Daisy was… not a tall girl. She was actually quite average in height, which for a fifteen-year-old girl was about five-foot-three. Compared to me, that made our first interaction after all this time a little awkward.
I think she realized the situation when I started walking over.
Her eyes widened slightly when she saw me approaching. She looked me up and down, and her jaw dropped just a little.
I gave her a once-over myself.
She was a pretty girl, but if I was being honest, I wasn't really interested in that kind of thing right now. I had much more important things in my life to worry about.
When I reached them, Professor Samuel Oak turned and gave me a wide smile.
"Arthur! It's good to see you, young man! Though I wish it had been under better circumstances…"
His tone dipped slightly when he said that last part.
I gave him a self-deprecating smile and scratched the back of my head.
"It's no worries… so what brings you here?"
His smile returned, though it was weaker than before.
"Ah, well, Daisy volunteers here most afternoons, and I always enjoy speaking with Edward."
"Ed," the priest corrected calmly.
"Yes, Ed," Oak said quickly, coughing into his hand in mock apology.
The priest grumbled softly and went back to speaking with my father and grandmother.
"The lab doesn't need you right now?" I asked.
"Ah, no. It was time for a break anyway… too many files to fill out. Too many forms to sign." He let out an exasperated sigh.
I puffed out a small laugh.
"Glinda was telling me you were interested in the intern position at the lab, hmm? I would accept you in a heartbeat, but with your situation… there's no telling what might happen there."
He was right.
I didn't know if I was going to be okay.
But I tried not to think about that right now.
"I know," I said. "But you better save me a table over there. I'll be counting the days."
I said it lightly, trying to lift the mood a little.
It seemed to work well enough for Daisy to finally speak up.
"You know," she said, stepping a little closer, "I was actually thinking about helping out more around the lab too. If you do end up coming over and working there, I'd be happy to show you the ropes."
Her voice was lighter than I remembered, though a little deeper now.
Her light brown hair seemed to glow softly in the afternoon sun, and the light caught her hazel eyes in a way that made them look almost like molten gold.
I gave her a small smile.
"That would be great. Thanks."
She beamed at my response.
Professor Oak hummed thoughtfully at our interaction, as if he were considering something. I could never quite tell what was going on in that old man's head.
He clapped his hands together suddenly.
"Well then! Would you like to come back to the lab for a bit? It's been a while since you've been over, and you could take a look at what you might be working with."
He spoke with clear amusement… and something else hidden in his tone.
The offer caught me slightly off guard.
I turned my head toward Dad and Grandma. They were already listening to the conversation. Grandma had an approving look on her face, while Dad's expression looked a bit strained.
Still, he nodded.
I turned back to Oak and gave him a small smile.
"Sure."
He mirrored Daisy's earlier smile and beamed.
"Marvelous! Come, come. It's only a few minutes' walk from here."
He waved for us to follow, and Daisy and I trailed after him through the church and out the front of the building again.
"Can't we just teleport over?" Daisy complained. "It's been a long day, and I'm in no shape to be doing that trek."
Both the professor and I chuckled lightly. Oak's gaze flickered from her to me.
"Well?" he asked. "You up for a teleport?"
I thought for a moment. It had been a while, but yeah… I wasn't that incapable yet.
"Sure."
He nodded and lifted the side of his coat, revealing three Poké Balls on his belt. He unclipped the second one and released his Pokémon.
In a flash of iridescent light, Alakazam appeared.
It was a giant of a Pokémon, with a large head and a frail-looking body that almost reminded me of a Vulpix's proportions—if it had somehow been warped in a way that could handle all that psychic power.
The air itself seemed to hum when it appeared, almost like the world was listening to it.
The Psychic Pokémon hovered in midair for a moment before opening its eyes.
Its gaze swept over all of us, then settled briefly on Oak.
Oak didn't say anything.
Alakazam simply closed its eyes again.
And suddenly—
We were standing in front of his lab.
There was no motion.
No blur.
No sound.
One moment we were outside the church.
The next moment we were somewhere completely different.
My vision hadn't even shifted. The world had simply changed around us.
It was always impressive seeing Oak's Pokémon in action. The former champion's team was something to be revered. After all, it was him and his Pokémon that helped Kanto win the war with the east back in the day.
That use of Teleport was something else as well. Even Dad's Gallade left a small ringing in your ears when it teleported you.
But that…
That had been seamless.
The Alakazam disappeared a moment later, and Oak walked toward the front door of the lab. I assumed they had spoken telepathically. Gallade did that with Dad sometimes.
Though my mind wasn't capable enough to understand him clearly. Maybe one day.
For now, all I ever got were vague emotions and stray thoughts.
Dad once tried explaining it to me—the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon. Something about friendship making it easier for them to understand each other.
Some pseudo-science he picked up during his time as a Gym challenger.
I craned my head up to look at the building.
It was big. It had always been big, but it seemed like there had been some new additions over the past few years. A new side building stood off to the right, and it looked like there was a glass-roofed extension added to the main structure.
The doors slid open smoothly, and Oak's shoes clacked on the tile floor as he walked forward.
My eyes widened slightly.
It seemed they had gotten quite the renovation as well.
This was…
Oh my.
The entrance was a large room with a massive viewing window looking out over the pasture behind the lab. A large number of wild Pokémon—and what I assumed were trainer-owned Pokémon that had been left here temporarily—were roaming around in groups or alone.
In the middle of the room was a desk with what I assumed was a secretary behind it. She was typing something up when she caught sight of Oak and the rest of us.
Her relaxed posture instantly shifted to something more professional.
"Professor, I didn't realize you were going to be back so soon… I thought you were on break?"
Was that a hint of nervousness in her voice?
Oak hummed and waved her off.
"Don't mind me, Mira. I'm just here to show this young man the lab. It's been quite a while since he's been here, you know."
The woman—Mira, apparently—looked over at me and squinted slightly.
Then her eyes widened.
"Oh! You're Arthur, right? Wow, it's been ages!"
She stood up a little too quickly and her chair rolled backward, but she didn't seem to notice.
I had to do a double take.
She knew me?
It seemed like she picked up on my confusion and gave me a pout.
"What? You don't recognize the girl who babysat you when you were in diapers?"
Babysat—
Oh.
Oh.
Mira.
Miranda.
Oh wow… she grew.
I vaguely remembered her now. The dark-skinned woman gave me an unimpressed look.
This was Miranda—or Mira, I guess—the teenager who used to babysit me whenever my parents were busy, or when Grandma was too tired to.
Yeah… the long-limbed girl had really grown into herself.
She was what, mid-twenties now? Something like that.
Though what exactly was she doing here? She used to babysit me back in Fuchsia, not Pallet.
Her pout turned into a knowing smile.
"I know, I know. What's the university dropout doing here working at Oak's lab? Well, it's quite the story actually, I—"
"Ahem."
Oak cut in, sounding half annoyed and half amused.
"You were working on something before we came?"
Miranda froze.
Her face immediately turned red with embarrassment.
"Y-yeah… just gonna go back to that now…"
She glanced at me awkwardly.
"Uh… let's catch up later, alright?"
I gave her a small smile.
"Of course."
She mirrored the expression and waved us off as Oak led us through the doors behind her desk and deeper into the main laboratory.
Behind the desk was a doorway that opened into a hallway with three doors on each side. Oak guided us into the first room on the left.
The place was something else.
The entire room was massive, filled to the brim with high-tech machinery and workstations. Scientists moved between equipment, running experiments or typing reports onto glowing monitors.
"This is the energy lab," Oak explained. "Most of our testing on moves and aura levels happens here. Primarily it's used to make sure Pokémon are healthy, but it also helps us track their development and growth."
He gestured toward a man scanning a Growlithe with a small handheld device.
"That over there is an IV scanner. It detects a Pokémon's genetic potential—its natural limits, in the simplest terms."
We moved on to the next room.
A steady hum of machinery filled the air.
"This is the generator room," Oak continued. "Most of the lab runs on renewable systems—solar panels, wind turbines out past the northern ridge, and a geothermal line tied into the hills."
He pointed toward a reinforced chamber built into the wall.
"But we also maintain an auxiliary system powered by elemental stones. Thunderstones are the most reliable for it. Their electrical output is remarkably stable if handled properly."
Inside the chamber, several dull yellow stones rested within insulated clamps, faint arcs of electricity occasionally dancing across their surfaces.
"Elemental stones form naturally in areas with strong elemental activity—storm basins, caves, volcanic zones," Oak said. "They regenerate energy over time, which makes them useful as long-term power sources."
He adjusted his glasses.
"The issue isn't availability—it's the market. Most stones are purchased immediately by corporations or evolution clinics. Hardly any reach independent research facilities like this."
That… made sense.
We continued on.
The next room was the incubation lab.
Rows of incubators lined the walls on reinforced racks, each one glowing softly with heat lamps and monitoring screens. Every unit displayed temperature readings, humidity levels, and heart rate data.
Each one contained a Pokémon egg.
"Pokémon eggs are far more sensitive than most people realize," Oak explained. "Temperature fluctuations, stress signals, even environmental noise can affect development."
One incubator chirped softly as a researcher checked the monitor.
"When an egg nears hatching," Oak continued, "the system sends an alert to the staff. At that point we remove the egg from the incubator."
He gestured toward a nearby work table lined with soft bedding.
"If the mother is present, the egg is returned immediately. If not, we supervise the hatching here to ensure the newborn is healthy."
"What happens after they hatch?" I asked.
Oak smiled slightly.
"That depends. Some are returned to their trainers. Some are released into the pasture so they can grow naturally. Others remain here for observation or early development."
The other rooms were mostly logistical spaces—storage areas, supply rooms, and offices for senior researchers.
Oak had an office too. We didn't go in, but I couldn't help glancing at the door as we passed.
It looked old.
Solid.
Heavy oak wood, if I had to guess.
Pun not intended.
The final room in the corridor was the staff lounge, which connected to a locker room and showers.
Then Oak pushed open a side door.
And suddenly we were outside.
The pasture stretched farther than I expected.
Rolling green fields dotted with trees and small ponds, with research markers scattered throughout.
And we were immediately assaulted by a gang of malicious beasts.
"Growlithe!"
"Grow!"
"Lith!"
"Grow grow!"
Four Growlithe pups came charging toward us like tiny missiles before leaping onto our legs.
They were tiny—definitely puppies. The Growlithe I'd seen earlier inside looked a couple years old.
These ones?
Maybe a few weeks old.
A month at most.
"Hey there, little guy," I murmured.
One pup had latched onto my leg and was staring up at me with the most dazzling jewel-like eyes I'd ever seen on a Pokémon.
I smiled and picked him up, cradling him like an infant. I scratched beneath his chin and behind his ears.
He melted instantly.
A few seconds later he completely tapped out, limp with bliss.
I let out an amused puff of air before glancing over at Daisy and Oak.
They were just as occupied.
Daisy had one pup hanging off her neck while laughing helplessly.
Oak had one perched proudly on his head and another tucked comfortably in his arms.
The old professor laughed.
"Cute, aren't they? A Jenny came by a few months ago. Said they were her Arcanine's pups. She couldn't take care of the entire litter, so she entrusted them to us."
He scratched one of the pups gently.
"They'll grow up here with plenty of room and the chance to evolve when the time comes."
He smiled warmly.
"That's assuming they even want to, of course."
We wandered through the pasture afterward, watching Ponyta and Rapidash run freely, sometimes lightly singeing the grass as they passed.
A herd of Tauros and Miltank grazed together nearby. It was an odd pairing, but I guess it made sense.
Same egg group.
The occasional Flying-type soared overhead—Pidgey and its line, a few Spearow, and one lone Fearow circling higher than the rest like it owned the sky.
Eventually the pasture thinned into a forest.
I raised an eyebrow.
"How big is this place?"
Oak chuckled.
"Big. It cost a fortune, but good things don't exactly come cheap."
He continued walking while absentmindedly calming the Growlithe pups that were still following us.
The canopy closed overhead, and the afternoon sunlight softened beneath the trees. Caterpie, Metapod, Weedle, and Kakuna clung to trunks and leaves all around us.
We walked deeper into the forest, and I became increasingly confused.
"Professor… why exactly are we here?" I asked.
He hummed thoughtfully.
"Well, don't you want to see the other half of your mother's team?"
I didn't stop walking, but my body stiffened slightly.
I had found it strange that only half of them were at Grandma's house, but I hadn't questioned it.
I'd assumed the rest were simply in their Poké Balls.
"They're here?" I asked quietly.
"Mhm. Glinda gave them to me after everything," Oak said. "She just couldn't handle it."
He hesitated.
"They were… depressed. More than that, really. They couldn't stay in the house. Not with the memories tied to it."
My lips dipped into a small frown.
Who was missing?
Heatmor.
Altaria.
And—
Oh.
We stepped into a clearing.
Standing in the sunlight, grasping at the glow with its long green 3 fingered arm, was a Gardevoir.
Mom's Gardevoir.
I think my heart stopped.
For a moment two memories overlapped so perfectly that I couldn't tell which one I was standing in.
Mom was there.
Her hair moved softly in the light.
She turned toward me.
She smiled.
Then the illusion shattered.
I must've looked strange, because Daisy's hand suddenly grabbed my arm and I heard Oak shift behind me.
I exhaled slowly, a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
At that exact moment Gardevoir's head snapped toward me.
Her eyes widened.
Then suddenly she was in front of me.
Soft hands gently held the sides of my face.
She was tall—taller than most of her species. She and her brother had that in common.
Dad's Gallade.
They were siblings. Eggs from the same breeder.
She might've been nearly my height.
Maybe a little shorter.
Her eyes searched my face like she was trying to memorize every detail.
Then I heard a voice.
Arthur?
It wasn't sound.
It was inside my head.
Confused.
Hopeful.
Familiar.
I didn't understand where the voice came from until I saw the look in Gardevoir's eyes.
Oh.
"…Hi?"
For a moment she just stared at me.
Like she didn't believe I was actually there.
Like I was some kind of ghost that might disappear if she blinked.
Then she moved.
Her arms wrapped around me as she buried her face into my shoulder.
I froze.
Completely.
I couldn't think. I didn't know what to do. I just felt my mother's Pokémon collapse against me, her weight pressing into my frame like something inside her had finally given out.
"Uh…"
The uncertain noise slipped out before I could stop it.
She pulled back slightly and looked up at me. Her eyes were rimmed red and glistening.
Oh man.
Was she going to cry?
You look just like her, you know.
The voice echoed through my mind again, softer this time.
More like a quiet observation than anything that needed to be said.
…Yeah.
Funny how that worked.
I'd gotten my hair color from Dad, but the eyes—and most of my damn face—were hers. Softer. More graceful.
She used to say I looked like a prince.
I'd always wanted to look more like Dad.
Never did end up happening.
"You… you're here alone?" I asked slowly, testing the words.
She nodded.
Yes… the others… they don't exactly enjoy my company these days…
She gave me a small, self-deprecating look.
They think I'm… emotional.
Something about the expression ticked me off.
Mostly because it looked way too much like something I'd do.
"How… how exactly are you—"
Speaking to you?
Her eyes brightened slightly.
I'm not. Not really.
She made a small gesture in the air with one delicate hand.
It's a technique I picked up a while ago from another Gardevoir. We don't have a proper psychic link, so I'm just… borrowing.
"Borrowing?"
Your memories, she said matter-of-factly. Words, letters, sounds… pieces of language you already know. I pull them forward and arrange them together.
She sounded almost proud of herself.
But something clicked in my head.
And suddenly I understood why the voice sounded so familiar.
It was Mom's voice.
Gardevoir was using my memories of Mom's voice to speak to me—pulling fragments of it from my head and stitching them together into something whole.
Like resurrecting a ghost from pieces of memory.
My stomach twisted.
"Arthur."
Oak's voice cut through everything.
Sharp. Firm.
"Control yourself."
I blinked.
Only then did I realize my hands were gripping Gardevoir's arms.
Hard.
She didn't seem to mind.
But the sight of it dragged me straight into a memory I really didn't want to relive.
I'm not her.
I'll never be her.
I let go of her arm like it had burned me. Gardevoir's expression fell slightly at the sudden loss of contact.
She seemed to notice how disturbed I was by her little psychic trick.
Do you… not want to speak to me?
My body tensed.
"No—no, it's fine," I said quickly.
She studied me for a moment before slowly raising a hand toward my face. She hesitated.
May I?
I gave a stiff nod.
She gently pressed her palm against my forehead and closed her eyes.
For a few seconds, everything went quiet.
Then she pulled her hand back.
"So… you finally saw her… didn't you?"
My slight frown deepened.
"Yeah," I said quietly. "I saw her."
She looked saddened by the answer, but after a moment she forced a small smile.
Good.
She gets lonely.
Her gaze drifted slightly.
The others don't visit her anymore. It's just me now. I go whenever I can… but it's hard… seeing her like that.
Her voice faltered.
She… she loved you. She really did. I know she did. I just…
She couldn't find the words.
Her shoulders sagged.
I let out a small chuckle.
"Yeah," I said softly. "Me too."
I gave her a small smile, and her mood seemed to brighten a little.
If you'd like, she said hopefully, I could take you to the others. They won't speak to me… but I'm sure they'd want to see you. They always liked you.
I thought about it for a moment.
Then I nodded.
Her hands clasped together happily.
I looked over at Oak.
"She wants to take me to the others."
"Go ahead," he said immediately.
That was fast.
"You sure?" I asked. "Didn't you want to finish the tour or something?"
He shrugged.
"Yes, but this is far more important to you. Besides, I still have my darling granddaughter to keep me company."
"The darling in question" elbowed him sharply.
I chuckled.
"Alright then. I'll see you two later."
Daisy smiled at me before shooting Oak a suspicious look that made him suddenly look very sheepish.
I turned back toward Gardevoir.
She took my hand.
The world twisted.
And suddenly we were gone.
This teleport wasn't nearly as smooth as Alakazam's.
My ears rang and the world swayed for a moment before my vision cleared.
Here, Gardevoir began. Heatmor should be near his ca—
BOOM
The explosion hit like a cannon blast.
The shockwave slammed into us, nearly knocking me off my feet. I staggered, but Gardevoir steadied me with a pulse of psychic energy.
Smoke and dust filled the air.
Out of the cloud came a battered Heatmor, skidding across the ground on all fours before stopping near us.
He looked rough—burn marks along his back, dirt caked across his armor.
He snorted heavily, smoke puffing from his nose.
He glanced at Gardevoir.
Then at me.
He paused.
Then slowly turned back toward the cave he'd just come flying out of.
Something massive moved inside the dust cloud.
A moment later, an enormous Onix emerged from the smoke.
Bigger than any I'd ever seen.
An Alpha.
Probably from Pewter or Mount Moon.
He wants you to command him, Gardevoir said.
"What?!"
He's disoriented, she explained quickly. He thinks you're Rose.
"I'm not her—!"
I know, she said calmly. But right now that doesn't matter.
Her voice sharpened.
I'm sending you his move set.
Suddenly my head exploded with information.
Fire Lash.
Lava Plume.
Dig.
Heat Wave.
But mixed in with it were flashes of something else—
Memories.
Battles.
Victories.
My mother standing on a battlefield, Heatmor beside her as she absolutely destroyed her opponents.
Damn it.
Why did she have to be so damn cool?
I exhaled heavily and stepped forward.
"Alright…"
I placed a hand on Heatmor's shoulder.
"Let's go."