Arc 1, Chapter 2: First Steps

“What the fu-“

 

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

 

Amadeus was in utter disbelief as to what he was hearing. Surely, surely this girl had to be pulling his leg, right? There was no possible way he was being mistaken for a fairy tale creature right now. What the hell is she going on about? She can’t be serious…

 

“…You’re kidding, right?” Amadeus asked, making no attempt to hide the annoyance in his voice. “There’s no way that’s possible, right?”

 

“Don’t try to hide from me!” Haruhi said with a palpable indignation in her tone. “There’s no way all of those things mean nothing, right?”

 

“How old are you?”

 

“Eighteen, your point?”

 

Arceus, she’s my age and she’s saying this crap?

 

“…And the only other possible explanation that this Eighteen year old can come up with is that I’m some mythical ‘mon of legend?”

 

“Even if you have no memory of it, you’ve gotta admit that it’s the cleanest way of explaining it all!”

 

“…How exactly?”

 

“Argh! You don’t get it, do you?”

 

“…No, I don’t. Enlighten me.”

 

“All right! Welcome to history buff Haruhi explains it all!” She struck a pose after saying it, which just made Amadeus feel secondhand embarrassment. She pulled out a big map which seemed to be a map of the world. “In the past few centuries, there have been four major calamities! On the air continent, there was the natural disaster incident, where calamities ravaged the land and sent innocent ‘mons scrambling for cover. On the grass continent, there was the planet paralysis incident, where time threatened to slow to a standstill! On the mist continent, there was the despair incident, where the souls of ‘mons were nearly turned to despair, sucking the life out of them! And finally, there was the petrification incident on the water continent! ‘mons the world over nearly turned to stone! How horrible!” As she explained all of this, she dramatically pointed to each continent on the map. “Nobody knows where, how, or when the next disaster will strike, but one thing is for sure…” She then pulled out a drawing of two Pokémon in scarves. “When it happens, there will rise a pair of heroes to put a stop to the madness! One, a human, and the other, a Pokémon, will rise to the occasion and put a stop to it, sending it back to the void where it belongs!” She pointed directly to Amadeus. “So, is your mission clear, partner?”

 

D-did she just propose to me? Still, if she just gonna hand me info on a silver platter like that…

 

“You’ve sprung all of this on me, and you won’t even tell me where I am?”

 

“Oh! Of course!” Haruhi pulled the map back out, and pointed at a continent that looked distinctly like an eye. The desert in the center resembled an iris, and the greener areas to the side resembling the whites if you squinted a little, with the one to the west separated from the desert by a mountain range. There was another range along the northern coast that looked like eyelashes, and that region looked snowy. There were even islands to the west and east of the mainland that looked like eyelashes and tears, respectively. “Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the daylight continent! We’re on mom’s stupid farm out in the boonies of teardrop island…” She pointed to the eastern island. “But it’s always been my dream to be an explorer for the guild in Hakken No Machi! The Guild of Honor…” She turned back Amadeus. “So please! Will you go with me to be explorers for the Guild? I wanna be one of the greats! Please? Pretty please? I-“

 

“…Why do you want to be a member of this guild so bad?”

 

“I’d be great! I mean, look at me! I’d do amazing there! You can tell how great I’d be, right? Can’t you?”

 

All right, that’s all of the useful information I’m getting…“You know, I’m really not what you think I am…”

 

“Damnit! Why can’t you just accept-“

 

A sudden knocking interrupted Haruhi in the middle of her proposal. “Haruhi? What are you chattering on about in there with him? He needs to recover, you know…” Haya shouted from outside

 

“I’m coming!” She turned back to Amadeus one last time. “I’m not gonna rat you out to anyone, so just think about it, okay?” She then ran out of the room, leaving Amadeus to himself. Quite frankly, he needed it after that.

 

Okay, let’s review. I woke up badly injured in the past on an alien planet, was attacked, collapsed in a berry farm after being called a thief by the daughter of the farm owner, said daughter thinks I’m a mythical creature and wants me to run away to join some guild with her because of how I made my cover story, and apparently I’m somewhere called teardrop island of the daylight continent? That is everything, right? Sheesh.. He paused. I’m now bedridden due to my injuries, and will likely have to stay here for at least the next two weeks or so depending on how my recovery goes. Thank Arceus for vaccines saving me from the twenty diseases I would’ve had by now… he paused again. So, uh, what’s next? Do I stay or take the offer to join the guild? I mean… can I even make the trip with my nonexistent combat skills? Now that I’m thinking about it, staying here seems tempting. …But that Haruhi isn’t gonna take no for an answer, huh? Nah, I bet she’ll keep pestering me ‘till I cave in to her demands… damn, what do I do?

 

After mulling it over for a few hours but not really coming to any conclusions, Amadeus was eventually interrupted by another knock at the door. He was greeted by Haya and Haruhi.

 

“Since you can’t really move around much, we brought you some food!” Haya carried a small plate of rice with… Amadeus would’ve guessed soy sauce or the like, and what looked like eggs? “enjoy!”

 

“Ah, thank you…”

 

“We wish you a speedy recovery!” Haruhi added with a glint in her eye. So you can consider taking me up on my offer, Amadeus thought, mentally completing her sentence for her. I need to be careful around her more than anything…

 

Amadeus dug into the meal. It proved to be quite delicious. Haya seemed to take notice.

 

“It’s a special recipe of mine. Do, you like it?”

 

“…it’s brilliant, thanks.” Amadeus paused to take a few more bites. “…is that salac berries in there?”

 

“That’s a secret, I’m afraid…” Haya giggled like a small child. “Ah, you’ve finished the whole thing already?”

 

“Oh, it was delicious…” He rather absentmindedly pushed the empty plate back towards Haya. “…Thanks for having me, by the way.”

 

“You’re welcome… Ah,  Amadeus.  Right.”

 

Amadeus laughed. “It’s not that weird of a name, is it?”

 

“I wouldn’t be worried about something like that while you’ve still got some nasty injuries to deal with.” Haya took the empty plate. “Well then, good night. Sleep well now.”

 

She seems nice… Amadeus waited for the two to leave before moving into a more comfortable sleeping position. But before he could fall asleep, he overheard some voices.

 

“What’s gonna happen when he’s recovered?”

 

“Well, that depends on whether he wants to leave Nōgyō No Machi or not. Why, did you take a shine to him?”

 

“He’s gonna leave, obviously.”

 

“What makes you say that?”

 

“Well, if he wants answers on what happened, then obviously he’s gotta go the Guild, right?”

 

A brief silence followed. “…No. I will not hear any of your vain attempts at joining the Guild.”

 

“But I’d be a great explorer!”

 

“Child, you are a farmer. It has long been time for you to accept that, do you hear me?”

 

“But you never even give me a chance!”

 

“This is where you’re meant to be, do I make myself clear? Here. On this farm. Joining the Guild will only end badly for you!”

 

“But-“

 

“For Arceus’ sake! You’ll hurt more people than you’ll help!”

 

“I-“

 

“No. That is final!”

 

“…yes, Mom.”

 

Amadeus wasn’t sure what he just overheard, but it didn’t sound good. Yikes… Although, if the mother isn’t going to approve of her leaving, that probably means she won’t be able to drag me off so easily. For the time being, at least. I’ll have to see how ambitious Haruhi is for myself. He finally settled down into a sleeping position to get some shuteye for the night, but he couldn’t help but worry himself. What do I even do next, anyways? It’s not like I have a real plan here. Leaving the town seems dangerous… Amadeus continued mentally repeating himself on the issue for a few hours before finally falling asleep.

 

 

---

 

 

After a thoroughly okay night of sleep, Amadeus fluttered awake. He was in the exact same room as yesterday, essentially confirming, at least to him, that he was not, in fact, dreaming. He looked around, put on his shiny(?) new pair of glasses, and was about to try standing up when a certain Audino peered into the room to check up on him.

 

“You’re a heavy sleeper. It’s almost noon, you know.”

 

“…Is that a problem?”

 

The Audino chuckled. “If you have grander ambitions than freeloading off of Haya in a futon, maybe.”

 

Futon? Isn’t that supposed to be some kind of traditional thing? “I, uh, guess I do?”

 

“And those would be?”

 

Be careful how you answer that, Amadeus… “Finding out what’s going on, I suppose.” It was a statement vague enough to not technically be a lie, although it might’ve been in spirit.

 

“Well, no need to push yourself too hard while you’re still recovering.” Hirohito walked on over, and kneeled down, preparing to give some support. “Come, I’ll help you stand.”

 

Amadeus awkwardly leaned into Hirohito on his left, which made him flinch a little from the sharp pain.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“It’s… bearable.”

 

Hirohito paused, perhaps a little unsure if he should continue. “Hmm… I should probably try patching you up a little. Here…” Hirohito gave Amadeus another dose of the berry mixture from yesterday, and then used some kind of healing move on him. Amadeus felt the pain soothe to a dull throb. “Better?”

 

“…Much better, yeah.” Amadeus, perhaps foolishly, tried to put more weight on his left side, but the pain flared again when he did. “Urk! Not totally better…”

 

“…You probably need another day before you can walk on your own. I’ll be the judge of when you’re good to do anything strenuous, alright?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“…Although you probably could use sone strength training.” Hirohito gestured to Amadeus’ lanky-looking body. “How old are you, anyway?” He asked, now walking with Amadeus to support him as they walked.

 

“Seventeen, going on Eighteen…” He realized he probably shouldn’t know that for certain. “I think?

 

“Your lack of strength is probably delaying your evolution. If I’m not mistaken, Shinx are supposed to evolve into Luxio around age thirteen.”

 

“How does evolution work, anyway?”

 

“Ah, that depends on who’s evolving, I’m afraid. Haruhi’s around your age, incidentally. She’s probably unable to evolve because she struggles to get in tune with her psychic side, for example.” Hirohito wistfully stared off into nothing. “Ah, but who am I to lecture you on evolution? We Audio can’t evolve.”

 

“…That was very informative, actually. Thank you.” He’s going to try getting me into strength training, isn’t he? That’s probably a good thing, but… “Although I’m not sure I’m particularly interested in that.”

 

“Why not? Being stronger is a good thing, no?”

 

“Oh! I, uh…”

 

“Not prepared to answer that one?” Hirohito laughed. “Don’t worry. Few are.” They reached the kitchen. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

 

“…Thank you.”

 

The kitchen was totally empty. Amadeus eyed more of the walls, which he was now noticing had a rather unique aesthetic that he couldn’t quite identify, but still had a vague recollection of it belonging to a certain tradition. The name escaped him, unfortunately. He also spotted what looked like an oven and a stove, as well as a sink. No microwave, though. Maybe it hasn’t been invented yet… how does the stove and oven work then, though?  There was a table, but it was low to the ground, and it looked like there were a few pillows in place of chairs.

 

“They’re probably out in the yard, working the farm,” Hirohito said, answering a question Amadeus hadn’t even thought to ask yet. “Let’s sit you down…” Hirohito walked Amadeus over to the table and had him sit down on one of the chairs.

 

“You’re not a member of the family, are you?”

 

“Who, me?” He seemed a little sheepish. “Oh, no. I’ve got a wife and kids of my own. It’s just a small town, you know? I suppose if you’re more used to the city, it would seem a bit odd.” Hirohito stopped. “Come to think of it, how’s your memory doing? Remember anything?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“No town names, family, friends, anything?”

 

“…Nope.” I wonder how much longer I’m gonna keep up the facade like this…

 

“Hmm… you know, you could ask Haya for help with that. She’s not the best psychic type in town, but she could probably help you out a fair deal. At least, until we could convince a professional to have a look at you. Especially considering you haven’t evolved yet. Don’t you gain a dark type when you evolve?”

 

Crap! Psychic types! Of course! All it would take is one mind-reading and I’d be dead to rights… “I-I’d prefer it if you didn’t have someone do that…”

 

Hirohito seemed surprised. “Really? Don’t you want to recover what you lost?”

 

“…I have a funny feeling that I’d rather not know.”

 

“…How gloomy,” Hirohito said with a chuckle. “Very well, I’ll send the memo that you don’t want your mind tampered with. Speaking of Haya, though…”

 

Haya, with seemingly impeccable timing, strolled right on in, accompanied by Haruhi. Her entire lower body was covered by what looked like a robe made specifically for gardening, with matching gloves, and Haruhi was wearing something similar, but more geared towards a quadruped. Both were quite dirty as they removed their garments by the door. “Ah, the child isn’t dead,” She dryly noted upon seeing Amadeus. 

 

“It’s a no on assistance with his amnesia, surprisingly,” Hirohito responded, seemingly continuing an earlier conversation.

 

“Really?” Haya asked. “I thought he’d want to know more.”

 

“He has a ‘funny feeling’, apparently. anyway, how has the farm been treating you?”

 

“Oh, it’s been treating me alright.” She dumped a bucket full of various berries onto the table. “I’ll sell the sitrus berries to you for 200 Poké each.”

 

“You have me treating a patient in-home, and you’re still charging me?” Hirohito somewhat jokingly complained.

 

“50 Poké, then.”

 

“Hard to complain about a rate like that…” Hirohito dropped a few coins into Haya’s paws, then scooped up all of the sitrus berries on the table. “He’s still not quite well enough to walk on his own, by the way.”

 

“Dutly noted.” Haya responded. “Have a good day.” She then turned to Amadeus. “Absolutely sure about not wanting anyone looking into your mind?”

 

“…Positive.”

 

“That’s stupid.” Haruhi interjected. “You should definitely want your memory looked into.”

 

“Young lady, that’s terribly rude,” scolded Haya, making a bit of a show of her disapproval.

 

“I’m just saying.”

 

“No, no, she’s right…” Amadeus admitted. “It is weird I don’t want to take an offer like that, but…  don’t really like the idea of anyone poking around in there, you know?”

 

“…I understand,” Haya responded. She then turned to Haruhi. “Right?”

 

“Yes, Mom…”

 

“Excellent.”

 

The rest of the day went by without incident. Amadeus could see them working in the field from where he was sitting, which invariably meant he was going to fixate on them. It seems like they don’t get along that well. Maybe I’ve just seen a few bad days, though. I wonder what makes Haruhi want to leave the farm so bad… Amadeus would learn the answer soon enough.

 

Eventually, the duo of vixens returned from their farm work, taking off their farming clothes, leaving on the rather modest clothing they had on underneath. It suddenly dawned on Amadeus that at least part of what he was wearing now was something similar. They were silent at the moment, but that just meant they started badgering him for a conversation.

 

“How are you feeling… Amadeus?” Haya still seemed to be struggling a bit with his name.

 

“…Better?” Amadeus asked somewhat questioningly. “I don’t know…”

 

“He’ll be better in days, obviously!” Haruhi exclaimed. “You’ll be good, yeah?” Her positive attitude seemed almost forced.

 

“I guess…” Amadeus replied, still not quite sure what to make of her. “…Thanks for the optimism.”

 

“In any case, it’s dinner time.” Haya took out an assortment of ingredients, and placed them onto the counter next to the stove.

 

“You like cooking?” Amadeus asked.

 

“What, did you not cook food back home?” Haya scoffed somewhat… jokingly? It was hard to tell. She then paused. “…Sorry, I’d forgotten you’re having memory issues.”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

“I really don’t mean to offend you…” Haya said, with a bit of regret in her voice.

 

“No, you’re fine, really.”

 

“If you say so…” Haya hummed for a moment as she… set the stove on fire.

 

“Ah!” Amadeus cried out in shock.

 

Haya chuckled. “Relax, I know what I’m doing.” She then took out a wand and began waving it at the fire. To Amadeus’ surprise, the flame seemed to bend to her will. Right, Delphoxes are Psychic types. …I guess this is how they did it in the old days, huh? Just throw the food over an open flame… Amadeus tried sniffing. As a Shinx, his nose was quite good. What is that eggy smell? The smell had been quickly lost in the fire, but it was still there. Haruhi seemed to notice his puzzled expression.

 

“Why are you looking at the stove like you’ve never seen one before?”

 

“Uh… I don’t know?”

 

Haya looked back over to the table. “Is the memory issue that bad, kid? It’s a normal gasoline stove, you know.”

 

“Uh…” Wait, the stove uses gasoline? That seems… destructive.

 

“Are you absolutely sure you don’t want any help with it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She shook her head. “You’re a real mystery, you know that? Do you have any idea how sparse electric types in general are around these parts? You’re probably the only one for miles.” She sighed. “That suit you were wearing, too. …Well, what’s left of it, anyway. I’d bet good money you’re some rich ‘mons kid. That would explain how you travelled so far. It’s only a matter of time until your parents come looking for you, if that’s the case. But we took it to the mayor, and he didn’t recognize the one symbol that was still readable on it.”

 

Best to steer the conversation away from this topic. “…Wait, there aren’t any other electric types in town?”

 

“Not a soul,” Haya confirmed. “The last electric-type resident moved out years back.”

 

“…Wow.”

 

Haya chuckled. “Were you looking for solidarity?”

 

“…I guess so, yeah.”

 

“You’re really unlucky,” Haruhi started. “How does the only electric type around just wander into a mystery dungeon known for ground types?”

 

“Mystery dungeon?” Amadeus asked. He vaguely recalled Hirohito saying those words.

 

“Ah, you wouldn’t know what that is, would you?” They-“ Haya was cut off by her daughter’s enthusiasm.

 

“They’re super mysterious places, where the world around you shifts and changes on a whim! And these nasty creatures called ferals are in them! They look like your average ‘mon, but they’re all nasty and attack on a whim. And they can have treasure!” She looked like a small child gushing over the latest hit movie while explaining all of this. Haya looked depressed, like this wasn’t the first time this had happened.

 

“…They’re dangerous, too,” She sighed. “Especially for a young little Shinx who can’t fight.”

 

“I’m seventeen,” Amadeus said, disliking being called young. “…But yeah, I can’t fight to save my life.”

 

“It looked like you took a mud bomb to the face…” Haruhi added. “Like, if that hit you in the neck, or your chest and you got winded or whatever, you could’ve died for real.” She seemingly mused to herself for a moment. “So I guess you’re lucky after all!”

 

Ferals, huh? Sounds… nasty. “That Hirohito guy said I could use some combat training.”

 

Haya seemed to ponder this for a moment as she threw chopped-up ingredients into a pan. “Honestly, you could. It’s a shame there aren’t any electric types around, let alone electric type instructors. Not that it would make learning impossible. That’s what that eighteen-sector chart is for, right?” She said this last sentence in a more hushed tone, as if she was thinking out loud. Amadeus tried sniffing again to see what the ingredients in the pan were.

 

“…I knew it was salac berries.”

 

“Oh, quiet, you.” Haya seemed genuinely annoyed. “I mean it. I can’t have my secrets getting out before the next festival. My special recipes are my edge.” The smell of the food in the pan was delicious, and Amadeus was starting to salivate a bit. Both Haya and Haruhi noticed.

 

“Heh heh, he’s in love.”

 

“He’d better be, I put a lot of effort into these meals. He’s got a good nose, then.”

 

The meal was, of course, delicious. It was another dish that seemed to contain salac berries, but the flavor was much different. After eating, Amadeus reflexively tried to get up, but winced as the pain flared the second he tried to stand.

 

“I’ll help!” Haruhi declared eagerly, offering him some support. To her credit, she was surprisingly gentle with him. “There you are… Wait, do you need to use the bathroom?”

 

Amadeus was a little taken aback at how suddenly she proposed this. “…Maybe?”

 

“Mom! He says he needs to use the bathroom, but he can’t walk!” Haya was standing right there.

 

“Coming, dear…” Haya replied with a sarcastic tone. She promptly hoisted Amadeus up into the air with Psychic, the jolt from which made him wince a little. “Ah, too sudden?”

 

“Yeah, a little.”

 

“Come on, you…”

 

One very awkward use of the bathroom later, wherein Amadeus had to tell Haya how to move his body around from the other side of the door, Amadeus had relieved himself.

 

“…Let’s never do that again.”

 

“I certainly hope you can walk on your own again by tomorrow, then.” Haya lazily floated him out of the bathroom.

 

“…Am I wearing girl’s clothes right now?”

 

“You’re picky.”

 

“…Sorry.”

 

Haya sighed. “I don’t have a son, so grin and bear it, okay?” She floated him over to the bed he occupied the next room over. “Good night.”

 

“Uh, Haya?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Do you know who I could ask to maybe get stronger?” If Haruhi does try to drag me off, and I have to go inside another one of those Mystery dungeon things, the least I could do is be prepared…

 

“You’re under doctor’s orders to rest, and you haven’t even seen the town yet. I would worry about recovering if I was you, kiddo.” Haya, seemingly, had no interest in sugarcoating or thinking towards the future.

 

“…Okay.” I guess she’s just a really prickly person. She doesn’t seem particularly mean, just… is ‘jaded’ the right word? Hm… She’s got a point, but I’d really rather not be weak incase something happens… Amadeus eventually drifted off to sleep, his second night in the past over.

 

 

---

 

 

Amadeus yawned awake. He felt just a tad more rested than yesterday. Which was a bit odd, given that it seemed to be a bit earlier than yesterday. He instinctively tried getting up, which led to a bit of pain on his left, but not too much pain. He tried walking forward a bit, but the pain started to get to him a little, and he plopped down, leaning on his right. Alright, that’s progress. Maybe if Hirohito gives me another round of healing, I’ll be alright. …Come to think of it, why didn’t he just keep healing me? Amadeus pondered on this a bit before the Audino himself knocked on the door.

 

“Are you awake in there?”

 

“…Yes, come in.”

 

Hirohito gently opened the door and stepped into the room, noticing Amadeus a few paces away from his bed. “Are you feeling better than yesterday?”

 

“Good enough to stand up for a bit.”

 

Hirohito drew one of his hands to his mouth, pondering something. It was a bit obvious as to what exactly that was.

 

“I’m going to do one more round of healing on you today. If you can stand, that should let you walk without to much trouble.”

 

“Pardon me for asking, but… what’s stopping you from just healing all of my injuries at once?”

 

“Your own stamina, incidentally.”

 

…I’m now regretting the power of modern medicine. I don’t really get how traditional methods work. I mean, I know about sitrus berries, but how exactly do healing moves work? I’ve never had get treated with that stuff before now! “Why does that matter?”

 

“All right, time to bore you with a technical explanation of my craft,” Hirohito sighed. “My own healing powers come from my ability, Healer, and the move Heal Pulse. Both are essentially ways of accelerating your own body’s natural healing ability, and therefore take a toll on your stamina. They are very effective regardless, but having someone pass out every time they’re healed isn’t exactly ideal. The solution?” He brandished a canister. “A blend of big apple and sitrus berry juice. Heals minor wounds, but more importantly, replenishes your stamina almost completely. It allows me to really go all-out with my healing, and also directly heals you a bit, making both remarkably more effective.”

 

“…So what’s the issue?”

 

“Nothing, on paper, aside from having a limited supply of this. In practice, I have to be careful not to tire out the patient. It only replenishes stamina, not negate my power’s consumption of it. I have to gauge how much I’m tiring you out as I’m healing you. Fine if a few seconds is enough, but if there’s more severe injuries, like you? Trying to heal it all at once would not only drain my supply of the juice, but also probably leave the patient knocked out cold for a few days. Especially if said patient isn’t very physically strong to begin with, like yourself.”

 

“…So the reason it’s taking longer is because I’m weak?”

 

“Yes, that would be the reason. Although there’s no need to be so painfully blunt with yourself.”

 

“If it’s true, you should say it.”

 

Hirohito laughed. “There’s quite a few people who wouldn’t appreciate that attitude, you’ll find.” He kneeled down to give Amadeus some of the juice. “But enough talk. Let’s tend to those injuries.”

 

Amadeus, with Hirohito’s lecture fresh in his mind, paid careful attention to how energized he felt as Hirohito was healing him. Sure enough, he noticed feeling super energized as he was drinking the juice, but the second Hirohito’s Heal Pulse hit him, he felt the stamina that was coming back to him being rapidly drained away. It was a bizarre feeling, now that he knew what it was. After more than a few seconds of this, Hirohito stopped, and Amadeus felt more or less the same as when he started.

 

“…That’s weird.”

 

Hirohito laughed. “Is it now?” He put the canister back into a bag, which Amadeus now realized he had always had on him. Along with strange garments that seemed to blend in with his own body. “In any case, can you try walking for me?”

 

Amadeus very awkwardly stood up, and felt only a dull pain in his left side as he tried walking around. “…I think I can walk around on my own now.”

 

“Good to hear.” Hirohito looked out the window. “Why don’t you and I take a walk around town for a bit, in that case? I’m sure you’re dying to get out of the house.”

 

“I would like to take a walk, yes.”

 

“Let’s go, then.”

 

Actually leaving Haya’s house still felt a little surreal. He glanced back at the place, still not believing he’d managed to spend two whole nights in there. Longer, counting the time I spent unconscious. I wonder what kind of commotion I’ve managed to cause just by showing up? Hirohito did say it was a small town… hmm. Guess there’s only one way to find out. As they kept walking, Amadeus noticed they were rapidly approaching the edge of the farm. Evidently, Haya lived in the center of it all. They were also going uphill. And at the peak, the town itself came into view. And after a few brief minutes of walking, they were inside. It was by no means barren, as there was easily enough space in the town to fit a hundred people or so, but for someone used to the bustling megalopolis aboard the Expedition IV, it was definitely a step down in terms of how busy it was. There was barely a crowd at all, and they passed right through the town without being stopped by anyone else. All that came was the odd greeting towards Hirohito, and the hushed whispers of onlookers, clearly wondering about the mysterious Shinx that just happened. Until, eventually…

 

“So, this is our mystery Shinx?” A female Umbreon who looked to be around Haya’s age strolled up to them.

 

“It sure is. He’s says he’s feeling better, so I decided to take him on a stroll around town.”

 

“…Hi, I’m Amadeus.”

 

“Mayumi. I’m the town’s combat instructor, which I imagine you’ll find interesting, given you nearly died inside a mystery dungeon. At least, that’s what looked like it happened.” She tried her best to not look grim as she said this. “Funny story, I was actually visiting Haya because she invited me and my partner over to dinner the same evening you came barreling into her life like that. I was hoping you’d be out and about soon, because well…”

 

“You were worried about me?”

 

“Aha, call it dark-type solidarity.”

 

“You needn’t worry about me.”

 

“Can you blame me, with the state you were in? You had me sprinting through town to find Hirohito. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone in a worse state than you.”

 

“I most certainly have,” Hirohito interrupted. “You should see what happens in the busier parts of the world.”

 

“You lived in Hakken No Machi briefly to learn the ropes of healing, correct?” Mayumi asked. “I can only imagine the nasty things you’ve seen.”

 

“You have no idea. Becoming a healer is not for the faint of heart. Fulfilling work, though.”

 

“Are you…?”

 

Hirohito laughed the moment the words left his mouth. “Are you going to ask that about every woman I interact with?”

 

“It’s a small town, kid,” Mayumi added with a wink. “We all know each other. I’m not particularly interested in men these days, anyway.”

 

“I, uh…” Crap, gotta salvage this somehow… “My sister was an Eevee.” He immediately realized his mistake as Hirohito froze.

 

“…You remembered something.”

 

“I, uh…”

 

“Anything else?” Hirohito immediately asked him. “Name? Was she older or younger than you? What was she like?”

 

“I…” Amadeus looked down. “I can’t remember.” Lying through his teeth. Thinking about Samantha made him feel terribly empty, regardless.

 

Hirohito sighed. “Tell me immediately if you remember anything else. And seriously consider having Haya help with your memories. She’s not the best, but she might be able to help you remember something.”

 

“I…” Amadeus sighed. I really gotta be careful with my alibi…

 

Mayumi seemed strangely pensive. “You seem unusually comfortable with the idea of losing your memories. I’d heard about all of this from Hirohito, but…” She seemingly decided to drop the subject herself. “You know, the first person I really tried dating was a Shinx. I realized pretty quickly he was a huge dick, so I dumped him, but nowadays if feel bad for him, because, well, he lived in Háo de Xiǎo, and, well…” She shook her head, and Amadeus noticed her scratch at the ground with a darkened claw for a moment. “Gah, I’m getting lost in the past. No need to bring up that particular incident. In any case, I’m sure you’ll end up taking on some training with me once Hirohito clears you.” She walked off.

 

“…What happened in Háo de Xiǎo?” Amadeus asked.

 

“That’s a story for another time.” Hirohito said, giving a non-answer.

 

Eventually, Amadeus began to get tired, and Hirohito walked him back to Haya’s place, where he hit the hay for the night.