So, I can explain the long absence. I started a new job and it was really taxing for the first 90 days. School also rolling around here real soon and that's eating up a lot of my time along with general laziness and writer's block. Though I am back and have been on a pokemon swing here now. Expect rapid fire uploads.

"1000 dollars a person?!" Shauna was shocked. Tierno and Trevor could scarcely believe the price tag on entry tickets for Parfum Palace. Such a price could mean only one of two things. Either the palace was truly worth the visit or the person living here was a money-grubbing elitist who made their living by charging tourists excessive prices just to visit his home.

"This is absurd! It shouldn't even cost money to go inside!" Shauna told the man at the gate.

The man's voice was frilly, with all the pomp that comes from money. "You see, miss. The master of the palace follows the school of thought that you can never have too much money. This is not up for me to decide." he said.

Shauna turned around disgusted. "yeesh! This is how the rich get richer."

"Miss, please. You are holding up the line." The man said.

She was indeed holding up the line as the tourists behind her were obviously getting antsy and rocking on their heels.

"We should probably go…" said Trevor.

The three of them stepped out of line and off to the side. The only way to get a chance to even talk to the owner of the palace was to pay the excessive entry fee and even then that did not guarantee that the group would be leaving with the pokeflute in hand.

"This is going to be harder than we thought." said Tierno. "What are we gonna do? I don't really have any money."

"Yeah, me neither." Said Trevor. "You and I both lose too many battles it seems like. That practice is not necessarily nice to the wallet."

They looked toward Shauna who had a determined look on her face.

"I am getting in one way or the other and I am getting that pokeflute!" she said.

"This would be a lot easier if we had our other two members with us." Said Tierno. "Make it 5 heads instead of three against this giant fifteen-foot fence. Haha."

"Very funny Tierno." Shauna was not amused.

"What! I am just saying that most of the time we get a lot farther in things if Serena and Calem are here." Said Tierno.

"That is true." Said Trevor. "Say, where are they? Shouldn't they…?"

"Hey guys!" Serena jogged up to meet them with Calem in tow.

"Finally, did you guys end up catching that pokemon?" Trevor asked.

"Sure did." Calem sent out the floating sword pokemon much to Tierno and Trevor's surprise. It's ghastly presence was odd as most ghosts types are. They seem to compress the air around themselves and the temperature always seems to drop around ghost types. To some, it was very off putting. Calem never saw it that way, that was just how they are.

"wow… uh. Interesting catch Calem." Shauna said.

"Thanks!" He returned Honedge to its pokeball. "So, what are we waiting on? Let's go get in line."

Serena and Calem went to get in line to get tickets. Tierno stopped Trevor from telling them what the price would be much to Trevor's protest.

"One thousand?!" Calem was shocked.

"T…That's outrageous!" said Serena.

"It is what It is, and I suggest you young ones pay the fee or else I will have to have security escort you off the premises." The man said, obviously fed up with dealing with the public all day.

"psst, Calem?" Tierno said.

"yeah?"

"Can you pay for Trevor and I's ticket? We promise to pay you back?" Tierno pleaded.

"Wait what?!" Calem said.

"Come on, man! Just this once!" Tierno said.

"Oh, me too!" said Shauna. "I really don't have it either."

"All three of you don't have pocket money. Are you serious?" said Calem.

"Calem?" said Serena.

"Hm?"

"You can buy my ticket too. If you wanted." She made puppy eyes at him. She was cute but Calem saw through it. "Just… play along."

"Alright… fine." He said. "But someone else is picking up the next expense!"

They all cheered and eagerly ran through the large golden gate as it creaked open. Calem was stuck counting bills with the man at the entrance. A full minute later Calem joined them at the front doors.

The first room they stepped into was filled with golden statues including a massive, solid gold Milotic along with several Bisharp against an ornately carved stone wall with red carpet. The air itself in the room was suffocatingly wealthy as opposed to the empty feel of the castle back in Camphrier.

Trevor and Serena began to browse the Pokémon statues. Calem trailed behind at his own pace just taking it all in. He could appreciate the fact that this all was a vast accumulation of wealth, everything from the carpet to the chandelier but it was a little much for his taste.

"Remember people! We are here for the pokeflute." Shauna said reminding them about their original mission.

"Well, we have to find the owner first, don't we? We can't just take the flute. That would be stealing." Tierno said.

"What if he says 'no'?" Calem asked.

"I am not leaving here without the flute!" Shauna seemed irritated now. All of this was interrupted by a yelling from the hallway.

"Where is it!" the voice sounded distressed. A man dressed in suit and tie came into the entry room looking around the statues and displays. "Where could it be!?"

"My Furfrou! My beloved little Furfrou has disappeared!" The man went up to Calem. "Have you seen my Furfrou?"

"Your Fur- what?" Calem asked. Calem glanced at the man's waist where there was a single pokeball. Well, it was sort of a pokeball besides the fact that it was covered in large, tacky gemstones.

"That cannot be easy to throw. This must be the owner." Calem thought.

"Hey, calm down. Are you the owner of this palace?" Calem asked.

The man made an exaggerated gesture as if he was offended and replied "well of course I am. Who else would I be?"

Shauna and the others gathered around.

"Hi, I am Shauna. We need the pokeflute please! A Snorlax has blocked the route west out of Camphrier Town and its causing a huge mess. We need to wake it up and only you have the only pokeflute. Can we borrow it? Pretty please?" Shauna pleaded with the man, but he just seemed confused.

"I have the pokeflute? If you say that I do then I must." He said.

"Great, he doesn't even know." Serena whispered to Calem.

"Yeah, what a stud." Calem whispered back.

"I am a reasonable man. If you help me find my Furfrou than you can have the pokeflute, for good. I don't know why I purchased such an antique if I did." The owner said.

"Wait? Really!" Shauna perked up.

"Yes, but I get to pick the hunting parties." He pointed to Trevor and Tierno. "You two will search the downstairs." He pointed at Calem and Shauna. "You two will search the garden outside." He pointed at Serena "You and I will search the upstairs." He stated.

Calem and Serena locked eyes with confused looks. They agreed that this guy was very, very weird. With the groups decided, the owner wouldn't have budged on any team changes therefore Calem found himself searching the gardens with Shauna. He had a strange, nagging feeling about Serena having to search with that creep instead of Tierno, or Trevor, or even himself. Nothing bad would happen, Serena can handle herself he just… "Oh my god, am I jealous?" He pushed the thought away, but his mind wandered elsewhere.

The bridge reached from the back side of Parfum Palace, across a deep moat into a sprawling infinity garden on the other side. To Calem's left was a giant carved statue of a Golurk and Palpitoad rising out of the water.

"Oh wow! What are those pokemon Calem?" She pointed out at the statue.

"A moment ago, you said to focus." Calem thought to himself.

"That big one is a Golurk and the other is a Palpitoad. Both are native to Unova, I haven't seen any here in Kalos yet." Calem answered her question.

"Hm, then those over there must be Unova pokemon too! What are they?" Shauna said as she walked off the bridge and over to a large black marble pedestal upon which sat a life size figure of Reshiram, the blazing white dragon of truth.

Calem felt a chill go down his spine. His blood ran cold, and he could feel the sweat begin to form on the palms of his hands. This statue made him uncomfortable and very much so. He slowly walked around to the front of the figure careful not to make any sudden movements.

"It… it is very lifelike." Calem thought.

He took in every excruciating detail from the tips of its claws to the tips of its broad wings. The statue was almost perfectly lifelike.

"Its as if it is glaring…" Thought Calem.

The eye holes for the dragon were sunken into the stone where shadow obscured any real form and an inky, black mold was growing out of them and down the creatures face only adding to its terrifying presence.

He joined Shauna directly in front of the creature. He hoped he didn't look too pale; he really didn't want to run away when he wanted to be anywhere else at that moment.

"The inscription says 'Reshiram—the Pokemon that helps those who seek to build a world of truth. What does that mean?" Shauna asked.

He knew what it meant. It was one side of the same coin. A part of the guiding philosophy and core make-up of the Unova region. The truth meant whatever the wielder of truth wanted it to be and that was perhaps the single most terrifying aspect of the two dragons.

"… It's one of the legendary dragons of Unova. It's just that. A legend." Calem said. He didn't mean to lie like that. It was just easier to avoid that conversation right now.

They finally left the statue, much to Calem's relief. There was too much negativity surrounding that story to want to dwell in the terrifying presence of Reshiram.

He decided to lighten the mood. "Ok Shauna, what's the plan."

"I think we should check the back of the garden first and then sweep whatever is there to the front of the garden. I'll be honest though… if I were Furfrou I would run away too. The owner seems very…?"

"Stuck up?" Calem said.

"No, its more like…" Shauna said. "Hey!"

In front of them stood a Furfrou just on the entrance of what appeared to be a hedge maze. It glared at Calem and Shauna and honestly it was a bit of a larger pokemon. Not intimidating by any means but Calem wondered how they were supposed to contain it without it's pokeball.

"I suggest we corner it, Shauna else it's going to run." Said Calem.

"I agree, I'll go… wait! Please don't run away!" Shauna said as the Furfrou turned and took off into the hedge maze.

"Damn! You go that way and I'll go this way. Run it into a dead end!"

Calem and Shauna took off into the maze following the Furfrou. Shauna took the left path and Calem took the right just on the heels of the Furfrou. It was a fast little thing, able to dart from side to side while running. It suddenly dove under a gap in the hedge and disappeared from Calem's view.

"Oh no you don't!" Calem said. He pressed against the hedge feeling branches and stems snap under his weight until he pushed through leaving a Calem sized hole in the wall. He tumbled onto the ground on the other size kicking up a small plume of dust.

Calem quickly pulled himself together fast enough to watch Furfrou turn left. Shauna rounded the bend across from Calem.

"Where is it?" She called.

"Down that path. I think it's a dead end" Said Calem.

He creeped to the edge of the hedge and peered around the corner he had just seen Furfrou round and sure enough. Furfrou was digging a hole underneath the hedge maze attempting to escape them.

"Ok, Shauna. I am going to battle it and knock it out." Calem said bringing up Riolu's pokeball.

"What?! Are you crazy?" Shauna said.

"How else are we supposed to bring this thing back to the owner. I am not chasing this thing around a hedge maze all day." Calem retorted.

"Fair enough. Go ahead" Shauna rolled her eyes.

Calem nodded and stepped around the corner in full view of Furfrou who stopped digging his hole and got down into a fighting stance, growling.

"Shauna, don't let it get around me. Riolu! Let's go!" Calem said as he sent Riolu into battle.

Furfrou charged at Riolu hitting him with a tackle and sending him sprawling into the dirt kicking up dust.

"Riolu, get up and use Force Palm!" Riolu recovered and lunged at Furfrou with outstretched palms which glowed with a blue energy. The impact made Furfrou reel back and retreat a little

"It's working." Calem thought. "Riolu, prepare to counter!" Riolu dropped into a stance similar to the one he used back in Santalune.

The Furfrou took a few steps back before finally tucking its head in and charging at Riolu using a takedown manuever.

Upon the impact of takedown, Riolu countered as hard as he could smashing Furfrou into the ground rendering it unable to battle.

"Good Job Riolu!" Calem caught him in his arms before returning Riolu to his pokeball.

Calem went over to the now limp Furfrou and picked it up. It was heavy. Calem guessed that the thing could weigh no less than 50 pounds.

"Holy…" Calem said as he nearly lost his balance. "This thing weighs a ton!"

"Let's get back to the owner then." Said Shauna. "I have a sneaking suspicion he won't like the state Furfrou is in."

"He can deal with it. We got his Furfrou back didn't we? Besides, where does he get the authority to order us around like personal servants?" Calem said. He was mostly referring to Serena having to deal with the owner right now. "I'll say this though… never a dull moment with all of you."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Shauna said.

They navigated their way through the hedge maze and popped out on the other side opposite of the palace which could be seen at a distance.

"It's a really big place I'll hand the owner that much praise. Though I wish that…" Calem stopped dead in his tracks and dropped Furfrou as fear seized him. The fight and flight response overcame his senses as his body quarreled with itself on what the best course of action should be. Before him stood a statue of Zekrom much in the same fashion as Reshiram at the front of the garden. This was the dragon N had used and it was the one that nearly killed him.

The statue bore sharp claws and fangs as the real Zekrom had. The eyes were sunken into the dark stone and a bleeding, black mold cascaded down from the sockets adding to the uncanny look of the statue. Its imposing form towered over both him and Shauna but it was to accurate scale.

"Calem! Why'd you drop…" Shauna stopped and realized what had captured Calem's attention.

His breathing became slightly irregular, and she could hear it.

"it's just a statue…" he muttered to himself "I hate…"

"Wait, what is going on?" Shauna asked herself. Calem visibly shuddered.

She stepped in between him and Zekrom. "Hey! Calem!"

He turned his attention to her though only halfway.

"Let's get back to the others? We don't want to keep them waiting." Shauna said.

Calem reluctantly nodded. "Yeah."

"Damn this garden. Damn those statues. I hate this place. Why is any of this happening to me?"

Shauna and Calem had returned Furfrou to the owner who was just excited to have his pokemon back whether it had been beaten in a fight or not. He had been so ecstatic in fact, that he decided then and there to put on a firework show for them that evening as thanks. He relinquished the pokeflute too. The hunt was a success, and all search parties were notified. All parties were slowly in the process of making their way to the balcony which meant that the only two party members currently there were Shauna and Calem. The sun was soon to sink beneath the horizon and then the sky would become a deep inky purple followed by the darkness of night which was the perfect time for fireworks. They waited only on that.

Calem's mind wasn't on fireworks or the pokeflute. It was on the statues. They existed in the garden as if to remind him of the true purpose of this journey. They were monuments to his past tangibly taunting him about it. When Shauna said "I think I am going to go find the rest of our friends." Calem barely registered it at all. He couldn't tell how long he stood on the balcony alone with his thoughts.

The sky bled into the inky purple promised earlier and finally into the darkness of night. The stars came out. Glittering as they usually do but even brighter than usual due to how far from the city they were. The warm summery air was cooled by a breeze. Honestly, it was a perfect night.

He suddenly recognized the footsteps behind him, soft and light. They were Serena's. Without even looking he could tell she was walking up behind him. She took a place right next to him on the balcony.

"So, I heard you and Shauna were the ones to catch Furfrou." She teased.

Calem gave a chuckle. "We had to get creative with our methods… adopting a more, aggressive approach to that capture."

"What are you trying to say?" Serena said and managed to pull a smile from Calem. She had that effect on him.

"I basically kidnapped it." He said as they snickered. "Anyway, how was your time with the owner? Are you okay?"

"Yes! Of course, he is just an odd fellow. We got to searching and for as stifling as he seems, he just really cares about Furfrou. Losing his pokemon seemed like a nightmare." The words hung in the air for a second before she followed it up. "Are you okay?" she met his gaze. The golden light from the windows caught her eyes.

How can she tell? Calem thought.

He leaned forward on the railing. "I'd be lying if I said everything was fine." He stared out at the garden where the tips of the Reshiram statue could be seen just through the foliage. "I don't know."

She placed her hand on his as it rested on the railing. It was warm and soothing, soft too. Calem was slightly surprised by this gesture as he turned back toward Serena.

"No matter what happens, I know you're strong Calem. We are on this journey to discover ourselves. So are you, in a way. Your past may be painful, but there are those here who want nothing but the best for you." Serena said while looking out into the night. A light breeze rustled their hair. "Eventually you will know."

Calem was stunned. Again she knew just what to say at the precise time it seemed like he needed it. "I… I guess you're right."

She looked up at him with a smile.

"You said before that the reason people in Kalos go on a journey is to find their place in life?" Calem said.

"Mhmm!" Serena said.

They both turned their attention back to the night sky with the stars glowing so brightly overhead. In this moment, it didn't matter that the fireworks were late, or that Shauna and the others were nowhere to be seen. The silence wasn't awkward, it was comfortable. After a minute Serena spoke again.

"You know, you've journeyed through a lot of regions, right?" Serena said.

"Yes?" Calem said.

"Maybe the 6th time is the one where you find your place. Right here, with us." Serena said. Like clockwork, the fireworks started across the garden with a large pop, their brilliance lighting up the night sky with hues of purple, yellow, red and blue. Serena's hand had not moved from where it rested on Calem's.

The whole scene was something to behold. The fireworks were magnificent, the best he'd seen, ever but they paled in comparison to what was happening inside him. He had never felt this way before. After going at it alone all those years only to be thrust into a group of people that cared about him and mainly… "her" He thought. He slowly moved his hand into hers. It was comfortable and fit perfectly, their fingers entwined. He really didn't know what to do or say after that. So, he said how he felt. He promised that he would be honest and so he was.

"Serena, I…" The rest was swallowed by the fireworks.

She put a hand to her ear to desperately hear over the fireworks. "What?!"

He looked at her. He shook his head with a smile. "Nothing." He said. They turned back to the fireworks. Their hands conveyed the message.

End Chapter 9

Whooo! Finally! Things are lightening up a little but there is still a long way to go and Calem still has a long road ahead of him. So does Serena and everyone else. Things will probably even get worse before they get better I would say. Thank you for reading.