Chapter 5

~Jack Blake~

Slowly, the first rays of sunshine crept over the horizon, flooding the world in it's sleepy yet glorious light. Somehow, it felt like more meaningful in this dimension. He was used to waking early. Starting the day with a long run did that to you if you wanted to avoid the summer heat. Among his habits, watching the sunrise from a vantage point took a special spot in his heart. He took a deep breath as he took in the way nature awakened.

It was different, he decided. Everything felt less artificial here. More organic. He couldn't really put it into words. Not even in his own mind. He wouldn't let such a thing frustrate him, though. He was enjoying the moment too much for that.

Phantump was still slumbering on the couch he was told to use the evening before. Amelia too was still asleep. But as he meditated on top of the thickest branch adorning the highest tree in the vicinity, he could feel another consciousness stirring. It was something he learned accidentally when he used those meditation techniques that he usually used to calm his mind after an especially trying workout.

His minor Psychic affinity mixed surprisingly well with his major Ghost one and they combined into being able to perceive the 'souls' of those around him while in a meditative state. It wasn't massively useful but it was a convenient little ability that made life a bit easier.

The person who was waking up with the first sunlight was Hazel of course. Like him, she was probably an early riser. Grinning, he touched the side of the tree and whispered.

"Thank you for bearing my weight in these early hours, old chap. If I'm welcome, I'd like to watch the sunrise with you again."

He was pretty sure he imagined the slight rustling in the leaves as he let himself slip sideways from the branch and hooked one leg around it. He quickly grabbed another, lower hanging one. With measured and experienced movements, he climbed down the tree in some seconds. He could have done something similar in his past life, but it wouldn't have been nearly as effortless as here.

Not for the first time, he sent a little 'Thank you' to his murderer for making his new chance at living an interesting one. Already, he had more to live for than he had in years and his mild depression was all but gone. He knew that things like this didn't simply disappear but he was confident that he wouldn't let it creep up on him as he inadvertently did before.

He cared too much about Phantump to do that to her. Letting go of the heavier thoughts, he entered the first place he genuinely enjoyed sleeping in in years. Grabbing his backpack, he quickly pulled out a portion of the breakfast he had fixed himself after returning from his run. A hearty portion of ham with a side of some sausages and eggs. He honestly had no idea if they were from a Pokémon or from a farm animal and he didn't really care.

Since he didn't know what they usually had for breakfast, he also made some pancakes and drizzled some Vespiquen Honey over them. He placed the stack in the middle after adding them to the database. He just hoped Hazel wouldn't be too irritated at him using the kitchen without asking beforehand.

He turned around after hearing a yawn and found the adorable picture of Hazel stretching on the stairs, clad in a pajama that was decorated with little Totodiles in various acts of mischief. She smacked her lips, satisfied with her stretch and wiped the small tear from her yawn out of her eye before opening them and freezing.

She stared at him, wide-eyed and obviously just remembering that they had a guest. With an awkward laugh, she waved and he threw one back with a good-natured grin before greeting her.

"Good morning. That you for offering your couch. It was very comfortable and I had the best sleep in months. I made breakfast?..."

He offered a bit hesitantly. Some people were peculiar with their kitchens. Luckily, Hazel wasn't one of those as her eyes lit up and she quickly made her way to the offering. He carefully placed a mug of hot coffee and possible condiments close by while being careful to not accidentally lose a finger or two. While he also made sure to remember how she liked her coffee, he couldn't help but think. 'Damn, that woman can eat...'

He had the presence of mind to not say it out loud, even if it was entirely true. She ripped through the entire portion in less than three minutes and immediately followed it up enthusiastically with the pancakes.

There was no need to offend his host by stating the obvious. Suddenly he felt a bit of confusion before a small measure of panic shot through him. Recognising that the emotions were not his own, he sent reassurance through the Bond and pulled a bit to show her where he was.

She quickly floated into the room and took a breath of relief when she saw him. He prepared another portion and set it down for her to enjoy. She took the silent invite as what it was. As always, a soft smile spread on his face when he watched her enjoy her food.

Seemingly summoned by the additional portion he produced, Amelia tumbled into the room as she was pushed inside by a jolly Ramses, giggling all the while. The scene was painfully domestic and it reminded him of the time with his family. Looking back, he never really appreciated the simple fun of breakfast with them until it was too late.

Instead of falling into a melancholic state, he firmed his determination to cherish the little innocuous things that end up leading to a fulfilling life. He decided to immediately put that resolve into action.

"Just today..."

He started dramatically, pulling the attention to himself as he pushed his hand into the backpack.

"Since somehow, all the necessary ingredients were here..."

He slowly pulled out his hand, holding on to a cup, filled with a creamy liquid that smelled strongly of chocolate and cinnamon. Hazel's eyes lit up in remembrance while Amelia started to drool at the appetising scent.

"May I present to you: My personal recipe for the best beverage out there. Champurrado!"

He did have to improvise a bit with the chocolate since they didn't have the traditional mexican variety but creative use of Aura made it taste even better than it did at home. He served them all but held them back from drinking yet since the final touch wasn't yet applied. Carefully he arranged some marshmallows in each cup and smiled at them with the words.

"I hope you'll enjoy my mother's secret recipe as much as I do."

Even Hazel, who had just emptied her third cup of coffee, looked at hers with anticipation.

Ramses, who clearly also wanted some treats, used Baby-Doll Eyes to make himself look especially pitiful. That seemed to be the one Attack that any and all canines seemed to have ingrained in their genetic code. He gave him an apologetic smile, though.

"Sorry, doggo. I read that chocolate is pretty bad for dog-like Pokémon. I did grill some sausages for you, though."

He pulled out another plate from his backpack and once again marveled at the thing. It did cost a bit of Aura to use it as he noticed, but the amount was negligible and the effect was absolutely worth the cost and more.

The excited sounds he made while eating, coupled with the enthusiastic way he rotated around the plate made for an adorable picture. Same with Amelia who was smiling broadly and kicking her legs in enjoyment while consuming his favourite hot drink. Seeing everyone happy with his deeds in the kitchen was a good feeling and he had several new things saved in his database so it was entirely a win-win situation.

~A little while later~

He leaned over a rather accurate map of the Eterna Forest. In front of his mind's eye, he overlayed his own map and marked the grave as accurately as he could. His serious gaze turned to Hazel, who nodded thoughtfully.

"You're right. He wouldn't have been able to reach that far into the forest with his strength even if he was the luckiest guy alive. Maybe someone went with him and left him there as bait. We will know more once we see the scene. For this, we might even get a Psychic Pokémon with the ability of Psychometry to investigate."

She murmured those last words and seemed preoccupied for a moment before she sighed and turned to him again.

"The energy levels measure up to the registered Pokémon he should have had on him. We will release them in a secure location and offer them freedom. Should they take it, they'll be transferred into suitable habitats. If they want to stay somewhere in human hands, we'll look at their skills, personalities, and Movesets to decide where they'll be used."

She probably knew he wanted to know what their fate would be and decided to tell him. He was grateful for that and hoped that they'd find peace without their Trainer. He slightly worried about the possibility of them being berserk when released from their balls, but he couldn't really do anything about it so he put it out of his mind. Now that his duty was over and done with, he told her his decision in regards to the discussion they had the day before.

"You told me that they'd be more lax with me if I enter the service of the league at least for a while, right? I'm ready to do that if you can guarantee that they won't take away Phantump. I trust your judgment since you have more experience with such dealings."

She hummed and nodded.

"That shouldn't be a problem. You two are Bonded which already proves your personal strength clearly. Your Civilian rank is a farce and they'll know that. It will rise quickly anyways and they'll give you two some missions to make it happen. Missions that would be easier with unlocked Aura are always a grade above their normal one and those with an 'exclusively with unlocked Aura' tag go as far up as two grades."

She looked at him with a bemused expression on her face as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"It's a bit of preferential treatment to be honest but they want to keep Aura Users on the right side of the law. You all have high potential to become a real powerhouse and having you join up with any of those whacky Teams would be nothing short of catastrophic."

He nodded. While Aura attuned one more to nature and helped one understand Pokémon better than most, it wasn't impossible to slip into one of the Teams because the treatment by the league was too harsh. They wanted to avoid those cases.

"I'm fine with doing some missions. Most of the ones posted online are well rewarded and I see no reason to not add a bit to our little nest egg."

They already went to the trader and got rid of the more useless stuff, at least for them, while letting them grade the potentially worthwhile items. Their discussion was interrupted when he suddenly felt Phantump panic.

His attention being pulled away alerted Hazel too and they rushed over towards where he was pulled by the bond. They were in the garden with Phantump having imperiously decided that Amelia had to entertain her. The little girl agreed immediately, loving nothing more than playing around with Pokémon.

When they reached the garden, he was a bit surprised before laughing loudly at the sight before him. Phantump's head was a bit tilted and she was panicking. The reason for that was the big and juicy Sitrus Berry that was dangling from one of her little twigs.

It seemed she had somehow unlocked the secret ability of her species. Harvest.