Chapter 13 - Summer

"Found any good ones?" Leah asked between bites as she snacked on an apple. It was after school, and we were lounging on a bench at the edge of the village tinkering with the gadget. Ampharos had briefly instructed us last night on job applications that would appear through the connection orb, so we were trying to find a job to kick-start our "junior" careers.

"Nah, there's no signal over he- oh!" I held the gadget in the air as the connection screen lit up with jobs in the area. "I think I got something!"

"Lemme see!" Leah gasped, dropping her half-eaten apple and snatching the gadget from my tiny hands. An icon appeared and she jabbed her paw on it, nearly knocking the gadget out of her own grip. I had previously informed her that the touch screen was quite sensitive and didn't require much pressure to respond, but my partner always insisted on almost punching the screen in excitement every time she used it.

The icon sparkled and the pink and white face of a Pokemon appeared. Under its face read its location and a name: "Sylveon".

"This job is the only one within half a day's walk from here," Leah said as she handed the gadget back to me. "It says Foreboding Forest below the image, so that must be where this Pokemon sent out a call for help."

I tilted my head. "It's that simple? How does that even work?"

Leah just shrugged in response, stating without words that her guess was no better than mine. I guess the less we knew, the less it mattered.

This was my second time inside the Foreboding Forest, and it was nothing short of a breeze through. I assumed the source behind the ease of intrusion was the experience I had felt myself gaining after the past few days of hard work. Wild Pokemon that were once considered rather pesky were now fortunate to be considered an afterthought as they fell to an assault of vines and embers.

Saving that Sylveon was simple enough. She was huddled not far from where Espurr and I had located Goomy when I first arrived at the village. The poor girl had gotten herself stuck in a place clearly foreign to her natural habitat, but she didn't really stick around to give details. She gave us some of the resources she'd collected in the forest as a thanks and went on her way.

I thought that was the end of it, but a remarkable thing happened when the connection orb confirmed our completion of the job. The icon of Sylveon stayed there, and the screen displayed lines stretching to several more icons of different Pokemon. I guess this must've been what Kecleon meant by "seeing connections", hence the name of the connection orb. Besides that, it also registered the completed job with our team's record in the form of virtual "points". Leah crudely explained that our rescue team was ranked on a scale that was established a long time ago, and our status would improve with each job we completed. From this, it was easy to assume that we'd likely be completing a lot of jobs.

Summer break was to start soon, so I couldn't find any issue with being productive with my time by working for the "junior" Society. I resolved to be like Leah and view it as a fun hobby rather than community work. Besides, that Sylveon paid us well enough even though we weren't expecting anything in return. Motivation wouldn't be an issue.

Improvement would come as time passed. As our newly formed team explored dungeons for the next three weeks helping Pokemon, our development would continue to blossom. It was still hardly visible, but I noticed that my partner's muscles on her legs had begun to thicken. She still possessed her signature lean figure, but now I could detect a more robust vibe emanating off of her whenever she was prepared to put in work for the Society. Perhaps this stemmed from the extra spring in her naturally energetic step that our obligations have lead to. I mean, she technically had her dream job now, so it made sense that she would tackle it with everything she had. It was doing wonders for her character, and it was even earning her a bit of respect from some of the villagers. I had to admit, I was enjoying the bits of recognition I was gaining by her side as well.

My own physical development wasn't one that I could really visualize; rather, it was one I had understood and could utilize in everyday life. After around five weeks in this world, I had become totally accustomed to using my vines. I was no marksman with them, at least not yet, but the foreign awkwardness that had accompanied their usage had finally faded away. I could safely say that they were a better substitute for my little arms for virtually all commonplace activities involving the upper body.

As far as combat went, besides the improvement with my vines, I'd learned how to use leaf tornado. The range on the attack wasn't too impressive, but it was ideal for panic situations and served as a second offensive option that was a bit safer depending on the opponent in question.

What still remained in the dark, however, was the phenomenon that Ampharos was unable to explain concerning my reversed stat-changes. I had written the first two incidents off as nothing more than my imagination running wild in the heat of battle, even thinking that it was stupid to have asked Ampharos about it in the first place. However, the oddity was brought to light once again as a wild Pidove used featherdance and my attack was literally raised rather than lowered. Leah, who must've not thought much of it either, was aghast at the sight of my attacks suddenly powering up to devastating levels that sent the poor bird packing. Neither of us could explain it; all we knew was that it wasn't normal. None of the teachers knew anything about it either, not that I really expected them to. Most of the lessons they had given us all year covered simple topics such as the properties of mystery dungeons and the traditional subjects you'd expect to find in a school, such as mathematics and language arts. Farfetch'd suggested that I seek out a more advanced educational source if I wanted to know about something like that, which was basically what I'd already planned to do after talking with Ampharos.

Education in the present, speaking of, was coming to a close. The final school bell rang, indicating summer break's beginning and preceded shouts of excitement from my classmates. I was incredibly relieved that summer break had finally arrived, as anyone should be. As highly as I valued education in a world in which I initially lacked the most basic knowledge, I couldn't really agree that school was my favorite place to spend time.

I looked around at my classmates and briefly wondered what they would be doing this summer. Relaxing would probably be an accurate estimation. I slightly envied their newfound leisure knowing that Leah and I would still bear the responsibility of a rescue team, but at the same time, I was kind of excited to gain the hours of the day previously reserved for classes to spread our team's influence.

On the subject of my classmates: things were still a bit awkward between us. I was conflicted between the instinct to not trust them and the urge to make amends, and it had been gnawing away at my nerves ever since the day after Nectar Meadows. I'd had a couple of brief conversations with Espurr courtesy of her telepathy, mostly just involving trivial things like asking for an extra pencil or sheet of paper. But even she, who I had considered one of my closest friends, heeded the distance.

After giving the topic enough thought, I simply decided to leave everyone be and let things work themselves out as time passed. The whole thing was stupid anyway, and it had already distracted me enough. When I asked Leah about it, she shrugged and said she didn't think much of the drama as well. It was all best left ignored.

Despite the extra hours, our duties would keep the two of us embroiled in a mess of responsibility every day. A Vulpix lost in the forest here, a Yanma looking for a lost item there. We even got tangled up challenging a Salamence once. It was only thanks to a well-thrown sleep seed that we narrowly escaped with minimal injury. Regardless of the hassle, our efforts proved consistently rewarding, and I could finally say I was immersed with the whole Society business. My mentality had begun to match that of Leah's enthusiastic determination, leading to productive results and a more mentally-comfortable daily life for myself. Thoughts of my human situation had become isolated in the back of my brain as it filled up with new memories and tendencies.

The brutal heat of the summer, on the other hand, was something that nobody could shove to the back of their minds. Every member of the village could be seen visibly perspiring as the sun flared down on them during the long hours of the average day. Leah mentioned to me a couple of times how bad the heat was getting, and I wholeheartedly agreed. It caught my attention that she was a fire-type and likely enjoyed the heat more than any other Pokemon, perhaps besides certain grass types with sunlight-supported abilities. If she was feeling its effects, then this particular summer was clearly not worthy of a blind-eye turned. Even glancing at the sun almost gave the impression that it was had grown in size, as if some cosmological phenomenon was the explanation for the heat wave.

Early in this blazing summer heat came the first real drama the village had seen since school let out. One morning, Nuzleaf was gone on a business trip, allowing Leah to sneak into the house and prank the hell out of me. I was still snoozing away as she naughtily dropped a tamato berry (I wouldn't know where she got it) down my throat. By the time my brain began to comprehend the waking realm, I was overwhelmed with the neuronal sensation of a flaming esophagus. I chased her for a good seven minutes around the village before I finally succumbed to exhaustion amplified by the lingering fire in my throat. Of course, Leah was laughing her head off the entire time, and only doubled down in hysterics when she saw me indulge my entire head in the lake to sooth the burning.

We found ourselves in the plaza just hanging around after I had finished unconventionally drinking away the last of the spices. From my peripherals I noticed Pancham and Shelmet approaching, and before I could motion to my partner that we maintain a distance, they were upon us.

Pancham rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Hey- uh, Sage," he stammered. "How's your summer been?"

"Well enough," I replied dryly. "Yours?"

I suppose the fact that I even responded at all exceeded his expectations, and I could see most of the tensity that tightened his stature get replaced with his typical carefree output. "It's been pretty dope," he gloated, holding his head up and smirking.

"Yeah!" Shelmet chimed in, seemingly oblivious to any awkwardness that might've plagued our conversation. "We've been defending our title as the 'prankster gangsters' of this village."

"The... what?"

"You heard me. We're the one and only," he continued. "You should've seen the look on Lombre's face when he finally realized there had been a perfect apple stuck on his head all day. It was golden!" He eyed us both meticulously. "What, you think you can top that? Any pranks you've pulled that are better?"

I noticed Leah's grin developing, and I did not even give her the grace of opening her mouth before a vine slapped over it. "No," I sharply insisted, giving her a wayward glance and making her giggle. "No pranks happening around here. Right Leah?"

Letting my vine off of her closed jaw, she narrowed her eyes and me and adopted a sheepish grin. "Whatever you say Smugleaf."

"Anyway," Pancham butted in, the exchange blowing by him. "Have you heard the rumors about the school lately?"

Leah hummed curiously, and raised an eyebrow at him. "School is out, so what could possibly be going on involving it?"

"We've heard on the grapevine that at night, the school is..." the panda swung his head side to side, seeing if anyone was listening, although it was pretty evident that he was just doing it for dramatic effect. "...haunted!"

I raised my eyebrows. He said haunted? Like, as in ghosts? The thought barely entered my head before I registered the sound of a sharp gasp to my side. I tilted my head a few degrees toward my partner, and noticed an emotion that was typically repellant to her nature had integrated into her expression. She looked incredibly anxious, almost fearful.

"H-haunted?" she stammered.

"That's right," said Pancham. "We heard that these blue flames pop out of thin air, and chant 'so very hot' to anyone nearby the school in the dark hours of nighttime. It's gotta be ghosts, there's no other explanation."

"Gh-ghosts?" my partner mumbled, visibly losing her stability.

"No doubt," Shelmet answered. "Ghosts who are here to haunt the school and-"

"BOO!" Pancham cried out. It really was a lousy attempt at scaring us, although it did trigger my ears a little bit as they were still adjusting to the morning air. Despite the silliness of his shout, however, Leah practically leaped backward as if she was standing on hot coals. Pancham and Shelmet couldn't contain their laughter.

"The prankster gangsters strike again!" Shelmet chanted.

Pancham sneered at us, smirking mischievously. "Isn't that rich!" he laughed. "You're afraid of ghosts, huh Leah? That's so wimpy! No doubt I'll remember that one!" The two stooges continued their laughter as they strolled away from us, probably to go plot more mischief.

I turned to Leah, who was mildly shivering even though it was like a hundred degrees outside. "Hey, you okay?" I asked her. "Don't sweat Pancham. It's probably not even real."

"No..." she confessed, hardly looking up at me. "Kanghaskan actually mentioned something about the ghosts the other day. I think I even heard Watchog claim he actually saw one. Look, I just... I'm not that good with these kinds of things. It gives me nightmares. It's really cowardly, I know..."

"Not at all," I reassured her, shaking my head. "We all have our weaknesses. Pancham is just trying to exploit yours to satisfy some ridiculous superiority complexion, that's all." I took a step toward the gate and waved at her to follow. "Come on, you'll forget all about it with some exploring."

To my dismay, she shook her head. A downcast look covered her face, and I felt a pang of guilt for letting Pancham get under her skin so easily. The burst of excited hysterics she had exhibited only minutes before was now replaced with melancholy. "I'm not feeling up to it today..." she sighed wistfully. "I'm sorry Sage. I really am. You don't mind, do you?"

"If you're not feeling well about it, I understand," I sighed back with a concerned nod in her direction. "I was actually thinking you should get some rest anyway. You've been pushing yourself hard lately." She nodded and, without another word, solemnly padded back to her house. I stared after her for a few moments before turning back to the gate.

I was ill at ease that she was so easily disturbed by Pancham's careless banter, but I was still determined to make use of my time. I picked a relatively easy mission for the day, hoping that even going solo I could still finish by mid-afternoon and get some extra rest as well. As I made my way out the gate, however, I was beckoned by a familiar soft voice from behind.

"Going alone today?"

I turned around and met Espurr's gaze. Her eyes contained a certain amount of casual indifference, but they were also expressing warmness that I couldn't rebuke even if I wanted to. Still, it had been a while since I'd really talked with any classmates, my encounter with Pancham and Shelmet a few moments prior being one of a few occasional anomalies, so it was difficult to reply in stride.

"Uh- yeah," I replied awkwardly. "Leah's not feeling well, but I've still got to fill our daily quota of work."

"Ah, yes," she purred, relaxing a little bit. "I remember overhearing her talking about the Expedition Society. Is it true that you two are members?"

I considered the context of the question before shaking my head no. "We're 'junior' members, whatever that's supposed to mean. In essence, we're basically just an exploration team."

"Yes, I knew that about that part. Everyone in the village does," she said. When she saw my surprised look, she giggled. "There aren't many rescue teams on this continent, and certainly not this deep in the countryside. It's hard not to notice the work you two have been doing. Didn't you know?"

"I mean... sort of? We've gotten a few compliments from the locals, but other than that I haven't noticed much." I rubbed the back of my head nervously. "Uh... you wouldn't happen to be interested in accompanying me today, would you?"

I assumed Espurr had planned on asking that herself, but if she did, she surely didn't show it. She reacted as if someone had just given her an amazing gift. "That would be wonderful!" she sang. "Where to?"

"Glittering Mountain. A local Larvitar child has apparently gotten himself stuck in a shallow crevice. Shouldn't be too difficult to solve."

Espurr cocked her head sideways. "How do you know? Did you get a special request in the mail or something?"

"No, we get missions straight from the connection orb. I'll explain it on the way there..."

Espurr and I were hiking down to the base of the mountain as the sun began its descent toward the horizon. What was intended to be a trivial mission ended up consuming twice the time and thrice the effort that I had anticipated. I was glad I had a companion, or else I might not have gotten back before dark. Fortunately, Espurr's kinesis and my vines were enough to hoist the poor child out of the fissure he had fallen into. Following that, we ran into a wild herd of Rhyhorn stampeding across the mountainside while in the process of returning the Larvitar to its parents. Not a fun way to spend a blistering hot summer day.

We were both tired from the culmination of the labor and the heat, but we each found ways dealt with it. This kind of basic exertion was something I had getting used to at this point, so it was really just another day for me. Espurr, to my surprise, made no complaints or even visibly displayed her exhaustion beyond the sweat that dampened her fur. I knew she was a fighter, and definitely someone who betrayed her looks, but I didn't expect her to be conditioned to deal with this kind of work in this kind of heat without faltering even a little. Not to mention she had the disadvantage of a fur pelt that was coveted during the winter but detrimental in this pressing heat.

Espurr had expressed a vehement interest in Team Prism during our adventure. I told her all about the connection orb, and Ampharos, and some of the more consequential missions Leah and I had been on. She listened intently, taken in by the few brief tales I was able to tell. The look on her face when I told her we defeated a Salamence!

The irony of it all hit me and made me smile. I was educating her on exploration, when she had been the one doing the exact same for me that day in the Foreboding Forest not even two months prior. It was nice to feel competent in a foreign body.

We reached the village just as the sun was dipping the first of its entrails below the mountains. As we reached the crossroads, Espurr turned around and smiled at me gleefully. Her eyes shined with colors of gratitude.

"Thanks for letting me come. It was fun exploring with you again."

I returned the smile, any traces of previous awkwardness now dissolved into nothingness. "I should be thanking you. I must say, you really can't go wrong with having a psychic type on your side. We should do this more often."

She giggled and nodded. "I'd love to." Suddenly her expression took a turn towards nervousness, and her smile deteriorated into a flustered line. "Sage, I've been meaning to talk to you about what happened that day you went to Nectar Meadows, and I just want to say I-"

A vine gently rested itself on her shoulder, cutting her off. "Don't." I insisted, now much more serious. "There's nothing to apologize about. E-even if it worked out in the end, it was a ridiculous decision to go and everyone had a right to be apprehensive. After my experience there, I wouldn't have wanted you or anyone else to come anyway."

I cleared my throat nervously, and continued. "I just... I just got set off by seeing Leah get hurt, that's all. To see her, of all Pokemon, get hurt in my stead when I still owed her an apology was... well... it made me feel terrible, and I guess I just took it out on you guys. So for that, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," she purred reassuringly. "It's all behind us. Although, I must compliment your courage for rushing to such a dangerous place."

I rubbed the back of my head, flattered by her compliment. "Courage...? I don't know about that. 'Recklessness' sounds more accurate."

"Well, you need a bit of both to get things done sometimes, right?" she hummed, her smile never fading. "You defeated a Salamence after all."

I almost said 'only because of a sleep seed', but I reckoned it wasn't appropriate for the point she was making.

"Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow." she added with a parting wave. "If you ever need a companion for one of your missions, I'd be happy to accompany you."

I nodded. "I'll remember that. Thank you."

As she began to turn away, I remembered something I had meant to ask her.

"Espurr, wait." She turned around and look at me curiously. "What do you make of all these ghost stories?"

She put a paw to her chin in thought. "Ah, I heard about that. Ghosts at the school, right?" I nodded my head in confirmation. "Well..." she continued. "I'd like to meet them, if they're real. It would be an interesting experience."

I blinked. She wanted to meet them? Wouldn't she be scared?

"Nope. Ghosts fascinate me."

Oops... I forgot she could read my thoughts.

"Anyway, I'll see you," she called, out loud this time. She made her way over to her house and disappeared through the door.

My mind was heavily occupied with thoughts of the legitimacy of the rumors, which was outlined by the fatigue nipping at my joints. But above it all was the immense relief that I wouldn't have to worry about isolating Espurr anymore. I was an idiot for not apologizing to her sooner, but it was hard to be dissatisfied with the conclusion to today's adventure. I would definitely have to take up her offer for an extra companion; with efficiency in mind, she'd be a great teammate to round out the squad, or in cases like today, keep me company while my partner was preoccupied. I just hoped Leah wouldn't mind the thought of having a third teammate every now and then.

Oh yeah... Leah. I made my way back to Nuzleaf's house and stopped at the entrance to glance to my left. Her house was silent, with no sign of life inside from where I stood. I considered going to check on her, but I just settled with peeking through the window. When I did, I saw the Fennekin sound asleep on her bed curled around a large pillow. I smiled at the sight; she would be just fine.

After a few moments of staring through the grated opening, I was satisfied that she would be alright. I made my way back to my own bed, popped an oran berry in my mouth, and fell asleep immediately.

The next day, Nuzleaf was still gone on one of his "business trips", leading to Leah waking me again. Thankfully this time didn't include spicy berries; instead she simply shook me awake.

"Sage, wake up!"

"Wha- huh?" I mumbled, still halfway in dreamland.

"There's some big commotion in the plaza, come on!" she announced as she tried to pull me out of bed. "Get up or I'll burn you!"

"Woah, chill!" I exclaimed, jumping up and stumbling as blood rushed to the tips of my feet. I idled a few seconds to let my body adjust to a standing position before popping a few joints and quizzing my partner. "What's this about a commotion?"

"I don't know, but most of the village is crowded by the lake, all huddled around Farfetch'd. Let's go!"

"O-okay," I murmured before finishing the awakening process with a deliberately popped jaw. She rushed out of the house ahead of me, and I was momentarily pleased that she had regained the sporadic energy that had been snuffed yesterday by talks of ghosts. I turned to follow her, jogging out of my room and grabbing an apple to eat along the way.

We arrived at a scene very similar to what Leah had described. Most of the villagers were over by the edge of the lake, watching as Farfetch'd was being questioned by Principal Simipour. We saw our entire class there as well, and we rushed over to them.

"What's going on?" I whispered.

"It's Mr. Farfetch'd," Goomy said. "He's been attacked by ghosts!"

Upon seeing me and Leah's shocked expressions, Deerling filled us in. "Nurse Audino says he disappeared last night when they were doing their rounds at the school. He was finally found at the crossroads in the early hours of the morning by the principal, who claims he was being propelled along by blue fireballs."

"So w-what happened?" Leah asked nervously.

"The flames disappeared before Simipour could get close enough to get a good view," Pancham said. "It sounds pretty freaky."

"Yeah, it sounds like someone's trying to claim our title as the prankster gangsters!" Shelmet declared a little too loudly, earning us a few annoyed looks from the adults who were listening to the questioning. We decided we'd listen in as well.

"...I swear, it was the ghosts!" the mortified voice of Farfetch'd cried. "They knocked me out cold!"

"I told you I wasn't sleeping on the job!" Watchog suddenly exclaimed. "They did the same to me the night before!"

Simipour rubbed his chin, ignoring his vice principal and pondering the information that they had collectively accumulated. "From what we know, it was blue flames that knocked you out and carried you down the path. Did you have any visions, or perhaps hear something that you could share with us?"

"Well..." Farfetch'd started nervously. "They were chanting something, like 'hot hot hot', right before I fainted."

"Hmm..." Simipour pondered aloud. "This seems to support Watchog's account of the instance. But unfortunately, we don't know anything concerning the nature of these 'ghosts'. Their numbers and their species are completely unknown to us, so for the time being, there isn't much anyone can do. I will contact the sheriffs and inform them of these incidents, but until they figure this out, I would advise everyone stay away from the school and stay indoors when it is dark."

The villagers all murmured their agreement and began to disperse. As our classmates left to do their own things, I turned to Leah.

"What do you make of all this?" I asked her.

"I-I don't know. I just hope we don't get involved," she said.

"Yeah, I agree. Are you still willing to do a job today?"

She nodded her head and flashed a hearty smile. "Of course! No way am I skipping two days in a row."

Leah and I had returned early from the job. We had to save some stupid Mareep kid who got herself stuck in a tree through some unexplainable means that we didn't bother to grab an earful of. Our usual plans to spend the rest of the day relaxing at the cafe were not to be impeded on, as they were certainly considered just as important as the job it often followed. But the anticipated lethargy of a late summer afternoon took an odd left turn when we were suddenly confronted by an exasperated Deerling and Goomy as we passed through the village gates.

Deerling skipped over to us in a near-panicked state, while her slower companion slugged his way behind her, unable to keep up with her burst of speed.

"There you guys are!" the deer Pokemon panted.

"What's going on?" Leah asked.

"Pancham is gathering everyone up on the hill," she told us. "He says he's got an announcement, and he wanted you two to be there."

I raised an eyebrow. Pancham wanted me and Leah? Why so urgently?

"This had better not be some huge prank," I responded.

Deerling shook her head. "No, he seemed really serious about it. I think it has something to do with the commotion this morning, to be honest with you. Knowing him, he's probably thinking about doing something."

Leah's eyes got a bit wider, and we shared a glance. The look in her eyes spoke for her: 'you said we shouldn't get involved'. I narrowed my eyes, and considered the proposal.

Pancham couldn't actually plan on going to the school at night, right? It sounds like something he would conjure up, but he wouldn't actually follow through, would he?

That was exactly what he was trying to do. We all arrived on the scene and found Pancham and Shelmet discussing something quietly while Espurr idled under the shade of the big tree.

"There you are!" he exclaimed. "Now, about the ghosts..."

"Pancham, please don't tell me you're thinking about confronting them," Deerling whined, rolling her eyes.

"Well, we all want to know what's going on, right?" he reasoned. "Then why don't we just see for ourselves?"

"So that is what this is about," I scowled.

"Well, gee Pancham, maybe because we could, I don't know, die?" Deerling replied to his question dryly.

"Yeah..." Goomy murmured. "I-I don't really wanna die anytime soon."

Shelmet rushed to his partner's defense. "Hey, that's really extreme! Watchog and Farfetch'd were unharmed, and they're old hags! We, on the other hand, are in the prime of our lives!"

I laughed out loud. Espurr did too. "No we aren't," the psychic-type countered, stifling another chuckle. "We still have a few more years before we're in our 'prime'."

"What makes you say that?" Shelmet challenged.

"Nobody here is evolved, for one," she argued. "And nobody here possesses any sort of overwhelming strength. However..." she stopped for a moment to brush a strand of hair from her face before continuing. "With all of that aside, I think I'll go. I admit I'm a bit curious about these ghosts myself."

I had to assume that this whole thing was one big prank by Pancham and Shelmet's pranking coalition of idiocy. But if it was, then I supposed I would entertain them until they actually decided to pull something flashy. And if it wasn't, then we would figure this whole ghost situation out. Shelmet may be about as smart as the metal stuck on his head, but he did had a point about Watchog and Farfetch'd not being hurt. With that in mind, what was the worst that could happen?

I sighed, finally making my decision, and spoke up. "I guess I'll go too. If something bad happens, we can probably handle it."

"That's more like it!" Pancham cheered. "Anyone else?" When he noticed nobody immediately volunteering, he snickered. "Oh come on, don't tell me y'all are scared." He stared straight at Leah, putting extra emphasis on the last word. Leah faltered slightly, but did her best to match his stare with makeshift determination.

"Shut up Pancham..." she grumbled.

"What?" the panda countered. "I thought you were supposed to be a rescue team. Isn't it your job to solve these kinds of problems?"

...He had a point, actually.

"You know what, fine!" she abruptly yelled. "Since you're in such dire need of a rescue team's abilities, then count me in!" Her voice audibly quavered, but it also carried an abundance of energy in it, and I could tell she was planning to follow through.

"Wonderful," Pancham assented, then turning to Deerling and Goomy. "What about you two, then?"

"Oh, fine," Deerling relented after a moment's reluctance. "But if you make us sneak out and go to the school at night just for some stupid prank of yours, I swear I will curbstomp you into the chalkboard and sacrifice you to the ghosts."

"Deal," Pancham said before turning to Goomy. "What about you, Goomy? Want to prove you've got real guts?"

"Haven't you said that like fifty times before?" he answered, still unconvinced.

"Maybe so, but have you ever done something this daring before?" said Pancham.

"Goomy, you don't have to go if you don't want to," Deerling assured him. "It might be a smart decision to stay home in case something bad does happen."

Goomy shook his head. "No, I think I'm going. Even if it does sound really scary..."

"That's that, then!" Pancham proclaimed. "Tonight we'll sneak into the school and solve the mystery. You guys will need to figure out how to get out of your houses undetected, and we'll meet in the plaza at midnight."

"Wait, how do we get out of the house without getting caught?" Goomy asked.

"I dunno," Pancham shrugged. "Use a window or something. It can't be too hard, right?"

"I guess not..."

We all dispersed back to our homes, planning our escape routes for tonight. I assumed it would be a walk in the park for me, with Nuzleaf gone and all. However, I should've known it wouldn't be that simple, as I quickly discovered that he had returned when I got back to the house.

"Hiya Sage!" he called upon seeing me enter. "Like my scarf?"

Around his neck was a white accessory sporting a pattern similar to the one on my own scarf. His scarf was clearly not cheap, and although it couldn't be remotely close to the value of my own, it still made me pause to consider where he found the money to buy it. Maybe this particular "business trip" had a high monetary yield? Now that I thought about it, he never really told me what he did on his trips anyway. Whatever it was, it was obviously well above doing odd jobs with little output. Maybe I'd ask him about it later.

"Yeah, it looks spiffy," I complimented.

He blushed. "Why, I mightily appreciate that. It was the closest thing I could find that could possibly match the one 'round your neck." He pulled something out of his bag, and held it out to me. "Want a cookie? I got these imported straight from the Air Continent."

I waved it away, turning towards my room. "Thanks, but I think I'm gonna turn in. I'm tired."

He looked surprised. "Already?" he questioned while looking out the window. "I reckon it's still mid-afternoon."

"Woke up early," was my brief response as I crossed the barrier between the two rooms. I felt a little guilty lying to him about why I was sleeping so early, even if I actually was kinda tired and I did technically wake up early for the commotion in the plaza. In reality, I was aiming to get some sleep now so that I would wake up by midnight and have enough energy to defend myself in case things got dicey.

I had a feeling I'd probably need to.