This Chapter is No Longer Canon and is only up to not delete the reviews attached to it.

Originally Posted January 24th, 2022

Back at the Bristberg Mana Research League, Coordinator Cooper stood outside the Classroom where Team Sharp Claw waited.

"Master Zeraora will reach the Mohz Dunes in about 5 weeks after going up through the Hunter's Plains villages to the west of Bristberg," Cooper repeated the information from the letter Mcbone received. "And they will be on the lookout for Keepers who don't take their responsibilities seriously, particularly ones who should know better…"

Then he watched as his mate pulled out another letter. "This one's for you specifically," the Stoutland said through the plastic tube in her teeth. So the Granbull took it.

"I'll be going now," the Chief wagged her tail. "Have fun."

Cooper sighed as he read the contents of the letter and then looked towards a clock stone. "So the 'Tiger' of the Committee is here today and actually wants to meet with me while Sharp Claw goes with that their ward to Brist Mountain Mystery Dungeon."

He glanced over at the clock stone again before entering the Classroom."Alrighty guys, let's continue our lecture," the Granbull wiped down the chalk and whiteboard. "Keepers have an interesting place in our little slice of the world."

"They make up about forty-five percent of the population of each Continent in the Celestial Hemisphere," he pointed his paw at the three Pokemon. "You know what that means?"

Nevada closed their eyes and sighed. "It means, usually in most spaces we," the Charmander paused, looking up for affirmation from Glade and Linus. "Well, the Sentinels, outnumber Keepers."

"Correct, and you know what Keepers are able to sense and possibly impact?" Coordinator Cooper asked, stepping past the boards and towards the window.

Linus waved his webbed hand up. "Mana, but there's so much to it," the Treecko tilted his head.

"Yes, Keepers and mana go paw and paw in this world!" Coordinator Cooper dramatically yanked open the blinds. "We need you, Sentinels, to be aware of everything that we can do," the Granbull unlatched the window and then he stuck his head out. "I want you to keep Keepers in check!"

He stopped his barking and pulled his back. The Coordinator was met with the perplexed and slack-jawed reactions of his subordinates. "Anyway, mana is very important for our everyday activities as League members, does anyone know why that is?"

Glade tapped her pencil on the table and coughed. "Mana is how we access our moves right? Cause we can't directly take in the energy in our bodies right?"

"That energy for moves, aren't they called Power Points?" Nevada questioned. "We use Ether, and Max Ether supplements to refill them in Mystery Dungeons because we cannot manually take them in the mana from their environments or we'll get the Carnal Sicknesses and go feral."

"Yes!" Coordinator Cooper paused, lifting up his paw. "Nice work Sharp Claw! Let's do a little physical demonstration, I want you all to practice taking in the mana required for each of your moves and then show them to me, without letting them fly loose okay!"

"Now I want to remind you again, Team Sharp Claw, that after class you have a request," Cooper cleared his throat. "I want this to be a good teaching moment as we won't be scheduled for another class anytime soon."

The Charmander, Totodile, and Treecko young adults looked up from their notes and chatted amongst themselves for a bit. They compared their work to the whiteboard, chalkboards, and posters along the wall.

"Keepers and the world's balance," Nevada started to say, looking off to the side. "We as Sentinels know what they are, but what do they mean to Keepers?"

"Well," the Coordinator sighed. "I was meant to end the lesson sooner but I guess I can humor you."

'"Who really are Keepers?" Linus rubbed underneath his chin.

'"Keepers are Pokemon that are in tune with the world's balance of mana," the Granbull repeated slowly, pacing around the table in front of him.

'"What does that mean?" Glade grumbled. "There's a balance to all this?"

"You all know that there is the mana that we use for elemental typing in our bodies and in our moves right?" the Coordinator asked the three Pokemon.

"Yes," Team Sharp Claw replied.

"There is also mana, the same mana that is in the outside world, all across the Celestial Hemisphere," Cooper drew a large circle on the whiteboard.

"So the mana that is in the world is called the balance?" Glade questioned. "How does the balance of mana really work with Keepers?"

'"The balance is something we Keepers can understand in our body," the Granbull started writing on the board. "How equal the energy of each elemental type is."

"What else exactly?" Glade tilted her head. "We know you've told us you felt this terrible pressure and bad tastes from other Keepers' presences but what about mana levels by themselves?"

"We can tell if other Pokemon mana levels are unequal only if they are unlocked," the Coordinator explained.

"Unlocked means that someone used the key artifact of one of their types on them correct?" Linus asked.

"Yes," Cooper answered. "Now for the world's balance, it gets tricky, as there are factors based on where you are, either inside a Mystery Dungeon or just in a normal area."

"Inside of a Mystery Dungeon, there is an average amount of mana pressure that we Keepers can feel," the Granbull explained. "Normally it is firm, but if it is 'crushing'," he then paused. "Or too 'loose', this means the Dungeon is unbalanced."

Coordinator Cooper then walked back towards the map. "For the world's mana outside of Mystery Dungeons to be unequal the only way Keepers can tell is the same way you Sentinels can."

"None of us could evolve after the massive shift in the balance during the Disruption," Nevada replied.

"Yes!" Coordinator Cooper smiled.

"But how?" Linus waved his hand. "There was so much going on, and I wasn't there for them-" the Treecko sighed. "Nevermind."

"The unbalanced state of the world meant Keepers of Wicked Blow messed with the mana artifacts," the Granbull rubbed the back of his head.

"The artifacts…" Glade grumbled, clenching her eyes in concentration.

Cooper began to clean off the chalk-board and white-board. "Don't fret it as a Sentinel, most Keepers don't know where exactly, it could be here or on another Continent."

"Oh, I see," Nevada sighed. "Hopefully Keepers can work together and find possible locations for them."

"What are the locations called?" Linus asked. "Not that we can go inside, just so we can inform any Keepers we find.."

"Mana Temples," the Coordinator finished wiping down both boards. "They are hidden away inside Mystery Dungeons."

"What?!" the three Pokemon shouted. "Just like that!? In places, we go to daily?!"

"Yes, Mystery Dungeons, but you probably won't be finding a Temple today, " Coordinator Cooper smiled. "Well at least at the place I told you yesterday that I need you to escort a client to, Brist Mountain Mystery Dungeon."

"That never-ending maze?!" Sharp Claw groaned. "But we just went there!"

Coordinator Cooper chuckled. "Well, now we have a guest, where else did you think you were going after class?" the Granbull then pushed back the boards. "Your new Keepers teammates will arrive sometime in the next few weeks. Understand, Linus, Nevada, Glade?"

The Totodile sucked in her teeth. "But you only have us listed for some damn boring missions that are just outside of town!"

"Well tough shit," Linus patted Glade on the head. "Just finish em' like we always do."

Nevada tugged on the Treecko's arm. "Glade's right, it's so tiresome going to the same place doing requests over and over against mainly the same Pokemon day in and day out!"

"I need you all to prepare," Coordinator Cooper sighed. "Just as I will do my part I need you to do yours."