The sky is broken.

Well, more broken than it already was.

In the time that I've been in Hisui, I've almost gotten used to the ominous crack in the sky over Mount Coronet. It still freaked me out a little, but as long as I didn't look at the top of Coronet, I could pretend it wasn't there.

There's no chance of ignoring the phenomenon that appeared in the sky a couple of hours ago. The familiar night sky has been completely replaced with splatterings of green, purple, and red hues that block out the stars. Just thinking about it sends a shiver down my spine and I have to suppress the urge to look up at the deeply unsettling sight.

When the sky had first broken, it had been tempting to leave the Crimson Mirelands immediately and go find Volo to see if he had any answers. I'd decided against it though since there was no guarantee that he would come to our meeting spot and I don't want to be waiting there for three days until our next planned meeting. For not the first time, I wish that my phone hadn't exploded when I first came to Hisui. Being able to talk to people, no matter where they are in the region, is something I never really appreciated until it was gone. Then again, having it wouldn't do much good anyway since it's not like there's anyone else in Hisui with a phone.

A loud squelching sound beneath my feet reminds me that the ground is almost as unsettling as the sky. I barely spent any time in the Crimson Mirelands the first time I was here, but now I'm finding that it certainly lives up to its name. As far as I can tell, the entire area is just one big swamp and the few spots that aren't swampy are entirely mud instead. On multiple occasions, I've had to take a detour to get to a wisp simply because the terrain in the most direct route was completely non-conducive for travel. Ricky does what he can to allow me to take the most direct path, but a few hours after the sky broke, we come across something blocking my path that he can't carry me over.

"Do either of you know what this is?" I wonder aloud, staring at the shimmering dome in front of me. The dome is massive enough that going around would take a significant amount of time, but that doesn't even matter since I get the feeling that the wisp I'm after is inside of the dome.

I have never seen nor heard of something like this. Witch? You deal more with such things.

…I'm ashamed to say that I'm just as much at a loss as you. It's as foreign to me as the colors in the sky are. I can only guess that the two are related, but I have little idea what either means.

I turn my eyes skyward and find that at the top of the dome is a much smaller version of the crack that's above Mount Coronet, making me think that the Witch is right. What stands out the most to me is that I never heard about anything like this in history classes in school. I wasn't exactly the best student, but I can't believe that I would have forgotten about learning about holes and sickly-looking lights in the sky.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter and I need to deal with the situation somehow, just like what I've been doing for the last month. I snatch a dead stick off of the ground and tentatively poke the dome with it. To my surprise, the stick goes right through the dome with absolutely no resistance, and when I pull it back out a few seconds later, the stick doesn't seem any different.

"I guess it's… safe?" I slowly say, carefully examining the stick for any defects but failing to find any.

While not the most… rigorous examination, I think I agree, Maddy. Everything within the dome seems the same as outside.

"So I guess I just go in?" I wonder aloud, dropping the stick to tentatively put my hand through. There's a slight tingling when my fingers touch the dome but otherwise it doesn't even feel like it's there. I pull my hand back and open and close my fist a few times. When I'm satisfied that everything is fine, I turn around to look at Ricky and Aliss who are floating behind me. "You two can stay outside if you want. I don't think I'll be long."

Ricky hesitates at the question but then slowly follows when Aliss eagerly moves closer to the dome. I give them both a tight smile, then turn back to the dome and slowly walk through. The buzzing sensation from before fades quickly, though the air inside has an odd electrified feel. The other striking thing about the inside of the dome is that it's oddly muted. Hisui is always fairly quiet at night, but it seems almost oppressively so here.

Thankfully, whatever weirdness is causing the phenomenon isn't interfering with my own weirdness and I can still sense the wisp ahead of us. Not wanting to spend any more time inside the dome than necessary, I start making my way toward it without any more delay. Despite no special obstacles in front of us, getting through the swamp takes even longer because I'm much more aware of every noise I make. It doesn't really make sense since I can't spot a single Pokemon, but I don't want to bring extra attention to us regardless.

I'm thoroughly unnerved a couple of minutes later when we still haven't seen any Pokemon in the area, so I end up pulling Hana out of her sheath. Even though there's nothing in sight, having her in my hand makes me feel a lot more secure. That security is the only thing that makes me not shout in surprise when a small burst of bright light suddenly appears on the ground in front of me. I tense and point Hana at the light, only to falter when the light fades to reveal a Wooper. The Pokemon opens its mouth wide, appearing just as surprised to see me as I am it, and then turns around to jump face-first into the muck. Within a second it vanishes as if it had never been there.

The swamp returns to total silence until I eventually manage to speak up. "Um… I didn't think Wooper could use Teleport."

You say that Pokemon is called Wooper? Fascinating, I've never seen its kind before.

My bafflement at the Wooper's sudden appearance is immediately redirected to the Witch. "What? How have you never seen a Wooper before? They're all over this area."

Perhaps in your time Dame Madeline, but I have never heard of such a Pokemon in Hisui before. Are they native to another region?

"Yeah, they're originally from Johto," I admit, which prompts a self-satisfied hum from the Battlemaster as if I've proven his point. I'm about to argue that Stantler is also from Johto and I've seen them here, but I stop myself. It's neither the time nor place for that discussion. I resume carefully walking through the swamp and ask, "Never mind where it lives, do either of you know how it could have just appeared in front of us?"

Since you're the only one of us who recognizes it, Maddy, I would hazard a guess that we've entered a temporal anomaly of some sort.

I practically shrug off the words. Sure, a temporal anomaly. Why not at this point? Then my eyes widen when I realize what that means. "Wait, if it's bringing Pokemon from the future here, could it bring me home?"

There's total silence for several long seconds before the Witch answers.

I won't say it's impossible dear, but there's no telling when it would bring you.

I take a moment to process her words and then spin around. "Ricky, Aliss, get out of here. I don't want you two whisked off to who knows when." Ricky emphatically shakes his body, which doesn't surprise me. He had hated having to stay behind when I went into the Alabaster Icelands, but I'd promised the Battlemaster I'd keep him safe. "Go! I'll be fine. I'll get the wisp and be out right after you."

I know that staying in the dome to get a wisp now that I have an idea of the danger is incredibly dumb, but it feels wrong to leave it behind when I'm so close. Thankfully, Aliss nudges Ricky and he reluctantly allows her to lead him back to the edge of the anomaly.

I watch them leave for a second, then resume walking toward the pull I can feel from the wisp. I would feel better knowing that they're safe, but taking the extra time to watch them leave just doesn't make sense. I can feel the wisp getting closer as I trudge through the swamp, but just as I feel that I'm about to reach it, the scenery around me begins to blur.

I feel a surge of adrenaline as I try to hurry to reach the other side of the dome before whatever is happening finishes. The wind flows through my hair as I run faster and faster, only for me to realize that the reason I'm suddenly running faster is because the mud beneath my feet has disappeared. The feeling of my leather shoes hitting well-trodden dirt makes me slow to a halt and stare at my new surroundings in amazement.

It had been the middle of the night just seconds ago, but now the sun hangs high in the sky, forcing me to squint as my eyes adjust. To my left is a wooden bridge crossing a small river with clear blue water. A nondescript cliff face is to my right, but what's directly in front of me instantly tells me exactly where I am. At the sight of a dozen tall, white wind turbines slowly turning in the wind, my legs feel weak. "Valley Windworks," I whisper. "I'm… home?"

Windworks you say? How does one work the wind?

The Battlemaster's question makes me stumble slightly. I almost expected the two of them to not make the trip back to the present with me so it's a bit of a surprise to hear his voice. "Um, the blades turn when the wind hits them and it generates electricity somehow?"

Why wind though? Why not use spells or Pokemon if electricity is needed?

I sigh, my elation fading as I realize that the two of them are going to expect me to explain everything about the future to them. "People in my time don't know about magic, or at least most people don't. And we need more elec-"

"Stop it! You're hurting him! Daddy!"

My explanation is interrupted by a young girl's screams from up ahead. I hesitate for only a moment before dashing forward, pulling Hana out of her sheath as I move. It takes me less than a minute to reach the control building in the Valley Windworks, but what I see makes me skid to a halt. Two men are holding back a small girl while two others drag the man that I assume is her father into the building while a woman watches. As if the sight of an abduction isn't bad enough, it's what the perpetrators are wearing that really makes me stop in my tracks.

All five of them are wearing Team Galactic uniforms.

The men are too busy to pay me any attention, but the woman turns and looks at me curiously. I can't help but return her stare and slowly begin to shake when I recognize her. Team Galactic commander Mars. As much as I'd tried to avoid watching the news after Gwen's death, the news of the arrest of Team Galactic's commanders had glued me to the screen. The fact that the leader of Team Galactic, Cyrus, hadn't been caught had meant that the team's commanders had received most of the media's attention. It had been reported that one of them was responsible for setting off the Galactic Bomb.

I don't know what happened in the present while I was in Hisui that let Team Galactic return to terrorizing people, but at the moment I don't really care. All I care about is that I have the opportunity for revenge against the person who might be Gwen's killer.

I run toward Mars with a wordless shout and take pleasure at the sight of her expression shifting from curiosity to surprise. She hastily throws a Pokeball on the ground yelling, "Fake Out!" The Purugly that bursts out of the ball is on me in the blink of an eye, its claws raking across my stomach, tearing through my outfit. I barely pay it any mind, the Iron Defense that I cast without having to think about it making it so I don't feel anything.

I use Purugly's shock to slip past the Pokemon and continue my charge for its owner. I feel a certain satisfaction as she pales and starts to reach for another Pokeball, knowing that I'll reach her before she can release a second Pokemon. My satisfaction vanishes when I feel the ground beneath my feet beginning to drag and see Mars' face become less defined. Hana is mere inches away from running Mars through when the scenery fades away and I'm once again in the Crimson Mirelands.

"Damn it!" I scream and barely stop myself from throwing Hana at the ground in frustration.

Maddy? Are you alright, dear? That was… somewhat intense.

"No!" I snap. It's a few shuddering breaths before I'm able to calm down enough to say anything else. "That woman. She… she killed my best friend." I hear a soft gasp in my head followed by an angered growl. Hana's tassel squeezes my hand, giving me the tiniest piece of comfort. "That's why I need to stop the Galaxy Team. So Team Galactic never exists."

A worthy goal, Dame Madeline. And one I believe you to be worthy of.

Yes, I have the utmost confidence you will succeed Maddy. With how skilled you've already become, soon no one will be able to stand in the way of the future you deserve.

I don't think that I deserve the confidence they have in me, but it's still enough to bring a tiny smile to my face. I stand there, crouched over the mud, for several seconds before I finally feel the strength to continue on. However, instead of the empty swamp that I'd been expecting to see, I find that there's a pink and blue Pokemon floating only a couple of yards away from me. Like Wooper, it's the first of its species that I've seen since coming to Hisui, but unlike the other Pokemon, it's one that I would have never expected to see in the distant past.

Oh my. Who's that Pokemon?

"It's… a Porygon," I softly answer, still not fully understanding what I'm seeing in front of me. I'm silent for a few more seconds as I try to figure out how to explain the Pokemon to the Battlemaster and the Witch. "It's an… artificial Pokemon. One made by humans."

A man-made Pokemon?! You truly come from an age of wonders!

Artificial you say? How does one create a Pokemon Maddy?

"Um, I'm not really sure. Something with data I think?" I say, but hesitate when I'm not sure if the Witch even knows that word. If she doesn't, it doesn't decrease her interest in the slightest.

Wonderful! What sorts of things is it capable of? I'm sure a Pokemon that was designed has all sorts of tricks.

"Yeah, they can do all sorts of things with technology. I think they have some special moves too," I try to come up with any examples but draw a blank. Memorizing exactly what different Pokemon can and can't do was never one of my strengths, and studying never seemed like it was worth the time investment. After all, unless you're doing a battle appeal, coordinators really only need to know what their own Pokemon can do.

Erm, yes, that all sounds impressive, but I think this one is defective.

I frown and take a closer look at the Porygon, only to realize that the Battlemaster might be right. In the minute that it's been since I noticed it, the Pokemon hasn't done anything except slowly bob up and down in the air.

"Maybe it needs the internet to work?" The thought reminds me of the odd place I'm standing, and I move to head toward the wisp so I can get out of this weird bubble. I barely take a step before a cautious voice stops me.

Now don't take this the wrong way Maddy, but perhaps consider gathering materials from this Porygon. I'm sure that powerful spells could be created from such a unique Pokemon.

I almost bite back with an instant and emphatic refusal but something makes me hesitate. That something being a sudden mental image of Mars' smug face as her grunts kidnapped that man in front of his daughter. It had barely been a minute since I vowed that I would stop the Galaxy Team and, like the Witch said, the spells I would get from a Porygon would definitely be useful.

Besides, it's not as if Porygon are actually alive, right?

Right?

I slowly step toward the Porygon, and it continues to not react to my presence even when I'm only a foot away. I'm almost surprised to find that Hana is still in my hand and I hesitate for only a second longer before I slowly raise her toward the unmoving Pokemon. Just as I'm about to touch it with Hana, Porygon's eyes flash red with what looks like a miniature warning message and it finally turns toward me. I barely stop myself from taking a surprised step backward, but then gasp when I see three bright points of energy starting to form at the end of its beak.

My instincts kick in at the sight of the attack and I jump to the side, narrowingly avoiding the three beams that shoot out. The red beam is the closest one to me and I feel my face heat up as it passes by. Before it can turn to retarget me, I bring Hana up and then straight down on its back. There's some slight resistance for a moment but then Hana slices through Porygon and it shatters.

Blue and Pink shards explode outward, and judging from the sudden sharp pain in my side, at least one of them hit me. Despite the pain, I don't even wince as I'm too shocked to really process it. I'd only planned on poking it with Hana, but that had turned into a full attack when it attacked me. Still, that attack shouldn't have completely broken it like that. I slowly decide that the Battlemaster was right; something was definitely wrong with that Porygon. No Pokemon should die from a single smack like that. Especially not in such an explosive matter.

Excellent reaction as always. You and Hana are truly a masterful pair.

Yes, well done, Maddy! Now, if you're alright, check for those shards before they sink into the swamp.

I want to argue that I hadn't intended to kill - no, destroy - the Porygon, but it doesn't seem like it's worth the time and effort. Instead, I look down to check my wound and pale when I notice that there's a large shard of pink material jutting out of my exposed stomach. My breathing becomes rapid as I start to panic and I slam my eyes shut. So far, I've managed to avoid any serious injuries in Hisui, and the middle of the swamp is definitely not the place to get a flesh wound without access to modern medicine. My mind races as I try to think if any of the components the Witch had me grab would help and relax marginally when I remember the Roselia petal that could be used to cast Life Dew.

I take a few seconds to gather my courage before I reopen my eyes, but this time I notice that the shard is pristinely clean instead of covered with blood like I expected. I gingerly pull at the shard and wince at the odd sense of discomfort the action brings. Still, the small jolt of pain isn't nearly as bad as it should have been, and when I feel at the wound I immediately see why. The Iron Defense that I had cast to protect me from Mars' Purugly hadn't fully worn off, so the shard hadn't been able to pierce my skin. My skin is marred by a dark red line that I'm worried will scar, but I'll count my blessings even if it does.

Even with that worry passed, I have to take a few seconds to steady myself. It's far from the first time I've been in danger in Hisui, but somehow the prospect of a death that modern medicine would have been able to prevent is one of the scariest things yet. When I finally feel up to it, I return Hana to her sheath and start looking around for the Porygon shards like the Witch said. While I didn't mean to destroy it, not getting its pieces seems like a waste. Thankfully, the blue and pink shards stand out fairly well against the muck of the Mirelands, so I'm able to locate a few of them without any issues.

Just as I'm reaching down to pick up the fourth shard, it begins to shimmer oddly and I reflexively pull my hand away. The shimmering on the shard increases in brightness, only to fade away as quickly as it came. Only when the light fades, the shard is gone as well. I quickly look around and find that I'm surrounded by small lights that blink away only moments later. The shards in my left hand thankfully are unaffected by whatever caused the others to disappear.

I'm still trying to figure out what could have happened when a low, deep hum fills the air. Shards forgotten, I pull out Hana again to face whatever the new danger is, only to find that holes are beginning to form in the odd dome. The holes slowly grow and start to merge until only ten seconds after the humming started, the dome disappears with a soft pop. The usual quiet sounds of the night return immediately, though they seem much louder than usual compared to the absolute silence that I've been in.

Gone without so much as an explanation. At least you got some souvenirs, Maddy.

"Yeah, I guess," I slowly agree. Having the dome disappear so suddenly is almost as disconcerting as its presence in the first place. When nothing else appears to be happening, I return Hana to her sheath and once again allow myself to be pulled toward the wisp. I briefly consider turning back to find Ricky and Aliss, but decide that them finding me will be easier than the other way around. I'm also more than a little eager to reach the wisp so that I can take advantage of the power point that it's likely on top of.

After spending so much time trying to get the wisp, it's almost annoying that it barely takes me a minute to reach it. With a slight huff, I quickly absorb the wisp and turn my attention to enchanting the Porygon shards. I'm not sure what the cause is, but the magic from the power point keeps slipping away from me as I try. As a result, the process takes more than a minute instead of the usual few seconds to enchant all three shards.

With what should have been the easy part of the way, I turn my attention to figuring out what they've been enchanted with, but that also proves to be a more difficult task than expected. Since neither the Witch nor I are aware of what moves Porygon are capable of, my usual method of saying random moves until I find the right one isn't working. With that option eliminated, I look critically at the mud covered ground before sighing and sitting down cross-legged. My shirt already has several large gashes in it after that attack from Mars' Purugly, so I might as well ruin my pants too.

Just before I close my eyes to start meditating, I see Ricky and Aliss floating towards me in the distance, which makes it all the easier to clear my mind knowing that I won't be attacked. Hana could defend me in a pinch by herself but the backup is appreciated. I slowly let all my thoughts and concerns drift away, leaving nothing in my mind except for the pink shard in my hand. As I meditate, a single word slowly starts to form at the edge of my awareness.

C. Con. Conve. Convers.

"Conversion," I finish aloud, snapping my eyes open. For a second I can feel something as the spell activates, but it fades away as quickly as it came and I'm left wondering what it did. There's nothing noticeably different about me or the area around me.

A dud it would seem.

Oh, hush. I could feel the magic of that spell and I know Maddy could as well. There's no such thing as a useless spell, only ones that we haven't gleaned the usage of yet. Maybe try the next one, dear?

I nod and set the first shard to the side to start concentrating on the next one. The spell's name comes to me even quicker than it had for the first one.

Co. Conver.

I scowl in frustration which immediately snaps me out of my meditation. I almost stop and move onto the last shard, but I have an odd feeling that the second is different from the first. While my annoyance means it takes a bit longer to regain my concentration, I'm eventually able to refocus.

Conversi.

"Conversion 2," I say and there's the same feeling of power at the spell's activation, but this time I feel distinctly different after casting it. Opening my eyes, I find that my already ruined clothes have gotten even dirtier as I've sunk deeper into the mud. The reason why is immediately evident when I notice my hand is covered in a silvery metal. I wiggle my fingers experimentally and they noisily clack against each other, but they don't seem any less mobile. When I make a fist and lightly tap on my leg, there's a loud thud and I barely feel anything.

Remarkable! An instant suit of armor! If we'd had access to this spell in our time, all of my trainees would have gladly attended your silly lectures, Witch!

I doubt it. Those underlings of yours wouldn't recognize a useful spell if an alpha killed them with it. But how do you feel, Maddy?

"Fine, actually," I say, surprised to find that the transformation has even changed my voice as it seems to reverberate slightly. Logically, I know that it should feel unnatural to be covered in metal, but it almost feels natural and normal. I carefully put the second shard on the ground next to the first so that I don't accidentally activate either of them. "Maybe Conversion undoes Conversion 2?"

A worthy hypothesis but I will have words with whoever is responsible for those spell names if that is the case.

Ha! You would have words with Sinnoh himself?

I would… consider it. But enough jokes, try the third shard, Maddy.

The exciting nature of Conversion 2 makes it take me a bit longer to concentrate enough to identify the third shard. It turns out to be enchanted with the attack that Porygon had tried to use on me, a powerful attack consisting of three beams that's fittingly named Tri Attack. Unfortunately, shortly after I had cast Tri Attack for the first time, the metallic effects of Conversion 2 faded away, making it a disappointingly short lasting spell.

My task to collect wisps is temporarily forgotten as the Witch and I attempt to puzzle out the full effects of my new spells, with the Battlemaster providing the occasional bored comment. I dive into the work wholeheartedly to avoid thinking about what had happened inside of the dome.

A/N: Thanks to Star (quarknova on this site) and Cavik for betaing. Next up is Chapter 10: Swords and Sorcery