Ch.78: Team Up with the History Professor! What Dark Secrets Lie Underneath?

Their unexpected duration at the lodge lasted for a week as Griffin recovered from his cold. After one last serious scolding from Ella, he conceded to wearing the proper winter clothing, mostly so the Espeon would stop smacking him in the head.

Their stay also raised some questions after their discussion with the mysterious M. All that talk about the ultimate teamwork and bonding on a deeper scale was a bit confusing, but it posed serious discussion about team training. They only ever fought together once and there's no telling when that kind of synchronization will be needed.

So, most of the team took to more team combination attacks to better their abilities. That was what Wes and Flint were doing right now, out in the snow, wih Gwyn on standby. Wes had two of his Magi Effingo clones by his side, both powered by a weaker variant of his Mystic Burst.

Flint stood by with his Guardian floating next to him. "So, the clones are will adopt the magic you have, but only at a weaker scale?"

Wes nodded. "Yep. And, with my Mystic Burst, I can syphon off active magic to give myself a boost."

Flint nodded. "Alright." He looked over to Gwyn. "All set!"

Gwyn grinned, then slammed her hands down. "Accelerated Growth!" Wooden roots shot from the ground and twisted into a hulking golem. It stood tall behind Gwyn and roared in a low grumble. "Attack!" The golem stomped over her and went straight for Wes.

"Scatter!" He and his clones separated and ran around in circles.

The golem formed a whip from its wrist and struck for the Umbreon. Wes dodged and whistled a command for one of his clones to attack from behind. It struck the golem in the back, but the golem softened its wooden back to let the clone sink through and be crushed on the inside.

"Warp Pad!" Wes and his second clone launched off a Warp Pad and went at the golem from all sides. Wes went straight for the chest while the clone hovered from above, charging its Mystic Beam.

The golem pulled its fist back and threw it with great speed at the Umbreon. Wes gritted his teeth as the fist closed in on his face. His eyes widened with anxiousness, waiting for his brother's move.

Flint flicked his paw up. "Now, Verto: Scatter Change!"

Three positions were swapped instantaneously. The golem's fist was met with resistance by Flint's Guardian, striking with a punch that canceled its own. Now floating above the golem was Wes, who had a Mystic Beam charged in front of his face.

A funny thing Wes and Flint discovered was that Magi Effingo and Verto paired well together. Wes could easily have a clone charging for an attack and he could be swapped in to add his more superior power into it. Basically saving up on Mystic Beam's charge time for a stronger attack.

"Mystic Beam!" Wes fired the massive beam straight down on the golem, with the Guardian dodging in the nick of time. The golem groaned out before being instantly incinerated on the spot. With the dust cleared, there remained a circle clear of snow.

Gwyn threw her hands up and cheered. "Woo! Ravenfield Brothers! Woo, woo!"

Wes landed beside Flint and gave him a high-five. "Sweet! Great timing, bro!"

Flint chuckled lightly. "I imagine we can come up with some useful strategies with that. Maybe we can try something with Tony." He looked over at the Dewott, who was leaning against the building with Ella. "Hey Tony, sure you don't want to get in on the fun?"

Tony waved it off with his usual smirk. "I'll have to pass. I just ate. Not that I need that much improvement."

Ella rolled her eyes and smirked. "Oh yes, Tony, you were born perfect~!"

Tony held his hand over his chest. "My dear, I'm so glad you've realized my perfection!"

"Oh, how can I not~?" she exclaimed.

Flint deadpanned at them. "Uh…you two done?"

"Yep!" they exclaimed with big grins.

Flint rolled his eyes, then looked back to his brother. "We need to be as ready as we can for this Benedict guy. The fact he's the fourth strongest of all the mages is troubling."

Wes patted the Flareon in the back. "Hey, don't sweat over it, bro. Maybe it won't be as bad as we think. It's not like we're going to get our asses kicked." His cheery laugh just furthered Flint's skepticism.

Finally, the group was joined by Griffin, fully bundled in his snow gear. A large red jacket, black snow pants, a scarf, and a balaclava. He pulled the mask down and glared at the smirking Espeon. "Not. One. Word."

"I was just going to ask how you were feeling," she responded with a hint of giggles under her tone.

Griffin rolled his eyes. "Significantly better than previously."

"You can thank me later."

"All my thanks will be reserved for Gwyn since she nursed me back to health."

"Aww!" Gwyn gushed, holding her cheeks. "Thanks, Griffin!"

"All you did was worsened my ears with your irritable quips," he grumbled at the Espeon.

"Hey, a little humiliation is great for the hubris!" Ella exclaimed enthusiastically.

Griffin groaned. "Can we just get moving? We've wasted enough time with my dead weight."

Wes chuckled. "Fine, fine. Let's grab our stuff from the room and get moving. We've got a long walk before Benedict moves again."

They walked back into the lodge and retrieved their stuff from their rooms. Flint checked them out while they waited by the door for him. Gwyn teetered on her toes with her arms swinging limply by her sides. "How far do we have to walk?"

"Well, assuming he doesn't just outright leave, I'd give us five days of walking," Wes explained. "If we completely miss him, we have about nine days from here to get to where the Key of Metal is. Either way, we're getting a key from someone. Hopefully two."

Ella spun Daybreak on her digit. "Mind if I take a crack at this Benedict fellow?"

"I mean, I'm not against it, but we should have some forethought put in before we make hasty decisions." Wes held his chin. "Perhaps you could-"

"Hey Wes, move over," Tony called out. "You're standing in front of the door."

"Huh?" He looked over his shoulder and out the window, seeing someone approach the lodge. "Whoops, my bad." He stepped out of the way just as the door flew open from the wind.

Gwyn jumped from the sudden breeze. "B-B-B-Brrrr!"

Tony smirked at the newcomer. "Crazy weather, huh?"

They all then had a start as the man fell forward to the ground. He looked to be shivering from the cold. They could hear tired breaths, sounding like raspy wheezes.

"Holy shit, are you okay?!" Tony got down and turned the man over on his back.

Gwyn quickly checked his pulse and listened for his breaths. "H-He sounds fine. He must be exhausted from the walk here."

"Hey, what's going on?!" They saw Flint running over. "What happened to this guy?"

"I think he's suffering from major exhaustion," Gwyn guessed. "Let's sit him down and get this stuff off him."

Tony and Griffin carefully carried the man over to a couch and sat him down. Tony grabbed the man's balaclava and pulled it off. The Eeveelutions stepped closer for a better look, then recoiled in surprise at the familiarity in the man's face.

"Wait…"

"Is that…?"

"It is!"

"Professor Geno?!"

The Scrafty opened his eyes, a bit weak from the walk, but smiled despite their shocked faces. "Hey kids…how have you been…?"

Team Ravenfield got him warmed up by the fire with a nice hot mug of cocoa. Wrapped in a warm blanket, Jonathan sipped the chocolate liquid and sighed with content. After trekking in the snow for so long, it was nice to be back in the comforts of a warm building. He now has a higher appreciation for the beauty of insolated heating.

He sighed and set the mug down. "You have no idea how relieved I am to have found this place. I've been wandering aimlessly for the last week."

"Yeah, we…kind of noticed with the way you passed out in front of us," Tony joked.

Jonathan sighed, then laughed alongside him. "I suppose that's what I deserve for my poor planning. Perhaps my life wasn't in complete danger, but you lose most of that courage when you fall through some deep snow a dozen times."

"Hold on, hold on!" Wes exclaimed, waving his paws vigorously. "I need answers!"

"We need answers!" Flint spoke up. "Starting with…what are you doing all the way out here?!"

"Were you following us?" Ella asked with a suspicious eye.

Jonathan shook his head. "In all honesty, I was unaware you all were here until you helped me. I never expected to catch up with all of you. I figured you'd be halfway through the zone by now."

"We were held up," Ella mentioned, casting a glance at Griffin.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" he grumbled.

"Nope!"

"Fine, just checking."

"Still, I'm surprised you got this far through the snow on your own," Ella pointed out. "How'd you get this far?"

"I've only been traveling for a week, but I had some assistance all the way through. Certainly saved on time, that's for sure. I met some Mightyena in the snow that gave me a quick ride for the day, but that was the extent of my luck." Jonathan sighed. "Can't you see I'm not cut out as an adventurer?"

Flint laughed awkwardly. "I mean, I'm not much of one either, but I've made it this far."

Jonathan chuckled. "Yes, well, I suppose you have the benefit of friends. I just had my luck and the kindness of strangers to fall back on." Jonathan reached forward and picked up his mug. "Thought myself crazy to take on this task alone, but I've gotten through the worst of it all."

Wes sat down. "I still can't believe you're here. I've seen plenty of crazy stuff along the way and this…well, doesn't really top them, but it's definitely surprising."

"Believe me, I know the feeling." Jonathan sipped his cocoa, then set it inside his lap since the outside was cooler. "Well, I'm glad we can finally see each other again." He smiled at Gwyn, Tony, and Griffin. "And I'm happy to finally meet your friends in person."

Gwyn beamed for joy and skipped forward. "Hi, Mr. Professor Geno! I'm Gwyn!"

Jonathan reached out and shook her hand. "Ah yes, I remember you from our last call together. You were hiding behind Flint's back for some time."

She giggled sheepishly. "I've…had plenty of time to step up a bit." She hugged Flint and nuzzled her cheek against his, making him blush. "And it's all thanks to Flinty!"

"Ahem!"

"Oh! You guys helped, too!" she addressed to her half-annoyed team, though they weren't serious about it.

Jonathan chuckled at Flint's mixed rigidity and bliss. "I see you two are close." Flint held his digit up to his lips and shushed him pleadingly. The Scrafty chuckled and 'zipped' his lips shut. 'Not a word, boy, I promise.' "And, if I remember correctly, you're…" He gestured to the Dewott with a critical eye. "Um…Toby?"

"Tony, but close enough." The Dewott reached out and shook his hand. "Sorry if I seemed a little…flippy in the last call."

"I understand. Is your family doing well?"

"Last I heard, they're doing much better, especially my mom." Tony held his hip and smirked. "So, tell me, how bad of a student is Wes? I've heard plenty about him ditching your classes."

Wes clenched his teeth into a wide grin. "Hey, let's not talk about that!"

Jonathan chuckled. "I'll have you know, Wes is not as bad as he lets on. A focusing problem and a…doing-his-work problem, but far from my worst student."

"Oh, you're just being nice," Wes waved it off with an awkward smile.

"Well, yes, but I mean it." He finally settled his eyes on Griffin. "I believe we haven't met. Jonathan Geno, nice to meet you."

Griffin stared at the professor with a sharp eye, which made him a bit nervous. The Grovyle stroked his chin, feeling something that he couldn't quite identify. Maybe he was still sick, but he could swear he was sensing something off about the professor…

Regardless, to avoid being rude, he lightened up and shook his hand. "Griffin Everfall, notorious bounty hunter."

"Ah yes, I've heard plenty about you from your friends."

Griffin raised his brow. "Friends? You mean Holly and Mack?"

"Yes." He answered their confused stares with, "See, I happened upon Fernando during a minor…err, incident, and they helped me to the edge of the Storm Zone where I could finally begin my search through the Snow Zone."

Ella crossed her forelegs and smirked. "Okay, if your luck gets any dumber, you and I are totally buying lottery tickets."

"I'll consider the thought for a later date." Jonathan looked to the group. "I'm most curious in your mission. What is the status regarding the keys."

Wes grinned and pulled the small pouch out. "We've got four of them so far. Six more to go."

"Already four? My word, I'm impressed with you bunch! It must've been difficult!"

The team exchanged looks, then nodded firmly. "Yep, absolutely."

"Without a doubt," Tony added, smirking.

Jonathan grinned wearily. "I'd hate to be in your shoes…"

Wes narrowed his eyes. "You still haven't answered our earlier question. Why are you here?"

Jonathan closed his eyes. "You all definitely deserve answers. Frankly, I'm not sure how well I can explain my reasonings."

"We'll try and keep open minds," Ella said.

"Thank you." He sighed and leaned back. "Things have not been easy for me. When you learn the world might once again be plagued with eternal darkness, you have a lot of your mind. Most of my mind was spent looking through every absurd text in history that has an ounce of information on the shadows. I've forgone sleep for my research. The only useful thing on them I found were those excerpts on the heralds."

"You've been losing sleep over this?" Tony questioned.

"I think you might be pushing yourself, sir," Flint said. "We wouldn't have wanted you to go so far just for us."

"Yes, but I wanted to. It was all I could do to keep some of my sanity together." He clasped his hands together. "Of course, I wanted to contribute more. I couldn't quite figure out where to go from there." He pressed his clasped hands into his forehead. "And, perhaps, it wasn't as healthy as I had hoped."

"Hmm?" Ella questioned.

"I kept telling myself it was to keep myself together, but I was wrong…very wrong. I've been having nightmares of that…damned monster for weeks."

Wes glared. "The Shadow King…"

"He's been…haunting me for some time. Hal couldn't figure out how or why he is. He kept showing me these…horrible visions of you six being eradicated in the worst ways imaginable." He looked up from his hands, appearing weary and tired. "It was too much to bear, having to watch all of you die in so many different and gruesome ways…"

Gwyn whimpered and hid behind Flint, who wrapped his tail around her for comfort. "Are you alright, professor?" he asked worriedly.

He sighed. "I wish I could say 'yes,' but things haven't been…well. My fears of knowing something could very well happen to you all, I had to push myself harder than I ever did to find the answers I need." He closed his eyes. "But nothing turned up for the longest time, and it further took its toll on my mind. I was losing too much sleep and…I've been seeing things."

"Seeing things?" Griffin questioned.

"I can't describe it, but…I feel like there's this…sinister presence following me. The chills crawling up my back, those…red eyes and that dark figure…I felt like I was being chased by the granddaddy of all grim reapers…"

The team narrowed their eyes in sympathy for the history professor. Wes reached out and patted his arm. "If we knew you went this far for all of us…we would've said something…"

Jonathan smiled to himself. "Heh…I know you would've…perhaps I could've taken your mother and Hal's advice more seriously…" He narrowed his eyes. "Yet, in a way…I'm glad I didn't."

"What do you mean?" Ella asked.

"Because I ended up finding the one thing in my research that might have the answers to our shadow problem." Jonathan reached into his bag and pulled out the burgundy book. "See for yourselves."

Flint took it and skimmed through the pages. "This is…a complete history and collection of the Immensus Library."

"The legendary library that holds all the secrets of Mysto?" Ella guessed. Flint looked at her oddly. "What? Just because I didn't know about the idol legend doesn't mean I don't know any legends."

"Wait, I'm confused," Gwyn said.

"Yeah, I'm at a loss myself," Tony agreed.

Griffin crossed his arms. "The Immensus Library was said to hold the ancient secrets of everything that ever happened in Mysto. Everything from ancient civilizations to ancient spells to information about the very people who have set foot in Mysto. According to legend, Uxie made it as a way to collect information about…well, everything."

"And the legends do hint that it may be tied to the Idol of Origin, as it was created right when the region was first formed," Flint added. "The Idol of Origin grants free reign magic, but the library has the secrets to all magic. If you had any spell at your fingertips, without the need to train to use it, you're very much a god in the making."

"And many spells were lost through history," Griffin added as well. "Some might even be incredibly powerful, maybe to destroy an entire region in one shot. Or worse, the world." He shook his head. "Granted, that's all just speculation. Even so, legends do say the library and the idol would make a powerful combination because of those lost spells."

"Precisely," Jonathan agreed. "It was a lot to look up. More sleep to forgo just to read through this book."

Griffin glared suspiciously. "So, why the sudden compulsion to research it?"

"I naturally went to Hal to report my findings…" The professor sighed. "Even he is under the same impression as me. The Idol of Origin wasn't the only relic lost to time and buried in myth."

Ella's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

"Yes…I've come here to look for the Immensus Library."

The group stared at the professor in disbelief. There were…so many factors and problems with that plan that they were too ludicrous to point out. But ignoring all of that…the legendary library crafted by the gods was…real? This far in, maybe it shouldn't come as a surprise. Apparently the Legendaries had a habit of leaving behind dangerous relics that could very well shift the balance of power to the wrong side. Even so, it was quite the shock.

They are talking about a library that holds the secrets and knowledge of past and present. Everything they could ever want to know inside a mighty library that the gods made to watch over the mortals.

"Professor…" Wes mumbled. "You…You're serious?"

Jonathan nodded. "I have no doubts."

"But…have you a clue where you're going?"

"Currently speaking, no. In fact, I didn't have a plan as I was leaving the village. My only hope was finding clues and finding my way to the library through…well, dumb luck."

Gwyn blinked at the man. "…Okay, even I think that's a risky plan. You're saying you were willing to travel all over Mysto to find this magic library?!"

"From where it stands, it was our only hope." Jonathan sighed. "I had nothing to lose other than more of my sanity. With the torment I was subjected to, I had to make a choice. A hasty choice, yes, but a choice. I was…I am going to find that library if it's the last thing I do."

Ella glared. "Not much luck if you don't have a damn clue where you're going. What did you expect to happen? That you might bump into it?"

Jonathan chuckled under his breath. "Doubtful…if that library has remained hidden for many millennia, that means it exists on a plane overlapping our own. I knew the journey would be difficult, but I had to."

"But for what purpose?" Tony asked.

"To find a weakness to the shadows." This raised some brows. "The library holds the secrets to everything that has happened in Mysto's history. That would include a record on everyone and everything in the Grand Imperium Age. The Shadow King is no exception."

Flint narrowed his eyes. "You're saying you traveled this far from the Earth Zone to find a way to defeat the shadows?"

"Something we can use against them. There's…still so much we don't know of their origins." He looked out the window and at the snow. "What are they…what they want…where they come from…what they represent. All of this is still foreign information to us. If we knew more about how they came to be, perhaps there's a way we could push their numbers back."

Griffin held his chin. "Not a horrible idea, but…the library has multiple restrictions."

"I've heard. Only a Legendary has permission to access the full resources of the library. And none of us can do anything with a Legend's permission."

Tony tapped his chin. "A Legend's permission, huh?" He looked off to the side and mumbled something under his breath.

They took no notice as Ella changed the subject to, "But how would you be able to find the library if it could be anywhere in the region?"

"Well, fortunately, Hal led me on the right track. According to him, the library was always depicted to be on the high mountains surrounded in a cold wind. This led me to assume the Snow Zone. Mountainous ranges and blankets of snow mixed in unending winds. Seems like the perfect location."

Flint ran the theory through his head, tapping his chin. "…Magic tunnels are scattered all over the Mysto region, so it would be hard to account for all of them."

"And the Snow Zone is the second largest of the zones," Jonathan added on.

"And the old days were when the Legends wanted to be celebrated, so it would make sense to put the library atop the highest point," Flint continued more excitedly.

"Plus, with the addition of magic affecting our environment and evolving it, the naturally colder parts of Mysto would naturally become colder to the point of snow!"

"And the gods had to scrap the library, but never truly disposed of it in the legends!"

"Thus, they used their own divine powers to seal it away where no magicless mortal could reach it!"

"In conclusion…!"

"The library could very well be in the Snow Zone!" exclaimed teacher and student in their eureka moment.

"Hehe, nerds," Ella snickered.

Flint glared briefly at her, then smiled at Jonathan. "The library has to be in the Snow Zone! If the idol's real, it might be, too!" He held his cheeks and grinned giddily. "Oh man! A library full of such rich and vast knowledge from past and present! My inner child is squealing in JOY! Hahahahaha!"

Gwyn giggled at the happy Flareon. "D'aww, look at you being all nerdy." Flint ceased and blushed in embarrassment, casting a shy smile her way.

Wes rolled his eyes, smirking. "Only you would fanboy over a library." He looked at their professor seriously. "But…you do realize there's the issue of finding the library. Plus, no offense, but you passed out on us when you got here. You sure you can handle another trip out in the snow alone?"

Jonathan sighed and rubbed his head. "When you put it like that, it would be foolish for a second excursion out into the white wastelands. However, I refuse to abandon my quest when I've come so far."

Wes tapped his chin, pondering the issue over, then looked at his team. "Hey…guys. Would it be possible to…?"

Tony held his hip and smirked. "Let me guess, you want to help your teach find the library?"

Wes shrugged innocently. "I mean, can't hurt to try, right?"

"But Wes," Flint started, "what about finding Benedict?"

"We still have the Key of Metal in case the other one goes on the move again." Wes winked at the Flareon. "Besides, don't pretend you're not the least bit curious about this mysterious library."

Flint suppressed his childish squeals by coughing into his paw. "Um…hehehe, well…I suppose a…small detour wouldn't hurt…"

Ella shrugged. "You're team leader. It's your call." The others nodded in agreement.

Wes smiled lightly. "Right…I'm team leader…I'm team leader…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright…then I guess my decision, since this may give us an opportunity to learn more about the shadows, is to help Professor Geno find that library!"

"WOOHOO!" All eyes fell on Flint, who was in the air wit his paws raised over his head. Now the center of attention, he sank into the ground and shared an awkward smile. "I mean…sounds like a plan…"

Jonathan smiled at Wes. "You don't have to do this for me, Wes."

Wes waved it off. "Nah, I want to. You're my favorite teacher in the whole darn region. Plus, you went some considerable lengths just for us. I say we give back for all your help."

Jonathan closed his eyes and chuckled. "I think the other professors had the wrong idea about you, my boy." He held up his book. "I'll appreciate the extra help, though there is still the big issue in finding it…"

Griffin crossed his arms. "I've touched up on the legend a few times myself. Unless you stumbled upon it by complete accident, only a Legendary has the power to locate the library's position."

Ella held her chin. "Yeah, that's a bump in the road."

Jonathan sighed. "I suppose roaming through the Snow Zone is worth a try."

"Uh, guys?" Everyone faced Tony, who held his hip with an amused expression. "Aren't you forgetting something? We do have a Legendary on hand." He reached over and poked Gwyn in the nose, making her giggle. "This ball of energy right here."

Gwyn's eyes widened. "Wait, ME?!"

"You're a Mew, remember? You were born a Legendary."

"I'm only half-Legendary, though," she reminded. "I'm not immortal like my dad and I can't do half the things a Mew can. I can't even fly!"

"Technicalities! I remember back in Ghost Cove when you unleashed all that magic of yours! You have stupidly high magical reserves! You have plenty of magic to supply to a dozen armies and still have enough for your own personal army of wooden golems!"

Griffin held his chin. "I must admit, he raises a valid point. While you are half-mortal, your bloodline still comes from Mew. Regardless of the technical, you are a Legendary."

Gwyn blinked. "You…think I can find the library on my own?"

Flint grinned. "Yeah, and since you're a Legendary, we wouldn't need to have direct permission from Arceus or any of the Legendaries. Theoretically, you could give us permission!"

Ella laughed and slapped Gwyn across the back, knocking her over. "Look at that, Gwyn! Seems your godly bloodline is paying off for us!"

Gwyn shot up and hugged herself shyly. "But…what do I do? How will I know where the library is?! What does it feel like?! Is it like a beeping in my head or…?!"

Flint immediately took her shoulders and settled her down. "Gwyn, Gwyn, relax…you'll be fine. We have faith in you. Have faith in yourself, too."

Gwyn's cheeks warmed up. "Flint…"

Ella walked up and slung her foreleg around her. "Plus, I could try and amplify your mind with some telepathy to see if that helps."

Gwyn clasped her hands together and held them against her chest. "Do you…guys think I can actually find it?"

Tony grinned. "Hey, come on, of course you can! You're already awesome now! This is just more credit to your modest ego!"

Griffin nodded. "If it means finding something on the shadows, we ask you to at least try."

Gwyn looked down at her feet, thinking her options over. She didn't take too long, thankfully, as her friends' encouragement won her over. She brightened up and gave her best smile to the group. "Alright! I'll see what I can do!"

"That's the spirit!" Tony and Ella cheered.

Flint grinned. "You got this, Gwyn."

"Yeah…yeah! I got this!" Gwyn threw her fists up. "I GOT THIS! WOO!"

"Alright, dial it back a bit."

"Hehe, sorry~."

Wes tilted his head and smiled at the Mew. "Heh…she's a real joy to have around. I never thought her godly ties would come in handy, but here we are."

Jonathan sighed with a grateful smile. "Gwyn's our best bet to finding the library. If we do manage to cross paths with it, we'll have all the answers we need."

Wes grinned at the professor. "It really was cool of you to come this far just for us. I never realized how cool you are."

"Guess you rubbed off on me." Jonathan leaned back into the couch. "The idea of adventuring was far to grand for someone like me, but…I had to. I had to try something. I think this journey has been quite the experience. I've learned…quite a bit more about myself." Jonathan narrowed his eyes, briefly saddened by his admission, but shook it off. "R-Regardless, I'm just happy to bring some contribution to your team."

Wes chuckled. "I'm just glad I get to be doing this instead of studying for some boring test."

The professor smirked. "Now Wes, if you put more effort into your schoolwork, you wouldn't be saying that."

"You don't have to spare my feelings. I know I'm not the brightest bulb on campus."

"Don't be like that. You are a terrific student."

"My average to below average grades would like to disagree with you."

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Wes, you're not seeing what I see. Just because you had some hiccups in class doesn't mean you shouldn't at least try for a proper education."

"I don't see how it would help me with my adventuring."

"Maybe not, but…well…" Jonathan closed his eyes and just chuckled. "Oh, never mind."

"What? What?"

"Heh, it's nothing."

"Come on~! You have me curious now!" he whined.

"Perhaps I'll tell you later."

Wes pouted. "Surprises…what a mixed bag of emotions!"

"Heh…but, I'll tell you this much. You're a lot brighter than you let on. It's just up to you to decide that."

The Umbreon smiled sheepishly. "Heh…if you say so." He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I suppose we can hang out here for a bit until you're back to full strength. Want to join us for a quick lunch?"

The Scrafty smiled. "I'd be delighted."

Wes threw his paws up. "Hey guys! Let's get some lunch!" He ran off.

His team rolled their eyes in amusement and followed after him. Jonathan stood up and took his bag, laughing under his breath. "Heh, that boy really is some-"

Ba-Bum!

Jonathan dropped to his knees and clutched his chest. His eyes were dilated as a strong wave of pain came over him, yet he couldn't work the will to scream. It felt like his entire body pulsed for a moment, then this sudden pain shot through his system. It was unbearable, yet he couldn't make a sound.

Griffin was the first to detect the disturbance, rushing over with the others right on his tail. "What happened?"

"I…don't…know…" He breathed through his nose, then…it just stopped. He blinked, trying to assess if what he felt was a mere trick. "Huh…?"

Flint helped the professor to his feet. "Are you alright?!"

'What…was…that…?'

Jonathan shook his head and smiled at them. "Um…seems I'm not quite at full strength just yet. I could really go for something to eat."

"Yeah, no kidding!" Tony grabbed his wrist and slung his arm over his shoulder. "Come on, let's get you seated." He escorted the professor to the eating area.

The team exchanged worried glances with each other. "Anyone got a clue what that was about?" Ella asked.

Gwyn shrugged. "I gave him the whole look over. He didn't seem that worn out."

"May have to keep a closer eye on him," Flint suggested. "Now we definitely can't let him out on his own if this becomes a frequent issue."

Wes nodded. "Agreed."

The team followed after the professor, all but Griffin for the moment. The Grovyle glared suspiciously at the professor. For a moment, he felt something off about the Scrafty's aura. A pulse of…something familiar, yet different. It was hard to explain by feeling alone, but he could see something wasn't right with him.

"Hmm…" Silently, he followed his team, never letting his thoughts up for a moment.

After their long detour to get to where they needed, Fernando and the bounty hunters were closing in on their destination. They could see the Grand World Tree in the distance. They were so close to the Shadow King's hidden tomb, but still too far to conduct the proper research.

Fernando narrowed his eyes. "You both remember the objective, right?"

Mack rolled his eyes. "I still don't see why we can't go to the tree now and find the tomb."

"Because I have a reputation to uphold and I rather not break any of the village's laws. Remember, the tree is a sacred relic of time. We are forbidden from going near it."

Holly closed her eyes and nodded. "So, our first task is to interrogate the villagers and ask about this Ghostwind fellow before he up and disappeared?"

Mack smirked. "I do love me some good ol' interrogation!"

"We're not using that kind of interrogation!" Fernando corrected, very well knowing what was swimming in his head.

"Aww…you're a buzzkill. I was just going to suggest tickling by a thousand feathers."

"Surrre, you were," Holly agreed sarcastically. She glared at Fernando. "Seriously, though, what are the chances someone's going to know where Ghostwind wound up before he vanished?"

Fernando waggled his finger. "We may not have the exact clue, but we have an idea." He turned to them. "Keep in mind, my companions, that we are dealing with the tomb of the Shadow King. For as hidden as it may be, one would consider keeping a close eye on it. There's bound to be someone who has been watching over the tomb. Maybe an entire generation of people."

Mack raised his brow. "Huh…you really think so?"

"Makes logical sense."

"But then, if that were the case, how would Ghostwind possibly get through without a hypothetical watch guard spotting it? Surely they would've stopped him from opening the tomb," Holly countered.

"It is only a hypothetical, but you can never be too sure." Fernando held his hip. "Besides, we need all the help we can get with this, so I'm hoping something of the sort is around here to fill us in on the details. My lead might not know much of Alex Ghostwind, but someone in the village is bound to have a witness statement."

Mack held his chin. "Hmm…I'm kind of curious. Just how powerful was the Shadow King?"

Holly crossed her arms. "History says he was one of the greatest threats to all Pokémon. He and his shadows are creatures of no remorse. All they cared about was destroying everything that prevailed under the light."

"And it would be dangerous to let him roam free," Fernando brought up. "We still don't know how powerful he is now compared to his time five hundred years ago. Worst case…he was much more powerful than we realized." He slid his hand inside his pocket. "He will use every trick in the book to reach his former glory again."

"What would our chance of survival be?"

Fernando glared darkly. "…If he has his way…all Pokémon will become extinct."

With the team and Jonathan now fully rested, they braved the raging snow outside with a new destination in mind for Team Ravenfield. It would put a delay on finding the Key of Power, but a small price to pay for finding a potential lead against the shadows.

The issue of finding the library may take some time, but Gwyn seemed fully confident in fulfilling her duty. She stretched her legs, then her arms to get herself warmed up.

"Sssooo…anyone know what I should be doing?"

Tony crossed his arms and smirked. "Just go with the flow, Green. Embrace your godly nature! Feel your inner Mew!"

"Um…"

Flint smiled. "What he means to say is…just concentrate. Maybe your magic will be able to tell you which way to go."

"…You guys sure I can do this?" she asked, now having second thoughts.

Wes grinned. "You kidding? You've got this! Don't overthink it. And if you can't get anything, it's not the end of the world."

Jonathan nodded. "We have total faith in you, Ms. Belladonna."

Gwyn sighed, then pulled her scarf over her mouth. "Right…okay Ella, I'm ready."

The Espeon stood on her hindlegs and held the Mew's head between her paws. "First time I'm doing this, so tell me if you start to feel uncomfortable." She closed her eyes and focused on enhancing the Mew's senses. If they had any shot of Gwyn finding the library, this would better their odds.

Already, Gwyn could feel some of her senses heightening. Of course, Ella avoided amplifying her sensitivity to temperature and other things and mainly focused on her magical senses. She should be able to sense magical presences from far away, and hopefully between other forms of reality.

More and more magical presences appeared in Gwyn's mind, but they were all ordinary and few in between. She could feel some of the inherent natures of these auras, though. Some basic, some not so much. She briefly sensed an aura that was rather greedy in nature. She didn't think she'd find anything greedier than Wes.

Suddenly, Gwyn's senses locked onto something very, very far away. She couldn't guess the distance, but it was more than a few days from where they were. The aura felt different to everything else she sensed. It felt…cleaner and grander, yet strangely familiar to her. It felt like a part of her own aura.

Her own godly aura.

"I think I sense it!"

Ella took her paws off. "You do?"

Gwyn nodded. "Yeah. Something far away, but…it feels powerful. I think it might be the library."

Jonathan grinned. "Outstanding work, Ms. Belladonna."

Flint chuckled. "Was there any doubt? Gwyn had this."

Gwyn giggled and held her cheeks with a cheery blush. "Aww shucks!"

"Can you lead the way?" Griffin asked.

"I should be able to." Gwyn pointed ahead. "Hope you all got your hiking boots ready, though, because we're in for a heck of a walk."

Wes nodded. "Alright. Team! Professor Geno! Let's move out! Follow the Mew!"

"Right!" the team exclaimed before following Gwyn down the mountain.

Jonathan followed by Wes' side and smiled at him. "You're assuming the leader role quite nicely."

Wes rubbed the back of his head. "I…wouldn't say I'm all that great a leader. I'm just keeping us on track, is all." He looked to the side.

"They seem to have trust in you," Jonathan pointed out. "I say you make a fine team leader."

Wes smiled, only a bit. "Heh…if you say so…" He shook his head and grinned. "Forget that. Let's just focus on getting through this snow. We'll have to camp out in the cold."

"NNNNOOOO!" Ella whined out loud.

Wes and Jonathan laughed, with the professor responding, "I suppose I'll make do with that. I look forward to seeing this trek with you all."

Wes smiled. "Same here, sir."