Chương 59: Forest Investigations

With an honestly disappointing phone call over, I decided to change gears. So, Courtney went off to pick up a package, and I dropped off a massive pillar of crystal at the Pokémon Lab without necessarily telling anyone.

Then off I went into the wilderness. My current plan is simple. I'm going to wander around the wilderness until some wild pokémon attack me, then I'm going to fight them using my team. Hopefully, I can provoke—I mean, get attacked by multiple pokémon at a time, but single battles work as well.

I also have a secondary purpose for heading into the forest. Prism Tower has a stream of data fed from the power plant on power consumption around Kalos. Generally, it makes sense that cities take up lots of power, towns and villages less, and any area with a pokémon gym would take up the most. What doesn't make sense is a warehouse marked as abandoned using the power equivalent of a gym.

So, I'm doing my due diligence as a pokémon trainer, and I'm going to check it out without informing anybody.

Haha! Nah. I'm having my arms constantly update Courtney with my location and biometric data. If I suddenly go unconscious, she'll know about it. Unlike some idiots, I have backup plans for my backup plans. Specifically, I have three backup plans for each main plan.

Although I have the repeated feeling that I'm being watched as I wander the forest, my sensors don't pick up anything. Unless there's a pokémon with the power to blend into the environment with fifteen different sensors searching for them that isn't a mythical pokémon, I'm going to chalk it up to paranoia.

Coming to the warehouse, I find it in a heavily disused state. Vines and bushes run along the walls and through the windows. Cracks have formed in the concrete, and parts of the roof have collapsed in on themselves. However, parts of the roof look to have been patched recently, and the garage door is wide open.

Before I step out from the pushes, I'm instinctually held back down by the Malamar that floats out of the warehouse door. I don't know if it's the same one that knocked me out that one time when one tried to control me, but odds are it is. Plus, what would a random Malamar be doing in the middle of the woods.

Luckily, the Malamar seems to just be looking around…as if searching for something…or someone.

So, cautiously, I back away, keeping an eye on the watchful Malamar. Inch by inch, but I also keep my sensors open for any other wayward attackers that might use me stalking backwards as an opportunity.

However, this proves to be a moot point as I approach a clearing and back into…myself?

Nearly every defense protocol activates as my Octillery Arms shoot out in a threatening stance to my doppelganger. She…doesn't appear to have my resolve as she quickly cowers on the ground, holding her hands over her neck.

With her…my…her butt sticking in the air, I notice a little black tuft of fur sticking out from the tailbone.

Now, knowing that I haven't gone insane and planted a tail on myself yet, this little observation tells me several things. Mainly, a few things about this kind of pokémon that loved to play hide and seek in my server room.

Picking the other me up with an Octillery Arm, I squeeze slightly, breaking the illusion and revealing the playful Zorua in front of me. At the same time, whatever illusion it had over my sensors clears up, and they detect the living entity in front of me now.

"You're a smart one, aren't you?" Gingerly lifting…her to my face, she begins crying. I roll my eyes. "Oh, stop that. Your Fake Tears aren't fooling anyone."

She huffs in response.

I continue inspecting her. "Typically, you guys are really timid. Always hiding as random objects, people, and pokémon. Never would I find one that's playful enough to turn into someone nearby."

I set her back down. "Although, that bravado easily crumbled when you realized how much of a threat I was, huh?" She takes a single step back, afraid to make any moves that might bring the hammer down. "I'm not going to hurt you," I scoff, then furrow my brow as my gaze leads back in the direction of the warehouse. It's out of sight, but it's going to weigh on me that such a big threat is out of my control.

I turn back to the Zorua. "You put an illusion on my sensors. How? That shouldn't be possible until you evolve."

She shrugs, and it appears to be truthful. However, appearances are always deceiving with this one. "Alright," I say, lifting myself up. "I believe you." I don't believe her.

Hmm, new thought. She's a Dark-typed pokémon which means it's hard for Psychic-typed pokémon to even detect her. Adding in her natural color palette and illusion abilities, and she's the perfect spy for this situation.

"Hey…" I say, figuring out how to propose this idea. "Would you be willing to do a job for me? There's this warehouse back over there" —I point in the general direction— "that's full of some shady characters. Would you be willing to take a camera in there and snap some photos of anything that looks suspicious? I'll give you a treat."

I pull out a Lumiose Galette I planned on eating as a snack. However, it will now serve a greater purpose as the Zorua readily accepts.

Putting a small strap on a disposable camera and throwing it around her neck, I watch as she dives into the bushes…

I hope I didn't make a grave error.

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As the time I've been standing in the clearing approaches two hours, I start to get the feeling that the Zorua might've just stolen the camera.

That feeling is dashed away and quickly replaced with apprehension as the Zorua rushes out of the treeline. She's bounding toward me, glancing back every few steps.

"What the…?" is all I can mutter as she nosedives into my bag.

"Mala…" The faint call of that psychotic pokémon resonates through the forest, filling me with fear.

Using every ounce of power in my Octillery Arms, I hightail it out of the forest towards Lumiose City, hopefully keeping a watchful eye on my surroundings the entire time.