35 Chapter 35

Pidgeot's powerful wings beat steadily as they approached Celadon City. But Emmet could tell the flight was taking a toll. Pidgeot's breathing grew increasingly labored and his wing beats faltered at times. As they neared the Pokemon Center, Pidgeot began losing altitude rapidly. 

"Hang in there buddy, we're almost there," Emmet urged. But Pidgeot was struggling. With a sudden lurch, the bird Pokemon crashed onto the pavement outside the Pokemon Center, sending Emmet tumbling off onto the hard ground.

Emmet winced as he picked himself up, shaken but uninjured. Pidgeot lay sprawled on the sidewalk, heaving with pained breaths. Emmet hurried over, gently stroking Pidgeot's feathers while ignoring the onlookers.

"Why didn't you tell me how much pain you were in?" Emmet chided, though his voice held more concern than reproach. Pidgeot let out a sorrowful coo, as if apologizing for worrying his trainer. 

Emmet recalled Pidgeot to his pokeball, then rushed into the Pokemon Center. He made a beeline for the front counter where Nurse Joy was working. She raised an eyebrow at his hurried approach.

"Nurse Joy! My Pokemon got into a really bad fight with a powerful Ghost type a few hours ago. They're hurt badly," Emmet explained urgently.

Nurse Joy's expression became serious as she took the pokeballs Emmet offered. "Don't worry, we'll take good care of them," she assured him kindly.

After handing over his team, Emmet kept the pokeball containing the mysterious ghost Pokemon and his Feebas with him. He wanted to examine them more himself before allowing anyone else access.

While waiting for his Pokemon to recover, Emmet went to one of the video chat booths in a more secluded part of the Pokemon Center. Taking a deep breath, he called Professor Oak.

The professor's face appeared on the screen, smiling warmly. "Emmet my boy, how are you?" His smile faded as he took in Emmet's exhausted appearance. "Goodness, you look like you've been through the wringer. Is everything alright?"

Emmet shook his head. "No Professor, it's not. I had a really bad run-in with Agatha from the Elite Four. She..." Emmet hesitated, still processing the day's events himself. "She used me as bait for some powerful ghost Pokemon she was hunting. Nearly got me and my team killed."

Professor Oak looked shocked. "Agatha did that? But she's always been so reasonable, if a bit cold. What on earth was she thinking?" 

Emmet explained the situation in detail, including the hidden mansion, his pokemon fighting the hordes of ghosts, Primeape evolving after what seemed like dying, the Black Fog, and Agatha knocking out his strongest Pokemon first. Oak listened intently, his brow furrowing deeper.

"That doesn't sound like the Agatha I know at all," Oak said gravely once Emmet finished. "While she can be calculating in battle at times, she would never recklessly endanger someone, especially a promising young trainer."

Emmet shook his head adamantly. "I'm telling you exactly what happened, Professor. She didn't care if my Pokemon or I became collateral damage, as long as she got her revenge."

Oak leaned back, looking troubled. "There must be more to this than we realize. Perhaps there's some circumstance we are to privy to. Still, I agree that's no excuse for her methods." 

"She didn't show an ounce of remorse either," Emmet added bitterly. "And she tried to justify it by claiming it was for the greater good. I can't trust her or the Elite Four after this."

"Now Emmet, don't paint everyone with the same brush," Oak cautioned gently. "One person's poor choices should not reflect on the whole. I've known Agatha and the other Elites for many years. They are good people at heart."

Emmet nodded reluctantly. "I'll try to keep an open mind Professor. But Agatha crossed a line. Please talk to her and the League about this." He reckoned the professor wouldn't badmouth the League he created after all, there was no point into disagreeing with him. Better have Oak at his corner than not.

Oak nodded gravely. "You have my word, I intend to get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, focus on recovering. And know that you can always come to me if you need anything."

They exchanged a few more words before Oak had to go. Emmet sat back with a heavy sigh as the call ended. He hoped the professor could make sense of Agatha's reckless behavior, because he certainly couldn't.

Emmet slumped back in the booth after ending the call with Professor Oak. Despite the professor's reassuring words, unease still churned within him. He doubted Oak could get Agatha to show true remorse over her reckless actions. 

Glancing at his watch, Emmet sighed. Still at least an hour before his pokemon would be healed. He leaned his head back, eyes drifting closed. Some rest would do him good before the inevitable chewing out from Leaf for getting in over his head again.

Just as he started to doze off, Emmet's eyes flew open. "Annihilape!" he exclaimed aloud. How could he have forgotten? Nurse Joy didn't know about Primeape's evolution. What if Annihilape reacted badly to the unfamiliar surroundings once released from his pokeball?

Cursing himself for his oversight, Emmet scrambled to call Professor Oak again. The professor answered swiftly, though his expression was troubled. 

"My apologies Emmet, I'm afraid you've caught me just as I was conversing with the League over this Agatha business," Oak said wearily, looking like he was having a shouting match given the slight hoarse voice.

Emmet quickly explained his blunder with Annihilape, words tumbling out urgently. "I gave Nurse Joy all my pokeballs without thinking. But Annihilape's an unknown pokemon to everyone but us. I'm worried about how he'll react once released for treatment."

Oak held up a hand reassuringly. "No need to fret, my boy. We have protocols in place for situations precisely like this. As soon as Nurse Joy scanned Annihilape's pokeball, I received an alert. She has already transferred him to my laboratory for assessment and registration as a new species. At this moment one of my aides is checking his vitals through the pokeball. If there is no critical injury, they will proceed with the standard healing through pokeballs as usual."

Scratching his chin thoughtfully, Oak continued in his scholarly tone, "The same process was followed when your Sylveon first evolved, if you recall. I know it may seem harrowing in the moment, but the League has robust procedures to properly document new pokemon evolutions and behaviors. So take a deep breath and let us handle things from here. After we have all put these events behind us, I will contact you again so we could talk about Annihilape."

Emmet slumped back against the booth in relief. "Thank you Professor, I should have realized you would be on top of this." 

Oak smiled kindly. "It's quite alright. You've been through a lot as of late. A slip of the mind is wholly understandable." His expression became serious again. "Now, I really must get back to my discussion with the League regarding Agatha. Focus on recovering, and know you can always reach out to me if need be."

After exchanging farewells, the call ended. Emmet sat quietly for several minutes, mentally berating himself for his anxious oversight.

As he sat waiting for his Pokemon to finish healing, the adrenaline that had fueled him thus far finally depleted. Exhaustion swept over him, the aches and strains of the day's battles making themselves known.

Glancing at his PokeGear, he saw at least another hour remained until his team would be ready. And who knows how long after that before Leaf arrived.

Emmet decided his time would be better spent taking care of himself first. He approached the front counter again, where another nurse, this time not a Joy, had just come on duty.

"Excuse me, do you have any rooms available for the night?" Emmet inquired.

The nurse smiled and nodded, tapping on her keyboard. "We sure do. I can book you a standard room with a queen-sized bed if that works?"

"Perfect, thank you," Emmet replied gratefully. As she processed his reservation, Emmet noticed a large bulletin board nearby covered in flyers and notices. One prominent poster caught his eye - a map of the forest north of Celadon with a big red "RESTRICTED AREA" stamped across it.

Emmet grimaced, recalling Agatha's scathing words about his foolishness. She wasn't exaggerating about the warnings it seemed, there was even a warning about having the trainer license revoked if said trainer broke into the marked area. He made a mental note to check the Pokemon Center for this kind of warnings in the future.

Collecting his room keycard, Emmet headed up and found his suite. It was quite posh compared to the standard rooms he was used to, with plush carpeting, a queen-sized bed, television, and even a jetted tub in the bathroom. After dumping his gear, Emmet checked the time. Almost sunset, and still no sign of Leaf.

Pulling out his PokeGear, he saw Leaf had messaged him a couple hours ago. She said some things had come up and she likely wouldn't make it to the Pokemon Center until late evening, but not to worry. Emmet frowned slightly, hoping she was okay, but the message seemed to indicate she was safe at least. He shot her a quick reply saying he'd secured a room for the night when she was ready.

With that settled, Emmet drew a hot bath, eager to soak his sore muscles after the day's tribulations. As he eased into the steaming water, Emmet felt his tension and anxiety melt away. He took the opportunity to reflect on recent events with a clear mind as he scrubbed his arms from all the grime and sweat.

Nearly losing his Pokemon against the Black Fog had shaken Emmet deeply. It was a stark reminder of their mortality, and how one wrong move in battle could take everything.

He was not the chosen one, that was Ash, there was no destiny protecting him. He resolved to train them even harder, focusing not just on power but strategy and defense. Almost losing Primeape had also awakened something within Emmet - a visceral need to protect those he cared for most. Mt. Moon showed him that everything could go to shit in a heartbeat, Celadon's Mansion showed him that he was at stronger people's whims.

A sharp pain made him look down, he had scrubbed his arm with so much strength that it was a deep shade of red, making him wince. 'Nothing that a Heal Pulse won't solve', he thought before using the technique.

After toweling off, he stood before the fogged mirror. Using his recently healed arm, he wiped away the condensation to study his reflection. The face staring back at him looked weary and tired and his body was a little more gaunt, probably from whatever Annihilape did to him when forcing EM out of him through their bond.

"We'll be ready next time," Emmet told his reflection with quiet conviction. The Elite Four, the League, criminal organizations - it didn't matter. He would grow strong enough to never again be forced to do something he did not want.

He headed down to the Pokemon Center lobby, eager to check on his recovering team. 

Approaching the front desk, Nurse Joy greets him with a smile. "Your pokemon are resting comfortably now," she informs him. Emmet breathes a sigh of relief, the knot of worry in his chest loosening. 

As Nurse Joy retrieves his pokeballs, Emmet notices her gaze linger on one labelled "Annihilape." Curiosity glimmers in her eyes. "I must say, it was fascinating being the first Nurse Joy to interact with a newly discovered species like Annihilape. You've made an incredible discovery."

Emmet rubs the back of his neck, suddenly self-conscious about the attention. "I can't take much credit. It was in the heat of battle that Primea—I mean Annihilape evolved. But I'm glad he cooperated well with you." 

Nurse Joy nods. "He was very docile out of stasis actually. Though when we initialized the healing process, the ghost power readings were off the charts! You have a remarkably strong pokemon there. Not that the reading is a direct indication of power, mind you, but there is a correlation between the two, specially when a pokemon gets marks as high as yours."

Emmet smiles slightly, pride swelling within him. He always knew Annihilape had astounding potential even as a Mankey. "I really appreciate you handling Annihilape's treatment so smoothly. This evolution was a big surprise."

After a few more words, Emmet heads up to his room, pokeballs clipped safely to his belt. Inside the posh suite, he sets them gently on the nightstand, letting his partners rest. 

Changing into soft pajamas, which he did not have before the shopping spree with leaf, Emmet sends Leaf a message informing her of his room's number and that he's turning in early, almost forgetting to call the front desk and letting the person there know that his girlfriend would be arriving.

Finally, Emmet climbs into the plush bed, the luxurious sheets enveloping him in comfort. As his head sinks into the pillow, his body feels pleasantly heavy, sleep already tugging at his consciousness. 

But his mind churns with reflections on the day's events, replaying every single moment where he could have acted differently. Nearly losing Annihilape still haunts him, and he expected it would remain doing so for quite a while, it was much more personal than what happened inside Mt. Moon as it was not an unknown pokemon that he thought died, it was one of his own.

Eventually exhaustion prevailed and despite how active his mind was, the body would not follow. He even barely registered an hour later as Leaf arrived and slipped beside him.

Emmet's eyes flutter open as soft morning light filters into the room. He glances over and sees Leaf sleeping soundly beside him, her chest gently rising and falling. Checking the clock, he sees it's still early, only around 7 AM.

Careful not to disturb Leaf, Emmet slips out of bed. After yesterday's chaos, his Pokemon could use some time to move around and get fresh air. He grabs their pokeballs and quietly makes his way outside.

The Pokemon Center grounds are peaceful this early. A few trainers are up and about, but most are still sleeping. Emmet finds a nice grassy area and releases his team with flashes of red light.

"Morning guys, sleep well?" Emmet asks warmly. His Pokemon let out cheerful cries, stretching and shaking off any lingering drowsiness. Even Annihilape seems relaxed and content.

Emmet spots a large aquarium habitat for Water Pokemon to swim and play. Perfect for his Feebas. She materializes in the water with an excited splash. Emmet smiles as she darts around gracefully. It's clear she's thrilled to be out of her pokeball.

While his Pokemon mingle, Emmet sits nearby sipping Oran berry juice. Sylveon and Firefly seem to be debating something heatedly, little growls and yips punctuating their conversation.

"Getting along you two?" Emmet calls over. Firefly huffs indignantly while Sylveon gives him an innocent, doe-eyed look. Emmet just chuckles at their antics while he plays with the pokeball containing the unknown Ghost pokemon.

After a while, Leaf emerges from the Pokemon Center, carrying a tray of wrapped sandwiches from the cafeteria. She plops down beside Emmet on the grass.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Emmet greets with a grin. "I didn't wanna wake you, so I brought the crew out here to stretch their legs, or wings, or fins, you get it."

Leaf smiles back, offering Emmet a sandwich. "Good call, they must've been antsy cooped up all night."

As Emmet bites into his breakfast, Leaf asks casually, "Soooo, how'd it go yesterday? Anything exciting happen?"

Emmet nearly chokes on his sandwich. He forces it down, then winces. "Well, you see, it's kind of a long story..."

Leaf fixes him with a pointed stare, arms crossed. "Emmet. Tell me everything. Now." Her tone leaves no room for argument.

Emmet tells Leaf the whole story over breakfast - finding the hidden mansion, the crazy ghost battle, Primeape's unbelievable evolution, and Agatha's ruthless bait tactics.

Leaf's eyes flash with anger as she listens, her fists clenching tighter with each detail. By the time Emmet finishes, she's practically fuming, looking like she wants to throttle Agatha herself.

"That horrible woman!" Leaf bursts out, incensed. "She could've gotten you killed! And she didn't even care, as long as she got her revenge?"

Emmet braces himself for an explosion, but instead Leaf does the opposite and just shakes her head in disgusted outrage.

"Unbelievable," she mutters. "We need to report her right away. The League can't let her get away with this!"

"Already talked to Oak, he's handling it," Emmet assures her.

Leaf nods firmly. "Good." She pauses, looking a bit hurt. "But Emmet, why would you go into a dangerous restricted area without telling me? We're partners, we should be tackling things like this together."

Emmet rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "You're right, I messed up. I should've waited for you or at least let you know. I just got caught up in the excitement of exploring. But that was stupid and risky of me. I'm really sorry, Leaf."

She sighs, leaning against his shoulder. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean any harm. Just please be more careful from now on. I don't wanna lose you."

Emmet wraps an arm around her. "You got it. No more reckless solo adventures for me. We're a team, and we'll face things together from here on out."

After Leaf calms down from her outrage over Emmet's reckless solo adventure, she grabs her pokeballs and releases her own team with flashes of red light. Emmet's eyes widen in surprise as he takes in the new evolutions - Leaf's Pidgeotto is now a formidable Pidgeot, while her Ivysaur has become a hulking Venusaur.

"Whoa, no way!" Emmet exclaims, grinning at Leaf. "Your guys evolved too? This is awesome!"

Leaf smiles back, clearly pleased by his reaction. "Yup, facing Erika really pushed them over the edge. I'm so proud of how far they've come."

Emmet walks over to admire the newly evolved pokemon, who puff out their chests proudly. "Tell me about the gym battle. Did Erika go easy on you since you're family?"

Leaf scoffs. "As if! It was a full six-on-six fight. She didn't hold back one bit with her five-badge team. But my partners really stepped up to the challenge."

Nodding approvingly, Emmet says "Well they definitely look super strong now. Evolving mid-battle is no joke." His gaze drifts over to Annihilape, who is sitting silently apart from the others, eyes closed in meditation.

"So how's Annihilape handling his new Ghost/Fighting type combo?" Leaf asks, following Emmet's gaze. "That's gotta be a big change for him."

Emmet frowns thoughtfully. "Honestly I'm not sure yet. This is the first time he's been out since evolving and healing up. I need to sit down with him soon and figure things out."

"I bet you already have some theories though, knowing you," Leaf says with a knowing look.

"Heh, you got me there," Emmet chuckles. He glances at Annihilape again. "I think he's meditating to get a handle on his emotions again. That rage he's always struggled to control is probably amplified by the Ghost typing now. So he's re-centering himself and figuratively rebuilding his mental fortitude."

Leaf nods along as Emmet explains his hypothesis. "That makes sense. And I'm sure with your help, he'll have it 'mastered' again soon." She says, making sure to stress the word mastered.

"And EM will totally have nothing to do with it," he joked, earning a few more giggles from the brunette.

After the excitement of seeing each other's newly evolved Pokemon, Leaf turns to Emmet with a thoughtful look. "So what's our plan from here? Are we heading straight for Saffron City next?"

Emmet hesitates, rubbing his chin. "You know, after everything that happened yesterday, I think we need to re-evaluate our priorities."

Seeing Leaf's puzzled expression, he continues. "Agatha's reckless behavior really shook my trust in the Pokemon League. And barely escaping from that mansion battle made me realize how vulnerable we still are. I'm not sure we are ready to put ourselves at the mercy of a strong Psychic like Sabrina so soon, what is stopping her from rummaging through our heads? Because I'm pretty sure the answer won't be 'The League'."

Leaf nods slowly. "I can understand that. So if not challenging gyms for now, what should we focus on instead? Not that I have a problem with the idea, but I think we have already discussed it before and we have been failing miserably to keep to any plan we make."

"I think we need more options to safely get out of dangerous situations, like, there are so many scenarios that we can be really screwed if we find ourselves in it," Emmet explains. "Look at our teams - even combined, there are still major gaps that could leave us trapped if things go south."

He starts counting off on his fingers. "We have no real way to escape danger if we end up stranded at sea. If either of our Pidgeots gets badly hurt mid-flight, the other probably couldn't carry both of us to safety. And we have zero Ground types, so a strong Earthquake or the like could totally screw us over."

Leaf's eyes widen as she processes Emmet's points. "Wow, you're right, I never realized how limited our escape options are." She looks at him eagerly. "So what you think we can do to fill those gaps?"

"For starters, we need at least one pokemon with teleportation abilities," Emmet says. "That Abra I was planning to catch could be a game-changer there. Once it evolves into Alakazam, it can teleport our whole teams out instantly. Probably you should get one as well, he will probably be able to help you get a hang of Psychic powers faster."

He continues, "A Water type that can ferry us across the ocean would also be crucial. I'm hoping to get my Feebas battle-ready so she can fill that role once she evolves, your Magikarp seems close to evolving too. And some sturdy Ground pokemon to shield us from seismic moves should be a priority too."

Leaf nods along enthusiastically. "Those all sound like great additions. And I know you'll have Feebas super strong in no time." Her expression becomes serious again. "What about healing? If Clefairy goes down, we're kinda screwed on that front too."

"Very true," Emmet agrees. "Maybe I should start training Sylveon on Wish and Heal Bell. Extra healing never hurts. Or we can try to catch another pokemon with natural healing abilities, like Chansey line, preferably a Happiny so she can benefit more from EM as a baby."

"Ooo yes, Chansey would be perfect!" Leaf exclaims. "Let's keep an eye out for one. For now I can teach Gloom to use Aromatherapy too. Not as strong as other moves but better than nothing, specially as it is known to be an all around cure for some move-induced conditions."

Emmet smiles, glad to have Leaf's input. "Awesome idea. See, pulling the depth of both our teams we will be able to cover more of our weak spots without stretching ourselves too thin by training a battalion of pokemons." His expression grows somber again. "I just want us both to be safe, you know? After everything that's happened..."

Leaf gives his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I get it, believe me. We'll take all the time we need to get our teams prepped. No need to rush the gym challenge right now. Safety first."

Feeling more confident with their new plan, Emmet stands up decisively. "Alright, let's gather up our partners so we can start implementing some new training strategies. I want to focus on escape maneuvers and healing skills first and foremost."

As they start recalling their Pokemon, Leaf grins at Emmet. "Look at you getting all serious and strategic. That scary mansion battle really lit a fire under you, huh?"

Emmet chuckles. "You know, almost becoming mummified corpse number fifty-three is a pretty good motivator."

Leaf finally has enough of the serious strategizing. "Alright, break time from all this heavy talk!" she declares. "Did you ever get around to opening that mysterious pokeball you found? I'm dying to see what's inside."

Emmet's eyes light up. "Oh yeah! I got so caught up planning, I totally forgot." He grabs the dusty pokeball and scans the area.

"Hey guys, come gather around," Emmet calls to all their Pokemon. "I'm gonna release this new team member, but just in case it's feisty, I want you all here as backup."

Inwardly, Emmet hopes desperately this will just be a normal pokemon. Between Sylveon, Annihilape, and his shiny Feebas, he's had enough explaining oddly unique pokemon to Professor Oak for a lifetime. Not that a pokemon from other region wouldn't be interesting, specially as Indigo as a whole lacked in the variety of Ghost types.

Taking a deep breath, Emmet presses the pokeball's center button. It pops open, releasing a burst of white light that takes shape before them.

As the form materializes, Emmet almost whoops for joy. It's a Gastly! A totally normal, regular old Gastly! He wants to jump up and cheer at the sight. No more convoluted evolution theories to invent or out of the region pokemons to unveil!

But then Leaf exclaims "Whoa, check out the size of that Gastly!" And Emmet's elation evaporates. Because she's absolutely right - this Gastly is at least twice the size of a normal one, its gaseous body massive compared to the specimens Emmet's seen and the gas that usually surrounds the eerie head was much thicker than what he ever saw.

He facepalms, groaning loudly. Of course the one cool pokemon he finds can't just be straightforward. Why did he ever expect anything different at this point?

Now he'll have to somehow explain to Professor Oak how he randomly found a decades-old giant mutant Gastly in an abandoned mansion. Because that sounds totally sane and believable. The professor probably already has a nice padded room set aside for Emmet in the psychiatric ward.

The giant Gastly, oblivious to Emmet's inner turmoil, happily floats around meeting all the other pokemon. At least its personality seems perfectly friendly and not deranged or murderous. So there's that.

Emmet notices Clefairy looking strangely at this Ghastly and she realizes why, the amount of Ghost type energy he was emitting was just a shy bit below what the Black Fog did. Could there be a relation between both? Was that why he was being studied in a lab?

As the initial shock wears off, Emmet just shrugs and accepts his fate. What's one more bizarre pokemon discovery at this point? At this point Professor Oak was probably pretty jaded by his "discoveries".

Leaf playfully nudges Emmet's shoulder. "Aww don't look so glum, this is exciting! Who knows what cool abilities your new Gastly will have?" Trust Leaf to see the bright side, Emmet thinks with an affectionate smile.

Taking a deep breath, Emmet pushes aside his dread over explaining yet another anomaly to the professor. For now, he'll just enjoy the novelty of having a pokemon that breaks the norm. "You're right," he tells Leaf. "Let's focus on befriending this big fella for now!"

Together they approach the towering Gastly, who seems thrilled to join their unusual family. And despite the impending headache of justifying this discovery, Emmet can't help grinning. Because really, where's the fun in a journey where everything goes exactly as expected?

The oversized Gastly quickly zeroes in on Sylveon as the target for its playful pranks. Before Emmet can react, Gastly shoots a devious grin his way, then vanishes. Suddenly Sylveon yelps as her ribbons are lifted into the air by an invisible force. 

"Hey, cut it out!" Emmet scolds Gastly without much heat, but the mischievous ghost just cackles and continues making Sylveon's ribbons dance wildly. Sylveon tries swatting at the phantom ribbons to no avail. 

As Emmet attempts to intervene, Gastly flickers visible for a split second, blowing a huge raspberry at him. Emmet has to stifle a laugh at the absurdity of the situation. He makes a mental note to warn Professor Oak about Gastly's troublemaking tendencies when the professor invariably asks him to send Gastly for a check up. But perhaps a prankster is exactly what their team needs to keep things entertaining.