Ethan slipped into Bill’s tent to go to sleep after feeding his pokemon with the berries in his pack. As he only had an hour of preparation before the teleport, he hadn’t managed to bring any cooked meals. The Joys had a tent with a soup for all to enjoy, but Ethan had eaten berries with his pokemon around a fire. Ursaring wanted to go catch something to eat, he could tell, but they weren’t at their home and the risk of her hunting a pokemon in need or, god forbid, someone else’s pokemon was too much of a risk. She had berries as well.

  Gloom had settled himself down into the earth beside the fire, warm and happy to finally be able to go to sleep. Gloom had stayed awake for twenty four hours, and although his sleep schedule would be messed up, he did so without protest. Ethan had placed some logs around him to barricade him from others who would accidentally stumble upon the sleeping weed.

  Inside the tent, the first thing he noticed was Bill’s new cot. It was tucked to the side, only a few feet away from him. Bill was asleep with a face mask on and a small portable fan was placed by his pillow, blowing air onto his face and billowing his pink hair. The sight made his heart ache, as his mother always slept with a fan as well. People who slept with fans did not care about the temperature. It could be below freezing and they would still have a fan next to them.

  Ethan sighed then swapped to his pajamas and slid into his cot, falling asleep not soon after. When he awoke the next day, it was to a gentle shake of his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he saw Bill dressed in his winter best formal wear with a placid face. “They’re calling everyone to the command tent.”

  Ethan blinked his bleary eyes and nodded in understanding. “What time is it?”

  Bill checked a fancy watch, similar to the one Cynthia had. “Five forty. The meeting is at six.”

  Ethan got dressed in his clothes from the day before, as he didn’t have spare winter clothes. He gave them an experimental sniff and could still smell the smoke from the fire from last night, alongside teaching Flamethrower to two pokemon. He quickly left the tent not two minutes later, finding an open area with a fire to release his pokemon for breakfast. As his pokemon ate and chatted, he looked over his shoulder to find Bill standing a few feet away.

  Bill was an awkward man. Strict, rule abiding, and stern… but awkward all the same. He gestured to an open spot next to the fire, beside Pachirisu. “My pokemon are friendly. You can join us if you want.”

  “Thank you.” Bill replied, voice even before sitting at the spot with… a little too much formality. Bill patted his clothes and sat in such a way that they wouldn’t crease. The man was out of place in the wilderness.

  Pachirisu took a big chomp out of an Oran berry. With blue dribbles of juice dripping from his mouth, he turned to Bill. “Ach-ach-achi.” His squirrel squealed as he munched.

  Bill grimaced at the messy eating and turned away.

  Rude.

  Ethan sat down next to Chatot and Gloom, who had been roused by Smeargle, and picked out the seeds from his berries to feed to Chatot. As he flicked a seed into his bird's mouth, he looked over to Bill again… finding him staring into the fire. He scanned Bill’s waist, not finding any pokeballs. “Bill, do you know what the meeting is about?”

  Bill shifted on the uncomfortable log as he turned to him. “No.”

  “Ahh.” Ethan expected more than that. “Well, while we’re eating and have some time to kill, do you have any favorite pokemon?”

  “I like Chanseys. At the Joy compound, there’s always Chansey and Happiny roaming about, learning and growing.” Bill disclosed as he scooted away from Pachirisu who had inched closer in inspection.

  Etha nodded along, happy that the man was talking. Here around the fire, he didn’t have any rules to follow. “I see. Do you have a Chansey? Or do only the nurses have a Chansey?”

  “All Joys have the option to try and receive a Chansey or Happiny. None of them were particularly enthused with me being their trainer. So, I do not have a Chansey.” Bill informed, easing a bit as Pachirisu backed off his inspection to eat another Oran.

  “What pokemon do you have? I do not see any pokeballs with you, and I don’t remember you having any pokemon when you were ordering the construction of the Pokemon Center at my ranch…” He asked, knowing that this might just be a sensitive topic.

  So far, Ethan had met zero people who didn’t own a pokemon. Of course, there was that one guy in the games who didn’t ‘have’ pokemon, but were friends with them or whatever… but that was a game. In real life? Well, not having a pokemon was a pretty big detriment. He experienced that first hand.

  Bill slowly gave him a look, and Ethan could see if that it was to check if he was being made fun of or if he was genuinely asking. After a second or two, Bill must have come to a conclusion. “I do not have any pokemon. Most pokemon do not… mesh well with my personality. They leave.”

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  Not to be an ass, but Ethan could one hundred percent see how it’d go. Bill would get a pokemon, he would micromanage the shit out of it, it would get mad or unhappy, then it would leave. But, on the flip-side, he was sure that there was a pokemon out there for Bill. He’d just need to find one that was… very low management.

  “Oh,” Ethan started, “Well, if it helps. I didn’t have a pokemon for the first twenty-eight years of my life. So, we’re not so different. There’s a pokemon out there just waiting for you. I’m sure you’ll find one eventually.”

  “Snoooore.” Snorlax rumbled in content as he heaved one of his massive arms to pat Ethan on the head from behind. Exasperated, Ethan flung a thumb over his shoulder. “Or the pokemon finds you.”

  Bill… smiled? Bill could smile? It was a little late for a Christmas miracle, but it happened. “Maybe.”

  Ethan let the conversation end there, as it was obvious that this was a sensitive topic. He recalled his satiated pokemon and cleaned up around the fire then left with Bill and Gloom to the tent where he’d met the Elite 4 and some of the Gym Leaders. As they approached, Ethan noticed the crowd of sleepy trainers and nurses waiting outside. Many were talking with one another about what this meeting could be about as he pushed his way through the crowd, and some even speculated that maybe they would finally go home and that they’d call the emergency over.

  Judging by the fact that he’d only just arrived, he doubted this was going to be an announcement that everything was over.

  As they reached the front of the crowd, the tent flaps snapped open without warning. Cynthia, clad in her full Champion attire—black trench coat and all—stepped forward into what little light the morning provided. The effect was immediate. The crowd fell into stunned silence.

  “First,” she said evenly, her voice carrying without effort, “I apologize for waking many of you and interrupting your rest. Under normal circumstances, I would not call a gathering at this hour.” Her gaze swept across the assembled trainers and officials. “However, this situation is time-sensitive.”

  She paused, letting the weight of that settle. When her eyes briefly passed over Ethan, she didn’t slow or acknowledge him.

  “Wayward Cave is a natural cavern system beneath the Cycling Road bridge. It has been a protected site for many years—home to a large population of powerful Pokémon.” Her expression hardened. “The recent avalanche has collapsed the primary entrance, trapping and severely disturbing those pokemon. They are now lashing out.”

  A murmur rippled through the crowd.

  Cynthia motioned to someone behind her, accepting a clipboard and scanning its contents before continuing. “As of now, this is where our priorities shift. Recovery operations have officially ceased.” She didn’t soften the words. “In the past two days, we have located one survivor. The rest have, regrettably, been deemed deceased.”

  The murmuring grew louder, edged with disbelief and grief—but Cynthia pressed on, her voice steady.

  “Our focus is now the containment and stabilization of Wayward Cave. Pokemon such as Onyx, Aggron, Rhyhorn, Golem, Misdreavus, Lunatone, Solrock, Exploud, Dugtrio, and Garchomp—”

  The reaction was immediate. Alarmed whispers broke out across the outskirts of the tent.

  “—and all of the pokemon in their evolutionary lines, including many others unlisted, are being starved,” Cynthia finished, unflinching, “due to the collapsed entrance.”

  Silence fell again—this time heavier than before.

  “We will begin the excavation of the entrance. Those of you who have six badges or more are to begin preparing to enter the cave. Those without, are to help with excavations if possible. Once the excavation is finished, you are free to go about your journey or go back home.” Cynthia finished reading the clipboard and passed it back behind her without looking.

  “In thirty minutes, we move camp. Prepare your things.” Cynthia's dismissal caused everyone to burst into conversation. Some shouted out questions, but most left in a hurry to collect their things.

  Ethan was too dumbfounded to move.

  “This is going to be a disaster.” Bill spoke evenly as he watched everyone leave. “I mean, the Cave can’t be too far away. Why do we need to uproot everything? All my planning and gridding has gone to waste—”

  Ethan tuned Bill’s completely out of turn voice out as Gloom wiggled from within his coat. He jossled Gloom into a better position as he spoke. “I’m alright. Just… I didn't expect this. Do I still tutor?” He asked Gloom.

  Gloom of course didn’t have the answer, but someone did. “You will be tutoring, yes. Your job is the same.”

  Ethan turned to find Lucian, the Psychic Elite Four member right beside him. His purple hair and glasses looked black in the light. Lucian peered at Gloom and smiled. The weed wiggled its fronds in return. “I do not believe we’ve been properly introduced. I am Lucian, of the Elite Four.”

  Bill’s rambling got quieter and quieter as he began to stalk back to his tent to grab his things. In the blink of the eye, he was alone with Lucian. “Ethan Reed, although you already knew that. You’re just like I imagined.”

  Lucian quirked a brow, his smile not fading. “Is that so? Well, from where you’re from…” He trailed off. Ethan filled in the blanks.

  Ethan’s response to that was one word. A forlorn, “Yeah.”

  “Well, I am sure you’ve been asked to death about your past, but I just have to know…” He reached over and gave Gloom a pat on the head, completely unafraid of the weeds reputation of smells. “I heard from our dear Champion that you have an ability. One unlike mine.”

  “Yours?” Ethan asked for clarification, as Gloom released a very contented “Glooooooo.” at the head pats.

  “I am a Psychic.” Lucian took a step back and nodded. “That’s a very good Gloom you have there. You should be proud.”

  “Thank you, but he’s not mine. He’s still wild. Gloom lives on my ranch and helps me grow my garden and berry trees.” Ethan smiled, as Gloom wiggled in his coat from the praise. “I have the ability to have pokemon feel my emotions. When I am proud of them, they know it. When I am sad they know it. When I am afraid, they know it. More often than not, it is troublesome.”

  “How interesting.” Lucian acknowledged. “Most unique abilities are like that at the start. Why, my own psychic powers started as me hearing crazy voices! I thought I was going insane as a child.” He laughed at the memory, then reached into his coat and pulled out a card. He handed it to Ethan as he began walking towards the command tent. “Feel free to reach out if you ever need some help. I have some questions for you, but now is not the time. Best to go get your things before we all move out.”

  Ethan stared at the very professional business card as Lucian entered the tent.

  What an interesting guy. Ethan thought.

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