Unbroken Disguise

It wasn’t until the sun was setting on the horizon that N and Mimikyu got any news on their fate. Not that they could actually see the sunset, given that they were for all intents and purposes confined to a back room in Elesa’s gym. She had made sure the pair were fed, and all their basic needs taken care of, but it seemed the model took Champion Cynthia’s word as law. With neither windows in the room, nor a clock on the wall, N only knew the time because of his phone which surprisingly hadn’t been confiscated. Though with how reliant the League are on their Pokemon, perhaps it’s not so odd that they would forget technological methods of communication in the heat of the moment.

Despite Cynthia’s warnings that they were not to leave until she said otherwise, it was Alder who returned to the gym that evening. Champion Alder didn’t see fit to bring Elesa into the conversation as he entered the back room, his face starting to show his exhaustion from the day.

“If you’ve not figured it out already from my presence here, Cynthia has decided you’re not worth coming back for and left you to me!” He tried to play up the boisterous and loud personality that his appearance suggested, but it was half-hearted at best.

“What’s up with that? I don’ get why Cynthia is leadin’ ya by the nose in yer own region.” It had been bugging N as well, but he hadn’t thought of just outright asking the man. That seemed… ill advised.

“I’m decent at understanding what my team is trying to tell me, but I’m afraid I’ve never even met a Mimikyu before you, so I’m gonna need a little help here.” Alder replied with a gentle smile.

“Ah. Right. I really need ta get used ta that…” Mimikyu grumbled as he repeated his query on the board.

Alder lost his smile when he read it. “There’s no need for you two to go getting yourselves wrapped up in all that. You’ve drawn enough of Cynthia’s ire as it is!” He tried to laugh it off. “Just know that she and I don’t always see eye to eye. And that may or may not include how we want to deal with you two. She probably said a lot of crazy stuff while I was elsewhere, right?”

“I suppose you could put it that way.” N muttered as he recalled the threats made against them.

“Yeah, that’s Cynthia alright. She’s got her heart in the right place about 90% of the time, but… well, let’s just focus on what’s actually going to happen with you two. Seeing as I’ve been left to decide, I hereby sentence you to…”

The duo tensed at his phrasing.

“-being free to go, and with an apology.”

“...that’s it?” N asked.

“Yep! Maybe a few words of advice, too, if you’re into that sort of thing.”

“This reeks of shady, but I s’pose we should take what we can get.” Mimikyu suggested.

“What sort of advice are you offering?” N probed.

“Well…” the Champion paused, clearly trying to choose his words carefully, “First of all, I think it would be a good idea for you two to avoid League officials if you can, but Cynthia in particular isn’t someone you’re going to want to tango with at the moment. Cynthia had been in a good mood recently, but with all this business with Fairy types now, I have a feeling she’ll be prickly as a Maractus for the foreseeable future. Whether you like it or not, whether you intended to or not, you’re now wrapped up in it, and as the first ones called in, it’ll be your faces that come to mind whenever this is brought up.”

“Is there a way to get ourselves removed from the League’s interest list? I’d really rather not have to watch my back everywhere I go.”

“Not really. I can direct resources within Unova to other things, but as this is League territory, there’s going to be League agents who are looking into you regardless. I think it’s likely that you’ll be monitored, but I’m not sure to what degree. It could be as little as having a Porygon monitoring all of your calls, but it could be as much as having multiple teams actively tracking you, your movements, and the people you interact with. Between you and me…” Alder leaned in conspiratorially, “I think it would be a good time for you to get out of the League all together.”

“Leave the League?!” N was shocked that the Champion of all people would suggest such a thing, and the squeaking of a marker indicated that he was not the only one.

“I’ll ignore all the indicators that you’d like to leave the League as well, Alder. I assume that you’re unable to tell us any specifics on why we should leave? Where would you even have us go?” Mimikyu wrote.

“I’ll ignore that you wrote that, you would be correct, and… that’s a tricky question. Regions that are explicitly against the League are right out, unless you want Cynthia and the others thinking that you were spies at best, and intentional saboteurs intent on bringing down the League at worst. Alola are technically neutral, and Kukui’s efforts are strengthening the relationship… You’d probably fit in there, since Mimikyu are native to the region. Plus they’re generally open and accepting people…” Alder paused for a moment, considering the options available to them. “I think your best bet would be Almia. A good people, basically no League influence, and with little chance of that changing any time soon with how things are set up over there. The rangers aren’t too fond of us.”

“All I know about Almia is its name…” N hesitantly said.

“It’s a good place. Probably about what you’d expect out of Sinnoh if the League didn’t exist. I heard something about some issues popping up, but I don’t think-” Alder cut himself off when Mimikyu smacked his marker against the whiteboard with a thud.

“No,” he had written. “I need to go to Sinnoh.”

The Champion sighed. “She had said something about Spear Pillar… are you certain you need to go there? The most powerful person in the region is quite annoyed with you.”

That was certainly downplaying things, but N wasn’t looking to poke a Durant’s nest.

“I understand that. Going to Sinnoh isn’t something I want to do on a whim. I NEED to go there.” The little ghost underlined “need” three times to emphasize the point.

“If that’s how it is… you’re free to decide your own fate. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you, alright?”

Mimikyu made his disguise nod in response.

“And what about you, young man?” Alder gestured to N. “Are you going along with him? I was led to believe that Mimikyu here isn’t actually your Pokemon, but I’m not entirely sure of what your relationship is…”

“I…”

Did N want to go to Sinnoh with Mimikyu? The region in and of itself wasn’t that appealing to him, but perhaps that was because he didn’t know much about it. He was meant to be exploring and learning about how the world really worked. What sort of opposition he might be up against. It had been implied that he should be investigating the Unova region. That was where he would rule in the future after all. But… it had never been explicitly stated, had it? If he followed the letter of his instructions rather than the spirit, he could obey the orders given to him while following Mimikyu to Sinnoh.

But why should he? He had known the little ghost for less than a day. Getting involved with the Pokemon had gotten him into all sorts of trouble with the League, and that’s not exactly something he should be doing at the moment. Surely it would be better for the officials to have no idea who he was when it came time for his coronation. Blindsiding them would mean less resistance. But at the same time…

Mimikyu was… interesting. A Pokemon he had never seen before, mysteriously dropped off in the middle of a forest that he just happened to be exploring. Yes, contact with Mimikyu frightened him. But how could he claim to be on the side of Pokemon if he didn’t explore that which he didn’t understand? This ghostly energy he was unfamiliar with, an entire Type he was unaware existed until today! If the Fairy Type truly was “infecting” other Pokemon, wouldn’t it bolster his position if he found himself to be the leading expert in Unova on it?

And then there was the mystery beyond Mimikyu’s physical form. The strange accent that he couldn’t place, the way the little fairy seemed to know things that he shouldn’t. Perhaps they were just good at hiding it, but N didn’t think that the Champions were often called upon because a Pokemon suspiciously knew too much. How Mimikyu claimed to know multiple scripts, how it was able to use the internet without issue, the strange things Mimikyu had been looking up, and that was only the small bit N had seen!

But what really did him in was the concern. He had just gotten a taste of what things were like behind the scenes. How was Mimikyu meant to deal with that on his own? N didn’t trust the average trainer, let alone the League. Letting Mimikyu go off without him there to assist… it was as good as throwing Mimikyu to the Krookodiles.

There was plenty of time between now and when the plans would go into effect. If he wanted to save all Pokemon from such a fate… perhaps just this one would be good practice.

“Yes. I’ll be going with him.”

Not wanting to get them to Sinnoh just before dark, and with N already having a room booked at the Nimbasa Pokemon Center, Alder dismissed the two, telling them to meet him in the lobby bright and early in the morning. Seeing the residents of the city worriedly whisper to each other about the lockdown that had come so quickly and disappeared just as fast was concerning, but there was little they could do about the actions of the highest officials in the League. That was Alder’s problem.

It made for a night of little sleep, but also little talk. The nerves of what was to come kept the duo distracted with their own thoughts.

But morning came all the same, and N returned the room key without issue to a cheerful Nurse Joy, despite the early hour. Just a few minutes later, Alder appeared to do just the same before approaching them. He wasn’t alone though. Floating by his side was a Pokemon about three times the size of Mimikyu. A brown body with strange symmetrical black markings on it and a head bigger than the rest of it combined. A Beheeyem.

“You slept here?” N asked the man.

“Why not? If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me. Besides, it saves our Psychics the effort if I’m not jumping all over the place constantly. You two got everything you need? I can have Beheeyem here teleport you straight to Sinnoh.”

“Greetings.” The Beheeyem greeted them.

“Could ya not speak directly into our minds? After the little incident yesterday, I’m not too keen on havin’ a Psychic in my head for even that much. No offense.”

“Apologies.” The Psychic physically spoke this time.

“Wait a moment,” N interrupted. “I was under the impression that no Pokemon native to Unova were capable of using Teleport.”

“Normally, you’d be correct.” Alder responded. “The truth of the matter is that no Unova Pokemon naturally learn Teleport. Since our introduction to the League, however, we’ve found that with the right parentage, an Elgyem can know the move straight out of the egg. Pair that with the fact that they’re some of the few Pokemon with the ability Telepathy and you’ll find that they’re the ideal Pokemon when it comes to long distance transportation in the region.”

“And you’re alright with being used as a living taxi service?” N asked the Psychic.

“It is an acceptable arrangement. We are properly compensated for our services.” Beheeyem responded both telepathically and verbally to accommodate his audience.

N wasn’t so sure about that, but he wasn’t about to argue otherwise with the present company.

“So where in Sinnoh are you trying to get to? I know you mentioned Spear Pillar, but that area isn’t exactly somewhere I’m allowed to send people straight to. High security and all that.I could do a nearby town? Eterna, Celestic, Hearthome, Oreburgh… maybe even straight into Mt. Coronet if you’re feeling adventurous, though I’d not recommend that since I don’t see any Pokeballs on you.”

The names were all vaguely familiar to N at best, so he turned to his companion.

“Sandgem, if ya would.”

Beheeyem translated for Alder, who looked confused by the answer. “Sandgem? You know where that is, right? You’d have to travel through Jubilife and then Oreburgh, when I could just get you straight to the latter.”

“If goin’ straight ta Spear Pillar is an issue like ya said, travelin’ a bit means time ta prepare a team ta help up get there.”

A reasonable answer, though N doubted that was the whole truth. When Beheeyem finished translating, Alder seemed to accept it.

“Good enough for me, I guess!”

A flash of blinding light, and then, the wind on his skin.

N had never teleported before, and he did not like the feeling. His body seemed to agree with him, seeing as he was almost immediately bent over and losing what little he had eaten for breakfast.

Alder wrinkled his nose as he turned away, looking out into the small town instead. “Gross. Guess I should have warned you about how disorienting it can be for first timers…”

“Eh? I’m feelin’ perfectly fine though. Is it ‘cause I’m a Pokemon?” Mimikyu asked while N tried to recover.

“Human physiology is much more susceptible to ailments such as this one.” Beheeyem answered.

“As much as I’d love to stay and chat,” Alder interrupted the conversation he couldn’t understand, “I really don’t need Rowan catching wind of me being here. Do me a favor and don’t mention my name.”

Another flash of light, much less blinding now that they were outdoors, and the Champion and his Psychic transport were gone, leaving N and Mimikyu on their own in a foreign land.

“Rowan, eh? Good ‘nough place ta start. Let’s see if we can’t find that lab.” Having been teleported to just outside the town, Mimikyu started scouring the buildings for one that seemed like it might be their destination.

Another wave of nausea from N put a delay on that plan.

“Note ta self. Look into teleportation sickness pills…”

“Professor, you have some guests who want to speak with you.”

“Yes, yes, I’ll be with them in a moment.” Rowan responded. It seemed he was quite popular this week. New trainers, Samuel’s trainer starting a new journey, Cynthia and her Fairy nonsense… At this rate none of his research was going to make any progress at all.

But any reservations he had quickly evaporated when he saw his guests. Not the human, he couldn’t care less about the young man, but the Pokemon… Did his eyes deceive him?

“Hello there, I’m Professor Rowan. Is there something I can help you with?” He tried to keep calm, to play it cool, to not freak out upon the fact that, if his memory on Alolan Pokemon proved accurate, a bonafide Fairy type had just walked into his lab.

“We were hoping to have a moment of your time.” The boy answered, looking to all of his assistants. There was a strong accent to his words, like he wasn’t used to speaking the language. Unovan in origin? “Privately, if possible, and Mimikyu here would appreciate something to write on.”

Rowan didn’t think he had moved so quickly in twenty years. A notebook and pen were snatched off a table, whatever was written inside being torn out and tossed aside. The mediocre research done by his team was nowhere near as important as every second he could get with the first Fairy type he had seen in… well, this might actually be the first he’d seen. The first confirmed case anyway. He was getting ahead of himself though.

“Come, come! We can talk outside!” He tried to be marginally polite to his esteemed guests before shouting out “Nobody is to disturb us!” and leading them out the back door to the battlefield used just yesterday.

“Before we move any further, let me verify just one thing.” He said quietly before pointing to Mimikyu. “That right there is a Fairy Type, is it not?”

The two tensed up as if it were an accusation.

“Don’t be alarmed! With that reaction I’m assuming some of those imbeciles with the League have already come down on you? Yes, you’re probably one of those that were reported yesterday, that makes the most sense. Let me make myself clear, though. While I do rely on the League for funding, and largely find myself confined to their inane rulings, I am not in agreement with them on many things. If you would allow me, I would be greatly interested in working with you to further my research!”

The boy seemed suspicious and unwilling to discuss such matters, but that mattered not, for the Mimikyu reached out for the notebook and pen. Hmmm. The shadowy hands suggest a duel typing with Ghost. I hope that won’t interfere too much with my research. He was all too happy to let the Pokemon speak for itself, handing off the materials with a smile. The little fairy seemed to struggle writing like this, but after a moment it held up the notebook with a message in basic Sinnohian.

“Slow, please. Difficult to understand.” The script was barely legible, and the grammar was terrible, but it was much more than he had expected! Sinnohian writing was famously difficult to get a solid grasp on, even for those native to places that spoke it. For a Pokemon to have this good of a grasp on it, to be able to write it, even at the level of a child… and if his suspicion was correct…

“Sorry about that.” It had been a while since he broke out the Unovan. He hoped he wasn’t too rusty, lest he ruin an opportunity for research. “Is this better? I assume you know Unovan better since your traveling companion has the accent.”

The small Pokemon nodded, and in writing that was still shaky, but much easier to make out, replied with “Much better, I will have to renew my efforts to study your language.”

Marvelous! Amazing! To have learned how to write two human languages was quite a feat if a Pokemon wasn’t a Psychic type! Perhaps Mimikyu knew even more, he should really- no, no, he’s getting ahead of himself again.

”I look forward to it! Now, what can I do for you?”

Mimikyu flipped to the next page before scribbling an answer. “If I understood you correctly, you want help with your research? I would like to propose a trade. I assist with your research, and you help with mine, if only tangentially.”

“Your research?” Rowan had heard of a few Psychic types trying to do their own research in the past, but very few had the right temperament to do it in a way that humans could assist with. But this… “What exactly would you need from me?”

“Information. Like the current location of Ash Ketchum. Estimate if you must.”

N, who had seen fit to let the two work things out on their own until now, chose that moment to speak up as he read the name from behind Mimikyu. “Ash Ketchum? Is that a name I should know?”

“I admit that I have met the boy, but I don’t understand why you would want to know his location…” That was strange, even for him. How did Mimikyu know that Ketchum had been through here yesterday? Or was it perhaps an educated guess? Could he really sell out a young man like this? Who knows what the Pokemon wanted the boy for. Perhaps it was related to Samuel’s strange interest…

“Ketchum is in many redacted files. Do not let the League know you are looking into him.” Mimikyu responded.

“Redacted files? Whatever for? I know Professor Oak has a strong interest in him that I found strange, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable giving you this sort of information if I don’t know why you want it.”

“He is simply the guide to what I seek. Shamouti, Greenfield, Alto Mare, Larousse-” Weren’t those… no, what would a boy have to do with… “-I could go on, but he is always in the right place at the right time. I need what he will find in Sinnoh.”

The green haired boy seemed to not understand the significance of those names. But Rowan knew. Or rather, he had a vague idea because of how much information got redacted, even from him.

“Are you suggesting that… but the destruction that could cause…” No. There was no way. It was simply a misunderstanding on Mimikyu’s part. Rowan could send the pair in front of him after Ketchum and nothing would come of it, he was sure. And in exchange… all of the information he could obtain…

“Mimikyu,” He held a hand out for the tiny fairy to shake. “I accept your offer.”