The answer as to what he is going to look like answers itself. Gold, maybe pink, mostly a Riolu or Lucario blue, everything's a possibility given Celebi's lack of details about throwing the son across space time and everywhere.

How is it like being born in the future then thrown back into time? Couldn't he have made some nonsense happen, erasing future events? No, Dialga would not have allowed him to know this, it is probably for the best that he remains thrown into the past until he catches up with the current, because goodness knows the future is quite literally not bright. A world of darkness, all sorts of nonsense, wrought on by…

No, thinking about it is only going to make him mad, at least he is doing something about the bed they were given.

The Sea of Wonders, however, the name brings up vague recollections about dungeons far off into the Sea wherein true terror can be witnessed. Islands, like Zero Isle which supposedly saps the very strength and years from people. True, horrific places the most experienced of explorers do not delve in unless they are truly mad with a lust for treasure. This Sea of Wonders, seemingly, is an exception. If she had actually sent the boy out into a place like Zero Isle he may have incinerated her on the spot.

Jogging his memories does nothing, so upon returning to the hidden land's shore, he sends Lapras off to the one place which would have answers.

A day later, he arrives. The rickety dock is now a bustling area of commerce, a district of Lapis Town for those who work with ferry mons to deliver packages to and fro. Their biggest supplier, the guild federation, has their little winglet stamps on most of the crates here. The other half was decorated with a book and quill.

It's dark season, spotlights fueled by Luminous Orbs shine down on the arrival to the port. Masters leaps off the dock in a hurry, waving his friend goodbye, and walking through the bustle of dockworkers before they have time to register the stranger who decided to show his face.

Anything to avoid the fanfare.

The way back to the guild is an actual road now, paved with gravel, routinely shoveled by fighting types, probably. As he approaches the end of the river he sees the Society's keep shining down on the glacial lake, and the town roaring awake and lively. He can see the shadows of Murkrow against the moonlight. Apparently they set up shop here too - who wouldn't? Scoria Town must be a ghost town, Calico sure is.

He walks across a bridge, opening up the big wooden doors to the guild. The warmth and smell of firewood blasts him immediately. Knowing where to go, he takes a sharp right, avoiding the mess hall altogether on his way to where The Scholars have relocated their Library.

One such scholar, clad in green, passes by him in the hall. The mienfoo recognizes the man approaching, he pretends not to notice her, practically barreling his way to the door when her voice speaks up.

"You're…"

"Yeah, I am." He grunts. "Don't tell you mom I came here. She'll tell Hal, and Hal would…nevermind."

He opens the door, shutting it behind him. If Eileen said anything, the sound drowned it out. Great, now he is on a timer before everyone thinks he is back. Cannot trust anyone to keep a secret.

The library interior is decked out in the lost, though not forgotten greens of the Scholar's Guild. This whole place stands in stark contrast to the keep-like corridors of the rest of the keep, completely refurbished from the ground-up using the ex-guild's immense treasury. From what he remembers, they are now one wing of this Society, keeping their independence somewhat from the more exploratory sides of the Anomalous Society.

Whatever keeps them happy.

There is a man tending the books atop of a ladder. With blue skin, and wearing the Society's old blues, it is Glenn - groundskeeper, tour guide, and now apprentice to the book-ghost who runs this part. Upon seeing who steps through the door, his yellow eyes open up in shock.

"Masters! What are you doing here? It has been forever!"

"Came here because I need answers, you're the only place which has them, and I have access too."

"You still are an honorary head explorer, this hasn't changed, absence be damned." Glenn carefully steps down. "What do you need? I'll try to make it quick, otherwise you'd have to wait around for Froslass."

"Where is she? Isn't she usually here?"

"Forced break, I think she is talking to her guildmaster- former guildmaster. I think they call him Head Teacher now." The Frogadier shakes his head. "Sorry, so much to catch you up on, you have no idea how much we've missed you."

"I do. That's why I don't plan to stick around, I want to come back on my own terms, probably with just me and my old friends." He grins. It would be nice to meet them, but it is a whole ball of yarn he has to untangle at some point. Job comes first. "Do you have any maps on hand? Looking for a person in a place called The Sea of Wonders."

"The name does not ring a bell but we got tons of maps, too much. Prinn has been going wild since he evolved - sorry, he calls himself something else nowadays - still signs his letters a P, though." Glenn laughs awkwardly before gesturing. "Come on, let me show you."

Masters follows them around a corner. One whole side of the wall is dedicated to maps of all kinds. Bamboo tubes are stacked on bookshelves, ready to be unfurled at a moments notice. A map of the Dusk Continent, Grass Continent, and a few he does not recognize are on display. Candlelight illuminates the sight.

"We're trying to map out the known continents right now, but every now and again evidence of new landmasses keeps muddying the waters. We've only begun to explore the Dawn Continent and that is right across from us." He goes to one of these shelves, squinting his eyes as his webbed hands trace the labels. "We know there's other places, Sand Continent, Wind, but crossing the Sea of Time's still a menace to our progress."

And it will continue to be, if his knowledge about it remains true. Ever growing, ever consuming. A nightmare to think about.

"Ah, here we are!"

Glenn plucks an otherwise unimportant tube from the dozens. He lays it out on the nearby desk, unfurling it in the candelight. It looks to be a map of the frozen shores of the Dusk Continent, to the north, the very bottom half of the Grass Continent. A place he recognizes as Blizzard Isle is highlighted. An arrow points past it to the far east. Masters studies it carefully.

"Prinn went on a big expedition after he evolved to practice swimming. He made it to Blizzard Isle and mapped out the currents. I don't know how he did it, but after studying it for a while out there, he came to the conclusion the currents eventually lead east to where the Sea changes from its distorted self to something more, normal I suppose? The Sea of Time, as we've come to know it, is largely only around the grass, and our continents…"

Glenn is describing this as if he is not intimately familiar with The Sea. Masters just nods his head along, watching the Frogadier draw a line all the way to the east, tapping an unidentified landmass.

"We know the Sand Continent is somewhere here, but the waters hit something else early. He only made it part ways down the current before turning around. Either the waters got too warm, or he was too afraid of becoming lost out there. I would be too."

"Rumor has it there's a set of iles right around where The Sea becomes more normal. This is The Sea of Wonders you are talking about." He rolls up the map back into its tube, handing it to Masters. "Return it when you come back, this is just a copy of the one in storage."

"I didn't even ask for it yet." Masters slides the tube into his bandolier, fitting it snugly in one of the spots usually reserved for blast seeds. "Thank you, I really appreciate it. Don't spread rumors about me, okay?"

"Why not, people would be excited to meet you? I sure am." Glenn gestures at the enclosed map. "And you're welcome, I figured you'd ask anyhow."

Masters smirks before answering.

"I don't want to cause a ruckus. It'd be a whole festival, I prefer to meet people on uh, you know."

Glenn just nods his head, making a motion across his wide, frog-shaped head.

"Secrets are safe with me. I still owe you for blasting Bisharp."

"Thanks Glenn."

And with map in toe, destination in mind, Masters leaves to whence he came. His fingers wrap around the handle. He glances back.

"Glenn, did they ever tell you what happened to the Time-"

Glenn is sound asleep. A ghastly chill fills the room, which were it not giving away the culprit, he would start shivering in fear. Of course this would happen, of course she would be here when he decides to finally step foot on the grass continent. With a groan, he backs away from the door, the orange glow of candlelight being replaced by spectral, pinkish embers. The phantom makes herself known, appearing through mist, and looking as she was years ago - in this disguise at least.

"Masters." Oracle speaks, fangs peeking out from behind her w-shaped maw.

"Oracle."

"It has been a while since we last spoke, a year, at most. I did not expect thee to return'st back to the Dusk Continent, lest you of course, have unfinished business to tend to."

"You may call it so.." He answers his spectral cohort. "We can save the pleasantries for another time, I need to get to the Sea of Wonders. Does the name ring anything?"

"Plenty, my gaze eludes no one."

She glides over the cold Library till she is face to face with Masters. Her serpent eyes stare right through him, a cloth appendage extending past his face and leaning against the door.

"Find me in Lapis Town. I've a more permanent abode there."

She pushes on the door, and the mist engulfing the library vanishes alongside her, sucked out of existence. The lights return to their usual orange, and Glenn shakes his head, coming back from what likely felt like to him as a sudden bout of grogginess.

Before there are questions lobbed his way, Masters slithers out the door, quickly shuffling down the hall. He comes to the front door, slips through, then breathes the crisp icy air. Refreshing, honestly.

And it is a short walk from here, over the bridge, down into the town proper. The streets, plowed, illuminated by lantern light, are filled with life at this pitch-black hour. It has to be sometime during the morning, or afternoon, assuredly. How these ice types and water folk galore function without sun is a mystery to him.

He passes by a familiar tavern, and directly across from it is a little nook in the walls between buildings with a purple lantern shining out from it. There is no sign outside, everyone knows who this belongs to, no need for showing off. Even the display window, tiny as it is, only has a singular orb shining.

Opening the door, a force pulls it shut behind him, locking it. Lit by two candles, the spirit is here smiling at him. She motions to a seat in front of her table, he takes it, folding his back.

"I'm pleased to see you again after such a time, Masters." She grins at him, it seems more earnest than usual. "I assume your arrival is with purpose, no?"

"I made it very clear to you where I'm looking to go." Masters repeats. "I'm on a missing pokemon endeavor, there is someone in the Sea of Wonders I'm trying to find. The rest of the details, aside from the fact it may either be a Lucario or Riolu, are not needed."

"Very well. I'll pry those from you after this is done. I trust it is important enough for you to dedicate a week, or months' travelling alone to such a far flung land."

"It's personal."

"Important indeed." She huffs, smiling. "Information is one of the few commodities in our world some choose to ignore, I do not. My eye scries across the lands day by day, keeping them on legendaries if I can. The place you intend to travel I know to be the dwelling of Ho-oh, the very same being whose ashes returned Zekrom to us, however short."

Ho-oh, the power of resurrection. He shakes his head before he gets any ideas, he has a person to find, not another blessing to chase to the ends of the universe.

"Is that supposed to be important?" Masters asks.

"I doubt Ho-oh would quarrel with you, even if you are somewhat of an anomaly. You're a strange man, Masters, a wound in time. And worries over beings such as thyself are superstitions born from a misunderstanding of how our world operates. You're no longer the worrisome divide in time you once were, Darkrai had wanted to use your special condition to spread Darkness, and failed to do so. He will not attempt it again."

He has not heard this in a long time, not since exploring a certain place in the deepest regions of the Grass Continent, a shrine where evolution can be forced upon a person. He was told by someone, that very moment, that he was a wound in time, though evolution was permitted regardless. It made no sense to him, still does not, another oddity to add to the ever growing list which is Masters' endless life story.

Though if there is going to be anyone who he trusts on things of the metaphysical kind, this ancient spirit is tantamount to everyone else, even the scholars. At least he is not inadvertently spreading a plague or something.

"How is he?" Masters asks, filling the silence. "Darkrai, that is?"

"Current Lord of what remains of the Scoria Town's and their guild, our home of operations, purchased by us. He leaves Scoria Town be, as it is best left so, they just know him as the custodian of the guild's manor. You have him to thank for protecting much of the books from raiders before they could be properly catalogued."

History buff too. What a strange prince, Darkrai.

"There is something you should be aware of before you embark." Her voice shifts to a more assertive tone. "The Sea of Wonders is a small empire strewn across its several isles, its one contact to the outside world, the Sand Continent, is still quite removed from us. They believe in a sort of divine succession, those born of a Legendary or have it in their blood are considered for the throne of their empire. You and I may scoff at the notion, to them it is of utmost importance. Such were the regions who swore to their legends against Zekrom, they lied themselves down with divine ilk, and continue the traditions unto today."

"With its isolated nature, a great sea of time to the east, and their own mystical waters, they had not changed as much as others have. You're going into a strange place, Masters. It would behoove thee to act on thy best behavior."

"Noted." he nods.

"Worrisome to me, and to you, is the fact they had failed to produce a proper heir to the empire for an extended period, twenty or more years - give or take. A lady, a militant leader, had risen in the absence of a divine heir. Her people do not live under an iron fist, or talon in her matter, they are simply united by their fear of the outside - of superstitions - of a being who spreads the darkness Ho-oh and the legends abhor."

A wound in time, spreader of Darkness. Fun. Not unless they have ways of sniffing the temporal-timey-wimey smell from him then he should go unnoticed, truly. No need to add it to the ever growing pool of worries.

"Why not just tell them about Darkrai, lead them on a chase?" Masters rubs his temples.

"Darkrai still works with us. He is to not spread his darkness, so to endanger him and blame him is of no use to me or you. All it would do is to put pressure on us, his allies, and make ourselves targets of her warriors." A Dark chuckle leaves her. "It would be a colossal waste of life."

Creepy.

"They are not going to know about me, are they?"

"No, I cannot imagine they would, lest Ho-oh is sniffing thy trail, but he has been ashes for quite a long time." Oracle lifts an orb from behind the counter, presenting it to him. "Escape Orb, should you become lost in the Sea. You are irreplacable and I would rather not lose you."

He slides the orb into his new pouch. Thinking to the start of this endeavor, he glances at the phantom.

"Couldn't you come get me yourself?" He asks.

"Indeed. Unlike you I have a performance to maintain."

"And what about this divine succession stuff, do they have to be from ho-oh to take the throne? What's the deal with that?"

"I would not know, I am not as omniscient as it may seem. It is likely it does matter, just as it is equally likely the reason for lack of heirs is for their search of a specific lineage. This is for you to find out and to report to me upon thy safe return."

"I shan't pry as to why you are searching for another of Lucario's kin, it'd be rude. Between us, it would be in thy best interest to keep thy gaze out for any feathers of Ho-oh's. Such a wondrous power is rarely found."

Noted, as if he did not already have the idea of finding one of those. Letting his intrusive thoughts fall to the wayside he stands out of the chair, moving towards the door. He can feel the phantom's eyes on his back, smiling.

"What would I do if I found them?"

"Pardon?"

The feathers. What would he do? He lets the thoughts linger, the doubt stew on his mind, then shakes his head, opening and leaving through the door.

Letting this repeat itself is nonsense, it is not worth it. He had his chance five years ago.


"You're still quite quiet, Cole."

Map in hand, they roar through the seas, travelling on its currents. The Sea of Wonders may be a night or days away, he has not the slightest idea, other than it being closer than where the Sand Continent is said to lie. The cold winds from Blizzard Isle still flow over them, blanketing Masters' shoulders with a soft sheet of snow. He bristles with agitation, rolling up Prinn's map.

"There is not much to talk about.. Have you ever visited there?" He asks Lapras

He has a tiny bedroll strapped to the lumps on Lapras' giant shell. Not quite comfortable, and still very cold, he is thankful Lapras is experienced enough of a mariner for him to be able to sleep in the first place.

"No, though I had seen Isles there yonder. When there is nothing but ocean between continents, and you're soaring high above them, you tend to notice the strangest things. Never floated or swam that way. I know of the legendary Sand Continent but the Sea of Wonders is entirely new to me." He glances back at Masters. "Is it childish of me to say I'm quite excited to be heading there? It would be my first time, and I've your society to thank for the supplies."

Supplies which are hung off the aforementioned shell as well as Larpas' long neck. Food to last for two weeks, elixirs, generic maps. The usual explorer fair to make sure if they did get lost, they could last long enough to find their way to safety.

"Glenn had given some notes to the people at the dock to silently give us some wares, you have him to thank, not the society or me." Masters speaks. "I haven't been this far out in the world either, the water's too treacherous and I don't need to tell you why I'm not a good swimmer."

Lapras appreciates the humor, chuckling softly.

"That is what I am here for, friend. I'll be staying in this strange place alongside you if you don't mind the company. Having to heed your call while being a week away would be disasterous for the both of us."

Yeah, in case any angry mobs form out of him being a wound in time or whatever this is supposed to mean.

"Appreciated." Masters smirks. "I still got plenty of coins from my old account, so consider this an expenses paid vacation. Can't you believe Dusklops actually remembered me?"

"You are indeed difficult to forget, Cole."

The most warming words he has heard in a while. Masters, content, leans his back against the shell, wrapping himself in the weak bedroll, letting the sounds of the waves overwhelm him while he struggles for warmth in the fabric. His flames are going a bit ballistic, yet Lapras does not mind. He must be used to it.

As hours tick by, and the moon continues to hang above, he struggles to sleep. There is alot on his mind. This whole situation is baffling to him.

The people in this land, wherever they are going, are currently living in a succession crisis. A failure to produce anyone with relations to this ho-oh, or any legendary for this matter. Why was there such importance on one's upbringing? It is not as if legendaries' abilities are inherited, or else there would be more for them to fuss about rather than just the worry about being replaced. What would a kid born from Celebi have anyways, her time travelling abilities?

Nono, that is stupid. There is always one, there can only be one legend, its powers are exclusive to whomever harbors that role, it is why they covet it. There has to be a reason why she forsook the kid other than shame, there must be.

And like an arrow to his mind, it hits Masters.

Rei's son may be the only person with an ounce of legendary blood in him.