| May POV |
"Seriously, what did you feed her?"
"I told you. Chili peppers."
Roxanne gives me the most skeptical look a Gym Leader has probably ever given anyone, ever. Her gym still has scorch marks, one of the walls is cracked, and I'm pretty sure part of the battlefield is still faintly smoking.
We're sitting on the arena's side steps, legs swinging, listening to the soft buzz of the staff cleaning up the aftermath of Torchic's… incident. I'm still half-convinced the league's going to ban her from ever learning Bulk Up.
Roxanne crosses her arms and lets out a soft, defeated sigh. "I honestly thought I'd be dealing with a standard Torchic today. Cute, pecky, maybe a little spicy. Not a flaming meteor in bird form."
"I didn't know she could do that either," I mutter, playing with a loose thread on my skirt. "It kind of sucks, though. I'm technically the trainer, but lately I feel more like… the narrator."
Roxanne hums. "You mean because your shiny Riolu is acting as an unlicensed battle coach, strategist, and motivational speaker?"
"And part-time therapist," I add dryly.
She chuckles. "Sounds like a good teammate to me. But I get it. It's hard, watching your Pokémon shine in ways that feel like they outgrow you."
"…Yeah."
Roxanne nudges me lightly with her elbow. "But don't sell yourself short. A good trainer isn't always loud or commanding. Sometimes it's about trust. Support. Letting your Pokémon fight their own battles while knowing you've got their back."
I blink at her. "…That was surprisingly heartfelt."
"I am a teacher, you know."
We sit in silence for a few seconds longer, until the gym doors slam open with all the grace of a Machamp on rollerblades.
"I'M HERE TO CHALLENGE THE—whoa."
Brendan skids to a halt, wide-eyed at the ruined battlefield. The cracked tiles. The soot. Roxanne's slightly frazzled hair. The lingering smell of regret and roasted geology.
"...Did I miss a Kaiju fight or something?"
Roxanne exhales sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Please don't suplex anything."
"…Was it the Riolu?"
We share a glance. Something ancient and traumatized passes between us.
"No," Roxanne mutters, rubbing her temples. "It was the Torchic. Are all your Pokémon like that?"
"Ralts only joined recently, so she shouldn't have learned anything from Rio yet." I pause, thinking. "Although… I did leave them alone together."
"Oh no."
"Yeah." I stand suddenly, brushing imaginary dust off my skirt. "Yeah, I should probably get back. Before he starts training her to throw rocks at people for 'XP.'"
Roxanne gives me a solemn nod. "May the gods help that Ralts."
Brendan: still standing in the doorway, still confused. "Uh—wait, what? I just got here!"
I'm already halfway out the door. "Good luck, Brendan!"
---
| Rio POV |
The hotel room is cool and quiet, the low hum of the AC the only sound as I push open the door with my shoulder. Torchic is draped over my head like a victory crown—singed, twitching slightly, but still proud.
She gives a half-hearted chirp before sliding off and flopping face-first into a pillow. She is, officially, Done™.
Ralts floats in after us, arms crossed like a teacher grading our performance. Her gaze lands on Torchic, then on me, then back to Torchic.
She silently levitates a blanket and drapes it over the firebird with the delicate care of a nurse tucking in a patient. The chicken snores.
I exhale and toss the new badge on the nightstand, stretching with a satisfying crack. "We might actually make it to the League like this."
Torchic snorts in her sleep. Ralts rolls her eyes.
But she sits beside me on the bed, quietly. No sass. No judgment.
The city glows beyond the window, lights twinkling like a sea of sparks. Rustboro feels calmer at night. Like the universe is catching its breath.
I could get used to this.
Rustle.
My ears twitch. I sit up slightly. Something slid under the door.
Ralts is already on it. She lifts the envelope with her psychic grip and floats it over. No name. No stamp. Just two words on the front, ink shimmering like oil on water:
"Meeting, Tomorrow. – R"
I stare.
"That's… not ominous at all."
Ralts floats closer, peering over my shoulder. The two of us examine it like it's going to explode.
---
[New Quest Unlocked: Mystery Note]
Objective:
Find out who the mysterious "R" is. And what they want.
Optional Objective:
Don't get killed.
Rewards:
+200 EXP
+1 Random Item
First Evolution Unlocked
---
"Okay," I mutter, rubbing my temples. "Who the hell is R?"
Ralts crosses her arms. "Someone who values May or our team… But not a lot of clues."
I flip the note around again. Still blank. Could be a Pokémon… R for Rayquaza? Reshiram? Regi trio? No—wait, Team Rocket?!
My eyes widen in horror.
---
[Quest Progress: 25%]
This is not daijoubu.
This is bad.
This is very, very bad.
I jump off the bed, pacing in tight, anxious circles. "Okay, okay, okay. Breathe. It's probably not them. Could be a different R. Like, I don't know… Roxanne! Wait no, we just left her. Rattata? No, that makes less sense. Ramen? That's food, I'm spiraling—"
Ralts floats up beside me, tilting her head. "Who exactly is Team Rocket?"
I freeze.
My pupils dilate.
"W-What?"
"You are practically screaming it out loud. Sounds urgent. Is this a friend? A rival team?"
My voice comes out shrill. "A FRIEND?! Ralts, no! No! Team Rocket is—Okay, picture this: imagine a group of humans whose life goal is to steal Pokémon. Like, professionally. And make man made gods or hunt down existing ones. For money. Or power. Or just because they're awful. Take the worst parts of capitalism, throw in leather uniforms, add a talking Meowth and a lot of bad hair gel, and you've got Team Rocket."
Ralts blinks. "...Why would someone steal Pokémon?" She completely ignored the god part huh? Can't blame her.
"EXACTLY! It's evil! Unforgivable! No friendship! No love! Just cages and shock collars and weird energy-draining machines and giant balloons with their logo on it for some reason!"
She floats back a bit, visibly startled by my outburst. "...They sound like cartoon villains."
"They are! But real! Which makes them worse!"
I flop back onto the bed, covering my face with my paws. "If this is really them… if they're following us… May's in danger. Torchic's in danger. You're in danger. And I haven't even figured out how to evolve yet!"
Ralts lands beside me, her expression softening. "We don't know it's them."
"…True."
"It could be something else entirely."
"Also true."
''Could also be worse than what you think?''
''Unfortunately also true...''
[Quest Progress: 45%]
Arceus save us...
Word Count: 1124
Sorry for the late chapter... Definitely didn't forget while playing pokerogue or anything...