Chapter Twenty

Moonlight Lounge was still heaving with pokemon of wildly varying sizes. Macro and DL slipped unnoticed between the feet of a rhydon and ducked through the crowd towards the far end. A wide sofa sat at the edge of a stained carpet. The familiar illumise that often accompanied Matrix wherever he showed up in the Lounge was stood right beside the sofa. The ribombee wasn't wearing the virtual reality helmet this time, however. Instead he was cheering on his companion, Switch, who was acting like he'd never worn a VR set before in his life.

Macro stopped behind the sofa and leant across it. "First timer?"

Switch flapped his wings and shouted something at the holoscreen, oblivious to the mawile's presence. Matrix looked over his shoulder and gave Macro a small smile.

"I'm guessing so," he said. "But... he's doing a better job than I am."

The ribombee turned back to the screen and wound his antennae in his paw. A swift wing beat from Switch sent the virtual head of a tyranitar rolling away down a metallic mountainside.

"Pokemon play stuff like this?" DL asked.

"Yeh," said Macro. "Pretty popular with the younger generation."

"Huh." She ran a paw over her right ear. "It doesn't appeal to me at all."

"Take her away, Macro," said Matrix. "She's killing my buzz."

DL chuckled and Macro pushed himself back from the sofa.

"We're actually gonna get some lunch," he said. "Wondered if you were ready to join us?"

Switch raised his talons to his head and wrenched the helmet free. He shook out his feathers and turned his head to look at Macro.

"Lunch?" he asked. "I could eat."

"That got your attention did it?" Macro tutted.

Switch shook his head again to smooth the last straggling feathers out and hopped from the chair with a little flutter, an unusually beguiling gesture for a large raptor.

The dull drone from Matrix's wings cut through the mishmash of voices as the group made their way over to a table tucked away in a quiet corner of the lounge. Only two other pokemon occupied the corner. A pair of rattata, one of which had fallen asleep, sprawled across their table with his glass clasped in one paw.

Macro climbed onto the seat at the free table, trying his best not to look the other rattata in the eye. A look of greed had crossed his face and he eyed Switch cautiously while keeping one eye on the mawile. He swigged the last of his drink before clambering down and strutting over to the bar.

DL scooped up the tattered and slightly damp menu and shook it open. "What do you recommend?"

Macro shrugged. "I don't know about you, but I'm having my usual. Occa and nutpea burger and fries."

Switch leant over her shoulder and the bridge of his beak creased. "Quite a varied menu."

"It isn't bad," said Macro.

"Oh, I'm not impressed," said Switch. He raised a claw and jabbed it into the damp card. "What's this? Flambe seaking fillet?"

Macro let out a long 'oh' and leant across DL so he could speak quietly. "I guess they didn't eat meat in your time then?"

"No they did not!" Switch's eyes opened impossibly wide and he turned them back onto the menu. A look of realisation crossed his young face. "You mean... this is actually meat from a pokemon? That's disgusting!"

Macro threw himself across DL who let out a squeak of surprise, and clasped his paws over the talonflame's beak.

"Keep your voice down!" he hissed.

He looked back over at the opposite table. The dozing rattata had woken up and rubbed a paw over his groggy eyes. He fixed them on Macro's table and let out a dry chuckle.

"Hey, how 'bout that? Hunter's gone and got 'imself a hostage." He looked over at the empty spot beside him and his grin fell. "Hey... where'd my brother go?"

The rattata slipped from his seat, sloshing what was left of his drink down his chest, and staggered away from the table. He searched the crowd briefly before it swallowed him up and drowned out his near-incomprehensible shouts.

Macro released Switch's beak and the talonflame brushed his wing feathers over it.

"So this is normal?" Switch asked. "You pokemon eat each other now?"

"Are you telling me humans never ate meat?" Macro asked quietly. "Because the fairy tales I've read tell me otherwise."

Switch's beak hung open slightly as his eyes narrowed into slits almost as dangerous as the glinting end of his beak. Macro shuffled in his seat and retrieved the menu from DL.

"Does my reaction look like I eat meat to you?" he spat.

"I guess not," said Macro. "So those stories were wrong then?"

"Not exactly," said Switch. "But some humans are vegan."

"The same could be said for this world, too," Macro explained. "And not a member of my crew would touch so much as an egg."

"But this is wrong," said Switch. "Do you see no issue with this? You're the same species! It's cannibalism!"

"Of course I see an issue with it! But unfortunately the current mayor doesn't. You wanna do something about it, then take it up with her."

"I think I will! I'm surprised no one else has already!"

"They have." Macro turned his violet eyes onto Switch. "They all died."

Switch's beak snapped shut and he stared back at Macro. Then he sighed and sank slightly in his seat.

"What's happened to this world?" he asked.

"How much time have you got?" Macro folded the menu and placed it back on the table. "'Cos explaining it's gonna take a while."

DL fixed Switch with a pitiful gaze. "I'm still learning myself."

Switch sighed and ruffled his feathers. "I don't think I want to eat here."

"Believe me, you want a vegan diet then you're gonna have a hard time finding anywhere," said Macro. "Best place I can suggest is Luma City, but it'll take about a day to fly there in my ship and I'm hungry now." He paused then added, "Although Cookie might appreciate some company if you wanna go back to my ship."

"I don't know..." Switch looked around at the bar and shuddered. "I want to go back home."

"Well, that ain't happening any time soon is it?" Macro shoved the menu at him. "You have three choices. You choose something off here that doesn't have meat in it, you go back to my ship and eat cake - although I'm not promising there'll be any left, Cookie has a huge appetite - or you starve. You pick."

Switch eyed the menu as though he was suspecting poison then took it in his left talons. DL took it back off him and gave him a warm smile as she spread it open on the table for them both to view it. Whatever they said to one another didn't reach Macro's ears, drowned out by the drone of voices.

Macro leant back in his seat and rubbed at his temples.

"Culture shock."

He turned to face Matrix, but he was watching DL and Switch while winding his antennae around his paw.

"That's what it is," he said. "He'll get over it, just like we all have."

Macro tutted and folded his arms. Get over it... he wouldn't have worded it quite like that.

He took the opportunity to fire all their orders over the bar as a brief breath of fresh air. After all their meals were delivered, they sat around the table tucking into them in a complete, awkward silence. It made his occa and nutpea burger taste oddly bitter, although that was also likely the work of some jealous chef yearning for forty thousand credits.

Anchor flopped down into the seat opposite them, clutching a plate in one paw and half a toastie in the other. The smell of grilled root vegetables and sour sauce made Macro's nose crinkle. The granbull took a bite out of his meal and looked at each of them in turn.

"Wow. Somethin' happen while I was away?" he asked.

Macro looked up from his burger and wiped the back of his paw across his mouth.

"You took a while," he said. "I thought you were right behind us?"

"I took the chance to have a shower," he said. "Was greasy under that panel."

"Is something wrong with your ship?" Switch asked.

"Loose wire," said Anchor. "Also discovered one of the turrets has taken some damage. Just exterior stuff," he quickly added before Macro almost fell off his seat. "Both will take a jiffy to fix, but it'll have to wait until later. My head's still feeling fuzzy."

"At this rate, we might not leave until morning," said Macro. "Can no one else fix it?"

"You trust anyone else to repair your ship?" Anchor snorted.

Macro hugged his arms across his chest and diverted his gaze to the red wall. No... no, he did not.

DL shifted beside him and raised her arms as she stretched languidly.

"That was good," she said.

Macro spun his head around and his eyes flew wide open when he spotted her empty plate. "Did you inhale that?!"

Anchor laughed and struck the table repeatedly with a broad paw. "Gotta appreciate a girl who likes her food, eh Cap'n?"

"I think I'd like something sweet," she said. "I'm feeling rather tired."

"You could take a nap?" Matrix suggested.

She shook her head. "It's much too early for that."

"Best time," said Anchor. "You nap later in the day, then you won't sleep well tonight."

"The doctor told me it's normal," she said. "I'm still getting the anesthesia out of my system, and I don't really want to sleep the day away. I've not spent that long with my memories yet."

Macro tapped his claws on the table and spoke cautiously. "By memories, you mean..."

"I really want some cheri ice cream," she said.

Macro sighed and waved a paw. "All right. I'll take you for ice cream. Switch, shuffle out."

The talonflame scooted along the leather seats and plopped onto the floor, allowing DL and Macro to clamber out.

"But you've not finished your burger," Anchor said with some surprise.

"I've lost my appetite," said Macro. "And I'm fairly certain someone's soaked it with jaboca berry juice."

"Ooh!" Anchor's eyes widened and he dragged Macro's plate towards himself.

"I'll meet you back here in a bit," said Macro. "Since we're gonna be stuck here a while, we might as well watch a movie or something."

"I'm on it!" Matrix pulled out his pocket computer.

Macro grabbed DL's elbow and steered her through the crowd towards the door, blatantly ignoring the sneers thrown his way. Fortunately there was no sign of the magmar he'd conned the laser out of. Good. He really wasn't in the mood to be dealing with any conflict.

"So where are we going?" DL asked as they stepped outside.

"Totally Rad Ice," he said. "It's not as awesome as it sounds."

"Hmm. But they do cheri ice cream, right? How many parlors are there?"

"Three. But this one is affordable and probably the only place that won't mess up my order."

"So they're friends?"

"Not exactly." He shrugged. "But I did introduce them to Cookie."

"Oh!" DL chuckled. "Then I imagine he buys a lot from them."

"Sometimes. He's a good chef. He taught them about flavor combinations and their sales exploded." He folded his arms and smirked. "They paid well, too."

She crinkled her nose in confusion. "I thought you said it wasn't as awesome as it sounds?"

"It isn't," he said. "It's just a dockside ice cream stand. Not your luxury, five-star ice cream parlor with sundaes and crepes."

The small ice cream stand stood beside Dockside Dogs, the blue and white awning stretching out to provide shelter from the sun. Although it wasn't exactly a sunny day. Only one other customer stood before the shop, waiting patiently for his ice cream. Beside the shop stood a statue of a vanilluxe, a common occurrence at ice cream parlors. Vanilluxe's pointed body and slushy head was said to have inspired the use of cones to serve ice cream.

A young cubchoo peered down at Macro and beamed widely.

"Macro!" he said. "Great to see you. What can we get you?"

Macro nudged DL forward. She stared up at the menu and pointed a delicate claw.

"Cheri and chocolate please?" she said.

The cubchoo nodded energetically, the long dangle from his nose swinging harmlessly. He shouted to his companion, a snorunt, who eagerly got to work.

"Nothing for you?" the cubchoo asked Macro.

The mawile folded his arms and stared at the long menu. It couldn't hurt.

"Mago and razz berry," he said.

The cubchoo called out his order then stretched his paw down to take his credits. Macro held out a credits bill which the cubchoo snatched up with a small cheer.

"Made my day," he said. "It's been awful quiet."

The snorunt appeared with their ice creams and the pair took them and turned towards the docks. DL gave the two ice pokemon a cheerful wave and trotted to Macro's side.

"You really need to remember your p's and q's," she said.

"Sorry?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Please and thank you," she said. "I don't think I've ever heard you say either."

He shrugged. "I don't ever think about it."

He leant on the rail, staring out at the mass of blue dotted here and there with themed ships. One shaped like a gorebyss turned to pull into the docks whereas several were moving away.

"You should be more aware of it," she said. "You come across as rude and you're only going to make more enemies with that attitude."

He waved a paw at her. "Pish posh. It's not like I haven't got loads already."

"Well, it's never too late to correct your attitude." She leant beside him and lapped up a trail of cherry before it dripped over the end of her cone. "This is good. You sold them short."

He chuckled and licked at his own ice cream. "You clearly haven't had one of Moonlight Lounge's sundaes."

She smiled and leisurely tucked into her snack. Macro turned back to the ocean of marine-themed ships drifting through the calm sky. For a rare moment, he actually felt peaceful. No one would have assumed a single one of those ships was at odds with another. In most instances, it wasn't the case. Pulse City might have been classed as a dangerous place, but at least a majority of the space pirates actually got along in spite of type differences. Although very few tended to mingle in their ships. Most ships carried a mono-typed crew much like his own.

"You know, they said they couldn't remove this."

DL's voice snatched him out of his reverie. She pawed at the antennae behind her right ear while her other paw held what was left of her cone. The smile on her face had vanished and she let her arm flop back onto the rail.

"You... asked them to remove it?" he asked.

"Not immediately. It seems to be the only way I can get my memories back. But... I don't want it forever."

"No, I can understand that." He watched a trickle of mago ice cream drip onto his black paw.

"It's rooted into my brain," she said. "They told me if they remove it then it could do some serious damage."

He shrugged. "Then I guess you're stuck with it, unfortunately."

"But I don't want to be stuck with it," she said. "It's distorting and hideous."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"But it is! It's horrible, and it makes me look hideous."

"You're not hideous, DL."

She fell silent and he could feel her chocolate eyes burning into the side of his head. He waved a paw and sighed.

"Besides," he said. "A lot of pokemon have modifications like that. Some even do it to give themselves a more realistic experience playing games. You're not exactly out of place."

She sighed. "It's just so alien."

"I don't know." He let his arm flop over the edge of the rail and his ice cream fell free and flopped down into the glass dome. "Drat. Anyway... think of the positives."

"What positives?" She laughed bitterly. "You can turn me off at the flick of a switch."

"Well... I'm not saying that's positive. But you have access to a computer in your head. Not many can claim that without plugging themselves in first."

"How is that positive?"

"You have access to some kind of encyclopedia, right?" said Macro. "That could be pretty useful at say a quiz."

"That's cheating."

"If it's in your head, it's knowledge as far as I'm concerned."

She laughed again and stuck the last of her cone in her mouth. "Thanks for the ice cream."

He shrugged. "Don't mention it."

Silence fell over them again and he stared back out at System Sky. Memories... if it weren't for Socket, DL wouldn't be having to go through this. Nothing he could say would take that wretched technology out of her head.

She stiffened beside him and he snapped his head around to look at her. The antennae began to flash orange and green and her large eyes turned distant.

"Retrieving information from TimeSkip."

Her body went limp and he leapt across to catch her before she struck the floor.

"Information received. Location - System. One thousand and seven years ago. Relaying co-ordinates."

He crouched onto the floor, letting DL lie against him as he pulled out his pocket computer. His memory was nowhere near as good as Matrix's, but he tried his best to punch in the co-ordinates. As the map on his screen pinpointed the location, his heart sank. Meta City? That was where Socket was located. If he'd got it right, the time pocket was right inside Central Meta Hospital. There was no way he could beat her from where he stood. His arms flopped to his side and he looked down at the disoriented pachirisu. She ran a paw over her eyes and pushed herself away from him as she stared out at the vast blue sky. He followed her gaze and swallowed dryly. He'd have to let Socket have this one.

...

BackDoor chuckled as he floated before the swirling black and ultraviolet hole just outside its gravitational pull. The excitement was too much. Beyond that time pocket there could be hundreds of humans. One of them should surely satisfy Socket's desires. As for the others... well, she could make a whole army of living computers.

The smile fell from his face and he turned a glare onto TimeSkip.

"What's taking so long?!" he screeched.

The emotionless android didn't even look at him. He wasn't even sure it was looking at the time pocket. Probably just existing like empty androids did.

He folded his arms and pouted. They'd already been waiting an eternity for the hospital ward to vacate. Whatever the room was, it was empty save for a bed. The walls were peeling, too. Crammed with shelves filled with various medical equipment. One would think they'd take better care of a storage room. He had no sense of smell to speak of, but he could imagine one who did would be assaulted with various chemicals and cleaning fluids.

A female scream reached his ears, followed by incoherent shouting from deep beyond the swirling mass. He clapped his paws together eagerly and drifted away from it. The swirling mist distorted and filled with a gangly shape. Whatever it was, it shifted back and forth between gangly and winged, growing ever larger the closer it got to their world. His eyes narrowed in confusion. That hadn't happened before. Usually things stayed the same shape. Had they made some kind of critical error?

With a loud yell, the form solidified and flew from the hole, landing sprawled on the pristine white floor. Gangly, winged, gangly. Then it looked up at him. Long black fur surrounded a naked face. Two green eyes locked onto him with a look that made him burst into sporadic laughter.

"What are you laughin' at?!" she shrieked.

The hoopa's mouth snapped shut and twisted into a smirk. "Looks like we found a human. Wahay! High five!" He span to face TimeSkip and raised a paw.

The celebi merely stared at him through lifeless black eyes. BackDoor frowned and turned back to the human.

"Spoil sport," he said. "Ruin all my fun."

The human's form melted down into the winged form of a prehistoric archeops. Sharp teeth sneered at him and she twisted her reptilian head around to look at the swirling mass. It blinked out with a strange sucking sound and her jaw dropped.

"Sorry." BackDoor shrugged. "Guess you're stuck with us."

She looked back at him, breathing heavily. Her form changed back into that of a lanky human girl but her posture was every bit as primal as the previous pokemon form she'd sported.

"Stuck with you?" she gasped. "Where am I?!"

"System," he said. "Only one thousand and seven years later."

Her jaw dropped again and he laughed.

"You mean..." She sat up and flopped onto a feathered bottom, raising a claw to her jaw as if she wasn't even aware her form had changed. "You mean I time traveled?"

"You could say that."

"So... I'm a time traveler?" She looked down at her feathered body and made a thoughtful noise. "Always thought I was an archeops. Maybe they got it wrong, huh?"

Her eyes grew distant and she kept saying the words 'time travel' and 'archeops' over and over until the words began to blend together. At one point he was fairly certain she'd said 'time archeops'.

BackDoor blinked his eyes in confusion. What on earth had they got hold of? He exchanged glances with TimeSkip and shrugged.

"Oh well," he said. "I'm afraid you're coming with me. I ain't waiting for another human, you'll have to do."

She looked up with a start as he span in circles around her, fastening her interchanging limbs in place with gold strands. She let out a yelp of surprise as she was tugged into the air.

"What are you doing with me?!" she screamed. "Put me down! This instant! Wait..." She paused. "What day is it?"

"Come on, quick!" he snapped at the celebi. "Before someone sees us!"

They zipped from the small window, too small for their charge who's head bounced off the window frame. His laughter drowned out her screams and protests and he even did a small somersault in the sky, waving her around like a ball and chain.

"I think you'll quite like your new home," he told her. "Socket's got big plans for you!"