The stairs seemed to go on forever as Percius lead me up into the belfries of the Church Of Arceus. The glittering halls and painted murals died away, marble walls and columns turned to wooden walls at first painted white, but even what little beauty that held died as we continued our ascent, turning an ugly brown color as we began to reach the top of the tower.

"You shouldn't trust her." Percius spoke suddenly, darkly. He refused to look at me as his heavy armor caused the wooden floors to creak. I blinked in confusion and though he didn't see it, he continued. "Allison. She only plays for herself. She's ruthless when it comes to getting what she wants. You're either behind her or you're in her way." Percius stopped at an unpainted wooden door that looked like it might fall off its hinges at any moment, finally turning to me. "Sorry to see you go so soon, kid." Percius clapped a gauntlet on my shoulder and walked past me, leaving me alone in the dingy stairwell, looking at the horrible door. I thought about turning around. Running from that place and never coming back. I don't know why I didn't. Instead I stepped through the door, into blinding light. As my eyes began to adjust, I saw the light was created by a Solrock who hung idly in the air, blazing brightly as it repeatedly used Morning Sun on the frail old man who sat before it. He did not turn to me as he spoke, not because he did not want to, but because he simply could not. He was confined to a chair that did not move, his body so emaciated and burnt that he had no use for a chair that could. His voice rasped out horribly, though his words held unbelievable power over me.

"You come to speak with the Mouth Of Arceus, boy. To be judged." As he spoke I found myself stepping closer. Towards him and the blazing sun of dawn that rippled the night sky that clung to every inch it could in the open belfry. "And yet they know not the truth. They remain unaware of your true sins, and send you here for the sins of another. The girl has punished you for her own shortcomings. Punished you for failure not in truth, but in her own eyes. To you, that failure was not so, but a resounding success. Pride still clings to you, boy. Like Spore. Pride surely your brother wishes upon you, though now you only carry a piece of him with you."

"Sir, I'm not sure-" I started to defend myself, but he cut me off.

"Plead not your defense, boy. I will not say a word of it. Your Houndour, your blade, they know your sins truly, more so than even yourself." The Mouth Of Arceus says softly. "I grow tired now, boy. Do leave me be, and head for the city of Saxumshire. On your way there, you shall meet your first doom." The man settled further into his chair, letting the rays of the Morning Sun wash over him. For as much damage as it was doing to him, the move must have been doing its job far better. Without thinking I turned from the belfries and walked down the stairs slowly, the man's words lingering in my mind. My first doom? How could I possibly have more than one doom? Isn't a doom supposed to kill you? I shook off that nonsense thought and walked for my dorm where I set Excalibur by the door and let Blitzkrieg out of his apricorn, laying in bed and letting him jump up with me where he padded in a few circles before falling into a curled up sleeping position at the foot of the bed. I stared at the ceiling as sleep refused to come, and thoughts began to wash over me. I wondered how Riley was doing. I wondered if Father was making her take the Wooloo out to pasture. I wondered if she was receiving the same silent punishment I had, only now she would be receiving it for no reason other than a few Arceian Trainers showed up at our door and put an idea in Father's head. A scowl pulled at my lips as Allison crossed my mind. She had tried to get rid of me. Not only that, Percius and Donald had just watched it happen right in front of them and hadn't said a word. My scowl faltered and I sat up. Percius and Donald had just watched it happen. They knew what she was doing but for some reason hadn't acted. Or maybe they had. Percius had shown up just in time to take me to see the Mouth Of Arceus and had given me advice about Allison. I stood up, Blitzkrieg lifting his head in confusion as I dashed out of my dorm and towards I didn't know where, all I knew was I needed to find Percius and Donald.

But instead I found Allison.

"Jackson, we have a-" Allison started, but I cut her off.

"You tried to get rid of me!" I shouted at her, letting all my rage pour out immediately. "You gave me an illegal Pokemon!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jackson." Allison seemed immediately bored with me, as though this conversation was nothing but an annoyance to her interrupted announcement. "Do you mean the Morgrem? Because we brought that back and now I have that because you suggested it in the caves. A horrible little gremlin I didn't even want, and you're crying about what? A slap on the wrist about a Pokemon that you had in your apricorn? Don't blame me for something that's your fault."

I immediately deflated. She was right, I should have known not to take the Sableye. I knew Ghost type Pokemon were illegal, but I still fell for it. "Uh... yeah... sorry."

"Anyways," she scowled at me, "we have another mission. We're headed to Saxumshire, so the church is going to be providing us with mounts. Hopefully you get something reasonable and not a... Skeledirge or something."

"This is unreasonable." Allison loudly expressed her concern about the mount that had been chosen for me. In front of me stood a massive Absol, it's curved black horn gleaming in the light of the rising sun. Luckily we had been able to get some sleep before heading out, though the stablehand said it would be at least a two days ride to get to our destination. "That's literally a death omen. I refuse to ride anywhere with that thing."

"Well unfortunately for you, Candy Dancer and White Omen are half-sisters, and they don't much care to be apart." Stablemaster Quinton stepped out with a beautiful Galarian Rapidash, it's colorful mane and tail easily shifted by the breeze like a curtain made of silk.

Allison opened her mouth to protest, but Percius spoke over her. "Quincy, why this big lug and not one of those?" Percius patted the large armored face of the Kommo-O he had been assigned before gesturing to one of the many Cyclizar who were curled up in a small pile, sleeping.

"Because I send out the Cyclizar with Arceian Trainers, not Dragon Lancers. A Cyclizar isn't strong enough to carry your platemail, but Donald's leather armor? That should be perfectly fine." Quinton explained even after Percius called him the wrong name. "Besides that, Hoki is perfectly capable of being a reliable steed on long journeys and in tough battles."

"So I'm getting a Cyclizar?" Donald questioned, looking over the sleeping pile again.

Quinton nodded. "Probably Sweepfoot over there. Fast, quiet, good for scouting."

"And these aren't our Pokemon, right?" I questioned.

"Technically, they are. Once I assign you a mount, I'll add it to your file, and it becomes your responsibility to take care of that mount; feed it, water it, stuff like that. If you want to get an apricorn for it, that's your money, not mine. Either way, it'll always have a place in the stables." Quinton nodded at me with a smile, the line obviously well-rehearsed. "But if you stop being a Trainer, the mount goes back to me."

I nodded before looking to Allison. "So why are we going to Saxumshire? What's there?"

"Don't know." Allison shrugged, walking over to mount Candy Dancer. "Prophet Kelsie said we'd need to meet with the prophet at the Church Of The Stone Plate and they'd tell us what to do next."

"Then let's get going!" Donald announced, hopping on the back of Sweepfoot and shouting "Go!" to which Sweepfoot dashed off at quite some speed.

"Donald! Do you even know where you're going?!" Allison called after him, clicking her tongue to get Candy Dancer galloping after Donald, and I didn't get much chance to settle myself before White Omen immediately dashed off to follow her half-sister.