My hand shakes slightly as I continue to look into the jar that I'm holding. Chimchar were a popular starter back home, so I'd seen plenty of them participate in contests or play in Amity Square. They always seemed so playful and cheerful, which makes the dismembered paw all the more unsettling.
Is there something wrong, Maddy dear?
Dame Madeline is willing to kill if necessary, but death is not something she revels in.
Oh, I'm sorry dear! How thoughtless of me! Let's get you started with something a bit more bloodless. Let's see… Oh, I know! Put that jar back and go to the shelf to your right. One of those jars has a Paras mushroom in it. Did you know that the poor dears actually calm down when you harvest one of their mushrooms? It doesn't hurt them in the slightest.
I gladly return the jar to the shelf and hurriedly move to the one the Witch mentioned. As I do so, I can't help but think about what the Battlemaster said. A month ago I would have been shocked to hear someone describe me like that, but now I can't deny the statement's accuracy.
When I reach the next shelf, I make my best attempt to look in the jars without really processing their contents. Now that I know some of what they might contain, I don't want to give them any more attention than necessary. While the first jar contains some purple ooze, the second one is thankfully the one that I'm looking for, as it contains a single small mushroom. I snatch it off the shelf and turn around before my eyes wander to anything else.
Well done. Now carefully open the jar and take out the mushroom. Be sure not to jostle it though. We don't want any of the spores to come out!
I carefully unscrew the jar's lid, being sure not to inhale in case there's pressurized air filled with spores inside. After nothing accompanies the hiss of releasing air, I place the lid back on the shelf and gingerly extract the small mushroom that was inside.
"So what do I do now?" I ask, holding the mushroom practically at arm's length.
Unlike the entrance to my burrow, this mushroom hasn't been enchanted yet, so it won't be as simple as saying a word. We'll need to imbue it with energy first.
"How do I do that?" I ask resignedly. I've finally managed to get Hana almost weaned off my energy, so it almost shouldn't be a surprise that something else has come up.
There are many points of power around Hisui, especially here in the Highlands. In fact, you're standing on one right now! I used up most of that power back in my time, but it should have been replenished by now. To access it, close your eyes and feel for the power around you.
I happily close my eyes, glad to hear that this particular power source is external to me. I stand there for several seconds, then frown. "Um, how am I supposed to feel for it?"
Don't worry if you can't feel it right away, Maddy, it's really quite common. Many of my apprentices had the same problem until they practiced meditation. There's a room in the burrow for that very purpose. Sit down in there and try to empty your thoughts. You'll feel it soon enough.
"Okay, I'll give it a shot," I say as I open my eyes back up and look around. It only takes me a second to find the tunnel with a hand-painted wooden sign above its entrance saying 'Meditation Chamber.'
I'm about to step toward it but hesitate. "Can we take that barrier down and let Ricky in? I don't want to leave him out there while I'm just sitting there."
Oh, of course! Aliss, can you let the dear boy in?
The Misdreavus makes what sounds like a resigned sigh before slowly floating back to the burrow's entrance. "Thank you!" I call to her as she leaves and then I enter the meditation chamber.
Like the main room, the meditation chamber is surprisingly clean instead of everything being covered in dust as I'd expected. The room's furnishings are extremely light, with just a few large pillows scattered around and a single shelf on the far wall. I walk over to the pillow closest to the entrance and sit down, though I have to take a couple of extra seconds to take Hana off of my waist since her sheath is pushing against me uncomfortably. She floats off to the side, staying within reach.
With that potential distraction taken care of, I close my eyes and try to relax, taking deep breaths. I'm immediately reminded of the fantasy movies that Gwen used to make me watch, but thinking about her is the exact opposite of relaxing. When I try to tear my thoughts away from my best friend, I end up thinking about my family and how I'm never going to see them again either. It's a familiar train of thought and usually where I've been having Hana help me fall asleep, but that's not an option right now. After trying and failing to stop thinking about them, I croak out, "Do you have any tips for meditation?"
Too many things on your mind dear? I'm sure you've been through a lot. If you're up for it, there are Kadabra whiskers that will help you on the shelf. I'll admit they're not quite as… ethically sourced as the Paras mushroom, but I guarantee they'll help you relax.
"How will Kadabra hairs help me?" I ask, giving the shelf a skeptical and somewhat wary look.
They've been enchanted with Calm Mind, which might be exactly what you need right now. If you want to give it a try, simply hold them and say the words, just as you did outside.
I sit with my thoughts for another minute before snapping my eyes back open. Meditation clearly isn't working for me now, so I have two options. I can give up on learning magic and lose a valuable tool against the Galaxy Team. Or I can suck it up and use some magic hairs so I can actually concentrate.
I stand up with a huff and practically stomp over to the shelf. With none of the gingerness from before, I snatch one of the jars from the shelf and open it up to pluck one of the hairs out of it. I cringe slightly at the feel of the old hair but push past the weird feeling and clearly enunciate, "Calm Mind."
The hair between my fingers begins to lightly glow blue and the glow quickly spreads to cover my body. It only takes a second for my negative thoughts to wash away, leaving me with a feeling of utter relaxation that I haven't felt since arriving in Hisui. I move to return the hair to the jar, only to find it dissolving as the blue light fades. I place the jar back on the shelf with a slight shrug and walk back to the pillow I'd sat on before. This time, when I plop down on the cushion and start taking deep breaths, I have no difficulty clearing my thoughts. Even with the Calm Mind, I sit there for a while with no results, but I feel so relaxed that I hardly even care about the lack of success.
I suddenly get the impression of what feels like a swirling wind in the middle of the room. My first instinct is to open my eyes to look at it, but I'm able to suppress the urge. Instead, I imagine myself reaching out to the odd feeling and I'm immediately rewarded with a light jolt that makes me recoil and open my eyes in surprise.
"Was that it?" I wonder aloud, even though the answer is obviously yes.
Yes! Well done Maddy! Now, try again, but this time take that power that you felt and move it into the mushroom.
I nod before closing my eyes again, and with the help of Calm Mind, it only takes me a few seconds to find the power again. This time, I'm expecting the mild shock when I mentally touch it and stop myself from reacting. In the same manner that I'd reached out to it before, I visualize moving the power down and into the Paras mushroom that I'm still holding in my right hand. It takes almost a minute before I feel anything different, but then suddenly I lose my hold on the power as the mushroom soaks it up like a sponge. I open my eyes just in time to see a light teal glow covering the mushroom fade away.
An excellent job dear! Now we just need to determine what move you've enchanted the mushroom with. Once you've gained more experience, you'll be able to pick a specific attack to enchant, but for most beginners the move you get is a bit of a surprise. Now, a Paras mushroom will commonly be enchanted with Poison Powder or Stun Spore, so try holding it out and saying the words.
I hold the mushroom as far away from me as I can, wanting to make sure that I'm not affected by the move no matter which one it is.
"Poison Powder," I say, but when nothing happens, I try, "Stun Spore." Once again that doesn't seem to do anything other than send a slight tingle down my spine. I frown slightly, but decide to take that feeling as a hint and give it one more try. "Spore."
Puffs of green pollen fly from the mushroom in my open palm in a conal shape, completely covering the pillows on the floor in front of me.
Spore! And on your first attempt! Why, it seems you're a natural Maddy! That will do wonders for keeping you safe in th-
Bah, Spore is a coward's tool! It's one thing to give yourself a leg up in a fight, but simply putting your foe to sleep is something else entirely!
Oh? Is that why you perished in a fight with a lowly Kleavor?
That Kleavor was anything but lowly; it was an honorable opponent! Besides, I would rather have died on the battlefield than holed up in a dingy cave like someone!
"Stop!" I practically scream, unable to handle the two arguing voices in my head for a second longer. I briefly wonder what a Kleavor is, but the thought is quickly discarded as unimportant. While I don't agree with the Battlemaster regarding fighting honorably, I can't help but think that I at least owe him some consideration after all of the help he's given me. "What sorts of spells would you consider honorable?"
My deepest apologies, Dame Madeline. It seems that the years have done nothing to dull old arguments, but I shall endeavor to do better. To answer your query, I have no qualms with enhancement-based spells such as Bulk Up or Iron Defense, or even spells that inflict direct harm like Ember or Thundershock.
I'm sorry too, Maddy. Dealing with this old curmudgeon really does bring out the worst in me. But perhaps his suggestion does have some merit; Iron Defense would be an excellent spell for you to learn.
I almost call attention to the Witch's continued barbs against the Battlemaster, but decide against it since I don't want to risk starting another argument. Instead, I ask, "Iron Defense would be a protection move right? I definitely wouldn't mind that." The clothes that I'd gotten from Volo are comfortable but don't do much of anything in terms of keeping me safe.
Yes, I think that's an excellent idea, Maddy. And I don't think procuring the materials will offend your sensibilities either. The component for the spell is the stone shavings of a Geodude. They're made of rock, so they don't feel pain the same way that we – or rather you – do, and will regrow in due time.
Iron Defense doesn't sound quite as appealing with that extra information, but if what the Witch says is right, I guess it won't be that bad. I take another second to consider before asking, "Alright, where do I find Geodude?"
I can answer that, Dame Madeline; such collection often fell under my purview. Geodude commonly live beneath the mineral deposits that you may have noticed scattered around Hisui. Smashing open the deposits will disturb any Geodude lying beneath and make them come to the surface. Hana will easily be able to break the deposits on her own, so the task should be quite trivial for the two of you.
While I have a feeling getting a shaving from a Geodude is going to be a bit harder than stated, at least it shouldn't be too bad to find one of the Pokemon. I've seen plenty of the oddly colored crystal deposits since arriving in Hisui. I never gave them much thought since they're so low on the list of oddities in this land.
Glad to at least have a plan, I stand up but hesitate when I realize that I'm still holding the mushroom. Unwilling to leave something this useful behind, I put it into one of the pouches around my waist instead of returning it to one of the shelves of materials.
When we exit the meditation chamber, I find Ricky floating around the room, drifting from one shelf to another, curiously inspecting all of their contents. Aliss doesn't seem to share his enthusiasm and listlessly floats after him, looking the part of a bored chaperone. They both perk up when they notice me and Ricky uses his long arms to excitedly gesture around the room.
"Um, yeah, it's really cool," I say, a bit surprised that he's not as creeped out by the room's more gory contents as me. I suppose it's possible that he simply hasn't looked close enough at the jars. I pause a second to reattach Hana's sheath to my waist before asking, "We're going to head out to find some new materials. Do you want to come with?"
Ricky seems uncertain at the question but bobs his head when he notices Aliss vigorously nodding hers. I give the two a light smile and, after taking a second to reorient myself in the large room, head back toward the tunnel we entered from. The shimmering barrier from before is absent, and I wonder if it's going to come back on its own. When the Witch doesn't mention it, I decide that must be the case and finish heading back up to the surface.
I take a deep breath as we emerge from the tunnel, enjoying the crisp night air. It's a welcome improvement over the stale air in the burrow. When I've finished my brief moment of relaxation, I look around the area, and when I don't immediately spot one of the mineral deposits, I pick a random direction and start walking.
It only takes a few minutes before I spot a wisp and we come across a second not long after that. While I'm more than happy to help out the lost souls, I can't help but wish that I could intuit the location of whatever I'm looking for instead of just the wisps.
Thankfully, I spot a dark gray mineral deposit not far from the second wisp's location. I draw Hana from her sheath and carefully approach it, suddenly feeling very nervous. I quickly look around, trying to find anything out of the ordinary that would be the source of my discomfort. The only unexpected thing that I find is that Aliss is no longer following me, but even that isn't too surprising.
Is there something wrong Maddy?
"I'm… not sure," I quietly answer, furtively glancing around. "I just feel like there's something wrong."
Oh dear. That must Calm Mind wearing off. A side effect of mental tranquility wearing off is your normal emotions tend to be all the more noticeable when they return.
I grimace at the Witch's explanation and wish that I'd held onto the Kadabra whiskers instead of leaving them behind in the meditation chamber. I briefly consider going back to get them, but a glance up at the sky confirms my suspicion that there's not much night left. Going back now would just be a waste of time, so I take a deep breath and step up to the deposit, doing my best to stop my hands from shaking.
I swing Hana into the crystal formation and then jump back, keeping an eye out for any sign of movement. I stand completely still for several seconds but relax when nothing happens. The crystals have completely shattered into gray dust that covers the ground, as well as an odd lump where the formation had been. Curious, I lean forward to look at the broken shards and poke at the lump with Hana. Pushing the dust off of it reveals a mostly transparent crystal with a deep purple center.
A Dusk Stone! That's an excellent find, Dame Madeline! It will allow Hana to eventually ev-
The Battlemaster's words are cut off when several things happen at once. Aliss suddenly pops out of the ground with a wide grin on her face, only to abruptly stop as her expression shifts to confusion. I react instinctively to Aliss' appearance by stabbing at her with Hana, though thankfully it doesn't seem to harm her. I open my mouth to berate her for trying to scare me again but stop short when Aliss begins to glow white.
Through the white glow, I watch as Aliss' body seems to stretch, making her taller. At the same time, a wide-brimmed witch's hat seems to grow out of her head until it's almost the same size as her body. The light slowly fades, fully revealing a Mismagius with a sword going right through her torso.
…Nevermind.
Oh wonderful! Congratulations on evolving, Aliss!
The Witch's congratulations are joined by a light slapping sound behind me that I assume is Ricky clapping. However, I don't turn around to check since I'm too distracted by Hana violently vibrating in my hand. She doesn't make any effort to break out of my grip, but I've also never seen her react like this. Aliss winces as a thin purple aura appears around Hana, and the newly evolved Pokemon quickly floats backward so that she's no longer impaled. After a second, Aliss slowly tips her head toward me and Hana returns back to normal shortly after.
Well, now that that's all cleared up, don't you think we should keep going Maddy? The sun will be up soon enough.
"Uh, yeah," I manage to say, still more than a bit lost as to what just happened. I slowly return Hana to her sheath and breathe a small sigh of relief when she lets me. With a slight frown, I look up at Aliss and give her congratulations of my own. When she responds with a somewhat unnerving smile, I shake my head and set off in a random direction.
The next two mineral deposits that I break don't have anything inside of them, which allows my nerves to almost completely vanish by the time I reach the fourth. A quick swipe of Hana breaks the blue crystal formation, but this time the dust-covered ground begins to shake violently. I immediately shift back into a ready stance but take another nervous step backward when I realize that the size of the disturbed earth is too large to be a normal Geodude. Two stocky arms emerge from the ground and push down, propelling a large Graveler out of the dirt. I surprise myself by breathing a sigh of relief at the Pokemon, glad to see that at least it doesn't have glowing eyes.
Hmm. A Graveler will be a tougher foe than expected, but I believe that you and Hana are equal to th-
"Spore," I say as soon as I pull out the mushroom with my left hand, interrupting the Battlemaster for the second time in an hour. The green pollen flies forward, settling on the Graveler that still appears to be getting its bearings. For a moment, the spell doesn't appear to do anything, but then the rocky Pokemon slowly lowers itself back into the ground so that only its upper half is showing once again. I return the mushroom back to its pouch but don't immediately approach the Graveler. I feel like I owe some sort of explanation, so I quietly say, "I'm not going to take a risky fight if I don't have to."
I knew you would make the intelligent decision, Maddy. That Graveler will be sleeping like a Snorlax for a while.
…I suppose I cannot argue with results. Use Hana to shave off some of its husk before it awakes.
Hana's blade glints in the moonlight as I cautiously approach the Graveler. What I'm about to do is much more likely to wake it than any noise that I might make, but it doesn't hurt to be careful. The Pokemon still hasn't stirred an inch when I reach its side, so I slowly slide Hana across its rocky exterior. There's surprisingly little resistance as I cut away several rocky shavings that fall to the ground. After three long slices, I decide not to push my luck any further and gather up the shavings before making a hasty retreat.
Very efficiently done. Now we just need to find a power point nearby to enchant it at.
I finish making my way over to the safety of a nearby group of Haunter and Gastly before responding. "Can't we just go back to the burrow?"
We could, but that particular power point was still a tad too drained for my liking. If we're going to be creating a spell to protect you, I want it to be as potent as possible. And not to worry, you won't have any problems finding one to use; every wisp that you've come across has been right in the middle of one.
"The wisps are on power points?" I repeat in disbelief. From what the Witch had said earlier, I assumed that the locations were fairly uncommon, but if every wisp is on top of one, they're practically everywhere. I must have gathered at least thirty of them in just the last week. How does no one in my time know about these if they're everywhere like this?
I admit that I'm surprised as well to hear this. Was this a known phenomenon in our time, Witch?
No. I wasn't able to see wisps back then, so I couldn't have made the connection. It really would have made my life easier if I had. Oh well, at least Maddy gets to reap the benefit of our new knowledge.
I nod absently at the statement, thinking that it's definitely something to look into if I ever manage to-
I cut the thought off. When. When I get home I'll investigate the power points.
My self-reassurances sound hollow though, and I try to think about anything else while I follow the familiar pull to the next wisp. When I'm unable to think of anything sufficiently distracting, I simply do my best to not think at all.
I finally reach a wisp twenty minutes later and quickly confirm with the Witch that it's also on a power point. After absorbing the wisp as normal, I stand in the exact spot that it was floating and try to feel for the power around me. When I feel a twinge of power, I start to close my eyes to concentrate but stop short. The eastern horizon is starting to lighten slightly and I don't want to be standing around defenseless if some early-rising Pokemon comes across me.
"Hana, could you keep a look out for me? Interrupt me if anything is coming," I ask while unclipping her from my waist so she can float freely. I give her a small, thankful smile when her hilt bobs in the air, and then turn to Ricky. "Can you find somewhere we can set up camp nearby? I don't want to have to search for somewhere when I'm done with this." Ricky nods as well and he swells up his body as he lifts up toward the sky.
With my companions taking care of things, I'm about to return my attention to the power point when I notice that Aliss is staring at me expectantly. "Oh, um, if you could keep an eye out for other Pokemon too, that'd be great." The newly evolved Mismagius softly cackles and slowly floats away, leaving me slightly unnerved and thoroughly confused.
I try to push those thoughts out of my head since I know that I'll need a clear mind in order to enchant the Graveler shavings. I close my eyes as I take a deep breath and try to emulate the detached feeling that I'd had while using Calm Mind. It's impossible to say how long I stand there, but I'm eventually able to feel the same power that had been present in the Witch's burrow. Being extremely careful to not move or even think too quickly, I mentally tug at the power surrounding me and attempt to coax it into the shards of rock in my hand. It's a bit more difficult than it had been when I'd done the same with the Paras mushroom, but I can slowly feel the shards becoming enchanted, until I somehow get the instinctive feeling that the shavings are full.
A natural! Maddy dear, you are an absolute natural! I don't know that I've ever had a more adept pupil!
I can't help but smile at the praise as I open my eyes, though my smile fades when the first thing that I see is Aliss glaring at me.
Oh hush, you. Maybe I'd rank you higher as an apprentice if you had spent more time on your work and less time on pranks.
Aliss lowers her head at the admonishment, hiding her face under her large hat. I stand there awkwardly for a second before slowly venturing to ask, "So it worked then? The rocks are enchanted?"
Yes, absolutely! Wonderfully done! Now we just need to confirm the spell that they've been enchanted with.
"Alright. Iron Defense!" I exclaim, probably with a bit more dramaticism than necessary. I spend the next few seconds staring at my arm, expecting it to be covered with shiny armor but nothing happens. "Um, I don't think it worked," I finally say.
Hmm, yes, I was afraid of this. Materials from Graveler are notoriously difficult to enchant with the correct spell. Perhaps try Bulldoze?
"Bulldoze," I venture but am once again answered with no results. "What other spells can you get from a Graveler?" I ask after a few seconds, doing my best to ignore the self-satisfied smile that Aliss is giving me. So much for her keeping watch.
Unfortunately, the other two spells usually gained from a Graveler aren't exactly spells that a novice should be using. I hesitate to even tell you, but I don't want you to somehow accidentally cast them. My suspicion is that you've enchanted those stones with either Rollout or Self-Destruct.
I almost mouth 'Self-Destruct' in disbelief, but manage to stop myself when I realize I don't know exactly what the trigger is for casting a spell. After a moment of consideration, I decide the best way to avoid that potential accident is to chuck the rocks away as hard as I can. There's a soft thump as they hit the ground about twenty feet away.
…Normally I would scold an apprentice for wasting materials, but in this case, that might be for the best. We'll just have to restart the search for materials after you've gotten your rest.
I stare at the rocks on the ground for a few seconds, deciding that I would have completely ignored any admonishments if the Witch had opted to scold me. As cool as learning magic is, I don't want anything to do with something that can make me explode. My attention is pulled away from the shavings when I hear what sounds like air rushing out of a balloon. I turn around to find Ricky floating behind me and he uses his long arms to gesture for me to follow.
Hana flies into my hand as I move after Ricky and I secure her to my waist without giving the action any thought. Instead, my thoughts are full of my plan for the next night and how we can go about finding Geodude and Graveler more efficiently than aimlessly wandering around.
A/N: Thanks to Star (quarknova on this site) and Cavik for betaing. Next up is Chapter 8: Bitter Cold