Since young, Adonis Prentiss found peace in the baubles she received. They came in various shapes and sizes. She traded discomfort for glittering Procrastination, a Voltorb-looking object she could open and put her hands in whenever she felt like it. She gave herself away just so she could get a star-shaped trinket by the name of Community that would one day dim and fade away the moment she neglected it or allocated too much attention to herself—'too much' meant any figure more than zero. Other times, they came in colourful cardboard boxes as a little treat because she had been a "good boy".

No, Adonis Prentiss wasn't a pet or anything like that. Before Adonis became Addy, she was a he. Actually, scratch that. Adonis was an investment and it's said that the more you encourage investment, the greater the returns. It's an equivalent exchange of risk and reward.

Anyway, Addy didn't like it when her past was revealed without consent. You see, authors must always seek the consent of their characters when revealing important information, or it will be a violation of their rights. Yes, yes, fictional characters have rights too. Even a Magikarp. Especially a Magikarp.

I digress. You might come to loathe me more now that I appear more and more frequently, but I assure you this is very normal. As author and narrator, it is my duty to give my characters a break because every story needs filler scenes or it will crumble. Just like real life, isn't it?

Is the change in tense bothering you? Do you not like to live in the present? Huh, Addy says she is indifferent to the now. We shall see about that.

Come, come, Adonis, this is your moment to shine. Every character in every story needs to have that arc where they break down and down and down till they are nothing. It's your turn.

What do you mean, it's a lie? Of course it isn't! Don't you want your story to be a bestseller? That's the go-to trope!

"You broke the promise," Addy whispered as she pressed the camera against her breast.

And I did. I tried to sell the story as a comedy, you know, like what people usually say, how comedy = tragedy + time. I guess not much time passed between then and now. This isn't a spoiler, though. I promise you, dear reader, that the tragedy here belongs to none of these characters. How should I put it...

Mine is a life of such shame and tragedy. I don't want to delve deeper than I should. It's not so important. You will come to understand one day anyway. After all, any tragedy is to the audience a kind of comedy.

That's not the same for Addy, but at this stage, she's dipping her toes into turbulent waters, figuratively speaking. There's no humour left for her at the moment.

She turned her camera over and glanced through the album, the one she named "Where The Lost Things Are". The blur prompted her to slow down. She began again.

The first picture dated back to when she was about to leave for Kanto. She was in Mistralton City where the airport was. Smoke trailed from a plane in takeoff, blending with the clouds in the dawn sky. Sure, Addy was in the viewing gallery instead of the business class of the airplane, but she felt like it. The hopeful gaze contrasted with her current forlorn one.

"How did it all come to this?"

The picture fitted the theme so well because she'd forgotten the feeling of adrenaline and rainbows at the tip of her tongue. But even as she revisited the scene Icarus took of her, she didn't want to experience all that thrill. It just didn't feel right.

The next one was slightly better. Better in the sense that she wasn't featured as a lone Lycanroc, at least. Addy and Icarus took the selfie when they were having pancakes in a riverside café in Viridian City. They had six each, neatly stacked on pristine plates and topped with whipped cream and assorted Berries. Addy wished to return to those halcyon days. She'd like to experience a time loop of that day.

"We should have spent more time with ourselves," she said as she clicked the button. "Yeah, ya girl's so foolish."

The frame held all the happiness that overflowed with the addition of a new friend, taken by one of the waitresses in the café. She stroked the pixelated Gary Oak with her middle finger, but she could not remove the hojicha ice cream she smeared on his cheek. Her hand flew to her chin where a rocky-road-flavoured smiley face once lived. Instead, she touched cold sweat.

On the other hand, Icarus looked so pleased with the Nanab Berry Ice Cream. The picture that followed revealed zir true colours. Zie crossed zir arms with an electrifying frown. Was the ice cream not too zir liking or too little? Addy couldn't remember what the specific reason was.

Not till her finger slipped and she hit the 'back' button. And wished to wash her eyes with bleach.

Pop quiz time. Why did Addy pixie-giggle in a Viridian café? Because Addy and Gary Oak were feeding each other ice cream! You know, the kind where you interlock elbows but instead of pouring wine down each other's throats because they weren't intimidated by your death threats, you sweeten the deal by offering a spoonful of ice cream in the gentlest way possible? Yeah, exactly that. Forget the Pocky game, this is next level dating.

By the way, this was the first time they met each other. See, Gary had that charm. No one, be they person or Pokémon or object, could resist his allure. Good news for Addy, he wasn't a Victreebel or Palossand or any other Pokémon of a similar vein. But close enough.

Our blushing heroine—was she angry or ashamed or both?—rushed to embrace the fifth picture, which surprisingly did not feature her. This was taken back in Mt. Moon Square where Constance and the old man stood side by side as they faced the lake in the middle of the square field, the light breeze catching their hair and clothes. It exuded a zen quality, but it was also "missing Constance" hours, which she took some time to admit to herself. Their journey made her dependent on the woman for growth and learning rather than the independence she once had when she left Mistralton City.

The next picture wasn't so different, just the moment when Constance was in the middle of getting up and her profile, along with the man's, were captured against the sunlight and lake. She had said something about "Spinda wheel of fortune again", Addy recalled. How could someone be so optimistic?

Gary would have called Constance obstinate, but that's a little thing between you and me, alright?

And speak of the devil, the last picture in the album was the torn poster of Gary Oak in the underpass.

Where The Lost Things Are indeed! But they were all found now. Memories, thoughts, emotions, first impressions, last impressions... There was no more loss.

Maybe that was the idea that comforted Addy the most. When there was nothing lost, then there must be everything to gain.

That was how Addy picked herself up once more. There was only so much Constance could teach her, but more she could learn from herself.

Addy smiled and rubbed her eyes. In a daze, she removed the SD card and hid it underneath her pillow. Yes, she would leave it in the S. S. Anne, in the middle of the ocean, let it go places as long as all these memories remained in her heart.

Because where the lost things are, the self waits to be found.

𒆨

I suppose now is the time to tie up some loose ends, like what happened to the rest of the passengers aboard the S. S. Anne.

Don't worry about them. These saintly martyrs were having the time of their lives gossipping about whoever came to mind, so they wouldn't mind being tea for gossip for a lifetime. When the maleficent, Murderous Magi™ was gone, the deck pulsated with complaints and statements indicating utter disappointment that could well apply to themselves. A while later, they got even more attracted to their voices and decided to form an impromptu choir. Their efforts were not in vain. The S. S. Anne was officially the strongest Repel in history.

The sailors dashed towards the basement and locked their doors when they realised their guests wouldn't stop their laments.

"We are weaker than a Magikarp!"

"The king of the sea!"

"What is good? What is super? The Old Rod! The wondrous rod! Magikarp rod!"

"There are plenty of fishes in the sea, but only one shall we worship! Everybody, come together! Clap your hands and one, two, three! Get a Magikarp and live your life free!"

"MA-GI-KARP! MA-GI-KARP!"

Yada yada dippity-doo. Abra Kadabra....

"Blegh!" The Captain turned up the radio, only to listen to the cacophony fancying themselves a world-renowned chorale blaring from the speakers. So he puked once more.

This time, however, Gary Oak wasn't there because there was nothing left to exchange, no more HM Cut. Or, actually, he was still in Seafoam Islands.

So it brought immense relief to see him back on the ship, that maybe this time round, Gary would help him, no strings attached. Of course Gary didn't know the Captain had such a weak stomach and never knew to check up on him.

Scratch that, there was Gary staring at him, waving through the window!

"My saviour!" The Captain pushed the windows open and sniffed the salty breeze.

"Looking fine as always, Cap," Gary said with a sneer and floated out of the frame. Then came a flurry of feathers and a drop of scales and "Wheeeee!" and "Constance, this is a Pidgeot, not a roller-coaster!".

Needless to say, the Captain's face fell. The concert on the deck went on. He vomitted into the sea. Their call and response continued till the Captain gave up and jumped ship.

This was the untold secret of why the S. S. Anne was often known as a cruise to nowhere. You do you, Captain! Just remember your crew will await your comeback as usual!

"That was brutal," Addy mumbled as they zipped into the clouds.

"Must be really hard to be a Captain nowadays," Constance said as she glanced at Magi.

This flight was the child of a whim when the true nature of the cruise was exposed. They could wait no more. Their last chance awaited them.

"Buckle your seatbelts, ladies!" Gary's voice rang through as the Pidgoet picked up speed. "To Victory Road!*

"There are no seatbelts!" Addy hugged the Pidgeot's neck. Icarus gave chase out of jealousy. Magi was literally on cloud nine.

"Wheeee! Wheee! Wheee!"

"Th-There's noth-th-thin' en-joy-a-ble a-bout thisss!" Wind rushed into Addy's mouth, her teeth chattering, her mouth swiftly changing shapes.

What do you mean, you are Espurr-fect as you can be! Don't deny the thrill, go with the flow!

Yes, Constance knew this ride was Espurr-fect as it could be, and kept repeating the phrase in her heart. It's like a prayer to convince herself her experiences were very real, when even she too knew how fictional she was. No, she wasn't being fake. Just an authentic product of imagination.

You see, every story needs a plot twist or two to spice things up. So here's the much needed surprise: Constance wasn't a real person and neither was her family. According to the tabloids (in reality, you know what I mean) an Adonis Prentiss did break up with Gary Oak because of relationship issues. They were many speculations involved that Gary was born in a heteronormative game called Pokémon and therefore his core settings made him transphobic. This rumour was soon proven to be false, for Gary was fine with Team Rocket's infamous duo, Jessie and James, who were both gender-fluid.

You know, I was kidding. Or was I? Damn, I couldn't know for sure.

At last, Victory Road. They mounted off the Pidgeot and bade it farewell before turning to the cave.

Just then, Icarus dropped the camera and shook it about.

"What's wrong?" Addy stopped the Emolga and gave zir a look. Then, she understood. It must be about the SD card. "It's not there anymore. I left it in the cabin."

Gary blinked while Constance and Magi shared the quizzical glance Icarus had.

Addy snapped her fingers and managed a smile. "There are some moments only the eye remembers. And that is good enough."

Of course, dear reader, you'd know she just wanted to leave the past behind. Her words convinced everyone, including herself.

The cave beckoned them with the smell of bacon and honey. A low growl shook the earth.

Stomp stomp.

Their hearts raced. They scanned their surroundings, only to see a quick claw swipe at the tub, and the strap broke free, then Magi was flopping in the palm of the giant claw. No, it wasn't just the claw, but the owner of the claw was a true giant.

Gary gulped. There were three things that could happen at Victory Road. One, a match with your rival. Two, finding yourself lost in the maze of some circuit or motherboard thing or whatever that was—game characters weren't supposed to know. And three, a rematch with your rival.

And Magi's rival was bigger, bolder and better than before.

Constance pointed at the Pokémon. "Magi! We did it before, and we'll do it again."

Icarus fished out pom-poms and made Addy and Gary into cheerleaders. The Three Oricorio was ready. All that remained was the command.

Constance gave it wholeheartedly with a death stare.

"Magi! Crush! That! Snorlax!"

The final showdown began.