PMD: Powered Investigations

These are all of Ari’s memories in chronological order, including up to chapter 13. Some memories are shown in third person, while others are told from Ari’s point of view. Whenever there’s something that isn’t actually one of Ari’s memories but a product of his dreams that relates to the present (or a thought that he’s having in the present, instead of something he thought back then), the text will show up in italics. Also, the entire chapter 10 would go at the end of this page chronologically, in case you were wondering (with the exception of the last scene of chapter 6’s dream, which happens in the middle of the flashback from chapter 10).

This will get updated as new memories show up. Be warned that this might contain spoilers if you haven’t read at least up to chapter 13.

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The Ceremony (Chapter 13 – Mindpit)

A large crowd of pokémon had gathered in the plaza. Right in the middle, six pokémon stood on top of a round stage.

A Pachirisu and a Machamp were standing on the side while a Typhlosion was on the front, giving some sort of speech with a trophy on his paws. He had a leather belt wrapped around his waist and a red earring on his left ear, and his voice carried a powerful aura without actually being too loud or deep.

Zohar the Typhlosion eventually spoke, attracting everyone’s attention. “I’m so honored to grant this award to such a talented and selfless team. These two have helped so many pokémon and achieved the most difficult challenges for any exploration team, and for that…” He turned around and faced the pokémon that stood behind him. “I thank you for your services and offer the highest reward that can be given to any team.”

From the farthest part of the stage, three pokémon approached Zohar. They were two lucarios, one of them being of an unusual yellow hue, both of them wearing purple bandanas, and right beside them there was a familiar Riolu.

The shiny Lucario then spoke with a deep female voice. “Thank you so much, Zohar. I accept this gift in the name of Team Valiant, and I promise this is only but the beginning of our journey to make this world a better place for all pokémon.”

The blue Lucario added his own words, speaking with a powerful and raspy voice. “We will keep fighting in the name of our ancestors, brave warriors who laid the foundations of our civilization and led us to an era of peace, and we’ll make sure to maintain that peace for many years to come.”

The crowd exploded in excited cheers, and Team Valiant plus Ari bowed and stood there for a long minute waiting for things to calm down. From up close, it was easy to notice that Ari didn’t seem quite happy, in fact, he looked tired.

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The Failed Mission (Chapter 13 – Mindpit)

The curtains, white with golden patterns on them, were closed, so it was a bit hard to see inside, but there seemed to be a large dining table with many wooden chairs and some chalices decorating a few shelves on the walls, as well as some candles and figurines.

There were three figures near the farthest wall, two of them being taller than the third.

“… But the other mission went well! We rescued that Croagunk…” The smaller pokémon spoke in a familiar voice.

“That’s beside the point,” the mother spoke. “Did you accept that other mission or not?”

Ari responded with his head down. “N-no, I thought it was too much for our team being only silver rank, a-and we only just finished a tough one so we were exhausted…”

THUMP!

In an instant, the Riolu was lying on the floor, curled into a ball next to the wall, with his dad on top of him holding a bone rush.

“How can you be SO USELESS? Do you have any idea how important that client was?” The male lucario yelled.

“S-sorry, I just… I-I…”

THUMP!

Ari received a kick on the belly, and he groaned loudly, his face showing immense pain and distress.

“STOP MAKING EXCUSES! You’re supposed to be the elite of explorers, but you can hardly compare to us in that regard!” Ari’s father scolded.

THUMP!

Another kick and Ari spat some saliva mixed with blood.

THUMP!

It was easier to see the bruises in Ari’s body now, as well as the few tendrils that were wrapped around his body.

THUMP!

“When are you gonna learn? You’re a disgrace to our bloodline, we’re going to lose our status because of you!” The mother spoke.

“P-please…” He coughed for a moment, crying and struggling to speak as he choked on blood. “I’m… S-s…”

The shiny Lucario crouched and gripped Ari’s aura feeler, lifting him brutely as she leaned to speak closer to his face. “Listen, Ari, next time you better do as we tell you and not miss such opportunities again. Are we clear?”

“Y… Y-yes, b-but-“

“Enough!” His mother lifted an arm preparing to punish her child one more time.

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The Bridge (Chapter 13 – Mindpit)

After the path of endless flowering trees, a stone bridge crossed what seemed to be a deep canyon. Near the railing, a Riolu stood unmoving, staring at the horizon.

The wind blew gently, caressing Ari’s fur while his aura sensors fluttered. His eyes were dull and tired, his body was covered in scars and wounds that never quite healed, some of them recent. He had some cuts on his arms, he never allowed anyone to see them. Not even Ren.

Ari leaned on the railing and climbed on it.

The Riolu inhaled, endless thoughts and memories crossing his mind. He exhaled, years of pain and fear escaping his lungs like a suffocating flame.

Ari stepped forward.

Someone’s claw gripped his arm just in time. It was a Sneasel.

Ren was panting hard, and tears formed in his eyes as he desperately tried to keep his friend alive, the same way Ari did for him with his endless kindness. Ren wasn’t going to let him go. The Sneasel looked at him for a moment but didn’t say anything as he focused on pulling the Riolu up.

Ari was back on top of the bridge, and Ren quickly pulled him into a desperate hug, muttering some words and begging him to never do that again. Ari didn’t move as he was embraced by the Sneasel.

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The Bruishes (Chapter 3 – Social Skills, Deductive Skills)

I’m inside a huge building, in a large room with blue walls that have sea waves painted in them. I always said those patterns were kinda childish, but I secretly liked them. There are many other pokémon going in and out, it seems everyone is preparing for their missions, as I should be doing too. I see him coming down the stairs, smiling at me. I wave back at him, always happy to see him.

“Good morning, Ari,” he says. Always with his serene tone, some would think he’s not happy when he talks like that, but I can tell that’s not the case, I know him well.

“Good morning, Ren! Did you sleep well?” I’m just so glad to be here with him.

“I guess, just like always. So, shall we… Wait.” He approaches me, rubbing a hand through the fur in my forehead and inspecting my body. “… You’re covered in bruishes again.” His expression darkened.

“Oh, uh… Don’t worry, they don’t hurt too much this time.” I don’t want him to worry about me.

“I don’t care! You’re clearly hurt again, and like always, you didn’t say anything.” He looks at me, there’s concern in his eyes, he only shows that vulnerable side of himself to me. “Please, you told me you wouldn’t hide it from me anymore.”

“You’re right, sorry… But it’s useless to worry about that. Let’s just go pick a mission and forget about this for now, okay?”

“But… Damn, one of these days I swear I’m going to beat the shit out of them!” Ren tried to take deep breaths. “It’s just too unfair…”

No, it’s not. I deserved that. But he doesn’t want me to say that. “I guess…”

“We’ll do something about it soon. Anyway, let’s just check the bulletin board…” He then walks towards the main room, and I follow him. We stop in front of the bulletin board, searching for any interesting request for the day. Let’s see…

‘I lost my scarf in the river.’

‘Take me to the end of this dungeon!’

‘Bring me a chesto berry!’

‘My friend disappeared in the woods!’

‘It hurts… Please, help me…’

Huh? What was…?

‘Help… Help!’

What’s that voice?

‘HELP ME, PLEASE!’

‘AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!’

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The Protector (Chapter 8 – A Warning)

I’m in a cave, not too dark because of the small hole in the ceiling. Some stalagmites are adorning the place, giving it a mysterious vibe. In front of me, there’s a Hitmonlee, clearly furious. It’s to be expected, we just found his hideout and we’re going to take him with us.

“You’re not going to stop me!” He said and quickly jumped towards me. That’s a bit intimidating…

I roll to the side and barely avoid the hit, but I definitely should do something as soon as possible. But… Is he that bad? Maybe there’s something bad happening in his life that turned him into a criminal. Is it okay for me to fight him?

He attacks me again and I can’t react in time, as I am lost in thoughts, so I get kicked in the stomach hard. It hurts a lot, and I find myself falling back on my rear and groaning in pain.

“Ari!” Ren yells, he’s clearly mad now. He charges towards the Hitmonlee and unleashes his wrath upon him. In just a few quick swipes, he finishes him off. He’s kinda scary when he gets angry… Which happens every time someone touches me.

He quickly approaches me, gently lifting me from the ground. “Are you okay?” He asks.

“Y-yeah, I just didn’t see that coming, sorry.” It’s painful, but I’ll manage.

He sighs. “You held back again. Why?”

“… You noticed? Uh… I don’t know what to say. I just felt bad…”

He rolls his eyes and turns to the fainted Hitmonlee. “You’re too good. No criminal is going to ever act so kindly with you. Why should you do it for them?”

I shrug. I just think it’s not that hard to be nice to others. Well, maybe if they’re criminals that attacked me it’s a bit harder. “I don’t know, I guess I’m like that… Sorry.”

Ren can’t help but smile at me. “Ah… You don’t have to apologize for that. I like the way you are, Ari. Just… maybe respect yourself a little more?”

I nod. He then approaches the Hitmonlee and stops in front of him. He stares down for a long moment, his glare slowly turning angrier, and that concerns me. Out of nowhere, he starts muttering something, and I can see him clenching his fists.

“Ren? Are you okay?”

Snapping out of it, he turns to me. “Uhm, it’s nothing important.” I look at him with my ‘Are you sure about that’ face, but he waves it off. “Really, nothing you should be concerned about.”

“Okay, I guess…”

I look at the Hitmonlee too, thinking about our battle. I can’t help but feel a bit weak…

“Huh… I wish I wasn’t such an easy target. It’s always like this, I’m hopeless…”

Ren frowns and comes closer, grabbing my shoulders. “You’re not hopeless, you just need training. And even if you were weak, it’s okay. I will always be there to protect you, no matter what.”

He always knows what to say to make me feel better. I wrap my arms around him, and he returns the hug. “Thank you, Ren…”

“I’ll always be with you…”

“I’ll always be…”

He’s slowly fading away.

“By your side…”

He’s not.

Ren…

Ren… Just where are you?

$%&$”/%(&$)%&/”&^¨^*”%$/

This isn’t that cave anymore. This isn’t the guild either. I’m in a weird foggy place, all enveloped in a white light. I can’t see anything…Where am I?

Please…

Huh? What is that?

Please… Help me!

Who said that?

Ari… I need your help, please… I can’t stay like this for much longer…

I know that voice… I heard it in that dream before the Armarouge attacked me. You know my name? But… What do you want from me?

Please, save us! They caught me and my brother, and they’re draining my energy… We’ve been like this for so long, but now they’re going to turn me into one of them…

That sounds horrible… I don’t get it, what’s happening? And what can I do?

Ugh… Please… Find us… Unleash your… AAAAAHHHHH!

My what? Hey, what’s wrong?

The air around me starts warping, suddenly becoming pitch black. I can see even less than before. An endless amount of dark blue tendrils start reaching me, and I panic. They get me, wrapping me and trying to drag me deep down.

As much as I struggle, I can’t release myself. I feel like I’m drowning. This isn’t new to me, I’ve dreamt of this before, but it’s becoming worse each time. And it’s unbearable.

I scream so hard.

I want to run from all this. I’m so tired.

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The Peacemaker (Chapter 6 – The Best or the Worst)

I’m in Ren’s room, lying in his bed, lost in thoughts. It’s a well illuminated room with a single bed, a desk and a shelf with many books right next to a big window. The white walls with the sea pattern on the bottom makes for a perfect ambience for relaxing after a stressful day. Ren is reading a book in his desk, very focused, so I just stay silent for a longer while.

He finally shuts down the book and looks at me. “Hey, are you still thinking about her?”

It’s kinda concerning, the way he always knows what I’m thinking or how I’m feeling. Always so observant. “I… Well… Kinda.”

He stands up and places the book back in the shelf, looking at me with an annoyed look. “Forget about her, she’s stupid. She doesn’t even deserve your attention.” He’s being so blunt, but I guess I can’t blame him.

“It’s just… I don’t know, there must be a reason for her to act like that. And… I wanted to be her friend, I just don’t like being like this,” I say, looking away in a bit of shame.

Ren approaches me, visibly concerned, and sits by my side. “Why does it matter so much? You don’t even know her that much, yet you seem really sad just because she doesn’t like you. Do you… Uhh… Have a crush on her?”

“That’s not it. I don’t know why, it’s just… I just don’t get it! I’m trying to be nice, I’m offering to help, and still, she treats me like garbage,” I let out a deep sigh, for some reason I’m feeling anxious. “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”

Ren rests his arm on my shoulder, and I look at him. “Listen, this is not going to get anywhere. Just focus on the pokémon that treat you well, your actual friends, like me, and ignore her,” he says. Then, he looks away, his frown deepening, and speaks with an angrier tone. “Also, I hate the way she treats you. I’m not going to let that pass, no matter how much you want to be on good terms with her. I hate her, and you should too. Pokémon like that are the reason why this world is rotting each passing day…”

That sounds… Different now. I didn’t notice that tone before. Is this really how it happened…? Yeah, I think so, I remember. He’s so dramatic at times, so I guessed I shouldn’t worry, but now…

$&”%&/%&(“/%!·&%/%%”$”%

I’m in my room, lying in my bed, alone. Something’s not right.

I wanna go back to the guild to make sure, so I leave my room and make my way to the main door, now that no one’s home. I quickly go outside, deciding to take the shortcut through the old playground. I’m being cautious, as I don’t want anyone to see me. The rusty swing is moving slightly because of the heavy wind, but it’s still resisting. The same cannot be said about the slide, which collapsed a while back.

As I’m reaching the other side of the park, I suddenly freeze. I can hear their voices approaching from the other side of the corner. I want to turn back and hide, but I trip on a tree root and fall down with a loud thud. I messed up so bad. They hear me, and quickly come to find me lying on the ground, covered in dirt. They found me. And I can already see their looks, telling me that I’m going to have a bad time.

I can’t move, I’m too afraid of making things worse. No, I don’t want to go back to this…

Please… PLEASE, NO!