》Home sweet home was a phrase Shadi had never fully understood, not when the world sat out there, waiting for her to make her debut. However, back in Twinleaf after almost half a year, belt heavier with Pokéballs, she couldn't help but breathe in longingly the scent of the cold, clean air of her town. And even if she was dreading having to see Johanna's face again, there was someone else she didn't mind visiting.

"This is… beautiful," Ciro said behind her, the shadow of a smile on his lips. She could see the excitement in his eyes behind his glasses.

"Cold, too," the blue haired woman at her right added, mist escaping her mouth. "But damn is it pretty."

She turned around to make a snide comment, but a scream broke through the peaceful morning silence.

"Shadi!"

She barely had time to react before something small crashed against her. The young girl put both arms around her torso and almost threw her to the ground with the strength of her hug. Tears were slowly forming on her bright green eyes.

The blue-haired girl behind her let out a low chuckle. "Jeez, talk about an Ursaring hug."

Shadi sighed as she put a hand over her little sister's head, patting it weakly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming!?" Inyssa protested, unwilling to let go of her. "I could've told Barry to cook something for us!"

Already bossing your friend around? Shadi thought to herself and tried to stifle laughter.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," she said as she returned the hug. "I told you I'd come back on my way to the sixth Gym, didn't I?"

The miniature Dawn finally broke away from the hug and cleaned off the wetness in her eyes with her sleeve. Her expression shifted so fast Shadi couldn't help but be somewhat startled, and she suddenly felt herself at the receiving end of her fiery look.

"Show me all the Pokemon you caught!" she yelled, hands curled into fists and a huge grin on her face. "Do you have a Charizard already? How did you win your badges? Did you catch something for me!?"

Shadi took a step back and laughed nervously at the barrage of questions. Her two friends chuckled amusingly at the sight of their stalwart friend so flustered by such a young girl.

"I can see the family resemblance already," Ciro whispered under his breath.

Inyssa looked at him with the same expression.

"Who are you!?" She pointed at both of them. "Are they your rivals!? What Pokemon do they have!?"

"Jeez kid, take it easy!" The blue-haired girl put both hands in front of her. "Name's Siffa, but you can call me Sif. And we're just regular, boring friends with this mess over here." She tilted her head toward Shadi.

"I'm Ciro, it's a pleasure!" The man leaned forward and shook Inyssa's hand gently. "You must be the Inyssa we've heard so much about."

Her mouth formed a perfect O, and her eyes shone brightly.

"You heard about me!?" she gasped, voice almost breaking.

Shadi sighed, cheeks flushing. "I told them about you, dummy."

Inyssa's feet bounced slightly, as though she were to start jumping in place.

"Then you already know who to look out for!" She punched the air forward with her tiny fist. "I'm Inyssa and I'm gonna be the best trainer in the world!"

Shadi and Ciro laughed at the young girl's adorable behavior, but Sif simply smiled and knelt in front of her.

"Being a Pokemon trainer ain't easy you know," she said, one eyebrow raised. "And your sister is one of the best Sinnoh has to offer; are you sure you wanna mess with her?"

Inyssa put both hands on her hips and puffed her chest up, determination flashing in her eyes.

"I'm gonna kick your butt!" she declared proudly. "So just wait until I'm eighteen cause you're gonna see what a true Champion is like!"

"Niss!" Shadi whispered angrily. "Tact, please!"

Sif swatted the air with one hand. "Don't listen to this stick in the mud, Niss. I believe you."

She seemed surprised by that, as if the blue-haired girl had been the first adult to actually take her words seriously.

"R-really?" she asked, her voice becoming thinner.

"Of course!" Sif said. "I could feel you challenging me from the moment our eyes met, and you don't even have a Pokemon! You'll make a fantastic trainer."

Now she did start to jump in place, barely containing a gasp of glee at the woman's words. Ciro stared lovingly at his girlfriend, while Shadi rolled her eyes. Of course she'd be the one to say that.

Without paying any mind to them Sif took a hand to her head and grabbed the white wool hat which covered most of her blue hair. She looked at it for a few seconds before offering it to the young girl.

"Here, you can have this," she whispered, smiling. "You see the pink Pokeball symbol on it? That's the mark of a trainer, and it now belongs to you." She raised a hand and turned it into a fist. "Think you're up for the task?"

Inyssa stared wordlessly at the hat, hands shaking from excitement. She tried to put it on but realized it was just a tad too big for her, and it covered part of her eyes.

"Yeah, I am!" she yelled, still wearing the oversized hat. "Thank you so much, Miss! I promise I'll become the best trainer ever!"

Shadi stared at the exchange between them, and tried her best to smile.

However there was something strange about the atmosphere around her, a peculiar cold that had nothing to do with the town or the wind brushing past her. Something which traveled past clothes and skin and set in the pit of her stomach, turning her throat dry.

She had a bad feeling, and she couldn't quite shake it off. 《

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"Alright, that's enough for now."

Berry fell backwards on his butt and sighed. Mercy, sweet mercy stretched in front of him as he was allowed to take more than two breaths without having to dodge a punch. Maylene stood proudly above him, arms crossed and forehead covered in sweat.

"Thank goodness…" He struggled to get to his feet, his entire body aching. "I… I thought we were here to train my Pokemon…"

Maylene raised an eyebrow. "We've been doing that for an hour! Come on Barry, there's nothing wrong with a little bit of sparring here and there." She pulled him up by the hand, smiling. "I did promise I'd be gentle, didn't I?"

Barry muttered something under his breath and rubbed his back with his right hand, a pained expression on his face. Maylene's smile dropped and a sudden flush appeared on her cheeks.

"O-oh… that wasn't like, a euphemism or anything!" She put both palms forward, eyes wide in horror. "I know that it can be confusing when you're into martial arts and sparring but like… nothing wrong with you! I just… I already have a girlfriend and…"

"Yeah, I got it," he grumbled, eyes narrowed. "I just didn't expect to be fighting too."

Maylene lowered her arms and let out a deep sigh. For a moment she looked as grey and gloomy as the rest of the citizens he'd run into.

"There aren't many people my age around." Her shoulders dropped. "And certainly none that are in as good a physical condition as you. Most of my students are adults and they tend to go easy on me just because they think I'm weaker."

"That's… awful." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I'm sure you're strong enough to kick their butts."

She sent a shy smile his way. "Who taught you how to fight anyway? You're kind of sloppy and unrefined as hell but by no means bad. I could turn you into an excellent martial artist if you became a full-time student."

"My mom taught me self defense when I was younger. And… sorry, but I'm not really into fighting as much as you. I like exercising, but not violence."

"A good mindset to have, even if it's somewhat disheartening. Thanks for indulging me anyway." She gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Now, you and your Pokemon should rest. Take a half an hour break and then come back for the next part of training, alright?"

"I'll see if there are any pancakes left."

Maylene laughed. "Well, if there's anyone who actually needs all the carbs they consume that would be you, Barry. Head off."

He grabbed his backpack along with his four Pokeballs and headed for the exit. Just before he reached the door however he heard Maylene's voice again, a lot firmer and serious than before.

"Oh, by the way…" She crossed her arms again, eyebrows knitting together. "By contract I need to be honest with you. You'll need to work a lot harder on your Pokemon battling skills."

His hand hovered over the doorknob, fingers twitching. He lowered his head slightly and looked at the floor, shame hiding beneath the shadows covering his eyes.

"I know," he said plainly. "I'm working on it."

"I'm only telling you this so you can get better. You're holding yourself back, Barry, you believe yourself to be a lot weaker than what you are." She walked forward, each step resonating inside his head like a drum. "You're unfocused and you're constantly trying to think your way through situations that you should rely on your instincts for. You should think how to resolve this while on your break."

He nodded slowly, and without saying another word he pushed the door aside.

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The grilled cheese sandwich felt bland and sour in Barry's mouth, which was an unforgivable sin as far as he was concerned.

He finished it without much enthusiasm and kept walking west toward the Pokemon Center. On the way he'd decided to take an alternative route by skipping the main street and staying closer to the unending row of identical grey warehouses. He'd gotten his sandwich from one of them, in fact.

The warehouses were owned by the town council, the nurse had told him a couple days before. To promote local business and become somewhat self renewable they rented the space to anyone who had enough money to pay for it for up to an entire week, so people visiting as tourists could buy a bunch of different things depending on the day they passed through.

That was really cool and all, but Barry wasn't feeling like shopping at the moment, especially when Niss wasn't around. He put his hands in his pockets and pouted.

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"Holding myself back…" he repeated Maylene's words, tasting them slowly as they exited his lips. "What does that mean?"

If he could only figure out what part of himself he was holding back, he might have a chance to be as good as Niss. But he honestly had no idea where to start on figuring that out, and the Gym Leader wasn't one for detailed explanations.

I swear the next person who gives me advice in riddles-

A sudden, unnatural chill ran down the length of his body. Barry stopped in his tracks, looking around confusedly, feeling a gust of wind on the back of his head that he could've sworn hadn't been there before. He hadn't felt the wind all day for some reason. Why...?

"Hey, young man!"

A deep, feminine voice yelled from one of the nearby warehouses. He turned toward it and had to blink a couple times before fully processing what he was seeing.

The only thing in front of the closed grill gate was a single, wooden table with a myriad of strange artifacts strewn on top, and behind it sat the one who'd just spoken to him. A garish tall woman who looked so out of place in that town he almost considered having hallucinated her.

Everything about her was purple, with the exception of her marble-like pale skin. Her long, silk dress with a spider web pattern on the collar, her unreasonably long and incredibly messy hair and even her eyes, which were a pale but unnerving lavender. The wide smile of white teeth on her face did not extend to them, which also looked out of place. She appeared to be in her early twenties.

There was something terribly familiar about her face and eyes, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Yes, you!" she yelled, curling her fingers on top of the table. "Young man, what is your name?"

He looked around, somewhat expecting to see someone else the woman could be referring to. Alas he had no such luck. He awkwardly approached the table and answered.

"Uh… Barry." He did his best to form a courteous smile. "Nice to meet you."

She tilted her head from side to side, eyes narrowed and lips thin. He couldn't shake the feeling she was studying him carefully.

"Tell me, Barry, is there something bothering you?"

He stared at her for a few beats. "W-what?"

"I can see it in your eyes," she nodded slowly. "There is discord within your mind, and it stills your steps as you walk. Am I wrong?"

He took a step back, feeling something cold run down his back. How did she…?

"Who are you?" he spat back, not liking how hostile his tone sounded. She didn't seem offended by it, since she showed him that lopsided smile once again.

"My name is Sanbica, it's a pleasure to meet you." She winked, revealing the massive amount of black mascara she was wearing. "Now, what do you say? Want me to read your fortune?"

The image became clear then, and Barry let out a tiny gasp of realization. All the different tarot decks and dark leather books on the table, her unnerving appearance and her dramatic tone…

"Oh, oh!" He smiled and jumped in place, voice full of excitement. "You're a Hex Maniac! I knew I recognized your weird look from somewhere!"

The way she flinched at his words almost made him laugh, and he only stopped himself due to her shadowed expression. Sanbica's eyes went as wide as they could and her mouth formed a tiny O. She looked extremely offended.

"Hex M…" She shook her head. "You kids and your nerve… listen to me, I'm a medium! A medium, get it!?" She slammed her fist on the table, making all her little doodads shake. "Hex Maniac is a term that originated in Kalos to make fun of us, and I'd appreciate if you didn't use it in front of me!"

"Whoa!" Barry raised both hands, fearing she'd throw her crystal ball at him or something. "I'm sorry, okay!? I didn't know… I didn't mean to offend you."

Sanbica let her cheek fall on top of one of her palms, still fulminating him with her eyes. The fingers of her remaining hand hit the table rhythmically.

"It's fine," she said, her tone suddenly a lot less dramatic. "Though you could make it up to me by using my services."

Barry deliberated for a few beats. He didn't even know this woman, and his mom had warned him in the past about going to people like her, whom she considered shameless phonies. Then again there was a strange air about her, and it had nothing to do with her outlandish appearance. Something about the edges of her eyes, the tone of her voice… he couldn't help but feel curious.

He grabbed the other chair by the side and sat in front of her. "Sure, I have some time to burn and I'm not hungry anymore."

"Perfect!" Sanbica clapped her hands and smiled. "Shall we start with some fortune reading, then?"

After a nod she put both hands on top of the table, around the ornate stand where the crystal ball was located. She raised her shoulders and moved them back and forth slightly, excitement clear in her face.

That's when Barry noticed it. At first he thought the woman had spilled some ink on the back of her hand, but it looked more like... a tattoo? A marking. Small, black dots adorned the center of her palms and the back of her hands, as though someone had nailed a hole through them. It reminded him of something, but before he could remember, Sanbica spoke again.

"Let's see what the stars have to say about your future."

She raised her hands and clasped the ball. Her eyelids fell shut and her breathing became slower and more controlled.

The atmosphere changed immediately. He felt pressure coming out of the woman. as if she were tugging at something inside him with willpower alone. The air grew colder, and the sounds of people walking and talking around him faded to the back of his mind.

A thin drop of sweat fell down his forehead. "Wh…"

"Six events prelude the storm/that brews behind the iron doors."

Her words sent painful prickles of cold through his skin. Her tone had changed completely, and Barry could sense a presence behind her voice.

"First will come the Shapeless' scorn/who'll seek to bleed the child of thorns. Then the beast, revived, blood-seeking, will fall to silver tight in keeping."

He almost forgot to breathe as he took in the woman's words, which washed over him painfully. His nails unconsciously dug at his palms.

"A sister's rage will bring the light/that scorches through the moonless night, though in the end the sky will shatter/and every life of the night, thus, scatters. A legend's blood then holds the flood until the pale man's plan unfolds; and in the end two souls will perish/to shield from darkness all they cherish."

A few seconds passed, while Barry waited for the rest. However Sanbica opened her eyes, which looked hazy and unfocused, and gave him a weak smile. The cold disappeared, and he could hear the people around him once more.

"So, how was it?" she asked, voice thin. "Did you like my fortune?"

He swallowed hard. "I… didn't understand a word. What did it mean?"

"No idea."

Barry narrowed his eyes at her, and the woman simply shrugged.

"What. Do you think my fortunes come with an explanation and a diagram?"

"That... would be nice."

"Well tough luck, I don't control what the stars say through me," she explained, resting her cheek on her palm again. "I don't know what it means either, but I can assure you it's... ninety-nine percent accurate, at least."

"But… it's nonsense!" He threw his hands up in the air. "That's not a fortune, that's a riddle!"

Sanbica rolled her eyes. "That's what real fortunes are, dummy. You're supposed to think about it and figure out what it means on your own."

"Well that's dumb," he decided, leaning back on the chair and crossing his arms.

"Let's see if you think that once it becomes true." Sanbica formed a devious smile. "You should take warnings seriously, Barry. The stars never lie, and your fortune seemed to have a lot of tragedy in it."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked down. Great, just what he needed. Another stupid riddle for him to solve if he didn't want things to be awful forever.

"What else can you do?" he asked, trying to change the subject. "Anything that's not that cryptic?"

Her eyes regained some of their brightness at his words, and clapping her hands excitedly she looked down at all her items.

"Would you like me to throw you some tarot cards?" she asked, smiling.

"That looks even more complicated."

"Palm reading?"

"Eh…"

"Crystal purification?"

"That sounds painful."

Sanbica stroked her chin and leaned back into her chair, eyes going through her entire stock.

"Well…" she whispered, looking up at the sky. "I also have the power to see your Guardian Star, but…"

The sudden glee which formed on Barry's face startled the woman.

"Really!?" He leaned forward, almost throwing the woman back. "That, I want that! I've always wanted to know my Guardian Star!"

Sanbica let out a nervous laugh and urged him to lean back, since he could've toppled the table at any moment.

Barry had always found the concept fascinating. The idea that the star of one specific Pokemon watched over you ever since the moment of your birth, that they would mirror your personality and always be at your side… He could not help but swoon at the thought of something so cool.

Which is why his smile crashed and burned as soon as Sanbica spoke.

"As I was saying, I can't see it right now." She bit her lip. "Sorry."

"What!? Why!?"

"How do you want me to see your Guardian Star in the middle of the day?" She poked him on the forehead, forcing him back into his chair. "There are no stars right now!"

"O-oh," he whispered, ashamed that he hadn't thought of that. "Well… are you gonna be here at night?"

"Yep, though only for today," she said. "I came here for... personal reasons, but now that I've identified the source of the disturbance I felt, I'm afraid it's time to head for greener pastures. More specifically, Pastoria." She formed a sly smile and raised her eyebrows at him. "Get it? Greener pastures? Because… the marsh and all that."

She laughed really hard at her own joke, and Barry would've followed if he didn't find the woman so strange. Then again... that laugh. He could've sworn he'd heard it before.

"Then… I'll see if I can come back after dinner, and I'll bring Niss!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I'm sure she'd love to know too."

"Bring as many people as you want, that means more money for me," she said. "However, if the stars don't wish for us to meet again today, know that I'll be setting up shop at the bonfire party that will take place in Pastoria a couple weeks from now. You know how teens love all this medium stuff."

A couple weeks from now? he thought to himself, That'll be right around my birthday…

"You make it sound like you're gonna scam them." He raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I already told you that my abilities are one hundred percent legit." She pointed a finger at him. "But being a Stigma aside, we all gotta eat, and I'm not gonna waste an opportunity to make money if it's right in front of me."

S-Stigma? he thought, frowning.

"I'll try to be here later," he said. "Ah... now I really gotta go though. I have to get back to the Gym."

She nodded solemnly. "Do what you must. And as a freebie and token of my appreciation, know that your unlucky number today is three nine seven, and your unlucky color is red."

He raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you… supposed to tell me my lucky number and color instead of unlucky?"

She shrugged. "It's better to know what to look out for. Now go, or you're gonna be late."

He gave her a polite nod and got up, taking the required money from his pocket and paying her for the strange fortune. He assured her he'd be back at night and waved as he walked away.

However he stopped a few feet from the table, brow furrowed, and turned around towards her again.

"By the way…" he asked, grabbing her attention. "Who is your Guardian Star?"

Sanbica seemed to be expecting that question, judging by the mysterious smile she showed him.

"Who else but the great Jirachi itself?" she exclaimed proudly. "Only those born under its bright light can possess these abilities, after all."

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Barry paid almost no attention to his surroundings as he walked back to the Gym, hands on his pockets and deep in thought.

Both Maylene and Sanbica's words still buzzed around his mind like flies, and he had trouble not getting lost in them too much. He loathed riddles and things whose answer you couldn't just stumble into with goodwill and charm alone. And he'd gotten more than his fair share of them recently.

Holding himself back? A sister's rage? How was he even supposed to begin to understand what that meant?

"Guess I'll have to ask Niss for advice," he whispered to himself.

He was walking past a spacious park filled with a multitude of young people, and a few kids sprinkled here and there, when a voice reached him.

"E-excuse me!"

The voice was breathy and high pitched, and when he turned around he saw a girl about as tall as him, with short orange hair and a bunch of freckles covering her face. He was pretty sure he'd never seen her before.

"I'm sorry, but…" She spoke up, forming a nervous smile. "Are you… Barry? Barry Paladino?"

He narrowed his eyes, still a bit dazed from being brought back to reality so harshly. There was something about her, something about the way her words trailed off and the tone of her voice… He couldn't help but feel a strange shiver as he heard them.

"Uh… yeah." He cleared his throat, trying to smile. "Can I help you?"

"I knew it!"

The girl clapped her hands together, and before Barry had time to react she threw herself at him, putting her left arm around his and grabbing him by the side. Barry was too startled to react.

"I saw your fight against Fantina!" she exclaimed, and something about the shine of her dark red eyes felt strange to him. "You were so cool! I never thought I'd meet a rising star like you here!"

Red...

Barry had absolutely no idea what to say or do as she hugged him like they were old friends. He stood frozen for a few seconds, stammering and trying to get the words out.

Why does weird stuff keep happening to me? he lamented.

"I… well… thanks?" He laughed awkwardly. "I just… you know…"

But the girl didn't wait for him to finish, and squeezing him tightly she spoke again.

"And where is your friend Inyssa?" she asked, a strange glow exuding from her eyes. "I've been looking for you both!"

The word fangirl came to mind, and Barry didn't know exactly how to feel about it. On one hand it was flattering to see someone recognize him by his abilities as a Pokemon trainer, but he wasn't sure this was the type of recognition he wanted.

"She's… uh, training. I think." He gulped. "She should be back in the Pokemon Center in an hour or so, if you wanna talk to her too."

The girl pouted. "Can't you tell me where she is now? Pretty please?"

Barry considered it for a moment, and realized that Niss would never forgive him if he sent the strange girl towards her while she had no opportunity to hide from her.

"S-sorry," he said. "Like I said, you can meet us in the Pokemon Center before dinner if you want. Also I kinda need to be in the Gym so if you don't mind…"

He tried to free himself, and that's when it hit him. Cold, painful and enveloping his entire body, coming from the girl holding him. She didn't let go, fingers grabbing him with enough strength to make him hurt.

"That won't do, I'm afraid," she said, her voice suddenly dropping. "I need to know where she is. Now."

He instinctively recoiled, putting a hand on the girl's left arm. That's when he felt something sharp against the lower part of his chest. The back of his neck tingling, he looked down to see her other hand holding a small knife to him.

"Wh-"

"Act natural," she growled, all signs of her previous excitement gone from her voice. "If you try to move or scream, I'll pierce your liver."

Panic filled his mind. The dark red of her eyes were set on his, and he could physically feel the weight of her words hitting him like a blizzard, rendering him unable to move. She was not joking.

"Wh-who are you?" he whispered, voice breaking.

Her lips became thin and formed something akin to a smile, but somewhat off.

"How rude, I haven't introduced myself." She giggled, pressing the knife even harder against him. "Though I'm sure you've heard plenty about me from Inyssa."

He was about to ask what she meant when... it happened. With unbridled horror he saw as the girl's skin and clothes melted into a pink, bubbling mass. The shapeless blob contracted back into her shoulder, revealing her true appearance.

Her hair was now short and red, spiked upwards in a crescent shape. She had olive skin and her face was sharp and angular like a hawk. The only thing that hadn't changed were her piercing, cold eyes, still set on him.

"I have a lot of names," she whispered into his ear. "But you can call me Mars."