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Chapter 9 Broadening horizons
With the Elder’s verdict, we got moving in order to meet with Madame and, surely enough, as soon as I turned around, I noticed a small bird on the floor looking up at me. A Murkrow.
“The Madame wants to meetcha”, he said with a creaky voice. “Y’all. Lady, Tales, Ange. Bring the kit. Elder stays, m’kay?”
Having said so, he promptly turned his back on us and started walking forward. The three of us then followed his lead. News flied fast inside the mafia’s base, it had always been like that. My safest bet on why that’s so, is that Madame’s loyal underlings acted as her eyes and ears at all times.
“It’s been some time, Kurook.”
“Yaya. Ya didn’t change one bit tho.”
“You, on the other hand, look even more sleep deprived than before, if that’s even possible.”
“Tis’ my charm”, he didn’t stutter nor stopp to look behind whenever he talked, dutifully guiding us to his leader.
Kurook may be small, but his serious attitude never changed; I felt like trying to get info on the subject from him wouldn’t work, so I patiently kept walking. He guided us through a series of corridors that seemed to lead upwards, staggering by what seemed to be a very rustic and simple elevator operated by a lever.
Hopping on the lever, he nodded, silently telling us to go in. Once everyone was inside, we heard a voice coming from a worn out computer speaker. It seemed to have been snatched away from the human’s recycling waste.
“Where to?”
“Y’know, diamonds are a girl’s best friends.”
“Got ya, pal. Up we go!”, with that, the elevator started moving under the sound of what sounded like dozens of pairs of wings flapping coming from the speaker.
Once it stopped, what we had before us were curtains; long and silky, their purple fabric shimmering at the wall torches’ lights.
“Asking for permission!”, Kurook announced.
“Permission granted~”, said a low and flamboyant voice in return. I knew very well whose voice that was, couldn’t ever forget how she sounded. Passing by the curtains, there she was.
Madame Crow. The elegant, refined and cunning Honchkrow that stood high as the mafia’s founder and unshakeable boss. She stood on her usual armchair, her piercing gaze aiming at the three of us. Her room’s floor was decorated with shiny and colorful stones.
“My, oh, my~”, she chanted, opening her wings in a salutation. Kurook hovered over his usual spot at her side, accompanied by another Murkrow. “What an interesting loot we have today! You never fail to amuse me, little Ange. So, what did the Purrloin bit this time?”
She spoke in a peculiar manner that would seem arrogant and nearly intimidating, but knowing her personally had proven Madame Crow wasn’t all that wicked at heart. I wasn’t afraid.
“How much do you know?”, I asked firmly.
“Enough, I’d say”, Madame Crow outlined the pearls on her necklace with her wing tips. “So what do you say, dear Ange, we talk about the Fairy World and this little, - if you allow me to put it this way - delta kit of yours? I’d tell you to grab a seat, but I will be brief, promise. Time is precious right now; and time is money.”
“I wonder what you mean by delta, Madame.”
“It’s a nomenclature I adopted in my recent studies, but eh; Let’s start from the beginning instead, shall we? Merley, grab me the records.”
The other Murkrow standing beside her took flight and was soon back with a scroll well-secured between her claws, dropping it by Madame’s feet; scroll which the Honchkrow began nimbly fumbling with, using her claws to open it.
“Let’s make a fast forward, or so to speak; I wasn’t eavesdropping all the way on you talking about the Fairy World. I’ve known about it for quite some time”, she said, looking at the scrolls contents, which seemed to be a research record with lots of text and drawn pictures. “Therefore, I won’t be talking about it in depth now.”
The day was running by with so many plot twists on who knew what that, by this time, I didn’t even become surprised she knew. What I wondered was what she could possibly have to add to this whole situation.
“What I have to add”, Madame Crow said, as if she had read my mind “is, simply offering you some aid, and asking for a favor in return.”
“Yes, I’m listening.”
She was actually nice at heart, but I didn’t expect it to come for free. Lady Noir and Tales didn’t take part in our conversation at all, but their attention remained on their leader. If she had called them as well, they probably would play some part in this.
“As you’re all well aware, I’m a scholar at heart”, she started, pacing around on top of the open scroll. “I’ve been researching on life and its several ways of coming into being on our world. However, with the sudden appearance of Pokémon from another universe in the Alola region, my research took flight.”
Madame Crow held the now open scroll, rapidly skimming over its text while explaining us her findings on said research.
“These Pokémon, nicknamed Ultra Beasts by the humans, are something entirely new to our world. Science has proven they indeed come from another universe by the use of gaps in our dimension’s structure. This made me start believing our universe isn’t the only one, that what we have is a multiverse. Are you following until now?”
I nodded, looking briefly at Lady and Tales to see them having the same reaction. Madame Crow whispered a “good” under her breath, and went ahead with her explanations.
“This made me go into further research and its results made me believe that not only there are other kinds of life forms, it’s also very likely there are universes where everything is the same as we know, but in a new form. Take the alolan Pokémon as example. And just like the so called Ultra Beasts, these unknown forms may sometime end up in another universe which is not theirs. However, due to these life forms uncanny resemblance to ours regardless being so different, I’ve decided to nickname them delta Pokémon.”
She gestured my way, as if wanting to see the child. I showed her the basket where she was resting, while Madame nodded, seemingly musing to herself in her thoughts.
“It’s only rumors, but I’ve heard about a very distant region on which scientists started tweaking the Pokémon’s DNA to get them new forms. The same Pokémon, with a new appearance and even typing”, she went on, attentively analyzing the child. “Whatever scientific failure regarding DNA proves such can’t be done according to nature’s laws. Assuming these scientists succeeded, means delta Pokémon are compatible with nature’s own process of creation.
That is… they are possible of naturally coming into being. This spreads much ahead on what I can explain you children right now, and there are controversies to what I’m saying; but this child could either be from another universe, and somehow fell into ours; or they’re one of these anomalies, one of what I’ve called delta, that somehow was born as such here in our world.”
“It all ties to creation itself. While I was researching about the multiverse theory, I found out about several worlds that aren’t exactly located in another dimension, but are worlds that coexist with ours regardless being unreachable. Akin to these, I found out about the fairy world.”
I wasn’t very knowledgeable on this kind of subject, but… was she possibly referring to legendary Pokémon? The only one I was aware of was Giratina, who lived in a distorted dimension since they were banned by Arceus themselves… I had heard about Cresselia and Darkrai having a realm located inside others’ dreams, but those were only rumors.
“As it’s vital to my research, I want to know more it. However, I’m not allowed into there, as you already know~”, she winked. “So, I know you – Ange and Lady Noir - are going to try and rescue the kit before their mismatching energy perishes on your world. All I ask of you is you take Kurook and Merley with you.”
The two Murkrow stepped front, waiting on our remarks for such decision. Lady Noir and Tales still kept silent, waiting on Madame Crow’s orders relative to our bargain’s result.
“I’m aware they’re not fairies, but with the great number of looming ghosts in that world, I believe they’re able of helping with their dark typing. I’d go myself, but they can aid you much better than I. You see, both Kurook and Merley here have remarkable memory, and their best asset is acting as living maps.”
“We don’t have much of directions though. What Tales could see was pretty vague in my opinion…”
“If we have him to describe what he’s seen while reading the kit’s aura, they’ll be able of taking in the info and guide you precisely to the location you’re looking for. It’s been their job for ages, and I’ve never been disappointed in them so far.”
I looked at the Lucario, who seemed to somehow feel me staring; he nodded solemnly.
“I can see how that would help us”, I said, taking care of hiding the dormant child under my cape again. “But, how does that favor you, Madame?”
“As I stated before, I want to know more about this world. Let’s say they’ll be acting as my own eyes when in there~”, she winked at me. “So, what do you say?”
“Sure. I have no reason to distrust you, Madame. But please, when – if – we do come back, don’t put this information to use in a reckless way.”
“No worries, Angie. I know better than that”, Madame Crow said vehemently, her piercing gaze making her serious tone justice. “Very well, then. Come over here, Tales. Please explain them what you saw and spare no details, no matter how minor they are.”
“Yes, Madame”, the Lucario nodded, kneeling down to talk to the two Murkrow who now looked intently at him.
“You’ve been really quiet so far, Noir, my dear. I suppose you already know by now where your voyage needs to get started to earn you a shortcut, yes?”
“I’ve been thinking”, she replied, serious. “Using Kurook and Merley as our compass, our travel becomes way faster. However, I’m afraid it’s not fast enough if we don’t enter the Fairy World by the location which’s the closest possible to the one the kit landed at.”
“Southern Island, if I’m not mistaken?”
“Yes. I know of someone who can help, but I’m not sure if-“
Before she could finish her sentence, a familiar voice echoed inside our minds. I felt my mind connected to Lady Noir’s and someone else’s… Serenity?
“I’m aware of what you’ve been trying to do and my time to step forward is near. This is supposed to be my duty, ladies, not yours. Since you’ve already gone this far, please allow me to take the lead now. Let’s reunite at Ange’s house as soon as possible.”
Assuming by how no one seemed to react to this message, it was safe to confirm only the three of us had listened to it. Madame Crow, however, picked up on the situation somehow. She smirked.
“By the looks on your face, I suppose you have an answer now~”
[continue…]
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