His tired eyes blinked open. Morning sunlight crept softly through the blinds, casting golden lines across his walls. As he tried to sit up, he felt a warm, unexpected weight around his neck.

  Zorua.

  “Really?” he muttered, voice still heavy with sleep.

  The little Pokémon was draped over his chest, head resting against Alphen’s neck like a scarf. Sometime during the night, Zorua had snuck into bed and made himself comfortable.

  Alphen sat up carefully, stretching with a long yawn as Zorua grumbled but didn’t move, too deep in sleep to care. He eventually slipped out from under him and got ready for the day.

  After freshening up and changing, Alphen headed downstairs. Zorua followed behind with slow, lazy steps, eyes still half shut. The aroma of bacon hit him before he even reached the bottom step.

  “Good morning,” Alphen called as he walked into the kitchen, stomach growling at the smell.

  “Morning, you two!” his mother chimed, placing a warm stack of pancakes on the table. His father gave a casual wave, eyes glued to the morning news while working on his second helping.

  “You sleep okay?” his dad asked, mouth half full.

  “Yeah, I guess,” Alphen replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down. He looked at Zorua, who was now fully awake and hopping up into a seat beside him.

  “This one was practically glued to me all night.”

  His dad chuckled. “Any battles while you were out?” he asked with interest.

  Alphen took a large bite of pancake to avoid answering right away. He wasn’t ready to explain what had happened the day before the confrontation, the strange move Zorua used, or Lyrielle’s unexpected arrival.

  “Not really,” he said after swallowing. He didn’t want to worry them unnecessarily. The encounter had made something clear: people might come after Zorua just out of curiosity. And truthfully, he still wasn’t sure if he should keep him.

  The volume of the TV rose slightly as the news transitioned out of a commercial break.

  “—and in continued coverage this morning, Water-type Gym Leader Myra from the Frostbay Gym remains missing. League officials confirm she was last seen nearly a week and a half ago. According to close friends and family, she expressed her intent to visit the edge of the Great Beyond. Search efforts have continued, but no signs of her presence have been discovered...”

  His mother lowered herself into a chair with a soft gasp. “Oh, that poor woman...”

  His father let out a grunt, finishing the last of his coffee. “I’ll never understand how anyone thinks they can just walk into that man-eating cave and come back out. All those casualties, and people still keep trying.”

  “I feel terrible for her family,” his mom added, shaking her head. “Not knowing what happened… I can’t imagine the pain of that.”

  His father turned slightly toward him. “Have you heard from your sister?” he asked, a faint frown forming on his face. “She hasn’t reached out to us either. We know she’s busy, but not even a quick message?”

  Alphen shook his head. “No. I’ve tried to contact her. Wanted to thank her for the gift, but I haven’t heard back.”

  “That girl,” his mother sighed, exasperated.

  If you decide to, I’ll go with you!

  Lyrielle’s words from yesterday replayed in his head. She was serious about going down into the Great Beyond.

  They had just met, and yet she was so ready to dive headfirst into the unknown. Alphen didn’t think she’d try to steal Zorua. She’d had every opportunity to do so yesterday but didn’t. He remembered what she had mentioned yesterday.

  I’ve always wanted to see what’s down there. And now? That little guy makes me even more curious!

  She’s definitely crazy, he thought.

  He looked down at Zorua, who was watching him silently.

  Where the hell did you come from?

  Zorua blinked slowly, his expression unreadable. Something about his eyes just seemed different.

  —--------

  “You ready?” Elle called out from across the training field, her voice clear and confident. Lucario stood firm in front of her, eyes locked onto Zorua and Alphen.

  “I hope so!” Alphen called back. He had messaged Elle earlier, asking if she’d help him out with his first real battle. He wasn’t expecting to win, just eager to see what Zorua could really do.

  “You got this, bro!” Calvin shouted from the sidelines. Litten stood beside him, letting out a supportive growl of its own.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Alphen looked down at Zorua, who gave a determined nod in return.

  “Alright,” Alphen murmured. His thoughts briefly flicked back to the previous day—to that strange attack Zorua had used against the Tyrantrum. He tightened his grip and raised his voice. “Let’s open with that same move. Void Sphere!”

  Zorua opened his mouth, gathering swirling energy. A glowing orb of black and white formed, pulsing with eerie power. With a sharp breath, he launched it forward at high speed.

  Lucario didn’t flinch. He summoned a glowing blue bone in a flash and swung, deflecting the sphere with practiced ease. The attack exploded against the ground several yards behind Elle.

  “Void Sphere, huh?” she called out with a grin. “Sounds kinda edgy.”

  “Cringe name, man!” Calvin teased from the bench.

  Alphen groaned. “Well what else am I supposed to call a move no one’s ever seen before?”

  “Fair enough! Lucario, Bone Rush!”

  Lucario bolted forward, eyes locked on his target. He closed the distance in a blink, slamming his glowing weapon across Zorua’s side. The small fox was knocked off his feet, skidding across the field in a small cloud of dust before digging in with his paws and regaining balance.

  Alphen flinched as he watched Zorua skid across the ground. “You good?”

  Zorua growled, already back on all fours, his tail flicking with focus. Despite his small size, he had taken the hit surprisingly well.

  “Use Scratch!” Alphen called out.

  Zorua lunged forward, claws extended mid-leap. Lucario sidestepped effortlessly, dodging the strike with fluid grace. In a single motion, he summoned another glowing bone and hurled it forward like a javelin.

  The tiny fox twisted midair and narrowly avoided the projectile, landing in a crouch. Without hesitation, Zorua opened his mouth and fired a flurry of glowing stars- Swift.

  The stars curved in on Lucario, striking him from all angles. Lucario stood firm, letting the attack land. When the last star faded, he remained unfazed.

  “Strong indeed,” Alphen muttered, more impressed than surprised. He had expected nothing less.

  “This is nothing!” Elle grinned, confidence radiating from her stance. She raised her arm, revealing a sleek, silver bracelet wrapped around her wrist. “You ever seen a Pokémon Astrallize?”

  Calvin’s jaw dropped from the bench. “You have an Astral Band?!”

  Alphen narrowed his eyes, gaze fixed on the band now glowing faintly. “Can’t say I've seen it in person.” He could vividly recall seeing his sister astrallize that Pokemon on TV during one of her tournaments.

  “Let me show you the difference between you and us!”

  Elle raised her arm above her head. Her bracelet pulsed with light, shifting through a spectrum of brilliant colors as it activated.

  Lucario immediately began to glow, his entire body enveloped in a thick, radiant aura. A deep blue energy wrapped around him, flowing like wisps of smoke across his limbs. Sparkling particles that were like fragments of distant stars drifted off his body. His new form shimmered with a surreal mythical presence.

  Alphen stood frozen, eyes wide. “It’s… beautiful,” he murmured. Seeing it on TV was one thing—but in person? It was something else entirely. Lucario didn’t just look stronger—he looked divine.

  “You understand how it works, right?” Elle called across the field.

  “Not really!”

  Elle smirked. “Once activated, your Pokémon takes on a unique glow,” she explained. “They get slightly stronger, but that’s only the beginning! Over time, the form evolves into one of two types of Astrallization: Astral Echo or Astral Radiance.”

  Alphen blinked. “Astral… what?”

  “Astral Echo affects the battlefield,” she said, her grin widening. “Astral Radiance completely transforms the Pokémon’s body and abilities. But too bad you won’t get to see which one Lucario has today!” She extended her arm. “Lucario, Astral Sphere!”

  Alphen’s eyes sharpened. That’s a new move… Astrallization must change moves, too!

  “Zorua, Void Sphere!” he commanded instinctively.

  Lucario raised both hands, forming a radiant sphere glimmering with an array of cosmic colors. At the same time, Zorua gathered his swirling black and white energy and let loose the attack.

  The two glowing projectiles surged across the battlefield and narrowly missed one another, colliding with their respective targets. Twin explosions erupted at opposite ends of the field.

  Zorua was hurled through the air, landing hard a few feet from Alphen. The hit had knocked the wind out of him and the strength of the Astral Sphere was enough to end the match.

  “Zorua!” Alphen shouted, running to his side. The little fox let out a groan, clearly conscious, but unable to continue.

  As the dust cleared, Lucario stood tall—his arms crossed in front of him, having braced the blast with his body. Seeing that the battle was over, the astrallized glow faded.

  Elle ran to her partner, checking him over. “That attack…” she muttered in surprise. Then she looked back at Alphen, impressed. “That actually hurt Lucario.”

  Alphen gently lifted Zorua into his arms, both of them gazing across the field. “You did good out there,” he said softly. “Get some rest.”

  “Both attacks looked like they were super effective,” Calvin chimed in from the sidelines. “You don’t think that means—”

  “That Astral is strong against... Void?” Alphen guessed. “And maybe the other way around?”

  “Seems like it,” Elle said, crossing her arms with a thoughtful frown. “Which just makes me wonder—what exactly is that Zorua? A Pokémon that’s both strong against Astrallization and weak to it? That’s unheard of.”

  Alphen looked down at the exhausted fox in his arms. “Definitely adds more mystery to the list.”

  “Maybe it’s time to call it for the day,” Elle said with a grin.

  “Yeah,” Alphen agreed, already turning toward the street. “Let’s head home.”

  After walking Calvin home, Alphen and Elle continued down the quiet path back to his place. The air had cooled, and Zorua, now nestled on Alphen’s shoulder, looked far better after Elle treated him with a few potions from her bag.

  “So,” Alphen said, stopping briefly. “I’ve been thinking.”

  Elle glanced over with a knowing smirk. “You’re about to say yes, aren’t you? To the Great Beyond.”

  He rubbed the back of his head. “I’m still unsure, honestly.” He looked down at Zorua again, who glanced back up. “But I can’t stop thinking about it. Where did he come from? Why is his typing so different? How did Celeste even get her hands on him? And that note—was she really telling me to meet her at the bottom?”

  Elle nodded slowly, sensing the weight behind his words. “It’s a weird situation, I’ll admit. But I get it. Curiosity like that doesn’t go away.” She offered him a supportive smile. “If you do decide to go... I’ll come with you. You’re not exactly champion material yet, but don’t worry, I’ll make a top trainer out of you in no time!"

  “I’d hope so,” Alphen chuckled. “Let’s meet up later this week and figure out a game plan.”

  “Deal.” Elle waved goodbye as she turned to leave. “Don’t take too long deciding.”

  He watched her walk off until she disappeared around the corner.

  Zorua shifted on his shoulder, nudging his neck slightly. Alphen looked down, meeting the Pokémon’s quiet gaze.

  Neither of them said a word, but something passed between them. They both were longing to understand each other.

  “I really hope you’re waiting for me, Celeste,” Alphen whispered. “And I hope we figure out where you came from too,” he added, glancing at Zorua.

  He awkwardly adjusted his hold on the small fox, who now rested more comfortably in his arms. It made him think of that day when his sister caught her first Pokémon. He remembered thinking it looked weird at the time, but she was glowing. That moment meant everything to her.

  “Come on,” he said quietly. “Let’s head inside.”