Ch.45: Unraveling the Guarded Truth! Flint's Breaking Point!

"Witches?! AAAHHH!" The old Armaldo screamed as she slammed her door right in Flint's face, after he got halfway through asking about the zombie attacks.

He inhaled deeply with an irritable face, then exhaled before lightly banging his head against the door. "Thank you for your help…" he muttered in annoyance. He glared slightly at Gwyn as she tried to hide her amused giggles. Her cheeks were puffed out with air. "Not one word out of you, missy…"

"W-W-What d-d-do you think I-I'm doing?" she asked, desperately trying to keep herself from laughing.

Flint rubbed his sore nose and stepped down from the rude Armaldo's porch. Reuben patted him on the back, letting his chuckles fly out freely. "Oh, don't feel bad, my friend. The superstitious are typically the most paranoid. At least you are wise enough to keep your face a few inches away from the door."

Flint rolled his eyes. "Lucky me…" Gwyn sneaked a poke against his nose, which made him wince. "Ow!"

"Ooh, sorry!" She opened her bag and reached inside. "I think I have some medicine to help with that."

"G-Gwyn, it's fine. It…doesn't hurt that badly." He touched his nose, then winced again. "Ow…" he whined.

Gwyn shook her head with a firm stare. "Oh no you don't, mister! I'm not letting my best friend go through the day with an ouchie!"

Flint raised his brow. "Ouchie? Gwyn, you know I'm twenty years old, right?"

She giggled jokingly. "And I'm a nineteen year old with the mind of a child! Now quit acting all stubborn and hold still!" She pulled a vial from her bag and uncorked it. She dipped a thin brush inside and pulled it out with a thin trail of dark green, viscous liquid. She tapped the brush against the rim a couple time, then brushed the liquid over Flint's nose.

It stung a bit, but it was surprisingly soothing and cool against his skin. "Huh…that's not bad, actually." Gwyn finished it off with a small bandage on his nose.

She clasped her hands together and grinned. "There you go, all better!"

Flint rubbed the back of his head with a little chuckle. "Heh…thanks. You're too sweet."

She waved it off. "Oh, you're too much~!"

Reuben rolled his eyes with an annoyed glare. Yeesh, how ARE these two not together already? They're so…sickeningly sweet. He shook his head. Whatever. I need to focus on the plan. He held his hips and smirked. "Well, that's fifteen houses down. Nowhere near closer to finding out about the witches."

Gwyn rubbed her head nervously. "Kind of glad…" She shook her head vigorously and puffed her chest out. "B-But, it doesn't matter! Those dastardly witches won't know what hit them when we find them! And then we'll…do something!" she exclaimed.

Flint rolled his eyes with a joking grin and patted her shoulder. "I think you meant to say 'call our friends when trouble arises.'" He narrowed his eyes worriedly. "Gwyn, are you sure you're up for this? I don't want you freezing up like last night?"

"Oh, that?" She waved it off, blowing a dismissive sound from her lips. "I'm WAAAAY over that! I've never felt better!" She forced a wide, enthusiastic grin.

Flint raised his brow in concern. "Are you sure?"

"Positive! I-I can handle myself, no problem!" she exclaimed with a fist pump.

Flint narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to doubt you, Gwyn, but you were pretty shaken up."

She gripped Flint's shoulders and smiled kindly. "Flint, I'm telling you, I'm fine." She shrugged. "Besides, what do I have to worry about?" She rubbed her arm sheepishly. "I mean, you're here with me, so…I don't have anything to fear."

Flint's face lit up with a dark blush. "I-I-I…well…" He pulled his hat down to cover his face. "I-I-I'm not that great…"

Gwyn giggled and nuzzled his cheek. "You kidding? You're super awesome! Even if you're not that strong, I know you'll always be there to protect your friends! You're cool like that!"

Flint blinked, then smiled graciously. "Wow…thanks Gwyn."

She giggled. "You're welcome!" She dropped him and skipped ahead. "Now come on, slowpokes! We still have more houses to investigate!" She dashed over to the next house.

Flint shook his head and chuckled. Reuben walked up to Flint's side and held his chin in amusement. "You two seem to get along pretty well."

Flint held his head with an awkward grin. "She really is an amazing girl…"

"Yes, very much so." Reuben slid his hands into his pockets. He closed his eyes. "Flint, if I've been making you uncomfortable with my forwardness towards Gwyn, I'd like to apologize."

Flint jumped with wide eyes, then shook his paws with a nervous grin. "What~? You weren't making me uncomfortable! It's just…really hot out here!"

"…do you even want to try and rephrase everything wrong with that excuse?"

Flint sweated a bit, then sighed. "Okay…maybe a little."

Reuben laughed and slapped Flint in the back, knocking him forward. "Do not feel threatened, friend!" He sighed 'sadly' and held his fist up to the sky. "Gwyn would make a wonderful friend, but…she seems to have eyes for you, whether she knows it or not."

The blush on Flint's face couldn't get any brighter. He laughed awkwardly and pulled down on his hat again. "Hehehehe…right…" He walked after Gwyn, trying to cool his face down.

Reuben smirked deviously as he followed. He pulled the stone shards out of his pocket and tossed them around in his hand. Not that it'll matter in the end. Might as well be merciful and grant you some relaxation before your untimely demise. He threw the shards over his shoulder, then met up with Flint and Gwyn as the Mew knocked on the next door.

The shards hit the ground, sparking with the impact. They lay motionlessly until they started glowing in purple light and vibrating. Cracks formed in the surface with thick beams of light shooting out.

Wes rested his chin on a table and scanned the book propped up in front of him with a look of utter boredom. It's been about an hour and they've still haven't found much on witches. Granted, not many libraries offered knowledge on such a forbidden practice, so why would they?

He groaned and swatted to book out of his face. "Nothing in that one…"

Fernando climbed up a bookshelf and traced his finger across the book spines. "Where's that good ol' enthusiasm of yours, Wes? Surely you of all people would find researching exciting," he jokingly stated.

Wes rolled his eyes. "Haha, very funny."

Tony sat upside down in a chair, quickly scanning his eyes across the text. So far, he's found documented reports of witchcraft back in the later centuries. Recordings of how witches were a frightening force before magic became fully integrated into Mysto. However, nothing specific on puppets and experimentation. He threw the book onto the table and retrieved another. "Well, I have newfound hatred for witches. That, or for the guy who wrote these reports. Seriously, too much detail on the sacrifices that didn't involve soul removal."

Fernando picked out a few more books and dropped them down to Wes. "I understand this all seems tedious, but we must be swift. We have to know what the witches are up to. Should they be connected to the Tribe of Shadows, this business with the puppets could likely carry more horrifying consequences."

Wes sat up in his chair and nodded. "We get that. I may be bored, but I can forego rest to get to the truth." He opened a book and skimmed through the first few pages. "Unfortunately, with no direct knowledge on the process Puppet Masters go through, we're at a loss."

Fernando leaped down with books tucked under his arm. "Your friend, Griffin, said he has a friend who knows about witches?"

Wes nodded. "Yeah, but he said they only have basic knowledge on them. Griffin would have told us if he knew anything about puppet experimentation."

Tony crossed his arms and leaned back. "All we do know is that they're testing different seals on the puppets. The purpose is still unclear." He flipped through the pages. "Forbidden practice of witchcraft leaves many holes to fill unless you were a witch yourself."

Wes tapped his chin curiously. "Hmm…maybe if I track down Captain Arid, I can force Cheshire to tell me something. He studies curses, so…"

Tony raised his brow. "Captain Arid? As in that pirate who has been causing you and the others trouble?" He sighed. "Even if that was an option, it'd take too long. We're better off finding all we can from these books." He smirked lightly as he plunged himself back into his book. "Thankfully, for all the weirdos out in history, there are bound to be idiots crazy enough to study witchcraft up close."

Fernando set the books down and sighed. "Fair point." He opened a book and sat in his chair. "It's not the most action oriented job, but a vital one nonetheless."

Wes nodded vigorously. "I'll keep myself on task even if my eyes fall out!" He began to read his book intensely.

Fernando chuckled, then resumed reading his book. However, a moment later, a feeling nagged at him that he's been meaning to ask ever since he reunited with his old friends. He didn't want to ask earlier due to circumstances, but he had to know just to be safe.

"Wes?" He heard the Umbreon hum in acknowledgement. "May I ask you something regarding your Mew friend, Gwyn?"

Wes blinked, then set his book down. "Um…sure. What about her?"

"Well, it's just…I'm rather surprised you are friends with a Mew."

Tony waved his statement off. "The number of times we've come across people saying the exact same thing…it's not new to us."

"Yes, but…her last name rings familiar bells. Belladonna, correct?" They nodded. "Who were her parents?"

Wes held his chin. "Well, her father is Mew and…she hasn't seen him since she was a baby. Her mother is Clara Belladonna, the-"

"-potion master," Fernando finished before narrowing his eyes. "So, Gwyn is related to Clara Belladonna."

Tony chuckled quietly. "Crazy, right? If she wasn't so shy about it, I'd be publicly bragging to every scumbag I've met that I'm friends with a half-Legendary." He smirked. "Oh, the joy that'll bring."

Fernando narrowed his eyes seriously. "I have to ask: how strong is Gwyn?"

Tony stuck his tongue out to the side as he considered the question. "Well…can't say she's weak. She's a damn good potion expert and botanist. A lot of her craziest spells rely on her plants."

Wes grinned. "Yeah! You should see her in action! She's pretty awesome!"

"Yes, but…does she have any latent power? Can either of you sense stronger magic inside her?" he asked pressingly.

Tony set his book down. "Why does it matter? She's strong and that's it."

"I don't think you two understand why I'm concern. Gwyn's half-Legendary. There's a reason Legendaries are sought after by witches. Demons would do anything to get their power. That's why we rarely see Legendaries or any mortal offspring of theirs in our realm." Fernando narrowed his eyes. "Even if she is half-Legendary, the kind of power she possesses could be…dangerous."

Wes glared. "Now hold on, are you suggesting Gwyn might be…life-threatening?"

Tony stood up in his seat. "I swear, if you pull some clichéd garbage about her turning evil, I'll-!"

"No, no, no! Absolutely not! She's…far too innocent to be anything like that. But you must understand where I'm coming from." Fernando sighed. "Has she ever gotten…angry? Like…really angry?"

Tony couldn't answer because he's never seen the sweet Mew lose her cool, but Wes raised his paw. "Well, while I never saw it personally, Flint did mention how Gwyn went…a little nutty back in her home city. He mentioned something about her eyes turning darker…"

Fernando sighed, then leaned back. "…how much do you know about Clara Belladonna?"

Wes and Tony looked at each other, then shrugged at the Monferno. "Not a whole lot, I suppose."

"Look, I'm only asking these questions because I worry Gwyn may not have full control over her godly energy." He closed his eyes. "I've heard interesting rumors about Clara, even before the accusations thrown against her for being a witch. Folks said…she had a hint of madness in her eyes. Some form of rage that can make her think irrationally. Granted, she has never been reported hurting anyone innocent and I'm sure Gwyn would never do the same." He opened his eyes into a serious stare. "Just promise me that you all will keep an eye on Gwyn and see just how powerful she is. She may be mortal, but she's still half-Legendary. Half-god."

With that, Fernando returned to his research. Wes and Tony looked at each other with surprised eyes. The thought never crossed them that Gwyn could be stronger than they realized. Wes wasn't one to ignore Fernando's advice and Tony was naturally curious on these sorts of matters. Guess they all had to keep an eye on Gwyn. As a team.

Ella clutched her head and growled in frustration. Once again, she lost her patience trying to use her clairvoyance, if she even could use clairvoyance. She would have given up by now if Griffin weren't there to keep her on task.

"Come on, you're getting closer," Griffin said.

"How do you know? You don't have my brain!" she shouted.

Griffin sighed. "Okay, I don't know, but discouraging you isn't going to help any of us."

Ella crossed her forelegs and plopped her back down on the bed. "Ugh, maybe asking random strangers for information would be easier."

"Ella, you are so much more capable than you let on." Griffin held up the sword. "I didn't join a team of quitters and failures." He set the weapon in front of her hind paws. "Psychic-Types have so much more potential than anyone else in Mysto. Expanding your abilities would be beneficial to the team and yourself."

Ella sat up. "Why for me?"

Griffin crossed his arms. "You're a talented, young woman. I'd figure this would be a simple chore to get through for you. Besides, broadening your psychic abilities could help you do more than you could ever imagine. The only thing holding back a psychic's true power is the mind and its many limitations. It's up to you to fight through those limitations."

Ella groaned tiredly, then sat herself up with a bored look. "Oh…fine, I'll give it another go." She psychically lifted the sword once more and concentrated on it. She closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. She clapped her paws together and lifted herself in the air.

Griffin walked in front of the floating sword and narrowed his eyes. "Remember, the key is to find a psychic link housed in the sword. Once you get used to it, it should become second nature in time."

Ella breathed slowly. "Right…" The gem on her forehead glowed.

The sword spun around at different angles. Within her mind, she reconstructed a mental image of the sword made up of psychic energy. Deeper into her thoughts, she focused in on every speck of the sword, searching for the psychic link.

It…felt weird, yet relaxing. In her mind, she felt like she was floating in a dark void of eternal nothingness. Nothing but her psychic projection and the reconstructed sword. A state of focus that allowed her to examine the finer parts of the sword.

The psychic energy around the sword dissolved away, leaving behind few strands of energy trialing off. Ella focused on the few strands to see which ones seem irregular. Each strand seemed to tell a story about each person who recently wielded it. She could sense a strong strand that tied back to Griffin, as he was the most recent to hold the sword. There was even a strand for the Tangrowth puppet who wielded it before. The cloth around the blade could be traced back to Wes, too.

She focused harder on the other strands to find a potential connection. She studied each of them before coming across an unfamiliar strand. Everything else dispersed from her mind as she focused on the strand. Her psychic persona reached out and touched the strand.

Suddenly, Ella's eyes opened in shock as they exploded with teal light. Everything began to rewind. Everywhere the sword has been, she followed it back. Images of her trying to work with the sword earlier. Images of Griffin and the Tangrowth puppet dueling the other night. It all moved so fast, yet her mind was somehow capable of retaining this new information.

Everything began to slow down when she reached the near end of the trail. Images of cloaked figure passing off the sword to the Tangrowth before going further back. It all ended with her finding the link to the culprit.

She saw him pulling the sword out of a display case and handing it over to a cloaked figure. The cloaked figure laughed and thanked the man before exiting out of the office.

With all of that, Ella collapsed from the memories and fell back onto the bed. The sword clanged on the floor.

Griffin quickly went to her side and crouched down to eye level. "Well? What did you see? Did you find the witches?"

Ella groaned and pushed herself up. She felt groggy from having all of that hit her at once. "Not…exactly. I don't think I can trace them."

Griffin rubbed his chin. "Right…the Dark Medium must be keeping themselves untraceable."

"However…" Griffin looked back at her. "The sword doesn't belong to them." She looked at him with a stern glare. "It belongs to the mayor."

The Grovyle's eyes widened in disbelief, then slowly shaped them into a vicious glare. "What?" He stood up and clenched his fists up. "The mayor?! He's working with the witches?!"

Ella climbed off the bed and nodded. "It would…appear so." She glared at the walls. "Ugh, no wonder there hasn't been any real investigations against them. The mayor's simply covering it up as utter nonsense." Her eyes widened as she felt the spiteful energy leaking out of Griffin. "Uh…Griff?"

Griffin picked up the cursed sword, then melted it with the heat of his aura. He let the molten metal drip over his hand and splash on the carpeted floor. He clenched his fist up and marched out the door. "I think we need to pay Reaves another uninvited visit…" he stated, the fury in his tone being held back.

Ella blinked, then shrugged. "Fine by me…" She followed after him. She was expecting one hell of an interrogation from him.

Gwyn shrieked and jumped away from the crazy Dewgong throwing glass bottles out his door. "I don't want anything to do with witches!" he shouted before grabbing the door and giving it a loud slam shut.

Gwyn stood at his door with wide eyes, then smiled awkwardly. "Okay! Thanks for helping!" She turned away, then slumped over in exhaustion. "Well, that could have gone better…"

Flint patted her back. "Aww, chin up. At least he didn't hit you with anything." He pointed at his bandaged nose and chuckled a bit.

Gwyn snorted a laugh and held her head. "Fair point." She looked over at Reuben. "Well, that's everyone in the neighborhood."

Reuben rubbed his chin. "I suppose we'll have to broaden our search. I may know a few other places we can investigate, if any of you are up for it."

Flint shrugged. "Fine by me, I guess."

Gwyn nodded. "Sure thing! Let's go!" She dashed ahead with a merry skip in her step.

"G-Gwyn, don't go too far!" Flint called out. He sat down on the ground and crossed his forelegs with a serious look. "These witches have caused more of a stir than I realized. What have they been doing?"

Reuben held his chin thoughtfully. "Oh…hard to say. The insidious mind of the wicked can be a mystery. Whatever demonic forces the witches are conspiring with can't be for anything good. The issue with the puppets and all this interest in Gwyn seems to point to nefarious intentions."

Flint sighed and looked down. "I hope this doesn't become a repeated experience later on. We already have enough trouble as it is, but…a group of witches after Gwyn? Hasn't she been through enough?"

Reuben patted Flint's shoulder. "You're a good friend for looking out for her. Take pride in that as you can…" Flint smiled lightly. Reuben looked away and held his chin once more.

Gwyn ran back and pulled on Flint's forelegs, trying to get him moving. "Come on, Flint! The sooner we do this, the sooner we can stop the witches!"

Flint allowed himself to be brought onto his feet as he laughed. "Gwyn, calm down. Reuben should probably take the lead, anyway. I'm not even sure where this church is."

"Hmm?" Reuben sounded, before nodding. "Oh yes, of course. Follow me." He walked ahead, with the two following close behind. Reuben looked out of the corner of his eye, then smirked when he saw something was following them in secret. Now to distract Gwyn.

While the Alolan Sandshrew schemed in silence, Flint rubbed his head awkwardly as he took occasional looks at Gwyn, who was off in her own world. Flint still had no exact read on his emotions for Gwyn. Did he have a crush on her or not? He may have admitted he was jealous of Reuben taking interest in her, but what does that really mean for him? Could he really form a relationship with Gwyn? Did Gwyn even feel the same way for him?

Ella and Tony's points still rang in his ears. Gwyn was really affectionate with him and seemed to like him the most, but she still acted like an excitable child. Maybe she didn't know how to express or understand feelings from living alone for so long. It'd make sense she believes forward affectionate towards anyone, whether friend or family, would be a common greeting for her since that's how she acted around her mother. If that's so, what does she think of Flint? A friend or…something more?

Flint wasn't sure how he could word such a delicate topic, but he had to ask. "Hey, uh…Gwyn?"

"Hmm?"

"I…" He chuckled awkwardly. "This is going to sound weird, but…why do you…like me so much?"

Gwyn looked at him oddly. "Why?" She smiled. "Come on, Flinty! You're super awesome! Who wouldn't like you?"

"Yeah, but…I want to why you consider me your best friend. Is there a super special reason?"

Now that legitimately stumped Gwyn. She looked forward and scratched her head. "Um…" What reasons did she have?

He helped her open up when she was at her weakest, where everything around her seemed like danger at every instant. She loved listening to him talk about their world. He was funny and sweet and, as Ella puts it, kind of dorky. Though, now that she thought about it, there are times where she unintentionally starts hugging him out of nowhere. It just seems like a natural reaction for a friend like him.

But why was she so attached to him?

Gwyn rubbed her head with a faint blush. "I don't know…I just do, I guess." She smiled happily. "I mean, you've done so much for me. I…really appreciate everything you've done for me."

Flint's face heated up, then he looked forward with an embarrassed grin. "Hehehe…well, I'm not all that…"

Gwyn shoved him lightly. "You're too modest, too." They both laughed to themselves.

Reuben rolled his eyes, but smirked when he noticed their secret pursuers were nearing closer. He slowed his pace until he was between them. "Hey Gwyn, can I tell you something interesting about Ghost Cove Town? I think you might like it."

She tilted her head. "Like what?"

He grabbed the sides of her head and closed her ears. "Well, if you listen closely, you can hear the ghostly sounds of the water. Trust me, it's a lot nicer than it sounds."

Gwyn raised her brow, then gasped as she started hearing eerie, yet oddly beautiful sounds as the water below them swished. "Wooow…"

Flint chuckled a little, then reached for his ears to do the same. However, a hand wrapped around his mouth and silenced him, much to his horror. He flailed his forelegs, but more hands started to grab and restrain him. They made as little noise as possible as he was forced to the ground and dragged away.

He forced his head around to look over his shoulder and was shocked to see he was being dragged away by stone looking goblins. Their bodies were made up of seared black stone with purple markings all around. They had devil tails, pointed ears, clawed hands and feet, and sinister, purple glowing eyes.

He muffled out cries of help, hoping Reuben or Gwyn could hear him. Gwyn was preoccupied with the ghostly sounds, but Reuben gave him his attention. For the briefest of moments, Flint felt relieved. However, his relief turned to horror when Reuben simply offered him a cunning smirk.

Flint's eyes widened in disbelief, then he flailed his body around to escape. He looked back again and gasped that the stone creatures were disappearing into the air, like some form of portal teleportation. Flint tried to scream through the creature's hand, but could barely get a muffle out.

Gwyn! Get away from him! GWYN! Flint disappeared into the air.

Reuben smirked victoriously, then took his hands off Gwyn's ears. He cleared his throat and asked, "So, pretty cool, right?"

Gwyn turned around and nodded. "Yeah! Really neat!"

Reuben stepped around her and took the lead. "Well, we better continue our way to the church."

"Right! Come on, Flint, let's-!" However, when Gwyn turned around, she frowned when she saw her fluffy friend was nowhere in sight. "Flint…?" she mumbled worriedly. "Reuben, where's Flint?"

Reuben held his chin, then smiled. "Oh, don't worry about him, my dear. He went on ahead without us. He said he wanted to stake out the church for your safety."

"He just left without telling me first?" she questioned.

Reuben laughed. "Oh, you know how he is. He's just worried about you. Your safety means more to him than anything else."

Gwyn narrowed her eyes. "But…the others said he had to stay with me at all times."

"I'm more than enough protection, Gwyn. You have my word." He turned around and gestured her to follow. "Now come along, we better meet up with him soon." He walked ahead.

Gwyn looked back where she last saw Flint, then frowned seriously. Something about this felt off to her. She raised a brow at Reuben, then followed after him. However, she reached around her waist and gripped her whip tightly. She'll believe Reuben…for now, but it wasn't like Flint to leave without her knowing firsthand.

Flint flailed and screamed through his captors as they dragged him through the dimensional space. The sheer terror on his face matched his concern for Gwyn. Reuben…that Alolan Sandshrew burned in his mind, projecting his fury against the treacherous shrew. If he hurt Gwyn, he WILL pay!

Right now, he had his own problems to worry about. As he tried to shake his way out of the stone creatures' hold, he felt a change in environment. One minute, he was in an endless void, now his lower half was starting to get wet. His eyes widened in realization.

They were going to drown him in the water.

Flint screamed louder through the creature's hand as he was brought out of the space and submerged in the water. They released him, allowing him to move freely. He tried to swim to the top, but the stone creatures taunted him by grabbing hold of his tail and throwing him around in the water.

Flint held his breath for as long as he could, but air was forced out of his lungs as the creatures repeatedly punched him in the gut. The Flareon flailed in a panic, then tried to fight back. These creatures seem adept at swimming, because they avoided his feeble attacks with little effort.

One tackled him from above and pushed him further down into the water. Flint felt air slipping out from his mouth and nostrils. He tried to hold on to consciousness, but the creatures had every intent to murder him on the spot.

One locked its arms around his forelegs to restrain him while the others kicked Flint in the stomach. Flint tried to hold out, but he couldn't take the abuse. His lips sprung open, releasing the last bit of air and pouring water into his lungs. Almost immediately, the Flareon felt himself slipping away as the pain and lightheadedness took over.

G…Gwyn…

Darkness took over his vision. The sparkling surface of the water above him slowly dimming and disappearing. He tried to reach out for it. He wanted to call for help. Anything to save himself…to save Gwyn…

Everything felt numb. His body, his mind…everything. A cold, withering grasp wrapped around him as the light faded from his eyes, slowly drowning into the darkness. The only sounds that his ears could hear was the laughter of the stone goblins.

His eyes twitched faintly as they slowly closed. He couldn't feel anything. He couldn't move.

Need…to…rescue…Gwyn. Someone…please…help…

His eyes slowly closed as he slipped fully in unconsciousness. He slowly floated to the bottom with the stone goblins looming over him, laughing.

With their job finished, they prepared to slip away back into their dimensional space. However, before they could do so, something grabbed one of the goblins by its leg. Its eyes widened, then it looked down before gasping in horror.

An amorphous, orange humanoid with armored arms and piercing red eyes glared at the creatures. One hand grabbed the creature while the other held the unconscious Flareon around its arm. The sheer anger in projected from the eyes, filled with fury and rage.

The four other stone goblins clenched their teeth and swam for the humanoid. It swung the fifth around and smashed it through two at once, scattering their rocky debris across the water. It then grabbed the goblin it wielded by the head and effortlessly crushed it.

The two remaining goblins swam in circles around the humanoid before slipping into their dimensional space. The humanoid glared before shooting itself towards the surface, with Flint waving around in the water.

Before it reached the top, the goblins leaped out of nothingness and aimed their claws for its head. However, they were unprepared for the humanoid's immense combat speed. In less than a second of time, with one fist no less, it delivered a flurry of punches that obliterated the goblins into stone particles. A slab of stone with a goblin's eyes remaining intact stared at the humanoid in horror before losing the life in its eyes and floating to the bottom with the rest of its fallen brethren.

The humanoid leaped out of the water and landed on the docks, then collapsed into sparkles. Flint rolled across the docks and rested on his back, completely motionless.

He lay there unresponsive, until an elderly figure stepped out from the fog and looked down on the Flareon. With a cane in hand, he shook his head. "A stubborn one, you are…"

As if one barging into the mayor's office wasn't enough. Imagine the annoyance on the secretary's face when two familiar Pokémon kicked the front door open and marched up to her again.

Griffin marched past the Butterfree secretary. "Your mayor has explaining to do!"

She glared, then yelled, "Security!"

Griffin and Ella walked up to the mayor's office, but were stopped by a Seismetoad and Krookodile, both wearing suits and sunglasses. They held their hands up to stop them. "That's far enough," the Krookodile stated firmly.

Griffin sneered. "Shove off. I've got business with that snake."

They stood strong in face of the aggressive Grovyle. "We're well informed about what happened last night," the Seismetoad explained. "Explain your reason for coming by a second time."

Griffin cracked his knuckles. "If you don't step out of the way, you're getting a sample of what I'll do to that stink bag!"

Ella sweat-dropped. "Uh…I'm not sure that's helping…" She glared. "Your mayor is conspiring with witches."

"That's a rather weighty claim. Do you have evidence?"

Griffin growled. "Unless you can see memories, no. Now, get out of our way." He tried to squeeze through them, but they pushed him back.

Krookodile glared. "Please exit the building before we eject you personally." Griffin narrowed his eyes calmly, then grabbed the Krookodile by the wrist.

Inside the mayor's office, Reaves was writing off complaints given to him about the zombie attacks as usual when his two guards were thrown through the walls. The Krookodile crashed into the wall above his head while the Seismetoad landed on top of his desk. Somehow, this didn't faze him.

He looked forward neutrally and saw Griffin and Ella entering through the broken walls. His secretary could be seen cowering on the floor. Reaves narrowed his brows and pushed his sunglasses up. "You two again…to what do I owe the second meeting?"

Griffin grabbed him by the collar and held him up. "Save the small talk! If you don't start talking, I'll break every one of your bones in the most excruciating, painful way possible. And trust me…" His eyes flashed red. "You'll be alive for the whole experience…"

Reaves continued to not react to Griffin's threats. He shrugged them off. "Then perhaps you can enlighten me on what the trouble is."

Ella stepped around Griffin and raised her brow at him. "Oh, I don't know. How about we start with you working with the witches?"

"You have no evidence."

"Maybe not physical evidence, but was able to track you down via clairvoyance. We found your sword at the crime scene where we were attacked. It was cursed." She glared. "That warrants some explaining out of you."

"You do not have the authority to question me," Reaves pressed on calmly.

Griffin tightened his grip around his shirt collar. "Buddy…if you knew who I am, you'd know I'd gladly kill little shits like you for laughs." His hand steamed with red aura. "Now tell me…where are the witches? Who are they? Why are they creating puppets?"

Reaves narrowed his brows. "How should I know? I'm not affiliated with them."

Since she couldn't psychically grab him, Ella ripped Reaves out of Griffin's hold and slammed him against the wall. She chuckled darkly. "Oh buster, I don't think you understand the situation at hand. If you don't squeal, there's going to be trouble."

Reaves shook his head. "I'm not affiliated with the witches."

Ella sneered, then clocked him in the cheek, knocking his sunglasses off. He held his cheek and groaned quietly while Ella shook her mildly stinging paw. "We can do this the easy way if you want. The hard way is my friend over there handling the interrogation."

Krookodile and Seismetoad picked themselves up and glared at the intruding Pokémon. "You two are under arrest for assaulting Mayor Reaves."

Griffin pulled Infinity Breaker out and rested it over his shoulder with an uncaring glare. "Good luck putting cuffs over me."

Before a conflict could break out between them, they stopped when Ella screamed in shock, scampering away from Reaves. They turned to the Skuntank, who was looking down with an annoyed frown.

"You shouldn't have done that, missy…now I'm gonna have to kill you." He looked straight at them. His eyes were pure white and lifeless.

His guards jumped back in horror. "What the hell?!" they screamed.

Griffin growled. "He's a puppet!"

Reaves threw his head back and unleashed an unearthly wail that pierced their eardrums. They stepped back as the Skuntank's head twitched creepily before lunging himself at Ella.

She shrieked and rolled out of the way, then fired off debris that jabbed into the mayor's skin. He was unfazed by this and rushed towards the Espeon again. Ella slammed her paws down and threw them up, bringing up a slab of floor for the skunk puppet to ram into. He shook off the blow and growled before punching his foreleg through the raised floor. Ella backflipped onto his destroyed desk.

He ripped through the floor barrier and lunged at her, but the two guards grappled him from behind and slammed him to the ground. "Mayor, get a hold of yourself!" the Seismetoad begged. "Whatever's wrong, you can fight it!"

"Save your breath, you two." They turned to Griffin, who aimed his Infinity Breaker at the puppet. "Your mayor no longer lives in that body." He extended the polearm out and pierced through the skunk's head.

Reaves wasn't at all affected by the attack and, through a great feat of strength, threw his Krookodile guard off, then bit down on Seismetoad's wrist. Seismetoad screamed as the teeth broke through his skin and clamped down directly on his bones.

Ella leaped in the air and slammed her hindlegs on top of the Skuntank's neck, forcing him to release his bite on the guard. Griffin dragged him back while the skunk kicked Ella into the wall. She quickly recovered and dodged a quick jab aimed for her head.

She spun on her back, boosting her spinning momentum with Psychic, and kicked the skunk hard against the cheek, knocking out half his teeth. She rolled back from his flurry of jabs, drilling holes through the floor.

Griffin set the Seismetoad against the wall, then pointed at the Krookodile. "Get him bandaged up!" He nodded and ran over to his partner while Griffin spun Infinity Breaker and traded it out for Justice Flyer.

Ella was pinned to the ground by Reaves. He opened his mouth to bite down on her skull, but she kicked him right in the gut, which made him snap his jaw shut so she could headbutt him off. She rolled to her feet and sent off a psychic wave that tore up the floor and knocked him away.

Reaves stood up on his hindlegs. His bones twitched and sputtered while focusing menacingly on Ella. He screeched monstrously and prepared his lunge when Griffin flew in and pierced the puppet through the head with Justice Flyer. He pulled the rapier back and performed a flood of stabs across the Skuntank puppet.

Reaves stared blankly at the ground as he was riddled with holes. Griffin finished it off by punching him across the face, snapping his neck with the blow. The body spun across the air and slammed into the corner of the office.

Griffin cracked his neck, then traded Justice Flyer for Endless Regret. He spun the sword around between his two fingers while casually walking up to the puppet. Reaves' body twitched spontaneously before rising to his hindlegs. He roared at Griffin before being stabbed in the chest.

Griffin glared as magic flooded into his sword. "Burn." Reaves threw his head back and screamed as blood red magic erupted over him. His fur singed off while his skin charred from the intense heat. Within him, the seal that was used to control him burned away with his internal flesh.

The Grovyle pulled his sword back and let the body fall to his feet. The burning smell it gave off was repugnant. Everyone else in the room had to plug their noses from the vile stench.

"Ugh! That reeks!" Ella complained.

Griffin kicked the body a couple times to ensure it was dead. To be on the safe side, he pressed his foot down on the head and crushed it like brittle rock. He sent Endless Regret away, then looked at the guards and Ella. "Everyone alright?"

Krookodile finished bandaging his partner's wrist. "Good over here."

Seismetoad held his wrist with a worried look. "Please tell me that wasn't an actual zombie."

Griffin shook his head. "You have my word, it isn't. Just a reanimated corpse."

Both guards stood up, with the sand croc saying, "Okay…I guess you two were telling the truth."

"And all we had to do was kill the mayor!" Ella wittily exclaimed.

Griffin crossed his arms and glared at the guards. "What I want to know is how this went unnoticed by anyone. None of you saw any changes in his behavior?"

They shook their heads. Seismetoad explained, "The mayor was always pretty stoic, so it didn't come off as strange for a while. Though, we had our suspicions when all of this was being dismissed."

"We tried questioning him, but he always brushed us off. Even threatened to fire us," Krookodile continued. "He said as long everyone stayed inside during the night, everything would be fine. For the most part, that's how it went."

Ella held her chin. "That must be how the witches snuck off with so many bodies from the cemetery. They kidnapped the mayor, took his soul, turned him into a puppet-"

"-and used him to get away with their illegal actions," Griffin concluded. He glared at the paperwork scattered on the ground. He picked one up, skimmed it over, then groaned. "Complaints about the zombies. Should have figured."

"Maybe there's something in there about where the witches are hiding out," Ella suggested. "They have to crowded up somewhere inaccessible by the town."

"Fair call," Griffin mumbled as he scooped the papers up. However, before he got to that, the guards skipped the work load for him entirely.

"If that's the case, you may want to check out the abandoned church," Krookodile suggested. "The mayor shut that place down because it was being condemned due to flood damage months ago."

"They were going to tear it down," Seismetoad continued, "but he decided to postpone it for the time."

Griffin dropped the papers and held his chin. "Hmm…makes about as much sense as anything."

Ella scratched her cheek. "How come Reuben didn't tell us about it?" Griffin shrugged.

"Reuben?" the guards questioned.

Griffin nodded. "Yeah, some supernatural enthusiast that works around here. He's been helping the hitman who came to town some time ago since he's lived here for so long."

Krookodile scratched his head. "I'm familiar with the two, but I don't recall a Reuben in this town. Certainly would know someone by that description, especially in a town this small."

Ella raised her brow. "Really?"

"Yeah! Ghost Cove's a friendly community…when no one's flippin' out. Anyone who refers to themselves as a supernatural enthusiast is bound to be recognized widely in our quaint little town."

Griffin narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Wait…you mean Reuben hasn't lived here for long?"

"Well, it's possible we've missed him. Heck, maybe he moved here recently. With all the zombie activity, I guess we're bound to overlook new residents."

Griffin looked at Ella, who looked equally suspicious. Not wanting to panic, Griffin grabbed Ella by paw and ran out with her. "We need to go. Thank you for your help!"

They sprinted out the door and headed for the library, hoping Wes and the others found anything related to the zombies. However, before they got far, Griffin let go of Ella and turned a different way. "Griffin?"

"I need to check on Flint and Gwyn," he stated, stopping for a moment. He glared softly. "I…just want to make sure they're alright." Ella narrowed her eyes worriedly. "…when you've lived on the road for as long as I have, you're naturally suspiciously of even the slightest details that just…make no sense. If they're fine, I'll tell them we should head to the church."

"And…if not?"

He glared, eyes glowing red. "You'll know if something's wrong…" He turned around and ran into the fog. Ella bit her lip with a worried expression, but shook it off briefly so she could focus on meeting with Wes, Tony, and Fernando.

He should have been dead. He thought he was dead. His world faded before his eyes. The panic he felt consumed his fleeting mind. Yet, he wasn't dead. Things…slowly came back to him as his mind started to open up with awareness.

However, he didn't expect for someone to place their hand against his back and forcibly eject the water in his lungs.

The experience was rather…uncomfortable. It felt like he was vomiting up water beyond his control. It honestly felt worse than any sickness he has gone through. His throat and body felt sore from the forceful ejection, but it didn't stop there. Air was then thrown into him repeatedly to get him back to normal. When he expected someone to rescue him, he imagined it involve proper CPR, not telekinetic assault.

Regardless of the method, it did its job. Flint opened his eyes wearily. The numbness in his body slowly went away. He could tell he was soaking wet. He had his legs sprawled out on the dock as he lay exhaustedly on his belly. He was slightly delirious from his near-death experience, having trouble recalling what happened before he passed out.

Drowning…dragging…claws…goblins…Gwyn…Reu…REUBEN!

Flint nearly shot up with fire burning in his eyes, but his savior shoved him back on the ground. "Ease up, kid. Any longer under the water and even I wouldn't have been able to save you. At least take a moment to rest."

The Flareon narrowed his eyes in confusion, then looked over his shoulder. He was in the presence of an elderly Alakazam, who wore a green buttoned shirt, khakis, and black flipflops. He carried a cane with a pink gem resting on the top. His eyes, oddly enough, were a rather bright blue.

He titled his head as he looked at the Flareon. "Curious as to how you survived for as long as you did, especially given the situation you were in…"

Flint blinked with tired eyes, then held his head as he felt a small headache arise. "Ugh…how am I alive? Did you fight those…things off to save me?"

The old psychic shook his head. "No. I just happened to be around when you rescued yourself."

That got Flint to blink twice in confusion. "Save…myself?"

"I wouldn't expect you to remember. You were unconscious when it happened." The Alakazam held his chin. "Quite the peculiar sight, I must say. It's rare to see your kind perform such perform magic while inactive."

"My kind…?" Flint shook his head and sat up. "W-Wait…what are you talking about? What magic?"

"The Celestial Guardian you summoned. As in the Guardian made up from your own magic aura." The Alakazam held his chin and hummed quietly. "Almost an instinctive drive, it seems. Funny, never expected your kind to have that kind of adeptness in magic. I must look into that for reference."

Flint rubbed his temples, very confused by this…odd old man. "Why do you keep saying my kind?"

The Alakazam waved it off. "Oh, don't trouble yourself over that. You, however, should be concerned about yourself. Or maybe something else entirely."

"H-Huh?"

"The anger in your eyes, boy. I saw it for a split second. Someone tried to assassinate you, didn't they?"

Flint glared, then stared at the dock floor. "Yeah…" He clenched his teeth before rising up onto his paws. "I have to save Gwyn! I can't let Reuben take her!"

Alakazam narrowed his eyes curiously. "Near death experience and you wish to save this girl even in your weakened state? My, my, you lot are bolder than I thought…"

Flint directed his glare at him. "…who are you?"

"Nothing to trouble yourself over, boy. I'm simply a wanderer. Though, feel free to call me M."

"M?" The Alakazam nodded. "Okay…" Flint darted his eyes around awkwardly, still out off by this strange old man. "Well M, thank you for saving me, but…" He turned around and glared into the fog. "I really need to save my friend!"

M closed his eyes. "Do you know what you're going up against? What you're suggesting could very well lead to your immediate expiration."

Flint shook his head. "I don't care! Gwyn means more to me than anything else right now!" He clenched his teeth angrily. "I'm not letting those witches take her away from me! I won't allow her to suffer anymore! I made a promise to protect her and I'm standing by it, even if it kills me!"

M rubbed his chin with a raised brow. "Hmm…I admire your dedication. Strong willed, you are." He closed his eyes, then sighed. "The very least I could do now is help you."

Flint looked at him. "How?"

"The church this Reuben fellow is taking Gwyn. Just on the edge of town. If you've been to the cemetery, go left and keep running until you see the signs. You should find Ms. Belladonna in no time."

Flint narrowed his eyes. "Um…thanks…"

M nodded, then turned around. "I must be off. Good luck recusing your girlfriend."

Flint's face lit up red, then he shouted, "Great! Even complete strangers are saying it!" He held his face and groaned in embarrassment…until realization kicked him in the face. "Wait…how did you know they were heading to the church? And how did you know Gwyn's last name?!" He turned around to get answers…

…but he was already gone.

Flint's ears drooped, confusion prevalent on his face. "M…" he muttered to himself. He held his chin, pondering the mysterious Alakazam.

"Flint!" His eyes widened, then he faced forward. Running out from the fog was Griffin. He expressed suspicious concern. He stopped in front of him and looked around. "Where's Reuben and Gwyn?"

Flint shook off his earlier confusion and glared. "Griffin, Reuben tried to kill me!"

"What?!" the Grovyle growled.

"He had these weird stone goblin things jump me and pulled me away! They almost drowned me not too long ago!"

"Stone goblins?" Griffin asked for clarification. Flint nodded. Griffin clenched his fist up. "Flunky shards…special minions made by the Hex Caster."

Flint clenched his teeth furiously. "Reuben's working with the witches!"

"Explains a lot, in hindsight…" Griffin mumbled. He shook his head and glared. "Where the hell is Gwyn?!"

"Still with Reuben! He said something about heading to the church! That must be where the witches are hiding out!"

"It has to be! I got back from the mayor's office and found out it's being closed off by everyone! Someone mentioned how Reuben isn't a long time resident of the town! I ran here to make sure you all were safe, but…" He tightened his fists up and growled. "AGH! When I get my hands on that bastard, I'll-!"

"-do nothing!" Flint growled as he turned away, surprising Griffin. Flint stomped his paw down and glared. "He's mine…" His aura flared up around him, projecting a bright orange glow as his eyes glowed with orange light.

This was a first for Griffin. He's seen Flint mad before, but nothing like this. However, he had no time to dwell on that. Their friend was in trouble and they had to step in to help. "We have no time to sit around then! We can't wait for back up! Let's get to that church now!"

With both in complete agreement, they raced into the fog to rescue Gwyn, hoping they weren't too late.

The walk to the abandoned church was done in silence. Reuben took the lead in front of Gwyn while the Mew tailed behind, still keeping hold of her whip. Once they stepped closer out of the fog, they stood before the crumbling church. Stone slabs broken off and fallen arches resting against the walls.

Reuben smiled to himself. "Beautiful sight, is it not? A shame for it to be torn apart the way it is." He looked over at Gwyn for a reply, though she remained in silence with her head lowered. "Speechless, I see. Well, no use waiting around. We should probably investigate." Gwyn nodded slowly, then followed him in.

They stepped into the collapsed church. Gwyn got a good look at the broken-down benches and spider webs hanging around from the ceiling. The…copious amount of spider webs. Yeah, that wasn't unsettling. Everything was weathered down and totaled. This place looked close to collapsing at any point.

Reuben looked around lazily, then sighed 'sadly.' "Oh dear, it looks like no one's home. Such a shame. Still, we must keep searching, right?" He pointed towards the altar at the end of the room. "Perhaps we should check over there for any hidden clues."

"…Reuben, where's Flint?" Gwyn asked slowly.

"Hmm? What about him?" he shrugged off absentmindedly.

"You said he came here ahead of us. Where…is he?" she asked with a firm tone.

Reuben turned around and smiled. "My dear, does it really matter? I'm sure he's around here somewhere. If we just look around and be patient, we'll come across him."

Gwyn looked right at him with a sharp glare. "Reuben…I know Flint. He wouldn't go on a solo search like this, no matter who says it." She stepped forward. "He would have made sure to bring back up. He knows he can't defend himself on his own. So, answer my question." She sneered. "Where. Is. Flint?"

Reuben blinked, then smirked lightly. "Why are you suddenly getting hostile with me? What are you suggesting?"

"I'll admit I'm a little scatterbrained, but even I know something's up. Starting with…why would you want me listening to ghost sounds from the water at the exact moment Flint happens to disappear?" She clenched her teeth together. "If you did something to him, so help me…"

Reuben held his hands up and chuckled. "My dear, I didn't do anything to your precious friend."

Gwyn took another step forward. Her aura was beginning to flare up. "I don't believe you." She looked around cautiously. "Why did you bring me to an abandoned church?"

Reuben held his cheek and laughed. "Well, definitely not for a romantic setting." He shook his head. "I said the witches could be here. Isn't that all you want?"

"I never wanted to see those witches again. The only reason I'm out here helping the others is because I don't want to feel useless." She pulled her whip out. "Now stop dodging the question. What did you do to Flint?"

Reuben sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "My, my, persistent on that, you are." He smirked. "Like I said, I didn't do anything to him. I just wanted to be alone with you, my darling." He walked over to her and held her hands in his. "You're a fascinating creature, Gwyn. I couldn't let Flint get in my way. I need you."

Gwyn growled through her teeth. "What are you saying?"

"Well, your little Flareon friend was rather pushy whenever I got too close with you. It was…irritating, to say the least." He leaned forward and whispered, "So I had some friends of mine take him out for a swim."

Gwyn's eyes widened in horror. "…what?"

He pulled back and laughed. "Though, they can be pretty rough. I wouldn't be surprised if he were to…drown."

To his surprise, Gwyn's whip wrapped around his neck, then he was flung into the broken benches. He was lifted back up and smashed against the pillars and walls. Gwyn spun him in the air and flung him into the altar, smashing it to pieces.

He picked himself up and wiped blood off his lips. His clothes were torn up a bit. He glared forward, then his eyes widened when he met the Mew's gaze. Her eyes…they were darkening, losing the cheerful brightness they wore. Her right eye twitched while her aura spiked.

"You…did…WHAT?!" Gwyn screamed furiously.

Reuben blinked, then chuckled. "Well, I won't have to worry about him ever again. There's no way he's coming back alive. Good thing we're in a church. Might as well pay our respects to his deceased soul."

"You…You…YOU!" Gwyn inhaled deeply with her hands cupped around her mouth. "Venenata!" She exhaled a toxic smog-like flame that took the Alolan Sandshrew by complete surprise.

He was engulfed in the toxic flames and coughed on it as he rolled around on the ground. He groaned and held himself up on his hands and knees. He looked up for a moment, only to get kicked across the face by Gwyn. He fell on his back, then she placed her hands around his neck.

Gwyn snarled wrathfully. "I'll kill you…I'LL KILL YOU!" she screamed. "DO YOU HEAR ME?!" She squeezed down on his neck, choking him. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Reuben tried to get his words out, but the Mew pressed down harder on his throat. Poison coursing through his veins, now he couldn't breathe. He pounded his hands against the ground, then tried to pry Gwyn's hands off.

Gwyn grinded her teeth together…until a moment of clarity came to. She gasped and jumped off Reuben, allowing him to breathe once more. Gwyn looked at her hands in utter horror, then held her face. "W…What got into me…?"

"Oh, poor unfortunate soul…" Gwyn's blood ran cold at the new voice above her. "So much like your mother. A sweet woman with a big heart…but a mind plagued with madness…"

Gwyn stumbled around fearfully. Her whip coiled around her defensively. "N…No…it can't b-b-be…"

"Poor unfortunate soul…so confused, so scared…" Gwyn couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. It was moving all over the place. "I've been waiting so long to take you back…and now, I have you for the picking…"

Gwyn's legs shook and buckled. She gripped her whip with both hands. "I-I-I'm not scared of you!"

"Oh, but you should…" Gwyn looked up, then froze when she saw the figure of her nightmares descending from the ceiling on a spider web. "You think you've beaten me. You silly girl…if I were to use my true strength against you, I would have been found out and hunted down. I've been waiting for the right opportunity to find you…"

Gwyn tripped over her feet and landed on her rear, desperately trying to scamper away. "S-Stay away from me!"

The Ariados landed on her feet and tittered. "What's the matter? Afraid to face me?" She stepped forward. "Why Gwyn, aren't you happy to see me?"

Gwyn clenched her eyes shut and swung her whip at her. "STAY AWAY!"

The whip snapped viciously, but Gwyn was so terrified that it never hit Callista. It continued to miss. Callista chuckled, clicking her mandibles together. "You poor dear…still scarred by the death of your foolish mother…"

Gwyn snapped her whip fearfully, trying to keep her away. "I said stay away!"

Callista laughed. "Oh, dear child, you have no reason to fear me…" A cloak of darkness formed around her. "Come with me…I promise it'll be worth your while…"

"NO, NO, NO!" Gwyn screamed, backing into the walls. Her heart pounded in terrified beats. Her eyes were shrunk and panicky. Her teeth chattered with a quickened pace.

The darkness around Callista flew out like a smog, then began to shape itself. "You're coming with me, Gwyn. And you'll come willingly." Within the smog, a shape formed out of it. A rounded mirror.

Before Gwyn could question her (or flee in terror), the mirror emitted a bright, blinding flash. Gwyn's eyes shrunk from the flash, then she closed them to avoid the stinging pain. Her head felt fuzzy all of a sudden. Sounds felt distorted. Even the environment didn't feel the same. She wobbled on her legs as she rubbed the colorful spot from her closed eyes.

"Gwyn," an angelic voice called out to her.

Gwyn's eyes slowly opened. "T-That voice…" Her lip quivered in disbelief. "N-No…it can't be…" She looked ahead.

Everything around her appeared in a heavenly light. Orange and purple skies while standing on top of golden clouds. At the end of the pathway of clouds stood a figure in pure white robes, fluttering gracefully in the light breeze. The immediate sight of the figure…brought Gwyn to tears.

"M-Mom?"

'Clara' narrowed her eyes gently at the Mew. "Oh Gwyn…my darling Gwyn…you seemed so stressed…"

"I…I…" Gwyn stumbled back and held her hands up to her mouth. "H-How is this possible? W-What's going-?"

'Clara' shushed her quietly. "It doesn't matter, my child. You have no reason to be scared anymore. Mommy is here."

Tears dripped down Gwyn's face. "M-Mom…" she choked up, too stunned to speak.

The Lilligant held her hand out and motioned for the Mew to step forward. "Come to me, Gwyn. It's been so long since I've held you in my arms. Come to me, my sweet child."

"B-But…" Gwyn held her head and groaned. Something…about this…wasn't right.

"Gwyn, please come to me. I've missed you so much."

Gwyn's eyes watered sadly. Her arms dropped against her sides. "Mommy…" She took a step forward, then another foot forward. Step by step, she advanced towards her awaiting mother, arms out waiting for her daughter's embrace.

"That's right, my child," 'Clara' encouraged. A flash of light washed over the scenery and revealed they were still in the abandoned church, yet Gwyn was unaware of this as she walked towards Callista. "That's right, Gwyn. Come to me," the spider coaxed. "Everything will be over soon…"

Floating above Callista, connected to a strand of purple, demonic energy was a siren-like demon. She had the lower half of a fish tail and the upper half of a purple skinned demon in robes. She possessed three eyes, sea green hair, and horns protruding from her head. She held a mirror that flashed an illusionary light at Gwyn.

The mesmerized Mew slowly stepped towards the Ariados. Her eyes were glazed over and unfocused. "Mom…" she mumbled.

Reuben picked himself up and held his side painfully. The veins under his skin of his face turned purple from the poison. "Ugh…worth it, I suppose."

The other witches stepped out of hiding and laughed. "I suggest we prepare our escape," the Hex Caster, the one with the staff, suggested.

Callista glared. "Very well. Prepare the portal."

Tony placed another book away and scanned the shelves for anymore. There was stacks of books sitting behind him as Fernando and Wes continued to read through them. His finger landed on a book called 'Recounts of the Supernatural.' He pulled it out with disinterest and flipped through the pages.

Blah, blah, blah. Boring text, useless garbage, anti-fun facts…hmm? One page caught his eye. Curious, he read it closely, tracing his finger along the text. He mouthed the words silently and analyzed the text.

After reading it through, he set the book down. "I think I found something." Wes and Fernando looked up from their reading and faced him. He pushed the book to the center of the table. "An old recount about the nature of Puppetry Surgery."

"Puppetry Surgery?" Wes repeated, scratching his head.

Fernando held his chin. "I'm not too familiar with that practice."

"Neither is the guy who wrote this. It's not much, but he basically summarized the general idea. It's a process used on puppet corpses to reach the height of physical perfection. Expertly crafted organs, enhancements to the skeleton, improvements to the skin…a Puppet Master's ultimate work."

Wes rubbed his chin. "So, is the Puppet Master reviving corpses to test modifications?"

"On certain ones, it seems like. There isn't a whole lot on Puppetry Surgery, though. This is all we have." Tony rubbed his chin. "But what I want to know is why? Why are they experimenting on bodies? And for what?"

Fernando sat back in his seat and clasped his hands together. "Hmm…if these witches are aligned in some way with the Tribe of Shadows…I wonder what a surgery like this would mean to the Shadow King?"

Wes raised a brow. "How so?"

"A shadow is at their strongest when they've bonded with the right host. That leads me to wonder…if they're preparing for the Shadow King's return? Preparing to turn his host into the ultimate weapon? For his use?"

Tony rubbed his chin. "That…seems likely. But…wouldn't that mean the Shadow King would have to possess a body without a soul? Puppet Masters don't seem to work with souls."

Fernando narrowed his eyes. "Another good point." He stood up from his chair. "We need to confront those witches and force them to tell us their plans. Interrogate them on the Shadow King and eliminate them from his master plan."

Tony closed the book. "We'll have to keep looking into this down the road. Let's find the others and…"

They heard the library doors bursting open. The scampering of paws against the carpeted floor, then Ella slid into view, looking around. Once she spotted the three, she ran over. "Guys, the mayor was evil!"

"Huh?" they expressed in unison.

"The witches turned him into a puppet so they can get away with their schemes!" she explained. "Griffin and I then found out the abandoned church might be their hideout! We need to check it out now!"

Wes nodded. "Right! Let's get…wait, where's Griffin? Wasn't he with you?" Wes asked.

Ella narrowed her eyes seriously, which concerned the three. "He went to check on Flint and Gwyn. I fear…they're in trouble."

Flint and Griffin sprinted across the docks, not stopping to catch their breaths. Flint surprised himself with his newfound stamina. He doesn't normally last that long in fast paced sprints, especially after nearly drowning. Yet, the adrenaline pumping through his veins forced him to push past the limit.

Griffin closed his eyes and sensed the nearby area. He growled. "I sense Gwyn's aura. It's…unusually faint."

That tidbit of info motivated the Flareon's legs to move faster. He was practically running on air by this point. Don't worry, Gwyn! I won't let them take you! I'll protect you! I can't lose you!

Flint and Griffin slowed themselves through a skid and ran down the final platform. Once they were in view, they spotted the crumbling church. Not only that, they saw a bright light flashing from inside.

Griffin narrowed his eyes. "I'm sensing some odd activity in there." They sprinted onto the church grounds. Their rumbling feet rustled the dirt, then cracks started to pop through.

Flint ran over to a small hole in the side and peeked through. Gwyn? Where are you, Gwyn? He looked around desperately, then gasped upon spotting her. He watched her slowly walked towards the figures in front of her, shadowed out by the blinding light before him. What the…?

Flint's eyes started to lose focus the longer he stared at the captivating light. Griffin took a quick peek in, gasped, then punched down on Flint's head before turning away.

Flint fell on his back and rubbed his sore head, seething in pain. "Ow…Griffin!" he growled quietly.

"Don't look at that light," he warned. "I'm not sure what's casting it, but it's not giving off regular magic. It's corrupted." He glared. "That must be the Spirit Summoner…"

Flint sat up, shook his head, then glared. "I need to save Gwyn!"

"Flint, calm down. We will. But let me handle it." He pulled out Endless Regret and propped it over his shoulder. "We don't know what they have up their sleeve. Just stay back and give me cover."

Flint shook his head. "No! I can't let her down! I need to help!"

Griffin groaned. "Don't be stupid! Just let me-!" He looked at the corner of his eye for a moment, but whipped his head around suddenly once he saw something unusual. "Oh…crud…"

Flint turned, then gasped when the ground started breaking apart. Hands punched through the dirt, then bodies pulled themselves out. Heads burst from the ground and Pokémon puppets screeched out at the two intruders. They pulled themselves above ground and scrambled to their feet. The rotting corpses' heads twitched eerily as they eyed down their soon-to-be victims.

Griffin raised his sword at them and sneered. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Flint looked at the puppets, then back into the church briefly. Gwyn was getting closer to the witches. The Flareon took a deep breath, then sighed. I'm gonna do something stupid…but I hold no regrets.

Griffin channeled his magic through the sword when he noticed Flint lining himself up for the hole. "Flint…what are you-?" Flint sprinted towards the wall and lunged right at it.

The witches flinched when they heard the screeching puppets. Reuben narrowed his eyes, grimacing from the poison. "Intruders on the grounds. Those treasure hunters must have caught on to us."

The Hex Caster tapped her staff down and opened up a shadowy portal in the wall. She turned to her coven and said, "I suggest we make haste at once."

Callista nodded, then faced the mesmerized Mew once more, waving her over. "This way, my child. We're going home." Gwyn nodded numbly as she followed the heavenly light towards the portal.

However, out of the blue, the church walls busted down. The witches jumped in surprise as a figure lunged in, covered in a cloud of dust, and sprinted towards them. "FLAMETHROWER!" he yelled, firing off a stream of flames that separated Gwyn from the witches. A wall of flame rose up between them.

"AAHH!" Callista shouted, stumbling back. She lost her connection and her siren familiar faded away.

Without the light of the mirror, Gwyn groaned and fell over unconscious. Thankfully, her savior caught her in his forelegs before resting her on his back.

Reuben sneered. "Who in the…?" His eyes widened. "No…"

Once the dust cleared away, Flint was revealed, snarling furiously at them, especially Callista and Reuben. He stamped his paw down and lowered his face. A dark shadow went over his eyes. "Miss me?"

Forgetting the pain he was in, Reuben stumbled back in terror. "N-No! How?! You should be at the bottom of the water! You should be DEAD!"

Flint growled defensively. "If you think attempted murder is going to stop me from protecting Gwyn, then you deserve to be beaten to death!" He clenched his teeth tightly as smoke exhaled from his nose. His eyes glowed in orange aura. "You'll pay for this Reuben…ALL OF YOU WILL PAY!"

The witches raised their weapons, but Callista held her foreleg up to stop them. She clicked her mandibles in interest. "Hmm…young Flareon, you're playing against forces far out of your league." She stepped forward. "I advise not to tempt fate. As the saying goes, lightning doesn't strike the same place twice. A foolish metaphor, as death is in your future.

"Now…" she hissed quietly, "hand over Gwyn like a good little boy or I'll have to remove another important figure in her life." When she took a step forward, Flint's aura ignited brightly.

"You think…I'm just going to let you take her?! Y-You…You…" He growled viciously. His aura spiked to new heights. His aura pressure cracked up the ground beneath him. "If you want her so badly…"

His aura swirled around behind him and took on a humanoid shape. However, the amorphous shape became more defined. A humanoid with piercing red eyes, made up entirely of transparent, glowing orange armored pieces. Intricate line details in the plating. Even though it looked to be made completely out of armor, it moved fairly well. The armor even appeared to be its actual body, demonstrated by its muscular physique.

The witches stepped back in shock while Callista narrowed her eyes calmly. She couldn't sense natural magic aura, but she could feel the power exuding from that manifestation of magic. A great will and aura were needed to summon an expression of one's magic such as this. Not like anything else of its kind. Not made of a natural element, but by the user's own magic.

A Celestial Guardian.

Flint's and the Guardian's eyes flashed in synchronization, both glaring at the witches. "If you want her so badly…then I'll make sure you die trying."