Vol. I, Part 1: Chapter 7

  They cleared a section of the industrial pier for the battlefield, using crates to mark the boundaries. Hugh and Bianca stood on the sidelines, watching anxiously. Since Nate only had two Pokémon, Roxie agreed to a two-on-two match. Her drummer, Nicky, stepped forward to act as the referee.

  “Has each trainer chosen their first Pokémon?” Nicky called out, his voice cutting through the noise of the shipyard.

  Nate and Roxie both nodded.

  “Then the match between Roxie and Nate for passage to Castelia City begins!”

  “Trubbish, let's rock!” Roxie yelled, tossing a Dusk Ball.

  The trash-bag Pokémon materialized with a squelch, bouncing ready for action.

  Nate's nerves tightened his chest. He had never been in an official gym battle before. In fact, he had only received his first Pokémon that morning. Now he was battling a Gym Leader? Sure, he beat Team Plasma in the forest, but those were idiot grunts. This was a professional.

  Get it together. You can do this.

  “Oshawott, let's go!” Nate yelled.

  Oshawott hit the field, grabbing the scalchop from his chest immediately. Nate ran through what he knew.

  Oshawott uses Razor Shell for close combat, Water Gun for range, and Focus Energy to boost critical hits.

  Unlike Riolu, Oshawott was well known across Unova as the Unovan Hydro Archetype, something Nate remembered from school.

  Trubbish is a Poison-type. And a fairly weak one, too. We'll see how this goes.

  “Kay, well, since you're just stalling, I think I'll make the first move. Trubbish, use Smokescreen!” Roxie shouted.

  Trubbish shook violently and let out a loud belch. A thick, acrid cloud of black smoke exploded from its mouth. Despite the sea breeze, the heavy smog settled over Oshawott, completely obscuring his vision.

  “Now, lock in and use Rollout!”

  Trubbish tucked its limbs in and began to spin. It picked up speed instantly as it tore across the wooden planks.

  “Careful Oshawott! Try to anticipate the attack!” Nate warned.

  Oshawott squinted, trying to peer through the smog. It was no use. The spinning mass of Trubbish slammed into Oshawott before it could react, sending the small otter tumbling across the pier.

  “Reverse course and strike again! Keep up the momentum!” Roxie commanded.

  Trubbish used the edge of a crate to bank, swinging around for a second pass without losing speed.

  “It's coming back for you, Oshawott. Use Water Gun to stop it!”

  Oshawott scrambled up and fired a stream of water into the smoke. It splashed harmlessly against a crate. A second later, Trubbish slammed into Oshawott's side again. Oshawott skidded across the wood, struggling to find its footing.

  “Careful Nate! Rollout gets stronger with every hit!” Hugh shouted from the sidelines.

  “I know!” Nate gritted his teeth. “I'll deal with it.”

  “One more hit and Oshawott is done for. Keep attacking with Rollout!” Roxie yelled.

  Trubbish, now spinning with terrifying speed, curved back toward Oshawott for a third, decisive strike.

  If we can't see Trubbish, we'll make it hard for Trubbish to hit us.

  “Oshawott, use Water Gun on the pier around you! Soak the floor!” Nate ordered.

  Oshawott obeyed instantly. He sprayed a high-pressure jet of water in a circle, drenching the wooden planks.

  “Now, Focus Energy!”

  Oshawott closed its eyes, a sharp glint appearing on his brow as he concentrated.

  Trubbish came barreling out of the smoke. But as soon as it hit the wet zone, the friction vanished. The spinning Pokémon lost traction, skidding wildly across the slick wood. It spun out of control, missing Oshawott by inches.

  Oshawott’s eyes snapped open. He had an opening.

  “Razor Shell!” Nate yelled.

  Oshawott lunged, his scalchop glowing with blue energy. He struck Trubbish hard as it faltered, the blow echoing like a cracking whip. The critical hit broke Trubbish's form and sent it crashing into a steel shipping container. Trubbish did not move.

  “Trubbish is unable to battle. Oshawott is the victor!” Nicky declared.

  “Hmph. That was some luck, Nate. One more hit and you would've been finished,” Roxie said, recalling her Pokémon.

  “Nice going Nate! Way to use the terrain!” Hugh cheered.

  “You too Oshawott! You were great!” Bianca added.

  Thanks, you two.

  “You've still got to beat my Ace. Koffing, let's kick it into overdrive!” Roxie shouted.

  A sphere-like Pokémon floating on a cloud of gas materialized. It wore a distinct skull-and-crossbones marking.

  Koffing. Another Poison-type.

  The Smokescreen from Trubbish finally drifted away, leaving the field clear.

  “Let's not waste any more time! Oshawott, Water Gun!”

  “Koffing, show ‘em your speed!” Roxie grinned.

  As Oshawott fired the jet of water, Koffing darted to the side. It zig-zagged left and right with a speed that blurred the air, dodging every droplet.

  “Now, Gyro Ball!”

  Koffing spun rapidly, its body glowing with a metallic sheen. It became a silver bullet, rushing Oshawott with incredible force. The impact was instantaneous. Oshawott was knocked off its feet and slammed onto the hardwood. He lay still, swirly eyes facing the sky.

  “Oshawott is unable to battle. Koffing is the victor! Let's go Roxie!” Nicky shouted.

  “Just one on one. Let's bring this show to a quick close, Koffing!” Roxie cheered.

  That speed is incredible. I don't know if Riolu can match it.

  “You're our only hope, Riolu. Let's do our best! Go, Riolu!”

  Riolu landed on the field, knees bent, arms raised in a fighting stance.

  “I've been waiting for you, Riolu. I want to see what makes you spark!” Roxie said, her eyes gleaming with genuine appreciation for Riolu's fighting spirit.

  “Koffing, use Sludge Bomb!”

  Koffing opened its mouth and hurled a glob of thick, purple sludge.

  “Riolu, dodge it!”

  Riolu sidestepped fluidly, letting the sludge splatter on the wood where he had just stood. The wood hissed on contact.

  Fighting moves won't be super effective on a Poison-type. What else does Riolu know?

  “Riolu, move up and use Force Palm!”

  Riolu dashed forward, palm glowing with energy, and leaped into the air.

  “Koffing, Gyro Ball!”

  With that same terrifying speed, Koffing spun and collided with Riolu mid-air. Riolu managed to soften the blow with his Force Palm, pushing off the spinning sphere, but the momentum still threw him backward. Riolu landed on his feet, skidding, looking shaken.

  “That was a nice show. Riolu is a tough opponent,” Roxie complimented. “But let's not stop there. Gyro Ball again!”

  “Metal Claw!” Nate reacted on instinct.

  Riolu's paws lit up with a harsh silver gleam. He met the spinning Koffing head-on. Sparks flew as metal clashed against metal. Both Pokémon were thrown back, but Riolu grimaced in pain.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  “Follow up with Assurance!” Roxie pressed her advantage.

  Koffing recovered instantly, spinning around to strike Riolu in the back while he was off-balance. Riolu hit the deck hard.

  “No, Riolu! Can you get up?” Nate cried out.

  “I can still fight. Koffing is too fast. Maybe a Quick Attack would help.”

  The voice was clear in Nate's mind. He didn't even question it this time. It felt as natural as his own thoughts.

  “Quick Attack? You can do that?” Nate asked aloud.

  “I can. It's my best option.”

  “Okay then! Riolu, use Quick Attack!”

  Riolu dropped into a sprinter’s crouch. In the blink of an eye, he vanished, reappearing only as a streak of blue light. He slammed into Koffing before the gas Pokémon could react.

  “Wow, incredible speed!” Roxie gasped. “Don't let it get to you, Koffing! Sludge Bomb!”

  “Quick Attack! Don't stop!” Nate shouted.

  Riolu became a blur. He dodged the sludge, struck Koffing, circled back, and struck again. Bam. Bam. Bam. Koffing couldn't get a lock on the blue streak.

  “Koffing, it's too quick! Use Haze!” Roxie shouted in desperation.

  Koffing opened its pores and vented a thick, black gas. Unlike the Smokescreen, Haze filled the entire pier in seconds. The spectators coughed and covered their faces. Nate’s vision was thrown off instantly.

  “Gyro Ball!” he heard Roxie yell from somewhere in the darkness.

  “Riolu!” Nate cried out.

  He saw nothing. He heard a sickening crash and a cry of pain from Riolu. Something flew past him with the force of a cannonball.

  “Riolu, please tell me you're okay,” Nate thought.

  “I'm here,” the voice replied, weak and strained. “I can't see. My body… it hurts.”

  Nate was startled. He heard the response to his thoughts. He was communicating directly with Riolu.

  “Can you still fight?”

  “I… I am weak.”

  “It's okay, Riolu. You are a strong Pokémon. I believe in you,” Nate projected his thoughts, closing his eyes.

  “You do?”

  “Yes. Just like I believed you could save Ampharos.”

  “I can try my best.”

  “I know you can. Where is Koffing?”

  “He's here. Somewhere. Our eyes deceive us. But his aura cannot lie.”

  “But how will I sense his aura?” Nate questioned.

  “Let me show you.”

  The world shifted. Nate didn't lose consciousness, but his perspective snapped. It was as if he were seeing through two sets of eyes at once. His own, staring into black fog, and Riolu's.

  Suddenly, the darkness wasn't dark. It was a void of swirling greys, illuminated by pulsing shapes of blue light. He saw the outline of his own body standing on the pier. He saw the outlines of the crates. And there, hovering in the air to the left, was a concentrated ball of erratic, spinning energy.”

  “There he is!” Nate said, his voice echoing in Riolu’s mind. “Now Riolu. Finish this battle with Quick Attack!”

  He heard a muffled command from Roxie. The ball of energy surged forward.

  Nate saw it coming clearly.

  “Jump!”

  In the physical world, Riolu leaped straight up. Koffing passed harmlessly underneath. At the peak of the jump, Riolu tucked its head and dove.

  “Strike!”

  Riolu descended like a meteor, Quick Attack slamming directly onto the top of the spinning Koffing.

  Nate felt the impact in his own chest. The connection snapped. He was back in his own body, blinking against the stinging Haze.

  As the wind picked up, the black gas began to thin. The silhouette of a standing Pokémon emerged. Beside it, lying motionless on the wood, was Koffing.

  “K-Koffing is unable to battle. Riolu is the winner! The victory goes to Nate!” Nicky declared, coughing as the smoke cleared.

  Nate stood frozen in disbelief. He had won. He had actually beaten a Gym Leader.

  “Nate! You did it! I don't know how, but you and Riolu did it!” Hugh shouted, running over.

  Riolu limped over to Nate, giving a solemn nod of gratitude.

  “Your attacks were incredible. How did you manage to see Koffing? I couldn't see anything,” Hugh asked, clapping Nate on the shoulder.

  “I… just knew. It’s different when you’re in the heat of battle,” Nate lied. He couldn't explain what had just happened. Hugh wouldn’t believe him anyway.

  “Thanks, Riolu. Take a rest.” Nate recalled the Pokémon to its ball.

  What was that?

  A flood of questions hit him at once. The victory, the voice, the strange vision. It was undeniable, yet impossible.

  “A deal's a deal. You won.” Roxie walked over, recalling her fainted Koffing. She looked impressed. “I have to say, your Riolu is extraordinary. That victory was well earned.”

  Roxie reached out her hand. Nate shook it, his grip still shaky from adrenaline.

  “It was a tough battle. I don't think I would've won without Riolu,” he said humbly.

  You have no idea.

  “Oh! I… I've forgotten to give you a Toxic Badge! I'm so sorry, they're all back at the gym!” Roxie groaned, slapping her forehead. “Some Gym Leader I am,” she whispered to herself.

  Nate smiled. “No, it's okay. I'm not doing the Gym Challenge. The ferry ride to Castelia is more than enough.”

  “The ferry! Right! We need to leave soon! I'll go tell my dad we're bringing guests. You said you had a van?”

  “Yes! Can we still bring it?” Hugh asked.

  “Hurry and drive it over here! It's not far, is it?”

  “Not at all! Hugh, come with me to get it. Nate, stay here and let Riolu and Oshawott rest,” Bianca directed.

  “Great! Nicky, Billy! Get the rest of our equipment loaded. I'm off to find Dad,” Roxie shouted, jogging down the pier.

  Bianca and Hugh ran for the van. Nate found himself alone on the quiet pier, the adrenaline slowly fading into exhaustion.

  I should check on them.

  Nate released both Oshawott and Riolu. They looked worn out, but their spirits were high.

  “You both were amazing. I can't believe we won our first match against a Gym Leader!” Nate praised them.

  Oshawott puffed out his chest, proud of his takedown of Trubbish. Nate ruffled the fur on his head.

  “You did excellent, Oshawott. I am so proud of you.”

  “Oshawott is very happy with you, Nate. You've already formed a close bond with him.”

  The voice was soft, resonating in Nate's mind.

  “Riolu! So it has been you. How is this possible?” Nate asked, looking at his partner.

  “I am not sure. I just knew I could speak with you.”

  “Have you talked with a human before?”

  “No. At least, not that I can remember.”

  “Not that you remember? What do you mean?”

  “I don't remember much. My memory goes back as far as meeting your dad. I was hurt, cold, exhausted. Everything was a blur until I woke up at the Ranch. Everything before that is... blank.”

  “You don't know where you came from?”

  “Not at all.”

  “A void in memory. How tragic to have no past, yet you forge a future so boldly.”

  The voice came from behind Nate. It was rapid, soft, and unnervingly calm.

  Nate whipped around, instinctively stepping between the stranger and his Pokémon.

  Standing a few feet away was a tall, slender man. He wore a white collared shirt under a cream tee, and his long, tea-green hair fell over his face. But it was his eyes, cold, grey, and unblinking, that locked onto Nate.

  No, Nate realized with a shiver. He wasn’t looking at Nate. He was looking through Nate, directly at Riolu.

  “W-who are you?” Nate stammered, his heart rate spiking. “How long have you been standing there?”

  The man ignored the question completely. He took a step forward, crouching down to eye level with the Pokémon.

  “I heard his voice,” the man said, his tone sounding more like he was solving a math equation than making conversation. “It was loud. Clear. A cry of pain, and then… trust. Absolute, unwavering trust.”

  He tilted his head, his gaze shifting to Oshawott. “And you. You fought hard. You trust him, too. Why? Do you not fear being hurt?”

  Oshawott squeaked and hid behind Riolu. Riolu growled low in its throat, a sound of warning.

  “Excuse me!” Nate stepped forward, blocking the man’s view. “You’re scaring them. Back off.”

  The man stopped. For the first time, his grey eyes shifted up to meet Nate’s. The intensity of his stare made Nate want to run, but he held his ground.

  “You hear them,” the stranger said. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of fact. “Most humans only hear what they want to hear. Commands. Obedience. Victory. But you… you heard his suffering.”

  The man looked at Riolu, then back at Nate. “And you answered.”

  He stood up to his full height, towering over Nate.

  “Is it a formula?” the stranger muttered to himself, turning his back on them. “Or is it a variable I haven't accounted for?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nate said, his voice firming up. “But leave us alone.”

  The stranger paused. He looked back over his shoulder, a sad, almost pitying smile on his face.

  “Make sure you keep listening. The voices of Pokémon are easily drowned out by the noise of people. Don’t let yours become just another noise.”

  With that, he walked away. He moved silently, his footsteps making no sound on the wooden pier, vanishing into the shadows of the shipping containers.

  “Who was that?” Nate asked, letting out a breath of anxiety.

  “I don't know,” Riolu’s voice echoed, sounding shaken. “I felt… sorrow. A deep, endless sorrow coming from him. His aura was… empty.”

  “Did he say anything to you?” Nate communicated telepathically.

  “He tried to speak,” Riolu replied. “But I didn’t respond. I was too afraid.”

  Nate watched the spot where the man had vanished. His heart was still pounding.

  A moment later, the sound of an engine broke the tension. Bianca and Hugh pulled the van up next to the loading area. Roxie came running back down the pier.

  “You got everything you need?” she asked Bianca.

  “Yes, everything is in the van,” Bianca replied, hopping out.

  “Good! We're leaving for Castelia any minute. Nicky and Billy will get the van aboard. C'mon! Let's get you on the ship.”

  Bianca left the keys with the crew, and they followed Roxie up the gangway.

  Roxie led them to a set of small but clean guest cabins. “It's going to be a several-hour trip. You may want to rest. You're also welcome to the galley on the lower deck for snacks.”

  Nate appreciated the hospitality, but right now, he wanted nothing more than to lie down. The exhaustion hit him like a wave. He and Hugh both retreated to their cabins.

  Nate flopped onto the narrow bunk, staring at the metal ceiling.

  So much has happened. So many strange encounters.

  He thought about the battle, the vision in the haze, and the green-haired man. Who was he? How did he know Nate could hear Riolu? Was it common for people to speak with Pokémon?

  Riolu was the “Aura” Pokémon, as Bianca had said. Maybe Riolu had a special connection with people. But Riolu claimed to have never spoken to a human before.

  Something maybe Professor Juniper would know about.

  With that thought, the rhythm of the ship's engine lulled him into a deep, dreamless sleep.