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The Dark Type	By : Manifest Destiny Category: Pokemon > General Views: 36310 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. Pokemon is copy write by GameFreak, INC. and Nintendo. I make no money from this story, nor do I seek any.

Chapter List
- 22
- 23
- 24
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Chapter 23: Reunions
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“You think this is going to go over well?” asked Karen, crossing her arms. She had trouble shaking the sense of defeat that hung over her head the past few days. The woman with long, silver hair rested her back against the wall as she scanned the crowded lobby of Goldenrod City’s Pokémon Center.
A stage had been prepared for this afternoon’s announcement. Chairs and reporters filling them sat before a podium affixed with many microphones. Cameramen, and women, were buzzing around while they set up their equipment to televise the address across the regions of Johto and Kanto. The Pokémon League hadn’t yet given an official statement on the events of three days ago; what was being dubbed as the “Ilex Forest Disaster”. The public face of the organization—the Champion of the League, Lance—was set to give a speech to the masses on what had happened, as well as the League’s plans to prevent potential disasters like it from occurring in the future.
“We really need a win today,” she said.
“It will be what it will be,” said Lance. The Dragon Master straightened his cape, pulling his clothes in line. “It doesn’t matter how well it goes. We’re doing all we can right now.”
“We could just tell them what they want to hear,” Karen suggested. “People rarely react well to the truth.”
“There’s no point in debating this right now,” Lance started, but Karen shook her head.
“I’m not debating what we all agreed on; I’m just reminding you that you can’t please everybody. Get ready to answer a bunch of heated questions,” Karen smiled weakly. “I’m just glad it’s not my job to look those people in the eye to tell them that certain trainers aren’t coming home.”
“It’s our job to tell them that it’s safe to leave home,” Lance said. “And when it’s not, we do what we can to make it so.”
The two said little else before the anticipated time came upon them.
—————
The Champion of Johto and Kanto stepped up on the small stage a few minutes before the cameras began rolling. He wanted to be on-screen as the feed went live. He needed the regions that he represented to see that he was ready to face them, no longer waiting on the League’s orders. Behind him was a plain background canvas with the Pokémon League’s crest right behind his head. He stood in front of the podium prepared for him, staring out over the sea of reporters and trainers who had gathered to hear him speak. As he took his spot on stage, the low level of commotion in the Pokémon Center began to die down, silent anticipation replacing the hushed discussions among the reporters.
Lance let his mind wander momentarily about what kind of day tomorrow might be. The director off to his left caught his eye, giving a silent countdown to when their press conference would be live. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Good day, ladies and gentlemen,” Lance addressed the two nations. “I say this to you knowing full well that we have put a very bad day behind us.
“For those select few who may be caught unawares: Almost one week ago today, Gym Leaders Bugsy of Azalea Town and Whitney of Goldenrod City had been told of some new and unusual wild Pokémon sightings in Ilex Forest. Doing their sworn duty, they erred on the side of caution and advised that only seasoned trainers be allowed to walk within its borders until the situation could be properly assessed; with the exception of a trainer escorting an untrained civilian.
“Unfortunately for us all, things took a turn for the worst. To our knowledge, ten people—some of them Pokémon Trainers and their Pokémon—have lost their lives inside the forest in the past three days alone. Advanced populations of very powerful Pokémon have recently taken up residence within Ilex. Said Pokémon, as we have been shown these past few days, have proven to be very dangerous for what was once known as such a peaceful area.
“Two known survivors, both recovering here in Goldenrod City, managed to brave the atrocities that befell them. One of the survivors, Alice Wingborne, was a member of a field research team that I oversaw and helped recruit for. ‘Project Cartographer’ was created to help prevent a disaster such as this one. It was thanks to her fast acting that she and her friend, Allan Relmstead, managed to survive their ordeal.
“It pains me to admit that only ‘two survivors’ was the best result we could produce. To say that it is a disappointing result doesn’t even begin to describe it. More could have been done to help the people trapped inside the forest. That much is obvious. It wasn’t until the Elite Four and myself arrived in both Goldenrod and Azalea that we could begin to get a handle on the situation.
“In the wake of such a calamity, the Elite Four, the Chairman of the Pokémon League, and myself have spent what little time we could spare these past few days coming up with what could begin to help prevent any future events such as the one in Ilex from happening again. We eventually arrived at such a solution that we believe will alleviate some of the worries we all now share.
“Previously, the Gym Leaders of Azalea and Goldenrod were numbers ‘two’ and ‘three’ in the Johto Gym Challenge circuit; a fixed pathway of challenges that lead to earning eight Gym Badges and the right to challenge my colleagues and I. Gym Leaders train Pokémon of their own specialty with this circuit in mind, and cater to a certain kind of trainer experience level when dealing with challenges for their Badge. This meant the Gym Leaders of Azalea and Goldenrod were just as incapable at handling the crisis as the men and women it affected, simply because they were tied down by outdated regulations set by the League decades ago.
“Today however, the League and I are pleased to announce this will no longer be the case.
“In conjunction with the Kanto region and its Gym Leaders, Pokémon Gyms can now be challenged in any order that a trainer may wish. A new sixteen badge requirement is now required to participate in the Pokémon League Championship. The stage now spreads across our two regions.
“The goals behind this notably radical change are twofold: The first being that with sixteen badges to strive to attain, a trainer’s journey is now much more fulfilling, and can prepare those who brave the harsh wilds for anything they may find. The other is something I felt was a long-overdue oversight on our own internal policies, but it will now allow all Gym Leaders within our two regions to keep and train Pokémon on a level equal to that of the Elite Four and myself. Non-native Pokémon species will also be allowed to be used in their daily challenges as well.
“Giving our Gym Leaders the freedom to train such a wide range of Pokémon, they may be able to react to situations much faster than the Elite Four might be able to. It will also be the Leader’s duty to evaluate a challenger’s skill set and prior Gym Badges before selecting their own terms of battle and which Pokémon they bring to battle.
“Due to the nature of this change, the League will also be increasing options for trainers to travel between our two regions, to help accommodate even the most peculiar strategy of taking on the daunting gauntlet before them.
“It isn’t perfect, but it is a start. Now, I believe at least one of you has a few questions for me?” Lance addressed the news reporters below him.
Lance stood diligently at his post for what felt like hours answering questions in front of the cameras. He did his best to quell the early concerns and fears that the people gave him, but he couldn’t answer them all. He had no idea how well the two regions would adapt to the change.
It was when the barrage of questions neared its thirtieth consecutive minute, a surprising interruption came bursting into the Pokémon Center’s lobby.
“Help me!” A young man yelled as he stumbled through the lobby, covering his eyes with his right hand. He was trying to make his way to the receptionist’s desk at the far end of the room, knocking into people as he went. His shoulder-length hair was matted and greasy. The young man’s hands and forearms were caked in dirt and mud, as were his clothes. He clutched a torn and tattered backpack to his chest, doing his best to keep it from spilling out onto the floor. His voice was hoarse and shaky. It appeared that this travel-worn arrival had little to no idea where he was, or that a live broadcast was going on a few feet away.
“Please, anyone, help me!” he called out again, spinning around the room. No one said a word to him. “Please, I don’t know where I am. I need help. There are people here, aren’t there?”
While most onlookers backed away from the peculiar display, Lance stepped down off of his stage to lend his hand, ignoring that he was still on camera. He approached carefully, still unsure about this unexpected arrival. A small thought rose in the back of his mind that maybe another survivor from Ilex Forest had somehow appeared without him being alerted.
“Sir,” the Champion said. At the sound of his voice, the dirt-caked traveler snapped his attention toward Lance. “It’s alright. My name’s Lance, the Pokémon League Champion. You’re at a Pokémon Center, everything is going to be alright.”
“L-Lance?” the young man slowly brought his hand away from his face, revealing to the Dragon trainer his identity. He squinted his eyes in the bright light, trying to see. He took a step forward, putting a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “Is that really you?”
“Iruni Thomas, is that you?!” The Champion looked over the young man’s condition as the reporters and cameras focused on the two of them. “What happened to you? You’ve been missing for almost two months!”
“I’m really out?” Iruni asked, trying to look around the building through his eyes that rejected the light. “I’m really here!” he yelled. Iruni, the Cartographer that had seemingly disappeared over a month ago, collapsed onto the floor of Goldenrod City’s Pokémon Center. He had a smile on his face, mumbling something only for him to hear as exhaustion finally took its toll.
Lance cast off the swarm of cameras and reporters with a wave of his hand. He signaled Karen to help carry their unexpected guest off to the hospital.
—————
The water was heaven.
Iruni knocked back his fifth cup of the ice cold liquid before he ever touched the meal in front of him on the hospital bed’s tray table. He had been given strict orders by the doctor to stay hydrated, and to wear his prescription sunglasses during daylight hours. His eyes had become very sensitive to light during his extended stay in the catacombs beneath Johto. The doctor was happy to report that he likely hadn’t suffered any serious or permanent damage from his brief exposures to bright light earlier that day.
His room was a few stories above the ground as far as Iruni could tell at a glance out the window. He’d woken up in the room less than an hour after collapsing on the floor of the Pokémon Center; which occupied the bottom few floors of the building, he later found out. His Pokémon were given a clean bill of health by the technicians, and were still locked away in stasis inside their Poké Balls. Iruni had feared that prolonged containment had potentially harmed them, but the nurse who had brought his them up to his room assured him that modern Pokémon capture spheres could maintain a stasis lock for up to a year before risking the health of the creature inside.
“Oh my god,” Iruni said as he finally took a bite of his plain noodles. “This is great. I ran out of food a few days ago; this almost makes it worth going hungry for so long.”
“You’re in good spirits,” said Lance as he hung his cape on one the coat hooks. The Dragon Tamer took a seat in a chair along the opposite wall. “That’s very good. The doctor’s said you’re a little malnourished, and then there’s that nasty looking cut on your head, but otherwise unharmed. I’m glad.”
“I almost forgot about this,” Iruni said, his right hand brushing over the new bandages he’d been given for the blow he’d taken falling into the Ruins of Alph. “It’s been a while since I’ve had anyone to point it out to me.”
“I’ve been hoping you’d be willing to fill me in on your, ‘sabbatical’,” said Lance. “Professor Elm tried contacting you and locating your Cartographer’s Pokédex when you went missing, but when that didn’t turn up anything, we sent out a few search parties in the area. Did something damage the device?”
“No,” said Iruni. “I just couldn’t get any messages out.”
The younger man began to tell Lance his troubling tale of his time in the underground tunnels of the Ruins of Alph. Iruni explained how he seemed to disturb the mysterious and still misunderstood domain of the Unown and found himself far beneath the surface, without any way of escape. Lance leaned forward in his chair as he listened to Iruni tell his story, nodding and making a few comments.
“Those tunnels don’t sound like any that are already discovered,” Lance offered in explanation. “It’s no wonder you were lost for so long.”
“I don’t think you would want to go down there,” said Iruni. “I know I don’t want to go back.”
“How in the world did you get out?” asked Lance. “How did you even survive that long down there?”
“I—” Iruni started, but he caught himself. “I had to eat my Pokémon’s food.” He trusted Lance a fair degree—there was no reason not to trust him—but still felt it necessary to omit his unexpected visit to the Sinjoh Ruins, and his meeting with a woman named Cynthia and that legendary Pokémon, Celebi. The former had had her memories of the incident changed, and the latter was still too much of a mystery to him. Iruni had plenty of time to think over her peculiar plea for help with whatever she had planned. He still hadn’t landed on an answer.
“I locked them all into stasis,” he continued, “and even then I had to spread everything really thin. When I finally ran out of food and water, that was when I really started to panic. I didn’t want to die down there all alone in the dark.”
“You didn’t,” Lance said, “that’s all that matters.”
“I guess,” Iruni said. “I just feel like I could’ve done more to help out with Cartographer if I just went straight to Azalea instead of taking that detour to the Ruins.”
“You might want to rethink that.” It was Lance’s turn to fill in the gaps. “While you were MIA, a worst-case-scenario for Cartographer became a reality.”
Iruni sat in shock after listening to what Lance had to say. The Champion described in as much detail as he could stomach the events that transpired just days ago in Ilex Forest. As he listened, Iruni’s mind drifted back to that cottage in the snow, face to face with a time-traveling forest sprite.
I would’ve died there.
“And you showed up just short of hearing my announcement of combining Johto and Kanto into one, sixteen badge long circuit. Gym Leaders can now train Pokémon as powerful as I can,” Lance finished. “Sorry if that’ll put a hamper on your plans for taking on the League.”
“No… No not at all,” said Iruni. “What about Alice? Is she okay?”
“She’s,” Lance said, hanging his head, “alive, to say the least. She’s really shaken up about the whole ordeal.” He looked up, grim expression on his face. “I’m worried about her emotional wellbeing. I don’t know if she’ll be able to function very well as a Cartographer.” Lance stood up, retrieving his cape from the hook by the door. “I’m glad you’re alright, Mr. Thomas. More so that you managed to escape the fate that awaited you in Ilex. I suggest you go see Alice whenever you’re feeling up to it. She needs friends right now.”
“What about the guy who actually saved her? You said they traveled together, right?” asked Iruni.
“He’s another story entirely,” said Lance as he walked out of the room.
—————
Elsewhere within the same hospital, another young man was attempting to deal with a completely different challenge: leaving.
Allan Relmstead managed to survive his ordeal in the Ilex Forest without receiving any major injuries. When he was brought in, he was both physically and mentally exhausted, but the former was easily and quickly remedied. Unfortunately, the events of and immediately following his harrowing venture into that forest weighed heavily on his mind. The hospital psychiatrist that evaluated him as they had done with Alice deemed him as still being in shock about the situation and the things he had seen.
The doctor had prescribed him some medication to help calm his newfound anxiety, but Allan turned them away. He felt that medication that affected his state of mind could potentially affect his psychic abilities. Whatever his mind was going through, he vowed to get through it without potentially risking everything he’s worked for. Regardless of his stance on taking the medication, the doctors at the Goldenrod Hospital had declared him healthy and able to be discharged. He was leaving the hospital this evening.
Except Allan couldn’t find the drive to even get out of the chair.
He sat, slumped against the back of the lone armchair in his hospital room. He was wearing a fresh set of clothes and his belongings were all gathered and packed up and ready to join him on the way out of the hospital. Allan let his head lean on the back of the chair as he stared at the clock on the wall. As he watched the seconds tick by, a previously unknown feeling began to well up within him. He first felt it back in the Ilex Forest when all had seemed lost.
It was fear.
He could tell, somewhere deep within himself, that he was afraid. Not of more dangers lurking in the shadows; it cut deeper than a physical threat ever could. His life before now was already planned and set according to his goals. The days were dictated by his strengths and desires and Allan knew above all else in this world that he was on the path toward his happiness. A career of training to become a Psychic master, striving to surpass Will, and ultimately taking that spot on the Elite Four.
Back in the forest, the fear he felt wasn’t for losing his life, or the future he had sought out for himself, but the fact that he would lose what he held most dear to his heart. Now, Allan was unsure of whether or not a successful career was all that he wanted for his life, and he was afraid of what that could mean.
His silver-furred Eevee, Umari, was sitting in his lap, doing her best to show her concern for Allan’s current dejected state.
‘Allan, please talk to me,’ Umari said, bridging their two minds with telepathy. ‘I know something’s wrong with you. Please let me help.’
“I want you to help,” said Allan, looking her in the eye. “But before that, I need to understand what’s really on my mind.”
‘We can work it out together, like we always do.’
“Umari, I—”
Before Allan could turn away his overly curious and concerned friend another time, a knock came from the door to his hospital room. He stood up, setting a frustrated Umari on the bed as he let in whoever it was. Allan assumed it to be a nurse coming to check if he’d left yet. He wasn’t expecting a visit from one of his idols: Will, Psychic Master of the Elite Four.
“Salutations, on this fine day,” said Will, smiling bright from behind his peculiar mask. His outfit stood out from what one would expect a Pokémon trainer might wear, a bright purple suit with an accompanying black vest over the long-sleeved purple shirt. He had a white scarf tucked into the collar of his shirt, which Will tugged and straightened before he bowed with a flourish. “It’s a grand pleasure to meet you in good health, Allan.”
The brief moment of speechlessness sent a spark into the air, leaving Allan moments to take in the situation.
Koga, Poison type trainer of the Elite Four, stood behind Will, an expression of reserved respect solidly on his face.
“Good afternoon.”
“C-Come on in, I guess,” Allan said, shakily laughing under his words. Umari perked up on the bed, reading her trainer’s surprise and excitement over their mental connection. He moved over and picked her up into his arms. “Why are you here to see me?” Allan asked.
“Destiny!” Will said, rising up from his bowed pose, holding his arms in the air. He moved around the room with exaggerated movements and pointed to Allan. “Destiny, Mister Relmstead. It’s pure providence that you are in this very room today! For you to have done the things you did, when you did them, only glorious coincidence on a universal scale can be to blame for us meeting today.”
“What my young, complicated comrade is saying is that because you showed some exemplary skill in the Ilex Forest, you managed to save someone very important. And because you survived, we’ll be saving even more lives. That’s work worth noting,” said Koga.
“So, from the bottom of my heart, and top of my head, I would like to personally thank you,” said Will, unfolding his hand and offering it to Allan. “You are an aspiring Psychic trainer, I’ve come to understand. Were these better circumstances, I might have offered you an apprenticeship.”
“That’s… That’s very flattering, Will Sir.” Allan returned his hold on Umari, helping her up onto his shoulder. “But, I would decline it even if you were offering. My goal is to take your job, not study under it.” Allan sent forth his mental presence toward Will’s, a small show of force to drive home his statement, but found nothing but resistance in his way. He felt something latch on, holding him in a mental lock for a moment before letting him go abruptly.
Will wore a thin smile and crossed his arms. “Impressive, if blunt, for a self-taught mystic. I look forward to what progress you can accrue on your way to the Indigo Plateau. Now however, you are beside yourself with doubt and it holds you back. Be true to yourself, and think inwardly about your own desires, and let us lock minds again when you are whole again.” Will bowed and began to make his way out of the room.
Allan stood in shock for a moment before shaking out of his daze.
‘Why would you attack him like that?’ Umari asked him, knocking her head against his.
‘To make sure he took me seriously,’ Allan said to her. ‘It wasn’t anything I knew he couldn’t throw back in my face.’
“Apart from our unending gratitude and mysterious displays,” Koga continued, “I’m here on official business. We found one of your Pokémon in the forest during our sweeps for, well, survivors.”
“What are you talking about?” Allan asked. “I got out of there with all of my Pokémon.”
Koga gave him a curious look, tightening his gaze. “In any case,” he held out a small, green-topped Poké Ball. The top half of the sphere had four red teardrops and a single yellow circle framing the activator button. “Here is your Drapion. It’s a very strong specimen. It will serve you well.”
Allan took the small sphere in his hand and smiled, “Oh, of course, right. Thank you, Koga. I thought he was gone forever.”
“Right. I’ll be off; my comrade doesn’t do well in hospitals. He likes to tell patients their futures with very vague and curious riddles.” Koga gave a short, respectful bow and left the room.
As the door closed, Allan let his hand drop, letting the Friend Ball containing the Drapion clatter to the hard floor. He stared at it intensely, a sensation of disgust and anger rising up in his gut. Unable to stand the sight of it an longer, he quickly picked it up, opened the window to this room, and reared his arm back.
‘Allan, stop!’ Umari ran across his arm and plucked the Poké Ball from his grip. ‘What were you planning on doing?’
“Umari, that thing almost killed Alice. It would’ve eaten you and me too if it had the chance. We have to get rid of the ugly bastard,” Allan growled.
‘But he’s with us now! You caught it! And he’s in one of those balls Kurt made; he’s gonna be friendly and nice.’
“I don’t care about that! It’s about what he did and what he represents! That thing gets to survive everything that awful place had to offer, but not anyone else? They get to die while this thing gets to be taken care of by the very person it tried to kill!” Allan took a deep breath, drawing his hands across his face. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to yell at you.”
‘You shouldn’t just throw him away… He’s not evil, he was just hungry.’
“Well, he is a Dark type though,” Allan said, taking the Friend Ball. “He’s got no place on our team.” Allan hooked the ball onto his belt, far away from Xutan and Duncan’s capture spheres. “He’ll stay, for now.”
‘You shouldn’t think about what we went through like that, either.’ Umari stood on the bed on her hind paws and put her front feet on Allan’s chest. ‘We made it through the forest, and we saved Alice too. Don’t think we shouldn’t have just because others didn’t make it. I’m sad about them dying too, but we have lives to live, so stop beating yourself up over not protecting the others. You protected me.’
“But,” Allan put his hands on her paws and touched his forehead to hers, “what if I can’t anymore? What if I fail?”
‘You should listen to what Will said. You’re not yourself when you’re unsure. You’re much better when you know you can do what you set out to do. Don’t be afraid to fail, everyone does. You need to be afraid of what you’ll become if you never try again.’
Allan closed his eyes, letting Umari’s kind words wash over his mind a few more times. “Who taught you to be so insightful like that?”
‘You know.’
“You’re right,” Allan picked up Umari in his arms. “Let’s get out of this hospital. The lights are starting to give me a headache.”
‘Can we go visit Alice again before we leave?’ Umari asked, hopeful. ‘I want to see if she’s getting better.’
Allan agreed and gathered up his belongings from the floor and table. He was immensely glad to finally find the drive to leave that accursed room that seemed to stifle him. He shouldered his backpack, let Umari walk on her own on the floor, and headed up the hall to the intensive care ward of the hospital.
Alice had shown signs of severe mental anguish from her experience in the Ilex Forest. She hadn’t been very forthcoming about her time before coming into contact with Allan and Umari at the swarm of Skorupi and the Drapion that was now on Allan’s belt. She had mentioned losing control of her Tropius, but Allan wasn’t aware if it had been found and returned yet. Allan and Umari visited her a few times, but she spent most of the day curled up on her bed. Other times she would break into tears, mumbling words between sobs.
As Allan reached the room, he noticed someone in the room sitting next to Alice’s bed. He had long, shoulder length brown hair, and pale skin. He was holding one of Alice’s hands and talking to her.
Umari ran in ahead of Allan and jumped on the bed. ‘Hi Alice!’ she called, looking at the other human with her. ‘Oh, hi to you too!’
“Hello there,” the young man said, letting Alice’s hand fall to the bed. “I’m Iruni Thomas, one of Alice’s coworkers, I guess you’d call me.”
“Allan Relmstead,” he shook Iruni’s hand. “I was with Alice when… yeah.”
Alice was sitting upright in her bed and staring at the wall ahead of her. It wasn’t until Allan spoke that she showed any sign of recognizing that she wasn’t alone in her room.
“Hi…” said Alice weakly. “How are you?”
“We’re doing good now,” said Allan, placing a hand on her knee. “We wanted to say ‘hi’ before we left the hospital.”
“Oh… you’re leaving…” Alice lowered her head. “This is Iruni,” she said, pointing at him. Allan and Iruni gave each other a confused glance. “He’s like you… he trains Dark type Pokémon though… and he has a Pidgey and Chikorita…”
“You train Dark types as a specialty?” Allan asked him. “Can I talk to you out in the hallway for a second?”
“Sure,” Iruni said, a bit surprised at the request from a total stranger. He stood up and followed Allan out of the room. Umari stayed behind and tried to talk to Alice. “Man, Alice is really shaken up from what you guys went through.”
“That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about,” Allan said, unclipping the Drapion’s Poké Ball from his belt. “I won’t go into specifics, but this is a Drapion from Ilex Forest. It was one of the Pokémon that attacked her. I caught it by accident while trying to get it away from her, but I can’t keep a Dark type on my team. If you’re a Dark specialist, you’d know how to at least give it a good life.”
“That’s very generous, and considerate,” said Iruni. He took the Friend Ball from Allan, looking it over. “Are you sure you don’t want to keep him? He won’t be the same creature you saw in that forest.”
“I know, but I want to keep my team entirely Psychic type, and well…” Allan looked back at Alice’s room, “It’d be better for me to not carry around baggage from this ordeal. I know I would end up neglecting the Pokémon otherwise.”
“Alright,” said Iruni. “I understand. I’ll take him off your hands.”
“Thanks. I mean it,” he patted Iruni on the shoulder. “By the way, stop procrastinating. Talk to her.”
He left Iruni in the hallway with his cryptic message and entered Alice’s room once more.
“Come on Umari, we’re going.” Allan waved goodbye to Alice and began walking down the hallway. He passed Iruni still standing in the same spot he left him in, giving Allan a questioning look. “Psychic,” he said as he passed by. “Oh, and don’t show Alice who you have there just yet. I doubt that’ll do good for her mental state.”
Allan and Umari continued down the hallway and got in an elevator. As they rode it down to the ground floor, they took the solitary state of the moment to relax for a moment.
‘What was that about?’ Umari asked.
“I was just trying to help out,” said Allan. “Also, he’s going to look after that Drapion, so that’s one less thing to worry about.”
‘Okay… Well, what’s next? Are we going to continue our training right away?’
“Not ‘right’ away, no. I think we’ve deserved some time off.” Allan walked forward as the elevator doors opened again. He and his shiny Eevee walked out of the hospital into the late evening sun, not looking back behind them. “It’s starting to get hot around here.”
—————
A soft thud and loud click followed as the door shut behind him. Iruni stood alone in a hotel room in Goldenrod City, which was just a few blocks away from the hospital. He had been cleared of any major health concerns, and given a few extra-potent vitamin supplements to take with his meals for a few weeks to replace what he had lost down in the underground. His belongings sat in a new, heavy-duty backpack that hung on his shoulder, the weight straining the muscle beneath. The words that the other trainer, Allan, had said to him stung his mind. They felt like lies, but Iruni couldn’t find fault in them. Maybe he just wanted them to be.
“Am I procrastinating?” he asked the empty room. He let his heavy pack fall to the floor and walked over to the single bed. Iruni sighed as he sat down the plush surface, letting himself fall back and stare at the ceiling. “Why would I be doing something like that?”
Iruni’s hand drifted to his hip and grasped the miniaturized capture spheres that were clipped onto his belt. He held all five of them in his right hand and admired their shine in the artificial light cast by the lamp on the bedside table. He loosened his grip on the handful of Poké Balls, letting them fall onto his chest one by one; Karros’, Atanya’s, Kreen’s, and the Drapion that he had received a few hours prior. The colored spheres rolled off of him and onto the bed. The Pokémon inside were still in a state of suspended animation, they felt and experienced nothing.
Iruni felt a sense of guilt that he might be neglecting his other Pokémon by not releasing them yet, but another feeling was pressing into him far more.
The final Poké Ball in his hand was mostly white, but the paint tricked the eye to see black along its perimeter. A small, black crescent symbol sat front and center framed by two thick curved lines. This Umbra Ball was unique; no other will be exactly like it. Across its face, two distinct claw marks slashed through the designs along the surface. They were a keepsake of when a certain young Sneasel first experienced being contained inside the ball for a few seconds. Now Rikalia had been confined, in stasis, for much longer.
“I’m afraid that you’re going to hate me,” Iruni finally said to the unresponsive ball in his hand. He gave the red activator button a single tap, letting it expand to its full size. “I really hope you’re not mad at me for what I did, and I guess I’m afraid to find out.”
He let the words hang in the air for a few moments, letting the silence set the tone for what he was about to do. Iruni sat up, letting his legs swing down to the floor. He switched off the lights in the room and took off his doctor-issued glasses. The ambient light from the busy city outside that poured into the room from behind the curtained windows stung his eyes only slightly, but he soon got used to the dim glow. He knew Rikalia’s eyes could potentially react even more to the sudden change than his.
Iruni closed his eyes and held his right arm out, pressed and held the activation button on the front of Rikalia’s Umbra Ball. The few moments of contact unlocked the ball from stasis mode and let the bottom half of the sphere fall free with a flash of bright light. The energy released from the ball pooled and took form on the floor in front of Iruni. As the light dimmed, there stood the same frantic and scared Sneasel that Iruni had last seen nearly a month ago.
“—snya yaan!” Rikalia’s eyes widened, her paws snapping to cover her mouth. She stared up at Iruni with fear and shock in her eyes. She lowered her arms as she blinked at the vastly brighter room she found herself in. She rubbed her eyes with her white paws, trying to get used to the light.
“Hello, Rika,” Iruni said hesitantly. He knelt down to her level, leaning an arm on his knee. “How are you feeling?”
“Yaaan…” the Sneasel glared at him through squinted eyes. She spun on the spot, taking in her surroundings as her eyes managed to adjust. Rikalia ran up to the window and pulled aside the curtains, taking in the sights of the city before her. “Yaan ast tarn ah! Yaan inna… yest en arlama! Yaan meh onda ala! Ohc ah yan nasa ama?”
“Rika…” Iruni stood up, unsure of what he was hearing. “What are you saying?”
“Yaan ama sele yan dama tah!” she yelled, bearing her teeth. “Nya thal acara na me… atara na acar ya… ormara hata? No ata!”
“Rika, I— Slow down,” Iruni said. “I don’t—”
“Yaan tyan mah?!”
“—understand you.”
“Yaa—” Rikalia relaxed her posture, momentarily unsure of herself. “Yaa tya mei?”
“I’m sorry Rika,” said Iruni. He knelt back down and gently drew his hand over her light-blue ear feather. “I can’t understand what you’re saying anymore.”
“Mah!? Manai?”
“I don’t know why,” Iruni said, merely guessing. “But we’ll figure it out, I promise.”
“Manah yan talai ana nya?” she asked, grabbing onto his arm. Tears began welling up in her eyes, but she squinted past them. “Na dona a loma eh irameya!”
Iruni sat down on the carpeted floor, and pulled Rikalia into his lap. He held her in his arms, stroking her head with his hand.
“Rikalia, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for putting you into stasis like that, I know you hated it. And I’m sorry I can’t understand you now,” he hugged her close to his chest. “I missed you so much down in the dark. If I could’ve had you with me I would have, but I didn’t think of any other way to save you. I didn’t—couldn’t stand the idea of you starving to death down there. But wanting to see you, and everyone else, again drove me to keep going when it really got bad.”
“Ya raina ora na atta?” Rikalia asked him, even knowing the words were alien to him.
“We’re safe now, Rika. I’m going to do all that I can to make up for what I did to you. I feel awful… I know you just wanted to be there for me.”
“Nyar doma cara etta mo…” Rikalia buried her face into his shirt, gripping it in her claws. “Yanama fara. Ama te onmada.”
“I’ll figure out how to understand you again,” Iruni said again, leaning back against the side of the bed. “I will.”
—————
It was late now. It felt like hours had passed since Iruni last checked the clock, which now read almost midnight. In the back of his mind, he knew his sleeping schedule would take some time to readjust to its normal pattern after being trapped in a pitch-black environment for so long. The tiny noises that went on throughout the night that he had taken for granted before now sounded too loud to him. From the footsteps that came from outside of his room’s door of another patron going here or there to the sounds of vehicles going up and down the streets outside his window.
He felt exhausted after having to deal with such a busy and stressful day of returning to society, but he was having trouble falling asleep.
Iruni was sitting on top of the bed, leaning against the backboard. The room was still dark, the only light streaming in from the window or from beneath the door to the hallway.
Rikalia had finally fallen asleep, lying beside him with her head in his lap. For a while, she would wake up with a start every few minutes and frantically look around for Iruni. Once he calmed her down, she would snuggle up closer to him and hold onto him with her arms. Just before falling back asleep she would mumble something unintelligible before slipping back to sleep.
Iruni let his head rest against the wall behind him as he idly stroked her fur with his right hand. His mind kept going back and forth, going over the newfound challenge he had been given: What happened to his ability to understand his Sneasel? What was different from before, to now? Had something happened to him in the dark underground? Did his mysterious trip to the Sinjoh Ruins affect him, or maybe even Rikalia even though she was in stasis?
While he went back and forth with himself with questions, Iruni began to absentmindedly tap his fingers on his leg. The repetitive rhythm of his movements began to awaken the sleeping Sneasel lying close by. She grunted and slapped a paw onto his hand to stop his fingers from moving.
“Sorry,” Iruni said quietly, but he got no response. He didn’t think the tiny pulses of movement and sound would’ve been enough to wake her up. “Pulses…” he whispered.
A smile slowly spread across his face as his train of thought went down an avenue he hadn’t explored yet. He had been separated from Rikalia for weeks, abruptly cutting off the very thing that he and Professor Elm theorized was the reason that their communication was possible: Dark Pulse. Rikalia had been discovered to inherently know how to use the technique, due to it being passed down through her parentage. She had been using it on an subconscious level, entirely on reflex. It seemed to mimic the process by which humans could converse with Psychic Pokémon, or Aura-sensitive Pokémon like Lucario.
“I just need more time…” he said quietly. He let his shoulders relax and took a deep breath, focusing on how peaceful his mind felt without the constant assail of Dark Pulse it had grown used to. As he did, he began to feel something. Something he hadn’t felt in a long while. Iruni sat straight up on the bed and looked around the room for anything amiss. A faint presence grazed his mind, like an exploratory touch.
“You should already know this,” said Iruni in a low voice. “I grew up with an Espeon. I know what it feels like when a Psychic type Pokémon touches my mind. Come on out.”
The response came as a pair of blue-tipped antennae poked up over the edge of the bed. Their owner slowly rose higher, fluttering silently on tiny translucent wings.
‘I’m sorry,’ Celebi said, landing at the foot of the bed. ‘I wasn’t sure if you were ready to talk or not.’
“Then just ask…” Iruni glared at her. “Why are you here?”
‘Just talk like this,’ Celebi offered, tapping the side of her head. ‘You wouldn’t want to wake up your little bundle of claws and teeth, would you?’
Iruni closed his eyes, focusing on the connection Celebi had with his mind. ‘You’re right,’ he sent over the telepathic link, ‘I don’t want to wake her, and you wouldn’t want to either.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Celebi crossed her arms.
‘I’ve had plenty of time to think, thanks to you. About who you are and what you mean. You’ve done this to me before, haven’t you?’
‘Done what?’
‘You’ve interfered in my life— our lives before our trip to those ruins, haven’t you?’ Iruni accused.
The Time Travel Pokémon shifted uncomfortably in place, breaking eye contact with him.
‘I thought so,’ said Iruni. ‘I think you owe me some answers. And an apology.’
‘I don’t owe anything to you, but for what it’s worth… I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t think it was absolutely necessary.’
‘So you’re sorry for barging in here uninvited, but not for manipulating us? Just what is “necessary” to you anyway? Making me get lost in an underground labyrinth for a month and a half? Or maybe causing a tree to fall in the woods at the opportune time?’ Iruni breathed heavily as he finished saying that last accusation. The thought Celebi having had influence from the very beginning sent chills up his spine.
‘I’m just… making sure you two stay on the right path! You’re still living your life, I’m just making sure it’s going the right way!’
‘And I’m asking; Why? Why do any of this? What is the point?!’ Iruni silently gestured toward Rikalia. ‘Why did you involve her in my life?’
‘Well you see… You two are… a “package deal”, so to speak. You needed to get together at some point.’
‘We’re a what?’ asked Iruni, unsure of what she meant.
‘Well let’s answer that with different question; do you want to know what she said when you finally let her out of her Poké Ball? She almost managed to say it when you two were in the underground together, but you cut her off. Now it fell on deaf ears.’ Celebi floated into the air and hovered close to Iruni’s face with a smug grin on her face. ‘I’ll agree to answer your questions and all, so long as they don’t jeopardize what I have in store for you, but you need to be sure you’re ready for what the answer might be. What do you think I mean by “package deal”, huh? What was she saying to you, in tears no less, when she was afraid of being separated from you, leaving you down there alone?’
Iruni felt his face flush at the implications. ‘I… I mean, it’s been weeks since that happened. I don’t exactly remember—’
‘You do, and you know it.’ Celebi grinned wide, floating backwards in the air. ‘I’ll not bore you with the details. Those are more fun to find out on your own, I’ll bet.’
‘But that— Okay, so what do you “need” us for? Why push us together and steer us in some path that you deem fit? You told be that you needed my help, but you wouldn’t tell me “why” before. If you want me to cooperate you’re going to need to tell me what exactly is going on.’
‘I don’t need to tell you anything,’ Celebi said. ‘You’re already helping me without knowing a thing, so why fix what isn’t broken?’
‘But I’ll bet I would be a lot more useful to you if I knew what was going on. If you don’t tell me, what’s stopping me from unknowingly working against you?’ said Iruni. ‘Friends work together better than enemies do.’
‘Are you threatening me?’ asked Celebi with a smirk.
‘I’m just stating facts. And think it through; sure, I might be serving whatever purpose you have in your little head just fine right now as an ignorant pawn, but if you made me a partner, I could be actively trying to help you get whatever you need done, done.’
‘Don’t you think I’ve thought of that?’ Celebi clenched her small fists. ‘I’ve… I’ve messed up too much in my life to risk someone else’s happiness for my own.’
‘It’s a little late for that now, Celebi…’ Iruni put extra mental weight on his words, letting some of his anger bleed into the psychic link. ‘It’s our lives you’re risking right now. You’re dragging me and my Pokémon around on a leash to the point where you’re willing to almost make us starve—TWICE! Now try and tell me you couldn’t have done that better if I had just known what was going on.’
Celebi crossed her arms and spun to face away from Iruni. She slowly floated back down onto the surface of the bed, sitting in silence for a few moments. ‘I ruined my best friend’s life, and right now, I can’t fix it. So I’m trying anything I can think of that might make things better while trying to figure out a way to fix things.’
‘What did you do?’ asked Iruni, a little surprised how quickly she opened up.
‘I… took him away with me. I pulled him out of his place in time and into this one. He lost his family, a wife and son, because I was too protective of him. I thought I was saving his life, but…’
‘Okay, slow down a bit,’ said Iruni. ‘What did you do to him?’
Celebi turned to look at him, a few tears forming around her big, blue eyes. ‘I took him! I was selfish! I saw into the future, and I saw that he was going to be gone one day. So, I jumped in time with him to save his life. But what I was seeing was the aftermath of me taking him away! I acted without thinking, I didn’t look harder, and I messed up, okay?!’
Iruni started to finally consider who it was he was talking to. Celebi was a time-traveling legend, something on an entirely different level than anything he had ever seen, and she was feeling guilt for what her actions caused. ‘You… care about your friend a lot, don’t you?’ he asked her.
‘Caring about him put him into this mess…’
‘But it’s also driving you to fix it.’
‘He wants to kill me. He wants nothing more than to wring my neck in his bare hands for what I did, and I don’t blame him.’
‘Why? You’re probably just about the only thing that can get him home.’
‘Aren’t you paying any attention?’ She stood up on the bed, frustrated. ‘I can’t fix this! I don’t know how! I can’t take him home, without potentially making everything worse!’
‘What do you mean?’
‘When I… travel in time, I can more or less control the direction I go. Forward in time, backward; I’ve got that down. But I can’t ever grasp how much. It all feels the same to me. It’s like I’m missing some major aspect about my ability. Going forward one day feels the same as if I went forward a thousand years. I feel like I should be able to, but I can’t…’
‘And so you need Rika and I to do— what, exactly?’ Iruni asked. ‘You’re not being very clear on why you need us or what we could even do for you.’
‘Look… as much as I would like to think of myself as a master of time, I’m just a being who can sometimes ignore the straight path it goes on. Its intricacies are still lost to me. I’m merely able to bounce about it and enjoy the ride. Even looking into the future isn’t an exact science. All I know is that you two are there in the future when I finally confront him. I don’t know any specific details, because if I know too much ahead of time, it can alter the outcome. I don’t know what I’m going to do… but I know I need you there.’
‘Why is it “us” that you need?’ Iruni asked. ‘Couldn’t you ask anyone else?’
‘Like I said, you’re there in the future. Because you already know him.’
‘Know who?’
‘Coralis Galian. My friend, or at least he used to be.’
“What, really? Coralis is from the past?” Iruni asked aloud.
The sudden outburst stirred Rikalia from her slumber momentarily. The Sneasel stretched and yawned, giving Iruni an annoyed look. “Snyal alra…” Rikalia laid her head back down and fell back asleep moments later. Iruni and Celebi both let out the breath they had been holding in relief.
‘Why don’t you want her to know about me anyway? You were the one who was pressing me to share information, wouldn’t you want to keep your better half in the loop too?’ Celebi asked.
‘Now that I now even Coralis has been keeping secrets for me, I’m even more unsure about this whole situation. I don’t want to be involved in something that’ll get me killed, or worse, her. Plus, if she knew you’ve been influencing our lives together all this time, I sincerely doubt she’ll be as forgiving as I am.’
‘You seriously plan on keeping me a secret from her?’
‘At least until you can give me a real answer for what you need us to do,’ said Iruni. ‘But, Coralis should be brought home, I know that much. For now, you’ve got my help. You just need to be direct with me from now on. Got it?’
‘Your call,’ Celebi said, shrugging. ‘Don’t let Coralis know I’ve spoken to you either. You don’t want him to think you’re his enemy.’
‘Just focus on trying to find a way to help him,’ Iruni said, leaning back onto the bed.
‘Say, have you figured out why you can’t understand her yet?’
‘Of course,’ Iruni said, closing his eyes. ‘What kind of aspiring Dark type master would I be if I didn’t figure it out?’
‘I’m… happy for you. In every future I’ve seen, the two of you are happy,’ said Celebi. ‘Thank you for agreeing to help. I promise I’ll do what I can to make sure you’re not in any danger.’
‘Just don’t send us down into any more ancient catacombs without at least some warning, okay?’
‘Sure.’ Celebi giggled slightly, smiling. A silent flash of light filled the room and she was gone.
In the silent room, Iruni lay in the dark, still unable to sleep.
Until a familiar pressure began digging its claws into his head. A repeating, pulsing sensation.
He fell asleep soon after that.
—————
To Be Continued…
—————
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- 24
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The Dark Type