Somehow, I still finished eating before Lani despite her staring contest with the Dragon type in front of her.

  I recalled Ionia, and Tirtouga as I got up to bring my dishes back to the staff. Oxide rather than get up on my head, continued to chat with the Jumpluff about what I assumed was Flying type business.

  I left them to it, and paid for mine and Lani’s food. And upon returning to the table, Lani was now full on locked into a staring contest with the dragon.

  “Hey Lani,” I started as I touched her shoulder gently, “I’m going to go ahead and follow the Jumpluff to drop the case off. Will you be okay alone?”

  “Mhmm, yeah I’ll be fine.”

  “I uhhh, can I at least transfer your ticket over to your card?”

  “Yeah go for it.” She answered absent mindedly while passing me her phone after unlocking it without looking.

  Feeling incredibly awkward about the situation, I quickly transferred over the ticket. Then with an even more awkward goodbye, I left her with Altaria.

  ***

  Oxide, as it turned out, was definitely exchanging flight advice with Jumpluff, and seemed to be trying to work some of the wind into her membranes to glide further. Her song felt even lighter and happier than usual, as if she was truly at her best when being able to move freely in the air.

  I, on the other hand, was thankful for the well-lit streets as twilight began to fall upon us. The extra light made it much easier to pick Jumpluff out of the sky as they guided us towards their trainer, which also happened to be in the same direction towards the plaza Roxie was performing at.

  As if on queue, the sounds of cheers erupted from the direction of the plaza as her voice was carried by the speakers.

  “HOW YOU DOIN ACCUMULAAAAAA?”

  The cheers got even louder.

  “I HOPE YOU’RE READY! CONCERT NIGHT STARTS NOW!”

  With that declaration the opening to Acid Downpour started playing to the crowd's delight. I hummed along to the tune a bit, the melody infectious as ever when I felt it again.

  That cloying chained absence I felt in the Dreamyard.

  But this time I felt those chains shudder, as if what they restrained was struggling against them. And even more importantly something was leaking through.

  Pain, an excruciating pain that leaves you feeling hollow yet continues to burn even harder.

  Normally if I knew a presence like that was ahead of me, I’d turn right back around and run the other way. Especially with this parcel on me.

  But in that moment I didn’t care.

  I knew at that moment that I had to be there.

  To save that poor Pokemon.

  I sprinted forward, following the presence like a Snorlax tracking down his next meal. Even passing Jumpluff and Oxide who let out notes of alarm as I ran ahead.

  Eventually, I came upon an alleyway and dashed down it, before scaling a fire escape to get a better look, the feeling was all around me and- Was that the sound of a Pokemon battle?

  I peeked up over the edge of the roof and had my suspicions confirmed. The Obstagoon and Thievul from the Dreamyard were both battling… each other? The closer proximity also revealed that their songs were getting past the chains now, only snippets here and there, but those peeks into their songs were getting slightly closer together with the clashing of every move. It was beautiful in a way, a song of struggle. Of two comrades struggling to lift each other up.

  Suddenly, the Obstagoon’s song crashed through the chains with a blaring scream. I almost cried out in joy when that scream only kept getting louder and the Pokemon itself started to go into a frenzy.

  “Obstagoon! Snap out of it!”

  Startled, I looked over to the trainer whose commanding voice had rang out across the rooftop. He was tall, with spiky pale green hair, a pushed up visor above his vivid green eyes, and what looked like white paint crossing the center of his face in a line. He was wearing a long blue overcoat that trailed down to his legs, a metal shoulder plate on his right arm, and on his left… a patchwork of metal trailed down his arm and flared open around his hand.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Next to him was a fashionably dressed lady with red hair, whose deep blue eyes flickered between both of the fighting Pokemon.

  “Come on Theivul!” A more youthful voice cried out, “Don’t let that hyper mode stop you! Use Dark Pulse!”

  The opposing trainer was a bit younger than his opponents, but if anything his song was burning with more fire than the other two combined. His shaggy brown hair was kept from his light green eyes with a headband, and he was wearing some sort of yellow jacket and a pair of jeans. His left shoulder and hand had a pair of metallic lumps attached to them as well.

  The Thievul inhaled and was about to fire off the ordered attack when Obstagoon rushed forward and slammed into them with a Throat Chop knocking it out.

  The younger trainer returned the fainted Pokemon and went to throw another Pokeball forward when his eyes flicked over to me.

  “Oh hey, you’re here.”

  All eyes on the rooftop turned to me, followed by the Obstagoon letting out a wild roar and rushed towards me with the exact same move cloaking their arm in dark energy.

  Before they even made it three steps forward, the other trainer returned them with a sigh and muttered, “I hate hyper mode so much.”

  The three of them started walking towards me, and I quickly took a few steps back. How could I be so stupid, I’m out here alone for Arceus’ sake!

  “Woah! Easy there kid,” the man said with his hands up, “we’re here on Professor Krane’s behalf. Sorry about Obstagoon there, Pokemon with his condition sometimes go a bit wild like that.”

  I frowned, “Why do you two have Pokemon that even have that condition? Let alone those two specific Pokemon?”

  “We’re like…” Yellow Jacket paused as if searching for a word, “professional rehabilitators of Pokemon who have their hearts sealed shut. Honestly outside of the HQ Lab we’re the only people who can even do this job. As for the Thievul and Obstagoon, we were given their Pokeballs by the authorities in Striaton since they don’t have the knowledge to help them properly.”

  “Listen kid,” Blue Coat broke in, “All you have to do is drop off that case with us and walk away. Keeps you safe, and we get an up to date piece of equipment to stop the people who hurt these two Pokemon.”

  Suddenly, the Obstagoon erupted from his Pokeball and looked at me, recognition in his eyes, and shadowy chains still wrapped around his heart.

  Instead of attacking or anything, he bowed his head in thanks.

  I bowed back, and then looked Blue Coat in the eyes. “I want to help you.”

  He face-palmed instantly.

  “Kid, this is more dangerous than you realize,” Blue Coat replied while rolling his steel covered shoulder, “You should back off, before someone decides you and your Pokemon are valuable enough to swipe.”

  I faltered at his words, but then the Obstagoon’s song once again begins to scream out and grind against the electric tones of Roxie’s guitar. It’s a song of pain, suffering unlike anything I could ever have imagined was possible. When my thoughts turn to something like that happening to my friends?

  “No, I don’t think you realize how much that Pokemon is truly hurting.” My face scrunches as I step forward, my lungs beginning to burn as my voice rises. “This isn’t something I can stay out of.”

  I take a deep breath, clenching my fist as I glare at the flippant man. My voice begins to intertwine with the sound of the resonant metal harmony, a tone I didn’t think I could make exiting my throat in what could only be described as a song.

  “My world has shifted, born anew in the last few days. I was just a boy; someone who never knew the world was so complicated. My family full of malaise, I had nothing to enjoy.”

  I slammed my foot into the ground, my voice burning as it reverberated through the world.

  “Yet I took a chance, breaking through their hold! In one fell swoop, I escaped to new views! The song of their hearts makes me want to dance, to let my voice out now that no one can refuse!”

  I continue to find air despite my empty lungs, emerging from somewhere I didn’t know.

  “Yet here where a grand harmony reigns, your Pokemon’s call cries of a past in pain! Their heart is in chains, a dissonant tone with no one in refrain!”

  I clutch at my heart, the organ slamming in my chest, taking a heavy step forward without missing a beat.

  “To stand down now is wrong, no matter what threats you make! I will cleanse their song, even if I break! NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!”

  I finally breathe as Roxie’s guitar solo finishes, chills running across my body.

  What was that?

  The trio alongside Oxide and Jumpluff all look at me with shocked expressions, Obstagoon however, looks at me with extreme gratitude. His song soothed and sounded perfectly healthy as if my singing was a balm on his soul.

  “Wes,” the lady hesitantly spoke up, “Obstagoon is purified.”

  Blue Coat’s eyes snapped to the Pokemon, who had wandered to the edge of the roof to look out over the plaza and enjoy the concert.

  “Michael?”

  “Rui’s right,” he confirmed as a glass screen emerged from the device clipped to his hair band. “Whatever she did, she just purified him.”

  They all looked at me, but I wasn’t really paying attention anymore. My throat felt like it was on fire with how dry and sore it was.

  My hand went to my throat as I tried to say anything and only got a wispy rasp. I needed water NOW.

  Oxide rushed up to me and began fussing over me to try and figure out what was wrong.

  I mimed drinking from a bottle towards the now very concerned adults. The lady rushed forward, and slid a refreshingly cold bottle into my hands.

  I practically inhaled it, the water sliding down my throat felt like I hadn’t drank anything in over a day instead of less than an hour.

  “You feeling better?” she asked quietly.

  I nodded.

  “Good,” she visibly relaxed, “don’t talk, it’ll make it worse.” She turned to Blue Coat, “Can you release Espeon so she can communicate without hurting her throat further?”

  “Something tells me she has a spot in our merry band whether we like it or not.”

  Looks like Psyche has met a few important people! Hope she gets find out what exactly is going on here!

  Boilerplate time!

  As always, a big thank you to for help editing!

  Pokemon seen this chapter:

  Obstagoon

  Current Team:

  Ionia (Hatenna)

  Trained Abilities: Anticipation

  Moves: Teleport, Confusion, Play Nice, Life Dew, Disarming Voice, Mystical Fire

  Oxide (Emolga)

  Trained Abilities: TBD

  Moves: Nuzzle, Tail Whip, Double Team, Quick Attack, Thundershock

  Tirtouga

  Trained Abilities: TBD

  Moves: Water Gun, Withdraw, Aqua Jet, Smack Down, Ancient Power, Bite

  Do you want more words written by me?

  A Spark of Sylvan Flame A story about a trans farmgirl facing off against plant aliens, with items bought from an AI chip in her head!

  Thanks for reading! :D

  -DeliriousSprite