Friday, June 9th, 1987, 0800

After nearly an hour of attempted translation, I determined there were two reasons my pokemon were fearful of me, and I didn't like either of them. Not in the least.

First, I had apparently been thrashing and screaming something awful, much like young Larvitar, before I had woken him. I was mortified at the thought of flapping my arms around and whining, yet Eon had been adamant her impersonation had been accurate.

And second, the presence that had targeted Dani the previous day had been there. Here, in the room with us.

For at least an hour, if Eon's knowledge of clocks could be believed. It had been so overwhelming that they had collectively frozen in fear, refusing to move from their location in the corner until I awoke.

That detail concerned me deeply.

When Dani had spoken of her experience, I had partly chalked it up to the fact that she was less seasoned than myself or my pokemon. Finding out that Nana and Eon, who had been subjected to rigorous training, had also frozen in fright did not reassure me in the case of a battle.

After a much-needed round of hugs and head-pats, I felt confident that my pokemon had shaken off the worst of whatever remnants the presence had left with them. Eon and Larvitar openly enjoyed the cuddling, but Nana did his best to make it look like the very thought of enjoying cuddles pained him.

It didn't.

He and I knew better, but we had participated in this façade for the last five years and knew our parts well. I spouted some bullshit about the benefits of trainer-pokemon contact, and he reluctantly agreed because it would assist in his training.

We had a system. It worked.

I knew Eon found it incredibly amusing, and her gentle ribbing of Nana probably contributed to the issue. I never stopped her because I, too, privately found it amusing, although I would never admit it to spare poor Nana's feelings.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover a tray of breakfast food outside my door that was still steaming hot. I had my suspicions about the staff, but it was clear they knew what they were doing.

Breakfast combined spicy yet herbal congee, thinly sliced fish, and a tart seaweed salad. More importantly, the pristine cup of green tea far exceeded what I had been making on the road.

I breathed in the lovely floral scent, basking in the ambiance of what was surely high-grade tea leaves. While Sula and I had traveled, one of my favorite traditions was to stop at every local teashop we encountered to sample their specialty wares. My personal favorite was located in Lavaridge Town in Hoenn, but I had to admit that The Golden Dream had earned itself a close second.

As for the pokemon, the staff had thoughtfully included three large bowls of raw meat, sliced Oran berries, and a basket of mixed greens.

In just a few moments, I prepared three dishes catered to the needs of my pokemon, including the specialized vitamins that I knew they hated yet ate anyway.

I had been torn on which vitamins to select for Larvitar but had eventually continued on my original path of enhancing his ability to collect and disperse type-energy. Although all type-energy manifestations required a great degree of energy, water was unique in the sheer amount of substance needed to be effective on a larger scale.

Many water pokemon were helpless on land and couldn't produce enough water to make a difference. It wasn't enough to just be able to generate a water gun; I wanted him to eventually be able to flood an entire arena.

Before long, we had devoured every morsel. Eon had enjoyed it so much that she had purred the entire time while eating. I had been struggling to convince Larvitar to eat enough food, so it was nice that I didn't have to force him so much this morning. My feelings weren't even hurt that he enjoyed this food so much more than my cooking.

They weren't.

Part of the plan involved him growing as large as possible, which was more challenging than it sounded. In much the same way humans had to 'bulk' if they wanted to grow, pokemon did, too.

It wasn't enough for Larvitar to eat two or even three thousand calories. In the diet plan Kiriel had so helpfully included in the guidebook, she called for a whopping ten thousand calories, an uncomfortably large amount of food for a pokemon of his stature.

I knew he didn't like it, but I couldn't deny the results. I didn't have an official weight, but if I were to guess, he had probably gained at least ten kilograms in the last week, an unheard-of gain by human standards.

I couldn't help but smile when I thought of the image of my slender frame suddenly gaining ten kilograms overnight. The image was absurd, to say the least.

Bulking up was frowned upon by the Seiichi since the extra weight slowed you down in a fight and reduced your endurance. I usually weighed in at just under seventy kilos, which was more than enough for anything I wanted to do physically.

Larvitar noticed me studying him and clumsily climbed up my body to give me a head pat. I couldn't help but smile at the kind gesture from the juvenile pokemon. Although he threw himself into training with wild abandon, his gentle side shone through in quiet moments like this.

"Thanks, buddy. It means a lot for you to have my back like this." I looked around at the other two, deciding that it was time to begin training. I wasn't about to waste a perfect rest day like this, lazing about, even if the idea was appealing after days of walking.

"You guys ready to get back into the pool and start training? I think we can get a serious training session if we're not planning on leaving until tomorrow," I said with a determined nod. "This is a perfect opportunity to work ourselves ragged. The hot springs should aid in recovery, too."

A trio of excited confirmations ensued, and we exited the room and headed towards the facility entrance. I was again dressed in the same plain pair of black shorts I had worn last night. Strangely, they had been immaculately pressed and folded, giving no indication that I had spent several hours in the springs with them.

Eon set a brisk pace, promptly trotting down the hallway with her chest held high. Seeing that she had bounced back so quickly from the apparently terrifying night was heartening. I still had difficulty believing it was as bad as my pokemon made it out to be.

I heard nothing from within as we passed Dani and Ellie's room. It was still early, so it only made sense that they were sleeping in.

I sincerely hope that Dani feels better today. Seeing her baggy eyes and defeated posture had been painful, especially compared to the confident presence she had exuded upon our first meeting.

A short moment later, we were back at the entrance. And we weren't alone; Ona was humming a haunting tune while sweeping back and forth across the flawless lobby floor.

I paused, unsure of how to proceed. Her voice was beautiful. It was not what I expected after our odd first meeting. It wasn't shrill, exactly, but it had a unique timbre that evoked thoughts of rainy days and a distinct sense of longing. I could feel my throat clench up with a foreign sense of grief that I knew wasn't mine.

I must have been less inconspicuous than I thought; the dirge ended far too soon, and the pervasive feeling I was missing something vital to me faded away like colors in the distance.

Ona nodded in greeting, her face no longer displaying the garish smile I had associated with her. Instead, her features were set in gentle repose, as if the horrors of the world couldn't touch her.

"Good morning, Mr. Seiichi. You appear far better rested than when we spoke last. I take it you found the accommodations to your liking?"

I bowed formally in gratitude. "Please call me Mare. They were more than satisfactory. My companions informed me they failed to abide by your rules the previous evening. I wanted to apologize on their behalf. I assure you, they meant no offense."

If Ona was surprised by the apology, she didn't show it. "Not a problem. Unfortunately, accidents happen, after all. I'm sure those young women were famished after their arduous travels and couldn't wait an instant longer. Still, I'm certain it won't happen again. If you know what I mean."

Although her statement was kind enough, the latter half was laced with subtle undertones of violence. I recognized it well; it was the same speaking style Kiriel employed when she wanted to threaten someone without overtly playing her hand.

I gulped. "Yes, ma'am. I'm certain it won't happen again. Your staff have a way about them, if you know what I mean."

Ona laughed, then. Genuinely, as far as I could tell. I found myself feeling pleased I was able to garner a chuckle from the imposing proprietress.

"Oh, I do. I've spent many years training them. What are your plans for the day, young Seiichi? I suspect your companions won't wake for another few hours, at least," Ona said with suspicious confidence.

I brightened. "We're heading out back to train! I'll be certain not to damage any of the foliage. I can tell you work hard on maintaining the garden. I assure you no harm will come to it."

Ona narrowed her eyes skeptically. "I'll keep you to your word. If something happens, I might require you to stay another night to cover the damages. I suggest you take advantage of the Obsidian Shard while you're here. It was unearthed from the remnants of a historic city deliciously turned to glass in the aftermath of an angry volcano. Your Growlithe might find great use from it in exhausting his stores of type-energy for training purposes. I sincerely doubt he could do much more than bring it up to room temperature, try as he might."

Nana growled at her dismissive comment, a fire lighting in his eyes. A challenge like that was a perfect way to motivate an honor-bound soldier like him to exceed his limits.

I was immensely curious about the shrine, so much so that I ignored the suspiciously placed 'delicious' comment. I decided now was as good a time as any to see if I could unearth any additional information.

I steeled myself and asked, "Ona, could you tell me more about this Obsidian Shard? I assume you're referring to the large monolith of snowflake obsidian. My friend and I had an odd encounter last night, and I would greatly appreciate it if you might shed some light on what happened."

Ona finally stopped her sweeping movements. She gestured towards a pair of empty chairs, and we sat down.

She looked at me seriously before asking, "Please describe what you encountered. To the best of your ability, at least. I'm aware the experience can be quite difficult to process. Although I know the general mechanism of the stone, the manifestations can be different for everyone. I am curious to hear your story. Would you walk me through your evening, starting with my departure?"

I spent the next few minutes explaining the events of the previous night. It was difficult to explain what had happened exactly. But I felt like I conveyed the gist of it. I waited for her reaction patiently.

Ona had her hand on her chin and tilted her head in thought. "I suspect that was simply proto-dark type-energy being absorbed from your psyches. The physical manifestation you viewed seems to match."

I goggled at the matter-of-fact explanation. "Could you please elaborate? That seems a bit far-fetched. As far as I know, only a few highly trained humans can channel any degree of type-energy, and it's nearly exclusively normal energy. I've heard that a few type specialists can manage just a bit of their respective focuses."

Ona laughed again, but this time, it wasn't in a nice way. "I didn't say channel. There is a vast chasm between those who emanate the earliest fragments of type-energy and those who can make use of it. If any of what Sula shared about you is true, it only makes sense you would be giving off the precursor to dark type-energy. Your clan is shrouded in it."

I bristled. "What do you mean by that? What is dark energy, anyway? And why would it come from Dani like that?"

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Ona looked puzzled. "Don't you already know the answer? Death, suffering, misery, grief. Envy. Lust. The list of emotions and experiences is long, but they all share the same core principles. I won't pretend to know your friend or her trauma, but I could feel it radiating off her when she first arrived. That young woman is hurting from something, leading to the pooling of trapped thoughts and emotions without any catharsis. The Obsidian Shard simply helps pull the energy from within, absorbing and dispersing it. It's not unique to dark energy, but that's the primary reason patrons make their way here. I thought you knew?"

I shook my head slowly, pondering the new information. "Do you mean to say that people come here specifically to reduce the presence of negative thoughts and emotions? And why would I know?"

Ona chortled. "Of course! It's our primary service. Miss Seiichi knew. I believe she directed you to this place to help you move forward and leave behind distorted thoughts that were stymying your progress."

I pondered the new information. On one hand, I was grateful for Sula's thoughtfulness, but on the other hand, I was irate that she considered me a charity project.

As if sensing my thoughts, Ona added, "I advise you not to look too deeply into her rationale. Simply be content that you're here and stand to gain. Unwillingness to take opportunities due to misplaced pride is as great a sin as pride itself."

She continued, "Do you seriously think that your sister, or other trainers, for that matter, aren't willing to take advantage of any edge they can find, however small? I can tell that you are proud, young Seiichi. Too proud. You may not want to admit it, but it's clear to an old woman like myself that you view yourself above the rest. Rid yourself of such delusion, and you'll reach new heights."

I had nearly interrupted Ona several times during the monologue. Her words hit too close to home. I alternated between petulant anger, shame, and excitement as I realized she was right.

I recalled the epiphany I had while speaking with Dani last night. Viewing others as less-than was doing me no favors. I inclined my head, leaving it there for a long moment in deference to Ona's wisdom; there was no need to speak.

I could tell my pokemon were restless at her commentary, and Larvitar was fidgeting disruptively from his place on my lap. I couldn't discern if it was because they disagreed with her or were embarrassed that they hadn't told me sooner.

Except for Eon. She was just as prideful.

"Thank you. I shall think on your advice," I said formally. "It is difficult for me to accept help from my sister even if I know I need it. Moving forward, I'll do my best to make use of aid in whatever form it takes."

Ona grinned. Her horrid smile was back in fine form, sending chills down my spine. "That's more like it, young Seiichi. Anyway, I digressed too far. Back to the main point: the purpose of my humble inn. As I said before, the Obsidian Shard absorbs ambient type-energy and disperses it into the environment. It happens to be particularly sensitive to dark type-energy. Unsavory characters of all sorts make their way from near and far to take advantage of the relief it offers. You felt it, correct? As if your fears and worries became just a bit lighter."

"I did feel it… does that happen to everyone who comes here? My friend Ellie appeared to be completely unaffected by the artifact," I countered.

Ona hummed. "That only makes sense. One needs to cross a certain threshold, let us say. It can be different for all, but the general prerequisite is to be close to death in some form. It's not to say that someone who experienced extreme trauma of some other form couldn't make use of the Shard, but it's rare. Be happy for your friend; she's lived a normal life free of death or suffering. Nothing wrong with that."

That made sense. My test last night had led me to suspect as much, but it was validating to hear my theory confirmed.

"Okay. Thank you for the information. Back to the Shard. Should Nana just expend fire type-energy over and over until he's exhausted? Is there a limit to how much it can absorb before causing damage to the surroundings?" I asked.

Ona nodded approvingly. "A good question. To my knowledge, no. I'm sure some supremely powerful pokemon exists out there with the capacity to break it, but from what I've seen, it doesn't absorb it so much as disperse it. Your pokemon should easily be able to make use of it. Can I give you one more piece of advice?"

"Of course," I said. "Please, enlighten me. I'm not about to renege on my commitment now."

Ona looked pleased. "That's the attitude. It's clear to me that you may resent your sister, but I urge you to learn from her. That one is as ruthlessly ambitious as any I have ever seen. As for the advice, I suggest you use the chilled springs behind the shrine. The hot waters are nice, yes, but you'll likely see more progress in the cool waters as it sets you in a state of distress."

"Progress on what?" I asked.

Ona tsked. "Progress on accessing the dark type-energy, of course! Just because you can't access it now doesn't mean you can't use it at any point. I suggest you attempt to feel the presence as it leaves your body and preserve as much of it as possible. The thick strands of it you observed departing your friend can be woven into something more. Something usable with enough practice. Of course, you could always attempt something else, but most people are naturally predisposed to one elemental type or another."

"Huh," I huffed. "I would have never thought dark type-energy would look so… swirly? For lack of a better word."

Ona's face froze, and she turned to me with an intense look in her dark eyes. "Did you say swirly? Could you be more specific? I thought you said that the substance was formed of thick black strands? "Inky black and roiling," if I recall specifically."

I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out what brought on the sudden shift in her demeanor. "Yeah, they were black strands. But it wasn't like they moved in a uniform pattern. It's tough to describe. It was kind of like your doors? Maybe. That doesn't quite fit, though…" I trailed off, unable to find the correct words to describe the scene.

"Interesting. Your friend just went up a few notches in my book. Keep a close eye on her, young Seiichi," said Ona cryptically.

She turned away, standing up as if to resume her sweeping. But then she stopped, bringing her finger up to her chin in mock surprise. "Oh! Before I forget. I'm expecting some guests. They should be here this evening. I doubt they'll trouble you much, but I'd steer clear of them, nonetheless. It's just a few city-slickers from Saffron here on a paid vacation from their ruthless corporate employer."

She sauntered off, giving a dismissive wave as she rounded the corner. "Good luck with your training."

I could only stand there dumbly, wondering what kind of folks would go out of their way to travel here all the way from Saffron City.

I breathed in, trying to ignore my burning skin as I stood under the deluge of frigid water pouring off the mountain's edge. I attempted to focus on integrating the proto-dark type-energy Ona had mentioned. It was not going well, and I could hardly feel anything.

We had taken Ona's suggestions seriously, and my team and I were undergoing a unique sort of training in the solitude granted by the isolated setting. Somehow, the opaque mist that was endemic to the space had become even thicker, and I could barely see a few feet before me! Every breath I took may as well have been drinking a glass of water, with how high the humidity index had to be next to the springs.

I had Larvitar working hard to summon increasingly large amounts of water. While simplistic, it was effective. This was a perfect location to train due to the easy source of fresh water. Larvitar would generate as much water type-energy as he could in his chest, expelling it out outwards in a blast of water towards Eon in a souped-up version of Water-Gun.

Yes, towards Eon.

She was improving her ability to take a beating and heal through it, a common strategy for her eventual form as a Vaporeon. Working directly with water type-energy wouldn't hurt her chances to manipulate it when I eventually found a water stone fit for her.

I was still irate at the accident, although I was beginning to see the benefits of the increasingly noticeable changes wrought from the concentrated type-energy.

Larvitar had taken quickly to training with water type-energy and could now scour Eon with flesh-rending force, breaking through her fur and leaving dark, splotchy bruises until she inevitably healed herself via Wish.

Although she might never admit it, I could tell Eon was both proud of Larvitar and frustrated at the sheer weakness of her physical body, even after years of resilience training. I had never seen a pokemon whose will so vastly outstripped its body's ability to keep up.

I couldn't wait to evolve her. I knew she would be a powerhouse as a Vaporeon, and I salivated at the thought of having two pokemon fully capable of manipulating water to its fullest.

Our training aimed to completely exhaust the chamber responsible for energy conversion and collection ostensibly coined the 'EC3.' Much like any muscle, the organ responds directly to forced adaptations.

If a pokemon wanted to improve the strength of their elemental attacks, it just meant they had to use them.

A lot.

Over and over until their chapped orifices bled from constant overexposure to their chosen element.

With enough repetition, their bodies responded to the increased stimuli by enlarging the organ that was the foundation for such attacks. The vitamin regimen I had Larvitar on also served as something of a steroid that directly increased the organ's ability to respond to and heal from vigorous stimuli.

I had noticed with great fascination that Larvitar could channel water from his mouth as well as the two porous black diamonds adjacent to his stomach. It wasn't a concentrated attack like from his mouth, but it meant that he might eventually be able to use them to improve his ability to flood spaces quickly, which would be helpful in the tight spaces many gyms offered.

While Eon and Larvitar were hard at work, Nana pushed himself to the limit to increase the Shard's temperature by even a single degree. I had broken out in laughter several times while observing Nana's process.

He would expel a massive Fire Blast, then run forward to place his paw on the rock excitedly, hoping for even the slightest hint of warmth. Invariably, he would practically wilt before my eyes as he realized he had failed yet again. His fluffy tail would droop on his way back before perking up as he summoned the will to unleash another stream of fire.

Rinse and repeat. Over and over until they couldn't any longer.

While they were hard at work, my time was spent rotating between three locations: the warm pool where we had played truth or dare, the cold pool behind the shrine, and brief stints underneath the frigid waterfall that fed the icy cold pool.

During this time, I concentrated intently on all the negative experiences I had gone through, hoping to summon the same phenomenon Dani underwent.

Hushed whispers from the compound staff deriding me when they thought I wasn't listening. Their poisoned words innocuously worming their way into my head until I began to believe them myself.

Brutal training sessions with Kiriel or Koga, where I was left bleeding and battered, lying awake at night wondering how I could ever compete.

Sula's benign condescension as she continually pointed out I would never be like her. Her casual belief that her Arceus-given ability was nigh on untouchable.

It was strange to process the memories in this space. I could feel the emotions, but they were deadened and poured through me fluidly without the same lingering resentment I had come to expect.

There was nothing even close to what I saw leaving Dani, but I was beginning to feel the faintest flickers of something that felt utterly foreign to me. It was very raw, for lack of a better term. I had no idea what I was supposed to do with it, so I was focused on simply trying to hold on to it for longer than an instant.

Back at the compound, all clan members were taught the basics of normal type-energy. It allowed Koga to move freakishly fast and even disappear to an untrained observer from plain sight.

I was barely proficient in the practice, and all that harnessing normal type-energy allowed me to do was sometimes jump slightly higher, move a little faster, and avoid tripping.

For the most part, I thought in annoyance as I recalled the repeated instances where I had nearly fallen while in the company of my current companions. It was more like a gimmick for me, and I doubted it would ever be more than that.

I still had no idea what I would do if I managed to maintain a consistent hold on the visceral energy I could occasionally feel swirling around me as I focused inwardly.

We had been at it for hours, and the girls had come and gone as they noticed our intensity. Dani had attempted to hang for a bit, but Ellie's appeals for a 'spa' day eventually won out, and she had left after joining us for less than an hour.

I could tell that evening was drawing close. Still, in my current state, I barely noticed my hunger, instead using it to intensify the foreign energy that was bit by bit becoming simpler to grasp in my metaphorical hands.

Eventually, my team had enough, unable to maintain the constant effort without additional sustenance. I took a brief break, directing the tired pokemon back towards my room to await the food delivery I knew would surely come as soon as they arrived.

Another hour passed, and then abruptly, I realized I was no longer alone. I crept from my position under the falls and into the cold pool behind the shrine. I strained my ears, trying to discern who might be joining me.

Boisterous voices echoed into the evening, breaking the carefully cultivated harmony developed over many hours of intentional labor.

Somebody whistled. "Impressive. Look at the steam out there! I bet I could cut it with a knife if I wanted to. You just don't see that kinda of thing back home in Saffron. All we have are those artificially heated pools trying to mimic the real thing."

The voice was a confident baritone, likely the leader of whatever group had joined us.

"No kidding! I'm so glad Dahlia gave us permission to take a break. That work was getting exhausting. Not easy managing that many fucking psychic types. Stupid bitches are way too mouthy instead of just doing their job. It's been almost two weeks, and I'm barely over the headache from that fucking psychic feedback."

This voice was quieter, but somehow, I felt the owner was more dangerous. Something about the casual flippancy they showed towards pokemon curdled my stomach.

Wait. Dahlia?

My curiosity was peaked at the mention of the man whom every young boy in Kanto idolized for at least a time. I was included, although I had eventually grown out of it after Kiriel told me disparaging stories about him from the war. According to her, the man was greedy and wouldn't hesitate to walk over other people for personal gain.

I leaned forward in interest, eager to glean any information I could.

The bassy voice spoke again, this time with an annoyed edge. "Don't mention his name. You never know who might be listening. If people knew he was sending his employees here, of all places, people just might get ideas."

The other voice laughed. The mocking, scornful laugh caused my skin to erupt in goose flesh. "Get ideas? What a way to phrase it. They're not just ideas. After Dahlia's done, this place will be rolling in business! Everyone will need a stay at the good ol' golden dream to scare away all the nasty-wasty little dreams his plans will scare up. Mark my words."

A third voice joined, this one female. "Both of you, can it, please. All this talk of work is bad for my health. Just enjoy the pool, you dolts. This place costs top dollar, and I don't want to waste it listening to you two argue over pointless matters. Nobody else is here. Just relax and let your worries drain away."

After listening to scary voice's comment, I knew I had to try to get out of here without being noticed. I ignored their ongoing conversation, choosing to prioritize safety over eavesdropping.

I carefully approached the far side, near the mountain's edge. I planned to use the cover offered by the fog to sneak back towards my room and grab the girls before these three knew they weren't alone.

Everything was going well, and I had nearly made it. Comically, my foot, deadened from long hours in the cold water, cracked loudly into a loose stone. It fell into the water with a loud splash.

My heart stopped; the noise easily carried through the soothing noises intrinsic to a hot spring, and the voices just out of easy earshot abruptly stopped.

I froze, hoping inanely that they might not have heard. A few seconds passed before a hand shot out of the mist behind me, clamping onto my wrist with iron fingers.

I slowly turned my head around, taking in my assailant.

The man was taller than me by at least a head, with empty eyes and a stoic face that already told me everything I needed to know. Oddly, I noticed he wore military-grade heavy black combat pants with a dark thermal sweater.

Ona hadn't been kidding when she said unsavory characters frequented this place.

I knew those eyes.

Those were eyes that could care less whether I lived or died.