The last time we left Kopi, he had just won the second battle against the Trumative. However, his existence is now known to the world of Apex, leaving Kopi with more questions than answers.

Kopi POV

Limbo. That was so far the only word that could properly describe my current predicament. Because despite all my preaching of evolving and freedom, this event has proven more than anything that I was back where I had started. I thought that Leonard's sacrifice and my departure would've stopped their plans forever, but that was only foolish thinking. All that prior pain should've taught me that nothing will stop those bastards on their path to human supremacy. And now it physically seems that I haven't escaped them in the least bit.

The good news is that this incident as violent was relatively contained, with the news attributing out battle to an unkown stupid trainer who had accidentally started a wildfire. Either way, a good part of Route 207 has been closed off until further notice while the authorities handle everything. But of course, an event of this scale can garner lots of attention, which is probably why we are heading back to the scene of the crime as of this moment. Though as we walked across the cobblestoned path of the energetic Oreburgh City, I realized the true cost of my battle with the Trumutative.

Whatever this "Dark Evolution" was, it certainly did a number on my body. Normally I can heal pretty fast on my own, but that toxicity of theirs has slowed things down tremendously. Normally my slime-like body would be able to handle it, but in the body of a human, it was almost unbearable. I've seen Tarlyor sick before, but I had no idea it was this bad. My eyes now felt both hazy and watery; my bones now creaked snapped like some kind of makeshift action while my muscles felt like tenderized meat. We weren't half of the way there before a fateful sneeze tore the wrong tendon. The next thing I know, I was on my knees, coughing like I was puking something that wasn't there. Taylor noticing this, instantly ran towards my side, her numerous bandages making me feel even worse.

"Mr.Kopi, are you alright!? You're bleeding!"

"I'm fine, Taylor, just gives some time to- Gahh," I said as I was coughing up even more blood.

"It's fine, Mr.Kopi, you don't have to come with me; I can handle this on my own," she said caringly.

It was there that I remembered the true reason for this venture. Because of how big the battle was, it was only natural that our mini reporter Phoebe got attracted to it. I thought that her appearance could give Taylor some much-needed relaxation while giving Apex enough attention to back off. Which is why I couldn't leave her unattended.

"If those guys come back, I want to-."

"If those guys come back, you won't be able to defend yourself if you don't get your rest up. I'll deal with Phoebe; I'll come back to you," she said with an unexpected maturity.

Call it weakness or call it admiration, but I decided to give in to her request and leave her. I wasn't going to get out of this limbo if I was too weak to move away. And I couldn't improve both my health and mood any better than by indulging in the Spelegoy's Pika cakes. When you can change into almost anything, necessities quickly become fun pastimes. Clothes quickly became toys, and cooking was something I did now and then. Between my berry foraging and Taylor's wins (seriously, why do these four-year-old youngsters have both pokemon and cold hard cash?) I had more than enough money to find what I needed.

Taylor's mother, Erika, had already given me the proper instructions, so the walk back was the only thing I needed to worry about. With a little bit of morphing, I decided to create sunglasses for the eyes-layered jacket for the chills and a mask to stop the spread. It will cause attention, but at least people won't be able to recognize me. Still, for some reason, I could feel a variety of strange looks, as if they knew they were looking at something more than a man. Either way, it made me quicken my pace all the faster. Though this was pretty much making every muscle ache like a jackhammer.

Once I entered the store, that strange feeling got even stronger once I got everything from the mix and flour. That feeling finally found form when I got to the fabled syrup because, at the sight of the empty rack, I quickly got greeted by an unknown figure. He wore nothing more than a white hoodie with a giant Earth-like symbol and dark brown khakis. His physique was nothing to write home about; compared to Leonard's skinny frame, this guy was a toothpick. However, that only made me draw even more attention to straight, slicked-back spiky black hair that reached shoulder length. The strangest thing of all about him, though, was the fact that his glass eyes were blank as they came and didn't focus, yet they still made out my position pretty well.

"Looking for this?" he said while holding a bottle of Syrup in his right hand.

With an aura I couldn't quite place, I decided to answer back his question with razor-sharp suspicion.

"Yeah, but I don't think I need it."

At that moment, the figure quickly closed in, pressing his free hand against my chest with a friendly face. This fast movement quickly revealed a large white wristband from under his left sleeve. What caught my eye the most, however, was the black symbol in the center of it, symbolized through a fiery arrow symbol positioned up. By the time I noticed all of this, though, it was already too late as the man made his venomous reply.

"I'm sorry, but I insist."

From there, the wristband started to come alight in the form of a dim rainbow-like hue! What came next was something that I had never experienced as all at once, my body flooded with power! Despite his small frame, the man's earlier unseen aura quickly got maximized and focused like a controlled geyser. The Triumvirate felt like amateurs compared to this, nor did the infamous Dark Evolution. Instead of a wild, unstable toxifying effect, I instead felt a warm overpowering, yet pinpoint tingle reverberated across my body like a warm sun! And for once, I couldn't fight it at all, instead letting the light wave embrace me into darkness.

By the time I got out of my deep slumber, my surroundings had suddenly changed. It took me a while to have it all to focus, but once I did, I realized that somehow I ended up on the couch of some new age living room. It was relatively minimalist, though, only consisting of a tacky couch, coffee table, and twin chairs several years old. Though what got my attention was the same appearance of that fateful voice.

"Good, you're up just in time for the Pika cakes!"

At the sound of his voice, I quickly jumped out of the couch and faced my potential enemy, realizing that only a couple of feet away, the man was indeed dishing out the beautiful food of the gods with his back turned in the kitchen.

"You get one chance to explain what the distortion is going on. It's never smart to corner a beast," I said coldly while flexing my power.

"I haven't cornered you, Kopi that comes later, besides. Is that any way to thank a man who's healing you?"

At that moment, I started to realize he was right; my shakingly put-together body now felt somewhat mended; my irritating ache had also subsided into something I can ignore. However, what was even greater was the fact that I felt something even stranger. I couldn't exactly place it, but it felt like some kind of cozy yet resilient power was welling up from my core. I couldn't even tell if it was yours or mine. Which only left me with more questions.

"What did you do to me?"

"Let's just say I've given you a pick me up, with a little entry here and there. You can find it out much later over Pika cakes and my Oran Berry Blend."

I tried to sense any malice with the statement, but so far, he's been telling the complete truth. And considering my renewed strength and what he could've potentially done, I decided to hear him out as I walked towards the table. In my new heightened state, I could see things that I couldn't before. Like his earlier unfocused gaze, the way his ears perked up at my changing weight, which meant only one thing: he's blind. Which made his rather cutting insight even more intimidating. Once I had laid down, I decided to make my points crystal clear.

"Are you with Apex? If I want to know the who, why, and how," I said while checking the Oran Berry Blend.

"Oh right, I almost forgot that we weren't on speaking terms yet. I guess we can fix that right now. Don't worry, though, Kopi; I couldn't further away from Apex. I've gone by many names in the past, most of them given by other people. So I would like you to know my chosen name: Sage. And as for what I do, let's just say that I'm an observer, one that steps in when balance is needed."

"How are you an observer, and how did you know when you're needed?"

"Ah, now we are getting into the important questions again. But do that we would have to get into the discussion of aura, do you know it well?"

The sasaeng part of my brian leaped for joy at the response. A couple of months back, I wanted to replicate the spells of the famous aura magician Coppa Feelia. I remember spending about 16 hours straight on the web trying to copy her tricks. I got the sleight of hand and misdirection down pack, but I could never turn Taylor into a Pikachu. Though after Coppa got arrested, Taylor convinced me to drop her magic for now. Long story short, I knew the basics.

"Isn't that energy of one's life force?" I said with intrigue.

"Exactly, though not like that Coppa Feelia friend of yours. Think of an aura like wifi, your body is the router, and the radio waves are your aura. And thanks to this little gizmo, I have the pass key to everyone's router, including myself. I may not have eyes, but I can "see" more than most Kopi. But I wouldn't be able to observe anything if it weren't for my friend." he said with otherworldly confidence.

On cue, a small blur descended from on high, delivering me a look as glassy as Sage's. Though it didn't take a pokedex to know who it was, though. Because I was looking at one of the world's strangest Pokemon: a Xatu.

"Kopi for the umpteenth time, meet my friend Nate."

"You keep talking like we know each other, but this first time I've even seen you. How do you know my name, so much about me?"

"That's all thanks to Nate right here; You will already know this, but, Xatu, like him, can see into future, present, and past. Combine that with my "sight," and I've seen you more times than even I can count across dozens of timelines. And every time I have, one thing has been made clear. Your very presence, no matter what, will affect the battle for balance. "

I wish I could say that I would leave in disgust. But from every way he held himself, I knew he believed every word that he said. And yet, for some reason, my earlier frustrations still came out center stage. In frustration, I grabbed Sage by the collar as previous events' stress collected itself in one statement.

"And why does my presence matter!? Why do I have to fight? Why can't I just escape all this nonsense?" I said, asking both the blind man and the world.

To meet my frustration, the only thing Sage did was use his left hand and place it gently on my arm. All at once, I could feel Sage's feeling laid bare. The earlier geyser instead was replaced with a gentle river as all at once his tranquility became mine.

"I wish I could give you that answer, but unfortunately, we all must find our answers in life, Kopi. The only thing I can do is help you as much as I can. Because hardship is coming, Kopi, no matter what path you take, no matter where you hide. Our paths will cross again, and at that time, you will make a choice. But if you embrace who you are and enjoy your journey with that girl, the key to your answer will appear," he said with crystal clear resolution.

Despite his blindness, I could still see that his eyes radiated nothing but empathic sorrow. Whatever anger I had, I could tell it didn't belong to this man. So instead, I finally gave into the mysterious man wholeheartedly as I consumed his meal without a second word. By the time I had finished, I was sent flying home with my Taylor's portion in hand, mostly healed up for whatever my fate brought me. All with a mysterious feeling in my core that I still couldn't make sense of and a tempest of other thoughts. When I finally reached that motel, I decided that maybe Taylor would be the only real rest I would need for a while. And upon that thought, Taylor instantly proved me right, as her dirty clothes revealed a rather interesting surprise.

Kopi's list of questions keeps getting bigger as the mysterious Sage tells him that his fate with Apex is still going strong! But what does Taylor have up her sleeve?! Find out next time as the journey continues.