I did say I'd be back with the first chapter of the Recruitment Arc on January 1st.

Never said anything about when I'd post the Season 2 Prologue.

So here's a little holiday gift from me. Have fun, and Happy Holidays!

In a large room dominated by an oval table, eight Holocasters flickered on, revealing eight Trainers to join the one already sitting in the room.

"So," said Blue, "why the emergency session? I was in the middle of a Gym Battle."

Gardevoir looked to her right, mirroring her Trainer.

"Dawn, Kukui, I agree that we deserve an explanation," said Diantha.

Dawn nodded. "So, the convoy containing Team Flare was delivered to Iron Island a couple weeks ago," she said. "All of them made it safely...except for one. We discovered on the boat from Kalos that Team Flare's head scientist, Xerosic, was not in his vehicle, and his guards had been knocked unconscious."

"And we're only hearing about this now?" Rosa asked.

"I only got the news yesterday," Dawn explained. "The International Police wanted to take care of it themselves. From what they can tell, two of the anti-teleportation shields went down for a few seconds before the convoy reached the boat. This left Xerosic's vehicle unshielded, and in those few seconds someone teleported in, took out the guards, and teleported back out with Xerosic. The shield operators decided it was probably nothing and didn't say anything - it took them an entire week to admit their fault."

"They're both fired, I should hope," said Brendan.

"Of course," said Dawn. "Unfortunately, neither I nor the International Police have been able to ascertain who it was that broke Xerosic out. We just know he had a strong Psychic Pokemon, and the capabilities to bring down the shields. The International Police has already launched an investigation, but so far nothing's come up."

"I remember Xerosic," said Rosa. "Grimsley was telling me all about him and his 'Type: Full'. Arceus, that thing sounded terrifying."

"Where is Grimsley, anyway?" Leon asked. "I heard he left the Elite Four after Geosenge."

"He went off to Alola," Kukui answered for Rosa. "Arrived a few days ago. Which I guess brings me to my piece. I've got three things, actually - firstly, the transition to the standard model is being put in place. Hapu and Olivia have already asked for positions in the upcoming Elite Four, and while I'm getting some pushback, that's pretty much to be expected."

"I wish you well on that front," said Diantha.

"Yeah, I wish all my problems were as mundane," said Kukui. "Team Skull's riling up trouble again."

"Team Skull?" Geeta echoed with a frown. "Should we be worried?"

"No, they're more like Team Star than Team Flare, thank the Tapus," said Kukui. "Rabble-rousers, troublemakers...they're only using the 'Team' name because they think it gives them clout."

"Just like Team Star." Geeta sighed.

"And..." Kukui paused for a few seconds. "Lastly, we've got a couple of...weird new Trainers in town. Pale-skinned, wearing blue and white suits of...I can only call it armor. Haven't given their names. Just challenged a few passing Trainers to battles seemingly at random. Yesterday, one of those Trainers beat them, and from what I heard, the two challenged that Trainer to another battle. Beat him into the ground with a strange purple Pokemon that he'd never seen before and matches no known description."

"Are they doing anything besides that?" Brendan asked.

"Not as far as I know," Kukui responded. "It's more the strangeness of it all that worries me. We know absolutely nothing about these Trainers. Who they are, why they're here, where they're coming from...it's all one big enigma."

"Professor?" Another voice came from Kukui's Holocaster, sounding as if it were coming from far away. "Litten's trying to hunt the Luvdisc in the aquarium again. Do I need to change his food?"

Kukui sighed. "No, just crush an Oran Berry and mix the juice into his food. That should get him excited."

"Who's that?" Leon asked. "Never heard her before."

"Just my new assistant," Kukui answered. "Picked her up a few months ago. She's been a great help...really knows her Pokemon."

Gardevoir narrowed her eyes. Kukui was usually far more open and energetic. But those last words had been quite guarded.

Almost as if he wasn't telling the full truth.

"Well, good luck with your transition," said Dawn. "I hope Team Skull and these strange Trainers don't put too much of a damper on things."

"Hope Xerosic is found soon, Dawn," Blue added. "I would much rather someone like him not be running free."

"I believe this meeting of the United Pokemon World is over," said Diantha. "Good luck, everybody. May Arceus smile upon you."

"And you," eight other voices chorused. The holocasters winked out, leaving Diantha and Gardevoir alone.

Gardevoir turned towards Diantha. For a moment she considered letting her Trainer know about Kukui's possible dishonesty. But no. It might not even be anything, and even if it was, Diantha had enough on her plate. Even with Professor Sycamore doing the best he could, the fallout of the Team Flare Crisis was still ongoing, and the controversy surrounding the newest member of the Kalos Elite Four had not done Diantha any favors either.

So Gardevoir instead smiled at her Trainer. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be fine."

Diantha smiled back. "Thanks, Gardevoir. We should get going. I've got a meeting with Augustine in half an hour, and I'd rather not be late this time."

Gardevoir obediently followed her Trainer out of the room, forcing her worries about Kukui out of her mind as she did so.

Medicham yawned, putting a hand over her mouth reflexively to mask it, and stared out of the crack in her Luxury Ball as the seemingly endless forest passed by on either side. If it had been any other forest, she would have felt completely lost just looking at row upon row of trees. But this forest she knew quite well. This was the forest she'd spent a little over two years of her life in. Two years that, until recently, she thought had been her entire life.

A month ago she would have been glad to come back here and see her old friends again. Boulder, the Graveler who'd always seemed so strong; Dugtrio, the quiet but friendly Ground-type; possibly even the Spinarak, whom she'd gotten so used to that she almost missed their constant attempts to steal her berries and their incessant complaints upon their failures.

But now, as she looked at the trees and grasses dotted with fluffy white snow, all she could think of was her previous life. The life she hadn't known existed until the Lifebringer had, whether by accident or by design, restored her memories upon resurrecting her.

And now, as her eyes caught the snow-covered bushes, for a moment she could have sworn she saw a vicious Absol springing out, horn flaring with Dark energy, claws outstretched and blood-red eyes glowing.

Then she blinked, and it was gone.

"Hey, look, there's the old stump!" Marcus, her Trainer, remarked, pointing at a stump that didn't actually look all that different from several other nearby stumps. But his mother and father, James and Sarah, nodded and voiced agreement.

"I still can't believe it," said Sarah. "An offer to be a Gym Leader from Valerie herself? I'm so proud of you!"

"Mom, it's not…it's an offer to compete to be a Gym Leader," said Marcus.

"But still!" Sarah insisted. "To even be considered is astounding!"

"Have you decided what your type specialty is going to be yet?" James asked.

"Probably Dark," said Marcus. "I've got Drapion and Houndoom, and while I'd love to use Medicham in my Gym, Kalos already has a Psychic Gym and a Fighting Gym."

"Well, I'm sure you and Valerie know a lot more about this than we do," said James, "so we're not going to pry too much." His grin dipped for a moment. "Just remember to check in weekly."

"Of course, Dad," said Marcus.

"Don't worry," Medicham spoke up, telepathically reaching into Marcus's mind. "If you forget, I'll remind you."

"Thanks, Medicham," Marcus responded. At present, responding was all he could do. While a telepath could establish communication with a non-telepath, a non-telepath could not establish communication with a telepath. As such, all telepathic exchanges had to be sparked by Medicham.

She'd heard stories about Trainers who, through time and effort, had been able to establish minor Psychic links with their Pokemon. But most such communications were restricted to Trainers with Psychic potential of their own. Some Psychic-type Gym Leaders could initiate telepathic communication with their Pokemon, and Medicham had heard from Marcus of other Trainers who could do it as well, but as of now Marcus was not one of those Trainers.

"And here we are!" Medicham was disturbed from her musing by James's cry. Looking up, she saw the familiar edifice of Marcus's family's home, a small two-story white house that blended in with the surrounding fence and, beyond that, the snow-covered forest.

Sarah put her thumb on a small pad next to the gate, and the gate swung open. The three humans walked in, Sarah first, then Marcus, and finally James, who shut the fence gate and then the house door behind him.

"Now, we know you have to get to it," said Sarah, "but is staying for more than one night really off the table?"

"I'm sorry, Mom, but if I'm going to be a Gym Leader I need all the time I can get," said Marcus. "But I'll keep in touch, and if I have time I'll be glad to visit."

Sarah smiled sadly. "Oh, Marcus, you've grown so much…I still remember when we first sent you out on your journey. Only a month and a half, and yet it feels like it's been years."

"Why don't you let your Pokemon out to play?" James asked. "I'm sure they'd love to be released after an entire walk cooped up in their Pokeballs."

"Luxury Balls, Dad," Marcus corrected. "Except for Kamado, but I'm going to get him one soon."

James chuckled. "An entire walk cooped up in their Luxury Balls, fine."

Marcus, with his own chuckle, turned and stepped back outside.

"All right, guys," he said. "You play around. I'll be back soon with some food."

With that, he ran his fingers across all seven of his Luxury Balls, releasing the team.

Medicham materialized first. Out of all of them, she'd been the only one to be in this yard before, and so even under the layer of cold snow it felt familiar. Around her materialized Drapion, Kriesh, Cloyster, Trevenant, Houndoom, and lastly Kamado, all of whom set about to looking around, taking in the new space.

Marcus retreated inside, leaving the seven of them in the yard alone.

Puffball and Scamper, Sarah and James's two Pokemon, had probably just been released inside, judging by the murmurs of their recognizable voices along with James, Sarah, and Marcus. Medicham let out a sigh, raising her eyes towards the forest beyond the fence. Far away, she heard a Spinarak chittering, too far away to make out individual words.

"So that's where you come from?"

Medicham turned to look at Cloyster. "Yes," she said, a second before remembering it wasn't entirely true. Her eyes shot to Kriesh, the only other member of the team who knew the truth, and saw her nod slightly.

"Cool!" Cloyster cried. "Do you think we could visit?"

"Ah doubt it," Drapion answered. "He said 'play around'. Ah think he meant 'around the yard', not 'around the entire forest'."

"I don't know," said Trevenant. "I, for one, wouldn't mind. I like forests. They remind me of home, except this one's all snowy, and so it's new." They sighed, beginning to step over towards the fence. "I miss flying. If I were still a Phantump, I could just fly over this fence."

"I could burn down the fence for you," Houndoom offered.

Kriesh and Medicham both glared at him. "We are not burning down the fence," Kriesh growled.

Houndoom let out a quiet, laughing bark. "I was only joking. Seriously, though, Medicham: what was it like living…y'know, outside? I got a bit of it when I was following you, but…I was born into Team Flare, so…"

"It's different," said Medicham. "There's a lot you have to contend with. The wild Pokemon prefer to organize into groups." For some reason, Drapion's eyes narrowed slightly at that. "I was a bit of a loner, but I worked with a group of Geodudes and a group of Diglett, there was a group of Spinarak who were always annoying but aligned with the locals when the chips were down, and we all worked together whenever the Ice-types of the mountains decided to invade."

"Sounds like fun," said Houndoom. "I didn't know wild Pokemon organized into large groups. I always pictured them like, I don't know, wandering around through the grasses and trying to survive on their own."

"Why would they be on their own?" Kamado asked. "Isn't it safer in a pack?"

Murmurs of agreement came from all around.

"When do ya think the food's gonna arrive?" Drapion asked. "Ah'm starved after that trek."

"Marcus said he'd be back soon," said Medicham.

"We could always scavenge in the forest," said Kamado.

Medicham sighed. "Why does everybody want to go into the forest?"

"Because you've made it sound really awesome," Trevenant answered, standing at the fence. "Oh, hold on a sec! Let's try this!"

Trevenant's body flared with Ghost and Grass energy. "Forest's Curse!" they cried. A second later, the Elder Tree Pokemon disappeared from view.

Across from the fence, upon the trunk of a snow-covered tree, a glowing red eye and a snaggly mouth appeared. It grinned, and then the features disappeared as Trevenant stepped out. "There we go! Glad that still works."

"Trevenant, you should probably get back over here," Kriesh warned.

"Um…" Trevenant looked around at the house's front yard. "It doesn't seem like Marcus's house has any trees in the yard."

Medicham clapped a hand to her face. "And now Trevenant's stuck outside. Great."

"Well, there's a gate, right?" Trevenant stepped over to the closed gate.

"A gate that only works for humans," said Medicham. "A gate that is specifically designed to keep wild Pokemon out, and Pokemon in the yard from escaping. See that pad? That thing makes it so that only James, Sarah, and Marcus can open this gate."

"And, I'm not entirely sure, but I don't think any of us are James, Sarah, or Marcus," Trevenant observed.

"Well, Kriesh, you can fly," Cloyster suggested. "The fence doesn't seem capable of keeping out Flying-type Pokemon. Maybe you could fly over and pick Trevenant up?"

"No, I'm too heavy for that," said Trevenant.

"I hate to repeat a joke in seriousness," said Houndoom, "but I could burn down the fence."

"No!" Medicham protested.

"They can replace the fence!" Houndoom pointed out. "I'd rather have our friend back inside and a hole in the fence than have the fence intact and our friend stuck outside."

"But a fire in the fence could spread," Kamado pointed out. "Possibly ramming down the fence would work better. I am quite strong, and I believe Drapion is also strong. Working together-"

"Or," Kriesh growled, "we could simply alert Marcus to the fact that Trevenant is stuck outside, and have him or one of his parents open the gate."

There was a brief silence as the rest of the team pondered this solution.

"Yeah, that'll work!" Trevenant admitted. "Medicham, can you?"

"Sure thing." Medicham delved into her telepathic abilities and reached out to Marcus. "Marcus?"

"Yes?" Marcus responded.

"Trevenant's gotten themselves stuck outside the gate and can't get back in."

A telepathic sigh over the link was accompanied by a real one from inside. "Give me a moment," said Marcus. "I need to go help my Trevenant."

The Trainer opened the door, eyes narrowed at Trevenant even as he fought to keep a grin off his face. "How did you even manage that?" Marcus asked.

"Forest's Curse," Medicham answered.

Marcus sighed. "Okay, this fence wasn't really built for that…all right, Trevenant, hold on." The Trainer quickly crossed the yard and unlocked the gate, allowing Trevenant to step back inside.

"And don't do that again," said Marcus, forcing back laughter at the situation.

"Okay, so now can we go into the forest?" Trevenant asked.

Kriesh sighed. "You just tried that, and look how it went."

"But now Marcus is here," said Trevenant. "Medicham, can you ask Marcus if we can go into the forest?"

Medicham shook her head. "Look, I don't-"

"It won't be for long," said Cloyster.

"And Trevenant's right," said Houndoom. "You have made it sound like a fun place. More fun than this somewhat tiny yard."

"Yeah, this yard's sized fer two Pokemon, not seven," Drapion growled. "With all of us, out here is like the Luxury Ball, but colder an' less comfortable."

"I will admit I am curious about the forest myself," said Kamado.

Medicham opened her mouth to refuse. But then she closed it as she eyed the five eager-looking Pokemon (even Drapion looked somewhat excited). With a sigh, she looked up at Marcus. "The rest of the team appears to want to explore the forest," said Medicham.

Marcus looked around at the team in question. "You do realize you could get lost? Or attacked? The yard's safe. I really don't want any of you to disappear."

"We won't disappear!" Cloyster protested.

"The yard's boring, is what it is," Drapion pointed out.

Medicham sighed again. "Marcus," she said reluctantly, "I know this forest by heart. I'll make sure all of them get back safely, and we'll only be out for a couple hours. If they have to stay cooped up in the yard, I doubt the fence will survive the night."

Marcus looked at Medicham, then at the rest of the team, then at the woods outside. "Okay," he said. "But two hours is all you have. When you get back, contact me and I'll open the gate. And if any of you stay out past the allotted time, then instead of being in your Pokeballs you can stay in the yard overnight."

"All right," said Medicham, backed up by a chorus of acceptance from the surrounding team.

Kriesh rolled her eyes. "I can't believe this."

But despite Kriesh's lack of belief, ten minutes later Medicham was leading the team through the forest, snow crunching under the strides of six Pokemon as Kriesh's wingbeats filled the air above. As she walked, she looked around, torn between two sets of memories, one filling her with dread and telling her that she would be better off turning around and leaving this place, the other filled with excited nostalgia at returning to what had been her home for three years.

She chose to listen to the second set of memories. After all, she'd stuck her neck out to get the team out here. Why ruin their fun?

"So," said Medicham, "we're in Geodude territory right now. Boulder rules here - he's a Graveler. He's nice to his friends and dangerous to his enemies, though…except for Kamado, I bet any one of us could take him."

"I will admit that I find myself waiting for the time when I begin my training," said Kamado.

"How many Geodudes live here?" Cloyster asked.

"As far as I know, nearly a hundred," said Medicham. "Same with the Digletts." She pointed. "Their territory starts on the rise over there, though honestly they only really enforce it when they feel like it. And with the Geodudes, they almost never feel like it."

"And the Spinaraks?" Houndoom asked.

"Oh, they're just everywhere," said Medicham. "They're pretty sneaky. We've probably already passed a couple and don't even know. Like I said, though, they're annoying, but when push comes to shove they're willing to stand with the locals."

Kriesh's wingbeats slowed. The Fearow swooped down, landing beside Medicham.

"What is it?" Medicham asked.

"Looks like there's a fight going on just over that ridge," said Kriesh. "Ice-types, lots of them."

Medicham listened. "You're right," she said. "But they've never come so far into the forest before. Did you see a Graveler?"

"Yes," said Kriesh, "and a Dugtrio, and an Abomasnow."

"If Boulder's in there, the Ice-types should already be routed," said Medicham with a frown. "Something's definitely not right about this situation. Whatever it is, if they're this far back, they need help."

"An' ah take it we're that help?" Drapion guessed.

"If you want to join me," said Medicham, "then I'd be thankful for the assistance."

Drapion grinned. "Beatin' a bunch of jerks sounds pretty good ta me."

"And me," Houndoom growled. The rest of the team was quick to follow suit.

Kamado frowned. "Do you think I am strong enough to partake in this fight yet?"

Medicham shook her head. "Normally I'd say yes, because the Ice-types aren't all that strong, but as of now not yet. Stay back in the bushes. If you get attacked, shout for help."

Kamado nodded in acceptance.

Medicham turned towards the sounds of fighting. "All right, then. Let's go shatter some Ice-types."

She lunged forwards, the team following her closely. With every step the fighting grew louder and louder, and she could see flashes of it through the undergrowth. Medicham looked up at Kriesh and nodded. Kriesh grinned, the thrill of upcoming battle overtaking her. The Fearow spread her wings and shot through the treetops into the air overlooking the clearing ahead. A challenging shriek came from her, radiating across the clearing just as Medicham burst through the undergrowth, the rest of the team following in her wake.

What she saw did indeed surprise her. There were all the expected Pokemon: Digletts, Geodudes, Spinarak, and a lot of Ice-types, with Boulder, Dugtrio, and Abomasnow trading blows in the center of the clearing. This looked to be an even bigger push than usual. But that did not appear to be the reason for this battle being so deep in the forest. Rather, that reason was a large amount of Dark-types aside from the usual Sneasels. Medicham could see Panchams, Purrloins, Scraggys, Houndours, and several others she couldn't place immediately, and in the center of the battle was a sleek-looking Liepard, purple-and-yellow coat flashing in the sunlight as she sent a Diglett flying with a well-placed paw strike.

The various Pokemon all looked up, the fighting in the clearing pausing for a moment as they stared at the new arrivals. Medicham caught Boulder's eye, and despite her still-present desire to leave this place, a grin split her face. "Hello, Boulder!" she cried. "I'm back!"

Boulder's eyes widened. "Meditite!" The Graveler grinned back. "You certainly picked a good time! Introductions and reunions later - we've got some invaders to take care of!"

Medicham crouched, tapping into her Ability and summoning a sphere of bright blue Aura to her hand. "Pure Power!" she cried. "Aura Blast!"

She flung it forth, sending it straight into a Bergmite and knocking it headlong into a Scraggy and a Smoochum. All three Pokemon tumbled to the ground, the Bergmite thoroughly unconscious and the other two groaning in pain. At that, the rest of the team charged, firing a flurry of ranged attacks as they did so.

Kriesh's Sniper-boosted Hyper Beam dove right towards the biggest target on the field, Abomasnow. The massive Grass/Ice-type staggered under the blast, giving Boulder an opening to deck it in the face with one brutal rocky fist. Cloyster's Skill Link-multiplied Spike Barrage tore through half a dozen Ice and Dark-types in seconds. Drapion fired off a Pierce, sending a pair of Sneasels staggering. Trevenant tossed out a flurry of Leech Seeds, ensnaring two Cubchoo and a Pancham in their leeching tendrils. Houndoom went straight for his strongest attack, unleashing a Flame Surge onto the battlefield that blasted an entire contingent of enemies, though he did catch a few allies in the blast as well.

Medicham, for her part, tossed out another pair of Aura Blasts, catching two Purrloins, and then the team slammed into the enemy line.

The Ice and Dark-types came at them in a wave, seeking to overpower the obviously strong combatants with numbers, but Houndoom's flames and Cloyster's spikes sent them reeling back, and the rest of the team were quick to pounce on the stragglers. Medicham caught a Bergmite with a spinning kick that sent it flying across the clearing. Drapion swept his left arm out, encasing it in his Battle Armor as he did so, and sent several enemies to the ground under the strike. Trevenant and Kriesh struck with single-target attacks, knocking down any enemy that the other four missed.

Abomasnow bellowed in rage, seeing what had initially seemed like a surefire victory melt away before his eyes. He raised one arm and, with a bellow of "Blizzard Wave!" fired a staggeringly large blast of Ice energy at the new arrivals.

It would have been a lot more impressive if Calem's Aurorus hadn't been fond of doing the exact same thing.

Drapion lunged forwards, breaking away from the team in order to charge straight at Abomasnow. "Block!" he snarled, raising a Protect before the Blizzard Wave. The look on Abomasnow's face as the Protect caught and deflected his Blizzard Wave, the remainder flying uselessly off to the sides, was absolutely glorious.

It was then that Liepard finally intervened. With a snarl of "Tranche Vicieuse!" she sprang at Drapion, claws flashing. "Battle Armor!" Drapion snarled, forming a thick wall of chitin across his shoulder as Liepard slashed one front paw across it. "Tranche Sournoise!" Liepard hissed. With a shift so fast that Medicham could barely see it, her other front paw drove straight into Drapion's throat. Not expecting such a swift and vicious attack, Drapion staggered as Liepard pressed her attack, slashing at him with her claws with incredible speed.

Medicham had to turn away from that battle to hurl another Aura Blast into the face of a Sneasel who tried to jump at her. An Inkay shifted into position to send a wave of Psychic energy at Medicham, but a Confuse Ray from Trevenant caught her before she could and she twisted to send it into the side of a neighboring Cubchoo. Another swift Confuse Ray struck the Cubchoo, who turned on the Inkay and lunged, bringing her down. Behind them, a Bergmite and a Smoochum were struck by a Flame Tongue from Houndoom and crumpled under the withering blast, and on Medicham's other side, Cloyster was letting fly with volley after volley of spikes, duplicating them with Skill Link to send anyone who lunged at the team's right flank staggering back.

Kriesh had fully joined in on the assault against Abomasnow. Medicham remembered he had always struggled to fend off Boulder and Dugtrio at the same time; with Kriesh added to the mix, Abomasnow was reduced to lashing out wildly, forcing caution on the part of the attackers but doing very little actual damage. As she watched, Kriesh nailed him in the shoulder with another Beam Impact, spinning him half around right into a punch from Boulder just as Dugtrio sent a wave of Ground energy right at Abomasnow's feet. Abomasnow tumbled to the ground, reflexively firing off another Blizzard Wave as he did so. Kriesh flew upwards, Dugtrio ducked underground, and Boulder wasn't even near the blast, but Abomasnow was able to use the opportunity to rise back to his feet and lunge for the Graveler, arm flashing with Grass energy. Kriesh, though, struck Abomasnow with a Flurry Impact, staggering him long enough for Boulder to meet his punch with one of his own just as Dugtrio popped back up behind Abomasnow and rammed headfirst into his back, staggering him again.

Medicham kicked out and sent a Snover flying into a Houndour, then twisted to watch Drapion fighting Liepard. The purple-and-yellow Pokemon drove a paw into Drapion's Protect, then lashed out again, meeting Drapion's Battle Armor. Frustration was glowing in Liepard's eyes at her inability to break through her opponent's defenses, but there was something else in there too, something that Medicham didn't really recognize.

"Farceur: Raillerie!" Liepard cried, eyes flashing. Drapion snarled in rage. "Slam!" he snarled, abandoning his successful defense and swinging one massive arm at Liepard. Liepard smirked. "Tranche Ventouse!" In one motion she fluidly ducked the swing and slashed Drapion across the face again, knocking him backwards.

Liepard chuckled. "So predictable. Farceur. Aider: Abomasnow."

A small flicker of energy flashed from Abomasnow to Liepard, and a massive burst of Ice energy blasted out from Liepard's body straight into Drapion.

"Block!" Unfortunately for Liepard, he'd shaken off whatever Liepard had done to incentivize him to attack - probably something akin to what Connie's Scrafty had done in the Kalos Pokemon League Tournament, Medicham remembered with irritation - and managed to raise a Protect in time to deflect the out-of-nowhere attack. "Pierce!" Drapion snarled, returning fire with a close-range barrage of Bug energy-laced spikes. Liepard twisted, trying to avoid them, but there were too many and they were too close. She stumbled, hissing in pain.

The odd emotion in her eyes grew as well.

By now, the battle was swiftly turning against the Ice and Dark-types as the Digletts, Geodudes, and Spinarak rallied. Most of the Ice-types were still fighting, unsurprisingly; their devotion to Abomasnow was almost fanatical, and Medicham knew they would only retreat when he gave the order. The Dark-types, though, were breaking before Medicham's eyes, many of them turning tail in the face of the rally, and numbers were beginning to tell against the suddenly far more beleaguered Ice-types.

Liepard twisted away from a Rend from Drapion's jaws. "Tranche Vicieuse!" she hissed, but Drapion had already twisted himself. "Slam!" His massive tail drove straight into Liepard, sending her tumbling ungainly across the ground. Drapion lunged forwards. "Inject!" he growled, raising an arm and slamming it down onto her body, sinking his claws in as he did so.

Liepard looked up. Drapion met her gaze with a glare. "Give up," he snarled.

Liepard smiled. "You actually went and asked me?" she asked. "Je suis flatté…I'm almost inclined to accept."

Drapion's growl was audible even across the still-ongoing battle.

"And quite strong, too," Liepard noted. "Yes…vous êtes parfait." Medicham could see, from the telltale purple glow around Drapion's claws, that the poison was entering Liepard's body, but she didn't seem all too bothered as she held Drapion's gaze. Slowly, she shifted her head to the side, driving her cheek against Drapion's arm and sliding it upwards, a grin on her face.

Drapion growled and thrust his arm to the side, tossing Liepard away.

She landed on her feet, gaze still locked on Drapion. "Oh, why do they all play so hard-to-get?" she purred.

"Liepard!" Abomasnow roared from the center of the battle as he sent an omnidirectional blast of Grass energy out in all directions, driving his three opponents back momentarily. "Quit fooling around and assist me!"

Liepard's eyes narrowed as she glared towards Abomasnow. "I think not," she said. "Dark-types, retreat. This battle is no longer tenable."

"No!" Abomasnow raged, but it was too late. The few Dark-types still fighting broke and ran, melting into the forest in all directions. The Grass/Ice-type Pokemon looked around wildly, but as he saw his Ice-types faltering all across the clearing he let out a sigh. "Retreat!" he ordered.

Medicham raised her voice. "Let them go!" she called to the rest of the team as she saw Boulder and Dugtrio doing the same. Once the retreat was called, the battle was over; that had been standard procedure for this war from the start, and Medicham was grateful to see that even with the addition of the Dark-types, that procedure was still in place.

Liepard's grin returned as she looked back towards Drapion. "So, mon am-"

Drapion let out an enraged bellow that silenced Liepard completely. "Get out," he snarled. Liepard smirked as she turned and bolted into the trees, the last of the enemies to disappear from sight.

As she did, Boulder sagged with relief. "Thank Arceus," said the Graveler, turning towards Medicham. "Meditite…Medicham…it's good to have you back."

"I'm not here for good," said Medicham. "Just thought…" She swallowed, her throat thick as she remembered how resistant she'd been to returning here, how close she'd come to not intervening in this fight at all. "Just thought I'd visit some old friends."

"And I think we're all glad you did," said Boulder. "That Liepard…no idea where she came from, but she just showed up a month ago and everything went to Distortion. We've been having to give ground for weeks."

"We think she's a Trained Pokemon," said Dugtrio, shifting up to Boulder's side. "Or at least used to be. Speaking of…how's life as one of those?"

"Not…not as bad as I'd expected," said Medicham. She took a quick glance around at the rest of her team.

Kriesh seemed to get the message. "All right, let's spread out, help the wounded." The rest of the team obeyed, moving to assist the nearest injured and leaving Medicham, Boulder, and Dugtrio in the center of the clearing.

"Boulder?" Medicham asked. "Do you remember the day I came here?"

The Graveler snorted. "Do I ever," he said. "You came on the very same day the river burst its banks. Damn Absols. To be honest, some of the others thought that Absol had brought you here. That you'd bring bad luck because of it. Once you showed us how strong you were, those rumors stopped flying pretty quick."

Medicham sighed, guilt raging in her mind. Should she tell him the truth? That she hadn't come by choice? That the Heralds had, in fact, brought her here, and that the flood prediction was used as a cover for their arrival?

With a heavy heart, she saw the relief in the eyes of the locals and realized she couldn't.

"Why?" Dugtrio asked.

"Just reliving old memories," said Medicham.

"So," said Boulder. "Your team. Pretty strong squad, from the looks of it. I recognize the Drapion. Tribe of Skorupi and Drapion tried to move in here a while ago, called themselves the 'Sharpclaw Swarm'. Didn't stick. Something about the 'Swarmlord' catching up with them. They moved on after a couple weeks."

"And I'm pretty sure that's a Trevenant," said Dugtrio with a bit of a shiver. "What are you doing with one of those?"

"Trevenant's a lot nicer than they look," Medicham defended.

"What about the rest?" Boulder asked.

Medicham pointed. "That up there is Kriesh. She's a Fearow. That over there is Cloyster. He's an Ice-type, but don't worry, he's nice as well. That's Houndoom, next to the cluster over there."

"That was impressive."

"And that's Kamado," Medicham finished, pointing to where the Tyrunt had just stepped out of the bushes, eyes scanning the clearing. "He's a Tyrunt. He's…not from around here."

"Well, your friends are all welcome," said Boulder. "How long are you staying, anyway?"

"Not long," said Medicham. "My Trainer's given us only a couple hours."

Dugtrio sighed. "Must be rough, having to concede to all your Trainer's wishes."

"Sometimes," Medicham admitted. "But Marcus is a pretty good Trainer. Not like Ekans's old Trainer. Where is Ekans, anyway?"

Dugtrio and Boulder sighed. "She…she left. Once Liepard and her Dark-types showed up, she abandoned ship. She wasn't the only one, but…she was the one that hurt the most."

Medicham sighed as well, remembering how she'd always loved to listen to the Poison-type Pokemon's stories.

"Enough melancholy!" Boulder raised his voice. "I think it's safe to say that we owe Medicham and her team a debt! They've only got a couple hours, so let's make them count!"

Cheers and agreements came from around the clearing. Medicham looked embarrassedly at Kriesh and received a shrug in return.

"Come, Medicham," said Boulder, clapping a rocky hand on her back and making her wince in pain. "Let us celebrate our accomplishments and your temporary return!"

And so, fifteen minutes later, the team was ensconced in the Geodudes' main cave being treated to the biggest celebration the locals could throw. Medicham couldn't deny that she had missed this. She'd been treated as a hero before by the locals, and so she was used to it to an extent, but the clear surprise and wonder of the rest of the team as the locals practically tripped over each other offering them the finest berries and the clearest water was a sight to behold.

Especially Kamado, who was being given the same treatment despite not actually fighting at all. The Tyrunt glanced uneasily at Medicham as several Digletts crowded around him, working together to hold up an entire branch covered in Oran Berries.

Medicham glanced back and mouthed 'Just go with it'. Kamado shrugged, bent down, and bit off half the branch along with the attached Oran Berries, much to the mirth of the Digletts.

Medicham stifled a chuckle as she relaxed against the side of a fairly comfortable seat formed mostly of dirt. Yes, she had missed this.

It was even enough to drive her worse memories of this forest from her mind for about an hour.

But at length, two hours had crept up, and regretfully Medicham was forced to say her goodbyes. Boulder and Dugtrio were sad to see her go again, but accepted that her Trainer's will was her Trainer's will. Dugtrio began to mutter again about Trainers and Ekans, but Boulder quickly ushered him away, allowing the team to depart.

"That was fun!" Cloyster exclaimed. "Seriously, we have to go back there sometime!"

"Agreed," said Houndoom. "Why'd you not want to come back?"

Just like that, those unwanted memories flooded back into Medicham's mind. "I…it's not like I didn't want to come back," she half-lied. "I just…wanted us to stay safe. What if one of us had gotten hurt in that?"

"Do ya really have that little faith?" Drapion growled.

"That Liepard hit you pretty hard, didn't she?" Medicham asked.

"In more ways than one," Trevenant added.

Drapion shot a withering glare at Trevenant as he responded, "Ah'm fine. Just got caught off guard. Nothin' ah couldn't handle."

Medicham sighed and shook her head as she continued to walk, taking the straightest path towards where she knew the path to the house lay. A Pokemon who had not lived here for three years might have gotten lost, but she knew the forest well. She could fairly easily make it to the path from here. She-

Medicham stopped short. Kamado, following behind, bumped softly into her leg. The rest of the team stopped as well.

"Please tell me we are not lost," the Tyrunt stated emphatically.

Medicham did not respond. Her eyes were locked firmly on the clearing they had just walked into.

More importantly, on the massive, snow-covered stump in the center.

Kriesh raised her voice. "Medicham, how do we get to the path from here?"

Medicham barely heard herself speak. "Straight ahead. Just straight ahead."

"Drapion, can you lead the rest of the team to the path?" Kriesh asked. "Wait for Medicham and I there. We won't be long."

"What's wrong?" Cloyster asked.

"Memories," said Kriesh shortly. "Go."

With a few concerned glances, Drapion and the rest of the team absconded back into the undergrowth. Medicham remained where she was, gaze locked firmly on that stump.

Kriesh's wing brushed onto her back. "Medicham." The Fearow's voice was firm and yet kind. "Can we sit for a moment?"

"Where?" Medicham asked.

"On the stump is fine," said Kriesh.

Slowly, jerkily, as if someone else was puppeting her strings, Medicham stepped over to the stump and sat down on it. By now, she was tall enough that her feet could touch the ground even from here. Kriesh perched beside her, talons crunching on the wood and snow.

"Medicham-" Kriesh began.

"Can we just sit?" Medicham asked. "I…"

She didn't finish her sentence, but Kriesh fell silent anyway. The Fearow's wing settled across her back again, warm in the chilly air. The two sat, silent, Medicham's mind in turmoil. A revulsion was building up in her stomach and she felt as if she were about to vomit.

She leaned back, taking in gulps of air and pointedly looking away from the snow brushing the ground. The revulsion settled back down and she let out a sigh. "All right," she said. "I…I'm sorry, Kriesh. I shouldn't have come here, I shouldn't have forced you to stay-"

"Medicham, you didn't force me to stay," said Kriesh. "I chose to stay. I know…I know this place holds…memories for you."

Medicham swallowed again and looked back down at the ground.

"But listen to me," Kriesh urged. "That was three years ago. You can't be afraid of a place because of something that happened there. Do you think I'm afraid of Quinn's old house?"

"Yes," said Medicham.

Kriesh chuckled harshly. "Fair enough. But…I'm not. Because I know that whatever happened to me there, it's not like it's the house's fault, is it?"

"No," said Medicham.

"And it's not like Team Rocket's there anymore, is it?"

"No," said Medicham.

"So," said Kriesh, "you don't have to be afraid of this clearing. The Heralds aren't here anymore. Got that?"

"Yes," said Medicham.

"Good," said Kriesh. "Let's go. Any longer and we'll miss the window, and I don't want to…"

Medicham didn't hear the rest of Kriesh's sentence.

Her eyes had traveled up from the ground as Kriesh spoke, and they had met another pair of eyes. A pair of eyes that entrapped her own and forced them to stay locked. Medicham could not hear Kriesh, could not hear the sounds of the forest, could not hear anything but a rush of air, building and building until it flowed madly through her ears, enshrouding everything else.

Medicham stood slowly, her eyes remaining locked on the pair of bright red eyes belonging to the Absol standing on the opposite end of the clearing.

She became aware that Kriesh had stopped talking. She knew that Kriesh had seen the Absol, too. That this was no illusion, no trick of the mind.

The Absol smiled. "Hello, Spirit," she said. "It's been a while."

Medicham's glare bored straight into the eyes of Bringer-Of-Visions. She knew it was her. She remembered that mockingly calm voice, that dangerous undercurrent in her tone, that slowness with which she delivered her words.

Every fiber of her being screamed at Medicham to run, but her legs wouldn't obey her. And even if she did run, Bringer-Of-Visions would simply catch up, or there would be another Herald waiting in the bushes just like last time. She remained frozen, unable to do anything but stare with horror-filled eyes at the calm-looking Absol.

This can't be happening.

"Who are you?" Kriesh snarled.

"If Spirit's told you about this place," said Bringer-Of-Visions, "then I think you already know the answer to that."

Wrath flickered across Kriesh's face. Her wings swept into the air, unleashing a blast of Flying energy to the sides, a standard intimidation display. "You stay away from her."

Bringer-Of-Visions took a step closer, her mouth affixed in a smirk. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Kriesh," she said. "Spirit knows the rules. She knows I cannot allow you to know of us. You won't lose too much. Just the memories of us. I'd just let it happen if I were you. It'll be far less painful that way."

Kriesh hurled herself forwards with an enraged cry of "Earth Impact!" Bringer-Of-Visions split into several copies, all of whom leaped at the oncoming Kriesh. Medicham tried to join her friend, but her legs still would not move. She watched, helplessly, as the Fearow and the Absol lunged at one another, Kriesh's beak glowing with Ground energy and Bringer-Of-Visions already split into eight.

"Sniper!" Kriesh cried, and instantly she changed direction, arcing towards the Absol second from the left. But Bringer-Of-Visions blurred, and as Kriesh jabbed forwards with her beak, the Absol swayed to the left, allowing Kriesh to dive past her.

"Steel Impact!" Kriesh's wing, arcing towards Bringer-Of-Visions, flared with Steel energy. In a flash Bringer-Of-Visions disappeared into a cloud of darkness. Kriesh sent up a spray of snow as she planted her talons, skidding across the ground. Bringer-Of-Visions materialized to her left, a flurry of Dark-type rays already flying from her mouth. Kriesh was not fast enough to react; the barrage slammed into the Fearow's side, knocking her to the ground. Blood dripped from under her wing.

Medicham's paralysis broke under a surge of anger.

In one smooth motion she was pounding across the clearing. "Pure Power: Aura Blast!" she howled, creating and firing the blast straight at Bringer-Of-Visions. The Absol simply bent to the side, allowing it to fly wide, sending up a spray of earth and snow behind her as Medicham closed the gap between them as fast as she could.

"Pure Power: Aura Strike!" Medicham leaped into the air, hauling her fist back for the most brutal punch she could throw.

Bringer-Of-Visions's horn flared with Dark energy and she jerked it downwards, meeting Medicham's fist with the blade. An explosion sounded as Aura and Dark energy met and both Pokemon held against the other. Medicham, suspended in midair, was the first to break; swiftly, she sprang backwards, landing lightly on the ground. Instantly she came at Bringer-Of-Visions again, another Aura Strike primed.

"Sniper: Beam Impact!" Kriesh had risen from the snow, unheeding of her injury; now she sent a Hyper Beam streaming from her beak, aiming it away from Medicham before using Sniper to curve it towards Bringer-Of-Visions. But the Absol simply disappeared in a cloud of darkness once again. Medicham had to tap into Aura Dodge to avoid the Beam Impact, the Aura across her fist fading uselessly.

Bringer-Of-Visions reappeared on the left side of the clearing. "You know, I-"

"Pure Power: Aura Blast Barrage!"

The Absol lunged forwards, body blurring as she did so. Medicham's Aura Blasts exploded against the ground or surrounding trees as Bringer-Of-Visions twisted and bent and jerked, untouched by any of the attacks. "Flurry Impact!" Kriesh cried, unleashing several rays of Dark energy. Then the Fearow hurled herself forwards, wings beating strongly and fury flaring in her eyes.

Bringer-Of-Visions scarcely turned her head. Her own barrage of Dark-type rays flew from her mouth, meeting and dispersing Kriesh's even as she continued towards Medicham, still avoiding every Aura Blast she flung. Her horn flared again, seeming to double in length as she swiped it downwards, aiming at Medicham's left leg.

"Pure Power: Aura Sweep!" Medicham cried, covering the leg in a barrier of Aura and swinging it upwards to meet Bringer-Of-Visions' horn. Aura and Dark energy exploded against one another again. Medicham let the impact propel her into a spin, unleashing a swift flying Aura-enhanced kick at the Absol's head with her right leg.

Bringer-Of-Visions ducked smoothly and slashed upwards. Medicham's right leg exploded with pain.

"Sky Impact!" Kriesh cried, but again Bringer-Of-Visions disappeared into shadows, avoiding the Fearow's attack. This time she reappeared atop the stump. Medicham fell to the ground, clutching her right leg, trying not to look at the deep gash that Bringer-Of-Visions had slashed into it.

Bringer-Of-Visions sighed softly. "Spirit, this is-"

"Sniper: Beam Impact!" Again Bringer-Of-Visions broke off her words. This time, her horn flared with Dark energy once again and she twisted to face the incoming Hyper Beam. Bringer-Of-Visions slashed down as it reached her. The Hyper Beam split lengthwise, both halves flying past Bringer-Of-Visions and exploding against the trees behind her.

But a grimace of pain as Bringer-Of-Visions leaped down from the stump told Medicham that the stunt had not left her completely unscathed. Medicham forced herself to rise, hope flaring in her heart once again.

She was hurt. They could win this.

Kriesh dove forwards, and Bringer-Of-Visions leaped to meet her. She split into half a dozen copies as she lunged. All of their horns glowed with Dark energy.

"Sniper!" Kriesh cried. "Sky Impact!"

Instantly she twisted towards the leftmost Absol and dove forwards. Bringer-Of-Visions met Kriesh's beak with her horn. A loud clang sounded as the two impacted. The five doubles lunged at Kriesh's right side in perfect synchronicity. Medicham cried out in warning, but too late; five horns flashed and five deep symmetric gashes opened on Kriesh's body.

Kriesh staggered, twisting wildly as she did so, but Bringer-Of-Visions slipped out of the way. A flurry of Dark-type rays flew from her mouth, slamming into Kriesh's side, and the Fearow tumbled to the ground, sending up a spray of snow as she did so. "Pure Power: Aura Blast Barrage!" Medicham cried. A spray of Aura Blasts flew from her hands, slamming into the five copies and dispersing them into clouds of energy. Bringer-Of-Visions lunged forwards, sprinting out of the way of more Aura Blasts. Snow and earth erupted into showers as blast after blast narrowly missed the darting form of the powerful Absol.

"Flurry Impact!" Kriesh bellowed. But as the seeking rays came streaming from her beak, Bringer-Of-Visions disappeared in a cloud of shadows once more.

Medicham twisted. She knew Bringer-Of-Visions would emerge next to one of them. An Aura Blast arose in her left hand as she crouched, readying herself to pounce or throw.

The air rippled to her right.

Medicham spun, flinging the Aura Blast at the emerging Bringer-Of-Visions. The Absol's eyes widened and she flung herself to the side, body blurring with a Detect. But Medicham was already springing forwards, right fist drawn back. "Pure Power: Aura Strike!"

Bringer-Of-Visions' paws touched the snow and she turned her head just in time to see Medicham's fist coming straight for her face. The Absol's horn flared as she twisted, slashing downwards in the blink of an eye. Medicham's fist slammed into Bringer-Of-Visions' horn once more, and once more both held.

The Absol's eyes narrowed. "Enough."

Half a dozen beams of Dark energy flew from her mouth, coalescing into one as they flew, impacting against Medicham's stomach. Medicham staggered, spit flying from her mouth as she broke contact. Bringer-Of-Visions blurred forwards. Her horn slashed down straight at Medicham's chest. "Psychic Dodge!" Medicham cried, hurling herself sideways.

She wasn't quite fast enough.

Pain exploded across her left side as Bringer-Of-Visions' horn sprayed blood across the ground. Kriesh cried out in fury and horror. Medicham fell as if in slow motion, striking the ground with a hollow thud. Bringer-Of-Visions raised her head, her blood-soaked horn glinting in the sunlight.

"Sniper: Beam Impact!" Kriesh howled.

Bringer-Of-Visions twisted to face the incoming beam of energy. Medicham saw her horn flaring with Dark energy as she crouched, readying herself to slice the beam apart as she had the last one.

No. I won't let you do this. Not again.

Medicham lunged forwards, not with Aura or even a proper strike. Her hand clamped around Bringer-Of-Visions' leg and tugged. The Absol grunted in surprise, trying to maintain her footing. Her horn swayed as the beam came in. Kriesh adjusted in response, tapping into her Sniper Ability. The beam shifted, curving almost imperceptibly. Bringer-Of-Visions' horn slash missed, ripping through nothing but air as the Beam Impact twisted back and slammed into her side.

The Absol let out a shriek of pain as the Beam Impact picked her up and carried her bodily across the clearing. Medicham let her arm fall back to the ground limply as Bringer-Of-Visions struck a large tree and disappeared in an explosion of energy. The tree splintered but did not fall under the impact.

The silence as the cloud of snow and energy slowly dissipated was deafening. Medicham's right leg and left side throbbed with pain, stinging even worse in the cold air, and she knew from the pain that even standing would be next to impossible. Kriesh rose, blood matting her feathers, breathing heavily and shakily as she glared at the slowly fading cloud.

Two blood-red eyes opened, and Bringer-Of-Visions stepped slowly from the cloud. The Absol's fur was badly ruffled, but she still moved steadily and with confidence. Her gaze was fixed on Kriesh, eyes glinting as she eyed the Fearow.

The look in Bringer-Of-Visions' eyes was terrifying. Before there had been calm, mixed with hints of anger as the fight went on. Now the blood-red eyes were utterly devoid of emotion. Medicham felt a chill run over her as she saw the Absol's expression, a chill that she knew did not come from the cold.

Somehow, as Medicham looked into those eyes, she realized that all this time, throughout this entire fight, Bringer-Of-Visions had been holding back.

And now she was done.

The Absol's form blurred as she split into five, ten, twenty copies, multiplying across the clearing, entrapping Kriesh in a circle of illusionary Absols. The Fearow let fly with a Flurry Impact. Four copies disintegrated into nothingness, but sixteen still remained, and all of them lunged forwards, horns glowing black, slamming the circle shut.

Kriesh leaped upwards, wings beating strongly. The copies dissipated as they reached the center, leaving only one Absol behind. Bringer-Of-Visions glared up at Kriesh. The Fearow twisted in midair, shifting so that her beak was facing downwards. "Sniper: Beam Impa-"

Bringer-Of-Visions disappeared in another flash of darkness and reappeared right next to Kriesh. Kriesh was completely unprepared. Her left wing erupted in a spray of blood and feathers as Bringer-Of-Visions' horn, propelled both by gravity and a twist of the Absol's head, ripped right through it. Kriesh screamed in agony. Bringer-Of-Visions dematerialized once again, reappearing on the ground as Kriesh, her ruined wing unable to keep her in the air, plunged uncontrollably towards the ground.

Medicham summoned an Aura Blast in one hand, all she could really do without standing, and sent it flying straight at Bringer-Of-Visions. The Absol didn't even give it a glance, simply bending out of the way, allowing it to fly into a tree as Kriesh slammed into the ground. Red-washed snow sprayed into the air.

Medicham froze. Her fist, glowing blue with Aura, faded to its normal color as horror filled her body.

There was nothing she could do. It was happening again, and there was nothing she could do.

Bringer-Of-Visions dematerialized again. Kriesh's Flurry Impact struck nothing but earth and snow as the Absol reappeared on top of the Fearow. One paw slammed down, shoving Kriesh's head into the ground. Her horn began to glow, but not with Dark energy like usual. Instead, Psychic energy began to form across it, illuminating the black horn in a soft purple color.

Psychic. Energy of the mind.

"No..." Medicham whispered. "No, no, no, no, no..."

Kriesh's furious shrieks were muffled by the earth as Bringer-Of-Visions, keeping her pinned down regardless of her struggling, began to lower her head, Psychic energy-covered horn arcing towards Kriesh's forehead.

"No!" Medicham reached out a pleading hand, barely holding back tears. "Stop! Please!"

Bringer-Of-Visions paused. Kriesh at once attempted to jerk upwards, but the Absol's grip was firm and she did not give under the sudden heave.

"Please..." Medicham stared straight into Bringer-Of-Visions' bright red eyes. "Don't do this..."

"Why?" Bringer-Of-Visions asked. "Why shouldn't I?"

Medicham felt a tear slide down her face as the Absol's gaze filled with scorn.

"Do you think your opinion matters to me, Spirit?" Bringer-Of-Visions asked. "Do you think you matter to me? All you are is a tool. A puppet. One of your strings has snapped, and I'm here to replace it. That's all this is. Talk all you want, beg all you want, it. Doesn't. Matter. This isn't about your petty little Gym Badges or League Tournaments. This is about something much bigger than you could possibly comprehend. So tell me, Spirit, why should I let you keep your memories? Risk ruining anonymity we've kept for a thousand years for the sake of a worthless little puppet?"

Medicham felt despair strike her like a tide, crushing her, drowning her. Bringer-Of-Visions was right. There was nothing she could say or do. She'd failed. Just like last time, she'd failed.

"Then again..."

Medicham's eyes snapped back up to Bringer-Of-Visions, still keeping a firm hold on the struggling Kriesh.

"I suppose," the Absol said, "there is one thing you could do. Tell me, Spirit, what are you willing to do to keep your memories?"

"...anything..." Medicham whispered.

"Louder," Bringer-Of-Visions insisted.

Ignoring Kriesh's muffled snarls, Medicham raised her voice. "I'll do anything," she said, surprised at how steadily it came out.

Bringer-Of-Visions smiled. A taunting, predatory, triumphant smile. "If you want to keep your memories," she said, "then you have to follow my every instruction. Take every step I tell you to take. And you must not, under any circumstances, tell anyone about anything you are about to hear. Is that understood?"

Medicham nodded desperately.

"Good." Bringer-Of-Visions' smile grew wider. The purple glow receded from her horn as she stepped off Kriesh, finally allowing the Fearow to rise to her feet. Kriesh's expression was filled with rage, but defeat lay in her eyes and she made no move to strike.

"Now," said Bringer-Of-Visions, "do either of you know anything about the inner workings of Time?"

Medicham and Kriesh shook their heads.

"Time," said Bringer-Of-Visions, "is like an infinitely large tree. The trunk of the tree is known as the Prime Timeline. The Prime Timeline takes every possible divergence that could ever be initiated, and encompasses the most likely possibility to come out of each divergence. The remaining, less likely possibilities are shunted off to the side like branches off the main trunk. Those remaining possibilities are known as Alternate Timelines. Alternate Timelines are quite dangerous; a minor change or two could snowball into a vastly different future. Our Master had devoted himself to protecting Time, and we swore an oath to aid him in that endeavor. And so, originally, the purpose of the Heralds was to keep Time stable. Our role was, firstly, to prune the branches, removing possibilities that would shunt Time onto an Alternate Timeline, and if an Alternate Timeline was followed we would make changes of our own so that Time would revert back to the Prime Timeline. Secondly, we would protect Time against those who sought to create their own Alternate Timelines. These forcibly created Alternate Timelines are known as Splinter Timelines, and they are easily the worst possible type of Timeline. An Alternate Timeline can be changed fairly easily, but a Splinter Timeline, most of the time, takes quite a bit of effort to repair once created. All of this was done without taking an active role in events. For anyone who knew anything about us could potentially, accidentally or not, create a Splinter Timeline."

Bringer-Of-Visions hesitated for a moment, glanced around, then continued. "Five years ago, though, our mission changed. For I received a vision from our Master, a vision of fire, of ruin, of death. Of Armageddon, the complete and total destruction of the world. We looked in all other timelines, but all ended the same way. From that very moment, in 100% of all timelines, Prime or Alternate, the world would be destroyed. But we refused to accept that. And so, where once we meant to stop others from creating Splinter Timelines, now we are endeavoring to create a Splinter Timeline of our own, manipulating the destinies of hundreds, even thousands to create a timeline where Armageddon does not come to pass."

The Absol paused, allowing her words to sink in. "You, Spirit, along with your Trainer and your friend Skorupi, are three of the beings whose destinies we have manipulated. You, Kriesh, know how Marcus saved your flock from Team Flare. In the original Prime Timeline, this battle went differently. You and your flock were stolen away, along with Marcus's existing team, while Marcus returned home and never went on a Pokemon journey again. We realized that manipulating events to have him avoid that fight would deny him vital development as a Trainer and therefore end in disaster, but if he could win that fight, his destiny could be quite easily shaped afterwards. And so we had to put together a team for him that could win that fight. With his existing Shellder, along with you two and Skorupi, he had an 84.66% of victory. We decided to go with it; worst-case scenario, it didn't work and we'd move on. Thankfully, it did."

Bringer-Of-Visions stopped, looking between the other two Pokemon. As the tale sunk in, Medicham looked over at Kriesh. The Fearow's face had paled and she was trembling, breathing hard and fast, her eyes squeezed shut.

"That is the story," said Bringer-Of-Visions. "That is the reason for all of this. Now, though, it is time for instructions. You know of Betrayer-Of-Kin. She is a former Herald who has renounced her oath to our Master and now seeks to ensure Armageddon comes to pass. To that end, she has slain twenty-six Trainers and thirty-four Pokemon. And, as you know, she has already made two attempts on your life. Both failed, but not by our doing. The presence of the Lifebringer in Coumarine was pure luck, and in Geosenge, it was only Seeker-Of-Endings's accidental presence that saved Marcus from Betrayer-Of-Kin's second attempt. The data from these two attempts is conclusive; a Herald needs to be positioned closer to Marcus."

"So why not just put one on our team?" Kriesh asked.

Bringer-Of-Visions sighed. "I've been asked that before, even by other Heralds. Firstly, it was because of superstition. Serena's team at the time was a calm Meowstic who could take the arrival of an Absol in stride and a Braixen who had been raised in a lab and did not really understand the stories of Absols. You all, on the other hand, would not have taken too kindly to an Absol. Secondly, Marcus only had a 34.54% chance of actually catching an Absol if he encountered it, compared to Serena's 96.7% chance. And thirdly, putting an Absol on the same team as a Pokemon who has had their memory altered runs the risk of causing spontaneous memory recall due to unintentional long-term association."

Bringer-Of-Visions paused briefly before resuming her speech. "But I digress. As I was saying, a Herald needs to be positioned closer to Marcus. Thankfully, it just so happens that Marcus is attempting to open a Dark-type Gym. So, these are my instructions; you will convince Marcus to travel to Alola and recruit Serena as one of his Gym Trainers, thereby giving Seeker-Of-Endings a position in close proximity to him. If Serena is rendered unavailable due to other circumstances, you will alert Marcus of an Unovan named Kipp and a Kalosian named Magnus, both of whom have a Herald on their team and would be acceptable substitutes. In telling Marcus of these Trainers, you must not let him know that you received the information from me. There will be other instructions later. Follow these to my satisfaction, and you will be allowed to keep your memories. Is that understood?"

"The way I see it," Kriesh growled, "if we refuse, you'll just wipe our memories and send us to do that anyway."

Bringer-Of-Visions's smile, if possible, grew even wider. "Yes, that would be correct."

White-hot fury rose to Medicham's mind, but self-preservation forced it back down. She saw Kriesh looking to her and nodded, slowly and reluctantly. "Then we consent."

"Very good," said Bringer-Of-Visions. "With that, I believe I have kept you long enough. Good luck on your mission, Spirit. I look forward to seeing you again in the future."

The Absol's white fur disappeared amidst the snow and thickly-clustered tree trunks. Medicham stared after her for a few moments. Then she collapsed to the ground on hands and knees and vomited onto the snow, unable to hold the contents of her stomach in.

"Medicham!" Kriesh, uncaring of her wounds, was at Medicham's side in an instant. "Are you okay? Did she-"

"No…" Medicham choked out. "I'm fine…I can walk."

Kriesh spread out her non-ruined wing and allowed Medicham to grasp it with her right arm. Medicham stood shakily, trying to ignore the pain in her left leg as she set it down, but with the fight over it burned like fire and she nearly fell down again.

She looked up at the Fearow, still grasping onto her wing to steady herself. "Kriesh?" she asked, her voice coming out small and terrified. "This is...this is so much bigger than..." She took in a deep, gasping breath. "What do we do now?"

Kriesh sighed sadly. "There's not much else we can do but what she told us to," she said.

"I hate it," Medicham growled.

"So do I," said Kriesh. "But it's not like we've got a choice."

Medicham clenched her fists in fury. No choice. Just like always.

"Medicham, look at me."

Medicham did so, meeting Kriesh's eyes and holding her gaze. "We're alive," the Fearow said. "And we've still got our memories. That has to count for something, right?"

"And in exchange I have to take orders from the Absol who stole my entire life from me." Medicham dug her fingers into her palms, ignoring the pain that resulted.

Kriesh shifted her wing, wrapping it around Medicham's body in a tight embrace. "Stop hurting yourself," she said. "It won't help. Listen to me, Medicham. Forget that Absol, forget the...the end of the damn world and focus on me, all right?"

"All right." Medicham slowly unclenched her fists.

For a few more moments they stood as Medicham leaned into Kriesh, trying to calm herself, force the raging torrent of fear to subside. She breathed in, then out, feeling the chill of the air in her mouth.

"Let's go," said Kriesh. "The others will be waiting for us. We'll get these wounds treated, and in the morning we can talk to Marcus."

Medicham nodded. Kriesh withdrew her wing, allowing Medicham to grasp it once more. With Medicham leaning on Kriesh for support, the two Pokemon stepped slowly from the clearing, neither one daring to look back.

Bringer-Of-Visions watched the two depart from a tight cluster of trees, almost invisible in the copse. She was confident that she had been unseen, but even so, she waited until they had disappeared into the trees opposite her hiding place before speaking. "I trust that was satisfactory, Master?"

"Indeed." A voice arose in her head like a plume of smoke seeping into an enclosed room. "You have done well, Bringer-Of-Visions. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you, Master." At that, the voice retreated, leaving Bringer-Of-Visions alone in the snowy forest.

Bringer-Of-Visions sighed, taking in the cold air and the smell of snow and tree sap mixed with hints of blood. Then the Absol turned and walked into the forest, leaving the scarlet-spattered clearing behind her.

First part of the Recruitment Arc will be posted on January 1st. I won't deny, the break was relaxing. I also won't deny that I missed this. Hopefully, such long breaks won't be taking place in the future.

Also as promised, once I get into the actual Recruitment Arc, I will be reducing my update schedule to every four days.

Finally, while I don't anticipate this becoming too much of a problem, I do have an upcoming Winter Break vacation in the very near future. I think I'll have Wifi, but just so you know, if I don't have a regular update during early January, that's the reason.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy Season 2 of Through Their Eyes! Please do review; I always enjoy reading your comments and feedback!