Chapter 1- White Lightning

Libra Riolu’s POV

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‘Dear Master Dodrio.’

‘Life in Bristberg was interesting. Well, from my perspective.’

Something crazy was always going on.

‘There was something that made the Celestial Hemisphere special, and all the Continents within its boundaries special compared to the rest of the world.’

‘It was the energy all Pokémon used to power their moves and evolve. This was called mana, the special thing was how each Pokémon had a different relationship to it. The relationship of a Keeper or one of a Sentinel.’

That same thing ruined my life.

“Now why was this so particularly interesting?” Master Dodrio had asked me in reply a few months ago.

‘Bristberg was a town carved into and stationed around a glorious teal Mountain range. This town was nestled in the northern heartland of a Continent named Constellation. It laid far into the reaches above the equator of a Hemisphere distant from the chaos of the Sand, Air, Grass, Mist, and Water Continents.’

‘
‘Pokémon who called this Hemisphere their home were all put into two categories: Keeper or Sentinel. It was not just Pokémon conceived and hatched out of their egg in these Continents who were either a Keeper or a Sentinel. Every Pokémon who was from the other Hemisphere would also find themselves belonging to one of these classifications. Just like my teammates, our friends, and numerous other Pokémon found ourselves in.’

‘We belonged to the League now.’

At least this group was our light in the darkness. Our chance to strike back.

‘The League was a group of organizations all across the Hemisphere that hosted numerous Rescue Teams and had them go on specialized missions. It was similar to Explorer’s Guilds, Pokémon Paradises, and Expedition Societies.’

‘But the state of Keepers and Sentinels weren’t as cut and dry as the textbooks would like us to believe. Some Pokémon were somewhere between Keeper and Sentinels. Some felt others as Keepers did, others could never be sensed as Sentinels or somehow neither qualities. I knew there were some like that from the day I met one of those interesting Pokémon at the League.’

That interesting Pokémon was right before me: Linus Treecko. I mean there wasn’t anything too crazy about Linus, as he hatched as a Sentinel. The Treecko wasn’t super strong or a member who joined our League long ago. But there was something about him, a subtle, very faint energy. Not just him, his teammates, Glade and Nevada had this as well.’

“I’m not entirely sure it was aura, but A-chan wanted me to be patient. I have to thank you Master Dodrio, all of my classmates could sense aura because of your years-long training regime.”

‘Glade was a Totodile and Nevada was a Charmander, both joined in to make his Team. Linus was captain of this Rescue Team. Currently, five years after he made it, the Team was Silver Rank. Which was decent enough for our League.’

‘Of course, we in the higher ranked teams weren’t told to treat him or his teammates differently just because they were Fangs of the Fallen.’

This land was as complex as the first edition of the adventure guide book from Lively Town’s Expedition Society. We  barely made heads or tails of it ourselves.

‘Fangs of the Fallen, another unique classification of Pokémon that this Continent had. Not much was known about it, like its existence in general, let alone what it even meant. The only detail we had was that it was something special that Legendary Pokémon called them and other Pokémon. However, Linus was not like me or my Froakie friend.’

‘I had to get to the bottom of this.’

‘Best wishes.’

‘Libra Riolu of Bristberg Mana Research League in Constellation.’

---

Linus looked up at me the best he could and took in a deep breath. “So y’all are telling me ya feel something from me?”

“Yes.” I answered.

The Treecko looked away and rubbed the back of his head.

A-chan nodded. “I know it’s weird like we aren’t Keepers and even they can’t feel anything from you three.”

“I see.” Linus looked down at his hands. “But I still have some questions.”

So why was he here?

A-chan, my Froakie teammate, and I had sat down at one of the tables on the second floor and were reading when he approached us.

“Hey Linus.” the Froakie waved with a smirk.

The Treecko pulled up a seat and positioned himself across from A-chan and me. “Howdy Libra, A-san. How are y’all doing?” he asked.

“I’m doing alright.” I closed my textbook and gave him my full attention. “Did you need something? You usually never come around us if you don’t.”

Linus gulped and leaned toward the Froakie. “Uh, is she mad at me?”

“I’m not mad.” I clarified. “Just curious.”

A-chan tapped my shoulder and shook his head. “Come on now Libra, take it easy.”

“Fair. Continue Linus.” I sat back.

“Well, ma younger siblings, Hatchet and Kobi asked about you two, so I thought I’d write up a letter ’bout our experience workin’ together at da League.” Linus explained.

“Hmm, the most notable experience we had working together?” the Froakie repeated. 

“Yes,” the Treecko replied.

“Are you sure? It’s a long story from five years ago.” I reminded him.

A-chan leaned toward us.”Oh, you want me to remind you of what happened back in our trip to Wei Forest too?”

Linus pulled out a pencil to jot down on some paper. “I’d love ta hear it again!”

A Pokémon like me needed some fresh air. Being in a Mana Research League shouldn’t mean I stayed indoors all day.

With a labored sigh, I opened a cabin window slowly to take in the brisk early morning air. The wind today was full of moisture but still light and breezy and reminded me of back home.

The wind was just like the Water Continent. “Salty waters, dusty skies, Water O’ you sure our pride.” I sang. My tail drooped as if I had missed something. Hmm, maybe I should have brought my harmonica. Maybe there’s a spare in the cabin I could have borrowed.

I glanced over to the small cots and beds that were in the rooms behind me and stretched. In the beds lay a Froakie, a Treecko, a Charmander, and a Totodile. Only the Froakie, Aquarius, or rather I called him A-chan was part of my team, Team Blue Heroes. I’m not the Captain but today I was excursion Co-Leader with A-chan.

As for the other Pokémon, they were the recently formed Team Sharp Claw. They had done well on their missions around town for the last month, so now we ramped things up a bit.

Linus, the Treecko had been here at the League for a year doing research and always aspired to become a leader, yet all he managed to do was to just let his Rescue Team run around. He didn’t know how to help or handle them. The Treecko barely helped himself.

Glade was the Totodile that was excitable and battle-hungry. She said she’s been through so many Mystery Dungeons back down south, but without a team, she never really grew. I’ve always felt that she’s seen an event that changed her… That poor Totodile must have been through something.

Then there’s Nevada, the Charmander. I’m worried about them, they have a real fear of anyone that yells at them and are quite jumpy. This Charmander had bottled up their anger until it exploded in even minor scuffles or arguments. Nevada also seemed to have confidence issues. A tragedy must have plagued them, I’m sure of it.

I looked down at my paws and grumbled. So many things have changed since Aquarius, I, and others in our Team moved to our ancestors’ birthplace, the Celestial Hemisphere. Unfortunately, I’ve been a Riolu almost the entire time. 

Today marked another year of working in the Constellation Continent. These lands held such boundless power in Mana and strife among Pokémon called Keepers and Sentinels, we didn’t know what we got ourselves into. Mana was the energy in the Celestial Hemisphere that allowed Pokémon to use their moves and evolve.

A rustle of covers meant someone, probably A-chan, had woken up. I should have talked to him before the others were up too.

“Morning doggy,” the Froakie smirked as he shifted in bed.

“Good morning,” I replied and turned around, just before a pillow flew over my head. “Team Sharp Claw?!”

“Mornin’ Libra.” the Totodile piped up. “You dodged that pillow pretty well.” 

“What?”

“You mean I dodged it well.” the Charmander next to them yelped. “It was thrown back at me!”

“Back?”

“You started it.” Glade climbed out of bed with a wild grin.

“Glade!” Linus yelled and launched out of bed with a Quick Attack.

The Totodile blocked the Treecko with a pillow that was tore straight through as his fist crashed into her side. “Oh?” she growled. “You want some too?”

I cleared my throat. “These aren’t our pillows, I’ll have to replace this one.”

“Crap!” Nevada reached down to pick up their ruffled pillow.

“What a way to start a morning eh Team Sharp Claw? the Froakie chuckled as he stretched out in bed. “You’re paying for it by the way.”

“Sorry Libra, sorry A.” The three apologized.

“It’s time to head out isn’t it?” I asked.

We cooked some breakfast, cleaned up and got ready to hit the road. Outside in the forest! I always believed Pokémon who lived or worked in a busy town or city needed to get away to experience some of the finer things in life. It’s the same. No matter which Continent or Hemisphere you’re in.

That meant going outside to a forest, a nice normal one. “My paw pads feel amazing out here.” I grinned.

“The soft grass of the Wei Region beats the cobblestone of Bristberg any day.” Linus joined me as I basked in the sun.

The rich scent of an untouched forest. Dirt, pollen, grass, and dew. There are Mystery Dungeons that have this sort of vibe to them, but it was peaceful out here in the stray lands. No bright street lamps. Sure we had our lanterns but they weren’t bright.

Being far from so many city Pokémon’s overwhelming Aura for kilometers was a plus too. I was the only Riolu here, so only I was annoyed by that part, even if A-chan could also somehow sense it.

Team Sharp Claw had never felt the concept of feeling the energies of others, especially when you don’t want to. 

Half of the Pokémon in this Hemisphere seem to understand the concept though. Keepers. They’re used to sensations. Well, not sensations, more like tastes. I wouldn’t know, I’m just a Sentinel. 

The skyline morphed from dark violet to a warm tangerine, while clouds slowly built up.

There was the chatter and chitter of far-off bug-types and flying-types. It continued as we ventured through a primeval forest, and followed the trail marks left by other Pokémon.

“I could get used to this.” I grinned.

“We got up at the crack of dawn to get stuff done. You could get used to this?” A asked.

“Well, doing requests of the Coordinator isn’t a bad thing ya know.” I waved him off.

The Froakie narrowed his eyes. “But could this foray into the woods really help us find the answer to all of our problems?”

The majority of other older Pokémon in the League don’t understand how it feels to have your progress stripped away like that, to upgrade, and then go get kicked back down. Devolution . A-chan, I, and two of our friends evolved but recently went back to our old forms, just bigger.

The path we took started to widen. I pulled out my mini-map and ran a claw along the chart. “We are headed downhill to Bilei Ye Forest, home to our requests,” I explained.

A-chan and I were asked by Coordinator Cooper to watch over another Rescue Team on their first mission out of town. Our joint request was to enter Wei.

“Remember we need to gather some rare items for our medical department.” Linus explained.

“Which ones again?” Nevada tilted their head.

“Balm Mushrooms, Golden Berries, and Revival Herbs.” Glade listed.

Now those items could be found in the Mori Region which was closer to our base out in Bristberg. But to find the ripest and highest quality of these items we had to go to the Wei Region.

The slow light of the sun approached as we made our way toward thicker patches of grass. After we walked a while there were the treetops that came into view. Ones with leaves I couldn’t see the color of began to cast their shadows over us. As we walked towards the areas with smaller vegetation and fruit trees the three on the other Team latched their lanterns to their basket straps.

“This is gonna be a long day.” A sighed.

“How can you tell?” Glade asked.

I pointed over my shoulder. “One quick glance at the type of Berries growing said it all.” Even in the dim light of early morning, I saw the first layer of fruit.

“I used to do this back home in my cousin’s orchard.” Linus called.

“What is it?”

“A large rotund Berry… Oran.”

The Froakie beside me shook his head. “There’s a low chance that even Sitrus Berries grow there.”

“Ah mon,” Nevada groaned.

Glade sifted through the brambles and leaned her head back. “You’ve gotta be freaking kidding me!”

“The items the medical department needs aren’t present there.” I patted her on the back. ”But you’ll figure it out.”

“If you run into any trouble, call us!” A-chan called out.

“Got it!” the three replied.

The Froakie watched the little Rescue Team take their request papers out. He took a couple of hops back and stared out into the distance.

I crossed my arms and tried to get a good map of the area. Looking at my compass and taking a deep breath, I decided to cleanse my mind and focus.

Toward the North, I stared at large pillars that took up the majority of the forest. In the fog of the dawn, the figures seemed like the legs of giants, moss, and odd gashes in the rock like the ragged fur and marks of battle.

Linus rubbed his chin as he paused through his search in the bushes.”Those aren’t mountains, are they?”

“They can’t be Mon-made either, right?” Glade pondered.

“What are these?” Nevada asked.

“I heard those were formed out of quartz-sandstone,” A-chan explained. “From rain and ice erosion after thousands of years.”

“I see,” I replied. “Kinda like karst.”

We walked further through the forest eastward as the sun continued to rise in the sky.

“I was wondering.” Nevada started to dim their tail flame a tad as we walked through some thick grass. “Why did you guys come on this mission with us?”

“Just to watch us like we’re little hatchlings, that’s why!” Glade laughed.

“The two of us are on the lookout for some suspicious events or figures that could be in the area,” I waved my paw. “League business.”

“Ooh, like busting outlaws!” The Totodile slashed at the air.

A waggled his finger with a laugh. “We weren’t gonna do anything besides note our findings and make sure regular Pokémon are safe.”

Every time that little Team went to another section of the forest we trailed behind them. This led us towards the north near the faux karst structures. They still stood magnificently in the air, as the wind blew through the moss and other plant tendrils that clung to them.

“You should definitely be able to find the Balm Mushrooms here.” The Froakie pointed at the thick shrubbery.

Glade peered at the leaves and lifted one to claw at the dirt. “Why’s that?”

“With the lack of sunlight patches from all the quartz-sandstone pillars and tall thick trees, there should be all sorts of Mushrooms,” Nevada said.

“Correct.” A replied.

“Ah, there would be lots of dead plant matter, which is a perfect condition for growth!” Linus cheered.

“It’s still really dark here so we have to be careful,” I reminded everyone and stepped over a raised tree root.

Every time we got close to the quartz-sandstone, I felt a strong pulse of energy resonate in the area. It was like an approaching thunderstorm. Two distinct thunderclaps. I tripped and hit myself against a huge rock that was hidden by some brambles. The sharp pain had shot up in a line all across my front that made me limp a tad bit. “Damnit!”

“You okay?” A-chan asked.

I took in a ragged breath and tried to contain my impulsive growling. But I should be able to take it. “Y-yeah, I will be.” I sighed. Again I got lost in my senses.

“Well, let’s continue to patrol and inspect the area.” the Froakie smiled. “Watch where you’re going doggy!” He giggled before he patted my back.

We walked past some more quartz-sandstone structures again as we studied the area.

“Even though we’ve seen them before, they are just so awesome!” Glade jumped around and pointed at the towering formation.

“Don’t let them distract you now,” I reminded. “We need to leave before dark.”

“I kinda have da urge ta climb them.” Linus clenched his fists.

“Why?” Glade snickered.

“Ta use them as vantage points.”

“Don’t!” I yelled.

“Why not?” the Treecko leaned away.

Nevada pointed at the towering rock. “Well, first of all, you can’t-”

“True,” Linus sighed.

“Second of all I won’t be able to go up there with you if anything happens.” I placed my paw down.

“Huh?” The Totodile beside us gasped. “You, of Team Blue Heroes legend wouldn’t be able to?”

“I, uh well, I feel like that would curse me.”

“Mew, or Arceus, or even Xerneas don’t curse Pokémon over climbing do they?”

“Water Continent teachings,” A explained and patted me on the shoulder. “Lugia, Manaphy, Kyogre, and others of blue have blessed us too much for her to do that.”

We continued searching for what felt like a couple of hours later and spotted the Revival Herbs. They were on the edge of the land and a Toxicroak’s field of crops. 

“Look!” Nevada beamed and held their prize.

“That’s great and all but be careful.” A begged.

“Careful of WHA-” Linus tripped into his Teammates. As the three fell they got tangled up in the brambles and thickets. 

I ran towards the nearest picket fence and stared at it down. This fence was only a bit shorter than me, and I was nearly at a Lucario’s height! The only good thing about Devolution I swear. I put out my arms when I spotted the kids. “You guys better get outta there right now!” I yelled. 

A-chan got beside me and started making a rope out of his back frubbles. The white bubbles were sturdy enough when chained together so he tossed them over the fence. “Here! Climb on!”

Those three stood still and slowly turned to face us. “What? Why?” they asked.

“It’s clear as day!” I shouted as I waved my paws. “That sign says it’s a tender season for the crops!”

“What’s that mean?”

“Just hurry up and come here!”

“Alright!”

A-chan helped me hold onto them. “Tender means the crops are fragile,” the Froakie yelled. “If you damage them you’ll pay a crap ton of money!”

“We weren’t gonna damage ‘em!” The Treecko protested.

“Who’s gonna know?” The Totodile yapped.

“Nobody will know.” The Charmander replied.

“They’ll know.” A deadpanned, as he struggled with the rope. “They’re gonna know.”

“I mean there’s a Toxicroak standing right in the field!” I growled and pulled the three over the fence. “And I’m not letting them take you to Wei Court!”

Unfortunately, I yanked them kinda hard and the fence buckled under our pressure. It collapsed off the cliff and took us with it. My eyes flashed before me as I pulled Nevada and Glade in front of me while A-chan held Linus. We screamed as we tumbled off a hill into another patch of land.

With a thud we crashed through nature’s netting and collided into a pile of dirt. Linus fell onto the grass first, with A-san and Glade right after him. A large dangle of vines, moss, and decrypt trees surrounded me as I came to.

“Look over there!” Glade yelled.

I whipped around my head in her direction. “What?”

“There are the Revival Herbs!”

I beckoned A-chan over. “Something was weird about this area.” I whispered.

“What’s up?” He whispered back.

“There was lots of Aura. Not just the pulsing sparks.”

“Okay, don’t let them get startled, but just stay on your guard.”

“Alright guys I know we are almost done but we need to not get ahead of ourselves,” I said as we climbed out of the natural enclosure.

“Understood!” the three happily replied.

“Since we are taking a while in our search, I propose we head West,” A said. “Then we can investigate properly.”

“Sounds good to me.” I stretched my arms and shifted my back around.

“Hopefully we can find the last item,” Glade said.

With every step we took I felt more and more of the pulsing, it started to get stronger and stronger. Amidst the rustling of leaves and foliage from the new team’s search, a chill ran down my spine.

What was going on? Where are all these odd emotions coming from? Who am I getting these from and how? My nose twitched as I narrowed my eyes, and peered between the cracks.

“A-san! Libra!” Glade called and waved her arms wildly. “There’s some Pokémon following us!”

“Get behind me!” The Froakie ordered Team Sharp Claw.

 The three followed as quickly as possible.

My feelers haven’t picked up anyone else nearby! “What?” I growled, and subconsciously I bared my fangs.

“Look out!” Nevada cried, and pulled me out of the way of something.

Where I once stood was a shadowy blanket and a ghostly orb, and energy flew every which way. It looked big but… The power behind them was weak. The only ones who could have done this were Pokémon nearby.

“Neheheheh!” A cackle erupted from the bushes. “Sorry~ We totally didn’t mean to do that!”

Behind us was a trio of Pokémon, who wore purple, black, and red capes. A Gengar, a Dragapult, and a Midnight-Lycanroc. I don’t understand, the three of them had flimsy, fraudulent auras for some fully evolved Pokémon. Something wasn’t right here.

“Travelers.” The Dragapult’s slimy child-like voice called. “We have some things to discuss with you!”

A and I stared at the scarlet, violet, and black colored patches on their coat and then over each of them.

“What is it?” I asked. “We’ve got some requests to do, so I’d appreciate it if you’d not fire attacks at us. Or it’ll get ugly real quick.”

“Have you seen any Legendary or Mythical Pokémon around here?” Asked the Lycanroc, as they stuck their tongue out their tongue and slowly circled us.

“No.”

“Well onto the next topic.” The Gengar pointed their claws and bared their ghostly fangs. 

Really? Those little teeth? Nevada’s were bigger! Guess I haven’t had a good enough workout- I’m ready to go wild!

“Froakie! Riolu! You are coming with us!”

“Excuse me?” A took a glance at me and questioned as he distanced himself from the Pokémon. “Why do you want us?”

I stepped forward and drew in a breath with a growl. “Answer him.”

The Dragapult took that as a cue and leapt at me. They missed their swipe at me with a clumsy strike. “You two are a special pair! A pair we shall capture!”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” I pulled my arm back and collected fighting spirit into a red aura on it and landed a Force Palm on the Lycanroc’s shoulder.

That’ll do it! When it connected they staggered backwards and nearly collapsed onto the floor.

“You don’t understand do you?” The Gengar crashed into me from below with a Shadow Sneak, as it knocked me off balance and somehow toppled me over. It’s still weak?

A hopped forward and sliced at the Dragapult with a precise blade of Aerial Ace wings, which sent them backwards into the air. The Dragapult quickly darted around us and fired out Dragon Darts at Glade and Linus. 

“Block them!” I ordered the two, as I got up and put myself in between them and the enemies.

The two complied and launched out a blast of Leafage, and a Water Gun at the move. It barely managed to destroy it.

On the floor, the Lycanroc struggled to get back up. “Foolish League slaves!” They cackled stupidly, and formed a Rock Tomb, directly over Nevada. “We know what you are!” The Lycanroc howled.

I sprang forward to push the Charmander out of the way but wasn’t fast enough. The massive pile of stones crushed Nevada, and instantly trapped them.

“Nevada!” We all yelled as the dust settled.

“We’ll get them!” Glade shot a Water Gun at the pile of rubble. Linus tossed a Mega Drain at the debris and pulled out the Charmander.

“Okay!” I replied. Below me, there grew a purple ring of energy. I rolled to the side to catch the Gengar.

“Watch out!’ I heard a warning from someone and my instincts took over and I dove to the side.

I took in dark energy and opened my maw, with my teeth hardened I used Crunch on the enemy in front of me. A jet of bubbles sped toward me, I let go to dodge a Bubble Beam from the Froakie. It made its mark, instantly doused the Lycanroc, and caused them to faint from the damage. 

The Gengar crashed into me with another Shadow Sneak and nearly knocked me over. At this range, I quickly landed another Crunch on them and they went down for good.

“Take this!” A-chan swung a blade of Aerial Ace at the Dragapult, which sent them onto the floor right into their buddies. “And stay down!”

I hunched over my knees and panted. “Ugh,” I groaned. 

“Those three gave us- ah.” The Froakie paused to wheeze. “Put up quite a fight yeah?”

“Harder than I expected.”

Nevada’s warm claw pulled on my paw and beckoned me closer. “Is it over?”

“Yeah, you’re safe now. We pummeled those brats into the ground in no time flat right?” I stretched my sides as I handed an Oran Berry to them.

“Yeah!” Linus pumped his fist. “That was so awesome!” 

Just as I relaxed there was a squelching noise. “What in the world was that?”

“Look!” A pointed.

We all looked down at the Gengar, Lycanroc, and Dragapult slowly started to shrink. Their limbs
disappeared and their skin turned a light lavender.

“Ditto?” Nevada asked, their flame brightened.

“The Gengar, Lycanroc, and Dragapult were Ditto!” Linus gasped.

“Disgusting purple creatures.” I growled before I coughed. “The bunch of them.”

Glade kicked one of them. “Thought they could trick us?”

Once she did that something black and shiny rolled out. Besides the three Ditto was a thin metal cylinder. It had a red and purple etching engraved in a serpentine pattern across every side with a glowing button on the opening seal.

“There’s a scroll?” the Totodile stepped back.

“Let’s open it.” I offered and held up the scroll.

A grimaced as he opened the hatch to unfurl its contents. “I’m a bit worried about all those things the Ditto mentioned, seeing Legendaries.”

“What does it say?”

“It’s in Constellation- let me see,” the Froakie lifted the rich brown parchment closer to his eyes.

There was a whole list of Pokémon names, organizations, towns, and Continents but there were a few that stuck out to me.

‘A Riolu and a Froakie in the Bristberg League are [PENDING], Sentinels- a threat to balance and order we believe our Eternal Lord had in line for Keepers and Sentinels.’

I grasped my scarf tight in my paw and took in a trembling breath. Pending!? “A-chan and I are a threat to the order of Keepers and Sentinels.”

“Xerneas’s sake.” Glade took a step back. “What does that even mean?”

“I have no clue.” I groaned.

“There’s something else!” A-chan pointed a little bit below and my jaw dropped.

‘The Treecko, the Totodile, and the Charmander trio of the Bristberg League are Fangs of the Fallen Sentinels, a threat to our mission on behalf of the Eternal Lord.’

“What is it?!”

I took a deep breath. “On the scroll, it mentions that you three are something called the Fangs of the Fallen.”

The Treecko beside me gasped. “Glade, Nevada, and I are what?”

“We are not just Sentinels, but Fangs of the Fallen?!” Nevada panicked, as their tail flame heated up.

“Whatever that means we’ll have to find out later.” I held my chest and took in another breath.

“What? But that’s about all of us!” Glade grumbled.

“It’s important stuff the Chief and Coordinator haven’t even told us about and you want us to wait?” Linus grabbed A-chan’s shoulder.

“Remember we just fought those Ditto?” I rolled up the scroll.

“Yeah,” The Charmander sighed.

The Froakie padded the Treecko on the back. “The real deal could be out here nearby. It’s not safe in Bilei Ye Forest without backup,” he explained.

“We need to hurry!” I barked.

“But what about the Ditto?” Nevada asked.

“I’ll tie them up and send out a request for someone to pick these guys up through my badge,” I explained and set down my bag and rummaged for some Nullifying Net.

Glade rolled her shoulders as she watched me. “So your team or another team will come and grab the Ditto punks?”

“Yeah, we don’t have time to take them back,” I replied, as my ears twitched. Some leaves rustled in the wind, as they swayed back and forth in a dance.

“This net can only work when the target has fainted and a Pokémon has charged the gear-like device on the side in a Mystery Dungeon.”

I put the three Ditto inside and then pulled my badge off my scarf. ‘Calling all, we have some Ruffians that need retrieving, three Ditto with a Null Net beacon attached to them in Wei Forest.’

After I finished the call I put my badge away and stared off into the distance. Something was out there. My chest ached without it. What was it?

“Libra!” A-chan put a webbed hand on my shoulder.

There was a concerned and worried Aura that flowed off him. He looked into my eyes. It’s only logical he would feel it too. If the others were here-

“Did you not hear me?”

“What?” I questioned, as my heart rate spiked. There’s another spark.

The Froakie took his hand off me and then pointed to the left. “Those three said they heard something suspicious in the bushes!”

I raced over to where the rookies were. “What was it?!” I grabbed the shoulders of the Treecko and shook him. I took a glance into the bushes. Then I felt it. One of the small and faint pulses.

“I-I heard someone, a young voice.” Linus trembled as my anxiety peaked. More sparks.

“One of the Ditto brats?”

“No, this sounded a bit older, and there was something else.”

“What about them?”

“They were crying.”

A flood of malice swept through the area as sparks danced in my mind. Whoever those Ditto worked for drew near. There were so many powerful auras. Too many for us to handle, and there was only one choice.

“Come with me!” I shouted and trusted my instincts. I dashed forward and grabbed the rookies. On impact, we tripped into the leaves, and branches and found our world flipped upside down. There was a small hole. Of course, there fucking was.

“A-aquarius!” I cried out, as I watched the Froakie hesitate.

Then he leapt.

Before I knew it I was flat on my back. The pulsing began to beat like a drum when I came to, and we aren’t alone. There was the scent of blood, it was only a small amount but it was blood. I opened my eyes. 

The faint light of my lantern lit up our surroundings in a blur of oranges, yellows, and reds. A drip of water fell on my head. One after another the stream continued to flow. I felt no more fierce Aura. But what kind of Pokémon was down here?

“Is everyone okay?” A-chan groaned, and his ribbit echoed through the cavern. Or wherever the voids we are.

“Could be better,” I mused.

The rookie Team stirred and staggered to their feet.

“Yeah, I think so.” The Totodile grumbled.

The Charmander next to her flinched as they leaned against the wall. “N-no, I wanna go home,” they cried.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you all out of here.” I coughed.

“Arcueness gracious,” the Treecko sighed. “That was…” He paused for a moment to cough.

“Quite a fall right?” A-chan hopped forward.

“Yes… Oh, wait!” The three lit up.

“Wait what?” A-chan and I asked.

“The crying!” The rookies ignited the fuel of their lanterns and the area lit up.

There was a forked path, one with black scorch marks along the floor and the faint sound of sobbing, the other with nothing.

A-chan grabbed my arm. “Libra-”

“Sorry.” I apologized, and cut him off.

He slapped me across the chest and I reeled back. “Stay focused.” the Froakie lifted his lantern to my muzzle. “You felt it too ya know.”

Loud thunder crashed. Lightning followed behind as a flash in my mind. The familiar tingle of danger. Aura. It’s those Pokémon from before. This feeling sucked. A pressure in my belly and head that makes me want to run away. I hated it. It made me want to-

I needed to continue the investigation. 

I nodded as a residual throb of pain flashed through me, and I quickly made haste into the traveled path. The drumming inside my head grew louder with every little step we took. Soon we arrived.

Sounds of running water drowned out the panicked breath and crying sobs. I put my paw up to my temple. This was a passageway that held an underground river, a wide tunnel, and there was a bush to the wayside. A crackle of electricity whipped out of it. We need to wait. I took a single step closer.

When I did so a white snout stuck out from the leaves. I took a step back. The branches of the bush parted and out came a small white and grey Pokémon. Tears still dripped from their orange eyes as static filled the air. They were frozen, unwavering in thought. And so were we.

“It was odd… I’ve seen this Pokémon before in books. A feline-Esque Pokémon, one normally bright yellow and huge.” I hummed as the thought bubbled in my mind.

“Huge?” Linus asked.

“Well, not this small.” I whispered.

“These are familiar lightning bolt shapes on their muzzle and limbs. Along with the yellow teardrop-shaped crest on their head lit up.” The Froakie gestured with his hands.

“You know what they are?” Glade leaned in close.

I nodded my head. “This is a Zeraora.”

The Zeraora held a shiny metallic scroll, with the visages and emblems of a ten-spoked gear.

“Could that be a mana artifact?” I questioned.

Time sat still as I focused on the target.

“What should we do?” Nevada begged.

“We need to practice our emergency protocol,” I tried to explain calmly.

“That sounds good to me,” A replied. “Listen up you three!”

“The first plan of action is to assess the situation, correct?”

“Yes!” The other Team cheered. 

“Wait, that was too enthusiastic!” A narrowed his eyes.

“What do we do when we see a Pokémon in distress?” I asked.

The Zeraora growled as their fur bristled.

“There are many options but we have to choose the one that works in this situation,” A-chan reminded.

“Do you guys know what that is?” I took another step back to look at the younger Pokémon. 

I wasn’t good enough. Wasn’t fast enough. Team Sharp Claw had something special about them. I sensed it.

But I couldn’t do anything.

Those rookies took another step too instead of an answer. One toward the Zeraora. One too fast for comfort. A wrong move. Sparks flew.