Pokémon Legendary: An Adult Pokémon Story

Phillip swallowed. Phoebe wrapped her arms around herself.

Ace continued. “That’s not Electivire’s or Electabuzz’s style. Those Pokémon would announce their presence before attacking, which would have given these guys time to draw their weapons. This was something else entirely. Something we may not have seen before.”

“But what exactly?” Phoebe asked.

“That I don’t know. No wild Electric Pokémon that I know of kills this cleanly or deliberately,” Ace replied grimly.

He stood with his eyes scanning the tree line and jagged shadows of snow and stone. Every instinct of his screamed. That feeling he’d had since entering the tundra crept back, heavier than ever.

It was the feeling that something was out there watching them, and whatever slaughtered Team Plasma might still be out there.

---

The trek back toward Hammerlocke was long and punishing.

Snow clung stubbornly to their boots and the frozen wind howled across the open tundra, but Ace barely felt the cold. Every crunch of snow under his boots sounded too loud. Every shadow between the jagged ridges seemed to lean closer.

He glanced over his shoulder for the tenth time in as many minutes. Nothing. Just the empty expanse. Still, his skin prickled as if eyes were digging into his back.

“You look spooked,” Phoebe called, her voice carrying against the wind. She tugged her scarf tighter and fell into step beside him. “What’s wrong with you?”

Ace forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

“Bullshit,” she muttered. But she didn’t press. Not yet.

That night, they camped in a hollow between snowdrifts with their tents pitched close together.

The bubble dome was active, encompassing their campsite so no wild Pokémon could threaten them.

A small fire crackled low, more for comfort than warmth. Phillip was already half-asleep, arms folded under his coat, but Phoebe was still awake, sitting across from Ace with the firelight flickering in her eyes.

“Alright,” she said flatly. “Spill it. You’ve been twitchy ever since we left the temple. What’s eating at you?”

Ace stared into the flames for a long moment. Finally, he spoke in a low voice.

“Ever since we got to the Crown Tundra, I’ve felt ... watched. At first, I thought it was paranoia, but it hasn’t gone away. And after seeing those five Plasma grunts outside the temple...” He exhaled slowly, the memory of the claw marks and electric burns flashing through his mind. “I think whatever’s been watching me is what killed them.”

Phoebe’s eyes flickered, uneasy despite her best efforts to mask it. “That’s ... one hell of a leap, Ace.”

Phillip stirred, cracking an eye open. “Or maybe you’re just rattled. Can’t blame you after wrestling down a damn dragon Regi.”

“Maybe,” Ace admitted, though the firelight caught the hard set of his mouth. “But I don’t think so.”

The silence that followed was heavier than the snow around them.

Phoebe shifted uncomfortably, hugging her knees tighter. “You’re probably just paranoid,” she said, but the conviction in her voice was thin.

Ace didn’t answer. He rose, ducking into his tent, the lingering feeling of eyes on him pressing harder than ever.

---

Later that night, the camp was silent under the protective dome, the fire reduced to smoldering embers. Snow whispered faintly across the barrier, like nails dragging along glass.

Ace stirred in his tent, eyes snapping open. At first, he thought it was a dream. He heard a low, guttural growl rumbling somewhere beyond the dome.

Then came another sound. A faint crackle sounding like electricity hissing in the dark like wires sparking in the rain.

He bolted upright with his heart hammering. A Poké Ball trembled faintly at his belt. Without thinking, Ace unzipped his tent and stepped out into the night. The cold slapped his face with his breath fogging immediately.