The interior of the Magnet Train was a marvel of clean lines and humming technology, a sharp contrast to the dusty, chaotic landscape of Grampa Canyon we had left behind. Outside the window, the Kanto countryside blurred into a streak of green and gold as we hovered inches above the rails at speeds that would make a Dodrio dizzy.
I leaned back into the plush seat, the **Togepi egg** resting securely in a padded incubator on my lap. The hum of the train was almost hypnotic, but the conversation across from me was anything but. I looked at Ash, who was currently trying to share a bag of Poké-puffs with Pikachu, and then at the rest of the group.
"I'm still a bit confused," I said, tilting my head. "The last time we ran into each other, you guys were dead set on heading to Saffron City. How did you end up all the way down in Fuchsia?"
Ash swallowed a mouthful of pastry and grinned sheepishly. "Well... we were going to Saffron! Really! But, uh, we kind of took a wrong turn at the fork near Route 12. And then the map got a little soggy because Squirtle wanted to practice Water Gun... and next thing we knew, we were seeing signs for the Safari Zone."
"He got us lost," Misty clarified, her voice flat. "Again. We spent three days wandering through a marsh because *someone* thought a Caterpie-shaped cloud was a 'sign from the universe' to head south."
Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, it worked out! I got to fight Koga and get the Soul Badge first. Saffron, Fuchsia—it's all the same, right? Just a different colored badge!"
Misty sighed, leaning her head against the window. "Yeah, not a big deal. But next time you decide to follow a cloud, Ash, could you at least ensure we end up somewhere with a decent mall? Or under the ocean? I'd take a Lanturn colony over another swamp any day."
I chuckled and turned my gaze toward Gary, who was lounging at the end of the row, looking far too comfortable for someone who had just survived a prehistoric collapse.
"And what about you, Gary? I thought you were the one with the fancy red convertible. Did the cheerleaders get tired of pushing it?"
Gary let out a sharp, aristocratic laugh, flicking his hair back. "Please, Regina. A car is for the destination, not the journey. My cheerleaders are currently driving the car up to Saffron. They'll pick me up after I win my sixth badge, and then we're headed straight to Celadon for the next one. A car saves time, and in the League circuit, time is the only currency that matters."
"Seems like a lot of trouble and a waste of money to me," I noted, watching the way he polished his badge case. "Between the fuel, the maintenance, and the logistics of moving it around Kanto... wouldn't a bike or a skateboard be more efficient?"
Gary looked at me as if I had suggested he travel by Slowpoke. He snapped his badge case open, revealing seven gleaming symbols of victory. "Efficient? Regina, look at these. Do you see this many badges on your belt? No. Because while you're kick-flipping over potholes, I'm cruising at eighty miles an hour toward my next victory. The car doesn't just save money; it saves my energy for the battles that count."
I shrugged. "To each their own, I guess."
---
### The Radiance of Evolution
I looked between Ash and Gary, a thought occurring to me as I felt the psychic resonance in the air. "Wait... did both of you finally evolve your Eevees?"
The tension in the air shifted instantly. Both Ash and Gary grew smug, their expressions mirroring each other in a rare moment of Pallet Town synchronicity.
"You could say that," Gary smirked.
"Yeah! Check this out!" Ash cheered.
They both reached for their belts and released their Pokémon into the spacious train car.
In a flash of light, an **Espeon** appeared before Ash. Its lilac fur was sleek, its forked tail twitching with elegance, and the red gem on its forehead glowed with a faint, steady light. It sat down with a regal air, its eyes sharp and focused.
**[Data Scan: Espeon]**
**Rank:** PSEUDO-CHAMPION
**Level:** 43
**Ability:** Synchronize
Next to it, Gary's **Umbreon** manifested like a shadow given form. Its black fur absorbed the cabin light, and the yellow rings on its body pulsed with a rhythmic, golden glow. It stood silently, its red eyes scanning the room with a cold, predatory intelligence.
**[Data Scan: Umbreon]**
**Rank:** PSEUDO-CHAMPION
**Level:** 43
**Ability:** Synchronize
I nodded, genuinely impressed. "Pseudo-Champions at Level 43. And evolved through high friendship during the day and night cycles... that's impressive. You've both been working hard."
"Of course we have!" Ash beamed, patting Espeon on the head. "We're gonna be the best!"
Misty looked at the two Eeveelutions, then turned her gaze to me. She stayed silent for a moment, her eyes tracing the lines of my G-Pro terminal and the way I sat—poised, even when relaxed.
"They have gotten stronger, haven't they?" Misty asked softly. "But what about you, Regina? How strong have you gotten since we last traveled together? You seem... different. More intense. Like you're looking through the world instead of at it."
I looked down at the Togepi egg, my mind drifting back to the crushing power of Cross's Incineroar and the way Goldie had fainted in my arms. I felt a weight in my stomach that no amount of prehistoric captures could lighten.
"Not much, honestly," I said, and I meant it. "I'm still just trying to keep up. I feel like I'm falling behind the standard. I've made mistakes, and my team has had to pay for them. I'm not where I need to be."
---
### The Disbelief of the Prodigy
The silence that followed my statement was deafening. Ash, Gary, Misty, and Brock all stared at me as if I had just claimed the sun was made of chocolate.
Gary let out a short, dry bark of a laugh. "Falling behind? Regina, you were literally riding an Aerodactyl like it was a bicycle twenty minutes ago. You caught a Primeval King in a Heavy Ball while the rest of us were still trying to figure out which way was up."
I blinked, genuinely confused by their reaction. "Well, yeah, but the Indigo League is near. If I hope to win, I have to start increasing my training significantly. The League won't just be filled with rookies like us; it'll have trainers who have been on the circuit for years. Trainers like Lily or AJ, who have hundreds of wins under their belts. If I want to even stand a chance at third place, I can't keep being this... casual."
Ash and Gary looked at each other, the smugness from their Eeveelutions vanishing instantly.
*If Regina thinks she's 'falling behind,'* Ash thought, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple, *then what the heck am I? A Magikarp in a bathtub?*
Gary gripped his badge case tighter. *She's aiming for the top, and she's still worried about 'falling behind.' She's not just a researcher; she's a monster. If she hits her 'actual' training stride, the rest of us are just targets.*
Inside my mind, Nelly let out a metaphorical facepalm.
*[Host, you are an idiot,]* Nelly's text scrolled across my vision. *[You are comparing your progress to Cross, a trainer whose Incineroar has been battle-hardened for a year and a half in the Alola League. Your team has been active for six months. Your 'standard' is statistically impossible for 99% of the population. Please stop inducing existential crises in your peers.]*
I ignored Nelly, still lost in my own thoughts of power-scaling. "I just need to be better," I muttered.
---
### The Lavender Diversion
The smooth hum of the train suddenly changed. The magnetic pulse beneath us stuttered, and a low, grinding sound echoed through the floorboards. The train began to decelerate rapidly.
*"Attention passengers,"* a calm, synthesized voice announced over the intercom. *"Due to complications in the rail line between Saffron and Fuchsia—specifically a series of unexplained electromagnetic interference—we cannot proceed further at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience. We are currently rerouting to the nearest station: Lavender Town. All tickets will be fully refunded at the station kiosk. Thank you for your patience."*
"Lavender Town?" Misty shivered, her face turning a shade paler. "You mean... the place with the big tower? The cemetery?"
"It's just a town, Misty," Brock said, though he looked intrigued. "But Lavender is very close to Saffron. We can probably catch a bus or a ferry from there."
We gathered our things and stepped off the train as it hissed to a halt at the Lavender platform. The air here was different—cooler, damper, and smelling faintly of incense and old stone.
As we walked through the terminal, Brock's eyes suddenly lit up. He pointed to a brightly colored poster pinned to the notice board.
"Hey guys! Look! 'The Annual Kanto Breeder Conquest: Regional Qualifiers'—it's happening tomorrow right here in the Lavender-Fuchsia district!"
Misty patted him on the shoulder. "Good for you, Brock. Since the train is busted, I guess we can stay for a day. I wouldn't mind a break from Ash's 'wrong turns' anyway."
"It would certainly be interesting to see," Gary mused, looking toward the town square. "I suppose a little culture wouldn't hurt before I crush the Saffron Gym."
I nodded, but my eyes were drawn elsewhere. Beyond the station, the **Pokémon Tower** loomed over the town like a silent sentinel. It was a massive, seven-story spire of grey stone, its top shrouded in a perpetual, swirling mist.
As I watched, I noticed something odd. A group of men dressed in heavy, dark cloaks were moving with purpose toward the tower's entrance. They weren't carrying flowers or offerings. They were carrying crates—sleek, metallic crates that looked far too modern for a cemetery.
"Ghosts," a local man whispered as he passed us. "The spirits are restless in the tower. They say a mother's shadow is crying out for her lost child."
Misty let out a small yelp and grabbed Ash's sleeve. "Oh god, I hate ghosts! Why does it always have to be ghosts?"
"It's just Ghost-type Pokémon, Misty," Brock chuckled. "Gastly, Haunter... they love cemeteries because of the ambient spectral energy. It's totally natural."
"People can be so over-dramatic," Gary added, smirking at Ash. "Just like Ashy-boy here when he sees a Spinarak."
"What did you say, Gary?!" Ash yelled, his competitive fire reigniting instantly. "I'm not scared of anything!"
---
### The Memory of the Origin
As they bickered, I stood frozen, a chill running down my spine that had nothing to do with the temperature.
The cloaked men. The crying mother. The Lavender Tower.
It was all too familiar. In the *Pokémon Origins* timeline—the one that followed the games more closely than the main anime—Team Rocket had taken over the Lavender Tower. They had turned the sacred burial ground into a secret base, and in the process, they had killed a Marowak who was trying to protect her baby Cubone.
In the anime, it was a goofy episode with a Haunter and a slapstick battle. But in the *Origins* world, it was a tragedy. It was dark. It was real.
And as I looked at the "Prehistoric Five"—my friends who were now carrying some of the most powerful Pokémon in existence—I realized that this world was a messy, dangerous mix of both. The humor was gone. The reality was taking over.
*If Team Rocket is in that tower,* I thought, my eyes narrowing as I watched another cloak disappear into the mist, *then that Cubone is currently alone and terrified. And those men aren't just looking for ghosts. They're looking for a foothold in the heart of Kanto.*
"Regina? You coming?" Ash asked, looking back at me from the station exit.
I forced a smile, tucking the Togepi egg closer. "Yeah. Just thinking. Let's get to the Pokémon Center and rest up."
But as we walked toward the glowing red sign of the Center, I wasn't thinking about rest. I was thinking about the investigation I was going to start tomorrow.
Lavender Town wasn't just a detour. It was a battlefield. And it looked like the "Researcher" was going to have to do some field work in the world of the dead.
[Chapter 63: END]