After thanking Montressue and Mrs. Peters profusely for their help, it was time to head home.

  Actually, it was technically time for our daily training, but the day had already felt impossibly long, and the thought of doing just about anything else this afternoon filled me with a deep pit of dread.

  My knights were understanding, willing to do some abbreviated exercises in the yard around our apartment instead of their full routine, and Mana was just as done as I was.

  Unfortunately the universe was not so considerate.

  It happened while I was putting the key into the deadbolt on our door. A creeping sense of unease, like I was being watched. I almost dismissed it, but the palpable aura of discomfort tickled something in my brain that demanded attention. My hands dropped to the Poké Balls on my belt, and I slowly turned around, using my eyes to scan my surroundings.

  A couple of joggers went by, accompanied by a panting Vulpix, and a Cyclizar with a yellow Taxi sash deposited his passenger in front of a nearby apartment building.

  There was nothing off about the open-air hallway running to either side of me. Just the same brick and mortar facade I’d seen almost every day of my life.

  Everything looked normal. Mundane.

  And yet all of the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. Something was wrong. I couldn’t place what it was, but there was something here, something staring at me. Something out to get me. I couldn’t be out here any longer.

  I spun around, turning my key and shoving the door to our apartment open.

  I practically spilled inside, slamming the front door shut behind me and ramming both the deadbolt and the auto-lock into the closed position. I scrambled up to my to the peephole so I could place my eye up against the aperture and stare through it out into the empty hallway.

  I watched for one second, two, three. By the time a minute had passed, my heartrate was starting to slow down. Still, just to be safe, I kept my eye stuck to the peephole for another half-minute, until I was entirely certain that my sudden bout of paranoia was just that.

  With a sigh of relief, I turned around.

  And found myself confronted by a cavernous maw of obsidian teeth, serrated, and dripping with odious red fluid.

  I screamed, long and sharp, as I desperately scrambled backwards. Unfortunately, I immediately found myself blocked by the door which, moments ago, represented safety and escape.

  The vision of death, sharp and menacing, advanced on me slowly, wafts of darkened energy spilling off the malignant creature in waves,

  One of my hands went to the Poké Balls on my belt even as the other reached behind me to unlock the door and give us an escape route. Before I could snag any of the metal spheres, however, two of them cracked open, disgorging their contents into the foyer.

  Seven small bodies apparated out of the crimson light, interposed between me and the fantastically grim visage of my assailant.

  My knights came out of the ball bristling, swelling with energy as they heard the quivering terror in my voice.

  Mana looked equally incensed, eyes flashing dire warnings as she fought through her exhaustion to confront the interloper.

  Except, as those bioluminescent lamps pierced the darkness of our still apartment, the apparition in front of us faded away, as if banished by the encroaching light. Jagged teeth and welling blood disappeared before our eyes, replaced by gentle, teal energy, pouring off a ghostly body in waves.

  Rhea the Dragapult held his crimson claws up to his face, covering his mouth as if to smother laughter, even as his whole body quivered with mirth. The two chirruping Dreepy poking their heads out of his horns weren’t nearly so restrained, actively guffawing at our expense.

  All the strength went out of my legs as the creeping sense of danger and unease dissolved like mist under the morning sun. I almost collapsed to the ground, barely catching myself against the wall as I heaved for breath. It felt like my heart was going at three-hundred beats per minute, and burning heat suffused my face, as gut-wrenching terror was quickly supplanted by bone-crushing anger.

  “What the hell Rhea! You almost scared the soul out of me!” I shouted at the teal specter. My complaint was echoed by my partners, who were just as vocal about their disapproval at the Ghost-type’s antics as I was.

  The Dragapult was entirely unrepentant, pointing down at his flickering tail meaningfully.

  “I get that you’re a ghost, but you didn’t need to make it so scary!” I shouted, unable to get my voice under control. To my horror and embarrassment, I felt slivers of wetness on my cheeks, and I angrily wiped the sleeve of my too-small down jacket unhelpfully across my face. Kay noticed my tears, because of course he did, and he let out a couple of concerned chirps that got the rest of my knights crowding around me, trying to see if I was okay.

  At least I was in good company. Now that the danger had passed, Mana was practically catatonic. She settled into the hood of my jacket, and I could feel her tears of fear and relief running down my back as she buried herself as far into the cloth as she could.

  Rhea, perhaps noticing that his harmless prank hadn’t been as innocuous as he imagined, lost some of the smugness of his features.

  “Today has already been *hic* h-h-hard enough,” I tried to shout, but found myself struggling to speak through a sudden bout of hiccups, combined with some shortness of breath. “We really, *hic* really didn’t need– didn’t need this today!”

  It seemed as if my words were finally getting through to the Ghost-type. His claws went down to his chest as his little shoulders hunched up, and he sniffed at the air. His expression quickly grew genuinely contrite, probably because he was able to sense the feelings of genuine terror still beating within Mana and I.

  He croaked out something I couldn’t understand, but which sounded chastising, causing the Dreepy to stop snickering as I angrily wiped more at my face, trying to get the embarrassing tears to stop. “I just– I can’t– I just wanted to rest.”

  I crouched down, and wrapped my arms around the closest little sphere, Bers as it happened. I buried my face in his carapace, crying in full now as the toll of the day, exacerbated by another dose of heart-stopping terror, finally caught up to me.

  Distantly, I heard Rhea say something, which got a biting reply from my knights, who took turns shouting at the specter. It seemed like maybe they were explaining how our day had gone so far to the Ghost-type, though I couldn’t tell for sure past the ringing in my ears.

  I knelt down there on the floor for what felt like an hour, but was probably really only a few minutes. Eventually, my other Poké Ball opened, releasing the Maushold into the foyer. Their chittering chastisement stilled the ongoing argument, and from there, gentle prods and fluffy paws led me to the living room couch, where I laid down. I was joined by Mana, who was coaxed into her travel ball by my other team members. I clutched the cool plastic sphere to my chest, occasionally making eye contact with my little fishy partner.

  Another small eternity passed as we recovered ourselves, emotionally and mentally drained from our day so far. Rhea’s little prank had been the straw to break the Camerupt’s back, as it were. We might have been able to shrug off the jape on another occasion, but today, it was just too much for Mana and I after we’d already relived the little Water-type’s traumatizing memories.

  Eventually, however, the weight of my responsibilities pulled me from the sagging couch’s dubious embrace. It was starting to get late, and my partners would need dinner. No matter how miserable I felt, no matter how low I was, there was no excuse for failing to take care of them. So I dragged myself to the kitchen, where I found myself confronted by a shocking tableau.

  Apparently, sometime in the interim between now and my episode, Rhea had managed to go out and purchase takeout, if the bags of fast food festooning our table were any indicator. The Dragon-type was directing his two Dreepy and my knights in setting the food out for dinner, with Percy helpfully pointing out where various cutlery and condiments were located in the kitchen.

  The bustle of activity stopped when I stepped into the busy room. At least nine pair of eyes were on me, as I stood awkwardly in the doorway. Then, the smell from the takeout hit me, a mix of Kantonian spices and freshly grilled berries. To my utter mortification, my stomach rumbled loud enough for everyone to hear.

  -

  It was gratifying that my knights were able to direct Rhea in picking up food I would enjoy. Just like I understood their preferences, they (or at least one of them) understood mine.

  And as far as reconciliatory efforts went, providing dinner was going a long way towards improving my mood.

  I was still unhappy with the mischievous spirit, but I was at least willing to hear him out. He then immediately tested my newfound patience by vanishing for a few moments, before reappearing from who knows where, except now carrying a conspicuous mailbag strapped to his chest.

  He made a big show of fishing around in the satchel, before retrieving a pair of small, nondescript boxes with logos I wasn’t familiar with emblazoned on them. He placed them on the table, where they both settled with a quiet thunk.

  I felt an eyebrow quirk, and made to reach for the packages, but the specter held up a belaying hand, gesturing for me to wait.

  I did as he bid, and felt my brows raise further as he pulled another package out of the bag, this one almost as large as the satchel itself. The cylindrical metal case looked impressively secure, and was colored in yellow with a blue circle decorating both ends. Before I could inspect that, however. Rhea reached into his bag once more.

  A milk crate came out next, which had absolutely no chance of fitting in the bag along with what Rhea had taken out previously. There was some sort of nonsense going on, though whether it stemmed from Rhea’s properties as a spirit, or was something about the bag itself, I couldn’t tell.

  The crate was stuffed with bottles, though the labels were rather unhelpfully written in Hoennese. I’d heard that the alphabet was shared with Kantonian, but I didn’t speak or read either language, so that information wasn’t useful at the current moment.

  And the Dragapult wasn’t done yet. A pair of notebooks came out next, one rather obviously having suffered some water damage, and the other covered in tape and small, tab-like bookmarks.

  Finally, topping it all off, was another small cardboard box, taped to which was an azure envelope with a very official-looking wax seal on it.

  Rhea made a ta-da motion at the absolute pile of things he’d just deposited on our kitchen table, and I found myself having to close my mouth, which had fallen slack at some point during the process.

  This time, when I reached out for the box with the envelope on it, the Dragapult made no effort to stop me.

  The stationary crinkled under my hands as I pried it free from the cardboard it was stuck too, but I was stymied by the wax seal. Eventually, I had to resort to using a pair of scissors as a letter opener, jamming the blade into the thick paper and slicing the thing open.

  I spilled the envelope’s contents onto the table. Within it were not one, but two letters, the first in the same azure colors as the envelope it came in, and the second a piece of standard-looking letter type, the sort found in a printer attached to a computer.

  The former was covered in handwritten scrawl, sloping but legible, while the latter had bold type-face on it, obviously the output from either a typewriter or PC.

  I looked up at Rhea, who was staring at me in naked anticipation, and then back down to the letters. I started with the one that was obviously from Drake.

  Fe,

  Sorry it took so long to get this package together. Things have been hectic here in Hoenn. I took the job from Champion Stone, and I’m now one of his elite four, along with one of my former subordinates and a couple of young upstarts. They’re a right pair of troublemakers, but they’re also strong trainers. Sometimes it feels like those two things go hand-in-hand.

  But I digress. Apologies again for the circumstances under which we parted. I hope these rewards might alleviate some of your resentment. And make no mistake, they are rewards. I actually had to limit how much my colleagues wanted to send you after they got their hands on the pictures you took.

  And that’s not to mention my own personal gratitude. Suffice to say, your efforts helped me find a treasure that I had long since given up finding and allowed me to rediscover another treasure I thought potentially lost forever.

  If you ever find yourself in need of assistance, please reach out to me. Remember, for trainers, the connections we make with others are the greatest form of strength we have. That is one lesson I have no compunctions about imparting, and I hope the significance of that is not lost on you.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Now, onto the contents of this ‘package.’ As you’ve no doubt noticed, the aid I promised you ballooned rather abruptly out of proportions. I’ll go over everything one at a time.

  First is the small box with the Devon logo. This comes from my new boss, and is the Devon Corporations newest model of PokNav, a navigation and communications tool similar to a Pokégear. I think he slipped a message for you inside the box, but it’s probably some stupid corporate form letter.

  The notebooks are what I initially promised, guidance on how to train your current partners from two masters, one of Water-types and the other of Fighting-types. They’re both personal friends of mine, and I trust them to give you good advice without offering their answers too freely.

  They also helped me consult on the Technical Machines I sent you. They’re inside the TM Case. I can’t remember if you use TMs over in Ferrum, but if you’re not familiar, they’re advanced devices used to quickly teach Pokémon moves they might otherwise struggle with learning. Silph Co. developed them recently, and they’re already pretty common in most regions. You’ll find more detailed instructions for their use inside the case.

  The Vitamins are from me. I know you said you’re not hurting for money right now, but supplements are both expensive, and an important part of making sure your partners develop properly. If you need to, think of them not as something I’m giving to you, but rather a reward I’m sending to your Pokémon for their hard work during our training. They shouldn’t really expire, so even if you don’t have any partners that can make good use of them now, hold onto them. They might be useful someday.

  Next, there should be another box, if Rhea followed instructions properly. I asked him to pick up a new Pokégear for you, something high-end and locally produced. Let me know if he forgot about that.

  Finally, the box this letter was attached to is a thank-you gift from Professor Birch, Hoenn’s foremost expert on Pokémon studies. His particular area of expertise is Pokémon habitats, and he currently has a joint study going with your local Professor Ironwood concerning the impacts of habitat changes on typing and evolutionary form. When he saw the pictures you took, and heard about your job as a ranger, he insisted on sending you something. I’m not super familiar with the device, but he assured me you’ll find it useful.

  And that’s everything. I hope this letter finds you well. I know we didn’t part on the best of notes, but please, stay in contact. I’d love to hear more about your ongoing journey towards mastery. I truly believe you have it in you to reach heights unattainable for most, and nothing would make me happier than you proving me right.

  If you are willing to continue sending letters, talk to Rhea. He’ll happily work you into his delivery and pickup schedule if you ask. Really, he’ll take any excuse to get to travel new routes.

  Whatever you decide, know that you have my gratitude, which is no light thing. Thank you, Fe. Never give up. Fight for the future of you and your partners, and pursue your goals with the same determination you showed me for the week I knew you. As long as you do so, I know we’ll meet again someday.

  Drake Genji

  Hoenn Elite Four

  I looked up from the letter to Rhea’s grinning visage, over to the absolute pile of nonsense that had been abruptly dropped on my metaphorical lap and literal kitchen table, and then back at the hovering dragon. “Can I get a rain check on writing that response?”

  -

  As it turned out, Rhea was in no great hurry. Which was good, because I did not have the bandwidth to deal with all of the things Drake sent, nor the feelings they evoked in me.

  I barely had the wherewithal to get all the crap off the table, and stuffed into the back of the hall closet, let alone actually addressing, it

  I got myself and my partners ready for bed, and we turned in early, Mana safely ensconced in her tank, Maushold in their cozy nest, and my knights on their various beds and cushions spread throughout the room. I’m not sure where Rhea went off to, but I was pretty confident the Ghost-type could take care of himself just fine.

  Unfortunately, In spite of my exhaustion, sleep didn’t come easily. I resisted the urge to toss and turn, acutely aware of the slumbering Pokémon nested underneath my bed, and settled for trying to keep my eyes open for as long as possible. That eventually did the trick, but after what felt like no time at all, I found myself waking in a cold sweat, a half-remembered nightmare threaded through my mind.

  I checked the time, and had to suppress a groan when my alarm clock told me that it wasn’t even five AM. I considered trying to fall back asleep, but the discomfort from the night terror that had awoken me lingered in my head, defeating any attempts to continue my rest.

  With another suppressed groan, I pried myself free of my bed, doing my best to banish memories of liminal spaces and unseen, slimy pursuers.

  I managed to avoid awakening any of my partners, as far as I could tell anyway, and padded over to the hall closet where I had stashed Rhea’s delivery. What had seemed like an unbearable burden last night now felt like a welcome distraction, both from the nightmare, and from figuring out how I felt about Drake in the light of what he’d sent. I pawed through the various offerings, eventually deciding to start with the other letter, and the journals.

  I took them all to the couch, and settled in to read after turning on the living room light. First was the printed letter in bold typeface, simple black ink on white paper.

  Dear Ms. Fione Alvida,

  Elite Four Drake informs me that I have you to thank for the breathtaking photos (we both know of whom). Really, the entire scientific community owes you a debt. Never before has the subject in question been photographed inside of Earth’s atmosphere, and these images have greatly enhanced our understanding of the subject in every conceivable way.

  I can’t get into the minutiae, unfortunately. Inter-regional privacy and security really is such a bother. However, I can make sure your contribution to the world’s scientific progress is amply rewarded. You’ll find in the box that came with this message a device called a Pokédex. This exciting new machine was developed by Kanto’s very own Professor Oak a few years ago, and just recently became available to researchers in other regions. It's an electronic database chock-full of information about Pokémon, and not only that, it has the ability to scan and identify Pokémon in real time, as well as identify where those Pokémon were spotted.

  Truly, it is a potent scientific tool that is revolutionizing our ability to study and befriend Pokémon all over the world! Most Pokédex are linked into an interconnected network so that they can update automatically with emergent information about new discoveries and feed the network with their own advancements, but unfortunately, such functionality has been disabled in your device (those pesky international privacy laws again)!

  However, this is an issue easily rectified. Simply pay a visit to Professor Ironwood, and he should be able to get your dex linked into Ferrum’s local network. I behoove you to do so, both for your own benefit and for the betterment of our understanding of the world as a whole. I’ve got a feeling that you have the capability to really make the most of this tool, if given the opportunity.

  Good luck with your new Pokédex Ms. Fione, and thank you for lighting a fire in Elite Four Drake again. I was worried for the man when he disappeared after his defeat at the Champion’s hands, but to my relief, he returned from his foray more energized than ever. I’ll make sure to put in a good word with Professor Ironwood, so please reach out to him when you get a chance! He’s a valued colleague of mine, and a renowned expert in his own right.

  Yours truly,

  Professor Maki Birch.

  I scratched my head, and then went to the closet to recover the box in question. I divested the ‘Pokédex’ of its packaging and found a small, crimson device that flipped open, revealing a pair of screens and a bevy of toggles and buttons. The little LCD flickered to life, and the small device made a whirring noise as it spooled on.

  ‘Hello!’ I almost dropped the device as a neutral, electronic voice emerged from some hidden speaker. I bit back a curse as I desperately searched for the volume buttons, even as the Pokédex went through its introductory spiel.

  Eventually, I found a slider on the side that dropped the machine’s volume from obnoxiously loud to barely audible, and thankfully– by the sounds of it at least– my gaffe hadn’t awoken any of my poor family members at this ungodly hour.

  I followed the device’s instructions, as it ran me through a startup sequence and showed me various features. Like the letter from Professor Birch had said, the machine was chock full of data about Pokémon. Typings, size ranges, coloration, evolutionary criteria, habitat preferences, and more were housed in the incredible device. Anything you might want to know about the ecology and biology of a Pokémon fit within its purview. Unfortunately, its data on Falinks and Maushold were both desperately sparse, and it had nothing on Yowashi at all.

  Plus, In a twist of irony, the things that I personally would have valued, moves, care instructions, and power baselines, were all conspicuously absent.

  Then again, the letter had said it was a tool for researchers, not battlers. It was still an incredibly valuable gift, and one I was excited to investigate in more detail later.

  But something else had my attention for now. The two journals penned by Drake’s friends were far more along the lines of the assistance I needed, and as soon as I opened the slightly water-logged one I immediately lost two hours to its enthralling contents.

  The man who penned it, apparently named Juan Adan, was water specialist, and the former Sootopolis City Gym Leader. The man’s penmanship was flashy and looping, but mostly legible (barring the parts that had droplets of water spilled on them, making the ink run into the pages). His words were elegant and thought-provoking, if not always the most practical or actionable. Lists of common moves were followed by soliloquies on the nature of water and its various forms, which were followed again by anecdotes about particular gym challengers, or memories of spectacular contest performances.

  It was as enthralling as it was confusing. I didn’t have the context to understand a lot of his writing, and I was forced to turn to the Macros Gear, and its connection to Galar’s net to gather the information I needed to grasp all of what Juan was saying.

  When my mom came into the living room at six AM, she found me hunched over the coffee table, Juan’s journal perched above one of my notebooks, which I was desperately filling with writing. The Macros Gear’s shining screen was blinking just off to the side, my most recent search about ‘dynamic properties in fluid barrier generation and maintenance’ still highlighted on it.

  “You’re up early, sweetie. Is everything okay?” Her gentle voice broke me out of my study-induced fugue.

  I turned around to find a Nurse Joy, already dressed for work, peering over my shoulder. “Fine,” I told mom after blinking a few times to clear my head. I had to suppress a yawn, and then I continued, “I was having some trouble sleeping, is all”

  “Hmm,” Mom hummed thoughtfully, but she didn’t comment. “And what’s all this?” She gestured at the coffee table and its eclectic contents.

  “Oh, Drake sent me some advice from his acquaintances, and I’ve been going through it. This Juan guy meanders around his points like a river, but I think I’m starting to get somewhere.” My hands were still moving, even as I talked with mom, working to transcribe the water master’s ramblings into something more usable.

  Mom blinked a couple of times. “I see. Well, how are your new partners settling in?” She changed the subject, as she went to the kitchen to put a pot of coffee on.

  “Fine, I think. They’re still getting used to things, but I’ve got high hopes that before too long they’ll fit right in.” I told her.

  “Have you decided on a name for them yet?” She asked me, to which I shook my head, before realizing she couldn’t actually see me anymore.

  “Not yet. I’m still workshopping a few options, but I haven’t been able to settle on one yet,” I said.

  “Well don’t wait too long.” She warned me. “It can be hard for Pokémon to adjust to new names, especially if they’ve gotten used to you calling them something else.”

  I shrugged my shoulders, unworried. “They’re pretty smart. I’m sure they’ll be able to get it down once we’ve agreed on something.”

  Mom hummed noncommittally but didn’t say anything else. I knew she had to go to work soon, but as I thought of my newest partners and their close relationship, I suddenly realized that I hadn’t really seen her, nor my dad in close to a week.

  “So when is dad getting back from his business trip this time?” I asked, suddenly more interested in keeping the conversation going.

  “Next Tuesday, I think,” she replied. “He’s really angling for a promotion that’ll let him stay in Techne more, but now’s the time when he has to make a big push.”

  “No, I get it,” I said, trying to sound understanding. “Just feels like it's been forever since I last saw him, you know?”

  Mom’s head poked out from around the door leading into the kitchen. “Oh, I know sweetie. Like I said, hopefully he’ll be able to spend more time in the city soon. This is just a busy time for him.”

  “And for you too,” I replied. “Will you be more free after the promotion tournament?”

  “I should be,” came mom’s reply from the kitchen. “Just another week and I’ll be done.”

  I nodded to myself. It’d be nice to spend some time together as a family again. Maybe I’d even get to see Chansey. It’d been months now since my favorite pink blob had made it back home.

  “Actually, speaking of the promotion tournament.” I heard mom from the kitchen again. “Alyssa’s birthday is just a couple of days after the tourney. Have you gotten her a gift yet?”

  I winced. “Not yet,” I called back. “I’ve been thinking about it, though. She’s not exactly an easy person to shop for.”

  “Sweetie, she literally wears the charm necklace you bought her every single day. She’ll be happy with anything you give her.”

  “That’s the problem!” I replied with a huff. “She’ll tell me she’s happy with anything, which means it’s really hard to know I got the right thing unless I’m super confident in it.”

  “There’s no such thing as the ‘right’ gift, sweetie,” Mom chastened.

  I snorted. “Sure. And next you’ll tell me that there’s no winner when the birthday girl opens presents,” I called out sarcastically.

  Mom didn’t grace that with a response as she came out of the kitchen with a thermos. “Just make sure you pick something out before her birthday. And make sure you get plenty of rest today. You’re still not fully recovered.”

  “I’m fine,” I reassured her. “Besides, I bet I’ll be focused on this all day,” I gestured at the coffee table, “so I’ll just be relaxing.”

  “Most people wouldn’t call that relaxing,” she replied dryly, before checking her watch and biting back a curse. “Da-darnit. I’m gonna be late. I love you sweetie, I’ll see you tom– when I see you.”

  “Love you mom. See you soon,” I waved as she left, and then turned back to the journals. This time it was my turn to try not to swear, as an inquisitive black nose peered down at my notes.

  Startled by my strangled cry, the little Maushold looked up at me, confusion writ on their face.

  “Sorry Maushold,” I told them. “You scared me. Did we wake you up?”

  Slowly, they shook their oversized head.

  “Oh. Were you having trouble sleeping?”

  With equally gradual motions, they nodded, balancing their body so the bobbing didn’t unintentionally knock them over.

  “What about the other two? Are they sleeping okay?”

  Another nod.

  “Well let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you sleep. This apartment is your home as much as it is mine, and I want you to be comfortable.

  The Masuhold raised one paw up thoughtfully to their head, clearly in thought.

  “Think about it some more. And feel free to sit with me. I’m just doing a bit of work.” I settled in, pen in hand while the Maushold pondered over my offer. Juan’s journal screamed for attention before me, and I was determined to spend today extracting its secrets. After all, tomorrow would be one full week since I was injured, the minimum amount of time before Janine said I could return to the outpost. In other words, today was my last day off.

  And I was absolutely going to make the most of it.