Forgotten Paths - Chapter 4 part 1 - Mind Link
I give you the funniest, quirkiest and most enjoyable chapter this far. It's not short on plot, either.
Chapter Four: Mind Link
Part One:
6:30 A.M is pretty early for a guy like me.
I usually stay up late, watching TV and eating snacks. I didn’t have much of a choice yesterday, since I was advised to sleep around 5 P.M.
I woke up around six O’clock, and after a while I slipped out of my sheets and passed by Ielas’s bed. He was wrapped like a cocoon in his blanket.
I poked his ears, and I got no response.
I headed for the bathroom with a change of clothes.
Like Catalina, I enjoy staying in a hot tub for a while.
I was very reckless yesterday.
Still, I achieved in a night what James couldn’t achieve for two weeks. It does seem like a straight approach is more effective on certain targets.
I slipped deeper into the tub, and let the hot water reach my eyes.
I should maintain this parade if I want anything done.
Besides, there is something in her that makes me curious.
I froze when I heard the door knob being turned, falling quiet, I stood up and hid in the curtains.
Damn, the hot water is going to rat me out. Who’d break in my bathroom this early?
I didn’t hear any footsteps, but I heard the sink water running.
“I wonder where my trainer went,” Ielas said.
“YOU IDIOT! Get out of the bathroom!” I yelled.
Ielas turned.
“There you are!”
“I know where I am, Ielas. Get out, please,” I said.
“Why are you so angry? I thought humans were ok with seeing other humans in the bathroom.”
“You thought wrong, idiot! Get out!”
“Fine,” He said, leaving. “It’s not like there’s much to see.”
I locked the door behind him and went back in the tub.
“It’s not like you need to enter the bathroom, Ielas!” I shouted.
“It’s a matter of principle, you know.”
“Do it in the trees or bush or something.”
“I’m against to the torture of plants, unlike some shameless individuals.”
“Ielas, do you have something to tell me or are you just trying to get on my nerves in the morning?”
I didn’t sense Ielas’s voice for a while, and then it came back.
“Did you think it over? Yesterday, that is.”
“No,” I replied. “I just did it.”
“Did you…open your other eyes?”
“If you’re asking me whether I intentionally set my mind to sleep-sentience mode or not, I’ll answer yes.”
“But why? You could’ve asked me to help you.”
“No, Ielas,” I said. “You know how sometimes people sleep and say strange things or walk? They can’t fight it very well, and their sentience is clouded. While I was very conscious yesterday, evident from my subconscious planning and charisma, I can’t say I actually planned anything. I was just…following instinct.”
“When you go into sleep-sentience mode, you are a different person, boss. You become more charismatic, less planning and more rash. It’s not good for our plan.”
“See that’s where it gets funny; I can’t work on plans with sleep-sentience,” I said, turning on the shower.
“How is that good?” Ielas asked.
“Well, sometimes one has to stop thinking and just has to do something,” I said.
Ielas didn’t answer, but as I got my change of clothes and left, I saw him on his bed with a sugar stick in his tiny mouth and thin eyes.
“You do know that for us it’s not mutually exclusive, don’t you?”
“I do. But this is bringing more results,” I said, as I stood clad in a white shirt and black pants.
“I guess,” Ielas said.
“Anyway, I need your help today.”
Ielas turned to me.
“I want you to come with me, so we can meet Diane at noon.”
Ielas’s eyes widened.
“The hell?” He demanded.
“What?”
“You said it was a subconscious decision, and that’s why you made it yesterday!”
“It was a subconscious decision.”
“You didn’t mean it yesterday. Why do you mean it today?”
“Because I can score more progress now. And also because I don’t trust my inner mind as to what it’ll do,” I said.
“You didn’t trust me with helping you yesterday,” Ielas said, grabbing his sheets.
“It’s not that, Ielas,” I said.
“So do you want to know about Spiritomb or not?” Ielas asked, assuming a crossed-legged stance.
“That’s why she’s here, Ielas. It’s all about the Spiritomb. That’s probably why she snuck into Lake Valor!” I exclaimed. “Of course I want to know!”
“A soul almost fell off Spiritomb yesterday,” Ielas said slowly.
“W-what?”
“I think I understand Spiritomb to an extent. It’s always harder to fight Dark-type Pokémon because Psychic Pokémon can fully understand their needs, but because of that we can’t understand their fears. We can’t harm them because of that,” Ielas said through my voice.
“That makes sense,” Catalina said. Mina was still half-asleep on her chair, struggling to keep a cup of hot chocolate balanced. Mark dozed off in his chair.
We were in an empty lounge on the first floor. It was silent and dark save for dawn’s light.
“The problem here is that Spiritomb isn’t only a Dark-type. He’s also a Ghost-type, which gives two impressions,” Ielas lifted my two fingers. “One part of Spiritomb is Dark, the other part is Ghost.”
“That is sort of basic, Ielas,” Mina said slowly. It was easy to differentiate who spoke when Ielas spoke through me. He had a pause between words and a very calculating tone. He also liked to use my hands a lot, and often forgot to let me blink.
“I don’t mean part by elemental side, I mean part by physical side. The keyhole is the dark-type part, and the souls are ghost-type,” Ielas said.
“The keyhole is a dark type?” Catalina asked. “It does make sense, since it is part of a broken tower.”
“How does that make sense?” I asked.
“The tower has quite a history that I can’t recite because it’s quite mysterious. What is known is that it was an outpost in ancient times,” Catalina said, stirring up her cup of coffee and leaving it on the arm of her wheelchair. “I studied dead languages and from my one-time meeting with a Spiritomb, I could recognize letters on its keystone, even though the Pokémon’s powers do render the letters quite hazy.”
“That’s the bad thing here,” Ielas said, lifting my hand. “This Spiritomb is much stronger than other any Spiritomb I saw. While the souls on a regular Spiritomb are from long-dead people, this Spiritomb has people who are still alive to do its bidding.”
Catalina froze. Mina was still half-asleep, but she said, “That’s impossible. In that case it wouldn’t be a soul, but a forsaken desire. An exceptionally strong one at that.”
“Maybe so, but the soul that fell off was very sentient,” Ielas said. “More sentient and intelligent than desires.”
“Desires aren’t weak. You of all people should know that,” Mina said. “A psychic knows that the only way for them to hurt physically is to hurt mentally-injuring desires, renewing fears or making illusions. That’s your profession, Ielas. Saif knows how desires can manifest if the person in question is unstable enough.”
“She’s right, Ielas,” I said.
Ielas didn’t respond. I took this chance to shut my eyes.
“Very well. But if these were desires, they are strong and distinct enough to belong to different people. There’s also another thing about Spiritomb,” He said. “This one has enough power and control to extend its power for a great length. The desire that fell off must’ve been just too weak to latch on to the power. It was strong enough to assume a solid shape on a very big distance.”
“Spiritomb don’t allow their power to extend far, even while attacking. Most souls remain near the keystone. When stuck strong enough, the keystone could be tossed so fast that souls may lose their way to return. That’s one way to defeat Spiritomb. That also results in its death,” Mina said. “To think that these desires or souls are strong enough to find their way back to the keystone at the altitude of your room, and far enough to avoid being found by Jun, Ielas and Absol…It’s a terrifying possibility that this keystone could be a very strong one. Are there types of keystones, Catalina?”
“Of course,” Catalina answered, taking a sip of her coffee. “Most keystones aren’t as big as your average enlarged Pokéball…if my hunch isn’t mistaken, this Spiritomb might have the entire tower as a keystone.”
“Is that even possible?” I asked.
“No,” Catalina said. “The bigger the keystone, the harder it is to remain on it. But if these desires are strong enough…” She turned her gaze at me. “You need to know what Diane knows about the Spiritomb. She must know something critical.”
“I’m meeting with her today,” I said, as Ielas drew back to his body.
“Just be natural,” Mina said. “I hope you don’t show her another personality…that’ll be bad, ya know.”
“certainly,” I said. I then turned to Mark. A line of drool seeped from his mouth.
“Forget about him,” Mina said. “I’ll have him ready for your orders.”
“Thanks,” I said, standing up. “Come on, Ielas. Let’s get ready.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Wait,” Catalina said.
“What is it?” I asked.
“How is James?”
I didn’t answer.
“We don’t know,” I said. “I couldn’t reach him since the interrogation started-I lost understanding of his mind. He must be in a pinch.”
Catalina didn’t say anything, but dropped her head.
I left the lounge, Ielas behind me.
“She does worry too much,” Ielas said.
“They have a thing for each other,” I said.
“We can tell if he’s terrified or pained.”
“Yeah…that’s really a promising start, isn’t it?” I asked, before walking into the lift. “Regardless. We have to act normal.”
“You seemed to do that perfectly yesterday.”
“I know. I just need to keep up the attitude, but it’s you I’m worried about. She’s half a Dark trainer, and she can tell a lot about you by a glance.”
“I can handle it. Where are we meeting?”
“The pool. You can just watch if you want to.”
“Why the pool?”
“She’s going to swim a bit,” I said, as the lift doors opened at the ground floor. “Oops…I forgot my swimming suit.”
“Back up we go, then,” Ielas said, hitting the elevator button one floor above.
I slapped my forehead with my palm.
I slung my gym pack over my shoulder and left my room. Ielas locked it and followed me.
“Saif…I was just thinking about something. Tell me again, why we’re after Diane?”
“James saw her sneak into Lake Valor. She’s applying for Catalina’s post as a Dark Pokémon Master but isn’t preparing the slightest. She’s also hunting a Pokémon that is after us for some reason,” I said. “Spiritomb tried to lure me to Lake Valor, and I suspect he wanted me to meet with Diane in his conditions. A desire or a soul fell off him when he tried to confuse you by impersonating me, which means something I can’t tell.”
“Why don’t we sneak into Lake Valor?” Ielas asked.
“What?” I asked.
“Spiritomb must want Diane and you to do something together. Maybe Spiritomb is aware of Diane hunting him, and that’s why he wants to lure you to Lake Valor, a place Diane seems to go to. Don’t you think he wants to frame you for whatever he has done?” Ielas asked. I stopped and turned to him. “Since Diane would probably recognize you better in that case, she might drop the hunt on Spiritomb, and allow that Pokémon to work free from the hunt.”
“Maybe Team Galactic wants Spiritomb. I heard her think of them as traitors…could it be that Spiritomb is a dissenter and Diane is assigned to hunt for him?” I asked. “Why would he want me to go there with you-especially with Diane sneaking in with every chance she gets?”
“I don’t know, Saif. I do think it’s better that we head to Lake Valor and confront Spiritomb if it’s there. It could be wanting to help us,” Ielas said. “When was the last time she snuck in?”
“Friday, just when James was caught. That’s two days ago,” I said.
“We got that request Friday, after Diane came back,” Ielas said.
“Maybe Diane left something behind,” I said. “Spiritomb left a soul today…maybe…”
“Maybe Spiritomb is still waiting for us,” Ielas said. “This is concerning…should we spread the news? I don’t know where it’s been extending its powers last night, but it wasn’t near any of us.”
“Not yet, Ielas,” I said. “For now, I need to learn more of Diane’s character. Now remember, she’s using a fake name, and it’s Kim.”
“Got it,” Ielas said, as we headed to the lift and hit the ‘down’ button. The elevator descended from the third floor, and when it came, Diane was waiting inside, arms crossed.
Ielas stiffened. I gave Diane a smile and said, “Good morning, Kim!”
“Oh, hi!” she said, lowering her arms. She turned to Ielas and smiled. “Is that your Gardevoir?”
“Yep, that’s Ielas,” I said, walking into the lift. Ielas didn’t move, but stammered.
“Good morning.”
“Your voice is so clear, Ielas!” Diane said. “It’s impressive. Espeon can’t get near that!”
Ielas managed a small smile as he drifted in. Being closest to the buttons, I hit the ground floor.
“Sorry for yesterday, Saif,” Diane said.
“She knows your real name?” Ielas said, with the distinct echo of telepathy.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked out loud.
“Didn’t you come up with a fake name?” Ielas asked.
“Oh, wait! I see it!” Diane exclaimed as we reached the ground floor. “I feel the same wind that blows around me rather than by me! It’s you, Ielas!”
Ielas froze, eyes wide, before slowly drifting behind me.
“He’s a bit shy,” I said with a grin. I felt him pinch my neck.
“She can feel me, Saif. That’s not natural,” Ielas said through my skin. His voice was shaking.
“Ielas is really strong, Saif. I wish I’m a good enough trainer as you,” Diane said with a grin.
“He’s really a nice guy,” I said. “Where are your Pokémon?”
“Saif, can’t you hear me?” Ielas asked through my skin again.
“Oi! I can’t think of two things at once, Ielas,” I said.
“Oh? That’s strange. I can’t hear him now,” Diane said as we left the lift and walked down a busy hallway. She leaned forward to peek at Ielas, who broke her line of sight by hiding to my side. “How can he communicate with you now?”
“Tell her and you’re a dead man,” Ielas said.
“I never really fully understood Ielas,” I said with a grin.
“That’s better.”
“Don’t worry,” I added, as Diane walked slower. “He’s just nervous around girls.”
“Like hell I am!” Ielas exclaimed through my mouth.
People turned to look at me. I fought a smile as Ielas waved my hands around.
“Saif, what are you doing?” She asked.
“Ielas is trying to talk through me,” I said, pushing his presence away. “You can notice it easily because he waves his arms around like a windmill and talks like a robot. He also has a more shaky accent.”
“Saif. I hate you,” I then exclaimed. I pushed back his presence again and physically held his head away from my own. Diane giggled as his arms flailed, trying to grab a part of my shirt.
“Diane? Where are your Pokémon?” I asked. “You said you were on extended stay, but you didn’t mention if your choice Pokémon are with you.”
“Oh, Umbreon and Espeon?” She asked. Ielas stopped his flailing and hovered behind me again, avoiding Diane’s curious gaze. “They’re here,” she said, patting her own gym pack. “In their Pokéballs.”
“See? She also has an Umbreon,” Ielas said.
“There’s also an Espeon, Ielas,” I said impatiently.
“But Saif…will you really swim with her?” He asked.
I turned to Diane and asked, “Hey, Diane?”
I froze. Diane dropped her gym pack and turned to me, eyes wide.
“What did you call me?” She asked with a small grin.
“Ielas-” I said, before Ielas’s body slumped, and I was forced to say, crossing my arms, eyes thinned, “It was me. I know who you really are.”
“Ielas?” She asked, eyes wide.
“Yes,” Ielas said through me. I broke into a sweat. My cover is…There was nobody in our corridor, but it was suspicious-a Gardevoir on the floor, two trainers, and the unmistakable scent of adrenaline.
“How did you know?”
Thankfully, Ielas can’t stutter even if he wishes to. He could easily say something like-
He lifted my hand and pointed my index finger on Diane’s gym pack, as he said slowly, “Tell us what you know about a rogue Spiritomb, and why you snuck into Lake Valor last Friday.”
Certainly that wasn’t what I wanted to say.
Oh, crap, oh crap, oh, crap, oh crap! God damn it! What is he doing!?
I pushed back Ielas’s presence, and once Ielas rose from the ground to stand by my side, I rubbed my temples in circular motion.
“That hurt,” I said.
“What do you mean?” Diane demanded.
“Ielas was hanging on to my mind pretty tightly,” I said, before smiling. “Let’s continue, shall we?”
“Oh, no, you don’t!” She shouted. “Who are you, Saif? Is that even your real name?”
“Why yes. Why wouldn’t it be?” I asked innocently.
“You’re mocking me. Who are you?!”
“I’m Saif,” I said, shrugging. “You’re Diane Willow, right?”
“Is that your real name?” she asked, eyes thin and hands curled into fists.
“You can find out yourself; you can use your powers of suggestion to tell,” I said, hand on my hip.
“Why are you stalking me?!” She drew two Pokéballs out of her gym pack and pointed them at me, hands at maximum distance.
“You’re pretty,” I said.
She didn’t answer, but didn’t let her guard down. Ielas put his fingers to his eyes and sighed.
“Besides that, there’s another thing,” I said. “I can safely say that we’re working towards the same goal.”
“And what might that be?”
I leaned on a wall and said, “Spiritomb.”
She relaxed her pose a bit, lowering her Pokéballs, and then stood straight. “What do you want with him?”
“He visited me two nights ago,” I said. “You said to me yesterday that you were looking after one particular Spiritomb. I believe we’re hunting the same one.”
“What is that Spiritomb like?” she asked.
“Very sentient, very intelligent. More so than most Spiritomb I met or fought,” I said. “I have information I can give you, and maybe you can do the same for me.”
“Stop giving me offers and tell me…does that Spiritomb leave spiritual residue? A fog in the room that drains psychic power by disorienting senses?” She asked, eyes wide with silent madness.
“I was able to remove the invisible fog by imbuing objects with my sentience,” I said. She nodded slowly.
“I think we need to talk, Saif…if that’s your real name,” she said, picking up her pack and slinging it over her shoulder. She then walked away from the pool and down the hall. “Follow me.”
I sighed with relief. Ielas shook his head. “Women…”
“You’re the one to talk!” I exclaimed. “You ruined everything!”
Ielas smiled darkly. “You said that an honest approach works best.”
“…damn you,” I said, following Diane.
“First things first. What are you?”
We were in a nearby café, the same one we spoke yesterday. I didn’t answer, tired with the question and its relatives, and took a look around. Ielas sat on my side, tilting the seat away from Diane as possible. She leaned towards me, elbows on the table. Her gym pack was on a nearby chair, and the café was almost empty. Most of its residents signed out to travel to Hoenn, where the Pokémon League’s anniversary celebrations will begin.
She smacked her palm on the table. I turned to face her.
“Did you even hear my question?” She hissed.
“What am I? Well, that’s a tricky one. I think I’m a Pokémon trapped in the body of a human,” I said. Ielas grinned.
“That’s absurd. What are you, really.”
“I’m a Pokémon trainer, Diane,” I said, leaning back. “I’m the same person you spoke to yesterday. Only difference is that I just noticed how cute you are when you’re angry.”
“Stop your sweet talk,” she said, noticeably less angry.
“How can I if I’m talking to you?” I asked innocently. Ielas burst into a laugh.
“Stop making fun of me!” She whispered.
“I’m not. You’re really attractive,” I said.
She didn’t say anything, but turned away. She blinked furiously, and too late did I notice that she was holding back tears.
“What?” I exclaimed, jumping.
“Just…please answer m-me,” she said, lip trembling.
“Sure. Please calm down,” I said.
“Don’t tell a girl to calm down!”
“Sorry! My name is Saif, I’m being totally honest here!”
“Saif what?”
“Saif…Underhill.”
“YEAH RIGHT!” She shouted, tossing a chocolate wrapper at my head.
“I’m kidding! I’m Saif Nobel,” I said, waving my hands. “I’m a human, too. Just like you!”
Her frown disappeared, and she then said, “You’re not the only person who can persuade another to talk, are you?”
I noticed it too late; Diane wasn’t crying, but what ran down her cheeks was a mirage. Her face wasn’t red, her lips wasn’t trembling. It was all an illusion.
“Beginner’s luck,” Ielas whispered to me.
“You spoke this way because you wanted to blind me to something. You underestimated my own abilities when you believed my mirage,” she said with a frown.
“Don’t go explaining the joke, Diane,” I said. I never did feel comfortable around girls who cried because of me.
“So now, he who calls himself Saif,” she began, signaling to a nearby waitress to come closer. “Tell me, what do you like to eat?”
“What kind of question is that?” I asked.
“Tell me a bit about yourself. Do you like sandwiches?” she asked. “Can I have the turkey club sandwich, please?” She asked the waitress.
“Oi, Saif…she’s holding the conversation,” Ielas said.
“You can talk freely, Ielas,” Diane said. The waitress lifted an eyebrow at the sight of her talking to a Pokémon, but wrote the order down. “What would you want to eat, Ielas?”
“Nothing,” he said, enveloping everyone in a five-meter radius with his telepathic voice.
“See? Doesn’t it feel nice to talk publically?” She asked.
“It sucks.”
“Suit yourself,” she said with a shrug. “He Who Calls Himself Saif, what would you like to eat?”
I didn’t answer, but I then smiled and said, “Can I have a turkey club sandwich, too? And can I have a bowl of cashew?”
The waitress nodded, wrote it down, and then asked, turning her eyes between the three of us (reluctantly at Ielas), “Would you like any drinks with that?”
“Soda,” I said.
“Soda,” Diane said.
“Heck, I’ll have soda, too,” Ielas said. The waitress slowly walked away from Ielas, after muttering a quick, “Thank you. Your order will be finished shortly.”
The waitress left, and we were silent.
“You were leading the conversation a second ago,” I told Diane.
She didn’t respond, but toyed with a strand of her dark golden hair.
“I don’t enjoy leading conversations…too much of a hassle,” Diane said after a while.
“Oh?”
“This time I was lucky because I was a victim of stalking-”
“I wasn’t stalking you!”
“But in other situations, I have a hard time starting a conversation.”
“You do manage it naturally enough,” I said.
She didn’t answer, but then her eye turned to me. “Really?”
“I’m not much of a flirt myself,” I said with a grin.
“Explains why you’re so bad at it,” she said with a smile.
“Hey, I-Well, yeah…”
A while passed.
Ielas then voiced out the caw of a crow.
“Awkward,” he added.
“I don’t know if I should be angry at you or not,” Diane said. “You’re the one who…possessed me, right?
“Y-yeah,” I said, leaning on a fist.
“I-I felt you,” she said, placing her hands on her lap. “I knew you when I saw you, or I just…”
“Felt like I was familiar?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said, shrugging.
Our order came. The waitress thanked us again and left us to eat.
Diane reached to a sandwich from her club, and began digging in.
“What kind of feeling was it?” I asked a while later, food untouched.
She rubbed her fingers on a tissue, and gulped down some soda, and glared at me.
“Go on.”
“I don’t like to talk while I eat,” she said.
“That’s why you’re talking now?”
She stared longingly at her share, and then turned to me, taking a deep breath.
“I can’t explain it. Now, can I eat?” she asked.
“You can explain it,” I said, brushing my fingers through my hair, eyes gazing down at her. “You don’t want to. Understandable…maybe you were so shocked by my glorious presence.”
“As if!” she exclaimed. She looked to my face and saw my smile. “You’re a strange person.”
“Tell me, did it hurt?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, closing her lips on her soda.
“The heart attack,” I said. “I’m terribly sorry, Diane, but you attracted my mind so very much.”
A smile came to her face, as she lowered her eyes, giggling.
“You did hurt me a bit,” she said. “My heart fluttered like a bird.”
“I sure do know how you make your heart beat, don’t I?” I asked with a smile.
“You won’t stop those puns, will you?” she asked. “They’re so bad, they’re garbage.”
“It’ll be a waste,” I replied.
“So…lame…” Ielas said.
Chapter Four: Mind Link
Part One:
6:30 A.M is pretty early for a guy like me.
I usually stay up late, watching TV and eating snacks. I didn’t have much of a choice yesterday, since I was advised to sleep around 5 P.M.
I woke up around six O’clock, and after a while I slipped out of my sheets and passed by Ielas’s bed. He was wrapped like a cocoon in his blanket.
I poked his ears, and I got no response.
I headed for the bathroom with a change of clothes.
Like Catalina, I enjoy staying in a hot tub for a while.
I was very reckless yesterday.
Still, I achieved in a night what James couldn’t achieve for two weeks. It does seem like a straight approach is more effective on certain targets.
I slipped deeper into the tub, and let the hot water reach my eyes.
I should maintain this parade if I want anything done.
Besides, there is something in her that makes me curious.
I froze when I heard the door knob being turned, falling quiet, I stood up and hid in the curtains.
Damn, the hot water is going to rat me out. Who’d break in my bathroom this early?
I didn’t hear any footsteps, but I heard the sink water running.
“I wonder where my trainer went,” Ielas said.
“YOU IDIOT! Get out of the bathroom!” I yelled.
Ielas turned.
“There you are!”
“I know where I am, Ielas. Get out, please,” I said.
“Why are you so angry? I thought humans were ok with seeing other humans in the bathroom.”
“You thought wrong, idiot! Get out!”
“Fine,” He said, leaving. “It’s not like there’s much to see.”
I locked the door behind him and went back in the tub.
“It’s not like you need to enter the bathroom, Ielas!” I shouted.
“It’s a matter of principle, you know.”
“Do it in the trees or bush or something.”
“I’m against to the torture of plants, unlike some shameless individuals.”
“Ielas, do you have something to tell me or are you just trying to get on my nerves in the morning?”
I didn’t sense Ielas’s voice for a while, and then it came back.
“Did you think it over? Yesterday, that is.”
“No,” I replied. “I just did it.”
“Did you…open your other eyes?”
“If you’re asking me whether I intentionally set my mind to sleep-sentience mode or not, I’ll answer yes.”
“But why? You could’ve asked me to help you.”
“No, Ielas,” I said. “You know how sometimes people sleep and say strange things or walk? They can’t fight it very well, and their sentience is clouded. While I was very conscious yesterday, evident from my subconscious planning and charisma, I can’t say I actually planned anything. I was just…following instinct.”
“When you go into sleep-sentience mode, you are a different person, boss. You become more charismatic, less planning and more rash. It’s not good for our plan.”
“See that’s where it gets funny; I can’t work on plans with sleep-sentience,” I said, turning on the shower.
“How is that good?” Ielas asked.
“Well, sometimes one has to stop thinking and just has to do something,” I said.
Ielas didn’t answer, but as I got my change of clothes and left, I saw him on his bed with a sugar stick in his tiny mouth and thin eyes.
“You do know that for us it’s not mutually exclusive, don’t you?”
“I do. But this is bringing more results,” I said, as I stood clad in a white shirt and black pants.
“I guess,” Ielas said.
“Anyway, I need your help today.”
Ielas turned to me.
“I want you to come with me, so we can meet Diane at noon.”
Ielas’s eyes widened.
“The hell?” He demanded.
“What?”
“You said it was a subconscious decision, and that’s why you made it yesterday!”
“It was a subconscious decision.”
“You didn’t mean it yesterday. Why do you mean it today?”
“Because I can score more progress now. And also because I don’t trust my inner mind as to what it’ll do,” I said.
“You didn’t trust me with helping you yesterday,” Ielas said, grabbing his sheets.
“It’s not that, Ielas,” I said.
“So do you want to know about Spiritomb or not?” Ielas asked, assuming a crossed-legged stance.
“That’s why she’s here, Ielas. It’s all about the Spiritomb. That’s probably why she snuck into Lake Valor!” I exclaimed. “Of course I want to know!”
“A soul almost fell off Spiritomb yesterday,” Ielas said slowly.
“W-what?”
“I think I understand Spiritomb to an extent. It’s always harder to fight Dark-type Pokémon because Psychic Pokémon can fully understand their needs, but because of that we can’t understand their fears. We can’t harm them because of that,” Ielas said through my voice.
“That makes sense,” Catalina said. Mina was still half-asleep on her chair, struggling to keep a cup of hot chocolate balanced. Mark dozed off in his chair.
We were in an empty lounge on the first floor. It was silent and dark save for dawn’s light.
“The problem here is that Spiritomb isn’t only a Dark-type. He’s also a Ghost-type, which gives two impressions,” Ielas lifted my two fingers. “One part of Spiritomb is Dark, the other part is Ghost.”
“That is sort of basic, Ielas,” Mina said slowly. It was easy to differentiate who spoke when Ielas spoke through me. He had a pause between words and a very calculating tone. He also liked to use my hands a lot, and often forgot to let me blink.
“I don’t mean part by elemental side, I mean part by physical side. The keyhole is the dark-type part, and the souls are ghost-type,” Ielas said.
“The keyhole is a dark type?” Catalina asked. “It does make sense, since it is part of a broken tower.”
“How does that make sense?” I asked.
“The tower has quite a history that I can’t recite because it’s quite mysterious. What is known is that it was an outpost in ancient times,” Catalina said, stirring up her cup of coffee and leaving it on the arm of her wheelchair. “I studied dead languages and from my one-time meeting with a Spiritomb, I could recognize letters on its keystone, even though the Pokémon’s powers do render the letters quite hazy.”
“That’s the bad thing here,” Ielas said, lifting my hand. “This Spiritomb is much stronger than other any Spiritomb I saw. While the souls on a regular Spiritomb are from long-dead people, this Spiritomb has people who are still alive to do its bidding.”
Catalina froze. Mina was still half-asleep, but she said, “That’s impossible. In that case it wouldn’t be a soul, but a forsaken desire. An exceptionally strong one at that.”
“Maybe so, but the soul that fell off was very sentient,” Ielas said. “More sentient and intelligent than desires.”
“Desires aren’t weak. You of all people should know that,” Mina said. “A psychic knows that the only way for them to hurt physically is to hurt mentally-injuring desires, renewing fears or making illusions. That’s your profession, Ielas. Saif knows how desires can manifest if the person in question is unstable enough.”
“She’s right, Ielas,” I said.
Ielas didn’t respond. I took this chance to shut my eyes.
“Very well. But if these were desires, they are strong and distinct enough to belong to different people. There’s also another thing about Spiritomb,” He said. “This one has enough power and control to extend its power for a great length. The desire that fell off must’ve been just too weak to latch on to the power. It was strong enough to assume a solid shape on a very big distance.”
“Spiritomb don’t allow their power to extend far, even while attacking. Most souls remain near the keystone. When stuck strong enough, the keystone could be tossed so fast that souls may lose their way to return. That’s one way to defeat Spiritomb. That also results in its death,” Mina said. “To think that these desires or souls are strong enough to find their way back to the keystone at the altitude of your room, and far enough to avoid being found by Jun, Ielas and Absol…It’s a terrifying possibility that this keystone could be a very strong one. Are there types of keystones, Catalina?”
“Of course,” Catalina answered, taking a sip of her coffee. “Most keystones aren’t as big as your average enlarged Pokéball…if my hunch isn’t mistaken, this Spiritomb might have the entire tower as a keystone.”
“Is that even possible?” I asked.
“No,” Catalina said. “The bigger the keystone, the harder it is to remain on it. But if these desires are strong enough…” She turned her gaze at me. “You need to know what Diane knows about the Spiritomb. She must know something critical.”
“I’m meeting with her today,” I said, as Ielas drew back to his body.
“Just be natural,” Mina said. “I hope you don’t show her another personality…that’ll be bad, ya know.”
“certainly,” I said. I then turned to Mark. A line of drool seeped from his mouth.
“Forget about him,” Mina said. “I’ll have him ready for your orders.”
“Thanks,” I said, standing up. “Come on, Ielas. Let’s get ready.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Wait,” Catalina said.
“What is it?” I asked.
“How is James?”
I didn’t answer.
“We don’t know,” I said. “I couldn’t reach him since the interrogation started-I lost understanding of his mind. He must be in a pinch.”
Catalina didn’t say anything, but dropped her head.
I left the lounge, Ielas behind me.
“She does worry too much,” Ielas said.
“They have a thing for each other,” I said.
“We can tell if he’s terrified or pained.”
“Yeah…that’s really a promising start, isn’t it?” I asked, before walking into the lift. “Regardless. We have to act normal.”
“You seemed to do that perfectly yesterday.”
“I know. I just need to keep up the attitude, but it’s you I’m worried about. She’s half a Dark trainer, and she can tell a lot about you by a glance.”
“I can handle it. Where are we meeting?”
“The pool. You can just watch if you want to.”
“Why the pool?”
“She’s going to swim a bit,” I said, as the lift doors opened at the ground floor. “Oops…I forgot my swimming suit.”
“Back up we go, then,” Ielas said, hitting the elevator button one floor above.
I slapped my forehead with my palm.
I slung my gym pack over my shoulder and left my room. Ielas locked it and followed me.
“Saif…I was just thinking about something. Tell me again, why we’re after Diane?”
“James saw her sneak into Lake Valor. She’s applying for Catalina’s post as a Dark Pokémon Master but isn’t preparing the slightest. She’s also hunting a Pokémon that is after us for some reason,” I said. “Spiritomb tried to lure me to Lake Valor, and I suspect he wanted me to meet with Diane in his conditions. A desire or a soul fell off him when he tried to confuse you by impersonating me, which means something I can’t tell.”
“Why don’t we sneak into Lake Valor?” Ielas asked.
“What?” I asked.
“Spiritomb must want Diane and you to do something together. Maybe Spiritomb is aware of Diane hunting him, and that’s why he wants to lure you to Lake Valor, a place Diane seems to go to. Don’t you think he wants to frame you for whatever he has done?” Ielas asked. I stopped and turned to him. “Since Diane would probably recognize you better in that case, she might drop the hunt on Spiritomb, and allow that Pokémon to work free from the hunt.”
“Maybe Team Galactic wants Spiritomb. I heard her think of them as traitors…could it be that Spiritomb is a dissenter and Diane is assigned to hunt for him?” I asked. “Why would he want me to go there with you-especially with Diane sneaking in with every chance she gets?”
“I don’t know, Saif. I do think it’s better that we head to Lake Valor and confront Spiritomb if it’s there. It could be wanting to help us,” Ielas said. “When was the last time she snuck in?”
“Friday, just when James was caught. That’s two days ago,” I said.
“We got that request Friday, after Diane came back,” Ielas said.
“Maybe Diane left something behind,” I said. “Spiritomb left a soul today…maybe…”
“Maybe Spiritomb is still waiting for us,” Ielas said. “This is concerning…should we spread the news? I don’t know where it’s been extending its powers last night, but it wasn’t near any of us.”
“Not yet, Ielas,” I said. “For now, I need to learn more of Diane’s character. Now remember, she’s using a fake name, and it’s Kim.”
“Got it,” Ielas said, as we headed to the lift and hit the ‘down’ button. The elevator descended from the third floor, and when it came, Diane was waiting inside, arms crossed.
Ielas stiffened. I gave Diane a smile and said, “Good morning, Kim!”
“Oh, hi!” she said, lowering her arms. She turned to Ielas and smiled. “Is that your Gardevoir?”
“Yep, that’s Ielas,” I said, walking into the lift. Ielas didn’t move, but stammered.
“Good morning.”
“Your voice is so clear, Ielas!” Diane said. “It’s impressive. Espeon can’t get near that!”
Ielas managed a small smile as he drifted in. Being closest to the buttons, I hit the ground floor.
“Sorry for yesterday, Saif,” Diane said.
“She knows your real name?” Ielas said, with the distinct echo of telepathy.
“What do you mean by that?” I asked out loud.
“Didn’t you come up with a fake name?” Ielas asked.
“Oh, wait! I see it!” Diane exclaimed as we reached the ground floor. “I feel the same wind that blows around me rather than by me! It’s you, Ielas!”
Ielas froze, eyes wide, before slowly drifting behind me.
“He’s a bit shy,” I said with a grin. I felt him pinch my neck.
“She can feel me, Saif. That’s not natural,” Ielas said through my skin. His voice was shaking.
“Ielas is really strong, Saif. I wish I’m a good enough trainer as you,” Diane said with a grin.
“He’s really a nice guy,” I said. “Where are your Pokémon?”
“Saif, can’t you hear me?” Ielas asked through my skin again.
“Oi! I can’t think of two things at once, Ielas,” I said.
“Oh? That’s strange. I can’t hear him now,” Diane said as we left the lift and walked down a busy hallway. She leaned forward to peek at Ielas, who broke her line of sight by hiding to my side. “How can he communicate with you now?”
“Tell her and you’re a dead man,” Ielas said.
“I never really fully understood Ielas,” I said with a grin.
“That’s better.”
“Don’t worry,” I added, as Diane walked slower. “He’s just nervous around girls.”
“Like hell I am!” Ielas exclaimed through my mouth.
People turned to look at me. I fought a smile as Ielas waved my hands around.
“Saif, what are you doing?” She asked.
“Ielas is trying to talk through me,” I said, pushing his presence away. “You can notice it easily because he waves his arms around like a windmill and talks like a robot. He also has a more shaky accent.”
“Saif. I hate you,” I then exclaimed. I pushed back his presence again and physically held his head away from my own. Diane giggled as his arms flailed, trying to grab a part of my shirt.
“Diane? Where are your Pokémon?” I asked. “You said you were on extended stay, but you didn’t mention if your choice Pokémon are with you.”
“Oh, Umbreon and Espeon?” She asked. Ielas stopped his flailing and hovered behind me again, avoiding Diane’s curious gaze. “They’re here,” she said, patting her own gym pack. “In their Pokéballs.”
“See? She also has an Umbreon,” Ielas said.
“There’s also an Espeon, Ielas,” I said impatiently.
“But Saif…will you really swim with her?” He asked.
I turned to Diane and asked, “Hey, Diane?”
I froze. Diane dropped her gym pack and turned to me, eyes wide.
“What did you call me?” She asked with a small grin.
“Ielas-” I said, before Ielas’s body slumped, and I was forced to say, crossing my arms, eyes thinned, “It was me. I know who you really are.”
“Ielas?” She asked, eyes wide.
“Yes,” Ielas said through me. I broke into a sweat. My cover is…There was nobody in our corridor, but it was suspicious-a Gardevoir on the floor, two trainers, and the unmistakable scent of adrenaline.
“How did you know?”
Thankfully, Ielas can’t stutter even if he wishes to. He could easily say something like-
He lifted my hand and pointed my index finger on Diane’s gym pack, as he said slowly, “Tell us what you know about a rogue Spiritomb, and why you snuck into Lake Valor last Friday.”
Certainly that wasn’t what I wanted to say.
Oh, crap, oh crap, oh, crap, oh crap! God damn it! What is he doing!?
I pushed back Ielas’s presence, and once Ielas rose from the ground to stand by my side, I rubbed my temples in circular motion.
“That hurt,” I said.
“What do you mean?” Diane demanded.
“Ielas was hanging on to my mind pretty tightly,” I said, before smiling. “Let’s continue, shall we?”
“Oh, no, you don’t!” She shouted. “Who are you, Saif? Is that even your real name?”
“Why yes. Why wouldn’t it be?” I asked innocently.
“You’re mocking me. Who are you?!”
“I’m Saif,” I said, shrugging. “You’re Diane Willow, right?”
“Is that your real name?” she asked, eyes thin and hands curled into fists.
“You can find out yourself; you can use your powers of suggestion to tell,” I said, hand on my hip.
“Why are you stalking me?!” She drew two Pokéballs out of her gym pack and pointed them at me, hands at maximum distance.
“You’re pretty,” I said.
She didn’t answer, but didn’t let her guard down. Ielas put his fingers to his eyes and sighed.
“Besides that, there’s another thing,” I said. “I can safely say that we’re working towards the same goal.”
“And what might that be?”
I leaned on a wall and said, “Spiritomb.”
She relaxed her pose a bit, lowering her Pokéballs, and then stood straight. “What do you want with him?”
“He visited me two nights ago,” I said. “You said to me yesterday that you were looking after one particular Spiritomb. I believe we’re hunting the same one.”
“What is that Spiritomb like?” she asked.
“Very sentient, very intelligent. More so than most Spiritomb I met or fought,” I said. “I have information I can give you, and maybe you can do the same for me.”
“Stop giving me offers and tell me…does that Spiritomb leave spiritual residue? A fog in the room that drains psychic power by disorienting senses?” She asked, eyes wide with silent madness.
“I was able to remove the invisible fog by imbuing objects with my sentience,” I said. She nodded slowly.
“I think we need to talk, Saif…if that’s your real name,” she said, picking up her pack and slinging it over her shoulder. She then walked away from the pool and down the hall. “Follow me.”
I sighed with relief. Ielas shook his head. “Women…”
“You’re the one to talk!” I exclaimed. “You ruined everything!”
Ielas smiled darkly. “You said that an honest approach works best.”
“…damn you,” I said, following Diane.
“First things first. What are you?”
We were in a nearby café, the same one we spoke yesterday. I didn’t answer, tired with the question and its relatives, and took a look around. Ielas sat on my side, tilting the seat away from Diane as possible. She leaned towards me, elbows on the table. Her gym pack was on a nearby chair, and the café was almost empty. Most of its residents signed out to travel to Hoenn, where the Pokémon League’s anniversary celebrations will begin.
She smacked her palm on the table. I turned to face her.
“Did you even hear my question?” She hissed.
“What am I? Well, that’s a tricky one. I think I’m a Pokémon trapped in the body of a human,” I said. Ielas grinned.
“That’s absurd. What are you, really.”
“I’m a Pokémon trainer, Diane,” I said, leaning back. “I’m the same person you spoke to yesterday. Only difference is that I just noticed how cute you are when you’re angry.”
“Stop your sweet talk,” she said, noticeably less angry.
“How can I if I’m talking to you?” I asked innocently. Ielas burst into a laugh.
“Stop making fun of me!” She whispered.
“I’m not. You’re really attractive,” I said.
She didn’t say anything, but turned away. She blinked furiously, and too late did I notice that she was holding back tears.
“What?” I exclaimed, jumping.
“Just…please answer m-me,” she said, lip trembling.
“Sure. Please calm down,” I said.
“Don’t tell a girl to calm down!”
“Sorry! My name is Saif, I’m being totally honest here!”
“Saif what?”
“Saif…Underhill.”
“YEAH RIGHT!” She shouted, tossing a chocolate wrapper at my head.
“I’m kidding! I’m Saif Nobel,” I said, waving my hands. “I’m a human, too. Just like you!”
Her frown disappeared, and she then said, “You’re not the only person who can persuade another to talk, are you?”
I noticed it too late; Diane wasn’t crying, but what ran down her cheeks was a mirage. Her face wasn’t red, her lips wasn’t trembling. It was all an illusion.
“Beginner’s luck,” Ielas whispered to me.
“You spoke this way because you wanted to blind me to something. You underestimated my own abilities when you believed my mirage,” she said with a frown.
“Don’t go explaining the joke, Diane,” I said. I never did feel comfortable around girls who cried because of me.
“So now, he who calls himself Saif,” she began, signaling to a nearby waitress to come closer. “Tell me, what do you like to eat?”
“What kind of question is that?” I asked.
“Tell me a bit about yourself. Do you like sandwiches?” she asked. “Can I have the turkey club sandwich, please?” She asked the waitress.
“Oi, Saif…she’s holding the conversation,” Ielas said.
“You can talk freely, Ielas,” Diane said. The waitress lifted an eyebrow at the sight of her talking to a Pokémon, but wrote the order down. “What would you want to eat, Ielas?”
“Nothing,” he said, enveloping everyone in a five-meter radius with his telepathic voice.
“See? Doesn’t it feel nice to talk publically?” She asked.
“It sucks.”
“Suit yourself,” she said with a shrug. “He Who Calls Himself Saif, what would you like to eat?”
I didn’t answer, but I then smiled and said, “Can I have a turkey club sandwich, too? And can I have a bowl of cashew?”
The waitress nodded, wrote it down, and then asked, turning her eyes between the three of us (reluctantly at Ielas), “Would you like any drinks with that?”
“Soda,” I said.
“Soda,” Diane said.
“Heck, I’ll have soda, too,” Ielas said. The waitress slowly walked away from Ielas, after muttering a quick, “Thank you. Your order will be finished shortly.”
The waitress left, and we were silent.
“You were leading the conversation a second ago,” I told Diane.
She didn’t respond, but toyed with a strand of her dark golden hair.
“I don’t enjoy leading conversations…too much of a hassle,” Diane said after a while.
“Oh?”
“This time I was lucky because I was a victim of stalking-”
“I wasn’t stalking you!”
“But in other situations, I have a hard time starting a conversation.”
“You do manage it naturally enough,” I said.
She didn’t answer, but then her eye turned to me. “Really?”
“I’m not much of a flirt myself,” I said with a grin.
“Explains why you’re so bad at it,” she said with a smile.
“Hey, I-Well, yeah…”
A while passed.
Ielas then voiced out the caw of a crow.
“Awkward,” he added.
“I don’t know if I should be angry at you or not,” Diane said. “You’re the one who…possessed me, right?
“Y-yeah,” I said, leaning on a fist.
“I-I felt you,” she said, placing her hands on her lap. “I knew you when I saw you, or I just…”
“Felt like I was familiar?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said, shrugging.
Our order came. The waitress thanked us again and left us to eat.
Diane reached to a sandwich from her club, and began digging in.
“What kind of feeling was it?” I asked a while later, food untouched.
She rubbed her fingers on a tissue, and gulped down some soda, and glared at me.
“Go on.”
“I don’t like to talk while I eat,” she said.
“That’s why you’re talking now?”
She stared longingly at her share, and then turned to me, taking a deep breath.
“I can’t explain it. Now, can I eat?” she asked.
“You can explain it,” I said, brushing my fingers through my hair, eyes gazing down at her. “You don’t want to. Understandable…maybe you were so shocked by my glorious presence.”
“As if!” she exclaimed. She looked to my face and saw my smile. “You’re a strange person.”
“Tell me, did it hurt?”
“What do you mean?” she asked, closing her lips on her soda.
“The heart attack,” I said. “I’m terribly sorry, Diane, but you attracted my mind so very much.”
A smile came to her face, as she lowered her eyes, giggling.
“You did hurt me a bit,” she said. “My heart fluttered like a bird.”
“I sure do know how you make your heart beat, don’t I?” I asked with a smile.
“You won’t stop those puns, will you?” she asked. “They’re so bad, they’re garbage.”
“It’ll be a waste,” I replied.
“So…lame…” Ielas said.