Trouble in the Woods

Stupid kid—get back—pfwaaagh!"

A Fire Trap exploded beneath Aerodactyl when he reached where Owen had stomped. Unfortunately, all it did was slow him down. "Nghh—that burns," he muttered, rubbing at his right side with his wing.

Owen ran as quickly as he could, glad that the outlaw was stunned by the surprise attack. Hoping it would work again, he spent some of his time stomping on the ground. This created another trap. Owen turned down the corridor, but then skidded to a stop. "W-wait! That's not fair!" he shouted.

"You shouldn't be the one to complain about being fair!" Aerodactyl shouted, pushing through the second Fire Trap.

Owen stared at the path—or, rather, the lack of a path—ahead of him. He had run into a dead end. There was no way out but to backtrack, and that was where Aerodactyl was rapidly closing in.

"Heh, well, I suppose our fairness evens out, doesn't it?" Aerodactyl said. He stopped advancing if only to taunt, but it was clear that he was looking for a good way to strike without dealing with more of Owen's tricks.

"That's not right! I—just—let me go!" Owen said.

"Oh, no, no, no, I don't think I can do that," Aerodactyl said. "Not without some payment first. Your bag. Just hand it over, and I'll be on my way."

"No way!" Owen said. He glanced in his bag with the little time he had. He had too my precious items in it. The gift from Nevren, too. And all the items he picked up during exploration! Wait, the items!

"Ha!" Owen said. He saw the small, blue sphere—an Escape Orb. He could use it. He'd be out of here without a problem! Owen smashed it on the ground. He was ready for the blue light inside to envelop him and take him straight to the entrance. Instead, the light and energy inside evaporated into nothing.

"Wh-what?" he said. A mysterious power had stopped the Orb from functioning. That normally only happened against Pokémon with powerful auras, or—

"Heh," Aerodactyl said. He dug his right wing into his own bag, flashing a strange-looking device. It was red with a glowing, yellow heart button in the middle. "Jammer Emblem. You think I'd let you run off so easily? Everyone brings Escape Orbs. So, I bring a Jammer."

"Th-those are illegal! You can't use those without Heart permission!" But Owen realized shortly after that this was an outlaw. What was one broken rule if they already cast the law aside?

Aerodactyl took another step forward. Owen only had enough time to use one more item. And his Totter Orb would be useless, too. He could try to use his Badge to escape—even if it was just a Provisionary Badge, it still had enough of a charge to escape. But within a Dungeon, it wouldn't have the energy or precision to take anything on him—just his person. All of his items—no, Nevren's gift, too! He couldn't use his Badge. He didn't have time, anyway; it needed a few seconds to activate. Seconds he didn't have. The moment he made a move, Aerodactyl would attack.

Something knocked against his claws in his bag. A seed. It felt strange to the touch, as if the air around it simply wasn't there. He knew the feeling. A Warp Seed.

Owen immediately shoved a seed in his mouth and chomped. In one second, he was staring an Aerodactyl in the face. In another, he was in the middle of a random area in the same section of the Dungeon. Owen, working off of the adrenaline rush, immediately ran ahead. If he could just find the—

He was in the exact same room he had been in before. He even saw the Aerodactyl emerge from the hall next to him. Owen fought against his own momentum and scrambled backwards.

He rushed through the Dungeon as much as he could, but fortune was not Owen's friend that day. He couldn't find the way out. Why did this always happen when a quick escape was needed the most?! He had explored the entire segment by now! Where was the next distortion?

He found a room he hadn't yet visited. He peered inside and saw the Aerodactyl—and the exit, right behind him.

Aerodactyl caught sight of Owen at the corner of his eye. His huge jaw twisted into a smirk. "Hey, there," he said. "Having trouble?"

Owen wasn't sure how long he'd stood there. It was just the two of them. The exit out of his reach. But now, he knew that he had a solid target. That Aerodactyl wasn't going to move from that spot. So, if he could take advantage of that somehow, then maybe—

"Hey!" Owen said. "How about this?!" He grabbed something from his bag and threw it at the outlaw. It was another seed—one that, upon hitting him, popped and scattered a strange dust around the Pokémon.

"Wh—huh?! Why you—little—!" He was bumbling where he stood, wobbling horribly. His jaws opened wide and he fired—unexpectedly—a set of rocky pellets toward Owen. Rock Blast—Owen was sure his species wasn't capable of such a technique normally.

He launched pellet after rocky pellet in a random direction, completely missing Owen. Now was his chance! Owen opened his mouth and launched a small plume of fire toward him. An Ember was less than ideal, but it at least did some damage. All of his other techniques either required contact or required Aerodactyl to move to where he had been standing. Ember was all he had, or all he thought he could pull off against someone so much bigger and faster.

"Ngh—!" Owen narrowly dodged to the right, evading a lucky shot, but his momentum made him tumble to the ground. He scrambled up—and felt a sharp pain on back of his head. Everything felt upside-down, and there was a sharp ringing in his ears. "Ughn—no, I…!" he tried to stand, but a second rock smashed against the center of his spine. The force made him roll across the ground like a bag of berries—he couldn't feel anything on his lower half.

Aerodactyl tried to fire a third, but nothing came. "Tch." He spat out a loose pebble. "Must be getting tired." He winced at his burn. Then, he stepped toward Owen, who was too injured and dizzy to react, yet not enough to be kicked from the Dungeon.

"You gave me some real trouble, Charmander," Aerodactyl said. He pulled Owen's bag away and dug through it, grabbing one of his Heal Seeds. With a chomp, his burn evaporated before Owen's eyes. "Heh. Well, I'll just take this bag as payment."

"N… no." Owen struggled weakly, a single hand still clutching at the strap. "You can't!"

"Looks like I can," he replied, munching on an Oran Berry next. He roughly tugged the bag away, jerking Owen forward. Aerodactyl's injuries vanished with a wave of blessed light at the same time that Owen's face slammed into the dirt. The outlaw let out a deep, refreshed sigh.

"P-please. At least give me the Eviolite that Nevren gave me," Owen said, holding himself up with an arm. "You don't… you don't need it. You're fully evolved. Or, er, you don't evolve…"

"Eh?" Aerodactyl looked at the glimmering stone. "Doesn't look like a normal Eviolite to me. I bet it'd sell real well, though. Sorry, kid. I'm keeping it. And you're right. My species doesn't need evolution."

Owen tried to blast him again, but no flames came out; he could taste the fire on his tongue, but he didn't have the strength to push it further. He exhaled, but the flame was gone. The best he could hope for was that Aerodactyl would be merciful and leave him alone. Maybe he should have listened to his father. Everything that could have gone wrong, did. He couldn't even send a distress signal. His bag was taken, and therefore his Badge. Was this it?

Aerodactyl stared at Owen, and Owen wondered if he could smell the fear radiating off of him.

"Kid," he said, "I don't work like that. All I want is the goods. What happens after, I don't care. That's the way the world works. And the way Dungeons work." He took another step closer. "Here, let me help. I'll beat you up nice and good, and you can crawl back to your base to recoup. You ready?"

Owen stared up at the outlaw. They locked eyes. His wing was raised. Owen didn't know if he'd be able to survive the blow. If he'd wake up at all at the entrance, or if he'd just be there, too weak to fight, left for the ferals to eat.

"Please," Owen said.

The wing hung there, tense. But then the claws at the end clenched in what may have been a fist. "There's nothing more that I hate than you Hearts." He lowered his wing and gave Owen a halfhearted kick, more like a push, that only accomplished a half-rotation of the Charmander's numb body. "Thanks for the loot."

He spun around, walking toward the Dungeon's exit. Owen's throat clenched, as if trying to seal what little pride he had left inside his body.

"No way!" someone shouted.

Owen's heart fluttered. He recognized that voice from earlier in the day. He turned his head weakly and saw an orange blur rush past him. A speedy Trapinch, a walking contradiction, and a welcome surprise. He weaved left and right, went in front of Aerodactyl, and then hit him directly.

Aerodactyl shouted and stumbled back. "You—oh, great. Hearts?!" His wings clutched the bag to his chest. "But it's just a bunch of runts. Is that your best?"

Demitri and Mispy were puffing at the other end of the hall, trying their hardest to catch up to their third member.

"Far from our best!" the Axew said, huffing. His tiny hands were barely able to grasp his scaly knees. "We're Team—uh, what was our team name, again?—uh—Alloy! Of the Thousand Heart!"

"Hearts," the Chikorita mumbled, using two vines to act as a fifth and sixth leg, since her normal four weren't enough to stay standing.

"Y-yeah! Hearts," Demitri said. "And we've got to be top-tier to get into something like that!"

"You seem new. Worst of the best, I take it?" Aerodactyl asked, smirking.

"Goodra Anam said that a ranked system isn't good for morale, so we aren't the worst or the best! We're just Entry-Level Hearts!"

"Guys!" Owen shouted hoarsely.

All this time that they were talking, Owen saw the outlaw making sly, subtle movements with the bag. "He's trying something!" He might have disabled his jammer. And that could only mean he would use an Orb next.

"Hmph, think you're clever?" He pulled out the Totter Orb and threw it on the ground. Owen felt the confusion wash over him instantly, on top of the dizziness that he was only starting to recover from. He gave up and collapsed on the ground, trying to stop his head from spinning. He knew that the best thing to do while confused was to wait for it to pass. "He's getting away," he mumbled.

"I got 'em!" Gahi said, rushing Demitri with a dark aura characteristic of his Feint Attack.

"G-Gahi! What's your problem?!" Demitri said. "He's right that way!" Demitri sliced at the air in front of him, leaving a small, blue trail of dragon fire with both swipes. It completely missed.

"Stop," Mispy mumbled, shutting her eyes.

"I'll get 'em!" Gahi said, striking out again with a dark tackle. He hit the wall.

The outlaw was mere steps away from the exit. But then, Gahi got a lucky shot on his next run. He shook the dizziness away, spotted Aerodactyl, and ran. The orange blur was in front of the outlaw in seconds, blocking his way out.

"How'd you—outta the way, peanut!" He opened his mouth and fired a volley of three rocks. Gahi dodged them all and countered with a solid strike with his massive head, square in the chest. This one left a bruise; the outlaw stumbled back, dropping the bag. In the amount of time he took to reach for it, Gahi took it and dropped it by Owen.

Good, Owen thought. The outlaw would give up and run away, and he'd be safe. Then he could head home and take a nice, long nap.

Instead, the outlaw roared and ran toward Owen.

Weakened and immobile, he shut his eyes tight, waiting for the inevitable impact that would kick him out of the Dungeon. And then, despite expecting nothing of it, he prayed to Arceus that he'd be able to wake up afterward. But it never came. He heard an impact, but he wasn't the one to receive it. He opened one eye.

Demitri was standing in the way; he took the whole hit with one of his tusks. Miraculously, it didn't break, but it looked like it hurt. The follow-up wasn't any nicer—a strong jab to the side of Demitri's body with his other wing—but he stood anyway.

"Give it here, you—" Aerodactyl grabbed the bag. Owen didn't have the strength nor reflexes to hang on. The outlaw turned around, sprinting for an escape.

"Mispy! Now!" Demitri shouted.

Owen had to shut his eyes again. He saw a blinding beam of light, and it was simply too much. He heard the Aerodactyl scream in fright, and then he heard the dull noises of punches and kicks and swipes. And then, panting. Gahi laughing. Demitri telling him to quiet down.

Owen jumped when he felt something brush against his back.

"Eep—! O-oh, it's you," Owen said, spotting Mispy, clearly the healer of the team. Her vines gently rubbed at his spine.

"Shh," Mispy said. Her leaf glowed and released a soft light that clouded around Owen. All of the energy he had lost returned to him. He could feel his lower half again, too.

Shh, it's okay. It's okay, it's okay. Calm down. Sleep… Amia's words echoed in Owen's mind.

That wasn't a dream.

Despite the healing, the phantom pain returned to him in an instant, and flashes of that past event clouded his vision. His muscles seized and his claws dug into the dirt, leaving tiny holes in the ground. Embers spilled from the sides of his mouth, and his eyes widened.

One of Mispy's vines slapped Owen on the forehead. "Stop that."

"B-buh—h-huh—" Owen snapped back to reality. "Wh-what happened?"

"You're fine," Mispy said. "Shut up." She pressed her vines against his back again and focused. Healing energy continued to flow into him, and Owen, after a few seconds of tension, managed to breathe easy. He shut his eyes, thinking happier thoughts, like when he had cut his arm on a rock when he fell, and how his mother used the very same technique to patch him up. Easy, easy… Finally, Owen could breathe easily again.

"Nng, that's the spot," he said. "Was that Heal Pulse? You know Heal Pulse?"

"Mm."

"Hey, uh," Demitri said, rubbing his right tusk again. "Sorry about your bag." He handed the tattered remains to Owen. "Most of the items got ruined from Mispy's blast. But maybe there's—"

Owen grabbed the bag and rummaged through it desperately. "Ah!" He pulled out two items—his Provisionary Badge, and Nevren's gift. There were a few other berries and orbs remaining, too, but those were much less important. "It's okay. This is all I needed!"

"Hey, we still messed up your inventory," Demitri said. "How about we bring you back with us to our mentor's place? He's kinda good at repairing bags and stuff. Maybe he can patch it up?"

"Oh! Okay." He didn't care about the bag. He got invited to a Heart's home! And now that he had a moment's pause, he wanted to see Rhys again, anyway.

Again?

Owen's own thoughts gave him another pause.

"You okay?" Demitri asked.

"Dazed," Mispy surmised with a nod. She gave Owen a little smile.

He stared at the three for an uncomfortably long time. Mispy shifted from her right feet to her left feet. Gahi clicked his jaws.

"I think I know you guys," Owen finally admitted.

The three looked at one another. Then, back at Owen.

"You're weird," Mispy said.

"I—I kinda feel like we met before, too," Demitri admitted. "That's crazy! We must have good chemistry."

Gahi's jaws opened and closed in contemplation. "Meh. Let's go."

Owen rubbed his paws together to get off the dirt. "How'd you guys find me so quickly?"

"Well, we saw a bunch of Paras and other wild Pokémon near the entrance, so we figured you were still going through the Dungeon," Demitri said.

A pit of guilt weighed on Owen's stomach. "O-oh. They were still out of it? I didn't—I wasn't that hard on them, right? I didn't…?"

"Hey, self-defense," Gahi said. "Besides, this place is overpopulated with those pests anyway. Isn't enough food fer 'em ter all survive."

"W-wait, how badly were they—"

"Aah, they'll be fine. Wild Pokémon're real resilient, I figure."

Demitri nodded and rummaged for their Badge. They walked to the exit of the Dungeon and finally passed through; their Badges all blinked in a slow pattern. The raised ground of rock, embedded trees, and dirt transitioned into an open woodland.

"Made it," Owen said, relieved.

"Yeah. Let's get out of here," Demitri said. He pressed the little heart-symbol in the middle of the badge once, and the others did the same. In a flash of reddish-white light, the Badge transported the group out of the forest and to the center of town.

"Great work on apprehending this Pokémon, Hearts," said a Watchog. "We will be sure to escort him away for his punishment."

"It—it was a setup! I swear!" Aerodactyl pleaded. He was still smoking from the Solar Beam, and his left eye was purple and shut completely from Demitri's Dual Chops. "I didn't mean to steal all those things! I was under Hypnosis! I'm—I'm a sleeper cell, secretly, eh, secretly I go crazy when my master wants me to! And, eh, and my master is right in that building, over there!"

Owen didn't even need his sharp senses to see that lie. Watchog, too, was unconvinced.

"Hypnosis puts Pokémon to sleep. It doesn't control them."

"Feh, quit yer lying," Gahi said. "Pay yer dues and don't do it again."

The Aerodactyl whimpered and ducked his head down, defeated.

"Oh—um," Owen spoke up, "I almost forgot, but, can I report something?"

"Report? What else would you like to report?"

"I don't want to… I don't want to make anybody feel bad, but there was this really weird, really muscular, really angry-looking Snorlax in the same Dungeon that I found Aerodactyl—um, what's your name, Aerodactyl?"

"Like I'd tell you," he hissed.

Owen flinched. "W-well… w-well, I just thought it was strange to see a Snorlax there."

"Hm, perhaps it was just your imagination. Were you hungry while fighting?"

"Not really. I just finished an apple."

"Perhaps you were seeing things. Still, I will report it. Do not be worried. Strange Pokémon like those are seen in Dungeons all the time, and it's nothing to be concerned with—so long as they don't wander out of those Dungeons." He mumbled the last part. "Eh—we let our Elite Hearts deal with them. Now then." He looked at Aerodactyl. "We will be going."

And so, he was escorted away.

"Hmm," Owen watched. "What's going to happen to him?"

Demitri tapped his tusks thoughtfully, giving the top of a nearby building a pensive stare. "Well, he was wanted for theft. Targeted explorers and took everything they had on them. We actually took that Mission because he was said to be in the same Dungeon you went into. Sorta spelled bad news, when you put two and two together, y'know? Chances are he's going to have to work his debts away to pay them all back. Maybe as a volunteer as a temporary rescue team member. I think they call 'em Broken Hearts. Make a living. Then once he's done, maybe he can continue that work with full pay."

"And repair that Broken Heart of his," Gahi sang mockingly.

"So, he pays back his debts, and gets a job in the process? I wish it was that easy for me," Owen mumbled. "My dad wants me to be a berry farmer because my sharp senses would let me tell when they're ripe or not."

"Goodra Anam says that a lot of thieves only do what they do because they don't have the skills for anything else," Demitri said.

"Feh, I think they're just weak-willed," Gahi said.

"So," Demitri continued, "what happens is they can contribute back to society instead of being worse than some random wild Pokémon. That make sense?"

"Yeah! It totally does!" Owen said. "I can't believe it's so nice, though! I guess Anam is even better than I thought."

"Heh. Well, anyway, let's show yeh ter our personal Waypoint," Gahi said.

"Yeah! And—oh." Owen hesitated. "Actually, before we go, can we take the Waypoint back to the Dungeon again?"

"Eh?" Gahi said. "What fer?"

"Just to check on something."

"Yer serious."

Owen had brought Team Alloy all the way back to the Dungeon's distortion. They were careful not to pass through and enter it all over again, and in reality it wasn't a very far walk thanks to the Waypoint set nearby, but for Gahi, it was already an inexcusable detour.

"Yer coming all the way here just fer some random ferals?"

"I didn't think I'd do that much damage. You said they were pretty beat up, right? And Aerodactyl looked really hurt, too. Just… you know."

"Bah, he probably got roughed up by the recovery squad fer resisting arrest," Gahi said. "C'mon, yer fire ain't all that bad."

Owen's flame dimmed. "I just want to make sure," he said. "It wasn't that far of a walk, right? We'll head to Rhys' place right after. It'll just give me some peace of mind, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah." Gahi clicked his jaws together impatiently. "Could be having dinner by now."

"C'mon, Gahi, he's just worried." Demitri picked at a bit of dirt between two of his claws. "It's one thing to defend yourself, but I think Owen just wants to make sure he didn't go overkill on it."

"K-kill, yeah," Owen said, laughing hastily. "No need to go overkill."

Mispy closed her eyes, breathing out. "Ahead," she announced.

"Ahead?" Owen said, his eyes following the path for him. A small cluster of Paras skittered groggily about, each one with a burn here or there, some with their mushrooms looking particularly damaged or cooked. When Owen got closer, one of the Paras hissed and skittered away. The others did the same, almost in unison, and clustered together. Purple fog trickled out of their mushrooms, threatening to flood the arena if provoked.

Owen's flame blazed behind him, but he kept it hidden out of the ferals' sights. He dug through his bag, slowly pulling out a Rawst Berry.

"…Why's a Fire carrying around Rawst Berries?" Gahi said. "You guys don't get burns."

"Others do, though," Owen said, taking a hesitant step forward.

The Paras all hissed at him, poisonous clouds thickening.

"D-do you guys have Pecha Scarves?" Owen asked.

"Eh? Yeah, we've got one," Gahi said. "…Wait. Aww, c'mon." The Trapinch exasperatedly flung his huge head back.

Mispy knocked a vine on top of Gahi's back, giving him a firm stare. "Let him."

"B-beh, feh." Gahi clamped his jaws shut tight. "That ain't even enough, one lousy berry." He watched Owen as Demitri handed the scarf over. Gahi growled and looked up at the trees. "We're gonna be here all day if we just let him do his thing. Scalebag, go get more from that tree." Gahi jerked his head above them. "Orans right up. I'll help roll 'em over."

Demitri nodded, scraping his tusks against the tree, as if sizing it up. "Yeah, that seems like I can knock a few down. It won't startle them?"

"Who caaares, they're all bunched up! Oy, Owen! Back off a sec!"

"Huh?" Owen glanced back just in time to see Demitri taking a few readying steps back. He backed away from the Paras, tugging at the scarf tied around his neck.

"Hah!" Demitri sprinted toward the tree, ramming his head full-force against the trunk. The branched trembled weakly; the loosest berries fell to the ground. Gahi swiftly went beneath them, lifting and then lowering his head beneath the berries to slow the fall of one. The rest plopped on the ground, a few rupturing slightly from the fall.

The Paras hissed again, thickening their poisonous fog. Mispy backed away with Demitri and Gahi, the fog getting a bit worrisome. Owen, in the middle of it, only winced at the pungent odor the fog gave out. Thankfully, with the scarf's blessings, the effects stopped there. Owen gathered up most of the berries, enough to fill his arms, and then spun back to the Paras. By now, they seemed slightly puzzled, the fog around them dissipating.

"I'm sorry I hurt you guys so badly," Owen said. "I know I entered your territory, and I was just going on a fun exploration. I shouldn't have been so careless about you guys. Just try not to attack randomly, alright?"

"Torch, they ain't gonna understand ya," Gahi said. "Besides, yer scaring them. Gimme a scarf." Gahi jerked his head at Mispy, who rolled her eyes and wrapped one around his abdomen. Protected, the Trapinch wobbled to Owen and said, "Look. You gotta keep yerself small. They're already weak, so they ain't gonna fight back. Just look small and offer whatever y' wanna do, yeah?"

Gahi rolled a berry toward the Paras horde. A particularly bold one skittered closer, snatching the berry away. It nibbled a few times, still tense, and eventually relaxed after Owen did. The Charmander smiled, showing his teeth—a small mistake, as the Paras hissed and skittered away again.

"Good going," Gahi mumbled.

"Look, I'm not familiar with Paras, alright?" Owen rolled another one over. This time, a few more Paras leaked from the pile, nibbling at their offerings. And then a few more, and then more still, until the whole horde had gathered in front of them to feast on the bounty. Burns slowly reversed, cooked mushrooms simply looking a bit chipped. Dull light touched upon anywhere the burns had been, dimming when they were completely gone.

"Happy?" Gahi asked Owen once the Paras accepted the group as safe enough to tolerate. "Looks like these guys are."

Demitri and Mispy, once they saw that the poisonous fog had faded, joined them to watch the feral Pokémon up close. It was almost calming to see the horde feed, watching the way their mandibles meticulously tore at the pulp. "You seemed kinda invested in this," Demitri commented. "I mean, they probably could have just climbed the trees and gotten it on their own, y'know?"

"Y-yeah, I know, maybe." Owen watched a particularly small Paras wrestle with a particularly large berry, grinning—this time, without showing his teeth. "I guess I'm a little self-conscious about it."

"I guess y'did beat 'em up kinda bad," Gahi said. "Didn't think they looked that bad when we passed 'em by the first time. Maybe these're just the ones that got roughed up the most."

"To be honest, a lot of these don't actually look like your flames, Owen," Demitri said, pointing at the Paras. "Looks like some of these guys got hit by something a lot worse. But at least the burns are gone."

Owen rubbed his head. Foggy as his memory was, Demitri did have a point. He hadn't fought too many of them. He couldn't have burned these all. Still, it was a good thing he came when he did. "Either way, I'm glad I came to undo some damage."

"What makes you self-conscious, eh?" Gahi asked.

Owen smiled sadly. "Well… just fire in general, I guess. It's not like Dragon might, like Demitri, where it's… more graceful and controlled and… you know."

Demitri blushed under his green scales, rubbing at one of his tusks. "I dunno if I'm all that graceful."

"He ain't," Gahi confirmed.

Owen laughed weakly, but then continued to observe the Paras. The ones that had their fill skittered away thanklessly, while the more gluttonous ones remained to nibble on a few more. "Normal Fire isn't the same way as Dragon fire," Owen said. "It's… untamed. Violent. Hungry. If I don't keep it in check… I could do a lot more damage to innocent Pokémon than I need to." Once the final few Paras left, Owen brought his tail forward and inspected the flame at the end. "I guess I just want to be careful. And if I slip up and get carried away… I want to make things right. That's part of being a Heart, right? No fighting if you don't need to."

Gahi said nothing. He opened his mouth, but then closed it, looking to Demitri and Mispy to say something instead.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," Demitri said, patting Owen on the shoulder. "Dragon fire can do some serious damage, too. If it gets caught on normal brush, it'll become normal fire just from the heat. Ethereal or not, heat is heat. I guess I don't have to worry as much since, er, I usually just use brute force…"

Owen smiled, rubbing his nose. "Yeah, I guess that's true. You seem like you've got a lot of muscle; may as well use what you're good at. I'm a little on the scrawnier side."

Mispy smiled, sighing. "They're gone," she said, pointing a vine toward the departing Paras.

"Yeah." Owen stood up, his flame a cheerful orange. "Sorry for the detour. I'm ready to head to your guys' place."

"Meh…" Gahi looked at the eaten pile of berries. "I guess it's worth it."

Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi lived in a small cave near the western base of the mountain. The rocks here were a lot lighter—closer to a reddish-brown color than the dark basalt of Kilo Village's crater. Trees were immediately beyond the rocky exterior of their home, with Oran Berries growing from the tops of some, and apples from others. Gentle winds washed the leaves, making the ripe fruits fall from their branches when a particularly strong gust passed.

"Convenient," Owen said. "And the Waypoint led us almost right to here."

"Yeah, all Hearts get that sorta treatment," Gahi said. "Guess it's a benefit fer working under the Hearts, keeping the world nice and safe."

"Yeah," Owen said. "But, it's just so cool! The way you guys just beat that Aerodactyl without any trouble!"

"Well, there was a little trouble," Demitri said.

"Yeah, had ter keep yeh safe," Gahi said. "But sure. No trouble."

"Mnn." Mispy sniffed the air. She could smell dinner.

"That smells good," Owen said. "Umm—so, your mentor! How is he? What's he like in person and stuff?"

"Lucario Rhys is, uh, he's nice," Demitri said. "He just happens to also be really, er, strict, sometimes. You know. But it's all part of being trained, right? I guess it's not that bad."

"Jus' wish he didn't make us meditate all mornin'," Gahi said.

"Meditating?" Owen said. "You guys meditate, too? I do it all the time! It's really nice to clear your head."

"Aw, not you, too," Gahi grumbled, wobbling into the cave.

Mispy, too, was disappointed. "Boring."

"I—I'm not boring," Owen squeaked.

"Oy, Rhys! We're home!" Gahi said. "Mission went fine! Brought a guest!"

"A guest?" Rhys said. "I should prepare another portion."

Owen ran to get a first look. And there he was: Elite Heart Lucario Rhys. His red eyes were intense, but Owen felt oddly safe when looking into them. His aura sensors—the strange, black, teardrop-like extensions behind his ears—were a bit larger than average.

"H-hi!" Owen said. "It's nice t-to meet you, Elite Heart!"

Rhys stared at Owen for a bit longer than anyone in the room thought comfortable. Owen noticed his fur puff out. For a split-second, his paws glowed with a light blue, aura ember.

"Rhys?" Demitri said.

"I'm—sorry," Rhys said. "I was thinking about what I could prepare for a Charmander."

No, you weren't, Owen thought. "Oh! Anything's fine," he said. "I promise! I'm good to eat anything as long as it isn't dirt."

"Well, dirt ain't how Rhys cooks," Gahi said.

"Yeah, Rhys is a good chef!" Demitri said. "You'll love whatever he makes."

"Ha, okay." Owen took in in the new environment. The immediate entryway was a short walk, perhaps only a few of his tiny paces. After the entryway was a larger, dome-shaped segment of the cave. The stone table in the middle of the room was where they ate; the edges of the room had equipment like a stone stove, cabinets, and shelves for storing nonperishable food. Owen was surprised at how elaborate it was. "You guys really have a lot of stuff here!"

Rhys nodded. "With our earnings, we have been able to purchase a few luxuries."

Owen sat at the table. From where he was positioned, he could see further into the cave. It was like a hallway that split off into separate rooms. Four in total. One was the closest, forking to the right. This one led into a room that had a faint, white glow in it. None of the other rooms glowed. The second room was to the left, and two more were further in. Perhaps they were for each of the Pokémon that lived there. Owen deduced that the glowing one was Rhys' room. What was in there?

What Owen saw next made him rub his eyes. There was a cloud of some kind—a very fine mist, like a pinkish haze. It didn't move with any breezes. Oh, no, Owen said. Now I'm starting to see things! Can anybody else—? Owen glanced at the others. Mispy's leaf was twitching, like she had an itch. Demitri and Gahi were too focused on Rhys' cooking.

Rhys was moving stiffly. That was odd. He usually moved with a graceful flow. Did he notice? "Rhys?" Owen spoke up. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, Owen, why do you ask?"

Owen looked at the pink cloud. Gone.

"Nothing. Just tired. So, uh." Owen grabbed his tail so he had something to do. "Team Alloy. That's a pretty cool name."

"Alakazam Nevren helped us come up with it!" Demitri said. "It's really cool. Something about how stronger metals are made from weaker metals working together. It's awesome!"

"Hmph," Rhys said.

"Heh, Rhys is mad 'cause he didn't say it first," Gahi said.

Owen giggled. He had to admit, it sounded clever. He certainly saw that kind of fighting in the Dungeon, too. They worked very cohesively. He wondered if he'd be able to contribute to a team like that…

Out of the corner of his eye, the pink mist bobbed in and out of the room.

Unable to contain himself, Owen asked, "Hey, so, is this cave haunted?"

"Yes," Mispy blurted.

"Baah, no it ain't," Gahi said, waving his head dismissively. "You guys're just superstitious. Sometimes the wind blows funny, that's all. Mispy always gets like this."

"It's true!" Mispy said.

Gahi and Demitri both looked at the hall. The pink mist was gone.

"L-look, this place is creepy sometimes, alright?" Demitri said. "We see little, like, colors floating around sometimes. All of us! So, it has to be real."

"Colors? Like pink?" Owen said.

"Pink? No, usually greens and yellows," Demitri said.

Rhys sighed, pausing his food prep. "I am the one who is most in tune with the aura," he said. "And I say that whatever phenomenon it is, it's nothing to worry about. Now, enough talk of spirits. Dinner is ready."

And just like that, their idle talk about ghosts subsided. It must have been a common occurrence for it to be dismissed so easily, but Owen decided to put this piece of the puzzle in his mental notes.

Rhys served out the food—a hearty stew, this time, filled with mostly savory items. Owen happily gobbled his portion; it reminded him of what he ate for breakfast. Breakfast… "Oh!" Owen suddenly said. "I—I totally forgot! My parents were gonna freak out if I didn't get back before the evening!"

Owen thought to use his Badge, but having just used it to return to the Central Waypoint in Kilo Village, it wouldn't have the energy to warp him again until tomorrow. More importantly, he didn't have a Waypoint registered for Hot Spot Cave—after all, if someone stole his Badge, they could theoretically warp right to that secret village. He'd have to use the public Waypoints instead, and then walk the rest of the way.

"Oh, don't worry," Demitri said. "We'll just bring you home instead! Your parents won't worry too much, right?"

"Dad might explode," Owen said. "Literally. He's a Magmortar, and he kinda does this thing with his arms when he's nervous, and I'm worried he might—like—fire into his own hand, or something? I dunno what happens after that. But he might actually die from anxiety if I don't get home in time."

"Uhh—well—too late now," Demitri said. "We'll just run really fast to get you there?"

"O-oh, uh, actually, about that. My parents said that I can't bring people back home because it's a secret where I live, and stuff."

"I see," Rhys said, nodding. "That's understandable."

"Wait, it is?" Demitri said. "How is that—who has a secret home?!"

Rhys shrugged noncommittally. "Some areas enjoy privacy, I suppose. Don't worry, Owen. But it's still a bit unsafe to wander alone at night without supplies. Hrm, but your parents will still worry, won't they?" Rhys hummed again, looking between the three members of Team Alloy. "I don't think it would be a good idea to let you three go at a time like this."

This was his chance. "So, does that mean… you'll be bringing me there, Lucario? Or, u-um, I can just go on my own."

"You may call me Rhys," he said with a small smile. "And I would be happy to."

He would? Owen didn't expect that to work. In fact, in hindsight, it felt forward, and rude. But there was an odd sort of familiarity that he felt with Rhys. Then again, aside from the Aerodactyl, that was how he'd been feeling all day. And Rhys seemed to know him, too, given how casually he spoke. He had heard from rumors that Rhys was usually incredibly stiff.

"Okay—Rhys. Um, since you're an Elite, I can trust you with a secret, right?"

"Of where your parents live?" Rhys asked. "Revealing this to me will change nothing."

"Okay. Then after dinner, it's really okay if…?"

"Yes. It shouldn't be a very long walk, yes?"

"Nope! The Waypoint is really close."

With the thought that he'd be able to walk and talk with one of the best Hearts in the whole world, Owen ate the rest of his dinner faster than a Swalot.

Okay, Owen thought between bites. So, everything today feels weirder than usual. And I'm pretty sure I wasn't dreaming last night. Did Dad actually explode? Did I get attacked by another of those mutant things? Nngh, or am I just losing it? Nevren's a Psychic, right? Maybe he can fix my brain.

He then glanced at Rhys' room. He saw the pink mist again. Oh, Mew in the stars, he thought, taking his final bite. Can't I have just one normal day?

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