“We’re almost there!”

  “Eep!”

  Professor Juniper’s voice startled Bianca, bringing her back to reality. Both were flying above the clouds on top of a Braviary. The cold was enough to make her shiver if her nerves were not enough for it already. Careful use of Flying energy diverted snowflakes and drops away from them but did little bout the frigid temperatures. She fidgeted with her bag, playing with the straps and the buckle.

  “Relax, this is just another job. We’re just going to be much more secretive this time. Yes. You can do it…”

  She tried giving herself a pep talk as her fingers began to sting. She was so far up her head that she didn’t notice their landing, their exchange with security, or even their arrival at Daniel Joy’s Home.

  “Are you coming inside? It’s cold out there.”

  A voice snapped her back to the present. Her eyes widened as she noticed her surroundings and the person before them. The man looked as old as her father, yet he carried himself with enough confidence to share. He also had a presence that radiated wrongness, like he didn’t belong. Like-

  “Miss?”

  “Yes!”

  She quickly nodded and followed him inside.

  Inside didn’t look too different from a normal house. There were some odd gadgets here and there, but nothing that screamed ‘I’m from 300 years in the future.’ The absolute unit of a Volcarona quickly drew her attention. She was lying on top of the couch, watching them with curiosity.

  “At least 50 centimeters larger than normal specimens… The fur is fluffy instead of tangled… Mandibles have darker coloration… spots on the wings resemble squares…”

  Bianca mumbled to herself while examining the Volcarona. She took a notepad and wrote down her observations.

  “She does look like a Professor.” Daniel chuckled just behind her. Professor Juniper’s chuckle was much more strained than his.

  “Ah! Sorry!” She stood up and bowed a perfect 90 degrees. “My name is Bianca! Professor Juniper’s assistant! Thank you for this opportunity!”

  “Don’t worry, girl.” The man waved her off. “Thank you for answering so quickly, both of you.”

  “I’m still very sorry if we made you or your Pokemon uncomfortable, sir.” The Professor said with a bow. “If-”

  “It’s ok. Really.” The man shrugged. “If anything, it reassures me. Now I know she’s passionate about her job.”

  The Volcarona stirred, climbing down the couch and walking towards her trainer.

  "Just so everyone is on the same page.” He smirked at her when she flinched. “You can examine my Pokemon, do blood tests, energy readings, the works. In exchange…” The man paused and licked his lips. “We’ll talk, Professor. I need someone to help us.” He sighed heavily. Volcarona rubbed his leg and clicked her mandibles. Daniel smiled and petted her. “Drayden recommended you and I’ll trust his judgment. Also, it helps that you’re the Regional Professor and know about my circumstances. Can’t talk about it willy-nilly.”

  “We accept.” The older woman nodded. “My area of specialty lies entirely with Pokemon. Still, I’ll do my best to lend my ear to someone who needs it.”

  “Thank you.” He nodded. “Now, what are the plans?”

  “Well, now that my enthusiastic assistant began with Volcarona,” she said with a smile. “I’ll be asking some questions about her, and she’ll write down everything.”

  “Yes!” Bianca furiously nodded.

  As they sat down, an Audino walked over from the kitchen holding a tray with juice. She gave a glass to everyone with a smile and sat next to her trainer.

  “Thanks,” Both women said. The Pokemon nodded and drank from her own glass.

  It was a bit too sweet for her taste, but still very good.

  “Let’s begin then.” Professor Juniper said with a cough. “What diet do you follow with your Pokemon?”

  “It’s nothing special where I come from.” The man shook his head. “Berries, dried insects, meats. Each one had extra supplements when they were younger, but not anymore.”

  “What kind of supplements?”

  “Mothra had calcium and zinc.” He petted the moth, who rolled over and made happy noises. “It helped her to develop her fire and smooth her coat.”

  “Excuse me.” Bianca interrupted. Daniel nodded at her. “I noticed that her coat is not tangled. How…”

  “Genetics, supplements, and grooming her. She was very needy as a Larvesta, and I spoiled her a lot.” He scratched her behind her mandibles. “Still do, I suppose.”

  “Can you please expand on her genetics?” The older woman asked with interest.

  “A couple of decades before the unification, Volcaronas were exported to Kalos to produce silk. They wanted to compete with Galar and their Frosmoth textiles, so they settled with the ‘alternative.’ Over time, they got bigger and got better silk.”

  He looked upwards and his eyes flashed pink for a second. Bianca cleaned her glasses and scratched her eyes, thinking it was a trick of the light.

  “Oh, sorry if I startled you.” The man said apologetically. “I’ll show you a sample.”

  Dragapult’s immense form suddenly shimmered into view. Bianca’s heart rate accelerated as she stared at the being in front of her. Glossy scales that reflected light. Long tail that gradually transitioned into an ethereal form. Piercing yellow eyes that stared into her soul, calculating, assessing danger, and snorting when it found none.

  It was carrying a dark trench coat in its pink claws. Daniel scratched the beast and mumbled thanks. The sound the Dragapult made almost made her jump out of her skin. Before her blood pressure got too high, the Pokemon gave them one last look and disappeared.

  “Sorry for her theatrics,” Daniel said with a wry smile. “She’s difficult when she wants to be.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve dealt with dragons before.” Professor Juniper looked calm and collected, the opposite of her. “I have a long way to go…”

  He handed them the coat, saying, “It was made with Volcarona thread.” She recognized it as the one typically used by veterans, but the texture was night and day.

  “It’s so…soft.”

  She had to resist the urge to just bury her head in it. It felt like an expensive suit, only to be worn once or twice a year. The padding was soft as a Mareep, but solid like a boulder.

  “Now imagine the expensive stuff. It’s out of this world.”

  “Impressive…” The Professor mumbled to herself. “By the changes she’s exhibiting, their species seems to be heading into an alternative evolutionary path. Am I right? The one that went extinct.”

  “That’s the idea, yes.” He nodded and snapped his fingers. “Kalos succeeded like 150 years ago. But that branch got completely wiped out during the incursions. They’ve been trying to recreate them ever since. Donald, show them.”

  The TV lit up, showing a photo of a Volcarona and a human. The Pokemon looked massive, at least twice the size of the base species. It had a fluffier coat, even covering part of their heads. Their mandibles were blood red, with two protrusions along their length. Finally, their wings were a purple and red gradient, spots replaced with pure white prisms.

  “As you know, they had bug and psychic type. They needed psychic energy to help them fly because of their sheer bulk. Very docile, curious, and very intelligent. Clothes and dresses made of their silk and fur are worth millions.”

  “Fascinating.” The Professor looked almost in a trance examining the photo on the screen. Bianca could see stars shining inside her eyes, as years of theories seemed to be proved in a single day. “What happened?”

  “The ones that knew how to make them didn’t survive the wars.” The man answered with a sigh. “And Volcaronas themselves almost went extinct too. You can guess why, right?”

  “Low birth rates and long larval stage…” She whispered, wincing as the man nodded. “Let’s… continue.”

  The rest of their questions were much more mundane. Usual weight. Energy levels during active hours. Heat cycles. They also extracted some fur, blood, saliva, and some shavings from her mandibles. Bianca labeled each cup with her markers and stored everything inside her bag.

  Mothra didn’t look that thrilled to continue getting poked around. When they finished, she bolted upstairs with a buzz.

  The next Pokemon on the list was one of the alternative evolutions. The petite Lilligant strode inside with graceful steps, settling in front of her trainer with a pose.

  “We already read their information from your Pokedex. Thank you once more.” The man shrugged his shoulders. “But still would like to examine her, if that’s alright?”

  “By all means.”

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  Elizabeth’s lilac eyes stared directly at the Professor but did nothing to prevent her touch. First, she gently examined the flower crowning her head, using gloves and a magnifying glass. “Reduced size, most likely to safeguard it from cold weather.” With a pair of tweezers, she gingerly took a small sample of the petals. The Pokemon seemed indifferent, but her gaze was considerably sharper. “No more than that, I promise.”

  Liligant huffed and silently nodded, letting them continue.

  “The foliage around her head is also shorter. Leaves end at points instead of being round.” She carefully tested the edge, noting that it could cut at the right angle. “They’re hardened and sharpened.”

  The Professor carefully examined all her body, making small comments for Bianca to write down. She almost missed some of them because she kept getting distracted by the Pokemon itself. A body made for combat in cold weather. Faux muscles, tightly woven, provide elasticity, strength, and bursts of speed. However, they sacrificed the species' ability to handle energy to achieve those effects.

  They also extracted the same samples, like Volcarona. Contrary to her, she was more amiable at being poked with needles.

  “Just for the record, what supplements did you give her?”

  “Carbos, proteins, some Hp ups. Her defenses are not that great, so I focused on not getting hit.”

  Elizabeth curtsied towards the women and went to the backyard to dance under the snow. Bianca almost shouted that it was cold outside but stopped herself in time.

  “Au!”

  The Audino took center stage next. It looked like a regular Audino, but she noticed some minute differences. First, she was taller and slimmer than the ones typically found in Pokemon centers. Her muscles were much denser, packing more strength inside them. The cream-colored parts concealed small, white stars.

  “Now this is interesting…” The Professor examined one of them under her magnifying glass, eyes furrowed in concentration. “Is there a reason this pattern emerged?”

  “It’s from the 20th type. Professors back home call it ‘Cosmic.’” The man chuckled. “They wanted to call it star type, but that would be too close to the Stellar tera type, so Cosmic stuck.”

  “I read some of your notes about it, but there wasn’t a lot.”

  “It’s still theoretical from what I remember. It’s thanks to the World League headquarters in orbit that people discovered it. There’s still no actual cosmic Pokemon, yet. But some species are evolving to it. Like Audino, Miniors, Cleffas, Elgiems, the list is extensive.”

  “Amazing!” Bianca exclaimed. “If we can get a satellite or a space station like that, we can discover it!”

  “I don’t recommend looking into that.” The man said with a grave voice. “After the ‘age of heroes’ passes, things will only get worse until the unification wars. Doing something so drastic like that… I don’t want to imagine the consequences.”

  That took the wind out of her sails quickly. She remembered the briefing she got when they were being prepared for this mission. The wars that will come and their damage. With a small sigh, he whispered a sorry and adjusted her glasses.

  “Nono. I am sorry.” The man gave them a wry smile. “I can imagine how it feels to have so much valuable stuff just out of reach.”

  “We’ll be better than that.” Juniper said with resolution, “We’ll make sure we are prepared.”

  “I hope so.”

  ***

  The rest of Lily’s examination was much more subdued after their exchange. It was fascinating to see potential ways of breeding Pokemon in the future. This proved how everything and every Pokemon reached the point they were in the present. How artificial and natural changes made them adapt and evolve. Still, the fact that someday everything would be used for mass destruction…

  “You’ve been a great patient, too.” She said to the Audino, who just smiled at her.

  After Bianca labeled everything, she took a moment to think. Eventually, they would have to release everything, but the issue would be how to explain it. How to frame all her findings without sounding like a lunatic. ‘I saw Pokemon from the future’ was not an argument she would love to use in her thesis.

  “Everything alright, Professor?” Bianca asked, tilting her head to the side.

  Aurea couldn’t prevent a smile from blooming. She ruffled her assistant’s hair, even though she protested with indignation.

  “Yes, just thinking.”

  The next Pokemon was too big to be seen inside, so they went to the backyard. Surprisingly, there was not a single speck of snow on the ground. It was still cold, but it was as if they were completely evading this house. She assumed Daniel noticed, as he pointed out milky white rods planted on the corners of the walls.

  “Those are for snowy weather. It won’t do much on a snowstorm, but it’s great for something like this.”

  She still felt goosebumps when she stared at the time traveler for too long. Something about him unnerved her to no end. Still, she wouldn’t let that get in the way of her professionalism. According to the preliminary screening they performed, he appeared to be well-adjusted, loved by his Pokemon, well-educated, and didn’t have any violent tendencies.

  The Lapras nicknamed “Gamera” was the next. All her fears and insecurities melted away as she gently petted its shell. It had ridges and scratches, likely from the decades he had been in service.

  “What a beautiful shell! Very well maintained and very sturdy.” Aurea said with a smile as the Pokemon preened with pride. “Nudges have more width, less height…” She rapped her knuckles on his shell. “Overall, it’s much denser, too.”

  “Stronger muscles and longer flippers… color is some shades brighter…” She held one of the heavy flippers in her hands, tracing her fingers alongside it. The Pokemon squirmed a bit, like trying to repress laughter. “Quite ticklish too.”

  She scratched some samples out of the shell, blood, and saliva. Bianca was extra careful with those, labeling them with red markers.

  “It’s not usual to examine Lapras, I… thought they would go extinct in the future.”

  “They almost went extinct around this time.” The man nodded. “But people in Alola bred them and released them to the wild. They’re everywhere.”

  “That’s great!” Bianca exclaimed, with a smile on her face.

  It was great news, indeed. The dwindling Lapras population was always a weight in the heart of the research community. Extinction has been always a delicate topic, even more so now with the revelation of future mass extinctions. With a smile, she pampered the gentle giant in front of her.

  “Laaa”

  “One of the good things Aether did, yeah.” The man shook his head.

  Before they could continue that train of thought, a massive Braviary descended beside Gamera. It sported white and gray wings, a flaming purple crest, and piercing blue eyes.

  [Hello, Professor Aurea Juniper, Assistant Bianca Stevens.]

  “Very polite!”

  She was a bit startled at the sudden mind link that snapped between the two. Her Pokeballs rumbled in discontent, but she made no motions to release them. The clarity itself was out of this world. Psychic Pokemon usually had to transmit thoughts, feelings, and sensations to be understood, but this was actual speech.

  [I am thankful for your high praise, Professor.]

  “May I examine you and ask you a couple of questions?” She gave the majestic bird a bow.

  [You may.]

  Rodan returned the gesture, lowering his head enough for her to reach it. Very cautiously, she extended her hand toward his flaming crest. Bianca stopped breathing as she made contact, but there was no heat. The purple flames distorted around her, but the eye forms were ever present. Watching. Assessing. She felt her heart being read like an open book, looking for anything that might be potentially dangerous. Any stain that could indicate danger to his trainer.

  When Aurea retracted her hand, the feeling passed quickly. Rodan gave her a subtle nod, as if prompting her to continue.

  “Flames are a psychic construct; they don’t possess any heat.” Her voice startled Bianca, so much so, that she almost dropped her pen. “Feathers are larger, wingspan is longer… Seems to have evolved more for endurance rather than speed…”

  [You may pluck my feathers, do not worry.]

  The bird sent a message dripping in amusement. She nodded and gingerly took one from his abdomen and one of his flying feathers. “First time I could ask the Pokemon directly.” Bianca stored them inside a larger case for this occasion.

  The next ten minutes were a round of questions about his biology. His psychic roots, his eating and hygiene habits. She was thankful he didn’t fluster or protest when she inquired about their attachments and reproduction cycles.

  [We are very loyal. Be that be to our partner or our trainer. Only the direst of circumstances can challenge that loyalty, and even then, it often wins.]

  His answers also revealed a lot about the future of society. How humans view Pokemon, how the sport changed and evolved with time. He even had anecdotes of their first years when he was just a Rufflet.

  [Master used to be quite a prankster. He would always try to scare his brother or surprise him. My favorite one was when Hermione and I convinced Master Aidan that he already had dessert, so Master Daniel shared the extra portion with us.] Rodan sent the mental equivalent of a chuckle. [Master Aidan was so distraught after learning what happened.]

  Daniel was smirking at the side, not denying the accusations or feeling embarrassed about them. Below all that, however, she could sense melancholy and sadness. It was subtle but didn’t escape her senses. “Something to tackle on later.”

  [Professor] Rodan addressed her directly. She noticed that nobody else could hear him except for her at this moment [I am leaving Master in your hands. He is grieving and needs a friend. I know you can do it.]

  She subtly nodded, and the bird smiled at her. With a gentle flap of his wings, he silently returned to his perch in the lone tree in the backyard.

  “And now the last one,” Daniel said, eyes flashing pink for a moment.

  Dragapult’s imposing figure shimmered into view between them. The dragon eyed her suspiciously, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Cold seeped into her very being, freezing her veins. A small part inside her brain was screaming at her to run out of there as fast as she could.

  Yet, it was not a foreign feeling. Previously, she had investigated ghosts and dragons. She had explored ancient places containing dangerous Pokemon. She had delved into the wilderness with nothing more than a backpack and her team. With a steady breath, her body relaxed. Her heart rate slowed until it returned to normal, and her joints unlocked.

  “My, what an impressive girl.” She said with a genuine smile on her face.

  There was no malice in the dragon’s eyes. No venom behind her growls. There was just an overwhelming sense of duty and love towards her trainer. The need to protect someone dear to yourself.

  With measured steps, she arrived in front of the ghostly figure. Yellow eyes stared directly at hers, unflinching. Slowly and carefully, Aurea reached with her hands and touched her arrow-shaped head. Casper twitched almost imperceptibly but didn’t react.

  “Seems to be a horn that fused with the skull. It is elongated and slimmed for air resistance.” She made mental notes for herself. Bianca was most likely passed out from the aura that Dragapult emitted. “It doesn’t seem like there is any hidden mechanism to launch Dreepy out of their horn,” she observed. Impressive.”

  Her finger tested the edge, noting that it was dull. Still, something like that hitting at high speeds might as well be a sword. She moved to look up closely, telegraphing all her movements. “Glossy scales. They don’t seem very sturdy, more built for speed.” The tips of her fingers slowly went numb the more she touched. “That should be her cursed body in action.”

  There was not a lot of time until it began to affect her, so she took her samples. Daniel took that as his cue to approach and hold the dragon’s claws. She seemed a bit nervous seeing the needle piercing her scales. The man’s eyes were aflame in pink, radiating feelings of security. Aurea did her best to not let it affect her as she took scales, blood, saliva, and some ectoplasm from her tail.

  When there would be no more prodding, the Pokemon disappeared into thin air. She was probably near them, but the Professor wouldn’t call her out like that. She stood with a smile and looked for her assistant, who was resting on top of Rodan.

  “I wouldn’t have let her sleep on the floor. I like to think I’m a better host than that.”

  “Don’t worry, and sorry for any inconvenience.” She bowed at the man, but he just dismissed it.

  “Like I said, it’s ok. Don’t have any more questions?”

  “Just curiosity. May I ask why you named them like that? Are those future pop culture references?”

  “It’s not a secret.” He shrugged and crossed his arms. “My dad used to tell me and my brother stories when we were kids. Our favorite was about the giant Tyranitar, Godzilla, and his rivalry with the giant Hydreigon, Ghidorah. All those names he threw around ended up sticking, so we called our teams like that. There’s only 2 or 3 names that I came up with on my own, But the majority of my Pokemon were like that.”

  “And how many did you have?”

  “18!” He answered with a smile. “Most of them are Fairy types.”

  “... That’s a significant amount.” Only the truly rich or Gym leaders could take a privilege like that.

  “You can’t imagine how convenient having Automata to help you with menial things is. That and Aura training.” He looked up, thinking for a moment. “There was a guy in my squadron that had 34 in total. He was a beast on the Origin games and Double battles in his heyday.”

  “What if we go inside and share some stories? I would love to hear more of them.”

  “Sure!”

  It was an unexpected point of entry for her impromptu ‘therapy session,’ but useful, nonetheless. She planned on honoring her word, helping the man who gave them so many warnings about the future. But she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t curious about his time. “Two Pidoves with one rock throw, as the youngsters say.”