Wanderer

by Renaerys

Disgraced and ashamed, Alain drifts in self-imposed exile in the wake of a personal failure. But not all those who wander are lost, and those who listen may find something they never knew they were searching for. [Realistic Pokemon AU, post-Mega Evolution Specials]

8. Chapter 8

Wanderer
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon

---

Calem spent a grand total of three days at the Shalour City Gym recovering from his severe burn wounds at Sycamore's insistence. The Full Restore had worked a miracle, he claimed. Just look at how the tissue was growing back! Sure, there were deep scars that would mark Calem for life, and there was the issue of his arm muscles, new and pink and as weak as a sickly old man's, but that could be fixed with time and training. Maybe. More likely, he would never recover his previous strength ever again, the strength that made him an Adamantine. Gone.

Calem could not hold Aegislash anymore. The golden shield was too heavy in his left hand. His fingers bent at odd angles where they'd healed as best they could after Malva shattered his hand with her boot. Aegislash's blade was light considering her size and power, but holding her upright by the hilt was like a newborn holding a two-by-four. He tested his stamina, and the best he could do by the end of the second day at the Gym was a pathetic fifty-seven seconds. If he tried to move the blade in a slashing attack, that time was cut in half.

The sandy beach behind the Tower of Mastery gave under his bare feet as he gritted his teeth and swung Aegislash through the pain. Her Cyclops eye swiveled and stared at him vacantly, but he could feel her phantom Aura pulsing in his clammy palm.

"One more," he said to them both.

The Ghost sword sliced the air, cleaving it in a purple haze that seemed to eat the atmosphere around it. With a thud, Calem's shaking arm gave out and the hilt slipped from his grip, but Aegislash floated on her own and hovered just in front of him. Her black feeler ribbons secured the shield in a defensive stance, and her lone eye gazed down at Calem as he panted in a sweat.

It was late afternoon, and the sea breeze and the tropical currents brought with them warmer weather, warm enough to work up a sweat in the sand. Calem waited as his breathing began to even out and wiped the sweat from his brow. His arms were shaking from the exertion, and he rolled up the loose linen sleeves covering them. Thick scar tissue covered his forearms like fissures, bubbled and raw. The Full Restore had sealed the wounds, and underneath all that scar tissue, his regenerating muscles throbbed. Sycamore had not been sure how long it would take Calem to regain his former strength, if ever, only that it would take time. Time he didn't have while Serena was still lost somewhere in the White Mountains east of Snowbelle.

"Okay, again," Calem said, shaking out his arms. They still trembled and ached, but he'd caught his breath and took a swig from his water bottle.

Aegislash peered down at him, silent as ever, but she didn't reach for him with her feelers.

"Aegislash," Calem said, frowning. "I said, let's go again."

Violet miasma emanated from the golden sword and shield, as it always did, pulsing as though in time with a heartbeat. But she didn't budge. He glared up at his oldest Pokémon.

"I'm pretty sure she heard you the first time."

Korrina was with her Hawlucha, which shifted his weight in the sand beside her and came up to her waist in height. Wicked claws flexed atop the joints in his folded wings, reminiscent of some prehistoric Pokémon more than any bird Calem was familiar with.

"What do you want?" Calem said. "I came out here so I wouldn't disturb your Gym trainers."

Korrina snorted and approached. Hawlucha hopped alongside her, his beady eyes trained on Aegislash. "Chill out. No one here's out to get you, so relax. I was looking for you."

"Why?"

She wore training gear, and her bangs and shirt were damp from an earlier workout. "Alain asked me to."

Calem bristled. "Why would he do that?"

"He was worried about you pushing it too hard while you're still recovering. And he knew you wouldn't talk to him, so here I am."

"Well consider this talk over. And you can tell Alain to mind his own fucking business."

Korrina laughed. "That's funny, that's exactly what I told him."

Calem remained silent, unsure how to respond to that. Korrina took the opportunity to check out Aegislash from a respectable distance.

"When people say you're pushing yourself too hard, it's because they see you struggling in an unhealthy way," Korrina went on. "But if you really want to get better, you have to struggle. The trick is doing it in a way that doesn't do more harm than good."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Korrina glanced at Calem. Her green eyes lingered on his exposed arms, but he couldn't read her expression. "Hawlucha's my newest Pokémon. I caught him not even a year ago." She stroked Hawlucha's feathered crest, and Hawlucha ruffled his vibrant head and neck feathers appreciatively. "You shoulda seen me when I first tried training with him. It was a disaster. I'd never worked with a Flyer before, obviously. They're not as bad as Psychics, but they're so finicky.

"I couldn't spar with Hawlucha like I can with Lucario and the others. What kind of Fighter doesn't spar with his trainer? A month in, and I was on the verge of releasing Hawlucha."

Calem's arms itched and ached and all he wanted to do was be alone to deal with it.

"No disrespect, but why're you telling me this? It has nothing to do with me," he said.

"Because I'm a Gym Leader, which makes me better than you in pretty much every way, so maybe you can learn something. I have a point. Think you can bear with me a little longer, Princess?"

Calem glared at Korrina, but she glared right back. He averted his gaze.

"I didn't release Hawlucha, obviously. But I did watch the annual Kalos Sky Trainer Championships, which happened to be on during that first month after I caught Hawlucha. Grandpa insisted I watch it this year. You know, that event where they sky dive and do those free-falling obstacle courses? Anyway, not all the Sky Trainers are Caelifers, but the ones who are are the reason to watch. Have you seen a Caelifer work with a Flyer?"

Calem shook his head. "No."

"You should. It's like they learn how to fly with their Pokémon. Not literally, obviously, but more, I dunno, spiritually. Emotionally, whatever you prefer. With them, it's not so much about the target in front of you, but everything else: the air currents, the wind, the altitude. If you pay attention to that, you can see where your target's going before they move. Caelifers have 20/4 vision. They see the world just like their Flyers see it, under a microscope. Nothing gets past them. When I watched them in that Sky Trainer Championship, it was like watching another species. I mean, I guess that's what we all are, in a way. But after seeing them, I knew what I was doing wrong with Hawlucha."

"What?" Calem said, a little curious.

Korrina smirked. "I was ignoring his true nature. Fighting and Flying types are about as different as day and night. You can't treat one like the other, but Hawlucha's both. So I had to learn how to deal with both." She held out her arm, which was covered in a thick leather brace, and Hawlucha leaped into the air and curled his talons around the brace. His magnificent red and green wings spread, more like arms covered in feathers than true wings, and he let out a piercing battle squawk.

Calem jumped, startled at the Flyer's sudden transformation from a hobbling bird to a predator as formidable as any Blaziken or Lucario. Korrina shushed Hawlucha and him calmed down. He swiveled his head to the side and fixed Calem with a dark eye, permanently narrowed as though in silent threat.

"Not bad for a bird that looks like a piñata," Korrina said.

Calem eyed her perfect posture as she balanced Hawlucha's considerable weight on her arm and rolled down his sleeves self-consciously.

"Good for you," Calem said, unable to hide some of the bitterness in his tone. "I want to get some more done before it's dark, so if you don't mind..."

Korrina let Hawlucha leap from her arm, and he took to the sky riding the warm air currents. "Yeah, I mind. Did you not get what I was trying to tell you?"

He stared at her blankly, and she rolled her eyes.

"You know, for as much as you seem to dislike Alain, you have a lot more in common with him than you realize. Come here."

She walked around Calem and reached for his arm, but he pulled away.

"What're you doing?"

"Look, Alain did ask me to come out here and drag your ass back inside because he's too afraid to make things worse between you two. That's not what I'm gonna do. You wanna train with Aegislash? Fine. But you're sure as shit not gonna help anyone if you undo all the healing that Full Restore did."

"Okay, I've tried to be civil here," Calem said. "But what I do is none of your business. I don't care if you're a Gym Leader. You're not like me. You don't know what I can do."

"I know what you can't do. Anyone watching you out here for five minutes can tell you can't fight with your sword. Hell, you can barely lift her for more than a minute."

Heat flushed Calem's cheeks. "Why do you think I'm practicing? It's the only way I'll get back to the way I was before this happened."

"You can't go back to the way you were before. And you won't help anyone by forcing your body to do something it can't do anymore, least of all Serena."

Calem gritted his teeth. Tears stung his eyes, but he blinked them away in his anger. "Shut up," he spat.

She stared back at him coldly and held up a finger for silence. "Stop. Don't say another word, or you'll regret it in ways you can't even imagine. Believe me."

Calem clenched his fists and showed her his back. He wanted to scream, to grab Aegislash and show her just how wrong she was. But the worst part was that he knew she was right. He couldn't go back, at least not without substantial time to recover and retrain his body after the damage Malva did.

Malva.

He squeezed his eyes shut in shame at the image of her face in his mind. He could hear her voice in his head even now, and the phantom burn in his arms when she overpowered him and brought him to his knees. Him, a Steel Adamantine, of all the things. They were supposed to be unbreakable, unbendable. Poison couldn't touch them, an Atlas's might could not break them. Even the fabled Fairies the high and mighty Titans feared above all others could not stand up to their iron will. But Malva, one woman, had squashed him so easily, like he was gum under her shoe.

Serena had paid the price for his weakness, and all he could do now was continue to wither and wallow in pain.

A hand on his shoulder made him cringe, but Korrina's grip was firm. "Calem," she said softly. "The only thing you're doing wrong is that you're trying to make a broken thing work like new. You can't."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" he said, swallowing the knot in his throat. Aegislash hovered in front of him in her defensive stance, stoic and silent. "I have to make it right. I have to."

"You can. But you just have to accept that the way you've been doing things won't be enough anymore. You want to wield Aegislash again, right?"

"Yes."

"Then do it."

"That's what I've been trying to do."

"No, you've been trying to wield a Steel sword. But that thing?" She nodded at Aegislash and pressed her lips together in mild disdain. "She's a Ghost. Ghosts don't play like Steel types do. Maybe you should stop ignoring that part of Aegislash and start figuring out how you can use it to both your advantages."

Calem swallowed hard and looked up at Aegislash. Of course he knew she was a Ghost, a being from another plane that had possessed a corporeal object and infused it with spectral power. Ghosts often possessed material objects in order to survive on this plane, such as the Chandelure line that possessed candles and lanterns, or the Banette line that possessed unwanted children's toys. Some objects possessed latent power, imbued through the feelings of Pokémon or humans that had interacted with them in a meaningful way. Ghosts were drawn to that invisible power, be it in objects or hallowed ground or even in some people—the Mediums.

"You're saying... I should learn to fight with Aegislash like a Medium would fight with a Ghost?"

Korrina shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know any Mediums. But I know that when I started treating Hawlucha like a Flyer, I started to see results. I think you can figure that out with Aegislash, too."

"You do?"

"It's the only way you'll be useful helping us get Serena back. So yeah, I think you'll be motivated like hell to figure it out."

They remained silent a moment as Calem considered her words. Korrina patted him on the shoulder one last time and broke away.

"Dinner's at eight. We eat on time here, so don't be late unless you want Grandpa's Machamp to come get you."

Calem stood there lost in thought, and when he snapped out of it, Korrina was already gone. He wiped his brow again. His arms were still trembling, but the ache had subsided a little. Above, Korrina's Hawlucha squawked and dived toward the sea, where he caught a fat Magikarp in his talons. Calem watched as he flew with the wriggling fish to a nest atop one of the larger palm trees and began to tear into the fish with his wing talons.

Aegislash floated beside Calem like a second shadow, and Calem reached out a shaking hand for her. Silently, Aegislash curled one of her black feeler ribbons around Calem's knuckles and wrist. He watched the faint violet haze that rose off Aegislash, hardly visible unless you looked closely. It tingled, cool on his skin.

"How do I treat you like a Ghost?" he said.

Aegislash's ribbon slowly wrapped around Calem's arm under the loose sleeve. The dead scar tissue was numb to her touch, the nerve endings in the skin almost nonexistent after being incinerated. But he closed his eyes and felt the cool sensation, like a snake's cold scales slithering over his mottled flesh. The wind was gentle, and he fell into a light trance as he willed his arms to still, willed the pain away.

A whisper in his ear jerked him out of his reverie, but there was no one around save for Aegislash. The sentient sword looked down at him with her single eye. It was jewel-like and seemed to hold an entire universe in its depths, black holes that sucked in anything in its field of vision. The whisper faded, and Calem wondered if he'd imagined it.

"Was that...?"

Aegislash removed her shield and changed her stance. More black feeler ribbons slithered around Calem's arms, connecting him to sword and shield as they usually did. Aside from their soothing coolness, he barely felt the weight of the ribbons on his mutilated arms. He concentrated on the cool mist they emanated, wondering why he hadn't noticed it much before. Was Aegislash doing it on purpose?

"Can you show me?" he said.

Aegislash hovered just out of reach where he couldn't reach her hilt or shield. When he tried to, she pulled away. Aegislash's lone eye swiveled and the ribbons tightened gently around Calem's arms.

"How am I supposed to fight with you if I can't even reach you?"

The sentient sword stubbornly remained out of his reach, and he frowned. Possessed or not, a sword was still a sword. It was only as good as its handler. As a Honedge, Aegislash had taught Calem how to swordfight, guiding his movements until he memorized where to jab, when to feint, the perfect moment to apply pressure and channel the sword's ghastly powers at just the right angle. Now, it was as if Aegislash was trying to guide his movements like he was a beginner again.

Maybe I am.

How does a Ghost fight?

He sighed and shook his head. "Okay. You want me to follow? Okay. Show me."

Aegislash pulled him along, and he let her lead, something he hadn't done in years since he'd perfected his technique. The sand kicked up under his feet, but the beach was otherwise quiet. Hawlucha had gorged himself on the fat Magikarp and let the scraps fall at the base of the palm tree to rot in the waning sunlight. Calem tripped over himself as he tried to learn a dance he already knew with new steps to a new tempo. Something guided his steps, the reach of his arm, whispered in his ear as he moved.

His arms stopped shaking, and he lost count of how long he kept it up after he counted to four-hundred thirty-two seconds. He didn't even notice the inky blackness of night over him until Grace came outside to collect him for dinner. Gurkinn's Machamp didn't make an appearance.

Two hours had passed, and there was no pain at all.

---

Alain checked the straps on Charizard's saddle to make sure they were comfortably tight and wouldn't slip mid-flight. Charizard made a low humming sound in the back of his throat that could have passed for an Arcanine's whine. Alain grinned and patted Charizard on the neck.

"I know it's a bit of a pain, but I have to do something to protect Korrina's soft butt," he said conspiratorially.

"My butt is strong hard and more than capable of sitting an overgrown gecko, for your information," Korrina snapped.

She poked him in the side, and he grunted at the sudden tickling sensation. He tried to grab her, but she danced just out of reach.

"Then consider it for my benefit," Alain said. "I like your butt the way it is. Don't ever change it."

She rolled her eyes. "Idiot."

He reached for her again, and this time she let him catch her. She was dressed in a windbreaker and leather pants under armored flight chaps that hugged her curves. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he let a hand wander over the swell of her rear and pulled her close.

"So let me be an idiot sometimes," he said.

She pushed the edges of his violet jacket apart and ran her palms over his chest. "What'll you let me have in return?"

Alain's hand trailed under her jacket and up her lower back as he leaned in and rested his forehead against hers. "I thought that was obvious."

"Hm?" Her fingers found their way into his hair and she tugged him down for a kiss.

"You get to be an idiot the rest of the time."

She smiled against his lips and tightened her grip in his hair. "I could kick your ass, Titan."

"That would sound hot coming from literally anyone else."

She laughed and pulled away. "Don't complain just because it's true."

He yanked her back before she could get away and sealed the kiss she'd been teasing. They were outside on the beach by the porch not long after dawn, the same place where Alain had landed here last spring in search of something he didn't know he needed at the time. Aside from Charizard and Pangoro, the latter of whom was plopped in the sand chewing on bamboo, they were alone, and Alain was going to take advantage of every second of it. After today, they would not be alone any longer. They wouldn't have this place anymore. After today, it all had to mean something, and not for themselves, but for Serena, who needed them both.

Charizard huffed and scorched the sand with a puff of superheated breath. Alain broke the kiss and shot the pseudo-Dragon a look.

"I think he's jealous," Korrina quipped.

"I know he's jealous. It's in our nature."

Korrina grinned and went to stand with Charizard. He let her approach and run a hand over his long neck. "Don't be jealous, Charizard. You can have him."

"What was I saying about being an idiot?" Alain grumbled.

"Are you two ready to set out?" Gurkinn called from the porch. He joined them on the sand.

"Yup," Korrina said. "Everything's packed and ready to go. We're traveling light so we don't weigh down the Pokémon."

"Good, good." Gurkinn glanced back at the Gym briefly. "The others will be down shortly, but I wanted to have a moment with the two of you first. I am afraid this will be a trying journey for you both in ways you may not even expect."

Korrina took his hand in hers. "We'll be okay, Grandpa. We have each other and our Pokémon."

"I know, but there are some trials that no amount of training can ever prepare us for. And most often, we must face our worst demons alone." Gurkinn rubbed his mouth. His nails raked over the light stubble growing in. "Perhaps what I'm trying to say is be careful. Stay on your guard. You do have each other, so don't forget it."

He looked his age in that moment, a withered old man long past his prime who was just worried about his only granddaughter.

"We won't forget," Alain said. "And we'll get to the bottom of whatever Laevus and Malva are doing. Your family's protected the world from the dark side of Mega Evolution for this long. We won't let them undo all your hard work."

Gurkinn shook his head. "I fear we may be past that point already. Once Pandora's box is opened, there is no returning the evil to whence it came."

"Then we'll snuff it out," Korrina said. "Whatever these Team Flare guys cooked up, we'll put an end to it permanently. I won't let you down, Grandpa. I promise."

Gurkinn smiled tiredly and held Korrina's hand tenderly in his. "Just please come back safely. Both of you." He eyed Alain pointedly.

"I'm done running," Alain said.

The porch door slid open, and Grace emerged carrying a travel pack followed by Calem and Sycamore. Klefki was out of his Pokéball and hovering around Calem, but he yawned and betrayed his exhaustion. Alain eyed the odd Pokémon, unsure what to make of him. Something about Klefki unsettled him, tiny as he was.

Aegislash floated alongside Calem in her defensive stance. Next to the sword, Calem appeared almost frail. He wore a blue jacket that hid his ruined arms and a pair of flight goggles around his neck, identical to Alain's and Korrina's.

"Are you ready to go?" Grace said.

"Yeah, you?" Korrina said.

Calem said nothing as he tossed out Staraptor's Pokéball. The giant bird coalesced in a flash of white light and ruffled her feathers when she caught wind of Charizard and Pangoro. Grace followed his lead and released the Pidgeot Sycamore had lent her. He stood at his full height fully saddled, majestic in the morning light and leery of the other large Pokémon in the vicinity.

Sycamore said his goodbyes to the intrepid foursome setting off. "It'll take you about three or four days to get to Snowbelle from here, depending on how long your breaks are," he was saying. "But since it's nearing the winter months, you'll want to fly in from the east. Loop around north of Anistar City and east a bit. That way, you'll avoid the storms in the White Mountains farther south."

Grace had a small map out and followed the path Sycamore had mentioned with a finger. "We should miss the mountains almost completely if we go around Anistar. How much longer will that take?"

"Long enough to keep us alive," Alain said. "Those mountains are terrible all year round. Whatever we can do to avoid flying through them, we should do."

Grace nodded brusquely. "Fine."

"When you arrive, please speak with Gym Leader Wulfric. He's an old friend, and I am sure he will help you find Serena and Team Flare's hidden base if you ask him," Gurkinn said. "He's a bit of a character, but he's a good man."

Korrina nodded. "Leave it to me."

"Are we leaving?" Calem said.

"Yes, let's," Grace said. "Here, for the road."

She handed Calem a granola bar from her pack, which he eyed skeptically.

"Take it. You hardly touched your breakfast."

He hesitated a moment, but relented and accepted the food. "Thanks."

"Okay, just one more thing before we get going." Alain drew his knife and slid it across his palm. He pressed it against Charizard's chest and exhaled deeply.

Korrina stepped back and held out an arm before Grace and Calem to keep them at a safe distance. Alain felt the familiar power surge of Mega Evolution as his blood fused with Charizard's, transforming him and reawakening his Dragonsblood. In a matter of moments, Charizard stood before him fully Mega Evolved. His glossy black scales, marred in places by old battle scars, shone in the morning light like polished jet. Blue fire licked at his lips between his fangs, superheated and teeming with draconian power.

"Oh my god," Grace said, covering her mouth.

Calem watched in silence with Aegislash and Klefki at his sides, simmering but carefully controlled. As soon as it was done, he turned away and mounted Staraptor. He tore open the wrapper on the granola bar Grace had given him and took a gratuitous bite.

"Magnificent," Sycamore said, awed as he walked around to inspect Mega Charizard without wandering too close. "A black Mega Charizard. He's truly a sight to behold. Ah! To think, he was such a little Charmander when you first came to Lumiose City. The potential of Pokémon is simply amazing!"

"I'd say take a picture, but I don't think we even have time for that much." Alain wrapped his bloody hand in a bandage he had on hand just for this purpose.

"Well, I won't keep you," Sycamore said, composing himself. "But Alain, I hope that when this is all over and done with, you'll consider returning to Lumiose. I know of at least one more person who would like to see you again."

Alain averted his gaze. "I don't know about that, Professor."

"Hey, help me up," Korrina said suddenly.

Alain was grateful for her distraction and made a mental note to thank her later. He helped her climb into the back of the large saddle to sit behind him, and she adjusted her goggles and checked that her pack was strapped on securely. Alain climbed up after her to sit in front. Mega Charizard was more than large enough to carry them both.

"Good luck to you," Gurkinn said to Grace as she climbed onto Pidgeot's back. "I have faith that you will find Serena and bring her home safely."

Grace blinked down at him. "Thank you. And thank you for all that you've done."

"Be safe," Sycamore said to Calem. "I know you aren't on the best of terms with Alain, but you have to be able to trust each other for this to work. We all want the same thing."

Calem swallowed the last bite of granola bar and handed Sycamore the rumpled wrapper. "All I care about is Serena. I'll do whatever it takes to find her."

Sycamore backed up to stand with Gurkinn on the porch. Korrina recalled Pangoro for the journey and released Hawlucha.

"In case your lizard drops me," she whispered in Alain's ear.

He squeezed her hand wrapped around his waist.

Aegislash settled on Calem's back to fall dormant. Her black feeler ribbons remained wrapped around Calem's shoulders and upper arms like snakes. Klefki jingled and settled at the base of Staraptor's neck, determined to go along for the ride.

"All right, let's go." Alain patted Mega Charizard's neck, and he leaped into the air as though Alain and Korrina weighed nothing at all.

Hawlucha squawked and jumped up after them, his talon wings tearing through the air as though it were a solid mass. Pidgeot and Staraptor soon joined them, and Alain looked down at Sycamore and Gurkinn shrinking below them. Mega Charizard soared on the air currents, and Alain directed him due east. The birds, smaller but faster, zoomed ahead a bit, and Hawlucha soared after them. Aegislash's golden blade and shield twinkled in the morning light up ahead.

Alain looked back briefly and caught the brilliant shine of the Mega Stone secretly enshrined at the apex of the Tower of Mastery, the beacon that had led him hear all those months ago. It was falling away behind him, but its silvery glow did not wane as it caught the sunlight. Korrina squeezed him gently as she followed his line of sight. Taking a deep breath, Alain focused on the journey ahead and the endless miles of blue sky between them and their destination.

---

By the second night of hard flying, Alain and the others had made it as far as Laverre City. They camped in the moors east of the putrid swamps south of the city, foregoing the luxury of an inn for the expediency and convenience of camping. The moors were mostly flat grassland at the foot of the hills surrounding Laverre city like a fortress. They had stopped to make camp just before dusk, as they had the night before, and planned to set off again at first light.

Calem had not spoken much on the trip, living up to his Adamantine brethren's steely reputation for laconic brooding. Alain did not blame him considering the circumstances, but when he asked Korrina about how her talk with Calem went, she was unusually tight-lipped.

"Ask him yourself."

"I'm asking you."

She finished off her soup and disposed of the can in a trash bag set apart from the campfire they were huddled around. Laverre was much colder than Shalour, and Alain was glad he'd packed for winter.

"I'm not a X-Transceiver, Alain. If you want to talk to Calem, then go," she said.

"Hey, what's up? Why're you being like this? It was just a question."

She fixed him with a pointed stare like he'd just swallowed his own foot. "It's not my place to get in between you guys. That past you've been running from? Guess what, it's back. And you promised me you weren't running anymore."

He frowned and sat back on his mat.

"You know, in some ways, Calem's not so different from you," she said a little more gently. "It might actually do you both some good if you had an actual conversation."

"He's so angry," Alain said more to himself than to her. "At me, at Team Flare, at everything."

"He's angry at himself," Grace said all of a sudden from the other side of the campfire. "He watched his best friend be abducted by the woman who disabled him for life. I blamed him for what happened in the beginning. It was wrong and I came to my senses, but I'm not the only one who felt that way. So give him a break. He doesn't give himself one."

Alain and Korrina fell silent, and Grace continued to stare at the fire as she slowly ate. Her gaze was hard and implacable. Her Rhyhorn was resting just behind her with a blanket over his back for her to sit back against, but his beady black eyes were open and reflecting the firelight.

Alain got up. "I'm sorry, Grace. I shouldn't have said it like that."

He felt Korrina's eyes on his back as he turned away from the campfire and hugged his arms for warmth. Their voices were fading as he wandered into the moors, but he heard Korrina and Grace talking softly. He couldn't make out their words and decided it was for the better.

Charizard, Tyrantrum, and Heliolisk were out of their Pokéballs to hunt for food or rest until the morning. Without them, Alain felt naked under the light of the full moon overhead. It was so bright that it lit up a vast stretch of moor to the east. The cold was biting and he shoved his hands deeper in his pockets, but it would only get worse from here on out the farther east they went. Beyond the flatlands lay Dendemille Town at the base of the Frost Mountains.

Home, he thought bitterly.

He would fly right over it tomorrow on the way to Anistar City. Would they see him? Would they notice the black Mega Charizard right over their heads soaring like death on dark wings? One thing he knew for certain: they would not pursue him even if they did see. Cast off your clan, and you cast off your identity. Vanithers were nothing but zombies to the clan, walking the earth ostracized by the ones they abandoned and by the ones that saw only the monster in their midst.

Serena had never seen him like that, he thought as he walked. She had always found him fascinating. Alain had never known another Magus, and he hadn't been alive for the time when the Magi lived and flourished alongside the other Tamers. He had never witnessed a time when the Titans lived in fear of a force that could be their undoing. In the end, the Magi destroyed themselves before they could destroy anyone else. The irony left a bad taste in his mouth.

Alain was so lost in thought as he wandered that he almost ran into Calem and Aegislash. His only warning was the sharp swoosh of air as Aegislash cleaved it cleanly and Calem's feet crunched the frosty grass underfoot with each step. They were mere yards away, and Alain hadn't even heard them until he was practically on top of them.

He said nothing and watched their silent spar by the light of the moon. It was hard to make out all the details, but the demonic sword seemed to be moving on her own. She gave off a faintly violet glow that betrayed her sentience. Black ribbons wrapped around Calem's arms like fat pythons, each connected to the sword or the shield that floated just ahead of him like extensions of his reach. Alain stared, mesmerized. It took him a moment to realize Calem wasn't even touching Aegislash at all. They were connected only by the ribbon-like feelers, aglow with spectral light, and the Pokémon did the rest.

Except his feet. Except his movements. No, Aegislash was not doing the rest. In that moment, Alain had an uncanny sense of déjà vu. He'd seen this before. Not with Calem and Aegislash, but with Korrina and her Lucario, and before that with Blaziken. The fluidity of near perfect sync, of silent understanding born of a marriage between instinct and trust. He had seen it before, and he never thought he would see it again from Calem of all people.

It was beautiful, he thought before he could help it. That perfect rhythm born of the deepest trust and respect was radiant beyond words. It was not Mega Evolution, but the feeling was similar. As soon as he had the thought, he felt ashamed. How could it be that the same depth of connection was impossible outside of Mega Evolution? What a preposterous thought. Calem was a Tamer just like Alain, and Aegislash was as formidable as any Charizard or Lucario or Blaziken.

Something jingled.

"Who's there?" Calem demanded.

Alain was so lost in thought that he didn't realize he was standing in plain sight for anyone to see. Klefki had seen him and alerted Calem, who had fallen still. His element of surprise blown, Alain put up his hands in a placating gesture and approached.

"It's just me. Sorry to interrupt."

Calem lowered his arms and Aegislash assumed her defensive stance, though Alain noticed how her feelers remained wrapped loosely around Calem's arms. Klefki floated just over Calem's shoulder looking as menacing as a floating keychain could look, but Alain eyed him warily. Something about Klefki just gave him a weird vibe.

"I was in the middle of something," Calem said coldly.

"I noticed." Alain hesitated and thought about how to approach Calem. "From what I could see, it looks like you're starting to figure out how to fight with Aegislash again. That's great."

Calem sniffled and wiped his nose. "Yeah, it is." After a moment he added, "Korrina gave me the idea."

So that's what happened.

Alain couldn't suppress a grin at the revelation.

"What's so funny?" Calem said.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just thinking that's so like Korrina to make you see things from a different perspective. And in my case, she beat it into me until I did."

Calem shifted, and Klefki swayed next to him. "She did?"

"Every damned day," Alain said with a chuckle. "Best thing that's ever happened to me. Anyway, I'm glad she could help you. I'm not surprised, really. She's... She knows what it's like to go through a terrible time and come out a hundred times better."

Silence befell them, and Alain shoved his hands so deep into his pockets he was sure he might pants himself if he kept it up.

"Well, sorry to interrupt. I guess I'll leave you to it." He turned to leave.

"Wait."

Alain froze and looked back, waiting.

"I know... I mean, we're all trying to help Serena," Calem went on, eyes glued to the ground. "So I guess... Er, what I mean is..." He clenched his fists and looked up. "Thanks. For helping."

"Of course I'd help. Serena was—is my friend. I'll do anything to help her."

"Then why did you leave?"

"Why did I leave?"

Calem advanced. "You heard me. If you were such a pal to her, then you'da known how hard she took you leaving. You didn't even say goodbye!"

"I—" He cut himself off. He hadn't been expecting this line of questioning. "She was upset?"

"Of course she was fucking upset!" Calem was shouting now and close enough to punch him in the face if he wanted to. "You were one of the only people she thought she could trust. One of the only people like us. She never had that growing up. This all just fell into her lap one day and she just had to deal with it. And you just left out of the blue when she trusted you to be there for her!"

"Calem, I..." Alain eyed Calem's fists warily. Weakened or not, a punch from a Steel Adamantine could break his face in two.

"No, you're gonna listen for once in your life. I don't want your excuses. She might've eaten them up if you bothered to give 'em, but you're dealing with me now. So tell me, Titan. What the hell was so important that you had to cast her off like last year's model?"

Alain swallowed hard. "I never meant it like that. I didn't leave to hurt her or anybody else. I left for me."

"Then you can tell her that when we find her. I'm sure she'd love to hear how you didn't even think about her when you decided to leave forever."

Calem turned on his heel to stalk off, but Alain yanked him back by the shoulder.

"Hey, don't you walk away from me," he said.

Calem shrugged him off harshly. "That's rich coming from you."

"Son of a nidding, enough of this! You want to know why I left? I'll tell you, so quit being a dick and let me explain."

Calem fumed in silence and crossed his arms. He nodded expectantly, and Alain had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

"I'm not proud of what I've done. Not just that, but everything. My whole life... All I've ever done is leave people behind."

"How sad for you."

Alain shot him a dirty look but chose to keep his words. "I'm not gonna try to make you understand. But you asked, so I'll tell you. I left Sycamore's lab because it wasn't enough for me anymore. That probably sounds like a stupid reason to you, and it sounds stupid to me now, too. But back then, that's how I felt. I wasn't thinking about what I was leaving behind. I just thought about what was ahead waiting for me. And I found Team Flare. I found Mega Evolution.

"I'm not proud of how things turned out. At first, it was all like a dream come true. I had the chance to do my own research, be in the field, and learn about a new kind of power most people had never even heard of. I thought I was special. I could use Mega Evolution when most people couldn't. And then Lysandre sent me to Hoenn to get the monolith, that giant Mega Stone that's caused everything to go to shit now."

Alain laughed bitterly and ran a hand through his hair. "Steven Stone was right all along. I should've listened to him. Maybe the monolith would've been better off with Devon Corporation than with Lysandre."

Calem's expression fell and he lost a little of his bitter resentment. "Steven Stone?"

Alain nodded. "Anyway, Serena's not the only one I ended up hurting and leaving behind. There was this little girl, Mairin. She was just a kid who wanted a little attention. She was harmless and sweet, and she didn't deserve what happened to her. I fucked up, and now she's with Lysandre probably eating up all his bullshit, and I deserve that. I deserved to lose her, just like I probably deserved to lose Serena when I made that choice to leave like I did.

"But Mairin didn't deserve what happened to her. Neither did Serena. So I swear, Calem. I'll help you get her back. I'll make it right, and I won't leave her this time. I don't care if you hate me or you don't trust me. Trust Korrina. She's the best person I know, like in every single way. If you can't believe in me, then believe in her. You can take her word for it if you won't take mine."

The cold was seeping in through Alain's jacket, and he was beginning to miss the campfire and Korrina's presence. Well, he'd said his piece, and if Calem didn't want to accept it, then there was nothing else he could do about it. Alain turned to leave.

"Why is it so easy for you?" Calem said.

"Easy?"

Calem was staring down at his hands, and he sounded far away, like he was being ferried across an endless sea far from here. "How can you just get over what you did just like that? Doesn't it kill you? When you think about her, aren't you ashamed even a little?"

"Hey," Alain said.

"I don't get it. I don't get how you can just brush it all off, like it wasn't your fault. It was your fault."

"Calem, look at me."

Calem looked up and blinked hard to keep his tears at bay. "None of this would've happened if it wasn't for me!"

It took Calem a moment to realize his slip, and when he did, he stepped back on shaky legs and hugged his arms around his middle. Alain caught him by the shoulders.

"Hey. Hey! Look at me. It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault but Malva's what happened to Serena."

"You weren't there. You don't know what happened, but I do. And I have to live with it." Calem clenched his fists so hard he may have broken the skin. Klefki jingled about his head in worry. "I have to live with this."

"I did fight her," Alain said, tightening his grip on Calem's shoulders and shaking him lightly. "And I'll do it again when we find her. This time, I'll make sure I finish her for good."

Calem glared up at him. Alain was a couple inches taller, but he kept one eye on Calem's volatile fists out of instinct.

"She's not human," Calem said. "A person with a shred of heart wouldna done what she did."

"She also lost her Mega Pokémon. And she doesn't know we're coming. Between the four of us and Serena, she doesn't stand a chance." He nodded toward Aegislash. "Believe me, she won't know what hit her."

Calem let his hands fall as he tried to compose himself. He wiped his mouth, and Alain released him. "Professor Sycamore decided to give you the benefit of the doubt. I'm not such a jerk that I won't do the same. But this doesn't change anything else between us, Alain. And I want a favor."

"A favor? You just said this doesn't change anything between us."

"Not for me, for Serena. I want you to tell her to her face why you left and everything that happened to you after that. You owe her that much. She talks about you all the time, even after the way you left. So I want her to have the truth. And if she decides she wants to forgive you, then it's her decision. I won't get in the way."

Alain had the sudden urge to laugh but wisely held his tongue.

So that's what this is about.

"Of course I will, whatever she wants to know."

Calem eyed him like Alain might burst into flames if he was lying, but there was no spontaneous combustion and it was still cold as balls out here.

"Fine. Then I'll hold you to your word," Calem said finally.

"My word goes a long way these days, as it turns out." Alain held out a hand. "Truce?"

Calem hesitated a moment, but he shook Alain's hand. "More like a temporary ceasefire."

"That's good enough for me. I'm heading back. You should get some sleep. We have another long day of flying tomorrow."

Calem nodded absently. "Yeah, whatever."

Alain shoved his hands in his pockets and left it at that. He replayed their heated conversation in his head as he walked back to camp.

"You look like you just took the most satisfying crap of your life," Korrina said when he returned to the campfire. "I take it you talked to Calem?"

Alain laughed. "How long did it take you to come up with that?"

She shrugged. "You bring it out of me."

"Okay now that's a pun I don't even want to make a joke about."

She reached for his hand and pulled him down next to her. Grace was across the campfire in her sleeping bag with her back to them. Calem's was empty next to hers, and Korrina had curled up in her own bag while she waited up for Alain.

"He's training with Aegislash," Alain said once he'd shimmied into his own sleeping bag next to Korrina. "Whatever you told him looks like it got through to him. Thanks."

"I didn't do it for you." She poked the fire with a stick and shuffled the embers. "But I'm glad he listened to me. I figured he was enough like you that he'd try anything to get over his issues."

Alain frowned. "Gee, thanks."

"Settle down, Titan. I meant it as a compliment."

Alain was pensive as he watched the flickering flames. Korrina laid her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her amorphous form in the sleeping bag. "He's been through a lot. I think I got through to him a little, but I wish I could get him to... I dunno, trust me? Listen to me? I dunno how to talk to him. I can't blame him, but I can't help him if he doesn't let me."

"Maybe you already have." Korrina shifted and kissed his jaw. "You know, with you, I had to prove everything to get you to start paying attention. Calem's the same way. Show him you mean it, and he'll start paying attention."

"You know, if you weren't so scary in the ring, you could be a good teacher."

She elbowed him lightly in the ribs, and he laughed.

"He's in love with Serena," Alain said a little more softly.

"Obviously."

"You knew?"

Korrina rolled her eyes. "You didn't?"

"...I didn't think it was that obvious."

"For a guy with a reputation for lying, you're pretty gullible. Grace told me when you were off with Calem. When you put it into that perspective, I can see why he's been so hard on himself. Poor guy."

"Yeah." The fire danced and licked the night air as though it sought to escape in to the atmosphere. "But we have to direct that energy toward helping Serena. She's what matters now."

"Mm. Let's get some sleep."

Korrina pulled him down so they lay next to each other by the fire to share warmth. Alain watched the fire and let its warmth and light lull him to sleep. He thought about Malva and the recurring nightmare he had ever since their fight. He saw her face through the flames, just as he did in the dream. Her image danced in them, and they boiled her blood and filled her with heat and she smiled that razor blade smile like she had a secret. He forced his eyes closed, but he saw her there, too. Smiling as her Mega Houndoom drew his last breath.

Alain buried his face in Korrina's hair and held her close, willing the image away and wondering how the hell he would face the real thing when he couldn't even stand to face the dream that had haunted him all these months.

---

Grace was sore in places she didn't even know existed by the time the group finally landed on the edge of Snowbelle City in the White Mountains. The day was overcast and gloomy, but they had been spared a snowstorm by the grace of whatever gods may or may not have been looking out for them. Grace had found it hard to believe in any benevolent higher powers ever since one of them turned her only daughter into a Magus one day for no reason.

Snow packed the edges of the sidewalks where locally trained Mamoswine and Donphan had helped to plow it clear for pedestrians and Pokémon to travel freely. Grace had never been to Snowbelle, but it was supposed to be the best skiing outside of Sinnoh. Tourists flocked here to enjoy the spring skiing in the White Mountains, but never in the winter. Winters were tempestuous and angry, and travel through them was virtually forbidden due to the volatile climate. Now that winter's bane was lurking just around the corner, Snowbelle was quiet. Most people were inside in this cold, the flashy tourists nowhere to be seen.

The city itself had all the trappings of a high-end ski resort. Cafés popped up on every corner, and shops with the latest fashions out of Lumiose and Laverre glowed with bright window displays inviting weary passersby in from the cold to empty their wallets. A few fluffy Herdier and Arcanine pulled sleds full of locals hurriedly down the streets to wherever they wanted to go. There were no trams and trollies here like there were in Lumiose.

Grace tentatively patted Pidgeot's neck and thanked him for carrying her this far, then recalled him to his Pokéball. She would feed him later when they checked in to a room at the Pokémon Center. Calem recalled Staraptor, and they both watched as Alain deactivated Charizard's Mega Evolution. Grace had seen him do this a few times now, but every time the scene arrested her with fascination. Tamers were one thing, and she was still getting used to the idea of Pokémon as bodyguards and battle partners. But this Mega Evolution thing was so far beyond anything she had ever imagined she would get involved with. Serena was caught up in it, too, and for the umpteenth time, Grace wondered how her daughter was dealing with it all. And as they were wont to do, thoughts of Serena quickly morphed into thoughts of Malva. They filled Grace with a now familiar bitterness, and she looked around for Calem.

He was with Aegislash and Klefki, as usual, and he had a blank look on his face as he watched a pack of four Herdier pull a sled with a family downtown. Grace went to him and put a hand on his arm lightly.

"It's different from Lumiose," she said.

"Yeah." He turned to face her. "Grace, I want you to promise me something."

"Oh?"

"This... It's not your area of expertise, what we're getting into. If it comes down to it, I want to know you'll get out safely, even if that means retreating on your own."

Korrina and Alain were out of earshot dealing with Charizard's saddle and unpacking it, but Grace lowered her voice anyway.

"We talked about this. I know I'm not like you, but Serena's my daughter. I have more of a right than any of you to retrieve her."

Calem fixed her with a stare that belied his youth. "I know. And she needs her mom more than anyone else. So you have to make it out alive before the rest of us, no matter what. For her."

Grace blinked at him. They were of a height despite their age difference. She digested his words, which took her a minute to fully comprehend. This mission was dangerous, she knew that, but to hear it out loud from a twenty-three-year-old boy who had become somehow dear to her in the last few weeks despite the severe heartache and violence she had experienced at the loss of Serena made it real on a visceral level. Grace was getting older, and like anyone approaching her mortality, she knew her time on this earth was limited. A young man Calem's age should never have entertained the idea of it, much less so calmly.

"Did you hear me?" he said.

After everything she had been through since Serena's abduction, at every corner when Calem's determination through his suffering had touched her heart, it was now that Grace felt the urge to cry at its most potent. She clenched her teeth.

"I heard you," she said.

Serena did need her. But hearing it from the mouth of someone so young who loved her daughter as much as she did broke her already broken heart in a way she did not know she had the capacity to feel. And worst of all, he was right. If she were in Serena's shoes, she would need her mother more than anything, more than anyone, after all this was over.

And yet, Grace's gloved hand trembled on Calem's shoulder, and Aegislash's feeler ribbons quivered under her touch, as if sensing her despair and gorging on it. Calem held her gaze, unflappable.

"Calem," she said, barely above a whisper. "I—"

"So the Gym should be on the other side of town," Korrina said all of a sudden. "I've only been here once before, so my memory's a little rusty. Grace, do you have that map of Snowbelle Grandpa gave you? It should show the Gym's location."

"Oh, right." Grace hastily removed her hand from Calem's shoulder, the moment passed, and dug around her pack for the folded map. She handed it to Korrina when she found it.

"Looks like it's close by," Alain said, eyeing the map over Korrina's shoulder. "Small town."

"Let's just get out of the cold," Korrina said, folding up the map and handing it back to Grace.

Alain and Korrina led the way down the street deeper into town, while Calem and Grace followed. Grace felt Calem's silence acutely, but with Alain and Korrina in earshot, she dared not broach the subject of their previous conversation again. Snowbelle provided distraction enough, and Grace took in the unfamiliar but inviting sights like a rare breath of fresh air on their otherwise sullen journey here. Pretty lights adorned the stone buildings in every color imaginable in anticipation of the holidays. They twinkled like rainbow stars and cast a kaleidoscope of color on the snow. In another time, she may have enjoyed visiting this winter wonderland. Serena would have liked it, she was sure. Anywhere her daughter could be outside and experience the natural surroundings brought her joy. Thinking of Serena put a damper on the picturesque setting, and Grace hugged her arms to her chest.

They reached the Snowbelle City Gym after about fifteen minutes of walking. It was a large building and nothing at all like Lumiose City's Prism Tower or Shalour's Tower of Mastery. This Gym looked more like a refurbished warehouse built more for utility than aesthetic functionality. More lights lined the edges of the roof and the windows and blinked festively. Grace wondered what kind of message the Gym Leader here was trying to send.

"Well, that's...different," Alain said.

"Apparently, Gym Leader Wulfric has a really corny sense of humor," Korrina said. "Grandpa said it's like listening to a lemon tell a joke."

"Lemons can't tell jokes," Calem said.

Korrina shoved him playfully. "And you can't take one."

"Whatever, let's just go in," Alain said. "Don't encourage her," he whispered to Calem.

They went inside, and immediately Grace was hit by a wave of...cold. It was freezing inside, perhaps even colder than outside. She shivered and clamped down her suddenly chattering teeth.

"What the hell?" Alain hissed. "It's cold as balls in here."

"It's not that cold," Korrina said.

"It's a little cold," Grace said.

"Whoa!"

Calem pushed her back roughly, and she nearly tripped.

"What's the matter?" she demanded.

"It's ice," he said, bewildered.

Grace looked up, and sure enough the walkway was riddled with patches of thin ice that glistened under the overhead lights. "What on earth...?"

Someone in a long white parka jogged toward the entrance. She had a Sneasel with her that sleekly skated over the ice alongside her. The crampons attached to her snow boots crunched and clanked on the tile and ice underfoot.

"Hello," she greeted. "Welcome to the Snowbelle City Gym. I'm Imelda, a resident Gym trainer. Um, what can I help you with today?"

Imelda's Sneasel clicked his claws on the ice and glared at the group. Grace had the uncanny sensation that he was looking right at her, but it was Alain who took a step back away from the frigid weasel. Korrina moved in front of him boldly, ignoring Sneasel.

"Hi, Imelda. I'm Gym Leader Korrina of Shalour City. I need to speak with Gym Leader Wulfric. It's urgent."

Imelda gaped at Korrina. "Oh! Oh, well, that's... I wasn't trained on how to receive other Gym Leaders. Um..."

She fidgeted with her long brown hair and looked down at Sneasel. Her blue eyes flitted from Sneasel to Korrina to her mitten-covered hands.

"Just take us to Wulfric," Calem said. "Now, please."

"Oh, um... Well, I suppose that would be okay?" Imelda backed up. "I'll just let him know you're here. Please wait here. Come on, Sneasel."

Sneasel continued to glare daggers at Grace and the others, but he backed up and joined Imelda as she retreated to the Gym's interior beyond a closed door.

"Are you okay?" Grace said when she saw Alain standing a ways back from the rest of them.

"He's fine," Korrina said.

Alain waved her off. "I'm not so good around Ice-type Pokémon, to be honest."

Grace gave him an odd look. "...You have a Charizard that can do that Mega Evolution thing. Why would you be afraid of a Sneasel?"

Korrina grinned. "This is why I love plebs. They ask the important questions the rest of us take for granted."

"It is weird for you to be so on edge around a tame Sneasel," Calem said. "He's not even fully evolved."

Alain averted his gaze. "Bad memories from growing up. Let's just leave it at that."

He and Korrina shared a look, and Grace figured there must be more to the story. But it was none of her business. She was here to get Gym Leader Wulfric's help in finding Serena in the White Mountains, and that was all that mattered.

Not long after, the doors opened again and Imelda and her Sneasel reappeared. "You can come in," she said. "Gym Leader Wulfric will see you. Just, um, watch your step for the ice."

"...Right. I've got a better idea." Korrina tossed out a Pokéball and released Blaziken. "Melt that ice, Blaziken."

Blaziken towered taller than Grace by nearly two feet, and she was quick to shove Calem back out of his path as he ruffled his feathers and began to shed cinders. With a swift jump, Blaziken unleashed a Blaze Kick that spread cinders all over the entrance and ate up the thin layer of ice like it was rice paper. Imelda gasped and stumbled backwards with Sneasel as she watched the flagrant disregard for personal property.

"My god," Grace breathed.

Alain squeezed Korrina's hand and whispered something Grace could not hear, then led the march into the Gym's interior. Calem was quick to follow, but he made sure to give Blaziken a healthy berth.

"Was that really necessary?" Grace said as she and Korrina followed the boys.

"It wasn't unnecessary," Korrina said, grinning. "I want Wulfric to take me seriously. Blaziken's the best way to do that quickly so we can get back to looking for Serena. Besides, he's a Crystallos. They're known to be pretty frigid and unaccommodating. I want all the leverage I can get."

Grace nodded, but she swallowed the questions on the tip of her tongue. Perhaps she would never understand this subtle power play between Tamers, Gym Leaders no less, who were supposed to be allies. Whatever expedited the search for Serena.

Korrina and Grace joined Blaziken and followed the boys inside. Grace eyed the Fighter parrot with no small degree of trepidation. Alain's Mega Charizard seemed somehow tame compared to this creature. She couldn't explain it. Something about his yellow eyes and the way he looked ready to rip apart anything that stood in his way. Charizard didn't have that feel to him. Perhaps it was all in her head. Any of those Pokémon could have ripped her limb from limb in their sleep.

The Gym's interior was just as cold as the foyer, but it was far grander than its exterior architecture let on. Ice sculptures were carved out of the very walls, like the whole building itself was made of ice. The middle was frozen over with crisscrossing stone walkways in between the ice, reminiscent of an arena of some sort. Fire torches lit up the room from stone sconces and reflected orange flickers on the icy walls and floor. Imelda was up ahead with Alain and Calem, and she was leading them toward the arena where a burly, middle-aged man with a beer belly and snow white hair was standing with an Abomasnow opposite a young man with a Beartic. The older man wore dark snow pants and boots, a thin wife beater, and a heavy blue jacket that he hadn't even bothered to don properly, instead wearing it like a cape around his neck for no warmth at all. Grace stared in shock at his bare arms and wondered how he could possibly cope with the freezing temperatures in here.

"Sir," Imelda called out as she jogged toward him with her Sneasel. "The visitors, um, they're here."

The older man, presumably the Gym Leader, ceased his conversation with the younger Gym trainer and looked over at the group. He said something to the Gym trainer and headed toward the group with his Abomasnow in tow. Grace could not help but stare at the beast. He was like an overgrown white bear, though far larger and bulkier than the typically lean Beartic. Lichen covered his dinner plate sized paws and lower body, frozen and melded with his white fur like permafrost. Abomasnow's beak, owl-like, clicked menacingly beneath layers of snowy fur as he sized up the unfamiliar faces.

"Well, well, who do we have here?"

"Gym Leader Wulfric," Korrina said, stepping forward. Blaziken was at her side and hissed at Abomasnow.

The next few seconds that passed were tense as Grace wondered if she would witness a fight for absolutely no reason. Something about the atmosphere here screamed dick-measuring contest, and Korrina seemed more than happy to oblige.

"You can't be Gym Leader Wulfric, I'm Gym Leader Wulfric," Wulfric said. When he spoke, his trimmed white beard and mustache quivered.

Korrina's tough front warped in confusion. "Uh, yeah, I know that..."

"Well, is somebody going to tell me who I'm talking to? I don't mind guessing games, but we do Trivia Night on Tuesdays, and today's Sunday," he went on.

"Are you kidding me?" Calem said more to himself than to anybody else.

"Oh no, it's a weekly event every Tuesday," Imelda chimed in with a smile. "We form teams and rotate every week for who comes up with questions and moderates. Even some locals are regular participants. Will you be staying in Snowbelle long? You have enough for a team between the four of you. Um, should I sign you up?"

"That's nice, but no," Alain said, cutting her off. "Gym Leader Wulfric—"

"That's a darn shame," Wulfric said. "It's all right, Imelda. We'll be fine with the usual lineup this week. Thanks for all your work on it."

Grace had had just about enough of whatever this was. She walked right up to Wulfric, who was a good head taller than her and twice as large around.

"My name is Grace Gabena. This is Korrina, Alain, and Calem. We're here because we need your help to find my daughter, Serena, who was kidnapped by members of Team Flare. We think she's here in the White Mountains at one of their secret bases, but we need your help to find it."

Wulfric turned his attention to Grace and sized her up. He had his meaty arms crossed, and his grey eyes were like two chips of dirty ice, hard and unforgiving. Grace held herself tall. This man would not intimidate her, and she would not leave until she had his full support.

"Well, now," Wulfric said. He had a deep baritone, rough around the edges but rich like a singer's with a smoking habit. "Ma'am, that is, Grace, may I call you Grace?" He held out his thick hand for her. "Let's start at the beginning. My name's Wulfric, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. What's this about your daughter, now?"

"She's been kidnapped by Team Flare," Calem said.

Wulfric put up a hand and Abomasnow growled in warning at Calem. Klefki zoomed around Calem's back to hide near the dormant Aegislash.

"Now now, young man, I'm having a conversation with Grace here," Wulfric said. "It's rude to interrupt a lady when she's having a conversation. Wait your turn."

Korrina looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel. Grace swallowed hard and offered her hand to Wulfric, who took it and kissed the knuckles politely. She noted the warmth of his hands despite his inappropriate dress for the weather.

"Yes, my daughter," Grace went on. "She's been taken by an Ignifera woman who works for Team Flare."

Wulfric froze. "Ignifera, you say?" The room's temperature seemed to plummet all of a sudden as he narrowed his eyes.

"Gym Leader Wulfric," Korrina said again. This time, she got his attention. "I'm Korrina, the Shalour City Gym Leader. You know my grandfather, Gurkinn. He told me you would be able to help us navigate the White Mountains and find Team Flare's hidden base."

Wulfric lurched, like every movement he made was slow and protracted, and fixed his gaze on Korrina. "Korrina? Wait a minute, I know you. You're Gurkinn's granddaughter!"

"She literally just said that," Calem grumbled.

"Why, the last time I saw you, you were a little darling. You liked sliding around on the ice here. Hah! I remember you begged Gurkinn to freeze the Shalour Gym's floors so you could slide around there, too. Boy, we had a laugh at that."

Korrina remained stony-faced. "It's been a long time. I'm glad you remember me, but I'm not interested in sliding around right now."

"Let me get this straight, now," Wulfric said, looking around at the four of them. He took a moment to study their faces. "Grace here's looking for her missing daughter, who's somewhere in these White Mountains, and she's got a Bellatrix and, uh, you two," he gestured vaguely at Calem and Alain, "to help her. That about right?"

"We're not 'you two'," Calem spoke up. "We're Tamers, too, for your information."

"Oh, well congratulations on being born," Wulfric said dismissively before returning his attention to Grace. "Listen, I'm sorry to hear about your daughter, I truly am. It's a terrible thing to lose a child," Wulfric went on. "But whatever old man Gurkinn told you, I can't help you. No one goes into the White Mountains this time of year. It's damn near suicide."

"Hey, wait a minute," Korrina said, advancing.

Calem beat her to it. He drew Aegislash by the ribbons in a flash, and Klefki too looked ready to fight as he jingled angrily next to Aegislash's blade, unafraid. The blade was inches from Wulfric's ample belly, and Abomasnow roared and beat his fists.

"Wrong answer," Calem said. "You're gonna help us find Serena no matter what it takes."

Wulfric looked between Aegislash and Calem and barely reacted, like it was totally normal to face off against a sword as big as a person and not fear for your life. "Is that so? And who's gonna make me? You?"

Calem cracked his knuckles as he made a fist, brandishing Aegislash. "Like I said, no matter what it takes."

"Calem," Korrina hissed.

Wulfric chuckled to himself like he'd just heard a raunchy joke. "Let me guess. Steel Adamantine, right? Ice types don't much like you iron heads, but I'm guessing you already knew that when you decided to come at me with that big steak knife o' yours." He gestured to Abomasnow. "Let me ask you something, boy. Are you willing to bet Abomasnow can't snap your little sword in two? I'm not a gambling man myself, but I'll take that bet any day."

Something about the way he said it chilled Grace to the bone. She would have never dreamed of comparing Aegislash to a dinner utensil. Just the sword's mere presence unsettled her. But Wulfric seemed ready, even eager for Calem to call his bluff. A spike of fear struck Grace like lightning. There was no way this man, a Gym Leader in his own right, was bluffing.

"I don't care about any of that. If you're as strong as you claim you are, then you should use your strength to help someone in trouble. That's why you're a Gym Leader, right? Because you stand up for the people in this city?"

"You're not from my city."

Alain put a hand on Calem's shoulder. "Calem, that's enough. We won't convince him like this."

Calem shrugged him roughly off. "I'm just getting started."

"So am I." To Wulfric he said, "We're not from Snowbelle, and you're not under any obligation to help anyone outside your jurisdiction. That's fair enough. But the White Mountains are all your territory, and that's where Serena's being kept. If you don't help us, you're condemning an innocent girl to a fate worse than death on your watch. Here's a Tuesday Trivia question for you: What will Snowbelle's mayoral council will think when they find out Team Flare's running a secret base for illegal experimentation and kidnapping in their backyard?"

"I'm thinking public outcry," Korrina said, not missing a beat. "Unlawful seizure of government property aside, I'd say we're looking at a metric shit ton of malfeasance. I'm no Snowbellian, but in Shalour that usually means the Gym Leader takes the fall."

"Hey Korrina," Alain said. "Isn't that actually a Pokémon League rule or something that all Gym Leaders have to follow?"

"I'm glad you brought that up, Alain. It's not just the mayoral council that expects a Gym Leader to use whatever means necessary and reasonable to ensure the safety of his territory, it's actually the Pokémon League's major stipulation in exchange for official recognition and funding."

"Wow, that sounds like it's a big deal," Imelda said.

Korrina glared at her. "Why yes, Imelda. It's a big fucking deal."

Imelda blushed and stared at her feet.

Wulfric had remained eerily silent as Alain and Korrina put on their little show, but Grace had not taken her eyes from him once. The way he was looking at Korrina and Alain had her fearing for their safety.

"Now that's just poor manners," Wulfric said. "I've been on the asshole end of plenty of hotshots coming in here looking to bury me in gold plated bullshit. I give 'em their fair shot and send 'em on their way. I like young people, you're full of spunk and sometimes you even got a good head on your shoulders when it's not shoved halfway up your own ass. It's cute.

"But let me tell you three something. The Pokémon League also doesn't take kindly to infighting and coercion between Gym Leaders. You just threatened me with legal sanctions if I don't do what you ask. I'm no fancy lawyer or scholar or what have you, but here in Snowbell we got a nice word for that: extortion. Now, my little brother doesn't much like extortion. Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you're not from around here. I say my little brother, but most folks here know I mean Mayor Remus."

Grace could feel the last of her hope slipping away as Wulfric faced off against Korrina, Calem, and Alain. No matter what they said or did, he would not budge. And if he didn't budge, she would lose her last hope of finding Serena. The urge to cry was so overwhelming that she almost gave into it. She hadn't done much of that since Serena's abduction, too focused on how to get Serena back to mourn her absence.

"I'll be willing to overlook this little visit out of respect for old man Gurkinn," Wulfric continued. "Korrina, I hope you remember this when you get back to your own Gym. You're still green, so you have a lot to learn. That's all right. But between us, I don't give second chances. Consider this your one and only. Oh, and I'm sorry to say the invitation to join us for Trivia Night is off the table. I don't have much of a taste for dramatics. Have a safe trip back to Shalour City." He showed them his back and headed back toward the icy arena with Abomasnow.

"Shit," Alain said. "What are we supposed to do?"

"He can't do this," Korrina said. "He has a responsibility to resolve any conflict in his jurisdiction. Extortion? Please, this is anything but."

"Well, he doesn't seem to see it that way."

"You're the Gym Leader here," Calem said. "Fix this. Isn't that your job?"

"It's his job, too," Korrina said.

"Um, I'm sorry your visit was so short," Imelda said. "I'll be happy to escort you out?"

Grace only half listened to their voices fading behind her. Her feet were carrying her after Wulfric without her even realizing it, and she caught up to him in a few strides.

"Wait!" she said.

Wulfric turned and sized her up, but his previous decorum was gone. "Was there something else? I can't help you with your daughter, so if there's nothing else, then I'll have to ask you to leave."

Grace balled her fists and held her head high. Her only thought was of Serena's limp body as Malva slung it over the back of her Charizard like a sack of potatoes. "Are you saying you can't help me find my daughter, or you won't?"

Wulfric sighed and showed her his palms. "Listen. I really am sorry about your daughter, but—"

"You're Crystallos, right?" Grace interrupted. "That means you're a Tamer. So you have these special powers that I don't have."

Wulfric frowned. "Well, that's true."

The others followed Grace when they heard her talking with Wulfric and drew up behind her. She tried to ignore them and focus on the only thing that mattered: getting Serena back.

"My daughter wasn't born a Tamer, but she became one," Grace said, willing her voice not to shake. "I hated it. I wished we could go back to the way things were, but we couldn't. And you know what? Eventually she told me she didn't want to go back. That she didn't regret it because now she could make a difference. I raced Rhyhorn for entertainment and I wanted her to follow in my footsteps, but she told me no, that wasn't good enough for her. I wasn't good enough for her." Grace paused to wipe her eyes where a few stray tears escaped.

"She told me she wanted to help people. She didn't want to race, she wanted to help. She asked me once, what's the point of being a Tamer and having all these abilities if you don't use them to help the people who don't? I had never thought about it like that because I never wanted to think about it like that. You people with your abilities and your gifts, we had nothing to do with you until this was done to her. She showed up one day, and she wasn't just my little girl anymore. She was one of you, too. And I think—I know a part of me hated her for that."

Wulfric said nothing as he listened respectfully. His grey gaze made Grace nervous, but if this was her last chance at finding Serena, then she would gladly fall on her own sword.

"But all this time, I was the one who wasn't good enough for Serena, not the other way around. I failed her as a mother. She became a Tamer, and I wasn't there for her like I should have been. I can't go back and change that, but I can do what I know she would do if our situations were reversed.

"These three," she indicated Korrina and the others, "have helped me get this far because they can. They can do things I could never even dream of doing. They don't have to help me, but they are anyway. And I know what Serena meant now. I was wrong, I was so wrong, and I want to tell her that when I see her again. I want to hold her in my arms and tell her I'm sorry, that I love her so much no matter what she does or who she chooses to be.

"I'm not going to threaten you or use your position against you. I couldn't if I wanted to. I'm just a pleb, I'm nobody worth mentioning. I'm a mother who wants to find her missing daughter, and I think you might be able to help me do that. You can help me. Not them," she indicated Korrina and the others, "me. I'm the one asking here. Serena's mydaughter, and I'm responsible for everything that happens to her. So please, with all your powers and position, if there's even a small chance that you can make a difference, will please you help me? Will you help my daughter?"

Wulfric sighed heavily and let his arms fall to his sides. "I've been Gym Leader here for thirty-some years. Not once in my tenure has anybody, Tamer or pleb, made me feel like the asshole in the room the way you just did. And you know something, Grace? I'm glad you did."

He looked over her shoulder at Alain, Korrina, and Calem standing together. "Gym Leader Korrina, old man Gurkinn's told me heaps about you, how proud he is of you. But he always says you have more to learn, and he's right. Being a Gym Leader isn't about being the toughest." He glanced at Calem. "It's not about being the smartest guy in the room." He shifted his gaze to Alain, then to Korrina again. "It's about remembering who you answer to, and that they're people, same as you."

He nodded to Grace. "I wasn't kidding around about the White Mountains this time of year being a death trap. I grew up in these parts. There's ice in my blood. But even I steer clear of the mountains this time of year. I respect them. But...I'll help you find your daughter, Grace. If she's somewhere in the White Mountains, then I'm the best one suited to go in after her. I can't promise anything, but I can help you, so I ought to. You're right about that. But I want something in return."

Grace could have cried. "Name it."

"I want to meet Serena when this is all over. From what you said, she sounds like she's got a good head on her shoulders. I like that in young people. You can always learn something from a young person with a good head on her shoulders."

Grace's vision blurred, and she blinked rapidly to dispel the tears. "Of course. I'm sure she'd like that very much."

Wulfric held out his hand. "Then we got ourselves a deal."

Grace shook his hand, which practically swallowed her smaller one.

He pulled her closer and said a little softer, "By the way, I'll be happy to reinstate that invitation for Trivia Night when this is all over."

Despite herself, Grace laughed a little. "I've never played trivia."

Wulfric smiled, and the iciness of his grey eyes seemed to melt as his weathered face lit up a little. "You'll love it. Serena will, too. There's not a soul on this great earth who doesn't enjoy a good game of trivia."

"So we're doing this?" Calem said. "We're going to find Serena?"

Grace sniffled and wiped a few stray tears from her face. "Yes. We're going to bring her home."

---

Deep in the White Mountains, Laevus was hunched over a stainless steel operating table under a fluorescent lamp. His left arm was bare, the sleeve rolled up over his paunchy elbow, and he held a sterile cloth in his hand, which he used to dab at the blood seeping from the wound on his forearm. A shard of Mega Stone was embedded in the flesh, and he'd sewn the wound back up around its edges so only a sliver of it remained visible. He'd had drugs on hand to numb the pain, but oddly enough, once the stone nestled into his flesh, the pain had dulled to a negligible thrum.

It was late, and the Team Flare assistants Malva had brought with her from Lumiose City were all asleep, Malva included. Laevus was alone in his lab with only the one lamp on to offer him light. Something shuffled nearby, and he looked up but didn't go to investigate. He knew the source of the sound.

"Now for the last touch," he said as he reached for the syringe he'd prepared.

Serena's blood had been direct from the vein when he'd tested the Mega Stone on the pleb specimen, but the girl was passed out and anemic from all the blood Laevus had siphoned from her for his experiments. If this stale sample didn't work as he intended it to, he would just hook her up to an IV feed in the morning. But he didn't want to put off an initial experiment until the morning now that he'd come this far.

Laevus produced a small black recording device from his sweatshirt pocket and held down the record button. "I've successfully embedded the Mega Stone shard in my left forearm, and I am now prepared to infuse it with Magus blood. I expect a positive reaction with my latent Ignifer blood. I should not have the negative reaction the pleb specimen had. This is Attempt Number One. Standby for results."

He locked in the recording button and set down the device. Then, he picked up the syringe with Serena's blood and stuck it in a vein at his elbow just above the Mega Stone. The pinprick made him wince, but he gritted his teeth and slowly injected the entire syringe. Then, he waited.

"I've injected the Magus blood into my bloodstream. It's been...seventy-four seconds and counting. No reaction so far."

He waited another thirty seconds, but the Mega Stone shard did not change its color like it had when Laevus had experimented on the pleb boy. Swearing, he got up and went to the shelf nearby to retrieve another syringe with Serena's blood in it. Not even bothering to disinfect the injection point again, he popped off the cap on the syringe and sat back down to give himself another hit.

"I am injecting another dose of the Magus blood. Standby for any change."

The recording device's timer counted the seconds as he waited. Twenty-three seconds passed and there was no change. He felt nothing. The tender skin around the embedded Mega Stone shard in his forearm did not turn black the way it had in the pleb boy. Something bumped Laevus's ankle, and he looked down irritably.

"What?" he snapped.

Darumaka grabbed his toes and grunted meekly as he peered up at him from the floor. Laevus sighed, regretting his tone, and reached out a hand to scoop up the little fire monkey.

"It's okay, Maru. Come on up."

Darumaka squealed when he got close and suddenly balled up and rolled away in a hurry. He hid behind Laevus's desk out of reach and poked his little snout around the edge to see if Laevus would pursue him.

"What the hell's wrong with you, Maru?" Laevus got up. "Come on out here—"

He reached out his left hand for the little Pokémon and froze when he got a look at himself. The Mega Stone shard in his arm was glowing a soft orange. He blinked, stared a couple seconds, and watched as it changed to a lighter pink, then an earthier brown. Laevus's mind reeled, and he snatched the recorder from the desk, Darumaka forgotten.

"This is Attempt Number Two. I'm seeing a reaction. The shard is showing multiple discolorations." He paused as he caught a flash of angry red, then the shard faded to a deep, ugly violet. "This didn't happen with the pleb specimen. His Mega Stone shard only glowed pink when it was fed the Magus blood..."

Laevus took a moment to flex his left hand and take stock of his body. His breathing was normal, and his heartbeat was a little fast, but it was always like that at this altitude. He was sweating, but his skin was clammy with chill. Uncomfortable, but normal compared to his usual state in this godforsaken shithole. He smiled, unable to contain himself, and lifted the recording device to his lips.

"I'm not exhibiting any adverse symptoms. My hypothesis may be correct." The stone in his arm began to swirl with a bright sky blue light. "Only a skuff with Tamer's blood can accept the Mega Stone favorably. Now, to test it."

He waddled toward the far wall where the shuffling sound he'd heard earlier was coming from. The overhead lights flickered on when they sensed his movement and illuminated a row of cast iron cages, each fifteen feet tall and jammed together along the length of the wall. They had been empty when he first arrived here, but over the past months, they began to fill up. He approached one of the cages now and stood in front of the bars.

A pair of compound black eyes caught the light and flickered like a hundred little mirrors. They reflected Laevus's figure staring down at them, the glow of his Mega Stone shard, and the bars in between them. The creature, a Pinsir Malva had brought him just a few weeks ago, hissed and scraped at the rocky floor of the cage. The jagged, spiked pincers growing out of his head were each as long as Leavus's forearm and capable of piercing through solid rock. But not iron.

Laevus tentatively reached for the bars, and the captive Pinser hissed maniacally. He lunged at the bars and latched onto them, thrusting with his horns for a chance to gut him. Laevus gasped and stumbled backwards, clutching his left arm. But the bars stopped Pinsir. He was safe.

Swallowing hard, Laevus lifted the recorder to his lips again. "I'll test the Mega Stone's power now. Test Subject B47-R, Pinsir. Here I go."

Pinsir glared at him through the bars, and Laevus could feel his fury and fear. He had been brought here against his will and stuffed in a cage for a science experiment. But that was all he was: an experiment. A lab rat, or Bug, that existed solely to advance Laevus's grand design. Tonight, he would either succeed or fail. And then, he would try again with Subject B47-S in the next cage over. He smiled nervously and wiped the sweat from his brow, wondering if this experiment would end in success or failure.

Laevus took a steadying breath and reached out with his left hand. The glittering Mega Stone shard embedded in his arm flashed with light and settled on a faint sky blue. The closer he got to Pinsir, the stronger the blue glow became.

"Recording my thoughts as I advance. I feel as though the stone is pulling me, compelling me. Like it wants me to continue. I will continue."

Pinsir pulled back from the bars but continued to spit at Laevus. The clicking sound made his skin crawl, but he persevered. His fingers brushed the bars, and he reached into the cage. Pinsir shrieked all of a sudden and lunged at him again. Laevus gasped and tried to pull away, but his arm nearly popped out of its socket as his hand continued to reach as though of its own accord. The sky blue light enveloped his arm, shining under his skin as though it was spreading, and something cold and sharp dug into his wrist. With a yelp, he stumbled to his knees. Pinsir had sunk his teeth into him in defense. He dropped the recorder and it slid over the stone floor a couple feet away.

The light flashed bright, and Pinsir shrieked again. And suddenly, the pain was gone. Panting, Laevus leaned against the bars, his right palm slick with sweat as he tried to hold on for leverage. Bleary-eyed and pumped full of enough adrenaline to make him fly, he blinked rapidly through the gloom.

"Oh..." he gasped.

Something rattled, like a shutter in the wind, and steadily rose toward the top of the cage. Laevus stared up, wide-eyed and mouth agape. His breathing was heavy, and his tongue was fat in his mouth, making it hard to swallow.

"Ha," he panted. "Ha, ha... Haha!"

The laugh rumbled in the pit of his swollen belly and bubbled up like an eruption. The Mega Stone shard continued to glow a steady light blue in his arm, no longer changing, and he stared up at the ceiling at the hundred-mirror eyes that stared back at him far above. He laughed and laughed.

The recording device lay a few feet away, recording the sounds of great wings buzzing and filling the room over his laughter.