Though she managed to get a few hours of sleep, Bridgette woke up quite early for her time to stand watch. Though there was enough room for everyone to find at least something slightly comfortable to rest on inside the seaside houses, she'd found herself sleeping on the couch in the living room with the moonlight serving as the only light around her. With her being the closest to the door, she could sense when the shift changes were coming. Billy, Amanda, Calem, Lizzie and Justin had all come through to either take up a role or go back to get some more sleep. But when she realized it was her turn to take over, only Lizzie had returned inside, letting out a loud and squeaky yawn before returning to her own bedroom to sleep.

Initially worried about Justin, she rose from the couch and made it out into the morning. It was a little after dawn, with the sun just beginning to creep over the oceans, which remained a deep shade of blue thanks to the cliffs that hung over the houses outside of Porto Marinada. There were only a few Pokemon swimming below them, including a few Magikarp and Shellders who were popping out of the water on occasion before sinking into the deep.

Justin was leaning on the banister overlooking the sand and beach beneath them. He didn't move or even acknowledge her presence until she came up to his side. He looked to her and nodded. "Hello."

"It's shift change time" she whispered gently. "Get some rest."

"I'm fine" he insisted. "I can handle another shift."

"You won't be saying that later in the day when you're yawning before noon" she joked. "Are you sure?"

Justin nodded. "I promise. I just...I think we should-"

Bridgette sighed. Justin was sweet, handsome and knew every button to press to make her heart leap out of its chest with delight. But his anxiety and desire for things to reach conclusions would be a problem they would have to navigate if there was any chance of them starting anything. "Justin, things are starting to get a whole lot more complicated. We don't know what's going on here or if it will even be safe for us to stay here. I promise you we will have a good, long talk about what's going to happen between us." She came over to his side and put her hand on top of his. "But we have to prioritize our duties to the kids and to Michael."

The young man winced. "I understand, but...I just...I don't to lose you."

"Why would you lose me?" she asked incredulously.

"If someone as good as Malcolm could, then I don't understand how you think I could possibly not." He kept his head down and didn't look at her. "I'm not like him. I could never be him. I don't even know why you bother talking to me or giving me a second of your time."

The surfer shook her head. "Justin, what happened between Malcolm and I happens in relationships all the time. We wanted different things. He wanted to follow his dreams and become an astronaut. I wanted to raise a family. We couldn't see eye to eye and so we parted ways. My only regret is that we didn't think of the consequences. What we were leaving behind when we both went off on our own. Everything kinda fell apart and because of how angry we were with one another, we didn't notice or care. Malcolm was the first to see it, but I was too stubborn to accept it. Maybe if I had, we could have stopped things from going as bad as they did." Even all these years later, Malcolm's death felt like a knife in her heart, but one that she would have to accept and move on from if she could ever hope of having any sort of positive relationships going forward. "But Malcolm's been dead for three years. I realized, when I was on the verge of losing what's left of my family in Christopher and Michael, that I had to let go."

"But if the two of you could fall apart, how can I hope to-"

"When you go into relationships" she explained, "sometimes you understand that it takes risks to make it work. You understand that things don't always go well. It takes effort from both parties to make it work. If you think something isn't right, we talk it out and make sure those things are fixed. No relationship is without bumps in the road. My parents, James and Bonnie Kingston, Malcolm and I, even Michael and Julia haven't always sailed smoothly through things. But they hash those issues out to make them stronger."

"That's not what Lizzie said."

Bridgette frowned. Again with Lizzie? Her old friend and now semi-acquaintance seemed bound and determined to be a thorn in her side whenever it came to Justin. She couldn't tell anymore if it was out of genuine concern that she might hurt him or if Lizzie had some kind of unresolved feelings for him. Choosing to take the high road over start a petty feud with her, she put on a mostly sincere smile. "She's just protective of her friends. And you're one of her closest, Justin." She looked out into the slowly brightening skies. "She's been very protective of all of her friends as long as I've known her. And I imagine Cameron's death hit her as hard as it did anyone, at least besides Chris and Michael. With her other friends off starting families, she may fear losing you to something in the same vein."

Justin remained unsure. "She said you-"

"It doesn't matter what she said" she insisted. "I care about you, Justin. That's what matters."

He finally looked to her and gave her a bit of a smile. "I appreciate that, Bridgette. And I...well...you know..."

She giggled. "Yes. I do." Though the rest of their shift was in mostly silence, Bridgette could tell what she said was impacting him. He had fears of not being enough for her, when all he had to do was ask her what she wanted. And the answer would no doubt soothe his nerves. She wanted to abide by her duties and ensure her fellow "Half Heart" in Addison got what she dreamed of. She wanted to do her duty by her family and ensure Michael lived a good long life for his wife and her children, in particular her loving godson James. She would then take up her position as Titanio City's Gym Leader once more, serving as the gatekeeper for a new Champion as she had during Michael's prime. And once she was settled in, there was only one thing she could see herself wanting beyond that.

{}

As if the pain of having her limbs restricted by the chains keeping her locked inside one of Turo and Sada's old labs wasn't enough for her, Paige was now succumbing to the mental stress of being isolated from anyone on the outside world. No one had come to see her in some time. Not Natalya or Brick to mock or ridicule her, which agitated her to no end. But fortunately, neither had any other hostages that the two had claimed may be joining her down below. Which both did good for her heart and also made her imprisonment all the more painful. She had no one to talk to. No way of contacting the outside world. No way of checking to see if Cole was okay. No one even spoke to her when shoving a tray of food in for her to eat.

When she would get tired from fighting against the immovable metal securing her movements, she would rest on the bed and think about her young life. She was only fourteen and had seen so much horror, yet rarely took stock in the idea that she should have lived a normal life had things gone the way they normally would have. No schooling of any kind apart from a few lessons about Pokémon and their work from Turo and Sada themselves before the Time Machine fiasco. No socializing with anyone her age besides Cole. Not even the concepts that many other girls her age might have thought of were of any significance to her. All her life, she'd been cast out from the world that was supposed to be normal. And all her life, barring one person, she'd never even known what love could be.

Her parents had died long before she could have ever known them and she was unceremoniously dumped on her foster mother's doorstep in the town that was once called Alfornada. It was there that she and Cole endured some of the most brutal treatments any child could endure. Physical beatings were so common, that when Turo and Sada took her in, she was surprised when she accidentally broke something that the two didn't simply slap her until her cheeks bruised. But it was the constant nights without food, the threats of removing her bed from her room and the constant reminder of how she and Cole were burdening her that crushed her inside. She would have been completely broken by the experience had Cole not stood up for her. He would sneak off to gather some food from a nearby food stall for them. He promised her things would get better. He assured her things would be okay.

The day they had to flee their foster mother's home, however, things changed. Cole had been injured in one of their foster mother's latest tirades, with the wound eventually becoming infected. The two had fled to freedom but now had no home. As Cole grew weaker from his illness, Paige knew she had to become stronger. She managed to catch a few Pokémon for herself to protect them and even managed to drive off a few extremely dangerous Pokémon with the help of her Cyclizar named Harley and her Pyroar named Nala. This drew the attention of Turo and Sada, who took the two of them in and helped treat Cole's infection. But the illness had impacted Cole. He wasn't as confident or strong as he had been before. She recalled one day how Natalya had insisted they leave him outside of Area Zero to fend for himself and how Sada had threatened to kick her out instead. Cole was not going anywhere, which helped Paige settle down in her new home.

Turo and Sada were great mentors and taught her much about the world and how difficult things were, but the two were not her parents. And could never be. While she learned and was given protection by them, they were never close with her or Cole. Once, before they had learned of how dangerous the Time Machine was to use, she had casually mentioned that the six of them (herself, Turo, Sada, Cole, Natalya and Professor Sexton) made for a strange but nice family. Sada, who had been so encouraging of her up to that moment, withdrew into herself and was later seen crying. Turo had to correct her, reminding her that they were not family. Cole and Paige were simply colleagues, nothing more. The two professors did had a family once, and thanks to the Time Machine they had lost it. Now, their son Arven was off on his own trying to survive without a mother or a father up above her. Not knowing how much his parents truly missed him.

But it didn't help her position either. She had come to love Turo and Sada, but to be reminded that they were only watching over them out of some twisted obligation and not love hurt her. She remained faithful to them, but never once brought up the topic of being family again. Besides, the more she got to know Natalya, the less she thought of the miserable crone as family. Even Professor Sexton, despite his generally decent demeanor, didn't seem too keen on taking a paternal role with her. He knew what she was capable of and did little to either promote or hinder her growth.

Her Pokémon became her family. Nala would sleep by her feet almost every night. Harley would be more than excited to race through the Great Crater as if she'd never done so before every time. Even her Floragato, despite being usually reserved in her nature, would not hesitate to snuggle up to her whenever they had the chance to get some sleep. The Pokémon made up for the brothers and sisters she might have had if her parents had not passed so soon after her birth. At least, that's what she hoped happened. She could not bear to think that she, like so many orphans before her and since her, was simply unwanted.

But then there was Cole. He wasn't just her best friend...well, her only friend. He was her universe. They had grown up together, endured hardships together and leaned on each other in every virtual way possible. She truly would not be who she was without him being there for her and she could only hope that she'd made the same impact on him. She'd always feared that one day they would get separated as they were now. Not being able to count on the other to come to their rescue if needed. And while she was shackled and locked away from the action, she could only pray to whatever god was out there that Cole was safe from harm and had found Arven as she had pleaded for him to.

When she told Cole that she loved him in more ways than words could describe, she didn't lie. She'd wanted to tell him for so long, to make him see that even in their dismal future, so long as they had each other, they didn't need any fancy livelihoods or even the kind of lives they read people had long ago before the Paradox Pokémon began to wreak havoc. But anxiety always stopped her from saying anything. How could she put everything they were to one another in jeopardy? How could she justify adding to a list of fears Cole already had by adding a fear of losing her? She could not bear to lose Cole. She told herself once, in the darkest days of Cole's illness, that if she lost him, she'd lose everything with him. Her strength, her resolve, the very willpower to move around, eat and sleep. Cole was quite literally everything that gave her life meaning. And the only thing keeping her from giving in to her captor's will was the hope that she could escape and find him once again.

The reminiscing would remind her that deep down, Cole was out there still. He might have found some solutions or he might have become too timid from all that he'd been through to help much. With her capture, everything was on his shoulders. Finding Arven and Professor Sexton, stopping Natalya, even perhaps finding the White Mage she'd heard about.

But there were other things that kept her from dreaming of freedom. Fear. Fear that Natalya had every plan of theirs predicted and would stop them. Fear that Turo and Sada had indeed perished when the Time Machine went haywire. Or the fear that ate away at her insides. If Cole were to ever discover the truth Turo and Sada had warned her about, could he possibly...

NO! Paige declared to herself. I'm going to break out of here before that happens. And when I do, I'm gonna make Natalya pay for all she's done. And maybe Cole and I can finally live the life we deserve. With newfound resolve, Paige began yet another struggle to free herself from the shackles Natalya's goons had locked her in. She had everything to gain from escaping. But more importantly, everything to lose by failing.

{}

Morning came sooner than either Addison or Cole could have expected it to. Addison had barely started to doze off after her night terror when she began to see the light of the morning sun begin to peak through the curtains of the small building underneath the windmill they'd taken refuge in. With no resolve for hoping for a bit more time to soothe her worn and ragged nerves, she slowly rose from resting and stretched her arms.

Cole, who also seemed to have struggled to return to sleep after their late-night meditation session, looked up to her as she began to wake up, his face initially unreadable. She would have tried to probe his mind, but was too tired and uninterested to even make an attempt.

Instead, she glanced down at him and smiled. "Morning."

He nodded a bit timidly. "Morning."

"Didn't get much sleep. What about you?"

The boy seemed to be of the same mind as her. "Same. I tried, really I did. But I guess-"

"You don't need to apologize" she giggled. "Neither of us slept much. But I guess we shouldn't have expected to. We've been through a lot since yesterday began." She sat up and let her feet touch the cold floor beneath her. She recoiled at the touch. "Sheesh, you slept on that last night? It's like touching a block of ice."

Cole shrugged. "I guess I'm used to sleeping like this. Never slept on any nice kind of bed until I came to the Academy." He rose to his feet quickly and glanced around to ensure they still had everything they needed. "I wish we could stay, but we need to keep going. I bet Professor Sexton will be there waiting for us. Or, more likely me."

Addison nodded. "I suppose so. But we should explain why I'm helping you."

"Won't he be surprised when he finds out you were the White Mage all along?"

"We can only hope he doesn't still think things are too dangerous. We don't have much of a choice beyond that, especially if this whole thing goes right up to the top of the Academy." She finally found the courage to rise to her feet despite the cold and she made it to her friend's side. "But he'll have to accept that I'm a part of this regardless. So long as you're involved, so am I."

"And I appreciate that, Addy. More than you may ever know." He looked towards the door. "I'll make sure the coast is clear."

"Clear for what?" she teased.

"You haven't seen the things I've seen lurking in the shadows."

Addison sighed. "Fair enough." As Cole slipped out of the main doors, she took a moment to collect her belongings. "One of these days, I'm going to have to show him that the world isn't just full of the things he saw. Like Tulip said, beauty can come from anywhere, even a horrifying future like his."

I trust you know what we're up against?

"Of course I do, Galatea. But with Professor Sexton's help, surely we might be able to start turning things around for us, yes?"

That isn't what I meant. I sense something dark. Foreboding.

Addison finally began to feel her mind focusing. "What kind of dark?"

I believe our enemy shall reveal itself to us very soon. Whichever enemy has been the cause of all of this. I expect they will finally have a face for us. And we three must be prepared for anything that comes our way.

"Ah. Starting to see Cole as a friend, are you?"

If I told you all that my mind has conceived, you would think very differently of me. But I do believe that all of our hopes, as well as his, are connected somehow. I cannot tell if it has to do with the aura we've sensed from him. But we three may be all that stands between the forces of evil and their victory. After a long moment of silence, Galatea reached her conclusion. I will be meditating. But you know what to do if you need me.

Addison collected her belongings and followed Cole out the door. The bright, morning Paldean Sun assailed her eyes initially, forcing her to take a moment to adjust. Once she had, she found a pleasant sight awaiting her. Wild Pokémon, trainers and nature itself seemed to be out for a lovely morning stroll along the pathways in the Western Portion of Paldea. A few Swablu were following one another and whistling in tune, reminding Addison of the time she had nearly been carried off by Swablu and Ryan had to save her. A few Buizel were racing along the riverbank, one of them accidentally knocking a Psyduck into the water. A few Mudbray were happily trotting down the path that led towards Cortondo. And trainers were already out and about training their Pokémon for upcoming challenges.

She spotted Cole giving a moment to let his Pokémon move around out of their Poké Balls. While his Petilil remained close to his side, his Fletchling happily flew about in the air with other Flying Pokémon, chirping his merry heart off. The Shiny Buizel he'd caught yesterday was already playing a game of tag with his Pawmot, all while Cole watched on with excited eyes. Addison slowly made it to his side and admired the Pokémon playing in front of her.

"They never got to play like this back home" Cole recalled. "The Pokémon of Area Zero are way too strong for that."

Addison was a mess of emotions. On the one hand, she felt so awful for the conditions her friend had to live under in the future. But on the other hand, he found such joy and delight in the simplest of things. He may have a hard time believing in himself, but when he does do something right and the ones he cares about were having a good time, he wore a smile as big and bright as any she'd seen. Any at least, since Ryan. She felt shame, sorrow, confusion and joy all at once and bundled into one package of teenage angst.

"Maybe things will improve once we've stopped Natalya" she assured him. "And if they don't in your time, I think you should stay here."

Cole blinked. "You'd...you want me to stay?"

"Definitely." The two both looked out into the open fields and the pathway that they believed would lead them to the small reflecting pool Professor Sexton had mentioned. "The world is full of so many wonderful things. And it could use more people like you, who enjoy the simple things."

"Was...was Ryan someone like that?"

"Oh, for sure. There's this festival held in a town back in Arcana called the "Faire". And when you go, it's all based on medieval things, like dresses, jousting, archery tournaments and everyone likes to pretend that we're back hundreds of years in the past. The first time we went, Ryan and I went off together, kinda like a first date, you know? Anyway, he wanted to play a game and rather than win some kind of cool prize for himself, he picked the one for Galatea and I to have. A Mega Stone, with which I can Mega Evolve her into Mega Gardevoir whenever I may need to in battle." She smiled at this memory, one of the sweet ones they'd shared before their first kiss. "And that's why I think, before you go back to your time, you should check something like that out first. To see that life isn't always about just surviving to the next day."

"You think I could bring Paige to one of those, some day?"

"I see no reason why not. You both could do with a bit of a change. My mom used to tell me that even though there are a select few colors out there in the world that we can see offhand, there are uncounted millions of them no one has seen before. Before our lives come to an end, we should try to find however many we can." She gave Cole a playful nudge. "And you know what? Until we both get to find the one we're missing, we're going to stick together like all friends should. We'll find colors for ourselves that even Ryan and Paige haven't seen."

A bright grin found itself on Cole's face, with Addison again seeing her beloved's face in this boy's. "Yeah. We will." He whistled to his Pokémon and corralled them together. "Okay guys. This time, we're not going to mess things up. We'll find the Professor and soon, we'll find Paige. So let's keep going until we see them, right?" All four Pokémon seemed to understand and either barked or chirped in approval. One by one, he recalled his Pokémon, save for Ares the Fletchling. "Buddy, I need you to scout ahead for us. See if you can find a small reflecting pool that the Professor told us about. Okay?" He gently stroked his Fletchling's feathers, who in response let out an eager chirp before flying high above them in search of where they were supposed to go.

"Cole?" Addison asked, but he didn't seem to hear her.

Ares returned a moment later and chirped excitedly. Cole almost seemed to understand his Pokémon, as the Fletchling aimed its beak towards a rocky area just above the ridge to their north. Cole nodded and stroked his Pokémon lovingly. "Great job, Ares." He then recalled the Flying Pokémon and turned to Addison. "The pool is just ahead. Come on!" Without warning, Cole bolted down the pathway and up towards the ridge. Addison was so caught off guard by his sprinting that she forgot what she was initially going to ask him.

Knowing she had to keep close, she raced along after him, dodging any Wild Pokémon and curious onlooking trainers who spotted them. The less they knew about the situation, the better. She was expecting the chase to be longer, but was surprised when Cole stopped at the top of the path, his eyes curiously analyzing something in front of them. Addison scrambled up to his side and herself was caught off guard.

Lying before them was a large, obsidian crystal that seemed to be emanating immense power. Addison felt the air thicken the closer they got to the strange gemstone jutting out of the earth. But whereas Cole had been somewhat optimistic only a few seconds earlier, he now eyed the stone with a fear she hadn't quite seen in him since he discovered who she was and how Paige had failed to find her.

"That...that stone..."

Addison stood by his side and tried to play it off. "It's a cool looking rock, Cole. But I don't see why-"

"I saw those" Cole spoke, almost in a hoarse whisper.

She stepped closer to his side. "Are you sure?"

"In Area Zero!" Cole recalled, drawing back. "Those things are dangerous. They summon incredibly powerful Pokémon."

"But why would it be here?" Seeing Cole's nerves leaving him, she wrapped her arm around his to keep him at her side. "Come on, Cole. We need to wait for Professor Sexton to appear."

"Then you'll probably be waiting a long time" a voice called out to them. Both Cole and Addison spun around and tried to locate the source of the voice. It wasn't until Addison spied a woman emerging from the shadows, a truly wicked smile on her face. Addison couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something familiar about this hook-nosed woman with pale-colored hair and a look of madness in her eyes. It took Cole an additional second to locate her and both remained on guard as she walked towards them. "It's a shame, Cole. Even now, away from all the trouble back home, you're still a hopeless cause dragging others down with you."

"Natalya!" Cole hissed.

"So that's her, huh?" Addison replied coldly.

"That's her, alright." He took his arm out from Addison's and raced forward. "Out with it, Natalya! Where's the Professor? Where's Paige?"

Natalya cackled. "I should think it's obvious, twerp. Not here. And certainly not where you'll be getting anytime soon."

"What did you do to them?!"

"Removing pests from the equation is always important when establishing the world that's fated to be" the mad scientist explained. "And I've been dealing with pests since Turo and Sada dared to try and stop me from turning on the Time Machine!" She took a step forward until she stood right beside the peculiar obsidian crystal. "I've been waiting a long time for this moment. The moment where I can take the last two pieces out of the game for good."

Addison walked up to Cole's side and stood defiantly beside her friend. "You're referring to me too, right?"

"But of course, Mage" she giggled. "You're the guest of honor here. The only being I know who may have the power to stop what we want to accomplish!"

"We?"

Natalya smirked. "Did you think I worked alone? No, Miss Tenton. I haven't been working alone. Not since I was a little girl. I have friends in all the right places. Many here in Paldea just to cause the fun kinds of trouble. Others, even in your neck of the woods in Arcana." She threw her hair behind her head and snorted derisively. "Honestly, the fact that you thought it'd be safe to leave Arcana to its own devices disappoints me."

"What are you doing there?!" Addison demanded.

"Let's just say I have plans that encapsulate the entire scope of the planet! And in order to get my goals in order, I need to remove a few pests that were stifling me. And a few who ruined the good life I could have had."

"Well, you won't be getting those goals while we're here!" Cole interjected.

"YOU?!" Natalya guffawed. "Please be practical, Cole. You're not even enough of a pest to bother a picnic, much less our plans for the world. Paige was the only one of you capable of doing anything and I've taken the liberty of removing her liberty, if you know what I mean."

"LET HER GO!" Cole growled.

"But of course. I wouldn't dream of keeping her from you, though I must point out it is rather odd that you're so eager to find her when you've already suckled onto a new girl like a Remoraid does to a Mantine."

Addison shook her head. "Cole isn't suckling onto me! We're friends! If you ever had any, you'd know the concept of helping people!"

"Helping people? Like how you're helping out poor Morgan?"

The color fell from her face. "Morgan? What are you doing to her?"

"Morgan's just one of the many friends you've been ignoring since coming here, Addison. Holly? Jeremy? Annette? Even poor Matty can't count on you and he's in the worst emotional state he's ever been in." She feigned empathy for him, before snickering more. "And just what would poor Ryan think if he saw how you're replacing him with someone else."

Addison drew back. "What? Matthew?! What did you do to him?! And how do you know Ryan?!"

Cole stepped forward again, barely a few meters separating him from Natalya. "I know what you're trying to do. You can't divide us up like you think you can. We're friends and we're sticking together. Addison and I are going to stomp you, find Paige and Ryan and stop you from ruining any other timelines, Natalya!" He looked back towards Addison, but his confidence began to fade when he saw the doubt etched in her face. "Addy?"

None of this was making sense to Addison. How did Natalya know so much? What was going on with Matthew? Were her friends in any trouble? What about Morgan? Was she truly letting more friends down trying to help just one? She tried to keep her mind stable, but all of the fear and doubt began to bubble over inside of her and make her question all that she knew. Desperate, she tried to reach out telepathically to Galatea, but either found no response or was unable to mentally connect to her Gardevoir.

"You see, Cole?" Natalya admonished. "Dragging poor innocent lives down to your worthless, infantile level. Had you simply died by Genesect's hands like you were supposed to back in our time, none of this would be happening to poor Addison. But as usual, you're a roach that lives longer than it needs to. Stop ruining people's lives and fight your own battles for once, kid."

"Addy?" Cole asked timidly.

Addison found herself retreating inwardly. What's going on? What's happening to my friends?!

"I think she realizes you're not worth the effort, Cole" the wicked scientist mocked. "She's got a good head on her shoulders."

Cole turned away from Addison. "I'm sorry, Addy. I shouldn't have dragged you into this. Maybe...maybe you should go find your friends and let me handle this. I'm not worth the effort." He rushed forward and stared down Natalya. "You're done hurting the people I care about, Natalya! If you want a fight, you've got one with me!" He reached for a Poké Ball and sent out his Pawmot to fight for him.

Addison slowly regained her self control, only to look in horror at the scene in front of her. She tried to join Cole, but without warning, the metallic piercing sound that had caused her so much pain now echoed all around her. She recoiled in horror, falling onto her side with her hands rising to cover her ears. She glanced over towards where Natalya stood and saw a massive, metallic Pokémon with two large cannons at its back. The sound was clearly coming from this strange Pokémon and it was destroying her mentally to even be near it. She spun around on the ground, trying desperately to fight it off.

Galatea! Galatea! HELP!

{}

"ADDY!" Cole cried out, seeing the agony she was in as she rolled around in immense pain behind her. Why was Natalya so hellbent on watching the people of the world suffer?

"I think she's the least of your concerns right now, Cole" Natalya snarled.

Cole turned to face her and glared. "Enough! It's me that you want! Let her go!"

"The White Mage is also on my hit list. Not for the same reasons, but she amuses me, so I think I'll keep her around for a bit. You, on the other hand, have been a pest for way too long." She whistled for Genesect to hover over to her side before taking her hand and placing it on the obsidian crystal. Once she pulled away from it, Cole realized that the Tera Crystal was activating. Within an instant, he began to feel his body pulling into it. Jory the Pawmot tried to toughen himself up and stop himself from sliding, but the gravitational force proved too strong and soon, he was pulled into the Crystal until he vanished out of sight.

"JORY!" Without another second's hesitation, Cole rushed into the pull and dove in after his friend. He was immediately blinded by a peculiar light before everything suddenly went pitch black, with the last thing he heard being the victorious laughing from his archenemy.

{}

Addison knew by the time she'd begun to regain control of herself that it was too late. The metallic ringing was gone, but so too were Natalya, her strange Pokémon and most alarming of all, Cole. She pushed herself up and desperately looked around for anyone, but there was no sign of them. No one had even come to check on them from the locals nearby. It was as if the universe was mocking her for being weak in a moment like this.

"Cole?! COLE?!"

Her attention then fell upon the only thing from the last few moments that was still there: the obsidian crystal. She ran over towards it and placed her hand on it. The sheer power emanating from the crystal was almost too painful for her to even touch. But in her heart, she knew Cole had been dragged into it. And even if it meant she might never see the light of day again, she knew she had no choice but to dive in after him. She placed her hand on the crystal, but found no response. She tried it a second time, but received a similar response.

She reached onto her belt and called out Galatea from her Poké Ball. Without waiting for her Gardevoir to settle in, she began to worriedly bark orders. "Galatea! We need to get inside this crystal." To her horror, Galatea did not respond, only cocking her head in confusion. "Did that thing sever our telepathic link?!"

Her Gardevoir reached for her hand and placed it on her head, trying in earnest to reforge their link. After a moment of anxiety inducing silence, to their relief, it appeared to initially work in their favor. Did...did we do it?

Addison nodded. "I think so. I don't think we're as linked as we used to be, but we can rebuild that. Right now, we need to get to Cole inside that crystal!"

The Gardevoir looked to the crystal and shuddered. Must we? The power from that Crystal is incredible. I haven't felt a pull that strong since Mewtwo on Mirage Island. I understand you care for that boy, but...

"We can't just leave him in there" Addison insisted. "He's our friend, right?"

Galatea nodded. I suppose he is. She placed her own hand on the crystal and immediately pulled away. I sense energy. It was both familiar and strange to me, like Cole's energy. She looked worriedly towards Addison. But it's strength is fading. I fear for him.

Addison took hold of her Gardevoir's arm and both placed their free hands on the crystal, which finally activated for them. In a fierce rush of energy followed by what felt like the crackling of thunder in the skies, the duo felt as if they had been transported from their previous location. Addison and Galatea opened their eyes and found themselves in a cavern of some kind, surrounded by massive, shining crystals that reminded her of the one Cole carried around his neck. Before they could study anymore of where they had gone, they both heard a cry of intense pain.

Addison's attention went behind them, where Cole and his Pawmot were rocketed backwards, crashing just a few feet in front of them. While Jory the Pawmot seemed to have the energy to keep going, Cole looked lifeless beside him. Galatea came down to his side and placed her hand on his head. She looked nervously towards Addison.

Addison was petrified. "Is he-"

He has life in him. But not a lot. We need to get out of...wherever we are. Galatea turned to see the Pawmot barking at her and gesturing in the opposite direction. The two Pokémon looked over at the corner and drew back to defensive positions.

Addison was about to rush over to check on her friend, when her attention was drawn alongside the Pokémon. On the other side of this peculiar cavern was a Gyarados, roaring with intent to cause mass devastation on whatever came to fight it next. On top of its head was a strange, white-colored gemstone that radiated a peculiar power. The Gyarados proceeded to spit a Hyper Beam in their direction, missing the group by a few feet at most before it crashed into a wall of crystals behind them.

She knelt down to Cole's side and felt genuine fear for him. "Cole...please, be safe. Let me handle things."

The Pawmot is telling me that the Gyarados is what's causing all of that force that the crystal is emanating, Galatea warned her. We have to defeat it if we hope to escape from this. She looked worriedly towards Cole. But without his trainer, how can the Pawmot fight alongside us?

"Ask him if he will fight to protect his trainer."

Galatea and the Pawmot spoke in their own Pokémon language briefly before the Pawmot puffed up its own chest and turned to face the Gyarados. Galatea nodded to calm and tend to Addison's woe. To defend his trainer, he will go to the ends of the earth. Cole would do the same for him.

Addison exhaled. "The bond between Pokémon and their trainers." She bent down to Cole's side. "Keep fighting for me, Cole. I'll get us out of here." She then kissed his cheek before rising to go to battle against a supremely powerful opponent with Jory and Galatea by her side. Galatea raised her arms in a defensive position and Jory began to charge up electrical power as Addison looked angrily towards the Gyarados. "BRING IT ON!"

{}

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE JUST VANISHED?!" Tommy shrieked at Billy. The group had gathered around after a light breakfast in Porto Marinada to assess their current situation, only for Tommy to learn that his friend and still intense crush in Addison had disappeared from any way of being able to contact them. She was all alone and like an idiot, he hadn't done his job to help her.

"I mean what I said" Billy Kingston told him sharply. "Her GPS tracking said Addison was only a few miles to the south of us. It would have taken us an hour at most to locate her. But now? She's gone. Completely."

"What if her Poké Gear ran out of battery?" Amanda theorized.

"She should have that portable charging station with her that all the students got" Justin cautioned. "I think this means trouble."

Tommy shook his head angrily. "Well, I'm not just gonna stand around and wonder where she went! I'm gonna find her!" He made to jump off the bench where he was seated, but a forceful push from Billy and Felice grabbing his wrist ultimately forced him to sit back down.

"You will do no such thing!" Billy growled. "We've got enough on our plates. You're not disappearing on us, too!"

"She couldn't have vanished into thin air" Felice insisted as she tried to keep Tommy down beside her with all of her strength. "It's impossible."

"Where was she last seen?" Calem asked.

"Yeah" Bridgette added in excitedly. "Maybe if we head there, we can find out an answer as to where she went without needing to tear the whole region apart."

Billy pointed to a spot on the map. "Here. Right over by this mountain pass over there."

Lizzie poked her head in and looked at Billy's Poké Gear before smiling. "I know where that is. I was near there with Arven yesterday." She pulled out a Poké Ball and sent out that weird metallic purple dragon of hers that Tommy had only seen sparingly since she'd acquired him. Before the Pokémon could sniff around and even discern it's location, Lizzie mounted its back and gestured for the others. "Follow me. I know where it is!" Without another word, she began back up towards Porto Marinada and the rest of Paldea.

"Does she think we can keep up with her?" Calem sighed.

"Flying may be our only way" Billy grumbled. "But we have no choice. We have to find Addison, fast." He called out his Skarmory and took Amanda on with him. Calem responded by calling out his Pidgeot and Justin his Corviknight. When Tommy was about to ask why Justin was allowed to have his Pokémon with him after he'd had to beg Bridgette for his Donphan back, Billy shrugged. "This is a precedence altering situation, Tommy." Justin and Bridgette mounted the Corviknight and Calem gestured for Felice and Tommy to get on alongside him.

"Get on!" he called over. "Hurry!"

"I've got my Cyclizar, remember?" Felice insisted. Calem sighed and sent his Pidgeot into the sky after Billy and Justin.

This caught Tommy off guard. "Since when did you catch a Cyclizar?"

She returned a cheeky grin his way. "Nemona's not the only girl who can catch good Pokémon." Tommy couldn't tell if that was simply a cheeky way of saying she was better than he thought or if it was the Kalos Queen's little sister flirting with him, but didn't complain when she called out her Cyclizar. She then tugged Tommy up to it's side with her. "Unless you want to run on your own, I suggest you climb on." She quickly let go of Tommy and leaped onto its back. She then turned to him and held out her hand. "Well?"

"I will never understand you girls" Tommy grumbled before taking her hand.

She giggled in his direction. "Maybe you will, one day." She then pulled him onto the Cyclizar and made him wrap his hands around her waist. Knowing he had little choice, Tommy complied. He hoped one day to be able to grasp what went on in a girl's head, but that could come later. Now, his true crush needed him. With Felice revving up her Cyclizar, they darted back towards Porto Marinada and after Lizzie.

{}

Addison didn't have time to think of a clear and concise strategy to overcome the powerful Gyarados that had her and Cole pinned in this strange crystal den. With Cole's health in question and a mad woman having trapped them inside this peculiar stone, they needed to defeat whatever stood in their way. And by "they", she knew it would ultimately come down to her. With Jory and Galatea at her side, she knew she couldn't lose.

"Jory! Thunderbolt! Galatea! Moonblast!"

Both Pokémon abided by her commands as Jory unleashed a powerful electrical attack immediately, but it bounced off the Gyarados as if it were nothing. Galatea's Moonblast left more damage in it's wake, but still the Gyarados remained fury filled and ready for more. It began to Thrash about wildly before slamming its tail into Galatea, knocking her backwards. She recovered quickly, but appeared winded.

"What's going on?" Addison asked worried. "A Thunderbolt should have done more than that."

That gemstone atop it's head, Galatea gestured weakly. It's the source of power.

Addison thought for a moment as Jory dodged an Aqua Tail directed at him. "Gemstone? Wait a minute. Art Class with Mr. Hassel! He taught us something about those didn't he? COME ON, ADDY! THINK! THINK!" She recalled it had something to do with a phenomenon called "Terastalization", but beyond that, why was she drawing a blank? Realizing she wouldn't have time, she looked to the Pokémon to get back into the fight. "Galatea, use Reflect! Jory...uh...Work Up?!" The Pawmot, thankfully, knew the move Addison wanted it to and it slowly began to power itself up while Galatea built a psychic wall with enough energy to reduce the damage of the Gyarados's wild thrashing. It attempted another Aqua Tail, but Galatea and Jory both dodged it with the water crashing down far away.

It's getting stronger, Galatea warned. We need to defeat it now!

"I'm trying to remember what Mr. Hassel said!" She glanced up at the Crystal again. It held no particular specialness to it. Her Sprigatito, if it Terastalized, would have sprouted what looked like a bouquet of flowers atop its head. Wouldn't a Gyarados with a Water Type Tera Crystal, have sprouted a geyser of crystallized water atop its head? And why was the gemstone so ordinary? So plain...so...

"NORMAL!" she shrieked. This Gyarados wasn't Water/Flying type. It was a pure Normal Type thanks to the Terastalization it underwent. Which means it could withstand many Thunderbolts if it needed to. However, there was one type that Normal couldn't endure. She desperately looked to Galatea. "Does Jory know any Fighting Type moves?"

The two Pokémon spoke again in their own language before Galatea responded. Just one. Close Combat.

Addison smiled. "Alright. We've got this. Galatea! Use Life Dew to replenish your health and Jory's. Jory! Finish it off with Close Combat!" The Pawmot lunged forward and enacted a wickedly fast punching and kicking combo before Galatea could even attain the energy needed to replenish health. With one final ferocious kick to the head, the Gyarados fell backwards, the crystal atop its head exploding with such a force that the wind began to push all four of them backwards.

Addison tried to brace for it, but when she realized Cole was out cold, she turned around to protect him. Cole began to be pulled into the void that shined behind them, prompting Addison to lunge up and grab his hand. Jory jumped into the air and grabbed her leg to try and anchor them to the ground, with little success. Galatea even tried to use her powerful Psychic powers to keep them, but all four soon were swept up in the powerful storm. Addison closed her eyes and braced for wherever the power of the Tera Crystal would spit them out.