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Chapter 12: Preparations

"We didn't plan this out well, did we?"

Alex and Caleb stared into the job room, filled to the door with Pokémon of all shapes and sizes. The tremendous bustle of Pokémon pushed each other, ripping papers off the board and carrying them to the registration desk as yet more listings were carried in and pinned in replacements. It was the morning job rush, which Alex and Caleb had avoided for the last month by virtue of going to classes instead.

"Should we wait for it to slow down a little?" Alex asked. Caleb was stocky, but he wasn't tall or big enough to push through the tight crowds. It would only take one misstep from a Rillaboom or other big Pokémon to get trampled.

"I don't know. I think most of the good jobs will be taken by then, and we don't have anything else to do. We've already had breakfast," Caleb said.

"Maybe we can get Murkrow to go over everyone's heads and pick something out. We wanted him to come if we chose a rescue mission anyways. Wasn't he right behind us as we left the cafeteria?" Alex said.

"Yeah! Let's get him real quick!" Caleb said, rushing towards the front entrance. But all he could see was a few dark spots in the sky as Flying Pokémon performed their surveying and delivering duties. Caleb turned around to see Alex carefully sliding around Pokémon, holding tightly to his spoon that protected everyone around him from headaches.

"Well... that didn't work. Hey, what if we kept planning for our mission to Uxie? Was there anything else you could think of?" Caleb asked.

"Um, I know we came up with a lot of ideas, but we don't really know what it will cost. We also need to find a ferry service up there. I'm also not really sure what kinds of towns or villages are on the way; I only know the roads that we should use." Alex said.

"That's a good idea. We can talk to the shops in town to see what supplies they recommend that we don't have already. I'll ask about supplies, and you can find out about enchanted equipment that we might be able to afford down at the Drake's Emporium."

"I can do that, I think. As long as Zweilous doesn't try giving me half the things on the shelves," Alex said. "Let's meet back here at the crossroads when we're done, and we can figure out what we're doing this afternoon."

Alex wandered the aisles of the Drake's Emporium, looking at all the enchanted items that were sold. Alex was very familiar with the tall stack of Escape Orbs, though he couldn't pick out his own handiwork with the identical runes on each one. Next to them were Petrify and Slumber Orbs; very useful if one was surrounded. One of those would be a very good investment for emergencies- like if he had a feral Rattata gnawing at his throat. There were wands, too: powerfully imbued sticks of wood that could point out the stairs in a dungeon, cause a harmful effect on a foe, or change a Mystery Dungeon in specific ways. They were more compact than Orbs, but had narrower effects. Alex was on a budget and wasn't sure if it was worth spending Poké on them.

On the other wall there was the enchanted equipment: Bows to increase attack power, scarves to ward off poison or confusion, bows to increase a Pokémon's growth rate; the enhancements were only limited by the imagination. Near this aisle was a sign: "Custom items created on commission. Please speak to Enchantresses Altaria or Zweilous for inquiries." Alex had seen one or two of them made. If one gave up some part of themselves, like a nail or hair, the item could be bound to the species or even individual in question, granting much more potent effects. But the runes and experience needed to do so was far beyond Alex's current understanding.

Altaria was running the desk this morning. Alex approached her to ask about the items he was thinking of getting.

"Oh, Ab– Kadabra. I was wondering if you would be returning here after graduation. Will you be working for us this morning?" she asked.

"Not right now, but I'll probably come later. Me and my partner will be making a long trip soon, and we were looking for what kinds of things we would need. We might have some tough battles, so I wanted to know what items a starting team might use."

"Of course. You're not the first new team to look for enchanted equipment. Since you're just starting out, focus on the basics. A few choice Orbs for emergencies, and one or two pieces of equipment to enhance certain attributes. Some choose to expand on strengths, and others mitigate weaknesses. Ultimately, it's up to preference. But in my opinion..." Altaria plucked two scarves off the shelves, "Improving your defense is a priority for your species. And I believe that your partner is a Machop? A scarf that increases his attack power can make it easier to fight foes." Altaria placed the two scarves on the table

"Since you are an apprentice here, I can offer a discount; if you continue to work at least five hours a day in our workshop, we can give you half off. Or, if you work here full days, it's possible that we can show you how to make your own. Full-time workers are given time, training, and materials to create their own items after their assignments are completed."

"Um... wow, that's generous. Thank you. I'll talk with my partner, and I'll decide before I come back this afternoon." Alex said.

He left the Drake's Emporium with a list of prices written down on a slip of paper and made his way into the marketplace. Several stalls called out to him, urging Alex to eat their food, or buy a fashionable accessory, or try some product guaranteed to make his moves stronger. But Sergeant Rime had recommended a particular Pokémon for travel supplies, so Alex kept searching, trying not to hit anyone with his huge tail while still keeping a tight grip on his spoon.

After weaving through the crowd, Alex found the Pokémon he was looking for. A hulking Tangrowth towered over everyone and guarded a series of shelves behind him, spread with all types of gear. Customers would talk to him, and masses of vines would pluck the requested items off the shelves and give them to the customer, all without Tangrowth saying a word. Soon, it was Alex's turn.

"Um, I'm going to be traveling to the northern islands of the Sand Continent. What kinds of things should I bring?" Tangrowth pointed a vine to the bag on Alex's shoulders, the straps finally loosened to fit his new form.

"Um, I have the stuff that the Academy gives all the recruits, but I wasn't sure I needed anything else," Alex said. A vine dropped a bundle of cloth, rope, and sticks in front of him, and pointed to a sign that said, 'tents' with a list of prices and options ranging from "single small Pokémon" to "3x3 meters with temperature enchantments".

"Um, I'm not sure if I have enough," Alex said, digging through the coin pouch on the side of his bag. The vine shot out, grabbed the bundle and put it back in the shelf in the time it took Alex to blink. Tangrowth looked at the next customer in line, done with the conversation.

Alex noted the price that had been pointed at, then ducked out as a Fenniken started asking about rock climbing equipment.

What else did they need? Food was a necessity, as they couldn't depend on finding edible plants or berries on the way. And the idea of killing a Pokémon for food, even a pure feral from a dungeon, made his stomach churn. His shipping done, Alex headed towards the crossroads to wait for Caleb. But as he passed the craftsmon shop, he saw the Pokémon he had been dreading to meet.

"You! Human! I challenge you to a battle!" Monferno called, her tail instantly blazing to the size of her whole body.

Alex backed away. "Um, right here?" he asked. Panic flooded his body, and he felt his power buzzing in his head making his spoon vibrate.

"Not in the street, you idiot. There's a field a block away where we can go without wrecking anything. Oi! Exploud! I'm taking my break!" she yelled back into the shop.

"Don't get yourself so beat up you're stuck in bed for the rest of the day. And be back before noon!" a rumbling voice answered from within.

Satisfied, Monferno jogged into the street,m pushing past the Pokémon in her way. "Come on. And stop flinching at everything. I'm not going to attack you until we get there. Nice and fair, unlike you getting into the Academy. But if you've worked as Machop says, you've earned it, right?"

Psychic energy pulsed painfully in Alex's head, prepared to teleport at a moment's notice. His spoon vibrated, or maybe it was just his hands shaking. Fighting ferals was one thing. But he'd killed healthy ferals in one attack. What kinds of damage would he do against Monferno, who was weak to Psychic? But she'd been training longer than him. She might survive, if brutally injured. On the other hand, her punches hit hard as well. Maybe it would just be best to forget the battle before one of them was dragged to the infirmary with broken bones. Unlike battle class, she would not be holding back, and like the ferals in Sandstone Maze, she was strong enough to severely hurt him.

The battle arena was a bare field, strewn with loose rocks, scorched earth, and other remnants of a hundred battles. A bored-looking Porygon hovered in the air, slowly spinning its legs.

"Do you both consent to this battle?" it said, staring at Alex and Monferno.

"Yes," Monferno said as she scraped the ground smooth under her.

"Um, yes," Alex said, clenching his spoon and holding it in front of him. Porygon stared at Alex for an uncomfortable moment, then accepted his response.

"The standard rules apply. Participants will battle until one is knocked out, or until one forfeits. Is it agreed?"

"Yep," Monferno said as she crouched on all fours, her tail blazing brightly.

Alex held his focus like a weapon, ready to fend off the monkey. "I... I'm ready."

"Then the fight may begin," Porygon said.

Monferno dashed towards Alex with flaming fists. Alex teleported to the opposite side of the arena to dodge her. His energy depleted from the move, but he was safe for a moment. Power buzzed stronger in his mind, waiting for an outlet, screaming at him to let it loose. But Alex didn't want to hurt Monferno, and a Psychic attack could break her bones, or worse. Alex shot off a Hidden Power, but the shadowy orb flew wide as Alex's hands and focus shook.

Without hesitation, Monferno dashed toward him again, breathing fire toward him as her fists glowed white.

Alex dodged to the side, tripping over his too-large tail, and threw another Hidden Power.

"Quit holding back! Fight me like a Pokémon!" Monferno cried as she launched herself towards Alex again. He was too close to dodge again, and his head was battered under a furious assault of fire and fighting energy. Here he was, freezing in battle again, losing a fight he should have won. But Psychic would seriously injure Monferno.

Out of his control, Alex's power reacted, exploding in a purple flash that threw Monferno through the air to hit the bales of straw that lined the arena.

She thumped on the ground, grunting. Monferno stood up slowly, leaning against the wall for support.

Porygon floated over to check for injuries. Monferno held one arm in the other, but she stood upright.

"Gah, you've got power. But you're so weak. It's disgusting that you kept holding back. I hoped that evolution would give you a spine, but you're worse than when you started." Monferno spat blood on the ground. "If you'd led with your actual power, I could respect you. Stay out of my sight." With that, she limped away, stuffing an Oran berry in her mouth on her way out.

"Monferno forfeits. Kadabra wins." Porygon said to no one in particular.

Alex checked himself for injuries. His limbs tingled numbly at the edge of awareness. The spoon rattled in his grasp, sliding out of his sweat-covered hand. Something trickled down his mustache. Alex wiped it away, finding a smear of blood leaking from his nose due to Monfero's punches.

Alex staggered to the side, slowly eating an Oran while his breathing slowed back to normal. The Oran revitalized him, a warm sensation replacing the numbness of shock. There were bruises all over his head, and some minor burns down one side where Monferno's flamethrower had scorched him. He'd tried to hold back, but his power seemed to fight without his consent. If he didn't get control of it soon, he'd hurt somebody. What if Caleb startled him? Would Alex throw him through a wall? Would that be better or worse than doing it to a stranger?

Eventually, Alex's hands stopped twitching. The sun regained its warmth, and Alex mostly recovered from the battle. The sun was nearing its highest point, so it was time to head back to the Drakes' Emporium for another day of carving Orbs. Hopefully, he'd run into Caleb at the crossroads on the way. And avoid Monferno, too. But as he walked back across town, Caleb was nowhere to be seen. Alex looked at the workshop where Caleb was employed, but couldn't see him from the street. With nothing else to do, Alex went to the Drake's Emporium to earn a little bit of Poké.

Without prompting, Alex automatically started carving Escape Orbs like he had been doing for the last month. He had the engraving memorized by this point, having carved dozens of them. What was new, though, was Zweilous calling him aside after dropping it in the crate for inspection.

"Good, Kadabra, we were waiting for you. Lous has been pestering me for a week to teach you to seal the enchantments in Orbs. And now that you can see them, it will be even easier," one of the heads said.

"It was your idea, Zwei! I just want to see how many he'll shatter before he gains the skill to slide the energy in without overwhelming the runes," the other quabbled.

"Um, shatter? They explode if I do it wrong?" Alex asked. Parts of his head still throbbed from his battle.

"Only if you do it poorly. But you can see the flow, yes? Stop before the energy overflows the runes, and it will be trapped inside, until it is used!" Zwei said.

"Um, like an attack? Do you just attack the orb?" Alex asked.

"Nothing so crude. Gather the feeling, the power that you want to place on the object. This is an Escape Orb, so it would be like teleporting yes? But instead of using that power on yourself, transfer it into the Orb. The runes will hold the pattern to be released later," they said.

Alex carefully meditated, focusing on his power. He could feel it swirling around, concentrating into his spoon instead of wildly spreading out. When Alex teleported, he focused on the place he wanted to be, and a flash of power would move him through space to the location. But somehow, he had to transfer the power into the Orb. Alex swirled his power around, trying to coax it out of himself into the orb.

Alex touched his spoon to the orb, seeing the light flow in and around the runes. He thought about escape, of safety, concentrating on teleporting, but moving the power outside of himself, down the spoon.

The moment his energy reached the Orb, the runes flared brighter, siphoning his power into its core. It poured in like water, light splashing around the runes and the center of the Orb. Alex reduced his power so the light flowed instead of splashed.

The last bit of energy Alex had gathered flowed into the Orb, and Alex opened his eyes. Instead of the clear blue orb, the inside was filled with a dusky gray color.

"Good, we knew you could do it. Now you are much more valuable to the Emporium. Anything with a limb can carve the runes, but few have learned the technique to energize them. Psychics always seem to have an affinity for it. But one must be able to use the necessary energy they plan to imbue. One cannot energize a Petrify Orb if they have no paralysis techniques."

"Is that why the light-crystals come in different colors?" Alex asked.

"Hmm, yes. Those run on the same principle. Charging them with Fire-energy gives orange or red light, but most techniques can be used for light. Some colors are more in demand than others. Haven't seen an Aurora Beam powered crystal in a while." Zweilous said offhandedly. She pushed a stack of clear Orbs toward Alex. "We've got a stack of these to get through. Energize at least ten of these. You'll get a bonus for any extra you do. If you still have strength after that, we'll show you how to work a loom for you to make enchanted scarves."

Alex went to work, slowly powering up the runes into functional magical Orbs. It was tiring; every Orb he filled felt like he was teleporting himself. Five Orbs in, Alex realized he didn't have unlimited power. While he had vastly more power than he did as an Abra, he still lacked endurance. If this was any indication of battle prowess, Alex could use several strong attacks, but would lag behind in drawn-out battles. But focusing and exerting himself, Alex managed to finish imbuing power into the blank Escape Orbs. He had to take a break halfway through to regain his energy. But he staggered out of the workshop, remembering the pervasive tiredness that had accompanied him as an Abra.

It was late afternoon, and the sun was nearing the horizon. Alex checked the crossroads one last time on the way back to the Academy, and met Caleb right as he approached.

Caleb ran up to Alex and hugged him. "Monferno told me about the battle. You're not hurt, are you? She was looking for a fight, and I think that's just the first excuse she could find."

Alex leaned into Caleb and found comfort in his strong muscles and friendship. If nothing else, Caleb always stood by him.

"Um, I'm okay. I had an Oran berry. But how was Monferno? Was she still hurt? She was limping really bad when she left." Alex said.

"Well, if anything she's more mad than before. But she can't just attack you or challenge you to a battle without good cause. That's the way things work. From everyone else's point of view, you won the battle, and if she keeps harassing you, she'll be punished. But anyway, how did your shopping go? I made this list," Caleb said while pulling out a sheet of paper covered in scrawled handwriting.

"I learned some prices, and how we might be able to get a discount. Should we plan now or wait until later?" Alex asked. He'd prefer to eat now after his exertion at the Drake's Emporium.

""Oh, I'm so ready for dinner. I didn't get anything for lunch today!" Caleb said.

After a quick meal, Alex and Caleb sat on the floor of their dorm. Alex had his slate out, and was copying his notes from the day. But when he saw Caleb's to add his contributions, he couldn't understand any of it. Caleb's handwriting was messy at the best of times, but after the paper had been folden and crumpled, it was nigh impossible to read.

"Um, Caleb, what does this say?" Alex said, handing the scrap of paper over.

Caleb squinted at his writing. "Oh, a day's food runs about 20 Poké a day for each of us. And most inns charge around 50 Poké a night per Pokémon, at least for us. We're not that big, and we don't need anything special like fireproof blankets or a pond. Oh, and I asked about learning more moves, and the best way for me is to find a teacher here at the Academy that knows techniques that I can learn. There are machines that can teach it super quickly, but they're expensive and hard to find, and you have to hope to find the move you actually want, and not just five copies of Attract or Secret Power."

"Um, you didn't find anyone, did you?" Alex asked.

"Not today. I was thinking of asking around the gym in the morning. If we have time before the job, anyways. Oh! I looked at how much jobs and missions pay too. Most jobs that we can take pay about 50 Poké a day, or rescue and escort missions can pay 100 to 150 Poké a mission. At the workshop, I was making 30 Poké in the afternoon, but if I work the full day, I get 60 Poké, so it's better most of the time to keep working there where I already have experience. And I might be able to get a pay raise if I start working the lathe or more complicated projects."

"I think that's how much I was getting too. But if I work the full day, Altaria said I can get discounts on enchanted items, or get time to make my own. So I think if we can find missions, we could try to do those for more money. But if we need items, it's probably better for me to work full time at the Drake's Emporium this week." Alex said.

"Yeah, what kinds of items did you find?"

"Um, there's a scarf I can wear that increases defense, which should help me a lot. And for you, Altaria recommended a ribbon that boosts your attack. I'm not sure how it works yet, but she said that I can have those two if I work every day this week."

"Yeah, it definitely sounds like we get the better deal if you keep at that." Caleb said. Murkrow hopped into the room.

"Hey, Murkrow! How was the mail today?' Caleb asked.

"Actually, I was called off to look for a Cubchoo that was reported lost out west of here. We didn't find him, he found shelter for the night, because I'll be out there again tomorrow. There's supposed to be a 300 Poké reward for finding him," he said.

"300 Poké? That's a lot for rookie rescue work!"

"Yeah, but it's a super annoying place to look. It's like the Juniper Plateau and the Sandstone Maze put together, so we can't just scan the whole area from the sky. We have to use a lot of ground-walkers to look under rocks and bushes."

"Do you think I can come tomorrow? That pay is amazing," Caleb said.

"Sure, but you only get the full reward if you bring the Pokémon in. Otherwise, you just get 35 Poké for a day. It's a bit of a gamble, but birds like me are always in demand for this kind of thing. Much better than the Mystery Dungeons that I can't even fly in."

Alex looked at his notes and the sum of the items they needed. It was a gamble, but they'd be able to leave three days earlier if they were lucky. But, Abra had a deal with Altaria. Alex scribbled some figures on the slate. Even if Alex and Caleb were successful at finding Cubchoo tomorrow, Alex would lose out on the savings for the items. Overall, they'd come out behind.

"Caleb, what if you went with Murkrow tomorrow? I'll work at the Drake's Emporium so we can get those items by the end of the week." Alex said.

"Are you sure? It would probably help you get more practice and exercise with your new body if you came with us."

"I know. But if I can keep working for Altaria, we'll be able to leave sooner. If I'm counting all our expenses right, we could probably leave at the start of next week if you managed to find Cubchoo. Otherwise, we'll have to wait a few more days." Alex said.

"I guess so. Was there anything else that you found we needed?" Caleb asked.

"I went to Tangrowth, the merchant Darmanitan said to look for, and he pointed out a tent. That's a good idea for when we can't find shelter outside of towns." Alex said.

"Sounds like you've got this all planned out, Alex! Now we just need to train between our jobs so we're strong enough to fight any enemies!" Caleb said.

"Yeah, I still need to control my power more. I'm gonna go do my tutoring now, and I'll see you later," Alex said.

"You must focus, Kadabra! Don't simply think about lifting the object, specify how much and how fast. If your partner threw a rock without thinking of his target, he'd never hit his goal, and likely hit some other Pokémon. It is the same with psychic powers, and elemental energy in general." Psychic Gothitelle exhorted Alex.

"I'm trying!" Alex said in frustration. Alex was attempting to levitate a small cloth ball and guide it into a basket, but his power was impossibly unstable. Either Alex failed to use enough energy to lift it at all, or it shot across the room and impacted a wall or the ceiling. While the spoon focus he had received yesterday constrained his power and stopped it from leaking onto everyone else, it also concentrated the power to impressively damaging levels. They'd started by using a rock, but after seeing it dent the wall, they changed to something softer.

"I realize you are attempting something that feels difficult to do, but you must learn to restrain and control yourself. It is wasteful to expend the same amount of power on a Caterpie as you would on a Rhydon. And now that you are capable of telekinesis, you need to know the difference in feeling between a nudge and a missile," Gothitelle said.

"I don't get it though! It feels like either I use all my power or none of it," Alex said. He focused on where the ball had fallen down in a corner and tried to lift it psychically. The ball glowed with a purple aura, then launched off the ground, hit the roof, and fell deeper into the corner it had started from.

"Listen to me. To be frank, you almost certainly have more raw power than I do. At my best, I could likely propel that toy across the gymnasium downstairs. You, however, crack stone accidentally. You must learn control, or risk hurting others in ways you cannot predict. And you can imagine the consequences of injuring others outside of battle, regardless of malice or lack thereof. Now try again." Gothitelle said.

Many attempts later, Alex became slightly more accurate in at least hitting the wall in front of him instead of the ceiling or the sides of the room. But most times, the ball still hit the wall with enough force that the cloth was getting flat spots from the impact. After a longer time, his shots started losing power, but that was more due to Alex's tiredness than from newfound control. It was going to be another long journey to learn how to be a Kadabra.

After another long day of carving Orbs and a few hours learning the loom for making enchanted scarves. Alex sat in the mess hall, watching for Caleb to come back from his mission. Soon, he saw Murkrow flapping his ways in, followed by his partner.

"We found him, Alex!" Caleb cheered at dinner. "Cubchoo was hiding under a bush, so that's why he couldn't be seen from the sky. He said he had to hide from the wild Pokémon out there, and didn't know that it was mostly us looking for him. Physician Golduck is taking care of him because he was hurt. I had to carry him all the way back to town. But his nose kept running all over me. It was super cold and gross; I had to take a bath after I dropped him off. But me and Murkow decided to split the reward."

"Great! I was making more Orbs today, but this time I was making Slumber Orbs instead. I can't actually enchant these ones, though, since I don't know a good technique for them. And Zweilous talked to me a lot today, saying I might start doing some practice weaving those enchanted items we're getting. But now I'm gonna go practice with Gothetelle again. Maybe I'll actually get the ball in the basket tonight," Alex said.

Alex did not get the ball in the basket on his first, second, or fifth attempt. He did knock it over once, which was at least more accurate than the previous night.

Gothetelle watched Alex with her own eyes glowing, examining his technique. "I might see what you're missing. You are only focusing on pushing the balls, but you don't know how to restrain them. The best way to control this is to put an opposing force on it. An effective Psychic attack isn't just a push of energy, you must grasp the entire object or Pokémon and push against them in all directions. When you flex your legs, you may notice that the muscles on the opposite side contract to prevent the joint from moving too far out of range. Instead of trying to push more lightly, try to restrain the thrust by pressing against it somewhat." she said.

Alex felt the entire ball, and flexed his power. The soft ball deformed under the pressure, but it stayed stationary. He slowly relaxed his power on one side, making the ball scoot on the table. It was a start; this was different from the all-or-nothing his attempts so far had been. Gothetelle simply nodded for him to try again. And for the next hour, Alex experimented with pushing on the ball from all directions to control it. Then, as he grew more confident, he began to lift up the ball to make it hover in the air. It was still highly compressed under the pressure of his Psychic power, but it was controlled. Carefully, his spoon glowing faint purple, Alex lowered the ball into the basket.

"Good. Now do it again, and faster this time. Try not to squeeze the ball so tightly. This is telekinesis practice, not battle practice. When you surround an object or opponent like that, you can bear most of your psychic power directly onto the Pokémon, causing great damage. There's techniques to change how it feels, to cause effects like confusion or prevent them from using certain moves. But you must learn the basics first," Gothetelle said. "You don't want to damage what you're holding. Try again."

Alex kept practicing, trying to feel the different kinds of pressure he could put on the ball. After a few more successful baskets, Gothetelle lifted the basket in her own telekinesis for Alex to practice hitting a moving target. An hour later, Alex was able to follow the moving target, then it was time to go to bed. He met Caleb back in the dorm.

"Are you doing another mission tomorrow?" Alex asked.

Caleb shook his head. "I looked, but there wasn't anything much that I could do on my own that fit what we needed. So I'll just be at the workshop again, probably fixing up a wagon. Oh! I did find one of the sergeants here that knows Fire Punch, so I'll be working with him in the morning. It's Medicham, and since he's also not a fire-type, she should be able to help me more than Combusken, who uses her natural type for it. Hopefully I can pick it up before we leave. I'd hate to run into some Pokémon neither of us can fight because we don't have the right elements."

"I think there's some Ghost-types that resist all of our moves we know, but I still don't have a good handle on my Psychic. I doubt I can learn more moves until I figure out the ones I already have," Alex said. Alex took out the map and studied it, trying to match up the route he knew in his mind with the lines on the map. There were a few settlements listed along the way, but there would still be several days they'd have to camp out. And there was still the ferry they'd have to find and hire, in a place the map called Glass Beach. But nearly all the planning was done, they just had to gather funds and train.

The next few days were more of the same. Alex would make orbs or practice on a loom while Caleb worked in the workshop. Caleb would train in the mornings with Medicham on fighting skills and Fire Punch, and Alex practiced reigning his massive psychic powers under control in the evenings. For the first time, Alex finally felt he was working toward something, and the harder he worked, the better it would go. The only motivator was himself, and no one else could walk him through finding Uxie and revealing his past.

"That's serviceable. It isn't something we allow to be sold, but you made it, so you may have them, as promised," Altaria said. Alex clumsily tied the threads of the just-completed Defense Band he had made with Altaria's supervision. It was a somewhat crude strip of purple cloth that Alex wrapped around his upper arm. Immediately, he felt tougher, able to endure stronger hits.

"These items don't make you stronger at no cost. They take energy from your body and funnel it into particular effects. In this case it increases your defense, but at the cost of physical strength. Never wear an item like this for more than a day at a time. Take it off when you sleep, or it will eat away at your strength to your detriment. Also, don't wear multiple enchanted items at the same time. They can interfere with each other, or draw out so much energy they exhaust you in very little time. But these items can be very useful for teams to shore up weaknesses, or enhance strengths. Use them well." Altaria said, handing over the dark blue Power Band for Caleb.

Alex carefully wrapped it up and put it into his bag. They were the last pieces they needed for their journey.

In their room, Alex and Caleb spread out their supplies. Alex looked at his list. Food, shelter, supplies, it was all in order.

"Are we ready?" Caleb asked.

"I think so. I double checked, and we should have enough food and gear. How do you want to divide this? I can probably carry most of the food, But I think you'll have to take the tent. You're stranger than me."

"I'll do that, if I can make it fit."

Alex and Caleb packed all their supplies, trying to stuff evyething they would need for the week's travel into two bags. Eventually, the maps was placed on the very top. Alex took a deep breath. "That's it. We just need to eat in the morning, and we can go meet Uxie."