Dendra and I chatted for a while before I let her go, promising to fill her in on more of my adventures when I met with Tulip. For now, I have an unruly Paradox Pokemon to rein in. Or at least get to not violently attack anything in its vicinity; I’d settle for that.

  There were some small markets in Alfornada where I was able to grab the berries Amelia had suggested before going to a spot beside the Dalizapa Passage, just a hundred meters away from the entrance. Close enough that Iron Moth can see it, but not so close that they can easily slip away.

  For the moment I wasn’t going to have them be released inside a barrier but had half of my team placed strategically nearby before pressing the button. At my touch, the bindings snapped back, reeled back into the restraining device as the Pokeball snapped open. In a flash of light and fire, Iron Moth materialized above the open field. The Paradox Pokemon was conscious now, but still battered, a few of their metal plates dented from our prior battle. Nothing that couldn’t be healed quickly at a Pokemon Center, but enough to make them think twice about attacking me.

  Apparently I underestimated how quickly they could think. What’s that meme about being wrong faster? I mused to myself as the Pokemon rushed towards me, slamming into an invisible yet impenetrable field. At least, invisible to their eyes; mine were clear from the illusion Phantasm had thrown over Dun and the others, letting my starter Protect me with ease.

  “So, my name is Nemona, and I’d really appreciate it if you calmed down.” I began, hoping that they would take a less aggressive stance.

  Instead, they took a slightly smarter but no less violent position. Darting back, they began to pelt me with ranged attacks. Notch blocked them fairly easily, and with a wave of my hand, Dun jumped up and Body Slammed the Paradox Pokemon down.

  The pained and pitiful mechanical-sounding wail they gave upon being hit tugged at my heartstrings, but I quickly shoved that down. If they don’t want to be attacked, they shouldn’t be attacking me.

  Iron Moth tried burning Dun with their wings, but unable to spin them, Dun simply Roosted atop their back. They gave up after a few moments of realizing they couldn’t hurt him. Instead, they chose to affix me with a glare (at least, I assumed it was that from the way their crosshair eyes narrowed and stretched out to face me).

  “Don’t look at me like that - I wouldn’t be doing this if you weren’t attacking me.” There was a pause as their eyes resumed their usual round shape. Then, they made an unmistakable mechanical sound, like grinding gears.

  What it meant, I didn’t know, but I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. At my direction, my starter hopped off their back and returned to my side (Phantasm didn’t bother keeping them covered in an illusion anymore, but she maintained it for the rest of my team). “Would you like some berries?” I asked, gesturing down at the pile I’d gathered for them.

  They looked down at the food and slowly shook their body. Then they gestured with their wings toward the horizon, an odd motion that I had to puzzle out for a second. “You run on solar energy?” A ‘ding’ sound was emitted from them, which I took to be a ‘yes.’

  “Interesting. Your predecessor was often called ‘The Sun God Pokemon’ for they were revered as such. Or maybe the inspiration for you; I’m sorry, do you remember how you came to be here?” They jabbed one of their wings in my direction, causing my Pokemon to bristle up even though it was nowhere near me.

  “Ha. Ha. Yes, I did release you here. I was talking about how you got to be in the desert. Or beyond that, how you ended up in the Great Crater- uh, that big pit,” I explained realizing they might not know it by its proper name. If that got their attention, my next words definitely captured it. “Or how you ended up in this time.”

  A pause, a moment of complete stiffness, then an explosion of fire erupted all around them. I raised a hand, holding the others back while Notch blocked the flames. As they died out, Iron Moth fully dropped to the ground, propped up on four of their six wings, looking exhausted.

  “You need to stop lashing out like that. For your own sake as well as everyone else’s. I don’t think you were meant to drain yourself this much.” They made a scraping sound that I hoped was merely them grumbling but made no further moves against me/the surroundings.

  After a minute I said, “I’d like to get to know you, for you to travel with me and explore the land. I think we could become good friends.” They looked incredulously at me. “It’s true! Things were a bit bumpy when I met Nightwing - that’s uh, the Gliscor that knocked you out - but we quickly became allies, and now we’re the best of buds.”

  It was hard to tell what they thought of all of that, but they didn’t respond, so I just continued. “For now, how about we get to know each other better?” I sat down to show that I was trying to speak on the same level with them. “Personally, what I love most in the world is discovering new things. From studying books to exploring the land, there are so many incredible things to learn here.”

  One of their vents let loose a whistle sound as air escaped it. “Are you alright? No? Yes? Yes, ok, good to know. Is that a regulatory function or an attempt at communication?” We went back and forth like that for a few minutes. There was obviously a message they were trying to get me to understand, but it wasn’t clear what it was until they released another burst of air. Slowly, so as to not be mistaken for an attack, but it still hit me in the face. At least, not a physical attack.

  “You’re saying I’m full of hot air?” I deadpanned to some digital beeping sounds, mixed in with a few huffs and chitters of laughter from certain members of my team. “Yeah, yeah, yuck it up,” I groused before more seriously addressing the Paradox Pokemon once more. “But I stand by those words. This world is fantastic, with adventure and friendship around every corner. And I think we could have a good relationship in spite of the rocky start because of that. Also, because there may be no person other than me who better understands what it's like to lose your world and be caught in a strange, unfamiliar land.”

  There were more digital and mechanical sounds, whines, intermingled blaring alarms, and shrieks. “Calm down, calm down. Let me explain. If you let me, I’ll tell you my story of how I came to be here and what I know about Paradox Pokemon like yourself.” That shut them up, and they listened intently as I began explaining my story.

  “I was running out the door of my house a few years ago when suddenly everything hit me, and I remembered my past life…”

  ***

  “Nemona! It’s wonderful to see you again,” Tulip said as she opened the door to her apartment. “Please, come in.”

  “Thank you,” I said. It was a cozy place, warm colors for the floral-patterned wallpaper. The living room had a large TV in the corner opposite a small couch with a large circular coffee table in between it and a couple of other plush chairs.

  The living room led directly into the kitchen, which was a little crowded due to the table in the center of it letting it pull double duty as a dining room. I remember Dendra said her parents always made her eat dinner in the dining room, not in front of the TV. While the decor is mostly Tulip, there are some things, like the speed ball hanging in the corner that just scream the other girl.

  As if conjured by my thoughts, the other resident of the house came around the corner from the hallway past the kitchen. “Nemona, great to see you. We were wondering when you’d show up.”

  Sheepishly, I scratched the back of my head. “Sorry about that, Radiance has been a handful. Still, we’re making progress.”

  “If you need any help, we’re always happy to assist,” Tulip said, her hazel eyes glowing slightly.

  “Reading my mind, huh? That’s a new trick.” Not that I’m surprised; she was always skilled in that way with her Psychic powers, and the training she did with me must have boosted her proficiency there.

  Dendra groaned. “I know, right? So annoying, I can’t surprise her at all anymore.”

  “Oh? You didn’t seem to mind when I found out exactly where to-”

  “Tulip!” Dendra’s voice caught, her eyes shooting over to me. The model remembered me and cleared her throat awkwardly.

  “Ah, right, sorry about that. You always feel much older mentally than I’m used to.” Carefully, I didn’t think anything about that and instead directed the conversation back to my newest Pokemon.

  “It’s fine. I appreciate the offer for help, but Radiance is prickly enough, even just around me.” To be fair, I haven’t really been able to test out how they’d react to other people yet, but given their initial reaction to the Rangers… well, best not to risk it yet.

  “Radiance huh? That’s a nice name,” Dendra commented.

  “Given how close they are in appearance to a Volcarona and their skill with Fire and even a fair few Electric attacks, it seemed fitting. That, and it was better than ‘Most Effervescent Emperor of the Rotten Flame.”

  Dendra snorted. “Did they really want to call themselves that?”

  “Yes. That, or Miles was playing a really good prank on me, in which case, kudos.” The phone in question floated up to respond.

  “Bzzt, sadly I can’t take the credit there… It was Phantasm’s idea.” Tulip let out a few peals of laughter while Dendra guffawed loudly. “Though when I brought it up, they did seem happy with it, and ‘Most Effervescent Monarch of the Rotten Flame’ was their own idea.”

  “Ugh, yes, I know; I was there. You’re the worst,” I said, without any heat in my voice. Miles grinned cheekily at me before simply sliding back in my pocket.

  “Sounds like you’ve been having fun - the oven’s about to go off - why don’t you have a seat and tell us about it?” The elegant young woman offered, right before the timer did indeed go off. Dendra rushed ahead, slapping on a pair of oven mitts and pulling out a large homemade pizza.

  “Thanks. Yeah, it’s been good. Working with Radiance has been my latest project, though they’re a bit prickly. Oh, and I know I messaged you about possibly helping me communicate with them but I won’t need your help there.” Which is a polite way to say that Radiance has vehemently refused it. Which is frustrating, because I don’t know why they’re doing that, in no small part because communication with them is still difficult. Still, I’ll have patience. Some progress is better than no progress, and that’s what we’re making right now.

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  Dinner was a fun, relaxed affair. I had plenty of time to catch them up on all of my adventures (and they admitted they’d watched all the videos of my other Gym fights), and they told me about all of their stuff. Dendra’s classes were getting bigger, and she was considering hiring another teacher, while Tulip was being given more responsibilities within the Gym.

  “It’s odd how much Oberon has retreated from the spotlight ever since, well…” Tulip trailed off awkwardly, and I took that as my opportunity.

  “Ever since Raifort stole one of his Pokemon, and I left abruptly. I wanted to apologize for that.”

  “And for chasing after a dangerous criminal by yourself, ignoring my instructions to the contrary?” Tulip asked in a voice that was far too sweet.

  “Uh oh,” Dendra ‘helpfully’ warned, and I grimaced.

  “I- yes, I shouldn’t have run off alone like that.” Tulip narrowed her eyes, clearly not missing how the only part I agreed with was the ‘alone’ part and that next time I simply would have dragged her along with me. After a second, we both broke out laughing.

  “Oh Nemona, never change.”

  “I think we’re always changing in little ways. But I believe the core of who I am will stay the same for as long as I’m alive.” The conversation carried on from there, but my mind stuck on it as I slept, spread out in the guest room the couple had prepared for me.

  Will I be the same me in the next life? Will I remember what came before next time? What world will I end up in? Pokemon-Earth has been fantastic, but I can’t help but wonder if the next will be as good or worse. Or even, why me? What did I do to deserve this? Did I simply slip through the cracks in whatever metaphysics make up the afterlife and Arceus didn't care enough to consign me to oblivion, or is this all part of a grander purpose I simply can't perceive yet? Gazing out the window at the starry sky above, I pondered these questions, but no answer came from the cosmos. A giant purple head within the room did stick out over mine and cut off my view of the stars, though.

  “WHA-!” My exclamation of surprise was cut off by a grunt of pain as I bumped my head against the headboard and then fell off the bed, clutching my head. The small dark figure in the room stood still, not bothering to move in response to my scramble to get away and regain my bearings. My scramble was cut off by a sudden force that prevented me from moving back further.

  From the dim starlight illuminating the room, I caught how my shadow was entangled with that of the small intruder’s. They were only two feet tall, with a humanoid body that almost looked like they had twintails and were wearing a dress. Turning to face me, the Gothorita waved a hand back and forth, and I felt myself following them.

  “You- you’re the Gothita from before, the one who extended her ribbon out,” I puzzled aloud while trying to figure out what was going on. Why is she here? Is she trying to kidnap me?! I’d heard the tales but never expected it myself. It’s not like I feel hypnotized; my thoughts are clear; I just can’t stop myself from following her. Shadow Tag can’t force someone to follow, only to stop a retreat. Wait, the way she’s moving her hand, why do my eyes have to track it!

  “You learned Follow Me, didn’t you? Wow, that’s incredible! And you evolved too, very nice. But uh, please stop using it to drag me away?” After how I acted the last time I saw her, I don’t want to hurt her, but I also really don’t want to be kidnapped either!

  Thankfully, I didn’t need to do anything else, as my shout caused Tulip’s Gallade to slam the door open, staring down at the little intruder. Her face said it all. Busted.

  ***

  Tulip and Dendra had woken up from the commotion and were on the couch in their nightgowns (a silky sheer thing for Tulip and what looked like a onesie for Dendra), staring down the Gothorita who was sitting down, pouting in the corner. Well, Tulip was staring her down, and Dendra was still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

  “So, what’s going on again?”

  I tried to explain to my sensei as best I could. “From my understanding, she managed to pick the lock, maybe with a Confusion? Then snuck into my room to force me to leave. Gallade sensed an unfamiliar Psychic presence, and when he heard my raised voice, he came rushing in to save me.”

  “From here I’m a little unsure; I didn’t catch all of the Psychic byplay between her and Gallade. But from what I understand, she first asked him to let her go, then tried to bribe the Fighting Type with a Twisted Spoon, before begging, and now finally was pouting that she wasn’t allowed to steal me.”

  “You missed the fact that she pointed out that ‘Gallade already had two humans and was just being greedy to keep you too,’ but yes, that’s the general gist of the situation.” Tulip said, still staring unimpressed at the Gothorita, the poor Pokemon’s Fake Tears not moving the Psychic Type expert in the slightest.

  “You really do run into the craziest stuff, don’t you?” Dendra commented, but I shook my head.

  “Nah, this is nothing. I’m sure there are Trainers out there who have all sorts of insane adventures on a weekly basis.” Then again, perhaps Ash isn’t the best example of what the average Trainer goes through. I turned my attention to Gothorita.

  “Look, if you wanted to be on my team, all you had to do was ask.” The girly Pokemon instantly dropped any pretense of feeling sad, jumping up and down in joy before directing the smuggest smile I’ve ever seen at Tulip, who just raised a thin eyebrow. As the Pokemon raised her hand, I cut her off. “Joining my team is different than kidnapping me to whatever den you have in the wilderness.”

  The look of shock on her face was just as exaggerated as the smug smile she had presented before. What, were you Anya in a past life? At least you’re a Psychic Type unlike Bahamut. Though he’s gotten far more reserved since evolving. He still cares and all, but he’s more focused on being ‘cool’ and is showing more of that pride Dragons are infamous for when he spars with the others. A snippet of that thought tangent garnered a confused look from Tulip before she shrugged it off. The Gothorita, on the other hand, blinked slowly and shook her head, looking deep at me.

  It’s said that their line often looks intently for something only they can see. Could she know that I- Once more, I cut off my thoughts before they could venture into dangerous territory nearby a bunch of Psychics. That was easier said than done, but aided by directing the conversation away.

  “I’m flattered you like me, but I need to be a Trainer, fight epic battles, and explore the world. If that isn’t what you want, then that’s fine, but I couldn’t be me without following my dreams.” As the tears started welling up again, I finished by saying, “You saw something in me that made you want to be around me. That’s an intrinsic part of what makes me special.”

  The Gothorita stopped her forced sad display and instead had a more honest, unsure expression. Her head would dart back and forth, looking one way or the other into empty space. Perhaps she’s literally seeing where each path would take her. Or rather, could take her. The future is not set in stone, at least not here. I’ve read a few studies on it, though the physics of it still elude me.

  Glancing over at the human couple, I saw them give me encouraging smiles but staying out of it. It was quite kind of them, but I didn’t know what to do here. Should I push her to join my team or not? Though… I don’t have to make this choice right now, do I?

  “I can’t say what you’d be losing by leaving here; you would know that far better than me. But I might be able to show you what life on my team would be like.” That brought her back to the moment. “Many of my matches get filmed so people can watch them later.”

  Miles floated up, expanding their phone until it was more like a tablet. Then, they began playing a clip showing off Athena’s battle against Ryme’s Pokemon. She blinked and looked entirely bewildered by what she was seeing, pointing rapidly at the me on the screen and then back to me in person.

  “Haha, yeah, it’s just a recording. An image of a past event. You won’t get my thoughts or feelings from it directly, but it’ll give you another piece of the puzzle for you to decide. Uh, that is, if some kind and generous young ladies would be willing to host you for a week or so until I finish up my Gym Run and Champion Challenge?” I asked with a hopeful grin on my face.

  “Sure we… would discuss and consider such a thing,” Dendra exclaimed awkwardly. Heh. Must be a bit of an adjustment, living with someone else. You can’t just decide things for the home all by yourself.

  Thankfully, Tulip didn’t seem to mind. “We could do that; it shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Really?” I asked.

  “Really. The Gym season is wrapping up, so even with Oberon giving me more work, I’m sure at least one of my team could watch over her during that time. But are you certain you can beat it that fast? The Eighth Gym Badge is usually the hardest to earn, to say nothing of the Elite Challenge.”

  “I’m sure. With how strong my team is, nothing’s going to stop us. I’ve booked my challenge with Larry online and will head to Medali tomorrow. After that, it's just a matter of how much last-minute training I want to get in before taking on the Champion Gauntlet.” Larry will be a good measure of how tough the Elite Four will be. I’ve blown through the Gym Leaders thus far, and my team’s only been getting stronger. But even if they’re stronger than I anticipated, we have to do this soon. I’m not worried though; this is just another step to the top. I’ll reach for the stars, no matter how far.

  Speaking of which, I saw Gothorita gazing at me with stars literally twinkling in her eyes. She nodded her large head (nearly falling over) before hopping onto one of the chairs and motioning for Miles to show her more. The Pokemon also seemed mildly fascinated by everything else in the house, unused to furniture and appliances.

  “Wait what? You’re taking on the Gauntlet?” Dendra asked, shocked, while Tulip looked confused.

  “Is that different from an Elite Challenge?” She asked her partner, and Dendra nodded vigorously.

  “Oh yeah, it’s an entirely different way to try and reach Champion rank, hasn’t been used in ages.”

  As Dendra explained, Tulip rolled her eyes. “She always gets like this when she happens to know something I don’t. Quite annoying really,” the model said. I’d believe you more if the tone wasn’t wistful and you weren’t staring up lovingly at her.

  My sensei carried on. “A Champion Gauntlet has a contender take on the entire Elite Four and Top Champion - if they get that far - in a single day. Hasn’t been used since the founding of the League.” Tulip stopped fawning after her girlfriend at that and looked at me concerned.

  I cleared my throat. “Hasn’t been completed successfully since the early days. They’ve made some adjustments since then, like only fighting four Pokemon from each Elite Four, and getting the right to challenge the Champion so long as I win at least two battles against the Elites.”

  “That’s still a tall task you burden yourself with,” Tulip said. Or more likely guessed. I think she’s still a little sleepy to comprehend all the differences between a Gauntlet and regular Elite Challenge or why the former is considered so much harder even with the adjustments made over the years.

  Shrugging, I said. “Gotta aim for the top, right? Besides, like I said before; I’m ready. I can do this.” I need to be able to do this. I need something dramatic, something so big that it’ll force Turo to listen to me. And if he won’t, can force the rest of the League to do so.

  The two of them exchanged glances, and there were volumes spoken in those looks that I couldn’t even begin to fathom. A pang of jealousy struck me, and Tulip’s head whipped around to face me before I could bury it.

  She gave me a sad smile, and said, “We’re always willing to lend an ear if you need it.”

  I paused, then chuckled. “Damn, you’re really getting good at this Psychic stuff, huh?” Most people would have thought the jealousy I felt was towards one or the other, a puppy crush, not towards just the bond you have. I kept those thoughts loud enough for her to easily hear, while hiding the indistinct ones thinking up ways I could better conceal what I felt buried down below.

  “I know, and I appreciate it. And sorry for imposing upon you guys like this. I know this is sudden and-” Tulip held up a hand.

  “It’s fine; you don’t have to worry. Nor do you have to feel so bad about asking for help.”

  “Especially for things that worry you,” Dendra added, looking down at me with concern.

  “...” I stalled out, unsure of what to say for a minute. I debated whether I should tell them, and what, back and forth in that time, until the flapping of paper caught my attention. Ah, better tamp down on my Aura.

  Slowly, I calmed down, looking at their worried faces (worried for me, not of me, at least), then to Gothorita. The Pokemon tilted her head towards the pair, which I wasn’t sure if it was unconscious or not, but I decided to take as a good sign.

  Hesitantly, I began. “It’s… I’m not sure how big a problem it will be. No, that’s not quite right. It’s binary. Either it won’t be a problem or it will be one so big I barely even know how I’d deal with it.”

  Dendra frowned. “Can’t be bigger than taking on all the Elites and the Champion, right? Oh. Oh crud, it’s bigger than that?!”

  I gave her a thin smile. “Might be. I’m prepared to handle it, if need be. But if it does turn out to be a big deal, I’ll let you know, see how you can help.” They’re both excellent Trainers, but I don’t want to throw them directly into the fray. “And sorry for being so vague about it, I just-”

  “You’re worried about hurting someone else. If things don’t turn out to be a ‘big problem?’” The model asked, the slight humor at my understatement overshadowed by the concern in her voice.

  “Yeah. Thanks for understanding.” I wrapped them up in a quick hug.

  “Urk, your training… paid off,” Tulip wheezed to her lover.

  “Thanks!” The martial artist girl cheered back.

  That noise was the straw that broke the camel’s back, as one of the neighbors banged on the walls and shouted, “Stop making such a racket!”

  “Whoopsie. Uh, we should probably go to bed now anyways. Sorry for keeping you up.” I let them go, and we went back to our beds. The future, whether Gothorita would join my team, if I could convince Turo to halt his plans, and if I was truly ready to face what was supposed to be the greatest challenge of an entire region, all weighed heavily on my mind. As I drifted off, though, all I could think of were the incredible friends I’d made thus far.

  Discord. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.

  - Tera Type: Normal

  - Held Item: Expert Belt

  - Abilities: Run Away, Serene Grace

  - Moves known:

  - 'Miles' (Rotom, Genderless, Electric/Form dependent Type)

  - Tera Type: Electric

  - Held Item: Life Orb

  - Ability: Levitate

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Nightwing' (Gliscor, Female, Flying/Ground Type)

  - Tera Type: Water

  - Held Item: Toxic Orb

  - Ability: Hyper Cutter, Poison Heal

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Notch' (Carbink, Genderless, Rock/Fairy Type)

  - Tera Type: Fighting

  - Held Item: Light Clay

  - Ability: Clear Body

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Phantasm' (Hisuian Zoroark, Female, Normal/Ghost)

  - Tera Type: Ghost

  - Held Item: Lax Incense

  - Ability: Illusion

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Athena' (Lucario, Mega-Evolveable, Female, Fighting/Steel)

  - Tera Type: Fighting

  - Held Item: Clear Amulet

  - Ability: Steadfast

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Bahamut' (Haxorus, Male, Shiny, Dragon)

  - Tera Type: Dragon

  - Held Item: Dragon Fang

  - Ability: Mold Breaker

  - Moves Known:

  - 'Radiance' (Iron Moth, Genderless, Fire/Poison)

  - Tera Type: ???

  - Held Item: None

  - Ability: Quark Drive

  - Moves Known:

  *Custom Moves