Leaf

  —

  That night Erin's giant predator of a mother carried a Tauros of all things back to camp, so we had a succulent dinner of huge ribs while the group of dragons devoured the rest. Deino had taken to the job of dedicated spit-turner with great enthusiasm, and it took the Pokemon hours to slowly cook and devour the rest of the large bovine.

  The Tyrantrum was oddly free with letting Raihan's dragons eat their fill before slowly munching on the rest, and when I asked, Erin grinned and told me she was probably already mostly full. Through some pantomime Erin managed to figure out that it had been an Arbok, which was delicious, and a Pincir, which was foul, but that food was food and it was enjoyable to chew, at least.

  I tried not to think about that as I devoured the ribs Erin had cooked. I had never had the expensive, hard to acquire dish before. Tauros were practically impossible to domesticate, as the herds inevitably rebelled every month or so, causing Stampedes that broke through steel walls. Miltank were much easier to domesticate, and supplied most commercial quantities of red meat.

  These tasted nothing like the tough, bland Miltank ribs I had eaten once before at a nice restaurant in Viridian City.

  Erin had placed a large, roughly cut wooden tray of pre-sliced ribs (why?) between us as we sat on logs the Tyrantrum had dragged over. The outside was almost charred, with the spices she had thoroughly, agonizingly tested and applied to it burned into an almost overwhelming flavor, but the moist, tender, savory meat of the ribs themselves balanced it so well that I had moaned when I took my first bite.

  Raihan'd had a similar reaction, and between us we slowly devoured rib after rib, and I only took a rib after the other two had. I didn't even realize I was doing it until my fourth rib, but they hadn't noticed either, probably because Raihan waited for Erin to eat first. Like it was just natural, and it didn't even look like they were aware of the interplay as we ate the huge ribs. They just ate. Like it was natural. It was pretty funny, actually.

  My newest Pokemon (I still couldn't believe that! Erin brought back a Clefairy! And I convinced her to join me!) wasn't making friends fast, that was for sure. She seemed to enjoy the glares of the dragons as she bounced around the camp, munching on some vegetables that Erin had reluctantly parted with. Erin had threatened, and probably extracted promises from her, immediately after I caught the fairy, or so I assumed. Even though she stared at my baby with undisguised glee dancing in those tiny eyes, hands clenched, she never approached him. Not even as he glared at her, but the smirking stare she never seemed to lose around him drove him insane.

  He didn't dare do anything with Erin and the Tyrantrum there, however.

  The weirdest thing about dinner was the argument between Raihan and Erin, however.

  It wasn't really an argument, exactly, but as we sat and talked they seemed to have what I could only describe as an 'enjoyable disagreement'. Erin was defending her low opinion of Raihan's homeland, and while she seemed genuinely apologetic, she was unwilling to change her stance on the matter.

  Raihan seemed irritated and defiant, obviously, but oddly understanding as he argued back. Their words weren't harsh, but they were almost touching each other as they postured at each other.

  That's what they were doing.

  Posturing.

  "Your low- Your weak Pokemon are all boring! Your gimmick sucks! Let's just make them biiiiig! Ooohh! You have living cream! Your Meowth variant makes me sad for their species! You have Skwovets! Enough said!"

  Raihan was undeterred by her words, however.

  "How can you love cute pokemon and hate Skwovets!? Look, let me find a picture, look at those stupid little eyes-!"

  "No, put it away! I'm warning you, Raihan, don't show me one of those horrid things! You know how disappointed I was when they were the first- when I saw them everywhere!"

  It was like they were…

  Nah, that was stupid.

  Right?

  I want to ask.

  I really shouldn't, though.

  It was a bad idea.

  I knew that like I knew the sun would eventually rise.

  It was a certainty. A bad idea.

  A very bad idea.

  The worst idea I'd had in a long time.

  Also funny.

  I couldn't help myself.

  "So, are you two dating?"

  It was like I stopped time itself. Everyone froze, and Erin's horrified, disgusted looking face was only matched by the one on Raihan's as they stared at me, stunned for a moment, before their horrified faces turned towards each other. They then looked down.

  Erin was almost sitting in his lap, his jacket bunched in one hand as she held up a fist above his face. Raihan's hand was clamped to the top of her head, pushing her away, taking selfies with the phone in his other hand.

  His Rotom ghost had refused to take pictures of the pissed off Dragon Master and vacated the phone, so Raihan was stuck trying to do it manually. Despite the apparent anger on display, they had been smiling before I spoke, even as they bickered.

  Instead of blushing like I thought she would, Erin's face grew slightly green as her eyes closed for a long second before weakly opening.

  "Oh my go- Arceus, that was a vile thought, Leaf. Age aside, Raihan?!" She gagged a little at the end. Her tone was scathing as she glared at me queasily, mouth quirked like she tasted something sour.

  I looked at her in confusion as Raihan nodded along with her.

  "Leaf, girl, that was cruel. Once again, age aside, I mean, Erin?! Her?!" His nose was scrunched up like he had smelled a Muk, and I couldn't help but sputter a bit. She was nodding along with him, too!

  "T-That's a bit harsh, wow. I thought you guys liked each other." I mean, I had figured they weren't because of the age difference, but I had meant to embarrass them, not… this! They looked disgusted!

  Their scathing glares were identical, and then it all made sense. My eyes grew wide, my mouth forming a large 'O'' as I gasped in sudden realization.

  "Oh, it's because you're the same person!"

  Erin's eyes began to glow, and I didn't struggle as the Tyrantrum snatched me up, away from the murderous glare on her daughter's red face.

  Raihan just began to laugh uproariously. It wasn't that funny, right? If they weren't dating, they were the best of friends, then.

  "Leaf! Leaf, if you come down now, I won't be mad."

  She wasn't lying.

  I knew better, however. I had hung on her every word up till now, this strange, savage trainer I had found myself about to journey with. I had gotten a feel for Erin.

  Erin tried to never lie. She wasn't bound to not lie like fairies apparently were, but she did her best. She only said she wouldn't be mad.

  She could easily be furious, however. That was a loophole, and it was so obvious I knew she was actually upset.

  I'd have believed her if she said I would be safe.

  I giggled from my high position. The jacket bunched under my arms wasn't comfortable, but I was smug as I laughed down at my teachers.

  "You can't touch me! You are the same! Your mom knows it too!"

  Said mother nodded, sending me bouncing uncomfortably. I could feel her grin, and I continued, giggling as my arms went wide.

  "You can't touch me, Erin, literally! You know I'm right! Bow before my wisdom!"

  My smile was wide as I gleefully looked down at my vicious mentor/minder, and she playfully glared at me in response to my theatrics, but only for a second.

  Then the biggest, darkest, wickedest smile I had ever seen spread across her face, eyes absolutely shining with delight as they noticed something behind me, while Raihan looked up from his laughing with a terrified face.

  Erin looked like all of her birthdays had come early.

  At once.

  I had fucked up.

  I knew I had really fucked up when I felt myself flying through the air, and as I spun in mid-air I watched the suddenly cavernous jaws rush up to meet me. I barely had time to notice that she was covering her teeth with her tongue and lips before I was snatched out of the air with surprising delicacy. I found myself inside her mouth and oh my Arceus I'M DEAD!

  The tongue tossed me around the horrid, nightmarishly dark, wet place I found myself, until I was facing forward. As my heart tried its best to explode, I felt a deep, repeating wet clack from behind me. It was rapid and I hesitated to call the physical vibrations in my body amused, but it was!

  She was chuckling at me!

  Her jaws opened a tiny bit, then her lips peeled back. Through her teeth I could see Erin on her knees, laughing so hard she sounded like she was rapidly hiccuping. She held her stomach and wheezed as she begged for the pain to stop!

  Her smile threatened to split her lips at the edges, though. Her entire mouth was wide open in a gaping smile, like she couldn't believe her luck, and her eyes actually shone with a light, calming purple light. I had never seen that before, but I instantly knew it was her absolute delight at the situation.

  At her good fortune to be in a position to watch.

  My position was pretty shitty right about now, though.

  The entire camp was laughing, dragon and not, my new Clefairy looking like her birthday had come early as she held her stomach in pain. Even though Raihan looked mildly concerned at first, he began to laugh as well after I used a huge tooth to pull myself to the front of the gigantic mouth- oh Arceus I'm in her MOUTH- and he saw that I was okay.

  Not that I was OKAY!

  "W-w-what the hell, why? I t-thought you liked me?!" I wasn't whining, I swear!

  I thought she saw me as a pack member or something, right?

  The gigantic mouth nodded, my vision tilting, then she began chuckling again. The sound was overwhelming in her jaws, and I desperately hoped that she wouldn't accidentally swallow! Oh Arceus hear my prayer I beg you!

  Raihan stopped laughing long enough to speak, while Erin's Pokemon looked at her in concern, circling around her as she lay on the ground.

  She was turning blue as she desperately gasped for air.

  "She does like you, Leaf, she even protected you from her enraged daughter! Haha-!"

  Raihan almost choked himself as he violently straightened and cleared his throat in an attempt to straighten up. His eyes and cheeks bulged as he tried to hold back a laugh, hand to his mouth. He failed, laughed once, and then he folded. He bent over, holding his knees as he tried to breathe and talk at the same time, which was really hard.

  Especially because he never stopped laughing while he spoke. His voice came out warbly and bouncy, and my face paled as he continued.

  I felt cold.

  "She respected the gall it took to do that to Erin and me, to our faces, but you're in timeout now, girl! You got too prideful! You told her daughter to bow down to you!"

  He began howling with laughter, head thrown back as he collapsed onto the grass. He kept going, too, with the most shiteating grin I had ever seen on anyone! Ever!

  Even in fiction!

  "The way you flipped! I would have paid for that selfie, and I've never paid for one before!"

  It didn't stop him from taking a lot of selfies with my trapped face anyways, almost unable to hold the phone as he convulsed. Luckily for him his Rotom phone wasn't scared of me.

  I wasn't Erin.

  He would have plenty of pictures to choose from. Like everyone else, including me to my infinite surprise, the ghostly phone had relaxed around the surprisingly courteous and considerate giant maneater after they had talked, and had thus had no problems rapidly phasing through her teeth to use its front and back cameras to create the most humiliating, hilarious picture collage I had ever seen. I would have been grateful when he posted it and tagged me!

  If it hadn't been ME in the collage, that was! I regretted agreeing to let him post anything as I first realized I stood in front of a Dragon Tamer Gym Leader. I had felt so much awe, then.

  Then.

  He continued to laugh the entire time, while off to the side, Erin's little Hatenna was hopping up and down on her chest as she fought for oxygen.

  The sheer joy on her face threatened to split it in half as she smiled, and she looked so content. She finally managed to speak, barely above a whisper, but I heard it as the Tyrantrum finally stopped chuckling.

  "That was so good… I could die happy now, that was just beautiful."

  I glared at the older girl from behind the gigantic teeth, and as I lay there on the wet, hot tongue of a gargantuan predator, restrained as my death sat feet behind me, covered in thick saliva, the odor of rotting meat enveloping me from all sides, I promised myself something.

  I would never do that again.

  I knew that I might find the entire thing amusing tomorrow. It was not tomorrow, outside of her mouth and safe. It was not tomorrow, after a shower and a good night's sleep that hopefully wouldn't be plagued by nightmares of falling into huge jaws!

  I knew that was a doomed hope.

  My anger and frustration at my situation boiled over and I began to whine and thrash on her giant tongue, legs flailing.

  I knew she wouldn't eat me.

  That didn't mean I couldn't make the situation worse, however.

  Arceus as my witness, I swore I heard her go 'heh' before her lips turned away from her devious daughter, the view changing to show the valley we had yet to explore.

  "Oh you should not have fought your punishment, girl! You're a member of the pack now, and you just defied her judgement!"

  I couldn't see his face, but I knew Raihan was smiling. Erin was gasping again, and her menagerie was howling along with her, my Clefairies cheerful cries sharp in the air as she cackled maniacally.

  At least she was having fun with her new trainer?

  I heard my baby's sinister laugh as well, and I was almost amused, until I felt her tongue shift me until I was held, gently but firmly, in place. A tiny, yet intense Protect sprung up around my skin, and I did my best not to soil myself as I watched her grin from the inside.

  "Please make it fast, mom. We'll need to go get her cleaned up after! The camp shower won't cut it!" Erin managed to choke that out before she started bellowing with laughter again.

  The sounds of laughter grew fainter behind us as she strode forward. She wasn't even going fast, but her sheer size meant a lot of ground was covered with each stride. I gulped as I stared forward through the teeth. She leaned forward, then began to scuff her feet on the ground at the valley entrance.

  I tried to stop the high-pitched whimper that formed, but I failed miserably.

  "Listen, Erin said fast, right? So please make it short but fast? Please? I'll be good? I swear? Please?"

  My momentary hope as she actually took the time to think about it was dashed to pieces when she shook her head. The view changed as the giant Tyrantrum hopped around a few times, adjusting how she held my body with her giant tongue.

  It was disgusting, but I would later admit that the run was surprisingly secure and safe.

  It was horrific. Diabolical. Sadistic. Nightmare-inducing, and overall just not a nice thing to do to me or anyone, but it was safe.

  I didn't know that I was completely safe in the moment, not as my view rapidly changed, the Tyrantrum moving so fast that the surroundings almost seemed to blur. The high-pitched whistling sound her peeled lips made, and the vibrating lips, must have amused her terribly, because she didn't stop even after she found a nice little lake and took a brief swim, despite her Rock typing. Well, we sunk, and she just kept running.

  She didn't stop after she found a Golem and used it as a massive golf ball with her oversized tail.

  She didn't even stop after the canyon turned into a river, no, she jumped from wall to wall as she ascended, her giant claws tearing into the stone, and then she kept going when she reached the plateau. She eventually went all the way back to the beginning, and she must have forgotten about me, or really liked the entire course.

  That would explain why she kept doing it.

  Eventually Erin showed up and actually pleaded with her to stop, and I found that I had been right. The titanic predator had forgotten about me as she had fun, but the same instincts that told her to pick her baby up in her mouth ensured I had been safe. After all, you can't have a species eat its young too often, especially predator species.

  I didn't feel safe until I was pulled from the gigantic maw, though, and soon Erin's stupid smiling face filled my vision.

  I stared at her blankly.

  She was holding Skrelp, and I looked at him in horrid frozen fascination and hope as he inhaled.

  "Let's get the worst off. Close your mouth and eyes, might want to hold your nose-"

  She cut off as a blast of weak, continuous water hit my entire body almost at once, and I briefly marveled at Skrelp's control before I began to scrub off the saliva. It required five more blasts before we moved to strategic bombardment, and by the end poor Skrelp looked like he was going to turn to dust.

  Since there was a stream nearby, he soon hopped into the barrel Erin had purchased for him. She couldn't store it full of water, but since she could just barely fit it into a standard Storage Ball, she told me she planned to fill it up for him as often as possible.

  Her love for her Pokemon was an inspiration to me, truly, but I was feeling very uncharitable about one of them as I stood there in silence.

  I was very disorientated, and after Erin stared at me with concern she laughed. My eyes blinked slowly as I looked at her, and she shook her head.

  "Nothing. It's already dark, but do you want to get some ice cream?"

  I just stared at her blankly.

  "You look like you could use some, and it's minutes by Flygon. A Flygon who pranked me, and who would love to do something nice to get back in my good graces."

  The dragon looked over and nodded rapidly, even though she wasn't looking at him.

  "You really look like you could use a Pokemon Center shower and some ice cream, before we bring some back for everyone." Her Hatenna, Deino, and Tyrunt giggled and roared out cheers at her words, but the rest of her team only looked mildly interested.

  Raihan nodded from his spot on the blanket pile. He had returned from Viridian city with his own futon and five blankets, and had delightedly announced his intent to 'sleep with an infamous maneater', which had amused the Tyrantrum to no end. And Erin, though she told him to cut it out with the jokes about her mother.

  I had blushed when I finally got it.

  "I'll keep an eye on things here. Bring me back some chocolate, please."

  She looked at him as I slowly took in my condition. I expected the way I looked, but the ripe smell of rotting meat clung to me now, and I gagged a little as my eyes and thoughts grew clearer.

  And slightly panicked.

  "Just basic chocolate for the man who practically defines 'excessive'?" He laughed at her.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  "And Stantler Tracks is any better? You sound like a basic bitch." She began to giggle as I finally looked away from a vague spot in space. Our eyes met and I practically begged as I spoke the next words.

  "Shower? Please?"

  She ushered me towards the Pokemon, catching a Pokeball Raihan threw at her.

  "Let's get you clean, Leaf. I'll grab you a change of clothes, just dont… dont go near our stuff right now, please."

  Flygon eyed me warily as I drew closer, and I gave him an apologetic look.

  "Sorry…" He laughed briefly, a high pitched keen, then shook his head, shrugging. As I climbed on, Erin met us with a bundle, hopping up behind me with a sheet as a divider between us, her hand lashing out and snagging Flygon's neck as she landed.

  Her voice was sweet, affectionate.

  "Now, this bad boy right here can do one to fucking infinity in sixty seconds flat, but tonight he's going to take it niiiice and easy, right?" Flygon nodded, but we could both see the huge smile on his face.

  She still screamed as the devious dragon launched us into the air, a Protect steadying us before we slowly flew away.

  —

  Erin

  —

  I stood in a fresh set of clothes, hair still damp. I had reasonably pointed out that I would take a two minute shower since I was still relatively clean, especially by my recent outdoorsy-leaning standards. Leaf, however?

  She was going to be in there for a while, the poor thing.

  I chuckled to myself again as I left the tiny, free Pokemon Center room, the image of Leaf flipping through the air above my mothers giant open maw all I needed to feel a warm glow inside. I left Flygon behind to watch her, and he was content to recline on the single tiny bed and flip through the channels. He was simultaneously the fastest and laziest dragon I had yet to meet, and he was a devious prankster who used his fear of me to fuel his little schemes.

  I loved the asshole so much already.

  I took an idle, wandering route as I walked. I had been told what to do by Raihan earlier with a frown from the man. I had no destination, and I began to feel very stupid as I very nearly made a circle, until I heard a cough from behind me, that was. Then I smiled, turning.

  Looker was there, his tired-looking Alakazam glaring at me as he reached out. I didn't fight them as our surroundings changed, and I found myself in a richly decorated, windowless room with what looked like antique cabinets to the sides.

  A table and two chairs sat there, and had I been a criminal I would be shitting my pants at the sheer speed with which I had been abducted. I could have stopped it, but only because Looker warned me. A smart decision.

  I would not react well to being teleported suddenly.

  "Hey there, Looker. Long time no-" He cut me off as he sat down, his chair tilting back as he stretched out in exhaustion.

  "Stop giving me more work, Erin!" I suddenly felt a bit bad, but I was far more concerned. The bags under his eyes had bags, and I seriously wondered if he had even slept since the mind meld. That worried me. A lot, actually.

  ""He hasn't, and your concern is appreciated. He will be fine. You could stop adding petty feuds to his workload, however."" I glared at the psychic.

  "This isn't a petty feud, and you know it. Mewtwo already happened, right?"

  The flinch at the name was my answer. It wasn't easy to find any news on the evil teams online due to government Porygons and Porygon 2's, so I hadn't actually known.

  "Then let's not give him the chance to try again with something else! What if he pulls the 'Crown of Control Giratina' out of his ass somehow! For all I know it might exist! They kept doing stupid wacky shit as it went along!" Looker was shaking his head.

  "We have our suspicions, but even with your knowledge, we haven't been able to pin him down on anything. Despise the man or not, he isn't stupid. How will putting a target on your back with a one versus six stompdown help? How will your petty little feud actually help? Describe your plan."

  My voice was calm as I spoke. I didn't know exactly, but I knew I was right.

  Right?

  "After I destroy his pride, he'll want me dead. He'll want my mother captured, too. For all I know he has another Master Ball stashed away, and that's the only thing that would work. I'd have to be dead first, though. He won't come himself, but he'll know at least some of my mothers strengths."

  "He'll send an Executive after me if he has one available, and at least one powerful Ice type, more likely a lot of them. He'll have me watched after she trashes his team, and when I go out without my bandoleer, holding her Pokeball to 'hunt', he won't be able to resist."

  "Raihan is willing to help if I can get you to agree, if he can remain anonymous. He's already thinking about his 'disguise', which worries me quite a bit." He was bad enough when he dressed himself normally! Those shorts were a crime when combined with that jacket! It was actually not a bad jacket, I kind of liked it, it was those damn shorts!

  "If the only one who knows about her is Giovanni and his Gym and I get attacked, that's a very easy connection to make. You go from there with your investigation."

  He practically growled his next words at me.

  "And Leaf? The protagonist that you're apparently going to travel with?" I glared at his tone.

  "I was ambushed by the poor girl, Looker! After I had already put the brat in his place once! I'm not stupid, I'm leaving her behind at the Center with the rest of my team. I will be the only one in danger, and I'll be perfectly fine."

  He slammed his hands on the table before pointing at my left hand. At my stump.

  "This isn't a game Erin! This isn't virtual reality Pokemon: Erin Edition! I see your perspective, I really do. You would actually be doing me a favor, and helping put Giovanni away. I won't deny that, and that's the only reason we're meeting. We're meeting in person because I owe you. Because I am grateful. We're meeting in person so I can make sure you're not doing some stupid dragon aura bullshit and rushing into danger you're in no way prepared for."

  My eyes narrowed at him and he glared back.

  "Your help would be invaluable in drawing out a response from the man, but this isn't a game. This is real life, and real people with real lives will lose those lives if you do this. Even if we were trying to be nice to Team Rocket, which we aren't, it would be impossible to non-lethally take down the kind of firepower they would bring to bear against the Tyrant Queen. People will die. Are you ready to be the one to end their lives?"

  I frowned at the desk as he continued.

  "Let me make my thoughts on this matter crystal clear, Erin. I think you have some sort of savior complex that you keep ignoring and denying."

  I looked up with an angry face, but he was impassive as he stared me down.

  "I can't deny that your entrance to this world was strange, but you are not our savior, Erin. You aren't Arceus's Champion, because he apparently already has one that walks the world!"

  His face grew pale for a second, and I had to imagine that an entire division of Interpol was closely watching Ash Ketchum at this very moment. That poor kid kept getting thrown into wacky shit.

  "In my honest opinion, you were given a gift when you were sent here, Erin. Don't squander it on vigilante heroism that will get you killed. What happens after we take down that strike team? The gears will be turning, yes, but that doesn't mean you would be safe from retribution! You seem hell-bent on not valuing your second life, so what about Leaf's only life?"

  I winced at the thought I had hoped to avoid, that I had hoped he would solve, and he continued ruthlessly, eyes digging into me like knives.

  "From what Raihan has told me, you're her Pokemon's last hope, and the girl seems to look up to you for some reason. That says concerning things about her psyche, and I would like all of you to get some therapy at some point, but that's besides the point right now."

  His glare hurt as I shrunk into my chair, feeling small.

  "Your motives are wrong, Erin. You aren't a dragon, you're a human. A vulnerable, squishy human who wants to act like she's an invincible video game hero, and you are not."

  He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling as he relaxed. Honestly, he looked better now, even after yelling at me. Probably the first time he's sat down in a while.

  Or vented at someone who deserved it.

  I wasn't looking better, though. I felt small and weak as I listened to him tear into me.

  I felt like a kid.

  "You haven't convinced me. You could be invaluable as bait, but I won't allow you to go play hero, Erin. Leaf is a child."

  He was right, and that stung. I was letting my excitement at battling, my desire for my own personal justice overshadow my caution, and I was endangering not just myself, but the rest of my team as well. Not to mention Leaf.

  She was a child.

  Still, I couldn't just do nothing. Right?

  The seconds passed, and eventually Looker's eyes opened and he looked at me, speaking gently.

  "Are you done, Erin?"

  I was silent for a long moment and then began to speak, my voice weak and rough.

  "I can't look away, Looker. I can see them now. The cages. Desperate, panicked eyes that look for a trainer, for a partner, a friend that's not there. That they will never see again. Eyes full of terror for the whips and electricity and starvation they know come next, because this was the nightmare they had always dreaded. That they had only ever seen reported on the nightly news, as their favorite person stroked them gently in the warmth and comfort of their home."

  "I close my eyes and I see that. I see my baby girl behind bars, my sweet little Hatenna crying again, and I can't just ignore it. These aren't sprites in a game, empty-looking cages that had dialogue windows instead of showing you the horror of what that would actually look like in reality."

  My voice was wet and thick, but I refused to cry as I continued. He was finally giving me a serious look.

  "This isn't a game, Looker, you're right. This is real life, and those are real lives. Every day we wait, it continues and gets worse, and I'm barely holding myself back to the beginning of the circuit as it is, now that I know it's still ongoing."

  "I'm constantly trying not to think about the Rattata torn from his child owner's arms being electrocuted when it won't attack an innocent target. About the wild Pokemon rounded up, separated from their family, their world, and introduced to structured pain. This isn't the happy-go-lucky world I had hoped for, Looker. I thought they were all gone, because now it was just Rose and that insane endless hole SCP shit in Paldea, as far as I knew. I thought… I don't know. Not this."

  I growled as I spoke the next words, and I'd be willing to bet that my eyes were doing that glowing shit.

  "I don't want to be a hero. Let Ash deal with the Legendaries and shit. I just want to right a wrong that's in front of me. If I didn't have the mother that I did, I wouldn't have even brought this up. I'm not suicidal."

  "I bought her Protection, and she's already almost mastered it! We can almost break the sound barrier and I don't feel a thing when she cuts a hard left! She's huge, fast, and fiercely protective of me. All I have to do is be a target, and defend myself for a bit while you move in. Unless you don't trust your agents?" He glared at me and I continued.

  "As for Leaf, like I said, I'll leave her behind. Tell her my moms hungry so we're going to hunt. A couple hours to hunt isn't crazy. She'll never even know. After they fail, they won't try again, especially if you're confident about Giovanni's downfall."

  He sighed, stretching his empty hands out in an open gesture.

  "Erin, I don't have a plan for Giovanni yet. The plan would be to find an opening once you rattle him, which we might be able to do, but I can't have agents watch you the entire time you're in Kanto, let alone Leaf."

  He shook his head slowly, eyes firm.

  "No. You're not putting her in that kind of danger without her knowledge, and I know you won't tell her at all considering she is a thirteen year old girl. I don't care if she's the protagonist, Erin. As we've established, this isn't a game. Her life isn't a game, nor its continuance assured."

  "You can't have it both ways. Your newfound responsibilities to Leaf, or your desire for your own personal justice. Choose."

  He leaned across the table, and he seemed just as intimidating as my new mother was at that moment. His eyes were hard.

  "Separate from her and I'll let you go on your own little crusade. I'll get you a Mr Mime bodyguard, even, their Barriers are the best in the world."

  I frowned at the thought of the creepy Pokemon. Almost as bad as Jynx or Hypno.

  "I'll get your team the best training, and I'll point you at criminals like one of those 'nukes' you tried so hard not to think about. I'll even get your mother a set of armor like you thought about in amusement, too, and I'll turn her into the deadliest Alpha in history before I send you barreling towards the remnants of the evil teams." He was serious. He would actually do that.

  "You can go fight for truth and justice and the infinite fucking power of friendship, but you won't drag anyone else into it." He observed me in the silence that followed, calmly watching me.

  I hated how he was right. My plans were reckless and foolish, and dragging Leaf into it wouldn't be fair. Not that I had planned to, or known I would be traveling with her in the first place when I had the Tyrant Queen Boss Battle idea, but it would have happened.

  "I would say I got a good read on you, Erin. Dragon nonsense or not, you're a caring person, and I know you're not going to abandon that poor girl the second she's begun to feel hope again. You're not going to abandon her to a newly caught fairy and her vicious dragon that's apparently already tried to kill her."

  "You're going to get yourself killed and leave her all alone with her failures again if you don't listen to me, and can you, now that you've met her? Can you do that to her?"

  I really wished he would stop. He'd made his point.

  "I think, Erin, that you've suddenly found yourself powerful, and you're not used to it. You want to use it, and I have no doubt that any poachers you encounter will regret their last moments. If you get proof, I won't even care when your new mother devours them. It saves a lot of cleanup later." Okay, didn't expect that…

  "That's very different from dragging a child into danger, painting a target on her back, and then abandoning her out of fear for her own safety, all in an attempt to right the wrongs of the world single handedly."

  His voice got softer.

  "I think you're desperate to prove to yourself that you're a good person in this new life, and you're not thinking about the wellbeing of anyone in that quest, not yourself, not Leaf, not your new family, nor your friends."

  I'd never heard his voice as soft as it was now. He'd never needed to use it with me before.

  Because I was weak.

  "You are a good person, Erin, and I'd be happy to call you a friend once I get a chance to breathe. You did the best thing you could possibly think of by contacting me, and I know that for a fact. I've seen your mind as it grappled with this world."

  His Alakazam was giving me a pitying look that I knew he knew I hated. He didn't stop.

  "You admittedly had some ulterior motives, like the documentation and protection, but what shone through most in your mind was the fear for others. I saw the Darkest Day in your mind. I felt your dread at what it would be like for real, and your only concern wasn't vengeance on Rose or Oleana for their plans, it was the people that would be hurt. You were even concerned for Eternatus, and the terrifying thought that Rose would somehow succeed and trap the poor thing as a power source for generations."

  He sighed deeply, the bags under his eyes making him look so old. He was like, forty or something, not sixty! Alakazam smirked at him briefly.

  "Go back to your young dragon protegee, have some ice cream, and calm down. If I have anything I think you can help with, I'll let you know. I know you want to help. I know you want to do good."

  "I know you also don't want to leave that girl alone to wither and die, so be the responsible adult."

  I managed to meet his eyes, slight amusement peeking through the intense shame I felt burning with.

  "I'm technically fourteen?" He snorted.

  "You know damn well you're not a child, no matter what your Trainer Card says." He smirked at me.

  "Then can I get a drink? I need one."

  He laughed at me, but I kept my flat face trained onto him. My flat, youthful face. His face fell as he stared at me.

  "You're serious."

  "Please tell him, Alakazam. All I see is eyes. I have two options in mind right now, but since I am a responsible adult, you know which one I would prefer. This is a nice looking room. I bet there's some here."

  Looker glared at me for several long seconds as Alakazam communicated with him. I glared harder and he sighed, sharing a long look with his partner.

  He walked to a cabinet and opened it, and after a few clinks came back with two glasses half-full of a dark, rich-looking amber liquid. He slid it over to me, glancing at his Pokemon. Alakazam was frowning at him for some reason, though.

  He met my eyes with a serious look, then Alakazam's, then mine again.

  "This didn't happen. We finished talking and I took you back to the Pokemon Center. Nothing else."

  I smiled as I grabbed the glass, bringing the glass to my nose. I'd never had an appreciation for dark liquors, but the heady aroma that wafted off the stormy liquid told me that I'd never had this dark liquor before.

  "You could have made me eighteen if you'd wanted, you know? Even if I look super young. I knew a girl like that in high school. She looked like a freshman when she graduated! It would have been fine, even with my voice!" He snorted as he collapsed into his chair again, smelling the liquor with a smile.

  "The drinking age in Indigo is twenty one anyways." I groaned before speaking again.

  "While we're on the subject, why am I fourteen? We both know I look late thirteen at the very youngest! Couldn't you have made me fifteen at least? Hell, my new birthday was when I got here!"

  He smiled at me, the smile of a hunter who always found his prey. He was an Interpol agent, and he was a good one. He leaned across the table, an evil smile on his face.

  "This way I get an extra four years of viewing your full records and active profile, since I'm your legal representative in this world. I might not be your willing guardian, but this way I can keep an eye on you. As a minor, it's much easier to keep track of the stupidity I knew you would pull."

  Smart, smug bastard. Youth was great. Being a kid wasn't, even if I didn't act like a kid.

  I acted like an irresponsible adult in a kid's body, instead. Apparently...

  "You did good this time, Erin. You talked to people before you acted and you listened."

  I struggled with how good it felt to hear that from someone I respected.

  "I'm just worried about what happens the next time you want to play the hero and don't. You're remarkably mature sometimes, but you sure act your age."

  That hurt to hear. It sounded true.

  "I honestly thought the first I heard about you would be in the form of a report of wanton destruction in the countryside as you recklessly tested your newfound mother's power, so I'm still pleasantly surprised."

  I have been busy, excuse me! I'm going to generate that report! Tomorrow, probably!

  He stretched his arm out, and we lightly tapped our glasses together before I took a sip.

  The way the almost sweet liquid coated my tongue, slickly thick somehow, made me hum in delight. I opened my mouth slightly, getting a rush of cool air that transformed the flavorful liquid into something so delicious I almost couldn't believe the taste. It was like nothing I had ever had before, by a long shot, and I licked my lips as I stared at the glass in pleased shock.

  Looker laughed as he took a calm sip of his own.

  "You must like it! Wintown Shuckle Brandy, all the way from Fiore, made with a trade secret combination of Berries by a friendly colony of Shuckles. Supplies are highly limited, since the Shuckle only make so much every year. Unlike most Shuckle Farms, Wintown Shuckle Brewery only has verbal agreements with their Shuckles, so they're all wild. Their yields are always varied, so each bottle is worth… a lot. It is precious."

  His voice was warm as he spoke, eyes closed as he savored the smell of his drink, and I smiled at the sight.

  Looker looked like shit, and it looked like he was also enjoying this section of time that 'wasn't happening.' I was glad at least something good had come out of my… childishness, and Alakazam gave me a thankful look as the thought came and went.

  "This is the best liquor I've ever had, Looker. I need more already." I was being honest, too. It was magical. He chuckled at me, taking another long sip.

  "Then I would advise you to cool that head of yours if you want to live long enough to enjoy more expensive alcohol. Don't expect this to happen again, by the way. Alakazam told me you had no thoughts of overdoing it or making it a habit, so I allowed it this once because he can tell just how rattled you really are underneath that mask you try to wear."

  I ducked my head in shame and he continued.

  "I wasn't joking earlier, Erin. You need therapy. So does Leaf. Your Hatenna needs therapy, along with your other young Pokémon to varying degrees after your encounter. I know that the thought crossed your mind more than a few times on your trek to civilization. You also knew not to go to a random therapist, but I've been so busy I forgot about you most of the time, in all honesty. I'm sorry."

  I waved him off even as I stared into the rich, delicious drink.

  He was so busy it would probably boggle my mind. I was one unimportant person, not an emergency. Just a used up source of information. A spent cartridge.

  And my stupidity had dragged him here, distracting him from something that might be important.

  Because I thought I could matter.

  "So here's an additional rule, Erin. I will find you a discreet therapist, one who's been read in. It may take awhile, and they aren't in large supply, but once I find one you will see them as often as they deem necessary. Leaf needs it just as much as you, if not more from what Raihan tells me, and your Hatenna deserves it."

  I fiercely nodded as he said that last part, eyes still dark. He sighed heavily.

  "I admire your drive, Erin. I don't think anyone in that memory link doesn't. Drive can only get you so far, though. You're stumbling forward, going faster and faster, and all you feel is the speed, the fun, the power."

  I admired the feel of the liquor as it coated my mouth and listened, hating the still-growing feeling of shame.

  "You need to slow down before you finally trip, because the longer it takes, the worse it's going to hurt when you finally do, and you'll drag down your new family and Leaf when you do."

  I took another small sip, luxuriating in the expensive taste of artificial scarcity. Not much left, now.

  "I already know you're not going to abandon the kid, so stop acting like one. Think, Erin." He finished his drink, staring at the glass as he rolled it between his palms.

  "You can call me or Joyce anytime you need to talk, even if I'll rarely be able to pick up, but if I find you drinking again before you hit the correct age I'll call Joyce and tell her. I've already talked to her and Raihan and Bird about therapy as well, so she'll also be one of the first to know when you miss an appointment."

  I flinched as he said that. Nurse Joy, Joyce, texted me frequently, constantly worried for my health. I was mildly regretful she had been required to sit in on the memory link just because of my youthful new body. Aside from the trauma the poor woman undoubtedly experienced thanks to it, she had become far too motherly.

  Aunt-ly? She was far too smart of a woman to try and push into a motherly role with my current mother looming there, but she honestly tired me out with her well-intentioned concern.

  Yes, for the fifth time, I bought enough vegetables. She literally felt my cravings for them during my carnivorous trek, why would I skimp out with all the 'don't sue us' money I had?!

  "You can't threaten me with the Nurse, Looker. I'm not a kid."

  I finished my glass and slowly, carefully placed it on the table. It was a nicely cut glass, and I didn't want to pay for it if I broke the expensive thing. I wasn't already feeling buzzed in my smaller, frailer, tolerance-lacking, weak body.

  Not at all.

  He gave me a firm, direct look.

  "Then stop acting like a child, Erin. You can't fix the world."

  "You're not a hero."

  "This isn't a game, either."

  —

  Leaf

  —

  When I finally stumbled out of the shower I felt raw, but I no longer felt like a Growlithes chew toy either, so I was satisfied. I got changed into a fresh set of clothes and stepped into the small room, only to find Flygon watching a Pokemon Contest. He turned the TV off as soon as I came out, but I caught it.

  He stared at me.

  I stared back.

  "Where's Erin?" He pointed out the door, still watching me with those huge compound eyes as he rose from the bed, holding his Pokeball.

  "Well, let's go?" He stared at me for another second before pointing at the TV, then to me, then he held a finger to his mouth.

  I smiled at him. Sweetly.

  "I have no reason to say anything, do I?"

  He sighed in relief, before freezing at my touch on his shoulder. I tried to smile like Erin did as he looked into my eyes.

  "Let's keep it that way, shall we?"

  Erin would have been proud at the way he rapidly nodded. I didn't assault him like a madwoman, I blackmailed him, but I had just cowed a Champion level dragon, however briefly. I didn't care about his secret, Contests were cool, but the rush of getting one over on such a powerful Pokemon was intoxicating.

  My smile was wide as he glared at me suspiciously.

  Erin wasn't downstairs in the lobby when we got there, and a quick look around showed her to be nowhere to be found. We went outside, but she wasn't waiting for us out there either, so I pulled my PokeNav out and called her. I wanted my ice cream. Badly. I deserved it after that.

  As I waited for her to pick up I heard a ringtone and I turned around, not quite believing my ears. We were just in there!

  Erin walked out of the Center, hand already lifting her PokeNav. She frowned as she glanced at us, putting it away even as she breezed past the two of us.

  "Come along, children! Places to be, and all that…" She wasn't stomping, but she looked upset as she gained distance. Me and Flygon exchanged looks before we hurried after her.

  I had watched this insane person intently the past couple of days, and I knew something was wrong just by the way she walked. She was stiff, controlled. She wasn't stalking around like a damn Tyrantrum like she normally did, even if she vehemently denied the fact. She looked like she was trying to run from something.

  The thought gave me pause, because that was something I would do. Not the 'Tyrant Tamer', the Savage Trainer. Not the insane girl who beat a Rank 6 Pokemon into unconsciousness with pure strategy and raw brutality. Not my savage new mentor.

  She was silent as we caught up, and I felt so conflicted as she refused to make eye contact. She just walked, staring straight ahead, neck stiff. Her head never turned, not an inch, not a twitch.

  Like she was walking away from something important, and trying not to look back.

  She remained silent as we ordered some cones, and while she insisted on paying, the ice cream began melting on her cone, uneaten. She just stared at it as we sat on a bench in a dimly-lit park nearby.

  Even Flygon was disconcerted, his eyes never leaving her even as he devoured his meat flavored ice cream. Because of course that was a thing for Pokemon in an actual city. Erin had perked up momentarily at the discovery, but only for that brief second.

  "Do you want to… talk?"

  My voice was hesitant, and I wondered what help I could even offer this person. Nothing. The answer was nothing. I was a pity case. She and Raihan didn't have to say it for me to know it.

  I still wanted to try.

  I don't think she even heard me, and she didn't answer, the question hanging in the cool night air. It was early spring, and every night was warmer than the previous one, now. The air was already thick with pollen, but the nights were still thankfully cool.

  I felt colder than that would account for as I watched as the ice cream finally melted enough to overflow, Erin's hand becoming a sticky mess as she sat like a statue.

  When she finally spoke her voice was slow and almost seemed slurred, but that had to be my imagination. Right?

  "I just want to be a good person. I just want to do the right thing. But the right thing isn't the right kind of right, right now!"

  She sadly giggled a little before she walked to a trashcan and dumped the melted mess out. She devoured the bottom of the cone and then tossed the rest into the trash. She quickly rinsed her hand off in a nearby drinking fountain before sauntering back.

  When she plopped onto the bench next to me, her face was blank as she spoke. Her voice wasn't even a whisper, and even a foot from her I almost didn't hear it. I doubted she meant for anyone to.

  "Agony or death, huh, you bitch?"

  She growled, screaming through closed lips. The sound was primal. It sounded like a weak, wounded Pokemon. Her eyes weren't calm when she looked up, but they weren't wild like they had been a moment ago.

  "I'm a responsible adult. We've established that already."

  Excuse me, I hadn't agreed to that! For many reasons, the primary one being that she was a kid, too! She was fourteen! Let's not get started on the 'responsible' part!

  "I'm a responsible adult, so I'll do one right thing. One thing right… And I'll abandon the others. It's the adult thing to do, eyes or no eyes…"

  What the hell was that supposed to even mean?

  She sighed and looked up, staring at the half-moon out tonight. She turned to stare at me, and I couldn't read the look in her eyes as she stared at me with those piercing light purple eyes. They didn't glow with a sinister light this time, but they did shine with unshed tears. Her voice was thick.

  "I'll do the right thing, because no choice is right. There are only choices, and consequences you have to deal with."

  She turned to stare at the ground as she struggled to speak.

  "I'm not strong. I'm not skilled. I'm not smart. I got lucky, and I'm terrified I'll figure it out eventually. Realize just how much I've failed. I'll forget something fundamental, finally reach the limits of my bullshitting, my family will pay the price, and it will be all my fault."

  My fault.

  I reached out and touched her shoulder hesitantly. I wanted to comfort her immediately, as the look in her eyes hurt just to see, but Raihan had already passed on a few tips on how to interact with dragons.

  I figured treating Erin like an unstable dragon wouldn't bother her, and I did not want my arm ripped off (or punched, she was actually kind of weak even for her size, to her visible irritation).

  She didn't lash out at me as I slowly reached around her other shoulder, pulling her into a light hug. She didn't reciprocate, remaining stiff as she stared blankly ahead, but she didn't pull away either.

  "I'm nothing special."

  She was trembling.

  "I can't fix all the wrongs in the world. I'm just one person with a giant dragon."

  "I'm no hero." There was venom in her voice as she spat the word before her head dropped.

  "I'm just a trainer on her first journey, unimportant and weak."