#tcoechapter

She stood on a hill with Harper and Winnie, overlooking the path to a massive canyon. Luscious Cave’s entrance had been surrounded by greenery and flowers, the path studded with cobblestone and the occasional glint of crystal. This dungeon looked as if it had sapped the life from everything around it, all grey stone and packed earth. She shivered in her fur.

“Whew! That’s where we’re going?” Winnie whistled, eyes wide, “Looks pretty intense!” Despite their words, the Whismicott’s faced glowed with excitement. Cassander chose not to voice her misgivings; she didn’t want these explorers to think she was a wimp.

“It doesn’t seem too bad?” Harper’s voice shook, but only for a moment, “It just looks bad, it’s not nearly as difficult as Luscious Cove!”

Cassander nodded to herself, forcing down her fear. If this was the quickest way to Bounty’s Keep, then she would take it. Plus, with these other Pokemon around, she wouldn’t get wiped out nearly as quickly as she had with her last attempt at clearing a dungeon. 

As the trio approached the wall of stone, and as the sun disappeared behind the massive cliff, Cassander stuck closer to Winnie. There were no hostile Pokemon outside the dungeon’s mouth, as far as she could see. Still, the shadows were strong enough to leave some doubt,

“Well, here we go,” Harper said with a shudder, “I’ll be the leader, so let me go first.”

Cassander had no problems with that. She stepped aside, letting the older Pokemon inside first. The Archen gave her a brisk nod, shuffled her feathers, and hopped into the darkness of the canyon. When her plumed tail disappeared, Winnie took a step forward, then stopped.

“You can go through ahead of me, Cass,” Winnie gestured with their hoof towards the yawning darkness, “I can watch from behind.”

“Thank you,” Cassander dipped her head, hoping she didn’t look as nervous as she felt. This was scary, but at least she wasn’t alone this time. All she had to do was stick close, and they would protect her. Emboldened by this thought, she took a deep breathe, and scurried after Harper.

At first, it felt like the darkness would lead nowhere. Then, the ground disappeared underneath her. She bit back a cry of fear, and held her legs stiff underneath her, anticipating the landing. Still, when the darkness gave way to grey light, and the stone met her paws, she stumbled. 

With a shake of her ruffled mane, Cassander looked up. The walls didn’t lead to a ceiling of any kind, instead going up, up and up, until she had to almost stand on two legs to see the grey void above them. The light, though far away, was harsh, and Cassander had to look away. The walls themselves were almost perfectly flat, and she doubted even if she could climb them, she would ever reach the top. The floor, similarly, was flat and featureless, save for cracks and scuffs near the walls. The only other thing in the room was Harper, who started at Cassander’s sudden appearance.

“Where-” Harper’s question was both stopped and answered when, with a yelp of surprise, Winnie landed on the stone next to her. 

“This dungeon doesn’t look like the others I was in,” Winnie commented once they regained their footing, “How old is this place?”

“Fourteen floors, so it’s up there,” Harper said, before fluttering her feathers and adding, “It-it’s easy though, don’t worry!”

As soon as the words were out of the Archen’s mouth, the first enemy appeared: a Rhyhorn. From the single exit to the room, the rock-type’s massive head emerged, blinking blank eyes and looking around. Then, it caught sight of the trio.

“Stars!” Harper yelped, leaping out of the way as the massive Pokemon charged her. The enemy skidded to a halt, claws scraping the stone ground. It shook its head as if to clear it, then fixed its stare on the closest Pokemon-- Cassander. 

The Eevee barely had time to yelp before it bore down on her, all grey horns and yellow eyes. Before it could reach her, there was a flash of green light. The Hostile Pokemon roared as Winnie’s attack connected, and before it could recover, Harper darted over and slammed her body into it. It faded just as Harper began to retreat.

“Jeez! That was close,” Winnie panted after a moment of silence, “It was huge!”

Cassander nodded mutely, shaking from ears to tail. 

“You okay?” Winnie asked, and Cassander nodded again, dragging her gaze away from the spot the Pokemon had vanished.

“Thank you for attacking it,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound as scared as she was.

“Let’s keep going,” Harper interjected, eyes darting across the room, “If we go quick enough, we can avoid other Pokemon.” She caught Cassander’s eyes, and looked away with a short, nervous laugh, “I hope.”

Harper’s theory didn’t last to the stairs. After only one room, a Xatu launched itself at the group in a corridor, only to be met with a flurry of wings as Harper buffeted it back. It faded before Cassander could get a good look at it, but she didn’t have to wait long for another chance to see a fight. Less than a minute later, Harper led the team into a room, where a Staravia stood on the other side. The flying-type’s back was turned, and Harper motioned for Winnie and Cassander to be quiet. 

It was no use. As if the Pokemon could sense their presence, it swivelled its head and locked eyes on them. With a screech, it raised its wings, and instead of charging, flapped them wildly in their direction. The breeze turned into a gale of cold wind, and Cassander yelped as her paws lifted off the ground. Quickly, she scrambled for a hold on the stone.

“Woah!” Winnie flew past Cassander in a blur of wool and scarf.

“Winnie!” Harper squawked. Like the other two, she was caught in the whirlwind. Just when Cassander thought they’d all be blown away, the wind slowed. The Staravia’s wings folded back to its side, and Cassander wondered if it had tired itself out. Then it dove at her, beak glowing in the white light.

“Eep!” Cassander scrambled out of its path, and felt its wings graze her tail. She turned back to see it already adjusting its path. She ducked low to the ground, and once again, barely managed to avoid the attack. 

The flying-type spun to look at her again, but in the moment of distraction, failed to avoid a storm of rocks and boulders. It screeched, then disappeared under the rumble of stone.

The source of the stones was made clear when Harper emerged from the cloud of dust, shaking her feathers and coughing.

“I hate doing that,” she grumbled, a certain tremble to her feathers.

“You did that?” Winnie called from the far side of the room. The Whismicott was sprawled on the ground, head lifted to view their companions.

“Oh stars, are you okay?” Harper’s tone changed to one of worry.

Cassander followed the Archen over to Winnie, who was already getting to their feet. To her relief, the older Pokemon seemed merely dishevelled.

“Yeah, just a little dizzy,” Winnie laughed, dusting themself off, “Didn’t expect them to blow me away like that! What was the move, anyways?”

“Whirlwind, I think,” Cassander said, and cocked her head at the Whismicott. She thought it had been obvious, but maybe she was wrong.

“Neat,” Winnie nodded at her, then turned to Harper, “What was it that you did, though? With all those rocks?”

“Ancient-Power,” Harper replied, looking almost bashful, “I don’t use it a lot though. It’s a lot of work.”

“Seems pretty cool,” Winnie said, then looked around the room, “So, are we ready to keep going?”

Ready they were, and so the trek through Lonesome Quarry continued. Thankfully, the next room of the dungeon held the stone-carved stairs leading into darkness, and they managed to get down them without issue.

“We can still see the sky?” Were Winnie’s first words upon seeing the second floor of the dungeon. Cassander followed their gaze upwards, and sure enough, the grey and white sky loomed above their heads as if they hadn’t just gone underground.

“Dungeons are weird like that,” Harper replied, seemingly unperturbed, “Don’t think about it too much.”

Much like before, the first enemy appeared before the team had set foot outside the room. This time it was a Crustle that startled Harper at the exit of the room, with clicking pinchers and narrowed eyes. Before it could make a move, Harper slammed her beak into its head, and Winnie shot a ball of green energy into its shell. It faded like the other enemies, and they continued onwards. 

This routine set the tone for the rest of the floor, and then the floors after that. Enemies, mostly flying and rock types, appeared seemingly out of nowhere, charging the team with reckless abandon. Even Cassander got a taste of the action towards the end of the fourth floor. 

“Ack!” Harper yelped as the third Rhyhorn they’d seen on the floor slammed into her, sending her flying in the air. She landed in a heap of feathers and talons on the other side of the room.

“Oh gosh!” Winnie’s eyes rounded in concern, and they started towards their fallen partner.  They didn’t notice the Rhyhorn fixing its steely gaze on them.

“Look out!” Cassander shot out from her hiding spot in the corridor. Her warning came too late; a moment later, the Rhyhorn bowled Winnie over. The Whismicott cried out in alarm as they too were tackled across the room.

The Rhyhorn was so occupied in them, it didn’t notice Cassander until she had already slammed herself into its stony haunches.

The attack didn’t do much damage, and Cassander’s ears rang from the impact, but it did manage to distract the rock-type. It swiveled its stony head around with a snort. It took all of Cassander’s willpower to not cower as it roared at her.  Instead, she dropped to a crouch and lashed her tail in the air. She hoped this technique that Pearlie taught her worked. 

“Hey! Look at m-me, you big Magikarp!” Her taunt sounded more like a whimper to her. Nonetheless, the Rhyhorn seemed perplexed, and froze in place. 

A flash of green light came from somewhere behind the Rhyhorn. With a whoosh, a sizzle, and a roar, the rock-type staggered, taking its eyes off of Cassander. In the same instant, Cassander leaped forward. She landed on the snout, just short of the behemoth’s horn. It locked eyes with her for only a moment, before the Eevee’s fangs turned black and fastened on its brow.

The Rhyhorn’s roar made her ears ring once more. It began to thrash its head around, and for a terrifying moment, she held on by only her teeth. Then, there was a thud from somewhere behind her, and the movement stopped. 

Cassander opened her eyes just in time to see the Rhyhorn fade. She dropped onto the stone ground with an ‘oof’, head spinning.

“Stars, are you hurt?” 

Harper was standing where the Rhyhorn used to be, with Winnie approaching from behind. 

“No...I don’t think so.” Cassander got to her paws, and stretched experimentally. Aside from her aching jaws and a bruise on her side, she was fine. 

“That’s good,” Harper breathed, “Lucky we all came out of that one in one piece, hah.”

“You were great out there, Cass!” Winnie exclaimed, sounding excited despite their dishevelled appearance. “What was that thing you did with your tail?”

“Thank you,” Cassander averted her gaze, “It’s Tail Whip. My friend taught it to me, but I didn’t think it would actually work.”

“Still pretty cool,” Winnie grinned, and then looked at Harper, “Right?”

Harper looked caught off guard, but sighed and said, “Honestly, yeah. I didn’t expect a kid like you to be able to stand up to such a strong enemy, much less do any damage.”

Cassander searched her gaze for any sarcasm, but found none. Were these explorers really complimenting her? Pearlie had always been so much stronger than her, she never thought of herself as anything but normal. The unexpected praise made her fur grow warm, and she couldn’t help but smile up at them. 

“Thank you very much,” she said.

“Should we take a break?” Winnie said abruptly. When they both turned to them, they laughed sheepishly. “We’ve had to do a lot of fighting, and I think we should rest before we keep going. Don’t wanna get too tired.”

Harper made an odd face, and for a moment, it looked as if she would say no. 

“I-uh...guess we can,” the Archen’s words came out as a sigh. 

Harper’s attitude was beginning to strike Cassander as odd, but she found it hard to care as she flopped to the ground. Winnie seemed to share the same sentiment as they sat down with a sizable thump. 

“These fake Pokemon are really tough,” the Whismicott said with a quick glance around. Harper agreed with a grunt as she reluctantly settled into a sitting position, wings folding at her sides.

“They’re a lot tougher than that last dungeon we went into too,” they continued, “Don’t you think?” 

It took Cassander a moment to realize they were talking to her as well.

“Luscious Cove was scary, but this place is scarier,” she agreed. A wave of embarrassment made her fur prickle, and she looked at the ground. “Thank you for rescuing me, back then too. It was dumb of me to go in there alone.”

“I’ve done dumber,” Winnie replied, “Don’t worry about it!”

Harper, who had been rummaging through her bag, wordlessly pulled out an apple and handed it to Winnie. Moments later, another landed at Cassander’s paws. 

“Figured you guys would be hungry,” Harper explained, tossing a third apple to the ground near her feet, “battling wears you out, y’know?”

“Thanks!” Winnie said, already shoving their’s into their mouth, “I was getting pretty hungry.”

“Thank you,” Cassander added. She waited until the others had started to eat before joining in. Part of her worried that the others thought her rude for taking it without complaint, but her stomach rumbled a strong argument. For a minute, the only sound was the crunching of apples. Then, Winnie pushed their bare core aside and stretched.

“Y’know, I was wondering something,” Winnie looked at Cassander, “You’re pretty strong for your age, I think. How many dungeons have you been in before this one?”

“Two,” Cassander answered after some thought, “I went through a swamp to get out of Wisteria Village, and then I went to Luscious Cove. Maybe that doesn’t count, since I got beat.” It occurred to her how low of a number that must have sounded to explorers like Harper and Winnie, and she added, “I practiced battling a lot, though.”

Winnie nodded, seemingly unperturbed. “Oh, same, actually? I’ve only been through one really little one, then the one from the other day. And now, this one!”

“Really?” Cassander’s eyes widened in disbelief, “You’re so strong though!”

“Haha, thank you! I’m a total newbie when it comes to all this fighting,” Winnie laughed, “Mostly, I just practiced with my friend Anais before all this.”

“Oh.” Feeling foolish, Cassander lowered her voice, “Sorry, that makes sense.”

“Nah, I was wondering too, actually,” Harper spoke up for the first time, “Since you used to,uh-” the Archen glanced at Cassander and cut herself off, “I mean, you’re like, level 20-ish? Was Anais that good a teacher?”

“I guess so?” the Whismicott tilted their head thoughtfully, “They were really, super strong. I’m not good at all this battling stuff, but even I could tell.” In a less serious tone, they added, “It helps that they let me use a TM too. Wouldn’t be able to use Energy Ball without it, I don’t think.”

For a moment, Cassander wondered how the Whismicott had evolved without having ever had a real battle. She knew, like herself and her brother, the Pokemon evolved with a stone, but she had thought that you had to have at least some experience to actually evolve. Maybe Winnie’s species was just weird, she decided.

“I guess you’ve been through a lot more dungeons that us, huh Harper?” Winnie laughed.

“Oh-yeah, definitely,” she sounded caught off guard by the question, “You know, I explored before all this, so I’ve been in tons of ‘em.”

“Ooh,” Cassander replied, unable to keep the interest from her voice. “Have you ever explored with Clarity Guild? My brother, he’s a part of it. He’s found tons of cool stuff.”

 Something flashed in Harper’s eyes, and she looked away from Cassander as if struck. 

“Nah, nope! I’ve always explored alone! Never liked guilds.”

Winnie shot an odd look in their direction. Feeling as if she had said something wrong, Cassander clamped her muzzle shut and looked at her paws. There was a strained silence between the trio, until Winnie broke it once more.

“You mentioned that you practiced battling before?” Winnie asked, “Was it with your brother?”

Cassander shook her head, a little too vigorously. “No. My brother is always busy at the Guild. I trained with my best friend, Pearlie, and her moms. She’s really strong already, she already knows how to use Razor Shell.”

“You, uh, mentioned that last night,” Harper said, “ You’re from Wisteria, right?”

Cassander modded. She thought Harper would have a follow up question of some kind, but the Archen just nodded to herself, an odd look on her face. She looked back to Winnie, and spoke once more.

“We should get going now,” she said, already getting to her feet, “You two are done, right?”

Cassander glanced at her apple, which was only half done. With a glance at Winnie, who was also climbing to their feet, she bit back her protest and nodded. 

“Yes, I’m ready,” she said.

If Harper had been acting a little odd before, Cassander thought she was acting downright weird now. It was as if someone had set the flying-type’s feathers on fire. She moved quicker and quicker through the dungeon, and despite her earlier complaints about using Ancient Power, she now used it almost every fight. Cassander followed behind Winnie, wince as the ground rumbled with each fight, and wondered why the Archen wanted to get out of this dungeon so badly.

The dungeon seemed to be doing everything in its power to delay her exit. Compared to the swarms of enemies the team now faced, the first few floors were nothing. It got to the point that it took all three members of the team to make it from room to room. 

Cassander jumped away from her latest enemy, a rather loud Vullaby, and watched it fade from sight. She sat down with a thump and a sigh, and stretched her aching jaws.

“C’mon, kid!” Harper squawked from across the room, already headed to the next corridor, “There’s not a lot of time to waste!”

Cassander bit back a whine of protest and got to her aching paws once more. It was only natural that the explorer be impatient, having to travel with someone as weak as herself must be boring. 

“Let her...rest a little?” Winnie said between breathes, surprising them both. The Whismicott stood with hooves on their knees, near the corner of the room where they had been fighting a rowdy pair of Dugtrio. “You’ve gotta be tired too, right?”

“Not really…” Harper’s wings trembled in a way that suggested otherwise. “We’re near the end, I swear! We just have to keep g-going!”

“Hmph,” Winnie didn’t seem convinced, “Can you at least toss me the map? I wanna see how far we are.”

“What- I don’t--” Harper was cut off when, with a screech, a Staraptor soared from the corridor in front of her, “Ah!”

When the Archen raised her wings, Cassander braced herself for the shower of rocks sure to follow. The ground rumbled once more, but faded a second later, and with it, the Archen stumbled back as if struck.

“T-thorns!” She gasped, “I’m out of moves!”

The Staraptor dove for the smaller bird, who squawked and hopped out of the way. Once more, it struck, its razor sharp beak barely missing the tip of Harper’s tail. Both Cassander and Winnie made a move to help, but before they could make it, the ground heaved beneath them. 

At first, Cassander thought it was Harper again--but the bird hadn’t made a move, and like the other two, looked for the source of the disturbance. This lapse in concentration left an opening, and several things happened at once.  

The Staraptor swept Harper off her feet with a swift battering of wings. 

The canyon wall in front of them split with a groaning screech, showering the explorer and her foe in boulders and earth.

Through the rumble of shifting giants, Cassander heard a roar that shook the insides of her skull.

The dust made it impossible to see anything but the behemoth of a shadow emerging from the new hole in the wall. As soon as she caught sight of the giant stone horn on the enemy’s head, Cassander knew what it was. Whatever courage she had left abandoned her, and she dropped into a trembling crouch.

It was an Onix, and a very angry one. Barely visible on its massive head, beady eyes swept the room before landing on the Eevee. Cassander scrambled out of the way as the thing charged, but still found herself smacked into the air by its massive tail. 

The attack did little damage, but Cassander still struggled to get off the ground, the air knocked out of her. She didn’t hear the words, but saw Winnie beckoning her from the other side of the room. Adrenaline kicked in, and the Eevee dodged the next attack, instinct driving her behind the older Pokemon.

The dust kicked up from the Onix’s attack cleared, and Winnie let out a grunt of exertion. Cassander dared to look around their bulk of wool. A green ball of light was forming in their hooves, and as the Onix charged again, they released it. The Onix roared in pain, and faster than Cassander could register, Winnie turned to face her, wide eyed.

“We have to get out of here!”

Cassander nodded mutely. Winnie beckoned her towards the wall of the room before turning and firing off another Energy Ball. This time, however, it hit the ground before the Onix. A cloud of dust rose once more.

“Harper? Harper, where are you?” Winnie cried, a silhouette in the fog. 

“I’m right here!” Harper’s voice was nearby, shaking and rough, “Are you two okay?” 

Cassander tensed at the sound of footsteps, but it was Harper. The Archen looked worse for wear, feathers covered in sand and dishevelled, with a nasty gash above one eye and blood dripping from a wound on her tail.

“Are you okay?” Winnie’s voice rose in pitch, and they took a step back.

“F-fine,” the Archen coughed, “Stupid thing just got a lucky hit on me.”

“We need to get out of here, where’s the badge?” Winnie said.

“What!”

“The badge Anais gave us?” The Whismicott replied, reaching for the bag, “They said we could--”

“We can’t use it!” Harper yanked the bag out of their grasp.

“What--why not?” Winnie stopped in their tracks.

“We just can’t! I can beat this thing, let me--” Harper began to rush forward, but Winnie caught her by the wing and pulled her back.

“You don’t even have any moves left! Just give me the badge, this is crazy!” 

“No!”

The dust had cleared, but the two were still arguing. The Onix jerked its head to the source of the sound, eyes narrowing. 

“Can we please just get out of here?” Cassander whimpered, not taking her eyes off the enemy. Her companions didn’t notice.

“Harper, what’s wrong with you? We can just come back later!”

“I’m- I’m not going to use it!”

There was a rumble in the ground that drowned out Winnie’s reply. The Onix charged, and the trio dove out of the way.

“Ack!” Harper was knocked aside by the giant’s tail, and the contents of her bag spilled out.  The Onix swirled around, knocking the other two to the ground. 

Then, it let out the loudest screech Cassander ever heard. 

Her shriek was drowned out by the cacophony, and she curled into a ball, paws over her ears. Even when the sound stopped, the ringing in her ears continued. The Onix locked eyes with her, but she couldn’t force her trembling legs to move.

Winnie let out a cry, and a moment later the Onix reared back, a green light barely missing its belly. In that moment, Cassander’s hind paw brushed something cold. She dared to look away.

On the ground was Harper’s wonder map, and half hidden underneath it was an ebony object the size of her paw, with a glittering diamond as its core. Cassander’s heart soared; it was the badge.

The Onix began to charge once more, but this time, Cassander was ready. She darted to her paws and leapt onto the map and badge. She trapped the badge under her paw and pressed it, bracing herself for the collision.

It never came.

Instead, behind closed eyelids, she saw a bright light, and felt air rush through her fur. She didn’t look up until she felt rough stone under her paws.

They were back at the entrance to the dungeon. Sprawled beside her were Winnie and Harper, wounds healed and bag empty, save for the map and badge still under Cassander. The entrance looked as empty and lifeless as it had hours earlier, but it was now bathed in afternoon light, bright and warm. 

“Who…” Harper hopped to her feet, eyes wide. Cassander shrank to her belly when the bird caught sight of her, badge in paw.

“You’re the one who used the badge!” Harper exclaimed, and Cassander didn’t reply, heart thumping in her chest. Before she could apologise, Winnie stepped in front of her. The Whismicott’s expression was uncharacteristically angry.

“Don’t get mad at her, she just saved us!” they exclaimed, “What’s wrong with you!”

“We weren’t supposed to use the badge!” Harper’s reply was hot, but there was a spark of fear in her gaze.

“We’re supposed to use it in emergencies,” they shot back, “We could have died if we hadn’t used it!”

“Ugh, who cares now,” the Archen turned her back on the two, “We’re out, so I guess we just try again!”

Cassander’s heart lurched at the thought. Even if it was a shortcut to Clarity’s Guild, she didn’t think it was worth it. A thought came into her mind unbidden: was it even a shortcut? Lyre never mentioned it, not even once. Winnie began to speak again, but Cassander didn’t listen, instead shuffling to the side to reveal the map.

It was back to displaying the area surrounding the dungeon. Cassander poked the glowing dot representing Lonesome Quarry, and scanned the information displayed, heart sinking.

The dungeon wasn’t easy like Harper claimed; it was ranked “HARD”, with Pokemon more than twice Cassander’s level. Why would Harper lie about that? Frowning, the Eevee looked closer at the map. Lonesome Quarry was on the other side of the village they stayed at the night before, opposite of Luscious Cove. It was nowhere near Bounty’s Keep, not like Harper claimed. There was another town, though, on the other side of the dungeon.

Wisteria Village.

Cassander began to tremble, and her vision began to blur.

She tried to speak, but her voice caught in the back of her throat. Winnie turned to look at her, fierce expression fading.

“It’s okay, Cass!” they said, “You didn’t do anything wrong, Harper’s just--”

Cassander flinched at the sound of her nickname, and backed away. She was scared, but she realized that she was something else, too--angry.

Even if she’d been inside, she probably wouldn’t have been able to sleep. She glanced towards her companions. Winnie lay on their side, hooves tucked under their head, the blanket tangled around them. Cassander was merely a lump under Harper’s blanket, only her muzzle sticking out to the open air. The knot in Harper’s stomach tightened.

Why had she agreed to help the kid? She knew why, but why? This kid was the sibling of her would-be murderer! And she was looking for him! Harper would rather walk into Giratina’s mouth than return to Clarity’s Guild. How could she, knowing Pokemon were out to get her there? Even if it was just Lyre, she couldn’t bear to see him again. Not when things had just started to look up.

Nothing was stopping her from simply packing up and running away. Harper glanced to the path ahead, a familiar itch in her talons. She really was good at running, it wouldn’t be anything new.

Then, Winnie snorted and turned to face her. Harper froze guiltily, but they were still asleep, snoring softly. Harper’s feathers grew warm once more, and she turned away. She couldn’t leave them, not now. Maybe she could ditch them once they got to a town, where they would be safe, and find other, better Pokemon to help them.

That plan seemed sound, so why did Harper still feel guilty?

Harper must have fallen asleep without realizing it, for she awoke suddenly, her heart pounding again her ribcage.

“Who said that?” she said groggily.

“Huh?” the slurred response came from a few inches away from her. Harper jolted in shock when she came face to face with Winnie, who blinked blearily at her.

“D-did you say that?” Harper asked again.

“Say what?” Winnie yawned, “Was I talking in my sleep or something?”

Harper’s heart sank. No, it hadn’t been Winnie who’d spoken. The voice she’d heard had been in her dreams, and had been deeper, and more familiar. She’d heard this voice before, in her sleep. What had they said?

“You okay?” her companion asked, looking concerned, “Did you have a nightmare or something?”

“Can’t remember,” Harper replied, “Must not have been important, hah.”

Harper’s blanket shifted, and a moment later, Cassander’s head popped out from underneath.

“Issit morning?” she mumbled, large ears twitching.

“Yep!” Winnie replied, “Did you sleep well?”

Harper tried to hide her discontent. The more she looked at Cassander, the more she saw the Eevee’s brother: in the long, pointed ears, the fluffy mane, the somewhat long snout, and the green eyes. She seemed content, at the very least. She gave a small smile at Winnie’s questions, and answered in a quiet, bashful way.

“Yes. Thank you for the blanket, Harper,” she dipped her head in Harper’s direction.

“O-oh, it’s fine!” Harper replied with a flutter of her wings, “Not a problem at all!”

Cassander nodded. She opened, and then closed her mouth, looking nervous. Winnie glanced at her, and turned to Harper.

“So, what’s the plan now, Harper?”

“Oh,” Harper’s stomach dropped. She had no plan. “I-I have a plan! I just, uh…” Her beak grew warm at her companions’ stares, and she looked at their makeshift camp. “First we need to clean up the camp, then we can talk about it.”

Cassander tilted her head, and Winnie shrugged, but they got to work. Harper busied herself folding her blanket into her bag, mind racing with half-formed ideas. She couldn’t lead them right down the road to Bounty’s Keep: she would almost definitely run into another team. Winnie bumped her on the shoulder, a sizable stack of blankets and tent-pegs in their arms. Harper snatched a Wonder Map from her bag and stepped away.

The group was camped outside of Luscious Cove, which led onto the main road to Clarity’s. The path they were on circled back to Lavastone Village, which branched off into a few more paths, one of them containing a dungeon called Lonesome Quarry. Harper’s heart skipped a beat when she realized that, less than a day’s walk from that dungeon was Wisteria Village: the place Cassander had come from.

A plan unraveled in Harper’s mind, and not a moment too soon; Winnie had shoved the final blanket into their bag.

“So, the plan?” they asked.

“We’re going to go through Lonesome Quarry,” Harper said, hoping her voice didn’t tremble. She showed Winnie the map, making sure to hide Wisteria’s placemark with her wing. “There’s a path there that leads to Clarity Guild, a-a side path!”

Winnie didn’t seem to find it strange that there was no visible side path, instead nodding. Harper’s gut twisted once more.

“Um,” Cassander interjected, “I thought Luscious Cove was the best way to go,” she looked at the ground and shuffled her paws in the dirt, “That’s what my brother always said.”

“Well, your brother must have been wrong!” she replied, forcing a grin, “I used this route tons of times!”

“We’ll have to pass through Lavastone Village,” Harper closed the map before Cassander could look at it, “We can try and stock up there, maybe sell some of the things we picked up in Luscious Cave?” she glanced at Winnie, “You know, since that was our plan originally.”

“Alright,” Winnie laughed, “But I don’t know how much we can sell all these berries for.”

Soon, the trio was walking down the path, Harper in the lead, while Winnie and Cassander chatted behind her. They sounded happy. The knot of guilt in Harper’s gut tightened. It was the best thing, really, for Harper to return Cassander home, and to leave Winnie with her. Lyre was bound to return there at some point, and it wouldn’t hurt Cassander to have to return home before leaving again. Maybe, someone would come with her when she left again. And, with a pang, Harper remembered how Winnie would be better off without her anyways.

As the sun met the midpoint of the sky, Lavastone village came into view. While Harper had made the journey in silence, a few steps ahead of her companions, Winnie and Cassander hardly seemed to take a breath between sentences.

“So, you don’t go to school, then?” Winnie asked.

“No, no one I know does.” Cassander replied, voice as soft as the rustle of the leaves, “I think only big towns have those.”

“Wow!” Winnie’s voice was incredulous, as if the idea of not every Pokemon attending school was foreign to them, “Then how do you learn, like, math and stuff?”

Harper glanced back and caught the puzzled look on Cassander’s face, and before she could speak, cleared her throat.

“We’re nearly there,” she pointed towards the town ahead, “I’ll handle selling stuff. Winnie, you and Cassander should wait in the town center.”

“Aw, okay,” Winnie nodded at her with a smile, “You hungry, Cass? I’ve got some berries we can snack on while we wait.”

Harper left the pair in the same spot she and Winnie had stood the day before. At the sight of their comfortable, happy conversation, she felt an unbidden sense of jealousy. How ridiculous, she thought to herself. What kind of ‘mon gets jealous of a child?

After nearly an hour of negotiations of varying success and awkward stammerings, Harper’s bag was less than half as heavy as before, and now had a wad of money tightly tucked inside. As she made her way back to the others, she couldn’t help but wish Winnie had been with her. She got the distinct feeling if someone more confident had done the talking, she would have a lot more money to show.

“Harper!” Winnie spotted her almost the moment she stepped foot into the square, “We were wondering where you were.”

“It took a bit to sell everything,” Harper hopped over to her, “Here’s what we have.” She shoved the wad of money towards Winnie.

“Woah, that’s a lot!” they exclaimed, eyes wide, “How much is this?”

“Around 3000(p), sorry,” Harper said, uncomfortably aware of Cassander watching her with rapt interest, “It’s not a lot, but it should do for tonight.”

“Seems like a lot to me!” Winnie shrugged, “More than what I made, y’know, before.” They gestured vaguely, unaware of Cassander, who tilted her head at them, a familiar expression of confusion on her face.

“We should go buy stuff now!” Harper said, perhaps too loudly, drowning out whatever question Cassander asked. “We still have a long walk to Lonesome Quarry!”

This time, she brought Winnie and Cassander with her to the vendor’s area. The way the two regarded each mundane purchase with childlike wonder was somewhat infectious. Before Harper knew it, she chatted amicably with them,  almost forgetting her anxiety.

“We’re down to 500(p) already?” Cassander stared at the much smaller pile of coins, eyes wide. The trio had decided to count up what the had left, and sort out the items amongst themselves. Harper and Winnie’s bags bulged comfortably with berries and food, and they had even managed to get a discount on a couple of elixirs.

“Around 435, actually,” Harper said, “But I think we’ve gotten everything we need, at least for now.”

“Does that mean we can buy whatever we want now?” Winnie asked, eyes wide. Harper began to protest, but when she caught sight of Winnie’s pleading stare, and the hopeful gleam in Cassander’s eyes, she sighed.

“I guess so?”

With a hoot of joy, Winnie grabbed her shoulder and dragged her towards the nearest vendor, Cassander on their heels. They went from vendor to vendor, browsing TMs and berries and accessories, and despite herself, Harper found that she was having fun. Winnie didn’t seem to care that 435(p) wasn’t enough to buy anything cool. It seemed like they just enjoyed the possibility of buying something fun. Cassander was happy, too. Though she was quiet, her excitement was plain to see, and she even made a few bashful attempts at conversation with Harper.

Soon, the group retreated to an empty corner of the market, clutching a paper bag with fresh-baked cookies. Winnie passed them out, and with no more than a second’s hesitation, shoved theirs into their mouth.

“Ooh, this is good!” they exclaimed, “What kind is it?”

“Pecha and oran chips, I think,” Harper said. She gave hers a doubtful sniff, and then shook her head. “I don’t really want mine, though. I don’t like pecha.”

Cassander mumbled something inaudible.

“Yeah?” Harper looked over to see the child still holding her cookie between two paws.

“Um...we can trade, if you want,” Cassander said, louder this time, “Mine just has oran on it.”

“Oh,” Harper blinked, somewhat taken aback, “That’s really nice of you, t-thanks.”

The group lapsed into silence. As she ate, Harper couldn’t help but examine the strange child in front of them. She looked like her brother, with her long, sharp muzzle, and her olive green eyes, but the two couldn’t be more different. Lyre wasn’t this quiet, or this thoughtful, or this kind. Cassander didn’t know her, though. If she did, she’d probably hate her just as much as Lyre did. Harper grimaced, her appetite gone.

“How long is it to Lonesome Quarry?” Winnie broke the silence, swiping the crumbs from their scarf. “Will we need to make camp?”

“Err…” Harper’s heart skipped a beat, “Let me check.”

She pulled out the map once again, and held it close to her face. Lonesome Quarry was listed with 13 floors, and was only a mile or so away. If they left now, they would be at Wisteria in less than five hours.

“What’s the matter?” Winnie must have noticed her change in attitude, and laid a hoof on Harper’s feathered shoulder.

“N-nothing!” Harper crumpled the map, forcing a toothy grin. “I just realized, uh, it’s going to take until nightfall to get there!” She shoved the map into her bag, and when only half of it would fit, gave up and looked at her companions. “W-we should hang around, leave early tomorrow morning. Then we can, um, get to Bounty’s Keep tomorrow evening!”

“Oh…” Cassander nodded, her ears drooping a little. “I didn’t know it would take so long. My brother never acted like it did”

“Well, it does,” Harper looked away from the Eevee’s disappointed stare, “We can stay at the Lavafill Inn again, if that’s okay?” She looked at Winnie, who shrugged after a moment.

“Better than sleeping in the forest again,” they replied.

“Let’s go ahead and book the room, then!”  Harper didn’t give them time to protest.

The innkeeper didn’t seem at all interested in why Harper was now accompanied by a child. She simply pointed Winnie to the same room key as before, and soon, the group had made themselves comfortable in their temporary room.

“Huff!” Winnie dropped back to the ground, having finally managed to hook their scarf to the highest rung on the rack. Their wool flared around them, soft and bouncy. It was only when they turned to look at her that Harper realized she’d been staring.

“Man, there must be some tall Pokemon out there!” Winnie exclaimed.

“My friend Pearlie’s mom is tall,” Cassander replied, “She’s a Samurott.”

“Huh,” Winnie nodded, “Haven’t seen one of those before.”

“Wow, really?” Cassander exclaimed, eyes wide, “There’s tons of Samurotts around here!”

Before the conversation could continue, Harper cleared her throat.

“I’m gonna go sit outside for a bit,” she said quickly, “It’s, uh kinda hot in here.”

Harper dropped her treasure bag on the ground near the window. As she passed Winnie and Cassander, she felt something soft against her wing.

“You okay?” Winnie’s eyes were round with concern, “You’re acting kinda weird.”

“I’m fine, don’t worry!” she squawked, “Just tired, is all.”

The door swung shut as she stepped out into the hall. Confident now that no one would follow, she slumped against the wall and heaved a sigh. What was she thinking? It was bad enough that she was going to ditch them, what was the use in lying now? She trudged down to the lobby, past the baleful gaze of  Ms.Marcargo at the counter, and out the door. The air outside was cool, and to Harper’s surprise, it seemed like the sun was already setting. The sky was shot through with streaks of purple and pink, and the sun sunk orange beneath the treeline.

“What am I doing?” she muttered, “Should’ve just left the kid in that Arceus-forsaken forest.”

She nearly jumped out of her feathers when the door swung open behind her. With a squawk of surprise, she turned to see a grinning Winnie and a wide-eyed Cassander in the doorway. Harper’s bag swung on Winnie’s shoulder.

“W-what’s up?” she asked.

“I just realized, Cass doesn’t have anything to carry her stuff with!” Winnie replied. “Will the leftover money be enough to buy a bag?”

“Should be?” Harper replied, “If you want to use it, you can, I guess, but-”

“Great!” Winnie skipped in place, then seized Harper in a fierce hug. “Thanks!”

Beak burning and feathers rustling, Harper pulled away from the hug with a nervous laugh. “No problem!”

“T-thank you, Harper,” Cassander spoke softly, shuffling her paws, “Thanks for helping me and buying me stuff.” The Eevee’s shy, nervous smile only made Harper feel more guilty.

She watched the two take off down the path, and her gut twisted. The best thing for all of them was for Harper to leave them in Wisteria. Then, she could just worry about herself again.

He knew what he had to do short term: help his team find the lost Pokemon, and return the lost Pokemon to her mother. It was simple -- until he had been greeted by his little sister and his boyfriend on the brink of an actual fight.

Pearlie knew what Lyre had done. Bayer shouldn’t have been surprised: Pearlie’s odd knack for seeing the future was always unpredictable like that. And, this explained her inexplicable hostility towards Lyre from the moment she laid eyes on him. What he hadn’t expected, though, was her complete and utter dismay at her brother’s request to help them.

“I don’t want to help a murderer!” she’d shouted, “I saw what he did!”

Bayer’s insistence that they only wanted to see if Harper was really dead or not didn’t help.

For his credit, Lyre hadn’t continued the argument. He was quiet, quieter than he had been in the dungeon, brows furrowed and muzzle wrinkled at the ground. What was bothering him was hard to say; everything about the situation was troubling.

To make matters worse, Cassander wasn’t found.

At least it was quiet now. The sun lay low on the horizon, and Bayer stood alone in the clearing he’d set as the team’s camp. Lyre was lying in the shade of an oak, back facing Bayer. Pearlie had gone off to who-knows-where, in such a foul mood she only nodded at Bayer’s warning to come back before dark. He hoped she would listen.

Bayer glanced at Lyre. The Jolteon hadn’t moved since they set up camp, and Bayer frowned. Careful to not wake him, if he was asleep, Bayer crept across the clearing. To his surprise, Lyre was looking at the map. It lay in between his paws, showing a wide view of the area. Lyre’s muzzle was scrunched in the way it did when he was concentrating, and his quills quivered on his flanks.

“Plotting a course?” Bayer asked.

“Huh?” Lyre twitched his ears, and dragged his gaze away from the map.

Bayer repeated himself, and Lyre made an odd gesture between a nod and a shake of the head.

“Trying to figure out where Cassander could have gone,” Lyre looked back to the map, “She wasn’t in Puddle Swamp, so she either cleared it or passed it by. But there’s so many dungeons around here, I don’t know where to begin!” His voice became sharp, but after catching the look on Bayer’s face, he sighed.

“I wish I knew where she went,” he said, head on his paws, “I don’t even know why she left.”

“Did she ever mention… running away, or something?” Bayer asked.

“Never to me, and definitely not to mother.”

Nothing else was said for a few moments. Bayer furrowed his brow at the map. From where they were now, there were at least half a dozen trails within half a mile. That wasn’t even counting the possibility that she had doubled back past Wisteria. What had the officers said, again? All they knew was that Cassander had last been seen walking home.

“Wait,” Lyre spoke, jolting upright, “Do you think...Cassander knows?”

“Knows what?” Bayer replied.

“That I,” he seemed to struggle with the words, “killed Harper? Do you think your sister told her?”

“Oh!” Bayer smacked a paw to his head, “That makes sense! She ran away after leaving our house, maybe she does know!”

“We need to find your sister,” Lyre said. He got to his paws in a blink, his face set and determined. “She can tell us if Cassander knows or not.”

Lyre led the way, following the path Pearlie had gone. Bayer jogged behind him, a spark of hope in his chest. He was willing to bet his badge that if Cassander knew, she was on her way to Bounty’s Keep to find her brother. If Pearlie could confirm this, they would have a solid lead on how to find her. Lyre seemed to be more hopeful now, too. His green eyes glowed in the sunlight, and his pace was brisk.

It was easy to track down Pearlie. Every few yards, Bayer caught sight of a tree or brush looking as if it had been shredded, or a puddle of water that seemed very out of place. She must have been particularly angry, Bayer decided. She was known to retreat into the woods to blow off steam, but he’d only seen her shred the bark of trees to this extent a few times.

“There,” Lyre stopped, and flicked an ear ahead of him. The path led to what looked like a clearing, and in the center was Pearlie. She lay, sprawled on the ground with her scallop a few feet away.

“Hey, you okay Pearlie?” Bayer asked.

Pearlie lifted her head up, saw her brother, and let it fall back to the ground with a thump.

“No.”

“You still mad at me?” Bayer approached her. Judging by an oak with extremely shredded bark, the answer was still a yes. Instead of speaking, Pearlie snorted and reached for her scallop.

The scallop soared through the air, hit Bayer on the chest, and bounced to the ground.

Lyre snorted in laughter. Pearlie’s ears flicked, and she sat up, glaring in their direction.

“This isn’t funny!” she exclaimed, “You’re working with a murderer! You’re my brother, and you’re working with a ‘mon who did the worst crime, ever!”

Bayer was taken aback to see tears forming in his sister’s eyes.

“Why haven’t you turned him in! He could hurt you, or me, or anyone, and you’re dating him!”

“I won’t hurt anyone,” Lyre exclaimed, taking a step back, “I haven’t yet!”

“You hurt that Archen! You killed that Archen!” Pearlie shouted. Her hand shot to her belly, and then to the ground beside her. Before she could grab it, Bayer kicked the scallop behind him.

“I didn’t want my first mission to be like this!” Pearlie’s accusatory gaze met her brother’s. Then, she flopped back onto the ground, and turned her back to them.

“I just wanna find Cass,” she whimpered, “I just want to apologise.”

Bayer glanced at Lyre once silence fell. The taller Pokemon’s eyes were wide and his ears were laid back. He shook his head, and Bayer knew he would be of no help.

“Pearlie,” he sighed. She didn’t lash out at his approach, so he continued, until he could sit on the ground next to her. He put a paw on her side. She didn’t jerk away.

“I’m sorry, about all of this,” Bayer said, “It was wrong of me to not tell you all of this before.”

“I already knew,” Pearlie replied, her voice muffled by her over-sized bandana, “I saw it in a dream, but I didn’t know you knew.” She turned her head a little and looked at him with wide, teary eyes. “Why are you okay with him?”

“Pearlie, I’m not okay with...what he did,” Bayer struggled for the right words, “That’s the reason I wanted your help to begin with.”

“Huh?”

Pearlie turned fully around to face him. Bayer, with a glance in Lyre’s direction, tip-toed into an explanation of what he and Lyre had decided to do, and why. At the assertion that Harper may still be alive, Pearlie’s face lifted a miniscule amount.

“We wanted your help so we could see if Harper is alive or not,” Bayer finished, “But I won’t ask you to do that right now. Right now, we need to find Cassander. Can you help us with that?”

“Yeah,” Pearlie rubbed her eyes and sat up, “It’s my fault she ran away anyways.”

“It is?” Lyre asked. Pearlie shot him a glare, and Bayer shook his head at him. Lyre sat back down with a sour look on his face.

“I told her what he did,” she said, “and she got mad at me. She thought I was lying to her. I was mad that she thought I lied. I don’t lie!” she looked at her brother, who nodded. “We went to sleep, and then in the morning, she didn’t even say anything to me. She just...left? And then she was missing, and it’s my fault.”

“It’s not your fault, Pearlie,” Bayer put a paw on her shoulder, “You didn’t do anything wrong.” He put a paw on his chin, and furrowed his brow thoughtfully. “Actually, you just helped us a lot.”

“I did?” Pearlie asked.

“Yeah,” Lyre spoke before Bayer could. He didn’t move from his spot, and kept his muzzle towards the ground, “Now we know where Cassander went-- to Clarity’s.”

These Pokemon were really strange, Cassander decided.

The Whismicott and the Archen in front of her were a lot different than the Pokemon from Wisteria Village. They didn’t ask her where she came from, and didn’t even seem to know that she ran away. In fact, ever since she told them she was looking for Lyre, they hadn’t spoken a word to her.

The Archen--Harper--pulled aside Winnie--the Whismicott--, looking as if Giratina themself had burst out of the ground. She spoke in hushed tones, but Cassander knew she must have said something really wrong to get her this upset.

She considered apologizing, but these Pokemon weren’t paying her any mind. Could she just walk away? They certainly wouldn’t notice. But, she reasoned, last time she went off alone, she’d gotten stuck in a dungeon. The only reason she was out now was because of these strangers.

“--I don’t see why we can’t help her?” Winnie’s voice became clearer, “We don’t have anything else to do.”

“I don’t get along with, uh, explorers!” Harper squawked, “She can find L--her brother herself, probably?”

Cassander’s heart sank. Would they not help her after all?

“I’m sorry if I said something wrong,” she said meekly, “You don’t have to help me.”

Harper’s feathers fluffed,  and Winnie’s gaze snapped towards her as if they’d forgotten she was there.

“Oh, honey, of course we’ll help!” Winnie exclaimed, pushing past the Archen and dropping to a knee to look Cassander in the eyes.

“Hey, I didn’t say yes yet!” Harper replied.

Winnie ignored her, and continued looking at Cassander.

“C-Cassander, right?” they asked. When she nodded, they continued, “How old are you, Cassander?”

“I-I’m eleven?” she replied with a nervous flick of her tail.

“See! She’s just a kid, we can’t let a kid just wander around! We gotta help, come on!” Winnie’s tone wasn’t angry, but there was a flash of intensity in their gaze that made both Cassander and Harper take a step back.

Harper made a groaning sort of whine, and turned away from them. Her plumed tail twitched as she muttered incoherently to herself, and Cassander glanced at Winnie, who looked back with a small smile.

“Come on, Harper,” Winnie said, “It’s not like we have anything else to do, remember?”

With a long sigh, Harper turned to face them. She ran a talon over her face, sighed once again, and then spoke.

“Fine, sure,” she replied, “I’ll help you out.”

Her eyes aimed at the ground, it came as a surprise when she ran into a yellow, coarse side. Lyre whipped around and looked at her. Pearlie glared right back, despite the chill that ran down her spine. The Jolteon opened his mouth as if to say something, but Bayer spoke first, unaware of the other two’s hostility.

“Okay, so we’re going to check the first dungeon on the way here,” her older brother’s gaze was trained to the map in his paws. He pointed to a dot on the map, and Pearlie leaned to see what it said.

“Puddle Swamp,” Bayer said, “Mostly Water types, but there are a few Ground types too.” He turned to Pearlie. “You think you can handle that?”

“Totally!” Pearlie exclaimed, “I’m not weak to those!” She gestured to the scallop on her chest, but Bayer had already looked away. Now, he looked at Lyre.

“You’ll be fine with the Ground types, right?” he asked.

“It’s a small dungeon,” Lyre snorted, “I can handle it.”

Pearlie scowled as the two began to walk, Bayer laughing and Lyre huffing. How could her brother be dating him? He was a murderer! She kicked a pebble along the path, and had a thought that made her sag with relief. He probably didn’t know. Of course her brother didn’t know, her brother wouldn’t be with someone who did something that bad. Anger at the Jolteon ahead rushed over her.

She needed to tell Bayer. What if he was next? But, as she walked forward, she saw the happiness in Bayer’s eyes, and the reluctant grin crossing Lyre’s muzzle. They certainly seemed happy right now. Lyre probably wouldn’t hurt him, right? Would it be kinder of her not to tell him?

This dilema followed Pearlie out of town, all the way down the familiar trail, until they reached a fork in the road. Bayer turned to her with a concerned smile.

“You okay, Pearlie?” he asked, “I thought you’d be more excited to explore!”

“I’m okay,” Pearlie lied, forcing a smile, “I’m just so excited, I can’t speak!” The words sounded fake even to her, but Bayer didn’t press it. He turned back to Lyre, who looked straight ahead.

“Puddle Swamp should be straight down this path,” Lyre said, “If Cass is down here, she’ll probably be fine. These are low-level dungeons.”

Pearlie glared at him once more.

“Let’s hurry up,” Lyre said, already following the trail, “I want to cover as much ground as possible.”

“Alright,” Bayer said, and turned to Pearlie, “Come on, let’s explore your first dungeon!”

Despite herself, Pearlie shivered in excitement as the dungeon came into view. The ground here was becoming damp, wet, and then all but a mud-hole. Reeds were scattered about, taller than the ones in Wisteria, and the peaty soil grew all kinds of odd sprouts and grasses. Pearlie hopped from stone to scattered stone, anticipation mounting as the dungeon came into view.

The entrance was a small, woven-reed tunnel. It stood at about twice Bayer’s height, and continued for a few feet before fading into pitch-black. The dungeon must be underground, Pearlie reasoned.

“I’ll be the leader,” Lyre stood in front of the entrance, and twitched an ear. He turned to face Pearlie. “So that means I go in first.”

“I knew that,” Pearlie replied hotly, “I’ve read all about dungeons!”

Lyre huffed and didn’t respond.

“Go ahead then, Lyrie,” Bayer put a paw on Pearlie’s shoulder, “We’ll follow.”

If Bayer had anything to say, Pearlie didn’t hang back to listen. She jerked her shoulder out of Bayer’s reach and trotted after Lyre, careful not to let the Jolteon out of her sight. She had to make sure he didn’t do anything funny, even if it meant she couldn’t explore beside her brother.

All of the books Pearlie read that described entering a dungeon were incorrect, she decided. The spinning was disorienting, and the utter darkness as she was transferred into the dungeon’s depths was disconcerting, but when it ended, she landed perfectly on her feet, unlike the difficult dismounting described. She smacked her tail onto the new ground, and grinned triumphantly around the room.

The walls were packed mud and clay like her home, but these were less natural, almost perfectly straight and square. Reeds grew from the wall, almost sideways so that they blocked certain paths. There were green-glowing tiles on the floor, ones that Pearlie knew would refresh her after fights. Lyre stood a few yards away, shaking mud out of his fur: he must have fallen. Pearlie’s grin grew smug.

Bayer appeared behind her, landing as gracefully as she had.

“Bayer, I didn’t fall!” Pearlie exclaimed, “I landed perfectly on my first try!”

“Good job, Pearlie!” Bayer ruffled her hair, eyes glowing with pride. Pearlie beamed at him.

“Stupid foot,” Lyre snarled, and stretched one of his forelegs. Pearlie stared at the wooden prosthetic on the end, and felt a pang of sympathy. Then, remembering her hatred of the Jolteon, wrinkled her nose and looked away. He was a murderer, he deserved a little mud in his fur.

“You’ll get used to it eventually,” Bayer reassured him.

Lyre shrugged noncommittally, and looked around the room.

“Might as well get going,” he said, and turned to one of the unblocked paths.

Pearlie followed quickly behind her brother into the corridor. To her ire, she couldn’t see anything in front of her, due to the height of Lyre and the bulk of Bayer. Her fur prickled with anticipation nonetheless, and she gripped the oversized bandana around her neck. Sure enough, the first hostile Pokemon appeared.

Lyre let out a surprised growl, and lit his fur with electricity. The unknown enemy let out a cry as the Jolteon barreled into it, and by the time Pearlie had craned her head to see it, nothing remained but indented mud.

“Was that a hostile Pokemon?” Pearlie asked, “Did you already beat it?”

“Yeah,” Lyre shook the sparks out of his fur, “It was a Wooper.”

Pearlie glared at him. She had wanted to be the first one to fight in this dungeon. The only fights she’d ever been in were spars with her mama, and she wanted a taste of the real deal. Still, they continued onward, reaching another room, and then another, and then the staircase. With a rush of air and a pitch black few seconds, the team was on the next floor, in a rather cavernous room.

“Oh,” Bayer said with a gasp, “Look, a TM!”

He pointed to the edge of the room, where a shining disk sat, seemingly undisturbed. They all crossed over to it, and Bayer picked it up, grinning.

“Poison Jab,” He said, and sighed, putting the disk away with a shrug, “None of us can use it, but we can sell it, I suppose.”

“That’s too bad!” Pearlie said, eyes wide, “I wish it was Water Pulse, I want to learn that!”

“You’ll learn it soon,” Bayer laughed.

Lyre led the team down another corridor, and the next fight happened like the first: a flash of electricity, the cry of a Pokemon, and peace. By the time the trio came to the fourth floor, Pearlie was getting frustrated. No more interesting items had been found, and by the time she got to a fight, it was over. Even the one she had seen, where a Barboach and a Lotad sprung upon them in a room, was over before she could even draw her scallop.

“I wanna fight,” Pearlie whined, “It’s been forever since we’ve been here, and I haven’t even gotten to use Water Gun!”

“Don’t whine,” Lyre snorted, shaking mud from his eyepatch, “At least you’re not covered in mud.”

Pearlie opened her mouth to respond, but Bayer shot her a look, and then Lyre. She frowned at him, lowering her ears.

“Let’s just keep going,” Bayer said, “We have enough hostile Pokemon to fight without fighting ourselves.”

It happened quickly: one moment, Bayer was crossing the room towards them, the next, he had disappeared with a cry of surprise. In his place was a grey tile, with a circle of pink stones surrounding an odd, foggy purple orb embedded within. Pearlie’s stomach dropped.

“Where’d you go!” Pearlie hurried over to the tile. Suddenly, she felt a harsh tug on her bag, and she stumbled.

“Don’t go stepping on it,” Lyre said with a snort, “That’s a warp-tile.”

“I wasn’t going to step on,” Pearlie tug her bag away from him, “I know what it is, I’m not dumb!”

Lyre snorted, and Pearlie felt her blood boil. Before she could tell him exactly what she was thinking, a new Pokemon entered the room. Rather than Bayer, it was Marshtomp, it’s beady eyes narrowed and its orange frills trembling.

It opened its mouth and shot a jet of water across the room, blasting into Lyre and knocking him onto the ground. Pearlie didn’t wait to check on him, and withdrew her scallop. In a flash, she had slashed the Water type with the shell.

The attack hadn’t had much effect. With an unnatural growl it shook itself off, and opened it’s mouth again. Pearlie didn’t have time to dodge the concentrated blob of mud that exploded in her face.

“Aah!” Pearlie exclaimed, stumbling blindly backwards. In the time it took for her to rub her eyes clear of mud, a yellow flash took her place. In an instant, Lyre fastened his sparking jaws around the Marshtomp’s shoulder.

“I don’t need your help!” Pearlie shouted. She ducked under Lyre’s legs and tackled the Marshtomp to the ground, where it flickered and disappeared. There was a moment of quiet, and then Lyre rounded on her.

“Don’t thank me or anything!” Lyre snarled, his face coated in mud once again.

“I’m not gonna!” Pearlie replied, “I didn’t even need your help, I was gonna beat it!”

“With what, your Water Gun?” Lyre snorted, turning back around with his muzzle wrinkled.

“I have other attacks!” Pearlie’s face grew hot, “My brother won’t like you being mean to me!”

“Your brother won’t like you being a little brat,” Lyre spat, teeth sparking for an instant. Pearlie took a step back, glaring defiantly despite her unsease at being alone with him. The older Pokemon took a breath, and breathed heavily through his nose.

“What’s your problem?” Lyre demanded with an obvious effort to keep calm, “All you’ve done is look at me like you hate me, I don’t even know you!”

“Well, I know you!” Pearlie took a step forward, “I know more about you than my brother!”

Lyre took a step back, and before he could speak again, Pearlie got in his face.

“I know what you did! I know you killed that Archen!”

---

“I think I see the town,” Harper called. She perched atop a thick tree, her talons dug into the bark as she looked from the buildings in the distance to the Whismicott on the ground below her. Winnie gave a little bounce and shouted something that Harper didn’t quite catch.

“What was that?” Harper dropped back onto the ground.

“Is it big?” Winnie asked again, eyes alight with excitement, “How tall are the buildings?”

“Uh, it’s kinda small,” Harper replied, “And I couldn’t tell. Probably only one or two stories?”

“Cool!” Winnie wasn’t underwhelmed at all, instead seeming even more antsy to get moving. “Let’s get going then, come on!”

They began to skip down the path, floating a few steps before coming back down. Harper followed behind, grateful for her companion taking the lead this time. This way, Winnie wouldn’t be able to see the drag in her step, or the ruffle of her feathers.

She wasn’t sure how to feel about anything, including the human-turned-Whismicott chattering ahead of her. Sure, Winnie was friendly and interesting, and sure, Harper enjoyed their company, but there was now a pressure on the Archen’s shoulders, even more than usual. Winnie seemed to think Harper had some kinda of grand plan, some kind of goal, but truth be told, Harper’s plans ended at getting out of the jungle. She didn’t have anywhere she needed to be: at least, if she did, she couldn’t remember.

Why didn’t she tell Winnie before, that she couldn’t remember anything? The first memory Harper had was of waking up in the middle of a path last year, and meeting him. She grimaced at the memory, and fought it away. Now wasn’t the time to get even more upset. Now, she had to figure out what to do next, and what excuse she was to make to Winnie when asked what the plan was.

The dirt road turned into cobblestone, and wooden and stone houses became clear in the distance. Harper sped up to walk beside Winnie, and looked at the map again.

“It’s called Lavastone Village,” Harper said, “So I guess there’s a lot of fire types? Or rock types? Are you comfortable with that?” She looked at Winnie, who returned it, puzzled.

“‘Course I am! These aren’t those fake Pokemon, they won’t hurt me.” Winnie replied.

“Yeah,” Harper looked at the ground, “Yeah, they won’t.”

Winnie certainly was braver than her. Harper knew, logically, that most Pokemon wouldn’t up and attack her for no reason, not even those with a type advantage, but the fear was still there. After all, she hadn’t expected any of the events of the last week to transpire. At least she wasn’t alone this time.

The pair crested the hill, and Winnie stopped walking. They gaped down, and Harper didn’t see what was so amazing about the little town below them. The buildings were made of brick and wood, and the ground was cobblestone, but it was less than half the size of Bounty’s Keep, and there didn’t even seem to be a Guild. Chimney smoke clouded the sunset above.

“Let’s go ahead and book a room at an inn,” Harper said, “It’s gonna be dark soon.”

“Pokemon have inns?” Winnie followed Harper down the hill, eyes wide.

“Yeah, where else would we sleep?” Harper chuckled despite herself.

“I’m so excited to see this!” Winnie exclaimed, “I’ve never been in a town before!”

The small talk continued all the way to the gate of the town. Winnie was excited, much more excited that Harper. Harper’s heart beat against her ribs harsher than usual, and her grip on her bag tightened. Would Winnie be disappointed when they saw just how boring this town was?

“That’s a cool sign,” Winnie pointed up at the stone-carved sign above them, which read “Lavastone Village”. Harper shrugged, eyes on the road. There were a couple of Pokemon milling around, even though the sun was almost gone. A few Diglett children played near a house, while a Magmar and an Ursarang chatted near a larger structure ahead. No one took notice as Harper and Winnie passed, to the former’s relief.

“What are those Pokemon?” Winnie whispered, pointing the the denizens of the town.

Harper glanced at the strangers before answering. Winnie nodded, clearly working to remember the names. At least they hadn’t asked loudly, Harper decided. These types of questions followed them through the streets, Winnie pointing at every Pokemon they saw. Harper put a wing up to silence them at the sight of a shop a few buildings down. It was no more than a stall with a few shelves of berries and orbs, and a single Heatmor leaning against the wall, clearly bored.

“We should go ask them where the inn is,” Harper whispered.

“Okay,” Winnie replied. They cupped their hands and shouted, “Hey, excuse me!”

Harper’s heart skipped a beat when the Heatmor’s head snapped towards them. She followed Winnie towards them, tugging on their bag in an attempt to slow them down.

“Sorry for bothering you, but we need directions,” Winnie said, extending a hoof in greeting. “My name’s Winnie, by the way.” The shopkeep took it in their much larger one.

“Call me Mr.Heatmor,” he said, “And where to?”

“An inn, please!” Winnie withdrew their hand. Harper was surprised by their politeness: she had feared they would be brash, like her previous partner. She stood a little ways behind them nonetheless, a wing on their bag strap.

“A Pokemon called Ms.Marcargo runs a tavern down the road,” Mr.Heatmor pointed down the road, “Doubles as an inn, and we don’t get many explorers ‘round here, so there should be a couple of rooms open.”

“Thank you,” Harper spoke, voice quivering, “See ya.” She tugged on Winnie’s bag as she stepped backward, but Winnie didn’t move, instead waving a cheery farewell to the stranger before following their companion.

“Make sure you check out my shop later, if you get the chance,” Mr. Heatmor called, “I’ve got all sorts of wares for explorers!”

“Ooh, what do you have?” Winnie looked back at the shop, and Harper dragged them by the bag, her feathers hot with embarrassment.

“Shh, we don’t have any money,” She muttered.

“He was nice,” Winnie said once the pair had gotten a distance way. “Too bad we don’t have any money.”

“We have the things we need, anyways,” Harper looked over her shoulder, “We can find stuff in dungeons, too, if we have to.”

“Wait,” Winnie frowned, “How can we go to an inn if we don’t have money?”

“Huh?” Harper stopped, and realized what they were asking, “Oh, yeah, inns don’t cost money usually.” She patted the small, hard lump in her bag. “If you have a badge or a map, they’ll let you stay for free.”

“That’s really cool,” Winnie replied, “Everyone here is so nice. Back in my world, everything costs money.”

“Weird,” Harper said.

The tavern was small, but cozy-looking. Small pits of burning coals surrounded the door, leaving a small walkway for getting inside. The windows were wood-panelled, and half a dozen chimneys jutted out of a panelled roof, freeing smoke into the wind. Harper led the way through the door, where a bell jingled to announce their presence.

Inside, a few tables of various heights littered the ground, but no one was present at them. A large fireplace warmed the room, and a small bar that stood taller than Winnie was manned by a single Pokemon, a Marcargo that Harper assumed was the keeper of the tavern.

“Welcome to the Lavafill,” Ms.Marcargo greeted, “Can I help you?”

“Hi, and yeah,” Winnie stood a few feet away from the bar, and Harper could understand why. Heat radiated off of the Marcargo, so much so that Harper was surprised the wooden bar wasn’t scorched. Ms. Marcargo didn’t seem to notice.

“We need a room,” Harper said, “Er, please.” She held up the Wonder Map, and the innkeep looked it over with baleful yellow eyes before nodding.

“Alright,” Ms. Marcargo said, and gestured to the exit near the fireplace. “A room on the upper floor would be good for a grass type like you,” She said to Winnie, who nodded, looking as if they hadn’t considered that the heat of the lower floor wouldn’t be good for them. “You two can take any of the keys for the second floor.”

Harper scurried to the key rack on the adjacent wall, and pulled down a key labelled, “Room 3, Second Floor”. Tapping her foot anxiously, she waited for Winnie to finish listening to Ms.Marcargo’s offer for breakfast in the morning. When the Whismicott finally waved goodbye and joined her, she led the way up the stairs.

Their room was small, but seemed adequate. There was a large window that let a cool breeze into the room, and a large pile of soft hay in the corner they could use to make beds. Harper entered the room with a sigh of relief and hung her bag on one of the hooks on the door, while Winnie looked around with a curious expression.

“Wanna help me make our beds?” Harper asked, “We can eat afterwards.”

After a few minutes of Winnie commenting on how soft the hay was and Harper replying with short affirmations, two sizable piles of hay sat in the center of the room. Winnie took a long sheet from their bag and covered the piles.

“If I can’t use this for a hammock, at least I can make the beds less itchy,” they said.

It was when the two had settled down for a dinner of fruits and bread that Winnie finally posed the question Harper had been dreading.

“So,” Winnie said through a mouthful of food, “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

Harper was silent. She considered lying, but when morning came, she’d be found out.

“I...don’t have a plan,” Harper admitted, “I mean, I did, and it was “get to a town”. I’ll be honest with you, I… don’t really have anywhere to go right now.”

“What?” Winnie put down the bread, “What do you mean?”

“This is gonna sound crazy, but I can’t remember what I did before I went to Clarity’s Guild,” Harper hoped if she spoke quickly, Winnie would have less time to get angry, “All I know is that I can’t go back there, and I was honestly flying by the last of my feathers this whole time.” She looked into Winnie’s eyes with difficulty, “I should have told you before, but I didn’t know you would be coming with me, and I didn’t want to say no because I think you’re cool and I would like to explore with you, but you can’t explore without a plan and I’m really dumb for not considering that, and-”

“Harper!” Winnie exclaimed. Harper shut her beak, and looked at her talons.

“You can go back if you want,” she mumbled, “Sorry.”

“I’m not going back,” Winnie said, dumbfounded.

“What?” Harper looked up at them, “Aren’t you angry?”

“No way!” Winnie scooted closer, “I haven’t known what I’m doing since I got here.”

“But, I’m the leader, I’m supposed to know what I’m doing,” Harper stammered.

“Leader-shmeader,” Winnie waved a hoof dismissively, “I’m not mad that you don’t know what to do next, if we’re gonna travel together, it’s best that we’re confused together, right?”

“I don’t…” Harper trailed off. She stared at Winnie, completely taken aback by their lack of anger. Why weren’t they angry that she had led them on about this? Was it some kind of trick?

“We’re friends, Harper,” Winnie said as if they had read her thoughts, and put a hoof on Harper’s feathered shoulder, “I’m just glad you told me, so we can actually figure out what we’re doing from here on out.”

“O-oh,” Harper’s feathers grew hot once more, but not from embarrassment. “Thanks.”

“No problem!” Winnie laughed, “Let’s just be confused and lost together, deal?”

Harper broke into a smile, and laughed as well.

“Deal.”

Bayer found this odd: it had been Lyre who didn’t want to go in the first place, but now the Jolteon couldn’t seem to wait. The two were on a trail, less than an hour away from Wisteria Village, two days after they had agreed to go. Lyre had procrastinated in every way he could manage in the days before. First he had an important job to do, then he had to ask Verity and Claire permission, and then, he had to make sure they really were okay with it. Bayer started to think he would have to drag him by the ears to get there in time.

Now, Lyre trotted ahead of him, his legs too long for Bayer to keep up. Letting out grunts of irritation, he would pull back to walk beside his boyfriend, only to pull forward minutes later. Bayer would have found this endearing if he didn’t know the Jolteon had tried to kill someone.

He still found it hard to believe. Lyre had always disliked Harper, and Bayer knew it was justified; she had been a cause of his injuries, and a coward(in Lyre’s words). But, as he looked into the glimmering green gaze of the Pokemon beside him, Bayer found it hard to believe he was capable of that kind of violence. Lyre had confessed to it himself though. Bayer forced the chills rising in his fur down.

Harper was a rock type, and the gorge was deadly, and her body had been found. Every sign pointed to her being dead. Bayer had to believe otherwise, for his own sake. If she wasn’t dead, that meant his boyfriend wasn’t a murderer. Lyre wasn’t a murder; Harper wasn’t dead.

“This is taking too long,” Lyre growled, pulling back once more to match Bayer’s speed, “I don’t remember the walk being this long.”

“It’s a pretty route, at least,” Bayer said. He gestured to the bright sun overhead, and the flowers that bloomed in the trees and within the cobblestone road. A stream of water trickled nearby, merging with the rustling of leaves in the wind to create a pleasant noise. Lyre didn’t seem to notice any of this.

“I just want to get this over with,” Lyre said, nose wrinkled and lips curled, “The sooner the better.”

“Well, I want to stay a night,” Bayer said, “I haven’t seen my Mom or Pearlie in months, I want to catch up with them.”

Lyre snorted, and said nothing else. Bayer bit back an angry retort. Lyre had never told him much about his family, other than he in fact had one. Once or twice, he’d mentioned a little sibling, but never by name, and he certainly didn’t seem concerned with keeping in touch. The only time Bayer had ever seen Lyre write a note home was to inform his mother that he would be there soon, just before the two left. Perhaps, Lyre did want to see his family, and just didn’t feel he had an excuse. That had been the case for other occasions: anything that wasn’t guild work, Lyre considered a waste of time.

Soon, the familiar sight of thatched roofs came into view. Smoke from reed-burning chimneys faded into a brilliantly blue sky. Bayer sped up, his mood brightening. He could just imagine seeing Pearlie and telling her of his adventures, hugging his Mom and eating her seaweed stew, sparring with his Mama and playing fetch-the-stone as if he was a child again. Lyre matched his pace, and Bayer realized this would be the first time he met his parents, and vice versa.This only made him more excited.

Lyre was the first to notice that something was odd. He slowed, holding out a paw to stop Bayer. He gestured to the town entrance, where a pair of Magnemite officers were conversing with a towns-Pokemon.

“Oh no,” Bayer said, “Do you think something bad happened?”

“Dunno,” Lyre’s eyes stayed on the electric-Pokemon. His foot tapped in the way it always did when he was anxious, and Bayer realized why. Were the Magnemite here for him?

As if they could hear his thoughts, the two turned to look at Bayer and Lyre. Bayer stepped in front of his boyfriend as they floated towards them.

“Can we help you, officers?” Bayer asked, his tone even.

“Yes,” The Magnemite on the right said, single eye unblinking and focused.

“We have received word of a missing Pokemon in this town,” when the second Magnemite continued, he heard Lyre’s sigh of relief from behind him. He relaxed as well, and a new anxiety made his heart flutter. He knew almost everyone in town, and hoped that it wasn’t a serious matter.

“Have either of you two seen an Eevee?” The first Magnemite asked. “A child named Cassander has been missing since sunset last night.”

Bayer’s stomach dropped as Lyre stepped forward, ears laying back.

“That’s my brother,” Lyre’s voice was unaffected, but Bayer could see the quills on his back tremble, “What’s happened?”

There was no explanation, aside from an order from the first Magnemite to follow them. Bayer tried to catch Lyre’s eye, but the Jolteon stared straight ahead, ears trembling. Hoping to comfort him, Bayer ran a paw down his side as they walked.

The stream that marked the path to Bayer’s home gurgled in the distance, and the Buizel would have hurried his step if he wasn’t flanked by the officers. The sense of excitement he’d felt at returning to his childhood home was dampened to nonexistence, and anxiety bit at his stomach. This was only worsened when the house came into view.

He recognized the forms of his mom, his mama, and an unfamiliar Espeon he assumed was Lyre’s mother. His mama and Ms.Espeon were almost nose-to-nose, tails lashing and voices raised. His mom, despite her larger size, seemed to have difficulty diffusing the situation, gently pulling the Floatzel back while speaking in a rapid, deep tone to Ms.Espeon.

“Mom, Mama?” Bayer spoke. The Samurott and Floatzel turned to face him, argument abandoned.

“Bayer!” His mom looked relieved,whiskered-moustache twitching in all directions. She let her wife pass, and the Floatzel launched herself at her son, embracing him in her familiar, spine-breaking way.

“Oh dear, I forgot you were coming!” She exclaimed once she released him, sheepish and harried.

“It’s fine, Mom,” Bayer laughed, waving a paw at the situation before him, “I know what happened.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” one of the Magnemite buzzed, coming forward, “We need to discuss the missing child, before it becomes nightfall.”

Bayer nodded and stepped aside, next to Lyre. The Jolteon hadn’t made a move to meet his mother, though he eyed her warily, shifting his paws. Ms.Espeon didn’t seem to notice him, her eyes trained on the officers approaching. Bayer led his boyfriend forward as well, a paw on Lyre’s side.

The family resemblance in Lyre and his mother was strong, despite their differing species. Like her son, Ms.Espeon was tall, her legs long and lanky. Her eyes were a piercing green color, and narrowed in the same angry glare Bayer recognized in the Jolteon beside him. A faded black ribbon was neatly tied around her tail, the forked tip of which was winding and bristling. Her muzzle was long, like her son’s, and bared in a fearsome snarl that made a chill run up the Buizel’s spine. Bayer decided an introduction wasn’t a good idea.

“Like I said,” Ms. Espeon said, “Cassander was last in Nami and Kier’s care, I don’t know how they lost--”

“We didn’t lose her!” Bayer’s mama protested, voice sharp, “I told you, she was walking home from our house last we saw her! If anything, you lost her!”

This was clearly not the right thing to say. With a wordless snarl, Ms. Espeon advanced on the Floatzel, who hunched her shoulders and bared her teeth in response. Bayer’s mom darted between the two Pokemon in front of her. She turned helplessly to the two Magnemite officers, who seemed nervous as well.

“That’s really all we know, officers,” she said, ignoring her wife’s growling and snarling behind her, “Unless you want to talk to Pearlie again, we can’t help anymore.”

“Pearlie?” Bayer spoke up, ears pricked, “Where is she? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, dear,” his Mom sighed, running her claws over her muzzle, “Just worried sick, like the rest of us.” Bayer turned to look at his house, just in time to see the white-and-teal figure of his sister ducked back inside.

“We’ll ask the neighbors, then,” one of the Magnemite dipped in a nod-like gesture, and led their partner away from the families. “We’ll stay around for the night, and talk to you once more in the morning.”

The small group watched the two float away, and once they were out of earshot, Ms. Espeon turned to look at her son. Her gaze was as cold as ever, and Bayer felt Lyre flinch beside him.

“Lyre,” Ms. Espeon said.

“Ma’am,” Lyre’s voice was shaky.

“Who’s this?” Ms. Espeon flicked an ear at Bayer. Bayer waved, but she didn’t return it, her eyes flicking back to her son.

“That’s, uh…” Lyre swallowed, and spoke in a clearer tone, “That’s my boyfriend and partner, Bayer.”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Espeon,” Bayer attempted, and held out a paw for her to shake. Once again, his greeting was rebuffed, and she merely nodded in acknowledgement.

“Oh,” Bayer’s mama spoke up, “This is who you’ve written about?” She looked down at Lyre, who bristled, obviously intimidated by her massive size. “It’s nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Whatever stammered response Lyre attempted was cut off when his mother cleared her throat. She stepped beside him, and Bayer stepped away, more than a little intimidated by her cold demeanor.

“This is all well and good, but I need to speak with my son,” she said sharply, and flicked her green gaze to him, “In private, if you please.”

Lyre nodded. Without looking at Bayer, he padded after his mother. Bayer couldn’t help but notice the anxious way his quills moved, and the same upright-stature he used when speaking with the leaders of the guild. Perhaps there was more to his reluctance to come back than Bayer had realized.

“Well,” Bayer chuckled once Lyre was out of sight, “I didn’t expect to come home to all, well, this.” He gestured to the Magnemite a little ways away. His mama sighed, running a paw through her fur.

“It’s been stressful,” the Floatzel said, “But we’re glad to have you back, sweetie.”

“Why don’t you come inside, Bayer?” his momr said, “We’re all so excited to catch up.”

The family made their way to the family reed-and-clay house, and Bayer swelled with joy. He dove into the water surrounding the house, recognizing the blurred outline of the lily-stems and clay formations he’d known since he was a child. Down here, it was almost like nothing had changed.

Things, of course, were different. Bayer noticed that there was now a new tunnel leading inside the house, this one small and somewhat clumsily constructed: Pearlie’s work. A couple of paint brushes floated on the surface, caught in the reed-woven fence separating their home from the pond behind it. Pearlie had continued drawing, it seemed.

Bayer took the nearest tunnel into the cavernous open-room, and spotted his sister’s teal feet paddling near the entrance. With a grin, Bayer jetted towards her and pulled her under the water with him.

The Oshawott’s cry of surprise was drowned by the water closing over her mouth, and once she caught sight of Bayer, she smacked him with her thick tail and went to the surface. Bayer followed.

“That was mean!” Pearlie cried when the Buizel popped out of the water next to her.

“You did that to me last time I came here,” Bayer laughed, “That was just payback.”

“Hmph,” Pearlie turned away, nose in the air. Bayer frowned. She wasn’t as bubbly as last time, which seemed inevitable, given the circumstances. He followed her to the clay mat in the center of the room and pulled himself up next to her.

“I’m sorry about your friend, Pearlie,” Bayer said, putting a paw on the fluff between her ears, “The officers will find her, no doubt.”

Pearlie didn’t respond, and smacked his paw away. Then, she sighed and fell onto his side, wrapping short arms around his water-slicked form. Bayer put a paw on her back.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Pearlie sniffled.

Twin waves washed onto the clay as the siblings’ parents approached. Within moments, Bayer felt his mom’s fluffy ruff against his back, and his mama’s large form wrapped around them.

“It’s gonna be okay, Pearlie,” his mom said, her voice softer than the usual rough tone she adopted, “I promise.”

The family sat like that for a few more moments, until Pearlie took a deep breathe and wriggled her way from the larger Pokemons’ grip.

“I’m not a baby, I’m fine now,” Pearlie exclaimed, and dove into the water. Bayer exchanged a relieved glance with his mothers at the Oshawott’s return to her loud self.

“Don’t go away just yet, missy!” Bayer laughed once she surfaced, grabbing her tail to prevent her escape. “You haven’t gotten your gift yet!”

“Gift?” Pearlie’s eyes lit up, “You didn’t tell me I had a gift! Gimme!”

The rest of the evening was spent in the dining area of the house, where Bayer told his family of the last few months at the Guild. He told of the big expedition to Abyss Mountain, the success of Gastrodon’s Den, the various Pokemon he had met and fought-- everything except the reason he had returned. He could almost forget the uneasiness that had characterized the last couple of days as he sat next to his family, answering his sister’s shouted questions and reminiscing with his parents. Once the subject turned to Lyre, however, the doubt came back.

“That Jolteon you were with,” Bayer’s mom said through a mouthful of tofu, “That’s the one you told us about?”

“Lyre?” Bayer swallowed, “Yeah, he’s my boyfriend,”

“Boyfriend!” Pearlie exclaimed, “You’re dating him!”

The Oshawott’s voice echoed off the clay surrounding them, incredulous. Bayer blinked, staring at the younger Pokemon.

“I am,” Bayer said, “Is something the matter?”

“No,” Pearlie bit her lip in a way to suggest something was the matter, “I just didn’t know...I mean, his mom seems mean.”

“She’s going through a stressful time, Pearlie,” Bayer’s mama said, “Perhaps she’s kinder usually.”

“Mm,” Pearlie said, eyes narrowed and downcast, and mouth turned in a scowl.

The reason for Pearlie’s hostility, Bayer didn’t have a chance to find out. Soon, the conversation shifted to other topics, and the odd behavior forgotten. Once the moon was high in the sky, Pearlie was sent to bed, and despite his mothers’ offers, Bayer opted to go to the inn to meet Lyre. As he walked away from his childhood home, his earlier apprehension returned.

The inn was only a few rooms, a far cry from the multi-floor inn at Bounty’s Keep, but the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The common room was empty, save for Mx. Tsareena, who stood at their post as always. Bayer greeted them, and after exchanging light niceties, found that Lyre had booked a room already.

“I need to find Cass.”

The statement greeted Bayer the moment he opened the door. Lyre sat near the window, the dirt floor scuffed and the hay bed jostled. The Jolteon’s voice was cold, but Bayer could see the quiver of his ears and quills when he spoke.

“Huh?” Bayer closed the door behind him, “Why?”

“She’s my sister, Bay,” Lyre growled. His foot tapped the ground, and he only glanced at the Buizel for a moment before looking back outside, “It’s my responsibility.”

“I understand,” Bayer chose his words carefully, “I support you whatever you choose to do, but we have guild work to do.”

“I’ve already sent a letter to Clairie,” Lyre said, “She won’t refuse.”

“But--” Bayer stammered, taking a step towards his boyfriend, “What about Harper? What we came here to do?”

“Who cares about that?!” Lyre rounded on Bayer, fur sparking. Bayer took a step back.

“Don’t yell at me!” He said sharply.

Lyre realized his mistake, and his fur flattened. He averted his gaze, relaxing his glare and slumping his shoulders.

“I’m sorry, Bay,” Lyre sighed, “I’m just--this is my job to do, okay?” The Jolteon began to pace around, gaze downcast and eyes narrowed, “She’s my sister. I didn’t even know she was my sister, it’s been so long since I’ve been here. I need to find her, not anyone else.”

“Oh, Lyre,” Bayer said, gut twisting in sympathy. It was rare to see the Jolteon so worked up.

“And mom said--” Lyre cut himself off with a cough, and looked at Bayer, “Mom thinks she’s on her way to Bounty Keep. I’ll go in the morning, and hopefully I’ll find her before...well, hopefully I’ll find her soon.”

“Wait, what’s all this about you going?” Bayer stepped in front of Lyre, eyes narrowed, “I’m going too!”

“No!” Lyre exclaimed, ears flattened, “This is my job, no one else’s!”

“Don’t be daft,” Bayer snorted, and approached Lyre until he was nose to nose with him, “I want to help you. You can’t find her on your own, and even if you could, I’m your boyfriend and I’m going to support you no matter what. I’m going whether you want me to or not.”

Lyre looked down at him, eyes wide. He opened his mouth to say something, but was silent. He sighed from his nose and dipped his head to touch Bayer’s shoulder.

“Okay, Bay.”

It was dark here, and loud and quiet. Leaves rustled in the rain-soaked winds, and there seemed to be shifting and chattering of Pokemon all around. Cassander shuddered in her rain-soaked fur, curling tighter together. The cacophony made it hard to distinguish sounds. Any moment now, a Pokemon could attack.

The Eevee poked her head from the shallow hole she was sheltered in. Rain stung her eyes, and shadows danced around the forest floor. When a particularly loud Pokemon cry sounded, she ducked back inside, closing her eyes tight.

She had to leave: she knew she had to. Pearlie had never lied to her, so why had she chosen to now? She recalled her anger at Pearlie’s insistence that her brother was bad, and growled into her tail. It was mean to lie about something like that. Lyre would never hurt another Pokemon. Her brother wasn’t a bad Pokemon. He wasn’t a criminal!

It had been an entire day since she left for Bounty’s Keep. She’d left late that night, too angry to stay with Pearlie, and had darted into the bushes as soon as Mrs. Samurott and Mrs. Floatzel had stopped looking. She knew her mother would have noticed her absence by now, and felt a tug of guilt. She hoped that she hadn’t worried her, but then again, her mother had always acted as if Cassander was a nuisance anyways. Maybe it was better this way.

All the stories she’d been told of great explorers going on their own to be heroes echoed in her ears. It was scary, alone out here, but she had to do this. She could be a hero; she could be brave.

He paced the length of Bounty’s Keep for the fifth time that morning, passing townsfolk and familiar sales-mon alike. He had done everything right, hadn’t he? He hadn’t attacked when her back was turned, hadn’t fought dirty, and most importantly, fought with justification, hadn’t he? He’d recited Destine the Lucario’s three terms of honorable battle once again, and again, until the sun had come up and the evidence of his deed had faded from sight.

“Hello there, Lyre!”

Lyre jumped almost a foot off the ground, sparks flying from his fur in shock. He spun to face Neandra, a Prinlup who worked alongside him in the Clarity Guild. Lyre shuffled his front paws, his false-foot scraping on the ground below.

“Calm down there, sparky,” She yelped, taking a step back, “Just wanted to say hi!”

“Sorry,” Lyre choked out, forcing the quills on his back to smooth. “Didn’t know it was you.”

“What’s got you all electrified?” Neandra chuckled, “Had a crazy night or something?”

Lyre was too tense to speak up about her pun as he normally would have, instead searching her gaze for any shred of knowledge of what he had done. All he found was cool teasing. Lyre swallowed the lump rising in his throat.

“Just had a nightmare!” He exclaimed, a wide, toothy grin on his muzzle, “Just had to go for a walk, away from the Guild, haha!”

“Okay,” Neandra said slowly, an eyebrow raised, “Well, anyways, Verity wants to see you.”

“O-oh?” Lyre feigned surprise at the statement.

“You should probably hurry up and find her,” the Prinplup began to walk away from him, down the cobblestone path leading to not the gorge(to Lyre’s relief), but to Alakazam’s Cafe a few stores away. “She seemed pretty wound up about something.”

Lyre nodded his goodbyes until the Prinplup disappeared into the lively cafe. Then, he spun on his paws and cursed enough to make Giratina quiver in their scales. He knew he shouldn’t have lolly-gagged; Verity had ordered him back by sunrise.

Lyre raced up the cobblestone road. Several Pokemon greeted him as he went, but he didn’t respond. He didn’t slow until he approached the golden, shimmering fort ahead of him: Clarity’s Exploration Guild.

The outside of the Guild was a testament to the organization’s success: several stories tall, with exterior walls glimmering with treasured gems and stones. Two opalescent totem-poles depicting the two leaders of the guild flanked the wide entrance. On the left was a glimmering, almost pearl-like likeness of Clairie, the Audino who ran the Rescue side of the guild. Even sculpted, the Audino seemed motherly, her face plump and relaxed, and her arms outstretched as if to welcome any pokemon in need. To the right was an obsidian, striking likeness of Verity, the Liepard who lead the discovery aspect of the Guild-- and the Pokemon Lyre was summoned to meet.

He crept past the watchful eyes of the statue, wondering if he could be seen through the statue’s eyes. He made his way inside and up the ladders, passing a handful of Pokemon he was familiar with but didn’t greet. The main room was sparsely populated when Lyre got there, to his relief.

The door leading into Verity’s quarters was ajar, but Lyre nonetheless considered knocking. She never liked Pokemon invading her privacy, and he wasn’t sure if the same would be true for a Pokemon she had summoned. Lyre didn’t have to wonder for long: a lean, royal-purple and cream figure came into view, and her glistening red eyes caught his.

“Get in here,” the Liepard hissed.

“Y-yes ma’am,” Lyre stammered.Once he was inside, Verity slammed the door behind him, and locked the deadbolt with a flick of her tail. She rounded on him, and Lyre felt as if he were an Eevee again.

“What took you so long?” Verity demanded. She led him to the expansive room in which she operated, taking her seat on a comfy-looking sewn cushion. Lyre had been inside here a few times, once the day before, but was still awe-struck by the riches inside. Mounted on the walls and displayed on shelves were rarities from evolution stones and gold bars to expensive, powerful bands and species-specific items rarely found elsewhere. The ceiling was glass, and displayed the rising sun’s rays to the entire room. Lyre felt as if he would lower the value of any of the items displayed with a mere breathe.

“I’m waiting,” Verity said.

“I-I did what you asked,” Lyre said, a lump once again rising in his throat, “Harper’s gone.”

“Did you kill her?” Verity demanded, her eyes burning into his. Lyre flinched, looking at the sky above.

“Yes,” he said, his voice a whisper, “I threw her into the gorge.”

“Good,” Verity’s fur flattened. “I was worried you failed.”

Lyre didn’t respond, unable to meet her gaze. What was there to say? The reality of the situation had hit him, and despite his previous feelings on the Pokemon in question, he struggled to dredge up any sense of accomplishment. The silence stretched out, until Verity spoke once more.

“Are you having doubts?” Verity asked. Lyre looking at her, seeing nothing but cold disinterest. When the Jolteon remained quiet, Verity scoffed.

“I wouldn’t have asked you to do it if I didn’t think it had to be done,” she said, “Harper was a deadweight to this Guild,” Verity paused, and looking him up and down. “You were more aware of that than anyone else, weren’t you?”

Lyre put a paw to his eyepatch, and then to the scarred remains of his front leg. He looked back up at her.

“Of course.”

Nothing else was said. Verity gestured for him to leave the room, and he complied, padding steadily to the exit.

Even before Lyre opened the door, he knew there was some sort of commotion. Verity could hear it too: in a flash, she was opening the door in front of him, revealing the crowd outside. Clairie, Verity’s partner, was talking with a concerned, rustled crowd, all of them shouting questions at one another.

“What’s going on?” Verity demanded. Clairie turned to face her, eyes round and wet. In front of her was a trio of Chinchou, who were bearing the brunt of the questions. Lyre recognized them; they were part of the Ambassador guild for the Mirror Cove, a city that lay under the seas outside of the jungle-expanse that surrounded Bounty’s Keep.

“We’ve received terrible news,” Clairie spoke softly, “A body has been found on the outskirts of Mirror Cove.”

Lyre’s stomach dropped to his paws. He looked to Verity, whose expression remained blank despite the news.

“Have either of you seen Harper recently?” Clairie asked, somewhat louder this time. “I know you were friends with her, Lyre.”

The crowd quieted almost instantly, and all Pokemon present turned their gazes to him. He cleared his throat, but couldn’t choke out a response. Thankfully, it was Verity that answered for him.

“We haven’t seen her, why?” The Liepard growled.

“Oh, dear…” Clairie sniffed a bit, her voice strangled. She put a paw on Lyre’s shoulder, her wide eyes meeting his.

“The body was an Archen’s, dear. It was Harper.”

The rest of the day passed by slowly, but eventfully. The Chinchou had reported that they had found the dead body of his former-partner, but they couldn’t seem to get it straight where the body was now. Lyre waited for a Pokemon to call him out, to reveal his guilt, but no such conversation came. As Lyre made his way through the guild, doing his best to avoid the other Pokemon, he was accosted by stranger and acquaintance alike, offering condolences for his loss. He didn’t have the heart to remind them of his publically-known hatred of Harper. Within an hour of discussion of the topic, one thing was made clear: the discussion of the topic in public spaces was now banned, courtesy of Verity and Clairie.

Lyre now found himself in his shared room with his new partner, and boyfriend, Bayer. The Buizel had been gone on a solo-expedition for two nights now, and had told Lyre before he left that it would take at least a week for him to return. Lyre couldn’t figure out if he wanted Bayer to be here to distract him from the conflicting feelings he felt in the moment, or if he wanted Bayer to remain gone until the whole thing blew over.

It was much to Lyre’s surprise when, an hour after the sun went down and he had settled in to bed for some much-needed sleep, he heard a familiar voice call his name.

“Lyre?”

Lyre turned around in time to catch sight of something leaping towards him, and moments later, felt the embrace of his smooth-furred, chubby partner around his neck.

“Bayer?” Lyre exclaimed, “What are you doing back?”

The Buizel released him, his eyes glistening with tears as he pulled back. Lyre turned to face him, and was met with another hug.

“I heard the news, and came back as fast as I could!” Bayer explained, “I’m so sorry, Lyre! I’m so, so sorry!”

“Err...it’s okay,” Lyre patted his boyfriend on the back, straining to get out of the hug.

“No it’s not!” Bayer said, dismayed, “I know she used to be your partner, it’s okay for you to be upset!”

“I’m fine, really--” Lyre averted his gaze, flicking a long ear in discomfort.

“This has to be hard for you, it’s okay to cry!” Bayer soothed, placing a paw on Lyre’s face. Lyre backed away with a growl, his back hitting the wall behind him.

“I’m not gonna cry!” Lyre exclaimed, “I didn’t even like her, Bay.”

“You’re upset though, aren’t you?” Bayer asked, eyes wide, “You guys used to be so close.”

At Bayer’s geniune, questioning gaze, Lyre felt a stab of guilt. He relaxed a little, looking at his paws.

“I suppose…”

The two sat in silence for a while. Lyre replayed the last night’s events in his head: the questioning cries of his former-partner, the anger coursing through him as he sunk his teeth into her neck, the sight of her falling helplessly into the rapids below. There was a dread rising in his stomach, a tug at his paws that led him to lean his head into Bayer’s shoulder fur. As Bayer rubbed a paw on Lyre’s quilled back, something broke within him, and he looked up to him.

“Bay, I can tell you anything, can’t I?” He asked, voice catching in the back of his throat.

“Of course, honey,” Bayer soothed, his face hidden in the Jolteon’s mane.

“I…” Lyre felt, once again lump rise in his throat. Bayer urged him on with a silent brush of his paw, and he steeled himself.

“Please don’t get mad, but…” Lyre took a breathe.

“I killed Harper.”

That rat bastard! She thought, searching the contents of the cave for something-anything- that would aid her. There were berries and healing items everywhere, but her bag had been lost--or destroyed, more like. That spiky little curse! That rotten apple of a ‘mon!

She turned back to look at the Pokemon sleeping near her--too near her for comfort. They were an Absol, purely unfamiliar to her. At the sight of the Pokemon’s long claws and fangs, she shuddered, and hurried back to her feverish search for a bag. Her feathers were still ruffled from the day before, both metaphorically and literally. She felt a fresh wave of anguish, and began to curse under her breathe again.

That mangy, stinking Magikarp! That two-faced, hypocritical, disgusting-- She was driven from her inward ranting by the feel of tough, canvas fabric in her talons. She clenched her beak shut on a note of glee- a bag! As quietly as she could manage, she pulled it down, and realizing with a further note of relief that it was the right size to almost fit her as well. She clicked her wing-talons together anxiously, looking over her shoulder. Now was her chance to leave.

She swept a row of Oran berries into her bag, along with a few apples and seeds. The rest of the things she would need were too high for her to reach without climbing, and she didn’t trust herself to be silent in retrieving them. The bag was now comfortably full, and despite her misgivings of the unfamiliar woods outside, she decided it was a good a time as any to go.

Winnie and Harper sat next to each other in front of Anais, and exchanged a look. The pair had made their way back to the familiar cave after Winnie’s confession, and though the Archen hadn’t been nearly as skeptical as Winnie had expected, the constant barrage of questions on the trail home had been more than a little taxing. Winnie had thought it would be a relief to tell another Pokemon that they were a human, and it had been at first, but now a dull ache of homesickness lay in their chest. Still, they kept a smile as they responded.

“We’re friends now, I feel bad keeping secrets from friends,” Winnie said.

Anais sighed, looking resigned. The Absol seemed older than ever, looking between Winnie and Harper for a moment longer, before padding towards the exit of the cave.

“Harper, don’t go telling anyone else about this,” Anais said.

“Of course I won’t,” Harper replied, eyes wide. “I mean, I don’t even know any other Pokemon, so who would I tell?” A crooked, nervous grin spread across her beak. Anais didn’t return it, merely nodding.

“Thank you,” Anais nodded, and then looked to Winnie, “Sweet, I’m going to collect berries, don’t wander too far, okay?”

“I won’t,” Winnie promised, crossing over their heart in a gesture they knew Pokemon didn’t know, “Promise.”

With that, the Absol said their goodbyes and left the two younger Pokemon to themselves. As soon as they disappeared from sight, Harper turned to look at Winnie.

“I know it’s been like an hour,” Harper said, “But I still can’t wrap my head around this. Can I ask you a question? Or four?”

Winnie bit back a sigh, and nodded. “Go for it.”

“You’re a human,” Harper said, “But now you’re a Pokemon, and you don’t remember how you became a Pokemon and not a human.”

“Yep,” Winnie replied.

“So,” Harper continued, clicking her talons together, “You don’t remember being human, like, before all this?”

Winnie winced.

“No, I remember being human,” they said, “I remember my family and stuff, and everything like that. Just don’t know how I got here.”

They expected a new series of questions at this, but to their relief, Harper didn’t say anything for a while. She almost seemed disappointed in their answer, and shuffled her feet as her eyes nervously darted.

“Have you ever tried finding out?” She finally asked.

Caught off guard, Winnie took a bit to respond.

“Er, finding out what?”

“You know,” Harper waved a wing as if to gesture to something only she could see, “Like, why you became a Pokemon?”

Winnie blinked, surprised. They had never seriously thought about finding the reason they had become this way. The thought had crossed their mind, sure, but the world was much too big to explore on their own. Anais had taken good care of them the past few months, and had taught them a lot. The idea of leaving the Absol made Winnie’s chest tighten in an uncomfortable way. How would they even go about finding a reason?

“No, not really,” Winnie said, shaking the thoughts from their head.

“Okay,” Harper nodded, “I just thought, you know, it seems like it would be a good idea, but, you know.” The bird-Pokemon trailed off, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Winnie broke the silence after a few moments, forcing the odd feeling rising in their gut away.

“Er, let’s go ahead and make dinner,” they said, already walking past Harper to the hearth, “It’s almost dark out, anyways.”

The rest of the night was spent talking about other things, though the questions of earlier hung over Winnie’s head like a cloud. Even once Harper had fallen asleep and the moon was the only thing illuminating the cave, the thoughts kept Winnie wide awake.

Winnie tried to focus on the dull lapping of the waves on the stone floor, and the rustle of leaves outside, but Harper’s question echoed in their ears. Why had they become a Pokemon? And why weren’t they trying harder to find out?

The ache in their chest grew heavy. Their family was probably worried sick. Their little brother would be lonely, without anyone to play video games with him, and their even littler sister would be too young to even know what had happened. What did their mother think? Did she think Winnie ran away? Winnie strained to remember their last moments of being human. They only remembered falling asleep, and a feeling that something was amiss. Had that been the pull of this world?

Tears filled their vision, and the next breathe they took was choked and shaking. They forced the anguish away and turned to face the wall. It had been a long time since they thought about home. Thinking about it was painful, as it had always been. Their family had to be even more upset than them.

“I need to get home,” Winnie breathed.

The dark-skinned, brown-eyed faces of family swam through Winnie’s half-dreams, until a bright ray of sunlight banished them to the darkness. Winnie blinked awake. They hadn’t realized that they had fallen asleep. The cave was illuminated with warm sunlight, and soft shadows fell upon the Whismicott as they turned over. It had to be around 6 in the morning, but the perch that Harper usually occupied was now empty.

Winnie sat up, and after a moment, caught the sound of soft voices outside. They hopped down to the ground, and careful to not make a noise, went to the opening of the cave. Harper and Anias were outside, expressions hidden by the sun.

“You’re sure you’re okay?” Anais asked, “If you’re unwell, I don’t want you to.”

“I’m fine, really,” Harper replied, insistent, “I just need to go, I can’t impose on you guys anymore.”

Winnie’s stomach dropped, and they bite their lips.

“If I really can’t change your mind, at least take a few healing items on your way,” Anais sighed. The larger Pokemon stepped aside, and Harper nodded to her before scurrying back into the cave. She caught sight of Winnie and stopped in her tracks.

“I didn’t know you were up,” Harper said.

“You’re leaving?” Winnie’s voice caught in their throat.

“Yeah. I just… have places to be, you know?” Harper shuffled her taloned feet, gaze downcast.

Winnie averted their gaze as well. A lump of hurt rose in their throat, and they weren’t sure what to say, or if they should say anything at all. Of course Harper would need to leave; she had only stayed here because of her injuries days previous. Winnie wasn’t sure why Harper had ended up here, but all of this Guild talk sounded important. Still, the thought of losing their new friend stung worse than the poisoning the day before.

“I need to grab some stuff.” Harper said.

Winnie shuffled out of her way, avoiding the bird-Pokemon’s gaze. They watched her scale the shelves and pluck choice items, until the bag around her collarbone bulged. Harper dropped to the ground, and hopped to the mouth of the cave. She turned to look at Winnie, and with a crooked smile and wave, walked into the sunlight.

Something pulled at Winnie’s gut. They looked at their hands- no, hooves. They looked around the cave they called home, the hammock they slept on, the pool of water they had stared into. They looked out of the cave, at the Absol who had taken them under their wing, and the Archen they had befriended. They looked at the sky, the same sky they stared at as a human.

Winnie didn’t think about it when they ran forward, and interrupted the Pokemon before them.

“I want to go with you!”

Anais and Harper looked dumbfounded. Winnie felt heat rise in their cheeks, but stood up straight and spoke confidently.

“I mean, I think I need to go with you. Yesterday you asked me why I haven’t gone looking for a reason for me being here, and it made me realize I need to,” Winnie said, almost quicker than they could keep up with, “I want to know why I’m a Pokemon, and how I can go back to my family, and I can’t find those answers here.”

They looked at Anais. The older Absol didn’t look surprised, but their face creased in a sad way. Winnie felt a stab of guilt, and put a hoof on their shoulder.

“I’m really grateful for all that you’ve done for me, Anais,” they said, “And I’m going to miss you lots, but I really need to do this.”

Anais looked at them for a moment, and then sighed. A grin spread across their muzzle, and they leaned down to nuzzle the younger Pokemon.

“Oh, sweet, I knew you would leave one day,” Anais said, “I’m happy that you decided to.”

“Wait, wait,” Harper spoke for the first time, looking stunned at the new turn of events, “I didn’t say you could come with me!”

“Can I?” Winnie’s heart skipped a beat.

“I mean,” Harper clicked her wing-talons together, shuffling her feet, “You totally can, I don’t mind, but--”

“Oh, thank you!” Winnie exclaimed, and embraced the bird-Pokemon. Then, realizing that they hadn’t asked permission to hug her, stepped back with a sheepish laugh. “Sorry, I got excited.”

Anais got to their paws.

“If you really are leaving, you need to bring your bag, and all the healing items I’ve shown you,” Anais began to make their way to their cave, shrugging off Winnie’s insistence to help pack. After a little while in which Harper and Winnie made somewhat abashed small-talk, the Absol returned, Winnie’s bag strung around their neck, and a few loose items in their mouth.

Winnie took the bag from them, and looked at the objects Anais placed before them. There was a glossy map twice the size of Winnie’s head, and despite the dust that had accumulated over the years, the names and locations glowed like a laptop’s screen. Next to it were two small badges. The badges were the size of Winnie’s hoof, and ebony, with a glittering gem in the middle. Winnie didn’t recognize them, but Harper seemed to, her eyes widening.

“W-where did you get these?” she squeaked, taking a step back, “Only Clarity Guild members have them!”

“You can say I’m a friend of the guild,” Anais said softly, and turned to Winnie, “These will be valuable on your travels. The Wonder Map will show you real-time locations and dungeons, and the badges will help you get out of tight spots in dungeons. Please, don’t lose them.”

“I won’t!” Winnie exclaimed. They took the map and one of the badges, while Harper took the remaining badge. As the pair shoved the items into their bags, Anais fastened their ruby gaze onto Harper.

“Don’t use the badges unless in a case of emergency, dear,” they said, “Unless you want to catch the attention of the Guild.”

Harper’s beaked was clenched shut, and she nodded. Winnie noticed her talons trembled as she clicked the bag shut.

“You two be safe,” Anais said once goodbyes had been made. Winnie waved at them, chest tightening as they watched their friend grow farther and farther away. This time, they felt excitement rather than loss. The exchanged a look with Harper, whose eyes remained wide and trained on the path ahead.

And with one last look at the cave they had called home, Winnie followed her over the crest of the hill.

“We’ll be leaving to find her soon,” said Lyre, “And we will find her. I promise.”

Lyre tried his best to avoid his mother’s gaze. The Espeon stood a few feet away, silent and still.  He could still see her cold, calm face, and shuddered at her emerald stare. He knew his promise meant little to her, but what else could he do?

Despite the morning sun, the houses around them were shadowed by his bad mood.The idea of his little sister tackling the dungeons and winding paths of the trail sent a fresh wave of guilt over him. Cassander had never learned to battle, at least, not from him. She probably didn’t know anything besides tackle. His mother knew this, too.

“I need to grab some things from the house, and then we’ll get going,” Bayer said. He sounded chipper as always, but his paw on Lyre’s back told him that the Buizel was as serious about this as he was. The paw disappeared, and Bayer took a few steps before turning to Lyre.

“Do you want to come in, Lyrie?” Bayer shot a glance to the Espeon in front of him.

“Y-yes, thank you,” Lyre nodded. He glanced at his mother. She merely nodded before going back the way she had come, to her now empty house.

So much for a goodbye, Lyre thought. He followed Bayer to the water-logged clay burrow he called home, and after a clumsy leap across the moat surrounding the house, ducked inside.

The home was mostly underwater, what little floor there was carving a path through the clear lake into separate rooms. Bayer’s mothers, a pudgy Floatzel and a soft-spoken Samurott, perked up from their positions on a reed-woven rug that covered the bulk of the floor.

“Come to say goodbye?” Mrs. Floatzel asked.

“Yeah, mama,” Bayer slid into the water towards his parents, and was immediately embraced in a hug from both. Lyre fought a stab of jealousy.

“I just need to grab some things,” Bayer said once he was free, “Can I take some of your orbs, mom?”

“Of course, honey,” Mrs. Samurott replied with a nod, “Just don’t take the orbs in the chest.”

“Won’t do!” Bayer chirped, and slid into the water.

Lyre stared at the ground, acutely aware that he was now alone with his boyfriend’s mothers for the first time. He wondered how difficult it would be for him to swim through the tunnels the water-types took, but before he could entertain the idea further, Mrs. Floatzel broke the silence.

“So, you’re the boy my son has been writing about,” she swam to meet him, eyes narrowed. She climbed onto the floor to meet him, and shook out her thick mane, spraying Lyre with water. He bit back an angry retort, and looked up at the Floatzel.

She crossed her arms, sizing him up. Then, the stern look on her face evaporated into a warm grin, and she let out a chuckle.

“He’s awful taken with you, you know,” she chortled, “And I suppose any Pokemon my son chooses to date must be worth it, don’t you?”

“Er-” Lyre wasn’t sure how to respond. He glanced at Mrs. Samurott, who returned it with a nod of understanding.

“Don’t embarrass him, Kier,” Mrs. Samurott said. She too swam to meet him, her wake much larger than her family’s. “‘Course he’s a good Pokemon.”

“Er, Bayer told me you used to be an explorer?” Lyre said, desperate for a change of subject. Mrs. Floatzel perked up, and let out a barkish laugh.

“Yep! Part of Team Crashers, silver rank!”

Lyre nodded, unsure what next to say. He looked in the direction Bayer had gone, foot tapping the ground.

“Do you know Verity?” He asked, watching sun distort the reflections in the water, “You know, the leader of Clarity?”

“Awful sweet of you to think we’re that young,” Mrs. Floatzel replied, short whiskers twitching, “That guild’s before our time, I was employed at the original Bounty’s Guild.”

“Ah.”

There was a splash near the burrow beside them, on Lyre’s blind side. Lyre turned around and caught sight of a white-furred, purple-eyed head meet his gaze, before disappearing under the water with a squeak.

“Pearlie!” Mrs. Samurott called after the Oshawott, whose form retreated not in the way she had appeared, but the direction that Bayer had taken.

“Usually she’s less shy,” Mrs. Floatzel sounded apologetic, “If it weren’t for your sister going missing, she’d be hopping around asking for your autograph.”

“Autograph?” Lyre frowned, raising an eyebrow.

“She’s obsessed with the Guild,” Mrs. Samurott shot her wife a glance Lyre couldn’t perceive, “Obsessed with Explorers too. She couldn’t wait to meet you after she heard about the success at Abyss Mountain.“

“Obviously, we thought you wouldn’t appreciate being bothered, even if you were next door.” Mrs. Floatzel added. She glanced from his eyepatch to his false foot.

Lyre curled his lip.

“Right.”

Bayer returned with Pearlie after a few minutes of strained silence. He surfaced first, shoving a bag of orbs towards Lyre.

“Take these,” He spoke hurriedly, and Lyre found out why when Pearlie’s head broke the surface.

“Come on, why can’t I?” She demanded, “I want to go too!”

“No, this is a serious job,” Bayer said, ignoring his sister’s protest as he climbed onto the floor and splashed her with water.

“What’s going on?” Mrs. Floatzel looked between her two children.

“She wants to go with us to find Cass,” Bayer sighed, picking on the orbs on the ground. As he placed them into the bag hung around Lyre’s chest, Pearlie clambered onto the clay and thumped her tail on the ground.

“She’s my friend, I want to help!” Pearlie exclaimed, “And I want to help protect you, too!”

“I don’t need you to help protect me, squirt,” Bayer ruffled his sister’s hair, “I’ve got Lyre to help me.”

This didn’t seem to quell her fears. She glared at Lyre as if he was the one refusing her offer to help, and held it until Bayer straightened up again.

“Besides, mom and mama wouldn’t want you going either,” Bayer said.

“Actually,” Mrs. Floatzel held out a paw, brows furrowed, “I think it’s a good idea.”

“What?” Mrs. Samurott stared at her wife in disbelief, “She’s only a child, she can’t go!”

Lyre looked at Bayer in surprise. The Buizel didn’t notice, instead looking at his parents with a mixture of concern and exasperation.

“I was her age when I started exploring,” Mrs. Floatzel replied, her voice sharp, “She even knows how to use Razor Shell now, she can hold her own.”

“Kids, go outside.” Mrs. Samurott barked, loader than Lyre had heard her since he met her. He exchanged a glance with Bayer, who sighed and nodded.

Lyre followed the siblings out the door, which closed on the sounds of an argument from the two water-types. He leapt onto the grass and shook out his fur, ignoring Pearlie’s insistently hostile glare.

“I hate when they get like this,” Bayer grumbled, “Can’t they just talk it out like adults?”

“Do they always argue?” Lyre asked, trying his best to ignore the raised voices from inside.

“Only when it comes to exploring,” Bayer said, “Mom thinks it’s not safe.”

“Yeah, I know how that feels,” Lyre glanced to his own childhood home, imagining his mother pacing the walls within.

“Can I go with you if Mom says I can?” Pearlie spoke up. She stopped glowering at Lyre, and turned her attention to her brother, distinctly less angry.

“I guess I can’t stop you,” Bayer frowned, “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m tough! I promise!” Pearlie exclaimed, tugging on her brother’s bag impatiently, “I want to help you find Cass!”

Bayer sighed, and said nothing. Lyre hoped that Mrs. Samurott really would refuse her daughter’s request; the last thing he wanted with him was a child, much less one who seemed to hate him.

The door opened. Mrs. Samurott, looking harried and frustrated, stepped onto the grass, her wife following with a triumphant gleam to her gaze.

“You can go, Pearlie.”

Anais sat outside their cave long after Winnie and Harper left. Their tired eyes wandered down the same path their charges had, and despite the warmth of the sun, a chill ran through their fur.

There was a familiar splash in the stream beside them. Rikal had surfaced, his eyes somber and face devoid of the warm smile often present upon it. Anais nodded in acknowledgement but said nothing. With a sigh, the Alomomola rose out of the rivlet, carrying a sphere of water with him. Anais turned back to the path as he floated to them.

“Anais,” Rikal said.

“I know you’re concerned about them,” Anais responded, “Winnie is new to this world, after all.”

“Anais,” Rikal repeated, “You and I both know we have more to be concerned about.”

Anais didn’t respond. Another chill ran down their spine.

“Was it wise to allow Winnie to go with Harper?” Rikal asked.

“Winnie can make their own choices,” Anais said quietly, “If they believe Harper is trustworthy, I must trust her as well.”

“Whether or not Harper is trustworthy doesn’t matter,” Rikal’s gaze was firm as his tone, “That’s not the issue, and you know it.”

Anais sighed, looking into the Alomomola’s eyes.

“What else could I have said, Rikal?” they asked, “We don’t know if what we saw was even real.”

“I’m the one who found Harper,” Rikal’s voice became angry, “She is not a normal Pokemon. She shouldn’t be here.”

“Rikal,” Anais began.

“You saw it too,” Rikal growled, “When I brought her to land, she was as lifeless as seaweed. Something about her, something isn’t right, and you know it.”

Anais didn’t respond for a long while. They knew Rikal was right; they, too, had witnessed the change in Harper upon getting to solid ground. The cold her breath had cast upon the jungle hadn’t faded even now, even with her gone. She wasn’t a normal Archen.

“I know, Rikal,” Anais said finally, voice as quiet as a whisper, “I know.”