Episode 9: Mystery Encounters

“Help me…”

Kayla’s eyes shot open at the clarity of the voice. Directly above her was a dark collection of cords, pipes, and other metallic doohickies. It was as cold as a fridge here, especially her back, while a low humming vibrated in the background.

“Help me!” Jirachi’s voice came even louder.

Kayla gasped and hopped to her feet, immediately banging her head against the ceiling. The ceiling was low enough that her ears rubbed against it with her standing up, to her annoyance. She was plopped in the middle of this corridor of pipes and wiring, where both the way ahead and the way back were shrouded in bright white light, obscuring everything in either direction. Once she got a hold of herself, she shivered from how cold it was. Even though it was her fluff, whatever surface she rubbed against sent chills through her bones and almost made it feel like the space was getting tighter.

“J-Jirachi? Is that you?” she asked in panic. “G-got to g-get out of here…”

“Kayla!” Jirachi cried in the distance. She couldn’t tell where he was, even with her abilities. His voice echoed from both ends of the corridor, bouncing from ceiling to floor and back like a broken record. No, it was as if the floor and ceiling were talking at the same time.

“Where are you?” Kayla frantically searched left and right. Nothing was changing, and yet she felt continuously more squashed, crushed by this cold setting.

“You have to find me. Please hurry! Use your powers and find me!” Jirachi begged.

“What powers? I-I don’t understand. Where, how?” Kayla cried.

“I don’t have much time. Kayla, you must use your powers to find me. You are not truly here. Sync your conscious and subconscious, and you may find me,” Jirachi explained.

“Sync my- I don’t get it,” she huffed.

“No, she’s here. She found me. Kayla, I beg of you! Hurry!” Jirachi cried.

“Jirachi? Jirachi, no!” Kayla cried.

All of a sudden, the floor crumbled to pieces. She could only gasp as she fell into total darkness, but at least it relieved the uncomfortable cold. She growled as she kept herself upright, her fluff skirt expanding and flowing upwards to act as an impromptu parachute. It barely slowed her fall, but she knew she wouldn’t smash to pieces upon hitting the ground, wherever that was. Fortunate Buneary things.

She wouldn’t be hitting the ground, anyway. A wave of light washed over her view as if she were transported to a whole different world. Shades of blue and white surrounded her on all sides, from a beautiful, clear sky, to an endless ocean below. There were no islands, no clouds, no Wingull, nothing. Just the sky, the ocean, and herself.

Not water! She growled.

With no solution to avoid plummeting in, she took a deep breath. Despite the height she dropped from, the impact didn’t hurt – her fluff parachute worked. In fact, the water had a comfortable warmth to it. Better still, the water wasn’t that deep. She landed in the centre of a field of sunflowers, all as tall as her and healthily swaying in the current. Their light petals and sunflowers tickled her as she touched down on the floor.

Now this was a strange feeling. She was in peril and she knew it. Without being able to use her arms, it was impossible to swim, and her natural buoyancy would only help so much. With nothing to climb or jump up, she could only be here as long as she held her breath.

And yet, she couldn’t feel that sense of urgency at all. This place was beautiful. Serenity in physical form. The water had a familiar, relaxing embrace on her, while the touch of the sunflowers was gentle, protective, almost like the cradle of a mother with her newborn child. She could see streaks of light blue with the current, while a shimmering sound came from the flowers themselves, almost as though they were whistling a tune.

Kayla almost gasped, and bubbles leaked from her mouth as her ears perked up. The sunflowers were whistling a tune. She couldn’t quite put a paw on it, but it was definitely something she’d heard before. A beautiful song that had her relax and lie back, eyes shut, and think back to simpler times, where her worries were minimal and her family took care of everything.

As her consciousness began to fade, that vision came to light as silhouettes. Not of Beaurette, but of… humans.

…

“Kayla oh my gods, wake up!” Pola cried. Kayla gasped and choked awake to find the Plusle positioned over her on all fours. “Oh thank goodness. You there? Are you okay?”

Kayla’s head was in a million places at once, and ever so slowly began to fall back to reality. For some reason she felt out of breath and couldn’t stop panting. Everything around her was damp too, though her surroundings were blurry.

“Kayla?” Pola said again, making her blink.

“I… I-I’m okay,” Kayla spoke softly. She was surprised at her own voice, which came out slightly panicked and weak. She sat up and blinked, trying to focus and get a hold of herself, but it was slow.

“You sure? Even I was kinda creeped out by all that,” Kari confessed, looking over her too.

“Creeped out? What? I was just asleep, wasn’t I?” Kayla asked. She wanted to stop talking thanks to how pathetic she sounded. Kari and Pola exchanged worried glances. “Girls?”

“You were kicking and screaming like you were at war. Then when Pola pinned you down, you just started crying. Uh, fully crying without opening your eyes at all,” Kari explained.

Kayla’s mouth dropped as she realised. The bed below was drenched in sweat, while her face was damp with tears. She felt shrivelled like she’d drowned too, even though she was safe and sound in her dorm. These dreams are getting way too real. But… what was that? The sunflowers and the water and the… silhouettes…

“Seriously, you okay?” Pola asked.

Kayla stared at her. At last her thoughts were settling, and she went half-lidded. “Aww, you do care about me.”

“Wha-what? Ugh, guess you’re okay,” Pola folded her arms and turned away. “Like I said, I take my shit seriously. Wouldn’t look very good on me if my roommate went and croaked for no reason.”

Kayla giggled as she got up. “Oh cool, looks like I’m up on time, anyway.”

“Stuff it. No breakfast, remember? We might as well sleep in the extra few hours.” Pola grumbled, throwing herself back into bed.

“Oh, right,” Kayla froze. “Uh, that means I woke you, too. Sorry about that.”

“Aww, it’s okay. It’s a good habit to wake up on time. But yeah, I guess if we’re not allowed to eat, then there’s nothing to really do,” Kari swayed her head.

“If we get started early, could kill time until dinner,” Kayla said as she sat back in bed. Her PET came out, and she tapped a few bits on it using her ears. “Oh hey, they’ve already given us a new job. It’s right here at the academy, too.”

“They don’t waste a minute when it comes to giving ya work, but take forever when it comes to paying money, you ever notice?” Pola commented as she lazily reached for her own PET. “Aww what? The fuck is this?”

“It’s what it says, motormouth! We’re on nursery duty today!” Kari cheered.

“We have a nursery here?” Kayla raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah! All kinds of Pokémon get to go to RSE, not just grown ones like us. Families who have trouble taking care of extraordinary babies due to their funny powers or disability needs. Stuff like that,” Kari explained. “They’re super cute and super talented. It’s so much fun!”

“You mean Pokémon that abandon their extraordinary or disabled kids? That’s all we have here. Orphans,” Pola clarified.

“… I guess that too. But it’s fine, they have a cool home here now. They grow up with everything they want and all the friends and family they could ever need!” Kari bounced. “I wanna go right now! You girls wanna go right now?”

Kayla’s stomach growled. “I am not looking forward to this. Kids… aren’t my forte. Especially when I’m starving.”

“For once, you and me agree on something,” Pola grumbled.

“Aww c’mon girls, it’ll be fun, and it’s easy, I promise! You get to do all the fun bits. You get to feed ‘em and pet ‘em—”

“And all the other stuff that’s impossible to do without hands, gotcha,” Kayla rolled her eyes as she approached the door. Incidentally, the screen beside the door had a button to undo the lock and open the door, so she had no trouble popping out. “Oh, huh? Is this a delivery?”

“Ohmygosh is it here already?” Kari squealed. She breezed past so quickly Kayla was spun around.

“The screeching, please,” Pola groaned. “I don’t have to be hungover to find it annoying.”

“It is, it is, is it! You girls are gonna wanna check this out!” Kari cheered as she pushed the box into their dorm. It was fashioned like a treasure chest and even opened like one, though it was cardboard. “C’mon, over here Kayla! You do the honours!”

“You didn’t even notice,” the Buneary mumbled. Shannon was there, staring like time had stopped for him. “Eheh, Good morning. Come in, I guess.”

“Why the heck are you here so early?” Pola raised an eyebrow.

“Oh ah, eheh, my apologies. I was hoping we could get started on training before you girls got to any proper work, if that’s not too much trouble,” Shannon scratched his back. “But I saw the delivery so I was a bit confused.”

“Wouldn’t do it even without the box. We haven’t eaten, remember? I ain’t doing shit with you today,” Pola replied.

“Understandable,” he commented, joining them in the room.

“This is… team stuff… it’s here already?” Kayla cocked her head. The chest box was filled with team badges and a small variety of items, including basic scarves. “How’ve we got it already?”

“They must’ve had spare stuff already at RSE. I told ya, HAPPI don’t waste time!” Kari threw her arms up. She nestled behind Kayla to help lift a paw, making the Buneary a little nervous. “Everything’s digital now, so just scan one of the badges like this and… that’s it. Now it’s official. Team Daybreak has a registered badge, and we can rescue Pokémon and all that stuff!”

“C-cool and all, but why’s there so many if it’s all digital? We’ve got this massive thing in our room now,” Kayla wondered, sweating a little.

“Beats me. Makes it easier to climb outta the window, so I’m not complaining,” Pola shrugged as she plopped herself on top of the chest.

“Just in case we decide not to go digital, or members don’t have their own PET. All those badges are for potential new members, and can be turned on or off individually at any time,” Kari explained. “Plus, those are Defence Scarves. Wanna wear one?”

“I wouldn’t be able to take it off. Pointless today, anyway. But I get it, this does sound pretty convenient. Thanks Kari, you sure know a lot about team stuff,” Kayla smiled.

“Aww hehe, I just wanna make sure it’s extra fun. Get all the boring stuff outta the way, y’know?” blushed the Furret.

If she really is desperate for a team or something… yeah, I’ll just keep her happy, Kayla admired Kari’s swaying. It’s all happening so fast. Sorta surreal. A shame our first job is gonna be… looking after children.

That last thought made her cringe as she made her way out the room proper. Her head was still afloat with her own mysteries, like last night’s dream and Jirachi’s cryptic requests. Once in the corridor, it was quiet and dusky enough that she could take her time to wake up fully. A stretch of her back, a shake of her head, and a deep breath to get the blood flowing, and she felt ready. “Alright. Let’s do this!”

“Wait we’re not sleeping the extra hours?” Pola groaned.

“You’re still okay with guiding me, right? I kinda wanna see what this nursery stuff’s all about. I’m gonna need to know everything before we start,” Kayla grinned at her. With a groan that tipped her head back, Pola slumped ahead.

“Yeah, yeah, I gotcha,” she grumbled.

The lecture halls, cafeteria and all the other useful stuff was to the right when they came out their dorm, but this time Pola headed left. They passed a lot more doors and dorms, each one individual of the way the Pokémon within lived. Doors with cat flaps, psychic type trinkets hung around, even doors that were wider than taller for the bigger Pokémon. There was a staircase at the far end, the left going down and the right going up. Pola led them straight through, ignoring both.

The further down here they went, the quieter and cosier it all seemed to get. Nothing was here except a wide hall filled with storage cupboards or other dusty, important-looking chambers. The academy was finally starting to look like a school: dull and underfunded.

“Gotta stay quiet from here,” Pola warned as they reached a set of double doors. These weren’t built for Pokémon of their kind, or perhaps any Pokémon at all, for that matter. They wouldn’t open, likely locked from the other side, so Pola gave it a hard knock. The whole time they waited, Kari danced on her toes and squeezed her own cheeks, failing to supress tiny squeals of delight.

“You… like looking after nursery kids, huh?” Kayla cocked her head.

“I mean it, they’re adorable and cute and oh so peaceful! You’re gonna love ‘em, Kayla!” she threw her arms up.

“Shh, gods. You’re gonna fail her on her first time. The kids probably aren’t even up yet,” Pola complained. A loud clunk came from the other side of the doors, and the trio went quiet. The door opened inward only slightly, and from beyond peeked half a Jigglypuff. Once they saw who it was, they stood aside and opened up more.

“Oh, right. I know you’re good at this stuff, but try not to freak out,” Pola warned as she made her way in. Kari breezed past again, but this time Pola caught her by the tail, making her skid to a stop. “And you get it together. They’re all asleep.”

“Yes, so please be quiet,” came the softest, calmest voice Kayla had ever heard. Kayla knew she had impressed everyone with how calm her responses to RSE’s unusual Pokémon were so far, but even she couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.

The voice belonged to a Jigglypuff, but they were so different in appearance that it was tough to believe they were one, while at the same time, definitely being a Jigglypuff. She maintained the perfectly round, pale pink balloon shape, complete with large eyes with large pupils, stubby hands and feet, and triangular ears with dark insides.

However, everything else about them was a wild vibe Kayla didn’t know what to think of. The usual coil of fur belonging to Jigglypuff was a large and long ponytail that hung behind her, rough and sputtery with loose strands of fur sticking out like she hadn’t brushed in years. That ponytail was a hot pink, a natural fur colour, too. This Jigglypuff had darker pink marks below and above her eyes, the lower ones shaped like triangles while the upper ones curled outward like eyelashes. She wore a navy-blue bow as big as her body on her back too, with strands that flopped on the floor as she walked.

The concerning part about her however, was the sense that only Kayla would ever pick up. Jigglypuff’s eyes were shades of yellow and gold, rather than the species natural blue. Something about that struck harder than the rest of her controlled feral appearance, a familiar striking of fear and concern. She had seen golden, glowing eyes like this before, eyes that existed to intimidate and little else, contrary to the fairy type’s heavenly voice. All it did was make Kayla put her guard up internally. In her own mental way, Kayla was ready to bolt into battle at the slightest hint of threat.

Then it hit. Jigglypuff grinned at her, and her pupils widened. It wasn’t a friendly grin like a teacher meeting a student for the first time. It was stifled cockiness, the kind someone can’t help express when they know they have their enemy cornered. Unlike every other Pokémon Kayla had met at this school so far, she’d had been read like a book in this small instance.

“Good morning. You three are the ones assigned to nursery duty today, right?” Jigglypuff asked. Kayla nodded slowly. “It’s nice to meet you. Please call me Ashe. I’m the main carer for RSE’s youngest.”

“Ashe… it’s Kayla. You don’t want us to call you Miss?” Kayla replied. She shook her head, unable to hide the concern in her voice. Thankfully, Ashe paid it no mind.

“There are a few teachers who prefer titles and honorifics. I personally don’t like it. I prefer a casual friendliness. It makes things easier and more relaxed. It’s really important everyone’s calm and friendly when children are involved,” Ashe explained.

She led the group through as she spoke. The nursery seemed to be built out of two halls as large as the cafeteria, complete with extra storage cupboards or wherever the many doors along the walls were. The hall was even more colourful than the rest of the academy, painted all sorts of colours while funny posters with the alphabet, number tables, and other basic educational starters were plastered around. There was even a section of the floor made of colourful foam that was littered with toys. Kari was right; the children had it good here.

“I’m surprised you’re here early. Most Pokémon aren’t too eager to work with the children,” Ashe commented.

“When Kari’s involved, you sorta don’t have a choice,” Pola complained.

“They’ll be happy to see you. They always have fun with you,” Ashe giggled. She put a hand to her lip as she reached a single door in the corner, and then led the group in.

Kari was right here, too. A longer, quieter room lined with cots and plush dog beds filled with the tiniest Pokémon Kayla had ever seen. It was so quiet in here Kayla could sleep too, minus the cosy snoring from some. She was allowed to approach one of the cots, where a Cleffa was sat asleep so soundly that she felt like a criminal just for looking. Even if she struggled with today, right now it felt like things could go alright. Ashe pointed them out, and carefully shut the door behind everyone.

“There are only five of them today, and I will direct you on each of their needs after they wake up. Make sure to follow my instructions well, as kids have very important, specific needs,” Ashe instructed. “And Kayla, don’t worry about your hands. I’ve been made aware already.”
“Phew. That’s what I was most worried about, honestly,” she snickered awkwardly. Besides also feeling like you could kill me at a moment’s notice.

“Until they wake up, you are free to, um, familiarise yourself with the rest of the facilities here. Please try to keep quiet so that they stay asleep,” Ashe gestured to the rest of the hall. Before anyone could really look around, Shannon’s stomach rumbled, making him slump and cradle himself.

“Really? What’s your deal, you don’t have a punishment like us,” Pola put her paws to her hips.

“S-sorry… I… look a lot’s happened recently, and I didn’t get to eat. I’m getting famished,” the Pachirisu admitted.

“That sounds like story time!” Kari bounced over. She was eager until he really did slump, and Pola had to catch him.

“H-h-hey, keep it together. Don’t be a drama queen,” she gasped.

“I haven’t eaten in two days,” Shannon sighed. The group’s eyes widened.

“The heck is wrong with you? And you wanted to start training this morning,” Pola remarked.

“Also, you mentioned a punishment… are the rest of you in trouble with the school?” Ashe cocked to the side. It looked a little awkward with her body shape, but the gesture of confuddled was clear.

“That incident with the fire in the forest yesterday? We kinda got caught up in that, so Gema stopped us from eating for a day,” Kayla explained.

“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. I’m still bursting with energy; I can’t wait for those cuties to wake up. We’re gonna have so much fun!” Kari cheered, getting hushed by Pola.

Ashe shut her eyes and shook her head. “I do not know what Gema is thinking, but there is no way I’m allowing a new student to try and help on an empty stomach. I understand that taking care of young children can be very demanding and patience trying. I will need you all in good form.”

“S-sorry… not much we can do there,” Kayla grinned nervously.

“Nonsense. Shannon, was it? Please come with me. Let’s get food for everyone,” Ashe instructed. “The rest of you, please stay here and relax. Try to keep quiet until we get back, okay?”

“Won’t you get into trouble?” Kari gasped. Ashe shut her eyes and waved a hand.

“Come on now Shannon, before you faint,” she held his paw to help him up and guide him.

“I’m sorry about this,” he groaned.

“You’ve no reason to apologize. The rest of you, please relax and wait,” she waved at them as they walked out. Kayla watched them until she couldn’t hear them beyond the doors.

Shannon didn’t actually introduce himself… Our team was established overnight too, and Shannon doesn’t even have a PET yet. How did she learn his name? Kayla kept staring, unable to hide the concern on her face. Maybe I’m reading too much into this. She’s doing a very nice thing for us, after all. I feel like I could eat a whole tree.

“Well ain’t that nice? Ashe’s seriously the best,” Kari threw herself back and sprawled out on the floor. “Today’s gonna be a blast, I just know it…”

“You really do like Ashe and the children, huh?” Kayla giggled.

“Fucking weirdo,” Pola grumbled.

“Ahem, gonna need to tone it down little miss, wouldn’t wanna get Kayla into trouble today, would ya?” Kari teased, going half-lidded.

“That would make us even,” Kayla joined in.

“Oh- shut up,” the Plusle folded her arms and turned away. “Honestly, that girl creeps me out big time. She’s so overly mummy and stuff. Probably just sings the kids to sleep all the time, like one of those horror-story monsters.”

“I doubt she’d have a job here if she did that,” Kayla snickered. Although, that does sound convenient for calming rowdy kids down. With a voice like hers, does she even need to sing? I didn’t put two and two together on how good of a fit she is.

“Not complaining about getting food, though. Today’s gotta be at least somewhat bearable,” Pola sat back and tucked her paws behind her head. Kayla shut her eyes to join them, taking in the silence of the room.

That is, if that was what she heard. It was unmistakable, there was some kind of commotion nearby. Someone was panting desperately, bashing themselves against metal and pipes, knocking heavy objects over. Her eyes stayed open and her heart turned heavy as the Pokémon’s desperation grew, and their breath became dry and hoarse.

“Huh?” Kayla whispered and stood up.

“Help… me…” the dry call came. It was Jirachi again no doubt, but they sounded so weak it was as though they were on the verge of death. It physically hurt to hear so clearly. Kayla didn’t say anything, nor did she hide the concern on her face. A blast went off and she jumped, turning to the source. Nothing in the room changed.

“You okay there?” Kari smiled.

“No need to be jumpy. Unless it’s too quiet in here or something,” Pola waved.

“Don’t you girls hear that?” Kayla gasped.

“Hear what? Did something happen with the children?” Kari asked.

Kayla’s angst grew as Jirachi’s panting started up again. They were forcing themselves to run, wherever they were. No, they were nearby; they were way too clear to not be. It definitely wasn’t her thoughts playing tricks on her, either. Nor was it her having a strange dream – she definitely couldn’t sleep as hungry as she was. For the first time ever, Jirachi was very close to her.

“Where are you?” Kayla called out.

“Ka-Kayla?” Pola gasped while Kari got up in concern.

Kayla ignored them both as she kept her focus on Jirachi’s breath. Another blast went off, followed by a pathetic groan from the tired Pokémon. They were at their limit, and she had to act now. Trusting where her ears were taking her, Kayla followed her senses, stopped by the door to the room the children were sleeping in.

“One of you, open this door! Now!” she ordered.

“Kayla?” Kari said, completely confused.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, we are not doing this,” Pola snapped.

“We don’t have time for this. One of you, please! It’s an emergency!” Kayla cried.

“You sit your ass down and don’t be a weirdo for once. I am not getting’ in even more trouble—”

“For gods sake Pola, just open it!” Kayla yelled at her, leaning forward and all. Both girls leaned back and went quiet.

“… Will you at least tell us what’s going on this time?” Kari asked.

“Oh no you don’t, don’t give in to—”

“Yes, I will. Just, please, lemme through! It’s an emergency, I mean it!” Kayla begged.

“Kari, no!” Pola cried as the Furret snuck over to help. She carefully opened the door, letting Kayla bolt inside. The children were all still asleep, likely unable to hear what she was hearing all the same as her teammates. The source was the fire exit in the back, which Kayla rushed over to.

“Seriously, we’re way outta our nut right now. What is wrong with you?” Pola hissed. Kari opened the fire exit carefully too, and then all their mouths hit the floor.

This exit led outside the school, but right there in the middle of the grass was a dark portal. A swirling pool of dark blues and purples with spirals of white, complete with white stars. It was like staring into outer space, only with the swirly patterns of water draining from a sink. Jirachi’s groans of weakness were clearer than ever now. He was right there.

“What… in the world…?” Pola shivered hard.

“Kayla… could you hear this?” Kari asked, just as quiet and frightened.

She was scared a bit, too. However, the secret to her dreams was right here. She couldn’t let that fear stall her. With a nod, she leaned to dive in, only to be pulled back. She couldn’t feel anyone holding her, so it was like hitting an invisible wall that choked her. “P-Pola? Let go of me!”

“You said you’d tell us what’s going on!” the Plusle snapped.

“And I will. But right now, we need to go! I dunno how much longer we have!” Kayla snapped back at her. “Please! Just trust me! I promise, I’ll explain everything. You girls just have to trust me.”

“Jumping into whatever the hell this thing is when we’re meant to be- let’s at least wait for Shannon and Ashe?” Pola reasoned.

“We don’t have time!” Kayla kicked Pola away.

“Kayla!” Kari cried as she dove in. The Furret clenched her paws and dove in after her.

“Man… fucking gods damn it,” Pola stomped a bit, dove in too.

Kayla was used to this feeling, the feeling of travelling to another world. She lived in her own world when it came to battle anyway, a world that had her rely on her hearing to drive her instincts. That’s what falling through this portal was like. Everything around them, even where they came in from, faded away into dark colours, distant galaxies, and surreal patterns that scrolled past in such an odd optical illusion that it hurt to stare at. Heavy wind and a familiar glistening jingle grew in volume as they approached a destination, a black orb that grew as they neared. Kayla clenched her eyes shut as they fell right through and breached the portal into a new world.

The moment she felt atmosphere, she opened her eyes and focused, landing perfectly. Now this was even more familiar, if only because it was fresh in her mind. The group landed in a hallway of cold, matted floor. The walls, ceiling, and everything else was a bundle of cords, wires, mechanics and pipes so thickly tangled together they didn’t look like they’d budge an inch. Unlike her previous dream, the ceiling and walls were far apart enough that they had plenty of room to move. It was still nail-bitingly cold, however. Kayla jumped as Pola skidded to a stop beside her, while Kari face planted.

“Y-you girls okay?” Kayla asked, gesturing to help Kari up.

“Ye-yeah… That felt funny. I kinda wanna do it again!” the Furret giggled as she bounced up.

“You’re such a weirdo… what’s that?” Pola asked, facing forward.

Kayla blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dull light. The corridor ahead was pitch black rather than totally white this time, while a strange field of murky colours shielded the group. It was like a puddle with dull, rainbow coloured dirt was cast by portal, protecting them. Everything beyond it was dark and winding, a labyrinth made entirely out of these wires and pipes that wherever you looked, led to darkness.

“Help… me…” Jirachi’s dry tone echoed weakly, but so close. His cry and the quiet hum were the only sounds hinting of what was ahead.

“Whoa, someone’s here,” Pola gasped. “What is all this? Where is this? What the heck is going on?”

“Jirachi… stay where you are, I’m here,” Kayla said softly, and marched forward. The light field in front of her rippled as she got close, making her hesitate. With a deep breath, she marched through it, expecting to be held back somehow. Instead, she went through as if it wasn’t there at all.

What she wasn’t prepared for was the stinging sensation that engulfed her the moment she left the field. It was sharp, sudden, and blistering, as if millions of tiny bug Pokémon had swarmed to bite her all over. She exhaled sharply and choked, wrenching back as pain took over all her senses. Instinct made her stumble back toward the portal, where the pain subsided as quickly as it came.

“Wh-whoa, are you okay?” Kari gasped.

“Ye… yeah. Some weird kinda… force, energy thing,” Kayla hissed as she caught her breath.

Pola poked a paw out of the field to test, and quickly retracted before trying again. She held her paw there this time, but a fierce frown on her face said everything. “Just being out there hurts.”

“What do we do? We need to go out there! We’re so close!” Kayla growled, facing ahead.

The group went quiet as Jirachi’s pathetic pants and moans started to echo toward them. Kayla slid a foot forward, prepared for the worst, or some other twist to take her off-guard. The puff and huffs got closer and closer until at last, someone emerged from the darkness ahead. A small Pokémon was limping towards them ever so slowly. Once they were clear enough, Kayla’s heart stopped.

There they were. Jirachi, the tiny, star-shaped Pokémon with a bright yellow, three-pointed helmet that had three green strips hanging from it. Kayla recognised those green eyes and childish, stale tone from her few encounters. It was definitely him.

What she wasn’t prepared for was how ravaged he would be. From head to toe, Jirachi was covered in dark marks, cuts, splotches of dirt, bruises, every proof of physical pain one could show. His tongue hung from his mouth dryly, while his eyes were half open, desperate and longing. Jirachi limped ever so slowly towards them, leaning on the wall to support himself every inch of the way. After what felt like an eternity of struggle, he finally collapsed onto his front, and his breath stopped.

“Jirachi!” Kayla shrieked and dashed toward him. The pain of leaving the field of light hit her, but she ignored it with a hiss and a brace. She crouched by the little legendary, and then hesitantly used her feet to turn him over. He was still breathing, but appeared barely alive. “Jirachi, Jirachi! Can you hear me? Please, do something. Stay with me!”

She wouldn’t get to wait for a response. His attacker slipped up and made a sound, and Kayla’s eyes locked onto them. At that moment, her heart stopped once again.

Standing just before the darkness of the distance, was a human. A familiar human, of course. A well-built woman with dark skin, fiery black hair bundled up in a rough ponytail, and eyes that could kill on sight. Their arms weren’t human however. They were dark claws that silently crackled with black and red energy, jagged and sharp enough to tear anything Kayla could do in two. The moment the human realised she was staring however, they turned away and grit their teeth.

“You…” the woman whispered.

Kayla didn’t respond. Every natural instinct a Buneary should have had drove her right now. Despite the pain the atmosphere gave her, she refused to move an inch, glaring at this predator while listening for everything they did. She needed to run. Now.

“Don’t. Run,” the woman demanded coldly. Kayla shivered, from pain, cold, and fear, even though the woman didn’t look at her while they spoke. “You don’t know what you’re doing. Just put them down and leave.”

For the briefest instance, Kayla’s eyes glanced down at Jirachi. If she left him here, he would die to this human, guaranteed. “Jirachi. I’m sorry, but my hands don’t work. Hang onto me. That’s all you have to do. Just hang on to me.”

“Kayla!” Pola stuck a paw out. Her and Kari hadn’t left the light field by the portal.

“You’re going to protect it?” the woman asked, still not looking directly at her. “Don’t. Trust me, don’t. Just put it down and leave. Forget that you saw me.”

The demands didn’t even put thoughts in her head – everything was blank right now, focused solely on this human and her immediate surroundings. Kayla could feel herself starting to fade thanks to the pain, and let out a breath. She shivered as she stood up, and Jirachi latched himself to her. His eyes weren’t open, but he hugged her tightly. She could get out of this.

“No. You don’t know what you’re doing!” the woman raised her voice. “Just put it down and go! Please!”

Kayla slid a foot back, and that was it. The woman charged toward her, springing off a single jump. The instant she moved, the background blurred and Kayla flew into action. All sound, all feeling, all gone in place of battle instinct. She spun and jumped up with all her might, meeting the woman’s claw with the fastest spin kick she could muster. A sharp pain jolted her to the ground as black and red took over her view. The woman was knocked back all the same, and skidded to a stop by slamming her claw into the floor. Kayla landed in similar fashion, skidding across the floor, only she spun on one leg to turn tail and run. She flew into Quick Attack and made for the portal, taking her team by surprise. She wound up tackling them, and the trio fell back through.

The woman was left alone as the portal faded away once the team fell through it. She clenched her claws at her sides and snarled. The energy claws were dismissed, leaving built human hands in their place. “You fool. I was so close… now this has to be awkward.”

The girls landed in a heap on soft floor, thankfully. Even still, everything Kayla had just endured hit all at once, and she couldn’t move. Her whole body felt like it was on fire, and the cold of the nursery room was searing against possibly open wounds. She couldn’t move, only breathe hard.

“Gods, Kari get OFF! You’re so fucking fat!” Pola yelled as she kicked herself free. Whatever she did, Kayla rolled onto her back, and her eyes opened to a faded, watery view of the ceiling.

“S-sorry. Kayla’s Quick Attack packs a real punch when you’re not expecting it,” groaned the Furret. “Speaking of, Kayla! Kayla are you alright?”

“I… Never mind that… Jirachi,” she forced herself to breathe out. She growled as she put all her effort into getting up, finding the little legendary collapsed not far from her. She glanced over when the doors opened too, and Ashe and Shannon’s mouths hit the floor.

“Girls!” Shannon cried, dropping his bags and everything else he was carrying to rush over. Ashe reacted quickly enough to catch a pack of berries with her foot, and balanced awkwardly on one leg.

“You guys got Oran berries or something, right? Give ‘em here, quick!” Pola demanded.

“Um, yeah, that’s quick thinkin’! Oran berries! And everything else that helps heal,” Kari danced on her toes.

Ashe put everything down and quickly shut the door, then rushed over to the weakened Kayla and Jirachi. By now Kayla was sat up, but still shivering from pain. “What in the world happened while we were gone?”

“I…” Kayla shivered. Just opening her mouth hurt like crazy, as if her mouth was cut inside and out.

“Never mind. Just… that Pokémon…” Ashe went quiet. She shut her eyes and shook side to side, then became stern. “Shannon, girls, please help me. We need to get back to your dorm, and we need to make sure nobody sees that Pokémon.”