"So you still haven't told me exactly which Pokemon you're after here, David." Mae said through a cloth mask. The air here was borderline toxic, so we came prepared with the appropriate clothing. Aside from masks we also wore goggles and pants that we would get rid of the moment we exited the place.
There was a severe accident that happened to one of the generators in the past, causing leakages and spilling of chemicals and toxic waste. The north part of the Virbank Complex was still hale and healthy, industrial work still being done there, but the further you went in, the more abandoned buildings and Pokemon you would see. The tall grass that grew around the buildings and the special environment it created was now a hotbed for all sorts of different Pokemon. Especially Poison-type Pokemon. We would be meeting a lot more of those the further we went.
"I really appreciate you having Fantasia out, Mae. Gives me peace of mind." Fantasia, a rather snooty Delphox, didn't spare me a glance, still on the lookout for any threats she could sense.
The wild Pokemon here weren't exactly shy about who this territory belonged to. Grimer and Muk were out in the open, pretending to ignore us. Skorupi and Stunky scurrying around in the tall grass promised greater threats further in. A really foul-smelling Garbador had insisted we walk around him. And just earlier, a small pod of Weezing had tried to attack us out of nowhere. Fantasia batted them away with ease, but the surrounding Pokemon didn't get any more skittish, just more guarded.
To be honest, I wouldn't normally dare to venture this far into an area infested with this many high-leveled Poison-types, but there was one specific Pokemon I was looking for at the end of it.
See, if there was anything this giant miasma of Poison-type Pokemon was good for, it was a deterrent. At the south end of Virbank Complex the tall grass and abandoned buildings paved the way to a small forest next to the ocean. A wild area that you could only access going by water, or straight through Virbank. Naturally, not many trainers have dared either option. Tentacruel, Toxapex and even Dragalge are common sightings in the water, so it was far from safe, even if you ignored that the water was far from drinkable. So far we haven't even had to deal with the greatest threat that lurks somewhere in these buildings and I really hope it stays that way. Roxie's Toxtricity's might seem fun and entertaining, but the ones in the wild were far from.
So yes, I'm very thankful that Mae wanted to come along with me today. If I went in alone, I probably would have most likely died already. Usually I wouldn't resort to using Mae as a skip-ahead button, but Jack basically forced my hand.
If he can get his hands on a Riolu and a Fire Stone just like that, then I will be taking similar measures. Screw fair or unfair, I'm heading to the top and no one's going to stop me.
"Seriously, just tell me what you're after already."
"If I tell you, you're gonna try and stop me."
"Yeah, that makes me feel so much better about this."
Mae herself was also keeping an eye on the surroundings. She didn't want to start anything, so she had only Fantasia out. But one Pokemon, no matter how strong, wouldn't be good enough against the horde we'd be facing if this went south. Her hands were on her belt, the balls held as if a trigger on a gun.
"I'll tell you that it has the potential to pack a real punch, and that it's final evolution isn't really that known for being friendly." She grimaced.
We had passed from tall grass into straight forest now. Despite the sun having come up for about an hour already, the forest was still very dark. Our visibility was lessened, but at the same time, exactly what I had hoped for occurred.
We stopped seeing Poison-type Pokemon the further we went in. Instead, Psychic and the occasional Dark-type Pokemon appeared. Seeing a Liepard and a brood of Mandibuzz pass by prompted Mae to also release Sasha for insurance.
The Sylveon bared her teeth at the Shiftry that was intently watching us behind a large tree.
What was more encouraging for me were the Solosis and Duosion floating around. They didn't really pose a threat, more concerned with just existing rather than fighting. More Psychic-type Pokemon started filling the spaces around us. A lone Lunatone passed right overhead and a Dottler had buried itself in the ground just off the path we were taking. I could see a family of Gothita headed by a Gothitelle much farther off, well enough away from us. Likely on purpose. We were getting closer.
"I gotta say, despite being in quite a bit of probable danger, I'm really enjoying this trip so far." I hadn't seen this many Wild Pokemon in one place since ever. I come from Orre after all. You'd be lucky to see Wild Pokemon more than once a day, if that.
"You're a little crazy, you know that, David?" She lightly shoved my shoulder.
"Hey. You agreed to come along. I didn't force you."
"Right. All my fault. So, you're looking for a Psychic-type then? Why not just go with an Abra or Ralts or something? You could find a decent price from a breeder for both of them."
Yeah no. "For one, I'm not looking to spend that kind of money this early on. I need a little bit to fall back on if something happens. Second, those two are already done to death. Their strategies are predictable and their counters well known." I counted it. Last Conference, there were over 34 teams with those Pokemon on them. Sometimes they had both! Although those were mostly Psychic Pokemon Experts, it's still a heck of a lot.
I can see why they're popular. They're easy to train (for Psychic types anyway) and breed easily (again, for Psychic types) so they're even common as household pets and similar. Their evolved forms are also intelligent, capable of telepathy, and powerful. All very useful traits.
But that's not what I'm looking for. I want something with a little more bulk on it and a tad more output, even if it's a lot less social.
"Ah. This is the spot." After about twenty or so minutes, The Dark-Type Pokemon had begun to filter out. There was still the occasional Duosion or Natu, but nothing that would cause a ruckus. Nothing that would be a threat to the tranquility of the forest.
I sat down on the grass, making myself comfortable and closed my eyes for meditation. Mae, catching on to what I was doing, took a few steps back and had her Pokemon do the same.
Even though we technically weren't psychics by the letter of the definition and certainly not by law, we still had some abilities as a family.
Dad made sure that we were all psychically trained under the watchful eye of his Espeon. He didn't take no for an answer in this particular area, and the training itself was far from pleasant. Even though it opened my eyes up to a new realm of being, if I had to do it all over again, I might choose not to.
Like I said, we weren't psychics. The process of attuning ourselves was more than a little painful and the direct benefits were miniscule. We didn't gain telepathy or psychokinesis, or anything cool like that.
What we gained was the base level of psychic power. Sensing and projecting. We could sense other psychic forces and beings and we could project our mental state onto them. That was it.
Unless you specialized in Psychic-Types or you were paranoid of mental attacks it wasn't that useful. Brainwashing and suggestion weren't all that common, since they were pretty hard to do without prolonged and intense exposure. Only the most powerful Psychics (read, Legendaries) could do passive mind control, so if you were on guard you were most likely safe anyway.
That didn't stop dad from forcing us into the training however.
So.
Might as well put it to good use.
The first step was focus. To project the specific emotion I wanted I needed precision. Too aggressive and they attack. Too tame, and they'll ignore me, or might attack anyway.
What I was looking for was very sensitive to emotions and feelings. If they decided I was a threat, they would kill me, no questions asked. What I was projecting was awfully close to prompting that response, so I had to be careful.
What I was manifesting was battle lust. Not towards anyone in particular, not geared towards targeting anything or anyone, but the sheer drive to grow stronger and win.
It was easy for me to produce that much. It was on my mind constantly, so no real effort was involved in doing that. Now I have to refine it.
I want to win, but I need someone on my side to do that with. A partner, a confidante, an ally. Not a weapon or an asset, but someone that shares the same goal as me.
With that thought in mind, I started projecting. I opened my eyes.
I want someone with the drive to grow stronger with me. Stronger than anyone that came before.
As soon as the thought left my mind and entered the psychic realm I could feel Mae and Fantasia catch on to it. The Xatu that was watching us in the tree immediately took off and left. That one obviously wouldn't do.
The hardest part now, besides keeping the thought humble enough to stay alive, would be keeping it going for a long period of time.
I stopped training my Psychic powers as soon as it wasn't really necessary anymore, meaning I hadn't seriously used it for quite a few years. My endurance was all over the place.
Three minutes passed. A curious Musharna came and went, understanding that the message wasn't for them. A psychically attuned Audino also took notice of us from far away, though she left quickly too. At this point, anything that would be able to sense the (relatively) weak prompt would only be the Pokemon I was looking for. Everyone else had already left out of my sphere of radiation.
Sure enough, just before I decided to take a small break, something came through the thick expanse of trees to check us out.
It probably wouldn't come up all the way to my legs if I stood up. It had a giant blue blob of cone-shaped hair framing a small face. Its eyes sparkled, even in the darkness of the forest. It suggested cheer, but I knew better. Its small pink body was held aloft by two ponytails at the end of its hair. It wasn't using its legs so much as its power to move around. I doubted it used its legs for much at all.
The Hattrem came closer and closer to me, before eventually stopping before my legs. It looked me in the eye for a few seconds and then left again. Back where it came from.
Some would consider that a disappointment, but for me it was confirmation that they were indeed listening. After that, two more Hattrem, together this time, came and did the exact same thing before leaving.
Two more minutes passed before I considered another break. I was starting to sweat and I could feel a headache coming on, so any longer and I would probably have to rest anyway.
Again, just before I gave out another body passed through the trees. It wasn't small this time. This one was very much taller than me.
A Hatterene looked down on me, its expression serious. Sasha drew closer a little bit and growled. I, slowly, lifted a hand to her to calm her down. This one wouldn't harm me. Yet.
Something about it was different than any common Hatterene. This one was a leader, or perhaps a parent. It was used to looking down on people. Whether I could tell that by it doing the same to me or through some psychic link I wouldn't be able to tell you.
Regardless, it meant business. It was here for a reason, but it wasn't to kill me. It could. Very easily. Just one swipe of its tentacle hair or one burst of energy would be enough. But it refrained, even as I quietly projected battle lust in the air.
After the longest twenty seconds of my life thus far it also eventually headed back. I watched it go.
I dropped my projection. They know where I am now. If there was anyone willing to come, they would be doing so.
I waited.
Surely, something would come. The last two times, just as I was about to stop they came. This time I'm just going to stay until they come regardless.
And so I stayed there. Ten minutes passed and eventually Mae just decided to take a seat next to me. Her Pokemon, while not lowering their guard, made themselves a little more comfortable.
I waited some more. The sun was most definitely up by now, but the forest was still shrouded in darkness. I wondered if that was an effect made by the Pokemon that resided here. The trees were close, but the leaves weren't packed together enough to block this much sunlight.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes again, readying for another projection. Maybe they got lost or something? Went around the wrong bend.
But nope. Just as I predicted, another pink creature came through the trees. It was much smaller than the former.
Its hair, while bigger than the rest of its body, was short and not as done up as the others. It had a sort of party hat on, holding the rest of its hair in place. Even then, its eyes were obscured by its bangs.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
A lone Hatenna came and waddled over to be in front of me and I instantly knew she was perfect for me.
See, so far I have done my best to pick my Pokemon exactly the opposite of what's common for their species. I didn't just want the strongest or the fastest. I wanted the mavericks. The ones who did things differently. Ones who had higher aspirations than the rest of their group and weren't satisfied with how things normally went.
Styx came from a litter of Eevee's. Most of them were skittish and simple-minded. They make quick decisions, usually to run the other way. Not Styx. She faced the newcomer head on and started evaluating it before doing anything about them. She was deliberate and steadfast. A stand-out among all other Eevee's.
Razor was the same. The natural instinct in Starly's is to group together and run whenever something comes so much as in the same direction as you. Flying out of range and towards a group is a much safer option as a common prey bird than attacking anything head on alone is. Yet that's exactly what he did. He wanted to not only fight, but put whoever tried to challenge it in its place.
Hatenna are also creatures that are prone to fleeing whenever they sense something. Any notion of a harsh emotion, a turbulent mind, or an insidious thought and they're usually gone by the time you could even see them.
Not this one. This one came to me. Came to me when I said it would face all of that and worse.
"You're the one, huh?" I asked her quietly. She squared up. "I understand. Let's do it."
I took my distance, Mae and her Pokemon watching us steadily. I released Styx from her Pokeball and faced my opponent.
"Start whenever you're ready."
And off she went. Her first move was Confusion, and I didn't need to tell Styx to dodge it when she did. She narrowly avoided the psychic disturbance in the air. You couldn't necessarily see it, but you didn't have to be psychically attuned to be able to feel it. It ruptured the space between the power violently. Not a fun move to get caught up in.
"Tackle." Styx ran headfirst at the Hatenna, not giving her any quarter whatsoever.
The opposing Hatenna didn't let up either. Another Confusion formed in a matter of seconds forced Styx backwards. An incredibly quick response time.
Styx stumbled as she flew back. This one had quite some power behind it. Good.
If we can't get in close we'll have to beat it at its own game. "Swift."
The stars formed more securely than they would have four days ago. Although their aim was still suspect, there was enough distance crossed that it didn't really matter. Enough of them hit the Hatenna for it to be distracted.
"Next, use Quick Attack." The attack connected, and with a confident burst of Normal-Type energy the Hatenna crashed into a nearby tree. That one didn't look pretty.
You have more to show me. What else can you do?
I waited for it to get up, a defiant expression on the half of its face I could see. "Haaaaaaaaa~" It didn't quite shout. I don't think their line was capable of such, but it might as well have been, with all the intent behind it.
Drops of glowing water suddenly poured out from above her. Once they made contact with skin, the bruise from the Quick Attack started fading rapidly.
"Styx, use Swift again."
More stars came out, their accuracy a bit better this time. Mid-heal, the Hatenna pulled herself together and launched a wave of Fairy-Type attack into the air, dispersing all the stars heading for it into fine dust. After they were all gone, she went back to healing.
A Disarming Voice while using Life Dew? She can switch between two completely different non-STAB moves with no prior training? Now that's more like it.
"Quick Attack. One more time." Styx revved up for another shot. There was no escaping for her. She had just finished healing.
Another Confusion headed Styx's way. "Side! Quick Attack again!" It was hard, moving from such a high-speed attack straight into a roll in a different direction, but Styx managed to pull it off in magnificent fashion, and I couldn't help a proud smile. She had come so far so ridiculously quickly.
The Quick Attack hit, Styx forcing the Hatenna into the tree. "Back and then use Tackle!" Time for the coup d'etat!
One more time to hammer it home, Styx reared back and fused Normal-Type energy with her body, coming to lay another smackdown. Just before it could, Hatenna again launched a Confusion, but it wasn't enough to deter Styx, taking the damage and getting the hit in at the same time.
The Hatenna lay limp against the tree. The fight was over.
I didn't bother throwing a Pokeball at her prone form, instead walking over and squatting down to tick the ball gently at her head. The light took her in and enveloped her. She was caught with no resistance.
I got up from my crouch but something towering stood in my way.
The Hatterene from earlier stared imperiously down at me, its gaze much more intense than before. Mae and her Pokemon came running but I sent a psychic needle of intent to stop them before they could do anything.
Don't!
The Hatterene completely ignored the psychic shenanigans, not wavering from its gaze in the slightest. Did she not hear me? If it wasn't that, I really didn't know what she was looking for in me, and I couldn't tell if she was any closer to finding it, but she just kept staring.
I didn't avert my eyes either. Something deep in my bones told me I would die if I looked away and somehow it wasn't the fear talking. It was my desire. I wanted to stand up and stare challenges in the face. And so I did.
I stood up to my full, measly 160cm height and the Hatterene let me. I nodded at it.
Within the blink of an eye, a strong psychic force entered the air like an anvil dropping to the seafloor and I almost buckled under the weight. I couldn't decipher any specific words in any language, but I knew enough of the intent to understand her.
Do not disappoint.
And:
Come back soon.
With another blink of the eye, she was gone and it felt like the world reset again.
The forest appeared less dark now. Whether that was because the sun had come up even further or the Hatterene had done something earlier to darken it was a moot point.
We didn't speak for a bit. Calmly, I petted Styx on the head for a job well done and returned her.
"You were right, David. If I had known you would try and stare down a Hatterene in the middle of nowhere with two baby Pokemon for backup I definitely would have stopped you." Mae glared at me.
"Well, it's good that you're here then, isn't it?" I smiled back, hoping that would do something.
"You owe me. I haven't had a scare like that in a loooong time." She shoved my shoulder and turned to walk back the way we came.
"Of course. Couldn't have done this without you. Thanks Mae." I tried my best cute-little-brother appreciation smile this time, putting in super effort.
She turned her head away from me, her ridiculously colored hat over her features. It worked. "No problem. Now let's get back already."
The return trip was peaceful compared to all the tension it brought. The surrounding Pokemon were aware of us now. We weren't a surprise, so we passed through normally, even if that Arceus damned Shiftry was still following us with its eyes. You're not being subtle, pal. Seriously. Back off.
"Say, why do you think dad trained us to be able to sense psychic forces?" Mae pondered.
It was a good question. One I didn't really have a comprehensive answer for. He never actually told us why we had to sit through it. And we certainly asked, between all the throbbing migraines and the weeks of sleep we missed he never gave us an answer. "The way I used it just now might have something to do with it." I replied.
I had communicated with her without having to open my mouth and she received it. Non-verbal communication was easy to do. Hand signs, certain body motions, eye contact. All very useful. But I was in a situation where I couldn't use any of those.
Maybe, maybe he trained us for our own protection. To be able to signal each other for help if we ever needed it, or to be able to convey messages without anyone else knowing about it.
I tried it again, airing out the feeling I was experiencing right now but kept the message aimed at just her.
Uncertainty. Fear of the unknown.
The way she looked at me told me she received it. Fantasia next to her didn't seem to have picked up anything at all. "Yeah, that probably has something to do with it. But it's dad. There's always another layer to it."
She radiated something of her own as well.
Resentment. Grudging acceptance.
"Always another layer to it…"
I echoed her resentment and stopped there. I wouldn't accept anything from him at all. And I never would.
LINE(G*(UQ)JPIROSIJGKSNDJPOJP(R&GQ R)(J:GLXLDNFKBJWRLOJQ RP*Q_T(H
Later that day, after having done some resupplying and reorganizing I took stock of the situation.
The money I had on me after all of that was about 64,000 Pokedollars. Not bad, but not particularly great either. Pokeballs were about P4500 (another change from the games) for reference, so it really wasn't all that much.
I had gotten my standard issue Pokeballs, all five of them, when we left for the ship. Out of those five, I had used one on Razor, another on the Sawbuck, and another just now for the Hatenna, meaning I had two left.
That clearly wasn't enough so I bought another three and one extra Great Ball just in case.
I also made sure to stock up on potions and food. Thankfully none of my standard survival gear (lighter, knife, flashlight, rope, etc.) needed replacing yet so I managed to save costs on that.
The only other thing I spent my money on was extra Pokepuffs. Styx didn't take no for an answer on that one, even if I told her she wouldn't be getting any for the foreseeable future.
I rubbed her head as she rested on my lap in the room I had in the Pokemon Center. My allotted free time in the Center would soon be over, so I planned to make my way back over to Aspertia City today to challenge Cheren.
But there was one thing I had to do before that. I released Razor from his ball.
"Hey guys. I'm going to be introducing the new member of the team to you today. She's very sensitive to loud noises and strong emotions, so try not to freak her out too much."
I had already given her to a Nurse Joy a few hours prior and I had gotten her back with a complete bill of health, along with some other useful information my Pokedex didn't tell me.
Apparently, she wasn't just another Hatenna. She had an unusually high capacity for Psychic-Type Energy. The report didn't really include why, but the findings did spark a bit of curiosity and I was offered the option to sell my Hatenna to the League for research.
Naturally I rejected the offer. I already sort of knew this Hatenna would be special. I had been tracking their group for quite a bit. Ever since I knew I was going to be sent to Unova even. I just didn't have the means to be able to come and collect, until now.
Hatterene's evolution line wasn't native to Unova. They weren't even one of the migrant species that came to Unova more recently. It's literally just that group that resided here. Apparently they were pushed away from their own territory in Galar by a rival group of the Copperajah line and decided to sneak onto a cargo ship heading all the way west. By the time they were discovered they were already close enough to Unova that they booked it off the ship and managed to make it to land. Then, they set up just behind the Poison Types they could push back and used them as a natural wall. Eventually, other Psychic-types and even some opportunistic Dark-types settled around the new sanctuary, making another natural barrier.
This hadn't escaped the notice of the resident Rangers, but there weren't many who were willing to patrol the area routinely enough to check on their exact status. The ones that could, decided in the end they weren't a threat since they mostly kept to themselves and didn't bother pushing the Poison-Types any further than Virbank Complex.
Trainers naturally flocked to the place to see if they could take advantage of the sudden increase of new Pokemon in the area, but so far the Hatterene there have mostly remained elusive. Only a few sightings of them have been recorded over the past few months and no one has succeeded in catching a single one of them. Until now, that is.
I grinned to myself. The instant I heard about their story I already knew I wanted one. Something about the craftiness and intelligence to not only fool humans into taking so many large Pokemon onto a ship, but to then also recognize and use the power of so many Poison-Types as a natural deterrent? How could I resist?
The only thing getting in my way was that I wasn't nearly strong enough to get through the entire Virbank Complex and the forest unscathed, but Mae showed up and handily solved that problem for me.
Things were finally starting to pick up a bit. Now it was just a matter of keeping this momentum going.
"Get ready guys. I want you on your best behavior. She'll be a very important part of the team, so try to make a good first impression."
Styx got off my lap and nodded, already having technically met her. Razor also seemed to prepare himself, preening a little bit as if he was the one on display today. "Alright. Here goes."
I pressed the button on my newest inhabited Pokeball and it sprung open, the light inside coalescing on the floor in front of me.
Once it died down, the new Pokemon looked through its surroundings.
A beat passed and suddenly it started silently freaking out, retreating into itself and shaking like a leaf.
I closed my eyes.
Calm.
"I know you're dealing with a lot right now. You can feel them, can't you?"
All the people downstairs. The hurt, the excited, the sad, the distressed, the pleading, the angry.
"It's too much. Try to focus only on me and the sound of my voice."
The Hatenna shook in place, not used to the information overload it was experiencing. It had led its entire life in a comparatively silent environment. This would be entirely new for her.
"That's it. You're doing good. Keep going like that." Slowly, steadily, she recovered as she tuned everyone else out.
"That's amazing. Look at that. Only a few seconds response time. You're talented, aren't you?" I smiled at her.
I got a little hint of a smile back. "I'm David. These are Styx and Razor. They're my companions, just like you are." Razor puffed up his chest a bit, almost pushing himself off the ledge of the window he was perched on. Styx just watched. The Hatenna turned to each of them and stared, as if imprinting them in her memory.
She projected something onto me, hesitantly, as if unsure of how to go about it.
Greeting.
My smile grew wider. "Hello to you too." I reoriented myself. "Well, like I said, these are my companions, and as I think you already know, I'm aiming for the top. To do that, I'm going to need to get a lot stronger and beat a heck of a lot of others aiming to do the exact same thing. It'll be a mad scramble. Are you up for it?"
She flexed her hair at me. The first sign of confidence I had seen on her so far.
"That's good! With that in mind, I can't just keep calling you Hatenna, now can I?"
Her mouth formed an O. I had thought of the name for quite a bit already. Styx's name was based on what her reputation would eventually be. A path to the underworld, the same way her opponents would find a one-way to stop to decimation by her guidance. Razor's name implied the role and function he would play in battle. A razor blade to cut the opponent off at weak spots, coming at you in a way you don't expect it.
I wanted Hatenna's name to be a combination of those two intentions.
After a lot of deliberation I finally settled on something I felt comfortable with, and I felt it fitting. I was hoping she would think the same.
"How do you feel about the name Excess?"
----------------------------------------
…..On the outskirts of Black City…..
"Mae. You're back. How was Virbank?" Michael Gale, the Hero of Orre, made eye contact with his only daughter. One, two seconds, and his eyes reverted to the computer work he was dealing with on his desk.
Mae closed the door behind her, staring out of the single window displaying the vibrant metropolis just a little bit away. "It was alright. Not too clean, but the company was interesting."
"That's good. Did you hand in your report?"
She chose not to take the only other seat in the small office. Instead, she leaned on the door she had closed, looking around nonchalantly. There was a bed here in the office as well. Made, but used.
"The official one, yeah. Wanna hear the rest?"
"Yes."
"The Orre trainers came out spotless. A few of them were lying about what exactly they were doing on that day, but none resisted questioning. No leads came out of them. There was an incident that occured closer to Floccesy that I think you should know about. A lot of it is in the report as well, but I wanted to keep the details under wraps for now."
"And why is that?" He asked, as his fingers flew across his keyboard.
"Someone stirred up a giant Sawsbuck to go insane on Route 20. It almost invaded Floccesy but was stopped by a Ranger that came just in time. The people who witnessed the incident reported a man with a similar visual description to the attackers on the cruise."
"And the secret part?"
"The people who discovered them were a Nate White, Ash Ketchum, and David Gale." At the last name, Michael stopped typing for half a second, before he continued.
"Why do you feel the need to keep this secret?"
"Because one of them got injured in the attack."
"Go on." Mae paused a bit, as if she was holding off from saying something, or perhaps waiting for him to say something else.
"Nate White is one of Juniper's aids, and he's still in the hospital right now. But that's not all. The report also included that the man who stirred up the Sawsbuck used a very peculiar wireless device. The symptoms the Pokemon displayed were eerily similar."
"You think it could be—"
"It was too close of a description for me to be comfortable with it being public." Mae interrupted.
Michael took another brief glance at Mae, his hands still going on his keyboard. "I see. Please look into it further, when you can. I'll be assigning someone else to take over your part of the cruise ship investigation. If there's any hint of them even having an idea about the technology that implies, it could lead to major repercussions, starting from the inside out."
"I understand."
A period of silence passed. Mae thought seriously about leaving, even though she technically hadn't received any follow-up instructions yet. But there was one question she still wanted to ask. One she didn't feel like she had to.
"...A Fire Stone? Really?"
"Did it motivate him?"
"He stared down a Hatterene and took one of its offspring with him."
"Then it has already paid for itself."
At that point, Mae really did feel like leaving. She sighed.
"Whatever you say, dad."