The entrance to the pokémon cave hasn’t changed much since I was here with Caspar and Professor Madrone. It looks like the Professor fixed the part of the wooden fence that had been chewed through, but otherwise, it’s the same. A cool, quiet entrance in the middle of the bustling forest that abuts the back of the Professor’s lab.
I take a deep breath of the heady summer air before stepping inside.
There’s no Magnemite to light the way this way this time, so I have to settle for a flashlight. I keep the beam low to not startle the roosting Zubats or the Woobats who hold fast to the wall with their heart-shaped noses. I’m sure both Caspar and the Professor would have wanted to accompany me on this second trip, or at least send me off with a Pokémon companion, but this is something I need to do alone.
Besides, it’s not dangerous. Or, at least, not dangerous for me. I don’t know where Caspar got the idea that I like to rush headlong into danger. Danger finds
me, no matter how hard I try to protect myself against it. At least for this situation, I know what to expect.
Hi! Hello! Hi, Adia! Adia! Hi hi!A chorus of telepathic voices greet me when I step into the next cavern. I smile at the gathering of Solosis and pat their round, green bodies as they roll up to my feet, but I tell them that I can’t stay long, there’s something I need to do in the next room. They whine disappointedly and I try not to giggle because it reminds me too much of Anastasia when she wants attention. I promise that I’ll come back soon, hopefully to watch them compete in another stacking contest with Wobbuffet. They chatter their goodbyes, then roll over to the shallow pool in the middle of the cavern for another soak. It must be how they maintain their sticky, gelatinous coating. Although they’re able to control their stickiness, so maybe —
Ah, my mind’s wandering. It’s far too easy to get caught up in questions about pokémon physiology. I make a note to ask Professor Madrone about it, then continue on.
The last time I was in this cavern, I was lucky enough to witness an evolution ceremony. But now, the cavern is empty — no dancing Clefairy, no Magnemite and Magneton hovering in the eaves. I shine my light on the two large stones in the center of the space — one glimmers like dark metal, the other glows a cool greenish-gray — but otherwise, there is nothing but silence and shadows.
I sit down on a low, smooth ledge and pull out a box of Poké Puffs from my messenger bag. The cashier at the bakery assured me that pokémon find them nearly impossible to resist, and I can see why. They’re like little cupcakes, frosted in a variety of bright colors, and smell delicious. I fold back the lid, and put them beside me.
And then, I wait.
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