Unlike any other mountain, the one Audino Agatha trekked up didn't have music playing from any birds or bugs. Wind didn't blow against the thick, ridged, brown tree trunks or their hordes of branches overhead. The stiff, frozen air only moved when Agatha moved it. Overhead, melding into the cold blue sky, the mountain's reflection loomed in the sky.

Moving up a steep slope of hard, dry soil, Agatha settled into a pattern of pointing her feet a bit off to the sides as she progressed. Behind her, Luxray Imani and Lucario Annette followed. Although Agatha had her pink and black striped socks on, her footsteps were still louder than any other noise around. The cold air pierced her black leather jacket around the edges, and her earring felt like an icicle hanging from the strand of her ear.

"This sucks," Agatha breathed. "Should we just head back? This place feels and looks empty."

"I'm curious about that reflection," Lucario Annette said. "But, well, there is nothing actually up there. And you said earlier that other pokemon would attack us?"

"Not real ones. They're like, these kind of…"

Agatha struggled to explain it like Alondra did. She was always a clearer speaker.

"Just, I'll tell you later," Agatha said, stopping and turning around. "If those aren't even here, then there's probably nothing of interest. Let's just head back for today and pick a different direction next time."

"That's fine," Luxray Imani said. "I actually have a few things I need to do soon."

"Yeah, me too."

Agatha pulled the earring off and set it on the ground. Energy swirled around it as it grew and shifted the colors underneath it. Agatha hopped down first as soon as grass became visible. She bent her knees on landing and walked forward a few steps to let Imani and Annette get down behind her. The ring shrunk and started to fall as they walked out from under it.

Agatha used Psychic and reached out her arm. The ring flew into her grasp, then she put it back on the strand of her ear. The warm air and chirping birds let the edges of her fur settle back down on her body. The thick, green leaves overhead leaned forward and back under the influence of wind.

"Thanks for the help today," she said, walking in the other direction.

"Sure you're alright?" Imani asked. "You look tired."

"I'm fine. Promised I'd be somewhere."

"Alright, take it easy."

"You too."

Agatha had done plenty of walking already. She went to the edge of the sidewalk and called for a carriage. The carriage that responded ended up being barely large enough to hold her. When she checked the app for what size the passengers were, she accidentally ordered one for the size of an average Aipom instead of an Audino.

The carriage driver himself was an Aipom, so Agatha must've gotten confused. She made do by hunching down inside so her head didn't scrape against the roof. She took up the entire carriage floor as she sat and stared at her phone screen.

Agatha had gotten a new text. She didn't know how to react to it quite yet.

"Hello. I was wondering if you would be willing to call me and talk later about some things. I have a few questions I'd like to ask you." – White Star

She received it right before heading out. It nipped at her mind what he wanted to even ask. He didn't know her, and she didn't know him. That dream acted as the only link they had, granted it had to be real if she got actual phone numbers from it. She took in a couple of deep breaths and decided to make the call. She didn't have anything better to do while waiting.

As the phone rang, Agatha mentally recited her first hello to herself. When it stopped ringing, she checked to make sure someone had picked up. No one greeted from the other line.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hello," a soft voice answered.

"Is, uhm, am I speaking to-"

"Yes, hi. I'm sorry, my voice is a little weak."

"Uh. Right… So, you had a question for me?"

"Yah. I wanted to say something first, though. It's about this white stone that used to be in your manor."

Agatha remembered. In the middle of her father's workshop for a few years, he studied a round, white antique that had been discovered in some other area of the world. He said it vanished one night.

"Well, uh… The truth is, I had stolen it."

"You?" Agatha asked. "Stole it?"

"Yah. I did. Did your family ever do any… experiments with it? Hook it up to anything or something like that?"

"Uhm, no. My dad only had it for study. Why?"

"I was just curious. That's all I wanted to ask you."

"Oh. Okay."

Agatha stayed silent for a few seconds. She heard a loud snort on the other end of the call and recoiled her head. When it happened again, she realized it was snoring.

"Feel free to message me. Thanks."

"No problem."

The call closed. Agatha's shoulders lowered. She expected questions more along the lines of that dream, but he didn't even seem curious. He must not have wanted to be invasive. His question still seemed weird, though. He must've had a specific reason for asking it.

Agatha could daydream about possibilities all day, but she kept her mind on her destination. The Mawile she promised to meet with today should be expecting her. She put her phone back in the pocket of her black leather jacket and curled up tighter as if it'd give her more breathing room.

The carriage arrived sometime later. The dingy, smelly building entrance looked the same. The glass door shined as the one exception with a surface clear enough for Agatha to see through. The inside remained too dark for her to make anything out, but she fully gripped the cold, metal handle this time

Warmth washed over Audino Agatha. It didn't at all feel normal. The temperature felt fine inside, but her breathing slowed almost to a halt.

Mawile wasn't sitting behind the front counter like he was the last time she came. She turned towards his voice as it came from the back wall. She walked down the aisle of weapons on either side of her. The air continued to grow warmer like a fire had started inside.

"You sure you don't see anything?" Mawile's voice asked.

Agatha's body rumbled hearing the second voice. She recognized it as a ghost, and it was different from any other time. It had a soothing voice, even if she couldn't understand it.

When she reached the end of the isle, the Mawile stared at the wall standing next to a warm, vibrant white light that didn't brighten the room. It hovered next to him in the air, presumably facing the wall of weapons.

"Are you sure?" Mawile asked, turning to the light. "Maybe something in the back will suit you. Not sure how much different they are, but…"

The light lit up as it responded again.

"Okay. Suit yourself."

The light turned around. Agatha's feet were nailed to the floor. She kept her eyes staring dead ahead, scared to look directly at it like the sun. The light exited through the glass door a moment later.

Mawile stared at her with a weird look on his face. He clearly didn't see what she did.

"W-who was that?" Agatha asked. "I mean, what species were they?"

"That lady?" Mawile questioned. "She's a hero capable of saving the world. A shooting star."

"Oh, right… Thought it was a Magikarp…"

"A Magikarp? Tah," he scoffed. "Schools don't teach anything useful anymore. If they're screwing up something as simple as species' names, I swear… Anyways, why come if you look like crap? Got the sniffles or something?"

Agatha had felt a little low on energy all day. She could be.

"It doesn't matter," said Agatha.

"I'm trying to test your abilities," Mawile reasoned. "Come back when you're better."

"You're not going to let me try?"

"I'm not a doctor who can deal with it if you keel over in here. Besides, I need your help to organize all these shelves. After that, you're going to make a few Slumber Orbs."

Mawile turned and walked towards the aisle. He moved past Agatha.

"So, I'm not well enough to battle but well enough to work?" Agatha asked.

"Your father learned everything I know working for me through high school. You'll learn a lot more about real life in here than in that school of yours."

"My dad…?"

"Organize the wands by status," Mawile said. "Doesn't matter where. Just bunch all the alike ones together. Let me know when you're done."

Agatha stared at Mawile's back as he dodged the question. More questions piled up in seconds.

The task took less time than Audino Agatha expected. Although everything had been jumbled together, the wands looked the same with variations only in size. She automatically sorted them by both size and appearance, which would keep it from getting jumbled by people looking for the right size for them.

Mawile continued to read his book at the front counter. His bright red eyes had darkened until they were only half open as he read. He didn't notice her footsteps as she walked up in front of him.

"Hey?" Agatha asked. "I'm done."

"Kay'," he said. "Go to the back room. I'll be there in a minute. And don't touch anything. I don't feel like dying in an explosion just yet."

Agatha looked where Mawile jolted his head. The door itself barely stood out from the wall. An "Employees only" sign in bold, red letters acted as the only object to set it apart from the rest of the wall. With no handle on it, Agatha slowly pushed it open.

The light inside happened to be a lot brighter than in the store itself. String lights with green wires came from the wall on the right by her foot and wrapped around multi-layered shelves along the walls. Orbs with various colors and different containers of ingredients she didn't recognize loomed over the room.

A massive, black metal pot rested in the center of the room. Agatha walked forward and leaned her head down, but nothing was inside. Mawile walked in behind her.

"Slumber Orbs are like bread and butter for bounty hunters," he said. "Most of my business is from bounty hunters visiting from the countryside. I sell out of them every time. There are also plenty of buyers in people with sleep problems. The ones they buy usually last a few months, though, so they don't come by as often."

"Why do theirs last longer?" Agatha asked.

"Difference in the strength needed to put a person to sleep depends on who wants to sleep and one who doesn't. Takes a lot more gas when they don't want to."

"I don't know how to make anything like this."

"It'll come quick," he said casually. "It's basically just like cooking when you're making the simpler stuff. First thing is ingredients."

Agatha realized she didn't see a ladder in the room. She could hop and reach the top shelves, but wondered what he did to get them. After grabbing a few things from lower shelves, Mawile jumped up over her head, snagged a small glass bottle in the air, and fell back down to his feet.

"Next, workspace," Mawile said. "See that handle on the wall over there? Pull that out."

Agatha walked over and pulled on a wooden handle. She walked back with the handle until a bump let her know the table had extended all the way out.

Mawile set down the objects he collected. Agatha noticed two seeds that were made up of shapes like small, lavender bowl shapes. Each bowl shaped had white edges and a white streak curving across the surface. Next to them, glass bottles filled with different color fluids reflected yellow light pouring down on them. The last object looked like a muffin pan if muffins were perfectly round.

"Two Sleep Seeds," Mawile said. "These bottles here are called Orb Fluid. They harden and make up the Orbs outer shell."

"Where do you get the fluids from?" Agatha asked.

"There are all sorts of different brands, from different chemical engineers and companies. They all sell cheap cause the real work happens here."

"Okay. So, what's the process?"

"Watch, and I'll explain. I just need to make one batch, and then you can do whatever. Orb Fluids are cheap, and so are Sleep Seeds, so you can burn 'em all for all I care. I'll leave you instructions, though.

"Step one is pouring the Orb Fluids into the pan. Make sure it's a good layer or it'll come out wrong. The next step is mixing all of the ingredients together in the pot. This creates the inside of the Orb. It's still a kind of liquid, but in a few hours, it blends together and becomes the real inside of the Orb. The idea is to have three layers in each of these eight spaces here."

As Mawile explained, he poured out clear liquid from all three of the bottles and emptied them into the bottom of the pan.

"So, you put more Orb Fluid on top?" Agatha asked.

"Yeah," he said. "It goes Orb Fluid, the inside of the Orb, then Orb Fluid. You literally put it in the oven, and the Orb Fluid hardens. Then, about a day or so after, the inside of the Orb manifests into a form where the effects fire out of it in reaction to a pokemon's energy. Watch carefully how I mix."

Mawile took both Sleep Seeds and tossed them into the pot. He walked to the left of the room and grabbed an enormous jug of clear liquid off the floor.

"We're making eight," Mawile heaved, setting down the jug next to the pot. "Fill the pot up to the line with eight marked on it. I'll show you how to mix it after."

Agatha popped off the rubber cap plugging up the jug. She lifted it by the neck with one arm and looked down as she poured it.

"I, uh… Thought you wouldn't be able to lift that," Mawile commented.

"Then why ask me to pour it?" she asked.

"Well, I wasn't sure, but… Sheesh."

Audino Agatha landed a little under the line when she stopped pouring. Mawile leaned his head over the pot and nodded to himself.

"Fetch that stick over there," Mawile said, pointing.

Agatha grabbed a round, wooden pole that leaned on the wall in the corner of the room. She handed the center of it to the Mawile. He grabbed it and stuck the end into the liquid.

"It's important to let it sit for a few seconds in between swirls," Mawile explained. "It shouldn't take long, but if you're not gentle, you'll get some reactions happening in here that'll bounce back up. And there ain't any time to go sleeping on the job. Less risk of that happening if you only do a few at once, but there's no time to cut corners, either."

"Is two Sleep Seeds really enough for eight Orbs?" Agatha asked.

"Nah. I add six more as I go. Putting in all of them at once is asking for it. I have the cures in case anything happens, of course, but just leave blast wands to me. Even I hate messing with those ones."

"So, if I'm doing this, this will free you up to make a kid's version of that rapier?"

"Not quite," Mawile said, blinking as he stopped moving the pole. "Y'see, I can't just give any experimental stuff to a kid. But, you're a part time worker here now. Might look and notice me doing certain things. So, maybe, completely without my knowledge, you make something completely on your own. That means I'm still a nice guy in the law. Course, you can't do anything like that without the basics." Mawile started to move the pole again. "Besides, if someone makes a weapon themselves, they'll know how to handle it responsibly. Law says so. Veritan government can't take away weapons people make themselves."

"I thought they could," she said.

"In Valor, yes. Valor is a lot of city. Verity has a lot more countryside, so they use them to defend against wild animals and such."

This Mawile suggested jumping through a lot of hoops to help her out. Agatha never knew her father had a friend like this, although her parents didn't mention their friends very often.

"Alright," he said. "You add one when the color settles. Do exactly what I just did, got it?"

"Got it," she answered.

Agatha heard the glass door into the building open. After tossing in another Sleep Seed and handing Agatha the pole, Mawile opened the door and walked out. As she barely stirred, she leaned her head towards the doorway trying to see.

"Sorry," a deep, smooth voice said. "I'm looking for an Audino that came in here about ten minutes ago."

"And you are?" Mawile asked.

"Something of a guardian."

"She's in the back, working on something for me. But it can wait."

Agatha released her grip and the rod and walked out of the door. Her eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness.

A Greninja stood in front of the Mawile with his arms crossed. Even looking right at her, his red eyes held a far-off gaze. He had a small, brown bag hanging across on his shoulder.

"Damien?" Agatha asked. "From the castle?"

"Yes," he answered. "I was instructed by prince Zen to keep an eye out for you. I saw you enter and not come out for a while."

Agatha blinked. "You were spying on me…?"

"I've been maintaining a good watch for a while now, yes."

Mawile glanced and scoffed. "Huh. Well, the more you know." He turned back to the Greninja. "So, you gonna' buy anything? If not, there's a no loitering sign I can dust off."

"I'll take a look around," Damien said. "If you don't mind."

"Break it, you buy it. Or, uh, that prince of yours buys it. Haven't seen Veritan royal guard types around here for a while…"

Mawile turned and walked back towards the room. Audino Agatha took a last glance at Greninja Damien and walked back in with him.

"Remember, just keep stirring, letting the color settle, and then adding until you've added five more from what's in it now," he instructed. "And don't have too cold of feet. No reason to take forever doing quick tasks."

"Right."

Agatha grabbed the pole and stirred. When she noticed movement happening by itself, she let it sit until it simmered back down. She repeated the process until the color became consistent and smooth, then added another Sleep Seed. After the first two times, Mawile went back out front and presumably back to reading his book. Her ears picked up the turning pages and Damien's footsteps.

When she finished, Agatha left the rod sticking out of the pot and walked out of the door. When she turned, Mawile wasn't sitting at the front desk and register. She walked down one of the small isles, popping her head eyes over with small hops to see where he had gone.

"That one caught your eye?" Mawile asked.

The voice came from the back wall. Agatha hurried over and watched from the corner of the shelf.

"Well, of course it does," Greninja Damien said. He stared at the shining rapier handle on the wall. "It's experimental Acuitan weaponry. How'd you come across it?"

"Had some of the usual hunters around here come across trouble up north. Said they found it on some bandits. Gave it to me as a 'gift' since none of them wanted to screw around with it. If you got a problem, take it up with them. I play it clean."

"Not necessary," said Damien. "But if I had to guess, it caught Agatha's eye when she came in here with that mild-mannered boy yesterday?"

"Yeah. It did."

"So, you're going to teach her to make her own, is that it?"

"What're you getting at?" Mawile huffed.

"I'm also acting as an investigator. Wondering if you could lend me some of your time later?" Damien offered.

"Can't today. I need to pick up books from the library."

"If it's for her, I'll pay for the carriage ride. We can talk there."

"Eh, fine." Mawile turned one of his eyes back. "Quit hiding behind that corner, kid. Creepin' me out."

"U-uh, mmm…"

Agatha stepped out and fumbled over her words. She walked up next to them and stood staring at the handle.

"I'll buy it," Damien said. "Along with two Slumber Orbs."

Mawile turned up to Agatha. She flinched under his gaze.

"Everything all set back there?"

"Yeah," she said.

"I'll go show you the last part." Mawile turned back to Damien as he started to walk away. "Take everything you want up to the front."

Agatha dodged Damien's stare and followed Mawile back down the aisle. His second jaw swung back and forth on his head like a pendulum all the way back to the pot. He left the door open behind them as he glanced over the pot.

"Good," he said. "This next part is pretty simple. Just use an injector for this."

Mawile grabbed a plastic tube from one of the shelves. Agatha leaned over the other side of the pot and watched him pull back on a nozzle and draw in fluid. He took the tube over one of the spaces in the pan and pushed the nozzle to shoot the fluid on top of the shiny coating of Orb Fluid.

"Do that for the rest of them," Mawile said. "Then I'll add the Orb Fluid and show you where to put them."

"Why don't they mix?" Agatha asked, observing the pan.

"Something something bonds between atoms."

Agatha accepted it and took the plastic tube from him. She walked back and forth between the pan on the pull-out table and the black pot. When she put a full spray into all eight, the pot became perfectly empty. As she worked, Mawile used another bottle and put on layers of Orb Fluid over each one. After Agatha finished, she set down the plastic tube. Mawile finished and did the same with an empty bottle. She followed him as he picked up the tray.

"Pull out that handle, there," he said.

Agatha pulled out an identical handle on the left wall. The cover folded down into an empty metal space Mawile slid the tray inside of.

"It's a special oven," he explained. "Only one setting specifically for this. Very low temperature, but it does the job perfectly. Close the lid."

Agatha did as he asked.

"See that power button there? Push it."

Agatha pushed in a silver, power button on the side of the handle. A small whirring noise started.

"It automatically stops after a while, so I can leave it there without having to turn it off myself."

"What would happen if you mixed the Orb Fluid and the uh…"

"We call it Ingredient Fluid. And that's the basic idea for wands, but that's for later. Let me tend to this customer, then I'll set you loose and making two of your own.

"Okay."

Agatha walked out with him. Greninja Damien stood in front of the register with two Slumber Orbs and the rapier's handle on top of the counter. Mawile huffed as he walked on the other side.

"So," Mawile said, "who're you hunting with this equipment?"

"Actually, I haven't been sleeping well lately," he replied. "And I'm always interested in learning about Acuitan tech."

"I see."

While Damien paid up, Agatha took a moment to look at the finished product on top of a short pedestal near the front of one of the aisles. A white cloud drifted to nowhere inside of it. The outer shell of the Orb looked clear, and white color tinged the inside.

"Hey, Neon Star."

Agatha's head jolted up. Greninja Damien tossed her one of the Slumber Orbs he bought. She caught it firmly in both of her hands. It was a smaller one that could fit into her leather jacket's pocket. Damien put his in his small, brown bag at his side.

"You said 'Neon Star'?" Mawile asked. "Interesting choice for a nickname. And just why is a Veritan royal guard watching over a young girl when they could be in Valor with all that craziness going on?"

"Oh, I think there's plenty of craziness around these parts," Damien said. He looked right in Agatha's direction. "Even right in our backyards."

"Creep," she murmured.

"You could at least call Zen the creep instead. I don't feel like watching a goth teen all day. I spent five years being one."

"I'm not goth."

Greninja Damien looked at Mawile and pointed at Audino Agatha. Mawile nodded.

"Hey," Agatha whined.

"I didn't say anything," Mawile said. "If that's all, I'm closing up shop for today. I don't want to miss the library."

"Care to accompany us?" Damien offered Agatha. "You can get your books."

"Sure, I guess."

Agatha joined Damien and Mawile on the carriage ride. Both of them were the silent type, so Agatha surfed her phone as they went.

The building itself was familiar. Audino Agatha met Meowstic Alondra while she worked as a librarian here. Two white columns rose up under a triangular rooftop. Three concrete stairs led up to a dark wooden door. Agatha kept up with Greninja Damien and Mawile as they walked up and pushed the doors open.

Inside, lights came on and lit up the dust particles floating in the air. Wood panels creaked under their steps as they entered. Rows of bookshelves loomed from above past a railing and as a maze on the first floor. Tan, wooden tables were set up spaced apart from each other in the leftover open space.

"So dusty," Damien commented. He cleared his throat. "Where's the librarian?"

"Up here."

Meowstic Alondra floated from beyond the railing on the second floor. She laid on her stomach on top of a book a few sizes too large for her species.

"Oh," she said. "Agatha. And these are…?"

"Damien," Greninja said.

"John," Mawile said. "Looking for crafting one o' one books. That sort of deal."

Books from the maze of bookshelves ahead floated and surrounded Mawile. They danced in a slow circle around his body as he glanced from cover to cover.

"I'm afraid all of them are older," Alondra explained.

"Guess that's why I recognize them," Mawile said.

"Agatha, back from your walk already?"

Agatha knew what she meant. She expected her trip in the Old World to be a lot more eventful than it actually was.

"Yeah," Agatha said. "Got bored. I did, however, learn that this guy Damien has been spying on me."

Meowstic Alondra floated down on the book just inches away from Greninja Damien's face. Her eyes bore down on his forehead.

"Why?" she asked.

"Orders to keep her safe," Damien answered. "A courtesy from prince Zen."

"Surely, you could have announced yourself sooner…"

"My apologies. If I may."

Damien lowered his hand. Alondra gazed at it suspiciously, then reached out and placed her paw on top.

A gasp nearly slipped past Agatha's lips when Damien bent his head down, lowered tongue scarf, and kissed her paw. The books Mawile had been staring at flailed around in the air and shot off in random directions. Alondra yelped as the book she rode on flew to the second floor and crashed into one of the shelves.

"I didn't know such a beautiful lady was the librarian here," Damien said. "I think I prefer it to the castle library now."

Alondra let out an indistinguishable noise. Mawile walked around and picked up the books flung against the wall, floor, and bookshelves. Damien continued to stare at the railing Alondra floated past.

"John," Damien said, turning to the Mawile as he bent down and collected another book. "Let's talk at a table."

"How long is this gonna' take?" Mawile asked.

"Just two minutes or so. Agatha, I'm not sure if you'd want to join us or not."

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"The accident."

A cold shiver shot up Agatha's spine. She tilted her head from side to side. Her jaw clenched by itself.

"I doubt I could tell you anything you don't already know," Mawile said. His eyes flashed towards Agatha. "Why don't you check on your friend up there?"

"Yeah, sure."

Damien helped Mawile pick up books and head to a table. Agatha walked in between two bookshelves and up a spiral staircase to the second floor. She still struggled to twist her feet at each step, but she never lost her balance.

Meowstic Alondra laid flat on her back on top of a book. Another open book covered her forehead. The center of her face turned red as she stared up at the ceiling. Her mouth quivered between an open smile and surprised gasp.

"Alondra?" Agatha called. "You good?"

"I'll dress our kids in warm scarves for school. And I'll read them stories before bedtime…"

"Okay, caaaaalm down. You're thinking a little loud."

"Eh?"

Alondra's head popped up. She seemed surprised Agatha stood in front of her with her arms crossed.

"Just ask him on a first date before… going off," Agatha said.

"Where am I?" Alondra asked. "How did I get back on the second floor?"

"You, like, exploded?"

"Oh, uh…"

Agatha extended out her paw down. Alondra accepted her help standing back up. She stepped off of the book and walked out of the pile of books around her.

"Thanks," Alondra huffed. "I'm, uh, just startled is all."

"Riiiight…"

"So, what are you doing at the library with them?"

"The Mawile is looking at books so I can learn about crafting," Agatha explained. "And apparently, Damien's been following me around because Zen told him to."

"Damien?" she asked.

"Yeah, that Greninja."

Alondra took in a fast, deep breath. "Oh. I see. Well, I had met Zen earlier, and I think he means well."

"Met him? When?"

"Well, after you went out with them, they sought me out. I just explained to them what Scions were, but they already seemed to know what I told them. And by the way…" Alondra's face fell into an annoyed frown. "I'm concerned about that rogue Scion."

"What kind of concerned?" Agatha leaned her head over Alondra's shoulder. "Is that why you're looking through that book?"

"Yes, well… Lugia is a very special case, especially its old Scions."

"Why's that?"

"They don't appear often. Something is usually very wrong when they do."

"Isn't that how it is for all Scions?" Agatha asked. "You said that earlier, right?"

"I guess I really ought to explain a few more details to you."

The books on the floor glowed with psychic energy and floated again. They rose and aligned themselves on the bookshelf. The large book Alondra rode on lied itself down flat on the bottom. Alondra looked around until her eyes settled on a tan, wooden table against the wall she walked towards. Agatha followed her.

Meowstic Alondra sat down on an uncomfortable-looking cushion across from Audino Agatha. Agatha decided to stand and lean against the wall. Her black leather jacket kept her from having to actually touch it.

"There are different kinds of Scions," Alondra said. "Or, I guess you could say different classes where there are some key commonalities."

"Like what?" Agatha asked.

"From what you told me, that Cinccino Hannah would classify as a Fierce Scion. It's a common type of Scion where changes to the body can be triggered, like with that blue mask you described."

"So those blasts of wind weren't some kind of magic? They were something her body actually became capable of doing?"

"Yes, that would be accurate."

"Is that how it is with the White Star?" Agatha asked.

"Nothing like him has ever happened before, no. It's most likely he's a completely new class."

"What makes you say that?"

"His body, well…" Alondra sighed. "Changes to the body from being a Scion aren't usually that drastic. And they're usually something controllable. Maybe if he turned red like a normal Flareon, he would count as a Fierce Scion."

"How about other common types?" Agatha asked.

"Mage Scions are able to create things… Like, buildings, or weapons, or potions of some sort. Not really a lot of combat abilities. Fortune Scions are able to, well, do fortune telling and use their given knowledge to change events to their liking. Genie Scions are capable of using their powers to accomplish great things three times, and then they lose their status as a Scion after."

"Which type are you?"

"I'm a Mortal Scion."

Agatha pushed off of the wall. "What's that mean?"

"I can do little things," Alondra said. "Making plants grow faster is just about it for me. But my real powers are all… Well, uh. Sacrificial."

Agatha paused and stared at her. "Sacrificing of what?"

"I get five minutes where I'm the strongest kind of Scion. During those five minutes, I'm the strongest form of Scion there ever is. It's sacrificial because the power will burn away at my body until nothing's left."

"Did you even get a choice!?"

"Yes, I chose this."

"Then why would you do that yourself?" she asked. "Are you serious…?"

"I've never had anyone or anything I feel passionate about," Alondra explained. Her eyes lowered as she smiled at the table. "I couldn't figure out a way to live every day like it was my last. Being ready to die is just a reality of being alive. I'm afraid you'll have to tell Damien that I decline any invitations he might have, though. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"The hell, Alondra!? Can you undo this or… something?"

"Why would I want to?" she frowned.

"You're not destined to be sad forever just because something bad happened."

"Plenty of Mortal Scions before me gave their lives bravely."

"Because they had no other choice?" Agatha asked. "If you knew you'd become a Mortal Scion, why would you do it when you don't have any passion? Sacrificing yourself won't solve all your problems."

"For the record, I'm on Agatha's side."

Agatha had been so upset, she didn't notice the train of footsteps coming up the spiral staircase. A Lopunny with hazel eyes and sharp fur walked towards her, shaking his head. Luke stopped at the side of their table and glanced at each of them.

"Hate to interrupt out of nowhere," Luke said, "but I'm concerned about what you found today in the Old World."

"Why would you be concerned?" Agatha asked. "It was just empty. There was nothing there."

"That's usually the sign of a Haven. A more contained place rather than a bunch of randomness. And I want to go see it with you as soon as possible."

"Like when?"

"As soon as you can get everyone together."

"I'll come," Alondra said.

"Me as well, if you'll have me."

Greninja Damien and Mawile John came up the stairs. Damien's voice held the offer as he walked closer. John stood further back with his arms crossed.

"I don't know many details," Damien said. "But, I can help protect Agatha in the place you go to."

"Sure," Luke said. "You already know pretty much everything else, anyways…"

"Why is it so important that we find out as soon as possible?" Agatha asked.

"Because there's a chance we could discover a Conqueror's identity. It would be another person like Hannah. There's no time to lose."

"I'm going to go ahead and head back," Mawile called. "Agatha, just read 'Crafting Theory' for now. Left it on the table down there."

"Thanks," she said. "I'll read it at school."

Mawile nodded and walked back down the stairs. As his footsteps faded away, Lopunny Luke, Meowstic Alondra, and Greninja Damien all turned to Audino Agatha. Agatha's eyes darted between their faces.

"What?" Agatha asked.

"It's up to you when we go," Luke said. "If at all."

"Of course we'll go. I just seriously didn't see anything there for, like, two whole hours."

"For starters, just tell me how you got there. You were at the tree, and…?"

"We went left," she said. "Went past the river made out of rocks that was just kind of a continual avalanche… And then after that, we went up a hill with a bunch of snow piles sitting on top of random chunks of lava. Then we kept going up and hit the mountain."

"Just to be clear," Damien said, "you all heard what I heard, right?"

"It's not as weird as it sounds when you see it," Luke explained. "Did you notice anything about the mountain that seemed off at all?"

"It's reflection was in the sky," Agatha said. "And the quiet was kind of eerie."

"A reflection, exactly," Luke said. His excitement bled through in the form of his waving hands. "Okay, y'know how some points in the Old World are connected? Reflections are a big sign that you've found a Haven."

"Then what did we do wrong to not find anything useful?"

Luke paused. He stared off in the distance towards Agatha's face for a moment, then his eyes lit up again. "Let's talk. Damien, Alondra, could you wait outside?"

Greninja Damien and Meowstic Alondra glanced towards each other. They both nodded. Alondra stood up, and Luke pivoted around her and sat in the cushion she had been sitting in. They both walked off towards the spiral staircase. Agatha sat down across from him.

"Us Pharaohs have a certain connection to that place," Luke explained. "But, it develops as we get older. If I had to guess, any visions you have right now are probably a mess, right?"

Agatha just nodded. She lost a little focus when he decided to admit to being family. It made sense that he was a historian. He could've been a distant relative, albeit very distant if she'd never even heard of him before.

"Describe one," Luke said. "Any will do."

"Okay… Uh, well… Is it normal to feel like you're seeing ghosts?"

"What do you mean 'ghosts'?"

"Earlier today, there was this pokemon in that Mawile's store. She just looked like a floating light, and when I asked the Mawile what species she was, I couldn't hear the real answer. And I couldn't hear anything she was saying at all."

"How did it make you feel? What kind of vibe?"

"It felt… Warm. I was sort of relaxed. Like, safe. But do you know what this means?"

"We can detect lots of things about people," Luke said. "If I had to guess, that was probably a Scion. Your vision was kind of distorted by that detection."

"If that's the reason, why doesn't that happen with Alondra?" Agatha asked.

"Well," Luke's eyes turned down, "it probably means they were very powerful. But, if they feel safe or relaxing, then they're probably really nice. And if they feel all… angry, or something, you should probably avoid them. How about dreams?"

Agatha froze up and grimaced.

"You don't have to say," Luke said quickly. "Just want you to recognize all of these visions and feel comfortable. For us, this stage where we can't really control it or see properly is normal. Don't let it get to you."

"So, am I supposed to just kind of 'feel' something when looking for a Haven?" she asked.

"When it gets better, you'll feel a calling when you get to these places. But if a place is too quiet, it's definitely a Haven. So, when do you want to go?"

Agatha felt too tired to go today, and possibly tomorrow. The day after was a Friday, which would be great for it.

"Friday," Agatha said. "I'm, uh, a little tired today."

"Friday it is," Luke nodded, smiling. "Make sure you get some rest. There isn't a way to predict what happens in a Haven. I'll put in an order from that Mawile so we'll be able to better protect ourselves."

"Right. Okay."

Luke stood up and walked away. Agatha stared at the dry surface of the table for a minute. She replayed the feelings the ghost welled up. For some reason, a name couldn't get past the tip of her tongue.