The Mask Maker

Foresight

Scale Shot, Morai thought. 

"Salazzle! Use Scale Shot!"

Dragon Pulse....I'm so tired...

"Turtonator! Dragon Pulse!"

Salazzle fainted and the match concluded. Morai had been sitting on the sidelines for hours as students of the Master Dojo battled their hearts out in hopes of getting better. At first, her ability to see what would happen next was very hazy, but as time passed, she gradually improved. 

I just realized something...everyone here knows who I really am now, because Proton showed them that news segment. Why, then, am I still here? 

"Hey, Avery!" Morai called. It wasn't hard to find him among the students, with his tall top hat and floating Pokéballs.

"Hm?"

"Mind if we take a quick walk?"

The trainers went outside and began to walk, though Morai kept a slow pace. 

"I wanted to ask you something. That Team Rocket Admin revealed my identity to everyone. Why is everyone treating me the same way, including you?" she asked.

Avery thought for a moment, then gave a smile. 

"I suppose it's because Mustard and Honey don't seem to think you're all that bad. Mustard is one of the strongest trainers in Galar, being a former Champion and all, so we trust his judgement. Not to mention you made us pancakes!" 

"I see..." Morai said with a slight frown.

Now that I think about it, many people have seen me without my mask...Too many, in fact...I've left a trail behind me that I can't cover! 

Avery suddenly stopped and crossed his arms, tossing his head up like a bothered Galarian Ponyta.

 "However, I'm bloody annoyed that you had psychic powers and denied it, then you lied about your weird mask collection. We just can't be friends if you keep secrets like that, Fiddlesticks!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry!" Morai pleaded. "Keeping secrets is how I keep myself hidden. Speaking of which, I need you to keep my identity a secret...and can you also stop calling me that now that you have something else to call me?"

"I can do the first part, but your last request? Absolutely not! It's payback at the very least." 

Morai sighed, looking up to the sky, and they started to head back to the dojo.  

If I can play with people's minds, surely I can alter their memory somehow. I just don't know how to do it yet...I wonder which Morai could teach me. Speaking of which, I wonder if Shadow Morai's half of the garden is back to normal. Maybe I can go back and...hm?

"Ahem! Fiddlesticks! We're back at the dojo. Were you not paying attention?" Avery asked.

"Oh! I'm really tired. I've been practicing my psychic abilities."

"Ooh, really? We should be training buddies!" Avery excitedly proposed.

"Well, as you've heard, my abilities are different for some reason. I can't help you get better at levitating things and all of that fun stuff, and you probably can't help me hypnotize people."

 "Pfft! Oh please," Avery scoffed. "We can still train together! Different or not, it's psychic power either way."

"I suppose that's true. Listen, it's late and I better get going, but how about we train tomorrow?"

Avery agreed, and Morai flew Corviknight back to her cave campsite. Her eyelids were heavy and she was becoming less alert. Giovanni was waiting by his own campfire and enjoying a bowl of curry that his subordinates had sent. He watched Morai arrive and start to unpack and organize her things.