{Present Day}

I finished writing my note for the ex-Rocket grunt. It contained instructions to specifically call up McInnis to pick him up. I stuck the note in Gray's raggedy pants pocket; he was still unconscious but could wake up any minute. So I used my Unbound Ring to carry him to Icirrus City. I left him on the ex-grunt's doorstep, and saw he and his wife and kid were home through the window. Zoe didn't seem to have made it here yet, but I didn't expect her to make it this soon. Without a word or a knock, I left back to my island the same way I came. Then I struggled to keep conscious and blacked out. Used too much stamina during my run to the prison and the drop-off.

After a good rest, I immediately checked the new blueprints I stole. According to the blueprints, the complex was huge. Even bigger than my first heist. The building was shaped mostly like a dome to account for the high winds at that location. There were five floors, and some sublevels buried into the mountain itself. Ground floor was offices. The second and third floors were designated for assembly machines. In this case, the Dark and Vile Balls. Fourth floor was living quarters and amenities, and the top floor capped off as some sort of transportation deck. That left all the sublevels designated for storage.

"Geez, I'm going to have to check through all of this!"

It wouldn't be easy. I couldn't find any conventional doors. The only way into the building was either through the roof via a specialized aircraft, or by a teleport tile on the first floor. To my relief, there was the ever exploitable ventilation system that I or my Pokémon friends could crawl through. But that wouldn't get me that far passed their heat-sensing security sensors. Similar to the security on the Alchimian Airship, the sensors could monitory changes in heat. Body heat especially. Useful against intruders who tried breaking with some sort of invisibility cloaking system. Tricking the camera was only possible if you matched the heat signature directly behind you when facing the camera. In other words: nigh impossible.

There was a security room on the first floor, where the information the sensors picked up flowed to. If an intruder or accident was picked up, or someone tampered the system, or destroyed one of the sensors, the alarms would trigger from the security room. So that would have to be taken care of. But that had its own problems. One was what kind of guards would be stationed there. Was it Celeste grunt guards? Nobody? An AI program like the one used on the Alchimian Airship? Wasn't listed in the blueprints. The schedule patterns of the residents and workers, if any, wasn't listed either. They could pop up anywhere during my raid. But what was listed was the type of doors installed throughout the base. They were sliding doors that required key cards. One card per door, or one card for all, it wasn't specified.

I put a hand on my chin. "Shit, this is gonna be hard. A whole base to clean out, and I don't know even half of what's in it." I rubbed my temples a bit. "Okay…so. If the second and third floors are mainly machines, that's to sabotage. That'll be noisy, so that'll be last. But should I start at the top and work my way down? Or bottom up? I think I'll need a primary recon to determine that. Not me, not with the sensors. Scarlet would work best, since Ghost-type Pokémon don't leave heat signatures. Maybe should send Snis, Spinarak, and Salandit in the vents, too. Yeah. The vent system can be accessed from the outside where the second floor would be. That'd be perfect to split both to the upper and lower floors in one check. Great…"

I switched from the blueprints to the geographic map. "But first, I need a way up there." The elevation of the mountain peaked at about three kilometers, with two of those kilometers getting incredibly steep toward the top. The peak should be pointy, but I could see comparing to the blueprints that Team Celeste had plateaued part of that peak to make room for their base. Just like I observed first hand, there were no easy footholds to get up there by trekking. I had no access to an aircraft, or favors to cash in to get a lift. Even if I did, it'd be nearly suicide to fly toward a mountain peak that was notorious for frequent storms around the peak. So I had only one option: my Kineti-Pack.

I put away the papers and gathered my things to go. The Unbound Rings and Kineti-Pack were already on my person. I went to my stash of clothes. The newly stolen winter clothes were a must. Heavy jacket, thick pants, boots, fingerless gloves, and a winter aviator hat. The color scheme was neon greens and reds, likely meant to stand out in the snow. Not ideal for stealth, but I'd have to count on the harsh storms to keep me covered enough. The Go-Goggles were that last thing I fetched.

After changing, I kept my camera on standby. My plan was to teleport near the mountain, use my Kineti-Pack to reach the top, take a picture of an ideal spawning spot, and call it a day. One flip through my scrapbook later, and I was ready.

I used my Unbound Rings to transport to the base of the mountain. The height was still daunting. "I could use the Kineti-Pack now. But I have no idea how rough the ride will be. Best to play it safe…"

I took it upon myself to actually climb the mountain for a while. As the geographic map showed earlier, the first kilometer up wasn't too steep. I could walk through this portion in a zigzag path.

Then I reached the point where my progress stopped last time. The incline steepened dramatically, and the winds picked up to an uncomfortable level. Snow hugged the mountain, making the terrain incredibly slippery.

I walked a few meters further, then lost my balance. With a thought, I activated the Kineti-Pack. I was able to right myself before I fell down the mountain. "Eesh, almost lost my progress." Curious, I brushed the snow with the back of my hand. A fair clump of snow slid down with the direction of gravity. "Loose. Wet. Not ideal for wall climbing." I looked up. "Gonna have to 'fly' my way up the rest of the way."

My Kineti-Pack couldn't actually fly. It could only slow my descent, or keep me levitating above a surface like a maglev train. So to create the illusion of flight, I used the latter function to propel myself up the mountainside. It wasn't easy. The winds howled, trying to push me off my straight path. The snow and vapor from the clouds around the mountain threatened to cover up my Go-Goggles. And I was constantly reminded how bitter cold the place was. But I pressured myself to stay on course, remaining about a foot off the rocky terrain and keeping a speed of about 10 kilometers per hour.

"Okay, I've flown nonstop for about six minutes now. Another six should get me to the top if I keep the pace. Twelve minutes of strenuous Kineti-Pack flight, and four uses of my Unbound Rings should be enough to get me through this mission without passing out." An additional minute passed. My teeth chattered under the collar of my coat. "Just a few more minutes, take the pics, and I can get out of this fucking cold…"

Suddenly, a thick layer of snow came crashing down on me. An avalanche. The blustering snow and my aviator cap muffled its sounds, and my vision was diminished in these blizzard conditions. By the time I realized what it was, it was upon me. "But how?! My Kineti-Pack runs so quietly, even if these roaring winds died down!" I tried to fight the avalanche with all my concentrated power into the Kineti-Pack. Somehow, I kept my altitude for few seconds. Then something hard pelted my head. It felt like a rock. I grew dizzy, made worse by going into freefall in the avalanche. "Dang loose debris…"

Then it hit me. A large boulder brushed against my back. Through hazy eyes, I could make out other boulder-sized shadows through the falling snow. "This is a trap! I…I got to get out of here!" I tried to reactivate my Kineti-Pack, but it wasn't a split second, I had the heart-wrenching scream cross my mind again. "No! I'm not going to be buried again!"

With no way telling which way was up, I resorted to just pointing my Unbound Rings directly above my head. I thought of my island, but looking up from a particular spot. My rings glowed, and I could feel the energy sapping my stamina. But I didn't feel myself fall through a portal. At least…for a few seconds.

Everything abruptly changed. The dark cloudy overcast mixed with blizzards shifted to blazing sunlight under blue skies. Frigid temperatures became much hotter. My feeling of falling became a feeling like being thrown. Took me a couple of seconds to regain my bearings and confirm where I was. I was in the air over my island, hurdling upwards. All that acceleration from my fall was reversed in the manner I was teleported.

As I decelerated, I looked below. My main concern was where to land. "Hm, I think that beach spot looks good." I kept my eyes trained on the coastal spot until my upward speed completely ceased. Only in my moment of weightlessness did I activate my Unbound Rings once more. The portal opened below me as I thought of the beach spot fresh in my mind. I fell right through, and onto the soft sand, landing comfortably on my feet.

The use of the rings and the Kineti-Pack made me feel tired, and the surprise avalanche gave me plenty of bruises. So I resigned to resting for the remainder of the day. But before I did, I wanted to check on my Kineti-Pack. I sat on the sand. At the same time, I stripped off my winter gear, and my black and white t-shirt. That sweet ocean breeze felt so relieving. The ocean waves lapping on the beach also proved very comforting, especially without the fear of flying Pokémon coming to snatch me. With my registered fingerprint, I de-activated the suction of the device on my back.

"Shit!" To my dread, the Kineti-Pack had a concave impression that encompassed over half the device. Some of the metal ripped, revealing exposed damaged parts inside. I also inspected my winter coat and shirt. They had slashes along the backside, ruining them. My own back felt a bit sore around the spot where the Kineti-Pack latched, but otherwise intact. I guess the upside to this was the Kineti-Pack and my clothes had cushioned most of the blow from the grazed swipe of that boulder.

I groaned heavily. "Come on! Now I got to get a replacement coat. But this…" I limply tossed the Kineti-Pack aside. "…this is irreplaceable! Of all the times I could have got it damaged, it had to be when I need it for an important heist. There's no way up that mountain for me without it, unless I had a picture up where the base is. Now I can't progress further! Argh, shit!"

I pressed my hands to my face and fell back. I let the beach setting cool me off, both physically and mood-wise. Then I sat back up. "I hope I can fix it; a mechanical fixer, I am not. There's a few things I can do in the meantime. But if I can't fix it…then I'll have to look for…outside help…"

{Present day, Pan's perspective}

"Stay by me," I murmured to Torracat.

He, Smeargle, and I had started our next trial. Upon arriving at Ula'ula Island, my first trial was at Hokulani Observatory. I was told the Trial Captain Sophocles had grown more accustomed to his position, but either they were lying, or he was too easily off-put by my charms. He stammered the whole time I tried to help him lure the Totem Vikavolt to our location. The Stag Beetle Pokémon cut the power to the facility when it arrived, and I had to battle it in the dark. When I beat it with Lopunny, the power went back on thanks to Molayne. Sophocles had passed out in the dark, likely when I bumped into him and he screamed like a girl. Nonetheless, I got the Electrium-Z.

The Steelium-Z and the Buginium-Z were found next by wandering the island. I had to chase down a wild Alolan Dugtrio for the former, and scan for the latter that was swarming with wild Venipede around it.

Now, I was tasked by Acerola to find the Totem Pokémon in an abandoned Thrifty Megamart. The little princess told me I could lure it out by uncovering paranormal phenomenon. Didn't sound too hard.

I used Torracat as a light. The bell on his neck gave a faint glow that was useful when we walked away from the entrance. There was no power to the mart; ceiling lights hung limply above. Tapu Bulu certainly did a number on this place, as boxes, shelves, and carts were strewn everywhere. Cobwebs were too numerous to count. The dank smell of mold and must invaded my nostrils. The air was oppressively dead, with no circular flow. It was also so moist the water vapor clung to my skin.

"I feel like I'm gonna sweat through my clothes any second,"I groaned.

Torracat didn't seem to mind, even though its smell was much more sensitive than mine. But the honor of repulsion of this place went to Smeargle. She was not eager to enter such a dilapidating building. The moment we stepped foot inside, she freaked and jumped onto my back. She refused to touch such a dirty floor. Even now, she clung to my shoulders and wrapped her tail around my abdomen. She glanced every which way, making sour faces at all the dusty and moldy surfaces.

I glanced back to Smeargle. "Yeah, it ain't the most glamorous place we've been to, is it?"

She snapped a glaring look. Some mix of expressions between, "Get me out of here!" and "You think?!"

I smirked, "Hey, if you help me complete this trial, I'll treat ourselves to a nice hot bubble bath. Sound good?"

That seemed to put her at ease, though I expected she wouldn't be complacent for long.

What bothered me more than the look of the place was the dead silence. Not even the sounds I heard outside a moment ago could be heard during our search. A few minutes in, I was worried nothing was going to show up.

I tapped my foot impatiently as Torracat dug at some debris. "Geez, where are you, Mimikyu?" I whined out loud. "This is a haunted shopping mall, and I haven't seen one ghost…"

Suddenly, something turned on at the front of the mart. Screechy metal on metal broke the still sound of silence. The three of us tiptoed to the origin of the noise. The conveyor belt at one register was moving.

"That's weird. I thought there was no power in this place." I grinned. "Then that means we got a ghost on the loose!" I courageously stepped up to the register. "A-ha! I know you're here."

The conveyor belt abruptly stopped. Silence. Then, a tiny voice barely whispered, "Who's here?"

I put a hand to my chest. "Pan: the best trainer who will ever grace the Pokémon world!"

The voice responded in the same manner, albeit delayed. "Who's here?" Then a Ghastly rose out of the cash register.

Slight disappointment was etched on my face. But at least I could get some action. "Torracat, use Heat Wave on Ghastly!"

Torracat leapt in front of me, presenting himself in the same confident pose I was. Then spewed pure heat from his mouth. Ghastly took the hit, wincing in pain. The Gas Pokémon promptly disappeared after that.

"Coward," I grunted. I wiped the sweat building on my forehead. The heat from the attack unfortunately lingered, adding to the already unbearable heat. "Let's…not do that again, Torracat."

Suddenly, a Pikachu scampered behind some boxes. Torracat hissed menacingly.

I rubbed my eyes. "Maybe it's a clue. Let's chase it!" We ran toward the left side of the mart and turned around the pile of boxes. The Pikachu wasn't there. Just a long aisle with abandoned shopping carts at the end. I rubbed my eyes again, then yawned. "Stupid tricks. And stupid heat making me drowsy."

"Are you good?" said the very soft voice.

I looked around. Torracat stood antsy next to me, and Smeargle was still on my back. Nobody else was in view. And my two companions gave no indication that they heard the voice. "Uh, what do you mean 'good'"?

"Are you good?" the voice insisted. Suddenly, one of the shopping carts careened down the aisle, straight at us.

I yelped. "Smeargle, Origin Pulse!"

Smeargle shot dark blue beams of light from her mouth as I stood sideways. The attack blasted the shopping cart back to where it was resting, smashing into a couple other carts as well. Furthermore, the lights briefly exposed an invisible Haunter.

"There! Torracat, Bite it this time!"

Torracat ran toward Haunter, but stopped short when the opponent finished rubbing his eyes. Haunter hesitantly dove into his shadow, then snuck a Shadow Sneak attack on Torracat. He barely phased, and gave a menacing sneer.

"Ha! Thanks to Torracat's Intimidate, that Haunter's attack did almost nothing."

Torracat proceeded to Bite the Gas Pokémon on his tail. The ghost Pokémon screamed, then floated quickly away from us. Before I could say anything, Torracat ran after the ghost, chuckling to himself.

"Wait!" I protested crossly.

He fortunately heard me as he made it to the end of the aisle. But then the same Pikachu darted by him. With a hiss, he chased the Pikachu.

"Damn it!" I ran after him. "I said wait!" Not only did he not hear my shouts, but he vanished when I reached the end of the aisle where he was. "Shit! Where did he go?" I wandered each of the aisles, making sure I didn't skip any place. No Torracat. No ghosts. Dead silence.

The heat felt even worse as every second passed. I pinched my sweat-drenched clothes off my skin every so often. "Geez, why is it such a sauna in here?" I yawned. "And this heat seems to be exhausting me…" I leaned an arm against a set of shelves. My eyes drooped a bit. "So tired…maybe I should…rest a bit…" I turned my back against the shelves.

Smeargle yelped and smacked my face with her tail. Red paint splotches etched across my face.

That snapped me to my senses. "Sorry; forgot you were there for a sec."

Smeargle grumbled to herself and groomed her backside. Her grip on me was slackening, and she seemed as tired as I was.

"It must be this heat," I thought aloud. "Maybe if Smeargle used Glaciate…" I sighed. "No. That move could spook away the Totem Pokemon. I don't want to fail…I can't fail again…"

"Are you loved?" whispered the voice again.

I snapped, "Where are you?" The sound seemed to come from the back of the mart. I ran to the right corner. Without Torracat, I could barely see anything. A display of Poke Dolls was all that I could distinctly make out close by me.

"Are you loved?" said the tiny voice again. This time, I could make the voice out to be distinctly masculine. Kind of like a very young man.

I clenched my fists. "Step out where I can see you, you creep! I prefer a guy who I can be 'hands on' with."

Nothing appeared for a minute. Then there was movement by the display. Took me a couple of seconds to realize a Pikachu Doll and a Marill Doll were levitating off the display shelves.

"Smeargle, use Origin Pulse again!" I growled.

Smeargle obliged when I bent down so she could fire her attack over my shoulder. The light beams knocked the dolls away, and revealed a Gengar that used Psychic on them.

I took a step toward it. "So…are you the Totem Pokemon?"

The Gengar laughed micheviously, then directed a Shadow Punch at me.

I turned around, letting Smeargle blow the attack. "I challenge you to…" But when I turned back, the Gengar was gone. I pulled at my twin tails. "Another fake out?! Fuck! I'll turn this shop upside down…again, if I have to find the stupid Totem Pokémon!"

A box from a shelf hurled at us. We only had enough reaction time to shield ourselves with our arms. The box didn't harm us much, but lots of dust and spores exploded onto us. Now Smeargle was pissed. She jumped off my back and frantically inspected her body. Then she angrily pointed her tail in front of her like a melee weapon, barking at her invisible assailant.

"I'm getting tired of this…" I shouted weakly. I still had this drowsy feeling weighing on me. I felt like a soggy sponge that was about to flop over at any second under this heat. "Got to keep…going. Can't lose…ever again…"

Then I barely spot the Pikachu through the darkness. It was scampering among some boxes toward the back wall.

"There! After that Pikachu!" I mustered. Smeargle followed me, though she dragged her feet. I jumped over the boxes, knocking over one. I couldn't see the Pikachu again, but I was more determined than ever to find the overrated mouse. "You're not getting away this time!" I muttered under my breath. I used my right hand to run against the wall, while I used my other hand to wipe the sweat off my face. Smeargle smartly wrapped her tail around my left leg to keep pace with me.

Then I felt a doorknob. "Here!" I shook it. The knob refused to budge, and the door kept shut as tight as a drum. I banged the door. "Come on! When's this going to end?"

"End?" said the tiny male voice next to my ear. "End? End? End?"

I swatted at the air, but nobody was there. "Who's here? When will this end?" I said exasperatedly.

"End? End? Ennnnnnd?" The voice became more raspy and harsh. "There is no ennnnnnd!" A humanoid figure about my height appeared at the corner of my eye.

But when I turned, the figure was gone. "I saw you! That you, Acerola? You fucking with me?"

No response. Then I felt a hand, bigger than Smeargle's, grab my wrist. "It will never end between us…" The male voice returned, now sounding mysteriously more familiar.

Startled, I pressed against the wall. "Don't touch me!" But nobody was there. Smeargle looked confused and exhaustingly cross. My heart was racing, snapping me out of my tired mood. My eyes darted to each aisle. I was not going to be jumped upon this time. "Whoever you are," I said out loud. "You know this trial has to end at some point."

"This trial, that trial," said the detached, whispering voice. "Maybe win, maybe not."

"Of course I'll win," I boasted. "Just a matter of time…"

"Time. End. In the end…are you good…are you loved…for who you are?"

"…what?"

"Are you as good…are you as loved…as me?" The humanoid shadow appeared just out of my peripheral view again. I turned my head to the right. Dismayed once again that the figure vanish. But a loud *chunk* sound echoed off the wall. I followed the wall to the sound, leading me to another door. It was left open a crack.

"Smeargle, this must be it. Are you ready?" I whispered to her.

She nodded, but her body swayed like she was about to pass out.

"Oh, you poor thing…" I scooped her into my arms. Then I pulled a Hyper Potion out of my pocket to freshen her up. "Smeargle is exhausted. Torracat has vanished. I'm hearing and seeing things. What kind of trial is this?" I was halfway done spraying Smeargle when it suddenly whipped out of my hands. It shot through the air and down an aisle before I could lift a finger. "I outta…! No. Trial first. Then I'll show that Gengar who's the boss around here!"

I creaked the door open a little more. Smeargle moved back onto my shoulders. I peeked my eyes inside. "Hello?" It was a very small room that could cram maybe nine people inside. And it was completely empty. Just a finicky light illuminated more than what I could see in the main shopping area. I nudged the door a little further. "Helloooo?" I stuck my head through, as did Smeargle. When we blinked, things changed. The walls were suddenly filled with blurry photos.

I opened the door the rest of the way and stomped inside. "What are these?" I squinted to try to see what was in the photos. When my face was mere centimeters away, the ceiling light went out for a second. Then it flashed back on. The photo instantly became clear. I audibly gasped. "What the fuck?!"

It was a photo of my brother. He looked about four years old, but he had the light brown hair, hazel eyes, and carefree demeanor I'd seen him in once before. I held my breath. "Why is this here?" I glanced at all the other photos. Each and every one of them was of Will. Some were when he was younger. Some had him playfully posing with our parents. Some were with his Pokemon at an older age. The Dartrix, the shiny Duskull, the Dewott, the Zoroark, and others I didn't remember him being with.

I was flabbergasted. Caught between boiled rage and seeded dread. "How are all these here?"

The door to the room slammed shut. Smeargle and I jumped. We rushed to it, but it was locked tight as a drum.

"It will never end…" said the familiar voice.

My eyes widened. My throat tightened. "No…" I squeaked. I slowly turned around. The figure stood before me, with the Pikachu by his side. I felt the color drain from my face. "No…you…"

"Hello, sis," said the figure of Will. He looked in his late teens, wearing dark-colored clothes.

I stammered profusely. "It…can't be…"

"We're forever entangled, you and I," he said. "I always return. I always stay one step ahead of you." His voice was harsh and slow, like he was meticulously driving each word into me like a hammered nail.

I pressed against the door. "Y-y-you c-can't! You can't b-b-be him! I-I-I saw you…you…you…"

"You. I know who you are. You are a mistake. You will never be better than me. You will never be loved by mom and dad, the way they love me."

"S-s-stop! S-stop it, Will!" I clutched my head and squeezed my eyes shut. "I'm n-not a mistake. I'm not…I'm not…I'm not…" Tears built up in my eyes.

There was a pause. "Do you…hate me?" His voice changed to a more wistful tone.

I shut my eyes harder as the rage inside of me boiled out with my despair. "Yes, I hate you! I fucking hate you! I hate how mom and dad treated you blatantly better than me. I hate how they gave you all the attention, even to this day! I hate how you exposed me as a fraud! I hate how you easily beat me in battle!" I whipped my head up to look him in the eyes through my own teary eyes. "There! You happy now?! That what you wanted to hear me say to you after…"

Then I remembered. The last time we crossed paths. The last words he said to me. "I'm a mistake, too. The whole Society is. And I will fix everything," he said before leaving me behind.

At this moment, I looked to Smeargle. She was swaying, like she was in a trace. "Wait a minute. This…this isn't real." I pinched my skin hard."You're not real…" I murmured to myself.

He looked confused. "Your hate. I know that hate. I know how it feels inside."

I gritted my teeth. "Yeah? You better. Because someone is pulling a horrible prank on me. And that individual's gonna pay!" I whipped a finger at him. "And I know you are a fake!"

The person who looked like Will put a hand to his chest, seemingly hurt. Meanwhile, a dark aura engulfed the Pikachu beside him. The Pokémon even grew at least double its size. "Nooooo! I'm not a fake!" Will's voice turned harsh and raspy, even seeming more detached from his person.

I stood my ground, burning as much as the Pikachu. "Oh yes you are! See, I've been doing some extra studying on Pokémon. And there is a particularly nasty combo consisting of Hypnosis, Dream Eater, and Nightmare. The first move is used to sleep. The second is used to leech health. And the third damages foes with haunting images. And what common group of ghosts know these three moves?" I faked the pose of pushing up my glasses. "That'd be Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar. The same ones who tormented us in this mart. The same ones…who are helping you right now!"

At this moment, the very Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar I encountered before appeared behind the fake Will and enlarged Pikachu. The Gastly was spewing some low-frequency beams that were making Smeargle incredibly drowsy. Then a sort of life force was expelled from her to the Haunter. Gengar disappointingly looked like he just finished a Nightmare attack.

I accusingly pointed at them. "You guys have lured my Torracat away, and are hypnotizing and draining my poor Smeargle. But worst of all, you had the gall to make it look like my own brother was coming from the grave?! That's just fucked up! And you know you're messed up when that comment's coming from a member of Team Celeste! So come at me….totem faker!"

There was a slight tremble. The pictures all turned into pictures of Pikachu. Then the harsh, totally-not-Will voice now hissed, "You call meeeeeee a fake?! You don't know the meeeeeaning!"

The body of Will stiffened. His skin turned to an icy blue. "Pan…" His mimicked voice croaked as he shakily lifted a hand. Like he was trying to reach me. Although I knew he was fake, I almost choked seeing this state of him. Especially when he just crumpled to the floor like a ragdoll and vanished in a ghostly haze.

When I refocused on the Pokémon, I realized the walls around us disappeared. Only blackness surrounded us. The grossly humid heat I felt moments ago changed to skin-chilling cold. My frustration returned. "What is this? What kind of Totem Pokémon are you?"

Finally, the Pikachu flashed away. In its place was a Mimikyu, just as enlarged as its average kind. "Seeeee meeeee?" The Totem Mimikyu said in a harsh, unworldly tone.

I ran up to Smeargle and pulled her tail. "Hey! Snap out of it!" I yelled at the top of my voice.

I knew she hated anyone pulling her tail. So, as I expected, she woke up and slapped my face with her red-paint-dipped tail. Her face was as red as she painted mine, and she shrilled at me while caringly gripping her tail.

But I scowled right back, "You were asleep! You wanna blame someone, blame them!" I pointed to Totem Mimikyu and the three ghost Pokémon.

Smeargle slowly turned her head to them, and gave them a glowering look. While the Mimikyu seemed unfazed, the three ghosts flinched nervously.

I crossed my arms and gave my own unapologetic look. "You guys fucked up now. She ain't holding back when you make her angry. Smeargle, Origin Pulse."

She fully faced the opponents with a dark blue aura surrounding her. With a raging shout, she blasts dozens of light beams from her body. Anticipating the attack, the three levitating ghosts fled into the darkness. But Totem Mimikyu remained unfazed. The Pikachu mimic took multiple Origin Pulse attacks and fell limp on the floor.

While Smeargle seethed, I gave myself a fist bump. "Yes! Now, Mimikyu, forfeit that Z-Crystal you're guarding now that…"

Suddenly, a dark blob dashed behind Smeargle, slashing her before darting back into the shadows. She howled in pain and fell to the ground.

"Shit, she sustained too much damage from the Dream Eater earlier." Before I moved, the dark blob came from the front, roughly bashed her across the head, and sent her flying right at me. I caught her and took a few steps back, though I toed the edge of the visible floor. The blob darted closely around us a few times. Then it was gone again before I could track it. "Geez, who's that Pokémon?" That's when I noticed Mimikyu on the floor. Or rather, the Pikachu rag as flat as a pancake on the floor. "It's Mimikyu! It must have used its disguise as a decoy."

The blob of the real Mimikyu zipped under the rag, fitting it back on itself. The Pikachu head was pathetically limp to one side, but the eye holes underneath flashed angrily.

"And it's fast!" I heard Smeargle groan in pain in my arms. "Okay, Smeargle. You did well so far, but you need a rest…" I reached down to the PokeBalls on my skirt belt. They were gone! "What? But how?" I narrowed my eyes to Mimikyu. "You! Give me my PokeBalls, and my Torracat back!"

The Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar returned from the shadows. They drifted behind the Totem Mimikyu, snickering at me.

"You can't seeeeee?" screeched Mimikyu. "You're blinded. Just. Like. Meeeeeee!" The Disguise Pokémon motioned his ghostly hand for his cohorts to attack.

The Gastly lunged first, readying a Lick attack. I held Smeargle close to me and squinted my eyes. "You think I'm afraid? You just made me angry…"

There was a screechy hiss from the shadows. To my right, a blur of red and orange tackled Gastly. As the creature chomped down on the Gastly's gaseous tail, a tinge of relief swept through me. "Torracat!" The Fire Cat Pokémon finished off his opponent with a Heat Wave, then glanced a grin to me.

The Haunter and Gengar flinched before they could lunge at me. Behind them, Totem Mimikyu tilted his head. "Not lost? So, you discarded your pride and returned for your trainer?"

Torracat turned to them and hissed, triggering his Intimidate ability on them. I set Smeargle aside, then narrowed my eyes to my opponents. "Not quite. True, we've been kindred spirits since we met in my younger days. But we were never really friends. No, what we really want…is victory. We just mutually recognize and respect each other's pride." I switched to a lower tone. "And when you wound that pride, you make us angry. And you won't like us when we're angry…"

On cue, Torracat blasted Heat Wave again. Mimikyu was quick enough to dodge the attack, but the other two took the attack. While the two ghosts were briefly stunned, Torracat leapt at the Haunter and used Acrobatics on him, making him faint, too. He stood on top of his defeated foe with a gleeful grin.

But that didn't last long, as Gengar and Mimikyu rushed at him from either side. They used Shadow Punch and Slash respectively.

At this moment, I shouted, "Torracat, dodge Mimikyu's attack. Then take on Gengar with your Bite attack."

He twisted his body, letting Mimikyu dart by him. When he turned to face the Gengar, he had little time to react to the Shadow Punch. All he could do was Bite hard on the attack. He was sent flying to my left, but landed on his feet. With a sad look, he whimpered and scrunched to the floor. Gengar stopped before him, snickering at his cowardly opponent.

Mimikyu made an eerie sort of chuckle. "Is heeeeee too scared now?"

I smirked, "You idiots. He does this all the time."

As I expected, Torracat gave off a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. His opponents had fallen for his false pleads for mercy! He toughened his stance and meowed intimidatingly. But then his body glowed.

I flinched. "That doesn't happen all the time."

His body grew larger, morphing into a bipedal form. When the transformation finished, he let out a more earnest roar.

"Incineroar!" I clapped my hands together with glee. "Finally!"

He flashed me a grin, then narrowed his eyes toward his opponents. The Gengar was closer to him, and was now the cowering one. Incineroar growled, then ran at the Gengar. He raised his arms and spun along the floor like a top with that forward momentum. His attack made a direct hit on the panicking Gengar, and made his opponent faint.

"And you learned Darkest Lariat, too!" I beamed. "Good. You don't really need Roar, anyway."

Incineroar scoffed at me and folded his arms.

I copied his stance. "Really? You're how old and evolved and you're still going to make a fuss at every other complement I give you?"

He grunted stubbornly.

Mimikyu made some creepy clicking sounds, then ran at Incineroar. "I still stand. Face meeeeee!"

"Looks like the Mimikyu is going to use Play Rough. That's especially bad now that my Incineroar gained the secondary Dark type." "Incineroar, keep that thing away with Heat Wave!"

He made some sort of retort, but puffed his chest. Then he released his Heat Wave; not from his mouth, but his naval.

Mimikyu was hit directly. As he took on the flames, he raised his shadowy hand. Suddenly, similar flames shot from that hand, countering the Heat Wave.

"Did you just Mimic that move?" I muttered under my breath. "Or did you Copycat?"

"I just did what you can do," said Mimikyu. "Meeeee. Meeeeee!" He waved his fake Pikachu head side to side, like he was waving a victory flag. Then his fake head dipped in front of him, like he was cressfallen. "I like Pikachu moves better. Wouldn't you….love that better? To do things his way?" Part of his voice seemed to be sent my direction.

I felt a vein throb in my head.. "What?! What is wrong with you? You got some fixed obsession with me as much as Pikachu?"

Insulted for being ignored, Incineroar began another Darkest Lariat attack. But Mimikyu made another soul-punching screech. A strange energy tether connected the two of them. This stopped Incineroar's attack. He seemed to wince in pain as Mimikyu took a deep breath.

"Pain Split," I gritted my teeth.

"You will know my pain," Mimikyu chided Incineroar. Once the attack finished, he shifted to spewing flames again. Then he turned to me. "You know my pain. We aspire to beeeeeee like someone. Someone in the spotlight. The attention." His voice became a mix of Will's and his own. The room turned even colder. "But you can't, can you? How can you beeeeee like him?"

I clenched my fists. "Like him? Like him?!" I seethed. "No. You think we are so alike? You are mistaken. There is one huge difference between you and I. You obsess to be like Pikachu. But me? I don't want to be like my brother. I want to surpass him!" I raised my right arm, showing my pink Z-Ring. With my other hand, I switched out the Buginium-Z I tried out earlier and placed the Flyinium-Z. "Thank Arceus Mimikyu didn't make the Z-Crystals in my pocket disappear."

I shouted to Incineroar, "Let's end this!" Then I followed each of the poses I learned to achieve the Flying-type Z-move.

"What?" Mimikyu flinched and stopped attacking with Heat Wave.

Incineroar flexed his muscles intimidatingly as the energy from my Z-Ring transferred to him. "Supersonic Skystrike!" I shouted as I ended my pose. With a grin, he leapt high into the air. Far beyond the height of the single ceiling light and disappeared into the darkness.

Mimikyu and I just looked up for a few seconds. Then I gave the Disguise Pokémon a malicious smile. "It's over. Nowhere to hide."

Mimikyu just stood there, silent. Then he sighed, "I suppose. It's over for meeeee. As it will eventually for youuuuuuuuu…"

Before I could question his last words, Incineroar fell back to the ground. Mimikyu made a scream so loud I had to cover my ears. Smoke blew out from the area of impact. The ceiling light blew out, and I was alone in darkness.

Then a whisper that sounded like Will's voice said close to my ear, "Pan…I'm coming for you…"

I gave a muffled yelp as I flinched away from the sound. But nobody was there. "Fuck you, Mimikyu!" I spluttered.

Suddenly, the lights came back on. The smoke cleared. It was just Incineroar, Smeargle, and I in the small room we entered. The walls were bare, and the single ceiling light flickered occasionally. Incineroar looked around confused, as the Totem Pokémon was gone.

I blinked, thinking how the room seemed bigger when Mimikyu was around. "How was that physically possible?" Then I noticed a shiny object by Incineroar's feet. A Ghostium-Z. I picked it up, mixed feelings over the victory. "Fine, I guess. But still, fuck you, Mimikyu," I grumbled.

As I put the Ghostium-Z in my pocket, I realized my belt of PokeBalls was back on my waist. Relieved, I took out Smeargle's PokeBall and faced her. "Here we go. You can take a good rest. And of course, a hot bubble bath incoming as promised." I turned to Incineroar. "This isn't over. We've got more training to do."

I pushed down on the door handle. With a scream, Acerola nearly fell into the room. "Get ou…oh!" She smoothed her skirt. "Oh, thank Arceus! You're alright!"

I glared at her. "Alright?! I…"

But she continued, "That new Mimikyu's been getting more and more hostile to trial goers. Keeps making little changes to the layout of this Megamart, too. I'm going to have to teach him some proper manners if he's to continue being the Totem Pokémon of this trial." There was an awkward silence between us. Without a word, we agreed to get out of the haunted mart. Fresh, cooler air never felt so good. Acerola quickly bowed her head. "I apologize for any inconvenience that Mimikyu gave you!"

I kept my cool, but jabbed a finger at her chest. "You better! But…I got the Ghostium-Z, so I passed…right?"

"Yes," she said nervously.

"Good. Now, do you happen to know where I could find other Z-Crystals on this island?"

"Well, there's some Icinium-Z that you could find in the caves up on Mount Lanakila."

I narrowed my eyes. "Fine…" I lifted my finger off of her. As mad as I was, it wasn't really her fault, per se. And my parents would kill me if I had an Elite Four member weary of me. "That'll make us square for… what I had go through for this trial." The sun was starting to set, giving a nice scenic view of the ocean from where we stood. Too bad the Thrift Megamart killed any nice mood I could have of that view. I stormed off with my head held high. "Come, Incineroar. Tomorrow's another day for Z-Crystal hunting."

{The next day, Will's perspective}

[You called for me, Will?] said Knave as he approached me.

"Hm? Oh, hi," I murmured distractedly. I sat at the hill peak, just staring at my broken Kineti-Pack for at least an hour.

[Is it about your hovering pack thing?]

"Oh…no…" I finally averted my gaze and turned to Knave. "Something else to do…to keep me busy off of fixing this thing for a while."

He smirked, [Were you trying to stare the pack into fixing itself?]

I rolled my eyes. "If only. For now, I got a different problem to solve." I began putting on my winter gear. "I got a new facility I need to break in through. And it's on top of a snowy, freezing mountain. So I need to assemble a team to go with me."

Knave coolly crossed his arms. [And you want you're resident Ice-type subordinate on lock. Cool! Who's our teammates? How many?]

"Well, you know I work well with teams no greater than six. For my telepathic limit reasons. The inside is moderately heated, but I can't discount any surprise traps that'll send us outside. So it's best if I bring along those who can resist the cold more easily. You are a no-brainer. Primrose and Bravado are Fire-types, so they can generate their own heat. Joules is somewhat ice resistant by her Water-typing. And…"

[She's "cold" by nature?]

I gave him a look. "You've been hanging around Bravado recently?"

He put his hands up. [Yeah, yeah. Sorry. Just had to walk into that joke while it was hanging so exposed.]

"…but yeah, by her nature, she pretty much fights through anything and anyone, no matter the terrain." I frowned, "But that leaves me two spots left."

Knave tapped his foot as he thought, [Yeah, I don't think Sherwood or Gardna would like the cold. Or anyone else on our team.]

I finished putting on my bundled clothes, keeping them over some more casual attire. "Right. So…I'm going to recruit a new member."

[Ooh! A new wild encounter. What's it been? Two years since the last time you got some wild Pokemon to join us on the island?]

"Yeah," I said flatly. I reached for my scrapbook and flipped through the pictures. In the Alola region section, there was a pictured ad of the new Alola Pokemon League building. "Let's try here, on Mount Lanakila." I put away the scrapbook, then opened a portal for Knave and me to jump through.

I imagined being high above where the league building was. Which meant that Knave and I were in free fall through the other side of the portal. As we fell, I could see a few people below along the paths. But there was a rock with a side facing away from any possible spectators. Keeping with physics, I opened a second portal to make us fall in reverse, then opened a third portal at peak of feeling weightless to fall nicely behind the rock.

Knave grinned, [You've been practicing.]

I couldn't hide my smile from the adrenaline rush. [Yeah. Too bad I can rarely use it outside of practice.]

We had landed on the high mountainside of Lanakila. To get to the wild Pokémon, Knave and I descended to the midpoint area. It was a wide open area, with dirt paths and snowy grasslands. Groups of Alolan Vulpix and Alolan Sanshrew we in the tall grass, playing. An Absol was climbing up the mountain. Another Absol was aided by a Vanillish against a Rising Star trainer. A Castform was making it hail over two sparring Crabrawler.

Knave waved to a pack of Sneasel passing by. [So, did you have a particular Pokémon in mind to catch?]

I kept scanning the area. [An Ice-type. Someone well-rounded.] Then I spot some Snorunt huddling at the far side. [Like them.]

Knave and I walked up to the Snorunt. One of my steps made some grass rustle. The Snorunt turned to us, started. I tightened my gloves. "Snorunt. All of you. I challenge you to a battle. Perhaps one among you is worthy to join me."

The Snorunt were still a bit nervous, but huddled together in a triangular formation against me.

"Then let's begin!" I smiled. [Knave, start with Brick Break. Only one hit per Snorunt. Don't want to make them faint too quickly.]

[Got it,] Knave nodded. He ran at the Snorunt head on. In turn, all the Snorunt charged with a Headbutt attack. Their mob formation provided a solid offense and defense. But Knave simply dashed around their right flank. They were too slow to turn, and awkwardly knocked into each other. This allowed Knave to run in and indiscriminately hit each one with a Brick Break. [Ha! This is too easy?]

Some of the Snorunt broke away, fleeing the battle. Some fell to the ground, feebly rolling about. But about half still shook off the super-effective attack. Now, with Knave amongst them, they had him surrounded. They bared their teeth, revealing their next group attack to be Ice Fang.

[Keep yourself guarded with Blizzard,] I commanded.

[With a twist.] Knave spun on his toes, spreading a harsh snowy blast from his mouth. All the Snorunt halted and hunkered down where they stood. Some fell over, unable to stand against the close-ranged Blizzard. But three among them activated their Protect, effectively blocking any damage.

[Thinning the horde,] I thought. [So which of these three are the most effective team player? Knave, rush in with Brick Break!]

He bared his claws and rushed at the three again. His first pick was the centermost Snorunt. To our surprise, the Snorunt lowered its Protect barrier, shrieked, and jumped out of Knave's way. More surprising to me was what this Snorunt looked like now that I got a good look at him. His outer body was clad in cyan, not the usual yellow exterior common amongst Snorunt.

[Hey, this one's a shiny! That's incredibly rare. Maybe we should…] I sighed mid-thought. The shiny Snorunt was tucked into himself, shivering and facing away from Knave. [It seems too jumpy and skittish. Nice as he looks, he would not quite work for our team.]

[Oh well,] Knave agreed. He switched to the left Snorunt; a regular colored one. This one kept his Protect barrier up. It successfully held once again. But then he dropped his shield and called something out to his bretheren.

Knave looked back to me and translated, [The Snorunt are about to run away. You think this one's good?]

[Maybe,] I pondered. [But let's check the last one, just in case. Brick Break it, of course.]

[Alright…] Knave leapt at the Snorunt to the right, bearing both his claws. She also held up her Protect for protection. But upon Brick Break's impact, the Protect failed. It shattered, and Knave's arm kept on swinging down upon the helpless regular colored Snorunt. Then he stopped. Not by his own volition. Rather, because of the shiny Snorunt. At the last second, this Snorunt leapt between the two combatants and put up his own Protect.

[Woah!] Knave's mouth fell open. [When did you become so fast?]

The shiny Snorunt didn't mutter any audible sounds, but he locked eyes with his opponent and made a posture that I assumed was trying to puff out his almost non-existent chest.

I gave a confident smile. [There is our potential guy!]

Knave lowered his arms, grinning. [Sweet. So what now?]

But in the moment of that grin, the shiny Snorunt panicked. He dropped his Protect and ran off. His feet barely touched the ground as he dashed away.

[Geez, he is fast!] said Knave. [I didn't think Snorunt could move like that.]

I started running after the Snow Hat Pokemon. [Quick, after him!]

We ran down the mountain, through grass and snow. But the shiny Snorunt maintained his distance. I could sprint with Knave just fine, but even he seemed at awe with how fast this Snorunt was running. It seemed plausible that I would tire out before the terrified Snorunt.

Then Snorunt ran into a cave. At the entrance, I halted. Knave kept going a few paces further, before realizing I stopped. [Hey, Will, he's getting away! Why'd you stop…?] He walked back to me and noticed how I was staring indefinitely into the cave. My heartbeat slowed, while my mind seemed to be running directionless. [Oh…] Knave bit his lip. [Will?] He tapped my slightly shaky hand. I snapped out of my aimless thoughts and looked down to him. He returned a pained expression. [I'm right here. You won't be buried, ever again. But…if this is too…]

I shook my head. [I'll…I'll be fine.] I took a deep breath. Together, we stepped into the cave. Knave still had his claws gently pressed against my fingertips. As immediately as the moment came, it was washed away with relief just as quickly. [You can go on ahead. Use your Agility.]

[Are you sure?]

I nodded affirmatively. [I'm sure. Just hope we hadn't lost that Snorunt.]

Knave slowly nodded, then sprinted ahead of me at blinding speed.

Once the echo of Knave's scraping footsteps dissipated, it was just me and my footsteps. The walls of the cave were coated in ice. The sun from outside reflected off these icy surfaces, giving the cave a dim, artificial glow throughout. For a couple of minutes, I was alone. I thought I was completely at ease with my past. But in moments where the caves slightly narrowed, I felt a lot more claustrophobic than I expected. The walls almost seemed to reach out and clench me from all sides. The cold air plunged so far below zero, I could probably fall forever. But it was all a trick of my mind. I could blink hard, and all perspective became clear. "I'm still here. I will never be buried again," I said under bated breath.

Then I heard commotion. Elated, I ran the rest of the way. [Knave, you found him?]

[Yeah.] I caught up with him at an intersection. Snorunt was chomping down on Knave's right claw, using Ice Fang. He stubbornly clenched his teeth around his opponent's wrist. But Knave seemed more annoyed than hurt. [Let go of me! A Snubbull has more dignity than you.]

His flailing arm finally swung Snorunt off. But the Snow Cap Pokémon huffed and blew a Frost Breath attack.

Knave held his ground, with both his arms crossed in front of him. He gasped throughout the attack. [That stung! Is this what 'cold' actually feels like?]

I scratched my head. [This attack is meant to be critically damaging. But shouldn't you be able to resist it?]

He shook off the ice flakes and grumbled. [Yeah, but this attack really hurt. It's like he's been getting stronger and faster as I've been sparring with him.

Snorunt scowled, hopping between each foot like he was preparing for anything.

[Hm. This Snorunt knows Ice Fang, Protect, Headbutt, and Frost Breath. It doesn't have any stat-boosting moves, so how as he been getting stronger?] Then I got an idea. [Knave, how about you try Punishment? Don't launch the attack, just hold the energy on your palm.]

[Okay…] he puzzled. He held out his right hand upwards. A pool of dark energy rose from his palm. It shaped into a boomerang-like disc, getting bigger and bigger. To a size over twice that of any Weavile. Knave had to hold it above his head. [What the...?] He looked at Snorunt, who's eyes grew wide as he quivered before the dark energy disk. [ThisSnorunt has that much of a boost? He's jacked! How?]

I grinned, [He's not just a shiny Snorunt. He's a shiny Snorunt with the Moody ability. How lucky are we?] I walked forward, getting between the two. [You can call off your attack now. I think I can get through to him.]

The energy disk dissipated. [Sweet.]

Snorunt gave me a perplexed look.

I held up my hands. "Hey, little guy. Sorry we attacked your group like that. But, see, I'm not exactly some run-of-the-mill Pokémon trainer. I'm the leader of Team Smear…"

Knave held back a chuckle. […who could use a better team name…]

I glanced him a look. "Like Bravado's idea was better?"

[It would have been funnier,] he resigned.

"Come up with a better name, then we can talk about it."

Snorunt seemed more intent to listen, seeing how I could converse with Knave so seamlessly.

I shrugged. "Regardless, I lead a team of Pokémon, like this Weavile here. Our goal is to expose a secret organization known as the Alchimian Society, and take out their subgroup Team Celeste. It's a task that takes years, but we've been able to chip away at them piece by piece. Our foe is resilient, to be sure, and grows about as fast as we can stop them. But we pinpointed a stronghold of theirs. If we can ransack it, I'm certain it will deal a massive blow."

I inched closer to Snorunt. "And this is where you could come in. The stronghold is situated on a snowy mountaintop, harsher than this one. I could really use another Ice-type to assist me on this mission. And you got some pretty impressive abilities."

Snorunt seemed to rapidly switch between bashfulness and eagerness. He mumbled some things out loud.

Knave translated, [He says that his Moody ability has been messing with him a bit. Makes his mood changes more exaggerated.]

I crouched to Snorunt's level and held out a hand. "That's okay. I'll see if I can work something out with that. But, it's up to you. Would you like to travel with me?"

Snorunt backed away at first. Then he beamed and leapt at my hand to high-five it.

Knave fist-bumped the air. [Yes! Another teammate, and fellow Ice-type guy!]

"Great! Now…" I used my Unbound Ring to open a small portal. Out popped a microchip-like device. I held it for Snorunt to see. "This is a Micro-Tag. Alchimian Society invented it. Originally, they use these things to tag a trainer's Pokemon, and it would render their PokeBall useless to recall them. It basically prevents any PokeBall device from working on the Pokemon this thing is clipped to. But I've found a better use for it. Since it prevents all PokeBalls from catching them, I have decided to clip them on wild Pokemon who willingly join our cause."

Knave turned and lifted his frill-like collar. Underneath was an identical Micro-Tag clipped to him, which he pointed out without touching it.

I continued, "It's totally harmless for the wearer. And can resist any damage, as far as I know. There is one caveat: the only way to take it off is by the one who put it on. It has a fingerprint failsafe, so Celeste grunts could tag Pokémon without worrying about its trainer being able to rip them off. So in this case…" I pushed the Micro-Tag closer to Snorunt. "…I want you to be the one to put it on. That way, if you change your mind and want to be free to be captured by another trainer, you can simply tap it again and it falls right off. So, one last time, do you wish to join Team Smear?"

Snorunt carefully picked up the Micro-Tag, inspecting it carefully. Then, he reached down and placed it on his underbelly.

I rubbed Snorunt's head. "Welcome to the team, buddy!"

He sheepishly grinned, saying some sort of thanks in turn.

Suddenly, footsteps broke our moment. The echoes of a person's boots indicated they were not too far from us. Snorunt shrieked and ran off.

[Hey, come back here!] Knave ran after Snorunt and pinned him in place before he got too far.

"Hello?" said a female voice.

I looked down the cave pathway the voice originated from. By the volume of her voice and footsteps, I figured she was around the corner and would be in view in a few seconds. All instincts told me to walk away before I could be spotted. But I remained standing in the middle of the intersection. "Something about that voice. Seems…familiar…"

"I know someone's here," says the voice in a more irritated tone. "Just show yourself already."

My heart stopped. "No way…that's…!" Every part of me was screaming to move, but I was too shocked from recognizing the voice.

Then the figure turned the corner. It was a woman older than me, wearing winter clothes. But what gave her specifically away was her pink twin tails and a large bang over her right eye. "My sister?!" She made one or so steps my way…then stopped.

We stood far enough that I could just make out who she was. It was just us in each other's view. Knave and Snorunt were fortunately out of sight. We locked eyes for only a second. Long enough for me to see the utter disbelief on her face, even more so than I. "Pan?!" I hadn't seen her in over a year. And I wanted to keep it that way.

I bolted down the cave tunnel Knave and Snorunt went.

"Will?!" she blurted. Her boots clomped along the rocky floor. She seemed to be as fast as I could run, making my retreat all the more serious.

I ran up to Knave and Snorunt, but didn't slow my running at all. [Knave, we're leaving! NOW!]

Knave was caught off-guard by my sudden urgency. But quickly nodded, [Yes, Will!] He hugged his arms around Snorunt's head and said to him, [We got to go!]

Before Snorunt could grasp the situation, I opened a portal and pushed him and Knave with me through it.

"Hey! Come ba-!" I could hear her shouts, but didn't see her. The three of us landed on my island beach. I looked back to see the portal close, with no sight of my sister through it.

I let myself fall on my back. "Thank Arceus!"

[Was that your sister?] exclaimed Knave.

[…yeah. But I don't think she spotted us…]

{Pan's perspective}

There he was. Again. Standing in the middle of a cave tunnel intersection was someone who looked like my brother.

"Will?" I gasped under my breath.

But the moment his name left my lips, the kid bolted.

"Will?!" I blurted. I ran as fast as I could in my heavy boots. "No way…that wasn't…?!" The echoes of the kid's footsteps seemed to indicate he could run at least as fast I could. "Hey! Come back…here…!"

But when I reached where he stood and looked down the tunnel he ran, nobody was there.

I blinked rapidly. Then rubbed my eyes. "But…there was someone here…right?" I shook my head and stormed onward in a huff. "Fucking damn it, that Mimikyu!" I exasperated. "His stupid illusions still have me seeing my brother when he's not there! If that Acerola doesn't fire that Totem Pokemon, I'm gonna…!"

But my rage was immediately lifted upon reaching the dead end of this tunnel. There was a rock in the center of a mini-cavern. Sticking out of this rock were Icium-Z.

"Ooh…" I gingerly plucked one of the crystals out. "Acerola was right; they are just sitting here for the taking!" Then I huffed as I placed it in my coat pocket. "I guess she's off the hook…for now…" I walked back the way I came, going down the mountain. "A lot colder than I expected for an Alolan mountain. But no matter. I now have ten Z-Crystals. Just eight more to go!"