Melissa, Victoria, and Felix sat down and watched Shingo demonstrate his invaluable escape artistry. Both parties felt it necessary to give a live demonstration of what Shingo can offer to the table, to showcase the level of mastery they could achieve alongside the Frogadier.

…Also, Victoria kept getting herself trapped in the shackles, so they needed to keep her away from them for a bit.

However, Melissa and her apprentices immediately noticed some odd things about Shingo's behavior, Melissa especially. She barely knew the ninja frog, but always considered him something of a stoic soldier with a few quirky interests in honing his craft. She had been around the Foresters long enough to identify these strange traits and usually rolled with the punches.

Melissa quickly found out Shingo was, in fact, claustrophobic. Cripplingly claustrophobic.

She watched in horror as Shingo purposely placed himself inside a coffin he brought along, locked himself inside, and started violently shaking the whole thing. Victoria and Felix tried to distract themselves by taking notes, though they were clearly just as weirded out as their mentor.

Melissa gulped and raised her hand. "Sh-Shingo? Do you need any—"

"I-I-I-I have everything under control!" he yelled from inside. "Oh great gods, why would anyone bury the dead in these death traps?!"

Melissa turned away and covered her eyes, silently hoping for the demonstration to end soon. It was too much to bear. Only Victoria and Felix were willing to power through and watch the demonstration to the end. How they could soldier through such a traumatizing demonstration was beyond her, but she thought better than to ask.

Eventually, the melodious sound of the lock coming undone brought her attention back over. The lid popped open, and Shingo sprang out in a flash. He panted heavily and hunched over on his knees. "Oh great gods, I finally escaped!"

Melissa raised her hand shakily. "Sh-Shingo?"

"One moment, please," Shingo huffed as he pulled himself together. He took a deep breath, stood up, and faced the trio with renewed stoicism. "Ahem. As you can see, it's no uncommon for inexperienced doctors to announce their patients as deceased. Feel free to ask Zephora for details regarding the history—"

"That was what this was about?!" Melissa gasped.

Shingo glared. "It took much strength to place myself in that death trap, Penworth, and I refuse to give an actual demonstration of being buried alive." He cleared his throat. "Point is, escaping a buried coffin is remarkably tricky. You can't simply pick a lock. Some cultures circumvent this potential blunder by tying a string from the corpse to a bell on the surface to indicate movement, but this does not always happen. For that, improvisation is your friend."

Felix nodded. "I see. So, how would you escape being buried alive, Mr. Shingo?"

A darkness casted over Shingo's expression. "I choose not to remember that time…"

"…Okay." Felix jotted it down on his notes.

Victoria waved her hands. "Question!"

Shingo nodded. "Yes?"

"Would flooding the inside of the coffin work?"

He massaged his chin. "Seeing as you are a Water-Type, submerging and building up pressure inside your coffin would be a reliable escape option. You would be able to soften the dirt considerably and break your way out of the coffin. Of course, too much pressure can be dangerous, especially if you are not accustomed to it."

Victoria laughed and waved it off. "Please, I can handle a little pressure. Besides, I have no fear of danger. I'm too lucky for such nonsense!" She pulled a glowing blue orb out from her bag. "I'll show you! I'll throw this Present on myself, and it will give me healing." She tossed it up.

Melissa shrieked. "Victoria! We are next to you!" She scrambled to her feet.

Victoria waved it off. "Relax, it's a healing one. Nothing to—"

BOOM!

Shingo took cover behind the coffin as the falling orb exploded on top of the trio. Once the blast cleared, he peeked out and saw Melissa, Felix, and Victoria sprawled out on the floor, blackened to a crisp.

Victoria huffed a puff of smoke. "Ooooooh…that was a stronger blast, too."

"Pain…" Melissa wheezed.

"Crazy girl…" Felix groaned.

Victoria suddenly smiled and clapped. "Ooh, but this means I have an excuse to see that cute Sableye doctor! Lucky me!"

Melissa's eyes widened. "W…What?! You're not luck—" She held her tongue and facepalmed herself. "Never mind."

Felix sat up and smirked. "Well, despite that unfortunate demonstration, Victoria is onto the right idea. I can't exactly drown myself to freedom like her, but if improvising an escape is the way to go, then I'm the man with the plan."

Shingo crossed his arms. "Demonstrate for us, then."

Felix jumped over to the coffin and lay down inside. "Lock me up, sir!" Shingo folded the lid down and locked the coffin up tight. He gave the lid a quick pull to see if it was secure, then stepped back.

"If you need me to let you out, tell me," Shingo instructed.

"Aye!" the gambling Sylveon shouted.

Melissa pulled herself up and patted the soot off her face. "Shingo, shouldn't you give him a little more instruction before setting him loose?"

Shingo raised his finger and said, "I learned everything I know from first-hand experience. I used my fears to better my skills and determination. Trauma scars the mind deep, deep down and embeds life's greatest lessons into our souls."

"…" Melissa raised her arms at him. "Shingo, do you…need a hug or something? You are scaring me."

Just then, the coffin lid ripped open with flaming holes puncturing through the wood. Melissa shrieked and dove to the ground as pellets of fire rained down on them. Victoria ran around, screaming and tripping over herself, while Shingo watched with mild annoyance.

Eventually, a large enough hole ripped open for Felix to jump out. He posed and balanced spinning coins on his feelers. "Ta-Da! Stylish and effective! The only way to escape certain doom!"

Melissa looked at the flaming pellets and saw they were, in actuality, coins. "W…What?"

Victoria patted herself down and gasped. "Ah! My money's gone!"

Felix grinned sheepishly. "Heh, my bad. Didn't have enough coin on me."

Shingo pinched between his eyes and sighed. "I was borrowing that coffin from Zephora…"

Lucient, Wyatt, and Avel exchanged odd looks with each other before turning their attention back onto the jittering Melissa. She sheepishly tapped her fingers together, trying to ignore the antics of her apprentices going on behind her. No doubt, Victoria was tripping over herself practicing with her boomerang while Felix performed more of his dangerous card tricks.

"S-So, what do you guys think of my apprentices?" Melissa asked with a nervous grin.

Avel deadpanned. "Melissa, I'm not going to sugarcoat anything."

"Okay?"

"I've heard more explosions in this fort than I care to remember on missions. This morning."

Melissa groaned and sunk to the floor. "That bad?"

Lucient gently flickered his tail in Avel's direction, then helped Melissa to her feet with a smile. "Now, now, let's not look so doom and gloom. I say Melissa's apprentices are quite…spirited and energetic."

"You aren't the one who had to scrub herself clean after an explosion," Avel mumbled, earning him a gentle thwack from Wyatt this time.

Melissa took a deep breath and picked herself up. "Th-This is fine!" she said, forcing a smile. "I-I have conquered far worse. This is nothing more than a minor setback to a fixable problem."

Wyatt frowned. "Are you sure? Also, are you okay?"

"W-Why would I not be okay?"

"Well, you look like you're smiling after taking one too many lightning bolts in a row."

Melissa's eye twitched. "No, no, I am fine. Just need to stay…positive."

Lucient frowned as well. "Melissa, you know you have plenty of time before the Misty Lights Carnival comes around—"

"WHICH," she interrupted, "is exactly why we need to get our butts into gear, people!" Before Lucient could retort, Melissa turned and whistled over her apprentices. "Victoria, Felix! Front and center!"

They sped over and saluted to her. "Reporting for duty, ma'am!" they exclaimed.

She smiled and gestured to the others. "I would like you two to meet your fellow teammates for the heist, and friends of mine from training. This is Lucient."

Lucient pushed his spectacles up. "Charmed."

"And these two are the brothers Wyatt and Avel."

Wyatt grinned and waved. "Hello!"

Avel flicked his tongue and waved. "Hi."

Victoria grinned back. "Nice to meet you three. We promise to do our absolute best and learn everything we can from our superiors."

Felix nodded. "Indeed. I look forward to bringing a certain flair to the Forester name." He flicked a deck of cards into his feelers. "It'll certainly be a memorable experience for everyone."

The trio shot unsure looks at Melissa, who again jittered nervously on her toes. "Um…great!" She wrung her hands together and laughed. "A-Anyway, I figured we can use this time together to really showcase the power of trust and cooperation. Thus, we will be doing something of an icebreaker."

"Icebreaker?" Lucient asked.

Melissa nodded. "Yes! In the form of trust exercises."

Avel glared. "Annnnnd, I don't like where this is going."

"No, no, it will be fine, I promise." She pulled some blindfolds out from her pockets. "After all, the key to proper teamwork is to trust your teammates with your liiiiii—" Her eyes quickly darted over at Victoria, who was just smiling innocently. "…To have a better sense of your teammates' strengths and weaknesses."

Wyatt took a blindfold and asked, "This is safe, right?"

"Absolutely! There is safety nets below us."

"Woo! Me first!" Victoria swiped a blindfold and tied it around her eyes. "Wow! I can't see a thing at all!"

"Heh, that is wonderful, Victoria." Melissa quickly shuffled over to Lucient and whispered, "I am partnering her with you. Please be careful with how you instruct her."

"Uh…sure?"

"Great!" Melissa clapped and jumped back. "Victoria, Lucient will be guiding you around the training platform through this little obstacle course I set up." She grabbed the Azumarill's shoulders and dragged her over to the starting line. Rounding the platform were barrels, old wagon wheels, a rope ladder draped over a climbing wall, and more. "Just follow his instructions and trust he'll get you to safety."

"Aye, ma'am!" Victoria stretched her legs and tail. "Ready to go, Lucy!"

Lucient facepalmed. "First Ragnarok, now…ugh." He adjusted his spectacles and cleared his throat. "Victoria, go!"

"Aye!" She took off running.

"AH! Do not run!" Melissa yelled.

Victoria dug her heels down and stopped herself. She teetered on her feet, but caught her balance. "Phew! Right, forgot I was blindfolded." Melissa slapped both hands against her face and groaned.

Lucient sighed. "Victoria, walk slowly. There are barrels up ahead."

"Aye!" Victoria carefully shuffled along.

Lucient watched her inch closer and closer to the barrels. "Okay, there's one directly in front of you. Stop, move a little to the left, and walk around it."

Victoria stuck her tongue out and shuffled around the barrel, a few inches from her hip. After successfully navigating around the barrel, Victoria continued to follow Lucient's instructions through the rest.

Melissa pulled her hands away from her eyes and smiled. Dear Arceus, she is actually doing it.

After a couple minutes of tiptoeing, Victoria navigated successfully through all the barrels. Lucient smiled and said, "Excellent work, Victoria. You got through the barrels."

"I did!" Victoria clapped and cheered. "Awesome! Victory lap!"

Melissa's eyes widened. "Victoria, no! You are still—"

Victoria took off running, completely missing the wagon wheels in front of her. She tripped, hooked one through her tail, and slingshot it over her head as she tumbled.

"Hey Melissa!" Melissa whipped her head and gasped, spotting Sadie entering the training zone. "Just coming to check on—" The wagon wheel soared into the Audino's head and clonked her. Sadie tumbled over her feet and backed into the railing. Her whole body folded over the railing and threw her over.

"AAAHHH!" Melissa sped over to the railing, flying past a confused Victoria.

"Did I win?" Victoria asked, pulling her blindfold off.

Melissa checked over the edge and saw Sadie tangled up in the safety net, worsened by her flailing and the unfortunate effects of her Klutz. "I am so sorry, Sadie!"

"All good!" Sadie yelled. "Uh…I think I need some help down here. Kind of stuck."

Melissa sighed and turned to the others. "Can someone help—Felix, what are you doing?!"

Felix took one of the wagon wheels and deftly rolled around the platform with it. He spun two more with his feelers. "Hey Princess, you think I can go next like this? It would do wonders for my balance."

"No, no, no, no, no!" Melissa yelled.

"Oh right, I need a blindfold." He used his other feelers and tied the cloth around his eyes. "Aye, ready to go!" Felix took off across the platform, wildly flying in whatever direction fate led him.

Wyatt and Avel jumped out of the way as he sped past them. "Be careful!" Avel yelled. "You're supposed to wait for instruction—"

"AH! Left!" Wyatt interrupted.

"What?!" Felix shouted. He suddenly crashed into a barrel and went flying through the air.

Melissa shrieked and scuttled around hurriedly to catch him. She caught him in her arms, but his weight brought her down with him. The wagon wheels flew off his feelers and bounced harmlessly across the platform.

Felix lifted his head and looked down at Melissa. He smiled sheepishly under her irritated glare. "So, don't do what I just did?"

Melissa's eye twitched. "No. Never again."

Victoria picked up the discarded wheel. "That looked fun. Can I do it instead—"

"ESPECIALLY not you!"

Pandora groaned as she hunched over her workstation, rummaging through piles of schematics. Each one for a new invention she wanted to build, each for some diabolical purpose for her eventual conquering of Virdis. Any one of her marvelous machines would make her a region-conquering terror to all, and yet they did little to distract her from the topic weighing on her mind.

She eventually growled and slammed her face down. "Ugh, I can't take it anymore! I just can't stop thinking about the Senbo Kingdom's secret project!" She pushed her schematics off the desk and dropped her head into her forelegs. "So stupid…"

"Now, now, stupidity is just a lesser form of intelligence, my dear." Pandora lifted her head and saw Basil sitting on the windowsill, flipping a tarot card between his fingers. "A genius can see all the angles, but a fool can see the path less traveled. And we are all fools in destiny's game."

Pandora turned around and glared. "What are you doing here?"

"I can't pay a visit to my favorite evil overlord?"

"Aren't you supposed to be guarding the prisoner?"

Basil slid off the windowsill and approached her. "Oh, regulations this, and regulations that. The guarding is more a formality than a necessity. What's she going to do after she breaks out? We have her neutralized, there's over a hundred trained thieves surrounding her, and, well, I think she secretly enjoys our banter."

Pandora rolled her eyes. "Yes, her wails and groans certainly gave off that impression."

"I suppose you could also say I'm on break." Basil sat down on her desk and picked up one of the discarded schematics. "A death ray harnessing the power of the sun? My, my, you are ambitious, prietene. Truly the mark of an evil genius."

Pandora snatched the schematic from his hand. "Can it with the flattery, Bas. I'm not in the mood."

Basil leaned back on his hand and smiled lightly. "Pray tell, what brings such sweet sorrows to such a joyful cackler like you?"

Pandora sighed and lay her head into her forelegs. "You know how the Senbo Kingdom is one of the most advanced kingdoms of today?"

"You don't say? Must've slipped my mind."

Resisting an eye roll, she continued, "There's that big event coming up in Senbo in a while, and they're unveiling some super-secret invention that could revolutionize Virdis. It's a disgrace to an inventor like me to miss out on such an event…and not steal the idea for myself," she quickly added.

Basil rubbed his chin. "I see. So, why not bring up the issue with Jason?"

"Problem is, there's going to be tight security during the event, and Jason says we can't afford to crash it when we have other obligations to attend to." She sighed and turned her head away. "So stupid, you know?"

Basil chuckled. "But when has that ever stopped you, prietene? Surely, you could sneak in yourself. These days, it seems like most Foresters are going out on their own and making discoveries with their misguided detours."

Pandora snorted. "Believe me, I would love to just sneak out and go to the event myself, but sneaking in is hardly an option. The second I walk in, I'll be found out as the middle class runt that I am." She glared. "And any attempt to prove my genius will just be laughed off by those snobs."

Basil frowned a bit. "Ah yes, you've had quite the troubling childhood, if I recall."

"…I used to hate being called cute." Pandora gritted her teeth. "Made me sick. My genius, my worth, my family's legacy, and all that being disregarded because I'm some…cute thing to court. I hated being called cute."

Basil smiled. "You don't seem to mind anymore. Is it because of your attraction to a certain volatile Nuzleaf?"

"…" Pandora turned away and hid her blush. "Ignoring that."

"I can't relate, honestly. Despite my impeccable charm, I'm not attracted to anything. And I never let anyone tell me who or what I am. I am Basil the Trickster. I am Basil the Fool. I am Basil, the one and only." He chuckled. "Still, I do sympathize with your plight. It must be rough not having anyone take your genius seriously. It's a shame."

"…"

"Pandora, why do you want to take over Virdis? I don't think I've ever got an answer to that."

"…" She sighed and picked her schematics off the floor. "I need to get back to work. Get out…please."

Basil shrugged and jumped off the desk. "For what it's worth, my dear, I do value your opinion. You…understand that we must tap into our inner darkness to make our dreams come true."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, just a compliment, don't worry."

Pandora rolled her eyes and placed her schematics down. "Well, thanks for the visit, I guess."

Basil's smile stretched. "…You know, Pandora, I think you should get some sleep. You work so hard, and you deserve a break from all this stress."

Pandora shrugged. "Nah, I'm good. Mentally crafting inventions helps me de-stress."

"No, I mean it." She tensed up as Basil's arm draped over her shoulders. "I really think you should get some sleep."

Pandora shot him a strange look. "Uh, no? I-I don't need to—"

"Sleep~?"

Pandora's nose twitched, and her eyes started to droop. Her vision doubled, or tripled, as everything started to smear. She swayed in Basil's arm, like she was rocking back and forth on a lone ship in the middle of the ocean. She groaned and held her head. "Wha…What's going…?"

"Shh," Basil's voice boomed into her head, yet with a gentle cadence. His hand hovered in front of her eyes, and his fingers swayed like the wind, distorting her vision further. "Sleep, Pandora. Just go to sleep~."

"I…I…"

"Just sleep, Pandora~. Listen to my voice, and let it guide you to peaceful slumber."

"Sleeeeep…" Pandora droned as her eyes glazed over. A purple tint fogged her eyes. "Sleeeeeep…I should sleeeeeep…"

Basil rubbed her back. "Good girl." He saw some drool dripping out of her mouth. He took a handkerchief, wiped the drool away, and pushed her mouth closed. "Can you hear me, Pandora?"

"Yeeesssss…"

"Good, good. Leave your mind open for me. I have something for you."

"Some…thing?"

"Listen carefully. One of your fellow Foresters is leaving Fort Lucus tomorrow to go on a secret trip. Now, you've seen her leave the fort before, several times. This time, however, I want you to follow her. You're curious. She says she only leaves to visit her family, but she's actually going somewhere else tomorrow. You don't know why, but a little voice will tell you it's something else. Do you understand?"

"Yeeeeessssss…"

"Good, good. You'll follow her tomorrow. Make sure someone covers for you while you're gone, because you don't want anyone to learn her secret. She'll be devastated if anyone like Jason, Jet, or any of the higher ups ever found out the truth. You don't want to hurt your friend, right?"

"Nnnnooo…bad evil overlord…to upset minion…"

Basil smirked. "Typical Pandora." He shook his head and continued, "Now, you don't know why you should follow her, but I guarantee you'll want to. Unbeknownst to you, following her will guarantee all your troubles will go away. You will not regret it. Do you understand?"

"Follow friend…good thing will happen," Pandora droned.

"Do you want to know that friend's name?" She nodded limply. "Good, good." He leaned close to her ear. "Follow…Adenine."

"Adenine…follow Adenine…"

Basil patted her cheek. "Good girl." He stood behind her and pressed his fingers together. "Now, when I snap my fingers, you will forget this entire conversation. Everything after you told me to leave. However, deep down, you will remember everything I said when it comes to pass. Do you understand?"

"Yeeeeesssss…"

"Good, good. Three, two, one—"

SNAP!

Pandora startled awake. "AH! What?" She looked around, but saw she was completely alone in her room. "I…huh?" She coughed and pounded her chest. "Ugh, what the? Wasn't I…talking to Basil?"

She rubbed her face and groaned. Unbeknownst to her, a faint purple gas escaped the corners of her mouth, fading into the air.

"Ugh, I've got a splitting headache." She pushed her schematics aside and dragged herself from her desk. "Maybe I've been cooped up in here for too long after all."

Melissa called it quits for the day and sent Felix and Victoria back to their rooms. She lay her head down on the mess hall table and groaned into the surface. Wyatt gently petted her head and said, "It wasn't that bad, Melissa. Just a rocky first day, that's all."

Avel hopped off Wyatt's head and nodded. "This is still new to them, just as much as it is to you."

Melissa groaned again. "I've been blown up, nearly had multiple heart attacks, and got Sadie tangled up in the safety nets. Oh dear Arceus, she is still tangled up in those, too." She buried her head under her arms.

Lucient sipped from his tankard before saying, "It's not like Sadie's mad or anything. It was an accident." He reached over and patted her hand. "Melissa, you need to be sterner with Victoria and Felix. You can't just let them do whatever they want. They need ground rules."

"Easier said than done," Avel said. "From the way I've observed them, I'd say they never had a prominent adult figure for most of their lives, much less a teacher. Like I said, this is all new to them. We don't even know their exact reasons for joining the Foresters, but they clearly believe in some just cause to."

Lucient crossed his forelegs. "Then what's your solution?"

"Well, for right now, give them time to adapt."

Wyatt nodded. "It's true. I was super anxious about joining the Foresters that I've caused my share of mistakes, too. I'm sure they're feeling the same in their own ways."

"Hardly a justification to causing multiple explosions and fires in one day," Avel grumbled.

Lucient sighed and patted Melissa's head. "Look, the point is that you're doing just fine. It's your first day as a teacher, and it's not like they're being disrespectful or anything. They genuinely want to learn from you. They just need to…better manage their impulses."

Melissa groaned and sunk deeper under her arms.

Lucient rolled his eyes. "You're stressed. You've been stressed out for a while now." He psychically lifted Melissa into an upright position. "I'm sure Jason wouldn't mind if you took a day or two off. You still got a little over a month before the carnival starts, and that should be enough time to go over the ins and outs of your heist. We have faith in your potential."

"…" Melissa lifted her head. "You guys really believe in me?"

Wyatt leaned over and grinned. "Sure, we do!"

Avel nodded. "You've given us plenty of reasons not to doubt you."

"And you've come along so much since you first started out as a Forester." Lucient smiled. "I mean, just look at you. It's nearly been a year since you started out here. Time sure does know how to fly."

Melissa smiled a little and rubbed her arm. "Perhaps a break would work."

Lucient nodded. "There you go. And hey, maybe we can lighten the burden off you some."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"We can teach Felix and Victoria a thing or two from our experiences. They'd surely appreciate the incite, and perhaps some stories of your heroic exploits will give them a better appreciation of you. It's worthy enough of a try."

Melissa rubbed her chin as she thought it over. "Hmm…" She sighed and smiled at them. "Yeah. I could use the extra help. I would appreciate it, you guys."

Wyatt grabbed Melissa and pulled her into a hug. "D'aww! That's what friends are for." She giggled and hugged him back.

Avel nodded. "Yes, yes, go and take a break. Perhaps you can use the time to catch up more with Sadie. You certainly have several months' worth of stories to tell her."

Melissa giggled. "Indeed I do—AAH!" She sprang out her seat. "Right, she is still trapped in the safety nets! Hopefully they got her out!" She sprang over the table and raced off to the training grounds.

Her friends watched her hop over the railings with adept acrobatics, hopping over startled Foresters and the like. They shared a look with each other, then laughed.

"Yeah, some time with friends will do her some good," Avel said.

Lucient chuckled and shook his head. "Indeed."

After recovering from his nap, Shade started work on the Wraith. He poured a tiny amount into a dish and examined it with a pair of glasses. They had multiple lenses that helped magnify his vision while he picked through it with a needle.

He flicked down a few more lenses and zoomed in. He could see tiny specks of elementium swimming floating around. They were still too small to examine, and he might not have known they were elementium had he not run the tests. He poked one with a needle and sent a gentle jolt of electricity through it. A glimmer of yellow shined from the particles.

And another color.

"Fascinating." Shade, without looking away, reached over to his notes and scribbled his findings down. He heard a knock at the door. "Come in!"

Marie opened the door and let herself in. "Hey, cutie. How's the science doing you?" She kicked the door shut behind her and walked over.

"Greetings, Marie," Shade said, not taking his crystal eyes off the dish. "Just running some tests on the Wraith again. Melissa was helping me earlier, and she said something that might help move my theory along."

Marie wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Maybe you'll think better with a little one-on-one time with me, hon." She purred near his ear. "That'll stimulate the brain real good."

"Marie, please. Let's be professionals here," he said, shrugging her off.

Marie pouted and stepped away. "You're no fun, Shady."

"Did you need something?"

She clicked her fingers. "Ah, right. I'm here to pick up Sadie's medicine. She would've stopped by herself, but she ran into some Azumarill chick earlier and her Klutz decided to send her into one of the safety nets below. They're still trying to get her out." She held her hips and chuckled. "She got herself tangled up real good, I tell you."

Shade pointed over his shoulder. "Second cabinet, second shelf. Her name's on the box."

"Thanks." Marie limped over and searched through the cabinet. "So, how is that research coming along?"

"Well, like I told Melissa, hardly progressing. Though, after I woke up, I thought about her idea that there might be some alchemical mischief at play with the elementium."

"Oh yeah? How so—ah, there it is." Marie grabbed the box with Sadie's name and closed the cabinet.

"Well, I've been able to test that Wraith contains trace amounts of elementium, but they're too small to examine on their own. However, there is an alchemical formula that allows elementium to hold type energy indefinitely rather than discharge it. As I mulled over that possibility, a new theory occurred to me."

"Like what?"

"I would need to see if for myself, but what if the elementium is some kind of trigger? Perhaps the Wraith itself is harmless, causing sickness to the target, but the elementium is a trigger for something worse. If this formula can hold the energy indefinitely, who knows how long this stuff can swim through the body before something reacts to it? What if discharging the energy triggers something in the Wraith? It'd be—"

"A poisonous time bomb?" Marie finished.

"Exactly. If that's the case, what would trigger it? Is there another agent that causes the formula to become undone and discharge the stored energy? Or can it be triggered by something mundane and common like water or a specific beverage?"

Marie set Sadie's medicine down and leaned against the table. "Sounds like it would be used to hold someone hostage, or blackmail them."

"Well, doubtful. I tested this stuff on plants, and they didn't react well. The plants didn't die, but they lost a lot of life after several days. No, this stuff ails the body, but doesn't outright destroy it. It wouldn't be beneficial to blackmail someone who was aching and weak unless they just need to write or say something. One of my other theories is that this has been mistaken for another disease. Which one, I couldn't say."

Marie cupped her chin. "I get it. If it could be easily mistaken for something common like…I don't know, the flu or pneumonia, no one would think twice about it being poison. Though, a doctor would be able to tell."

"It's all very strange," Shade said, spinning around in his chair. "There's no way to figure out how Wraith works with the original notes or a live subject, neither of which we can acquire for a handful of reasons."

Marie's eyes wandered over to his desk and spotted the two vials of Wraith. "…Yeah. No way to know." She glared at them for a moment longer, then smiled. "Eh, you'll figure something out. You are a brainiac of alchemy like no other."

Shade smiled. "Well, thank you, Marie. I do appreciate the praise."

Marie picked up her box. "Well, better get this stuff to Sadie before she falls off a ledge again. Catch you later, doc!" With the box tucked under her arm, she made her leave.

"Have a good day, Mar…Mar…ah, not again…" Shade slipped out of his chair and fell asleep on the floor.

Senbo Kingdom Capital

Deep in the mechanical fortress known as the Senbo Kingdom Capital, business was bustling in Castle Talbot. Carriages parked outside the doors with crewmen hauling in material. Knights and servants alike guided the workers into the castle foyer, where they were in the midst of constructing a stage inside its mighty hall right before the grand two-way staircase.

The Houndoom king, King Gilbert Talbot, oversaw the construction from a distance with a couple knights at his side. When he wasn't keeping a diligent eye on the workers, he turned his attention back onto the checklist in his paw.

"Stage should be completed in time," he mumbled aloud. "We should expect a fresh shipment of goods for the hors d'oeuvres. The staff we provide drinks to the guests. Invites have been sent out to prominent nobles between Senbo, Echo Bell, Wick, and Verde." He sighed and wiped his brow.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" one of his knights asked.

"Terribly winded, but still kicking. With dear Constance away visiting family, I have to spearhead most of the party planning myself. I need everything to be perfect for the ceremony. This is a revolutionary moment in Pokémon history, after all, and I will not settle for second best."

"I couldn't agree more, King Talbot. This will certainly be the finest event in Virdis' history."

Gilbert set his checklist down and turned with a smile. "Oh, good evening, Mr. Desierto."

Approaching the king with a casual swagger was a grungily-dressed Gumshoos with a toothpick hanging between his sharp teeth. Joined by his side was a Flygon, who was scouting out the setting with a sharp, almost vicious glare.

"Please, please. My clients call me Mr. Desierto. We're practically friends. Just Hobs." Hobs cleaned his hands with a handkerchief before reaching it to the king.

Gilbert took his hand and shook it. "I must say, I truly do appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to run security detail for my party. Though, and forgive any apparent rudeness, I never expected King Tetrarch to be friends with anyone from such an…abrasive occupational background."

Hobs chuckled hoarsely. "Perish the offense, Your Majesty. It's true, Wilkin and I have something of a history together. A king needs to do what's best for his subjects, even if that means taking some…necessary measures to sponge out unscrupulous individuals. I scratch his back, he scratches mine. I do ask we keep the details of my personal business as is. Personal business only. No questions asked. Just know that, when I take a job, I follow it to the letter. If you want me to provide security as nonlethally as possible, I shall perform without question. Though, I do work better without such restrictions."

Gilbert shook his head. "I prefer not to taint this event with unnecessary bloodshed if it can be avoided."

"A fair enough point, one that I shall respect." Hobs gestured to the Flygon. "As well as my help, assistance shall be provided by my crew, including my lovely daughter, Ignacia. Say hi, Ignacia."

"Ugh."

"We'll work on that." Hobs pointed over his shoulder, signaling out a purple Kecleon in a cowboy getup and a Rhyperior in lightweight armor. "Those chumps over there are Otis and Steinar. I guarantee they'll execute any order with absolute perfection. It may just be the four of us, but four's plenty to round up any dangerous folk who may come to ruin your party."

Gilbert nodded. "And I certainly appreciate the efforts you're going to for my sake. I owe Wilkin a debt of gratitude for calling upon your aid."

Hobs chuckled. "Save it for when shows up. We can stroke his ego together."

Ignacia groaned. "Dad, you said there would be chocolate here. Where's the damn chocolate?"

Hobs glared. "Ignacia, don't be rude. Though we're the security, we're also guests in this castle." She huffed and turned away. Hobs rolled his eyes. "Forgive my daughter. This is why I handle the family business around here."

Gilbert laughed. "Think nothing of it. I would be happy to show her to the kitchen. We have chocolate to spare."

Ignacia perked up at the sound of this. "…I'm sorry for my rudeness, Your Majesty."

Hobs snickered. "Atta girl."

Ignacia glared and blushed. "Shut up!"

Steinar the Rhyperior leaned back on the wall and scanned through the various workers constructing the stage. "This job better pay well. This is going to be a slow couple of weeks."

Otis the purple Kecleon sipped his tankard of cider and sighed. "Relax, you big oaf. Think of it as a mini vacation. We get to chill out for a couple weeks, then just watch out for any strange fellows for one day. Easiest pay ever." He sipped his drink again and let his eyes wander. He paused upon spotting something and nudged his partner. "Look alive. Royalty inbound."

The duo straightened up as Prince Erasmus made his way through the foyer, joined by his female guard, Linota the shield-bearing Rattata and Rikmai the Vaporeon. The bounty hunters bowed to the prince as he stopped by them.

"Greetings, Your Highness," the duo greeted.

Erasmus nodded at them. "A fine day to you as well, gentlemen. Feel free not to stand so rigid before me, though. I am quite aware of my grander status, so please do not lower yourselves to someone as mighty as I."

Otis shrugged. "Eh, can't disobey the prince!" He went back to his drinking, and rather shamelessly.

Erasmus dusted his shoulder off. "I am merely performing my rounds through the castle to see everything is to my father's liking. You can never be too careful with such a momentous occasion."

"Here, here, Your Highness!" Otis exclaimed.

Rikmai purred and slithered around Erasmus to greet the two bounty hunters. "And what fine, strapping guards you are, too. Both of you. You must have all the ladies crawling at your door to meet such strong men."

Steinar tensed up. "Uh…" He shifted on his feet and turned away.

Otis grinned. "A pleasure to meet you as well, my lady."

Rikmai sat on her haunches and pressed her paws together. "Either one of you would make a fine husband~. Which one of you wants to make me the happiest lady of all—AGH!" Linota pinched her ear and pulled her away.

"I'm charging you with assault," Linota grumbled.

"Aww…"

Erasmus rolled his eyes. As he did, he spotted a few figures walking down the stairs into the foyer. A dark blue Glameow, two male Houndour, and a little Houndour following behind. Erasmus smiled and waved them over. "Ah, have you all come to help for the party?"

The darker Glameow, Dimitri, glared at his older brother. "Not interested. Besides, Father clearly asked for your assistance, thus he clearly does not need ours."

Erasmus frowned. "Dear Dimitri, Father just wants the best possible help he can get. Of course he chose me. That does not mean he would not appreciate more help."

Dimitri rolled his eyes. "Well, if he cared so much, he should have put the offer on the table. Always rely on Erasmus, he says. He is, after all, the future king. No competition compared to the runts of the family."

Otis and Steinar glanced at each other before silently shuffling away, sensing they should make themselves scarce immediately.

Erasmus glared. "You three very well know Father favors me as an heir. He loves you all equally."

One of the older Houndour, who wore a formal red coat, groaned. "Just because you are the oldest does not mean we do not have an equal right to the throne, Brother."

Erasmus raised his brow. "I seem to recall the opulence of wealth clouding such desire for the throne. Were you not more interested in sneaking out and fooling around with tavern waitresses in the dead of night, Cairo?"

Cairo blushed bright red. "You promised never to speak of that!"

"I fear the day we receive a visit from one of those waitresses over child support," Erasmus mumbled under his breath. He shook his head and glanced at the other Houndour. "And was it not you, Galen, who laughed off the idea of becoming king? I thought you were more comfortable pursuing your passion for painting."

The second older Houndour, who wore a formal blue coat and spectacles on his snout, looked away. "Well, Father never seems to give the time of day for any of my worthless paintings."

Erasmus shook his head. "Do not say that. Father loves your work."

Dimitri groaned. "You can shrug if off all you want, Erasmus, but the fact is that Father cares more about your success than ours. The perfect prince, everyone loves to call you."

Linota glared. "Listen, you three, that's no way to talk your—"

"You will remain silent, knight!" Dimitri snapped. Linota and Rikmai recoiled behind Erasmus.

The eldest son bared his teeth. "See here, Dimitri, you will not disrespect our knights like this."

Dimitri snorted. "They are just lowly soldiers. What does it matter if I disrespect them, as you call it?"

"Maybe if you stepped down from your self-made ivory tower for once, you would see why Father does not hold any faith in your leadership abilities." Erasmus glared between his three brothers. "Honestly, among the three of you, you are the least likely to become king, Dimitri."

The darker Glameow snarled. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You care about no one but yourself. Despite Cairo and Galen's shortcomings, at least they have enough decency not to act entitled in front of the lower class."

"Aww," Galen hummed.

"…Was that a compliment or an insult?" Cairo mumbled to himself.

Dimitri's fur stood on end, his eyes sharpening into slits. "You arrogant, self-entitled, narcissistic…!"

"Uh, excuse me?" An Indeedee maid cautiously approached the group. "Is everything okay over—" Dimitri snapped his fangs at her and snarled. She screamed and fell backwards onto the floor. "I-I-I am sorry, Prince Dimitri!"

Dimitri recoiled from the fear in her eyes. His anger softened a little. "…" He grunted and pushed past Erasmus. "Cairo, Galen. Come on." His brothers shared a worrisome look before following after their older brother.

Erasmus glared as he watched the dark-furred Glameow leave through the front doors. He turned back just as his younger Houndour sister helped the maid to her feet. "Are you okay, ma'am?" the sister asked.

The Indeedee trembled as she dusted off her apron. "I…believe so. Th-Thank you, Princess Teri."

The princess nodded before following after her brothers. She stopped a moment to flash Erasmus an apologetic frown, but he smiled and shook his head. She smiled in return and continued on her way.

Erasmus sighed and faced the maid. "I am terribly sorry for Dimitri's behavior. He was not angry with you, I promise."

The Indeedee shook her head and stumbled back. "Oh…no, it's fine. I shouldn't have bothered you any of you, I'm sorry." She wrung her hands through her apron. "I should return to my duties. Excuse me." She curtsied and went on her way.

Linota glared. "Ugh. No offense, Your Highness, but I don't like your brother at all."

Rikmai nodded firmly. "Agreed. He would make a terrible husband—"

Linota bonked her on the head. "Not what I meant!"

Erasmus sighed and touched his forehead. "The sad truth is, I feel like a hypocrite for saying those things."

Rikmai frowned. "Your Highness, you don't mean your…secret affair, right?"

"If Father ever found out about that, he would be beside himself. If my siblings ever found out, they would hold it over my head for the rest of my life." He glared and shook his head. "Still, regardless of their past faults, I love my brothers equally. They have good hearts, even Dimitri."

Linota glared. "Yeah, forgive me if I don't believe you."

Erasmus sighed. "It is fine, Linota. It is fine."

"Prince Erasmus!" Erasmus and his knights spotted Serell, the Togetic knight, flying down toward them. "I finished setting up everything for tomorrow, just as you asked."

Erasmus smiled. "You are a good friend, Serell. Thank you." He sighed and shook his head. "Let us forget whatever transpired with my brothers and continue our rounds. I have a lot to prepare for before tomorrow. Can I count on you all to help?"

His knights stood at attention and bowed. "We will serve your every need, Your Highness!"

Erasmus smiled. "Truly. You all are amazing. Thank you."