Joe smiled at the memory and leaned back in his seat. He'd checked up on Rika, the model, a few times, although he hadn't spoken to her personally. Just made sure she wasn't in trouble via the news.
Rika had started working through the Gym Challenge in Paldea, albeit very slowly. She'd been at it for a year and had only beaten 4 Gyms. Model work kept her busy, but she was doing her best to put in effort with Pokemon. She wanted to defend herself and her family in the future.
The mastermind behind the kidnapping of Rika's Wooper was never caught, the police still considering it an open case. Joe wouldn't be surprised if the person behind the crime eventually came back, no doubt stronger than before. He hoped Rika was ready if and when it happened, but now that he'd been reminded, Joe would keep a closer eye on the situation. Maybe Rotom could help with automatic alerts. If news came out saying Rika was in trouble, Joe would offer his services.
And as for Blondey, Joe had visited the man in prison. Joe had some amount of respect for this one. He seemed capable of changing and Joe wanted to encourage him. Now that Joe thought about it, Blondey should've been released from prison a month ago. Eleven-month sentence for animal cruelty. Joe wondered what Blondey was doing now.
"I remember. Hard to forget, really." Joe said. "News gets around, huh?"
"It's not every day someone pulls a stunt like that, so yeah, it got around." Peonia sipped her tea. "It says you got pretty banged up, which is why I remembered it in the first place. Dad thought you were cool as fu-… Hell. What did he say… 'That's a real man, right there.'" She wanted to avoid Joe meeting her father, if possible. Her dad was already a loud person, so what if he met a man he had respect for? His voice would cause the hospital to quake.
At least Peonia knew Joe was capable. He was suited to be her bodyguard for a few days out in the wild. She sent the job to him via Nomads and he accepted.
Once they finished their drinks, they set out. It didn't take long to reach the outskirts of town. Before them were two options. On the left, a forest that led to the mountains in the North of Kanto. To the right, roads and open fields. Peonia swapped out her sandals for boots. Seeing the forest made her want to go into it. Joe simply followed her lead. She was the boss.
Joe watched Peonia adjust the straps of her backpack. She wore a small leather pack, a knapsack, with a tent dangling from the bottom. "Want me to carry that for you?"
"I can carry my own weight."
Joe nodded, the corners of his mouth being tugged into a slight smile. Peonia looked up at him and frowned.
"There's something about your grin that annoys me." Out of the corner of Peonia's eye, she saw Absol nod. After a moment she understood. Joe was a prankster, his grin a result of his stupid thoughts and actions. And poor Absol had to put up with it, no doubt irritated by her Trainer. These two women formed an immediate bond over their dislike of pranks.
"Sorry. Just remembering a different job and friend. She made me carry her equipment whether I wanted to or not." He replied, thinking of Sonia. He would've offered regardless, but still, her actions were a bit shameless. "I get the feeling you would've told her to beat it."
"Am I that easy to read?" Peonia asked, deflating a little after a sigh. She had been told by some ex-friends that she was too blunt. It made people dislike her. She was usually successful in forcing herself to think before she spoke because she couldn't be bothered to deal with the aftermath of people's feelings being hurt, but she hadn't slept well the past few days, so she was slipping.
Thinking about it, her initial remark to Joe was essentially calling his matching gimmick worthy of a clown. And they were strangers to each other. Some would consider her words to be an insult.
"Hey, don't let it get to you. Nothing wrong with speaking your mind. If it gets under the other person's skin…" He shrugged. "Not much you can do about it. Just move on. Find people that don't mind your bluntness."
Peonia raised an eyebrow. "You got all that from what I said?"
"I've met people like you before, so I just had a feeling."
She was about to call him a preacher forcing himself into other people's problems when her crop top brushed against a branch. Her shirt was a thin material, similar to stockings. It tore, the ripping sound overpowering the nearby wild animals even though, in reality, it was quiet. She cursed as she looked at her torn shirt.
"People still wear ripped jeans, don't they? It's fine. Not like you could stitch it up even if you wanted to." Joe went quiet for a second, then remembered. "Oh, speaking of, I need to do some sewing."
Peonia was so stunned she stopped in her tracks, looking at the giant of a man. When he noticed, he stopped and turned, looking at her.
"You can sew?" She asked.
"Yes?"
"…It doesn't suit you."
In response, Joe laughed. He'd heard that a few times. "Well when you're like me and enjoy the great outdoors, sometimes it's helpful to have skills like sewing. I can fix up my own clothes if they're not too badly damaged."
With a quizzical, "Hm." from Peonia, the duo set off again, entering a brief, companionable silence as they walked by a field of flowers amongst the dense trees.
Joe eventually broke the silence because he was curious. Peonia had mentioned a tunnel. Joe's basic understanding of archaeology was open pits, so he wanted to know more. "So what exactly is your dad doing in Icterine? Is he just digging up bones?"
"No, he was hired by someone to find some ruins. The employer…" She sighed. "He wore a suit and tie to the dig site so Dad started calling him fancy pants." She stopped to let Joe laugh, then continued. "Anyway, dad's employer thinks there's something important under Mt. Moon."
"Your dad sounds fun." Joe said, ignoring the main point. He was tempted to ask if anyone dug up a caveman recently, but Peonia wouldn't understand the joke.
"Sure, until you have to live with him. You can hear him coming a mile away, he's so damn loud."
They talked and walked the day away, the sun beginning to set behind them. They set up camp, Joe getting Absol to topple a couple of trees. He lifted them and moved them around a campfire. Peonia marvelled at his strength. Just like her dad.
Peonia snapped out of it, forcing herself to stop looking at where his muscles should be. She began getting items out of her pack. Joe saw pots and pans and a three-legged stand to dangle them from.
"You're going to cook?" Joe asked. They hadn't discussed it but he just assumed he was handling that task.
"It's only fair. I see the way you look towards sounds. You've been on alert all day. You can rest now." Sure, Peonia was paying Joe for the escort which should put them on even footing, but she still felt wrong leaving other jobs to him. She set up a pot above the campfire.
After watching Peonia chop vegetables, Joe decided now was as good a time as any. He grabbed his backpack. Took the large feather out and dug deep for the sewing kit he bought back in New Bark, a small bag he discovered had fallen right to the bottom. He uncurled the feather, catching Peonia's eye. Joe decided to speak before she could ask. Her question was obvious.
"A gift from a friend." He said, holding one end and pointing the tip towards Peonia. "It's still hot. Apparently it could hold this heat for decades."
Peonia gently brushed the feather with the back of her hand, a warm sensation creeping into her fingers. "That's neat. A Remnant, right? I've found a few at work before."
"Oh? What's the best Remnant you found?" Joe asked, grabbing his sleeping bag and realising he forgot his multi-tool. Thankfully that was just in a side pouch of his bag. He slowly but cleanly cut one side of his sleeping bag open with the knife tool.
"So that's what you're doing… Good idea. Hm… Probably the scarf from a Meowstic. It had a bit of psychic power left, which created a telekinetic barrier. I've got it on a shelf at home."
Joe looked at Rotom, his assistant working diligently, always listening and keeping Joe informed. Meowstic was either blue with white accents or white with blue accents. Depended on the gender. It stood on two feet, with big ears and a bushy tail. He saw what Peonia meant by scarf. At least on the female variant, Meowstic had what looked like a cloth around its neck, but in reality it was just well-kept fur.
"It's the blue one, from a female." Peonia said, just in case Joe was curious, as she dumped vegetables into the stew.
She stirred dinner. Now came the waiting part. With nothing to do for the next ten minutes, Peonia watched Joe expertly get thin thread into the needle's hole. She glanced at her knapsack and internally winced.
"Hey, don't laugh, okay…" She said, opening a pouch on her pack and pulling out a case the length of a flattened hand. She opened it, took glasses out, and put the case away. She moved the arms and put her glasses on. "...I don't like contacts."
"They suit you." Joe said. He meant it. Peonia was already a beautiful woman, and the slightly oversized, rimmed glasses suited her stern look.
"You're just saying that to be nice." She said, walking over to Joe and sitting next to him. She got real close, her arm touching his.
Joe realised. Her squinting, and just in general her mean look, was because she was farsighted. The closer an object, the blurrier it appeared. When he sat opposite Peonia at the cafe earlier, he was a little too close so she had needed to refocus. He was impressed that Peonia could cook without her glasses. Although maybe it wasn't too bad? She would've seen distinct colours against the cutting board, and then her darkened skin was noticeable on top of the vegetables.
"You want to learn?" He asked, lifting his sewing work.
"No, I just felt like sitting here and watching you work for no reason."
Joe grinned at the sarcastic response. He showed Peonia how to sew, finishing the task right before dinner was ready. She seemed to pick up on it well enough.
"Thanks for showing me." She said. "I think I've got a hole forming in my other jeans so I'll give it a try soon."
Joe quickly put his kit back together in its little carry case as Peonia rose. He stuck a hand out before she could walk away. "Then take this."
Peonia hesitantly took the sewing kit from Joe. She looked at it and then back to Joe. "Are you sure?"
"No, that's why I gave it to you."
Her expression softened and a small smile took hold. She didn't know if she was smiling because Joe copied her earlier sarcasm or because he was a good man and she already called him a friend in her mind. "Thanks."
She quickly put the kit away and tended to the food, serving up the best meal Joe had eaten in weeks. He was more than happy. After they ate, Joe brought some of his Pokemon out. Sprigatito sat on his lap and he stroked her as Peonia grabbed a pair of jeans from her knapsack and sat next to Joe. He watched and gave pointers when necessary until she finished closing a small hole. She wanted to make a joke about the big man doting on a small, cute animal, but she was so focused that she lost her wit.
Partway through, Sprigatito sensed heat and hopped off of Joe's lap. She looked around, her eyes settling on Joe's sleeping bag resting against the log. She pushed it over with a headbutt and repeatedly bit at a plastic clip until the item unravelled. She tapped the flat sleeping bag a few times as it lay on the ground. She felt heat. That was new. She pounced on it. She curled up in the middle of the sleeping bag, the feather's heat making her drowsy. She soon fell asleep.
The next day was uneventful as Joe and Peonia walked along the tree line. When night came, they set up camp again. Peonia was about to start cooking again when Absol perked up. She looked north. Joe rose and snatched his lantern that dangled on the side of his backpack.
"What is it?" He asked.
"…My child…" A faint, feminine voice echoed in Joe's mind, not unlike Ralts' Telepathy.
Absol darted into the forest, followed by Joe and Peonia. Peonia decided it was best to stick with Joe. After some running they heard attacks, and soon they saw flashes between trees. Absol used Flame Charge as a show of force and to get there faster. She collided with a chunky body and sent it rolling away.
Joe shone his lantern around, seeing a large bipedal squirrel, food popping out of its tail that was three times bigger than its body. Greedent.
Absol barked a few times, forcing Greedent to scurry away on all fours. A few minutes later, upon returning to its stash of food, Greedent would realise it was in the wrong. Nothing was missing. The Pokemon it had lashed out against hadn't taken any food. It had simply stumbled onto the stash by accident.
Joe trained the lantern on Greedent as it ran away. Once it was gone, Absol approached a clump of orange at the base of a tree. Joe followed her with his lantern, seeing what she saw. A bright orange Pokemon. It was small. He actually knew this one because of the myths around its rarity. Vulpix. It was a fox, so stood on all fours. It had tufts of curled fur on its head, looking like a hairstyle women had decades ago, and a white belly.
More importantly, this Vulpix only had one tail. This signified its age. This Vulpix was practically a newborn. The species gained more tails as they grew in strength, eventually evolving once they obtained their ninth tail. The evolution was, rather bluntly, called Ninetales.
He crouched next to the shivering Pokemon, Peonia leaning over next to him. He understood what the message from earlier was. A Ninetales in search of its child. But to Joe's understanding, Ninetales was a strong species. Why wasn't it coming to handle this?
As he was thinking, Vulpix lifted its head, its shaking dulling. It looked up at Joe and Peonia.
"You're okay now." He slowly reached his hands out, gesturing he wanted to pick Vulpix up. "Shall we get you back to your parents?"
Vulpix's face morphed into a scowl only after Joe uttered that final word. He didn't want to force the issue so he pulled back. As Absol started talking to Vulpix, trying to reassure the little fox, Joe received another telepathic message.
"Human, please bring my child back to me. She… doesn't want to partake in a ceremony, but I am stuck here, unable to find her myself. I implore you. This ceremony must occur."
Joe scratched his cheek. The voice was clearer, so likely closer, but it also sounded frail, like an elderly person. The parent didn't have much strength left, as evidenced by the fact that it couldn't come here personally. Vulpix's parent was dying. Vulpix ran away to avoid the ceremony because it was likely the passing of her parent. In a child's basic mind and thought process, running away would delay the ceremony, therefore prolonging the life of her parent.
Joe picked up Vulpix whether she wanted to go with him or not. "Come on, your parent is worried. Let's get you back home."
"How do you know that?" Peonia asked.
"Voices in my head." Joe said, stroking Vulpix's head to comfort her.
Peonia actually laughed at that, the first explicit time she'd experienced such joy in the presence of Joe. But her eyes widened when she also heard the voice. "I guess we're going mad."
Vulpix didn't fight Joe. She didn't have the strength to. Calling her a newborn was right. She came into existence just a few weeks ago. After a brief scuffle with an evolved Pokemon, she had no energy left to fight. And she had been taught well. Vulpix understood how to separate good from bad. The man carrying her had a good, strong soul. He would do as he said. He would return her to Ninetales. She didn't want to go, but at this point it was inevitable. She couldn't stop it delay it. That's what her little back and forth with Absol had told her. Face the trouble head on, don't run from it. It hurt to think her mother didn't have much time left, but it hurt more to think she might not see her mother again. She had to go back.
The telepathic voice pointed then further north, so they walked. Eventually an unusual sensation washed over the front of Joe and Peonia. It was like walking through cobwebs, or maybe a thin piece of film like what was used in preserving food. Despite the feeling, they couldn't see what they came into contact with.
Once through the barrier, the area lit up as if by magic. A soft blue hue coloured everything, from the trees to a lake in the center of the clearing. Resting in the middle of the lake was a beige Pokemon the size of Absol, its nine tails gently moving through the air. Ninetales perked up and looked into Joe's eyes. Despite the distance, he could just tell he'd locked eyes with the mother. Ninetales shifted to look at Peonia the same way. They didn't know it yet, but Ninetales was making sure the humans weren't going to cause trouble.
With that done, Ninetales rose and slowly walked across the lake, each step causing a ripple across the otherwise pristine water surface. It arrived in front of them.
"Thank you, human." It watched as Joe put Vulpix down, the little fox just staring at the ground, not wanting to approach her mother. "I owe you at least an explanation. It is my time. I can feel it. We do not have children the same way you do. Towards the end of our lives, we, Ninetales you call us, use our latent psychic powers to create a child. We spin and weave a new soul and, for it, a fresh body."
It took days of immense concentration, and was part of the reason why Ninetales was close to dying. If Ninetales hadn't created Vulpix, then it would've lived at least another few years. But Ninetales wanted to continue the legacy, so alone the mother had created offspring. She had raised Vulpix as best she could. Vulpix running away to, in her view, keep her mother alive, meant that Ninetales had raised her right, with love and care. Vulpix loved her mother. She didn't want to be separated from her family for the rest of her long life.
The ceremony was an extension of Vulpix's creation. The Ninetales species passed down their strength and knowledge in the form of seals. The Vulpix species got stronger in bursts. Each tail represented both its new power and its connection to an ancestor. This particular Vulpix would one day be reunited with her mother. She just had to earn that right.
Ninetales had been interrupted mid-explanation by her daughter running away. There was a key piece of information that Vulpix needed to hear. It would hopefully calm her hurting heart. "My child, listen. This isn't goodbye forever. A Vulpix on the brink of evolution is strong enough to call upon their ancestors. We will meet again one day, when you can handle such power." She looked up at Joe. "My child is still young. Forgive my asking, but could I trouble you with a request?"
"Whatever you need." Joe replied.
Ninetales nodded. "Yes. I knew you would supply such an answer. Forgive my intrusion, but I took the liberty of inspecting your soul. It is pure and suitable for my needs. If I may ask, could you raise my daughter in my stead? Please. She needs another parent, and you would do well. I know it."
Joe looked down at Vulpix, who looked up at him. He crouched and pet her head. "If she's okay with me, it would be my honour."
"She is. She knows you are a good man the same way I know you are." Ninetales said. She nudged Vulpix in the side, towards the lake. She walked onto the water alone, those perfect ripples appearing under her paws once more. She stopped as Vulpix, head drooped, moved onto the water too. "It isn't much, but as a thank you, let me offer you payment in the form of knowledge. You were hypnotised to hide your past. It is essentially brainwashing."
Peonia, having listened to, and been a part of, the entire telepathic conversation but had silently listened in amazement, finally spoke. "You were brainwashed?"
"Long story."
"Yeah, I bet." She replied, looking up at Joe, curious how someone with such troubles could spare a moment for others. Joe had his own problems to deal with. She wouldn't blame him for ignoring everything in a sole attempt to fix his life. But here he was, helping Peonia and Ninetales.
"In my prime, I would have been strong enough to untangle such a mess. You see, your hypnotism was done by a Pokemon. Given how it's entwined in your mind, it was intended to hide memories from you and steer your mind away from your past. Your Aura is fighting it, slowly unravelling the outsider's energy and removing it. But if you wish to speed up the process, then you can find a master of psychic powers."
Such an obvious action. Instead of trying to figure out why he was brainwashed, he just needed to get rid of it. It'd fix his problem and he'd learn from his unsealed memories why it happened. "I'll do that, thanks."
Confirmation from Ninetales truly was a reward for Joe. Now he had a better idea of what was going on. He hadn't thought of it like how Ninetales had described. A mess of energy, the source being a Pokemon. His soul, being another form of energy, was trying its best to sort through what Joe could only imagine as a pile of cables. Now he had a clear objective.
Ninetales briefly cut Peonia off. While Joe and Peonia seemed to be getting along well, so there was a chance he would tell her about the brainwashing, this part was more personal to the future Joe wanted. Ninetales felt discretion would be appreciated. "You fear you may change when your memories are returned. A fair assumption, but I can assure you that there will be no problems. From what I can see, you were not much different before. Neither side will overpower the other. The you before and after the hypnotism are your true selves."
Joe let that bit of information sink in deep. He was ready for a family, but his reason for avoiding relationships like with Jasmine was because he feared he would become a different person after solving his problem. He would like to trust Ninetales was correct.
So, what? The next time he saw Sonia or Jasmine, he confessed, regardless of whether the hypnotism was removed or not?
With that final proclamation, Ninetales looked away from Joe. She moved into the center of the lake, her daughter slowly trailing after her. She faced Vulpix. Ninetales' tails spread out like a fan, a fireball forming at the end of each one. The fireballs were red, but the blue hue of the illusory area made them appear purple.
The fireballs moved on their own, surrounding the lake. They began to spin and split until there was eighteen of them circling the water, reflected to make it look like there were double. For a brief moment, Joe thought he saw Pokemon in the flames.
That was thanks to his Aura. It was learning and adapting, picking up on the flames being Vulpix's ancestors. If Joe focused really hard, he'd be able to see the illusory barrier that protected this place. The cobwebs he walked through earlier. But instead his mind was filled with awe, his eyes wide. The same went for Peonia. They would be in higher spirits from seeing such an event. Not just anyone saw this ceremony. In fact, they might be the only people alive that had seen a Ninetales' passing of the torch ceremony. But it was a dour situation for Vulpix so Joe and Peonia kept from enjoying the moment.
Before she said goodbye to Vulpix, Ninetales had one final message for Joe, as a parent. "I may be overstepping, but now that I understand a parent's love… Don't blame them. We are willing to do anything for our children."
Joe simply nodded, hearing confirmation of who did this to him. He suspected it and had come to the same conclusion. A parent's 'anything' may harm their child, but they did it out of love. Because they cared. Ariana did what she thought was right. And besides the sealing of memories, Joe felt like he'd come out well. Ariana had raised him right. One error didn't ruin all the good she'd done for her son. He could tell she loved him, and he loved her back.
The fireballs rapidly closed in on Ninetales, slamming into her and setting her ablaze. She leaned down and gave Vulpix one last kiss on the cheek before fading into the fire.
A rush of wind stormed the area from Joe's back, forcing itself into the center. Into the fire. Ninetales' illusory territory was collapsing, her power returning to the source. With one large, final flash of blue, the flame burst. The light dimmed a second later, the fire taking such a short period of time to be absorbed by its new host, Vulpix.
Joe and Peonia now saw that the lake had been fake. Vulpix stood on dirt, still looking up to where her mother had been moments earlier. With tears flowing down her cheeks, Vulpix took a few steps forward and curled up where her mother previously stood. They decided to give Vulpix time and space, letting the young one say her final goodbyes.