"Yes, we finally made it! We're outside and not lost and we're here now! Yes, yes, yes!" Riolu skips, laughing and giggling. They had made it out of Mount Horn with time to spare thanks to Mana and her urging. Bidoof immediately plops down, gasping for air as Mana makes her way to Chatot. He scolds her for being late, explaining that no one was allowed to leave until their group arrived. Mana does her best to apologize, taking the blame for all the mishaps and such and Chatot forgives her, letting her go with nothing but a warning.
As Mana stares after Chatot, a weird feeling comes over her. She looks around. Is she being watched? No. Is this the beginnings of another vision? No. Then what is this feeling? It's like... It feels like deja vu...or nostalgia. But I've never been to the highlands before. Maybe I've dreamt about this place and that's why it must seem familiar to me? But if it is nostalgia, then maybe this place will give me clues about my memory... The feeling vanishes, but a sense of foreboding tugs at the back of her mind.
"You coming Mana? Chatot wants us to get unpacked so we can join in on the strategy meeting." Mana snaps her head to the side where Riolu is standing. She didn't hear him walk over nor did she hear Chatot calling for them. She nods her head slowly, still thinking about this place. Her and Riolu quickly unpack, Mana spreading the blankets around the ground. Once they've finished, they quickly run to join the rest of the guild.
"...area so you must make sure not to lose sight of each other. Remember, the name itself was given because of this thick fog so wandering away from your team. Not only that, but we are all following the rumors, so there is not one shred of truth we'll be following. Sorry to say, but it will not be an easy trip for any of us," Chatot looks around at the pokemon. Before he can continue, Chimecho interrupts him, her expression apologetic.
"While we were traveling, my group and I heard an interesting legend from a pokemon who lived close to the highlands. He had said that there was a legend about the lake. Supposedly, it speaks of the lake as being home to a pokemon called Uxie and that this pokemon was said to erase the memories of anyone who tries to enter its domain." Chimecho takes a deep breath and continues, but Mana isn't paying attention as she ponders Chimecho's words. Could this be the pokemon who wiped her memory clean? Maybe this is why the lake feels familiar! Something must've happened that Uxie erased my memories. But then...how did I end up on the beach? Wouldn't I have woken up here instead? Wait a minute, if this is all legend, then there must be some truth behind it! If Mana could somehow find the legendary Uxie, maybe she can find out what really happened to her memory... And hopefully get it all back by the end of the day.
"All right guys, you head on out on your own with your teams while the Guildmaster and I stay here. We will be gathering information and keep you all up to date on the latest news, so make sure you all stay focused. Be careful out there and remember that visibility is extremely poor so watch where you and your teams are going. If you find out anything new on your exploration, you are to come back here immediately so we can all take note of it. Dismissed!" Chatot flutters his wings and the pokemon spread out, each team entering the forest. Having been reunited with his teammates, Bidoof enters the fog, but not before taking a last look at Mana and Riolu. His partner calls him and just as quickly as he looked, Bidoof disappears into the fog.
Mana stays behind quietly, observing the incredible thickiness of the fog. Having finished his meal, Riolu comes up to stand next to his friend, his eyes also on the density of the fog.
"You think maybe this Uxie is behind the fog? To get rid of any wandering pokemon and keep everyone else away?" Riolu asks, glancing at his friend. Mana stares at the fog, watching as it thickens around them. He may be right. What if Uxie not only erases memories, but also created this fog to protect its home?
"If that's the case, maybe we should find this rare pokemon and ask him to lift the fog," Mana says, finally looking at her partner. Riolu smiles, pumped up. For a minute, Mana's behavior was beginning to worry him, but now that she is back to herself, there is nothing to fret about. Mana looks back at the fog, her mind on Uxie. She and Riolu are the last ones to enter the dense forest and they stay close together, weaving in and out of the path to avoid anything on the ground that could trip them up. Riolu pauses, squinting at something up ahead. He peers down at Mana who is also trying to see through the fog.
"Do you think we should check that place out or do we continue elsewhere?" "Hmm, maybe we should go in to see if there are any clues to follow. That entrance up ahead might be a trap or it might be a way into the dungeon. Remember, the fog is here to warn pokemon to stay away." "Right, so then this could be a trap and all we have to do is tell Chatot and the Guildmaster about it and continue down a different path," Riolu says. Mana nods, agreeing.
"Exactly. And if we go in, there's a possibility that we find something valuable hidden in there-" "-Like buried treasure! Woohoo, let's go in!" Riolu grabs on to Mana and drags her in to the mysterious entrance. Mana can't help but feel a little giddy and a little nervous at the same time. What if they don't run in to treasure, but find Uxie instead? What if Uxie is the one responsible for wiping away her memories and wants to do it again after discovering his hideaway? What if Uxie can't bring back my memories? Or what if he was never involved in taking my memories? Then...what? What else could there be? Uxie might know what happened to her, but what if he can't remember her because she is no longer human? What if something had happened to her, something dangerous and now she is here... I bring Riolu in to my troubles and I cause him even more pain? Mana looks up at Riolu's back and then stares at how his paw is holding on to her. She had become such good friends with Riolu, but to also have his memories erased along with hers? No...she could not think about the consequences of what her possible actions would do to Riolu.
Please, please don't let that happen. I will do anything to keep him away from harm and to keep our friendship intact. Mana closes her eyes tightly and a small, pleading tear trickles out of her left eye. It falls to the ground, a faint cry reaching the walls around the two rookies, the rippling effects of the plea entering into an unknown domain. Somewhere, farther away from even the densest of fogs, a pokemon sleeps. The small plea of the tear cuts into the silence and the pokemon, who was curled in a ball of slumber, slowly opens their eyes.