Act 2: Chapter 13

“Sorry, sir, I do not even need to offer you a quote on this.” The apologetic man behind the digital retailer counter slides Lee’s outdated, cracked smartphone again to him. “I’ve by no means seen the fashion of port in your gadget earlier than. Heck, I’ve by no means seen this model in my life! I am sorry, sir, I do not need to attempt as a result of my inexperience along with your model means a danger of injury or knowledge loss. If privateness issues means Porygon cannot get at your gadget and carry out a knowledge switch, then I do not assume I can do a lot. You could be higher off consulting a correct electrical engineer for a correct battery swap and charging answer rebuild.”

Floating on the counter attendant’s facet is a pokemon, one that appears like a simplistic, blue-and-pink duck made in a 3D modeling program. The Porygon shakes their head, letting out a collection of downtrodden beeps.

A curious pokemon, Porygon. The sapient, hard-light pokemon is one Lee briefly thought-about buying resulting from their mind and talent to interface with damn-near any pc. That thought was discarded after listening to about their multi-thousand credit score price ticket and their tragically brief lives until regularly maintained by their homeowners. One thing concerning the ever-active and self-editing AI of a Porygon accumulates read-only partitions of junk knowledge, kernel-deep errors, and different points that flip right into a deadly cascade failure if ignored too lengthy. Porygon2 can apparently go for much longer with out debugging Which requires the acquisition of Porygon’s costly evolution catalyst, the Improve. Lee hasn’t seen any point out of Porygon Z wherever.

Missing the expertise wanted to debug a pokemon and never wanting to speculate the cash into retaining a specialised programmer on retainer, Porygon was relegated to the Possibly Sometime a part of Lee’s wished listing.

With a sigh, Lee takes the telephone again and slips it into his pocket. “I perceive. Thanks for taking the time to look.”

“My pleasure!”

A second later, Lee and Ninetales are exterior the store and within the Lavaridge streets, slowly making their approach to the one different electronics restore store within the metropolis.

After his and Ninetales’ heart-to-heart within the lodge room, Lee tended to the remainder of his pokemon with a meal, then dug his outdated telephone from his bag, intent on replaying Pokemon Emerald as a reminiscence refresher. If he recollects appropriately, he had additionally put in one other emulator, one able to working newer video games. With a bit of luck, a replica of the Pokemon Ruby remake, the one that includes Zinnia as a personality, can be there. Having the ability to play each can be an unbelievable boon.

Upon pulling the outdated telephone out and turning it on, Lee was met with a ‘0% cost’ message. Not an issue, he thought. I will simply cost it.

Then the impolite awakening got here.

He would not have a charging cable.

Silph Co’s omniwire-beta cable that got here with Lee’s Pokegear branded smartphone would not match his outdated telephone in any respect, and Lee tumbled into this world with solely the issues in his pockets.

What a irritating, vexing, and simply plain dumb approach to be stopped brief. Idly hoping for an equally dumb answer, Lee opened his present telephone and appeared up ‘charging telephone with electrical pokemon’.

Naturally, what he obtained was quite a lot of information articles warning in opposition to doing such a factor, saying ‘your valuable Pikachu’s Thundershock will destroy your telephone.’ The articles all referenced a faux advert marketing campaign run by web hooligans impersonating Silph Co with the aim of inflicting mischief.

Least clever technique eradicated, Lee and his group ventured out into city to tour the varied electronics shops. Two of the areas marketed restore companies, and with a bit of luck, considered one of them can pull some type of miracle and revive the alien gadget.

Effectively, one down, one to go.

As they stroll, Lee decides to kill two birds with one stone Two Taillow with one Rock Throw? Eh, that does not movement fairly as nicely in his thoughts. Pulling out his intact pokegear telephone, Lee logs into BattleNet and navigates his approach round, taking within the current information on his approach to the chat group part, the place Lokoko and potential solutions to Ninetales’ surprising mood may reside.

‘Looks as if our novelty is carrying off,’ Lee silently feedback to Ninetales as he scans their megathread. The variety of posts per day has slowed down a good quantity, leaving just a few devoted weirdos obsessing over Lee and his group. Somebody ignited a livid debate with a proposal on Ninetales’ ‘stats’, however that lasted solely two days. Curious, Lee zooms in on the little wall of textual content.

Ninetales

Particular Capacity: ?

Typical Held Merchandise: N/A

Identified Strikes: Confuse Ray, Fast Assault, Payback, Child-Doll Eyes, Hex, Feint Assault, Extrasensory, Double Staff, Chew(?), Flamethrower(?), Ember(?), Hearth Spin(?), Will-o-Wisp(?), Unknown Hearth Transfer #1, Unknown Hearth Transfer #2, Unknown Hearth Transfer #3, Others (?)

Notes: Henson’s first pokemon(?). Advanced from Vulpix utilizing G1P1 Hearth Stone (quotation wanted). Capabilities are unknown. Noticed utilizing undocumented strikes as a Vulpix on a number of events. Capabilities as a Vulpix famous to be in extra of beforehand identified higher limits of species. Complete variety of strikes is unknown. Sort unfold of strikes is unknown.

At a Look:

Bodily Atk: A+

Ranged Atk: SS+

Standing Atk: S+

Phys Resist: A+

Power Resist: S-

Standing Resist: ?

Agility: SS

Reactions: S+

Stamina: S+

Ache Tolerance: S+

General Species rating: (? Tier) Pokemon can’t be precisely categorized at the moment. See legacy feat and efficiency breakdown right here (hyperlink)

‘Good fucking God. What sort of scaling is that this? When you’re simply now starting to the touch Elite territory, then the ‘stats’ on a Champion ‘mon should appear to be somebody smashed their fist on their keyboard.’ Lee shakes his head.

Most individuals within the thread appear shocked by 9’s skill to take a strong hit and willingness to combat up shut and private, which is not stunning. From what little battle knowledge is obtainable concerning the kitsune pokemon, all of them appear to be ranged attackers which can be virtually allergic to melee.

Whereas Lee’s megathread is winding down with none main occasions to spur dialogue, Tyson Rhyn’s lately made megathread is exploding in exercise after his win over Petalburg’s Fitness center Chief, Norman. The revelation that Tyson is the coach of a Metagross is sort of completely mirroring the response that many had upon Ninetales’ victory over Ty. Many posters have flocked to the thread to sing praises about Tyson and his uncommon, highly effective pokemon, whereas others have barged in to lament about their very own photographs at Ever Grande turning into tougher. A disgruntled few web raiders have began arguments about how Tyson is needlessly brutal or dishonest in some way, with simply as many defending keyboard warriors coming to affix the verbal melee. Just a few of them have dragged the names of different well-liked trainers into the controversy, evaluating, contrasting, and arguing about who would win in a battle. Lee sees his personal identify a couple of instances.

Tyson pops in as soon as to thank his supporters amid the mess, then correctly goes quiet.

The remainder of the Hoenn part of the discussion board is far calmer, with information and dialogue of a lot tamer topics.

Transferring on, Lee tabs over to the varied discussion groups in BattleNet.

Moreover 9TT, Hearth Masters, and Fox Friday, he has joined a couple of different onesmostly to watch silentlybut he pays them no thoughts. The almost one-hundred pings in Fox Friday are ignored as Lee opens 9TT, then faucets his thumb on Lokoko (9TT Administrator) to start out a personal message chain. At the back of his head, he feels Ninetales watching by means of his eyes with apprehension.

-Starting of personal message history-

As we speak at 5:33 PM

L_Henson: Excuse me, Lokoko. Do you’ve gotten a while? My Ninetales and I’ve a couple of questions. I apologize for utilizing DMs, however this matter is probably delicate.

The reply would not take lengthy. In solely a minute, Lokoko sends one thing again.

As we speak at 5:34 PM

Lokoko: In fact, Lee. Don’t worry about sending me a direct message. I perceive the necessity for discretion. How can I be of help?

‘Thank goodness,’ Lee sighs and begins typing his reply. Wanting up, he sees he and Ninetales are solely midway to the following restore store. Loads of time for a brief dialog, he thinks.Up to date from novelbIn.(c)om

As we speak at 5:34 PM

L_Henson: Ninetales and I share a moderately deep relationship, one aided by telepathy. Whereas we’re shut, we have agreed that we do not need to go that far, because it provides a stage of complication we do not want. Regardless of that, Ninetales’ mood has been a bit brief with different pals, ladies specifically. Her reactions have been involuntary so far as I can inform, and do not set off with different members of my pokemon group. We’re unsure the place to take this and have been wanting steerage.

The skinny fur of Ninetales’ inside ears flush as she follows together with the textual content dialog. Moreover Lee, she growls, solely stilling herself when Lee locations a mild hand on her head.

‘That is humiliating’ Ninetales laments, focusing her eyes on the bottom. Inside her burns an acrid embarrassment that Lee keenly sympathizes with. ‘I really feel like an animal, a lesser being for having reactions like this. I ought to be capable of management myself.’

‘I assumed the identical factor after I began seeing Mable, bear in mind?’ Lee briefly lowers his telephone and rubs a thumb alongside the white coronary heart on Ninetales’ ear. ‘You are a courageous one for not pushing off exterior assist as I did.’

Ninetales leans into his contact, however her foul temper would not abate.

Elevating his telephone again up, Lee reads Lokoko’s returning message.

As we speak at 5:35 PM

Lokoko: I see. How outdated is Ninetales? When did you and Ninetales start utilizing telepathy? And to what size and stage?

An attention-grabbing query to steer with. Lee rolls his telephone in his hand and takes a second to assume.

Vulpix was a younger grownup biologically when she developed, and her variety normally takes round 4 years to succeed in full maturity. Psychological age is a tougher reply, as Lee would not need to use human requirements for a pokemon. That being mentioned, Vulpix was way more level-headed than most, so

As we speak at 5:35 PM

L_Henson: I do not know Ninetales’ age for sure, however I’m estimating five-to-ten years.A number of months again, when she was nonetheless a Vulpix,we could not talk a lot at first, however attained a good stage of verbal and emotional switch earlier than she developed by means of fixed observe. After evolving, she and I’ve had good readability. I can perceive her one-to-one.

After a second’s hesitation, Lee affords the mysterious Pokemon Grasp yet another snippet. If not for her supposed specialization in Ninetales as a species, Lee doubts he would have advised her half of what he already has.

As we speak at 5:35 PM

L_Henson: We can not seem to disconnect anymore, both. I shall be working with Professor Birch and probably specialists to review that specific phenomenon.

This time, Lokoko takes a full three nerve-wracking minutes to ship one thing again.

As we speak at 5:38 PM

Lokoko: Fascinating. I’ve each excellent news and unhealthy information for you. The nice? The mood your younger Ninetales is expressing is regular. In contrast to many different pokemon, the place evolution is remoted to bodily progress, a Ninetales undergoes various psychological adjustments as nicely. A Ninetales is a creature of sturdy feelings; they should be, with a purpose to persevere for tons of of years. On the similar time, the attachments one types shall be mighty, and so early in her evolution, a younger vixen might want to relearn her management and wrest her aware thoughts from the grip of her instincts, which can urge her to be tribalistic and possess her family members in each approach she will be able to. Each her capability for love and hate have grown to a stage she doesn’t grasp but. Because of the emotional root of a Ninetales’ powers, you’ll be able to observe this disruption when she performs supernatural feats. Have you ever noticed thusly?

‘I am having hassle with my telekinesis due to my feelings?’ Ninetales herself appears confused, although it is outmoded by aid and annoyance that she’s having ‘rising pains’, of all issues. ‘I do not see how that might be affecting my strikes. My Hearth is virtually a muscle at this level.’

‘Let’s humor her, Love.’ Lee sorts his response. ‘She’s obtained some huge names in 9TT, so she has to know one thing.’

As we speak at 5:39 PM

L_Henson: I’ve seen that her psychic powers are a bit out of whack since her evolution, however I chalked that as much as the sudden improve of their efficiency. Her excellent management of her Hearth strikes hasn’t diminished, although.

As we speak at 5:53 PM

L_Henson: Thanks on your time. I hope we will communicate once more quickly.

Locking his telephone and placing it away in his pocket, Lee stares down on the street, troubled. Their stroll descends into an uncomfortable silence. Lots of Lokoko’s phrases replay themselves time and again to each of them.

Fixed contact with out boundaries is one thing the extra discovered warn in opposition to, lest you enterprise into the uncharted waters of a gestalt.

Studying that there’s extra to life than their human is crucial lesson a Ninetales can study.When you disregard any a part of what I’ve mentioned at present, make it not this.

A chilly shiver needs to run down Lee’s backbone as he thinks to himself, however he powers by means of it, reminding himself to carry the questions now nagging at him as much as Nigel’s telepathy skilled. ‘Lokoko was proper on the second, although. I would like 9 to know find out how to be glad after I am gone.’

‘9?’ Lee musters up his nerve and returns his stream of thought to the telepathic line between himself and Ninetales. ‘You’ve got been moderately quiet. Are you okay?’

A sigh escapes Ninetales’ lips. ‘I do not know.’

Lee can really feel what her phrases fail to relay. She would not need to observe both of Lokoko’s options.

‘Love, do not be so morose. We’ll take care of all of this the identical approach we all the time do.’ Lee provides his pokemon a mild smile. ‘Collectively, and one step at a time. We’ll seek the advice of Mable, Xatu, and Nigel’s skilled earlier than we begin placing something into observe, okay?’

The fox leans into his facet, her frazzled nerves settling. ‘I perceive, Beloved.’ She pulls away and shakes her coat out, ranging from her head to her tails. ‘I don’t prefer it, however I perceive.’

‘Collectively, and one step at a time,’ Lee repeats. ‘Now, onto much less gloomy topics. What feels like a enjoyable pastime to you? I feel that was an amazing suggestion.’

Ninetales’ thoughts works, however she can not seem to provide you with one thing. A few times, she nearly voices one thing, however she pauses and second-guesses herself.

‘Nothing in any respect?’ Lee broaches. ‘There’s a lot to do right here in Lavaridge. We are able to peruse an artwork retailer, or perhaps see about one thing digital on the restore store? I do know BattleNet and the remainder of the web is an efficient time sink.’

The golden vixen at Lee’s facet snorts. ‘Maybe one thing much less brainless.’

‘Effectively’ The zoologist friends at a retailer that they are passing, then stops with a smile. “Ah,” Lee begins aloud. “Possibly right here?”

Ninetales appears to be like up as nicely.

Earlier than the pair stands a small, two-floor store sandwiched between two different buildings. Hanging upon a pole by the door is a swinging wood signal saying ‘Armand’s High quality Texts’ in wispy strokes of black ink, as if painted by a calligraphy brush. The constructing is as plain as they arrive, and if not for his present musings, Lee might need missed it fully.

‘A bookstore?’ Ninetales blinks and tilts her head. ‘Beloved, you learn sufficient for the each of us.’

‘I learn so much, sure, however it’s largely scientific articles and analysis paperwork these days,’ Lee remarks. ‘When you’re wanting one thing stimulating to do, an excellent guide is value a attempt, I feel.’

Ninetales mulls the thought over, considered one of her tails escaping their neat fan to flick in thought. ‘What time does that restore store shut once more?’

‘Seven. We have nonetheless obtained an hour.’

With a shrug, Ninetales steps in direction of the bookstore. ‘I suppose it will probably’t damage.’

Stepping inside, the pair are greeted by modest cabinets of books sorted by style alongside the partitions, and extra freestanding cabinets organized in rows alongside the ground. Close to the again of the shop is an open staircase, above which hangs an indication that claims Staff solely. Close to the door is a lonely little desk and a money register, and behind the desk sits a person of center age, engrossed in an open guide. The shop is as unassuming on the within as it’s on the skin.

The door shuts behind Lee and Ninetales, ringing a bit bell hanging from the doorframe and drawing the eye of the proprietor, who appears to be like up with a smile. “Welcome! Let me know in the event you need assistance discovering something!” he says, returning to his personal studying shortly afterward.

Slowly meandering across the store, Lee and Ninetales take within the varied titles on show. From fiction with unbelievable, colourful covers, to solemn biographies and historic accounts of well-known folks and pokemon now gone, the little store appears to have a slice of the whole lot. A small rack of comedian books and manga catches Lee’s eye.

Entrance and heart is a manga with a canopy that includes a sleepy outdated man in a country go well with, his glasses drooping alongside along with his eyes. Within the aged man’s lap is a cheering little woman in a white sundress, and in her lap is a tiny, alarmed Sunkern. The pair are driving in a garden chair, flying by means of the cloud-dotted sky with assistance from a dozen Butterfree, who’re tied to the arms of the chair with lengths of string. The whimsical-looking comedian is titled “Street to Belfry Zephyr – Vol #8”.

Ninetales, in the meantime, scans the bookshelves intently, looking for one thing that jumps out at her, although Lee can really feel her disinterest second hand. Over within the historical past part, she stops and takes a more in-depth take a look at one thing close to the again.

Lee steps away from the comedian rack and friends over the fox. “Discover one thing attention-grabbing?”

‘Maybe’ She hums in her throat. Her eyes glow violet for a second, then she stops and thinks higher of utilizing telekinesis, as a substitute snaking a tail ahead. The tail pulls the guide free, letting the fox and man learn the title on the entrance.

Johto – Different Eyes

The quilt artwork is sparse, merely a stylized Growlithe staring out from a balcony down right into a sunset-lit valley.

Ninetales flips the guide round, revealing the abstract on the again.

A historically-inspired retelling of the autumn of the Johto shogunate, rebuilt from historic archives, private journals of the shogun and his retainers, and the testimonies of the pokemon and folks descended from the unique noble clans. The occasions of Johto – Different Eyes are advised from the attitude of Shiba, sire of the shogunate’s most interesting power of Growlithe, together with various different actual characters. Inside, you can see a world lengthy gone within the period of the feudal lords.

Beneath the abstract is various evaluations from completely different sources, and so they all have a standard theme of praising the guide for being each an exciting learn in addition to traditionally correct. There’s even one from Mura Moore.

“(Johto – Different Eyes) is a unbelievable retelling of the shogunate’s ultimate days, by no means shying away from the ugly occasions of the previous or besmirching the moments of glory. A must-read for lovers of each historical past and political intrigue.” ~ M. Moore, Hoenn Elite 4.

“Is that this one that you really want?” Lee asks. “Seems to be attention-grabbing.”

Ninetales appears to be like up at him with a smirk. ‘Not true. You take into account political discourse to be dry, however thanks for being supportive.’ She licks her lips. ‘I am keen to offer this a attempt. I haven’t got a historical past of my very own, so I might wish to know extra about my variety’s homeland.’ As she speaks, a imprecise sense of wistfulness fills her phrases, and Lee can solely liken it to misplaced nostalgia. ‘Possibly I will study one thing about myself alongside the way in which. I do know what I would like out of life,’ her eyes drop to Lee’s boots, ‘however I notice I do know little else.’

Lee’s fingers comb by means of the tuft atop Ninetales’ head. ‘As soon as all is alleged and carried out right here in Hoenn, we’ll go on vacation in Johto and Kanto, okay?’

Ninetales smiles and cuddles into Lee’s facet. The love she exudes washes away the day’s doubts, and Lee realizes following Lokoko’s directions past this hobby-seeking goes to be troublesome.

‘That sounds pretty.’ Ninetales sighs and separates herself from her coach. ‘Let’s preserve trying.’

After one other twenty minutes, Ninetales picks out three extra books, all of that are historic however are of much less curiosity than her first choice. After trying out and returning to the Lavaridge streets, Lee’s telephone buzzes in his pocket.

“Now what?” he grumbles, pulling out the gadget and unlocking it. On the display is a single new message.

Zinnia: I obtained the whole lot we’d like.

Excessive upon a phone pole and vigilantly maintaining a tally of her coach under, Swellow sighs to herself for what feels just like the millionth time.

Beneath, in a close-by area, Courtney smiles as she and the Birch boy sit and converse. The pair sit like younger lovers upon a boulder, and at their ft, Swellow’s teammate Mightyena and the Birch boy’s Marshtomp catch their breath after a spar.

Marshtomp is a minimize above the remaining for sure, and with the boy’s route, stood as much as Mightyena as an equal. Swellow sees why her coach is so decided to carry the boy into the fold of Magma.

Such is the character of poisoned minds to poison others.

Hate burns underneath Swellow’s feathers: hate for the person who twisted her coach so.

Maxie, the pompous, overinflated bastard accountable for the terrorist freakshow generally known as Magma, poisoned Swellow’s coach. Guarantees of a brand new world, guarantees of glory as a savior, guarantees of his approval. Bah! Swellow would minimize him down if she knew she may get away with it.

Guarantees upon guarantees, and Swellow is aware of in her coronary heart of hearts that every phrase is fake underneath its candy coating. Maxie runs his group of misfits as a cult, and solely devotion will see one rise within the ranks. The upper one goes, the extra absurd his calls for of them turn out to be, however the worship inside the underlings makes them blind to how they’re used. One such demand is using crude psychic safeguards, so nobody within the higher echelons of Magma could also be mentally probed.

Swellow suspects extra than simply safeguards are put in place.

Does the madman even know what he is doing, Swellow wonders? He dares tamper with issues higher left alone, in pursuit of what? To create extra land with the ability of a God, to fight overpopulation? This march of insanity is pushed by an issue with centuries, perhaps millennia of time to reply. No. There aren’t any pure intentions right here. Maxie is pushed by hubris. In that hubris, he is created monsters of his personal design. Each second, he sweet-talks one other.

In one other life, Maxie may have been one thing else. An orator with few rivals, a frontrunner, a pokemon Champion even.

As an alternative, he seeks destroy for everybody.

On the very least, Maxie just isn’t the criminally insane head of Aqua. Maxie has the discretion to fake his schemes will save lives.

Archie, chief of Staff Aqua, doesn’t disguise what the results of his victory would carry.

Swellow’s eyes slim.

Courtney’s ace, Camerupt, can’t escape the trimmings of his variety. Sturdy in physique and intelligent in battle, Camerupt remains to be a dullard. He sees no situation with following these schemes, for he would not perceive that Courtney’s decisions aren’t her personal.

Mightyena is even worse. She sees the occasions earlier than her clearly, but she turns her head away and abdicates duty, saying Courtney’s phrase is legislation and claiming it isn’t her place as a pokemon to protest Courtney’s orders. Mightyena is aware of it is fallacious, Swellow can see the battle in her eyes, however Mightyena takes the simple approach out and refuses to stray from her pack instincts.

That leaves Swellow alone to seethe over the injustice. She pushes away the anger, lest it eat her.

Henson and Draconid have hidden their suspicion of Courtney poorly in current days, and Swellow has tailed them, confirming Courtney’s feeling that her cowl is blown. It would not matter now. Upon the Lavaridge volcano, a tool whose operate escapes Swellow is sort of full, and Magma will step towards its subsequent veiled aim quickly.

Simply as Courtney is stepping towards her subsequent aim under.

Swellow’s coach and the Birch boy are too far-off to listen to, however Swellow’s highly effective eyes watch their lips, studying the phrases that movement out.

“Brendan?” Courtney begins with a despondent sigh. She balls her palms up in her lap. “I’ve some issues to let you know. About me and a few issues Lee and Zinnia have been retaining from you.”

Brendan blinks curiously. “What do you imply?”

Beside Brendan, Marshtomp’s eyes slim, and Swellow feels herself tense, able to swoop in if wanted.

Courtney appears to be like away, conflicted. Swellow cannot inform if it is real or an act, a distressing thought. “I am greater than I say I’m. I am on a mission, and I would like your assist.” She meets Brendan’s eyes. “I am a part of Staff Magma, and I need to clarify some issues to you.”

Courtney tells him about herself, about Magma’s ‘mission’, about how Henson and Draconid left Brendan at the hours of darkness. As she talks, Brendan’s eyes develop wider and wider as his jaw hangs decrease and decrease.

Swellow grits her beak. Upon that pole anticipating interlopers, she bides her time, ready.

She’ll break Courtney freed from this insanity as soon as the chance presents itself, as soon as the whole lot is lined up excellent. Within the meantime

Swellow can solely hope the Birch boy is manufactured from sterner stuff than her Courtney.