Unbroken Disguise

N hummed. “If Rowan isn’t coming until tomorrow, and Lucas has wandered off on his own… how do you suppose we should spend our time today?”

“Rotom thinks we should visit Bebe and investigate her electronics!” His flip phone chimed in.

“Denied.”

“Rotom thinks you are no fun!”

“I seem ta recall that we were searchin’ fer answers on Ghosts and whatnot. We could hunt down Fantina ‘n’ see what she ‘as ta say.” Mimikyu suggested, before the false head’s gaze fell on Rotom. “Although… I s’pose we do got a pretty solid info source in our party now, don’ we?”

“Bzzz!” Rotom played into his staticky voice, imitating the sound of a buzzer on a game show. “Denied! If Rotom gets nothing, then you get nothing! Besides, Rotom is not like other Ghost types! Rotom is rarely a Ghost at all!”

“Rude, but I s’pose ya got a point with you bein’ different…”

N did not see the point being made. “I don’t understand. What do you mean by that? You are a dual Ghost and Electric type, are you not?”

“Sometimes!” His flip phone cheerily replied. “But when Rotom possesses something, Rotom’s type and movepool changes!”

N thought over the list of Pokemon he knew in his head. “Do you mean like a form change? A Darmanitan can gain the Psychic type once it goes into Zen Mode… but that’s just temporarily gaining a type, not full on replacing one.”

“Exactly like a form change,” Mimikyu agreed. “Possessin’ a washin’ machine would make Rotom a Water ‘n’ Electric type, and able ta use Hydro Pump. A refrigerator would make Rotom an Ice type able ta use Blizzard, an’ so on ‘n’ so forth.”

Intriguing. N could see how something like that might make explaining the intricacies of the Ghost type difficult for Rotom. It did make him wonder, though. “So what type replaced Ghost when you entered my phone?”

“Rotom doesn’t know yet! Probably Normal type with how boring a flip phone is!”

“You don’t know?” N was surprised. A Pokemon’s type was an intrinsic part of them, even for Pokemon like the Darmanitan he had mentioned before. To not be aware of it…

“Discovering Rotom’s type is a matter of trial and error! Rotom will figure out flip phone typing eventually,” his new Electric type friend explained.

Eventually? So Rotom didn’t really care then. Well, he supposed if that was how the Pokemon felt about it… “Then I guess that leaves Fantina. Though I am a bit concerned about that meeting.”

He stood up and walked to the door of their room.

“Why? ‘Cuz of what the Shadows said?”

“Shadows?” Rotom probed.

N opened the door.

“The Shadow Triad, lord N’s faithful servants.”

N jumped back. “You have got to stop doing that!” He leveled a glare at the trio on the other side of the doorway.

“Apologies, lord N. We will endeavor to make our presence known to your associates in advance in the future,” the one in front assured him before they all stepped inside, shutting the door behind them.

“You guys again? Wait, why didn’ I feel ‘em this time?”

“Servants? Feel them? Rotom is confused…”

The Shadow on the right spoke up this time. “A Rotom? You truly are as impressive as we were told, lord N.”

Rotom’s speakers crackled angrily. “Bzz! Rotom is the impressive one! Now explain so Rotom can understand!”

The Shadow on the left continued. “As was explained in our last meeting, we are able to track you thanks to the presence of Mimikyu. Your new Rotom friend surprised us, so we had held off on reconvening with you until now…”

The first took over at that point. “And beyond that, we deemed the risk too high to use our usual methods of evasion and movement. Travelling with conventional means is slower, but with your travels bringing you to Hearthome… just as we can track you, Fantina is one of the very few who could track us. We would not risk being exposed in her home.”

This was a lot to take in all at once.

N held up his hands. “Alright, let’s back up just a minute. First of all, what’s the deal with you suddenly appearing on the other side of our door? Hadn’t you mentioned having to report back to fa- Ghetsis?” N had only met them… what was it, two nights ago now? Based on the way they spoke about it, their method of travel didn’t include Teleport, and even if it did, being back so soon was… concerning.

“Correct,” The second Shadow answered. “We have relayed what we learned to lord Ghetsis. He… “ the man hesitated, “was understanding of your position, but still displeased about you dropping off the radar, so to speak. Our suspicions about being assigned to you were confirmed, and so we have returned to your side. It was our assumption that you would wish to be informed of this fact.”

As opposed to what? The trio silently following him without him ever finding out? “You would be correct. Thank you for letting me know…”

“Weird, but well meanin’ types? I wouldn’ of guessed that…”

“They seem shady to Rotom!” The Electric type thankfully did not use the flip phone speaker to announce that, keeping this thoughts on the matter to those who could understand Pokemon speech. It was good to know the Pokemon understood the importance of discretion.

N agreed that they were strange, but if Ghetsis himself had assigned them to watching him, there was little he could do about it. He would simply have to accept their presence… and perhaps make use of them.

“All of the things you’re hinting at in regards to movement and tracking… is it something that Mimikyu would be able to learn as a Ghost type?” It was possible that his hunch was wrong, but perhaps the things they were saying were exactly the sort of thing that he and Mimikyu were after. Mimikyu had dragged him through the Shadow Sneak to the top of the Space-Time Towers. The trio had had a Ghost who laughed at N from the shadows last he saw them. He didn’t think it was too much of a stretch to put those pieces together.

The Shadow Triad looked to each other, having another of their silent conversations. Eventually, the third spoke up. “Perhaps. It is hard to say at this stage. Theoretically, it should be a possibility, but Pokemon are varied, and not all have the same potential in that regard. Just as one Snivy might be faster than another, so too might one Ghost be more adept with those sorts of abilities. And to reach the heights of which you speak…”

The first took over. “As we said in our last meeting, the number of trainers within League territory with teammates capable of such a thing can be counted on your fingers. It is not a trivial matter.”

Or maybe they wouldn’t be so helpful.

“However…” the second chimed in, apparently unexpectedly if the way his brothers’ heads snapped towards him was any indication, “The path might be easier if you had someone to guide you. We may be able to fill that role for you.”

“No,” the first shot him down immediately, before immediately bowing towards N in apology. “It is not that we would be unwilling to serve you however possible, it is just…”

“It would raise questions,” the third continued. “If Mimikyu were to suddenly grow leaps and bounds in that regard, you would go from a minor annoyance in the League’s eyes to someone of serious note. They would wonder who was teaching you.”

“Bzzt! What if it wasn’t you who did the teaching?” Rotom suggested. “N was just about to visit Fantina, and she’s the foremost expert on Ghosts in Sinnoh! Suspicion won’t be raised in the League if the League is the group responsible, right?”

“I think yer all sorta jumpin’ the gun ‘ere..” Mimikyu muttered, but went ignored.

“Perhaps,” one of the Shadows answered, “but that leaves the matter of how he would know to ask for instruction in the first place. If not for our presence, he would not know of the existence of these techniques, which would still lead to questions about us.”

“Can’t N just say that he saw something similar at Alamos? Bzzzt!”

N’s eyes narrowed and he turned on his possessed flip phone. “What exactly do you know about what happened at Alamos? Only the name has been mentioned around you, I’m sure of it.”

The smile on his phone widened into a full on grin. “Rotom thinks you are underestimating Rotom! Bzz! Porygon 2 level encryption is nothing to Rotom, and the League is too scared to update to Porygon-Z encryption!”

One of the Shadows raised an eyebrow. “Porygon-Z level encryption? This is the first I’ve heard of it…”

“Whoops! Bzzrt! Rotom wasn’t supposed to mention that. Please ignore the fact that Rotom snooped through Rowan’s files!”

“Ya went through Rowan’s files?” Mimikyu sounded surprised. “But I thought ya said ya were strugglin’ to ‘old off all the Porygon as it was jus’ keepin’ the call free of ‘em?”

N’s phone bobbed up and down in a mock nod. “Of course! Rowan’s electronics are under heavy scrutiny and Rotom cannot hold off so many Porygon indefinitely! But you should remember that Rotom is also amazing! Rotom may not have multi-core processors like some Pokemon, but Rotom is still good at multitasking!”

N was less concerned about Rotom’s abilities and more concerned about the Pokemon’s thought process. He had simply asked for a secure connection to call Rowan on, and Rotom had thought to dig through the professor’s files, pulling up classified League documents without a thought.

Just what sort of life had Rotom lived before Lucas unknowingly picked the Electric type up?

One of the Shadows hummed. “We shall have to investigate this new encryption level.”

“That can wait,” a brother waved the thought off, “expand on your suggestion, Rotom. Based on what lord N has told us of the incident, I do not see how the truth could be hidden in such a way.”

“Wow! Bzzt! You guys are really bad at subterfuge! When deceiving those around you, your lies should work not with the information that you have, but with the information that they have! Fantina was not present in Alamos, so all she has to work with is secondary retellings of the event. While it is possible that she was given a detailed recounting, it is far more likely that the only information she has at the moment is what went out in the same report Rowan received! The Mythical Pearl and the Diamond of Creation are well documented, so they would be poor Smokescreens, but little information is known about the Moonless Night! Or, if you are feeling bold, you could go so far as to say that the King of Distortion was present and simply left out of the reports in the chaos!”

N wasn’t sure what to make of Rotom telling them that they were bad at subterfuge. The Shadow Triad were new, but they obviously had some level of skill. And more personally, he was a King in the making of Team Plasma. He could not think of a position more rife with subterfuge than that.

And yet, Rotom did seem experienced…

But beyond Rotom’s oddities, those titles… if he remembered correctly, he had heard Mythical Pearl and Moonless Night during the battle between Palkia and Darkrai. In that context, it was fairly obvious which Legend the titles belonged to. With Diamond of Creation, this was his first time hearing it, but he could see how a title like that would fit Dialga. Far more so than the last one, anyway.

That did leave a problem though. Only three Legends had been present, and yet Rotom was listing off four names.

“I can figure out the others easily enough, but who is this King of Distortion?”

Mimikyu hummed disapprovingly. “Are ya tellin’ me ya expect Fantina ta buy that I saw Giratina pull some nonsense, and it looked cool ‘nough that I wanna try it out myself? I don’t think anyone is gonna accept that Giratina was there without proof, ‘specially a Ghost trainer. The best lies are the ones shrouded in truth, not stuff bla’antly made up.”

Giratina? N hadn’t heard of that one before. Something to look into in the future.

“That is why Rotom said it would be bold! But Rotom thinks if N is a coward, N can say it was the Moonless Night instead!”

“Watch your words.” A Shadow demanded. “It would be unwise of you to insinuate cowardice on our lord’s part in the future.”

Rotom only let out a staticky giggle in response.

“Enough.” N settled things before they could get out of hand. The Shadow Triad’s defensiveness against him was most likely their duty now, by the sound of things, but that didn’t mean he would accept them coming to blows with a Pokemon over such a petty conflict. He turned to the Triad. “You three… just stay out of sight for now, I suppose. I may have picked up a new travelling companion, but that is not a sure thing yet, and I’d hate to have to explain your presence to him if it’s unnecessary. I expect to be in Hearthome for... perhaps two or three more days? We can discuss how things will move forward at that point.”

They didn’t emote enough for him to tell what they thought of that. Regardless, they accepted it. “As you say, lord N.”

The door opened, they walked out, and as he peered into the hallway, they were already gone.

N let out a sigh. Wasn’t leaving Ash’s group behind supposed to give him a break from all the oddness?

“Let’s go, you two. Even if we don’t go quite so far as to lie, Fantina is still our best lead for answers.”

When N approached the Hearthome City Gym with Mimikyu on his shoulder and Rotom levitating next to him, he was greeted with the sight of a rather… flamboyant woman.

Her slim figure was hidden beneath a sparkling purple dress, her arms were wrapped in white, satin gloves that didn’t cut off until well past her elbows, and from what little he could see of them under the dress, it seemed she had some purple stilettos. Her hair, which was also purple, was in some sort of intricate binding that separated it into four… bundles? It was certainly a unique hairstyle, if nothing else.

It was as he was taking in her perfectly applied makeup that he realized that she was looking right at him.

“Oh? What is this? I return to the Gym and find a fellow Ghost enthusiast? Merveilleux! C’est fantastique! That I should meet someone like you, c'était le destin!”

The trio paused.

“Uh, would either of ya happen to know… Kalosian? ‘Cuz I sure don’t. I s’pose some of the words are similar ‘nough ta Unovan, but…”

“That language is not supported by Rotom!”

N had never met a Kalosian in his life. “Excuse me, but I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re saying…”

The woman’s eyes widened. “Ah, je suis désolée! No problème at all, I just am getting very excited! No matter how much time I am spending in Sinnoh, my Kalosian roots insist on showing themselves! I sense it is the same for you, no? Your accent… Galar, perhaps?”

“Unova, actually.”

“Wonderful! It is a very beautiful region, is it not? Ah, but I am moving quick, what can Fantina do for you? Are you here to challenge my Gym, Ghost against Ghost?” She quickly unlocked the Gym door and gestured for them to follow her inside.

She was the Gym Leader? Well, that certainly made things easier. “Not quite. We were actually hoping for your expertise on Ghost types to help my friend here.” As soon as they stepped through the door, N felt a shiver down his spine. Some of her team must be wandering around the Gym…

When she looked back over her shoulder, Mimikyu slid out a shadowy hand and waved to her. “I am seeing! The little Fairy that is the talk of the League! Well, until recent events… but you are also being involved in that, if memory serves?”

N grimaced. “Unfortunately…”

“I had not heard that you are travelling with another Ghost, though! How fantastique!” Instead of leading them into the battle arena, she led them into a back room, much like Elesa had in her Gym, only this one was much more… full. One wall was filled with different outfits, one had a giant full body mirror on it, another had plush couches and chairs. “What about you, my little friend? Are you needing guidance as well?”

“Negative! Bzzrt! Rotom is fully capable!”

“Oh, what I would not be giving to have a Rotom join my family…” She looked at his flip phone longingly. “But that can be an issue of the future!” She took a seat on the largest couch, just as purple as the rest of her things, and patted the cushion next to her, gesturing for him to join her. “Come, tell me what is troubling you!”

N took a seat, and Mimikyu jumped off of his shoulder, placing his small form between the two of them.

“I’m not gonna waste my time writin’ when I’ve got two translators on hand.” Mimikyu looked at Rotom hopefully.

“Bzzrt! Lazy! You will owe Rotom!”

“Sure, sure, whatever,” Mimikyu waved off the Electric type's demand.

Fantina looked very interested in their conversation, even if she could only understand half of it, but her eyes met his when he began explaining. “You see… we’ve been trying to hunt down some answers for a good while now, and haven’t turned up much in terms of results. Initially…”

It took N a good while, and Mimikyu had to help him remember some details here and there, but eventually they reached a point where Fantina understood the issue. Although, he had excluded the Shadow Triad’s techniques, at least for now. Best to take this one step at a time.

Fantina took a few minutes to process the information, thinking it over and asking for a few clarifications. “I am seeing… this is a problem I have not encountered before, but I am having a few ideas. If Mimikyu is only using Shadow Sneak, and each use is shrinking him…” Her eyes narrowed. “Show me. Use Shadow Sneak.”

Mimikyu did just that, fading into the shadows and quickly reappearing a short distance away.

“And back?” Fantina requested.

Mimikyu popped up right where he had been, looking just a tiny bit smaller than he had before.

“How strange…” Fantina leaned in, inspecting Mimikyu closely.

Rotom got up in Mimikyu’s face as well. “Bzzrt! Wait, that was Shadow Sneak? Rotom cannot use that move, but…”

“You are seeing it as well?” Fantina asked, not taking her eyes off of Mimikyu. “What about you, Mismagius?”

N was proud of himself for not jumping when the new Ghost suddenly appeared beside him, joining in on the inspection. Maybe all the sudden appearances in his life lately was desensitizing him.

He did shudder, though. The wide brimmed hat hid the Pokemon’s face from him, but he could feel the Ghost type energy wafting off of Mismagius in much the same way Mimikyu used to.

He doubted that it wasn’t intentional, though.

“It’s not right…” a haunting, feminine voice called out softly. “Too much distortion, not enough control…”

That was concerning. “Is something wrong?” He looked to Fantina, remembering that he wasn’t meant to understand Pokemon’s words. “We demonstrated Shadow Sneak for the Nurse Joy I mentioned a good number of times, and her only concern was the size change…”

Fantina hummed. “I am not surprised. Joys are healers, not battlers, though Casey is quite a good coordinator…” She pulled back, sitting properly and ladylike once more with a slight frown on her face. “That others did not pick up on it… I can not blame them. But your ombre portée… Ah, pardon, your shadow sneak… it is not Shadow Sneak as I am knowing it.”

“What is that s’posed ta mean?!” Mimikyu puffed up defensively. “Are ya sayin’ I still don’ know any moves?! If it ain’ Shadow Sneak then what is it?!”

“Do not be so upset…” the Mismagius tried to calm his friend down. Her hat tilted back, and the look in her eyes… N didn’t like it.

“Fantina, what are you saying, exactly?” He looked to Rotom for a moment, but his new friend seemed just as confused.

A strange flow of emotion crossed the Gym Leader’s face. “I am thinking… that I can be solving your problem of no moves. However… what we have just seen…”

“Some of the purest Distortion I have ever witnessed,” the Mismagius continued where her trainer could not. She peered into Mimikyu’s eye slits, a burning curiosity, a hunger obvious on her face.

“Just what are you, little Distortion?”