Spiritual Calling

Part 1

The minister closed his morning sermon with a tired, but hopeful tone. “Brothers, sisters, as I’ve said before, these are strange times we're living in. Difficult and confusing. Don't lose your faith, however. Suffering and hardship are important parts of our lives. As it is said in the book of Romans, ‘Through him we have obtained access by faith into his grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us’”

With his final words spoken, he stepped away from the altar and walked through the aisle as the choir began its performance. He sat next to me in the back row. As the organ began playing, I spoke to him in a hushed tone.

“That was a powerful speech,” I whispered.

He looked down to the floor and sighed. He covered his face in an attempt to hide some of his fatigue. “I wish more of us were able to hear it.”

I understood his worries. The passage he read at the lectern applied just as much to himself as it did to the rest of us. The congregation had dwindled in numbers in the past two weeks. A variety of factors were to blame. People struggled to find time with new burdens introduced by the sudden changes in people. Word spread throughout the Church of families who were having to take care of loved ones that were injured in attacks by the monsters running about. There were rumors that people had turned into monsters as well, but nothing was confirmed to us.

We sat in silence as others stood and sang along. The ceremony concluded, and the melancholy that was held off for the duration of our worship returned. I stood up and began guiding folks to the exit. My position gave me the opportunity to see the faces of every man and woman as they left. Before it made me feel good, seeing the smiles and friendly chatter as they left for the day. In recent times, it had turned into a solemn duty, as it treated me to the sight of people's growing fear.

When the congregation was gone, only the minister and I remained. I took on the other half of my role of cleaning up the area. Extinguishing candles, cleaning trash left behind, and moving things to storage. When I was finished with my tasks, I prepared to leave before the minister stopped me.

“Stay for a moment,” he said. “I need your help with something.”

“What is it?”

“Brother Halles passed away last week,” he told me. “I need help with the preparations of his funeral. Laurens would normally do it, but he's out of town. Could you?”

As if I wasn't busy enough. I didn't have issues with my work at the church, but I was already having difficulties at home with my mother. That, and I was falling behind in my studies.

I couldn't turn the minister down, though. He rarely asked anyone for help. Only when he couldn't handle things by himself. Everyone’s workload was increasing these days, as well.

I nodded, and I saw the faintest smile grow on his face. A rare sight now. It gave me a little bit of pride.

The next evening, I was driving down a backroad out of the city. Brother Halles lived in a small house in the hills. Difficult to get to, especially with my inexperience in driving. When I arrived, I parked in his empty driveway. He didn't own a car, and usually relied on rides from the minister. They were close friends. I imagined it only made things harder on the man.

I got out of my car and stepped out. The hills cast shadows around me. There was a garden nearby that appeared fresh and healthy. A shame nobody would care for it anymore

The front door of the house wasn't locked, as I was told it would be. He didn't fear any burglars or thieves in this area. The inside was relatively clean, though a light layer of dust had formed on every surface. A foul stench of decay filled the air. It was possible nobody noticed he had died until the minister went to pick him up on Sunday. Despite being friendly with nearly everyone in the church, and doing all kinds of volunteer work with us, he didn't get many visitors.

We had a local tradition in our church where, for funerals, we’d bring items of importance to bury with the dead. He had no family to bring anything for him, so the duty fell on us. It was possible that me and the other laymen would be the only ones attending his funeral.

I walked through his home, searching for something of his to bring. Flicked on every light switch I came across. Empty houses were always unnerving to me. I hated being alone because it never felt like I really was.

I found a bedroom in short time and flicked on the lights. Compared to the rest of the house, it was a dump. The smell was at its worst here. I didn't waste any time. Quickly searched the room for something important to him so I could get out of there. It was sparsely decorated. No pictures, figures, the only book was a Bible sitting on his bedside table. I opened up the drawer of that table to try and find something of value.

There were journals inside. Many. Out of curiosity, I opened one of them up. The front page was dated to around a month ago. There were two or three pages written every day. Starting with accounts of his daily activities and his attempts at interpreting the book of Revelation. I didn't like reading it myself, it was far too complicated and symbolic for someone like me. Brother Halles was talking about it a few months ago, though.

“Today I watered the mint garden out front. They're looking healthy. I think they’ll be ready to harvest soon. When I was finished, I returned to Revelations 10, the story of the angel and the scroll. The significance of the scroll the angel offers interests me. Its taste is sweet as honey, but in the stomach it is bitter. May this be a message about the pursuit of knowledge itself? It appears as something pleasant, but in reality it poisons men. True wisdom, symbolic of the forbidden fruit of the garden of Eden.”

He was among the most passionate and faithful of our community. It was a tragedy to lose him so suddenly. Especially in times like these.

As I continued reading, the entries grew darker. Around the time news of the monsters were appearing in headlines. It appeared that he’d shifted his focus slightly from the good book to these creatures.

“I’ve no doubt that the monsters are the works of the devil. Taking the shape of devilish cartoons for kids. I found my son's old book about them and the resemblance is clear. I was right to take this from him back then. I won't be going to Church tomorrow. I wish to speak with the Lord personally.”

I remember not seeing him last week and thinking it strange. The minister told us that he was just sick and wanted to stay at home, and the minister was an honest man. Halles, apparently, was not.

His next entry was in the evening of Sunday. “I forgot to check the mint today. I was lost in meditation. All day. I had some tea earlier, but I haven't eaten yet. Fasting should bring me closer to God. I feel his presence getting closer, I know he's listening to me.”

Then the next page, seemingly that same night.

“I heard one of the demons outside. It was chanting some evil melody, made my head hurt. I took my cross and went to banish it. Disappeared quick. Fear the Lord’s vengeance, vile spirit.”

I wasn't sure what he saw. Most likely an animal, and chanting could have been birds. There was no reason monsters would be out here, so far from people, if their goal was to terrorize us.

Another entry on Tuesday morning.

“‘Be at enmity, but be so with the devil, and not with a member of your own. For this purpose it is that God has armed us with anger, not that we should thrust the sword against our own bodies, but that we should baptize the whole blade in the devil's breast. There bury the sword up to the hilt; yea, if you will, hilt and all, and never draw it out again, but add yet another and another.’ The people need to know this. When I come back on Sunday, I’ll share this important wisdom with the people. For now, I’m burning the devil's book.”

It didn't seem to do him any good. He had another entry that night.

“The spirit came back, chanting again. I couldn't sleep because of it. I saw its figure in my home this time. Black shadows everywhere. Faces in the walls. I watched it burn my garden outside. Trying to take its vengeance.”

“I don't fear it. The Lord watches over me. He protects me from harm. He is my savior, my guiding light in this dark world. Now and forevermore.”

His garden definitely wasn't burnt when I saw it. Isolation, lack of sleep, and hunger must have gotten to him. Hallucinating. I had no idea he was under this kind of stress. I wished I had reached out to him before he died.

There was only one page left. No date, no indication of when it was written.

“I’m filled with joy for the first time in ages. Divine grace has entered my home. The Lord has sent me an angel. I hear it singing outside.”

I put the journal back. It scared me too much. The logic in my head told me that he’d just gone insane and given himself a stroke or heart attack. That was the most reasonable conclusion. A small part of me wondered if he was right, though.

The air grew cold around me. The foul odor grew more intense. I wanted out of that home. I took the journal and his Bible as trinkets for the funeral and entered the hallway outside of his room. It was nearly pitch black. Illuminated only by hints of moonlight peeking through the windows. I thought I turned the lights on for sure.

My hand reached for the crucifix pendant tied around my neck. An unconscious reaction as I walked through the darkened home. The creaking floorboards and whistling wind outside made me tense. It felt to me like God had abandoned this place.

I finally reached the door and tried to open it. It was stuck. I jiggled the handle, pushed and pulled with all my might. No luck. I was trapped inside.

In the countryside, in the dead of night. Alone, no lights. My heart was beating a mile a minute. It wasn't made better when the chanting started

I pressed myself up against the door and looked around, trying to get a glimpse of anything in the household. The hellish incantations echoed through the halls, and a shadowy, purple figure floated down it. Appearing as a set of robes with a hat, but no real body.

It approached me slowly. I was hugging that door like I was standing in front of the abyss. Its glowing, yellow eyes got closer and closer until they were right in my face and stopped chanting.

It breathed that noxious scent into my face. A painful minute of silence before it giggled lightly and disappeared from my vision.

The door swung open behind me and I fell onto the porch. Scrambled back up and ran for my car. I couldn't believe what I saw, but I knew it was real. A spirit or a devil. Not of this world. It was a killer, it must have taken the man’s soul!

As I drove away, I heard its chanting return. It was still with me? I saw shadows growing in the corners of my eyes, my vision started to blur. Was it adrenaline or paranormal? I couldn't tell.

As my car slid downhill at top speed, I saw something jump out of the ground. Another shadow from the depths of hell. I slammed on my brakes and veered off the road. The car spun around before hitting a tree, and everything went black.

There was wet grass underneath me. My blurred vision gave me a picture of a singular, glowing red eye. At some point it disappeared, and I was alone. An illusion?

---

Part 2

I awoke in the early morning to a more familiar sight. The minister hovering over me. He had a stunned look in his eyes. He quickly surveyed the area and spoke to me.

“Can you hear me, brother?”

A grunt escaped my throat. It put him at ease.

After a few minutes of letting me rest, he helped me back up and walked me down the road. By some miracle, I crashed just a mile away from his home, and he saw me during his morning walk.

He brought me into the kitchen and sat me down at his table while he went to make some tea. He seemed tired as well. I knew he had a lot of record keeping to do, and people were coming in left and right for spiritual crises.

“Brother, what happened last night?” He asked me.

“I don't know where to begin…” I mumbled.

He brought his kettle to a boil before pouring two cups and carrying them to the table. I took a sip. Raspberry tea. The minister’s favorite.

It brought a little bit of order to my scattered brain. I remembered, through all the chaos of the night before, that I had taken Brother Halles's journal. I took it from my coat and placed it on the table.

The minister was confused at first, but he picked up the book and read through it slowly. It gave me time to finish my drink. I watched his brow furrow the deeper he got into the journal. Upon reaching the end, his face grew pale.

He closed the journal and let out a deep breath. “I assume you encountered this spirit too?”

I looked him in the eyes and nodded slowly. He covered his eyes for a moment, and shivered. He was trying to gather his thoughts and keep his composure.

“I have to believe you,” he said. “You were certainly saved by a miracle. That crash looked fatal.”

I recalled what I saw before I blacked out. “There was another that saved me. It had one red eye, and it disappeared quickly.”

“An angel,” he responded, taking a sip of his tea. “The Lord sees potential in you. You're young and faithful.”

I didn't take compliments well, so I pushed past it. “What do we do about that devil? It's right up the hill, minister.”

He was trying to figure it out himself. This was something he wasn't prepared for. “We’ll have to put the funeral on hold. I don't know if there's anyone I can call, though.”

To provide some context, our church used to be Lutheran. Around fifty years ago, it became independent after a number of Baptists and Puritans migrated to our community, (my mother one of them). It made things a lot harder as our conflicting beliefs clashed not only with each other, but the higher authorities in the Lutheran Church. The minister at the time decided it was best not to divide us, but unite our parish and develop our understanding of the lord together.

Father Martin, our minister at the time, selected his successor personally, and that minister selected our current minister. My minister. The title of Father was dropped as none of them were officially ordained, and it didn't seem right to us to use such a title.

The important part about all this history was that we had no hierarchy past my minister. Any other parish could call bishops, who could go further up the ladder if necessary. We were on our own.

“I watched the news for the first time in years last night,” the minister told me. It was a shock to me. He made a big deal about it a few years back, when politics were taking control of everyone's lives.

My mother thought it was wise and did so as well. She went even further by removing the TVs from both hers and my room. We only had the one in the family room, and it was rarely turned on.

The minister saw my confusion. “Don’t be mistaken, brother. My faith in God has not wavered,” he assured me. “I need to know what the rest of the world is dealing with though. We are not alone here. Others are working to control this ‘outbreak’.”

“What do you suggest we do?” I asked him.

He finished his tea and stood up, stared out the window and contemplated. “Come with me to the city. We need to do our research on this demon before we face it.”

---

Part 3

The minister and I drove quietly into the city. He left the radio on so we could listen to the news.

“~ajor traffic jam on highwa~-_ Snorl~~ blocking the ro-d.”

“~-Rec~nt monst~-- ~pany respons--”

I fumbled around with the dial to clear up the static. This sounded important.

“~tendo denies any involvement in the current situation. Says the sudden transformations into their iconic properties had nothing to do with them."

The minister and I listened. They called the monsters Pokemon apparently. Like the kids show. I was never allowed to watch it growing up, but I remember kids in Sunday School talking about it. Trading cards, playing games. Of all the forms demons could take, why those in particular?

New further outlined reports of people and animals suddenly waking up as Pokemon. No explanation as to why, no patterns in what caused it. It lined up with some of the stories I’d heard in our community. I wished I’d been paying more attention to them, but I was so deep in my burdens with the church and taking care of my mother.

I remembered at that moment that I hadn't been home to see her yet.

“Minister, do you mind if I make a call?”

He lowered the volume on the radio for me. I pulled out my cell phone and tried to ring her. Tried three times, no response. It was still early in the morning, she was probably still asleep.

I called my neighbor instead. Had to make sure that was it. He was an old, retired firefighter. Not a religious man, but he's helped me in some situations with her in the past. I trusted him. He picked up the phone almost instantly.

“Hello?”

I skipped all the usual formalities. “Stephen, I need you to check on my mother. I was supposed to come home last night but… I had to help the minister with his work.”

“And you're still doing that now?”

“Afraid so,” I told him. “It's a bit of an emergency. I might be gone for-”

“No problem, son. I’ll pay her a visit. Just make sure you do come back soon.”

“Thank you, Steph.”

And I hung up. A weight off my shoulders. For now, I could focus on the demon situation.

We made our way to a public library. A pretty old building, didn't see many visitors. When we entered, the librarian, an elderly woman, greeted the minister.

“Mr. Romero! Who's your young friend here?”

“He’s my assistant,” the minister said. “One of the churchwardens.”

“Well it's so nice to meet you, dear,” the woman said with a kind smile. I got the impression she didn't see many people my age.

The minister and I split up in the library. He went to check the religious texts, said he wanted to look at Eastern spirits. “The kind of monsters our European ancestors wouldn't have learned of.” He instructed me to look in the fiction section for any books about Pokemon.

I looked around for a bit. There was one, singular book about them that I could find. “Deluxe Essential Handbook: The need-to-know stats and facts on over 700 Pokemon.” There were over 700 of these things?

I met up with the minister again and we checked out the books we found. Librarian seemed confused, especially when she saw the book about Pokemon. No questions asked though. We were back on the road headed to the church in no time.

---

The minister and I spent hours combing through Asian theology and cross referencing it with our own texts, trying to draw connections where we could. In a book about Shintoism, we learned of their equivalent to exorcisms. At least what we assumed to be. It was hard to be certain that what we were reading was really reliable, as it was mostly speculation on old religious practices in a foreign country roughly translated to our language.

When they’d give offerings to their spirits, they'd perform some kind of purification ritual. To ward off pollution and sin apparently. If those spirits were demons or angels, we couldn't say for certain. It was a starting point at the very least.

Pretty much everything involved the usage of salt and water. Cleanliness was key. An odd way of handling it, but it apparently kept spirits at bay for a period of time. Oddly, their history indicated that they would strike deals with entities normally hostile to get them to leave them alone for a period of time. Sounded like some pagan nonsense.

I flipped through my book about Pokemon monsters and identified the entity I saw the night before. Floating robes and a hat. It was something called a Mismagius. That was the demon’s name, the one we’d need to invoke

It really didn't offer much to go off of in terms of fighting it. It was a ghost type. Shows up unexpectedly, and its chants bring torment to those who listen. Sounds like our culprit. Some of the creatures in that book, I really hoped we wouldn't run into.

It was a long day for us, but we were feeling more prepared. We dug up some essential tools. Holy symbols, old bottles of holy water, and scripture. Found some salt as well, just to test how effective it would be. Before we left, the minister led me to the sacristy where the Church stored its garments.

Him and I donned our robes. Simple, black vestments with white collared undershirts. Of course, our clothing wouldn't be shielding us as much as our faith, but in case anybody asked what we were doing, it would be more believable if we were in uniform.

With our preparations set, we got into his car and drove to the home of Brother Halles. I’d never done an exorcism before. This would be my greatest test of faith.

---

Part 4

The minister and I returned to the cursed home near sunset. Same as I did yesterday. The door was shut again, and the place had an ominous silence.

We retrieved our items from the back seat of the car and surveyed the area, formulating a plan. I got the idea to check the garden. It seemed significant to Brother Halles with how often he wrote about it, and his sight of it burning.

He grew much more than mint there. I couldn't identify them myself, but he'd left stakes with their names written on them in the dirt. Basil, rosemary lavender… and sage. Already harvested.

Sage could be bundled up and used as incense. Never tried it myself, but it was used in prayer services and worship by some of our more traditional Lutheran members. Halles, for example. The vision of his burning garden must've been some kind of sign.

“Minister, we should search the home for some incense. Halles may have it stashed somewhere,” I told him.

He nodded. “It's a common sight in many cultures. More proof the Bible never lies in my eyes.”

The two of us entered the home. Door remained unlocked, thank God. The inside was exactly the same as I’d left it. I tried to turn the lights on, but no luck.

The minister and I were prepared for this. We brought candles and lighters to place around the home.

Made our way into the family room and started lighting it up. The walls were already decorated in crosses. Should be a safe area, but just in case, we poured lines of salt along the entrances and exits. I dug around in a cabinet he had in the room and found bundles of intense. Just what I was looking for.

I lit the incense and the minister and I pressed forward. Its smoke filled the hallways. We made our way to Halles's bedroom and worked to cleanse the scent of decay. Candles everywhere, even more incense. The minister spread more salt along the door.

The minister then instructed me to read Psalms from the Latin Bible I’d brought. I had several bookmarked with notes on their meanings. Moved closer to some of our candles for light and began to read.

“In finem. Psalmus David. Ad te, Domine, levai animam meam. Deus meus, in te confido; non erubescam.”

As I finished the verse, the minister and I began to hear chanting. Same as I had heard before. The minister circled the room, raising a silver Cross. He showed no fear. “Keep reading.”

So I continued. Our incantations were stronger than its own. “Neque irrideant me inimici mei: etenim universi, qui sustinent te, non confundentur.”

A shadow crossed the windows. I was developing a headache, but it didn't stifle my reading. We were drawing the demon to us.

“Firmamentum est Dominus timentibus eum; et testamentum ipsius ut manifestetur illis. Oculi mei semper ad Dominum, quoniam ipse evellet de laqueo pedes meos.”

Its chanting came from the hallway outside now. The minister and I turned to face the door. He walked up to it, stood strong like a fortress, preparing for its entry.

“Respice inimicos meos, quoniam multiplicati sunt, et odio iniquo oderunt me. Custodi animam meam, et erue me ; non erubescam, quoniam speravi in te.”

A cold wind blew through the room, extinguishing half of our candles, darkening the room greatly. The door swung open, and the beast presented itself.

Its purple hat and robes floated casually over the salt. It did not care. So much for Shintoism.

The minister shouted at it. “Mismagius! This home does not belong to you! Neither does the soul of Brother Halles, for he was a true believer. Remove yourself from this Earth in the name of the lord!”

The ghost type snickered at us. The minister didn't back down though, he raised his cross again. “Continue reading the scripture!”

“Dirige me in veritate tua, et doce me, quia tu-”

Before I could finish, Mismagius swatted away the minister’s cross and pushed him back with a dark spell. He hit the wall behind the bed and, thankfully, landed on said bed.

I looked back at him. He tried to get back up, but couldn't find the strength. “Grab the cross! Defend yourself!”

I dashed to where it had landed in the corner of the corner of the room. Next to it was the holy water, so I picked that up too. When I turned to face the demon, it stood in my face again. Breathed that noxious air in my face again.

I pushed myself into the corner and raised the holy water, spraying the ghost repeatedly. It jumped back and wiped its face. Not the burning effect I expected I’d see, but it did irritate the ghost somewhat.

Mismagius made an attempt to grab me with its robes, but I ducked down and pushed through the monster. It was like running through a curtain made of spiderwebs. I felt physical contact, but I didn't actually collide with anything. Uncanny.

I ran out of the room, and the demon chased me through the hall. I heard it cackling. The walls of the house seemed to shake from some paranormal force, I saw cracks in the ground form beneath me. I had to make it back to the family room. It was our sanctuary in this evil home.

The ground beneath me started to crumble away. I could see the family room ahead of me, but it was blocked by a hole that extended into the depths of hell. No turning back. The demon was behind me.

I leapt across and rolled on the floor. Safe. I stood up and rubbed my head. Had a splitting headache that was slowly fading away. I turned around and looked down the crumbling hallway.

Except it wasn't crumbling. It was totally normal. A damned illusion that villain had placed upon me.

Mismagius returned. At the end of the hall. Every candle it passed dimmed, making its figure harder and harder to make out. I stood against it though. Stared at its glowing eyes, held the minister’s cross, and braced myself.

Just as it was about to enter the room, something unexpected happened. A target purple sphere of energy shot through my body and collided with Mismagius. It was knocked onto the ground.

That ball didn't come from me, I had no such powers. So I turned around and saw where it came from. Another being not of our world. It had a plump body with a jagged mouth, and a cylindrical head. There was a slanted opening in its head with one, glowing red eye. It was the one that saved me from my crash.

It started floating to the hallway behind me, and I stepped out of its way.

“Patchy! Go home!” It yelled at the demon. “Stop tormenting the priest.”

Mismagius… Patchy… rose again and looked at the angel. It squeaked with some kind of spectral echo.

The angel cut it off. “No! Not hearing it! Home! Cage!”

Patchy continued to argue with it looking mad. The angel placed a hand on its face and sighed.

“If you go home, I’ll give you a cracker.’

Somehow that pacified the demon. It chirped in delight and flew out the window.

“Stupid bird,” the angel muttered before turning around. “Sorry about the trouble, priest.”

An angel addressing me directly? I lowered my head and clasped my hands. “Oh, thank you Lord for sending your servant to me!”

“Cut that out, I don't need your praise,” the angel said.

I looked back up at it. Its form was not what I expected from an angel, but I'd heard their appearances weren't exactly what was artistically depicted in paintings. It still looked so alien, but sort of familiar. Was it in that book?

Regardless, I continued thanking it. “You have saved my life, I’m certain. It attacked the minister, and it killed our brother.”

“John Halles?” It asked. “I found his spirit a while ago. Died of a heart attack when he saw my bird. Er… guided him to the light after my talk with him… I think.”

That was a major relief. “You escorted his soul to Heaven. I had feared for a moment that the demon had stolen it for himself.”

“Herself,” the angel corrected. “No need for thanks. It's kind of an instinct for me now.”

“Right… wait now?”

The angel sighed again. “Yeah, I wasn't like this until recently. Used to be human like you, but one day I just woke up as a dusknoir. And that Mismagius was my parrot.”

“I… don't know what to say. I’d heard of people turning into demons, not angels.”

I couldn't really make out what the dusknoir was thinking. “I don't think that's what's happening to us. I’m really not sure what it is, actually. But please, don't think I’m an angel or Patchy’s a demon. I’m a human and that was a bird, just in different bodies now.”

“I… can only assume higher forces changed you then,” I said. If they weren't otherworldly entities, that was the only explanation. “We could try to exorcise the demons out of you if you’d return to-”

“I am not possessed!” The dusknoir interrupted. “I hear no voices in my head, no dark lord giving me orders. I’m just a regular person in the body of a Pokemon!”

I was a little afraid, I’ll admit. This was my second interaction with one of these monsters. I didn't feel anything off about him, though. If anything, he seemed more divine than evil.

“I’ll just… assume it's a blessing then.”

Dusknoir groaned. “Whatever. Just don't waste your time with another one of these ‘rituals’ on Pokemon. I'm certain you're not the only ones trying it, and I know for a fact that nobody's turned back to normal from them. It’d be all over the news if that happened.”

“I understand, sir.”

“Good. Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta buy some crackers from the store.”

Dusknoir then casually floated through the wall, leaving me alone. That was when I remembered. The minister!

I ran back into the bedroom. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, clutching his chest. He looked over at me. “Is it gone?”

I nodded. “The Lord sent us a protector. Not an angel, but a man.”

“Is that who you were talking to?” He asked as he slowly stood up. “I heard some conversation but I couldn't make anything out.’

“I’ll tell you on the way back. Let me drive you home.”

---

Part 5

Our drive back was relatively peaceful compared to the hell we’d just put ourselves through. I explained to the minister everything Dusknoir had told me. He didn't seem sure what to believe. That made two of us.

“So not an angel… but divine intervention at least,” he said. “I need some time to process all this.”

“You and me both. I’m so lost right now.”

We pulled into his driveway. The minister stepped out. “Take the car for now. I'm not going anywhere tomorrow. My back is killing me.”

“Will you be alright?” I asked.

“Yes. I just need rest. The Lord will do the rest of the work. You need to go home. I’ve kept you out long enough.”

I thanked the minister and backed out of his driveway. Hopefully he didn’t need a trip to the hospital. God knows he’d never go willingly, no matter how much I’d ask him to.

My ride home was uneventful. Late at night, little traffic. I turned the radio back on. Closer I got to the suburbs, the better my connection got. Just some late night jazz station playing somebody famous from the 60s probably.

A host came in at the end of a song. Smooth talking, pleasant voice. “Hello darling. Mr. Newman, here with your favorite tunes and late night news. Today's headline, the department of health held a press conference reiterating the importance of keeping distance from Pokemon for general safety and the possibility of the transformations being contagious. It’ll be hard for you and I to stay away from each other, I know. In other news, the national guard..."

The minister and I having such a close encounter did worry me. The possibility of this being contagious. I didn't want to turn into one of these creatures. How would people react? How would my mother handle it?

Felt a little disrespectful calling them creatures in my head. Dusknoir was a pretty normal person. I figured turning couldn't be too bad, but so many new problems. I just hoped I'd be spared.

“That's all the gritty, serious stuff I have for you tonight, folks. This next song is a personal gift from me… to you.”

His voice seamlessly transitioned into some old blues. I turned the volume down and focused on the road. It was spreading, and nobody could control it. Why was this happening to us?

I’d been taught something about possession once. It's not a casual process that happens to ordinary people. Something has to be done to hand control of their bodies and souls over to evil forces. Dusknoir didn't seem like someone who would have done that. He saved who he assumed to be a priest, twice even.

Even if they all were possessed, why like this? And why all so suddenly? Surely there would have been at least a handful of cases like this in history we could draw from. Just too much to think about.

I reached my home eventually. A relatively large home for just two people. Plenty of extra bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a garage. I pulled into said garage and got out of the car. Entered my home through the door connecting the garage to the kitchen.

“Mom?” I called.

“You’re back?”

I heard her out in the family room, so I walked over. Saw her sitting on the couch reading a book. Thankfully she was totally alright.

I worried about her a lot. She was getting old, and recently pretty sick. Physically weak, needed help walking around the house. Part of why I didn't leave often outside of Church business.

“Goodness, where have you been?” She asked. “Why are you dressed like that?”

I’d forgotten I was still wearing the robes. “The minister gave them to me. He wanted my help, it was very complicated and confusing.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” I told her. “Are you doing okay? I told Stephen to check on you.”

“Yes, he was here throughout the day,” she said. “He brought me McDonald’s. Such a sweet man. I just wish he’d come to Church sometime.”

“So do I,” I responded. “I’m very tired, though. You should be in bed too, it’s very late.”

“I just couldn’t, I was so worried,” she said. “I haven’t seen you since you left for that funeral thing yesterday. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I really didn’t want to stress her out or worry her, but I didn’t know what to tell her. I was trying to keep her in the dark on the recent monster sightings, hoping they'd just go away really. I didn't really know much about them before, but now that I had a first hand experience, I was even more conflicted. I couldn't lie to her about it, but…

“I… was in an accident last night,” I told her.

She was horrified. Speechless.

I quickly tried to reassure her. “I’m alright though! I’m not hurt.”

“You could've died!” She cried. “You were nearly killed, and you didn't tell me?!”

“I tried to call, but-”

“No! No, you should have come home!” She argued.

“The minister really needed me-”

“I don't care what he wanted you to do, it wasn't that important. I'm your mother!”

“I’m… sorry.”

That was how she reacted to a car accident she had no details of. A natural reaction, yes, but still intense. Was it a good idea to tell her that I’d almost killed myself a second time trying to expel a demon? Not tonight at least.

With nothing else to do, I helped my mother walk back to her bedroom. She kept insisting she didn't need my help, but after her fall two months ago I just couldn’t let her.

I retired to my room for the night and removed the robes I had. Asked God for forgiveness of what I’d done. Scaring my mother like that was wrong. I felt awful.

---

The next day I went to return the robes to the Church. Sat in the empty auditorium for a while. My experience with those two ghosts from the night before was a unique experience. Had me asking a lot of questions.

I had a few other errands to run in the city. Checked my phone to see what I’d written down. Groceries, medicine, and I had to call the insurance company. Wasn't looking forward to that one.

Decided I wanted to check the news myself. The minister was doing it, surely it wasn't so bad anymore. Avoided it so long thinking how bad it was for my mental health. Lot of trash headlines, but almost all focused on the Pokemon sightings.

Pokemon. Guess I was hopping on the bandwagon late, but I wanted to learn more about it now. Seemed necessary for the current situation.

Started reading the Wikipedia article on it. Article was locked and a big header at the top had a link redirecting to a separate article for the real life ones. For now just stuck to the original article, wanted the source of all these changes.

It's just a game series about catching magical creatures. There didn't seem to be anything evil about it. Besides current events that is. Generally, there was one of two reasons that something was kept out of my life in childhood. Either it was satanic and evil, or it was just stupid and would rot my brain. A little truth to both of those, but I did feel as I got older that it was an overreaction at times.

Pokemon didn’t seem particularly stupid to me. A big money pot for a rich company, but probably something kids could just enjoy without any harm, (except with some of the drama around trading cards in 1999). The question of whether or not it was evil was currently up in the air.

Sort of went down the rabbit hole with my Pokemon research, looking up Dusknoir and Mismagius online as well. Found a wikipedia type website dedicated to cataloging everything related to Pokemon. Dusknoir did apparently guide the dead to the “spirit world”, and Mismagius’s chanting caused hallucinations and headaches. Both things I already knew of, but it was good to have them confirmed.

After that, I just started looking at random pages that caught my interest. Saw a wide variety of Pokemon. Ones that I got bits of info on in the book, and some new ones that weren’t listed. All kinds of animals, dragons, even day-to-day objects given life. Was all very kiddy, not something I could see myself getting into as an adult, but still pretty charming in its own way.

Still had things to do that day, though. I left the church to pick up our groceries. Fantasy monsters would wait, they weren't going anywhere. If anything, they were probably pretty eager to pop up again.

The drive was rough. Saw some military vehicles on the highway, and there was a big construction crane being used to move a massive Pokemon blocking the road. I wasn't too good at navigating things, but I managed to get through it with some patience.

Walmart was looking very rough. Much worse than it was when I came last week. Then, there were a couple families going around and panic buying. Of course I didn’t really understand why at the time.

Now the store was a mess. There were some cops stationed outside waiting to catch anyone trying to loot the place. Poor cashiers just had to sit behind their counters as random people were throwing things around, trying to shoplift items. Saw two people sprinting out of the store with a bunch of frozen dinners before getting tackled by police. People just can’t control themselves.

Saw a truck lined up front being loaded with large containers from the store. Not delivering products, but taking them. What was going on?

Was able to find most of what I needed, in spite of the strange things going on. Bit of a hike in prices. Nothing too major, though. Unfortunately I had to settle for rigatoni noodles instead of spaghetti.

Next was the pharmacy. Mother had a prescription for antibiotics that needed to be refilled. I walked up to the counter in the back of the store, a young girl probably in High School was working it.

“Date of birth?” She asked me.

“June 7th, 1971.”

She punched the numbers into her computer.

“First name?”

“Mary.”

Keyboard clicked a few more times. A worried look appeared on her face before she turned to me. “Sorry, our supplies are running a little low. Do you have enough for next week?”

“She runs out in two days,” I answered.

“I’ll get an emergency refill for you, then.”

She walked into the back. I waited around for a few minutes before she returned with a small paper bag. I’d have to come back, but we’d be alright for now. Paid for the medicine and left.

Store’s packed with shoppers, pharmacy’s low on medicine. Things were getting pretty bad.

On my way back home, had the radio on again. 2000s rock. Didn't know any or names of the songs, but I didn't mind it. News was on again, more reports from the CDC saying things were under control. I hoped they were right, I didn't want to see things get worse.

While riding into my neighborhood, I spotted something lying on the road. Had to stop and pull off the road. It was a small pink cat-like thing with some leaves sprouting from its head. Some kind of Pokemon. I had to pull to the side of the road and check on it.

It looked up at me. Looked terrified. It had the voice of a young boy. “Mister, please help! Don't let it take me!”

I was very confused until I felt a gust of wind blow in. The little pink creature was picked up by it and started flying away, screaming. I chased after him, had to jump up to pull the kid back to the ground.

He was shivering, sobbing, scared for his life. Light as a feather, too. Those leaves on his head were like propellers in the wind.

I held him carefully and spoke to him. “Do you have a name?”

“K-Kayden…” he sniffled. So he was a human at some point. Twisted by this weird force.

“Okay Kayden, you're safe right now. I won't let you blow away. Where do you live?”

The little guy answered. “C-cider Street. Across Gianni's.”

“What's Gianni's?” I asked. “Is it a friend's house or what?”

“Restaurant…” he said.

I hadn't heard of this place before. Must've been far away. How long was this kid flying around in the wind?

I didn't know what exactly to do with him. Only one thing I could do for now. “You can stay in my car for a bit while I figure out what to do.”

Kid seemed a little happier with that. So I brought him into the minister’s car. Had him in the back seat. Tried to buckle him in, but he small size made it difficult. Told him that he'd just have to hold onto something for now as I drove home.

No doubt providence had us run into each other. If I hadn't stumbled upon him at that perfect time, he could've been taken into the wilds and lost forever. What God wanted me to do with him wasn't clear to me, though.

---

Part 6

As I drove home, I asked Kayden for any extra details he had on where he lived. Didn’t know his address, his parents’ phone number. I was relying solely on that restaurant and street name.

Pulled up to the house and parked outside. Debated in my head what I should do. Official policy was to stay away from Pokemon, but it was too late for that. Besides, he was still a kid, and needed to get home.

I decided to call up emergency services. Needed an answer from some kind of authority. Maybe they could send someone for him. A lady answered the phone. Could hear a lot of background noise. Either a busy department or she worked from home.

“911, what's your emergency?” She asked in an exhausted voice.

“Yeah, I found a missing kid here. I need to get him home, but he's uh… changed.”

“Oh… One moment.”

I heard some typing for a bit. Then her microphone muted. When it came back I heard her speaking to someone for a second before addressing me again.

“Okay, so official policy is to bring any Pokemon found to the CDC for quarantine,” the woman told me.

Even this small child? Separated from his family for who knows how long, and now I was supposed to hand him over to some federal agency? I didn't hate the government, I was a proud American, but I’d be lying if I said I didn't have my reservations about them. The minister told plenty of horror stories of how they fought him to keep the Church open in the last quarantine.

The lady spoke again. “Whatever you do, don't take him back to his family.”

The way she emphasized that part. Was she really suggesting?

“He’s a young kid, yes. Being separated from his family might be really bad for him, but it's our policy. Do you understand?”

I responded. “Uh… yes ma'am. I’ll bring him in then.”

And when I said that, she thanked me and hung up the phone. Didn't ask for my name, address, anything identifiable. Her message was pretty clear. Break the law.

It was wrong, horribly wrong. Couldn't believe a 911 operator of all people was telling me to do that. Christ said it himself. We must fulfill the law or we’ll be called least to the kingdom of Heaven.

Not even mentioning my mother. I’d have to leave her again. Wasn't sure how long this time, but I wasn't eager to.

I looked in the back seat. The little cat-plant creature looked anxious. He wanted to go home and have this nightmare be over. I felt pity for him.

Every logical thought in my head told me to take him to the police. What would they do with him when he got therr, though? Dusknoir said they hadn't cured anyone yet, and I hadn't heard any news stations contradict that. If I took him to the cops, and they handed him over to the CDC what exactly would they do to him?

Was this why God sent me to him?

“Kayden, wait in the car. I’ll be back.”

“Okay, mister.”

Popped open the trunk and picked up our groceries. I couldn't think of what to tell my mother yet. I didn't want to lie. I didn't have to though.

I got inside, put the bags down, and went into the family room. Found her sitting out in the family room where I’d left her that morning. She was in the chair, limp. Threw me into a panic! Had something happened?

I ran over to her and grabbed her shoulder and tried to shake her awake. “Mom, are you alright?”

She woke up slowly. Her face looked pale, and she was tired. “Oh, honey… I just got tired, I’m fine.”

“Mom, you look sick,” I told her. “Should I call the hospital?”

“No, no,” she responded. “I’m just tired. Sitting out here for four hours alone, I wanted to sleep a bit.”

I… sort of understood. With the panic I gave her yesterday, she was probably still a little fatigued.

“Let me take you to bed, then. I’ll make you something to eat quick, but I have to go out again.”

She looked at me, very confused. “Again? What is it now?”

“I uh… found a kid on my way back,” I answered. “He’s lost from his family, I’m gonna take him home.”

She grew more concerned. “You can't just call his parents? Or the police?”

“He doesn't know his parents’ phone and the police… they're busy right now.”

Technically it was true.

She was still very worried. “I don't want you to get hurt out there. And it's the minister's car you're driving.”

“I’ll be fine. Now get up.”

I helped her get to her room and set her down in bed. I felt like I was doing a bit more lifting than usual. Something was definitely off about her.

Actually, I felt something was wrong, too. An instinctual feeling that she really shouldn't be alone. I needed to get that kid home, but I really couldn't leave her here.

As I walked out to the kitchen to make her some food, I made another.

“Stephen, I need your help again.”

“What are you doing this time?” He asked me.

“Do you know about the recent ‘monsters’ showing up?”

“The Pokemon,” he said. “Of course I know. People and animals turn into them out of nowhere. Why do you need to ask?”

Pulled out a can of chicken noodle soup and emptied it in a pot. Let it heat up while I talked to my neighbor. “Well I found one. He’s a human child. I gotta take him back home, but I think it's far away.”

“You want me to look after your mother again?”

“Could you?” I felt so bad after asking him two days in a row.

“Son, I’m retired. Of course I can.”

I was so relieved to hear it. “I'm making soup right now. I bought some crackers. There’s chips and fruits to snack on as well. You're welcome to any of it.”

“You got any grapes?”

I chuckled. “Yes. They’ll be in the fridge.”

“I’ll be over in a minute then.”

I finished cooking as soon as Stephen was at the front door. Took it off the stove and met him at the door. Tall, dark-skinned man with silver hair. For a guy in his 60’s, he was remarkably healthy. The only reason he stopped working was because of a leg injury. Probably could've served another twenty years if he didn't have to walk with a cane.

He looked paranoid though. Eyes glanced around the home as he walked in. “Son, is everything here alright?”

“What do you mean?” I asked him.

“I don't know. Something here just feels off here.”

“I… don’t know what you’re referring to.”

He still seemed a little nervous but dismissed the thought. “Probably nothing. Just nerves getting to me. Getting a little cooky, you know?”

Got a short laugh from both of us. A little awkward, but he was still willing to stay. That was all that mattered for now.

A few minutes later I was back in the car ready to head out. Kayden was still there. Didn’t unlock the doors and leave or anything like that. Not sure he could, honestly. I called the minister and told him what my plans were. He gave me permission to use the car for this trip as long as I refilled the gas.

After that, I looked up “Gianni's Cider Street” to try and figure out where I’d be going. About two hours away under normal traffic conditions. Anticipated being slowed down, so the trip there and back could be 5-6 hours. Two o’clock at that moment. Might get home in time for a late dinner.

Had everything set, so I started the car again and began driving.

---

I had the radio on that rock station for the first twenty minutes until it started telling us the news. Turned it off then because I didn't want to stress out the kid. It was a little strange for me. I didn't spend much time around children.

“So uh, Kayden. Do you go to Church on Sundays?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Where do you go?”

“We go with the Catholics up the road,” he said.

Catholics. My mother always warned me about them. She always said stuff like “they're a cult”, but I had a different experience.

“They’re nice people,” I told him. “I had a Catholic friend in High School. He was a pretty good guy, had a very pleasant family too.”

Kid didn't have anything else to say about it. I mean, he was younger than ten most likely. I didn't really expect him to have any well defined beliefs that we could talk about.

“So uh… you like Pokemon?”

That seemed to lighten him up. “Yeah! My mom lets me watch it when my dad’s at work sometimes.”

“So you're probably more an expert on this stuff than me,” I said. “You know what Pokemon you are now?”

“Hoppip,” he answered. “Mariah had a bunch of ‘em in the show.”

“Yeah? This Mariah character important?” I asked him

“No. She was only in one episode.”

“Oh uh… I see. Did you like that episode?”

“Yeah! Team Rocket tried to steal all the Hoppips and Oddish blasted them off with Solar Beam!”

“That's pretty cool, Kayden. So do you like Hoppip then?”

“Not now,” he said.

Okay, couldn't really blame him for that. After getting sent a hundred miles from home as one I’d probably hate them myself.

“I do like Oddish though!”

I let the kid ramble on about Pokemon for a while. Barely intelligible at times, but it was the happiest I’d heard him so far, and it helped the ride go by faster.

I had to take a detour because the highway was being repaired. Something blew a crater in it that covered all the lanes on my side. National guard and construction workers were all there, baffled at where to even begin fixing things. Was this just gonna be a common occurrence now?

Kayden ran out of steam after about an hour of rambling about his favorite episodes and a movie about a time traveling Pokemon. He knew his stuff for sure. I flicked the radio back on and thankfully no news reports.

---

Started getting closer to his neighborhood. I was a little anxious. Had never been to this area, and I was about to bring two strangers their missing kid. Just hoped they didn't get the idea that I was responsible for his disappearance or anything.

I found that restaurant. Gianni's Italian Eatery. Could smell the food from outside. I hadn't actually eaten since breakfast. Maybe I could grab something when I was done.

Across the street was a small apartment building. Kayden confirmed that it was his home, so I took him out of the car and went inside. Got up to the second floor and knocked on the door. Held the boy in my hands carefully. A young woman, late 20s to early thirties, answered. Seemed like the right person. She was stunned at the sight of her son.

“Wha- who are you? What is this thing?”

This was gonna go smoothly. “Ma’am, this is Kayden here. Your son?”

“Kayden?!”

The boy spoke up. “Hi mom…”

She looked like she was having a breakdown. “No no, this can't be happening to us. Not him, please Lord.”

“Ma’am, I’m really sorry,” I told her. “I found him across town, he was really far away.”

That was when I heard a man yell from inside the apartment. “Who's at the door? What's going on?”

He moved past his wife and looked me in the eyes. The guy was large, had a thick beard, and the fury of the fallen in his eyes. The second he saw what I was holding, that anger was unleashed upon.

“What the hell? You're bringing one of those monsters to my house?! Who the hell are you?!”

His wife tried to calm him down. “Babe, it's Kayden! It's-”

“Bullshit it is! Our son is no demon worshipper!” He declared.

He then grabbed me by my shirt, looked nearly feral. I dropped Kayden on the ground, heard him crying. The man growled at me through gritted teeth. “Just what the fuck were you telling her? That this thing here is my missing boy? You got some sick sense of humor, is that it?”

He had a strong grip, wasn't letting go. I was terrified of what he'd do. “I'm being honest, sir. I just found him like this.”

The man's wife was crying behind him. All the sudden drama was just too much for her. It only angered him more.

He grabbed my crucifix pendant and ripped it off. Then pushed me to the floor and threw it against the wall. “Satanists like you are perverting and burning this world to the ground, and you got the audacity to wear that cross and lie to my face. I won't tolerate your blasphemy. Get the fuck out of here before I call the police, and take that damned creature with you!”

And with that said, he slammed the door on me. Could hear him yelling more on the other side. Kayden was still there, breaking apart after being rejected by his father. I was so stunned, I couldn't say anything to comfort him.

I’d never seen another Christian behave like that before. So full of hatred, getting physically violent with someone. The man reacted like I was Lucifer in the flesh. He was convinced that all the Pokemon, even one as harmless as the one Kayden turned into, were pure evil.

I picked myself up slowly. Got bruises and carpet burn from being thrown like that. Tried to understand what had just happened.

Not everyone had the experience I had with Mismagius and Dusknoir. They were seeing images on the news of them tearing up city streets and warnings from the government to stay away from them. Minimizing exposure to them.

I might as well have approached his front door with a bomb and told him I killed his son. Honestly, I was lucky to get out of that without getting punched in the face. Must've taken some amount of restraint not to.

Poor Kayden though. What to do with him now?

---

Part 7

Picked up an order from the italian place across the street. Got some lasagna and an order of breadsticks. $20 total. “This better be good,” I mumbled as I left the building.

Hopped into my car and opened the food up. Took the bag of breadsticks and passed them to the back. “I hope you can eat this. I’m not sure what else to get.”

"I'll try it," he said. Kayden was apprehensive at first, but when he took once bite, he started taking a whole bunch more. Scarfed it all down in less than a minute. “It's great! Thanks.”

"Okay, good." I was so worried he'd be unable to eat anything. The two of us sat in silence while we ate for a bit. My food was fine. A little greasy, but tasted good.

“Mister? What happens now?”

I didn't have a definitive answer to that. Couldn't force his father to take his son back, at least for now. Maybe in a week or two I could try again? I really didn't want to risk another confrontation. Had to wait for when things started to calm down, if they would ever calm down.

“Do I go to juvie now?”

That caught me off guard. “What?”

“That's where Dad said he’d take me if I was too bad,” Kayden explained. “Bad kids go to juvie and don't see their parents again.”

A pretty screwed up thing to tell a child. I turned around to look at the back seat. “No, you're not going to juvie,” I told him. “I’m not sure when you’ll see your parents again, though.”

I knew that made him upset. Saw that sad expression on his face. I knew I couldn't just abandon him, though. I didn't like the idea of handing him to the CDC.

“Kayden… you can stay with me for now,” I said. “I'm gonna have to explain a few things to my mother, but it's the least I can do right now.”

At least some of his fear was relieved. I sure wasn't looking forward to that conversation.

---

On the drive back, Kayden and I didn't say much to each other. I did have the radio on, and the news popped up occasionally. There were some more pleasant stories. Rumors of vigilantes patrolling the streets and fighting dangerous Pokemon. Working alongside police. Some good samaritans cropping up and helping people was nice to hear.

A Walmart executive was proposing the use of bird Pokemon for delivery services. Amazon tried to shoot down the idea, promising their drone deliveries would be far more efficient and announcing that they’d expand into more major cities “very soon”. Guess they didn't like the idea of having real competition.

The world was changing before my eyes. Hadn't seen anything like this before. I sure didn't like it. I just wanted things to make sense. I didn't like having to question everything about people around me and life as I knew it. Simple peace was all I had ever asked for.

I pulled into a gas station. Refilled the gas tank as I was told to. Also ran inside to get myself a cappuccino and some water for Kayden. The drink was invigorating. Sweet vanilla flavor, a bit of caffeine. Just what I needed after such a long day.

Got back on the road. Kayden was carefully sipping from his water bottle. Spilled it occasionally. I’d have to find a better solution for that. Lot of things I'd have to figure out for him really.

Finally got closer to home. Was around sunset. The falling sun painted my house a warm orange. Kayden seemed to enjoy the weather. No wind to blow him around.

I took him up to the front door and let myself in. Announced my presence in the home. Stephen walked up to me with his cane in hand, surprised at the boy I brought with me.

“Is that the Pokemon you were helping?” He asked.

I nodded. “I tried to bring him back to his parents but… they weren’t very accepting of him. I’m gonna let him stay here for a while. At least until I can try and return him later.”

“Is your mom gonna be okay with that?” Stephen asked.

Do I open up the floodgates and tell her about monsters now?

“I don't know. He’s gonna stay upstairs,” I answered. “She spends all her time downstairs so it should be fine. She won't notice.”

“For now,” Stephen added. “You can’t keep her in the dark forever. Kids are loud.”

I sighed. “I know… I just don’t know how to tell her. I don’t want her to have a panic attack or anything. If she thinks he's a demon and kicks him put, he'll have nowhere to go. Folks outside are too scared of things like him already.”

Stephen shook his head. “Well, good luck on that front. How do you plan to keep the little fellow busy so he doesn't disturb her?”

I looked down at Kayden in my hands. Tried to think. All he told me along the way was how much TV he watched. We still didn’t have one in our house. Then I thought of something.

“Do you have any old computers or tablets you aren’t using?”

Stephen smirked. “Having me come over two days in a row, now you’re gonna charge me for it?”

“No! I didn’t mean it like that. Just…”

The old man laughed. “I have an old laptop, yeah. Battery’s no good, it needs plugged in all the time. But I’ll bring it over for you.”

---

I snuck Kayden up to one of the guest rooms. One that had a big window that let in a lot of sun. He was part plant, so it should be good for him.

Stephen returned briefly and dropped off the laptop. I took it upstairs, put it in Kayden’s room and plugged it in. Got it set up with our internet and put him on YouTube with restricted mode. Should be safe for him to watch, right?

He found some youtube guy he liked and started watching. The volume wasn’t too loud, so hopefully my mother wouldn’t notice. Playing a cloak and dagger caretaker wasn’t my favorite thing.

Speaking of my mother, I went downstairs to check on her. She was in her bedroom, looked totally fine. There was a chair pulled up beside her bed and a bag of grapes left on a table. That man was far too good to us.

“Honey, you’re back!” She said. “Did you take that boy home?”

“Um… yeah,” I lied.

“That’s wonderful. Were his parents nice people?”

“Yes… Very nice... They were pretty happy to have him back. Hey- let me take you back to the room and set up the radio.”

So I did just that. Picked her up out of her bed and walked her to the family room. Set her down in her chair, gave her her book, and set the radio to some old blues station. Then took a seat on the couch across from her.

Was trying to destress. Ghost encounter the day before, now a kid who was disowned by his parents. It was a lot to deal with. Then tomorrow I’d have to return the minister’s car and attend the funeral of Brother Halles. God knows what else could just pop up.

“Honey? Is something wrong?” My mother asked.

I looked up at her. “Oh, no I’m fine. It’s just… it’s been a long week.”

“Tell me about it, dear,” she said.

“It’s not fun to talk about, I’d really rather not.”

“Don’t tell me that. I want to hear what’s going on with my son,” she told me. “You’ve been nervous around me, you’re not talking as much. I know there’s something going on.”

I put my head in my hands. I still wasn’t ready for this conversation. “Mom, there’s just too much going on right now. I’m having trouble with all of it.”

“Is it about the car?” She asked. “You know, I’m not mad about that. I was just scared for you.”

“Thank you mother, but it’s not that. I really can’t talk about it, it’s too complicated.”

I really hated how things were in the world. These sudden changes that were reshaping everything I knew. People growing distant, bitter, and distrustful. Police watching the stores, army patrolling the streets, scientists taking away people. The city just seemed crazy now.

I felt a light, cold hand on my back. Turned to the side. My mother had gotten up from her chair by herself and sat down beside me.

“You know, when I was a girl, I was taken care of by my mother and father all the way up to when I was married. Then, your father took care of me all the time. Now you’re taking care of me, so things have gone back to normal really, but for a good while after your father passed, things were hard.”

She smiled as she reminisced on that era of her life. “I went from listening to what people told me and waiting for things to happen every day to having to figure out what to do for us. Even with the life insurance check, I still had to find a job to put food on our table. I had my duties to the Church at the time, and I had to raise a baby boy all by myself.”

I… sort of understood what she was saying. Having sudden responsibilities thrown on you wasn’t easy. It was something everyone went through though. I was well aware of that.

She continued. “I put on my happy face for you, and everyone I knew. There were some things going on in my head I just couldn’t tell people. They all had their own problems. And you needed someone strong in your life. I had to take that role as your mother. It wasn’t easy being the one who disciplines you and the one you open up to. I’m hoping I’m doing better at that second part now.”

Sure wasn't easy for me to say the least. Was always a coin flip if I'd get a hug or get grounded for doing something stupid. I did a lot of stupid things as a kid, though. She was well within her right to get mad at me at times.

“But you know dear, that minister was there when I needed him. He’d just taken the place of the old one, and he was the only person who I felt understood me. He talked to me every day, making sure we were doing fine. He’s really a wonderful man.”

I knew that. I knew him most of my life, he was like an uncle to me. Not really an authority figure for me, but family.

“What I’m trying to tell you is that you need someone to talk to,” my mother told me. “And I’m here for you if you need that.”

I was… taken aback to say the least. It was very persuasive, but I was still resistant. “Mom, it’s much more than my life. The world itself… it’s changing.”

“The world’s always changing,” she said. “Sudden things will just happen. The forces of God will impact the environment and change how you know them. People in your life will change so much, you won’t recognize them anymore. You can’t let it change you, though.”

It was almost uncanny the way she described it. In a way, without even knowing what was going on in the world, it seemed that she was more connected to it than I was.

But I knew what would happen deep down. She’d be just as panicked as everyone else, if not more. She didn’t know what Pokemon really were. She only knew angels, demons, animals and people. These new… things... would have to fit into that mold somehow. She wouldn't know where to put them.

Hell, I didn't even fully know what they were yet. I only recognized it as some massive spiritual event beyond human understanding. Whether God or Satan were responsible, I couldn't know. How do you explain that to an old woman?”

“I’ll try to tell you soon,” I said. “I need time to figure things out myself. I’ve talked to the minister about it plenty, he’s dealing with it too. The whole church is, so I’m not all alone here.”

She finally seemed to relent, though she wasn't happy about it. “Okay. Just please tell me what's going on with you soon. It worries me to no end, especially with you driving around on all these sudden trips and coming back with nothing to say.”

“Okay, I promise I'll tell you."

By the end of our discussion, the sun had set. I got up to turn a lamp on and decided it was time to cook dinner. “Mom, do you want me to make rigatoni or baked chicken? I got the stuff to make both.”

“Oh, baked chicken. Did you get some green beans?”

“No, they were out,” I said. “I have a sack of potatoes and corn.”

“Okay, let's do corn then. Don't overcook it now.”

“I won't!" I called as I left for the kitchen.

So I started making dinner for her. I wasn't that hungry myself, but I could save a plate for later. Perhaps Kayden could try some of it too, see if there was anything he liked.

I knew my mom wouldn't be check the news or anything. She didn't buy smartphones for herself. Not since she learned that companies were able to listen in on her. All she owned now was a refurbished flip phone. That meant that I didn't have to worry about her looking things up.

I didn't know what Stephen was telling her when I wasn't home, though. Some of the stuff she said in that conversation made me wonder. Did she know the truth now? Was she just testing me to see if I trusted her enough?

It was still totally possible that she was still unaware and hoping I could tell her there. The longer this went on, I imagined the more paranoid she’d start getting. God damn my cowardice, she really had to know the truth.

She deserved that much. Could she trust me if I was always hiding things from her? Of course not. If she did know, I’d practically be lying to her face. If she didn't, I’d just be fueling her fears over time.

That was when I finally committed myself to being the honest man I should've been from the start. She raised me to be that way. A good person through and through.

So when the food was ready, I made her a plate. Put the extra chicken and corn on a different one, covered it, and placed it in the fridge. Then, I grabbed a water bottle, picked up her food, and started walking to the family room.

How to tell her, though? Just sit down and say, “Hey, there these monsters running around! They're harmless though!” No, I had to ease her into it. Just tell her about Kayden, though maybe leave out the part where he was living with us now.

Okay, no. That'd be withholding the truth. Something I was explicitly trying not to do. She had to know. Bringing him down now would probably be too much though. After it was all calm, I'd let her meet him.

So I made it into the family room, and I dropped the plate. It shatter on the ground beneath me.

My mother was lying on the floor in front of the couch, convulsing. The lamp was turned off, and a dark purple light lit the room in its stead.

I looked up to find the source. The chandelier in the living room was lit up. Purple flames burned brightly from its braziers. Its ominous aura could be felt just from standing beside it.

We never had a chandelier in the living room.

---

Part 8

Time froze for me. A Pokemon inside my home. I vaguely recognized it from my scattered research earlier in the day. Another ghost, and not a nice one from the looks of it.

The chandelier spun around and locked eyes with me. Though its flames were hot, its gaze was cold. It let out a ghostly cackle, like it was taunting me. Doing God knows what to my helpless mother and enjoying it. If demons could become Pokemon too, then I’d just found proof.

I slowly stepped back out of the room. When I broke line of sight with it, I sprinted back to the kitchen. I desperately wished Dusknoir would return at that moment, or any kind of Pokemon that could save me from this creature, but I had no way of knowing that would happen. I had to try and fight it on my own.

I tried to recall anything from my encounter with Mismagius that might help me. I sprayed it with holy water and it had a negative reaction to it. No holy water in my house, but maybe some regular water could extinguish its flames. Assuming it could make physical contact of course.

So I found a mop bucket, stuck it under the faucet, and started filling it up. I dumped a container of salt in there too just to see if it'd work this time. If the salt actually touched the ghost, maybe it’d dispel it, or hurt it badly. I was desperate for just about anything.

The bucket was filling slowly, and time was of the essence. I needed to get it off of my mother fast. So, I grabbed a wooden cooking spoon. This was a really stupid idea but I had to try something.

Ran out to the family room and it was still floating there. With all my might, I tossed that cooking spoon straight at it. By some miracle, it actually connected with the ghost.

Didn't seem to hurt it, but it pissed the chandelier off. It floated down to my level. Its flames grew brighter, and it charged at me. I booked it down the hall back to the kitchen. Heard its low spectral growl as it chased me furiously.

Made it back to the kitchen. The bucket was full enough. I grabbed it and turned back to the doorway just in time to see it burst through. Those flames burned bright and hot. Their embers started coalescing above its head and formed into a ball. A large one. And it launched that burning sphere straight at me.

In response, I threw that bucket of water with all my might. Whole thing, bucket included. The fire was extinguished, and a combination of melted plastic, vapor, and boiling salt water collided with the spectre. It let out a piercing shriek and stumbled around the kitchen.

It stunned the creature, but it wasn't enough to defeat it. I needed something else. Didn't have another bucket and I couldn't spray it with the sink. Doubted a cup would hold enough water. I needed a lot more.

The shower! Its head was detachable and could be sprayed like a hose. Powerful, and freezing cold too. Please God let this plan work.

So I dashed past the chandelier and ran for the stairs. It was getting so hot inside. Just moving past the ghost felt like I was running through an oven. Kept moving for the bathroom. The upstairs was cooler, but I could feel that heat rising.

Then suddenly, a door slammed open in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. A little Hoppip fell out behind it.

“Kayden? How did you even open that door?” I asked.

“I heard something happening so I started pushing,” he told me. “Is something wrong?”

Before I could really answer him, that chandelier appeared behind me again. I got a brief glimpse of it over my shoulder before I picked up Kayden and darted into the bathroom. Had no clue if that thing would make a detour for the kid now that it saw him. Hopefully he’d be safer with me.

Got into the bathroom, set the kid down, pulled back the shower curtain, and took the head of the shower. Set it to the highest possible pressure, and when that chandelier got into the room, I started blasting it.

As before, it screeched as it was sprayed with water, but it was trying to push through. The water was as strong as it could be. It just wasn't enough this time.

It got closer and closer with every second. I kept hoping that eventually it would just fall and drop dead, but it was too resilient. I needed any kind of miracle I could get. Anything from God above.

Then suddenly, I saw some kind of dust or powder fly into the chandelier’s. Whatever it was stopped it dead in its tracks. I turned off the shower and investigated the remains. The thing fell onto the ground, its flames dim and eyes closed. I couldn't tell if it was dead or not, but I still kept my distance.

Looked in the direction the powder came from and realized it was where I set Kayden. He looked just as terrified and confused as I was. “Did you do that?” I asked him.

“I just got so scared, and it came out of me,” he said.

It really was a miracle that we had met each other when we did.

I went to pick Kayden up initially. Then I remembered he'd just shot that powder and might still have some. "Uh, can you walk, or fly or something?"

He hopped a towards the bathroom door. "I need some wind to fly, but I can do this."

"Okay, go back to your room then. I gotta get this cleaned up."

Spent the remainder of the night calling the police and getting my story straight. CDC scientists showed up at my door alongside the cops and asked how I beat it. Just said I sprayed it with water and nothing more. Didn't mention the kid at all.

Paramedics arrived too and took my mother to an ambulance. Tried to ask them if she'd be alright, but all I got in response was, "we'll find out."

The police spent a little while suiting up in firefight suits before carrying the chandelier to a van. Hoped there were modifications to contain ghosts, but I had no clue what those could be. Maybe the salt I threw in the water earlier helped, or maybe it was just the molten plastic. Warranted further investigation at least.

Eventually everything was packed up. The house wasn't marked as a crime scene or anything, but I was told the CDC might return the next day to do some more investigation. Just had to make sure Kayden was hidden away when that happened.

Another horrible night. I just wondered what tomorrow would bring with it.

---

I sat with the small group that had gathered for the funeral. Wearing a black dress shirt and pants. I hadn't showered, so I probably smelled awful.

The minister recounted stories of the deceased Brother Halles. The few of us present stepped up to tell their own and offer some comforting or hopeful and inspiring messages. Brother Goodman, Brother Thomas, and Brother Roberts, who all varied in age and background, had strong connections with the man.

Some of us would have to take the duties that Brother Halles had taken. Thomas volunteered to teach Sunday School for the kids, and Roberts would now be helping Goodman and his wife with the dinners we offered on Fridays. My job remained unchanged. Keep the church clean, organized, and guide folks to wherever they need to be.

The service ended quickly. Thomas got up to help the minister lower Halles's body into the earth. I was the only one who didn't speak, but nobody questioned me about it. The minister had politely explained to everyone what I’d been through the past three days.

When all was said and done, I followed the minister to his car and he drove me to the hospital. The radio told more wild stories. A herd of zebras had suddenly appeared and somehow contributed to a blackout in a nearby town. No idea how zebras could do that but the broadcaster found it hilarious.

And on a more pleasant note, some fire Pokemon had apparently started a street food thing or something like that. Not sure what they sold, but it attracted other Pokemon and braver humans. It was unique enough to catch the attention of local news. I wasn't entirely paying attention though.

The minister pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. Seemed a little bothered by it, but he didn't give me trouble. It was kind of him to take me at all.

“Brother,” he said. “God’s been keeping an eye on you recently, and you’ve shown him your courage, generosity, and faithfulness. I’m sure He will help her through this.”

“Thank you, minister,” I replied before I stepped out of his car. This was going to hurt.

I entered the hospital and approached the front desk. It was busy inside. The waiting room was filled with people, as well as a handful of Pokemon in their own section on the opposite side and away from humans. Just a strange sight. I wondered how many of them were people versus animals.

“Sir?” The receptionist asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Oh, sorry, I’m here to see my mother.”

“Can I get some names?”

“Isaac Kennedy. Here to see Mary Kennedy.”

She typed a few things on her keyboard, then made a quick phone call. I stepped out of the line as a mother behind me was bringing her son in. He had a hefty amount of bandages around his right arm and part of his face. Could see that some of his hair was singed. Some kind of burn. Wondered for a moment if a Pokemon was responsible.

Eventually, some nurse led me to the emergency ward. Room 124 apparently. I didn't waste any time.

Walked into the room just as another nurse hurriedly walked out. Didn't even acknowledge my presence. I could sense she was busy, and probably a little overwhelmed. Not surprising given our current circumstances.

And inside the room was my mother. Lying in bed like she usually did, but this time hooked up to a bunch of medical devices. I had never seen her looking this bad. I couldn't find it in me to cry, though. Just stared at her with a numb feeling.

She wasn't conscious. A lot of numbers and beeping came from the machines. I wasn't a medical student, I had no clue what any of it meant or if it was good or bad.

I sat in her room for a while. No thoughts were in my head. Only this vague feeling of dread as I grappled with the possibility that she might not leave this hospital alive. I had no idea what that ghost did to people.

I could give some kind of leeway to Mismagius for what it did to Brother Halles and the minister. It was a stupid bird that gained supernatural powers. Birds sometimes sing, and that instinct probably led to its chanting which caused all the hallucinations. As for attacking the minister, I could imagine that we just scared it by getting in its face and yelling Psalms.

Maybe it was too much leeway. I did want to assume the best in these monsters when I learned they were at some point normal people and animals. I couldn't think of anything to defend the Chandelure for, though. The only thing I could see in it was evil.

The way it looked at me and laughed last night gave me the feeling that it wasn't just an animal. I couldn't believe a human being would be capable of such a vile action though. One possessed by a demon, perhaps. Enacting the will of Satan.

It was very difficult to separate these things from my spiritual views. Particularly with the ghosts. They just had too much in common with angels and demons. Many of them traced their origins to real monsters recorded in history.

Many of them seemed to be evil by nature, too. How it would impact a human’s psyche, turning into one, I just couldn't imagine. It was no excuse though. Evil was evil.

Eventually, a doctor entered the room. Took me back to reality. I looked at him closely. He seemed tired. He had bags under his eyes, his hands shook, and his breathing was heavy.

“Mr. Kennedy?”

“Yes, sir.”

He found another chair along the wall, and moved it so he could sit and face me. “I figure you might like an explanation on what your mother is going through.”

“Please.”

He exhaled. Trying to prepare himself. “She's stable right now, but everything just seems diminished. Low blood pressure, weak pulse, minimal brain activity. We're unsure of how to handle this case.”

“What do you mean unsure?” I asked him

“I mean, we don't know what we're dealing with. We’ve never had a patient come in like this before.”

I felt a tinge of anger growing in me when he said that. “So can you help her?”

He looked away from me. “I can't say for certain.”

After three days of stress, three near death experiences, and seeing my mother like that, I was so furious to hear that this medical professional didn't know what he was doing.

“What the fuck do you mean you can't say?” I growled. “You're a doctor, this is your job!”

“Sir, please. It’s really complicated, we-”

“Bullshit!” I interrupted him. “You're supposed to heal people! Make them better, save lives. That's what you people are trained for, so do it!”

There was a moment of silence. I had never felt so frustrated in my life. I came all this way to the hospital, we’d be spending God knows how much on medical bills, and he was going to tell me he had no clue how to do his job.

“I’m trying to help her,” he said. “But I was never trained for anything like this.”

He sounded… defeated. Days, probably even weeks of people coming in and snapping at him. Yelling at him to perform miracles, cure new illnesses and treat dozens of injured people being rushed in every day. Him being unable to say anything as he just kept trying to help.

I had just become one of those people.

I didn't yell at him any more. The two of us sat for a moment. I figured we were both trying to think of what to say next. He’d been in this situation at least a dozen times, surely. For him, it was probably easier just to answer questions when they came.

So I asked him one question. One I was sure he’d been getting asked a lot. “What is happening to us, Doctor?”

He looked back up at me. Some amount of confidence had been restored, though what he said really shouldn't have given him any.

“We're all trying to figure it out. I’ve been working alongside government agents and scientists all over the country. We just don't have the slightest clue.”

“Is there any pattern to it?” I asked him.

“None that we can prove,” he answered. “Sometimes we get reports showing it's contagious. People get in close proximity to Pokemon and then turn into ones shortly after.”

“Other times we get reports that show it's not. People come in surrounded by Pokemon saying they’ve been around them for days and nothing's happened.”

“Sometimes we get proof that it's genetic. Families wake up all turned into the same species of fantasy creatures. Seems conclusive to us.”

“But then we find out that it isn't. A family will turn into a variety of different Pokemon with no relation at different times. Or, only one person will be turned into a Pokemon, and the rest will be normal. Or family members with no blood relation will be turned.”

“None of it makes sense. It just seems to… happen. We haven't found any way to predict who it will happen to, or when it will. No correlation between mega fans of this franchise and ordinary people who’ve never interacted with it.”

“The only somewhat consistent thing is that this city in particular has a lot of them.”

That part confused me. “Do you know why?”

He stared at me and shook his head.