The pair of hands that dropped Fantina to her knees then grabbed onto both her blindfold and the piece of cloth stuck inside her mouth, taking them off quickly and forcefully. Unfortunately, they didn't do the same with the rope tying her hands behind her back. She coughed and spluttered, blinking rapidly as her eyes tried to adjust to the sudden light. Blurry dark silhouettes. The flames of candles. For a short time, that's all she could make out of her surroundings.

Even so, the matter of who'd kidnapped and brought her here was no mystery at all.

"M-my… talk about a warm welcome."

She swallowed the fear down and forced herself to smile, looking up at her captor. She would not show her weakness.

"Now, I might enjoy this kind of treatment from time to time, but it's quite rude to do it to someone without their consent. So… how about y–"

However, as her eyes finally adjusted and the scene before her became clear, her words froze in her throat.

"W-wh…"

Before her stood exactly the person she'd been expecting; Carolina Artemis, head of the Lorekeepers of Sinnoh, but the problem was that she wasn't alone. At least a dozen other people stood on each side of the dark room, looking at her with the same grey, cold, judging eyes. Half of them were middle-aged adults, and the rest were almost all the same age as Carolina, though there was one exception. A young girl with long, blonde hair stood behind the old woman, fingers tightly closed against the fabric of her skirt. Couldn't have been older than thirteen. She looked scared and anxious, even more so than Fantina herself.

Wait… I've seen her before, she realized. That's Carolina's granddaughter. Then… the rest are…

20 years ago:

Everyone in Celestic had the same grey, stormy eyes, but these people shared other similarities, such as the same shades of that bright, sunlight blonde hair that was so clear on Carolina's granddaughter, and so faded on the woman herself.

Once again, she forced herself to smile, though this time it came with more difficulty.

"I see… you've invited the whole family," she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "The title of head of the Lorekeepers is hereditary here in Sinnoh, isn't it? Such wonderful nepotism. Still, I'm glad to be enough of a nuisance to warrant a reaction this extreme."

A few of the people around her sneered or clicked their tongues in anger, but Carolina didn't react much to her provocations. She simply closed her eyes and shook her head. Then she reached for the solitary chair behind her and pulled it closer, sitting a few inches from Fantina, hands resting on her lap.

"Kids these days sure are longwinded," she muttered. "Actually, we were having a family gathering when you were discovered near our base and ended up… 'crashing the party', as kids say. Normally I'd hate to involve the rest of the clan in such matters, but it's not as though I could kick them out. They're not the trespassers here, after all."

There was no anger in the woman's voice, which only made it worse. Her eyes were a thick, opaque grey, the silence in a storm mere moments before thunder fell. Fantina had to stop herself from swallowing.

"I was under the impression that anyone could visit this place," Fantina argued. "Now, whether I do it at night or day, what's the difference?"

"You've got quite a mouth on you for being so young. Still… you are legally an adult. You should've learned to foresee the consequences of your actions by now," said Carolina. "I won't play this game with you, child. You were warned not to approach this place again. You didn't listen. That is all there is to it."

At that, Fantina's smile dropped. Not due to fear, but to anger. The façade she'd been trying to keep crumbled to pieces as she snarled and looked at Carolina as though she were trying to make her drop dead through her glare alone.

"Who… who decided that? Who decided that your family owns that place!?" Her voice echoed loudly off the walls of the small room, shocking the rest of the people present and startling Carolina's granddaughter. "Why do all of you get to decide what people get or don't get to learn!? Who the hell went and put you in charge!?"

Carolina narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "It has been as such for thousands of years, foolish girl. It is our job to save people like you from the knowledge that would only bring them ruin. Haven't you heard? Curiosity killed the Meowth."

Laughter bubbled in Fantina's stomach. She spit out a dry, derisive chuckle at Carolina's words. "Quite. But then satisfaction brought it back, isn't that right?

"No," said Carolina. "The dead stay dead."

"Oh, if you only knew."

Carolina hung her head low and sighed again. It was clear that her patience was starting to run out.

"I'm disappointed in you. Honestly. When you first visited our town, we treated you like one of our own, as is tradition with outsiders. We fed you and offered you a room free of charge because we value hospitality and respect above all. Yet you have shown neither in return." She raised her head, looking Fantina straight in the eye. "And so you leave us no choice but to ask this nicely of you.

"Apologize, accept your punishment and leave this town. You may still look for your answers elsewhere, but if you choose to remain within Celestic…" Her eyes narrowed. "Then I hope your affinity with ghost Pokemon has taught you to jump at shadows, because that's what it'll take for you to make it to tomorrow."

"Y-you said it yourself." Fantina's voice cracked ever so slightly, but she refused to drop her smile. "I'm a ghost-type specialist. If you want to threaten me, you'll need better material than that."

Carolina leaned forward, her face now only a few inches from Fantina. The briefest of smiles shone in her lips as she raised one eyebrow.

"Will I, now?" she whispered so only she could hear. "In that case… what was her name again? Johanna?"

That's all it took for Fantina's expression to crack. She couldn't hide the sudden shock and terror as she heard that name coming out of Carolina's lips, the most subtle yet sharp hint of danger in her voice.

"Y-you…"

"Like I said, I won't play this game with you. We have… many connections, child," said Carolina. "Now–"

"G-grandmother!"

The little girl moved like a flash, jumping between the two of them, arms raised to the side as she stared her grandmother down. Fantina couldn't quite see the girl's face from her position, but the way her arms and legs shook made it clear the gesture was more of a heat of the moment impulse than a conscious decision.

"Please, just… let her go! I'm sure she's learned her lesson already, so…" The girl swallowed, out of breath. Fantina could see her chest rising up and down with her panicked breathing. "S-so there's no need to punish her."

One of the women near them, the one that looked the most like the young girl, placed a hand against her chest in surprise. "Cynthia?"

"Ah. You've always had such a big, forgiving heart, Cynthia," said Carolina. "As your grandmother, I couldn't be more proud. But as the head of the Lorekeepers… I'm afraid I can't listen to your plea. You know what the rules say."

"S-so what!? Shall we too, be prisoners of the cursed knowledge we're supposed to guard!?" she rebuked, placing a fist against her chest. "We are children of Celestic! We listen to our own hearts, our own rules! Would you really have us chained down by words written thousands of years ago? Where is the strength in that? Where is the burning Spirit that Nyss passed down to us if we allow ourselves to stagnate like this!? As the future head of the Lorekeepers, I cannot abide by it!"

For a moment, Fantina actually thought that Cynthia would convince them. Her voice carried such strength, such conviction that even something inside her own chest seemed to rouse at the sound of it. Around them, the rest of the clan looked at each other with doubt in their eyes. Their determination was cracking thanks to Cynthia.

Unfortunately, there was one person who didn't look convinced at all.

"As usual, your words carry the weight of a storm, my dear granddaughter. But if said words are but empty platitudes, they'll never truly reach the hearts of others," explained Carolina. "But very well. Let's say we make an exception this time. Even in that case, someone must take responsibility. Someone must atone. For is that not one of the ideals we hold closest to our hearts? So, then… if Fantina is to be forgiven, will you take responsibility?"

Cynthia froze, and though Fantina couldn't see her face, she could imagine her eyes shooting wide open.

"W-what?"

"I'm asking you to go through with these lofty ideals of yours. If you want to let Fantina go and still honor our clan's rules, then the only option is for you to accept punishment in her place."

Cynthia shuffled a step back, hand grasping at her chest. She tried to say something, but only shaking, terrified mumbles left her mouth. The woman that had spoken before protested in her stead.

"Mother, you can't expect her to…!" She swallowed, shaking her head strongly. "She is just a child!"

"Silence, you clueless oaf," whispered Carolina, danger in her voice. "If you wanted any say in how to raise your daughter you shouldn't have given her to me to train as the next head. She is the heir to our clan first, and family second. And all I'm asking her is to put her money where her mouth is. I don't believe that's too unreasonable a request." She took a step toward Cynthia, glaring down at her. "Well? What will it be? You have ten seconds to decide, before I decide for you."

Fantina really would have liked Cynthia to hold on for at least a few seconds. Maybe plant herself and meet back her grandmother's glare with determination of her own before she finally cracked. Unfortunately, just as the girl's mother had said, she was but a child. Clearly terrified out of her mind, Cynthia unconsciously shrunk herself and hurried back behind the woman, head low in shame.

Despite the fact that she was only a child, despite the fact she'd initially stood up for her, at that very moment Fantina hated Cynthia more than anyone else in the room. And the worst part is she wasn't fully sure why.

"There we go," muttered Carolina, rolling her eyes. "Word to the wise, dear; next time you try to intervene in someone else's behalf, make sure you actually have the courage to go through with it. It's unbecoming of the future head to look so foolish.

"And as for you…"

The woman's steps echoed loudly as she approached the still-immobilized Fantina, whose eyes showed less defiance and more fear with every second that passed. By the time Carolina stopped walking and knelt to meet her face to face, she couldn't stop her hands from shaking behind her back.

"I apologize in my granddaughter's behalf for giving you false hope," she whispered, face expressionless. "But if it's any consolation, all you need is to give a proper apology and that might just be the worst lesson you learn today.

"It's your call, foolish girl."

----------------------------------------

"So that's what you two spent like two hours doing here."

Metchi sat with her arms folded over the table, looking down at the clear liquid inside her teacup, which reflected her face. She did not look pleased.

"Talk about messed up," she muttered under her breath. "First y'all drag the poor girl into this mess, then you ask her to die for you. Like she hasn't been through enough already."

Fantina said nothing, while Johanna shuffled uncomfortably in her seat, the look on her face telling Metchi that she agreed wholeheartedly with her. Then again, in the situation they were in…

"I'm sure Fantina hates it as much as you or me or anyone else does," interjected Cynthia, eyes narrowing with sadness. "But I believe we're well past the point of regret now."

"Unfortunately, yes," nodded Fantina. "Though I assure you, the process was completely painless. In practice, it was no different than putting her to sleep for a few minutes." She raised one of her gloveless hands, showing off the corruption eating away at it. "A graze is all it took. I severed the connection between her Spirit and her body, then immediately stitched it back together. If she is to feel any pain, it will be due to the loss of Uxie, her companion, and nothing more."

And nothing more? Is that not fucking enough?

Those words tried their best to leave Metchi's lips, but she somehow controlled herself, breathing in as deep as she could. As much as she hated to admit it, Cynthia was right. They were past the point of regretting anything. All that was left was to grit their teeth and try to endure the coming storm.

"So now she's the same as Barry and I," she said, breathily, trying to keep the anger from her voice. "That was the whole point, right?"

"I… I still don't really understand why it has to be them."

Johanna , who had been nervously pouring cubes of sugar into her tea for the past five minutes, interjected with clear fear in her voice, to no one's surprise.

Cynthia leaned back on her chair and grabbed her chin, eyes narrowing. "It does seem foolish, from the outset at least. Inyssa holding onto Uxie was our last hope of stopping Cyrus' plan before it even started. But it seems like this loss was inevitable, if we are to emerge victorious in both fronts."

"We only had two choices," said Fantina. "We could have protected Inyssa for long enough that Cyrus would've been stopped for sure, but then we would be powerless to stop Giratina. Or we could sacrifice that certainty for an uncertain, yet possible future in which we stop both."

"Or neither," said Metchi, which earned her a look from everyone in the room. "I'm just saying; it's possible. But I agree that the high risk high reward option is always the best one. I just don't really get what that option is." She straightened up, arms folded, and glared at Fantina. "What are you gonna have us do?"

"Luckily, that is quite simple to explain. Vi, if you would?"

"Yeah! Here it is!"

Once again the ethereal form of Vi phased through the wall, only to then realize that the object she'd been holding hadn't come with her. After a moment of embarrassment, she went back. This time, she made sure to float all the way around and enter through the door.

"S-sorry. Here."

As best she could, she lay across the table a map of Sinnoh big enough to almost encompass it in its entirety. Everyone had to lift their cups of tea just so the thing would fit. Once it was in place, Fantina stood up and started walking around them, looking for a specific spot with her finger.

"The rest of the group assembled by Cynthia has been tasked with stopping Team Galactic, so we will focus entirely on averting this eternal twilight," she explained. "Our objective is to rescue Shadi from the World of Distortion. Bringing her back from nothingness will not only dispel the curse that has made almost everyone forget her, but it will also stop Giratina from emerging into our world."

Metchi couldn't help but Tsk!, biting her lower lip and making a face. It was bad enough that Shadi was a complete bitch, it was bad enough that she'd forced them into this horrible situation to begin with, but now they had to save her from her own mistake too? It was almost comical how fucked up it was. Almost like the universe itself wanted Shadi around as some form of twisted joke.

"I'm gonna go on a limb here and guess that me and the two brats are supposed to rescue her from there," she said, getting everyone's attention. Fantina looked surprised. "Come on. A world of pure death, you insisting that we all needed to have 'practically died' before… doesn't take an Alakazam to figure it out."

"That is my intention, yes," said Fantina, looking down at the map. "Any normal person unfortunate enough to find themselves in that place will die in seconds, but you three are protected. Partly because you've all met and survived death. Partly due to the light of the lake's siblings that still rests inside you, one of the only powerful enough to drive back this darkness." Her voice got somewhat candid as she said that. "Ideally, I would have liked you three to still carry the siblings with you, but both precautions are needed. Still, as you are now… it should be just enough to enter that place, rescue Shadi and leave."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Johanna gulped. "A-and if it isn't?"

No one said anything for a few seconds, which in itself was more than answer enough. Johanna's face paled terribly as she looked down and took a quick sip of her tea, hands shaking.

"It won't do us any good to worry about worst-case scenarios," said Fantina. "Besides, if we time this correctly and luck is on our side…"

Pretty big "if" there, thought Metchi.

"…then the siblings might be able to rejoin you inside of the World of Distortion. That would give you a bit more time, as well as a higher chance of success."

Thank god Metchi wasn't taking a sip of tea just then, or she might have choked on it. It's not like the possibility hadn't crossed her mind. There always had been a chance that during all this she might be able to reunite with Azelf again, but… well, she wasn't used to best-case scenarios. Even if she'd decided to stay and fight instead of run away, she still denied herself that one hope, like she'd done so many times before to protect herself.

But if Fantina said there was a chance…

"I'd still like to know, where would the three of them enter this place from?"

Cynthia's voice brought her back to the conversation with a jolt.

"Do you intend them to jump in when the portal opens at the peak of Mt. Coronet, during the moonless night?"

Fantina shook her head. "That would be suicidal. It wouldn't give them nearly enough time to rescue Shadi before it was too late. No, they need to already be there, to have already rescued her by then. The portal at Mt. Coronet's peak will be their exit, not their entrance."

There was a general air of surprise in the room at her declaration. Johanna was the first to say what they were all thinking.

"Then… is there another way into that place?"

Fantina muttered a 'Mhm' as she leaned forward on the table, running her finger across its surface, looking for a specific point just above Route 222.

"All over the world, there exist spots which are influenced by Giratina's power. They are wells of sorts. Metaphysical depressions in between our world and the one beyond, serving as a magnet for Spirit and certain other kinds of power. If said spots exist somewhere within human settlements, then the people living in them will be… different. They might possess an innate sense of kinship toward each other. Their Spirits might flare more powerfully than that of others. Their voices might be quiet, yet so full of strength they can fill an entire room easily. Their eyes…" She looked up at Cynthia as she said that. "…might share the same stormy grey, despite there being no biological reason for it. In a way, you could say that they are born with more than most other people, despite their claim to the contrary."

During that short, premeditated silence, all eyes fell on Cynthia, whose face showed no emotion, yet the tight grip of her fingers against her arms told a different story. As did the dangerous gleam behind her stormy eyes, directed straight at Fantina. Metchi didn't need to be psychic to realize there was some sort of history between these two. It was clear Fantina was looking for some sort of reaction, but when she did not get one, she looked down again and continued speaking.

"If, however, these spots exist somewhere far away from civilization, such power will continue to coalesce endlessly, weakening the barrier between our world and the World of Distortion. These are the spots through which both human and Pokemon whose spirits are not ready to 'go on' come back as ghosts, guided back by other spectral beings such as Dusknoir. As such, it should be possible to do the opposite, for a living being to cross to the other side. Though like I said, such an act would be suicide for most."

Fantina's finger finally stopped over a specific spot in the map, what looked like a bunch of small mountains hidden by a thick forest.

"These spots exist all over the world. Mt. Pyre in Hoenn, the Celestial Tower in Unova, the towns of Lavender and Wysteria in Kanto, and the list goes on. Sinnoh, appropriately enough, has more of these spots than any other region, with three in total, though unfortunately only one will be of use to us."

Cynthia leaned back on her chair, frowning. "Celestic and Spear Pillar are the ones we lorekeepers were aware of, since both of them served as our base of operations at some point. We knew there was a third spot, but we were never able to find it. I assume…"

Fantina smiled sadly. "I shouldn't be the one to receive credit for the discovery. It was actually Shadi who found this place, after a long and arduous search. All because she wanted to destroy you so badly. Spite truly is a powerful motivator; don't you agree?"

A crease formed on Metchi's forehead. Of course it was Shadi who did it. For people like her and Fantina and Sanbica a fun girl's night probably involved the unholy desecration of all that was good, like forcefully controlling gods or finding portals to a hellish landscape.

I would admire that drive of hers if she weren't such a bitch, she thought.

Cynthia's expression wasn't much different than hers. She closed her eyes and sighed into her palm, resting her elbow on the table.

"…Where is this spot, then?" she asked, her patience clearly running thin.

Fantina tapped her finger against the map. "Hidden within the mountains and forests north of Route 222, almost perfectly in between Sunyshore and Veilstone, lies a beautiful valley, which hides a secret at its bottom." She smiled, looking up at them. "Sinnoh's secret fourth lake. And at the center of that lake lies a cavern, one which leads to what we need."

At that, her gaze focused entirely on Cynthia, and her expression became deathly serious.

"There, you will find not only the entrance to the World of Distorsion, but also a trial, and the last of the pieces of the puzzle you've been trying to complete for so long."

Cynthia's eyes went wide. A breath caught in her throat.

"I'm… sorry?" asked Johanna, frowning. "What does that mean?"

"More weird occult shit, probably," Metchi replied, earning a small laugh from the woman. "Mind sharing with the class?"

Fantina shook her head. "You will know once you arrive. Telling you now would be pointless."

Metchi raised an eyebrow, still unsure if she should believe what she was hearing. Her gaze moved to Cynthia who still looked pretty rattled, like someone had slapped her across the face.

"Er… dear, you said that the three of them should already be inside that place by the time everything goes down in Spear Pillar," said Johanna, face scrunched up in concentration, trying to recall all the information she'd just learned. "But… you also said they couldn't stay in there for too long, so…"

"Indeed. Timing will be key here," said Fantina. "They'll need to enter the World of Distortion only a short time before the moonless night rises. If they do it too early, their time will run out before their way back is opened. But if they enter too late, they won't be able to rescue Shadi on time." She placed both hands on the table, looking down pensively at the map. "Fifteen… no, twenty minutes before should be good enough. It will be an extremely narrow window but… it's doable, I think."

Again the room fell into silence, this time thicker, heavier. Metchi hated the silence here, inside this gloomy fucking house, because it always felt like the silence itself was breathing down your neck heavier and heavier with every second that passed. She had no idea how Vi could like it here. But still, that wasn't completely why. Like, right now, at that very moment, it dawned fully on Metchi just how batshit bonkers what they were discussing was. What they had to do. Their mission. She was by no means a stranger to magic and occult stuff. Not after Azelf, after Sanbica, after everything she'd been through. But at least back then, all those times…

She clenched her teeth, feeling something cold set in the pit of her stomach. She remembered that day again, as she did so often lately. That day near Hearthome when her resolve had cracked for the first time due to that warm, stupid determination she'd seen on Inyssa and Barry's faces. If she'd been stronger then, then this might've not happened. Telling Barry and Inyssa what she knew about Team Galactic was still her biggest regret, which considering how much of a fuckup her entire life had been, was really saying something.

"Is it…?"

All eyes were on her as soon as she broke the silence.

"Is it really necessary that all three of us go?" she asked, tilting her head up at Fantina. "What if it was just me? Could it still work?"

It was clear no one had expected that, judging by the expressions on their faces. Even Fantina needed a moment to reply.

"I don't think Barry and Inyssa would ever agree to that."

"So what?" shrugged Metchi. "It's about time someone learned to say 'No' to those brats. And since none of you adults want to, I guess it falls on me. I'll grab'em both, knock them out, take their Pokeballs and… I don't know, tie them up until this is all over. I'll save the world by myself if I have to. Even if they end up hating me for the rest of their lives… it's a life they'll have," she pleaded, her voice going soft at that last part. "You're right that now it's no time for regrets. But they'll never get to regret anything again if they fucking die."

Next to her, Johanna bit her lip and gripped her teacup harder. She didn't say anything. Fantina glanced at her for a moment, then closed her eyes and shook her head.

"I'm afraid that wouldn't work," she said, sadly. "All three of you must work together if this plan is to have any chance of working. I'm sorry."

Metchi clicked her tongue and looked away, hands balling into fists. And because the situation wasn't bad enough, of course Cynthia had to open her mouth and make it even worse.

"I know I'm not doing myself any favor in your eyes by saying this, but this is not your fight alone. Despite their age, those two have as much of a reason to fight as you do."

Metchi's lips pursed into a thin line, then formed a cold smile. "Is that how you're justifying it to yourself?"

"E-excuse me?"

"You think my only problem with them risking their lives is that they're young?" she asked, incredulous. "I was doing much worse than them at their age, risking my life in much less heroic ways. But you wanna know what's the difference there? That I chose my path."

"I… so have they. Just because–"

"It's not the same," she muttered through gritted teeth. "Everything I did, every stupid mistake, every death I caused, I did it knowing full well what the consequences were. I chose to do it. But those two… they never had the full picture, all because of people like you." Despite her gaze being set on Cynthia, it was clear she was speaking to Fantina as well. "You manipulated them. Led them down a path you knew full well would be more dangerous than they could handle, and you didn't even warn them. Don't you dare say they chose this fight when you never gave them a chance to choose in the first place!"

The slam of her hands against the table knocked her teacup over, what little was left of the tea soaking into the map below, staining it black. Only then did Metchi realized she'd jumped up from her chair. Though if she ever cared about tableside manners –a big if– then she sure as shit didn't now.

"I… will admit my faults," said Cynthia, refusing to look away from her. "But I think it's disingenuous of you to blame all of this on me. I might have led Inyssa and Barry down that path, but how do you think they'd react if they heard you talk about them like they're mindless Mareep who have no say over their own fate? You're insulting their resolve by thinking of them as just a pair of stupid kids."

Metchi laughed. "Right, 'cause those two things are totally comparable. I already told you, I don't care what those two think of me as long as they're safe. But I guess you'd rather feed their egos even if it ends up killing them, huh?" Her eyes narrowed into slits. "From my time in Team Galactic I already knew you were an awful Champion and ruler, but it turns out you're a shit person, too. You always go all out on everything, huh?"

Cynthia's hand came upon the table, and for a short moment it looked as though she would stand up as well, the grey of her eyes flashing ominously.

"That is enough."

A shiver washed over Metchi at the sound of Fantina's voice, and it wasn't just her. In an instant her voice had turned cold and sharp, forcing everyone's attention back on her.

"I… think it'd be wise to take a break," she said, her voice returning back to normal. "Not just us, but Barry and Inyssa as well. Seeing as we have more than a week to work with, it wouldn't hurt to take the night off." She sighed, tired, then looked up at them with a smile. "We can catch those two up during dinner, and tomorrow morning we'll decide how we will move forward from here."

Johanna nodded at that, steeling herself and forcing a smile on her face.

"That's right," she said, clapping her hands together. "Nothing like a good dinner to take the edge off. Vi and I will make sure everyone goes to bed with their stomachs full."

"Y-yeah!" said Vi. "Leave that to us."

Metchi might have not given a shit about Fantina, but she felt a pang of guilt at how obviously Vi and Johanna were trying to break the tension. Neither of them had anything to do with this. Moreover, Johanna probably knew better than anyone just how much Inyssa had gone through, yet she was swallowing down her feelings so all of them could work together for this.

I guess I did lose my head a bit there, she thought.

"That sounds… great," said Metchi, flashing a quick smile to Vi and Johanna. "Sorry for the spilt tea. It's a waste, since it was so delicious."

Had she not known better, she might have sworn the pearly white of Vi's cheeks grew a bit brighter at that comment.

"I'll try to chill a bit in my room in the meantime. Feel free to call me if you need anything."

Unfortunately, after she left and closed the door behind it, she only made it to the base of the staircase before she heard a voice calling for her.

"Metchi, wait."

Her hand clasped strongly to the stair's handrail. She didn't turn around to look at Cynthia.

"What?"

"I would like to… apologize. For what just happened," said Cynthia. "And for whatever I did to give you such a bad impression of me."

Metchi chose her words carefully. "Well, I'm sorry I made everyone else uncomfortable with my outburst. Is that all?"

Cynthia didn't reply. After a few seconds of that awkward, crawling silence Metchi sighed and turned around, impatient, but she froze as her eyes met Cynthia's.

"W-what?" she asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Cynthia's glare wasn't an angry one, but it was very intense nonetheless. She looked like she was studying a very interesting book, but she couldn't find what she was looking for.

"Nothing, it's just…" Her eyes narrowed. "I wonder why we haven't met before."

"I… what?"

"I can… sense something from you, Metchi. Your Spirit doesn't burn all that strongly, yet I sense a strange, staggering depth to it. It's… unlike anything I've felt before." There was a strange passion to her voice as she said that. "Usually, I'm drawn toward those with Spirits as unique as yours. Which is why I'm surprised you've never caught my attention."

Metchi stared at Cynthia for a few good, long seconds. Then she sighed and ran a hand through her messy hair, her expression that of someone half irritated and half amused. She barely bothered to reply before turning around and heading up the stairs.

"Of course I never caught your attention," she said. "I'm not a trainer."

----------------------------------------

It had been so long since Inyssa had gotten a good night's rest that for a second she was suspicious of the lack of pain and discomfort when she woke up. She was also surprised by the sudden quietness of the room. She kept expecting… something, a familiar sound, and it took her a few long seconds to realize what it was that was missing.

Uxie. Her face tightened at the thought. Always used to tell me good morning when it felt me wake up…

The full brunt of everything that had happened yesterday hit her like a hammer, freezing her in place. Unconsciously she took a hand to her temple. That familiar tingly feeling behind her eyes was still there, as though it'd never left. She was sure that if she walked up to a mirror, she would find the usual green of her eyes absent, replaced instead with a bright, powerful gold.

That was partly the reason why she hadn't looked in a mirror ever since… what had happened.

Memories flooded into her, making the room feel cold around her. Making her skin shiver. That soft, calming sensation of falling asleep… that thing she'd seen for just a moment before her consciousness was pulled back to her body… Uxie's words before departing…

"There is no need for goodbyes. I trust you, Inyssa. I'm confident we will be together again soon."

Inyssa shook her head strongly, unconsciously shrinking into herself. And as she did so, she felt her forehead touch something else. Someone else. It was only then that she remembered something else from yesterday. The heartbeat she felt against hers, that familiar breathing, the weight of that arm around hers…

Oh… right.

Had she not been worried about waking Barry up, she would've laughed. God. Just how much shit could happen in the span of only a few hours? All of yesterday had already felt like a whole week before Barry arrived, and after that…

Inyssa closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the sleeping Barry's chest, sighing contently. At least… at least she could have this. She knew that as soon as they got up from bed, that frenetic pace would come back, not giving them a moment's rest. But until then…

Making sure not to wake him up, she reached for her Poketch and turned off the alarm for when they were supposed to wake up and meet the others downstairs. Then she closed her eyes and pressed herself against Barry, feeling as sleep took hold of her once more.

----------------------------------------

Luckily, her trust on the others –Metchi especially– was well founded. No one had any objection to letting the two young trainers sleep as much as they wanted, even if it ended up delaying their departure. They all agreed that the two deserved the time together, especially considering they would have to part ways so soon.

It was way past noon by the time all of them got together in the lobby, backpacks full and Pokeballs at the ready. They'd already discussed what each of them would be doing before it was time to meet at the designated spot, and so while there was still a bit of consternation over the fact that Barry and Inyssa had different destinations, at least there was no surprise about it.

As per what they'd discussed, Barry would head to Sunyshore in order to obtain Volkner's badge, since according to Cynthia, she needed someone with all eight badges to open the way toward the last piece she needed for her 'contingency plan'. Of course, considering how dire the circumstances were, Volkner would most likely agree to give the badge away, but Barry still had a few days to win it for real, and Inyssa didn't doubt he'd take hold of that opportunity.

"Honey, are you sure you don't want to go with Barry?" asked Johanna, concerned. "Surely whatever you need to do can wait a few days? I'd rather you not go alone, considering…"

Past Inyssa would have probably been somewhat irritated by her mother's concern, but at this point that was long behind her. She forced herself to put on a smile and just nodded.

"I'll be alright," she said. "I promise I'll keep in touch with everyone. And… I'm sorry I can't tell you what I need to do, but I need to do it. Just… trust me, alright?"

Despite some faces of concern, no one raised an objection to that. Barry did, however, squeeze her hand a bit harder, which Inyssa returned, fearing much like him the moment they'd have to part.

"And are you sure you don't want me coming with you?" asked Metchi. "I mean, it's not like I have any unfinished business, what with all the bridges I burned to get to where I am. I can babysit for a while longer."

Inyssa let out a genuine chuckle. "Don't worry, I know how relieved you must be to get rid of me. You can go with Barry to Sunyshore. I heard it has plenty of nice bars and casinos." Metchi whistled appreciatively at that. "Though I warn you, he probably won't be as easy to babysit as I was."

"H-hey!"

There were a few chuckles around them, and even Cynthia and Fantina couldn't keep themselves from smiling.

"Ha… alright then, short stuff. Guess I'll put my trust on you." She reached over and gave Barry's shoulder a pat strong enough to make him flinch. "And I guess that means we're travel buddies now. You're of age, right? We should go drinking when we get there; I heard Sunyshore has some of the best watering holes Sinnoh has to offer."

Barry smiled nervously. "I-I… don't know about that," he said. "But yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for agreeing to accompany me."

After that, Fantina took a step closer toward them and nodded. "Very well. Both Cynthia and I also have our tasks to attend to, so… shall we depart?"

They all looked amidst each other, waiting for someone to say yes, yet all of them having reasons to delay it a bit longer. In the end, it was Johanna that spoke.

"Maybe… it would feel a bit more appropriate if you prefaced your departure with something more symbolic?" she said, making use of her thespian experience. "In stories, isn't this the part where the leader of the group gives a rousing speech to inspire their comrades?"

Metchi snorted. "Yeah, if only we had one of those." She looked over to Cynthia. "Unfortunately, all we have is Miss Used-to-be Champion. Still, she's free to give it a try, if she wants."

Cynthia breathed out exasperatedly. Even so, she gave a curt nod and stepped closer toward the group, eyes closed in concentration. After a moment, she raised a closed fist and looked at them with eyes storming with determination.

"Listen, everyone. Our mission is to stop both the reshaping and the destruction of our universe, no matter the cost. We've all been through some harsh battles, but this will be the ultimate test of our abilities, of our determination and of the mettle of our very Spirits. We face a storm no others have endured before, but even though we might have our differences, we shall weather it together." Her voice boomed like thunder throughout the room. "So come on then. Let us go forward. Let us avert this eternal twilight and–!"

"Laaaaaaame!"

It was clear Cynthia had gotten very into her own speech, because she looked like a Magikarp out of water when Metchi interrupted her.

"I-I…"

"Sorry, it's not that it was bad or anything, it was just… too sappy for the occasion I think," Metchi shrugged. "Here, I've got a better one."

She cleared her throat, then imitated Cynthia's pose and yelled out.

"Listen up, y'all! Give it your best, don't die, and when this is all over come back here so we can enjoy more of Vi and Johanna's cooking! Got it!?"

To Cynthia's dismay, Metchi's speech had a much more rousing effect than hers ever could have. Everyone around her raised a fist and bellowed in unison, their voices filling the entirety of the room.

"Yeah!"