Chapter 89:

Lazy Afternoons

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"Okay, hold still for a second." I pointed the Pokédex at the small Zorua.

To my surprise she actually complied.

The red light scanned Project Z and the screen on my Pokédex flashed white. A detailed description of Project Z's moveset and weight appeared. Strangely enough, some details were marked as "unidentifiable", probably because she was a custom-made Pokémon. For example, the Pokédex couldn't register her ability which should be Transform if I were correct. It did however know that Project Z was a Dark-type. Not the most useful information.

"Okay, now could you please transform into a Pidgey?"

"Yes sir!" Project Z exclaimed dramatically before turning into a white glowing orb.

I scanned Project Z again, now in Pidgey form. Strangely the Pokédex gave me the same results and insisted that the creature in front of me was a Zorua.

"Well, this is weird."

"What's so weird?" Project Z turned back and hopped over to me.

I showed her the analysis the Pokédex made.

"I don't see it." She shook her head.

"Well, your stats didn't change after you changed forms which, if you were to be a genetic copy you should get different results." I tried to explain.

"Oh, that." Project Z rolled her eyes, "that is becaus-"

"That is because her Aura doesn't change," Fay said to no one in particular.

"Say that again?" I turned around to look at Fay.

"Say what?" She looked up from the chessboard.

"What did you say about Aura?" I raised an eyebrow. Project Z's ears perked up.

"Eh, uhm. Well, I noticed that her Aura doesn't change with her form." Fay said slowly, "Maybe that's because her Aura is in her heart."

"Mmm, wait," I opened my backpack and took out a notebook. I flipped through all the pages, trying to find my own theories regarding Pokémon.

"Fay, what if a Pokémon's power comes from their Aura?"

{Wasn't that already established?} Luna didn't bother to look up from the game of chess with Fay.

"No, I mean what if the physical body of a Pokémon is nothing more than a vessel. A genetic machine but the Aura is the source that makes it special; the fuel that allows the body to bend the laws of physics?"

I might have started to yell in my excitement. Luckily the few people left in the park didn't seem to care.

"Well," Fay looked a little bit lost, "My mom always says that a Pokémon's power comes from their heart."

"Oh wow," Project Z interrupted, her voice drained with fake awe. "I bet your mom was a professor in pseudo science!"

"No," Fay scowled, "My mom was my mom."

Wow, Project Z's sarcasm wasn't very effective. It seemed that Fay genuinely thought the Zorua was making a joke. Cute.

Although, Fay's mom might have a point. Project Z, for example, doesn't gain any new abilities when she transforms. We tried but her move pool and health remain the same. I had her transform into a Charizard but when she did she could neither fly nor spit flames.

That doesn't make a lot of sense if she were to be a genetic copy.

Maybe a Pokémon's power truly does come from their heart, or more specific Aura.

Food for thought.

Fay's eyes drew back to the chessboard. "HEY! You teleported 2 pieces! The king was definitely more to the left."

{It's called Castling.} The Kirlia said with a sweet smile.

"That's not right!" Fay exclaimed loudly like Luna had wounded her pride. "The rook was all the way over there and now it's not."

{It's called Castling with extra steps!} Luna insisted.

"Dust, Luna is cheating!" Fay called out.

{You have conclusive evidence?} Luna challenged Fay.

"I wouldn't take that from her." Project Z had moved from her previous spot and was whispering into Fay's ear. "You're not gonna let her get away with that right?"

I rolled my eyes. A deep part of me however was glad this minor issue was my biggest problem at the moment.

The sky was colored a beautiful orange and the sun was close to the horizon. Most people at the park were minding their own business. It was almost surreal to realize that only 24 hours had passed since I was here. So much had happened, yet here I was. One more Pokémon by my side this time but besides that, it was as if nothing had happened.

It felt weird.

"I demand you take the pieces back to their original position!" Fay narrowed her eyes at Luna.

I smiled and decided to intervene. "Project Z, stop trying to provoke Fay. Fay, in a fight cheating is a viable option both for you and your opponent. Luna, stop cheating. She is your friend and cheating is just not cool."

{Fine.} Luna muttered with a defeated sigh. Multiple white pieces rearranged themselves on the board without Luna even touching them.

Project Z strolled back to me. "So, who would win; Luna or Fay?"

"Luna would most likely win, but if Fay got emotional enough she might get the upper hand," I replied without even hesitating.

"Now back to research."

"What, you're a scientist now?" Project Z scowled.

"Nah, I just like to know shiz, besides, figuring out what you can and can't do might save our lives in the future."

"You remind me of her." Project Z suddenly said. "It's almost uncanny/"

"Who's her?"

The Zorua didn't immediately answer. It sounded like this person was important. Not sure if being 'similar' to 'her' was good news or bad news.

"I knew someone who was just like you," Project Z's eyes darkened. "Curious but also very paranoid."

Behind me, I could hear Fay faintly mutter. '”Bet he's now going to say; 'it's not paranoia when someone is after you.'"

Luna snickered.

I stayed silent. Traitors.

Whatever Project Z was about to say was cut off. Like an illusion shattering, the tension dissipated and Project Z smiled again.

"Anyway, we were talking about my potential?"

I felt like I should probably ask more about this 'her' person but Project Z's attitude seemed to have done a 180. It sounded like something she wanted to talk about. I however didn't have the guts to approach such a sensitive subject.

"Well," I raised the Pokédex again, "According to the Pokédex you possess the moves Night Daze, Scratch and Bite."

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That was...well weird. Just like her genes, Project Z's move pool was a mess. According to Pokédex lady Project Z shouldn't even be able to use Bite.

It would require some work to figure out a viable fighting style for Z.

"Of course you also have your own gimmick of transforming."

Zorua nodded thoughtfully. "So will I be a valuable member of the team?"

"Depends," I said with a serious expression. "Can you cook?"

Project Z stuck her tongue out at me.

I laughed out loud. Not being able to keep my face straight. It wasn't long before Project Z joined in.

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The golden sky above us almost seemed to glow.

We were sitting on a wooden bench that was strategically placed so it overlooked the lower parts of Floaroma Town. It was a beautiful sight since there weren't any skyscrapers or high buildings that blocked the view. There wasn't much I could say about Floaroma Town besides it being a colorful town with even more colorful flowers planted everywhere.

In the distance, I could see the vague shape of Eterna City. Far away yet still close to us. Somewhat North, further away than Eterna City beyond the orange sky was Alamos Town.

The place where Dialga and Palkia were waiting for me.

However, all of that would have to wait because we had something even more important on our hands.

"Oh, this feels so good," Project Z moaned, "Thank you so much for giving this to me."

"Stop making this sound so weird." I groaned. I took a bite of my own ice cream.

This time they were shaped like a blue Magikarp instead of a Pikachu. Not sure why.

"Seriously though, how can frozen water taste so good?" The Zorua took another bite. Her canines were digging into the ice. But she didn't seem to suffer from it. It hurts to look at it.

"It tastes like sugar," Project Z remarked, "but also like salt? Weird combination but I dig it."

"Because it is ice cream," Fay said. "It's made of stuff with more stuff."

{Tasty.} Was all Luna could muster for a response. It was a marvel to see how Luna had fallen in love with her treat. Not that it didn't taste super good.

Not sure what made the food in this world so different from mine. There were still the basic flavors but somehow food here seemed richer and deeper in taste. I bet something microwaved in this universe could make Gordon Ramsay cry in joy.

Or maybe it was just my imagination.

"So," Fay had finished hers first. I'd like to think it was because of her typing. "Is this going to be a tradition? Eating ice cream and looking at the sunset?"

"It should be," Project Z insisted.

{Agreed.} Luna shared her opinion.

"No," I suddenly said.

"What, why not?" Fay looked hurt.

"Because this is something special," I quickly said. I pointed the half-eaten ice cream at the descending sun like it was a sword.

"Is it a special ice cream?" Fay halfheartedly guessed.

I shook my head, realizing they missed the point, "I mean, this moment we are sharing together. You don't realize how special this is."

I stared at the sun rays that slipped past the edges of my ice, "We made it out alive, we have a new team member. We are all together. That is something very special."

Maybe I was feeling a bit emotional but I felt that I had to share these words.

"Days like these should be kept special right? Otherwise, none of them would be memorable. I suggest we do this again when we have something to celebrate.

"Sure, if it means more food I'm in." Project Z smiled.

"It does sound rather nice," Fay thoughtfully said, "A special moment for us."

{Yeah.} Luna's reply was short but she added a big-eyed nod which was really cute.

I grinned, "Well, that's a promise."

With those inspiring words, I tossed the wooden stick into the trash bin.

The sun shone its last rays across the horizon and I was ready to watch it disappear completely when a loud yell suddenly interrupted the peace.

"Oh excuse me," A woman's voice came from behind,

I turned around.

The same woman I had seen yesterday stood there. The one that got rid of the random Swallow that showed up.

"Oh hi." I greeted her.

She wore a green sundress today with a straw hat that tied her long blonde hair.

Behind her legs were two smaller beings hiding, pretending that the woman's legs could hide them.

It was the smaller kid who's name I forgot and that little beetroot with legs; Steenee.

"Your name was Dusk right?" She tilted her head.

"Eh close enough. Your name was?"

"I'm Lisa," The woman named Lisa introduced herself. "This is Mark, say hi Mark."

"Hi Mark." The small child copied with an excited tone.

"Sup." I greeted the child.

"And this is Melon." The woman pointed at the Steenee that was in turn hiding behind the child.

"Steenee."

I waited for Lisa to tell me it was a joke, that the Steenee wasn't actually named Melon but in the end, I could only conclude it was a real name.

Weird shit.

Steenee seemed to like it though.

"Uh, interesting name. So, you want to sit here?"

"Oh, no! It's not that." Lisa reassured me. "Actually, I had a small question."

I knitted my eyebrows, wondering what this no longer stranger could want from me.

"It's just that Mark here," she pointed at the little child, "would like to pet your Zorua."

"Eh?"

I blinked. "Say what?"

Lisa smiled and pointed at Mark to talk.

"Please?" Mark put on big eyes.

I raised an eyebrow at Project Z. I didn't consider her cute per se, maybe that's because I know her personality. Also, I hadn't really had the time to admire her cuteness, something with a crazy Froslass chasing us.

I took a good look at Project Z.

She looked really fluffy. That's all I could really say about it. Her dark-gray fur wasn't shiny but had a bit of a dull color. Still, now I was looking at her. I really wanted to hug her but people were watching.

Another odd thing I noted was Project Z's eye color, which wasn't blue like they should be. They instead were red.

"You want to be petted?" I asked.

I expected Project Z to protest but to my surprise, she actually seemed to consider it.

"Ah sure, gotta keep the small ones happy." Project Z said.

Lisa's eyes widened and a small gasp escaped her lips. "She talks."

"Yeah, the trick is to stop her from doing that." I grinned back.

Project Z jumped off the bench and carefully approached the little one. Steenee trailed after the child, again looking scared as hell but still curious.

Mark knelt down and patted Project Z, not even caring that it could talk.

"Thank you," Lisa said. "It really is a pain to calm him down after he gets excited."

"No problem." I looked at Project Z, still expecting her to violently lash out but nope, she behaved like an angel. "Glad to help."

Luna’s eyes focused on Zorua and the kid, studying them intensely. {Hmm, she seemed to genuinely enjoy the interactions with the young human.}

"So...what is Zorua's name?" Lisa asked. "If I remember correctly that one is named Fay and the other one Luna."

Great, my name was the only one she got wrong.

"The Zorua's name is p…" I started but swallowed the last part of the sentence.

"P?" Lisa frowned. "Who names their Pokémon P?"

First off, she had no right to complain about such things. Second, I actually wanted to say Project Z but then remembered that such a name would be very suspicious.

"Sorry, got distracted, her name is," I racked my brains for an alibi. Not sure why I was so stressed all of the sudden. "Uhm, Midna. Yup, that's her name."

Fay scowled at me but didn't say anything.

"Midna?" Lisa said skeptically.

"Yup," I said. I glanced past Lisa to see if Project Z had heard it. She did. For a short second her gaze was murderous. Then it turned back to being cheery because you know, kids.

I decided to double down.

"Yeah, she is new but her name is Midna, pretty fitting name don't you think."

{She doesn't seem to like it.} Luna shared with an amused chuckle.

Lisa clapped her hands together, "That's an adorable name!"

Sure, and a very original name as well. Luckily they had nothing like the Legend of Zelda here.

Fay quietly chuckled at Project Z's subtle mock anger glances she was trying to shoot.

Behind us, the sun disappeared behind the horizon and I felt the temperature drop all of the sudden.

A rather cool wind brushed past my arm and caused me to shiver.

"Mark, the sun's down. You know what this means." Lisa called out to Mark.

"Buuuttt moooom!" Mark tried.

"Steeeneee!" The beetroot Pokémon copied.

"Nope." Lisa folded her arms.

A sly grin appeared on Project Z's face.

"Buuuttt Dussst."

"No."

Seeing this scene unfold in front of me made me glad I didn't have parents who could send me to bed. Then I remembered I actually had them but...well switching universes.

"Maybe you can see Midna tomorrow again," Lisa suggested, giving me a backwards glance.

I didn't have any concrete plans for tomorrow so I shrugged. Still had to get some stuff before I would continue my journey. Might as well make this kid's day.

"Actually," I said, an idea forming in my mind. "Lisa, you're a Pokémon trainer as well."

"I retired." The blonde woman answered with a faint smile. "Why?"

I shared a look with Project Z. She answered with a shrug.

"I was actually hoping you wanted to battle me. Midna is new and I kind of want to get some practice done before facing the Eterna Gym."

Lisa seemed to ponder that question for a second. Then with a sigh, she smiled. "You know what, sure kiddo. I'll humor you."

"Great," I smiled. Glad to have found a low-level trainer to practice against.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow here, how about 4 in the afternoon?" Lisa offered.

"Sure, works for me," I said.

"Mark, say goodbye to Dusk."

"BYE Dust! Bye Zorua!"

"Steenee!"

The duo, no, trio left the park, the kid excitedly waving back at the Zorua.

When they were finally out of earshot Project Z turned to look at me, her red eyes thunderous.

"So, Midna, eh?"