CHAPTER 283

"It's nine. She should be arriving any minute, now," I muttered, repeatedly checking my phone.

I do not sense anything, Bellatrix said. Are you sure of this?

"She never fails to show up on time no matter where I am, so yes, I'm sure."

Sure enough, Bellatrix frowned when steps resonated through the forest. Quiet at first, and slow and unsure of themselves, but the closer they got, the steadier the steps grew. Aliyah appeared with a soft smile, her eyes locking with mine immediately. She dipped her head at me, and then both Bellatrix and Night. My teacher was frozen in a way I'd never seen her. Not even her voluptuous hair moved in the breeze, and she observed Aliyah like a hawk. Her wispy hair was tied into a tight chignon a mix of brown and white.

"Well met, Keeper," Aliyah said. "And I greet your companion as well. I come in peace, though I've no gift to offer you. You will have to forgive me, and I hope I have not slighted you."

"No Chimecho today?" I probed with a smirk.

"Oh, he's resting in his Pokeball. Finding this place and getting me through exhausted him quite a bit," Aliyah said.

"What? We're on the route, still…" I trailed off. "Be— Keeper?"

She was still staring, somewhat in disbelief. As one of the conditions for letting Aliyah come here and me not just leaving for Veilstone every day for therapy, I was to not reveal her name, which would be hard to unlearn, with all of the muscle memory I'd built up.

I… cut this place off from the outside so we wouldn't be disturbed by wondering trainers, she spoke into my and Night's minds. Only you and your gathering find it easy to make it here. I wanted to see if she was capable of finding you and would have let her run around aimlessly for a few minutes. It is not unbreachable, but for her to do so this easily…

I scoffed. "What the hell? Don't just try to waste her time! I know she has nothing to offer, but this is— this is important to me."

I apologize. It will not happen again.

"It better not. Don't just apologize to me. Do it to her too." I crossed my arms, waiting patiently for my teacher to build up the guts to apologize to someone she considered lesser. "Go on. We're all friends here."

You are named Aliyah, correct?

"Yes," my therapist smoothly answered.

I apologize for the rough welcome. Even though you bear no gift or great deed, it was unbecoming of me as a host.

"All is forgiven. I am not one to bear grudges, Keeper," she smiled a little too sharply to be genuine. "Now, may I begin my session? We are already running late."

Of course, we will leave you to it, Bellatrix said. Nightstalker, make sure the skies stay clear of rain. Have Princess aid you in keeping it that way for her training. It would do us no good to not afford them comfort.

Princess was off flying… somewhere, training as always. Ever since we'd passed through Twinleaf, my Pokemon being off on their own had stopped bothering me as much, especially in a forest like this one where no one would be able to complain about it. I supposed it made sense, why no trainers had come across us even though Bella hadn't brought us off-route, though I wondered now if whenever one of the others had gone off on their own, they'd seen someone or not… no, they would have told me. The rest of the team was out and about, taking it easy, though they were all within eyesight. Bellatrix left without another word in Sunshine's direction, and I didn't miss the dragon's exasperated look even if he was pretending to sleep.

Night clasped my shoulder, pulling me close and whispered in my ear that Bellatrix was a little jealous of how much I'd been telling her about Aliyah. Out of respect for her, I did not say anything out loud so Aliyah wouldn't hear. It made a lot more sense to behave like she had out of jealousy and not outright malice when no offense had been given, though I hadn't expected her to ever succumb to jealousy. Nightstalker flew off, blasting the entire area with wind as he did so. Not everyone was as silent as Princess with their landings and take offs and it had taken a little to get used to his.

"Now, shall we begin?" Aliyah softly said.

"Sure. Sorry about… all of this. She was hard on you."

"Oh, I know my way around," my therapist smiled. She produced one of her candles from her bag, lighting it purple. "Would you like some tea, perhaps?"

I beamed. "Oh, really? Yeah!"

It would have taken a while to get started if we only got going when the water was done boiling on my camping stove, so Aliyah started the session anyway.

"So. Here you are, with your old teacher," Aliyah said. "How have you found it here so far, my dear?"

"Everything's just been great. The Keeper's not being forceful at all like I told you I was nervous about," I said in a whisper. I wasn't used to Chimecho not being there to mask what I was saying.

"Don't fear. Everything you say remains private. Unless you want Chimecho out anyway so you can be more comfortable?"

"How?"

"Tricks that cannot be revealed," the therapist said, releasing her Pokemon. "Chimecho, if you will?" While the psychic chimed seven times slower than usual, she continued. "I simply did not wish to offend the Keeper. Fairies can be quite capricious."

"She wouldn't have struck just because you had a Pokemon out, Aliyah."

"And yet, she tried to make me lose my way," she retorted with a smirk. "But enough about her. If she is not pressuring you to change course, then she will have done more for you than I expected." Aliyah stopped, staring at me with a curious look. "A little bird told me something quite interesting happened yesterday in a grocery store of sorts."

I physically flinched backward, cringing from recalling my interaction with Candice.

"Word's gotten out, huh?" I groaned.

"It would be hard not to notice one of this year's most famous trainers talking to a Gym Leader," Aliyah shrugged. "Though it garnered less attention than what is usual, for a Gym Leader out and about."

"I mean, it's not like people expect to see Candice in some random grocery store, so they probably weren't paying attention."

Aliyah grunted in affirmation, then waited for me to explain what happened.

"Well, I talked to her a bit," I mumbled. "It was just so awkward, I don't even think any of us said anything productive— or anything that could mend our friendship. I mean, we weren't even that close in the first place, really. We just talked every few days— sometimes called— and she'd tell me about her Gym stuff, and I'd tell her about my journey stuff. I guess we'd talk about random topics that came up too, sometimes."

The older woman clicked her tongue as she handed me a cup of tea. "No need to disparage your relationship. Friendship is friendship, no matter what form it takes, and I believe you're looking for an excuse to cut off all contact. To say that you tried despite that not being the case, and to let go, because it would be easier, not to fight for it."

I wanted to disagree, but all I managed to let out was a small choking sound.

"If you wish, you could share the context of the conversation," Aliyah continued. "Or do not. I do not want to intrude on something private."

"I mean, like I said, we just… fumbled around. I think we were just looking for an excuse to leave as soon as possible," I explained before I took a sip of my tea. It was the perfect temperature, not hot enough to burn but still warm. What flavor was this?

"Hibiscus."

I'd grown used to her being able to tell what was on my mind, so it didn't even surprise me. "Oh. Thanks. I also asked her to apologize to Maylene on my behalf for… well, I didn't tell her why, actually. Just to apologize."

"You didn't tell her why?"

"The context should be obvious, no?" I frowned.

"Hm. Not saying why feels like some kind of block. Like a refusal to acknowledge things," Aliyah said. "And you not wanting to see Maylene in person, I understand. You believe it would do more harm than good, spring up unnecessary drama, but it makes your efforts look… lesser than they are in reality to an outside observer, Grace."

I scoffed. "What? I was— I was fucking dying in there, Aliyah! I was trying so hard to do right— I did try!" I yelled. Wisps of emotion flamed to life around her, the same steady calm as always, and only the pain from biting my lip brought me back to my senses.

She raised a hand. "I'm sorry. I should have formulated my sentence better."

"I don't understand…"

"I am by no means saying that you yourself have not pushed yourself to change. I myself have noted how much progress you've made after each session," Aliyah said. "Just that, from Candice's perspective, you opting not to apologize in person, even if she might have refused, might have looked to her like you were distancing yourself from the problem."

My grip around my cup tightened, and my voice shook. "So I can do everything in my power to make things right, and it doesn't matter, does it."

"No, it does matter. But perhaps next time, try to mend that bridge," she said.

"I don't think there'll be a next time. I think it's over, Aliyah, and it'll hurt less if I come to terms with it now. Cut my losses. She was going to get too busy with trainers traveling up north at the end of the year anyway."

"Now you're trying to convince yourself again," my therapist sighed. "To put yourself in a mental state where everything is already lost, when they can be mended. Is that truly what you want? A half-hearted apology to Maylene, not delivered yourself, and to give up on a friend because you did not dare to fight for her?"

I sighed. "It's… not. But what else can I do? Candice is probably back in Snowpoint by now, and for Maylene, it's not like I'm going to barge into her Gym and call for her to apologize in person."

"Indeed, you will not, but an opportunity will present itself, Grace. It always does."

It was childish, but when looking back at my meeting with Candice, I yearned to be able to ask if I could come. It was childish, stupid, horrible, and I sucked, but I'd wanted to meet Gardenia so badly that the words had been lying in wait. Of course, I'd known better. It would have just ended up in rejection and made things far worse than they currently already were, but still… one couldn't help but wonder, what if? What if I'd been someone they could be comfortable with? It wouldn't even have been that unfeasible. Candice, as wild as she was, would have accepted to bring me back with her even if Maylene would have been angry and probably forced us to make up after having me apologize, and while I know better than to think we would have been friends by the end of the night, things would have been better than this… hopeless situation I was currently in.

I relented, and the tension which had been building up in my shoulders evaporated. "If you say so."

"When you are ready, why don't you send Candice a message, for one? She seemed far more amenable to you than you think her to be."

"Blergh. I'll think about it," I muttered.

"Very well. Now, let us move on to your progress with Cecilia…"

—

Should we talk about the new injuries you've gained since we've met last? Bellatrix suggested.

"There's nothing to talk about, Bella."

My head was pounding after the amount of empathy practice we'd done after Aliyah left, and the last thing I wanted was to talk about the topic I'd been avoiding on purpose. At least she approved of my training, since I was doing it with consent. I was watching some videos of Byron's battles I'd downloaded to make good use of my time.

"Really, you can tell me if you're lonely," I teasingly pushed. "You know, I have some cartoons downloaded on there too if you want to watch with Princess. Though it's not like we could tear her away from her training, I haven't seen her this pumped since she was learning… well, Moonblast."

My teacher rolled her eyes, and I'm sure I wouldn't have missed the humor bleeding off her if I'd been leaning into my empathy. I could have, even with the headache, but I'd somehow grown tired of seeing so many different shades of colors, which I hadn't known was possible. The world felt muted without them, but sometimes I needed the silence, especially when I was studying.

If you prefer not to discuss it, I will let it go. I am simply expressing genuine concern for you, there is no need for humor.

My lips flattened. "Look, it's just… sorry. You know, people sometimes say I make jokes to get out of a tough conversation," I muttered as my fingers went still over my laptop. "Mostly my Dad, but my friends too."

Ah, yes, I have noticed this, she said.

"Well, I didn't mean any harm, it's just a tick I have. For the leg, it was my fault, like I said. I went off-route and encountered a Carnivine grieving her child who'd been stolen by a human and his team. She was blinded by rage and not thinking straight, so she hurt me," I slowly explained before glancing down at my leg. "I hurt her too. I had to, or it might have been worse."

The loss of family always pains, Bellatrix said, slightly misty-eyed. An unfortunate coincidence, that you were there, then.

"Yeah. I mean, it's fine, meeting her got me to deliver her kid back, so I think it was worth it in the end, broken ankle or not," I said.

The fairy tilted her head, curious about the rest of the story. The Carnivine bit, I didn't mind explaining. Bellatrix was a full-blooded fairy, after all. Had she not liked me so much, she probably would have launched into a tirade about how I should have had gifts on hand to appease Carnivine, or not entered her mountain without permission from its ruler even though I hadn't known a Pokemon had been in charge of it. What I feared was what she'd say about my ACE Trainers, who had failed to protect me, or the entire mansion fiasco.

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"Did you hear about something called the Game Corner in Veilstone?" I asked.

Whispers from passing trainers, she said. I do not know what it is, however.

"What it was," I corrected her. Before continuing, I shifted on the sleeping bag that was serving as my seat. "The League raided it and shut it down. They were forcing Pokemon to fight to the death in there, and almost all of them came from a man named Edward Backlot…"

I explained the story fully, including my time in Pastoria which seemed so long ago now despite that not being the case at all. I told her about what happened to Maeve, Alex, and Croagunk. About retribution, and how rightful it had felt to watch Backlot reap what he had sowed over the last decades— to see him suffer for each Pokemon he had tortured and gotten killed and watch the same fate befall him until he could no longer take it, and how I'd taken the other people in charge and killed them or delivered them to Carnivine. At least they'd been quickly dealt with instead of dragging things out, I thought, before remembering that people didn't usually think like this.

"It's abnormal behavior, and it's not something I plan on doing again," I said.

Not because you don't want to, the fairy mused.

"Well, you don't know the full picture. If the world was a vacuum with just me, Edward Backlot and no one else, then yeah, maybe I'd be able to indulge," I said. "But that's not what the world is. And it's not even just about Backlot, either… it's about the path I took to get there. If I hadn't stopped to reevaluate who I was, what would have been next? It was a race to the bottom, and I don't mean that the bottom is you, Bella, because that's not at all what I think. You just think differently than humans, but you aren't one, and that's fine. I think the bottom lays in a completely different direction."

It lay with the likes of people like Mars, who committed atrocities every time they felt like it. I don't think I would have ever gotten to that level of sinister, but I would have gotten close to it, only doing what she does, but to people who I thought deserved it instead, and if we went along that line of thought, that limit could get arbitrary and very quickly. The raid had been the splash of cold water I had needed to ask myself what the hell I was doing, even if it had taken a few days after the fact and when the reality of the situation started sinking in and for Denzel to have told everyone about me to start asking myself that question.

Ah, I understand. In this situation, you would cast aside any rules, or perhaps employ them only as a guise for causing harm. There are indeed fairies of such nature, though they are scarce, and not what I would deem as proper, Bellatrix said.

"There are?" I asked before she nodded again. "I'm… not going to lie, I thought you would fight me on this. You know, try to get me to relapse or something. That's why I didn't want to tell you."

Oh, I fully believe you've done nothing amiss, yet I sense it's not the reassurance you seek, is it not? You harbor a lack of trust in yourself, fearing a transformation into something disdainful— which is an apprehension I find quite understandable, even if I perceive your self-confidence to be unjustly meager.

"It's a lack of trust and fear," I pressed. "Come on, Bella, you know me, but I'm the one who's actually in my own head. If I scare myself, it's for a good reason."

She paused, clearly wanting to say something, but her mouth closed again. Very well, then.

"Being a sister is fine," I said. "I welcome it, even. Like I said, it's a part of me, but what I was turning into was something else entirely, Bella. Something foul that takes pleasure in harm and isn't just doing it as revenge after being hurt myself."

Taking pleasure in extracting long prices is not wrong—

"But I would have gone further!" I interrupted. "Taking pleasure from the pain inflicted itself and not a wrong being righted. I'm… sorry for yelling. I just— this is important to me."

I understand, sister. We are going in circles. I… accept our differences. I cannot change who you want to be, even if I so dearly wished you embraced this side of you fully.

I sighed in relief. "Thank you, Bella. You— you have no idea how much this means to me." Another relieved gasp escaped my mouth, and a smile stretched across my lips. To have her accept that I was trying to stop myself from slipping further meant so much. "And it's not like I'm abandoning the old ways, you know? Just… I don't think I should tread the path you want, because there's nothing pretty for me at the end of that."

Overhead, through the tree canopy, I saw glowing streaks through the air. Princess must have been hard at work.

What path do you tread, then?

"A new one. One where I can hopefully accept myself for who I am, by the end. One where I'm content with every part of myself."

The Keeper of the Sacred Woods gently smiled. Nightstalker and I will look forward to it, then.

The disappointment was apparent, but she was trying, at least. Just like I was trying. We were just people doing our best.

Hopefully, it would be enough for both of us.

"Thank you."

—

We'd gotten three days not to train as hard as we could, but to take a break and relax with family and friends. It had been dearly needed, being the first real, lengthy break the team had gotten in ages, save for Princess, of course. My team was driven, but they were not robots, and sometimes they needed to just live and hang out together. Bellatrix had helped with that, recounting old stories to Jellicent in exchange for some of his own, and us two actually showing her the history books we owned. Some of the recent events, she had lived through, after all, and it was fun to see if she'd been too isolated to know if a war or a crisis was going on or not. The Great War, she had not missed— it had been impossible to, according to her, even before Legendaries got involved. Angel had enjoyed building up a reputation with the wildlife as a kind helper, and I'd sometimes joined him in his quests to solve disputes or just wander and meet wild Pokemon. When he wasn't dueling Nightstalker, Sunshine mostly lazed around like an old man and enjoyed my music— because yes, I'd brought my piano from my hotel room to show Bella and Night my skills. Playing for an audience made me play better, for some reason, and I'd only messed up a few times.

Honey and Sweetie had been two peas in a pod, lately. Their banter was ceaseless, now, due to the fact that now that Tyranitar dwarfed him in height, Electivire was content to actually talk back to her nonsense, and she loved that. The fight of it was something she'd grown to appreciate, though that didn't mean they couldn't be cute together too. Honey was still her older brother who doted on her, and he always would be.

Though everyone dotes on her. Even Princess, I thought, glancing at my daughter. She and the entire team were all lined up, watching Bella and Night with saddened expressions. This had been fun, but it was already over, and now it was time to leave for the Ancient City. I'd asked both of them for tips, but they'd never been there, and now they were just worried sick about me.

"No need to look at me like that. I'll be fine," I smiled. "I have ACE Trainers to watch me, if the worst comes to pass."

Night cawed, and noted that these were the same ACE Trainers who'd let me get my ankle broken and nearly get killed by a ghost in a not-so-subtle jab toward the League.

"They'll come in with me, this time. Bella?"

Sister. I wish you could stay longer, like you did last, she mourned.

"I do too, but I can't. I'm… I'm on a tight timetable."

There was the fact that I'd need to battle Byron before the Red Chain ever came into effect, but also, who was I, to enjoy myself in a forest with people I loved when I had less than a month before the chain was completed? It wasn't wrong per se, but it left a bad taste in my mouth, to forget, even if it was only for three days. Everyone else was giving it their all to get ready.

"I'll come here this summer, after the Conference," I continued. "We can spend a lot more time together that way. I wish I could say I'd introduce you to Cece properly, but she'll be busy, and I doubt my other friends would want to meet you, so… yeah, it'll just be me."

I would rather it be, she said, much to Nightstalker's displeasure. The grass type was far more social than she was, and he told her that it'd be the proper thing to do, to meet my friends.

"Maybe another time," I said. "Guys, say goodbye."

Hugs were exchanged, though Princess was the only one who shed tears, this time. The sheer amount of progress she'd made in a mere three days was astonishing. Of course, we'd still need to refine her technique, but at least she had something unique, now. Something that only she could do, and we were only scratching the surface. Bella wrapped her into a hug while she thanked her for all of her teachings, as did I.

"Thank you for the training," I muttered in her hair. "And thank you for not pressuring me to go against what I'm trying to do."

I might be fairy, but most of all, I am Bellatrix, she smiled. And Bellatrix wants you to be happy.

Nightstalker grunted to the side, saying that he would have knocked some sense into her if she hadn't come to that conclusion alone.

Oh no, the waterworks are starting. I tried to blink away the tears, but only more of them came. My vision blurred, and suddenly, it was difficult to take full breaths. My arms around her felt heavier than they'd just been, like my body didn't want to pull away from the hug.

Yet, I did. I sniffled, rubbing the hairpin I'd given her, and she caressed my cheek with her claw.

Go on, sister. And be careful.

"Hmhm."

I recalled my Pokemon, taking off on Princess moments later.

—

I would not be lying if I said that route 210 was the absolute worst route I'd ever been in, save for that one time I'd been stuck deep in Mount Coronet with Cecilia, Chase and Denzel. Sure, unlike my first trek through Eterna Forest, I wasn't getting attacked every few hours, but the fog here? It was so dense breathing was actually taxing, or at least it felt like it. The air clung deep in my throat, cold and humid in a way that constantly irritated it. I couldn't see ten feet in front of me, save for the occasional shape and silhouette that creeped me out and made me jump out of my skin despite having empathy at my disposal to sniff out potential threats. Occasionally, I would hear a Pokemon's cry in the distance, but the fact that they were too far for me to sense didn't help. It was actually cold here despite how late in the year it was due the fact that this route was high on a mountain. With how difficult the terrain was to navigate here, Angel actually had to carry me. Past a certain point, flying to locate the city was impossible due to the fog. I wonder what kind of Pokemon is causing this, I thought to myself. Constant fog all year round, no matter the temperature or conditions would have alerted me had Bella not already revealed their existence to me during our first meeting.

We had all settled in for the night, and I snuggled close to Sunshine for warmth he was happy to give. That didn't help with the irritated throat or the runny nose, but at least I was warm and the shivers had stopped. He was lying on the floor, as always, but he had a scaly hand over my lap to keep me warm while I sat and used a raised stone pillar as a backrest, courtesy of Princess. Speaking of, Princess was close— though they were all close, because of the fog. All within eyesight. I did not want any of them to get lost here, so they were all forbidden from exploring— Angel especially, because I knew he'd wander out and not realize how far he'd gone. It was us and the fog, up here. I could fully visualize what Cynthia had gone through now. Her desperate fight for survival against a Zangoose with only a baby Gible and a knife in her hands, with not only their lives on the line, but her twin sister's. She had described it as feeling like the four of them were the only people in the world, in that moment. Like nothing beyond the fog even existed. Even Jellicent couldn't see through it, and my only source of light was a flashlight I'd pointed upward and my laptop turned on to its maximum brightness. We'd tried to look for firewood, but we'd found no trees, and even if we had, it would be too wet to start a fire for light without Chase's Houndoom there to help. A Houndoom's flames could light anything on fire.

I shuddered, prompting Sunshine to let out a worried grunt, and I caressed his hand with mine and let him know it was nothing. Sweetheart lay at the edge of my vision, determined to be a guard against anything that would dare attack us, though no one had so far. Honey sat in contemplation, no doubt imagining the coming fight, with the rigid way his tails were moving. Buddy's skin lay completely still, with not even a ripple letting itself known. His crimson eyes were unusually dim, though that might have been the fog playing tricks on me. Princess was nestled closer to me, though she was starting to doze off with how hard she'd trained today already with Angel softly caressing her head with a few vines, though he looked somewhat tired himself, with how sluggish the movements were and his eyes being opened smaller than usual.

Guess I should do this speech before they both fall asleep, I sighed.

"Guys," I softly said. "Mind listening for a second?"

My entire family turned toward me, and for a moment, I stayed silent, taking in how far we'd come. How we'd all changed in a thousand different ways since meeting each other, and how we would keep changing, still. It felt significant, though it probably wasn't. Just another day, traveling with Pokemon I loved to the bottom of my heart. Despite how awful being on this route was, I could not deny that the uncharted feeling I got from traveling and camping here filled me with satisfaction that reminded me that why I'd come to enjoy being a trainer hadn't only been the battles. Cities were nice— great, even, but there was no other feeling like the one that was currently filling my chest.

"We're almost there," I continued. "We'll reach the city tomorrow— tomorrow night at the latest, depending on how good Chase's information was. How's everyone feeling?"

I'd known how from a single look, even without empathy, but letting them vent their worries to me would do some good.

Jellicent instantly answered with worried, and that going in there to find a seventh Pokemon was an idea he'd never approved of in the first place, as I knew. He was, however, outvoted already, so he had made his peace with it. Honey was the same, though he hesitated to say it.

"Speak your mind, baby," I said. "No one will judge you for it."

The electric type smiled, though it was somewhat forced. Like he was making himself smile to feel less anxious, like Barry had told me in Pastoria. A new friend would be nice, he said, though he was scared that ghost would get me. Ghosts always had tricks, after all, especially the old ones like Mathilda.

"All types have tricks when they get that old. Just look at Shiftry," I said. "I hear you, though. I'm sorry… I guess I do get kind of headstrong when I get an idea in mind, don't I?"

Princess cooed to the side and dropped Sunshine's name, with no reason, I was sure. The dragon rolled his eyes and blew some smoke at her that didn't even make it halfway before she sent it back his way with little effect.

"C'mon Princess, we've grown past this already."

It took some prodding, but she did offer a heartfelt apology. I knew he probably didn't care, but the last thing I wanted was for Sunshine to feel alienated because he'd scarred me. Princess went next, though she just said she would back whatever I picked.

"What do you think?" I asked again. "But for real, this time."

The fairy type hesitated, not knowing what to answer even after Angel nudged her to the side.

"Your birthday's soon. You're growing, and I want your input. Like I said, speak your mind."

Togekiss chirped, letting me know that she'd told the truth, but that she wouldn't be lying if she said she also was worried like the others. I extended a hand and caressed the bottom of her chin.

"I'm proud of you for letting me know. Start doing that more, okay? Don't worry about disagreeing with me unless it's when you complain about having to have a varied diet. Sunshine?" I turned toward the dragon.

Do or die, he answered. And he would not let the second option happen. He was a far cry from how he would have been shortly after Kamaile's death, having grown confident in his abilities to keep us protected. Honey giggled, teasing Sunshine for wanting to show off, and more smoke was threatened to be blown until I shushed them both.

"Now, who wants to go next?"

Sweetheart growled, something which I was sure resonated through the mountain and scared a few Pokemon nearby. Despite her size, she was still a baby, and I didn't think she quite understood the scale of the opponent we were probably going to face. Hell, I wasn't even sure she knew how close we'd come to dying when fighting Mathilda, even. She was a little excited, which prompted all of us to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

"Happy to finally let loose, huh?" I smiled. "Been a while for you."

The rock type nodded, flashing her sharp fangs I'd seen tear through more raw beef I'd ever seen in my life like it was nothing the other day.

"Angel?" I probed.

His vines shook as one, and he was now fully awake, as was Princess. These days, I didn't go with what he said through gut feeling, but through a sign language he'd basically invented, along with the emotions he felt. He acknowledged the dangers, but from what I'd told him about that ancient Zoroark through what Chase had recounted, he… kind of felt bad for the ghost.

"He was treated terribly by his people, no doubt," I sighed. "All that hatred for humans couldn't have come from nowhere."

Angel happily bobbed up and down.

"If there was something I could do for him, I would," I muttered. "But as it stands, we're flying toward the castle as soon as we enter, scanning the place, and getting the fuck out if there's nothing there. With some luck… we won't see him."

The words felt hollow to me, and they must have to them as well, given the fact that Honey asked me what we'd do if we did actually meet the ghost.

"Then we defend ourselves like we planned," I said. "You guys noticed during the fight with Mathilda, right? Compared to how we handled Carnivine, that was night and day. No one accidentally hurt the other, and you didn't get in the way of one another. We can do this."

The last of what we'd heard of Zoroark had him wiping out seven-badge level teams, and… well, I was above that, now, but it would still be difficult. It would no doubt be my hardest fight in a while, and more difficult than how Carnivine had been to take down. There was also a theoretical scenario where I just… pulled the hate out of Zoroark, but like with the dilemma with Mathilda, it would make me pass out and I wasn't sure if it would even make him stop attacking after recovering from the emotional shock that would no doubt come from having such an integral part of you ripped away in seconds. If he came inches from killing me like Mathilda did, though, no holds would be barred.

It would have been nice, I thought, to help him instead of having to fight. Maybe pulling the hate out of him, little by little. I doubted that he would ever accept that, though, and it would be doing things wrong. Speeding them up artificially instead of having him learn not to hate everything human again.

This was, of course, a fantasy. One born of my old self, who thought everything would end up working out if I tried enough… somehow. Sunshine had worked, but the amount of hatred we were working with here was not even comparable. Sometimes, when I closed my eyes and focused— really focused, I could feel it emanating, even here. Going down there with my empathy at full capacity would be a surefire way of passing out on the spot from the pressure. Even Chase had felt the hatred and how heavy it was, and he was no empath.

"We have the ACEs," I spoke again. "And worst-case scenario, we pull out and run. They'll probably meet us near where the covered hole is supposed to be, since they said they would enter with me next time."

That seemed to have reassured them some, though the tension still remained high.

"I love you all," I said.

And they loved me too.