The house isn't like abandoned houses you'd see in the movies. It's in the middle of town, just a regular house like every other in the city. It's only weird when you open the door.
"Look, it's bigger on the inside!" Pecker announces.
"You are incorrect. I merely cram a lot into a small space. It is a virtue." says a young girl in a kimono. I recognize her as the girl from the theater, the one playing Entei.
"Miki... nice to formally meet you."
She smiles knowingly. "Do I know you?"
I look puzzled. "I saw you at the theater! That had to be you, didn't it?!"
"It was indeed. I truly hate Team Rocket. They have no taste after all. Although, I fear the administrators are much stronger than the grunts appear to be."
"What do you mean?"
"They seek to discover the true potential of the bond between Pokemon and humans, and use it to their own advantages by stealing the power from others."
"What... others?"
"People like us, Ashley." She says grimly. "Bring out your Pokemon."
I send all five of my other Pokemon out. Pecker was already out, even though he annoys me. I put him at the front of my party for some training.
All six of my Pokemon stand by my side.
Morty swings the door open. "Oh, you're here. Am I interrupting?"
"Not at all." Miki says. She turns back to me. "Now, flash."
"Wait! How do you know and-"
"Just do it."
I flash to Bronze. This time, it's different. I feel powerful energy radiating from all around me. Miki appears not as a human, but a Flareon, and Morty appears as a Gengar. Gengar? I flash back to myself, and see his eyes are gold too. A Gengar with golden eyes stands by him.
"Yes, I can flash too, Ashley." The Gengar says in a guttural language I can barely hear. It sounds almost like humming.
He gasps, his golden piercing eyes fixed on me.
"What?!" I ask.
"Nothing."
Liar.
But I myself am far away from the truth.
Miki opens her mouth and closes it. I hear the same humming, and focusing, I can make out faint words from it.
We can't tell her yet.
And why not?
She's not strong enough. What if she fails?
At least tell her about the voices.
"Anyways." Miki says, "We should tell you what we're fighting for here... Arceus... is not truly the creator of our world."
"What?!"
"Arceus is a placeholder for the Voices. See, in the beginning, the Voices made the world, but as time went on, they were forgotten. A young trainer who possessed your power, Ashley, he called to the Voices. But the Voices controlled him. They forced him all the way to the top of Mount Silver, where he finally broke free, but at a cost."
"What cost?! What are you talking about?"
"Red is insane, and in one year's time, he plans to summon the voices on Mount Silver. An explosion up there could destroy the entire world."
"You're crazy."
"We can prove it." Miki butts in.
"Then do it."
She shifts fully into her Flareon form, but Morty waves his hand. "We don't even know that you can stop him."
"You still want to be the hero!" Miki growled in her humming Pokemon voice.
"Well, maybe I do. Who cares. Beat my gym... and then we'll show you." He tells me.
He thrusts open the door and stomps off.
Miki turns back, still growling.
"You are all crazy and I want no part in this. At all."
"You're curious though, aren't you?"
"Maybe a little."
My Pokemon nod feverishly.
"Alright... I'm going to play your game."
Morty takes something from his scarf, a small stone with a chink in it. He rolls it around in his palm, and finally says- "I'll see you at the gym."
