With their coming battle set for only a handful of hours later that evening, Amanda and Billy knew they had an especially limited amount of time to assemble a team strong enough to at least compete with La Primera's. Ordinarily, Amanda would go into a situation with a level head and calm understanding of the great odds that now stood in their way, but the way with which Geeta had been so openly flirtatious with Billy and even saying she might be better off with Billy instead had rubbed her the wrong way. Now, even if she had no chance to beat someone as powerful as her, Amanda had to defend their relationship. After all, it's not like Billy would suddenly fall for that harpy if she won, right?

Out in the fields near Levincia, the couple scoped out potential Pokémon for Amanda to have on her team. As of this moment, she only had three Pokémon on her person: her Fearow (ironically named Harpy, given what she's called Geeta), a Meganium she'd had since she was a little Chikorita, and lastly a Primeape she'd been raising as a bit of a protective Pokémon since being abducted by Hunter and Courtney. She knew she'd need more to last in a battle with Geeta, which is why they needed to find some new Pokémon for her to catch.

"I can help you with the few Pokémon I know she has" Billy coached her, "but even I doubt I've seen all her Pokémon."

Amanda huffed a jealous tone. "Gotten to know her quite well, haven't you?"

"Take this seriously, Amanda" he replied, albeit a bit harsher than he perhaps intended. "This isn't some run of the mill trainer you're challenging. Geeta is extremely talented and dangerous. She'd hold her own against Cynthia or Leon if they battled. Heck, I think Michael would need the Fury to beat her."

"Then let me get a good idea of the Pokémon she has so I can counter them." She did her best to scope out any potentially useful Pokémon, but from their distance, all she could see was a herd of Deerling, a few Litleo's scavenging and few Venonat's digging around for any leftover berries. And she would have to train vigorously to get them fully evolved to even last a few moments with Geeta.

"It's gonna take more than good counters to beat someone like her" he warned. "She has an Avalugg which can Terastalize into a Steel Type. So I imagine all of her Pokémon can Terastalize into various types. Who knows what her Pokémon are capable of?"

"I am a Pokémon Professor, Billy" she reminded him. "I can handle whatever she can throw my way. I just have to think like a vile harpy to outwit one."

Billy frowned. "She has a Glimmora as well, which was a Rock/Poison Type that comes from here as well. And apparently an evolved form of Bisharp. Beyond that, I know next to nothing. So we're gonna need to build you a diverse team that can handle whatever she can dish out. I need you to focus though, sweetie. More on the team aspect and less on the pummeling Geeta part."

Amanda at this point was ignoring what Billy was saying about not thinking about the woman who would have stolen her boyfriend from her without so much as a second thought. Instead, she began to scope out potential type matchups that would benefit her team. "Hmm. A Rock and Poison Type could be a problem, unless I have a Ground Type." Looking at the map she had in her hands, she tried to find one that was nearby. "The only Ground Types even close to here are Larvitars and Digletts in the tunnel areas to the northeast of Levincia. But as for a few Steel Types, I've got those covered."

"How?"

"A girl always needs a secret weapon, Billy Bear" she declared, calling out the Primeape she'd been raising for protection. "I have Matthew to thank for convincing me to raise a Fighting Type." The Primeape began to punch and kick the air to prepare itself as if eager for a battle immediately.

Despite only having begun searching for an hour or so, Billy looked and sounded exhausted. "Sweetie, I don't want you to lose sight of-"

"Oh trust me, I won't" Amanda snapped. "I think this little guy and I are going all the way." She found the lone Sawsbuck in a sea of Deerling coming over to approach them, as if to try and intimidate them and grinned. "Not a smart move, Mr. Sawsbuck. Low Sweep!" The Primeape moved with such efficiency and speed, the Sawsbuck didn't even have time to counter and was slammed to the ground in a quick melee. Her Primeape seemed fired up for more and began to chatter angrily.

"EEEK OOOK EEEERK!"

"Let's find you some more. How about that Floatzel?" The Primeape rushed forward and utilized another Low Sweep, knocking the Floatzel back several feet. It managed to recover, but rushed back towards the water to escape the battle. However, the Primeape began to give chase until a Crabominable scuttled its way up the riverbank to challenge the Primeape. Amanda was about to give an attack order, but the Primeape struck first, with a move she hadn't seen it use yet. "Hm? What's this?" She pulled up her Paldean Pokédex and looked up potential moves a Primeape could learn in Paldea. "Rage Fist?" The wheels in her head began to turn. Wait a minute. Was that the move...

"Amanda" Billy called out.

She turned around and saw several more Pokémon coming to observe their training. A few wild Scyther and even a few Charcadets emerged from the grasslands to challenge the angered Fighting Type. She winked to her Primeape, who looked up to her for a command. "Knock 'em out, Primeape. Rage Fist!" The Primeape proceeded to one shot all four Scyther, and two more Charcadets with single Rage Fists each. Addison took the opportunity to capture a Scyther for her team as well as a Charcadet, before turning her sights on another incoming Pokémon.

"Slowpoke eh? No problem. Rage Fist!"

"Amanda!" Billy insisted.

Amanda paid him no mind and watched as her Pokémon took out the Slowpoke before it could even know what was going on. Though tankier than a few of the other Pokémon, only two Rage Fists were needed to take out the Psychic/Water Pokémon. She looked around for another Pokémon. "One more..." Her eyes fell upon a one last curious approach: a Paldean Tauros. Unlike the ones she had seen to this point, this one had strange blue beads adorning its fur. "Perfect. A Water Type could balance out my team! Primeape. One more Rage Fist!"

Billy, who was situated on a hill above from where Amanda and her Pokémon were battling, glanced over and shuddered. "Don't do it, Amanda! WAIT!"

The Primeape rushed forward and with a singular Rage Fist, likely stemming from a Critical Hit, the Tauros let out a loud cry of defeat and fainted, allowing Amanda to easily snare it, now having a full team of six Pokémon. Amanda was about to let out a delightful scream of victory, but stopped herself when the ground began to shake violently beneath her feet. She turned towards the other side of the plains to see a literal herd of Tauros charging in her direction. The Primeape, seemingly eager for the challenge, rushed into the heart of the stampede in an attempt to combat them all, disappearing into the herd in an instant.

Amanda froze in terror at the sight of the rampaging Pokémon, only for her to be scooped up in the talons of Billy's Skarmory. She looked up, hoping Billy was on its back, but to her horror, Billy had sent in his Pokémon to specifically save her. She glanced behind her and screamed when she saw Billy get swept up into the stampede on his own.

"BILLY!"

The stampede of Tauros seemed endless and Billy was nowhere to be seen from that height. And if Billy had indeed been caught up in it, the Tauros were showing no mercy, trampling on anything in their path as rage filled as her Primeape had been. She looked around from above, pleading with anything that might listen that Billy would escape her ignorant attempts to become stronger.

Please! PLEASE! PLEEEEASE!

A figure rushed into the oncoming stampede at an almost invisible speed. As dust from the rampaging Tauros began to blind her, Amanda tried to struggle free from the talons of her boyfriend's Skarmory. As if sensing her distress, the Skarmory flew down to a nearby hill where the Tauros weren't rampaging. Once they landed, to her shock, the figure emerged from the sea of Tauros, with Billy in its arms. It lowered Billy onto the ground before rushing back into to either calm down or take on the entire Stampede.

Amanda sat over Billy, who looked as if he'd gone several rounds with a heavyweight boxer and lost. His face was scratched and bloodied, his outfit ripped and torn up and the rest of his body covered in bruises. He was breathing, but only faintly. She cradled the exhausted and beaten Billy in her arms, her mind flashing back to the moment she had nearly lost him a few months earlier in the Battle of the Crag Hills. Where she had feared him dead thanks to the clones Mewtwo had created. But there was no evil Pokémon to blame for this one. This was her own actions. Her own stupidity that had harmed him. Maybe even...

Billy let out a grunt of pain as he tried to move his body. "Ergh. That hurt."

"Billy!" she shrieked, burying her head into his chest in a tearful embrace before showering him with kisses. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Billy Bear. I'm so so so so so-"

"You're crushing my ribcage" Billy winced out. Amanda quickly let go of him and moved her hug to being around his chest. To her relief, Billy did not seem to be angry at her and simply did his best to hug her back. "I think I'm done being in between the two of you. It's not good for my health."

Amanda resumed showering him in kisses. "I'm so sorry, Billy. Please."

"I heard you plenty" Billy coughed out. "I'd appreciate it more if my limbs didn't feel like I just went a few rounds with a boxer." He slumped in Amanda's arms as she gently held him. "Please tell me that's enough training for a bit."

Amanda nodded as she fought back tears. "We're done. Billy, we're done for good." She rested her head on top of his as her hand gently stroked his chest. "I'll offer an apology to Geeta tonight. And I'll even let you two spend as much time as-"

"You think I actually like that?" Billy remarked feebly. "I'm just being polite. I definitely don't like spending time with her. I'd rather spend that time with you."

Amanda wept onto her boyfriend. "Why?"

"Huh?"

Amanda sniffled shamefully. "What did I do to deserve someone as loving as you?"

Billy winced in pain as he looked up at her. "Because you are to me what Piper is to Chris. What Annie is to Jon. What Bridgette was to Malcolm. What Julia is to Michael." He grunted in pain as he tried to reach his arm up. Amanda initially didn't know what to expect, but his fingers gently stroked the tears coming out of her eyes. "You're too beautiful to be crying."

Amanda smiled her best smile. "Oh Billy. I don't care about my stupid discoveries. Or about this stupid place. As long as I have you." She leaned in to kiss him, when she paused at the sight of the figure that had been dealing with the Tauros. Her Primeape, as she had planned, had used the Rage Fist attacks to evolve. No longer limited to being a strong yet brittle Primeape, now it became a figment of pure strength and rage known simply as Annihilape. Now part Ghost as well as Fighting, this Pokémon would give her a sporting chance to stop Geeta from interfering in their relationship forever.

"Well, you got your wish" Billy chuckled, clearly in intense pain.

"My only wish is to spend the rest of my life with you" she whimpered, recalling her Pokémon and kissing Billy's cheek.

"If...ugh...if only I-"

Amanda gently soothed him. "Shh. It's okay. Just get some rest. We can talk later." She smiled sadly. "I'm gonna need help coming up with a proper apology for Geeta, after all." Though Billy seemed eager to say something, she simply took him up in her arms and held him. Her anger and pride had nearly gotten him killed. And she would never let that vanity get in the way of her feelings for him again.

{}

Alfornada was truly something out of Addison's wildest dreams. She'd never seen a city quite like it in all of her life. It seemed like a desert oasis despite being surrounded by a sea of grasslands and open plains. It had palm trees as tall as buildings, cobblestone walkways and a very tranquil aura about it. The people seemed extremely friendly and warm to greet them as she and Cole made their way into the town limits. While Mesagoza had been the same, it was different to see it in a town she'd never set foot in.

Many of the people out on the streets had Psychic Pokémon accompanying them, making her realize this would be where a Gym Challenger would challenge the Psychic Gym for a badge. She wondered if Tommy would come this way on his own Treasure Hunt curiously, before they continued along their way. There were fashion boutiques, sprawling restaurants and sparkling canals that stretched as far as needed for this luscious and hidden gem that she knew she would be thinking about for a long time to come.

Despite them traveling through the city together, Addison couldn't help but notice Cole's eyes lazily moving towards where the Pokémon Gym was whenever they'd come out of a store or walk down a certain street. Realizing it obviously meant something to him, she slowly tried to steer them towards it, only for Cole to want her to look at something in a different direction. She would abide, but by the third time he'd done this, she decided she needed him to be open with her.

"Is something wrong, Cole?" she inquired as they stopped outside of an accessory boutique. "You keep looking at the Gym."

Cole sighed. "I can't hide anything from the White Mage, can I?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, I should really keep my mind from prodding."

"No, I need to learn to trust someone other than Paige or the Professor." He glanced over towards the Gym. "That's it."

"What's it?"

"That Gym, somewhere down the line, becomes abandoned. And that old hag foster mother of mine and Paige's raised us there. I spent the first few years of my life here with Paige, since we were both abandoned." He seemed eager to see what it once looked like, but something was holding him back. "That was the place where my parents left me."

"If something happens like you said it might" Addison suggested, "it's possible they were trying to protect you from-"

"Protect me?" Cole replied sadly. "If they ever even cared about me, they'd know that old hag abused and neglected us. We used to have to sneak out and gather berries and food just to survive." He frowned as he looked in the direction of the Gym. "No, Addy. I don't think my parents ever cared about me. If you have parents that care about you, please never take them for granted. Because I don't think anyone knows quite like me what it's like to have nothing. To stare out into the world and know you deserve something better. To be called unwanted."

"I'm so sorry, Cole" Addison apologized. "If you want, we can go somewhere else."

Cole looked to Addison and gave her as good a smile as he could. Seeing the pain in her friend's eyes was breaking her heart, but she could do little as he insisted he put on a straight face for her. "No. I needed to come here. To see what this place looked like before that disaster the Professor told us about happens. To see this place for how beautiful it can be." He gathered some strength internally before speaking again. "If we could, I'd like to meet the Gym Leader."

Addison smiled. "Of course. If it will make you feel better." The two slowly walked their way towards Alfornada's gym, but the moment they were about to go inside, Cole froze. Addison could tell his anxiety levels were going through the roof just being in the sight of years of abuse he'd endured at the hands of his vile foster mother. He seemed to know he had to conquer his fears, yet they seemed to be winning inside him. She reached for his hand and held it. "I'm with you, Cole."

He looked at her for a minute in awe before taking in a long breath and nodding. "Yeah. And I can't thank you enough." He clasped her hand tightly in his and led her through the door to face his fears.

The Gym was unlike any Addison had seen previously in Arcana. For one thing, the building seemed to be one giant waiting room. No signs of an arena anywhere inside. After a moment of consideration, she came to a reasonable conclusion that the battles themselves were held elsewhere and the trainers simply entered the challenge from inside. As the Treasure Hunt had only just begun, none of the trainers hoping to become Champion Ranked were present. In fact, the only person inside the Gym at the moment was who she could only assume was the Leader herself. A tall, thin and gorgeous maiden with short, purple hair wearing a lavender-colored blouse and skirt.

The Leader turned to face the two, her long eyelashes flittering in delight as two newcomers had seemingly arrived. "Ah, the students are coming. Welcome to Alfornada's Gym. I must admit, I wasn't expecting many challengers this early on."

Addison shook her head. "Oh no. We're not her to challenge you. We're just seeing some of the sights of the town." She could tell Cole was anxious about being inside a place he'd endure suffering, so she passed along some calming energy through their hands. I'm here for you, Cole. And I'm not going anywhere.

"Ah, out on a tour of the most beautiful city in Paldea?" the leader giggled. "Then I would be glad to welcome guests as well as challengers. Few come to Alfornada's gym early, as I'm not known to hold back on any trainers." She smiled brightly, as if in the middle of a photoshoot. "It is the price I pay for being the bewitching maiden that I am. Alas, life is not so easy for the famed beauty, Tulip."

"It's a pleasure to meet you" Addison generously bowed, bringing Cole to her side. "I'm Addison, a newcomer from Arcana. And this is my friend Cole."

She approached the two curiously. "Hmm. Could I perhaps be interrupting a date?"

Both Cole and Addison immediately let go of the other and began to sputter nervously. Addison could not tell if Cole was blushing at the idea, but she could feel as if she was. "No! I-I mean Cole's cool and all-"

"Addy's awesome, but-"

Tulip laughed before holding her hands out to calm the two. "It's not an interrogation. A simple observation. You'd be surprised what one's beauty can reveal about them."

"You mean our looks?" Cole asked.

"I find beauty in all things, my boy" Tulip insisted. "Not just one's outer beauty, but their inner is just as important, if not more so." She walked in front of Addison first and studied her. "Hmm. Poise, grace, intelligence, an acumen for many things Pokémon and an eye for reading the auras of many she comes across. You, Miss Addison, are a fascinating individual. I can tell your inner beauty is as equally vivacious as your outer. A total package, as we call it in the fashion world. I'd imagine it's not hard for someone like you to make friends."

Addison smiled. "Thank you, Miss Tulip. I hope to be a Pokémon Contest star like my mother was before me."

Tulip nodded. "I see. Then beauty runs in your family. And not just outer. I see a beautiful soul inside of you Addison. I see nothing in your future that you cannot overcome." She then turned to Cole and her study of him took a bit longer. "Strange. I see in your eyes...true fear. You've seen a world that's torn by misery and woe. Long nights without hope or positive influence." She put her arms to her hips and pouted. "Would it kill you to smile more, Cole?"

Cole frowned. "If we're being honest, I don't have a lot of things to smile about."

"Then that is the time to smile the most." She stood proudly in front of the two. "I was not always this face you see before you. I dealt with a great deal of hardship to make it to the place I am now. There were many days where I found it difficult to put a smile on my face. To walk the path of life is often a path one walks alone. In your moments of greatest doubt, the best weapon you have isn't courage, but a smile. Not a fake and insipid smile. A genuine one, as strong as you can, that masks the true pain inside of you."

"A true smile?" he repeated.

Addison, despite knowing how it might look to someone like Tulip, reached for Cole's hand again. "A true smile."

"I can sense you've seen the world at it's darkest and most foul" Tulip added. "But that is no reason to lose one's smile. After all, it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. And I imagine, somewhere in that beautiful boyish body of yours, is a smile just hoping to break out." She smiled and looked down upon the two. "And unlike myself, who didn't have the luxury of my closest friend to be beside me in my trials, I believe you have a friend with you right now who would do her best to see a smile on your face."

Cole looked to his and Addison's hands joined, then to her face and actually seemed to ink out a bit of a true smile. "I hope so."

"I told you before Cole, I'm with you" Addison assured him.

"I may not be a teacher of yours" Tulip concluded, "but I expect a true smile to be on your face the next time I see you, Cole. I want to see what your true beauty shows. And as for you Addison, continue to be the light that brightens even the darkest abyss. Consider it a homework assignment of sorts. And I'll be sure my good friend Ms. Dendra ensures you've both found that beauty in one another. " She waved to the two before walking off to tend to affairs of the Gym.

Addison looked to Cole. "Are you feeling a bit better now?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I am."

"Well that's good." She looked down to her stomach as it started to growl. "I forgot that in all the excitement, Morgan and I skipped lunch. Do you know any places to get good food around here?"

Cole thought for a moment. "Well, there was this one place Paige and I always got a decent meal from, if you'd like me to show you."

She closed her eyes and found that Cole was beginning to find his own footing again. The genuine aura she'd sensed from him when they first met was slowly coming back to him. All he needed was for someone to help him see the light. And since she was to ultimately be the one who brings Ryan back from the darkest abyss, she knew Cole could use some of her help as well. Her eyes opened and she nodded. "Show me the way."

{}

The craggy gorge on the eastern side of Mesagoza was littered with many Pokémon that Lizzie had not yet personally seen, even in her lengthy career as a Pokémon Trainer. Sure, you had your bog standards such as Makuhita, Rookidee, Shinx and Slakoth, some of whom were originally discovered in her own home region of Hoenn, but then you had some of the more local Pokémon such as Charcadet, Skiddo, Toxel and Nacli, the kinds of Pokémon she'd been dreaming of raising on her own time or had never experienced before. This would be stimulating enough for her to be entertained for weeks on end, but as she pressed her way through the gorge, she had a vital mission to complete. She was on a quest to unlock the hidden strength of Miraidon. And to do that, the only recourse she had was to help Arven locate the mythical Herba Mystica, while defeating the powerful Titan Pokémon that guarded them.

Miraidon plowed through the endless sea of rocks and cliffs taller than any Lizzie had seen in Paldea so far, with no Pokémon daring to even come across them as Lizzie rode atop its back. Even without its power, Miraidon's sheer presence was intimidating to the local Pokémon. She gently stroked her trusted Dragon's metallic neck as they continued to seek out the first of the Titans that Arven had mentioned. He looked back at her and barked happily.

"We'll hopefully get you powered up soon enough" Lizzie assured him, though a part of her was slightly concerned.

It unnerved her that Miraidon was apparently immune from her ability to communicate with Pokémon, a gift given to her by Arceus himself upon visiting his realm several months earlier as part of a voyage in an attempt to help the world brace for the impending wrath of Mewtwo. While the others had all asked for selfless and simple wishes, Lizzie sometimes felt hers had been too selfish in wanting to talk with Pokémon the same way she could humans, but Arceus had mentioned that the blessings they would receive didn't necessarily have to be of pure intent. Besides, the others had already gotten their wishes: Michael had gotten the power to help protect Addison (albeit at the cost of shortening his own life considerably), Piper had gotten Chris back, Mark had managed to compel the majority of Pokémon to return to their trainers after Mewtwo had split them up telepathically, Matthew had helped Addison recognize her own mental prowess and Cameron had apparently wished for something in regard to Michael and Julia's relationship. Surely she was allowed one selfish desire, right?

And yet, here was a Pokémon she'd been getting to know for several weeks that didn't seem capable of responding to her, if he even understood. Apparently, as she had learned in the Celestial Plains, there were some Pokémon that even Arceus himself could not control, hence why the only true fallback option for stopping Mewtwo would have been destroying the world and recreating it. Fortunately, it hadn't come to that, but what did that say for the many unknown Pokémon out there that had yet to be discovered, such as Miraidon or any other like it?

For the time being, she would have to keep all philosophical questions to the back burner. Before she could even begin to fathom why Miraidon couldn't respond to her inquiries, she needed to help it unlock its true potential. And to do that, she needed to find the Titan that was said to be lurking nearby.

She parked Miraidon on a nearby cliff and began to scope out for this massive Pokémon said to be guarding a treasure trove of Herba Mystica. "Hmmm. If I was a Titan, where would I be?" Sure, there were some larger Pokémon around, but none of them were this Titan that she was apparently supposed to be seeking. Miraigon let out a growl of worry nearby and Lizzie started to scope behind her. Nothing on the ground or in the air nearby. Just a strange mass of boulders on a cliff just above her. Fearing that could cause a rockslide, Lizzie prepared to move away.

Which was when the clump of boulders began to move and make a peculiar howling noise. Lizzie looked up and gasped. The boulders were shaking wildly. Two massive arms that appeared to be the arms of a Kingler, Crawdaunt or other crustacean Pokemon blasted several boulders aside, them crashing and falling on the ground just by Lizzie and her ride. Miraidon howled in fright as Lizzie tried to keep the situation calm. When one boulder missed ramming into them by inches, Miraidon took off down the road in a panic.

"WAIT!" Lizzie cried out, but her Pokémon had taken shelter in a bush nearby, leaving Lizzie to fend for herself. She looked back at the Titan in frustration. "Fine, you asked for it, ya freak!" She ran towards the craggy side of the cliff and began to scale it after the monstrous Pokémon. As if sensing she were coming, the Titan scuttled over to another cliff and began to move across it in an effort to evade capture.

This was how Lizzie got a good look at it. It was certainly no Crawdaunt or Kingler, but had similar qualities including moving about in a scuttling fashion with massive claws and far apart eyes. Unlike those aquatic Pokémon she'd seen plenty of in her life, this one seemed to be made entirely of stone. It noticed Lizzie getting closer and let out a shriek before leaping in front of a large cave.

Lizzie finally caught up to it and reached for a Poké Ball on her belt. "Come get some!"

The massive Pokémon seemed to find its courage and turned around and slammed it's claws on the ground violently as if to challenge her. Lizzie had tangled with Rock Type Pokémon many times before and knew just how to deal with it. She called out her Azumarill, which immediately spat out a Hydro Pump with such power and force that it knocked the Titan right back into its cave. As the dust began to settle from the first bout, Lizzie looked through the daze to see Arven finally catching up to her.

"I thought that ruckus was being caused by the Titan!" he exclaimed as he made it to her side. He turned around and growled. "No! It's already eating the Herba Mystica!"

Lizzie looked to Arven in confusion. "That's what's making those things so big?"

"Herba Mystica is a powerful ingredient" he warned her. "A small bit of it can satiate a Pokémon for weeks. Eating this much can probably cause these massive side effects. No Klawf has any business being this big." He saw the massive hole in the cave the Titan's body had caused after Lizzie's attack and nodded. "I knew I made the right call recruiting you, Lizzie! You've already done damage to it. Now, we can finish this thing off and check its cave for the Sweet Herba Mystica!"

"Klawf?"

"They're ordinarily peaceful and avoid humans. But this one has been causing a problem for a while. Even kids wanting to go to Artazon's Gym have had problems getting there thanks to this one. But no more! We'll whoop this guy faster than you can say-"

"GRRRRRRRAAAAAWF!"

The two trainers turned just in time to miss a large boulder being flung in their direction. The Titan reemerged from the cave and looked angrier and more hateful than ever, its massive claws clamping in its preparation for battle. Lizzie's Azumarill was soon joined by Arven's own Pokémon, a Shellder. From out of its shell, the Pokémon stuck out its tongue and spat out defiantly.

"Let's serve up a helping of defeat, on a half shell!" Arven declared. "Shellder! Use Water Gun!" As if further proving its confidence, the Shellder spat out a small jet stream of water that hit relatively hard, but the Klawf recovered quickly and slammed its claws on the ground again. In retaliation, it moved extra fast and snared Lizzie's Azumarill in it's claws and began to squeeze with Visegrip.

"Oh no!" Lizzie cried out. "Azuzu! Use Hydro Pump!"

Her Pokemon opened her mouth and spat out a tremendous torrent of water that caused the Pokémon to fall backwards and release her. Azuzu landed hard on the ground, but rolled back to her feet, eager for more.

"Good work!" Arven declared. "But it's not over yet."

The Klawf grabbed a large boulder and hurled it at the two. Lizzie was afraid for their Pokémon, but Arven had his Pokémon use Protect and both were shielded from the blow. Once the veil of light shielding them from the wrath of the Titan was gone, Lizzie went onto the offensive again, her Azumarill spitting out a third and decisive Hydro Pump that caused the Klawf to fall back and crash hard into the mouth of the cave. The cavern began to shake wildly as boulders began to fall from above the hiding place and crash hard onto the fainted Titan.

Lizzie and Arven quickly recalled their Pokémon and rushed forward, fearing the boulders would crush them. Lizzie took a bad step and fell to the ground just outside the mouth of the cave. She glanced up in fear as a large enough boulder came hurtling down towards her. Arven rushed back towards her, grabbed her arms and pulled her into the cave before the rocks crashed into the earth. Both trainers skidded into the cave and waited until the rockslide had concluded.

"Thanks for that" Lizzie said earnestly. "You're pretty fast on your feet."

"Can't have my adventuring partner get crushed on the first Titan, now can I?" he teased.

The two glanced back outside as the rocks began to slowly stop falling. They walked out towards the mouth of the cavern and gasped. The rockslide had caused the entire area where they had just battled to collapse completely. All that remained was a large boulder covered trail towards the exit. A few careful hops would put the both of them out of harms way once they were finished in the cave. From the look of things, Lizzie could only guess the Klawf Titan had been crushed underneath the boulders.

"Wow" she remarked. "That's how powerful this Herba stuff is."

"And according to my research" her friend warned, "this one was the weakest of the five."

"We'd better get that Herba stuff before that thing wakes up for another round."

"Couldn't agree more" Arven declared. "Let's head back in and find it." The two returned to exploring the dimly lit cavern, not finding anything upon initial investigation. However, both noticed that the deeper they went into the cavern, the brighter it became. So much so that once they had entered the main portion where that Titan was said to dwell, there sat a large pile of pinkish-colored glowing plants. "Bingo! We hit the jackpot!"

"That's Herba Mystica?"

"Sweet Herba Mystica to be precise" Arven explained. "One sandwich with that inside is said to stimulate a Pokémon's digestive system and cure any lack of appetite. This sandwich is gonna taste amazing!" He walked over to the pile and rubbed his hands together greedily. "This could not be more perfect. Ma-uh, I mean we're going to have the sweetest tasting sandwiches in Paldea!"

Lizzie was bewildered by how much Arven was excited about a simple sandwich, but shrugged it off as a simple eccentricity. She simply sat on a boulder as Arven snatched up a generous amount of the Herba Mystica and began to construct sandwiches for them. Though she was certain of her partner's ability to whip up meals, she was confused when she noticed him putting an array of vegetables on their meals. She wasn't exactly put off by it, but it was yet another strange behavior from Arven.

She could not contemplate further, however, when she noticed a figure slowly making their way towards the cave. Miraidon, having seen the clobbered remains of the Rock Titan, slowly sauntered his way into the cavern after Lizzie, nervously looking around for signs of any other strong Pokémon it may have to encounter. Lizzie whistled for Miraidon, who picked up his speed to make it to her side.

Arven glanced over and grunted. "Figures the gluttonous brute shows up when I'm making food."

"Don't be so hard on him" Lizzie insisted. "He's just a little scared, that's all."

"Well, when he sees some of those other Titans, he's going to be more than afraid, that's for sure." Arven continued to make their sandwiches as Lizzie pet Miraidon. After several moments of careful placing, measuring and for some reason sticking in a pick to ensure it all stood together, Arven presented the two of them with their sandwiches. "Tada! The Master Veggie Sandwich!" It was certainly the greenest sandwich Lizzie had ever seen. Peppers, Watercress, Onions and Peppers littered the whole loaf of bread.

Lizzie took her own sandwich and looked it over. "Aren't Tomatoes fruit, though?"

"Who cares? As long as we can eat!" Arven ripped his sandwich in half and took a bite of the first half and let out a sound of absolute delight. "Wow, it's just like it says in the Violet Book. It makes your taste buds feel so special!"

Lizzie continued to gawk at her sandwich, until Miraidon started nudging at her arm with his head. She turned to see him begging as if he were a house pet. His front paws began to scrape the ground nervously as he eyed the sandwich with his true gluttonous intent in his eyes. Though she felt bad offering up Arven's hard work, she was more interested in seeing how Miraidon reacted to it than herself. Plus, she was certain a veggie sandwich wasn't her style. She held out the sandwich for Miraidon, who looked at her in confusion.

Arven echoed this. "Huh?! You're not actually offering up something like this to that...that..."

"I'm in this for Miraidon" she reminded him. "So I want to see what-WHOA!" She had hardly enough time to react as Miraidon lunged forward and gobbled up the entire Master Veggie Sandwich in one bite. Once it had swallowed the entire thing whole, a very faint aura began to glow from its metallic skin. It let out a howl of delight and suddenly began to run about the cavern wildly as if on a sugar rush.

"Hmph. I guess it got it's vitality back." Arven frowned as he finished the first half of his sandwich. "I should warn you there isn't enough left for you to have another."

Lizzie shrugged as she watched Miraidon run about, having regained some of its speed since devouring the sandwich. "Maybe another time."

Arven sighed. "Well, I guess we can call this one successful Titan taken down!" He thumbed through the Violet book, for some reason not taking on the other half of his sandwich just yet. "There's supposed to be a Titan to the north of us, near Zapapico. But the construction area it was said to appear in has been quiet, so it may not have appeared just yet. So I guess the next one would be to the west of Mesagoza, on a mountain path."

"Isn't that the one with all the rocks tumbling down?"

Arven nodded. "Unfortunately, we're slim for choice here. There's been a massive sandstorm in the Asado Desert for weeks now, making travel there almost impossible. And I don't know where the fifth Titan is, but I can only guess its either near Casseroya Lake or Glaseado Mountain. Both have lots of Dragons lurking around there, if you know where to look." He closed the book and looked to Lizzie. "And besides, I need to head back to town to get more supplies. I'll let you know when I think we're ready for the next Titan."

Lizzie managed to corral Miraidon and climbed onto its back. She glanced back at Arven. "Did you need a lift?"

Arven waved her off. "Nope. I'm gonna clean up my stuff and head back on my own."

"And what about the other half of your-"

"Savin' it for later" he insisted. "Now go on, Lizzie. Don't you have to keep in touch with those kids you're chaperoning?"

Lizzie gasped. "Oh right. I should check in on Justin and the others. See you soon, Arven." She then stroked Miraidon's neck. "Let's see what you can do." Miraidon took off at a much faster speed than ever before. Whereas before Miraidon's traveling could be looked at as slow and methodical, now it acted like the Mach Bike she'd always pestered her grandparents to get her when she was a little girl. It even made a daring leap out of the mouth of the cave and onto a nearby ledge. She quickly reared back and got him to stop.

"Let's not try that again" she laughed nervously. She then turned him back towards Mesagoza. "Time to check in with everyone. Hopefully things are going easier for them than it has been for us."

{}

As soon as Lizzie and Miraidon had vanished out of the cavern and left him alone in the cavern, Arven was finally able to relax. He looked to the half of a sandwich in his hand and then towards a dark corner of the cavern. So far, everything had gone remarkably smoothly. The first Titan had been taken down easily enough, Lizzie was content just helping out that brute his parents stuck him with and didn't seem suspicious in the slightest.

"Thank goodness" he told himself. "Lizzie sure is a powerful trainer. I know I couldn't beat her." He frowned as he folded his arms. "But even though she's tough, I can't trust her yet. We need to keep working to shut these Titans down and get all the Herba Mystica we can. There's too much at stake, right buddy?" He looked over towards the dark corner again, but no noise came from it. He rose to his feet and walked down towards it, kneeling down to properly address the second figure in the cavern, "Come on, buddy. The coast is clear. I whipped you up something good." A shadowy mass began to hulk, very gingerly, towards Arven and his outstretched hand containing the sandwich.

Arven let out a desperate smile. "Come on, bud. This is just for you." When the dark figure didn't move any further, Arven frowned. "You can't even walk anymore. This is bad." He clenched his fist. "Well, that settles it. Forget about waiting. I'll get my supplies and tell Lizzie we're headed to the next Titan as soon as possible. I may have gotten over my parents leaving me behind, but I won't do it without you...Mabosstiff."

{}

"I don't understand it" Ms. Tyme said nervously in a hastily arranged staff meeting back at Uva Academy.

"Those girls had been so well behaved before all this" Mr. Hassel, the school's art teacher, echoed Tyme's woe.

"Who's to say what started all of this?" Nurse Miriam added. "All we know is that a fight broke out in the Library and now we've got two girls and a librarian in my office nursing what might very well be ruptured ear drums thanks to a Perish Song."

The staff had rushed to Geeta and Rika, who were busy preparing La Primera for her impending showdown with Amanda Fouritz, in the Schoolyard and now peppered her with questions about unruly behavior and discipline within the halls of the Academy. She was frustrated enough with being called rude things by one of her guests on top of her being in the way of a good and honorable man such as Billy Kingston, but now she had a skirmish breaking out within school walls and apparently their guests from other regions had been involved. She massaged her head as the staff worried about more issues plaguing the school.

"Why are you bringing this up to me?" Geeta asked bitterly. "Director Clavell is in charge of the Academy."

"The Director is currently out of his office" Tyme told La Primera. "And gave no timetable for his return."

"It's all these infernal teenage hormones plaguing our students" Hassel declared. "I would have expected this from some of those infernal Team Star students, but they never show up in class. But for good, well-mannered children like Jovi, Angie, Morgan and Addison to be involved in such a fracas, it's simply shocking."

"Were there any other students in on this?" Geeta asked.

"Security Footage from the Library showed that after the Perish Song had been initiated, two of the female students raced out of the building with a male one" a security guard told La Primera. "However, earlier footage suggested the girls seemed to be fighting over the boy. If this was indeed over another kid, we may need to reinforce older rules we'd previously gone lax on involving student relationships."

Geeta had enough on her plate. The last thing she needed was for students to potentially cause damage to the Academy or its reputation. "I will hear no more of this. The students involved will be disciplined accordingly, including Jovi and Angie." She looked around curiously at the teachers gathered in the schoolyard. "Wait a minute. Where are the others? Professor Sexton should be here as well if its a full staff meeting. Unless Ms. Raifort returned earlier than we thought and didn't check in with anyone."

"I believe Ms. Raifort checked in" Miriam recalled. "But then Professor Sexton should have signed out before leaving."

"This is all unusual, isn't it?" Tyme grumbled. "All on the day the Treasure Hunt began?"

Geeta looked to Rika for help. "Rika, we need to get this under control."

"You sure you don't need more training for this battle, tonight?"

She politely shook her head. "I simply wanted to ensure I wasn't rusty. Professor Fouritz's prowess with Pokémon does not concern me. I'm certain the battle will be quick and decisive." She thought about her dashing potential consort and smiled to herself. "The rest will come later. In the meantime, you and Hassel dig up what you can regarding Professor Sexton's whereabouts."

"That need not be necessary, La Primera" a voice called. The teachers all turned to see Fateen approaching them, her famous crystal ball in hand. "We need not alert the school to any disappearances. Especially when their locations are quite known to any who have seen them. My eyes see more than just what's in front of me. The Professor has left on an urgent mission on behalf of his old friend, Professor Turo. He seemed to be eager to garner the Paldean Council's approval to enter the Great Crater as soon as possible."

"Why wasn't I notified of this?" Geeta asked Rika.

"If I had known, I would have told you."

"Going into Area Zero by himself is dangerous" Miriam added, surprised by this turn of events.

"Perhaps, but he and Turo are more than capable of handling themselves" Fateen declared. "The Crystal Ball has revealed as such to me."

"I do not doubt your sight" Geeta commented, "but I would like to get in contact with the Paldean Council regarding this matter immediately." She looked to Rika, who bowed respectfully before running off. She then returned her attention to Fateen. "I would also like to know why your charge was involved in a skirmish in the Library."

Fateen sighed. "I understand Jovi was injured by a Perish Song, caused by Morgan Augustine's Misdreavus."

"We believe their clash was caused by a fight over-" Miriam began.

"Cole. Yes, I know. The boy is more trouble than he's worth."

Miriam gasped. "No, not Cole. He's good. Shows up to his classes, helps his friends-"

"All of which can mask uncouth behavior, my dear." The Prophetess looked to Geeta. "I was told when Jovi was enrolled in this Academy, that the student body was well-behaved. I know you cannot be held accountable for the actions of those two impetuous girls from Arcana, but Cole is from Paldea, isn't he? The last thing I want is to report back to Orre that Jovi was injured, especially when engrossed with a trainer from this region."

Geeta frowned angrily. "The action was taken by Morgan Augustine."

"And security footage-" the guard began.

Fateen cleared her throat loudly. "Those can only tell a part of the story. We do not know why Jovi and Angie wished to speak to Cole. Or why Addison and Morgan acted the way they did. Thanks to this Perish Song, however, Jovi and Angie will not be able to speak on their behalf. Which means the other girls and Cole need to be found and questioned about these events. Where are they?"

"Not in Mesagoza, that's for sure. The three were last seen leaving the city on the back of two Cyclizars belonging to the school. Numbers C-091324 and C-121424. But those Cyclizars were last seen headed in the direction of Cascaraffa." He looked to Geeta. "Should we go after them?"

Geeta shook her head. "No."

Fateen seemed shocked. "But these actions-"

"Were done on the grounds of the Academy and will be dealt with by the Academy" she declared. "I understand your worry for Jovi, but the lack of poor behavior from those students before this does not imply any bad behavior from anyone. Emotions must have run high and they acted rashly. They will all be disciplined accordingly upon their return to the Academy, or in the cases of Jovi and Angie when they awaken." When she noticed Fateen intent on arguing, Geeta put her foot down. "That is my decision and my decision is final, Ms. Fateen!"

The Prophetess lowered her head. "Very well."

Geeta looked to the remaining staff. "Director Clavell and I will handle their discipline. You all can return to your normal duties." As the meeting finally ended, Geeta prepared to finish her training and prepare for the showdown with Amanda. When she noticed Fateen had not departed with the others, she glared back at her. "Do you need more of an answer?"

Fateen shook her head. "I will of course abide as La Primera says. But I do wish to discuss something with you. Regarding Professor Sexton."

Geeta folded her arms. "What about him?"

"Turo and Sada have been down in the Great Crater for some time" the Prophetess remarked. "In fact, until Professor Sexton departed, no one had heard from them in years, correct?" When Geeta did not respond, Fateen continued. "Why would they contact Sexton regarding an emergency and not the Paldean Council? Or Director Clavell? Or even yourself, La Primera?"

"A fine question I will ask him when we get into contact with him once more" La Primera replied coldly.

"Oh, I doubt you will be able to" she replied ominously. "You see, the Professor will not be returning to the Academy anytime soon."

Geeta eyed Fateen. "And you know this?"

"I know all, La Primera. More than you might even know. For example, I have seen that the Professor and Cole are quite close. Cole looks to his teacher like a father, even though he's only been teaching the students for a few short weeks. How can that be?" She giggled strangely. "I have also seen how you rescued Cole from the mouth of Area Zero some months ago. Which is where the Professor is said to have gone to, on behalf of Turo and Sada of course."

"Where are you going with this?" Geeta grumbled.

"I should think it's obvious, La Primera. Sexton and Cole both came from Area Zero. One has already returned without your consent. And I suspect Cole might follow him. They know something about what's going on down there that we don't. And they don't seem keen on informing us anytime soon, do they?"

"Cole was told-"

"A lot of things, I imagine. But how do you know he'll follow your advice or fear for his safety. You care about your subjects, La Primera. How do you know they care about you and your rules?" She held the Crystal Ball in her hands in front of Geeta. "Would you like to find out?"