"in other news, thanks to a recent crisis, a few closed-off regions have reached out to us to give aid to our criminal problems. So far, only one champion has been confirmed to have come here and she goes by the name Cynthia-" I almost choked on my food. "-and not only will she help take down Team Rocket, she will also help us investigate and track down the pokemon that has been teleporting parts of Mt. Silver." I nodded in understanding when I heard that, there it is, Cynthia's actual motive.

I hummed non-committaly as the reporter continued, saying something about someone finally dealing with the problems starting to sprout in Johto and what he said was good and all but I had other thoughts taking over my mind, "I guess Palkia going around and tossing out parts of a mountain is quite concerning for her." but that begs the question, what does her going to Johto mean? Will Sinnoh's borders open up before Hoenn? Will others follow? What about pokemon? Will- can I get a Croagunk?

"I hope I do," I bit down on my food, "right Persian?"

"Per?"

"you know, new Pokemon," I replied,

"Persian?"

"uh, I think?" he purred and gave me a look that said - 'continue,'. "the region Cynthia is from should allow for pokemon trade soon because you know, they're sending in a champion here." I tapped the table humming all the while. Then I stopped and my eyebrows furrowed, I met Persian's eyes. There wasn't a single hint of hostility in them but the curiosity he held was interlaced with suspicion.

I accidentally said something I'm not meant to aren't I? "Persian, what were you asking for earlier?" I got a growl of frustration in reply, "ah, Palkia huh?" I laughed and he chuckled. He purred. "right, I- uh, I think I know what's going on with Mt. Silver." I said, all the while making sure I didn't look suspicious. "there's this... thing, that usually happens to me when I'm curious about something," I said, hoping to bullshit my way out of ,this and thankfully, that got the pokemon's interest but I was sure I was starting to dig my grave a little deeper with each word that left my mouth, "and whenever I get curious, I come to these weird conclusions."

I nodded at him. Right, that should convince him, right?

"Persian?" he purred in concern

"well no!" I swept the air in front of me instinctively, "it's just that... you know, it's weird for me you know? telling Dad about it feels like it's more trouble than it's worth." I got another growl of frustration as a reply, "yeah, sorry for keeping it from you," he growled again, "no, I don't think that me being able to understand you is related to it."

"Per, Persian!"

"yeah but come on, really? what makes you think that what I'm doing is unnatural?"

the big cat sighed in exasperation before standing up, he strutted out of the living room with his ever-so-graceful steps. Before he left, he gave me a sidelong glance.

...

"Nidoran use peck!" at his trainer's call, the purple rabbit disappeared from his spot with blinding speed before stopping right next to Grimer with its mouth aglow. Its head bobbed upward before darting for Grimer's form-

"scary face!"

"CANCEL YOUR ATTACK AND DODGE!"

both pokemon executed their commands nigh perfectly as Grimer's face got a sinister glow, his eyes went golden and he met the fleeing Nidoran's gaze. Who was unfortunate enough to backpedal to escape instead of turning around. Scary Face took effect and Nidoran's movement started to slow.

"grimer now! shadow sneak! then into power-up punch!"

my pokemon disappeared from his spot similarly to Vhira's Nidoran earlier before manifesting just as quickly right next to his opponent. Grimer's ghost-type empowered fist struck Nidoran's chin as he emerged out of the ground, debilitating the rabbit just enough that Grimer could take a free hit with his power-up punch.

his body started to glow after he struck, "Grimer!" he said, his hands visibly growing.

"good, now, pound!"

"NIDORAN! DODGE!"

unlike when I first saw him on the beach, it was only his fist that glowed when he used the move instead of his entire body. He pulled his hand back and aimed at the head of the now-recovered Nidoran.

his fist flew through the air, heading straight for his target but just as it struck, Nidoran used leer on his own and pecked Grimer point blank.

"Ran!" he said, jumping high in the sky before delivering a pair of double kicks and jumping off of Grimer.

"uh- Nidoran! use Focus Energy!" he nodded this time around and followed his trainer's command. His body glowed yellow ominously and then he bolted for Grimer,

"Harden."

"GRIMER!" my pokemon yelled, now also pumped up, Grimer's body glowed white and I watched as his molasses-like body hardened. The flow of his sludge visibly slowed and when Nidoran attacked him, - "use peck!" - he had taken the blow considerably well.

"shadow sneak," he disappeared in front of Nidoran,-

"DODGE!"

- then attacked. He hit the purple rabbit for the second time but unlike before, Nidoran stood his ground and glared, his consciousness no worse for wear. At the sight of it, Vhira jumped excitedly in place, "YES! NIDORAN! NOW! USE DOUBLE KICK THEN PECK!"

"shadow sneak! dodge it!" I called out just as quickly,

"Nidoran!" the purple rabbit jumped for Grimer, foot at the ready to execute the attack.

Grimer disappeared from where he was, then reappeared in the shadow of the jumping Nidoran moments later, striking the now open stomach of his opponent and sending him flying.

"great! now another shadow sneak to catch up with him and then power up punch again!" Grimer did as followed, ignoring Vhira's yell of her pokemon's name as he once again dematerialized before forming and hitting his enemy and as Nidoran went limp on the ground, the glowing white fist that Grimer struck him put him down to unconsciousness, finishing the battle.

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Nidoran was recalled in a flash of red light while Grimer came sliding over to me and asked for food. I patted him on the head and pulled out his pre-prepared lunch and poured it down his bowl. "good job bud," he nodded happily.

"that was a good battle, Lionel!" Vhira hopped over, Nidoran's Pokeball in her hands and a potion in the other. She rubbed the back of her head, "I honestly thought that I'd close off the tie this time around but I guess not."

I chuckled, "guess so," silence followed as I sat down on the grass right next to Grimer. I looked at the blue spray on her hand, "by the way, is it appropriate for you to just spend most of your money on potions?"

Vhira sat down right next to me and nodded, "yep!" she replied, followed by releasing the now conscious Nidoran unto the grass and spraying him with said potion, "I sort of spent most of my savings at first on it you know?" she said, chuckling, "I thought it was worth it since you know, Nidoran would get beaten up by Grimer most of the time."

"but he didn't," I concluded and she nodded,

"yep! I was honestly surprised that he can even put up a fight you know?" she said, ignoring the glare of her pokemon. "and when I realized that he can actually fight, I thought that it was worth the investment." she pat Nidoran and the rabbit happily nuzzled against her palm. "thank you."

"R-ran!" it replied in frustration

"sure," laughing, Vhira took out a bag of food and her pokemon's food bowl from her handbag and offered it to the purple rabbit. Who quickly and happily ate the offered food. "really, it's a blessing that I even got him." her smile was soft as she said that.

I hummed, "guess I should agree?" I asked, "is that appropriate to say?" she chuckled and I followed,

"I am not, in fact, Whitney, so you can stay silent and I won't pinch you."

I nodded, "I guess." and rubbed the part of my arm that usually got pinched by the brunette, "still though, Nidoran's already this strong after only a few days." I said, "I wonder how strong he'll become when he turns into a Nidoking?"

"that seems like a farfetched idea to be honest," she said, looking caringly at said pokemon, who, I noticed, had its ears perking up, clearly listening to the two of us. "I mean, how do you even evolve a Nidorino?"

"via moonstone," I said, remembering that particular evolution line, "those things are pretty rare though so you're gonna have to dig up a few sites for them."

I stretched, groaning before letting myself fall down the soft patch of grass. "maybe try to go on the lowest parts of Mt. Silver when you're strong enough, or maybe Kanto's Mt. Moon," I added, appreciating the wind blowing nicely. Everything was quiet and it was nice. Well, maybe too quiet, "Vhira?" I tilted my head to look at her surprised face, "what's up?"

her eyes regained their shine as she snapped out of her daze, she shook her head, "when you said that, were you sure?"

I nodded, "yeah why?"

"h-how do you know that?" I raised an eyebrow and she explained further, "how did you know how to evolve Nidorino, I mean,"

I frowned again, "don't tell me that it's pretty strange not to?" I asked and got a punch to the gut in reply, "what the hell! After saying you weren't Whitney?!"

"yo- you c-can't just spout that sort of thing out of the blue!" she said, "and sorry!" she bowed her head, "but- it was justified!"

I rubbed my stomach, "why?"

"what the hell do you mean WHY?!" she yelled out that last part, "how many people do you think have a Nidoking or Nidoqueen in both Kanto and Johto?!"

"none?" I replied honestly. I haven't encountered any of those pokemon yet. Both personally and on TV. "I mean like I said, it's because Moonstone is pretty rare."

the look she gave me said that I was crazy, "it's... not because of that isn't it?" I said and she shook her head. "goddamnit." for the second time today, I said something I shouldn't.

"exactly," Vhira huffed, "and how did you even know anyways?"

"I... can't tell you?" I replied leaving out the part that I had lived 17 years in an old life where pokemon was a game beforehand and thus, the knowledge. I briefly wondered how weirded out she'd be if I tell her that she was technically talking to someone who was 25 mentally.

"oh please, I bet it's because a pokemon told you or something," she said, huffing again.

"what?" now I was confused, "what does that even mean?"

"oh please, don't play stupid. Everyone knows that you can understand pokemon perfectly," she said and I was about to speak when she held out her index finger, "ah, ah, don't." she narrowed her eyes, "okay, listen." I nodded at her, "everyone in the classroom knows that you can talk to pokemon." she said, "you just didn't notice because you're usually stuck in your own little world!"

"wait what?" I asked,

"yes!" she murmured something about it was probably because I was too busy thinking about what pokemon said to me to pay attention to anyone else. "I mean seriously!"

"I didn't honestly know..." I looked at Grimer, "is it weird that I can understand you?"

"Grime?"

"yeah, you know, when I talk to you about stuff,"

"see! you did it again!" she stood up and walked over to Grimer, "Grimer, talk to me,"

"Grime?"

Vhira's head whipped towards me and I met her manic eyes, "you know what I heard?!" she asked, "GRIME!" I flinched at her yell and she stopped,

"sorry about that." she said, then continued, "but still! come on! you don't even hide it!"

I couldn't help it, I started laughing. "w-what the hell are you even talking ab- URGH"

"what?" she said, "that's genuinely what I hear! just a simple, Grime! Both times!" she raised two fingers, "both! back when you talked to him yourself and when I went over to him and asked him to talk!"

I rubbed my stomach, "I'm sorry okay?" she said, "i-it's just that Whitney has been influencing me and looking at both of you, I thought it was... you know, fun to do that." her eyes went to the side,

"well, is it?" I asked, standing up. She nodded. I sighed. "of course it is."

"I promise I won't do it again!" she held her hand up,

"I'm not really mad?"

"didn't-think-you-were," she rapidly replied,

"but let's get back on topic, what I'm doing is unnatural?" I said, she nodded.

"you didn't know?"

"of course not!" I quickly waved it off, "my parents didn't even tell me that it's weird!"

and now that I think about it... Persian did say the same thing this morning but I just waved it off as him playing around with a child's wishes or something when he said that I had an unnatural ability to understand him... huh. Guess I should've believed him considering that actual psychics exist in this world.

but that begs the question; am I psychic?

I looked at Vhira and tried to lift her with my mind with no results. Probably not.

she sighed, "well, now that you know, I guess we should pack up and leave now?" she went over to Nidoran's bowl and stored it in her bag, "honestly Lionel, you piss me off sometimes."

"sorry?"

"don't be," she shrugged, "I'll just start chalking it up to you being outright oblivious, even to your self.

"so, are you ready to go?"

I picked up Grimer's bowl and put him back in his Pokeball. "yep,"

...

the door closed behind me with a soft thud. Noise during the late afternoon was always considered bad and even Dad wouldn't dare to make them when he knows Mom is still asleep. With a barely audible click, the doorknob was locked. I turned around and faced-

"Mom?" I said, looking at the already-dressed, no longer grumpy woman standing in front of me. On her hand was a ball, seeing that it had spiderwebs all over it, I assumed it belonged to her Scizor. I gulped, "well you're up early?" I quizzically said.

"of course I am," she did not sound amused, "you wanna know why?" she asked and I shook my head, "take a guess regardless."

"is it because I went to Route 34 without Persian?"

she scoffed, "who cares about your date?" said Persian is audible from the living room with a pur, "and he clearly doesn't as well."

"well no-"

"and that's one of the problems right there." she put a palm in her face, "you know, when I saw you talking perfectly to me and your Dad's pokemon when you were young, I thought nothing of it and assumed that it would just allow you to be a great trainer but now?" she looked at Grimer's Pokeball, "with such a special pokemon on your side, I think that you can no longer escape the snowball that's been slowly rolling towards you." she gestured for me to follow her. I did.

"honestly Lionel, I thought these sorts of things would happen after you at least got your sixth Gym Badge but-" I was no longer able to hear what she said when I saw the people inside my living room. I stood still and felt a tap on my shoulders, "hey! snap out of it."

"uh-"

Mom didn't even wait for me to put myself together as she introduced the two people in front of us, "Lionel, this is professor Elm-" she said, gesturing towards the glasses-wearing man back in the hospital, his eyes were fixed on Grimer's Pokeball, "-and this, is Professor Oak." she gestured towards an old man that did not at all look like he deteriorated with age save for a few wrinkles in his eyes.

Professor Oak looked amused and the way he looked at me forced me to conclude that he noticed when I recognized the two of them and I don't think he's going to get convinced when I tell him that it's because he's the former Kanto champion.