《Chasing Darkness》Chapter 26
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Alder watched the girl intently.
She was clearly in awe of the Trevenant’s work. They had been picked specifically for the facility and were a nightmare to obtain. It was no surprise, Alder expected his reaction was quite similar when he had witnessed it for the first time all those years ago.
The stone facility had been made to Mimic a two way mirror. The move allowed people inside the facility to look outward, while people on the outside could not look in. What immediately caught his attention was the Egg. Skyla had briefed them about it, but it was one thing to hear about it, but another to see it in person.
Despite not being full grown, some of her Johtoan heritage showed through. She was decidedly Unovan, due to her pale skin and body structure though. Her face was mostly Unovan, but had hints of Johtoan around her chin. Her eyes and hair closely resembled them as well.
Alder changed his focus to her clothes. They looked dirty and worn out, but definitely too big for her. A layer of filth covered her skin. She had definitely been around Buoy Town for a while.
Alder watched as she took in her surroundings. Her motions were rigid and sharp, he watched as she identified any potential threats. He recognized the look of a survivor. Alder almost felt pity for her, her reactions seemed genuine. He would have to wait for confirmation before he could let his guard down. She reminded him too much of a wounded dog. Too much of N.
Gothitelle’s reaction was definitely alarming. Instead of looking for potential threats, She tried identifying the new face. Alder had never seen anything like it before. She continued to stare until finally sending out the signal to open the hatch.
Excadrill walked up the stairs as the three stood further back. His short height let him easily grasp a good leverage point, lifting up the stone hatch. Excadrill motioned the three up the stairs and stopped right outside. Gothitelle and the girl continued to watch each other.
Alder noted her lack of fear. She clearly recognized the Pokemon, she looked at Gothitelle like one would when seeing the sun rise every day. He wondered if the girl knew Gothitelle’s capabilities, the power she held underneath. The list of her oddities continued to grow.
The two broke away before Aurea stepped forward. They decided she was the best to break the ice. Alder was a much older gentleman while Melinda was an even older bat. Aurea was the most relatable to a small girl.
“Hello there young one. We have been expecting you.” She said while taking another step forward.
“My name is Aurea, but you can call me Professor Juniper. Please come inside.” She said.
Aurea waited for a response. When none came, she smiled slightly and turned her head back inside. Skyla’s rendition of her mission was worrying to Aurea. The girl had not spoken a word since coming in contact with people. That could only mean she was mute or had some deep seeded trauma. Either would prove an obstacle in the future.
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Aurea didn’t wait for her reaction and turned back towards her colleagues. The three walked down the stairs into a long hallway. Skyla followed behind as a guide for the girl.
She took in her surroundings. The square tiles were plain, only outdone by the tan colored walls.
“Click clack”
Shoes echoed down the hall until they stopped before a door on the right. All the previous doors they had walked through looked exactly the same. The door swung inwards, revealing a small conference room. The back wall was covered entirely by a monitor.The room was on the small side and held three chairs on either side with two covering the ends of the table. A large wooden table dominated the center of the room. The piece was old and held knicks along the sides. The wood was light and flakey, it gave off a sweet scent.
Professor Juniper sat down on the center office-style chair, flanked by Alder and Melinda. Skyla sat next to the girl as she chose the chair across from them.
She sat down on the chair roughly, the girl was obviously uncomfortable with the soft cushion. She placed the Egg to her left as she stroked it with one hand. It was obviously comforting to her.
“This is Alder,” She motioned to one side, “And this is Melinda” motioning to the other. Aurea spoke in a soft voice.
“And as I told you, I’m Aurea, the Professor of Unova. Have you heard of me?” She asked.
The girl in front of her shook her head. Everyone knew the Professor of each region for a very good reason. Despite looking very similar to a Unovan, she hadn’t heard of the Professor. It wasn't uncommon for a regular person to not know the Professor of a different Region though.
Alder wrote something down on the pad before him. Aurea continued.
“May I know your name?” she asked. Professor Juniper kept her voice soft and focused; she was questioning a frightened child after all.
The girl looked between the three adults for a while as silence filled the room.
“I’m… Lilith.” She finally spoke as Alder scribbled more down onto his pad.
“It’s nice to meet you Lilith. Do you know where you are from?” she asked
Lilith’s face scrunched together like she was grasping at straws. A disappointed look gathered on her.
“No…” she said.
“Not from Unova?” Aurea paused, knowing the answer she would receive.
“I don’t think so… I'm not from Unova” Lilith answered. The three glanced at each other, making eye contact.
“You don’t know? Surely you know where you live.” Aurea pressed.
She frowned.
“I… don’t know a lot of things.” she said.
“Do you know how old you are?” Lilith shook her head.
Lilith watched Alder’s pen. She noted his penmanship. ‘Amnesia?’ He wrote down a word in large letters. Lilith caught the strokes and understood the meaning
Alder flashed his pad to the other two adults, sharing his thoughts. Aurora glanced at it before slightly changing her line of questioning.
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“What are your parents' names? Do you know where they are?” Aurea continued.
“I’m… all alone.” her response was almost immediate.
Professor Juniper's heart lurched. She held back the instinct to wrap her up in a hug.
“So no family outside of them? Grandparents, Cousins, Aunts or Uncles?” Professor Juniper pressed.
Lilith simply shrugged, indicating she had no idea.
“So, how did you get to Buoy Town?”
Lilith didn’t respond. Their questioning was going nowhere. Frustration showed on their faces. The only thing they had found out was her name. Each question that was supposed to clarify was instead doing the opposite of what they intended.
“If I may,” Alder cut in.
“Do you know what a Pokemon is?” Alder wanted to know if she had truly lost her memory. He started out with an incredibly easy question.
Nod.
“And how about a Pokemon Trainer?”
Nod again.
“Are you a Pokemon Trainer?” He finally asked
Lilith shook her head. Now they were getting somewhere. It was too bad, if she was then theory could just search for her through their registry database.
“Hmm, have you heard of the term ‘Touched’?” Alder asked.
“No, what is it?” She asked. Lilith seemed genuinely in the dark.
“Well, It’s a phenomenon that was proven relatively recently.” Alder continued as he shifted into lecture mode. “When people are around Pokemon, a small amount of their energy is absorbed by us humans. It’s what makes us stronger. Now, this gathering of energy can be… sped up with a connection to a Pokemon through special means, like a Pokeball or Styler.” Alder paused, looking for the best words for his explanation to have any meaning to her.
“That energy helps us to connect with other Pokemon, generally it's a good thing. But when too much Energy enters the body all at once, it doesn’t have enough time to…”Alder tasted the air. “Digest. It can cause irrevocable harm. The person's body is changed permanently.”
Lilith paled as Alder’s monalogue continued.
“Does any of this sound familiar?” he asked despite knowing the answer. Allowing her to speak would help build their rapport.
“Yes.” Lilith spoke after a moment of silence.
“Then do you know any Legendary Pokemon?” He asked.
Lilith paused. The slight pause gave her away. It was all the confirmation Alder needed before she nodded in the affirmative.
Legendary Pokemon were just that, legends. Tales spun to dissuade certain actions or to give valor to heroes of old. To the general population they were irrelevant, myths even. Beings so strong that even Champions had to be cautious in their presence. It was hard to tell the difference between a really strong Pokemon and the singular Pokemon that makes it a Legend.
Alder was still pretty sure a Legendary had Touched her. He could feel the Energy rampaging through her body. If his old senses told him anything, he was right. Just to be sure, they called in a consultation of sorts. The League was unsure if they would get a response, but the query had been made.
Alder spoke to many wild Pokemon. They had their own special ways to communicate that humans couldn’t duplicate. If one of the Swords passed by an area, the Pokemon would hopefully pass his message along.
“Now, we have a theory,” Alder paused. “That you encountered a Legendary and its Energy changed you somehow. Is this true?”Alder finished.
Lilith fidgeted in her chair, she was obviously uncomfortable.
“Yes.” She whispered.
“Could you describe it for us?” Aurea leaned in close.
Lilith paused, Alder could practically feel the question as it left her mouth.
“which one?” she asked.
Professor Juniper's smile froze. Alder jumped in freight.
“What do you mean, brat? How many were there!” Melinda practically shouted.
“Let’s calm down Melinda.” Alders voice broke out after her.
He then turned to Lilith. “ How many Pokemon were there? Describe them to us.”
“Well, umm one looked like a doggy with a tail fan, he was all shiny though…” Lilith paused as if in thought. She fidgeted in her chair for good measure.
Melinda scowled at her description. It was nondescript to the point of just being irritating. Alder raised his eyebrow.
“And the other, well he was all pink and…”
A pulse of psychic energy swept through the base, interrupting Lilith.
Alder held up his hand. “How about this, we have a special friend here to see you. You can talk about what you saw with them.” Alder interrupted.
Their longshot had paid off.
Lilith frowned for a second but nodded anyways. No need to antagonize them.
The pulse was a code from Gothitelle to let the group know one of the Swords had arrived. Everyone could feel the stones beneath their feet shake. The door opened and closed rather quickly as Alder stood and walked towards the door. Their visitor would be able to sort out all of their questions.
They only waited a short while before a knock was heard at the door. Alder swiftly opened the door to let them in. Excadrill’s duty was done, he turned and went back to his post.
In walked the special Pokemon. Despite knowing who it was, Lilith could feel the difference in presence. It had a unique property only felt once before.
The Pokemon stood as tall as a man despite walking on all fours. Their green coat and flat horns shined under the light. Leaves covered them like fur. Some had a red tint while others were an emerald green. Their appearance exuded a sharp sensitivity. Their large red eyes only added to the sensation.
Virizion’s eyes gathered on Lilith.
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