Character: Agatha Pharaoh
Species: Audino
Age: 14
Nickname: Neon Star
Year of character creation: 2019
Story: A youth that tends to be sour after experiencing a great loss. After the loss of her parents, and many other family members, Agatha prefers to keep herself busy. With help, she's investigating the Old World, a swarm of reality bent up by some strange power, for Havens, mystery dungeons created and influenced by Legendary species.
A still, cold silence weighed through a forest of Acuitan pine trees; thinner trees with rough, ghostly white bark. None of them had leaves, and faded away in the distance as shadows. Gray clouds clogged up whatever sunlight would otherwise hang down.
Audino Agatha hid behind a boulder, one of many scattered throughout the area, along with Lopunny Luke, Cinccino Hannah, Umbreon Walter, Charmander Natasha, Torracat Bao, and Luxray Imani. Agatha pulled down on her ear strands, licked her dry lips, and swallowed.
Just beyond their hiding place, another Umbreon, riding on the back of a dreary-eyed Rapidash, sauntered around aimlessly, often staring in one direction for long moments at a time. For whatever strange, horrible reason, Umbreon had a smile plastered on his face.
"I don't sense any blessing," Hannah said. "He must be Acuitan."
"Then it has to be Arthur Acuity," Luke whispered. "There's no doubt."
"Not to pry," Bao said, "but I do plan on returning to my husband in one piece…"
"We should leave," Luke said. "I didn't expect to even survive our encounter with Mesprit. I'm not trying my luck again. It's hard enough to balance with one ear lobbed off..."
Umbreon screamed, and Rapidash rose up to its back legs for a second. Everyone sat silent for a moment. Rapidash turned and stared off in a different direction.
"We'll have to beat the Reapers to get to the Haven closeby," Agatha said.
"This isn't just any Reaper," Luke hissed. "This guy literally did nothing but drink, slaughter, and try to take over the planet. He has to be one of the worst Reapers out there, easily."
"Then why isn't he at that Stargazer Castle place you mentioned?" Imani asked.
"Okay, listen. Whatever force controls the Reapers might not be foolproof…"
"I AM A FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!"
Agatha covered her ears. Umbreon howled at the moon and laughed maniacally. It cut out in an instant.
Seconds later, he returned to silence.
"This is not what I signed up for," Natasha muttered.
"Why isn't this guy at Stargazer Castle like the others?" Imani asked, through clenched teeth
"Well," Luke said, "to be honest, it's possible that he's so evil that, even dead, his body refuses to take orders."
"BRING ME YOUR FINEST WOMEN! GYAHAHAHAHAA-"
He cut out in the middle of laughter again. Agatha clutched her gold earring tight.
"Why in the hell does he keep doing that?" Walter asked. "Is he like, glitching out?"
Luke's eyes wavered as he shook his head. "I don't know, guys. I just don't."
"WE ARE THE CHOSEN ONES!"
Agatha's teeth clenched.
There were so many potential answers nearby, but if he saw them, they'd probably get slaughtered. They had to go back. She knew that, but…
She glanced around the boulder again. It was so frustrating.
"VALOR WILL BE THE WORLD'S GRAVEYARD, VERITY ITS OUTHOUSE."
Yeah. It was time to go.
"What if we try a new approach?" Umbreon Walter asked. He picked up a rock in his paw and tossed it up to feel the weight. "Let's try to get him to move somewhere else."
"Walter," Luke said. "No. Don't-"
Luke reached out to stop him. Walter tossed the rock far, up over the boulder, and in a random direction.
The sound echoed throughout. Rapidash turned in its direction, but didn't move out of place.
Their heads both snapped in their direction. Umbreon's lips stayed still. In a flash, they curled up into a smile.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"
The midday sun pounded down, except inside, where they retreated.
"Fuck you, Walter," Agatha spat.
Mightyena Claire flicked her chin. "Language."
On the other side of the room, and scattered around, the others sulked in their own ways. Luke stood around outside for some fresh air.
Audino Agatha pinched her lips together. She sat across from Claire on the short couch in their constrained living room. Claire continued to pat down her bruises with some wet, white cloth. It stung every time. She blamed Walter for every pat.
Umbreon Walter, of course, was unharmed, and sat on the other side of the room. He had been silent, but Agatha couldn't hold it in. He nearly cost them everything with his stupidity.
"Sorry, okay!?" he shouted. "I didn't think undead could be smart! I mean, really?"
Claire sighed. "We're rusty. It's our fault." Her eyes glazed over. "I'm sorry, Agatha. I know how frustrating this is."
"It's not your fault," she huffed. "But I don't get it. How are we supposed to beat a pokemon like that? All he did when he was alive was kill, drink, and kill."
"It's not like the guy's invincible," Walter said. "He died in combat, which means someone killed him when he was alive. I don't know history well enough to remember."
"It won't be as simple as looking at the facts," Claire said. "We have to analyze them carefully, and figure out what happened and how we could have a chance."
"Ugh…" Walter rolled his eyes. "I bet Simone would be all over it."
"Simone?" Claire asked.
"Our classmate. Huge history buff. Pretty sure he's named all the Acuitan kings and queens for the last five-hundred years in class one time."
"Well, we'll be training today. We could ask him another day."
Agatha flinched at a bruise on her arm when Claire touched it.
"She won't be," Walter said. "You and Hannah should go hang out with Simone, and slip in the questions somewhere."
She'd be willing to.
Right behind King Arthur, she could find the answers for Glass Reshiram, or about Void Palkia, or any number of clues. He was guarding a gold mine of information. As a Scion, Hannah could somewhat sense the whereabouts of Havens in the Old World. No others were nearby. They had spent almost all of spring walking around just to find one. She couldn't let something this stupid get in the way.
"Just one problem," Walter said. "He should be getting ready for the field trip today. I doubt he's free."
"Field trip?" Agatha asked. "In the middle of summer?"
"The school hosts a three-day-long field trip every summer. They go to Valor and visit the sights, like watching battles in the arena or the Nightlight Association."
"How does our dinky little school afford anything close to that?"
"I hear one of our teachers is rich. Apparently, they're pretty good at the stock market."
"What even…?"
"Do you want to go on this field trip?" Claire asked.
"I mean… Yeah," she said. "But we have to find a way to re-kill King Arthur, right?"
"Valor's National Library is on the list," Walter said. "Besides, let's be real. None of us are going to be able to kill King Arthur until we have a plan and all the adults de-rust so they can carry our asses."
"Language," Claire hissed.
"Sorry, m-ma'am."
"Who all can go on the field trip?" Agatha asked.
"I think most or all of our classmates are," Walter said. "Principal Annette is going. She'd probably let any of us go on the trip."
Annette had been looking for a counter to the three Regalia and found nothing. She'd probably search during the field trip to Valor.
"I can chaperone," Claire said. "The restaurant will be fine without me for a week. I don't think Bao could come. She has family obligations. Luke would probably have to stay here as well."
"When are they leaving?" Agatha asked.
"Tomorrow," Walter said. "Other classes go during other weeks, with the other teachers. That doesn't give us much time to get ready."
"It'll be fine."
"But didn't that Jirachi guy… Err… Kite? Didn't Kite jumpscare you guys last time? He'll come back, won't he? Wouldn't it be safer to stay?"
"Worst comes to worst, I have a friend in Valor I could call," said Agatha.
"A friend?" Claire asked. "Who?"
Between Hannah and Abigail, Kite would probably blow up. And if he did attack in the city, he'd reveal himself to everyone. It wouldn't work out in his favor, or she should say Palkia's favor, not that she knew what it wanted.
"Just someone I knew," she said.
"How do you know they'd be able to help?" Claire asked.
"She works in the Nightlight Association now, and I still have her number."
"I can pack for you. You have a shift tonight with John, right?"
"Yeah."
"Alright. I'll be putting Walter through some special training today while you're gone, too."
"I get that I deserve it," he said, "but you don't have to gloat about it… I just thought you'd want to make a move then. I know how much… I know how much finding answers means to you."
He had to get all sympathetic and nice now of all times.
"I don't want to lose anyone else," Agatha said quietly. "That takes priority over finding the truth. Even for your dumba... Dumb… ness."
"We only allowed you kids to join us because we can keep you safe from a lot of things," Claire said. "If something is a danger to us, you shouldn't approach it at all. We have to be patient. None of you fully realize what nearly happened at the Origin Point, and how we felt. We won't keep you from finding some meaning, but, we won't let you die, or even take that chance anymore."
Agatha hadn't even considered how Claire felt. She had been too busy shoving the memory down herself. When she tried to imagine it, her chest dropped.
She couldn't even handle it. How many things did she shove down to not think about?
In the dead of summer, Mawile John's shop sat emptier than most times. After working for him for a bit, Agatha realized he made most of his money selling to Verity Castle and law enforcement, not civilians. His shop was for show. He used the building mostly for his creation process.
Today, Agatha stood in front of a black cauldron in the back, learning how to make wands. As she had guessed before, she had to mix Ingredient Fluid and Orb Fluid together, rather than having the ingredients surrounded by Orb Fluid. They were formed into a long, pole shape, at different lengths for different species. She made sure not to get anything on her black leather jacket by pulling her sleeves up.
Unfortunately, due to supply and demand, she only got to make Attract Wands. She walked out of the back room after she put them in the oven and pulled her sleeves back down.
Mawile John stood at the front counter. On the other side, a Hoothoot and Cubone stood. As fate would have it, a single Attract Wand sat on the counter.
"Have a good day," John said through his teeth.
Hoothoot hopped away while Cubone grabbed the wand. Right before he turned away, his eyes locked on Agatha. He twirled the wand, winked, and then turned around. She ignored him.
John hunched over as soon as they walked out. "Damn teenagers," he howled.
"The deed has been done," Agatha said. "Is there anything else you need?"
"Nah," he said. "What, want to check out early?"
"My class is taking a field trip to Valor tomorrow."
"Valor," he said, with piqued interest. "I've been meaning to go there. They have conventions this time of year, with all the newest developments. Your Principal's Annette, right?"
"Uh, yeah? You know her?"
"I do. I forged her weapons she used for years as an explorer. Maybe I can hitch-hike if I bribe her with some tickets I got."
More weapons to hit King Arthur with sounded nice. "Definitely worth a try," she said. "We're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Tight timing, but you're right. I'll text her now. Good job on the wands, kid. Even if they're… Disgraces to everything I've worked for for years. Dammit all…"
"You good?" Agatha asked.
"Ah, don't sass me. I've suffered enough today."
"They're just teenagers. Why the heck are you even bothered by it if they're giving you money?"
"They're just teenagers?" he repeated. "Well look who's talkin. You can go home for today. I'll need to pack my bags, too."
She went home, plopped down, and slept.
Their prayers were answered, with the birth of the first Peacekeeper.
In seven days, the Pharaohs swept across the planet. They connected the world through great cities, each watched over by a Legendary species. The Pharaohs made their home in Stargazer Castle as it grew, inside of the world's largest mountain. The Peacekeeper, the creator, came to be called Mother or Father by the stargazers who inhabited it.
As a reward for their faith, the creator's right-hand granted the Peacekeeper two gifts for generations to come. They became immortal, impervious to any attack from a power of this world. Their lifespan stretched past that of even white dwarfs, fading away for eternity in the sky. The second, the Peacekeeper was granted a connection to all living pokemon that were and will be.
However, immortality could not be allowed to exist in this world, the powers above decided. All life must end, even the endless. Thus, after some millenia, the Peacekeeper would fall to the curse of the Madness. Their memories would fade, and their minds would fill with bloodshed.
They were to be slain, but alas, not by any power in this world. An otherworldly power. And so, the Pharaohs summoned warriors from other worlds to slay the Peacekeeper when the time came, and the Peacekeeper allowed it, in a sacred ritual.
And so, another became the Peacekeeper. The cycle continued, unbroken, until, one day, there came a Mother named Everdine Pharaoh, who gave birth to three sons. She loved them all very much.
Agatha's eyes opened.
"Agatha?"
Across from Audino Agatha, Cinccino Hannah's blue eyes glimmered as she focused in on them. Soft morning sunlight wiggled its way in her room. Hannah leaned over her bedside.
"You were muttering all these fantastical prophecies in your sleep again," she said.
Agatha reached up and rubbed her eyes. "Sorry."
"It's okay. We're going to leave soon. We should eat."
"Yeah. Right."
"I could hunt this wild deer I saw the other day."
Agatha lowered her hands. Hannah's face didn't flinch. She'd have to explain over the trip.
Once she sat up, Agatha looked around the room. She saw her own clothes, all black, laid out in neat piles next to a suitcase with two wheels on the bottom. It seemed a little bigger than what she needed, until she noticed a bunch of fluffy, white clothes; Hannah's.
"No hunting for now, Hannah," Agatha said. "In fact, just… No killing or superpowers in general. That a good rule?"
"Okay!" she said, smiling.
Agatha strapped on her prosthetic feet and stood up. She took her gold earring with her, just in case.
They ate breakfast fast, and headed out with Mightyena Claire. The carriages would leave from the school. Agatha wore her usual, her black leather jacket and pink and black striped socks, for now. She'd have to switch more than a few times. Claire carried her own backpack, which seemed pretty small. She didn't seem to have much stuff to start with.
At the base of the hill the school building sat on top of, a small mob of carriages had formed up. Agatha recognized her classmates as they roamed about with their bags and made attempts to organize.
Deerling Belle, now sporting a green coat of fur for the summer, stood across from Sandshrew Thomas in front of one. A bag in between blocked their sight of each other until they both stepped back from it.
"Oh," Belle said, realizing. "Same carriage?"
"Not anymore," Thomas said.
Thomas walked back up to the carriage, hopped inside, and took out a small, brown backpack. He flashed Belle an angry glance as he walked away.
"Fucking dogecoin…" he muttered to himself.
"I'll be with the other chaperones," Claire said, snapping Agatha out of her cringe-induced coma. "You both will be fine, right?"
"Yeah," Agatha said.
"Alright then. Call if you or Hannah need anything."
"Right."
Lots of the teachers conglomerated around two carriages out on the edge. Claire joined them. Agatha took count and noticed Mawile John as he stood there. Looked like he managed to strike a deal.
Hannah and Agatha walked side by side and took a look at their options. Their classmates busied themselves with packing and short conversations.
"Are we deciding who all sits in which one of these…" Hannah glanced at the carriages. "Uhm, boxes?"
"Carriages," Agatha said.
"Right. Ca-rry-ah-ges?"
"Yeah. Anyone you want to sit with?"
"Walter and Natasha would be fun! Although, your emotions with Walter are kind of strange."
"Strange?" she huffed.
"Yes. There is a lot of violence and affection at the same time. It's very disturbing."
"When did I ever give you the right to read my emotions?"
"Well, it's not like I can turn off my bloodline… Did you see what I did there? Turn off? Like an electric…? Electronic?" she pronounced carefully.
"Yeah," she sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I see."
Most of the smaller carriages seemed full with just one or two of her classmates. It didn't leave as many options as she thought there would be. They only had two or three larger ones, and by now, those would be the only options.
"Hey, Agatha. Hey Hannah."
Agatha glanced up.
From the back of one of the larger carriages, Pikachu Simone waved a friendly greeting. Inside, behind him, Slurpuff Zel, Persian Romania, and Lucario Elijah moved bags around.
Bingo.
"We have room for one more!" Simone offered.
"I will!" Hannah said. "You can teach me more about the phone!"
Shit.
"Room for one more over here too."
Agatha looked behind her.
Umbreon Walter stood on the back edge of the other large carriage. With him, Growlithe Alisha, Bayleef Jenna, Lillipup Shenise, and Elektrike Janette lurked in the shadows.
Worst-case scenario, easy.
Hannah had already hopped into the carriage, now behind Agatha. She looked around for any other choice. There weren't any.
"Come join my harem," Walter said. "I mean, our carriage." He smiled at his own joke and glanced around himself.
The girls behind him laughed, too hard. Agatha glared.
Theoretically, she could go back to her room and learn how to fly those pegasi wings. Yeah, that sounded good, if it hadn't been pain and suffering trying to make them do anything but blast her into a tree.
"C'mon, quit dragging your feet!" Jenna called.
Agatha glared, harder. Jenna took the hint and backed up. She lowered her head, sighed, and walked to the carriage.
One hour in. Audino Agatha's ears were burning.
She sat in her own little corner, on her cushion. She had plenty of room to herself. The others crowded around Umbreon Walter on the other side of the carriage. She tried to distract herself with her phone, but it didn't work.
He just kept talking.
Bayleef Jenna leaned on his side, sharing his cushion. Growlithe Alisha pouted in the corner.
"How do you keep your center so strong when they hit you so hard?" Jenna asked with a smile.
"I'm pretty good at taking hits," Walter said. "Who knows? Probably a gift."
"Wow…"
He smiled. "I know…"
"Why are you so quiet?" Growlithe Alisha asked, facing Agatha's direction.
"Nothing to say," she growled.
"Uh, sorry…"
Ever since they found out everything, her classmates seemed careful not to step on her metal toes. She huffed to herself and stared back down at her phone.
"What do you like to do for fun?" Lillipup Shenise asked.
"I don't have fun."
"What do you do?"
"Nothing."
"Don't you have a thing with Simone?" Bayleef Jenna asked.
"Uhm, no," Agatha said. "No, I don't."
Jenna shot a glance at Alisha. "Told you."
"Okay," Elektrike Jannette said, "is it just me, or is that Grant guy weird?"
"The Croagunk?" Walter asked. "He seems chill."
"Dude, he literally tried to give me, like, what even was it? Some weird liquid thing."
"He's trying to be a doctor," said Jenna. "He just doesn't know how to not be creepy. He's legit."
"Sam scares me a lot more than Grant," said Walter.
"Why? It's not like he can learn rasengan."
"Water Pulse is pretty damn close."
"But you're so good at taking hits…"
"...True. I'm pretty badass at that. Still safer on his good side. though."
Agatha swallowed down a breath. She almost snapped and asked him why he ran like a dweeb when Arthur charged them. Instead, she glared. Through his persona, he flinched.
"So," Walter said, "what have you all been up to now that school let out?"
"Self-care," Jenna said.
Agatha imagined she did more than enough of that.
"I hear Valor has some of the best spas in the world," Jenna said. "I need to go."
That did sound nice, though.
"I want to see the arenas," Walter said. "How about you, Agatha?"
"I don't know," she said. "Isn't there some list with everywhere we're going?"
"Well, yeah, but, they're giving us plenty of free time to do whatever we want. We might as well."
"Then a nice restaurant."
"I mean…" He glanced away. "If you're paying."
Actually, she had a better idea. "Nevermind," she said.
She couldn't waste an opportunity to have "fun". She needed a way to kill Arthur, or push him back and away. That's all that would count in the end, how well she fought.
Agatha pulled out her phone and checked the schedule. After that, she mocked up a text.
All through the countryside, the ride stayed quiet. As they entered further and further into the city, all of them got active again.
"Seriously no one asked which hotel we're staying at?" Bayleef Jenna asked for the umpteenth time.
"I'm sure it's fine," Walter huffed. "We have to stay in rooms of three, right? Think I'm gonna bunk with Elijah and Simone."
Agatha would probably go with Hannah and Claire, if she could choose. She had enough on her plate already. She'd need sleep, and a break from idiocy.
Walter's eyes lit up as he stared down at his phone. "Oh, Simone just said we're close."
"What are we doing after the hotel?" asked Growlithe Alisha.
"Tonight, we do whatever. We have one thing planned for every day after: the arena and the beach."
"I thought we were going to see the N.A.?"
"Nah. Teachers decided to just give us a ton of free time, which is the badass option. This is kinda hype."
"So, who are you guys hanging out with?" Jenna asked.
"I was kinda thinking just hanging out with you guys," said Lillipup Shenise.
"I'm down," Walter said. "How about you, Agatha?"
"Don't feel like it."
"Alright then. What do you feel like doing?"
"Pardon?"
Walter locked eyes with her. "What do you feel like doing that'd make you happy?"
Happy? Was that even an option anymore?
"I don't know," she said. "Loaded question."
"Should it be?" he asked. "Don't think too hard. Just come with us."
"I don't…"
The carriage rolled to a stop. Somehow, Agatha knew they had arrived. Everyone stopped and twisted around for a minute.
The back doors of the carriage opened. Flygon Mr. Rivers floated in front of them.
"We're here!" he announced. "Everyone grab your bags. We're sorting into rooms in the lobby. Three girls or three boys in each room, please."
Mr. Rivers took off, presumably for another carriage. Agatha grabbed her backpack and hopped out with the others. She turned around until she laid eyes on it.
"Oh," she uttered.
The carriages parked in a line along a sidewalk. The hotel sat past a field of flowers and sparkling marble fountain. A stone Horsea spouted up water. The sun hung over the peak of the snout. A stone pathway led to the front of the building; one at least ten stories high with white walls.
Audino Agatha followed along as her class conglomerated together into a horde. She stayed near the back for breathing room. The chaperones loomed behind her. A small, shrill voice bothered her.
"Agatha? Hello? Agatha?"
Agatha snapped back to reality. Eldegoss Ms. Wilman walked next to her. She looked up to try and get her attention.
"Are you alright?" she asked. "I was asking what you thought."
"Sorry, what I thought?" Agatha asked.
"I chose the hotel. I'm the one paying for the trip."
"Oh, uh… The whole trip?"
"I hope it's to your satisfaction. There's not really a school for… Well, people like us. Let me know if you need any financial pointers, alright?"
"O-okay?"
Ms. Wilman faded back to the chaperones.
Agatha eyed the ground. Ms. Wilman, rich? Then why did she bother teaching?
The front of the hotel welcomed them with automatic doors, a new addition to most buildings in Valor that didn't reach most of Verity yet. All of the teachers went around the front desk while the other students. She tarried between them and wondered what the red carpet under her feet felt like.
While her classmates talked, Agatha leaned back against the wall and watched. Her focus drifted away.
"Hey Agatha."
Agatha glanced up.
Bayleef Jenna and Charmander Natasha stared at her expectantly.
"Want to bunk with us?" Jenna asked.
"Uh, really?" she asked. "How short was the stick you drew?"
"It was pretty damn short," Umbreon Walter chimed in. "Take a look."
Walter held up a bushel of sticks in one paw, and a single one in the other. It looked like a toothpick.
Cinccino Hannah busied herself talking to Deerling Belle and Persian Romania about the invisible walls the rest of them called windows. Agatha could use a break from that.
"Fine," she said. "But don't touch my stuff."
"It's okay," she said. "I won't."
Her gentle tone grated on her ears. Agatha shifted her weight between her feet and folded her arms.
By the time they all settled, the teachers and chaperones sorted everything out. They spread out into trios.
Agatha followed behind Natasha and Jenna up a few flights of ramps. Ever since her upgrade, Natasha walked with a lot more balance. Her feet were placed evenly in front of her as she walked.
"Just so you know," Natasha said. "Don't talk to me, Jenna. I mean, like, actually, just don't talk to me."
"What'd I ever do to you?" she bit back.
"Counts as talking."
Agatha considered using her policy.
Small bonsai trees, native to Lao Shen, marked every door to each room, including theirs. Jenna stopped in front of it and tapped a security panel on the side of the door with her vines. Though she remembered the password, Agatha leaned away and watched her struggle to remember. She got it right on the third try.
The yellow walls held a gold hue. Parted, pale white curtains allowed sunlight to snake through the large room, at least double the size of what Agatha had back home. A large TV hung on the wall, a huge water pit occupied the corner, in a perfect place to watch it from. She imagined the brown carpet to be soft under her feet. It gave her a wish list for her own room.
"Geez," Jenna blurted. "How rich are our teachers, like, lowkey?"
Agahta imagined Ms. Wilman managing her stocks in class and smirked to herself.
Then again… She was on her phone a lot.
"I'll take that one," Charmander Natasha pointed to a low, small bed against, overlooked by a window.
"I'll take-"
"Not so fast," she cut Jenna off. "We have disabilities. We pick our beds first."
"I understand parking spots, but why-"
"What if the frame is too high and one of us can't reach our prosthetic?"
Jenna sighed. "Fine."
Natasha was right, one of them was too high. She needed the best one, by the corner, closest to the TV and the water pit. She'd be able to reach her prosthetics on the carpet.
"I need the lower one over there," Agatha said, pointing.
"Talk about bad luck," Jenna huffed. "But fine. Where are we hanging out?"
"We?" Natasha asked. "I wouldn't be caught dead hanging out with you."
"O-kay. Well, I'm going to go talk to other nicer people, sooooo… I'mma be in the lobby."
Jenna used her vines to take a backpack off of herself and set it on her bed, the one furthest from the TV in the opposing corner. With that, she turned around and walked back out. Agatha didn't follow.
"So, what're you going to do?" Natasha asked her.
"I don't know," she said.
"Damn you need a hobby… We're in the middle of Valor, the big city! Isn't there anything you've always wanted to do? Think back to before-" she cut herself off.
Before everything changed? She didn't have a lot of hobbies. She used to sing, learn math from her mom, history from her dad. Her cousin would come over from Valor sometimes. They always talked about seeing a play. She said Macbeth was her favorite. Agatha watched it on her own time.
Why did it feel like she only just remembered any of that?
Her cousin.
Agatha hunched and clutched her chest.
"Ah, crap. You alright?" Natasha asked nervously.
"Yeah," she groaned. "Just, thinking."
Natasha made a face like she had stepped on a tack. Agatha rotated her shoulder.
"Let's just go see what the others are doing," she suggested. "I don't know much about the city."
"Same," said Natasha. "Alright. I don't feel like walking back. I'll just check on the group chat."
Agatha didn't have much in her backpack other than clothes. With the spare time as Natasha unpacked, she sat down on her hotel bed and opened her phone and clicked on the field trip group chat for the first time. It sat empty. As she stared, messages began to pop up.
"Wut r we doing" -Walter
No response.
"Hello?" - Walter
"I was thinking about heading to the mall. Valor has a lot of stuff for sale that isn't in Verity." - Simone
"same"- Jenna
"^" - Sam
"^" - Belle
"^" - Elijah
"^" - Alisha
"^" - Avery
"V" - Hannah
"Okay" - Walter
"I want to go too" - Walter
"Are There Any Specialized Medicine Shops?" - Grant
"omg he types like that" - Jenna
"Types Like What?" - Grant
Did Agatha want anything from the mall? Maybe pajamas. Was that really it? Something might catch her eye.
"^" - Roy
"^" - Agatha
It seemed like most of the class planned to go. It'd be a lot more exciting than the strings of stores held together by pavement in Verity. She might as well join.
"By the way," Natasha said. Agatha's eyes snapped up from her phone. "Do you think you can turn my arm into a blaster?"
"What," she blurted.
"You know, like Samus? Mega Man? Do you play video games…? Ah, nevermind."
Natahsa glanced away. Her tail flame sputtered.
"Uhm, why do you want me to turn your arm into a blaster?" Agatha asked.
"Cause you have your cool booster thingies on yours. I mean, why just replace what I lost when I can make something new out of it?"
"Because it'll be easy for you to hurt yourself."
"Can you at least make it?"
Could she?
She made her boosters pretty easily. If she studied the pegasi wings she could even incorporate some ideas from that into it. She could do it, with the right supplies.
"Okay," she said. Natasha's eyes lit up. "But on my terms."
"Of course," Natasha said. "Uh, you going to the mall too?"
"Just got a shopping list."
Agatha solidified her list on her phone during the carriage ride over. She didn't need much; only some parts and wires. As far as she knew, everyone in the class decided to go with, and most of the chaperones. Mr. West decided to stay and sleep.
Unfortunately, she ended up in a carriage with the same idiots again. She looked up from her phone. Umbreon Walter talked up the rest of them. It only lasted ten minutes, but after hours of it on the trip over, it felt long.
The carriage parked in a lot outside. Agatha stood off a short ways while the students and chaperones conjoined together at the entrance; a cobblestone walkway lined with advertisements pasted on the stone wall to the right.
As Agatha walked, her eyes glued onto a poster of a gigachad Obstagoon in black and white, with the only text being "Stay on your Grindset" towards the bottom. Seconds after they passed it, she realized she had no clue what the ad was even meant for.
"Class!" Mr. River's voice boomed. "This is our meeting point for when we'll leave. Text me if you want to go somewhere outside of the mall area. Stay in groups of at least three."
Agatha groaned to herself.
"I think two will be enough."
The small, smooth voice tickled Agatha's ear from behind. She turned around.
Thunder cracked through her veins. A shout almost wormed its way past her lips. Her jaw quivered.
Boltund Avery spun around. "Where- HOLY CHEESESTICKS!"
A Furret with gold rings of fur hunched a bit and waved. Her bright eyes sent shockwaves through the air as her classmates turned and saw them.
"Oh, I love mozzarella sticks!" she said. "Do they have those here? I'm kinda hungry…"
"What are you doing here!?" Agatha asked.
"Well, a little birdie told me you made a new friend," she smiled through her teeth.
Behind Agatha, Cinccino Hannah hopped on the tips of her toes and waved her paw madly.
"Blink twice if you're being held hostage," Abigail hissed through her grin.
"What? No. She's uh… Nice now."
She didn't have any other words to describe it.
"Uhm, A-Agatha?"
Agatha turned back. An invisible barrier formed between her and the rest of the class. Espeon Selina stepped forward to challenge it.
"Would you care to introduce the class to your, ah, friend?" Selina asked.
Furret stepped forward with an outstretched paw. "Abigail. My name's Abigail Frisk. It's nice to meet you."
Abigail shooks paws with Selina. Selina's arm quaked.
"Are you the principal?" she asked.
"The princi… Ah, yes," Selina answered. "Well, uh, was the principal. Our schools merged. What brings you here?"
"I came to check up on…" Abigail glanced past her face. Hannah continued to wave at her. "Things…" she finished. Her eyes fell back down. "You wouldn't happen to be Selina Gonzalo, right?"
"I am?"
"My mom told me stories about you, and the Wayfarers."
Selina swallowed. "Oh, you m-must be mistaken."
"Ms. Gonzalo?" Avery barked from the group. "You were a Wayfarer?"
Seilina's head whipped back. "Oh, no no no no no. Of course not," she laughed.
"She said you started and finished the most bar fights out of anyone in the Guild," Abigail continued.
Selina's face reddened. "They weren't… 'Bar fights'. Uh." she scoffed. "S-so, you're welcome to walk around with your friend. We're just in the middle of a field trip. Have to get back to it now. Bye."
Sellina spun around and stampeded back towards the mall.
"You were a bounty hunter!?" Oshawott Sam demanded. "Wait! Principal!"
Hannah squeaked. She barreled through Growlithe Alisha and Sandshrew Thomas with her paws high over her head. She threw her arms around Abigail and jumped up and down.
"It's so nice to see you!" Hannah cried.
"Uh, it is?" Abigail asked quietly.
Agatha twirled a finger in a circular motion towards the side of her head. Abigail saw and curled up her lower lip.
"Right…" she said. "So, can I hang out with you two? Talk?"
Hannah pulled back with glittering blue eyes. "We can go shopping! I've been looking for deer pelts for the longest!"
Agatha looked back towards her class. Deerling Belle shifted her weight and nervously glanced around.
"Alright," Abigail smiled, for real this time. "Well, uh, don't know that they'll have anything like that… But I'm sure you'll find some nice clothes to wear."
Hannah turned back. "Mr. Rivers!" she called. "Can me, Agatha, and Abigail be a trio?"
"Uhhhh, of course," Flygon Mr. Rivers said. "By, uh, all means."
Hannah grasped one of Abigail's paws and practically dragged her to the glass doors. Her eyes darted across the glass until she finally found the handle to pull.
Agatha bent her head low and followed. A few of her classmates gave her looks, but most of them focused on Abigail. As the sliding door closed behind her, chatter broke out.
"Settle down! Settle down!" Mr. Rivers' voice pleaded.
The mall was separated into top and bottom levels, with rampways here and there connecting them. They entered on the top level. Stores lined the walls. The sparkly clean floor tiles almost reminded Agatha of her family's mansion. For some reason, her mind kept crawling back to it lately.
"Hey," Agatha lifted her eyes. "Don't you think you'll cause a bit of a ruckus coming here like this?"
"I found a free hour today, and I had to make sure you weren't de… Dahhh… Doing anything bad."
"I haven't tried to kill anyone ever since!" Hannah said proudly.
"That's ni-i-i-ice…" her voice shook. "So, what exactly have you been doing?"
"I've been going to school and learning how to use a phone and helping Agatha after she got stabbed by-"
"Been fine!" Agatha raised her voice. "Hannah was just about to help me shop for some parts."
"Oh," Abigail glanced back. "I didn't mean to interrupt your field trip. How about I buy you both lunch?"
Hannah would be more and more likely to blurt something as the seconds ticked by. Agatha didn't want the Nightlights or Abigail's friends to shove their noses in her family's business. It'd be better if they kept thinking she was just a random, unsuspecting idiot.
"No thanks," she said. "I want to get our stuff in order first."
"Well, alright. I probably know which store you're going to. Let me just try to remember…" Her eyes drifted away. "Right after I buy a pretzel."
"What's a pretzel?" asked Hannah.
Great.
Furret Abigail bounded over to a pretzel stand in the dead center of the walkway, in between the entrances to two clothing stores, one for bipedal and quadrupedal species, and another much smaller one for the horse and snake-bodied. A surprised Pangoro smiled back at Abigail as she approached.
Agatha folded her arms and waited. She heard a small wave of footsteps behind her. She glanced down as Umbreon Walter stopped next to her, then back up again. The rest of her classmates fanned out.
"So," Walter said. "You gonna introduce me?"
"No," she spat.
"Oh come on! Do me a solid… I've been training mad hard. Let me shoot my shot."
"If you shoot for the moon, you won't always land amongst the stars, Walter."
"Oh come on. This is a once in a lifetime chance. Three princes want to marry her, but imagine if it was me."
"No. Gross."
Walter smiled. "I understand her sophisticated sense of self and beauty."
As Pangoro handed Abigail her cinnamon-coated pretzel, Hannah stepped on her foot by accident as she leaned closer to inspect it.
She dropped the pretzel. Abigail's eyes quaked, then watered as she glanced between Hannah and Pangoro. For some reason, it pulled at Agatha's heart strings a little.
"I guarantee I want to marry her more than those snobs," Walter said.
"If she's not impressed by philanthropist princes, why would a high school bully impress her?" she asked.
"Because women are attracted to power."
"She's more powerful than you'll ever be."
Pangoro handed Abigail another pretzel. She kept a firm grip on this one. Hannah's eyes sparkled as she also took one.
"Okay," Agatha said. "But, if I do it, I'll tell Jenna about how you flirted with the Lodestar and she saw straight through you for being a complete and utter jerk. Deal?"
"Uhm…" Walter glanced behind him. Agatha copied.
Next to Slurpuff Zel, Bayleef Jenna eyeballed them.
"Okay, nevermind," he said. "Ah, dammit all…"
"If you don't like Jenna, why don't you just turn her away?"
"I mean, she is kinda hot, though."
"Dude…"
"What? She's thick."
"You deserve every horrible thing that will probably happen to you."
Walter scoffed. "If I told Jenna she was thick right now, she wouldn't be mad."
"Because she also probably deserves every horrible thing that will probably happen to her."
"Guess we might be a match, huh…"
"Just shut up…"
Agatha looked around at all of the store names over their entrances. Most of them were dull chain stores she knew of in Verity, with a handful specific to Valor. None of those caught her eye. Her gaze shifted up to the second floor.
Clothes, jewelry, clothes, jewelry… Antiques? No.
Not antiques. She couldn't tell what the store was for. It had black walls with a sign written in white letters: "The Cosmos" with a backdrop of some kind of outer space theme. Her eyes traced pink and purple wisps on the backdrop. She couldn't tell what the store was supposed to be for. Telescopes?
"Hey Agatha."
Abigail's voice broke her out of her stupor. Abigail traced her eyes, took a look at the store, and turned back.
"Something catch your eye?" she asked, then took a bite of her pretzel.
"No," she lied.
"What is that store, anyway?" Walter asked. "Astronomy?"
"Nope," Abigail said with pretzel stuffed in the right side of her face. "That's a fortune telling place. I went once."
"Oh!" Hannah said, glancing up. "What did they say?"
"Don't remember. But, I wonder about it now."
"Then let's go find out!" Hannah turned to Agatha. "Please?"
Fortune-telling, of course. They may as well go see.
"Yeah, sure…" she said.
"Awesome!"
"Mind if I tag along?" Walter asked.
"M-me too!"
Bayleef Jenna walked forward. She seemed to overthink every single step. She accidentally crossed her legs and nearly tripped twice. Slurpuff Zel walked away right into a clothes store.
Just like that, Agatha found herself roped up a rampway to the second floor. She hobbled along behind the group with her head hung low. The air cooled when they reached the entrance.
The inside kept the space theme. Stars twinkled on the ceiling, like glitter. On the walls and on racks that littered the floor, stones and rocks with fancy names and tiny, paper price tags lay about. They all melded together to Agatha. She stood in front of it all while the others spread out.
"Welcome, welcome. If you need…"
A Xatu stood in the back of the room behind a short counter. His eyes widened and locked onto Furret Abigail, who promptly waved at him.
"Nope," he said. "Didn't predict that."
Xatu were known for having minor fortune-telling abilities, but Audino Agatha wasn't convinced by this guy. He had a clear jar full of fortune cookies in front of him, and names like "All-Seeing Amethyst necklace" were suspicious at best. She wouldn't buy into any of this crap.
The top of her hand itched. She scratched it, then some more. As she rotated her hand, the itch shifted, too.
As she rotated her hand in front of her face, the itch stayed in place, facing one side, towards the black, right wall.
"Do you think this bracelet makes me look fat?" Bayleef Jenna asked Umbreon Walter with a raised arm. A band of silver beads glimmered.
"Yeah," he said. "It's cute."
Jenna smiled.
Agatha rolled her eyes and kept walking. She looked around for the source.
Her eyes fell on a shelf, eye level with her. A small, pink orb rested on a gold-colored podium.
"Interested?"
"Gah!"
Agatha shouted and stumbled away. Xatu had leaned his head over her shoulder.
"Uhm, personal space!?" she asked loudly.
"Oh, right, that," he said. "Anyways. This is a crystal ball. It'll let you see the future, like me. That'll be nine thousand dollars."
"Uhm, no?"
"Hard bargain. Eight-thousand five-hundred."
"I'm not buying it for any amount of thousands."
Xatu stared blankly. "Okay. Nine-hundred ninety-nine."
"Uhm, dude… It's a rock."
"You think I don't know that!?" His voice raised out of nowhere. "Five-hundred." It settled again.
"Where'd you even find this thing? And what is it?"
"I got jipped years ago. That's all there is to it."
"For… Nine-thousand dollars?" she asked.
"I don't want to talk about it. Five-hundred, then?"
"Uhm… Just no."
"Ten bucks as a nice paperweight," he said.
"Really?"
"I want to sell it for any amount of money. It's been ten years. It needs to stop. I need help. Please."
Agatha turned back to the pink orb. Heat seemed to emanate from it. An invisible weight on her chest halved the maximum amount of air her lungs could hold.
She was from a family of real fortune tellers. If it had any chance of being more than a rock, she should take it, especially for ten bucks.
"Uhm… Okay then," she said. "Sure…"
"Thank the heavens it's finally over..." Xatu mumbled, and visibly wilted.
Agatha fumbled around her black leather jacket and fished out ten bucks. She handed it to Xatu, and he flicked a wing in the direction of the orb, giving her the okay.
"I'll get you a bag," he said.
As he walked away, Agatha drew closer to the ball. She looked at her distorted reflection on its surface.
Agatha heard the rest of them come up behind her: Walter, Jenna, Furret Abigail, and Cinccino Hannah. She didn't care. They probably came to inspect and see what she bought. She focused on its luster, shape, and a web of white veins beneath its surface. They seemed to shift, ever so slightly…
"You shouldn't stare at that!"
An icicle pierced her chest. She backed away.
Pikchu Simone stared at her from the entrance. His crystal orange eyes flickered in the light. As he breathed, his brown leather jacket rose and fell on his back.
"What's got you all bent up, Simone?" Walter asked.
Simone stormed forward. "That thing's dangerous, for Agatha. Don't stare at it too long."
"Dangerous?" Jenna asked. "This rock?"
"It's not a rock..."
Agatha watched Simone walk up to them. He seemed to relax now that Agatha had taken her eyes off of it. He glanced over her shoulder at the orb, then his gaze faded back to them.
"So, you know what this is?" Abigail asked.
"It's a Reticle."
"A reticley?" Hannah tried to pronounce.
"Reticle," he repeated. "It's an ancient relic."
"Of fucking course it's legit!"
Agatha's eyes snapped to Xatu. He slapped at the sides of his own head and shouted angrily. He stomped to a door on the back, opened it with his wing, and slammed it shut. Behind the wall, the sounds of glass breaking and his wails continued.
"Why is it dangerous?" Walter asked.
"It's a powerful fortune-telling tool. There are records of the Pharaohs using them in the past, and going insane over the years."
Agatha didn't dare turn around.
"Yikes," Walter said. "Uh, dude, thanks for the heads up."
Simone sighed and smiled. "It's okay. Here, you guys all saw those little white lines in it?"
Everyone but Agatha turned around. She folded her arms and shifted her weight.
"That's fate," Simone said.
"Excuse me?" Jenna blurted.
"They say that each of the lines is a strand of destiny, how it is on it's current path if it doesn't change," he explained. "Members of the Pharaoh family resonate with that pattern, and when they touch the orb along with someone else, they see that person's ultimate fate."
"Ultimate fate?" Hannah asked. "What does that mean?"
"The reason you were born, in the grand scheme of time. Sometimes, it's only a small event, meant to start or be a part of a great chain reaction. Other times, it could be something terrifying. Before most historical records, they said that Pharaohs went insane trying to change all of those strings themselves when they couldn't. And other times, it changed without any input from them. The lack of control drove them mad, and they gave the Reticle to a Valorian king to be forgotten. Forever."
"How do you know all of this?" Abigail asked as she turned around.
Simone shrugged and smiled. "I'm a history buff. When I found out about them, I just had to take a deep dive. Hope that doesn't bother you." He turned to Abigail. "My name's Simone. It's nice to meet you," he held up a paw.
"Abigail," she said. They shook paws.
"Pharaohs have more control as they age, so, it will probably be safer once Agatha has total control over her visions. But even then, you have to be careful." He frowned. "If you see the person across from you dying in some awful way, and you can't change it no matter what you try, despair will come. It's very dangerous."
"I could hold onto it?" Hannah suggested. "I won't die if I stare into it by accident, right?"
Simone nodded. "No one in recorded history has been able to use it but the Pharaohs. If you feel a tingle in your head, though, you should probably hand it to someone else just to be safe."
Agatha stared at the ceiling. "What was it doing here of all places?"
"Maybe it was fate, or happenstance. You'd be surprised at the paintings that end up in people's attics." Simone stared off into space. "Very surprised."
"Well Simone," said Walter, "thank you for that daily dose of existential dread."
Simone flourished his paw and took a bow.
"Now who's up for some lunch?" Walter asked.
"I saw a Popeyes," Simone hinted.
Abigail's ears shot up.
The day passed.
Abigail stayed the whole time and yet, somehow, the mall didn't implode with adoring fans or bachelors or criminals trying to get their vengeance. It went normally, sort of.
They pigged out, watched a movie that Hannah cried over, a lot.
By the end of lunch, the movie, and standing in a corner while everyone else went clothes shopping, Agatha was beat. They walked aimlessly on the bottom floor, occasionally swapping out classmates with other groups based on the stores they were heading towards. As Mr. Rivers texted all the groups to make their final preparations for the day, and promised they could come back tomorrow for an hour or two if they missed anything, Audino Agatha's group dwindled. Only Cinccino Hannah and Furret Abigail walked with her as the clock ran out.
They stayed in a comfortable quiet. Hannah held all of her and Agatha's bags with the usual: perfume, stuffed animals Hannah thought were cute, parts for a prosthetic arm blaster, and an ancient artifact that could turn on her and psychologically tournament her for decades.
Abigail's bags were all filled with food.
In Hannah's other paw, she nibbled on cotton candy. She pulled back her face and grimaced.
"This cotton candy really does feel like I'm eating cotton," she said.
"Yeah," Agatha huffed. "I don't get it either."
"I'd better head back," Abigail said, staring at her phone. "Thanks for today. Was glad to check on you and see how you were doing. Lots of good, positive changes, it looks like."
Agatha and Abigail stared at Hannah. Her face contorted as she tried to type in her phone's password while holding it upside down.
"Uh, so," Abigail said, "I'll be heading out."
"Before you go," Agatha muttered.
Abigail leaned down to listen. "Yeah?"
"Uhm, I was wondering… How did you get strong?"
"Strong? Like, fighting strong?"
"Yeah."
"By doing it a lot," she said, smiling. "You have Hannah with you. You two can train together. She's bound to know all sorts of things no one else does."
"It would be fun!" Hannah added. She frowned again and held her phone up.
"Is that it? Didn't you study techniques and whatnot?"
"Nope. Techniques that work for other people aren't always bound to work for you. You just have to feel it out, develop your own style, blaze your own trail. With someone like Hannah to practice with, you'll be there in no time."
Agatha didn't even consider getting help. The thought embarrassed her with Claire, but not so much Hannah. Maybe it was because they were the same age, and she wouldn't judge.
"You'll be great, if you want to be," Abigail finished. "Take care, you two."
"Abigail," Hannah said. "Thanks for coming to check on us. That was really nice."
"Of course. I'm just glad to be able to see you like this. Bye, for now."
"Goodbye."
Hannah stood and waved with a stiff arm as Abigail turned and walked away. When they broke eye contact, Hannah and Agatha turned around to head back in the direction of their class' meeting place.
"I wouldn't compare your own strength to a Scion's," Hannah whispered. "It's not healthy."
"Abigail's not…"
Agatha's jaw fell. She stopped walking. Hannah did, too.
"What?" she breathed. "Wait, what are you saying!?"
"I sensed it back in the cave," Hannah said. "Her host might not be active, but she has some level of strength from it. That's probably why her fur turned that gold color."
"B-but, I thought that was dye. That's what everyone said."
"Well, Scions can detect each other. My feelings don't lie."
Hannah continued walking. Agatha staggered behind her.
"Could she be a Scion to something like Glass Reshiram, or Palkia?" Agatha pushed.
"We won't know until we find her host's Haven," she said. "That's the only chance we have to know what's coming, other than…"
Agatha's eyes fell down to the bag Hannah carried; the Reticle. The process for her visions being kept under control couldn't be sped up. It boiled down to simple aging. Even then, it wouldn't be a guarantee.
"Wait," Agatha said. "Her fur only turned gold at the Royal Parade? Why then?"
"Parade?" Hannah asked.
Agatha groaned. "It's the parade where the royals reveal their real identities when they turn sixteen."
"Oh, I heard about that! Well, I can't say why," she said, staring away. "But that means she became a Scion then. I do hope we stumble across some clues soon. But first, we have to get stronger so we can get into that Haven. We could practice for an hour tonight," she turned to her. "Would you like to?"
Agatha nodded. "Uh, yeah… Sounds… good."
Agatha drifted away into her thoughts.
Abigail was a Scion, and didn't even know this whole time? Why would she have only become one at the Royal Parade?
All the answers were in Hannah's dangling brown paper bag. She could take the Reticle, convince Abigail to do a little fortune telling experiment…
But Claire wanted her to be safe. They all did. Even if she wanted to take it from Hannah by force, she wouldn't let her. It all wrapped around back to square one: a walk around a maze filled with mostly nothing inside. She had to be patient.
She bit her lip. This sucked.
