Pokémon Homecoming | A Galar Fanfiction

Chapter 40: Back at the Lab

The Power Spot Detector was up and running again when Abbey returned. Jovi only needed the new part to perfect the Aura Detector, but it was Hop who charged at her as soon as the door opened.

'So?'

He guffawed at her glare. 'You forgot Mum's present, by the way.'

'Nice to know you were checking.'

'I wasn't.'

He reached into his pocket for his phone to show her a Chirp: my boss just sold emergency contraception to leon wtf

Sonia sighed. 'You're not showing her that Chirp, are you? She doesn't want to know!'

Abbey planned to tell her friends in Alola. Leon was certainly her 'boyfriend' now. She wanted to wait a little longer, though, so like it would have happened if she never left, it was Sonia she opened up to. Sonia smirked, remarking that she obviously had fun, but unease glimmered in her eyes.

'You're not still thinking he's suspicious, are you?'

'Oh, Abbey, I told you – I know he wouldn't hurt a Cutiefly, but he's not the brightest Egg at the Nursery. Anyway, hopefully he's preoccupied with his new-found sex life.'

'He actually had a sex life. Well, six years ago, anyway.'

'That is not a sex life.'

Her mouth twitched. 'Well – does he say it?'

'Say what?'

Sonia couldn't stop herself bursting into a fit of giggles. 'If you've forgotten, I guess you really did have a champion time!'

'Oh! I'd forgotten he ever said that, to be honest.'

Hop looked both curious and uncomfortable. 'You know what gave you away? When I found out you "hated" him but he still had all those old photos.'

Sonia frowned. 'What old photos?'

'He's got these old photos of him and Abbey in his flat. I mean, you're all in some of them, but it's obvious why they're there.'

'That's a bit... obsessed, isn't it? And he's already said he loves you? He's not overly possessive or anything, is he, Abbey?'

'No! He's the most respectful person I've ever dated. I actually wished he was a bit rougher with me...'

'OK, OK! We don't need to know that. As long as he's treating you well. He is very weird.'

'I mean, to be fair, I was pretty obsessed myself, except I was saying I hated him because I liked him. It'll be time to worry when he starts answering all my calls.'

Hop snorted. 'Quite.'

Jovi slotted the final piece into her new Aura Detector. Hop worried it might somehow be found and stolen again if she switched it on, but she was confident no-one would steal the same thing twice. If it did pick something up, the factory's location could be confirmed. They hoped it would. Surely at least one Pokémon would be subjected to the procedure that day? Meanwhile, Abbey had her Pokémon smash, melt down and freeze stones to create the rock she simulated. The process, completed in a fireproof box in which she wore protective gear, took hours. When she emerged, she expected her friends gathered around the Power Spot Detector to make a triumphant announcement, but they were quiet. Hop watched it all day. Nothing happened.

Jovi's fingers tapped away at the laptop she was glued to. She wasn't listening. Hop explained that using her new Aura Detector, she was trying to retrieve the readings Leon noticed, but with little success. When her friends sat down for dinner, she pushed the laptop away with a sigh and joined them.

'Surely,' Sonia said, 'If they were mass producing this energy, there'd be at least one instance in a day.'

Abbey stared thoughtfully at her plate of mashed potato. 'I know they'd have better equipment – or more Pokémon – but making that rock was hard going. Producing the amount they'd need to store the energy would be a huge operation.'

'You finally agree? Good! Anabel's lost it.'

'Not necessarily. Maybe I've got the wrong idea. Maybe that's not how they're storing it.'

Hop snickered. 'Well, your head is so full of Lee that's not impossible. What if they're not using rocks – but Rock-type Pokémon?'

'Possible,' Jovi glumly replied, 'If they're not above that horrible procedure, I doubt they're above anything. I wondered if they were cramming Pokémon full of the energy, then slamming the doors to their hearts to shut it inside. The Pokémon would live long enough to transfer or distribute it, but not long enough for anyone to notice them. Although they'd be Shadow Pokémon, so the Aura Detector would pick them up.'

Abbey pushed her plate away. The pill made her feel sick.

'The Rock-type thing is plausible. Gigalith and especially Coalossal would be prime candidates. Though wouldn't the Aura Detector pick it up?'

'If they're not actually Shadow Pokémon, no. I could modify it...'

'Yeah, but...' Sonia said, 'Couldn't that be another waste of time? Unless the Aura Detector picks something up tonight, there are no Shadow Pokémon to start with.'

They took turns to watch the Aura Detector during the night. When Abbey's alarm for her turn rang at 2AM, she was already awake. She still felt sick and a little dizzy, but she wasn't sure if that was the pill or how frantically her heart pounded with infatuation so intense, she was embarrassed. She almost wanted to proclaim she hated Leon again when she swapped places with Jovi.

Hop's turn came at 6AM. He joked that Abbey wouldn't have noticed any activity anyway. She knew she wouldn't sleep, so jogged outside with her Pokémon. Cinderace and Lycanroc dashed over the bridge down Route 2. Garchomp flew after them while Vaporeon and Ninetales splashed and cooled off in the river. Meowstic trotted along beside Abbey. It didn't like the outdoors. Abbey winced when blood spurted from Garchomp's jaws as it caught three wild Rookidee at once. Still, Rookidee was better than Pidove, which often caused fetid diarrhea. On the walk back through Wedgehurst, a bored Cabbie, leaning against his Flying Taxi, challenged her to a battle. He wasn't strong, but he wasn't weak, either. Meowstic was glad for the experience. With the prize money, she bought a pack of Poké Puffs from the corner shop and tossed them to her restless Pokémon.

Hop's Corviknight, circling above, landed smoothly on the lab's roof. Pidove scattered as its steely wings stretched out menacingly. The Pokémon were on edge. Was it just because their Trainers were stressed, or did they sense something? Inside, Hop half-heartedly kicked an inflatable ball to Dubwool. It nudged it back wearily. Abbey knew the answer would be no, but asked if there was activity anyway.

'Nah,' he yawned, 'I'm going mad waiting for this bloody notification that someone's abusing Pokémon.'

Pluplu, looking bored, hopped down the stairs. Jovi's Pokémon usually slept when she did. She, too, obviously struggled to sleep.

'It must be really hard on her, having to revisit all that.'

He tossed a crisp from his bag of Pewter Crunchies to Pluplu. It fell trying to catch it.

'Yeah... and her Pokémon, too. Even ours seem on edge. Do you think they know?'

'Probably. I was watching more of those Cipher videos and there was this guy training the Peons so their regular Pokémon didn't freak out at the Shadow ones. There was one Swablu, it was really upset and they couldn't calm it down – so they just...'

He winced. 'They just took it to "the room." Then it was in the news that night for almost killing an old man. I can hardly stand watching it. Jovi has nerves of steel.'

Abbey had to agree. Jovi was ebullient as ever when she wandered downstairs with Mimi and Joltik, now nicknamed Jolly. She was as strong as any of them in an entirely different way. Determined to recover the data, she called a specialist, Nett from ONBS, while Hop served beans on toast for breakfast. It was midnight in Orre, but Nett's tone was warm as he praised her work so far. She giggled at an inside joke. They were no longer discussing data. Nett referred to a date. Hop was suddenly quiet. He barely touched his breakfast.