Welcome to the longest chapter yet! I want to thank every single person who's read and supported this story, as well as every married person. Was that a lame joke? I guess so. Anyway, enjoy!

Current music: Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers

CODY HARVARD, 19

It was the most peculiar thing. Although I was in my room, seemingly all alone, it really did feel like there was someone watching me.

How creepy is it that they were just watching me sleep? If indeed there is anyone there, just know that stalking is not a joke!

In the dead of night, the idea of someone else having snuck into my room scared the hell out of me. Even if it were one of my parents, that made no sense, because both my mother and father were typically heavy sleepers. So what was going on?

As I opened my eyes more fully, I saw that there was a slight golden glow coming from the left side of my bed. It wasn't that bright, but it was powerful enough that if I'd had a book with me, I could have read using that light alone.

Okay..did someone sneak a night light in here or something? I'm not afraid of the dark anymore; I'm too old to be!

And then there was a sound. It was a hard one to describe, but it seemed too beautiful for this world. It brought to mind a clear stream rushing through a mountain meadow, or some other equally gorgeous sight. But I still didn't quite have the energy to turn over and look for the source.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," a calm voice instructed me. The voice, much like the noise I described above, sounded lighter than the air, if such a description makes sense at all.

"I'm...already...awake" I replied, still somewhat groggy as the dream I'd just been through re-entered my consciousness. "What's going on?"

In response, I felt something "lick" my face. And believe me, there's nothing so weird as being licked by a creature that doesn't have a physical form.

I'd never had a pet Houndour or Houndoom, let alone a Lickitung. That is to say, I couldn't remember ever being licked by a Pokemon, or, for that matter, anything else. So even if you'd told me, Hey, Cody, you're going to get licked by a Pokemon in the middle of the night, I would not have known what to expect.

It felt...very strange, to put it mildly, and kind of good. Although it was clearly a tongue stroking my face, it wasn't slobbery at all.

"Okay...I'll get up," I said, turning to come face-to-face with a creature I recognized. Until now, it had only lived in my dreams.

It was a golden Lycanroc, one made purely of light, with seemingly no physical form. Unlike the one I'd seen in my night visions, this golden wolf was much smaller, more or less the size of a regular Lycanroc.

"Not to rain on your parade", I muttered, "but what are you doing here, exactly? Last time I checked, I was on house arrest."

The Lycanroc's tail wagged back and forth like that of an excited Lillipup. Its tongue also hung out, but not in an exhausted manner; if anything, this creature seemed full of energy, ready to pounce at any moment. Fortunately, it wasn't inclined to pounce.

"Oh, you silly little thing! House arrest doesn't mean you can't have visitors! Besides, even the authorities of Greater Pastoria wouldn't be able to stop me. They are completely irrelevant."

"Uh...doesn't it mean that, though?" Come to think of it, the specifics of what my house arrest entailed had never been clarified to me. Or again, if they had, I'd been too zoned-out to comprehend them.

"Who cares? When you're with us, you're as free as one of the Legendary Birds! You shouldn't let fear rule your life, Cody Harvard."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "It's one thing to let fear rule my life. It's another to have a healthy respect for our legal institutions, and to follow the law. Are you one of those transcendentalists who urge civil disobedience?"

The golden Lycanroc shook its head. "We need to get out of here before it gets light. Believe me, you'll be safe from the forces pursuing you for as long as you are with us."

The forces pursuing me? If you're talking about the law, then they have reason to be after me, since I did...well, everyone knows what I did. I don't need to remind myself constantly.

Yes, I do. I need to make sure it never, ever happens again.

Remembering that the golden wolf would be expecting a reply, I simply said, "Where? As in, where are you taking me?"

The creature took a step back; for a moment, I thought it would crash into my bookshelf, sending a cascade of books tumbling to the floor. I tried to warn the wolf before this happened, but…

...somehow, the golden Lycanroc managed to "clip through" the bookshelf as though it were a character in an extremely glitchy video game. And then it howled, just the same way it had in my dreams.

The howl felt as though all of my body were being filled with pure light and warmth, and I nearly dropped to my knees. It was overwhelming, but in a good way.

"We have to get to a spot where no one will see you vanish. Only then can I take you to my domain."

The instant the wolf used the word vanish, I knew that something was going on. Why else would the Lycanroc use such a word?

He must have chosen it intentionally.

I didn't give it too much thought, though. I had other questions to ask.

"What about my house arrest? If I'm seen leaving the house…".

There was another hearty laugh from the creature. "Cody Harvard, you do realize that house arrest is enforced pretty thinly in Sinnoh, right? Besides, you're not a Lycanroc at the moment, so how dangerous can you really be?"

None of this made sense, but I found myself increasingly tempted to simply do what this golden Lycanroc said. Just twenty-four hours ago, I'd been languishing in jail, dreaming of some form of escape. Now it was being presented to me on a silver platter, much like a very rare, extremely bloody steak. I wouldn't even need utensils for it…

Stop thinking of yourself this way. You're not just a were-Lycanroc, you're Cody Harvard. And if you are to have any chance of turning your life around, you're going to need to break your meat addiction. Resist your instincts!

"I'll come with you" I blurted out. "What choice do I have?"

"Technically you could stay here and let the trial play out", the golden Lycanroc responded, whipping its fur back and forth. "But I don't think that's what you want. Why not come with me? You've got nothing to lose."

I nodded. "I already said I would. I just don't know how I'm going to get away to a place where I'll vanish without anyone noticing." I used the V-word gingerly, as though I were trying to navigate a field of landmines.

"Don't worry about any of that, I'll handle it" the creature responded with what I assumed was a wink.

BELLA FOX, 18

I woke up in the middle of the night, and I instantly knew something was different. I was fairly certain I'd just had a nightmare in which I was being chased by a giant Tauros through the streets of Kalos...what was that all about?

The next thing I noticed was that my sheets were soaked in sweat, and my head kept throbbing. It wasn't as painful as it had been the first time I'd woken up, but I still lifted up my right arm to clamp my hand on my head; it still hurt quite a bit.

And then I felt just how hot my forehead was, and noticed that my vision was blurry as well, everything shimmering as though I were underwater. I could barely make out Azure sleeping on the chair next to me.

"Water...please" I moaned, realizing that my mouth was so dry, it was as though I'd been eating nothing but sand for the last week. "So thirsty."

Azure somehow heard me, probably because Lucario (and most Pokemon) had hearing far superior to that of humans. She instantly woke up, sprang to her feet, and went over to the bubbler on the other side of the room.

Normally, when you're sick or hurt, sleep makes you feel better. But I feel worse right now than I did yesterday, so what's up with that?

My Lucario partner handed me the cup of water, which I tried to grab. In hindsight, I shouldn't have done this.

The moment I clasped my fingers around the cup, it slipped through my grasp and fell into my lap. Cold water spilled all over the bedsheets, as well as my chest, and my teeth started chattering. The cup itself rolled off the bed and onto the floor.

"Oh...sorry" Azure said as she picked the cup off of the floor. "I shouldn't have done that; I should have just held it up to your lips."

That would be too embarrassing. I don't want to be treated like a kid again, because I'm not one.

"Wait a minute...what's that? Your aura...it seems weaker than normal."

Weaker than normal? How so?

Azure felt my forehead with her paw. The instant it touched my brow, she pulled it away, as though she'd just burned herself on the stove.

"You're burning up" she told me, evidently aiming to sound as measured as possible. However, the worry in her eyes was plain to see, and worry is very contagious indeed.

"Burning...up?" There was really no reason to play dumb; even now, I'm not sure why I phrased that in the form of a question. This wasn't that TV game show hosted by Alex Trevenant.

"You have a high fever, which leads me to believe that the wound must have gotten infected. I'll hit the call button right now."

Azure did as promised, which I was grateful for; I would not have had the strength to hit it myself. I could barely lift my arms, and every time I tried, they trembled like the ground during a 9.0 earthquake.

For the next minute or so, I was in a feverish haze. It was weird; I could still perceive the passage of time, but I couldn't think straight or see anything.

Very quickly, Nurse Joy entered the room again. Was it the same one? I have no clue, nor did I care at the time, or even now for that matter.

"Oh no, Bella, your bite must have gotten infected. We're going to have to start giving you some antibiotics to fight it."

I opened my eyes more widely, and managed to rasp out, "Thanks...how...did this happen?"

"I don't know how you got the infection, but we're going to get you better in no time. This is just a setback, nothing that we can't fix. Thanks for calling us, though."

"Azure did that" I whispered, for that was all I could manage. What little strength I had was quickly leaving me, and my eyelids started to feel as though they were made of metal.

"Regardless, I can tell you're tired. Well, you're going to feel a lot better when you wake up; just sleep, for it will heal you."

The last thing I remember thinking before dozing off was how all of the nurses seemed to think of me as a helpless girl who'd just happened to be a victim of a were-Lycanroc bite. Perhaps they'd been conditioned to think in those terms, but I didn't have to be happy about it.

The instant my fevered mind started to rest, it became hyperactive again. It was like a child on a sugar high; it just wouldn't be tamed.

My dream was bizarre, to say the least.

Here was the scene: I was in what appeared to be an enormous banquet hall, with people and Pokemon either dining at tables or dancing in the middle of the room, where tables had been cleared away to make room for a dance floor roughly the size of a tennis court.

I was standing at the entrance, watching as chefs placed dishes on the tables and the song changed from "Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rattatas" by Billy Talonflame to "White Spearows" by the same band. I took in the whole scene, from how it was nighttime just outside the banquet hall, to just how succulent the ham smelled, to the Lucario in tuxedos clearing dishes.

Even though it was a dream, it felt just as real as real life.

I couldn't help but marvel at the scene, for I couldn't remember ever going to a party as impressive as this one. Of course, I had never been much of a party animal in general, but there was something about this one that felt...different.

All of a sudden, I felt my hand being grabbed forcefully by someone else. The grip was strong, and I found myself suddenly being led across the hall.

"What...where are you taking me?" I blurted out, just barely able to get a glimpse of the young man who was leading me by the arm.

Although I could only see the back of his head, I could tell that he had an impressive mane of light brown hair, and was somewhat taller than average, with broad shoulders. He was dragging me through the dance floor.

Although the scene wasn't real, that didn't make my fear any less palpable. None of the diners or dancers seemed to care; indeed, I saw a Meowth tipping the contents of his plate into his mouth, certainly not caring about my situation.

The person pulling me eventually led the two of us into a corner of the room. It was then that I turned around, and I saw his face.

It was that of Cody Harvard.

"You!" I spat, not caring how anyone else would perceive me. At that moment, I just wanted to get out alive, and if I needed to get the attention of the other partygoers, so be it.

In response, Cody simply laughed, as though he thought all of this was a joke. I've got news for you, Cody: It's not!

Suddenly, the young man's blue eyes suddenly became purple, which was the midway point before they turned a vibrant shade of scarlet. His hair also receded, and was replaced by fur in the colors of white and dark red.

The lights in the ballroom were suddenly shut off, but that didn't matter, for Cody's bright red eyes were enough to see by. He stared into my soul for what felt like forever, during which time I wondered what he was going to do to me.

Seconds later, the music of Billy Talonflame stopped playing. It wasn't replaced by any other music; rather, the sound that I heard in return was that of internal alarm bells. They filled up my mind and got louder and louder, until my head was throbbing harder than it had been in real life.

I heard barking all around me, the sound of Lycanroc on the prowl. Taking a look around the room, I was frightened at the thought of what must be happening.

Sure enough, every guest at the party had transformed into a Lycanroc, and all of them were staring directly at me.

I ran. I tried to make it to the other side of the hall, but eventually I was surrounded on all sides by the wolves. They were closing in for the kill; there was no getting out of this one.

It's just a dream, I kept telling myself. This isn't real. I'm not actually going to die tonight.

It was easy enough to tell myself that, it was a lot harder to actually believe it. As stated above, this was the most vivid dream I could ever remember having.

The horde of Lycanroc pounced on me, and I prepared myself for the pain of being devoured alive.

CODY HARVARD, 18

Sneaking out of the house wasn't as hard as I feared. My parents slept in a room some distance away from mine, so it was fairly easy to avoid waking them as I followed the golden Lycanroc down the hallway, down the stairs, and out the door.

Still, every time one of the stairs creaked under my weight, my stomach dropped slightly. It needs to be said that the home I lived in was rather old, even if it was still structurally sound.

As soon as we walked out the front door, the fear hit me, as did the realization that after I'd already broken one law, I was going to break another so soon afterwards. My second crime in two days, or three if it was after midnight.

"Don't even whisper, don't make a sound" the golden wolf instructed me as I followed it across the front lawn and down the street. "You don't want them to see you."

I didn't need the Lycanroc to tell me to be quiet; my lips were staying sealed regardless. At the same time, I wondered how the ethereal wolflike creature could be so certain that it wasn't being seen or heard.

I am violating the terms of my bail. If the public didn't see me as a menace before, they certainly will now that I've proven to be a flight risk.

It was very cold outside, owing to three factors. These were the time of year, the time of day, and the chills running down my spine that grew more intense with every step. I thanked the Lord above that it was the middle of the night, and thus I ran less risk of being caught. But "less risk" isn't the same as "zero risk."

Arceus, I know I haven't prayed to you much, but please, thank you for letting me leave in the middle of the night rather than by day. If you're listening, of course; I hope I'm not bothering you if you have more important matters to attend to.

Praying wasn't something I was used to doing. I preferred to use my hands to work rather than clasp them together and appeal to the heavens. But something about the sheer amount of terror coursing through my veins made me want to get to my knees.

Still, I remained as quiet as I could possibly be. Although it was the dead of night, and this part of Skylock barely had any streetlights, I could see well enough by the light that the golden Lycanroc gave off. It amazed me how nobody else even batted an eye at the creature leading me through the neighborhood.

Eventually we entered the forest, and the soft pattering of my shoes against the pavement was replaced by the rustling of fallen leaves and pine needles. I still stepped gingerly, knowing that if someone saw me, I was as good as dead.

"We're almost there" the golden wolf told me as we crested the top of a small hill. "And once we're there, I can take you to our domain, to the place where you belong."

Although I was still scared out of my wits, I drew some comfort and excitement out of the creature's words.

Somewhere I belong. That's exactly what I've wanted the last five years, and it's eluded me for so long. No longer!

"Here we are."

We'd entered a clearing in the woods, which was roughly the size of an Olympic swimming pool. The golden Lycanroc leaned back and howled at the sky, just like I'd seen it do several times now.

"What are you doing? You're going to get us discovered!" I hissed.

The creature glared at me. "Trust me, I got this. Plus, what you have to realize is that so many people are louder than the noises they're trying to stop. I suggest a book on self-awareness; it will be helpful for you in the future."

Within moments, I saw a large golden shape in the sky; it was bright, but not blinding to look at like the sun is. It was coming towards us, as evidenced by it seeming to grow larger and larger.

Is that a meteor? Is it going to crash on Nexus? Arceus, that's something that only happens in movies!

I stood back, prepared to back away if the meteor was indeed going to make landfall on Nexus. Doing so would be futile, but as far as I was concerned, it would be better than doing nothing.

"Don't be afraid of it," the golden wolf murmured. "It's nothing to be scared of, although I have a question for you: Are you afraid of heights?"

I blinked, not sure I'd heard the question correctly. "What?"

The creature narrowed its eyes. "Do you suffer from acrophobia at all? Fear of heights?"

Afraid of heights...well, I always climb down before I get to the top of the climbing wall at the gym. That's what, thirty feet tall? If that. It freaks me out to be hanging from a cliff like that, even if I'm roped in.

"Uh...kind of. Why?" I replied, gulping as I asked the simple one-word question. I dreaded the golden wolf's response, because if my instincts were right, I'd have to face more than one fear tonight.

"Because that's a fear you will need to overcome. The good news is, I don't just believe; I know you can get through this. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you know, and smarter than you think."

I couldn't help but be a bit confused; that is, until I took a glance back at the sky. And what I saw there was a thing of both beauty and terror.

Beauty, because the creature was made of golden light just like the Lycanroc who had led me here. Terror, because I knew instantly what species this creature was, as well as its implications.

It was a golden Fearow, coming in for a landing. I had the immediate instinct to, much like I'd done before, run away in the hopes that I wouldn't have a head-on collision with the Flying type.

"I don't...I don't know if I can do this, uh...what's your name, exactly?"

Come to think of it, the golden Lycanroc had never told me its name, or given me anything else to address it by. It was a trivial matter, to be sure, but since the creature had my life in its hands, I figured that the least I could do is to be polite.

"You can do this, Cody. Once he lands, just climb onto his back, and then he'll take you there. To the place…".

"...where I belong" I repeated, determined to believe that facing my fears would be worth it. "Yes, I'll do it."

My legs were trembling as the Fearow stood up on its hind legs after landing. Even though it had seemed to be dive-bombing the ground like a kamikaze jet, Fearow had managed to pull out of the dive and land rather gracefully. I couldn't help but be impressed, even if that awe was muted by the knowledge of what I had to do now.

"You know what to do, Cody," the golden wolf said quietly. "You know what to do."

No, I don't!

"What if I fall?" I asked, the childish question forcing itself through my lips.

The ethereal Lycanroc shook its head. "You're not going to fall. There's a harness on its back, so even if you fall off, you'll still be attached to Fearow's body. Now come on, there's no time to waste!"

I still had so many questions burning like miniature wildfires in my brain. However, although the golden wolf had mostly used a reassuring voice towards me, this time it was clear that it meant business.

Climbing onto the Fearow's back was a peculiar experience. You see, I'm a bigger guy; not necessarily fat, but tall with broad shoulders. As such, I worried that I might hurt the creature, and thus tried to sit down as lightly as I could.

"Don't worry about hurting me", Fearow advised me, turning its head 180 degrees to look me in the eyes. "My back is stronger than you think."

"How did you know what I was...you know what? Never mind."

Nothing in the world was going to surprise me anymore. I could learn that this world was just a simulation, and that we were all brains in vats, and that would be less shocking than what I'd already learned about these lowercase-M mythical Pokemon.

I found the harness attached to its back, a series of light straps that nonetheless felt surprisingly sturdy. It was clipped to a rope that was presumably there to arrest my fall if my grip on Fearow faltered. But that wasn't going to happen; I would be holding on for dear life.

"Are we ready?" Fearow asked, once I'd figured out how to clip myself into the body harness. "It's a long flight north, so you'd better be."

I nodded. As much as I feared the prospect of flying on this Pokemon's back for who knows how long, I didn't see any reason to delay the inevitable.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

ROYAL REDMOND, 25

Werewolves of Sinnoh...I know that sometimes myths have turned out to be true, like that of Zeraora, but I never thought the existence of werewolves would be one of those myths.

Felipe appeared equally jarred to see the words on the pamphlet. His face began dripping with sweat, and I could hear him breathing deeply even in the midst of the loud silence throughout the chamber.

Suddenly, the servants of the URI, masked people in hot pink jackets, began filing into the massive room. I was used to this; it happened at every meeting. After all, hot chocolate and donuts made everything more bearable, even long, drawn-out conferences involving dozens of people.

Even refreshments couldn't alleviate my hatred of these events entirely, however. And you might be asking, Royal, if you hate conferences, why the hell would you want to be a diplomat?

To that, my answer is simple: I wanted to help solve the world's problems, and more than that, I wanted to see the world. Even Jubilife City, the largest settlement in all of Sinnoh, got boring after a while. To that end, conferences like this one were just a necessary evil.

While I didn't enjoy the meetings, the donuts were still pretty good; indeed, today they tasted better than they usually did. I just didn't enjoy it as much this time, simply because "Werewolves of Sinnoh" was such a chilling topic.

"Are there really werewolves in Sinnoh?" Felipe asked me, a drop of sweat running down the bridge of his nose. He looked desperate for an answer.

I shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, but I assume there are if there's a whole meeting devoted to them. Aren't we only supposed to discuss real problems here, not imaginary ones?"

"You have a point."

Make no mistake, the thought that werewolves (which would probably take the form of were-Lycanroc) existed, or even might exist, was a frightening one. Nobody would be safe during the full moon if this myth was true.

If it's a true myth, is it still a myth?

Anyway, the local Secretary General of the URI, a woman by the name of Maisie Sultan, entered through one of the side doors and walked up to the podium in the front of the room. She smiled at the diplomats as she lifted up the microphone, but it looked forced, as though she were trying to butter us up before we heard bad news.

Mrs. Sultan was a woman of average height, with light brown skin and brown eyes. There wasn't anything particularly commanding about her physical appearance, but you know what they say: It's not about size, it's about how you use it.

The moment anyone heard her voice, it was obvious why she'd been chosen as the leader of the URI's Sinnoh branch. While her voice commanded authority, she was also a reassuring, empathetic presence wherever she went.

"Good morning, delegates to the United Regions, Incorporated" Mrs. Sultan announced as her gaze swept the room. "Before we begin, let us have a roll call, to make sure that everyone who said they would be here, is here. First up...Steve Bourbon of Backwash Town."

"Present", a middle-aged man from a table near the podium announced in a guttural tone. I barely resisted laughing at the ridiculous name of his hometown, but I managed to stop myself from doing so nonetheless. No self-respecting diplomat should make light of a serious situation.

"Felipe Matamoros, of Oldale Town."

"Present", the man next to me said loudly, his voice nearly breaking. Given that Mrs. Sultan had gone straight from B to M in our last names, it seemed as though we were being called in no particular order. Of course, I was used to this.

"Royal Redmond, of Jubilife City."

"Present" I announced, brushing my hair with my hand. Now that I'd spoken at a volume the rest of the room could hear, I became even more aware of the dozens of pairs of eyes on me, wondering why I was so unkempt for this conference.

Mrs. Sultan kept going through the list of names, and I lost track of how many she read out. When she was finished with this, the Secretary General cleared her throat and began to speak.

"I know that the pamphlet you have all received may seem very alarming," she told us. "If so, I don't blame anyone here. After all, nobody wants to believe that there are werewolves, or were-Lycanroc, in their midst. And yet…".

My heart started pounding, and Felipe looked as though he were about to faint. As much as I considered him a friend, I almost wanted to pinch him, or even slap him in the face, and remind him that he needed to get ahold of himself. There were going to be far more upsetting topics than lycanthropy.

Mrs. Sultan gave us a glance reminiscent of a pediatrician telling their patient that an injection won't hurt a bit. It might also be used by a parent, or really anybody, who's about to deliver bad news to someone they care about.

The latter's probably true.

The Secretary General cleared her throat again. "What I mean to say is, I want you all to understand that you shouldn't be afraid of things. Even if you don't believe in eternal life, remember that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

"Fear, of course, can take many forms, but you can't let it rule your life."

Why did she even MENTION eternal life there? Then again, that's Maisie Sultan for you, always telling us the news delicately.

Despite the woman's best intentions, the way she danced around the topic only served to make me worry more. And while I can't speak for Felipe, his face was turning white. The pain of anticipation was unnerving both of us.

Mrs. Sultan began pacing back and forth as much as the microphone's cord would allow her to while she was still holding it. "Of course, sometimes a healthy amount of fear is warranted, especially in this case. For the werewolves of Sinnoh are on the prowl indeed, and their numbers are only increasing. That is the topic of today's conference."

One of the delegates a few desks to our right, a Grumpig (because yes, believe it or not, the URI wasn't a humans-only organization), bellowed out the following: "Werewolves aren't real!"

The Secretary General gave Grumpig a dirty look. If looks could kill, the Psychic type would have been six miles under.

"If you are not willing to reckon with the problems of the day", Mrs. Sultan chastised him, "then what are you doing here? These are issues that we must solve; the fate of so many people depends on us coming together and having a fact-based view of reality."

The Grumpig, rebuked, went silent again. He stayed that way until the end of the meeting, upon which time he would probably look for a way to get a dozen more donuts. More to the point, Mrs. Sultan raised her voice when she spoke again, probably so that it wouldn't be drowned out by anyone else who might decide to interrupt her.

"One of the biggest issues regarding were-Lycanroc is that there is no cure for lycanthropy, nor is there a vaccine. Progress has been slow going on both of these fronts; at this time, wolfsbane is the only treatment, and even that has to be taken regularly for the rest of the victim's life."

Another thing worth noting about Mrs. Sultan was that she knew how to tug on her audience's heartstrings. She could reassure you or terrify you, depending on what she wanted, and she was remarkably effective at both of those things.

The Secretary General went on to read some statistics about lycanthropy in Sinnoh, which she presented to us with raised eyebrows and a grave voice that made her sound about a hundred years old.

I won't bore you with the actual numbers, because you didn't come here for that. Suffice it to say that they conveyed an enormous problem that needed to be solved quickly, or else many innocent people would suffer the fate of becoming were-Lycanroc. Many lives would be ruined, and since lycanthropy was contagious, the problem would only compound on itself; cases would increase exponentially.

When she was finished discussing the numbers, the Secretary General emphasized the importance of realizing that they weren't just numbers. "Each of these numbers is a person, or Pokemon, whose life has been altered irreversibly thanks to a single bite. As such, I wish to put forward a motion to make research into a lycanthropy vaccine a Class A priority."

Class A meant one thing, and one thing only: It was of the utmost importance. I could tell, and I was sure Felipe could too, that Mrs. Sultan believed wholeheartedly in the cause.

"We will have a voice vote, which means that the identities of diplomats who vote yes or no will not be recorded. Whatever side is more audible will win, on the count of three."

Crazy how all the meetings devolve into this. Everyone dresses so formally, and yet now it comes down to who can scream the loudest. It's like we're playing games on a playground in elementary school!

"One...two...three!"

There was an immense amount of screaming; I screamed "YES!", as did Felipe and, by my estimation, well more than half of the delegates. There were a few people yelling "NO!", but they were drowned out by the overwhelming tide of the affirmative response.

There was so much shouting that by the end, my ears were ringing; in this enormous, drafty chamber, sound echoed pretty forcefully, and it still seemed as though hundreds of decibels were dancing around City Hall.

Finally, once the echoes began to subside, Mrs. Sultan cleared her throat once more.

"It seems as though the overwhelming majority of you want to make funding for the research a Class A priority, so that's what the URI will do. Okay, next issue."

Felipe was shaking, but seemed extremely relieved, like one might be right after vomiting and instantly feeling better. This led me into another question…

It seems as though lycanthropy is a very important issue to Felipe. Like, more than it is to the rest of us. But why?

I hope my fellow Americans had a wonderful Thanksgiving. More than anything, I'm thankful for you guys for supporting this story as it continues. There's quite a bit more to come.

I'll see you all next time, and never forget: If you wish to contact me for any reason, my Discord tag is Lucas the Lion#7822.