Chapter 4: Backfire

After leaving the Lugia residence, we made our way to the Eastern Main Street. Grapploct led the way toward the Eastern dock, while Kalea carefully watched Lucy. The fledgling maintained a decent pep in her step, causing the wallet in her wings to sound out a jingle of coins. Compared to me and everyone else, Lucy was confident and carefree, not a care in the world that she was bringing more attention to us.

I followed behind everyone else, glancing at that bright and stagnant sky on occasion. More pokemon passed by, most likely on their way to whatever business they had. It was not my business to care about the matters of every single pokemon in my sights. I will say that they weren’t all nobodies. In fact, I saw non-Water-Types, or what some would call land-dwellers. Several of these pokemon even wore garments. Not just scarves, but clothing. (Rugged-looking cloth wrapped around their bodies? Sure, one could call that “clothing.”) Regardless, the amount of clothing was not something I could ever get used to. Some of it didn’t seem special at first glance at all, no effects or anything. It was a bizarre sight for me.

But none of this was as bizarre as one other aspect of these folk, none of them looked up, ever. Okay, that was probably not too odd. More so, that everyone looked down at the ground. In fact, everyone seemed a tiny bit slouched somehow, worn down by routine.

---

Going further down the street, I noticed a larger building with many windows. Unlike the others, this one had a rustic look. The roof was anything but symmetrical, more like a batch of lazily-placed patch jobs.

Kalea saw that I stopped. “Noticed the inn there I see,” she commented.

I glanced at the Water-Type and pointed at the building. “That? That’s an inn?”

The Primarina nodded. “Yep. Milotic owns that one. Good friends with Lugia actually.”

(“That spiteful Morgrem! Lugia wanted me to stay there?!?”) Gazing at the building’s sorry state, I couldn’t help but complain, “Are you kidding? That place looks like a piece of junk!”

Kalea crossed her arms and squinted at me. The others stared at me with an equal amount of skepticism.

I gestured to myself. “What? I’ve stayed at houses before…kind of. Even I have standards. Doesn’t everybody?”

Kalea rolled her eyes. “Yes, but you make it really hard to respect yours. And, I thought you were the imitating type that comes and goes like the thunder you clap.”

“I don’t imitate,” I said in fluster. “I have unique qualities that make me just as important as the other legendaries.”

The Primarina chuckled at my statement, “Oh really Zera, give me one definitive example.”

I held up a finger for a moment, trying to think of something. (“…Like uhhhhh. There’s gotta be something, right?”) I couldn’t think of anything. (She was right, oh so bitterly right.)

After several moments of silence, a voice sounded out from behind. “My my, you’re going to need a Rawst for that one.”

I glanced at the source in irritation. Standing behind me was a serpentine pokemon carrying bags with its tail. The end of said tail was fan-shaped with a mix of red and blue, one of the tell-tale signs of the Milotic species.

She slithered over to us. “So you’re Zeraora, the one Lugia and the little one talked about. Also known as the new talk of the town.” She then gazed at me, almost judging my looks. “You know, for someone who is considered mythical in status, you certainly don’t act like it, let alone look the type.

I winced at the comment. “Who says there has to be a standard for it? And you are…?”

“Milotic, the owner of the pristine establishment you dissed just now,” she answered. “And if I were in your coat of fur, I’d be very careful with your next choice of words.”

I turned away and waved her off. “Ah ha ha! Thanks for the tip. Yesterday already gave me that indicator.”

Lucy piped up and gestured. “Yeah, yeah, you’re terrible at talking, brother. Now let’s get to the market…like now.”

The innkeeper waved the others away. “One moment with the land-dweller, please.”

“J-Just hurry it up,” Lucy said, tapping her foot.

Milotic pulled me aside and started talking quietly. “So, you’re her ‘brother.’ Isn’t that a surprise.”

The word brother made me cringe in embarrassment. “Gahg! I- I’m just playing along,” I whispered, “And in all honesty, I didn’t want to.”

“You mean to tell me that you were forced to stay?”

“Well no, I-” I pointed at the fledgling. “Skippy there made sure of that.”

Milotic sighed in disappointment. “My word, you’re pitiful, letting yourself get pulled around by a child, a child you have type advantage over.”

“Hey, types aren’t everything. Plus, her parent and I aren’t exactly on good terms.” I bit my lip and glanced around aimlessly. “And besides, we’re both breaking a lot of rules. Rules that have been ingrained into our lifestyles for…longer than you’ve been alive.”

Milotic slowly tilted her head. “Excuses, excuses. You’re not very good at covering your mistakes, are you?”

I turned back to the Water-Type. “Speaking of which, what’s yours?”

“A handsome cash offer for silence,” she answered. “The little one offered compensation for the plan’s ‘rearrangement’ and she covered the bill and more. About 2500 give or take. Very generous when it comes to her. Almost seems like she had a change of heart.”

I couldn’t believe it. Words just poured out of my mouth. “A bribe. You seriously let her bribe you? And with that much? How?”

“No harm was done, sir.”

“But how does she have that much money?”

Milotic swayed her tail. “Color me surprised that you care so much. But either way, I’m not the pokemon to ask for matters like her allowance. Lugia doesn’t really need money so I just thought it was all pocket change for the little one. Nothing more.”

“This is the first time I’ve heard of a youngling like Lucy having that much money and-…why?”

The Water-Type glanced at said youngling. “Lucy…that’s what she’s calling herself this time?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

The innkeeper leaned in closer to my ear. “Listen,” she whispered, “The city life is rough, value has a lot of persuasion power to us ‘commoners.’ I don’t know what all this brother business is all about, but you should know that you can’t trust her word. Read between the lines, unless you want to let her pull you into a bad situation because you’re bored.”

My eyes widened as I backed away. (“Me? Bored?”) The audacity of it all. (“Then again, it would be fun to do something different for once.”) (The thought tempted me a little.) I shook my head. “No no no. I’ve seen this before. Curious to a detriment, reckless thrill-seeking, and most notably: it’s not legendary-like behavior.”

Milotic smirked. “That brief smile there says otherwise.”

“What?” I blurted out, checking my cheek.

“Regardless, just be aware she got herself caught up in police business before.”

I promptly looked up at the Water-Type. “Po-Police? As in law enforcement? Seriously?”

“A couple of cases Lugia and his entourage told me about.” She then dropped the bags and put her tail over my shoulders. “Please keep this hushed; surely you understand why. And just remember to keep an eye on her.”

I bitterly brushed the tail off. “Yeah…thanks.” I then walked away to join the others. (“I know we’re isolated from each other, but why hasn’t Lugia told anyone? No, bad question. Why haven’t I heard of any controversy regarding Lugia at all in recent years? I mean I get why he wouldn’t tell me specifically, but…it’s odd.”) Just the thought of it was odd. One? Maybe, but a couple? The casual delivery of such facts made me worried that it was more than just witnessing.

Lucy glanced at me as I came over. “So…”

“So that’s where I would have stayed,” I calmly said to Lucy. (“Not sure if I should thank you or hold a grudge.”)

The fledgling shrugged. “Milotic has a way with new customers. Bad business gets stuck in a nasty room.”

“Alright, that’s enough out of you,” Kalea declared, covering the youngling’s mouth.

With that, we ventured off to our next destination.

---

After several blocks, we made our way to the north-eastern section of town. The market street was busy with plenty of Pokemon, some of which were running shop stands. While the street still maintained this odd beach look, it was certainly louder.

(Commoners always wanted exchange for business. It’s a way of life for them. It was certainly annoying to hear “Get this thing! It’s a one of a kind deal! Get it today! Blah blah blah!”) It baffled me how some folks could somehow give more worth to objects than…I don’t know, living pokemon?

Plenty of stands had meat, feral meat. A lot of it was sea-born meat which was, of course, raw. Seeing the fish made me feel a little queasy thanks to last night’s meal. After a while, I noticed something off about this place: there was no bread stand at all. In the town markets I checked from a distance, there was usually bread distributed in some way. It wasn’t that way here, not from what I could tell.

Regardless, Grapploct got me something that could be defined as a meal. Rice was not exactly filling on its own, but it was certainly better than nothing.

Not much happened after that, Lucy picked a spot after she recklessly tossed her wallet into a random bush. It was enough to make me wonder, but retainers just shrugged off the action. Perhaps they saw it as a normal thing (that or an actual teaching opportunity called reality).

As we ate lunch, I started talking, “So, no sun, just lights and some gizmos that are hard to read?”

The retainers were once again about to go into a lecture…

But I raised a paw. “Wait, no. Lucy told me something at least. Short arm for the wedge…the long arm tells when in that wedge?”

Lucy became nervous after hearing that guess. It was mostly right, though not exactly everything.

I continued. “I stared at the clock and I think the wedge changes whenever the long arm hits the noon wedge.”

Kalea shook her head. “Not quite.”

She then gestured to the tower. “All our days start at one of the lower-left wedges with the half yellow sun, which is Dawn. Then it’s the Sunrise Wedge, followed by the Morning wedge, both of which are lighter blue. The top-most wedge with the orange and yellow sun is the Midday wedge. From there, the clock’s dial starts descending to the yellow Daylight wedge, followed by the orange Sunset wedge. The darker orange Dusk wedge signals the end of our daylight. From there, the night time begins with the purple Evening wedge, followed by the blue Moonlight wedge. At the bottom is the black Midnight wedge. To the left are the Night-Edge and Twilight wedges that end off the day before restarting at Dawn.”

The Primarina then took a breath. “To be fair, that idea does sound far simpler. Unfortunately, the founders rigged the time changes on the Dawn wedge, just like days of old.”

I glanced at the table with a bit of uncertainty, mainly because the complicated setup. My mind continued tie itself in knots over the bizarre structure. “Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, wouldn’t Sunrise and Sunset be on the leftmost and rightmost sides respectively?”

Kalea quickly shot back, “Then where would Morning and the rest go?”

“Fair point…but isn’t Twilight after Dawn and Sunset after Dusk?”

The retainers groaned in response..

“Don’t sweat it because you’re wrong,” Lucy assured, “I got those four wedges mixed up a lot when I was first learning.”

I growled before continuing my meal.

From there, it was rather quiet, no one really talked, no one made a fuss when they passed the table. Sure, some gave a curious look, but I just pretended to not care. In general, I was just perplexed by the attitude of these pokemon. I was raised under the idea that commoners endlessly admired the power us legendaries possessed. These Silspringers hardly batted an eye. I wondered if Lucy’s supposed mischief had anything to do with it. Or perhaps, the town’s overexposure to Lucy and Lugia somehow worn out the wow factor. It was unsettling.

(“Something feels…off. Now that I think about it, the whole town has been acting weird. Has nobody ever heard of the legendaries or something? I would have thought someone, anyone would have stopped us to ask about what I am. It’s puzzling. At the same time though, it feels great, better than that garbage solitude talk.”) I blinked as I thought that. (“What am I thinking? Of course, this feels wrong. This isn’t how we’re supposed to act. Lugia is breaking some serious taboos. Doesn’t he already know what happens when you break them? What right does he have to lecture me?”) I pinched between my eyes trying to figure this out.

“Zera, are you feeling okay?” Kalea asked.

I snapped myself back to reality, noticing that the others were staring at me. “Y-Yes, just thinking…”

The Water-Type leaned on the table. “About what?”

Just then, a crash sounded out from one of the nearby stands.

Lucy excitedly chimed in, “Oooh, right on time!”

For one second, the three stared right at Lucy with raised brows. It was a moment of pure confusion, only broken after I shook my head and ran toward the source of the commotion.

---

Reaching the area, I saw a lizard-like Water-Type jump over one of the stands while holding a large bag. They seemed to be a Drizzile dressed in rags.

It wasn’t long before a Babaracle tripped over another stand, shouting toward said Drizzile, “Thief! Fiend!”

The thief in question ran off, brushing through the crowds with ease.

“A robbery?” I blurted out.

The others caught up at this point.

“Where?” Kalea asked.

Something in me urged me to catch that fiend, even if it was against my code to meddle in commoner affairs. Who cared if I caught just one petty bad guy? That was what I thought.

I started rubbing my paws together to charge up. Sparks began to fly around me, causing the others to stumble back.

I heard Lucy shout, “Zera, wait!”

But I didn’t listen. I was already running forward with a renewed and powerful urge to take action.

The (unusual) crackling sparks from my charging caused the crowd to frantically part itself before me as I ran past and moved for the thief in pursuit.

In a few moments, I tackled them into the sand and rolled off of them.

The Water-Type picked himself up, spitting out a bunch of sand grains.

I readied a fighting stance and displayed some sparks, while the sneak stood up with his goods.

He knew I was going to be in the way. The thief formed a blade with Liquidation and started to dash.

I grew bored when I saw the approach. He was going to slash my gut as he ran past. I lowered my eyelids and extended two of my claws, which stopped the blade and thief in their tracks.

Afterwards (and with blatant apathy), I spun to the right and let my tail slap the thief onto the ground.

Once done, I pressed my left foot onto the Water-Type’s chest, making sure he doesn’t move. The Liquidation blade melted from his left hand.

I simply glared at the Drizzile with a disappointed frown.

The thief was breathing through his nose rapidly. Though his hair covered half his face, his left eye was darting all over the place.

I heard a crowd of pokemon coming from multiple directions, likely drawn to the noise of this scene.

I pressed my foot harder. “Well, what do you have to say for yourself, hmm?” I asked sternly.

The thief glanced at me for a moment and then looked away, mumbling. It seemed more like an eye-roll directed at me, like I was the one boring him. And that told me more than enough fighting words to have my focus solely on the thief’s visible eye. (Dude, Seriously? I mean, seriously?)

I leaned in closer and pressed even harder. “Well?” (“It’s gonna be one of those encounters…”)

The thief took a breath and gave me an oddly gleeful stare. “…I say, you’re a legendary fool.”

The words left me perplexed for a short moment until the thief tossed wet sand onto my eyes.

“Gah! Agh!” The wet sand’s minerals stung with a burning sensation, forcing me to step off. The thief took this chance and hit me hard with more mud, most likely a Mud Shot.

The attack knocked me on the ground and covered me in even more mud.

I was blinded, but I tried to listen for footsteps. Releasing some charge with my right hand, I then fired a Thunderbolt in front of the noise, but something was wrong. Normally, a Thunderbolt’s current fired like some kind of laser, albeit in a Zigzagoon-like pattern of sorts. I could feel the impact and path for it. This Thunderbolt on the other hand, exploded and scattered all over the place as it traveled, energy and all. It fanned out and fizzled out before it could even reach the desired distance.

Screams sounded out from all around me. I didn’t know what happened, so I eventually managed to wipe the mud from my eyes and looked around.

The thief wasn’t nearby from what I could tell. However, there was an odd sight. Several bystanders nearby seemed shocked or hurt. Actually, not several, a lot of folks seemed to be hurt, far more than I could imagine reasonably happening. They were staring at me with a shocked and angry look.

I didn’t have time to figure out why; I was frustrated at my carelessness. Once I saw the thief moving on the rooftops, I made a dash for him, hearing more panicked shrieks behind me.

---

Something felt off once again as I ran to the rooftops. The sparks beneath my feet were also scattering far more than usual. I thought it was just power output, considering the rage spawned from humiliation.

 

Either way, I leaped onto a rooftop across from where the thief was. Once I got a good look at him, I tried a Thunderbolt once again.

The thief saw the attack and ducked.

Just like before, the Thunderbolt scattered. In fact, there was barely even a bolt at all. Instead, the “bolt” branched and divided. The only thing it definitely hit was a tree, which was burned to a crisp. It barely even touched the building the Water-Type was on top of.

After the attack fizzled out, the thief stood up and looked around.

I glanced at my sparking paws. (“Wh-What?”)

I looked up and watched as the thief smugly shrugged. He then ran to the other side and dropped out of view.

I shook my head and pursued the pokemon.

 

---

 

I slipped through the lower alleyways, eventually hearing a loud explosion. For some reason, the noise sounded…familiar, like I heard it before.

The word “gunshot” rang in my head. My head started hurting, slowing down my pace.

I softly hit my head with a fist, trying to snap myself out of the state.

---

Before long, I powered through it and rushed out of the alley, where I saw the thief to my left.

In front of the Water-Type was another figure; I assumed it was some other by-stander.

I ran to the middle of the street and shouted to the thief, “There you are!”

I charged myself up even more, enough for the sparks to crackle across my fur. Being a legendary, limitations such as the Four-Move Rule was but a guideline, especially with natural talents, such as my Zeraora-brand Plasma Fists technique.

At that point, I heard Lucy, who probably saw me preparing an Electric-Type attack. The youngling called to me. “N-No! Don’t!”

It was too late though, I was far too angry to listen.

 

My vision tunneled itself onto the thief as I charged electricity between my paws. “Plasma-” A stray spark passed my eye-sight. In that moment, I watched as the energy destabilized itself rapidly.

In the next instant, the energy created a massive explosion from my hands, an explosion that sent me flying backwards.

After a few seconds, I landed hard on my back and slid a short distance. Sand, smoke, and perhaps debris buried me in the next minute. I could barely process what happened as my ears rang once more.

After a while, the dust began to settle. I tried to move, but my body struggled to cooperate initially. Sparks bounced across my body, some of which from the lingering sparks of that explosion. The sand slid off my limbs as I sat up and coughed.

The street was filled with smoke, much of the street’s stone was exposed, and a number of stands were nothing but smoking splinters now. A large spark of electricity shot out of the smoking crater as the dust was finally thin enough to see through.

More pokemon were on the ground, they must have gotten caught up in the explosion too.

 

(“I…I don’t…”) I glanced around and saw Lucy’s tail buried beneath some wreckage. “Oh shoot, Lucy!”

Once I reached her, my heart sank for a moment. “No, no no no!”

My breathing sped up as words flashed in my mind.

A voice sounded out in my head. (“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I’ll be back before you know it.”)

I shook my head and slammed my fist on the ground. “No no! Lucy! Please!”

The fledgling’s tail moved in response to my voice.

An overwhelming feeling of relief washed over me. I pulled off the wreckage, revealing an irritated, but not horribly injured Lucy.

She coughed. “B-Brother, maybe next time try a little less oomph on that move. Please.”

I offered my hand, “You okay?”

The fledgling grabbed it and pulled herself up. “Yeah, I’m fine, but you just angered everyone else though.”

I was too busy giving another sigh of relief to really care much. “Whew…Wha- What do you mean?”

That was when I got tackled onto the ground by someone.

My head was then forced down by a three-digit paw while my arms were forced back and shackled together, despite my struggle.

“M-Ms. Ivory!” Lucy exclaimed.

(“Ms. Ivory?”)

Ivory spoke up. (The voice sounded feminine and cold) “Sorry, but this guy has a lot of nerve getting in the way.”

“W-Wait, this is a misunderstanding,” Lucy said. “It’s not his fault! It was an accident, I swear!”

Ivory scoffed, “Five, Five, Five…how is blowing a public place sky high with an Electric attack an ‘accident?’ I heard him trying to shout for Plasma Fists. He knew full-well that strong Electric attacks are banned in this area.”

I tried to speak up. “I didn’t mean for it to explode, it backfired.” Ivory grabbed my hair and before smacking my head on the ground again. “Agh!”

“As if,” Ivory scoffed.

“Ms. Ivory, please!” Lucy begged. “He really didn’t know.”

The others ran into the scene at that point. “Lucy!” Kalea called, coming to Lucy.

I heard some grumbling from Ivory before she asked, “…Lucy? Lucy. That’s your newest nickname, Five?”

“Permanent nickname, forever!” Lucy snapped back. “No more of that stupid ‘Five’ nonsense!”

Ivory only irritably growled in response.

“Oi! What’s this now?” Grapploct inquired.

“…Great…” Ivory said dully (probably rolling her eyes as well). “Why is it that so often on my cases, you three are involved somehow?”

Kalea sternly spoke up to my captor, “DD, what’s the meaning of this?”

“DD?” I blurted before Ivory banged my head on the ground.

“Kalea, you better have a very good explanation for this,” DD bitterly grumbled. “And make it straight and snappy. I’m in a rather foul mood today after seeing this happen.”

“Gladly,” the Primarina spat back with a frown. “He came here to stay with us yesterday. He’s stuck here.”

“And you didn’t even warn your ‘friend’ to not use Electric-Type attacks.”

Kalea turned to the fledgling, who I could tell was already rubbing her wings together.

The youngling stuttered before making her statement. “W-Well, it kind of slipped my mind and uh…well, Pops told him before he left…kind of?…crip, cryp? In a puzzle way.”

“And we thought Lugia told him.” Grapploct added before Kalea smacked his head.

At that point, DD groaned. “…Lugia. By Groudon’s foot, you’re all so, ugh!”

My wrists were released from my shackles as DD pulled me up. She then pushed me back toward the trio once I stood up.

I turned around to finally get a good look at my former captor.

To my surprise, she was an Indeedee, a female Indeedee no less, known to be motherly servant figures. They were usually a welcoming presence among commoners from what I heard over the years. This Indeedee however looked anything, but welcoming (let alone motherly).

She had a cold expression with a pair of narrowed brown eyes, complete with a serious frown. Additionally, she wore a dark-navy colored coat wrapped with a black, silver-buckled belt at the waist. The coat partially covered her legs, with the backside dropping to a point just below her knees. Finally, there was a long vertical scar going up her right thigh (or at least I think it was her thigh), past the point where the coat covers.

The aesthetic reminded me of two particular words, “police” and “detective”. Police was something I had heard of, but nothing concrete; it was mostly about how it’s just a commoner’s way of preserving order in society. Detective was a term that flashed a memory, but this time it was just a blur aside from one concept: puzzle-solver. Or rather, the term crime-solver was a better descriptor.

 

This “DD”…or “Ivory” stared coldly at all of us. “I hope this doesn’t end up as some kind of addition to your band of bad bumbling happenstances.”

“N-No.” Kalea answered, “This is just a temporary thing. And from now on, we’re going to make sure Sparky here doesn’t do anything dumb.”

“S-Spa-?!” I blurted out.

Lucy covered my mouth. “Play along,” She irritably whispered.

The detective-like figure sighed and shook her head. “Grrr, Fine! Fine, fine, fine! But only this once, because you gave me a straight story this time.”

She stepped up to us. “But I’m warning all of you. Get in the way of our work next time, and I’ll rope the lot of you in.”

She then pointed directly at me with a judgemental stare. “…Especially, you!” She stepped back before giving an introduction. “And just so you have it memorized, kid, my name is DD Ivory.”

I pulled Lucy’s wing off and pushed myself away from the group as DD started to depart. (She was crossing some lines, even by my standards.)

My heart spilled words out of my mouth, “Ok, Debbie Downer Ivory. You got guts talking to me, to all of us like that. What in the phrase ‘legendary pokemon’ do you not understand?”

DD turned and faced me, not even phased by my question, “Firstly, that’s a term. And secondly, I don’t care. Here in Silspring, everyone is at the mercy of the law, ‘legendary’ or not. Deal with it, or you’ll be dealing with me.”

“By giving me the seat?” I asked mockingly. (…Ugh…Both Lucy and Kalea viciously growled at that statement.)

DD rolled her eyes and sighed, “…Wrong question and no. It’s by something far worse. Besides, I have a better use for my fate-given proportions; distinguishing respectable men from degenerate morons.” She then turned around and walked away, “So long.”

That response was irritating to me (and very well deserved). “Why you-“

Both of Lucy’s retainers held me back and covered my mouth. They all carried me away from the scene quickly, despite my squirming.

---

After a couple of blocks, the trio stopped at a hidden alleyway and let me go.

“Bleugh! Get off!” I said as the trio backed away. After a couple of breaths, “What’s her problem? Who does she think she is anyway?”

“Only Silspring’s most famous rookie detective in the past three years,” Grapploct answered.

“That’s crazy!” I declared, pointing at the Fighting-Type. “You don’t garner a reputation that fast.”

“Not unless you solved and uncovered some of the biggest crime rings in that time,” Kalea commented.

Lucy crossed her wings and stared at me with a judgmental look of her own, “And you single-handedly made her lose a vital lead in the latest case. Congrats, brother.”

Kalea crossed her arms and gave the fledgling a side glance. “Lucy, you don’t know that.”

“But it’s true!”

Grapploct stepped in between Lucy and Kalea. “Ladies, please. For now we should put aside past grudges and explain to Zera something important.”

The two pokemon glanced at each other before sighing.

“What thing?” I asked, “Is it about what happened?”

Kalea took a deep breath before aggressively answering with grinding teeth as well banging her head on a wall. “It’s something, Lugia, Lucy, and Grapploct should have warned you abooooouuuut!”

I was getting tired of the cryptic nonsense. “Well, tell me already! What is it?”

“Electric-Type attacks go haywire here, especially the strong ones,” Lucy answered hastily.

I blinked while processing what I heard. “…What?”

“She means the air here can easily spread electricity,” Grapploct explained. “Remember when…I told you about how the city converts the incoming current water into air and how we’re just breathing in the seawater.”

I thought back for a moment before answering, “Yeah? A little more technical than that, but yeah?”

“Well,” Grapploct said. “The watery air we breathe can…increase the range of Electric-Type attacks. And this air is everywhere, so you can imagine high voltage creating a slight blast of electric power. Like back there just now…from what DD seemed to be implying.”

“So my Electric-Type attacks are powered up here?” I said, “My gosh, you’re telling me that my attacks are like massive exploding Electrodes? And none of you thought to tell me that?!?”

“I said it slipped my mind!” Lucy spat back.

“And I thought Lugia would have warned you thoroughly by now,” Grapploct remarked.

“Are you all kidding me?” Kalea said, turning around. “It gets far worse than just that. Not only is it a problem for Water-Types like me, but it’s everyone, everyone here! Virtually every local here, Water-Type or not, is vulnerable to Electric power. And if someone ends up electrocuting the air near us Springers, not only do we get hit, but there’s a small and very real chance we can die from it.”

The concept the Primarina described sent a shiver down my spine. I spoke, “You mean…”

Kalea nodded with a grim look. “Yes, you have the power to kill us here. Any strong Electric-Type can easily do it here with hardly any trouble. It’s…been an unavoidable problem for a long, long time now.”

The thought of what I did so rashly, the sparks I sent from my attacks, the sparks from my running, and the backfired Plasma Fists, all of it left a deep pit in my gut. My paws were trembling. “I did all that…just…” (“Oh yeah, no big deal. Just electrocuted a few folks and blasted a whole street without thinking. Oh right, might have killed a few people from that explosion too. Congratulations, Zeraora! You are now officially a menace to Silspringer kind!”)

I could barely say anything as the pieces came together. “But then…why did…”

“Brother, you didn’t kill anyone,” Lucy stated, “You weren’t using your full power, right?”

I hesitantly shook my head. (It was hard to say for certain, but it was close…I think. That alone didn’t help anything.) “Well I…I don’t think so?”

“The citizens you did hit from that first shock at least didn’t bite the dust,” Grapploct added.

“And I was caught in that backfired Plasma Fists attack and I was fine,” the youngling assured.

Kalea gasped and slapped my left cheek after hearing that.

“Gah!” I exclaimed, “Ah ouch! Come on! That side got slapped yesterday.”

“Oh, in that case,” She then slapped the other side.

“Gah ha! Stop it! What was that one for?”

“For shocking me with that first Thunderbolt of yours,” Kalea answered.

“You got that far without legs?” I asked, trying to comfort my pained cheeks.

“Your stumbling in the mud made it very easy to,” the Primarina explained irritably.

 

I bit my lip and looked down. “Well either way, I’m…sorry.”

“Don’t worry yourself,” Lucy said. “Miscomm comm, mis-wording happens between the best of us.”

“Miscommunication,” Kalea corrected.

“That word. What she said.”

Even though it flowed awkwardly, the assurance was received all the same. I felt a little weight lift off my shoulders. However, something else was on my mind at that point. It was time to fix some mistakes.

 

I prepared to exit the alleyway when Lucy and Kalea sounded out their concern.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the Primarina asked.

My eyes narrowed as I begrudgingly turned around. “To make up for my mistake, what do you think?”

“Okay, boomer, I know what you’re thinking, but going after one little thief isn’t going to do you any favors.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

“Maybe it will,” Lucy stated, pressing the tips of her wings together. “It could lead to nice adventuring.”

“Lucy, that’s the last thing we want,” Kalea said, turning to face the fledgling.

Grapploct piped up, patting the youngling’s head. “That’s right. We should let DD and the police handle it, besides she said she would bust us if we got caught doing vigilante work.”

I turned around and quickly stirred up static to charge up power. This accidentally caused sparks to splash out and interrupt the conversation in the process.

I stopped and glanced at the shocked trio. “Ah! Uh, sorry.” (“…Forgot about that already.”)

“Wait!” Lucy called out as I ran off.

 

Once I was on the main streets again, I glanced around before returning to the alley’s entrance. Some leaps between the walls allowed me to climb up to the rooftops. There I finally got a better glance of the city as a whole. It was massive. I knew it was a big town, but the amount of buildings and streets one could hide in was practically endless.

“Oh boy, what am I doing? What am I doing?” I muttered to myself. (The answer was the most classic legendary solution to all problems: Brute Force. Raikou said “it always worked for him” after all. Ha ha, ha, aaaahhhh haaaaa…)

---

(And so began the quote on quote “Quest to Clear Zeraora’s Name.”)

I ran across the rooftops to keep a clear view of the streets, looking for anyone resembling the thief.

…But there was no luck. There were too many people. I felt the sparks constantly threatening to blast forth once more, forcing me to slow down. It was now getting past mid-Daylight and not one shred of progress was made. You’d think a Water-type like Drizzile would stick out. I sat down on the edge of the roof to consider possibilities.

“Drat!” I pounded my fist against the roof before dropping into the alleyway below.

“Ugh…How does Raikou make it look so easy?” The digits of my paws were twitching furiously at the thought. I then kicked some garbage. “Argh! This stupid town’s air and its stupid conductivity and…ggh! Gah!”

I took some deep breaths. “…Okay, Zera, you’re losing your cool. Your sparks may fly wildly, but this is no different from the rainforests. Like there, your sparks run wild, but they can be controlled.”

A metal container caught my sight. So I decided to go back to the basics I’ve learned. “Okay, Zera. You’re the power source. You’re the generator. …Generator?” I shook my head. “Gah! Focus! Focus. Just a quick, nice, and easy jolt.”

I charged myself up more and then raised a paw with digits ready for a shock. Sparks leaped and popped out of my paw for a short moment before finally settling down.

I snapped my fingers, only to be greeted with an explosion of sparks that sent me hurdling (and screaming) into a nearby nasty pile of garbage.

“…Too much power,” I moaned from my smoking body.

It was then when I heard Grapploct’s voice. “There you are.” He ran over to me and offered a tentacle. “You alright?”

The retainer seemed to be alone. He must have split off from the group in order to cover more ground and find me.

I slapped the tentacle away. “Ulgh! Yeah I’m fine,” I said, pulling myself up.

“You tried using-“

I brushed some junk noodles off my fur as I replied, “Yeah, yeah, I tried making a spark. Don’t blame me for trying to learn how to be in control here.”

“Look here, I know you’re excited to make time for some good old redemption, but let’s take a nice, deep breath and-“

“No!”

“Zera-“

“You look here, Grapploct! Ever since I got here, I’ve had no sense of choice. It’s always been me being dragged around to the next thing, running down the same hallway with no way out. It’s mentally exhausting on all ends of the spectrum!”

Grapploct’s breathing intensified at this point. “Zeraora, I understand that, but please-“

I refused to stop. I forced him to back up as I stepped towards him. “No! If I have to deal with just sitting around while some fiend runs free, then I would rather do my own job as a legendary!”

“Zera,” Grapploct shakily said, all the while grasping his head with a tentacle, “I get that you have issues, but can you not? You’re stressing me out.”

I chuckled in disbelief. (The irony was jaw-dropping.) “Oh, I’m stressing you out?!? You, Kalea, and Lucy have been stressing me to a level I haven’t been in years! And the worst part is that your little incompetent group are tying me to a ride I want NOTHING TO DO WITH!” I gave Grapploct a (probably undeserved) strong punch as I said the last part.

Grapploct stumbled back from the blow and dropped to the ground.

I huffed with clenched fists before noticing that Grapploct was barely moving. (“He wasn’t punched that hard…that should not have knocked him out.”)

I was more or less perplexed. “Uh, Grapploct? You okay there?”

I realized something was wrong. Just as I was about to pick the Fighting-Type up. He twitched for a moment before he opened his eyes. He then rolled over and…hissed at me on all fours err six? (“…Whaaat?”)

Grapploct stood on six legs in a quadruped-like battle stance, consisting of two “front legs” and a pair of tentacles for each “hind leg.” The remaining two arms shifted in a bizarre, tail-like fashion. (Yes, this posture looked just as weird as it sounds.)

 

“Grapploct? What are you-“

Before I could finish, the Fighting-type pounced, pinning me to the ground by the shoulders, like a Pyroar would.

Grapploct spoke up with an oddly cold and deadpan tone (slightly feminine too). “You listen here. You may think you’re some shining Aggron, but let me tell you this. You’re not. In fact, a Magikarp would know better than to blindly search a large area for a Drizzile. It’s sad. Oh so very sad.”

He leaned his head closer. “The lack of awareness, your methods’ sheer stupidity, it all makes you look pathetic and pitiful. Surely you would know that Drizzles and their evolutionary line can turn invisible in humid environments. Oh ho wait, this whole city is humid beyond your comprehension. That means the Drizzile is capable of turning invisible any time he pleases and for as long as he wants; he could be anywhere by now. A miniature needle in a haystack would be easier to find.”

“Grapploct, I can’t just give it up. What if-“

“What if what? The whole city gets corrupted with crime, chaos, doomsday?” the Fighting-Type asked mockingly, leaning his head even closer. He shook his head. “I’m sorry to say that it already happened years ago. And your so-called methods are leaving such an obvious trail. All I’m saying is that your way won’t ever work here. You’re just wasting your privileged breath and time.”

I gritted my teeth. He was right. I hated admitting it, but he was right. I was only checking the north-western area since that was the closest place. In truth though, that blasted Drizzile could have been anywhere at that point and I wouldn’t know it. I forgot about the Sobble line’s ability to camouflage themselves. I was so emotional, I didn’t even think about how the line would be able to use the city’s air like that.

“Am I wrong Zera, or are you just trying to find some way out of my grasp now? We can do this all day and you would be no step closer to finding your culprit, or…you could be sensible and stop now. It’s your choice.”

Just then, Lucy and Kalea appeared at a nearby intersection in the alley way. “Otto!” Lucy called.

Kalea shushed before telling the fledgling, “Lucy, you know why we can’t say that name out here.”

My ears picked up on the duo’s exchange. “Otto?” I blurted.

The Fighting-Type shut his eyes and cringed. “…Oh dear Lucy, why?” he muttered under his breath. He then placed a tentacle near my neck. “You understand what I mean, right?”

Although uncertain, I nodded slowly and reluctantly.

“Good. Don’t lose your head now.” With that, the retainer stepped away and turned around. He also whacked my face with his make-shift tail before walking off.

“There!” Lucy called. “There he-” The fledgling dropped the bag she was carrying, that same old wallet that somehow didn’t get stolen (no lesson learned after all). “…Oh no…”

I sat up and witnessed as Grapploct stumbled around a bit and then drop. After a moment, the retainer stood up, now back to a somewhat normal stance.

Within moments, the trio huddled and whispered to one another.

I shook my head and stood up. This secret talk was getting on my nerves. I walked up to the group, and asked, “Alright, what’s going on? What was with the whole…cat stance thing Grapploct did just now?”

The trio all turned to face me. All of them were nervous. Even Lucy looked uneasy.

Grapploct was the first to speak. “I…I might have gone a tad overboard.”

“A tad?” I exclaimed with furrowed brow. “Look, I can understand taking deep breaths for a lesson. Good technique, if not a little odd. But then, you started doing it again so quickly after I screwed up some cooking, and now…this! What happened just now. One moment, you’re on the ground, then the next you’re hissing at me like some Persian. Then you went and-, and made me feel like- like, like all sorts of unsettled in all the wrong ways possible, including things I still feel too young for!”

“Y-Yes,” Kalea said, “Grapploct here gets into character a lot and-“

I huffed. “What kind of Fighting-Type like him goes around jumping into a cat posture like that?”

Grapploct grasped his head as I said that last part.

“You’re going to be alright?” Lucy worriedly asked the Fighting-Type

“…Y-Yes, I’ll be, I’ll be alright,” the retainer replied.

Seeing this, I continued. “That brings up another thing. Otto? Is that a nickname for Grapploct? Because that’s honestly an easier name to say quickly.”

Kalea glared at Lucy the moment I mentioned the nickname.

Lucy covered her mouth and turned away in shame.

Kalea held the Fighting-Type’s arm over her shoulder. “It’s best that you just call him Grapploct…please?” she requested delicately.

I crossed my arms adamantly. “Why? Why not call him Otto? Is he the only Grapploct in town? Is he a newer addition to town?”

“…No, he’s not necessarily the oldest, but…” The Primarina quietly replied.

“Then why the lie? Why tell me that his name is Grapploct when he’s not the only one?” I asked.

“It’s complicated,” she answered, shaking her head. “Something that you really shouldn’t shove your nose into.”

“Meaning what?”

Grapploct piped up at this point. “Kalea, I think we should-“

“No, we don’t need to explain it,” the Water-Type interjected.

“I think I’m with Octo-Cat on this one,” I said. (The dancing statement charade went on long enough.) “What in the world are you guys hiding?” I demanded, “Tell me.”

 

The trio stood in silence, uncertain with darting eyes. I clenched my fists and stared sternly at Kalea.

Grapploct then spoke up, “Kalea, Lucy, I need a moment with you two. Please.”

After a moment, the Primarina cringed for a moment before asking me, “Zera, please give us some space.”

 

The trio eventually began to walk into the alley way when I spoke out, “Hold on, I said-“

“Please!” Lucy begged, holding my paw tightly. “Just once for…for Grapploct’s sake. We need a little time. Be on the lookout. We’ll come get you.” The fledgling was begging. The expression was (for once) serious and genuine as well.

I sighed. “…Fine,” I said, “but make it quick.”

“Thanks,” the youngling quietly said, before joining the others in the alleyway after grabbing her wallet yet again before I had a chance to offer. (She really didn’t want anyone to touch it.)

And so I stood near the entrance of the dead-end quietly, making sure nothing disturbed the group. Despite the whispering volume, I could tell there was some bickering going on.

After what seemed like a long while, Lucy separated from the group and approached me.

“Alright, and the verdict?” I asked the fledgling.

Lucy wasted no time in starting. “Let me tell you this first. Grapploct…is a special kind of individual. He may act out in unique ways, but know that no matter what, he’s still nice and he cares for his friends. Got it?”

“…Ahh, uh…” I closed my mouth and glanced away for a moment. (“Wha-…I mean. What kind of answer is that?”) (Even more odd was Lucy’s attitude. It was once again that oddly mature tone from earlier. It was honestly unnerving to see the little one use such a serious tone every time.)

With the bizarre thought in mind, I asked, “…And?”

“That’s all I can tell you…” she said. I was about to say something when the youngling continued. “…that is unless you promise us something.”

“Now wait a second here-“

“Let me finish!” The youngling then took a deep breath before giving me a stern stare of her own. “This isn’t up for debate, this is not just me you’re making a promise to, this is for Grapploct’s sake. The condition is simple. Swear an oath of secrecy to Grapploct with me and Kalea as witnesses. Only then will you get the full truth you want.”

The proposition left me somewhat shocked (and rather offended). (The nerve she had to expect such a foul thing.) Oaths by legendaries were special, especially those with witnesses involved. There are a couple of main points that make these promises distinct. First was the presence of trusted witnesses who are to keep the promise-maker accountable, down to the word. Wording for these oaths was especially important, otherwise loopholes would become a problem. The second and most important part of these oaths was this: the maker of the promise must abide by the terms of the promise until the conditions are fulfilled. Legendaries especially must follow through with their oaths and promises, otherwise they face dire consequences such as the stripping of status, or being reduced to a state of life-long servitude and debt. However, oaths of secrecy often meant long-term promises. In essence, most oaths of secrecy often lasted as long as the maker or makers lived.

(All too often were my “why” questions blocked by such oaths. I learned to despise them in addition to other things. As much as I wanted to know Grapploct’s deal, I truly wanted to ask, “is such an oath really worth the secret of one pokemon?” I wanted to stop right there and take Lucy’s word for it, but no, that wasn’t good enough for one to move on, was it?)

After some bothersome consideration, I begrudgingly and sharply nodded. “Fine. I accept the terms, but only because Kalea and Grapploct agree with it and know you better.”

“Only a precaution, brother,” Lucy stated. “This is serious, trust me.”

“Let’s get this over with already,” I grumbled, walking to the retainers.

Lucy followed me back to the others. Grapploct and Kalea were glancing at me expectantly.

“Okay, I’ll do it,” I said, crossing my arms.

Lucy stood by Grapploct and watched.

Grapploct stared into my eyes. “You know how this works, correct?”

I nodded sharply. “Yes.” (“And I still hate it.”)

Grapploct and I both raised our right hands, or arm ends…same difference.

Grapploct spoke first. “I, as Grapploct, offer the following terms for Zeraora as an oath of secrecy. Serving as a confidant in regards to behavior and personal mental health. Once sworn, you are not to disclose any of the information you learn to any one soul or being, no matter the rank, status, personal connection unless We, Kalea, Lucy, and Lugia included, approve of it. No exceptions. This oath is to last for as long as Grapploct lives. Do you accept these terms?”

This oath was as harshly (and oddly) termed as expected. (This was still rather shady, as with anything associated with secrecy.) Nevertheless, I began my part. “I, Zeraora, agree to the terms given by Grapploct. As such, from this day forward, I will abide by the terms given for as long as he lives. Thus, I seal this oath with my given word and given authority.” With that, I gave a small bow, sealing the oath with witnesses present. (There was no turning back now.)

Satisfied, Grapploct took a deep breath, almost preparing himself for something dramatic. “Very well, you gave your word for it in front of these witnesses,” he said with a serious tone.

I crossed my arms. “I did, but now you must tell me this truth I’m supposed to keep secret.”

The retainer nodded. “Indeed…. To, To establish, I…I have…The ‘Grapploct’ you see before you is not the only ‘Grapploct’ you’ve met today.”

I tilted my head, baffled by the Fighting-Type’s wording. “What do you mean by ‘not the only Grapploct?’ What? Are there multiple identical Grapplocts you’re all hiding or something?”

Grapploct’s mouth slanted awkwardly when I said that. (It was fair to assume that was not a good guess.) “Errrgh, no, it’s just not that wild per say, physically.” He then clears his throat before bracing himself. “It’s more like, I have…multiple personalities.”

My otherwise neutral expression slowly shifted itself into one that clearly showed a lack of understanding. Processing the phrase was already hard enough, but swearing an oath over something so odd and out of nowhere to say. (“We swore a freaking oath of secrecy over that?!?”)

I spoke through my teeth, trying desperately to hold onto my composure. “I…I would appreciate it if you all elaborate because you all just made me swear an oath of secrecy over this and I am not one for these sorts of secrets! P-Pleeeeeease!”

The Fighting-Type rubbed his head before gesturing to me. “I just told you. I have multiple personalities, errr maybe identities may be a little more accurate.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “Grapploct, I get that embarrassing stuff. Us legendaries have to keep appearances too with the whole ‘I am Zeraora, echo, echo, the protector of whatever, who dares step into my domain and stuff.’ Keeping that front is annoying, yet necessary. But, that’s not much of an excuse for an oath of secrecy. Everybody’s got a side they don’t want to show. Trust me, there’s…way worse.”

Kalea slapped her forehead before speaking up. “Zera, you’re missing the point here. He has multiple, as in more than one side that doesn’t like showing itself in public.”

“And it’s not an act,” Lucy added before looking back at Grapploct, “He really is…multiple pokemon in one.”

“Lucy, Kalea, let the group of experts handle this,” Grapploct said, before turning to me, “You know how my tone of voice and my mood shifted earlier?”

“You mean that cat thing, right?” I answered.

“W-Well yes. That happens when another me fronts,” the Fighting-Type explained, “This other me is what we all call an Alter. So when I change my tone of voice for example, that’s a general indicator for when a different alter is fronting.”

I blinked several times in order to process this information and understand what Grapploct was telling me. I thought I got a grasp of what he was trying to say. (Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…) “Sooooooooo, like a Morpeko?”

The retainer frowned. “Noooo! Nononono, NO! That is a completely different and unrelated set of traits!”

I raised my hands defensively. “Okay, okay, I thought I had an idea. That’s all.”

The Fighting-Type sighed with a deadpan expression. “Anyways, when I end up giving control to one of the Alters, I sort of…I don’t really know how to say without it sounding strange, but…I sort of dissociate myself from the world a bit?”

---

The word “dissociate” was all I needed for my head to hurt again. I grasped my head as a plethora of words and concepts sped through my mind. I heard about this condition before and it wasn’t exactly something to think lightly of either. Heck, its existence as a mental condition was debated on for years. If these odd memories were correct, this condition was born from trauma at an early age, before necessary mental development or something like that. I guessed even Volant hadn’t heard much about it…or rather anything pleasant.

---

Regardless of the supposed human knowledge, Grapploct just described something I found rather unsettling. I cautiously stepped back toward the wall, the others noticed my hastened breathing.

“Ah um, Grapploct, you’re not prone to violent tendencies, are you?” I nervously asked the Fighting-Type.

The retainer looked toward the others in confusion.

The others shrugged, unsure of what I was saying.

He then answered me. “No? We wouldn’t fight you without reason, none of us would.”

I pointed at the Fighting-Type. “Not Kalea and Lucy, you.”

Grapploct raised a brow in confusion. “…That’s what I said just now.”

“Brother,” Lucy said, “I told you before that he’s nice no matter what. He- I mean they are all nice folks. Sure, some of them have their quirks, but they’re the same Mr. Hero in the end. Nothing to worry about.”

 

I sighed. “…Okay, then how many of these alters did I meet?”

“Including myself, three,” Grapploct answered, “You met Itallo this morning in the garden and you brought out Madeline earlier. And to answer your question, the ‘cat stance’ is how she likes to appear.”

My eyes darted around for a moment. “I, I wasn’t going to say that, but…okay, I was. Sorry. What about the name, Otto? What’s with that?”

“Otto is the nickname we gave to the Alter you’re speaking to now,” Kalea explained, “Some of Grappleoct’s Alters are a little more subtle in their mannerisms when fronting, and ‘Mr. Hero’ is a bit of a mouthful. So for the sake of simplicity and to help distinguish him from the other Alters, we all call him ‘Otto,’ which goes well with his role.”

Since everyone was opening up, I figured I should prod a bit. “I see. Speaking of Alters…Otto, does that include by chance the ‘him’ everyone wanted me to forget about yesterday.”

Otto defeatedly sighed. “Yes, the ‘him’ is indeed one of my Alters and let’s just say the others and I gave him a thorough lecture about his behavior.”

The conversation was already weird enough, but I knew I needed to get all of the unexpected surprises out of the way now. “So, care to introduce the Alters? So I wouldn’t be surprised later.”

Every one of the trio all groaned when I said that.

“Now I know how you all felt when I asked that,” Kalea commented to Lucy and Fighting-Type.

“Welcome to the club, Kalea…” Lucy said while cringing.

I scratched my head. “What?”

 

“It’s time for the Multi-Persona Crash Course, Mister Zera” Lucy sternly declared with a pose.

I raised an eyebrow at the statement. “Multi-Persona what now?”

“That’s the name she picked out for this,” Kalea explained. “Roll with it.”

I shrugged as Lucy began, expecting a rather amateur explanation.

“We call it Multi-Persona because this ability allows Grapploct to shift between one of several identities or Alters, each with their own traits, tastes, interests, strengths, weaknesses, and even age. Literally multiple pokemon in one. No acting involved here. But there are some clear things you should know. Firstly, according to the Fighting-Type himself, this is more or less a defense mechanism, not a toy display like with what a Rotom does.”

I bit my lip. “That sounds like an amazing skill.”

Right after I said that, Grapploct slapped the back of my head.

“Ow!” I then glared back at Fighting-Type who looked at me with oddly evident confusion.

“Oh, whoops. Looks like you probably shouldn’t have used the word ‘amazing’ there.” he said, shrugging.

I rolled my eyes. “Dare I ask why?”

Grapploct just gave a chastising stare back in silence.

I began to frown, as if a pit was formed in my heart. (“…Maybe I shouldn’t have said that…”)

 

After some considerable silence, Lucy continued.

“Second, each alter has a role within Grappleoct’s mind, whether it would be protection, information, or just whatever. Otto is the host Alter since he’s out, or fronting, the most and would also answer to the name Grapploct.”

“To clarify,” Otto said, “Nothing’s really stopping someone like ah…Itallo from becoming the host per say, I just happen to be one who can face the public the most out of all of us.”

Lucy nodded. “Madeline is what we call a protector. Depending on ‘demanding situations,’ a protector will promptly front to help defend the system from the potential problem. Itallo calls himself a gatekeeper, sort of acting as the system’s head boss? Managing memories and stuff.”

 

“I shook my head. “Hold on, the system? I thought we were talking about Grapploct.”

“She means the body, Zera,” Otto clarified. “The system is what us Alters call the body and together we make it run. But Lucy, can we get to the point of why we can’t introduce everyone?”

“Okay okay, the last point is that each Alter follows three major rules. One: They must stay hidden as much as possible, letting the host deal with the public and stuff. Two: Keep the past hidden from the host. And Three: Keep the body safe. That’s it. Those are the three rules the Alters follow, collaboratively working toward a major goal to…to…uhh…you never did tell me about-“

“Lucy, that’s alright. I think he got the idea, right?” Otto interrupted, expecting me to agree.

I turned toward the Fighting-Type. “I guess? So you can’t show, but then why did Itallo and Madeline do their fronting thing at all? I would be clueless and forget if they didn’t?”

Otto rubbed his head as I said that.

I gestured to the retainer. “Just saying, forcing this reveal is on you guys.”

The retainer winced for a split second. “Zera, Itallo wants to clarify something and the technical stuff is the only way you seem to understand it.”

With that, Grapploct hunched over and pulled back his arms. After a few blinks, a familiar tone sounds out once more. “Zeraora, Zeraora, you sir are a very demanding kind of pokemon. Fitting of a legendary in a sense, but consider this a freebie. Us Alters will only appear willingly to those they trust, which as anyone would know takes a considerable amount of time.”

Itallo then wraps his right pair of arms around my shoulders. “Now I appeared to you this morning because I saw you as a reasonable fellow, based on the memories I’ve seen as Grapploct’s gatekeeper. So I fronted for a little bit since I too am of the sociable type. Proud to impart wisdom as the Drampa I am.”

“You mean Grapploct, right?”

The Fighting-Type grabbed my chin and sighed. “…You poor poor little soul of destruction you, who doesn’t see my inner world appearance. However, out here…” He then squeezes my checks before saying, “I know.” The retainer pushes on my face, sending me onto the ground.

“Fine, have your claims,” I grumbled, getting up, “But that doesn’t fully answer the question.”

Itallo irritably pointed at me. “In short, you. You’re the reason Madeline and I were drawn out today,” the “Drampa” said, “Stress is a pretty strong stimulus for some of us in Grapploct’s system. In my case, the need to explain technical concepts like the Hourglass Tower or right now is what I specialize in apart from my system role. Giving the necessary details without making things even more confusing. Madeline was triggered by your senseless rash attitude, lack of street knowledge and-“

“And what?” I asked, seeing the Fighting-Type scratch his head.

“Pardon, I was just told to stop,” Itallo replied, chuckling a little, “Madeline, she’s been watching us.”

“Whoa whoa whoa…slow down. Madeline’s still here? Madeline’s also a girl?!?”

I scratched my head as I stood back up. (“As if things couldn’t get any more confusing. And I thought the legendaries made their pronouns confusing enough. Looking at you, higher-ups.”)

Kalea piped up, “That right there is co-consciousness in action.”

“And if you think that’s crazy,” Lucy added, “you should totally see what the others can do…once they warm up to you.”

Itallo then gave me a serious look with crossed arms. “Let me say this, Zeraora. We never asked for this ability. No sane pokemon should ever ask for it. The world’s too cruel and the price is too much for one to bear. We were lucky in the system’s youth. Do you fully understand?”

I tried to make a hesitant reply, “Well I-“

“No no. Look into my eyes right now. Do you fully understand? Think real hard about it.”

I did as the retainer asked and thought about it. There was something involved, something Itallo couldn’t say. He definitely made it clear. (Then it hit me. A cruel price, “lucky in the system’s youth,” the thought of it made me sick. I didn’t know what, but it was definitely in a dark place I wanted nothing to do with.) So whatever Grapploct went through, this “ability” is more like a by-product, a defense mechanism to cope, rather than something one would actually want to use. Almost like a ghost’s curse.

 

After some time, I decided to take Itallo’s word for it. I stared into his eyes and answered, “Yes, I understand.”

The retainer nodded. “Good, I may define myself as elderly, but my Drampa-brand Flamethrower can still fry a storm, even in the Central District,” Itallo said proudly.

“Hah! Hahaha Ha!” I laughed, “Now that right there is Tauros-waste if I ever heard it. Even an ‘idiot’ like me has done their research on you Grapplocts. And last I checked, Grappleocts can’t use Flamethrower.”

And just as I said that, Itallo, unenthused by my comment, puffs himself up. To my surprise, a stream of flames poured forth from his mouth.

I yelped as I ducked under the flames that blasted the garbage behind me. The sheet heat emanating from the stream was more than enough to convince me. (“Yep, that’s a definitive Flamethrower.”) It was even hotter than a lot of other Fire-Type attacks I’ve seen in the past, almost over half-comparable to Entei’s flames (and those attacks were extremely hot).

After the attack finished, the retainer crossed his arms. “Do you believe me now?” the retainer asked smugly.

“Mmmmeeeheeee…” I sounded out behind clenched teeth.

“Marvelous. I’ll let Otto take the reins now.” With that, the retainer blinked several times before slumping over and coughing.

Lucy piped up. “Uh, brother? Your scarf’s on fire.”

“It’s not a scarf,” I growled, “It’s my tail and-…wait! On fire?!?”

I glanced back toward my tail, which burned in a way that would make Charmanders proud, but not me. “Whoa!” I rolled over and grabbed my tail, proceeding to rapidly slap it on the ground.

Kalea, with an apathetic glance, then doused me, tail and all, with a large Water Gun. (So much for staying dry.)

Seeing the tail put out, I stood and dusted myself off. “…Thanks. So I guess now that you’re finished, how did you all find me?”

Grapploct spoke up, now back to Otto fronting, “That part was easy.”

“Let’s just say your trail was…a little bright.” Lucy added.

Kalea gave Lucy a deadpan glance. “Lucy, ‘a little bright?'”

I scratched my cheek and looked away, embarrassed by my past actions. “Ah…huh, who would have thought the brute force method wouldn’t work this time?”

“Everyone!” the Primarina shouted at me with a twitching eye, “Everyone knows that never works!”

“Weeeeell…it kind of does, given the time,” Lucy remarked.

“Lucy dear, don’t encourage him,” Kalea said with an irritated sigh.

“Just saying-“

“She’s right, Lucy,” I stated, “I guess I got real mad at that detective and…I don’t know. I just wanted to show that I wasn’t some useless bystander. So…sorry.”

“It’s fine citizen,” Otto assured, “Part of this whole deal was our fault too…and admittedly Lugia’s. It matters not though, for no type of justice hasn’t endured some kind of trial, whether physically or…you know.”

“Alright, Otto,” Kalea said, “I’m pretty sure Zera here is still a bit down from not catching that thief he totally should have easily captured, so why don’t we do something to get our minds off of that and this whole information dump we had him endure.”

“How about the Underside?” Lucy suggested.

“No,” the Water-Type promptly replied.

“There’s an Underside?” I asked.

The trio all gave me a deadpan look upon hearing my question.

“Yes,” Kalea stated dully, “Silspring, the seafloor town, has an underwater underside to it…and it’s rather nasty if you come in at the wrong end.”

“Hey, it’s not all bad,” Lucy said, “It has some nice sights too.”

“And Kalea said it was underwater,” I added.

“Not all of it brother, just the outer edges…and the expressway.”

“Too bad said expressway is the only open way to access the area right now. Or at least this morning it was,” the Primarina pointed out.

Lucy waved off the remark. “Pfft! Big deal. Just give Zera a Breather Seed and we’re set. I prepped him to get used to the Central District waters after all.”

I turned to the fledgling as I processed the words. “You did?”

“She half-did,” Otto stated. “I only gave the crash course.”

Kalea gave yet another sigh. “Alright, but if he drowns it’s on you, Otto.”

Otto nodded in agreement. “Don’t worry yourself, he’s gotten better. He’s a fast learner.”

As much as I wanted to retort, I was just too worn down from the information lecture. I hardly cared. “…Fine, let’s see this underside.” With that, we all left the alleyway after gathering our things.

 

Regardless of the circumstances, I was now burdened with an oath of secrecy whether I liked it or not. A human concept come-to-life in the form of Grapploct, or rather this “Grapploct System” described to me. The thought of such a strange and real phenomenon made me dread what else awaited me today.

 

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Fragment of Knowledge:

Silspringers File #1

Basic Description:

Silspringers is a local term that defines a pokemon born native to the town of Silspring. Unlike other seafloor civilizations, Silspring is the only one that allows for land-dweller inhabitance thanks to the city’s specialized air shields. While such a case would normally not affect the definition of a pokemon, specific traits related to Silspring’s atmosphere brought about the need for a definition.

While Silspring’s air shields can convert incoming water from the currents into breathable air, the resulting atmosphere is still incredibly humid, even when compared to the air found in rain-forests. Overtime, local pokemon managed to adapt to the climate, gaining a greater tolerance for water within their breaths as well as a greater resistance against the cold and fire.

However, this adaptation brought about a grim biological weakness from among the locals. As a result of being used to the extremely humid environments, Silspringers tend to wear down their stamina and even develop thirst more quickly in dry environments, similarly to Water-Types. The worst aspect of this weakness is an inherent vulnerability to electricity. Unless they happen to be a Ground-Type, the Silspringer is effectively a natural born Water-Type thanks to larger presence of water within their bodies.

An Electric-Type attack in Silspring’s more humid environments is especially dangerous and potentially lethal to Silspringers and Water-Types alike since the air’s concentration of seawater can conduct strong electrical currents. As a result, currents could travel into a Silspringer’s body and zap the water within their body, brutally burning their muscles and other vital body parts in the process.

Due to this risk, Electric-Type pokemon are often sent to the Sound District in order to reduce the risk of death. This measure and general fear, also resulted in Silspringer Electric-Types typically having much weaker Electrical power due to the air serving as an incredibly easy medium to send currents through.