The Village of Relics – Part 1
Even though he was still in a slight daze from Liz's kiss, upon returning to his room, Michael decided to spend time reading through the binder of notes Aiden had gathered regarding Shadow Pokémon, the Snag Machine, and the Purify Chamber. Inside the binder, he saw the pages filled with the familiar handwriting of both his father, and his uncle. He took a seat at his desk, the time being 9:00pm. I'll read through this and be sleeping by midnight, he thought as he turned on his desk lamp, and turned the main lights off as he read the documents, all dated for five years ago.
Re: Snag Machine: Shadow Pokémon are the victims of criminals who use them for misdeeds. They must be taken from their evil masters, protected, and purified. The most effective means of taking such Pokémon from criminals is the Snag Machine System, developed by the collaborative efforts of Cipher and Team Snagem before the Shadow Crisis ten years ago. Of course, it is unforgiveable for a trainer to steal a Pokémon from others, but it is also the only way to save Shadow Pokémon. Due to the Snag Machine originally being designed to steal any Pokémon from trainers, we must design a way to make theft of any Pokémon if the Snag Machine is to be used, and to ensure that only Shadow Pokémon are snagged. Due to the fact that there has only been one human known to have the ability to sense a Shadow Pokémon's aura, we must develop a way to distinguish between ordinary Pokémon, and Shadow Pokémon. This will be our biggest obstacle when developing the Snag Machine. Perhaps we can work with the new battle monitoring technology developed by the Mauville Gym Leader, Wattson. If this technology was turned mobile, we might be able to develop a program to scan for a Shadow Pokémon's aura to complement the existing battle system. If this Aura Reader was paired with the existing system for the Snag Machine as a sort of roadblock, it could completely prevent the user from targeting non-Shadow Pokémon, thus diminishing the chances of misusing the Snag Machine. Despite these systems in place, though, trainers using the Snag Machine should always proceed with caution.
Michael turned to the next section, titled Re: Purification: Once captured, Shadow Pokémon must have their hearts reopened through a process called purification, which helps return them to their natural state. The best-known method of Purification during the Shadow Crisis was to have the Shadow Pokémon with their trainer, which gives the afflicted Pokémon time to break through the wall blocking their emotions. However, when we spoke to Wes over the phone about his experience with purifying Pokémon by this method, he said that it was wildly inefficient, and that was with a total of 48 Shadow Pokémon. To make the process more difficult, Shadow Pokémon are incapable of gaining strength after being turned. He stated that the Pokémon he did raise for fighting against Cipher had, unfortunately, almost lost to the executives in Realgam Tower. Therefore, we desperately need a process to quickly, in the unfortunate event that there are ever more Shadow Pokémon than what Wes faced. Therefore, we have decided to develop a system that can purify multiple Shadow Pokémon at once. These postulations, and our studies have led to the idea of the Purify Chamber. This is a radical new concept that differs from the aforementioned normal method of purification. The approach is to place Shadow Pokémon with ordinary Pokémon to purify them naturally. A lot of time and research still needs to be committed to making this concept into a reality. We will need to build new systems, collect more data, and make innumerable adjustments to make it viable. No matter the cost, though, it will be worth it to free the hearts of those Pokémon. We definitely look forward to seeing the completion of the Purify Chamber.
Michael sighed, closing the binder, since the remainder of the pages were schematics and technical drawings that, with his limited knowledge of engineering, would be meaningless. He then saw that it was 10:45pm, realizing that he'd read much faster than expected. He leaned back, then touched the disconnection button on the Snag Machine, taking it off and placing the machine onto his deck in its capsule form. He quickly got into an old concert t-shirt from the time he and Liz went to see The Chandelures three years ago at Gateon Port. Jolteon came out of his Pokéball, sitting on the bed happily. Michael then sat beside the Lightning Pokémon, petting the Pokémon behind his ears, getting him to start purring at the affection.
"Hey, buddy," he said happily as Jolteon gave him a gentle headbutt that became a nuzzle, getting a laugh from Michael, who pet the Pokémon behind the ears, getting some purring in response. "I'm glad you're doing alright." Jolteon meowed in response, letting Michael take his shoes off and getting under the blankets before curling up beside his trainer. Michael began to pet his first Pokémon, with a sigh. "What have we gotten ourselves into, Jolteon?" he asked. "Shadow Pokémon? Cipher? This is something from the history books. Maybe…maybe we'll actually be the ones to save Orre and get put into the history books," he said. Jolteon looked up at him with tired eyes. "That…or maybe we're just in over our heads." Jolteon nuzzled closer to Michael, giving a soft sigh as he fell asleep. Michael fell asleep as well shortly after his Pokémon.
Unfortunately, Michael did not have a peaceful rest. He started seeing an ominous, black cloud darker than anything he'd ever seen before. Coming from the cloud, Michael experienced two things that would haunt him for the rest of his life. The first was a massive black form with glowing red eyes, but his efforts to identify what it was proved fruitless, no matter how much he strained to see it clearly. When the massive form faded, though, he started to hear what sounded like a little girl screaming in agony, crying for her mother to save her. Michael, not being one to let anyone, human or Pokémon, suffer, so he started to run in the direction of the voice, which was directly into the swirling black clouds. But, no matter how fast he felt he was running, the clouds just kept receding, bringing the voice with them. When the clouds vanished, Michael sensed two other presences near him. He turned, seeing Liz. "Liz?"
"Michael?" she asked at the same time. "Strange…my dreams with you in them are usually a lot more fun." She gasped and covered her mouth. "Why did I just say that?"
Because you're in a shared dream. Thoughts tend to manifest into speech while in dreams. I connected you two by showing you a dream I had last night, said a foreign voice. Liz and Michael turned to see a Gardevoir, but she looked strangely familiar, but she also seemed distressed. I may be around the world, but I can always sense when my daughter is in pain and crying for me. Michael began to realize just who this Gardevoir was, and his eyes went wide. Right now, my trainer and I can't get close to Orre due to a travel restriction, so I was forced to send my consciousness out here by following my daughter's cries. I'm looking for people like my trainer and his family that I can ask for help. You two may be new trainers, but you fit that description.
"Are you…Gwen, the Hoenn Champion's Gardevoir?" Michael asked.
I am, but I don't have time for more questions before I have to stop. I am begging you, as a mother desperate to save her baby girl…please save Alicia, Gwen said, getting on her hands and knees like she was begging. With that, her voice and the scene faded, and Michael bolted upright in his bed. He panted as he saw daylight streaming into the rooms, and noticed the sweat soaking his concert shirt.
He breathed deeply, wiping the sweat from his face as he got out of bed. Jolteon mewed in concern, and Michael gave him a reassuring pet. "What was that dream?" he asked himself. Jolteon stood up and pawed at his trainer. Michael sighed. "It was only a weird dream, Jolteon. I'm sorry for worrying you." Did Gwen really contact me like that? Or was it just a weird dream? He kept contemplating this as he went to shower and get dressed. He had on his normal outfit, which was mostly from Maple Apparel Outfitters, finishing it by putting the Snag Machine back on his left arm. He looked at the clock, seeing that it was only 7:00, too early for Jovi to be up. So, he walked into the Orison family kitchen, Jolteon close behind him, but he tried to stay quiet. He saw his mother sitting at their table with some coffee in-hand. "Morning, Mom," he said.
Lily turned to him with a smile, looking well-rested and clearing Michael's slight worry that she'd stayed up all night working on the chamber. "Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, I slept pretty well," Michael said.
"Jol…" Jolteon said, urging Michael to talk about his dream last night. Michael was about to tell her, but Lily noticed the newly evolved Pokémon.
"Wait, Michael, you didn't tell me you evolved Eevee yesterday," she said excitedly, setting her coffee down and crouching down to the Lightning Pokémon's height, playfully petting behind his ear then down to the spiked fur around his neck. She knew that the species loved petting in that spot, and Jolteon's purrs showed that he was no exception.
"Sorry, I guess, with the excitement yesterday, it just kind of slipped my mind," he said, but Lily picked up on Michael's voice. He sounded exhausted today, despite that he typically could sleep through the apocalypse. Michael saw his mother's concern, so he poured his own cup of coffee, choosing to take it black as he sat down beside her. "Guess I should start from the top."
Over the course of the next half hour, Michael told his mother all the events of the day before. He told her about Zook, the mysterious Mr. Verich and his bodyguards, the two other trainers with Shadow Pokémon, and then the conversations with Perr. He took a short break to tell her about his nightmare, and the possibly shared dream. He decided to leave out his talk with Liz, and what she did before leaving him for the night.
Lily listened to Michael's story, but when he spoke about his dream, she started to look interested. When he finished, she thought for a moment before speaking. "I honestly don't know what to say. You'd probably want to talk to Liz to see if it really was a shared dream. As for the Hoenn Champion's Gardevoir, I do remember hearing a news report that her daughter was on the Libra when it went missing. I don't know of any precedents where dreams like this happened and turned out to be true. But, as a mother, I would not doubt it if she did push herself like that to save her child. Mothers have a tendency to go to extreme measures to save their babies. Lord knows I'd do the same for you and Jovi if either of you were in trouble."
Michael sighed softly, going to get some PokéChow ready for Jolteon. "There's one more thing I should tell you about," he said as he finished preparing the Pokémon's breakfast.
"I think I know what it is," she said. "You intend to take on Cipher, don't you?"
Michael set the food down for an excited Jolteon, wondering if he should risk letting the Shadow Pokémon out too. "I do," he said. "I know you're probably angry that I'm putting my life on the line now, but I know I can't just leave Pokémon to suffer like that."
Lily nodded. "I knew you would from the moment that you put on your Snag Machine on…it only became more certain when Richard was kidnapped. He even told me that the task of beating Cipher would likely fall to you if the need ever arose."
"Wait…you're okay with it?" he asked.
Lily sighed. "No...I'm not okay with it. But, I know it's necessary, and you're the only one we can trust. After all, I knew it was either going to be Sam, or you," she said. "You're too much like your father to not want to help those in need." Michael looked at her, completely shocked. "Just promise me one thing…"
"What?" he asked, although he had a feeling that he knew what it was.
Lily stood and hugged Michael tightly. "Please come back home safely," she said, her concern clear as she held her son close.
"I promise I will," he said, hugging her back.
Lily then let go of her son with a slightly relieved expression. "By the way, aren't you going to feed your other Pokémon?" she asked.
Michael looked at the three Pokéballs on his waist. "After how Teddiursa almost attacked Jovi…I'm not sure if that's the best idea."
Lily seemed sympathetic. "I know why you're worried, and it's understandable. But, you need to remember that what happened was not Teddiursa's fault. After all, it's not the Shadow Pokémon who should be feared…it's the people who turned them into living weapons that deserve fear…and disgust. The Shadow Pokémon all had their hearts and identities stolen from them in the cruelest ways possible, and for no better reason than an egomaniac wanting more power. As for the Pokémon, right now, you need to show all of them as much love and affection as you can. Help them return to the way they ought to be, and free them of their prison."
Michael couldn't help but admire his mother's wisdom and unbridled kindness. So, he poured out appropriate servings of PokéChow for his three Shadow Pokémon and set the food down before letting out the Pokémon, who seemed a bit tired, but they also seemed to have less aggressive expressions than they had yesterday.
"Good morning," Michael said to all of them with a kind smile. While he still saw no emotion behind their eyes, he could tell they were trying to greet him too. He gestured to the bowls of food for them. "You must be hungry. Have some breakfast."
Poochyena was the first to cautiously try the food, but once she tasted it, her eyes seemed to light up for a brief moment as she started to eat faster. Ledyba did the same, and while his reaction wasn't as excited as Poochyena's, the food seemed to trigger joy for him. He ate happily. When they were both finished, Michael smiled and pet both of them, even though they looked like they were about to attack his outstretched hands at first. They relaxed visibly under Michael's ministrations. When they seemed satisfied, Michael recalled them. But then he noticed Teddiursa hadn't even touched more than a piece of her food.
"Hey, are you okay? Do you not like the food?" Michael asked, hoping she sensed that he was concerned for her sake. The bear, however, seemed to show little to no reaction,
"Wait, I think I might know what will help," Lily said. She went into the cupboards, catching Teddiursa's attention. When the little bear saw that Lily had a jar of honey, though, her eyes lit up more than Michael had ever seen from the Pokémon. Lily then drizzled golden honey onto Teddiursa's food, making the bear's eyes light up more. As soon as Lily was finished, Teddiursa began to almost inhale the food, smiling with as much joy as she could. Yet, Michael could still see there was something holding back that last bit of emotion for Teddiursa. Just as he thought to check her heart gauge, his monitor beeped softly, and the screen extended to show the bear Pokémon's heart gauge. It was now all white, and seemed to be glowing as the screen typed out Teddiursa is now able to be purified.
From honey? Maybe it was her favorite food before she became a Shadow Pokémon, Michael thought.
"Knew it!" Lily said with a smile, seeing Teddiursa now starting to act cutely, almost climbing up her nightgown to beg for more honey. Lily knelt down for the Pokémon and gave her the rest of the jar. "Teddiursas are known to adore honey. I knew that would make her happy."
Michael smiled and knelt to pet the bear Pokémon. "Then I'll be sure to give her all the honey she can handle to celebrate when she's purified."
"Well, if she's ready, then I know where you should go," Lily said. "Go to Agate Village, and meet with Eagun. He's an old family friend who helped with the last crisis, and he offered to help again when I called him this morning."
"So, I'll be using the method that Wes used until the Chamber is finished?" Michael asked rhetorically. He then heard a small yawn behind him, letting them know Jovi was awake.
"Where is big brother going?" the little girl asked as she rubbed her eye tiredly.
"I'm just going to Agate Village," he said. Jovi's smile, while it would normally brighten his day, made him sigh. He knew what was coming next.
"Can I come?" she asked excitedly.
Under normal circumstances, Michael would've loved to bring Jovi with him. But their trip to Gateon Port yesterday had shown him that his trips for the time being would be the furthest thing from normal. He looked Jovi directly in the eye for this, and his heart sank when her expression showed that she realized what he would say.
"I'm sorry, Jovi. For the time being, I can't bring you with me on any of my trips," he said. Jovi looked sad now, but Michael continued, and he was completely honest with her. "Jovi, I'm terrified of what might be coming. If you were hurt, or, Arceus forbid, killed…I could never forgive myself." Jovi had tears in her eyes now. But it wasn't from sadness at not being able to be with her brother. She was scared for him now too. She just leapt forward and hugged Michael tightly. He gave her a kiss on the cheek to reassure her that he would be okay.
"Please come home safely, big brother," she said, trying not to cry more.
"I promise," he said as he pulled away to smile at Jovi.
Lily smiled at Michael's maturity, and his concern for his sister. Sam, whatever happens, please keep our boy safe as best you can, she thought.
"Come on, I'll make you some breakfast," he said, seeing Jovi's eyes light up and she went to the table with Mimi and PluPlu beside her. Michael recalled Teddiursa before going to get a pan. It took him some time, but he managed to make Jovi's favorite breakfast: a waffle with peanut butter and banana's foster. When he set it in front of Jovi, her eyes and smile grew excitedly. He knew he was forgiven. He then went to make himself an omelet, while Lily made herself a parfait. His mother just smiled softly at Michael's selflessness with Jovi. Still, her pride in her son and her brave face didn't make her real feelings about Michael challenging Cipher go away.
Please, Arceus, don't let him get hurt. I couldn't live with myself if he did, she thought.
An hour later, Michael and Liz were both on the scooter, and Michael was programming the GPS. Lily and Dr. Hanz were both there too, seeing their kids off. "You two be careful, and call to let us know when you get there safely," Lily said.
"We will, I promise," Liz said. Michael finalized the address, and looked up confidently to reassure his mother that everything would be alright.
"And we promise we won't take any unnecessary risks," Michael said. Lily and Dr. Hanz nodded their approval. As Michael started the engine up, Lily mouthed 'I Love You.' He mouthed the same thing back to her and they sped off.
"Alright, let's go get the chamber finished," Lily said once the sound of the motor faded in the distance.
Michael drove for almost an hour and a half, stopping for a brief water break with Liz along the way, before they arrived. When they got there, though, the beauty before them took their breath away. If paradise truly existed, this lush, green oasis town was it, especially with the four beautiful waterfalls around the town. "No wonder this is a retirement village," he said. His attention was then captured by a massive tree in the center of town, with a house almost inside the trunk. It was as if the tree grew around the house.
"Yeah, it's so beautiful. I don't even see a piece of litter anywhere," Liz said with just as much awe. "The air even tastes great here."
"That's something you can't say about anywhere else in Orre," Michael said. As they walked along the wooden bridge to enter the town, though, Michael did see another pile of three Pokéballs just sitting on the ground. Like in Gateon, he checked if they belonged to anybody before putting them into the Snag Machine. "A pretty cool welcoming gift," he said to Liz. She just rolled her eyes.
"Did your mom tell you where Eagun lived specifically?" Liz asked.
"She didn't," Michael said. "But I'm sure we can explore the town for a little bit to find out."
"Sure, we'll make a date of it," Liz said, half-joking.
Michael looked at her with a slight blush. "Yeah, I was gonna ask you about what happened last night," he said as they walked. "Was…there anything more to that than persuasion?"
Liz stopped for a moment. "You…think that I'd play with your emotions like that?"
Michael looked at her, starting to panic when he realized what he'd said. "N-no, I was just wondering if…well…was it meant to be platonic, or…"
Liz's expression softened. Of course, Michael wasn't the type to think badly of his best friend. "It…it depends," she said with a blush. "Did you…want it to be more than just platonic?"
Michael began to blush, his mind starting to lose function at the realization that Liz liked him the way he liked her. He was about to respond when they were interrupted by an older man in an Alolan shirt and shorts. He smiled at them. "Welcome to Agate Village," he said. "It's nice to see new faces here. However, I have a request for you two: would either of you like to battle?"
Michael looked at Liz, and she gestured for him to go ahead. "Perfect," he said. "I needed to work with Poochyena and Ledyba to purify them anyway."
The old man smiled and took out two Pokéballs. "I'll be using a Machop and a Togepi," he said with an energetic smile. Michael sent out the two Shadow Pokémon, wondering if the man would be concerned about them. To his surprise, the man just smiled. "Seems I was right. Eagun told all the trainers in this village that a young man would be coming to purify some Shadow Pokémon. He told us to battle with you if we saw you today," he then tossed out his Machop and Togepi. "Just know that these battles will be hard fought in order to improve your bond with your Pokémon. And Eagun told us to give him at least three hours to prepare everything. It's been just under an hour since then. Think you can withstand two hours of battling?"
Michael's smile told the old man that he would be just fine as the battle commenced.
2 hours later
After meeting the old man, Michael and Liz had explored and battled through the entirety of the small village. In total, Michael battled and defeated five trainers. They had also met a man who gave them a Lum Berry his Taillow had brought him earlier in the day, and they finished by going into a root cave where they met an elderly woman who taught Jolteon Thunder Wave for free. She said that, if Eagun had reason to believe that Michael would be worthy of using the town's relic, then she would help him in any way she could.
After thanking the elderly woman profusely, Michael and Liz made their way to the center of town, stopping for lunch at what Liz thought was the cutest café she'd ever seen. They both got a coffee and a sandwich, both of which tasted incredible. They also took the time to feed their Pokémon. Michael made sure to get honey for Teddiursa, and Liz's laugh upon seeing the bear's excitement made him smile wider. Sylveon and Jolteon both seemed to blush with every glance at each other as they ate. And, to brighten the day even more, Poochyena and Ledyba both seemed to be improving and opening up to the other Pokémon. It was as if they were experiencing fun for the first time in their lives earlier, and they didn't know how to react at first. Now, they were warming up to their new family, and they seemed as genuinely happy as they could with their minds having been bent by Cipher. Teddiursa even crawled up into Liz's lap, cuddling up with the girl. Liz smiled softly, petting the little bear lovingly. Michael couldn't help but feel like the two had a strong bond already.
"By the way, Liz," he started. She looked at him, silently asking him to proceed. "Did…you have a weird dream last night?"
Her eyes lit up. "I was hoping to ask you that," she said as she described the dream Michael had perfectly, but from her perspective. She even talked about the meeting with Gwen.
"Seems it really was a shared dream," he said. "That, paired with the rumors about Gwen's daughter being on the Libra…do you think that was really her?"
Liz was quiet with thought for a moment. "I can't think of any other explanations," she said. "But do you think it really matters? You were already planning to save every Shadow Pokémon in existence." Michael smiled, wanting to hold her hand, but his apprehension got the better of him.
Even though they were hoping to have more time to relax, Michael needed to help his Shadow Pokémon return to their natural state. So, with Michael having paid when they got their food, they recalled the Pokémon, and made their way toward the house inside the tree, which Agate's residents said belonged to Eagun and his wife, Beluh.
Luckily, the destination was only a short distance from the café. When they got to the door, Liz knocked for them, and they heard an elderly woman inside. "Come in." Michael opened the door, and they walked inside. They wiped their feet on the welcome mat before going into the living room. There, they saw woman, who seemed to be almost 90. "Oh, hello there. You two must be Michael and Liz. Lily called to let us know you were coming. I'm Beluh."
The home was modestly decorated, and Beluh gave both Michael and Liz a sense that they were visiting grandparents. Michael stepped forward and shook Beluh's hand firmly, but gently. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said happily before looking around. "Although, I am curious about where Eagun is."
Beluh laughed heartily, almost as if Michael had told a joke. "Oh, you should've seen his youthful vigor when Lily called. One word about Shadow Pokémon, and he was on his feet, saying 'It seems my services are required,' and he ran out to the village shrine faster than I've seen him move in decades," she said, her smile telling Michael and Liz that she was laughing out of love for her husband. "And I would know, we've been married for almost 75 years now," she said happily.
Liz looked at Michael from behind when she heard Beluh say that. I wonder…will we eventually be together like Beluh and her husband? Would we be as happy together as they are?
Before her train of thought could continue, the door opened and an old man who looked like Dumbledore mixed with Gandalf entered the room. He didn't seem to notice Michael and Liz in his excited haste.
"Beluh, good news! Everything is ready for our guests when they arrive," he said with a happy smile that made his long beard shift slightly. That was when he seemed to notice the two teens in front of him. "Oh, I didn't see you two there."
Beluh seemed to giggle slightly. "Welcome home, dear. It seems that our guests arrived just before you did," she said with a smile.
Eagun began to laugh both at his haste. "My apologies. You two must be Liz and Michael," he said, extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you both." Liz shook his hand first, followed by Michael.
"It's great to meet you too," Michael said, giving a firm handshake. That firmness was returned equally from Eagun's surprisingly strong hands.
"And that's a nice, firm grip you have there, young Mr. Orison," he said. "But, as much as I would like to exchange pleasantries, time can be very important when Shadow Pokémon are involved. How close are your Pokémon to their final lock, so to speak?"
"Teddiursa is ready to be purified, and both Poochyena and Ledyba are probably only two or three battles away from being ready," he said.
"And you've only been with them two days at most, right?" Eagun asked. Michael nodded. "Seems there's two possibilities, and they could overlap here. The first is that these Pokémon were only recently turned into Shadow Pokémon, so their block from their emotions is weaker. The other is that you have an inherent gift for bonding on a deep level with your Pokémon. Wes was similar in that regard, but…even he struggled to purify the earlier Shadow Pokémon he snagged." Eagun then began to stroke his beard thoughtfully. After a second, he mumbled something under his breath that sounded like "Maybe he'll prove to be even better at bonding his Pokémon than Wes…"
"Sir?" Michael asked.
Eagun looked up. "Sorry, got lost in thought there. Anyway, what I was going to say was that there is a cave with trainers who are ready to help you purify any Shadows you have. It's near the Pokémon Center," he said.
"Oh, you mean the cave with a guard out front?" Liz asked.
"That's the one," he said. "You two must have been exploring a lot before coming here. Hopefully the other villagers weren't too strong for you." Michael smiled at the jest. "Now, I'll go and do the final preparations for the ceremony. Come to the cave when you're ready. I'll be waiting where purifications are done." With a burst of what should have been unnatural energy in a 90-year-old man, Eagun sprinted out the door again. One thing that Michael did notice, however, was the faint scent of ozone. It reminded him of Jolteon's scent upon evolving.
He must train an electric type, Michael thought.
Beluh was laughing cheerfully. "He's always been such a lively soul. You two may want to follow him."
Liz started to laugh with Beluh, smiling at how close she and Eagun were. "Alright. And thank you so much for your hospitality," they both said together. Beluh smiled knowingly and waved as they left.
Those two are going to be so happy when they get married, she thought. They're so much like Eagun and I were at their age.
And here is my first two-part chapter in this story. I've resolved to not put any gargantuan chapters in here, so I can keep the chapters short and easy to digest.
Next chapter, Michael battles his way to the Relic that the villagers seem to all know of (and probably those readers who have played XD as well), and the first three purifications happen.
Hope you all enjoyed it. As always, I welcome reviews, so please let me know what you think.
Until next time ~ jmoul18