Ch.103: The Pressures of Upbringing! The Cipher Family Feud!

Two weeks have gone by, with only another two remaining before Team Ravenfield were off to the Gelid Peak Tournament. In that time, all members of the team have been getting in their fair share of training. Heavily team-based as it was, that meant hours of planning on strategy and new techniques, something Tony and Wes seemed to take the most joy out of. They both had a flair for the spectacle.

Speaking of the Umbreon, with his head a little clearer, he has been setting aside more time with his mother so they could just hang out. Nothing big, sometimes just walks in the park and catching up. Wes even helped Vivian prepare food for a little get-together with her friends. The Sylveon enjoyed having the Umbreon around in the kitchen. He used to be her little helper when he was a child.

Griffin and Tony have been going through their own separate training, though have found time to relax…when they weren't crossed in each other's paths. It took the combined efforts of Holly and Mack to keep them from starting a fight in the middle of the village.

Flint and Gwyn did their own training together as well, though it usually devolved into Gwyn spouting cutesy comments and purposefully letting the Flareon attack her so she could get a surprise snuggle off. Flint would desperately try and get their training back on track, but somehow always got sucked into the affectionate roughhousing. It was official, those two were lovesick for each other.

Such merriment wasn't left unobserved with Ella spying on them. In fact, she was currently amidst her own training as she watched the two battling each other. She covered her mouth and snickered when Gwyn rooted Flint into the ground before jumping on his back and snuggling into his mane.

"Gwyn! We're suppose to be training!" Flint complained, but the playfulness in his voice betrayed him.

Gwyn giggled mischievously. "I'm sorry~!" she sang all cutesy. "I can't help myself! You're just so darn fluffy and huggable!" She kissed his cheek, then nuzzled against the side of his head. "Heehee!"

Flint smiled bashfully. "How much pent-up affection do you have left?"

"Enough to last an eternity!"

"Alright, come here!" He broke his paws from the ground with his Guardian, then spun and grabbed the Mew. She squealed and laughed as they rolled around on the ground. Flint joined with her in the laughter, letting her lay on top of him as they nuzzled noses.

Ella smiled fondly at the two. For all her teasing, a part of her envied how lovesick the two were for each other. They just seemed so complacent with everything that they let the world disappear around them.

When was the last time she felt that way with Wes?

She frowned a bit, then looked off to the side. Right now, she imagined Wes was hanging out with his mother, or maybe getting some training in with Tony or Griffin. Even if Wes wasn't a romantic guy, the moments they did share were some of her most cherish. The occasional nose nuzzle, making out on the couch, the fancy dinners (even if Wes complained about wearing a suit), and all those moments where they held each other in the comforts of solitude.

Ella winced at a sharp pang in her heart. She pressed her paw against it. What was that about?

"Ella." The Espeon flinched and straightened up at Ava, who was waiting for her next attack. "No time to be dazing off into space. You said you wanted my help, remember? I need your full attention."

Ella sighed, then chuckled sheepishly. "My bad." She then glared fiercely and summoned Daybreak into its staff form. "Alright, here I come!" She sprinted across the battlefield.

Ava summoned a sword and blocked the Espeon's first strike. Ella, however, allowed that part of Daybreak to detach to keep her momentum. She landed right below Ava and swung the staff for Ava's chin while her arm flew with her remaining momentum.

Ava's Guardian, however, manifested and caught the staff in time. Countering the Espeon, Ava swung her leg into Ella's stomach and sent her flying. Ella tumbled across the ground, but broke from it and landed cleanly on her paws. She snapped her digits and detached Daybreak into its seven separate sections.

"Fire!" They each fired rapid psychic bolts at the fortune teller.

Ava smirked, then crossed her arms. "Guardian! Bring them down!"

A flurry of fists exploded out from behind her and punched into the wall of psychic projectiles. Ava's smirk only grew as she advanced through the bullet hell, carving herself a path right down the middle.

"There's supposedly an old legend where a magician summoned a Guardian so fast and powerful that they carve a tunnel through the bottom of the ocean without getting a single drop of water on them." Ella stepped back as Ava got closer through her psychic shots. "A legendary feat that only a master with a Guardian could perform."

Ella lowered her head and grinned cunningly. "You can have your punching ghost. I've got my own psychic assistance!" She slammed her paws down and twisted them. "Here's the big one!"

Ava stopped as the ground rumbled under her feet. Thinking fast, she channeled a telekinetic blast through her feet and leaped straight into the air just before it exploded outward. Ava crossed her arms as the rocks pelted into her.

Ella grinned and thrusted her foreleg skyward. "Stay on target!" Daybreak's seven batons grouped into a ring around the Espeon and spun like a wheel, channeling a ball of compressed psychic energy in the center. "Psycho Cannon!" The energy went critical and fired into a devastating beam.

Ava caught sight of the approaching beam. "So, that's how we're playing?" Her psychic third eye blazed before her forehead. She crossed her legs and brought her hands together. "Then witness the power of my very essence!"

She projected her astral being and dove toward the beam. She summoned a massive blade and swung into the beam. The collision sent shockwave back in both directions, obliterating their individual attacks and knocking them both out of the air/off their feet.

"GAH!" Ella sailed onto her back, then flipped backwards and landed on her face. "Ow…"

Ava curled into a ball as she fell, then broke her landing with a safe tumble. She sighed in relief, then stood up. "You have a talent for raw power, I'll give you that."

Ella pulled herself up and grinned. "Heh, just wait until I actually give a damn."

Ava smirked. "Cute." She walked over and pulled the Espeon up. "Either way, while there are areas for improvement, I say you're one step closer to getting on the same playing field as your teammates."

Ella sighed. "Thank goodness. Do you have ANY idea what it feels like to be the one member that needs to be protected the most?"

Ava crouched down and chuckled. "Can't say I do, but you'll find that privilege went to Clara. Though, much like her, best not to underestimate you just because of how you compare to the rest of your team."

Ella snickered through her teeth. "I suppose that's true enough. So…" She rubbed her paws together and grinned. "You going to teach me how to do that cool astral projection trick?"

Ava smirked and poked her in the forehead. "We'll get to that once you learn to open your third eye."

"Brilliant! I'll be able to see three times as well!" Ella blinked, then tapped her chin. "Or…maybe fifty percent better. I don't know, I didn't major in math!" Ava laughed behind her hand, then stood up.

"Well, if you're still ready to go, I suppose we can try-"

"Ella!" The Espeon's ears drooped, as did her face in a look of sheer horror. The voice sounded like her, just much older. The fur on her back prickled as she felt the approaching duo behind her.

Oh no, no, no, no! Shit! All that effort to avoid them!

"Ella, darling! There you are! We were wondering where you've been!"

"Pumpkin, come on, turn around."

Ava just stared between the approaching duo and the horrific, yet also annoyed look on Ella's face. The Espeon ran her paw down her face, then turned around to glare at the older Espeon and Pyroar, both dressed in fancy garb like they were getting ready for a dinner party.

Ella groaned inwardly, then stared at the two with a straight face. "Mother…Father…"

Owen leaned in and wrapped his forelegs around the Espeon in a loving bear hug. "Oh sweetheart, we're so happy to see you! We came back to the village a few times and you were nowhere in sight. Didn't you get the letters we left you at your apartment?"

Ella rolled her eyes. Oh yeah. What a lovely surprise to come home to.

Elise raised her brow and held the younger Espeon's face. "Gracious, Ella, you're all dirty. Look at your poor face. Oh, here, hold still." She pulled out a wet towelette and dabbed it against her cheek.

Ella glared and shoved her foreleg away. "Knock it off, Mother."

Elise narrowed her eyes. "Well, I'm sorry, but you aren't one to be rolling around in the dirt. Did you get into another fight?"

Ella rolled her eyes again. "Oh yes, I did. Poor, innocent, fragile, little me!"

"I can hear that sarcasm, young lady!"

"Tch. Whatever."

Ava stared at the three with a confused, even worried expression. Oh dear…are these Ella's parents?

Owen finally acknowledged the Medicham's presence. He tilted his head. "Ella, who is this?"

Ava knew very little about Ella's personal history, but enough chats have let her piece together the Espeon's animosity towards her parents. She could tell they were the sort who would raise a child on proper standards, something she'd imagine would be blown apart had they heard what their daughter has been doing for nearly a year.

Ava cleared her throat and tried to remedy the situation. "Please forgive me. I am Madame Ava Young, a fortune teller. I…happen to have met your daughter during one of my trips."

"The…circus?" Elise guessed hesitantly.

"Um…yes."

Elise sighed and held her face. "Ella, why were you hanging out around a circus? You should've been focusing more on college, or getting that business degree we talked about," she added through her teeth.

Ella smirked. "You know, the more you tell me to do something, the more my rebellious teenager side is going to tell me to NOT do that." She glared. "And for your information, Madame Ava is a very respectable woman, so I'd refrain from any of your snooty comments just becomes she runs a circus, Mother," she warned with a hint of venom in her voice.

By now, the tension between mother and daughter reached Flint and Gwyn, who had ceased their snuggling to fully pay attention to the two. Flint flinched once he recognized the two parents. "Oh no, Ella's parents…"

"I can tell when Ella's angry…" Gwyn mumbled worriedly. "That's the face she makes when she's about to twist someone into a pretzel…"

"I should've guessed she couldn't avoid them forever." Flint stood up and offered his paw to stand Gwyn up.

"Are they mean?" she asked.

"Err…debatable. Ella never said they're outright malicious and…I've met them a few times here and there and…safe to say they think Ella would've been better off dating me than Wes."

Gwyn pouted, feeling a tad possessive from that comment, then wrapped her arms around Flint. "You're my schmoopy." Flint's face turned bright red, awkwardly chuckling.

"Heh, thanks…sweetie pie?" He was not used to cutesy nicknames…or the fact he had a girlfriend. Two weeks and he's still processing that he has a girlfriend! He shook his head and narrowed his eyes seriously. "But…yeah, knowing Ella's patience with her parents…this isn't going to end well for anyone."

Indeed it wouldn't, as Ella flicked her bangs and turned away from her parents. "If you must know why I'm hanging out with a fortune teller, I'm training."

Elise deadpanned. "This better not be your way of telling us you're joining the circus."

Ella scoffed. "Oh no, much worse," she said sarcastically. "I'm entering a tournament in Gelid Peak City."

"You're what?!" her parents yelled aghast.

"Ella, are you out of you mind?" Elise scolded. "Do you know how utterly dangerous that is? You could get seriously injured!"

Ella rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the confidence boost."

The older Espeon groaned and covered her face. "Not only that…why are you taking part in a tournament? It is very uncouth for a refined lady such as yourself to take part in silly roughhousing. Don't tell me you plan on becoming a tournament fighter hoping to cruise by on winnings?"

Ella mockingly flapped her lips as her mother was speaking before saying, "A little hypocritical coming from the wife of a businessman who works in weapon trade."

Elise glared at her, but Owen placed his paw on her back to calm her down. "Now Ella, your mother and I are only trying to look out for you. We have such a promising future set up for you. Not many girls your age have these kinds of privileges handed to them. I just know you would do great in running the business in my place."

She shot her father an unamused glare. "Oh…really? Well, you've done a piss-poor job of getting me enthusiastic about it. Makes me wonder if you really are the one who handles negotiations. If you can't convince a child about the wonderful world of 'Business' and 'Marketing,' then a handful of advisors would be necessary."

"Ella Cipher, do not speak to your father that way!" Elise scolded.

"Oh? Was I being rude again?" Ella grumbled uncaringly. "Gee, I'm sorry, I don't know where my manners have gone…oh right, I left them behind, along with the rest of my misery over the years. Huh, I believed I labeled that box 'Misery from my Parents.'"

Elise pressed her paw against her face. "Ella, will you just listen to us? We only have your best interests at heart. I don't see what's got you so riled up that you felt the need to avoid seeing your own parents. Seriously, where have you been? It's like you haven't been in the village…for…the whole year…" Elise's eyes widened in realization. "Oh…sweet Arceus…"

Here we go…

"You went on another one of those dangerous expeditions, didn't you?!" she accused angrily. "Even after your leg was almost shattered on the last one?! Do you even remember what the doctor said?! You're lucky not to be limping around on three legs!"

"It wasn't that bad!" Ella shouted, now getting heated.

"I bet that Ravenfield boy dragged you back into it! He did, didn't he?!" Elise accused. "Where is he? I have some choice words for that young man!"

Ella shoved her mother in the shoulder. "Lay off! I went with him on my own ground, not his!"

"So you did leave?" Owen asked indignantly, with a much calmer tone to his wife's.

Ella huffed through her nose. "…You know what, yeah, I did leave! I went on a massive adventure over the last year! With Wes!"

"You haven't been to school at all?!" Elise shouted in disbelief. Ella shook her head. "Ella, we pay for your classes! Do you realize how much of a waste that is?!"

Ella rolled her eyes. "Coming from the woman who buys imported chocolates…"

"That's not the point!" Elise shouted, visibly embarrassed based off the blush on her face. "And I only do that on special occasions!"

"You must really love two-thirds of the year, then," Ella added on, no end to her disrespect. Elise clenched down on her teeth, trying her best not to blow a fuse.

The older Espeon inhaled deeply through her nose, then pinched between her eyes. "Sweetheart…Ella, you know we love you-"

"Yeah…sure," Ella grumbled, sounding unconvinced.

"I know how dangerous those tournaments can get, especially since…well, you don't have any magic. You shouldn't be wasting your time with trivial things like this. You're wasting away a future we have planned out for you. Don't you want to live comfortably knowing you won't be pressured to getting a job?"

The way she phrased that made Ella's blood boil. "Pressured? You think what you're doing isn't pressuring enough?!"

"Ella, watch your tone-!"

"Oh shut up!" she barked, shocking her parents. "I didn't ask for some stupid job working as a businesswoman! I'm more than capable of finding my own path!"

Elise recovered from her shock and glared back. "Is that so? Then please enlighten me on the matter! What path did you decide for yourself?"

The made the Espeon bite on her lip. "Well…I…haven't really decided…" She closed her eyes and growled, "Oh, why the hell should I explain to you? Knowing you, you'll just find every conceivable reason why I'll ruin my life, just like you said about Wes!"

"Honey, we didn't want you going around searching for artifacts for the rest of your life! That's hardly a stable job!"

"Well, if his dad could do it, so could he! I'd be better off had I not broken up with Wes!" she admitted, not even noticing the sudden flush in her cheeks. "Honestly, it's like you have no faith in me at all! All you do is push me in a direction that should make my decision easier, but I've never been more confused in my life! I'd be better off if you'd just STAY OUT OF MY LIFE!"

"Don't you dare yell at us like that!" Elise shouted back. "You don't mean that!"

"Screw you!" Her parents gasped. "Why don't you just leave me alone and let me decide things for myself instead of planning out my every move like some control freaks?! I'm SICK OF IT!" Ella threw her paws in the air and growled in frustration. "I'm out of here! I'll see you later, Ava!" She marched off, huffing and grumbling to herself and seething with anger.

The Cipher parents watched their daughter leave in a mix of shock, anger, and sadness. Elise's ears drooped, settling her gaze onto the ground. Owen lifted his paw and rubbed her back supportively. "Elise…"

"I just…I just don't get it…" she mumbled to herself. "We're only doing what's right for her…" She pressed a paw to her forehead and sighed shakily.

"Um…pardon me?" They looked up and found Ava smiling awkwardly at them. She gestured behind her. "Would you care to join me for some tea?"

Ella giggled as she rolled around in her bed, filled with boundless energy that drove most parents up the wall. This was due to sneaking an extra piece of cake when her parents had their heads turned. She should've been sleeping. It was the middle of the night.

Her gleeful giggles aroused her mother from her sleep, entering the Eevee's room dressed in a purple robe. She rubbed her eye when she asked, "Sweetie, do you know what time it is?"

Ella stopped bouncing and landed on her paws. "Um…nine?"

"Try one in the morning."

Ella blushed sheepishly. "Sorry, Mother…"

Elise rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly as she walked up to the child's bedside. "Don't think I didn't catch you sneaking an extra slice of cake earlier."

Her ears drooped. "You knew?"

Elise nodded. "Though, by the time I did, you've already finished it." She sighed. "I could've punished you right then and there, but…well, I suppose it would be hypocritical of me to punish you over extra sweets." She pulled the Eevee's ear up and whispered, "Don't tell your father, but I bought more of my favorite imported chocolates. He didn't want me spending our money on them, but we both known Mother loves her exotic chocolates."

Ella nodded with a beaming smile. "Uh huh!"

"That'll just be our little secret until your father's birthday comes around. I'm sure I can lighten my spending habits a bit if I sweeten him up with a romantic dinner."

Ella pouted. "Eww…grown-up love."

Elise giggled. "Oh, you will be in love one day, too, dearie…hopefully with a nice lawyer or doctor," she added under her breath before smiling. "So…no mention of this with your father?"

Ella giggled. "I won't tell…if you give me some."

Elise smirked. "Are you blackmailing me?"

"Father!" Ella shouted. "Mother's buying-!" Elise psychically shut the Eevee's lips, though she couldn't resist giggling at her daughter's playfulness.

"Alright, point taken, but you only get one chocolate."

"Five."

"Two."

"Four."

"Three."

Ella thought it over, then nodded. "Three!"

Elise smiled, then scooped the Eevee up and settled her into bed. "Mother's going to be busy tomorrow, so she needs her rest," she said as she pulled the covers over Ella. "You should do the same. Remember, if you want to grow up to be a refined, beautiful young woman-"

"-I need my beauty sleep, I know, I know," Ella mumbled. She grabbed her sleep mask and pulled it over her eyes. "Goodnight, Mother. I love you."

Elise smiled, then kissed the Eevee's forehead. "I love you, too, sweetheart." She quietly tiptoed out of the room, then turned out the lights.

Ava got the two sat down at her table in her caravan, pouring them a pot of freshly made tea. Elise psychically lifted the teacup and gently blew into it before taking a sip. "…Thank you. This…really does help the nerves."

Ava pulled her chair up and sat down. "I know the feeling. Co-owner of a circus can get stressful. Always helps to have some nice, comforting tea for the worst of it."

Owen sipped his tea and nodded. "Yes, well…we appreciate it, given our…first impression." He nudged his wife subtly with a knowing glare.

Elise sighed and set her cup down. "I…owe you an apology if I came off as offensive. I've never been entertained by the circus and…frankly, the ones I've had the misfortune of coming across were…" She shivered. "…filthy…"

Ava chuckled. "All's well, Mrs. Cipher. If anything, you were the least critical of my job. I've gotten far worse comments about how we run the circus."

Elise smiled. "Well, I am glad to see the air is cleared. And…you said you were a…fortune teller, correct?"

Ava nodded. "I specialize in readings, though I do occasionally have an act where I perceive the past and future of our audience members. My way of messing with the crowd."

"So, you use those…tarot cards?" Owen asked.

Ava held her hand up and brought over a set of tarot cards to her hand. "The cards are mostly for show, though it's how I channel my magic through them that gives them their special abilities." She shuffled the cards in her hand, then skillfully spread them out over the table in even rows. "Perhaps you care for a free reading."

Elise held her paws up and shook her head. "Oh, no thank you, I…rather not know."

Ava smirked. "There's a part in all of us that wonders what may become of our futures."

The two Ciphers looked at each other, then Elise took a deep breath. "Alright…how many-?"

"Three."

Elise psychically picked three up, keeping them face down, and handed them to Ava. The Medicham psychically reorganized the other cards while she shuffled through the three in her hand. As she did, she gave the two parents an analytical look, which made them a little nervous.

"…So…" Ava started. "It seems you two have been having…a difficult time connecting with your daughter."

The sudden change in topic threw them off-guard, but they adjusted soon after. Owen sighed and raised his paw to his heart. "A little saddening. With each day, it feels like we're losing touch with our little girl. I understand growing up as an only child might have been difficult on her, but we've tried our best to make her comfortable."

Ava nodded. "I'm not faulting you on that. I've gotten to know Ella quite well in our time together. She's a sweet young lady, but possesses a fiery spirit that I am enthralled by. Raised by two well-known traders in weapons definitely influence her. She has a penchant for swindling and conning. She works at the bar around here, yes?"

Elise sighed. "I'm…never comfortable with Ella working at a bar. I heard many times of fights breaking out in there, along with…lecherous individuals who I don't want anywhere near her. I know how some young men can get, even doing things against moral codes."

"Well, I wouldn't fear too much for Ella's safety. She's incredibly competent. I'd say it's that crafty intelligence of hers that serves as her greatest strength. It's no wonder her friends rely on her when needed." Ava looked at the three cards in her hand, then back to the parents. "Although…I have to ask where this all started."

"Whatever do you mean?" Owen asked.

Ava narrowed her eyes. "For all of her wit, Ella lacks…certain elements. While she is smart, she doesn't quite possess the necessary wisdom that she leads herself to believe. In truth, she's going her own way without fully committing to a set future. If anything, she's committed to wandering a forever branching path."

Owen frowned. "But that's why we keep pushing her into business. We know how indecisive Ella can be, and she has a promising future ahead of her."

Ava nodded. "I agree to that, but…have you ever wondered why Ella pushes away so much?"

"I'm not…sure…" Elise mumbled.

Ava skillfully flicked a tarot card from her hand and let it flutter onto the table. They looked down at it, seeing it was an undefined creature before a table of strange objects and raising an arrow or rod. The card was upside-down from their perspective.

"The reversed Magician," Ava explained, seeing they were confused. "Right-side up, it means one has a creative soul and that they have a well-spring of knowledge they can use. Reversed, however, means something worse. Poor-planning, manipulation…indecisiveness…"

Their eyes widened, then Elise gave Ava an accusatory glare. "…What are you doing?"

Ava picked the card up and showed it to them. "…I bet when she was young, Ella didn't have any indecisiveness in her mind. You had everything thought out for your little girl to receive the perfect future where she wouldn't feel strife and misery. A perfect little angel to the world.

"All of that changed when she mixed with a young boy of the Ravenfield household, didn't it?"

Ella sat by herself during recess, watching the other kids play around in the playground. She took out her lunch box and pulled out a sandwich. She then pulled a book from her backpack and lay it out in front of her. She unwrapped her sandwich and quietly started reading to herself.

"Over here! Over here, Wes!"

Ella quietly looked over her shoulder and saw a few kids running around with a kickball. The one currently in possession of it was a male Eevee, bouncing it on his head and laughing as he was being chased by a Skitty and male Nidoran.

"Haha! My ball!" the Eevee named Wes taunted, leaping around onto the jungle gym. He held the ball in his paws as the two chasing him tried to knock it off him. He stood on his hindlegs and looked around for an opening.

Ella only watched for a little bit before returning to her book. She bit into her sandwich and turned a page, drowning out the noise in the background.

Meanwhile, Wes was dancing around on his hindlegs when he saw an Elekid waving his arms at him from afar. "Wes! I'm open! Toss me the ball!"

Wes grinned. "Okay!" The Eevee tossed the ball into the air, then headbutted it towards the Elekid.

Or…at least that's what he hoped he would do. Actually, his angling was way off, causing the ball to spike downward with a lot of force and bounced right off the jungle gyn. The ball went sailing across the playground and collided into the back of the female Eevee's head.

"AH!" Ella lurched forward and faceplanted into her sandwich and book.

Wes' eyes widened and ears drooped. "Uh oh…" The kids grew fearful as they stared at the quiet Eevee's back.

They flinched as they saw her shoulders rise up before she stomped off the bench and took the ball between her paws. With her face lightly messed up with bread crumbs and mustard, she glared at the group of kids staring at her. "Who…threw this?"

No one hesitated pointing at Wes before running away screaming. Wes breathed through his nostrils, then jumped down from the jungle gym, laughing nervously as he approached her.

"Heh…didn't mean to hit you. Everyone always says I'm terrible at tossing the ball. Hehehe…" Ella's eyes sank deeper into a glare. "Heh…so, can we have our ball back?"

Ella bared her teeth. "Sure…here's your ball." She dropped it, turned around, then struck it with her hindlegs.

"AAH!" The ball hit Wes square in the face and knocked him back into a mud puddle made from some rain the other day. He blinked, wide-eyed at the sky as the ball rolled away from him.

"Hmph!" Ella held her nose up and, after retrieving her belongings, marched on back into the school.

"…What did I do?" Wes asked no one in particular.

The school bell rang and the kids were racing out to walk home or meet with their parents. Ella walked out with an annoyed look as she continuously inspected the mustard stain on her dress. "Ugh…that dork ruined my dress. Mother's going to throw a fit when she sees this! I'm throwing a fit over it!" She groaned and covered her face.

"Hey, girl!" She stopped and glared over her shoulder as the boy Eevee came springing out of the school. He was far messier compared to her. His fur had dried mud in it and his clothes were stained brown. He hopped on down and skidded to a stop in front of her. "Wait a moment!" he pleaded, reaching out to her.

Ella recoiled and raised her foreleg defensively. "Please don't touch me…you're so…filthy…"

"I am?" He looked down. "…Oh right, the mud. Yeah, I used up all the paper towels in the bathroom to clean myself up. Um…didn't go quite as well as I hoped."

The girl Eevee rolled her eyes, then tried to walk around him. "Whatever. I need to find my mother, so go away."

"Ah, wait, wait!" He stopped in front of her again. "About what happened earlier…"

Ella groaned. "Look, if this is about the ball thing and pushing you into the mud, then fine. I'm-"

"I'm sorry." Ella's eyes widened as he presented her with a daisy held in his teeth. "I didn't get the chance to say sorry for hitting you. It was very mean of me, even if I didn't mean to. You can't make friends if you hurt them." He took the daisy into his paws and held it out to her. "I plucked this from outside as, um…a sorry present. Girls like flowers, right?"

Ella blinked twice, then hesitantly took the daisy from him. "Um…yeah. Thanks?"

Wes grinned. "No problem! I'm just hoping we can look past this and be friends!"

Ella tilted her head. "Friends? With me?"

"Uh huh!"

"Wes!" The male Eevee turned his head and saw a Sylveon and another Eevee waving him over. "Come on, sweetie, I need to get dinner started soon!"

"Okay, Mommy!" Wes grinned back at Ella. "I got to go! My name's Wes, by the way!"

Ella blinked, then looked away shyly. "I'm…Ella."

"Nice to meet you, Ella! Maybe we can play tomorrow! You got a really good kick! My face still stings!" he exclaimed with a bright smile.

Ella's ears drooped. "Um…I don't really-"

"Wes!" his mother called out to him again.

"Sorry, Mommy! I'm coming!" Wes bounced off, waving to Ella. "See you tomorrow, Ella! Oh, and…you look really cute! Bye-bye!" He skipped over to his mother and, presumably, his brother, dancing around them as they walked off the schoolgrounds.

Ella watched him leave, then looked at the daisy in her paw. "Friends…"

"Ella!" The Eevee lifted her head and saw the Espeon waving her over. "Come along, honey, we're meeting with your father later."

Ella quickly hid the daisy in her backpack and scampered over. "Okay, Mother!"

"Ella, precious, what happened to your dress?!" she shrieked.

Ella subtly looked over her shoulder, then back to her mother. "Um…my sandwich exploded?"

"Now hold on a second!" Elise suddenly shouted. "What does this have to do with him?!"

Ava narrowed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "You are a woman of high standards, Mrs. Cipher. I see that clear as day. Ella was a prim and proper girl at her age, yet she didn't particularly enjoy being dragged around to experience the grown-up life you had planned for her. However, from the way she was raised, she didn't often interact with kids her age, correct? Or…at least kids at her school."

Owen nodded hesitantly. "I…suppose so."

"And then she met Wes Ravenfield, someone I've heard you two don't think too fondly of. I happen to have been friends with his father. He was a childhood friend of mine, actually. We grew up together. If I know the Ravenfields as well as I know my own family, Garret raised his son to be a curious explorer with a passion to never stop moving forward.

"That…was a trait I saw lacking in Ella. Like I said, a talented girl, but she just doesn't have much drive to be…a leader in some regards. At least without the influence of Wes. You see…Wes has been in denial about his leadership skills, but…it's his drive that leads his team to follow him the way they do. And I think that's what gravitated Ella to him in the first place."

Elise narrowed her eyes. "Alright, look…if you're accusing us of being cruel to the boy-"

"Cruel? No, but hostile."

"-the thing is, Ravenfield has been a distraction to our precious Ella. Had she not have associated with him for as long as she did, I wouldn't see her being as unhappy with her decision to take after the family business. Do you know how many times that young man has put her in grave danger? She almost lost her leg on their last little raid and I refuse to see that happen again, especially now that we know what she has been up to."

Ava nodded. "I understand your concerns, but understand that Wes is a compassionate young man. What you see as a distraction, I see as someone who can help Ella grow."

Owen picked up his tea. "I don't see how. When Ella told us what happened before her leg was crushed, he was blatantly ignoring her about her issues. He's easily consumed by greed, like most treasure hunters."

"I can assure you, Wes has managed his personal greed rather well during his journey. He's not the same young man who dated your daughter."

Elise glared. "Even so, to drag her along on another dangerous quest for a whole year and without our knowing is utterly appalling. We should have a right to know if our daughter is getting caught up in dangerous activities like treasure hunting! What were they even looking for to take them away from the village for so long?"

Ava glanced off to the side for a moment. "That…isn't important to the discussion." She returned to facing them. "What I ask is that you take into consideration if Wes' involvement with her has led her to explore more of her choices."

"What could he know that we wouldn't?" Elise lightly accused.

"It's not so much what he knows, but what he inspired." Ava threw down the second tarot card. It looked like a woman who was carving into eight different coins over a table. "This is of the minor arcana, the eight of coins or pentangles."

"Minor arcana?" Owen mumbled.

"These are the forces well within Ella's control, while the major arcana is far from her influence." Ava looked down at the new card. "And it seems you drew the upright side. This represents one's good quality to perform and enhance their skills in a healthy manner. This is what Ella strives to achieve. Her own personal goals are to acquire the skills needed to find her path in life. She has the drive, but not the direction."

Elise narrowed her eyes. "And…what would the reverse be?"

Ava closed her eyes. "I sense it was once a reverse position. Perfectionism, the desire to be excellent…a path where one is forcing a dangerous desire to strive for excellence. Ella wants to improve her skills in her own way, but she lacks the direction she needs because too many voices try to tell her where she should take her next step."

Owen glared suspiciously at the cards, then asked, "Weren't you giving us a reading? This all seems to matter only to Ella."

Ava nodded. "I want you to see exactly how your daughter feels. I, too, have children who I want to find the right path to stability, but I also don't want to pressure them with indecision. Have you ever asked Ella how she felt about running a business? Or did you always assume she was being rebellious for the sake of it?"

Owen looked away awkwardly. "Well…I…"

Elise huffed. "What point does this bring? We were only trying to keep Ella from making a horrible decision!"

"And it doing so, you attempted to drive a wedge between her and Wes." Elise gasped in shock at the accusation. Ava shook her head. "To you, Wes is some filthy common boy who has an absurd, single-minded goal that would drive any other to insanity. Your daughter fell in love with him because he represented a quality she was lacking for the longest time, from giving her guaranteed opportunity and everything she could ever want. She missed out on one thing that Wes possessed.

"Ambition."

"A treasure hunt?" the thirteen-year-old Espeon asked as she sat at an outdoor table with Wes and his brother, sipping on some smoothies.

Wes grinned and raised his paws. "My dad really inspired me to get out there and show my stuff! Thanks to our buddy, Hal, I got a tip about some sweet artifact we can snag! It's a bit of a long trip, but that's why I wanted to do this over the summer first."

Ella glanced hesitantly at Flint. "And…you're going along with this?"

Flint shrugged. "Someone has to keep him out of trouble." Wes blew a raspberry at him, which he blew back in response.

Ella looked away unsurely. "Isn't that a little…dangerous? My mother always said treasure hunting is an uncouth practice that doesn't lead to any meaningful payoff."

"Blah! What does she know?!" Wes exclaimed. "My dad does it all the time, and he's the breadwinner in the family! If he can do it, why can't I?"

"Well, for starters, you're not as cool as Dad, nor are you as competent-WAH!" Wes kicked Flint's chair out from under him, all while whistling innocently. Flint glared up at him. "Real mature…"

"Hey, you started it," Wes fired back with a cool grin.

Ella looked off to the side awkwardly. "Err…maybe you should count me out of this."

Wes grinned. "Aww, come on, Ella, it'll be awesome! The wide-open plains, the long treks into the vast unknown-!"

"Vast unknown?" Flint asked amusingly. "The Earth Zone is fairly known."

Wes shoved him lightly. "-and the thrill of adventure! Doesn't that sound like time worth living?"

Ella looked down at her seat. "The thing is, my parents would be pretty upset if I headed out on some kind of dangerous expedition. I mean, do you know how many treasure hunters can get killed on those treks, especially if they're looking to steal it from criminals?"

Wes snickered. "What's wrong with living a little? Besides, we'll be playing it safe, I promise. Can't throw the newbies into the hot coals before they learn to walk across them!"

"I still don't know…"

"You'll have me to do all the dangerous stuff, don't worry!" Wes placed his paw against his heart. "After all, if I want to become the greatest treasure hunter of all time, I need to excel in my craft and learn to find my path! It may be a little narrowminded, but nothing will stray me from achieving my destiny! I will become the greatest treasure hunter! And with you guys by my side, how can I go wrong?"

"You're really certain you can achieve such a hefty goal?" Ella questioned.

Flint smiled. "When it comes to stubbornness, there's no other that can surpass Wes' when he has a single goal in mind. He'll travel to the ends of the earth to achieve that."

Wes laughed. "You said it! No matter what, I know what I want out of my life and I intend to make my dream come true!"

Ella looked down at her drink with uncertain eyes. "To be so confident over your decision…all the odds stacked against you, yet you choose to continue to where your heart desires. What drives you with so much potential?"

The Umbreon looked up for a moment in thought, then grinned. "Good ol' fashion ambition, I guess."

"Ambition, huh?" Ella narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. I never had much reason to put much drive into what I wanted. With my parents constantly pushing me into business, I never had any real passion for it. They have it written in stone for me, so why should I feel excited over a determined future? But for Wes…his future is crystal clear, but not determined. He seeks to make it his reality.

The Espeon stared fondly at the Umbreon, then smiled. Heh…alright…Wes Ravenfield, you've caught my attention.

"Well…if that's the case…" Ella stood up and struck a confident stance. "What should I pack for the trip?" Wes and Flint smiled, glad to see she was on board. Even if a part of her was unsure, she wanted to gather the same ambition that motivated her friend's own goals.

She never felt more excited to work for something in her life.

"What do you mean?" Elise asked. "Ella had plenty of ambition when she was a child."

"No…she didn't," Ava retorted calmly. "Ella lacked any real confidence in achieving anything off her own merits. I hate to accuse you both of this, but you've been stunting Ella's growth as her own person. She always had to rely on you two before she and Wes met. Now, I'm not saying you two didn't have your hearts in the right place, but you aren't giving Ella the time of day to let her figure out what she wants to be. That lack of respect is what's driving the wedge between you both."

"We do respect Ella," Owen argued, "but we just don't feel her going out on treasure hunts is the right call in life."

"Who said Ella wants to be a treasure hunter?" This made the parents look at the fortune teller with curious stares. "As I said, Ella is full of indecision. While Ella seems to enjoy her time with Wes and Flint, her near decision to become a professional treasure hunter was made out of desperation to find something worth doing. It's quite a shame, actually. Ella has displayed remarkable leadership skills in her own right. I'd say if she were forced into a position where she lost her teammates, she has what it takes to rise to the occasion on her own.

"What I'm trying to get across is that Ella needs time to gather what she wants with her destiny. To do that, you're going to have to let her make some mistakes along the way, even if they bring her trouble."

Elise glared. "But to allow her to participate in some tournament-"

"Ella knows she can't stack up against many of the fighters that will participate in the tournament. She made her decision to be a substitute fighter in their team. She is still in training, after all." Ava extended her hand out. "And I promise you, I will teach her all I know to keep her safe. I want Ella to grow as well, as do her friends."

Owen grimaced unsurely. "…What has Ella been getting herself into over the last year?"

"Like I said, I'm afraid I can't disclose that information."

Elise closed her eyes. "…If I can't even talk to my own daughter about what's going on, how am I supposed to be okay with her galivanting on some possibly dangerous quest for…whatever they're looking for? My distrust in that Ravenfield boy stems from the fact he is wildly unpredictable in his actions. How can I trust someone that reckless with my daughter's life?"

Ava narrowed her eyes. "Then I suggest you start by exercising trust in both your daughter and Wes. If you don't believe me…watch for yourself."

"Huh?"

"Not everyone can trek through the Snow Zone to watch the tournament unfold, but there are ways of watching through viewing glass and crystal orbs. If you wish to trust them, maybe you can get some insight by watching them compete in the tournament for yourselves."

Elise glared. "And how can you be so sure Ella will find her path in the end?"

"Give her some time and she will make the decision that she'll benefit from." Ava flicked the last card down, showing a skeletal figure on horseback, and it was in the upright position. "The major arcana of Death." Their eyes widened, making Ava rolled her eyes. "It doesn't actually mean someone will die."

"Oh…" they mumbled sheepishly.

"An honest mistake everyone assumes." She cleared her throat, then continued, "Give Ella her space and she will grow into a better person. She'll become someone you didn't expect, but someone who you will be proud of. She is a strong-willed girl. She just needs time to learn that for herself."

Elise frowned. "…I'm still against her running off like this."

"The fragile relationship with your daughter can be mended, but only in time. Perhaps if you were to speak with her-"

"She made it clear she doesn't want to speak with us," Elise grumbled, but then she frowned sadly. "…She doesn't want to speak with me." Owen frowned and rubbed his wife's back.

Ava glanced off to the side, narrowing her eyes on the wall for a moment, then looked back at them. "If that's so, there is one other you should have a word with. You have two weeks left. Even if, in that time, you cannot reconnect with Ella, hope is not lost. All I ask is that you understand where she is coming from and only intervene when you feel it is right. Even if she expresses hate through words, I know from experience that she speaks out of frustration only. She does love you both, she just needs something from you to be reminded if that love is reciprocated."

Elise clenched her eyes shut, then exhaled. "…I don't like this one bit."

"I know it's hard, but I promise your family will cease in this divide soon after." Ava stood up and collected the empty teacups. "Thank you for listening to me. I hope I helped in anyway." She carried the dishes off to have them cleaned.

The Cipher parents remained seated in silence, wondering where they had to go now after this. They leaned into each other for comfort and sighed sadly, wondering what Ella was probably thinking right now.

They feared she was still fuming over them, but that was far from the case. Eavesdropping wasn't anything new to Ella, but a cruel habit. Even if she was upset with them, it didn't stop her from turning around to apologize, only to listen in on the whole conversation in silence.

The Espeon pressed her back against the caravan and sank to the ground with a long face. As if I wasn't confused enough as it is…