After camping overnight in an enclosed spot a few miles north of Kuwayii, the exiles were back on their feet once more as they carried on with their journey. Denise was beginning to show particular exuberance over thoughts of their next destination en route to Alia Summit - the surrounding air filled with the girl’s excited chatter as she walked swiftly amidst her companions. Cory and Rose listened intently as Denise painted an elaborate image of a bustling metropolis thriving upon technology and imagination - somewhere perfect for curious young inventive minds such as her own.

“Nintencu City is rich in both ideas and talent” she explained. “Many of the world’s inventors and computer enthusiasts flock there to meet others like themselves and find inspiration. It’s such a thrill for me to finally be able to see it all for myself! Even if it is with a limited time and a lot of caution in mind.”

Jessie grunted while Errol and James exchanged uncertain glances. They didn’t seem to share Denise’s enthusiasm over this intended visit.

“They’d better not have any annoying metal boxes flying around zapping whomever they please,” Jessie muttered, while Caley gazed at the yellow and black Ultra Ball in his hand.

“Oh, you mean the Blockbots?” Denise responded brightly. “Nah, we won’t be seeing any of those. They had to be recalled after that nasty incident in Larousse three years ago where energy interference caused them to malfunction.”

“Dat’s a relief, “Errol sighed gratefully.

“Let’s hope they stay recalled, too” Jessie tagged on.

“For the time being, I’d agree with you,” Denise nodded. “The Blockbot passport system would have been a great danger to us had it been operational in Nintencu.”

“So how far away are we from this place of technological bounty?” Adam inquired dryly, causing Denise to glance at him with saddened eyes.

“Well that’s the bad news,” she began. “As far as I can remember from my map studies, Nintencu City is a good 40 miles from Kuwayii. At this rate we’d be unlikely to reach there for at least another 6 hours, and that’s without breaks!”

There was a cumulative groan from the group, particularly contributed to by Jessie, James and Errol who were already in need of their next meal.

“I guess I can forget sleeping in a real bed tonight then,” Jessie moaned.

“If we’re going to think realistically, then yes,” Cory agreed.

 

“There’s barely any chance of us finding something to get us to Nintencu any quicker,”

 

Emerging from the foliage the eyes of the group widened in unison as their gazes alighted upon a seemingly infinite stretch of concrete framed by steel barriers.

“Wow…a real motorway!” Caley exclaimed. “You sure don’t see many of these”

“Not surprising, considering how vehicles are only available to the Police and the exceedingly wealthy,” Rose stated. “You’d be lucky to see anything pass along here”

“Who said they need to be passing?” Denise smirked, motioning sideways. An expensive-looking sports car complete with lowered hood was positioned a few metres ahead of them; its stunted dark-skinned owner sat moodily in the drivers seat with a mobile phone pressed to his head.

“What do you mean ‘two hours’?” he snapped. “Just why should it possibly take that long to get out here and fix my Mareotti?”

There followed a pause while the man listened to the voice emanating from his phone’s earpiece.

“Being located in Domina is no excuse!” he continued. “I have to be at Nintencu City’s Personal Systems Conference in an hour and if I don’t see you here soon there’ll be hell to pay, believe me!”

“Nintencu City?” Denise echoed. “What luck! The guy’s heading right where we want to be”

“Or he would be if his car wasn’t busted” Adam reminded her. “Two hours waiting around here is two hours in which we could be easily caught up with.”

“Well hopefully whatever’s wrong with the vehicle isn’t that serious!” the young girl replied cheerily, dashing off toward the car. Adam’s mouth dropped open a little way before he turned around and stared at the figures behind him, expecting a response.

“You’re just going to let her go?” he exclaimed.

“Well why not?” Jessie shrugged.

“Neesee’s a whiz at repairs” Errol agreed.

“And its best to stand well back while she’s at work,” James added

 

“Things can get pretty messy.”

 

The figure replaced his mobile phone into its appropriate compartment in front of the gear stick and raised his head just in time to see Denise poised enthusiastically in front of his car, glancing up and down its structure with a device in one hand. Uttering a gasp of horror the man leapt from his seat and dashed round the vehicle toward her.

“What d’ya think you’re doing, kid?” he spluttered angrily. “Get away from there! You better not have got fingerprints on the paintwork”

“Not at all, sir,” Denise replied politely, glancing up at the words ‘Dundee Titon’ scribbled across a badge which the figure had pinned to his shirt in preparation for the conference. “I only wished to know how to open the bonnet”

“That’s none of your business” the man frowned. “Shouldn’t you be at school or something?”

“Don’t you wish to be at this meeting of yours?” Denise inquired shortly, beginning to lose her temper over such hostility. “All I ask is a little cooperation and I could have this machine running smooth again in time.”

Dundee stared at his associate for a moment or so with an expression that indicated he sincerely thought Denise was cracking a joke.  Then he recomposed himself.

“But seriously, kid” he remarked. “I’m sure you’d love to help and all, but this is complicated technical stuff we’re talking about here.”

“And I’m fully aware of that,” Denise’s voice was growing icier by the second. “Just give me a chance and I’ll show you exactly what I know.”

“Sorry, no can do,” Dundee shook his head before sliding his chubby form back past the door and into the drivers seat.

 

“I’d prefer to keep my car in one piece, if it’s all the same to you.”

 

“Why that rude, ignorant…”

Adam staggered back in surprise as Denise’s seething form stomped past him.

“So the hitchhiking idea’s off?” Rose inquired

“Far from it” Denise muttered. “I won’t let that chauvinist Grumpig get away with insulting me that easily. Caley, isn’t there some way you could…y’know… persuade him?

 

…Caley?”

 

The trainer had been lost in his own little world for the past few minutes, rolling the yellow and black sphere between his hands as he pondered over whether or not to take a glance at the contents within. Cory reached across and prodded his companion upon the shoulder; despite the move being a gentle one it was enough to cause Caley to flinch in alarm, dropping his cargo in the process. A brilliant flicker of light ensued as the Ultra Ball hit the concrete, releasing its contents.

As the group squinted and watched in a mixture of awe and anxiousness, the light shaped itself into a pale blue stubby-limbed creature about one foot in length. It bore woolly ruffs around its neck, wrists and ankles and a multicoloured jewel hung from one of its long ears. Noting the attention was focused firmly upon it, the Pokémon uttered a squeak of happiness and dived for the astonished trainer’s arms.

“What’s that?” James spoke up after a moment of silence.

“A Thiesis,” Caley answered softly. “But not just any Thiesis. This is Nijiro, one of the Pokémon my dad once owned and the same one he appointed to watch over us while he was…gone.”

There was a noticeable alteration in the young man’s voice as he reached the end of his sentence. The others exchanged saddened looks - it was fairly plain from Caley’s expression and usage of past tense that his father was no longer alive to reclaim ownership of Nijiro, but they decided not to prolong their friend’s hurt.

“Mum must be real worried if she sent him to accompany me,” the trainer continued, managing to regain a little of his composure.

 

“Niji’s always been very good at protecting. I only hope that Mum and Ashley will be safe without him”

 

Suddenly the aforementioned Pokémon uttered a cry of delight and shot from Caley’s arms, straight toward Dundee’s car. Before the man realised what was coming Nijiro had become attached to his hand, struggling to try and remove the stone from the ring upon Dundee’s second finger. The group watched in surprise and semi-amusement as Dundee yelled and attempted to dislodge the Pokémon by means of waving his arm around like a distressed Pigeot.

“Augh! Get off me you little flying pest!”

“Uh, what’s going on?” James asked, blank-faced. Caley scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“I’d forgotten one of Nijiro’s biggest personality flaws,” he remarked. “His Thiesis instincts can sometimes draw him to hoarding shiny jewels. With him all agitated like that there’s no way I’ll be able to keep him inside his Pokéball, so we’ve got to calm him down first. Have any of you got some kind of shiny jewellery we could use to distract Nijiro with?”

James and Errol both took a glance at the side of Jessie’s head, causing her to frown deeply.

“No way am I using my earrings as some Pokemon’s chew toy” she remarked strongly. Caley flinched as something was put into his hand.

“Here, use one of mine” Rose smiled, removing the other green bauble from her ear and placing it in her jacket pocket. The trainer returned the expression with thanks, then waved the item in the air to enable the sunlight to glance off its surface. Nijiro noticed the light out of the corner of its eye and immediately let go, flying toward the earring before grabbing it from Caley and holding it tightly to its chest and purring. With that, Caley returned the Thiesis to its Pokéball.

“I would have thought dad would have trained that reflex out of Nijiro,” he sighed.

“Some reflexes are hard to drop, kid” Errol remarked, as James looked embarrassed upon thoughts of trying to snatch a Venonat at Trancia Port’s Pokémon Nursery. Then Adam stood bolt upright.

 

“Where’s Denise?” he exclaimed, a hint of panic in his voice.

 

Dundee had been sitting there rubbing at his aching fingers and grumbling under his breath before an unexpected noise startled him into looking up across the dashboard. There, standing beside the drivers door was Denise, retracting her arm from the ignition and smiling sweetly back at him.

“All done” she announced. “Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Alarm swiftly dissolved into anger. Dundee opened his mouth to give what he considered a very impertinent young lady a good talking to, but rapidly closed it again as he felt the vehicle he was sitting in rumbling submissively from under him.

“How did you…?” he spluttered. Denise couldn’t help chuckling at his astonishment as her companions drew up around her.

“I wasn’t joking when I said I had technical know-how” she grinned, shutting the bonnet and stepping back to admire her handiwork. “No need to thank m-“

The girl reeled backwards as her handiwork and its driver squealed down the motorway, showering all those who had been standing there in a thick layer of dust and leaving them choking for air.

“Ingrate!” Denise yelled brokenly from her sitting position, her cheeks streaked with tears. Adam stood by, his anger fuelled by the businessman’s inconsideration and the fact it had upset his friend so.

“So much for hitchin’ a ride,” Errol mumbled under her breath. “Now what are we going to do?”

“I’m going to collapse at the side of this highway and waste to nothing,” James whined, falling to his knees. “I can’t go on any further!”

“Oh quit being so melodramatic,” Jessie snapped. “So we don’t have any transport, or food, or shelter. And we’re being hunted by an evil criminal organization bent on taking over the world with an army of genetically enhanced mutants…

…we’re doomed!”

The woman ended up falling to her knees also and clasping her lavender-haired companion in a desperate act of shameless sorrow. Errol looked on and groaned slightly before raising a hand.

“No we’re not. Da kid’s got our transport.”

“What?” Jessie pulled a face and looked up.

“How on earth could that scrawny shape shifter have a way of taking us all to-?

 

…whoa”    

 

At the side of the road stood vehicle identical to the one Dundee had been driving. Rose, Caley, Adam and Denise had already seated themselves within. James looked on, utterly horrified.

“Cory hijacked that ignorant man’s car?” he exclaimed.

“Not quite, Jimmy” Errol chuckled, while Jessie rolled her eyes, stood up and wandered over toward the others. “He managed to get a copy of its structure before dat guy drove off. Da kid is da car.”

“Marvellous!” James grinned to himself, leaping to his feet.

I wouldn’t say it’s all that great, Cory thought to himself in pained tones. Stretching his body into such a shape was doing no favours for what skeletal structure he had.

 

Not to mention Adam’s boots were digging into a particularly uncomfortable spot.

 

The journey passed off fairly smoothly, helped along by the relentlessly straight road with its occasional signposts that wound between the hillside. Errol leant back in the driver’s seat and smiled warmly as Cory took responsibility of matters concerning his own direction. Thankfully there were no other figures travelling upon the road in either direction - Errol’s seeming lack of driving could have easily caused anyone noticing to have an accident.

Forty five minutes later and the tips of Nintencu’s pristine glass-fronted buildings were within view of those approaching them. As Cory drew closer, those inside his steel structure noticed something more about the city. It sat perched atop a large mass of concrete covered in expansive solar panels which elevated Nintencu from the valley surrounding it. The majority of the spectators couldn’t help but gasp in awe, while Denise released Li upon her lap to let the Tisker catch a glimpse.

“Isn't it astounding?” Denise exclaimed as they drove toward the tunnel that had been cut into the concrete especially for the purpose of incoming traffic. “Larousse isn't the only city to have taken some of the strain off our environment’s limited energy resources. What masterful handiwork!”

“Looks like a masterful eyesore to me,” Adam remarked irritably. Denise turned to look at him, her expression conveying a mixture of hurt and annoyance.

“Stop being so short-sighted and take a moment to look beyond what your eyes can see for once, Adam” she exclaimed, while Li grumbled under her breath. “Why can’t you appreciate the complexity and useful attributes of such a design?”

Adam gritted his teeth as his hands clenched tightly by his sides. The best part of an hour spent in claustrophobic conditions with Jessie muttering to herself and James playing with the cup holder had done his tolerance no favours. Denise’s insult was quick to tip the balance.

“Maybe…” he growled.

 

“…because I’m not a Techno Geek like you!”

 

Almost at once a nasty silence descended, broken only by the awkward rumblings of Cory’s engine as he drew into one of the vehicle drop-off bays within the tunnel. Li froze as Denise’s countenance grew extremely cold, her head turned away from Adam and toward the window so the figure could not see the sorrowful bitterness that resided upon her face.

“Smooth going there, Mr. Tactful,” Jessie sniffed, opening the front passenger door and slipping out onto the road. “You sure know how to make friends and influence people.”

James exited the car shortly afterward, wearing a most unforgiving expression. He’d always considered Denise to be as close as a younger sister to him and to have someone act so rudely toward her would hardly put them in his good books. Rose looked quite disappointed over the whole scenario while Caley hung his head in an aura of shame. He felt that it was his duty to govern Adam toward better conduct since growing up in Team Rocket left the boy without proper knowledge as to how to vent his anger without hurting others.

In this particular case, however, the trainer had realised his own responsibility a little too late. Realisation had struck Adam also - stepping onto the pavement, the figure kept his face aimed firmly toward the floor, shoulders shaking. Once Errol had scouted the area for any possible eavesdroppers, he signalled to Cory that it was okay to resume his humanoid form before returning to the rest of his companions in an attempt to play peacemaker.

“Looks ta me like everyone could use a time out,” he announced calmly. “Caley? I expects you’ll be heading out ta look for da Nintencu gym, right?” He received a nod in response. “Right. So if youse an’ Adam go ahead wi’ dat, I’ll take Jess, Jim an’ da kid outta da vicinity. Rose and Denise can-”

 

“I want to be alone.”

 

The tone of the voice was quite absurd, especially coming from someone of such usually cheerful demeanour. Rose shifted onto the other foot with a slightly nervous expression as she glanced at Denise.

“I’d be happy to tag along with Caley,” she remarked hurriedly, as the brown-haired figure strode off toward the exit hatch nearest them. Li glanced up at Caley with a deeply saddened expression, causing the trainer to utter a tiny sigh before quickly moving out of sight, away from James’ penetrating glower. With that, Errol let out a groan.

“Hopefully dat’ll give everyone enough time ta chill,” he murmured, as Jessie dragged James toward the third exit hatch on the far side of the underpass. “Dat boy’s gotta loin ta t’ink before he speaks. C’mon, kid… let’s go get somet’in ta drink. Bet’cha could use it after all dat drivin’ youse been doin, eh?

 

 

…kid?”

 

 

Ignoring the burning sensation in his hands and feet, Cory had dashed off in pursuit of Denise and Li without a second thought. After a minute or so of running up a oddly lit passage, the figure emerged onto a narrow balcony curiously overlooking Nintencu city square. Despite it still being fairly early in the day, the area was already thriving with the bodies of many people and their Pokémon companions - some dressed in smart attire, others in warm but casual outfits, milling around a wide array of well-stocked tables which were manned by figures in boiler suits and overalls. It appeared to be some kind of market but at this distance Cory was unable to make out just what it was the stallholders were trading.

“What an odd arrangement,” the boy murmured to himself, before the continuing along the balcony. As his constitution took him from one building to the next, Cory found himself overshadowed with a glass canopy, enabling him to wander to the side and take a further glance at the scene below. Something about the width of the passage between the illustrious buildings didn’t quite seem to make sense to him. It looked to be designed only for those travelling on foot but was more than spacious enough to accommodate at least three lanes of traffic.

“It’s for test-runs,” a smooth voice echoed from behind. Cory swung round, half-assuming that the figure behind him had somehow read his mind. As his gaze made contact with the man’s face, however, he felt himself relax somewhat. It happened to be Miles O Mallery, the computer technician he had met back in Takielian Town - but the passage of time had made it difficult for Cory to remember what his acquaintance had sounded like. Brushing back his dark violet hair, Miles chuckled at the expression he happened to be receiving.

“Didn’t expect to meet you here either, t’be honest,” he remarked, shifting his rucksack back onto his shoulder from where it had slipped. “But now I come to think of it, Nintencu is a perfect hangout for someone with such unusual tech skills.”

“What did you mean, ‘test-runs’?” Cory inquired, still absorbed in the implications of the first sentence Miles had uttered. The man wandered over toward the opposite side of the bridge and motioned in the direction of the city square.

“See those traders?” he began. “Those are inventions they’re selling. Nintencu City is most famous for its high levels of creative technology and many an entrepreneur visits here to commission Nintencu’s many inventors to design them new and innovative devices. The larger ones are often tested around the city streets, hence them being a lot wider than most other urban locales.”

Cory looked from the crowds below back at Miles with a questioning expression.

“Is that why you’re here?”

“Yes, and no,” Miles responded. “Where I am interested in the potential of these inventors, I didn’t come here to purchase any equipment. Instead, I’ve been searching for someone that I heard lives around these parts. Someone proficient in Pokémon Cyberstudies. You see, ever since I encountered that weird glitch back in Takielian, I have thought of nothing but uncovering exactly what it was. And why might you be here, kid?”

“I’m looking for someone too,” Cory explained. “A friend of mine. One of her companions upset her and now she’s somewhere alone in Nintencu.”

“Ouch. Tough gig,” Miles shook his head. “Sure won’t be an easy feat finding her around here - this place is like a Labyrinth.”

“Such as I feared,” Cory sighed, looking for all the world like he wanted to sit down and put his head in his hands. Miles looked at him, head tilted slightly to the side with a saddened expression before turning toward the slope the youth had come from.

“Well, I gotta head off. Best of luck on finding your friend, Cory. It’s a pity you haven’t got any way of tracking her, really.”

Yeah…  the figure murmured inside his head as he watched Miles walk away. It is a pity I haven’t got any way of-

…hold on…

 

I do have a way of tracking her!

 

Dashing into the busy shopping mall from the bridge, Cory’s eyes flickered left and right as he searched for a private location. It took a few minutes but he was able to find one, in the form of an empty cubicle with opaque walls used for calling others via a televideo system. Slipping into the cubicle, Cory slid the door shut before closing his eyes and assuming Kota’s form. Being a pure psychic type, a Psybab's telepathic abilities would be more attuned than his own. It wasn’t going to be easy, but attempting to get a lock on Denise’s thoughts was the only reasonable chance he had at finding her.

First Cory recalled the girl’s voice within his mind, and consequently let his acquired psychic abilities enter the realm of subconscious thought that ebbed and flowed all around him. The resulting noise was almost deafening, but Cory simply gritted his teeth and drove onward through the masses of mostly mundane ponderances that he could hear. And then it hit him like a rock - Cory almost fell from the stool he was perched upon as Denise’s frustrated contemplation made itself present. Struggling not to lose the signal, the figure used his mind’s eye to scope out the nearby surroundings. He could see what looked to be a fountain, only the pinnacle appeared to be shooting pixels of light into the air instead of water.

A loud scraping noise stunned Cory out of his psychic trance. Opening his eyes and looking up, the figure squeaked in alarm as he noticed an elderly woman gazing back at him in astonishment. Not even giving the woman a chance to react, Cory took off over her head and flew out of sight.

“Didja see that, Herb?” came the almost excited exclamation. “A Psybab, using the telephone of all things! I can’t imagine where those critters would keep their pocket change.”

“In their handbags, where else?” came the sarcastic reply from the woman’s tired-looking husband.

 

He couldn’t believe the kinds of tall stories he had to put up with.

 

After finding another secluded area to reassume his humanoid form, Cory continued his search - this time redirecting his attentions to the pixel-jetting fountain in the hopes that such an installation was set within the confines of the mall. As it so happened, this was indeed the case. Glancing at one of the consoles where the building’s floor plans were displayed the figure breathed a sigh of relief and headed for the elevator. Things were looking up.

Stepping out onto the ground floor, Cory’s face lit up with a mixture of excitement and awe as he took in the view before him. The central portion of the floor rose up as a bowl-shaped construction composed of tiers that led downward toward its middle. At which point the fountain generator sprung forth - thrusting tiny fragments of multi-coloured holographic light into the air and up over the heads of those poised upon the tiers within.

Denise sat there gazing up at these sparks and flickers without a hint of a smile passing her lips. Adam’s exclamation had hit her hard - now the ball of upset and bitterness jammed firmly inside Denise’s throat was preventing the girl from enjoying the sights around her.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Cory remarked softly, arranging himself next to his copper-haired companion. Denise flinched at the sound of a familiar voice, but did not turn her head. Cory could sense an odd aura about her person; as if she didn’t exactly want him to stay, but she didn’t wish him to leave either.

“I don’t know,” she muttered. “Is it? Or is it just another great big ‘eyesore’?”

Cory repressed a deep sigh. He could understand Denise’s annoyance at Adam’s tactlessness.

“I just don’t understand why Adam can’t see the great things these technological advancements are doing for society’s welfare,” the girl continued, her hardened glower easing up somewhat.

“People don’t all view things the same way,“ Cory reminded her. “Adam’s dealings with technology have undoubtedly been far different from yours, Denise. He grew up in Team Rocket, remember?” 

The figure uttered a sharp gasp as realisation struck. How could she have overlooked such a thought? Technology destroyed Adam’s mother - no wonder he looked upon it with contempt. Cory looked onward knowledgably as Denise lowered her head in utmost guilt.

“Of course,” she replied sadly. “I have been the short-sighted one, not him. He hasn’t known any better. Poor guy...how can I possibly make it up to him?”

“Just don’t forget to take into account what Adam’s been through, that’s all” Cory smiled faintly. “He’ll appreciate that.”

For the first time since she had left the group to contemplate alone, Denise also began to smile, her eyes lighting up once more with that all-too-familiar enthusiasm.

“And I can show him the better side that technology has to offer!” she exclaimed, standing up and causing some of the other fountain spectators to look back at her curiously. Cory chuckled at this.

“That too” he smirked. “Now what do you say to getting back to the others and apologising to Adam?”

“Not yet” Denise shook her head, taking Cory by the wrist. “I want this apology to really mean something!”

Before Cory could inquire as to what on earth his companion meant, he had already been pulled away across the mall.

 

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

After a good few minutes of walking, Jessie, James and Errol found themselves in the northern part of Nintencu city. Here the familiar rows of tall sparkling office buildings had vanished - in turn being replaced by large somewhat dingy-looking warehouses. The air was punctuated with screeches, whines and hammering as figures clad in oil-stricken work outfits swarmed over large metallic constructions or sat in their open doorways - pieces of machinery in their laps as they concentrated deeply on their efforts despite the horrendous noise.

“Look at dis place!” Errol exclaimed, spreading his arms wide as Jessie and James wandered behind him in a mixture of awe and cautiousness. “Poifect for Denise’s types, wouldn’cha say?”

“Yeah…” James looked on, slightly saddened by the mention of Denise’s name due to the encroaching thoughts of her low mood caused by Adam’s thoughtlessness. “This place seems to treat technology as an art form.”

“A coupla dese fanatics sure wouldn’t go amiss on our wish list,” Errol commented with a smirk, causing Jessie to glance at him with a frown.

“I don’t see how,” she remarked. “Denise is already more than equipped with the skills to make any technical adjustments we need.”

“Maybe so,” Errol responded knowledgably. “But dese guys have got da goods. T’ink about it - wit’ their help we could have ourselves a piece o’ transport and an extra method o’ defence against dose pesky Elites!”

Jessie’s agitated confusion soon dissolved into a deep, mischievous and satisfied grin. But it was short-lived.

“Wait a second,” she looked up. “That’d cost us money.”

“And with the steep prices on that fifth-rate material we used to get, I can’t imagine what the price tag on good material would be,” James agreed, looking rather pained at the thought of financial extortion. Errol’s face fell.

“I guess ya right, Jimmy” he sighed.

 

“Dis ain’t exactly da kinda place you’d expect ta get free samples”

 

There was the sound of someone purposefully clearing their throat which caused the three figures to swing round. Standing behind them was a five foot tall man with unkempt plum coloured hair dressed in an open-collar shirt and jeans.

“I believe I can help you with that little obstacle,“ he said, exhibiting an impossibly wide smile and holding out his hand. “The name’s Karston. I’ve been looking for a few youthful figures such as yourselves to inspire me for my latest project.”

“You don’t say…” Jessie responded, a half-flattered expression emerging upon her face. James shot a studied look in the man’s direction and tried to work out why the name sounded familiar, while Errol chuckled to himself over being referred to as ‘youthful’.

“Indeed!” Karston grinned. “I have all the necessary equipment and resources. All I need now… is the imagination.” He cast a cheeky wink in Jessie’s direction, causing her to giggle uninhibitedly. “Well, are you with me?”

“Of course!” the woman replied, a little too enthusiastically for her own good.

 

“Show us the way!”

 

Karston promptly turned around and motioned for his new companions to follow as he strode off across the yard. Jessie took to her heels and gave pursuit, her enthusiasm causing an unsettling darkness to make itself present upon her face.

“Wow…dis guy’s gotta be loaded wit’ cash if he’s makin’ such a generous offer,” Errol blinked, walking alongside James as they tagged along behind.

“Maybe so,” James murmured, not at all happy about the confused state of his head. “But I think we’d better keep our wits about us. Something about him is triggering off weird signals in my head and I can’t pinpoint why.”

“I t’ink we’ve more ta worry about concernin’ Jessie,” Errol remarked uncomfortably.

 

“She had dat all too familiar look in her eyes again.”

 

Reaching a large closed door, Karston tapped out an unusual rhythm upon its metallic surface with his knuckle and with a loud creaking it slid aside to reveal a grubby looking Tyrogue with a cheerful expression. Behind the Pokémon lay a massive workshop cluttered with pieces of machinery and half-finished projects.

“As you can see I’ve not been the kind of man to stick to one thing,” Karston remarked somewhat sadly, patting the Tyrogue on the head as he showed his guests in. “I keep losing interest before any project is completed.”

“And I thought you were bad in the attention department,” Jessie smirked in James’ direction. The figure retrieved his gaze from a device that closely resembled a refrigerator and blinked confusedly.

“What was that?” he murmured. “I got distracted back there.”

Jessie slapped her forehead as Errol chuckled, opening her mouth to say something rather insulting but thought better of it. At least for the time being; Karston looked ready to hand out some introductions. Upon calling out into the depths of the workshop, the man was soon joined by the Tyrogue from earlier, a Pixell, a Charmeleon and an Electrode.

“This little fella here is Junior,” Karston smiled, placing a hand on the Tyrogue’s shoulder.

“He helps me to test out my machines, amongst other things. Next to him is Gigabit, my software tester. Fyar’s my resident metal expert and DC’s a real power pack, so watch yourself around him”

“Nice ta meet’cha!” Errol waved cheerily. “Da name’s Errol.”

“I’m Jessie,” the magenta-haired woman added, with a slight flourish.

“And I’m James,” her companion tagged on. Karston flinched upon hearing the name, the features on his face colliding with one another as his brain struggled to find a piece of information he was sure he needed.

“James, you say?”

“Yes,” he replied, unaware. “James Morgan.”

“Now that sounds very familiar,” Karston muttered, squinting and scratching his head. “And I can’t for the life of me remember why. If only I had my glasses…”

“Roge, ty ty ro” Junior commented, looking somewhat embarrassed and motioning toward Karston’s forehead. The man looked upward as his hands brushed across something cold and hard.

“Oh!” he laughed nervously, retrieving the glasses from their perch and arranging them in a more useful spot before his eyes. “Thank you, Junior. Aha! James Morgan… of course! Son of Christopher Morgan, as I recall.”

James winced somewhat at the mention of his father’s name while Jessie stepped forward and glowered menacingly down upon the inventor.

“And how do you know so much about my friend?” she snapped. Karston simply grinned in response, causing Jessie to falter somewhat.

“Why dear girl, I’m his uncle!” he announced proudly. James looked up, the expression upon his face now awash with realisation and growing more excited by the minute.

“Uncle Kars? I don’t believe it!”

“So good to see you, my boy!” the man exclaimed, slapping James heartily upon the back and causing him to splutter. “It certainly has been a while.”

“Yeah, it has..” James croaked, hoping that Karston wasn’t intending to tell his dad he had been in Nintencu. By now the inventor’s mind had wandered yet again as his body had turned around and wandered toward the far corner of the workshop.

“How long has it been, say… ten years?” he inquired, approaching an area which appeared to have been reserved specifically for kitchen duties. “Maybe not that much…

 

…tea?”

 

“Sure,” James smiled, happy to oblige. With the state of Karston’s memory as he remembered it, no doubt he would receive tea whether he wanted it or not.

“No thanks,” Jessie shook her head. Errol did the same.

“Got any milk?”

“Of course!” Karston chuckled, opening a cupboard. “How else would one make tea? Well well… someone’s been at the sugar again, it seems.”

“Your uncle’s quite the eccentric,” Jessie hissed, watching the figure searching for various utensils.

“True,” James responded. “But he’s nothing like dad, thankfully.”

Karston returned to the group bearing a tray with four mugs of tea balanced somewhat precariously upon it. Groaning slightly, two members of the trio reluctantly took their beverages while James tried not to chuckle over the expressions on their faces and picked up his own receptacle. With that, Karston motioned for them to sit down upon various articles of junk which had been arranged to act as some kind of seating arrangement.

“So…” he began. “What have you been doing with yourself, Jimmy boy?”

“Well, I’ve been travelling,” James remarked awkwardly, not wishing to blurt out anything regarding his past ‘unsavoury engagements’ in Team Rocket. “Travelling… a lot.”

“Wonderful!” Karston exclaimed in pleased tones while Jessie sipped the contents of her mug unenthusiastically. “Always good to see the world, that’s what I say. It’s always changing.”

“I dunno,” James muttered, following a large gulp of tea. “It tends to look the same from twenty miles in the air.”

He cut off as Jessie shot him an icy glare. But fortunately Karston had not picked up on the underlying meaning to this statement.

“Yes, I agree,” he nodded. “I find flying trips most unsettling.”

“’specially when one lands in a tree at da udda end,” Errol commented, pulling a face and promptly receiving a smack across the back of the head for his trouble.

“I must say I’ve been luckier than that,” Karston chuckled, looking at a pile of schematics beside him in what could have been considered quite a rude manner if those accompanying him hadn’t been thankful for the absent-mindedness. “Wouldn’t want to be a regular air commuter, mind you. Flying makes me queasy.”

“I think I was always too shocked to be very queasy,” James mentioned, though in much lower tones this time. Jessie folded her arms in a huff.

“You two are just lucky that he’s eccentric,” she grumbled.

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

            Shuttlecar Travel Sequence Activated. Destination: Nintencu City Gym

 

            As the sleek metallic four-person transport slid smoothly out of the docking area upon its singular rail and entered the open air, Caley resigned himself to gazing out of the bubble window nearest him with a distinct air of excitement. Adam, on the other hand, took to glowering down at the rubber-clad floor with his arms tightly folded. It was more than obvious what matters were bothering his mind.

            “Still can’t see why she gets all gooey over that junk,” he muttered, causing Rose to look back from the city map she had been studying.

            “Maybe because Denise finds technology fascinating,” she replied calmly. Adam jerked his head upward, having been unaware of his audience until this particular moment.

            “People don’t all like the same things, Ad’,” Caley joined in, gently stroking the top of Li's head.

            “Exactly,” Rose smiled. “Our duty as friends is to simply accept the differences of others, and that includes interests as well as personalities.”

            “I know that,” Adam grunted. “M’stupid temper got the better of me again. I doubt Denise’ll want to speak to me now.”

            “Don’t you worry yourself about that…she will,” Caley reassured his fidgeting companion.

 

            “Though I’m sure an apology wouldn’t go amiss”

 

            A few minutes later the shuttle glided to a standstill inside its allocated bay.

Thank you for travelling with NSC, it told the group in cheerfully mundane tones as the doors in the side slid open. We hope you have a pleasant day.

Adam snorted at no one in particular, flicking a pebble at the departing vehicle with his foot while Rose, Caley and Li glanced upward in awe at the sight behind him. A large luminescent dome rose up between the more everyday-looking office buildings of the city. It was surrounded by six foot pillars and its entire surface sparkled and shimmered with a life of its own. It gave the appearance of being translucent, yet the visitors could not make out anything within.

“What an unusual building,” Rose commented, impressed. “I wonder what it’s made of.”

“Maybe we can ask the gym leader when we get inside,” Caley grinned, quickening his pace and passing through a fence made entirely of laser lights that surrounded the dome. Adam slipped up beside him.

“Pardon my ignorance,” he muttered. “But inside? I can’t see any way of getting inside that freaky bubble, can you?”

Caley slowed to a halt and glanced upward, his face falling. His friend was right; there didn’t seem to be any way to enter the building since its curvaceous walls were devoid of any doors or windows. Even odder happened to the presence of an intercom system on a stand, much like the ones usually seen in the drive thru areas of fast food outlets.

“Maybe the doors are just well concealed,” the trainer remarked, a partially worried tone in his voice. Rose leant to the side and gave the button on the intercom a tentative press.

“This is Nintencu City Gym, how may I help you?” a bored, metallic and highly well spoken voice ensued from the speaker. It was obvious from the thoroughly rehearsed tones as to how many times the figure had uttered these words before.

“We’re here to see the gym leader about a badge,” Caley responded brightly, in total contrast to the one whom had previously addressed them.

“Aren’t you always?” the voice sighed heavily. “Fair enough. Keep still…I’ll warp you in.”

Adam blinked as the intercom cut off and Rose looked down at the area of floor upon which they were all standing. It was formed into a slightly lighter coloured square under their feet.

“A Warp Tile. Just as I suspected,” she remarked calmly.

“What the hell’s a Warp Tile?” Adam exclaimed with noticeable panic, while Caley looked around excitedly yet again and Li scanned the article with great interest.

“Ancient Teleportation Technology,” Rose explained. “Originally used for authorised entry into highly secure areas. Modern versions are pretty hard to find and mostly used for show these days.”

“Teleportation?” the adolescent almost squeaked. “I don’t wanna be demolarecurized!” He made a move to walk away but Rose placed a hand on his shoulder to hold him back.

“Wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she remarked sternly. “Leaving the tile while its preparing for transport could easily cause parts of you to vanish elsewhere. Besides, it won’t hurt.”

“And what makes you so sure?” Adam snapped. Suddenly he felt his body grow oddly warm as a slight tingle ran across his shoulders and down his arms. Rose glanced back at him, her figure now emanating a gentle whitish glow.

“I’ve done this before,” she said, her voice distorting slightly like a radio transmission losing its strength. Adam gasped as the feeling in his limbs deserted him entirely. The brilliant light surrounding him turned to pitch black as he appeared to float for just a second within a void before gravity took hold of him once more - pulling every particle back together in rapid unison and throwing him downward in what seemed to be an inevitable impact.

 

“Wow…”

 

Adam staggered slightly as tangible scenery returned to meet his vision and Caley’s distantly dazed statement invaded his ears. It felt like he had fallen several hundred feet and yet he was still standing upon his own.

“See, it wasn’t so bad, was it?” smiled Rose, who by experience was perfectly nonplussed about the whole thing. Her shorter and much paler-looking associate, however, was not taking the situation so well.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” he slurred, and consequently was, in the nearest trash can.

“Oh brilliant,” came tones dripping with sarcasm from behind the group. “That’s the fifth visitor to have done that this week. I’m seriously considering requesting that we get some proper doors like normal people.”

Everyone looked round in surprise, having recognized the voice as being the same one who had addressed them on the intercom outside just a few moments ago. A greenish holographic figure shaped like an upside-down teardrop with two round eyes hovered bemusedly before them. Noting the mutual expressions of utter befuddlement, the figure groaned to itself and prepared to reel off yet another pre-programmed recital.

“Welcome, trainers” he droned. “To Lavender’s Virtual Pokémon Gym. My name is Victor and I shall be your-“ The hologram distorted and fizzled slightly as Adam proceeded to curiously pass his finger through the projection.

“Please refrain from poking the guide,” Victor muttered, while Rose frowned in Adam’s direction and Caley chuckled nervously. “Unless you sincerely wish to get lost - these projection units don’t come cheap, you know. Now follow me, Lavender should be in the VR arena if the repair work is still going on”

“Repair work?” Caley echoed as he took up walking beside the hologram.

“Yes,” Victor drawled, as if talking to a three year old. “Earlier combatants seemed incapable of containing their… excitement. They ended up damaging one of the primary generators which is responsible for part of the gym wall - Lavender has been working to try and get it back online.”

  Adam cast his gaze about the surrounding walls as he pursued his companions and their irritable escort down the corridor. They bore the same inexplicable iridescence as the outside of the dome, only now the boy was closer to them their appearance seemed all the more unsettling.

“So this entire gym is a ‘projection’?” Rose inquired. Victor’s face grew somewhat brighter at what he considered to be a much more intelligent question.

“Indeed,” he responded. “Nintencu City Gym is one of the very few Virtual constructions in the world."

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Caley blinked, as Adam put a hand against the wall nearest to him.

“No more dangerous than a building made of non-cyber materials,” Victor said. “Since our power supply is Pokémon dependant, we do not have to worry about power outages causing the generators to stop functioning. In fact, there are many advantages to a place such as this. For a start (should the generators stay in tact) it is entirely self-repairing.”

Caley was about to open his mouth to ask how on earth was such a thing possible when Adam let out a loud yelp, skittering backward from the wall and directly into him.

“The wall…” he gibbered.

 

“It…waved at me!”

 

“Seems your prying young friend has already discovered the means of repair,” Victor smirked, as Rose glanced above her head somewhat worriedly. She too noticed a flicker of a passing face, complete with two beady eyes and a cheeky grin. Another followed, in the opposite direction while several zoomed across the floor under the group’s feet, causing Adam to flinch.

“What are they?” she asked, while Li studied the pixelated surroundings and Caley took to immediately pointing his wrist at the walls in an attempt to identify the creatures.

“Chooka,” Victor explained. “They are the Virtual type sprite Pokémon that reside within the gym structure and take care of the majority of its maintenance. And don’t worry about their well-being - Chooka are at their happiest when inside Cyberspace or similar cybernetic materials. The work keeps them out of mischief, too.

Ah, here we are.”

The group had reached the end of the corridor, and there a large open space awaited them. It was set out in a manner much like that of any other official gym hall apart from the fact the area often reserved for battling was divided into a large grid. Upon the far side of the hall crouched a young woman wearing a tight-fitting dark coloured bodysuit emblazoned with contrasting circuit-like patterns. She was carefully studying the innards of one of the open ‘pillars’ and was flanked on either side by two Electabuzz which were occasionally passing her tools upon request.

“Some challengers to see you, ma’am,” Victor announced. Despite being a good distance away Lavender stopped her tinkering, shut the hatch on the generator and looked back toward the entrance to the hall. The visitors caught a glimpse of the headset she was wearing on her right ear.

“Wonderful!” the woman smiled, turning round and walking toward Caley and his friends. The trainer looked as if he couldn’t contain himself much longer. “I’d just finished patching up the old D19, so you’re just in time. Of course it’ll have to be run through recalibration first but I doubt that’ll take that long. Oh! A Tisker! How adorable!”

“This place is amazing!” Caley burst out, finally releasing all his admiration in one fell swoop as the woman knelt down and cradled the mecha Pokemon's shiny head between her gloved hands. “How is its existence possible?”

“Well now, that’s a complicated question,” Lavender chuckled, standing back up and smoothing her very short hair under the band she was wearing. “But since you don’t seem likely to let it go any time soon, how’s about we discuss the matter over a drink?”

Rose nodded furiously. That sounded like the best idea she’d heard in a long while.

 

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

 

“Now what sort of transport did you three have in mind?” Karston asked as he stood poised over his drawing board with a pencil in one hand.

“Something that travels over rocky terrain, for starters,” Jessie instructed.

“Somet’ing wit’ a decent defence system!” Errol chipped in, enthusiastically.

“Got to be prepared if a wild Tyranitar mistakes it for prey or something,” James remarked nervously, realizing that the trio really didn’t need his uncle knowing about Team Rocket agents tailing them. Thankfully Karston had not thought anything of this slightly odd request.

“Of course,” he smiled, as Junior popped up beside him to pass the man a long metal ruler. “From the sounds of things you’re planning to head into the Upper Mountain Range.” The group nodded, to which Karston grinned and clapped his hands like a child awaiting a present. “How exciting!” he exclaimed, settling down to scribble upon the large sheet of paper before him. James took to peering over his uncle’s shoulder as he worked.

“It’s sure to be more enjoyable than the trip we took around the Orange Islands,” the man remarked.

“Yeah,” Errol agreed, pulling a face and lowering his voice to muttering level shortly afterward.

 

“Cramped lousy excuse fer a submarine dat was.”

 

It didn’t take long for the schematics to be drawn up and specifications calculated. Soon the team were hard at work, using parts from a variety of previous unfinished or impractical past designs Karston had attempted. At this precise moment in time the man was fully absorbed in making sure all the joints were firmly affixed.

“Roll over here, DC!” he waved. “I need your power for this drill!”

“Trode!” the large spherical Pokémon intoned agreeably, approaching at speed. Karston waved his arms around frantically as the Electrode narrowly missed a toolbox that had been lying in its path.

“Heyhey, slow down! You’re going to blow up again if you race around like that,” he scolded. Errol flinched upon the thought of blasting off again regardless of their reformed status, but quickly got a hold of himself and realigned the panel he had been holding in place for Fyar to weld to the side of the machine. Thankfully no unwanted explosions occurred - Karston knelt down and placed two wires to each side of DC then handed the drill to his nephew.

“There you go, Jimmy boy. Make sure that arm is on nice and tight. Gigabit! Test the strength on the right knee joint for me, please.”

The translucent figure chirruped and phased out of existence under the machine’s shell, causing Jessie, who had been painting the opposite side panels at the time, to glance up with deep interest.

“I don’t suppose you’ve encountered Virtual type Pokémon before,” Karston smiled, noticing the expression.

“As a matter of fact, I have,” Jessie returned the smile with noticeable pride as she recalled her dealings with Professor Sinclare’s Porygon. “They’re energy-based, much in the same way as Ghost type Pokémon.”

“Indeed, but unlike Ghost types experienced Virtual types have the ability to manipulate molecular structures on various materials,” Karston responded knowledgably, rewarding Gigabit with a treat upon the Pokemon’s re-emergence from the innards of the machine.

“How did you get a hold of a Pixell then, uncle?” James inquired, watching as Errol complimented upon Fyar’s handiwork in the background and caused the Charmeleon to blush.

“You could say I have friends in high places,” Karston grinned as Gigabit settled on his shoulder. “Virtual Pokémon are still very much business-only creatures, owned by the corporations which first programmed them. I honestly don’t agree in such acts, but when this little fella needed a good home, I couldn’t help but take him in!

All the professional manufacturers use virtual Pokémon for removing any tiny impurities that would otherwise mess up a perfect piece of machinery; prevents any nasty accidents later on.”

“Yeah…” Jessie rolled her eyes as the memories came flooding back. “Like overheating cockpits.”

“Or explodin’ bazooka attachments,” Errol joined in dryly.

“Or easily detachable steering wheels,” James remarked, sweatdropping. Karston couldn’t help but do the same, and chuckle while he did so.

“Sounds like you three have had your fair share of bad resources,” he said.

“Youse get what’cha can wit’ a tight budget,” Errol commented, scratching the back of his head.

“Yep” James murmured to himself.

“Frequent flyer miles.”

 

 

***~~***~~***~~***~~***

 

 

     “So Virtual types have been around for a while?” Caley gawped, as Lavender and her visitors sat around a rectangular table with mugs between their hands. Li's attention was thoroughly focused upon the gym leader now - her ears twitching slightly, dictating a recording of everything she was about to see and hear.

      “Oh yes,” Lavender smiled. “The first Virtual Pokémon, Ditto, was logged as far back as 1980.”