Ch.26: Unleash my Power! The Bonds of Gods and Mortals!

Gwyn stared absently at her hand, flexing the fingers as she sent sparks of magic down her arm. The energy bounced off her fingertips and spread through the kitchen table, causing the surface to warp. The straight lines etched into the wood twisted into spiral patterns as the table coiled into a compressed, circular shape.

"Hmm," Gwyn hummed.

Ambrosine popped up behind Gwyn and stared at the warped table. "Err, having fun there?"

"Hmm?" Gwyn blinked, then glanced over her shoulder. "Oh. Morning, Ambrosine. Did you sleep well?"

"I guess. What are you doing, aside from turning Medusa's dining table into art?"

Gwyn drummed her fingers on the table. "Well, Medusa took me out back last night to tell me something. It's kind of complicated, but…I'm starting to think I've only scratched the surface of my magic."

"How so?"

"I've always pushed back my god half because I…never been proud of that side of myself. Not so much against the gods themselves, but because that part of me has always brought pain. I only started accessing it with some energy boosters, but that's about it. I'm nowhere near as skilled as Griffin or Wes, yet I possess far greater power than them. Maybe even more than my whole team combined. It's a weird feeling that I'm this powerful, yet I never fully grasped it."

Ambrosine frowned. "Oh. You can get stronger, huh? Like say…strong enough to crush someone with a tree so tightly that their head would pop off?"

"Yeah, something like that. Although, a little morbid, don't you think? Why would I do that?"

Ambrosine tapped her hands together. "Well, hypothetically, you could be so angry at someone because of a really despicable act—well, not necessarily despicable, more like uncalled for and treacherous—that you desire nothing more than cold-hearted revenge."

Gwyn tilted her head. "That doesn't sound like me. Unless it involves witches."

"A-And I'm a doctor! No witchcraft here!" Ambrosine gulped. "Which reminds me of something, actually. See, a while ago, I may have—"

"Though, when I think about it now, I'm conflicted about my hatred towards witches." Gwyn curled her fingers and scratched lightly into her palm. "My whole life, they seemed like these despicable beings that seek only the destruction of lives. But now, I'm looking into this completely different side of things that I've never considered."

Ambrosine looked away, trying to contain her nervousness. "We talking metaphorically or—EEP!" Gwyn shot up and grabbed Ambrosine's shoulders.

"Ambrosine, this is going to be hard to believe, but…I might be a witch."

Ambrosine blinked. "…Okay."

"You don't sound surprised."

Ambrosine laughed it off. "Uh yeah, we didn't want to bug you last night, but Venus gave us the rundown last night after your little lightshow."

Gwyn frowned. "What?"

"Yep."

Gwyn blinked, then whined. "Oh come on!" She parted from the Steenee and covered her face. "I've been sitting here all morning trying to figure out how to explain it!"

"Eh?!"

"I wanted to make it this big, dramatic reveal where I'm coming to terms with my inner demons, and you're telling me you already know?!" Gwyn sat down and slammed her face into the table. "Two hours wa-wa-wa-wasted!"

"Wait, that's what you've been doing for the last two hours?! I thought you were having an emotional crisis!"

Gwyn lifted her head and rolled her hand dismissively. "I mean, I still am, but…you know, spectacle and stuff. I wanted to make it special that I was at least acknowledging my fears."

Ambrosine slapped both hands into her face and groaned. She really is harmless!

"That said…" Gwyn sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I don't want to let the team down by not giving it my all. I kept rejecting my godhood, but I can't anymore, not while I know just how deep it runs through my veins. I'm a daughter of Mew. A direct daughter, and am the gift of Mysto. I'm…the rose that grew out of Mysto's dark history. I have this gift, and I shouldn't be wasting it when there's so much I can do to help others."

Ambrosine frowned and touched Gwyn's shoulder. "You are incredibly powerful, that much is true, but you're not wasting your power. You just haven't found the right time to unleash it. I mean, it'd be pretty inconvenient to summon a humungous tree in the middle of a city or something, right?"

Gwyn scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Yeeeeah."

"…You've done that before, haven't you?"

"Believe it or not, same day I met Flint and the others." Gwyn squinted. "That was a very chaotic day, actually."

Ambrosine shook her head. "Regardless, you just haven't found your roots yet. Controlling the magic found through the land sounds insane. It'd be as crazy as controlling the Storm Zone's chaotic storms. You have that much influence over this land, but no one's expecting you to have it down on your first day. It just takes time."

Gwyn remained silent for a moment, pondering Ambrosine's point, then gasped. "You're right! Why waste my time pondering the ifs and buts when I can just skip straight to the now? I'm a fighter! I should be training this new power and finding my limits!"

Ambrosine nodded, boldly puffing out her chest. "That's the spirit! Have a little confidence and you can do anything!" She scratched her head and laughed awkwardly. "You know, speaking of confidence, there's this little matter I need to talk to you about. So, uh, when we were trekking through the desert, I may have—" Gwyn grabbed her wrist. Ambrosine stared at her hand with a blank, frozen smile. "Eh, what's this now?"

"No time to waste, Ambrosine! I need your help. We're going to train until we drop dead!"

Ambrosine's eyes widened. "What?! N-No, I can't. I have chores to do—"

"Oh, those can wait!" Gwyn dragged Ambrosine out of the hut. "Hurry! You can be my new lab partner. We're going to run experiments!"

Ambrosine's eyes nearly shrank into the white void of her sclera. Which is worse? Her trying to kill me or her using me as a guinea pig?

"Looking good, boys!" Medusa called up as Flint and Andre hammered in the framework for the roof. "The hut looks great."

"How can you possibly—" Andre started before stopping himself and sighing. "I'm not even going to question at this point."

Flint smirked. "Welcome to the crazy world of magic, my friend."

"Are all magicians as weird as her?"

"Well, my only frame of reference is my brother, so…"

Andre rolled his eyes and continued hammering into the wood. "That time mage needs to hurry up and get her rear over here asap."

"You know, there's nothing stopping you from leaving."

"Aww, but I'd miss hanging out with my bro."

"True, I am the life of the party."

"Tsk, tsk. I think you're remembering things wrong." Andre looked up and wiped the sweat off his brow. "I'm still shaken from that lightshow Gwyn pulled off last night. Felt weird. I feel like the ground was invading my privacy or something."

Flint smiled. "I'm just glad Gwyn's gaining new perspective on her fears. I've always heard there were good witches, but I never made the connection they communed with the magic in the earth."

"Should I be concerned a Mew is gaining this knowledge?"

Flint shrugged. "Eh, it's Gwyn. The second she sets her eyes on some new project, she just has to work on it. She usually drags me along to be her guinea pig. I love her, but she scares me. A lot."

"Women can be pretty terrifying." Andre chuckled. "I just hope there isn't a power gap between you two."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from everything you've told me, everyone's been getting stronger, even Ella. I'd hate for you to be the weak link of the group, especially with Gwyn tapping into her god heritage."

Flint rolled his eyes. "I've already got through that emotional crisis in my life. I think I've sufficiently proven my strength to the team."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to get some of that training in. I did promise to help out and give you pointers."

"We're a little busy with the roof."

Andre waved it off. "Please, this'll be done in no time. Also, what's more important? Keeping up with your training for an impending apocalypse or building some crazy witch's shack?"

Flint set his hammer down and tapped his chin. "I suppose when you put it like that, I could get some afternoon training in. I'm not much of a direct fighter, and I don't want Gwyn doing all the work."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Andre set his tools down and hopped down. "Grab your belongings, my friend! We've got some training to get done!"

Flint chuckled and carefully climbed down the shack. "Very well. Give me a min—" He froze as a loud explosion sounded nearby, causing him to slip and fall. His Guardian manifested and caught him before he landed on his back.

He and Andre looked past the house and saw a smoke cloud billowing from the trees with green magic crackling off. They shared knowing glances, then sighed.

Gwyn's training, too.

Gwyn and Ambrosine lay flat on the ground after the devastating explosion went off. A large black mark singed the ground where it originated. The only bare spots were the footprints of where the girls last stood before being blown away. Ambrosine's back was covered in blackened dust while Gwyn's fur was disheveled and dirtied from a direct impact. Despite the surprising result, Gwyn stroked her chin in a thoughtful manner as she stared up at the sky.

"So, what did we just learn from that experience, partner?" Gwyn asked aloud.

Ambrosine, face first in the dirt, grumbled her reply.

Gwyn nodded. "I concur. Even if I can connect with nature's magic, the language barrier is still a tricky wall to maneuver. It may be because I'm a Mew that I'm drawing out more power than I require. I remember Flint told me the reason most magicians use magic circles was because they were the earliest form of magic activation. Sort of like a blueprint for a spell. It's simple and inexpensive on the magic. Though, most of mine come from my glove when I store plant essence for spells." She glared. "Hmm, I wonder if I could use one of those magic circles to make a wide-range version of the spell."

Ambrosine lifted her head and gasped for air. "Please don't," she pleaded in a raspy voice.

Gwyn hopped onto her feet and pulled her glove on. "Well, only one way to find out!" She bent down and traced into the dirt.

Ambrosine picked herself up and patted the ash off her clothes. "How exactly is using a magic circle going to solve the power output problem?"

Gwyn shrugged. "Beats me, but we won't know until we test it."

"You know an actual scientist would want to have some kind of control in place to prevent disaster spilling out, right?"

Gwyn nodded. "Oh yes, definitely, but where's the fun in doing experiments if there's no danger?"

Ambrosine deadpanned. "How Flint puts up with your nonsense is beyond me."

"Hehe! I ask myself that, too." Gwyn finished tracing the magic circle. "Okay, this is the same symbol used whenever I use my Cyclone Eradication spell. Since I need one of my plants to use it, I figure I could draw that same magic from the ground. Let's test it!"

Ambrosine backed away. "Don't you think you should—"

Gwyn slammed her hand down and activated the magic circle. A ring of air spun around the outside of the circle before shooting up into a spiraling column of wind. Ambrosine yelped and tried to flee, but the winds picked her up and carried her along for the ride. Gwyn felt herself leaving the ground and following behind Ambrosine.

"AAAAHHHH!" Ambrosine screamed, desperately trying to swim through the air.

"Woo!" Gwyn went with the flow and spun through the cyclone. "This is awesome!"

"Don't enjoy this!" Ambrosine yelled.

Gwyn laughed. "Come on, have a little fun! I made sure this one won't tear us apart like my normal Cyclone Eradication spell."

"I'm sorry, what?!"

Gwyn spun upside-down and peered through the winds. "Wow, we're really high up now."

Ambrosine curled into a ball and applied a healing spell preemptively to her fast-beating heart. "Get me off this crazy ride!"

Gwyn giggled. "Okay!" She clapped her hands together.

The magic ceased glowing and pumping out air. The winds dispersed, no longer keeping the girls airborne, causing them to plummet straight toward the ground. Ambrosine shrieked and covered her head. Gwyn extend her hand out and snapped her fingers. Leaves scattered from the trees and shot toward them. They clustered into piles under the girls until their descent slowed. They flowed down as gently as a feather.

Ambrosine peeked from behind her hands, then sighed, draping her arms over the leaf pile. "Thank goodness."

Gwyn laughed. "Pretty fun, right?"

"Never do that again." Ambrosine glanced at her and saw Gwyn's cheery grin. Ambrosine rolled her eyes. "I suppose…under certain circumstances, that was kind of fun."

"Hehe!"

Ambrosine sighed. "Why did I let you drag me into this?"

They eventually reached the ground and stepped off the leaf piles. Gwyn paced around the scorched earth with her arms crossed. "With so much magic to draw out of the ground, my own plant magic can be amplified tenfold. Maybe a hundredfold. It's one thing to control the plants around me, but the magic itself is so crazy unstable that it borders on uncontrollable." She glared. "I wonder if there were witches this powerful back then."

Ambrosine picked herself up and brushed some leaves off herself. "Just wondering, what was that weird thing you did last night?"

"The glowing?" Ambrosine nodded. Gwyn looked down and hummed out loud. "Well, it felt like I was connecting with everything in range of the Oasis Zone. I could see through every tree, bush, leaf, and living creature all in the span of a moment. So many perspectives in so little time. I could feel you and the guys. I'm pretty sure I felt some other presences, though I didn't recognize them. Well, except one, but I can't put my finger on it…"

Ambrosine crossed her arms. "You have the power to connect with nature like it's an extension of yourself?"

"I guess so. It was a rush of magic unlike anything I've dealt with. I think it might've been more overwhelming than my own godly reserves just from the rush of information I was getting. Although, that does mean if I can connect with the magic in the earth, could I control more than just plants?"

Ambrosine grimaced. "Remind me not to piss you off in the Fire Zone if that's the case."

Gwyn huffed, then slammed her fist into her palm. "If this is something I can do, then I need to stop rejecting my god half and embrace it."

Ambrosine frowned. "Hey…Gwyn?"

"Hmm?"

"Is it really that big a deal?"

"What do you mean?"

Ambrosine glanced off to the side. "Well, when people put big expectations on your shoulders, sometimes it's towards your detriment rather than your benefit. People can be rather unappreciative. Sure, defeating the Shadow King is one thing, but…what would you even do with that power?"

Gwyn blinked. "Pretty obvious. I want to help people."

"But what's the point of helping people? I was raised to be a doctor, but I might as well be a sacrificial offering." Ambrosine sighed. "Honestly, if I never ran away and accepted my mother's perspective, I might have been a pawn to save someone important at the cost of my own life."

Gwyn tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"The Lifeblood Clan isn't that well-known, almost non-existent, but we're one of the few clans that go out of their way to teach the Life for a Life Spell. If my mother forced me to, I would've been eventually used to bring someone back to life, and I'd only be remembered with some plaque, maybe saying 'Great Job' or 'Savior of this guy'. We healers are overshadowed a lot. We're expendable, and only deemed necessary when it benefits someone important. In the world of business, it can be an unfulfilling purpose—"

She froze as Gwyn placed her hands on her shoulders. She looked up at Gwyn's smiling face. "I'd say healers are the most amazing people the world has to offer."

Her eyes widened. "Huh?"

Gwyn nodded. "My mom was a healer, and I like to think I am, too. If people can't see how important the work you do is, then they're being dumb. You shouldn't be treated as some expendable object, but as someone willing to put their own life on the line when it counts. Sure, some healers may do it for the money and I'd say that's fine, but there are those who truly believe there are people worth saving. And those people will make that choice of their own volition."

"R-Really?"

"You're your own person, Ambrosine. And my friend." Ambrosine froze as Gwyn hugged her. "If no one can appreciate how amazing you are, you at least have me."

Ambrosine's cheeks warmed. "Gwyn…"

Gwyn pulled away and grinned brightly. "Now quit moping around, partner! We have magic to test out. And I want you to help me through it."

Ambrosine blinked in awe. "I…Gwyn, I—"

"There's an easier way to practice witchcraft than trial and error." The girls turned and saw Venus approaching them with a book under her arm. "Granny's busy at the moment, but she asked me to give you this." She handed the book to Gwyn.

She took it and read the cover. "Basics of Witchcraft and Communing with Wild Magic?"

Venus nodded. "You aren't going to get anywhere without understanding what the original witches did to harness the land's magic. This isn't just your magic anymore. You're harnessing another entity's power. You've already proved you're worthy of its trust, but now you need to understand the language of nature to properly wield it."

Gwyn flipped through the pages, then grinned. "Oh yeah, this'll be much easier." She turned to Ambrosine. "What do you say we take things up a notch? I'm sure you want to get some practice in with your magic?"

Ambrosine blinked. "You want me to train with you?"

"Of course, silly."

Ambrosine glanced aside for a moment. That awkward feeling lingering over her felt lighter somehow. That latent fear of Gwyn's power gradually faded and made room for the kindness shining onto her. What bad luck was she cursed with to not have ran into Team Ravenfield instead? Perhaps if she had met them instead, maybe things would've worked out differently for her.

But for now, for the first in a long time, she felt truly grateful to be alive.

She smiled and reached for her scalpel box. "Alright. Show me what you got."

"HA!" Andre threw several logs into the air with a flick of his tail.

Flint's Guardian manifested and unleashed a rush of punches, near-instantly rupturing the logs to splinters and chips. Andre spun and flicked another log at Flint right as he relaxed. His senses kicked back in as the Guardian swung its leg and smashed the log into the air.

Andre whistled. "Not bad! I think you're getting faster."

Flint sighed. "Is hitting logs really effective training for me?"

"Depends on how you look at it." Andre reached for another log. "I'm no expert on combating magical opponents, but I do know how to take people twice my size down. Aside from taking out the legs, you could do a lot more damage if you focus your punches into a single area. All that damage racking up over one spot in such a short amount of time can seriously cripple someone."

Flint hummed aloud. "I guess I focus more on dealing out as many attacks as possible rather than where I'm aiming them."

"Fighting is a lot more than flailing your fists and hoping they connect. There's a lot of mind games in play when dealing with other talented fighters. You have to outthink your opponent. How will they respond to your attack? How will they follow it up? How are they positioned? Your Guardian is strong, without a doubt, but you said yourself you're a strategic fighter. Instead of focusing too much on overwhelming your opponent, hit for their weak spots, whether they're physical or abstract. Of course, always think three steps ahead and make sure to change up your strategy when required. You need to keep your opponent guessing and have them on the edge at all times."

Flint smirked. "Should I ask whether or not you speak from experience?"

"You know I got into a lot of scraps back in high school." Andre picked up a log. "You know a lot of technical spells that you use in conjunction with your Guardian. Try to get creative. Do something beyond their intended purpose."

"Like how?"

"That one spell of yours, Verto? You use it to switch places with something, right?"

"Anything I've touched, yes. I have used it to close the distance between me and my opponents."

"Exactly. See if you can find more creative uses for that to get the drop on your opponent. After all, being a crafty fighter can overwhelm even the toughest enemies."

Flint rubbed his chin. "I still haven't fully tested my Soul Blaze yet." He huffed, then stood his ground. "Alright, give it to me."

Andre wound up his tail, spun, and tossed the log straight at Flint. Flint zeroed in on the log and ordered his Guardian to attack. It threw a barrage of punches focused onto a single spot in the log. The rapid flow wore down the log until it split in half. The Guardian grabbed one of the halves and crushed it in its hand.

Andre grinned. "Not bad. You can totally fight on your own."

Flint smirked. "Perhaps, though I prefer operating from the sidelines."

"Then let's keep going!" Andre grappled more logs and threw them at Flint. He kept spinning and tossing logs one after the other.

Flint quickly analyzed the incoming lumber, then ordered his Guardian to strike them down. At first, it started off the same. He decided to focus on rush attacks on individual logs approaching him, utilizing bursts of speed to smash the logs in half one at a time. To amplify his efforts, he used Crystallo Growth to burst the logs apart right after they were smashed in half.

Alright, now maximize the power of Crystallo Growth and rupture the logs from the inside! Send them flying!

That's when things got strange.

Right as his Guardian went for the attack, Flint felt a flash of purple shine off his eyes and his Guardian's fists. When the fists struck the logs, they suddenly locked in place midair. A purple arrow appeared on the logs in the direction the Guardian punched.

"Huh?" Flint gasped.

Andre stopped throwing logs and blinked in surprise. "Huh. When were you going to show me that one?"

Flint recalled his Guardian and checked his paws. "That…wasn't one of mine."

"What do you mean?"

"That's not one of my spells." Flint narrowed his eyes and approached the logs. He tapped one. Unlike his Time Halt where objects were locked into place, he could push the logs around, if only a bit. "Strange. They're semi-locked into space."

Andre approached and tapped one. "And you're saying you never learned this?"

"Nope." Flint's eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Wait a minute…" He looked at his paws again and saw the flicker of purple magic surge through them. "Is this my Ancestral Magic?"

"Ancestral what now?" Andre asked.

"The power to learn magic from my ancestors. Wes and I discovered we come from a strong family bloodline. Apparently, this is something that happens to bloodlines made up of strong-willed fighters. Sometimes, you can learn spells from your ancestors." Flint glared. "Though, this is different."

"How so?" Andre asked as he kept poking the logs.

"First time this happened to me, I was on death's door. I would've been killed if Soul Blaze didn't activate. I don't know what I did to pull this spell out. I'm not even sure what I did, either."

"Hmm…" Andre narrowed his eyes. "So, I guess you wouldn't know why the arrows on these are blinking?"

"Eh?" Flint looked up and saw the arrows blinking purple. And they were gradually beeping faster. His eyes widened, recognizing the universal sign for trouble whenever something blinks that fast. "Duck!" He shoved and pushed Andre to the ground.

The arrows flashed, and the logs continued on their normal course. However, they went from zero to two-hundred the second they came out of stasis. They smashed to pieces on the ground and even punched holes in nearby trees. One by one, in the order Flint punched them, they rocketed all over the forest and smashed into anything in their way.

The chaos was brief. The boys lifted their heads once the last log went sailing and observed the shattered wood all around them. Flint gawked in horror while Andre simply nodded.

"Well, I don't know what happened, but I approve. Nice work." Andre patted the Flareon's head.

Flint groaned and pressed his face into the ground.

"You ready, Ambrosine?" Gwyn yelled, wielding the book Venus gave her in one hand.

Ambrosine pulled out her scalpels and nodded. "Show me what you got!"

Venus watched from the safety of a tree, curious to see how Gwyn will utilize this new way of magic. For someone so naturally attuned to nature to wield the power of the earth, Venus just had to stick around and observe Gwyn in action.

Gwyn flipped to a page, then slammed her hand down. She drew a magic circle, then flicked her hand forward. Snake-like tendrils of dirt shot from the ground and lunged at Ambrosine, wrapped in a teal glow.

Ambrosine jumped out of their immediate range and threw her scalpels into their heads. The dirt shifted and spat the blades out before continuing on their course. Ambrosine wrapped her magic around her hands into blades and severed the magic connection from the necks, turning the heads back into regular dirt.

Gwyn flipped to another page and traced a circle in the air. She slammed her palm against it and fired off an invisible wave.

Ambrosine tried to sidestep it, but the wave managed to graze her cheek. What she expected to be a minor cut fell like a full-powered sucker punch to the face, sending her spinning through the air and crashing into the dirt.

Venus nodded to herself. Not many Pokémon know the relation between creature and nature. It often goes unappreciated all because that barrier is left untouched. Even those naturally attuned to magic are lost on nature's voice. Learning how to communicate with nature is like a dance in some ways. It's all about finding the right rhythm.

"Can you get up?" Gwyn called out in concern.

Ambrosine pulled herself up and wiped her cheek. She once feared fighting the Mew, but now she was feeling pumped. She grinned and yelled, "Taking pity because you're exhausted already?" She called back her thrown scalpels and rushed at Gwyn.

Gwyn smiled, then slammed her hand down. Magic exploded from the ground and took shape into two dirt golems. With a snap of her fingers, she pulled out all the pebbles and stones under the golems and channeled them into the hands, forming stone maces. "Attack!"

Ambrosine smirked as the golems charged at her. She dexterously spun her scalpels in her hands, then threw them in the air. She flipped forward, sprung off her hands, and narrowly avoided the golems as they slammed their rock maces down. She sprung off their backs, then sent an electric charge through her hands.

"Defibrillation Strike!" She slammed her palms into the golems and delivered an electrical blast that pierced through their bodies. She jumped back before they could counterattack, then called back her scalpels. They came down spinning like saw blades and sliced through the golems' limbs, severing the magic from them.

Venus ducked as dirt flew over her head. That's been the secret to witchcraft: learning to work with nature. Some can do it without realizing, even if they can channel magic themselves. Certain specialized martial arts can unknowingly draw magic from the earth, if only for enhanced bursts of power. As long as you treat the land with respect, you'll always have an ally by your side.

Gwyn traced a circle into a tree five times, then sent out wooden dragons extending from the trunk. Ambrosine dodged and flipped through them, bouncing off one's head and throwing her scalpels into them. She ran across the neck of one as two more chased her down.

Gwyn placed her hand on the ground and concentrated. "Hear my voice, magic of the earth! Rise and lend me your aid!"

Four circles of magic blazed around her and shot into the air in columns. The twisted into each other and took the shape of a giant, transparent hand. Gwyn gawked at it for a moment, then grinned and swiped her hand down. The giant arm mirrored her movements.

Ambrosine gasped and jumped out of the way right before the hand slammed into the ground, rattling the oasis. A burst of wind carried her forward and knocked her into a tree.

Venus got behind her tree and covered her head against the wind. Maybe…Maybe I can actually be loved with Gwyn spreading the word of true witchcraft.

The magical hand fizzled out. Gwyn dropped the book and fell to the ground, suddenly feeling winded. "Phew, that was a rush."

Ambrosine picked herself up and limped over. "That was nuts. How'd you do that?"

Gwyn sat up and smiled. "I just asked the land to help and it did. I drew out so much power so fast that I didn't know what hit me. I'm definitely going to need to learn to moderate it."

Ambrosine sat down and smiled warmly. "You really are amazing, Gwyn."

"Aww, thanks. I think you're amazing, too. And thanks for training with me."

"Heh, yeah." Ambrosine pulled her legs to her chest and rested her chin on the knees. "I don't think I'm that awesome."

"Oh, don't be like that." She gave Ambrosine a light shove. "How could you not?"

Ambrosine frowned. "Maybe I'm worried you won't like me."

"Now why would I do a thing like that?"

She grimaced. "Maybe if I did something horrible behind your back."

"Now I know you're being silly." Ambrosine clenched her eyes shut as Gwyn kept prattling on. "You're super cool, talented, and more! You wouldn't do anything to hurt me." Ambrosine gritted her teeth. "I'd say you're my friend, no matter—"

"I kissed Flint!"

Immediate silence filled the air. Ambrosine hid her face, hiding the growing redness building up in her cheeks. She passively sensed for any changes in Gwyn's aura, but it remained disturbingly normal. She dared a peek from behind her hands and, to her terror, Gwyn was staring at her with blank eyes and a confused smile.

"Uh…you say what now?"

Ambrosine felt a shiver crawl up her spine. Was she holding in her malice or did she genuinely not hear her admission? It took a lot of nerve just to blurt a confession, but she couldn't stand hearing Gwyn's praise without feeling the guilt. She was enjoying her time with Gwyn, and she couldn't bear the burden any longer.

Ambrosine swallowed some saliva building in her mouth and mumbled just above a whisper, "I…kissed Flint."

Gwyn blinked twice. "Like…a friendly kiss on the cheek?"

"N-No. Right on the lips."

"…Ah."

This was it. Those would be Ambrosine's last words before a random root would shoot out of the ground and impale her through the heart. She hoped the Mew made it a swift death just so she didn't have to bear the burden of eternal darkness again.

Gwyn smacked her lips together. "Uh—"

"You did WHAT?!"

Ambrosine whipped her head around and gasped, spotting Flint and Andre standing in a bush with their mouths agape. Andre looked understandably shocked while Flint stood absolutely mortified, pale as a ghost.

"What are you two doing here?!" Ambrosine shrieked. Oh goodie, those would be her last words instead. Better than the original.

Andre gulped and said, "Uh, we…came to check on you two after that weird magicky hand crashed down. Y-You know, to see if you were both…I'm sorry, did we come at a bad time?"

Kind of! At least I have witnesses. Ambrosine noticed even Venus looked perplexed by the scene. She sank to the ground and covered her face, feeling tears come on. Just bury me already.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Gwyn touched her shoulder. Was it laced with poison? Did she intend to break her bones one-by-one? Was this some weird spell to turn her into a plant? As in the ugliest plant she could think of?!

"Ambrosine," she said in the softest, most nurturing tone Ambrosine never expected. Ambrosine turned her head reluctantly, tears running down her face, and met Gwyn's eyes. Her brows were furrowed tightly, but it didn't look like she was scowling. It seemed more stern than angry. "What are you talking about?"

Ambrosine's lip trembled. She sat up and covered her face. She heard the guys and Venus step closer, but she didn't look up to acknowledge them. She sobbed into her hands, trying her hardest not to break down into a bigger mess than she was.

"G-Gwyn, I'm s-s-so sorry. I…I'm in love with Flint," she choked out. "We were alone the night before we got here and…I just couldn't help myself. I don't know what I was thinking. I wanted him all to myself so badly, but I felt disgusted with myself. You've been so kind to me and I…I never even thought about your feelings when I did it."

She felt Gwyn's aura fluctuate briefly, nearly making her breakdown with what little shred of dignity she could retain.

"I wouldn't be so beat up about this if…if I didn't value your friendship so much. You and Flint have been so kind to me. I never meant to go behind your back like that. I just couldn't live with myself, feeling like this, without telling you. I didn't want to ruin our friendship. Gwyn, I'm so, so, so sorry!" She curled up on the ground and wept into her arms.

Flint and Andre hovered over her with pitiful looks, especially Flint as he awkwardly rubbed his foreleg. Venus just stared at the Steenee, lost on the outburst. Gwyn, still knelt down beside Ambrosine, parted some hair from her eyes and gave Ambrosine's shoulder a light squeeze.

"Is that all?"

Ambrosine sniffled and tilted her head a bit from her arms. "W-What?" she asked faintly.

"Is that all that happened?"

"I…I didn't mean to. I just—"

"Ambrosine." Gwyn grabbed her cheeks and hoisted her head up. Ambrosine's eyes widened as she stared at Gwyn's soft smile. "I'm not mad."

"…What?"

Gwyn shrugged. "I mean, from what you told me about your home life, I figured you didn't know how to deal with stuff like this. Believe me, I've been in your shoes before…minus the abusive parent, though. Plus…I sort of knew you had a thing for Flint."

Her eyes enlarged even further. "W-Wait, huh?!"

Gwyn smiled awkwardly. "You weren't very subtle, and that's coming from me. You'd have to be pretty clueless not to notice it."

Flint suddenly invested his attention onto a nearby tree for no particular reason.

"I wasn't completely sure, though, and figured you would tell me if we were making you uncomfortable. I'm sorry you've been feeling like this."

Ambrosine wiped her eyes. "W-Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I'm your friend. I wanted you to know that you can trust me with anything. If we're all going to be a team, we all need to trust each other." Gwyn smiled. "Right?"

Ambrosine blinked, then felt new tears forming as she gritted her teeth. "Why…Why are you so…stupidly nice all the time?" She shuddered, then threw herself at Gwyn, embracing her and burying her wet face into her shoulder. "Gwyn! I'm sorry!"

Gwyn hugged her back. "I'm just happy you told me the truth. And don't worry, I forgive you." She pulled Ambrosine away and forced a smile. "Although, I would very much appreciate you don't do that behind my back ever again unless Flinty needs CPR or something."

Ambrosine snorted and wiped her eyes. "I'll…try to remember that. And, try not to hold anything against Flint. I begged him to let me tell you first."

"That's okay." Gwyn stood up and helped Ambrosine to her feet. "Don't you feel better?"

Ambrosine smiled weakly. "A little, yeah."

"That's great."

"You have the patience of a saint, you know that?"

Gwyn looked away and blushed. "Well, when you've held a grudge against a certain practice for most of your life only to learn the truth about it, you learn hating someone isn't worth it. I think people deserve kindness first…except Reuben and Zaros, screw them," she grumbled.

Ambrosine snorted. "Oh my…"

"Reuben was a manipulative meanie-pants and Zaros nearly killed my boyfriend!"

"Oh Gwyn…"

Flint settled his attention back onto the girls and smiled. "Well, I'm glad that's cleared up. Things are cool between you two?"

Ambrosine smiled and hugged Gwyn. "Better than ever." Gwyn squealed and hugged her back.

Flint sighed. "Thank goodness, I've been feeling guilty for days."

Andre snickered and shoved Flint. "And you said you weren't a lady's man! My bro, Flint, has game!"

Flint growled. "Time and place, Andre!"

Gwyn giggled, then pumped her fists. "Well, since you're here, Flint, want to help me practice my witchcraft? If I'm going to understand my own roots, I need all the help I can get."

Flint smiled and nodded. "Count me in!"

Ambrosine grinned. "As will I!"

"Great!" Gwyn picked up her witchcraft book and dusted off the dirtied cover. She paused for a second and squinted curiously. "Hey Flinty?"

"Yeah?"

"About that kiss you shared with Ambrosine—"

"I didn't share anything with her!" Flint yelled, turning bright red.

Gwyn giggled. "I know, silly, but I'm curious about something."

His ears flopped. Something in the pit of his stomach churned. "Err, what?"

"Did you like it?"

His ears stood erect as steam spewed from his face. "Eh?!"

"I'm just wondering. Did you like it more?" she teased.

Flint flailed his paws in a panic. "Can we drop the topic already?! It was one kiss! A pretty sudden one, too! I was too caught off guard to ask myself if I liked it more or not!"

"Still never got a proper answer about that," Ambrosine muttered rather loudly.

"Ambrosine!" Flint squealed.

Gwyn's smirk grew. "Is that a fact?"

"Gwyn, why are you approaching me like that?"

"Ambrosine, change of plans! We have a new experiment to run!"

Ambrosine's cheeks turned red. "Wait, what?"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Flint yelped.

"Wait, what?" Andre and Venus muttered.

"I'll restrain him! You prep the charts!" Gwyn cheered.

Flint felt the color drain from his face. "Oh dear Arceus almighty…" He turned and made a mad dash as fast as his three good legs could carry him.

"After him!" Gwyn grabbed Ambrosine's wrist and dragged the dazed (secretly interested) Steenee behind her. "Come back here, Flint! This is in the name of science!"

"What scientific pursuit involves you two using me for kissing practice?! Andre, help!"

Andre shouted back, "I envy you so much right now!"

"That's the opposite of helping! AAAAAHHHH!"

Venus watched the girls chase the hapless Flareon around the forest with a blank stare. "…Adults are weird."