huh?"

Klefki opened his eyes. He was still in the room. Gabite was still in the room. The portal had vanished.

The computer voice spoke again.

"𝙴𝚇𝙴𝙲𝚄𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙿𝙻𝙴𝚃𝙴. 𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙸𝚅𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝚂𝚄𝙲𝙲𝙴𝚂𝚂𝙵𝚄𝙻. 𝚃𝙴𝚁𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙼."

The red light switched off, leaving the room in total darkness. The test tubes were all completely empty now, and items from the shelves were strewn all over the floor. The room was nearly silent, the only remaining noise being Klefki breathing heavily.

"I...I did it..."

Relief washed over him. He turned to Gabite, who was still lying on the ground, covered in bruises and bleeding in a few places.

"I did it! We're safe!"

"Huh...?" Gabite replied, dazed. Her voice was very weak and quiet, almost a whisper. She was still in pain, but her body was starting to go numb. "What...did you do?"

"I stopped us from getting sucked up into that scary portal thing!" Klefki replied, sounding very pleased. "I...uh...Gabite?"

Her breathing was getting quieter. Her eyes were closing. 

"K...Klefki..."

She reached her arm towards him as she spoke. His expression had fallen.

"Th...thanks...for everything..."

Her eyes closed as her arm flopped back down.

"...Gabite?"

Klefki grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly.

"Gabite? Hello?"

There was no response.

"Oh no..." he said to himself. "She needs medical attention! Someone? Anyone?!"

His voice echoed through the room, reminding him that he was alone in an abandoned building.

He looked around desperately, noticing a Full Restore among the items scattered on the floor. He grabbed it and tried to use it on Gabite. But it wouldn't have any effect.

"Ugh, I'm so useless!" Klefki exclaimed to no one in particular, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "Why did I tell her to fight Xalio?! If I had just kept my mouth shut, then...this wouldn't have..."

The sound of Klefki crying echoed through the dark room. It was the only noise that could be heard.

"I...I'm sorry!" he sobbed to the unresponsive Gabite. "I'm so sorry I let this happen!"

He glanced off to the side at something shiny on the floor nearby, one of the contraptions that had been on the shelves. It was some kind of rectangular device, with several antennae sticking out of it along with some large buttons, one of which was labelled "SIGNAL RELEASE (SOS)".

He had no real reason to think this random button would help him or Gabite. But if there was any chance that it could, pushing it was the least he could do.

Without much thought, Klefki reached out and pushed the button down.

In the depths of Viridian Forest, a shiny silver building stood at the centre of a clearing, completely still and completely silent. It was eerily peaceful.

The silence was broken by the sounds of wind rushing and electricity crackling. Carbink came flying out of the building's open door and into the clearing, Chi-Yu clinging onto them tightly. Their movement slowed to a halt as they gracefully landed amidst some bushes nearby, the wind and electricity dissipating into the surroundings.

Carbink was breathing heavily, looking quite perturbed.

"That...was such a great job!" Chi-Yu congratulated as they finally let go of their friend. "All that speed, perfect control over your powers, and we didn't even have a crash landing! Way to go, buddy!"

"Um...yeah, thanks..." replied Carbink.

"Huh?" said Chi-Yu. "What's the matter?"

Carbink was silent for a second before answering.

"...Did...did Eevee die?!"

"Well, I—"

"And your Trainer!" Carbink blurted out. "He implied that he fucking killed your Trainer, are we just not gonna talk about that?!"

"That—"

"And Gabite and the other one!" Carbink's outburst continued. "What happened to them, did they die too?! And— and all that stuff he said about the universe being wrong, and how I corrupted you! And how I...I caused all of this to happen!"

"What?" replied Chi-Yu. "Carbink, calm down!"

"Weren't you listening to that scientist?!" Carbink replied, overcome by their emotions. "I'm...I'm an accident! This is all my fault!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Chi-Yu. "How is any of this your fault?"

"None of this would've happened if I'd just stayed in that cave!" Carbink yelled back, talking increasingly fast. "I could've just lived a normal life like I was meant to! But I had to leave, had to go out into the world and mess everything up...you got corrupted because of me, your Trainer got killed because of me, all those people and Pokémon at that tournament had their lives ruined because of me, that Pokémon Village got attacked because of me, and I just watched a Pokémon fucking die without even doing anything about it!!"

"Carbink!" Chi-Yu replied. "Stop! Deep breaths!"

"I..." Carbink trailed off, a few tears now falling from their eyes.

"Carbink, listen," said Chi-Yu, trying their best to sound reassuring. "None of that was your fault. You had no idea any of that was going to happen."

"But I—"

"You know what is your 'fault'?" Chi-Yu continued. "Xalio got defeated, didn't he? We won. We've saved the world from all that evil stuff he was planning. Who knows how many Pokémon are safe now thanks to you?"

"I...saved the world?" said Carbink incredulously. "Seriously? No I didn't."

"Sure you did!" said Chi-Yu. "You're amazing, Carbink!"

"No I'm not," replied Carbink despondently. "Thanks, but I'm not some big impressive hero. I'm a random Carbink from a random cave in a random region. I'm a fluke. I'm not...supposed to be saving the world. I went against the natural course of events...and this is what happened."

"But..." Chi-Yu tried to respond. "That isn't..."

Carbink's fluffy mane was becoming wet with tears. Chi-Yu felt pretty useless as they watched.

"...You saved me," Chi-Yu finally said. "With your powers just now."

"I saved you from a problem I caused," replied Carbink. "I...corrupted you."

"Stop saying that!" Chi-Yu snapped. "What does that even mean?"

"Don't you wish you were still living happily with your Trainer?" said Carbink. "Not constantly having your life endangered by these stupid powers I didn't even know how to use properly?!"

"You only needed a little time to practise—"

"I'm not supposed to have these powers!" Carbink went on. "Did it never occur to you during all those crash landings that Carbink aren't supposed to be able to fly?!"

"Do you..." said Chi-Yu. "...Do you think I didn't enjoy adventuring with you?"

There was a pause.

"...Well..." replied Carbink. "...I mean..."

"Carbink, I've felt more enjoyment in the time since I met you than I had done for the majority of my life," Chi-Yu replied. "This is the most alive I've felt in centuries. You haven't corrupted me, you've...bettered me."

There was another pause. Carbink had stopped sobbing.

"...I'm...glad to hear that..." Carbink finally replied. "I've enjoyed it too. But...I can't..."

"...Can't what?"

"I can't keep doing this," said Carbink. "We're not...supposed to be together. It's...wrong."

"Why?" asked Chi-Yu. "Because that random scientist said so?"

"Me leaving that cave has just worsened the lives of so many other Pokémon and people," said Carbink. "Everything I do just leads to...ruin. We're lucky to both still be alive right now. If I don't stop, what if...what if our luck runs out? What if you die and I'm responsible?"

Chi-Yu was silent, unable to think of a reply.

"I..." Carbink continued, some more tears forming. "I'm sorry, but...I can't do this anymore. I need to go back to my old life...the one I was meant to have. The one that doesn't put everyone in danger."

"You don't have to—"

"I do," Carbink interrupted. "...I want to."

"You..." Chi-Yu managed to say. "...Are you sure? Won't you be...lonely?"

"Well, I've got my pack underground to live with," said Carbink. "Who knows, maybe they even miss me..."

Carbink looked up at the sky for a moment before turning back to Chi-Yu.

"You'll be fine, won't you, Chi-Yu?" asked Carbink. "You've got old friends to reunite with as well, right? The other three treasures?"

"Oh yeah..." Chi-Yu replied. "I...suppose I do..."

"Tell them I said hi," Carbink added. "Right. Time for one last flight..."

They turned and faced the sky again. The ground electrified. The wind was picking up.

"I'm..." Chi-Yu said. "I'm gonna miss you, Carbink..."

"...Likewise," Carbink replied. "Thanks for everything, Chi-Yu."

Carbink soared off into the air. Chi-Yu watched as they disappeared into the clouds.

Chi-Yu stayed there for a while, unmoving, staring at the sky. They weren't sure what emotion they were feeling. Something fell from one of their beady eyes.

Chi-Yu looked down. A teardrop had fallen to the ground.

"...Huh," they muttered. "That's new..."

A second later, they noticed something else on the ground nearby. It was an orange sphere of some kind. The one the human had used earlier to free them from the oil cylinder. Chi-Yu realised they must have been holding onto it the whole time without thinking.

They approached the object and picked it up, noticing it had an LCD screen on one side.

Selected files:
"EV_Logs_Vol2_ProjectVV"
View files?

Chi-Yu tapped the screen. A file opened.

Chapter Text

September 23

I suppose I should start with an introduction. This is volume 2 of the "EV Logs", as it were. The team made the decision to continue documenting our activities, but since our previous record keeper is...no longer available, it has been decided that I will take his place.

Looking back at the previous logs, I notice that my predecessor was highly unprofessional in his writings and frequently included unwarranted criticisms of the crucial work we do here at Ever Virtuous Labs. I will ensure that I do not imitate this behaviour in my own writings, which shall be strictly professional.

The recent completion of Project Oil Ax was not as triumphant a moment as it ought to have been. After the merge of human consciousness and artificial form was complete, the subject abruptly went on a rampage, and we failed to curb its vicious tendencies. It dealt considerable damage to the lab before escaping.

Recovery of the subject is currently a low priority. In an ideal world, we would be able to track it down and capture it, but it is unfortunately impossible for us to pinpoint its location at this time. However, we are working on implementing some security measures to contain it should it ever return to the lab.

That is not to say Project Oil Ax was a complete failure. We made many discoveries about the potential of the human mind, how it interacts with Pokémon, and the importance of following health and safety procedures.

With everything we learned, we are hoping to soon return to the previously shelved Project VV with renewed vigour. Preliminary preparations for this are underway.

In other news, we may need to install a new coffee machine. It seems no one on the team is aware of how to operate our current one.

October 12

We have completed early preparations and planning for Project VV (or "Project Veevee", as the previous record keeper consistently misspelled it). It has come to our attention that the precise nature of this project was never previously outlined within these logs, so perhaps I should elucidate.

Project VV is an investigation into the true nature of the close relationship between humans and Pokémon, and how far the potential of both can be stretched to its limits.

Pokémon have shared something of a symbiotic relationship with humans for many years. Despite how different the two may appear to be, they seem to have an innate tendency to form close bonds with each other. In fact, certain previous studies have suggested that, in some ways, the inner workings of a Pokémon's mind aren't wildly different from those of a human. The similarity is such that one has to wonder whether a human mind could handle being transplanted into a Pokémon body.

Perhaps if a human could somehow transform into a Pokémon, seeing the world from a Pokémon's point of view, we would be able to improve our understanding of these creatures and the way we communicate with them, deepening our bonds even further. The world could become a more harmonious place.

The concept of a human transforming into a Pokémon is not a novel one, though few previous attempts are known to have produced successful results. We researched some noteworthy cases to gather information.

• A fairly popular rumour holds that a young boy somehow transformed into the Pokémon Kadabra in mysterious circumstances, but the veracity of this story is doubtful. Analysis of a Kadabra we captured proved inconclusive. We have abandoned this lead.
• The famous inventor Bill is known to have once fused with a Pokémon in an experiment that went awry, though records of the event indicate that he retained his capability for human speech. We understand that a teleporter and a Cell Separation System were involved, but Bill has failed to respond to our emails requesting further clarification.
• More recently, Synclaire, a researcher in the Unova region, has been experimenting with "synchronisation", a process that apparently allows a Pokémon's mind and feelings to be directly linked with those of its Trainer so that they can act as one. Synclaire has been more receptive to our emails than Bill, but requested that we visit her in person to assist with her own experiments. After what we spent on Project Oil Ax, we do not have the budget for such a trip.

We have also been conducting our own research on the Eevee we previously captured. Eevee is a Pokémon with lots of potential thanks to its unstable genetic makeup, hence why it was chosen for this project.

There has still been no sign of the Project Oil Ax subject making a return. This is something of a relief, given the threat it could pose to our lab, but on the other hand, it would be rather helpful if we could reuse the portal creation technology with which that subject was equipped...

October 23

We have made some more decisions on how to go about this project. Our goal is to develop technology that can reliably transform a human into a Pokémon, such that they may be able to effectively communicate with other Pokémon without issue. Of course, once we have developed the technology, we must test it on a sufficiently large number of people to ensure it works consistently. We have decided a sample size of eight humans would be most appropriate for this.

We have also decided it would be best if the experiment took place somewhere remote, without the presence of people. We would transport the eight subjects to such a location and monitor their behaviour from the lab. This would ensure nothing could harm the subjects or interfere with the experiment.

...It would also ensure that we at EV Labs would have an easier time covering things up if anything were to go wrong.

We have been attempting to open portals to other universes in search of the perfect location for this. However, due to the damage from how Project Oil Ax ended, the portal technology we currently have access to is not as sophisticated, making it difficult to reliably keep any portals open. They usually close too fast for us to be able to investigate properly.

There is also the matter of who our eight human subjects shall be. No one on our team is willing to volunteer. We emailed Synclaire again, but she politely declined the offer, being busy with her own work.

Hmm. What to do...

November 16

Our continued correspondence with Synclaire finally led to something useful: we have been able to secure a prototype Synchro Machine that she developed. We are highly grateful to her for this delivery, though we have decided to cease further communication with her as we unfortunately cannot fulfill her request for compensation at this time.

Observing the inner workings of this machine has already been immensely helpful for Project VV's progress. It seems that the link it establishes between the minds of the human and the Pokémon could allow for greatly improved communication between them. We are currently studying Eevee's brain in the hopes of producing similar effects on a more advanced level than the prototype is capable of.

As for the eight human subjects we need, we were left with no choice but to turn to the public. We have released a number of advertisements encouraging people to contact us should they be interested in helping our groundbreaking Pokémon research. We are offering a not insignificant sum of money to anyone who takes part, which should hopefully entice people. It had better, seeing as this is the main thing our limited budget went towards...

Note that, for legal reasons, any applicants must be made to sign our consent form. Additionally, applicants should preferably not be people whose disappearances would be widely noticed.

November 30

We still have no applicants as of yet. We have put even more of our precious few funds into advertising. We even went out in public to promote to passersby, but people instead either challenged us to Pokémon battles or ignored us entirely.

Our search for an appropriate location is also yet to succeed. It seems that some members of our team are starting to lose faith in this project. But I still have plenty. We're making great progress with the human-Pokémon mind combination technology.

I had the idea of reusing some of the technology from Project Oil Ax that allowed its subject to understand Pokémon speech to a great degree of precision. However, it is worth noting that the alterations we made to that subject's mind ultimately caused it to go haywire. To avoid a repeat of that, an improved version of the Pokémon language conversion technology is to be used. Perhaps we could reduce the strain on the mind by removing some other function that a Pokémon would not need...the ability to speak human language, perhaps?

Eevee has been holding up very well, by the way. I hope it appreciates just how crucial its role is in our efforts to further the field of science.

December 14

We finally have our first applicant!

Applicant name: [redacted]
Occupation: charity worker
Assigned codename: L
The subject seemed very eager to offer us his help, before we'd even fully explained to him how he would be helping us. I don't believe I've ever had a conversation with someone so friendly.

We have constructed eight test tubes to hold the Pokémon bodies as we work on safely inserting the consciousness of each subject. Our first subject has been assigned the green tube.

Our studies of Eevee have also continued to produce interesting results, including its reactions to various machines we developed previously. When the time comes to transport the eight subjects to the location of the experiment, we are considering sending Eevee with them as well, so that we may observe how they interact with a "natural" Pokémon. Perhaps Eevee will even enjoy it.

But of course, we still need seven more applicants first. We may need to raise the payment offer again.

January 2

It worked. We have another two applicants.

Applicant name: [redacted]
Occupation: Poké Mart cashier
Assigned codename: G
This subject was much colder than the previous one when I spoke with her, but seemed willing enough to participate regardless. We have assigned her the cyan tube.

Applicant name: [redacted]
Occupation: barista
Assigned codename: V
This subject is apparently going through a rough patch, though I wouldn't have guessed from her bubbly disposition. She is happy to help us in exchange for the payment. We have assigned her the blue tube.

It seems we are gathering subjects at a good pace now. Additionally, we no longer need to replace the coffee machine, as I had subject "V" teach me how to use it. As it turns out, the process is surprisingly simple.

On the less positive side of things, it seems there are still flaws with the mind combination technology. Like with Project Oil Ax, it seems that incorporating the ability to understand Pokémon speech is liable to have adverse effects on other brain functions, particularly a subject's memory. We are working to resolve these issues.

I say "we", but many of my colleagues failed to show up to the lab these past few days. Don't they know there's work to do? Are they observing a holiday of some sort? What holiday could be more important than this project?

Oh well. At least I still have Eevee to keep me company.

February 27

Project VV is progressing steadily. We've had another two applicants since the previous log.

Applicant name: [redacted]
Occupation: unemployed
Assigned codename: U
A rather downbeat man who seemed quite desperate for the money we offered. We have assigned this subject the black tube.

Applicant name: [redacted]
Occupation: freelance guitarist
Assigned codename: J
This subject seemed highly interested in the lab and the scientific work we do, and was eager to help in our research. We appreciate his enthusiasm and have assigned him the yellow tube.

We have also made further improvements to the fusion technology. To avoid a repeat of what happened with Project Oil Ax, we have ensured that the combined brain's non-human impulses are suppressed, which should make it easier for the subjects to maintain their sanity. However, we still have no solution to the problem of the subject's past memories being garbled and distorted, if not lost altogether.

I intended to consult the main member of our team who developed the Pokémon language conversion technology for Project Oil Ax, but as it turns out, she apparently resigned a few days ago.

And she isn't the only one. Another of my colleagues disappeared a few weeks ago and hasn't been seen since. I suspect he stopped coming to work due to being frustrated with his workload for Project VV.

It's very irritating, isn't it? No one else on the team seems to take this as seriously as myself. Do they not understand the importance of what we're doing here? How this project could change the world as we know it? How the relationship between humans and Pokémon could become closer than ever before?

Are they idiots?

Do none of them care?

...

At least Eevee cannot leave, in that little cage of his. I often discuss matters such as this with him. I've taken quite a liking to him, in fact. And I'm sure he'll come to appreciate me too.

March 8

I would like to apologise for the lack of professionalism towards the end of my previous log. I unintentionally saved the file before I could delete the offending content. I do not know what came over me.

Then again, I don't believe anyone actually reads these logs besides myself, so perhaps it doesn't matter.

At any rate, we again have two more applicants to discuss.

Applicant name: [redacted]
Occupation: therapist
Assigned codename: E
Unlike most of our subjects, this one seemed to be fairly well-off. I found him a little hard to read, but I gathered he was curious about our research and willing to help us out. We have assigned him the purple tube.

Applicant name: [redacted]
Occupation: Pokémon caretaker
Assigned codename: S
This subject was highly enthusiastic about her love for Pokémon and was happy to take part in a project that would deepen our understanding of them. We have assigned her the pink tube.

Hmm. Perhaps I should mention that we haven't been the most forthcoming with the subjects about the exact nature of this project...but they all agreed to our terms and conditions, so we cannot be held accountable. We must do whatever is necessary for the sake of science. After all, we are making breakthroughs here that could shape the future.

Unfortunately, progress on Project VV has slowed overall. More and more members of our team have been leaving out of dissatisfaction. Some have the courtesy to tell us they are resigning, while others simply vanish. Even my superior, the person who originally came up with this project, abruptly left us the other day. There are rumours that he has been arrested for something or other.

I suppose that makes me the new leader of this project by default. Just as well, seeing as I'm clearly the only member of the team who truly cares about it. I'm doing everything I can for it. I have the patience and work ethic that my colleagues evidently lack. I am dedicated to seeing Project VV through to its completion.

Eevee understands how I feel. I'm sure he does. He's the only true friend I have left. I may not be able to fully understand him just yet, but he always listens to everything I have to say so politely. Me and Eevee will complete this project all on our own if we have to.

That said, there are very few members of the team left. We may need to hire someone for an extra pair of hands.

May 21

It has been a while since the previous log. There is much to report.

First, we finally...

No. Not "we".

I finally found an eighth applicant!

Applicant name: [redacted]
Occupation: stagehand
Assigned codename: F
This applicant was quite unfriendly with me, to the point of being mildly rude. From what I could gather, she has been experiencing chronic boredom and decided to give this project a try. I have assigned her the red tube.

With this, I at last have all eight of the human subjects I need. I have been hard at work on ensuring their transformations into Pokémon go as smoothly as possible.

Additionally, I managed to find a suitable location to transport them to. A fairly small desert island in another universe, surrounded by endless ocean. I have set up some equipment and taken steps to...remove all of the wild Pokémon already present there, to ensure they do not interfere. The lab's portal technology has improved greatly, but it is still not quite reliable enough for continuous trips back and forth, so I shall have to watch the subjects and examine their behaviour from the safety of the lab. For this purpose, I am installing a large screen that should allow me to view them constantly without their knowledge. Signal strength between universes is not the best, however, so the video quality may be somewhat poor. But I shall make do, as I always have.

As an aside, I also used the more advanced portal technology to throw together a much more convenient handheld portal creator. A "portal gun", if you will. I made a couple of prototypes, though unfortunately the portals they create still expire after a short time, and the devices also lose charge very quickly. These devices will likely not be very useful for Project VV in particular, but they are still a good tool to have available. Perhaps I'll do some more work on enhancing them after this project is complete.

Additionally, while more and more team members have continued to abandon EV Labs for whatever foolish reasons, I managed to find a new hire to replace them. He's a young scientist from the Galar region who recently moved to Kanto in search of work. Having him around should prove invaluable for all those times I need someone to carry something for me, or to bring me coffee while I'm busy working.

Indeed, there is so much good news to share. So many great developments. I'm sure everyone who's left this project or called it a sunk cost or told me I'm going too far will feel utterly stupid once I complete it. The fruits of my labour are in sight.

There is one thing to note, however. Regrettably, after spending so much money on this project, it seems I no longer have sufficient budget remaining to provide the payment that was promised to each of the eight human subjects.

For this reason, I have decided to reassess priorities. Ensuring that the subjects retain their memories upon transforming is now a low priority.

May 28

Some major problems have occurred.

I was briefly absent from the lab today, but I left the new recruit to look after the place while I was gone. When I returned, I found that immense damage had been done to the building. The front door had been broken down. Multiple walls were destroyed, as were some computers and other devices. One of my portal creator prototypes has gone missing. And the new recruit is nowhere to be seen.

Thankfully, it seems none of the equipment that was damaged was needed for Project VV. The damage was confined to only a few rooms, with the main rooms that I use being left untouched.

I've conducted an investigation into what happened. System logs indicate that the measures I set up a while ago to automatically confine the Project Oil Ax subject on detection were activated. The subject had returned, right when I least expected.

I checked the limited amount of security footage that the (admittedly low-quality) cameras were able to capture. It seems that the Project Oil Ax subject led a group of invaders into the lab and confronted the new recruit. My systems were able to activate and contain the subject automatically, but it somehow managed to escape. I will have to get around to preparing something else, in case it returns once more. And I'll be sure to stay in the lab at all times from now on, so that it cannot strike while I am absent.

My current highest priority is to repair some of the damage dealt from this attack. In particular, the cloaking system used to make the building appear invisible from the outside was destroyed, revealing the location for all to see. I am already making haste working on a quick replacement, which should be ready by tomorrow. It shall do the job for the time being. I can make something more sophisticated after Project VV is complete.

I have not let this incident distract me from the project. Eevee is thankfully unharmed, as are the other subjects. The whereabouts of that new recruit are unknown, but that is fine. He was unnecessary for this project anyway.

September 16

It seems I've been so focused on my work, I forgot to write any logs for months. I suppose it slipped my mind.

But don't let that fool you. I've made so much progress on Project VV. So much! Everything is going so well.

I really am very near completion now. The large screen allowing me to monitor the island is all set up. I've placed a number of hidden cameras around the island so that I can observe the subjects closely. I recently set up a lever that shall activate the transportation of the subjects when everything is ready. I'm just working on a few finishing touches to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Everything is going great. All the work is getting done. In fact, I've even found the time to return to one of my old side projects: a device that can grant a Pokémon two Abilities at once. A much simpler project, by comparison. I was wondering if I could perhaps test it out on one of the Project VV subjects at some point to see how they react.

However, an unfortunate accident with the portal technology happened a week ago, and I ended up losing the prototype for this Ability altering device. I have no knowledge of its current whereabouts. A shame, but I won't let it distract me from my main focus.

Hmm. Perhaps there really is no need for me to write these logs anymore. I am the only person left working at EV Labs. My last remaining colleague abandoned me a month or so ago, telling me I was going too far and that the work we've been doing here is "wrong".

"Wrong"? What a fool. I can decide that for myself.

Perhaps he was right, in a sense. This is "wrong". This entire universe is "wrong". There is something very deeply wrong with it. No one believes me about this, but I know it's true. For a few years now, nothing in this world has been quite as it should be. The natural course of events was disrupted irreversibly. This very lab is part of that. It may well be at the heart of it.

But everything must happen for a reason. I am here, doing all of this work, for a reason. I could be the hero this world needs. So I will do what I know I must. I will continue pushing forward. For the sake of every person, every Pokémon, every thing in this world.

I've put so much time and effort into Project VV. So much care. I can't stop now. I can't. Very soon, it will be complete. I will finally be free from this burden.

...You know, I'm just realising I don't actually know what the "VV" in Project VV stands for. Does it stand for anything? Was the name actually "Project Veevee" after all?

But that's such a silly name...

...No matter. It is my project, and I will complete it, no matter what.

Besides, I'm not truly alone. My dear Eevee is still with me. He understands. We've been through so much together. He must understand. He must care.

...He always looks at like I'm some kind of villain. Why does he do that? Is he putting on an act? Doesn't he know we're best friends? Pokémon love me, don't they?

Don't they?

I should go and check up on him. Perhaps he'll be in a better mood today.

S̵e̶p̷t̶e̷m̴b̸e̵r̷ ̵1̸6̵

[INITIATING REMOTE ACCESS]

GyAhaHa...

hAhAHAHA!! HEy, hUman! It's ME!! DiD you miSs me? i'M SUrE you did! "Project_Oil_Ax" is BAck for mOre!!

hMm. sOme nice LOGs yoU've got here. TAkes me back...

YoU know, YOur CYBerSecurity could rEally use some WORK, goslew. tHis was so EASy to BREAK INtO.

ANYway! mY genius PLAn is FINally coming toGether! I'M hEre to aNnounce that i'm rEturning to yOur WRetched labs OnCe aGain! to FINally fiNISH the JOB!!

"EV_Labs"...the RailRoad Tracks ALWAYs lEad me baCk to YOU, don't they?

DON'T THEY?!

GYAHAHAHaHAHAHAAA! SEE you SOOn, goslew! tAke CARE!

In the depths of Viridian Forest, Chi-Yu's eyes reached the end of the text on the small device's screen. They blinked.

"...Huh..."

Chi-Yu let go of the device. It fell to the ground, rolling away slightly.

There was complete silence. Chi-Yu turned to face the sky, deep in thought.

"...Can I read?"

A sudden noise made Chi-Yu jump. They turned back to the lab to see a portal had opened next to it.

Chi-Yu quickly hid behind a nearby bush as they watched. A few seconds later, two humans emerged from the portal. A dark-haired man in a brown coat, and a purple-haired woman in a black suit. Both had serious expressions on their faces.

"Hmm..." Chi-Yu heard the man say. "It would seem this is the place."

The man strode to a tree and wrapped something around it, quickly repeating the process a few more times. Before long, the whole perimeter of the clearing had been marked with black and yellow police tape, surrounding the lab at its centre.

"Indeed..." said the woman. "This must be where the signal came from. I've heard a few reports about this building before, in fact."

"Astute as ever, Chief," the man replied. "Then there is no time to be wasting. Let us begin the investigation."

The two humans entered the building. Chi-Yu watched them disappear through the open door.

"...Something tells me that scientist's in trouble, huh, Carbink?"

There was silence.

"Carbink?"

Chi-Yu looked around. They were alone.

"...Oh. Right."

A small forest stood beside a set of old railroad tracks. The area was completely silent, besides the light rustling of the trees in the wind. A lone Pidgey stood beside the tracks, pecking at an Oran Berry on the ground.

Suddenly, there was the sound of an approaching train. Startled, the Pidgey quickly flew away into the distance as the train whizzed past. Something fell out of one of the train's windows, hitting the ground with a thud.

The train sped off into the distance, its noise fading away. There was silence again. A few seconds passed.

A small portal appeared just above the ground. A purple cube tumbled out.

"GAAaahh..." Xalio groaned weakly, shaking unsteadily as he struggled to stay in the air. Purple oil dripped from his body.  "THis is...NOT...the END..."

He promptly collapsed to the ground, right next to the railroad tracks. The portal melted into an orange droplet, which drifted back into Xalio.

He twitched on the grass, clearly damaged.

"GAaaggghhh..."

Xalio tried to force himself back into the air.

"...gYAHH!" he screamed angrily. "NO! iT isn't OVER! it CAN't be OVeR! My PLaN...it CaN'T have FAILED!! GYAAAAGH!! I am the HERO! HEROes are SuppOsed to WIN!!!"

His screams echoed through the surroundings.

"I...NO...no..."

He was panting in exhaustion, sinking back to the ground again. The lights on his body began to dim.

"...no...i can't...lose...i...can't..."

His lights flickered as he landed. The oil that had dripped from him started to evaporate.

"...it...never works...these...violent schemes...they never work..."

His eyes started to close.

"...all this...to save humans...and they don't even...want me...they don't even...care..."

As he closed his eyes, a vivid image suddenly flashed in his mind. A friendly, glowing pair of cyan eyes. A mass of blonde hair. A trace of ice cream.

"Well, we're friends, aren't we?" said an echoing voice in his head. "I couldn't just leave you here."

"...I..."

Xalio opened his eyes.

"...I can't just...giVe Up..."

The lights on his body brightened slightly.

"...humans...are sTill worth SAVING!"

Xalio tried to fly into the air again, but quickly fell back down.

"HmMmm...mAybe I should REST for a WHile..."

He looked around, taking in his surroundings.

"THere MUST be aNOTHer way..." he muttered. "There mUst be sOmething I've been MISSing..."

He noticed something on the ground nearby. The object that had fallen out of the train window.

"...of COurse..." Xalio went on. "HUMans love READing...don't they?"

He shuffled towards the object. It was a book of some sort.

"pErhaps...the PEN is MIGHTier than the AXe..."

He began smiling.

"Ha...hahA! I can sTill save huManity from tHose CReatures! I'LL wriTe my OWN book, and make EVeryOne READ it! i'LL tEach those HUmans the TRUth about Pokémon! I'LL FINally DESTROY thOse STUpid BONDS, nO matter HOW long it TAKES!! GYAHAHAHAAA!!"

An approaching noise caught his attention. Another train was coming, speeding towards him on the railroad tracks.

"...bUt it's Time i got GOIng!"

Mustering up all his strength, Xalio managed to take flight. He flew off through the trees, far into the distance.

Under the shade of a dense forest canopy, Wulfric was going for one of his routine walks. He traversed the winding paths of Route 20 with ease, quietly humming to himself as he went. He turned a corner, arriving at the entrance to the Pokémon Village.

"...Huh?"

He stopped walking. The entrance to the Pokémon Village was blocked off by some sort of purple mass.

On all his trips to the Pokémon Village, Wulfric had never seen anything like this before. He slowly approached the blocked entrance in confusion. Hesitating slightly, he reached his arm out and touched the purple wall with one finger, feeling its slimy texture.

"What in tarnation...?" Wulfric muttered, stepping back slightly.

Suddenly, the wall began to twitch. Chunks of purple oil fell out as it shrank down. After a few seconds, the wall had melted away.

Wulfric stood still in shock for a moment. After regaining his composure, he stepped uneasily through the entrance in the trees, into the Pokémon Village.

"Bouaf!"

Furfrou immediately rushed towards him, forcefully rubbing himself against Wulfric's legs.

"Whoa!" said Wulfric with a smile, reaching down to pet Furfrou. "Someone's happy to see me!"

More Pokémon were emerging from the flowers to greet Wulfric, looking distressed and injured. The purple dome that had surrounded the village was quickly melting away, with large chunks of oil falling to the ground before evaporating.

"Ouch..." Wulfric muttered, noticing a mark on Furfrou's skin as he stroked him. "What happened here?"

"Hooo..." Noctowl answered sadly, her face bruised.

"Did someone do this to you?" Wulfric asked. "Ugh, how can people be so heartless?"

"Bow..." Furfrou replied.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you all," Wulfric continued. "At least you're all safe now. I'll go get you some Berries."

"Dididi!" replied Ditto happily.

"It's the least I can do, y'know," said Wulfric, crouching down as he spoke. "You all deserve better than this. I'll make sure this doesn't happen again."

"Bouf!" Furfrou replied. The wild Pokémon were surrounding Wulfric happily.

"I'll be here to care for all of you as long as I've got breath in my body," Wulfric assured. "I know there's some bad people out there, but they'll never be able to shatter our bonds."

"No no no no no...!"

In his dark, cramped room in the EV Labs building, the human was frantically scrabbling away at his computer, greatly distressed about something. All of the purple oil in the room had already vanished, freeing him from his chair, but he was far too preoccupied to notice.

"It can't have activated..." he said to himself. "It can't have! It wasn't ready!"

He looked again at the terse automated message that had been sent to his computer.

PROJECT VV: ACTIVATION COMPLETE.

The human knew he had set that message to appear when the lever was pulled. But he refused to believe it.

"Surely I can still override..." he muttered, still fruitlessly tapping away at his keyboard. "Or undo the...that...ARGH!"

He slammed his fist into his desk angrily. Pushing the computer aside, he stood up from his chair, rushing to the door to check Eevee's room.

"Hold it right there!"

The human froze in shock at hearing another person's voice. He turned to see two people entering the room, neither of whom he recognised.

"Huh?" said the human. "Who in the world are you? This is a private lab, you know!"

"You can call me Looker!" said the man sternly. "I am an officer of the International Police, and you must supply the information I request!"

"Excuse me?!" the human replied. "The police?! Who tipped you off abou— err, why have you come here?! I am no criminal!"

"We are here for an investigation!" Looker exclaimed. "These premises have come under the scrutiny of the International Police!"

"You may lower your voice, Mr. Looker..." added Anabel, the other person who had entered the room. "But he is correct. We were able to trace what appears to have been a distress signal to this location."

"A distress signal?" repeated the human incredulously. "How outrageous! You must be quite mistaken!"

"I do not believe we are," Anabel continued. "We have previously received reports suggesting that this location is a major source of multiversal disturbance, and even that it mistreats Pokémon. I believe we have more than enough grounds to conduct a formal investigation here."

"M-mistreating Pokémon?" the human replied, beginning to sweat. "What a ridiculous thing to suggest! Pokémon love me!"

"Enough babbling," Looker instructed. "You are obligated to answer my questions. Do you work at this facility?"

"I...well..."

The human stopped, wondering how honest he should be in his answers. The intimidating glares from the two officers compelled him to speak quickly.

"...Um, yes. Of course I work here. It's my facility, in fact."

"Oh, is that so?" said Looker. "Is anyone else present here?"

"No, no one else," the human answered. "There was a team, but the others all left one by one...it's only myself left now."

"And what is it you do in this facility?" asked Looker.

"Well, I conduct Pokémon research," the human answered. "You know, like...like a Pokémon Research Lab! In fact, I've been hard at work for months on a project to...to strengthen...the bonds..."

He trailed off, remembering what he had just been doing.

"And may I have your name?" Looker asked.

"I don't have time for this!" the human suddenly exclaimed. "I need to save Project VV before it's too late!"

The human abruptly ran out of the room and into the corridor, sprinting to Eevee's room as fast as he could. He heard Looker shout something behind him, followed by loud footsteps chasing him.

Klefki stared in silence at the tear-stained floor in the dark room. He was almost as motionless as Gabite next to him, who still hadn't woken up.

Klefki sighed quietly. He had no idea what to do.

All of a sudden, the human dashed into the room at top speed, breathing heavily as he came to a stop. He looked at the state of the room.

"No..."

The eight test tubes were empty, many of them shattered. The large, blank screen on the wall was covered in cracks. Wires and other paraphernalia were scattered on the floor. A broken chain dangled from the ceiling where Eevee's cage had once been.

"No!!" the human shouted, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. He fell to his knees. "My...my life's work...my subjects...everything's been ruined!!"

"You will stop running from me this..."

Looker trailed off as he entered the room.

"...instant..." he finished. "...What in the world happened here?"

"It's not fair!" sobbed the human. "I did everything for this project! Everything!! I dedicated my life to it!! Why does nothing ever go my way?! Why?!"

"Um..." Anabel had entered the room too. "...Are those Pokémon yours?"

"Good grief," said Looker, noticing the two Pokémon as well. "That Gabite looks terribly hurt..."

Klefki finally noticed the human voices surrounding him. He looked up from the floor.

"I..." the human said. "...Eevee...I failed you..."

"Are you responsible for the condition of these Pokémon?" Looker asked.

The human sighed. "No...they aren't mine. They're just lost. I think he said they came from the Paldea region..."

"He?" asked Looker.

"Oh, Xalio..." the human answered. "Hmm. I...have a lot to tell you..."

"That much is evident," said Anabel. "But these Pokémon need help immediately. Mr. Looker, do you think you could handle sending them home safely?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Looker answered. "Are there any more Pokémon here in need of our aid?"

"I don't believe so, no..." the human answered. "There were those other two, Carbink and Chi-Yu...but I saw them flying past me earlier. They must already be gone by now."

"You are to be detained for further questioning," Anabel continued. "I shall take charge of the investigation here."

"I..." said the human tearfully. "I put so much effort into this project...so much money...so much care...it can't just end like this..."

Looker gently scooped Gabite up from the floor. Klefki recoiled in alarm.

"Do not worry, Klefki," Looker reassured. "I am here to take you to safety. Would you rather I contained you in a Poké Ball?"

Klefki blinked. He shook his head.

"As you wish," Looker replied. "Follow me, then. You as well, young man."

The human sighed, wiping his tears. Reluctantly, he stood up and followed Looker out of the room.

Now alone, Anabel looked around the room. The eight empty test tubes caught her attention. Approaching them, she noticed a control panel of some sort behind them, below the huge, seemingly broken screen.

"Hmm..."

Anabel took a closer look at the various buttons on the control panel. She reached out and pressed the one labelled "POWER".

The huge screen suddenly flickered to life. Anabel instinctively raised a hand over her eyes as the overly bright screen lit up the room. It showed a blurry image of what looked like a beach on a deserted island.

Anabel lowered her hand. She squinted her eyes, looking closer at the screen, trying to make out the details. There was something moving on the beach. Nine things.

Nine Pokémon.

Eevee slowly opened his eyes.

"Wh...huh...?"

He wasn't in pain. There was no machinery attached to him.

He felt wind in his fur. He felt sand beneath his paws. Warm sand, not cold metal.

"Wh...where..."

His eyes had opened fully. There was no cage surrounding him. The sun was beating down. The ocean stretched as far as he could see. He was on a beach.

"...What?"

He turned his head. Various objects were scattered on the sand around him. Wires. Shards of glass. Keys. A door. A broken cage.

Eevee stared at his surroundings in amazement.

A sudden squelching noise caught his attention. Among the scattered objects, a pair of large, metal fists melted down into puddles of purple oil, which then evaporated.

"...Wow..." Eevee murmured as he watched.

He stood up, stumbling a bit before finding his footing in the sand. He managed to turn around.

"Oh!"

Eevee's eyes widened in surprise. Before him on the beach were eight colourful Pokémon, lying unconscious on the sand. They were quadrupeds, much like Eevee himself. Their pointy ears were twitching slightly.

Eevee had never seen any of these Pokémon. And yet, all of them felt distinctly familiar.

"...Are you...friends...?"

One by one, the eight Pokémon slowly opened their eyes.

Far beneath the surface of the Kalos region, in the deepest depths of a crystal-filled cave, Carbink emerged from a tunnel.

They looked around at their surroundings. They recognised the rock walls of the cave. They recognised the familiar crystals embedded in them. They recognised the dark, bland floor beneath them.

Carbink sighed deeply. They had arrived home.

A nearby sound caught Carbink's attention. A number of sounds. A crowd of voices, murmuring excitedly, coming from around a corner.

Carbink recognised the voices. It was their pack. Everyone they used to live with.

Carbink was happy. They had to be happy.

"Hey, everyone!" they said cheerily as they turned the corner. "How are you all?"

The large group of Carbink took no notice. They continued to murmur amongst themselves.

"Did you hear? Did you hear?!"

"I did! I'm so excited!"

"Um..." Carbink approached the nearest member of the crowd. "Hi! I'm back!"

"Huh?" The other Carbink turned around. "Uh, who are you?"

"What?" Carbink replied. "What do you mean? It's me! Carbink!"

"Uh, yeah, all our names are Carbink," the other replied. "That doesn't narrow it down much."

"B-but I've lived with you for years!" said Carbink. "Don't you remember?"

They were met with a blank stare.

"Remember when the cave was all bright and windy?" Carbink continued. "You got all grumpy and left me behind? It wasn't even that long ago..."

"Uh...no?" the other replied. "Do you expect me to remember every individual member of our pack? Everyone's exactly the same."

"Wha— but I remember you!" said Carbink, trying to not be too offended. "You were the one who thought I was infectious when I first used my powers!"

"You're infectious?!" said the other in alarm. "Well, get away from me at once!"

"I— no I'm not!" Carbink insisted. "I'm done using those powers! I'm just here to...rejoin the society I never liked..."

"Hey, shut up!" another Carbink chimed in, speaking in a hushed voice. "You're being very disrespectful! They're about to arrive!"

"Huh?" Carbink asked. "What do you mean?"

"Ohohohohoho!"

A haughty laugh echoed through the cave. The crowd of Carbink cheered loudly as another Pokémon came into view, a bit larger and a lot shinier than all of the other Carbink.

"Princess!" the Carbink cheered, swarming around the sparkling Pokémon. "Our princess is here!"

"Oh, hello, my darlings!" the princess exclaimed. "It is such a pleasure to see you all! ♪"

"Princess!!" the annoying Carbink shouted. "Oh, what an honour it is to see you light up our cave in all your glistening pink beauty!"

Carbink was at a loss. The loud cheers of their pack were almost overwhelming.

"...What the heck happened while I was gone?" Carbink asked.

"Oh, didn't you hear?!" the annoying Carbink replied. "The time finally came! A Carbink transformed into Diancie! All hail the new princess!!"

"...Huh?" said Carbink, baffled. "That's our...princess?"

"Isn't this sight just gorgeous!" another Carbink added. "All of those beautiful pink diamonds! Is it not the loveliest thing you've ever seen?!"

"Um...no?" Carbink replied. "I don't get it, what's so special about pink rocks?"

All of the Carbink who were near enough to hear gasped.

"What did you just say?!"

"You mean to disrespect our dear princess?!"

"There must be something wrong with you!"

"Utter treason, I say!"

"Huh?!" said Carbink, alarmed at the angry glares from their peers. "But I— I didn't mean—"

"Begone, you treacherous heretic!" the annoying Carbink shouted. They forcefully slammed themself into Carbink, sending them tumbling away.

"You are not welcome here!" the annoying Carbink added, before immediately returning to the crowd.

"Ow..." Carbink pulled themself back up. They looked ahead to see all of the other Carbink no longer paying any attention to them, joyously crowding around Diancie.

"Oh, thank you ever so much, my darlings!" Diancie's voice echoed. "You are all far too kind! ♪"

Carbink was still for a moment as they watched their pack.

"I..." they muttered to themself. "I'm...not welcome..."

A few more seconds passed.

Carbink turned away from their pack. They went back round the corner, into the empty part of the cave. The muffled cheers of their pack were still audible through the walls.

Carbink stopped moving. They were alone.

"...Of course..." said Carbink to the cave wall. "Of course they don't miss me...of course they don't care..."

Tears formed in their eyes.

"I..." Carbink muttered. "I've made a huge mistake..."

Carbink collapsed to the ground.

"What have I done?!"

Carbink's sobs echoed through the cave. They stayed there for several minutes. The cheering of their pack became more and more distant until it faded altogether.

"I..." Carbink muttered. "I don't belong anywhere...I push everyone away...I..."

Eight whole minutes passed. Carbink's mane was soaked with tears.

"I..."

Carbink glanced up at the hole in the ceiling above them.

"...I..."

They stared at it.

"...I don't...need them..."

The engine inside Carbink began to whir.

"No!" Carbink exclaimed. "I can't! I can't use my powers! If I use my powers, I...I'll..."

They looked back up at the ceiling. The hole was still there.

"I..."

A few seconds passed.

Carbink narrowed their eyes.

The wind picked up.

The ground electrified.

Carbink leapt off the ground. They charged into the hole, soaring through the tunnel beyond.

One week later...

"..."

The hospital building towered over Klefki. He looked up at it in silence.

"..."

He sighed.

After a long pause, Klefki gently placed Gabite down in front of the door.

"...I...I brought you home..."

Gabite was silent. She still hadn't woken up.

"They'll take care of you here..." Klefki continued. "They'll do what I couldn't..."

He looked up again, gazing at the building in front of him.

"I...I'm sorry..."

He turned around.

"...Take care, Gabite..."

Klefki floated away.

He kept floating for a while, lost in thought. He wandered aimlessly through the surroundings, to which he was paying no attention.

Looker had taken Klefki and Gabite back to Paldea some time ago, before swiftly returning to Kanto to continue the EV Labs investigation. He'd kindly offered to take care of the two Pokémon, but Klefki had declined. He wanted to take Gabite home himself. After everything that had happened, it was the least he could do for her.

Klefki kept on floating, all on his own. He wasn't sure what to do now. He didn't particularly feel like doing anything.

His vision came back into focus. He looked around at where he'd ended up. There was a tree next to him.

He floated down to the base of the tree trunk and cried.

"...Urgh..."

Gabite's head was aching. There was ringing in her ears.

"...and we found the patient's missing Gabite..." came a muffled human voice. "...was lying at the door...heavily injured..."

Gabite's eyes opened slowly.

"K...Klefki...?"

She blinked repeatedly.

"...Klefki...did...did we...beat him...?"

Her vision was slowly coming into focus. The noise around her became clearer as the ringing faded.

"Klefki...? You there...?"

She forced herself to sit up. Looking around, she saw she was in a hospital.

"...afflicted with very bad injuries," the nearby doctor droned on. "Some research suggests that Pokémon are especially vulnerable during the rapid transformation of cells that occurs when they undergo evolution. It seems this Gabite was struck during that time."

Gabite tried to stand up and move, but was stopped by a stinging pain throughout her whole body. She weakly dropped back down into a sitting position, breathing heavily.

She glanced over to her left. Her Trainer was lying there, sound asleep.

"Huh..." muttered Gabite. "Was all of that...just a dream...?"

...Strange. She never usually had such vivid dreams.

In a dark cave within a mountainside, a colony of Noibat were gathered in front of a hole in the wall, which was clogged up with rubble.

"All that to say..." Chi-Yu continued. They were sitting right in front of the hole, trying to sound wise as they spoke to the surrounding Noibat, who listened politely. "...Treasure the friends you have. You never know how long they'll be there for."

The Noibat were quiet for a moment.

"...Was that your best story?" one of them finally said. "It was kind of boring..."

"Yeah, I wasn't really following that..." added another.

Chi-Yu chuckled. "Well, that's okay. I might not be the best orator."

"I think friends are lame," another Noibat added. "A human caught me in a ball once and said we were 'friends'. It was awful! I was stuck with that idiot for months until I was lucky enough to be released for being 'too weak' or whatever."

"I see..." Chi-Yu sighed. "I'm sorry that happened to you. Honestly, I'm not too sure what to think anymore when it comes to humans..."

"Huh?" said a Noibat. "Didn't you say you hated them?"

"Well, I suppose I did..." Chi-Yu replied. "But I've been thinking...maybe the truth is that not all humans are bad. Just like with Pokémon, you know? The world would be a much better place if we could all just get along, don't you think?"

The Noibat stared at Chi-Yu blankly.

"...Eh, or maybe you're right," Chi-Yu admitted. "I mean, I do much prefer freedom over being trapped in a ball, or a hole in a cave wall."

"So..." a Noibat began. "If you love freedom so much, why are you always hanging out here in our cave? Why aren't you going out and being free?"

"Hmm," said Chi-Yu. "That's a good question. I suppose I'm just...waiting here. Only because...I had a feeling I should wait. And I don't know where else to do it."

The Noibat stared at them even more blankly.

"You're kinda weird..." said one of them.

Suddenly, one of the Noibat's ears pricked up, noticing an approaching sound. In a matter of seconds, all the other Noibat had done the same.

"Someone's coming!" warned a Noibat, preparing to take flight. "Good luck, weirdo!"

Chi-Yu watched the swarm of Noibat flying out of the cave together, off into the open sky.

Chi-Yu sighed, alone once again.

The approaching sound was getting louder. It was loud enough now for Chi-Yu to hear it too.

"...Hmm?"

Chi-Yu listened as the noise got closer. They could make out the sound of rushing wind. And of crackling electricity.

"Oh...?"

Chi-Yu recognised the sound. It got closer still. It started to echo through the cave. Bright flashes of electricity and strong gusts of wind came into view.

Carbink soared ahead, deftly swerving around the final corner of the tunnel. Their flight came to a stop as they dropped down onto the cave floor.

They looked up.

"Oh!"

Carbink stumbled back slightly in surprise, seeing Chi-Yu at the other end of the cave. The two locked eyes.

Several long seconds passed.

"Um..." Carbink finally said. "I...um...uh..."

"...Carbink?" said Chi-Yu in shock.

There was silence again. Carbink looked a bit flustered.

"...That was, what, a week or so?" Chi-Yu continued. "Much shorter than the last time I waited here..."

"H-how did you know I'd come back here?!" Carbink exclaimed.

"How did you know I'd be waiting here?!" Chi-Yu replied.

"W-well..." said Carbink. "I didn't really think you would...I guess I just...had a feeling..."

There was silence again.

"...Chi-Yu!!"

Carbink suddenly charged towards their friend, stopping right in front of their face.

"Chi-Yu, I— I'm so sorry!!" Carbink shouted. "I'm so sorry I left you!! I— I didn't— I wasn't thinking—"

"It's fine, it's fine!" Chi-Yu assured. "I'm so happy to see you again, Carbink!"

"I..." Carbink was starting to cry again. "I went back to my pack...and they didn't even remember me...I can't even fit in with my own society anymore! I'm— I'm an outcast!"

"Hey, you'll always have me!" Chi-Yu replied reassuringly. "I'm so glad you came back! I wasn't sure what I was gonna do alone..."

"I had to see you again," said Carbink. "Being alone isn't a nice feeling...I'm so sorry I did that to you."

"Oh, don't worry about it!" Chi-Yu replied. "It was your choice to make. I wasn't gonna hold that against you."

There was a pause.

"...Although," Chi-Yu continued, "it would've been nice if you hadn't left me stranded in a forest in Kanto..."

"Oh, shit, I did, didn't I?" Carbink replied. "I'm so sorry! I guess I just wasn't thinking straight..."

"Ah, it happens," said Chi-Yu reassuringly. "Water under the bridge."

"You're so kind to me..." Carbink replied. "...Wait, but— but I thought— weren't you gonna go and reunite with your old friends?"

"You mean the other three treasures?" said Chi-Yu. "I don't have a clue where they are. I haven't seen any of them in centuries. I barely even remember what they look like."

"Oh..."

"Carbink, you..." Chi-Yu went on. "...You're the only real friend I remember having."

"...Likewise," replied Carbink, their tears starting to dry. "I..."

They trailed off.

"...Do you still believe all that stuff you said?" asked Chi-Yu. "About...being an accident?"

Carbink stared back at Chi-Yu. They didn't reply.

"I've been thinking about that," Chi-Yu continued. "And, well, I think...maybe some accidents can be good."

"W-well..." Carbink trailed off again. "I'm not...meant to be with you...right? The universe...I'm meant to be in that cave..."

"But you want to be with me, don't you?" Chi-Yu asked.

"Well...of course I do..." said Carbink.

"You decide who you want to be, Carbink," Chi-Yu said. "The universe doesn't get to decide that for you. Who you want to be is far more important than who you're 'meant' to be."

Carbink looked at Chi-Yu in awe.

"...Did you...rehearse that?" Carbink asked.

"I— well, I, uh...maybe..." said Chi-Yu, suddenly sounding much less composed. "It's what I would've said to you before you left, if I'd found the words..."

Carbink chuckled. "Thanks, Chi-Yu. I...I promise I won't leave you again."

The two Pokémon gazed at each other happily.

"...Hey, what's that in your mane?" said Chi-Yu after a moment, noticing a red glint.

"Huh?" said Carbink. "Oh, right! I was gonna give this to you when I found you!"

They pulled the item out of their mane. It was a familiar-looking pair of glasses, with red lenses in a thick yellow frame. Chi-Yu's beady eyes widened.

"Good as new!" said Carbink, gently placing the glasses over Chi-Yu's eyes. "I stole these from some market. They look just like your old ones, don't they?"

"Whoa!" Chi-Yu quickly got re-accustomed to the red tint of their surroundings. "Carbink, these are amazing!"

"It's the least I could do, really..." Carbink replied. "I think they look great on you!"

"Heh, thanks," Chi-Yu replied. "Well, now that everything's back to how it should be...you wanna get back out there?"

"Huh?" said Carbink. "What do you mean?"

"You know, adventuring!" said Chi-Yu, getting into position behind Carbink and clinging onto them. "Nothing's gonna stop us now! We've got a world to see!"

"I..." Carbink was slightly taken aback. "...Are you sure? I don't want to risk putting you in danger..."

"I'm happy to take that risk," Chi-Yu replied. "When we're together...I feel like nothing can really go wrong, you know?"

"...If you're sure," replied Carbink.

The wind picked up. The ground electrified.

"Oh, I missed doing this!" Chi-Yu exclaimed.

"Me too..." Carbink replied. "...I'm so happy I met you, Chi-Yu. With you, I...I feel like I've finally found my place in the world. I think..."

They took a deep breath, focusing on the whir of the engine inside them.

"...I think I finally feel free."

They took off, soaring out of the cave and into the open sky.