- Chapter Four: Past Moves toward Future -

Morning is regarded as glorious, a dawn that heralds the beauty of the day. Its orange and yellow rays should endow the living with peace, with hope, and with awe. Morning should fill the hearts of pokémon with joy.

This morning only filled me with emptiness.

Beams of sunlight splayed across the table and over my platter. My food, an enticing mix of Oran, Pecha, and Persim Berries, laid untouched. Mom sat across from me, her face pensive. Even though it was only yesterday that we had eaten breakfast together, I felt as if several days had passed.

I stared down at my breakfast, my appetite unaroused.

Lucy...

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, and a shiver of anger traveled down my spine.

Mom finished her food and silently carried her platter to the washbasin. I could sense her staring into the back of my neck as she wedged her plate in between last night's dishes. She walked backed over to me and, seeing my undisturbed breakfast, sighed and took my platter to the washbasin as well.

Eyes drooping, I hung my head lower. My sleep had been fleeting and broken, punctured with flashes of Lucy's death. My body and mind tottered on the brink of sleep, but a loud swish from the leaf curtain awoke me.

"Zane's missing," Dad said.

I slightly opened my eyes in surprise. Dad's back already? I thought in confusion.

I heard Mom quickly stride over to Dad. "Could you not find anything?" she asked.

Dad shook his head. "We knew he wasn't in the school because there was a trail that led to the forest. We lost the tracks early into the forest, and not even our best trackers could detect a scent or paw print. It's odd—"

I drowned out their conversation with my own thoughts. So, Zane isn't dead, I thought, relieved. He's only missing. Oh, who am I kidding? It's still terrible. He was probably captured by Shroud and might be suffering from some kind of torture. He could be dead for all we know.

"—listening to me?" I jumped when a paw suddenly tapped my shoulder. I looked up from the table and up to Dad. He sighed, then said, "Lucy's funeral is today. Your mother is going to comb your fur. We're leaving in twenty."

I nodded quietly. Pushing away from the table, I lumbered over to my bedroom and returned with my comb. Her vines extending from her shoulders, Mom gently wrapped them around the comb and began working out the tangles in my fur.

Once she had finished, she reached for a storage box next to the kitchen. One of her vines propped open the lid while the other withdrew three black cloaks from the box. As she tied each cloak around us, an uneasiness settled over me. The outfit reminded me so much of Shroud that I had to muster my willpower not to tear it off of me.

"I really am sorry about what happened, sweetie. I wish there was something we could have done," Dad said.

I stared up at him silently. Then, I shuffled over to him, buried my head in his shoulder, and cried.


"Thank you all for coming here today," a flareon announced. He stood poised before a crowd of pokémon from the town of Evergreen and the Oran Forest.

I sat with Mom and Dad in the front row, Eris and her family next to mine. A pair of black gloves covered Eris's hands, and a black cap had been pulled over her mushroom-like head. A white veil hung lightly from the cap.

She must have sensed me scanning her because she turned her head toward me. A soft smile crept over her face before quickly vanishing. I could not reciprocate the gesture.

Lucy's casket had been decorated with a shower of purple hydrangeas, her favorite flower. A stunning white silk ribbon wrapped around the wooden casket beneath the flowers.

"If I could sum up Lucy in one word, well, I couldn't," the flareon said. "She possessed so many wonderful qualities: beauty, empathy, intelligence, temperance, and discernment. Most of all, she was extraordinarily confident. She moved toward her future with absolute certainty as if she knew where she needed to go and who to be. Her brave lifestyle inspired me in so many ways, and I wish that I could have seen her dreams come to fruition…"

As Lucy's dad finished his eulogy, four pokémon rose and move to Lucy's casket. They hefted it onto their shoulders and marched to a pit that had been recently dug into the earth. With a ceremonial delicateness, they lowered the casket into the pit. One by one, each of us knocked a bit of dirt onto the casket.

When I reached the grave, my paw hesitated over the dirt pile.

She should never have died.

The flowers in her casket swayed lightly, the wind somehow reaching down to them. They shimmered like flames as they gently twisted and turned.

My teeth clenched. I swear, Lucy. I will find a way to make him pay for what he did to you.

My paw swiped at the pile, and a large chunk of dirt fell into the yawning opening in the earth. It landed on the center of the flower pile, abruptly halting the flower's dance. Stepping aside to allow Dad to give his last respects, I trod back to my seat.

After all of the gathered pokémon had finished, the four casket carriers filled in the grave with the remaining amount of soil. Lucy's dad and mom, who was a vaporeon, dropped a bouquet of hydrangeas and roses on her grave. A conkeldurr drove a wooden cross into the ground just behind the flowers.

We remained in silence, honoring Lucy's memory. The wind tousled my fur, carrying with it the cold frost in my heart.

Lucy's dad dismissed us after several minutes had passed. As we filed out of the clearing, the flareon and vaporeon waited vigilantly before her grave. Right before I left, the sound of heartbroken sobbing reached my ears.


The next day, Mom assisted me in my preparations for the graduation ceremony. Despite the recent events, the headmaster had opted to perform the ceremony anyway.

While Mom fashioned a blue bow around my neck, Dad fished out his own white neck tie from our storage box. His eyes illuminated a bright turquoise, and the tie knotted itself around his neck.

"Your dress shoes?" Mom asked me, presenting a pair of white, clean shoes fitted for my paws.

"…Sure," I said uncaringly. Sighing, Mom helped me into them.

"You look beautiful, sweetheart," she said. "I'm so excited for today. You're finally getting to graduate."

She stared at me expectantly for a reply. I merely gave her a straight smile.

"Let's get going." I strode to the door, my shoes clacking lightly on the wooden floor.

Mom and Dad followed me. Mom's own dress shoes, elegant brown in color, clicked sharply. Dad wore no shoes, but simple white bands wrapped around his ankles. Mom and Dad conversed as we traveled, but I remained in silence.

The sun had barely crested the horizon when we exited the forest; it shone proudly in the sky when we arrived at the school grounds. Now that daylight was illuminating the school, I could observe the full scale of the damage.

The right half of the school had disintegrated, and holes riddled the left half. The school's flat roof had completely collapsed. Rubble piled up where the entrance should have been. If I stared hard enough, I could spy dried blood on the bottom of the pile.

I wrenched my gaze away from the discouraging wreckage and to the assembled families. They were seated around a small, natural rise in the ground, and the headmaster stood on top of the rise. The entire teaching staff spread out behind him, their faces like blank slates.

When my family and a few others trickled into the group, he raised his hands for silence.

"My dear friends and students," he began, "we have gathered here today not only for those of us standing before me but for those who are no longer among us. Even now, students still suffer from critical wounds. One shall not recover at all.

"Before we begin, let us bow our heads in remembrance of Lucy. Let us hold her in our hearts and offer her up to Arceus, and let us also offer up Zane and our efforts to locate him."

Utter silence greeted his statement. I felt a tear slip out of my eye and down my cheek.

The headmaster raised his head and continued, "This ceremony is not all for sadness. No, we have come here to celebrate the emergence of our students into the world. They, having surmounted six years of instruction and training, are prepared to accept and overcome whatever trials the world has to offer them. After enduring so much, they have truly earned this graduation.

"I must first congratulate the parents of these students. Seven years ago, a group of pokémon gathered together with a common goal in mind: better preparing their children to succeed in the world. Using their combined knowledge and strength, they constructed a small school to properly educate their children over the span of a year. At that point in time, they only had two years of instruction planned for them.

"Our success attracted the attention of other scholarly pokémon, and they offered to instruct our children beyond the two-year plan. Another two years were added, then two more years were included. Our school now taught a wide curriculum spanning six years, overflowing with valuable learning.

"The moment that our school shone brightest was when we were finally accredited as a proper place of learning. Our courses became the equivalent of becoming an apprentice at any guild, a page at any business, or any similar position in our society. We became a truly mighty school.

"Yesterday, this great school seemed to be on the verge of ending. We felt hopeless, doubtful, and lost. Our precious students, the ones for which this whole effort was for, were endangered at the hands of one person. We were questioning ourselves. If it took only one pokémon to tear down all that we had accomplished, then what was the worth of continuing?

"Here we stand, in defiance of that question. We may not have conquered the fear that we experienced yesterday, but we still stand in opposition of it. Our proud school has crumbled into ashes and rubble, yet its true heart lies within each one of us. Through our determination and vision, we will rebuild the school even better than before.

"Though I speak of the future, this moment is for the present. Students, you are the first generation to progress through the entirety of the curriculum established for you. You have passed with flying colors through difficult trials that no other will be able to claim for themselves. I can say with confidence that you are all deserving of your diplomas. Congratulations to each and every one of you, and may your futures shine brightly."

A respectful atmosphere hung in the air at the end of his speech. The headmaster bowed his head and stepped off the small rise. A meowstic named Mrs. Celeste peeled away from the line of teachers and stood where the headmaster had moments before.

"Students, when I call your names, come forward to receive your cords and diplomas," Mrs. Celeste said. "Persimia, Kyle, Trevon, Alexia...,"

She went through the names, calling out each student with a moment's pause in between. The named students would walk from one end of the teachers' line to the other, shaking hands or respectfully nodding to them.

"Mona," Mrs. Celeste said.

I rose from my seat and marched proudly to the line of teachers. They each greeted me in turn, Mr. Horace, the Battle class teacher, even clapping me on the back (though he had to bend far down to do it).

At the end of the line, the headmaster looped a silver cord around my neck and presented me a parchment diploma.

"You've done well," he said. Smiling, I grabbed the parchment gingerly with my mouth and carried it back to my seat. Despite myself, excitement gripped me, its hold tightening with each heartbeat.

I passed Kyle on the way back. A black bow was pinned to his neck, and white cuffs circled his claws. Our eyes connected, and he nodded coolly at me.

After all the students had received their diplomas, the headmaster once again addressed us. "Alongside their graduating diplomas, certain students will receive a reserve badge for completing their Exploration and Rescue class at or above a specific grade. This badge certifies that you have completed education equitable to that of a guild apprenticeship, and it can be used to replace any entrance trials to any guild or business that your child seeks membership. Guilds are growing even greater in prominence in Westil, and this badge provides you an edge over the competition."

Again, Mrs. Celeste called forward students. Expected pokémon such as Zane, Kyle, and Blade were called forward; however, I was surprised to hear Eris's name among those listed. As she shuffled past me, she raised her eyebrows and shrugged at me. I simply grinned back.

"Mona." I barely restrained myself from running up to the stage. I should have felt humble that I was even named, yet my eagerness overwhelmed all of my other emotions.

On the stage, Mr. Ace was distributing the reserve badges. At the sight of him, my heart froze. A growl formed deep in my throat that I quickly suppressed.

"Here," he said as I stepped forward. He pinned the silver badge to my chest un-ceremonially. "Congrats."

"Thanks," I said through gritted teeth. You could have saved her. You were there; why didn't you show up just two minutes earlier? I screamed at him inside my head.

Mr. Ace's eyes connected with mine, and I almost thought I saw him recoil slightly. I held his gaze for several moments before breaking off and walking back to my seat.

The headmaster ended the ceremony soon after the reserve badges had been distributed. I proudly touted my reserve badge to Mom and Dad, and they smiled and gave me praising responses. As we chatted, I spotted Mr. Ace at the edge of the crowd.

"I'll be a minute, Dad and Mom. I have to go talk to someone really quickly," I said. I made sure not to look at Mr. Ace when I said this.

Mom looked around for a second. "Oh, okay. Just be quick."

Jogging lightly, I wove between legs and tails until I stood before Mr. Ace. When he beheld me, the serperior's mood seemed to darken.

"Hello, Mona. What is it?" he asked.

I opened my mouth, a slew of questions fighting to come out first. How do you know Shroud? Why did he attack us? Why didn't you find us earlier than when you did? Are you going to find him and make him pay?

In the end, what came out was, "Who is Shroud? Why did he even come here?" My voice raised to a much higher volume than intended.

Mr. Ace sighed and looked away. "Mona, I understand that you're upset," he began, "but it's none of your concern."

Anger broiled within me. Normally, I back down when a teacher or adult tells me that I should not worry about something, yet, this time, I could not bite back my words.

"I just lost my best friend—my best friend—to that psychopath," I growled. "I—after all that—all that I—"

I lowered my head, tears building in the corners of my eyes. Mr. Ace sighed again, and I heard him lower himself to my level.

"Mona, look at me," he said. Reluctantly, I lifted my head. His entire posture was wired as if he was on edge. "He is criminal. He will be dealt with. You shouldn't think about him anymore."

At my continued silence, he added, "You want to become an explorer, do you not?"

I nodded.

"Then go to Treasure Town. That place is home to the best explorers' guilds in the all of Westil. Join one of those guilds, and you will become strong enough to stop something like this from ever happening again."

I mulled over his words. He's hiding something; no doubt about it, I thought. Why else would he change the subject?

Still, I could not argue against the fact that I should visit Treasure Town. Its reputation for housing the most preeminent guilds in the world attracted international attention. It was often referred to as "The Exploration Capital of the World."

Mr. Ace laid his tail on my shoulder. "Mona, I want you to remember this. An explorer needs confidence, not deference. Are you going to rise above the feelings you have inside of you, or are you going to let them consume you?"

I recoiled from him in shock, his words piercing my core. Let them…consume me?I thought. I gritted my teeth. Does he really think that I'm that weak?

Appearing satisfied at my lack of a response, Mr. Ace pulled away from me. "I'll see you around, Mona," he said, then slithered away. I bit my lip as he disappeared into the crowd.


In the evening, Eris and her family—her mother and father, both breloom—visited our house for a celebratory dinner. Eris's family brought a massive bowl of tomato berry gumbo and a plate of roasted pumpkin seeds and sunflowers seeds as appetizers. My mom prepared the main course: two elegant vegetable-only shepherd's pies, a fruit salad, cornbread with jam, and mashed potatoes. Dad, surprisingly, had brought home a chocolate cake specially ordered from the bakery in Evergreen.

"Wow, Ree, this shepherd's pie is excellent! Could I have your recipe?" Eris's mom said with a laugh.

"I can make a copy of it for you. Although, you'll need some payapa berries to make it work," Mom responded.

"Payapa berries? Where did you get those? I thought the traders didn't bring them this far inland."

"I actually managed to grow them here—"

As my and Eris's parents conversed, Eris leaned over to me and whispered, "Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Curious, I said to our parents, "Uh, may we be excused for a second?"

Mom stopped her explanation and said, "Sure. What for?"

Eris and I exchanged a glance. "I, um, wanted to talk to Mona about something," she answered.

Eris's mom waved a hand. "We don't mind, sweethearts. Just be back before dessert."

I followed Eris outside and around to the back of my house. In the fading sunlight, half of Eris's body was cast in shadow.

"What is it that you wanted to talk about? Spill the beans," I said.

She squirmed her foot in the dirt. "I, um, wanted to…you know, um… I want to be an explorer with you," she said, straining like the effort to speak took more than just moving her mouth and tongue.

My eyebrows raised in surprise. "You…you want to be an explorer…with me?" I stuttered. "I thought you said that you wanted to be an innkeeper."

Her foot scuffled the dirt harder. "Yeah, I know I said that, but yesterday, when we were exploring that dungeon, I felt this…thrill. I know I should have been scared, and I was, but I wasn't at the same time. I just—how I explain it—I just…"

"I get it, Eris. I feel the exact same way," I cut her off. "I'm not trying to shoot you down or anything. I'm really happy. I mean, I'm happy because you want to be explorer with me, not because you're giving up your other dream."

"I'm not 'giving' it up. I…I guess I didn't care that much for it. My dad was an innkeeper, so I thought that I should be one, too…at least, until now," she said, waving her hands in reassurance.

She's really serious about this, I thought. A giddy smile spread across my face. "We're going to be explorers together, Eris!" I exclaimed.

"I know!" she cheered.

"We've got to tell our parents," I said.

Eris needed no further prompting. She dragged me back into the house and eagerly explained the situation to our parents.

"Eris, I thought you wanted to be an innkeeper," Dad said in direct imitation of my earlier statement.

Eris faltered. "Well, I, um, was thinking about it some, and I just really liked exploring, even though it was scary. I really feel passionate, and I even got a reserve badge and everything, so…"

Mom smiled. "We're not trying to antagonize you. We just want to make sure you know that it's what you really want."

Eris's mom interjected, "She's already talked to us about it. She knows that it's really what she wants, Ree."

"Then I'm okay with it," Mom said. "You, Umon?"

"I guess so," he said. "Exploring is dangerous, but if it's really what you want to do, Eris, then I'm going to support you, too."

Hearing those words really seemed to perk up Eris. "Thank you!" she said, bowing.

"No need to thank us," Mom said with a dismissive gesture.

Spinning toward me, Eris clapped her hands on my shoulders and whirled me around in the air. "We're going to be on an exploration team together, Mona! Hooray!"

"Eris…please…," I groaned. Dizziness swamped me, and my food crawled up to my throat.

"Oh, sorry! Sorry!" she exclaimed, quickly setting me down. Our parents laughed at the scene. The mirth spread to me and Eris until we were all laughing uproariously.

It was the first time I had laughed like that in a long time.


Eris arrived early the next morning. Her parents having helped her pack the night prior, she had eagerly departed for my house.

"Morning, Mona!" she said as she traipsed into our living room.

"Morning," I called back from my room. I had just finished tucking my favorite book, Gilded Tears, alongside my provisions and canteen.

Eris ducked inside the curtain and peered at my bag. "N-Nice book," she said appreciatively.

"I know, right? It's my favorite," I said with a smile. Closing my bag shut and shouldering it, I added, "Well, we should get going before the sun rises much more."

We exited my bedroom and trotted to the door. "Hold up, Mona," Mom said from her bedroom. Stalling, I turned around to see her and Dad approaching me, a box with a ribbon dangling from Dad's mouth.

"You can't leave without this," Mom said. On cue, Dad dropped the present in front of me.

"What's in it?" I asked. I craned my head from side to side, scanning the box.

"You'll have to open it," Dad said. He spat out a bit of ribbon.

Setting down my bag, I sliced the ribbon with my claws and kicked open the gift box. A mid-sized leather pouch and a brown leather bracelet glinted from the bottom.

"Oh, wow, Mom, Dad, this is awesome," I said. I lifted the bracelet to examine it. Flowers had been etched along the band, and a white opal had been stitched into one side.

"You can tighten or loosen it by pulling those leather ties right there," Dad explained, pointing to the leather tie in the back. "It's designed for quadrupeds."

"This is beautiful," I commended as I slipped on the bracelet. Then, I removed the pouch from the box and loosened the drawstring. A gold shine blinded me briefly; as my vision settled, I gasped.

"How did—How did you guys—," I stuttered. A vast sum of poke filled the pouch to the brim. "20,000…?!"

"22,000," Mom corrected, smiling gently.

"We've been saving it up since you were born," Dad said. "We thought it would pay for college, but now that you're becoming an explorer, you're going to need it for living expenses."

I fought back tears. "This is so wonderful. I can't…Thank you."

Mom and Dad hugged me. "You're going to do us proud, sweetheart," Mom said. She sounded near tears as well.

As we pulled out of our hug, Dad said, "Listen, Mona. I want you to be careful. People will remember what you do, so act like how you want others to see you."

"Alright, Dad."

"You're heading to Treasure Town, right? Stick a little bit from the trade route. Make sure you can still see the signs that will tell you where you need to go," he said.

"We will, Dad. Don't worry," I reassured.

Mom hugged me again. "Oh, Mona, you're all grown up—!"

"Mom, please," I said, squirming in embarrassment. Eris is still here…!

She released me. The tears had finally begun tumbling down her cheeks. I turned toward Eris, who was sitting rather awkwardly at our dining room table.

"Let's get going, Eris," I said, gesturing with my head to the front door.

She practically sprung from the table. "Yeah, let's…"

As I pushed past the leaf curtain, I waved goodbye to my parents. Mom waved vigorously back; Dad just rested his tail on Mom's back and smiled. There was an inexplicable emotion lying deep in his eyes.

I faced our driveway, elation carrying my heart far above the trees. This is it. I'm going to become an explorer, I thought. However, I no longer intended to become an explorer merely for myself. A newer, stronger purpose had laid itself out before me. It burned with a passion deep in my soul, and I clung to it with a fever.

I was going to find out who Shroud was and make him pay for what he did to Lucy.


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