-Out of place - Lost in space- Pt 3

Sorry this took so long to show off, My motivation for writing is very non-existent these days. Only accidentally posting this early finally gave me the energy to get through to the end- some kinda motivation, huh?

Here's the previous part if you haven't read it: Part 2!

Now that it's all finished, Hope you enjoy part 3!

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"From the past? That.. sounds ridiculous."

Irida told Elesa, crossing her arms. At the same time, she itted mentally, it *would* explain why everything seemed so deeply unfamiliar. Sure, she'd lost her memory, but there was a difference between looking at something forgotten and something unknown, and almost everything she'd seen of this place so far had fallen into the latter category. If these things were new developments..

Elesa chuckled to herself and shrugged.

"Oh, It's possible. I once had a trainer come into my gym- that's, ah, the place where people come to battle me- with a Pokemon called Celebi, and had it show off time bending powers by resetting an apple I was eating. That challenger was crazy lucky in our battle, so I'm pretty sure he reset *that* a couple times, too."

That got a snort out of Irida, and the older woman beamed, apparently delighted that one of her quips had finally landed. The younger girl considered her words. Perhaps for lack of any other influence, she'd already began to trust Elesa, and the mention of celebi was the final confirmation she needed that she was a person out of time. Problem was, the revelation only made it more difficult to find and get back to where she'd come from..

She related the final sentiment to Elesa, who nodded.

"Yeah, I was thinking as much. I'll make some calls, see if anyone I know can help, but.. for now, I suppose the best thing you can do is try to as much as you can."

Irida furrowed her brow, feeling dismissed.

"Calls? I can help with that, at least. I think I a couple pokemon calls."

Elesa pursed her lips in a smile and silently put the phone up to her ear, clearly trying to hold back a laugh. Oh, Irida realized. Not.. not that kind of call. Feeling silly, she felt her cheeks color a little.

"..I'm, ah, going go get some air."

The gym leader gave her a silent thumbs up, and she headed for the doors. She paused when the woman spoke up, but quickly understood it was to someone else:

"Hello? Yes, hello, Professor. It's been a while, hasn't it.."

She dismissed it as another incomprehensible peculiarity of this place she'd found herself in, not not unlike the self-moving doors she ed through to get out of the pokemon center.

She took a breath of fresh air and leaned against the building.

"I am Irida. I came to the temple to protect my clan. I fell through a hole in space."

The words were becoming her strongest link to the people she'd left behind, and she felt all the more removed from them now that they'd recognized the depths of how far she'd come. She had to get back, to see these people she missed without knowing them. Somehow, she would. But, watching the loud, bustling, unfamiliar activity of the day in Nimbasa, she couldn't help but feel as if the possibility of being stuck her loomed like a stormcloud on the horizon.

Not to mention, there was nothing she herself could do about it. Even if she did have her memories, portals through space and time were faaar out of her purview, and she was as good as helpless. The inaction- the loss of control over her own fate- was killing her.

No, no. Keep focused. There was no sense wallowing, not while there was still a chance Elesa could help her. Besides, there was one thing she could do, insubstantial as it felt: If she wanted to go back, she needed to know where back *was*. Maybe.. She'd search her clothes again. Yes, maybe there'd be more answers there.

She patted along her waist and belt, and quickly felt two shapes: a cylinder, and some sort of ball. On a whim, she took the latter. It had a red top, a pale, woody bottom, and heavy iron clasps.

"What's this?"

She muttered. And, suddenly, like an avalanche, the answer hit her.

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"What's this?"

Irida asked, looking up from the ball in her hand to the girl who'd put it there. Her deep blue outfit and red scarf made her stark against the white snow and cliff behind her, and her shining, hopeful black eyes only intensified the effect.

"Well, I know Pokeballs are generally a Galactic thing, but I made one for your Glaceon anyway, just in case either of you ever felt like giving it a try. I even put a clip on it so you can keep it on your belt! I hope you like it."

Irida paused for a moment, considering the capsule, and then held it out, giving the girl a thin, apologetic smile.

"Thank you, really, but I don't know if I can accept this. I've told you before: I have my reasons for not wanting to use one."

The girl huffed, her breath fogging the air, and she looked down to kick the snow awkwardly. Irida guessed at first she was disappointed, but the expression on her downturned face was more.. concerned, than anything. She tilted her head a little, as if debating something, and then finally looked back up, decided, though it didn't stop her following speech from being disted and clearly improvised.

"I, uh, know you don't like them. Buuut.. uh, some.. wardens.. use them exclusively, and if they were to leave or get hurt, I thought maybe it would help if you knew how to use them, just in case all those pokeball pokemon got left to you. You know."

She spread out her hands beseechingly, her overlarge, awkward smile clearly showing just how convincing she felt. Irida raised an eyebrow, confused and a hint bothered. That had seemed odd. Considering the circumstances of the girl's gift, the clan leader had the distinct feeling that there was something the dark-eyed girl was leaving out. Irida didn't feel right being suspicious, though, considering all she'd done to help the clan, so she settled on a neutral response.

"That's.. awfully presumptuous. I suppose you have a point, but why not just lead with that?"

The girl gave a big exhale of relief, then scratched the back of her neck, abashed.

" Yeeeah.. this whole interaction went differently in my head, that's all. Can I show you how to use it?"

Irida spent another moment looking at the ball, and then, with a mental sigh, accepted the dark-eyed girl's reasoning. She seemed well meaning, at the very least.

"Of course."

The girl beamed.

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"Irida? Hello?"

She blinked, the snowy surroundings from her memory melting into concrete. Elesa was waiting at her side, arms crossed in concern.

"Are you ok? You seemed really zoned out there.."

Irida pushed off where she'd been leaning, energized with her realization. She'd *ed* something. Not just a vauge tidbit, either, but something full. She wanted to keep every fragment- the sparkling snow, the confusing gift, the mysterious girl.. she made to say as much, but Elesa cut her off, intrigued.

"..wait, is that a PokeBall? You're a trainer?"

The younger girl's mouth hung open in a perfect O, her train of thought derailed. After a moment, she nodded, holding the ball up further.

"If that's what this means, then yes. I- seeing it, I ed something. A snowy place, and a girl with black hair and eyes. She mentioned my clan, and something Galactic, and.. "

Irida trailed off, an idea coming to mind.

She'd had to be taught how to use this thing, right? So it stands to reason that doing it again might bring those memories back out, and who knows what she might learn that way?

Elesa filled the silence while Irida thought.

"Alright, that's good. A good start. I talked to one of the smartest people I know, Professor Juniper? I managed to convince her to give some colleagues a call, see if they can figure out how to get you home. She'll get back to me later. The more we can figure out till then, the better!"

Irida nodded distractedly, comforted somewhat by the news that something was being done. Finally, she presented her idea.

"Elesa, could you show me how to use this? I'm wondering if it might help me information about where I'm from, since it gave me such a vivid memory the first time."

The gym leader was clearly intrigued, grinning and making a little "ooh" of interest.

"Well, there's no better person in town to ask! Course I will. We can head out to Route 16 and find you some wild Pokemon to fight. In fact.."

She swiped a trio of small balls out of her back pocket, and Irida watched in wonder as they expanded into balls closer to the size and appearance of the one in her hand, though they were a much more vibrant red and lacked some of the heavy hardware that was on hers.

"..You can use these to give catching one a try, if you'd like. I always carry some extra on me, just in case."

She held the contraptions out, and the younger girl accepted them, too astounded to protest.

"Follow me! The route's this way."

She began to walk away from the Pokemon center, Irida close behind. She stared in wonder at the gym leader's gifts, and it occurred to her how generous the woman had been. She'd taken so much time out of her day to help a total stranger, expecting no reward. Why bother?

"Thank you. For the pokeballs. But.. why are you helping me? I'm sure you're quite busy.."

Elesa tilted her head, considering the question as she walked.

"What, you mean beyond just pure curiousity? Hmm.."

She looked over her shoulder.

"It sounds a little corny, but I suppose I have a duty to, in a way. I'm a gym leader, but I lead this town, too, and that means I need to set a good example. Do the right thing. Help people in need, you know? The route's just through there- we'll have to through the amusement park."

She added the last part as they ed beneath an archway decorated with stars and into an area like nothing Irida had ever seen. Colorful lights were strung all around her along the path, and strange but beautiful structures she couldn't begin to guess the function of lined the row, chiefly of which was what appeared to be a massive wheel with what she recognized as PokeBall-shaped cabins on the edge of each spoke.

Even as she marveled, though, Elesa's words struck a cord with her for a reason she wasn't sure of, something she was beginning to recognize as a symptom of gaps in her memory. Gee, she told herself, You've had a hunch you had some kind of leadership role, and now the talk of duty and leadership is resonating with you for a reason you can't ? Wonder what that could *possibly* mean..

She chuckled to herself a little at the thought, illiciting a brief confused glance from Elesa. It felt very good to know these things.

Back to her surroundings- they ed an amazing building that looked like what must have been a Pokemon and approached a gate of sorts. Just as they ed under it, Irida, still watching the poke-building, spotted a flash of something fluttering and white behind one of its.. was that a leg? Behind one of the pokemon's legs.

Was that..? But no matter, because the two leaders were finally emerging onto the route.

It was lush and highly populated with both humans and pokemon, a fact that applied especially to the fenced in patch the pair had stopped at. Neither of those things were what Irida noticed first, though. No, no. It wasn't the surroundings that got to her, but the heat. She fanned herself with one hand and slumped a little- This place was *sweltering*.

"Sinnoh almighty, is it always this hot here?"

Elesa was clearly surprised by the question, her eyebrows moving at least half an inch up her face.

"Uh.. It's 60° Fahrenheit out today." [Editor's note: about 15° Celsius.]

"I'm not sure what all of that means, but I assume it's hot. This place is practically a furnace."

The gym leader studied her for a moment longer before shifting to a new topic with a shrug and a muttered note to look into what fabric Irida was wearing.

"Alright. You see where the grass is tall? That's where the pokemon usually hide out here. If you find one, you'll need to toss your pokemon out quick- at least, assuming you have one in that ball you found earlier. Actually, we should check that before you go in. Just, give it a little throw. Like this."

Taking a PokeBall off her belt loop, she tossed it gracefully in the air, releasing with a blinding flash a Pokemon Irida had (surprise, surprise) never seen before: it was white, black, yellow, and furry, and surrounded by electricity as it floated midair. Irida flinched involuntarily, watching it crackle, and she stepped back without thinking, concerning the gym leader. She put out a hand, placating, as her pokemon landed softly on her shoulder.

"Are.. you alright? Emolga's not gonna hurt you.

The younger girl took a breath, a little embarrassed at her reaction. She was starting to get tired and frustrated all of these reactions she couldn't explain: of course Elesa wasn't going to try to hurt her, she chastised, useful as it wasn't. It only steeled her resolve to know, to go back. Rather than answering, she turned and tossed her own ball, which flew much less elegantly to reveal a blue, bipedal pokemon.

Irida watched, stilled, as it turned around itself, scanning its surroundings and sniffing the air, unfamiliar and apparently unnerved. Finally, it let out a pitiful mew and bounded to its trainer, rubbing its cool fur up against Irida's leg. It was the perfect relief from the heat, Irida thought, but she could regardless feel frustrated tears well in her eyes, angry she didn't know how to offer what she knew was her pokemon comfort. Feeling deeply inadequate, she crouched to pet it. Elesa, meanwhile, filled the gap in conversation, speaking at first to no one in particular.

"A Glaceon. That makes sense, I guess. Do you.. what to do next?"

Irida couldn't bring herself to answer, so she shook her head. Elesa continued.

"Right. Once you find a Pokemon in the grass, you have two options. You can either throw a pokeball to catch it right away or try to have Glaceon weaken it first. Just give.. her? Yeah, her, an idea of what to.. do."

She trailed off, finally taking in the younger girl's expression.

"I'll.. leave you to it. I'll see you near the route entrance once you're done."

She left, and Irida stood, determined to get answers.

Wiping a tear away, she walked purposefully into the grass, her pokemon behind. Every inch of her went alert as she scanned the route and listened for rustling. She probed her mind, hoping the actions would prove familiar, but no such luck. Her memories were as out of reach as ever. She sighed, frustrated, but kept going. Maybe the actual battle would..

Suddenly, a furry grey blur rushed at her glaceon, squeaking rapidly and jittering about as if panicked. Irida could only shout, but her glaceon was faster- it, no, *she* jumped back, hackles raised, and hissed, cool breath fogging the air. But instead of an impact, the little grey pokemon dug it's paws into the ground, inertia causing it to tumble onto its back. It was still for a moment, then proceeded to make the strangest chittering noises.

Irida raised an eyebrow. Was- Was it laughing?

She watched curiously as it hopped to its feet and started sniffing at her and her glaceon, who tentatively began to relax. Now that it was still, she could see it had large, round ears and a bushy tail. It seemed friendly enough now that it wasn't charging, alternating between standing on its hind legs and on all four as it moved around. She crouched as it came over to her.

"Well, hello. Was that some sort of trick?"

She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but the little creature made those strange giggly chittering sounds again. It had understood her question.. and seemed *highly* amused by it. Irida sighed.  

"Hilarious."

It was sarcasm, but she had to it that the pokemon's antics were a welcome relief. Deciding not to put off what she came for any longer, she took out one of the pokeballs Elesa gave her and got to her feet.

"Could you help me with this? You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to."

The pokemon blinked, maybe surprised by the question. As it considered, Irida's glaceon moved to sit by her side, as if offering . Had she lost her memories, the girl wondered? She seemed perfectly familiar with Irida. Maybe the PokeBall had protected the pokemon from.. whatever had wiped her memory in the first place?

The little grey pokemon squeaked, interrupting Irida's train of thought. She watched as it crouched and then sprung onto to pokeball in her hand, startling her into dropping it to the ground , where it shook. Once. Twice. And *Click!*

And no new memories.

Glaceon sniffed at the ball a bit before Irida could pick it up with a huff. So much for doing something about her situation. It was far from a totally fruitless endeavor, but she couldn't help be a little disappointed. She let the happy little pokemon out of its ball, then ed her two remaining empty ones. She wasn't *totally* out of chances..

"Irida! Hey! There you are! I've got news!"

Elesa hurried over, back in the outfit Irida had first seen her in- fluffy coat and all.

"The prof called me back. One of her s- a specialist in portals and dimensions- wanted to fly out and meet you, see if she could figure out more from there. All the way from Alola, no less, but it's going to take a couple days for her to get here."

Irida smiled with relief- her chances of getting home were growing by the minute!- but before she could say anything in return, Elesa continued.

"Until then, I've been away from my gym for way too long by now, and it's starting to get a little late. Want to stay at my place for the night?"

Oh. Oh, Irida hadn't been expecting that. Elesa's generosity continued to surprise her. But it wasn't like she was in any position to refuse, exactly, considering she wasn't near familiar enough with anything here to know how to get lodging otherwise. And, Elesa was right, it *was* getting late: the sky was shifting to the orangey colors of dawn. Staying outside with who knows what Pokemon didn't exactly seem like a smart move.

"Yes. Yes, uh, that would be.. great."

"Perfect! Come on, it's just a short walk." And, congrats on the Minccino, by the way. I hope you two make good partners."

That said, she turned to lead the way, Irida close behind- though, she did pause to look again at her new Pokemon. Minccino. So *that* was its name.

Just as they made it to the entryway back into the city, though, Irida, still watching her pokemon, caught another flash of white like the one before: this time, behind a tree. She stopped a moment. Was.. that the same person she's thought she'd seen before? Or could it be a Pokemon?

"Irida? Are you coming?"

Elesa asked, and the younger girl looked back at her.

"Oh, yes, sorry."

She decided not to share what she'd seen. After all, if she was right in her suspicions, it probably wasn't anything to worry about..

Walking together, the two leaders and the two pokemon headed back into the glowing lights of Nimbasa city, not one of them sure what would happen next.

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Irida couldn't sleep.

She laid on a yellow couch in Elesa's villa, staring at the ceiling. It was late, but a nightmare had woke her a few minutes before: faceless figures crying her name, all out of reach, all inconsolable. So, here she was, trying and failing to keep her mind clear of nerves, to relax enough to sleep, to not read into her dream.

She sighed. Two more nights, Elesa had said. Then, hopefully, whoever was coming would be able to.. do something. Getting her home seemed out of reach at the moment. Until then, she would be here. She looked around the room, studying the furniture she could see in the fluctuating purplish light from a window..

Wait. There was a streetlight in front of the window, but its glow was white, not purple. Where was that..

She lept from the couch and hurried to the window, intrigued. When she got there, though, all she could do was stare.

There were three figures just outside the villa. Emmet was one of them: he was looking up at the other two, his smiling expression unreadable.

The second, Irida realized with a start, was the dark eyed girl from her memory, down to the clothes and hairstyle. Here, though, she looked nervous, holding stiffly onto the back of the final figure.

And what a figure it was: a huge, bipedal pokemon, with pink and white scales and wings emerging from its shoulders. Behind it was the source of the purple light, a huge slash in reality leading to what seemed to be a space full of stars. But the most arresting part?

It was staring right back at her.

Red pupils on black eyes, every inch focused on Irida. Her heart beat fast. What did it want?

To her surprise, it answered.

"Irida. We need you."

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Holy frick it's finished-

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, and stay Spooky, my dudes!!!