Three days later, nine of us and our Pokémon trudged through the undergrowth getting increasingly annoyed at the drizzle filtering down from the canopy up above. Yes, it was nine of us. We, that is, the four of us who were given the Professor’s quest went to Crescent alone as planned. There, we had the questionable pleasure of encountering Luca’s group plus one. The four of them, that is, Luca and the plastic stooges (that wasn’t entirely fair now that I had been forced by social conventions to learn their names, in order of annoyance: Clair, Rebecca, and Sarah, and they had been aesthetically civil, for now) had decided to make their way to Wavecrest through the forest. For protection, they hired the maybe bounty hunter, Baltazar Black. I say maybe because he didn’t seem too sure himself. A member of the Everrock Dojo, he had left his hometown years ago and had only recently returned. At least, that was his story so far as I could tell.

  Baltazar was a man with good humour and a well-built physique, as expected of a martial artist. I hadn’t seen him in anything other than his gi and a laid-back smile. His shaggy black hair was held back from his face by a red headband, and he was always with his arms crossed, and with either his Gallade or his Mienshao beside him. When we met in Crescent, he was likely the reason a fight hadn’t broken out between our two groups.

  It was Darren who’d first seen Luca when we’d arrived at Crescent. Remembering her from his match against her, and somehow still ignorant of her acquaintance with Sunny, he’d waved her over. Poor Luca seemed torn between approaching us because of his friendliness, and running from Sunny’s extremely neutral expression. The choice was made for her by Clair who’d recognised him as the tournament winner, as well as the latest viral twenty-second celebrity, and came up to ask for his autograph. It was fortunate she was ignoring Sunny because, at that moment, my friend’s face could kill. I had no doubt that Clair looking at her would have been more deadly for her than looking directly at a Mimikyu.

  Darren’s face was no less remarkable. He was at a complete loss, having not yet registered that his autograph was something anyone might want. Luca tried to defuse the mounting tension by dragging Clair back and speaking cordially to all of us, as opposed to just Darren, but her efforts were undermined by Rebecca’s and Sarah’s perfect imitation of their behavioural model. Sunny had placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me from reminding them of why they should fear my boot, and then Baltazar had let out a boisterous laugh, asked if we knew each other and where we were going, and as soon as he found out we were heading to the Greenforest he insisted in travelling all together as a group. Clair protested that her group were the ones paying for his protection and Baltazar said that she hadn’t yet, and he never had any intention of accepting money from them in the first place. He was not about to let a group of kids go through the forest alone.

  No one was particularly enthused at being called a kid, and I was unsure about how more people would affect our mission. Kurt didn’t share my worries, saying that there wasn’t anything secret about it, and when Baltazar heard about the ruins (he had been away when they were discovered) he expressed his interest in ‘going sightseeing’ as he put it. Travelling together still wasn’t something either group was particularly excited about, aside from Baltazar obviously, but the promise of safety in large numbers and the protection of a veteran was hard to argue against. Sunny, the most reluctant, was unable to make her case without bringing up her past relationship with the other girls.

  That was why it was nine of us, split into two distinct camps, stomping through the undergrowth of the Greenforest. Thorns scratched my legs and little twigs kept getting flicked into my eyes. I swear the trees were doing it on purpose. I was cold, my clothes were wet despite my waterproof coat which didn’t seem to be doing much of anything, and to top it all off, my nose was runny. I was jealous of Flaaffy, who had long ago taken the smart decision of travelling in her pokeball, leaving only Comfey to comfort me. She wasn’t doing a great job having fallen asleep again. Still, I was by no means the worse off in our group. I sidled over to Sunny.

  “How are you?” I asked.

  “Terrible,” she said. “I’ve mud in my shoes and leaves in my hair.”

  Hector wooped happily in her arms. He was the only one enjoying the dampness, his little gills twitching in the air.

  “I meant about...” I tilted my head towards Luca and co behind us. They had completely ignored Sunny so far, making no indication of knowing her, and Sunny had mirrored their attitude.

  “I don’t care,” she said. “As long as they don’t talk to me, they can do whatever they want.”

  I nodded, and returned to my inner complaints about the trek. Inner, because no one had complained loudly yet. In particular, I wasn’t going to be more fussy than Clair, Rebecca, or Sarah. Predictably, they were not dressed for it, but somehow, they hadn’t started making a nuisance of themselves within the first few minutes, even if they didn’t look happy. I was becoming more convinced with every step that they wanted Sunny or me to break first.

  Only the men looked sort of happy. Darren and Baltazar were chatting about fighting-types, with Darren drilling his conversation partner for all the strengths and disadvantages of the type, as well as his opinion on the strongest fighting species. Baltazar was delighted to geek out on the subject, inserting bits of his adventures from his travels all over the world into the discussion. I listened in as much as I could, but as my fingers grew colder and stiffer, I was less and less inclined to listen to adventure stories. Instead, I kept sneaking glances at the Gallade beside Baltazar. He walked with more dignity than anyone else in our group, including his trainer. He was also on high alert, something I only noticed because of the subtle twitches in his eyes whenever we heard a Pokémon cry somewhere in the branches above.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  A bramble caught on my coat and I pricked myself disentangling it. I growled in frustration and kicked a clump of earth, then shot another glance at Gallade. The skinny green figure appeared to flow around all obstacles effortlessly, not a stain or a scratch marring his skin. The green part on top was shell-like, but softer except for the blades, which despite seeming unwieldy, never hindered his movement. His lower half was almost feathery, translucent and slightly sparkly even in the shade.

  Is something the matter, young miss, said a voice in my head. I stumbled, and almost fell, but Gallade, in a blink, stood next to me, holding me up.

  “You speak?” I asked, barely above a whisper.

  I can, came the reply. His voice was soft, and faintly amused. It entered my thoughts smoothly, without pain or disruption.

  “Sorry for staring,” I said, still quietly. Only Sunny had noticed me speaking, and I think it clicked with her that I was having a conversation with Gallade, but I was self-conscious of apparently speaking to myself nonetheless.

  I don’t mind, said Gallade. You are irritated by something?

  “It’s nothing,” I said. Heat was rising to my cheeks. “It’s just a bit cold, and tense.”

  I understand. Does speaking to me relax you?

  I almost stumbled again when I realised he was right. I nodded, embarrassment now fully flooding my features.

  We can continue, then. Are you curious about me?

  “A little,” I said. “Can I ask why you’re with Baltazar? I mean, isn’t it strange working for a human?”

  I would not call what I do work. And Baltazar is a good friend. But I think I know what you mean to ask. You wonder why a Pokémon with humanlike intelligence would, as you see it, humble themselves by accepting a human master. It is something you worry about a lot.

  “It is, how did you know? Ducky, that is, another trainer I met said that most Pokémon are with their trainers by choice and can leave whenever they want, but I still don’t know. Isn’t it unfair that the human is the one making all the decisions? I can understand when, forgive me, less intelligent Pokémon who cannot grasp human society would choose to follow a leader, but from what I know, Gallade and Gardevoir are more than capable of understanding everything.”

  Your concerns aren’t without merit, and if you keep reflecting on them, I believe you will make a good trainer. However, you miss the mark on some things. First of all, why did you assume it would be Baltazar making the decisions? That blockhead can barely tell east from west. Secondly, and more importantly, you build much of your thought process on a very individualistic interpretation of pride. Serving someone worthy of your love can be fulfilling, so long as your care is reciprocated. Thirdly, let me ask you, if one lives well, what degree of freedom is necessary? Finally, you say you know of us. I would like to know more of that.

  “Of Gallade and Gardevoir?”

  I thought back to the paper I’d read the night before. After meeting Gallade, I had been curious about him and looked up information about his species on my new laptop. Public information was a bit iffy, to say the least, so I looked for research papers on the database my brother told me of (it was paywalled, but I could slip in using his free university account).

  “Gallade and Gardevoir have one of, if not the most human-like societies of all Pokémon species. Your tribes often make use of pseudo-buildings, and you have rigid social structures, with Gardevoir often taking leadership roles, and Gallade being their warriors. I don’t think there’s a whole lot of other relevant information as, apart from being rare, your species don’t usually trust humans with information about themselves.”

  All true, to some extent, he said. Though you make us sound so innocent. As with many, as you say, intelligent Pokémon species, we have a healthy paranoia of humans. After all, your idea of coexistence is holding some of our own as a threat to use against us. For the rest, say, I can see a few seconds into the future. I can do this reliably and in quick succession. It is part of what make Gallade into formidable fighters. Gardevoir can see much further, though how far does depend on the abilities of the individual. As such, they are much better suited for making decisions for the entire tribe. Because only males can evolve into Gallade, and are often encouraged to do so – muscle is necessary, after all – over time, this has resulted in our species developing matriarchal lineages, and, in some tribes, a favourable bias towards female Ralts and Kirlia. In the resulting culture, what degree of freedom would I have, and am I better off there, or with Baltazar?

  “I thought it was an honour to evolve into a Gallade?”

  It is. It’s a great honour. We’re well respected for as long as we act according to our role. Honour, dignity, and chivalry. They are useful things for securing a culture against change.

  “Then, being with a human is better than with your tribe?”

  For some. Can I ask, why worry about wild Pokémon in the first place?

  “That’s not it exactly. Wild Pokémon are dangerous, but then, other Pokémon are our best defence against them. I don’t understand either, why attack humans, and why help them?”

  That question is easy. There are as many differing thoughts and opinions among us as there are among humans. The reasons to be hostile towards you can range from hunger and instinct, to territorial disputes and an increasing worry of the cruelty of bounty hunters. The reason to help humans is because some believe that is the best method for coexistence. Pokémon don’t have to get the short end of the stick either. The communication network you have built is unlike anything we have, and a friendly relationship opens the possibility of resources, trade, and protection for Pokémon intelligent enough to communicate effectively. There are many among my species who would consider me a traitor, I see myself as some form of ambassador, though that’s mostly an excuse. I’m with Baltazar for fun. In the end, each Pokémon has their reasons for what they do. As long as the balance of power does not shift too much in either direction, there won’t be any problems.