"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected!"

"Whose footprint?! Whose footprint?!"

Morning cheers had only just ended, and already Diglett and Loudred were calling out for a visitor requesting entrance. Aru sat back patiently as he watched Loudred shout down the hatch to Diglett. "It's too early in the morning for this," the Riolu yawned.

"I agree," Thali said as she leaned against him, still trying to wake up. While the other guild members were busying themselves, Team Unity sat by and watched the communication, hoping to learn who the visitor was.

"No footprint! No footprint!"

"No footprint, eh? A floater. What about the shadow then?!"

Accalia was disinterested though. "Don't sit around too long," she reminded them. "We still have a job to do, and I'd rather not get back to base too late."

Disconcerted by the Snivy's attitude, Thali shot her a stern look. "We're not in any rush for time. This shouldn't take too long," she responded. "Besides, I haven't seen a visitor in weeks. I'm rather interested to see what will happen."

Accalia scoffed a bit, but didn't disagree any further. She spent her time picking at her tail leaves and removing and debris in them.

Aru felt like Diglett's response was taking forever to arrive, though he knew it was only seconds of analysis. The tension between Thali and Accalia seemed to be dragging out the moment, making it last much longer than it should have. Normally they were never this upset with each other; what was going today?

"The shadow is… Froslass'! The shadow is Froslass'!"

"A Froslass?" wondered Thali as she looked toward the ladder. "I've never seen one before."

From across the room, Sunflora gasped in surprise. "Oh my gosh, you don't think it's the Froslass, do you?" she cried in shock. "I'm not ready for this! My flower petals haven't been trimmed properly, I haven't bathed yet! Oh my gosh!"

"Sunflora," Aru stopped her quickly. "Who's the Froslass?"

"You mean you don't know?" scolded Loudred, his face scored by his typical, short-tempered expression.

Croagunk rolled his eyes. Loudred always assumed everyone should know just as much as he did. Then again—Croagunk thought—that wasn't exactly a high standard to uphold. "I don't blame them. After all, she practically became famous nearly overnight. She hasn't been around for very long, and Unity hasn't exactly been a team for very long either."

Croagunk then looked to Team Unity with a very nonplussed expression. "Froslass—well, the Froslass—is a famous explorer. She's come out of the dust of some faraway land and has been exploring the countryside, covering vast lands and even completing some dangerous requests. The craziest part is that she does everything solo."

Even Accalia became interested after the 'solo' detail was mentioned. Thali was shocked; she had never even fathomed going solo. "They say she has a wealth of knowledge about pretty much everything. Well, that's what they say, at least," Croagunk mumbled. "Look there; she's coming down now."

Froslass was a delicate Pokémon, though her expression betrayed a hardened lifestyle. Like traditional women from an oriental land, her white shell came down over her like a kimono and draped along her arms. A small red bow was tied around her waist, and icy blue eyes cast a quick, gleaning glance around the hall. "Might I request to speak to the Guildmaster here?" she spoke loudly, but gently.

Chatot rushed out to greet her and bowed deeply. "You must be that explorer everyone is talking about," he spoke in his characteristic singsong voice. "The Guildmaster is out of town at a very important council meeting right now. I'm sorry that he is not here, but if you have any questions pertaining to the guild, then I'll be happy to answer them. I am his assistant after all."

Thali giggled under her breath as she listened to the conversation. "Wow," she mumbled. "Chatot sure does love to hear himself talk."

"I wish he wouldn't," Accalia said as she gazed intently at Froslass. "I'm much more interested in hearing her talk."

"What?" Aru and Thali were both confused by that.

The Snivy did a quick pirouette and breathed a happy sigh. "Didn't you hear her voice? So rich and ladylike," she mused. "beautiful, and cunning as an explorer I bet. No wonder she's so famous."

Oh. She had become suddenly and deeply infatuated with the mysterious celebrity. Aru couldn't help but feel exasperated with the flip-flopping girl. "Calm yourself, Accalia."

"Ooh, and can't you feel that? The cold, hardened exterior of ice, and something ghostly and mysterious hiding within. It's too good to be true; you might say that she's just my type!"

Bad puns now? "Accalia, like you said," Aru attempted, "maybe we should get back to doing our missions."

"Hush! Give me a moment."

Unable to argue with her, Aru stayed put with Thali at his side. They exchanged looks of worry and frustration while they unabashedly eavesdropped on the conversation between Froslass and Chatot.

"So in the end, you discovered nothing?" Froslass mumbled. She tried to hide it, but her scrunched, sad eyebrows betrayed her disappointment.

Chatot nodded and flapped his wings to clear the air. "Yes, sad, I know," he replied with equal disappointment. Aru admired how good of an actor Chatot was. "It was a challenging trek along the coast and over Mt. Horn too. We searched the forest for a week on end, without resting, but to no avail."

"Drat. Well, I am truly sorry for that," Froslass said with a sigh. Accalia swooned a bit and Thali only rolled her eyes. "I've been traveling for quite a while, and I'm very tired. Haven't slept in a day and a half." The celebrity explorer released a yawn, as if to enhance her weary look. "Perhaps there is a place nearby where I can rest?"

Accalia jumped up then and approached Froslass, smiling. "Ms. Froslass, I overheard that you're looking for a place to rest."

"Why, Accalia!" Chatot reprehended her. "Don't be so rude. Eavesdropping on other's conversations—"

Froslass put a hand up in front of Chatot to stop him. Her face contorted in what appeared to be a smile. "Don't worry, Chatot," she said. "I would be delighted to have one of your pupils escort me around town." She nodded to Accalia and smiled. "Lead the way, Miss…"

"Snivy!" Accalia said excitedly, wagging her tail like a puppy. "I'm a Snivy, but you can call me Accalia."

"Then show me the way, Ms. Accalia!"

When Froslass and Accalia left immediately afterward, leaving the others alone, the bewildered Thali looked up at Aru and asked, "What just happened?"

"I think… I think our teammate just ditched us."

^/\^|v\/v

…Syaoron the Fox presents…

…His First Pokémon Story…

Beyond the Sky

Chapter 11

Rising Tension

^/\^|v\/v

Accalia didn't rejoin Team Unity for the rest of the day. They waited till midday, and when she didn't show, they reluctantly grabbed a request to deal with some bandits in Serenity River and headed out without her.

"Thali?" Aru asked when they went to market to grab a few items from their storage and check the Kecleon Bros' wares.

"What?"

"Is there something happening between you and Accalia?"

Thali frowned and thought back to that morning. "No," she mumbled. "It's not between us; Accalia is just being rude right now. I don't know why she's been so distant from us, but she ought to pipe up and tell us why."

"Maybe she doesn't want to tell us. I don't know why, but it's really been worrying me lately." While he was musing, Aru stopped by the bank to deposit some of their poké just in case they lost any in the dungeon.

Thali looked confused. They knew exactly where they were headed—north by northeast to the river basin—but she was lost on what Aru was saying. "Lately? What do you mean?"

Aru was obviously reluctant to discuss it, Thali could see, but he soon replied, "Ever since our adventure to Fogbound Lake, Accalia started acting distant. She wouldn't hang around us quite as often, and she would grow silent for hours."

"Oh…"

They kept walking a bit further, over a few rolling hills toward the river basin. When the got to the final hill, with the river down at the basin, Aru looked back and noticed that Thali had stopped at the bottom. "Thali?"

"I… I'm a terrible leader."

Aru cocked his head to the side. Did she really just say that? After all the improvement he'd seen her go through, from their very first mission to the expedition, she thought she wasn't a good leader? He sat down at the top and looked down to her. "Don't say that, Thali. That's not true."

She snapped her head up, revealing the tears rolling down her cheek. "But it is," she said. "I'm the leader of Team Unity. That means that I look out for both you and Accalia!"

"Thali, you can't blame yourself for this."

"I should have noticed it sooner. Maybe I could have talked to her and seen what was going on. I should have seen it and been there for her. Oh, I'm such a dunce!"

Thali had a bad habit of self-deprecating when things went wrong, Aru knew. It was useful in certain scenarios; it helped her improve faster. But when those mistakes stuck in her head and pestered her, she became solemn and upset. Aru hated that.

When the Eevee looked back up from her sniffling, she came face to face with her partner. Startled by the proximity, she hiccupped, and Aru laughed. "Look, Thali, you have to understand something," he said, poking her forehead. "You may be the leader of Team Unity, but we're still a team. It's my responsibility as much as yours to look out for her. I tried talking to her, and she didn't come out to me with her problems. There's no reason for you to be upset with yourself."

Thali looked up at him, searching for approval, and Aru answered by caressing her cheek. Oh Thali… I hope you learn to accept yourself as well as you accept others, he thought. "Don't worry," he assured her. "Come on. The village is just on the other side of this hill. Let's get over it."

After clearing her eyes of tears, Thali smiled vibrantly, determined as always to make today another good day. "Okay. Let's go." They climbed the hill together, Aru helping her along the way, and made their way to the basin where their client was waiting.

At the inlet road, a Pokémon waited. His fur was split between black and blue at the waist, and he looked up at the two with electric, yellow eyes. In some ways, he resembled a lion cub. "Good afternoon, travelers!" the Pokémon greeted them.

"Hello!" Thali responded with the same enthusiasm. "You must be the Shinx who contacted our guild. We're Team Unity, and we're here to help you."

"Unity? You must be that up-and-coming team I've heard so much about," the Shinx said. He gave the travelers a welcoming grin and nodded back into the village. "Come on. Let me show you where the bandits struck."

They followed the Shinx into the village, and Aru surveyed the land to get a grasp on life here. There were several small farms around the area, with different berry trees growing within. The water probably provided a good source for plant nutrients, and there were a few wagons here and there for transportation. So this is a berry farm. They must ship their harvests out to the Kecleon Brothers and other shops.

"Aru?"

The Riolu returned to reality at the call of his name and he turned back to Thali. "Uh… yes?"

"We're going inside," ushered Thali as she nudged him toward the Shinx's house. "Come on."

The Shinx's house was small, but accommodating. Waiting within were the Shinx and his parents. The mother was a proud Luxray, with similar fur patterns, but a more lion-like appearance. The father—with his striking yellow mane and electric blue fur—could only be a Manectric. He appeared injured, with a bandage wrapped around his forehead.

"Ah, so you're the exploration team that our little one requested," greeted the Luxray. "Come in; sit. I can serve some tea while we discuss the details."

"That's alright, ma'am," Aru said. "I'd like to get down to the heart of the matter so that we can solve your problem as quickly and efficiently as possible."

The Manectric chuckled gruffly and nodded. He winced from the muscle movement though, putting a paw to his forehead. "I'll leave you to it then," he said before heading off to the back room. "If you need me, I'll be resting."

"Do be careful, dear!" A door shut somewhere down the hall, and the Luxray wife giggled a bit. "Forgive him if he seems rude," she excused him. "My husband grows Lansat and Salac berries. They grow better at night, so he does most of his tending in the night time, and rests during the day. He hurt himself during work yesterday, so he's taking it extra easy."

"That's just fine, Mrs. Luxray," Aru responded, as polite as always.

Chuckling softly, Thali followed, "Would you mind showing us where the item was before it was stolen? You mentioned in the request that it was an heirloom of sorts."

"O-oh, right!"

Luxray showed the two to a small dining area where a cabinet stood in the back. In the middle of the cabinet stood a pedestal, but upon it stood nothing. "It was a golden brooch from my mother's family. My mother told me that it had been passed down through our tribe of Shinx, Luxio, and Luxray for ages," she said.

"A tribe?" asked Thali.

Luxray nodded. Though the brooch wasn't there, seeing the pedestal alone brought her such nostalgia. "When I was just a Shinx, my family ran with a tribe of Luxray around the northern fields and plains. There is a flat of salt and quarts to the north called the Amp Plains where we would gather to feast on the thunderstorms…"

There was a pause in her story. A cold, solemn look crossed the Luxray's face, and it did not go unnoticed by Aru or Thali. "That story is for another time though," she said, embarrassed that she had told such a revealing story to these newcomers. "My golden brooch is what was stolen."

"I see…"

Thali shot a glance over to Aru and smiled in excitement. "Aru, I know! You can use your special ability!" she reminded him. "Go ahead. Touch the pedestal."

She's right. I almost forgot about that, Aru thought as he reached inside and took hold of the pedestal. Alright, little guy. What kind of past do you have in store for me?

Dizziness and blindness followed by searing light and a sound like wind cutting metal. Then...

There was a vision before him. It was dark and difficult to see, but Aru could not mistake the scenery of the dining room. His eyes darted to the side. There were two dark silhouettes. Among the furniture and dark walls, he found it difficult to make out their features.

"You're telling me it's been hidden here this whole time?"

The other figure—the one who had not spoken—stopped and bobbed slightly; Aru suspected that he nodded an affirmative.

"In the name of Arceus, I can't believe you didn't recognize our own sacred treasure. Quick, let's nab it and make a run for it."

The silent figure was hesitant. Was he injured? Perhaps he found difficulty moving. Or maybe he was reluctant?

"Don't tell me you're backing out of this now. This is justice. You know what they did to us."

The other figure swished what was clearly its head back and forth, looking around and sighing. He was nervous. He felt wronged, but he felt that this was more wrong.

"Figures. You never were able to hang with us. The enemy's made you soft."

"Fine, I'll help you get out of here. But you have to promise that you'll leave me and my wife alone."

Aru's eyes widened in shock. That voice, it's…

The first figure reached into the glass cabinet and took the brooch in his mouth, then turned around and bashed the other with a fierce head butt. The other one with the recognizable voice fell, and did not get back up.

"Like I need any help from a miserable traitor like you."

^/\^|v\/v

In Spinda's café, just outside of the guild by the crossroads, there was an underground inn below the café portion. There, many explorers would go to rest after hours of journeying when they could not return home. They enjoyed drink and story in the café, and rested in the inn later.

Accalia had taken Froslass to this inn since she had requested a place to stay while she was in Treasure Town. While she had certainly put on the bravado of a gleeful fan earlier, now that she was in such intimate quarters with the famous explorer, Accalia no longer felt as confident as before.

She hoped her guild mates didn't take her coldness the wrong way. Though moody as she was, Accalia did want to go with. At the time, though, she needed someone else to talk to.

"Well, thank you Accalia for showing me to such a fine establishment!" Froslass said at last, chuckling as she looked around the quarters. It was humble, with a hay bed and a few paintings on the cavern wall, but it was also homey. "I really do appreciate it, yes. Why, I may even stay longer than I had thought to!"

Accalia scuffed her feet on the floor. What was she supposed to say to a famous explorer of all Pokémon? Sure it was a simple question, but she didn't want it to sound silly, and he was supposed to be wise.

Noticing her silence, Froslass lifted one of her delicate limbs and patted her head. "Child, what is the matter? You have been somber since we stepped into the tavern."

Well, now she had no choice. "Mr. Froslass, I wanted to ask you," Accalia mumbled, "about a personal problem."

A smile donned the celebrity's face, and she sat on the bed, eager to listen. So Accalia continued: "You might have seen it earlier, but I'm a part of Team Unity, along with my friends Aru and Thali, a Riolu and an Eevee."

"Yes, I did notice they were looking at you with a deep expression of worry."

Accalia shifted a bit in her stance. "Well… It's going to sound silly, but lately I've felt…"

"Outcast?"

"Neglected is more of an appropriate word," she mumbled. "I've gotten really attached to them. I'm not at the liberty to say why, but they've sort of raised me, if I can put it that way. But ever since one of our journeys, they spend more time together, and I feel like I'm being pushed out.

"So, I figured 'who better to ask than the knowledgeable Froslass?' But… well, now that I'm here, it seems so silly."

Froslass let out a soft giggle then, not one of scorn, but of understanding. "Child, everyone has those feelings. I have many friends, and over the years, I thought that they had turned away from me, more interested in others."

"How did you deal with it?"

"Well, I didn't," he admitted. "That's why I venture alone now."

"Oh…"

"My advice to you is this, Accalia," Froslass said at last. "If you care for you friends as dearly as you seem, I can only assume that they must reciprocate that. If you are feeling neglected, you absolutely must tell them.

"I noticed the way you acted earlier. You were being indignant with your teammates." A look of shame crossed Accalia's face. "I'm sure they are equally worried about you. Speak to them, Accalia. I promise, good things will come of it."

Though she was confronted with confused emotions, Accalia felt a little more secure now that she had some reassurance in her corner of the ring. Smiling thankfully, she bowed to Froslass and went toward the door. "Thank you for your advice, ma'am," she said.

"Don't be unfriendly now, Accalia. Call me Froslass."

She giggled a bit. It was the first time she'd smiled in a while. "Thank you, Froslass," she said before leaving.

"Oh, Accalia!"

The Snivy turned around while in the middle of the doorway. "Yes?"

"Where did you say your friends had gone today?"

She hadn't said it, but she nonetheless revealed, "My friends went to Serenity River. Something about a Luxray's heirloom."

"Oh… I see. Well, take care, Accalia."

She was gone immediately afterward. Froslass sat there for a moment, pondering the young girl. She was a Snivy, a race he had never heard of before in all his years of exploration. Perhaps there was more to her than met the eye. She suspected that wasn't the only thing on her mind.

"We'll see each other again," she mumbled beneath her breath. "Though, your friends are in much graver danger than you realize. I must make haste."

^/\^|v\/v

At the head of Serenity River was cavern where the source was located. It was here, Aru had gathered from his vision, that the bandits were hiding out for the time being. The Pokémon that lived there were serene water-types that mostly sequestered into their own groups and lived on their own. Of the feral Pokémon they had seen, these had been the tamest.

Aru took the time granted to them by the peace to further ponder his mysterious vision. There's no doubt, he concluded as they crossed over cracks with flowing water. That voice, and the bruised forehead; that was the Manectric from the farm. But why was he taking part in the thievery of his own family's precious heirloom?

"Aru?"

The Riolu looked beside him at his partner, her lips turned down in a concerned frown. "Something's bothering you ever since your vision."

"Yeah…" he mumbled, looking up toward a small cluster of Pokémon gathered around a tiny pond. It was a group of Poliwag; he recognized them by their big eyes and the spiral on their bellies.

"Well… what did you see?"

He divulged the occurrences in his vision while walking, checking constantly around for any sign of the thief. It was only made more difficult since Aru couldn't tell what Pokémon the thief was from the vision.

"Wow… I can't believe Manectric would do something like that," Thali mumbled.

"Remember," Aru said, "he had a change of heart at the last moment. Still… I'll definitely have some questions for him when we get back."

"From his own wife! How could he even think about doing that to her? I just don't understand at all. How could he betray—"

Aru slapped a paw over her mouth and suddenly dragged her behind a large set of stalactites. "Hush," he whispered to her. There had been a noise, and he thought he saw the form of a Pokémon they'd not yet seen in this dungeon. Suspicious, Aru and Thali hid there and waited.

Deeper into the cave, there was a crevice so huge, that it split the cave in two and prevented access to the edge on the other side. Before the crevice stood a quadrupedal Pokémon, looking up to the edge on the other side. "Wait a minute," Thali mumbled upon closer inspection. "Is that Manectric?"

Aru narrowed his gaze, trying to make him out in the low light. "Yes," he mumbled, identifying the coat and the sharp, yellow mane. "But look closer at the forehead. No bandage. That's a different Manectric."

They watched then, stunned and amazed, as the Manectric suddenly began walking over the crevice on thin air. Aru noticed a disturbance in the air around him, but nothing else, and soon the Manectric had crossed safely to the other side. "What the…?"

"Oh, of course!"

"Of course what?" Aru asked.

Thali hummed, padding her paws on the ground in careful thought. "Manectric are electric-type Pokémon, Aru! There must have been others on the opposite side manipulating electricity to create an electromagnetic field which allowed that Manectric to cross over the crevice. That's how he gets over there."

Aru was astonished at how quickly Thali came to that conclusion. "Wow… sometimes I forget how smart you are."

The Eevee's cheeks suddenly burst into a rouge color. "Huh?"

"I guess it's just that you're shy; I forget that you're so smart."

Compliments aside, how were they going to cross the crevice? Flustered, Thali began looking around for a solution. "If only Accalia were here," Aru hummed. "Her Vine Whip would have made crossing this a breeze."

"That doesn't matter," Thali hummed as she looked around. She pointed at a stalagmite on the ceiling. "Look at that one. I think it's large enough, so if we knock it down, we can tilt it over and use it as a bridge to get over."

"Want me to use my new move?"

"No, don't. You haven't perfected it yet; you'll hurt yourself," Thali insisted. She giggled when Aru pouted. "Don't worry I can hit it with my Shadow Ball."

So Thali took aim at the stalagmite and fired a thrumming ball of dark energy. It struck the stalagmite with a crack, and down fell the stalagmite until it hit the earth with an echoing boom. "Knock it over, Aru," she said. "And quickly. They must have noticed us by now."

Aru looked up at the towering stalagmite. Now that it was next to them, it seemed much bigger. He rushed forward and struck it with a Force Palm, toppling the stalagmite. As Thali predicted, the stalagmite was tall enough so that it crashed into the other side. "Brilliant," Aru mumbled. "Let's get going."

With care in each step, and not a single glance down into the endless pit, Aru and Thali crossed the crevice. Every step Thali took on the makeshift bridge caused her heart to jump. She felt a pit in her stomach as deep as the crevice itself. Gulping down a breath, she stumbled across the bridge and landed on the other side.

"Oh thank Arceus," she mumbled, her legs shaky.

They were both shocked when a booming voice shouted down the cavern: "Get back! Don't come any closer!"

"Those must be our bandits," Aru mumbled as they ventured into the cave. Water dripped from the ceiling as they approached in absolute silence. The plops of water rung in their ears like war drums. Not a sound was heard as they creeped down the darkening cave.

"I don't see anything, Aru," Thali mumbled. True to her word, their seemed to be no sign of the voice they had heard earlier, or its source. "Aru maybe this isn't what we're looking for."

It only took a moment. A second.

"Flash!"

A blinding, piercing light exploded in their eyes. Aru stumbled and hit the floor. He felt the soft impact of Thali landing right next to him.

When again he could see, Aru looked up into the glaring eyes of a Manectric and a pack of his fellow, green-colored Electrike. They were surrounded, and the pack was poised to strike. "Now that I have your attention," growled the Manectric, "why have you invaded or home?"