Chapter 22: Answers

  The morning had been quiet. Sunlight spilled across the training field in warm patches, glinting off the rim of the crater high above. The faint sound of running water from the nearby stream mingled with the rustle of leaves.

  A few early risers from the guards were already busy in the distance, their voices carrying faintly over the field, but otherwise, Newleaf Village seemed unhurried.

  Auri and Yuki stood at the far edge of the training ground, the dusty earth scuffed from their earlier sparring. Auri had just finished a quick round with one of the wooden practice dummies, its surface now marked with faint scorch patterns from his [Thunderbolt] and [Electro Ball].

  Yuki, perched on a low rock, was catching her breath after trying and failing to land a surprise [Tackle] on him.

  "You’re getting harder to sneak up on!" she complained between breaths.

  "That’s kind of the point," Auri replied, brushing a paw along his scarf and shaking stray bits of dust from his fur. "If I get caught off-guard, that’s on me."

  Yuki hopped down from the rock and gave a small, determined huff. "Still! I’ll get you one of these days!"

  They fell into a companionable silence for a moment, watching a pair of what were probably Dungeon Pidgey wheel lazily overhead. It was almost peaceful enough to forget the events and relavations from two weeks ago. Almost.

  Yuki’s gaze drifted toward the treeline beyond the field, her expression sharpening a little. "You know… it’s been a while."

  Auri glanced at her. "Since what?"

  "Since Sia showed up," Yuki said, tone somewhere between casual observation and thinly veiled irritation. "Last time we saw her was what? Two weeks ago when Vian blew her cover right in front of us?"

  Auri’s ears flicked. "And?"

  "And," Yuki continued, gesturing with one wing, "we haven’t seen her since. No visits, no random popping out of shadows, nothing. And she promised she'd be back after only a few days. Don't you find that weird as well?"

  "Maybe she’s more busy than she'd originally expected?" Auri suggested, though it came out sounding more like a placeholder than a genuine excuse.

  Yuki gave him a sideways look. "Busy doing what? Being mysterious? Because, news flash, she’s already nailed that part! And don't you think she'd have at the very least come by once to tell us if that's the case?"

  He didn’t answer right away, instead stooping to pick up one of the wooden practice staves that had been lying forgotten in the dirt. "I’m sure she’ll turn up when she wants to."

  "That’s not good enough!" Yuki crossed her wings, eyes narrowing in determination. "If we want to know what’s going on, we can’t just sit around and wait for her to wander back into our lives! We should go find her!"

  Auri rested the staff against his shoulder, studying her for a long moment. "You make it sound like she’s easy to track down. She's a Mythical Yuki. She could be literally everywhere in the Umbral Abyss."

  "Pfft. How hard coulf it be?" Yuki’s grin was half challenge, half mischief. "Besides, we’re not exactly helpless, y'know?"

  Auri exhaled through his nose, part amusement, part reluctant agreement. "You really think just by tracking her down and asking nicely we can make her come by more often? That won't make her less busy either."

  "Maybe not!" Yuki admitted, her grin sharpening, "but we’ll never know if we don’t try!"

  He tilted his head slightly, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. "You’re awfully motivated about this."

  "Of course I am!" she said, feathers fluffing slightly. "We tried to talk to Vian about everything again over a week ago and he was unwilling to tell us anything. Not even were Sia is! But Sia could probably tell us more about these stones we got from Miu as well. When Vian said they once belonged to close friends of his he must've meant Noah and Ray, right?"

  Auri looked back towards the treeline, the shadows between the branches shifting in the light breeze. He could somewhat understand Yuki. They'd been too overwhelmed finding out that Sia was a Mythical last time, but they both definitely still had questions for her, and also, she was their friend.

  But he wasn't convinved tracking her through the entirety of the Umbral Abyss was a great idea, or even possible. But Yuki’s mind was clearly made up and there was no way he could change her mind.

  "...Alright," he said at last, leaning the staff back against the rack. "If she doesn’t show herself soon… we’ll try to look for her."

  Yuki grinned like she’d just won an argument which, in a way, she had. "Deal! Let's give it, like… a day! Maybe two! Then we start the search for her!"

  Before Auri could answer, the air above them started to shimmer. In the blink of an eye, Miu was there, perched cross-legged in midair as if she’d been waiting for hours, even though Auri was certain there had been absolutely no one there a heartbeat ago.

  "Hmm," she said, tapping her chin with one paw in an exaggerated show of thoughtfulness. "You two look like me when I'm plotting something!"

  Yuki squawked, hopping back a step, before glaring at her. "Miu! Don’t just pop in like that!"

  Miu’s ears perked, and her grin widened. "Oh, but that’s the best way to make an entrance! You should know that by now, Yuki!,"

  Auri exhaled slowly, trying to ignore his very negative opinions on Miu for the moment. "What do you want, Miu? Don't expect us to go along with anything you might want after you literally teleported us into a Monster Room."

  "What do I want?" she echoed, as if the question was the most delightful thing she’d heard all morning. "Well, first, I want to remind you of something important!" She leaned forward just enough that her face hovered far too close to theirs. "I owe you two answers."

  Yuki blinked. "That's why you're here?"

  "Two clear, direct answers," Miu said, rolling the words off her tongue like candy. "No riddles, no half-truths, no mysterious dramatic pauses. You ask, I answer. That was our deal, remember? And as a Mythical, my promises bind me."

  Auri’s ears tipped forward. "Of course I remember. But you never said when you would answer said questions. After that stunt you pulled in the Dungeon I expected you to simply postpone answering us for months."

  "Ah-ah-ah." Miu waggled a claw in mock reproach. "We both know I would love to, but I cannot. Not without completely avoiding you for months on end."

  She drifted down to float a paw’s breadth off the ground, tail curling lazily behind her. "I was also asked to speed up the pace of our little game. So I’ll let you ask ahead, if you’re ready."

  Yuki’s eyes lit up, the same way they always did when the prospect of digging into a mystery dangled in front of her. "That's great! What-?"

  "Careful!" Miu interrupted, voice lilting with amusement. "Two is all you get. I won’t answer a third. Think carefully."

  Yuki hesitated, her earlier excitement checked by the weight in Miu’s tone. "So… we’d better make them count."

  "That," Miu said, clapping her paws together with a sound like a tiny spark, "is the idea."

  Auri glanced at Yuki, already suspecting what her first question would be. "We… do have something in mind."

  Miu’s eyes half-lidded in feline satisfaction. "Do you, now? I hope it’s not something boring! If you’re going to make me be direct, it should at least be entertaining!"

  Yuki took a step forward, feathers ruffling. "Fine! First question." She glanced sideways at Auri, who gave a small nod. "Where is Sia? What's occupying her? Most importantly, can we find her?"

  The levity in Miu’s grin didn’t vanish entirely, but something behind her eyes sharpened. "Oooh, bold! Straight to the point, I like it! Strictly speaking, that's three questions, but seeing how they all connect to one single desire of yours, I shall count them as a single question."

  She folded her paws in her lap, pretending to think. "Vian refused to answer that question I take it? Every single Mythical in the Umbral Abyss knows where she currently is, but none would dare answer. You're lucky I owe you answers."

  "So?" Yuki asked impatiently. "Get to the point Miu!"

  Miu just sniffed. "The youth has no proper respect for storytelling anymore! But fine. A week ago, ater over a century of deep slumber, Lord Noctem shows signs of awakening. The ruler of the Umbral Abyss is rising again and the princess waits at his side."

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  "Lord Noctem is waking up!?" Yuki asked shocked.

  "Yes. And therefore going where Sia is would be ill-advised. You lack the power to even get close to Lord Noctem's true body. However if you want Sia to come to you instead... Go to the northwestern edge of the Umbral Abyss. Past the Blackwater Stream you will find the Obsidian Caverns. Yuki should be familiar with both Dungeons. On the other side of the Obsidian Caverns you will find an old ruin. If you get to that ruin, Sia will without a doubt meet you there. Even in the current situation. Lord Noctem is still unlikely to awake in the next few weeks, after all."

  Yuki tilted her head, eyes narrowing. "I don't trust you. Why would Sia meet us there while her father awakes from over a century of sleep? Should we even still try to meet her?"

  "Nope, that’s it!" Miu said with cheerful finality. "One question down, if you want me to explain that as well, I will count that as your second question!"

  Yuki's beak snapped shut instantly, though she continued to glare at Miu. But they both knew they wouldn't waste their second question for that.

  "No, we're good then. But it's still time for our second question now," Auri said resolutely.

  "Oh, we’re doing the interesting one now? What I just told you every Mythical in the crater would've known! Now that one you are likely to ask? It will uniquely require me." Miu’s grin stretched just a little wider. "So what’s your second question, little Spark? And don't ask me to recount your entire memories. That would be dozens of questions, not one."

  Auri hesitated only a moment. “I want to know what exactly you saw in my memories that made you block them."

  That earned him a low hum of amusement, but underneath it, something heavier stirred. Miu leaned in close enough that her whiskers brushed his cheek, her tone softening, all playful edges gone.

  "That’s a great question. Though I wish you had chosen another one," she murmured. "Still, as promised, you shall have your answer."

  Her eyes glimmered faintly as she continued. "Originally, I only peeked into your mind because I was curious. You were a strange one, little Spark. No memories, your sudden fall from the sky, your incredible sensivity to type energy, your battle instincts. And of course your... resemblence to someone I've once known. Then, when they tried to repair your mind, the other psychics gave me the perfect opportunity to sneak around in your head a little. I wanted to know what it was that even you couldn't remember."

  She paused. Her voice lowered, the words heavy now. "And then I saw what you truly are."

  Auri blinked. "What I am?"

  "I wasn't able to see much. Your mental shields and trauma block are way too strong. You’re not just some random lost Pikachu from outside the Umbral Abyss, but I think you already knew that much as well," she said softly. "I however found out something else about you. A truth far more heavier than what I'd expected." Her tone hardened, cutting through the night air. "You, little Spark. You were, once upon a time, a human."

  The silence that followed was thick enough to feel. Yuki froze mid-breath, feathers half-fluffed. “A… what?”

  Miu didn’t look at her. Her eyes stayed on Auri, unreadable, sharp. "A human. I don't know how you've ended up in this world. Nor do I know in what trouble you've gotten yourself to be hunted all the way here. However seeing how much ruin the previous human that turned into a Pokemon brought upon this world, all while he claiming he was actially 'saving' it... I'm not surprised Pokemon still hold a grudge. I, after all, do as well."

  Auri’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Human. He... had no idea what a human was. How was he supposed to? He only knew himself as a Pikachu and nothing else. He had gigantic holes in his knowledge of the world, so it wasn't surprising that he had no idea what Miu was even talking about.

  "Auri is in truth a human!?" Yuki shouted in shock. As he'd suspected, she knew exactly what a human was.

  "Oh, definitely," Miu said, no mockery in her tone now. "The memories I saw weren’t fragments of Pokemon lives. They were from another existence. Fire, metal, and glass towers scraping the sky. Tools that could command the elements. Choices that bent the world. There’s no mistaking it."

  Yuki took a step forward, eyes wide. "But... if anything that's a good thing! Humans are saviors! Rescuers! Protectors of our world! Even out here in the Umbral Abyss we know these stories. So why do you make it sound like Auri being a human is a bad thing?"

  Miu turned to her with a slow, weary look. “You are oh so wrong, little Fireball, but I cannot fault you. I once thought like you, after all. The last human-turned-Pokemon indeed saved the world. They defeated an incredible calamity together with a worldwide coalition of Pokemon, they saved the tree of life and stopped our planet from falling into the sun. I'm sure you know the story too, don't you? It happened less then 150 years ago, after all."

  Hesitantly, Yuki nodded. "Yes. The two legendary heroes, a human-turned-Pokemon and their partner who stopped the Dark Matter from destroying all life on the planet. I don't know their names or many details beyond that, though."

  Miu's eyebrows lifted at that. "You don't know their names? Well, I suppose it makes sense. Not many in the Umbral Abyss would dare utter a negative word about them, after all, "Miu mused to herself, before turning back to Auri and Yuki. "After the human and their partner defeated the Dark Matter, peace came back to the world. But not for long. Normally the human and their partner, after fulfilling their mission, either die or take a step back from the political world stage. These two didn't."

  Miu's tail swished agigated from left to right. "It would've been better if they had. Little more than a decade after the Dark Matter was defeated, the human and their partner marched upon the world. They claimed another calamity was coming and proclaimed their willingness to protect the world again. They were believed without a doubt, Pokemon everywhere cheering for them. But that didn't last long. Because what they did in the following decades was unacceptable. The human and their partner waged war and brought about the ruin of four out of five continents our world holds."

  Miu's words fell like stones. "I was there, you know?" she said, now almost casual. Too casual for it to be more than an act. "The skies burned for weeks. The oceans supercharged and partly even evaporated. Some of the worlds biggest cities vanished under storms of light and shadow. And all of it began with one human who got drunk on his own power and went against the very world he was mean to protect."

  Auri stared at her, stunned. His chest tightened painfully. "That’s… what you saw? You think I’m like that?"

  "I don’t think," Miu said quietly. "I know what I saw. And I will not allow another human to walk unchecked among us, not when I’ve seen the cost of your kind’s mistakes."

  Yuki’s voice broke through the air, trembling. "You can’t just decide that! Auri hasn’t done anything wrong!"

  "Not yet," Miu replied simply. "But humans never start as monsters.No, they all come into this world high and moral, driven by their sense of justice and responsibility. They become them when the world gives them power and they decide to use it. I won’t risk it happening again. Rather I'd see the world face the next calamity without a human than see one of them once more destroy everything we've build over generations!"

  Auri flinched as though struck. "You… blocked my memories just because of what I am?"

  Miu gave a slow nod. "Yes. Because knowledge is dangerous in the hands of those who shape too quickly. You are something this world has already bled for once. And I would rather keep you ignorant and alive… than watch another catastrophe bloom from your rediscovered past."

  The air between them felt too heavy to breathe. Yuki’s feathers bristled, sparks dancing faintly between them. "So you think ignorance makes him safe!? You think that’s fair!?"

  "Fairness has nothing to do with it," Miu said coolly. "Only the survival of everything that means something to me."

  Auri swallowed hard, his voice small. "You really think I could destroy everything… just by remembering?"

  Miu’s gaze softened for just a moment. "I think you’re kind now. Gentle. Careful. And I’d like to believe you’d stay that way. But I also saw the fire buried beneath your skin, the one that doesn’t belong to a Pikachu. The one that once belonged to a world of machines and wars. "

  Her tone dropped lower, almost whispering. "Do not lie to me. You enjoy fighting, don't you? Challenging yourself and pushing yourself forward to ever greater heights. To come out victorious of a hard-fought battle. To have others acknowledge your strength. And I saw your instincts. Your incredible sensivity to type energy. Your innate talent in shaping moves and your deep tactical sense. You have evrything it needs to become a danger to the world, litlle Sparl. And you know that."

  Yuki stepped in front of him, blocking Miu's direct view on him, eyes blazing. "So what!? You’d rather kill him!?"

  "I can’t," Miu said simply. "Not directly. The rules that bind us Mythicals don’t allow it. At least not unless he gives me a viable reason." She looked back at Auri. "And I hope you never do. Because if you do, little Spark… I will not hesitate."

  The silence that followed was unbearable. The night wind rustled the grass, the stream whispered behind them, but everything felt distant.

  Auri lowered his gaze. His voice, when it came, was barely audible. "Why tell me at all? Nothing forced you to explain so much. My question was much more narrow than the answers you volunteered."

  "Because secrets rot the soul," Miu said, hovering backward, her form starting to shimmer faintly. "And because as I said, I have plans to accelerate. My block on your memories are only a temporary measure. It won't hold forever. And because of that, especially with Lord Noctem starting to awake, I will have to search for more... permanent solutions. I need that situation resolved before Lord Noctem awakes. And now, perhaps, you’ll make that part easier for me."

  Her grin returned, faint but sad, like a mask reattached after too long. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I've given you the two answers you asked for. My part of our bargain is now fullfilled as well. I wish you a wonderful evening with your new knowledge."

  "Miu-!” Yuki shouted, but the Trickster was already gone, vanishing with little more than a flick of her tail and a shimmer of light. For a long time, neither Auri nor Yuki moved.

  Yuki’s feathers settled slowly, her earlier anger fading into something softer, more uncertain. She glanced over at Auri, who still hadn’t spoken. “Auri…” she began carefully. “You know I don’t believe half of what she says, right? Miu loves drama! She could’ve been exaggerating!”

  He didn’t answer. His gaze was fixed on the horizon, on the distant rim of the crater where the shadows of clouds drifted slowly across the stone. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he said, "Vian told us himself. Mythicals cannot lie. They can deceive, twist the truth... but never tell an outright lie. So no, I don’t think she lied. Not about that."

  "Even if she saw something," Yuki said quickly, "that doesn’t mean it matters! That doesn’t change who you are! So what if you used to be-!” She stopped herself, feathers flattening slightly. "So what if you were human? You’re still you! You’re still Auri!"

  He turned to her, eyes distant. "According to Miu, the last human caused the destruction of more than three quarters of our world. If she’s right… if what she saw is true, then I carry that same potential inside me."

  Yuki shook her head fiercely. "Potential doesn’t make destiny! You’re not whoever they were, Auri, even if everything she told us is true! You’d never be like that!"

  For a long moment, silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t sharp, only heavy, like the weight of a truth neither of them wanted to face.

  Then Yuki stepped closer, her voice gentler now. "You’re still my friend. That’s what matters! And I don’t care what Miu says, I’m not going anywhere!"

  Auri’s eyes softened, the faintest trace of a smile tugging at his mouth, small, weary, but real. "Thanks, Yuki."

  "Don’t thank me!" she said, puffing up her feathers, forcing a bit of her usual energy back into her voice. "We’ve still got to go find Sia! That ruin Miu mentioned, it’s the best lead we’ve got! Besides…" Her gaze flicked toward the dark horizon. "If anyone can help us make sense of all this, it’s her. I thnk we need to find her even more now than before."

  He nodded slowly. "Yeah. But… can we postpone that to tomorrow? I think I’ll need some time to myself."

  Yuki hesitated, then nodded softly. "That’s okay. We’ll talk about everything else tomorrow, then?"

  Auri managed another quiet smile. "We will. And… thanks, Yuki. For being here."

  With those words, he turned and walked away, leaving her watching after him, the wind tugging softly at her feathers, the crater around them vast and silent once more.

  Important characters in the chapter:

  Pikachu (Auri) – Level 15

  Ability: Lightning Rod

  Battle Nature: Lonely

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 71

  Attack: 47

  Ranged Attack: 41

  Defense: 49

  Speed: 55

  Total: 263 (Strength Level: Teenager)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Nuzzle], [Tail Whip], [Quick Attack], [Brick Break], [Thunder Wave], [Feint]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Thunder Shock], [Electro Ball], [Swift], [Thunder Bolt]

  Utility Moves: [Nasty Plot], [Charm], [Double Team], [Growl], [Agility], [Dig]

  Torchic (Yuki) – Level 16 (Evolution Requirements Not Met, Stat Boost Applied)

  Ability: Speed Boost

  Battle Nature: Hasty

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 80

  Attack: 47

  Ranged Attack: 47

  Defense: 55

  Speed: 40

  Total: 269 (Strength Level: Teenager)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Scratch], [Quick Attack], [Feint], [Fire Spin], [Flame Charge], [Aerial Ace], [Counter], [Slash]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Ember], [Sand Attack]

  Utility Moves: [Growl], [Detect], [Dig]

  Mew (Miu) - Level ???

  Ability: Synchronize

  Battle Nature: Naughty