I rush out of the Center, around the side to the somewhat hidden trap door marking the prison's entrance. I remember exactly where it is from my own stint there. Noivern follows nervously.

"Gwen? I don't think we're supposed to just—" "Noivern it's my SON! And teammate! If they're here, I need to see them!" He must feel the desperation in my voice, because he doesn't argue, just helps me hoist up the heavy door. I fly down the stairs, round the corner, and see them in the middle of the cell. Serperior lies there, possibly sleeping, coiled around a small pink pokemon—an impidimp.

Tears prick my eyes. I'll admit, it's quite fitting for Elliot.

"Elliot? Serperior?" I call.

Serperior lifts his head in my direction. "Huh…?" He responds groggily. When his eyes meet mine, he calls out, again, "Gwen? Gwen! What are you doing here?! Look Elliot, it's mommy!" He says, shaking him awake. "Mommy?!" He looks around eagerly, but, when he fails to see a mommy he can actually recognize, disappointment clouds his features, making my heart break slightly. "Elliot…baby, it's me, it's mommy!" Serperior picks up the confused boy and brings him to the bars. "Mmm, no! I want mommy! No eevee!" He starts writhing and crying as I try, and fail, to calm him down.

I hadn't considered that he might not…understand all this. I mean, talking pokemon are one thing, but parents transformed into pokemon? And considering he's still humanoid, he might not even fully realize he himself has been transformed.

Watching him cry, seeing how upset he's getting, how disappointed he is…it dawns on me that I'm not going to be able to make him understand; it's just too weird, too confusing. I need some way to at least make him feel better…feel safe. What's most important right now is that he calms down a little…but I hate what it's going to take.

"Hey, hey, don't cry…is your name Elliot?" I say, trying to bring his focus back to me. "Mmmhmm" he sniffles. "My name's Gwen, and I want to help you find your mama and mommy, how does that sound?" He nods through his tears "yeah…we…we gotta find them…" is all he can manage as he sniffles. Serperior looks down at me sadly, realizing the weight of what I'm doing, and reaches his tail through the bars to hold my paw.

Now that Elliot's at least a little more relaxed, I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding. "…what happened? Why this…again?" He looks embarrassed and tells me about waking up in this world, finding a town, a birthday party, and everything that happened there. "And of course Delcatty came by earlier, but…well she said she needed 'to clear it up.'" "Wait, Delcatty was here? When?" His eyes go wide. "You mean she…she didn't tell you!? We got a couple of meals delivered since, but I don't know how long it's been exactly…" I'm barely hearing him now…I barely hear anything as the blood pounds in my ears and his words sink in. She was here earlier today! She knew my partner…and my son, who I've spent every waking moment with her worrying about, were here in the Center's own prison. She knew and…and she didn't even tell me.

"Gwen, hey! Are you ok?" Serperior is low to the ground now, holding my face with his vines. Elliot is running around in the cell playing by himself, upset forgotten for now.

"I need to talk to Delcatty." I say with steel in my voice. I don't exactly know what I'm going to say, but if I don't say it soon, the pressure building in my head might make it explode. "I…be careful," he says with a sigh. I take one of his vines in my paw, "I will, and thank you…both of you," I say, turning to Noivern, "for looking after him so well. Noivern? Can you go and find the dorm Seviper and I were assigned? The receptionist should be able to guide you. The others are there, I need you to tell them everything." "Ok, sure. I'll go now." He nods. "Thank you." We stand there for a moment longer, then I release Serperior's vine and leave the prison, ready to confront Delcatty. I feel nauseous just…leaving them there, but there's nothing else I can do now.

I don't know how I navigate to her home, especially after only having been there once before, but I manage to find it, high in the canopy. I frantically knock on her door. No response. I try again. "I am conducting important business. If—" "Delcatty it's me!" A moment passes, then the door opens. "Gwen? I'm sorry to have cancelled our meeting, but I must—" "Delcatty it's an emergency. I need to talk to you, right now."

She looks exacerbated for a moment, lets out a loud sigh, then begrudgingly beckons me in. "I'm sorry Gwen, any other time you'd have my full attention, but right now I'm dealing with—" "why didn't you tell me?" I interrupt. "…pardon?" "Elliot and Serperior…you knew they were in prison, but you…you just left them there! And you didn't even tell me!" "You went to the prison? What the heck did you go there for? You're not authorized!" "I ran into Noivern in the Center…he told me they were there, that they got arrested in a distant town and were brought here for trial." "Gwen, I—" "and I can understand—Serperior told me himself—a crime was committed, and of course they had to be apprehended, at least at the time…" she's looking at me, anger in her eyes, but I can't stop ranting, "but what I don't understand is why…why one of my best friends…the one I've been mourning the loss of for years…I don't understand why she wouldn't tell her good friend and former teammate, that her son and partner are locked up in her own. Center's. Prison!" I'm yelling now, but I don't care. My anger is like a living thing, ready to take me over.

"Enough!" She shouts, the force of the word surprising me, "you think I wanted to leave them there, huh? Your son and my friend? But when I found out what he did, and to who, I had to deal with it! I'm sorry I've got too many responsibilities for you now! I'm sorry that I can't always be there when you need me, and that I have problems too! Ok? Are you happy?" She's breathing heavily, and I feel like I've been slapped—the wind is completely knocked out of me. I take a deep breath.

"I know you're the Master of the Center…and I know that takes a lot of responsibilities…more than I can imagine, I'm sure…" I swallow my tears and continue, "all I wanted…" my voice wavers. I clear my throat and try again, "all I wanted was to know that they were there. That my child wasn't lost, scared, and alone in this world being torn apart by someone for looking at them funny. To know where my oldest teammate was. I know you've got a lot on your plate…but I've got responsibilities too."

We stare at each other in silence for a few beats, the energy practically crackling between us.

"Well, now you know they're there." She approaches me slowly, her anger replaced by a deadly calm. "I'll have you know I'm in the middle of drafting an important letter on their behalf to the family Serperior and your son attacked. I'll also have you know that, to avoid them receiving a prison sentence, I'm offering the family a very generous sum of money to keep their entitled mouths shut." She's standing over me now, expression stony. For a fleeting moment, it reminds me of her mother. "And as soon as we agree on the terms, they'll be free to go."

"…thank you. I…truly appreciate it…Delcatty, I-" she turns away abruptly, "I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do—because your boy doesn't know any better, and because Serperior is my friend. As for us?" She looks at me again, "I…think I need a little time…to think about things."

I feel the weight of her words. This has been an…incredible test of our friendship, and…and the strength of that friendship will determine whether we can bounce back. And if not…

Well, as of this moment, the sting of her secrecy is still very fresh. I think I need a little time too. "…of course…" I nod, "I-I can definitely give you some space, until when—or if—you want to talk. Thank you again Del-Master Delcatty."

With that, I leave her quarters and head back to the dorm where the others await.

—

Stupid stupid stupid!

Why wasn't I alerted Noivern was here, wandering around the Center? For Arceus' sake why didn't I ask?

I understand Gwen's upset—she didn't know where her son was but…but coming up here to tell me off about it? Every moment I spend not dealing with it is another moment they're locked up! Surely she wants them out ASAP?!

"She doesn't understand, not really…" Hoopa's familiar voice careens as they appear in my room. "She says she has responsibilities too, but what? One kid? A small team of pokemon? You're responsible for the well-being of many pokemon! The whole Center! To expect you to be at her beck and call when you're already being pulled from every direction? Pah!" "What is it Hoopa, I'm busy enough without you popping in and out," I say, eager to get back to my letter. "Just wanted to show my support for your predicament…it's disappointing, I'm sure. That you finally have Gwen and the others back after so long…and yet…you still don't," they regard me, eyes wide. "…I'm not following." "She has a family now, a whole new life she's been building…without you. Being dragged here against her will? I bet that, now she's got everyone important to her back, she'll be dying to get home!" "N-no! She wouldn't! Now that we're back together, we can do things how we should've been able to the first time! She wouldn't want to leave, just like that…"

Would she?

"Maybe she will, and maybe she won't, who knows?" Hoopa shrugs, "but I do know this—if she reacted like that after learning you kept info about her family from her for even a short amount of time, imagine how she'll feel if it comes out that you brought them here in the first place."

As much as I hate to admit it…I know they're right. From the start I had the feeling that I should keep that fact to myself, but after this outburst? I'm sure she'd hate me if she knew.

I'll get Serperior and her son out of jail, smooth the whole thing over, then patch things up with Gwen.

"Well, I'll leave you to your bribery, I think you're gonna have to offer something good for that stuck-up Gallade to be satisfied. Toodle-oo." They say while disappearing through a hoop. Ugh, I'm getting tired of their antics.

Back to my bribery indeed. I settle at the desk and start writing.