Knowing there is something else here, there is no point in staying. They leave before uglier things can come barging out of Dungeon, Zekrom can only know what is up there.

She drags the body of Prinn along. He took a big hit, a mean thunder punch from a fully evolved man would make any water boy his age faint. Prinn is lucky he didn't seem to be really hurt - just napping. The Typhlosion there did not seem like the type who would want to pummel a kid into the ground regardless, he must've pulled his punch, and even then, something about what the kid was going on sticks with her.

What did he do? What was Prinn accusing him of? Bad men typically don't risk their lives breaking up fights.. There is something up with this Masters guy, else Dexys wouldn't be so glad to turn their plans up on their head.

She looks to the Zoroark in disguise next to her, the mask of a Mienshao pulled over her face as they approach the shadow of halfway rock. Beaten down dirt paths and tents begin to line their surroundings. After carrying him for so long, Prinn starts to stir..

Halcion looks towards the nearest unoccupied place, and sits the boy down. He kicks out his feet, looking up the two figures surrounding him. Then sighs.

"Hey…uh…"

"Don't hey me." Halcion grumbles. "Do you have beef with Masters or something?"

"Masters, that's his name?" Prinn rubs his way. "I thought his name was…"

"I don't care, Prinn." Halcion looks to her partner. "I'm gonna guess he convinced you to fork over the gear."

"No, I convinced myself." Dexys glances around them at mention of the thing, no one appears to be listening in. "We're not looking for them. It would be nice to have but him having it is less of a target on our backs. We have other ways of finding her."

Prinn blinks, quivering at the mention.

"Her?"

Halcion takes a deep breath. They didn't even tell him, goodness, this is going to be disastrous for all of them. And knowing the fear this person strikes in the heart of her love, this boy cannot hold a candle to her. It is too dangerous. As the one he looks up to, she has to make this decision or him.

Besides, she can't keep him around forever. He helped them find a gear, and now they've abandoned the hunt. There's no reason to put him such harm's way.

She bites down on her tongue. Here goes.

"We're looking for someone extremely dangerous, Prinn. We found a gear like you sid you wanted us to, so now it's time you do your half of this deal and leave before it gets even worse." He sees the smile fade from his eyes. "The Luxray is just the start of this, I don't know what I would have done if he got past me and went after you. It'd break my heart."

She leans down, levelling her giant body with him. Prinn stares at her in continued disbelief as she reaches a hand over, and gives him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"I don't know what kind of history you have with Masters, and I'm sure you have every reason not to like him.. You saw me get angry too, and how that didn't help us one bit. Almost drowned." She smirks, pretending to hack out water. "He doesn't seem like the type of person who holds grudges. After we're done, I'm sure he can answer all of your questions."

I've spent so much time looking for him, looking into stories, paying the Krows - I know, that's bad but…" Prinn sighs. "I'm glad I met him, I just don't know if…"

"If he doesn't come back to halfway rock, I'll make him." Halcion backs away from Prinn, motioning at her partner. "She knows him better than I do, she can get the answers you seek out of him without you having to hurt yourself, okay?"

Prinn looks over to Dexys, who nods. She reaches into her real cloak and gives the boy some coins, placing it firmly into his flippers and shaking it.

"Though I do not coddle, I am a bit of a gift giver." The Zoroark underneath the mask smiles warmly. "Either buy a room here or get a trip back to your guild. Stay safe for me, stay out of this, and I promise I'll get this Masters guy to speak for you."

It takes him a good moment of silent staring for him to finally process their intent. Moving his flipper away, he resigns himself. Standing up to his feet.

"If you come back, I'll be here." He says. "I'm gonna try to put my mapping to the test, and please, go tell Masters I'm sorry. If he's who I think he is…I shouldn't be bothering a hero."

A Hero, a knight. As Prinn waves and leaves into the city of tents, a memory lingers at the tip of his mind. The only person she can recall ever worthy of this title other than the knight, was this one brave soul from the grass continent, someone who vanished without a trace one fateful evening and whose story was told throughout this distant land a cautionary tale.

Minstrel spoke a lot about them, like he knew him. Wait…is it Masters? Is he a…hu-

When Prinn finally fades into the bustle of Halfway Rock, Dexys speaks up, smiling at her partner.

"You wouldn't make a half bad parent, Hal." She restrains a laugh. "He's safer here, I'd hate to see my girl's friend become mincemeat."

"Could honestly go for some roasted meat, deerling or something." Halcion's mouth runs off. She can feel all the little bumps along her body where Lucario struck her with the club, bruises where his punches had started to beat through her scales. "I hate that they don't sell meat here, I know why but I don't care."

Nevermind meat.

"Actually I'll go for a drink. I feel like a bloated stunfisk." She grumbles.

"And that's why you're still not parent material." Her partner snorts. "I feel like I'll be a drinker when we're done."

Dexys swerves around before Halcion can protest. She beckons her.

"Come along, I know a place."

The weight he carries on his back and on his mind are equally heavy for Lucario. The thing hung up over his shoulder is the wriggling, half-concious body of a Wurmple.

He does not have it in him to think about what has happened. He just lets whiskey do his thing, carrying them to the cool rock place the outsider to this world wants to visit. Whiskey must not know it's the hub for the biggest crime family this entire continent, or was. Lucario shudders.

As soon as they start to reach the rock proper, Lucario immediately scans the tents. He reaches down as they pass a dead campfire, plucking out someone's cooking pot and thrusting it into Masters' hands.

"What am I supposed to do with this, Luc?" The Typhlosion sputters.

"Hold onto it." Lucario glares over his shoulder. "Gonna Chew me out for borrowing a bucket a second time?"

"No, no…I…er…"

It looks like he wants to bring up something, probably something within the last few hours Lucario does everything to box it all away for when everything is said and done and he has those blasted gears in his arms. The constant reminder on Lucario's head does not help.

Masters throws a dumb blue doll into the bucket. Its floppy ears jingle along. Lucario rolls his eyes.

"Wanna split up?"

"Why not?" Masters says. "I'll show Whiskey around. Are we staying at the same place as last time?"

Lucario nods, sliding off of his steed's back and leaving the nondescript sack across Whiskey's back. With a wave to the Rapidash, Lucario parts, instantly making towards a familiar street.

Xatu's blue tent can't be seen on this street, but the stupid doll shop can. He is in the right place. And Lucario instantly retraces his steps, cramming himself a narrow alleyway towards the silken, purple home of his ghost friend. He opens up the flap to the hidden tent and invites himself inside.

Above, a chandelier glistens with ghostly flames, and various orbs surround each and every corner of her unoccupied lair.. All are the same variations of Wondrous Orb blue, glistening in the ominous glow like diamonds. The one right in front of the door stands out: a violet crystal globe which sits on a silver plinth. The ghost, of course, is nowhere in sight. Yet the incense and candles burn as if she were mere minutes ago.

Something about this particular globe keeps catching his eye. He makes the grave mistake of reaching out and right as his fingers are about to touch its shimmering surf-

"Please keep your hands to yourself, my Rei."

The ghost appears, making her presence known with her a gust of ice-cold wind. Violet smoke marks her arrival as she hovers past him, flicking his chin with a wisp-like hand.

"I know when others are grubbing through my belongings." Mismagius peers up, the light catching her face and leaving her fangs in full display. "Nevertheless, I have been hard at work getting my champion what he seeks."

She smiles, motioning at her hat before she spins around, wrapping her hands around the peculiar crystal.

"Trying to steal my look, dear?"

"Not intentionally." He is too on edge to laugh. "You got the stone?"

"Not yet, but you have now given me everything I need to make it."

She never spoke about making it. Before there is time to question her methods, she holds out the crystal sphere. He feels a presence from it, a feeling which runs through his bones. Is this…?

"This is no different than scrying. Simply lay thy hand upon it." She speaks. "The stone will take from you to form itself, and its power will forever be at your fingers."

"What will it take?" Lucario reaches out nervously, his hand sitting inches above the glowing globe. "You're not some spooky ghost trying to steal my soul are you?"

She laughs in the face of his concern.

"Dear champion, I'd never dare." Her serpent eyes peer deeply into him. "A Mega Stone requires something from its species. You will promise it a piece of yourself, and should you pass, it will take what you have promised it and bequeath it to the next of your kin who wields this stone."

"The art of mega evolution is baleful, it takes as much as it gives. I have spent a lifetime unravelling it, and even I cannot create a stone without sacrifice."

Lucario's mind races through what intangible "things" he can give this hunk of crystal. Strength happens to be the most obvious and the most vague. He won't need power if he fails to receive these stones, he will be gone. Vague things like his heart or soul, or anything like this is too much to gamble with. He will wager his strength.

"Are thee prepared?"

He nods slowly, shutting his eyes, trying to put this vague nonsense to the forefront of his being.

As if pulling them from under a sheet, he feels her cloth appendages fall to the wayside and two of these clawed hands reach out - lowering his palm onto the glass-like surface. A cold sensation shoots up his arm through his entire body. It reaches into the farthest corners of his being then floods backwards like a wave, leaving through his fingertips into the sphere with something - a part of him. Suddenly, he hears a loud crack, then another.

A fissure forms across the surface of the sphere, splintering all throughout till it can no longer hold itself together. Chunks fall to the floor beneath them where they shatter into powder till nothing of the crystal remains. Mismagius turns his hand over, and opens his palm.

In it: a blue, glass-like sphere with a streak of shimmering brass cutting through. It feels warm to the touch. The long talons close his fingers around it.

"May you find what it takes to wield it."

He feels the claws on his chin, coddling his face with admiration. His eyes stay shut as she leans closer, whispering into his ear with a sibilant tone.

"My champion, return with the Dark Gears in tow. I am the Knight's Oracle, his right hand. Live, and I promise you peace in the coming world."

There is no smile, duplicity or hint of her usual fare in her voice. She speaks from her undead heart. Not knowing what to believe or understanding the gravity of her words, his eyes stay closed. He'll do this, for Honchkrow, and her.

"I don't make promises, Mismagius."

He opens his eyes, and in a blink the claws holding him return to little, cloth appendages. She looks past him through the slit in the door, seeing something out there

Mismagius leans in to tell him something..

Not a command, not more grand secrets of the universe. Mismagius tells him a name, her name.

And he wouldn't dare repeat it.

Light floods into the chamber as she backs away, turning to the new face with a courteous smile. Lucario spins around. Masters, holding a cloth creature in a bucket which now wears a dumb little hat. He flashes a glare at the ghost. Masters' mouth moves.

"You look...different…"

Masters beckons Lucario. Mismagius simply bows to them, that constant, ghostly smile remaining on her face.

"Farwell!" She bids them. "Do come back!"

And Lucario, taken aback by everything, is practically dragged out onto the streets where their steed awaits. He collects himself, taking in a deep breath. He still has the stone. Lucario shoves it under his cloak, the tiny stone somehow fitting perfectly in the center of the gear wrapped around his neck. Is this intentional?

Whiskey is out here with a bag around his neck as well as a brand new thing. It's bright, and it's pink, and it's wearing an equally garish helmet. Oh goodness, Masters made him buy one? Lucario rolls his eyes.

"Hey, what's with grabbing me out of there?" Lucario catches his breath. "Are you afraid of your own?"

"I don't trust her, Lucario. I never did, let's leave it at that.." Masters turns around, beckoning. "Let's get some drinks and food."

"Now? We're already ah-"

"It's not a choice, Lucario." He snarls. "You need a break."

After a day like this he does need a break, it just does not feel deserved.

Halfway Rock is too big of a place for anyone to try them. Honchkrow's gone, Bisharp's gone, none of his bosses are going to do anything about him being here because the only one left will never ever get her claws dirty. He is the head Honchkrow now. Even if he does not share the responsibilities nor experience, he has the hat - every 'krow loves the hat.

If he was the sappy sort he could see it as Honchkrow watching over him from the beyond.

He's doing a lot of thinking, about Honchkrow, about spiritualism. Masters is right, he needs a drink before he becomes a full on Summer fanatic.

Down the road to the foot of the eponymous rock,they return to a nice stop carved into the stone. The Shroud, this strangely smelling-clandestine place. The Lizard there was nice to them the last time they came through, and she can keep a secret. The two qualifiers for Masters, it seems. Where else where they go anyways?

Masters opens the door, the pinkish lights and smells fill his nostrils. He gasps upon entering.

"Oh."

What is it now? Lucario barges in, and sees what he sees: a gigantic Haxorus leaning over the bar, buying drinks for her and her partner right behind one of the curtained off booths. They instantly lock eyes.

"I should've expected you to be the kind of loner who comes to these places." She hisses.

"I never thought you'd drag your girl to a dump like this." He retorts.

"Oh settle down you two." Salazzle peers up from her book. "You loved this place last time, Lucario. Welcome back. I'll have my boys fixing up a room for you two straight away."

Boys?

A creature conveniently scurries through Lucario's and Masters' feets. It's a lizard, like a bite-sized version of the one behind the counter with a glowing orange splotch along its darkly-clad back. It races upstairs, out of sight.

Yeah, those look like the boys. Salandit, they're called? Lucario keeps the door open for Whiskey as he gallops in.

"Quite the abode, lady!" The knight bows his head. "Do you care to make accommodation for a four legger? I know it could be quite the nuisance."

"If you don't mind sleeping in an empty booth, I think I can arrange something for you." Salazzle smiles at the newcomer. "You two?"

Whiskey settles near the bar as Masters looks to wherever Halcion is going. Lucario sees a pair of yellow eyes peek from behind the curtain, beckoning Masters over with a wave. He takes notice, then steps over to the bar, showing off the giant pot.

"You have stone tables, do you?" He says. "Get me some water and the same stuff we had last time."

"Of course we do." She demonstrates, spitting a globule of poison-tinged fire on her bar. And like clockwork she fetches bottles from behind the bar, filling up a third empty one from a nearby pail. "Whatever you cook, I don't try cooking it in cheri unless you're fine burning your tongues off."

Lucario chuckles, taking his red bottle while Masters juggles the rest in a bucket. Masters leads them over to the booth, pulling the curtain. A giant dragon sits in the back of the circular room, and to the right, nearest and covered by most of the curtains is their fox-shaped friend. Right, her. Since when did Hal hook up with a Zoroark?

Masters lets him - rather forces him in first - as Lucario slides all the way around the circular booth to the big dragon. They exchange awkward glances, but are instantly silenced by the loud clash of a pot and an unconscious wurmple hitting the table, the plush inside it rolling out onto the table. Four bottles around to which Masters begs the question.

"I'm not much of a meat eater. You guys? What do you want?"

"Sour." Answers the hulking beast.

"Spicy." Says Lucario.

To which the Zoroark shrugs, then slides Masters a darkly clad bottle. Enigma Wine, right, seeing it gives Lucario memories.

"This'll make it taste like anything." She says. "Why else do you think I am its biggest fan?"

"Big enough fan to steal it?" Lucario snorts.

"Yes."

Wait a minute. Lucario blinks. She is not the one who took it, right?

"You wouldn't happen to have done a job for someone which also happens to involve stealing it out of those snot-nosed scholars?"

She flashes a knowing smirk.

"Maybe. Dexys by the way."

"Rei. I prefer you call me Lucario."

Then it makes the both of them as ex-wine stealers, small world this is.

Masters nudges the Wurmple over to him, to which Lucario does its work, crushing its head, cutting off the unnecessary pieces, putting those back into the sack to be thrown out at the earliest convenience. Lucario drops it into the metal pot as Masters pours the water in, then a third of the enigma. Then Masters places a hand against the metal - bringing it to a boil with his fire-type touch.

As the Wurmple cooks, and the aroma begins to flood their little booth, Lucario glances up at the towering Dragon-type.

"About earlier."

"Shut up, Rei." Halcion tears the cork from her bottle then just takes a swig. She licks her lips. "What matters is that you didn't actually kill me. I really don't care. I enjoy beating the snot out of you and I'm sure you do too. So let's call it even and just drink, okay?"

Before he has a chance to fuss, she grabs hold of his hand, and drags it right to the bottle. Okay, point proven, Hal does not care. She is Hal. How could he forget?

"Sure, whatever." Lucario snaps off the cork with the back of his palm. He begins the spice-filled assault on his senses with a similarly massive swig. "I remembered not too long ago you were the shorter one of us two, what happened?"

"I started training, got the daylights beaten out of me. I was tracking a criminal when…"

Halcion's story gets interrupted by the Zoroark's laughter.

"You had to call on me to save you for once, you started evolving on the spot, and you were on the floor twitching like a magikarp out of water." Deyxs taps the glass. The third missing from her wine has instantly become two thirds, goodness she can drink for a creature of her shape. "I tore that Hypno up, remember?"

"Yeah, I do remember. I don't appreciate you raining on my parade, though." She points towards Dexys, bottle in hand. "You didn't wanna elaborate about how you, supposed fighting pokemon extraordinaire, wasn't turned into glue by his moves. I played it off like I was hallucinating, jerk."

"You may as well have been, you made zero sense, whining about your friend over here and everything." Dexys turns the table towards Lucario. "Is it true, were you there?"

"For what?" Lucario glances between the two ladies. "I was pals with her for a bit, we used to exchange blows over stupid nonsense, still do. You have to be more specific than that."

"Alright." The Zoroark laughs. "She used to hit on girls, you know?"

"Oh yeah, that stuff. She was all over everyone who looked like they had chances to mingle with her brother." Lucario tries to keep a burst of laughter. "You know I would've scored a girl if she wasn't all over everyone like a magnet to-"

"Oh shut up, Rei. Like you ever had a chance in the first place."

They explode simultaneously. Lucario drowns his laughter with spicey wine, while Hal nearly hacks out an internal organ belching over the table, laughing all the while.

It is true though, she did ruin his chances of scoring goodness knows how many. Her and her brother's dumb obsession with continuing the lineage or whatever those dragons are so crazy about. It only bothers a little bit. He is not as crazy over getting someone than how he was a couple years back.

By the time Lucario can think of something to say, the tantalizing stench of what is cooking turns everyone's attention to the pot. Masters lifts up the curtain and calls to the bartender.

"Bring some berries over! Can't have meat alone!"

And within a minute or two of saying this, the Salazzle slides forwards with plates and a tremendous bowl forth. The Zoroark pulls the curtain over herself like a scared child, dropping it the instant she leaves.

Masters divides up the plates then brings out the roast.

Bright red, cooked to a perfection, oozing the thick black broth of enigma berries from its cracks. The Wurmple looks utterly delicious. He tears out his own piece by its flattened head, then hands it over to Lucario. He takes three segments, Halcion rips off her share, leaving her beloved Zoroark with what's left - a surprisingly sizable chunk. Masters nudges the bowl of berries between them all.

Cheri, Pinap, Iappa and the all too common but delectable (not yet) boiled Leppa. The berry bowl is the perfect mix for their tastes, minus whatever mystery flavors Dexys is supposedly obsessed with. Enigma Wine's one heck of a brew. Lucario snags a Cheri berry from the pile, letting the spice ooze into his mouth before he leans down and tears a chunk from the boiled wurmple

"Nice 'n sour." Masters says between gulps.

"Spicy, the way I like it." Lucario smacks his lips. "Almost feels like Larvesta."

"Make me regret being born." The dragon snorts loudly. "I love this."

And all the while, the Zoroark at the back greedily chomps hers down. She pauses for a split second, shrugging like a child

"What did I say?"

Laughter explodes across the table. Lucario takes a swig, then another. The cheri brew sends the hotter chewy meat down his throat. His head begins to throb, his senses start to smear together. A giant dragon nudges him into the shoulder as he almost giggles like a child.

"Hey, Hal! What's the matter?"

"Look, look look." She slurs. "Forget about everything that's ever happened, I just wanna let you know. You and I? We go back, and I have your back 'cause of it, got that?"

"I didn't think you were lying to me when you said you didn't hold a grudge." Lucario stuffs his rambling mouth with a swig. "But great to know you won't try to ram your thick head and horns through my chest. You're gonna apologize for earlier?"

"Oh no, you deserved to get your rear handed to you. Will you apologize for all the punches you threw at my face?"

"Never, it was fun hearing you scream."

Laughter explodes from them as Halcion pulls away, the scrap of a Wurmple hanging loose from her maw. She says something to the Zoroark, then cups her face. They lean in, and embrace each other in a drunken kiss.

Lucario looks over, he sees Masters with his head in his hands. He scurries up to him, and wreaths his arm around the ghastly fire-type. The hatted exploder exchanges an odd look into Lucario's similarly crimson eyes

Lucario's drunken senses take hold. Lucario leans in, and Masters' finger halts his lips.

"No." He whispers to Lucario sincerely. "Not yet. Not till you and I are done with this. Save it for later."

Before he has time to fuss, Masters lifts a bottle up to Lucario's lips. He bites down on the glass, then lets it flood into his mouth, shutting his eyes as he drifts off into a drunken peace.