The one thing that his parents had instilled in him, before leaving him to live a mostly solitary life, as most of his kind did, was to follow his instincts. They could be a blessing and a curse, he was told, but they would never lead him astray.

How would his parents advise him, Absol thought, if they could see him now?

Certainly, they would be surprised that he had chosen to join a human and her Pokémon. Absol and humans had never had a good relationship. The earliest humans had long ago driven his ancestors into the harsh slopes of the Great Mountain, because they had mistaken several Absol coming to warn them about an incoming flood that wiped out a village and the entire farmlands surrounding it as the bringers of the calamity. The people were left homeless and on the brink of famine. They pinned the blame on the Absol, killing whoever they could catch and forcing the remainder to make their homes on the unforgiving mountain terrain.

Absol had no ill will towards those humans. Hunger and fear would make monsters of anyone. It was unfortunate, as were many other ill-fated attempts to try to warn humans of following avalanches and rockslides, as their population grew and they started to settle closer to the Great Mountain. Absol normally lived very long lives, and it was passed down from elder to youngling that one needed to be extremely wary, and be ready to flee when the time inevitably came to warn humans about another calamity about to occur. Not once was he told, however, to avoid humans. With great power came great responsibility, and even if the humans fled at the sight of him, rather than the impending disaster, their lives would be saved, and that would be enough.

No amount of warning could prepare the humans for what was upcoming, however. Because the world was facing an apocalypse like none ever seen before.

For months, Absol's senses had been acting strange. His overall sense of predicting disasters had been dulled, because what was dominating his thoughts, both while he was awake and in his dreams, were visions of ruin. The screams and cries of Pokémon and humans as they took their last breath. The lands stripped bare and the waters dried to trickles as greed and ambition sucked every resource out of the land, until it was uninhabitable. Drought and famine leading to conflict, as they always did. And above all else, a rip, a tear in the very fabric of the world, that if left unchecked, would eventually swallow everything in darkness.

What baffled him the most, was that he could not find any reason for this event to occur! He could predict everything else. An increase in snow on the mountain slopes, followed by a warmer day would lead to a flood as that snow melted and overflowed the river it fed. An exceedingly cold day could fracture rocks, until they were brittle and fragile enough to break and speed down the side of the mountain at frightening speeds. He even understood how the slightest of tremors beneath the sea could spawn a wave that could swallow an entire coastline. This, as far as he could tell, had no natural cause.

Stumped, Absol had gone to seek the counsel of the Esteemed Elder, an exceptionally ancient and knowledgeable Absol, who had seen and lived through centuries worth of disasters, in the hopes that he could help him find the truth.

The Esteemed Elder had lost his sight and the use of his limbs as a byproduct of his age. It was customary for one to bring him food when visiting. Absol had chosen to bring a branch of yellow and green berries. They were slightly sour, and had a bit of an acquired taste (not that the Esteemed Elder could taste, either), but they flourished near the peak of the mountain, because they were so hardy and resisted the frost.

He had barely set foot in the cave before the older Absol's voice was heard. "I've more than enough food for twenty winters. You can set that down over there." Absol looked to his right, and sure enough, a pile of food almost his height was stacked at the side of the cave. He gently placed his branch at the bottom and walked further inside.

The blind Pokémon's milky stare pierced right through him. "I wonder, young one, if you will listen to what I have to say."

Absol dipped his head, respectfully. "Esteemed Elder, I seek your counsel. I have seen the world coming to its end, but I cannot understand how, or why. The natural cycles of the world are as they ever were. And even if one of them were to change drastically, it would not cause a calamity of this magnitude."

The old Pokémon did not move a muscle, continuing to stare at him. "It seems you already know the cause, then."

He replayed his words in his mind. "I do?"

"Of course." The elderly Absol gave him a toothless smile. "If the cause is not natural, then it must be unnatural, correct?"

"Unnatural?" An unnatural disaster? "Is that why the whole world is doomed?'

A strange rasping sound came from the other Absol's throat. Absol realized that the Esteemed Elder was laughing. "Who said anything about us being doomed?"

"Disasters cannot be stopped. We can only warn and try to prevent loss of life," Absol said. That is what every Absol had to live with. The knowledge that told them that something is coming, but also the knowledge that nothing can be done about it.

"Natural disasters cannot be prevented," the Esteemed Elder corrected him. "This calamity is unnatural both by cause, and by its sheer magnitude. But because it is unnatural, one can try and stop it from coming to pass."

If that was the case, then Absol's duty to warn was instead a duty to prevent this tragedy from occurring. "How? How can we stop this?" he asked.

The elderly Absol tilted his head downwards so the tip of his horn was pointing at the exit. "That, I cannot tell you, for I do not know the cause of it myself. Nor can I help you anymore. You must solve the rest of this by yourself, by facing the most difficult of trials, that very few of our kind have managed to overcome. Goodbye, my young friend."

Accepting the dismissal, Absol slowly backed away, pondering the Esteemed Elder's words. An unnatural cause. Something outside the everyday cycles of the world, yet had the power to bring the world to its knees.

Humans weren't, on the surface, unnatural creatures. They lived and died like any other living thing. What they could do though, was unnatural. For having no power to manipulate energy and being incredibly fragile, they were capable of incredible things. They were the ones that created devices that could capture a Pokémon. They could harness the wind, or the seas, or a simple rock to bring light even during the darkest of nights. They could even bring a Pokémon from the dead. Could a human, with bad intentions, bring about the end of the world? The more Absol thought about it, the more he believed it.

The Esteemed Elder had said he would have to face difficult trials. Inserting himself into the realm of humans certainly qualified as that and more. Earning one's trust would be near impossible.

That's why, when he ventured into the once desolate valley that the humans had restored with life, Absol knew he was on the right path. Not only because he had proof that a human like that Salamence rider was capable of bringing the world to ruin, but also because he had found a human that had defended him, who knew the truth about his kind.

Absol didn't believe in luck, or chance. He didn't think this was a coincidence, either. This was fate.

Helping defeat the hunters and showing Vivillon the way back to his trainer were easy decisions for him to make. Even though she seemed to know that Absol did not cause disasters, making himself helpful could only bolster his reputation in the human's minds. When the human made an offer to him, Absol did his best to appear disinterested, because he had to know if she was strong enough to help him when the time came.

It took all his willpower not to give in the first two times she tried to capture him, but finally, he gave in, satisfied with her strength and too tired to continue. He had wanted to immediately tell Luna, which was his new trainer's name, about the calamity that was about to befall the world. But the Great Mountain was a dangerous place, even during the day, so he held his tongue until they were safe.

Now, though…

He had led them to the eastern side, marked by another large waterfall, a day's journey from the massive human settlement at the eastern base. It was a popular location for humans, some to fish in the circular lake at the bottom, some to test their strength climbing up the rocks, and others to simply admire the natural beauty. Which meant he had never come here.

Hopefully, this would provide a sense of safety. Since this was a place with so many humans, and so close to their destination, Absol thought his trainer would feel comfortable enough for them to have this important discussion.

"Ah! Civilization!" The pink-haired human, the one most distrustful of him said, before he could speak up. "You two already had your detour. I demand that you let me savor this place. For a day, minimum."

"Suuure," Luna replied. "It's your schedule, Ursula. If you think you don't need the time to work on your contest stuff, then by all means, enjoy yourself."

"My contest appeal is already perfect," the other girl insisted. "If you absolutely must disturb me, I shall be over there." She pointed to an area where several humans were drawing pictures of the waterfall. Some of them had a human and their Pokémon in front of the waterfall and were adding the two individuals to the whole scene.

Luna turned to her other friend, once Ursula had departed. "Are you alright with this?"

Lucas, Absol remembered, was looking the other way, where several trainers were working with their Pokémon. In particular, he was looking at a man in a white outfit with black cloth tied around his waist. The man had a Tyrogue and a Makuhita with him, and was claiming his Fighting-types could smash any challenger like the pile of broken rocks at their feet.

"I think I'll take some battles while we're here. Monferno and Rockruff are a bit frustrated that they didn't get to battle the poachers at all. It'll be good for them to let off some steam. This is a great place to train Fighting and Rock-type Pokémon, as well."

"Is Rockruff ready to fight, though?"

"Fighting is what she's best at, actually," the taller boy muttered before going to challenge some trainers.

Now was his chance. "I need to speak to you urgently," he said, though Luna did not understand.

"I know. You've been working really hard to get us here so quickly and safely. Take a rest in your Pokéball for a couple of hours, ok?"

"No wait-" he could barely get the words out before he was in this odd state of stasis.

Communication was going to be an issue.

The next time he was summoned, it was with two Pokémon he recognized, and two he didn't. Immediately, he noticed the Charmeleon staring at him, while Bellossom and Glaceon's attention were on Vivillon. Luna clapped to get their attention. "I know it's been a busy couple of days, hiking through this mountain, but now we're finally on the other side. So I wanted to have a get together, because we've had some major changes to our team. First, Spewpa evolved! He's a Vivillon now!"

Bellossom was quivering in excitement, and burst out as soon as their trainer was finished speaking. "Congratulations! I always knew you were going to evolve. You look so pretty now!"

"Well done, Vivillon," Glaceon added in a more reserved tone, though she seemed no less happy. "I always knew you had it in you. You just needed to believe in yourself."

"Congrats," Charmeleon muttered, looking up at the flying Pokémon with a hint of jealousy. "How does it feel? To fly?"

"Amazing," Vivillon replied after a moment to think. "There's nothing like looking down and being able to see the whole world."

"Looking down on the whole world, huh?" Charmeleon said softly, while staring upwards at the sky.

Vivillon didn't seem to notice. "Thank you all for the kind words, but I couldn't have evolved without all of your support this whole time." The newly evolved Pokémon looked back at their trainer." I guess it's like Luna said, then. We succeed and fail as a team." That got cheers out of Glaceon and Bellossom, and a chuckle out of Charmeleon.

A team? How would he fit into that, when he was only here for his individual mission? Their trainer took their cheers as the prompt to introduce to him. "Plus, we have a new member. Everyone, I want you to meet Absol. He was a great help, distracting those poachers so we could get inside and free the captured Pokémon. We're going to spend the day here, so get to know him, and make him feel welcome! I'm going to be working with Vivillon on his new moves, but you three shouldn't need me to hold your hands anymore. You know what to work on." Of the three she was directing her words toward, only Bellossom seemed pleased with her words. "Oh, and it's our turn to cook today, so you know what that means, Charmeleon." The Fire-type's grumbling got even louder, but a stern look from his trainer silenced him. "Well, have fun! Come on Vivillon, let's find somewhere to practice."

"But I don't think I know any new moves!" The Bug-type wailed, fluttering behind Luna as she walked away.

Which left Absol facing the remaining three Pokémon. He was trying several introductions in his head when Charmeleon blurted out a question.

"How old are you, anyway?"

"I've seen the seasons cycle twelve times," Absol replied, wondering what that had to do with anything, and how he could speak with his trainer about the fate of the world. If they didn't stop whatever was going to happen, this would be the final cycle of the seasons.

"Huh," Charmeleon said, with a contemplative gleam in his eye. "That makes you the oldest of us, by far. You must be a strong battler. Is that right, Glaceon?"

The Ice-type rolled her eyes. "This is the first time I'm meeting Absol, actually."

Charmeleon did some quick thinking out loud, relaxing when he came to the conclusion. "If it wasn't you, and it wasn't me, and it definitely wasn't Vivillon… you lost to Bellossom? That's a bit embarrassing for a Pokémon as old as you, isn't it? Considering Bellossom loses to Glaceon and I most of the time."

The Grass-type glared at her teammate with her hands on her hips. "That's not how it works, Charmeleon. I beat all the Water and Rock-types you're supposed to lose to, remember?"

Glaceon, looking like she had heard this argument before, stepped in to steer the conversation back to where it was supposed to be. "Anyways, welcome to the team, Absol. Do you have any questions, about us or anything else? Absol? Are you listening?"

He blinked and shook his head, realizing that he was drifting into his own thoughts and visions again. "My apologies. My head is rather preoccupied right now. I don't currently have any questions."

The Ice-type looked at her two other teammates for a minute, holding a silent conversation with them before she replied. "We know that such a drastic change can be a difficult adjustment," she offered diplomatically. "You can take as much time as you need, but if you do end up needing anything, or just want to talk, we'll be around."

"Thank you," Absol replied, pleasantly surprised by the earnest offer. It wasn't that he didn't intend to be distant from his team or was against having some comradery… but all of that was secondary, compared to his true mission. Absol left the three Pokémon looking at each other in confusion, to instead look for his trainer again and get his message across, regardless of their communication issues.

He found Vivillon and Luna practicing the Bug-type's new moves against a large boulder that had long ago fallen into the lake at the bottom of the waterfall. Internally, Absol approved. It was good that they were not attacking the cliffside; while it was stable now, repeated attacks on the correct spot might send it tumbling down in a rockslide.

"Oh, I'm glad you're here, Absol, I was about to call you over," his trainer said. Absol allowed his hopes to rise for a second before they were dashed against the rocks. "Vivillon's having trouble using most of his new moves. I have it on very reliable information that he should be able to use a Bug-type, and Flying-type, and a Psychic-type move now. Since you know moves of all those types, do you think you can give him some pointers?"

"Is that true, Mr. Absol? Can you really help me?" Vivillon's giant pleading eyes made Absol curse inwardly, as he could hardly refuse such when Vivillon had such a desperate tone. Afterwards, he promised himself, they would deal with the world's problems.

"Of course." Vivillon made a delighted sound, and both Pokémon and trainer smiled at him.

"Thank you, Absol. The one move Vivillon can use is Gust, so why don't we start with that."

"It isn't very impressive," the Bug-type warned, before taking a deep breath and steeling himself. "Here goes!" Vivillon flapped his wings a few times, and a weak gust of wind was whipped up. It would be a welcome relief on a scorching day, but as an attack, it left much to be desired.

"Can you give a demonstration of your Razor Wind, Absol?" He dipped his head. Not having wings, it was impossible for him to generate a gust of wind like Vivillon could do. What he did understand was circular motion, and how the violence of wind magnified when it was condensed into a tight, rapidly swirling shape. When he used Razor Wind, it was by holding two rotating funnels in front of him.

"Wow," Vivillon breathed. "Are you going to send those two out to attack?"

"No," he corrected. Absol brought his head back, and slashed his horn through the wind funnels. Each slash sent a blade of wind out, scoring the boulder when it connected.

"Very impressive," Luna mused thoughtfully, a hand stroking her chin. "It takes a lot of time to use, though."

That was something Absol could not do anything about, with how much effort and concentration it took to hold the funnels. Vivillon took another deep breath. Two orbs of wind appeared on the tips of Vivillon's wings.

"Try and think as if you are cutting through the air when you attack," Absol advised. "A physical motion, similar to what I do, may help."

Vivillon nodded once. This time, he beat his wings through the two swirling balls of air he had created, and the result was a similar attack to that of Absol's Razor Wind. Most of the blades dissipated on the boulder, leaving only slight scars, but one blade actually was launched with such force that it sliced into the rock.

"I did it!" Vivillon cheered. "Well, only one of them actually did anything, and I never would have figured it out without your guidance, Mr. Absol, but I used a new move!"

"That must have been Air Cutter," Luna said, mostly to herself. "You're a pretty good teacher, Absol. Next, can you show Vivillon your Psycho Cut?"

"In order to use Psychic-type energy," Absol began, "You must focus your mind. Having a clear sense of purpose, not altered by wayward thoughts or unchecked emotions is critical to harnessing one's psychic power."

"I don't know if that's going to work for me," Vivillon said morosely. "I always have a lot of thoughts going through my mind at all times, and it's hard not to have emotion when you're afraid of so many things."

Absol could relate to that more than ever. Like before, he decided to show Vivillon an alternate way. "It may help for you to recall a time where you were totally focused, and had nothing else on your mind." For Absol, it was his unending pursuit of his mission; no matter how many times he was sidetracked, his ultimate goal remained unchanged.

Vivillon hesitated. "There is one time… it's really recent though, but I'll try to focus on it." Vivillon almost went cross-eyed, because he was concentrating so hard. Absol was about to suggest that focusing was supposed to leave you with a peaceful state of mind when the other Pokémon's eyes lit up in a rainbow of colors, and an identically fired beam was launched from his eyes.

Absol knew that Vivillon had succeeded, but the Bug-type still looked at his trainer. "You used Psybeam, Vivillon. I know you're going to get the next one too."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Having done this twice already, Absol knew what was expected of him. He already started to let the Bug-type energy transform his horn as he gave what he hoped would be a suitable explanation to Vivillon. "How can I explain this… using a move such as this Megahorn also takes a certain mindset. It is less of a focused, clear vision, and is more the spirit of the overachiever. It is knowledge that even the smallest of beings can perform incredible feats, and take down an opponent ten times their size with their sheer determination and effort."

This time, it appeared Vivillon had understood him the first time around. "You're saying someone even as insignificant and small as me can do something amazing, right? I wouldn't have believed you a few days ago. Now, though…" Absol let his attack dissipate as Vivllon took the center stage, with his wings shining the same color as Absol's horn was a moment ago.

His teammate sent a massive flurry of what looked like either spores or scales outwards, in all directions. Luna had already been standing a safe distance away, but Absol, right next to Vivillon, was in range of the attack. His and Vivillon's eyes both widened, as he braced himself for the pain.

The crackling of the attack on the boulder drowned out Vivillon's panicked words, but Absol didn't feel any pain or discomfort. Instead of repeated painful stings, he felt a cooling sensation, one that was refreshing and invigorating.

"I'm so, so sorry, Mr. Absol!" Vivillon apologized hurriedly. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear! I mean, why would I, when you've been so helpful and nice to me? Please, you have to believe me!"

"I believe you," Absol said, cutting Vivillon's desperate groveling off. "And you didn't hurt me at all. More like the opposite, in fact."

"How did you do that Vivillon?" Luna asked. "It looks like you healed Absol and attacked the boulder at the same time!"

"I have no idea," Vivillon replied in confusion, who was slowly calming down as he realized no one was angry with him. "I saw that they were going to hit Mr. Absol, and I didn't want to hurt him. But I don't know how I did it."

"If you don't know, we should figure it out," Luna mused thoughtfully. "I've never heard of a move that can both heal and inflict damage at the same time. That is something really amazing and unique."

Absol narrowed his eyes. How did she understand Vivillon just now, without understanding him earlier? Perhaps he should take Glaceon's offer, and ask how to properly communicate with his humans. Clearly, it was a skill necessary to survive in their world. He would not ask his new teammates to tell their trainer in his stead. That was his responsibility, and his burden to bear. Though a little help in how to do so would certainly be appreciated.

"Vivillon, can I ask a favor of you?"

"Anything, Mr. Absol. I would have never figured any of this out without your guidance!"

He cringed at the title. "Two favors, actually. First, stop calling me that. Just Absol is fine. We are equals, after all." He may be older than most of his teammates, but in terms of his species, he was still very young. He was utterly new in the human world as well, and had much to learn. "Secondly, can you assist me with a difficult conversation I must have? I need to discuss the fact that this land will be utterly annihilated."

Vivillon's eyes grew wide once again. "The utter annihilation of the world?!" he squeaks. "Why would you want my help with that? I-I can't help you with that, I barely know anything about it! You-you don't think I have something to do with it, do you? I promise I haven't done anything!"

Apparently, he needed to work on conversation in general, not only with humans.

Luna looked between her two Pokémon with a raised eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

If only I could tell you.

----------------------------------------

The first of Absol's other teammates that he was able to locate was Bellossom, whose individual training was by far the most conspicuous. She was practicing the same move that had eventually weakened Absol to the point that he couldn't fight being captured anymore, the one where the petals had enveloped him in a tornado and battered him from every direction. It seemed that the Grass-type was practicing in intervals, because the petals flared into the air at times and then disappeared, but it was easy enough for Absol to find her.

Bellossom's back was turned, and though Absol was prepared to wait patiently until she was finished, when his teammate spun around in a circle in one of her movements, she caught sight of him, and immediately, all the petals dropped to the ground as she stopped moving.

"Hey, Absol! What's up!"

"I didn't mean to interrupt your training," he apologized hesitantly, though his teammate waved him off without a second thought.

"It's no big deal." Bellossom put her hands to her head and shook it wildly. "Practicing my Petal Dance for too long makes everything go woozy anyways. I'm just happy to talk to you! No matter what it's about!"

This Pokémon's upbeat attitude was like a beacon of positivity, and it was so powerful that it was even drawing Absol out of the dark thoughts that he had been absorbed in for so many months. Now, all there was left for him was to not screw it up, and somehow scare off Bellossom as well. "Regardless, thank you for taking the time. I have to explain what is going to be a frightening story, and was wondering if you had any experience doing that, and were willing to help me."

"You've come to the right place!" Bellossom assured him. "I've been practicing my story telling, and I have a super spooky one to share. Plus, it sorta kinda helps with my training too! Well, it's not very useful for battling, but I still think it's fun to do. It's a shame it isn't dark outside though, you won't get the full effect."

"Okay?" Absol started, to which Bellossom quickly shushed him, saying that she needed silence to operate.

"Imagine this," she said while lowering her voice. Bellossom raised her arms, which caused the petals around her to rise as well. "Once upon a time, on a dark, moonless night, a weary trainer and her tired Pokémon are running through an unwelcoming forest, away from the terrors that they have found inside."

All the petals Bellossom was controlling created a wall in front of the sun, casting both of them in shade. For someone claiming to still be practicing, Bellossom sure seemed to know what she was doing.

"Finally, their salvation is at hand! A warm, inviting place to stay and be safe while they rested. The petals separated to form an interlocking fence, which swung open just as Bellossom finished her sentence. "What they didn't know was that it held a dark secret!"

Absol did his best to look interested, unsure as he was about how exactly this was supposed to help him.

"This is where you're supposed to ask what the dark secret is," Bellossom told him.

Right. "What was the dark secret?"

"It was inhabited, but not by anything living." The petals changed shape once again, to a floating head with a protruding tongue, and two floating claw hands. Bellossom lowered her voice dramatically. "Instead, this house was the home of a bunch of ghosts!"

"The ghosts quickly captured the human," Bellossom continued, painting a picture of a cage being locked. "And told the Pokémon if they wanted to free their trainer, they would need to do some work for them. You see, the ghosts had grown bored in their… life! And they always were looking for a way to entertain themselves. Tormenting weary travelers was their favorite form of fun, so they put the Pokémon to work, spooking and scaring them at every turn."

The Grass-type's face fell slightly. "Alright, I'll admit I don't really understand ghosts, or ghost Pokémon. Are they alive, or have they passed into the afterlife already? What do you think?"

"They may not be alive like you and I are," Absol suggested after a moment of contemplation. "I do still think they can pass on, however, if their spirits are laid to rest."

"Ooh, I like that!" Bellossom said excitedly. "That's definitely going into my story. The new finish goes like this," she said, slipping back into storyteller mode. "No one knows what happened to those poor travelers. Some say they escaped. Others say that the ghosts were so amused that they kept them there forever. And on a dark, moonless night, in a seemingly empty house, if you listen close enough, you can still hear their spirits working, hoping that one day, they would be able to escape and finally find their rest."

The petals she was manipulating fell down as Bellossom came to the end of her tale. "Well? Pretty good, huh? It really helps when you illustrate what you're trying to say, because everyone can understand that. You really helped me with the ending, too! I had to improvise most of it, considering we made it out f-"

Bellossom clapped her hands to her mouth with a squeak, looking at Absol like she hoped her mistake had gone by unnoticed. Unfortunately, Absol never let the tiniest of things slip past him.

"We? Was that a true story?"

"Of course not," Bellossom insisted, though Absol could tell the Grass-type was a very poor liar. "I came up with that whole story myself, and it was in no way influenced by anything that may have happened to me. Got it?"

"Got it," Absol replied, which turned Bellossom's serious expression into her usual pleased one.

The Grass-type waved him a temporary goodbye. "Great! Remember what I said about the pictures!"

An illustration of his issue wasn't a bad idea, though Absol doubted he could encompass the magnitude of what was about to occur with a simple picture. Perhaps it was best as an accompaniment, as Bellossom said. Whatever the case, it was sorely needed progress that Absol was grateful for.

He found his next teammate practicing in a similar manner to Bellossom. The difference was, Charmeleon's reason for stopping his fire blast attacks was to look around suspiciously, as if he didn't want to be caught.

Absol observed Charmeleon for a few seconds while staying hidden, but it didn't seem that the Fire-type was doing anything wrong. The only thing off about the situation was how Charmeleon was acting, and the pile of untouched food on the ground next to him. Absol kicked a rock forwards to signal his presence to the other Pokémon, who whirled around in concern, then relaxed when he realized who had interrupted him.

"Oh, it's you. Uh, hey. How long were you watching me?"

"Long enough," Absol replied, causing Charmeleon to tense up. "But it didn't seem like you were doing anything untoward, were you?"

Charmeleon frowned, but he still apparently understood the question. "I'm not doing anything wrong! I'm just getting in some extra training, that's all! I'll do whatever she makes me do after." Charmeleon gestured to the assorted food, lying on a blanket. Most of it was berries and vegetables, but there was one circular object sitting on top of a stone that Absol had never seen before.

He waved a paw right back at the ingredients. "What is it that you were assigned to do, actually?"

"I'm working on using Flamethrower. It's a strong, consistent, Fire-type move that's supposed to be my main ranged attack, basically forever. Right now, I have two main problems. One is that I don't have enough power for the flame. And two, I can't control a powerful flame very well yet," Charmeleon said while scowling. "She's not wrong about that. I figure that power is the most important thing, which is why I always work on it as much as I can. Plus, these things don't take all that long anyways. It'll only take me five minutes to do them, so I have plenty of time to practice.

Absol still wasn't following the Fire-type's logic. "Are you supposed to eat them?"

"Heh, I suppose you wouldn't get it, being a wild Pokémon for such a long time and all. We'll eventually eat everything," Charmeleon explained. "But it tastes better if you cook it, which involves mixing up everything, and heating it up. Whenever it's our turn to cook, I'm supposed to cut everything up like this." The Fire-type demonstrated by lazily cutting one vegetable into two non-equally sized pieces with his claw.

That made some more sense. "And this?" Absol prompted, gesturing to the circular thing.

"Oh, that's called a pie. It's made from berries too. It cooks with fire too. If I do it the right way, that is. It never ends up like the one that I ate that one time. Anyways, if that's all, I'm going back to practicing now." Absol watched as Charmeleon didn't say another word, instead choosing to go back to spitting blasts of flame in every direction.

Absol observed his new teammate for several minutes. The purpose of Charmeleon's training clicked in his mind as he did so. Charmeleon, despite whatever he might think, did not lack for power. Control was what he lacked. In his impatience to get stronger, Charmeleon was actually neglecting the thing that would actually help him improve and master this move. Absol supposed that their trainer wanted Charmeleon to learn this on his own, but she probably wouldn't mind if he stepped in and guided the Fire-type onto the correct path.

He cleared his throat. "Do you mind if I make an observation?"

Charmeleon replied without looking back. "Do you know a Fire-type move?"

"I do not-"

"Then don't bother."

The Dark-type waited a few more minutes, and then tried again. "I may not be able to use a Fire-type attack, but I do know much about fires. Especially powerful ones." That finally got Charmeleon attention.

"I'm listening," he said, with an implied for now.

"The strongest fires are often caused by a single spark. I would suggest mastering everything else besides your power, as that will come naturally, when all the conditions are right."

Charmeleon still looked like he needed a bit of convincing. "Are you sure?"

"I have seen it firsthand." The worst fire he had ever witnessed was after months without rain. Absol knew better to be thankful when it finally did come, because lightning came with it. While it had only ripped through the exceedingly dry valley for hours, and was eventually stymied by the efforts of humans and Water-type Pokémon, the amount of forest that was burned away was horrific.

"Alright," Charmeleon muttered. The Fire-type sat down with a huff next to the food. "I can always go back to my way if it doesn't work. So, what am I supposed to be doing with these?"

"You tell me. If your way is simply to throw everything into a fire, I'm certain what our trainer is wanting you to do is the opposite."

Charmeleon tilted his head back, thinking. "Well, whenever someone else cooks they always take their time, and cut everything into equal pieces." The Fire-type sat up quickly as the realization hit him. "Oh. That's what I need to do well. Hey, you want to help me out so this goes faster? Your horn looks pretty sharp to me."

"I've already helped you," Absol told him. "Besides, this is supposed to be your training. For patience and preciseness, I would guess."

"Come onnnnn," Charmeleon whined, pushing a pile towards Absol. "Just do half." When the Dark-type remained silent, Charmeleon cut Absol's pile in half and added them to his own pile. "How about now? I'll pay you back. Somehow."

Absol settled in to start working. "I'll consider us even if you answer a few questions for me."

"Hah, you're making this too easy! Well, fire away!" Charmeleon grabbed four items to chop at the same time, but relented when he saw Absol glaring at him, and instead only started cutting two.

"How long have you been with Luna?" Absol asked first.

"I've been here the second-longest," Charmeleon answered, actually taking his time to make sure each of his cuts were straight. "Glaceon always calls seniority on me, because she was Luna's Pokémon even before she became a trainer. But I like to think that her journey started the day she met me."

"And before that?" Absol pressed. "What were you doing before that?"

Charmeleon cut too harshly this time, destroying the berry he was working on, though he threw it in with the rest of the finished ones anyways. "I was waiting. To be picked. Certain Pokémon are really suitable for new trainers, and Charmander is one of them. At least, that's what they told me. Not that it worked out that way," the Fire-type finished bitterly.

Recognizing that this was a sensitive topic, Absol chose to skirt around it. "So you've been around humans your whole life, then?

His teammate stood up to stare at the pie, done with this first task. "Pretty much."

"How do you get her to understand you when you need something, then?"

He was surprised at his teammate's brusque answer. "Just be direct, straight to the point and obvious. She'll understand. It might take a bit, because Luna doesn't know you well, but eventually she will figure out what's important to you, and what your likes and dislikes are. What about this thing, though?"

Absol stared at the unfamiliar pie. Again, power and overwhelming heat wasn't the point of Charmeleon's training. By his own admission, what needed improvement was his control. "Try to maintain a steady flame, enough to cook it without burning it."

"A steady stream of flame, huh?" Charmeleon mused aloud thoughtfully. It took him a couple tries, but eventually he had the pie surrounded by a gentle ring of fire. Absol could see the focus on Charmeleon's face as he fought to lessen the flame every time they jumped up. After a few minutes, Charmeleon cut off his fire and turned to him. "How long is this supposed to take?"

"Until it looks and tastes like the one you ate that one time," Absol reminded him.

"Hopefully I don't have to keep this up for too long," Charmeleon grumbled. Before Absol left, pondering the Fire-type's method of communicating, he heard a grudging thanks being issued.

Charmeleon would likely suggest that Absol march up to their trainer and say what he needed to say now, but Absol still wanted to pick Glaceon's mind, for some more advice on how to talk to humans. She was the one with the most experience with that, after all. He had assumed that he would find her also training, but instead, Absol found the Ice-type taking a swim in one of the shallow ponds.

As with his other teammates, Absol waited patiently for Glaceon to be done. She pulled herself from the water, and instead of shaking her fur to dry it, simply froze every drop of water into an ice crystal, letting them all clatter to the ground.

"I can already see that we're going to get along, Absol."

He frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"I love my teammates like they were my own brothers and sister," Glaceon said with a wry smile, but they sometimes drive me crazy. "I guarantee that Charmeleon or Bellossom would have interrupted me for some reason or another, while I was trying to relax."

He didn't really know how to respond to that, considering they were supposed to be training, and Glaceon didn't seem like the sort to slack off. Of his new teammates, she seemed by far the most mature.

"I've already finished all my training, if that's what you were wondering," Glaceon answered his unspoken question. "I've reviewed all of my moves and combos, my Ice Shard and Ice Fang are looking strong, and I think my Weather Ball is battle ready."

Absol decided against asking how she knew that he was thinking in favor of asking different questions. "Everyone else seemed to be practicing a new move. Are you past that point?"

Irritation flashed on Glaceon's face briefly. "You aren't wrong. Other than Weather Ball, I haven't really learned anything new lately. I've already fully evolved, so my powers aren't likely to dramatically increase out of nowhere, like everyone else has. I know Luna is looking into more powerful Ice-type moves as well as potentially Shadow Ball, but we haven't really made much progress on that front. Actually, you wouldn't happen to know anything about Shadow Ball, would you?"

He shook his head. "No, that is a Ghost-type move, and I am as unfamiliar with it as you are."

"Well, I'll learn it eventually," Glaceon brushed off his apology. "Another consequence of me having evolved beforehand is that everyone needs to figure out how strong they are once they've evolved, so they get one-on-one training, like Vivillon is getting now. I haven't had one of those sessions in a while."

"Are you jealous?" Absol asked hesitantly.

"Yes and no," Glaceon eventually answered. "I don't want to say that I've been forced into the background, but sometimes it feels like it, and I don't enjoy that. At the same time though, I want my friends to get stronger. Ultimately though, my relationship with my trainer is too strong for me to be jealous. Whatever happens, I know that she counts on me more than anyone else. No offense, of course."

"None taken."

"Great! I'm really glad you're opening up. Do you want to continue this conversation in the water, though? I want to swim some more."

Absol stared at the water in trepidation. The freezing streams of the Great Mountain were dangerous simply for their temperature, not to mention their rapid flow, and their propensity to flood when the snowpack started to melt. As a result, he had kept his distance. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm going to decline."

"You don't know how to swim, huh?" Glaceon asked amusedly, already halfway in the water. "It's a good thing you have me here to teach you, and a perfect place to learn as well right here. Come on!"

How was she reading his mind? Absol wanted answers, so he waded into the pool after Glaceon. Thankfully, he was still able to touch the bottom even though it came up to his neck. As he suspected, it was freezing cold, though his Ice-type teammate had zero issues with the temperature.

"Oh, this makes it much easier," Glaceon told him excitedly, seemingly having zero trouble talking and keeping her head above water at the same time. "Whenever it gets too much for you, remember that you'll be fine by standing up. I won't let you go under, anyways."

Glaceon pressed ahead when he didn't reply, because he was too busy shivering. "The first step is learning how to float. Take a deep breath in, lift your feet off the bottom, and relax. You won't sink, because your own body is lighter than the water."

Absol had a hard time relaxing, because he was always monitoring the slightest of changes in the air, or the ground. Not to mention how knowing that the world was teetering on the brink wasn't great for your mental state. As a result, his first few attempts to float were rather pathetic.

"Focus only on the sound of my voice," Glaceon said soothingly. "Don't tense your muscles. Clear your mind and let your limbs drift, like you're in a dream."

He would admit that it was nice to momentarily pretend like he had no worries. Absol let himself indulge in the bliss of floating before he shook his head. "What is the next step?"

"Now comes swimming." Glaceon demonstrated, easily making it to the shore and back to his side in a matter of minutes. "What you really need to do is push the water back, to propel yourself forward."

Glaceon was swimming circles around him, and despite all his efforts, he could barely manage to move a couple of inches forwards. "How can you swim like that? You aren't even a Water-type!"

"I'm flattered that you think I swim like one," Glaceon said whilst grinning. "Clearly, you've never seen a Water-type swim. I did learn from one though. My mother quickly taught me once she realized that the much younger me was set on following her everywhere, even into pools of water. Your problem is that you're flailing and splashing around too much. It's not about for forcefully you move the water, but about how efficiently do so. It takes effort, but it has a rhythm and grace to it, like anything else."

Advice ringing in his head, Absol eventually managed to make it from one side to the other. Which was enough for him. He heard laughter being stifled from behind him.

"We can stop today's lesson here, since you don't seem in the mood to continue."

Absol shook himself dry before responding with the question that had been nagging him. "How do you keep knowing what I'm thinking before I say anything?"

"Even though your voice isn't very expressive, your face is," Glaceon explained. "You can tell what someone is thinking by their facial expression, or their body language." Just for good measure, she answered his next question too, not needing to hear him ask. "It's great for communicating with humans as well."

Absol spent the rest of the day coming up with his speech. He remained mostly silent for the rest of the day, all the way through dinner, through Charmeleon's argument with Glaceon and Bellossom about him eating the entire pie instead of bringing it to dinner, all the way until the sun had set and the moon had taken its place. The Dark-type slowly got up, so he did not disturb the rest of his sleeping teammates, and walked over to his trainer's tent right before she retired for the night.

He hoped that the moon's light would be enough to show how serious he was trying to be. "What's up, Absol? Can't sleep?" Luna asked him.

"That is one problem, but not the main one. Can we talk over there?" His hopes fell slightly when she didn't seem to understand him, but at least his trainer followed him to an area where there was more lighting.

Straightforward and obvious, and show how important this is to me with my body language. And use a picture, Absol recited to himself. He started to draw, first a circle in the ground. Then he added a line in the middle, making sure it peaked upwards at the very center, to show the Great Mountain's summit. Absol added whatever human settlements he knew as well, including the one they were going to, the one filled with older people on the same side, the loud one on the other side of the mountain, and the brave humans who tolerated the ice and snow at the very top of the circle.

"Is this Sinnoh?" Absol grabbed onto those three words, celebrating for a moment internally. Finally, he had managed to convey something. Now to make his point. Luna was startled as he ripped into his drawing with his claws leaving not a trace of it when he was finished. He looked up pleadingly.

Please have understood, Absol begged. Eventually, Luna let out a dry chuckle.

"So, you know too. I shouldn't have expected any less."

Absol was stunned speechless. She knew too? Luna's next statement had him even more surprised. "To be honest, I can't tell you much about what's going to happen. All I know is where, by who, and what's going to ruin the world."

"Tell me," Absol said. "So we can put a stop to it."

Luna turned to point at the Great Mountain. Specifically, right at the peak. "It's going to happen there. Because a bunch of fools who call themselves Team Galactic are going to try and manipulate the legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh for their own aims. The problem is, I have no idea how they're going to pull that off. I'm only one person, and yeah, I have a strong Pokémon team, but they have what feels like unlimited resources and power at their fingertips. So, I'm stuck reacting to what they do, because I don't know how to proceed without giving myself away, and the one advantage we have is that I know what they're planning."

Whatever hope Absol had instantly faded, as fear gripped him once more and he staggered back several steps. Legendary Pokémon? Every Absol knew the story of the battle between Groudon and Kyogre, who threatened to bring the world to extinction with their uncontrollable rage and power. The Esteemed Elder said that the fate of the world was still yet to be decided, but what chance did they have against titans such as those?

It was only his new trainer's voice that brought him out of the darkness. "This world is a beautiful one, isn't it?" she asked rhetorically, staring at the waterfall in the distance. "I'm not going to sit around and watch it be destroyed. Neither will the rest of us. We will get stronger. We will figure out Team Galactic's plans. And if saving the world means defeating a legendary Pokémon, then that's exactly what we're going to do."

Absol watched as Luna faced him, and put one hand on his head. When he looked up, he saw nothing but conviction. "I promise you that."

For the first time in months, Absol got a good night's sleep. He had allies, for one. As well as a way to achieve his goal.

Get stronger. Face the trials the human world put in front of him and conquer every last one. That way, when the time came to fight for the world's future…

He would be ready.