Upon opening his eyes, Trevor found himself once again floating amidst a familiar world of swirling colors after several months of complete radio silence. His heart beat furiously as he continued to float aimlessly, silently pondering what he would ask if presented the opportunity. It didn't take long for a certain feather-tipped shadow to appear instantaneously in front of the Meowth, the massive, crimson gem on it's forehead glinting furiously as it lowered it's head in concentration.

"Hello, human. It's good to finally meet you, I trust that you can understand me?"

Trevor noticed how the shadow seemed to be speaking without using it's lips. He opened his mouth as if to speak, yet nothing would come out; The shadow giggled softly at his visible surprise.

"Words aren't necessary whenever I'm around, at least in this place. It would be far more easier for both of us if you could simply think what you want to ask instead. And I'm sure that you have a lot you wish to ask."

Trevor instantly shut his eyes and attempted to imitate the shadow's concentrative stance. "Hello," he managed to think aloud, "You're right that I have a lot to ask you, if you don't mind. Who are you, and what is this place? And why can you speak with me now when you seemingly haven't been able to do so before? And why can I only speak with you through thought, and what-"

"Okay, okay, slow down please," the shadowinsisted, "All questions will be answered in due time. To start, I am Uxie, the Being of Knowledge. At least, that is the title which countless generations have bestowed upon me. As for where we are, this little space is the product of a psychic link produced by a combination of your dreams as well as my psychic abilities."

Uxie gestured towards the gem on their forehead, which continued to emit flashes of brilliant red light. "Creating this kind of dream link is very taxing, even for someone as psychically powerful as myself. Hence why the first time I've managed to link with you, all you could perceive was an abrupt, discordant series of jumbled sentences. Managing to link with your dream is hard enough...but managing to maintain said link for an extended period of time is another thing entirely. Are...you understanding me?"

"I...err...yeah. I think I got the gist. But what I don't understand is...why? Why have you been trying to contact me all this time? You called me 'human' earlier, so you know that I'm not originally a Pokémon. Is there something you can tell me about why I've been sent to this world?"

Uxie gave a subtle nod. "Very astute of you. Yes, I have information which you've long since deserved to know. You see-"

The distant sound of rumbling interrupted the shadow as the world of colors slowly to tremble violently. Trevor frantically swiveled his head around, his dark eyes rapidly jittering around.

"W-what's happening?!"

"You're waking up!"

"Oh no! But when will I see you again?! I have to know the truth now!"

Uxie swiftly flew forwards and grabbed onto Trevor's shoulder as the rumbling grew exponentially louder."Listen carefully! I reside within the bottom of a dungeon known simply as the 'Passage of Mirages.' Reach me there, and I shall tell you all that I know." Trevor could only watch in horror as Uxie's silhouette began to waver.

"Wait! Please, wait!"

Despite Trevor's protestations, the shadow swiftly dissipated as a massive crack formed from above, a massive beam of white light violently spilling into this once serene world. Several more quickly appeared from all angles.

"Wait...don't leave..." Trevor muttered weakly as he became consumed by waves upon waves of blinding whiteness, the sensation of rapid descent swiftly overtaking his senses...

-

Trevor's eyes wrenched themselves open at the piercing glare of morning light covering his face. Trevor dazedly turned his head to find Aiden sitting nearby, gripping a newspaper tightly with gem-cut eyes.

"Morning, Treph. Good timing, take a look at this!" Aiden tossed her newspaper towards Trevor, which he managed to catch reflexively. He spied the bold headline printed at the top which proclaimed, "MYTHICAL POKEMON LOCATION RUMORED, BRAVE EXPLORERS ON THE CASE."

'One mouthful of a title, huh?' Aiden said as Trevor tilted his head in confusion, "Right, guess you don't know. Mythicals consist of a select few beings of cataclysmic strength, far more than that of the average Pokémon. Only upper Legend Ranks are said to be even stand a chance against them. They often seclude themselves in places that are super hard to find, though, so most Pokémon seldom get a chance to see one. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to catch a glimpse of one of these!"

Trevor nodded absentmindedly as he continued reading through the article, the events of his recent dream continuing to fill each crevasse of his brain. His stupor was only broken upon seeing the name "Passage of Mirages" in the center of a block of text, instantly attracting his attention like magnets. Phrases like "Level Seven dungeon" and "Highly Dangerous" followed shortly thereafter, all punctuated by a detailed picture of Alpha near the bottom, his sharp teeth bared into a wide, toothy grin which exuded confidence. Next to the picture was an older image of his father, an incredibly powerful-looking Garchomp covered in pristine scales, razor-sharp spikes, and a plethora of ribbons and awards. The two Pokémon shared the exact same smile and pose; Trevor found the similarities eerily uncanny.

"Ugh, he's going," Aiden grumbled before turning towards Trevor concernedly. "...What do you think, Treph? I trust your judgement. If you think this gig too dangerous for us, we could always tackle something else."

"No! We can't!"

Aiden gave Trevor a wide-eyed stare, recoiling at his sudden, unexpected outburst. "Whoa, Treph! What's gotten into you?!"

"I've...got a good feeling about this one! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, isn't it?! There's no way we can pass this up!"

Aiden stared at Trevor in silence for a brief period, then heaved a great sigh. "Treph...you're starting to sound like me. There's something else, isn't there?" Aiden warmly placed a paw onto Trevor's shoulder. "We've been teammates for how long? You can tell me anything...for real this time. I won't make the same mistakes as before; I'll give you my full, undivided attention."

Taking a deep breath,Trevor mustered up the resolve to relay all the information he knew: his odd dreams, the mysterious tailed shadow, as well as the last words uttered before the end of his most recent encounter.

"Wow, Aiden breathed after Trevor had finished, "What do you reckon this Uxie guy wants to tell you?"

Trevor creased his brow and began vigorously rubbing his temple. "Before the dream ended, Uxie mentioned how I was a human. They're the only one besides you who knows the truth about who I really am. I think that if I can just reach them, I can finally learn why I've been sent to this world! I'm tired of just...sitting still and waiting for the truth to come to me. I just want to take matters into my own hands for once."

'...So that's why you want to go, huh?' Aiden let out a wide, bucktoothed grin, "Well, that settles it! We're gonna go into the Passage of Mirages, and we're gonna find Uxie! Keep your head up, Treph! Level Seven dungeon or not, we're gonna succeed! Just you wait!"

"Aiden..." Trevor murmured, basking in Aiden's sunny presence. "...Thank you."

-

The bright, energetic vibe of Sunrise Town betrayed Camo and Kino's dull expressions as they stood stationed at their empty shop stall. their sagging necks and half open eyes serving as a surefire tell of a slow business day. Their faces intently brightened upon seeing Trevor and Aiden approaching, Camo waving wildly towards the pair as they neared by.

"Heeey! It's been-"

'-too long!' Kino finished, placing her hands onto her hips. "What's Team Spirit up to now?"

"Oh, nothing much," Aiden answered, "We're only planning on going to...the Passage of Mirages!"

Kino sucked in a sharp gasp, then broke out into a devilish grin. "Ah! Dying to catch a glimpse of that mythical, eh? Living on the edge- I like it!"

"If you're going to a dungeon that dangerous," Camo continued while rubbing his palms, "Surely you're going to need a whole bunch of supplies for the journey!"

'Yep!' Aiden turned to Trevor, "Treph, you manage stock while I catch Rin up to speed. Though I guess I'll have to leave out the part regarding...you-know-what. Aaanyways, I'll be back in a flash."

Trevor gave a determined nod, then began busily rummaging through his satchel as Aiden began dashing off into the distance. A subtle jingling sound emitted from the bag only served to make the Kecleon siblings fidget in excitement as Trevor raised his head back upwards. "I'll have the usual, please: Twenty Iron Thorns, ten Oran Berries, and five Blast and Stun Seeds."

'Perfect! I'll get all of that for you in no time!' Kino proclaimed enthusiastically as she began rummaging through the shop's various assortments of cabinets and jars with ferocity. Camo, meanwhile, remained completely still.

"Hey, Trevor. There's something...different about you today."

'W-wha?' Trevor stuttered in confusion, "I...don't feel any different. You're probably just imagining it.

"Nope, I've seen this many times before. You've got that fire in your eyes. I see it in Aiden all the time, but this is the first time I've seen it in you. This mission means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

Trevor nodded slowly as he grabbed a fistful of coins from a pouch, carefully counted, then placed them onto the counter. Kino sighed in relief upon taking scooping the pile towards her.

"Hey, kid," Camo suddenly called out as Trevor began turning to leave, "Here, take this for your expedition!" In his hand was a bulbous Sitrus Berry, its fresh, yellow exterior spotted in vibrant orange dots. Both Trevor and Kino gawked in surprise.

'No, I couldn't!' Trevor protested, flustered at this sudden act of generosity.

"Yeah, you heard the man. You really shouldn't," Kino added through grit teeth, stabbing through Camo a piercing glare, "Especially when we're low on Poké as is..."

'It's the least we could do for our most treasured customer!' Camo retorted, shoving the berry into Trevor's arms with a sly grin.

Kino crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, visibly struggling to hold back the slightest of smiles. "...Okay, fine," she stated, "Go ahead and take it. But remember: that berry's a real rarity! It's healing properties are basically unmatched, sosave it for absolute emergencies. I'm talking a real life or death scenario, you hear?"

'T-thank you so much! I will!' Trevor sputtered as he took the Sitrus Berry into his arms. He was in the process of straining to stuff the massive berry into his already stuffed inventory when he noticed Aiden rapidly approaching, dragging Rin by his arm akin to a ragdoll. Trevor couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu as Aiden suddenly screeched her heels in front of him.

"Hey, Treph! You done shopping?"

"Y-yeah." Trevor murmured, uncomfortably shuffling around while peering at an incredibly disheveled-looking Rin. The Dewott's ponytail was completely unkept, strands of matted fur sticking out from every conceivable angle. His sunken, bloodshot eyes swung like a pendulum as he drunkenly stumbled forwards, Trevor instinctively averting his gaze so as to avoid potentially locking eyes.

'Why'd you have to drag me all this way, huh?' he murmured bitterly, "I was sleeping, you know."

'Morning already ended several hours ago!' Aiden retorted. "Jeez, you're even more of a heavy sleeper than Treph is!"

Rin gave a noncommittal grunt before lumbering towards Camo and Kino, back hunched and shoulders sagging. Despite his unsightly state, Kino nonetheless greeted him with a bright smile.

"You must be Team Spirit's newest member! It's nice to finally meet-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Rin suddenly growled while slamming several coins onto the counter, "Just get me a berry- any kind, I don't care."

The Kecleon siblings both wore similar disdained expressions as they scooped up Rin's money and held out a plump Oran Berry, which Rin instantly swiped out of their hands. "Let's get this over with," he muttered while walking away, leaving Aiden to angrily shout after him. Trevor, meanwhile, gave one hasty apology before awkwardly rushing to catch up with his other two teammates. The siblings continued to wave in silence until the trio were completely out of sight.

'Jeez, what's his deal?' Camo muttered sourly minutes after Team Spirit's departure, "It's almost as if he wants everyone to hate him."

Kino nodded slowly, a worried scowl stretched across her face . "I certainly hope Trevor and Aiden're going to be okay with someone like him around. With a dungeon like the Passage of Mirages, they're gonna need all the help they can get. Who knows what they'll encounter in there..."