Chapter Thirty: Make Way To Mintale



Terra's POV



I retract Benga into his Poke Ball for safety. It still feels weird keeping my pet cat inside a sphere that breaks the laws of physics, but then, everything feels weird here.



I want to go home. But that's not going to happen anytime soon.



The road has gotten greener, and better paved. There are a few wild Pokemon, the occasional Rattata or Sentret, but they don't seem hostile, or even to care that we're walking by. A few take passing interest in Gary's laser pointer, but when Gary's Charmander tries to battle them, they run off.



I turn towards Ilima, who's looking pretty uncomfortable about wearing three Unown. I guess I'd be uncomfortable too if my gender was written on my shirt. Or if I needed that for people to know what I was. I mean, not to mention the writing is alive.



And he notices me looking at him. "Are you all right?" he asks.



"Can't you answer that yourself?" I reply. "Or would you rather not?"



Ilima freezes a moment, then glances over at Meowth, who's riding on Silvally's back. When he answers, it's telepathically. We don't want to let that guy on as to what I really am.



I blink. Huh? Telepathy? Why haven't you tried that before?



I haven't needed it before, Ilima answers. Just because I can do something doesn't mean I should do it.



I think Pywacket sang something about your reluctance, I think warily. You don't seem very confident in your powers.



I'm confident I have them. Doesn't mean I'm confident in using them. I don't really want to HURT anyone.



I consider this a moment. You think you're... too powerful?



I'm a Mew. One of the rarest and most secretive Pokemon species around. Anything I do will reflect on the species as a whole. He lowers his head. We don't interact with humans much out of fear. Not just fear of what humans could do to us, but fear of what we could do to humans. I don't want to look like a monster.



Oh. I pause. Is that why you didn't attack Team Rocket in that alleyway?



Those two Mewtwo things were watching me. I got a look inside their minds, and all they thought about was how to defeat us. No empathy, no moral reasoning, nothing. It's like they only exist to destroy. He shudders. It terrified me. One of them I might have been able to fight off with Smeargle's Spore, but two? And a giant mecha as well?



I consider this a few moments. I expect psychic power is a gift and a curse. You learn things you'd rather not know.



Exactly. I knew I should have done something, but I couldn't convince myself to do it. And then the Teeter Dance happened, and I couldn't have found my own tail after that. If you hadn't grabbed me, I'd have probably been lost.



I dunno, I think. Hoopa turned out okay.



That is curious, what she said Palkia told her. That we had to face the darkness and turn it to light.



Speaking of turning things into other things, what happened to the three Unown on your shirt?



Ilima looks down at the black pattern reading BOY. They seem to have gone dormant since the Teeter Dance accident. Maybe in Mintale Town we can find someone or some book that will help us figure out how to fix them. I've already tried a Revival Herb, but none of them have responded to it.



You don't think they're dead, do you?



They're not. I can sense their minds sleeping. But it's not going to be easy to wake them up, even with Smeargle's Wake-Up Slap. They're not functioning as Pokemon -- they seem to have reverted to actual letters, and their consciousness is hazy. They aren't even able to translate Pokemon speech.



Not that that's a problem for someone like you, I think snarkily.



No, not for me. Maybe Kappa knows what's wrong with them?



I reach down in my pockets and pull out Kappa's Poke Ball. Kappa. Can you sense what's going on with the Unown on Ilima's shirt?



Kappa emerges from the ball, somewhat dazed. I... oh, it's nothing serious. They're just hibernating. They should wake up in a few millenia.



A few MILLENIA? Ilima telepathizes. That's my shirt we're talking about! I need to run it through the wash!



I wouldn't do that if I were you, Kappa warns. The Unown could drown.



They're two-dimensional! How can they drown if they can't BREATHE?



Point taken, Kappa says. I guess I assumed that. We don't really have water in our home dimension.



If you don't have water, what do you drink?



We don't really 'drink'. Unown feed off of aura waves, which our home dimension has plenty of. There's not as many here in Pokearth, or as tasty, but there's enough to keep us alive.



"Well, we're here," Shu suddenly announces. "Say hello to Mintale Town!"



We crest the hill, and indeed, Mintale Town stands before us. Rows of red-roofed houses, cool green grass, an old stone windmill. All around us, humans and Pokemon mill around on their daily business.



It's a beautiful place. Something about it reminds me of my hometown, way back on planet Earth. If I ever have any chance of seeing it again.



We'll find a way to get you home once all this is over, Ilima promises. It's the least we can do.



Hey, careful there! I think. I didn't mean to broadcast that to you.



Sorry! Mew aren't exactly known for their etiquette. I had to pick up human sensibilities on my own. And there's such few psychic humans, they don't really have much to teach in the mental etiquette department.



Oh, I think, feeling sheepish. Right. Sorry.



"Come on out, everybody!" I say, releasing Benga and Yoshi from their balls. "This is Mintale Town! I hear there's a library nearby with lots of books, so we should try to find it!"



"Shouldn't we try to find the Pokemon Center first?" Gary asks. His Charmander trots behind him, looking somewhat tired.



"Oh, right!" I blush.



---



"Come back here, you little scamp! And stop throwing fireballs!"



I may have forgotten one critical fact about Benga: he hates the vet.



With a passion.



It takes three Nurse Joys and a Chansey to corner the hissing, spitting little fireball. It's a miracle only a few things got set on fire, and another miracle that nothing actually burned down. Turns out most Pokemon Centers have a pretty good fire extinguishing system.



Finally Benga gets caught and corralled with minimal injuries. The nurses insist that it's no problem, that they're always prepared for the occasional Pokemon that refuses treatment. There's a funny story about a feral Charizard up in the Celadon Pokemon Center that I only half listen to because I'm so focused on telling Benga that this is not the way you behave in a Pokemon Center.



Contrary to my expectations, the nurses don't tell me to keep Benga inside his Poke Ball. Instead, they tell me that Benga needs to be able to have some space to explore the Pokemon Center, to learn that it's not as bad as he thinks it is. They also suggest I send out my other Pokemon to accompany him, so he'll feel more comfortable. This means Yoshi and Kappa get to explore the waiting room as well.



It's a nice place. Comfortable chairs, magazines, a few potted plants, and windows that show the beauty of the great outdoors. But while it's nice for a human, I'm not quite sure it's all that much for a Pokemon. Benga tries to eat one of the plants, which we quickly learn is artificial. Not that that stops Benga.



This time the nurses suggest we keep Benga inside a Poke Ball.



Yoshi is much more well-behaved. He noses around the fake plants, then makes a valiant effort to jump up on one of the chairs next to me. It's not easy with that huge egg set in his back, but eventually Hoopa notices and has mercy on him. With the help of Hoopa's ring, Yoshi climbs his way up and curls up next to me.



His skin is soft and leathery, a plain gray offset by the green of his eyes and the matching spots on the egg on his back. He makes a rough croaking sound reminiscent of purring, and I grin. "At least you're on your best behavior."



"Saur!"



I laugh and scratch him behind the ears. Hoopa laughs as well, floating down to relax on the couch next to me. I imagine we'd make a great picture together.



"You know, Hoopa," I say. "I never did give you a nickname. No reason to just keep calling you Hoopa all the time."



Hoopa considers this. "A nickname for Hoopa?"



"Sure! Something I can call you, as a friend." I pause. "Like... Ali! Ali Hooparing!"



Yoshi snorts in amusement. "Saur! Bulb-bulba saur!"



Hoopa laughs. "Yoshi-Kun likes it, too!" She whirls around. "Ali Hooparing! Hoopa has a name!"



"It's gonna take a little getting used to, but it works," I say. "You sure seem to like it."



"Ali has a name!" she sings. "Ali has a name!"