"Madeline! How was your trip to Obsidian Fieldlands?" Volo eagerly asks me the moment he steps into the Ginko Guild shelter. "The Galaxy Team is abuzz with concern after one of their members came across a dead alpha Snorlax. Even the Survey Corps' top agent ran afoul of it back when they were in the area, so the Galaxy Team doesn't seem to know what to do seeing that there's something roaming around that could kill it. Do you know anything about that?"

From the gleam in Volo's eyes, I have a feeling he already knows the answer, but he still stares at me expectantly. I take a deep breath before admitting, "I killed it. We were trying to bait it away from a wisp and it suddenly attacked Ricky. I… attacked it." I hesitate as I talk, still unable to believe it myself. "I got lucky a couple times and was able to kill it."

"Most impressive! You must have a real talent for the sword if your lessons with the Battlemaster have brought you this far!"

"I think it speaks more to his teaching skill," I protest lightly. Then again, he'd seen fit to knight me after the fight so he must see something in my skills. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about that.

"You're being too modest! But at any rate, the Galaxy Team being thrown into disarray like this gives us an opportunity to get ahead of them. The Advisor mentioned that you found all but one of the wisps in the Fieldlands?"

"The last one was next to a massive alpha Rapidash," I confirm with a nod, glad for the change in subject. "I don't think there's a world where I stand a chance against it, so I don't think I'll be able to get to that one."

"Well, I think we have an answer to that little conundrum," Volo says with a smile. "We don't know if it's because of the Galaxy Team and Sinnoh or because of your activities, but the last spirit in Hisui that's like the Advisor or the Battlemaster has awoken. If you can find the Witch, she could certainly teach you things that would help against Pokemon even as fearsome as the Rapidash."

I sit up a bit straighter. "The Witch? Do you mean like a magical Witch? Magic is real?" Even as the words leave my mouth, I realize that my disbelief probably isn't warranted. If I can be sent back in time to the distant past, why wouldn't magic be real?

"That it is, though I don't know if there are any alive who still practice it. But I'm sure the Witch would gladly teach you if you free her."

Learning magic sounds like it would be amazing, but her title gives me pause. While Advisor and Battlemaster both have mostly positive connotations, Witch seems more negative to me and I'm not sure what that says about the person who became known as that. I turn away from Volo slightly and ask, "Battlemaster, do you know the Witch?"

Yes, we worked together on occasion. She is… a worthy ally. I believe she would be able to teach you much.

The Battlemaster's pause makes it not the most resounding endorsement, but it's enough to get past my reservations. "So where is she?" I ask as I return my full attention to Volo.

"That's the other piece that gives you the advantage over the Galaxy Team. The Witch's resting place is in the Coronet Highlands. The upper slopes of Mount Coronet can be difficult to traverse, but with your Drifloon you could zip right up to where you need to be."

"Yeah, we could do that," I say, glancing in Ricky's direction. He'd been a bit distant for a few hours after I'd killed Snorlax, but once we'd left its corpse behind, he'd quickly gone back to his normal self.

"Perfect! I'll mark on your map about where you can find her. And if you find any wisps along the way, I'm sure they would appreciate it if you helped them out!"

Volo's reminder seems a bit odd given what I'd just told him but I nod anyway. "Of course. I won't leave any behind unless I have to."

After that, Volo updates my map and gives me more supplies for my backpack. With that finished, he bids me farewell as quickly as last time before leaving the meeting spot. I watch him leave for a bit before squaring my shoulders and start walking uphill.

It doesn't take me long to decide that mountain climbing sucks.

Hisui is somehow even more hilly than Sinnoh, so I figured that between the amount of walking and training I've done over the last two weeks, I would be more than fit enough to go for it. What I didn't account for is the fact that all of my walking up to this point has been a mix of flat ground, uphill, and downhill. Heading up to the Coronet Highlands on the other hand is nothing except uphill, and it's horribly draining. On more than one occasion I wish that Ricky could carry me the entire way up, but as a Drifloon he doesn't have the strength to bring me long distances. While he's able to give me a lift over the larger slopes along our way, the rest are up to me to handle.

I check Volo's map for the umpteenth time and sigh in relief when I see that I'm almost to the spot that he marked. Well, at least I think that I am. With the terrain just being slope after slope, it's hard to keep track of which ones I've already passed. Forcing myself to think optimistically, I move to put away the map, only to be interrupted by a shrill shriek nearby.

My hand immediately drops to Hana's hilt and her cloth wraps securely around my wrist. I scan the area around us, looking for the source of the noise, but I don't spot anyone or anything besides Ricky. He looks a bit frightened by the noise and I have to resist the urge to laugh at the sight of a ghost being spooked. When I still don't see anything for ten seconds, I slowly relax and flex my hand so Hana lets go of me. Once my hand is off the hilt, I bend down to return the map to my backpack, only for a purple blur to shoot out of it when I open the main flap.

Without even thinking, I step back, draw Hana, and stab at the object. I don't feel any resistance even though I'm sure that I hit my target. I hold the position anyway and refocus my eyes on whatever came out of my pack to find a Misdreavus impaled on Hana. There's a slight frown on the ghost Pokemon's face as it looks down at Hana, who's piercing the red beads around its neck, but it otherwise seems completely unphased by the fact that there's a sword going through its body.

"What do you want?" I ask harshly, more than a little disconcerted by the encounter. All of the ghosts that I've come across in Hisui have either completely ignored me or regarded me with curiosity, so I'm discomforted by one practically attacking me. Possibly even more than the training I've done with the Battlemaster, the affinity for ghost Pokemon that the Advisor gave me has done the most in keeping me safe. If the effect is beginning to fade, moving around Hisui suddenly will become much more dangerous.

Misdreavus continues to stare at Hana for a few more seconds before slowly turning its gaze up toward me. Its answer to my question is to cackle loudly and back up, slowly slipping itself off of Hana. The further that it moves away from me, the harder it becomes to see until it completely vanishes from sight when it gets a foot away.

I reset into a ready stance and wait, looking for any sign of Misdreavus. I wait almost a full minute before relaxing, sliding Hana back into her sheath with a grimace. I don't know what just happened and that makes me more than a little uncomfortable. There's nothing I can do about it though, so I start trudging toward what I think is the last ridge before my destination.

Even before Ricky deposits me back on the ground, I begin to feel the same pull that I'd felt when I found the Battlemaster. I stumble forward when my feet hit the dirt, and I'm barely able to regain my balance before I'm practically forced to walk forward. The pull gets stronger and stronger as I enter into the bounds of what appropriately looks like a graveyard. Blessedly, the Pokemon residents of the graveyard, a Rotom and an alpha Mismagius, pay me no mind. I'm glad that my ghost affinity seemingly hasn't faded, because the pull is so strong that I'm not sure that I would be able to stop myself.

The source of the pull turns out to be a headstone, and I practically slap my hand on top of it. A dark purple glow travels up my arm and into my body. When it reaches my chest, I almost collapse in relief as the pull vanishes.

Oh my. Who are you, dear?

The Witch's voice sounds incredibly sweet, almost cloyingly so. "My name is Made-" I start to say, only for the other voice in my head to cut her off.

This is Dame Madeline of the Shadows, an accomplished swordswoman.

Ooh, a knight! And so young! Well, you have my most sincere thanks for freeing me, Maddy. I take it you picked up this old curmudgeon too.

Having two voices in my head talking to each other is an extremely weird sensation and it's not one that I'm interested in getting used to. Before the Battemaster can reply, I jump back in. "I found him a bit more than a week ago. He's been teaching me how to use a sword." I hadn't planned on immediately bringing up Volo's suggestion, but since I'm already talking about the Battlemaster's lessons, I hesitantly add, "I was told you could… teach me magic?"

Well, aren't you an eager one? I would love to! It's been some time since I've had an apprentice, but I'm an adept teacher if I do say so myself. Though, you could just ask Aliss what she thinks.

I frown at the unfamiliar name. "Aliss?"

Why, she's right behind you dear.

My frown turns slightly worried as I put a hand on Hana's hilt and quickly spin around. Floating right behind me, I find a Misdreavus with what I can only describe as a shit-eating grin on its face.

"Oh. We've met," I blandly say, relaxing my hold on Hana. At my lack of a reaction, Aliss' smile vanishes, and the Pokemon pouts slightly.

Aliss has always been a bit of a troublemaker, so she got used to her new life very quickly. Her mischief aside, she was one of the most promising apprentices I've ever had the pleasure of teaching. I'm looking forward to seeing what you're capable of, Maddy!

It's a bit weird to hear someone other than my mom call me Maddy, but I don't correct her since I don't want to risk offending her. Instead, I just smile and nod. "Thank you. What do we get started on? Do I need to memorize incantations or meditate or start reading a magic book?" My excitement gets the better of me as I start to imagine learning magic. My mood only sours slightly when I notice that Aliss has once again slipped out of my sight.

So many good suggestions! That last one was close! First, we should go to one of my burrows. I have everything that a young witch would ever need in there.

I'm a bit disappointed that we have to immediately go somewhere else to start, but I have to admit that it makes sense. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even want to use magic that works best where we are, given that it's a graveyard.

"Sure. Where are your… burrows?" I stumble slightly as I say the word, hoping that they're better spots than it sounds. Then again, who knows how long they've been abandoned, so I know that I shouldn't get my hopes up. "Do you think they're still in good shape? I don't know how long it's been since you were last there."

Oh, don't worry about that dear. The enchantments I put in and around it will have made sure that it stayed in the very best condition. As for where it is, it's just over that hill to your right. This whole area was once my demesne, so I had a number of burrows scattered around.

Yes, and it made it a pain in my ass every time I needed to find you for something.

I do my best to ignore the light-hearted bickering starting in my head, desperately hoping that this won't become a regular thing. Humming softly to try to drown out the noise, I turn to the hill that the Witch had mentioned and start walking toward it. The alpha Mismagius gives me an appraising look as I walk past and I give it a tight smile in response.

I look around for any sign of a 'burrow' when Ricky drops me off on the far side of the hill, but nothing catches my eye. "So where is it?" I ask, raising my voice slightly to cut off the Battlemaster. The entire time that Ricky was carrying me, the two spirits in my head were verbally jabbing each other about everything from their skills as teachers to their work ethic to their appearance. The last one is particularly ridiculous since neither of them even has a body anymore.

Hmm? Oh, yes! Well, do you see that boulder? Simply touch it and say 'Bulldoze.' That'll pop it right open!

I immediately spot the rock that she means since it's more than twice the size of all the other ones scattered at the bottom of the hill. I step up to it and pause for a moment to admire the odd pattern on it. While it's mostly smooth, the boulder has several darker lines that spread across it almost like a web. I eventually place my palm flat on the rock and say, "Bulldoze." I imagine that pronunciation is important for magic so I make sure to clearly enunciate the word.

Nothing happens for several seconds, making me start to think that I did something wrong. Before I can ask though, I suddenly feel the ground rumble beneath my feet as the boulder begins to vibrate. Shocked, I take a step back, just as the boulder rolls to the side, uncovering a tunnel going down into the hill.

That took much longer than it should have. I do hope the rest of my things haven't lost their power as well.

I don't share the Witch's disappointment, the sight of a boulder moving by itself being more than enough to impress me. I know that there are Pokemon made out of rocks that are plenty mobile, but it's so much more impressive to see an inanimate object move on its own.

I head down into the tunnel with a slight smile, looking forward to what I'll find inside. However, I only take a few more steps before a shimmering, mostly transparent yellow wall suddenly appears in front of me and I'm barely able to stop in time to avoid walking into it face-first.

Oh, I'm terribly sorry Maddy! I completely forgot that this burrow has a secondary defense. I would normally have the necessary materials to dispel the barrier on me, but I'm guessing you don't. Luckily, they shouldn't be too hard to come by, though it might take a bit of effort.

I purse my lips in disappointment, not liking the idea of being so close to real magic but being forced to turn back early. "Well, I guess there's nothing we can do about it. What do I-" I start to say, but stop when I feel Hana shake at my waist. I glance down and see that she's slightly pulled herself out of her sheath, exposing a blade that has wisps of dark smoke coming off it. It takes me a second to get what she's trying to say, but when I do, I smile and ask, "Could we use Shadow Sneak to get past the barrier? That way we wouldn't have to dispel it."

I suppose that would work, but are you sure? I can't imagine that's the easiest thing for you to do.

"It's fine," I assure the Witch as I pull Hana out of her sheath. She wraps her cloth around my hand but I barely feel any drain on my energy as she starts getting ready to use the move. Given how good of an emergency option Shadow Sneak is, we've practiced it a few times despite my initial reservations. Between that practice and the massive improvements to her energy since I found her, Hana is able to use the move with almost none of the difficulties of our first attempt.

Well if you're sure… The barrier should only be a few inches thick so you won't have to travel far.

I nod, even though Hana is the one who's controlling how far we go. When I look down, I see that she's already started on the move from the inky shadows pooling around my feet. I do my best to stay perfectly still and allow the shadows to wash over me, suppressing my discomfort about our jaunt back into the void. I only have to deal with the sheer blackness for a few seconds before we're able to exit and I'm once again standing in a dark tunnel.

"Thanks, Hana," I softly say, returning her to her sheath.

Well done, both of you! Now there shouldn't be anything else in your way, so it's time for the tour!

At the Witch's urging, I continue walking down the tunnel, pausing just long enough to tell Ricky that we won't be long. I only have to walk about ten yards before it opens up into a large cavern that looks every bit the stereotypical witch's lair. There's a large black cauldron sitting in the middle of the room while all of the walls are lined with shelves holding countless books and jars. Candles and cobwebs are strewn about the room, though I assume that the latter is only present because of years of disuse.

I do hope you'll forgive the mess, but that can be dealt with later. Right now, let's get you started with your first spell! I'm thinking a simple fire spell would be an excellent start for you.

I would prefer to learn something that Ricky couldn't already do, but I'm definitely not going to complain about learning magic, no matter what the spell is. "Okay! What do I need to do?"

One of the shelves to your left has eight jars on it. You'll need the third largest one.

I turn to find the shelf that she mentioned, impressed by how good her recollection of the room is. I step up to the shelf when I find the right one, only to stumble back when a purple form pops right out of the wall with a screech. "Shit!" I gasp out in shock.

Aliss smiles widely at my surprise and the center bead around her neck begins to softly glow red.

Now, now, Aliss. You know better than to play around in the burrow.

Aliss wilts at the Witch's admonishment and slowly floats to the side, allowing me access to the shelf. I shoot her a quick glare before stepping up to the shelf again and picking up the jar. I peer in the transparent jar curiously, only to be shocked once again when I see what's inside. "What… what is this?"

Why, it's a Chimchar paw of course.

A/N: Thanks to Star (quarknova on this site) and Cavik for betaing. Next up is Chapter 7: Patron's Lesson