Chapter 11 – Moving In

Kricketot chirped in the bushes. No moon filled the sky, but tiny white pinpricks, painted on the sky, took its place. Amia, with Alex beside her, led the way home with Owen and Zena. There was a little spring in the Gardevoir's step. Owen's tail and his Magmortar father's shoulders lit the way.

"Uh oh," Owen suddenly said, stopping.

"What is it, dear?" Amia asked.

"How is Zena gonna get inside if she's alone?"

Zena blinked. "What do you mean? Does it not open to certain individuals?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Owen said. "You need to do the password to get in. But you can't do it, because you don't have any limbs."

The Kricketot filled the void-like silence that followed.

"What?" Zena said.

Amia giggled. "Oh, Owen, that password is just for non-Guardians. If you're Mystic, it's easy to just will the boulder to the side, you know! I just put that switch there because once we had you, well, it wasn't going to just be me heading in and out of that spot…"

"W-wait… so only I was…?" Owen trailed off.

"What is this password?" Zena asked.

"Uhh—" Owen blushed. "It's not important."

"We'll have to teach it to Gahi and the others anyway, dear," Amia said. "But you won't need it if you're Mystic, Zena. So, Owen, that means you won't have to do the dance anymore! Isn't that nice?"

"A dance," Zena repeated, staring at Owen. She was clearly envisioning Owen cutting some form of a jig, based on the smile she valiantly suppressed.

Owen wondered if drowning was the better outcome after all.

"Ah, here we are!" Amia flicked her hand at the boulder. It rolled away effortlessly.

Owen looked crushed.

On their way in, Owen's fatigue returned to the forefront of his mind. "I can't wait to get some sleep."

"I just might sleep, too," Amia said. "It's not really something that we need to do, but—"

"Wait," Owen said exhaustedly, exasperatedly, "you don't have to sleep?"

"When you become strong enough as a Mystic," Amia said delicately, "a lot of the things that mortals need to perform become optional. Eating, sleeping…"

"But I like both of those things." Owen frowned. "What's the point of living if you can't get a good meal?"

"Well, nothing's stopping you!" Amia laughed. "A meal every now and then is wonderful! Besides, Owen, you just became a Guardian. You still need to eat."

Owen shifted uncomfortably.

"I slept quite a lot," Zena admitted. "It gets… boring, down there."

"I can imagine," Owen said. But on second thought, he couldn't.

He eyed the glowing mushrooms. "Mom? Are these mushrooms glowing because of your power?"

"They are, dear," Amia said. "I thought it made the cave look very pretty."

Owen nodded.

"Do you like them?"

"Yeah!" Owen said. "So—can you keep that, maybe?"

Amia beamed. "I'd love to. What about you, Zena?"

"They're much better than my dreary cave."

They walked through the empty town. The pit in Owen's stomach returned. He remembered the Arcanine that always greeted him. The kids playing in the main path. All his neighbors. Now it was empty and silent. Their steps echoed across the corridors.

"I think this home in particular, Zena, would do nicely for you," Amia said. It was right next to their own cavern, though it seemed a lot cooler inside. Within this alcove was a large pit filled with rocks. Amia stepped toward the entryway and held her hand out.

Owen yelped when Amia's head and dress burst into blue flames. More fire spewed from her arm, colliding with the rocks. The heat was enough to make Zena slither back a few paces. The loose rocks melted and compressed into liquid, creating an even deeper pit. Then, the flames stopped, and Amia's body extinguished.

Owen's jaw may as well have been on the floor.

Alex approached the lava, jumped in, and shoved his cannons into the molten rock. It looked like he was siphoning the stuff into his body. Then, he lifted his arms—which looked much heavier—and ejected that same molten rock to the far side of the home. Amia did the same thing, using psychic energy to haul more of the molten rock away to the corner of the room.

Amia finished by holding her other hand out, releasing a concentrated beam of ice into the pool. Plumes of steam filled the air and faded, leaving a pit of smooth obsidian behind.

"There!" Amia clapped her hands together. "Just one Hydro Pump, Zena, and you'll have a lake to rest in!"

Zena slithered tentatively closer. She gently prodded at the cooled obsidian, and then at the depths of the pit. It would fit her comfortably, and then some. She nodded. "It's wonderful, Amia," she said. "Thank you."

"We should go to bed, Owen," Alex said. "You still need to sleep."

"Oh, yeah, right," Owen nodded.

Amia and Alex left, but Owen didn't follow just yet. He turned his attention back to Zena; she was filling the pool with multiple, gentle Hydro Pumps, made from pure, crystal-clear water. It only took three to finish the job, cold water filling it to the very rim. She looked back. "Owen?"

Owen glanced at the missing scales along her body; it occurred to him that Zena would be resting alone for the night. He could never sleep if it wasn't at home in his bed. Would Zena be the same way, or was she used to it? "Will you be okay?"

"Will I be… okay?"

"Yeah."

Zena tilted her head. "How do you mean?"

Owen played with his claws. "You said you were alone for centuries…"

Zena's expression was oddly neutral. "That's true."

There was another long silence. He didn't want to impose anything upon her, but part of the pit in his gut was certainly the thought of Zena being alone again. He'd never get to sleep with thoughts like that plaguing his mind. He glanced at Zena again; her expression was regal, but it felt like a mask. She had been so expressive before; now it was gone and emotionless.

He didn't believe it for a second. So, he spoke. "Do you want—"

"Yes. Please."

"O-okay." Owen scampered into his home. "Mom!" he called. "I—oh, thanks."

Amia handed him a bowl of Tamato soup.

"Keep Zena company, dear, at least for tonight."

"Would you like me to carry over your bed?" Alex asked, peering out from the kitchen corridor.

"Oh, sure, yeah."

Owen returned to Zena's home and found a spot in the corner to drink his soup. Zena had slipped into the water during his absence, but he could still vaguely sense her presence as part of the water. Steam filled the air and clouded his vision; the soup's red base was scalding, just how he liked it. The Charmeleon drank in greedy gulps. Alex returned with his bed, setting it down next to him. Owen crawled on top, finished his bowl in one last gulp, and handed it to Alex. "Thanks," he said, and then eyed the lake.

"So, I'm gonna rest here for tonight," Owen said. "Hope that's okay."

The lake didn't reply. Owen didn't mind. He curled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around, resting his chin atop them. He then wrapped his tail forward, noticing how the flame lit up the whole room.

"Does my tail bother you?" he asked. "I—I can probably cover it, if you like."

Owen took her silence as indifference. Another glow illuminated the entryway; Alex entered, a book precariously held in the claws within his cannons. "I found this on your bed," he said. "Looks like you have it bookmarked. Latest edition of,"—he squinted at the cover's title—"Ho-Oh's Absurd Escapade, I think?"

"Oh, right!" Owen's flame brightened. He looked the cover over—a comic book—and figured if he couldn't sleep, he could read through a few pages. "Thanks, Dad."

With a nod and a few hesitant glances back, Alex finally left Owen alone with Zena. His tail was even brighter, now, and he was certain that it would be distracting the Milotic who probably just wanted a good night's sleep.

Owen then remembered that Mystics didn't need to sleep. Was Zena just doing it out of habit? Either way, he knew his endless light would be bothersome.

"Sorry if it's too bright. I guess I'll cover it." Owen looked for a patch of Rawst leaves to hide his tail under. "It wouldn't be too hard to—"

"It's okay."

Owen jolted, not expecting a voice. Zena had her head out of the water, staring at him. Most of the rest of her body remained liquefied.

"O-oh," he said.

"Leave your tail out," she said. "Sleep as you want. I'm not bothered by it at all."

Owen nodded wordlessly. Zena sank back into the water, blending into it.

The soup's warmth spread to the rest of his body, and his eyes grew heavy. He wasn't going to last much longer. He curled up in bed, closed his eyes, and drifted away. Unfamiliar as it was, his bed made the new cave feel like home.

Zena slept soundly for the first time in decades.

"It's a dance?" Gahi growled, angrily clicking his jaws.

The morning sun accompanied the arrival of Rhys and the rest of Team Alloy, just beyond Hot Spot Cave's entrance.

"I'm not that good at dancing," Demitri said, glancing at Mispy, who rolled her eyes.

"Maybe we can simplify it for you!" Amia said. "A phrase, or I can just manually check your auras instead of automating it."

Rhys nodded. "Well, in any case, we have about half of our essential supplies with us," he said, motioning behind him. Demitri was singlehandedly hauling the bulk of it in a gigantic bag that had a color suspiciously similar to Rhys' fur coat. Owen stared in disgust.

"We have a home just for you!" Amia said. "I set it up overnight while Owen and Zena were sleeping."

Zena straightened her stance to appear taller. "I—I wasn't sleeping. I was merely meditating, as I always do."

Owen was positive he'd heard the lake snore. Or perhaps that was a dream.

"Once we haul the rest of our supplies," Rhys said, "we will return home to get the last of it. Afterward, we will continue with our usual regimen of training, missions, and so on, until Star is ready."

Zena huffed at the mention of the Creator. Rhys glanced at the Milotic next; they briefly locked gazes, but Zena's was a cold stare. Rhys looked to the floor next. "Do you need something, Hunter?" she growled. "Now that I think about it, I likely won't be sleeping for the rest of my nights here."

Rhys' tail lowered, but he had no words.

"N-now, now, we just have to wait," Amia said. "Owen! While your friends go on their usual missions, why don't you stay back and train with Zena and I under Rhys? Perhaps we can help you get a better hold of your Mystic powers."

"Oh, that could work," Owen said. Though he longed for a normal day, he supposed such a privilege would need defer to his new duties, forced as they were. "What kind of training?"

"Train under him?" Zena asked. "The Lucario can go on missions with the rest of Team Alloy."

"P-perhaps that is for the best," Rhys said quickly. "I should supervise them for now, anyway, now that the mutants are at another resurgence. It could be dangerous."

Zena didn't smile nor smirk, but there was a bit of relief in her relaxed coils. "When we train, Owen, the first thing you should learn," she said, "is how to control your ability to harness your Orb. So, becoming Grass."

Owen recalled when he'd been nothing but a torso and vines. "Th-that sounds like a good plan. How do I do that?"

"Practice," Amia said. "It shouldn't be more than a few days for something that simple, so the timing works well!"

Owen wondered if it was possible to die of boredom as a Guardian. That sounded much more lethal than drowning.

"Heh, good luck, Grassmander," Gahi said with a mocking churr.

Owen growled, ending it with a defiant chirp. "Don't forget that Grass trumps Ground."

"Aah, you'll do fine," Gahi said, wobbling into the cave. His voice echoed when they entered Rhys' new abode. "Huh. Place looks almost like home."

Owen sighed, looking at his paws. He couldn't get that feeling of his whole body melting into vines out of his mind. The Charmeleon suppressed a shudder, sparing a glance at his tail to make sure it was still alight. He then looked at Zena, following her glare.

She and Rhys were looking at one another from across the cave. The Lucario was the first to break his gaze, shrinking into his home with his tail between his legs.

Flames and steam filled Hot Spot's central road. Jets of water blasted the ground, narrowly avoided by a grassy Charmeleon in the center of the soaked, rocky field. He panted and rolled, frantically looking up; Zena stared, waiting for him to get on his feet. Scalding puddles of water surrounded Owen in small pools from previous attacks. He wanted to stay down, if only to take a few extra seconds to breathe, but he knew that the last time he did that, she just blasted him anyway.

"Don't stall, dear!" Amia sang, white-hot embers floating around her head. Just behind her, Alex stood with a meek smile, waving at Owen, as if that would somehow encourage him.

"C-can't I take a second to rest?" Owen said.

"Just a bit more, dear. You said you wanted to push yourself, right?" Amia flicked her hand.

Owen screeched and closed his eyes, focusing on his leafy feathers. They hardened, turning red, but it was too slow. He jumped out of the way again, but the ember redirected itself toward him. He screamed again, panic redoubling, and spat an ember of his own; that was just enough to cancel the attack in a swirl of orange and white fire.

Owen's throat burned—he was still a bit on the grassy side. He coughed smoke, taking in ragged breaths, and fell to his knees. "W-wait—wait."

"Should we stop?" Zena asked.

"Hmm…" Amia tapped her chin. "Just one more volley."

He finally got a break; he wasn't going to bargain for more. "F-fine, just one more," Owen said, rubbing his eyes. "When are you gonna—AAAA!"

He ducked, narrowly dodging another beam of water. Owen's horn carved the bottom of the beam; he felt the torrent tug his whole head backward, but he reacted just barely fast enough to duck further down.

Even as Owen's scales transitioned to leaves, he couldn't help but think that the most horrifying part about all this was he knew they were holding back.

Zena leaned her head down, redirecting her blast to hit Owen again. He rolled in response, the blast grazing his leafy arms—but compared to when he had been fiery, it didn't hurt nearly as much.

The air felt hot, the power imbued within Pokémon techniques cutting through his body's natural immunity to mundane flames. The Charmeleon dared to glance at Amia, but he couldn't see her—instead, he only saw orange fire taking up half his vision. He screamed and crossed his arms, finally giving in. There was no way he'd be able to transition back to Fire that quickly. A shield of golden light appeared in front of Owen once he crossed his arms; the flames curved around the shield, splitting and evaporating behind the green Charmeleon.

Owen's Protect dissipated. His arms hung limply beside him. "Ugh…" Owen finally collapsed onto his rear. "D-done. I'm done."

And this time, Amia and Zena complied.

He sighed, unable to suppress the relieved smile on his face. "Thanks."

"We didn't push you too hard, did we?" Zena asked. "I personally thought we went a bit too far near the end, there…"

"No, I—I think you stopped at the right time. Mom knows." He gave a little smile at the Gardevoir, and then at the Magmortar that stood behind her. Alex held out a cannon for Owen to grab, pulling him to his feet. "I fizzle out sometimes, but I still have some energy left in me. I just have to push a little more than I think I can. That's part of Mystic training, right? I—I'm way better than I was last session!"

"That's definitely true," Amia agreed, holding her hands together. "It's only been a few days and you're already switching so fast!"

"Not fast enough to just do it on the fly, though," Owen mumbled. "…I want to train again, and you have to promise to push a little harder, okay?"

"N-now?" Zena asked; even Amia flinched.

Alex tittered, patting Owen's back. "N-now, why don't we take a break, first? F-for a bit longer? You may be Mystic, but you still don't have the same stamina as before. P-perhaps some meditating instead?"

"Aw, but I already meditated this morning." Owen puffed out a small ember in protest, crossing his arms over his chest. His stomach felt like it was tying knots, but he ignored it.

"Well, it's also almost lunchtime, isn't it?" Amia said. "Owen, did you eat breakfast?"

"B-breakfast?" Owen repeated. "…O-oh, right. I think I forgot…"

The knot loosened, but with it came a fierce growl, deeper than anything Owen could produce with his throat. "E-eheh…"

Amia raised her head to the sound of a boulder moving. "Oh! Looks like Team Alloy's back, dear."

Owen perked up, spinning around. "Just in time for lunch!"

Amia and Alex both laughed. "We'll get it ready, dear."

Rhys, Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi all entered, though curiously, Nevren was also behind them. "Oh, hey, Nevren," Owen greeted with a formal bow. "How come you're here?"

"Ahh, I just wanted to inspect the landscape. I'm curious what Rhys' new home looks like, and I was also promised a heavenly meal."

"From Rhys or Mom?" Owen poked a claw behind him. "She's already making something, so you might want to hurry."

Rhys bristled. "But I asked her to hold off on dinner. I had just the dish in mind."

"…Dinner?" Owen leaned to the right; orange light bled through the entryway before the boulder closed it off. Demitri yawned, which made Mispy yawn next. Gahi clicked his jaws and clenched them shut. "How long have I been…"

"Had a really long mission," Demitri said, picking tiredly at his tusks. "A mutant—some kind of Electivire… thing, they weren't sure what other features it had—had been on a rampage through a town a little north of the Wooden Wilds. Like… half of the buildings were either collapsed or cracked."

"Quite impressive, really." Nevren raised one of his spoons. "I'm certain those buildings were reinforced with Protect insulation. It had hit hard enough to dissipate it, and then continue through. Very impressive, if we want to at least give credit where it's due."

Team Alloy—Owen included—glared at Nevren. Zena, too, huffed. "What are these mutants? Owen mentioned them to me before, but all I know is that they're strange Pokémon that seem to just appear."

"Well, effectively, that is what they are," Nevren said. "They're so few and far between that they aren't necessarily a concern… until a particularly troublesome one appears. And that has been happening more often lately."

Rhys hummed, shaking his head. "If you must know, they have to do with the Hunters. I'm certain of that. We couldn't find the mutant itself, only its path of destruction. It will take a while for that town to recover… but we did what we could in the immediate sense. Anam and James are arranging for long-term assistance as we speak. We may station a few Hearts there for morale and security in case another mutant happens to appear there. A second attack would wipe them from the map without our help."

Owen shuddered, nodding. "I ran into a Snorlax mutant a while ago. Ugh…" He turned around. "I'm gonna help make dinner."

"Hey, I'm coming, too," Demitri said. "I want to see what we're having! It should almost be ready, right?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it. If they aren't finished, I will get my dish ready." Rhys took advantage of his longer strides to cross Hot Spot and enter Amia's home. "Amia! Amia, don't forget that it's dinnertime, and you promised me . . ."

No longer able to hear Rhys, and with Nevren walking ahead, too, Owen looked back at the rest of Team Alloy. "How'd the mission go? Did Rhys help out a lot?"

"It was a bunch of rebuilding and gathering supplies," Demitri said.

"Boring." Mispy's leaf drooped.

"Yep, boring," Gahi clicked. "Barely got a good fight in. Was glad we ran into some territorial ferals on the way, otherwise we'd be all stir-crazy."

"Yeah." Owen glanced back at the clouds of steam that coated the ceiling, condensing into droplets to rain back to the floor. "I got my fill of fights during my training, at least."

"Lucky you." Gahi wobbled past them; the other three had to walk quickly to keep up. "Bah, at least you can actually relate ter us. Nobody gets it, that need ter fight, y'know?"

"Y-yeah, but I think I get weird looks when I try to talk about that."

At the dinner table, Zena struggled to find a place where she would properly fit. In an effort to include her in daily life again—at least, as close to normal daily life as they could manage—they had invited her over for dinner every day. Her size made things a bit awkward, though she eventually figured out to coil near the corner and lean her head toward the table.

But Owen noticed that there was a scowl on her face. He had a good idea why, based on where her eyes were glaring.

Amia had graciously allowed him to add his dish to the spread—it seemed to be some sort of spicy rice, speckled with Cheri bits and seasoned with a dark brown sauce. But his fur stood on end; he felt it, too. Perhaps it was her aura, but Zena was making her glare plainly obvious.

Owen decided not to speak and instead sat next to the Milotic. He flashed a forced smile, and Zena reciprocated with the same.

"How long 'til it's done?" Gahi shouted, banging his chin on the table. "That mission took ferever and I'm starved!"

"Very soon, Gahi; be polite." Rhys tossed the pan's contents up, slicing Cheri Berries with tiny blades of aura in midair. After a few tosses, he poured the last of the brown sauce in, which Owen realized was the main source of the savory smell.

"Rhys is pretty good at cooking, huh?" Owen asked Zena, hoping that she'd at least have some shred of recognition for his talents.

"Mm." Zena's scowl softened, but she also looked away from him.

After what felt like forever, Rhys finally turned around with the spicy rice, as well as Amia's simpler, but hearty, potato-Tamato stew. Owen wasn't sure which one to go for first; he just took half of both for himself. Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi took after him while Amia placed bowls of water near the middle, warning them that it was a bit spicy.

"You guys really like yer spice," Gahi said.

"It's okay," Mispy said.

"Feh, you'd eat anything."

"Say that again."

Owen didn't have to look to know that Gahi had inched away from the Chikorita.

Zena didn't take a bowl for herself, but she stayed for the company. Though, compared to the previous dinners, she was a lot quieter than usual. And the only real difference was that Rhys was eating with them—and Nevren, but Owen knew that it was mostly the ex-Hunter Lucario that she was focused on.

It was either because nobody else spoke, or because he, too, caught the tension, but even Gahi was quiet during dinner. In an attempt to stuff the thickness of the air away, Owen finished his meal first; almost immediately after he set his bowl down for the final time, Zena moved to speak. "Thank you for the dinner, Amia. It was lovely."

"Oh, you're welcome, dear."

"I will be going."

Without any further goodbye, she slithered out.

"I—I'll go, too," Owen said automatically, stepping away.

Rhys stood up next, which made everyone except Nevren stare in alarm. "Er—Rhys, dear?" Amia asked. "Is something the matter?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Nevren said leisurely, taking another spoonful of stew. "Amia, you must tell me how you cook these potatoes. The texture is marvelous."

"Oh—I'll tell you about the recipe, dear, but—"

"Would you excuse me?" Nevren stood up with more agency than usual. Rhys had already gone out, following Zena. Owen, watching it all, sped up his pace to make sure nothing particularly insane happened—not that enough had already befallen him the past few days.

"Hey, uh, Zena?" Owen said, stepping inside Zena's abode nervously. "Er… sorry if I'm bothering you or anything, but…"

"You aren't bothering me at all, Owen." Zena slipped into the lake and kept her upper body above the water's surface. While her eyes had a fire that defied her affinities, Owen could only assume she was telling the truth, particularly when her glare was aimed behind him.

"Ah… yes. Hello, Zena." Rhys gave a formal bow. "I didn't mean to intrude, but—"

"Then why are you here?"

Both Owen and Rhys winced. Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi caught up to them, Nevren right behind.

"I… I wanted to apologize, again, for my actions in chasing you down. It wasn't right of me, and I regret it—all of it. I want to make things right, and I want all of the Guardians to stop living in isolation and fear because of what the Hunters—myself included—had done."

While Zena didn't look convinced, she still replied enough to humor him. "And how do you intend to do that? By approaching the Guardians again, but in peace? Just like that Torkoal tried? I doubt they would believe you."

"That is why I came here," Rhys said, paws squeezed into little, anxious balls. "I need your help."

"Rhys, what exactly are you doing?" Nevren said.

"Something I should have done when I first met her," Rhys said, taking slow, deliberate, and careful steps into Zena's home.

"Don't come any closer, Hunter," Zena hissed. "We may be working toward the same goal, but I refuse to—"

Rhys held out a paw and lowered his head.

The Mystic flash that came from Zena's mouth suggested she was about to blast him until his head went down. The light disappeared, replaced by words. "What are you doing?"

"I, Lucario Rhys, Promise to abandon my role as a Hunter. Do you accept?" His paw glowed in a soft, golden light.

While Owen sensed no reaction from the rest of Team Alloy, the way Nevren ended up blinking several times, and how Zena flinched, made the Charmeleon let out a quick, confused chirp. "Doesn't he already promise that, implicitly?"

But Zena didn't answer him; she was completely focused on Rhys. "A Divine Promise, you mean?"

"Yes. I won't kill another Guardian. My work as a Hunter is done, officially, and by Divine Promise."

"…This is a trick," Zena said hastily. "You couldn't simply—abandon your—"

Rhys repeated, more firmly this time, "Zena, I hereby Promise to abandon my role as a Hunter. Do you accept?"

She stared at his paw for a while longer, the significance completely lost to Owen. He could only infer that this was a lot more than Rhys' word alone…

"Do you accept?"

More silence. While he didn't know her for long, Owen had never seen Zena's eyes so wide. Shakily, she held out one of her ribbons, grasping Rhys' paw. "I… I—I accept."

Nevren looked like he was about to faint. Gahi, Demitri, and Mispy all looked at Owen for an answer, but the Charmeleon only replied with a shrug and wide eyes.

The golden light between Zena's ribbon and Rhys' paw flashed, then faded. Rhys stood up, his expression firm, and bowed at her again. Zena, meanwhile, was stunned into complete silence, ribbon still hovering where Rhys' paw had been. She finally closed her mouth and looked down. "Th-thank you, Rhys. But I'm very tired."

"I understand."

She doesn't look tired at all, Owen noted, frowning. Why were serpents so hard to read? "Um, Zena, will you be okay on your own?"

And to this, Zena gave him a warm smile that Owen hoped was genuine. "I'll be fine tonight, but thank you. I… need to think."

"Do you feel safe, dear?" Amia asked, holding a hand to the fin on her chest.

Alex bumped his cannons together. "If you would like company, we could always stand by your home."

"I believe I will be okay. There will always be others awake, yes?"

"Oh, certainly. Owen, you still need your rest, but we will be awake to keep an eye on things."

Zena looked at her ribbon. "…I won't deny that I feel at least slightly safer. But… thank you anyway." She turned around. "I'm going to meditate and converse with my spirits. We're all a bit… Well. I'll be seeing you tomorrow morning. Hopefully Star will finally return with news."

The mushrooms were dim compared to the fire in the center of the room. Owen was always fond of the light; if anything, he was glad that the bright flames didn't bother his parents' sleeping patterns. Since they lacked one. He wanted to sleep right on top of it, but Amia said it would make him smell of smoke all the next day. Instead, he for his boring Rawst bed and lazily rolled until his arm dipped into a small alcove in the wall. Out came a book titled The Power and Peril of Seeds and Scarves, with Owen hoping that a bit of nonfiction could take his mind off of things. As interesting as it was, every page made his eyes just a bit heavier, the existential worries of his relatively newfound power and problems washing away.

Alex knocked his cannons against Owen's room, the sound echoing hollowly. "Owen?"

"Hey." Owen placed the book, open-faced, on his chest. "Something wrong?"

The Magmortar smiled. "I was about to ask you that." He sat down near his bed—due to his size, he towered over Owen without any effort. "The past few days must have been really hectic."

"Yeah, a little," Owen said, shrugging. "But I'm starting to get used to it."

"I can tell."

"Eh?"

Alex chuckled quietly. "Well, this is the first time that you're still awake after all your training."

Owen blushed, hiding beneath his book, focused on an image depicting a Reviver Seed's healing light. "Did I really just pass out that fast?"

"It certainly seemed that way." Alex pressed his cannons together. "Owen, er… is there anything that you'd like to talk about? Anything that might be bothering you, or…?"

Owen's expression slowly transitioned from flustered to subdued, though he remained hidden behind the pages. He had been focused so much on training that he never had the time to really reflect on why he was doing it in the first place, or what had happened on that disastrous day. He felt his scales crawl, like they were about to become leaves, and shuddered.

He felt Alex staring at him. Something had to be said to that, and it felt almost like a disservice to just tell him that everything was okay. Owen sighed, relenting. "I guess there's one thing that sort of bothered me, but… I just…"

"Yes, Owen? Please, anything. I want to be as open as I can with you, now that, well… this is happening."

Owen closed his eyes, focused on the dark. It was rare that he'd want to see nothing—especially since his flame kept his species perpetually in the light. "How come you guys wouldn't show up when I became a Heart?"

"A-ah…"

Owen waited. All in all, it was one thing that certainly bothered him, out of everything. Becoming a Heart was monumental… and yet they weren't even in the crowd.

"Well, we… it was dangerous. What if the Hunters tried to attack us while we were out in the open? We could possibly fight them off on our own, but if there are innocents nearby…"

Owen figured that would be the answer. It was only fair. But after those countless attempts, year after year, of trying to join the Hearts—he had no idea how many times he had been rejected—the day he was accepted, they couldn't just take one risk?

"Why were you able to show up at Anam's place?"

"Anam came to get us," Alex said. "Out of all of us, he's the one strong enough to be in public… and he's the only other Guardian we know."

Though Owen's claws were still squeezing the book cover, he knew that was a reasonable enough answer. But something still felt wrong.

"Owen, what's this really about? I think… you already knew those answers."

Owen snorted a bit of fire; his heart skipped a beat, reflexively trying to put out the flames on the page, but then he remembered he had bought special Rawst editions. The pages remained unaffected. He sighed, finally lowering the book. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Alex flinched. "T-tell you?"

"About… you. That the whole village is dead. And that Mom's…"

"We just wanted you to live a normal life, Owen. That's really all."

"But—that was just a huge lie!" Owen dared to peek out from behind the book. He regretted it immediately; Alex's eyes were right on him, accompanied by an apologetic frown. He couldn't bear to look at it for much longer, yet without thinking placed the book to the side of his nest. The Charmeleon rolled on the leaves, staring at the fire in the center of the room. For some reason, the flames seemed a lot colder tonight.

"I'm sorry, Owen." Alex placed his arm on the Charmeleon's back, giving it a gentle press between his shoulders. Owen's body loosened, muscles relaxing. "We just didn't want you to panic. If you could have just had… the smallest sense of normalcy… where you wouldn't have to feel afraid, or wouldn't get scared by anything you saw, or what you knew… I—I didn't want you to worry."

"Right." Owen should have expected an answer like that, too. He already knew that the rest of the village spirits—now within Amia so she could spend more power training him—were surely proud. And perhaps, when his training was His eyes softened, finally gathering enough nerve to look at Alex directly. "What's Mom doing, anyway?"

"Standing guard outside, as always."

As always. Owen wasn't sure what his face looked like, but it was apparently insulted enough that Alex looked at the fire next.

"I'm sorry."

Owen couldn't stay mad at that face. With a sigh of defeat, he just smiled at his father, "It's okay. I… I get it. You guys just wanted me to be happy, and… I was." Somehow, Alex's relieved smile spread to Owen's, too… or perhaps that was because he could barely stay awake. The fatigue was starting to set in again. At least he had some time to chat. "How have… I been doing?" Owen asked. "With my training… Mystic… strong."

"You've been doing well, Owen. I'm so proud of you for how well you're taking all this. So is your mother."

"Mhmm…" Owen's eyelids fluttered. The flames were a blurry, dancing blotch in front of his eyes, ever-present and cozy. "Guardians… Star, gonna…"

"Soon, hopefully," Alex replied. "Maybe if we can get them together, we can take on the Hunters. If they. . ."

Owen wasn't sure what Alex said after that. He curled around a clump of leaves, the tip of his tail touching his snout, and faded. He had many nights to rest, but it was the first time that he hadn't just passed out immediately. Yet, despite this, it was the most restful sleep he'd had since becoming the Grass Guardian.

In his sleep, Owen heard his mother's voice.

Good night, little ember.

"Well… I know for sure that Rim already stole one of the Orbs," Star said, sitting on Anam's dark wooden desk. In the morning light, James felt it was appropriate to gather everybody together once Star brought news to Amia that she had gathered all the intelligence she needed. It had been another few days, but the rest was well worth it—at least from Owen's perspective. While he was never allowed to go on missions with Team Alloy, his meditation and training with Zena and Amia, while excruciating, was also… fun? Perhaps that's how it felt, finally able to truly exert himself and fight in ways that most civilians felt uncomfortable with.

"She has the Psychic Orb, actually. Appropriate, given she always likes being an Espurr, but…" She shook her head. "That one wasn't very well-guarded. Some village had it as an artifact, hidden in plain sight, so all she had to do was sneak in and steal it. Didn't have any power. Folks who tried touching it never woke up again, so, guess they just saw it as too dangerous."

"How about all the other Orbs?" Owen asked.

"As far as I know, they're all with a Guardian, but most I wouldn't recommend going to just now," Star said. "Still, we're in a good spot. Four Orbs with us, one Orb to them."

"How come you can't just tell them to come over?" Owen asked.

"For one," Star held up a nebulous claw, "a lot of them are kinda leery about me since, you know, I told them to stay put and all that, and suddenly changing my tune is gonna throw them off. And two, even if I did tell them that, uh, news flash, Hunters might get them on their way over. We need to go to them as a group in case we run into trouble."

Zena, while still flashing glares at Star whenever she could, kept herself professional enough to contribute. "I suppose she has a point. If that's the case, let's begin with Orbs you believe are the easiest to access. That means the Hunters would have the easiest time getting them, too."

"Okay. I'll put down those dots first," Star said. "Then you guys can grab the first one. Uhh…" She looked up at the huge map on the front wall of Anam's office. The others followed her gaze. It depicted a great, roughly-circle-shaped country that comprised almost all of the world's dry land. Everything else was just ocean. Owen saw the marking of his home to the north of Kilo Mountain in the center of the map.

"This one's pretty good. She's a little weird, but she won't hurt you, maybe. Willow, the Fairy Guardian. She's right here, in a hidden garden inside that forest…." She pointed at a pale green patch of land within a northwestern woodland called Fae, Fae Forest.

Demitri shuddered slightly. "Fairy, huh…"

"Oh, calm down," Star hushed him. "You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"I—I do!" Demitri said. "I just… won't try to fight her."

"How about all the other locations?" Owen asked. "We should try to rescue them all at once!"

"No-go on that," Star dismissed. "Spread ourselves too thin, the Hunters will beat us down."

"Hrm." James fluffed up his feathers. "At the same time, we risk giving the Hunters even more time than necessary if we all go to them one by one. Perhaps we should follow official Heart protocol—teams of four or fewer. On a practical level, it's the most optimal size for a mission of this scale."

Owen nodded. "I feel like you'd need someone dedicated to just managing things if you have too many Hearts fighting on one team."

Nevren chuckled. "A Heart manager. It sounds as if you want a tactician."

Rhys glared at Nevren. The Alakazam ignored it.

"What an interesting concept, Owen," Nevren went on. "Well, I'm not much of a fighter, so perhaps I can play that role," he said. "Would you care if I gave you all communication devices? I've actually been working on this for quite some time, and it may actually be useful in this case, hm."

"Y-you can do that? How?"

"It's similar technology to how my Waypoints have been working, but instead of transferring solid material such as Pokémon and their possessions, it transfers energy, such as, in this case, the vibrations of the air made by speaking. Quite useful, yes?" Nevren pulled from his bag—as if he'd been waiting a while to announce this—what appeared to be three silver Badges. "I only have two at the moment… ah, no, three."

"They look… kinda like our Badge," Owen said.

"Yes, I wanted there to be a resemblance. However, the color is quite different, so I imagine there will not be much confusion."

It was indeed a lot like the Badge, but the design in the center was not a heart, but a diamond. However, it was the silver sheen, compared to the typical gold, was the most immediate difference.

Mispy prodded one of the communicators with a vine. "Mnn… nice."

"How do you use it?" Owen asked.

"You press the center rhombus and speak into it. So long as the other badge is not pressed, it will reflect what it 'hears'… to put it simply."

Gahi pressed the little rhombus with his tiny foot. "Can yeh hear me?"

Can yeh hear me? the other two said at the very same time.

"Whoa!" Owen said. "That's… really cool!"

The Trapinch clicked. "That's how I sound?"

"Sounded normal to me," Demitri said.

"Mhm." Mispy nodded.

Gahi grumbled something and pushed the communicator to the others with a flick of his head. "I don't like it."

"Aww, you sound fine, Gahi. We're used to it," Demitri teased. "Hey, how about we compete for second place on evolving on this mission, huh?" Almost instantly, their cheerful expressions shifted to challenging glares, and the challenge was on.

"Hey!" Owen perked up. "How about for this mission, all four of us team u—"

"No!" Rhys and Star said.

Owen jumped.

Rhys shook his head. "That is not a good idea. We need at least one elite with you. Don't forget, you're all only at the Entry level. The Hunters… No. I shall accompany them."

"And your father and I will go with you instead, Owen," Amia said, smiling.

Owen deflated. He really wanted to fight as a quartet…

"So that will be a team with Rhys and his students," James said, "and a team of Owen, Amia, and I presume Alex. That leaves you, Zena… perhaps to come with myself and Anam. Do you have a spirit to accompany you?"

Zena glanced at Owen, but then sighed and addressed James. "None that I can solidify usefully."

"I can't go," Star said. "I'm too strong to solidify completely, and I want Anam to focus that energy on keeping James out. I'll just cheer for you guys... okay?"

Nevren nodded. "I wish you all luck," he said. "I will remain behind to manage the Hearts while you are away, yes?"

"Oh! Yeah, thank you, Nevren!" Anam said. "Um… I think that's everyone! Yeah! So, we'll have three teams! Star? Where should we go?"

"Hmm, okay. Like I said, Fairy Guardian is one. Rock and Normal are also ones that I'm kinda worried about the Hunters reaching sooner, so let's do them, too." Star pointed to the map. "Great Crevice for the statue." On the map, a great, rocky gash trailed across an eighth of the land's diameter, like a great titan had cut across the southeastern part of the map. Then, Star pointed to a spot in a western forest near Kilo Mountain. "And not too far from here, there's an abandoned temple deep in the woods. Nothing's really there anymore, but… Anam, you're familiar with that place, right? You should go there, since you know the way."

"Why is the Normal Guardian at a temple?" Owen asked.

"He kinda likes modern architecture."

"What's a modern?" Gahi asked.

"Uhhh—it means ancient. Sorry, I kinda get my terms mixed up. Generational lingo, y'know? Kinda hard for a god to keep up when you're cooped up in the spirit world."

Owen was busy chatting with Zena to notice what else Star was saying. He already had his assignment. "I guess it's good that I'm not a Dragon Type after all, huh?"

"Oh, you aren't?" Zena asked. "You know, I always thought the Charmander line was part Dragon."

"Believe me, I wish that was true," Owen grumbled. "Dragons are awesome. We even look like one, if you compare us! But I guess someone"—Owen glared at Star—"thought we were better off with things like Pidgey. N-no offense to Pidgey or anything."

Zena nodded. "Well, I think you're just fine, regardless of your Type. Fire… or Grass."

Owen tittered. "Yeah, I guess Grass isn't so bad after all." He lied aloud, if only to keep Mispy from dismembering him in his sleep.

Zena giggled—something that surprised Owen at first, how bright her eyes looked for just a flash—and then she composed herself. "Well, in any case, good luck, Owen, with the Fairy Guardian. I hope we can spend some time reading a book together when we return?"

Owen tilted his head. That was an odd set of muscle movements. He wasn't sure if Zena was tense for the mission, or what. Perhaps she was just nervous, and Milotic expressed that differently. Defaulting to a cheerful smile, Owen said, "Hey, sure. That sounds great! And good luck with the Normal Guardian!"

With the teams prepared and Badges charged, they all dispatched for their respective Waypoints.