The gardens became less manicured as they traveled the path. The low, trimmed grasses slowly grew, a few inches at a time, until they were waist high. The trees, so carefully placed and well maintained, now lined the garden haphazardly, and the shrubbery was overgrown and sprawling. Surprisingly, they saw relatively few pokemon after leaving the immaculately kept area of the gardens, only spotting a few wandering Petilil and a hovering Masquerain in the distance. Both pokemon were on the list, so no one felt obligated to press their panic button.

While the vegetation was overgrown, the landscape still showed clear signs of human design. The path they followed curved and sloped with gentle ease and the garden away from the path was deliberately raised and lowered to draw the eye to certain spots. Cashe caught himself staring at the particular slope of a hill or placement of a brush more than once, only to miss Lindon spotting another pokemon for him to check against the list.

They were quiet as they walked, only speaking to point out a spotted pokemon and check it against the list. Something about the gardens was tranquil, despite the overgrown section in which they were now wandering. They were shaded and comfortable from the brush around them, the area several degrees cooler than where they entered the gardens. The slow trickle of the pond, just out of sight, the rustle of pokemon moving through brush or grass, the quiet echo of their steps as they crossed a wooden bridge, and the nearly imperceptible mist of water hanging in the air all worked to form a relaxed atmosphere. The sounds of the world felt muted, and Cashe had long since lost the ability to hear the low hum of the city in the distance.

“It feels like a different world here,” Lindon said as they walked, echoing Cashe’s thoughts.

Cashe gave a low murmur of agreement, not wanting to break the tranquil atmosphere with the sound of his voice.

Before long, however, they came across a problem.

“I can’t see anything in the water,” Emilia said.

It was true. The low maintenance of the area meant that the pond lost the translucent nature it had before. Round lily pads covered its surface and the slow moving water was thick with green algae. Little spots broke apart as bubbles rose to the surface of the pond, the result of some unknown pokemon moving just beneath the surface.

“Are those lily pads Lombre?” Lindon said, squinting as one plant drifted in the slow current of the pond.

“Let’s hope not,” Cashe said, “Lombre aren’t on the list.” He didn’t want to have to wait for a Ranger to show up, just for the Ranger to grab the pokemon and be on their way.

Lindon brought up his pokedex and scanned the floating leaf, but it stayed silent. Sometimes a leaf was just a leaf.

“We won’t be able to find the Magikarp spawning pool if we can’t see the Magikarp,” Emilia said, “And there’s zero chance we find a Gyarados anywhere else.”

“So what do we do then,” Lindon said.

“What do Magikarp eat?” Cashe said, “If we can find a good supply of what they like to eat we can look in the area for a pool of deep water.”

“It’s a good idea,” Emilia said.

“But?” Cashe asked, recognizing the tone in her voice.

“But Magikarp eat everything.” Emilia said, “They have to. They are pathetically weak, so they scavenge whatever they can. They’re known to follow around any other water type pokemon and swoop in when those pokemon are eating to pick up the scraps because they can’t hunt and have a hard time even finding food unless it floats right in front of their face.”

“So we’re back to wandering then,” Cashe said.

“We could look for other pokemon nests,” Lindon suggested, “If they are near or in the water, Magikarp might be hanging around in the water outside of them, looking for food. Then all we have to do is scare the Magikarp and follow them as they swim away. Even if we can’t see them in the water, if there are a lot of them, the pond will be disturbed as they move.”

“It’s an idea,” Emilia said.

“How do we find other pokemon nests?” Cashe asked.

“Just wandering, I guess,” Lindon shrugged.

Cashe snorted. It was back to wandering, after all.

So wander they did. They kept mostly to the path, but moved off of it to wade through the ponds or explore large patches of long grass when they came across anything that looked promising. Eventually they did come across pokemon dens. They found a Yanma nest on top of a pile of logs in the middle of a pond. The surrounding water was shallow, however, and the logs took up most of the section, leaving little room for Magikarp to scavenge.

With a bit more exploring they also found a swath of Cottonee, the tiny pokemon bouncing joyously around a small area of cleared grass on top of a hill. Emilia even considered catching one.

“Whimsicott is an excellent pokemon,” Cashe said when Emilia voiced her thoughts, “And you need a grass type.”

Emilia squinted at Cashe and placed a hand on the harness that held her egg around her chest, “You didn’t already think of it, did you?”

“Who's to say?” Cashe shrugged, “I’m sure no one would complain about having two Whimsicott, if I did.”

“I hate you,” Emilia muttered.

Cashe grinned.

They moved on, Emilia choosing not to bother with catching a Cottonee.

Soon after they came across a den of Alolan Meowth, all hiding in a small alcove that was dug into the side of a hill. The large-headed pokemon watched with unblinking eyes as Lindon dutifully scanned them, one by one. They were on the list, but Cashe was not tempted to catch one. The pokemon had always struck him as disconcerting.

“You haven’t ever heard of a talking Meowth, a Kantonian Meowth?” Cashe said.

“Someone always has a story about a talking pokemon,” Emilia said, “When I was growing up, a friend swore she met a Cufant that could talk. Mom used to mention one about a talking Meowth. None of the stories are ever true.”

“Did that Meowth have a Brooklyn accent?” Cashe said.

“What’s Brooklyn?” Lindon asked.

“Never mind,” Cashe grinned.

They continued through the gardens moving carefully along the paths and over bridges until Lindon stopped in his tracks staring into the water.

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“What do you see?” Emilia said, leaning down next to him, a hand moving to the egg on her chest so as not to jostle it.

“Something is moving in the water,” Lindon said, pulling up his pokedex. It chimed as he pointed it at the fuzzy shapes that flitted by, just below the surface. “Dewpider.”

“They’re marching in a line.” Emilia said, squinting at the murky pond, “Is that normal?”

“It says they do that when they’re looking for food,” Lindon said.

“Food means Magikarp,” Cashe said, “Let’s follow them.”

Emilia and Lindon nodded in agreement and they moved off the path and into the unkempt brush of the garden. The Dewpider were small pokemon, only a few inches tall at most, and occasionally waded out of the water to munch on a fallen leaf or floating seeds. They somewhat resembled a spider, with six spindly, green legs anchored to a bulbous body and overly large head. When they left the water, they raised three of their legs around their heads, carrying a bit of the water with them to form a dewdrop-like bubble that covered their head completely. They moved awkwardly outside of the water, only being on three legs, but they managed it well enough, coming to the surface to scavenge for bits of food whenever they could.

The Dewpider moved along the bank of the pond, keeping to the shallowest parts of the water, leading Cashe, Lindon, and Emilia deeper into the gardens. Before long, they were out of sight of the bath completely, the tranquility of the garden beginning to fade as the sculpted landscape changed to the rough-hewn slog of marshlands.

They followed the Dewpider for almost an hour, the small pokemon paying their group little mind, so long as they kept a reasonable distance. Occasionally, one of the pokemon would turn back and make a little waving motion at them while under the water, its little legs almost invisible through the murky liquid. Cashe was concerned at first, but when nothing happened after a few of the little waves, Cashe pushed it aside as a strange behavior of the pokemon.

The hour mark approached and they still had not spotted any Magikarp. Cashe was about to suggest they head back before they became too lost and had to press the panic button and be extracted from the gardens, when the Dewpider led them around the curve of a pond and the environment changed.

While water flowed slowly, but steadily through the pond everywhere else in the gardens, here it pooled in a great crescent moon, stagnating as the pond flowed past it. Reeds poked up out of the area, unable to grow well in the moving water, but able to thrive here. Strangely, the water was mostly clear, showing none of the algae that covered much of the garden’s water. Something had been eating it. A good sign. A small island bordered the stagnant pool, forming a C shaped land of mass around it, hiding it from sight on three sides. Cashe took a step forward and sank up to his waist in the water. The pool was deep.

“Careful,” Cashe warned, grimacing at his soaked clothes, “This could be it.”

“Get out of the water,” Emilia said, stepping up onto the island. The island was covered in long grass and thick bush, but they wouldn’t be able to slip and drown on it, at least. Cashe followed Emilia and Lindon as they climbed up the small bank and out of the water.

“It really got deep,” Emilia said, making a face as dark, muddy water dripped off of Cashe’s bottom half.

They crept over the island, moving carefully around the back of the stagnant pool and approaching it slowly. If there was a Gyarados in the water, they did not want to be taken by surprise in any way. Cashe took point, creeping all the way to the water’s edge, where tall reeds rose almost above his head. They were thickest at the back of the pool, where he was standing now, with little room for any pokemon, let alone a Gyarados to hide, so Cashe took a risk and stepped farther forward to get a better look at the pool. Or tried to. His foot stuck on something. He tried again, but his foot refused to move. He grabbed hold of a particularly sturdy reed and looked down. His foot was covered in thick, sticky webbing. Cashe braced against the reed and yanked at his foot, but the strength of the web was incredible and his foot refused to move.

“I think I might lose my boot,” Cashe said, swearing under his breath as he struggled to get free.

“Cashe?” Lindon said.

Cashe looked over. He was staring at something with squinted eyes as Emilia bent down to examine the webbing. It wasn’t just his foot that was covered. The entire bed of the pond along the water’s edge was covered in the stuff.

“I don’t think this is Spinarak web,” Emilia said, poking at the stuff.

“What is it?” Cashe said, wrenching with his leg again, trying to get free.

“I think you should get out of there.” Lindon still wasn’t looking at him.

“I’m trying to,” Cashe said, “Can’t you see?”

“I mean now,” Lindon said. The reed in Cashe’s hand twitched. A shadow passed over Cashe. He turned.

An enormous pokemon, eight feet tall if it were an inch, towered over him. An enormous bubble of water covered its huge, spider-like head. The head was attached to a long abdomen of at least six feet. It had six, sturdy, green legs protruding from it. One of them was in Cashe’s hand.

“Araquanid,” Lindon said, holding up his pokedex, “Is it on the list?”

Cashe didn’t care. He was already pressing the panic button.

***

The doll bounced off of a man around thirty years old. He had light brown hair and was wearing a pair of thick overalls, stained with dirt and sap.

“AAAHHHH!” Connie screamed.

“AAAHHHH!” The man yelled right back.

Daryl sighed, sinking into his chair in relief. It was just a man. A man barging into a room full of dolls. Daryl gave Connie a light squeeze on the arm and pulled her over to him so she could calm down.

“What the heck?” The man shouted, bending down to pick up the doll from the floor, “What was that for?”

“Sorry about her,” Daryl said, “This room has her a bit wound up.”

“Who are you?” The man said, staring at Daryl and Connie, “And where’s my father?”

“He’s upstairs, taking a rest,” Daryl said, “I am Dr Arbutus and this is Dr Elliot. We are here investigating the strange light incident that happened several months ago.”

The man nodded and crossed his arms. “I heard you might be around. I thought I’d miss you since I’m out often, though.

“We were waiting to speak with you, I believe.” Daryl said.

“Hello,” Connie managed, “Are you Son of Holston and Son?”

“Colston Holston,” Colston said.

“Your name is Colston?” Daryl said.

“Yes.”

“Colston Holston?”

“Yes. Is that a problem?” Colston said.

“Not at all,” Daryl said. Colston must have seen the look on his face. He would have to be more careful.

“Colston,” Connie said, “Your father told us you were working in the yard when the incident happened? Can you show us?”

Colston made a face, but nodded, leading them into the shop’s yard. He brought them to the side of the yard, next to a workbench that was covered in bits of metal and steel dust.

“I was working on a repair here,” Colston said, laying a hand down on the rough surface of the bench, “I was frustrated because it was taking so long. I said something like, ‘man, I’m hungry,’ or ‘I wish I had something to eat,’ and there was a flash of light and that happened.” Colston waved a hand in the direction of the towering conifer that was growing berries on its branches.

“Interesting,” Daryl said, leaning over to examine a bit of metal dust, “What were you working on?”

“Just one of the dolls. A mechanical one,” Colston said. He crossed his arms, “What of it?”

“Can you show us?” Connie said.

“Why do you want to see it?” Colston said, “The tree is right there.” He waved at the tree again.

“Anything might be important,” Connie said, “We think we are dealing with a special pokemon, and we are trying to track it down.”

“Well, we sold the doll,” Colston said, frowning, “It’s gone.”

“Your father mentioned that might be the case.” Daryl said, “He said you would be able to track the sales for us?”

Colston narrowed his eyes at Daryl, “I’d have to check the paperwork.”

“That’s fine,” Daryl said, "we can wait here. Take your time.”

Colston pursed his lips but left without saying a word, marching into the shop. Once the door rattled shut, Connie turned on Daryl.

“He said no such thing!” She accused.

“I know. But Colston didn’t mention the chime or the voice he supposedly heard.” Daryl said, “Why leave that out?”

Connie scratched her chin, “We already know they’re hiding something.”

“Hiding Colston, more like,” Daryl said, “You must have heard him when he came in, he was keeping his voice low and checking to make sure we had left.”

Connie nodded, “Did you see the stains on his clothes? Dirt and sap. Where do you think that came from?” She turned her head, looking towards the tall conifers of Pinwheel Forest.

*****