The silence of our return spoke volumes. Ophelia did not speak to Tami, and the ones who spoke to or about Ophelia only spoke in whispers. Things about her being insane, about Tami being a Hex Maniac, about Ophelia having tried to kill Tami. Each one of these accusations caused me to wonder if bringing Tami to life had been the right decision, but when I thought about her laying on the ground in that growing pool of her own blood, I knew that if it had been me I would have wanted to be brought back to life, especially when the resources to do so were so readily available in that moment. At lunch no one sat near Tami other than us and Emery, or perhaps no one sat near us other than Tami and Emery. I could feel Ophelia glaring a hole through the back of our heads; the punishment we received for sitting between her gaze and Tami's.

"She'll get over it," Allison assured us, taking a bite of her food without properly acknowledging a target for her words. "She'll have to when Kelsie sends you all out on a mission."

"I don't know. I heard she was filing the paperwork for a team change, and with all these rumors flying around..." Tami put her head in her hands, her food untouched. She turned to look at Emery. "Do I look like a Hex Maniac to you?"

"Hex Maniacs can look like anybody. Like you or me-" Donald began before Emery could but in-turn was cut off by Allison.

"Or Jackson," she jabbed, opening one eye to look at me. I glared at her and she returned a teasing smile. "I'm only joking," she waved dismissively. "Besides, there are easy ways to test to see if someone is a Hex Maniac, like Cleanse Tags and Pure Incense. It's a theory that holds no water. In the end, there's no way to prove you were dead before this-"

"Allison."

"-because you weren't," Allison tacked on smoothly as Ophelia appeared behind us. She slid her legs out of the picnic-style seating and looked up at her. "Hello, Ophelia. I've heard you've been spreading gossip and rumors about your own teammates. That's not very kind of you, you know."

"I don't know what you did, but whatever it was, it wasn't right." Ophelia had her arms crossed and her brow furrowed, and by the smirk on Allison's face she was enjoying just how pissed off this whole situation was making her. "Tami died right in front of me, and now she's alive. Tami should have gone to Arceus, and something you or your team did brought her back. What was it?"

"We didn't do any such thing, and the simple fact is that Tami did not die. She collapsed to the ground, yes, and struggled against death with all her might, absolutely, but after you left we employed a passing nurse and her Chansey for her Heal Pulse. Quite a lucky break, wouldn't you say?" Allison looked to me for concurrence, and I simply nodded. "You spreading this rumor that Tami died and we somehow brought her back from Arceus' embrace is just... ludicrous. It not only besmirches the good name of my team, but it brings Tami's credibility into question along with your own."

"There is no way." Ophelia clenched her fists along with her teeth. "There is no way that a nurse was climbing up that mountain. I flew off the mountain. I saw everyone on that trail. It was just us. Nobody else."

"Are you quite certain you haven't been struck with Amnesia?" Allison crossed her legs and leaned forward with concern. "When you flew off the mountain, you were the very person who drew the nurse to us. She saw you, even if you did not see her."

Ophelia fumed for a moment before opening her mouth to retort again, only to be cut off by Sir Rowan putting a hand on her shoulder. "I think it'd be best for ya to sit back down, 'phelia. You're causin' a commotion." Ophelia's gaze darted around the cafeteria and, sure enough, most of the eyes in the room had turned to look at her. She weighed her options for a moment with her mouth open partially, before closing it and scowling at Allison followed by her turning and walking away. "What did you lot do ta her?" Sir Rowan put his hands on his hips as he looked down at us accusingly.

"Nothing, sir. During our last mission Tami incurred a life-threatening injury and Ophelia abandoned her before securing proper aid. She believes Tami should be dead, though I'm not quite sure why she's so insistent on her death instead of celebrating her life." Allison replied smoothly. "I assume you have something for us to do? You normally approach us when we have a mission, after all."

"Aye." Sir Rowan acknowledged both Allison's explanation and her question with a single word. "Prophet Kelsie'd like ta see ya up in the tower."

"We never get a break." Donald complained softly as he idly stabbed at his food.

Allison slid her legs back under the table. "The Church Of Arceus never rests, I'm afraid."

After we finished eating, we ascended the tower that Percius and I had climbed to reach the Mouth Of Arceus several day previous, but standing in front of the door that lead to him was Prophet Kelsie, holding an envelope in her hands with a somber look on her face. "I require assistance returning to my room." She held out a hand directly in front of her without looking at us and Percius stepped up to take it.

"Careful, Prophet. There are many steps." Percius warned and Kelsie nodded. "How did you get up here, Prophet Kelsie? Were you lead and then left to your own devices?"

"I was brought here by a vision, led by flashes of the future. Single moments, mere seconds that allowed me to navigate myself to the chamber."

"And you have a mission for us?"

"Yes. A simple thing, though a grave errand." Kelsie held the letter tightly to her chest. "Emperor Pyridicus will be contacting us, requesting the advice of the Mouth Of Arceus. I have obliged that request. This letter is everything the Mouth Of Arceus advised our dear Emperor to do. It must be delivered. Who better to deliver it than the child of Priestess Ethel Darkwater and the sister of Priestess Emelia Fayeri?"

I felt Allison looking at me. I nearly stumbled and fell down the long flight of stairs as my vision blurred. "Donald and I are to deliver the letter to Oppida Prima, then? He and I will leave immedia-"

"No. Take the Ghost Hunter and the Dragon Lancer as well. Helpful tools for the journey to come. A status symbol when you arrive." Kelsie nearly stumbled herself, Percius moving to catch her if she did. She began to mutter to herself, something about keeping someone alive.

"Did something happen, Prophet Kelsie? What did the Mouth Of Arceus say? How did he advise His Majesty?" Donald questioned quickly, his steps just barely behind Percius.

"Not for your ears, Child. Not for your ears nor for mine. I do not remember what was said. Cast out of my mind. It is written, and only written. Emperor Pyridicus will see it and no others unless he deems it so." As we arrived at the prophet's room she reached for the door frame and pulled herself inside, turning and shoving the letter forcefully into Percius's hands. "Do not lose it. Do not open it. Keep it safe. Leave immediately."

The slam of her door was followed by silence between all of us. Percius looked down at the envelope in his hands, sealed but unmarred by an address. Donald clutched an object under his shirt, a necklace of some kind that rested against his chest. Allison addressed all of us at once as she finally broke the silence.

"That was intense. Is everyone alright?" Allison paused for a moment before clarifying, "Emotionally, I mean."

I was shaking again. I clenched my fists but it didn't help. I held up my hands to look at them, as though I needed to double check that my fingers were vibrating uncontrollably, but as I looked at my hands my vision blurred again. "I can't go with you." I finally muttered out.

"You can, Jackson." Allison put a hand on my shoulder. "It'll be fine. We probably won't even see the Emperor while we're there. We'll be in, give the Imperial Messenger the envelope, and be gone before His Majesty ever knew we were there." She smiled comfortingly at me, but it didn't help. Excalibur's cloth tightened around my chest, as though it was trying to reassure me too.

"We're going to Oppida Prima..." Donald announced into the air, confirming with himself the mission we'd just been given. "We're going to the capital city of Empir?" He turned to us, now confirming with us instead of the air, the same amount of disbelief filling his voice.

"I can't, I can't." I shook my head, turning from them and walking down the hallway. "I can't, I can't, I can't." I repeated over and over, unable to stop the ideas from returning. I would have to look at the Emperor and tell him I was not harboring a Ghost type Pokemon literally right in front of him. I couldn't even lie to Allison or Donald or Percius or Emery when they asked. If the Emperor asked me... no, if anyone asked me if I was harboring a Ghost type Pokemon I was a hundred percent certain I would blurt out that I absolutely was.

Allison grabbed my hand. "Hey." She anchored calmly, turning me to take my other hand with a concerned smile on her face. "Listen, nothing's going to happen to you or Blitzkrieg or Excalibur or anybody on this mission. There's no Dragon to fight, no ghostly presence to investigate, we're just taking some paper to the capital, and coming back. Nothing's going to happen to you, and if something does happen, I won't let any of you get hurt." She pulled me softly to get me to take a few steps back towards where Percius and Donald had disappeared when I had rounded a corner. "Come on. White Omen and Candy Dancer are probably already saddled up and waiting for us."

Donald was taking deep breaths to steady himself as we returned. Percius was holding the envelope up to a window, the envelope revealing the folded paper inside but the paper refusing to give up its secrets. "Must be pretty serious business if they can't send it by Rapidash. Declaration of war?" Percius implored Allison for an answer.

"How should I know? I'm not the Mouth Of Arceus." She crossed her arms and stuck out her hip. "Nor am I the Empress of Empir, living a posh life in the Dente Eburneos, as much as I wish I was." She muttered the last part, but I couldn't disagree with her more. Now more than ever I was wishing I was back on the farm, sitting by that tree at the top of the hill, watching the Wooloo graze with Blitzkrieg in my lap, but Blitzkrieg was a Houndoom now, and just like him I had to evolve to overcome this obstacle. I tapped his apricorn, letting the Darkrai dog out to wander around a bit. He immediately went on alert, looking around and circling my legs protectively before I patted his head. "Ready now, Farm Boy?"

I looked at Allison, feeling Excalibur once again squeeze my chest reassuringly. "No, but when have I ever been?"