"Esther? You're telling me they're at Esther?" Ace questioned Volt as he and Canis sat down to chat.

Volt gave a very stern look to Team Alpha. "I don't see why that's a problem with you guys."

"Well, Mike. As it turns out, we were at Esther, just a couple of days ago," Canis answered. "We must've just passed by them somewhere."

Volt sighed, giving Canis an apologetic expression. "In that case, David, I'm sorry if your trip here was a bit of a waste. I can only imagine how much you must really want to be with your boys now."

Canis nodded. "It's alright. If they're in Esther, then they should be fine. I have good faith in them."

Volt smirked at that comment. "You must really love your kids if you think they're strong enough to take on Zeraora by themselves. You and Josh really aren't all that different."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Canis said with a smile. "Hopefully, they weren't too much trouble for you."

Volt tensed up, trying to find some sort of positive experience he had with both Josh and Adam at the guild. However, this only got to highlight how much he seemed to be lacking in the care department, for all he accomplished was merely instruct Josh and Adam to follow through on menial tasks without really showing a single ounce of care in the slightest. He began to feel rather guilty about it, wishing there was some way to perhaps make it up to them in the future.

Canis could tell that Volt was unable to remark on the past, so he spoke up. "If it makes you feel any better, Josh and Adam are honestly good boys at heart. They may not be the brightest, but they are like a pair of well-oiled machines. Finally getting the chance to let them go after so long must've been difficult."

"Heh… You could say that again," Volt comments with a smile. "I genuinely was worried about their safety, especially now that things are a lot direr than I would've realized." Volt soon cleared his throat, before asking "I just hope I've made the right decision in letting them go, that's all."

"There's nothing to worry about, Mike," Canis said with a smile. "Ace and I know a few players over there that can keep an eye on them in case they go out of line. I believe Josh and Adam will be safe in their capable hands."

"Let's just hope you're right on that assumption, Dave," Volt said. "Josh and Adam aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, even if it comes at a great risk for themselves. If these players you mentioned are as good as I hope, then that should at least increase their chances of escaping from here alive."

Volt soon got up from his desk, before he then walked over to Team Alpha to look them both over. As he kept his eye on the Lucario in the room, Volt could tell that he was far more supportive of Josh and Adam than even he could've managed. Wanting to set a good example, Volt ultimately ended up holding his hand out, expecting Canis to shake it. He held onto a calm, stoic demeanor throughout, wanting to show that he at least carries an air of professionalism to make himself feel more mature.

Canis soon shook Volt's hand, before giving the Electabuzz a reassuring smile. "You seem tense," he mentioned. "Are you okay?"

Volt averted his gaze somewhat, mentioning "I'm fine. Nothing to really concern yourself with." Once they both finished shaking each other's hands, Volt mentioned "Now, if you excuse me, I have an AI to find, and I can't be bothered with outsiders."

Canis soon gave a smile. "Actually, that's also part of the reason why we wanted to come over here."

"It is?" Ace asked, almost in utter surprise with Canis's words.

Volt could tell that whatever Canis was up to, it was going to be big news, so he listened carefully. Canis spoke, saying "I was wondering if you have any room left over for one more team to join your ranks."

"Huh!?" Ace exclaimed.

Volt was also in utter disbelief on hearing those words as well. "David…" he muttered. "What are you…?"

"You seem to be rather stressed because you don't have enough teams to distribute work for," Canis mentioned. "I'm not asking to stay in this building for the foreseeable future, but I am willing to help you out and bear some of the weight on your shoulders." Giving a bow, he then added "We would be grateful if you could let us join the Solace Guild."

Volt didn't really know what to say in regards to Canis's words. He turned his attention towards Ace, seeing that the Cinderace was just as perplexed as he was on this request. This spur of the moment request was sudden, but Volt knew that Canis was only trying to help. He realized in that moment that this Lucario was only trying to help in any way he could.

Volt crossed his arms, and asked "What's your team rank?"

"What does it matter?" Canis asked. "It doesn't matter what rank we are. What matters is that we're able to aid you in any way we can."

Volt couldn't help but smile at the notion. "Very well. In that case, we're happy to have you onboard." He turned his attention towards Rin, and told her "Fill out the necessary paperwork, will you, Rin?"

"With pleasure, Volt," Rin said with a bow. She then turned her attention to Canis, smiling at him, before saying "You're lucky your children are strong, David. They're both remarkably skilled." She soon left the room, leaving the others alone in the office.

"John, how would you feel about giving Team Alpha a proper tour of the base?" Volt asked the Lycanroc.

"I'll be sure to do so, Mike. You can count on me." John soon looked at Canis with a grin, telling him "You know, you and Josh seem remarkably similar."

Canis smiled, admitting "It's because I'm a Lucario, is that it?"

"No. You and Josh share similar personalities." Wulfrock gave a smile as he soon led Team Alpha to the door. Upon opening it for them, he asked "Care for the grand tour?"

Canis and Ace took a moment to look at each other briefly, recognizing that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Nodding to each other, Ace smiled and said "I thought you'd never ask."

Wulfrock allowed for Team Alpha to exit the door first. As they did, Canis soon lifted up the hood of his cloak, choosing to hide his appearance. Wulfrock took notice of this, and asked "What's with the hood, anyways?"

"Considering I was mistaken for Josh in the past, it's probably for the best that I choose to hide myself for now," Canis answered honestly. "Besides, I don't want to cause too much commotion for you guys."

"Dave, you just prefer wearing the hood because it looks cool," Ace quipped.

Canis sighed, before muttering "No, that's not it."

Ace chuckled as he and Canis followed Wulfrock out of Volt's office. By the time that the door closed once more, Volt was once again inside of his office by himself. He sat down in his seat, breathing a heavy sigh as he stared up at the ceiling, still in utter disbelief that Josh and Adam's father had followed them into the game. "Why does this keep happening to me…?"

Volt soon looked over at the picture of Josh and Adam together that was on his desk. He picked it up, smiling at it as he began to reminisce over the pair. He turned to look out the window and look at the sun out in the distance. He missed their company at the end of the day. If anything, he wished he could've done something more to help them.

"I hope you boys are alright," Volt said to himself. "Wherever you are…"

Chapter 53: Welcome to Esther

We were well on our way to Esther now that Team Nagi was guiding us toward the town. Throughout the entire trip, Kai and Toru took the lead, while we had Kyosuke walking from behind us. Shun was up in the air above us as he circled over our large group while we traveled. Hatori, on the other hand…

"Tell me, Miss. Have you ever been to Esther before?" the Greninja asked me as he walked by my side.

I gave a rather blunt answer. "I've traveled through this game here and there, so I believe I might've been there before."

"Well, in that case, you are going to adore the sight of the waterfalls outside Hotel Cascade," he continued. "Especially at night! Ah… It looks truly beautiful as it reflects the stars and moon. A decadent suite with a view like that is ideal for couples of all ages to adore." He then eyed me with this weird expression, like something seemed to be in his eyes or something.

I looked at the Greninja curiously, and asked him "Are you okay? Ever since you saw me, you seemed to be giving this weird look."

Hatori sighed as he looked away from me, melodramatically clutching at his chest. "Oh, Rose-chan. Forgive me, but I appear to have my heart suddenly be lit aflame over the burning passion I seem to be noticing you radiate! How fitting for someone from Team Inferno! Truly!"

I was really weirded out by Hatori's behavior, and I couldn't help but find it to be particularly strange. I don't think I have ever seen a man act like this before in my life, which weirded me out completely. What is up with this guy? What's his goal, here?

"You'll have to forgive Hatori if he's acting so strange," Shun mentioned from above. "He's known to be quite the romantic."

"Hai! Except around The Wicked Witch of Esther, that is," Kai mentioned jokingly. "In her case, he's quick to turn tail the mere moment she lays her eyes on him."

"Who's 'The Wicked Witch of Esther?'" Nolan asked curiously.

"Only a very strict and aggressive player named Cerefleur," Toru answered. "In fact, ever since Zeraora began to occupy Mount Sanda, she's become increasingly paranoid about Zeraora's emergence and placed our fearless leader under house arrest."

"It also happened to be how we met with two other players, who we thought could be of service in tracking down Zeraora," Kyosuke mentioned. "They were strong. They even took on the Thunder Trial as a sign of them overcoming the mountain in the past."

"And these players…" Cross began. "You mentioned a Lucario was among them, right?"

"Hai," Kyosuke answered. "He called himself Canis. He seemed like the right choice at the time, given that Lucario are known for their tracking abilities."

"Canis… Hmm…" Josh ended up nearly lost in thought at the mention of that name. "Out of all the usernames, why the Latin word for canine?"

"Oh, don't be so suspicious, koinu…" Hatori mentions with a smile as he places an arm over him. "He's actually a pretty nice guy."

Josh was quick to grip Hatori's hand tightly, forcing him to take his arm off of him. Josh had this rather intense glare on his face, as he told Hatori "Don't you ever call me that again…"

"Ahhh… Point taken," Hatori mentions as he winced a little in pain from Josh's grip. Once Josh let go of his hand, he rubbed it gently, before asking Adam "Why did he get so mad all of a sudden? Was it because I was being too up front with him?"

Adam sighed, before he leaned closely to Hatori, and whispered something in his ear. I couldn't hear what he told him, but I can probably tell that Adam was warning Hatori that Josh gets steaming mad if he's called a dog of any sorts. No wonder Josh wanted to be away from Volt for so long. Being called a mutt by him must've been excruciating.

Hatori got the hint, and he was quick to state "Oh! I had no idea!"

"Mmhmm. So, don't go calling him…that. Or any other variation on the term," Adam warned.

"Right, or else he'll snap and make things even more complicated than they need to be," Chris brought up with a grin. "I saw Josh lash out at his superior because of that. Though…I'll admit, it was for a good reason."

Josh was embarrassed with Chris for mentioning that, and averted his gaze. Though…that's what he was hinting at. But to me, since I was mostly there by Josh's side, I couldn't see any blushes on his cheeks at all. Is he just avoiding eye contact with Chris out of fear? Just hang in there, Josh. It'll be okay.

"Well, in that case, I think it was fate that we would meet each other here, J," Hatori said with a smile. "The last Lucario wasn't any good, so I was perhaps wondering if you were any better." Hatori then looked up at the sky and was then lost in thought. "Although, Canis did mention he saw something peculiar up in the mountain…"

"He did?" Josh asked. "Like what?"

"Well…he mentioned something about this…white flaming energy within the mountain that wasn't there before…" Hatori brought up.

This caused Josh to suddenly be jolted awake. "Huh!? Seriously!?"

We were all drawn in to what Josh had to say now. After all, this must've been the hint that he needed. Hatori saw how interested Josh was to knowing this information, and said "I see that means some significance to you?"

"As a matter of fact, it does," Josh answered. "And you're positive that white flaming energy is inside of the mountain itself?"

"Well…yes. Does that mean anything?" Hatori asked. However, as he looked at Josh, he could tell that Josh looked more confident and eager than he did before. Hatori found that to be rather intriguing.

"Just so we're clear… I have to know something important," Josh brought up. As he looked at Hatori, he asked "Did Zeraora ever leave the mountain during any of the patrols?"

Hatori smiled, giving a chuckle as he could tell that Josh was onto something big. As he faced forward, he mentioned "He's been in that mountain all week. If he had escaped, we'd perhaps either have to see him, or he had something like an Escape Orb or Entercard, correct?"

"Which is why I think it's in your best interest to bring us up that mountain as soon as you can," Josh said with a grin. "I just have to confirm something for myself when we get there."

"Ah…so you think that Zeraora is still up there?" Hatori asked jubilantly.

Josh nodded. "It's no guarantee, but I have a hunch he's still up there. Hiding…"

Hatori soon gave out a hearty laugh as he patted Josh's back. "Looks to me that I found myself a new tracking hound! I knew I could count on-"

Josh ended up punching Hatori in the gut for calling him a tracking hound. He felt short of breath, and he ended up clutching at his stomach in pain. Josh was rather ticked off, shouting at Hatori "I thought I told you to knock it off with those names!? Don't you ever call me a hound, mutt, puppy, or any of that! Capiche?"

Hatori wheezed a little from the pain, and he muttered under his breath "…H-hai…"

I couldn't help but giggle a little at the banter they were sharing, partly out of embarrassment for Josh, and partly because I thought that Hatori was rather weird. But despite all of that, we kept up our pace, and made it further into the forest on our trip to Esther relatively uneventfully.

It didn't take long for Shun to swoop down from above as he lowered himself down in front of all of us. With a smile, he mentioned "Well, here we are. Just beyond those trees is our destination."

As we emerged from the forest and had our eyesight adjust to the light glistening to from the east, we all managed to make gaze upon a sight I was literally speechless about. With a smile, Hatori took the lead with the rest of his team, and mentioned "Team Inferno, Team Calibur, welcome to Esther. The town of water."

This was actually the first time I've ever made my way to Esther personally. Normally, I'd just accept teleportation services to dungeons that were beyond the cardinal direction towns surrounding Oina. So, to see this place for the first time was a sight to behold, especially on a beautiful day like this one. The town itself was surrounded by a moat and was along the edge of the Milotic River to the east. There were vast forests to the north and west, and mountains to the east and south. The east part of the town borders a cliff that led up to the mountains, with what appeared to be a stone staircase that led up to the top of a waterfall that poured near a waterwheel.

In other words, it was one of the most beautiful towns I've ever seen in this game.

As if he noticed my amazement, Hatori decided to enlighten us (mostly me) with a tour. "Special landmarks of this town include the Moon Guild near the southeast, Hotel Cascade to the northeast, the stadium in the center of town, a restaurant named Silver Wind Fancy, the post office on the edge of the cliff, and the largest river in the game known as Milotic River, running all the way from Prism Lake outside of Hongshui and down to the Illumina Delta southeast of Viribus."

"Who appointed you as our tour guide?" Adam asked curiously.

Hatori chuckled, before he then looked at all of us, before asking "Tell me, who here has actually been to Esther before?"

Unsurprisingly, Josh, Adam, Cross, and Chris all raised their arms into the air as a gesture to show they're already familiar with the town. Huh. I didn't know that Nolan hasn't been here before.

"Well, to those who are new to town, we bid you all welcome," Kai mentions with a grin.

"By all means, make yourselves at home," Toru said with a nod.

"This is just a temporary fix, really," Josh mentions to Team Nagi, but he couldn't help but smile at their hospitality. "You guys are too generous."

"We only want what's best for our visitors, that's all," Shun mentions, his face beaming with joy.

Cross took a small glance over to the stadium that was at the center of town, and he couldn't help but walk towards the stone bridge leading into town and lean against the railing. He seemed lost in thought, almost like he was reminiscing about his past. Hatori walked right next to him and asked "So, thinking about the glory days, Cross-kun?"

"It's been a while since I've been here, really," Cross mentions to him. "My old partner and I used to participate in tournaments here all the time long ago. If anything, this place holds a special place in my heart."

"I see," Hatori said, staring at the stadium as well. "I envy you, Cross. You have the heart of a warrior. I could never see myself in a place like the stadium."

"Hehe… I think I understand, but that doesn't explain how skilled you actually are," Cross brought up. "Your skills seem to rival me and Josh to some extent. You're no slouch when it comes to combat yourself."

"I guess you could say that," Hatori mentioned. "Though, I wouldn't really chance it now, given my current…situation."

"What makes you say that?" Cross asked curiously.

"I can tell that you've never competed in a stadium like this ever since you became stuck in this world," Hatori said, taking a hard look at the stadium, showing a sense of jealousy. "And yet, despite having never competed in one themselves, Team Inferno fought tooth and nail against their superior officers in one. Either they're stupid, or they're reckless. And I'm willing to bet that it's more the latter that's what led to the tournament a few days ago."

As if with comical timing, Josh pointed out "You guys do know we're still listening in on you, right?"

"Very stupid…" Hatori shuddered. He then looked over to his team, before telling them all "Oyasumi nasai. Asa ni mata aimashou."

"Hai! Oyasumi nasai, Heichou!" The entirety of Team Nagi bowed to Hatori, and they all soon ended up accessing their menus, before they all ended up logging out.

"What did you tell them?" I asked Hatori curiously.

"In case it wasn't obvious, it's nighttime in Japan," Hatori pointed out. "I told them they can head to bed, and that I'll see them in the morning."

"Right, I guess that makes sense," Josh assumed. "People from different time zones experience their mornings differently compared to us."

I had no idea that was a thing in this game, I thought to myself. Then again, I guess I've never met with a Japanese player before.

"Quite the irony that you Americans were the ones who made this game, especially since Pokémon is a Japanese series," Hatori quipped. "However, I couldn't help but find the idea interesting regardless." He then walked further into the entrance of town, where he mentions "Now then, shall we continue with our lovely little tour?"

We all followed close behind Hatori as he guided us through town. As we did, Josh pointed out "I couldn't help but notice that they referred to you as 'Heichou.' Does that mean you hold some sort of authority in the Moon Guild?"

"Lucky guess. As a matter of fact, I happen to be one of the two leading authorities to the Moon Guild, ranked behind Spectro, the 'Danchou,' or Boss of the base, as you call it." Hatori seemed to be rather proud of that statement. "As you can no doubt tell, my skill is indeed worth merit, since I've been able to follow military protocol to a tee ever since joining the guild."

"Wow, so we've been following a captain this whole time?" Nolan remarked with amazement. "Wunderbar!"

"You seem easily impressed," Hatori mentioned. "Though, it's really nothing special. I just regulate watching over the guild while Spectro is away on business alongside somebody else. I take one shift, she takes the other. Though, nowadays, she seems to be frequenting town every so often and even goes up to Mount Sanda on occasion. Stubborn to a fault, until she gets what she's looking for."

"You mean Zeraora?" Adam guessed.

"Bingo," Hatori said as he pointed to Adam. "Though, if you ask me, the fact that Zeraora's been hiding up in that mountain for over a week is starting to grate on everyone's nerves a little. Hardly anyone's been brave enough to confront him, given how powerful he is. Not even the Elites could take him on and win."

"Elites?" I asked.

"Nick and Spectro, among others I take it," Josh answered. "Some of the strongest players in the game."

"And we're up against something that even the strongest players had difficulty trying to defeat?" Chris pointed out. "Talk about pressure."

"You'd think so, but given that Zeraora's been given some critical injuries during his battle, he's been forced to hide inside of that mountain to recover his injuries," Hatori said. "His healing items shouldn't really matter, since he's able to recover using the electricity that often goes through the mountain."

"If that's the case, why hasn't he left already?" I asked.

Hatori gave out a shrug, unable to come up with a good answer to that question. "You've got me on that one, Rose-chan. Nothing to really say apart from the fact he's disappeared."

"Did you overlook anything while you were over there?" Nolan asked with concern.

"I'm not allowed to go anywhere near that mountain," Hatori answered bluntly. "But the scouts surrounding the base had reported that he hasn't actually moved anywhere. Which is what concerns me. I've heard rumors he's got means of traveling great distances in a short amount of time, is that right?"

We all collectively felt a little awkward about answering his question, mostly because he seemed to be unaware of the Entercards he's used to travel from place to place. This only made us worry. What if he wasn't at the mountain anymore? What if he was already gone thanks to the Entercards in his possession?

Josh was the one who had to speak up on the matter. "Unfortunately, Zeraora has access to Entercards, allowing him to warp from place to place within the game."

This prompted Hatori to stop in his tracks, before turning his head to look at Josh with worry. "Nani!?"

"He's picked up the ability to teleport into other parts of the world," Josh added. "Didn't Spectro or anyone else inform you of this news?"

"N-no… He didn't," Hatori answered, a visible cold sweat appearing from his once-confident face. "You're telling me that he could literally be teleported anywhere by this point!?"

"There's no guarantee, but that's why I need to get to that mountain to be sure he's up there," Josh mentioned. "Needless to say, I think I can track him down with ease."

"Oh! Easy, you say?" Hatori said nervously. "A-and what if you fail? What if you can't find him up there?"

"Then he's either dead or gone," Josh answered. "But given that you mentioned he heals up with electricity, I don't think he's going to be dying anytime soon."

Hatori looked visibly anxious, unable to comprehend how an AI could learn something so complex as a teleportation mechanic used by players. "You're kidding me…"

"Hey! It'll be alright," Cross reassured by patting Hatori's back. "Once Josh checks the mountain, everything should be fine."

"Easy for you to say, especially after the last Lucario we hired failed to find him," Hatori mentioned with worry. "How do we know that you're any better at tracking him down?"

"Because I have a decent range when it comes to sensing aura," Josh brought up. "If Zeraora is up there, I'll know."

Curious about that statement, Hatori mentioned "How far?"

"About two kilometers, if I concentrate hard enough," Josh mentions. "Think you can give me a means of finding him?"

Hatori froze for a minute, astounded by Josh's bravery. Thinking about the situation, and because of the constant thunderstorms on the mountain, he knew that Josh couldn't get close, even if he tried. So, he came up with a compromise. "Tell you what, J. I'll guide you up there later when my team is active again. If we're lucky, Shun could potentially give you a lift up the mountain to track him down."

"With all of the constant thunderstorms surrounding the place?" Adam asked with concern. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It should be fine," Josh mentions. "Staraptors are pretty good fliers."

"Try saying that the moment you end up struck by lightning and you potentially fall to your death!" Adam stated with worry. "What if something goes wrong?"

"Actually, J may have a point," Hatori brought up. "Sometimes, there's a period of time where the storm clouds would cease on the mountain, making traversal a little easier. The last time we went exploring up there, the clouds parted for over an hour. If we're lucky, another calm should be your ticket to finding him up there."

Josh nodded at Hatori, agreeing with that logic. "So, the next calm should be when we investigate the mountain. Do you know when that will happen?"

"Well…I don't know," Hatori said. "It's usually random when it happens, so even I have no clue."

"So, what do we do then?" I asked. "Are we really waiting until we get confirmation on the next calm?"

"It seems we have no other options," Cross answered. "Might be a good opportunity to check up on the Moon Guild before heading to the hotel, right?" He gave a grin as he turned to Hatori, telling him "Would that be alright with you, Hatori?"

"I don't mind," the Greninja answered. "I'll have to contact my team later, of course, when the time is right. By then, you all have better be ready."

"I'm sure we will," Josh answered with a nod. "Thank you."

Hatori looked over at Josh with intrigue, before giving a little chuckle. Placing a hand on Josh's shoulder, he then told him "You remind me of the other Lucario we hired, ironically enough. However, there are notable differences to tell you apart. You are most definitely younger and more inexperienced."

This took Josh by surprise. "Huh?"

Hatori patted Josh's shoulder before turning towards the Moon Guild. "I'll be checking up on you later tonight. Don't disappoint, Jakkaru." And before Josh had time to react to that statement, Hatori was very quickly able to dive into the river, before he then swam quickly under the water as he rushed over to the Moon Guild.

Josh looked a little bit ticked off by what Hatori called him, but restrained himself, before saying "I wasn't expecting him to say that…"

I was a little worried for Josh, and asked him "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he mentioned with a sigh. "Just caught off guard, that's all."

"In any case, we should all make our way to the hotel," Cross mentioned. "Josh and I will head to the Moon Guild together once we check in. Are we all in agreement?"

We all nodded to Cross's suggestion without further question.

"In that case, let's get going," Cross said with a smile.

We all checked in to Hotel Cascade, with our teams all being given different rooms. While Team Calibur got to share a room together, I had to share a room with Josh and Adam. This was a room that had two beds, and the idea of having to share a bed with either Josh or Adam was enough to make me feel a little bit uncomfortable. Adam set his bag down and soon plopped down on one of the beds, giving out a sigh of relief after such a long morning.

"I never thought I'd get to see a bed again for a while…" Adam said.

"You know it's still daytime, right?" Josh asked as he approached the balcony which overlooked the whole town. "Save it for later tonight."

"Ha! You're funny, Josh," Adam said with a smile.

Meanwhile, here I was, a little bit nervous about the arrangements of the beds. Only two beds? Do they think that I'm dating one of them or something? Have they jumped to conclusions already?

Josh saw how nervous I was, and became a little concerned. "Is something wrong, Rose?"

"Uh…" I had to swallow my pride and ask him directly. "Where exactly am I supposed to sleep?"

"I'm sleeping on the floor," Josh answered, setting down his own bag. "You can take the other bed, Rose."

"The floor? Seriously?" Adam asked rather bemused. "Why?"

Josh hesitated on answering the question at first, giving an awkward moment of silence as he looked at the two of us. Before long, though, he mentioned "I can rest on the ground if I set up a few soft cushions or something. Like…here." He then grabbed one of the cushions from a nearby chair, before he then set it on the ground as if he was able to prove his point. "I'll use my bag as a pillow, this cushion as a back rest, and that will be that."

I couldn't help but giggle a little at Josh's weird idea of sleeping in this room. "You're so weird, Josh," I mentioned.

Josh couldn't help but blush a little at my comment, averting his gaze as he did. Soon enough, he let out a sigh and started to make his way to the door. "I should probably go meet with Cross so we can get to the Moon Guild," he said. "Think you two can control yourselves while I'm gone?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Adam and I said simultaneously, which took us both by surprise. "Wait, what?"

Josh blushed even harder at the weird situation we were in, before he cleared his throat to grab our attention. "What I mean is that you both can meet with the others at the lobby if you want. Please, just…" He sighed, before he awkwardly said "Just don't do anything stupid while we're gone. Please." And before he could comment on things even further, he made his way towards the door and left in a hurry.

Adam and I were a little puzzled by Josh's behavior, but…at the very least, he gave us both time to think things over. Awkwardly, I asked Adam "What was that all about?"

"You've got me there," Adam answered, just as confused as I was at this.

I soon sat down at my bed, where I then looked over at Adam. "So, what do you think we should do while Josh is away?"

"Uh… Well…" Adam was looking around the room, trying to figure out what else there is to do now that we were both alone here.

As he was looking around, I got a good look at the Incineroar. My mind wandered over to Chloe's words from earlier that day about how she thought Adam looked attractive. I guess I can see why Chloe would love the way he looks. But if she knew just how much of a strange person he is, I don't know how she'd react. Wouldn't that be weird, running into her and she sees what he's actually like? That would be hysterical.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Adam asked as he saw me staring.

"Oh, nothing," I answered. "It's just that I was thinking about a friend of mine. She's a weird person, clearly into particular kinks."

"Kinks?" Adam asked, feeling a little curious. "Like what?"

Did he seriously just ask that without hesitation? "Uh, are you at all familiar with furries?"

Adam soon stood stark still in front of me, a cold sweat running down his face as he just stared at me like something I said sounded off. "Furries? Uh…yeah. I'm familiar…"

"Well, my friend is a furry; rather open about it as well," I replied. "Apparently, she thinks that someone like you is… Well, you know…"

"NOPE! NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE! I'm going to stop you there before it gets weird!" Adam shouted while flailing his arms around wildly.

That was an obvious cue for me to just stop right there before things get even more awkward. "Sorry for mentioning it," I said apologetically. "I didn't think it was a sensitive subject."

Does she even have a filter on her for what's on her mind!? Adam thought as he looked at me. He nervously looked away for a bit, before mentioning "Any more embarrassing things you want to talk about, or are we good?"

"No, not really," I mentioned with an awkward chuckle. "I'm good."

"Heh… That's a relief," Adam said, giving a sheepish grin at me over how awkward this whole exchange was. He then got up from bed, mentioning "Let's go meet with the others, alright?"

"Yeah! Let's do that!" I responded in kind.

We both decided to remain in awkward silence as we got to meet up with Chris and Nolan at the lobby. Apparently, they were both casually sitting there, playing what appeared to be some sort of card game on one of the tables. This would end up grabbing our attentions, as we approached them with curiosity. "What are you guys playing?" I asked them.

"Super Explorers," Chris mentioned.

"Super Explorers?" Adam asked as he stared at the cards. "What's that?"

"Achtung, Herr Adam," Nolan said enthusiastically. "Simply watch and learn."

I was surprised by Adam's response. "You've never heard of this game before, Adam?"

"Not really…"

"It's quite simple, really," Chris explained. "Think of this as a card game where the objective is to get most of the board under your control. Ever heard of Triple Triad from Final Fantasy VIII?"

"Uh…maybe?" Adam answered.

"Put it simply, we compete on a 3x3 board, placing cards down. But the idea is not only adding up your point totals to be better than your opponents, but to also add the benefit of type advantages into play. If the type is super effective, point values are doubled. Not very effective has the points cut in half."

"I see," I mentioned. "So, you have a Hariyama with point values of 8, 7, 7 and 6, but if it has the advantage, those points are 16, 14, 14 and 12?"

"Ja. That's right," Nolan said with a smile. "The objective is to capture more cards than your opponent."

"And whoever has the most cards by the end of the match is the winner," Chris adds. "Some players spend some time playing this game to win some extra money or items with others."

"So…what exactly are you betting against each other here?" Adam asked curiously.

"Just basic stuff like berries and seeds," Nolan answered. "However, I ended up picking up something big while we were checking in, and Chris decided we should settle things in a game to determine who owns it."

"Big?" I asked. "Like what?"

"If I win, I'll show you," Chris added with a grin. He then placed down a card that had a picture of an Alolan Ninetales in one of the corners, caught in between both a Hariyama and a Houndoom. The point values of the Alolan Ninetales seems to be double for the Hariyama, but was normal for the Houndoom. But before long, both the Hariyama and Houndoom were taken by Chris because the point values were higher.

"Nein!" Nolan whined as he saw his two cards getting captured. "Those were some of my best cards…"

"Should've prepared a better deck, Nolan," Chris said smugly. "I don't know what else to tell you."

Nolan grumbled under his breath as he saw only one space remained on the board. He thought carefully about what he should do, before he sighed and just placed one of his cards down. It was a Cinccino card, which sadly had less points as it had to contend with Chris's Misdreavus and Ceruledge, leaving him without any advantage, as he accepted his defeat. "I am out of practice…" Nolan groaned.

"Too bad, because that item is mine, now…" Chris said with a smile.

In-game text appeared above the table, which read "Scicle Wins" while showing that Chris had captured 6 cards on the table. On top of that, Nolan's cards that were captured are shown on a display, which were revealed to be the Hariyama and Houndoom cards, along with a Sirfetch'd and Slaking. Chris ended up selecting the Sirfetch'd, and all at once, the cards on the table vanished before returning to both of their decks. Chris chuckled before he said "Cough it up, Nolan. Fair is fair, after all."

Nolan sighed, before digging into his bag, holding up a Mega Stone, though it looks remarkably different from the ones that Josh and Cross have. It appeared to be red and grey in color, encased in an almost clear light-blue or glass-like sphere. "Where did you get a Mega Stone, Nolan?" I asked with surprise.

"From the market," he added. "Where else?"

"Yeah, right," Chris responded. "Your brother gave it to you, right?"

"Am I that predictable to you, Herr Chris?" Nolan replied.

"You have a brother?" I asked Nolan.

"Ja. He's an investigative journalist," Nolan answered honestly. "He's also a player in this game, so he sends me messages and letters on occasion." He then accesses his menu, before he then brought up the latest message that his brother had sent him, and flipping the screen over to show the rest of us.

Nolan, I hope you are doing well. I've heard that you and Chris are taking on a dangerous mission, given the previous letter you've sent me. So, I figured I should give you both a little something to help you out. I hope these will be of benefit to you both. – Barrett

"Wow…" Adam said. "Your brother must be quite the fighter."

"Ja. He fights…FOR THE TRUTH!" Nolan gallantly ended up posing with his shield held high like he was holding his brother up on a pedestal. "An honest to goodness warrior who will do whatever he can to discover the dark underlying secrets of our world today, fighting for the chance to learn everything that he can for answers."

"Cute," Chris said nonchalantly. "However, your brother must've been quite generous to give a Scizorite among the items he's mailed to you."

"Scizorite!?" Adam exclaimed. "That's incredible, Chris!"

"I know, right?" Chris said with a smile. "At least with this, I can be on par with Cross in terms of strength."

"Ja, once you evolve, Herr Chris," Nolan joked.

"I will! One of these days…" Chris sighed, placing the Scizorite away, before he then asked the Aeigislash "And…what did Barrett give you again?"

"I would've shown you if you were patient, but I guess it can't be helped," Nolan said, before pulling out a bag that he set down on the table. "My brother figured that I had a fiery passion, so he gifted me with this."

"Let me see," I suggested, before looking at the bag. As I tapped the bag on the table, an item descriptor emerged which read "Fire Tera Shards."

"Tera Shards?" Adam asked, before looking at Nolan. "Why did he give you these?"

"Why not?" Nolan answered. "It's something to give me strength, wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess…"

I was curious, but I chose to just trust that Nolan knew what these shards were for. But as Nolan put the bag of shards away, I took a glance over at Chris, staring at the Mega Stone with interest, before he then placed it inside of his own bag. I then asked Chris "Is this the reason you were challenging Nolan to this card game? Just for a rock you can't use yet?"

"That's my personal business, Rose," Chris answered with a stoic expression. "Don't think about it too much."

I don't know. I can probably guess a few things on his mind for him to get this Mega Stone as soon as possible. I sighed as I tried to push that thought out of my head, wanting to forget about what he is supposedly planning on doing with that stone.

"Ah, well… I won't be using the stone until I evolve, anyways…" Chris said while staring up at the ceiling. "All I really need is a Metal Coat, though I'm afraid that's a difficult item to get for me."

"But…isn't a Metal Coat an item you can obtain in battle competitions?" Adam asked. "I've seen the Solace Guild receive evolution items as rewards from time to time through the tournaments. Though, that reward is mostly for someone who reached the semi-finals, if I remember correctly…"

"And you recall this from memory?" Nolan asked.

Adam soon gave an embarrassed laugh as he rubbed at the back of his head. "Actually, I learned it from Josh after we were here for a year. I haven't actually seen any battle competitions prior to our battles."

"Well, in case you're able to find a player who is in possession of a Metal Coat, be sure to let me know," Chris said with a smile towards Adam. "If I can beat that player in a game of Super Explorers, I can win that as a prize."

"Of course, you'd only be able to do so if they aren't already evolved, isn't that right, Herr Chris?" Nolan teased.

Chris got a little irritated at Nolan's comment, but refrained from getting too angry with him. He scoffed a little, before mentioning "Look, I only wanted to ask about this because Cross seems to be hesitant on entering those tournaments in the first place. But apparently, he's alright with allowing Team Inferno entry into a tournament?"

"Hey, Herr Cross only allowed them to compete in a tournament because Team Delta are their friends and allies," Nolan pointed out. "He knew they wouldn't do any serious harm to them."

Chris sighed, before he then got up and excused himself from the table. He decided to then make his way towards his room, saying "Well…it's a good game, but I'm going to need a little breather here." He smiled, saying "I'll be right back. I'm just going to get something to eat IRL for a change."

"Okay," Nolan said with a nod. "Better log off and get something as well."

"Meet back up in about an hour?" Chris asked.

"Natürlich," Nolan said with a salute to him. "Auf Weidersehen."

Chris nodded as he then made his way over to the room he's sharing with Team Calibur, leaving Nolan with just me and Adam. As Nolan sighed as he saw Chris leaving, clearly having enjoyed his company, he soon turned towards us as he asked "Sei ehrlich, you know something about how he's acting, don't you?"

Adam and I were taken off guard by Nolan's blunt response. "What do you mean?" Adam asked.

"What gave it away?" I responded.

"Herr Tiger is easy to read," Nolan stated with a subtle hint of intrigue.

I turned my attention to Adam, and I saw that he was apparently sweating buckets. Oh, right. Adam's not the best at keeping things secret. Whenever he does, he tenses up.

"Now, you both know what it is that's bothering Chris," Nolan continued, grabbing our attention again. "I promise you, I won't say a word, as long as it's just between ourselves."

I was scared, and I didn't know if Nolan was going to snitch on us or something, but given how he literally figured out we were hiding something was pretty impressive. I tried to brush things aside, by saying "Uh…Adam gets flustered at a lot of things, Nolan. I mean, just recently, I was talking about a friend of mine to him, and he got all hot and bothered."

"Uh huh…" Nolan clearly wasn't being fooled, and he stuck to his guns. "Need I remind you that the moment the both of you laid eyes on the Scizorite, you both tensed up like Chris was up to something nefarious."

"Damn… It was that obvious?" Adam asked with worry.

"You should be lucky that Chris didn't notice your reactions," Nolan added. "Just between us, what exactly are you nervous about?"

The cat was out of the bag, so to speak. Literally, in our case. But we couldn't keep this a secret from Nolan for long. So, I steeled myself, and I leaned in close to him. "Alright, but promise you will not tell Chris," I insisted. "Please."

"I will not say a word," Nolan said. "What is it?"

"You see…" I leaned in close to him, whispering exactly what Josh had told me. What Adam and I already know. And apparently what Cross was able to piece together without any difficulty. I told him about Zack, and how Josh inadvertently was the one responsible for his death. How Chris looked like he was intent for murder upon seeing that his so-called killer's name wasn't on the grave of fallen players in Talis. Nolan was taking this with a nice air of maturity, and thankfully heard all of the details without raising his voice.

This still came as quite a shock for him upon learning what Adam and I knew, though. He placed his hand towards his mouth(?) and simply muttered out "Mein Gott…"

I nodded as I backed away. "Josh and Chris know the truth as well, so promise me you won't tell Chris a thing until we can reason with him."

"Fräulein… While I will never betray your trust to give this news away for the sake of Herr Chris, you must understand that a matter like this is just bound to be a problem one way or another." Nolan sighed, before he cautiously looked towards the hall that Chris was walking towards, and double-checked if he was actually gone. As he saw that Chris was indeed out of sight, he then turned towards us, and mentioned "I've known Chris longer than any of you, so I think it's fair I explain the truth."

"The truth?" Adam asked, sitting down opposite of Nolan on the table.

I sat down at the table on a chair between the two of them, where I then asked "What are you going to tell us?"

Nolan soon pulled up his menu again where he brought up his notes, before telling us "My brother is a journalist, and I yearn to follow in his footsteps. Herr Adam knows exactly what I'm talking about, don't you?"

Wondering what he's talking about, I turned to Adam, seeing that he crossed his arms and looking rather despondent. "I…may have told him what Josh and I went through on the Zero Isles while we were at Hotel Soprano."

"I see." I turned back towards Nolan, where I asked him "So…what's this truth you wanted to tell us?"

"Well… It's a sad story, to say the least. The tale of Herr Chris and his pursuit of vengeance," Nolan said, scrolling through his notes until he reached the one he was looking for. "Ah… Here we are." He pushed the button, and he ended up revealing a note that he's written down. "Let us tell the story of Herr Chris and his family."