"There's this Dungeon with a lot of feral Spoink," Finn explained. "Rolling Meadow. It's-"

"Oh yeah I've been there," Rio yawned. The dragon's cave was nice. A wooden table and three chairs sat at the center, while a huge stone stove heated the entire place up. The stew simmering on top gave off a savory aroma, which was probably why Scales decided to nap in front of the stove. The curled up dragon's snores were as loud as ever, but neither of the other two occupants seemed to mind. At the mouth of the cave sat a wooden coat rack that held the Gabite's fire cloak.

"Well that simplifies things," the Gabite went on. "Honey roast Spoink is the favorite of Rose's family, so I'd like to make a bunch for the wedding. Do you mind hunting some down? As much as you can. You can keep the pearls, they're pretty valuable. I heard some special orbs could be made from them."

"Sure," Rio said. "Wanted to test something anyway, but I wanna take Scales. He can carry more than I-"

"H-He's sleeping!" the Gabite stammered, interrupting Rio. "You can just leave him here, right?"

"You really don't want to lose your taste tester, huh?" Rio asked, grinning. Finn's Aura was really obvious. Rio knew the feeling well, he felt it every time Griza laid eyes on him after all. Still, at least this one wasn't as smothering…

"He… has useful insights!" Finn insisted. "I changed up the recipe of the stew and I want his thoughts."

"Sure, just save me some, alright?" Rio said, standing up. "All he wants to talk about is your cooking, so I wanna try it."

"R-really?"

"I'll figure something out. See ya Finn." Without another word, Rio walked out of the cave and into the forest. Finn's place was just outside of town, and walking north for a bit would take him right to the Dungeon. Still, it gave him time to think. About what happened last night. That asshole of a Bibarel. Where does he get off, trying to bribe Blue off the team? Who does that? Why would he do that? Didn't he like his brother?

As Rio stewed, his Aura started to flare. Light blue flames could be seen coating his body as he walked through the woods, walking past the huge crater he made last night. Rio kicked a stray piece of wood back into the hole as he went, not even looking at the destruction. Stupid older sibling…

"Rio, what the hell?"

Rio looked up to see Pana and Blue walking his way. Normally the Riolu hybrid wouldn't have blinked at the glare she was giving him, but the fact that she was using Blue as a support to walk is what really got his attention. She was leaning heavily on the Bidoof as they walked back to town.

"Are you two ok?" Rio asked, eyes raised. The blue flames started to die down. "What happened last night?"

"None of your business," Pana growled, as Blue blushed beside her.

"Really?" Rio asked, raising an eye at Blue's Aura. "Cuz you've looked better."

"None," Pana repeated, glaring. "Of your business."

"Fine, fine," Rio snickered. "Then I won't tell you about the crater."

"It was an accident, right?" Blue asked, nervously eyeing the thing. "Please tell me you didn't blow up the town…"

"Nope," Rio reassured. "Made it here just in time, don't worry. In fact, you can blame your brother. He's the reason…"

"Red? What did he do?"

Rio clenched and unclenched his fists. He should tell Blue what his brother tried to pull, but he knew if he did he might explode again. He needed to get his mind off it, at least for now.

I'll tell you later," the Riolu sighed. "Might want to get back soon though. Your mom was kinda freaking out when you didn't come back last night. I told her you were with Pana, but that only did so much."

The Bidoof winced. "Alright. And Red?"

"...Him too…" Rio growled. "I'll see you two later, alright?"

"Don't blow anything else up," Pana grumbled.

"Please," Blue added, continuing to walk.

"I promise nothing," Rio said, speeding up as his sister glared at his retreating form. Stiff or not, he didn't trust that to stop her if she really wanted to give him another bruise. Why she was stiff in the first place could wait.

…

It wasn't long before Rio found himself in front of the dungeon entrance once again. The results of his previous test still littered the area. Grass was still flattened, the trees were slanted from the increase in gravity, but the meadow in front of him looked as if nothing happened. It looked as peaceful as ever.

Rio looked at his bracelet. He had only tried the dark one so far, so why not the other two? The dances had implemented themselves in his mind already, and he was gonna put off acknowledging how for as long as possible. Still, he wanted to try another form… maybe the brown one with the rock symbol? He had it the second longest after all…

And so he tried to do what he did yesterday, close his eyes and focus on the crystal. He could still feel them, feel their light. As he focused on one, his own Aura started to encroach, seeping into the crystal in question. The light spread to his Aura, mixing with it, changing it, becoming stiff and sturdy like rock, and he waited for his body to follow suit.

But it… didn't. Rio didn't feel anything at first, but kept his focus on the stone. Weird, it only took a few seconds the first time. And then he felt something. His chest felt funny. Hard? Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe?

When he started coughing up blood, the Riolu decided to cut the connection.

Rio fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Fuck, his heart… his lungs… the change in his Aura didn't last, fading almost immediately. The hybrid needed a few minutes to recover. It gave him some time to think.

Why didn't that trigger a change? What was different? The type maybe? The black one was clearly dark, the one he tried to use was probably rock or something, and then he realized Eevee didn't have rock evolutions. So by that logic, it'd probably be impossible for him to partially turn into something that didn't exist.

Probably.

Then what about the pink one? Rio looked a the symbol on its surface, a dying butterfly or something? But it was pink… Eh, he could just shut it off if he started coughing up blood again. He closed his eyes, and let the light change his Aura.

It came easily this time, just like the Umbreon the other day. Instead of feeling heavier, he felt light. Airy. Floaty. Something was sprouting out of his neck and wrists too. He looked at his fur, which had turned white and pink. If he had a mirror to look into, he'd see one of his eyes had turned blue, while the other remained red. His tail also felt fluffier, maybe a little easier?

The ribbons were the weirdest part. Two were growing out of his wrist, and two out of his neck, tied in what looked like a bow tie. They fell limp at his side, but he could feel them. They were like his Aura sensors, another part of his body. If he thought about moving them...

All six ribbons wiggled. It was like flexing a muscle. Did these count as muscles? What could they lift?

Screw it, may as well try it out fighting. Trial by fire, and all that. Pink stone still glowing brightly on his wrist, the Riolu-Sylveon hybrid made his way inside. He had something new to try now!

…

"Where have you two been?"

Blue's mother had slid them both soup as they sat down. It was too early for a rush, so the place was basically empty. Pana still moved stiffly, but picked up a spoon and proceeded to drink. Blue watched her with concern before turning to his glowering mother. For the hundredth time, he was glad Rose came to drag Red to their own bed. That would have been worse.

"I-" Blue started, glancing at Pana.

"Sorry ma'am," Pana cut him off, still looking at her soup. "I asked Blue to show me the spring, and we sort of lost track of time. It was just so nice there, and we fell asleep. Sorry."

She said it so smoothly, leaving out the more… dangerous part of the story. It couldn't even be considered a lie, just leaving parts out. Based on the Greedent's softening expression, she seemed to accept it.

"It is a beautiful place…" she said, turning back to the kitchen. "Try not to let it happen again young lady."

"You got it." Pana turned to the Bidoof, giving him a slight grin. He returned it, blushing a bit, before going back to his own soup, not bothering with a spoon. Despite the scary circumstances that led to it, Blue really enjoyed spending time with Pana, even if it was mostly a nap. No dungeons with undying enemies, no vague as hell legendaries, no pushy sibling, it was the most relaxed he'd been on this vacation.

"Thanks," Pana said after a while. "For last night."

"W-well," Blue stammered. "I would think you'd do the same for me, right?"

"Not just that. What you said, and for staying with me."

"Well, it's the truth."

She didn't respond for a while, just finishing her soup. The smile didn't go away though, and Blue noticed. It really was a great smile. When she finished, she stood up. Blue went to support her, but she held a paw up to stop him.

"I can walk," she said. "Still a little stiff, but I can get back to the room. I'm gonna lie down for a bit, feel free to come in."

With that, she gave the Bidoof a stiff wave and started up the stairs. Blue watched her go, still tensed to help her, bye she made it out of sigh. Probably nothing to worry about. Blue went back to his soup. What to do with the rest of his day… Finish those notes on Rio? He should probably tell Pana about that. Wait, how would she react? Considering her thing about evolution, would that make her feel worse?

Before Blue could further ponder that problem, his mother came out of the kitchen, carrying something under her arm. A book. She sat next to him, and put the book down, smiling.

"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend," were the first words out of her mouth.

In response, Blue spat out his stew, letting it spill onto the floor. She didn't flinch at the sudden deluge of berries, herbs and broth.

"I-it's not like that!" Blue stammered, shaking his head. She's just a good friend!"

"That you spent the entire night with, alone, in the most beautiful place for miles."

"S-she asked to see it!" his cheeks were crimson now.

"Alone?" Nutmeg was grinning now. "With you?"

"Mom!"

"Alright, alright." the Greedent laughed. "It's just… that was where I met your father, so-"

"Wait, really?" Blue asked, his curiosity overwriting his embarrassment. "Then you were both gonna evolve at the same time?"

"Not necessarily. You see, his partner was an Eevee, and they came to town to check out the spring, among other things. I just liked to spend my time there."

"Dad had a partner? He never told me…"

Nutmeg was silent for a moment, before he continued. "She was… aloof, and when Red was born they went their separate ways. Popped in every so often but never stayed too long. Didn't want to get tied down, in her words."

"Oh," Blue looked down at the now empty bowl in front of him. "I would've loved to meet her."

"She comes and goes, but that's not important right now." She took one last look at the book she held, sighed, and slid it over to her son. "Your father would have wanted you to have this, now that you've become an actual explorer."

Blue pushed the bowl aside, and slid the book in front of him. Homemade, more like a binder than a book. It looked… familiar.

"Is this…" Blue asked, eyes widening in recognition. He was never allowed to read it!

"Your fathers journal," Nutmeg confirmed. "All of his notes, his research, his personal journal, all in one. Now that you've grown up and are following in his footsteps, he'd want you to have it."

He'd seen his father write in the thing every so often, but he was never allowed to look inside. He never got a good explanation as to why, and after he died…

Blue shook his head as he cracked the book open to read the first page. It was his dad's writing alright, although it was even messier than it usually was. Weird. Did he write this one in a hurry? Oh well, he could make it-

"Wait Blue!" his mother tried to stop him. "I need to explain some things-"

It was in an ancient human language. One of the first he was taught. Sinnohian.

I've been turned into a Bidoof.

No, this isn't a dream, I checked. Many times. Hell, I'm writing this with my mouth, for Arceus's sake! I just went to sleep last night, and now I'm an actual Pokemon. I'm currently writing this in a city run by Pokemon! It's… nicer than I expected. I was lucky enough to run into Selena, an Eevee, and she-

That's all Blue could read before he turned back to his mother. He simply stared at her, blankly, uncomprehendingly.

"Dad was… human?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Nutmeg said softly. "That's what he said."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said in his quiet voice.

"Your father didn't want you to know, because he knew the conclusion you'd jump to. All the stories about humans and-"

"The catastrophes…" Blue whispered. "The world…"

"Is fine." his mother reassured. "No world ending threat for a century! It was probably a happy accident that he came here."

Blue was silent as he thought. No. That wasn't true. It couldn't be. The disappearance of the Legendary Pokemon, the spike in Dungeon appearances, the supposed spread of that Dungeon, Diancie's warnings about that thing… were they connected? Was the Labyrinth the catastrophe?

He had to read more, find out exactly what dad was looking into. Why he was brought here.

Why dad didn't tell him.

"Who else knows?" Blue asked, voice weak.

"Just you, me, and his partner, Selena. I was going to tell Red, but the wedding…"

"Ok…" Blue grabbed the book, stashed it in his bag, and started for the door upstairs.

"Honey?" Nutmeg called to him.

"I just need to process." Blue said quickly. A little too quickly. "Sorry about the mess. I'll get it later."

"Wait, Blue!"

But he was already gone, up the stairs and in his room. He didn't respond to Pana as he started reading. The only thing that still made sense right now.

…

An incredibly buff Rio grabbed the feral Spoink out of the air with one ribbon, and slammed it into the ground. The feral squeaked once before its neck was broken, pearl clattering to the ground. The Masters taught him to be fast with his kills. The prey didn't deserve to suffer, so it was good to make it quick. He felt the Aura leave the feral's body, dead.

The Dungeon was just what the entrance promised, mostly plains, some hills, the occasional tree growing at the top of some of said hills, and a whole bunch of feral Spoink. Maybe the occasional Wooloo.

He was getting better with the ribbons. An entire day of hunting with just them turned out to be great practice. He could flick them forward, wrap his enemies in em, and that was all he'd been using them for. Not much else to be used for either.

That would be the twenty-eighth Spoink. He wrapped it up in his pink tendril and threw it onto the pile. The pile of feral corpses was tied up in a nice bow with his neck ribbons that extended behind him. Those could really stretch, the pile was bigger than him after all! Still, even with a max Bulk Up active it was getting hard to lug that much meat around, and that's not considering the pearls. Sure he broke most of em, but there were still a solid six too big for the bag he brought, and he couldn't just keep kicking them around. What to do… and that's when he felt the new Aura. An overwhelming one.

"Need some help?"

Rio turned to see an Espeon walking up the hill he was on. Her eyes were as blue as the morning sky, red gem on her forehead glittering. Her two tipped tail swayed in the wind, not a care in the world. A slight, playful smile was on her face as she fixed the bag on her back.

"That'd be nice," Rio admitted. She was like Rhodes, he could tell. A Legacy. So… why did he feel there was something other than that? Had… he felt her before?

"As for my payment…" the Espeon crouched down to examine the pearls in front of the Riolu, then raised her eyes to look him in the eye. "One of these should do. They're pretty."

"Sure," Rio said, shrugging. "I got five more, one won't hurt."

"Thanks kid. Now get those ribbons off. It'll pinch if you don't."

Rio obliged, retracting the fairy tendrils and cutting off his connection to the crystal. Soon he was back to his black and blue self, scratching at the scar under his fluff. The Espeon raised an eye at that.

"What?" Rio asked. "My body's weird."

"I didn't say anything," the Espeon leapt atop the pile of corpses, and pink light sprouted from her paws. Soon, a pink bubble surrounded the results of the hunting trip, and floated off the ground. The Espeon laid down on her bubble, floating her payment over to her. The biggest pearl he had managed not to break.

"Well that's handy," Rio smirked, taking the rest of the large orbs in his hands.

"Yup!" the Espeon said cheerfully. "This Dungeon goes out near Redwood, where do you want em?"

"Cave just out of town. I'll let Finn deal with em then."

"Cool. Well, let's get going. The exit should be right around here."

The bubble started to float, and Rio walked next to it, glancing at the strange Espeon. A few questions wouldn't hurt, right?

"You a Legacy?" Rio asked.

"Yup."

"...You gonna tell me exactly what that means?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"You'll figure it out. Don't need my help."

Rio shrugged. No skin off his back. Probably. Maybe. Still, it would be nice to hurry that along.

"You got a name?" Rio asked.

She was silent for a bit, looking over the Hybrid. Rio met her gaze, her sky blue eyes meeting his light crimson. She sighed before answering.

"Selena. What's yours?"

"Rio."

She snorted at that. "Sure it is."

"Hey! I'll have you know my name is very original. Drugged-up me is very proud of it."

"There's a story behind that, isn't there?" Selena said, not even acknowledging the charging Wooloo that just came up behind her.

"Heads up," Rio pointed out, but the Espeon did nothing. She just watched atop her bubble, waiting for Rio's response.

"You're really not gonna do anything?" Rio asked, as the sheep drew ever closer.

"You've been handling yourself fine," she yawned. "Why should I step in? Now, you gonna tell me that story or not?"

As the sheep came closer, Rio drove a Force Palm into its face, the explosion ripping from it sending the feral flying across the Dungeon. Rio turned back to the apathetic Espeon, who waved at him to continue.

"No," Rio shrugged, scratching at his scar. That was not a fun memory. Or lack of them.

"Shame," Selena shrugged. "Oh well, I have no right to ask."

"Worth a shot," Rio shrugged.

"Yes, yes it was."

The rest of the Dungeon was uneventful, the occasional feral attack but nothing either of them couldn't handle. Well, nothing Rio couldn't handle. Selena just… floated, watching the Riolu defend them. True to her word, Selena and Rio walked out between two trees near town. When Rio looked back, the Dungeon was already gone. It was really weird how Dungeon exits vanished when you left. The sun was going down as they walked away.

"Alright," the Espeon yawned. "Where did you want these?"

"Follow me," Rio took the lead, reaching the cave in no time. The clanging of scales against dishes told him his brother was awake, and Finn was having fun feeding him. He better have saved some of that stew.

The pink bubble popped, letting the Spoink fall to the ground. Selena jumped off, orb still floating behind her as she licked her paw.

"That's that," she said, turning to walk away. "Thanks for the pearl."

"Thanks for the help," Rio said, putting his own pearls down for a bit.

"Oh, one more thing!" Before Rio could ask what, the Espeon's eyes started to glow purple. All six pearls were suddenly enveloped in the light of the psychic's mind, before fading. Her eyes went back to normal, and she started licking her front paw. "Go ahead. Take a look."

Rio did so, picking up one of the pearls. It was still pink, but he could make out an orb of purple light at the things center. It was faint.

"Give it a few days," the Espeon said. "Give those others to your friends, it'll be useful."

"What's it?" Rio asked, gazing at the purple center. Was the light spreading?

"That'll ruin the surprise!" the Espeon giggled. "I'll be in touch. Bye!"

With that, she flashed purple, and disappeared with her own pearl. Rio looked at where she just was, shrugging. Least he got something cool out of it. Was whatever she did what Finn was talking about? And knowing her was probably just in his head...

"Rio?" Scales said, poking his head out of the cave. His face was covered in stew. "Hey, you brought supper!"

His brother's presence wiped those concerning thoughts from his mind. They weren't important, that wasn't important. The past wasn't important. Now was. He couldn't forget that, or he'd go mad.

"Most of it is for the wedding," Rio said, walking inside with his pearls. "You better have saved me some stew!"