After all the madness of that day, Zayn finally decided to set up a tent in the camping area because it was already night.
"I didn't expect being a Pokémon trainer to be this crazy," Zayn said while trying to set up the tent he carried in his bag.
After that, he looked up how to pitch the tent and tried assembling each part one by one, and luckily, he succeeded.
"Finally, joining Professor Xeno's summer camp back then wasn't a waste after all," Zayn said proudly.
"Gible… Gible," Gible said, and Zayn immediately knew that Gible was hungry.
"Wait a moment, Gible. I just realized—aren't you a Ghost-type Pokémon? You should be able to live without food, right?" Zayn said.
"Gible… Gible… Gible," Gible replied irritably, then drew something. It was a picture of Gible showing that he indeed didn't need to eat. It turned out the reason Gible ate was only to obtain the effects, such as the healing effect from a Figy Berry.
"Oh, so you really don't need to eat. You're kind of like ghosts in games— even though they're ghosts, they still have health points," Zayn thought, simplifying it.
"Gible," Gible replied, agreeing with Zayn's idea.
After that, they tried to cook, and first they needed to make a campfire.
"Making a fire, huh? Aha! I've got an idea, Gible. How about we ask Joltik to do it?" Zayn said.
Then he released Joltik from its Poké Ball.
"All right, Joltik. Since I'm your trainer now, follow my command," Zayn said. "Now use Thunder Shock to light the fire!"
And eventually, the fire was lit.
Before cooking, the three of them became suspicious of each other because of the strange events since earlier that day. Gible was suspicious about how Zayn was still alive. Zayn was suspicious about why he and Gible had gotten trapped the day before. And Joltik was confused about how they ended up in its place and defeated it back then.
After that, Zayn decided to start telling his story.
"You two know, I've been the type of person who loves video games since I was little—more precisely, since my father gave me a Pokémon-themed game on my fourth birthday. After playing many Pokémon games, from retro to modern, I became so used to games that I see everything like a game—levels, stats, and so on," Zayn explained.
At that point, Gible was no longer surprised about how they could find items inside Poké Balls yesterday.
Then it was Gible's turn.
Gible told his story through drawings. It turned out that Gible lived in the very deep sea where there was no light at all. Because of that, he could navigate in darkness, and he believed that darkness did not care about time, space, cause, effect, events, or anything else. All he had seen since birth was darkness.
One day, he found something like the wreck of an old ship. Coincidentally, Diego was conducting deep-sea research there. Diego realized it was strange that there were so many shipwrecks in that area even though it wasn't a dangerous zone. Then Diego discovered Gible, and they fought. Gible lost because Diego used Dracavern.
Because of that, Gible was defeated and captured by Diego.
From this, Zayn finally understood why Gible was with Diego, and he also understood why Gible could move through the Shadow Realm—it was like his home. Even so, Zayn was still confused about what Diego was actually searching for, because Diego and the other shipwrecks should have disappeared. Joltik also realized the reason Gible could reach its location the day before.
Gible was still angry because he lost to Dracavern, and Zayn found that understandable, since Dracavern was a pseudo-Legendary Pokémon and naturally very strong.
Then it was Joltik's turn to tell its story using its electric threads. Joltik explained that it had just been born and immediately fought Zayn's Gible Redux. Zayn thought that this was just like in the old Pokémon games he played, where Pokémon could suddenly appear from bushes. Through its drawings, Joltik also showed that it saw everything as electric threads, and because of that, Gible understood why they took damage and status effects when they entered the forest earlier.
Still, Gible remained confused about why Zayn was still alive—that question was still unanswered.
"Okay, it looks like it's time to cook dinner," Zayn said.
Zayn took out the ingredients and started cooking using the equipment he had brought in his bag. That's when Zayn realized that Diego seemed to have forgotten to give him something very important: an Inventory Box. Because of that, Zayn realized that all this time he had been carrying a very large camping backpack, whereas if he had an Inventory Box, he would only need to carry a small bag.
"Seriously, he really seems to want to make my adventure harder. And why didn't I think of putting my belongings into the Shadow Realm?" Zayn thought.
After that, Zayn began cooking, while Gible and Joltik waited. At first, they wanted to sleep, but then Gible noticed the game console that Zayn had taken out earlier. He turned it on and tried playing the game Zayn had been playing.
"Alright, the food is finally ready," Zayn said. He made something like curry, but it seemed Zayn didn't realize that he shouldn't have replaced the Figy Berry with a Spelon Berry he got from the forest earlier, because it was far too spicy.
After that, Zayn immediately ran toward the nearby river, while Gible and Joltik actually liked the curry because they enjoyed spicy food.
When he reached the river, Zayn immediately rinsed his mouth with the river water until the spiciness faded.
"Hah… hah… I didn't expect it to be this spicy," Zayn said while continuing to rinse his mouth.
"Excuse me, I'd like to ask you—did you experience anything interesting today?" asked a trainer beside Zayn.
Zayn then turned toward the trainee and saw that the trainee had dark blue hair and blue eyes. Judging by his age, they seemed to be about the same age. He was also wearing a black sling bag.
"Not something interesting—more like something very troublesome," Zayn replied. "May I know your name?" Zayn asked.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Xavier, and I also just started my journey today," he answered.
"You just started your journey today?!" Zayn realized something.
"I'm sure you got your starter from Professor Xeno's laboratory, and the one who gave you your starter Pokémon was someone named Professor Diego," Zayn said.
"How do you know that?" Xavier replied.
"You know, I already suspected it. I'm sure you just started your adventure, because I also just started today. And Professor Diego said that all the starter Pokémon had already been taken. I knew you were one of those trainers because you have a Rotomdex beside you that bears the mark of my hometown, Quartz City," Zayn explained.
Xavier was immediately amazed, seeing Zayn like a detective.
"You're amazing—being able to learn so much about me just from the appearance of my Rotomdex," he praised.
"And I'm sure you were the trainer who didn't get a starter Pokémon at the lab because they ran out. After that, Professor Diego gave you a Pokémon—and you must have been pranked by your Pokémon!" Xavier said.
"How do you know that?" Zayn asked, confused.
"I know because logically, you wouldn't survive in the wild area without a Pokémon. And I also know Professor Diego's habits," Xavier replied, explaining.
"You know, I've wanted to become a detective for a long time, but I've never found an interesting case. And I feel like there will definitely be something interesting happening here," Xavier said.
After that, Zayn had a bad feeling.
Then Xavier realized that he had forgotten to ask Zayn's name.
"If you don't mind, could you tell me your name?" Xavier asked.
"Hmmm… alright then. My name is Zayn, and I have a dream of becoming someone who can uncover the mysteries of this world," Zayn replied.
"An interesting dream," Xavier said.
After that, their Pokémon came over because they had been away for too long. That was when Zayn found out that Xavier was the one who had taken Cubble, the starter Pokémon Zayn had been aiming for. At the same time, Xavier learned that Gible was a Gible Redux—a special variant.
After that, Zayn took out his Pokédex and checked Cubble's description.
> The Pokémon appears as a small, round, mouse-like creature with a chubby body. It has light blue fur with a pale, grayish-white belly and short limbs. Its ears are large and circular, with pink inner centers, giving it a cute and friendly look.
Zayn then realized that the entries in his Pokédex had to be filled in manually. His Pokédex analyzed Pokémon based on available data, and earlier it had only described Cubble's appearance because the data was insufficient.
"Is that an analysis-type Pokédex?" Xavier asked.
"Yes, it's an analysis type," Zayn replied.
"I've heard that type excels at gathering data, but it's usually used by experienced trainers or scientists. Did you get it from Professor Diego because you didn't receive a Rotomdex?" Xavier asked.
"In short, that's how it is. And because of that, it means I have to collect the data myself," Zayn replied.
After that, the two of them finally realized that their tents were actually close to each other. Naturally, as a starting point, Xavier invited Zayn to explore the forest, since at night there were usually many unique Pokémon.
"Alright, as a start! Let's explore the forest over there!" Xavier shouted loudly—so loudly that they were scolded by another trainer who was trying to sleep.
"Are you crazy? It's almost midnight already," Zayn replied.
"You know, sometimes this can be useful as experience, or at the very least we can figure out which Pokémon are interesting," Xavier replied.
"Isn't that kind of data something you can just look up on the internet or on your Rotomdex?" Zayn responded.
"You know, data isn't always correct, and sometimes it's manipulated to look accurate. I admit that data is useful, but data alone will never be enough without evidence," Xavier replied.
After that, Xavier dragged Zayn into the forest, and of course their Pokémon followed as well. Zayn's bad feeling only grew stronger.
Soon, they arrived in the forest.
"Alright, now that we're here, it's time to look for a Pokémon to catch," Xavier said.
"You know, it's already 11:00 PM, and tomorrow I still have to wake up early to go to Ariestal City. That means I have to be ready at the station by 7:15 AM so I don't miss the train!" Zayn said irritably.
After that, the two of them encountered a bird Pokémon called Chatot, and Xavier's Rotomdex immediately began identifying it.
"Chatot, a Flying/Normal-type Pokémon. It is a Pokémon that likes to imitate the voices of humans and Pokémon, and it does so perfectly. It is said that it can trap people inside their own thoughts or memories using only its voice. There are even rumors of someone being stuck in their past after hearing its voice," Rotom said.
Zayn and Xavier realized that whoever wrote that Pokédex entry must have been a strange person, for including a story at the end of the description.
After that, they faced Chatot, and the battle began.
"Alright, I'll start then. Gible, use Aqua Jet!" Zayn commanded.
Gible immediately attacked Chatot. In response, Chatot used Defog, covering the entire forest in mist. Zayn then realized Chatot's Ability—Prankster. After that, Chatot used Hyper Voice. The loud sound immediately injured Zayn, Xavier, and Cubble. Strangely, Gible was also hurt, even though Gible Redux had the Ghost type, which should have made it immune to Normal-type attacks.
"Okay, this is starting to make no sense. How can you attack Gible? Is your Ability Scrappy or something?" Zayn said, slightly frustrated, knowing he would struggle if this turned out like his battle against Joltik.
"Okay, I'll try something," Xavier said. He used his Rotomdex to run calculations and predictions. Chatot attacked again, but this time it was struck first by Gible's Aqua Jet.
After that, Xavier asked his Rotomdex to perform an identification:
Name: Chatot
Type: Normal/Flying
Moves used:
• Hyper Voice
• Defog
• Chatter
Ability:
• Prankster
After that, Zayn switched Gible with Joltik. Chatot then attacked with Hyper Voice—and unbelievably, Joltik was badly injured immediately.
Zayn and Xavier realized that something was very wrong. There was no way a single attack should do that much damage.
Then it was Zayn's turn to bring out his Pokédex.
Name: Chatot
Type: Sound/Flying
Level: 15
Stats (Rank):
HP: B
Attack: C+
Defense: B+
Sp. Attack: S
Sp. Defense: A
Speed: A+
Nature: Modest
Stats (Values):
HP: 47
Attack: 25
Defense: 23
Sp. Atk: 45
Sp. Def: 26
Speed: 36
Moves:
• Hyper Voice
• Chatter
• Defog
• Protect
Abilities:
• Prankster
• Amplifier
• Adaptability
"Damn it… same-type attack boosted by Adaptability, and it even has Amplifier on top of that," Zayn said in panic.
"Now, Joltik, use Thunderbolt!" Zayn commanded.
Joltik immediately used Thunderbolt, but Chatot survived thanks to Protect.
"Okay, since you're not a Normal type, that means I can attack you with Ghost-type moves," Zayn thought.
After that, Zayn recalled Joltik and sent out his Gible Redux once again.
"Gible, use Phantom Force!" Zayn commanded.
The attack immediately caused Gible to vanish into the darkness. Because it was Gible's signature move, it had a special effect—allowing Gible to attack instantly, just like when he fought Joltik before.
Gible continued attacking Chatot relentlessly. Zayn saw that Chatot's health was almost depleted and tried to throw a Poké Ball. However, Chatot used Chatter to attack Gible, knocking the Poké Ball far away before it could reach Chatot. Gible was also injured, strangely enough, because Chatot's voice was still able to harm him—even though Gible should not have been affected due to the effects of Phantom Force and Shadow Sneak.
"So that's how it is… I knew something was strange," Zayn said.
"What do you mean? Hyper Voice being able to hit Gible—doesn't that make sense since it's a sound-based move?" Xavier replied.
"That's not it. Logically speaking, sound can't propagate in a vacuum—let alone in the Shadow Realm, which is nothing but darkness. It should be impossible for him to attack Gible while he's in there," Zayn replied.
"So you're saying it can attack its target without caring about logic at all?" Xavier said.
"Exactly. Now you get what I mean. And it seems that there truly is no logic that fully applies in this world," Zayn said.
But while they were talking, Chatot suddenly used Boomburst, shocking Zayn—how could a level 15 Pokémon know Boomburst?
"How is that possible?! It's only level 15!" Zayn shouted as he covered his ears and recalled Gible.
After that, Zayn decided to lend his Pokédex to Xavier. Chatot had already been weakened, and it must have analyzed them earlier.
"You know, Xavier, Chatot is an intelligent Pokémon. It wouldn't repeat the same mistake twice against the same opponent. That's why—here," Zayn said as he handed over his Pokédex.
"Maybe this really is the only way," Xavier replied, taking the Pokédex.
"Alright, my turn now. Cubble, use Bubble!" Xavier commanded.
Countless water bubbles shot toward Chatot at high speed, but Chatot immediately used Chatter, shattering all the bubbles. At the same time, everyone was inflicted with confusion, since Zayn's Pokédex stated that Chatter caused 100% confusion.
"Ugh… my head hurts so much," Xavier said while clutching his head. He began wandering aimlessly through the forest, with Cubble following him. Surprisingly, Cubble was not affected by confusion thanks to its Ability, Own Tempo.
"What's going on?! Why are we separated from Zayn—and where are we?" Xavier said in confusion. Around him, the trees were twisted into strange shapes, and musical notes floated everywhere. At first, he thought he was still under the effect of confusion, but he realized he wasn't—because Cubble was experiencing the same thing.
"What kind of place is this?!" Xavier shouted. He heard countless overlapping sounds, but the clearest one was the ticking of a clock. In the distance, he saw a clock tower standing in the middle of a city.
"How can there be a city in a place like this?" he said in disbelief.
Xavier and Cubble entered the city. There were many people there, living as if it were a real city. Strangely, Xavier felt like he recognized them.
"How can this city exist? And how can they live like this?" he thought, realizing that he himself might be going insane.
"Cubble…" Cubble cried out worriedly for its trainer.
Xavier then headed toward the clock tower, believing it to be the center of everything—and yet, the clock tower felt familiar.
"I'm sure that tower is the source! Come on, Cubble—we'll defeat Chatot!" Xavier said.
They ran toward the tower, but soon realized there was no path leading to it. The place was like a labyrinth. Instead of getting closer, the tower strangely appeared to grow larger. Xavier thought he was approaching it, but Cubble stopped him, realizing that they were actually moving farther away, not closer.
They tried asking the residents for directions, but Xavier felt as if he were truly meeting his old neighbors—their voices, appearances, and manner of speaking were exactly the same. This only made Xavier feel even more insane.
Eventually, they decided to cheat by climbing a building—but the building only grew taller and taller. The constant ticking of the clock drove Xavier further toward madness, until midnight finally arrived. At that moment, the clock tower released an extremely loud sound that shattered everything for Xavier.
Strangely, even Cubble was affected by the sound—something that should have been impossible due to its Soundproof Ability. At that moment, Zayn's Pokédex updated, adding Mold Breaker to Chatot's list of Abilities.
Xavier thought he was surely going to die because of the clock's sound, but then he realized something: according to Zayn's Pokédex, dying in that world did not mean true death. Once information existed within that world's frequency, it could return.
That's when Xavier realized this must be the "interesting event" he had sensed earlier, before meeting Zayn.
"Hahaha… Hahahaha! So this is it—something truly interesting. I never thought I'd experience something like this," Xavier laughed loudly, his expression filled with excitement.
Xavier immediately recalled Cubble into its Poké Ball and began running through the labyrinth. He made a bet with himself—that he would solve this case: a case centered on himself.
Xavier ran toward the clock tower as fast as he could. He realized that everything in this place was sound-based—but the sounds here were different. They didn't just exist; they governed and altered everything.
He tried approaching the tower again, but found himself back in the labyrinth. At first, everything seemed the same—but it wasn't. He kept running, over and over, and the same thing continued to happen. The clock rang once more, everything shattered again, and Xavier returned—because he would not die here.
And there, Xavier began to think of something.
"If everything here is based on sound, just how far and vast is this place?" Xavier asked himself in his thoughts.
The clock continued ticking. The citizens of the city kept going about their daily lives as usual, and Xavier realized something: everything in that world was based on sound. Zayn's Pokédex completed its analysis, revealing that everything in that world—location, light, material, space, time, and all else—was sound-based. It also stated that the size of that world encompassed all possible variations of frequency itself. Since Xavier understood that frequency vibrates, there had to be something that could draw him closer to the center.
Xavier then activated the frequency meter on Zayn's Pokédex. He realized that he needed to find locations where incoming waves were stronger than outgoing waves, and the Pokédex identified several such points.
After that, Xavier began executing his plan.
"Alright, this is it. I'm going to solve this case!" Xavier declared.
The clock struck twelve once again, and everything shattered. At that moment, Xavier realized something.
"My limit is twelve hours. Every hour, there's a frequency wave that can push me farther away or pull me closer. And when it reaches twelve o'clock, everything collapses and repeats," Xavier thought.
They ran. Xavier followed the path toward the locations he had determined earlier. When he reached one of the points, he had to wait for the clock to strike so he could move closer. The most agonizing part was that every second, the sound produced by the clock felt like it was tearing apart his mind and sanity. He struggled to stay focused, began seeing countless hallucinations, and whenever he failed, everything reset from the beginning.
After that, he ran with all his strength, ignoring everything. His only target was Chatot. He didn't care if his body was being destroyed by the clock's sound or by spatial distortions. He cut through paths he wasn't supposed to take—according to his calculations, shortcutting was possible as long as he followed the frequency routes, even though the risk was severe injury. He did it anyway, knowing he wouldn't truly die.
At last, he reached the clock tower. He and Cubble rushed straight to the top and encountered Chatot. Xavier had to defeat it before midnight in that world.
Xavier sent out Cubble.
"Now, Cubble, use Bubble!"
Countless bubbles flew toward Chatot, but Chatot still managed to neutralize the attack with Hyper Voice.
"Now use Water Pulse!"
Cubble fired a spiraling stream of water meant to confuse Chatot, but Chatot countered with Chatter. Thanks to Chatot's Mold Breaker Ability, the attack was able to affect Cubble.
"Looks like there's no other choice now. Use our secret technique."
Cubble generated countless bubbles, enveloping itself and its surroundings in an overwhelming calm until everything seemed to vanish. Indirectly, this erased the entire world by trapping all existing sounds within those bubbles.
"Alright, now use Water Pulse!" Xavier shouted.
The attack struck Chatot with tremendous force, like being hit by a massive vortex composed of all the bubbles from before. Chatot was trapped inside it and was finally defeated.
"Finally… I finally solved this case—and it was a case about myself," Xavier said, having succeeded.
Xavier immediately threw a Great Ball at Chatot. The capture succeeded, and everything returned to normal. Zayn was left confused as they suddenly reappeared.
"Wait a second—where did you even go? I only looked away for a moment to give Joltik a berry, and suddenly you're back with a Chatot?" Zayn asked in confusion.
"That's a very long and very confusing story," Xavier said, gripping both of Zayn's shoulders.
"I understand," Zayn replied.
"It's already late. We'd better get some sleep now, or we might end up being late tomorrow," Zayn said.
"Oh right—don't forget to return my Pokédex," Zayn added.
"Of course. I won't forget," Xavier replied.