The white light faded. More Lunatones appeared. And another white light. Then different swarm of Lunatones. Then more light.
David Lindenberg was only guessing that he was being teleported from place to place to confuse anyone who would follow.
David landed hard on a patch of scorched earth. He was dizzy from all the teleportation and before he could find his footing, he could feel his stomach turning, and suddenly he was on all fours, puking his guts out. A second flash came a heartbeat later, and Anna collapsed beside him, coughing, hugging herself, but unlike her son, she had better stomach.
They were in a clearing, but one that had been burnt to black and cinder. The trees surrounding the area were dead husks, charred and broken, their branches skeletal silhouettes against a roiling, gray sky. Cinders floated in the air like snowflakes, drifting in unnatural slow motion, never quite touching the ground. And all around them, a deep, rhythmic chant reverberated through the soil, each syllable echoing with some dark intent, as if the earth itself recoiled from the words.
David scrambled to his feet, instinctively reaching for the Pokéballs before realizing that his belt was not there. He stood protectively in front of his mother, eyes darting across the field.
Then he saw them.
A dozen or more figures, cloaked and hooded, stood in a wide circle at the forest's edge. Their faces were hidden in deep shadows, but their hands were raised high, trembling with unnatural energy as they continued to chant. Their tones were dissonant, sliding in and out of harmony like a badly tuned choir.
And between them—floating like stones caught in the orbit of a malevolent force—was a swarm of Lunatones. Their crescent eyes glowed not with their usual eerie calm, but with a fierce, chaotic red light. They bobbed up and down in the air, pulsing to the rhythm of the chanting.
A tall, thin man stepped forward from among the cloaked figures. His hood slid back, revealing pale, waxy skin and an unsettling smile carved too wide across his face. "David Lindenberg," he intoned. "And his precious mother."
Anna stood up, brushing ash from her skirt, expression stern but composed.
David, fists clenched, stepped forward. "What do you want? Why bring us here?"
"You," said the pale man, "are an infestation. You stopped our endeavor several times. You must be stopped."
He raised his hand—and the Lunatones began to descend.
"I don't know how we can stop them," David looked in desperation at his mother.
Anna quickly reached into inner pocket of her dress and pulled out a Pokéball, a faded one. She clicked it open, and from the white light emerged—
"Zigzagoon?!" David's voice was stunned, even incredulous. "Mom—are you serious? This is not time to be joking?"
The tiny, scrappy Pokémon stood at her feet, its black-and-white fur bristling, eyes narrowed at the swirling Lunatones above.
===
Zigzagoon
Level: 91
Name: Ziggy
Gender: Male
Type: Dark / Normal
Affinity: Dark (Full), Normal (Full)
Moves: Tackle (90), Sand Attack (85), Rock Smash (86), Extreme Speed (89), Baby-Doll Eyes (83), Pin Missile (82), Rest (80), Belly Drum (61), Double-edge (79), Lick (83), Thunder Wave (81), Dig (88), Protect (64), Whirlpool (77), Facade (79), Swift (90), Ice Beam (63), Thunderbolt (58), Gunk Shot (47), Double Team (77), Grass Knot (78), Snarl (89), Taunt (85), Fling (74)
Abilities:
Quick Feet – Boost the Speed if Zigzagoon has a status condition
Pickup – Zigzagoon may pick up an item another Pokémon used during a battle. It may pick items outside of battles, too
Guts – Boosts the Attack if Zigzagoon has a status condition
Weak to: (Fighting (double), Bug), Fairy
Immune to: Ghost, Psychic
Resistant to: Dark
Weakness removed: Fighting (double), Bug
===
But Anna gave David a look, half scared, half scolding. "You always underestimate me. You'll see. Stay close."
"Mom, this is stupid plan!"
"And do you have better one? You want to stand here and let them kill us??"
„No, but lazy old Ziggy?" David was trembling.
„I am not a trainer like you or your father, but Ziggy was always eager to learn new tricks and he's been with me since I was a little kid."
Before David could respond, the first wave came.
Three Lunatones dove from above, eyes glowing with the unmistakable sheen of Psychic energy.
The field exploded into movement. Zigzagoon activated Extreme Speed and started rushing around the place. In several seconds, it charged head-on into all three Lunatones and send them flying away.
The chanting grew louder.
The Lunatones retaliated. One fired a Rock Slide, and shards of burning stone rained down across the field, forcing David and Anna to hide behind a boulder. Another let loose a Psyshock, which struck near Zigzagoon, kicking up soil—but the little Pokémon darted aside with incredible speed.
"Mom, use some bug or dark attack. It should be super-effective!" David gritted his teeth.
"Pin Missile, Ziggy," Anna muttered, not raising her voice.
Zigzagoon leapt into the air with unexpected grace and fired a volley of sharp glowing spikes from his fur. The closest Lunatone shrieked as the projectiles struck it directly in the eye, and it spiraled downward.
David stared. "How is it so fast?"
Anna smiled faintly. "He's not just a pet, you know. He's always out there, watching other trainers and Pokémon. And copying them."
Another pair of Lunatones floated forward, eyes glowing with a dark red aura.
But Anna was already moving. "Ziggy, Baby-Doll Eyes, then Swift!"
The little raccoon Pokémon darted forward with a shimmer in its eyes that distracted their enemies for half a second—just long enough to send a volley a star shape projectiles at all of them.
"Good boy," Anna muttered. "Let's see how they like Double Team."
Ten more Zigzagoons suddenly appeared on the field, darting in perfect synchronicity, confusing the Lunatones. But the shadow Zigzagoons only enraged the Sleepers.
The thin pale man raised his hand and more Lunatones appeared.
Anna staggered back, shielding her eyes.
"Mom, this fight is not one we can won! There will be more and more of them. I've seen it before."
"Right... We need to distract them. And run."
But David shook his head. "We're not going to outrun them."
"Then we buy time." She turned to Zigzagoon. "Whirlpool. Make it count. Make it big."
The tiny Pokémon quickly summoned a massive water tornado, which started to wreak havoc all around the place.
With the whirlpool still circling around them, the white light receded like a tide vanishing into mist, leaving David and Anna Lindenberg alone in a suffocating silence. Around them loomed a scorched clearing, surrounded by gnarled trees and dense shadows. The air felt thinner here, like breathing through cloth soaked in cold water. Something unnatural lay beneath the charred earth. Something ancient. Watching.
They took a step back.
Before them, a dozen dark shapes flickered—Zigzagoon clones created by Double Team. The real Zigzagoon darted among them, a blur of tan and black fur, growling and slashing at any Lunatone that floated too close. The eerie rock-Psychic Pokémon hovered with alien precision, their single eyes glowing faintly blue, tracking the real target through the illusion.
David turned slightly toward Anna, his voice low and taut. "We can't keep this up. They're leading us over there—"
"I know," she replied, breathless. "So what now? You're expert on these situation..."
"Those figures are distracted by the Whirlpool. And the Lunatones are all wet, too. Does Ziggy knows any eletric move?" David asked.
Anna snapped her fingers with a grin.
"Thunder Wave!"
Ziggy's fur crackled and then it released a yellow energy into all directions. Everything around them was suddenly paralyzed. Not just the distracted Sleepers, but also the levitating moon-creatures.
"Nice. Now, finish them."
Zigzagoon let out a defiant snarl and darted around the place, followed by a volley of pale Moonblasts of those Lunatones, who shook off the paralysis. One clipped Zigzagoon's shadow-clone, which burst in a flicker of darkness. The real Zigzagoon dodged, then flung a sharp stone with Fling—cracking the mask of a paralysed Sleeper, who staggered back with a moan.
"Let's move."
They stepped backward again—closer to the treeline.
The forest beyond was different. Not the kind of difference you felt with your eyes, but with your gut. Like something in your childhood nightmares, dredged up from forgotten corners of memory. The twisted canopy above barely let light through. Fog rolled in low around the moss-choked roots. The trees leaned, not by age or wind, but by something older that pulled them inward, like they were listening.
David hesitated at the forest's edge. "That place is wrong, Mom."
Anna grabbed his hand—surprisingly firm for a woman her age—and tugged. "Everywhere else is worse. Come on."
They disappeared deeper into the woods. And luckily for them, the Lunatones nor the Sleepers were no longer behind them.
The forest swallowed sound. Even their frantic footfalls were muffled.
"What's that?" David frowned and pointed ahead.
"I don't know. Ziggy, stay close. You're our only hope," Anna exhaled.
Strange shapes flitted through the mist—glowing outlines of eyes, twisted mouths leering from branches, whispering laughter with no mouths.
"I have a bad feeling about this," David gulped.
"Stop them," Anna frowned.
Zigzagoon growled and fired a Snarl at one—a powerful jet of dark soundwaves that should have shredded almost anything.
But the specter didn't flinch. The Snarl passed through as if the thing were made of smoke and memory. It just watched. Observing.
"Can we outrun it?" Anna asked.
"We can try."
"Ziggy, shot down the trees behind us. Maybe it can block the way."
The moved back from the specters, while Zigzagoon used Swift on the crooked trees to cut them down and block the path behind them.
After a few minutes of running, Anna and David ducked behind a cluster of ancient boulders, panting for their breaths, unsure which direction was forward anymore.
The oppressive presence grew thicker, pulsing like a heartbeat in the earth.
"Shh, can you hear it?"
"What is that, Dave?"
Suddenly, a dozen footsteps closed in. The Sleepers finally caught up with them.
"I don't know, mom. I don't know what we're gonna do!" David desperately replied.
And what was worse, they had reached a dead end.
To their left, a wall of blackened trees. To their right, an overhang of jagged stone, glistening like dried blood. And straight ahead—out of the mists—came the spectres again. Shambling, flickering shapes, their forms hard to pin down, their eyes glowing red. Behind them, Lunatones drifted in, eyes blank and ready.
"Fuck, this is crazy..." David exhaled and felt a shivering fear all over his skin.
"What are we gonna do?" Anna muttered, trying to stay strong, but she was just as desperate and hopeless as her son.
David put a hand to his belt. Empty. His Pokéballs lost back at the ranch. He took a step in front of Anna.
"We can't fight all this," he whispered. "Even your overpowered Zigzagoon can't last forever..."
But Anna didn't move. Zigzagoon stood between them and the enemy, teeth bared. "This little one's tougher than he looks," she murmured.
But enemies were on all sides of them and Zigzagoon was not sure from where the next attack may come from.
"Wait, don't attack yet. Just stop them, when they come closer..." David muttered and Ziggy growled in agreement.
From the mist, a Sleeper raised his hand and several Lunatones moves towards them.
"Watch out!" Anna gripped David's hand.
And then—
CRACK.
A translucent black hand, eerie and impossibly long, burst from the fog and grabbed the Sleeper by the torso. With a horrible wet sound, it slammed him into the ground, hard enough to snap bones. Another hand emerged and swiped at an approaching phantom, dispersing it into wisps like dandelion seeds. The third one brushed off the Lunatones who turned into dust.
"What's that?" Anna shook her head in disbelief.
"Have you seen anything like that?"
"No, I'm not sure what it is." he replied and gulped.
"Let's hope it won't attack us."
"Ziggy, get ready, we need to run," Anna muttered and pointed in the opposite direction from the long phantom arm.
Zigzagoon howled and fired a powerful Snarl—this time boosted by fear and fury. The dark energy pulsed across the battlefield, slamming into seven Lunatones and sending them spinning.
"Run!" David yelled and all three of them started to flee from the phantom figures.
But Sleepers with Lunatones appeared in front of them.
Zigzagoon growled and prepared to use another Swift.
But before the small Pokémon could react, more eerie hands lashed from the mist, slapping down masked figures and the moon-like creatures and crushing them under invisible weight.
In moments, it was done.
The clearing lay strewn with crumpled Sleepers and shattered Lunatone fragments. The ghostly shapes had either fled or evaporated.
Then the hands turned toward David and Anna.
A quiet dread seized them—but the hands simply came together, palms first, fingers curling as though sealing something.
A glowing rectangle formed between them—an ornate, ghostly coffin, draped in runes that shimmered faintly gold.
The light from the coffin faded. And in its place stood a tall, regal figure with a sarcophagus for a body and four dark hands floating in the air around him.
Cofagrigus.
But not just any Cofagrigus.
This one had eyes like molten gold, and an aura that pulsed like a cathedral bell.
"Ramses..." Anna exhaled, her voice catching.
The ancient ghost inclined its head solemnly. Then, without a word, it opened the coffin slightly—as if inviting them in.
"Greetings, Lindenbergs," voice resonated inside their heads.
"Hello, to you, too. What are you doing here? Where are we? Do you know how we can get out of this place?" Anna started to ask questions, while David frowned at the Pokémon.
"Follow me. And do not despair," the voice replied.
David and Anna exchanged a wary look.
He smiled grimly. "What do we do?"
"It's easy, sonny boy. We follow Ramses. Or do you want to stay here?"
Ramses turned. His hands split apart and spun outward, parting the mist like curtains. A path of bone-white stones appeared, winding deeper into the woods—but the pressure in the air lessened, like the forest itself was holding its breath.
Zigzagoon yipped and bounded forward. Anna followed.
And after a moment's hesitation, David did too.
As they walked, Anna asked the question that has been lingering on both their minds.
"You did not reply earlier. Where are we?"
David walking beside her, one hand resting on his belt where his Pokéballs once sat — stolen by the shadows.
"Yeah, and could you Teleport us back?"
Cofagrigus turned, gliding forward as if the earth itself parted for him. Its voice entered again, slow and winding like the roots of the forest:
"You now walk'st the Maw of Dusk — a place where ancient minds weave threads of suppression. Here, no rift may open; no psychic gate may unfold. The weave is bound by obsidian will and moondust flame…"
David blinked, exasperated. "I'm sorry — what?"
Anna cut in, brisk and no-nonsense. "Ramses, please. I understand you can't Teleport us. But is there any way we can cheat this... this teleport ban?"
The ghost's red eyes narrowed with something like amusement. A grin stretched across the casket's golden face.
"Two paths lie before thee, Lindenbergs. One — you may flee. Escape the lock's reach, far to the forest's end, where shadows break and light bleeds again. That path shall take a week or two of your mortal tread."
"A week? We can't last week in this place!" Anna frowned.
"We barely last this few minutes," David added.
"The other — unlock the gate where the bindings twist. A device lies not far. The agents of the shadow realm erected a totem there. A wound in the dream."
"And this totem blocks the Teleport?" David asked.
Cofagrigus stared at him for a few moments before answering.
"Yes."
David exchanged a glance with his mother. "That second one sounds faster. Where is it?"
Cofagrigus pointed one golden hand deeper into the forest's black heart.
"There lies the anchor — totem carved of bonewood, painted in inked Yveltal's hate. There, the dream's bindings gather."
Under Cofagrigus' guidance, they moved through the forest like whispers between the trees. Shadows flickered at the edges of their vision. From time to time, eerie phantoms emerged — distorted shapes like half-formed Pokémon. A crooked Ariados with eight legs trailing smoke; a Gengar with teeth that stretched far too wide; even a translucent Umbreon that stalked between trees, eyes dripping ink.
But every time one of the twisted creatures neared, Cofagrigus drifted ahead, and with the movement of a single hand, shadowy runes flared in the air. Phantoms crumbled to dust, or recoiled back into the gloom with an unearthly shriek.
"What are those, Ramses?" David asked.
"Shadows. Remnants of those turned to moons."
"So those human-like ghosts are..." Anna froze.
"The same."
"That's crazy, I know that they killed people, but this is too much!" David turned even more pale.
Then came the Sleepers — cloaked cultists emerging between brambles, surrounded by corrupted Pokémon. One wielded a Luxray with glowing red eyes, another a Pangoro frothing with some venomous rage. But Cofagrigus made no delay. A single glare, a raising of his sarcophagus arms — and a storm of spectral energy blasted through the underbrush, turning attackers into limp heaps or vapor.
David followed close behind, still disarmed but now filled with hope of destroying the totem that banned the Teleport. Anna walked with fierce calm, followed by her trusty Zigzagoon.
They emerged into a clearing unlike any other in the forest. Here, the trees opened to form a perfect circle, ringed by dead lanterns and rotting banners hanging from stakes. At the center, rising from a pedestal of black stone, stood the Totem.
It was carved from age-darkened wood and shaped into five stacked heads, one atop the other — stylized visages of infamous Dark-type Pokémon: the misty face of Darkrai grinned atop the cruel stare of Tyranitar. Below that, Zoroark with fanged snarl, then the amphibian leer of Greninja, and finally, the savage mask of Zarude, mouth open in a silent scream.
A pulsing, dome-like forcefield surrounded the totem. As Cofagrigus drifted closer, the shimmering field pushed him back with a crackling sizzle of purple energy.
"I am barred from entering the field," he spoke into their minds. "But you… you carry no mark of nightmare. Step forth."
David hesitated, reaching out toward the barrier. His hand passed through like mist. Anna followed him, and together they stepped inside. As soon as they did, a chill pressed against their hearts.
The air shifted — thick with dread and anger. Whispers clawed at their minds, unspoken fears, old guilt, and imaginary laughter. David winced, while Anna blinked, trying to clear her sight.
"It's like it's… alive," David muttered.
Cofagrigus floated just outside the dome, eyes glowing brighter.
"The Totem face'th the dusk. Turn it east, towards dawn. Where light wakes, so too shall hope."
David stepped forward. His hand met the base of the Totem. It felt like dry skin over old wood — pulsing faintly, as though it had a heartbeat. Anna joined him, both pushing slowly as the heads began to grind and rotate, the stacked faces screeching as they turned from the sunset's direction (west) to the sunrise (east).
The forest stirred.
The shadows shuddered, the air rippled, and the chanting they'd heard distantly all this time suddenly fell silent.
And then…
A single boom echoed across the forest.
===
The sun hung low above the ranch, bathing the weathered wooden buildings in a golden haze. Wind carried the scent of hay, sawdust, and warm earth. In the distance, Tauros lowed and Miltank grazed in lazy herds. But none of it brought Anna peace.
She stood on the porch of the main villa, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the horizon darken with the first hints of an approaching storm.
"Don't just stand there brooding," came a sharp voice behind her. "Come help unload the crates before the rain starts."
Anna turned to see Joe Lindenberg—her husband—wiping sweat from his brow, his rolled-up sleeves showing dirt-caked forearms. He was young, lean and tall, his beard barely more than stubble, his voice full of frustrated energy. And he still had his hair.
"I've been inside all morning with David," Anna said, coldly. "You were supposed to take him for a few hours. You said you'd help."
Joe dropped the crate a little harder than necessary. "And I am helping, Anna. We've got three new trainers showing up tomorrow. My dad's sick, the barns are a mess, and the fields need prepping. I don't exactly have time to watch a toddler."
Anna's eyes flashed. "He's your SON, not a sack of potatoes. But fine, I'll take him and I'll do everything else too. I'll train the Pokémon, wash the dishes, charm your guests and count the bills. Maybe I'll birth the next one on my own too."
Joe stiffened. "We've talked about this. One kid is enough."
"You mean you've talked about it," she hissed. "And I'm supposed to smile and say nothing."
From inside the ranch house, a small cry broke the tension—baby David. Anna exhaled sharply and turned back inside, her boots thudding against the hardwood.
"Why did I agree to marry this stubborn fool?"
Later that day, Anna found herself in the kitchen, leaning against the counter, her fingers absentmindedly rubbing her temple. The kitchen smelled of garlic, stew, and rising bread.
"Rough day?" came a soft, playful voice.
She turned to see Lucy Procházka, tall and slim, her golden hair a messy river all around her beautiful face, sleeves rolled up over tanned arms as she stirred a pot. Her belly, round with pregnancy, moved slightly as she adjusted her stance.
"You could say that," Anna muttered.
Lucy gave her friend a knowing look. "Let me guess... Joe?"
Anna nodded, then buried her face in her hands.
"He doesn't want another child. He says the ranch can't handle it."
Lucy raised a brow.
"Is that why you've been stomping around like a lunatic? You nearly startled the Poliwag into dropping the pickles."
That pulled a half-laugh from Anna. "Sorry. Just—God, Lucy, I thought things would get better after the kid was born. But my father-in-law is always coughing, swearing or yelling, Joe's always working, and I feel like I'm carrying everyone. I just wanted one more child. Just one more. But they..."
"They what?"
Anna laughed bitterly.
"It's complicated."
"Then make it uncomplicated. Maybe I can help somehow."
"The thing is... Tomas, Joe's dad had a sister. And when their father died, he had to pay a lot of money to her. Or they would have to sell this place and split the money. But no, they wanted to keep this bloody place. And therefore they are... we are in such debt... I don't..."
"It can't be that much, so you can't afford another child, can you?" Lucy asked with a frown.
"Phew.... About that... They don't want to repeat the situation with splitting the inheritance. And so Joe is an only child. And they want David to stay an only child..."
Lucy leaned against the table, giving Anna a sad, sympathetic smile. "I get it. Really. This one," she said, placing her hands on her belly, "wasn't exactly planned. But sometimes life throws us curveballs we never thought we'd catch. Poor Petr was so scared when he learned about it. But now, he is excited about the baby. I just don't know whether we should marry before or after the birth. I don't want to have my wedding pictures filled with this big ugly round belly."
"It's not ugly. It's beatiful..." Anna managed a thin smile.
"Hey, I've got an idea. What about, we set our kids up to marry one day?"
Lucy giggled. "Maybe. That'd be nice. We are friends and we could be family."
Anna perked up. "Yeah, at least I wouldn't have to worry about having only one kid."
Lucy grinned. "Well, unless it's a boy. Which the doc says it probably is. So unless both our sons are gay…"
Anna laughed—a real laugh this time, one that bubbled up from somewhere deep. "Still. Do you look forward to it? Our two kids running around this place together."
Lucy wiped her hands on her apron and gave her friend a little side-hug.
Anna asked, "how many would you want? Kids, I mean."
"At least two," Lucy said without hesitation. "Petr and I both want to have a big family."
Anna's smile faded to a quiet murmur. "I thought I did too."
Lucy gave her friend a sad smile before she hugged her.
"You know, you can get pregnant without Joe's help."
"LUCY!" Anna gasped.
"What? It's the biology."
That night, the storm rolled in.
Lightning cracked across the sky, casting long shadows through the window of the nursery. Baby David lay bundled in his crib, sniffling in his sleep.
Anna stood by the door, her bag packed. Somehow Lucy's words cut deeper than she originally thought.
She paused only once, her eyes scanning the room. Her hands trembled, her breath shallow. She looked back over her shoulder, as if expecting someone to stop her.
But no one came.
She scooped David into her arms, wrapped him in a heavy wool blanket, and crept down the creaky wooden stairs. Outside, rain pelted the ranch, turning soil into slush. She headed toward the stables, where an old car waited.
Thunder boomed.
A Pokéball on her belt opened and a small shape appeared out of the shadows.
"Ziggy?" Anna blinked. "What are you doing?"
The scruffy little raccoon-dog Pokémon tilted its head and let out a curious chirp. It was soaked, rain dripping from its bristled fur, but it stood firm in the path.
"Come on," Anna whispered to her small buddy, "we are leaving this place. I want to find someone like Lucy had found. Someone who would want to have a real family."
Zigzagoon stayed and barked again.
A flicker of confusion passed across Anna's face. She took a step forward, and Zigzagoon darted around her, running in a circle, then up the slope back toward the ranch house. It stopped, turned, and looked back at her.
Lightning flashed again.
"What are you doing?? Wait… no…" Anna blinked as the everything around her wavered like heat off pavement.
She clutched baby David tighter. The air had changed. Something was wrong.
The rain was no longer wet. The thunder, no longer real. The ranch's outline flickered, unstable.
She looked at Zigzagoon.
"You're not really here, are you?" she whispered with surprise in her voice. She suddenly felt older and older.
Zigzagoon chirped, then bounded away into the dark.
Anna turned to follow—and found herself not in the storm, but standing in a ring of stones. A carved wooden totem loomed above her, surrounded by mist.
The memory had collapsed. She was back.
Back in the cursed forest. Back in front of the totem.
She held no baby now.
Only the ache of a past she'd once nearly rewritten.
And nearby, the true Zigzagoon stood, proud and unwavering, watching her with knowing eyes.
"You... How did you do it?"
But the Pokémon just stuck out its tongue and barked at her.
Meanwhile...
The moment David's fingers brushed against the surface of the carved totem, everything shifted around him.
The humid air of the forest vanished.
Suddenly, he stood beneath a familiar, cloudless sky. The buzzing of Yanma, the soft bleating of Mareep in a nearby pasture, and the distant sound of hooves striking dirt filled his ears.
He was back—back at the Lindenberg Ranch.
Not now. Then.
Not the man being hunted. But the one unsure of who he was becoming.
Weeks had passed since David finished his run on the Johto tournament circuit. He had returned back home expecting to find comfort, but instead, found restlessness gnawing at the edge of every peaceful moment.
The sun was dipping low when he found Eva behind the house, watering a patch of flower beds. Her Venomoth fluttered overhead, casting strange shadows in the golden light. Small baby Jake was sleeping in the crib beside a window with a Decidueye keeping eye on him.
"I've been thinking," David said, crossing his arms.
Eva looked up, shielding her eyes. "That's usually a good start."
"I don't know if I want to stay here." He glanced over the fields, where herds of Tauros were being led back to their pens. "My folks suggested I stay. Maybe take over part of the ranch, care for the Fire-types. But…"
Eva set the watering can down. "But it doesn't feel like yours?"
"Exactly." He kicked at the dirt. "Every time I see Dad or Grandpa training, I feel like I'm ten again. Their Pokémon are so powerful. My team feels… underwhelming by comparison."
"They've been training for much longer," Eva said, brushing her hands off. "It makes sense you are not up to their levels."
"But what if the problem is in me?" David asked. "What if battling is not what I am meant to do?"
She stepped closer and cupped his face firmly. "Whatever it is you're searching for, I'm here for you. Just make sure it's yours. Not someone else's dream."
Later that week, David sat with Eva's brother Frank in a small local bar for the Ranch workers. The sun had almost set. Frank was sipping a beer, and his Pyroar lay curled beside them like a furnace.
"You ever feel stuck?" David asked.
Frank raised an eyebrow. "Only every third week."
David chuckled despite himself. "Seriously. I thought battling was the thing. Now that it's over, the ranch doesn't feel right either. I'm... lost."
Frank nodded. "Been there. Before the Rangers, I tried half a dozen things. None of them fit. Then one day, I went into the forest alone with just my team. No distractions. Just instinct. Clarity found me out there."
"So, I should wander into the woods? Like a freaking hermit?"
Frank snorted. "Get away for a while. Be with your Pokémon. Fight some wild ones. Maybe wrestle with your soul a bit. You'll know when it clicks. Or get really drunk and you'll have some bright idea. It's your call, man."
So a few days later, David stood beneath the overcast skies of Hoenn, his boots sinking slightly in the loamy earth. Thanks to the one of Iglaustadt long-range teleporters, the trip had taken a few minutes, not a day.
With Fluffy, his Houndoom prowling beside him, Meg the Bayleef sunbathing nearby, and Ryan, a Scyther sparring with the air, he trained—hard. Stunky sprayed targets with precision, and Lickitung tried to mimic the others with comedic fervor. The sessions were intense. Focused. But the sense of purpose still didn't settle in.
Then a few days later came the tremor.
It was subtle at first—just a shift in the wind and a sudden quiet.
Then came the cold.
From behind the ridge, a blast of sub-zero air roared like a vengeful beast. David crouched low, peering through the brush.
Below him in the glade, a masked squad with a large "R" on their vests was trying—and failing—to restrain something monstrous.
Regice.
The living glacier towered over the glade, its body pulsing with ancient, elemental energy. Around it, various Pokémon attacked: Mightyena, Toxicroak, Sneasel, Golbat. But every one that misjudged its speed or failed to dodge was annihilated by Ice Beam, Blizzard, or Flash Cannon.
One Golbat tried to flank Regice from above, only to be flash-frozen midair and shattered into pieces on the rocks below.
David's breath caught. The attacking Pokémon were too strong. But the Legendary was even stronger. He couldn't intervene. But he couldn't look away either.
Then, from the treeline, came a sudden rush—League agents. Their Pokémon moved in like an avalanche: Braviary, Luxray, Gardevoir. Everything descended into chaos.
The attacking gang panicked, scattering in every direction.
One League agent, a lean man in dark blue clothes, spotted David crouched nearby.
"You!" he shouted. "Get out of here—this isn't a place for civilians!"
David nodded, turning—
But then stopped.
Wait.
He looked back towards the melee. At the scum trying to defeat ancient guardian. At the League standing in defiance. At the raw, unfiltered truth of the moment.
His pulse quickened. His hands tightened around the Pokéballs on his belt.
"No," he muttered.
He turned and threw three Pokéballs into the air.
"Come out, guys! Let's go!"
His Pokémon materialized around him, each letting out a cry of readiness.
"We're not sitting this out. We're helping!"
He pushed forward, crashed through a low thicket—and tripped, hard, over an exposed root.
The world spun.
David groaned, blinked—
And gasped.
He looked up panting and to his surprise, there was no Regice, and no League agents. There was a totem with heads of Dark-Types and his mother kneeling on the ground with disturbing look in her eyes.
„Dave?"
„Mom? What just happened?"
„I was young and..." Anna whimpered, the memory now burning into her brain.
„Yeah, and I was back in Hoenn when..." David shook his head.
Then they looked up.
„The totem!" a voice inside their heads belonging to the Cofagrigus reminded them.
A warm breeze stirred the treetops above. They reached for it together.
As the totem creaked and rotated, a faint trail of light shimmered into view.
"Ready?" David asked.
"No," Anna said with a frown. "But let's go anyway."
David knelt beside his mother, Anna, the two of them dizzy and winded from the harrowing run through their past memories. Ramses hovered just a few meters from the totem, spectral arms swirling as he prepared a long-range Teleport.
The ghost's deep, echoing voice rolled like thunder from within his golden shell.
"The way home is long… and the space between is not kind. I require time to gather the energy. I cannot shield you while I prepare the path. You must defend yourselves."
Anna nodded, then looked down at the tiny creature beside her feet—Ziggy, her aging but battle-hardened Zigzagoon.
"Ziggy," she said nervously, "Use Rest. We'll need your strength."
The Pokémon obediently curled into a ball, a gentle blue glow surrounding it as the recovering move took hold. Its breathing steadied, tiny wounds beginning to fade.
David blinked. "Good call, mom."
His mother gave him a sidelong glance, firm and warm.
"Well, as I said, I'm not a profesional trainer like you, but I know thing or two."
"I'm lucky you're here with me."
"Me or Ziggy?" she teasingly asked.
But before David could reply, Ramses turned slightly, his four arms extending outward.
"One more thing," the ghost said. "Should they turn the totem back to its locked configuration, the transporting energy collapses. The escape ends. And I'm not strong enough to open another for a few days."
Then with a deep hum, he multiplied—Double Team, dozens of spectral clones of Cofagrigus blinking into existence, all channeling the same incantation.
Time passed. A minute. Maybe two. The burned forest was silent except for the whisper of wind.
And then they came.
From the far side of the clearing, a crooked figure in tattered robes emerged. Its gait was unnatural, limbs twisted and stiff. Beside it floated a circle of Lunatones, their crescent shapes hovering ominously, psychic energy pulsing.
The Sleeper paused, eyes shifting across the dozens of Cofagrigus, momentarily confused. But then the cloaked figure snarled and pointed. The Lunatones launched forward, spraying waves of Psywave and Rock Slide, tearing through the illusions. Most dissipated into harmless mist.
Only one Cofagrigus remained solid.
"This is when we fight. And by we, I mean..." David nodded towards the sleeping Pokémon.
Anna leaned down and scratched Ziggy behind the ear, "time to wake up."
Ziggy's eyes snapped open, a burst of energy radiating from its tiny body as it sprang to its feet.
"Zig!" it barked defiantly, ready to defend its family.
"Pin Missile, Ziggy!"
Needle-like energy bolts shot from its fur, hammering into the incoming Lunatones, knocking them out of the sky one by one. The psychic Pokémon dropped like stones, scattering across the ash-laden soil.
The Sleeper fled, only to return minutes later—this time with reinforcements.
A dozen new Lunatones. And worse: they were dividing their attention.
Half sped toward Ramses, trying to disrupt his charge. The others made for the totem, their eerie lights pulsating with destabilizing psychic force.
"Extreme Speed! Protect Ramses!" Anna called.
Ziggy darted like a streak of light, a blur of motion. It struck the nearest Lunatone away from Cofagrigus with a blinding burst, then spun midair and raced back.
"Whirlpool! Make it circle around the totem!" David called in nervous tone.
Ziggy slammed into the ground, summoning a spiraling vortex of water that whipped around the totem like a living barrier. Lunatones and Sleepers attempting to approach were sucked in, pulled away, or blasted back.
But now the Sleepers escalated their effort.
The ground trembled. From the forest came a roar that echoed through the ruined trees. A hulking form strode into the clearing—golden scales glistening, fists clenched and teeth bared. A Kommo-o.
David paled. "Oh no. This one looks much stronger. My guess - at least eight-stars Pokémon."
Anna's eyes narrowed. "Ziggy's nine-star Pokémon. Hopefully, it can hold on long enough till Ramses is ready."
The Kommo-o raised its arms and roared before launching a Clanging Scales attack. Rings of force radiated out in a concussive sound-wave.
"Double Team!" Anna shouted.
Ziggy split into mirror images, confusing the incoming strike. Kommo-o's attacks slammed into empty air as the real Zigzagoon darted under its legs.
"Ice Beam!"
A chilling blast of ice cracked into Kommo-o's flank, making the giant dragon stagger.
"Lick!" A ghostly tongue whipped out and momentarily paralyzed Kommo-o.
Ziggy followed with a powerful Tackle, slamming into the dragon's chest.
But the fight was far from over.
Sleepers had regrouped and were rushing the totem again.
"Ziggy, back here!" Anna shouted.
Ziggy sprang into action, rushing to defend them.
"Grass Knot!" David called desperately, remembering from his youth that Zigzagoon was able to summon the grass.
Vines snared the Sleepers' legs, tripping and toppling them.
"Get rid of them!" Zigzagoon fired a barrage of star-shaped missiles enveloped in electricity – a combo of Swift and Thunder Wave.
The attackers who did not end up paralyzed, were thrown away and were groaning on the ground in pain.
David turned to his mother, panting. "This is insane."
"Let's hold on, Ramses will be ready any second now," she answered with fear in her eyes.
But the Kommo-o wasn't idle. While Zigzagoon protected its trainer and her son, the dragon raised its arms skyward and activated Dragon Danced. Once. Twice. Three times.
Muscles bulged. The earth trembled.
And then it attacked. But it did not focus on Zigzagoon. Its feral eyes were staring at the Lindenbergs.
"Protect us!" Anna shouted.
Ziggy leapt forward and erected a glowing dome over David, Anna, and the totem just as a devastating Focus Blast slammed into it. The shield cracked but held.
Kommo-o snarled and fired a Boomburst.
The dome shattered, but—
Ramses' eyes flared. His voice thundered in ancient, arcane tones.
"Hold on."
Shadowy arms stretched forward, wrapping around the three defenders—mother, son, and Zigzagoon. In a blink, the world exploded in light.
But Kommo-o had one final card to play.
A pulse of violent energy—Dragon Pulse—surged forward, trailing them through the collapsing dimensional tunnel.
They reappeared on the Ranch's battlefields in a spiral of purple light.
A split second later—
WHAM.
The Dragon Pulse struck Zigzagoon midair.
The tiny creature yelped and was flung from Anna's arms, skidding across the stone.
"ZIGGY!!" Anna shouted, scrambling after it.
David fell beside her, winded, barely able to lift his head.
People all around turned in stunned silence as the light of the teleport faded and revealed the returned Lindenbergs.
And then Anna's cry rang out again—sharper this time.
"HELP! I need HELP!"
Ziggy lay twitching on the ground, eyes barely open, its little chest rising with labored, uneven breaths.
Several trainers moved at once.
"Go, Audino! Use Heal Pulse!"
"Chansey, you too!"
"Cherubi, Ponyta—I need your support!"
Many Pokémon started glowing. Energy radiated from half a dozen Pokémon.
But it wasn't clear if it would be enough.
David, arms still around his mother, stared at Zigzagoon—this tiny warrior who was able to stand its ground against so many Lunatones and even against the overpowered and boosted Kommo-o.
"Come on, little guy," he whispered. "Don't leave us."
Ziggy's eyes started to close.