Thank you all for reading. Don't forget about Servant of the Pokémon either, assuming political drama interests you. If it doesn't, well, you still have this. Enjoy, and please review to tell me what you think.

Current music: Don't You Want Me - The Human League

When Kaz woke up some hours later, he was instantly reminded of the reason he tried not to sleep in the middle of the day if he could avoid it. Namely, that it severely disrupted his sleep schedule, and it would take some time to get everything back in order.

He saw that his bedroom (which he had to himself, just like the other three did) was still dark. Even Kaz's keen Lucario eyes could barely make out the shape of a TV that had come with the room.

Welp. I guess I'm up in the middle of the night. That's fun, isn't it?

His first instinct was to turn onto his other side and drift off again. Maybe he could sleep through the rest of the night and forget about this in the morning.

As soon as Kaz flipped around, though, he was met with severe pain in his chest. It felt like an irritated or inflamed part of his chest was being poked, and he had to shut his eyes once more to avoid crying out loud.

That's right, the Lucario thought grimly. My spike is broken. And it'll take some time to heal, so for the time being, I need to be more careful when I sleep.

If Kaz had hoped for more slumber, those hopes were now dashed. He figured he might as well get up and face the "day" - he felt well-rested anyway. There had been no dreams, a rarity for him. It had been a deep, healing sleep that one might associate with recovering from an illness.

In any case, Kaz walked past the fireplace that had been his "home" for much of yesterday. There was now no fire crackling on the hearth - like any responsible tenants, Alicia, Raine, and Donatello had put it out before going to bed.

The Lucario's stomach grumbled, and he realized that he'd slept through dinner. Considering how fast his metabolism was most of the time, this was far from ideal.

Should I grab something out of the fridge? It feels wrong to steal - that's what I was taught, anyway. But it's my food as well, is it not?

Kaz opened the refrigerator to find that a giant pot of some sort of soup lay on the shelf. It may not have been the most substantial dish, but beggars couldn't be choosers. So he took it out, grabbed a ladle, and scooped some of the dish into a bowl.

As he ate some of the soup (which seemed to consist of tomato paste, fermented cabbage, and sausages), he tried not to think about yesterday. In the future, he wouldn't want to speak of it if he could avoid it. But it was the Donphan in the room - the more he tried to avoid that topic, the more it jumped out at him anyway.

He was lucky to be alive. That was no secret. And yet part of him didn't feel that way.

It had been his job to make sure the others were safe. He'd failed them, and it was a minor miracle that they'd all lived to tell the tale. Any professional instructor with his record would immediately be fired.

Well, he was a professional too, and look how much good that did him.

Kaz shook his head rapidly, trying to shake that memory out of his mind. Now wasn't the time.

After he'd eaten his fill of the soup and put the rest away, Kaz glanced at the digital clock displayed on the microwave. It was about one in the morning - he'd slept as much as he'd be able to, but there were still several hours before any of his friends would be awake.

If Alicia could see me right now, Kaz thought bitterly, she'd be yelling at me to go back to bed. And she might be right, but she doesn't get it.

And then he remembered: It wasn't just the avalanche itself that had served as a humiliation. In the aftermath of it, he'd been reduced to an invalid who'd been forced to lean on Alicia for help getting back - and who knew how many other Pokémon had seen him?

It's not like they're ever going to see me again. This is a ski town - I'm sure that they've seen crazier in their time.

But maybe they'll recognize me. I'm sure my name has been in the news a lot ever since he…well, I don't want to think about it.

Eventually, Kaz elected to take a walk. His muscles demanded use. And he didn't even think of the pros and cons of slipping out of the condo for a while - he just went for it.

The streets of Coronet Mountain Village were very slick, as would be expected after a major snowstorm. Salt had been applied to the asphalt, but that only added another hazard, since if it got into one of your paws, it would, to put it mildly, hurt like a bitch.

Despite the absurdly late hour, many lights were on in multiple colors. It reminded Kaz of one of his trips to Jubilife City, the city that never slept. While the nightlife here wasn't quite at that level, it seemed surprisingly active.

And then he realized something else - many of the storefronts had been adorned in baubles and wreaths. There were even a few fir trees, both authentic and synthetic, in the windows of the businesses.

Wait a minute, Kaz realized. Isn't it the holiday season? If it's after midnight - and it is – then it's Christmas Eve now.

No wonder all the lights were on. Any mountain village like this would want to be as festive as possible, particularly one where tourism was the main industry. Kaz wished he could have shared in the holiday cheer, but he just couldn't find it in him.

"Hey, dude."

Kaz swiveled in the direction of that high-pitched voice. He wondered if he'd need to ready an Aura Sphere or Bone Rush - he would be prepared to defend himself in that case.

The Lucario supposed he must have been staring pretty hard, because the bearer of that high-pitched voice - a Sableye, evidently, judging by its purple body and beady diamond eyes - held up both of his arms like someone under arrest.

"I mean you no harm, Kaz Lucario" the Sableye insisted. "I just…can hardly believe you're here."

Kaz's heart skipped a beat. How did the Sableye know his name? Or, better said, how could he recognize him as Kaz?

"How do you - ?"

"It doesn't matter," the Sableye responded. "But for what it's worth, I'm surprised you don't know how famous you are. The whole town's been talking about you."

Kaz put his paws together and allowed an Aura Sphere to form. This took some concentration like it always did, but within seconds he had a sphere roughly the size of a baseball.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You don't want an assault charge on your name - that would only serve to tarnish your reputation. And you don't want that, do you?"

"Well, self-defense is still legal, isn't it?"

The Sableye's mouth hung agape. "I still wouldn't risk that. You'd need to prove it in court. And I'm not threatening you."

"Still," Kaz insisted, "it's better to be judged by twelve than carried by six."

"I'm. Not. Threatening. You, " the Sableye insisted. "I just wanted to talk."

"Talk? Why should I assume you have anything of value to say?"

By this time, anger was dueling with fear within Kaz's body. He was ready to create another Aura Sphere at any second, and he'd be willing to launch it this time.

"Let me tell you," the Sableye replied, "that you might be recognized more frequently than you think. If you don't want this to happen, you might as well just stay home all the time. Clearly, you're not doing that."

Kaz must have been staring pretty hard, because Sableye cleared his throat before continuing.

"Uh…there's another thing you should know."

"What's that?" Kaz asked, brandishing his claws.

"You'll want to avoid any Mystery Dungeons that might pop up. They're dangerous."

The Lucario's eyebrow twitched. "Mystery Dungeons? What are those?"

The Sableye clamped one of his paws over his mouth. "Oh no! I said too much!"

"Wait - I want to know more!" Kaz insisted. But it was too late; the Sableye had already turned tail and fled the scene.

Huh. Well, that was unexpected.

As long as he was up, though, Kaz figured he might as well explore the village a little more. Holding his arms outstretched to remain steady, he tried not to slip on the icy streets.

He supposed that the surroundings were scenic. At some point, the wooden chalets, shops, and restaurants of the village gave way to stone walls in the less glamorous part of the village (though even this "poor" part of the village was extremely wealthy compared to almost anywhere else in Sinnoh.)

It was behind one of those walls that Kaz heard something he hadn't expected.

"Sir, those rumors just don't make sense!" chirped a young-sounding voice. "You're suggesting something that can't be real!"

"True, not real. Grammar is important."

"Whatever, dude. The point is, there's no way to bring the dead back to life. If there was, it would be the biggest news story since…".

"You've covered your bases there."

Kaz shivered, as he was reminded yet again of yesterday's events. He got down on one knee and leaned his left ear against the wall. What was happening here?

"I get it. Look, everybody wants to believe they've got another chance on this planet. But they don't - at least, nobody's been able to prove that they do. And this Golden Beacon you mention - it's a bunch of BS."

"It doesn't matter what you think is true, Rowan" the deeper voice bellowed. "I know the Golden Beacon is out there somewhere, and it's invaluable. Who wouldn't want to win a victory over death?"

"But that's just too dangerous, John! Finding it is one thing, but let's ignore how heavily guarded it probably is. Do you really want to open that can of Caterpie?"

"What's wrong with that?" John asked.

"So many things! Even if we miss our loved ones - I've lost those I love too, you know - we can't fundamentally alter the universe because our reality is inconvenient! Besides, there's no evidence the artifact exists at all!"

"How do you know that?"

If there's no evidence, there's no evidence. Leave him alone, John, or maybe I'll have to step in. And I'm not crazy about the idea of a fight right now.

Indeed, Kaz's legs were quivering, but he couldn't tell if this was due to fatigue or shock. He leaned further against the wall, fully aware he was eavesdropping on what could be a very important conversation. But that was all the more reason to listen in!

"I don't have to prove a negative, John!" Rowan exclaimed shrilly enough for Kaz to cover his hypersensitive ears.

"Why not? You should prove that it doesn't exist!"

Someone, evidently Rowan, sighed. "Look, you can believe whatever you want. But if you want to convince me that this Golden Beacon is out there, it'll take more than just assertions. You'll have to give me credible evidence."

"And I would posit," John replied, "that if the beacon exists, you have to be careful with it."

"Which is exactly why we shouldn't look for it!" Rowan shouted. "That's too much power for any mortal to have! Power over life and death!"

I agree.

"Here's the thing", John pointed out. "I would trust myself with that. Can I trust someone I don't know? If it exists, and I'm not saying it does for sure, just that I believe it's out there, someone will find it. So should it be us? Or them?"

After that, Kaz took a step back from the wall. Just because you couldn't see someone, didn't mean they couldn't see you, and it was likely best to remain undetected. More than that, he had a lot to think about. There was so much to unpack here.

He hadn't heard of this Golden Beacon before, needless to say. Much like the faceless Rowan had asserted, death was death; there's no coming back from the other side of the veil.

And yet…part of Kaz wanted the rumor to be true, even with its potentially horrifying implications. He thought of speaking to him again, even for a few minutes - what he wouldn't give for that opportunity!

"How hard do you think it'll be not to abuse it?" John's voice sounded against the wall. "Look, I trust myself with it, even if you won't trust me!"

"As…er, bye, John" Rowan muttered. "I don't feel safe around you anymore."

"Why? I thought we were best friends! Avalanche buddies! Ski bums!"

"Those titles are less important than my safety," Rowan asserted. It should be noted that Kaz still had no idea what these characters looked like, only that their conversation had turned into a fairly heated row.

"Trust me, I'll use it for good!" John exclaimed.

"Quite frankly, your hands are the wrong hands for something of that nature! If you want to use it at all, that's abuse!"

I think I've had about enough of this, Kaz told himself, getting up from his knee (which was getting quite sore) and making his way into a nearby alley. He was eager to put as much distance between himself and that fight as possible.

When he'd run as far as he could before getting a stitch in his side, and as fast as he could without slipping, Kaz dropped to his knees again in front of a Church of Arceus building. He grimaced.

So that Sableye mentioned Mystery Dungeons. I'm not sure why I should believe what he had to say, but at a minimum, rumors are going ahead. Maybe this isn't the carefree ski resort I'd expected it to be.

But then Rowan and John, whoever they are, were talking about the Golden Beacon. It could bring Pokémon back to life, supposedly! But Rowan's right; if it were real, it would be a much bigger story than it is.

Kaz allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief, for if tall tale was just that - a story that couldn't be true - there was nothing to worry about on that front. There was no Golden Beacon, and he couldn't be so worried about it, because it was just a hoax manufactured to consume the lives of gullible Pokémon.

But…

If such an object existed, John had a point. It couldn't be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Kaz might trust himself with such a power, even if he'd feel somewhat uneasy if life and death literally lay in his hands. But he couldn't trust just anyone with it, and that would keep him up the rest of the night.

The following morning, Raine awoke to the sound of Pokémon milling about the resort. Weak winter sunlight filtered in through the blinds, and she smiled as a result of feeling it hit her fur.

The Absol sighed contentedly. She didn't have to get up early today if she didn't want to - there was no pressure when you could just ski in, ski out of the resort. She could just relax today.

But wait. We don't have skis anymore. That's right…

It wasn't exactly a happy truth to accept, but survival had been worth it. She still remembered how helpless she'd felt beneath all that snow settling around her, wondering if there was even a slim shot at survival. To escape from that ordeal with her life intact was far more valuable than some skis that could easily be replaced.

Raine climbed out of bed. Just because she had slept in didn't mean she wanted to sleep the day away. The Absol made her way into the common area of the condo.

Kaz sat in the same armchair in which he'd spent much of yesterday. Despite having gone to bed early last night, there were dark circles beneath his red eyes, which looked bloodshot rather than natural for a member of his species.

Raine decided against pointing this out. Surely Kaz had enough on his plate already - that was abundantly clear. But she couldn't help but worry nonetheless.

She looked a lot like that too. Oh no, I really hope Kaz isn't sick.

He survived something no skier wants to go through yesterday. Of course he's a bit overwhelmed, but that doesn't mean anything is wrong with him.

Alicia, meanwhile, was playing chess with Donatello. It seemed the Combusken could never get enough of that game, which made sense; there were seemingly enough permutations to last a lifetime. That was the exact word Donatello used: Permutations. There were so many ways to play the game that you would never get bored.

"Morning, guys" Raine announced as she strode into the living area. "How are we feeling today?"

"Just peachy, Raine" Kaz insisted with a shrug. But the Lucario must have pulled a muscle there, because he swiftly placed a paw over his chest spike and grimaced.

"That's really bothering you, isn't it?" Alicia asked. "You should probably get that checked out at the clinic, Kaz - I'm serious."

"I'm okay," Kaz replied, rolling his eyes. "I slept just fine. Besides, there's no way to make the spike normal right away - it has to heal on its own."

"True, but there might be a plastic surgeon in town. You never know."

"Plastic surgery? That would just make it look worse! What are they gonna do, put some Botox on my spike?"

Alicia didn't laugh at that joke. "Look, Kaz. The choice is yours. You can either sit around moping about how your spike is broken, or you can do something about it. I'll support you either way."

The Lucario sighed. Somehow, it seemed, the Zoroark hadn't addressed what was bothering Kaz. The true answer was something hidden - something he didn't want the others to know about.

"Look," Kaz said eventually. "I've just got a lot on my mind today. You know how it is. Being someone like me…it's a lot of work."

"Someone like you?" Alicia wondered aloud. "What does that mean?"

Kaz clamped a paw over his mouth, as though realizing he'd said too much. "I shouldn't have done that."

"What do you mean?"

"Because there are some things nobody else should know" Kaz admitted.

"Are you hiding anything from us?" Raine snapped, suddenly experiencing a spike of irritation toward the Lucario. "You owe us the truth, dude."

Kaz rolled his eyes. "Ma'am, we met pretty recently. I don't know if I should trust you guys with it."

"We saved your life, Kaz," Alicia muttered. "Doesn't that move the needle just a little?"

The Lucario suddenly grimaced again, as though he'd been stabbed in the bad part of his chest. He clasped a paw over his dented spike, then glanced up at the others.

"Don't play with my feelings like that" Kaz muttered.

"We're not playing with your feelings, dude," Raine said sharply. "We just want to know what's bothering you. Because in the end, all we want is to help. That's it."

Kaz sighed, looking up at the ceiling as though praying that Arceus would grant him a reprieve from this line of questioning. When it didn't come, he glanced back at his friends.

That's right, Kaz, Raine thought. We want you to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. What's bothering you, and can we do something to help? Because we just want to help. That's all.

"Well, have you all heard of Mystery Dungeons?" Kaz enquired.

"Not really," Alicia said, taking her eyes off the chessboard. The Absol saw, to her own amusement, that Donatello had just checkmated Alicia's king, something the latter evidently had yet to notice. That Combusken was great at the game - you had to give him that.

"I have" Raine said, getting her head back in the "game" that was this conversation. "But I see no reason to think it's true. It's just a story made up by people who are bored."

"To be fair," Donatello blurted out, "that's not the case."

The other three all glanced at the Combusken, who appeared ready to talk a mile a minute if he was allowed to. Raine could barely believe her ears.

"What do you mean, that's not the case?" the Absol asked somewhat exasperatedly. "Do you have any evidence?"

"There is some historical evidence, if you know where to look, suggesting that Mystery Dungeons have existed for millennia. They're places where the nature of reality is unstable due to the intersection of ley lines beneath the planet."

"Good job, Donatello" Kaz announced, as though he were a parent congratulating his child for getting an A on a test.

"There's more. The layout of a Mystery Dungeon is completely random, and it resets every time one enters or leaves it. So there aren't many ways to prepare."

"Well, there might be a lot of them in our near future," the Lucario muttered. "If we decide to work together, that is."

Raine raised an eyebrow. "What would we work together on? We're just vacation buddies. Once we leave this condo after New Year's Day, we'll probably never talk to one another again."

Alicia sighed. "Kaz, she's got a point. We're bonded only by our love of skiing, nothing else."

The Lucario scratched one of his hand spikes across his forehead, though not intensely enough to result in any bleeding. He then smiled sadly.

"This might sound absolutely ridiculous, but hear me out" Kaz stated casually. "Because I can promise that if you don't take me seriously, you'll regret it."

"Is that a threat?" Raine asked. "Because self-defense is still legal in Sinnoh, contrary to popular belief."

"Guys, there shouldn't be any violence in this condo" Alicia insisted. "That was one of the conditions for our lease, wasn't it?"

"That is correct" Donatello muttered, sounding as though he had swallowed an encyclopedia. "According to Poképedia, the crime of defacing a rental condo in Sinnoh carries a penalty of up to five thousand Poké or six months in prison, though the judge has discretion."

"We're not going to do that," Kaz asserted. "I'm sure there's enough of the white stuff out there to have a snowball war, but I hope you'll all hear me out first."

How does he say all this with a straight face?

"Have any of you heard of something called the Golden Beacon?"

Raine slammed her fist down on the couch. "Is it connected to a Mystery Dungeon, by any chance? Perhaps by virtue of their both being imaginary?"

"Well, it could be hidden in one," the Lucario said. "And we have to find it. Even if there's a 1 percent chance it's real, don't we have to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands?"

Alicia shivered. "Kaz, don't play this game with me."

"I'm not trying to guilt-trip anyone," Kaz assured her. "I'm just stating a fact. If you don't want some gang somewhere being able to bring dead Pokémon back to life, I'd suggest you work with me to find the Golden Beacon."

The reaction within that living area was instantaneous mockery from Raine, confusion from Donatello (which was rather unlike him, since the Combusken seemed to pride himself on having all the answers), and concern from Alicia.

The Zoroark started giving Kaz a back massage, something the Lucario didn't object to. "Kaz, are you sure you didn't hit your head yesterday? When, you know…?"

Kaz shook his head. "I feel fine. At least, I feel fine physically. And why shouldn't you trust me, when I have no reason to lie to you all?"

Raine narrowed her eyes. "Why would we trust you on something so outlandish?"

Kaz didn't reply for a long time. For a few seconds, Raine wondered if he'd indeed forgotten to answer.

"Consider my honesty either a Christmas gift, or me repaying a debt to you all. You guys dug me out of the snow when many others might just have given up. I might be many things, but I'm a 'mon of my word first and foremost."

"Well, I guess that settles it" Raine announced sarcastically. "You owe us something, so dead Pokémon can be brought back to life. That makes sense."

The look in Kaz's eyes was now akin to a Deerling about to get shot by a hunter - namely, one of pure desperation, of pleading to be taken seriously. And that's how Raine knew Kaz was serious.

Whether he was merely serious, or seriously deluded, was yet to be determined.