Dai: Given the length of the route, the amount of time it takes to travel would...

Verity: We know you suck at math, just ask someone else. Or make it up, the proportions don't match up either way.

Tsukaimon: Don't own anything, least of all sanity...

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N had no clue how long he was out. When the sunlight filtered through his eyelids, he blinked them open, to be greeted almost immediately by an Audino.

"Oh, good. You're awake. We were getting worried for a bit."

"Where am I?"

"About a week and a half's journey from Striaton. What happened to you anyway? When my friend pulled you and your Purrloin out of the river, she seemed to be in shock."

"There were poachers trying to catch some Legendaries and a Hydreigon. They had a Mewtwo and attacked us."

"Mewtwo? You mean that experiment my Trainer mentioned once? The failed Mew clone, first created by a crime syndicate in Kanto and copied elsewhere?"

"I suppose..." Something didn't add up. "Wait, Trainer?"

She nodded. "Axis. A little strange, even for a human, but who am I to judge? I'm just the team medic. Anyway, she's a good person. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. They call me Audilla."

"I'm N."

Audilla nodded. "I know. We spoke with Purrloin and Pichu earlier, but Axis wanted to get your story as well, just to be safe. She's out at the moment, along with most others, but I think Quagsire's napping somewhere around here. Not that you'd want to disturb him, most of the time he doesn't mind, but..." She shuddered. "I'd rather not increase my workload, it's hard enough patching everyone else up as it is."

"...Right."

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When Axis returned to camp, she would have expected many things. N and Audilla having a simple conversation, while not all that surprising, also wasn't too high on that list.

Somewhere along the line, Pichu and Purrloin had woken up and joined in. So it also wasn't too surprising when he turned to her.

"I take it you can speak to Pokemon?"

She nodded. "I haven't always been able to, but I figured it out just before I started my journey. It was one of the factors that led to me choosing Oshawott."

"Why?"

"Because after speaking to him, I knew we'd be great friends."

The Pokemon on her head laughed. "Axis, you act as if it was that simple."

"I guess you're right, Oshie."

Audilla turned to her. "I already spoke to him. He just confirmed what his Pokemon told us."

She sat down abruptly. "So, it's true, then? Virizion, Keldeo and Hydreigon... They're just gone?"

Munna shuddered from her spot by her side. "With Virizion and Keldeo alone, it could be trouble. But Hydreigon... What's going to happen to the Pokemon world?"

"I don't know, Munna... We just have to hope."

"It's not that easy."

"What do you mean? Aren't the Legendaries more important?"

Axis had almost forgotten N was there. "In most cases, that would be true, but that Hydreigon is no ordinary Pokemon. He is the Voice of Life, the embodiment of a whole world's will to survive. Not this world, but another, one inhabited by only Pokemon."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, my hair wasn't always this shade of green. It became this way as a reminder that my adventures were not a dream."

"Adventures?"

"You see, some time ago, the Pokemon world was endangered by what is basically the physical embodiment of despair, the Bittercold. Any natural Pokemon who approached would be literally suffocated by negative feelings. Eventually, it would have risen up and ravage the world, removing it from existence."

"But why didn't it?"

"Time flows differently between worlds. The night before the new Trainers started their journeys, the Voice of Life called out in dreams. He took the souls of responsive humans, no matter the age or skill, and placed them in Pokemon bodies, in the hopes that one of them could overcome it."

"And you were one of them?"

"I'm getting there. You see, if a human were killed, they would return to their world. A suicide cult led by a Kyurem knew of Hydreigon's meddling, so they hunted down and killed all of the humans that they could. They did an excellent job of it, as well. Soon enough there was just one human left, one that knew of their treachery and what was going to happen."

"That was you."

"Yes. Until then, I had been living just outside of a small Pokemon village, called Post Town. I blended in well, no one ever suspected that the Axew who made a living off of helping others was anything but what she seemed. When I told them, it was almost time for my battle with the Bittercold."

"Then what?"

"I struck it's core, causing it to shatter. With it gone, I had no reason to remain in the Pokemon world. I had a human life to get back to, no matter how much I loved that one. Life in a world not your own destabilizes it, and I wouldn't want to risk my friends for such a selfish wish. However, once I left, it turned out that things were not as they seemed. I had access to my Ability and movepool. I could still speak to Pokemon. And my physical appearance was changed to match the Pokemon heart inside me. I may be human, but some part of me will always be an Axew."

"When I was fighting Mewtwo, I used Leaf Storm and Energy Ball."

"You could be one of the humans that responded to the call. Wouldn't be all that surprising if you forgot, given that most died via extreme psychic blasts. Seems that I didn't leave soon enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Apparently, the area around my house transports Pokemon here to Unova. Maybe even the rest of the world. All of my Pokemon are actually from that world."

"Right. Obviously, were it not for my own experience, I'd say you were all insane."

Axis shrugged. "Sanity's overrated, anyway. Either way, I think there's something we need to discuss. Pichu."

"I won't-"

"I'm not telling you to send him back, or even use him in battle, but he won't survive in the wild. If his voltage is connected to his life force, it's simply too dangerous. Around here, the Liepard hunt Zebstrika, and those are fast Pokemon. What would they do to a Pichu?"

"He'd die."

"Within a week. Some Pokemon simply cannot survive on their own. I'm on my journey to help my friends find a way back to their world, and maybe make some new ones on the way. Maybe you could help."

N shook his head. "You put your friends in those Poke Balls, for what reason?"

"If a Pokemon is registered to a Poke Ball, they can't be caught again. I don't want to risk them having a cruel Trainer."

Oshie grinned. "Besides, a lot of Pokemon like battling. Sure, there are probably cruel Trainers out there, but Axis brings out the best in all of us. That's what determines a good Trainer, if they can bring out the good in any Pokemon. And we can see the world."

Lillipup nodded. "Before joining up with Axis, I could never go all that far. Now I get to explore a whole region! It's worth the Ball, to be able to do all this. I'd never get anywhere on my own."

"Well, then, I can't promise I'll stick around, but..."

"Welcome to the Infinity, N. I'm Axis Black, and I'm sure we'll be great friends."

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Pokemon:

Axis' team:

Oshie (Oshawott) Level 52, male

Lillipup, Level 25, male

Audilla (Audino) Level 49, female

Munna, Level 46, female

Ruka (Zoroark) Level 42, female

Quagsire, Level 100, male

N's team:

Zorua, Level 20, male

Purrloin, Level 16, female

Pichu*, Level 30, male

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Dai: N's still affiliated with Team Plasma, technically. Unofficially, however, he's changing. Axis can be rather persuasive when she wants to be.