Dion, who had shot ahead of the others, barreled into the foyer and came to an abrupt halt. "Hey, it's those guys again!"

When Eileen caught up, she was surprised to find the two Lycanroc she and Dion had encountered in Pyrite Pit. Jasper was pacing up and down the hall restlessly while Coltan sat off to the side. Their son, Beryl, was nowhere to be found. Eileen's heart sank when she put two and two together.

Jasper stopped in her tracks. "You two!" she roared, pointing an accusatory claw at Dion and Eileen. Her arm was shaking. "This is all your fault!"

Coltan stiffened his posture. "They are not to blame. No Pokémon could have prevented this."

Still gnashing her teeth, Jasper let her arm fall to her side. "If they don't find him, I'll..." Her voice trailed off when Headmaster Arcanine appeared in her peripheral vision, but otherwise, she didn't acknowledge him.

The headmaster was equally surprised. "Ah, Jasper, Coltan! It's good to see you," he greeted, oblivious to the tension in the room.

Jasper looked like she wanted to bite his head off. "Well, it's not good to see you."

Headmaster Arcanine took a step back, frowning. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Our son," Jasper growled, her tone intense, "has gone missing."

Chef Muk cut in, "Aromatisse told me there's a rumor going around Origin Central about wild Pokémon going missing. That might be related to your son's disappearance."

Jasper sank her claws into the carpet. "Why wasn't this addressed sooner?"

Chef Muk said, "Because—"

"Because we're wild Pokémon!" Jasper snarled. "No one cares about us."

Headmaster Arcanine attempted to mediate. "Calm yourself. This is the first time I've heard anything about this case. It simply hadn't been brought to the academy's attention."

"That's because wild Pokémon don't feel safe coming into town. We aren't welcome there."

Coltan stepped in. "Jasper," he said, composed, "you might be wasting precious time by arguing."

Jasper gave him a spiteful look, but refrained from speaking.

"That really is a shame. This academy does not discriminate," Headmaster Arcanine said. "Do you have any leads on where your son might've gone?"

"No," Colton replied. "We woke up this morning and he was gone. He has become very interested in doing things on his own, so it's very possible that he left home to explore."

Much to the Lycanrocs' dismay, Chef Muk said, "If the rumor is to be believed, it's likely that he was kidnapped. He might've gotten abducted after leaving Pyrite Pit."

Headmaster Arcanine deliberated for a moment. "If that's the case, the perpetrator couldn't have gotten very far. I will send out three search parties to nearby locations, and one of you should keep watch at Pyrite Pit in case he returns." He announced, "Team Masquerade, I'm assigning you to the Foreboding Bog. Dion, Eileen, I would like you to search the Misty Moor. Muk and I will ask around Origin Central."

Chamberlain Claydol looked as though it wanted to say something, but the headmaster spoke first. "Stay here and guard the academy. Since we're all staying in the general vicinity of the academy, your Teleportal service is not needed."

The chamberlain bowed. "Understood."

As the others prepared to leave, Dion pulled out his map. "Hmm," he murmured. Realizing he had been looking at it upside-down, he quickly flipped it. "Ah-ha! The Misty Moor is just west of the Foreboding Bog."

"Yes. You should travel alongside Team Masquerade until they arrive at their destination," Headmaster Arcanine suggested.

Dion whined, "Ugh. Do we have to?"

"It only makes sense."

Dion sighed and faced Cleo. "Well, we're ready when you are."

"That's a relief. I can't stand being made to wait," said Cleo. As they departed, she drifted away from her teammates and floated at Eileen's side. Again, they merely acknowledged each other without exchanging any words.

This agitated Dion. "Why are you two acting all buddy-buddy? Don't tell me you're in cahoots!"

Stella and Sheldon looked similarly peeved, even though Cleo had implied that they didn't enjoy her company.

Cleo chose her words carefully. "There's something we have in common. You wouldn't understand."

Eileen was certain that Dion would know what she was referring to, but to her surprise, his mind was somewhere else. "Is it that you're the leaders?" he guessed. "Now that I think of it, Eileen and I never decided on which one of us should be the leader. Does a team really need one? I like to think we're both the same."

Cleo was happy to adopt this subject. "What a stupid thing to say." She put her hands where her hips should've been. "Without someone to take charge and direct, a team will simply fall apart!"

"I think we've been doing pretty okay so far," Dion said. "We can talk things out together. It's not that big of a deal." He narrowed his eyes. "You should really tone down your High Horsepower. I mean, you never let your teammates have a say in anything. When you're around, they don't even talk!"

Considering her own reticence, Eileen thought this was a strange point for him to make. Granted, she was choosing to be quiet, whereas Cleo appeared to intimidate her teammates into not speaking. In spite of what she had claimed, Cleo's leadership seemed to only further disrupt Team Masquerade's synergy.

"They can speak if they want to. Nothing's stopping them," Cleo said. "Some Pokémon just don't have anything good to say."

"Tell me about it," Dion muttered.

Cleo rolled her eyes. "Why don't we all shut up and focus on our mission? I mean, guys, this is pretty serious." She said, "I've never been assigned a job like this before. Stuff like this is always reserved for teams with lots of experience."

Dion gulped. "Yeah, I'm kind of nervous about this." He nudged Eileen. "Do you think this is what Toxicroak was warning us about? What if we get kidnapped, too?"

"Stop being such a baby. If you want to be a hunter so badly, start acting like one," hissed Cleo.

Dion let out a muffled growl, but something distracted him from retaliating. His gaze was fixed on a garish blue shack: Manectric's Academy. "That's it," he uttered, slamming a fist into his open palm. "I bet Manectric is the one behind this. She must be so desperate for new students that she's resorted to kidnapping them!"

"You can't blame Manectric for every bad thing that happens. When was the last time she even got caught doing something shady?" rebuked Cleo, curiously sympathetic of the headmistress. "If you really think it was her, why don't you go in there and search?"

"Never mind!" Dion yelped.

The distant stench of swamp water began to trickle into Eileen's nostrils, and it made her feel a little nostalgic. It seemed like so much had happened since Dion found her in the Foreboding Bog. That was only yesterday, Eileen realized in alarm. With all of her other memories gone, it was no wonder her sense of time was off.

The parties did not exchange goodbyes when Team Masquerade arrived at its destination. As the three Pokémon disappeared down the boardwalk, Dion turned to Eileen and said, "Thank goodness they're gone. I don't know why Headmaster Arcanine keeps making us work with those bullies." He withdrew the map again. "We're not too far from the Misty Moor, but I bet we can get there even sooner if we fly. Why don't you give it another try? You did a pretty good job getting into your bed last night."

Eileen clenched her teeth. Yeah, I was real graceful, wasn't I? She did want to teach herself to fly—if she was going to be stuck as a Scyther, she ought to learn how to live like one. It'll be like learning how to ride a bike, she assured herself. This time, she would be flying forward rather than up. Perhaps that would make it easier.

Eileen braced herself before leaping into the air. As her wings began to vibrate, she smoothly flipped onto her belly and tucked in her legs. When her weight caused her to sink toward the ground, she pushed herself to beat her wings harder. Eileen grinned as she glided off the path, too ecstatic to be bothered by the strain on her wings.

I may not be flying like a bird, but this… this is incredible. There was something exhilarating about being able to move at such high speeds without touching the ground. The cool air buffeting her body was refreshing in the summery heat, and in that moment, she felt like she truly belonged in the world.

"I knew you could do it!" Eileen could barely hear Dion over the drone of her wings. She tossed her head over her shoulder to look back at him, but all she could see was a blur of scenery. It made her a little anxious—Dion was the one with the map, and he knew his way around better than she did. Eileen tilted her body to the side, turning herself around and soaring back to her teammate.

Dion was confused. "What's wrong? You were flying like a pro!"

Eileen attempted to slow down, but she accidentally brought her wings to a complete stop and had to catch herself from falling onto Dion. "I, uh, don't actually know where I'm going," she admitted, holding her scythes together.

"You were going the right way! … I think." He inspected the map. "Maybe this wasn't such a great idea, anyway. There's no way I'd be able to keep up with you."

He was right. Eileen, it seemed, was only capable of flying at extreme speeds.

That's it! Eileen's mouth fell open as she thought back to Dion's scuffle with Headmaster Arcanine. Dion had bound the headmaster's legs with his vines in an effort to stop him, only for the headmaster to retaliate with Extreme Speed and bring Dion flying along with him. Would Dion be open to trying a similar technique in friendlier circumstances?

Eileen bent forward and spread her arms. "Grab on," she instructed. "With your vines, I mean. You can look at the map and tell me where to go… or like, steer me or something."

"Hey, that's a pretty good idea!" Dion beamed as he wrapped his vines around her upper arms.

Eileen dipped her head. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

Eileen took off, causing Dion's leafy body to flap like a flag behind her. He couldn't help but let out a cry of joy as he was carried along. "This… is… awesome!"

Eileen, too, was elated. Dion's airborne form added little weight to her back, letting her fly as fast as ever. Even though she was letting Dion control her, she had never felt so free.

"All right," Dion shouted over the sound of Eileen's wings. Eileen made sure to pay careful attention to his voice. "The map says we should go… this way." Dion tugged on her left arm, and she turned slightly. "Okay! Keep going this way, or maybe a tiny bit more to the left."

The gnarled mangroves of the wetlands thinned, and the pungent odor of the swamp distilled into pink mist. The temperature dropped significantly, causing Eileen to shiver.

"Looks like we're here," Dion announced. Eileen had already begun to slow down. When she came to a stop, Dion unwound his vines. "Boy," he said, "this certainly looks like a place where Pokémon would go missing. I can't see a thing."

Eileen was feeling a little fatigued, though she still had some adrenaline left over from her flight. She looked to Dion for direction, but he didn't seem to know what to do, either.

"Gosh, I don't even know where to start. I feel lost already."

Eileen had a bad feeling about this dungeon. She wished she could leave a trail of breadcrumbs so they could find their way out, but it wasn't like they'd be able to see them, anyway. This, coupled with the dangerous nature of the mission, afflicted Eileen with the sickness of dread.

Eileen knew she wasn't cut out for this kind of work, but she didn't have the heart to tell Dion. Any confidence she might've gained during their first assignment had been snuffed out by Headmaster Arcanine upon their return. The danger was real this time, and Eileen definitely wasn't prepared.

Dion, on the other hand, didn't seem nearly as bothered. "Well, humming and hawing isn't gonna get us anywhere. Let's start looking." Dion pushed forward and was swallowed by the mist. Eileen, not wanting to lose sight of her teammate, hurried after him.

Everything Eileen could see looked exactly the same. Beneath her feet were trampled purple leaves; and around her were skinny black trees, like lampposts that had burned out. It was eerily silent, save for the slithering of her feet through the leaves. She made sure to tread as carefully as she could. Even Dion knew better than to make conversation—at least, until he was struck by a brilliant idea of his own.

"You know, we're supposed to be searching for Beryl. Why are we being all sneaky like this? We've gotta let him know we're here to rescue him."

That's a terrible idea! Eileen reeled in alarm. We don't even know if this is where he is! Anything could be out there!

Before she had a chance to stop him, Dion called, "Hello-ooo-oo!"

"No!" Eileen squawked, giving her teammate a Leer. It then occurred to her that she was contributing to the noise as well.

"Oh no." Dion's hands flew up over his mouth. "I shouldn't have done that. What if the kidnapper heard me? I messed up..." He looked like he was about to cry.

Serves you right, Eileen thought in spite. Now that her survival was on the line, she was beginning to realize how much of a liability Dion's foolishness had the potential to be.

Both of them nearly jumped out of their skin when they were answered by a familiar high-pitched voice. "Hello!" Beryl waddled out of a cloud of mist and settled in front of them.

"B-Beryl!" Dion hollered, choking back tears. Composing himself, he boasted, "See, Eileen? I knew it would work!"

Eileen glowered at him.

"Beryl, what in the world are you doing out here? Your parents are worried sick!" Dion exclaimed.

Beryl couldn't contain his excitement. "I went outside to explore last night when Mom and Dad were sleeping, and—and—they told me to never leave Pyrite Pit without their permission, but—" He burped. "I met this really nice Pokémon, and she told me she had a whole lot of Berries she could share with me, so I followed her here and she let me eat as many Berries as I could! I've never seen that much food in my entire life."

Eileen examined the Rockruff, who was so full he could barely move. His claims certainly raised some red flags, but it was obvious that he had recently eaten a lot. Still, Eileen wasn't ready to accept his story as fact. Something didn't seem right.

"It was wrong of you to disobey your parents, but they'll be so relieved when they find out you weren't kidnapped," Dion said. "Who's the Pokémon who gave you all the Berries, if I may ask?"

Beryl hiccuped. "She'll catch up with me soon. She's carrying a huge bag of Berries."

It was faint, but Eileen could hear something being dragged through the leaves. A figure emerged from the mist: a portly pink and white Pokémon carrying two burlap sacks, one empty and one full.

"Slurpuff!" Dion cried, flying up to her to give her a hug. She didn't reciprocate, much to his disappointment.

"O-oh!" Slurpuff exclaimed. "Goodness, I certainly wasn't expecting to bump into my favorite hunting team. What a happy coincidence." Eileen was put off by her uncharacteristic lack of cheer. She didn't seem happy to see them.

Dion gave her some space. "This doesn't seem like a very good place for Pokémon to meet up."

Eileen agreed. There was something awfully suspicious about Slurpuff's supposed arrangements. Why would she have Beryl meet her in such an isolated location? Slurpuff was beginning to give off predatory vibes, but Eileen was unable to deduce what she wanted to do with Beryl.

At the same time, she had reason to believe that, in spite of her dubious circumstances, Slurpuff was innocent. Beryl had been fed—and quite generously—meaning she hadn't just been using the promise of food as a lure. Slurpuff had also provided Eileen and Dion with a massive amount of free food, so this behavior wasn't out of character for her. Eileen couldn't come up with any ulterior motives she might've had. Was Slurpuff just that kind?

"I pass through the Misty Moor when I leave town to pick up shipments of produce, so I thought I'd have him meet me in the middle. I wouldn't want to make him uncomfortable by having him come into town," Slurpuff explained. "I come across a lot of wild Pokémon during my trips, and I'm always happy to share my stock with those less fortunate than me."

Eileen thought it was a strange coincidence that a lot of wild Pokémon were also said to have gone missing recently. What was the connection?

"Wow." There was a sparkle in Dion's eye. "That's unbelievably kind of you. You're a great Pokémon, Slurpuff."

"Aww, shucks."

Eyeing the sacks, Dion said, "Is there anything we can do to help? It looks like you have a lot to carry."

"I can manage on my own, dear. I'm stronger than I look," said Slurpuff.

"No, I insist!" Dion flew over to the sack full of Berries. As he struggled to lift it, a sparkly pink Orb fell out and rolled across the ground. "Ah, whoops!"

Slurpuff gasped.

"I'll get it!" Beryl tottered up to the Orb and picked it up in his mouth. As he bit down, the Orb emitted a soft glow before dissolving into the air. Beryl's teeth clacked together and he whimpered, "H-huh?"

"Beryl, you should be more careful with Wonder Orbs," Dion scolded. "What kind of Orb was that, Slurpuff? It's not going to do anything bad, is it?"

The look of horror on Slurpuff's face spoke for itself.

"I feel kinda funny," Beryl said. Not even a second later, he shrieked as his paws began to bubble and melt into a substance resembling mud. The substance spread up his legs, immobilizing him. It made terrible snapping, gurgling noises as it enveloped the Rockruff's body. Beryl sank toward the ground, his limbs collapsing into waxy brown blobs. The substance migrated to his head and poured into his mouth, silencing his screams. Soon, all that remained of Beryl was a mound of Brown Gummis.

"Aah—" Dion choked.

Eileen was petrified. The memory of the Gummi's chocolaty flavor flooded her mouth, making her feel ill.

Slurpuff, too, was in a daze. "That… wasn't supposed to happen," she said blankly.

"N-no," Dion whimpered, shaking his head in denial. "That Orb… what did it do to him?"

"It was an Itemizer Orb," said Slurpuff. "T-this was just a tragic accident. I wouldn't have been able to stop him."

Shaken from her horror, Eileen thought back to their visit to the Orb Emporium. Itemizer Orbs… Toxicroak said those are illegal!

"Why would you even have something like that?" Dion wailed.

Slurpuff sighed. "I guess there's no way around this." She reached into the sack and withdrew another pink Orb. "Gummis aren't manufactured on the Stone Continent. Pokémon go crazy for them, but I couldn't afford to keep importing them… so I started making them myself."

"I-Itemizer Orbs," Dion said in a small voice. He kneaded his belly uncomfortably. "Your Gummis… are made from Pokémon?"

"Yes, dear. That is correct," Slurpuff said, hanging her head. "When a wild Pokémon goes missing, it usually isn't reported. They disappear sometimes—it's just a thing that happens in the wild. Even then, I guess it's a little suspicious when so many of them go missing in such a short span of time. I had too much confidence in myself. I heard the rumors, and yet… I should've known I was bound to get caught eventually."

"I don't understand," Dion murmured, weeping. "I thought you were a nice Pokémon. H-how could you do something like this?"

"Nice… is relative," Slurpuff said. "You wouldn't think any differently of me if you hadn't found out about this. All those free samples… don't you know nothing in life is free? Everything has value, but some things are more valuable than others. That includes Pokémon.

"I do like you, Dion. I like all of my customers, and you've always held a special place in my heart. I want to see you grow as a hunter, and I want to continue providing all the things you need. Let's make a deal." She put her paw against her lips, glancing at the Orb in her other paw out of the corner of her eye. "Go back to the academy and tell your headmaster you didn't have any luck. If you don't say a word about this to anyone, I'll give you any Berries you need free of charge for as long as my business still stands… and I'll be more careful about this in the future to make sure I'm in business for as long as possible."

Eileen looked from the Itemizer Orb to Dion, pleading with him silently. As disturbing as Slurpuff's crimes were, she didn't care about doing the right thing when her life was on the line. She would rather live a coward than go down a fool.

"No," Dion mumbled. He sucked in a deep breath and his voice grew into a roar. "No! We won't let you get away with this!"

We? Eileen tucked herself behind him.

Slurpuff sighed again. "I really, really didn't want to do this, but what choice do I have?" She held up the Itemizer Orb, but before she had a chance to throw it, Dion flung out a vine and whipped it out of her paw. It knocked into her head and fizzled into light.

"You didn't—" Slurpuff croaked. She tried to stay collected, but panic set in when her body softened and she began to writhe violently. In a fleeting moment of clarity, she whispered, "This is what I deserve. I… I'm sorry." Then, her head folded in on itself and she crumpled into a pile of Pastel Gummis.

Dion fell to the ground and burst into tears. Eileen kept her distance, staring vacantly at the two heaps of Gummis. Her brain was struggling to process everything that had happened, leaving her completely numb. A single thought cycled through her mind: I don't want to be here. She knew better than to run into the mist, so she just stood there, shaking.

Once several minutes had passed, Dion lifted his head. Though he was still sniffling, he was trying his best to appear stoic. "It's… over. There's nothing we can do." Detached, he reached into his bag and removed the Escape Orb he had purchased earlier. The Orb seemed to trouble him at first, but he forced himself to power through his apprehension and activate it. The black smoke mingled with the mist, and the two of them arrived at the academy in a thick pink cloud. As soon as the mist dispersed, they were accosted by Jasper.

"Where is he?" she demanded, even more hostile than usual. "The other search parties came back with nothing. Tell me you found him."

"W-we—" The words were trapped in Dion's throat.

Jasper glared at him with burning red eyes.

Dion couldn't bear to look at her. "We found him, b-but… he couldn't make it back."

Jasper screamed and threw herself at Dion. Headmaster Arcanine and several students rushed over to tear her, a whirlwind of teeth and claws, off of him. As soon as they managed to separate them, Jasper darted out of the academy.

Dion, bruised and battered, moaned as he struggled to lift himself into the air. Weakly, he said, "We… couldn't save him." His eyes rolled back and he fainted.

"Muk!" Headmaster Arcanine roared. "Get him a Reviver Seed, now!"

Chef Muk lugged herself into the mess hall as fast as she could and returned with the same kind of seed Coltan had fed to Beryl. When Dion regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was Headmaster Arcanine looming over him.

"Tell me what happened."

Chef Muk put her hands together. "It's almost suppertime. I'll call everyone in the mess hall so you can talk."

Eileen half-expected the headmaster to bolt out of the foyer, but the gravity of the situation kept his hunger at bay. She watched as the students who had assisted Dion left, chattering amongst themselves nervously. Chef Muk proceeded to recruit the rest of the students, leaving only Dion, Eileen, and the headmaster.

Headmaster Arcanine focused his one eye on Dion.

"It was Slurpuff," Dion said, shying away from the headmaster's pressing stare.

Headmaster Arcanine cocked his head. "From Origin Central?"

"Yeah. Her." Dion fidgeted uncomfortably. "She's the one behind all of this. All those wild Pokémon that went missing… it was because of her. She was using Itemizer Orbs to… I don't want to talk about it. But we stopped her."

"And where is she now?"

"She's… gone. But so is Beryl. It was the Itemizer Orbs." Dion was beginning to wilt. "We failed. I'm sorry."

Headmaster Arcanine straightened his back. "I wouldn't say that, lad. Sometimes, you can't save everyone. It's a hard truth to accept, and I'm sorry it had to be thrust upon you so early in your career. But it's something every hunter experiences eventually. That is the nature of our work."

"I just wanted to look for treasure," Dion whimpered. "I don't want to see bad things happen. I… I don't know if I can do this."

"Dion," Headmaster Arcanine said sternly. "I made it expressly clear that being a hunter isn't just about finding treasure. You knew what you were getting into when you signed up."

"I didn't think it would be like this."

"I understand that this kind of work can take a heavy toll on a Pokémon's mental well-being. If you don't think you can handle the life of a hunter, you may return your badge." The headmaster continued, "But I have faith in you, Dion. You did your job. Just remember that for every bad Pokémon that exists, there are dozens of good ones—ones that you saved. Think of all the Pokémon you've protected by bringing that criminal to justice. It takes a lot of courage to put one's life on the line for others—courage I know you possess. That's what it means to be a hero."

Something in the headmaster's speech resonated with Dion. A tearful smile spread across his face. "A… hero," he repeated, as if he had just heard the word for the first time. "Is that what I am? But… I thought what I did was wrong."

Headmaster Arcanine said, "In the pursuit of justice, we're often forced to make hard decisions. Sometimes, we must do things that don't appear to be morally sound. If you used an Itemizer Orb to defeat Slurpuff, one might say you're just as bad as her—but is that really the case? Think of all the victims she's had, and all the victims she would continue to have if you hadn't stopped her. Some might not agree with this philosophy, but to me, there is a clear solution to such dilemmas."

Dion wiped a tear from his eye.

"Our work isn't done just yet. We cannot confirm that Jasper returned to Pyrite Pit, so someone needs to report to Coltan and deliver the news. Additionally, the perpetrator's possession and use of illegal Orbs is grounds for a follow-up investigation. Another party may have been involved in the crime."

Toxicroak, Eileen thought. In hindsight, some of the things he had said were awfully shady. Why had he casually brought up Itemizer Orbs if he no longer sold them? He had also warned Dion and Eileen about the disappearances, though it had been established that there was already a rumor going around Origin Central. Still, Eileen had a hunch he was connected to the crime in some way.

"Dion, I'm going to have you speak to Coltan." It made sense that Headmaster Arcanine had chosen Dion for the task—after all, he had been the one to inform Jasper and the headmaster, and he had a greater capacity for sympathy than Eileen.

Dion shivered. "I really hope Jasper isn't there." That was another thing: the Grass-type Dion would stand more of a chance than Eileen if things turned sour.

To Eileen, the headmaster said, "I will accompany you to Origin Central. Hopefully Muk will be able to keep everyone under control."

This made Eileen uncomfortable. If there was anyone who needed to be kept under control, it was Headmaster Arcanine. It would only be a matter of time before his lucidity slipped away again, and Eileen didn't want to be alone with him when that happened. At the same time, she was a little glad he was coming along. She didn't know if she'd be able to approach Toxicroak by herself.

...

Under the purple evening sky, Origin Central seemed like an entirely different town. Eileen found herself unable to look away from Slurpuff's now deserted shop. The cart was draped in shadows, the barrels never to be filled again.

Headmaster Arcanine's voice pulled Eileen from her thoughts. "This way, lass," he said, pushing through the flap of Toxicroak's tent. Eileen followed him inside, where she found Toxicroak transferring Orbs from the shelves to a sizable safe.

Without even looking at the visitors, he snapped, "What do you need? Can't you see I'm closing up shop?" When he turned around, he nearly dropped an Orb he was holding. He chuckled nervously and set the Orb in the safe. "Ain't this a surprise. What brings you to my shop, Headmaster? It's been ages since I last saw you." While his perpetual grin made his expression unreadable, there was a hint of anxiety in his voice.

To be fair, it was hard not to be intimidated by Headmaster Arcanine's massive form. He was staring past Toxicroak and salivating, the gleam of several Orbs captured in his single wide eye.

Here we go. Eileen wanted to get away, but she was stuck between the headmaster and a rack of Orbs. She swallowed hard, accepting her fate.

Toxicroak didn't know how to react. "Sir… are you hungry? I'm afraid you've come to the wrong shop." He paused before reaching for another Orb. "Though, from what I've heard, Slurpuff hasn't been around. Pokémon keep stopping by to ask me where she is. How am I supposed to know? I've been in this tent all day."

With Headmaster Arcanine unresponsive, Eileen knew she had to speak up. "Do you…" Realizing she was too quiet to hear, she adjusted the volume of her voice. "Do you know what's been going on with Itemizer Orbs?"

"Ah, I didn't even see you there! It's good to know your Silence Orb wore off, heheh." Toxicroak seemed reluctant to answer her question, but he obliged after Eileen flashed him a Leer. "Itemizer Orbs, you say? I have no idea what you're talking about. They're not sold here, not anymore—that's all I have to say on the matter."

"Is it really?" growled Headmaster Arcanine, wiping his mouth with his paw. "How would a Pokémon be able to get a hold of those? Slurpuff had been using them to make wild Pokémon disappear."

Toxicroak blinked. "Slurpuff, really? I never would've expected that," he said. "Beats me how she managed to get some. Really, I haven't got a clue—search my entire stock if you want. I don't have a monopoly on Orbs, you know. Perhaps she got them off the black market."

Eileen studied the shopkeeper intensely. Was he really telling the truth? Something about Toxicroak was very untrustworthy, but that might've just been his personality. If he was willing to let them investigate his merchandise, he couldn't have had anything to hide—unless he was confident they weren't committed enough to take him up on his offer. Deciding she wasn't the best judge of character, Eileen waited for Headmaster Arcanine's verdict.

After a long moment of deliberation, Headmaster Arcanine said, "I'll let you off the hook this time, but I'll be keeping my eye on you. If I find out you're lying, you will be apprehended and your assets will be seized at once." He continued, "I will look into the supposed underground Orb trade, and I encourage you to do the same. If any details emerge, report them to the academy at once."

Toxicroak bowed his head. "I'd be happy to aid in your investigation. My business's reputation is of utmost importance to me, and I'd hate for it to be associated with criminal activity. Wonder Orbs get enough flak as it is."

Headmaster Arcanine grunted in response. Without saying another word, he turned and exited the tent. Eileen took one last look at Toxicroak before shuffling after the headmaster.

"I haven't really had an opportunity to speak with you," Headmaster Arcanine said as the two of them strolled out of Origin Central. "What's your name again? I'm afraid it's escaped me."

"Eileen," the Scyther replied, her voice even quieter than usual.

"Ah, that's right," said the headmaster. "So, tell me: are you enjoying being a hunter?"

"I don't know." In fact, Eileen didn't even know what there was to enjoy. If she were being honest, she'd much rather help out in the kitchen or aid Chamberlain Claydol like Dion used to—but she didn't want to see how the headmaster would react if she told the truth.

"That's not what I like to hear," he said with a frown. "I did notice that my motivational speech didn't have much of an impact on you. I understand that Pokémon have different values—not everyone wants to be a hero, and I respect that. If you're on the fence about being a hunter, I'd suggest giving it some more time. It's possible that you simply haven't adjusted to this lifestyle yet. Things may seem turbulent in the beginning, but as time goes on, you'll find there's a rhythm to all of it. You just need to learn how to dance."

The headmaster may have been speaking in metaphor, but Eileen had quite literally started out tripping over her own feet. Now, a day later, her gait had become natural. Would she acclimatize to being a hunter as well? It was true that the prestige of being a hero was of little importance to Eileen, but part of her was drawn to the excitement of combat. She was a creature with swords for arms—what else was she supposed to do with them? Upon reflection, the idea of chopping vegetables didn't seem nearly as appealing.

Although Slurpuff had horrified her in the moment, Eileen had almost entirely managed to move on. Had her horror been tied to Beryl's fate, or had she merely been fearing for her own survival? On some level—perhaps to cope with the trauma—she wanted to see Pokémon as animals; something less than human. That wasn't true at all, though. Each Pokémon was sapient and possessed a human intellect. They were people—but Eileen, having only just become one herself, felt somewhat detached. Such stoicism would be invaluable in the wake of tragedy.

The only problem was that, rather selfishly, Eileen didn't want anything bad to happen to herself.

She knew she wasn't a hero.

...

Dion had not yet returned by the time Eileen and Headmaster Arcanine arrived at the academy. Since she didn't have the appetite for dinner, Eileen went upstairs and settled into bed. Again, her thoughts ate away at her mind. Her stomach ached, reminding her of the Gummis she had feasted upon. If Gummis corresponded with a Pokémon's type, and she had eaten Gummis in practically every color of the rainbow, just how many victims had been involved?

Cleo was right, Eileen thought in despair, I really am a cannibal. In spite of her disgust, part of her longed for the savory taste of meat. Had she eaten Pokémon as a human? Again, Pokémon were completely absent from her memories. She felt like the meat she once consumed had come from something else entirely. She couldn't recall what that thing was, but she hoped it existed in the world of Pokémon. Eileen couldn't imagine subsisting off of Berries, seeds, and whatever it was that Chef Muk cooked up for the rest of her life.

Eileen was still awake when Dion came into the room, back hunched and arms hanging limply at his sides. He looked miserable. He slammed his bag down on the nightstand and threw himself into bed.

"When I told Coltan what happened, he just… stared. I felt bad leaving him there all alone. I don't know where Jasper went, but something tells me she won't be coming back." Dion heaved a sigh. "I've never seen a family get torn apart like that. It just… it makes me so angry." He punched his bed as hard as he could. "Why do bad Pokémon have to exist? I just don't understand!"

It would be easy to attribute Dion's frustration to naiveté, but Eileen thought his feelings were valid. She knew morality was a complicated subject—a subject she was much too tired to thoroughly entertain. Surely no Pokémon was "bad" on purpose—while Slurpuff knew she was guilty, she had still made an attempt to justify her actions. Her words echoed in Eileen's head: "Nice… is relative." It was all a matter of perspective, and Eileen didn't feel comfortable being the judge.

The rhythm of life played on, but it wasn't at all a lullaby to Eileen's ears. It was hard for her to believe that to Headmaster Arcanine, it was just another day. She wondered how he was able to sleep at night after seeing such terrible things—and the answer eventually came to her as she drifted off.