“You know I was going easy on you, right?” Red stated, crossing his arms.

  Lani spluttered next to Teddy.

  “It’s nothing personal,” he continued, shoving Teddy out of the way. “You just don’t deserve a Legendary.”

  “He kicked your backside,” Lani fumed as he walked away.

  Red turned around.

  “He has a Munchlax, a Gastly and a Togepi. He will never be strong. I am building the perfect team,” he scoffed. “I will have no weaknesses.”

  With that, he turned and exited the Tower.

  Teddy stood there for a moment, holding MunchMunch’s Poké Ball in his hand.

  If he had a bigger team, could he have kept him from fainting? Maybe he was doing this wrong?

  “Teddy?” Lani shoulder bumped him.

  “Huh, what?” he startled.

  “He is acting like he won and you are acting like you lost,” she groused. “That’s some real nonsense right there.”

  Teddy blushed. She was right.

  “Sorry, I —“

  Briing.

  At that moment, his phone cut through the silence of the Tower.

  Lani raised an eyebrow.

  Briiiiing.

  “Really? Your ringtone is the theme from ‘Poké Ventures?’” she giggled. “I haven’t watched that since I was like 7!”

  Teddy blushed furiously.

  “Yea well I,” he coughed, his ears burning.

  BRIIIIING.

  Lani burst out laughing as Teddy stepped away to answer, blushing furiously.

  “Hello?”

  “Teddy! How are you!”

  “Uh. Who is this?”

  “What? You don’t recognize me?” the voice pouted.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t —“

  “It’s Whitney, silly!”

  Teddy blinked.

  “Leader Whitney?”

  “The one and only!”

  Behind him, Lani gaped.

  “Uh, how did you get my number, Leader?”

  “Whitney is fine, and every gym you challenge automatically records your number,” she laughed.

  “Oh.” He didn’t know that.

  “Anyway, I just got back from a trip to Azalea. A Noctowl stopped by while I was gone and dropped a letter. Something about a Munchlax and a Gastly missing their Trainer,” she continued. “You are the only one I know with a Munchlax and a Gastly. Is everything alright?”

  Teddy froze. Did she really call… to check up on him?

  He cleared his throat and quickly wiped his eyes.

  “Uh, yeah. There was a storm and we got separated. All good now, though.”

  “Oh good, I was very worried. I’m glad it was just the storm,” she whispered.

  “What was that?”

  “Oh nothing, nothing,” she laughed. “Listen, I know you will be back to challenge little ol’ me so I can beat you again —“

  Teddy spluttered, but she continued to talk through him.

  “But wait a while ok? Something is up here, and I’d rather you didn’t return for a bit. Your Trainer card said you were cleared by the Rangers for increased information?”

  Teddy paled. He hadn’t thought about Team Rocket in some time. He’d been too wrapped up in other things.

  “Wait, is something happening?” he exclaimed.

  “No, no. I’d rather not discuss over the phone. I just wanted to make sure you and your Team were alright. I’ll touch base soon. Bye-bye!”

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  Teddy stared at his phone.

  “Was that Gym Leader Whitney?!” Lani demanded.

  “Uh… yeah,” he responded distractedly.

  “Well, what did she want?” Lani demanded.

  “Nothing… just checking on the Team,” he mumbled, his thoughts elsewhere.

  She rolled her eyes. “Keep your secrets then.”

  Teddy chuckled.

  “It’s not like that, really. She just kicked my butt when I challenged her.”

  “Uh-huh. Gym Leaders kick a lot of people’s butts. I can guarantee they don’t call them,” she said, hands on her hips.

  “Uh, well… I gotta get back to the Poké Center. I’m worried about my Munchlax,” Teddy evaded.

  “Teddy, there are three Semi-Legendary Pokémon down there. MunchMunch is alright, but you can’t let this opportunity go,” she said, face serious.

  Teddy shrugged. “I’m more worried about my Munchlax.”

  “Teddy! Your Gastly can get you down there! I watched her, she is terrifying. MunchMunch will be fine, he is sleeping in stasis and he isn’t suffering from any status conditions. It’s OK.”

  Teddy hesitated. He did really want to see the Legendaries…

  “Ok,” he relented, excitement bubbling. “Let’s go.”

  “YES!” Lani crowed, her Pokémon spinning around her in excitement.

  “Shadow?” Teddy called. “You good to keep going?”

  The cackle that floated from the darkness was all the answer he needed.

  ____

  Lani and Teddy proceeded forward carefully, the floor falling away in places. When they finally found themselves at the top of a flight of stairs, Lani stopped.

  “Do you think it’s safe?”

  “Probably not, but if it was too dangerous I think they would have blocked the Tower off?”

  Lani nodded.

  “GasGas, scout,” she ordered.

  Her Gastly stopped to roll his eyes at the nickname before slipping into the shadows on the stairs.

  “I really don’t think he likes the nickname,” Teddy observed.

  Lani smiled. “No, but it’s important to establish dominance with Ghosts. They aren’t Dragons, but they can be just as ornery.”

  Teddy raised an eyebrow, glancing at Shadow. She had never been anything but amenable, but maybe she was different?

  Or maybe she judged everything and he just didn’t know.

  “Fair enough,” he said. “Hey Shadow, ready to go?”

  She cackled, startling the Koffing she had been stalking. The poor thing fled in terror while she returned to him gleefully.

  It was good to see her spirits up.

  Lani’s Gastly returned a moment later and the group proceeded down the stairs.

  ____

  Shadow smiled proudly at her Teddy as the group moved down the stairwell.

  He had done well. Led them to victory.

  She was upset about MunchMunch fainting, but he had done fantastically.

  She shivered.

  Honestly? It just felt really good to battle again.

  “I didn’t realize you were so strong,” Uppie whispered.

  Shadow nodded.

  “I still have a long way to go.”

  “Did you know the Ancients are here somewhere?” Uppie continued. “I wonder what they are like?”

  “Frustrating,” she mumbled.

  “What was that?” Uppie asked, drifting closer.

  “Nothing. I’d imagine they are very powerful though. Who knows, maybe they walk the city sometimes,” she responded, thinking of Sableye.

  “Pokémon of that power don’t wander cities,” Ash disagreed. “I doubt they leave the Hallow-winds.”

  Shadow smirked. “You’re probably right.”

  “So, how did you find yourself such a talented trainer?” he continued.

  Gastly drifted down into her Teddy’s shadow, letting him carry her while she thought.

  “I watched him from the time he was a child,” she began.

  “He still is a child,” Uppie interrupted.

  Shadow snorted. “True, but from the time he could barely walk. At the time, I was just bored. Over the years he intrigued me. Refused to accept any other Pokémon while he wandered through the trees looking for his ‘Shadow Eyes’.”

  She grinned. “He probably doesn’t even know that’s why I took the nickname ‘Shadow’.”

  “Took?” Ash asked curiously.

  Shadow nodded. “We can understand each other, in a way. I can’t really explain it.”

  Ash regarded her thoughtfully.

  “I see.”

  At that moment, a wave of Pressure washed over them and the group stiffened.

  A voice that reminded Shadow of the wind rolling over the water echoed in her mind.

  “Time.”

  It was neither male nor female, and drifted long after the word had been spoken.

  “Did you hear that?” Shadow whispered, glancing at the other two Ghosts.

  “Hear what?” Uppie gasped, trying to keep herself afloat.

  “I think this is as far as we go,” Ash commented, pulling on the shadows in the ceiling to keep himself afloat.

  Shadow looked at their trainer curiously, only to find her sitting on the ground and sweating.

  Her Teddy was watching her in confusion, apparently unaffected.

  Shadow would have cackled, if the voice from earlier wasn’t still present in her mind.

  In her Trainer’s arms Togepi slumbered peacefully, curled around her Cheri and entirely oblivious.

  Shadow raised an eye.

  Her Teddy and the other trainer spoke for a moment, before Teddy gestured for Shadow to join him.

  Together, the two of them proceeded the rest of the way down the stairs.

  ____

  Teddy proceeded quietly down the steps, Togepi still asleep in his arms.

  Shadow kept up, but he could tell she was starting to flag under the Pressure.

  Teddy hadn’t noticed it at first, but the deeper they went the more pronounced it got.

  Like the air was syrup; tiring to push through.

  He offered her Poké Ball to Shadow, but she just shook her head, determined to push through.

  It felt like they had been walking forever, as if the stair would never end.

  Stretching on.

  And on…

  Teddy blinked and realized he wasn’t moving, hadn’t been moving. Before him was the final step.

  He gulped and pressed forward.

  All at once the Pressure ceased, like it was never there.

  He glanced up and his breath hitched.

  Before him the Legendary Dog Pokémon lounged on the ground, regarding him silently.

  He had never seen such majestic creatures before.

  Small thunderclouds hovered over Raikou, small bolts of golden lightning illuminating them occasionally.

  Entei rested, the air around him shimmering from the heat.

  Suicune waited silently, the color of a frozen sky just after dawn.

  Teddy bowed, dropping his eyes.

  When he straightened, Raikou yawned.

  Teddy stumbled backwards, deafened and blinded as lightning exploded in the tower. By the time he could see and hear again, Raikou was gone.

  Then Entei stood and Teddy flinched.

  He was huge.

  But he merely shook his mane and the air was filled with the sound of crackling fire. Teddy watched in awe as the Pokémon jumped, soaring out of the Tower like it was the most casual thing.

  Teddy turned his eyes on the final Pokémon, Suicune.

  Suicune was regarding him silently, its head resting on its paws.

  It yawned and stretched before standing. Teddy watched in awe as it shook its mane. It looked like…

  It looked like the Northern Lights, he realized, thinking back to the time he had seen them on TV.

  Suicune approached him, lowering his head to inspect him. Teddy waited with bated breath.

  Then the Pokémon huffed, its breath washing over Teddy like a cool breeze off the sea. It turned and took a step, its foot landing on thin air.

  Teddy watched as Suicune walked away, drifting through the air.

  Once it was gone, he collapsed, exhaling breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. Togepi still slumbered in his arms.

  Next to him, Shadow drifted tiredly to the ground.

  Teddy leaned back and rested next to her.