(Tuesday)

The next day has arisen, and we decide to head further deep into Area Zero. On our way, we also decide to chat for some information.

"I...I almost never saw my parents in my whole life." Arven mutters.

"Oh? Is it time for the backstory reveal?" Penny asks.

"Penny! Shhh!" Reisa shushes her.

"They were always busy with work. Hardly ever came home. I cooked for myself, cleaned for myself... Mabosstiff was the only one I had to talk to. So, yeah, I don't really know them at all. Even if they are my parents."

"It must be very harsh on you." Drandon says.

"I tried not to think too much about it. Tried to just be proud that they were these famous genii. But the truth is, I would've rather just had parents who were there...even if they weren't anything great. I haven't seen them for ages now. Unless you count seeing them in the news or whatever. Used to at least get emails sometimes. But even those stopped a couple years ago. And then they appear, out of the blue, and tell me we've gotta come to Area Zero? Tch. Some family, right?"

"Oh, uh... But..." Penny mutters. "We're not here to judge or anything... And... I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that..."

"Naw, I was also giving you a hard time. Sorry...uh..." Arven says.

"Penny. My name's Penny." Penny says.

"You know...you're actually pretty nice for a little pipsqueak!"

"Heh... Don't call me a pipsqueak, you big lunk!" Penny says.

"That's the spirit, you two!" Nemona cheers.

After we decide to change some topics, Arven decides to speak up again, "Last time I came to the Great Crater, I was trying to go see my parents...I got about this far, then I got attacked by some kind of creature I'd never seen before."

"Really? What kind of Pokemon was it?!" Luke asks.

"It wasn't even a Pokémon. More like this crazy-violent, rampaging sort of thing and crazy-weird, metallic, machine thing..."

"You sure it wasn't just a Pokemon that's a little more, I dunno, rampagey and roboty than average? Nemona asks.

"Yeah, I'm sure! It was like a completely different creature altogether! And it hurt Mabosstiff really bad, so it's not like I'd just forget! I don't ever want to run into that awful thing again..." Arven mutters.

"They were that strong, huh?" Nemona asks. "I wonder if there are more of them other than the Donphan and the Volcarona we saw."

"...That's what I figured you'd say." Arven mutters.

"You're real tactless sometimes, Nemona. You know that?" Penny sighs.

When we finally reach the second research station, I say, "The second research station! About time, too."

"Phew! Let's... Let's head in and... take a breather..." Nemona is panting.

"I thought you'd have a bit more stamina, student council girl." Arven sighs, well, we did walk for a couple hours.

"Heh heh... Hoo... I'm just full of surprises!" Nemona says.

"That wasn't a compliment, you know..." Drandon mutters.

Penny turns around and says, "Hey, look - A Delibird and a Jigglypuff! It's good to see some nice familiar Pokemon down here too."

The two Pokemon get our attention, but I notice that something's off with those two.

"Ohmygosh! They're so cute!" Penny says as she tries to approach them, but then they start doing something crazy, the Delibird's head is spinning like a robot, and the Jigglypuff is roaring.

"What the -?! Waaaagh!" Penny yells.

"That's not the Jigglypuff and the Delibird! Let me see the Occulture!" I say.

Scream Tail: A Billion-Year-Old Jigglypuff?!

Somewhere in a Paldean forest, it's said, lurks Scream Tail—a being with Jigglypuff's own endearing puffball appearance but also a ferocious aggression that leads it to attack anyone who comes near.

Its primitive appearance and savage nature have prompted rumors that it could be a Jigglypuff from one billion years ago. It's named after a creature in the Scarvio Book that is described as having a distinctive tail and scream.

Iron Bundle: An Ancient Civilization's Robot?!

The mysterious Scarvio Book makes reference to a being called Iron Bundle, which was said to look like Delibird and to possess a spherical apparatus from which it would fire huge blasts of ice to propel itself through snowy lands.

Plenty of theories about it have been floated. A leading one suggests it is the product of a long-gone civilization—a notion supported by ancient writings that describe the design and usage of machines resembling Iron Bundle.

"Scream Tail and Iron Bundle..." Lillie says.

"Well, let's capture them!" I say.

Penny decides to help us out and we decide to battle the two Pokemon. Scream Tail uses Play Rough on Penny's Umbreon, and I say, "So it is still a Fairy Type..."

Then much to our surprise, it goes for Psychic Fangs on my Glimmora, dealing a lot of damage. "And it has to be a Psychic Type as well."

As for Iron Bundle, it goes for Blizzard, which proves to be Ice Type, but just as it goes for Hydro Pump, Glimmora almost faints and we realize that it is a Water Type as well.

"So a Fairy/Psychic Type Scream Tail, and an Ice/Water Type Iron Bundle..." Reisa says. "That's cool."

After we struggle for a while, the two Pokemon are captured.

Scream Tail: The Paradox Pokemon: Fairy and Psychic Type. There has been only one reported sighting of this Pokémon. It resembles a mysterious creature depicted in an old expedition journal.

Iron Bundle: The Paradox Pokemon: Ice and Water Type. Its shape is similar to a robot featured in a paranormal magazine article. The robot was said to have been created by an ancient civilization.

"Seriously, what WERE those? Darn thing scared me half to death..." Penny mutters.

"They were definitely kinda... ferocious for a Jigglypuff, and mechanical-looking for a Delibird, wasn't it?" Luke asks.

"No kidding." Arven adds.

"Come on, let's get inside already. One more jump scare like that and I'm done for..." Penny sighs.

After heading inside the lab, I say, "Well, this looks pretty much the same as the first research station."

"Seems like wild Pokemon don't come in here. We should be safe to catch our breath." Lillie says.

"Hey... Seriously, what's with these places? Those Pokemon..." Penny asks.

"I've been wondering about that myself." Arven says. "I think maybe those Pokemon were... one of these?"

He shows the page of the Monsters of Area Zero to the others. Though Lillie and I already know the truth because of Arceus.

"Monsters of Area Zero?" Penny asks.

"So they... aren't actually Pokemon?" Nemona asks.

"I... don't really know." Arven says.

"They're definitely Pokemon, they use moves and battles, and the Pokeballs work on them." I say.

"I suppose the time has come for an explanation." Professor Turo says. "Some of the life-forms that you see residing now within Area Zero... are the future and ancient Pokemon that lived in a distant day we have yet to see and distant past long lost to us."

"Future and Ancient Pokemon?" Arven asks in shock.

"What?! That's AWESOME!" Nemona says.

"Oh, come on. There's no way that's possible..." Penny mutters.

"The Zero Lab, where we are located, contains a time machine. It summons the future and past Pokemon to this place." Professor Turo says.

"So the thing my parents spent forever researching down here... They actually got it working?!" Arven asks.

"Indeed. Though the cost was catastrophic." Professor Turo says.

"The cost?" We are confused.

"But... a time machine? you mean you can actually travel to and from the past and the future?" Luke asks.

"It is theoretically possible to travel to the past and the future." Professor Turo says. "However... for a being such as a human, it would not be possible to return to the present."

"Well, THAT'S horrifying..." Penny says.

"Dad, you and Mom- Why did you call us here to Area Zero?" Arven asks.

"Arven, we..." Professor Turo stops for a while before saying, "If possible, we would like us to speak when we can meet face to face. It will be easier for you to understand once you can see the situation for yourself."

Arven frowns, and Professor Turo asks us to disable another lock, and we do it in the end.

"Hey Ash, Lillie." Arven says. "You know that book they told me to bring? I think it's got something to do with this place. Or more like... everything to do with this place. But I'm not the one he expects to fix whatever all this is... You are. I think you should be the one to carry it."

Then he gives us the Scarvio Book, and he asks us to take care of it. Then we decide to look for the books here once more.

At last, I can resume work on the Tera Project! I'll move my research to the Zero Lab this month. My team will be smaller, but no matter. The strong influence of the crystals makes our experiments much more unstable.

The crystals' power is tremendous! Their unstable output made our corporate backers fret, but... If we can harness this energy, it will open up research possibilities we'd only dreamed of. At last, paradise will be ours to create.

Then we head outside and we notice a strange Magneton walking towards us. Nemona says, "That is not a Magneton, right?"

"I don't think so..." I say. "It looks much hairier."

Sandy Shocks: A Magneton with a 10-Thousand-Year Lifespan?!

Some scientists claim that this mysterious being is a Magneton that has lived for 10 thousand years. It has been sighted numerous times in Paldea's more arid regions, but there are no reports of it ever having been caught.

It's said that Sandy Shocks is an aggressive sort and that some people who've seen it have been attacked as well. It takes its name from a beast with a matching description in the era-defining Scarvio Book.

Since it can use Zap Cannon, it is probably still an Electric Type, but when it goes for Earth Power, it surprises us since it is also a Ground Type. I have Great Tusk Iron Bundle deal with the Pokemon and capture it in the end.

Sandy Shocks: The Paradox Pokemon: Electric and Ground Type. No records exist of this Pokémon being caught. Data is lacking, but the Pokémon's traits match up with a creature shown in an expedition journal.

And it is not just Magneton, there is also a Tyranitar that looks robotic.

Iron Thorns: A Tyranitar of the Distant Future?!

A strange being called Iron Thorns has been sighted in a certain cave in Paldea. This being bears a strong resemblance to Tyranitar, but it apparently displays great coolheadedness and prefers to avoid unnecessary fights.

It appears to be highly intelligent and clad in metallic armor, causing some to speculate that it may be a Tyranitar as it would appear a billion years from now. Its name comes from a similarly described entity that appears in the Scarvio Book.

"So we also have an Iron Thorns... I wonder why the Future Pokemon needs to have an "Iron" in the first name..."

"I don't know." I say.

Iron Thorns can use Stone Edge, so we think it is still a Rock Type, but when it goes for Discharge, we are surprised that it is now an Electric Type as well. Still with Iron Thread's help, we manage to capture it.

Iron Thorns: The Paradox Pokemon: Rock and Electric Type. It has some similarities to a Pokémon introduced in a dubious magazine as a Tyranitar from one billion years into the future.

"Now we have 4 of the Ancient Pokemon and 4 of the Future Pokemon... I wonder how many are there..." I mutter.

And here is the second day of the Area Zero investigation, now Ash and Lillie get two more Ancient Pokemon and two more Future Pokemon. I hope you like this chapter.