Leaf

  —

  "Erin, what's Groudon?"

  She really wasn't expecting that question, and she jerked. Well, she tried. Considering her state, it just drew a pained wince from her. I felt bad even as her maid gave me a slight frown, Healing Pulse already soothing my new… sister.

  It was so weird. I mean, I didn't mind, I loved Erin already, but I had spent about the same time seeing her conscious as unconscious. She was from a different world, she died, and she came to the world of her favorite video game! Then she ends up traveling with her favorite video game character! Then she gets adopted into that character's family! I mean, I was leaving a lot out, but still!

  I already loved her. I truly did enjoy the fact that I had a sister now, and that it was her. That didn't stop Erin from being weird. I guess me too, technically… I'm a video game character, or at least one was based on me… In another world. Where my new sister comes from, and died in.

  I loved Erin, and I know she loved us, but I got the feeling the whole thing was a little weird for her, too. Welcome, wanted, but weird, still fresh. She hadn't said anything, didn't even see anyone yesterday other than Pokemon. We understood, though, and it hadn't been that surprising when we were called in this morning. Erin Phoebas Greenwood was my new sister. Greenwood because, and I quote, 'I kind of forgot about Feebas when I named myself and it felt weird when I heard it, like I was a Feebas, honestly. It was so weird at the police station and the Center.'

  That was a very Erin thing to do…

  She finally opened her eyes and glared at me, then flicked her eyes at the maid. Her maid, though not her Pokemon. I grinned at her tired glare.

  "To serve is to be silent about your charges' secrets, Erin." The maid nodded, before she tilted her head to the side in thought, then lifted a finger. She rushed out of the room, and after a minute she rushed back carrying a tiny hand bell on a small, intricate stand. It looked like… the exact kind of thing you would have a maid bring you if you needed privacy, but may need the maid back.

  It also looked fancy! It was made of crystal! Where did this come from? I knew mom wouldn't spend money on something like this. I mean, she would love to, it was beautiful, but the Ranch came first…

  "Okay, I'll ring you if she needs you. Hold on though, where'd you get this?" She gave me a warm smile (because what other kind would she give?) and held up her small fist. She pointed to one side, then the other. Oh, really?

  "From Galar? Did the Nurse College send you some stuff?" She nodded happily, bowed her head at me and Erin, then retreated from the room, closing the door. I turned back to Erin.

  "Well now I'm really curious what else they got. Bet their clinic looks nicer now. Hopefully we can find some woodworkers or something to fancy it up eventually…" I trailed off as I noticed Erins frown. Her voice was low and wary as she spoke.

  "Where did you hear that?" Wow, she was not happy. I looked at her in confusion.

  "Mom?" Her face fell, and her eyes teared up instantly. Her eyes screwed shut as she groaned.

  "Maybe I should just do it… No, I can't break a contract…" Not alarming at all, Erin!

  "Erin, what am I missing here?" She refused to speak to me, tears just flowing lightly. What was I missing? What would set her off lik- Oh. Oh, I had the horrible feeling I knew exactly when and where mom had heard the name Groudon.

  The silence stretched out, and I was unwilling to break it. Mom hadn't told me what the context was. Just the word Groudon. It was a Legendary, obviously, but which one? I'd never heard of it before. Most people knew Arceus and Giratina, maybe the Legendary Birds. At least here in Kanto.

  Eventually Erin spoke, voice low and quiet.

  "Groudon is the Continent Pokemon. It was the one to form the continents, supposedly. It can… devastate the world with a heatwave, evaporate the oceans. Almost used a few years ago. I never got details from Looker, but it was similar enough to the games. Its counterpart is Kyogre, the Sea Basin Pokemon. It can flood the world with storms, and once again, it almost did. They are both… asleep." She perked up a little.

  "Rayquaza, the Sky High Pokemon, is the Legendary of the Sky. It is the greatest dragon that actively lives in this world, and not in its own dimension."

  Her voice was awed as she continued. Also jealous, and I mean that literally! Stupid dragon aura nonsense…

  "Its territory is the ozone layer. The planet is its domain, and we are all so infinitely lucky that it desires to do good. People lucky enough to see it dont know it, because they think it must be a meteor. It is up there, right now, swimming through the sky somewhere, the void of space so close, zealously defending its jewel from the darkness. It has done so in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. If ever there was a hero of the Pokemon world, it is Rayquaza."

  Her eyes opened a little and gave me an awed, jealous, hungry gaze.

  "They are the Super Ancient Pokemon, Leaf. The Weather Trio. When the land and sea do battle, the sky stops them from disturbing its domain." Her eyes closed again. She didn't speak again, and technically she had answered my question already.

  So I asked another one.

  "Why did mom hear Groudon's name while I was… frozen?" Her eyes didn't open, but I could see the glow as it escaped between her eyelids.

  "You don't need to know that, Leaf." She was so serious it almost hurt.

  No, you know what, it did hurt! So much!

  "Does she know about what it did to your mind?" This time her eyes opened, and I regretted my words the second she did. The look in her eyes…

  I don't think I had been that horrified by what it was doing to her! She looked so lost! She looked at me like I was… Like it hurt just to see me, now.

  To know what I had seen.

  Her eyes closed, and she began to cry, and just as I reached for the bell, she spoke in a pained, haunted whisper.

  "It made her listen and it made you watch…"

  Then she was sobbing, but the bell had barely rang before her maid was there already, and I could hear another one rushing up the stairs right now. I needed to leave, let her… calm down, but I couldn't just say nothing…

  "We love you, Erin. I love you. I am so sorry I said that." I was already out the door, but her only replies were sobs anyways.

  Mom knew something was wrong without having to see my face. The maid rushing through did that all on its own. She knew it was bad by the look on my face, and she didn't say anything as she got up from the couch where she'd been relaxing. She'd just found out she aced her exams from yesterday, but the joy of it was kind of… gone, now.

  I walked to our new garden hill, up to the top. Kallen filled the pond every day while we were still here, and the small water system would be installed in a few days. It was literally just a trainer with a Diglett and the equipment, but they came highly recommended. It was a good thing we had Kallen, because if not, these young trees wouldn't look so healthy, not without a lot of buckets…

  I took a seat on the basic stone bench the workers had installed, mom sitting next to me silently. We'd get something nice up here later, it was pretty plain right now, like… a lot of the Ranch, actually. It was a nice, peaceful day. A little overcast, but it was still summer. It made me a little sad to see our large Ranch laid out below so empty of Pokemon, but in time…

  "Mom, what did you hear while I was frozen?" She didn't freeze, but she had been so still anyways it wouldn't have been noticeable. She took a deep breath and released it.

  "You obviously suspect, but you don't need to know that, Leaf." Again! Both of them! I slid away from her, turning my whole body to stare at her directly. Her eyes were worried. They should be.

  "I am not a child! I'm so tired of both of you treating me like one! I was there, mom! You can't possibly think ignoring what happened is a good idea?" She was frowning at me now.

  "Yes, Leaf, you are a child. What good would it do? Do you want to know what she said so badly? Why? So you can ambush her again?" I jerked back a bit, hurt by that.

  "Erin said the same thing you did, mom. It's too bad both of you missed something about that day!" Her expression was turning horrified, but I had to just… get it out. Before I couldn't anymore.

  "It made you listen, but it let me watch! It was as subtle as a box propped up with a stick, so obviously a bad idea, but it was my choice, because of course, all life is curious! That's what makes it life! I couldn't not look at what was right in front of me, and then I couldn't look away! You heard the beginning, but I saw it the entire time we were in there, mom!" Her hands were covering her mouth as she stared at me in horror.

  "Maybe I wanted to know about Groudon to go catch it myself! She told me what it IS! She threatened it, didn't she? She threatened it with a Legendary that could bring its mountain down, and it knew she was telling the truth! That she would do it!" My mom was trying to hug me at this point, but I stood up and began pacing. I had bottled this up for so long.

  "Maybe I want to know for myself, mom! Maybe I want to go capture a Legendary and destroy that thing for what it did to her!" My mom tried to hug me, to stop my pacing, but I just shrugged her off.

  "Maybe I want to go murder that thing! Maybe I want to squeeze it, too! I know there has to be a Pokemon of Space! I'll just do what it did to her! I'll have the Space Pokemon just compress it! That's all! Just like it did to her!" Her arms were strong this time, and I let myself be caught.

  Her voice was so soft as she spoke.

  "Leaf, it… It made me listen as…" I cut her off before she could continue. I didn't actually need to know, not unless she wanted to share.

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  I just… hadn't been able to hold it in anymore.

  "I saw, mom. It made you listen to what it did to her, but it couldn't let you see. I watched her mind…" I trailed off and let her lead me back to the bench.

  The Indeedee found us there when they grew worried.

  —

  Patricia Greenwood

  —

  "What if I screw up, Professor? This is my only chance! I can't fail!" I was so nervous, standing in the small back room of our packed community center. There were over three hundred people out there. Pallet Town had a population of four hundred and twelve. There were… I think thirty or so children of various ages that didn't count towards the vote. If I could convince this crowd, I would succeed.

  I just had to do it, and I was so nervous!

  "Patricia, look me in my eyes and tell me you think you could screw this up." Professor Oak's eyes were so confident and calm that the sight of them actually managed to calm me a little. Just a little. Sort of. I couldn't feel calmer, really, but the sight made me want to try.

  "I mean, I know that what we're going to tell them, show them, should work! There should be no reason for it not to! I just can't help but-" His hand came down on my shoulder and squeezed.

  "Patricia. Everything will be fine. I introduce you, tell them what you're doing and how much I approve. I tell them how safe it is. Then you demonstrate how safe it is. That sounds rather simple to me." He had a small smile on his face, but he was serious. It really was that simple to him!

  I wished I could be so calm about the entire thing, but that was impossible…

  —

  "Thank you all for coming here this evening! I know many of you don't know who I am! I am Professor Oak, the Pokemon Professor!" There were chuckles and even a few laughs. Like anyone in this room wouldn't know who the Professor was.

  "I believe we all know why we're here, so how about we get straight to it, shall we?" There was general agreement from the crowd. We weren't exactly quiet over at the Ranch, and Mrs. Maple had been spreading the word. We weren't a huge city, after all. Not to mention the notices, of course...

  "Now, I know you've heard many rumors about fae. Let me just go ahead and tell you the facts. Fairies, fae, are known for many things. I could and have rambled on about them before, so I wont subject you all to that." More chuckles. "One of the abilities of the fae are 'true contracts'. It is extraordinarily rare to encounter a fae who can mediate one, and even rarer to find one who will. A true contract is more than a legal document, as I'm sure many of you are aware."

  "A true contract binds its subject irrevocably. If the contract stated they would have to bark like an Arcanine every time they hear the sound of shoes squeaking, they would, and would have no option not to. They are dangerous things, but just like a scalpel is sharp and hurts, it can also help. The types of true contracts you will hear about tonight are a different, more benevolent type. They are meant to stop impulsive, instinctive actions that cause misery and heartache."

  "You've all heard the happenings around the edges of town. The construction the other day, a large Pokemon that you can feel run, an Alpha Fearow that technically carried off a young girl, if only back to her own yard. They startle you, they make you nervous. Not to mention poor Charizard visiting them just to hang out and chat!" He gave the audience a mock glare and they groaned good-naturedly.

  Everyone knew Charizard was a sweetheart. Knowing intellectually doesn't help your body think it's not about to end violently.

  "A kind, generous soul is going to open a Rescue Ranch here on the outskirts of town, and I can absolutely guarantee each and every single one of you this! There will be no incidents beyond normal Pokemon play from a rescue. Ever. A fae's contract is forever binding." He wasn't mad, not at all, he was just firm, but the whole crowd sort of sat upright, spines straightening.

  "She is going to open this Rescue Ranch to do the kind of thing I wish I had been able to do, but never was. I was never able to, so instead I'm going to support this kind woman who will. I will never tell you what decision to make, but I will say this: I want Patricia Greenwood's Ranch to succeed just as much as my own. Those poor Pokemon deserve the chance to be pain-free, to be happy, to be loved. They don't deserve what usually happens to them, through no fault of their own." The whole crowd winced.

  "Patricia, if you would?" He looked at me, and then it was time. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. My butler (and I get the feeling it was inevitable it would be the sterner one who turned out to be so attached to me) patted me on my back, and he fell into step behind me as I walked out, hands clasped behind him. It was the most attention I had ever been subjected to as over three hundred people turned their gazes on me and my butler.

  I froze up, but my butler somehow glared at my back and I kept walking. I really wanted to know how they did that! It felt like they slapped you, but there was no pain! I strode to Professor Oak and stood next to him, turning to face the crowd.

  Arceus that's a lot of eyes!

  "H-Hello, everyone! I'm sure you didn't expect this from me!" I heard some chuckling, but not much. I was known before the storm named Erin swept in, sure, but not well. Not that I was surprised. I mean, I was nothing special. Work from home, single mother, single child. Dime a dozen in this world.

  "I honestly don't think I can top what Professor Oak said with a speech, so I'll just show you all." The chuckles that started stopped.

  "Clefairy, can you come say hello to all these nice people, dear?" The front row grew very uncomfortable, and the entire crowd grew quiet when Clefairy popped into existence above me. I caught her as she fell. She loved coming out of her Pokeball like that. We stood there facing the crowd, and I gulped.

  Then I got to it.

  "This is Clefairy, and she is my daughter's Pokemon. She is more than willing to lend me Clefairy whenever necessary to bind these unfortunate rescues, however. Clefairy is also more than willing. I assume that everyone here knows the fae cannot lie?" I barely waited for the nods before I started asking her questions.

  "Clefairy, will you ever take anything while mediating these contracts? Will you gain anything other than the joy of helping?" She shook her head both times, and the crowd grew restless.

  "Do you want to help them because it makes you feel good to help others?" She nodded, smiling widely, and I heard gasps, not that I blamed them. I was still somewhat in disbelief.

  "Do you want to do this because you feel bad for them? Because you want to help them in some way? Did you form a contract with yourself, come to a decision about wanting to help others, because of a single moment in time?" She nodded rapidly throughout, then drooped in my arms. She still nodded. The crowd was so silent as they watched us.

  "Was that moment the look of hope in Koffings eyes? The desperate hope that she could experience something other than pain and terror?" My throat tightened as I spoke. Clefairy nodded gently, tears in her eyes. Mine too. I heard a few sniffles from the audience, and I glanced at the Professor quickly before I could get too nervous. He nodded, placing a hand on my shoulder in support. I let Clefairy drop, and she bounced over to stand near my butler. He gave her a single nod.

  The Indeedee liked Clefairy, and if that wasn't a good indication of her nature, I don't know what was.

  "When I left to come here tonight, I asked the rescues we currently have if anyone would be willing to demonstrate their bindings. I'm sure some of you have already seen my Pokemon, the Rattata Lucy, demonstrate hers over video. She was ecstatic to be bound to House Pokemon status. She will never hurt anyone. She can never. It's unfortunate, actually, because that includes self defense. To accept a binding like that is to put yourself entirely at someone else's mercy." I scanned the wet-eyed crowd.

  "I'm sure you can understand why they have trouble with that."

  "I had many volunteers to come here tonight and demonstrate. One Pokemon stood out to me, however. She loves nothing more than floating in the sunshine, honey buns, and Poke-dramas. I'll forgive her that last one." There was a single chuckle, but everyone's eyes were on the Pokeball I had pulled out. Floating. Not hard to figure it out.

  "She was a Move Pokemon. Team Rocket captured her in the wild. Then they… encouraged her to Explode the instant she's released from her Pokeball unless she hears an order to eat. Her life was nothing more than frantically eating, Exploding, and sitting in a Pokeball while the overworked auto-healing struggled. I don't say this to make you feel bad for her. I say this because I want you to be very quiet when she comes out. She can't Explode, but she is still so scared. She wants to help others like herself, though, and is being so brave." I fiddled with her Pokeball for a moment, then looked at the Professor in frustration, holding her Pokeball out. He chuckled and took it from me.

  "The controls for the sensors are designed to be almost impossible to accidentally open by hand, so they are purposefully overly complicated… There." He grew quiet and handed me the Pokeball. The Pokeball that now had full sensory input. I hadn't wanted her to hear all of that.

  "Koffing, sweetheart, we're here. You don't have to do anything, okay? You can just float. Nobody will hurt you, nobody will make you do anything sweetie, I swear it." The ball rattled, and suddenly she was there, in front of me. It may have only been the third time she had released herself, first at the Pokemon Center, the second when she came to my house. Her eyes were wide and fearful, and she instantly began to tear up under the eyes of so many people. She turned around, saw me, and slammed into my chest.

  She was touching me by her own choice! For comfort, yes, in panic, yes, but I would still take it!

  I gently encircled her with my arms, softly whispering to her. My butler reached up and laid a hand on her and she calmed down a little. Not much, but I felt ready to look at the audience.

  There were tears, which I had hoped to see, but there were fearful glances as well. I would never blame them for that, but I wouldn't let it continue.

  "I'm sure you're all wondering exactly what contract Koffing here is under? She is under the less restrictive one. She can defend herself."

  A few chairs skidded and I spoke up quickly, firmly. Not sharply, but with steel in my voice, like I had heard from Raihan, from the Professor. My butler glared at them even as I spoke, and he had been getting a lot of looks. Indeedee weren't exactly commonly seen even in Galar, much less the other side of the planet.

  "Sit down and listen to the contract before you react like that! Is Professor Oak nervous?" He wasn't, not at all. He looked like he wanted to comfort Koffing, actually, but he knew not to touch her. This was the first time she had willingly touched someone else other than Erin.

  "I will now read the exact words used for Koffing, here. We couldn't ask her to accept the house Pokemon binding, but should she wish it, it can be added. These were rough bindings, made in the heat of the moment, and we will be looking into making them… better. I regret that they must be used at all. Far more than you can possibly imagine…" I cleared my throat and began reading from a note card. I knew these words, they were seared into my mind, but it looked better, knowing that I was reading it exactly.

  "Do you, of your free and willing volition, pledge to do no harm to any person, Pokemon or human, without the express permission of your trainer, or in true defense of self or others? To never utilize type energy except at your trainers direct instruction? Do you agree to bind your ability to control your own body for a period of time no greater than ten seconds, aside from automatic processes such as breathing, should you begin to act in direct or instinctive opposition to these terms?"

  There were a lot of murmurs now, less fearful and more thoughtful, and I felt so proud of my new daughter at that moment. Erin had rushed these bindings terribly, and they still weren't… terrible. I felt a pat on my back from my butler and I smiled.

  "Okay dear, you can go back in any time you feel like it. The Professor will turn the sensors back off when you do, and Leaf will turn them back on so you can release yourself at home. Thank you so much for coming out tonight, sweetheart. You are so brave, Koffing." She started crying into my shirt, and a few seconds later she returned herself. I handed her Pokeball to the Professor and turned to the crowd.

  "Are there any questions?" An older lady stood up and I pointed at her.

  "Why do you have an Alpha Fearow, Patricia?" I couldn't help the laugh that broke out at that, and most of the crowd couldn't either. Professor Oak was also chuckling as I gave the lady a mock glare, hands on my hips, grateful for the change in atmosphere. The mood felt much lighter now.

  "I can answer that, but are there any questions about the safety of the Ranch?" There was silence in the auditorium, and I could see all eyes turn to Professor Oak. I turned. He was smiling at me, the same small smile he'd had backstage.

  "I told you, Patricia." That was all he said, just smiling at me and the crowd. I turned back to the lady and beamed a huge smile at her. I was so grateful right now, and my butler was probably, as Professor Oak had put it, too full to work properly.

  "Maddy is my friend, that's it, really. My daughter… Professor, what is the technical term for literally running into an Alpha Fearow in the dark, scaring that Alpha Fearow half to death, and then convincing it to give you a moonlit flight while still uncaught? Did my daughter abduct her, somehow?" He burst into laughter, but the crowd was so confused. I smiled at them.

  "My daughter brought her home still wild, and we enjoyed a quiet morning chatting over coffee and muffins. It was rather inevitable, at that point." The crowd was murmuring disbelievingly, and I smiled.

  I can't say I hadn't picked up a few things from Erin, and my smiles could be much sharper than they were before. When I wanted to make them that way, I just channeled Maddy or Leto's smiles. They were all sharp.

  "I flew here tonight, if you'd like to meet her?" I held up her Ultra Ball and felt a tiny bit bad about the nervousness I could see on everyone's faces.

  Far more amused, though.

  Maybe I picked up more than just sharp smiles from Erin…