Chapter 3 – An Echo of a Ghost

Any significant elemental-based interaction will leave behind trace energies, better known as a “signature”, for a brief period of time. Given that the way moves or techniques are manifested differs between species, any keen or experienced tracer will be able to identify which pokémon took part of a battle after signs of a struggle.

Of these elements, the psychic-typing is the most prone to linger, while also accentuating the presence of any primary or secondary elements such as the fairy-typing of a gardevoir. This is particularly useful when investigating any form of psychic trickery such as teleportation or suggestion.

It is imperative that a tracer learn how to identify and differentiate these energies. Below is a table of known pokémon with such capabilities, the names of the techniques they use and how their signatures appear…

—A Tracer’s Introduction to Elemental Energies, Chapter 17: The Psychic Typing

–

Fir branches whispered in the wake of a powerful wind. Rain battered through the treetops and pelted the floor of an immense forest made of shadows. Bellatrix stood in a clearing. Questions bombarded her at a speed that mirrored the pouring rain, the droplets clinging to and soaking through her fur, straight to the bone. Echoes of familiarity taunted her from beyond the veil of amnesia. Just where was she? Why was it so familiar? Had she been here before? She didn’t know. Any attempt to find an answer only led to dead ends, leaving her mind to repeat her questions over and over again as a mantra.

A mantra that broke the moment Bellatrix heard an earsplitting, bestial shriek that caused the trees to shake.

The sound, which could only be described as an ugly hybrid of despair and fury, drilled to her core. Rattled and ears ringing in agony, Bellatrix froze in place. She did not dare to breathe in the hopes that whatever that thing was would not hear her.

It heard her.

Twigs and branches snapped as the overpowering sensation of something rapidly approaching drenched Bellatrix in dread. She was being hunted. And all she could do was run.

Fear, adrenaline and her own sloppy movements grimly reminded her of her form’s unfamiliarity and fragility. Leaden raindrops weighed her down, slowing her frantic scramble through the unending forest. Sporadic flashes of lightning blinded her. Trees bended and knotted themselves around Bellatrix, tighter and tighter, suffocating her. Sharp branches and pine-needles clawed at her, dragging her back.

Her efforts were quickly proven vain. Whatever was pursuing her reached her in seconds. A small, panicked whimper escaped her throat as it became impossible to discern between the wind’s passage and the entity’s presence.

She felt it breathing down her neck, ready to pounce at any moment.

No. Nonono—

Bellatrix leapt to her side into a bramble that was more thorn than bush. She accepted the sting of fresh cuts that bloomed across her body. It was her only chance at escaping with her life. Choking on her own breath, Bellatrix curled into a tight ball, head pressed against the forest floor, making herself seem as small as possible.

The sound of scraping claws sung in tune with Bellatrix’s frantic heartbeat as she swore that she could feel the creature’s gaze sweep past her. She heard a barely-suppressed snarl, and then…

Nothing.

The creature’s presence receded alongside the surrounding storm. But even as it did, Bellatrix refused to budge. A trick. A trick. It was certainly a trick and that thing was waiting for her to foolishly abandon her hiding place.

So she waited, eyes squeezed tight, even as the forest fell silent.

Bellatrix only dared to open her eyes when she felt the light of dawn warm her shivering body. She watched as the soft morning light dissolved the tangled branches of the forest that had been warped beyond recognition. She basked in the sun’s unparalleled relief, beginning to blink away the fading shadows at the edges of her vision.

When her eyes opened for the fourth time, Bellatrix found herself back in the apothecary room. Its calm stillness juxtaposed the shadowy forest and the frazzled state it’d left her in. Her straw bedding stuck out in various directions within the tangles of her ruff and mane in the exact spots where thorns and rain droplets had nestled. The rest was carelessly strewn across the floor.

A nightmare. Just a nightmare, she thought.

As if she wasn’t living through one already.

Bellatrix’s breaths slowed as she regained some semblance of composure. She wanted to move on and forget about the nightmare, but the sense of familiarity the forest had left her with beckoned and forced her mind to linger and speculate. Was she re-experiencing a memory that had attempted to resurface? If so, what was that thing that was chasing her and why? What business did she have with it and the forest? Without fail, every line of questioning drew Bellatrix’s mind back to that entity. Where… where… where—

In an instant, Bellatrix realised the connection. That shadow she saw yesterday. That had to be it. However, that just left her with a flurry of new questions. She rubbed her temples, dismissing them all with a new possibility: she was going insane.

Hallucinations caused by stress and exhaustion, further compounded by a pair of harrowing days, were making her see things that weren’t really there. While the dream felt real – and Bellatrix had never been much of a lucid dreamer – things feeling real didn’t mean they actually were. She was certain that she’d forget about it in the coming days.

She slumped back down on the remains of the straw bed, hoping to get an extra hour’s worth of rest. Despite sleeping through the night, Bellatrix felt as if she’d just run a marathon. As she shut her eyes, a fleeting spark of anxiety hoped that her stubborn affirmations were true.

She never wanted to see that forest again.

---

Indeedee rubbed her temples, trying to nurse the pounding headache left by her attempt at tracing the zorua. Recoil was expected – even basic traces left her light-headed – but this felt like it was on another level. Not even a good night’s sleep was enough to shake it off. Whoever was responsible for bringing the zorua here was powerful, beyond what she’d have expected out of the most practised alakazam or gardevoir. But what bothered Indeedee more was the lingering type-essence left behind.

While she had considered the possibility of non-psychic energies (invaluable as it indicated the presence of a secondary-typing), Indeedee had expected something like fairy or fighting. She was left stunned when she felt, covering the zorua like a veil, that it was unmistakably ghost.

As far as Indeedee knew, there were no ghost-types with the ability to teleport, and that brought her back all the way back to square one. Which only left…

When the thought of getting the guild involved crossed her mind, Indeedee let out a long sigh. If they did, they would act all pretentious, make her feel stupid and incompetent, and then charge her a small fortune for it. She hated all three.

The front door creaked open, and Gothorita stepped in.

“Thank you for coming so early, especially on such short-notice,” Indeedee greeted with a nod.

Gothorita yawned in response. “You needed me for something?”

“I did. Do you, by any chance, know of any teleporting ghost-types?”

A shake of Gothorita’s head.

“Thought so, and therein lies the problem: they don’t seem to exist, do they?”

A confused look. Then: “Oh!” Gothorita exclaimed, her tired mind putting two and two together. “Is this about the zorua’s trace?”

Indeedee nodded. “All signals point to the perpetrator being a powerful ghost-type. I believe you can see the problem in that.”

“Do you think the teleporter had an accomplice? To try and mess with or cover the trace that was left behind?”

“Possible, but the method would have to be highly sophisticated, and it would be far more annoying for us,” Indeedee said. “And it being possible leaves it as the only likely explanation. And that’s not even bringing up the amnesia. As things are, it’s impossible to figure out where that zorua even came from.”

Gothorita paused. She closed her eyes, deep in thought. “Have you taken a closer look at the markings on her back?”

“I didn’t think much of it.” Indeedee didn’t want to admit she’d hardly noticed them. “Why?”

“Ever since I saw them, I was thinking that maybe it could help in trying to figure out a solid location,” Gothorita explained. “You know how ghost zorua and zoroark have a bit of a reputation bearing curses, right? Because of that, most of them tend to live alone in tribes on the outskirts of civilisation. I’m thinking that she came from a tribe that marked its members. If we just figure out which ones do and then match the markings, we might be able to find her home. The guild recently did some scouting in the surrounding areas too, so we might be able to find something.”

Indeedee leaned back a bit.

“It’s a start,” she said after a moment’s consideration. “And that leads us right into why I called you in so early. I was considering asking the guild for help, given the sheer oddity of the signature, but there’s no way to avoid it now.” She chuckled ruefully. “As soon as the guild opens its offices for the day, I would like you to put in a request for a trained psychic to try and get to the bottom of this. Trace and memory probe. Shouldn’t be too difficult, given your status there, and you may as well look into your theory in the meantime.”

“Alright, I’ll let you know my findings as soon as possible. Let me apologise for the fee in advance,” she then added mareepishly.

“Just get it over with.”

“Right…”

---

Sunlight crawled over Bellatrix’s face. She grumbled, eyes opening as her ears picked up the sound of bustling markets coming from outside. The noise made it impossible to fall asleep again despite her immense tiredness. Following her ears, she made her way to the window, secretly hoping that her mind would be taken off that nightmare.

There at the windowsill, she was privy to a small glimpse of life within the shabby town. She watched as pokémon filtered out of buildings and alleyways, striking conversations with each other. They rushed past one another with bags either empty or full of supplies in a routine that Bellatrix shuddered at the thought of being a part of – as if it was going to compromise the humanity within her.

The morning ticked on by, and Bellatrix quickly found herself growing bored with the affairs of beasts. Her curiosity would need to be sated elsewhere. At that thought, her attention shifted onto the rolled up map Indeedee had brought in yesterday. She hadn’t gotten to study it then as it had been too dark at the time.

Eagerly, she unrolled the map, hoping to find anything familiar to her – only for her hopes to be quickly snuffed out the moment she laid eyes on it.

Not a single landmass was familiar to her. Nothing from the six continents to the many islands, large or small. Nor could she decipher the odd language the labels were written in – not that she was expecting to, either way. She was surprised that these pokémon even had a written language to begin with.

What caught her attention however, was a notable blank space on the map. It sat at the top, depicted as some kind of swirling mist, covering a significant portion of ocean between the northwestern and centre continents. Before she had any chance to properly wonder about what it may have meant, she heard a gentle knock, followed by the door creaking open.

Her ear flicked, expecting Indeedee, only for her assumption to be quickly proven wrong.

‘My, my what a mess you made here,’ hummed a masculine voice at the back of her mind.

The zorua jolted in shock, swiftly turning around to find a kirlia. He was wearing a sash, a small, glittering badge firmly pinned at the front for display. He gave Bellatrix a knowing smile at her bewildered expression.

‘Not used to telepathy, hm?’

Bellatrix shot the kirlia a dirty look in reply. “No, not really. Perhaps that’s the result of me not liking any unwanted guests in my head.” A pause. “Indeedee’s not coming in today?”

Kirlia looked amused. “Oh, not to worry,” he said with a polite bow. “I’m a trained psychic at the Silver Thread Guild and I’m here per Indeedee’s request, in the hopes of helping jog your memory. Before we start though, why don’t you tell me how you feel?”

“Weak and exhausted,” Bellatrix answered, deadpan. “I’m not exactly brimming with energy at the moment.”

“Well, you certainly look the part. Perhaps a few prescribed sleep seeds would do the trick.” Kirlia leaned forward to peer at the map Bellatrix had been studying. “Either way, I believe that’s perhaps the best way we can start this off. Recognise anything? Where your home might be?”

Bellatrix shook her head, her paw tracing over the landmasses contours before it rested on the lower-right portion of the empty space.

Kirlia looked thoughtful for a moment. He crouched down and pointed towards the sizable southeastern peninsula on the northeastern continent. “We’re around here, in Metemall Town,” he explained. He seemed to be looking at her back for whatever reason. “And several nearby landmarks which include Mysterious Plains and the Darknight Relic. Do either of those names ring a bell?”

“No,” Bellatrix curtly answered. How many times do I have to say that I remember nothing?

“I see,” Kirlia sighed. “In that case then, you would not mind me trying to find whatever is suppressing your memories so we can begin to unravel them?”

Bellatrix gave him a sceptical glare. “Are you looking for an excuse to get back into my head?” she asked, eyes narrowing.

“Well, wouldn’t you allow it for the sake of regaining your memories?”

That gave Bellatrix pause. Yes, she would very much like her memories back. But…

Kirlia chuckled. “Oh it’s impossible for me to find nothing. You see, memories are never truly lost; they just get buried deep, deep within your head. So deep that you forget how to recall them.  Now, it could be more difficult for me to unearth something depending on how severe your case is, but I will always have a thread to follow,” he explained. “The more willing you are, the easier it will be for me, so…?”

Bellatrix responded with a hesitant look. It sounded too good to be true – it couldn’t be true – but if it was true, then she couldn’t afford to lose an opportunity like this. She held her gaze for a moment longer before she took a deep breath.

“Alright. Fine,” she relented. “But if I notice you shuffling through my thoughts, then I will immediately expel you from them.”

“Of course. I’m here to help, not pry. Now take a deep breath and focus on the map; pretend I’m not even here.”

After a final pause and flick of her tail, Bellatrix complied, her attention once again swept up by the contours of the unfamiliar map. She flinched as a buzzing blossomed at the back of her head, demanding her to wonder what the kirlia was doing back there. Though it didn’t hurt, it was far from pleasant, and it seemed to only grow stronger with each passing moment. She spared a glance towards Kirlia, now visibly strained, his eyes screwed shut and his teeth grit.

Her fur stood on end and her legs began to shake. Bellatrix tried to refocus on the map but the lines, details and lettering doubled and rattled, overwhelming her vision. She tried to close her eyes but that only made the sensation worse. Sounds were replaced by static and numbness crept across her joints, rendering them limp. It was getting difficult to breathe.

Bellatrix collapsed.

Moments later, she felt Kirlia’s connection snap. Bellatrix noticed Kirlia rubbing his head at the edges of her blurred vision; he looked back at her and, cutting through his intense exhaustion, he looked horrified.

“I-I’m sorry,” he breathlessly mumbled. “I couldn’t find…”

Bellatrix’s ears flattened against her skull. “Couldn’t find what?” she demanded. Irritation flared within her. All of that for nothing? “You lied to me, didn’t you? You said that you’d be able to find something no matter how deep the memories were buried!” A growl rose from the back of her throat. “Why did you lie to me!?”

Kirlia shrank back at her words, trembling as he did. Good, Bellatrix thought. Give him and everyone else here a reminder to never pull a stunt like that again. She tried to sit herself up again but his next words stunned her.

“What are you?” he whispered.

“What… What do you mean?” Bellatrix asked, a thin layer of indignation masking her confusion.

Kirlia shook his head, scrambling back on his feet in a panic. “Sorry, I’m so very sorry, but I have to go,” he said abruptly, straightening his hair in a vain attempt to look less frazzled. “Indeedee will surely handle the rest. Yes, I’m sure she will do a good job,” he added, trying to calm himself.

Bellatrix opened her mouth to say something, but her questions died on her tongue as Kirlia sprinted through the door, slamming it shut behind him.

---

Indeedee drummed her fingers against the surface of her desk. Her gaze, which bore a pensive frown, was fixed on Kirlia.

“And you’re certain of this?” she asked.

“Y-yes,” Kirlia managed to stammer. “Make no mistake, Ms. In all the years of psychic training, I have never encountered a case quite like this one. I-I don’t even think that’s even a pokémon—”

Indeedee raised a hand to stop Kirlia in his tracks. “Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves here. Tell me, as clearly and factually as possible, what you managed to uncover and we can try and break it down together.”

Kirlia gave Indeedee a perturbed look. “With all due respect, Ms. I’m not sure how you could be of much help. You aren’t registered with the Guild, and I doubt you’ve received much in the way of formal training. No, no, I believe I must take this to the Guildmistress before any civilians get involved.”

“She’s my patient, is she not?” Indeedee growled, arms folding. “I believe I have the right to know, especially seeing how I was the first to recognise any abnormalities.”

“Well, yes, but you must believe me when I say that these go far beyond the scope that either of us could have imagined, and that it is better and advised that you leave it in the Guild’s hands.”

“I’m not paying you if you don’t tell me anything.”

That got Kirlia reconsidering. After a long moment of pause, he leaned forward to whisper, his gaze flicking left and right to ensure that nobody else was around to eavesdrop. “Very well, but you must promise that this stays between us. Not a word to anyone else, not even the –” he shuddered. “– the zorua. And I expect five silvers worth of extra poké as compensation.”

Indeedee didn’t like that, but she responded with a nod of agreement. “Let’s begin with the trace then.”

“Right, yes,” Kirlia began. “It was exactly as you described. Overwhelmingly powerful, with all signs pointing to a Ghost-type being the one responsible. You mentioned the likelihood of an accomplice, but I wasn’t able to detect two distinct energies, just the single powerful one.”

“And no chance of the ghost energy simply being a mask or veil for the actual trace?”

Kirlia shook his head. “Far too seamless for that to be the case; not to mention, it should have faded enough by now to detect the underlying signature of the perpetrator.”

Indeedee leaned back on her stool, holding the desk with both hands to not overbalance. “Any idea on what it might be, then?” she asked.

Another shake of his head. “I’ve been trained to recognise the signatures of most species, but this one is entirely new to me. Which is why I believe we’re dealing with something far worse than a simple teleporting incident. That and…”

A panicked look overtook Kirlia’s features, leaving him borderline manic in appearance.

“What I found when trying to uncover her memories,” he finished, his voice barely a whisper.

“And that was?”

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing,” answered Kirlia. “Like something went inside the zorua’s head and removed every last memory and hint of itself. The harder I looked, the less I found.”

“Hold on,” Indeedee said. “But that would imply that her memories were tampered with then, correct?”

Kirlia bit down on a fingertip. “You would be correct, yes,” he said. “But that leads into the question of what was responsible, because I am absolutely certain that this is no accident. Tell me, Ms., do you believe in demons?”

Indeedee shot him a sceptical look. “I don’t tend to put much stake in those stories,” she responded bluntly. “Are you saying that she is one, or was at the very least brought here by one?”

“The former,” Kirlia replied. “You see, demons are not a foreign topic to the Guild. The archives hold detailed notes regarding subjects which includes them, and consistent among each and every recount is the fact that they appear seemingly out of nowhere, and that they bear some kind of sigil on their bodies. You have noticed the markings on her back, right?”

Indeedee narrowed her eyes in thought. “They were pointed out to me by one of my assistants, yes. Though she believed they were a hint for where the zorua might have come from.”

“I could visit the archives today to try and produce any examples,” Kirlia offered. “The sigil on its own is little cause for alarm, as pokémon, especially the less civilised, paint and mark themselves all the time. It’s when combined with these other anomalies that it becomes a cause for concern,” he then explained. “You now see why alerting the Guildmistress is of topmost priority?”

Indeedee didn’t believe it, and she was unable to hide it. “I’ll humour it for now,” she said after a moment. “With that in mind, what do you suggest I do in the meantime? The Guildmistress is a very busy ‘mon, is she not?”

“That she is, but I’m certain she’ll prioritise this the moment it reaches her ears.”

“And until then?”

“Keep an eye on the zorua,” Kirlia answered. “Ensure she stays out of trouble. I am certain a letter regarding any further steps will be sent to you in due time if the Guildmistress finds this of any merit.”

Indeedee’s began to drum on the desk again. She certainly wasn’t intending to keep the zorua around, nor was she very happy to cave into the Guild’s demands. This was an apothecary, not an orphanage. “I’ll see what I can do,” she said stiffly.

“Very good,” replied Kirlia. He stood up to bow, though he could do little to mask his trembling. “If that is all, then I must be on my way. Expect word regarding payment to come to you in the near future. With luck, it should accompany any further direction regarding the zorua.”

“Of course. Thank you for your time.”

Kirlia gave her one final grunt of acknowledgement before he turned to leave. He didn’t bother catching the door as it swung shut, rocking back and forth on its hinges until it came to a standstill.

Left alone, Indeedee buried her face in her arms and let out a long, exasperated groan. She would need to let off some steam later. She lifted her head upon hearing Naclstack’s heavy steps approach the reception desk. He greeted her with an unenthused flicker of his eyes.

“How much did you hear?” Indeedee asked.

“Enough,” Naclstack rumbled. “I warned about bringing a curse into your care and look at what happened.” The sound of grinding stone filled the room as his gaze met Indeedee’s. “It isn’t too late to remove it,” he added quietly. “I ask that you do. Even as an aromatherapist, it has recovered enough to be left alone.”

Indeedee looked back at Naclstack, her expression uncertain. He was right. Indeedee didn’t want to keep a hold of that zorua for much longer, and she really had no obligation to. The guild was a problem, though that was easily circumvented by simply giving them the name of whoever was willing to take the zorua in – or taking her to the Guild themselves.

But she couldn’t help the pang of guilt she felt when she thought of the zorua.

“I’ll think about it,” Indeedee finally said after a long moment.