#guest muse: sylvia reviar

[wild-ditto-appeared]

@industrialpegasus - Continued from here!

Oh no. Ohhhh dear. Oh, she had forgotten about that.

Traveling alone, one gets used to their Pokemon's little quirks. The way they eat, the way they sleep, the way they battle...

The way they sometimes screech like fire alarms...

That would, in this case, be Fluffy. Every time Sylvia forgot to ask Fluffy to keep it down when they were in public places, leading to... this mess.

While Sylvia stretched and yawned idly, Pip only stirring to shoot Fluffy a tired glare, Professor Oak shot up out of bed and hit his head on the wall. He'd completely forgone his usual white lab coat when he exited the room and looked up and down the halls frantically, wondering where the fire was, or what danger was afoot.

N... no, he remembered. That's right. Sylvia's Swablu had a terrible habit. It was the earliest bird among the whole group. Tracey had even had an incident involving Fluffy scaring him into dropping his scalding hot tea, not only on himself, but his sketchbook. Somehow, Professor Oak still wasn't used to it.

How did the girl deal with this every morning? It's no wonder she's so sluggish first thing...

With a tired groan, the good Professor retreated back into his room after mumbling a tired good morning... to the nearby neighbors. No doubt Fluffy awoke them as well.

Ditto, meanwhile, slept entirely through Fluffy's beeping. Or screeching. Screeping? Beeching? Screeping.

Ditto slept through Fluffy's screeping, only curling closer into Fancy Friend's chest. So warm... So nice... His hair made for a good curtain, too. As long as Ditto buried its face in his hair, it didn't have to see anything, effectively doubling as a soft blanket and a block-out for the sunlight filtering through the window. Mmmm... Nice and warm sleep...

[wild-ditto-appeared]

"Actually, part of the reason Ditto is classified as a Normal-type Pokemon is that it can become any other type just by Transforming," Professor Oak offered. "However, there are other Normal-types that cannot Transform and therefore are simply that same type for the rest of their lives. Of course, this isn't true in some cases, such as with Swablu Evolving into a Dragon-type, but... Well, you get the idea."

Sylvia finally swallowed her shame, at least a little bit, and spoke up again. "My, um... My brother's real good at Pokemon battles, and my Papa can take care of them really well. H-he owns a Day-Care, so..." She shrugged shyly, keeping her head ducked still. "Um... A-and, uh... I... can help teach, too. I-if it's not too much trouble, of course! I just... I... still feel bad..." Her voice trailed off quietly into ashamed mumbles.

Professor Oak laughed and rubbed her back. "It's all well and good, young Sylvia. You don't need to be like that! It was a valid concern, and I'm just relieved we don't need to be worried about Mr. Pegasus doing anything terrible to Pokemon! Isn't that right, Ditto?"

At being addressed, Ditto flinched and hid in Pegasus' hair. However, it couldn't stay hidden for long, because its food had arrived and it needed to eat. It scampered down his shoulder and Transformed back into itself, grabbing a few pellets of Pokemon food and munching happily. Professor Oak took that as an acceptable answer and laughed.

"You see! Nothing to worry about. You always sweat these little things, don't you."

"S-sorry Professor! I'm sorry..."

With another laugh, Professor Oak dropped the subject. Sylvia's shoulders released a little bit of their tension as she finally allowed herself to ease back into the conversation.

For a while, they spoke about nothing but Pokemon, answering any questions Mr. Pegasus had. When Sylvia chimed in here and there, it became apparent that learning about Pokemon was something she was clearly very passionate and knowledgeable about. It was clear why Professor Oak had taken her in as a student.

Of course, they finished their meals before they could finish talking about Pokemon. There was that much to cover. When they left the ramen shop, however, Sylvia turned her gaze skyward. "It looks like it's getting rather late," she said. "We may have to call it a night. Plus, Professor, I still have some assignments I need to finish before I head off to bed."

Professor Oak frowned and gave her a light slap on the head. "None of that. You'll be sleeping on time tonight. Honestly, young people these days don't treasure their youth anymore, spending late nights doing nonsense they deem more important than themselves. I mean really..." he grumbled. "Those assignments can wait. Your sleep cannot."

With a disappointed frown, Sylvia cast her gaze to the ground again. "Y-yes, Professor... Sorr--" she stopped herself, clearing her throat, and corrected her mistake. "I mean... Thank you."

Professor Oak smiled. "Now that's more like it. Come along, then. To the Pokemon Center. And tomorrow, perhaps we'll catch a few Pokemon."

Sylvia nodded. "R-right." She patted her bag--it was still there, which was good--patted Pip, and patted Fluffy, then, satisfied that everything and everyone was present, she began leading the way to the Pokemon Center. Dialga forbid they get lost at this time of night if Leon led the way...

wild-ditto-appeared​:

“That’s… complicated.” Sylvia’s mouth stretched from a frown into a grimace. “This is complicated. There are so many variables here it’s not even funny. And on top of that, you were spat out in the center of all this chaos…”

Professor Oak landed a hand on Sylvia’s shoulder, silently giving her a look. She stopped talking, further ashamed and guilty, and cast her gaze down, somewhere that wasn’t anyone else’s face.

“Then let me preface this by explaining to you, Mr. Pegasus,” Professor Oak began with his warm smile, “that Pokemon are living, breathing, good creatures. There is never a Pokemon that wants to hurt others without a reason. Today, people and Pokemon live in harmony–as much as we can, at least–and we work around ways to live alongside them so that everyone can be happy.

“Each Pokemon has abilities unique to itself. Ditto, for instance, can Transform into any other Pokemon, so long as it’s seen them before. Piplup, meanwhile, can dive to hunt for up to fifteen minutes underwater and is a much better swimmer than a runner. Charizard can generate heat in its belly that is potent enough to make the tail on its flame never go out unless it dies. Such is the way of Pokemon.

"However, like with any human creation, there are also those who seek to further understand or use Pokemon. As a Pokemon Professor, I wish to understand them better. I do not, under any circumstances, perform inhumane experiments and tests on any Pokemon, nor do I record a Pokemon if it does not wish to be recorded.” He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “That is the difference between researchers such as myself and the manufacturers of Shadow Pokemon hidden underground.”

Sylvia didn’t say anything. She didn’t know where Professor Oak was going with this, what he wanted to reveal and what he wanted to keep hidden. She just had to trust him. His judgement was better than hers, after all. It came with years of study and wisdom.

Their food finally arrived. Sylvia cleared some space and gave Pip and Fluffy their food bowls, silently digging into her food. If she kept her mouth busy, she wouldn’t want to butt in anyway. Still, her remorse lingered. She was glum as she ate, but she listened to Professor Oak anyway.

When the waitress left, Professor Oak went on. “Pokemon come in one or two out of eighteen known ‘Type’ classifications. The Ditto in your hands is a Normal-type. Piplup is a Water-type. And Swablu over here is a Normal- and Flying-type, although its evolved form is a Dragon- and Flying-type. There are, of course, many others, such as Fire, Grass, Bug, Fighting… And each type has its strengths and weaknesses in battle.”

The conversation drifted to normal Pokemon first, as Professor Oak explained types and variations in Pokemon. It was a bit of a crash course, but he also went over Pokemon Evolution, move types, ailments and sicknesses Pokemon could contract through battle or otherwise, and of course, the various legends spread throughout the world about the different Pokemon watching over them.

“Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg on what we know about Pokemon,” Professor Oak finished. “After all, there’s still plenty about them we don’t understand. Heck, even among all of these, there are still exceptions and anomalies to account for. In short, no one even in this world knows everything about Pokemon.”

Pegasus did his best to absorb the information, he really did. But wow, this was a lot.

“Why is Ditto a normal Pokemon?” He asked, frowning. “One would think with its transforming powers, that it would be at least…I don’t know, Psychic? Is Psychic a type?”

“It is.” Leon confirmed. “But no, Ditto’s a Normal-type. I always found that a little odd, myself.” 

“So even now, you don’t know everything…fascinating…” Pegasus sat back in his seat, looking towards Ditto quietly, and then up at professor Oak. “Well, I guess the best thing I can do is just start learning as I go, then. Right?”

“Yep!” Leon offered Pegasus a grin. “You know, now that you’re a new trainer, you can participate in Pokemon battles. And I can teach you how to catch other Pokemon, too?”

“Catch Pokemon?”

“That’s how you usually add ‘em to your team.”

Pegasus stared at him. “That’s…that’s what the Pokeballs are for, aren’t they?”

[wild-ditto-appeared]

Send in ‘Another’s Mask’ to meet a muse from another blog I currently have. ??

"Ah! Uhm... s-sorry I'm late... y-you called? Is there anything I can help you with? I dunno if I'd do a great job, but... I'll give it my best shot!"

[wild-ditto-appeared]

Oh my gob.

They did it.

They really did it! They had a new friend!

Ditto was rippling in excitement, overjoyed at their success. It leapt onto Fancy Friend's ankle and wrapped itself around it as tightly as it could, hugging and snuggling and cuddling in pure joy.

Sylvia was about to say something, but watching Ditto as it coiled around Pegasus' ankle was just too precious, and she involuntarily cooed, covering her mouth with just how precious Ditto was being.

"Awww... Ditto's so happy!" Sylvia breathed, giggling lightly. "I'm not surprised. You guys got in sync surprisingly quickly!"

Professor Oak chuckled. "Well, in any case, I believe that's it for today's class. Once we get Pidgey healed up, we can teach you about taking care of Pidgey as well. Oh, and by the way... Notice how Sylvia's Pokemon all have nicknames they respond to? For example, Piplup responds to Pip and Swablu responds to Fluffy--as well as, of course, the rest of her Pokemon. If you'd like, you can give nicknames to your Ditto and Pidgey. It's not necessary, but it could be fun."

Sylvia fiddled with her hair anxiously. "I... well, part of the reason I nicknamed my Pokemon is because my siblings did, too--and we need a way to differentiate our Pokemon from one another sometimes. We might all have different Pokemon, but having the nicknames helps... Plus, they're cute."

wild-ditto-appeared​:

Ditto Transformed back, staring at the Poke Ball so intensely it forgot to blink, as though staring harder at it would make it cede to Fancy Friend any faster. Sylvia held her breath, too, anxious to see her new friend’s first catch.

It wibbled and wobbled, the button flashing red as the Pidgey inside fought to escape, but in the end, the small Pokémon gave in to the pull of the Poke Ball, and the button flashed green, dinging with a satisfying click.

Ditto didn’t celebrate. It simply watched the ball, confused, when Sylvia’s cheers cut through the air.

“Yes! That’s it! That’s your first catch!” Sylvia exclaimed, beaming. “Congratulations!”

Professor Oak applauded him. “Congratulations!”

Sylvia’s Pokémon broke out into loud cheers with her, and Ditto realized then that Fancy Friend and Ditto succeeded. Now Pidgey was also Fancy Friend’s Pokémon!

With a beam and a wide smile, Ditto turned back to Fancy Friend, preening with pride. They did it! They really did it!

Pegasus smiled as he moved to pick up the Pokeball, before looking towards Ditto with a wide, beaming smile.

“Great job, Ditto!” Pegasus went over to Ditto after he picked up the Pokeball containing Pidgey, picking up Ditto with his free arm. “You did fabulously out there for our first battle! And now we’ve got a new friend, too.”

“Yeah, you do!” Leon grinned, giving him and Ditto a thumbs-up. “You might want to heal Pidgey when you let it out of its Pokeball, though. Or take it to a Pokemon Center first…” 

“Oh, right.” Pegasus winced lightly. “I’m…guessing Pokemon are still injured by default when you catch them.”

“Unless you put them to sleep first thing before catching them, yeah.” Leon scratched the back of his head. “They don’t instantly heal on their own…most of the time. Some Pokemon can use ‘Recover’ and other moves to restore their own health, but it’s best to take it to a Pokemon Center sooner than later if not use Potions and the like.”

[wild-ditto-appeared]

"Well, yeah, moonbathing helps," Jirachi began. "But sometimes I just fly up to space itself! No better way to get cosmic power than from the source, right? Too bad humans can't survive up there or else I'd suggest doing the same. So the meteors and comets are gonna have to do. Oh--and you have to remember to get enough energy for a round trip if you wanna come back, or else you'll get stuck in your home world. I didn't really see or feel anything cosmic or space-y in Otherworld aside from a few small pieces of rock and debris, and that's not nearly enough.

"If you humans are tired, you should sleep! I won't, though. I've got lotsa things to see and do. I gotta make my time awake worth it! I wanna know how much the Earthworld has changed since I was last here, and I dunno when I'll feel sleepy again. Away I go! See you soon, humans!"

In a blinding flash of light, just as quickly as it had appeared, Jirachi was gone. To be honest, Sylvia didn't expect to get any real answers from Jirachi. Since it was a Mythical Pokemon that could just... collect cosmic energy, most likely instinctively, it probably wouldn't know how to describe it anyway.

And even if it did, who's to say Jirachi wouldn't hold out on Pegasus just to see his reaction? It does seem to have a mischievous side...

With a final, exhausted groan, she flopped uselessly onto her back, Pip and Fluffy lying beside her in equal exhaustion. Ditto melted so hard it practically might've been a liquid, given how hard it spilled onto the floor. Professor Oak simply fell into his chair and ran a hand through his hair, then pinched the bridge of his nose.

"...someday the very Pokemon that I love so much are going to give me an aneurysm..." Professor Oak mumbled after the several long moments of silence passed since Jirachi left.

Sylvia weakly stood up from Professor Oak's bed and hoisted her bag up. "Okaaaaay... Let's... I'm... ugh. Sleep. I... I need sleep..." Her attempts at returning to some sense of normalcy failed with her ability to speak English again, and so Sylvia was the first to give a half-hearted "G'niiiiight..." as she exited the room.

wild-ditto-appeared​:

Jirachi gasped excitedly. “You don’t needta wish for that! Just ask!” it exclaimed. “And yes! I’d be happy to!” It dove into her basket and grabbed two pastries for itself, snarfing them down vigorously and positively glowing–no, literally, glowing in excitement at just how good they were. “Mmm! Yummy!”

In response to Pegasus’ question, Jirachi casually responded with a shrug, “Yeah, but it takes a while to recharge. Since it’s part of my powers, you gotta be charged up with energy from space. It’s boring and complicated. Basically, you prolly wanna head to Mt. Moon or Meteor Falls or someplace like that if you wanna store up lots o’ cosmic power and go back to your world. Ditto’s too small and young and fragile, though, so I have to teleport it myself. Or you could, if you want.”

Sylvia sat down to rest, absently moving her hand to her head as she tried to process everything all at once. Frankly, this was going by dizzyingly fast, and Jirachi had absolutely no sense of tact–which, she supposed, is fair for a Pokemon that sleeps thousands of years at a time. Still… it doesn’t negate that all of this is starting to give her a headache.

It looked like she wasn’t the only one, either. Professor Oak was having a hard time processing everything. Even his chuckle earlier, Sylvia realized, was a bit shaky and tired-sounding. This is all rather exhausting, on top of everything that’s going on…?

Jirachi glanced around as, one by one, Sylvia, her Pokemon, Professor Oak, and even Ditto slumped and spaced out for one reason or another–Sylvia and Professor Oak from trying to process the information, and the Pokemon from simple exhaustion–and tilted its head. “Was it something I said?”

Pegasus stared. “You’re saying I have to go up the mountains!?”

Ohhhhh noooo. Pegasus dreaded hiking and all sorts of physical exercise, honestly. But considering that he already did a lot of running around so far, he might as well get used to it. Probably would be better for his heatlh in the long run, anyway.

Tahirah and Leon looked as dazed as Oak and Sylvia. “I-I think we’re just all tired from a long day today.” Tahirah finally managed, looking towards Jirachi with a soft smile, “But thank you! For your help…”

“But how do you store cosmic power? Sunbathe in the moonlight?” Leon asked, tilting his head to the side. “Do you have a specific idea how it…works?”

The more details the better, right? Rightttt? 

[wild-ditto-appeared]

Jirachi gasped excitedly. "You don't needta wish for that! Just ask!" it exclaimed. "And yes! I'd be happy to!" It dove into her basket and grabbed two pastries for itself, snarfing them down vigorously and positively glowing--no, literally, glowing in excitement at just how good they were. "Mmm! Yummy!"

In response to Pegasus' question, Jirachi casually responded with a shrug, "Yeah, but it takes a while to recharge. Since it's part of my powers, you gotta be charged up with energy from space. It's boring and complicated. Basically, you prolly wanna head to Mt. Moon or Meteor Falls or someplace like that if you wanna store up lots o' cosmic power and go back to your world. Ditto's too small and young and fragile, though, so I have to teleport it myself. Or you could, if you want."

Sylvia sat down to rest, absently moving her hand to her head as she tried to process everything all at once. Frankly, this was going by dizzyingly fast, and Jirachi had absolutely no sense of tact--which, she supposed, is fair for a Pokemon that sleeps thousands of years at a time. Still... it doesn't negate that all of this is starting to give her a headache.

It looked like she wasn't the only one, either. Professor Oak was having a hard time processing everything. Even his chuckle earlier, Sylvia realized, was a bit shaky and tired-sounding. This is all rather exhausting, on top of everything that's going on...?

Jirachi glanced around as, one by one, Sylvia, her Pokemon, Professor Oak, and even Ditto slumped and spaced out for one reason or another--Sylvia and Professor Oak from trying to process the information, and the Pokemon from simple exhaustion--and tilted its head. "Was it something I said?"

wild-ditto-appeared​:

Sylvia was buried in a pile of cards. Pip and Fluffy popped out before she did. Actually, it was more like she never popped out from beneath the pile at all. She was still curled up in a ball, frozen in place.

It wasn’t that she was scared. Well, this time, at least. But if she moved, she didn’t want to bend or damage any of the pretty-looking cards. So she just stayed in that position, paralyzed until the cards were removed.

As for Professor Oak, he was forced to close his computer and stand up because sweet Mew there were way too many.

He didn’t even look overly shocked; just mildly annoyed at the inconvenience, yet half-amused at the ridiculousness of the situation as a whole.

With a sigh, Professor Oak turned to the center of the room, seemingly to address everyone. However, he clapped his hands and spoke oddly. “Alright, you can come out now. I’m sure watching us is very entertaining.”

In a flash of light, Jirachi appeared in the center of the room and giggled–laughed–guffawed at the looks on everyone’s faces, thoroughly amused. “You shoulda seen your faces!” Jirachi exclaimed telepathically, tears welling up in the corners of its eyes. “Aw, my belly’s hurting! That was so funny! You otherworlders are really silly, y'know!”

Too curious about Jirachi’s appearance to worry about the cards, Sylvia carefully sat up and examined with wide eyes, absolutely entranced. “So he was telling the truth… I-I mean, I sorta… believed it, but… seeing it is another thing…”

It didn’t occur to her how confused Tahirah must’ve been about the whole thing, given that she didn’t know anything about the other world.

Jirachi floated down to Ditto, who had clung to Pegasus’ chest in the chaos, and beamed. “So, whaddaya think? Pretty good, huh? I fulfilled your wish again!”

“A-again…?”

Ditto looked at it, confused. It never wished for anything like that. It didn’t wish for all these cards.

“Hehe! Silly Ditto! Obviously you wanted to share the Pokemon world with your otherworld friends, right? And you wanted to know more about Otherworld, too! So I brought cards to play with! You all like playing cards, right? Go, Toon Magician! Attack with Dark Blast! Hehe! It’s a very cool game!”

Professor Oak laughed. Not in that way he laughed when it was from the belly, but the kind of chuckle you might hear from an adult listening to a child boast about their achievements on the playground. He shook his head and crossed his arms, eyeing Jirachi with a fond, inquisitive look. “It certainly sounds like it,” he told the Mythical Pokemon casually floating in the center of his rented room. “But Jirachi, this is far too many cards. And–”

A sudden idea caught Professor Oak mid-sentence, his eyes widening and mouth pulling into a serious expression.

“…Say, Jirachi. How did you bring Mr. Pegasus here to this world, anyway? Is there a way for him to get back?”

Jirachi frowned. “Wha? Already? But he just got here!”

“Jirachi… Mr. Pegasus has a home in… Otherworld,” Sylvia added, trying to keep her voice gentle, as if talking to a child. “He has friends and a history there, I’m certain. He can’t just up and leave out of nowhere.”

Jirachi fiddled with its fingers, turning away from the two researchers’ judging eyes as it turned to look at Pegasus. “Is… that a wish? Do I have to?”

“It is, of course, ultimately up to Mr. Pegasus himself,” Professor Oak remedied. “But teleporting across dimensions or worlds without any prior warning is…” He tried to find the right word to describe it–almost in disbelief that he was lecturing a mischievous Mythical Pokemon on its misconduct–and realized there was a perfect, unlikely word to use to describe this whole debacle. “…well, it’s rather rude.”

“But he wished it!” Jirachi protested, pointing an accusing finger at the otherworldly visitor. “It’s not my fault! I was just doing my job!”

“I understand, but–”

Sylvia stood up and held her hand up, interrupting Professor Oak’s train of thought. “If I may… Jirachi, I wish for these cards to be re-organized and returned to where they belong.”

Jirachi’s first blue tag lit up and in a flash of light, the room was clean again. The only sign of cards that remained was a deck on Pegasus’ spot at the table. When Sylvia glanced at it in confusion, Jirachi elaborated.

“It’s his cards. In his world, you can never leave the house without them; they’re that important.”

“I… see,” Sylvia conceded, moving on. “Well, now that we can finally stand and breathe… Secondly, Jirachi, how did you get to an entirely different world, anyway? And how did you obtain the power to transport others between worlds? I feel like we haven’t touched up on this–even Palkia himself shouldn’t have this kind of ability.”

At that, Jirachi was sheepish. “I dunno. I guess someone wished too hard and gave me that power? Although… I do remember seeing a meteor shower a couple weeks ago…” It adjusted its position, pointing a finger to its chin thoughtfully. “Now that I think about it, I sensed some pretty strong power and got curious. But… when I went to see what it was, my memory goes blank there. I just… dunno what happened. Next thing I knew, I was flying through space. Then I landed in the water and met Ditto, and then I remembered I hadn’t brought it back home yet, so I thought I’d do that while I was there. And since then, it’s just… kinda been easy?”

A meteor shower? That certainly explained something, but Sylvia really didn’t know what. Was there other Legendary shenanigans going on further out in the world?

“Wait, but… you sent Ditto to the other world before then?” Professor Oak asked. “I had thought you would’ve done so after gaining this power.”

Jirachi’s eyes widened. “Oh, you’re right! Oops. Maybe it wasn’t two weeks ago… Or… maybe it was? I dunno. I can’t remember. If I think too hard, I’ll get sleepy, and this is the longest I’ve been awake for a while!” Jirachi glanced around at the crew, feeling restless and hyperactive and like it didn’t want to sit still.

Sylvia had a feeling Jirachi was about to suddenly leave them.

“Anyone have any wishes before I go? I wanna go see more things!”

Pegasus, Leon and Tahirah jumped a bit upon seeing Jirachi appear.

“Jirachi!?” Leon’s jaw dropped a bit. “The actual…wow. I’ve never seen one before…”

“Are there multiple Jirachis?” Pegasus asked, frowning lightly. 

“Er…not that I’m aware of…”

Pegasus looked towards Jirachi as the room was clean save for one deck of his own cards. “My own!?” Pegasus checked the deck quickly—yep, his beloved toons were here! “Thank you so much, JIrachi…”

As Oak continued to ask about Jirachi and what it had gotten into so far, Leon made mental notes. At the mention of travelling back and forth between worlds, however, Pegasus looked towards Oak.

“Technically I wished for the ability to go back and forth between this world and mine, so…” His good eye widened. “Wait, does that mean I was able to go home the entire time!?”

As Jirachi asked about wishes, Tahirah looked up at it quietly.

“Am I allowed to wish for you to try out my baked goods?” Cue her holding up a still half-full basket of baked goods she had on hand. “I made ‘em myself and I’d love for you to try one! It’s nice to meet you!” 

[wild-ditto-appeared]

Sylvia was buried in a pile of cards. Pip and Fluffy popped out before she did. Actually, it was more like she never popped out from beneath the pile at all. She was still curled up in a ball, frozen in place.

It wasn't that she was scared. Well, this time, at least. But if she moved, she didn't want to bend or damage any of the pretty-looking cards. So she just stayed in that position, paralyzed until the cards were removed.

As for Professor Oak, he was forced to close his computer and stand up because sweet Mew there were way too many.

He didn't even look overly shocked; just mildly annoyed at the inconvenience, yet half-amused at the ridiculousness of the situation as a whole.

With a sigh, Professor Oak turned to the center of the room, seemingly to address everyone. However, he clapped his hands and spoke oddly. "Alright, you can come out now. I'm sure watching us is very entertaining."

In a flash of light, Jirachi appeared in the center of the room and giggled--laughed--guffawed at the looks on everyone's faces, thoroughly amused. "You shoulda seen your faces!" Jirachi exclaimed telepathically, tears welling up in the corners of its eyes. "Aw, my belly's hurting! That was so funny! You otherworlders are really silly, y'know!"

Too curious about Jirachi's appearance to worry about the cards, Sylvia carefully sat up and examined with wide eyes, absolutely entranced. "So he was telling the truth... I-I mean, I sorta... believed it, but... seeing it is another thing..."

It didn't occur to her how confused Tahirah must've been about the whole thing, given that she didn't know anything about the other world.

Jirachi floated down to Ditto, who had clung to Pegasus' chest in the chaos, and beamed. "So, whaddaya think? Pretty good, huh? I fulfilled your wish again!"

"A-again...?"

Ditto looked at it, confused. It never wished for anything like that. It didn't wish for all these cards.

"Hehe! Silly Ditto! Obviously you wanted to share the Pokemon world with your otherworld friends, right? And you wanted to know more about Otherworld, too! So I brought cards to play with! You all like playing cards, right? Go, Toon Magician! Attack with Dark Blast! Hehe! It's a very cool game!"

Professor Oak laughed. Not in that way he laughed when it was from the belly, but the kind of chuckle you might hear from an adult listening to a child boast about their achievements on the playground. He shook his head and crossed his arms, eyeing Jirachi with a fond, inquisitive look. "It certainly sounds like it," he told the Mythical Pokemon casually floating in the center of his rented room. "But Jirachi, this is far too many cards. And--"

A sudden idea caught Professor Oak mid-sentence, his eyes widening and mouth pulling into a serious expression.

"...Say, Jirachi. How did you bring Mr. Pegasus here to this world, anyway? Is there a way for him to get back?"

Jirachi frowned. "Wha? Already? But he just got here!"

"Jirachi... Mr. Pegasus has a home in... Otherworld," Sylvia added, trying to keep her voice gentle, as if talking to a child. "He has friends and a history there, I'm certain. He can't just up and leave out of nowhere."

Jirachi fiddled with its fingers, turning away from the two researchers' judging eyes as it turned to look at Pegasus. "Is... that a wish? Do I have to?"

"It is, of course, ultimately up to Mr. Pegasus himself," Professor Oak remedied. "But teleporting across dimensions or worlds without any prior warning is..." He tried to find the right word to describe it--almost in disbelief that he was lecturing a mischievous Mythical Pokemon on its misconduct--and realized there was a perfect, unlikely word to use to describe this whole debacle. "...well, it's rather rude."

"But he wished it!" Jirachi protested, pointing an accusing finger at the otherworldly visitor. "It's not my fault! I was just doing my job!"

"I understand, but--"

Sylvia stood up and held her hand up, interrupting Professor Oak's train of thought. "If I may... Jirachi, I wish for these cards to be re-organized and returned to where they belong."

Jirachi's first blue tag lit up and in a flash of light, the room was clean again. The only sign of cards that remained was a deck on Pegasus' spot at the table. When Sylvia glanced at it in confusion, Jirachi elaborated.

"It's his cards. In his world, you can never leave the house without them; they're that important."

"I... see," Sylvia conceded, moving on. "Well, now that we can finally stand and breathe... Secondly, Jirachi, how did you get to an entirely different world, anyway? And how did you obtain the power to transport others between worlds? I feel like we haven't touched up on this--even Palkia himself shouldn't have this kind of ability."

At that, Jirachi was sheepish. "I dunno. I guess someone wished too hard and gave me that power? Although... I do remember seeing a meteor shower a couple weeks ago..." It adjusted its position, pointing a finger to its chin thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, I sensed some pretty strong power and got curious. But... when I went to see what it was, my memory goes blank there. I just... dunno what happened. Next thing I knew, I was flying through space. Then I landed in the water and met Ditto, and then I remembered I hadn't brought it back home yet, so I thought I'd do that while I was there. And since then, it's just... kinda been easy?"

A meteor shower? That certainly explained something, but Sylvia really didn't know what. Was there other Legendary shenanigans going on further out in the world?

"Wait, but... you sent Ditto to the other world before then?" Professor Oak asked. "I had thought you would've done so after gaining this power."

Jirachi's eyes widened. "Oh, you're right! Oops. Maybe it wasn't two weeks ago... Or... maybe it was? I dunno. I can't remember. If I think too hard, I'll get sleepy, and this is the longest I've been awake for a while!" Jirachi glanced around at the crew, feeling restless and hyperactive and like it didn't want to sit still.

Sylvia had a feeling Jirachi was about to suddenly leave them.

"Anyone have any wishes before I go? I wanna go see more things!"

wild-ditto-appeared​:

Cards? Oh! Of course! How could friends play together without cards?!

Suddenly, a deck of cards appeared on the table beside Pegasus in a poof of light. Sylvia, startled, yelped and fell backwards on the bed, nearly kicking the table in fright.

Then another deck appeared, by Leon. Then another, and another. One by one, each Trainer got a deck of cards. Duel Monsters cards.

And then each Pokemon got a deck. And… then there were more and more decks, more and more cards, and–oh god that pile of cards is too high!

Unable to handle its own weight, the tower of cards that had appeared out of nowhere tipped over the side of the table, sending cards flying everywhere. Pip, Fluffy, Ditto, and Pidgey all flapped and flailed in surprise.

“W-where did all of these cards come from?!” Sylvia whimpered, still curled up on the bed with a spooked expression.

Hehehe… Now they can all play! Friends, friends, friends~

Friends from far, far away~

“AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!”

Leon, Pegasus and Tahirah’s screams all echoed slightly from the room as the cards came flooding in, especially when the tower of cards fell and sent cards flying everywhere. 

“OHMYARCEUS, OPEN THE DOOR!” Tahirah was heard screaming halfway through. “We’re gonna die if we don’t let the cards flood out! Or a window!” 

Leon opened the door, and a pool of cards came flooding out, making the room at least a little more spacious. “…I-Is that it!?”

“I think so.” Pegasus was absolutely floored by the cards that suddenly appeared. He picked up a few to verify the mess created, only to realize that they were ACTUAL Duel Monsters cards. 

“These..are all cards I’ve designed!”

“What!?” Leon did his best to clean up the mess of cards made outside the room due to him opening the door, bringing them back into the room before closing the door. “Really?”

“Yes!” Pegasus’ good eye widened as he looked up at Leon, nodding. “And, er…is everyone okay!?”

Pidgey chriped a bit and landed on Pegasus’ left shoulder for reassurance. It was shooketh, but otherwise fine. Tahirah nodded sheepishly, along with her own Pokemon. “W-we’re okay…”

“But seriously, where did they come from!?” Leon looked around. “You said these cards were made in your own world, right? So how did they get over here to ours?”

Pegasus swallowed, thinking of how Jirachi brought him and Ditto here. “Jirachi…?”

[wild-ditto-appeared]

Cards? Oh! Of course! How could friends play together without cards?!

Suddenly, a deck of cards appeared on the table beside Pegasus in a poof of light. Sylvia, startled, yelped and fell backwards on the bed, nearly kicking the table in fright.

Then another deck appeared, by Leon. Then another, and another. One by one, each Trainer got a deck of cards. Duel Monsters cards.

And then each Pokemon got a deck. And... then there were more and more decks, more and more cards, and--oh god that pile of cards is too high!

Unable to handle its own weight, the tower of cards that had appeared out of nowhere tipped over the side of the table, sending cards flying everywhere. Pip, Fluffy, Ditto, and Pidgey all flapped and flailed in surprise.

"W-where did all of these cards come from?!" Sylvia whimpered, still curled up on the bed with a spooked expression.

Hehehe... Now they can all play! Friends, friends, friends~

Friends from far, far away~

wild-ditto-appeared​:

“Wait, okay, so…” Sylvia suddenly realized how Mr. Pegasus must’ve felt in her and Professor Oak’s “class” earlier today. “So… if a Defense Mode monster’s Defense Points are lower than the attacking monster’s, the difference is dealt as damage to your Life Points? What if they’re in Attack Mode? Or–or what if the monster’s Defense Points are higher? Or the same value? What if you have no monsters at all?”

Monsters, huh? Technically, Pokemon was an acronym. It was a shortened version of Pocket Monsters. In a sense, Pokemon could be considered monsters, too. In that way, this game actually seemed… refreshingly similar. A duel almost felt like a battle. The opposing players were the Trainers, the monsters were the Pokemon, and their Spells and Traps, as Pegasus had put it, were almost like the field that the fighters could take advantage of.

“Tag Duels, huh? Reminds me of Tag Battles, too,” Sylvia hummed thoughtfully, a strange grin on her face. “And Triangle Duels sound almost like the Battle Royale in Alola, except in Alola it’s four Trainers, not three. That’s so interesting!”

Sylvia was absolutely beaming. Even though it was taking her a little while to understand it all–and it may have been questionable how much she did or didn’t understand–she was clearly eager for more. Apparently that excitement of hers was infectious. Even Pip, who always remained vigilant and wary of strangers for his human’s sake, was starting to get excited about learning this new game. Fluffy, meanwhile, was socializing with Pegasus’ Pidgey behind Sylvia on Professor Oak’s bed, preening the newly caught Tiny Bird Pokemon with its large beak.

Ditto was excited too. It didn’t understand the rules at all, but Piplup and Pink Friend were getting excited about the game. Plus, Fancy Friend was explaining using big, fancy words that Ditto didn’t understand but heard a lot. Attack, Defense, Duel, Life Points…

Her stream of questions was too fast and nearly nonstop, but Ditto recalled some of the rules. If you have no monsters–or, in Fancy Friend’s case, even when they do have monsters–they can attack directly, right? And that causes big loud noises and battle-looking things to happen! It always scares Ditto when someone gets attacked directly… Then Ditto remembers that the pictures, as real as they look, are actually fake human illusions. Somehow they make magic happen and show off illusions of people fighting. It even scares them sometimes, but they all end up okay in the end.

At least, as far as Ditto was aware.

“If you have no monsters at all, you take full damage from the attacking monster’s attack points.” Pegasus chuckled softly. “That’s called a “direct attack.”“ 

Pegasus did his best to keep up with all the questions, but oof. The more he talked about it, the more he realized it coudl get confusing to some people unfamiliar with the game. “Maybe I shoudl make an infographic or something explaining this…”

“That could be helpful.” Leon admitted. “I’m…lost.”

Tahirah, despite all the instructions, was beaming, and same went for her own Pokemon. “Do you have cards!? Can we try playing against each other!?”

“I don’t, sadly.” Pegasus shook his head. “Maybe in the future, but definitely not rigt now…”

[wild-ditto-appeared]

Ditto didn't want to wake up. It stayed a rock, but scooted closer to Fancy Friend. No. It's still sleepy time.

But the distant beeps of a very loud Swablu were persistent and persuasive, forcing Ditto out of its smooth stone form. It planted its face in Fancy Friend's chest and hid behind his hair. Make it stopppp...

Thankfully, it did. A few minutes after, there was a knock on the door. The muffled voice of Professor Oak could be heard. "Rise and shine! We have a lot of ground to cover today! We'll save a seat for you downstairs, so make sure you're ready!"

Footsteps indicated Professor Oak was leaving, but the small, panicked voice of Sylvia still presented itself. "I--I'm so sorry about Fluffy's behavior... He does this every morning. I should've been more responsible and I deeply apologize for the rude awakening..." Her footsteps hurried along after Professor Oak, leaving after that.

Ditto slumped against Fancy Friend. It didn't want to move or wake up. It refused to move. It had no bones. No bones means no movement. This was Ditto's excuse. Playing boneless was the best way to get what you want.

And right now, Ditto wanted sleep. Sleep.

wild-ditto-appeared​:

@industrialpegasus - Continued from here!

Oh no. Ohhhh dear. Oh, she had forgotten about that.

Traveling alone, one gets used to their Pokemon’s little quirks. The way they eat, the way they sleep, the way they battle…

The way they sometimes screech like fire alarms…

That would, in this case, be Fluffy. Every time Sylvia forgot to ask Fluffy to keep it down when they were in public places, leading to… this mess.

While Sylvia stretched and yawned idly, Pip only stirring to shoot Fluffy a tired glare, Professor Oak shot up out of bed and hit his head on the wall. He’d completely forgone his usual white lab coat when he exited the room and looked up and down the halls frantically, wondering where the fire was, or what danger was afoot.

N… no, he remembered. That’s right. Sylvia’s Swablu had a terrible habit. It was the earliest bird among the whole group. Tracey had even had an incident involving Fluffy scaring him into dropping his scalding hot tea, not only on himself, but his sketchbook. Somehow, Professor Oak still wasn’t used to it.

How did the girl deal with this every morning? It’s no wonder she’s so sluggish first thing…

With a tired groan, the good Professor retreated back into his room after mumbling a tired good morning… to the nearby neighbors. No doubt Fluffy awoke them as well.

Ditto, meanwhile, slept entirely through Fluffy’s beeping. Or screeching. Screeping? Beeching? Screeping.

Ditto slept through Fluffy’s screeping, only curling closer into Fancy Friend’s chest. So warm… So nice… His hair made for a good curtain, too. As long as Ditto buried its face in his hair, it didn’t have to see anything, effectively doubling as a soft blanket and a block-out for the sunlight filtering through the window. Mmmm… Nice and warm sleep…

A groan left Pegasus as he sat up in bed, or at least tried to with Ditto on his chest right now. “What time is it…?”

“Good morning?” Leon sat up fully in bed, rubbing his eyes with both hands. His purple hair was all messy from rolling around in bed while he was asleep, but otherwise he was mostly awake. “We should get breakfast…”

“After we get out of bed, right?” Pegasus carefully sat up in bed, picking up Ditto with both hands so he could actually fully sit up without Ditto falling off him . “Did you sleep well, Ditto?” 

[wild-ditto-appeared]

"That's... complicated." Sylvia's mouth stretched from a frown into a grimace. "This is complicated. There are so many variables here it's not even funny. And on top of that, you were spat out in the center of all this chaos..."

Professor Oak landed a hand on Sylvia's shoulder, silently giving her a look. She stopped talking, further ashamed and guilty, and cast her gaze down, somewhere that wasn't anyone else's face.

"Then let me preface this by explaining to you, Mr. Pegasus," Professor Oak began with his warm smile, "that Pokemon are living, breathing, good creatures. There is never a Pokemon that wants to hurt others without a reason. Today, people and Pokemon live in harmony--as much as we can, at least--and we work around ways to live alongside them so that everyone can be happy.

"Each Pokemon has abilities unique to itself. Ditto, for instance, can Transform into any other Pokemon, so long as it's seen them before. Piplup, meanwhile, can dive to hunt for up to fifteen minutes underwater and is a much better swimmer than a runner. Charizard can generate heat in its belly that is potent enough to make the tail on its flame never go out unless it dies. Such is the way of Pokemon.

"However, like with any human creation, there are also those who seek to further understand or use Pokemon. As a Pokemon Professor, I wish to understand them better. I do not, under any circumstances, perform inhumane experiments and tests on any Pokemon, nor do I record a Pokemon if it does not wish to be recorded." He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "That is the difference between researchers such as myself and the manufacturers of Shadow Pokemon hidden underground."

Sylvia didn't say anything. She didn't know where Professor Oak was going with this, what he wanted to reveal and what he wanted to keep hidden. She just had to trust him. His judgement was better than hers, after all. It came with years of study and wisdom.

Their food finally arrived. Sylvia cleared some space and gave Pip and Fluffy their food bowls, silently digging into her food. If she kept her mouth busy, she wouldn't want to butt in anyway. Still, her remorse lingered. She was glum as she ate, but she listened to Professor Oak anyway.

When the waitress left, Professor Oak went on. "Pokemon come in one or two out of eighteen known 'Type' classifications. The Ditto in your hands is a Normal-type. Piplup is a Water-type. And Swablu over here is a Normal- and Flying-type, although its evolved form is a Dragon- and Flying-type. There are, of course, many others, such as Fire, Grass, Bug, Fighting... And each type has its strengths and weaknesses in battle."

The conversation drifted to normal Pokemon first, as Professor Oak explained types and variations in Pokemon. It was a bit of a crash course, but he also went over Pokemon Evolution, move types, ailments and sicknesses Pokemon could contract through battle or otherwise, and of course, the various legends spread throughout the world about the different Pokemon watching over them.

"Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg on what we know about Pokemon," Professor Oak finished. "After all, there's still plenty about them we don't understand. Heck, even among all of these, there are still exceptions and anomalies to account for. In short, no one even in this world knows everything about Pokemon."

wild-ditto-appeared​:

That… was not what Sylvia was expecting.

Ditto–the little squishy baby in Pegasus’ lap, that Ditto–was the one who started it all?! And Jirachi was involved, other worlds, and the big corporation explained Pegasus’ existence and attire.

“I…”

Professor Oak cleared his throat. “Well. I, erm… was not expecting all of that, certainly…”

Sylvia absently shook her head, mind swirling as she tried to process all of the information. “M-me neither… And… I guess if you told anyone else that Jirachi was the one who brought you here, they wouldn’t really believe you… It is a Mythical Pokemon, so they’d probably just think you were vying for attention…”

A whole other world. And by the sound of it, there were no Pokemon in that world, so Pegasus had to do what he could to take care of Ditto without any knowledge or proper materials. She looked at Ditto again, reaching up for Pegasus despite being in his lap. She saw it Transform into a Dedenne and climb up his shoulder, nuzzling his cheek affectionately.

I think he’s a good person. He took really good care of Ditto despite barely knowing much about Pokemon to begin with!

Yeah. There was little denying it now. He could still have been lying, and she was afraid of that, but… well, he didn’t seem like a bad person. Not yet. Ditto genuinely loved him. He seemed genuinely troubled. And here Sylvia was, doubting him when he likely confided in something big to her. Something huge that he didn’t think she would believe.

“Legends do exist… of space and time,” Sylvia mumbled. “I wonder if Palkia and Dialga would grow angry, knowing you and Ditto have been traveling back and forth.”

Professor Oak’s face turned serious. “Oh, yes. That would be quite the predicament, wouldn’t it? Potentially a bigger threat even than the Shadow Pokemon.”

Sylvia glanced down at Pip, who was still trying to understand all of this. She didn’t think he fully understood, but at the very least, he might’ve gotten that Pegasus was telling the truth now, and that judging by everyone else’s reactions, there was now little reason to distrust him any further. Fluffy, meanwhile, was completely out of the loop and had fallen asleep during the explanation.

“If that’s the case, then… well, we can’t hazard telling you about Shadow Pokemon anyway,” Sylvia said sadly, shaking her head. “Not because you’re untrustworthy, but it would not only break the confidentiality clause, and if you don’t have a basic understanding of normal Pokemon, how on Earth are you supposed to help us with this?” She paused, thinking. “Still, I… I feel bad for doubting you, and for putting you through all this trouble. I’m really sorry, Mr. Pegasus. I do want to make it up to you. Are you searching for a way to get home? Because as a Pokemon researcher–especially one from Sinnoh–I may be able to look up some legends and archives to see if there’s a way to bring you back home. I… I do want to help.”

Sylvia was ashamed. She may have had good reason not to trust him, but she still felt bad. She still felt guilty, like she’d done him a horrible disservice by doubting him. Pip felt her guilt and butted his head on her chin lightly, allowing her to card her fingers through his feathers. She buried her nose and mouth in Pip’s down, refusing to look anyone in the eye anymore.

Pegasus offered Sylvia and Oak an awkward grin. “I understand both of you having your suspicions…if I met someone who claimed to be from another world, I’d also be just as suspicious, honestly.” 

His face fell, however, at the mention of Palkia and Dialga. “Wait, what? Who are Palkia and Dialga?”

“Palkia’s the Pokemon that reigns over space itself.” Leon quickly explained. “And Dialga controls time…oh, I really hope they didn’t notice you coming here. That could be bad.”

‘They’re not going to smite me over a wish Jirachi gave me, are they?”

“Ehh…hate to break it to you, but they’re pretty temperamental…I’m not sure what they’ll think of it. The best-case scenario is that they didn’t notice you coming here because they were busy elsewhere or something.”

Hopefully that was the case.

“I would be happy to learn more about normal Pokemon. That way, I can help identify which ones are normal and which are…well, Shadow Pokemon.” Pegasus managed, looking towards Sylvia quietly. He offered her a sympathetic smile. “And though I am grateful for your assistance to find a way for me to get back home, I’d like to help in some way if I can while I’m here. And besides…”

Pegasus paused, thinking as he tilted his head to the side. “My wish was that I could travel back and forth between my world and this one…but I’m not sure if it really granted that. But if it did, does that mean I already have the ability to go back and forth from my world and yours?”

[wild-ditto-appeared]

Sylvia had to admit, he did draw really well. Even the quick sketch he whipped up, although a little rough, given that napkins were softer to the touch than paper and were thus harder to draw on due to their tendency to rip, was remarkable.

He paints professionally, eh? And apparently he's done quite a bit of it, as well. "Have you published your works, Mr. Pegasus? Or is your current paying occupation different?"

If he said that he published them, Sylvia could look them up online and check to see what they were in private. Never did she once hear of Pegasus, and by the looks of it, his technique and practice could rival the abilities of even the famous Bug-type Gym Leader from Unova, Burgh.

"My, my, this is quite a good drawing!" Professor Oak chuckled. "I'm certain my assistant Tracey would love to meet you."

"Yes, I don't doubt he would..." Sylvia mumbled warily. "Incidentally, um... You said you'd just become a Pokemon Trainer, correct?" She glanced at Leon, asking for confirmation with her eyes. "Why didn't you choose to become one sooner, if you don't mind me asking?"

Sylvia felt gross, asking so many questions. This could very well be a personal thing, yet here she was butting in about it because she just "felt something off." Frankly, she was ashamed.

But... she'd given away her trust too freely one too many times. And those were people with good reputations. In fact, those were people with any reputation, ever. She had nothing to go off of with Pegasus, though.

Perhaps that's what scared her. What if he wanted to find out more about Shadow Pokemon to corrupt that baby Ditto in his lap? What if he wanted to use it for experiments? Or, Palkia forbid, what if he was the kind of twisted person who thought Shadow Pokemon would make great painting subjects? She hated to think that art could be used in such a dark way, but at this point, if anyone has any kind of power, it can be used either for good or for evil.

She didn't know which would've been worse: if she was prying in on an innocent man's life just to find out if he was evil or if she discovered someone evil just as soon as she'd finished a podcast about Pokemon manufactured by evil people. Despite the fact she was the one doing the questioning, Sylvia felt... exposed, vulnerable in a way.

Ditto squirmed uncomfortably. It could feel her nervousness from across the table.

wild-ditto-appeared​:

Sylvia frowned. As an artist herself, she often followed famous artists–sketch artists, painters, musicians, and even writers–but she’d never heard of Maximillion Pegasus before. Was he a new artist? “I… I’m sorry if this is rude, but, um… I’ve never heard of you before, Mr. Pegasus. You’re an artist?”

Surely this was against the confidentiality contract, right? Sylvia gave Professor Oak a worried look. The Professor, if he saw her, didn’t react.

“Yes, well, we hope some help comes for these Pokemon soon,” Professor Oak said vaguely, his smile wide and warm, yet somehow professional. “The reason we revealed their existence to the rest of Johto and Kanto today was so that people would be cautious and notify police immediately. Dangerous as they are, there is no doubt in my mind that they can still be saved.”

Sylvia nodded quietly, eyeing Pegasus again. She hated being suspicious, really she did. But the way Pegasus was dressed suggested that he must have some kind of rich or famous estate, or perhaps that he was going out someplace particularly fancy, and if that were the case, he’d have to have been invited. But Sylvia had never heard of him.

Of course, Sylvia wasn’t always one to keep up with the latest news usually. It was unfair to judge him on that alone.

But no matter how much she tried to shove it down, that instinct–that feeling that Mr. Pegasus was–maybe by no fault of his own!–not meant to be here somehow, still persisted in her heart and mind. Pip still fixed Pegasus with a cold glare, while Fluffy pecked at the menu obliviously.

“S-so what kind of media do you focus on as an artist?” Sylvia asked Pegasus, hoping to lighten the tension she was feeling. “I, personally, sketch more often than not, but… I do sometimes paint whenever I have the spare time. And–uh–I sometimes decorate Poke Balls, too. Just for fun. N-not like with the Seals or anything, but like… painting over them in white, and then… then painting them to resemble the Pokemon inside when I’ve caught one.” It felt wrong and embarrassing to discuss art when they were meant to be talking about Shadow Pokemon, but Sylvia clearly didn’t want to talk about them. Not yet.

Professor Oak noticed her discomfort, but he did nothing to steer the topic back on track nor to comfort her. After all, if Sylvia was testing the man, he may as well listen in on how he would respond as well. If Oak knew anything about her, it’s that she would find one way or another to get the answer she wants, whether through questioning or through blunt honesty.

Pegasus smiled at Sylvia. “I paint professionally.” He managed. “I’ve painted a lot of portraits, and landscape work…”

“Really?” Leon looked towards Pegasus. “Could you sketch my portrait, possibly?”

Pegasus nodded quickly. Painting and sketching out portraits was his expertise. “Probably, if I have the materials on hand…even a pencil and a napkin might do.”

“Pencil and napkin it is!” Cue Leon giving him both those things. It took less than a few minutes for Pegasus to sketch a very nice sketch of Leon’s smiling face, with basically perfect proportions.

“Whoa!” Leon’s eyes went wide as Pegasus presented the napkin portrait. “That’s so cool! And…surprisingly accurate.”

“I’ve had a lot of practice.” Pegasus beamed back at him, before looking towards Sylvia and Professor Oak. “Perhaps I could try drawing both of you?” 

[wild-ditto-appeared]

Sylvia frowned. As an artist herself, she often followed famous artists--sketch artists, painters, musicians, and even writers--but she'd never heard of Maximillion Pegasus before. Was he a new artist? "I... I'm sorry if this is rude, but, um... I've never heard of you before, Mr. Pegasus. You're an artist?"

Surely this was against the confidentiality contract, right? Sylvia gave Professor Oak a worried look. The Professor, if he saw her, didn't react.

"Yes, well, we hope some help comes for these Pokemon soon," Professor Oak said vaguely, his smile wide and warm, yet somehow professional. "The reason we revealed their existence to the rest of Johto and Kanto today was so that people would be cautious and notify police immediately. Dangerous as they are, there is no doubt in my mind that they can still be saved."

Sylvia nodded quietly, eyeing Pegasus again. She hated being suspicious, really she did. But the way Pegasus was dressed suggested that he must have some kind of rich or famous estate, or perhaps that he was going out someplace particularly fancy, and if that were the case, he'd have to have been invited. But Sylvia had never heard of him.

Of course, Sylvia wasn't always one to keep up with the latest news usually. It was unfair to judge him on that alone.

But no matter how much she tried to shove it down, that instinct--that feeling that Mr. Pegasus was--maybe by no fault of his own!--not meant to be here somehow, still persisted in her heart and mind. Pip still fixed Pegasus with a cold glare, while Fluffy pecked at the menu obliviously.

"S-so what kind of media do you focus on as an artist?" Sylvia asked Pegasus, hoping to lighten the tension she was feeling. "I, personally, sketch more often than not, but... I do sometimes paint whenever I have the spare time. And--uh--I sometimes decorate Poke Balls, too. Just for fun. N-not like with the Seals or anything, but like... painting over them in white, and then... then painting them to resemble the Pokemon inside when I've caught one." It felt wrong and embarrassing to discuss art when they were meant to be talking about Shadow Pokemon, but Sylvia clearly didn't want to talk about them. Not yet.

Professor Oak noticed her discomfort, but he did nothing to steer the topic back on track nor to comfort her. After all, if Sylvia was testing the man, he may as well listen in on how he would respond as well. If Oak knew anything about her, it's that she would find one way or another to get the answer she wants, whether through questioning or through blunt honesty.

wild-ditto-appeared​:

Sylvia stayed quiet as they walked. It wasn’t long before Professor Oak himself, checking his watch with a frown, turned and lit up at the sight of his student. “Ah! Sylvia! And I see you’ve brought along quite the company!” His laugh was easy and merry. “I was wondering what had kept you, my dear!”

Sylvia looked down shamefully. “I-I’m sorry, Professor… I got held up at the Radio Tower, a-and then Mr. Leon came and helped me, and…” She trailed off, scratching her cheek–or brushing Pip’s cheek with her fingers again, it was hard to tell.

Professor Oak laughed again. “My, my! Seems you’ve got quite a story to tell there, Sylvia!” He turned to Leon with a warm grin. “And Champion–erm, Chairman Leon, it’s a pleasure to have you today. Shall we discuss matters inside? I assume you’ve come for a very specific reason.”

Right. The Shadow Pokemon. The four walked inside, Professor Oak booked their table, and after they sat down and ordered drinks, Sylvia made sure to introduce Pegasus to Professor Oak.

“This is Maximillion Pegasus, from Celadon City,” Sylvia said, gesturing to him and his Ditto. “He’s new to the Johto region as well, although… I do wonder what you’re doing here with Mr. Leon of all people, Mr. Pegasus.”

Oak smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Pegasus. I am Professor Oak–though I’m sure you knew that already, if you’re here about the broadcast.”

Sylvia set Fluffy down near her on the table, while Pip opted to climb down into her lap and eat right beside her, despite struggling to see over the top of it unless he was standing. Sylvia picked something familiar on the menu and filed it away for when the waiter would come.

Meanwhile, Ditto’s attention was entirely on Sylvia’s Pokemon. They were new, and Ditto hadn’t ever seen a Piplup in person before. Piplup noticed Ditto staring at him and greeted it. “Hey.” It wasn’t the most polite greeting, but it wasn’t hostile. Something of a lukewarm greeting. Ditto shrank a little, but waved at Piplup, hoping to warm it up a little.

The interaction was small, but something about it rang some kind of bells in Sylvia’s mind. Not the familiar kind, but not the warning kind, either. Just… curious bells.

Leon couldn’t help but smile as he greeted Professor Oak. “Good to see you, Professor Oak! Mr. Pegasus and I saw you and Ms. Reviar’s interview while we were at the department store earlier…As for how Pegasus and I met, he just officially registered as a Pokemon trainer, but he lost his things ont he way here. Figured I could help him get up to speed on getting the supplies he needs.”

Pegasus noticed Ditto interacting with the Piplup, offering them a smile, before also offering a grin to Fluffy. “I figured travelling outside of Celadon City would help me gain some new artistic inspiration, hence why I came all the way here.” He managed. “Though…I was intrigued by that broadcast earlier. Shadow Pokemon…I’ve never heard of them before.”

“I don’t know a lot about it either, so I’m curious to know more.” Leon managed. He thought about the Darkest Day in Galar. Surely it hopefully wouldn’t be as bad as that, but if something like Shadow Pokemon came to Galar, well…that wouldn’t be good.

[wild-ditto-appeared]

Mmm. Yes. Directions and Leon were an infamously poor combination. Even Sylvia seemed to know that. Regardless, she was dumbfounded that she was even being invited to eat in the first place. "Ah--" Before she had a chance to answer, she gasped suddenly and remembered, "Professor Oak! I was meant to meet him at the ramen shop!"

Ah. That was... actually rather convenient. If the four of them could gather together, they could surely provide Leon with the information he sought.

"R-right! Directions! Yes! Um! J-just one moment!" Sylvia hunched over her smartwatch, tapping some instructions in. With a satisfying ping!, her Poketch gave her the directions to the aforementioned meeting spot. She smiled. "I-I, um... I have it... A-and, erm, t-thank you. For--y'know--inviting me--a-and for taking the time to help me and... and everything, really--"

Ditto observed her, wide-eyed and curious. She was clearly nervous. Her stammering, the way her gaze shifted close to the ground or to the side, or anywhere other than Leon or Pegasus' eyes... Did she even realize she was reaching up to brush her Piplup's cheek with her fingers?

Her rambling trailed off as her cheeks turned a tinge pink. "R-right. Um... I-it's this way." Fidgeting with her Poketch, she began to lead the way--only after looking both ways to make sure that the paparazzi had truly gone, though. Thankfully, the coast was clear now. Somehow.

Maybe Officer Jenny had stepped in. Who knows.

As they walked, Sylvia's eyes kept trailing to the other two. The silver-lavender-haired man with the Ditto. It seemed as though the two were rather close. Ditto was happy, and so was he, it seemed. But... Sylvia had been tricked by appearances alone before. Although Ditto was young, it was possible Ditto was being earnest and the man was not. Still... she didn't want to doubt him.

But Pip didn't trust him.

Pip has trouble trusting lots of people, for good reason. Don't think too hard about it, just let him prove himself as time goes on.

Her mind switched to Leon as she left it at that. Leon was an absolute celebrity. And he'd invited her to eat. Not only that, he seemed to trust the man, too. Plus, in his presence, Pegasus may not even be able to do anything. The only time he'd ever been overwhelmed by another opponent in pure strength had been during the Darkest Day, a calamity that required the help of Legendary Pokemon. The point of the matter is, even if he doesn't hold the title of Champion anymore, he's been one for so long--been the strongest Trainer in the world for so long--that even now, he's still accepted as a top Trainer, he's still thought of as Galar's Champion and future. Especially now that he's taken up the mantle of Chairman to Macro Cosmos.

And this astronomical man invited little Sylvia to dinner. Granted, his intentions were clear: the Shadow Pokemon were what was bothering him. That reminder, of course, put a harsh damper on Sylvia's elated mood. However, just the thought of having someone this big on their side...

...maybe this operation wouldn't be so impossible after all.

wild-ditto-appeared​:

“R-right… Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Pegasus. I’m–er–I-I guess you already know, but… um, I’m Sylvia Reviar, from Sandgem Town. Uh–these are my buddies, Pip–” She gestured to the penguin Pokemon clinging to her shoulder, fixing Pegasus with a calculating glare, “–and Fluffy.” Sometime during the conversation, her cotton-winged Swablu had flown from her hands all the way up to her head, curled up its wings and settled down for a nap. She didn’t seem to mind it a single bit. She glanced between the two men before her, evaluating them. “I… well, I’ve been here once or twice. I’ve traveled through Johto before with my siblings, so… I have some locations saved on my Poketch Plus, as well as my Rotom Phone…”

Her eyes landed on Ditto, who pressed up tightly against Pegasus’ chest, as she trailed off. She bent down just a little, to match Ditto’s eye level–although it didn’t take much, because Sylvia was surprisingly short; probably didn’t even reach up to Leon’s shoulders–and gave it a kind, patient smile. “Aww, you’re just a baby, aren’t you? You’re so small!” She turned her gaze up to the silver-lavender-haired man holding the small, slightly nervous Pokemon. “Are you its Trainer, Mr. Pegasus? It’s so glossy and vibrant! I can tell you’ve taken good care of it!”

Sylvia’s Piplup didn’t seem as approving as his pink-haired, pastel-clad Trainer was. He scrutinized the man with every ounce of distrust he could muster. His feathers bristled against Sylvia’s skin in a way that told her, assuredly, that Pip didn’t like the vibes this man was giving off.

But would such a man take such good care of his Pokemon? Surely Mr. Pegasus wouldn’t turn out to be another Cyrus, right? Plus, Chairman Leon was right here.

Given Pip’s well-meaning warning, Sylvia opted to avoid the question of Shadow Pokemon for the time being, just to feel out this new person.

“Aww…” Pegasus coudln’t help but beam at the penguin and the fluffy bird by Sylvia’s side. “They’re so adorable!” Kind of like the cartoons he watched back home, now that he thought about it. 

“Yes, I am Ditto’s trainer.” Pegasus couldn’t help but smile proudly as he looked down at Ditto, and then up at Sylvia. “It wasn’t easy at first, but I’m proud to take care of it. It’s a very near and dear friend to me.”

And…why was Piplup staring at him so oddly? Maybe it just didn’t like him? Huh. Oh well. Pegasus decided to shrug that off for now.

Leon, meanwhile, couldn’t help but grin. “Since we’re all here, maybe we can get something to eat together? I’m pretty sure I passed by a restaurant or two earlier when Pegasus and I were heading to the department store earlier.”

Uh oh. Directions and Leon were not a good combination. “Er,” Pegasus quickly cut in, “Actually, Ms. Reviar, do you know of any good restaurants here? Nearby? I’m quite new to this city, so…I’d like to not get lost.”

Getting lost sounded like the worst thing to happen right now. 

[wild-ditto-appeared]

Ditto didn't understand what "Shadow Pokemon" were, but Champion and Fancy Friend didn't seem like they liked them very much. But they were Pokemon, right? Were they dangerous? There were some dangerous Pokemon out there, Ditto knew. Like Ursaring, who were highly territorial, or Beedrill, who were also very territorial.

Ditto stayed close to Fancy Friend, even climbing out of the backpack to make it back into Fancy Friend's arms. As comfy as the backpack was, nothing could beat the warmth of being held by the Fancy Friend himself.

When Leon led them back down to the first floor and out of the Department Store, there was a crowd flocking the Radio Tower, filled with people and paparazzi flashing lights at the entrance.

Leon seemed calm, like he knew exactly what was going on, and without so much as a word to Pegasus, he strode forward and approached the commotion.

Sure enough, standing in the center of it all was the young girl from the earlier radio broadcast, Sylvia Reviar. Her Piplup was snapping angrily at people while she held her Swablu and nervously, quietly tried to answer questions and back away from the people, who insistently got closer.

"Can you tell us more about these so-called 'Shadow Pokemon'?!"

"Do you think the appearance of Shadow Pokemon has anything to do with the recent outbreak of thefts from Team Rocket?!"

"Miss Reviar! Were you part of the incident that happened in Eterna City four years ago?!"

"Miss Reviar! Miss Reviar!"

"Yo, Sylvia!" Leon called to her with a wave and a familiar grin. "Long time no see!"

The girl's head snapped to him in recognition. "C-Champion--?!"

"Mr. Chairman, do you know Sylvia?'

"Mr. Chairman!"

Leon motioned for them to settle down with his hands, his easy smile staying steady on his face. "Give a man some space, wouldja? Sylvia's here with me."

Sylvia herself looked utterly bewildered at the prospect, but she took the opportunity to duck her head and join him. The dumbfounded paparazzi began asking questions and flashing lights again, but Leon, urging Sylvia forward and away from them with a hand on her back, turned and did his signature Charizard pose, signaling the end of the questioning, and they all walked away.

When they finally retreated to a quiet, more private corner, the pink-clad girl bowed gratefully. "M-Mr. Chairman! T-thank you for that... i-it means a lot!"

wild-ditto-appeared​:

“They’re unheard of, anywhere, ’s far as I know,” Leon sighed with a shake of his head. “No matter–er, the charger comes in the casing. All you have to do is find a nearby outlet and connect it to the Pokegear, it’s no biggie.”

“You know, Mr. Chairman,” the cashier spoke up a little hesitantly. “I… well, I’ve heard Team Rocket has been sprouting up like weeds left and right lately. It might be a bit of a stretch, but… well, hearing about all this Pokemon stealing and Shadow Pokemon, it’s hard not to make a connection.”

“Really?” Leon quirked a brow. “I wasn’t told of any of that.”

“Of course not,” the cashier went on. “Team Rocket hides underground, after all. Everyone knows who they are, but despite that, they’ve infiltrated several big businesses already. They’re rapidly gaining power. I wonder if the Shadow Pokemon have anything to do with it…”

Leon was about to answer when the ad break came to an end, the Pokemon Talk jingle playing again.

“Hello, listeners, and welcome to Pokemon Talk! Thank you for joining us today, Professor Oak and Sylvia!”

“O-of course!”

“Of course, Mary! Thank you for having us!”

“Now, before the break, you mentioned a new kind of Pokemon called ‘Shadow Pokemon.’ Would you care to elaborate for us?”

Professor Oak cleared his throat, expression turning serious again. “Right. Shadow Pokemon were first discovered in the Orre region, as far as we’re aware. They were mass-produced by a local gang of thieves called Team Snagem. As of right now, Team Snagem is disbanded and it is unclear if there are still Shadow Pokemon located in the Orre region. However, there have been reports of Shadow Pokemon in other locations over the past several years. The case in Eterna City, Sinnoh was the first to involve innocents in the conflict.”

Notably, the pink-haired girl subtly shifted and hugged her blue penguin Pokemon tight.

“Now, as for what they are…” Professor Oak turned to look at the young girl, Reviar, who nodded and took over the explanation.

“Shadow Pokemon were not born as Shadow Pokemon. They were once normal and happy, but their hearts were artificially closed by humans, refusing to open for anyone or anything. As a result, they can often get frenzied, attack anyone and anything nearby, and in the process, they do not have any qualms about hurting themselves.”

“Oh my! They truly do sound dangerous!” DJ Mary gasped. “This is your new discovery?”

“It’s not new. Like Professor Oak said, it’s been happening under our noses for a few years now. And… Although the Pokemon themselves are worrying, and as much as I strongly implore anyone who encounters them not to engage in a Pokemon battle and to instead report them to the nearest police station, I’m still a firm believer that the Pokemon isn’t at fault, but the Trainer. After all, their hearts were closed by humans. I can only imagine the kinds of detestable things they’d done to them to… well, to drag them so far into the shadows like this.”

“That’s true. It all comes from somewhere, right? So, Miss Reviar, what would you do if you ran into a Shadow Pokemon right now?”

“R-right now? As we’re live?”

“Yeah, sure! I sort of meant just in general, like if you just happened to encounter it on the road or something, but here works too!”

“Oh, um… Well, of course, I’d call everyone to evacuate the Radio Tower–and probably this district of the city, come to think of it. I’d…” She hesitated oddly, but continued. “I’d call the police, to contain the area and block off as many exits as possible–assuming the Pokemon can’t dig underground, dive underwater, or fly through the air–and… And, most likely, that Shadow Pokemon would belong to a Pokemon Trainer. So the most likely goal would be to apprehend the Trainer and find a way to contain the Pokemon in a way that it can’t hurt anyone, including itself.”

Professor Oak took over. “Young Sylvia here has recently asked for me to assist in a project of hers, to set up a facility for Shadow Pokemon rehabilitation. As the daughter to a Day-Care man in the Sinnoh region, she knows quite a lot about taking care of Pokemon, and especially about helping them heal! She’s even taught me a few things here and there! Ho ho ho ho!”

“That sounds wonderful! Well, I hope we can help make your dream become a reality!” DJ Mary exclaimed wholeheartedly. “So tell the listeners, please, what’s the protocol in case you do find a Shadow Pokemon? And how do you know if you’re looking at a Shadow Pokemon?”

“Well, they’ll look just like any other Pokemon,” Sylvia went on. “But their behaviors will be completely different, even compared to that of a wild Pokemon. Wild Pokemon are distrustful, but Shadow Pokemon… well, they’re so angry that they’ve stopped caring about anything else. It’s possible for it to get to a point that they even neglect to take care of themselves in search for opponents to kill or destroy. In short, they were made to be weapons of destruction and will not listen to reason. That’s why it’d be best to stay low, stay out of the Pokemon’s sight, and call the proper authorities. That would be the police, any nearby Gym Leaders, Elite Four Members, or even the Champion if they happen to be around. A team of Pokemon Rangers will be sent here immediately to attempt to pacify the Pokemon in question. Please, please, please do not engage them in a Pokemon battle. In that state, they would not only hurt your Pokemon for no reason, but themselves, too.”

“Understood! Step one: Stay out of sight! Step two: Call the police, Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and/or the Champion! Step three: Wait for help to arrive! They’ll do everything else. Is that about right?”

“Y-yes, that’s right.”

“Wonderful! Sorry for the more serious topic, folks, but this has been Pokemon Talk! I’ll see you all next time for some more exciting Pokemon facts! Stay tuned!”

The official “This has been Pokemon Talk! With Professor Oak and DJ Mary!” played again and the next radio program played after a few more ads.

If frowns could break TV screens, Leon would’ve broken every screen in the technology department. His face was serious, but unreadable. Perhaps angry, perhaps sad, perhaps indignant, but it was clearly not happy about having heard all that.

“A Champion, eh…?” he mumbled quietly under his breath.

Pegasus looked towards Leon as he muttered about a champion. “Do you know a Champion?”

“Actually…” Leon scratched the back of his head. “I used to be Galar’s official Champion until recently. Unlike other Champions, the title is passed on in Galar the moment the current Champion is beaten. So I was the Champion for a long while ‘cause no one could beat me until recently. It still feels weird that I’m not one anymore.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Pegasus offered him a sympathetic smile. “I kind-of know what it’s like to no longer be on top. Back where I come from, when I created Duel Monsters, someone actually beat me at my own game.”

“Oof.”

“Yes, oof is a great way to describe it.” A soft chuckle left Pegasus at that. “But we just have to move forward, right?”

Leon had a smaller smile this time. “I suppose so…”

The two of them quickly got the rest of the supplies Pegasus needed, and Leon beamed at him. “Now you’ve got everything you need!”

“Thank you.” Pegasus smiled at him, before looking towards Ditto in the bag. “Hopefully we don’t run into any Shadow Pokemon, right Ditto?”

[wild-ditto-appeared]

"They're unheard of, anywhere, 's far as I know," Leon sighed with a shake of his head. "No matter--er, the charger comes in the casing. All you have to do is find a nearby outlet and connect it to the Pokegear, it's no biggie."

"You know, Mr. Chairman," the cashier spoke up a little hesitantly. "I... well, I've heard Team Rocket has been sprouting up like weeds left and right lately. It might be a bit of a stretch, but... well, hearing about all this Pokemon stealing and Shadow Pokemon, it's hard not to make a connection."

"Really?" Leon quirked a brow. "I wasn't told of any of that."

"Of course not," the cashier went on. "Team Rocket hides underground, after all. Everyone knows who they are, but despite that, they've infiltrated several big businesses already. They're rapidly gaining power. I wonder if the Shadow Pokemon have anything to do with it..."

Leon was about to answer when the ad break came to an end, the Pokemon Talk jingle playing again.

"Hello, listeners, and welcome to Pokemon Talk! Thank you for joining us today, Professor Oak and Sylvia!"

"O-of course!"

"Of course, Mary! Thank you for having us!"

"Now, before the break, you mentioned a new kind of Pokemon called 'Shadow Pokemon.' Would you care to elaborate for us?"

Professor Oak cleared his throat, expression turning serious again. "Right. Shadow Pokemon were first discovered in the Orre region, as far as we're aware. They were mass-produced by a local gang of thieves called Team Snagem. As of right now, Team Snagem is disbanded and it is unclear if there are still Shadow Pokemon located in the Orre region. However, there have been reports of Shadow Pokemon in other locations over the past several years. The case in Eterna City, Sinnoh was the first to involve innocents in the conflict."

Notably, the pink-haired girl subtly shifted and hugged her blue penguin Pokemon tight.

"Now, as for what they are..." Professor Oak turned to look at the young girl, Reviar, who nodded and took over the explanation.

"Shadow Pokemon were not born as Shadow Pokemon. They were once normal and happy, but their hearts were artificially closed by humans, refusing to open for anyone or anything. As a result, they can often get frenzied, attack anyone and anything nearby, and in the process, they do not have any qualms about hurting themselves."

"Oh my! They truly do sound dangerous!" DJ Mary gasped. "This is your new discovery?"

"It's not new. Like Professor Oak said, it's been happening under our noses for a few years now. And... Although the Pokemon themselves are worrying, and as much as I strongly implore anyone who encounters them not to engage in a Pokemon battle and to instead report them to the nearest police station, I'm still a firm believer that the Pokemon isn't at fault, but the Trainer. After all, their hearts were closed by humans. I can only imagine the kinds of detestable things they'd done to them to... well, to drag them so far into the shadows like this."

"That's true. It all comes from somewhere, right? So, Miss Reviar, what would you do if you ran into a Shadow Pokemon right now?"

"R-right now? As we're live?"

"Yeah, sure! I sort of meant just in general, like if you just happened to encounter it on the road or something, but here works too!"

"Oh, um... Well, of course, I'd call everyone to evacuate the Radio Tower--and probably this district of the city, come to think of it. I'd..." She hesitated oddly, but continued. "I'd call the police, to contain the area and block off as many exits as possible--assuming the Pokemon can't dig underground, dive underwater, or fly through the air--and... And, most likely, that Shadow Pokemon would belong to a Pokemon Trainer. So the most likely goal would be to apprehend the Trainer and find a way to contain the Pokemon in a way that it can't hurt anyone, including itself."

Professor Oak took over. "Young Sylvia here has recently asked for me to assist in a project of hers, to set up a facility for Shadow Pokemon rehabilitation. As the daughter to a Day-Care man in the Sinnoh region, she knows quite a lot about taking care of Pokemon, and especially about helping them heal! She's even taught me a few things here and there! Ho ho ho ho!"

"That sounds wonderful! Well, I hope we can help make your dream become a reality!" DJ Mary exclaimed wholeheartedly. "So tell the listeners, please, what's the protocol in case you do find a Shadow Pokemon? And how do you know if you're looking at a Shadow Pokemon?"

"Well, they'll look just like any other Pokemon," Sylvia went on. "But their behaviors will be completely different, even compared to that of a wild Pokemon. Wild Pokemon are distrustful, but Shadow Pokemon... well, they're so angry that they've stopped caring about anything else. It's possible for it to get to a point that they even neglect to take care of themselves in search for opponents to kill or destroy. In short, they were made to be weapons of destruction and will not listen to reason. That's why it'd be best to stay low, stay out of the Pokemon's sight, and call the proper authorities. That would be the police, any nearby Gym Leaders, Elite Four Members, or even the Champion if they happen to be around. A team of Pokemon Rangers will be sent here immediately to attempt to pacify the Pokemon in question. Please, please, please do not engage them in a Pokemon battle. In that state, they would not only hurt your Pokemon for no reason, but themselves, too."

"Understood! Step one: Stay out of sight! Step two: Call the police, Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and/or the Champion! Step three: Wait for help to arrive! They'll do everything else. Is that about right?"

"Y-yes, that's right."

"Wonderful! Sorry for the more serious topic, folks, but this has been Pokemon Talk! I'll see you all next time for some more exciting Pokemon facts! Stay tuned!"

The official "This has been Pokemon Talk! With Professor Oak and DJ Mary!" played again and the next radio program played after a few more ads.

If frowns could break TV screens, Leon would've broken every screen in the technology department. His face was serious, but unreadable. Perhaps angry, perhaps sad, perhaps indignant, but it was clearly not happy about having heard all that.

"A Champion, eh...?" he mumbled quietly under his breath.

wild-ditto-appeared​:

Ditto liked the bag. It was comfy. Somehow, despite all of the things crammed inside, Ditto had found a way to be comfy. Although, it didn’t take much to make a Ditto comfortable, given that it could change shape at will and all. Quite literally, Ditto was akin to a sentient liquid.

With a loud clap, Leon led them back to the elevators. “Right then! That’s part one down, now we need to get you up to the tech section. Mainly, you need a cell phone–or, as is customary here in Johto, a Pokegear! Since you’ve got a Pokedex already, a Pokegear is the next logical step, so you’ll have ways to communicate with others from a distance and have a regional map downloaded automatically. Plus, you can listen in on the radio from it. Pretty neat, I reckon. Ironically, for some reason, the regional map is referred to as the ‘Town Map,’ which I really don’t get, because it doesn’t show you–well, I mean, it does, but the default screen isn’t that of the town you’re in, but the region. Never understood why that was.”

Leon kept rambling excitedly as they made it to the seventh floor. It was an absolute utopia of technology. From the latest-model phones and tablets to things that projected holograms of what looked like the news, smartwatches with unique surfaces and colors, headphones and earbuds of various sizes and fits–some even meant for Pokemon–all while some voices played over the speaker on what appeared to be a local radio channel.

“–Thank you for joining us here at Pokemon Talk, Professor Oak!”

“Oh, thank you, DJ Mary! How wonderful it is to be here once again.”

Leon lit up. “Oh, it’s Professor Oak! Nice timing! You ought to listen in, Mr. Pegasus. Professor Oak’s the leading Professor on Pokemon knowledge and biology.”

“And it looks like you’ve brought a guest with you today! Care to introduce yourself?”

“Um… y-yes! Hi! I, uh… I’m Sylvia Reviar. I’m a student working under Professor Rowan from the Sinnoh region. I–uh–uhm, thank you for having me!”

“*giggle* Don’t be so uptight and nervous, Sylvia! Is this your first time on the air?”

“Y-yes, haha!”

“Well, welcome to Pokemon Talk. I heard on the Grepa vine that you’re working with Professor Oak on a brand-new discovery! Would you mind sharing your findings with the rest of us?”

“Y-yes. Well, as you know, Pokemon are creatures that have high sensitivity to other people’s emotions. Of course, depending on the Pokemon, this sensitivity may be more severe than most. However, you may recall an incident in the news a few years ago, back in Sinnoh, in which a wanted outlaw was spotted in Eterna City with a hostage, as well as a stolen Pokemon.”

“Oooh, yes! I remember! For those of you just tuning in, the incident Miss Reviar is referring to took place approximately four years ago. This outlaw is supposedly from the Orre region, but that’s about all we know about him except his ability to steal other people’s Pokemon using nothing but his Poke Balls and a device strapped to his arm. Because of this device, he’s been wanted all over the world, due to his possession of an illegal item and illegally stolen Pokemon.”

Leon’s face turned sour. “This is gonna be a serious one, is it?” As the radio had been going, Leon had silently led Pegasus to the Pokegear section, where he picked one of the latest models and was in the process of paying for it already. The cashier was telling him how the device worked when Leon had gotten distracted by the radio, his gaze dead-focused as he turned to watch the television screens, where the inside of the recording booth could be seen.

DJ Mary, a fuschia-haired woman, was interviewing an old man–Professor Oak, presumably–and a young girl… no, the same young girl and her blue bird Pokemon partners.

The pink-haired girl spoke again. “Right. The details of the incident are classified, but in short, police suspect that a type of Pokemon known as Shadow Pokemon are involved. As someone from a rural background, learning about Shadow Pokemon made me genuinely scared and upset. So… I, uhm… I approached Professor Rowan and Professor Oak about potentially looking into the matter. It’s dangerous work, but… for the Pokemon, I’ll do anything.”

Professor Oak’s professional smile dropped from his face. “Right. Today, instead of talking about specific Pokemon in certain areas, we’ve decided to come and warn everyone about the threat of Shadow Pokemon and their Trainers.”

“Oh, wow! You’re really going all into this, huh?” DJ Mary exclaimed. “Well, alrighty then! We’re at our break for now, but after these sponsors, we’ll jump right into what makes Shadow Pokemon so dangerous and important!”

The radio’s automated “We’ll be right back with more Pokemon Talk!” jingle played and soon advertisements for various products were plastered on the television screens. Leon finished paying for the Pokegear and handed it to Pegasus with a frown.

“Shadow Pokemon… I’ve never heard of ‘em. Wonder why…” His excited chatter from earlier had gone completely out the window. Even from inside the backpack, Ditto could sense the looming dread emanating from the ex-Champion.

Pegasus was glad that Ditto was satisfied with the bag it was now in, and he offered his Pokemon companion a smile as they kept on getting what they needed. 

“Do I need to charge the Pokegear often with anything?” Pegasus asked Leon. However, that was when he heard the news from Professor Oak and…Sylvia Reviar? Hm. interesting. Pegasus filed both names into his mind for later. 

Shadow Pokemon? He tilted his head to the side slightly.

“Shadow Pokemon?” He asked. “Are those…not common here in Johto, I assume? Or Galar where you come from?”

Huh. Pegasus couldn’t help but sense a nagging feeling here. There were evil forces that existed in this world much like back home, huh? I suppose every world has its similarities…

[wild-ditto-appeared]

"Wait, okay, so..." Sylvia suddenly realized how Mr. Pegasus must've felt in her and Professor Oak's "class" earlier today. "So... if a Defense Mode monster's Defense Points are lower than the attacking monster's, the difference is dealt as damage to your Life Points? What if they're in Attack Mode? Or--or what if the monster's Defense Points are higher? Or the same value? What if you have no monsters at all?"

Monsters, huh? Technically, Pokemon was an acronym. It was a shortened version of Pocket Monsters. In a sense, Pokemon could be considered monsters, too. In that way, this game actually seemed... refreshingly similar. A duel almost felt like a battle. The opposing players were the Trainers, the monsters were the Pokemon, and their Spells and Traps, as Pegasus had put it, were almost like the field that the fighters could take advantage of.

"Tag Duels, huh? Reminds me of Tag Battles, too," Sylvia hummed thoughtfully, a strange grin on her face. "And Triangle Duels sound almost like the Battle Royale in Alola, except in Alola it's four Trainers, not three. That's so interesting!"

Sylvia was absolutely beaming. Even though it was taking her a little while to understand it all--and it may have been questionable how much she did or didn't understand--she was clearly eager for more. Apparently that excitement of hers was infectious. Even Pip, who always remained vigilant and wary of strangers for his human's sake, was starting to get excited about learning this new game. Fluffy, meanwhile, was socializing with Pegasus' Pidgey behind Sylvia on Professor Oak's bed, preening the newly caught Tiny Bird Pokemon with its large beak.

Ditto was excited too. It didn't understand the rules at all, but Piplup and Pink Friend were getting excited about the game. Plus, Fancy Friend was explaining using big, fancy words that Ditto didn't understand but heard a lot. Attack, Defense, Duel, Life Points...

Her stream of questions was too fast and nearly nonstop, but Ditto recalled some of the rules. If you have no monsters--or, in Fancy Friend's case, even when they do have monsters--they can attack directly, right? And that causes big loud noises and battle-looking things to happen! It always scares Ditto when someone gets attacked directly... Then Ditto remembers that the pictures, as real as they look, are actually fake human illusions. Somehow they make magic happen and show off illusions of people fighting. It even scares them sometimes, but they all end up okay in the end.

At least, as far as Ditto was aware.

wild-ditto-appeared​:

The mood was far lighter now. Professor Oak led them to his room, where they managed to clear up a bit of space for a round table beside the bed with as many chairs as possible save for one crowded around its sides. Professor Oak himself, unfortunately, had to excuse himself to write a few reports, though when Sylvia tried to do the same he insisted she stayed and played. It was, after all, her idea.

Ditto was very excited to learn, too. It sat on the table, eagerly awaiting instructions and clinging right to Fancy Friend’s side. It had seen the game being played before, but… well, it never could learn how to play the game itself. There just wasn’t any time. Angry Dragon Man wasn’t about to teach it–well, not yet, at least–and Dark and Light Friends had things to do, and Dice Man didn’t play often. Well, not this game, anyway.

Sylvia sat on the bed and dug out a lined notebook from her bag, opening it up to a blank page. “Okay, so how does this work?” she asked. “I have plenty of pencils here so you can draw up a diagram if you need to.” As such, she offered a pretty-looking mechanical pencil and slid the notebook across the table to him, awaiting his instruction.

Pegasus gratefully took the notebook and pencil from her, sketching and writing out things as he spoke.

“In most typical duels, everyone has forty to sixty cards. There are three main card types—Monster Cards, which you use to attack opponents or their monsters, Spell Cards, which can do a variety of things like power up your own monsters, put your own cards at an advantage, and so on, and Trap Cards, which can be used to counter the opponent’s attacks and their own Spell Cards. Each player starts with 4000 lifepoints, and you lose if you either run out of cards to use, or you lose all of your lifepoints before the other player does. There are also variations on this duel called a Triangle Duel, involving three people at once, or Tag Duels, where people will compete in teams of two against each other, but I’ll focus on the regular one-on-one duels since those are most common.”

“Lifepoints, huh?” Leon tilted his head to the side. “So, how do the Monsters work? They get rid of lifepoints?”

“Yes. Each monster has Attack and Defense Points of varying values, and can be switched to be in either “Attack Mode” or “Defense Mode” during their player’s turn. Only monsters in “attack mode” can attack, and “Defense mode” monsters can defend. If a monster in attack mode attacked a monster in defense mode, and the attack points surpass the defense points, the defending monster is eliminated and their player loses lifepoints. If it’s the other way around, the attacking player would lose lifepoints instead.”

“What if it’s an attack versus an attack?” Tahirah asked.

“If the attack points are of equal value, both monsters are eliminated and neither player loses lifepoints. But if the attack points of one monster surpassed the other, the player who had the monster with less attack points loses lifepoints.”

“Oh wow.” Leon was trying to get his head wrapped around it. Was this how Pegasus felt with all the explanations that he, Oak and Sylvia gave him earlier today?