Thursday, June 8th, 1978, 1930

"Oh! Are you the innkeeper!?" Ellie exclaimed with interest.

Without missing a beat, she walked forward with an excited smile and took the woman's hand into her own, clearly surprising the poor woman, as evidenced by how quickly her jaw dropped. "Your hand is freezing," Ellie observed as she examined the unwillingly proffered appendage.

The innkeeper jerked her hand back, neatly clasping it behind her back as if protecting something valuable from a younger sibling. "Yes, I am, young woman. Have you been taught no manners? In what area of the world is it acceptable to grasp out frantically like a newborn babe? Were you raised with animals?" Her tone was ripe with disgust.

Dani chuckled out loud at the pointed critique, and I couldn't help but tentatively join in. In usual fashion, Ellie's odd behaviors took the edge off the otherwise creepy setting.

"She's from Johto," I pointed out. "We, conversely," I gestured to Dani, who smiled helpfully, "are from Fuchsia City, where we're taught manners from a young age. We'll be on our best behavior."

I smiled as earnestly as I could, hoping to make a better impression than Ellie for the first time since meeting her. Opportunities to outshine Ellie were rare, to say the least. I normally felt like I was the dark cloud of the group.

"Mare!' Ellie pouted, her cheeks puffing out adorably. "That's not fair! I'm just excited to meet the owner of this beautiful building. Although," she paused thoughtfully, "I can't remember what I was doing just a second ago. Why did you pinch me, Mare? It's not like you to invade my personal space. Rude."

I shook my head in resignation. It was just like Ellie to shift the topic if it didn't suit her. The innkeeper was glaring at me with an unimpressed look as if I was somehow responsible for my companion's idiocy. Am I? I wondered. Ellie is basically an adult.

Regardless, I cleared my throat, choosing to follow Ellie's lead in changing the topic. "You were stuck staring at the doors. It happened to me, too, but Larvitar sprayed me with some water and snapped me out of it. I think the entrance has some kind of hypnotic power contained in it. The doors may be imbued with dark or ghostly aura. You and Dani were both just absently gazing at them."

"Tauros shit," commented Dani skeptically, frowning. "If I was frozen like that, I definitely would've noticed. Ellie might be an airhead, but I'm not. Besides, I've never heard of wood absorbing type-energy."

The innkeeper ignored Ellie's offended look, looking at me with newfound interest instead. "My, my; what a sharp one! He's right on the mark, dears. My late husband carved the door himself over countless years. Its hypnotic pattern can easily seduce those with low mental fortitude. Of which three youths certainly qualify. 'Tis nothing to be ashamed about. Even after all these years, if I watch long enough, I, too, find myself lost in the pattern. It helps me feel closer to my lost love."

The ageless woman smiled gently, making me feel less, rather than more, welcome.

This lady is creepy, I thought as I suppressed a shudder.

"My name is Onaryu, but you can refer to me simply as Ona. I am the humble proprietress of this facility, known as The Golden Dream."

"Oh! 'Golden Dream' and there was a gold star on the map!" chirped Elile as if she had discovered something fascinating. "You had nothing to worry about, Mare; it was just a helpful symbol." She walked over and patted me on the back as if she were comforting a small child. "I think we can all rest assured no dangerous poachers or psychic pokémon are milling about."

"Right," I said drily. "What a relief."

Ellie turned to Ona. "Mare, the silly-pants that he is, was afraid that this was going to be dangerous or sketchy or something because his big sister recommended it."

"Oh? Does this sister have a name?" inquired Ona with curious eyes.

Curious, creepy black eyes.

Before I could stop Ellie from spilling everything she knew about my family, she gushed excitedly, "Sula! It's Sula Seiichi. She's always on the news; you'd probably remember her. She's got this cool albino Charizard that's named Lizzie. I've never seen her, but even hearing about her on the radio conveyed her coolness, like, really well. The Charizard, I mean. But I guess Sula is, too."

I sighed, and even Dani facepalmed at Ellie's unabashed willingness to talk about anything to anyone. Even random strangers in the woods, apparently.

Ona nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, young Miss Seiichi. I certainly do remember her. I can see the resemblance now that I think about it." She turned to me with a considering look. "You must be Mare, then? She spoke of you fondly."

I snorted in disbelief. "That can't be true. Sula probably told you embarrassing stories like she does everyone else."

Ona's lip quirked slightly as if she were resisting a smile. "That is one way to look at it, yes. However, it was also apparent that she is very fond of you. You could hear the love in her voice as she spoke of the time she convinced you that you could become a pokémon if you acted like one for long enough. That one was my favorite."

"Okay, moving on from this." I could feel my face burning at the memory. "I don't think it's a good time to discuss this. In fact, never would be a good time to talk about this."

I had been six. It only seemed logical at the time!

"No, why don't you tell us more, Ona? I'd love to hear more about Mare's childhood," said Dani mischievously.

Ellie and Anabelle tittered off to the side, and Larvitar looked up at me with concern; he probably felt the heat radiating off my face.

"Perhaps. Would you like to book a room or two?" Ona asked, her face carefully neutral. "I'm sure I could be persuaded to share a story or two to such delicious young women."

Creepy! I screamed internally, hoping that the girls would finally realize this place was sketchy. No such luck to be had.

"Yes, please!" shouted Ellie.

"Chansey!" agreed Anabelle with gusto, and even Dani nodded her agreement.

I could tell the battle was already lost. "Do you mind if we come in? It's been a long day, and we could all use a hot bath and a warm bed if you'll have us."

Ona smiled gently. "Certainly, dear. There are no other occupants at the moment, so I think it can be arranged. Follow me inside, please?"

We shuffled forward up the stairs, circumspectly avoiding looking at the doors themselves. Just as I was about to go through the threshold untouched, my hand slightly grazed the wood's edge.

It was freezing to the touch, and I felt a spasm of unnatural fear ripple through my body as I hurried into the building. Creepy.

The inside of the inn was much warmer. It was nice and cozy, and a small fire crackling comfortingly. A few couches were scattered around the open space around the entrance, and straight ahead appeared to be a desk where whoever was working booked new guests.

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There was an expansive window behind the worker's desk, and I was offered a lovely view of a well-kept garden, much like the one in the Seiichi compound. I could just make out the steam from the springs hovering like a low cloud behind the foliage.

High-ceilinged hallways extended to either side of the lobby, lit by genuine lanterns. From a cursory glance, it looked like most rooms must have been on the second floor, and the base floor was for staff to move around smoothly.

"This is amazing! What a comforting atmosphere," Ellie commented as she took in the interior, her eyes wide with excitement.

Even Dani gave a low whistle, and from my few days with her, I knew she was tough to impress.

"I guess it's pretty nice," I offered grudgingly, earning me a glare from Dani and a chuckle from Ona.

"I'm glad to hear that it meets your approval, Seiichi's second child. Now, for the formalities."

I ignored the off-color comment for now, but I privately filed it as odd behavior to consider later.

Ona moved smoothly behind the desk, opening the large book sprawled across its surface. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you would like to book two rooms, with room and board, for two nights?"

I shook my head, walking up to the desk. Eon and Nana padded silently behind me. "No, just one night would be fine; we just need to catch our breath from the storm before getting on our way. Lots of ground to cover."

"No!" protested Ellie shrilly as she stomped her way up to the desk beside me. "I have been camping for almost ten days in a row; I need this. Two days, Mare. Do you see my hair?" she held up a clump of her auburn hair, which was caked and matted with the foul-smelling mud from earlier.

Oh, that does look bad, I observed. I would never let my own hair get that dirty.

"Chans," Anabelle agreed in outrage as she gestured at her mint-green—now brown, shirt, which hung in tatters on her torso.

I turned to Dani, looking for aid, only to be disappointed when she looked awkwardly away. "You too?" I asked in disbelief.

Dani shrugged, seemingly embarrassed to be showing any signs of softness. "It's been a long few days. I smell like a wet dog. What's the harm in staying an extra night? It'll be an excellent opportunity for you to work with Larvitar on his water affinity."

She's not wrong, I mused. Having a good water source for Larvitar to work with would be helpful in mastering his new typing.

I looked down at Larvitar, who was hanging on to my pant leg as he looked around in wonder. "What do you think? Want to stay a few nights here?"

The little guy raised his arms above his head in obvious agreement. "Larvi-Larvitar!"

Behind me, the girls let out a quiet cheer.

I sighed. "Okay, you were right, Ona. Yet again, I'm outvoted. Betrayed, even. It's hard not to feel behind when we're still a week or more from Vermillion, and Sula is probably already on her second badge. No harm in rushing to last place," I joked bitterly.

Dani patted my shoulder consolingly. "It's okay, Mare. A break can be good, and you can finish at your own pace. If what you think about Larvitar's typing is true, rushing toward Kuon with an untrained water type isn't helpful, anyway. Think of this like a training break!"

I looked up at her gratefully, offering a hint of a smile. "You're right. Thanks, Dani."

Oddly, Dani looked away abruptly at my shy smile. Weird.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. How can you two be so mushy when a hot bath is so close! Do the thing, Mare, pay the lady, and let's get into some clean clothes. I don't think I'll ever feel warm again," Ellie said mournfully as she picked at her wet clothes with a nasty plopping noise.

I made my way up to Ona, pulling out my wallet from the pack. "Okay, what's the damage? Two nights with all the works."

As I sat there fiddling with my wallet, waiting for the price, Ona stared at me intently. Her dark eyes were unblinking, calculating, even. I felt uneasy in my own skin at the look.

Ona took a deep inhale and apparently found something she liked. Her pale mien broke into a wide smile. "You can put that away; I'm sure we can come to another arrangement by the end of your time here."

Scary, scary, scary, my mind thought against my will, and I actively recoiled at the interaction.

Ellie once again saved me as she rushed forward to grab Ona's hand.

Again.

After she specifically told her not to in no uncertain terms.

Ona's leer quickly devolved into a look of unadulterated disgust, and she tried desperately to withdraw her hand, but Ellie was stronger.

"Thank you so much! I was worried it was like, going to be crazy expensive, and I was going to feel even guiltier than I feel for taking all this expensive stuff from Mare's family. So, like, thank you."

Finally realizing what she was doing, Ellie's eyes opened wide for an instant, and she swiftly withdrew her hand. "Sorry? Habits die hard," she offered with a stiff laugh.

By that point, Ona had schooled her face into a blank mask. "This way," she said frigidly before gliding off into the left-most hallway.

Ona led us up a narrow flight of stairs and down another long hallway. The floor was made of glossy oaken planks, and I felt nostalgic at the sight. There were no employees to be seen, and the building was oddly quiet. None of the planks gave even the slightest squeak as we passed over them.

No wonder Sula liked it here. It's just like home, I realized as I placed where the nostalgia was coming from.

The building was roughly U-shaped, and the ends of the long corridors pressed up nearly against the mountain face that the facility was built adjacent to.

In the middle of the open space was the garden, and behind it were the natural hot springs that I assumed drew people to the inn.

After thirty meters of silent walking, Ona indicated a room on the right-hand side of the hallway. The entrance to the room was a sliding door with a detailed depiction of a cherry blossom tree. It was visually striking and stood out vividly against the subtle earth tones throughout the building.

"Miss Eleanor and Miss Daniella. This room is yours for the next two nights. Please make yourself comfortable," Ona said with a bow, gesturing to the unopened door. "It is currently eight o'clock, or close enough. I ask that you keep the door closed while in the room. Food will be delivered in thirty minutes. You will hear a single knock, and I ask that you patiently wait sixty seconds before retrieving your meal. My staff are quite particular with who views them, and I humbly request that you respect that."

Weird again, I thought. I need to just accept that this whole experience might be bizarre.

Ona stared expectantly at Dani and Ellie, who were both taken aback at her use of their full names. "Please, take a look at the room."

"Uhh, okay. Sure," Ellie said curtly as she slid open the door. "Weird," she mouthed silently at Dani as they entered. I hoped Ona didn't notice her comment.

The room inside was simple in its elegance; there were two comfortable looking mats placed on opposite sides of the room, two dressers, and what looked to be a hand-carved coffee table in the center. It was very spacious.

"Oh wow, this is lovely," said Dani as she trotted around the room, running her hand over the various pieces of furniture.

Ona nodded appreciatively. "I'm glad you approve! The spring itself is open until midnight. This is not a suggestion. There is only one large, heated pool, although there is a small waterfall in the furthest corner of the property. Naturally, it is not heated," she joked drily.

She continued, "There are no specific rules about gender regarding pool usage, so I will leave that up to your discretion. Towels are in your dressers but can also be found next to the spring itself if needed. Do either of you ladies have any questions at this time?"

Both girls remained silent, looking all too eager for Ona to leave them in peace.

"I think we're good for now," replied Dani. "I personally plan on waiting to get some food, and then I might go in for a good soak."

"We're chillin'," confirmed Ellie with a nod as she sprawled onto her bed.

Ona looked at me. "Mister Mare, would you please follow me to your room?"

I looked at Dani and Ellie uncertainly, feeling uncomfortable leaving with Ona alone, but they were too busy settling into their room to notice my apprehension.

"I don't bite. No need to be so scared," Ona commented, perhaps picking up on my anxiety. "I can practically taste the fear on you. Shall I sample it? Come now, your friends will be fine."

Scary! I thought, but I helplessly followed along, grateful for my pokemons' presence beside me. Eon and Nana were looking around warily the entire walk down the hallway. Ona brought me to my room, only about ten meters down the hallway and to the left. It was slightly smaller than the girls' but otherwise maintained much the same layout.

The only significant difference between the two rooms was that mine had a sizeable outward-facing window, giving me a panoramic view of the surrounding forest. The trees were well-controlled, so I had a nice view of the serene setting.

I entered the room and set my heavy pack down, all too happy to give my aching shoulders a break from the constant friction spurred on by the moist fabric rubbing against my flesh.

"This is nice," I breathed, suddenly feeling a wave of exhaustion hit me.

I turned to Ona, giving a respectful bow in gratitude. "I don't have any questions, assuming that the information you gave Ellie and Dani also applies to me."

"That's correct. Feel free to find me in the lobby if you have any concerns. I doubt we will have any other guests this evening, but one can never be too careful." Ona gave me the same disconcerting smile from earlier and receded down the long hallway.

Once I was sure she was gone, I shut the screen door and sat heavily on the bed. Larvitar ambled over to join me, laying his head down softly against my leg, and he was soon joined by Eon. Nana took a post at the entrance. He must have lost rock paper scissors, I realized with a chuckle. In mere seconds, I could hear the soft whistling sounds my team made when they were well and truly asleep. I soon joined them, no longer able to resist the bone-deep fatigue I felt.