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“What do we do?” Nemona whimpered, her voice laced with fear. Miraidon shuddered. That wasn’t right. In the short time Miraidon had known the girl, it learned early on that she never slowed down, even when things seemed uncertain. Even when she was scared, she never let it show - she would simply put on a brave face and keep moving forward. So, seeing her like this, so helpless and frail, made it all the more frightening.
She stroked Penny’s hair softly, casting a glance to Juliana, who was still unconscious, head resting in Arven’s lap. The boy was awake, but barely, eyes blinking sluggishly as he struggled to stay alert.
Arven was silent for what felt like an eternity. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted, voice barely above a whisper. Nemona’s face twisted, brows knit in frustration, but she stayed silent, save for a small, broken sob.
Miraidon gently made its way over to the girl, gently resting its head on her shoulder, unsure of what else to do to soothe her. Nemona gave it a weak smile, but Miraidon painfully noted the uncertainty that still lingered behind her eyes as she blinked sluggishly.
They sat in silence like that for a while. Miraidon’s heart was racing, its legs itching to run. It wanted to help, to save them, to get them out of here. But it couldn’t. It couldn’t carry all of them in the states they were in. But it also couldn’t leave them alone down here with no plan. So, there they sat. As the seconds stretched to minutes, the only thing Miraidion could do was curl around them in a feeble attempt of comfort, and desperately hope someone, anyone would come looking.
“Clavell would be able to help us,” Arven finally murmured, breaking the silence. Miraidon didn’t miss how his eyes softened at the mention of the man, but his voice was still weak, too weak. Though it seemed the boy was mostly muttering to himself, it caused Nemona to perk up slightly, shifting under Miraidon’s chin.
“Mir, do you think you could find him for us?” Miriadon winced at the thought of leaving them alone, but Nemona continued to press. “Please? Arven is right, he’d know what to do, he always does!”
Arven echoed the sentiment hollowly, already beginning to slip back into unconsciousness. “Clavell. He’ll know what to do.”
Miraidon hesitated, and it seemed like Nemona was finally picking up on its apprehension. She leaned forward gently, resting her hand on its muzzle. “We’ll be okay, I promise. Please, find Clavell.”
Shuddering, Miraidon surveyed the cave one more time, assuring there was no imminent danger to the children, before pulling itself away from Nemona’s side. Making its way over to Juliana’s limo form, it gingerly removed her battered hat from her head, wincing at the metallic taste of blood that followed. Based on Miraidon’s (admittedly limited) knowledge of the man, it didn’t seem like Clavell was the type of man that would follow along on a wild Yungoos chase such as this, so it wanted assurance that he would come. But, it seemed like the kids trusted him indefinitely, and so that was enough to make Miraidon willing to leave their side.
Clavell.
Clavell.
Find Clavell.
Miradion dared to take one more glance at the children, the sickening scent of blood still lingering in the cavern. They were too still, their breaths too shallow, their usually boisterous noises now painfully silent. Nemona managed a small smile, but even she was now faltering, blinking sluggishly as she too fell into unconsciousness .
Find Clavell, and find him fast.
---
Clavell groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He tossed the pen away from him, needing a break from the massive stack of documents that was taking up the majority of his desk at the moment. He absolutely despised paperwork, - it was his least favorite part of his job, so he always pushed it aside, saying he'd do it later. But that always meant he was left swamped at the end of the month, and this month was no exception.
Just as he was contemplating picking the pen back up to continue, the door to his office was roughly slammed open, revealing a scowling Professor Tyme in its wake.
“Good afternoon Tyme. You know, it’s usually common courtesy to knock,” he drawled. It’s not that he didn’t appreciate seeing her, it’s just that, after 4 hours of paperwork, his eyes were starting to cross and he really just needed a moment to himself.
It seemed as if Tyme was in no mood to joke however, as she simply stood stone faced in front of the door, eyes hard and expression unreadable. A shame really, Clavell thought, he really was getting good at the youths’ way of joking. Maybe he'd try that one on Arven later, see if it landed. “You need to come with me. Now.”
“Well, I’m sure this paperwork will get itself done if I leave it alone, but I’d like to supervise it just to make sure.”
Tyme seemed unimpressed. “This isn’t the time for jokes, Director. Come to the courtyard,” she said sternly, already turning to leave. Clavell lingered for a beat. Surely it could wait until he finished this last page of paperwork? Tyme seemed to disagree, stopping just short for the door when she realized he wasn't following. “Right now,” she added and Clavell groaned before standing up, “You might want to bring your Pokeballs.”
That caught his attention, but Tyme was already out the doors before he could ask for clarification. Sighing, he stood up. He at least hoped whatever it was that had her so worked up would be more interesting than updating student files.
---
Taking a breath, Clavell straightened his tie before pushing through the heavy doors of the Academy. Squinting against the early afternoon sun, he had to take a moment to fully take in the situation unfolding in front of him. It seemed as if every single staff member and student from the academy was gathered in the courtyard. They were clustered along the outer edges, the air buzzing with conversation and their Rotom Phones flashing nonstop, presumably sending out photos to anyone unlucky enough to be off campus for such an event.
And in the center of it all was Miraidon.
The creature was pacing across the lawn, eyes scanning the growing crowd of students and staff, seemingly searching for something. It didn’t seem to be aggressive towards any of them Clavell noted thankfully, but that just opened up more questions. Its anxiety was palpable from across the courtyard as it desperately circled around again - whatever it seemed to be looking for must be important to it.
“Oh, thank Arceus, you’re here,” a voice sounded behind him, and Clavell turned to see Jacq jogging up to stand beside him, “No one seems to know what to do.”
“Fill me in,'' Clavell said, eyes never leaving Miradion as the creature once again circled the courtyard. It seemed to be growing more agitated with each passing moment, so Clavell wanted to nip this in the Budew as soon as possible.
“It showed up fifteen minutes ago, all hyped up like that! It won’t let anyone get close to it. Dendra tried battling it but it doesn’t even want to fight!” Jacq ran his hands through his hair roughly, eying the creature again. “Do you know what type of Pokemon it even is?”
Clavell shook his head, cringing slightly. He would explain it all in due time, but right now, the main priority was getting this situation under control. It took Clavell months to even begin to wrap his head around what little he knew of Turo’s recent work, and by the way Miraidon was pacing, it seemed like their time was running dangerously low. “That’s not important right now. What we should be doing is making sure the students and faculty are safe.” Clavell shifted his focus to the crowd, and quickly noted the distinct lack of Arven, Nemona, Penny and Juliana. That wasn’t too out of the ordinary, as the group spent most of their days roaming the region, but it was still enough to put an uncomfortable lump in his throat. However, he didn’t have time to linger on it, as he realized the students that were present were inching closer, shrinking the circle around the beast. Jacq seemed to notice too, and started to move towards the students on the other side of the courtyard in an attempt to push them back. Clavell shot him a thankful glance before focusing his attention back on the prowling Pokémon in a desperate attempt to figure out how to handle this.
At that moment, Miraidon swung around again, and ended up facing them directly. Jacq shrunk under the beast’s gaze and began to back away slowly, but it wasn’t looking at him. No. It was looking directly at Clavell. Time seemed to slow as he locked eyes with the Pokemon, lifting its head to meet his gaze. It was the first time Clavell was actually able to take a good look at the creature since he arrived.
In its jaws, it clutched a scrap of fabric.
No, not fabric. A hat.
And judging by the distinctive collection of patches adorning it, Juliana’s hat.
Which was almost completely covered in blood.
Clavell’s breath hitched at the sight, and the beast broke into a sprint, racing across the courtyard, making a beeline directly towards him. Faculty and students dodged out of its way, but Clavell couldn’t move. If it had been any other scenario, he would have gone on the defensive, shepherding the academy residents to a safe place. Hell, he had to go through training every semester for scenarios just like this, to protect the students, to protect his staff. But right now, rigorously rehearsed safety plans were the last things on his mind. All he could do was stare at the blood splattered hat as it got closer and closer. The children. Oh Arceus, the children.
Throughout the last few months, Clavell had realized how much Miraidon had grown to care for the children, but none more than young Juliana. It was clear that, throughout their travels, the two had grown a unique bond. Each time he had met back up with the student, it seemed like Miraidon and her had grown even closer. They truly cared for each other. They loved each other. They protected each other.
And that’s exactly why his heart dropped when he saw the unadulterated fear in Miriadon’s eyes as the creature arrived at his side. He gently reached forward, retrieving the hat from the Pokemon’s jaws. Miraidion’s pleading gaze burnt through him, and for a moment, all he could do was stare at it, overwhelmed by the grief radiating from the Pokémon, only serving to exacerbate his own anxieties. Sighing softly, he forced himself to pull away from the creature’s gaze, not wanting to get caught in the feedback loop. Once he did, Clavell noticed how Miraidon’s eyes kept darting to the front gates as it leaned forward to tug on his sleeve. Almost like it wanted him to follow it. Oh Arceus. Sighing softly, he took a moment to center himself, before turning and scanning the courtyard. He managed to catch Jacq’s eye, and beckoned the man over with a small wave, gesturing for him to bring Hassel as well, who was standing next to him, brow furrowed in confusion.
Hassel opened his mouth to speak, but Clavell beat him to it. There was no time to waste. “It seems as if some of our students are in danger,” he said as he presented the hat to the two teachers, cringing as both of them recoiled in shock. “This hat belongs to Juliana, and Miraidon here has been traveling with her. I’m sure it will lead us to her, as well as Arven, Penny and Nemona. Those four are inseparable, and I have a hunch if Juliana was doing something risky, she would have brought those three with her.”
Jacq set a hand gently on his shoulder, but Clavell pulled back harshly, eyes flashing in annoyance. “Woah, Clav, slow down. Isn’t this all a bit rash? Are you sure that’s what’s even going on? Maybe we should take a moment before you rush off.”
Beside him, Hassell awkwardly shifted on his feet, his discomfort with the situation apparent. “Director, not to overstep my boundaries, but if you really believe this… creature,” Miraidon let out a huff of annoyance as Hassel gave it a look of uncertainty, “Wouldn’t it be wiser to wait? I can contact the Elite Four, we can gather a team, make a plan -“
“No! I have to go now!” Clavell snapped, cutting Hassel off. Usually he would be more careful, but right now, he couldn’t bear the thought of those kids down there, alone and injured. Hassel had a look of shock on his face, and frankly, Clavell couldn’t blame him. He never spoke like that to anyone, much less an esteemed member of his staff. Pushing his glasses back up, he took a deep breath. “What I mean to say is that we do not know how long the children have been missing for. The long we delay, the higher the likelihood is that their condition deteriorates. Going as soon as possible seems like the optimal choice from my perspective on the situation. You two are the best this Academy has to offer. If you are privy to join, go gather a Cyclizar and meet me at the gate.” The two men exchanged concerned glances, but began to hurry off towards the depot nevertheless.
“And Jacq,” the man paused and turned over his shoulder, and Clavell took a breath to steady himself, “if you will, please ask Nurse Miriam to accompany us. I fear we might need her… expertise.” Uncertainty flashed across his face for only a moment, but he simply returned his request with a grim nod, before racing back towards the front gates, Hassel following closely behind.
Straightening his glasses one last time, he climbed upon Miraidon’s back, and leaned forward, and the creature shot off.
---
Area Zero was…. unnerving to say the least.
Clavell’s chest had tightened when he realized where the beast was headed, but it wasn’t like he could avoid it. He simply grit his teeth and closed his eyes as the creature plunged down into the crater.
Clavell had gotten a lot of piecemeal information from his old research partner about his findings in the crater after he had moved down here, and right now, he was kicking himself for not paying more attention. All he truly knew was that this place was not to be underestimated and, judging by the hoards of powerful Pokémon scattered throughout, he knew at least that much was true.
He had given his colleagues a briefing before heading out, but decided to leave out a lot of the… later details Turo had provided him, before his currently ongoing radio silence. None of it was probably true, anyways. No use scaring them over a story.
As they ventured down past the research stations, Jacq’s Arcanine keeping guard from behind, the knot in his stomach only grew more twisted. There was evidence of a struggle nearby each one - Sylveon fluff, Lycanroc rocks, Mastiboss fur, all scattered in front of the stations’ entrances.
Miraidon wouldn’t have left them if they were actively in danger, he told himself desperately. The further they got in the cave, however, the more he began to doubt himself.
The tense silence that had settled uncomfortably over the group was finally broken by Miriam. “Director Clavell, with all due respect, maybe we should turn back? This seems substantially more dangerous than we initially thought. Maybe we should consult with Chairwoman Geeta, and gather some Gym Leaders?” she said meekly, eyes nervously scanning the surroundings. Hassel hummed his assent from next to her, and even Jacq looked like he agreed to some degree.
Clavell didn’t get upset often, but he felt his blood boil for the second time today. He sighed deeply and then took a deep breath to steady himself this time, not wanting to snap like he did before. His colleagues came down here on their own good will to help him out. And deep down, he knew they were right. Of course it would be smarter to organize a search party, gather strong trainers. But he just couldn’t bear the idea of returning to the surface without those kids, especially now that they had seen the danger firsthand. He just couldn’t. “You all can turn back, and no one will fault you for it at all. I will go by myself - I shouldn’t have forced you all to come. However, like I said before, these kids need help, and, judging by the evidence I have at my disposal, they need it as soon as possible.”
A loaded silence hung in the air as the group paused their trek, which greatly upset Miraidon, the creature huffing in annoyance and pulling roughly at Clavell’s sleeve.
Sighing loudly, this time it was Jacq who broke the silence. “I might just be speaking for myself here, but I am absolutely not letting you go down there on your own.” he proclaimed curtly, cuffing Clavell on the back as he began to walk again. Setting his hand on Miraidon’s flank, he nodded and the creature began to move once again, Jacq close behind. One by one, the others fell in line.
As they passed another wrecked research station, Clavell thanked the stars for his colleagues, and made a mental note to work on getting them a raise.
---
The deeper in the cave they got, the more nervous Clavell became, and the more he allowed his mind to wander. Did the kids really make it this far? Did they somehow miss them? Was Miraidon really just leading them astray?
As their footsteps echoed off the overgrow crystals around them, his questions were answered for him.
“Get away!”, a voice echoed from ahead, sickenly laced with fear. It sounded familiar, disturbingly familiar, but Clavell didn’t want to let himself believe it. Hearing it however, Miraidon broke into a sprint, rounding a corner and disappearing from their sight.
Rushing to follow the creature, Clavell rounded the corner as well, and froze. Beside him, Jacq’s hand flew to his mouth, and Hassel let out a strangled cry, both of them freezing as well. Even Miriam, who had been trained extensively in high stress situations, took pause, brows knitted in confusion and concern.
Oh, Arceus.
The children were bundled together under a small outcrop of rock a few feet from the entrance of the lab, no doubt placed there by Miraidon. Seemingly, the only one that was conscious was Nemona, and she was desperately trying to shield the others from the perceived threat. Penny was slumped over in her lap, ominously still. Arven was pressed against Nemona’s side, arm wrapped around her and his head resting on her shoulder. Juliana’s head was resting in Arven’s lap, just as still and quiet as Penny was. The cave was dark, and they were still far away, but Clavell caught the unmistakable smell of blood lingering in the air.
Whatever happened to the kids, it was bad.
Judging by their states, they had been here for a while. And if they didn’t get out soon…. Clavell stopped himself. They were going to get them out. Miriam was the first one to snap out of the shock, and continued towards the children briskly, one hand already opening her nurse’s bag.
“Don’t touch them! Leave us alone!” Nemona’s eyes were rounded in fear as Miriam got closer, one arm wrapped protectively around the motionless Penny, the other desperately attempting to bundle the other two closer to her. Clavell cringed as he realized she wasn’t looking at them, instead having her gaze fixed over their shoulders, seemingly delirious with a mix of pain and fear. He held his arms out to stop Jacq and Hassel from moving closer, and motioned for Miriam to do the same. Stepping closer slowly, he knelt down so he was at the girl’s level.
“Miss Nemona,” Clavell said, voice just above a whisper to not scare the poor girl even more. He spoke slowly as, judging by her far off gaze, she seemed to have sustained some sort of head injury, amongst others. “It’s me. It’s Clavell. It’s ok, we’re going to get you out of here.”
Nemona shifted her gaze slowly, as if she was afraid it might be a trap. As soon as she pulled herself out of her trance, however, her eyes lit up. “Clavell!” She cried, or at least tried to. Her voice cracked painfully with the effort, causing her to break out into a coughing fit. Clavell winced in sympathy, but it didn’t seem to deter the headstrong girl, who had turned her head towards Arven’s, which still draped against her shoulder.
“Arven,” she breathed, nudging the boy softly when he didn’t stir. “It’s Clavell. He’s here, Miraidon found him!” This seemed to awaken him, his head shooting up and his eyes slowly fluttering open. He sat up slowly and painfully, wincing with the effort, but he still managed to grin when their eyes met, causing Clavell to allow a small smile to slip across his face, in spite of the grim scene in front of him.
“Oh Arceus, his arm,” Clavell heard Hassel mutter to Miriam behind him, his voice breaking. His heart began to race as he shifted his gaze and finally got a good look at the boy’s left arm. Arven had it cradled protectively against his chest but even from there Clavell could see it twisted in an unnatural way. Jacq placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly but the gesture did nothing to soothe him.
Beside him, Miriam took another small step forward, voice gentle but laced with concern. “What on earth happened to you all?” Her eyes flickered across the group, seemingly taking stock of their injuries. Clavell didn’t miss the uneasy glances Nemona and Arven exchanged, the latter gritting his teeth harshly and lowering his head.
Clavell interjected quickly, not wanting to stress the children out any more. “We just want to know so we can get you out of here as safely as possible. It’s ok if you don’t feel comfortable sharing right now, of course.” This seemed to relax the pair, at least a little bit, but Arven still didn’t lift his head.
Nemona was the one who finally answered, taking a long, deep breath before she spoke, voice still unsteady. “It’s alright. Honestly, it was all kind of a blur. When Turo deactivated -- ”
At the mention of his colleague’s name, Clavell swore he felt the mood shift in the room. He knew his old friend was into some intense research, but he couldn't imagine it to be anything that could possibly cause this type of damage.
Next to him, Hassel let out a strangled gasp, his emotions seemingly getting the best of him. “Professor Turo did this to you?” he blurted out, cutting Nemona off mid-sentence. His eyes flashed somewhere between anger and confusion as he struggled to find the words, his breath quickening and lip twitching as he processed the information. Wincing, Clavell returned his gaze to the children. They were still in a fragile state, and the sharp interruption had frightened them, Arven flinching and Nemona cowering back in on herself like before, arms wrapped tightly around Penny. Clavell sighed as Hassel glanced back at the kids and saw Nemona cowering again, finally realizing he had startled them. He stepped back and lowered his head sheepishly, as if to not cause any more damage.
Unfortunately, it seemed as if Hassel’s outburst had startled Penny awake, the young girl letting out a heart wrenching cry of fear. She seemed disoriented, attempting to stand swiftly while stumbling over her words, seemingly thinking she was still in whatever situation left them all in their current state. Nemona gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to the ground, while Arven leaned down to murmur something in her ear, seemingly in an attempt to comfort her. It appeared to work, as the girl slowly quieted down, eventually lifting her head to meet his gaze, smiling sheepishly. Clavell mirrored the smile softly, but Penny had already returned to resting her head on Nemona’s leg. The girl had shifted enough that he could see a large cut on her temple, still sluggishly bleeding. Another head injury, he noted with a wince. This was more serious than he thought.
Miriam nudged him softly, startling him out of his thoughts. “I need to go check them out,” she said, voice kind but firm, “I sincerely hope they’re stable enough to move, because they’re going to need a lot more than ice packs and painkillers.” Clavell simply nodded, stepping back to stand beside Jacq and Hassel, who were whispering amongst themselves. He barely paid any attention to them though - something was pulling at the back of his mind. He hadn’t heard much of Penny’s outburst, as the girl was speaking too erratically to make any sense.
However, he did manage to catch two things: the phrases “Time Machine” and “Future Beasts”.
Turo…. Time Machine…. Future Beasts…
Oh Arceus Turo , Clavell thought with a shudder, what have you done ?
A shrill cry of pain tore his attention away from the thought and back over to the children again. Arven was scrambling backwards from Miriam, eyes wild with pain. It seemed as if she had managed to get Arven to release his arm from his chest, and she had hands wrapped around his bicep to check the extent of the injury.
Arven’s chest was heaving, and tears were streaming down his cheeks as he backed further away from her, Miriam cringing away from the boy. His gaze swung wildly around the cavern, before finally locking eyes with Clavell.
Arven again whimpered in pain before crying out again. “Please make it stop, Clav, please!”
Clavell had sincerely tried to hold it together this whole time. Sure, he had made some rash decisions time and again, but he was still the Director of the Academy. He was a pillar in the academic community here, and he knew that his colleagues held him to high standards as such. He had worked hard throughout the years to remain strong, never wavering in his resolve, to never letting his rigid facade drop, even in the most difficult of situations.
But, in that instant, Arven was eight years old again, crying over a nightmare, his father too invested in his research to even bother with his own son. Crying, screaming desperately for a father that was never going to come home. Someone had to help him. Someone had to be there for him.
Clavell broke away from Jacq and Hassel, shooting to his boy’s side in an instant. He knelt beside him, wrapping his arms around him gently, as not to hurt him anymore, but strong enough to let him know he was there. Arven whimpered once more, but slowly rested his head on Clavell’s shoulder, his breathing steadying for a moment. Looking up, he nodded at Miriam to continue her exam. As she did, Arven let out another small cry of pain, but Clavell simply tightened his arms around the boy’s shoulders.
“It’s ok, Arven. I’m here, and you’re going to be alright.” The boy’s breath had begun to quicken, but he had quieted, his good hand clutching Clavell’s crushingly. Clavell barely noticed. “I’m right here, I’m here, I’m here…” He trailed off as he felt the tears he had been desperately trying to hold back began to drip down his face. For what felt like an eternity, he sat there sobbing silently, lightly stroking Arven’s shoulder, finally allowing himself to release the emotions that he had clumsily been trying to hide since he first arrived in the courtyard.
Finally, Miriam pulled back from the boy. Clavell was thankful she didn’t mention the tears that still coated his face, instead dipping her head down to keep digging through her bag. “Arven is stable for now. I’d really like to give them all thorough examinations before we even try to move them.” she said tensley, worry etched into her features. She looked up from her bag,and Clavell noted the apprehension in eyes. “They trust you a lot, Clavell. Would you mind…” She trailed off, but she didn’t need to finish, Clavell simply nodding.
Silently, he trailed Miriam as she moved away from Arven to continue her examinations. He let Nemona squeeze his hand as the deep gash on her shoulder was crudely patched up for the journey home, the girl gritting her teeth the whole time. He stroked Penny’s hair, whispering gentle encouragement to her as Miriam shone a small pen light in her eyes, checking for a concussion. The two girls were deemed safe for travel, and the knot in Clavell’s stomach finally began to loosen.
As they approached Juliana’s unconscious form, Miraidon, who had been curled up tightly around the girl since they had first arrived, lifted its head and let out a low warning growl. Miriam backed up slowly, raising her hands in the air in an attempt to show she wasn’t a threat. It didn’t seem to calm the Pokemon, who instead curled tighter around the young girl. Sighing deeply, Miriam handed the bag over to Clavell with a grimace. “Looks like you’ll have to handle this one, then.” She forced a smile as she gave him a small shove forward when he didn't move. “It seems like it’s not just the students who trust you.”
Taking a breath, he gently made his way towards the Pokémon. “It’s okay,” he breathed, lightly setting his hand on its head, “You did a wonderful job. You saved them, you saved her .” Miraidon pressed its snout into his hand for a brief moment, and then slowly slid away from Juliana, settling down a few feet away to keep watch. Clavell carefully knelt down beside her and adjusted his glasses, before getting to work.
Tentatively brushing his fingers through her hair, he cringed. A large spot was matted with blood right by her scalp. She was breathing though, and seeminging somewhat alert, shifting uncomfortably under his touch as his fingers snagged her hair. She didn’t open her eyes though, which was concerning. She seemed in worse shape than the other three, like she had taken the brunt of whatever had happened. They couldn’t move her like this. Frowning, he sat back on his heels. What on earth were they going to do?
Jacq’s Arcanine, let out a sharp bark, breaking the tense silence that had once again settled on the group. Bundling Juliana in his arms, he turned to see the source of the commotion. The Arcanine’s body was tense, the fur on its spine bristled and teeth bared. Jacq had stepped forward to soothe it, placing his hand on its flank, but even from his position, Clavell could see the man had visibly paled. Squinting, Clavell realized why. Some Pokémon were approaching from the entrance of the lab. As they moved into the pale light of the crystals, however, Clavell felt his chest tighten. In his youth, he traveled to many regions, seen many varieties of Pokemon. But nothing he saw was even remotely similar to the beasts that were now stalking towards the group.
It seemed as if Hassel agreed. “What are those?” he gasped, exchanging uncertain glances with Miriam. The latter backed up behind him, having brought no Pokémon with her in the rush, and Hassel stepped forward, Pokeballs at the ready. The glint of one of the creature’s skin caught Clavell’s eye. It was unnatural looking. Cold. Mechanical. It looked almost like…metal.
Oh Arceus.
“Imagine it, Clav! A Hydreigon, but made totally out of metal, and even more powerful! It exists, and I can bring it right here!”
“Jacq! Come on kid, you agree right? Sleek, futuristic versions of today’s Pokémon - now that’s more badass research than Pikachu biology, or whatever the hell your thesis is on.”
Clavell had remembered, after a long night in the lab and one too many drinks, Turo had disclosed to his research group that he had been working on developing a time machine, his end goal to pull futuristic Pokemon to their current time. Everyone had laughed it off, assuming it was no more than a drunken joke, and Turo scarcely mentioned it after that night. But it had stayed burned into the back of Clavells’s mind, the way Turo talked about it. He knew the man well, and he knew one thing for sure - it was not a joke, Clavell remembered that night all too well, and judging by the terror that was now reflected in Jacq's eyes, he had too.
By the way those… beasts were swarming, it seems like they needed to get out of there, and fast. “Well, It seems like it’s time to go,” he said, voice steady, trying very hard not to let it waver. He slowly scooped up Juliana in his arms, careful not to jostle her too much. Seeing this, Miraidon quickly made its way over to the other three children and lowered itself down so they could climb on. Miriam assisted them while Jacq and Hassel, the former’s Arcanine being joined by the latter’s Baxcaliber, stood their ground against the approaching hoard. The two Pokemon seemed to be doing a great job of intimidating the beasts into staying back, and Clavell desperately hoped they could keep it that way, at least until they got out.
Clutching Juliana tighter, he moved to stand next to Jacq and Hassel, neither of the men’s’ eyes ever leaving the beasts. Hassel’s brow had hardened, and he could see the man had shifted from “Teacher” to “Elite Four Member”.
“I don’t want to risk a battle” Hassel said, voice quiet but firm, and Clavell nodded in agreement. “Jacq, you suppose Arcainine could help Baxcalibur in creating a distraction?”
“Of course,” Jacq replied, just above a whisper.
“Clavell, Miriam, get ready to run for it. Run and do not stop, trust that we will be right behind you” Hassel breathed, before turning to Miriadon. “You too, get those children out of here” he said, nodding to it. The creature tensed its body, and Clavell did too, locking eyes with Miriam, who hefted her bag onto her back.
After a beat of stillness, pure chaos broke loose.
Hassel yelled something to his Pokemon, and the air exploded with a blinding spray of snow, filled closely by a harsh blast of heat. Clavell took off running, Miriam matching his pace on one side, Miraidon on the other. They snaked between crystals, not daring to stop and look behind them. Jacq and Hassel were formidable trainers, they knew how to take care of themselves. They would be fine , Clavell assured himself as they made their way up the steep paths of the crater. They would all be fine.
———
Despite their best efforts, their pace slowed as they made their way back towards the research stations, even Miraidon slowing to a trot and panting heavily. As they arrived at the doors of one, Clavell made the executive decision to stop, lightly placing Juliana beside Miradion before staggering across the clearing and coming to rest against the wall of the station. His head was spinning so much he barely noticed when Hassel and Jacq finally rounded the corner, just as red faced and out of breath as the rest of them. No, Clavell was more focused on the children.
Nemona was slumped on the ground against Miraidon’s flank, whispering to Penny. Both girls had some color back in their faces, and Clavell could have swore he caught Nemona exclaiming how awesome the chase was, Penny simply rolling her eyes. Clavell smiled - after seeing Nemona so terrified he was happy to see remnants of her old self returning, the mischievous glint returning slowly.
Beside them, Juliana stirred and muttered something too soft for him to hear, and Arven leaned over to whisper something gently in her ear. It wasn’t ideal, but at least she was conscious. Her head was no longer bleeding, and she didn’t seem to have any other wounds, at least for now. Sighing, he leaned back. There was no use speculating - Miriam could only do so much out here anyways, so they had to wait until they got to a proper medical facility to get a proper diagnosis.
Jacq had made his way across the clearing, setting down heavily next to Clavell. The younger man set his hand gently on his shoulder, face still red from the chase. “You ok?”
Sighing, Clavell let his head fall back against the cool metal of the building. “I will be.”
For a moment, the both of them sat in silence, finally being allowed time to truly process what had just happened.
“You really care about those kids, huh?” Jacq said finally, his eyes softening as he cast a glance at their cluster across the clearing.
“They’re my students, and I have a duty to make sure they are safe.” Clavell replied curtly, following his gaze. This elicited a snort from his friend, who rolled his eyes. “What?”
“Please, Arven’s basically been your own kid ever since Turo brought him into the research lab and made you babysit while he proofread my thesis.” Clavell scoffed at the memory, Turo having practically shoved the young boy into his arms the minute he entered the room. Between the rigorous thesis review and having to entertain a sleep-deprived child, it had been chaos for the following hours. “I still don’t think it was an accident that he left Arven with us that morning after, no matter how many times he tried to claim it was.” That elicited a chuckle from both of them, the fondness of the memory easing their frayed nerves.
“Plus, after everything that’s happened in the last few months, it seems like the rest of them followed suit.” Jacq continued with a smile, giving Clavell a playful nudge. “Clav, I like to think I know you pretty well after all these years. For Arceus' sake, you were ready to jump in this hole alone and unarmed to get to them! You absolutely did not do that just because they were just ‘your students’. ” Clavell let an amused smile slip at that one before leaning heavily against his friend’s shoulder. They weren’t out of the woods just yet, not by a long shot, but Clavell finally felt like he could relax, at least a little bit.
As he ruminated on Jacq’s words and the events of the last few hours, Clavell couldn't help but let the last few months reply in his mind.
The overwhelming anxiety that engulfed him as he watched young Juliana march into the Team Star base alone, head raised and eyes blazing fiercely.
The terror that coursed through his veins after hearing that Arven and Juliana went and faced off with those Titan Pokemon, and the relief that replaced it watching them return triumphantly, smiles wide and hair ruffled.
The wave of anguish that engulfed him when he finally learned the true story of Penny and Team Star’s treatment.
The bursting pride that enveloped him as he watched Nemona and Juliana battle for a final time in the Megazoa square, both girls having grown so much in such a short time.
The warmth that was now spreading across his chest as he watched all four of them bundled together across the clearing, their quiet laughter echoed off the crater walls.
“Are we ever going to figure out what happened to them?” Jacq’s voice was laced with concern, pulling Clavell back to reality.
Clavell rubbed his friend’s arm gently. “It will all come to light with time. When the kids are ready, they will share. But for now, we should focus on their recovery, and being there for them. It’s going to be a long process, but they’re strong. They’ll be ok.”
Clavell watched with fondness as a small smile began to form on Jacq’s face. “Those kids are really lucky to have you, Clav.”
Another burst of laughter sounded from the children, loud and boisterous, and Clavell felt the tension that had plagued him since the courtyard finally easing completely, like a weight being lifted from his shoulders.
“Maybe so,” Clavell replied softly, “but I believe I’m even luckier to have them.”