10:26 a.m. July 18th, Saturday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event)

Events: The Joint Kanto and Johto Indigo Summer League have concluded. Saria Surge has become the new Vermilion Gym Leader, converting it to a Fairy Gym. Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June—she’s been a Trainer for 39 Days (38 officially; 39 since getting Maya and Nova). Our girls got a shocking surprise with their new Pokemon! Cuties! Yay!

Rhea groaned, vision clearing as muffled voices spoke around her; by the soft fabric against her groggy head, she was resting against a pillow, and she discovered her team, mom, and Ash surrounding her.

“Welcome back, sunshine,” Lori giggled, her Kubfu held in her arms; the Unovan girl jabbed a thumb at the redhead beside her; curiously, her Meloetta was hiding underneath her skirt. “The princess just woke up, too; hah, I wasn’t expecting both of you to pass out.”

Amira rubbed her forehead with her free hand, the other comfortingly holding the Melody Pokemon against her legs. “It just… messed with my mind for a second; I’m fine. How are you, Rhea?”

Her attention was drawn to Ash’s forced smile as he pointed at her stomach, where a lump wiggled. “We can’t tell you much about them to help promote the bonding, but give them some time, and they’ll warm up to everyone.”

Pikachu pointed a finger at Amira and crossed his arms. “Pika-pi-pika!”

“Haaa. I know,” the redhead growled, taking note of her Fennekin and Comfey’s concerned stares. “I’m pushing myself too much and need to rest a bit more tomorrow.”

“Huu-haaa. Glad to hear you’re okay.” Rhea only felt the comforting, warm embrace of her Cosmog’s arms hugging her, and Nova was snuggled underneath the light blanket, trying to welcome their newest member from between Rhea’s legs. “Hehe. I don’t even know what happened.”

“Pwee-pwe-pwe.”

“Nee-ne-nee.”

“Pwe! Pwe-pwe-pwe.”

“Ne?”

“Pwe-pwe!”

Alice soon joined in, big ears lifting up the blankets to poke it up a bit; all three of them were keeping Rhea pinned down, making her chuckle.

“Bun-bun?”

“Ne-ne?”

“Pwe.”

“Buneary!”

“Ne.”

Rhea gently rubbed the outside of the blanket, seeing her mom’s soft expression. “It’s okay; you can stay there as long as you want with Nova and Alice.”

“Pika-pi?” the electric rat asked, looking up at them, and Ash breathed out a long sigh.

“I think you’re right, bud; we shouldn’t crowd them.”

Her mother nodded and fussed with Rhea’s long blonde hair to keep it out of the way. “Why don’t you each go into the other rooms and get to know them—name them; it’s important to do it soon after meeting—over the last few days, I’ve played videos of each of you to orient them to your voices and show them your faces. I’ll remain here with my daughter for a bit—heh, I doubt her Cosmog will mind—she was pretty attached to me because I look like a less cute version of Rhea.”

“Mom!” Rhea protested, shooting up a light glare. “Funny, but you’re super pretty; I hope I grow up to be as beautiful as you and Aunt Cynthia.”

“What a kind daughter I have,” her mother smiled, kissing her on the forehead and nudging her head at Ash. “Do you want to break the news to the other two?”

Lori let go of her fluffy Kubfu to let Miky and Roxie run out of the room together, following their exit with a creased eye; they started jumping up and down in the hallway, Amber jogging over to join the two. “What news? I think Roxie’s happy about something. Huh?!”

On the other hand, an unnatural pulse reverberated through Rhea’s bones, making her shiver as an eerie chill tickled her spine; something was nearby that made her want to duck under her covers.

Amira’s whole body stiffened as Lyra’s brown ponytail poked around the corner, holding up a peace sign with the woman’s iconic cheery grin. “Morning, My Little Mew! Hi, girls; been having fun?”

“Mom?!”

However, Rhea’s focus was on a woman she’d never met before who seemed to appear out of nowhere on the opposite side, wearing a small smile and waving at them. “Dad tells me you have quite the story to tell, Lil’ Sis.”

Lori followed the redhead’s example, jaw dropping in disbelief as her sister reached down to pick up her new Pokemon; the Kubfu had a dazed look on her face at the woman’s touch.

“Shaunny?! How did you escape the League?”

The purple-haired Unovan Elite-4 member wore a purple and black summer dress that fell to her knees and a pink-themed choker. A giant Drifblim suddenly appeared beside Lori, rubbing against her cheek and making the girl laugh.

Rhea couldn’t get over the ripple the smiling woman produced, causing shadows around them to deepen and the faint feeling of an unheard melody in the background to play on her mind.

“Mindy?! Seriously, what gives? You’ve been getting challenges like crazy from Rosa and Nate. What about your new book?”

Shauntal shrugged and leaned against the frame, violet eyes drifting to Rhea; it felt like she was being pulled into them. “I can work on my book anywhere, and I needed a bit of a break. Plus…”

Her gaze narrowed with a small, mischievous tilt to her lips, her voice dropping to just above a whisper. “Ash informed me that you would be stopping by Lavender City—what a magical place to visit—and I happened to receive a request from Agatha that provided me the opportunity to escape Unova.”

Lori gently pushed Mindy away, smooth locks weaving against her back as she shook her head. “I don’t even want to know your spooky business! Hehe, but… I’ll definitely take Mindy being nearby if we are dealing with anything spiritual. Oh! Rhea, Amira,” she chimed, hopping over to present the bob-cut-haired woman. “This is my big sister, Shauntal!”

Lori nudged her side with a smirk. “She’s a bit weird and obsessed with the Ghost World, but I still love her.”

“Aww. Sweet,” Shauntal giggled, using one arm to hug her and return her dazed Legendary teammate. “Everyone is going to die someday, and maybe it won’t be the same for you. Right? Hmm-hmm. Maybe I could make you immortal.”

“Hehe. You’re as creepy as ever, Sis,” Lori laughed, but Rhea wasn’t so sure the woman was joking.

Lyra’s ponytail bobbed with her head. “I’m right there with you, Shaunny! So many fun things to explore. Oh, I just can’t anymore!”

“Mom…” Amira mumbled as the woman jumped in to hug her daughter and kiss her cheek. “Haaa. We are crowding a bit. Catch you in a bit, Rhea?”

“Haha. Yeah. Sure.”

Shauntal gave her a friendly wave, yet there was a chilling prickle in her bloodstream that caressed the back of Rhea’s neck, which reminded her of Franky but far more sinister. “It was lovely meeting you, Rhea. We’ll hopefully see each other again next week.”

They all waved and filed out, shutting the door behind them and leaving Rhea alone with her Pokemon and mother.

Trying to unwind after the unusual Aura the girl radiated, Rhea cleared her throat. “Something felt… off about Shauntal,” she admitted when they were alone, looking into her mom’s thoughtful gray eyes.

Her mother leaned to the side, studying her Pokemon as they greeted their new, timid teammate, and Rhea wondered if it reflected her Nature.

“Shauntal came from… a fairly troubled past, and there’s a reason Agatha would request her specifically. Some of what you saw was an act; the world sees her as a reclusive author, but there’s a far more… troubled side to the woman. Oh! Not that she’s dangerous to you—it’s just, umm… Let’s just say there’s a reason she’s so close to Ghost Pokemon.”

Settling into her blankets and reaching under to pet her Cosmog, Rhea couldn’t shake the atypical vibe. “Is… she a ghost?”

Her mom’s head tilted. “Mmh… a little more complicated than that; she’s kind of between worlds, I suppose you could say. Don’t let it bother you too much. Wait… ah, it’s your Aura that’s feeding you those thoughts?”

“Yeah. Ahem, it was just… strange.”

“Hmm. Yeah, you would generally not want to get tangled in the things Shauntal is… interested in. Not many have gone where she has and returned. Hehe. Something she once told me was… only in the darkness can you see the stars.”

“Right… I’ll ask Ash about it later. Huu-haaa. No, I should be focused on this amazing little girl,” she giggled, reaching under to carefully draw out the nebula; she felt like a puffy cloud in her hands. “Can you tell me a little about her—how did you get her?”

Her mother got down to lay beside her, and Rhea shifted her pillow over to give her space; the Cosmog settled between them, Alice returning to her Poke Ball to allow Mya a chance to meet the Nebula Pokemon.

“You remember Lillie?”

“The professor from Alola—Lusamine’s daughter?”

“Mhm.” Her mother nestled closer, and Nova transferred between their legs to cuddle her new teammate. “Did I tell you that all Lunala are female?”

“Yup,” Rhea smiled, happy to spend this time with her mother since their last disastrous meeting; it was only two weeks ago, but it still hurt to think about it. “All Solgaleo are male, but didn’t you tell me they’re super dangerous since they started the whole Ultra War?”

“Hmm.” Their heads touched as they stared up at the dark ceiling light; the glow from the closed, insulated paper windows was their only illumination, and after the fright Shauntal gave her Aura, she began to notice something else in her mother that sank into her soul.

“All Pokemon are dangerous, and the fear around your little girl is valid, but they were used as tools by Rainbow Rocket. To be honest, I sold this to the League by telling them that your little girl could change public opinion. It’s not Cosmog’s fault humans misused their power. Plus, I know you loved all the pictures I showed you.”

“Lunala are beautiful,” Rhea whispered, finding her mom’s hand under the blanket and allowing her Eevee and Cosmog to nest on top of them; complex emotions swirled inside her heart. “I love the red hues and the black look that should be gold; I know she’ll be gorgeous… but I’m also worried about competing with them, Mom.”

“Haaa. Yeah. I can see that,” she mumbled, and Rhea could smell the coffee on her breath. “Legendary Energy is far stronger than your typical Pokemon’s. There’s a reason we said you couldn’t battle with them and why I’m giving them to you as your Buddy Bonded. I… don’t want to tell you the real reason I bred her for you… I also said I wouldn’t lie or hide anything from you.”

Rhea prepared herself, and Nova communicated that their baby nebula had fallen asleep; Mya didn’t know how to interject herself, likely cursing her larger size. “I’d like to know… if possible.”

“I know… I know,” her mother whispered, closing her eyes and breathing a few times. “I feared Rainbow Rocket would try to steal you… It’s more about when than if, and… I wanted there to be a way for you to escape or have a way back if that happened. Just your paranoid mom…”

Rhea finished her statement. “…doing everything in her power to keep her little girl safe. Heh, and giving her absolutely adorable Pokemon to love. I love you, Mom,” she added, shifting a little to kiss her cheek.

“Thank you, Rhea…”

“Ahem.” She shifted a little, feeling her Cosmog stir and crawl up their arms to poke her head out. “As for you, I have the perfect name. Ready?”

“Oh! Exciting,” her mother chirped as her other Pokemon hovered around them. “Lillie called hers Nebby.”

“Aww. Cute,” Rhea cooed, wiggling her hands free to hold her little cosmic Pokemon up. “She named it after nebulas, but for my little girl, I’ll go with Lulu.”

Her mother giggled at the cheering Cosmog, her teammates congratulating her. “What an adorable name. Lulu—lunar—the moon?”

“Well, heh, Sabin already beat me to Luna with his Mismagius. Lulu fits, I think, and Dad always said it’s good to come up with short names to shorten commands.”

“Hah. That may be true, but there are only so many four-letter names you can use without recycling.”

Nova poked her head out as Lulu disappeared in light to remerge near her neck, hugging it.

“Huh? Teleport, right from birth?! Really?” Rhea squeaked, rubbing her little nebula’s puffy back. “Seriously, Mom, how is this ever going to fly in competitions?”

“I mean, Abra can teleport,” her mother shrugged. “Lulu is a special Pokemon, for sure, and the Victini Core will make her grow fast—even without battling—and Legendary Energy is typically at least ten times the strength of normal Pokemon. She’ll require a lot of care, and she may be timid, but she’s also a tad too curious for her own good when she starts to get comfortable.”

Rhea slowly nodded, realizing Lulu had fallen asleep again against her neck. “What about her Moves, Nature, and Abilities—her EVs?”

“Her EVs are already taken care of,” her mother assured, a thoughtful gleam entering her eyes while nudging her. “What Nature do you think she is?”

“Eh-heh. Timid?”

“Very good! As for her Abilities, she has Unaware and Quirky++, which is a bit of a rarer one—in short, it’s the highest grade of Quirky that shrugs off Status Effects—and she will slowly gain very powerful Moves as she grows.”

Shifting on her pillow to face her mother and allow Mya to join Nova between them, Rhea watched her Eevee cuddle around Lulu. “Can Alice play battle games with her?” Asking the Buneary’s question.

“Mmh. Yes, but she needs to be careful,” her mother explained, studying the resting nimbus. “Lulu’s power can spike at times, and it should be very recognizable by her internal glow; it’s her Legendary Energy resonating with Victini. She’ll collapse after releasing all of it. Let’s see…

“She has two Moves at the moment—Splash and Teleport—and you want her to use Splash or else…”

Rhea forced a laugh. “She’ll teleport all of us to a random place?”

“Yeah… or maybe accidentally open up a wormhole in space-time… Maybe an Ultra Wormhole. Playing games and learning when to use each Move will certainly help, but think about her Splash being like, umm… Serenity learning Surf and using that.”

“Oh…” Rhea mumbled, picturing a gigantic wave sweeping them away. “So, you’re trying to tell me—heh, a bit poorly, Mom—that I can’t battle with her when she’s shining really brightly and in her resonation phase?”

Her mother’s smile became strained. “Sorry. My mind’s just bouncing all over the place.”

Thoughts returning to her teammates, Rhea pulled in her lips, imagining a sonic boom that shatters a building or a foot stomp that creates a fissure. “What… about Lori and Amira’s Pokemon?”

“Similar.” Her mother moved to her knees, nervous hands pulling her hair up to fashion it into a complicated braid—she must be worried—it told Rhea she probably only just got the League to allow it. “Meloetta is… quite shy, and, to be honest, somehow—I don’t know why—she doesn’t like to sing. I thought Amira would be able to help her out of that fear since she has to sing to enter her Pirouette Forme, which then Lori can help with her dancing skills.”

Rhea’s heart blossomed at the story. “You really are such a softy, Mom. Where did she come from—Rainbow Rocket?”

“Umm. Her DNA did. Pokemon can elicit many biological characteristics from their parents, including temperament, and I think something I cannot detect was transferred from her mother. I did want to give her to you, but…”

“Mmm-uh. Amira was definitely the right choice,” Rhea returned, smiling as she remembered the look on the redhead’s face. “She even looks a little like her. If anyone can help her out of her shell, it’s Amira. How can we tell she needs to release her energy?”

Her mother gently prompted her to lift her head to get a few loose strands. “Her hair and the gem on her forehead will practically become living flames.”

“Pretty. Her Moves and Abilities?”

“Serene Grace, Quirky++—like Lulu—and Power of Six.”

“Ooh, that sounds interesting. What does that do?” Rhea asked, carefully moving Alice and Lulu to rest on her chest.

“Basically, for every teammate that hears her voice, your party grows stronger; it maxes at six allies. Her Moves are Celebrate, Round, and Sing… I don’t think I need to tell you Round can cause a lot of damage.”

“Cool—well, heh, not the damage part—I can’t wait to sing more. Amira’s a great teacher. Celebrate should be spectacular with all that power. I can’t wait to see it! What about Lori’s Kubfu?”

“Inner Focus, which is ironic since she’s so focused on her training; I expect Alice and her to really get along. She might be the most trouble, considering she’ll want to get into battles… I couldn’t keep her cooped up in the lab when she’s so active. Hehe. This dojo is probably going to be heaven for her.”

Rhea giggled. “I’m guessing giving her to someone with as high of Physical Allocation as Lori isn’t a coincidence. Lori always breaks into new dances; she’s pretty fun and always has to be on the move. Oh! Maybe Lori… ack.” She quieted down as Lulu stirred at her loud voice. “Maybe Lori will get into martial arts; Amira can teach us some stuff.”

Her mother’s bottom lip drew in. “Mmh. Amira is… struggling a bit; her passing out was due to her Fortitude more than pure surprise. It’s probably bothering her.”

“I see…” Sitting back and letting her mom fashion her hair, Rhea drew in, pondering what to make of the issue.

Amira was really hard on herself, demanding perfection; it reflected in how she made herself look in the mornings and the care she took in presenting herself. Rhea had come to realize it had a lot to do with her family.

The redhead didn’t want to make her family look bad—she hated the prejudice people did throw at her and her family—then again, Rhea knew Amira wouldn’t deny her grandparents did terrible things in the past. She tried hard to uplift her family name and not be a drag on it; in a way, her goal—every action she took—was built around changing the world’s opinion of Rocket.

Amira was strong-willed and proud yet reserved and disciplined to the highest degree; the hardest thing for her teammate would be dealing with something she had no control over. A solution slowly bubbled to the surface of her brain.

“Mom…”

“Mhm?”

“Amira’s worst Allocation is Physical, and we’ve been pushing really hard to cover a lot of ground in a day to get to Saffron so quickly. If we slow down a bit—we don’t have to tell her—won’t it help her recover?”

“I would,” her mother whispered, sectioning out her locks to twist them together. “Amira can keep on her daily Aura training if she isn’t exerting herself and likely focusing her Aura in meditation, which can act as a booster to her Physical Allocation through her high Mental.”

Happy to find a solution without hurting her friend’s self-confidence, Rhea patted her mother’s hand. “Thanks. I’ll talk to Ash and Lori about slowing things down; we’re staying until Wednesday anyway—heh, Amira lost a bet—which will give her plenty of time for that. We can join, too! Maybe I should enter the beginner competition; that might be fun.”

“Ooh. I’ll bring your father and brother; I’m sure they’d love to see it. Wednesday?’

“Mhm.”

“Sounds great. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you Lori’s Kubfu’s Moves; I’m sure it will bring you girls closer together going over all of it together. Remember everything so far?”

“Totally remember,” she beamed. “My memory was spotty a few weeks ago, but everything’s good now. You said she’d be the most trouble?”

“Mmh-hehe. You could say that.” Her mother forced a sigh. “Her Kubfu has been bred to have both Styles that she can swap between… She has Aqua Jet, Leer, Rock Smash, and Sucker Punch at her base, but any further Style Specific Move will only be able to be used when in that Style, which requires her to meditate—it will come naturally to her.”

Rhea giggled. “Lori got some really cool Pokemon. Roxie can change forms by the time of day, and once an Urshifu, she can change it by meditating. Really awesome Pokemon, Mom.”

“Thanks… each of them has their own story. When her Kubfu needs to release her energy, she’ll start to develop a flaming Aura that you’ll definitely sense, and it will surround her like a flame.”

“Like Victini,” Rhea whispered, thinking back to the videos her mom showed her as a little girl. “I hope we can give these little girls the love they need… them and the Victini inside them.”

“Me, too…” Her mother kissed her forehead and finished tying off her braid. “My only goal has been to raise you right… to not follow in our footsteps, and to protect you from the villains lurking in the shadows. Someday, our sins… all our sins will come to haunt you, Rhea, and I want to prepare you for that.”

Rhea pulled her blanket over Nova and Lulu, drawing Mya closer against her side, thoughts returning to the cliff where her parents revealed their tragic and twisted past.

Rainbow Rocket’s Giovanni believed she was his daughter and she was meant to be his greatest weapon; if she was being honest with herself, there was a taint in her heart that had carried on since that discussion. She wouldn’t admit it to her mother, but there was a festering darkness within her core.

The world was much darker than what she’d been shown, and she’d seen the effects the Ultra War had on the Master’s Community. She was built to be a weapon—Rainbow Rocket had forced her parents to a cliff’s edge to create her—and there was a hidden desire growing in the deepest part of her soul to return the ‘gift’ that had been forced upon her.

Burying the feelings swirling within her, Rhea put on a smile; she hadn’t realized how much it had grown until seeing her mother again—the memory of her tear-struck and broken face scarring her heart.

“I love you, Mom.”

“Love you, too. I think I’ll let them rest a bit more. Rest with me?” she asked, focusing on the dark rings under her mother’s eyes.

“Hehe. Why are you spoiling me? There’s no way I’m passing that up.”

Rhea let her mom join her again under the blankets; in the back of her mind, she knew exactly what her mother was really doing, and the self-harming waves she felt from her confused her Pokemon, but Rhea understood it.

Mom wants to make me strong enough to be free from everyone and everything… She wants to give me the power to do what she can’t… to live without fear. She wants to complete Rainbow Rocket’s project, yet… I don’t know exactly how Mom wants this to end. Does she want me to be her judge?

She didn’t know exactly what to feel from it, but with Ash’s training in Aura, she was beginning to learn how to tell things about other people, and her mother wasn’t trying to hide it. One thing Rhea couldn’t deny was that she loved her mother, yet her self-destructive tendencies frightened her.

“Night, Mom, Alice, Nova, Mya, Lulu…”

“Night…”

“Pwe.”

“Neee.”

“Mawile…”

Her Buneary wanted to join the others but allowed Mya this time, which was a big step for her feisty Pokemon, yet there were other things on Rhea’s mind.

In the silence, she heard Amira and Lori talk down the hallway, apparently going to one of the dojo halls. The redhead named her shy Meloetta Mariah and was attempting to get her used to play with others—exposure therapy, as she called it.

Mallory must have taken Amira’s story to heart and how Rhea talked about her visit to the comatose woman because the Unovan girl called her combat-fanatic Kubfu Terri, making Rhea’s heart soften while thinking about the dojo’s true master. She was sure Kyle would be touched.

I’ll save you, Mom… she mirrored her mother, kissing her forehead before settling in to take a nap and clear her heart. Somehow.