I slowly exhale as I finish the last movement of the kata, returning Hana to her sheath. I hold the position for a second longer before allowing a slow smile on my face. This is the third time that I've made it all the way through a new kata without any corrections from the Battlemaster. He's said several times that I'm the best green student he's ever had, though I'm sure that a lot of the credit goes to Hana. It doesn't exactly seem fair to compare me to other people when I have a sword that literally guides my hand.

Wonderful job Madeline! Are you ready to get started learning another one?

I hesitate, more tempted by the idea than I ever would have thought possible. Eventually, I shake my head. "Let's hold off for now. I don't want to be in the middle of learning a new one when Volo shows up." I get a grunt of approval from the Battlemaster and start walking back to the campfire where Ricky is waiting. Along the way, I release my grip on Hana, and she starts floating before hitting the ground. The last few days have been great for her and she's almost as mobile as Ricky. That said, her movements still seem a bit delayed sometimes so I have a feeling that she's still not fully recovered.

I sit at the fire with a contented sigh and admire the Ginko Guild's meeting spot. It's located within an outcropping that gives shelter from the elements while still allowing the campfire's smoke to escape. Near the campfire is a massive stockpile of dried wood, which Ricky has taken it upon himself to add to whenever he isn't practicing moves. There's even a well nearby, giving easy access to wonderfully fresh water. Most importantly, there are padded chairs around the fire, which are just blissful to sit on after days of being stuck sitting on whatever rock or log I could find. I'm expecting Volo to show up at some point during the night, but I wouldn't mind if he was a little late given how nice the waiting spot is.

It barely registers how far my standards have fallen in just under a week.

It ends up being a few hours before Volo swaggers into the den, a large grin on his face. "Madeline! It's good to see you're well! And I see that you've made a new friend!"

I jump to my feet and return Volo's smile, ecstatic to actually see another person again. "Two actually," I say, tapping my head.

"So you did find the famous Battlemaster! The Advisor told me that someone had picked him up along with a few of our wayward wisps. I'm glad to hear that it was you after all!"

"He knew about that?" I ask curiously. I'd ended up finding two more wisps on the way to the Guild's meeting spot. One had made an odd buzzing noise in my head for a few seconds while the other one had been completely silent.

"He has a connection to all of the wisps in Hisui, but we can return to that later." He pauses to give me a conspiratory smile. "I have news from Jubilife Village that I think you'll be very interested to hear."

"What is it?" I ask with a shudder, my good mood vanishing in an instant. It still weirds me out that one of the biggest cities in Sinnoh had started out as a Galaxy outpost.

"Their Survey Corps is making moves that are decidedly outside of their mission plan. They quelled the frenzied Noble of Obsidian Fieldlands and their primary agent has already moved onto Crimson Mirelands, where I suspect they have the same goals."

I know about where the two areas are from the map that Volo had given me earlier, but the rest of what he said is lost on me. "Who are the Survey Corps? Is a Noble like an alpha Pokemon? And what does 'quelled' even mean?"

Volo chuckles at my rapid-fire questions and I glare at him. "The Survey Corps are the Galaxy Team's scouts. 'Officially' their goal is researching Pokemon living in Hisui, but I think their real task is to pave the way for the rest of their group to expand further into the region. As for a Noble, each of the primary areas of Hisui is under the dominion of an extra powerful Pokemon called a Noble. They were recently given even greater power by their lord, possibly in response to the Galaxy Team's expansion, but the Galaxy Team has already depowered the Noble of Obsidian Fieldlands."

My mind races back to my first night in Hisui when I'd seen the white and gold lightning. The Advisor had said that Pokemon were being empowered, which must have been the frenzied Nobles. It's a bit scary to think that I was only a hill away from something that's even stronger than an alpha. Then again, everything was scary that night. I remember the other thing I'd been told then and frown slightly. "I thought the Advisor said that his enemy was the one making the Nobles stronger. Why is the Galaxy Team fighting them then?"

Well, you see Madeline, back when we first arriv-

"Ah, well that requires a bit of a history lesson. And luckily for you, I'm somewhat of an expert," Volo eagerly says, and I have to stifle a smile at the fact that he unknowingly interrupted someone who experienced the very thing he wants to tell me about. "Originally Husui was inhabited only by Pokemon, but then humans from afar landed on its shores. They were opposed by the lord of this land, forcing them to fight their way inland to establish a new home."

It's something I'd never thought about before, but I suddenly realize that all of the history I'd ever been taught in school began with the formation of the Pokemon League. Learning that there's ancient history from before the distant past that I've landed in is nothing short of fascinating. "Who was the lord? A Pokemon?"

"They must be from their abilities, but no one knows for sure since they never took to the field. To this day, the Diamond and Pearl clans argue about their nature. The only thing that we know for sure about them is that their name is Sinnoh."

I tilt my head slightly. "That's the name of Hisui in my time."

"Fascinating! They must have changed the name in order to honor its first lord. Something the Advisor is no doubt displeased about," Volo pauses as if listening to something and then chuckles. "Everyone in Hisui nowadays respects Sinnoh, but the Advisor still holds a certain grudge against his old foe."

Reminded of my original question, I try to work through the next piece without Volo having to tell me. "So then Sinnoh is fighting against the Galaxy Team since they're invaders. And the original invaders… became the clans?"

That's right Madeline. As one of the original leaders, I must say that I'm most proud of what our descendants have become.

The Battlemaster 'speaks' much faster than usual in order to get a word in before Volo could interrupt him again.

"Correct! They learned to live with the land and became the Diamond clan, the Pearl clan, or my own guild. The fighting slowly decreased over the years until now the only conflict between human and Pokemon is usually an unfortunate encounter with an alpha."

I nod, trying not to think of my own unfortunate encounters. The more important thing is that I can't imagine that any version of Team Galactic could learn to work alongside the land like the clans or the guild did. Which means that they must have been ousted from Hisui and made a recent return to the region in my time. Knowing that they're destined to fail makes me feel better until I realize that it also means that they don't lose hard enough. "So what do we do then? To stop the Galaxy Team, I mean. If they show back up in my time then whatever Sinnoh does isn't going to be enough."

"Not to worry, the Advisor and I are working on that," Volo earnestly says. "For now, would you be up for continuing to free wisps? With the Galaxy Team moving their attention to Crimson Mirelands, you should be able to reach the ones in Obsidian Fieldlands with limited interference."

"I… guess that would be fine," I answer uncertainly. It feels a bit weird to ignore the Galaxy Team, but Volo knows more about the situation than I do. And it's not like there's anything I can do about them on my own. With that in mind, listening to his suggestion seems like my best option. "I guess I can do that. What happens to the wisps after I pick them up anyway?"

Volo frowns as if he doesn't know the answer himself. He cocks his head as if listening before finally answering. "They'll stay with you for a few days to recover a bit of the strength they had in life and then slip away into the afterlife. The Advisor says that they'll usually leave your body while you rest so you likely won't see their departure." He suddenly claps his hands together a single time. "Well, now that that's settled, let's get you ready for your trip."

Volo helps me load my pack back up so that it's once again practically bursting. I feel no small amount of pride when I notice that it doesn't seem quite as heavy as it did when Volo had first given it to me. Having physical proof of the fruit of my efforts makes all of the soreness I've felt over the last few days feel worthwhile. Volo barely sticks around for another few minutes after helping me get situated, explaining that he needs to make his way toward Crimson Mirelands in order to keep tabs on the Galaxy Team's agent. I decide to follow his lead and leave the comfort of the Ginko Guild's meeting spot to once again brave the Hisuian wilderness.

"Please don't drop me," I beg Ricky as my feet leave the ground, holding onto his arms for dear life. We'd managed to find about a dozen wisps in Obsidian Fieldlands without any problems, but things suddenly became a lot more difficult when Ricky had noticed one on top of a large hill. When my efforts to climb the rocky outcropping were largely unsuccessful, Ricky floated up behind me and put his arms beneath my arms. I resisted until he pulled me most of the way off the ground and I figured out what he was doing.

Thankfully, instead of going straight up in the air, Ricky follows the hill's incline so I can occasionally put my feet on solid ground. It reminds me of the time that Gwen had forced me to go to an indoor rock climbing place with her - only except for another person and a rope belaying me, it's a small ghost Pokemon keeping me stable. That outing hadn't gone particularly well, so I quickly put it out of my mind in the hopes that this one won't follow suit.

Somehow we get to the top without any issues and it only takes me a few seconds to absorb the wisp. I take advantage of our new vantage point to look around the area trying to spot any of the remaining wisps. When we first arrived in the Obsidian Fieldlands, I'd completely relied on Ricky to float around in the sky and spot the wisps. However, after the first few, I started being able to get a rough feeling for where they were. It's certainly an unexpected ability, but I won't deny its convenience.

Looking around, I can see a couple more wisps faintly glowing in the night. It's hard to get an exact number, but it feels like there are at least one or two other ones in the area that I can't spot. Annoyingly, one of the two wisps that I can see is on a tiny island in the middle of the river that goes through the Fieldlands. I don't exactly relish the idea of going for a midnight swim so I turn to Ricky and point toward the island. "Could you carry me over there?" The trip up the hill had felt surprisingly secure and this way I wouldn't have to climb back down either.

Ricky loops his arms under mine again in answer and I take a second to make sure that Hana is secure on my waist. It wouldn't have been much of an issue if she had been left behind at the bottom of the hill, but I definitely don't want to leave her stranded on the top. Once I'm sure she's good, I give Ricky a thumbs up and do my best to stay calm as my feet leave the ground.

Unlike a lot of people, being able to fly was never something I really wanted to be able to do as a kid. However, as we soar through the cool night air, I start to see the appeal. I still stubbornly refuse to look at the ground beneath me, but besides that, it's quite an enjoyable trip. Ricky softly lowers me to the ground when we reach the island and I don't waste any time picking up the wisp. Being completely surrounded by water makes me a bit nervous knowing that a Pokemon could jump out and attack without warning. The moment that I've finished absorbing the wisp, Ricky picks me back up and we float back to the mainland.

The second wisp that I'd been able to see had been in the grasslands on the northern side of the Fieldlands, so we start making our way there next. The map that Volo had given me had a note on the margin that most of the Pokemon in Obsidian Fieldlands are fairly docile, with Shinx and Paras being notable exceptions. I keep a close eye out for either of those Pokemon as we walk, since I don't think I would stand much of a chance against either. My confidence working with Hana has slowly been building over the last few days, but a sword doesn't mean much when you're facing electricity or poisonous spores.

Despite a close call when I almost stumble over a sleeping Geodude, we're able to make it to the small bridge to the grasslands unaccosted. I start heading in the direction where I'm pretty sure the wisp was, but stop in my tracks when I see the bright flickering light of a fire up ahead. I stare at the light for several seconds, trying to decide what to do. While my instinct is to stay away from the fire, I'm fairly sure that the wisp is in the direction of the fire and I'm more than a little curious as to who could be there. Curiosity eventually gets the better of me and I softly tell Ricky to stay put before slowly creeping toward the fire.

I peer around a large mound of dirt that's in the middle of the field and immediately jump back when I see the source of the flames. I thought that I'd see a campfire and a few tents, not the largest Rapidash in the world. Even though it's laying on the grass with its flames dimmed, I'm confident that it is still taller than me. I didn't see the wisp from my quick peek, but the sense that I have for them seems completely sure it's nearby.

I'm still building up the courage to take another look when I hear a loud snort from the other side of the mound. My body moves before I have a chance to think, running at a full sprint away from the terrifying creature. Ricky gives me an odd look as I charge right past him but he speeds after me without any hesitation. I check over my shoulder every few seconds, knowing full well that I have no chance of escape if the Rapidash is chasing me. When there's still no sign of it after a few minutes, I finally stop my flight and double over, breathing heavily.

There's no shame in picking a battle for another day, Madeline.

I barely repress a chuckle at the Battlemaster's words. Fighting a Rapidash the size of a small house is never going to be a battle that I choose. I do feel a bit bad about leaving the wisp behind, but there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not going to be able to do that soul any good if I get trampled a few feet away from it and join it in the afterlife.

With that particular wisp well out of my reach, I close my eyes and try to get a sense of where the next one is. I feel a slight tugging in the direction that I'd run and, with a deep breath, I resume walking. Apart from having to creep around a few sleeping Shinx, I'm able to make it to the next wisp without any issues.

The one after that proves to be a bit more of a problem though, as it's guarded by a Pokemon even larger than the Rapidash. Standing only a few feet away from a softly glowing wisp is a massive Snorlax, its eyes appear closed and it doesn't seem to notice me even though I'm standing right in the open. While I can't see its actual eyes, I can clearly see a bit of the red glow of an alpha's eyes peering through its eyelids. I turn to leave, willing to write this wisp off as another loss, but the Battlemaster's voice stops me after I've barely taken a step.

Now this is a foe you can deal with. Snorlax are notoriously single-minded Pokemon. I have no doubts that you could come up with a strategy to safely reach the wisp and escape after.

My initial reaction is to tell the Battlemaster that he's crazy, but when I stare at the Pokemon in front of me for a few more seconds, I start to wonder if he's right. Snorlax are known for doing nothing except eating and sleeping, so it's a bit of a wonder for this one to be standing around. The way that it's eyeing me reminds me of the look that the alpha Haunter I saw earlier gave me, curious but passive. I suppose that it's likely that the extra strength of being an alpha is just allowing the otherwise lazy Pokemon to have the energy to walk around and not much beyond that. "So what's the plan?" I finally ask, still a bit reluctant.

I'll leave the planning to you. My skills have always been limited to little beyond martial matters.

I'm not sure if I believe him, but I also don't have a way to force him to give me a strategy. I look around the area, searching for some inspiration, and it only takes a few seconds to find it. Doing my best to keep one eye on the Snorlax, I jog over to a nearby berry tree and pluck a few Oran berries from the branches. I hold one of the berries out to Ricky and ask, "Do you think we can bait it away with these? If you want to try to get it to move, I can sneak over and grab the wisp."

The Drifloon makes a little shrug with his arms before taking the offered berry. I place the other two that I'd grabbed on the ground and then slowly walk back to where I'd been standing before. Ricky floats off to the side so that he's approaching Snorlax opposite me and then drops the berry once he's about thirty feet from the alpha Pokemon.

Snorlax looks over at the Oran berry when it hits the ground with a thud, but doesn't otherwise move from its spot. Undeterred, Ricky flies back to the other berries I left on the ground and repeats the process, getting a few feet closer this time. I start to wonder if we need a different plan as Ricky brings the third Oran berry over. He doesn't even get to drop the last berry as Snorlax suddenly looks up at Ricky and fires a massive beam of bright light out of its mouth.

The only video that anyone had of the Galactic Bomb detonating was a short clip that someone at the Hotel Grand Lake had managed to capture. The video didn't show the lake or what happened to it when the bomb went off, but it did show the massive pillar of light that shot into the sky when it went off. With it being a visual reminder of Gwen's death, I had tried my best to avoid the video but that proved impossible. They just kept playing it on the news.

Over and over until the image was burned into my nightmares.

When I see that massive beam of light coming out of Snorlax's mouth, completely enveloping Ricky, something in my brain snaps and my vision turns red.

With an anguished cry, I charge toward Snorlax, easily pulling Hana from her sheath as I run. The entire time that I'm running at Snorlax, the beam continues to fire from its mouth, but I don't even think about what it would mean if it turned its attention to me. As soon as the monstrous Pokemon is in my reach, I stab it with Hana, grunting with exertion as its layers of fat make it difficult to pierce its side. I only manage to get a few inches of Hana's length into Snorlax instead of the deep puncture I want.

Despite my disappointment with the stab, it's still enough to make Snorlax stop emitting the horrible beam of light and loudly grunt. I come back to my senses enough to realize that I probably only have a few seconds of life left. All it needs to do is fall on top of me and I'm dead. Trying to run away would be pointless with that beam attack, but I can at least make it pay. I pull Hana out of Snorlax's side, slicing through its body as I pull laterally instead of straight out. I can feel Hana vibrate in my hand from the alpha Pokemon's pained cries, but mysteriously, it still doesn't attack me or even move.

Hana's blade is covered in blood when I finish extracting her and I don't hesitate in the slightest at the sight, finding a new spot to plunge her into Snorlax. Our target bellows out a fresh cry of pain and this time it does turn toward me instead of just taking the hits. Its movement practically pulls my arm out of my socket when Hana is jerked along with it since she's embedded in its side, and I'm dragged along by her tassel that's wrapped around my hand. Snorlax apparently hadn't expected me to move out of the way, since it doesn't check to make sure I'm still there before Body Slamming the spot where I'd been standing seconds before. If I wasn't already sprawled on the ground, the shockwave it makes when it hits the dirt would have done the job.

Hana vibrates in my hand while I try to scramble to my feet, digging around in Snorlax's side and deepening the wound. I almost slip on the blood-covered grass beneath my feet but manage to stand and readjust my grip on Hana so that I'm once again holding her instead of being dragged around by my wrist. Even when it isn't wounded, Snorlax isn't a Pokemon that's very good at regaining its footing, so it Flails around on the ground instead of returning to its feet. I jump back from its struggles, sliding Hana out of its side as I narrowly avoid being hit by one of its arms.

Knowing that continuing to attack its body won't accomplish much, I run around to its head. I have to throw myself prone when Snorlax suddenly flips over so that it's laying on its back instead of its belly. Using Hana as a crutch, I regain my footing once again and reach Snorlax's head. It looks up at me with red eyes filled with malice and opens its mouth, a white light beginning to form in its maw.

Without hesitation, I stab Hana into its mouth, piercing the light and following right through into its throat. Hana suddenly lets go of my hand just in time for a blinding explosion to burst out of Snorlax's mouth that throws me back at least five feet.

I lie there for several seconds, sure that I'm dead. I eventually decide that being dead wouldn't hurt this much. My entire body is sore from being knocked to the ground multiple times and my arm feels like it would pop off at the slightest tug. Slowly, I pull myself to my feet and look in shock at the unmoving behemoth in front of me. Blood is pooling on the grass from the gaping wounds that I can see on Snorlax and Hana stands lodged in its mouth like a legendary sword waiting to be plucked from its resting place.

I… was not expecting that, but it was well done, Madeline.

I stare at the dead Snorlax in disbelief. I wouldn't have expected it either, but after it had hit Ricky I just-

Ricky! My head swivels to check on him, expecting to find him lying on the grass, badly injured, after being hit by that massive attack. Instead, I find him floating twenty feet away, completely unharmed and staring at me with wide eyes.

"Are… you alright?" I tentatively call over to him and he slowly nods.

As a ghost, he can't be hurt by an attack like that Hyper Beam. I appreciate your concern and I'm sure that he does as well.

I nod absently, as it finally sinks in just how lucky I am to still be alive. I hadn't recognized Hyper Beam in the moment, but if it had been any other attack, Snorlax would have been able to retaliate against me immediately. Even with that advantage, it was pure luck that I hadn't been flattened by it when it tried to Body Slam me.

Despite my best attempt to push those thoughts out of my head, I still shiver when I turn around to look back at Snorlax. Hana is still embedded in the corpse, making me suspect that she's stuck. I gingerly step forward, avoiding the pools of blood, and grasp her hilt when I reach her. It takes a few tugs, but I'm eventually able to pull her out, revealing a fully red blade. I step back with a grimace and wipe her on the grass in an attempt to clean her off, though it's not as effective as I was hoping.

In light of this victory, I have decided that you are ready for the next step. Hana, if you would do the honors?

Hana forcibly pops out of my hand and turns to float just a few feet in front of me. She bobs down to the ground, but I'm not sure what she wants and just stare at her in confusion.

Kneel.

I slowly lower myself to one knee in front of Hana and she turns so that her blade is facing me instead of the sky. I tense but stay still as she floats forward and gently places her blade on my left shoulder. She then lifts up and moves to tap my right shoulder. Some of the blood drips off her and lands on me.

Rise, Dame Madeline of the Shadow.

A/N: Thanks to Star (quarknova on this site) and Cavik for betaing. Next up is Chapter 6: Double the Toil