After the battle with Rayne ended, the three of them headed back to the Pokémon Center near the museum.
Since it was still fairly crowded, they decided to settle into corner seats away from the main area. Zayn leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. Xavier sat beside him, chin resting in his palm, while Rayne stood for a moment to observe the crowd before taking a seat across from them.
Xavier broke the silence, scratching his head with genuine bewilderment.
"Hey Zayn, how did you actually manage to beat Rayne? She can literally see the future," he asked, still processing what he'd witnessed.
Zayn let out a slow breath and leaned forward slightly.
"Honestly? I was wondering the same thing. I couldn't figure out why she didn't counterattack or dodge when Gible went for her."
Xavier immediately turned to Rayne.
"Rayne, I noticed something. During the battle, you didn't command Litwick to attack or evade when Gible Redux was about to strike. What was the reason?"
Rayne met his gaze evenly.
"I used my ability to see the future. And I saw that I was going to lose no matter what. So there was no point in fighting back or trying to dodge."
Zayn frowned after hearing this.
"If you do that, it's just... boring."
Rayne's head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing.
"What do you mean by that?"
"You know—if you just follow destiny and accept whatever it shows you, that means you never even try to change it. And that's what makes it uninteresting."
Rayne shot back immediately.
"It's better than wasting effort on something pointless."
"But I don't think trying is wrong either." Zayn's voice was calm but firm. "I once heard from a friend that destiny is what's happening right now. The future is just a prediction of something that hasn't happened yet, and the past is already gone—erased. Maybe the fate you saw was only a prediction of what would happen if you kept doing what you were doing in the present."
Rayne blinked. "What kind of confusing nonsense is that?"
Xavier decided to jump in and clarify.
"Think of it this way. You already know what's going to happen to you in the future. If you try to change it, the future happens because of that choice. And if you see it and just accept it, the future happens because of that, too."
Rayne tilted her head. "Isn't that the same thing?"
"Let me give you a simple example," Xavier continued. "Earlier, you chose to take the hit and not fight back because you'd already seen a future where you lost. And because of that, you lost. But if you'd attacked after seeing that fate—" He paused, realization dawning. "...you still would have lost."
He turned to Zayn. "Hey Zayn, how exactly does the fate system work? Because it seems like the outcome is the same either way."
Rayne crossed her arms. "Told you."
Zayn finally explained the mechanics.
"Honestly? There are multiple fate systems. You can't just rely on one model. The one you used earlier is the Absolute Fate system—meaning it will happen no matter what, regardless of how events unfold. The kind I was talking about focuses on present events, with cause and effect as the main mechanism. And there are actually plenty of other systems—time-based fate, narrative-based fate, and many more."
Rayne absorbed this slowly.
"So... the way fate applies to each person might be different. But maybe this is just my fate. Determinism."
Xavier nodded thoughtfully. "Absolute fate type, huh. Most Espers do have that kind of destiny."
He turned to her with genuine curiosity. "Oh, by the way, you mentioned supernatural phenomena, mysteries, and things like that earlier. I imagine dealing with that stuff must be exhausting."
Rayne stared straight ahead, her expression serious.
"Incredibly exhausting. Supernatural phenomena, mysteries, myths, anomalies—they're abstract things. It's like they're formed not just from collective consciousness—stories, fears, beliefs like in old tales. What makes them truly exhausting is that they can exist even if no one believes in them. Like they're just... there. Whether you believe or not."
Zayn let out a light sigh of relief.
"Glad I'm not an Esper."
Xavier tilted his head, curious. "Wait, wouldn't it be easier to just avoid those kinds of things? Why do Espers have to deal with them?"
Rayne's smile was bitter.
"You don't understand. Espers move according to their fate. And an Esper's fate is deterministic. Because of that, we don't have a choice but to face the supernatural when it appears."
Both boys spoke in unison.
"That's an annoying destiny."
Xavier suddenly remembered something.
"Oh yeah, Zayn. I just realized—back at the station, you mentioned keeping your stuff in the Shadow Realm. And you seemed really happy when you heard you were getting an Inventory Box. Why do you prefer using one?"
Zayn glanced down, slightly embarrassed.
"You know how Gible is. He's way too greedy. If I store my stuff in the Shadow Realm, he'll probably eat all my berries—or worse, threaten to destroy or just refuse to give my stuff back."
"Gible! Gible! GIBLE!" The little dragon erupted from Zayn's side, absolutely outraged at being called greedy, and promptly sank its teeth into Zayn's arm.
Zayn winced, trying to shake it off.
Xavier stifled a laugh.
"Okay, that's fair."
Zayn turned to Rayne, still attempting to free his arm from Gible's grip.
"Hey Rayne, where are you from originally? I didn't see you carrying a Rotomdex or anything like that."
Rayne answered calmly.
"I'm from Aletra City. I came here to meet Professor Miranda. My aunt said I could get a Rotomdex from her."
Zayn's eyebrows rose. "So you don't have a Rotomdex yet? No wonder your information was lacking."
Xavier shot him a look. "You don't have a Rotomdex either."
Zayn waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, but at least I know a lot from playing games. Sure, the info isn't always complete, but I've got the basics down."
Rayne smiled faintly at their banter, but inside, her thoughts were stormy. *Damn it. How did it end up like this? If I'd studied Pokémon battles properly back then, I'm sure I would have won.*
---
**The scene shifted to Xian, who was walking through the harbor district, looking for his friend.**
He spotted a blond-haired man with blue eyes, wearing a lab coat, just exiting the marine Pokémon aquarium.
Xian raised his right hand in greeting.
"Finally. We meet again, Diego."
Diego stopped in his tracks.
"Long time no see. How have you been, Xian?"
Xian slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Same as always. Caught up in another incident."
Diego smiled faintly.
"As usual. This world really never gives anyone a break, does it? I have a feeling something's going to happen in this city—and it won't be easy to predict."
"Right. So how's your research going?"
Diego's expression turned slightly weary.
"It feels like it'll never end. Exploring this world is exhausting."
Xian nodded sympathetically.
"This world seems too vast."
"It's not just vast. It's like it doesn't follow any rules. Every time I finish one research project, a dozen new mysteries pop up. Solve one mystery, there are ten more waiting. Mysteries keep appearing endlessly, and even the end itself is a mystery. I feel like I'm going crazy." He paused, rubbing his temples. "How do you even research a world that operates like a game where everything has access to change everything else?"
Xian considered this for a moment.
"So... did you get your answer?"
Diego's gaze turned distant.
"You mean the limit of possibility? That concept is irrelevant. I don't know why, but it's as if possibility has no such thing as a limit. Even absolute infinity can't define it. It seems the answer is truly limitless."
Xian exhaled slowly.
"I figured it'd be something like that. As long as possibility exists, anything can happen without bounds. Everything has an aspect of possibility. Everything can happen without restriction. Even impossibility is still part of possibility. That's insane."
Diego nodded slowly.
"Everything has an aspect of possibility. Something can become everything without limitation. That's what I'm researching now—how vast possibility truly is, and what exactly falls under its domain."
Xian nodded slowly.
"Honestly, of all your research topics, this one seems the most complicated. That means you're studying literally everything."
"If you put it that way... yeah, it is. It's complicated, but at least I have help."
"From who?"
"Zero, obviously. Who else?"
"Zero, huh. Makes sense—he's the expert on this kind of thing."
Diego smiled knowingly. "And I just gave a starter Pokémon to his kid yesterday."
Xian blinked. "His kid? Who?"
"I'm sure you already know. Short name's Zayn."
Xian's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh. That explains a lot. No wonder he was handling himself so well on the train."
Diego glanced at his watch.
"Anyway, I need to meet Miranda to pick up some special data. So goodbye for now. She won't forgive me if I'm late."
Xian nodded.
"She's really something else. Alright, see you around."
As Xian turned away, Diego had already vanished, as if he'd never been there at all.
Xian stood still for a moment, then smiled to himself.
"Looks like you haven't changed at all. Still the same strange Logic User."