Yeah, they’ll be totally fine. It’s just that she and River are complete stuck in an Anomaly, and the exit’s gone, and this place somehow feels even worse than the water hallway Neesha encountered during her first trip through an Anomaly, because it’s so much darker, because the lighting makes this place feel even more eerie than it already is, nevermind the fact that there’s the looming threat of faceless Pokemon wandering around that can do who knows what to them.

Yeah, it’s totally fine!

Neesha shudders as she sticks close to River, who’s keeping it together far better than she is, which all things considered, doesn’t really surprise her all that much considering River’s track record so far.

The ground is filthy, covered in litter. Papers, cans, tickets, any sort of waste you can think of, it was laying there on the ground, somewhere. Thankfully, not a lot of food, it’d probably be rotting right now, and smelly. Three cheers for the creepy subway not smelling bad, she supposes?

The sound of being crumpling in the distance jolts Neesha to attention, grabbing River and pulling her into an indentation in the wall, where benches used to be, now home to nothing more than a single garbage can.

Sure enough, her suspicions are correct, and out comes walking a faceless Boltund, its face featureless. Neesha feels a knot forming in her stomach as she stares at it, not seeming to notice them. It already looked bad enough on the Piplup with its completely flat, featureless face, but it somehow looks even worse on a Pokemon like Boltund. No mouth, no nose, no eyes, all on a much more elongated muzzle rather than the completely smooth face of the Piplup.

Worse yet, it stops right in the middle of the hallway, laying down on the ground as if to rest. Well, isn’t that just great? Stuck between a rock and a hard place, may as well be trapped-

_{“Hey, Neesha.”} River’s voice snaps her out of her stupor, the Chespin flashing her a big grin. _{“I might’ve been sleeping through class, but I caught what was on the board. These things are drawn to loud noises right? Sooooooooooooo…”} Her ears drooping, Neesha watches as River picks up the garbage can, hoisting it above her head, and then throws it onto the train tracks,all of the contents inside spilling out onto the ground with a loud, accompanying clattering noise.

The faceless Boltund immediately jolts awake, its head instantly snapping in the direction of the garbage can. It quickly stands up on its legs and jumps off the platform down onto the train tracks to investigate.

_{“Whoa…”} Neesha blinks a few times, watching as the Boltund rushes off. She had to admit, she wouldn’t have thought of that, and she does feel a little embarrassed for not doing so. Not going to complain, though, certainly not. _{“Good thinking, River!”}

River chuckles and winks at Neesha. _{“C’mon, let’s keep going!”} The two start moving again, being sure to mind their steps of any trash that might make any significantly loud noises. _{“So, you were in one of these before?”} River asks, glancing down at Neesha curiously. _{“What was it like?”}

_{“It wasn’t a subway station, can tell you that much.”} Neesha quietly says, her eyes carefully scanning the platform as she and River continue to walk, minding her step. _{“It was like… I dunno how to describe it. It’s like if you took the interior of a pool or a locker room and you turned it into a flooded maze, and that maze ended in a water slide that brings you to someone’s house. Oh, and you have a faceless Piplup chasing you in the maze, and a faceless Pidgeot trying to break into the house through the window.”}

_{“Oh gosh… Did you die?”}

Neesha, incredulous and baffled, slowly turns her head towards River, her eyebrow twitching as she tries to process and comprehend the ridiculousness of what River just asked her.

River keeps a straight face as she asks this, aaaaat least for a whopping total of four full seconds, stifling a laugh and covering her mouth to keep herself quiet. _{“Come oooonnnnn, I’m just messing with you! Gotta make sure the journey out isn’t totally dry and nervewracking.”}

Neesha sighs and rolls her eyes, shaking her head. _{“I guess…”} Just gotta keep walking. Seems like they’ve reached the end of the platform, or what seems like it, anyway. There’s a tunnel up ahead, though it seems like it’s entirely caved in. Almost. There’s a train buried in there, a train still on the tracks. Only one problem, though.

It seems like this train is the only way to keep moving forward.

Carefully, now.

River and Neesha grab the door together, managing to pull it open. It makes a metal screech that echoes throughout the subway, the two silently agreeing with each other that they should pick up the pace, lest that Boltund come rushing after them. The train isn’t much better than the outside. In fact, it seems even messier.

It definitely smells in here now. Neesha doesn’t know if metal has a smell, or if rust has a smell, but it definitely seems like it does if this place is anything to go by. Ugh, this is one of the things she misses about being a human, she can’t cover her nose as easily. Being a quadruped sucks when you need to use your “hands” to walk.

They walk to the end of the train car, ready to open it up and head to the next, but… The door out doesn’t lead into another train car. It leads into an elevator. Going from a mineshaft into a subway was already strange, but an elevator in a train car? Now that’s just ridiculous.

They hear a faint clattering noise outside of the train car, off in the distance, of paws scraping and clambering against concrete. Yeah, doesn’t exactly take a genius to figure out what’s coming after them. Given they’re basically cornered, it’s not like there’s really any choice. They rush inside, finding a whole wall of buttons to press. But of course, they’re all out of Neesha’s reach. Add another thing to the list of downsides of being a quadruped.

“Uhh…” River’s brows furrow as she lifts her hand up, tracing over the swath of buttons to choose from. “Neesha, what button should I press?”

They see the faceless Boltund slide inside the train car, crashing into the wall from the speed at which it’s going. “Literally any of them, come on!”

“R-Right!”

One tap later, the door closes, and the two find themselves ascending. Nevermind the fact that the train car- Oh, forget it, nothing in this place makes sense anyway, what use is there in trying to make sense. Neesha sighs, slumping down against a wall, breathing a bit heavily, on edge.

The Chespin glances down at Neesha as she leans against the opposite wall, all casual like too as if the situation they’re in isn’t really no big deal. “You holding up okay, Neesha?”

Panting, Neesha glances up at River, feeling the gentle humming and vibrating of the elevator around her as it ascends. “I have a better question; how can you be so calm? I’m freaking out over the idea of being stuck in one of these things again, yet here you are braving it like it’s nothing.”

“Oh!” River chuckles softly as she smiles confidently, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, it’s really simple! If one wants to become a part of the Expedition Society, one has to be fearless! To brave any danger that may come their way!”

“Expedition Society?” Neesha’s brows furrow a bit, scratching at her head with a paw as she tries to jog her memory, it’s somewhere in there. “Oh, yeah, Shiloh mentioned something like that, didn’t he? What’s the Expedition Society?”

River practically gasps as her eyes light up. “Oh! They’re so cool! They’re like these-“

Ding!

SPLOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!

As soon as the elevator opens, a wave of water comes crashing inside. It’s only up to waist height, so River, thankfully isn’t really that affected by the oncoming torrent, only flinching a bit.

Neesha, however, who is sitting on the floor when the water comes rushing in, is met with a facefull of liquid. She quickly stands back up and gasps loudly, coughing and gagging on any water that may have gone down her throat, or through her nostrils, ech. “WHY IS IT ALWAYS WATER?!” She shouts angrily, coughing as she tries to lean against the wall for support, hearing River stifle a giggle beside her.

But where did this elevator actually lead them, though? Why is there so much water?

…A flooded house. That explains it, right. It’s different from the house Neesha saw during her last Anomaly visit. Whereas the last house was overlooking a landscape with cities off in the distance, this one seems to be stranded out in the middle of the ocean. Overturned furniture, water everywhere, yet the power was still on. The sound of the ocean roars out all around the house, the waves crashing against the windows.

“Uuuhhhhh…” Neesha’s ears fold back, shaking her head. “You think we could maybe try to go to a different floor, River? I don’t think I like this one that much.”

River nods, tapping on one of the many buttons.

Nothing happens, though.

“Huh? River blinks as she turns to face the wall, hands tapping multiple buttons, but that elevator still isn’t moving. “Sorry, Neesha, seems like this is a one way trip.”

Neesha lets out a dejected sigh, shaking her head. “Of course it is. Well, nowhere to go but forward, I guess.

The outside is just an endless expanse of ocean, the sky clouded over with a grey blanket, as if it’s about to start storming at any second. Please tell her they won’t actually have to go swimming.

Splooooosh!

River opens another door, out comes more water. Must’ve been a bathroom of some kind. What is it with Anomalies and flooded bathrooms?

Amusingly enough, though, it’s not just water that comes out of the bathroom, no. There’s a little toy floating in the water now. A little rubber Ducklett. Colored yellow, oddly enough. Strange, Duckletts aren’t typically yellow, not even their shinies.

River, absolutely enamored with the sight, gasps enthusiastically as she wades through the water to pick it up. “Neesha, look at this little guy! What’re you doing in such a scary place like this, huh?”

Neesha rolls her eyes and sighs, but decides to indulge in River’s silliness just a little bit. She reaches out to the rubber Ducklett, squeezing it with her paws to elicit a squeak-

And in a moment, a literal fraction of a second, the flooded house and the distant ocean vanish, the two of them now in a brand new environment completely unrelated to the location they were just in. They’re now in a small room, yellow walls, party decorations set up all over the place, including party hats, streamers, empty plates and silverware set on the table, presumably waiting for cake that would never come plunky music playing off in the background, echoing down one of the hallways the room seems to be connected to. The room itself is well lit, but the hallways themselves are not.

River and Neesha glance at each other with concerned expressions, Neesha slowly letting go of the rubber Ducklett, causing it to slowly squeak, River dropping it on the floor a few seconds later, it letting out a few more pitiful squeaks. “Okay.” Neesha calmly says. “Do either of us have ANY idea what just happened?”

“I think the less we question it, the better, for our sanity.” River says, eyes slowly scanning over the room and the surrounding hallways. “Okay, we haaaaaaaave, dark hall number one, dark hallway number two, and dark hallway number three. Which one are you feeling up to, Neesha?”

“Hmm, I dunno,” Neesha sarcastically hums. “Dark hallway number one and number two are looking awfully tempting today, but I think I’ll have to go with what’s behind dark hallway number three today, feel like spicing things up, you know?”

“Hmm, good choice, Neesha, very good choice. I, uh, I think.” River chuckles sheepishly with a shrug. “Let’s get a move on, then.” The light in the hallway flickers as the two make their way down, the music only getting louder and louder. They must be heading towards the source.

Neesha keeps looking over her shoulder to check and see if they were being followed, which thankfully they weren’t… Yet. She shudders and shakes her head, just trying to focus on keeping going. They eventually come to a room that’s a rather… Peculiar sight. It’s a wide open room, green flooring and plain grey walls, with a single playslide off to one side of the room.

There are two faceless Pichu who seem to be looping the same behavior over and over again. Climbing up the steps and then going down the slide, repeating this same process over and over again while that same plunky music keeps playing throughout the room.

“_{Well, they don’t seem to be bothering anyone.}“River whispers to Neesha, slowly stepping around any toys that may be strewn around the room. “_{Let’s just go ahead and leave these little guys be and move on, shall we?}“

Neesha quietly nods as she follows behind River, glancing back at the Pichus again. It’s strange. Despite their lack of faces, despite the complete and total absence of emotion, they seem happy here, content with where they are. Just going down the same slide again, over and over and over, the simple joys of being a little kid again.

…Well, she is a kid again, but, y’know. She sighs, her ears drooping in disappointment. Of all the things to be envious of, why’d it have to be this?

A pair of double doors creak and squeak as River pushes them open behind Neesha, the Fennekin picking up her pace as she follows right behind her.

A giant gymnasium.

Chairs scattered all around. Oddly enough, though, none of them overturned or thrown around, they’re all lined up perfectly, standing up straight, all facing not the giant stage up in the front of the gymnasium, but rather the wall on the complete and total opposite end of the gym.

Something about this makes Neesha feel a pit form in her stomach, her ears drooping lower. Her heart starts picking up in pace, breathing becoming shallower. I-t’s just a bunch of chairs, a bunch of empty chairs. A bunch of empty chairs facing something that doesn’t make sense for them to be facing, what are they doing? What are they staring at?

Why are they staring at the wall? There’s nothing on the wall, they should be facing the stage, there’s nothing on the wall, is there? But what if there is? Maybe there’s something she’s not seeing, something she should see but can’t.

She hears the sounds of audience applause roaring and clapping in her head, all of it loud, so very loud, so very, very loud. Laughter, children’s laughter, mocking, sneering, at her, specifically her. Fear, embarrassment, failure, why did she think she was ready for this? She should’ve prepared more.

Everyone is leaving, getting out of their seats, she screwed up bad, she messed up, she shouldn’t have. She’s a disappointment, a failure, she’s never going to-

…

Wha?

When’d she fall onto the floor?

“Neesha, hey!” River’s voice. She can feel her hands hoisting her back up, helping her onto her paws as River kneels down to eye level with her, a concerned look in her eyes. “You okay? What happened? You started breathing very shallowly and you blacked out. Had this very vacant look in your eyes, wouldn’t respond no matter how much I kept calling out to you.”

“I did?” She blinks a few times, her body still feeling light, woozy, her legs shaky as she stands back up on all fours. Her throat feels dry, tight and constricted, coughing a few times.

“Easy there, girl, easy, I gotcha.” River helps keep Neesha in place, the Fennekin able to feel just how much she’s trembling as River keeps her held gently in her grip. “You’re not feeling hurt or anything, right? Ya doing alright?”

Neesha has to take a few moments to catch her breath, briefly glancing at the chairs behind River, immediately feeling sick to her stomach again as she does so, quickly turning away and shaking her head away. “N-Nuh. C-Can we get out of this room, p-please? I just wanna get out of here.”

River glances back at the chairs and immediately seems to understand, wincing a little as she nods.” Alrighty, Neesha. Just keep your head down and follow behind me, okay?”

Neesha nods, River thankfully navigating a path through the fewest chairs possible.

What was that?

Was that a memory?

It felt so visceral, so real.

Like when she first made it out of an Anomaly.

Those flashes in her head, those feelings and emotions, they welled up so intensely within her, as if she were experiencing it firsthand for the first time.

Yet it feels so alient.

Like she’s a passenger in her own body during those moments.

Uuugghh, she can’t keep thinking about this, it’s making her feel sick to her stomach. Keep her head down, follow River to the opposite end of the gym.

The creak of a door, following River through.

She feels like she can breathe again.

She lifts her head up as the two enter the next room.

Another labrynth of sorts, some sort of… Power station, from the looks of things. Electrical wires and pipes all around, lining the walls, the lights flickering, not to the point where they go out, but disconcertingly dim, maybe even worse than the subway station. Neesha’s fur stands on end as her ears pin back.

“W-Well… At least it’s marginally better, I suppose…”

River squints as she peers ahead around the corner, eyes carefully looking around for anything that might lead to another exit or a way out, but it’s nothing but more wires and pipes that continue to stretch on down endless hallways.

KRRRZZTTT!

The two of them jump when the sudden static of the intercoms crackles out from the speakers, echoing all throughout the halls, River stumbling back from the corner and Neesha backing up against a wall, a paw against her chest, heart racing a mile a minute. She’s had enough for one day, can’t they just get out of here and go home?

The static persists, then briefly cuts off. A few seconds later, music starts playing over the intercom. It sounds classical, pianos, trumpets, the jovial rhythm of brass, but it sounds… Distant, somehow. It’s playing slower than it should, there’s a dissonant echo in the music that doesn’t just come from it bouncing off the walls in the hallways, the call of a dying melody.

“I know I’d already said earlier that I don’t really feel scared, but I’m not gonna lie,” River mutters, concern present in her voice which is starting to quiver. “Something about this place is really putting me on edge.” She shudders, shaking her head. “Gives me the heebie jeebies.”

“No kidding.” Neesha pants, eyes darting around, just in case anything was wandering around, trying to pick up any noises that may be hidden underneath the music. Nothing, at least, not yet. “L-Let’s just go, we need to hurry this up.”

River nods and beckons for Neesha to start following, leading her down the labyrinth of pipes and wires. Occasionally, there are stairways, said stairways barred by massive gates, lined almost like prison bars. White, visibly rusting and turning dark. It’s probably better they don’t go anywhere near those gates.

Need to calm down, feels like she’s suffocating in here. Talking may help, talking always helps, right? “So, uhh, River.” She clears her throat, trying to keep her voice steady and quiet. “Have any of your ‘adventures’ ever led you to places like this? If they even exist in the village?”

“Not really. The townsfolk can get scary when they’re mad and angry at me sometimes, some of the caves around the place are a little spooky, but this? Can’t really say it’s something I’ve experienced before.” She shrugs, smiling nervously. “I guess it’s like its own little adventure, you know? My first proper, real one? Just a little more dangerous than I’d like. We’ll make it out, though! I know we will!”

Well, hey, that’s reassuring. Neesha smiles softly, nodding a few times. Yeah, they’ll make it out of this. They’ll find a way out, get those red stones, show them off to Shiloh and everything will be fine. Goomy won’t be bothered again, everything will be great, everything’s gonna be-

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

Nevermind, hopes and dreams dashed. Neesha and River quickly back up behind a corner, peering out just enough to see a faceless Electabuzz slowly trudging down the hallway, arms hanging limply at its sides, so low its almost dragging them across the floor.

They wait in bated breath until it finally seems like it’s wandered just far away enough for them to feel safe. They get back to walking and-

Crack!

Aaaaaand the lightbulb just behind them shatters.

They freeze up, bodies tense, unmoving, standing in place.

Listening closely.

…Stomp.

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp Stomp STOMP!!!

Time to book it.

They bolt off as fast as they can, not wanting to look behind them, the increasingly loud stomping coming from behind is all they need to hear in order to make a mad dash for it and run as fast as they can.

Shelf lined against the wall?

Good, use as a hurdle against the Electabuzz.

River tosses it down to the ground as she and Neesha run past it, hearing the shattering and clattering of all sorts of objects as they collapse to the floor.

No time to see what they are, though, not like it matters, just run.

The stomping ceases for a bit, but then quickly picks right back up again.

It’s impossible to tell where they’re going.

Everything looks the same no matter where they turn.

Corner after corner, more pipes, more cords, more wires, more of the same everything.

No doors, no exits, not even any stairways like they saw earlier, as if trapped in a looping maze.

The further they go, though, it seems blurrier.

Fuzzier.

Like the area around them is decaying.

Fading.

That has to be something, that has to be a sign of progress.

They see something off in the distance.

A wall, not just any wall.

Fuzzy wall, blurry wall, as if static.

Its surface rippling, quaking violently, unstable.

“River!” Neesha shouts, panting hard and heavy. “You see that?!”

“Thinking the same thing I’m thinking, huh?” River responds.

Neesha nods her head. No further words need to be exchanged.

Time to go.

Hearing the stomping gaining on them, they pick up their pace, legs carrying them as fast as they can possibly go.

Neesha almost trips a few times as the two rush over.

Just in arms reach, almost there.

“Jump!”

They both shout as the same time, their feet leaving the ground as they 𝓙υ𝕄𝓟 ⓡ𝒾𝓖卄𝐓 ⓣⓗ𝐫ⓞ𝕦ⒼＨ ţℍＥ 𝔴Ãｌℓ.