Music in Media: The World Is What You Make It by Paul Brady

18 January, Tuesday, 9 a.m. | Winter

When Rae awoke the next day, Icosa had yet to return. Calling him led to the dial tone, something something record your message after the tone and turn your missed call into a voicemail. Rae never liked recording her message like this. It felt too one-sided and less affectionate. There was hardly a need for this back in Johto anyway. Besides, last she checked, she did receive a few voicemails from Kyo and Kaspar but she dared not listen. She dearly missed them and their voices but what could she say? She couldn't just tell them she was fused with her Pokémon using a DNA Splicer. She would probably be summoned back home and her adventure would be cut short and she'd be back in Johto wondering if the musical perversion had ever been resolved, would watch the news every single day without fail, would hope to see it reported in the newspapers, hear it over the radio... In short, she was too invested now to simply let go.

With a sigh, she washed up and shuffled her feet into Driftveil City Pokémon Centre's cafeteria. Noko-Noko bounced along beside her while the rest stayed in their Poké Balls. Cheren and Lenora were already up and eating their breakfast.

"Down to us three," mumbled Cheren when she caught his eye. He shoved a cup of latte to his mouth and scrunched up his nose before looking aside at his reflection in the window and setting the cup on the saucer. Rae understood his disgruntlement. It was unbecoming of a young adult like Icosa to be throwing temper tantrums like a Tyrantrum addicted to Outrage.

Lenora, too, grimaced. "Everyone's gone back to their posts. At least Icosa left the crown with me."

Rae took a seat beside her and released all her Pokémon. One of the Audino working at the cafeteria glanced at her and placed a bowl of cornflakes with milk on the table. Then brought some PokéBlocks and Poffins for her Pokémon. She managed a small smile and the Audino left.

"We're heading to Mistralton City after breakfast. Just got to pass through Chargestone Cave and that's pretty much it. With how things are progressing, we can never know what the music does to each town and city the longer we dawdle."

"You're speaking a lot more than usual, Cheren," said Lenora.

"I hope Icosa has reached Mistralton before us. With the way he dealt with Thundurus, that may be for the best."

Rae blinked. "What do you mean?"

Cheren crossed his arms and leaned back. "Following the trend, it's clear that Tornadus will be in Mistralton City. Electric, Ground and now, pure Flying."

"And the next thing you know, the Swords of Justice and Victini show up." Lenora slumped on the table. "You know, when I studied Unova's history, only the Tao Trio was highlighted by many historians. Yet now we're proven wrong before our eyes. It's the first time every other Mythical and Legendary Pokémon gathered at the round table."

"Maybe we were ignorant," Cheren said, "or incompetent."

Lenora watched Rae scoop the cornflakes into her mouth. "I have a feeling we're pulling at different threads here."

"I have a feeling they will connect somehow."

Rae glanced between the pair and sighed. "Are you two still affected by the Worry Seeds?"

Cheren and Lenora coughed. "No!"

With a "Mmph", Rae resumed her breakfast. They sat in silence till she and her Pokémon were done, a silence laden with anxiety and hurt that made them fidgety and bothersome. Thankfully, all this was over in about half an hour when Clay sent them off to the route connecting the city to Chargestone Cave.

Route 6 was a pleasant change of scenery. Perhaps too pleasant. It was the only route thus far which harnessed all four seasons. Snow-capped trees peppered the snaking route, the river bridges were covered with red and yellow leaves, all while the sun beat down on them and a floral scent wafted in the air. The music was bombastic with a side of twinkling calm, like summer and winter fighting for power. Each time it switched up, the pelting snow would turn into sakura petals and vice versa. They turned to dried leaves upon touching the ground anyway, as if autumn was the great equaliser here. Through it all, the sun remained its glare and blaze though Rae hoped it would be a little chilly.

Most of the Pokémon here were Deerling and their evolution Sawsbuck. All four seasonal variants coexisted harmoniously, grazing and stalking about the wilderness. No changes to their forms despite the music's constant switch-ups. Rae wondered if Otis would look any different here but she supposed she wouldn't know. She'd like to have a Deerling or Sawsbuck on her own but she figured she would leave space for a Flying-type at least. Maybe catch a Tranquill and train it up. If only she could find one here.

According to Cheren, the summer and winter tracks have been mashed up though it shouldn't be the case now that Driftveil's music was restored. The only other explanation was that restoring Mistralton's music would do the trick. After all, the route was home to Mistralton Cave, which only adopted its moniker but led nowhere near the city. Instead, it was the resting place of Cobalion, the leader of the Swords of Justice.

The cave exuded a sense of calm but didn't look like much from a distance, just a mouth at the foot of a mountain obscured by some trees and only accessible by Surf.

"We are not going to meet and greet a Legendary," said Cheren. "But I wish we had the time. The Swords of Justice have warmed up to humans just a little and contributed to our peace."

"I'd rather not remember those days." Lenora plucked a petal out of her hair. "Besides, that's dated info. It's been a year since Cobalion shifted to Route 13. Some say the Guidance Chamber remains in the cave."

"Why did zie move?" Rae asked.

"The revival of Team Plasma back then might have led to the Swords of Justice leaving their domains to proactively protect Pokémon."

Team Plasma again. Rae didn't think the syndicate would have such an extensive influence over the Pokémon ecosystem. Then again, they did bring in Pokémon from numerous other regions, something about liberation from greedy and corrupt regions and how Unova was the best region for all Pokémon to thrive in. Shauntal had noted that in her book which Icosa often had with him. Now, Rae was thinking about him and wishing for his safety again. She stopped herself by averting the adults' attention to a building in the middle of the route, whose roof held snow and sakura petals.

Cheren shrugged. "That's the Season Research Lab."

The building was made of clear glass, like a greenhouse, except it was more elaborate with blue finishings and a glass roof. Three scientists were tending to a variety of plants and Berries when the trio inched closer. One of them, a man wearing a grey lab coat, stepped out to greet them, introducing himself as the person in charge.

"Johto doesn't have this but now I wish we do," mumbled Rae. Noko-Noko wagged her tail in agreement.

"Kid, Johto's seasons are more stable and less varied. It's useless," the man told her. "But it is very useful here, especially in these times."

He glanced at Cheren and Lenora and beckoned them to enter. Rae supposed he wouldn't entertain her given that she was a "kid" and therefore wouldn't know as much about how seasons worked, or perhaps because she was an alien here. Still, he led them to a display board without care for her ruminations.

"If I knew we were having esteemed guests today, we would have gone out to greet you."

"That is unnecessary," returned Cheren. "But please, explain what the board is showing about the seasons."

Sometimes, Rae forgot Cheren could be authoritative, assertive really, for he was Aspertia City's Gym Leader and a schoolteacher. He was hardly like that around her anyway.

"Well..." The scientist hiccupped and apologised for it. "You're seeing the spread of the seasons across Unova. Where we are is chaotic, to say the least"-Another hiccup-"but here's the interesting part. Chargestone Cave is the game changer.

"As you can see here with the snowflakes, everywhere below is Winter. Starting from the other side of the cave, however, it's all Spring."

Rae wanted to argue that two seasons couldn't exist at the same time in a region, that perhaps Route 6 was an exception due to the music but who was she to pick a bone with a researcher, an expert in the field? Music couldn't normally affect seasons, and it was in fact often the other way round. Music tastes often changed with the seasons. Yet the evidence was there, smack dab in her face.

"We're heading there. We can check it out for you."

"That will be great," the scientist told Cheren. "Also, if it isn't too hard of an ask, I would like you to tell me if you found any scientists in the cave. I have a research fellow who went in two days ago and hasn't returned since. No news, nothing."

Rae knitted her brows. No two cities or towns were the same. That meant only one place would lead to a ceaseless sleep and that was Driftveil. Unless Mistralton's music caused paralysis... No. That was an absurd thought.

"Sir, do you believe what you see on the board to be the truth?" Rae asked. Maybe it wasn't spring. Maybe it was a weird miasma. Like paralytic poison. Maybe things became way worse up there in Northern Unova.

The scientist scowled. "The situation is less than ideal but I will not call it any more true as a result. Let me be delusional for a moment and think my friend safe."

"She's asking about the seasons," Lenora pointed out.

"Oh." He hissed and rubbed his hands against his lab coat. "The seasons. Of course you'll be slower than us. Well, kid, we have moved on to a new topic but I shall talk to you about the seasons. Our devices don't lie. We have drones flying all over Unova to capture real-world information at real-time."

"Okay."

Rae's chest tightened. This man was a real piece of work.

Cheren stepped in. "How about you treat her with respect? She was just asking a question."

"The only people worthy of respect are those who have proven themselves worthy of respect," said the scientist. "Like you and Lenora. It's clear that this girl here is so entitled she knows nothing about seasons. Why are you travelling with her anyway? You should find someone more esteemed. Maybe even the Champion."

Rae's figure trembled. Noko-Noko curled and clamped her shoulder in a bid to calm her down.

Then he added, "Well, you're from Johto, aren't you? Maybe you should scurry back home and eat some sushi instead. And get the Champion of the Indigo League here. I mean, if it was Lance, he would probably have done something about the whole crisis."

"Excuse me?" Lenora clicked her tongue. "Watch your mouth. We are doing all that we can for Unova. And you probably haven't been catching up with the news."

"Lenora-"

"No, Cheren. He needs to hear it." Lenora placed her hands on Rae's arms. "Look here, lad, and you see Johto's Champion. The one who bested Lance with her very own team of Normal-types."

The scientist coughed. "You're lying. Normal-types can't do jack shit to Dragon-types."

Cheren rolled his eyes. "You're speaking to a bunch of Normal-type specialists who are on par with the Opelucid Gym Leader. Anyway, that's enough time wasted. We'll get going."

"Yes, yes," said the scientist. "I'd rather not argue about Normal-types with you experts. You'd better bring my friend back if you can."

Rae stared at a figure approaching the lab, looking all charred with holes in their clothes. Their hair was frizzled and burnt to a crisp. They could barely walk straight.

"That's your friend," Rae said and the trio shuffled away. That was their cue to leave while he was preoccupied with the fellow.

But of course, the researcher's state left her wondering just what would await them in Chargestone Cave. Would it be yet another Hisuian Pokémon? Or a Legendary? Just what was so special about the cave that it set apart two seasons anyway?

As they strode towards the cave, Cheren and Lenora kept checking in on her to make sure she was alright. From her experience thus far, she knew not all Unovans were happy to offend like that. There were many hospitable people out there.

Thoughts of truth and ideals swarmed her mind as they took their first step into Chargestone Cave. N would probably say, "the world is what you make it, Rae. We do not have to wait to die to be levelled. We can be equalisers too."

Yeah, N could never be the one behind this music perversion. It was so unlike him.

Harmonia. The King. Just who was this mysterious puppeteer anyway?

"Rae, watch it!' Cheren pulled her back and she snapped out of her daze.

Chargestone Cave was littered with floating stones thanks to a strong electromagnetic field and she'd almost walked into one. The sound of static filled the air around her yet there was no static, nothing to caution there was something electrifying before her. Beside the blue crystal was a pool of clear water.

"Huh, since when is there water in this cave?" Cheren frowned.

The quiet water surface rippled. A dark blue slime poked out. Then a red eye surrounded by a patch of yellow. Electricity crackled and vapours rose.

The slime grabbed Rae's leg and razor claws emerged out of their bodies.

No, not slime. That's not possible. Rae's Pokémon zapped out of their Poké Balls and held her leg down. Cheren and Lenora made space.

"Don't move, Rae," Lenora called out to her. "That's an Eelektross. Move, and it will bite you hard with a Thunder Fang."

The Eelektross's full body manifested and it roared at Rae.

"Chilchil, bandage my leg!"

A scarf of fur wound round the length of Rae's leg before the fangs could touch her. Thankfully, Chilchil had evolved and became less affected by electricity.

But they couldn't hold on like this for long.

"Crap," Cheren hissed. "We can't alarm the other Pokémon in the cave. If they ramp up the field..."

"They won't," Lenora said firmly. "But this Eelektross must be why the researcher had been so burnt. Any idea how to navigate this?"

Cheren sighed. "This is a first."

"I-It's fine," Rae spluttered. "I will come up with something. Its fangs are stuck in Chilchil's scarf at the moment."

"I don't think it's wise to battle it in that condition, Rae. You'll get hurt," Lenora remarked.

"I won't." Rae glared at the Pokémon with determination. "Chilchil, Fling."

With a swipe of its scarf, the Eelektross's head flung backwards into the water, creating a gigantic splash that wetted the vicinity. Head held high in contempt, it returned with a shriek that astonished the cave's Pokémon. A mass flinch.

Cheren and Lenora readied their Poké Balls but Rae raised her hand to stop them.

"My Pokémon are enough," she said. "Let's show them, Chilchil."

"Don't agitate it any further!" Cheren warned.

Rae shrugged and beamed. "Oh, I won't. Chilchil, use Attract!"