Vol. I, Part 2: Chapter 20

  The pasture fell into a profound silence, save for the whisper of wind through the tall grass. The Poké Ball in Rosa’s hand was motionless, a simple red-and-white sphere cradled in her palm.

  Juniper pressed a hand on Rosa’s shoulder, the touch grounding her. “Congratulations, Rosa. I think you and Blitzle will make a wonderful team.”

  Rosa stared at the ball. A sense of relief washed over her, heavier than she expected. Blitzle was safe. Blitzle was hers.

  “Thanks, Professor,” Rosa whispered, carefully placing the ball next to Snivy’s inside her bag.

  “Curious,” Cheren murmured, tapping his chin as he stared at the bag. “That’s two Pokemon now that have voluntarily allowed themselves to be captured”

  “It is rather unusual,” Juniper agreed, pivoting to address the rest of the group. “However, given the unusual circumstance, it’s no mystery why these Pokémon bonded so quickly. Trust is a powerful catalyst.”

  She gave a quick scan of the group, her gaze lingering on Rosa last. Her face softened into a genuine smile. “I’m proud of all the hard work everyone has put in to ensure the safe recovery of these Pokémon. I really couldn’t ask for a better team.”

  A wave of shared gratitude rippled through the group, expressed in their own distinct languages. Hilda playfully shoved Hilbert’s shoulder. Cheren straightened his tie with a sharp tug. Bianca bounced on her toes, unable to contain her energy while Nate kicked the dirt with his, hiding a smile, and Hugh placed a hand behind his head. Rosa simply smiled, feeling the warmth of the sun and the moment.

  “I’ll inform Mr. Orens we’re ready to transport the Electric Pokemon,” Ms. Gabby said, her face unmoved as always. She started to move quickly, as if the display of genuine emotion was physically uncomfortable for her.

  “Gabby,” Juniper said, her voice soft but firm.

  Ms. Gabby stopped instantly, her back rigid.

  “Perhaps it's time we pay Castform a visit.”

  Ms. Gabby paused. Rosa watched closely and saw the corner of the woman’s lips twitch.

  “Okay,” she replied weakly.

  The two women left for the Rehabilitation Center, wheeling the test equipment along with them, the cart rattling over the uneven ground.

  “Castform? What’s a Castform?” Hugh asked, watching them go.

  “An artificial Pokémon. Made by people from the Weather Institute in Hoenn,” Rosa explained.

  “I didn’t know you could just make a Pokémon in a lab,” Hugh said, crossing his arms. He watched the Professors disappear into the shadowed interior of the building.

  “It’s not completely implausible,” Cheren stated, slipping into lecture mode. “Porygon and its evolutions were the first Pokémon to be created using digital technology. However, Pokémon like Trubbish and Garbodor were theorized to be created by chemicals reacting with industrial pollution.

  “Imagine creating your own Pokémon, with its own special power. You can make it be anything you want,” Hugh whispered. His brow furrowed in thought, his eyes distant.

  Then, he turned sharply to Nate, the daydream vanishing. “Artificial or not, I need to focus on what I’ve got right here.”

  “What do you mean?” Nate asked.

  “I need to teach Psyduck Water Pulse. If Oshawott can do it, so can Psyduck,” Hugh stated, a competitive fire lighting in his eyes.

  “I guess you’re right,” Nate replied.

  The two boys looked at each other. Rosa could see a silent conversation pass between them, an unspoken language built over years of friendship.

  “I want to learn that move before we head back into the field. I’m not getting caught off guard again. I need a partner who knows the technique. You game?” Hugh asked, offering his hand.

  Nate smiled and firmly grabbed his friend’s hand, locking wrists. “You know I am.”

  “Hey!” Hilbert interjected, stepping between them. “You won’t get far without a sparring partner. Scraggy could use some more exercise.”

  “Alright,” Hugh agreed, looking toward the open practice fields where the heat waves were already rising. “Let’s see if Psyduck can nail this!”

  The three boys broke away from the group, their conversation dissolving into strategy and tactics.

  Hilda watched them go, shaking her head with a smirk. “And off they go to beat each other up. Typical.”

  “Training is essential,” Cheren noted, though his gaze lingered on the door where the professors had exited. “However, I am far more curious about Castform’s recovery.”

  “Oh, I am too! We have to go see it!” Bianca squealed, clapping her hands together. “Juniper said Castform should be ready to be released any day now.”

  “I’m sorry, but why is Castform so important?” Hilda asked, placing her hands on her hips.

  “Castform is Ms. Gabby’s partner,” Rosa said. “She’s really gentle around it. You wouldn’t expect it from her.”

  “Woah, you’re telling me Gabby has a gentle side?” Hilda snorted, breaking into an exaggerated laugh.

  “Yes, Ms. Gabby does,” Rosa corrected, ignoring the jab. “She loves Castform. And… it’s actually kind of sweet.”

  “Don’t make me puke. Gabby and love? I don’t know if the word ‘love’ is in her programming.”

  Rosa rolled her eyes.

  She just doesn’t understand.

  “Ms. Gabby is a softy, Hilda,” Bianca insisted. “She just… has a hard time showing it.”

  “Pshht.” Hilda blew air out of the side of her mouth.

  “Why don’t we go see for ourselves?” Rosa stated with a small hint of challenge.

  “Lead the way, Rosa.”

  They entered the Rehabilitation Center. As the automatic doors slid shut, Rosa could feel the temperature drop a few degrees, raising goosebumps on her arms.

  “Observation Room 2A. That’s where we saw Castform, right?” Rosa asked, glancing at Cheren.

  “Yup. That’s the one.”

  They made their way up the stairs and found the room marked 2A. Through the glass, Rosa saw the familiar layout of several climate-controlled enclosures containing various recovering Pokemon. The Heracross from earlier had been released, replaced with a Kricketune that sat silently, its musical wings unable to sing. They passed by the same Bouffalant as before, still grazing on synthetic grass under fluorescent lights, and made their way towards the end of the room.

  There, inside a specialized containment unit, they found Juniper and Gabby. And alongside them was a healthy Castform doing loop-de-loops around Gabby’s head before nuzzling into her neck.

  Gabby’s laughter came through the overhead speakers sounding bright, uninhibited, and human.

  “Look at you! You're doing somersaults in mid-air! I’m so proud of you!” Her voice rang through the speakers.

  “No way,” Hilda whispered, her eyes widening.

  Rosa shot back a wide ‘I-told-you-so’ grin. Hilda squinted back at her, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “She’s a completely different person,” Cheren noted, adjusting his glasses to get a better look at Castform.

  Hilda crossed her arms. “Well,” she muttered, her voice low enough so only Rosa could hear. “I guess even robots have a glitch every now and then.”

  “Hilda, be nice,” Rosa nudged her.

  “I am being nice. I’m just saying, it’s weird seeing her like this.” Despite the snark, Rosa noticed Hilda’s posture soften. The disdain was still there, but the shock of seeing Gabby act like a person had definitely made a dent in it.

  Juniper and Gabby had their backs turned, too engrossed in the reunion to notice the teens. Cheren walked up to the communication console and pressed the talk button.

  “Professor,” he said clearly into the mic.

  Both women and Castform turned to see them standing outside the glass.

  “Hello,” Juniper waved. “What do you need?”

  “We’re wondering if we could come in and see Castform.”

  Juniper looked to Gabby, who was currently cradling Castform in both arms like a plush toy.

  Gabby nodded. “Come on in! Just be sure to shut the door quickly.”

  The team slipped through the airlock doors one by one. Rosa shivered as the temperature plummeted. It was engineered to be brisk, simulating a specific atmospheric condition.

  Castform’s face grew wary as the newcomers approached. It zipped back, burying its face directly into Gabby’s lab coat.

  “Hey, it’s okay. They’re our friends,” Gabby cooed softly.

  Castform turned, drifted towards them, and stopped a foot in front of Bianca, inspecting her with large, curious eyes.

  “Hi Castform!” Bianca said in a high-pitched squeak. “Do you remember me? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

  Castform, recognizing Bianca, let out a cheer and zoomed in to nuzzle her cheek. Bianca giggled, holding the small Pokemon in a gentle embrace. “It looks fantastic, Ms. Gabby!”

  “It certainly does. The molecular bonds are fully stable,” Gabby said proudly. She looked at the rest of them, her guard completely down. “It’s okay, you can touch Castform.”

  Rosa hesitantly walked forward, reaching an arm out. Castform floated down to meet Rosa’s hand. The texture was surreal. It felt gelatinous and cold, like touching water that had been frozen into a solid state without turning to ice.

  “Is Castform ready to leave rehabilitation?” Rosa asked, running her thumb over its smooth head.

  “It is,” Juniper said, stepping up to pet the creature. “Ms. Gabby is right. The molecular bonds in Castform's body have stabilized, giving me reason to believe Castform is no longer at risk of molecular breakdown.”

  “Molecular breakdown,” Hilda repeated, rubbing her bare arms to ward off the chill. “That sounds… unpleasant.”

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  “It means its physical structure was unstable,” Cheren said, his eyes still fixed on the floating Pokémon. “But if the Professor says it’s stable, then it’s fully recovered.”

  “Precisely,” Juniper nodded. She turned her gaze to her assistant. “Which means there is no reason for it to remain in containment. Castform belongs with its partner.”

  Gabby stood frozen for a moment, her usual stoicism completely evaporated. She looked from Juniper to the small, floating creature that was currently trying to chew on a lock of Rosa’s hair. With a shaky breath, she reached into her lab coat pocket and withdrew a pristine Poké Ball, holding it out in the palm of her hand.

  “Castform?” she whispered.

  The artificial Pokémon stopped playing and floated back to eye level with her. It let out a soft, high-pitched hum, its body shifting slightly like mist passing over the sun. It inspected the Poké Ball, then shook its head and let out a small, defiant cry.

  “Does Castform not want to leave?” Rosa asked.

  Gabby clutched the ball to her chest, closing her eyes. Then she smiled and let out a breathy laugh, placing the Poké Ball back inside her coat.

  “You’ve never really liked being in your Poké Ball, have you?”

  Castform again shook its head in disapproval.

  “It’s okay. You can stay out,” Gabby beamed.

  Castform let out a joyous cheer and zoomed into Gabby’s arms, a reunion met with laughter and a soft embrace.

  “Pokémon behavior continues to amaze me,” Cheren murmured to himself. “Even an artificial Pokémon can develop personality traits specific to itself.”

  “They really are wonderful creatures, aren’t they?” Rosa acknowledged. She felt a profound sense of lightness seeing the stone-cold Gabby cuddle a small, delicate being. Her hand brushed against her bag, feeling the two Poké Balls resting there.

  The group, along with Castform, exited the enclosure, the sliding doors sealing the arctic air behind them. As the warmth of the hallway hit them, Rosa took a deep breath, savoring the normalcy.

  Juniper turned to face the group. “I think it’s time we let Mr. Orens know that the Electric-type Pokemon are ready to be transported. Bianca, has Skyla gotten back to you about an arrival date?”

  “Oh yes! She has. She said whenever the Pokemon were recovered and ready, she can have her plane as early as Monday,” Bianca said.

  “Good. That gives us plenty of time. Gabby, if you could, head over to records and fill out Castform’s discharge orders, please.”

  “Absolutely,” Gabby said. “Let’s get you officially out of here,” she said to the floating cloud by her shoulder. They left the Observation Room and headed down the hall.

  “I don’t have anything else planned for the rest of the day,” Juniper said, addressing the team. “Just make sure the Electric Pokemon are taken care of.”

  “Sounds good, Professor,” Cheren replied.

  Juniper made her way out of the Observation Room, her heels clicking away.

  “So, I guess we’ll just watch the boys kill each other then?” Hilda said, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

  “I guess so,” Rosa shrugged.

  “I think we can all take time to do a little training,” Cheren said earnestly. “We want to make sure our Pokémon are fit for the next mission.”

  Bianca turned red. “Well, that sounds like fun and all, but I’ll have to give Skyla a call. Let her know we’re good for Monday.”

  Rosa frowned. She had heard the name Skyla before, but she couldn’t place it. Maybe a book or a magazine?

  “Bianca, who is Skyla?” Rosa asked.

  “Oh, she’s the Mistralton Gym Leader!” Bianca replied, her cheeks beaming with enthusiasm. “And she’s a pilot. She has a plane large enough to transport the Pokémon safely back to Chargestone Cave.”

  The words hit Rosa like a physical blow.

  Chargestone Cave.

  The hallway seemed to stretch. She looked back at the now empty enclosure where Castform had spent the last several months.

  The conversation Rosa overheard jumped into the forefront of her mind. Her heart pounded the same frequency it did when she was eavesdropping. Her mind began racing over the details in a flash. She could hear the faint volume of the muffled voices behind closed doors. The memory of the argument she’d overheard days ago surged forward, no longer muffled, but crystal clear.

  Sending children... Dangerous environment... Reckless... Nearly killed Castform.

  The pieces slammed together in her mind. Gabby wasn't just being difficult. She was scared. She admitted she had let Juniper hurt Castform in the name of science. Now, she was watching Juniper prepare to send them into danger.

  Juniper is sending us to investigate Chargestone Cave.

  “Unova to Rosa! Hello?” Hilda’s hand waved in front of Rosa’s vision.

  Rosa snapped back to the hallway. Her mouth was slightly open, her breath shallow.

  Cheren, Bianca, and Hilda were all staring at her as if she’d seen a Ghost-type.

  “You okay?” Hilda asked, her brow furrowing.

  Rosa blinked, trying to force her heart rate down. “Cheren, what exactly is our next mission?” she asked, her voice sounding thin and frantic.

  “Umm, well, we’ll be escorting the Electric-types back to Chargestone Cave once we get them to Mistralton,” Cheren said, eyeing Rosa with concern.

  “Did Juniper say anything about investigating inside Chargestone Cave?”

  Cheren frowned. “She mentioned the data for determining the anomaly was inconclusive. She said the only way to find the answer was to go inside the cave itself. But she never said anything about sending us to investigate.”

  “Rosa, what’s the matter?” Bianca chimed in, stepping closer.

  Rosa bit her lip. All eyes were on her, waiting. The secret felt too heavy to carry alone.

  “Listen,” she began, dropping her voice. “When I went to Ms. Gabby’s office to check on Elekid, I overheard her and Juniper arguing about something.”

  Hilda’s face broke into a mischievous grin. “You spied on them? You sneaky little Sneasel!”

  “Hilda! Shut up! That’s not the point!” Rosa snapped, stomping her foot. The echo startled them all. “They were shouting at each other. It sounded as if Ms. Gabby didn’t want Juniper to do something because it was dangerous.”

  “But what does that have to do with us?” Cheren asked. His tone wasn’t dismissive, but searching.

  “I heard the words ‘sending children,’ ‘dangerous environment,’ ‘reckless,’ and ‘nearly killed Castform.’” Rosa paused, her hands trembling.

  Ms. Gabby was trying to protect us.

  “I think Juniper believes that the incident at Chargestone Cave was no accident,” she concluded. “She thinks it could be man-made. That’s why she wants to send us. To find who’s responsible.” She licked her lips, her ears burning hot. “And Gabby… Ms. Gabby was trying to talk her out of it. Calling her ‘reckless’ by reminding her that she was treating us with the same recklessness that almost got Castform killed!”

  A heavy silence slammed into the group. Hilda’s mischievous grin vanished, replaced by a dark contemplation as she stared at the floor tiles.

  “You think Professor Juniper would really send us somewhere dangerous?” Bianca asked, her voice fragile.

  “I don’t know, Bianca,” Rosa said comfortingly. “But that’s what I heard.”

  Cheren looked at her intently, his gaze piercing through his lenses. “Look, I don’t know if Juniper is sending us or not, but I trust the Professor’s judgment. I can tell you that if she thought it would be too dangerous for us to go, then she wouldn’t do it.”

  “Oh come on, Cheren,” Hilda rolled her eyes, her voice rising. “I think Rosa is right. Look at what happened to Nate! He almost got killed!”

  “Which no one could’ve predicted,” Cheren replied, maintaining his composure.

  “You weren’t even there!” Hilda shot back. She kept her gaze fixated on Cheren for a brief moment.

  Cheren opened his mouth, but closed it, at a loss for words.

  “Forget it,” Hilda muttered. She crossed her arms and turned her head away, disengaging from the group.

  Rosa saw her cousin’s eyes begin to sparkle. She couldn’t tell if Hilda was feeling sorry for snapping at Cheren or if she was reminded of the trauma from the Deerling mission. Or both. Either way, she knew it was best to let Hilda be… for now.

  “Then what should we do?” Bianca stepped forward, wringing her hands.

  Rosa thought for a minute. Was there anything they could do? If Juniper sent them on a potentially life-threatening mission, would any of them have the courage to say no? She respected Professor Juniper. They all did. But did that respect extend to risking their lives blindly?

  “We’ll talk to Ms. Gabby about it. Maybe she will have an answer.”

  The records room was a small, windowless space tucked away on the first floor. Filing cabinets lined the walls, and in the back, computer monitors glowed in the dim light. Ms. Gabby was the only one there, typing at a keyboard while Castform zipped up and down the aisles of files.

  The four Trainers entered, finding Ms. Gabby buried in her work. Castform noticed them first, giving a soft sing-song cheer.

  “Oh, hello,” Gabby said, swiveling her chair around.

  “Ms. Gabby,” Rosa began. She swallowed hard, steeling her nerves. “A few days ago, I heard you arguing with Professor Juniper about sending us to Chargestone Cave. You said it was dangerous and she is reckless for doing so.”

  Gabby stared at Rosa. The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable. Any warmth she had shown in the observation room was gone, locked away behind the expressionless mask of the scientist.

  Rosa pressed on. “We know she thinks the anomaly was man-made. Are we going to be sent to investigate the incident knowing that we could get hurt?”

  “You know it’s not polite to eavesdrop,” Gabby replied calmly.

  “Ms. Gabby, please. Tell us what you know,” Rosa pleaded.

  Gabby fidgeted with a pen, her eyes darting from the floor to Rosa.

  “You’re right,” Gabby sighed, slapping the pen down on the desk. She straightened her bun. “Juniper is convinced what happened at Chargestone Cave was from a man-made device. A weapon, most likely,” she added, her eyebrows shooting up.

  “A weapon?” Cheren asked. “What kind of weapon could do something like that?”

  “I don’t know. I wasn’t there,” she said coldly. “Probably one which requires a significant amount of energy to fire, causing an EMP blast.”

  “But the ranger report never mentioned anything about weapons being fired. There was more evidence to suggest a localized geomagnetic reversal rather than a blast,” Cheren argued.

  “I know. I’ve read the report. But Juniper is convinced otherwise.”

  Rosa frowned. If Gabby believed there was no weapon, why fight so hard to keep them out?

  “So why would it be dangerous to investigate if there’s no weapon?” Rosa asked.

  Gabby crossed her arms and legs. She looked deeply into Rosa, staring at her with an intensity that made Rosa’s spine shiver.

  “Did you know that Blitzle normally travel in herds led by Zebstrika?” Gabby asked. Her tone dropped. Her words felt like ice.

  “N-no.”

  “They do. It’s almost unheard of for a lone Blitzle to wander the wild without belonging to a herd. So tell me, Rosa, where was your Blitzle’s Zebstrika?”

  Rosa fell silent. Her breathing hitched. She felt like she wanted to cry, but held back her tears, keeping a stern face.

  Gabby turned to the rest of the group, her voice gaining volume. “And what about Klinklang, where were they? Or Galvantula? Or Eelektross?”

  No one spoke. The tension in the room was suffocating. The air felt heavy, as if the walls were closing in. The only one seemingly undisturbed by the atmosphere was, ironically, Castform, who settled on top of a stack of books, humming happily to itself.

  “Whatever happened in that cave most likely killed the larger biological beings,” Gabby concluded. Her face unwavering from the devastating reveal. “Blitzle is quite lucky to be alive. It’s small, yes, but not as small as a Joltik or Tynamo. What do any of you think would happen to a human if they were present for that anomaly? If it were to happen again, man-made or not, you would all perish.”

  Again, no one spoke. Ms. Gabby waited, letting the word perish hang in the air like smoke. Bianca sniffed, rubbing her eyes with her sleeve.

  Castform gently glided to Gabby’s side, smiling blithely, completely detached from the distraught teens. She closed the program on her monitor, ejected her key card, and stood up.

  “I’ll speak with Juniper about this again. I will not allow any of you to become the victim of another one of her reckless experiments.”

  Gabby walked past the group, her lab coat fluttering like a cape.

  “Who said we want you to?” Hilda spoke.

  Rosa jumped. Her cousin wasn’t crying. Her eyes were dry, burning with a passionate determination that filled the small room.

  “Excuse me?” Gabby turned, shocked.

  “Who said we want you to defend us?” Hilda reiterated, stepping forward. “If investigating the cave will save more Pokémon lives, then I’m going. Dangerous or not.”

  Woah. Hilda.

  “This isn’t about saving more lives,” Gabby argued, her stoicism cracking. “It’s about protecting yours! You may think you're strong, but there are dangerous Pokémon in that cave that far exceed the levels of any first-year students.”

  The words hit a resonant note in Rosa’s head. She had no battle experience. All her life she had been sheltered, never exposed to the real dangers of the world.

  Do I really have what it takes to be a Trainer?

  “Is that why you sent Nate to nearly be killed by an Aggron?” Hilda shot back, her voice snapping Rosa out of her spiral.

  Gabby flinched, her mouth snapping shut as she gritted her teeth.

  “You can’t force us to stay put!” Bianca exclaimed.

  Rosa’s head whipped around. This was the first time she had ever heard Bianca sound aggressive. It shocked everyone.

  “If we’re being sent to help save Pokemon then I’m going with Hilda!” Bianca declared, fists clenched at her sides.

  “I’m going too!” Rosa stepped up, joining the line. She shoved her self doubt to the side, supporting her sisters-in-arms. “We joined this team knowing that it could be dangerous. We’re here because we all love Pokémon. I would risk myself to save them, no matter what.”

  Gabby inhaled sharply and exhaled a ragged sigh. She didn’t look disappointed. She looked... annoyed?

  “Cheren…” Gabby began, looking for the voice of reason.

  “The girls are right, Ms. Gabby,” Cheren interrupted. Rosa gave him a weak smile. “I don’t think anyone on the team would back down from this mission. No matter the danger. We’re with the Professor.”

  Gabby stood still, surveying the four young Trainers standing in a defiant wall against her. Castform gleefully floated around their heads, inspecting the shelves, oblivious to the standoff.

  “Very well, then,” Gabby said softly. “I understand your love for Pokémon.”

  Her eyes darted to Castform, watching it float. “I really do… If I can’t convince you to stay out of the cave, then I have only one option.”

  The group looked at each other, confused. Gabby readjusted her pinned-up hair, straightened her glasses, and looked them dead in the eye.

  “I’ll have to go with you.”