"Gwen, are you insane?!" Serperior blurts when I tell them about my plan.

"It's just…you should've seen her…whatever Hoopa put her through…she's broken," "but you read those books too! They all talked about how dangerous Hoopa is…how you should avoid a deal with them 'at all costs!'" Rotom cries. "Y-yes! That sounds like what happened to Delcatty! It doesn't sound safe at all!" Noivern chimes in, wringing his hands.

"I know it's risky…and I know ideally we wouldn't…but…I think it's the only way." I plead, "plus, we still need a way to get home, right? This way we might be able to save Delcatty along the way." "Gwen, I love you, but we cannot do this!" Stephanie says firmly. "And don't forget, Delcatty is in that situation because she made a deal with Hoopa and brought us here! We'll find another way home, but not with Hoopa!"

I can tell I've lost this battle. Maybe if I—"Nuh-uh! Gwendolyn, I know that look! You are not going to find them on your own!" Stephanie says, stopping the thought in its tracks. I honestly didn't know I had a…'look'. Everyone is throwing me one of their own, mostly on the spectrum between 'disappointed' and 'furious.'

As I sit in my shame, I realize it's a little too quiet…"I…don't mean to change the subject, but…did you take Elliot to daycare already?" I say, looking around and not seeing him anywhere. I could've sworn he was here when I got back. The others turn to look, but he's gone. "He…but he was there! He was playing just there!" Stephanie shouts, pointing to the corner of the room, suddenly hysterical. I guess they didn't take him there. But he's just…gone. It feels familiar…like…

Like that time in town.

He disappeared, made a friend, and returned with papers about Hoopa…it couldn't be…

Suddenly a golden hoop materializes in the middle of the room, a light flickering in the center. We all freeze. A moment later, out pops Elliot, smiling brightly.

"Elliot!" Stephanie cries, rushing over and grabbing one of his hands, "get away from that! What is that…that thing?" "That's my friend, in there!" Elliot says, pointing to the hoop. A moment later, a small pokemon emerges, snatches the hoop from midair, somehow makes it disappear, then flashes a grin our way.

We stand in shock. Elliot gets free from Stephanie and runs back to his 'friend.' "This is Hoopy!" Elliot grins, running between each of us. Hoopa glides over, regarding us in turn, "I see…so this is the happy family Delcatty bargained everything for to bring here…how is she, by the way? I've not seen her since she left the dungeon." They say nonchalantly. "You know how she is you little…what have you done to her?" I say through gritted teeth. Their eyes settle on me—I'm feeling unnerved by their gaze but fight not to look away, not wanting to give them the satisfaction. "Ah, you must be the famous 'Gwen' I've heard so much about. I must say, your eagerness to get home has been something of a blow to Delcatty—she worked so hard to get you here, after all."

Ough, their words sting, but I fight not to take the bait. "What have you done to her?" I repeat, slowly. "Well, it's nothing I've done directly, per se. You see, she made a deal with me—I'd bring you all here, and she'd retrieve something for me later—a certain bottle." "The prison bottle?!" Rotom gasps. "Ah, you see, I never really liked the name 'prison bottle.' That Aegislash back in the day…he got all high and mighty, making folks think it was a prison as such, but really it's just a dampener for my true powers. Very misleading pokemon he could be."

I can't believe we're having some kind of casual, informative conversation right now, especially when what I really want to do is test every one of my moves on them.

"But I digress. Delcatty retrieved the bottle for me, but it was in the depths of the Echoing Ruins…nasty place that…that's why I needed someone desperate enough to go in my stead. And boy, was she desperate." They say, waving a hand around. "So…you're saying the dungeon itself…did that to her?" Dragalge ventures. "Bingo! You the brains 'round here?" They grin , "yup, that dungeon has a way of…warping reality. Your biggest fears, nightmares, everything out on display! And when your spirit is broken, it keeps it! Her spirit is probably still wandering there right now. A shame really, she was one of the better Masters this place had."

I'm fuming, but something's bothering me. "So, what, you came here to gloat?" "Yes and no. I came primarily to offer myself a little extra fun. Now that Delcatty's out of action, I'm out of friends! Plus, my bottle is stuck, you would not believe how stiff it's got after all those years just sitting around!" They laugh, "if any of you have a bottle opener, I'd be ever so grateful." "What kind of 'fun'?" Serperior asks, interrupting Hoopa's babbling. "Well, I can feel in your hearts how much you care for Delcatty, especially yours. Boop!" They say, touching my nose. I back away instinctively. "And I thought, 'hey, she seems pretty desperate, maybe I can get her to do something entertaining on the off chance she can save her friend!'" "There's a way to save her?" I say before I can stop myself. "Ha, there, you see! What'd I tell ya? Desperate. It's a hoot!" They smile while floating around my head. Even though they're a weird little thing, I'm feeling quite out of my league.

"So here's the deal, kid, and you better be grateful, cuz I don't offer these lightly. I'll bring you to the Echoing Ruins, and if you can reach the depths with your mind intact, you'll find Delcatty's spirit—the part the dungeon claimed—and it should let you both go, no strings attached. Heck, I might even feel inclined to send you lot home! We'll have to see at the time, of course," They say, wearing a wicked grin while looking deep into my eyes.

I consider it. "And if I fail?" "Well, there's the part you may not like…if you fail, as everyone who's attempted to clear the dungeon before has, it will take your spirit. It's not something I do, just the nature of the dungeon, I'm afraid."

A paw touches my shoulder. "Gwen, no. You cannot do this. As your wife, I absolutely forbid it!" Stephanie says, evidently not liking what she's heard. I hate to admit, and I could never forgive myself for leaving Delcatty like this, especially if there really is a chance to save her, but I have to agree with Stephanie. There has to be another way to help her; braving that dungeon just too dangerous. If seasoned explorers, Delcatty included, couldn't do it, how could I? Plus, this is Hoopa; there has to be a catch.

And, as if on queue, they deliver, "now, I worried your family would get in the way and try and put a damper on my good time! So here's a little extra incentive to get that fluffy tail of yours down there—it's only by my interference that Giratina hasn't been alerted of your presence here—ohoho yes, I know all about your deal with them!" They wink in response to my widening my eyes, "so if you don't feel inclined to try the dungeon, no problem! I just hope you can handle Giratina instead. And, word of warning—they don't take well to a broken promise." I believe it, the words 'incredible violence' drift through my head as I remember their entry in the book about legendaries.

I'm cornered. If I go in the dungeon, I could save Delcatty, could even get us a ticket home, but…it's honestly far more likely I'll lose myself in the process. Then there's the alternative…Giratina finding out I'm here, and having their way with me—and very likely with my family as well.

The choice is clear, but the others are definitely not going to like it.

"Hoopa?" I swallow, steeling my resolve, "you have yourself a deal," I say, shaking their hand.

I hear screaming as a hoop appears under my feet and I fall. Down, down, down.

—

The room erupts into screams as Gwen falls down the hole, Hoopa diving in after her. Some from me, most from Stephanie, who's scrabbling at the ground where the hoop disappeared.

"Gwen! GWEN! Hoopa you bring her back, you hear?!" She's yelling at the room, but they're long gone, and I don't think they're coming back. She notices Elliot crying in the corner, evidently upset by the sudden turn in events, and pounces on him a moment later.

"Elliot! That's your friend, right? You have to call them back. Call them right now!" She's screaming, enraged, as the boy continues crying. "Elliot please…!" She pleads. "I…I want mommy!" He starts bawling.

Stephanie is too panicked to realize she's just making it worse for him—I don't think he understands what's happening, why we're all suddenly in a frenzy.

"Stephanie…just leave him…" I say, touching her shoulder. She whirls around, crazed look in her eyes, and grabs onto my tail. "That Delcatty…this is her fault! She destroyed herself, and now Gwen…she…" she can't finish the thought before breaking down into sobs.

The full implication of what's happened crashes into me. Last time we were here and Gwen got taken away by a legendary, we didn't know where she went or if she'd come back, and it was absolutely awful. Every second wondering what happened, why, and if she was even still alive. This time? …this time we know where she's going—straight into a dungeon that an incredibly dangerous pokemon told us themself was known for breaking everyone who ventures in it. Just like it broke Delcatty.

And she's going in there, alone.

Even if she comes back…if she somehow makes it through…she'll…never be the same. We'll never really see her again. She might as well already be gone. My eyes fill with tears at the thought.

No…no, we can't think like that. We didn't think she'd make it back last time, and she did. If anyone can make it through that place…it's her.

She just has to.