After a series of grueling and difficult exams, on top of the stress of keeping his and Professor Sexton's secrets from his new friends and an added layer of trying his best to remain cordial with an increasingly clingy and enamored roommate in Morgan, Cole could have slept the entire day away on his surprisingly comfortable pull out couch bed in the dorm room he shared with an almost always absent Arven. He hadn't imagined schoolwork being this stress inducing but had to admit to his mentor in private that he had a newfound respect and admiration for all the efforts he along with Professors Turo and Sada put into their own work to become Professors. Sexton assured him that the tests would be easier the more he let himself relax in class and allowed himself to be a kid. But with Paige's continued absence combined with Natalya's own prolonged disappearance, he found it difficult to do so. Despite having the closest thing to a father he'd ever had watching over him and some truly loyal and caring friends by his side, he had never felt more isolated and alone.
The discovery of Addison's position as the White Mage that both Natalya and Paige had been seeking was one of the driving factors of this. He had found someone that both his best friend and his mortal enemy had been hunting for, but no sign of either of them since. Addison was desperate for him to keep her identity a secret and he was willing to oblige but found himself unable to feel any closer to her knowing he too possessed a serious secret about himself. He felt he needed to talk to someone but had no one to turn to in this moment. Addison tried, but their hidden secrets were proving to be an insurmountable hill. And Morgan was desperate for him to talk to her and trust her, but he felt even worse about that, knowing how he felt about Paige. He couldn't lead another girl on and thus blocked himself from them both.
Arven was a lost cause as well, never spending more than a minute or two in their shared Dorm Room. Tommy was always off with that Class President girl Nemona and none of the other students could be trusted with the kind of knowledge he had, though oddly enough he noticed Jovi trying to bridge the gap between them more than once in their classes. He wasn't exactly opposed to the idea of trusting someone who's brother had once saved the whole Orre Region from disaster, but she seemed only interested in him when she was not like herself. When she was calmer, more eloquent and perhaps a bit out of her element. Almost as if she were in a trance...
This left Professor Sexton, who only told Cole to focus on being a child in the only chance he might ever get to. Sexton gave him very few updates on Natalya's plans or Paige's whereabouts but he was beginning to think this was because he had none to give. There had been no sign of either since they had gone through the Time Machine to come back to the past. The only things of note seemed to be strange current shifts in the seas surrounding Paldea, which Sexton suspected could be manmade, but nothing more.
With all of this stress pounding down on him, Cole wished he could lie in bed and sleep forever, or at least until he woke up and realized everything that had happened since he called Paige that one day had been a nightmare. He'd even put off going to see Director Clavell give off some kind of speech about a "Treasure Hunt" or something of the sort. He wanted to sleep every last morsel of pain away.
But the universe had other plans, as someone was knocking on their dorm room door anxiously. And with Arven gone and Addison and Morgan likely off doing their own thing, this left an exhausted Cole as the only one who could answer their visitor. He stumbled out of bed, his Pokémon that were scattered across the room slowly yawning and waking up at a similar pace. Once he was on his feet, he made his way out to the door and peeped through the eyehole.
Jovi? His blue-haired fellow student stood outside the doorway, in the eerily calm and resolute manner she was whenever she was interested in him. He slowly opened the door to face her. "Jovi? What time is it?"
"I needed to speak with you" she said, in a low and unsettling voice. Her eyes seemed dull and lifeless, and she seemed to be staring into a void despite their eyes locking upon meeting. "Mistress Fateen would like to speak with you for a moment."
"It's a little early, Jovi" Cole reasoned. "Can't she wait a few minutes?"
"She insists it is urgent" Jovi reiterated. "Please dress yourself accordingly and come with me."
Cole gave her a nervous nod and shut the door behind her. He walked back into his room and quickly put together his daily uniform, a white collared shirt with violet shorts. He then briskly recalled his Pokémon into their Poké Balls and found where he had placed his half of the Tera Crystal he shared with Paige. He held it in his hands before using a bit of string he'd collected to tie it around his neck and store it inside his shirt. Something seems off about this. Why would that Fateen woman want to see me? And why send Jovi? However, not knowing if this could have consequences for not complying made Cole aware that he didn't exactly have a choice about going or not.
Once he was finished preparing himself, he took a deep breath and exited the dorm room once again. He found himself face to face with Jovi, who's eyes intimidated him with their dull and less than vibrant shade of gray. "Uh, hi?"
"Come with me" she repeated, reaching for and taking a firm grip of his hand. Cole was caught off guard by this, but allowed her to lead him through the halls of the Academy. Besides, even if he wanted to, he'd have a hard time freeing himself from her. That was just the strength of how tight her grip was. Once they made a turn down a staircase few kids used (as the elevator was a preferred option of traveling down levels, she spoke to him in the same cold manner. "My mistress wishes to speak with you."
"I hope she's gonna help me" Cole replied nervously, beginning to see if he could slip free from her grasp.
"She helps all who are willing to open their minds. You shall see soon enough."
"Are you okay, Jovi? You're not your usual cheerful self."
"I am fine" she replied. "But I thank you for asking. Now come." She pulled him down another corridor, increasing her walking speed as if to avoid being seen by other students.
"As long as you're okay" Cole answered back. "I'd hate for you to be as sick as you were the first day of classes."
"Mistress Fateen takes care of me" she said in an almost robotic voice. The two stopped at the end of a corridor, where a series of statues depicting the two Pokémon that Charcadet could evolve into, Ceruledge and Armarouge. stood in attention. Jovi reached into one of the suits of armor and pulled onto something. The wall that had once signaled a dead end for the hallway now opened up, revealing a long corridor of stairs that led down to some kind of secret area of the castle. Cole was definitely caught off guard by this and again tried to pull away from Jovi, but her grip remained firm.
"Maybe we can-" Cole began, but was stopped by Jovi placing her hand over his mouth. "Mmmph?!"
"Mistress Fateen will explain herself. Now come." She then pulled him down the previously hidden pathway and out of sight from other students or faculty. Her pace remained the same as it had been and Cole could do little but be dragged along behind her. Upon arriving at the end of the staircase, Cole saw a dimly lit hallway leading to a hidden chamber. Without a moment of hesitation, Jovi continued to drag him along behind her until both had made it into the hidden chamber. Jovi took a moment to release Cole and went behind them to lock the door behind them, only setting Cole off more.
"Jovi, is this really necessary?"
"Mistress Fateen will-"
"Explain herself?" Cole finished for her.
"You must understand" she insisted. When Cole made to say something else, she put her hand to his mouth for a second time. "All will be explained." She then took hold of his hand once more and led him deeper into the dimly lit chamber. Cole was put off by how sinister the vibes were inside, as he could see little but Fateen herself standing over a table where that crystal ball of hers was resting. And despite having led Cole down this entire way, she was not intent on allowing him free movement.
"Can I ask what this is all about?" Cole demanded, though more fear than anger etched his words.
"Ah, Cole" Fateen spoke up. "It is good to see you again, my boy."
"Why did Jovi bring me here?" He glanced over to Jovi, who's focus was now entirely on Fateen. "And could you tell Jovi to let me go?"
"There is nothing to be afraid of, Cole" Fateen explained. "I summoned you down here for a very important reason." She gestured towards a pair of chairs beside the table. "Please sit." Without further prompting, Jovi brought Cole down and the two sat in front of the Crystal Ball. "I have been divining for all of the students for some time since we arrived in Paldea. The only one I haven't been able to truly help is yourself. I do not forget how nervous of my power you were when we last met in Nurse Miriam's office."
"Putting a bunch of people to sleep like that is kinda scary" Cole admitted, still trying to get Jovi to let go of him to no avail.
"You don't understand" the prophetess went on. "I can assist students in clearing their minds and allowing them to see things with a clearer perspective. Even someone as you, hiding secrets in your every word, can use my assistance." She saw the color drain from Cole's face and wore a sinister smile. "You see, I know what it is you're trying to accomplish. Where you've come from. And why there is no record of you anywhere in the Paldean Databases." She sat in front of the crystal ball and placed her hands on either side of it. "You came from the future."
"What?! How-"
"I see all that has been and all that can be" she insisted. "Which is why I believe we can help one another. I can use my divine skills to locate your missing friend...Paige was it? And in return, you can help me find something that was lost to me. Surely you can agree to such fair and equitable terms?"
Cole shook his head anxiously. "I don't know how you found out, but I'm not going to let anyone get involved in what's going on. Now tell Jovi to let me go or I'll tell Professor Sexton what you're doing!" He had finally managed to free his hand from Jovi's grasp and rose from his seat, but another hand caught his arm before he could turn and flee. He glanced over in the opposite direction and gulped. "Angie?!" One of the other exchange students, Angie, had been there the entire time and only now chose to appear. As with Jovi, her eyes appeared to be dull and listless, as if she too were in a trance. "What did you do to Angie and Jovi?"
"You need not worry, Cole" Fateen proclaimed, her hands moving in a circular motion above the crystal ball. "You need to calm your nerves. None of us are your enemies." She eyed both girls and nodded.
Without warning, both Jovi and Angie latched onto him and forced him back into the chair. Cole tried to fight both off, knocking over the chairs in the process. But every time he'd manage to squirm out of one's grasp, the other would grab hold of him. Eventually, Cole was subdued by the both of them, with Angie pulling his hands behind his back and Jovi taking a grip of his shoulders to force him to remain where he was. He desperately tried to wriggle free, but their grip kept him locked in place.
"Let me go!" Cole pleaded, only for Jovi to silence him for a third time with her hand clasped over his mouth.
"Everything will be fine" Fateen continued, bringing the crystal ball directly into Cole's line of sight. Cole struggled to keep his eyes closed, but neither of his captors seemed willing to release him. "Look into the Crystal Ball...everything will be fine."
"MMMPH!" Cole screamed, but Jovi's hand would not move. "MMPH MMPH GMMPH!"
"Everything will be fine" she repeated. This time, her voice seemed to echo all around them.
Cole did all he could to fight off the words ringing in his ears, but soon lost his strength to keep fighting both physically and mentally. Once his body had straightened out against his will and relaxed, Jovi and Angie finally allowed him to stand upright, but both kept firm grips of his arms and hands. Though a very small sliver of his own mental prowess was in range, he was beginning to realize why the girls were acting so strangely. She has us...under...some...spell...
"I'm simply opening your mind, Cole" Fateen explained. "The girls mean you no harm. Everything will be fine."
Cole felt the room spinning around him, the only focal point being Fateen's voice. "Everything...will be...fine..." he repeated.
"We don't mean you any harm."
"You don't mean me...any...harm..."
Fateen giggled. "Good. Now that we're calm, perhaps it's time we began to help one another. And you know the way to help me, right?"
I...can't...I need...Professor...
Cole's own voice spoke for him, though the words were not his own. "My Tera Crystal."
"More specifically, the half you shared with Paige. Where is it, sweetheart?"
Someone...Professor...Addy...anyone...help...
Again, his own voice betrayed him. "Around...around my neck..."
Fateen smirked at this. "All too easy." She gestured for the girls to release Cole and both did so without hesitation. "Jovi, be a good girl and recover the Tera Crystal for me. Angie, help me keep up my end of the bargain. We'll take Cole to see Paige now. Bind and gag him. He belongs to us now." Angie grabbed a coil of rope from near the table and again pulled Cole's hands behind his back as Jovi approached him directly. She ripped open his shirt and saw the shining Tera Crystal.
Cole's mind fought against the control and sway Fateen had over him, but his body was completely under their control. He could do little as Angie began to wrap rope around his wrists and Jovi's fingers delicately stroked the crystal around his neck. As Angie had nearly succeeded in securing Cole's hands, he was helpless to prevent what was about to happen. Angie shoved a piece of cloth into his mouth and then wrapped another one over it to keep him from calling for help. But as Angie prepared a blindfold to prevent him from seeing anything, Cole heard Jovi grab onto his Tera Crystal and try with all her power to yank the string free and take it from him forcefully.
Which was when her screaming began. Cole suddenly felt something incredibly hot to the point of searing near his chest. The blindfold fell off quickly to reveal what had happened. Jovi's hands were burned by the Tera Crystal, which grew in direct defiance of what Fateen and the girls had wanted. Angie rushed to Jovi's side and Cole was able to fall back, both control of his mind and body coming back to him. He shook his head and tried to recover properly, but found his hands tightly bound and something preventing him from speaking. Realizing he could just as easily fall into Fateen's spell again, Cole did the only thing he could think of and body checked Jovi and Angie into the table, causing all three of Fateen and her minions to fall over and the crystal ball to roll off in another direction.
"NO!" Fateen shrieked.
As the prophetess raced for the ball, Cole made a run for it. He stopped at the door Jovi had locked, seeing the key still in the door. He turned his back and used his bound hands to turn the key and opened it. While the girls tried to recover control, Cole sprinted up the stairwell and for his life. He tripped up on the final steps and landed on the ground with a thud where the Armarouge and Ceruledge statues stood.
He wriggled his head until the cloth over his mouth was around his neck and spat out the second cloth. "I need to find Professor Sexton! Or anyone to help!" He raced around the Academy, trying to find someone who might help him, but many of the teachers were either off on their own exploring or in some kind of meeting. Even the students had all gone off on this "Treasure Hunt", making the halls of Uva Academy as dormant as they had been when he first arrived. His only chance to freedom was to find and warn Professor Sexton of what he knew. Despite his hands being tied behind his back and his nerves making it hard to focus and run normally, Cole raced down the halls to find the Professor's room and warn him that someone else was onto them.
Upon making it to Sexton's office, however, he found no one in. Wherever Sexton was, he wasn't around to help him. Realizing he was on his own, Cole looked anxiously around for something to free his hands, coming across a large bone of a Sharpedo Tooth. He made his way over to it, praying to Arceus above that it was sharp enough. To his relief, he found Angie hadn't tightened the ropes too much and they came apart rather quickly. Once he was free, Cole had to think about his next move. The Professor could be anywhere in the Academy or outside of it. If he waited around too long or even went looking for him, he might run into Fateen again and be recaptured. But if he ran off into Paldea's wild lands, how could Sexton know where he was and protect him from Natalya?
The only thing I know is that Professor Sexton was wrong about one thing, Cole told himself. Even the Academy isn't safe. Deep down, he knew he had little choice but to make a run out of the Academy and hope no one was tailing him. Once he got himself a Cyclizar to use, he could race out into the open fields and rolling hills of Paldea and hide anywhere he could think of. But to get there, he needed to escape from the castle first.
He clutched at his half of the Tera Crystal, the intense heat dying down rapidly. "Paige...where are you?"
{}
Once she had recovered the Crystal Ball, it didn't take the Prophetess too long to realize that Cole had escaped. The boy had proven to be more resourceful than she might have initially imagined. And now, she had a nightmare situation on her hands. She could no longer operate in the shadows of Uva Academy. She needed to strike and this time make it so there was no place in Paldea safe for Cole...or anyone who dared to get in her way. She held the ball in her hands and glared down at Angie and Jovi, who were both panicking in fright at their situation.
"Where am I?" Angie pleaded. "I want to go home!"
"Mama!" Jovi cried. "Brother!"
"Be silent!" the Prophetess demanded, waving her hand around the ball. Almost immediately, she had regained control of both girls minds and made them stand up. "I will not tolerate further disobedience or failure from either of you! Understand?"
"We shall not fail you" Jovi replied in her monotone and hypnotized voice.
"What is your bidding, Mistress?" Angie added.
"Go out there and bring him back! I want that Crystal! NOW!" Without another word, both of her useful puppets raced out of their hidden base and after Cole. The Prophetess cursed underneath her breath. "I suppose this calls for a change in plans." She reached into her robes and brought out a Rotom Phone, quickly dialing out to her second in command. "Brick!"
"Aye, Mistress Natalya?! Is something wrong?"
"Cole is proving to be more of a problem than I thought" Natalya admitted, her lavender wig slightly falling off her head as she frantically planned her next move. "We need to make a change in our plans. They need to accelerate!"
"How so?"
"Get in contact with our mutual friend back in Arcana" she ordered. "Tell him it's time for action."
"The Tri Drago is not ready to make their move" Brick warned.
"They should have been ages ago!" she snarled.
"Look, the Tri Drago lost a lot of their numbers thanks to that idiot Claude Jacques's attempt to conquer Arcana. They need time to-"
"We don't have the time! We need them moving immediately. Are your groups here numbered well enough?"
"We can do any number of quick plays here if needed. Shall I prepare them?"
Natalya massaged her head angrily. "I need to remain at the Academy for a bit. I need to ensure Cole's safe space is about as safe as a den of Arboks and that will require some time. I've sent two of my minions out to find him, but should they fail, we need to make our next move quickly. I'll be working here and I want you making sure there aren't any issues regarding our new hires. I think a few guards can keep Paige company. But our focus for now needs to be in Arcana, where our friend and the Tri Drago need to sow the seeds of chaos."
"You really trust a green kid like Simon to be useful to us?"
"The Revenge we've been planning needs to hit on all fronts. And Simon knows exactly how to unravel Arcana with a few mind games. While he's going about in Arcana, you and I can keep things going here for the time being. Do you have that list I gave you?"
"About the hostages we'd be taking? Yes."
"What are the first three names on that list?"
Brick took a moment to read the list over. "Queensbury, Augustine and Fouritz. What's so special about them?"
"Just have your specialized kidnappers go out and capture them. The rest will unfold as Simon does in Arcana. If we're lucky, Arcana and Paldea will be at each other's throats by noon tomorrow. If not, well, we've still got time. Just make the necessary preparations and ensure the Tri Drago are prepared to help Simon carry out what he needs to do."
"Affirmative. We will not fail you, Mistress Fatine."
"See that you don't, Brick. One more slip up and we could be ousted from everything." She quickly ended the call and took a deep breath. "When did getting revenge become so complicated, Father?"
{}
"Why on earth do you think that I would let you have your Pokémon, Tommy?" Bridgette demanded as she and the boy argued over his desire to show off his actual Pokémon Training prowess. She had been hoping that they would be able to keep things lowkey, even with this heavily rumored "Treasure Hunt" that was set to kick off on this very day. But now, all of a sudden, as if eager to impress one of the girls he was said to be interested in, the boy was practically begging for her to let him use his Pokémon Team to combat some evil gang of bully students, an idea she was openly opposed to, especially given his close proximity to one of the other students in Class President Nemona. "This isn't a game, Tommy. One slip up and we might lose our chance to be here."
"How can we be safe in school if a group of bullies is allowed to run amok?"
"This is precisely the kind of trouble Michael and your father wanted you to avoid when coming here" the surfing beauty insisted, ignoring Tommy as she tried to make her way towards the Squawkabilly Cab area so she could go on her morning surf, but the boy kept blocking her at every turn. "This fight with Team...whatever it was called isn't your problem, Tommy."
"I have to do this, Bridgette" the boy insisted. "The kids need someone to stand up to those guys from Team Star!"
"That's for the school to decide."
"So long as they're not on school grounds, the school can't do anything. Please, Bridgette. I have to do this."
"You promised your father you would listen to us, right? Then you ought to actually follow through on that promise, right?"
Tommy lowered his head. "I thought you'd be the one who would understand why I have to do this."
"Why's that?"
"I promised a friend of mine that I would help them. They've been suffering at the hands of Team Star. I can't let my friend down."
"So why would you think-"
"Because I know how much you don't want to disappoint the King, right?"
Bridgette grunted in frustration. The boy may be a bit more emotionally manipulative than she'd previously thought. He knew exactly which buttons to play with her. I have to talk to Elmont when we get back to Arcana about that. With her desire to mend bridges with Michael and Chris at the highest levels, the boy could play her like a fiddle. Well at least he isn't rubbing the whole Justin thing in my face. The less people know about that, the better. She glanced down at Tommy, doing the best pleading sad Lillipup eyes impression he could.
"You're not as cute as you think you are, kid" Bridgette warned.
"I don't want to know what it's like to let a friend down, Bridgette" Tommy moaned.
Bridgette shook her head. "Fine. But if you ever try to use that to manipulate me again, I'll take you to the deepest depths of the ocean and make sure you never get back to land, got it?!" She grabbed the boy by the scruff of his shirt in an attempt to intimidate him.
To her surprise, it succeeded. "Ye-yes, m'am! I promise."
Bridgette reached into her bag and pulled out two Poké Balls. "Here. Your Donphan and your Leafeon. Just don't go around showing off, okay? We're here for more than just opening the borders. Don't forget what Addy's trying to do."
"Can't I-"
"What did I just say about-"
Tommy gulped and looked down at his shoes. "Sorry, m'am." He graciously took the Poké Balls from her and quickly changed his tactics to buttering her up. "Thank you, Bridgette. You're such a wise and honest and beautiful-"
"Get out of here before I change my mind!" Bridgette snapped, gesturing towards the doorway of the hotel. "And make sure you tell Billy where you're going, you hear me?!" Tommy nodded with a worried look on his face before sprinting away from Bridgette before she could actually did reconsider her decision. Once the boy was gone, she let out a beleaguered sigh and made to follow out the same door and go for her morning surf. "I don't know how Billy handles that one."
She pushed the door open and walked out into the bright and warm Paldean sun. She took in the morning air and exhaled happily, knowing this would be the perfect day to go out into the Paldean Seas and swim to her heart's content. Addison was intent on searching for the way to get to White Island, Morgan would be helping her and Billy could keep an eye on Tommy in...whatever he was doing in terms of dealing with the school bully group. So she would have some free time to soak in the sun and the sounds of the ocean. Her true home. While she would eternally love Michael and Chris as her true family, the ocean was where she always felt at home.
"Let's see, how's about we try the waters by Porto Marinada today?" she asked herself as she prepared to hail a Squawkabilly Cab.
"Lady-uh, I mean Bridgette!" a voice called out to her.
Bridgette's heart almost leaped out of her chest as she heard that voice call out to her. She hadn't heard it since the last time she had begun to educate him on high class society. She froze in place, despite her brain telling her to run her way to Porto Marinada if she had to. But Justin caught up to her far too quickly for the message to relay from her brain to her legs. She simply turned to face him, the tension in the air palpable. "Justin? I thought you'd be off working on your vlog or something."
Justin had made it to her side, a backpack on his back and much more relaxed and normal clothes on instead of his school uniform. "Well, it's time for the Treasure Hunt in school. We've been encouraged to find our own personal treasure."
"Well, I'll leave you to it, then" she replied as she attempted to hail another Squawkabilly Cab.
"Wait" he pleaded. "Don't you want to know what I've chosen? This is the first time I've been able to talk to you since-"
"We don't need to bring up what happened" Bridgette insisted quickly. "We were both there."
Justin nodded. "I see. Well, after receiving the approval of Director Clavell, I've decided one of my treasures will be to soak in the sights and sounds of Paldea for all to see. I will be filming all the experiences I can while I see every city the region has to offer." He looked down nervously at his shoes. "And, considering Addison won't really need much chaperoning, I was...I mean...you know...I was hoping you would come with me. It'd be something we could enjoy together."
Bridgette blinked in shock. "You're...you're asking me out on a date?"
He waved his hands anxiously. "Not if you're not interested! It just...you see, doing this by myself wouldn't be as interesting if I didn't also have someone to share the experiences with. If this is our only opportunity to be in Paldea, my followers won't ever get to see these sights. I would like someone to do this with me. And you would be my first choice, Bridgette." He finally took the moment to look her in her eyes. "If you don't want to, I'll see if I can find someone else to help me. I just thought, this would be a way for us to-"
"Justin" she began. "That night at the restaurant..." She tried to formulate what she wanted to say, but could not come up with the proper words. Her head was telling her to let him down gently. That she was a mess of emotions from trying to keep her family from falling apart, to dealing with the years of loss since Malcolm's death and that he was just a kid who'd never experienced love before. The kiss had to mean nothing in order for them both to properly move on. Her heart, however, was telling her to fling herself at him, confess that she'd been so eager for them to spend time together and to give love one more chance. The constant tug of war inside was destroying her. She hadn't been the object of someone's affection for a long time. At least, not to someone who mattered. What was the proper course to take? Which would leave the least amount of damage?
In times such as this, she would ask how her Aunt Jane would handle such a situation. How would someone with the grace of an angel and the tranquility of a mother possibly handle a situation has hazy as this? She thought she could hear her aunt's words echoing in her head, even all these years since her passing:
The mind always tells us what is logical to hear. Our hearts often paint a different picture, though. It can be chaotic, with no sensible direction or guaranteed conclusion. It can be messy, with so many loose ends it becomes almost impossible to comprehend. And yet it can also be beautiful, as if painting a canvas that only a true master artist can see. No artist paints with his mind. And no lover acts with logic. Logic would have kept me from ever pursuing a relationship with my husband. And without that, I wouldn't have Christopher or Cameron. Or my beloved little Michael. Love doesn't act with sound reasoning. Sometimes you have to take leaps of faith.
Jane's own marriage had ended in failure, but the words rang true to her then and even truer now. A leap of faith was what brought both Christopher and Michael their wives. It was what Addison was attempting to do with finding Ryan. It was what she had tried with Malcolm and had twelve wonderful years of dating him. Sure it didn't end well, but what was to say she couldn't give love a second chance?
"Are you alright?" he asked after the long moment of silence.
Bridgette nodded. Leap of faith. Leap of faith. "Alright, Justin. I will help you with your Vlog. A nice traveling vlog ought to do your channel good. And it also will help bridge the divide between our regions."
Justin's eyes lit up at this. "You will?! Oh, this is incredible! Thank you!" Whether it was intentional or not, Justin rushed at her and hugged her. Bridgette felt her entire body glow a deep shade of red as she found herself in his arms for the first time in several weeks. Once he realized what he did, he quickly let go and backed away. "I...uh..ahem. Thank you."
Bridgette laughed nervously. "You're...you're welcome."
Her new Vlog partner quickly cleared his throat and opened up his map of Paldea. "Okay, the closest town to our current location is Cortondo. I think we should start there. Unless you'd prefer we show you in your element."
Bridgette shook her head. "I'm the junior partner in this. You make the call."
"Well, it says here Cortondo is known for its acclaimed bakery. I think a bakery is a soft way to open up this new show of ours. At least the town is a lot calmer than some of the others around here. Do you agree?"
"A bakery is definitely an interesting first episode" she replied. "Shall we?"
Justin made to offer her his arm, but when she didn't reciprocate, awkwardly lowered it. "It's not a lesson, Justin" he told himself.
She patted his arm playfully. "No. I think you've basically eclipsed what I can teach you at this point. The next time you have my arm wrapped around yours, it had better be on a date, okay?"
He echoed her own nervous laughter. "As you wish, milady." He fixed the drooping backpack on his back and then, side by side, the new partners headed out on their own adventure throughout Paldea.
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While all of their fellow students were going around the region on their own adventures to challenge gyms, meet Pokémon or find out what special treasure they had either always had or were intent on discovering, Addison found a rare bit of tranquility in the Uva Academy Library. There were no students hogging books or computers to do research on. No Pokémon that might curiously hop down on the table and peck at them while they were reading. Instead, it was only she and Morgan at their table and in their section, looking through as many books as they could about the fabled White Island. Though ever failed potential road was starting to worry her.
She knew from the final lines of the White Mage's Prophecy that Countess Rosemary had read to her, that she alone had the power to find White Island and perhaps bring Ryan home. But the amount of answers crawling in about even the existence of such an island was demoralizing. Even Morgan's ordinarily optimistic takes were becoming rarer and less frequent. Sure, some of this had to be attributed to her unrequited feelings for Cole, but even she had been longing to bring Ryan back if not just to have her friend back in her life. But the closest thing either of them had found to this point was Nemona's own words warning of White Island being little more than a myth, a fairy tale kids heard to go to sleep at night. It was certainly disheartening. She needed something more tangible.
While Addison thumbed through another book about the ancient times in Paldea, Morgan was going through some old journals from people who had lived in the region long ago. Nothing in her own book had anything regarding White Island, or at least from what she could comprehend, as it appeared to be written in Ancient Paldean, the language that only Julia and Piper seemed to know. Not even any illustrations about it. She dropped the book on the table in frustration.
"Nothing. And lemme guess, the next one will also have nothing?"
"I think I've got something!" Morgan exclaimed.
Addison sighed. "If it's about another plan to win Cole's heart-"
"I'm not that single-minded, Addy" she replied. "I mean about Isla Blanca. At least I hope it is." She scooted her chair over beside Addison's and handed over a portion of the journal she was reading. "Here, check this out." Addison looked at the book and, after discovering it wasn't in Paldean, she took a deep breath and looked at the entry:
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How does an entire landmass appear and vanish?! How does one arrive on an island of uncounted mystery when our Pokémon cannot ferry us there? How to get people to believe in the Island of Illusion? These are some of the many questions we ask ourselves whenever the island many are calling "Isla Blanca" is seen on the horizon. It is said to appear once every 50 years, though others have claimed it can be seen often by those who are out on the open water. And yet none who have made the sea voyage to it via boat, Pokémon or swimming there have ever walked its shores, simply reappearing in the water coming back from the same way they left.
We've attempted to isolate a possible reason for this: perhaps its indeed an oceanic mirage, or a Pokémon masquerading as a landform. But none of the possibilities hold a candle to what we've seen. This is a landmass, but as quickly as one sees it, it vanishes without a trace. We know of no one who has walked its shores, save for one old man in Montenevra, who claimed to have heard the voice of his wife beckoning him to it, despite having been a widower for nearly a decade to that point. When we pressed him for more answers to our myriad of questions, he only claimed that walking up the island's long grind, a stairway that no doubt was reminiscent of the one we've frequented at the Academy, was never ending. A staircase that never ends? Was this man trying to fool us? He'd say nothing more, as the memory was apparently too painful to endure, but my daughter Marion did claim to hear something about "seven pillars" when he was resting in his chair after we took our leave.
We've run out of time to research this. A disaster has unfolded for the Great Crater's research team and my team is being disbanded. Some are being sent to assist Heath and his group as they try to find the source of all of the peculiar crystals that have been sprouting out across the region, while others are having their visas taken and are being sent back to their home regions. A pity, as many of the researchers were brilliant people of science. Aloisius Constantine, Pierre Sycamore, Samuel Oak, Balthazar Aced. All could have helped bridge the gap, yet our King sees fit to conceal what is going on in the Crater and our own research regarding Isla Blanca as an internal matter. There have even been rumors of a region-wide lockdown of our borders. What nonsense. Science must expand and develop, not recede and isolate.
Isla Blanca might have the key to our world perhaps communing with the realms of the deceased. And yet here I am, unable to keep my research going. A nightmare unlike any I could have imagined.
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Addison blinked in shock. "Wait, Balthazar Aced was here?"
Morgan looked at it in confusion as well. "How long did the Queen say the borders were closed?"
"Fifty Years, I think. If that is true, that would mean that Balthazar Aced was still alive. That means Julia and Piper's grandmother, Maria Pines, knew about Paldea as well. The Countess must have as well, if Balthazar and James Kingston did." She folded herself into a bitter huff. "All of these people who could have helped have all been dead for a long time now."
"Professor Oak is still alive in Kanto" Morgan recalled, "but I think he's handing things over to his grandson soon."
"I'm not going to Kanto just to get more information about something he hasn't researched in half a century." She thought for a moment. "There has to be something we've overlooked. Something we've missed. The only lead cannot be from a journal someone wrote just before the region closed its borders. What else can we be overlooking?"
"I think we could do with a bit of a rest" her friend suggested. "Maybe head into town and grab some lunch?"
"I've wasted enough time" Addison insisted, her frustration and anxiety growing. "I need to find some tidbit. Some kind of...something...to have and hold in my hands that is irrefutable proof that White Island is out there. Or proof that it doesn't exist. I'd take either at this point. The suspense is killing me." She lowered her head into her hands. "Maybe some lunch could help, I guess." She picked up her head and was about to suggest they visit a Sushi Restaurant, when she noticed they were no longer alone in the Library. "What's Cole doing here?"
Morgan perked up at this. "Cole? Where?"
She gestured towards their roommate, who was hiding behind a large bookcase, looking out anxiously towards the other side. He had his back to them, so he must not have seen them at their table. Addison delved into her mental capabilities to see a bit of what he was feeling. She felt his heart beating twice as fast as normal, his mind a mess of jumbled words and confused narratives. Clearly, he'd just been thrown for a loop of some kind.
"What's wrong?" Morgan asked anxiously. "Is he okay?"
"I don't know" Addison said nervously. "Any ideas, Galatea?"
I sense an unusual amount of psychic energy around the Academy as of this morning. Something powerful. A force we haven't encountered before. And Cole has just witnessed it.
"Well, then I think we need to help him. After all, we promised to look after each other." She rose from the chair and made it over to his side. She tapped his shoulder, which cause him to jump back in horror. She was taken aback by this and gasped. "Easy! Cole, it's me!"
He was breathing heavily, as if he'd just experienced a serious episode. "Addy? Oh thank goodness, a normal face."
"What's going on?"
Cole looked behind him and gulped. "No idea. One minute I was being woken up by Jovi and the next I was being taken to that Fateen woman."
"You mean that Prophetess?"
Cole shook his head. "Whatever she is, she isn't a Prophetess. She's a thief! And she's got both Jovi and Angie working for her."
Addison cocked her head in confusion. "Jovi and Angie? Cole, is everything okay?"
Her friend went pale and drew back. "You don't believe me?!"
"I'm worried about you, Cole" she admitted. "I understand you're under a lot of stress, but there's got to be some sort of explanation as to why Jovi and Angie acted the way they did." She placed her hands on his shoulders to try and feed him calming energy as she had previously. "Cole, I promise I will help you. But I need to know exactly what-" Her eyes went wide as she delved into his mind. She saw Jovi and Angie's faces, almost lifeless, their motions similar to automatons. She saw them holding Cole hostage. She saw Fateen's Crystal Ball. She saw a hand reaching for another crystallized object of some kind. A sudden burst of flames prompted Addison to fall out of her trance.
"Addy?!" Cole asked. "What's going on?"
Addison was about to say something, but looked behind Cole at the approaching figures of Jovi and Angie and realized Cole was telling the truth. She grabbed his arm and pulled him over to their table. "Okay, this is not something you see every day. But it is something suspicious." She flung Cole behind Morgan, who hugged Cole almost instinctively.
"Is everything okay, Cole?" Morgan inquired. "You look sick."
"You'd be sick too if you saw what I did, Morgan." For once, Cole did not seem hesitant to hug Morgan back and did so. "That Fateen woman is up to no good, I know it. I'm so happy I found you guys."
Morgan seemed surprised at Cole hugging her but remained the steadfast and loyal 'girlfriend' she wanted to be. "Well, don't worry. Addy and I will help figure this out for you. You're safe with us."
"Morgan" Addison interjected. "We may need a way out of here. Jovi and Angie are coming."
"Are they in on this too?"
Addison shook her head. "I have no idea. But I bet we're about to find out." She turned to see Angie and Jovi walking over to them. To try and alleviate tension, she approached them as she would on any normal day of classes. "Angie! Jovi! What are you guys doing for the Treasure Hunt?!"
The two stopped in front of Addison, with Angie taking charge of the situation. "Step aside, Miss Tenton. This doesn't concern you."
"What's going on?"
"We're here on a mission for Mistress Fateen" Jovi spoke ominously. "Cole must come with us."
Morgan found her own inner courage and stepped in front of Cole. "What if we said he can't?"
"Cole's spending time with us" Addison informed them. "You girls will just have to wait your turn."
"We are on an important mission" Angie warned them. "Do not interfere in what you cannot fathom."
Addison shook her head. "Cole stays with us. You can tell Fateen that if she wants to see Cole, she can do so with permission from Professor Sexton or after we're done hanging out with our friend." She glanced behind her and saw Morgan handing something to Cole, what appeared to be a small package of ear plugs. After taking out a pair for herself, she flung one over to Addison, who held them in her hands before turning back towards the two girls in defiance. "So what's it going to be?"
"This is your final warning, Addison" Jovi growled. "Stand aside and let us take Cole into custody."
"Not on your life!" Addison fired back.
Without warning, both Angie and Jovi shoved Addison aside, prompting her to ram into the table. As Addison recovered, she could see Cole, at Morgan's instructions, frantically putting the ear plugs in his ear before the girls could approach them. Angie pushed Morgan angrily aside and both girls then descended upon Cole. Cole was desperate to fight them off, ripping his arms free everytime they tried to grab one. Having seen enough, Addison knew now was the time to unveil her true power and called out Galatea to fight alongside her. Her Gardevoir seemed surprised Addison called her out, but a Pokémon was not something the two girls could so easily shove aside. Her arms rose to a defensive as Galatea prepared to fight for Cole's freedom.
"Hold it!" one of the Librarians called. "No battles in the Academy!"
"You see these girls manhandling Cole and shoving Addison and you're worried about Pokémon battles?" Morgan snapped.
Both Jovi and Angie finally secured Cole, each with an arm in their grasp and prepared to lead him back to wherever they had previously held him, but Addison and her Gardevoir stood in their way. They recoiled at this, but Jovi tried to regain control. "Do not make this more challenging than it has to be, Miss Tenton. Stand aside."
"Let go of me!" Cole demanded, trying to rip his arms free, but their grips held firm.
"Let him go" Addison warned, ignoring another warning from the librarian to recall her Gardevoir.
"This is your warning" Morgan added, calling out her Misdreavus. She looked to Addison and mimed for her to put her ear plugs in as she did so. Once both girls had done so, Morgan reiterated her warning. "Let Cole go or else!"
"Or else what?" Angie asked derisively. "You cannot possibly hope to-"
The Librarian looked appalled. "Enough! Settle this outside of the school grounds or I shall be forced to call School Security!"
"We warned you." Addison whispered to her Galatea, who immediately teleported out of the way. Before either Jovi or Angie could react, she signaled to Morgan to make her move.
"Misdreavus! Perish Song!"
Her Misdreavus let out a loud and terrifying howling noise out of its ghostly mouth, one so ear-splitting that it began to cause the windows inside the library to crack and the very bookshelves themselves to shake. Angie, Jovi and the librarian fell over on their sides, screaming in pain and trying desperately to cover their ears as Morgan's Ghost Pokémon continued its onslaught. The near earthquake levels of shaking in the room prompted Morgan to pat her Pokémon to cause it to stop. Their message had been absolute and the trio were now sprawled out on the ground, letting out the most intense cries of pain any had ever felt.
"Now's our chance!" Addison cried out. As Morgan sprinted for the door to open it, Addison came over to Cole's side as he tried to keep himself from hearing the damaging song the Misdreavus had sung. He nodded that he was okay. "Come on!" She grabbed his hand and the trio raced out of the door, with Morgan and her Pokémon right behind them.
The trio kept running until they came across the mighty staircase that led down towards Mesagoza. Morgan gasped as they knew the long walk down would exhaust them enough to compel Angie and Jovi to recover. "How can we get away now?"
"That part's easy" Cole replied. He took his fingers and whistled out for a Cyclizar, gesturing for one of the girls to do the same. FWEET FWOOT FWEEEEEET! Within only a few seconds, a pair of Cyclizars wheeled quickly up to their sides and growled happily to be in the service of students. Morgan and her Misdreavus climbed aboard one of them, while Cole helped Addison onto the second's back and got up behind her. "Lead them out towards one of the gates."
"Which one?" Addison asked.
"Let's head to the Western Gate" Morgan suggested. "It's closer." She then revved her Pokémon's false engines and steered her Cyclizar down the stairs, darting into the heart of Mesagoza.
Addison and Cole both took their ear plugs out of their ears, with Addison turning behind her to address her friend. Despite all of the time they had been spending together, she continually saw Ryan's shadow looming behind Cole wherever he was. Anything that could have strengthened their friendship was quashed by the specter of the boy she loved with all her heart hanging around Cole as if they were connected despite coming from two entirely separate regions. It was something she was going to have to get used to, especially now that she was directly involved with whatever her friend was. "Cole?"
"Yeah?"
"I think it's time we stop tap dancing around our problems" she advised. "It's clear something big is going on for the both of us. And we need to be able to work with each other instead of keeping secrets. We need to tell the truth. The whole truth. Me and you."
He nodded. "As long as I think I can trust you guys."
Addison patted his hand. "You always could have, Ry."
"Huh?"
Caught off guard by her own words, she flushed in embarrassment. "Never mind. Let's ride after Morgan!" With that, Addison revved the Cyclizar's engines and the duo took off into the streets after Morgan.