Here, Have a Cookie a Pokemon Fanfiction

I stared down at Sol’s... Absol’s poke ball for what felt like an eternity as I made my way back down the path towards town. Palm trees swayed in the background as my brain rebooted.

What the hell did I just see? That couldn’t have been real, right?

I leapt up and almost dropped the ball as Emilie tapped the side of my head. “Don’t do that!”

“What else did you want me to do? I called your name verbally and mentally and you ignored me!” Emilie tapped her foot against my shoulder as she glared at me. “I know you’re worried, but-”

“I have faith in them.” My shaking voice probably wasn’t very convincing. “It’s... not that.”

Emilie frowned at me as we passed by a napping fisherman, his line swaying in the ocean breeze as the first few houses on the outskirts of town came into view. “What is it, then?”

“I-” I looked down towards the ground, wondering how to explain this without getting carted off to the funny farm. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Bit late for that, but for you, I’ll let you ask another.” Emilie grinned, her eyes closed and slightly curved upwards.

I glared, before sighing. “Aim a bit higher on the tree, why don’t you? That was so low hanging it was starting to rot.”

A vein throbbed on Emilie’s forehead. “Ask the damn question.”

“I wouldn’t want to go over my quota.” I grinned as the buildings started to fill out the empty space a bit better.

Emilie started stomping her foot into my shoulder, and I thwacked her forehead.

“Fine.” I looked away, biting my lower lip. Maybe an indirect approach would be best. Lead into it. “A couple of days ago, when we raided Jasmine’s room, how did you know she was possessed?”

Emilie leaned back, before tilting her head at me. “Kind of out of left field.”

“Humor me?” I asked.

Emilie paused for a moment before nodding. “I could feel more than one mind occupying the same space. Ghost possession is a bit different to mind control, but even though they’re very chaotic entities, they still have thoughts and feelings.” Emilie shivered. “Powerful feelings.”

I nodded once, a frown on my face. I couldn’t feel anything from that thing. No emotions, no words, just air. Like it wasn’t even there.

Yet I saw it.

“Any reason you’re asking about this now?” Emilie asked.

I winced. Should have seen that question coming. “Don’t know yet. Need to do an experiment.” I held up Absol’s poke ball just as the grassy training field came into view.

“An experiment for what?” Emilie tilted her head.

To see if I’m crazy. “Science.”

We quickly came to the same big tree that Brawly had replanted. The grass had once again sprouted anew, and the bark looked as pristine as the previous day, before we started training.

Did Brawly come out here every day?

Hippie surf junkie that loves nature. Of course he came here every day. Hell, he probably... trained... here.

Good to know.

I quickly turned around and sat down, my back up against the tree as I pulled out my dinosaur of a pokedex and typed.

“How are ghost Pokémon formed?” Emilie read the screen with a frown. “Lea, are we being haunted.”

“Maybe.” Hopefully, honestly. “Did you see or feel anything while we were in front of the cave?”

“No, that doesn’t mean much, though. Ghosts are hard to track, and I was kind of focusing on other things.” Emilie’s eyes narrowed. “Lea, what did you see?”

“Like I said, don’t know yet,” I paused as the old piece of crap pinged. “Yes! Please don’t be Tauros Shit.”

It goes without saying, but ghosts don’t form in the same way as most Pokémon. Whether it’s from regret, longing, hate, love, or one of a million other little things, people and Pokémon both form an attachment to the world of the living. That attachment doesn’t fade just because their heart stops beating. When someone dies, after a variable amount of time, a ghost will sometimes spawn from the spirit of what once lived.

I looked up at Emilie and winced at her glare. “What?”

“What did you see?” Emilie asked.

I winced at how firm her tone was. “Like I said, I don’t know. I think it was a ghost, but it wasn’t a Ghost Pokémon.” I looked down towards the ground. “Assuming those even exist and I’m not just going crazier than I already am.”

Emilie leaned back slightly before looking back down at the report.

The time between death and rebirth is never consistent, and the process seems to have variable effects on the Pokémon. Some have no memory of their past life at all, and their new life is all they know, but for the rest, they lock into their regrets and build an identity around that. These Pokémon are usually identified as ‘Pure Ghosts’ and are chaotic, malevolent entities until they stabilize their existence.

“How do you stabilize your existence?” I asked. “I went into this thing looking for an answer to my question, instead I found something that might help Jasmine.”

“That’s where the article ends, so... I’m guessing they don’t know either.” Emilie looked up at me with a frown before teleporting down to the ground. “And you’re not crazy.”

My eyes light up. “So you do-”

“I’ve never heard of what you described, but if you saw it then it exists.” Emilie’s voice brokered no room for argument. “Let out the rest of the squad. If we’re going to be dealing with little miss psycho, I don’t want to take chances.”

It took me a bit to react, but I quickly reached down and grabbed everyone’s poke balls.

Joern appeared close to me, his eyes narrowed on Absol’s ball. 'I don’t like this.'

'YOU don’t like it?' Lucas asked, before slinking back behind me and hiding in my shadow. 'How do you think I feel? That thing wants to take me back to its cave and work out its weird bondage fantasies on me.'

Joern snorted as Emilie tilted her head and looked up at me.

“What’s bondage?” she asked.

I got up, whipped around, and glared at my shadow. “Lucas, that’s the least of your worries. Get up here and stay solid so I can murder you.”

'How can you murder what’s already dead?' Lucas asked, his head peeking up from the ground with a snicker.

I narrowed my eyes before kicking the ground where his hilt was, sighing as I went through nothing but air. “Anything’s possible with enough violence.”

Apollo landed down close to Emilie and put his wing on her shoulders. 'We’ll tell you when you’re older, lass.'

“Meh, I’ll just look it up later on Ser... Damn it.” Emilie visibly deflated before staring up at me with pleading eyes. “Please.”

“No.” I held firm before looking at my squad. “Apollo, you can go ahead and cut loose, I want the field advantage. Emilie, you and Joern will be my bodyguards during this. Go ahead and make a psychic umbrella. Lucas, I’m counting on you and Apollo to keep an eye on things and intervene if she tries anything.”

'Aye aye, captain.' Apollo saluted as clouds started to form overhead.

Joern sighed before taking his position next to me. ‘Never get to dance anymore...'

I glanced as Joern and winced, before frowning. The thought felt quieter than usual. More Distant. ‘Emilie?’

‘What?’ she asked as a small dome appeared over my head.

Water slowly started to fall from the newly formed clouds, rhythmically slamming into the psychic shield. Barrier was coming along nicely, it would seem.

‘Did you translate private thoughts again?’ I asked.

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ Emilie gave me a blank look before settling next to Joern with a determined look on her face.

Huh. Did I do that, then?

Neat.

“You can dance later today, Joern. We’ve got five days of nothing but training, after all. We all have plenty of time to work on what we want to work on.”

Joern turned and looked at me with slightly widened eyes, confirming my earlier theory. ‘Thanks, I suppose.’

‘Can we get this over with?’ Lucas asked.

I sighed before gripping Absol’s ball tightly. I pressed the release button and aimed it as far away from me as possible.

The white-furred Pokémon appeared on the other side of the clearing, stretching its back before wincing and hopping further away, landing on the border of the falling rain. ‘Do you have any idea how annoying wet fur is?’

“No.’ My tone was clipped as I glared. ‘I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me?’

Absol sneered. ‘Why on earth would I do that?’

“General decency?” I asked.

She laughed at me. Rude.

Okay, think Lea. What would she want? Well, May did want me to try and talk to her. Maybe... “If you help, you can stay out of your ball for the day?” Fuck, that sounded weak. Also made me feel a bit too much like a prison warden for my taste.

The rest of my squad looked at me like I had grown a second head. Emilie let the psychic barrier falter, and I sputtered as the newly formed downpour drenched me. ‘Emilie!’

The barrier formed above my head once again. ‘Sorry, I just needed to make sure you were aware of how stupid you just sounded.’

Absol threw her head back and laughed. ‘So, my reward for being a good little girl and doing what you say is I get to hang out in the cold and watch your little stand-up routine? As if I’d sell my time for such a small amount.’

I winced. At this point, I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that she wanted nothing to do with me. We more or less have been keeping her prisoner.

Stop it. She tried to off May. Quit feeling bad for the angry, lonely, orphaned...

Your dreams are dreams. Nothing more.

‘Well, you’ve just established that such a thing does exist and is obtainable, now we’re just haggling over price,’ Apollo said, his tone mildly flippant.

I turned to glare at Emilie, who just shrugged.

‘He wanted to watch a pirate movie. I found a pirate movie,’ she said.

Absol grinned up at the bird, her canines extending down. ‘Release-’

“No.” I cut her off with a glare. “You already know that’s not happening. Besides, you’re not mine to release, I couldn’t even if I wanted to.” And honestly, it probably wouldn’t do you much good. “I thought you wanted to stick around and watch Lucas?”

‘Oi, don’t bring me into this!’ Lucas hissed from his spot in my shadows. ‘I’m the one most in danger now, leave me out of it!’

Absol snorted, before glaring at me. ‘That idiot’s about as threatening as a garden spade. Our purpose is meaningless, remember?’

That was a gross mistranslation of May’s statement, and entirely unfair. “You know, things might go a lot better for you if you weren’t a raging bitch all the time. That won’t earn you many friends.”

Absol glared. ‘As if I want to be friends with thieves and liars. Your talk mighty brave for someone hiding behind a veritable army of trained thugs.’

My team bristled as I preemptively raised my hand into the air. Combative, liked pissing people off to get out of talking...

Legends above the resemblance was uncanny.

“We aren’t taking the bait,” I said.

Absol sighed before laying down on the ground and closing her eyes. ‘Then leave me alone. I have no interest in helping you.’

I pulled my pack around and started going through my bag.

‘Keep your damn cookies, too. They’re probably laced with something if you’re offering them to me.’ Absol didn’t even move from her spot.

“That’s insulting in like, seven different ways. Do you have any idea how much I would kill for one of those right now!” Emilie glowered at the dark type. “Can I please just drop a boulder on her? I really want to.”

“Down girl.” I bumped her head with my fingers before glancing down at the creature curling up for a nap. “All I want to know is if you feel a disaster on the horizon. That’s it. Yes or no.”

She ignored me.

Emilie’s eyes started to glow blue, and the rain clouds started to move, extending out beyond the previously defined border and drenching the dark type. Absol snarled as she hopped to her feet and opened her mouth.

My whole team tensed as a single white orb appeared just above her open maw, and Joern brought his hands together, a single orb of water growing between his palms.

I lifted my hands up, my eyes wide as I took in the very familiar sight. “Wait.”

“What-” Emilie cut herself off as the white orb launched into the air.

An overwhelming heat washed over my skin as I brought up my arm to shield my eyes. The artificial sun pulsed as it ascended, banishing the clouds as it pushed upwards, and grew in size as it finally stopped just above the tree line. I swallowed down a lump that formed in my throat at the familiar sight.

My dreams weren’t dreams.

Absol once again laid down on the ground and yawned, her feet digging into the soft soil as she stretched her back out. ‘Much better. See that you don’t-’

“Your name is Sol,” I said, my voice calm and steady.

Absol froze.

I attempted to swallow but found my mouth too dry to push through the lump that formed in my throat. I took a deep breath before starting again. “Your father had a scar over his right eye, and had a deep, commanding voice. He-”

‘Shut up!’ The words were hissed out with enough malice that it felt like a tangible force in the air. ‘You dare-’

“Was killed by a wound through his chest.” I pushed through and finished my earlier sentence.

Absol’s anger dissolved, and clouds started to slowly encroach into the radiant aura of her sun. Her eyes became listless as she backed away from me.

I took a deep breath before continuing. “Before that happened, your parents were separated. Your father lived in a cave with a large stream running through it, and you stayed with your mom to help defend the king’s tomb.”

Emilie looked up at me with wide, awe filled eyes as I rattled off private facts about a dark type.

“Something horrible happened when you visited your father, what that something is I don’t know yet, but...” I took a deep breath before smiling at the dark type. “Holding onto that anger, all that spite and resentment, lashing out at everyone... it feels good, doesn’t it?”

Absol leaned back as though she were struck. ‘I-’

I pushed through, not giving her a chance to answer. “It feels like anger is all you have, like if you give up you won’t have anything else to push you forward. You lash out at everyone, because they don’t understand, even though they’re trying to help.” I reached up and rubbed my cheek. “You’re not doing yourself any favors.”

‘How, get out of my head!’ Absol snarled. ‘I don’t know how but get out and STAY OUT! You have no right to go poking around in my mind, you fucking psychics are all the same!’

I smiled, all my earlier worries and stumbling forgotten as another angry face played through my mind. The scowls were almost identical, even. Right down to the way Eve’s right eye twitched when she got mad.

“I’m not in your head.” I tilted my head and smiled at her, my voice calm as the artificial sun got blotted out by Apollo’s storm.

‘Liar!’ The dark type leaned forward but recoiled back as rain once again started to fall. ‘The only Pokémon that know anything about what happened down there are dead. I don’t know how, but-’

I drowned her out as a familiar white figure drifted into view, his presence wispy and faded as he stared out from beneath the shade of the palm trees. He leapt forward and nudged his head into his daughter’s side.

Sol froze, the unheard words dying on her tongue as the spectral visage of her father phased right through her body. Her body briefly shook as she turned and looked around the clearing. ‘What the hell was that? What did you do?’

“Lea, what’s going on?” Emilie looked around the clearing, her tone clipped and panicked. “Something feels off.”

I sighed. Great, she couldn’t see it, but she could slightly feel it. That was... decidedly unhelpful. It would have made things about a million times easier if the fairy that couldn’t lie could back up my-

‘You mean you don’t see it?’ Lucas poked his head out of the shadows, his eyes trained directly on Sol’s father. ‘Buddy, we need to get you to a center, you’re in bad shape.’

My own ghost, of course he could see him! He’s a damn ghost type!

How the hell could I see him?

‘See what? Ave ye lost whatever marbles you had left, you daft sword?’ Apollo waved his arm out to the field. ‘No one’s here but us.’

‘What are you talking about, he’s right-’

“They can’t see him, Lucas.” I smiled down at my sword as he slowly rose up out of the ground. “Not like you and I can.”

‘What do you,’ He paused, before looking at the bloody fur. ‘Oh.’

The old Absol nodded his head, before turning and looking sadly at his daughter. I let my eyes follow his and winced.

Sol’s eyes bored down into Lucas’s form, and her entire body shook. ‘Start making sense, or I’ll stop playing nice. You think you’re safe up here, you bargain store Halloween decoration? I-’

“Just because someone’s dead, doesn’t mean they’re gone.” I cut her off with a sad look.

Sol recoiled away from me as if she’d been struck. ‘What kind of hoodoo nonsense are you trying to peddle? He’s-’

“A ghost.” I turned and looked at him. “A very sad one.”

Emilie followed my line of sight and focused, really hard. “I can... is that him? I can sort of see an outline, but... it’s so hard. My mind can perceive that something is there, but I can’t figure out or comprehend what.”

Sol looked down at Emilie with a snarl, before recoiling back even further, her eyes going wide, and her mouth snapping shut. ‘T-there really is something there.’

I grinned down at Emilie before focusing on Sol. “That’s what Emilie says. I know it’s hard to believe. Hell, I’m still not sure if I believe it. But it’s true. Straight from the fairy’s mouth.”

Sol kept squinting her eyes and inching towards what she probably saw as open air. The father just smiled sadly before reaching his own paw out. Sol froze just before touching it and backed away.

‘I just- I can’t-’ Sol shook her head.

“I don’t really know what to do, but... I want to help. I know-”

‘I just can’t!’ Absol sprinted away from the clearing, a pained look on her face as she ran.

“Damn it, Apollo-”

‘Already on it, Cap!’ Apollo gave chase in the air, disappearing in an instant after her.

The clearing stood silent as the two left, and I groaned before shifting my gaze back to the sorrowful ghost dog.

He simply looked back at me, smiled, and slowly disappeared with the rain.

Apollo’s POV

Damn stupid overly emotional dark type. Evolving was the biggest damn mistake he ever made. He was slower, Aerial ace was a damn pain, and he had to focus constantly to make sure he didn’t drench everything. The extra power and bulk were NOT worth it.

He supposed he should be at least partially grateful that the brat had run into at least three different palm trees as she made her ‘escape’. Tearful eyes weren’t that easy to see through, apparently.

“Would ye quit yer running? I ain’t gonna do anything. You can do whatever the hell you want. I just need to make sure you don’t run off and do something stupid.” Apollo swooped down and landed directly in front of the Absol, his wings raised in challenge.

Sol jumped up and dived forward, her jaw opened wide as her teeth glowed black.

Apollo beat his wings and three sickles of air launched forward in an instant, slamming into the dark type and pushing it back a solid fifteen feet. She slammed into the dirt, kicking up a small bit of sand as she rolled a few times through the grass.

Kyogre below, doing that felt nice.

Sol coughed a few times before glowering at him. “Like I can trust a word that comes out of your mouth, pirate!”

Apollo sighed before leering at the brat in front of him. “Fine, if ye want to get drawn and quartered, who am I to refuse.” He leaned forward and glared. “Yer just angry at everyone, huh? Captain was right. Still don’t know why she’s giving you the time of day.”

“Shove it. Like I’m just supposed to believe that little side show carnival act in there was legit? Get real.” Sol spat into the ground and glared. “Even if dad was still around, I know for a fact he’d want nothing to do with me. The whole thing is ludicrous!”

Apollo's glare turned vicious at the insult. “I’d advise you to watch. Your. Tone. Cap’s not one to lie, and the lass literally can’t. Just because you’re throwing a tantrum doesn’t make their claims any less real.” Apollo leaned back and smiled as the first few drops of rain hit the ground.

“Bold claims from a liar and a thief. I should rip you to pieces, see if little miss perfect wants to ‘help’ after that.” Sol leaned forward, her claws digging into the ground.

“Feh, you’re more than welcome to try.” Apollo leered down at the white furred menace. Legends, he wanted to rip this slip of a girl a new one.

The ground rippled underneath Sol’s feet as she tore across the clearing, her horn glowing black. She swung her head forward, and a black beam of energy swept through the clearing, pushing through open air as Apollo blurred.

He slammed his glowing white wing into the dark type’s chest, forcing the air from it as he threw her backwards. “Tell me, out of idle curiosity, is there anyone you don’t hate on principle?”

“Shut up.” Sol blurred forward as the words left her mouth.

Apollo instinctively moved upwards, narrowly avoiding her fangs and throwing several sickles of wind her way for her trouble. “The captain seems to think she can fix you with kind words, compassion, and empathy, but I don’t think she quite understands.”

“I said shut up!” She jumped over the blades, whipped her head up, and opened her mouth. A large, wispy, purple orb formed before shrinking down to the size of a baseball. An echoing wail shrieked against the downpour as the attack fired.

Apollo opened his mouth and fired a massive jet of water, consuming the ghostly orb in its path and cascading down towards Sol. “You and I both know better though, don’t we? You don’t care about anyone. You don’t have anyone.” Apollo pulled his beak down into a frown. “Not anymore, at least.”

Sol coughed and sputtered from her spot on the ground, her legs shaking below her weight. She glared hatefully upwards and jumped, her claws glowing black.

Apollo disappeared and body checked her back into the ground. “You’re going to keep picking fights, because the anger feels good. Because it’s something.” Apollo followed after the downed form and slammed into her with silver wings, the attack cutting into her side. A gasp left her lips as Apollo slammed her, hard, into a palm tree.

She snarled for a second before staring into the Pelipper’s eyes. She winced away at the reflection.

Apollo brought his other wing up, still glowing silver in the slowing rainstorm. “Until one day, ye finally pick a fight with someone ye can’t beat.”

Sol closed her eyes and leaned away as Apollo buried his wing into the tree. It splintered under the force. She slowly opened her eyes and pressed herself up against the tree.

The attack had stopped just short of her skull.

Apollo frowned before flashing the underside of the wing he just used to attack. A large, jagged scar ran down its length. He pulled back from the tree and hopped out of the way as the Absol fell forward. “Be grateful that someone is me and believe me when I tell you it can be a lot worse.”

Sol sucked in air like she had been suffocating, before trying, and failing, to get back to her feet. “You...”

“Me.” Apollo grinned before sighing. “The last living member of the Peeko Riders, in the flesh.”

Sol winced before glaring. “Don’t assume-”

“That I don’t know how angry you feel? How much the world wronged you? How desperately you wish things could go back to the way they were before?” Apollo laughed.

Sol winced at the broken sounds coming from Apollo’s beak before scampering backwards, her legs still feeling like Jello.

“Nothing but a swabbie with a chip on his wing, ready to fight anyone who dared to talk about me mates. Good or bad.” Apollo looked down and glared at the ground before lifting up his left wing. “Learned really quick that I wasn’t shit where I was, so I flew down south. Started brawling with random wilds that were just minding their own business.” A sigh left his beak as he looked away. “Didn’t need much of a reason, really.”

“Let me guess, you met the idiot squad and learned the error of your ways?” Sol sneered, before wincing away from the glare sent her way.

“If only...” Apollo looked away again. “You can only be angry at the world for so long. At some point, you realize you're just as horrid as the things that took away your family.” Apollo shivered. “It’s a horrifying realization, really. One that makes you wonder what horrors the guy before you went through to get to that point.”

Sol stood still, her eyes trained on Apollo’s beak.

Apollo waited for the interruption. He stood silently for what felt like hours, ready to cut the dark type off. No words came, and the waterfowl heaved a sigh of relief. “I know I’m just a pirate and a thief. I’m not good, by any stretch, and Kyogre knows I’m probably the last Pokémon anyone should really listen to, but I’m at least smart enough to know that you’re a good kid who’s been dealt a shit hand. Instead of listening to me rattle on about my own crap, ask yourself this. Would you be able to live with yourself if you succeeded in killing May?”

Sol opened her mouth, then closed it and leaned back, her eyes trained on the ground.

Apollo frowned. “Could you push through, knowing that you’d be robbing someone of their kid, of stealing away someone’s mate, or of robbing the world of a genuinely good person?”

“I...” The word died on Sol’s tongue as she kicked lightly at the dirt. “I don’t know.”

Apollo flapped his wings once and started to rise up into the now clear sky. “Well, be grateful you don’t have to find out. Think on it though.”

Sol tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “You’re not dragging me back?”

Apollo laughed. “I’m not scared of you. Honestly, there’s no reason to be. Stay, leave, I honestly don’t care. May wants you around for some reason, and the cap thinks you deserve a shot, but no one can force you to do anything.” Apollo turned around and started to fly away from the dark type, before pausing. He turned around slightly and looked over his shoulder. “Just... know that you don’t have to go through the rest of your life alone. It might not seem like it, but life can get better.” Apollo turned back around. “Even if you don’t feel like you deserve it. You lost one family, doesn’t mean you can’t find another.”

Apollo blurred once again, flitting through the sky back towards camp.

Normal POV

I stared down at my quarter master for what felt like an eternity as stormy clouds loomed overhead.

He stared back up at me with a blank expression, never breaking under my scrutiny.

I sighed. “Just run me through this one more time. You caught up to her, you fought, you won, and you left her out there alone.”

Apollo tilted his head to the side and looked up at one of his storm clouds before nodding. ‘Yup, that sounds about right.’

I slapped my forehead and groaned. “Course it does. Why?”

‘In my defense, she started it, and she needed an attitude adjustment. Not everything can be solved with kind words and an open hand, Captain.’ Apollo sighed before looking away. ‘I understand if you wish to punish me for this. I went against orders, and insubordination is no joking matter.’

“I’m not, that doesn’t answer the question. Why did you just leave her out there?” I asked, my tone exasperated.

‘It wasn’t my place to force her, and honestly, I think she needed time to think.’ Apollo leaned up and beamed at me. ‘I have every confidence that the lass will return of her own accord, though.’

“Of course you do.” Emilie quipped as she teleported back to my shoulder, putting her training on hold as she glared down at Apollo. “She’ll probably try and pick us off while we’re doing other crap and yoink Lucas back to her cave for their bondage-”

“Finish that sentence and you’re never getting cookies ever again!” I shouted, my face red. “Same goes for ever using that word. It doesn’t exist, got it? You never heard it.”

Emilie nodded fervently, her eyes wide and desolate. “Got it.”

‘Ye won’t have to worry, even if she was plotting something, which she wasn’t, I didn’t leave her in any kind of shape to-’

His words were cut off as a small purple orb slammed into his back and he lurched forward into the ground.

I whipped my head up and winced at the sight. Sol was barely holding herself up on all fours, and a large red gash made itself known on her right side. She smirked proudly as she glared at my waterfowl.

‘That was revenge for that stupid fucking Steel Wing, you prick,’ Sol spat.

“That was your last mistake.” Emilie snarled as her eyes glowed blue, a dozen stones rose up into the air before circling around her at increasing speed.

‘The only mistake was how pathetic that shot was. If I had known how shit you were with that move, I wouldn’t ave bothered blocking it in our match.’ Apollo got back up to his feet, awkwardly turned, and glared at the white furred Pokémon.

‘Yeah, well... I didn’t really feel like hurting you, alright?’ Sol looked away as she finished her sentence. ‘Still though, a dark type has to keep some pride. A little revenge is required after a beat down like that.’

Apollo threw his head back and laughed. ‘Fair enough, I suppose.’

The stones around Emilie slowly started to sink back towards the ground. Her eyes never left the intruder in front of her.

Sol collapsed back into the ground. ‘Oi, sappy tree hugger, recall me would you? The ball makes most of the pain go away, and I could really use that right now.’

“And what if I wanted you to deal with it for attacking my quartermaster?” I asked, my eyes narrowed.

‘Meh, I suppose that’s fine. Not like I don’t deserve it.’ Sol shifted slightly in her spot on the ground and winced. ‘Though I suppose I’d be down to make a trade. You said you wanted to know if I felt any looming disasters, right?’

I leaned back, my eyes wide. “You-”

‘Outside of the normal sense of impending doom that all Absol feel about the end of the world, no looming disaster is making itself known. Near as I can feel, it’s all sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, and unicorns, at least as far as the near future is concerned. I’m not exactly strong enough to see beyond that, but your friends are only supposed to be down there for a few days, right?’ Absol asked.

I pushed down all the questions I wanted to ask about the first part of that and nodded. “May said they were coming back up for my gym match in five days regardless of whether or not they found Steven.”

‘Then they’ll be fine.’ Absol closed her eyes and rested her head on the grass. She glanced briefly at Emilie before lifting it up again and sighing. ‘I really wish I could just send her my thoughts. I really don’t like talking right now.’

“Deal with it,” Emilie spat.

I winced. Guess it was too much to hope that Emilie would be chill right away. Still though, it felt like I could breathe again. Fuck, I did not realize how tense I was.

‘At any rate, my ball, please?’ Absol looked up at me expectantly.

I jumped to attention and quickly went to my belt. “Right.” I pulled up her ball, aimed, and pressed the return button. I held the ball close and smiled. “And thanks.”

Apollo stood at attention, looking incredibly smug as he leered at Emilie.

A single rock shot up from the ground and whacked him on the forehead. “Don’t get uppity just because you were right.”

‘Why not, you do.’ Apollo rubbed his head before looking back my way.

“Play nice you two. I don’t know what you did or said, Apollo, but thank you.” I smiled down at my favorite waterfowl. “You’re a good friend.”

He blushed and looked away as I pocketed Sol’s ball. 'Twernt nothing, my captain.'

I opened my mouth but froze as white fur once again filled my vision. Just behind my first two captures stood Sol’s father, looking regal in the crisp afternoon air. A smile dotted his lips as he eyed the three of us, and he nodded once before fading out again.

A new weight suddenly loomed over my shoulders as I glanced back down at my pocket, and I sighed.

Eve was still a pain in the ass even now. I couldn’t take it easy just because she was giving us a chance. That just felt like tacet approval, so I had to live up to it.

I glanced down at my bickering Pokémon and smiled. At least I wasn’t alone to do it.