Damn, Kalos?

more caves? or so i thought......

Had I been stronger, it wouldn't have come to this....

It is a peaceful afternoon in Geosenge Town. Trainers and Pokémon roamed freely, enjoying the serenity. The air was crisp, and a soft breeze carried the sounds of laughter and cheerful chatter from the town square. Alain and I spent the past two days scouting the town, mostly out of habit. We didn't expect to find much here, but there is no harm in being thorough.

As expected, there was nothing too out of the ordinary. The people were friendly, and the town itself had a quiet charm, with battles only happening in designated arenas. The peaceful environment felt almost foreign to us after everything we'd been through over the past few weeks. It was the first time after a long while that neither of us felt the weight of an impending danger looming over our heads.

We took our time, wandering through the streets, letting the tension from our recent discoveries slowly cool off. Alain was quieter than usual, likely still processing everything that had happened in the forest, but I could tell he was enjoying this brief respite. He deserved it, after all. We both did.

"I could get used to this," Alain remarked as we passed a bakery, the smell of freshly baked pastries lingering in the air. His expression was softer, more at ease.

I chuckled lightly. "Don't get too comfortable. Knowing our luck, something's bound to happen."

He smiled, though the tension in his shoulders hadn't completely dropped out of sight. The same could be said about me. We knew that no matter how still things seemed on the surface, there was always an undercurrent of unease.

Eventually, we made our way back to the Pokémon Center, feeling a little more refreshed. Nurse Joy greeted us with a warm smile as we handed her our Poké Balls. She took them for routine healing, her cheery demeanor adding to the soothing ambiance.

"I'm still not used to this," Alain muttered, stretching his arms as we walked away from the counter.

"Used to what?"

"Being somewhere quiet, where we're not constantly looking over our shoulders."

I nodded in agreement. "It's a good change of pace, but we both know it's not going to last long. We can't avoid the approaching dangers ahead."

As we headed towards our rooms, Nurse Joy called out to us. "Gojo, Alain, you've received a message from Professor Sycamore. He asked that you contact him as soon as you're back."

Alain and I exchanged glances. Of course, peace couldn't last long.

"Guess that's our cue," I said with a half-smile, and we made our way to the video call booth.

The phone rang as usual, that typical beep echoing in the booth as we waited for him to pick up. But while we stood there, my mind was restless. I couldn't shake the nagging thoughts about what we'd seen—those statues, the strange energy emanating from them, and the connections they seemed to have with Yveltal.

Then, of course, there was Team Flare. They were acting differently here, more aggressive, more reckless. I have crossed paths with them twice already, and that was two times too many. In the original timeline, they laid low until the final assault, revealing themselves only at the last possible moment. Here, they seemed almost...desperate. What had changed?

Before I could delve too deep into my thoughts, the call connected. Professor Sycamore's face appeared on the screen, his usual bright presence was nowhere to be seen. He stared at us with his drowsy eyes for a moment, saying nothing. His expression was hard to read, a mix of exhaustion and frustration.

Finally, he let out a heavy sigh, running a hand down his face. "Honestly, why do you both always find yourselves in trouble?" he muttered, his voice carrying a touch of exasperation. "This is beyond just 'stumbling into things'... it's like you're magnets for disaster."