Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Fantastic Adventure

by RedFlames01

TFA follows a human turned Raboot, and his quest to regain his memories and turn back into a human. Along the way, he'll meet some new Pokémon, with some of them not only becoming his friends, but will change his life forever. He'll need all the help he can get as something brand new threatens his new world: Mystery Dungeons. Next update: Sometime in December 2022.

30. Chapter 28: Trust Me

Arc One: Mystery

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Trust Me

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My ears perk up as I come to. I blink a multiple of times before I let out a long yawn. Wow, did I just fall asleep? Even with everything going on right now? I guess I really did need a break. Hopefully, it wasn't for too long, I have no idea what's going on up there, but whatever it is...well, like I said, I don't have the slightest clue.

On the bright side, I feel much better. Granted, it's not 100%, but at least I feel like I can walk around without losing my breath.

I yawn again as I stand on my feet. When I take a better look at the chamber, I find it very...box like.

The room I'm in is boring, there's nothing in here aside from three doors that lead somewhere else. Hmm, there's actually torches here in the first room that lightens the place up. That's one point for this temple that the Ground one doesn't have, but I'm sure things will be getting worse.

Even though it took awhile to have some lights at the other spot, at least they were a regular red and orange color instead of this purple-blueish fire. At least there doesn't seem to be any bottomless pits anywhere. Now that I can do without.

But then I remember the reason I woke up. I heard something, didn't I? Some kind of a...noise. Ugh! I'm already forgetting what it was, but I know there was a noise, just not sure who or how it was made.

I look at the three doors. If this place is just a maze, great, but I personally think that's much better than performing a balancing act, but which one do I go through first?

Another sound is picked up from my ears, though this time, I'm sure it was somemon firing a beam, even if I can't tell where it came from.

So, somemon else is down here?! It better not be Zygarde...or the Guardian...or Watcher...or you know what, anymon else who has bad intentions.

Come to think of it, I'm in the Ghost Temple! Will there even be somemon on my side?!

I grab my head. "JUST PICK A STUPID DOORWAY TO GO THROUGH ALREADY!" I tell myself as I start shaking my skull. I stop shaking it and look towards my options, I try to think about it, until I just don't bother and head into the one on my right. Right is right, isn't it?

I take a deep breath in as I put my paw on the knob, preparing myself for whatever could be on the other side. I then slowly open the door, barely making a squeak, and I peek over the edge of it. And I take a small sigh when I see nothing but a small open hallway that seems to be twelve feet wide and maybe twenty yards long leading to another similar door at the end.

I then step away from my door, and slowly walk down the hallway, making sure there aren't any hidden traps anywhere, but nothing seems to happen, so much so, that I pick up my pace towards the end.

I then grab the exit door and I open it faster than I did with the last one only to see...a cube-like room that looks just like the one I was just in.

Oh boy, this is going to be fun, isn't it. No clear direction on where to go. I don't even see any writing that could tell me what this place's gimmick is. All I see is the same stuff I saw in the other room, only now, there's four doors this time! Lucky me!

I don't waste anymore time and go to the left one this time, and I open it and go down the same looking thin hallway to get-

…

I'm not even going to finish that sentence as I'm back at the same room I was just in. There isn't a fifth door, thankfully, but it doesn't look like I'm making progress either.

I let out a groan and just head to the door straight ahead of me.

Hallway. Same room. I go through a doorway.

Hallway. Same room! I go through another doorway.

Hallway. SAME ROOM! I head backwards this time to mix things up.

Hallway. Same room, though, in it's defense, I should have seen that one coming.

I head to the center of the room and stop. I'm not losing my mind. I'm not going insane. I'm just mad!

Do I have to retrace my steps back to the first room I was in? Would it even be the same as it was. Wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't.

I continually tap my right foot. Either I'm missing something, or this place really wants company today. I need to figure out something, because going through the doorways doesn't seem to be helping me in the slightest.

"Hello Red!" I hear a behind me. I jump and twist myself around to see a familiar tall green and white Pokemon...Daisy?

I'm speechless as the Gardevoir looks at me weirdly. "What's with the face?" She asks. "You look like you've seen a Gengar."

I'm still confused, and I didn't even listen to what she said. This can't be right. How in the world did Daisy get down here?! She was out of breath the last time I saw her. There's no way she AND Team Forever are down here, but she also wouldn't leave them alone in this ghost infested place, would she? No!

The dots aren't connecting in my head. But maybe that's a good thing.

The second she moves a foot forward, I move a step back. I don't dare let her get any closer to me.

Something's is clearly off about all of this. Even a Slowpoke would figure that one out that fast.

She gives me a very unamused look and says, "Hmm, not trusting you friends, huh?"

We both look at each other, not moving at all. I then see her mouth move, and that's when I prepare an Ember attack.

But what she doesn't is something I didn't see coming: She's laughing. Not an attack I've never seen before, thought I've never seen or heard her laugh ever, and it...seems very out of character for her to do something like that. She even has a tear in her eye, but it is quickly dealt with as Daisy wipes it away.

"Always on the alert." She says. "I like that. No, I really like that! I can tell we're going to have a great time down here."

Before I have the chance to think, she snaps her fingers, and BAM! Daisy is now a Raboot like me, although it would be rude to call that thing Daisy now, because there's no way that is her.

"Ta-da! What do you think?" He sa-oh jeez, is that what I sound like?!

My mind is racing. What can...how...what? What Pokemon can change it's shape, voice, and is also a Ghost-Type? It could be Scar, but Zoroarks aren't Ghost-Types, and it can't be a Ditto either, because I don't even think it is any of those Evil-Types!

My eyes shrink as I remember one more Pokemon. It didn't take a day for me to think long and hard about if it could be it.

I fix my stance to look more focused as I say, "You're a...Hisuian Zoroark, aren't you?"

The Raboot laughs. "Wow! Always on the alert, AND knows his Pokemon." He says as he stops laughing. "Nothing seems to get past you."

The Raboot then snaps his fingers again, which is great, because now I don't have to hear myself talking to me. His form turns into a white, two legged, beast. With a long white mane with red at the tips, and the most horrifying yellow eyes you'll ever see in your life.

"I'm Rune, the Watcher of the Ghost Temple. It's so nice for somemon like you to drop by." She says as she stretches her paw out to me for a hand shake.

Yeah right, like I'm going to shake the hand of somemon who tried to look like Daisy, and also seems like they're moments away from ripping somemon in half, not even with a ten foot pole.

"Oh, come on, don't be shy!" She says, in a playful, yet insane tone. Her arm then unnaturally stretches out to my arm and shakes it before I have time to react. I'm not going to lie, I got jump scared by that and let out a small "Yip!".

"Wow, look at you. I didn't even know a Pokemon could sound like that...that or it's been that long." She says as her arm returns to it's normal length. "But it seems to me that you try to act all brave coming here all by yourself, but if I press the right buttons-BAM! Instant coward."

I brush off my both sides of my hand and her insult. I then turn to her and say, "I'm not-...*sighs* Look, all I want to do is complete this test...whatever it may be. Do you know what it is?"

She looks at me with dead eyes. "Oh!" She says, as if she just put the pieces together. "Let me guess, you want to beat this temple's trial so that you can get the Flute of Aura and save the world, becoming a hero that everymon loves, or else you'll go down as the one who doomed the world because of something you can't remember?"

I'm shocked. How did she know that? Did somemon tell her? Did she read my mind? I then feel somemon tap my shoulder, and turn around in a blink of an eye only to lay my eyes on her again, this time as a beaten up Raboot.

I back away from her as she says, "Because you know very well if this little errand of yours fails, no one is going to want you around. In fact, you'd be no better than us Ghost-Types, and pretty soon, you'll be hunted down for your crimes as well, and you'll end up like this!" All in my voice mind you.

I blast Ember at her, and she yells in pain, but because it's my voice, it hurts me more. I don't like hearing myself, especially when it's really a Zoroark.

Yet, I hold my ground. "Look, I already went through this phase on my trip here, so if you're trying to scare me, it won't work." I begin. "I already know what's at stake for me, but I also know what's at sake for this world. There's a way to solve this by using the flute. Sure, it was hard to get here, but it's what I have to do...I can feel it..."

"The heart is the most deceitful thing in a Pokemon's body, constantly looking for ways to please the soul." She says. "What makes you think you're doing the right thing?"

I've just about had it with this ghost, as my mouth gets ready to fire another Ember. "Because I trust Lucas. I trust Xatu. And I'll do whatever I can to do what's right!"

I release it at her, but she doesn't move away, and takes the hit like a champ (or an idiot).

As I grill her, I hear her scream, but this time, it's not my voice.

It's Lucas'.

"How could you?!" He says all burned up. "I believed in you, and this is what I get in return?!"

I'm taken aback from this. I know it isn't Lucas, but it doesn't help that she looks and sounds just like him.

I know I just namedropped him, but how does she even seem to know what my friends not only look like, but sound like as well?!

But I choose not to think about it, as she then makes a Shadow Ball and throws it at me. I dodge as she says this to me in Lucas' voice: "How can you call yourself a hero if you can't tell a friend from a foe?"

I get mad, and use Blaze Kick, slamming right into his chest. "Because I know you aren't the real Lucas!"

I send her into the wall, but her form changes again, this time into...

...Eve...

I stop. She had to go that far, didn't she. I've got to stop her, but now I can't un see Eve being knocked out at Central Mountain. What I did to her.

I grab my head. Keep it together. Lucas and Eve aren't here. The ones here are just illusions, not the real-

A Headbutt hits me right in the stomach as it's my turn to smack into a wall. The Alolan Vulpix stares me down and yells, "Oh...I'm very real..." She then lets out a low growl. "I can't believe you would attacked me again! I should have choked you when I had the chance."

Okay, now I'm really mad. How in the world did she know THAT fact?! She had to have read my mind to find that out when I was sleeping, but didn't Daisy say that my head was a mess and it was impossible to read it? I blink a few times. Either this Zoroark is really good on reading surface level stuff, or is just very lucky.

But whatever it is, I can't seem to escape my fear no matter how hard I try.

I go to attack her, but then I'm frozen in place. Come on, she's not real! You have to fight her!

"Well, if you expect me to show mercy to you as well, you got another thing coming!" She yells as her psychic grab gets tighter around my neck. The air leaves my lungs so fast, and I can barely breathe, but I'm...not...GIVING UP!

I unleash my true power, and cause a shockwave, breaking Rune's focus and giving me the chance for some payback. If I'm going to beat her, I need to do it ASAP. No breaks, no rests, and no breathers. If I give her time, she's just going to haunt me by turning into and acting like one of my friends.

I become a living fireball as I use Flare Blitz on her. She still doesn't dodge it and takes it all in. But I don't waste another moment, and release Flamethrower while she's still airborne, dealing her massive damage. Sure, she's still screaming like Eve, but it's not real, it's just a cheap trick that's only trying to make me soft.

Well, here's the headline for you: I don't like imposters!

When I see her fall to the ground, I jump right at her and use Flare Blitz again, but for once, she actually tries to dodge it, and it works. She turns back into a Hisuian Zoroark, and tries to slash me with Shadow Claw, but I manage to dodge it by the fur of my skin.

I use Flamethrower again on her, and her body changes back into a Alolan Vulpix as she's hit, but she slowly disintegrates inside the fire. That gets to me, and I stop.

Eve...just...- No! That's not real! Stay focused! She's getting inside of your head-

I then hear a roar behind me, and it's her, still looking like Eve, but this time with a heavy, dark aura around her as she uses Crunch. I try and jump, but I don't move fast enough as her teeth bite into my chest. I scream in pain as she then quickly tosses me away like a doll and into a wall.

She then howls, causing five dagger-shaped rocks to come out of the ground, and she breaks all of them from the ground and tosses them at me in moments. She's so fast, that I still can't move out of the way, which leaves me to take all the hits. I can't even pull up my arms as I'm hammered by all of the rocks, some of which I can feel cut inside of me.

Ok, this just went from winning, to bad, and now, to worst!

I try and move again, but I just can't! I can feel myself getting ready to faint, but this is the worst time to have some shut eye.

I look in front of myself, and see her looking completely out of control and with pink eyes. Pink eye? Why are they-

"GAHHHHHH!" I scream as I feel my mind getting attacked with a powerful Psychic. So far, I've only been lifted by it, but never has somemon used it as an attack. My mind feels like it's going through a blender.

"HOW DOES IT FEEL?!" She howlers. "To be beaten and thrown to the wall?!" I'm then hit on the side with one of the left over Stone Edge and am sent to the floor. I cough as I start to taste my own blood.

"To try your best only to be thrown away like trash!" She yells again. I then feel my body get crushed by the same piece of rock, trapping me as I cry once more.

I look in front of me and see Eve staring me down. "To put faith in something, only for it to get dashed!" Her claw then becomes the night as she slashes the right side of my face, and the pain burns as I feel it cut deep. I can't even open that eye anymore, and tears are flooding my left one.

"I know how it feels..." She says as she seems to get lost in thoughts. "I've lived through it. This path I can't take. This pain I can't stop. My friends that I can't keep." She looks at me again. "I'VE LOST EVERYTHING!"

She then slashes the part of my face she didn't get in the first slash, and it hurts just as bad. I don't even bother to scream and just cry in pain. I'm getting outplayed.

"I thought you'd be different. You saved me. You tried to help me...you said you forgave me...BUT THOSE ARE LIES! LIES, LIES, LIES, LIES, LIES!" She screams.

She slams her front paws inches away from my face and uses telepathy to finish things off. "I CAUSE NOTHING BUT PAIN AND SUFFERING FOR ME AND EVERYMON I LOVE! AND NO MON CARES ABOUT ME ANYMORE, NOT MY MOM, NOT MY DAD, NOT ASH, EVEN KINDLE LEFT ME! I'M A MISTAKE, NEVER MEANT TO BE ANYTHING BUT HAVE BLOOD ON MY PAWS AND WRONGS THAT I CAN NEVER TAKE BACK!"

I can barely think, but what did she say about-

"I THOUGHT I HAD A SECOND CHANCE HERE, BUT IT ALL JUST ENDED THE SAME AS LAST TIME! I'LL NEVER FIND REST! I'LL ALWAYS BE A TARGET! BUT YOU'RE NOT GETTING RID OF ME!"

I manage to open my eyes a little bit, and that's when I see it: My bandana. Covered in mud, but I still see the bright red in it.

That's impossible! That's at the Guild with Lucas and-

My mind then gets the worst idea ever. Somehow...someway...but it can't, though!

B-but she isn't attacking me anymore. And it feels what she's saying is real, I mean, why would the Ghost-Type say things even I didn't even know about Eve. She's venting all her frustrations on me. I don't know who Kindle or Ash are, but that means that Rune couldn't have know that as well...does that really mean...

I...start to move my arms under the rock. They feel busted, but I fight through the pain. There's only one way to find out for sure.

"You're trying to kill me, Red..." She says like a broken soul. "You don't want me with you, or anymon, because you know what I can do, but I can feel your Aura. It's dark, lying, and wants to see the world burn!"

I pay no attention to it as I move my feet to get a better grip on the ground. I look up and see my end in the shape of a giant bolder if I don't move now.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Here goes nothing!

By some miracle, I manage to get out from under the rock, and as Eve's attack slams down where I just was, making a deep crater that I would not have lived through. I tackle her with enough force to knock her off of her feet. As soon as I have the time, I hug her tight just like Lucas did back in Apple Woods, with my hands ending up at the back of her head, which feels wet and sticky, and I don't want to know why, but I can already feel her getting angry.

"Eve stop!" I plead. "This isn't the real you! You need to calm down, I can help-"

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" She screams. "You can't help me! Not anymore! Just die!" I then feel her Psychic energy trying to ripe me off of her, but I continue to hang on as her pull gets stronger and stronger.

"I'M NOT LEAVING YOU, EVE!" I cry out. "You're hurt in the inside, and you're letting it out on the only Pokemon who's like you!"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" She hollers. I then feel something crushed my neck. It's Eve using Crunch on me again, and it hurts bad. I try to say something, but I can't as the pain is too much for me. The only thing I can pray that Eve is reading my mind.

"Eve." I start as my eyes fill up with tears mixed with pain and sadness. "I'm sorry for what I did. Sure, I was seeing things, but the fact is I did hurt you, and that's caused you to snap." I feel her bite even harder. I can feel blood coming out from my neck.

"...please...ever since I saw you trapped in Apple Woods, the only thing I wanted to do was to keep you safe, and I mean that!"

I get weaker as I try to find the right words. "I really enjoyed the time we've spent together. You, me, and Lucas...we make a great team, and we had so much fun together in such a short time. I know a lot is on your mind, but you're wrong! We still care about you!"

Suddenly, the pressure from Eve stops getting worse, but I'm still beaten up. "Don't forget that you live in a Guild, full of Pokemon that are ready to help you at anytime...I know that because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. They want to help me no matter what, and I want to do the same for you..."

I feel myself reverting back to my regular state. She never liked it in the first place, so I'm just doing what I said it'd do: The right thing. It's also getting harder and harder to think, but I still have to press on.

"It sounds like you lost a lot, and I'm sorry, but there's a better way to do this...just talk to me...I want to help you get through this...I can't stop thinking about you and how I can make things right no matter how hard I try...so please calm down, I...I...really care about you, Eve."

With that, I let go of her. I can barely stay conscious as I fall to the ground, my neck still hanging in her mouth, praying that I got to her. I try and look at her, and the look on her face still stares deep into me.

I let out a chuckle, if you can even call it that, and say from my mouth, "And you care about me too, right? That's why you have my bandana?" I let out a few coughs. "You were...worried about me?..but why?"

I can feel her breath heavily on my neck, and they seem to be getting heavier. I can hardly believe it. It really was Eve, and she really did listen to me. I begin to get the feeling of accomplishment as she finally releases me from her jaw.

I put my hands over her marks, but I take them off as they sting. Ouch! She really is a strong Vulpix.

I try to get on my feet, but it's a little too much for my body to do right now, so I instead just look at her.

Wow, she's banged up herself. Her back and the back of her head are the worst, but I think they just about healed up...for the moment.

She's still looking at me, as if her head's in the clouds. I may not know what's going through her head, but I'm just glad this is over.

"Thanks for letting go, Eve." I say as I try to stay awake. "I know you probably had a rough night, but-"

"NOOOOOO!" She screams out of nowhere, and before I even realize what she said, I feel it.

On my back, something sharp is behind my heart.

Just piercing into my back, but it stopped before it could go any further.

I'm left speechless as I know very well that it could have been much worse.

I...what happened...

I then feel the object leave my body. I turn myself around and see a Decidueye with it's wings in the form of firing a bow, but it flies away when the object soars towards him, and ends up on the wall.

That's when the dots click. While I was distracted, that Zoroark changed into the Arrow Quill Pokemon and...well, tried to do what Decidueyes do best.

I reach over and cover the spot on my back when I hear the noise from the landing Decidueye. I then hear her wings clap. "Well, that was fun while it lasted. Thought you two were going to tear each other to pieces, but only one of you is messed up in the inside, so I guess this is how things are going to play out."

My ears pick up Eve's voice. "Y-you used me?!"

Rune snickers. "I use whatever I can get my hands on, dear, and you were SO fun to mess with. How can you stand on your four feet knowing what you've done?"

I look over to the Vulpix, and she's shaking with fear as her aura begins to look normal again. At least she doesn't look like her energy was drained, but she can't stop thinking about the Zoroark said, and she's not ever done.

"You ran away, desperate to try and redeem yourself, only to put yourself in a deeper hole than you were in before, and it ended up killing the only Pokemon that could help you contain your power, and your mother, father, and I'm sure your sister is dead too. What did you say her name was, Kindle? Well, good riddance to bad rubbish."

Alright, it's one thing to say stuff like that to me, but seeing that it's worse on Eve. Yeah, I've had enough of her talking.

I turn to her. "That's enough out of you!" I yell. "I don't know what happened back then, but that's all in the past! She has reasons to keep moving, she just save my life-"

"After she let her anger control her like some puppet and tried to take it from you. Face it, Raboot, she's a broken Pokemon that can barely take care of herself."

"Her name is Eve, and she isn't going to let some low life Pokemon like you get the best of her any longer." I say.

She laughs, though, as if I just told her the funniest joke ever. "Man, you're making me sick with your sweet talk. Just take a good look at her, bunny."

As much as I hate listening to her, I look at Eve again, and she's still frozen, completely paralyzed with fear. "She's hopeless, kid, and knows everything I just said is true about her." She says as I face her again. "What I see in her is a lost soul who knows that she belongs in the bottom of the ocean, because after she fell off the cliff and into the water, she knew she was never going to make it out."

Suddenly, my legs feel...wet?! I look down, and sure enough, there's water on the ground, but I can feel it slowly rising. A bright light shines where the Zoroark is, and I have to cover my eyes. When the light seizes, I see that the Zoroark has changed into a giant, blue, snake-like fish, with four fins across her back and a trident-like mark on her head with a fin on each side of her face.

Her red eyes stare right into me as the Gyarados looks down at us. "But Arceus decided to let you live a little bit longer, so it's a good thing I'm going to fix his mistake." She says right before she lets out a deafening roar.

I cover my ears. Great, so we're still not done, and while she seems perfectly fine, I nearly died, and Eve doesn't look like she's in the best state either. Both physically and mentally.

...But we have to try. There's no way out of this except if we take the Zoroark down, but first, I need Eve to help me.

"Eve, come on! You have to snap out of it!" I say to her as she's still looking at the Atrocious Pokemon.

"I-I...I can't!" I hear her voice ringing in my head. "This is too much. E-everything that has happened here is too much for me to take in. I can't do this!"

I look at the Gyarados to see if she attacks as I say, "Yes you can."

"NO I CAN'T!" She yells. "She's right about everything. I'm broken. I'm a puppet. I can't even swim! I'm hopeless!"

I go to respond, but she adds one last line. "...Why do you try to help me?"

The Gyarados then charges up a Dragon Pulse and aims it right at me. Great, multitasking. Not something I want to do right now. She fires the beam, so I jump away from it, but when I look back, I see that while not hurt by it, Eve didn't move an inch away from the attack, and that tells the Zoroark all she needs to know.

"You already know what's coming for you, don't you little girl?" The Illusion Pokemon says. "Well then, who am I keeping you all waiting?"

She goes to use the same move again, only this time she's aiming at Eve to blast her to dust.

And of course, I can't let that happen.

I try and get a better grip on the flooded ground, as I wait for the moment for when Rune can't change the direction of her blast, which at that point I just guess it's right before she releases her attack. But she fires her beam, and I jump late. Both of us are heading towards Eve, and I don't want to know what happens if I'm second.

I get to her first, but as soon as I grab her, I feel the ground blow up behind me. Me and Eve are then sent flying off into the wall and close our eyes to brace for the impact. It hurts, and the water splashes into us as we hit the ground, and now that we're together, the Zoroark will have a much easier time hitting us.

But even though things look bad, at least I have an answer for Eve. I look at her and say, "Because you're the only one I feel like is relatable to me. You have this strange power, and so do I. Granted, it's not the same, but it's still a weird power. I'm doing great with them, even if I don't fully understand everything about it, but you're struggling with yours, and I want to help you."

"If there's one thing that I've learned out here on this trip, it's that there are Pokemon out here that just want to keep everymon safe no matter what. I wouldn't be here if Team Forever and Lucas hadn't been helping me through this. So I want to do the same for you."

"But-"

"I'm not done. So what if you're scared of using them, so what if you think you're worthless. From what I heard, you accepted this 'role' and now I want to help you get back into things one step at a time. You're the most powerful Pokemon I know, and I owe this world my life...and I owe you." Tears are in my eyes as I finish. "...So I always want to keep you safe, just like any friend would want to do. Trust me when I say this, Eve. You're stronger than you think, and I want to help you see that. That's all I want to do right now..."

She opens her eyes and, for the first time, looks at me. All I can do is give her a smile as I hear a noise from behind us, and I only have one guess of what it could be.

"GAME OVER!" The Flying Fish yells as she uses Dragon Pulse a third time in a row. This time, I can't get out of the way because I wasn't ready. Guess it wasn't the best time to give Eve an answer.

I press my head on her chest as I hug her tight. Eve, please do something! You can do it!

BAM!

I feel the top of my head get trimmed by a beam, but it has a magical feeling to it. I then hear the sound of something disintegrating behind me. I pull my face from her fur and I see the pink beam just as it hits the fake Gyarados right in the face. Huh, so that's what happens when you fire a Moonblast at a Dragon-Type Move. That's pretty cool.

As she recoils from the attack, Eve disappears from me and I fall to the ground. I make a splash as the water starts covering over me, thankfully the water's only a foot deep, so I'm only underwater when I'm lying down on the floor. I pick myself up and spit out the liquid. I then look down at my body.

I think this is my first time dealing with this much water. I mean, besides my earliest memory of being LITERALLY in the middle of the ocean. And knowing that I'm a Fire-Type, I'm starting to notice how my body is starting to get weak from being wet. It doesn't hurt, but I think it's kind of like when you get into warm water and you start to feel lazy. That kind of feeling.

"O-o-ok." I hear on my side. I turn and see Eve looking at me, still shaking, still worried, but she doesn't look frozen anymore. "I'll t-try my best, but I-...I can't do too much. I don't want to lose control of myself again."

I just smile. "It's ok. We'll just take things one step at a time. Just focus on using a move like Dark Pulse or Moonblast." She gives me a worried look, so I clarify. "What? Dark-Type moves are strong against Ghost-Type. Might as well use them."

We hear the transformed Zoroark roar one more as I feel the water rising faster. "But maybe it'll be nice to use Icy Wind or something to freeze the water so you'll have something to float on."

"But don't you need something too?" She asks.

My ears pick up a noise, and it's a Dark Pulse heading towards us. We both jump in opposite directions to dodge the attack. Glad to see the Eve moving again.

"Let's keep this in our heads, ok?" I say. "And worry about yourself first. I can swim pretty well." Leaving out the part about me being inside my weakness.

Another black beam appears heading to me, so I roll out of the way. "So, what's your plan?" Eve asks.

"First, we need to spread out. It'll be a lot harder to hit both of us if we're far apart."

"Ok. Then what?"

"Just try and keep your distance away from her and use moves that are strong against Ghost-Types. Doesn't have to be strong, it just has to have an advantage, though if you're up to it, please be my guest. I'll try to do my best as well."

She nods, but I throw in one more thing. "And don't listen to her. I know she seems to know you pretty well, but the Vulpix I know you are is not the same one she remembers."

I don't get an answer from her as I do what I said we would: Spread out. If the water gets high enough, then Rune's going to be a whole lot more challenging to beat.

"I'm not sure how you did it, but it seems that your friend's trying to fight back again." Rune says. "Oh well, wouldn't be the first time she tried."

She then readies a Water Pulse and unleashes it. I dodge again, but it's getting harder to dodge the attacks as the water gets higher and she slowly gets closer, trying to back me into a corner.

I then use Ember, to which she takes in, and doesn't seem to mind it at all. I really wish I didn't go all hyper earlier, because that would make it a little easier here.

"Maybe it's the way you think that got her sprits up. You and your frail, little hope you cling to like a blanket."

Great, now she's talking to me. I take my own advice and try and block her out of my head. I use Ember again, but she still gets hit and looks unamused. "Fire at me all you want, but there's a reason I'm the Ghost Temple's Watcher." She says proudly.

A pink beam of energy from Eve standing on an ice platform comes rushing towards her, but Rune instead dodges out of the way, but a part of her is hit by the attack.

"Rude!" She says. "It's no fun when you're that far away. That's camping, and no mon likes a camper. How about you get closer?"

She roars again, but this time the water seems to heading to her as I feel myself getting pulled.

A whirlpool while the waters rising faster? Not good. I do not want to get too close. And most certainly don't want to drown in the water!

My mind then races as I try and go the other way. There has to be a move I can use that isn't weak against...whatever type she is now. I wonder if I can give Sucker Punch a try?

"Red! I need help!" Eve says. I look over at her and see that she's struggling to stay on her ice raft. I go to answer her, but then I'm smacked by a wave, and I'm tossed around.

"What's the matter, Raboot?" Rune says. "I thought you had a plan? Seems that was short lived, wouldn't you agree?"

I shake my head as try to put my head above water, but I can't seem to find it. I open my eyes, and that's when I see myself in the ocean, with the surface a long way from where I am. The same one that I almost drowned in.

The water picks up again as I'm tossed around as a shadow looms around me. "This is the problem with you: The fact you won't admit when there's a problem. You never want to give up, so you try and make things work, but-"

A tail then slams me in the back as I hit the dirt. I let out an ouch, but I try and stop myself before I can release anymore air. "Since when does fire beat water?!" She laughs.

As I try to get out, I feeling something in my head. "So that's how you fight." She says.

I then realize what that was, and I try to block her out of my head.

"Silly, rabbit. I'M IN CONTROL!"

A rush of electricity then comes rushing all around me, frying my entire body. I can't keep my mouth shut, and I scream, against my body's wishes. As soon as the pain stop, the lack of oxygen gets to me, as I gasp for air. Another mistake. Now I'm swallowing water.

"You aren't strong at all." She says. "You act like there's nothing to be afraid of, yet every time you have to fight, you try and run away, like teleporting Zygarde, because you know, deep down, you're just a small, little Fire-Type in way over your head."

I can't help but hear every word she says. My body is out of control. I'm shaking like crazy. I. Need. AIR! I try to pull myself up, but I just can't get the tail off me.

I look in front of me, and I'm in horror as I see Eve slowly sink to the sea bottom, completely motionless. I panic as Rune says, "Can't save your girlfriend now, but it hits harder when you remember you were the one that killed her. If you didn't exist, she wouldn't have lost her mind and drowned here because of your bandana. What kind of warrior are you suppose to be?"

I close my eyes, but I still see the Alolan Vulpix in front of me. I can't un see it. This Zoroark doesn't shut up, but her points are-

No, don't think like that, she's messing-

Another Thunderbolt toasts me, but I don't have anymore air to let out. I feel my head as if it's going to blow up. "You were so hopeful, but now I hope you've learned your place."

Rune's voice blasts in my head, not letting up at all. "THIS IS THE END!"

...

...

...

And that's when it all fades away. Even the sound of the water leaves as I feel it crush me.

I also feel empty as I float all by myself. I can't think at all. I feel like I'm forgetting so many things by the second.

I'm losing myself. Any thoughts are nothing more than faint voices that even I can't hear with my ears, but it doesn't mean anything to me anymore.

I need rest. I need sleep.

I need...

...

...to...

...keep...

...

...

...

*Throws up*

In a moment, I go from knocked out on my back, to breathing in air and exhaling out water on my knees.

W-w-what just got into me?! I felt like I was done, until something just kicked me, like if I had my tail on fire!

I-I-I-

More water comes out of my body as I'm trying to figure things out myself. I have no idea what it was, but boy, am I glad it happened.

My mind finally wakes up as everything is coming back to me in a snap. It appears I'm inside a ball of ice? Odd. How did I get in here? Or is this some sort of dream?

I try to get up, and that's when I feel everything around me move. I try and stay in the middle, but the ball just spins faster. Ok, so I'm in a Morpeko-like ball, still doesn't answer the question how-

I then hear a blast from outside my icy prison. Oh geez, Rune's still out there?! Am I floating on the water? Only one way to find out.

I release something from my mouth, although this time it's the opposite of water as I try and burn my way out of this. Did Eve trap me in here? But, she drowned! I saw her motionless right next to me.

Ugh, whatever. I'll figure that part out later.

Right now I need to get out of here and see what's going on. I'm able to make a hole in the ice large enough for me to slip through.

Carefully, I move the sphere so that the hole will be at the bottom. But before I can go into the water, I just stare at it. I cough, letting out a few more drops.

Even though I had already had some trouble with water, the fact that I JUST made it out alive is still shaking me up. Do I really want to leave? It might just be safer to stay in here.

I then hear a faint, "Ice Beam!" Which makes me take a deep breath as I jump into the water.

Woah, it's a little colder than I remember it being, but when I open my eyes to look up, I see that most of the water is covered with plates of ice. Eve must have been trying to make more platforms so she doesn't have to swim.

I then see the bottom of Rune's Gyarados body dragging along the bottom of the water as I swim over to a crack in the surface. It doesn't seem that anymon knows that I'm awake, so I might as well play into that, even if I don't have a strong move I can use.

I slowly head to the surface, and take some more breathes of fresh air. I hold in the urge to cough up more water as I try and see what is going on. What I see is Eve skating on the ice as the Gyarados tries her best to turn the Vulpix into ashes, but Eve continues to dodge and freeze whenever necessary.

"You can't run forever, Vulpix!" Rune yells. "Soon, you're going to join your-"

Eve fires a Dark Pulse, but the Zoroark stops talking and moves to the side to avoid the beam. "Wow, your mother really must have hated conversations if that's how you treat somemon when they're talking to you. Who do you think you are?!"

I then look at Eve, who looks like she's standing in the mist of a foggy forest, yells so long, that I can hear her in my mind too. "I am Eve Vulpix...d-daughter of Winter Ninetales, and a-as a Dreamer, as the Arceus' Keeper, I..."

"Let me finish that for you." The villain says as her tail rises out of the water, breaking the ice that Eve was standing on, causing her to plunge into the water.

"Eve!" I panic as I brace myself for the large wave reaction from the attack. I rise, but when I fall, I grab onto the ice in front of me, and try and push myself out of the water.

Right when I do, I look in front of me and see Eve just breaking the surface of the water, though she wasn't kidding when she say she couldn't swim, because she's splashing more than she's treading.

Rune, towering above her, says, "Look at you, trying to act all strong. I've told you so many times that you're nothing, and now it's finally time to end this chapter of the world."

Rune charges up a Dragon Pulse, but Eve is too distracted to prepare any attack because she's already fighting for her life against the water. That's when I knew I had to step in.

I jump, only to have no friction to leap off of, causing me to slam onto the ice. I then quickly try and crawl on the ice, but at the rate I'm going, I'm never going to get to Eve in time.

But I have to, she needs to be safe. I have to protect Eve.

Protect. Eve.

"Protect!" I yell as Rune fires her laser. I feel something inside of me leave as the beam gets closer to Eve, but a pink, force field appears before her, and the beam hits it, without ever getting to it's target.

Wait, I did do that? Did I use Protect?! I can learn that?!

Now that I think about it, I seem to remember that Raboots can learn that move and was confused by that. Guess Raboot being one of my favorite Pokemon leads me to know everything I could about them, so thanks past me.

The Gyarados looks at me and is triggered when she sees me alive. "WHAT?! You're dead. Your aura went out after-AHHHH!"

She is cut off once again by Eve's Dark Pulse, but this time, it lands, and she's trying to stay steady. She shakes her head, only to get smacked by another Dark Pulse before she can open her eyes. Eve is furious as she calls out, "You will never get rid of us! My duty is to serve and protect this world from monsters like you!" As her aura starts to appear brighter.

She then uses Dark Pulse once more as it seems the Gyarados is starting to fade in and out. In fact, all the water looks like it's glitching out with black energy.

"I'll admit, I didn't think this was I signed up for when I first heard about this, and I did give up on myself when it was too much, but Red, Lucas, Wigglytuff...they haven't given up on me, so I will not hide any longer!"

"Then I'll ripe and tear you apart until there's nothing left but your seal!" Rune says as her teeth turn into the night.

She then lunges at the Fox Pokemon, but Eve uses Psychic to make her head to crash into the ice below her, causing to fall short of her, and that's when I decide it's time for some payback.

I feel all of my hatred towards Rune, all the things she's done within this short time, all those feelings feel like they head to my right hand as I charge at her.

"THEN YOU HAVE TO GET THROUGH ME FIRST!" I yell as I punch the Pokemon in her eye as she comes out from the water. My whole right arm is black as I power through the illusion, tearing it in half.

The Zoroark screams in pain and terror as the glitch starts to take over her. The water itself feels like it's disappearing as the Zoroark cries out, "I'll...get...you...one-"

A bright light then pops, it feels like she just exploded as the water and herself seem to vanish. I can't help but cover my eyes, and wrap myself into a ball to brace for anything as I'm falling to the ground.

But as I fall, my decent is slowed down to the point where I stop about a foot from the ground. Pink energy around me, must be from Eve.

I twist myself so that my feet are facing down, and once I get in position, I'm dropped down. Thankfully, I don't mess up my landing as I make a perfect one.

I breath a sigh of relief and look around. It's so weird, you would have thought that this place would look destroyed, but no! Nothing in the room looks like an ocean was never here. Was it all really just an illusion? Is that what happened when Rune trapped me?

"Red!" I hear Eve cry out in a destressed tone. I turn towards the voice, expecting to see that we, somehow, are not done yet with this nightmare. But I'm hit with a good surprise.

Before I could realize what she was doing, Eve jumped at me, and when her front paws landed on my shoulders, they didn't come off. I felt her head tuck away under my head, and into my chin as I feel tears coming down. But those tears don't do anything to my burning red checks.

Man, I'm glad Lucas and Sparks aren't here, or anymon for that matter. They wouldn't let me hear the end of it if they were.

"I-I-I can't b-believe you're alive, R-Red!" She says while cracking up. "You got trapped in an illusion, and then your Aura went out, and I-"

She stops, and I just keep listening as my cheeks are brighter than tomatoes. She hugs me tighter as she picks off where she left off, "I care about you too, Red. You're like me, but you have it so much better. I got my powers not knowing what I was getting myself into, but you just...have it. I had to try and train to get better, but even still, you're better than me. You're confident, you're brave, you're everything I was before it all came crashing down on me."

More tears go down my chest as she says, "I don't want your life to be ruined because of me. I've messed so many things up, and I don't want to make things worse for anymon anymore. If you stayed dead, I don't know what would have happened to me after I would have erased that Zoroark from existence..."

A small thought about that pops into my head, could she actually do that?

"...I need you, Red. I need somemon to tell me that it's going to be ok. Somemon who knows what it feels like to have the weight of Arceus on your shoulders...someone who can help me through anything..." She then cries as I'm left to figure out what to say. She really is hurt, and I don't want to go where I shouldn't go, but...here it goes.

I tighten my grip on her as I begin to cry. "Eve, everything I said when you were mad, and when Rune was attacking us, I meant it all. I want to help you get a better grip with yourself. I can't stand seeing you afraid...because I'm scared too."

I start to vent. My emotions throw out what was my plan as I say what's been bugging me all day long. "I mean, I'm running away from Zygarde who is trying to sacrifice me to the earth, and he believes it's the right thing to do, and it's so hard to disagree with him. I feel like I'm selfish, I feel like I'm dooming the world. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING!"

I take in a breath after realizing my voice raised. "...I-I don't want to die. I can't bring myself to do that...Zygarde is right about that. I just want to live another day whether it's for the best or not. I'm no hero. I'm just a scared coward, in a world of Pokemon that know more things than I ever will...I can't stand not remembering anything...and I'm sorry...I should be the one who's sorry to everymon I've caused pain to..."

That wasn't in my original script, but I had to say it. Eve thinks she's failed the world, well, I've done the same too. Maybe not as bad, but it still makes you feel sick to the core. I don't know if I can ever make up for this.

"...Guess we both have room grow." Eve says. She sniffs as she gets off of me and goes back on her fours legs. "But if I can tell you anything, it's that Zygarde is wrong."

I whip my tears away and let out a small chuckle. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but-"

"No, I mean it!" She says. I stop and look at her dead in her eyes. She doesn't look like she's lying.

She takes a deep breath. "What you have inside of you is the Blessing of Arceus, and with that power only those who were chosen by him can use it. Zygarde can not solve the Mystery Dungeons by killing you and taking your power, because he isn't chosen by Arceus, the power would go back to him, or somemon you choose, but I don't know if you have unlocked the abilities to give you power to anymon."

Alright, I'm confused. I can barely keep track of what's she's saying to me. "Stop, you lost me at blessing, how do you know all of this stuff?"

She looks down at her paws and says, "Red...I-I have never told anymon where I'm from. Not even Mom-err, well, Wigglytuff knows anything about my past., but it was fine, because I never wanted to talk about it ever again either."

She sighs. "But, you have to know. You're the only mon that can help me...it's for the best." She sits down on the ground, while I do the same too.

She sighs again. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this, but...I'm from a place called the Hidden Island. A far off island where Legendary and Mythical Pokemon live along with every kind of Pokemon you can imagine. It's there where if you go to school, you'll learn things that you'd never find out here, and I'm not going to lie, I was abscessed with the lore of this world and how it works. I did really well in class."

Yeah, let's just hope my brain is still working after this. I feel like I'm about to get dumped with a whole lot of expedition.

"Every single type has a special line of Pokemon call Flickers, and they all live on the Hidden Island and have a unique gift called...well, Gifts. I'm part of the Dreamers family, which means I'm part Cresselia in a odd way. We have the ability to help Pokemon who are having terrible nightmares called Neverends, but I'm getting way ahead of myself."

"I'm sure you know about Watchers and Guardians by now, so that'll save me some time, but both of them contain a Will of an Element, which is more powerful than a Gift. It's always the same as their type as well, but if that wasn't confusing enough, Arceus himself has a Watcher called a Keeper, and that allows them to use the same powers as a Flicker, but they also have a Will of an Element too, together making the Blessing of Arceus, causing them to be much stronger than the other three classes."

"And I'm guessing that's what you are too?" I ask, both to give me time to process what she's saying and me just being curious.

Eve cracks a smile. "I was just reading about Watchers and Guardians in school when somemon ran into me in the dead of night, and desperately asked me if I wanted to be one. I said yes because I wanted to help, but I didn't know that I was becoming a Keeper. I didn't even know what that was."

"Wait, but then how did you find that out?"

"...It was something that I was too young to find out, but my mother...she was a powerful Pokemon. Probably the best Dreamer on the island, and was our leader, behind Cresselia of course, so she had an idea about what it was, but it was...Ash that knew it the best."

She pauses as she tears up again. Not wanting to make anything worse, I say, "If you don't want to, you don't have to."

"N-no, I'm fine." She says. "I'll just skip over...personal details."

"Well, ok then. If you say so." I add.

The Vulpix continued, "He didn't even show up until a day after I got my powers, but I already was scared of them. I had touched one of my books and..." She shakes her head. "Basically, sometimes when I touch something, I'll get a vision that involves it in the past, present, or future. It's called a Dimensional Scream and..."

She then holds up my bandana. Still dirty, and even is torn up now, but it still is in one piece, and is in her paw. "That's what happened. That's how I knew something was wrong." She says. "I let Lucas inside my room and I panicked when I saw your bandana in his paw. I thought something happened to you."

I look away from her so that I can try and look normal before I can face her again as she continues. "I grabbed it in a panic, but that's when I felt all dizzy, and soon, I was here...watching you trying to comfort me when that Zoroark tried to end you. The moment I realized that it was a dream, I teleported here in a snap, but I fainted when I got here. I'm not used to teleporting that far."

"You're telling me that you can go anywhere you want to go?" I ask.

"Only if I seen it and have an idea where to go. That's how teleporting works. You have to imagine yourself there, and then, poof! You're there."

She then continued. "Anyways, Ash was the former Keeper, a Hisuian Arcanine, a Lighter and Builder, and was not happy to know that he was replaced by a kid in such short notice. Though, because I had his power, he had to teach me how to use it, and thankfully, he still had a remnant of it so he could do it. He taught me that I still had one more trick. Because I was a Dreamer, I was able to use any move I want if I had the strength to do it."

She stopped. She was taking deep breathes. I didn't say a thing. I'm still thinking about what she was saying. Lighter and Builder? Is that just fancy for Fire and Rock-Type? And the Dimensional Scream. That's what happened to her when she grabbed 'Xatu's' bag. She must've had a warning as she was falling down the stairs.

"T-that's why I was scared of you." My ears pick up, as I look at her. "When a Pokemon uses both the Will of an Element and a Gift, they go into an Alpha Form. You...saw me do that earlier and way back when we were picked apples with Lucas." She said with a worried smile, thinking about that day that seemed so long ago. "That's also what happens to you too."

I blink. "You mean when I get all fiery and stuff?" She nodded. Finally! I know what that is now. I was wonder what I should call it, but now I don't...but why is she scared when I do it.

"Ash used that a lot." She says, shaking a little. "H-he was always using it, because...I could never be good enough."

I freeze as she continues, "It's not your fault, but just seeing you transform just made me remember my worst memories...and it didn't help that you were also a Keeper-"

"HOLD UP! I'M WHAT!?" I yell. That was the last straw. I think I was doing a good job not interrupting her, but that was a bombshell I could not brush off.

"H-h-...How do you know that?!"

"Well, you can trigger an Alpha state, and that's something only a Keeper can do-"

"B-but I don't remember that?! I don't remember Hidden Island or Arceus, and you don't know me...do you?"

She shakes her head. "No, but the fact you were a Keeper and were doing much better than me, it was eating me up inside. I thought you had life better than me. You were strong, brave, always willing to help...everything I wasn't...but I see now that you have your own struggles too."

"Plenty." I answer as she puts on a smile. "...Thanks for telling me all of this. Even if it's going to keep me up for a while, it's nice to have some answers, and I'm sure that everymon else will be happy to know too."

Her smile fades a bit. Oh no, what did I do this time?

"There's one more thing you have to know."

I bite my lip. "What is it?"

"...Another reason why I know you're a Keeper is that you heard me."

"...uh, yeah...that's what ears are for-"

She snaps. "No, it's not like that! No mon except the ones on Hidden Island know about this Keeper, Flicker, Hidden Island stuff. It's mumbo, jumbo to everymon else. They phase out when they hear it and don't remember anything about it."

"Wait a minute, the Watcher at the Ground Temple told us about Watchers and Guardians, and no mon phased out-"

"That's because that's something that's here, and even then, Watchers and Guardians can only say so much before they can't say anything else. There's a veil covering the other things because Arceus didn't want anymon to know about this, and it can only be lifted if said Pokemon is talented with their power...THAT'S WHY I CAN'T GO HOME!" She cries. "I have no idea where my home is, and I can't tell them about my past because it'll just be white noise to them, and the location of Hidden Island can only be known by Arceus and his Keeper...I'm stuck here."

I then hug her, as it's my turn. "I know how it feels to be a long way from home. At least you have an idea what it's like, I can't remember a thing about my home, and that makes me feel further away from it than anything else."

But then I say, "But we still have a place to call home. Here on this island, and Wigglytuff's Guild is like a second family. Even if we can't tell them everything, they'll do anything to help any of us."

I then feel something go around my neck, but it isn't Eve, but it feels a little cold, but cozy, soft, fuzzy-

I look down and see my bandana back around my neck. I chuckle. Wow, I've missed wearing this thing.

"Thank you for listening to me, Red." The Fox Pokemon says. "It feels nice that I can finally talk about these things instead of being forced to keep it to myself, even if I didn't think I wanted to say anything. There's still more to know, but that's what you need to know for now. Just ask me if you have any questions, ok?"

"You got it. I'm sure I'll have a lot soon." I say, hugging her tighter. But then, my body acks. I grunt as I lose my gripe and go to my knees. Through all of this time, I forgot about how bad my body feels, now it's all coming back to me. Even Eve seems to have remembered some of her wounds.

"Oh geez." I say. "...Well, at least I don't feel that bad."

"We'll be fine once we get back and get supplies from the Guild to heal up." Eve says. "But for now, we should grab the Flute."

THE FLUTE! The one thing we were suppose to get, but where could it be?

Even though we've been here for a while, I've never taken the time to look around where we are. It just wasn't that important to me, but now it is. It...it looks the same as the last room from the Ground Temple, meaning that we beat it? I guess Rune wasn't lying. Perhaps SHE was the test and Arceus was too lazy to come up with a another design, so he just copied and pasted the final rooms. Wonder if all the temples are like this...

...And I hope he didn't hear that.

Eve comes in my view as she continues walking, though it's a mix between that and limping. Soon we'll be out of here.

I decide to jog over to her, as she's about to reach a familiar looking chest, although the colors are at least ghost like, with an eerie gray paint job, and aura around it. I'm scared to even try to open it.

"Well, on three?" Eve asks.

I look at her. Seems to me that she doesn't care about what could happen if we try to pry it open, she knows that we still have to try.

I then smile and say, "Sure, on three."

She positions herself to put her two front paws at the mouth of the box, I put my two paws on the cold metal soon after. It sends chills down my spine, but I still keep them on.

"One." Eve starts.

"Two." I add.

...

"THREE!" We both yell.

The head flies off as it's far lighter than I expected. In fact, I lifted it up so hard, that I lost my balance and dive head first into the treasure chest, making a load clang noise once I reach the bottom. Guess it wouldn't be an adventure if I didn't hit my head at some point.

Dust fills the air as I cough. I then start to feel my legs being pulled, and soon, I'm on my knees with my face right next to the opening.

"You ok?" Eve asks worried.

I smile again. "Please, after what we went through, this is no more than a scratch."

Eve is still worried. "But I think it bleeding a little."

"I'm fine." I state. "Besides, the back of your head has seen better days too."

She looks behind her, trying her best to see her backside. "I guess that's true. Being in a fight makes you forget how bad of a shape you're in."

"Well, like you said, let's grab the flute and get back to the Guild where we can heal up, and regroup with- Ohhhhhhhhhhhh..."

I blink. Then I blink again. I sigh. "Team Forever is probably looking for me now."

I reach for my bandana and go to see if my badge is-

I stop before I can be disappointed and turn my attention to our prize box. I look inside and see...Nothing!

There's no way. There's absolutely no possible way in the world that that stupid flute isn't-

I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn my head and see Eve with the Flute of Aura in her mouth. Probably tastes like wood and dirt, but hey, at least she has it with her.

And just like that, it's over. Our quest to find the flute is done. Sure, now we have to find a way to the core of the earth and not die, but it's the small victories that count.

And looking at the once horrified, panicked Alolan Vulpix, who despite being bruised and having blood stains here and there, is now cheerful, happy, and ready, that makes it two victories today.

I smile brighter than ever before.

I'm so glad she's alright.