18,19

"So… the flying battleship was invisible," Officer Jenny said. "I see. And then it caught fire…"

She looked around at the beautiful flower-strewn forest and grassland. "I can certainly see the devastation. So what was the name of this, possibly fictional, criminal?"

"Oh, didn't we mention?" Ash asked. "Sorry. J."

Jenny blinked, flipped back through the last four pages of her notes, then started crossing bits out.

"J?" she repeated. "Pokémon Hunter J? The J who we don't even send police against any more, because it was like giving her Growlithe to sell? The J who we only go up against when there's a Gym's whole Pokémon roster on call? The J who once got damn close to capturing at least one of the Legendary Beasts, and we now think her client pulled out? That J?"

Ash looked between Maurice, Misty, Brock, and their assembled Pokémon.

"...is there another one?" he asked.

Jenny sat down. "Okay, can we start from the beginning? So… you two were in camp?"

"That's right," Misty agreed. "Though there's not many details. She just hit the whole campsite in capture goop and that was the first we knew she was there."

"Right," Jenny confirmed. "And… you were returning from Sinnoh by Pidgeot? So, how…"

Most of an hour later, Jenny closed her now-full notebook.

"So, to summarize…" she began. "You had a combination of luck and skill. Luck because you had the right Pokémon to hack her systems, mess with her weapons, break the cages, and neutralize both her ship and her Salamence."

"And skill because, well, much as I like to tease him Ash is good," Misty said. "Brock and I didn't treat him like a rookie at all, Surge used his main Raichu and Pikachu beat him, I'm not sure for Erika but I do know that Sabrina doesn't usually lose at all."

"You're the one who beat Sabrina?" Jenny said. "Well, I'm impressed… and I think that's all the questions I had. It's a pity she got away, but, well done and good work all of you. And yes, that includes the ones who got captured."

"That's good to know," Maurice sighed. "I spent my whole time in her jail wishing Tyl and I had just run for it, but that wouldn't have felt right."

Jenny nodded, sympathetically. "Well, I can't keep you any longer, so… good luck, all of you. And don't forget to alert the police immediately if she comes back!"

The friends stayed long enough to plant the Gracidea for Shaymin, and thank her for her help, then headed south, and in their campsite the next evening Ash got out some of Sir Aaron's notes and got to work.

Riolu found him a couple of hours later, after some work with Primeape, and paced around behind Ash to see what he was working on.

"What is that?" he asked. "That looks like… maths? A circuit diagram? One or both of those things?"

"Oh, hi, Riolu," Ash said, showing him in greater detail. "It's the notation from Sir Aaron's notes about… I guess you'd call it enchantment? It's because I'm, you know, eleven, and I thought it'd help if I could store Aura in something over time and then use it up in one go to make myself stronger. Sort of like Primeape does, but not quite as extreme, only – you know, I need extra power to do it for longer. And training helps with that too, but Hunter J might not wait until I've had time to train."

He shrugged. "The problem is, this stuff is incredibly complicated. I'm sort of where I've got some idea of where to go, with Dexter's help, but I don't want to make one that explodes or something."

"I get it," Riolu agreed. "And I've been going down my own mental list of what to work on next… manga is surprisingly helpful for ideas."

Ash tried not to laugh. "I guess it would be."

"Yeah, Geodude's got this thing he was talking about while I was helping Primeape through rehabilitation exercises, which is controlling earth and stone that's not part of his body… I think Pikachu's helping Staryu and Misty with something, too."

There was a bright flash, and Pikachu came skidding backwards in a trail of water and sparks.

"Speak of the Pikachu," Riolu added. "How's it going?"

"Well, Misty's a lot better at understanding what Staryu is getting at," Pikachu reported. "Still not the actual words, but the improvement's really visible… oh, right, the move. Staryu does a kind of version of Whirlpool that's also Razor Wind, so the individual streamers of water are fast enough to do damage, but…" he flicked his ear. "More than that, they can soak up so much electricity in static charge. I have to dump a lot of power at once to blow the water away electrostatically, that's the only way to get any electricity through the water."

"Wow," Ash blinked. "You're having trouble?"

"I don't have unlimited power, much as that would be very cool," Pikachu shrugged. "The Light Ball helps, but it takes way more power than the Light Ball can provide so it can tire me out quite fast…"

A few days later, Ash pushed an engineer over a slight rise.

"There," he said. "Diglett and Dugtrio, hard at work."

"That's… amazing," the engineer said, eyes shining. "I never realized they did this much work… they're engineers just like me!"

"Exactly," Ash said, then walked back to the others. "Well, that was easier…"

"Actually…" Misty began. "I wonder what makes people decide how many heavy machines to use, instead of Pokémon."

"It's probably a mix of things," Brock replied. "So, firstly, it's harder to catch the really strong Rock types and others like that… and they do eventually run into weights they can't manage. Then there's how for Pokémon you need to take care of them at all times, while machines you often don't need to so much… and they won't complain if you get them to work a bit longer, either."

"True…" Misty agreed. "Harder to transport, though."

"This is true," Brock said.

Riolu scratched his chin. "I wonder if they actually do check that kind of thing in companies, about how much each thing costs, or they just go with what's cool..."

It probably affects things that Kanto is extremely high tech, Dexter contributed.

Not far from the Fuchsia Gym, Ash was in the middle of going through the Pokémon he'd want to use when a shout came from overhead.

"Ash! What the hell did you do to my Squirtle?"

Gary's Fearow cruised past, and Gary slid down one wing as the Flying-type circled before dropping the last few feet to reach the friends.

"I don't think I've done anything," Ash replied. "Not personally. Why?"

"This!" Gary replied, sending out his starter Pokémon.

It was quite a sight. Gary's Squirtle was wearing star-shaped shades.

Ash's own Squirtle came out of his Pokéball. "So, rival, you've taken on the challenge?"

"Oh, right…" Ash said. "I guess my Squirtle must have explained about this anime he enjoys, and yours really got into it…"

"Yeah, that much is obvious," Gary said. "What kind of anime?"

"Only the greatest, most amazing anime in the history of the world! A true expression of what a man is!"

So far as I am aware, it's focused on the idea that pure guts and determination can overcome anything. This seems to work.

"So… what should I expect, then?" Gary asked. "If I know that much I can plan for it."

An unwillingness to give up, a passion for displays of manly might, hot bloodedness, and mind-blowing heroism, and a set of very nice sunglasses, Dexter summarized. Also drills. And probably a lot of ridiculous things will happen, generally at the end of battles, but more than that I can't say.

"Well, it's something," Gary said. "Smell ya later, Ash. Fearow, down here!"

The huge bird screamed out a call and banked around, beginning to descend.

"Hey, now that I think about it…" Ash said. "Wasn't that particular Fearow kind of… aggressive? He held a grudge for ages. You don't have any problems, do you?"

Gary snorted. "As if. You just have to know how to train a Pokémon properly."

"What's that, then?" Ash asked. "Love and affection?"

"Bribery. Later!" Gary reached up and caught Fearow's leg as the Flying-type went past. Then returned his Squirtle, which was a good call because the two Water-types were forehead-to-forehead and shouting at one another.

"...we're not normal, are we?" Brock asked.

"Yeah, but it's hard to tell if it's the time travel or not," Ash replied. "At least Gary's not driving around in a car at eleven… though I guess he is older now. Or is he?"

Ash looked at Pikachu. "How old am I, now?"

"Eleven," Misty answered. "You just act your age now!"

"Hey!"

At the Fuchsia Gym, Koga met them just inside the door.

"Welcome to the Fuchsia Gym, challenger," he said. "This is not some simple arena of battle, but a test of your ability to think on your feet. And you must demonstrate that your Pokémon are not your only source of strength."

He regarded Ash impassively. "Your name?"

"Does it matter if I give a fake one?" Ash checked.

"Why would you ask that?" Misty groaned.

"I like that question," Koga said, which made Misty deflate a bit. "Information is a tool."

He nodded to himself. "Now, your first task is to make it to the gym's main battle room. Invisible walls will bar your way. You will have to avoid traps. And ninja will strike at you from the darkness."

Koga folded his arms. "Many of the trainers of Kanto have forgotten what it means to be in a truly dangerous environment, where hidden perils can strike from the shadows. But Fuchsia Gym is a Poison gym, and we have not forgotten. Show me that you can survive when the environment is against you."

He stepped back into the shadows, and vanished.

Ash glanced at Pikachu and Riolu. "That sounds tricky."

"Yeah," Pikachu agreed. "They'll probably be using all kinds of tricks, like a hidden floor lift in a corner that's too darkly lit to see."

"Or just moving around inside the walls," Riolu said.

"It sounds terrifying," Ash said. "Horrifying."

"Can't even trust your own eyes," Pikachu fretted.

"Well, I guess we shouldn't bother trying to find the traps," Ash announced. "Or the ninja, because this is a ninja place, so there's no way you can find a ninja if they're trying to be hidden… and even what you can see might be some kind of deception. In fact, it might be safer not to see anything."

He rummaged in his bag. "Which means… we'll need… these!"

Ash passed a blindfold to Riolu, another to Pikachu, and slipped a third one on over his own eyes. "There we go! Now we'll be safe!"

"It's the safest choice," Pikachu agreed, adjusting his. "It's a good thing you had these to make sure we'd be so safe."

Misty was trying not to laugh.

"Hmm," Brock said. "Hey, Misty? Do you think if I tried doing the course I'd find ninja chicks?"

"Weren't you listening?" Misty replied. "You wouldn't find anything… come on, pay attention."

She reached for his ear, and Brock yelped. "I'm listening, I'm listening! ...so, what is your plan, Ash?"

"Blunder through the maze without getting too badly hurt, I guess," Ash shrugged. "Come on, guys."

He set off, with Pikachu and Riolu on either side.

After a few metres, he bent down, and a small dart shot over his head. "Oh, hey! Misty, I found a coin!"

"...he's having fun, at least," Misty decided. "I hope that dart didn't have anything dangerous in it, though."

"Ow!" Ash said, wincing as he walked into a wall.

The wall was transparent, so running into it was just what you'd do if you were using your eyes. And Ash wasn't, but this way it made it seem like he was, which was… ninja or something, he wasn't clear on the details.

"Like it?"

A ninja dropped down from the ceiling, and Aya sent out her Venonat. "It's an invisible wall, to confound… trainers…"

She frowned. "Why are you blindfolded?"

"You said it yourself, the wall's invisible, so it's not like it would have helped," Ash replied. "Hey, are you going to battle me with that Venonat?"

"Yes, this is a battle!" Aya replied.

"Thundershock!" Ash ordered, and Pikachu sent out a blast of electricity at Venonat. Unlike the others he wasn't used to fighting seeing entirely by Aura, and he missed, but Venonat winced before using Poison Powder.

"Riolu, your turn!" Ash said, and Riolu ran straight at the invisible wall – then kicked off, and sprang directly into the Poison Powder.

"Weird," Aya frowned. "Well, Venonat, battle in the Poison Powder. Zen Headbutt."

Venonat trotted into the cloud, and Aya considered before drawing a blunted kunai from her belt.

"The Fuchsia Gym is intended to test trainers as well as their Pokémon," she said, as a hint, then shrugged and threw it at Ash – ring-first.

He turned to Pikachu, and the kunai missed. "Hey, how do you think Riolu is doing?"

Aya frowned. "That was strange… how did you do that?"

Venonat yelped something, bouncing out of the Poison Powder cloud, and Riolu sprang up after him before grabbing him and throwing him down like a volleyball.

"Shadow Ball to finish the battle!" Ash called, and Venonat bounced out of the cloud a moment later – out cold.

Riolu walked out of the cloud after him, and Aya frowned. "Okay, how did he do that? He just walked through a cloud of poison."

"Oh, it's an Aura trick," Ash explained. "It was really helpful recently, actually, it works on sleeping gas too…"

He looked around, apparently, despite the blindfold. "I think it's… that way, Riolu. And this wall's in the way."

Riolu used Brick Break, and the wall shattered.

"Hey!" someone said. "That reinforced perspex is hard to get into place!"

"It's not like I can go around through the poison cloud! So, who's that?" Ash called up.

He was pretty sure it was that girl he'd heard about having taken Koga's job… Janine?.. but not certain.

Aya sent out a Voltorb, who used Selfdestruct, and retreated.

"A true ninja never reveals their name to the enemy!" probably-Janine declared. "Zubat, get him!"

Pikachu fired a Thundershock up at Zubat, but the Flying-type dodged away and banked around for another pass. As they did, Janine got a pair of shuriken ready, then threw them at Ash.

Who tripped.

The shuriken clattered to the floor behind him, and he caught himself on his hands before he'd have actually thumped into the floor. "Ow."

He rolled over, saw Janine was moving again, and kept rolling. A kunai went bonk into the ground where he'd been, and Ash crouched before springing upright.

"Stop making fun of me!" Janine complained. "I have to stop you!"

"And I've got to get through, right?" Ash replied. "So one of us is going to succeed, and one of us isn't."

"I won't give up!" Janine declared. "And I certainly won't be convinced to give up!"

"Oh, huh," Ash frowned, under his blindfold. "Hey, Pikachu, how are you doing?"

"Got her Zubat sorted," Pikachu said. "Shockwave pulse."

"Thanks!" Ash said, then used Aura Sphere and broke out some of the ceiling Janine was standing on. The rest of it wasn't enough to take her weight, and she yelped as it gave way before thumping down painfully.

Ash winced.

"I didn't know you could do that," Janine complained, then looked up at another glowing Aura Sphere. "I… uh, I could be convinced to give up now."

"Riolu, I think it's that wall," Ash said.

Koga frowned, watching the security cameras.

The Riolu was smashing his way directly through the mansion, the trainer was keeping an eye out for all the traps, and the Pikachu kept kicking Voltorbs out of the way with enough speed to avoid them actually detonating in his face.

"One of these days, I'm going to find a way to set the course without loopholes."

"You don't think this isn't using a loophole?" Aya asked, lifting a trapdoor in the floor. "Like you said, real battles don't have rules."

"If I allow this then someone with a Magmar or something is going to try and set the building on fire," Koga grumbled. "You're right, creativity is important, but there's creativity and then there's this…"

"Hey, look at that!" Ash said. "I think we made it!"

"Fun," Pikachu announced. "We literally did the course blindfold."

Ash took his blindfold off, to see an annoyed Gym Leader standing across the room from him.

This was a fairly normal situation for him, except that this time it was Koga not Misty.

"So, uh… a proper battle now, right?"

"Yes," Koga confirmed. "A normal, no-special-rules Pokémon Battle."

Ash looked vaguely apologetic. "So, is the hole in the wall going to be a problem?"

"What hole?" Koga replied.

Ash looked back, confused, and saw a set of planks crudely hammered over the breach in the wall. "Huh. When did that happen?"

"Ninja builders did it," Koga explained. "Specifically, Ninjask builders."

Ash nodded. "Well, I'm impressed… so, uh, you said no special rules, but are there any that affect what Pokémon I can use?"

"No Pokémon used in traversing the gym can be used in the battle itself," Koga said. "Now, send out your first Pokémon!"

Koga's own first choice was a Venonat, and Ash picked a Pokéball of his own off his belt. "Charizard!"

Koga displayed an impressive turn of speed in getting much closer to the edge of the room, which probably did involve a ninja technique – mostly because Charizard took up quite a lot of it now.

"Dexter, set up some Light Screen!" Ash asked.

Stand by, ready. Set up. Light Screen.

"Okay, Charizard!" Ash went on. "As soon as the battle starts, set up a Flare Blitz but don't actually use it – then do what you want!"

Charizard nodded.

"Begin," Koga said, and Charizard set himself on fire, then roared and opened fire on Venonat.

Koga was thinking fast.

The curtain of heat was obviously very hot, it was making the floor underneath Charizard smoulder already, and of course the bit of the floor that Charizard's Flamethrower had hit was also scorched black and looked like it was going to catch fire. More to the point, the flaming shield was going to make it nearly impossible to get any Powder or poison attacks to actually impact Charizard.

With those removed, he didn't have many options, so- "Hold!" he said.

Charizard stopped, and so did Venonat.

"I concede," Koga went on. "You have outmanoeuvred me."

Ash blinked. "What?"

"Finally!" Koga said. "I was starting to wonder how to surprise you. Anyway… yes. So."

Koga began ticking off points on his fingers with a sharp kunai. "You can see through walls, apparently, which means trying to deceive you is useless. Your Charizard's new trick makes him hard or impossible to poison, and of course even were I to defeat him you still have a Poison-type. Hence, I confer upon you the Soul Badge."

Charizard grumbled about how that gym battle barely counted as Ash recalled him.

"That's six down and two to go!" Ash said, as he returned to the entrance chamber.

"Yes, Ash, there are only two gyms on your planned Kanto path you haven't tried to destroy," Misty said, annoyed.

This was a return to normal for Ash, though, and he shrugged.

"Now, Misty, that's not true," Brock soothed. "Ash didn't try to destroy Pewter Gym."

"And I didn't do that much to some of them," Ash frowned. "Sure, we collapsed Cerulean Gym, but the damage to Vermillion wasn't that extreme, was it? And Saffron mostly got away without any damage… though I guess it depends if you count psychological? Celadon did get left in a mess though."

"Though… that said," Brock went on. "Pewter Gym did have a bad time recently. Some girl with an Abra."

"A girl with an Abra?" Aya asked, making them all jump because she was hanging from the ceiling. "Might have been the challenger we had here earlier this year. Their Abra teleported them through the challenge course, then their Cubone beat the whole gym team at once."

Ash, Brock and Misty exchanged looks.

"So, uh… what hair did they have?" Ash asked.

"One red and huge, one blue," Aya replied.

"Okay, they're doing the Gym Challenge too," Brock decided. "That's sneaky. Though I guess it keeps them out of trouble."

He paused. "Less in trouble."

"At least they're not messing with my Gym Challenge," Ash muttered. "But we're apparently worse for the gyms when we do it that way…"

"Now that's a scary thought," Pikachu shuddered.

The next morning, Ash stretched, then brightened.

"Oh, yeah, now it's time for something important!"

"...are you all right, Ash?" Misty said, quite concerned. "Yesterday was a gym battle, and today is the important thing?"

"Yeah, it's the race!" Ash replied. "The Fuchsia Free-For-All!"

Brock frowned. "Oh, yeah, that… uh… Team Rocket got someone injured… I got stopped at the water, you rode that Ponyta that evolved into a Rapidash, and Misty took her Starmie I think? Is that everything?"

"That's what happened last time, yeah," Ash agreed. "And I won!"

"Mostly because of your weird evolution rays," Misty pointed out. "Even last time around it was silly enough, and now you can make half the Pokémon you encounter evolve just by touching them."

"That's mostly because he's reminding them," Brock pointed out.

Riolu looked at himself. "I'm not seeing it."

"Give it time," Pikachu replied, touching his cheeks. "Look at me, I managed to evolve without evolving, after all."

"I do want to win this time, too, if I can," Ash said. "Being an honorary part of the Laramie Clan was nice… I didn't have to do anything and Lara sent me letters sometimes."

"I don't think I heard about this," Misty admitted.

"Yeah, it wasn't a big deal or anything, just hearing how they were doing," Ash shrugged. "Though, come to think of it… I can just enter on Pidgeot, right?"

"Is that allowed?" Brock said. "I think they might decide you're pulling a fast one."

Misty sent out Goldeen.

"I'll be good," Brock promised.

"Good, because Lara's a girl," Misty replied. "Oh, and riding on Starmie was okay, but I've got a better option now! Gyarados, Gyarados, Gyarados…"

Goldeen looked puzzled.

"Misty," Ash said. "It's the Pokémon that says the name over and over again."

Misty used Fish Slap. "No more of that from you either, mister Ketchum…"

"How do you feel about this, exactly?" Riolu asked Goldeen.

"Oh, you know, it's all experience," Goldeen replied, doing her best to shrug.

"Name?" the clerk asked.

"Ash Ketchum," Ash introduced himself. "And I'm entering with my Pidgeot!"

"Ah," the clerk said, halfway through writing down the name. "We don't actually allow people to enter with a Pokémon that can fly."

Ash sighed. "Oh well… though I do still have a different entry to make."

He crouched down and lifted Squirtle onto the table, and Pikachu hopped down from his shoulder. "These are my Pikachu and Squirtle, and they'd like to enter as a team."

"This will be a great challenge!" Squirtle announced. "My burning spirit and icy will combine to create-"

"Water, mostly," Pikachu interrupted.

"That was the metaphor I was going for, wise guy!" Squirtle complained.

"I… hold on," the clerk requested, and checked through the rules. "Let's see… and… yes, I think there's nothing actually against that…"

He noted it down, but as he did a familiar voice addressed Ash.

"Fancy meeting you here!"

Ash spun. "James?"

"The very same!" James snapped out a little fan. "It sounded like a fabulous idea to compete, and of course I'm all about fabulous… so I'm entering with my Arcanine, Growlie."

The clerk frowned. "Why would… well, I understand how a Growlithe could be called Growlie, but why haven't you renamed him?"

"I refuse to treat his beloved childhood name, the one he still answers to, as a shameful name that must be changed!" James said, sniffing. "It's not like he'd have to change his name to hide from the authorities or anything."

"Your Arcanine makes sense, yeah," Ash frowned. "Especially if they ban teleporting."

"Actually, do they?" James wondered, fanning himself. "I've heard it said that the best way to win is not to actually come first but to have them add something to the rulebook because of you."

"I guess that means we both won the Fuchsia Gym," Ash said. "But, wait… how do these races work?"

He waved vaguely. "You've got an Arcanine, they're a lot faster than some of the other competitors."

"I think they work… quite well," James judged. "And that's all there is to it."

Without the chance to enter, though both Brock and Misty had done so, Ash sort of wandered a bit before running into someone familiar.

Sort of.

"Well, now, hello there!" Lara said, riding on a familiar Ponyta. "Nice to meet you. You're around for the race, I take it?"

"That's right," Ash confirmed, and checked for a moment just in case he'd missed something earlier that day.

No sign of the tell-tale bright glow of a human or Pokémon he could remind. It hadn't been likely, but it felt good to check.

"Name's Lara, Lara Laramie, of the Laramie Ranch, and if it sounded confusing to you just imagine me learning it when I was young."

"Doesn't sound confusing to me," Pikachu quipped. "Laramie is three syllables, that's enough for anyone."

Ash tried not to snigger. "Sorry, Pikachu said something funny."

"Well, now, isn't that a special thing?" Lara asked, wondering. "Don't often meet anyone who can do that… so, what are you riding in the race?"

"Nothing, I can't take part," Ash explained. "My team's either too small or Flying-type. Pidgeot would be really good, but she's not allowed for, uh, obvious reasons in hindsight, and Charizard's banned too."

"That's the way it is," Lara agreed. "Too bad, though, you came all this way."

"No, Pikachu's competing, actually!" Ash shrugged, indicating the Electric-type. "So it kind of works out."

"What is a Charizard like to fly, then?" Lara asked. "Ponyta, of course, they don't burn you if they trust you, is it the same for a Charizard?"

Before Ash could respond, though, another man came running over – and he looked familiar.

"Lara, seems there's trouble with your Tauros," he said. "They're making all kinds of noise."

"Well, shoot," Lara said. "I better get over there, then. Thanks for the warning, Dario."

Dario smiled, which turned into a smirk when Lara galloped off on her Ponyta.

Ash frowned, then remembered where this guy looked familiar from, and sent out Pidgeot.

"Let's follow her and help!" he said.

Pidgeot took off with a whoosh, and Ash looked around to see if he could spot Jessie and James. There were lots of people and Pokémon around one way or another, but they'd show up at least – and he couldn't see them.

"Right, let's get ready!" Pikachu said, as Pidgeot started slowing down again – barely having had time to get up any speed, given how they didn't have far to go – and the Flying-type flared her wings to slow down enough for Ash and Pikachu to jump off.

Ash sent out Ivysaur as well, throwing the Pokéball far enough that Ivysaur came out on the far side of the herd, and he used Vine Whip to start heading the Tauros off before Pikachu began opening fire with Thunder Wave.

"Now that's what I call help!" Lara whistled, appreciatively. "Hey, you silly moos! Get – whoah!"

Her Ponyta reared in sudden fright, and Ash felt the same spike of fear but did his best to shrug it off.

He lunged forwards, and managed to take Ponyta's bridle before they threw Lara off completely.

"Calm down," he said, holding Ponyta in place so they didn't fall over – forwards or backwards. "You don't want to hurt your trainer, do you? So just calm down, there's nothing to be worried about, okay?"

Tone of voice was important, when dealing with someone who was panicking. Human or Pokémon… it wasn't always a rule Ash remembered, but it was something that Lara had mentioned in one of her letters so it was right there where he could remember it now.

Holding Ponyta in place was hard, but it seemed to help, and Lara recognized what he was doing well enough to pat her Pokémon on the back as well and help soothe them. Then the Fire-type flashed white, and evolved into Rapidash.

That hadn't been a memory transfer, Ash knew that… but, if this was the Ponyta he suspected, then they'd been not far from evolving anyway… and he stepped back, letting the now-calm and much larger Pokémon's hooves thump down to the ground.

"Misty's going to make jokes about that one, Ash," Pikachu warned.

"Yeah, I guess she is," Ash agreed, then glanced back up to check on how Ivysaur was doing.

Apparently his experience in Tauros wrangling was being put to good use, because now the whole herd was milling aimlessly instead of stampeding.

"Well, now, she doesn't normally do that when she meets someone new," Lara chuckled, patting her Rapidash on the back again as a soothing motion. "Thanks for that help as well, Ash, being thrown ain't fun any day."

Rapidash looked around, to reassure herself that her trainer was okay, and got another pat as reassurance. "There, there, girl, you didn't hurt me… now, Ash, you said you didn't have a Pokémon you could ride in the race?"

Ash nodded.

"Then how about you ride Rapidash here?" Lara asked. "If it doesn't work out, well, it doesn't work out and that's that, but it ain't like I've got any use for the prize… all it'd be, is honorary membership in my own clan. What do you say, girl?"

Rapidash definitely looked interested, and Lara chuckled. "Call it a reward for all your help just now…"

"Well – sure!" Ash agreed. "I'd love to, if Rapidash doesn't mind."

"Then come round later, and I'll see how you two get along together," Laramie offered.

After quickly passing on to Brock and Misty that he might be taking part himself, Ash went around to get acclimatized to Rapidash as quickly as possible.

Ash being Ash, that quickly turned into the kind of long training session that he'd done multiple times in the past, and it was well past midnight when Lara cleared her throat.

"Now, I'm glad you two are getting on so well, and all, but I feel like I should mention that it ain't all that long until the race. All the trainin' in the world won't do you any good if you fall off."

Ash blinked. "Huh, that is a good point…"

"It won't stick," Ivysaur said. "Pikachu and I have been trying to get that through Ash's head for a long, long time."

"I'm not that bad," Ash protested, then yawned. "Uh, I guess I should get some sleep…"

"It applies to Rapidash too, remember," Lara pointed out.

Some hours later, and not long before the race was due to start, Riolu walked up to the registration desk.

"Oh, what's this?" the clerk asked. "Is something wrong?"

Riolu opened Ash's Pokédex, and held him up.

We would like to enter, Dexter explained. I checked the rules. Sign ups are still permitted at this point. I will be the mount.

"...you're a box," the clerk said. "How will that work?"

I can materialize, Dexter replied. My Pokémon species name is Porygon. I am aware of the rules that levitation is not permitted more than one foot in the air.

"This is going to be a weird race," the clerk decided, but began entering the information anyway. "Any nicknames?"

"Riolu," Riolu said.

He means he doesn't have one, Dexter explained. I am Dexter.

"Right… and… okay, you should be set. Enjoy."

On the start line, Pikachu rolled his neck. "Ready?"

"Of course!" Squirtle replied. "My blazing fires are unquenchable!"

"Good thing, since you're a Water type," Pikachu replied. "It's more about handling the distance."

"Why do you keep asking that kind of thing?" Squirtle demanded. "If there's a wall in my way, I'll break it down! If there's no path then I'll make one myself!"

Pikachu nodded along. "Sure, just… if you do end up tired, I've got something planned."

Then he perked up. "Oh, they're doing the countdown."

When the flag went down and the race began, Rapidash exploded off the line.

Ash was no stranger to speed, in his first or second time around. Certainly he'd flown on Pidgeot more this time than last time, and Pidgeot was very fast. But there was something different about this.

Maybe it was just how low down he was, since even Pidgeot would be careful about flying this close to the ground. Maybe it was the physical impact of the gallop, where every jump was a one-two-three-four hoof drumbeat before Rapidash soared through the air again, or maybe it was just the fact that he kind of ached all over and hadn't got much sleep last night. But it felt faster than Pidgeot, even though it wasn't.

Then James and Growlie pulled alongside.

"Nice Pokémon you have there," James observed. "Pretty good for a pony."

Rapidash snorted, offended, and Ash ran his hand though her mane.

"She's willing to put in the hard work," Ash replied. "Didn't Growlie spend most of his life in a kennel?"

This time Growlie responded, growling in irritation, and James' eyes sparkled. "Oh? Such a dreadful insult, accusing my oldest friend of being soft!"

There was a crash behind them, and Ash glanced back to see a Rhyhorn and a Nidorina trying to beat one another up.

"That looks familiar," James said, considering. "Well, I suppose maybe Dario tried for a franchise deal… if you're hiring Rockets, it doesn't matter much to you which Rockets you're hiring…"

He shaded his eyes, looking ahead now. "And that poor Dodrio… I'm not sure what's been done to it, but it's going very fast. While, if you ask me, I think there's traps on that hill section."

"Huh," Ash frowned.

Then glanced down at Rapidash. "You know what's a good way to deal with a trap?"

Rapidash shook her head, still moving with flowing speed.

"Sprinting right through it! Flame Charge!"

"You as well, Growlie!" James ordered, and both Fire-types accelerated.

Cassidy checked over her work, then nodded to herself.

This was one of her favourite sections of the modified course. It looked like nothing special from the outside, but… Grass Knots all over the area, to catch the Pokémon focusing on speeding up for the hill section, then some fake ground at the apex to catch the Pokémon tired after the long slope.

Dario came through first, his Dodrio's X-Speed boosts giving it amazing velocity while they lasted, and she watched from her cover as Dario picked his way seemingly randomly up the slope.

It had taken a while to get Dodrio to remember the course, but it had worked.

Then two Fire-types blasted past, burning a wide clear path through the exposed Grass Knots and destroying them.

Cassidy cursed, then clicked a signal to Butch to prepare the next traps, and moved over to the home straight for the final ambush.

There wasn't far to go. The course bent back on itself, so the start line was right next to the finish line.

Misty's Gyarados blasted out a Water Pulse, damping down the remaining fires, and the two Gym Leaders charged up the slope in fourth and fifth place. Behind them came Dexter, then a Nidorino, Rhyhorn, Sandslash, Electrode, about a dozen other Pokémon.

Then there was a gap.

A long gap, actually.

Finally, panting and huffing, Squirtle staggered to a halt at the bottom of the cliff.

"Unquenchable?" Pikachu checked.

"The magma of my soul is cooling off," Squirtle panted. "A man's legs can't keep him moving..."

"Oh, give it a rest," Pikachu groaned.

"Sounds like a good idea."

"Right," Pikachu said, hopping off Squirtle, and examined the hill. "Hmm…"

He snapped his claws, and used Counter Shield.

"Hey!" Squirtle yelped. "Stay away from me with that stuff!"

"Your shell's an insulator, right?" Pikachu asked, and got a wary nod. "Then give us some jet propulsion!"

He snagged the top of Squirtle's shell, over Squirtle's protests, and the two of them gradually rose into the air as Pikachu used Magnet Rise.

"Okay, Squirtle!" Pikachu added. "Use Water Gun! Wow, it really is fun to give orders like that."

Squirtle popped his limbs back into his shell, then used Water Gun, and they went rocketing up the hill – Squirtle's legs may have been tired, but that said nothing about his ability to shoot water.

Several race officials started checking their rulebooks.

Ash spotted the pit trap before they reached it, and urged Rapidash to jump clean over it. She responded magnificently, soaring over it, and landed on the far side with a thump of four hooves hitting at once.

James, meanwhile, had just seen it was a good place to put a trap and wanted none of it.

In fourth place came Brock, whose Steelix hit the pit trap square on. It wasn't built to handle a Steelix, however, and so there was just a sort of crunch and the pit trap turned into a long central trench down the slope as Steelix kept going.

As that was going on, though, Dario had finished crossing the river up ahead, and Ash looked at the obstacle.

Back at the pit trap.

"Let's jump the river!" he said. "Rapidash, Bounce!"

Rapidash's cadence changed slightly, then she launched herself into the air.

Below, Growlie used Extremespeed, blurring from one stone to another so fast each movement sent up a plume of water, and even the stone that tipped over the moment he put any weight on it didn't interrupt his journey.

Growlie got across the river first, but Rapidash landed next to him with a thump of hooves, and both Fire-types charged forwards again.

Cursing, Dario urged his Dodrio on.

None of the tricks those Rockets he hired had set up had worked yet, and this wasn't working out.

The whole point was to get enough of a lead with his X-Speed that when they wore off it'd still be an easy victory, but that wasn't going to happen if none of the traps worked. Three down now, not many to go… he'd have an advantage in the food section, but those Rockets had better be of some use.

Ash swung down off Rapidash's back as soon as they reached the food section of the course.

He could tell she was tired, partly not used to going so fast for so long, partly just unfamiliarity with her new body. He couldn't help much, but he could help a bit by getting off her back.

Growlie just swallowed his whole plate in about three bites, while Dario's Dodrio had already departed, and Ash fretted about how that would most certainly leave them in third – or worse.

But Rapidash was still strong, and after this bit he could really let her run. And Growlie wasn't getting a rest, either…

Sonic Form, Dexter announced, using Agility, and shot forwards. I will be able to maintain this speed boost for the entire remainder of the course.

"Great," Riolu replied, trying to hold open a map against the wind. "Next is, uh… a food section? Can you eat?"

I had not considered that. And now I am annoyed. Dexter let out an electronic wheeze. The rules are vague on everything from what happens to Laramie Clan members taking part to the method of propulsion…

Riolu looked back at the wildly fishtailing Squirtle and Pikachu behind them, then kept listening.

...but on that they are rigid. The mount, not the rider, must eat the food.

"I guess that means we're out for honour, then."

"Come on, girl, not much further now," Ash said, swinging back up onto Rapidash's back as she finished eating.

Brock and Riolu were just arriving at the halt station, and Rapidash cantered around the next bend… straight into the effect field of a Scary Face from a Raticate.

The Raticate was glowering at Growlie and James, as well, and Rapidash skidded to a halt and started trembling. Ash wasn't doing much better, and tried to concentrate enough for an Aura Sphere, but it was hard to get his hand in the right shape…

Behind a rock, Butch smirked.

Sure, it was pretty blatant cheating if you knew someone was trying to sabotage the course, but otherwise it just looked like the actions of a wild Pokémon. Just like scaring the Tauros, and-

Thwack!

Then he was in the air, and landed with an oof right next to Raticate.

Rolling over and getting to his feet, he saw Jessie, with an Abra hovering over her shoulder, an Arbok twined around her waist and a Cubone in front of her.

"Well, well, well," Jessie smirked. "What are you doing here, Branch?"

"Butch!" Butch insisted. "Why does nobody ever get that right?"

"Are you sure?" Jessie said, her tone of voice shifting to confusion. "I thought it was Birch? Or was it Bit-"

"Raticate, get her!" Butch ordered.

Raticate sprang at Jessie, and Arbok lunged off her waist to intercept the Normal-type.

Jessie was smirking, and Butch clenched his fist. "I don't get what you're so pleased about. Hyper Fang!"

Arbok hissed in pain, but Jessie kept smirking, and pointed behind him.

Butch frowned, then looked, and saw a stampede of racers going past.

...oh, right.

Oops.

"Just one final sprint," Ash said. "Then we're at the finish line, okay? Ready for it?"

He channelled his energy into Rapidash as he spoke, sharing in her fatigue by using his Aura to bolster her. "Now, Agility!"

Rapidash's gait firmed up, and she went from a canter to a gallop to a dead run, and caught up with James and Growlie – they'd only got out of the Scary Face at the same time Ash and Rapidash had, so there wasn't much difference to make up.

And not far ahead of them was Dario and his Dodrio.

"Flare Blitz!" Ash called, and James said the same thing at the same time for what was almost certainly the same reason.

Dario felt his Dodrio slowing as the X-Speed wore off, and frowned.

Was he far ahead enough?

If those Rockets had done their job he would be, so-

Whoosh!

Two blurs of flame shot past on either side.

Then a kind of pink-and-blue vector model of a bird, on his left.

A Steelix, on his right. A Gyarados, on his left. Then a whole swarm of Pokémon and riders on both sides.

Finally, his Dodrio tripped as it dodged away from a blue shell that rocketed past in a spiking aura of electricity.

It didn't really seem fair since he wasn't even in the lead any more.

Up ahead, Cassidy tracked the two racers through her binoculars.

One last chance to make this work.

"Primeape, go for the Arcanine. Drowzee, make that Rapidash rider fall off!"

Butch's Primeape leaped out of cover with a scream of rage, already lining up a punch.

By now Ash was tired, aching, and annoyed at how complicated the race had ended up. So when another Pokémon tried interfering with the race, he reacted in the only sensible way.

Butch's Primeape got caught in mid-air by a materializing Pidgeot and thrown into the distance, but that had been aimed at James. Drowzee was the one focusing on Ash, and he reached out for the young trainer's mind… and found absolutely nothing at all.

This wouldn't have surprised anyone who knew Ash, for multiple reasons, but it was enough of a shock to Drowzee that by the time he recovered from the shock they were past and out of range.

Cassidy contemplated just giving up, then realized the Pidgeot was still in the area, and elected to run for it instead.

After a photo-finish finish, Lara walked up to Ash – standing on wobbly legs next to a tired Rapidash, and doing his best to rub her down according to half-remembered Rapidash care instructions.

"Nice work, Ash! And, just so you know, I don't care which of the two of you and that James fellow turn out to have won. I'm the one who decides, and I'd be honoured to have you both."

She took up position next to Ash, and started doing the same thing as he was with as much care and more experience. "More like this, but you're doing a good job. And, I've got to say, you gave her a good run. That was, well…"

Rapidash snorted.

"What?" Ash asked, confused.

"Rapid, ash," the Fire-type explained.

Ash groaned, and slumped to the floor. "That's terrible."

"With all due respect, Arceus, prime mover, creation's creator, deity of deities… no."

I don't see how this deserves such an automatic rejection.

"A three legged race is not a good idea," Aaron insisted. "Especially not when two of those involved are quadrupeds, two are bipeds, and the scale issues alone render it impractical."

Fine, fine, Arceus decided, as Dialga and Palkia fiddled with leg ties. In that case, what about a game of… Tale of the Five Swords? That might be a good name.

"How do you play that, then?" Aaron asked.

Like this.

Arceus glowed with ethereal light, and a moment later a world had blossomed around Sir Aaron.

There. You're now a member of a noble clan in a version of the Home Islands without any Pokémon. Your objective is to advance your status, uphold your honour, and unite the islands. Dialga and Palkia are members of other clans. Have fun.

"Did you create an entire… hold on."

He closed his eyes, to check, and saw that it wasn't a new creation. Not truly. But it was an impressive facsimile.

"...fake world, I think?" Aaron resumed. "To play a game?"

I am quite big on verisimilitude. And yes, I checked, this fits. Because I say so, and because Palkia.

19

"The Safari Zone," Ash announced. "...we are actually in the Safari Zone, right?"

All signs point to yes, Dexter told him.

"I've always thought this place is really fascinating," Brock said. "And all the more so when you think about it… it's not a place for all Pokémon, it's a place specifically for Pokémon which are not generally okay being available to be caught, or around humans. And for rarer Pokémon which need the help to build their numbers back up."

He shrugged. "I don't think the rest of the world isn't doing a good job, it's just… nice that there's places like this. And there's the bigger reserves which are handled by Pokémon Rangers, but this is a different thing and it's nice."

"You've got that right," Misty agreed.

Then a helicopter landed next to them, which was quite loud.

"Excuse me?" the pilot asked, opening the door. "You're the first people we've seen so far who might be able to help! Our son's missing, and we think he might be in the area!"

"Missing…" Ash repeated, vaguely remembering this but not the details. "What happened, again?"

"We were on a round-the-world trip, and… well, there's no delicate way to put this," the pilot admitted. "I dropped him out of the helicopter."

He got out, as did his wife. "We found his parachute, and we hunted for weeks, but… there was never any sign of Tommy himself."

"Hmm," Ash frowned. "Did you ask the local Pokémon?"

"How?" the man replied. "We never saw any once we landed, we don't have any ourselves… and we eventually had to leave, because to keep searching was impossible."

"But we've never forgotten him," the woman agreed. "We've always paid attention to the news from this area… my husband's learned to fly a helicopter himself so we could search for as long as we needed to…"

"Well, I guess it makes sense to ask the local Pokémon now," Ash decided, one hand going to his belt. "Uh, let's see…"

"Kangashkan herd, right?" Pikachu asked.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Ash agreed. "If there's a Kangaskhan herd around here, they'll be really organized and one of them might remember what happened. How long ago was it?"

"...five years," the woman said. "He's eight now."

"I am a very persistent trainee!" the man agreed. "I eventually passed!"

"I'm starting to wonder if the kid was safer being dropped out of the helicopter…" Pikachu opined.

Ash sent out Pidgeot. "See if there's a Kangaskhan herd nearby?" he asked her.

"On it," Pidgeot confirmed, taking off with a swoosh of wings, and rose in a spiral.

"My word!" the man gasped. "That's a magnificent Pokémon!"

He frowned. "You know, dear, now that I think about it, maybe we should have got a Pokémon! I'm sure there must be one large enough to carry people. Then we could have searched sooner."

Pidgeot came back down. "Saw one," she said.

When they reached the Kangaskhan herd – on land, because bringing a helicopter to a Kangaskhan herd was a good way to not have the herd there any more – Ash stood back, and sent Pikachu and Riolu to negotiate and explain the situation.

"You must have an excellent bond with your Pokémon," the woman said. "How do you know they'll get it right?"

"Pikachu and Riolu are both really dependable, but most Pokémon are willing to help in situations like that," Brock explained. "And Ash is really good, he can consistently understand what his Pokémon mean."

"I'm working on expanding that to all Pokémon, but I'm not quite there yet," Ash admitted.

Brock and Misty were at the point where they could usually hold a conversation with their own Pokémon, but they kept dropping out at odd times. It was like the difference between being able to ride a bike and being able to ride a bike while doing something else, or… something like that.

Pikachu came bounding back over. "That's definitely the kid," he reported. "In the herd leader's pouch, just like last time. She said he fell out of the sky, but… she'd appreciate some kind of proof, and even then she's not sure she'll let the kid go."

He shrugged. "He doesn't remember either of them. Wasn't that true before as well? It's been ages."

"Right," Ash said. "I guess… so it seems like your son's actually with the herd, the herd leader adopted him."

"Tommy!" the mother said, immediately.

"But he doesn't remember you," Ash went on.

"What?" the father asked. "That's – that's so sad!"

He looked around. "He must have amnesia! And the cure for amnesia is a hit on the head!"

"The cure for amnesia is not a hit on the head!" Misty said. "I should know, I have a Psyduck and it happens to him all the time. It doesn't make him remember things, it just makes him get a really bad headache!"

"Plus, uh…" Ash began. "He was three. Maybe that's why he doesn't remember you?"

He frowned, thinking about it.

There was something that might work…

"Pikachu, can you ask them if I can come over and look at Tommy? And, you two, you should know that the Kangaskhan parent's been looking after him for longer than you did."

"And better," Misty muttered.

"So… it probably means you can't just assume he'll want to leave them and live with you again," Ash finished.

That seemed to be a good point, for the parents, and they started a whispered conversation as Pikachu returned again.

"That's fine," he told Ash, and Ash steepled his fingers together.

"Let's see if I've got this right."

Ash's realization, one that he double-checked with one of Sir Aaron's notebooks, was that part of the Aura purge technique was about intensifying old memories.

And it was only part of it. It wasn't the whole dive into the mind. It was complicated, and nearly useless except when someone had genuinely forgotten something important, but Ash had remembered that… baffling as it sounded… the 'hit him over the head' plan had actually worked last time.

So he did have amnesia.

And, well… that was what this was able to do.

"This is going to help you, okay?" Ash asked. "It's hopefully going to help you remember what happened before you met Kangaskhan. It won't hurt, or, it shouldn't and tell me straight away if it does so I can stop, and it'll just mean you remember something new. You won't forget anything."

The boy looked up at his foster mother, who nodded her approval, then repeated that nod to Ash.

Ash put his palm on Tommy's forehead, and concentrated.

Tommy blinked a few times. "Uh… why they drop me?"

"I think your father's an idiot," Pikachu summarized.

Kangaskhan said something, and Pikachu nodded. "Yeah. He should know them, at least."

As it turned out, though, Tommy wouldn't have to make the decision between knowing his old family and the Kangaskhan who'd brought him up.

Perhaps recognizing that it would either be a difficult choice or one they'd quickly lose, Tommy's parents had decided to live in the Safari Zone themselves, helping to keep the Pokémon safe and learning from their son about how to do that.

And, most certainly, not dropping anyone. Off cliffs, out of helicopters, or anything else.

"I guess that worked out?" Ash said, a bit hesitantly, as they continued on through the Safari Zone. "That was weird."

"Those people were weird, is what you mean," Brock replied. "Though there is one good thing I've noticed so far… without Team Rocket trying to poach Pokémon, the local rangers aren't quite on super high alert."

"Good point," Ash admitted, remembering several times he'd been held at gunpoint, then frowned. "Wait, hold on…"

He closed his eyes.

"Can you see something, Ash?" Pikachu checked.

"Yeah, I can see Normal types," Ash confirmed. "Pure normal type, anyway. And there's three of them."

"Weird number," Riolu said. "Which Pokémon are these?"

"It might be some of the Tauros?" Ash guessed. "I wonder where the other twenty-seven are… and apart from that, I can't think of any Pokémon it might be, except for Ambipom maybe but we met her somewhere else in Kanto, I… think. That or someone's really lost."

He shrugged. "Well, I should go and explain and see what's going on! You guys coming?"

"We're not letting you get lost without us," Misty said.

This is around the time you got lost even with him, Dexter supplied helpfully. I wasn't going to bring it up just yet, but you went all over the place… you even visited a lab with someone who makes Porygon, and I'm looking forward to that to see if there's any improvements I can get.

"Improvements… that sounds good, but we should talk about that later," Ash said. "I don't remember this Porygon guy."

"Me neither," Pikachu said, flicking his ears.

Must be the flashing lights, Dexter decided.

"Anyway… Charizard, Pidgeot, let's go and see who that is!" Ash decided, sending out both Flying-types.

As it turned out, it was a whole herd of Tauros.

All of whom made snorting noises as Ash landed Charizard in front of them, and the one right at the front was one of the three that was glowing in Ash's Aura Sight.

"Tauuuu-ros!" he said, drumming his hooves on the ground. "Taur!"

"Okay, he's challenging me to a fight," Charizard provided.

"Thanks, Charizard," Ash replied. "Hey, this is going to sound weird, but… is there more than one herd of Tauros in the Safari Zone? Because I should be seeing about thirty Tauros, but I only see three of you."

That was a weird enough statement that it seemed to break the Tauros out of their ready-for-a-fight mode, and they switched to milling about a bit uncertainly.

"You're going to have to explain in more detail, Ash," Pikachu said.

"Right," Ash decided. "So… it sort of involves time travel? I caught three of you in Safari Balls, along with some other Tauros, and now I've come back in time and I can let you remember it. One of the Tauros, I'm not sure which, helped me beat a Dragonite and a Metagross!"

Tauros conversations continued.

"They're saying they don't think there are any Tauros in the Safari Zone apart from them, and that if any of them could beat a Metagross then that other Tauros herd which might not exist would definitely have taken the best stampeding spots," Pikachu provided. "Now the leader's asking you which ones you can do that to."

"That's the leader, right?" Ash asked, pointing at the one at the front. "He's one of them."

He held out his hand, and the Tauros trotted forwards curiously until Ash touched his horn.

Then he snorted.

"Wow," he declared. "This is weird. I only remember doing the Dragonite. It's Tauros over there who did the Metagross, and Tauros there who was Gary's Nidoqueen and the Swap Meet battle."

Pikachu started sniggering.

"Wow," he said. "I know it's disrespectful, but… even Ash couldn't keep you straight."

"The herd is one, and one is a small and slightly less efficient herd!" Tauros said. "Hey, Tauros, Tauros, he's on the level! Come on over and join in!"

"This is so weird," one of the un-remindable Tauros declared.

"Yeah, but if he's recruiting I want in," another un-remindable Tauros said, as Ash reminded Tauros and then Tauros. "Anyone else?"

One other hoof went up.

"Hey!" an Officer Jenny said, as they approached the Safari Zone entrance. "No cattle rustling!"

"We're not rustling," said a Tauros.

"Does it count as rustling if the Pokémon all want to join me?" Ash asked. "I guess I could technically say no but that might not be a good idea."

All five Tauros snorted in unison.

"I wanted to ask for some Safari Balls to confirm it," Ash added. "And I'm not sure what Professor Oak is going to think…"

Professor Oak was extremely upset at having to take care of five rowdy Tauros, at least until he found out it had been thirty last time.

Following Dexter's convenient map of where they'd been after Ash got his Tauros, the friends took a trip along Cycling Bridge to run an errand.

The errand happened to be flying Full Restores from one end of the bridge to the other, as emergency cures, but since they did remember that there'd been a Pokémon in a bad way last time not having the emergency cures would have been worse. So that good feeling more than compensated for the lack of glamour.

Then it was to the laboratory of Dr. Akihabara, south of the Safari Zone. Which only went to show how lost they'd been.

The moment Ash rang the doorbell, it opened, and the slightly manic Doctor peered at him.

"Hmm," he said. "So, you're the visitor Professor Oak said I was going to have?"

"I guess," Ash replied. "Most people just ask if I'm Ash Ketchum. Hi, I'm Ash Ketchum!"

"Delighted," Akihabara said, adjusting his glasses. "Did you bring the specimen?"

"Uh," Ash said. "I brought Dexter? He's a friend, though, not a specimen."

Akihabara looked momentarily distracted. "Ah, yes, of course. Come in, come in."

He ushered them through his house to the laboratory at the back, strewn around with bits of electronic paraphernalia and with a large door marked with an I-O symbol in one corner.

Ash took out his Pokédex, and Dexter manifested around it.

"Fascinating!" Akihabara declared. "Absolutely fascinating!"

He wheeled over a large machine, tapped a few commands, then picked up something like a soldering iron and touched Dexter's nose with it.

Dexter flinched away from the impact. Hey! Ask before you run an integrity check!

"Yes, yes," Akihabara said. "Hmm, fully self-sustaining… it appears that this really is an independent development of a Porygon. Absolutely fascinating."

"Hey, you'd better start talking about Dexter like he's actually here!" Ash warned. "Dexter's a Pokémon, he deserves respect!"

"I…" Akihabara said. "Um. He? I missed that before."

I have known I was male for longer than I have known I was a Porygon, Dexter stated. Another Porygon instantiated on the same hardware is female, they are designated as Dee.

"My word," Akihabara breathed. "So this isn't a unique event?"

Correct. However, we cannot battle effectively because our Pokédex cores are fragile and there is no dedicated projector, making our forms weak. Do you have any way of helping with this?

Akihabara frowned. "Hmm. Do I have a way of helping with that… ah! Yes!"

He pulled out a drawer. "I know it's here somewhere… and, here we go. Yes, I have a hard light projection system, with several projectors. It's one of the early forms of the Pokémon Transfer System, you see. Every great project begins with workable prototypes, and before Lanette solved the checksum problem for long range digital teleportation we were left with other systems more capable of handling interruptions in signal."

Ash raised his hand. "I have no idea what that means."

"Same," Riolu said, also with his hand up.

"The checksum problem?" Akihabara asked. "Oh, it's the systems and digital checks which ensure that it's mathematically impossible for a Pokémon transfer to be cut off halfway through. The Pokémon is either on one side or on the other side, and no possible problem can cut them off halfway through or cause data corruption in transit. Before that was proven we were using the Akihabara Digital Simulacrum Transfer System. It was still brilliant! The Pokémon simply gets into a sensory deprivation tank and at the other end a projector creates a facsimile of the original Pokémon."

Everyone looked at him.

"What?" he asked, defensively. "It was a demonstration technology! Er, hold on… aha, this should do."

He held out a small, metallic triangle. "There's some more of these, but they were all custom and they're all different."

Dexter floated over, examining it closely.

Interesting design. Is that gold?

"It only looks gold," Akihabara said. "It was part of a way of demonstrating we could fit the same technology into different form factors, instead of having them all look the same and it being easy to confuse. You wouldn't want to try and pore through a box of twenty identical projectors to find the one that was about to manifest a Rhydon!"

He looked over at Ash. "Oh, and do tell anyone else with a Porygon to stop by, I've got plenty and the scientific implications are – ah! Please don't open that door!"

Ash had already opened the door. "What is this?"

"That's the digitizer!" Akihabara said. "Careful! If activated that will turn your entire form into digital code so you can travel into a virtual reality. It's part of how Lanette and I got the coding sorted out for the PTS."

"So… you could use it to go into a computer system and fight viruses?" Ash asked.

The doctor laughed. "That's an imaginative idea."

He stopped. "...that could actually work, now I think about it. I should probably try and recruit someone. I don't suppose you'd be interested?"

Ash shook his head, waving his hands. "No way, enough strange stuff happens to me already, find someone else!"

They got Dexter linked into his new projector, and he was still testing what it could do the next day as they headed south.

Probably south.

Then Ash frowned. "Hey, Pikachu?"

"What?" Pikachu asked, worried. "Is something wrong?"

"Want to go into the woods and find the other Pikachu who live around here?" Ash asked. "You could go and live with them, I wouldn't-"

Pikachu hit him with a Thunderbolt.

"I thought there was something wrong, dingus!" he said. "You know as well as I that we're not going to leave one another! You're not getting away from me that easily!"

"We should probably find this concerning," Brock said mildly. "I wonder what it says that we don't."

"Sheer exposure," Misty decided firmly.

With that sorted out and firmly behind them, and after electing to just not go up the mountain where Ash had come close to freezing because why would anyone even do that, the friends travelled onwards towards Stone Town.

Which was when Riolu held up his paw.

"There's something nearby," he said, closing both eyes, then opening them again with a glitter of blue light. "An Eevee… a little that way."

After a long moment's silence, there was a faint cry in the air.

"Oh, yeah, this," Ash realized. "Let's go and get that Eevee back to their trainer, and make sure he knows he doesn't have to evolve it."

"Is that what this is about?" Riolu asked. "Why would anyone think you had to evolve… no, wait, Lt. Surge. Never mind."

"It's not just him," Ash replied. "But yeah, he's one of them. There's just so many people who think that because evolved Pokémon usually get stronger therefore a Pokémon needs to evolve to get stronger. Which… isn't how it works."

"Not at all!" Pikachu agreed.

"I hate missing half of conversations," Brock groaned. "At least I can understand mine now, and that's a lot better than nothing."

After freeing Eevee, and hearing their story just to give a good reason why they knew what was going on, and assuring Eevee that they wouldn't make him evolve, the friends packed up the leash, food and water Eevee had been left with before heading down into Stone Town itself.

Where they found an Evolution Party going on.

"These are just weird," Misty said. "If you've already decided to evolve a Pokémon not long before the party, sure, evolve them there. But how often do they have these parties? Do Pokémon have to wait?"

"It's usually like they make it an expectation," a young boy said, then did a double-take at the group – especially the Eevee in Brock's arms. "Wait- that's my Eevee – I left him out in the woods so my brothers wouldn't make me evolve him-"

Brock let Eevee down, and the Normal-type went scampering over to join his trainer.

"What's this, Mikey?" asked an older boy with bright red flame-styled hair. "Your Eevee is here now! That's great, we can evolve him into a Flareon!"

"Pyro-" Mikey began.

"No way, he's going to be a Vaporeon!" a blue-haired boy of about the same age insisted.

"Obviously he's going to be a Jolteon," an orange-yellow-haired boy declared, completing the trio. "Jolteon's the best Eeveelution!"

"Rainer, Sparky, Pyro – can you guys just give it a rest?" Mikey asked. "Eevee's going to evolve if he wants to, and he doesn't."

And it's not like there are only three options, either, Dexter said.

"Who said that?" Rainer frowned. "I didn't see who spoke."

Ash held out Dexter's projector, and the Porygon projected an Eevee hologram before making it shatter into all seven possible Eevee evolutions – Flareon, Jolteon, Vaporeon, Leafeon, Glaceon, Espeon, Umbreon.

There are thus eight options, Dexter finished, before returning to his base form and manifesting it in hard-light. Any questions?

"Yeah, you said eight but you only showed seven," Sparky said. "What kind of Pokémon are you, anyway?"

I am a Porygon, Dexter said.

"And there are eight options," Brock said. "Fire stone, Thunder stone, Water stone, mossy rock, icy rock, happiness in the day, happiness at night… Everstone."

"That doesn't count," Rainer snorted.

"Why not?" Ash asked. "It's a stone, and an Eevee with an Everstone stays an Eevee."

"And I don't want Eevee to evolve!" Mikey burst out. "Nor does Eevee!"

"Yeah, he does," Pyro replied. "He must want to evolve into a Flareon, anyway, it's just a bigger fluffier Eevee that's better in every way."

Eevee shook his head.

"Actually, I had an idea," Ash said. "What about if Dexter tests out his new combat projector against these guys?"

"That would be great!" Rainer said immediately. "It'd really get into the spirit of the party!"

I am game, Dexter declared. Computer game, that is. It's a sort of pun, you see…

Downloading, Dexter announced, in the middle of the impromptu arena. Analyzing.

"We're first!" Pyro said. "Flareon, Fire Blast!"

Flareon darted forwards, used Fire Blast, and immediately engulfed Dexter in flame.

"That's an easy win for Team Fire!" Pyro enthused.

Incorrect, Dexter said, as the flames died down. Trace complete.

His pink facets had gone red, but otherwise he was completely unchanged.

Flash Fire: copied.

"Oh, that's just not fair," Pyro complained.

It is a perfectly legitimate ability, Dexter replied. Charging.

His cyber-bird body split up into a six-petalled shape drawn out of triangular polygons, and his now-visible golden projector began to glow brightly.

"Flareon, uh… dodge?" Pyro said, nervously.

Tri Attack, Dexter announced, and thin beams of energy shot out from three petals and the core to connect with the startled Flareon and knock him backwards in a cloud of lightning.

"Nice work!" Ash shouted.

My main body is literally in your hand, Dexter pointed out.

Ash glanced down at his Pokédex. "Oh, uh… sorry."

Rainer and Sparky shared a glance, then both sent their Pokémon in together.

"Is that fair?" Misty asked.

I don't mind, Dexter replied, collapsing back into his base form, and dodged a blast of electricity. Otherwise I would just Trace their absorption abilities and that would be the whole battle.

Ash was looking at Dexter's screen, now, which showed a readout. "Conversion!"

Already on it, Dexter replied, as his red highlights became yellow and the blue ones deepened in hue.

"Hydro Pump!" Rainier ordered.

"Thunder!" Sparky concurred.

The two attacks blasted into Dexter together, but didn't seem to do more than move him backwards slightly.

"Okay, how adaptable is that Pokémon?"

Ash's screen showed that Dexter had dropped Flash Fire for Volt Absorb, then switched to Water-type. "Uh… a lot? He's seen a lot of battles, even if this is his first one in person."

Charging, Dexter announced, forming a slim spike shape and pointing it at Vaporeon. Lock on.

Beams of red light painted the Water-type a pretty red.

"Acid Armour!" Rainier commanded quickly.

Vaporeon dissolved her body into a puddle, but Dexter hit her with a Zap Cannon anyway.

The spike changed shape straight into a continuous circle, connected to the golden triangle projector by three slim spokes. Analyzing…

"Endure, Jolteon!" Sparky called.

Signal Beam.

Jolteon did handle the massive attack better than her cohorts, but not by much, and shook herself afterwards before darting over to Vaporeon and absorbing the spare electricity pulsing over her.

"How is that Pokémon so strong?" Pyro asked.

I am benefitting from Analyze, Download and Flash Fire right now, Dexter explained.

"Eevee!" Mikey called. "Your turn! Trump Card!"

Dexter shifted from a slim circle into a blocky pentagonal frusta with the thick end pointed towards the incoming Eevee – who was already creating a half-dozen glowing red cards to use.

Light Screen, Dexter declared.

With a rumbling b-b-b-boom, Mikey's Eevee smashed through the Light Screen and drove Dexter's projectile a foot into the ground.

Ash blinked. "What was that? I don't remember that move being that strong!"

Ow, Dexter said succinctly. I just discovered my pain feedback response. That is a move that gets stronger the more tired the user is. Did your Eevee get any sleep at all last night?

Mikey shook his head. "They've been after me to evolve him for days…"

"That's not what you should do, guys," Brock said firmly.

As Rainier tried to explain how they'd thought that it was supposed to be because an evolved Eevee was stronger than one who hadn't, and how this kind of busted that idea, Ash dug Dexter out of the ground.

"This is… hot," he said, blowing on his fingers, then swapped hands. "Is that normal?"

For using that much power at once, yes, Dexter said. It's a problem. I'm going to have to try writing optimization code… still, I certainly found the limits of the projector.

He manifested himself from his Pokédex body. And very good work with that Trump Card, Eevee. That is an extremely strong attack to use at the end of a battle, and it will serve you well. Especially once Adaptability is factored in.

"...but, a serious trainer with only a Normal type?" Sparky asked.

"I still say he'll end up with an Umbreon or Espeon," Pyro muttered.

"Hey, I won't necessarily just have Eevee!" Mikey defended himself. "But if Eevee wants to stay Eevee, I'll accept that! And if he wants to become something else, I'll respect that too! It's him who's going to be evolving or not, so it's up to him!"

"Now that's a trainer who's got the right idea," Pikachu declared.