Bridge and Vital met Arven and Ash outside and walked them along the path towards the nearest city farm. It wasn't a bad hike; the air had a bit of a chill out here but nothing a brisk walk wouldn't counter in a few minutes.

Actually, Arven was impressed the senator had managed to get the day off for this. Most days he was only around the castle long enough to eat and leave the dishes for Arven to clean up.

When they arrived at the farmland in question, Vital directed Arven towards the plants and Ash towards wherever he could keep himself out of the way. Ash showed no offense and even found a nice rock where he could sit and read.

Arven beamed with pride at the special treatment, and then immediately felt lousy about it. The whole point was to get home, not settle here in the past. If the senator liked Arven, maybe that could help them. If he liked both Arven and Ash, all the better. Right?

Besides, Ash is only a little bit younger than me, Arven told himself. I need to stop acting like it means he can't do anything helpful here. He's already shown he can. Then the more self-aware part of his brain acknowledged, if only for a second, that after months of being the one who was always lost and didn't know how anything worked, maybe he just liked the idea of being someone else's tutor for a change.

"You'll check the radishes first," Vital told him, which was his usual way to direct people. It was never a demand or a question, simply a statement of what they were obviously going to do next. "Our citizens are relying on these to supplement the spinach harvest, which had a much smaller yield than we expected. But the farmers have reported they're nowhere near ready."

Arven nodded and knelt down beside the tiny sprouts in the raised earth to get a better idea what Vital was talking about. The plants didn't look bad per se, but they didn't look great, either. Vital was right about that much; the last frost was weeks ago. He should be looking at full bunches of leaves, ready to yank from the ground, not these immature plants. Never mind that their leaves were more of a yellowish green along the edges that the bright healthy color they should be.

"Well? What's your take on this?" Vital asked. No impatience in his voice. Not yet, anyway. The man had high standards, but from Arven's observations, he also had the common sense to know that if a task required focus, barking at people to hurry it up was counterproductive.

Arven laid his hand on the soil. It was soft but also kind of dry and crumbly. He closed his eyes, and in his mind, whispered to Ting-Lu. How's this looking? Then, with some quick consideration, he tacked on, I mean for growing plants. Not for earthquakes.

Ting-Lu gave a disappointed sigh, but nevertheless, sent a wave of energy into Arven's hand. The sensation of the dirt between his fingers suddenly had a ton more information than just its texture. Arven could feel its composure and nutrients, porosity and moisture level...as clearly as if he had tasted a dish to pick apart the flavors. He'd tried this before with other crops and with some of the potted plants around the castle. It didn't give him a great handle on how the soil could handle this particular crop; his botany skills came up short there. But the earth here certainly felt less nutritious than others. Then again, this was just the surface. Maybe a little deeper, it wasn't so bad?

He dug his fingers into the ground beside the plant, burying his hand about halfway down. When Vital raised an eyebrow at this, Arven cleared this throat and muttered, "Um, just trying to, uh...talk to the roots a bit better."

He called on Ting-Lu's power again, but the results were the same. The earth just below the surface was a bit better hydrated, and even the silty composition wasn't bad, but the nutrients were thin. It could grow plants, but it wasn't going to do it well. Or fast. And that was a problem.

Arven pulled his hand up and dusted it off, even though most of the dirt was stuck under his nails. "I think I could get them to grow healthier, but I can't speed it up by much."

Vital frowned. "Accelerated plant growth is a core skill for anyone with a grass-type Source." He turned to Bridge for his next question. "Are you quite sure you've evaluated his Source's typing correctly?"

Arven swallowed hard. Bridge had never fully evaluated him; he'd simply taken Arven's word that his "Source" was Scovillain. Arven had pushed that lie with all the confidence he could. He'd had gotten a few potted plants to flourish by making the soil more nutritious. And he'd been able to light fires without any flint provided. It was just enough proof that Bridge had never needed to demand more.

Until today, when he was faced with a crop that needed more than a little pick-me-up. It needed someone who could nourish the plants directly, not just the ground they were sitting in.

"It could be he simply isn't that skilled," Bridge said. A benefit of the doubt Arven didn't deserve but would gladly take.

Vital frowned and glanced over at the makeshift reading rock. The sun had risen high enough to shine right in Ash's face. So he had the book held aloft, blocking the sunlight as he read. Whatever the text said had him totally absorbed-eyebrows furrowed as he flipped another page.

"We should evaluate the newcomer," Vital said. "Perhaps his Source will prove more helpful."

Arven frowned, suddenly defensive of what meager position he had here. "His Source type is fire. We've got plenty of those. Mine included."

"Huh?" Ash raised the book, peeking underneath it, but keeping it at a tilt to avoid the sunlight. "You guys talking about me?"

"A fire-type Source, you say?" Vital rubbed his chin and stepped closer to Ash, looking him over like someone would contemplate a new piece of furniture. He leaned in closer. "I would expect someone from such a different world to require weeks before connecting their Source. And you have identified yours after one day?"

Arven felt a sting of guilt. Ash was going to get full-on interrogated now, and he hadn't even volunteered any info.

"I-I don't know for sure," Ash said nervously. "It was just a...feeling I got while watching the food cook in the oven yesterday. And I guess I had some dreams about it? But that's all."

"Indeed." Vital straightened, giving Ash a bit more breathing room. "It is a remarkable feat that you felt anything. And do not discount dreams, boy. The mind is just as vast a landscape as the realms of humans and Sources."

"Uh...okay."

Vital rubbed at his chin, walked away from Ash, and motioned for Bridge to stand closer to him. "I've known some prodigies who could use abilities beyond their standard Source's power. Perhaps this young man is one of those?" He kept his voice low, and Arven had no doubt it was out of Ash's hearing range. But the fact that he could make out every word meant they didn't care if he listened in. He wasn't important enough to bother keeping secrets from. And that stung all the more.

"I suppose he...could be gifted as such," Bridge agreed hesitantly. "But how would you tell? We barely know him."

"Then we must get to know him. See how he thinks. But we're getting ahead of ourselves there." He turned and nodded to Arven, almost like it was an afterthought. "Do what you can for the radish crop. I would like to consult with Bridge for a few moments in private."

Arven nodded-not much else he could do-and watched as Bridge and Vital walked a good distance away from the rows of radish plants, definitely out of range for either Arven or Ash to hear now.

Ash brightened up the second they left. "Oh, good," he said and held out the book out for Arven to see. "Now that they're chatting, I can show you what I found in-hey!"

Arven pushed the book away turned his attention back to the crops. "Show me later. In case you didn't hear, I've got work to do."

"Huh?" Ash cocked his head. "He just said 'do what you can.' It didn't even sound like he cared how much you got done."

Arven knew what Ash meant: that this was more important, and with Vital's lowered expectations, Arven had time to divert his attention. But that wasn't what it felt like. Ash's words felt like another rejection-that feeling of just being an obstacle in everyone's way.

Your fear is rising, Ting-Lu whispered in his mind. Be careful.

"Yeah, got it. Whatever," Arven muttered aloud as he dug his hands into the ground.

"Aren't you even going to look?" Ash pressed. He stretched the book, bending the spine, and practically shoved an illustration on the right page under Arven's nose. "See? It says scientists believe the meteor that Arceus stopped wasn't originally supposed to touch ground at all. Its path got diverted somehow. They're pretty sure Clefairy were to blame. It's actually a neat theory, but either way, it means that-"

"Will you get that thing out of my face when I'm trying to focus?" Arven snapped. "I'm not a magical prodigy like you are."

Ash did pull the book back, but Arven could tell he was hurt. "What's wrong with you all of a sudden? Are you jealous of me or something?"

"No, I'm not," Arven said, in a tone that was both too quick and too forced. Dad was jealous. So jealous that it let Ting-Lu consume him. I'm not like that. I just...don't want to be left behind again.

"Seriously? You are jealous, aren't you?" Ash said, throwing his arms in the air to show how ridiculous the whole situation was. Bridge and Vital didn't walk over, but the motion drew their gazes.

"Think that if you want," Arven said. "I really don't care."

"Come on! We should be helping each other," Ash insisted, making even more exaggerated gestures. "Not competing with each other!"

"Who said I'm competing?"

"Literally everything you've done since I got here says you're competing! Who cares if I got a fire connection right away? What's an Ember attack going to do against a-" Ash flung his arms to the side as he yelled out, "Ember attack!" In those split seconds, Arven caught a distinct spark coming from his fingertips. It flew out sideways, instantly catching on some dry blades of grass between the rows of radish plants. The perfect kindling. A thin line of smoke rose as a small flame grew to life.

"No! Not the crops!" Vital and Bridge rushed over to the scene. Bridge's face was stricken with panic.

Vital looked ready to strangle Ash on the spot. "You're using fire-based abilities you can't even control yet? Why didn't you say anything? I never would have risked you coming here if I knew!"

"Sir!" Bridge said, pointing at the garden. The nearest radish plant was already being consumed by the creeping flames.

Vital shoved Ash aside, hard enough to knock him onto the ground. The senator's jaw clenched as he stood near the flame and closed his eyes. Connecting with his water-type Pokémon to summon an attack? Arven had rarely seen him use his Pokémon's abilities at all. To hear Bridge tell it, the man often visited the city's farms at night when his work with the senate was done. He made it a point to have his Pokémon's power fully depleted by the end of each trip. If his Pokémon had energy to spare, that meant there were other crops he could have watered, more help he could have given.

If last night had been such a night-and it probably was from the staff's extra snippiness about Ash's volume-he would have little in reserve now.

Which meant by the time he could summon any water, the fire would be too large for him to stop it.

Arven pressed his hands onto the ground. Pulling on Ting-Lu's power, he ordered a patch of soil to lift itself up. The earth obeyed and circled around the infant flames a moment before dropping itself on top of them. In a fist-sized puff of dust and smoke, the threat was snuffed out.

Ash hurried over and rubbed at his scraped arm. "Y-you did it!" he said. "I saw the whole thing! Pepper, that was awesome!"

"What?" Vital gasped as he eyes flew open. His breathing was heavy, but he watched with full attention. Arven prodded at the smoking ground several times. Not a spark or glowing ember in sight.

Bridge confirmed the same and clapped him on the shoulder. "Using the fire half of your Source to extinguish the flame," he said. "How very clever."

"It was better than that," Ash said. "He made this little ground wave and dropped it on the flames!"

"Ground...wave?" Vital said. His voice went soft, and his eyes narrowed. "He did this with his hands or with his Source?"

Panic pulsed through Arven's veins; his palms grew damp. "How would my Source do that? Grass-types can't-"

Despite his obvious fatigue, Vital's hand flew up in a motion that called for immediate silence. Arven swallowed his words and watched Ash, while lines of sweat crawled down his back and his heartbeat picked up speed.

"U-um..." Ash looked uncertain. Which was a good thing. Maybe he would back off and say he had no idea. "I...I don't know for sure, but it was with his Source, I think?"

Arven really wished they had the castle wall here so he could slam his head into it.

"Y-yeah, I'm positive that was it," Ash said, growing more confident with each word. Of course. In his mind, he was offering up a proverbial olive branch here. And why would he think anything else? Arven realized. I didn't exactly clue him in that I was keeping my Source a secret. If anything, I did the opposite.

"See, he put his hands around the fire," Ash continued. "And this blob of dirt just rose up and threw itself right over the flames! Took them out in a second. Pepper's really good with Source power stuff. I bet he's just as good as me. Probably better." He grinned and gave Arven a thumbs-up.

Arven did not return the gesture. He was too busy trying not to vomit all over the radish plants.

"Is this an accurate re-telling of events?" Vital asked, stepping closer to Arven and leaning towards him. Expect, unlike with Ash, he did not lean back when he saw it was making Arven uncomfortable.

"I-I...he's over-complimenting me," Arven said.

"Did you use an Earth-type ability? Yes or no?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"So you admit that you lied about your Source's typing?"

"I-I..." Arven couldn't get any words out. Even if he wanted to confess-and he wasn't at all convinced that was the best action-a lump caught it his throat, and he couldn't work around it.

"Perhaps it wasn't a lie," Bridge offered. "Perhaps he was mistaken and got his Source wrong. Even children who've grown up here still do so now and again."

"Hmph. We'll see which it was for sure," Vital replied. He glared down at Arven with the full weight of his authority and displeasure. "You will follow me back to the castle. You will ask no questions. And you will answer truthfully when we get to our destination and I pose the questions to you. Nod if I have made myself clear."

Arven nodded so hard that his neck hurt. Vital began the march back to the castle, and Bridge came up behind Arven. He didn't force him to follow, but the implications were clear enough. If he tried to deviate off the path even a little, it wouldn't end well. There was sympathy in the man's face but not enough to overlook a lie like this. Or defy the man who'd been leading them all these years.

I am so dead, Arven thought.

Perhaps not, Ting-Lu mentally replied in his best attempt to be uplifting. It was not the Pokémon's strong suit. Or then again, perhaps you are. I await whatever moment you deem best for a proper Earthquake-fueled escape.

Don't you dare!

Ting-Lu did not answer right away. Arven thought at first he had done silent again. Then, one more time, he spoke into Arven's mind: Protecting you is the first thing I have ever done that helped another instead of hurting them. I won't ignore you if you need me.

I won't ask you to, Arven promised. But don't do anything crazy, okay? No power surges, no earthquakes. I'll get both of out of this.

I'll believe you for now, Ting-Lu said. But fear smothers confidence. And right now? I know you are very, very afraid.