Well. It takes five months to write the first 3,500 words of this chapter, and a 3-day weekend to write the other 6,000. *shakes head* Writing truly is the worst.

Sorry for my horrible-ness. As I'm sure you all know by now, I am the worst with updating regularly. Hopefully this will make you happy, though I'm not really certain how I made this stretch out to almost 10,000 words. Well, there is the character fleshing-out I tried to do to make the characters likable, the world building, etc. Whatever. We'll talk more at the end.

Oh, before I forget, Nicole Warner on YouTube wrote and performed an AMAZING Artemis Fowl fansong titled "World Below His Feet". It's absolutely beautiful, and I urge you to go listen to it. I must have listened to it at least a hundred times on her SoundCloud account (It's on both SoundCloud and YouTube).

Anyway, enjoy!

The first thing Artemis did was turn around. He couldn't just set off; he had too many things to do in the town first. He needed to gather some supplies (which he could now do thanks to the money Shauna had given him) and wait for Foxfire to come back. Wandering into the forest without another thought was stupid.

He wasn't the only one to turn back; In fact, no one went forward. Serena and Shauna said they wanted to say goodbye to their parents and show them their new Pokémon before leaving, and Tierno went back to meet with Trevor. So it was as a congregation that the group turned away from the edge of Route 2 and returned to Aquacourde Town, or Vaniville Town in Shauna and Serena's case.

Artemis ducked away from them and into one of the two shops the moment he could. A bell rung as he entered, and the shopkeeper looked curiously when he came in, particularly at Gwaine, still perched on his shoulder and not showing any signs of wanting to get off any time soon, but said nothing. It was with an experienced gaze that Artemis gazed over the stores wares, and its prices in particular. The store mainly stocked Pokéballs at a slightly cheaper price than the local Pokémon Center (or so the signs boasted), but also carried items like berries (several of which Artemis recognized from his dinner last night), small bottles of antidotes for Pokémon status conditions, various trainer items like badge cases, backpacks, and maps, and other odds and ends.

Digging through a clearance bin in the back, Artemis pulled out a dust-coated wallet with a tag covered in markdown stickers. A quick comparison of the price and the bills in his pocket assured him that he would be able to buy it and afford food from the grocery next door. The currency seemed to not be dissimilar to the Japanese yen, given that the wallet cost, even at an extreme discount, 250 dollars (or whatever the currency was called), exactly half of the money Shauna had rewarded him with.

Artemis approached the shopkeeper and paid the man for the wallet (during this transaction, he learned that the bills were called Lien*), immediately feeling far more secure storing the precious bills he had in a wallet rather than loose in his pocket. He also placed his trainer card in one of the clear outside pockets, making it convenient to simply show to anyone who might need to see ID rather than digging through his bag and praying it hadn't fallen out somewhere.

Next, he crossed the road to the small grocery shop, once again attracting odd gazes from the lady behind the counter and the two people pursing the shelves. Artemis recalled what Shauna had said about it being next to impossible to not know everyone in the small town of Vaniville. Artemis couldn't imagine Vaniville being very much smaller than Aquacorde, so the same rule must apply here. Newcomers must be a rarity, especially for an out of the way town that had no real reason to attract tourists. People had definitely seen him fall, he did remember that much, and with him appearing in the town soon after, it would not take a genius to connect the dots (Artemis wondered why Serena and Shauna hadn't; had they simply not seen it and weren't told about it?)

While Artemis was used to staring, it would be a lie to say that it didn't become a tad bit unsettling when it was never-ending. Under the gaze of the occupants of the store, Artemis did not dally in picking out 150 lien worth of pull-tab cans of food, boxed granola bars (he had no idea what Miltank milk, canned Magikarp, or Ditto eggs were, but nutritional labels were apparently something else that was interdimensional), along with some plastic silverware and a few bottles of water, all of which was shoved in a plastic bag and tucked into his bag. If something went wrong and Artemis was unable to reach Santalune or was unable to obtain food from the Pokémon Center, he wouldn't have to starve or die of thirst.

Upon leaving the small grocery, Gwaine let out a puff of relief.

"You did not enjoy being stared at either, did you?" Artemis murmured to the little Pokémon.

"Che!" Gwaine shook his head fervently. "Pi pi pi!"

Artemis absently stroked Gwaine's head. "No, I suppose you didn't." Hopefully when they got to Santalune no one would look twice at them; with a gym in the town, the first gym on the circuit, in fact, people must come and go all the time.

Now the only thing left to do was wait for Foxfire. Artemis turned his head up to the clouds and scanned the sky. There was not yet any sign of the little bird, so Artemis began walking back to the bridge. There were fewer people there, and it should be easier for Foxfire to spot them.

Artemis also thought that now, when there were no people around at the center of the bridge and sound would not carry, was a good time to tell Gwaine of his abilities.

"Gwaine," Artemis began to gather his magic, "there's something I must tell you."

"What?" The little starter chirped.

"I can speak to Pokémon." Artemis whispered in the Pokémon tongue.

Gwaine's eyes widened dramatically. "You can understand me? No one at the lab or the warm place could. Can a lot of people do that?"

'The lab' was obviously the research facility in Lumiose, but Artemis wondered what the warm place was. "I don't know." Artemis slipped back into the French language (the fact that a language from his own world was used here was incredibly fascinating to Artemis, and made him wonder about the implications that fact held). "I don't want anyone to know I can, though, so I will not speak your language most of the time. I also have to make a conscious effort to understand you, so do not fret if I do not understand you immediately. If it is important, do not let up and I will make the effort so you can tell me. Do you understand?"

Gwaine screwed his face up. "I think so." He said slowly.

"Good." Artemis scanned the horizon once more. He still did not see any Fletchlings flying towards him, and a wisp of annoyance flickered inside him. Time was ticking by every second he wasted standing here and if he did not start moving soon, it was unlikely he would reach Santalune before sunset. He did not particularly feel up to bunking down in the woods tonight.

"Why are we waiting here?" Gwaine asked, following his eyes and seeing nothing of interest.

"We are waiting for the third member of our party to appear, a Fletchling called Foxfire. I befriended it last night and promised that it could join us. It said it would meet me after midday, but -" Artemis glanced up at the sun, "- it's past that and there is not yet any sign of it."

"That's bad?"

"I was hoping to reach the next town before nightfall; if we don't leave soon, that won't happen."

"Oh."

Artemis sighed. "Well, I suppose we could at least start walking towards the forest. Surely Foxfire will spot us on the path."

"Yes, let's do that!" Gwaine cried, eager to be on the road at last.

"Wait!" A voice called from behind the pair.

Artemis turned just in time to be hit across the face by something small and feathery. "Oof!" He puffed out, stumbling backwards. It was only thanks to the brick railing that he didn't go tumbling off the bridge and into the water.

"Oh, my apologies." The voice said sheepishly. Rubbing his cheek, Artemis reoriented himself to see Foxfire perched on the bridge walls. "I didn't mean to run into you; I just didn't want you to leave without me."

"I thought you would be coming from the forest." Artemis explained. "It seemed likely we would meet you on the path if we left now."

"I went to the window you were at, where I thought you would still be, but you weren't there." Foxfire huffed. "So I flew higher and finally saw you over here."

"Well, we're all here now. Does it matter?" Gwaine broke in.

"No, it does not. Thank you, Gwaine." Artemis turned to Foxfire. "Foxfire, this is Gwaine. Gwaine, Foxfire."

"Nice to meet you!" Gwaine said cheerfully.

"Pleasure." Foxfire said hastily.

"Foxfire, are you certain you wish to come along?" Artemis asked, rustling through his backpack with one hand for the bag Tierno had given him.

"Yes!" Foxfire chirped loudly. "You promised I could!"

"I know. I am just making sure." Artemis pulled out a Pokéball. "Gwaine, you may want to back away."

"Okay, Artemis!" Gwaine hopped off of Artemis's back, leapt down onto the bridge railing, which was plenty wide enough for the Chespin to safely stand on, and backed away a few feet.

Artemis held down the button on the Pokéball until it beeped. "Capture." He enunciated, then held the ball up to Foxfire. He did not throw it, as Tierno had suggested; Artemis had no illusions about his athletic ability and knew any toss by him would miss Foxfire by a mile and land the Pokéball in the water below.

The Pokéball sprang open and a fan of light shone out. The light reached out to Foxfire and enveloped it, before drawing back into the ball and, with a snap and a brilliant flash of light, the Pokéball closed. It shook once, twice, three times in Artemis's palm before letting out a small snick and resting still.

"Wow." Gwaine ran up to Artemis and leapt back onto his back, very nearly pitching Artemis forward into the water.

"Give me some warning before you do that again, okay Gwaine?" Artemis snapped softly, only his free hand flying out and steadying himself against the rail keeping him from falling.

"Oops." Gwaine not quite managed to keep from giggling. "Sorry." He didn't sound sorry at all.

Artemis restricted himself to a sigh and pulled out his Pokédex. "Register." A blue fan of light, and Foxfire's information was recorded in his Dex. Foxfire was a Level 3 Fletchling and, he discovered, female. She knew the Normal moves Growl and Tackle and, like Gwaine, was a long way from evolving. Artemis x-ed out the page and gladly inputted "Foxfire" in the box prompting a name.

"Go, Foxfire."

The Pokéball clicked open and released Foxfire, who immediately turned to Artemis. "Did it work?" She chirped.

"It worked." Artemis confirmed.

"Yes!" Foxfire cheered. "I have been waiting for this for so long; I can't believe it's actually happened."

"Believe it." Artemis said dryly. "Now, would you like to rest in the Pokéball, or remain out with Gwaine and me?"

In answer, Foxfire flitted up to Artemis's free shoulder and made herself comfortable. Artemis sighed, but supposed he couldn't complain; in comparison to Gwaine, Foxfire was actually quite light. He barely noticed her weight. Gwaine, on the other hand, was threatening to rip his arm off. If the Pokémon wasn't propping himself up against Artemis's back, Artemis would have already had to drop him.

Artemis slowly rolled his shoulders, adjusting them the best he could to the weight, and finally started down the dirt road to Santalune.

It was long and boring to say the least. The only things of interest along the path were his Pokémon, quite happy to chatter away to someone that could understand them, but even that grew old after the first mile had passed. There was only so much that Gwaine and Foxfire could say about their respective homes before that topic ran dry of new information. Artemis, in turn, described his friends and family back home, but this too did not last long as a distraction. The sun overhead beat down on the trio as they walked, and less than a mile into the trek Artemis pulled out the cap Nurse Joy had given him and tugged it onto his head. Heat stroke was not something he wanted to deal with, especially on a path that he had yet to see any other human being on.

The only interesting thing to happen before he reached the forest was his first wild Pokémon encounter. Artemis would have liked to have said the Pokémon had just come out of nowhere, looking for a fight from the trainer it had found, but that would have been a lie. While traipsing through the annoying tall grass that covered this section of the path, Artemis quite literally stumbled over a poor little Pidgey.

Picking himself off the ground after the spectacular fall that Artemis was glad no one else had witnessed and making sure none of his Pokémon had been hurt, Artemis turned to the angry bird furiously squawking at him. He could not understand the bird's words, having lost his grip on his magic with the fall, but he knew they were threatening words. Quickly, Artemis inventoried the state of things. Gwaine was on the ground where he had tumbled off of Artemis's shoulder, and Foxfire was fluttering up the air by Artemis's head. The Pokémon he had angered was, according to the guide he had read, a Normal/Flying-type, which put Gwaine at a distinct disadvantage. He could try to run, but odds were that the Pidgey was faster than he was.

"Gwaine, get back!" Artemis called. "Foxfire, use Tackle!"

Gwaine squeaked a reply and ran back to Artemis. The Pidgey began to follow, but was distracted by Foxfire when she shot from the sky and hit the Pidgey head-on. The Pidgey shrieked in pain and annoyance and immediately rammed back into Foxfire, unable to get out of the way in time.

"Foxfire, are you alright?" Artemis called up his magic.

"Fine." She sounded a bit dazed, but certainly capable of going forward.

"Alright then, use Tackle one more time!"

The two birds collided in a flash of feathers, the dirt of the path kicked up in the wing beats and obscuring the skirmish. Echoing screeches put unpleasant images into Artemis's head, and he wondered if he should have just taken his chances and ran. The dust settled, though, and Foxfire squawked victoriously, a barely conscious Pidgey stumbling back into the brush.

"Good job, Foxfire." Artemis knelt next to the small bird.

Gwaine scampered up to her as well. "You were amazing!" He cheered.

"Thanks." Foxfire seemed to smile, but her breath was labored, and her wings drooped with exhaustion.

"You should rest." Artemis said. He fiddled with the straps on his belt and pulled out Foxfire's Pokéball. "I was told that the Pokéball speeds up recover."

"I'm fine." Foxfire tried to pull a brave face. "I can stay out and fight."

"Just for a half hour or so? It would make me feel better about sending you into battle again if you took time to heal." Artemis bargained.

The little bird sighed. "Alright, but only to make you feel better."

Artemis held out the Pokéball. "Return, Foxfire." The now familiar beam of light shot out of the opened Pokéball and enveloped Foxfire, pulling her back into the Pokéball with a click of the lid closed.

Trevor had said it took about an hour for a fainted Pokémon to recover completely inside a Pokéball. Half an hour should be plenty of time for Foxfire to return to full strength. Artemis would not overexert Foxfire and let her get hurt.

"Come on, Gwaine," Artemis said as he helped the Grass-type back onto his back and replaced Foxfire's Pokéball securely on his belt, "let's press on."

They were lucky enough to avoid any other encounters with wild Pokémon, taking extra care to scan ahead and give any spotted Pokémon a wide berth. Upon seeing them from a distance, the Pokémon barely gave them a second glance, and the lack of battles allowed Artemis to cover ground at an acceptable rate, judging from the clock in the upper right corner of his Pokédex.

It wasn't until they reached the forest that had stood so prominently on the map that Artemis and Gwaine saw any other life beyond Pidgeys and Bunnelbys. Standing on the edge of the path just in front of the tall maples was a small boy, probably around 8 or 9 years of age. At his feet was a raccoon-like Pokémon that Artemis had caught glimpses of in the grass earlier. According to the guide he had read back at the Center, it was called a Zigzagoon, and was a Normal-type.

"Zag, use Tackle!" The small boy shouted, pointing to a single clump of grass that grew in the center of the road.

The tiny little mammal barked out a reply, and, moving in a back-and-forth zig-zag, pounced on the patch of grass, stomping the plants flat.

"Good job!" Artemis heard the boy say as Artemis approached. "We'll be ready to challenge the gym in no time." The Zigzagoon squeaked a happy little affirmative. Hearing the sound of Artemis's boots against the dirt path, the boy looked up from his Pokémon and locked green eyes with Artemis's blue.

"Hey, mister! You're a trainer, right?" He called.

Artemis's eyes flickered to the Chespin clinging to his shoulder. "Obviously." He replied shortly.

The boy was not deterred by Artemis's tone. "Great! We locked eyes, so that means we have to battle!"

Artemis doubted very highly that there was much the boy could do to stop him if he were to breeze right on past, but he was supposed to be trying to stay low and blend in with the inhabitants of this world. Artemis scanned the boy from sneakers to hat. He didn't have a Pokéball belt on him, just one Pokéball clutched tightly in his hand, most likely belonging to the Zigzagoon dancing around the boy's ankles. If he remembered the Typing chart from the training guide correctly, Normal types had no advantages over any type, and were only weak to Fighting types. He didn't want to send Foxfire into 2 fights in a row, so Gwaine it was.

"Are you ready, Gwaine?"

"Ready!" Gwaine jumped to the ground and scurried in front of Artemis.

"Zag, let's do this!"

"Alright, Austin!" Artemis heard the little mammal squeak as it zagged into position.

The two Pokémon exchanged Growls, trying to be as intimidating as possible.

Silence. Then . . .

"Tackle!"

"Vine Whip!"

The two attacks met in midair; Gwaine's vines launched at the Zigzagoon, which twisted in midair. The vines grazed the sides of the small Pokémon, but it was not enough to deflect the Zigzagoon from its path completely. Its front paws barreled into Gwaine's chest, throwing the Chespin back and onto the ground. Gwaine growled at the small mammal on its chest and bucked it off as he scrambled back onto his feet, his vines rapidly returning to his side.

"Come back to me, Zag!" The boy called. The Zigzagoon turned tail and began to run back to its trainer.

Artemis saw the opportunity. "Gwaine, use Vine Whip to trip it and attack!"

Gwaine grinned. "Got it!" Gwaine sent one vine out, then the next.

"Jump and dodge!" The trainer yelled. The first vine, the tiny ball of fuzz managed to jump over, but with its maneuverability severely limited in the air, it couldn't avoid the second vine as it whipped through the air and slammed the Zigzagoon back onto the dirt path below.

The Zigzagoon struggled to return to its feet, but ultimately collapsed back to the ground, eyes sliding closed and its body going still.

"Aw." The boy knelt beside his Pokémon. "You did great, Zag." He held out his Pokéball. "Zag, return." The Zigzagoon was sucked into the Pokeball.

"You're pretty strong, mister." The boy commented, digging his hand in his short pocket and pulling out a fistful of money. "Are you gonna challenge the gym? I bet you could beat Viola, no problem."

Artemis slipped the money (a bit over 100 lien) into his wallet. "Perhaps." He mused vaguely. He hadn't actually thought about taking up the "gym challenge" that seemed to be the ultimate goal of trainers. It was one of the weirder systems of government Artemis had encountered, with community leaders being battled for badges that could be used to battle the 5 leaders of the region as a whole, and beating them all gained you the title of ruler yourself. This seemed like a very easily exploited way of choosing government officials, as well as a very chaotic one.

Badges weren't only about bureaucracy or political power, though. Among trainers, badges were a display of strength. The more badges, the more gyms/powerful trainers you had conquered, and therefore the stronger you were. Many traveled and collected the badges without ever laying a foot on Victory Road according to a poll in the handbook, just to have the right to brag about beating every gym in the region. As a trainer, no one would take you seriously without at least one or two badges.

Maybe he would, maybe he wouldn't. He would have to decide when he got to Santalune and was further able to obtain information and process his situation.

"Come on, Gwaine." Artemis held an arm and helped Gwaine scramble back up onto Artemis's shoulder.

"Well, good luck!" The boy grinned before tearing off the direction Artemis had come from. Heading for the Pokémon Center for his fallen friend, or back home, maybe. It didn't matter.

"Are you alright?" Artemis asked Gwaine as he fumbled for one of the water bottles he had bought at the store. "That was quite a hit."

"I'm great!" Gwaine crowed, accepting a sip from the bottle as Artemis tipped it into his mouth. "I won my first battle!"

"That wasn't your first battle. You fought Shauna's Froakie just a couple hours ago." Artemis pointed out.

"Yeah, but that doesn't really count." Gwaine dismissed. "This one was with an actual Trainer out on our journey."

Artemis was pretty sure Shauna fitted that criteria, but he let it drop.

He flicked the snap on Foxfire's Pokeball pouch off and pulled out Foxfire's ball. "Go, Foxfire."

Foxfire materialized on the dirt path. "Finally." She chirped, stretching her wings. "I thought you'd never let me out."

"You're aware the passage of time in there?" Artemis asked, frowning.

Foxfire cocked her head, thinking about it. "Not exactly." She hedged before flying up to Artemis's shoulder. "It's kind of a blur, to be honest. It doesn't feel like longer than a couple of minutes, but at the same time, I know that the sun fell half a stage since I went inside. I could sort of hear what was going on outside, but like it was going by at extreme speed. Does that make sense?"

Artemis pondered on it. "I think so." He said slowly. "Time sped up for you inside the ball, but you still knew what was happening on the outside." And wasn't that interesting? Containment of things bigger than the ball, manipulation of time? What on earth were these Pokéballs and how the D'Arvit were they made? He had six of them, given to him like they were nothing special. The technology of this world was incredible - almost terrifyingly so. Artemis fervently hoped that Santalune had a library or some kind of place where he could learn more about this world.

"That sounds right." Foxfire nodded.

"Do you like it in there?" He questioned.

Foxfire considered the question. "I do not dislike it." She finally answered. "It did not feel like long, so I can't say it was long and boring. I wouldn't want to be in there forever, though."

"Gwaine?"

The Chespin shrugged. "I don't really care. I only went in to sleep." He snuggled into the side of Artemis's neck. "But I like it out here better."

"Then I'll only put you in if you get hurt or if you want to." Artemis vowed.

"Thank you." Two voices spoke.

"Now Foxfire, you know your way around the forest, correct?" Artemis craned his neck to look at the rising silhouettes of the massive oaks.

"Most of it." Foxfire said. "I didn't go over to the other side very much. The others that live there don't like me very much."

"Hmm. Well, any help to make sure we don't get hopelessly lost would be appreciated."

"Got it."

Artemis stepped forward on the path between two particularly old oak trees that flanked the opening like guards. Once he passed under their arms, it was almost like stepping into another world. It was quite a bit darker in here, the only light the few rays that had filtered down through the leaves that canopied the forest roof. Artemis could still see, but the sudden change in lighting had him blinking in shock a few seconds.

The trees were clustered together in small groups, grass and brush growing around their bases and leaving small clearings and paths running around them. Just from his spot at the beginning of the trail, Artemis could see three different directions he could go without leaving the path. Rustling sounds of shifting leaves and branches filled the air, the occasional cries of Pokémon reverberating between the tree trunks. Right in front of him, nailed against a tree in the center of the opening pathways, was a small signpost. White-painted words welcomed him to the Santalune Forest, and cautioned him to be on the lookout for litter that could pose a potential threat to the Pokémon of the forest.

Straightforward? Artemis scoffed in his head. Think again.

"Foxfire -" He began to ask.

"ARTEMIS!" A shout from behind him drowned out his trailed off words. Artemis spun in place to see a pink streak racing towards him. Shauna was running awkwardly in her heeled sandels, waving her arms frantically to get his attention as she approached. A new large pink bag thumped against the back of her legs. "Wa-wait up!" She panted, sputtering to a stop and bending over her knees, breathing hard.

"Shauna?"

"I - I saw you up ahead and -" pant, pant, "-I wanted to walk with you." She let out one more exaggerated breath from her lungs, then stood up straight, stretching her arms and legs. Her eyes lit upon Foxfire, perched on his shoulder. "Ooh, did you already catch a Pokémon?"

"Oh, yes." Artemis reluctantly let his magic trickle away. "This is Foxfire. Foxfire, this is Shauna."

Foxfire twittered a greeting to the younger girl.

"Wow," Shauna murmured, peering in closely. Artemis automatically took a step back. "He's adorable!"

"She." Artemis corrected.

"She, sorry." Shauna nodded seriously. "I only have Froabble, still. Pidgeys and Zigzagoons are nice, but I really want something more unique! Something I don't see everyday."

"Perhaps you'll find one you like in the forest." Artemis said, beginning to walk away.

"I hope so!" Shauna enthused, skipping alongside him. "I heard that there are Pikachus and Kakunas and even Panpours and Pansages and Pansears in this forest! Ooh, there are so many awesome Pokémon to choose from!"

Artemis sighed softly, realizing he probably wasn't going to be able to shake off the small girl any time soon. He resigned himself to listening to her babble; but if he could listen to his little brothers go on for hours, surely he could do this. And maybe he would learn something new?

"Pan-what?" He inquired politely as he observed the paths and chose the one that looked the most frequently used. Foxfire would probably warn him if he chose wrongly.

"Oh, Panpour, Pansage, and Pansear. They're Pokémon that all kinda look alike but are each a different type. Water, Fire, and Grass, to be specific."

"Then I would recommend either the Fire or the Grass type. You already a Water type."

"True!" She chirped. "You're pretty smart, Arty." Shauna giggled at the almost rhymes. Artemis winced.

"Merely observant. By the way, where is your Froakie? Is he still injured?" A small knot of guilt began to form in his gut. The Pokémon should have recovered by now.

"Oh, no!" Shauna hurried. "I let him out to show my Ma and Gran and he was awake, but he was still kinda groggy so I put him back in and it was sooo hot on the way here that I thought he might get sick or something if I let him out."

"Well, it's cooler now."

Shauna's face lit up. "You're right!" She fumbled for the Pokeball hanging off her waist. "Go, Froabble!"

The small frog popped out of the ball. A watery-sounding croak bellowed from its throat.

"Hello, Froabble!" Shauna cheered. "Sorry I kept you inside so long. I just wanted to make sure you healed up alright." She scooped the Pokémon up into her arms. Froabble proceeded to wiggle out of her grip and climb to the top of her head, settling between her ponytails and letting out a content rumble.

What is it with Pokémon and climbing on their owners? Artemis wondered as Shauna giggled, seemingly unaffected by the weight added to her head.

The Froakie looked around from his new vantage point and caught sight of Artemis - more accurately, he spotted Gwaine riding on Artemis's shoulder. "Fro, Froakie." He croaked.

"Chespin!" Gwaine waved frantically with one free paw. "Che!"

"Froakie."

The two Pokémon exchanged noises from their separate trainers as the two walked through the forest, carrying on their own conversation while the humans navigated the forest's rough patches (with a little subtle guidance from Foxfire).

Shauna found the whole thing amusing. "Aw, they're already friends!" She cooed. "I wish I could understand what they were saying, though. How cool would that be, Arty, to talk to Pokémon?"

Gwaine actually paused in his conversation with Froabble to smirk at Artemis when Shauna said this, nudging Artemis slightly with his paw in a distinctly human gesture. Artemis suppressed the urge to glare at the Grass-type. Shauna wasn't completely stupid.

"I suppose it would." He simply answered. Thankfully, Shauna didn't seem to notice anything odd about Gwaine's actions.

"Yeah . . ." She sighed wistfully.

Clank! Artemis's foot knocked against something hiding in the grass, kicking it forward out on to the path.

Quick as a whip, Shauna dipped down and scooped the object up. "Score!" She grinned, holding the object out for Artemis to see. It was a small gray squirt bottle colored with purple accents. Shauna shook it in her hand and it made a slight sloshing noise, clearly almost completely full. "I can't believe that someone would just toss this!"

"What is that?" Artemis asked.

"It's a Potion." Shauna looked surprised he didn't recognize it on sight. "If you give it to your Pokémon, it repairs Aura by 20%. At least, this one does. Some heal it by 50%, by 75%, some by 100% even, and there's this one kind called a Full Restore that will fully heal a Pokémon's Aura and even cure status problems. But they're super expensive."

That didn't really help. He remembered reading about Potions, but they had just been described like medicine that was allowed to be used during battles. What on earth was Aura? "Aura?"

Shauna stared at him. "Arty, how can you not know what Aura is?"

Time for a little acting. Artemis turned his head away, looking forlornly at his boots. "I have amnesia, Shauna." Artemis said softly. "I don't remember anything beyond my name. Not this region, not the Pokémon," he let his voice take on a tone of sorrow, "not even my home or my family. That's why the professor offered me this, so I can try to find my way back."

"Chespin?" Gwaine questioned, looking at Artemis confused. Clearly the Pokémon remembered his trainer telling him about his family earlier that day.

Artemis kept up the act. "It's okay, Gwaine." He rubbed Gwaine's head.

Shauna looked distraught. "Oh, Arty." She whispered. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. You didn't know. Just bear with me if I don't know something I should, alright?"

"Of course!" Shauna bobbed her head furiously. "I'll help in any way I can!"

"I'd appreciate that." Artemis did his best to smile in a non-vampire-like way. The two began walking again.

"So, you wanted to know what Aura is, right?"

"Yes, I do. It wasn't mentioned in the guide I got."

'Hmm. Well, basically, Aura is kind of like - well, I mean, it's hard to explain." Shauna frowned. "It's sort of like an energy. All Pokémon have it, and so do people, but ours don't really work the same way. For Pokémon, it's energy that protects the Pokémon, but that's not all it does. Um, my Gran always compared it to a shield, but that's not quite it either. Ooh!" Shauna stamped her foot into the ground, pouting impressively. "Why is this so hard to explain?!" She shouted as the two turned around a bend.

"Shauna?" A voice called out. Further along the path stood Serena, Serena's Fenniken, Trevor, and Tierno.

"Serena!" Shauna squealed, racing ahead to catch up with her friend. "Thank goodness you're here! Help me explain what Aura is to Artemis!"

"You don't know what Aura is?" Tierno blinked down at Artemis.

Artemis glared slightly at the taller boy. "No." he admitted.

"Well, it's not something fully understood, is it?" Trevor mused. "I know Professor Sycamore studies it, especially with how it connects to evolution, trainer bonds, and stuff like that."

"I just can't explain it right." Shauna said to Serena. "You've been studying to be a trainer for ages. Help me!"

"Okay, okay!" Serena laughed softly. "How about we take a quick break? I don't know about you, but my feet are really starting to hurt."

"That sounds like a good idea." Trevor nodded.

The five trainers cleared away some of the tall grass at the side of the road (resulting in a couple of battles for Artemis and Gwaine against the wild Bug Pokémon that seemed to enjoy shooting sticky webs at their legs) and sat in their makeshift clearing. At this point, Gwaine slid off onto Artemis's lap, and Foxfire flew off towards some nearby berry bushes. Artemis let her, figuring it was all the better if Foxfire could satisfy her appetite in the forest, rather than have to break into his supplies. Serena's Fenniken curled up in its trainer's lap for a nap, and Shauna's Froakie hopped off her head to sit in the grass beside her.

Serena turned to Artemis. "Okay, Aura. To give you the textbook definition, Artemis, Aura is a life force that all creatures, including both people and Pokémon, are capable of producing and some items and minerals are capable of storing, though a human's Aura doesn't work the same way a Pokémon's does, or like a stored Aura does."

"Shauna mentioned that. What exactly are the differences?"

"Well, for Pokémon, Aura is used in a number of different ways. The main thing is that Aura protects Pokémon from harm. It acts a bit like a shield, preventing any serious harm from coming to the Pokémon. The thing is, Aura can be depleted if it's used constantly in a short period of time. It runs out, and that's actually what causes a Pokémon to faint. If its Aura levels drop to a dangerously low level, the Pokémon's body shuts down so it won't use up any more."

"But that's not all it can do." Trevor piped in.

Serena nodded. "Right. Pokémon can also use their Aura to raise Attack and Defense. It's hard to explain, especially because we're not really sure how it's done, like Trevor said earlier. I'm not very clear on that, though."

Trevor took over. "What we know for certain is that Pokémon can use certain moves that manipulates their Aura in a number of different ways. Some moves let the user put more power behind their moves, resulting in a higher attack power. Others can strengthen their Aura to make it harder for hits to deplete Aura levels. Other moves can actually decrease Aura levels in other Pokémon. Growl and Leer, for example, lower a Pokémon's Attack levels and Defense levels, respectively. Some moves can restore Aura that's been lost, some can channel Aura into increasing Speed, and some attacking moves will result in a lose or gain of Aura in Attack or Defense. We have no idea how that works, though." Trevor frowned.

"The problem is," Tierno butted in, "that moves aren't consistent. Sometimes Aura levels can be raised in one category without a lose in any others, but other times it can't. You'd expect that raising Attack power using Aura would result in a lose of Aura in Defense, but it doesn't always. The extra Aura power is coming from somewhere, but we have no idea where. There are limits too, based on a Pokémon's age and experience. That's actually where levels come from; it's a measure of Aura levels and potential."

"Wow." Shauna whispered. "I had no idea it was actually that complicated."

"Did that make any sense, Artemis?" Trevor asked.

Artemis frowned. His mind was spinning, taking in this new revelation. The other interns were right; it didn't quite make sense, unless the Law of Conservation didn't apply in this land. He doubted that, though. There had to be an explanation that simply hadn't been theorized or discovered yet. Perhaps an enzyme of some sort that kicked in and produced this energy? A reserve of energy that wasn't normally active unless called upon? The possibilities were mind-boggling.

The others were still waiting for an answer. "I suppose so." He slowly answered.

"Bottom line, Pokémon battle until their Aura levels are depleted, and extra Aura can be produced or redirected into Attack, Defense, or Speed." Serena summed up.

"Oh, and Potions are used to restore Aura levels by a certain amount depending on the strength of the Potion." Shauna chimed in, bringing the conversation back to its original point.

Now Artemis could see why the fact Potions could be used in battle was such a big deal. It could basically heal a Pokémon and potentially turn the tide of a battle.

"How does Aura work in people or when it's stored?" Artemis asked. "You mentioned that they didn't work the same way."

"Well, our Aura doesn't give us invincibility." Serena joked. "The only reason it's known that we have Aura is because our Aura is mainly used to interact with Pokémon Aura. At least, that's the theory."

"What?"

"Around 30 years or so ago," Trevor said, "we created the technology to detect Aura. Everyone's Aura is unique, like a fingerprint. Anyway, it was discovered that Aura can - well, rub off isn't exactly the right word, but imprint, almost, onto other beings with Aura. Aura interacts with other Aura, especially if they're exposed to each for long periods of time."

"I see." Artemis lied, slightly. The absurdity of all of this was giving him a headache. He stroked Gwaine's head thoughtfully, and the Chespin leaned into his touch, chittering happily.

"Well, we think that Aura is what induces evolution. How isn't really known, but when a Pokémon's Aura reaches certain levels, or interacts with stored Aura from certain rocks or stones, it induces evolution. We think." Trevor added sheepishly. "It's all really a lot of theory. It's one of the main topics of research at the Pokémon Research Lab, actually, since so little is actually known for certain about how Aura works. There's evidence for the stuff we just told you, but it's not concrete."

"Hmm. Well, thank you for telling me." Artemis said absently, the gears in his head turning at double speed. This was such a new concept, and he wasn't quite sure how to process it. It also made him question things. All creatures in this world had an Aura - did he? Could Pokémon sense Aura if they were capable of wielding it so effectively? He'd have to ask Gwaine and Foxfire the next time he was alone.

"But this was all really big news. How come you didn't already know at least something about it, Artemis?" Serena questioned.

Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor all shifted, looking a tad bit uncomfortable. Artemis looked at the two boys. "Professor Sycamore already told you?" Tierno nodded sheepishly.

Artemis turned back to Serena. "I have amnesia. I can't remember anything from before I woke up at the Pokémon Center. That's why I'm traveling, to try and figure things out."

"Oh." Serena flushed. "I'm sorry, Artemis."

"It's fine. You couldn't have known." Artemis stood, boosting Gwaine back up onto his shoulder. "I want to get to Santalune before sundown, so I'm going to go on ahead."

"Oh, I'm going too!" Shauna scrambled to her feet, closely followed by the others.

"I think we all want to get to town before dark." Tierno commented off-handedly.

Artemis called for Foxfire, who came flying back looking a bit more disheveled before and with some sticky webs clinging to her wings, but with a decidedly pleased expression. The pouch on his belt buzzed, and Artemis pulled out his Pokédex to see he had a notification. Sliding the device open, he saw that Foxfire had reached a high enough level that she was capable of learning the move Quick Attack. A little step-by-step guide to teaching moves followed on the screen.

"Foxfire," he said, "want to learn a new move?"

A few hours later, five trainers emerged from the forest. The sun was hovering along the horizon, temporary blinding Artemis as he walked clear of the forest. It had been an exhausting walk, but finally he had reached the home stretch.

It turned out that several trainers visiting Santalune City used the forest to train their Pokémon or catch new ones for their teams, and they had no problem challenging travelers to battles, one after the other. He must have had Gwaine and Foxfire battle at least 6 trainers on the way here. Thankfully, Shauna's mother and grandmother had stuffed her bag with Potions and Paralyze Heals, and Shauna was perfectly happy to share. The medicine in combination with short breaks after each battle insured that they made it through without incident.

The air was still warm as the group of trainers made their way to Santalune City, the lights of which could already be seen against the rapidly fading light of day. Serena was talking to Tierno about the Fletchling of her own she had caught in the forest and getting advice about what moves to teach to the small bird. Artemis half-listened, but was more preoccupied with Shauna and Trevor's conversation about the kinds of Pokémon that could be found along Routes 3 and 4. Several times, the red-haired boy mentioned recently discovered Pokémon that were classified as "Fairy-type". Artemis couldn't help but wonder if there was any connection between the "Fairies" of this world and the People of his own.

He also wondered if Aura was a thing that existed in his world. Perhaps Aura was like magic, except it was expressed differently in this world, used for battle rather than healing and evasion. A fairy's Mesmer messed with the mind; could it actually mess with a human's perception of reality as dictated by their Aura? Theories and hypothesis's that Artemis was itching to test out were clambering around his head. He really hoped that there was a library of some sort here in Santalune. If not, he would have to proceed on to Lumiose City. As the largest city in the region and the site of the Kalos Pokémon Research Center, information should be easy to find.

"Ches!" Gwaine's cry broke Artemis's train of thought.

"What is it, Gwaine?"

The little Pokémon rubbed his stomach. "Ches, Chespin." He grumbled.

"Are you hungry?" Artemis dug through his bag and pulled out a small plastic bag. While walking through the forest, Serena and Shauna had been kind enough to point out different kinds of berries that grew throughout the region and what effects they had on Pokémon. Seeing no reason not to, Artemis had picked the blue Oran berries that helped restore Aura and a couple Pecha berries that would supposedly curing Poisoning.

Artemis passed a handful of the Oran berries to the Chespin. "I'm sorry I didn't think of it earlier. You had a big day; you must be starving."

"Chespin!" Gwaine cheered, snatching the Oran berries up and cramming them into his cheeks.

Indeed, in the forest, Gwaine had advanced several levels and even learned not just one, but two moves; the Normal move Tackle and a Rock-type move called Rollout. Rollout was particularly interesting, as it acted similarly to the Aura-altering moves that Trevor and Tierno had described, though its description suggested that it wasn't. The move grew more and more powerful every time it was used, and once it started it couldn't be stopped unless the opposing Pokémon knocked the attacker out or managed to Paralyze or flinch them. The thing was, it was only the power of the Rollout move that increased, and if the move was interrupted, the power immediately returned to normal. Curious.

Artemis passed a couple more Berries to the Fletchling on his other shoulder. Foxfire had learned Quick Attack, a move that let her move fast as lightning to strike at the opponent. It was a particular effective attack, one that Artemis used several times in the battles he was dragged into while walking thorugh the forest.

"Hey, Artemis." Serena quickened her steps to fall into pace beside him.

"Yes, Serena?"

"Are you doing the gym challenge?"

"I hadn't thought about it." Artemis answered honestly. "It's not really a priority."

"Oh, right." Serena ducked her head. "I just thought - well, it's difficult to travel around without badges."

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked.

"Well, not everyone is equipped to handle wild Pokémon. If a regular tourist ran into a wild Gogoat or Pangoro, for example, and didn't have Pokémon strong enough to fight back, they could get really hurt. So there are checkpoints all around the region at the beginnings of all the routes and caves and stuff. If you don't have the right badges, you can't travel on your own. You have to take a train or a bus or hire a trainer to escort you or give you a lift, and it can take a long time for those services to run."

"I see." Artemis said slowly.

"Just, I thought I should tell you. Earning badges makes it easier to get around. Plus, I think you would do well in the challenge." Serena added. "Shauna was telling me that you seem to have already really bonded with your Pokémon, and that you were offering her advice about her team."

"I was just telling her that she shouldn't catch another Water-type. Anyone could have told her that," Artemis side-stepped, "and Gwaine and Foxfire are . . . very easy to get along with."

"Che, ches." Gwaine snuggled into his neck. Foxfire nipped at his ear lightly.

Serena giggled. "I think they really like you."

"I suppose that's a good thing, then." Artemis gave Gwaine a scratch under his chin.

"I really think you can take on the gyms." Serena persisted. "You should try battling Viola tomorrow."

"Viola? She's the gym leader in Santalune, correct?"

"Yeah. She specializes in Bug-Types. With Foxfire, you should have no trouble battling her, especially if you teach Foxfire Peck before then."

"A Tierno-recommended move?"

Serena nodded. "He's really into learning the Pokémon moves. He said that any Pokémon can become powerful if they know the right moves. That's what he's doing for the professor now that we're here to do the Pokédex work; traveling around and researching powerful and rare moves."

"That sounds like a good philosophy. I'll keep it in mind." Artemis mused.

"So you'll give it a try?"

Artemis sighed. "Gwaine," he said, "Foxfire, would you want to try a gym battle?"

"Chespin!" Gwaine cheered.

"Ling!" Foxfire tweeted excitedly.

"I'll take that as a yes, then." Artemis looked to Serena. "Fine, I'll take a shot at it tomorrow. After I do some research. I want to learn more about my condition and see if I can find any clues to who I am."

"Of course." Serena nodded. "That's way more important than challenging the gyms. I just really would like to have a rival."

"A rival?" Artemis cocked an eyebrow. "Why would you want that?"

"Well, all the great trainers have had a rival." Serena smiled sheepishly. "Someone to push them past their limits and force them to train and get stronger. Red was rivals with Gary, and Lyra always said it was because of Silver that she was as strong as she was when she had to fight to disband Team Rocket."

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, well, it's not important. My point is, I want someone that will force me to give it my all and fight for a victory. Shauna doesn't really care about battling to get stronger; she just wants to see the region and meet the Pokémon. Me? I want to be strong. I don't want to ever feel weak again."

Artemis frowned. Again?

"Anyway, would you? Will you be my rival?"

Why not? "Alright. I warn you, though, I may not be much of a rival."

Serena waved his concerns away. "I saw you battling in the forest. You've got a lot of potential, Artemis. You'll be a great rival." Serena stopped in the road and held out her hand. "Rivals?"

Artemis smiled, a vampire smile. "Rivals." He gripped Serena's hand tight. Something in Serena's face flickered, but to her credit, she smiled back and they shook.

Artemis walked through the green door of his assigned room and let out a sigh of relief. After hours of walking, he had finally made it to Santalune City. When they arrived, Tierno and Trevor had guided them to the Pokémon Center of the town, pointing out places of interest on the way. Artemis had seen a sign for a Trainer's School, and he was eager to see what he could learn there. It was too late to pop in now, though, and he was exhausted. Instead, he checked into a room at the Pokémon Center and picked up a Styrofoam cup of soup and a loaf of bread for dinner with the other four trainers at the counter in the corner of the lobby.

After the quick meal together, the group split up into the sleeping arrangements they had decided on when they arrived. The Center offered two kinds of rooms, doubles and singles. Since there were five of them, it was decided that Trevor and Tierno would take a double, Shauna and Serena would share a double, and Artemis would take one of the singles.

He had been given a small room in the back of the hall. The room was smaller than the average hotel room, but that was fine. It had a reasonably comfortable-looking bed, a small desk with a lamp and chair, and a rack on the wall to place his Pokeballs on. Also decorating the room were small platforms and perches for Pokémon to climb and sit on (Foxfire immediately flew and landed on one with a fake nest placed on it) and small baskets filled with worn plush toys and pet blankets. Built into the wall was a small fish tank (for Water-type Pokémon, Artemis supposed), and a small door led to a tiny bathroom with a toilet, sink, shower, and mirror.

Not bad for free.

Artemis plopped his bag and hat onto the desk and sat down on the bed. Gwaine scrambled off onto the mattress and looked at him. "Che?"

"One moment, Gwaine." Artemis called up his magic. "What is it?"

"Why did you tell Serena and Shauna you didn't know your family?" The Chespin asked.

"I want to know why, too." Foxfire said.

"It's complicated." Artemis said, lying down onto the propped up pillows. "I don't actually have amnesia, but I'm pretending I do so I don't have to tell them why I don't know all the things I should know if I had grown up here."

Foxfire few over to the bed. "You told me you weren't from around here."

"That's right. I'm not. I'm not from this region, but I am also not from this world."

Gwaine's eyes went wide. "You're from another world?" He gasped.

Artemis nodded. "I come from a very different world, where there are no Pokémon and no such place as Kalos. I come from a world with magic and fairies instead of Pokémon."

"Wow . . . " The little Chespin stared at him with wide eyes.

"Why don't you just tell them that?" Foxfire asked.

"I don't think they would believe me. They would think I was crazy or lying. I don't want to find out what happens to the insane in this world. I'd rather do my best to figure out a way back on my own." Artemis explained.

"I guess that make sense." Foxfire chirped.

"I'm hoping I can find a Pokémon or some kind of technology that can bring me back home, or at least help me make a machine to get myself back. I got a good look at the machine that got me here, and the technology of this world is far more advanced than the technology of my own. Surely there is a way. I just have to find it."

"I'll help you!" Gwaine cried, raising a paw into the air.

Artemis smiled. "Thank you, Gwaine. I appreciate that."

"I don't know what help I could be, but I'll do my best." Foxfire said.

"That's all I can ask of you. Right now, what we all need is some rest, so why don't we turn in for the night?"

"Good idea." Foxfire blinked blearily.

"Would either of you like to return to your Pokeballs?"

Both of the Pokémon shook their heads.

"I'll sleep up there." Foxfire said, flying back to the nest and snuggling in.

"I want to stay out here!" Gwaine declared, plopping down on the bed.

"Alright then."

Artemis rose and undid the Pokeball belt, laying it on the desk. He slid off his boots and socks and placed them at the foot of his bed. He emptied his pockets of his wallet and the medicine Shauna had given him and put both in his bag. He pulled out the white T-shirt Nurse Joy had given him earlier that day and swapped it for the black he wore now, putting both the black T-shirt and the jeans in his bag and leaving him in the white T-shirt and his boxers. He stumbled to the bathroom and quickly relived himself and washed up his face and limbs washcloth over the sink, wiping away the sweat of the day.

He returned to the bedroom, threw back the comforter, and slid under the sheet. Gwaine crawled over and curled up against him like a cat, and one by one the three fell asleep after the first of many long days.

Artemis's Team

Gwaine - Chespin (Lv. 10)

Foxfire - Fletchling (Lv. 9)

Alright then! Still with me? I haven't bored you away yet? Great!

I thought the world-building was over. Nope! I had to figure out how to make Pokémon realistic outside the videogame frame. So, basically, I stole and tweaked the concept of Aura from RWBY and applied it to Pokémon. I know that Aura is a thing in the anime, but I haven't seen any of the episodes, so I have no idea how it works in that beyond what I picked up from Bulbepeida. Instead, you get my RWBY rip-off version.

Also, I figured that Potions made more sense with a boosting Aura effect than just insta-healing or adrenaline shots like I've seen in other works.

Anyway, comment, fav, follow, rant, complain below, and I'll see you next time! Have a good day/night!

-Blue

PS - Since I'm doing two Artemis Fowl fic currently, I'm going on a rotating schedule. Update one, then the other. So a chapter of Both Fowl and Fair will be next, then a chapter of AFKJ. Seemed the best way to do it.

And thank you, Rocker on, for making me laugh with your comments on this and BFAF. Your guesses . . . aren't even close, but they made me smile.