The hills rose on either side of the path, like rockslides frozen by a coating of clumpy grass and rich-green moss. Only the road was spared from the spread of the vegetation. It was surfaced with the same stone as the hills, but the same force that smoothed the cobblestone flat also kept any life away.

  This was the busiest Route that David had experienced.

  People flew to the end of the Silence bridge. They took caravans and were ferried to the path through the hills by boats, but no vehicle crossed onto the beaten cobblestones. A steady flow of humanity walked the trail to Lavender town. There was no doubt in David’s mind what they had come for. This was a giant series of funeral processions.

  Gone were the sporty jackets, the sensible and enduring trousers and the wicking layers. Women wore shawls and gray veils. Men wore masks or heavy hoods that hid their brows. Some wore a combination of both, with large robes that disguised any hints to their form. It was nothing like the dour suits and dresses of David’s home, but grief was a universal language.

  The path was not as still as Silence Bridge, but there was a restraint in all the pilgrims. Anything spoken was at a murmur, low enough that it did not echo in the rocky pass. It was not enough. Even slight murmurs grew in volume as they slipped from hundreds of mouths and twice the number of feet in the procession could not be hidden. The noise blended together into an eerie drone that haunted their steps.

  And then there was the skittering. The crackle of quick steps over loose rock and the scrape of claws. David would turn to catch the culprit, expecting to see the gravel slipping down the slopes. Nothing. He would hear the stones skipping down the hills, only to disappear at a turn.

  It was creepy as shit. Maybe there was a reason people avoided Ghost types after all.

  “A lot more activity than usual,” Georgio muttered to his fellow Rangers.

  Maggie’s hand shifted to a pokeball at her belt. No Pokemon were present in the pass. There were no signs or warnings, but there was such a clear lack that David marked it down as another cultural thing that ‘everybody’ knows.

  “It’s to be expected,” Bret replied at a similar volume. “They’re sensitive at the best of times, and if news from the plants-”

  The short Fire-type specialist Ranger cut off as he remembered David, their extra traveling companion.

  Georgio followed Bret’s gaze at the pause and shot David a consoling look. “Yes, still, I will be reporting it when we arrive. A specialist might need to be sent to keep things calm.”

  Maggie snorted, making them all turn to her. It was a strange reaction from someone who usually remained quiet during her co-worker’s decision making.

  “Where do you think the specialist is going to come from? Forget about it. They have it under control.”

  Lavender Town. Ghost capital of Kanto. It was a good point. If the local trainers didn’t know what to do about it, who were they gonna call?

  The point laid the conversation to rest. It was telling, that despite Maggie’s words, she didn’t take her hand off her pokeball.

  As they walked down the road, their group gathered a bit of attention, which was bizarre for David with all the masks and outfits around them. The splash of color from the Ranger’s red uniforms was out of the norm, but many of the eyes rested on him with his more muted clothes.

  Instinctively, David wanted to shift to the middle of the group or out of sight. He fought that as best he could. It was a reaction built from months on the run rather than a long-term issue with people. They looked over in piques of curiosity rather than in suspicion or fear. It was a distraction from the grief, from the long walk, and from the skittering noises in the hills. There was nothing to worry about. He had nothing to hide anymore.

  Oddly, it grew quieter when they reached Lavender Town, even as people raised their voices and spoke normally. The town was settled in a valley between more of the stoney green hills. Everything was made from the same rocks that littered those same hills, blending the valley together. It felt quaint in a way, with its cobble streets, historic looking houses with matching purple roofs. That impression lasted until you spied the great spike growing from the hills to the north of the town.

  There was no easy way for David to say it. Lavender Town had a wizard tower.

  It was seven stories high, with curved walls covered in moss and oddly shaped windows. David could practically see lightning flashing against a shield as a mad man experimented within.

  “Here we are then.”

  “Yes,” Georgio answered, a sad note in his tone. “This is Lavender town and where we’ll have to part ways.”

  “It... is,” David said, surprised at the sudden burst of melancholy. He realized that this was the longest he’d traveled with another human. It was likely the longest time he’d spent with another group of people. He’d miss their company. Even Maggie’s when she was grouchy and glare-y. “It’s been good, traveling with ye. Thank you for the Krabby and Magikarp recipes.”

  The Ranger smiled. “Oh, not at all. You were great company, even for Bret and Maggie, though they wouldn’t admit it. It’s easy to get stuck in your ways when you spend so much time away from civilization. Spending time with someone on their journey helps remind you of your roots.”

  “You aren’t going to take a day in the town to rest and stock up?” David asked, curiously. “Bret’s traveled from the other side of Fuchsia. Stocks have to be low.”

  “There’s a supply pickup waiting for us. We’re needed yesterday,” Georgio said with a sigh. He glanced around to where Maggie and Bret were talking quietly with a middle-aged woman in a long white coat who wore far too many kinds of beads. “Look, there’s going to be an announcement in the next day or so, but don’t make any plans to go north, you hear?”

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

  “Is it something dangerous-”

  Georgio cut him off. “I can’t say, but don’t worry about it. A lot of big names are involved. It’s going to be handled quickly.”

  The Ranger’s words didn’t soothe David at all. Too many ‘coincidences’ in this world had pushed him right into the middle of danger. He was suddenly feeling less secure about his choice to ignore Georgio’s previous warnings. Big names? Who was he going to run into next? The champion?

  Bret and Maggie finished up their conversation and came to collect Georgio. David said his goodbyes, which the two Rangers returned eagerly, but with a sincere note that gave credence to Georgio’s words. They left following the woman in the long robe and David was left alone.

  He took a deep breath and set off towards the purple roofs. His first destination was obvious.

  -.-

  As the person in front of him shuffled away from the desk, David stepped forward.

  “Hello, can I see your trainer’s license and how can I help you today?”

  He placed his prepared card on the desk. “I’d like to book a room.”

  “Two badges, twelve nights a month, and... none used.” The receptionist, a woman with sea blue hair, announced. “You’re not here for a funeral or ceremony are you? Local regulations require us to limit entry to trainers passing through or training in the area.”

  Figures, David mused. There had been a lot of hotel signs on the way to the pokecenter. Money talked, and as always, plenty of politicians were eager to write down what it said.

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Okay, we have rooms so I’ll put you in-” She blinked. “Oh, you haven’t stayed with us before.” With a furrowed brow, they double checked his license. “I’ll need to explain a few things then. Having your second badge entitles you to twelve nights’ accommodation when available. You do qualify for a compact room, but should one not be available, you may be bumped to the lower badge dorms. Don’t worry, we do have room, but something to keep in mind.”

  David nodded his acceptance. Compact wasn’t the most welcoming description, but compared to his one-person pop up tent it would be a mansion.

  “You need to be down here by ten in the mornings or you’ll be booked in for another day. All damages will be levied on you during your next visit, so don’t be stupid. No. Pokemon. in. your. room. There’s plenty of area around the center to feed them, including a pool and covered area around the back.”

  Again, the receptionist waited for David’s answer. He nodded quickly. It was all standard stuff.

  “Here’s your-”

  The lights went out.

  Movement, lots of movement. No screams, but everyone moved.

  “DON’T YOU DARE RELEASE!” The bellow came from the entrance, the security guard most likely. It wasn’t said in fear or anger, but in annoyance. “ANYONE RELEASES AND THEY STAY AT THE FUNERAL HOME TONIGHT.”

  Surprisingly enough, it worked. No Pokemon cries were heard. After forty seconds, there was a hum and the lights came back on.

  David scanned the room quickly, searching for white bands and red Rs. This was exactly the kind of thing that happened in the tv show all the time. A distraction and the criminals would swoop in. No warning signs appeared. He did find himself in an awkward position, though.

  Everyone in the line had reacted in a similar way to the darkness. Hands were at belts, brandishing pokeballs or even a knife in one case. They weren’t quite standing in a circle, but now everyone was glaring at each other as they looked for a culprit. It was a Pokemon standoff.

  A great clang filled the hall as a fist was slammed into metal. The old security guard shouted again. “POKEBALLS ON YOUR BELTS!”

  Feeling a little sheepish, David slowly obeyed the order. It took a few minutes, but the line returned to a semblance of normality.

  “What was that?” He asked the receptionist.

  She groaned. “Some issue with the line. It’s been happening for a few days now. Just us. Never the hotels nearby.” Her hand hesitated, key held back. “It’s not constant, but it does happen a couple of times a day if you want to stay elsewhere.”

  “No, I’m good,” David answered, thinking of his dwindling funds and how much easier life was in the wild.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” the receptionist muttered, handing the key over. “Use this key to open the door with the same number on it. Lock it behind you when you leave. Failure to return the key will result in denial of all Pokecenter facilities until you pay the fine.”

  -.-

  David lounged on a bed that was far too soft for all of an hour before he couldn’t help himself.

  “You need to be quiet alright?” he whispered, willing his message to go through.

  Squeezing the ball a little, he slowly pressed his finger down and -

  Bright light.

  “PI-”

  The button clicked again.

  “What did I say? What did I say?” David groaned. Cloudburst was going to be insufferable about that return. Thankfully, she did go back to her pokeball, but she would get revenge for that. “Quiet, alright?”

  Warily, he once again depressed the button.

  The flash lit up his world behind his eyelids, but this time there was no noise accompanying it. He opened his eyes to the angry stare of his Pokemon.

  “Pokemon aren’t allowed here, so-” he held his finger to his lips.

  Cloudburst’s feathers rustled as she shifted, scorn dripping off her as she shook out a wing. The bird Pokemon stepped forward with a wobble, still uncertain with the act.

  David inched back. The receptionist had not been lying with her description of ‘compact’. The room was a two and a bit meter cube, with an open wardrobe for storing clothes and backpacks and a small window above the bed.

  That was Pidgeotto’s target. The bed. She darted forward and snatched his pillow off the bed, throwing it to the floor with a contemptuous flick of her beak.

  “Cloudburst!” he hissed, but his Pokemon paid him no mind as she clambered onto the mattress, her talons plucking at the fabric like a cat seeking a scratching post. “No- No, no!”

  She settled in about midway up the bed and he groaned as he realized she’d be there all night.

  “No, you can’t-”

  Cloudburst squawked, and the room was once more lit up by a bright flash.

  He managed to last until after he’d fed his team to release his second team member into the room. Cloudburst’s antics aside, Venonat was the Pokemon he was more concerned about. He’d spent less time around people, in their cities and buildings. How the Pokemon would react to an enclosed room, the size nothing like the great arenas that they’d used in Fuchsia was a mystery.

  The giant ball of fuzzy purple fur appeared in a bright flash of light, which, now David thought about it, must have been like shining a torch from the room’s window.

  Venonat went still at the sight of the room, antennae frantically waving back and forth, but their movements slowed with each second.

  Quietly, David explained where they were and what the room was. He knew he wouldn’t be understood, but also that Pokemon were more intelligent than they seemed and there was a chance that Venonat would pick something up from his tone.

  For the first ten minutes David watched as the Pokemon turned his giant red orbs towards everything in the room, inspecting, watching. After that much time without issue, David retrieved his pillow and lay back on the bed.

  Finally, peace and quiet. Comfort and rest. Silence and the sound of...

  “Venonat, are you eating the sheet?”

  Another bright flash illuminated the night.