Desolate [Pokémon Arven x Protagonist]

Making a Team

We walked to the locked door I had seen many times in my past, always wondering what would be inside. Arven took out his keys and fiddled with the knob before it opened, revealing a dreary, dark room with books and papers strewn about, some dusty, and some recently opened to a certain page, held down with a paperweight. Arven clicked on a lamp that lit up the space with a lonely, yellow glow, then stood beneath a monitor, presenting his arms. "Welcome to my humble abode."

I let the door shut behind me and took in the sad room. I could tell it used to be some sort of study before recent accidents caused an influx of notebook and illustration hoarding. "What is this place?"

Arven sat down in a swivel chair, reminiscing somberly, "My mom gave this room to me. It used to be one of her offices or something." He pointed at the screen on the wall. "I started using it as my dorm away from home. I... haven't used the bed in days. It's somewhere... probably." There were papers stacked on top of each other, some all over the floor.

"These are all your mom's papers," I observed.

Arven stood up and collected the few on the floor, not wanting to step on them. "When Mabosstiff got hurt, I went through everything she left here and everything I took from her lab." He tapped the papers on the table and put them away in a drawer. "I guess we don't need any of it anymore. The only mystery now is how we got that thing." He gestured to Koraidon's ball, and he forced himself out, taking up a lot of the available room space. "Did you have to do that in here?"

The monitor switched on above us, grumbling gray static for a moment, before revealing a fair  older woman in a fluffy lab coat overtop some sort of printed summer wear. I recognized her from the books and photos at school, but no one had seen or heard from her in years. "Professor Sada?"

"Mom?" I hadn't realized her sudden appearance was probably an overwhelming jump scare. He had mentioned she stopped sending any form of contact a while ago, and now here she was, unannounced, on the monitor, looking down at us.

The video continued. "I need your help. I am currently at the deepest point of Area Zero, in the Great Crater of Paldea." I shot a look at Arven who was transfixed by the vision of his mother, not saying a word. "I have been researching the unique Pokémon here for a very long time. I'm asking the two of you to lend a hand— to help carry out the final step of the great Professor Sada's glorious research." The two of us? Could she see us?

"The final step..?" Arven asked, but the professor ignored him.

"But there is something we need first. Something that could be found within one of my labs. What we need... is the Scarlet Book." Arven's eyes widened and he took the book from the desk behind him, holding it out to read the cover. "Ah. So you took it from the lab, did you, Arven?" He flinched hearing his name, realizing that we weren't watching a video; we were on a video call with his living mother.

"Mom, it's been so—"

"This expedites things," she interrupted, gleefully. Arven seemed dejected. "Bring the Scarlet Book to the deepest depths of Area Zero. I promise that it will be an experience worth treasuring if you come." She gave us a pleasant smile, but Arven and I were both feeling the same uneasy feelings. "I must note, however, that Area Zero is both home to vicious Pokémon and outfitted with powerful cybernetic security systems." Arven cringed, remembering what he'd been through with Mabosstiff. "I will be awaiting you in the deepest part of Area Zero, whenever you arrive." Professor Sada waved before the screen switched to black, unprompted. Arven opened his mouth to call out to her, but shut his mouth, knowing anything he said wouldn't be heard.

"Area Zero?" I breathed.

"After Mabosstiff got hurt, I decided I never wanted to see that place again."