Grant's gym was located inside the mountain in front of a raging waterfall. The arena was rugged, with several large boulders surrounding the perimeter. A short, wooden platform stood on both sides of the battlefield where trainers could stand safe from the elements. A small stadium stood on the side opposite the field, giving spectators a great view of the pitch and waterfall alike. Large floodlights illuminated the surrounding area.

Grant himself stood with his back to her on the leader's end of the field. Hearing her enter, he began warm-up exercises similar to Clair's own. He started with his arms, stretching them high into the air, then began to extend his legs for a calf stretch. With that done, he jumped several times, his knees reaching higher than the last. Clair was impressed. He was more dexterous than she expected for a cyclist and a climber.

Of course, that wouldn't prevent him from losing.

"Well, shit!" Grant said, stopping his exercises, noticing her team for the first time. "Didn't expect you to bring a Lucario to our fight!"

"Going to surrender already?" she taunted, making her way to the challenger's platform. She ushered Windie and Jude to join her. "How disappointing."

Grant laughed. "Nah, fam! You've just got me pumped!"

The microphone on her shirt was fine, but the earpiece was uncomfortable. It was the perfect piece of technology to allow both Leaders to contact each other during the match. Despite being Clair's second badge, Grant had requested this match to be televised. Clair wasn't sure what to expect as a handful of people took their seats in the stadium.

In the middle of the field, a referee in a bright red-orange shirt took his place. He looked expectantly from Grant to Clair. "All right, let's get the rules sorted," he began in a thick Kalosian accent. "Each trainer will use two Pokémon, who will fight until they faint. The match will end when either side can no longer continue. Are you ready?" When Clair and Grant both gave their affirmatives, the referee nodded.

"Then let Cyllage's 325th Gym battle begin!"

【-】

The day after Clair found Vaporeon, she made her way to the local Gym and scheduled a match for the following week. Afterwards, she took it upon herself to head to the nearest nursery. Berries, bugwort, and various other herbs made up her list—with what happened to Vaporeon, Clair wanted her healer's kit to be well-stocked. She finished her shopping at the nearest Trainer's market, purchasing bandages, splints, and a few apricorn-made Poke Balls from their meager collection. She wouldn't be foolish enough to go out unprepared again.

Grant, she knew, would be no pushover. She'd spent countless hours going over his Top Ten matches, studying his maneuvers and what Pokémon he favored. It seemed as if he changed his teams as if on a whim—but Clair knew better than that. The Pokémon he used were chosen specifically to counter the opponent's team. In a game of attrition, Grant had her beat. Her best chance to win was hit hard, and hit fast. Grinning, Clair shut off the television. Grant knew about Windie, but he didn't know about Jude's capabilities. Nor the fact that he'd evolved.

The next several days were spent preparing for the upcoming battle. Jude, in his evolved form, was more intense than ever. Determined, as if overcome by an enormous need to succeed. If she hadn't spent time working with his range of motion exercises and strength training, she wouldn't have known his hock gave him issues. At the end of a few intense agility sessions, however, she'd needed to ice his ankle and force him to rest. He'd pouted.

Windie practiced more with her psychic abilities. Clair didn't know what she was doing at first when the Pokémon stared at her for minutes upon end, struggling to not blink. The PokéDex app on her phone made mention that Braixen's evolution, Delphox, was a powerful part-psychic type who could not only see into the future, but also ignite flames using pyrokinesis. Based on the funny look on her face, Clair assumed that Windie was trying to read her mind. She'd laughed and shrugged it off when Windie gave up. Maybe next time, she'd said.

Aella loved her tusks more than anything. Any chance she got, the little dragon was sharpening them against various surfaces. Trees, brick walls, it didn't matter. One day, when Nils happened to get close, Aella snarled and tried to slash at him with her tusks. He'd agilely leaped out of her path, indifferent to her rage. Clair decided to put those destructive tendencies to good use. She'd teach the Axew her signature move: the dance of the dragon. There was no use just being strong. She had to be fast, too.

The Absol—or Nils, as Clair had grown to call him—was content to just watch. He hadn't responded when she offered him a Moon ball for him to be an official member of the team, but he interacted with them as if he was. Clair figured that was good enough for now. Besides, he meshed well with Jude. His quick reflexes and sharp, sudden movements often caught Jude by surprise. As the days went on, she noticed Jude hitting Nils five times out of ten. Five times more than when they'd first started.

【-】

The waves were cool against her legs. She dug her toes in the sand until they were ankle-deep, enjoying their gentle pressure against her joints. She breathed in the air—crisp, salty. Its taste stuck to her tongue. Why had she never given herself an opportunity to enjoy a beach before? She breathed out. She opened her eyes and watched as her Pokémon frolicked before her, Jude openly in the water, and Windie moving to and fro as the waves caught up to her, careful to not get her fur wet. Beside her, Aella was busy digging a hole, her body covered in the gritty sand.

Clair allowed herself a smile. But then it faltered—thoughts of the injured Vaporeon rushed into her mind. Scarred and with a sallow expression, the Pokémon was in desperate need of TLC. What was she doing here when she needed to find the culprit? Who was she to enjoy herself, when Vaporeon knew naught but suffering? From the water, Jude raised his head, his ears pricked. He gazed at Clair with an intense expression.

She brushed her bangs from her face. Surely it would be all right—her Pokémon needed this. She'd be no help to him by moping.

Standing at Kalos' edge, Clair watched as Nils splashed through the shallows, chasing after minnows. The Vaporeon, whom she'd started calling Vael, sunk into the waters until nothing showed but his eyes. He watched Nils curiously. Though his wounds had been healed, he wasn't cured. The scars on his fins were a grim reminder of that.

I'll fix this, she thought. I'll find whoever did this, and make them pay.

Windie, distracted from her sandcastle, chased the waves as they crashed against the shore. Jude made his way by her side, his red eyes knowing.

"It's all right," Clair told him, ruffling his ears. "Just relax."

Jude nodded. With one last look at Clair, he rushed off back into the water, purposefully splashing his way toward Nils. The Absol leaped into the air, turning gracefully midway, and landed on his feet facing the Lucario. With a menacing growl, Nils used a large paw to splash water back at Jude. Windie danced, yipping excitedly. Aella continued to dig her hole, content. Vael melted into the waves.

Was this what it was like? Freedom?

【-】

The path leading from Cyllage to Geosenge was one not often traveled. The two-lane expressway was the faster of the two, leading travelers on a curving road along the mountainside, however it was dangerous for anyone not in a vehicle. The challenger's path would take longer, forcing those on foot to navigate the wild outskirts. While Clair would normally take the fastest route to a destination, today she let her Pokémon decide. Nils was the one who eventually changed her mind. He was capital-A adamant that they do not go on the expressway.

Mehnir Trail it was, then.

Lining either side of the path, large goldenrod bushes swayed in the breeze. Windie was enthralled. She flicked her not-quite-a-wand at them. Clair half-expected the bushes to burst into flames. One ear flicking backwards, Windie whisked her wrist again. Nothing. Clair chuckled to herself, sharing an amused glance with Jude. His toothy grin faded when he thought she wasn't looking. His gaze remained fixed on Windie.

Not many trainers walked this path, and it wasn't difficult to see why. The well-worn trail, oft used by passersby, was slowly becoming overgrown by undergrowth of the forest. With five Pokémon by her side, any would-be opponent was easily dissuaded. Clair sighed. She was itching for a fight. With two badges under her belt, she should find some competition somewhere, right?

Nils, Jude, and Windie were all battle-ready. Aella, though inexperienced, showed great promise. That only left Vael.

Quiet, shy, and nervous, the Vaporeon had little faith in her or anyone else. He flinched when she touched him. He flinched when the wind buffeted him. But despite having a choice between staying at the Center with the other orphans or going with Clair, he chose her. That had to count for something. As they walked, Clair talked to him in soft, gentle tones. He trotted by her side, long tail dragging in the dirt.

She wasn't sure if he was listening.

Eventually the trail ended, leaving only sparsely-laid stepping stones in their wake. As they walked, the trees grew more dense until their canopies blocked the sun. Clair continued forward. A prickling sensation at the back of her neck made the fine hairs stand on end. There was something up ahead, she could feel it. Nils, Jude, and Windie felt it, too. Ears pricked, the bipedal Pokémon stood alert. Nils sniffed the ground, eyes closed.

He recoiled as if struck by lightning. Before Clair could understand what was happening, he darted away without a backwards glance.

"Nils, wait!" Clair called, running after him. She could barely see his black tail as he bounded through the woods like a Stantler. She pushed through the undergrowth and struggled through vines that attached to her limbs. "Come back!"

The thorned brush became too much. Forced to stop her pursuit, Clair made her way back to the rest of her team. "He didn't run away," Clair said, more to herself than to her Pokémon. She took stock of everyone, making sure nobody else ran off. Windie, Jude, Aella, Vael. Good, everyone was here.

Glancing in the direction that Nils ran, Clair frowned. They were heading north, but Nils ran east. If what they felt was really bothersome, wouldn't he run away from the problem? She rubbed her chin. There had to be something else. Maybe there was someone else who needed him, like she did.

"Aella, don't get any ideas," Clair chastised, shooting her dragon a dark look. "You're staying here." Aella, who had been curiously and not-so-innocently investigating the brush, turned her attention back on her trainer. She grinned. Clair went over and picked the Pokémon up. Aella was heavier than she had been a week ago.

Setting her back with the others, Clair admitted defeat. "Come, you must be hungry. I brought a few snacks…" she trailed off, rummaging through her bag to find a few berries and jerky sticks she could spare.

Aella cared little for the berries, but munched happily on the meat. Windie and Jude ate both. Clair came nearer to Vael and sat on her knees. She slowly extended the jerky in his direction. "Here you go," she murmured. "There's plenty." The Vaporeon sniffed it, but didn't eat it. He rested his head on his paws, his tail curling around him. Maybe next time.

The quick lunch break finished, Clair gathered her team and they continued on.

As they journeyed, the stoned path widened, and eventually the trees' thickness began to dwindle. Scattered stones of various sizes cropped up, both around the path and through it, forming a winding trail that led to an enormous glade. Rows upon rows of gigantic stones larger than her grandfather's Dragonite littered the clearing. As Pokémon and human drew near, the prickling sensation grew stronger. Clair's eye twitched uncontrollably. She'd have a headache before long.

Aella was unperplexed, but Windie and Jude were taking it the hardest. Jude held his head between his paws. He stumbled his way to Windie, who curled herself into a little ball. He hovered over her as if to protect her. Vael shuddered, refusing to come any closer to the mysterious stones. As much as she detested it, Clair had no choice but to recall everyone.

Gritting her teeth, she continued forward. As she passed a rather large stone surrounded by smaller stones, Clair saw that some had symbols on them, but were so impossibly faded that she couldn't read the glyphs. The stone was warm to the touch. Its surface seemed to vibrate in time with her heartbeat.

Several people were milling around just ahead. They, like her, didn't have Pokémon by their side. They turned as she approached. Scowled, as if she had no right to be there. Clair frowned. She would go where she damn well pleased. One person in an impeccably-tailored black suit came to meet her. Their Kalosian was light and airy, speaking like a pompous, uppity brat.

Clair looked at them blankly. "I don't speak Kalosian," she said, her voice terse.

The person, a pretty woman with a pixie haircut, frowned. She looked over her shoulder to her comrades, gesticulating something. A man in a similar black suit came over instead. "I apologisse," he said, his Common so thick she could hardly make out a word. "I'm afraid thiss area iss off-limits. Pleasse leave."

The two men in the back had tablets in their hands, poking around at the screens. Clair thought one snapped a photo of a stone, based on the click she heard. They looked unsettled. Why were they here? They appeared to be studying the stones, but they didn't look like the stereotypical researcher. Too hostile to be tourists, too nervous to fully know what they were doing.

The man before Clair tapped his foot impatiently.

Something about standing stones felt wrong.

Clair shook her head. "No."

"Quoi?"

A holy area was usually secluded, and almost always watched over by a guardian. So where was it? There was no reason for them to block her path, especially when there didn't appear to be any authorities in sight. Clair balled her hands into fists.

These people had no right to be here.

"I'm not going anywhere," she seethed.

Four people total, but not a Pokémon in sight. She could use that to her advantage—Clair didn't completely ignore years of the elder's tutelage. Fighting was her lifeblood. Two of the four appeared hesitant. Good. The one in front of her bristled, while his female partner took a step forward. Then another.

Clair took her chance. Shomen-ate.

She met pixie-cut head-on, her left hand swinging out to grasp the other's wrist and her right palm striking forward, cupping the chin. With one smooth step, Clair drove her leg forward, forcing the woman back and knocking her flat on her ass. She let out a surprised gasp as her head knocked against the grass. Her male partner yelled something in Kalosian and launched at Clair, ready to punch. Left handed, like she was. Clair grinned. Gyakugamae-ate. Clair grabbed his left wrist with her right hand, stepping forward and striking her left hand past his left ear. As swift as she'd come, Clair used her forward momentum against him, sending him reeling backwards onto the ground.

The two bystanders panicked. They shouted in their native tongue and booked it across the green, nearly dropping their belongings in the process. The man on ground rubbed their temples, cursing. "Sa mère!"

His female partner got to her feet first. She reached into her pocket for a Poke Ball, but Clair launched forward, grabbed her wrist, twisted her body, and threw the woman over her shoulder. She landed on the ground with a solid thud.

"Don't even think about it," Clair snarled. She stood between the two, her hands on her hips. "Get out of here. Now!"

The two people in black slowly got to their feet, groaning. They shot Clair a dark look before following in the others' footsteps. When they were gone, she took a closer look at the stones the four were studying. There was a sign near one that she hadn't noticed before. The sign was written in faded Common and Kalosian in flowery script. It read:

The Kalos region, now upheld as fair,

From ancient days an ugly past doth bear

The woes of war did knock on every door

Till man nor Pokémon could take no more

Three thousand years ago, upon this shore

Clair frowned. From what she could tell, Kalos had a great war about 3,000 years ago, it was ugly, and nobody liked it. She put her hand on the stone, feeling its subtle warmth under her fingertips. For the first time, Clair noticed that there weren't any birds chirping. There wasn't any sound here at all.

Then it hit her.

This large, massive field, scattered with hundreds and hundreds of differently-sized standing stones. The aching headache. The warmth and vibration of the stones…

This was a graveyard.

Something truly massive must have occurred here. Nothing else could explain it. Clair glanced around, noting the complete absence of life. But it was strange. These stones were emitting some sort of energy, as if they were alive. She shook her head. She wasn't very fond of puzzles—she'd never been very good at them. This was one puzzle she wasn't sure she wanted answers to.

Leaving the sign behind, Clair slowly made her way through the megalithic monuments, making sure to not disturb those who should remain in their slumber. The mystic of her clan always told her to respect the spirits. Fickle creatures, they were. Morty held them in high regard, noting their ability to whisk away the souls of the living. Clair dared not be the cause of their fury.

The vibrations droned on.

Rubbing her temples, Clair carefully trudged her way past the headstones. As she reached what she assumed as the center of the glade, the buzzing grew louder, forcing her to slow her pace. Dizzy and knees growing weak, Clair stumbled, catching herself on a nearby memorial. A dried bouquet of flowers stood at its base.

How long had it been? Ten minutes? Thirty? Clair rubbed the double vision from her eyes. The standing stones were endless.

And still the silence persisted.

Spirits, she had to get out of here.