"THIS SHOULD BE FAR ENOUGH," Yuu said in between her panting, unhooking her arms from Ace and Deuce once she knew for certain they were far enough away from the mines. She had led the party back to the clearing beside the cottage. Her back continued to ache dully so she slumped against one of the trees. "Is everybody here in one piece?"

Maybe she should close her eyes for a bit. From above, Noibat wheezed and landed on top of her head with his wings splayed about. She let him rest there— it wasn't like she minded it anyway.

"More or less," The ginger beside her groaned, taking a squat on a nearby tree stump. He rubbed his head, scowling as he recalled the earlier events. "What in the world was that... thing anyway?!"

Grim looked back uneasily in the direction of the Mines, struggling to catch his breath. "Crowley didn't say a thing about that!"

Deuce knit his brows together and placed a thoughtful finger on his chin. "It didn't seem like any old ghost. Those blows were really no joke."

"Of course not." Yuu's eyes remained closed. That Pokémon— if it could even be considered one— wasn't anything like she had ever seen before. Granted, she wasn't as well-versed on the Galarian Pokédex as she would have liked, but she couldn't remember anything like that existing, ever. Not to mention, it was capable of speech, like Meowth...

"Not only that, but Yuu, are you alright?" He gave her a concerned look. "You took two hits from that thing back there."

"It's just a little bruising, I'll be alright—"

"That's exactly why we should give up and go home." Ace stood up and dusted himself off. "I'd rather get expelled than fight that thing. So forget it."

She cracked open an eye. "Are you serious?"

"I'm doing a little thing called cutting my losses."

"What?! Don't screw with me!" Deuce sprung up from where he was, outraged at the very idea of leaving when the stone was so close to their grasp. He leapt forward and spun Ace around. "There's a magic crystal right in front of us and you want to go home?!"

"You talk a big game for someone worse at magic than me." He immediately wrenched himself out of Deuce's grasp, eyeing him up and down with a sneer. Waving a hand at Yuu, Grim, and Noibat, he continued, "With a deadbeat like him, we have no chance. Even with his magic pets or whatever, we still couldn't defeat it. Do whatever you want, but I'm done."

Grim scowled at him. Noibat seemed to wilt.

"You leave my Pokémon out of this—"

Before anyone could even question what the hell a Pokémon even was, Deuce flared up and cracked his knuckles menacingly. "OH, SO THAT'S HOW IT'S GONNA BE??!" He roared viciously, his outburst causing Noibat to squeak and duck into her hair, "Then just stay right here cowering like some spineless coward!"

The dark and twisted look Ace wore from that morning returned. "Huh? You wanna repeat that again? Who's the spineless coward?"

Yuu's Pokéballs ratted with alarm.

"U-Uh... Deuce?" Grim prodded fearfully, intervening before their dispute could escalate further, "Did you switch up your character or something?"

Like a switch had been flipped, he immediately coughed into his fist and averted his eyes. His voice was, fortunately for Noibat, now softer. "Oh! A-Ahem! My bad. I lost my composure for a bit..."

"Fnyaa.. Yeah, I'll say..."

Yuu gently coaxed the bat into her arms and started to smooth out his fur absent-mindedly. What should she do? Of course, she could pull out her whole team and hopefully make quick work of that monster, but... There was not a single Pokémon Center to be found. If one of her Pokémon were to be knocked out— If Audino were to be knocked out, it would only make things ten times more difficult. Her only healing Pokémon, fainted?! How would the rest of her team rebound from that?

"We actually need some sort of plan this time." She bit her finger, turning toward the other two. "Are you guys sure there aren't any other powerful spells you know? Like— like creating explosions or fire or something."

"If you can't imagine it, then it won't materialize," Deuce said patiently. "Like the Headmaster mentioned earlier, it's not all-powerful. Complicated, large-scale magic requires a lot of training."

"That's a given. Everyone always needs practice to refine their skills." Yuu nodded along. Pokémon worked the same— Complicated, powerful moves needed plenty of time and effort to make perfect. Trainers would spend months, years of training to produce strong and formidable Pokémon.

"Exactly why we have schools for magic," Ace explained, "You gotta practice to use it right on the spot. Bluntly, if you lose your cool then you're bound to mess up."

So that was where the differences lay, Yuu observed astutely. Unlike Pokémon moves, which were always straightforward, it seemed like magic was a very... fluid concept here. Magicians could turn it into anything they wished? Wasn't that just the same saying that their imagination was the limit? Of course, it had to be. From heart-shaped collars to summoning cauldrons in midair, it seemed like they could really do anything.

"So if you put your mind to it, you can just... do it?"

"I guess," He shrugged indifferently, "But stuff you're good at, you can just use naturally."

"At any rate," Deuce crossed his arms with an air of finality, "I'm going in there. I'll figure out a way to beat that thing and return back with a magic crystal."

"Says the idiot who flung the magicless kid into the air," Ace scoffed, "You couldn't land a single hit back there but now you're going to figure it out? Don't kid yourself, it's just going to be the same."

"What did you just call me?"

"Do I really have to spell it out for you?"

"You're just dying for a fight, huh?"

It didn't seem impossible that they would get into a fistfight if things continued the way they were. So Yuu sucked in a deep breath, "Will you two just KNOCK IT OFF?!"

Both boys immediately closed their mouths and swiveled away from each other.

"What's with all this shouting?" Grim stumbled back with surprise and clutched his ears; he had never seen her get angry like that before. "You're even louder than the bat."

"You were scaring him," Yuu said sheepishly, cradling the trembling Pokémon in her arms. "Come on, guys, the poor babe is shaking."

Deuce averted his eyes. "Sorry, Noibat."

"Yeah, sorry."

Her Pokémon wasn't one to hold grudges over that type of thing anyway, so he merely nodded. It was good, at least, that Ace and Deuce were capable of remorse. Were capable of listening.

"Now..." Yuu placed a finger on her chin. "What should we do..?"

She had the answer right there— All six of her Pokémon would surely be enough to overpower that monster, wouldn't they? But still, it seemed like such an overkill, and Crowley did tell her not to cause a scene earlier that day... And Yuu didn't exactly feel like explaining why she had five animals come flying out of her pockets. If only she had called out more Pokémon by her side, her options wouldn't be reduced to just Noibat.

"Wait a minute..." She scrutinized the other three, the gears cranking in her head. It was so simple.

This was nothing more than a big Pokémon battle, wasn't it? And magic was practically equivalent to Pokémon moves, wasn't it? That meant Ace, Deuce, and Grim were just the hypothetical Pokémon on her team! Even though they possessed no synergy whatsoever, if she could get them to work together for just a couple of minutes then the stone would be as good as theirs.

"Of course! How didn't I think of it sooner?"

"What is it, smart one?" Ace tapped his foot on the ground.

"I think I have a plan. So what we're gonna do is—"

"Hold on. A plan? We?" He cut in with an incredulous laugh, "You've gotta be kidding me, right? Teamwork? That's the lamest thing I ever heard."

"Finally, something we can agree on," Deuce scowled in turn. "There's no way I'm working with this loser."

"You talking about me or yourself?"

"I feel like it would be lamer to get expelled in the first week of school," Grim remarked at last, effectively putting an end to their bickering. They stood there, mulling his words over. But he was right and they all knew it.

"Smart, Grim. If he can understand, so can you." She didn't know why they were so against the idea anyway, especially when it would be so easy to get the stone if they all just worked together.

"I know this teamwork might be 'lame,' but it'll be the thing to save your asses."

"Fine, I'll do it." Deuce gave in after a moment of silence, sighing defeatedly. He made his reluctance quite clear. "I'll do it. I'll work with this guy but I won't like it."

As long as they cooperated, he didn't have to like it. She and the other three turned to the other boy in question, who had yet to answer.

"What are you looking at?"

"Well? What's your answer?" Grim crossed his arms and narrowed his blue eyes.

He glanced between the other four and his face crumpled up like a paper ball. After another couple seconds of silence, he too gave in. "Alright, I get it. I get it! I'll go with your plan, okay? So what is it?"

"Alright then! Gather around. So what we're going to do is— Would you two stop looking at me like that?! Working together isn't going to kill you."

"It just miiight~" Ace whistled in a sing-song voice.

Yuu shot him a look but didn't say anything about it. She only continued, "We didn't realize before that we don't necessarily have to knock out the monster to get the stone."

"Meaning?" Deuce prodded, leaning in closer.

"Meaning we only have to distract it," She explained. "It shouldn't be too hard, right? I mean, there are five of us and only one of it. So two of us— or maybe three— will distract the thing while the others run in to grab the stone. Then we high-tail it out of there before it can kill us."

The group nodded in understanding.

"That's actually... not bad," Ace said at last, looking quite satisfied, "So who's gonna do what?"

"Well, I think Grim and Noibat should work on distracting the monster," Yuu suggested, looking down at the two of them. "Is that alright with you guys?"

"Eh, shouldn't be too bad. Just light it on fire, right?"

A nod from the Pokémon. "Noibat."

"Perfect." She turned to the other two. "That leaves us three. And I can't leave you two by yourselves without fearing you'll beat each other up, so I'll go inside to grab the stone. You guys decide who'll stay outside and who will go with me."

Ace slung his arm around her (which made Noibat nearly scream), waving his other hand at the boy. "I'll protect this shorty right here, so you do whatever you need to do to distract the thing."

Deuce pursed his lips. "Alright, then. I'll try to stop it the best I can."

Yuu let Noibat perch on her head. "You'll be okay working with Grim and Deuce, right? Just remember what I told you and you'll do great."

"...Noibat."

"Alright, then let's stop standing around and get a move on." Ace put a hand on his hip. "Maybe if we're lucky we'll get out of here in one piece and Crowley won't expel us." 

"H-HEY BEASTY! O-O-OVER HERE!"

Yuu had recited the game plan again nearly three times over again before they reached the caves and yet she couldn't help her heart from pounding so quickly. Right as those words left Grim's mouth, she and Ace quickly darted inside the cave. "Quick! Before it catches us!"

"GRRR... LEAVE, LEAVE, LEAAAAAAVEE!!"

She could hear the faceless monster's thundering roar and its heavy footsteps from behind her as they ran. They both screamed when it swiped at them and Ace yanked her out of the way just to avoid its bludgeoning pickaxe.

"There... thief! Won't... give... Mine. MINEEEEEE!"

"Get a load of this! Fuwaaah!" There was another scream as Grim leapt forward with a mouth full of crackling fire. She found it admirable that he was grinning even though he was terrified.

The whole cave glowed with an electric blue as a round of flames burst out of his mouth, encasing the monster. Another shriek could be heard, accompanied by the clanging of metal and the distinctive howling of wind. Good. It meant Deuce, Grim, and Noibat were working well without a hitch.

Yuu gave a quick sigh of relief when she realized the monster was being led out the mouth of the cave, swinging blindly through the air.

Ace quickly helped her up and she let him. "Quit ogling at them, we have a job to do!" He shouted over the noise.

"Right, right." She quickly dashed after him deeper down the cave and into the cavern they had arrived at before. Very little light filtered through the dark so she and him had to feel around the dark, past the rubble. Sticking out of the rock walls was a large white stone, glowing faintly in the dark.

Yuu scrambled down to claw the crystal out of the ore, brows knitting together when she realized the magic stone was not budging.

"Ace... Help me!" She urged, attempting another try at prying the stone.

"Come on, you can't do something as easy as this? Step aside, let me do this." His fingers curled around the magical stone with hers and they both pulled. "...Shit."

"GOOOO... AWAAAY!"

The ink monster screeched in the distance and they could both hear the impact of a punch and someone scream. Yuu and Ace grew frantic as the onslaught from the front continued.

"Shit, shit, shit," He started panicking, yanking harder, "That thing's gonna come for us— Hey! Yuu! What are you doing?! Don't just stand there, help me out!"

Yuu gave him a meaningful look, her eyes darting back and forth around the tunnel. "Promise you won't freak out if I do this, okay?"

"What the hell are you talking about—"

"—Okay, perfect! Sandslash, come on out!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, a white-blue light flooded the room and Ace had to shield his eyes from the source. There, standing in the middle of the room, was a little (not little) blue thing with frickin' ice spikes sticking out of its frickin' back and head.

"Sandslash."

"You have another one?!" Ace sputtered, stumbling away and pointing at the animal— whose pronged claws looked a little too sharp for his liking, "How many more do you even have?! Why did that one come out of your pocket?!"

"I'll explain everything to you and Deuce when we get out of here, okay?" She folded his pointing arm down, turning to the creature, "Sandslash, you think you can help us? All we need you to do is to pry that stone out and do maybe a bit of battling."

He watched with wide eyes as the supposed "Sandslash" nodded and sank its six-inch claws into the rock like it was cake. The hunk of magic crystal broke off within a couple of hits and the animal placed its pieces into Yuu's waiting hand.

"That's my man! Way to go." She cheered and gave him a quick pat on the head, stuffing the chunks of the stone into her pockets. Interlocking her arm with Ace's, she led him back out the tunnel of the cave with the Ice Pokémon following in tow.

"What the hell," Ace rasped out as she strung him along, "just happened?"

"We run now, explain later!"

They reached the front where the monster squirmed on the ground, pinned down under a heap of cauldrons. The other three stood by the pile, where Deuce piled on another one for good measure.

"What," He gaped, pointing when he saw Yuu and Ace run out the mouth of the cave with the Ice Pokémon in tow, "Is that?!"

Grim sighed and continued sending another burst of fire to sterilize the monster. "Don't even ask."

They reunited together and Yuu promptly ignored the flabbergasted look on Deuce's face. "I got the stone! Let's get out of here!" She hooked an arm with his after letting Grim scamper up around her neck and the group proceeded to make a beeline back toward the cottage. They each let out a respective scream as the monster jutted an arm out of the rubble and heaved itself up with a mighty roar.

"Uuughh... uggghhhh...! Give.. it ba... ck... BACK!"

The monster was tearing away at everything in its path as it gave chase— trees and shrubs held no resistance and were bulldozed over. Its left arm was left sagging (possibly broken, she assumed), a sizable fissure on its head and the liquid inside spilled out when it ran.

"It's back up already?!" Everybody let out a shrill cry when a cauldron was sent propelling their bodies at an alarmingly high speed, barely missing Deuce's head by a couple of inches. He spun his head around to find the monster lifting another one above its head.

"Crap, crap! It's throwing another one!" He shrieked, his eyes blown wide with panic.

"Sandslash, Icicle Spear!" Yuu got out desperately in one quick breath. Before another pot could come barreling into them and possibly send someone into comatose, a cluster of thin icicles shot out from the dirt and shielded them from the brunt of the attack. The cauldron landed a few feet away with a thud.

"That... was hardcore."

"Less talking, more running, Ace! Noibat, use Gust!"

"Noiiiibat!"

"Wah! It's gonna catch up to us at this rate!" Grim wailed, clutching to her neck for dear life as they ran.

"So what do you suppose we do now, huh?" Ace asked, his voice quick with urgency, "That thing's gonna kill us!"

"It's weaker now! We could definitely overpower it." She pointed out, noting how the monster stumbled over when Gust slammed into its body. It shouldn't take long to knock it out. "I was thinking... Noibat and Ace could help power up Grim's fire. Like you two could fan his flames, that way it'll be bigger and hotter. The rest of us can just do whatever we can to help."

"That sounds pretty solid. Let's go then!"

"Think you can keep up, Juice?"

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's Deu, not Ju! Deu!"

"Same thing, same thing."

The two quickly unhooked their arms from hers and spun around to face the monster just when it regained its bearings. Grim sprung from her shoulders and immediately started spewing a plume of flames through the air.

"Time to show my true power! Hah! Take this!"

Ace's familiar smirk returned as he waved his magic pen through the air. Instantly, a large blast of wind swept across the floor fanned the flames up around the monster. Noibat also followed through and flapped his wings viciously, further fueling the fire. In a similar manner, Deuce whipped out his magical pen and sent a barrage of cauldrons crashing down on the monster. He moved quickly with confidence.

"Icicle Crash, Sandslash! Finish it!" Yuu shouted above the chaos and one last hunk of ice to the chest was the last thing to send the monster staggering over. Its collapse shook the entire forest as it fell to the ground. They all watched silently with mystified eyes as the monster seemed to disintegrate into the air.

Ace looked down at his pen, then back at the monster, with silent disbelief. His chest continued to heave from the aftermath of the fight. "We just did that."

"We did," Grim repeated slowly. He jumped a couple of feet into the air once it actually registered, "We actually... won!"

Yuu jogged over and let him climb up her shoulders once more. "You guys did amazing! That couldn't have gone better!"

"Thank goodness!" Deuce came over with his palms raised for a high-five. Yuu, Ace, and Grim happily recuperated in a victorious clap. Each one of them was donning a triumphant grin.

"You're... actually not a bad guy, Yuu!" Ace, whose adrenaline had yet to run out, laughed and quickly brought her in for a noogie. "What are you, some sort of strategist or something? Those directions came out of nowhere!"

"Something like that," She got out between the laughter. The atmosphere was much more lighthearted than before, she realized. Breaking free of Ace's hold, she regarded everybody with a proud smile. "I'm happy to see you guys getting along so well."

"Ah, n-no!" Deuce denied almost immediately, sputtering and taking a step back. "This isn't anything like that!"

"Yeah, yeah! Don't say l sappy things like that," Ace said in a similar manner, crossing his arms. He hid his embarrassment with annoyance, and he did it well.

Grim waved his paws defensively. He stuck his nose up. "Obviously, we won because of my expertise! That and nothing else!"

"If you say so."

"We're serious!" Deuce repeated.

"Henchman, wipe that look off your face!"

Noibat had perched on top of the single icicle that poked out of Sandslash's head. The Ice-type didn't mind it at all (such things were daily occurrences). They had been listening in to the conversation with amused eyes. Turning to the two, Yuu crouched down and gave each an appreciative smile. "Thanks, you guys. You really saved our butts back there."

They leaned into each hand, letting out a low hum at her touch.

Ace and Deuce stared at the three with bemused looks.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. You had an ice hedgehog? And you didn't think to pull him out sooner?" The former asked accusingly, to which Sandslash let out an amused snort, "We could've taken out that thing in three seconds flat!"

"I promised Headmaster Crowley to rely on them sparingly. Besides, Noibat can hold his own just fine."

There was an appreciative nod from the said Pokémon.

Yuu supposed they both deserved an explanation after everything they had experienced today. "So... You guys both remember the entrance ceremony, right?"

A nod from both of them.

"How could we not?"

"...Well, there's a reason why I didn't get sorted into any dorm." She chose to ignore Ace's comment. "It's because the Mirror pulled me here from another world. And it pulled my Pokémon with me. So that's why Grim and I are living in an unused dorm on campus."

"Another world." Deuce was left dumbstruck with the new information. "Another world."

"Yes."

"You..." He pointed at her, then at Noibat, then Sandslash. "And him. And him. Were transported here from another world?"

"I mean, if you think about it," Ace looked at them up and down, gesturing in their direction, "that explains why the kid can't use magic. And why his pets can use it. Strong, too."

(A wary glance was spared at Sandslash and Noibat. Very strong.)

"I prefer the term Pokémon."

He gave her another look. "Wazzat?"

"Short for Pocket Monsters," Yuu explained to the both of them. She fished out Sandslash's ball from her pockets. "Hence the name, this is a Pokéball. It's what the people of my world use to carry them around."

Ace peered down at the red and white capsule. "So that's the thing that your ice hedgehog came out of in the cave."

"I'll have you know, his name is Sandslash."

"Sand— That's not sand at all!"

"And how Noibat was summoned in the Cafeteria," Deuce added intuitively, nodding along.

"That would be it." She held out the Pokéball for a little demonstration. "Sandslash, return." He obliged and retreated into the ball in a beam of red light, before coming back out at her command.

"That's unlike any Magitech I've ever seen before!" Deuce whispered sagely, still examining the Pokéball. He asked to hold it and Yuu let him.

"Amazing! There's no magical crystal to power it? No magical energy needed?!"

She chuckled at the awed expression on his face, though she didn't know exactly how Pokéballs worked either. "Yeah, I guess! Before Pokéballs were standardized, we just carried around our Pokémon in makeshift containers. Whatever we could find, really."

Apricorn fruits, specifically. Yuu never used them herself, but she did know their use was especially popular in the Johto Region since they were native species. Since the outer shell of the fruit was so tough, people often hollowed it out and used them as makeshift Pokéballs.

"Yeah, okay, cool. It's getting late, so let's just go back." Ace cut in between them, turning to face her, "Please tell me you still have the stone."

Yuu nodded and pulled the chunks out of her pocket for show. They were translucent white stones, each with a glowing yellow core. The largest piece was fairly big, around the size of two Pokéballs put together. When she held them out, they caught the moonlight in an alluring way.

"I got them right here."

A hunk of it chipped off when Sandslash pried it out of the ore. This piece was much smaller, about the size of a ping pong ball. It fit nicely in the palm of her hand when she held it. Yuu examined it with narrowed eyes. She hadn't noticed it before, but this stone... looked alarmingly similar to a Shiny Stone?[1] It... It couldn't be, right?

Oh, who was she kidding? She was looking at a bonafide Shiny Stone, in the flesh.

"Thank the Great Seven." Deuce let out a sigh of relief, snapping her out of her little stupor. "Now we can avoid expulsion."

"Alright, alright, we're all relieved," Ace said from beside her, smiling tiredly, "and seriously worn out. Let's just go home already."

Her aching back seemed to agree.

"Man... I'm starving from using so much magic," Grim groaned, rubbing his stomach wearily. Yuu felt him hop off from her shoulder to paw at something at the ground. "Hm? What's this?"

Upon closer inspection, the item he was pawing at seemed to be a stone as well. It had a similar appearance to that of a Dusk or Moon Stone, although this one was a dull matte black.

"I think it came from the monster. A magic crystal?" Deuce guessed, looking down at it with a raised brow. "...But I've never seen a pitch-black one before. It looks like a chunk of coal."

"You know..." Grim took a big whiff. "This thing smells... really good."

Noibat hovered above him, shaking his head wildly in protest. Yuu shared the same sentiment, reaching out for the cat. "Absolutely not."

Ace squinted at him. "Wait, don't tell me you're actually going to—"

Their words were promptly ignored as Grim held the stone in the air above his head. "—This has to be the candy the monster was hiding! Oh, I can't hold back anymore. Time to dig in!"

"Grim, no! Spit it out, spit!" With wide eyes, Yuu immediately scrambled forward to scoop him and repeatedly started patting his back. She half-expected him to start evolving.

"You actually ate it?!"

"Hey, lemme go! Get off of me!" He squirmed out of her grasp. She watched with immediate horror as he keeled over on the ground, clutching his stomach. At the sight, Sandslash slapped a claw over his mouth in silent (and partially amused) shock.

Deuce took a cautious step forward, eyes wide with alarm. "Ah! Hey, are you alright?!"

"This is why we don't eat things off the ground." Ace sighed, though it didn't seem like he held too much sympathy.

"This is..." It was silent for a good minute before Grim sprung up with newfound vigor. He started screaming and jumping around waving his arms wildly. "DELICIOUS! It's so good!"

A chorus of what "What?" came over the other three.

He kept on rambling on about the taste as he bounded around. It was as if he had suddenly acquired the knowledge of some sort of well-seasoned (pun intended) food connoisseur. "It's full-bodied, but also rich, with an aromatic sweetness that blooms in my mouth! Like a whole field of flowers in my tongue!"

Yuu couldn't believe her eyes or her ears.

Ace made a retching sound. "Nasty. I guess monsters really do have different tastes than us." His comment elicited a riled squawk and rumble from Noibat and Sandslash, respectively.

"Alright, sorry! Sorry."

"Even so," Deuce shook his head, at a loss, "Most children wouldn't put a mystery item in their mouth without a thought. And from the ground, no less."

Surely, eating rocks couldn't be healthy for a cat like him. Yuu couldn't help the worry that made its way onto her face. "Are you sure you're okay? Grim, do you need me to take you to the infirmary? I'm sure they have some sort of Potions or Antidote—"

"Bah! What are you talking about, human? I've never felt better!" He was even licking the crumbs (shards?) of stone off his paws. "Don't worry, my stomach isn't weak like yours."

"Let's just get going already," Ace said for the second time, growing rather impatient. He pointed at the cat, "Don't you dare come crying to me after you get food poisoning."

"Yeah, well I don't plan on it!"

They continued back down the beaten road back to the mirror, where Ace and Deuce continued to ask Yuu about the Pokemon; it seemed their curiosity continued to grow the more she explained and answered their questions. She thought they only had a right to be, since animals wielding powerful magic was nothing to scoff at. Especially if a human like her could make them obey her every whim.

"And they just listen to you?" Deuce asked, staring thoughtfully at Noibat and Sandslash. His face was something caught between bewilderment, skepticism, and slight admiration. "You can tell them what to do and they just... obey?"

It was as if the word cooperation didn't exist in their vocabulary at all.

"Jeez, you guys make me out to be some kind of tyrant," Yuu laughed sheepishly, "Of course, I don't force them to do anything they don't want to." The bonds between Pokémon and humans were based on mutual respect and boundaries, after all. They always have, always would be.

"Really? I could never," Ace commented, folding his arms behind his head, "If I was a Pokémon, no way I'd let myself be tied down by some random person telling me what to do all the time."

"But you guys listened to me back there just fine."

The other three started sputtering their denials. Deuce, in particular, said, "Yes, but none of us wanted to die!"

She tried to explain it in simpler terms. Waving a hand at Sandslash and Noibat as an example, she said, "Just think of them as your roommates with magical powers, who occasionally perform favors for you."

"What kind of comparison is that?!"

CROWLEY WAS BEEN WAITING IN THE MIRROR CHAMBER when they returned.

By that point, Yuu had already explained a large portion of Pokémon to Ace and Deuce (and Grim, who had also listened intently). She had found that they took the information quite well, just like Kalim and Jamil had that morning. Deuce especially, had seemed so enamored with the technology of the Pokéball.

As the conversation continued to flow, she and her Pokémon realized that those three had practically no perception of team morals in any way. It became evidently so, from the way they had collectively stared at her when she brought up teamwork. When her explanation came to an end, Deuce and Ace still couldn't understand how any Pokémon could accept a trainer's "orders."

Were all people like this, or was it just magicians? Yuu, for one, didn't think the concept was too hard to grasp.

"You really went to the Dwarfs' Mine to find a magic crystal?" Crowley blinked at them owlishly when they stepped through the Mirror.

"...Eh?" The four of them exclaimed all at once, taken aback by his plain-spoken behavior.

"I really didn't think..." The man placed a metal-tipped glove over his mouth. He eyed the glowing crystal in Yuu's hand. "that you'd not only go, but come back successful, of all things."

He really had no faith in his students, did he? Yuu stayed silent, but a part of her wondered if he knew the monster resided in the Mines in the first place.

Crowley let out a long sigh that was unbefitting of the situation, especially since they'd all assumed he would be pleased. Instead, he looked inconvenienced. "...While you were gone, I quietly completed the paperwork for your expulsion."

At his confession, the group let out noises of indignance. Sandslash let out an incredulous snort when he looked up to his trainer, as if he was trying to say, "Can you believe this man?" Yuu could only sigh in response.

"The nerve of this guy...!" Grim grumbled from in her arms.

Deuce's voice was tight behind gritted teeth as he spoke. "Even when we were out fighting with an insane beast!"

At this, Crowley's eyebrows shot up, his interest finally piqued. "An insane beast?"

"There was a monster." A frown came over Ace's face at the recollection of near death. He seemed flabbergasted that the Headmaster, of all people, did not know. "It was nasty and crazy strong and oozed some kind black ink. That thing almost wiped us out!"

Crowley's eyes scanned over the group. It certainly didn't sound like they were lying, especially if their expressions and state of clothing looked like that. His gaze flickered to Sandslash and then Noibat, who had perched atop his head. It must have been a serious matter if Yuu-kun needed to summon another Pokémon to assist.

Those same glowing eyes narrowed. "Could you possibly explain in more detail?"

And so, he led the group out of the Mirror Chamber and into his office. Yuu, Grim, Ace, and Deuce proceeded to explain the earlier events of that day in great detail. Crowley leaned against his desk as they talked, listening intently. He never said a word, only nodding silently every couple of minutes.

"...And we used Icicle Crash to finish it off," Yuu concluded at last. She tried to not let herself get too distracted by the extravagance of his office.

Finally, he spoke with an understanding nod. "If my hearing is correct, a mysterious monster had resided in the coal mine... and the six of you worked together to defeat it and bring back a magic crystal?"

"We didn't really work together..." Ace denied, scuffing his shoe on the purple tiles of the floor.

Similarly, Deuce coughed into his fist and averted his gaze. "It was more like our goals were aligned..."

Yuu didn't understand why they were so opposed to the idea of teamwork, so she said, "We definitely worked together."

Ace shot her a meaningful look that held no malice. "Okay, the details were blurry— Let's just forget about that, okay?"

Before she could retort, Crowley let out a loud wail and brought his hands to his face. The room watched silently as he continued to sob dramatically. If Yuu didn't know any better, she would have assumed a Sobble was in the vicinity from the way he cried so vehemently. From beside her, Noibat and Sandslash exchanged looks, silently judging. She... could not blame them.

"Is he alright?" Deuce leaned into her, his brows knit together. The look on his face was a cross between repulsion and confusion.

Ace had leaned into her other side, his voice also dropped to a low whisper. "Why is a full-grown adult bursting into tears?"

She choked back a laugh at his remark, but could not provide an answer to either of their questions. "I, uh... I don't know."

"Hey, how old is this guy, anyway?" Grim asked.

"...I don't think anyone knows the answer to that one either, Grim."

"In all these years that I've been Headmaster... I never would have expected..." The man continued on, wailing uncontrollably, "For the day to come where students from Night Raven College would go hand-in-hand to face and defeat a common enemy!"

"What?!" Deuce snapped himself away, pointing at Ace as if he were the plague. The appallment on his face was quite clear. "I did not hold this guy's hand!"

The other boy mirrored his repulsed expression, wrinkling his nose. "No one would want to hold hands with you anyway. Gross."

"I am overwhelmed with emotion." Crowley wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye. All traces of his previous crying had been replaced with a proud, radiant smile. "This incident confirms it. Yuu, without a doubt, you have a talent as a beast tamer!"

"Beast tamer?!" Yuu repeated, her brows furrowed. Under her breath, she muttered, "Don't say that. Isn't it kind of derogatory?" Ace and Deuce caught on to the scandalized look on her face and proceeded to burst into a small fit of stifled laughter.

In a similar manner, Sandslash let out an unamused rumble.

The Headmaster quickly corrected himself, "Ah, yes. An animal tamer is what I meant."

"Please, just call me a Pokémon Trainer, sir."

"What?!" Grim raised his paw in protest, "I'm not an animal or a Pokémon!"

"Trainer?" At the same time, Deuce wondered aloud, "A trainer for what?"

"Pokémon trainer, of course. Yes." Crowley further explained, "As you know, the students of Night Raven College are budding wizards called here by the Dark Mirror, correct? It is at this institution that these students learn to perfect their magic."

The group nodded along.

He raised a finger.

"However! Due to their belief that they are of superior class, many— if not all, mind you— of these students are egotistical, self-obsessed brats. You see, they are so prideful and arrogant that the mere notion of cooperating with another student would send them into a fit of cardiac arrest."

"You're really not saying anything good, are you?" Ace remarked wryly.

Yuu didn't doubt him. She had heard of such instances where Pokémon refused to obey and listen to their trainers.

His words didn't seem too outlandish, especially after she saw Ace and Deuce practically foaming at the mouth from the prospect of working with each other. —At least Kalim and Jamil from the cafeteria didn't seem volatile or egotistical like Crowley had described; perhaps they were a part of the nice and friendly minority.

"Yuu-kun, you cannot use magic." The man turned back to face her and her Pokémon. His eyes were like crescents behind his mask. "But maybe... That reason is precisely why you could give instructions to these volatile students and get them to cooperate!"

"That is exactly what I do with my Pokémon, sir," She said quickly.

"Even better! Your team does get along nicely, does it not?" It seemed that the more Crowley talked about the idea, the more he came to like it. "Perhaps your average mediocrity is the very thing to push this school into the right direction!"

"This guy's not saying anything nice, is he?" Grim whined.

Deuce parted his lips. "He has a team of Pokémon?"

"Wait a minute," Ace began, stepping forward and pointing at Yuu and her Pokémon, "Exactly what about this kid is normal? He carries around monsters in his pockets. Headmaster, did you know about this?"

Both trainer and Pokémon let out a snort.

"Of course I have— It is no secret among the student body that Yuu-kun possesses a familiar—"

"A Pokémon."

"Of course. It is no secret that he possesses a Pokémon capable of wind magic. However, you two are the only few aware of the technology he uses to transport them about. Not only that, but as far as everyone is concerned, Yuu-kun only has one Pokémon. Do try to keep silent about it, yes? Their existence is considered an anomaly, after all."

"Yes, please leave it to me!" Deuce nodded dutifully.

Ace gave him the side-eye. "This isn't some top-secret mission."

He scoffed in turn, "The headmaster asked us personally to do it, so of course I'm going to take it seriously. It's what an Honors student would do!"

Before another fight could ensue, Crowley turned back to her. "Yuu-kun. I have no doubt that you and your Pokémon's existence is essential to the future of this academy. So says my educator-senses."

She didn't quite understand what was so "essential" about it, but she stayed silent anyway.

"I have made my decision. Trappola, Spade!" He called at once, clapping his hands together with an air of finality. The two returned their attention to him.

"Along with rescinding your expulsions, I shall give Yuu the qualifications to attend Night Raven College!"

"For real?!" At his announcement, Ace and Deuce snapped their heads around to stare at her with wide eyes.

"Even though the Dark Mirror said I have no magic?!" She stammered, taking an instinctive step back. She couldn't actually remember the last time she went to an actual school.

And a high school, to boot? Yuu had only ever been homeschooled her life— most kids her age were raised like that before setting off to be a Pokémon trainer.

"Indeed, because I am exceedingly gracious," The man nodded. Before she could only her mouth again, he held up a hand.

"Only on the condition that you do not use magic. Becoming a wizard is out of the question. You might not even be able to complete all your classes. That is why... Grim!"

"Wh— What?!" The said feline jumped awake; he had fallen asleep in her arms while Crowley had droned on.

He continued on, a bit miffed, "Grim, you have proven to me that you possess enough talent to become a wizard. Therefore, I shall allow the two of you to attend Night Raven College together as one student."

Grim trembled, his blue eyes wide with disbelief. "I... I can go to this academy too? Not as a handyman, but a real student...?"

Yuu gave him a reassuring pat on the head.

"Yes! Provided that," Crowley leered forward, his glowing pupils narrowed sternly, "You never let an incident like today happen again. Am I loud and clear?"

The tone of his voice left no room for protest.

Everyone, even Noibat and Sandslash, chorused together, "Yessir."

"That's amazing," Yuu laughed, whipping him around to face her. "Your dreams have finally been realized, Grim!"

He laughed with her, waving his paws around wildly in a cheer, "Yes, I did it! I really did it!"

"Now then, I shall give Grim a magic crystal, the symbol of your status as a student at this academy. Turn him around, if you please."

Heeding his words, she spun him around again.

Crowley waved his hand through the air. There was a bit of a jingle before a shiny charm appeared in the palm of his hands. Upon closer inspection, she could tell it was nearly identical to the pens that Ace and Deuce had. The only real difference would be its color, in which this magic crystal was a deep purple.

It was rather strange, actually.

The magical crystal from the mines was obviously a Light Stone, but Yuu couldn't recognize the ones that the students used on their pens.

She supposed they were just different kinds of crystals, then.

"It is customary for students to have their crystals in the form of a magic pen, but... you wouldn't be able to grip it in your little paws, right?" The man regarded Grim with a chuckle, "This is a far better choice. Ah, I pay attention to even the smallest details! Aren't I too thoughtful?"

"I did it!" Grim sang after she finished fastening the magic crystal to his ribbon collar (and ignoring Crowley in the process), "I got my own special magic crystal collar! Sandslash, Noibat, look at me. Aren't I cool?"

"Saand."

"Noiii!"

They nodded, and Yuu did too, eyeing the item with fascination. He reminded her of a Pokémon with a Mega Stone.

"Yeah, that's right! I look awesome!"

"No one is listening at all..." Crowley sighed, shaking his head solemnly. He regarded Yuu, clasping his hands together. "As you can see, Grim is rather... unaccustomed to human society—"

"—Hey!"

"—It is up to you to supervise him to prevent him from causing any more trouble. I imagine he will get along quite nicely with the rest of your Pokémon!"

Yuu didn't oppose the thought. She turned to her actual Pokémon, who merely shrugged with indifference. Fletchling's Pokéball stayed silent; apparently, she had nothing to say.

"No problem! He's in my care, then."

"Aha! Look at you!" Ace laughed and slung an arm around her shoulders, "That's pretty impressive, right? School's just started, but you've already become a Prefect?"

"I see... Since Yuu has been entrusted with Grim" Deuce voiced his thoughts, "and with the rest of his Pokémon, that makes him the Prefect of their dorm, right?"

"I like the term Pokémon trainer better," She said with the quirk of her lips.

"I said I'm no Pokémon!" Grim objected.

"A Prefect who can't use magic...!" Ace snickered. When she looked at him she could see his eyes were shining with mirth. "Nice. I like it! Isn't it kind of cool?"

Yuu turned to Crowley, "You're still going to search for a way to return me home though, right?"

"Yes, of course," He waved dismissively, "We will search for it as we go!"

"I think he wants to keep me here instead," She told Ace and Deuce wryly, to which they let out a snort in response.

Ace said jokingly, "He did say that your existence was essential to the future of NRC, or whatever that means, didn't he? Just grin and bear it then, Mister Prefect."

"I see... a Prefect. How wonderful!" Crowley seemed to like the idea. "I do have a work request for you, since giving you a title should make it very convenient for me— To entrust you with this! It is an artifact called the Ghost Camera."

Yuu stared at the item placed in her hands. It looked like a standard fisheye camera, small, and fit in the palm of her hand. "A ...Ghost Camera, you said?"

Noibat hovered above to get a closer look. Young Pokémon like him were naturally curious, of course, so she let him.

Ace seemed to recognize it. "I think my grandma told me about that. It's a super old magic tool, right?"

"I wouldn't say that it's super old... Ahem," Crowley coughed into his fist, "It's true that this item was invented during your grandmother's time, or maybe even earlier."

"Remind me how old our Headmaster is again?" Deuce questioned beneath his breath.

"I have no idea," She whispered back, stifling a yawn.

"I will pretend like I did not hear that. Regarding this camera, there is a very special spell cast on it," He explained, "It captures not only the subjects' form, but also a part of their soul. We call this, Memory: Fragment of Remembrance."

Ace let out a low whistle. "Hah. Try saying that fast three times."

Yuu listened intently now— As far as she had known, her previous world had nothing similar to a supposed "Ghost Camera." Then again, they didn't have magic either.

"Furthermore, the most interesting part of this camera is that the souls of the photographer and the photographed become deeply connected and the Memory in the photo comes jumping out!"

"Jumping out?" Another yawn. What time was it right now?

Crowley went on. "Depending on how close the subject and the photographer are, the picture could move like a video, or even bring the situation to life. Fascinating, right?"

"Bring the photo to life?" Deuce peered down at the camera, enraptured. "It's like a ghost photograph!"

"Hence the name?" Yuu assumed.

"Correct," The man said, "They say it was made before the time of videos in order for people to leave behind vivid memories. Spade-kun is correct; in the past, many people would scream with surprise whenever the Memory came jumping out. The very thought of taking a picture with this camera paralyzed them with fear. "

Ace's eyes seemed to light up at the idea. "A camera for freaking people out, huh?"

She could not fully trust the look on his face. "Whatever you're thinking, stop thinking it."

"One more thing," Crowley called, prompting her to look up through droopy eyes, "Please take many photos of Grim and the others— Pokémon and students, whichever they may be. This way, you can leave many memories behind regarding your lives here at Night Raven College."

Grim looked up at her, sporting a cheeky grin. "Yuu! Take lots of cool photos of me, okay?"

"You got it."

"...Especially, make sure to get Memories when someone steps out of line. It is a most suitable way to report back to me, right? So! Keep an eye on your surroundings and take many memories as a Prefect."

"...I should have known there was a catch."

Deuce gave her some sort of a sympathetic look. It was much appreciated.

But Crowley did not listen to her, instead placing a hand over his chest, "To generously give you a rare item that can even be used by non-wizards...!" He looked down at his own two hands.

"Does my graciousness know no bounds?"

But free stuff was free stuff, no matter what it was. She supposed having a camera with her was actually useful. "I'll take good care of it."

"Oh, would you look at the time? Let's save the detailed conversation for tomorrow. Return to your dormitories, everyone."

He was right. It was nearly ten. Just how long had they spent at the Mines?

"Then, pardon our intrusion," Deuce said with a curt nod before proceeding to make his way out of the room. Ace and Yuu followed in tow.

It was outside the office in the halls where they reconciled. Grim had draped himself around her neck, dozing himself off to sleep. Yuu didn't bother to wake him up. She herself was leaning against Sandslash's side. His lower body temperature made for a wonderful ice pack, something that her bruising back greatly appreciated.

At last, Deuce let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Haaah... Our expulsion is finally rescinded. Man, I'm beat."

"Tell me about it." Ace stretched his arms out, nodding in agreement. After a moment, he spared Yuu and Sandslash a glance.

"So... Pokémon, huh?"

"Yup. Pokémon," She mumbled into his quills, not that he seemed to mind. The relief of his cool body temperature was worth the mild discomfort of her dampening clothes.

"Don't his spikes hurt?"

"They're actually pretty blunt," Yuu said, ignoring the incredulous looks on both their faces. "You can pet him, if you want. He never minds."

Ace's gaze flickered down to the two hooked prongs on each claw. Sharp and strong enough to penetrate rock. "...Maybe later."

"Suit yourself. I think you guys'll be seeing more of him later, anyway."

"Of course," Deuce realized, "We'll be classmates starting tomorrow, right?"

Yuu nodded along. The thought of attending high school wasn't exactly comforting, but if she were to attend it with a few familiar faces, then she supposed it couldn't be too bad. She removed herself from Sandslash and gave them a bow, "Once again, it's really nice to meet you!"

Ace wrinkled his nose at her. "Hey, now. Saying stuff like that's just embarrassing, stop it already."

"What? But it's true?"

"Yuu's right." Deuce pointed a thumb in the other boy's direction, sighing, "Even if we don't want to, we'll have to see each other daily. I'm even in Heartslabyul with this jerk."

"You think I want to see your face every day?" He quickly retorted, crossing his arms. Yuu was glad there was no bite in their tone when they bickered. "Yeah, no thanks."

"That's my line, you slacker."

"Sure, sure. Says the cry baby who almost got expelled." Ace rolled his eyes and turned back to her with a lax grin. "Well then, see you tomorrow, Mister Prefect."

"Same with you guys. I'll see you later."

Yuu didn't think she would ever get used to that title. 

AUDINO WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN PISSED. Well, of course, how could she not be?! Even in her Pokéball, she had witnessed a plethora of disasters arise that day— Many of which, had compromised her own trainer's health, for Arceus' sake. From the moment that Hoodlum Ace had approached them, she knew he couldn't be trusted. She just knew he was. That boy was a good liar, but not good enough.

This— This absolute Hoodlum had roped her trainer into his mess of burning a queen's statue and had— had the gall to skip out on his own punishment?!

And then there was the Hellion, Grim. As if he did not learn from the Hoodlum's mistake, he had decided to run away as well. ...He had decided to run away to the chandelier in the cafeteria.

He was damn lucky that Yuu had a soft spot for animals.

Audino had assumed Deuce had a good head on his shoulders. He seemed like any sensible kid. That was until this Hooligan had the bright idea to literally slingshot her trainer up into the chandelier, proceeding to destroy it.

May Yveltal take them all.

It was by good luck and timing that Noibat saved her from a broken back... Perhaps even worse. Audino would have to thank him later.

And then there was the Headmaster, who had sent three teenagers into the forest by themselves. This was where those said teenagers ran headfirst into a literal monster with the very real intent to put an end to their lives.

The Hoodlum, the Hellion, the Hooligan, and the Headmaster. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

If Yuu had pulled out her Pokéball, Audino was confident she would have floored that monster in no time. Maybe then, they all wouldn't be in this kind of situation.

"Ow, ow ow. A little easy on my back, please?"

Audino placed another pain-relief patch (taken from the infirmary) onto Yuu's back. The girl was sprawled along the bed beside the Hellion, who was fast asleep. Her back was exposed, mottled with red— It would surely bruise in the next couple of days.

"Audidi, no. Audino, dino Audiiiino. Audino," She huffed, displeased that Yuu had forbidden her from using Heal Pulse on her, "Diino. Audino, Audi."

"I couldn't catch a single word of that... Meowth, what did she say?"

"Maybe if you pulled me out, then Sandslash, Noibat and I woulda made quick work outta that thing," The cat translated boredly, sprawled along one of the armchairs, "none a' this woulda happened."

(He and Audino were the only ones awake aside from their trainer; Sandslash and Noibat were returned. Fletchling was asleep in her nest above the fireplace.)

Yuu nearly shot straight up if not for the fact she was still being treated. "Don't say that! Half of your moves are contact-based, and Fighting-type. What if it was a Poison-type? What if you got poisoned for days?"

"Audin. Diino. Audinono." Then she would have used Shadow Ball, simple as that. Then, they wouldn't need the help of the Hoodlum or the Hooligan. Or the Hellion.

Did Yuu really forget that her ability was Regenerator?

"Real talk, you really are too nice for your own good," Meowth remarked, "Even goin' as far to say the chandelier incident was your fault."

"...Are those Audino's words or yours?"

"Both of ours."

"What was I supposed to do?" Their trainer said lamely, "I mean, it was mostly true. Besides, Deuce looked like he was about to cry."

"Audino... Diino, Audin," She huffed beneath her breath. I couldn't care less if he cried.

Meowth, who heard her, nearly choked on his spit.

"It's not like I'm dead! I'm fine! Meowth, tell her I'm fine."

"Yeah, but then I'd be lyin' to her!"

You are definitely not fine, not after having two bodies thrown into your side, Audino wanted to say. Not after being catapulted into a chandelier. She would never forgive those damn Hooligans. She grumbled something and placed another patch over a particularly nasty spot.

"Look, I get you have a grudge over them, but it's okay," Yuu soothed once the last pain-relief patch was placed. She fumbled around with the pockets of her windbreaker, pulling something out, "Besides, we got this out of it."

Both Pokémon openly gawked at the glowing stone in her hand.

"Audino! Dino?"

"Wait, wait. Is that— Is that a Shiny Stone?! The Headmaster let you keep it?"

It was some sort of miracle how Grim, the Hellion, was still sleeping. Still unbothered.

"That's right, in the flesh," Yuu nodded, placing it in Audino's paws so she could examine it, "He said he didn't need it since it wasn't big enough to power the chandelier. So I asked if I could keep it."

She passed it to Meowth, who was just amazed as she was. "And he just let you?"

"Yeah. Crazy, right? Apparently, magic crystals are kinda like Evolution stones," Yuu marveled, "I'm thinking of selling it. It's gotta be worth something, right? Hopefully I can get some quick cash."

They both stared at her as if she had grown a Doduo for a second head.

"Au. Dino?" She deadpanned.

"Have you gone crazy?" He added, mirroring the same blank look.

"What? You heard the Headmaster the other day, right? Everything, we have to provide for ourselves!" Yuu defended ardently, "Even our food downstairs is running low. And I still need to feed Mamoswine— I don't even know if we have enough food to last the week!"

Meowth raised an eyebrow. "Don'tcha think you're forgettin' about somethin?'"

The girl stared at him for a good minute. "What?"

"My other move?" He said as if it was the most obvious thing, "...Payday?"

"Oh my Arceus." Audino and Yuu understood at roughly the same time. Her mouth gaped into a wide O-shape as she held him up by the torso, "Meowth, you're a freakin' genius."

Payday, without using a TM, was the signature move of the Meowth evolution line. This particular move allowed him to scatter coins on the ground with every hit he landed. If Audino knew one thing, it was that coins equals money. She remembered that he learned it long ago, yet had no real use for it since Yuu was never allowed to battle much. But now was his chance.

"What would you do without me? I can't believe you were gonna sell an Evolution stone."

"Not my biggest moment, I know."

"Audino. Dino, Audi, Audino? Dino... Audino.." She passed the stone back to Yuu, who quickly pocketed it and gave her a pat on the head.

Her trainer waited patiently for a translation.

"What are we even gonna use it for?" Meowth recited, "Since, you know, we don't have any Pokémon to evolve. ...You know what? That's actually a good point."

"I dunno," She shrugged, flipping over on the bed. "Maybe I could sell it then. Maybe buy ourselves a nice hat. Or food."

"No! Audino!" Keep it!

"I get it! I'm not actually going to sell it, don't worry."

"Why would you need to, when you have me?" Meowth boasted with a triumphant grin, crumbling on the bed beside Yuu. "We're gonna be rich, Yuu! Gold will flow from my fingertips!"

He always acted so full of himself, Audino chuckled, though she couldn't really complain. He told them how excited he was to use it, how they were going to be "absolutely filthy rich" the first thing in the morning.

A loud knocking at the front door cut off his ramblings. It was loud enough to wake Fletchling and Grim as well, because they bolted upright out of their sleep. "Wha—?!"

Yuu was an injured patient, so Audino pointed at her and Meowth. "Audino. Dino, Audin," She said, though she was sure her trainer could not understand. Stay here, I'll get the door.

"Wait, where are you going?!"

"Hey, Yuu, stay here!" Meowth ran after her, calling, "Audino told me to tell you to rest! Wait!"

Audino was downstairs before anyone else. It was best to investigate the source of the noise so Yuu could have a decent sleep (she really needed it). Who could it be, anyway? Those same ghosts she battled the other day? Regardless, the knocking persisted even as she reached the foyer. "Auuudino!" I get it, I get it!

She swung the door open to reveal a mop of wild, orange hair; for the Hoodlum was standing on their porch.

"...You're not Yuu."

Audino had never slammed a door so quickly in her life.

[1] Shiny Stone — A type of Evolution Stone used to evolve Pokémon. This stone in particular causes Togetic, Roselia, Minccino and Floette to evolve into Togekiss, Roserade, Cinccino, and Florges, respectively. (Dusk Stone and Moon Stones, mentioned in this chapter, are also Evolution Stones.)

Other Pokémon terms mentioned in this chapter:

Potion and Antidote — Items in the Pokémon franchise used to restore a Pokémon's HP. Their lack of existence in the Twisted Wonderland world might be a hindrance to Yuu, however.

Sobble — The Water Lizard Pokémon, one of the Galarian starters! By crying, this Pokémon can cause anyone in the vicinity to start bawling uncontrollably as well. The effect of its tears is said to be as potent as 100 onions!

Mega Stone — An item that Pokémon can hold to Mega Evolve in battle.

Heal Pulse — A Pokémon move that restores up to 50% of the target's max HP. This is the only non-damaging move Audino has in her learnset.

Regenerator — A Pokémon ability that allows the Pokémon to restore a third of its maximum HP right before switching out. Handy, right? Audino's ability is Regenerator!

Annnnd we're done with the Prologue! Ladies and gentlemen and non-binary friends, WE MADE IT! 🎊🎊🎊 Oh my goodness, 10k words. I have never written something so long in my entire life. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Writing things from Audino's perspective was suuuuper fun. And I sincerely hope I made you laugh (or smile, at least) at Audino's section. Don't be afraid to leave a comment!

By the way, I made a height chart just to put in perspective how big everyone is compared to some of the TWST characters (Malleus being the tallest at 6'7 including his horns). I tweaked Fletchling and Noibat's height to be more proportional to the TV series. (Yuu is the same height as Riddle.)