With this chapter, Through Their Eyes has reached over 1 million words! Which is…quite the milestone, if I do say so myself. Thank you to everyone who's read up to this point, and I hope you all continue to read as the story goes on!

"Well, this is certainly an interesting turn of events."

The response came immediately; Medicham turned her head to the side as an Absol strolled out of a nearby cluster of bushes, his white fur neat and his red eyes shining. She noticed a thin black belt wrapped around one foreleg; an Expert Belt, a simple item that merely funneled additional energy into a Pokemon's moves, giving them a slight boost to their fighting prowess. Less powerful than Life Orbs and the various Choice items, but with no drawbacks, and favored as a safe pick for a held item when one had no need of specialization.

"I had a feeling you know I was there," said the Absol. "Ever since the clearing - too many wary looks around, too much silence that could all too easily be filled with telepathic conversation. Yet this response is one I will admit I did not expect. I thought you would at least tell your Trainer about me before going on such an endeavor."

"How do you know I didn't tell Marcus?" Medicham asked challengingly.

The Absol's smile widened. "He was far too at ease, much unlike yourself. Now, I'd ask why you chose not to inform him of my presence, but I think I can hazard a guess - you were afraid that he'd be too obvious. Afraid that, when he inevitably gave away his knowledge, I would immediately attack now that my cover was blown."

Medicham said nothing in response.

"Arbiter-Of-Fates likely would have," said the Absol. "But I am not Arbiter-Of-Fates."

"Who are you, then?" Medicham asked.

"You may call me Whisperer-Of-Words," the Absol replied. "Now, allow me to ask a question of you in turn. Why should I allow you, an associate of Bringer-Of-Visions and thus an enemy to us renegades, to meet directly with our leader?"

"I am not an associate of Bringer-Of-Visions," Medicham growled.

Whisperer-Of-Words chuckled softly. "Oh, believe me, I know you don't exactly have the best relationship with her. But she still gives you orders, orders that you obey, and thus you are her associate. Am I wrong?"

Reluctantly, Medicham shook her head. "I have no intention of harming Teller-Of-Tales," she said, "or anyone else in the renegade Heralds, unless of course they attack me first."

"Yet did Bringer-Of-Visions not send you here in order to bring us down?" Whisperer-Of-Words asked.

Medicham shook her head. "I'm only here because of Marcus," she said, "and his reasons for being here aren't connected to you in any way. Bringer-Of-Visions approached me about the renegades, yes, but only to warn me that they would attack Marcus and to be prepared for that."

"Hm." Whisperer-Of-Words' grunt held a mixture of surprise and interest. "Fascinating." Medicham saw a purple glow flare up in his eyes; she instinctively flinched backwards, but Whisperer-Of-Words did not move towards her, merely continuing to stand where he was. After a few more moments that seemed to stretch out for far longer than they actually did, the glow faded and Whisperer-Of-Words looked back up at Medicham.

"Future Sight, I'm guessing?" Medicham asked. "What did that tell you?"

"That should you prove treacherous," Whisperer-Of-Words replied, his voice lower than it had formerly been, "you would only have a 6.36% chance of making it out alive." His voice shifted back to normal in an instant. "Do you still desire to meet with Teller-Of-Tales?"

Medicham swallowed even as she replied. "Yes."

Whisperer-Of-Words dipped his head. "Then I will choose to trust you. Please, step closer to me." He reached up into the fur around his throat and withdrew a small device suspended from a loop of cord that Medicham could now see wound around his neck, camouflaged by his thick white fur.

She recognized the device immediately - Sonia had given Gloria an exact copy of that device when they'd met while journeying from Motostoke. "An Escape Rope?" she asked. "Can't you just use Perish Song to teleport via Oblivion?"

"We are going against the Master's will," Whisperer-Of-Words replied. "As such, Oblivion is unsafe for us. These have proven to be acceptable substitutes for our needs. Are you coming or not?"

Quickly, Medicham stepped over to Whisperer-Of-Words. As she reached the Absol's side, he grasped the Escape Rope in his paw and pressed a single claw down on the central button. In the next moment, the world seemed to twist around both of them, melting into a kaleidoscopic blend of seemingly endless colors that slowly shifted from the natural greens and dark blues of their surroundings into more metallic tints. Just as swiftly, the world came back into being, but now Medicham and Whisperer-Of-Words were standing inside a small room, with walls of metal and a concrete floor; it seemed to be completely empty aside from the two of them, though Medicham could hear faint murmuring coming from the other side of a door embedded within the wall just in front of her.

Dizziness struck her and she nearly fell over; in a flash Whisperer-Of-Words was beneath her descending body, arresting her fall and enabling her to recover. Medicham let out a breath. "Thanks."

"No problem," said Whisperer-Of-Words. "What say we go meet the others? I promise you we're not all like Arbiter-Of-Fates."

Before Medicham could reply, the Absol was already heading for the door. Silently, nervousness playing up her spine, Medicham followed.

Despite the nervousness, though, she couldn't help but feel a sudden surge of awe as she stepped through the door and saw what lay on the other side.

Before her lay an utterly massive room, predominantly indigo in color, with both the tiled floor and the concrete walls tinted that way. Further up, the walls shifted into a cascade of overlapping glass panes, extending up to a ceiling that must have been at least fifty feet above Medicham's head. The back wall, though, was entirely black, with a set of what looked to be elevator doors in the center; above the elevator was some sort of logo that Medicham felt like she recognized but couldn't put her finger on it. A few chairs and tables were arranged in various areas of the room, and the back two corners of the room were occupied by well-lit desks; Medicham instantly realized that this was a lobby of some kind, or at least had once been.

Now, though, it seemed it was a gathering place for Absols.

There were at least ten in the room, some sitting and chatting with other Absols, some wandering to the multiple other doorways in the room's side walls. As Medicham entered behind Whisperer-Of-Words, though, the sounds of walking and talking died away as all eyes turned to her. Some gazes were inquisitive, some far more hostile; Medicham tried not to shrink back under the eyes of so many Absols. Suddenly she was starting to understand the absurdly low percentage Whisperer-Of-Words had given her. Perhaps surviving for eighteen seconds was a bit of a high estimate…

"Oh, that's not good," she heard Whisperer-Of-Words murmur as his eyes strayed to the left.

Medicham followed them, and her heart sank as she beheld the exact Absol she'd been hoping to avoid. Arbiter-Of-Fates was already striding towards her, pushing aside another Absol that was standing in her way. "Whisperer-Of-Words," she growled, her voice filling the entire room. "What is the meaning of this?"

Whisperer-Of-Words bowed his head. "She has requested an audience with Teller-Of-Tales, Arbiter. She has sworn that she has no ill intentions towards us, and-"

"You believed her," Arbiter-Of-Fates interrupted; she'd reached the two of them now, and up close Medicham could see the fury glinting in her eyes. "You put your trust in an enemy, and now you have taken her right into our base of operations. Are you out of your mind?"

"I have reason to trust her," Whisperer-Of-Words said defensively. "She came even knowing of her low chances of survival should she prove untrue."

"Survival, yes," Arbiter-Of-Fates retorted. "But what of her chances to kill Teller-Of-Tales if she gets close? What of her chances of causing a scene that will alert the public to our presence here? What of the chance that she's passing information through a telepathic link - perhaps even to Bringer-Of-Visions herself?"

Medicham flinched at that last one; with her connection to Darkrai, Arbiter-Of-Fates wasn't entirely off the mark there. Unfortunately, Arbiter-Of-Fates saw the motion. "Nice try, Medicham," she growled. "But I'm not as much of a fool as your escort. We will speak of this later, Whisperer-Of-Words - for now, let us be content with fixing your mistake."

Medicham glanced nervously around the room; half the Absols scattered throughout the space were rising now, energy glinting around their horns as they prepared to follow Arbiter-Of-Fates' command. Medicham reached out telepathically. "Darkrai," she said quickly, "I think-"

"Arbiter-Of-Fates, you will stand down now!"

All eyes whipped over to the opposite side of the room, where another Absol had just emerged from one of the multiple sets of double doors on that wall. This one was male, and surprisingly large for his kind; that, plus the way the other Absols in the room instantly followed his command even if it wasn't aimed at them, told Medicham instantly exactly who this was. Arbiter-Of-Fates did not stand down, but she did take a step back as the new arrival strode swiftly across the lobby, not stopping until he was standing right in front of Medicham.

"Hello, Medicham," said the Absol. "It is an honor to finally meet you in person."

"Teller-Of-Tales, I presume?" Medicham asked, trying to keep the surprise from her voice. She had not expected such a friendly greeting from the leader of the renegades, especially not after the hostility she'd received from the other Absols.

"You presume correctly," Teller-Of-Tales replied. "So. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"She's here to spy on us," Arbiter-Of-Fates interjected. "I don't know how she managed to convince Whisperer-Of-Words to bring her here, but-"

"I'm asking her, Arbiter-Of-Fates," Teller-Of-Tales growled.

"I'm not here to spy," said Medicham. "I promise you that."

"It is likely she has a telepathic link with another," Arbiter-Of-Fates defended. "She flinched when I mentioned that possibility - the implications, I think, are obvious."

Of course she had to bring that up…Medicham sighed as Teller-Of-Tales turned in her direction. "Is this true?" he asked.

A lie was too risky. "I do," she said, very much aware of the muttering that spread through the room at that. "But," she added hastily, "not for spying purposes. Just an escape method in case things went badly."

"An escape method?" Whisperer-Of-Words murmured from behind her. "No wonder you seemed so confident…"

"What sort of escape method?" Arbiter-Of-Fates asked. "And who is this link of yours with?"

"Perish Song," Medicham replied. "And it's with Darkrai."

The murmuring was much louder and more nervous this time. Teller-Of-Tales nodded his head. "I suppose that makes sense - Darkrai's student and all. I feel as if it would be advisable to vacate the lobby. Whisperer-Of-Words, please tell the others that there is no danger."

He turned and began to head back the way he'd come; Medicham followed, and so, to her dismay, did Arbiter-Of-Fates. The female renegade pointedly moved in behind Medicham, her Scope Lens glinting; Medicham could feel her gaze at her back as the three-mon group stepped through the lobby. Despite that, she felt a little safer as she kept her own eyes locked on Teller-Of-Tales; she'd expected another monster just like Arbiter-Of-Fates, but the renegade leader seemed a lot more levelheaded and genial than his second-in-command.

Teller-Of-Tales led them through the double doors and into a room that Medicham could instantly tell was - or had once been - some kind of office. The center of the room was taken up by a large wooden table with a dozen chairs situated around it. On one wall was a sizable television screen, currently dark and showing no images; on the other was another logo, the same that had been on the lobby's back wall. Once again, though she knew she'd seen it before, Medicham couldn't for the life of her place where that had been.

Teller-Of-Tales stepped over to a corner and turned to face Medicham and Arbiter-Of-Fates. "Listen to me, Arbiter-Of-Fates," he growled. "I know we're still trying to pursue a more equal partnership, but that partnership has to go both ways. In the future, if something like this happens again, you will alert me before you leap straight to murder. Is that understood?"

Arbiter-Of-Fates dipped her head. "It is. My apologies, Teller-Of-Tales."

Medicham could tell the apology was as insincere as they came, but Teller-Of-Tales made no comment on the matter, simply looking towards Medicham. "So, Medicham," he said, "if you didn't come to spy on us, then why are you here?"

Medicham took a deep breath before speaking. "I came because I want to clear things up between us," she said. "We've already had one fight. I don't want another."

"And I would like to apologize for that," said Teller-Of-Tales. "It was not my intention to assault you on that train - Arbiter-Of-Fates took it upon herself to enact that particular plan."

As Arbiter-Of-Fates glared at Teller-Of-Tales, Medicham felt a surge of surprise. That wasn't what I expected, either. First the friendly greeting, now this…am I really talking to a former Herald?

"So it's a parley, then?" Teller-Of-Tales remarked.

"You could call it that," Medicham replied.

"And why should we believe a word you say?" Arbiter-Of-Fates asked. "We know Bringer-Of-Visions sent you here to destroy us, after all."

Medicham shook her head. "She told me to be ready for an attack from you," she said, "but she said nothing about destroying you. My sole reason for being in Galar is because Marcus is in Galar, and his mission doesn't have anything to do with you."

"That is good," said Teller-Of-Tales. "As long as we're clearing the air, then, I will admit that I have no interest in killing you, Marcus, or any of your teammates. While naturally I would prefer our plan succeed, I do not wish to destroy Bringer-Of-Visions' plan in the process. I would rather keep our options open in case, somehow, our plan does fail."

That was the final thing Medicham needed; at that moment, she knew Teller-Of-Tales was just as trustworthy as Seeker-Of-Endings. Not nearly at the level of Marcus or her teammates, of course, but still someone she felt safe around. At least she knew he would not attack her without reason, unlike the other occupant of the room.

Said occupant chose this moment to speak up again. "What is Marcus's mission in Galar?" Arbiter-Of-Fates asked. "Tell us, and we'll decide whether it has anything to do with us or not."

Teller-Of-Tales glanced back at Medicham. "She has a point," he said simply.

"Marcus is in Galar to investigate one of its Gym Leaders, Piers," Medicham admitted. "He's cut off contact with the outside world, and Marcus is just checking to make sure everything's okay."

Teller-Of-Tales dipped his head. "I'm afraid I know little about that," he said. "Rose has spoken of Piers, but such matters are outside our current purview. You are correct - that has nothing to do with us."

Arbiter-Of-Fates nodded sullenly.

"Well," said Teller-Of-Tales, "I daresay you've been quite open with us so far, so I guess…"

He trailed off; he and Arbiter-Of-Fates both shifted their gazes to the far corner of the room. Medicham did the same, and only then did she begin to feel what they clearly had already felt; a massive surge of Mind was flaring up in that corner.

In the next moment a massive winged form materialized explosively in that corner, Mind radiating outwards like a miniature omnidirectional tidal wave, strong enough to shift the entire table in the center of the room a few feet and send most of the chairs toppling over. Out of the rapidly-dissipating surge emerged none other than Articuno; her wings were spread and her eyes tinged with both anger and lavender-colored Mind. Medicham at once felt her muscles seize up at Articuno's gaze.

"Articuno!" Teller-Of-Tales stepped forwards hastily. "It's all right, she's not here as an enemy!"

Articuno's eyes shifted towards Teller-Of-Tales. "Are you certain?"

"Yes, I am certain!" Teller-Of-Tales cried. "Now release her!"

Articuno's Psychic grip slackened; Medicham, caught off-balance, stumbled and nearly fell. Articuno landed on the table, her talons digging into the wood. "My apologies," she said. "I detected her mind in the area and elected to err on the side of caution."

Medicham looked up at Articuno, unable to keep back her sudden fear. If Articuno was working with the renegades, that meant there was no way she'd be able to get out via Perish Song if things went south. Not to mention what might happen after. An image of Articuno rampaging through her teammates, ripping them to shreds with wild blasts of Air and Mind, filled her mind; she tried to push it away.

"You need not fear me in such a manner." Articuno's voice joined her thoughts, as cold as it had been back in the restaurant despite the soothing words. "I have no intention of acting so openly against Marcus."

Medicham again resisted the urge to glare at the Legendary. "Didn't I say to stop peeking into my mind?"

Articuno shrugged. "Old habits die hard. And besides…while I believe the word of Teller-Of-Tales, I prefer to corroborate such information with my mental talents." She turned away. "Teller-Of-Tales. Does Rose know of her presence?"

"No." Teller-Of-Tales shook his head. "But I don't think he needs to. She's made it clear she has no real intention of interfering with the plan."

In that moment, as she watched Articuno and Teller-Of-Tales speak, Medicham finally recognized where she had seen the logo on the lobby's back wall before; on the uniform of the Macro Cosmos member that had assaulted Gloria in the woods. That's Rose's company. This is Rose's building. The renegade Heralds are working with Rose.

Things just got a lot more complicated.

Medicham wasn't able to keep the bitterness out of her voice as she spoke. "So now I get why you were so keen on approaching me in the restaurant. The Heralds never interested you anyway, was it?"

"You misunderstand, Medicham," Articuno replied as she turned back towards Medicham. "I still have no interest in them. In fact, my connection with these renegades is tangential at best. However, when goals align, alliances come naturally. I should hope you would understand that, at least."

Medicham rounded on Teller-Of-Tales. "What is this place? Is this public? Does Rose know about this? How many people in Galar know about this?"

"Normally, yes, this is a public place," Teller-Of-Tales admitted. "But only Rose and his inner circle are aware of us - to the public, this place is currently under renovations. And even Rose doesn't know the full extent of our plans - only that our plans and his plans are not mutually exclusive. That's good enough for him."

"'Inner circle' includes me, of course," Articuno added. "Think of me as a diplomat of sorts - the primary connection between the renegades and Rose."

Medicham stumbled over her next words. "I hate to ask this," she said, "but why the renegades over Bringer-Of-Visions?"

Arbiter-Of-Fates' eyes narrowed at the question, but Articuno nodded sagely. "An understandable question. You see, it all started after the Battle of Alola." Articuno fixed Medicham with her gaze. "You were there, correct? Did you ever find out what happened to Necrozma afterwards?"

"I…assumed he died?" Medicham half-said, half-asked.

Articuno nodded. "Indeed he did…by Giratina's hand. And with that action, Giratina brought Necrozma under his control, the same way he did Enamorus and every mortal within his realm. That action, more than anything, convinced me that Giratina was still very much an active threat, and that measures had to be taken in response before it was too late." Articuno spread his wings. "This, then, is the result."

Medicham opened her mouth to point out that Articuno hadn't actually answered her question, but Articuno cut her off. "As for why I chose the renegades over Bringer-Of-Visions," the Legendary continued, "it was a choice driven not only by location - after all, they did come to Galar - but also because I simply believed their plan was more well-thought-out."

"And that plan is?" Medicham asked.

Arbiter-Of-Fates chose this moment to step in. "I think we've said quite enough," she growled. "Or is your grand plan to tell her everything and hope she doesn't instantly spill it to anyone who will listen?"

"Arbiter," said Teller-Of-Tales, "I understand your nervousness, but your fear is entirely unjustified. Medicham has done nothing to suggest she has any ill intentions towards us, and she has admitted plenty of truths to us in turn. The point of this meeting is for each of us to lay bare our intentions - trust cannot be obtained if secrets remain."

"Trust," Arbiter-Of-Fates spat, glaring at Medicham for what felt like the hundredth time. Medicham was getting tired of the female renegade's constant interruptions and suspicion; it felt as if she was unpleasable.

Teller-Of-Tales pointedly turned away from Arbiter-Of-Fates and towards Medicham as he spoke again. "What do you know about Eternatus?"

Medicham frowned, searching for the name in her memories. "I think…Darkrai mentioned him at one point. Said he was the undisputed master of Eterna, but he went mad, faced the Dogs of War and caused the Darkest Day…" A sudden, unwanted thought speared into her mind. The Darkest Day. Oh, Arceus, Sonia's research. Does she know?

Teller-Of-Tales shared a quick glance with Arbiter-Of-Fates. "I see," he said. "I believe you are aware by now that Eterna is another word for Dynamax energy - or rather, Dynamax energy is what humanity calls Eterna. And in this region, they harness its power to generate electricity. Practically everything in Galar is powered by Eterna."

"You may recall," Articuno interjected, "that during our dinner, Rose mentioned that Galar's innate Dynamax energy is slowly depleting."

Medicham nodded.

"He claimed to be looking into alternative energy sources in response," said Articuno. "And he was telling the truth about that. What he did not mention was that those alternative energy sources are his 'Plan B', if you will. You see, with the aid of Teller-Of-Tales and his renegades, Rose was able to locate the dormant form of Eternatus. He plans to harness a massive jolt of Eterna via a large collection of Wishing Stars in order to reawaken Eternatus, and use him to avert the energy crisis before it even starts."

Medicham stared at Articuno. "Rose is trying to harness the power of a mad Legendary?" she asked incredulously. "Is he insane?"

"Perhaps slightly," Articuno admitted, "but that is not important."

"What is important," said Teller-Of-Tales, "is that with Eternatus reawakened, we have a weapon ready to point right at Giratina. You see, Medicham, we did not simply detach ourselves from Bringer-Of-Visions without first forming a plan of our own. I made sure to conclude negotiations with Rose before my supporters and I openly broke away."

"And your plan," said Medicham, "is to let Giratina rise, then throw Eternatus at him? I…guess I don't understand how that's going to work. Giratina's one of the three Creators, not just some ordinary evil Legendary."

Teller-Of-Tales glanced back at Arbiter-Of-Fates, but the female Absol stepped backwards, looking away, her expression unreadable. Sighing, Teller-Of-Tales looked back at Medicham. "Who are the three Creators?"

"Arceus, Giratina, and Rayquaza," Medicham replied promptly - she'd learned that much from bedtime stories in her childhood.

Teller-Of-Tales shook his head. "That is what has been told to mortals since the War of Legends," he said. "But the Legendaries know different. Rayquaza is a powerful Legendary to be sure - creator of the Mega Stones, arbiter between Kyogre and Groudon, and such mastery of Air that even Flying-type Legendaries bow before him - but he is no Creator. Arceus promoted him to the position after the War of Legends…in order to replace Eternatus."

"Eternatus is a Creator?" Medicham gasped.

"And now you see," Arbiter-Of-Fates said unexpectedly, "why we believe he is our best chance at destroying Giratina."

"The plan is fairly simple," said Articuno. "Rose awakens Eternatus. We believe that his madness will have faded with his thousand-year slumber; as such, with the combination of his machines and my Psychic power, we should be able to hold him in place long enough that - hopefully - we can convince him to work with us. Then we wait until Giratina rises from Distortion, and the moment that rise is confirmed, we release Eternatus and send him after Giratina. It is almost certain that Arceus will face Giratina on the battlefield in the event of his reascension - as such, the forces of two Creators will join forces against the third. Not even Giratina can possibly stand against such power."

"And…" Medicham dreaded what she knew she had to say. "…how is this plan better than that of Bringer-Of-Visions?"

Articuno paused. "Let us think of this in more familiar terms," she said. "Say there is a rabid…ah…Mightyena sealed within a cage." Medicham flinched at the chosen analogy; it reminded her too much of Theo's Mightyena. "Naturally, it is better for everyone if it remains caged. But there is a Pokemon rights group that doesn't see it that way. They believe the Mightyena should run free, regardless of its disease, and therefore send an agent of theirs to unlock the cage and let it out."

Articuno splayed out one wing. "Bringer-Of-Visions' plan is to kill the agent before he unlocks the cage. An understandable instinct, and yes, it does stop the Mightyena from breaking free. But the rest of the Pokemon rights group still remains. And eventually, they will simply send someone else. The cycle will repeat, over and over again…and all it takes is one agent to succeed for the Mightyena to be released and subsequently cause chaos."

Articuno now splayed the other wing. "Whereas Teller-Of-Tales' plan is to lie in wait. To watch as the agent approaches and unlocks the cage. And as the Mightyena is freed, to rush in and slash its throat before it can do anything. And that's the problem solved, right there. The Pokemon rights group won't be able to send more agents to free the Mightyena because there is no more Mightyena to free." The Legendary's eyes locked on the center of Medicham's face. "That is why I believe Teller-Of-Tales' plan to be more worthy of my allegiance. Do you agree?"

"I…" Medicham couldn't help but feel doubt rising in her mind. "I guess? I mean, sure, it's a more permanent solution, but the steps taken to get there…"

Teller-Of-Tales cleared his throat. "We are aware that this plan is risky-"

"Risky?" Medicham asked. "This is insane! You're talking about reawakening a mad Creator and hoping he stays trapped for long enough that you can convince him to go to war against his fellow Creator - a war that, mind you, will almost certainly cause a ridiculous amount of destruction just like the last one!"

Arbiter-Of-Fates glanced over at Teller-Of-Tales. "Well, there's your answer. She knows far too much now - it would be foolish to allow her to leave this place alive."

"Arbiter, that is enough," Teller-Of-Tales growled. "We are in the midst of a parley-"

"Which means nothing," Arbiter-Of-Fates retorted. "The fate of the world is on the line, Teller, and I will not let her jeopardize it, parley or no parley."

"You will do what I say-"

"You really think you have control over-"

"ENOUGH!" A blast of Mind reverberated throughout the room with a sound like a thunderclap; Medicham's ears were suddenly ringing, and both Arbiter-Of-Fates and Teller-Of-Tales grimaced from what had to be a similar feeling. Articuno let out a breath that seemed to chill the air around Medicham. "Cease this petty arguing at once," the Legendary growled.

In the silence, Teller-Of-Tales cleared his throat. "Listen to me, Medicham," he said. "The first clash of the War of Legends - Giratina and his allies' assault on Arceus - resulted in no mortal casualties. It was only when all the Legendaries went to war that mortals suffered. In a fight between only the three Creators, Arceus will be able to take steps to limit mortal casualties as much as possible - I highly doubt many deaths will result from the battle."

"Really?" Medicham asked.

Articuno nodded. "And if it's the risk you're worried about, Bringer-Of-Visions' plan carries just as much risk, if not more. Do you realize how many things had to go right, how many coin flips had to go your way, for you and your Trainer to survive everything you've endured? No one has ever escaped Betrayer-Of-Kin so many times, not to mention the evil teams and hostile Legendaries and whatever in Distortion happened with the Swarm…"

Another thought entered Medicham's head as Articuno spoke, this one a memory of a promise made to herself years ago. There has to be another way, she'd told herself, just after she'd spoken the same thing to Betrayer-Of-Kin.

Have I just found it?

Medicham frowned complentatively. Yes, it's insane, but then again, what about the Heralds isn't? And Articuno's right - it is a more permanent solution than Bringer-Of-Visions' plan. But…if I side with them, I'm betraying Bringer-Of-Visions. And if she finds out…Bile rose in Medicham's throat at the thought.

"She won't find out."

This time, she didn't care if Articuno was a Legendary or not; Medicham shot a furious glare at her all the same. "Stop doing that!" she growled.

"I don't think I will," Articuno replied. "Especially not when your thoughts are quite essential towards the ongoing discussion. Speak your mind, Medicham - this room is about as well protected against Psychic intrusion as Iron Island. What is said in this room need not leave this room."

"I've had enough of this." Arbiter-Of-Fates let out a disgusted snort. "For all we know, she's here to get information on our plans for the Heralds, and you, Teller-Of-Tales, have just given it all away freely. What happens if she says she's changed her mind - are you just going to assume that's the case? That all it took was a single speech for her to be utterly swayed? Don't forget why she's here in the first place, Teller-Of-Tales. Don't forget that she's the enemy here. We can't trust a word she says."

"I'm not your enemy, Arbiter-Of-Fates!" Medicham cried frustratedly. "And I don't want to be your enemy! I didn't come here to steal information, I came because I don't want to spend the next month constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for the next attack! Why is it that you can't seem to understand that?"

"Because you're nothing more than Bringer-Of-Visions' pawn!" Arbiter-Of-Fates snapped back, ignoring Teller-Of-Tales' attempted interjection. "And we all know she wants nothing more than to see us destroyed! So why should we believe that you plan on doing otherwise?"

"BECAUSE I HATE HER!"

Both Teller-Of-Tales and Arbiter-Of-Fates took an involuntary step backwards, and even Articuno's eyes widened in shock as Medicham exploded. Near oblivious to their reactions, or even exactly what she was saying, Medicham continued on, barely stopping to breathe between sentences as the tirade erupted from her mouth. "I hate her," she snarled, "with every Arceus-damned fiber of my being! You wanna know why? Because she's spent the past six years treating me like her personal plaything! Because she's used every opportunity she's been given to hurt me for no other reason than to satisfy her ego! Because she's taken every semblance of a normal life from me! And I'm sick and tired of dancing around like a puppet on a string! All I want - all I've wanted since I learned the truth about my life - is to be free of her! And maybe, just maybe, if I do what she says and toe the line and defeat Cyrus and save the world and all of that…"

She stopped. Her legs failed her; she fell to her knees, dropping her head in her hands. Several rapid, frustrated breaths burst from her throat as tears began to leak from beneath her palms. When she finally did speak again, it was with a tortured, sob-wracked whisper, barely audible even in the echo-filled room.

"…maybe she'll finally let me go."

Silence filled the room; not even Arbiter-Of-Fates said a word. Medicham sank lower, the reality of what she'd just done entering her mind. I just bared my soul to Pokemon who, up until ten minutes ago, I thought were my enemies. Why? Why would I do that? Oh, Arceus, I just told them that I can't betray Bringer-Of-Visions - Arbiter-Of-Fates is going to-

"Medicham."

Medicham looked up through tear-stained eyes to see Teller-Of-Tales standing over her. The renegade leader's own eyes were brimming with sympathy. "Do you know why I founded the renegades in the first place?"

Medicham shook her head.

Teller-Of-Tales smiled. "Because of you," he murmured. "Before you, I followed Bringer-Of-Visions willingly. Even when she did things I didn't agree with, I remained loyal. But when I heard what Bringer-Of-Visions was doing to you, I couldn't bring myself to stand back and let it happen."

Medicham gazed up at Teller-Of-Tales, too shocked to speak.

"You might think you're among enemies," said Teller-Of-Tales. "And you have every reason to believe that, I'll admit." He shot another momentary glare at Arbiter-Of-Fates before continuing. "But we don't want this fight any more than you do. You've suffered enough, Medicham - more than enough - and I have no interest in contributing to that suffering."

He reached out a paw. "Rather, we can help you. Once our plans are set in motion, we will have Articuno and Eternatus on our side. Even Bringer-Of-Visions and all her Heralds can't stand against that, not even if Darkrai sides with them. So join us, Medicham. Work alongside us to ensure this plan succeeds. Because I promise you - once we're done, you need not fear Bringer-Of-Visions ever again."

Medicham was half-expecting another angry outburst from Arbiter-Of-Fates, but the female renegade remained silent, watching Medicham with another unreadable expression on her face. Articuno, for her part, was looking similarly impassive as she hovered in the air, also watching Medicham.

Medicham looked back up at Teller-Of-Tales and took a single, shuddering, deep breath. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," said Teller-Of-Tales.

Medicham smiled back at the renegade leader and extended her hand. "Then you have a deal."

After the meeting was finished, an hour and a half remained before Whisperer-Of-Words' Escape Rope was finished recharging and he could transport Medicham back to Hulbury. Darkrai could do the same, of course, without need for the wait, but Teller-Of-Tales (and, surprisingly, Arbiter-Of-Fates) had insisted. While she waited, Medicham had been ushered to a plate of Pokemon food; it had clearly already been vastly reduced by the Absols, but there was still some left for Medicham to take. She was cognizant of the fact that many of the Absols in the lobby were giving her a wide berth, but she tried not to let that bother her as she nibbled an Oran Berry, taking tiny bites and allowing the juice to soak into her tongue.

The sound of padding footsteps came from behind her. Medicham turned her head, saw who it was, and took a deep breath. "I should've known you weren't done with me. What do you want, Arbiter-Of-Fates?"

The Absol stepped to Medicham's side, her Scope Lens shining in the moonlight. "I have spoken with Whisperer-Of-Words," she said. "We have agreed that he will be given a second Escape Rope, so that he can teleport away the instant he's finished bringing you back."

Medicham heaved a sigh. She knew, deep inside, that Arbiter-Of-Fates was never going to trust her. But as long as the female renegade wasn't trying to kill her, she could live with that.

"I was young once."

Medicham looked up in surprise.

Arbiter-Of-Fates was staring upwards; through a window, the moon was visible, shining through the glass down upon the female renegade. "Young and idealistic and so, so naive," Arbiter-Of-Fates continued. "Back then, the Heralds weren't nearly as active as they are now. There were no constant threats hanging over our heads, just the occasional minor crisis to resolve. I was sent along with two other Heralds to assassinate a man known only as 'the Iron Masked Marauder'. He came up with the name himself, from what I heard." She chuckled sardonically; Medicham held back a chuckle of her own.

"The Marauder had designs on capturing Celebi," Arbiter-Of-Fates continued. "Using the Voice of the Forest to bend time itself to his will. And he'd managed to combine several stolen Master Balls with Cipher technology to produce a form of corruptive, near-unbreakable Pokeball, which meant he had the means to do so. Our mission was to bring him down before he got anywhere near Celebi, but he had some powerful Dark-types that prevented us from properly ascertaining his location. We found a Scizor who was willing to help us track him down. Claimed the Marauder had kidnapped a Pokemon close to him." Arbiter-Of-Fates swallowed. "The others were wary, but I convinced them to follow the Scizor. After all, the Dark Balls were said to eliminate a Pokemon's will, so the Scizor couldn't be under the Marauder's control, right?"

Medicham watched silently as Arbiter-Of-Fates slowly shook her head. "Turns out I was right," she said bitterly. "The Scizor wasn't under the Marauder's control - he was working with the Marauder. The only one of his Pokemon that was really on his side. I led the others right into a trap. I managed to escape, but…the others were caught in Dark Balls."

"So that's why you refuse to trust me," said Medicham.

Arbiter-Of-Fates' expression didn't change. "We got lucky," she said. "The Legendary Beasts were in the area, and they managed to bring the Marauder down before things got too out of hand." She lowered her head. "But neither of the two captured Heralds made it out alive. And I've had to spend the rest of my life knowing that they died because of my mistake. Because I decided to put my trust in a stranger."

"That doesn't mean you can't trust anyone," Medicham protested.

"It means I can't trust everyone," Arbiter-Of-Fates shot back. "I'm supposed to be a Herald. A guardian of this world. I failed to do my duty that day. And after that day, I resolved that I would never fail that duty again. That I would do everything in my power to complete the mission. No distractions, no second thoughts, and most of all, no trust. Because the world we all live in is on the line, and if I fail because I balked at casualty counts or crossing lines and the world does end, I know that I'd spend what little remained of my existence knowing that I might have been able to stop it if I'd just gone that little bit farther. And I know that if I reach out my paw in friendship to someone, let them get close, put my trust in them…I might just end up with a knife in my back again." She turned again, this time fully, looking straight into Medicham's eyes. "And I will have failed."

Medicham locked both her eyes on Arbiter-Of-Fates. "There's a word for that. It's 'paranoid'."

"Call me what you will," Arbiter-Of-Fates muttered; her voice was laden with bitterness. "Arceus knows I've been called that before. Countless times. But it doesn't matter. So what if I'm an outcast? So what if everyone thinks I'm little better than Betrayer-Of-Kin? So what if I can't bring myself to even close my eyes at night for fear someone will get me in my sleep? It's like I said back at the train." Arbiter-Of-Fates narrowed her eyes; Medicham could have sworn she saw wetness glistening at the edges. "Compared to the mission, nothing else matters."

Medicham didn't say a word; Arbiter-Of-Fates rose to her feet, turning to face Medicham. "You're probably wondering why I'm telling you all this," she said. "And…the answer is complicated. I do not trust you, Medicham, and I never will. But Teller-Of-Tales and Articuno clearly do, and…" She heaved a lengthy sigh. "I can understand why."

She took a step forwards, rising to her full height, staring into Medicham's eyes. "So I'm going to give you a chance," she said. "A chance to, for once in my life, prove me wrong. And I wanted you to know what that means for me." Arbiter-Of-Fates' red eyes gleamed threateningly. "So don't make me regret giving you that chance."

Medicham gave Arbiter-Of-Fates a smile. "I promise you," she said, "that I won't."

Arbiter-Of-Fates did not return it, but nodded nonetheless. "Whisperer-Of-Words had better come back unharmed," she said; with that, she turned and strode away, heading back through the doors of Rose Tower.

So that's why they're making me go back with him. It's a test to see if I'm true to my word.

"He will!" Medicham called after her. Arbiter-Of-Fates gave no indication she'd heard, but despite that, Medicham went back to her berry-eating feeling just a little bit more relaxed.

The feeling of teleportation once again made Medicham dizzy; even as the more familiar sights of Hulbury came into view, she staggered away from Whisperer-Of-Words, grasping a nearby tree trunk for support. They'd materialized within a copse of trees, close enough to the path that Medicham could see it, but far enough away that any late-night passersby wandering Hulbury wouldn't have been able to see them arrive.

"I'm glad the meeting went well," said Whisperer-Of-Words. "We've been on a bit of a knife's edge since Marcus came to Galar - Arbiter-Of-Fates pretty much instantly assumed you were here to destroy us, and quite frankly a lot of us felt the same."

"Well, I'm glad I could make you feel at ease," Medicham replied.

Whisperer-Of-Words smirked. "I could say the same to you. Anyway, you'd best be getting back to your Pokeball. You need sleep."

Medicham abruptly yawned. "You're right," she murmured. "I'll call Darkrai, tell him to transport me." She looked back towards Whisperer-Of-Words. "You could come with me, you know. Explain your side of the story to Darkrai. He might be interested."

Whisperer-Of-Words shook his head. "Not now. I'll approach Teller-Of-Tales, though - perhaps he'd be open to a meeting with our former Master."

Medicham nodded. "Good night, Whisperer-Of-Words. And thank you."

"No problem." Whisperer-Of-Words' smirk turned into a genuine smile.

Medicham turned and stepped out of the trees, beginning to make her way up towards Hulbury. Whisperer-Of-Words watched her go, allowing himself a sigh of relief. I'm glad our worries about her were unjustified, he thought to himself. As long as we don't need to worry about Marcus, the plan is that much more likely to work.

Only once Medicham was out of sight did he turn and begin to step further into the woods. He couldn't help but think about her last offer. Perhaps Teller-Of-Tales really would be interested in seeking an audience with Darkrai, he thought as he began to reach for his Escape Rope. Yes, I will certainly have to talk to him about-

And then the bushes around him exploded into motion.

"Swarm: Toxic Weave!" The hiss seemed to come from all around Whisperer-Of-Words as a dozen Ariados burst out of the shrubbery, thin lines of webbing glowing purple with Toxic already flying from their mouths. Galvanized into instant action, Whisperer-Of-Words flung himself forwards, calling upon Detect as he did so; his body twisted away from the bulk of the threads, but two or three hit home, coiling around his body. The Absol twisted, slashing through two of the threads with his horn-blade; he didn't know whether he'd already been poisoned or not, but he knew that he needed to get out of the network of Toxic Thread as fast as possible.

He surged forwards, Quick Attack playing across his body, not knowing or caring where the Ariados horde had gone. He heard a loud snarl behind him - the Ariados's voice again. "Ancora, you're up!"

"On it, Myrma!" Another voice sounded from just ahead as a Dhelmise arose from the bushes in front of Whisperer-Of-Words, steely chains already erupting from its form. "Steelworker: Anchor Shot!" Two thick metal chains shot towards Whisperer-Of-Words, angling towards him with terrifying speed; behind Ancora, a human form could now be seen, a silver-haired woman dressed in a dark suit and wearing some sort of visor.

Hunter J. Damn it!

The chains were coming in from the right; J was raising her arm towards Whisperer-Of-Words' left, clearly anticipating him jumping that way to avoid Ancora's attack. Whisperer-Of-Words instead twisted and hurled himself back in the other direction; a blast of energy exploded to his now-right as he did so. He could only see one Ariados now - of course, the rest were all Swarm-generated clones - but Myrma looked confident regardless, her eyes glistening in the moonlight. "Give up!" she snarled as she lunged for him, Bug surging across her fangs.

"Not a chance!" Whisperer-Of-Words growled. Like the other renegades, he'd gladly dipped into Rose's healthy supply of TMs to augment his moves - a decision he was profoundly grateful for as he called upon one of those moves. "Air Blade!" he snarled as he tapped into Aerial Ace, feeling his Expert Belt inject the super-effective move with even more power. He swung his horn down towards Myrma, intending to meet the oncoming Ariados's attack with his own.

"Shadow Sneak!"

J's order split the sky; Myrma disappeared in a cloud of Distortion, and Whisperer-Of-Words' slash met only empty air. The delay bought the Dhelmise still behind him all the time it needed; Whisperer-Of-Words felt a steel chain wrap around his left hind leg, and in the next moment Ancora yanked, nearly dislocating the limb entirely. Whisperer-Of-Words fell, his chin slamming hard into the ground; as he did, Myrma rematerialized right above him, dropping down onto his back and pinning him to the ground. A pair of mandibles sank into his back, instantly beginning to inject poison into his veins.

No! Whisperer-Of-Words managed to bring one paw up to his neck, grasping his Escape Rope, his last remaining lifeline. I can't let them capture me - I have to-

"Galvantula, Thunder Wave!"

Another female voice filled the air; even as Whisperer-Of-Words pulled out the Escape Rope, a flash of Electric energy shot from out of nowhere, striking the device before the Absol could slam his claw down on the button. The appendage came down likewise, but all that resulted was a hollow click as the device failed. Myrma reached down and, with a rapid strike from one leg, speared the now-useless Escape Rope into the ground, which had the side effect of slamming Whisperer-Of-Words' mouth into the dirt since it was still attached to his neck.

"Good work, Elle," J said.

As blood filled his mouth, Whisperer-Of-Words strained against Myrma's weight, but between that, Ancora's chains, and the poison that he could now definitely feel coursing through him, he couldn't muster the strength to break free. As he struggled vainly, he saw out of the corner of his eye two more humans step out from the bushes. One was another woman, younger and dark-haired, with a Galvantula at her side; the other was a short, portly man with strangely-shaped purple hair and a pair of red-lensed glasses, and at his side was a grinning Banette. "Just doing my job," said the woman - that, then, had to be Elle.

The man grinned. "Oh, yes. With any luck, this Absol will prove more…open than the last one."

"I should hope so, Charon," said J. "Please try not to lobotomize this one before you get any useful information."

Whisperer-Of-Words couldn't help but feel a surge of terror - Leaper-Of-Realities had never come back from the train assault, and now Whisperer-Of-Words was pretty sure where he'd ended up. Gathering what little remained of his strength, he tried to wrench himself out of Myrma's grasp, but once again was thwarted as the Ariados, almost casually, lifted another leg and rammed it down upon Whisperer-Of-Words' skull, yet again driving his face into the earth.

"Now, now," Myrma hissed into Whisperer-Of-Words' ear. "This isn't going to go too well for you…but I promise you it will go a lot worse if you don't behave yourself."

Aaaaaand that's the end of the First Steps Arc! I should probably mention, for any of you that might have questions about that final scene...while I never found a way to organically fit this in the narrative, the base form of Bug energy is, in fact, simply called 'Bug'.

Hey, humans had to get at least one of those energy names right!

As always, please leave a review if you have the time - I enjoy reading them! And after the upcoming interlude, I will be taking a two-week hiatus from Through Their Eyes - more detail will come then. See you soon!