As the soft glow of teleportation faded, Rachel and Monika found themselves back in the warmth of their home. The familiar wooden walls of their ranch house, the scent of tinder lingering faintly in the air, and the distant sounds of Pokémon outside should have comforted the little girl. But as Monika stepped out of the light, something heavy settled in her chest.
She didn't say anything as she walked through the hallway. The adrenaline from earlier was wearing off, leaving her legs wobbly and her mind restless. She wasn't sure why, but she felt uneasy.
Maybe it was because of Primeape. Maybe it was because of the way Gardevoir had put it to sleep with just a wave of its hand. Maybe—
She entered the bathroom, turned on the light, and faced the mirror.
Her reflection stared back at her.
A perfectly normal image. Her big, tired eyes. Her messy dark hair. The tiny scrape on her cheek from when she had tripped at the Pokémon Center earlier.
It was normal. Everything was fine.
But then, deep inside, a memory clawed its way forward.
The gym. The mirrors. The moment when she had been staring at herself, just like now—except her reflection had changed.
It had twisted, shifted, morphed into a large man with an eyepatch. And then his hands, cold and brutal hands with dirty nails, had reached through and dragged her away.
Her breath hitched. Her hands clenched the edges of the sink. Her reflection was still normal. It was just her. But what if—
"Monika?"
She jumped.
Rachel had just stepped in, holding a toothbrush in one hand. She wasn't even looking at the mirror—she was looking straight at her daughter. Her expression was playful, but her eyes were sharp.
"Sweetie, are you okay?"
Monika quickly shook her head. "I'm fine."
Rachel didn't answer right away. Instead, she set her toothbrush down and knelt beside her daughter, gently tilting Monika's face toward her.
"You're pale," she murmured. "And you're shaking."
Monika wanted to be strong. She really did. She had been so proud of herself at the Pokémon Center, helping with Ampharos, running to get Gardevoir's Pokéball. But right now, in the dim bathroom light, with the mirror right in front of her—she didn't feel strong at all.
Rachel didn't push. She just waited, her warm hand resting on Monika's shoulder.
And finally, with a small, unsteady voice, Monika whispered, "What if they come back?"
Rachel's heart clenched as she instantly knew what was Monika talking about.
She pulled her daughter into a tight hug, rubbing her back slowly. "Oh, sweetheart."
Monika buried her face in her mother's nightie, holding on as Rachel rocked her slightly.
"They won't," Rachel said firmly. "They can't. We've made sure of it."
Monika sniffled. "How?"
Rachel pulled back just enough to look into her daughter's eyes. "Because we've locked them out."
Monika wiped at her nose. "How?" she asked again.
Rachel stood up and touched the mirror. "Do you remember how they used the mirror as portal?"
Monika nodded and shivered with a cold sweat.
"Well, the people from the royal court did research and sent us something special. There's a dark-type material that absorbs energy and prevents ghosts from creating a portal on reflective surfaces. And we applied it on all mirrors, windows and even one frying pan."
Monika blinked. "Like, what kind of material?"
Rachel smiled. "It's called Voidglass Dust. It's made from ground-up shards of Malamar's bioluminescent ink, mixed with Umbreon's shed fur and a few other ingredients. When it's layered onto a mirror or glass, it creates an invisible shield that blocks ghost Pokémon from using them as gateways. This stuff is not easy to get, but the royal guards were very helpful. They delivered it the next day after the gym."
Monika's eyes widened. "So... even if someone try to enter through the mirror, they can't come out?"
"Exactly," Rachel reassured her. "They'll just hit a wall. Like trying to walk through a door that isn't really there."
Monika hesitated. Then she turned back to the mirror. She reached out and pressed a finger against the surface.
It was solid.
Just a mirror.
She let out a small breath of relief.
"Believe me, please," Rachel added. "Nothing can come through."
"I see," a deeper voice added from the hallway.
Both Rachel and Monika turned.
Frank was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching them with quiet understanding.
"You're not the only one who's been worried about this, kiddo," he said as he stepped into the room. His voice was calm but firm, the kind of voice that carried weight without needing to be loud.
Monika sniffled and rubbed at her eyes. "So… it's really safe?"
Frank nodded. "This isn't just our house, Moni. It's our Pokémon's home too. And trust me, they don't take kindly to intruders."
He crouched down so he was at her eye level. "You know how many of them are always hanging around the house and out around yard?"
Monika nodded.
"They're not just wandering around for fun," he said. "They've marked this whole place with their energy. It's like… a protective bubble."
Monika tilted her head. "A bubble?"
Frank smiled. "Sort of. It's a special kind of territory marking. Starmie's and Girafarig's psychic aura creates something called a 'home dimension' that makes it really, really hard for outside forces—Pokémon or people—to teleport in. And Goofy - Houndstone's ghost energy strengthens it, making sure no one can slip through unnoticed. Even stronger attackers would have problem entering our home."
Rachel nodded. "And that's just a few of them. There are others, too. Mightyena patrols the yard at night. And Liepard is sleeping just outside your room. Beside that, there are other Pokémon from the Ranch, who are keeping eyes on intruders."
"Which ones?" Monika asked.
Rachel quickly looked at Frank, who nodded at her and then answered Monika's question.
"Where to begin. Oh, for example, Jerry's Corviknight manages a flock of night birds that keep watch from the sky. Or there's a group of Clefairy and Clefable from Kanto, which is very active in the night. Even Pokémon we don't always see, like Cofagrigus named Ramses whom your cousin Jake met, are helping to protect us."
Monika looked between them, absorbing everything they said.
"So… if anything tried to attack us here…"
"It wouldn't get far," Frank finished.
Monika let out a small breath. Then, for the first time since they got home, she smiled.
"Okay," she said. "That's cool."
Frank ruffled her hair. "That's very cool."
Rachel smiled as well. "Come on, let's finish getting ready for bed. It's late."
Monika finally turned back to the mirror, she no longer saw a reason to be afraid. It was just her reflection. Nothing else.
As she processed everything her parents had told her about the reinforced mirrors and the protective energy surrounding their home, a new question formed in her mind. She was now curled up next to Rachel on the couch, clutching a blanket, while Frank sat nearby, resting after the long evening. The glow of a small bedside lamp cast long shadows around the cozy living room.
She hesitated at first, but then she looked up at Frank. "Dad… do you think some Legendary Pokémon could be helping too?" Her voice was small, but filled with curiosity.
Frank chuckled, shaking his head. "I wish it were that easy, kiddo. But no, the ranch doesn't rely on some big, powerful, mythical Pokémon to protect it."
Monika frowned. "But why not? Wouldn't it be safer if we had, like… an Entei or a Zapdos guarding us?"
Rachel smirked at the thought. "That would be a sight. But no, our security comes from the Pokémon that belong to the people here. It's their home as well. And don't underestimate them. There are some incredibly strong ones watching over us."
Frank nodded. "Joe's Pokémon are some of the toughest around here. He's been training them for years, and they know every inch of this ranch. In the night, you can meet Braviary, Drednaw, Arbok or Pinsir. Although, on second thoughts, you probably don't want to meet them, maybe only Braviary."
"Yeah, they could easily mistake you for some food," Rachel snorted making Monika shiver.
"But they would just as easy mistake those hooded bastards for food, too," she then added, which made their daughter laugh.
"And then, there are the Pokémon that belonged to Joe's father, Tomas Lindenberg."
"Which one were his?" Monika asked with curious expression.
"For example, his Nidoking, Alex. You remember how Jake and your aunt met them the other day and Jake said that he could heard him talk. That's the one."
"Oh, I see." the girl nodded.
"And Pyroar, Maddy was his Pokémon as well, right?" this time Rachel was the one to ask.
"Exactly. Deena is granddaughter of Maddy, you know."
And all three of them looked at Pyroar who was napping in front of the fireplace. As the Pokémon heard her name, she stirred and opened one eye.
"Just keep sleeping, Deena," Rachel chuckled and the Pyroar closed her eye peacefully returning to snoring.
"So just Nidoking and Pyroar? Which other Pokémon belonged to Mr. Lindenberg's father?" Monika wondered.
"Oh, there were several more. Let me think... Falinks, Klawf, Beedrill. What else?" Frank was deep in thoughts.
"I think he had a Blaziken, right?" Rachel remarked.
"Yeah, that's true." Frank nodded, "also, he somehow got his hands on Armaldo, an extinct Pokémon."
"Extinct? Like Aerodactyl?" Monika frowned.
"Exactly!"
"Wow! And those are helping around the ranch, too?"
"No, since Tomas Lindenberg passed away, most of his Pokémon are out there staying in their natural habitats. But I think in case of need, they would answer Joe's call for help. And I also remember that they were quite fond of David, when we were younger and Tomas was still alive."
"What happened to him?" Monika asked.
"Well, one day after a brunch he lied down for a nap. And he never woke up. It was so unexpected as he was still full of ideas, full of energy, full of stories. And he was quite a talented musician as well. I remember that the morning before he died he had been playing his saxophone. He was... really a legend..." Frank turned silent as he recalled the former head of the Lindenberg Ranch.
"I didn't know him that well. But looking back, it is... it was... would be... a very peaceful and nice way to die," Rachel commented, her usual cheeky temperament turned serious and gloomy.
"Yeah. And his legacy continues through the Lindenbergs, all the way to your cousin Jake," Frank told his daughter.
"And Jakey always says that he's gonna be the best trainer," Monika giggled.
"Well, then he would have to train his future Pokémon to be at least as strong as his great-grandfather's are."
"And are they strong? Stronger than Jake's grandfather's team?"
"Hard to say as Joe's gang trains regularly, unlike that of his father. Even though they no longer have a trainer, I think some of those older Pokémon are even stronger than Joe's current team. These ancient creatures have been around a long time, and they have been through thousands of battles. When I was your age, there was several Pokémon tides, where wild Pokémon flooded the area and trainers had to rally with their Pokémon to face them. I wasn't allowed to participate and was usually far away from here. But after I returned, everybody was telling me how Tomas Lindenberg stood his ground and drove away waves of attackers."
Monika listened intently, her fear slowly being replaced by fascination. "So because the Lindenbergs own the Ranch, they need to have their Pokémon out for security? Or anyone else has their Pokémon helping out?"
"Well, young lady. There are many more families than just the Lindenbergs living here on the Ranch. And everyone is doing their best!" Rachel explained.
Frank leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "Well, let's start with the Ranch foremen. You know Angie, right?"
Monika nodded. "Of course, the redhead who likes chilling near the swamp!"
"That's the one. She specializes in Poison-types. She's got a Drapion that patrols the ranch at night. That thing can see in the dark, and it's got an incredible strength, speed and power. If someone—or something—tries sneaking in, Drapion will know about it before they even get close. And her other Pokémon are no slouches as well."
"Koffing!" Monika squealed.
"Exactly. It is swift, agile and incredibly strong. But it's one of her weaker Pokémon. Her Toxicroak or Muk are even stronger. Almost as strong as that Drapion."
Monika shuddered at the thought of Drapion's piercing eyes glowing in the dark. "So who else? What about Lenka?"
Rachel answered this time. "She focuses on Fairy-types. Her Sylveon is a tough one. It might not look as intimidating as Angie's Drapion, but trust me, it's ridiculously strong. It's one of the rarest eeveelutions and it guards the area around the houses and isn't afraid to chase away anything suspicious. Also Lenka was the one to bring the group of Clefairy here."
"Clefairy? Wow! And I think that she has a Primarina, right?" Monika guessed.
"Yes and that thing is a beast," Frank snorted, "Altought it looks weak and fragile which will confuse most of its opponents. But once Primarina starts to fight, there is no holding back. But Lenka has more Pokémon, for example a Whimsicott, or Cinccino."
"Mimikyu," Rachel added with a frown.
"Sometimes she brings it to Pokémon centre and to be honest I am little afraid of that Pokémon. It's creepy as fu... as fudge."
"Come on, Rachel. You're not afraid of Gyarados and you find a little Mimikyu spooky?"
"Yeah, because that crazy Mimikyu has several costumes."
"Costumes?" Monika frowned.
"Or veils." Rachel explained, "one for Pikachu like most of Mimikyus, but also another for Bellossom, Oshawott and Bidoof."
"That's... cool? I think?" Monika giggled.
Frank chuckled. "Okay, let's move on from Lenka and her scary little ghost. Another foreman is your grandpa Petr - my dad. You know he's been working here forever. He's not really enjoying the battles that much, but his Mudsdale is one of the strongest beasts around. I was told that during the Pokémon tides, it was able to stand its ground against tons of enemies."
Monika's eyes widened. "I know that Mudsdale. It is huge! I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of that. But grandpa usually just goes around with Rudolf the Wyrdeer."
"Exactly! That's his go-to Pokémon when he is fetching various Pokémon from all over the Ranch."
"But today he had his Boltund and Unfezant with us when we were hunting for Pokémon," Monika added.
Frank grinned. "Well, it's better to be safe than sorry."
"We were lucky, because Unfezant was able to chase away all the Beedrills that were after us!"
"Monika, watch out for those Beedrills. They are very dangerous," Rachel commented with serious tone.
"Mom!" Monika frowned for a second and then she started giggling.
But Frank did not let them interrupt him.
"Then there's Jerry. You remember him, the guy who looks like a lumberjack?"
"But he's in wheelchair now, right?" Monika raised one eyebrow.
"Yeah, that's him. He got hurt in a Sleeper attack a few weeks ago, but that didn't stop him from training his Pokémon. His Hariyama is like a personal bodyguard. It's ridiculously strong—one punch from that thing could send a truck flying."
Monika let out a small gasp. "That's kinda scary…"
Rachel smiled reassuringly. "It's only scary if you're on the wrong side. But it's a gentle Pokémon most of the time. It just doesn't like anything—or anyone—that threatens the ranch."
"By the way, the Corviknight who is patrolling the grounds. It belongs to him as well! And he is also training few weaker Pokémon. I think Corsola, and Sentret."
"And Manetric." Rachel added.
Monika shifted under her blanket, thinking about everything they had just told her. "But… that's just a few people. The ranch is huge. What if something happens somewhere else?"
Frank grinned. "That's where the senior trainers come in. There are a lot of skilled experts working here, and they all have Pokémon assigned to keep watch over different areas."
"Yes, and most of them also are breeders and expert on various Pokémon types," Rachel added.
Monika tilted her head. "Like who?"
Frank leaned back and started listing names. "There's Marek. He used to train at a town gym before he moved here. That's why he is good with ground types. His Krookodile, Diggersby and Golem patrol the southern perimeter. That things can feel any movement in the ground from miles away."
Rachel nodded. "And then there's Ivana. The old lady who is very good at teaching the young trainers who come here from all over the world. She specializes in Flying-types. Her Fearow, Drifblim and Vespiquen are always in the air, you can see it almost everyday flying above the ranch. Sometimes she is out there flying with them in her balloon. Altough when she was younger, she was flying directly on her Pokémon!"
Frank continued. "Radek is in charge of some of the more dangerous areas, where the ranch meets the wild forest. He's an expert on Steel-types. His Metagross is ridiculously strong. It can sense disturbances with its psychic abilities and despite its big and heavy body, it's really quick. And if that is not enough, he has back-up like Perrserker, and Sandslash."
"Can you keep a secret?" Rachel winked at her daughter.
"What do you mean?"
"This guy, Radek, he also has a Duraludon. A super-rare dragon and steel type. He caught it recently and he trains it in secret. Also he doesn't allow anyone but me to treat it."
"Wow!"
"Wow, indeed. I did not know that, too," Frank whistled with surprise.
"So you keep it secret, too!" Rachel elbowed her husband.
"Ouch," he protested while their daughter began to laugh.
Rachel smirked. "But Radek is not the only one with rare Pokémon. For example, Hana. She works with the water-types and protects the Pokémon in the ponds. She has Floatzel, Simipour, or Bibarel. But it's her Swampert that stays out there all the time. No one's getting past it. And the rare one - an Omastar, another extinct Pokémon."
"But... aren't all those Pokémon you mentioned - Fearow, Diggersby, Swampert, Perrserker, Simipour, Sylveon - aren't they more active during the day?" Monika wondered with a sceptical frown.
"They would sleep in the night and no one would stop any intruders!"
"Well, there's a smart solution to your question," Frank laughed. "You see, there are lot of trainers, who left their Pokémon here for us to take care of while they are travelling. And some of those Pokémon are Dark-types, which like to operate at night."
"Dark-type - like with the stuff you put on the mirrors?"
"Exactly!" Rachel grinned at her daughter.
"But listen, the Ranch has people to watch over those Pokémon. The man in charge, Brandon, is expert on Dark-types. He knows most of Dark-types and Ghost-types of all the trainers and he gives them various tasks to do at night. And let's not forget: he's a very good trainer himself, too!"
"What Pokémon does he have?" Monika wondered.
"Usually, you can see him with his Thievel. But that's not his ace. He's got a very powerful Grimmsnarl and even stronger Raticate. Alolan Raticate to be precise."
"Yeah, I know that the Raticate is ready to discipline any Pokémon which disobeys Bran's instruction. I usually have to treat them in the morning as Raticate is quick to bite them," Rachel added.
"Ouch," Monika cringed.
"Hey, and don't forget us," Frank chuckled, "My Boldore Dwayne and Ferrothorn Spikey are out there right now."
"And so is Slurpuff. Normally, Toxtricity would be, too. But it's too tired from fighting the Primeape," Rachel added.
"What about uncle David and aunt Eva?" Monika asked.
"They are helping as well. Eva has her Dustox out most of the nights. And her Durant is in charge of a large group of other Durants, which are patrolling the north border of the ranch. And David has several Pokémon, who are helping. Scolipede, Samurott, or Electrode just to name a few."
Monika's mouth hung open. "Whoa… there are so many Pokémon protecting the ranch."
Frank ruffled her hair. "Exactly. And all of them are trained to keep us safe. So don't worry, kiddo. You're in good hands."
Monika smiled, finally starting to feel at ease. "Thanks, Dad. Thanks, Mom."
Rachel kissed the top of her head. "Anytime, sweetheart. Now, you should get some rest. You've had a long night."
Monika nodded and stretched, finally a little calmer. She was biting her cheek, still thinking about everything her parents had told her. The idea of so many Pokémon constantly watching over their home made her feel much safer, but a new thought popped into her head.