Unbroken Disguise

After escaping the Eterna Forest, N had been looking forward to a good night’s sleep in a Pokemon Center bed. With the way that Eterna City and the forest shared a name, and the way that they were laid out on the map, he had given himself the false hope that they would be directly adjacent to each other. Reality was a harsh slap in the face when he realized that they were on route 205 once more.

“I dunno why yer surprised. Nobody ever said the alternative path went straight to the city, jus’ that it let ya avoid the forest.”

“I just think the map is a bit misleading is all.” N definitely didn’t pout. “The maps in Unova mark all special locations like forests completely separately from the routes themselves so that there isn’t any confusion.” Though now that he thought about it, the complete lack of those markers probably should have been a good indicator of what he was getting into…

“Relax!” Ash called back to them as he led the group, a smile obvious in his voice. “Sure, maybe Eterna Forest didn’t go exactly the way we hoped,” though curiously he neglected to mention whose fault that was, “but you can think of this as a second chance! Sure, the Pokemon here might be different, but there could still be a new friend right around the corner!”

It was as Ash finished his thought that a concerning sight approached them. A man in a fisherman’s outfit was carrying an unfamiliar Pokemon in his arms as he ran towards them. Smaller than the man’s torso, the creature was incredibly fluffy. Dark brown fur was interrupted by tan stripes, and it looked like there was a black mask over its face.

“Everything is gonna be alright, Zigzagoon. Just hang in there.” The man reassured his friend as he ran towards them. The closer they got, the more obvious it was that the Pokemon had just been on the losing side of a battle. It didn’t appear to be anything serious, but the Pokemon’s fur was matted down and dripping water, and the way that it was clutching a paw to its chest, teeth clenched, made it obvious that there was some sort of injury there.

“Excuse me sir, what happened?” Ash called out before the man could pass them.

The fisherman stopped in front of them, panic clear on his face. “I was just fishing on the river when this Buizel showed up out of nowhere and attacked us! It dragged away my fishing rod and Zigzagoon…” he looked down at the Pokemon in his arms. “Well, you can see how that went.”

A Buizel? If he recalled correctly, those were the orange Pokemon with the yellow tubes around their necks that they had seen in the southern section of the route. The ones he had seen before had looked so peaceful…. He found himself doubting the accuracy of the man’s story. It just showed up out of nowhere and attacked? He’d heard that one before.

“Where are you going now?” Brock asked as he stepped closer to inspect the Zigzagoon.

“I gotta get to the Pokemon Center of course!” The fisherman answered with no hesitation.

“But shouldn’t the closest Pokemon Center be the one in Eterna City?” Ash questioned, his ever present smile now strained.

“Yeah? Look I don’t have time for…” the man paused, looking around their surroundings. “I’m heading the wrong way, aren’t I? I must’ve gotten all turned around in my panic!”

“Just calm down,” Brock ordered as he put a hand on the man’s shoulder. “I have some supplies on me, we can see about getting Zigzagoon fixed up right now.”

“Really? You’re a lifesaver!”

It wasn’t too long after that that the group found themselves fishing at the water’s edge. The man and his Zigzagoon had been sent on their way, the Pokemon looking much better than before, and Ash had managed to get a vague location of where the Buizel had been from the man under the pretense that he was interested in battling it himself.

Though perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Ash and Dawn were fishing, as the only ones in the group with rods.

There was an uneasy silence among them, one that Dawn didn’t quite seem to understand. She set her rod up so that it would stay upright among some rocks before working up the courage to speak. “Is something wrong? You guys have been really quiet ever since that man started talking about the Buizel…”

“That man wasn’t a very good trainer.” Ash responded with his ever present enthusiasm nowhere to be found. “You should always have a way to take care of your Pokemon if they get hurt, and if you run out then you definitely need to know where the nearest Pokemon Center is. He said that he just got turned around, but what was he going to do? Just run all the way back to Floaroma? I doubt he would have found the one by the Valley Windworks.”

“And beyond that,” Brock continued, “his story is… suspect. There certainly have been cases where a wild Pokemon will attack unprovoked, but those are few and far between.”

Dawn frowned. “What do you think happened, then?”

“It could be any number of things,” N took over. “That’s what we’re here to find out. Maybe we’re being overly cautious and this Buizel is just the type who likes to pick fights, but if it’s something else then it might need help.”

“What has you guys looking so glum?” a familiar voice suddenly called out to them.

The group turned away from the river to spot a head of orange hair they hadn’t seen in a little while.

“Zoey!” Dawn called out, the previous mood forgotten in an instant. “I haven’t seen you since the Jubilife contest! Oh, there’s something I need to show you!” The girl started digging through her things as Zoey walked up to them, quickly digging out her ribbon case. “Number one!” She said with a smile as she showed off her single ribbon.

“That’s great! I knew you had it in you, Dawn.”

“What about you? What have you been up to?”

Zoey blushed a bit. “Well, my last contest didn’t go so great, so I’m still at two ribbons for now. I’m hoping to get my third at the Hearthome contest! You’re gonna be there, right?”

“Of course I will! I’m glad you told me, or I wouldn’t have known that’s where the next one is!” Dawn admitted.

“Well, technically there’s another one between now and then, but I have some other things to take care of, so I’ll have to miss it myself. If you want to hit the next one, you’ll have to stop by Alamos Town.”

N wasn’t sure he had ever felt Mimikyu snap to attention so quickly. The little ghost jolted on his shoulder hard enough that he thought his friend might fall off.

“Alamos Town? Where is that?” Ash asked as he pulled out a map.

It’s just northwest of Oreburgh.” Zoey answered, pointing out a spot for the group. Or rather, that’s what N thought she was trying to do, but when he looked all he saw was a lake.

“Are you sure about that…?” Ash hesitantly prompted her.

“Yeah, it’s right there. For some reason the biggest map maker in the region excludes them though. I think I heard it was something about the city trying to run its own government separate from the League? I don’t keep up with all that junk though.” The girl shrugged.

“A place so controversial that it’s excluded from maps, but they host a contest there?” It didn’t make much sense to N.

“Seems weird to me, but if there’s a contest then I have to go!” Dawn exclaimed. “Maybe I’ll be able to get my second ribbon too, and then we’ll be tied going into Hearthome!”

“Heh, you wish!” Zoey teased before her eyes widened. “Oh! Somebody has a bite!”

The group turned back to the river to see Dawn’s rod shaking, threatening to pull straight out of the rocks she had stuck it in and fall into the river.

“That’s mine!” Dawn excitedly ran over to it, giving it a tug and trying to reel in whatever she had hooked.

Except she hadn’t hooked anything. Instead, an orange paw had grabbed the line just above the hook. A Buizel propelled itself out of the water and onto dry land, tossing the line aside and taking up a stance that screamed fight me!

“Which one of you punks is looking for a fight?” The Water type asked, his voice youthful and… deep in a way that sounded off? Like he was a kid who had just gotten past voice cracks and was trying to sound a bit more mature than he actually was.

N let out a sigh of relief. He was still unhappy with how the fisherman had handled an injured Pokemon, but if Buizel was like this right from the start… it definitely supported the man’s story about the Pokemon randomly attacking.

“Looks like Buizel is ready for a battle.” Zoey pointed out the obvious.

“Then I guess we’re up! Let’s do it Piplup!” Dawn cried out as she released her starter.

When the red flash of light faded away and Piplup saw his opponent, he puffed himself up, standing on the tips of his webbed feet to appear larger than he actually was.

Buizel laughed. “That’s it? A pipsqueak like that won’t make me stronger at all!” As if to prove his point, the wild Pokemon coated himself in a veil of rushing water that trailed behind him as he went rocketing straight towards Piplup and sent Dawn’s Pokemon flying before it could react at all. N could barely turn his head fast enough to watch as Piplup tumbled head over webbed feet, over and over, eventually slowing to a stop. He didn’t look to be in great condition though. Scrapes and cuts littered his body, and he struggled to stand back up.

“As if-” Piplup’s voice hitched as it struggled to get the words out, “-that would be enough to beat me!” As he finally got himself upright, it was obvious that he was favoring his left foot.

Buizel tutted. “Not a bad attitude, but you’re still weak.” He spat the word like it was the worst insult he could think of before following it up with spit of a different sort. His mouth opened wide, a jet of water shooting out and striking Piplup right in the face, obscuring the smaller Pokemon’s body in an explosion of mist.

When it finally cleared up, Piplup was out cold, collapsed on the ground.

“Oh no, Piplup!” Dawn’s eyes teared up as she rushed over to her partner.

“I’ve got some potions we can use.” Brock reassured as he followed after her.

“Pathetic. Anyone else feel like losing?” Buizel’s eyes fell to the rest of them.

Mimikyu nervously laughed. “Ah, Pikachu? Ya feelin’ up to it?” Though he phrased it as a question, it was more of a desperate pleading as N felt his friend trying to hide behind his head.

Pikachu didn’t respond with words as he leapt down from Ash’s shoulder, landing on all four paws with his cheeks sparking.

“Looks like it’s our turn then!” Ash proclaimed, a competitive spark clear in his eyes.

The watery veil flowed over Buizel once more, and now that he got a second look at it, N was fairly certain it was an Aqua Jet. Buizel launched himself at Pikachu, apparently intending to finish things the same way that he had with Piplup.

“Dodge it with Quick Attack and then use Iron Tail!” Ash called out.

Iron tail? N found himself confused over the command as Pikachu flashed out of Buizel’s path in a trail of white light. “Why would he use that instead of an Electric type move?” He found himself asking.

“Prob’bly testin’ out a potential recruit,” Mimikyu answered as the Iron Tail connected with Buizel’s side, sending him flying out into the river. Unlike Piplup, however, Buizel took the hit well, jumping back onto land and eyeing Pikachu up once more with a bit more focus on his face. “Buizel is a lot stronger than Piplup, but that don’ exactly mean much. Dawn trains ‘er Pokemon ta look nice, not be strong. He doesn’ know how strong Buizel actually is. If he ‘as Pikachu use Thunderbolt an’ it knocks Buizel out in one hit, that don’ tell ‘im much either, ‘cept that it’s weaker than Pikachu. But since Water types resist Steel types…”

“It acts as a better gauge of power,” N finished the thought. “Or at least how well Buizel can take a hit…” It made sense, when laid out like that. It just wasn’t something he had ever really thought about before. The previous captures he’s witnessed with this group hadn’t been for Pokemon quite so… focused on fighting.

Buizel flicked his tails, and a shockwave followed the movement, quickly colliding with Pikachu before the Electric type could dodge, though it didn’t seem to have much effect beyond pushing Ash’s partner back a bit.

Ash smirked. “Alright, Pikachu! Finish this with Thunderbolt!”

Buizel reacted to the command in an instant, Aqua Jet overtaking his form as he tried to move out of the way… but it was futile. A harsh light blinded N for a second as Pikachu followed the order, and when his vision had cleared up Buizel lay on the ground, still and with a few electrical burns clear on his body.

“Great job buddy!” Ash cheered for his friend. He reached into his bag, and N frowned. He knew this is how things worked. That defeating a wild Pokemon in battle like this would lead to its capture. Buizel definitely seemed better suited to Ash’s lifestyle than most, if this brief meeting was any indication, but it still left a sour feeling in his stomach as he waited for Ash to throw the Pokeball.

But it wasn’t a Pokeball in Ash’s hand. It was a bulbous yellow berry. Zoey looked shocked as Ash walked over to the downed Buizel and gently fed him the Sitrus.

“You aren’t going to catch it?” The coordinator asked.

“I might!” Ash said with a smile. But then his voice became softer, gentler, to the point that N couldn’t hear him. He watched as Buizel slowly stirred, the electrical burns still present, but not debilitating. They talked for a moment, even if Ash couldn’t understand the Pokemon’s words directly, and it was only afterwards that Ash pulled out a Pokeball.

Buizel tapped the button with his paw, disappearing in a flash of red light.

“Huh.” Zoey’s eyes were still wide. “That’s one way to go about it…”

“Yep! We should probably get to a Pokemon Center though. Piplup and Buizel need to get checked out!” Ash held out the freshly filled Pokeball as Pikachu climbed back up to his shoulder.

“Ash sure is an interestin’ guy, ain’ he?” Mimikyu spoke up.

Yes. Yes, he was.

It turned out that the next Pokemon Center was not in Eterna City, but rather right on the route, not too far from where they had picked up Buizel. Unlike the one on the other end of route 205, however, this one looked just as modern as the ones in the cities.

“They really need to get better maps here,” N complained. “This one isn’t even marked!”

“Well, this one looks pretty new,” Brock pointed out. “It’s possible that it was put here after the map was made.”

N wasn’t too keen to believe that, but he had no evidence to the contrary, so he conceded the point.

As they walked inside the building, they saw the local Nurse Joy talking to someone in a red suit with wavy purple hair.

“...and I said no.” Joy frowned at the stranger.

“Fine, fine.” A deep, refined voice conceded as the stranger held up their hands in defeat. “If that’s how you feel then I won’t push.” Stepping away from the counter, they walked off into a side room without ever giving N the chance to see their face.

That’s when Joy spotted them, a smile clearing away her previous frustration. “Hello and welcome to the Pokemon Center, how can I help you?”

“Would you mind helping out my Buizel?” Ash requested.

“And my Piplup?” Dawn added.

“And my lonely heart?!” Brock rushed ahead, a dopey grin on his face.

Joy took a step back, confusion clear on her face. “...your lonely heart?”

A flash of red light indicated Croagunk’s self release, and Brock quickly crumpled to the floor as he took a Poison Jab to the gut.

“I keep forgetting to ask about that…” N remembered.

“Maybe it’s best if ya jus’ don’ know.” Mimikyu suggested.

Nurse Joy quickly moved past it, the smile returning to her face once more. “Of course I can help out your Pokemon, it’s what I do!” But her smile turned brittle. “Although… could I trouble you with doing something for me in return?”

Despite having just been downed, Brock leapt back up. “Anything for you Nurse Joy!”

The woman hesitated for a moment, but then steeled herself. “Do any of you have experience raising Pokemon eggs?”

“Pokemon eggs?” Dawn repeated, surprised by the question.

“Of course!” Brock quickly agreed. “I’m currently training to become a Pokemon Breeder, and I’ve spent time working with several professors, and I’ve helped to raise a Togepi, Phanpy, Larvitar, and an Eevee from eggs!”

Nurse Joy’s eyebrows rose, and she looked to the rest of them for confirmation.

Ash paused for a moment as he thought it over. “Well, I guess that’s all true. You did help raise them all.”

Nurse Joy sighed a breath of relief. “Then please, take this!” Quickly running into the back room, she came back out with a pink egg with a white stripe.

“Wait, you want me to just take an egg? How is that a favor to you?” Brock’s lovestruck expression faded away as he realized that Nurse Joy was serious.

“I just want to make sure this Pokemon ends up in good care. I’ve got too many little ones running around here as it is, and some people,” she glared in the direction the person from earlier had wandered off to, “are a bit too insistent that it should be going to them.”

“I see…” Brock carefully accepted the egg from her, hugging it close to his chest. “I’ll take good care of it then.”

Joy’s shoulders sagged. “Thank you. Now, you kids had some Pokemon that needed healing?”

N tuned the rest of the conversation out, his eyes wandering to the same direction that Joy’s had.

What sort of person would try to pressure a Joy into giving up an egg? And for her to push it off onto the first people she saw afterward…

They must either be a maniac…

Or powerful.