On a day in mid-April, Zeke was returning home from a visit to his friend's house. He felt quite pleased with himself after entertaining his friend's family with experiences from his past. They were particularly interested at the big physical change that Zeke experienced when he was only three. Some say he was a victim, others say that the change was a blessing, and there are comments that lie in between.

Zeke was living with his family in a small town. Life was good as far as Zeke was concerned, and he thought it would be a good idea to venture into the surrounding forest. So when his parents were asleep, Zeke crept past them, and made his way downstairs. He opened the back door to avoid ringing the bell that was attached to the front door. He closed the door carefully, and took a few steps into the wilderness. He was fascinated by the landscape and so decided to go further.

Based on conversation among the people of the town, including his parents, and a few glimpses of pokemon, he thought it would be interesting to meet a few of these pokemon. So he traveled through the forest, and caught sight of a pink shape. Zeke was interested by this shape, and approached it, completely unaware of what was coming.

The pink shape, or creature more like, seemed to be unaware of Zeke's presence, and when it turned around, Zeke was close to it. The pink creature flinched and launched a stream of energy at Zeke. The multi-colored energy wave hit him, and while he did not feel any pain, Zeke began to lose consciousness. After several hours, he regained consciousness and picked himself up. To his surprise, he did not feel like himself. Then the truth came after he looked down.

He was covered with blue fur, had black, oddly-shaped legs, and had two white areas on the backs of his paws. Zeke put his paws on his head and discovered that his ears were now near the top of his head, rather than at the sides, and that he had two black flaps on the sides instead. He also found that he had a blue tail. Zeke was amazed at his new self, so much so that he began to smile.

As Zeke made his way back to town, his parents spotted him, and seemed ready to call for help. Others saw him as well, and began to approach Zeke with a curious look on their faces. One was armed with a pokeball, and was about to launch it when Zeke saw this attempt and shouted,

“Stop!”

The people were shocked, especially Zeke's parents, as they already noticed that their child had disappeared during the night. The person who had the pokeball dropped it from his hand.

“Zeke...is that you?” asked Zeke's mother.

“Yes” he replied.

Half of the people in the crowd began to gossip and look at each other, wondering what had happened. Things that were said included,

“How did he get turned into a Riolu?”

“I've never known a case like this before”

“I wonder what his parents are thinking”

“Do you think that a Ditto was behind this?”

The last statement caught everyone's attention. Zeke's father asked,

“Zeke, did you see a pink shape in the forest?”

“Yes” he answered. “It shot pretty colors at me, then I fell asleep”

The people began to gossip again.

“How do you feel?” a teenager asked.

“Great” said Zeke.

Eventually, the people went back to what they were doing, but Zeke's parents decided to move out the next day into a larger town. For a while, Zeke's parents were confused and were not sure on how to raise their child. But eventually, that feeling faded, and Zeke's parents thought it was interesting to have a pokemon as a child. However, life was not that easy as the years went by.

There was a lot of confusion about whether to send Zeke to school or not. Since he was once a human, they thought he had to go to school. But since he is now a pokemon, the situation became confusing. Zeke's parents thought he would have to be schooled at home, for the school might have feared an unstable environment and thought it would be best if the teachers came to him and taught him at home. They did not want any harm, physical, emotional, or otherwise to come to Zeke. But apparently, at school, the children there were amazed at Zeke. Most of them even wanted Zeke to come to school with them. Zeke's parents were reluctant to send Zeke to school with the other children, but the teachers as well as the students said they would protect him from any harm, and that bullies will be dealt with.

Zeke's first day at school was very pleasant, although confusing at first. He was very popular, and quickly learned the academics. Lunchtime was a bit of a problem though, due to Zeke's lack of dexterity with his paws. After that day, it seemed like nothing would go wrong. That was when the problems were about to reveal themselves.

Zeke had always been considered cute in kindergarten, and 1st grade because of his social blunders, but the socializing became difficult for Zeke as he progressed in 2nd grade. He could not interpret body language, and so the teachers had to make room for a social skills class. There he began to learn different forms of body language, but not quite enough of them to be as skilled at socializing as some of the others.

By the end of second grade, more problems became apparent. Zeke was showing peculiar interests in pictures that had no relevance to what was being taught in class. He developed a habit of kicking his legs while in a chair, and spinning while in a computer chair. After school had ended, he burned himself on a lit candle, and screamed so loudly, that the whole town could hear it. After that event, he was extremely scared of fire. Sometimes he would pace around the room, staring at things. The habit that convinced Zeke's parents to see a doctor, was his attachment to a folder with printed pictures inside it. He would carry the folder with him everywhere in home and at school. His social skills teacher calls it “his security folder”

This habit with a folder prompted Zeke's parents to see a doctor, who referred them to a psychiatrist. The fact that Zeke's parents had to explain to the various staff members of the medical buildings what happened to him as an infant became a burden. Then they met the psychiatrist, and answered some questions, carried out different tests, and eventually, it was discovered that Zeke had Asperger's Syndrome. The news was shocking to Zeke's parents, and felt that they had a great task ahead of them.

They were then referred to see someone who conducted an IQ test. The result was that Zeke's IQ was in the genius range, which is above 140. The doctor told Zeke's parents that he could do anything he set his mind to, but will he?

Zeke's parents were lost on what to do at first, but then they began to learn about Zeke's disorder by reading books, going online, and talking to other people who have Asperger's themselves. They began to feel less stressed out, and they were helped by the fact that their son had a very high IQ. They resumed their lives by the time 3rd grade had started.

Zeke was well-liked by his classmates, and they began to ask questions about his disorder. They were surprised by his answers, his vocabulary was amazing. He was using words from 9th grade English. People were having a hard time understanding what he was saying. He couldn't write because of the shape of his paws, but the school had made accommodations for Zeke to use a large keyboard with a screen for text.

As the years went by, Zeke realized that his words were confusing people, after a lesson in social skills, and so decided to talk in terms that children of his age would understand. He failed to pickup the way of speaking that the middle school children knew well. He was popular in middle school as well. Any person who tried to bully him in any way was greeted with either a witty response from Zeke, or a team effort from his friends. One bully tried to assault him, but Zeke had an unusual skill at counter-attacking. He used lots of what he called 'false moves', which are fake attacks used as a distraction before a real attack. Zeke was never in trouble for fighting with the bully because everyone knew that Zeke was only defending himself. After he struck the bully, he would run away, and while the bully chased him, Zeke had set traps for him, whether it was a jar of marbles, or a roll of duct tape as Zeke opened before the bully could stop. Then Zeke would inform a teacher, the principal, or whatever figure of authority he could come across in the hallways. The bully was dealt with, and the repercussions from the bully losing to Zeke every time, the punishments from the school, and the teasing from Zeke's friends, were enough to make him stop completely after a while.

High school became a problem though, not socially, but some of the subjects he had to learn were difficult at times. English was a problem because of the literature. Zeke said that he had a hard time seeing what the character's emotions, intentions, and thoughts were. On the contrary, his writing skills were brilliant. By 10th grade, he had “evolved” into a Lucario, and many thought he was beautiful. He had gained enormous popularity throughout his previous school years.

He is now in 11th grade, and has accomplished a lot since his first day at school. He was the first pokemon to attend school, which to some people might sound odd. Now, life was great, and his parents were proud of him. Nothing could stop him from accomplishing great things...until one night. When he ventured into another forest.

Zeke was returning home from his friend's house after spending the night there. He was quite pleased with himself after entertaining his friend's family with his childhood experiences. After he reached home, he saw the clock and it read 7:15 PM. He decided to have a wander around the forest that was nearby, so he asked his mother if it was all right, she said yes, so long as he was back by 9:00 PM. Zeke agreed.

He walked out of the house, made his way out of town, and into the surrounding forest. Zeke had a fascination for forests, and any similar type of landscape. The incident regarding Zeke when he was three years of age, did not stop him from enjoying walks through the forest now and then. However, he does not fully understand the meaning behind danger. He knows it is real, but he did not seem to feel afraid of it most of the time. In fact, he often interprets it in a different way. He sees danger as a challenge, a game of sorts, even if his life was at risk. While this gave him the confidence and the nerve to try stunts that no one would dare to do, once again, he would often be unaware of the fact that his life could be in danger.

As a Lucario, Zeke noticed that he did not scare the pokemon in the forest nearly as much as humans did, but they were surprised at his capability of oral speech. They also noticed that Zeke did not seem to know how to use aura. That is because he was never taught. Eventually, he met another Lucario, but he felt something was not quite right. He remembered catching a glimpse of a pokedex that a trainer had, and it said that most Lucarios were usually around four feet tall. During his last visit to a special kind of doctor, his last reading was five-foot-six-inches.

The other Lucario stared at Zeke, surprised at the body language he was expressing. Zeke was in a thinking position and then shrugged. Then he mumbled,

“Why am I five-foot-six, when the normal height for someone like me is three-foot-eleven?”

The other Lucario leaned forward in interest.

“Are you looking for something?” asked Zeke. The other Lucario looked to the corner of its eyes, half-fascinated, half-worried. Zeke then said,

“I'll bet you're wondering how I became a Lucario”

The other Lucario stared at Zeke in amazement.

Zeke told his story, which spanned a good thirty minutes, but by then, the other Lucario had left while in the middle of it. Zeke wondered where he went, and shrugged again. Then he continued on his way through the forest. Something eventually caught his eye. It seemed to be glowing. Zeke walked over to the glowing object, and discovered that it was much larger than he thought. It seemed to be at least three times taller than Zeke was. It seemed to be a portal of some kind, but where it led, he had no clue. But he could not resist the urge to see where it would lead, so he stepped inside, and the portal closed behind him.

The portal opened and deposited Zeke near the base of a mountain with an entrance to what looked like a mine, with cart tracks leading out of it. It was still as dark here are it was before Zeke entered that portal, only that the sky was a slightly different color. Plus, the moon was full, whereas a minute ago, only half of it was visible. Zeke could hear a faint crackling sound coming from the inside of the mine.

As he approached the mine, a small boulder rolled down the mountain, landing only a few feet away from him. Zeke then tightened his lips, raised the top of his eyes, and looked in another direction. His curiosity seemed impossible to resist, so he ventured into the mine. Then, Zeke heard a faint rumble, then thumping sounds, and before Zeke had a chance to escape, huge boulders piled up at the entrance. He was trapped inside.

It took a while for Zeke to stop staring at the now blocked entrance to the mines. After he was done, he noticed that the inside of the mine was lit by some kind of flickering light. It seemed to be a fire. He took a few steps deeper into the mine and discovered that there was a campfire in the center of the room. Only there was a shocking characteristic about the room that Zeke was in. There were several patches of pitch-black darkness on the walls, on the ceiling, and on the floor, even one next to the campfire.

This instantly grabbed Zeke's attention, and he raised the top of his eyes. He looked around the room nervously for a moment, and then approached the campfire. He sat down on one of the small green carpets that surrounded the fire. Then he began to stare at the closest dark spot next to him, taking note of the fact that the light from the fire should be revealing what was in that dark spot, but for some reason it was not. Zeke slowly turned his head away from it, but still uneasy.

Then he heard a sound from the dark spot. Zeke quickly turned his head toward the sound. He began to feel afraid and his heart was starting to beat faster. He was trying to figure out where exactly the sound came from, when he saw something move. Zeke gasped silently. What looked to be a piece of black clothing was moving slightly, and Zeke felt his heart begin to pound.

He was caught between two decisions, ask for identity, or walk away. His mind leaned towards running away rather than walking. He slowly rose to his feet, and looked around for an exit. The gate at the end of the room was no use, since the figure was in front of it. To Zeke's relief, he found an alternate path, so he decided to take that route. What he was not aware of was that something had already been here.

As Zeke entered the passage and took a few steps, he noticed two gray points jutting out of the walls. Zeke began to feel terrified.

“Someone doesn't want me here” he murmured to himself. He then remembered a theory that he began to think about when he was still a Riolu. He edged closer to one of the menacing objects in the walls, put his paw underneath it, and a spear zoomed past him. His theory seemed to be true. All physical traps have some type of mechanism. He placed his paw underneath the second pointy object and another spear shot out of the wall. Zeke was relieved to find that these traps were navigable. These ones anyway.

Zeke saw a rather primitive-looking door at the end of the passage. He began to calm down, and feel better. He began to walk toward the door and had almost reached it, when three spears shot out of the ground, nearly catching Zeke in the chest, and then receded. The shock and the lack of warning about the traps caused Zeke to stumble and fall on his back.

Zeke began to feel terrified again. He realized that he would not be likely to survive in a place like this without knowing where the traps are. He decided to take one of the spears that was on the ground from the previous trap and use it as a trigger for the traps. Obviously, these traps detected motion, but Zeke wondered how they could sense nearby objects. Then he dismissed the thought, and grabbed a spear. It felt awkward trying to hold it, due to the shape of his paws.

He managed to make the spear stable by holding one area between his paws and holding it that way. He slowly made his way toward the door, waving the spear about. When he made it to the door, he waved the spear again, activating two separate spear traps. Seizing the opportunity, Zeke opened the door and rushed through, dropping the spear as he went inside.

He found himself inside what looked to be a small storage area. Crates were stacked up to heights nearing the ceiling. But the thing that caught his eye was a rather powerful, although confined glow. Then he realized that the entire room, the trapped hallway, even the outside of the mine was not shrouded by darkness, even though there was no apparent light other than that room. He wondered if he could see in the dark, then decided to see whatever was glowing. He found a little, highly-decorated bottle. It was full of liquid that seemed to have all of the characteristics of water, but Zeke sensed that it was different. He decided to take the bottle with him, thinking that he might need it later.

As he brushed aside a few cobwebs, he saw the entrance to another room. When he reached the end, he did not like what he saw, more dark spots. But then he saw a gate, with a door in the center, very similar to the one Zeke had opened recently. He hugged the right wall, trying to avoid slipping and falling into the largest dark spot in the center of the room, his heart beating rapidly. He reached for the door, but upon trying to open it, realized that it was locked.

Normally, Zeke would not be aware of the possible danger that he faced, but due to recent circumstances, the traps, the dark spots, and the figure, he felt ready to faint. He saw a key that seemed to match the keyhole in the door behind him, but it was on the border between light and the dark spot in the middle. Zeke broke into a cold sweat. Then he saw the same piece of clothing in the dark spot as the one that belonged to the figure that Zeke had feared so much.

As he reached for the key, he could feel his consciousness dwindling, his vision started to become blurry, he began to pant a little, and when he finally touched the key, a hand grabbed his arm. Zeke lost all strength, moaned faintly, and collapsed dropping the bottle he was holding.

After Zeke had collapsed, whatever was in the dark spot dragged him to the corner of the room. Zeke was either asleep or unconscious, but he could not tell the difference. He began to dream about a waterfall with a lot of vegetation around it. The sky was overcast, but did not look as if it was going to rain. He could hear music playing in his head, both soothing and somewhat refreshing, which he felt he needed after the incident in the mines. The dream continued for another ten or fifteen minutes, and then began to disappear.

As he woke up, he felt something, stroking his chest. He saw a hand, a rather small one, of a teenage girl. He began to see that the black clothing which frightened him the most was part of a black robe, with blue stripes around the edges of a sleeve. Zeke did not move, fearing an unpleasant response. After a few minutes he said,

“Who do I know with a black and blue robe?”

“I don't know, I've never seen an animal like you before” The voice sounded quite gentle, which contradicts what Zeke was originally thinking the voice would sound like. Zeke turned his head and discovered that it was no monster, but a teenage girl. She looked peculiar in the robe because of her hair color. She had long blonde hair, brown eyes, and she looked to be fourteen or fifteen years of age.

“Please do not scare me like that again” said Zeke. “I thought you were a heartless murderer for a while”

“You scared me as well, a lot in fact” said the girl. “I only hid in the shadows to protect myself. Sorry about that, I should have asked”

“You realize that those traps back there nearly got me, right?” asked Zeke. The girl closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Those were there to keep intruders away. I was hoping that the steel points would be enough to scare them away, rather than actually fire. The last ones though were intended to ward them off, should it ever come to that. But now that the entrance has caved in, it looks like we will have to take the back way out...if I can remember where it is”

“There's a way out?”

“Yes...in fact there's two, but I can't remember where either of them are...what a shame”

“How old are you?”

“I'm sixteen...why?”

“Just curious...I'm sixteen as well” said Zeke. The girl gave Zeke the key that he was trying to reach before he collapsed.

“Did you want this?” asked the girl. Zeke began to smile a little.

“As long as it's for that door” he said, trying to hold the key properly, but failing. The girl nodded slowly.

“Looks like I might have to use it” she said. They walked over to the door at the end of the room. The girl inserted the key, turned it, and opened the door. Then Zeke realized something he felt was important.

“Hey” he said. “What happened to that blue bottle I had?”

“I have it” said the girl. “You dropped it when you fainted, fortunately no damage”

“What's inside it?” asked Zeke.

“Basically, it heals any injuries you have. Apparently even cures diseases. Pretty hard to come by, so only use it if you're in a lot of pain or at death's door”

“Where does he live?”asked Zeke. The girl started to giggle.

“Have you ever heard of a figure of speech?” she asked.

“Yes...can't say I remember what it meant though” answered Zeke. The girl sighed.

They began to explore the mine, using common sense not to separate. They passed some of the time exploring, the other portion was spent on introducing each other. The girl's name was Alice. Zeke told her his life story and she was fascinated. Alice told Zeke that he no doubt looked better as a Lucario, as she liked animals, especially furry ones.

Something glittering in the wall caught Zeke's attention.

“What's that thing in the wall?” he asked.

“I think that's gold...it IS...amazing” said Alice.

“Can't imagine why this mine would be abandoned” said Zeke, holding a gold nugget. Alice thought about this statement for a moment, then began to look horrified.

“Uh, Zeke?” said Alice nervously.

“Yes?”

“You remember those dark spots near the cave entrance?”

“Yes”

“I didn't make those”

Zeke tilted his head and raised the top of one of his eyes, not quite understanding the message she was trying to give.

“Really? You did hide in them after all” said Zeke, slightly confused.

“Yes, but that was before I realized...”

“Realized what?”

“Notice that the place is abandoned” said Alice, looking around the room that they were in.

“Did something happen?” asked Zeke, still confused.

“Could have, and I have reason to believe...that this place might be haunted”

“You're kidding, right?” asked Zeke.

“No” said Alice, with a worried look on her face. “and if that's the case, what you've seen before is nothing compared to what could happen if we're not careful”

“What can we do to survive?”

“Simple, don't get caught. Also, listen for noises...some of them might signal danger to us, others may be of no use”

Sure enough, Zeke and Alice began to hear noises. One of them was constant, but seemed to fit in with the environment. It sounded like wind, only it was the type one would normally find in a cavern. The other was similar, only it was lower in pitch. Zeke found it soothing and wanted to listen to it. Alice had to talk him out of it.

Zeke, still holding the gold nugget that he found, wondered if this mine scenario could turn into a treasure hunt. He tapped Alice's shoulder.

“Alice...hold on to this. There might be more”

Alice placed the nugget into one of her pockets.

“Are you thinking what I'm thinking?” asked Alice.

“I can't read minds” said Zeke. “I tried last week and it didn't work” Alice started to giggle.

“I mean that the mine probably isn't as bad as we thought. Why don't we take our time?”

“Sure” said Zeke.

And so they began the search for two things: an exit and treasure along the way.

Zeke and Alice were having quite a fun time looking for valuables. Already they found a number of nuggets, some of them gold, some of them silver, and even a few precious gems. So far, they had left the room with the dark spots and entered a series of tunnels, interconnected by mine cart tracks. The gold and silver nuggets were not the only things that Zeke and Alice found, however. They also found evidence of battles; weapons lying around on the ground, some of them broken in two. Several support beams were on the ground, scattered throughout the mine tunnels, but surprisingly, the mine did not even shake.

At the moment, Zeke and Alice were in a room that was nearly square in shape, connected with tunnels in different directions. They noticed an elevator in the center of the room. The problem was that while the elevator was still in working condition, two of the buttons were missing. Zeke was having a hard time deciding which route to take.

“I can't decide,” said Zeke. “Any one of them could lead to more treasure, or more...evidence”

“My uncle works in this mine,” Alice responded. “He told me once that miners usually set up their living areas near the top of the mine. They work down in the lower areas in the daytime, and return to the top to do the other things”

“Then why is absolutely no one down here?” asked Zeke. “The way I see it, there's at least a few people working at night. Some of the workers might want to work overtime, or maybe there's an inventory person counting the items? What I'm really concerned about is the weapons. Why are they scattered all over the place...and why are some of them broken?”

“The miners could have done three things: retreat back to the top, escape out the building, or die trying. Obviously, there was some sort of attack,” said Alice.

“In that case, why don't you grab a weapon, just in case?” asked Zeke.

Alice hanged her head, feeling silly that she did not take a weapon before.

“You want to go back and get one?” asked Zeke. “I know I can't”

“Why not?” asked Alice. Zeke showed her his paws, and Alice realized that it would be extremely difficult for him to use a weapon, due to the shape of his paws.

“Oh...hey what's that over there?” said Alice, catching sight of a long shiny object and a bag.

“Looks like a staff of some kind” Zeke answered. He and Alice walked over to the peculiar-looking collection of items. They discovered a decorated silver staff, and a bag full of scrolls. Zeke tried to pick up the staff, and for some reason, it stuck to his paws. Zeke liked this fact, and soon discovered that he could swing it in any direction. There was also a three-foot wand inside the bag. It was a beautiful item. The wood was painted black and there was a shiny blue orb at the end.

Zeke began to search through the various colored scrolls that were also in the bag. The colors were vibrant and had labels written on the outside. Some of them were particularly interesting. Things like “Hypervelocity Bolt”, “Levitate”, “Contorted Blast”, “Prismatic Laser”, “Ethereal Fire”, and “Oral Energy Ball”. He also noticed numbers beside the labels. Alice saw these numbers and was eager to find out what they meant.

Zeke reached the bottom of the bag, pulled out a note, and saw that it was a list of instructions having to do with activating the scrolls. Zeke nodded slowly and smiled. The instructions themselves were interesting, but what really caught Zeke's attention was the fact that with practice, he could learn how to use the spells in the scrolls without using the scrolls themselves. Basically, he could shoot magic from his paws, just like that.

He gave Alice the wand and a few of the scrolls, put the bag over one side of his neck, and realized that he could make the staff stick to his back, freeing his paws to do other things. The bag was easy to carry and the staff did not bother Zeke when he moved about.

“Right,” said Zeke. “Now that we have the weapons…what do we do now?”

“I know,” responded Alice. “Why don’t we go see if my uncle’s all right?”

“Will we run into anything dangerous?” asked Zeke.

“Not if we’re careful,” said Alice. “Although, we’d be better off together…especially in a place like this”

Zeke remembered Alice’s statement about the miners and decided to take the elevator to the top level. He did so, with Alice next to him. When they reached the top, they discovered more battle evidence: ruined furniture, broken weapons, and a peculiar ambience noise. There was definitely something grim about this place.

The ambient noise added to the unpleasantness because, while it soothed Zeke, it worried Alice. The noise was something very much like wind, only it was muffled, and the pitch seemed to fluctuate slightly. It gave the impression that something happened here and it turned a once busy mine, into a bleak, gloomy, and possibly dangerous place.

Alice took all of the environmental information and began to see the misery that this place had gone through. Zeke, on the other hand, was oblivious to all this and was only concerned that something might be hiding in a corner, waiting for a false move. Nevertheless, they were both nervous.

Zeke suddenly remembered one of his social skills classes in school and decided to put it to use. He remembered a lesson about gestures, and although his paws would not allow him to use some, he knew that he could try this one.

“Alice,” said Zeke. “You know what this gesture means?” He put his paw to his mouth and moved it quickly from right to left, implying a request for silence.

“No, sorry,” said Alice.

“It means be quiet” said Zeke. “If what I’m thinking is true, then it will come in handy later”.

They left the elevator and walked down the path in the middle, but they soon came to a fork. Neither of the options looked safe. The one on the left started to make noises, creepy ones. The one on the right was just as bad with its unnerving scenery. The lights were flickering, furniture was crushed, and of course the weapons on the ground. All of these factors created an atmosphere that suggested something greater than a simple battle.

“Why this way?” said Zeke, taking note of the number of choices back near the elevator.

“This is the way to where the miners should be,” said Alice. “The only way”

“I choose…right” said Zeke. “At least we won’t have to deal with the noises and the things that are making them”

“Who’s to say we won’t?” asked Alice.

“It’s worth a try”

They slowly crept through the path on the right, unaware of the surprise that was waiting for them near the pile of crates at the end of the central passage.

Zeke and Alice had chosen the path on the right, because they thought that they would be more likely to encounter something unpleasant on the left. But the path on the right was not much better. They slowly crept through the ruined passage, trying to stay out of the light to avoid being spotted. Zeke had his paws behind his back as he walked through. This was a habit that he had when he walked through an unknown place.

Eventually, Zeke and Alice came to another fork, this time splitting in three directions. They had no clue where the one on the left led to, but the path in the center had a sign that read “Barracks”. Alice already knew why there was a barracks in the mine. She peeked around the corner on the right path, and discovered that it was a dead end.

Zeke began to think about something. He noticed the barracks sign and the direction the arrow on it was pointing. Then he began to feel somewhat uncomfortable. He felt that something might be around the corner because he thought that the sign, while it seemed legitimate, kept a dark secret anyway. Alice noticed the expression on his face.

“Zeke?” said Alice. “What's wrong?”

Zeke put his paw on his mouth and quickly moved it across, implying silence. Alice nodded and remained quiet. Zeke crept up near the corner on the center path, then used another gesture to tell Alice to stay still. He looked around the corner and flinched. To his horror, he discovered something very unpleasant. An insidious body was on the ground, lying motionless. Zeke could not tell whether it was alive or not, due to the fact that there was no sign of injury or decay.

Zeke pulled a scroll out of his bag that read “Telepathy.” He read the instructions, used the scroll, and then said to Alice,

“Alice, talk to me through your mind. There's something ugly around the corner. Follow me and whatever you do, NO sudden movements or sounds. This thing might be alive.”

Alice crept around the corner and her heart started to beat faster. She saw the body and followed Zeke around the body. They were both relieved. Alice said through her mind,

“Right. Now for the barracks.”

They were about to walk away when the body started to make noises. Zeke and Alice froze in position. The noises were quiet at first, but then they grew louder and became more like the noises that a deranged person would make. Also, the noises did not sound entirely human.

Suddenly, the body rose with more crazed noises. Zeke flinched and Alice started to run. Zeke followed as the creature chased the two, still making wild noises. Zeke and Alice saw a metal reinforced gate with a slit in the center. Alice shouted,

“Hey! Open the gate, there's a deranged man after us!”

The gate slowly opened, showing how secure it was, yet also how desperate the situation became. The deranged man was only around fifteen feet away from Zeke. Zeke decided to buy more time and stopped. He knocked the man back with a kick, and ran inside the gate, which shut soon after.

Zeke and Alice saw that there were a few men by the gate, one with a hammer in his hands, another who looked to be more of a welder. Alice was suddenly happy.

“Hey, Alan” she said, when she saw the man behind the welding mask.

“Alice!” said the man, giving Alice a hug.

“You know this person?” asked Zeke.

“He's my uncle, the one I told you about” said Alice. “Alan, this is Zeke”

“Hi, Zeke” said Alan. “How'd you two end up in here?”

“I was coming here to visit you, but I didn't expect anything like this,” Alice explained. “What happened?”

“This whole place's gone mad” said Alan. “Don't know quite what happened, but all this happened in a day or two.” The other man with the hammer explained,

“This has happened before, but back then, we didn't expect anything like this, so there were casualties. This time, we've been very lucky, as we haven't had a single death, especially since we put in that gate. We've had to train everyone here to use weapons because of something like this. By the way Alice, how did your friend get here?”

“I only met him in the mine,” said Alice. Then Zeke said,

“Looks like I've ended up in a different world.”

“I'm not surprised,” said Alan.

“So what do we do now?” asked Alice.

“Looks like we'll have to hold off until we come up with a plan,” said Alan.

“What's that down there?” asked Zeke, looking at a small blue bottle on the ground.

“That's holy water” said the man with the hammer. “We keep some handy in case of situations like these. No matter what we throw at these monsters, they just keep coming back”

“Wait...I might have an idea” said Zeke, suddenly. “I have a scroll here that says 'Extinguish'. If we poured some of that holy water on the scroll, maybe it will turn this scroll into a weapon against the undead, I think that's your problem.”

“Uh-huh” said Alan in agreement.

“Then we can launch the holy water at the undead and watch them fizzle up” said Alice. “We'll need a bodyguard though, in case something happens”

“Ok, you've got me” said the man with the hammer.

“But first, let's go in and have dinner, I'm sure you two are hungry” said Alan.

“All right” said Alice.

They went inside and Alan began to show them around the place.

Alan began his tour around the living complex with the main entrance. The hallway was laid with blocks of oddly-colored stone. The stone had a slightly purple hue to it. Maybe that was why Zeke was more interested in the tour than Alice was. Alan stopped and thought for a moment.

“Alice, Zeke,” said Alan. “I just remembered that the mine is really complex. We've got so many passageways and rooms that it's hard to draw a map of the place. We've got a few magicians here that created something to counter the problem”

“And that is?” asked Alice.

“Navigation Rings,” said Alan.

“Never heard of that before,” said Zeke.

“They work like this,” explained Alan. “You press the fake gem on one of them and it shows a map in the air. Shows you where you are, what direction you're facing, and any living thing in the area. It helped save lives when we were attacked the first time, although it didn't detect the undead”

Everyone followed Alan to what looked like a dining room. It was quite elegant with cutlery made from precious metals, mainly silver. The plates were decorated with interesting patterns. This was obviously a perquisite for working in a mine of precious gems and metals.

“Interesting things you've got here,” said Zeke, impressed by the quality of the silverware.

“That's one benefit from working in a mine like this,” said Alan. “We have our own smelters and molds for things, so we can make whatever we want, even this weapon”

He pulled a curved sword from a weapon rack near a wall. It was a beautiful weapon; it was colored purple and had a serrated edge.

“Made this one last week,” said Alan.

“That's an interesting sword,” said Zeke, wishing he could wield it.

“This mountain's got more metals and gems than anyone can imagine. It used to be very busy, but the undead drove our competition away. While that's good for our income, the undead still pose a threat to us. In fact, I think we're the only group of miners who still work this mountain”

“So if we get rid of the undead, the competition will come back?” asked Alice.

“I'm afraid so,” said Alan.

“Unless you keep it a secret,” said Zeke.

“That's not as easy as you think,” said Alan.

As Zeke and the others were having a conversation about the mines and undead, two people came in, holding trays of food.

“Looks like we're having soup tonight,” said Alan. “The cooks here make really good soup”

The soup was made with vegetables, and some herbs. Zeke could not tell what herbs were used. There was also bread to go along with it.

Zeke began to feel awkward. He could not hold the spoon because of his paws, so he found another way to eat the soup, by holding the bowl. He liked it, though.

“Do you always have problems at dinnertime?” said Alice to Zeke.

“Sometimes,” said Zeke when he finished a mouthful. “Usually when it involves cutlery”

They enjoyed themselves thoroughly. After they were finished, they left the dining room and continued upstairs. They entered a large hallway, decorated with tapestries and a blue carpet in the middle of the floor. There were also electric lights in the hallway.

“These are the bedrooms,” said Alan. “Some of the miners are sleeping, so we shouldn't disturb them”
Are you two tired?”

“No, not really,” said Zeke.

“Neither am I,” said Alice.

“In that case, tell us when you're ready to start the mission, and we'll get started,” said Alan.

“Is there anything we should watch for besides the undead?” asked Zeke.

“I don't know,” replied Alan. “I haven't been down there in a while. Maybe you should talk with our Spy. He knows this place inside and out, down to the location of each of the undead and other things. Maybe the magicians can help too”

“Do you have any sort of communication devices?” asked Zeke.

“As in?” asked Alan.

“Something that two people use to talk to each other from long distances,” Zeke explained.

“Oh...we have something like that,” said Alan.

“Maybe the Spy can give us directions to places we need to go, or where the undead are,” said Zeke.

Suddenly, Zeke began to think that the mission was more complicated than it seemed.

“How many mines are there in the mountain?” asked Zeke.

“Five, last time I counted,” answered Alan.

“There has to be an easier way to get rid of the undead,” said Zeke, shocked at this fact.

“There might be, but from what I've heard, you'll have go somewhere quite far away from here,” said Alan, remembering something.

“Better than searching for every single super-zombie in the mines,” said Zeke, eager to find out what the other option was.

“All right, suit yourself,” said Alan. “Go speak with our Spy; he should be with the magicians. Want me to show you to them?”

“Sure,” said Zeke.

“Okay, follow me,” said Alan.

Everyone turned back the way they came until they found the dining room again. Alan went up the staircase that was on the left as soon as they came into the dining room. Everyone followed him until they came to three large hallways, each having a lot of doors inside. The halls were filled with odd noises, with most of them sounding like magic. There was also a strange ambient noise that seemed to echo in everyone's ears. The noise sounded like a contorted church bell. The sound also seemed to come from inside their heads, rather than from a distinct location.

“What's that noise?” asked Alice.

“Sounds like the magicians are working on something,” said the man with the hammer.

Zeke saw someone leave one of the rooms in the left hallway. The person in the hallway froze in position when she saw Zeke.

“It's all right Lauren, he's friendly,” shouted Alan.

More doors began to open upon hearing Alan's statement. Everyone was amazed at what they saw in the moonlight from a window. Zeke began to realize that the people in this world had never even seen a Pokemon before. He decided to dispel any suspicious thoughts by saying,

“We'd like to learn more about this mine, so that we can take care of the undead. Alan told us that there's another way to destroy them other than targeting them individually. He also told us that you might be able to help as well”

“I don't know who or what you are,” said one of the magicians, “but since you seem like you want to help, I'll see if the Spy is around”

The magician looked around for a second.

“Quince!” he shouted. “Quince, are you here?”

Someone appeared at the stairs that Zeke and the others walked up.

“Someone called?” asked a man in a black cloak.

“We have some visitors that would like to see you. It's about the undead,” the magician explained.

“Ah, yes...I believe your canine friend is leading the effort if I'm not mistaken. Zeke, I think his name is,” said Quince.

“I needn't ask how you know my name,” said Zeke. “Anyway, it's true, we plan to destroy the undead, but the problem is that according to Alan, there are five mines, a lot of undead, and what I have in this bag is all I have, weapon-wise. So we came to you guys for help. The way I see it, you've got the tools, and we've got the guts to do the job”

“All right,” said Quince. “What do you need as of right now?”

“A radio or a walkie-talkie,” said Zeke.

“A what?” asked Quince.

“Oops,” said Zeke, realizing that he was in the wrong time period to discuss radios. “What I meant to say was some sort of long-range communication devices. Small objects that two or more people carry so that they can talk to each other over long distances. That would be perfect, since this mine is big, and you know this place better than anyone else, am I right?”

“We have something like that,” said Quince. “And yes, your theory is a good one”

“Maybe you could give us advice, as well as instructions on where we need to go,” said Zeke.

“We also have some other things that might be of use to you,” said Quince. Zeke began to smile.

“Like what?” asked Zeke.

“A Threat Detector,” said Quince.

“How does it detect threats?” asked Zeke.

“It combines several factors to generate telepathic sounds to let you know what sort of environment and degree of danger you're in,” Quince explained.

And the conversation went on for another five minutes before Zeke and his friends were taken to various places to receive the items.

Zeke and his friends received the Threat Detector, which was a necklace with an emerald in the center. Zeke decided to wear it. Next was the Navigation Ring, which had a gold-silver alloy with a sapphire in the center. Alice was going to wear this. Also they were given a two-day supply of holy water to take care of any undead that caught sight of Zeke and his friends.

During the last five minutes of conversation between Zeke and Quince, they discovered their goal. Instead of fighting all the undead, they could find a specific book that was lost in the mines some time ago, during the first attack. It was in another mine, however, and getting there would not be easy.

After Zeke and his friends had reached the gate and opened it, Zeke said quietly,

“It's time to begin”

Zeke and his friends had left the safety of the rooms behind the metal gate, because their goal was to look for a specific book, which had been lost since the first attack of the undead. It seemed now that Zeke, Alice, and the man with the hammer, now depended on each other for survival in this mine. Now, the real Test of Courage was about to begin.

Zeke and Alice, while they were with Quince, were handed not just the Threat Detector and Navigation Ring, but were given other objects as well. Some of them were gadgets, some of them were spells that Zeke and Alice were taught, and others were compartments to Alice's wand and Zeke's staff.

At first, Zeke was a little uneasy at the spell-teaching part because he thought that he would have to say phrases to activate the spell, and he hated that. But fortunately, the spells that they were taught did not involve words, but instead, actions, mainly gestures and movements. Zeke and Alice also learned that in order to activate the spells as a beginner, they would need something that could channel magic. The staff and the wand were both very good with this. But to do it without a staff would require practice and skill.

Alice was given a bag of her own to carry her items in. She placed several scrolls inside, along with her gadgets. She also had a second wand which was to be used to help aim better with lightning spells and spells that travel in waves or novas. It was called, the Precision Wand. Her original wand now had a ring near the top, just below the orb. It was used to dispel enchantments. She also wore the Navigation Ring on her finger, while Zeke wore the Threat Detector around his neck. It was small enough that it did not touch his chest spike. The instant he put it on, everyone began to hear a strange humming noise. It was not the vocal humming noise; this sounded different.

Although Zeke could not interpret literature, he had a knack for interpreting sound. The noises that he heard suggested no imminent danger, but that there might be something in the distance to watch out for.

The other devices included Noisemakers, Light Bombs, Holy Water, a Quasi-Phone, and a Grapple Box. The Quasi-Phone was the communication device that Zeke named after its similarity to a phone in purpose. Of course, Zeke had to explain what a phone was before he could use the term.

With more equipment than they could have dreamed of, Zeke and his friends felt ready to take on the mission, and unknowingly, the Test of Courage. Zeke pulled the Quasi-Phone out of his bag spoke into it.

"Hey Quince," he said. "Which way is out? I heard there was more than one, but the only one I know has collapsed"

"Has it?" asked Quince with his voice coming out very clearly. "No worries, I know another way out. You know where the elevator is?"

"Yes, but two of the buttons are missing," answered Zeke.

"Does that include the top button?" asked Quince.

"I don't think so," replied Zeke. "I think the first and third of the buttons were missing."

"Go to the elevator and press the top button," said Quince. "It doesn't matter what floor you're on"

"Alice," said Zeke. "Wait...never mind"

"What?" asked Alice.

"I was going to ask you to show the map, but I realized that Quince can't see it," Zeke explained.

"Beware of the surroundings," said Quince. "The zombies aren't the only things to watch out for"

"Oh boy," said Zeke. "And those other things are?"

"My routine sneaking and snooping around has revealed that the mine you have to go to for the book...is unstable," Quince explained.

"You mean there's earthquakes?" asked Zeke.

"Correct," said Quince. "Enough to make you fall over. My suggestion is that when a quake starts, don't look for cover. Stay still so that you're less likely to fall over, or lie down if you can. The good thing about it is that the quakes are minor, and should not cause the mine to collapse. But the bad thing is that this will agitate the undead"

"Thanks for the tip," said Zeke. "We're going to move now...ready, you two?"

Alice and the hammer man both nodded.

"Right, before we move, I want to know your name, so that we can remember," said Zeke.

"Cedric," said the hammer man.

"Okay...here we go," said Zeke.

And with that statement, Zeke and the others walked slowly through the passageway that they used when the wild zombie was chasing Zeke and Alice. They backtracked to the elevator, and that was where they began to hear the Threat Detector making creepy noises. Something was nearby, and Zeke and Alice already had an idea as to what it was.

The all-too-familiar crazed noises started again.

"It's the grandpa zombie," said Zeke, taking the zombie's aged appearance into account. Zeke took out a scroll that was named 'Extinguish', and a bottle of holy water. He unscrewed the lid, poured a small amount on the scroll, and watched the scroll glow, showing that it was ready to be used. The zombie heard the noises that the holy water made, and attempted an assault on Zeke. It was not even close when Zeke launched the first holy water bolt at the zombie. The zombie made noises as the holy water hit him. A cloud of steam rose from the zombie, but it looked to be that one bolt was not enough to destroy the zombie. Zeke launched another bolt; this time making the zombie fall to the ground.

"Everyone on the elevator, now," said Zeke, rather quietly.

Everyone ran to the elevator, with Cedric pressing the top button. The elevator noisily worked its way up to the top level, scaring everyone a bit. When they reached the top, they were faced with three directions. The center path had a faint light coming through it, which lifted everyone's spirits.

"This way," said Zeke.

"Fresh air would be good," added Alice, as they walked outside.

Fortunately, there was no horrific, dizzying, vertigo scene to make everyone nervous. Instead, there was a winding path that lead all the way to the base of the mountain. When Zeke compared the height of the mountain to the mine, he was glad he chose the option he had now, which was to find the book.

The sky was beautiful, with a full moon to the left, and a massive chunk of mountainous terrain to the right. Zeke decided to ask for directions from Quince. He pulled out the Quasi-Phone,

"All right Quince, we're outside," he said. "We just left the elevator and took care of the grandpa zombie that attacked us. No one was hurt. So, where do we go now?"

"There should be three paths that converge into one single path. Do you see them?"

"Yes," Zeke responded.

"All right," said Quince. "You have to go into the place where the three paths lead. The mine we're looking for is on the left, once you go inside."

"Got it," said Zeke. "Anything particularly dangerous?"

"Yes," said Quince. "The zombies, I think you can take care of. But there is another problem. The book is guarded by different types of undead."

"What kinds of undead?" asked Zeke.

"Zombies, skeletons, liches, and ghosts," replied Quince.

Alice began to nervously tap her fingers together.

"We already know what the zombies can do," said Zeke. "But tell us about the other kinds of undead"

"All right," said Quince. "The skeletons are basically guards. They carry weapons like swords, bows, and things like that. They are smart, follow their own patrol routes, and can summon their friends. Yes, the undead are friends with each other. The ghosts can't walk through walls, but they can float. Some are harmless, while others are hostile. The liches, oh you'll love these, can cast spells just as you can. They have experience, so caution is advised when you see them. It would be best not to fight one because of their capabilities"

"Thanks for the info," said Zeke.

"Once you're in the mine with the book, you're on you're own. I couldn't get very close to the book because of the undead," said Quince.

"Okay," said Zeke. "We'll see if we can cope on our own. Thank you and we hope to see you in an hour or two"

"No problem," said Quince. "But remember, fighting the undead should be a last resort. Use stealth if you can"

Zeke put the Quasi-Phone back in his bag, and together, they walked down the mountain trail and eventually stopped at the mine entrance. Zeke breathed in deeply before going inside. Zeke, Alice, and Cedric will have to rely on each other to survive in this mine. Who knows what might be inside other than the undead mentioned? All that was about to reveal itself, as Zeke and the others entered the mine.

Zeke and his friends were about to enter the mine through the entrance that converged three paths, that ran to separate mines. Their goal was the book, but they knew by now, it would not be easy to retrieve. After the warnings about the undead in the mine, the time had come to see if Zeke and his friends can survive what lurks within.

Meanwhile, Zeke was having trouble solving an inconsistency. It involved the elevator.

"Cedric?" asked Zeke. "Did we use a second elevator when we went to the top floor? I could have sworn that we pressed the exact same button if we didn't"

"Yes, we did," replied Cedric. "We used the emergency one, as from what I've heard, the other one's damaged"

"Oh...okay," said Zeke.

And with that problem solved, Zeke and his friends entered the mine, and the minute they did, they began to hear noises. Noises that only the Threat Detector would make. It sounded like rumbling intermingled with rattling chains. It gave the message that there were dangerous enemies in the mine, and a good number of them as well.

As Zeke and his friends reached the end of the entrance, something quite frightening happened. The gate at the entrance began to close. Zeke was not concerned though.

"Don't worry...for every gate, there's a lever that opens it somewhere," he said. Then he realized that he was talking out loud and pulled out the Telepathy scroll. He opened it, followed the instructions, and talked to the others, using telepathy.

"Let's try to talk to each other through our minds. We don't want to attract attention, especially in a place like this," he said.

He noticed that the number on the Telepathy scroll when he first found it was twenty-five. Now it was twenty-three. He began to understand how the numbers on each scroll work. The numbers indicated how many times the scroll could be activated, before it became useless.

Somehow, Zeke was beginning to feel good about the situation that he and the others was in. Although he knew that the mine was dangerous, he did not see the real meaning behind the danger. Alice and Cedric did not catch on to this fact, until Zeke said,

"This is kind of exciting, don't you think?"

"Exciting?" asked Alice, surprised by Zeke's question. "You worry me sometimes, Zeke."

Zeke and his friends came to a halt as they were faced with two different paths. One that wandered off to the left, and another to the right. Zeke chose the one on the right. He did not know why.

"Since this mine has been used before, and since the book is in this mine," said Zeke. "Why don't we look...ah, hey!"

He broke out of telepathy as the floor seemed to neatly collapse around him. Zeke fell through a trap door.

"Zeke!" shouted Alice.

"That's not fair!" shouted Zeke as a last comment before fading in the distance. The surprising thing was that it did not seem like an instant end for Zeke by plummeting to the ground, but instead he seemed to be sliding diagonally downwards. Still, the sudden separation of Zeke from the others was shocking, especially to Alice.

"We've got to find Zeke, wherever he's landed!" shouted Alice. "We've got plenty of equipment, so let's not waste time!"

"Where do we go now?" asked Cedric.

"Over the trap door," responded Alice. "That's the direction Zeke is heading"

"All right, let's go!" said Cedric.

And they ran down the hallway, looking for Zeke's landing place.

Meanwhile, Zeke had no idea where he had landed, but he felt dizzy after falling through the trap door. He could see nothing but the ending point of the trap door, iron bars, and the fact that he was suspended in the air. He was in a cage, and was just about to try and climb back up the slide in the trap door, when the cage began to lower itself. Suddenly, everything began to light up. What Zeke saw next, surprised him.

Zeke saw a large room, lit up with electric lights. It was densely populated with undead, who were talking and socializing with each other. All faces turned to Zeke. One of the skeletons in the room spoke to Zeke,

"Look what we've got here," he said. "Lower the cage!"

Once the cage was lowered to the ground, everyone came closer to Zeke, with the skeleton who spoke to him making his way through the crowd. He was wearing a suit of chainmail with a breastplate. The chain was worn much like a robe. The skeleton was also carrying a staff with a red orb at the end.

"My, my...I don't think anyone in the world has seen an animal like this before," said the skeleton.

"Actually there are a few that have," said Zeke, suddenly thinking of an idea. The idea involved talking to the undead to see if they can make some sort of deal to let Zeke go free. Zeke always knew he would never do something bad on purpose, so he brainstormed for ideas.

"It can talk too," said the skeleton. "Who are you...what are you...how did you get here?"

"To make a long story short, my name is Zeke, I'm a Lucario, and I got here by falling through a trap door. Why did you block up the right entrance hallway with a trap door? Don't you use it anymore?"

"We never used it," replied the skeleton. "We wanted to catch intruders like you before they do something dreadful"

Zeke began to feel awkward. He was faced with a difficult decision. Tell the truth and possibly cost him his life? Or lie and save himself from death, but tarnish his honesty. Zeke weighed the two choices, and seeing as the undead can talk and do not seem like the traditional, aggressive, mindless beings that other people learn from books, he came to a decision. He was going to tell the truth, but seeing the delicate situation he was in, he knew it was not going to be easy.

"Okay, I'm going to be honest," said Zeke. "I'm looking for a book that was lost in here when you guys supposedly attacked the miners"

"All right, I'm going to be honest too," said the skeleton. "We destroyed it, and also, we didn't attack the miners. It was the exact opposite."

"I'm not going to ask why you destroyed the book," said Zeke. "But there's one thing that puzzles me. I think that all this fighting could have been prevented if all of you spoke when you met the miners first saw you. I think they were only trying to protect themselves, but from what I can tell now, it spiraled out of control"

"Only, we didn't attack them first," said the skeleton. The undead in the other mine must have done that"

"So there are two groups of undead in the mountain...one that is savage, and the other, I can actually have a conversation with?"

"Seems so," said the skeleton. "Listen...will you do us all a favor?"

"That depends...will it involve attacking the miners?" asked Zeke, seeking a simple answer.

"No...in fact we need help from the miners to pull this one off, but I fear that they will attack us because we're undead ourselves," replied the skeleton.

"I can fix that problem...but how can we tell you guys apart from the savage undead?" asked Zeke.

"We have glowing eyes," responded the skeleton. "The others don't. Please be sure to tell the miners that"

"Don't worry, I will," said Zeke.

"Why don't we see the miners and introduce ourselves?" asked the skeleton. "Maybe then we can discuss the first phase of our plan, once the miners get to know us"

"But first, we have to find my friends. One of them is a teenage girl, and another is a miner. You'll have to tell them that you and your people are not savages. Be careful though, they're heavily armed and alert. Stick with me because once they see me with you, they will think twice before attacking"

"All right," said the skeleton. "That sounds like a good idea"

He then turned to the crowd.

"Everyone, listen! We are going to attempt an offensive on the enemy undead, but we'll need the miners' help with this one. Treat them as you wish to be treated. Do not attack them, or do anything that will cause tensions between us and them. I will be back in a while. And another thing...there are two others in this mine, one of them a teenage girl, and another is a miner. Tell the guards to watch for them, and if they see you or you see them, tell them that Zeke has spoken with us and that we wish to help the miners. I really think we have a chance this time, now that Zeke is with us"

Everyone in the room then started to move about, searching the hallways for guards to inform.

"Right," said Zeke. "I can still talk to the miners from here...with this thing"

Zeke pulled the Quasi-Phone out of his bag and spoke into it,

"Quince, you there?" he asked.

"I'm still here," Quince responded. "And I heard the whole conversation between you and your new friend. I'll be sure to tell everyone the good news."

"Great," said Zeke. "Let's go"

As Zeke and the skeleton left the room, both of them had something else to say. Zeke began first,

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Devlin," said the skeleton.

At the moment, Zeke and Devlin were at the entrance of a long hallway. Then they heard distant voices that seemed to be coming closer. Zeke recognized them immediately.

"That's Alice and Cedric," he said. "This is it, Devlin. Stay with me in case they haven't heard from you yet"

"Is that you, Zeke?" asked Alice.

"Yes it is, and I've got someone with me," replied Zeke, trying to be tactful.

"Is it Devlin?" asked Alice.

Zeke was relieved that they knew about Devlin.

"Yes it is," said Devlin. "Now that we've found you two, we can head to the miners' camp and remove all doubts about us"

"Great," said Alice. "Let's get moving"

Before they were about to leave, a skeleton with a suit of armor came into view. He caught sight of Alice and Cedric and disappeared, telling others that Zeke and Devlin had found Alice and Cedric.

Zeke and the others walked out of the mountain and into the path that now split into three directions. They followed the one on the left, admiring the scenery and the mysterious music that the Threat Detector was playing. It did not sound threatening or ominous in any way. Then, they entered the passage leading to the elevator, took the elevator down to the floor at the start of the mission. It did not take long for them to find their way back to the living complex. There were several miners there waiting for them. Among them was Quince.

"Greetings, Devlin," said Quince. "We've been expecting you"

"I should think so. Now, where can you take me so that I can formally introduce ourselves to you?"

"In the dining room, I think," said one of the miners. "Follow me"

Everyone followed the miner to the dining room, where Cedric and Quince introduced themselves, and after a while, discussed their plans for the offensive against the savage undead. Meanwhile, Zeke and Alice were having a conversation of their own. Alice already knew Zeke's backstory, so she explained her's.

Alice came from a town that was close to the mine. Her house was old, but well-maintained. Her father was the owner of an inn that was quite popular. Her mother had equal responsibilities with the inn as well. Alice always appreciated nature and she liked animals, and even ventured into the forest quite a few times. For some reason, whenever she saw a wild animal in the forest, like a wolf, the wolf would not attack her. She had something about her that convinced the animals in the forest that she was not a threat to their safety, so they just continued on, sometimes approached her, and sometimes even befriended her.

When Alice told her parents that she had a "special relationship" with the animals in the forest, her parents cautioned her about the dangers of the forest. But one night, Alice's parents hid behind a bush and watched to see what would happen to Alice when an animal approached her. And as expected, the bear that she saw that night acted friendly, with no hostile feelings at all. Her parents were amazed at this, but still decided to remain silent and hidden, just in case.

Zeke was fascinated by this story, and by the time Alice had finished, Cedric tried to recieve their attention.

"Zeke, Alice...listen. Thanks for your help. We now have the forces to drive the savages out of the mine and the mountain. We couldn't have done it without someone like you. Someone who has the guts to pull something like this. As a reward, you two can keep the equipment I gave you"

Quince gave Alice the other part to the Quasi-Phone.

"We'll put it to good use, don't you worry," said Alice. She then realized that her mother had wanted her to return home by midnight. "But now, I have to go home. I hope the offensive goes well. Thanks for the gadgets and spells. Zeke, are you coming with me?"

Zeke saw no reason to refuse.

"Okay, I'll come," he said.

Zeke and Alice made their way out of the living complex, into the mines, all the way to the elevator, up to the exit that they both used when they were looking for the book, and out. Once again, they saw beautiful scenery, but this time, the moon had changed position in the sky. It was getting very late.

They slowly made their way down the mountain, enjoying the cool air that was present. By the time the reached the bottom and a short distance away from the mountain, a blue oval of energy opened up. Alice was shocked.

"What's that thing?" she asked.

"That must be the same portal I entered when I first came to the mountain," said Zeke. "This may be my only chance to get to my home, but I don't want to leave you, you've been a good friend"

"I wonder if this is a two-way portal," said Alice. "If so, then I can come with you. Even if it's one-way, another will open up eventually if another one has already appeared. I don't want to leave you either. In fact, I'm coming with you"

"All right, prepare yourself," said Zeke. "On the other end lies the world of Pokemon"

They walked into the portal, closing it behind them. They had made it through the Test of Courage. But instead of going to the world of Pokemon, the portal took them somewhere else. Someplace where it would take more than courage to escape. Now, the Test of Resourcefulness was about to begin.

The only kind of theft I would do (apart from food). I'm glad you didn't mistake me for anyone else, though.

The portal that was supposed to take Zeke and Alice to the world of Pokemon, deposited them inside a massive, dimly-lit room that was made entirely of stone. Zeke was shocked at the result.

"This isn't the world of Pokemon," he said.

Alice began to show a nervous look on her face.

"Zeke...I know this place," she said. "I've heard rumors and read books about this building"

"And?" asked Zeke.

"This place was abandoned for some reason," responded Alice. "Something to do with a nasty discovery"

The room that they were in had only one stained-glass window with moonlight shining through it. There was an eerie silence that intimidated Alice. Then, Zeke and Alice heard pattering noises. They seemed to be coming from the far right corner of the room, hidden by the darkness.

Zeke put his paw on his mouth and quickly moved it across, implying silence. Zeke and Alice gradually approached the location of the noise until they heard breathing noises. Whatever was making those noises had to be small. Alice's heart began to pound. Zeke's eyes were fixed on the dark corner. Then he took another small step forward. Something darted across the room.

Zeke had just enough time to take a glance at the figure. It was quite small, and had a familiar color and tail shape.

"Was that a Pikachu?" Zeke spoke, quietly.

"A what?" asked Alice.

"That's a Pokemon, like me," said Zeke. "The Threat Detector isn't making any noises, so we can only assume, it's not a threat. Just don't do anything to make it attack"

"Well, since you're a Pokemon, and you can talk, why not try speaking with it? Let it know that we don't mean any harm," asked Alice.

"I'll try," said Zeke. "Hey, you over there! You can come out now. We're not going to hurt you"

"You're not?" asked the figure.

"Course not," said Zeke, relieved that the figure can talk. "Why would we?"

"I don't know," said the figure. "I can't trust anything in this place"

The figure stepped forward, and was indeed, as Zeke suggested, a Pikachu.

"So glad that we're not the only ones in here," said Alice.

"I couldn't agree more," said Pikachu. "How did you two get here in an instant?"

"By chance," said Zeke. "We entered a portal, hoping to go home, and suddenly, we're now trapped in this miserable place. By the way, what's your name?"

"Samuel," said Pikachu. "I was trying to open that gate when you two came in. I can't open it. But I did find something"

"What did you find?" asked Alice.

"A lever, next to the gate," said Samuel. "But I can't pull it...I'm too small"

"In that case, I'll open it," said Zeke. "Shouldn't be too hard to pull"

"Wrong," said Samuel. "It's rusty, and from what I can tell, it's stuck"

Zeke thought for a moment. He figured that he could use his staff to force the lever down, but he feared that the staff would bend or even snap. So he decided to use the force from a projectile instead.

"I have an idea...Alice, I'll need to climb on your shoulders," he said.

"You're not going to try the window are you?" asked Alice.

"No," replied Zeke. "We're going to force the gate open...with this"

He pulled out a scroll, held it under the light of the window, which made the words "Hypervelocity Bolt" visible.

Alice nodded. She turned her back towards Zeke and crouched. Zeke climbed on her back and onto her shoulders. Zeke was not too heavy, and she could move around quite easily. Then Zeke realized that it would be difficult to hit the lever in the dark.

"Alice, can you make your wand glow?" he asked.

"Yes," said Alice, remembering a wizard's trick from the magicians back in the mine. She put her hand on the orb of her wand, and it began to glow a bluish color. The lever was clearly visible. Alice walked over to the lever, with Zeke on her shoulders. Zeke unrolled the scroll, touched the writing, made the required movements, and shot a fast-moving projectile at the lever. It was colored blue with a purple trail, and made a strange noise when it was fired. The magical bolt hit the lever with a small explosion, forcing it downwards. The gate then began to move upwards.

"Great," said Samuel. "Now how do we find a way out of this place?"

Alice pressed the button on the Navigation Ring. A map appeared, showing where everyone was as little green blips. But then they saw something quite disturbing. There was a red blip at the very top of the map area. Something was nearby. Then everyone began to hear ominous music, coming from the Threat Detector. A lone guitar-like instrument gave the impression that something bad was about to happen.

"I hope you're ready for a possible encounter, Samuel," said Zeke.

"Why?" asked Samuel.

"See this?" asked Zeke, pointing to the red blip. "What does that mean?"

"Something bad," replied Samuel.

"Let's see if we can avoid this thing. If not, then we'll have to face it," said Zeke.

Alice pressed the Navigation Ring again, and the map disappeared.

Everyone crept out of the room with the gate, and into a long, wide hallway with stairs blocking the view. This made everyone especially nervous because the red blip was directly in front of the direction they were facing. Eventually, everyone saw a suit of armor, holding a poleaxe. It did not look tarnished at all, which made everyone aware that the suit of armor could be the red blip.

"It can't be that thing, can it?" asked Alice, pointing to the suit of armor.

Suddenly, the Threat Detector made everyone afraid by stopping the music that was playing, and playing a stringed instument that grew louder until a skidding noise stopped it. After a moment, the suit of armor began to move. Everyone began to step back, with Zeke and Alice readying their weapons and scrolls. Then they followed the instuctions on the scrolls, and readied themselves for combat.

The suit of armor caught sight of Zeke and the others and began to run towards them with alarming speed. Zeke launched a Hypervelocity Bolt from his paw, denting the armor and knocking the enemy backwards, while Alice began shooting blue energy from her wand, with Samuel dealing the final blow with an electric attack. The suit of armor collapsed and crumbled to dust.

"Okay," said Zeke. "The place is haunted as well"

"There's another thing I found out about this place," said Samuel. "This castle might be sentient"

"How do you know that?" asked Zeke.

"Strange noises, locked doors, that suit of armor that we just defeated. Those should give you all the proof you need"

"I don't think we can take on every single thing in the castle, considering we know nothing of what's in it," said Alice. "Let's try to find hiding places instead, because you never know, we might be surrounded or outnumbered if we try an assault"

"Okay, we'll try that," said Zeke. "Alice, try to refrain from using that ring of yours. We don't want creeps and ghosts knowing where we are"

"So how will we get around?" asked Alice.

"We'll just have to find a regular map," responded Zeke. "If the maps here are old and crumbling at the edges, then we'll consider using yours"

"If we're going to play hide-and-seek with these guys, we'll need a room with lots of good hiding places," said Samuel.

"I read that just about every castle has a library, a storeroom, a wine cellar, and maybe some sort of attic,"

"I hope there's more than just that if we get caught," said Zeke.

"You want to know two other things about this place?" asked Alice.

"Go on," answered Zeke.

"One, the undead can't hear telepathy unless they know it too," explained Alice. "And two, in the case of haunted places, I read that if something is controlling an entire building, it can't directly influence the building's structure that much. It can lock doors, like Samuel said, and it can hurl small objects, maybe even animate things like suits of armor, but it can't hurl furniture, change the room's shape, or anything like that,"

"Good to know," said Zeke. "Now let's get moving before this place directly influences something near us"

But now, there was a fork in the hallway. Zeke and the others had to choose a path. But due to the recent armored suit problem, finding a way out of this gloomy castle could prove to be quite complicated. The only map they had of it could put them in jeopardy if used. But what was just around the corner of their choice, could give escape a real chance.

Zeke and the others now had a choice to make. Both of the paths in the hallway seemed equally unpleasant. However, Zeke and the others had no real reason to think about choosing a certain path, because they had no knowledge of what lied in either. So they settled for eeny-meeny-miney-mo. They chose the path on the right.

Zeke and the others crept around the corner and came to an unusual door. It had a keyhole, but there was a button next to the door, instead of a handle. Zeke pressed the button, and the door slid inside a slot in the wall.

"Interesting..." said Zeke.

They crept down a staircase and into a large room with a smaller room in the middle. Books were found everywhere.

"This looks like a library," said Alice, quietly. "Some of them have secret rooms to hide things that certain people shouldn't lay their hands on"

"In that case, why don't we see if there's a secret?" asked Samuel.

"We'll do that," answered Alice. "Look for a crack in the wall. Not a real crack, just a line in the wall"

Everyone searched the room until Samuel found some oddly-proportioned bricks in the wall.

"I found something," he said.

"Good," said Alice. "Now since most secret walls are activated by some sort of mechanism, look for a book that's on the closest bookcase. It should be out of childrens' reach...aha"

She found a book with pages that did not seem to be made of paper or parchment. She pulled the book, and indeed, the wall opened. There were two mechanisms on both sides of the false book. Inside was so dark that even Zeke had a hard time seeing what was in it. Alice put her hand on the orb of her wand and made it glow.

Inside was a table, with an inkwell, a note, and a wastebasket on the floor. A miniature lever was located on the wall, next to the entrance. A beautifully crafted chest was in a corner, with a suspiciously placed stone face above it. It's mouth was hollow and open.

"Wait," said Zeke. "It's probably a trap"

He pointed his staff at the chest and waved it about. A small, magical bolt shot out of the mouth of the stone face and hit the floor. Fortunately, it did not make a lot of noise. Alice grabbed the chest and placed it out of harm's way. Inside, she found a few scrolls, with one of them reading "Unlock", and another reading "Purify". She opened the Purify scroll, curious to see what it was for.

The scroll was made to purify the air, removing things like miasma and other dangerous atmospheric things. Alice wondered if this could be the reason why the castle was abandoned. A very nasty smell, or perhaps something worse. She rolled the scroll back up and placed it in her bag, along with the others. Then she turned her head towards the note on the desk. The note read:

"If you discover this note, read carefully. You are in a very delicate situation right now. You can't use the front gate or the back door to escape. Both of them have been sealed to contain the evil within. Something, a mysterious force, has taken control of the castle itself. Beware, the building is sentient, meaning it has a mind of its own. The walls really have eyes. Even now the castle knows you are inside it. Take the scrolls that are inside the chest, but be careful about the stone face, it's trapped. Open it from the side, instead. Once you have the scrolls, make your way to the storage room at the top of the castle. I've hidden the next letter there to prevent the undead from seeing it. It's underneath one of the beds. The building can't read, so you don't have to worry about it knowing what you're up to. Beware the undead that roam around the castle. Use stealth, rather than combat. It's much safer that way.

Good luck with your escape, if you so choose.

Sincerely,
A survivor"

The minute that everyone finished reading the note, they heard breathing noises. Creepy, ghostly breathing noises, coming from the Threat Detector. Everyone turned around, and to their horror, they saw a hooded, black, shadowy figure hovering towards the room that they were in. Everyone rushed out, but it seemed that the figure would strike with magic before Zeke and Alice had time to prepare for combat.

But Samuel attacked the figure first, with electricity, stunning it and giving Zeke enough time to launch a green energy pulse from the tip of his emerald staff. The figure tried to dodge Zeke's attack, but the green energy moved too quickly, and knocked it to the floor. Alice launched a red, laser-like beam at the figure, making it collapse and crumble to dust, like the suit of armor did.

"This place gives me the creeps," Samuel remarked.

"At least we know where we have to go," said Zeke.

They made their way up the staircase and into the hallway. Then they proceeded to the right and entered a room that was square in shape with a staircase leading up. Then, they traveled upwards into what looked like a storage room. There was yet another staircase leading upwards, but first, they decided to search the room they were in for more items that they could use.

They began by searching the pile of crates that was in a corner. They found nothing useful, mainly furniture, until they came to a small crate at the end. It had a label that read "Speed Potion". Inside was a highly-decorated green bottle. Zeke stared at it in fascination until Alice put it inside her bag.

Samuel did not like the silence of the room they were in, so he decided to start a conversation to calm his nerves.

"You're pretty tall for a Lucario," he said rather quietly. "What happened?"

"Must have been that Ditto I saw years ago," answered Zeke. "I was once a human"

"In that case, you're not the only one who's been turned into a Pokemon," said Samuel. "I saw someone last week who was wandering into a forest one night. He was hit by some kind of energy wave and fell asleep. When he woke up, he was a Ninetales"

There was a brief pause, then Zeke looked puzzled.

"Hang on, this doesn't make any sense," he said. "I'm guessing that you've been a Pokemon all your life, but you can talk. You know any other Pokemon who learned to speak English?"

"It's amazing what one trainer and one Pokemon can do," explained Samuel. "Ever since one trainer taught his Charmander how to speak English, the word got out, Charmander started teaching other Pokemon English, and eventually, the language was passed on to wild Pokemon. Now you can hear talking in the forest, which is kind of neat. As for me, I picked up English from my parents."

Meanwhile, Alice was staring in disbelief. She could not believe what she was hearing. She wanted to go to the world of Pokemon, but first, she would have to convince her parents that she should go, if she ever had the chance. But still, she decided to keep quiet to avoid bringing up a subject that would likely last a very long time, long enough for anything to happen in the castle. But now she was caught between two choices, let them talk more about the mysterious world of Pokemon, or alert them to the seriousness of their situation.

"That explains a lot, but I need to know something else," said Zeke. "Where did the energy wave come from, and was it multi-colored?"

"I think it was a Ditto," said Samuel.

"That might have been the same Ditto that turned me into a Lucario," said Zeke.

"Is it?" asked Samuel.

"Could be," responded Zeke.

"Must have some kind of weird power or something," said Samuel.

"I guess so," said Zeke as he turned his head towards the staircase. "Now for the storeroom"

They traveled up the staircase, leading to the storeroom, and went inside. Just as the note mentioned, there were beds in it.

"Okay," said Samuel. "Now which bed is the note under?"

"There's only one way to find out," said Alice. "Hey, Samuel, you're smaller than us, can you crawl under there?"

"I think so," replied Samuel. He went under one bed and found nothing. He looked under another and found a note. He held it in his mouth and crawled out from under the bed. Zeke then took the note. It read:

"If you haven't seen the note down in the secret room in the library, you should go there and read it before you read this one. If you have, then read carefully. Over on the other side of the castle, there is another note, but don't go yet. The only way to get there is through a room full of traps. The only alternate way to get there was through a passageway, protected by a gate, but that has been sealed. Once you get to the trapped hallway, I've left the answer to a dangerous puzzle in a jar. Study it before you go any further; it could save your life. There should be a map and compass around the storeroom somewhere that shows the location. The place you have to go should read 'Hall of Traps'. As I mentioned before, there is another note at the other side of the castle, in the cellar. Look in one of the empty barrels.

Good luck with your escape, if you so choose.

Sincerely,
A survivor"

Alice put the note back under the bed and turned to Zeke.

"The note said that there's a map somewhere in this room," she said.

"I think I see it," said Zeke. "Over there"

He pointed to the rectangular object at the back of the room, that was hanging from the wall. Zeke took a closer look, and what he saw was indeed, a map. He took it off the wall and held it under the moonlight from the window. The map was old, but still usable. He saw the room where everyone needed to go.

Samuel found an old compass on the floor, next to a crate. Surprisingly, it was still in good condition.

"You'll probably need this too," he said.

"Okay," began Zeke. "We have to go back the way we came, into the hallway and make a left. Then we have to go through a few rooms and hallways until we come to a gate. Then we'll know if we made it to the 'Hall of Traps'"

Zeke and his friends exited the storeroom, walked past the library, and entered the hallway where they saw the suit of armor. The next note lied beyond the hallway to the left. Could this be the way out of the castle?

Everything seemed to be going very well, until the Threat Detector made an eerie noise that lowered in pitch.

Zeke and his friends left the storeroom that had the second note. It seemed that their lives now depend on the notes that are scattered around the castle. Although they had somewhere to go, they had not thought of a plan yet. Now, they were in the hallway where they saw the suit of armor.

The Threat Detector made a noise that suggested something was wrong. It was a strange, indescribable noise that descended in pitch. Something was nearby.

“Quick everyone, hide behind those crates,” whispered Zeke.

He was referring to the pile of crates in the room below the first storeroom. They ran to the crates, with Alice trying to make her footsteps as quiet as possible. Everyone peeked from behind the crates, and eventually saw an armored figure, standing in the middle of the hallway. It was too far away for anyone to take a guess on what it was. But then the figure began to move directly in the direction Zeke and the others were. Everyone ducked back into the crates and watched from an opening between two large crates. Then they heard footsteps, and the rattling noises that come from chain mail. Samuel watched in fear as the figure came closer. Zeke pulled the Contorted Blast scroll out of his bag, just in case. All eyes were focused on the figure. The shocking truth was that the figure was a skeleton in a suit of armor, holding a sword. It looked to be something like a castle guard in uniform.

All was quiet, and nobody dared to move. They knew that even the slightest movement or sound can cause the skeleton to investigate. Even the fact that Samuel was about to sneeze. The dust that was accumulating in the air, was beginning to irritate his nose. Zeke was worried about this, so he shook his head at Samuel, hoping that he would try to control it, just until the skeleton walked away. But it was too late. Samuel felt a tickling sensation in his nose, and after a moment, it happened.

Samuel sneezed, and not only that, he alerted the skeleton to everyone's presence. The skeleton turned its head to the pile of crates that Zeke and the others were hiding in. It then began to walk slowly towards them, keeping its sword ready. Zeke was beginning to sweat, given how close and unpredictable the skeleton was.

Suddenly, the skeleton saw where everyone was hiding, raised its sword, and tried to hit Alice. Fortunately, it missed, but not by much. Everyone picked themselves up and darted for the hallway. Zeke put his paw on the scroll he pulled out a short while ago, made the required movements, and launched a violet, swirling, cone-shaped projectile at the skeleton. It was a direct hit that knocked the skeleton on its back. Samuel attacked it with electricity, but seeing as skeletons are nothing but bones, it did not affect it at all. The skeleton got back up on its feet and tried to stab Zeke with its sword. But Zeke made a clever maneuver. As soon as the skeleton came close, Zeke deflected the sword with his staff, and kicked the skeleton with enough force that it fell on its back. Alice seized the sword the skeleton was holding, and threw it out of reach. Zeke put his foot on the skeleton, pinning it to the floor. Alice pulled a scroll out of her bag, made the required movements, and shot a beam of energy that delivered the final blow. But this time, the skeleton did not crumble to dust. It just lied there, motionless.

Alice realized something about the undead, faced so far in this castle. Not one of them made any noises at all. They were all silent, even as they were defeated. Suddenly, the skeleton vanished from view. Everyone was surprised at this.

“I guess this castle really is sentient,” said Alice.

“Must be,” replied Zeke. “How else can the undead just vanish from view like that?”

“I don't know,” said Alice. “But let's get going before more of them come this way,”

“Hopefully it won't be as dusty there as it was here,” said Samuel.

They walked through the left passage in the hallway, where the suit of armor was. As they made their way through the hallway, the Threat Detector began to play music. It had a rather melancholy mood to it. The music also began to make the castle appear even gloomier than it was before. Cobwebs were found in numerous places. Dust had collected in areas like bookcases, shelves, and several other pieces of furniture. The castle had very little light, but everyone could see quite clearly for some reason. Surprisingly, the castle seemed to be in good condition. It was structurally sound, which meant that it did not seem like it was going to collapse anytime soon. Zeke was enjoying the music that was playing. This was evident by the faint smile on his face.

They walked past the Study, into another hallway, up a staircase, and turned right. Then they came to another hallway, turned left in the middle of it, and beyond that hallway was a door. But the door was locked, and they had no key. But Alice had a trick up her sleeve. She remembered the Unlock scroll she found earlier, pulled it out of her bag, made the required movements, and put her hand on the door handle. It began to glow a yellowish color. Then everyone heard a click, which meant the door had been unlocked.

Alice opened the door, and the first thing everyone came across, was a 3-way intersection. On the left was the gate, mentioned in the second note, and on the right was a passage. Everyone walked through the passage until they could not see where they were going. Alice then put her hand on the orb of her wand, and made it glow. Everyone could see a large room, with something frightening hanging from the ceiling, with the Threat Detector making noises again.

The things that were hanging from the ceiling were enormous, spiked metal balls that looked as if the chains supporting them, could snap at any minute. They came in various sizes, but they all looked fatal. Then Zeke looked down and noticed a peculiar floor. Every inch of floor looked like pressure plates.

“This must be the Hall of Traps,” said Zeke. “Don't move a muscle”

He began searching the area around him for the solution to this obstacle. He found a jar next to one of the support beams. It contained a note, so Zeke opened the jar, pulled the note out, and studied it. It was a puzzle. It showed two different types of symbols. The symbols that Zeke was interested in, were all connected in the form of a snake-like pattern. He decided to give the mysterious note to Alice. Zeke already knew his answer to the puzzle; the Levitation scroll he was carrying. He could not hold Alice while he was floating; the added weight might cause Zeke to land somewhere unpleasant, and cause a horrible accident. He pulled it out of his bag, put his paw on the center, slowly raised his arms, and began to float in the air.

Zeke floated over to the other side of the room, to safety. Alice was next, but she had an idea. She could use the Grapple Box to launch a small but extremely durable hook, and make it to the other side, but then she realized that all that was in this room was stone and metal. So she studied the scroll for a moment and decided, that she was going to attempt the puzzle.

“Samuel...,” said Alice.

“Yes?” responded Samuel.

“I don't know what will happen if we both walk on different tiles,” said Alice. “You'll have to get on my shoulder.”

“Okay,” said Samuel.

Alice bent down on her knees, and Samuel jumped on her back and climbed on her shoulder. Alice took a deep breath, and stepped on the first tile. It was pressed downwards, and back up again as Alice stepped on another tile. Nothing happened so far. Alice slowly followed the note, counting her steps in her head. She gained confidence as she solved the puzzle, but not allowing her triumph to make her lose count.

She had made it to the other side of the room, with Samuel on her shoulder. They had not been crushed flat by the huge spiked balls. However, the traps were not fully navigated. There were still more to worry about. Zeke noticed this by the mysterious placement of a tiled floor. Having just been through pressure plates and obstacles on the ceiling, he began to suspect that there were more traps. But what kind of traps were present, remained a mystery. Samuel was the first one to see where the traps came from.

“Zeke...you might want to look up,” said Samuel, nervous about what he saw up on the ceiling. Zeke looked up, and saw multiple rows of square-shaped holes in the ceiling. He wanted to know what would shoot from there, so he poked a tile with the bottom of his staff. A narrow-pointed arrow zoomed to the floor.

“Nasty,” said Alice. “But if I had a bow, I could use these.”

A good thing about the tiled floor was that there were two different colors: black and white. Zeke noticed that the holes in the ceiling matched the placement of the black tiles.

“Okay, everyone,” he said. “Follow me, but stay on the white tiles, so you don't end up in a horrible state.”

Zeke walked on the white tiles, nearly tripping at one point, much to everyone's horror. Samuel was still on Alice's shoulder while they made it through the arrow traps. When everyone was across the hall of traps, they came to another door. This one was unlocked, but guarded by a trap. As soon as Zeke opened the door, a steel serrated disk whizzed through the air, forcing everyone to duck.

“Serrated discs?” said Samuel, frightened. “This could get ugly.”

Everyone continued to duck to avoid a gruesome fate, and crawled across the hallway, until they made it past the rectangular hole in the wall, where the serrated disk came from. They saw the end of the gate, near the end of the hallway. They had made it through the Hall of Traps alive. But now it was back to the task at hand; finding the next note. They had come this far. Could they succeed at escaping the castle and live to tell the tale?

Zeke and his friends had just made it through a life-threatening obstacle. The Hall of Traps was something that no one wanted to face again. But now it was back to finding the third note, which was in the cellar. Alice read the map and discovered that it was not too far away. Zeke and his friends immediately came to a four-way intersection in the hallway.

“I guess now would be a good time to look at your map,” said Zeke. “Just in case there's anything close by”

Alice pressed the button on the Navigation Ring. It revealed two rooms, with one of them containing two red dots. Both of them were moving. The shocking thing was that one of the red dots was moving towards the center of the map, where everyone was.

“Find a hiding place, quickly,” whispered Zeke. “Samuel, tell us when the coast is clear.”

Fortunately, there was a hiding place nearby. To the left of where everyone was standing, there were two dark corners, perfect for evasion. Everyone crept over to the dark corners and stood against the wall. Samuel leaned slightly so that he could have a good look at what was coming. The Threat Detector made a noise that frightened everyone, particularly Samuel. It sounded like stringed instruments that were low in pitch, raising and then lowering again. A strange figure hovered close by. It was particularly scary because it had an animal's skull for a head, and a scythe in its hand. Alice thought that she had seen Death himself. Whenever it moved, dark clouds of black and purple mist trailed behind and evaporated quickly. The figure stopped in the middle of the intersection and looked both ways, probably checking for intruders. After a moment, it hovered back in the direction it came from.

Samuel waited for a minute before giving the signal. During this time, Alice began to think about something. She thought that the map on the Navigation Ring was too large and bright to consider using. However, out of curiosity, she tried twisting the circle surrounding the gem on the ring to see if it did anything. Samuel and Zeke heard several clicks and turned their heads towards the ring.

“Alice, what are you doing?” asked Samuel quietly.

“I'm testing the ring,” responded Alice.

She managed to project the map in the air, but at a much smaller size. The map appeared just above Alice's finger. Zeke began to smile.

“Never thought it could do that,” noted Zeke.

Everyone stared at the map for a moment, watching the lone red dot as it moved further away from everyone. After a moment, the red dot wandered off the map and disappeared.

“Keep that map active, but turn it off when we have to hide,” said Zeke.

Everyone was hoping that there would be a way other than the direction the red dot was previously. Unfortunately there were only two directions anyone could travel in. The Hall of Traps was one of them, but no one wanted to go there again. So they decided to go in the direction they feared.

Everyone crept through the hallway until they came to a somewhat large room. It looked to be a living room with furniture, a fireplace, an assortment of trophies and pictures on the wall, and the usual result of years of neglect, dust. Samuel started to worry about the level of dust in this room. There was also something upsetting about the fireplace and some of the pictures on the wall. The fireplace was conspicuous because of the absence of light in it. Zeke could not take his eyes off it. He began to think that there might be an evil spirit hiding in there, waiting for a false move. Alice and Samuel were sensing something wrong with some of the pictures. They were mainly portraits of people, but there were skulls instead of recognizable faces.

The Threat Detector made a rumbling noise; only the rumbling seemed a bit too aeriform to sound anything like an earthquake. Everything was quiet for a moment, then the fireplace began to make whooshing noises, like the ones that bellows would make. No one dared to go near it. Zeke's concern seemed to be coming true. Everyone gathered around in a circle, with Alice eventually picking Samuel up and placing him on her shoulder.

“Don't go near the fireplace,” Zeke spoke quietly. “I don't think whatever's inside will attack us yet, so long as we don't do anything stupid. Alice, check your map. Are there any other red dots?”

“No,” replied Alice. “Apart from the one in front of us.”

“Okay,” said Zeke. “You two follow me, and whatever you do, do NOT make any sudden movements.”

Everyone moved slowly around the fireplace, hoping to reach the hallway on the left without being caught. The Threat Detector suddenly made the same noise that played when everyone first entered the room. That sound, at least from Zeke's way of interpreting it, meant that whatever was in the fireplace had left. Alice looked at the map again. Nothing was on the map to worry about. Then she looked at the old map and discovered that the cellar was in the hallway that everyone was in.

This showed a glimmer of hope in a castle full of dangerous-looking creatures. The cellar was right in the middle of the hallway and on the left. Everyone walked down the hallway until they came to a door that for some reason had been boarded up.

“How do we get in the cellar?” asked Samuel. “It's been boarded up.”

“Simple,” answered Zeke, pulling out the Hypervelocity Bolt scroll. “When in doubt, use common sense.”

“Right,” said Alice. “We can blast our way through.”

Zeke looked at the door for a second and began to doubt that the spell would be safe at such a short range. So then he had another idea. He would use the scroll at a distance and at an angle. That way, no one would be hurt.

“I'm going to try something,” said Zeke. “Alice, Samuel, you two watch for anything behind my back. I'm going to blow the door open from a distance”

Zeke moved to a spot about fifteen feet away from the door. Alice and Samuel went behind him. Zeke opened the scroll, put his paw on it, made the required movements, and shot the familiar projectile at the door. The magical bolt exploded and destroyed the door handle upon contact.

Inside was extremely dark, even to the point where no one could see anything. Zeke and Alice already knew why some places are darker than others. This darkness was created by magic. Zeke and Alice both searched their bags for any sort of scroll that would allow everyone to see in the dark, yet remain hidden. Zeke found an interesting scroll labeled “Night Vision” and opened it. The description inside read that it intensifies the light waves that comes into the eyes, making everything seem brighter. Fortunately, there was a window to provide some form of light for the spell to work. Zeke put his paw on the scroll, made the required movements, and soon discovered that he could see in the dark quite clearly. Everything appeared slightly distorted, much like a night-vision video camera. However, this was not a problem for Zeke. He repeated the scroll's procedure twice and touched Alice and Samuel, allowing them to see in the dark as well.

Zeke did not want to take any chances in the cellar, so he pulled out his Telepathy scroll, made the required movements, and began to speak to the others, using his mind.

“Alice, Samuel, don't talk out loud,” he said. “Instead, try to do it through your mind. I have a bad feeling about this cellar. Things could get very nasty if we're not careful. Don't make any noise...and Samuel, if you have to sneeze, run back upstairs and do it.

Now, since we can see in the dark, don't panic if you can't find a hiding place. We're in pitch-black darkness, so whatever's in there won't see us. The third note is in the cellar somewhere and in one of the empty barrels. Search the room for enemies, and if there are any, talk to me and we'll figure out a way to take care of them.

Right, are we ready?”

“We are,” responded Alice, knowing that Samuel would agree.

Everyone crept down into the cellar and discovered a cluster of empty barrels near the right wall. The cellar had so many barrels and crates that it looked more like another storeroom. There was something disturbing in the middle of the room. A woman in a white gown had her back against the wall and was sitting on the floor, as if she fell asleep and never woke up again. Perhaps this was the enemy that Zeke dreaded when first entering the cellar. Everyone slowly crept down the stairs until they were roughly ten feet away from the figure.

A closer look revealed that the woman, despite the time she had apparently spent here, showed no signs of injury or decay. Suddenly, the Threat Detector began to make slow heartbeat sounds. Samuel began to build up electricity, waiting to make the first attack. Zeke shook his head and waved his arms, signaling Samuel to stop. Samuel stopped what he was doing and waited.

The woman began to open her eyes, but Zeke still sensed that something was wrong. The woman seemed alive, but judging by the condition of the castle and the fact that the cellar door was boarded up, she may very well have not been. Zeke finally gathered enough courage to see whether she was alive or not. He walked over to the woman and tried to help her up, but to Zeke's shock, she had no substance. She was either a ghost or an illusion. Samuel began to build up electricity.

“Wait,” said the woman. “Don't attack me. I'm one of the few in this castle who have a conscience.”

Everyone was surprised, but relieved at the same time.

“Thank goodness for that,” said Alice. “Who are you? Why aren't you made of anything physical?”

“That's a long story,” said the woman. “Let's just say that I cheated death. My body is in my grave, but I somehow managed to rise out of both.”

“At least you're not like everything else we faced in this castle,” Samuel remarked.

“Oh, ghostliness has its advantages you know,” said the woman. “I'm no longer in danger from the undead. We leave each other alone, so everybody's happy.”

“We're looking for a note that someone left down here,” said Zeke. “Do you know where it is?”

“Of course I do,” said the woman. “I wrote it”

Everyone was astonished at what she said.

“Well, technically you're not really a survivor if you're dead,” said Zeke. “But you're still alive in a sense? Ah pfft, I don't know.”

“I'll show you where the note is. In fact, let's stick to the notes because I wrote in detail how to get out of the castle, and it's pretty hard to remember.”

The woman walked over to the cluster of barrels that Zeke and the others saw when they first entered the cellar. She pulled the lid off of one of them, reached inside, and pulled out the note. She then handed the note to Alice. The note read,

“Now that you've made it this far, here is where the escape plan begins. In the barracks, there is a button on the wall. Press it and a section of the wall will disappear. There is a long network of tunnels, so you may end up being lost if you don't have a map. Go through the tunnels, and once you reach the surface, you have escaped the castle. But once you escape, there is still more to do. You will find the next note, nailed to a pole when you reach the outside.”

Could this be the escape that everyone was hoping for? Zeke and his friends had made it this far. Could they go further? Everyone was beginning to feel less afraid of the castle and more hopeful that they could find a way out of the castle. However, this was no reason for Zeke and his friends to let their guard down, as anything could still happen at any moment.
Chapter 11: The Art of Stealth

Zeke and his friends had just made it through a life-threatening obstacle. The Hall of Traps was something that no one wanted to face again. But now it was back to finding the third note, which was in the cellar. Alice read the map and discovered that it was not too far away. Zeke and his friends immediately came to a four-way intersection in the hallway.

“I guess now would be a good time to look at your map,” said Zeke. “Just in case there's anything close by”

Alice pressed the button on the Navigation Ring. It revealed two rooms, with one of them containing two red dots. Both of them were moving. The shocking thing was that one of the red dots was moving towards the center of the map, where everyone was.

“Find a hiding place, quickly,” whispered Zeke. “Samuel, tell us when the coast is clear.”

Fortunately, there was a hiding place nearby. To the left of where everyone was standing, there were two dark corners, perfect for evasion. Everyone crept over to the dark corners and stood against the wall. Samuel leaned slightly so that he could have a good look at what was coming. The Threat Detector made a noise that frightened everyone, particularly Samuel. It sounded like stringed instruments that were low in pitch, raising and then lowering again. A strange figure hovered close by. It was particularly scary because it had an animal's skull for a head, and a scythe in its hand. Alice thought that she had seen Death himself. Whenever it moved, dark clouds of black and purple mist trailed behind and evaporated quickly. The figure stopped in the middle of the intersection and looked both ways, probably checking for intruders. After a moment, it hovered back in the direction it came from.

Samuel waited for a minute before giving the signal. During this time, Alice began to think about something. She thought that the map on the Navigation Ring was too large and bright to consider using. However, out of curiosity, she tried twisting the circle surrounding the gem on the ring to see if it did anything. Samuel and Zeke heard several clicks and turned their heads towards the ring.

“Alice, what are you doing?” asked Samuel quietly.

“I'm testing the ring,” responded Alice.

She managed to project the map in the air, but at a much smaller size. The map appeared just above Alice's finger. Zeke began to smile.

“Never thought it could do that,” noted Zeke.

Everyone stared at the map for a moment, watching the lone red dot as it moved further away from everyone. After a moment, the red dot wandered off the map and disappeared.

“Keep that map active, but turn it off when we have to hide,” said Zeke.

Everyone was hoping that there would be a way other than the direction the red dot was previously. Unfortunately there were only two directions anyone could travel in. The Hall of Traps was one of them, but no one wanted to go there again. So they decided to go in the direction they feared.

Everyone crept through the hallway until they came to a somewhat large room. It looked to be a living room with furniture, a fireplace, an assortment of trophies and pictures on the wall, and the usual result of years of neglect, dust. Samuel started to worry about the level of dust in this room. There was also something upsetting about the fireplace and some of the pictures on the wall. The fireplace was conspicuous because of the absence of light in it. Zeke could not take his eyes off it. He began to think that there might be an evil spirit hiding in there, waiting for a false move. Alice and Samuel were sensing something wrong with some of the pictures. They were mainly portraits of people, but there were skulls instead of recognizable faces.

The Threat Detector made a rumbling noise; only the rumbling seemed a bit too aeriform to sound anything like an earthquake. Everything was quiet for a moment, then the fireplace began to make whooshing noises, like the ones that bellows would make. No one dared to go near it. Zeke's concern seemed to be coming true. Everyone gathered around in a circle, with Alice eventually picking Samuel up and placing him on her shoulder.

“Don't go near the fireplace,” Zeke spoke quietly. “I don't think whatever's inside will attack us yet, so long as we don't do anything stupid. Alice, check your map. Are there any other red dots?”

“No,” replied Alice. “Apart from the one in front of us.”

“Okay,” said Zeke. “You two follow me, and whatever you do, do NOT make any sudden movements.”

Everyone moved slowly around the fireplace, hoping to reach the hallway on the left without being caught. The Threat Detector suddenly made the same noise that played when everyone first entered the room. That sound, at least from Zeke's way of interpreting it, meant that whatever was in the fireplace had left. Alice looked at the map again. Nothing was on the map to worry about. Then she looked at the old map and discovered that the cellar was in the hallway that everyone was in.

This showed a glimmer of hope in a castle full of dangerous-looking creatures. The cellar was right in the middle of the hallway and on the left. Everyone walked down the hallway until they came to a door that for some reason had been boarded up.

“How do we get in the cellar?” asked Samuel. “It's been boarded up.”

“Simple,” answered Zeke, pulling out the Hypervelocity Bolt scroll. “When in doubt, use common sense.”

“Right,” said Alice. “We can blast our way through.”

Zeke looked at the door for a second and began to doubt that the spell would be safe at such a short range. So then he had another idea. He would use the scroll at a distance and at an angle. That way, no one would be hurt.

“I'm going to try something,” said Zeke. “Alice, Samuel, you two watch for anything behind my back. I'm going to blow the door open from a distance”

Zeke moved to a spot about fifteen feet away from the door. Alice and Samuel went behind him. Zeke opened the scroll, put his paw on it, made the required movements, and shot the familiar projectile at the door. The magical bolt exploded and destroyed the door handle upon contact.

Inside was extremely dark, even to the point where no one could see anything. Zeke and Alice already knew why some places are darker than others. This darkness was created by magic. Zeke and Alice both searched their bags for any sort of scroll that would allow everyone to see in the dark, yet remain hidden. Zeke found an interesting scroll labeled “Night Vision” and opened it. The description inside read that it intensifies the light waves that comes into the eyes, making everything seem brighter. Fortunately, there was a window to provide some form of light for the spell to work. Zeke put his paw on the scroll, made the required movements, and soon discovered that he could see in the dark quite clearly. Everything appeared slightly distorted, much like a night-vision video camera. However, this was not a problem for Zeke. He repeated the scroll's procedure twice and touched Alice and Samuel, allowing them to see in the dark as well.

Zeke did not want to take any chances in the cellar, so he pulled out his Telepathy scroll, made the required movements, and began to speak to the others, using his mind.

“Alice, Samuel, don't talk out loud,” he said. “Instead, try to do it through your mind. I have a bad feeling about this cellar. Things could get very nasty if we're not careful. Don't make any noise...and Samuel, if you have to sneeze, run back upstairs and do it.

Now, since we can see in the dark, don't panic if you can't find a hiding place. We're in pitch-black darkness, so whatever's in there won't see us. The third note is in the cellar somewhere and in one of the empty barrels. Search the room for enemies, and if there are any, talk to me and we'll figure out a way to take care of them.

Right, are we ready?”

“We are,” responded Alice, knowing that Samuel would agree.

Everyone crept down into the cellar and discovered a cluster of empty barrels near the right wall. The cellar had so many barrels and crates that it looked more like another storeroom. There was something disturbing in the middle of the room. A woman in a white gown had her back against the wall and was sitting on the floor, as if she fell asleep and never woke up again. Perhaps this was the enemy that Zeke dreaded when first entering the cellar. Everyone slowly crept down the stairs until they were roughly ten feet away from the figure.

A closer look revealed that the woman, despite the time she had apparently spent here, showed no signs of injury or decay. Suddenly, the Threat Detector began to make slow heartbeat sounds. Samuel began to build up electricity, waiting to make the first attack. Zeke shook his head and waved his arms, signaling Samuel to stop. Samuel stopped what he was doing and waited.

The woman began to open her eyes, but Zeke still sensed that something was wrong. The woman seemed alive, but judging by the condition of the castle and the fact that the cellar door was boarded up, she may very well have not been. Zeke finally gathered enough courage to see whether she was alive or not. He walked over to the woman and tried to help her up, but to Zeke's shock, she had no substance. She was either a ghost or an illusion. Samuel began to build up electricity.

“Wait,” said the woman. “Don't attack me. I'm one of the few in this castle who have a conscience.”

Everyone was surprised, but relieved at the same time.

“Thank goodness for that,” said Alice. “Who are you? Why aren't you made of anything physical?”

“That's a long story,” said the woman. “Let's just say that I cheated death. My body is in my grave, but I somehow managed to rise out of both.”

“At least you're not like everything else we faced in this castle,” Samuel remarked.

“Oh, ghostliness has its advantages you know,” said the woman. “I'm no longer in danger from the undead. We leave each other alone, so everybody's happy.”

“We're looking for a note that someone left down here,” said Zeke. “Do you know where it is?”

“Of course I do,” said the woman. “I wrote it”

Everyone was astonished at what she said.

“Well, technically you're not really a survivor if you're dead,” said Zeke. “But you're still alive in a sense? Ah pfft, I don't know.”

“I'll show you where the note is. In fact, let's stick to the notes because I wrote in detail how to get out of the castle, and it's pretty hard to remember.”

The woman walked over to the cluster of barrels that Zeke and the others saw when they first entered the cellar. She pulled the lid off of one of them, reached inside, and pulled out the note. She then handed the note to Alice. The note read,

“Now that you've made it this far, here is where the escape plan begins. In the barracks, there is a button on the wall. Press it and a section of the wall will disappear. There is a long network of tunnels, so you may end up being lost if you don't have a map. Go through the tunnels, and once you reach the surface, you have escaped the castle. But once you escape, there is still more to do. You will find the next note, nailed to a pole when you reach the outside.”

Could this be the escape that everyone was hoping for? Zeke and his friends had made it this far. Could they go further? Everyone was beginning to feel less afraid of the castle and more hopeful that they could find a way out of the castle. However, this was no reason for Zeke and his friends to let their guard down, as anything could still happen at any moment.

Zeke and his friends now had a real chance to escape. Now that Zeke had three others with him, he felt confident about himself and that escape was so close to reality. However, none of them saw what was coming closer and closer to them.

“Okay,” started Zeke. “Now that we know what to do, let's get moving. Everyone keep close, keep sharp, and whatever you do, don't get separated, as we may never find you again. One could easily get lost in this place...and with what we've seen lately, that could prove fatal.”

Alice pulled out her map and studied it. The barracks again was not far away. It was directly to the left of where everyone was at present. They walked back up the stairs and into the hallway. All was quiet, so much so that Zeke began to sense that something was wrong. Soon after that, the Threat Detector began to make noises. They sounded like low-pitched whooshing noises accompanied by what seemed to be small chimes. Something was wrong, so everyone crept back into the cellar and waited in the darkness.

No one heard any footsteps and were just about to look into the hallway, when a figure walked across everyone's view. An invisible person holding a visible, double-edged sword walked down the hallway. There was something interesting about the way it walked. There was no sound of footsteps and the figure seemed to be floating. Everyone waited until the figure had disappeared.

The figure walked into the room with the menacing pictures and fireplace, turned left, and entered another hallway. Everyone slowly made their way out of the safety of the cellar and into the hallway, immediately turning left and walking down that way. Since the ghost woman could float, she decided to watch the hallway where the figure was previously.

“What's your name?” Zeke asked the woman. “I forgot to ask.”

“Victoria,” answered the woman. “But you can just call me Vicky.”

“How did you end up in this castle?” asked Samuel. “And why were you trapped in the...oh shoot.”

Just as Samuel was about to finish his sentence, the Threat Detector made the same noise that it made when the figure walked by everyone in the cellar. Immediately after the noise stopped, the figure appeared in the hallway. It stopped suddenly for a moment and then began to approach everyone. Everyone backed away from it, with Zeke and Alice readying their scrolls. Samuel began to build up electricity. As soon as the figure came close, it jumped, raised its sword, fell down slowly, as if partially resisting gravity, and waved the sword about near the ground, nearly catching Zeke in the leg. Samuel attacked it with electricity, causing the figure to utter a peculiar sound. It sounded like “hhheey,” only it echoed and sounded as if the figure was inhaling at the same time. The figure tried to attack Zeke, but Zeke deflected the blows with his staff.

“Alice, are you just gonna stand there?” he asked.

Alice wasted no more time in readying the scroll she pulled out. She put her hand on the center, made the required movements, and somehow caused violet energy to swirl around her wand. She saw the perfect moment to strike and smacked the figure near the head with her wand. The energy reacted violently with the figure's body, causing it to fall to the floor. The figure remained on the floor for a few seconds, then instantly vanished from sight, with a sudden, sharp whooshing noise. Everyone was alarmed at what had just happened.

“Things are getting very complicated with this castle,” began Zeke.

“That makes two sudden disappearances,” added Alice.

“Have you noticed it too?” asked Victoria.

“Have we...” responded Zeke. “Facing an enemy is one thing, but having a sword aimed at you is another.”

“You know, we could have stopped this fight from happening in the first place,” said Samuel.

“How?” asked Alice. “We have a sentient castle, ghosts on the alert, and just now, an invisible creep.”

“The map?” answered Samuel.

Alice slapped her forehead. No one was paying careful attention to the map.

“Are we ready to move on from this?” asked Zeke, keeping the barracks in mind.

Everyone walked down the hallway, with Zeke starting a conversation.

“Hey Vicky...why was the cellar door boarded up?” he asked.

“I think that was where the first ghost appeared,” answered Victoria. “The interesting thing is that the one we just faced was the first ghost. He can occasionally teleport to random points in the castle.”

Remembering the statement Alice made about the “nasty discovery,” Zeke asked Victoria,

“Is this why everyone evacuated? Spirits in the cellar?”

“Exactly,” replied Victoria.

“That still doesn't explain why the castle itself has a mind of its own,” mentioned Samuel.

“A curse was placed on it,” answered Victoria. “When the people left the castle, a spirit formed the mind of it. Fortunately, the only thing it's capable of doing so far is knowing we're inside and alerting every ghost.”

Everyone reached a reinforced door that was made of metal. Alice tried to turn the handle, but the door was locked. She pulled the Unlock scroll out of her bag, touched the middle of it, made the required movements, and put her hand on the handle. Everyone heard a click, meaning that the door had been unlocked. Alice opened the door and entered the barracks. Everyone else soon followed.

As soon as the door closed, it locked itself again. The Threat Detector again made the same sound as when everyone faced the invisible person. The sword appeared from a distant corner of the room.

“Oh, not you again,” said Zeke, partly expecting the figure's appearance after the door locked itself.

Zeke held his staff like a spear, waiting for the figure to come closer. Alice shot a magical, slow-moving, blue projectile at it. The figure made a sharp hissing noise, but it sounded nothing like a snake. Samuel electrocuted the figure, causing it to fall on its back. Once again after a few seconds, it vanished, this time with a ghostly inhaling sound.

“Is it gonna keep stalking us wherever we go or what?” Zeke asked Victoria.

“Basically, yes,” replied Victoria. “Now if you'll follow me, I can show you where the button is.”

Victoria walked over to the far end of the room, which was quite a long way, and searched the wall for a button. It did not take her long to find it. She pressed it, opening a small section of the wall. Everyone else ran up to the opening and went inside. A closer look revealed that the opening was the entrance to a small room with a large hole in the wall, leading to a tunnel.

“So this is the exit?” asked Samuel.

“Not quite,” said Victoria. “Now we have to navigate these tunnels. It will take a while, but so long as everyone sticks together, there won't be a problem. Get separated, however, and we will have to look for each other, and judging by the size and complexity of these tunnels, it's not gonna be fun.”

“Alice, how long do you think that wand can be kept lit for?” asked Zeke.

“A few days, without recharging,” answered Alice.

“Great...let's get moving,” said Zeke.

Alice put her hand on the orb of her wand, making it glow. She went in first, carrying Samuel on her shoulder. Zeke went in next and finally, Victoria.

“Are we ready, everyone?” asked Alice.

Everyone agreed and went inside the tunnel.

Escape was becoming more and more likely. They were now out of the castle itself and into the tunnels leading to the outdoors. But could they find a way out of the tunnels?

This could be the chance to escape that Zeke and his friends were hoping for from near the start. However, they still needed to navigate the tunnels. The map that Alice was carrying showed no evidence that the tunnels even existed. Alice thought that they were deliberately left out.

With Alice's wand glowing and everyone eager to escape, they ventured into the tunnels. The tunnels themselves were surprisingly dry and there was little need to worry about any creepy crawlies, which Zeke always had difficulty tolerating. Fortunately, he did not think about insects at the moment, otherwise there may be a chance that he would panic.

It did not take long for everyone to reach a small room of sorts. There were three holes in the walls of the room, one near the left, another directly in front of Zeke, and one to the far right. Alice wondered what these tunnels served as back in the day when the castle was not haunted. She thought that it was probably a secret way out of the castle, in case it was under attack.

Alice pointed her finger at the tunnel in the middle of the room. Everyone went inside and continued on. Alice looked at the Navigation Ring. There was no sign of enemies, but neither was there a sign of a way out. Eventually, everyone reached another room, this time with several crates. Nobody wanted to bother searching through the crates, as they wanted the outdoors more than any item.

There were two other passageways in the room of crates, one to the left, and one to the right. Alice chose the one on the left, with everyone following her inside. After a while, they came to a room with nothing inside it. There was only one passageway, so everybody took that route. This tunnel was slightly longer than the previous ones. Halfway through it, everyone began to see a flickering light not coming from Alice's wand. Further investigation revealed that was actually a lit campfire. Two green bedrolls were laid out.

“Someone else is here,” whispered Zeke. “And it looks like they're not alone...Everyone, listen carefully. I have an idea. Right now, I think we're lost. But don't worry, here's the plan. We wait here until whoever lit this fire comes back. We will know because they will make footsteps. As soon as you hear footsteps, everyone jump up and down a couple of times. When they hear us, they will come to this spot. Then we can explain to them our situation and ask for a way out.

I'm confident that this will work. Now everyone, wait for the signal.”

They waited for a few minutes, and sure enough, they heard voices. They sounded like a father and son. They seemed to be coming closer from the tunnel that was closest to the campfire, which was in the center of the room.

“Okay...wait for it...now!” signaled Zeke.

Everyone jumped twice, causing the tone of voice between the voices to change.

“What's that sound?” asked the younger voice.

“I don't know,” said the older voice. “Stay behind me and I'll check it out. We might have company.”

Everyone realized that the voices might belong to humans, which brought relief.

“Whoever's in the tunnel shouldn't worry, we're not hostile,” Zeke spoke out loud.

“Some of us aren't human, but we're not hostile,” Samuel added.

The two figures revealed themselves, and as expected, they were human. A man who looked to be in his mid thirties and a boy who looked to be around twelve years old. They were both surprised when they saw Zeke and Samuel, but Zeke began to explain the situation.

“You two probably have never seen creatures like us before, but that's not important. Here's the problem; we're lost and can't find our way out. Some portal keeps opening up and teleporting us to random places. Inside this castle happened to be one of them. Can you show us the way out?”

“Sure thing,” said the man. He was holding a sledgehammer, which everyone understood why. Everyone followed the man through the tunnel he came from. Zeke, knowing that he was in a world where no one had ever heard of a pokemon before, tried to explain his situation.

“Have you ever seen creatures like us before?” Zeke asked the man.

“Not personally,” replied the man. “I've heard of a couple creatures that the world probably has never seen, though. Just appeared in the city a couple of days ago. One of them looks a lot like you, only younger. The other one with him had orange fur and a tail that split in two. I heard rumors that they can talk, and judging from this encounter, I'd say the rumors are true.”

“I know exactly what they look like, just from that information,” Zeke responded. “The creatures that seem to be appearing at various places, including myself are known as “Pokemon”. Zeke looked at Samuel. “This guy here is also a pokemon. Interesting thing is...I was once a human.”

The man, boy, and Victoria looked surprised. The only one who did not was Alice.

“How did you get turned into what you are?” asked the boy.

“Long story,” replied Zeke. “By the way, why did you two decide to camp inside this place?”

“We've been here before,” the man explained. “We saw that there was a room inside the castle, but that was all we could find. I'm guessing you found a secret entrance to the castle, right?”

“Yes,” answered Alice. “And you don't want to have anything to do with the castle. We were teleported to the middle of it, and we had a few close calls with the undead, not to mention the Hall of Traps.”

“Nasty, evil place,” Samuel commented. “We're lucky to still be alive. How far are we from the exit?”

“Just around the corner,” answered the man.

“Great,” said Zeke, relieved that all this was about to end.
A few seconds later, light was visible. Another few seconds later, the end of the tunnels was visible. Finally, everyone was outside, away from the sinister castle. For Zeke, Alice, Samuel, and especially Victoria, it was hard to believe. Everyone took a moment to enjoy the fresh air, then Zeke noticed a wooden pole next to the exit. A note was nailed to it, which raised curiosity as to what to do next.

Alice gently tore the note off the post and read it.

“Now that you've escaped the castle, what do you plan on doing next? You can do as you please, but if you don't know where to go, read carefully. There is a village not too far away from here. In the direction the post is facing, you will come to a sign that points directly to the village. Go straight to the village and ask for guidance on what to do next. Tell them that you escaped the castle and they will understand.

Also, on a more personal issue, the writer of this note will appreciate a favor from the reader. What I have in mind is simple. I want to tell my parents that I am half-dead, half-alive. I am a ghost, but I have the ability to become corporeal, pick up objects, and do other things. The only things I can't do are eat, feel pain, and die, unless a special ritual is performed.

All you have to do is take the note and deliver it to my parents, if they still live. They will go through a variety of emotions and may not believe that I am really the author of this note, but they remember my death and will recognize my handwriting. If I am nowhere to be found, tell my parents that I will try to return one day and continue this existence, living with my parents for many years, maybe even when my parents' time comes.

Again, this is only a favor, but I will appreciate anyone who is willing to help me and my parents. Be sure to remember the one who helped you get out of the castle. Best of luck on your travels.

Sincerely,
Victoria, the survivor.”

Alice handed the note to Victoria, saying

“We'll do this for you. You helped us escape the castle. It's only fair that we return the favor.”

“Thank you everyone,” said Victoria, feeling happy, yet delicate inside. She clutched the note to her chest and smiled faintly.

“We're all grateful for your help,” Zeke responded. “Let's go see your parents.”

Zeke and his friends walked through the road that had badly deteriorated and was now lightly covered with vegetation, mainly grass. Everyone had escaped the castle without a scratch, with the outdoors being their temporary reward. But now was the time where Victoria was to be reunited with her parents and bring happiness to the village that they lived in.

Zeke and his friends had escaped the castle. Thanks to the notes found throughout the castle, they were able to leave it and continue with their lives. But now it was time to thank the person who helped them with the escape. It was time for Victoria to be reunited with her parents.

The man and the boy decided not to stay at the castle tunnels for the night because of the story that they heard from Zeke and Alice. Instead, they packed up their belongings and traveled with everyone else. Everyone walked down the road until they found the sign that was mentioned in the note. The sign pointed to the right and read “Gramford.”

Everyone walked down the path, which was becoming more visible as they moved further and further away from the sign. Victoria began to explain her fate.

“Five months ago, I lost my life due to a tragic accident,” she began. “Two of them were spent in the castle.”

“Really?” asked Zeke. “How did you survive in the castle for two months without losing your mind?”

“I only died recently,” replied Victoria. “I was still getting used to ghostliness. I wandered throughout the castle aimlessly for two months, then you guys came along. The nice thing is that since I'm a ghost, my body won't age, so I'll always look the way I do now. My real body is probably a different story. It may have deteriorated into a state which would make you nauseous.”

“How did you get in if all the doors were locked?” asked Samuel.

“I found the secret entrance through the back,” replied Victoria. “Exactly the same way we came out.”

“So what happened during the first three months?” asked Alice.

“It all started when I woke up from my grave,” explained Victoria. “The strange thing was that I was on top of my grave, rather than inside it, where I should have been. I don't remember what happened when my death took place, only that my body was failing. I think for some strange reason, I may have been dormant rather than truly dead. It was like being asleep. I was in my dreams and memories until I woke up one night. I can still remember everything that happened before and after my death, but not during. The only exception is dreams.

I woke up, wondering if I had really died. I looked at my grave and really became confused. I'm glad I can still breathe, walk, and talk like a living person, but at the time, things didn't make sense until I read about the effects of ghostliness. Mine was a rare case, usually the undead are raised by malevolent magic. I'm not quite sure if I was raised at all; there was no one around to raise the dead.

I went into the forest, wandering around for a bit. Getting used to being a ghost is like trying a new pair of shoes. It feels awkward at first, but then you get used to it. After a couple of days of avoiding my parents, I went into the city to observe people's behavior and reactions to seeing ghosts. Nobody knew I was a ghost until you guys showed up in the castle. Then I ventured into the castle. After two months, you came. Now we're here, walking towards Gramford. I've been looking forward to seeing my parents again someday, but I also didn't want them to mistake me for a malevolent spirit. Now that I have you with me, things should change. We'll be able to live a happy life together again.”

By the time the explanation had ended, they saw the village.

“Here it is...Gramford,” said Zeke.

“Are you sure you're ready for this?” asked Alice. “Your parents are going to get a pretty big shock when they see you.”

“I've waited five months for this day to come,” answered Victoria. “Nobody knows I'm here, except everyone who's around me. I've been eagerly waiting our reunion...I'm ready...let's do it.”

“All right,” said Zeke. “Are your parents asleep yet?”

“I don't think so,” responded Victoria. “From all the chattering that's going on at the inn, I'm guessing that there is a celebration being held there. My parents run the inn, so they'll be up for a while. Now is the perfect time to make our presence known...while everyone's at my place.”

Everyone approached the village and eventually, the tavern. Music was playing, people were talking, and it seemed to brighten the tavern's atmosphere.

“I'll do the talking,” said Victoria. “You guys stay out here until I open the door for you, when everyone can expect what they're about to see.”

The minute Victoria walked in, the instruments stopped playing, the crowds stopped talking, and everything was silent.

“John...Elliot...you there?” she asked. “This is Vicky.”

Two figures rushed out of one of the doors upstairs and went down the staircase. The male one was rather tall, had brown hair, hazel eyes and looked to be in his mid forties. The female looked just as old, had brown hair also, and brown eyes.

“Victoria...is that really you?” asked John, staring in disbelief.

“This is me, and I have something to tell you,” replied Victoria.

“But you're supposed to be dead,” Elliot commented, who was equally surprised. “How are you alive?”

“Not quite,” answered Victoria. “I'm a ghost, but I can recognize you people. I remember everything that happened in my life. Five months I spent wandering the forest, the city, and even the castle.”

“I'm glad you're still alive in a sense. You took us completely by surprise,” responded Elliot, showing a smile.

“Let me tell you something else,” said Victoria. This is probably going to sound like madness to you, but guess who freed me from the evil clutches of the castle? You remember the rumors that spread about creatures from another world appearing?”

“We have,” answered John.

“It was those creatures and a teenage girl that did it,” Victoria explained. “They were the ones who freed me from the castle, and now I can spend a happy life and afterlife in the comforts of my home with my parents again.”

Everyone began to cheer. When everyone calmed down, Victoria continued.

“I'm going to introduce you to everyone who made this possible,” said Victoria. “Don't be alarmed if some of them aren't human. They can talk, are very kind, and helped with the escape.”

She opened the door and let everyone inside. The crowd was silent, but smiling.

“She helped us escape the castle with the notes she wrote,” began Zeke. “We figured it would be nice to return the favor. However, there is one thing that baffles me. The portal that deposited us in the castle in the first place came from your world. Do you know someone who could tell us what's going on?”

“The only person who would know would be a great wizard who lives just outside the city,” answered John. “His name is Rupert, and he knows a lot more about magic than most people.”

“I'd like to ask a question too,” Samuel started. “Vicky, remember when you were in the cellar when Zeke blew the door open?”

“Yes,” replied Victoria. “Why?”

“How did you get trapped in there in the first place?” asked Samuel.

“I was locked in. The castle locked the door as I went inside, so I couldn't escape. I don't know why, seeing as I'm already a ghost.”

“We had some pretty close calls with the undead,” began Alice. “We each played a role in survival. Fortunately, no one was hurt at all, but we were frightened.”

“Well all I can say is...thanks for your help...all of you,” said John.

“A toast to Vicky, her return, and her friends,” said one man in the crowd, with everyone cheering after that statement.

After a moment, Elliot came downstairs after everyone had resumed their activities. She told Zeke and his friends that they could have dinner and a room for the night, free of charge. Everyone accepted this offer.

After a lovely dinner, Zeke felt tired and wanted to rest after the experiences in the mines and the castle. Elliot showed Zeke, Alice, and Samuel to their beds, which were very neat and tidy. The beds were warm and comfortable. Everyone slowly drifted off to sleep.
By the next morning, everyone except the regular customers had left the inn. Zeke and his friends woke up and got out of bed. They left the room and walked down the staircase. Victoria, John, and Elliot were standing in the middle of the room, awaiting their arrival.

“Before you three go, I just want to say...thanks for everything you've done for me,” said Victoria. “If it weren't for you three, none of this would have ever happened, and I would still be trapped in the castle...good luck.”

“We couldn't have done it without you,” responded Zeke. “John, Elliot, you should be proud of her.”

“We have to leave now...it was nice to see you...bye,” said Alice.

Zeke and his friends left the building and walked out into the forest, with Victoria and her parents waving goodbye. By the time they were no longer visible, Alice began a conversation.

“I'm so glad that this was a happy ending,” she said.

“I'm glad to be out of that castle,” added Samuel. “Vicky was such a nice woman,

“Maybe someday we'll meet each other again,” said Zeke. “Until then, we have the mystery of the portals to solve,”

Just as he made that statement, a large portal opened up and began to circulate.

“I don't think this is over yet,” mentioned Zeke. “We entered a portal and it took us to the castle. So where will this one take us?”

“There's only one way to find out,” replied Alice.

They entered the portal and passed the Test of Resourcefulness. But again, the portal did not take them to the world of Pokemon. Instead it took them to a place where time has to be used wisely, even though it may seem plentiful. The next challenge was the Test of Patience.

Of the six people that left the castle, only three entered the portal. Those three were Zeke, Alice, and Samuel. The portal they entered deposited them inside a room. It looked to be a bedroom that, judging by the quality of the furniture and walls, seemed to be part of a wealthy home. The time of day seemed to be late morning or noon, so the room was brightly lit. Zeke began to worry about the possibility of intruding.

“If anyone sees us in here, we're in trouble,” he began. “I suddenly get the feeling that we're trespassing; trust the portal to take us somewhere inconvenient. Fortunately, we can just tell them what happened. Judging from the reactions from people that have seen me and Samuel, I think they'll believe us. Alice, you should know this already, but Samuel, if someone like a guard approaches us, don't attack him. We're not here to hurt people. You should only do that if you have to defend yourself.”

“So now what do we do?” asked Samuel. “What do we do if we do get caught?”

“Sometimes words can get us out of situations weapons can't,” replied Zeke. “If someone sees us, I'll start talking and ease our way into a conversation. Then if all goes as planned, word will spread about us in a positive way, so people will be less afraid of us. Sound good?”

Alice and Samuel both nodded.

“Now both of you follow me and act natural,” said Zeke. “Don't sneak around like we normally do in situations like this; it will only make people suspicious.”

Everyone walked out of the room they were in and into a hallway. The decorations and carpeted area caught Zeke's attention. They could hear distant talking and judging by the number of voices, it seemed like a gathering or a party. To the left was the end of a long corridor and to the right was a hallway with a lot of doors. Alice thought that they were bedrooms as well. Zeke walked to the left, so that is where Alice and Samuel decided to go. Then, they came to the center of another hallway. To the left was a spiral staircase leading down. Everyone went down that staircase and stopped in the middle.

Zeke halted Alice and Samuel and listened to the voices that seemed to be very close.

“Sounds like they're having a party or something,” Zeke guessed.

“We'll never be able to get past them without being spotted,” added Samuel.

“We're going to be spotted anyway,” responded Zeke. “That's the whole point.”

“What if they call the guards?” asked Alice.

“We have the truth and my words on our side,” replied Zeke. “Keep calm and let me handle it. Only talk when everything's all right. Okay, here's the plan...I go in there and you two follow me. Make it seem like we're looking for an exit. We want attention, but don't make that obvious to the point that they figure out that something's up. They will see us and be shocked. Once again, let me do the talking so everyone is less afraid of us. Samuel, when I introduce you to everyone, you'll need to talk too so they don't consider you to be dangerous. Are you two ready?”

Alice and Samuel nodded. Zeke walked into the room where the voices were coming from. The instant he did, the voices were silenced and all eyes were on Zeke. Several questions among the crowd that followed included,

“What is that thing?”

“How did it get in here?”

“Is that another of those creatures that have been appearing recently?”

Zeke answered the last question with,

“Probably...why, have you seen them?”

“Seen them? I've actually met them,” replied the man who asked the last question. “There are two of them and they can talk just like you and I. One of them tends to look after the other, as the other can be a bit silly at times. The silly one looks just like you, only he's younger.”

“I've heard about the other one as well,” added Zeke. “I want to introduce a couple others to all of you. Alice, Samuel, it's safe now, you two can come in.”

Alice and Samuel walked up to Zeke and revealed themselves to the crowd. Everyone's eyes were mainly focused on Samuel. The crowd had never seen or even heard of a Pikachu before, so they were curious about him.

“Can you talk?” asked a woman at the right of the room.

“I can,” replied Samuel. “We're looking for someone by the name of Rupert. Someone told us that he's a wizard that lives outside the city. Which way is it?”

“It's north of this building,” replied the woman at the right. You'll have to ask the guards to raise a few gates as you enter the Market District. You'd be best off under the escort of a guard, as there have been reports of suspicious activity over there.”

“Thanks a lot,” responded Alice. “We can defend ourselves if it comes to that point.”

She touched the orb of her wand with her finger and moved her hand from left to right, creating a blue glitter of magic to prove her point.

“Can you show us to the door?” asked Zeke.

Half of the people pointed to the door at the left of the room. Zeke and the others walked up to the door, opened it, and left. As everyone walked down the street, Zeke noticed that it was completely void of people. Zeke did not want to think that the “suspicious activity” had spread to their location, but everything was quiet. Alice noticed that Zeke was quickly moving his eyes.

“Is something wrong?” she asked.

“I don't like this,” replied Zeke, staring in the direction in front of them. “It's quiet...and the streets are deserted. You don't think that something's up, do you?”

“I don't think there's much to worry about,” Samuel commented. “Why would anyone pick trouble with us?”

“I think a mirror would answer that question,” responded Zeke. “We're newcomers...very strange ones at that.”

Everyone soon came to a gate that was closed with metal grating. Then the grating began to move up, suddenly. The person in charge of the gate was wearing a gray coat and was holding a smooth club in his hand. Everyone decided to go through anyway.

“He doesn't look much like an officer to me,” Zeke spoke to Alice quietly.

“You're right,” responded Alice. “These aren't like the guards I normally see. Why did he raise the gate for us without question?”

“If that guy is part of any suspicious activity, we'll know soon,” answered Zeke.

They continued walking down the street, aware of the fact that something may indeed be going on. After a while, they came to yet another gate. This one also raised when everyone approached. After everyone was through, the gate closed behind them. Two men, both holding weapons, stood there. One of them with a mace and the other with an axe.

Zeke began to realize that the whole deal with the gates was a setup.

“Hold it,” said Zeke, halting Alice. “This is probably a trap. Those two men over there are probably not alone.”

Zeke then saw another man, poorly concealed in a cluster of barrels, holding a net.

“Aha...I was right,” he added. “That guy hiding in the barrels has a net. Looks like he wants to trap us. You two stay behind me and I'll tempt that guy into throwing the net. I have my staff to catch it in mid-air. Then we can deal with them.”

Zeke then walked down the path to the massive gate that led to another part of the city.

“Now!” shouted one of the men.

The man holding the net threw it, but as it was flying through the air, Zeke swung his staff and catched it, causing the man who threw the net to open his eyes wider.

“This one's smart!” commented the man who had the net. “The boss is gonna love this one when we capture it.”

“Not a good idea,” began Zeke. “We survived a haunted castle and a haunted mine – so we will survive this fight.”

The three men charged at Zeke with their weapons. The man who had the net was now wielding a sword. Zeke kicked him and knocked him to the floor. Within seconds he raised his staff, turned it, and stopped the other two by catching both in the neck. Alice rushed to one of the men and struck him on the head with her wand. She only wanted to give him a strong enough concussion so that he would fall unconscious. Zeke did the same with his staff on another man. Samuel zapped the last conscious man, causing him to lose his senses as well.

The three men lay senseless on the ground. No one was seriously injured, much to everyone's relief.

“Time to get out of here before they wake up,” said Zeke, looking for an escape route. The gate was closed and there was no obvious way out. Then everyone heard two voices. They sounded like children's voices. Two figures saw the bodies on the ground and ran towards them to see what the situation was all about.

A Riolu and a Buizel showed themselves to everyone.

“You must be the two pokemon everyone's talking about,” began Zeke, hoping not to frighten them.

“I'm glad to see more friendly faces,” responded the Buizel. “These horrible people are everywhere.”

Zeke and his friends had just met the two pokemon who were the talk of the city. Unfortunately, their presence had attracted the wrong kind of attention as well. Who were these “horrible people?” Alice had a particularly hard time understanding why anyone would want to attack innocent pokemon. Instead of finding the wizard, Zeke and his friends would now have to solve the mystery behind the incident and find out who was behind it.

Zeke and his friends had just been attacked by a group of thugs. Who they were or what they represented was still a mystery, but at least Zeke and the others found two familiar faces. The Riolu and the Buizel had apparently been stalked by associates of the attackers for a short while. Now it was time to gather evidence that will tell everyone who exactly these people were.

Zeke was deciding whether or not to go out the gate and into another district.

“We were on our way to see the wizard,” he began. “Hopefully, he can make sense of what the deal is with these portals. Is that how you two got here?”

“Exactly,” replied the Buizel. “We've been trying to find a way out ourselves. Problem is that we keep running into bad people. These goons have been following us around since we were first noticed in this place.”

“In that case, we'll be targets as well,” added Samuel.

“Could we come with you?” asked the Buizel. “I don't want to be stuck in this world forever. Neither does Brandon. Hey, don't go near them!”

The Riolu was curious about the weapons that the three men were carrying, but came back when Buizel told him not to approach the unconscious men.

“What's your name?” asked Alice.

“Austin,” replied the Buizel.

“I'm Zeke,” said Zeke. “This is Alice, and this is Samuel. You can come with us. In fact if you two want to escape, you'll have to come with us.”

“We'd better get out of here before those three guys wake up,” Samuel reminded everyone.

Everyone walked along the wall where the gate was, looking for a door that might lead to the room where the controls were. As this was taking place, Zeke began to plan something.

“Why can't we just sneak out of the city?” asked Samuel.

“They'll simply follow us,” replied Zeke. “Like Austin said, these people are everywhere. Once they see where we are, they'll try to capture us. Don't know what they will do with us, but it won't be for the good.”

“Any other ideas then?” asked Ausitn.

“I do have one,” replied Zeke. “But to get away from them, we'll have to get closer.”

“You're kidding, right?” asked Austin.

“You might want to listen,” responded Alice. “He puts a lot of thought into his ideas,”

“We can't let anyone know exactly where we are in order for this to work,” began Zeke. “This one involves stealth, but this time magic is not a good idea. We're going to follow one of these guys back to where they came from. Judging by the number of people we seem to be up against, it's probably a large building. I think we may be dealing with organized crime, so we'll need help from the police force. But that comes later.

Our goal is to find their base of operations. Once we get there, we're going to look for any incriminating evidence that can be used against them. Once we have enough, we'll present it to the police. Also, keep an eye out for anything that tells us if our enemies have any enemies themselves. If our enemies try to report us to the police for trespassing or theft, we can say that they tried to kidnap and hurt us. We are innocents...they are criminals. Our case will win.

Now we need someone to follow. If this plan is going to work, you guys will have to follow me. Don't make any noise, don't let them see you, don't attack them anywhere, anyhow, and above all, don't let them know what we're up to.”

Everyone began to hear distant voices. They sounded like grown-men's voices. Zeke began to look for a hiding place that could hold everyone. He saw an empty covered wagon.

“Everyone hide in that wagon.” spoke Zeke quietly.

Everyone walked quickly over to the wagon and one by one, they went inside it, using the fabric for concealment.

“Alice, take a peek outside and tell us what those people look like,” Zeke whispered.

Alice, still using the wagon cover for concealment, looked out of the cover and saw two men carrying weapons. One was carrying a broadsword and the other was carrying a bow and arrow. One of them was carrying a bag full of small, but valuable objects. They looked in all directions before beginning a conversation.

“You sure you didn't leave any evidence of the robbery?” asked one of the men.

“I'm sure,” replied the other. Alice began to smile in anticipation.

“You know how to get back to the caverns?” asked the first man.

“Even better...I know a shortcut. It's secret and more convenient,” responded the second man.

As they began to walk away, Alice gave the signal. One by one, they climbed out of the wagon and began to follow the two men, with Zeke in the front.

The journey took them a good five minutes, with Zeke and the others hiding in shadowy areas, trying to avoid being seen. Zeke and the others were behind a cluster of crates and barrels in the middle of a grassy area when the men stopped. They stopped at a house that had a boarded up door. The man with the broadsword pressed his knuckle against a section of the wall. There was a clicking sound and a second later, the wall began to recede downwards, revealing the entrance to what looked to be an unfurnished interior.

When the men went inside, Zeke crept out of the shadows, with the others following him. They entered the house, with the men not far in front of them. The wall began to rise again, soon closing the hole in it with another clicking sound. Now Zeke and his friends were apparently on enemy territory. Brandon took a quick look at a peculiar shape in the wall and pointed it out to everyone. Everyone realized that it worked similar to a keyhole. The man with the broadsword was probably wearing a ring on his finger that worked with the mechanism on the wall.

“Very clever,” Zeke murmured.

Zeke began to follow the men again. It did not take everyone long to learn where the men had gone. They had walked into an underground cave system. Zeke was beginning to think that everyone was getting close to the attackers' headquarters. When everyone discovered that cave system, they soon discovered that there were lots of places to hide, perfect for their mission. The place was dark and only illuminated with torches and electric lights.

“Perfect,” began Zeke. “This place is dark even during the day. All right, remember what I said, everyone. There will likely be guards here on patrol, so it would be a good idea to study where they go. If we can find a schedule, that would be good as well, so we know where people will go during certain times. That said, we'd better be aware of how they will get to where they need to go. Try to hide in places that aren't usually where people go. It's safer that way. Don't speak unless spoken to. It could make all the difference in remaining undetected. Let's go.”

Zeke saw a paper attached to a wall, close to where the entrance was. He walked over there and ripped it off the wall, using both paws. It turned out to be a map of the building they were about to enter. Zeke returned to where everyone else was.

“Alice, what does the ring say?” he asked.

Alice pressed the button on the Navigation Ring, displaying the map. She adjusted the ring's projection so that she could see the map more easily. There were three red dots on the map, but only one was moving. However, the dot was moving in everyone's direction. Everyone stood behind two massive crates and waited for the red dot to move away from them. When it did, Zeke looked from the left side of the crate on the left.

“Right...better get to work,” Zeke spoke.

Zeke and his friends had followed two men who were apparently robbers to a large building underground, hidden by the secret entrance. Their mission was to gather evidence that would tell them who these people were, and if they were in any way involved with the original attackers. The evidence was strong and Zeke's theory of organized crime was becoming more and more reasonable. Soon, they would have the answers to their questions.

Zeke and his friends were now in the building that supposedly was the headquarters of a criminal organization. On the way there, they had discovered the secret entrance while trailing the two robbers. Also, they discovered that the object on one of the robber's fingers was used to open it. Now it was time to find out who these people were and what they were doing here.

Zeke read the map he took from the wall, identifying where information would likely be located.

“Hmm...why don't we try the Second-in-Command's room first?” asked Zeke, not expecting an answer. “If the evidence adds up to what I'm thinking, this is indeed a criminal organization. This room might help us find the leader's room, as it's not shown on the map.”

He turned to face the entrance.

“Everyone, we can't let these people know we're here,” began Zeke. “Brandon, Austin, you two probably haven't used much stealth in your lives, but here's three things you should do in places like this: don't be seen...don't be heard...and above all...don't get noticed. Just follow me and do what I say and I think we'll be all right. Let's go.”

He walked into the hallway, expecting a few guards to be close by. Alice checked the Navigation Ring and discovered two enemies nearby. Both of them were in the Second-in-Command's room. The room that everyone was in was quite large, partly due to the length of the spiraling staircases that connected most of the floors in the building. To the left, the Second-in-Command's bedroom could be seen, as indicated by the map Zeke was holding.

Zeke could hear a faint conversation from behind the door. He put one ear against the door and listened.

“What is it, Gremlik?” asked a voice.

“Have you heard of the weird creatures that everyone's been talking about?” asked another.

“Yes, a bit. Why, what happened?” replied the first voice.

“Well, I saw them,” answered the second voice.

“What did they look like?” asked the first voice.

“One of them kinda looked like a jackal,” began the second voice. “Thing about it is...it's intelligent. It was carrying a bag and a staff...and it can talk. He's blue, black, and yellow, has a few spikes sticking out of his body, red eyes, and from what I saw, he was protecting a girl and another creature. Knocked me and my buddies senseless. Wherever he's from, he sure learned how to fight there.”

“What about the other one?” asked the first voice.

“It's some kind of rodent without the front tooth,” the second voice explained. “I'd say it's more like a mouse than anything else. About a foot or a foot and a half tall. That thing zapped one of us when he was knocked to the ground.”

“Zapped?” asked the first voice. “So these are magical creatures you're talking about?”

“Looks like it,” replied the second voice. “So what do we do now?”

“I want those two captured, along with the girl...and I want them alive and unharmed, got it?” asked the first voice.

“I'll go tell the others,” replied the second voice.

“The group that captures those three will get a hefty raise,” added the first voice.

“All right, capture, but don't hurt...got it,” the second voice spoke.

After the conversation finished, Zeke heard footsteps. Someone was approaching the door. Zeke hurried everyone back to the room with the two crates, ducking behind the crates to see who was coming. The door was unlocked and a moment later, a man wearing a white shirt walked to the other side of the room with the staircases, wielding an axe. Everyone then realized that the man who just came out of the Second-in-Command's room was the same man who attacked Zeke just before he met Brandon and Austin.

When the man walked past the entrance, Zeke crept up and peeked around the corner. As soon as the man left his sight, Zeke signaled the others to follow him. The room with the staircases was dark. Dark enough so that Zeke and the others could hide, but bright enough that they could see where they were going. Zeke then realized something.

“We can't hide here for very long,” Zeke spoke.

“Why not?” asked Austin.

“I'm sure you recognize the man we just saw,” began Zeke. “Well, I heard a conversation behind the door we were just at. Chances are, they still think we're outside somewhere, so some of these people are bound to come our way. They're hunting for us. In fact, they want to capture us. For what reason, I don't know, but if they're going to kidnap us, it can't be good.”

“So...what do we do now?” asked Samuel.

“What we came here to do in the first place,” answered Zeke. “Look for clues.”

“But they'll be looking for us,” continued Samuel. “How will we avoid them?”

“They don't even know we're here,” replied Zeke. “So stop worrying. If they find any trace of our presence in here, then we'll worry. Now follow me.”

As everyone was walking down the hallway, they discovered a few possible hiding places, in case any of their enemies wandered nearby. One of them was a pile of crates with an open space in the back, perfect for someone of Zeke's size. Another was a closet, likely used to store cleaning supplies. There was also a chest, but Zeke thought that it should be used only as a last resort because it was conspicuous. Four feet wide and three feet high, it would be best suited for Samuel, Austin, or Brandon.

“What's in that chest?” asked Brandon, walking over to it.

“Leave that thing alone and let's go,” ordered Austin.

Brandon opened the chest anyway. Nothing was found inside, so it could serve as a hiding place instead. After Brandon returned to the others, they continued on. The path in front of them split in two; one continuing forward and the other turning right. Between the two paths was a door. Zeke checked his map to see what the room was labeled.

“Storeroom...” Zeke spoke. “Guys, you think this might hide a clue or two?”


“That reminds me,” began Alice. “I've heard rumors that these guys found some buried treasure recently. Although these are shady characters, I think the source of the treasure was legal.”

“And?” asked Zeke, curious about the direction her words were going.

“There's so much of that buried treasure in this place, they won't notice if we take a bit.” continued Alice.

“I agree with you there, but only because it's legal,” replied Zeke, disdaining the idea of theft. “What are we going to do with the treasure once we have it?”

“Think about it,” said Alice. “We'll need it for food, shelter, equipment, and other things. Basic stuff. Gems are far more valuable than gold unless they're gold nuggets. Same goes for silver. We'll try to put as much as we can into my bag. Did you know, in this country, we have three currencies?”

“How does it manage all the different coins?” asked Samuel.

“We call it the Three-G's trading system,” responded Alice. “Gold, gems, and goods. Quite simple really once you figure out how it works.”

“Alice, before we go in through that door, check your map,” Zeke suggested.

Alice looked at the map projected from the Navigation Ring.

“No enemies,” she spoke.

“Good,” started Zeke. “Now let's see what's behind this door...”

Zeke pulled the door open and went inside. The others soon followed. Inside was a massive collection of crates, barrels, and objects scattered across the room. Two torches were burning; one on each side of the room. Zeke was tempted to put them out, but he realized that it would be incredibly difficult to see in the resulting level of darkness.

Next to one of the torches, a table, a book, and a quill could be seen. Zeke picked the book up and studied it for a minute.

“Looks like some kind of inventory book,” he began as he opened the book. The first few pages were enough for him to figure out what was going on.

“Aha,” Zeke spoke. “Looks like these people are robbers. An extremely well-organized group of robbers. We've got relics from graveyards, valuables from people's houses, extortion...only half of the stuff in this book seems legal...and you're right, Alice, that buried treasure is legal. We're going to take this book with us and show it to the police.”

He walked over to a decorated chest in the middle of the room and opened it.

“As for the treasure...knock yourselves out,” he finished.

Inside was mostly gold coins, but there were precious gems mixed in with them as well. Alice specifically targeted the gems and put them in her bag. Once they were finished, they proceeded out the storeroom and into the main hallway.

“Right,” began Zeke. “We'll need more proof that these guys are what I think they are. Let's start by going downstairs and take it from there.”

Zeke and his friends had just uncovered evidence that the people who occupy this place are a nefarious bunch. In addition to the joys of making progress, Alice also managed to claim the right to buried treasure. However, everyone still needs more evidence to fully expose these people for who they are beginning to appear as, and obtaining that evidence will be no simple task.

Zeke and his friends had just uncovered evidence that could determine whether or not this whole building should be investigated by the police. In the storeroom they were just in, they discovered part of an inventory of items; some of which were legal, while others were obtained in law-breaking ways. Now, it was time to investigate the building further to see if more evidence could be found.

Everyone walked back into the room with the staircase. Alice checked her ring and found that no one was nearby.

“Must be lunchtime,” she commented.

“That means the Second-in-Command's room is empty,” added Samuel.

“Yes...but there's a problem,” responded Zeke.

“What is it?” asked Austin. “Hope it's nothing serious.”

“It might not be if the door isn't locked,” Zeke explained. “If it is, then if we unlock it and someone finds out that someone else unlocked it, they'll know something's up.”

Zeke put his paw on the Second-in-Command's door handle and found that the door was not locked.

“That's a relief,” Alice spoke.

“In that case, his negligence might be his undoing,” added Zeke. “Alice, we'll need you to stay out here and watch for anyone that comes near us. If that should happen, give us a signal and we'll go back to the crates.”

He walked into the room and searched for a little while. As this was happening, Alice began to think about the world of Pokemon. She turned to Samuel and Austin.

“Sam, Austin...what's the world of Pokemon like?” she asked.

“It's kind of confusing when you first explore it,” began Samuel. “You already know about Pokemon, but you probably don't know about types.”

“Types?” asked Alice. “You mean like mammals, repti--”

“No, I'm not talking about that, I mean electric types, fire types, water, grass, ghost, that sort of thing.”

“Interesting...so you're an electric type, right?” asked Alice.

“Mm hm,” replied Samuel. “Austin's a water type. You'll see why if we need to put out torches.”

“So, Austin...say if we needed to put out a torch...how would you do it?” asked Alice.

“I just shoot water from my mouth,” responded Austin.

“Isn't that painful?” asked Alice, squinting one eye.

“Nope,” replied Austin.

Alice noticed a red dot appear on her map.

“Time to get moving, someone's coming,” said Alice.

“I'll go tell Zeke,” replied Austin.

Austin ran over to where Zeke was and informed him.

“Someone's coming, better get a move on,” said Austin.

Everyone ran over to the room with the crates, being careful not to make too much noise. They all hid behind the crates.

“So Zeke, did you find anything?” asked Samuel.

“Did I,” replied Zeke with a grin on his face. “Here, I have a crumpled up piece of paper...it has a kidnapping order on it. Care to take a guess on who they have in mind?”

“Us?” asked Alice, knowing the answer.

“Correct...they only mentioned you two as extra targets, though,” replied Zeke, referring to Austin and Brandon. “Now, I also have a financial report that basically says that they need money. Their solution is to make gold coins out of Fool's gold.”

“That's counterfeiting,” added Alice, somehow not surprised.

“Finally, I have a diary from the Second-in-Command himself,” continued Zeke. “It has some criminal elements inside it. It also mentions us. Now we need to find some actual fake coins...and whatever the two people we followed used to get in here. After that, we can show the evidence to the police.”

“And then we won't have to worry about creeps following us around anymore,” added Austin.

Alice looked at Brandon and wondered why he was so quiet. He had hardly spoken a word since she met him,

“Why is Brandon so quiet?” asked Alice.

“I made him promise that he wouldn't talk until this whole mess is over,” responded Austin. “You'll thank me for it later.”

“Hey Alice, any enemies nearby?” asked Samuel.

Alice looked at her map and discovered two red dots; one in the Second-in-Command's room and another in one of the storage rooms.

“Two,” she replied. “But we can still go downstairs.”

“Alice,” began Zeke. “That's exactly what we're going to do, but you have to keep a close eye on the map. If either of these red dots start to come downstairs, we could be in trouble. Before we do anything, let's scout the area for hiding places first.”

Zeke began to walk down the staircase, followed by the others. The only one who had to worry about making too much noise was Alice, due to her footwear. When everyone reached the next floor down, they caught sight of a possible hiding place. The space below the staircase they were just in would make an ideal hiding place. The only problem was that a torch was burning nearby. If that torch was extinguished, someone may just light it up again.

Zeke had an idea, however. Even though everyone was underground and that he couldn't make it look as if a gust of wind had put it out, he could make it seem like someone was pulling a prank.

“Hey, Austin,” said Zeke. “See if you can put out that torch.”

Austin shot a jet of water from his mouth and extinguished the torch. Now the room was dark. Alice checked her map again. This time, in addition to the two dots which had not moved at all, there was a third one moving towards everyone's location. The dot turned out to be an archer who noticed the darkness.

“Ugh, didn't that just get replaced last night?” the archer complained.

He carried on with his patrol and disappeared into the hallway to the left.

“Why didn't the Threat Detector go off?” asked Alice.

Zeke shrugged and replied with,

“Could be that these people aren't immediate threats. Their boss wants us alive after all. Wait...what's that?”

Zeke noticed a piece of paper, nailed to the wall. One look at it revealed that it was another map. What was interesting was that the map had the boss' bedroom on it. It was quite conveniently at the end of the hallway everyone was in. Zeke tore the map off the wall, being careful not to damage it, and gave it to Alice. This reminded her to check for enemies. She looked at the map on the Navigation Ring and found the same two dots. Nothing had changed; even the boss' room was empty.

“Good,” began Zeke. “Now it's time to finish up and get out of here. I'm going to break into the boss' bedroom and see if I can find some fake coins and that object those two thugs used to get in the building. All of you stand guard and if anyone spots you, deal with them. Knock them out if they have weapons or threaten you in any way. Try to make as little commotion as possible; we can't afford to let them know we're here. All right, Austin, put out every single torch in the surrounding area. Samuel, you're going to be the scout under the cover of darkness. Alice, if anyone comes through here, knock them out with your wand if they try to enter the boss' room. Understand?”

Everyone nodded.

“All right...I'm going in.” Zeke concluded.

This could be Zeke's chance to uncover the activities that the residents of this place take part in. If he succeeds, this entire organization will be under arrest. The challenge after that would be getting back out, undetected. Do Zeke and his friends have the stealth skills to thwart the plans of this organization?

Zeke and his friends were about to discover the truth behind this organization. The lives of dozens of questionable characters were in the paws of a Pokemon. Do Zeke and a select few really have the power to place an entire mafia under arrest?

Zeke attempted to open the boss' room but the door was locked. Alice saw this and pulled out her Unlock scroll. She put her hand on the center, made the required movements, and touched the door handle. A clicking sound resulted. Zeke opened the door and went inside. He began to search the room for evidence. He saw a small purple cloth bag full of coins with a note attached to it. The note read:

To Renault,

Take this money and use it as a bribe for the local blacksmith. I want him to start supplying us with weapons and equipment as we're running low on both. The blacksmith won't be able to tell that this money is made of Fool's Gold because he's a busy man. Give the money to him and tell him that we want to do business.

Don't worry about our current money shortage, I know other ways to get some more.

From Leonard.

As Zeke was searching the room for the last item, Alice and the rest were watching for enemies. So far, no one had approached them. Then a red dot appeared on the Navigation Ring map. The dot seemed to be moving towards Samuel's location. Samuel heard footsteps and immediately ran over to Alice and alerted her to the threat.

“Alice, someone's coming,” he whispered.

Austin, along with Brandon, ran into the boss' room and warned Zeke that someone was approaching them.

“Better hurry up,” whispered Austin, “someone's getting close.”

Zeke saw a little jewelry box on the floor and wondered if the object he was thinking of was in there. He opened it and removed all doubt. The object was a ring made of white gold, with a shape pointing out of the center.

“All right, let's go,” Zeke spoke, “I'm finished.”

Zeke, Austin, and Brandon hurried out of the room and headed back towards the hiding place they were previously. Alice and Samuel soon followed. When they arrived at the space beside the stairs, they saw who was approaching. A man, wielding an axe, noticed the darkness and complained.

“All right, who's the clown?” he mumbled.

He walked back in the direction he came from and left the hallway. Alice checked her map and discovered only one red dot. That dot was in the Second-in-Command's room.

“We're clear so long as we stay away from that red dot,” she spoke.

“Good...now it's time to get out of here,” Zeke responded.

Everyone walked up the staircase and ran past the Second-in-Command's room. They entered the room of crates and went back to the secret entrance. Zeke pulled out the ring and spoke,

“I hope this works.”

He felt the wall for a slot and quickly came across an opening that seemed to match the ring's pattern exactly. Smiling, Zeke inserted the ring into the slot and opened the exit. Everyone then left the building single file. Now they had enough proof to put their enemies behind bars. The only problem was finding the police station or headquarters. They had no clue where it was, so they had to look for it.

Zeke remembered the place he was in when the portal left him there. Since the people there were kind enough to give directions, he thought he could ask for more. Zeke and the others began to backtrack to where the house in question was located. It took a little while before they reached the house. Once they did, Alice knocked on the door. A familiar face opened it and asked,

“Ah, you've come back. Did you find the wizard?”

“No,” replied Samuel, “we found something else.”

“A mafia to be exact,” Zeke added.

“In this city? That's not good.” responded the woman, her eyes widening.

“But we've got proof that will put them behind bars,” Zeke countered. “where's the police station?”

“You know where the gate back in the direction you came from is?” asked the woman.

“Yes,” replied Zeke.

“Right through there, you'll see a huge building in the middle of the road, where the road branches off,” continued the woman. “You can't miss it if you go through the gate. That's the police station.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Alice responded, smiling. “Now all that's left is to show them the evidence.”

“Let's go, everyone,” said Zeke, walking down the pavement with a faint smile.

“Thanks for the help,” Austin spoke to the woman.

“Hey, no problem,” replied the woman, smiling.

Everyone backtracked to the gate in question. They were about to reach it when suddenly, the gate opened. Everyone was surprised because nobody seemed to be operating it. But then a familiar face opened the side door and approached them.

“Remember me?” asked the figure.

“It's Quince!” shouted Alice with excitement. “I never thought I'd see you here!”

“Hey, I'm a spy,” replied Quince. “That's my job, making sure people never think they'll see me.”

“It's been just a day and I kind of miss you already,” Zeke spoke, smiling. “How did you know we were here?”

“Once again...I'm a spy,” Quince responded. “I watched the whole thing with you guys, the mafia, and your new friends. I'm quite impressed. You did very well for yourselves and the city.”

“We're just on our way to the police to report what we've found,” informed Zeke.

“Mind if I come with you?” asked Quince.

“Sure thing,” answered Zeke.

As everyone were on their way to the police station, Austin, Brandon, and Samuel were curious about Quince.

“You know this guy?” asked Samuel.

“Yes,” replied Alice. “He helped us get through a haunted mine.”

“I've heard of haunted houses, but haunted mines?” asked Austin.

“Long story, narrow escape...I'll tell you more later,” answered Zeke.

They reached the entrance to the police station, bags full of evidence. Zeke opened the double doors and went inside, followed by everyone else.

An officer was standing at the front desk in uniform. She was surprised at what she saw.

“You must be Zeke,” she spoke. “Surprised to see you here. What can I do for you?”

“I want to report something,” Zeke replied. “Something big.”

“Oh?” asked the officer, curious. “And what's that?”

“Organized crime...and I have proof,” began Zeke. “In this bag, I have evidence that shows just what these people are up to under the cover of darkness.”

He pulled the inventory book out of his bag and showed it to the police.

“This is an inventory book. Looks like they like to keep track of what they steal. The first few pages are enough to show you that.”

He handed the book to the officer.

“Let's see here...extortion...theft...how did you get this?” asked the officer.

“We did some investigating,” replied Zeke. “That's not all we found.”

He pulled out the bag of fake coins and the financial report.

“These tell us that the mafia is running low on money, so they resort to counterfeiting. They're basically going to make gold coins out of Fool's gold. Here's an example of how they were going to use it.”

“The blacksmith, huh?” asked the officer. “Have you got anything else?”

“Do we,” Zeke replied.

He pulled out the crumpled piece of paper.

“This is a kidnapping order...for us, signed by the boss himself,” continued Zeke.

“That's very interesting,” the officer responded, showing concern.

“And finally, we have this,” said Zeke, showing the Second-in-Command's diary. “This is the Second-in-Command's diary...of the mafia that is.”

“You put yourselves through a whole lot of danger to report this to us,” replied the officer. “But you guys did a job well done. Now all we need to know is how to get there.”

“There's a bunch of old abandoned houses through the gate and to the right. When you see those, look for a slot for this ring,” Zeke explained, pulling out the ring. “This is what they use to activate the secret passage through the ruined house on the left. A battalion of officers could be the answer because they're armed, there's a lot of criminals, and they have their own base. They even tried to attack us on the street.”

He handed the ring and all the evidence to the officer.

“Thank you for the report...and nice work uncovering the mafia for us,” the officer said. “Now...it's arresting time.”

Zeke and the others have successfully unveiled the criminal organization. Now the rest of the work was in the hands of the police. Now that this problem was out of the way, Zeke and his friends wanted to relax for a bit and then continue with their journey.

Now that Zeke and his friends had dealt with the mafia threat, they wanted to relax for a bit before moving on. Zeke decided to pay the building that they were teleported inside a visit. Zeke and his friends had left the police station to do just that. When they made it over to the building, the very same woman who gave everyone directions to the police station was found just outside the door, folding her arms with a smile.

“So, how did everything go with the police?” asked the woman.

“Mission accomplished,” replied Zeke. “Soon, the city should be safer.”

“And no goons will follow us around anymore,” added Austin, looking to the side and folding his arms.

“And the sweet thing is, they don't know we went in there,” added Samuel. “At least not until it's too late.”

“We also found these,” added Alice, opening her bag and showing the various gemstones. “Don't worry, the sources were legitimate, unlike half of the other stuff we found in that place.”

“We found these in what used to be a buried treasure chest,” Zeke explained.

“Brandon, you can talk now,” said Austin. “But please...don't embarrass yourself.”

“Neat!” shouted Brandon.

“I think this calls for a celebration,” said the woman, smiling. “Don't you think?”

“Slumber party?” asked Brandon, smiling.

“No, not quite,” answered the woman, “but definitely a party.”

“Well, I'm all for it,” Zeke spoke. “How's it going to work?”

“I'll tell you,” she replied.

The woman went inside and told everyone that was in the building the news. She explained the celebration in detail and asked Zeke and his friends to be part of the events. The party began with music and some dancing, which Zeke was having a hard time getting used to, especially since his dance partner was Alice. At first, he blushed at the thought of dancing with a girl, seeing as he was a lucario. After some encouragement from the people, especially Alice, he agreed to dance with her. The dance that was going to be performed was similar to what one would expect in the Victorian upper-class population. The music began to play and Alice made the first move. Everyone in the building watched with amazement. They could not believe what they were seeing; Zeke was dancing with Alice. It took a while for Zeke to get used to that, but he eventually managed to get the moves right and did not blush as much after a while. Samuel, Austin, and Brandon were watching with just as much interest as the other people. As the music played on, Zeke became less bashful, and after a while, he began to enjoy himself.

After nearly ten minutes of dancing, the music ended, with applause from the audience. Afterwards, one of the cooks announced that the food was ready. It took a while for everyone to finish, but the food was delicious. Once again, Zeke had problems with using knives and forks, but so did all the other pokemon due to the shapes of their paws. The vegetable soup seemed to be enjoyed the most. There were various fruit pastries and cakes that Zeke liked very much as well. After everyone was finished, Zeke told everyone about his adventures with his friends, his past, and how he became a lucario. He also gave a brief description of the world of Pokemon. He claimed to not know everything about it, but he knew a little. He also said that he personally disdained the use of pokemon in battles. Samuel began telling everyone how he and other pokemon learned to speak English, stemming from a certain trainer who taught his charmander how to speak it. Everyone asked Zeke and the others some questions at the end, relating to personal experiences. Once the questioning was finished, everyone in the building resumed to their normal activities. Only the woman who gave Zeke directions decided to stay. Zeke and the others were now at a large round booth near the wall.

“You have our thanks, Zeke,” the woman spoke.

“It was nothing,” Zeke replied. “However, I do want to ask you one thing.”

“And what's that?” asked the woman.

“How did you set the party up so quickly?” asked Zeke.

“Let's say I had faith in you from the start,” answered the woman. “You did a really impressive job uncovering that crime center.”

“Thanks,” Zeke responded.

“I also found the fact that an animal danced with a girl to be impressive,” Quince commented. “It takes a lot of courage to dance in front of all these people, given the vast differences between you two.”

“Well, we're close enough friends, we've been through a whole lot together, and he's saved our skins many times. I thought it'd be nice to return the favor.”

“Do I detect a bit of romance here?” asked Quince, grinning.

Zeke and Alice both blushed immediately after that statement.

“Now let's not get carried away,” Zeke spoke, cringing slightly.

“Okay,” replied Quince. “So, now that you guys have the mafia under arrest, now what?”

“We look for the wizard,” Zeke simplified. “Then, we find out what's with these portals.”

“Sounds good to me,” Austin responded. “Right, Brandon?”

“Uhhh...what are we doing again?” asked Brandon, unsure.

“Not this again...” Austin complained. “You and I are going to follow Zeke, understand?”

“To where?” asked Brandon.

“To wherever the wizard lives,” replied Austin.

“Why?” asked Brandon.

“So we can go back home,” Austin responded.

“How?” asked Brandon.

“How should I know? Teleport?” replied Austin, getting a bit impatient.

“Really?” asked Brandon, oblivious to Austin's rising frustration.

“Yes, now stop with the goofy games,” ordered Austin.

“Is that the reason we should all be glad he didn't talk while we were in the mafia hideout?” asked Zeke.

“Exactly,” replied Austin. “Although he can be a pain with his whys and hows, he can't cope on his own, so I have to look after him.”

Brandon began kicking his legs against the table leg.

“Glad we cleared that up,” said Samuel. “So Zeke, when do we get started?”

“Right now if you want,” replied Zeke.

“If the rest of you don't mind,” answered Samuel.

Everyone agreed to Samuel's proposal.

Zeke got up off his seat and walked towards the front door. He opened it and walked out, with everyone else following him. Zeke saw something very familiar when he was about to walk further. A blue oval opened up before his eyes. The oval was about half the size of the building they just came out of. Zeke recognized it almost instantly.

“All right everyone, this is our cue to move on. I've managed to find a pattern with the portals now.”

“And what's that?” asked Alice, walking with Zeke towards the portal.

“It seems that every time we accomplish something major, a portal opens up,” Zeke noted. “Do you think maybe these are being summoned deliberately?”

“I won't lie to you, I think that's a possibility,” replied Alice.

“Remember everyone...no matter what happens to us, I think we're smart enough to come out okay. All right...here goes nothing,” Zeke concluded.

Zeke and his friends entered the portal. Everyone knew that the world of Pokemon was a very unlikely place for the portal to deposit them. And right they were, for behind the portal lied a place where special attention must be paid to detail. That, and how to rescue someone who would soon be in grave danger would test everyone's brainpower once again.

Zeke and his friends had made the city safer by robbing the criminal organization of its secrets. Zeke thought the whole idea of robbing robbers to be very interesting. But now, everyone was in another place, not too far away from the city. The portal that they entered deposited them in a forest. Zeke could see the city from here, although it looked to be about the size of a small dinner plate at arm's length.

“Well, there's the city,” Quince spoke. “Hope you enjoyed it.”

“I did,” replied Zeke. “I liked the adventure, the treasure we found, from the evidence to the buried form of it...and I also liked the dance.”

“You two deserved it,” Quince remarked.

“Usually, I'm a complete klutz when it comes to dance moves, but Alice, you helped me through that,” Zeke spoke. “Also...”

“Yes?” asked Alice.

“I've never felt the way I did towards a girl like when we were dancing,” Zeke spoke at last, blushing slightly.

“I think I understand why,” Alice responded. “My belief is...it doesn't matter what's on the outside...it's what lies inside that really matters. You're a really nice guy...you saved my life, along with the others'. You led us to victory against the mafia, the undead, and you reunited a ghost with her family. That's something you don't see every day.”

Everyone was watching with a lot of interest to see where this conversation between Zeke and Alice would lead.

“I couldn't have done those things without your help,” began Zeke. “You helped me and Samuel fight what surely would have killed us in a few seconds. I expected a girl your age to run in terror from the enemies we faced so far. Courage is very admirable in a teenage girl, especially in life and death situations. You might not know it it...but you gave me confidence when we were in danger. You saw how I panicked in the cave entrance just before I saw you. I didn't know it was you in the shadows and I thought I was going to die.”

Brandon was about to ask about the situation in the caves, but Austin silenced him.

“Your company alone gave me the courage to go through the mines. The truth is...although I seem to be a courageous hero...I'm only human-ish. I'm actually still afraid of the dark by myself. You're a great help to my plans and ideas, but on more of an emotional level. You help me cope with my fears, my worries, and my suspicions. You're the best friend a pokemon could ever have.”

Alice walked towards Zeke.

“Zeke...” Alice spoke.

“Yes?” asked Zeke.

Alice put her arms around Zeke; her head resting on his shoulder.

“You're the best friend anyone could ever have,” she answered.

Zeke blushed, but smiled as he hugged her back.

“I never thought I'd live to see the day,” Quince spoke to Austin.

“I think I agree with Alice,” replied Austin. “Doesn't matter what's on the outside; it's what's inside that's important.

Samuel made a gesture at Quince, asking him to let Samuel whisper something in his ear. Quince bent down and listened.

“Is it close friendship I'm seeing? Or is it something deeper?” asked Samuel.

“Not sure,” replied Quince. “Haven't seen this kind of relationship between a girl and an animal before.”

“Are you ready for this adventure?” Zeke asked Alice.

“Ready when you are,” she replied holding Zeke's paw.

“All right, everyone,” began Zeke. “The wizard's home should be along this road. If you find anything unusual, let me know and we'll deal with it. Also, keep a lookout for any other pokemon. We need to help them find their way home as well. Let's go.”

Zeke began to walk up the path leading away from the city. Everyone else followed him. Everyone enjoyed the environment and the atmosphere. The sky was overcast, but it did not look as if it was going to rain. Zeke didn't like the sun too much; he preferred calm, cloudy, and cool weather. Today was perfect for him and he really enjoyed it.

“Peaceful, isn't it?” asked Zeke.

“It is...” replied Alice. “Let's hope it doesn't rain.”

“I don't think it will,” added Quince. “We shouldn't get too comfy, though. I heard rumors about two hunters roaming around here.

“Are they dangerous?” asked Alice.

“Yes,” replied Quince. “Skilled with their crossbows, fast runners, and their favorite targets are exotic animals.”

“I hope they don't find us then,” added Samuel.

“I also heard that they're the unsavory type,” Quince continued.

“Then I really hope they don't find us,” Samuel responded.

“I don't want an arrow in my head, thank you,” said Austin.

Zeke caught a glimpse of something moving in the distance. It was moving very quickly.

“Hey, you see that?” asked Zeke.

“Yeah,” replied Austin. “Wonder what it is.”

Then Zeke noticed that it seemed to be moving in his direction. Zeke had very good eyesight, and was able to make out the long tail of an animal.

“Hold up...I think I know what that might be...” Zeke spoke.

“What is it?” asked Alice.

“It's a yellow-orange thingy,” replied Brandon.

“You think?” asked Austin, sarcastically.

The figure was close enough for Zeke to identify it.

“That's a Raichu,” Zeke spoke.

“A what?” asked Quince.

“That's another pokemon. Basically, a Pikachu that's all grown up,” Zeke explained.

“Wonder why it's running,” Austin noted.

The raichu continued to run until it saw Zeke and the others, then it stopped, panting.

“Huff...huff...hey...huff...I need help...huff...two mad people with crossbows are trying to kill me...huff.”

“Where are they now?” asked Zeke.

“They're not far behind,” replied the Raichu, terrified. “You've got to help me; I don't want to be skinned!”

“Don't worry, we'll help you,” Alice spoke. “Are you hurt?”

“No, thank goodness,” said the Raichu. “First, they tried to shoot me with a poisoned arrow. Next, I nearly got skewered by a spear. Then finally, they tried to throw gas bombs at me. I dodged every one of their attacks, but I'm not sure how long I can keep this up.”

“We've been through worse,” Zeke responded. “We'll get through this alive. Come with us if you want to live. Alice, keep your wand ready. Samuel, Zap the hunters if they try to get up after we knock them down. Raichu, try and pull the hunters to the ground with your tail if you can. I'll knock them out with my staff.”

“I've got my bow and knockout gas arrows ready, just in case,” added Quince.

Zeke immediately saw two figures running towards them.

“Here they come again!” shouted the Raichu.

As soon as the figures came within shooting range, the Threat Detector began to play battle music. Zeke rummaged through his bag for the Hypervelocity scroll. He opened it, placed his paw on the center, made the required movements, and fired at one of the hunters. The projectile moved so fast that it ripped through the air, much like a jet does, only quieter. It hit one of the hunters and knocked him to the ground. Everyone ran forward, with Quince readying a gas arrow. He fired and warned everyone to stand back.

“Hey, stay away from the gas everyone!” he ordered.

It took only a few seconds for the other hunter to drop to the ground, unconscious.

“Okay, let's get out of here before they wake up,” Quince advised.

“Before we do, I have an idea,” Zeke countered. He walked over to the crossbow one of the hunters was holding and crushed it with the bottom of his staff.

“Break every single weapon they're carrying, gas bombs included,” ordered Zeke.

No one had thought of this idea, but they thought it was a good one. They took everything the hunters could use as a weapon and destroyed them.

“That should take care of that problem for now,” Zeke spoke.

“You saved my life! Thanks a whole lot,” replied the Raichu. “I owe you one.”

“What's your name?” asked Zeke.

“Jacob,” answered the Raichu.

“I'm Zeke,” Zeke spoke. “Say hi to Alice, Quince, Austin, Brandon, and Samuel.”

“Hi everyone,” replied Jacob.

“We're on our way to see someone,” said Alice. “Would you like to come with us?”

“After being chased by pokemon murderers, I don't see how I could refuse,” replied Jacob. “I'll come with you.”

Zeke and his friends had just rescued a Raichu who was being chased by hunters. Why these hunters were targeting a Raichu had yet to be discovered, but everyone agreed that it was because pokemon had only recently come to this world, and these two hunters wanted the fame and fortune of being the first to hunt down a pokemon.

Zeke and his friends now have a new threat to deal with. The two hunters, according to Quince, are trying to hunt down exotic animals, which likely includes pokemon. However, the threat had been dealt with for now and it was time to move on.

“Where do you think the wizard lives?” asked Alice.

“Shouldn't be too far away from the city,” replied Zeke. “The woman back where we had the party implied that it's within walking distance. I only hope he doesn't try to kill us out of fear.”

“That's where I come in,” Quince interjected. “I know Rupert. He likes his guests, but he doesn't like the city for some reason. I know where his house is. How about I go and tell him you're coming?”

“Will he be shocked to see pokemon?” asked Samuel.

“Not when I explain things,” Quince responded.

“Quince, I think that's a great idea,” Zeke spoke. “Though, how will the rest of us find his house?”

“I'll leave markings on various objects, telling you where to go,” said Quince. “Actually, no...I've got a better idea. Do you remember the Quasi-phone?”

“I still have it,” answered Zeke. “Both parts.”

“I'll need one of them,” Quince requested.

Zeke rummaged through his bag for part of the Quasi-phone. He handed it to Quince, with Quince saying,

“This thing can work at surprisingly long distances.”

He ran off into the distance down the road. Zeke and the others began to follow him.

“I guess we follow him until he's out of sight, then take directions,” Samuel spoke.

“Right,” Zeke replied. “But still, keep an eye out for those hunters or anything else unusual. We don't have Quince for now as a marksman.”

“Why not?” asked Brandon.

“Because he's helping us get to the wizard's house,” replied Austin.

“How?”

“Giving us directions,” answered Austin.

“What directions?” asked Brandon.

Austin did a face palm, while Alice giggled.

“Were you even paying attention to Quince when he told us?” asked Austin.

“No,” replied Brandon, grinning and closing his eyes.

“After many months of questions, you'd think he'd know the answer to some of them by now,” said Austin, who was referring to Brandon.

“I know someone who acts like Brandon at school,” Zeke added.

“Wait, you go to school?” asked Jacob, curious and surprised at the same time.

“Yes, I go to school,” answered Zeke. “Pretty interesting experience, considering I'm the first pokemon to go to school.

“That makes you a one-of-a-kind Lucario,” said Jacob.

“What's it like at your school?”asked Alice.

“It's pretty interesting,” Zeke replied. “I went to three different schools; each for a different level of education. I'm on my way to graduating high school right now. I'll tell you what all three schools are like. The first one I went to was elementary school. There, you learn the alphabet, how to speak English, how to do math, basic stuff. Also, there's a lot more playtime than the other two schools. At lunchtime, we had very good food, although mine had to be prepared so that I didn't need a fork or a knife to eat it with. We'd have dessert afterwards. I had to use a fork to eat some of the desserts, but using a fork alone isn't too difficult, once you get used to it, and if you use both paws. There was always something to do for fun at the elementary school, although I hated the lyrical songs they played in class. I hate listening to people sing; it drives me insane. I had to cover my ears because my brain can only take so much baloney. Apart from that problem, elementary school was fun. I was a Riolu at that time.”

“You looked like Brandon at that time?” asked Alice.

“Yes,” Zeke replied. “Middle school was a big wake-up call for me. The stuff we learned got harder but it was still fun. There, you learn more advanced math; maybe a bit of algebra.”

“What's algebra?” asked Samuel.

“One of the most difficult languages to learn in the world of Pokemon,” Zeke replied, pressing both sides of his head with his paws and looking up. “It's not really a language, just expanding on basic math a whole lot, which then branches off into a lot more versions of algebra than I care to go into.”

“Is algebra that hard?” asked Jacob.

“It can be,” Zeke replied, “but it really depends on whether or not you can do math. For me, it was a nightmare. I kept finding illogical answers to my algebra questions. My answers got as silly as two, plus two, equals two-hundred and seventy-five.”

“You didn't actually say that, did you?” asked Austin.

“No, but I did get a number once that was over twenty digits long,” Zeke responded.

“Oooo dear,” said Austin.

“My teacher said that I think too hard and oversolve the questions,” Zeke commented. “Ooookay, back on topic. Middle school was where I met some of my now high school friends. I was still a Riolu back then. Only once, someone tried to bully me, but there's no problem that duct tape can't solve.”

“Oh, yeah, I think I remember that day,” said Jacob. “Weren't you that Pokemon that put duct tape over the bully's mouth?”

“You actually knew about that?” asked Zeke, interested.

“You'd be surprised how much I can mix in with the humans,” Jacob replied, smiling. “I also remember the jar of marbles you spilled for the bully as well. I heard a lot of laughter when that guy apparently slipped on some.”

“That was self-defense at its finest,” Zeke responded, grinning.

“Hey Zeke, you there?” asked Quince through the Quasi-phone.

“I'm here,” Zeke replied. “Where do we need to go?”

“Have you reached a fork in the road yet?” asked Quince.

“No, not yet,” answered Zeke.

“When you do, take the path on the left; it leads directly to the wizard's house,” Quince instructed.

“Okay, be right there,” Zeke responded.

“So, what's high school like?” asked Jacob.

“That's the real eye-opener,” Zeke replied. “In high school, the classes I take get a lot more advanced. Also, when you reach high-school, you need to worry about your grades. Your grades basically tell you how well you're doing in your classes. If you have an A, you're doing great, as you can't get better than an A. I'm now two years away from finishing high school. When you finish high school, or 'graduate' from it, you get to wear what's called a 'Cap and Gown', with a scroll in your hand, which is a diploma. A diploma says that you have done well enough in high school to graduate.”

“I've seen how graduation is celebrated,” added Jacob. “All people who are graduating get together to stand in front of this strange device called a 'camera'. A bright flash takes place and soon after, another flash happens as the graduates throw their hats in the air. The hats look strange, maybe because they're square.”

“Interesting shape for a hat,” Alice commented.

“That square hat is a tradition that goes back many years,” Zeke responded. “So there, now you know a bit about my school.”

“That's really interesting,” replied Alice. “Some of our schools hold graduation ceremonies like that.”

Zeke saw a fork in the road and turned left. He could just barely see a large house through the vegetation.

“Hey, Zeke...I see you now!” Quince shouted.

Zeke and the others came to a large house. Quince and another man were standing outside the entrance. The man looked to be in his late fifties. He had a long white beard, and wore a sparkling blue robe.

“You must be Zeke, the one who helped unite the living and the dead,” said the old man.

“That's me,” Zeke replied. “You must be Rupert, the one who we've been trying to find but ran into problems while trying to do so.”

“Come on in,” said the old man. “I've been waiting for all of you.”

Inside the wizard's house was a very interesting sight. The house looked elegant. Books, covering all kinds of subjects were found in a bookcase next to the stairs. Little statuettes of creatures were found on shelves that were suspended from the walls. The living room looked very comfortable, with padded chairs and a thick carpet. The wizard had a lit fireplace, which had a guard around it so that the fire would not burn the carpet. Zeke was glad that the guard was there, as he was somewhat pyrophobic.

Everyone took a seat.

“All right, Zeke, what's your situation?” asked the wizard.

Zeke was about to explain how he ended up in this world. He was about to asked what was happening with the portals and what would happen before Zeke had a chance to leave. The wizard's answer would change how everyone understood how the portals work. What the wizard was going to say next would not be taken lightly.

Zeke was about to retell the events that took place since the beginning of Zeke's adventures. He knew that everyone did not have too much time on their hands so he decided to tell an abridged version of his story.

“Okay, first I want to say that I was once a human; it's just that something happened to me in my childhood that changed by body,” he began. “It began with a trip into a forest. Nothing unusual; I do it all the time.”

The story spanned between five and ten minutes. The wizard was paying close attention to Zeke's adventures.

“Your story reminds me of my youth,” answered the wizard, with a faint smile on his face. “Your adventures sound a lot like my own. Now for my side of the story; the real reason why you've been dragged into this world.”

The wizard cleared his throat and breathed deeply. Zeke's heart began to beat a little faster in anticipation.

“You're part of an experiment...an evil one,” the wizard said at last.

“Considering what we've all gone through, I'm not surprised,” replied Samuel.

“No,” countered Rupert. “This is something much more serious than facing a few undead in a castle. It involves your world as well. Someone is planning to invade your world as we speak.”

“Why would someone want to pick trouble with the world of Pokemon?”asked Samuel, not realizing how powerful the 'invader' could be.

“He has the forces, resources, and micromanagement skills to try such a feat,” replied Rupert.

“Then we've got to thwart his plans somehow,” Zeke responded. “Little does he know that he's actually given us good practice. We managed to get through the mines, the castle, and the mafia. We can get through this guy too.”

“Just be aware that after this challenge, there's only one more before they really start to get tough,” warned Rupert.

“Challenges?” asked Alice. “Are you saying that we've been tested on our survival skills all along?”

“Precisely that,” replied Rupert. “The first five challenges are tests to see whether or not you can survive on your own...and so far, you've done well for yourselves. Right now, you're on the fourth one. When you reach the sixth one, you had better be aware of the degree of danger you'll be in. It won't just be a matter of avoiding enemies and solving puzzles anymore. When you reach the sixth challenge, you have to prove that you can survive on your own. Otherwise, you know what might happen.”

“How do you know all this info?” asked Zeke, leaning forward.

“It takes a wizard to know a wizard...that's my saying,” replied Rupert.

“The enemy you may face is a wizard like myself. What's interesting about him is that he's not your typical slave-driving, tyrannical-”

“Goon?” interrupted Austin, impulsively.

“Yes,” replied Rupert. “He actually treats his subordinates and his prisoners with respect. The problem is that he has a split-personality. He's nice on the outside, but I've actually seen him correct himself in a somewhat violent way. Banging his head on his walking stick for example.”

“He might need therapy,” Zeke remarked, turning his head to one side and smiling, amused.

Brandon started to mimic the enemy's personality problems with a few head bangs in the air, making explosive noises. Alice thought this was cute and funny and giggled. Even Austin smiled at this act, trying to contain his laughter by putting a paw over his mouth.

“Carry on,” said Zeke.

“The point is...if you want to get home alive, you have to go through him first,” replied Rupert.

“I see...well, maybe we should get going and see if we can stop this guy,” Zeke spoke.

“Not before I train each and every one of you how to use magic,” began Rupert. “If you'll stay with me for a while, I can teach you some particularly interesting spells, and remove the need for scrolls for the ones you already use...like that Hypervelocity scroll.”

Alice's eyes practically lit up with excitement.

“Really? You'll teach us?” she asked with a rather large grin on her face.

“Wait, how do you know which scrolls I use?” asked Zeke.

“How do you think I know?” asked Rupert.

Zeke looked around the room until he saw Quince.

“Quince told you, didn't he?” asked Zeke.

“Very good,” replied Rupert. “Keep thinking like that and you'll be just fine on this challenge. Don't worry about food, shelter, and security; I've got that taken care of.”

“Great,” said Jacob, smiling. “So what's first?”

“First, since all of you have been through so much recently, I'll teach you a spell which you might find useful...and interesting. It's called Transfigure. Zeke, Alice...I want you two as volunteers.”

“Okay,” Zeke responded. “If that's all right with you, Alice.”

“If this spell does what I think it does, then let's see it!” replied Alice.

“Okay you two, stand in front of each other; you have to be close to one another,” instructed Rupert. All right...now both of you stare into each other's eyes.”

Zeke and Alice did as they were told. Alice was smiling at Zeke, eager to find out what it is like to be a pokemon. Zeke on the other hand, was slightly nervous, unsure of how everything would work out. Zeke nearly always thought realistically.

“All right...Alice, take Zeke's paw and focus,” began Rupert.

Alice held Zeke's paw and closed her eyes, with Zeke doing the same. Suddenly, a soft, whirring noise began to show that the spell was working. Soon after, two white streams of energy, one from Zeke and one from Alice, traveled to each other's bodies.

“All right...you two can let go now,”

Alice opened her eyes, looked down, and was amazed at her new self. She began twisting her arms left and right and spoke,

“I never thought the day would come.”

She still had her voice, which the others found very interesting. What looked like Zeke, now had Alice's voice and spirit. Alice crossed both arms across her chest and grinned with excitement. Zeke was also fascinated by what happened to him. He now had Alice's body. He was so used to having fur that his new body felt strange not having it. Like Alice, he twisted his arms left and right. He moved his fingers and found it strange that he was not able to do it so well as a Lucario. It was so easy; maybe because of the fact that he was once a human.

Alice experimented with her new body. Stretching, spinning, rubbing her paws together, and rubbing the spikes on the backs of her paws together were some of the things she did. Eventually, Rupert decided to change them back to normal again, so he had them perform the same ritual to return them back into their original selves.

“That was really interesting,” Zeke noted. “I haven't had that kind of experience in thirteen years.”

“That was so much fun,” Alice spoke, still trying to get used to her own body. “You're so lucky, Zeke! You have fur to keep warm, and a tail too. I never had anything like that.”

“Hey, you have fingers so that you can actually hold stuff without having it slip from you,” Zeke complimented, once again being realistic.

“I wonder how I would feel as a Floatzel,” Jacob spoke, curious.

“All right, who's next?” asked Rupert.

There was a bit of an uproar over who wanted to go next, given Alice's reaction to having Zeke's body. Everyone was interested to see how it would feel to be a different pokemon. Alice of course was always eager to try out the spell again.

Zeke and his friends had just discovered their mission in this world. Apparently, a new, possibly power-hungry enemy was getting ready to invade the world of Pokemon. But that goal lost its priority somewhat, as Zeke, Alice, all the pokemon, and even Quince were having too much fun changing into each other, just to see what it would be like as another person or pokemon. The training continued into the evening, with no one being left out.

Zeke and his friends were busy training in the art of spellcasting. Most of the projectile spells, such as Hypervelocity Bolt, Contorted Blast, and some others, were practiced in a space outside of Rupert's house. All the pokémon, except Zeke, were practicing some of their pokémon-specific attacks on training dummies. Alice, Quince, and even Rupert were impressed by the pokémon attacks. The wizard looked at Jacob and said with a smile,

“I didn't know you had your own magic skills.”

“It comes naturally to us,” replied Jacob. “Literally. Our bodies are made to make and use them. We call them 'poké-powers.'”

“Sad thing is I don't even have those,” added Zeke. “That Ditto didn't just mess with my body, it messed with the way my body works. I can't launch an Aura Sphere like Brandon can. I have two friends at school who ended up like me, only one of them is a Floatzel, and the other is a Raichu.”

“Zeke, I've heard that your two friends had adventures of their own in the past, like this one,” Jacob spoke.

“I know they have,” Zeke responded. “I was in a few of them.”

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked directly at Zeke, interested with this new detail.

“You've had adventures like this before?” asked Alice.

“Yes,” replied Zeke. “Although I'm the first one in my town to be turned into a pokémon by that Ditto, my two friends hold the record of having the most adventures. The Floatzel's name is Daniel and the Raichu's name is Simon. You should have been to some of the places we've been. Beautiful forests, magic mountains...it's amazing what these portals can take you to.”

Everyone was astonished when Zeke mentioned the portals. The wizard, however, gave a look that suggested that he knew something.

“You've been to this world before?” asked Alice.

“Seems like it,” answered Zeke. “The portals for each of the adventures were exactly the same.”

“But what about the enemy wizard?” asked Austin. “Didn't he make these portals?”

“Allow me to explain,” began Rupert.

He sat down in a rocking chair on the porch.

“First off, the wizard didn't make these portals; he simply redirected them.”

“Then who made the portals?” asked Zeke, moving his head to one side while still looking at Rupert.

“I was just getting to that,” replied Rupert. He stared at the sky. “There is an ancient legend surrounding the portals.”

“Tell us what you know,” Zeke suggested. “It may help us.”

“Very well,” answered Rupert. “Back when the enemy and I were students at a magic school I know, one of my teachers was an expert on mythology. His name was Dr. Nerblinngher. He studied ancient civilizations for over 60 years.”

“That's impressive,” Simon commented.

“He told me that at the age of 12, he had a highly unusual dream. He also said that it was a message from an ancient god.”

“Everyone gets those dreams,” said Alice.

“Not like the one he had,” Rupert continued. “I'll show you a copy of the pages from his journal that involve the dream.”

He went inside his house for a minute.

“Let's hope this guy isn't a weirdo,” Austin spoke.

Brandon sat down on the ground and began to walk around upside-down, on his front paws.

“Will you cut that out, Brandon?” ordered Austin. “Driving me crazy.”

Brandon sat down.

“If the wizard is showing us pages from his teacher's diary, we'd better pay attention,” Zeke suggested. “I don't think his teacher was crazy.”

Rupert returned with a small green book, some pictures, and a key with a portrait of him on the handle. He showed everyone the first picture. The picture contained a photo-realistic picture of a ruin. There was an entrance to a building in the distance. Pillars lined the area before the entrance. The ruins were dark, but there seemed to be an eerie dark blue glow that lit the area.

But what caught everyone's attention was the figure on the far left. An anthropomorphic jackal was next to the person who took the picture. The jackal seemed to be staring at the entrance. It seemed to be similar to the type of jackal that the ancient Egyptians worshiped, back in ancient history. No one could believe what they saw, not even Zeke. Brandon was too busy analyzing the jackal to feel any surprise, however.

“Wow...just wow,” said Jacob.

“That guy looks like you,” Brandon mentioned to Zeke.

“He does,” added Zeke. “Was this in the dream?”

“No, what you're seeing is real,” answered Rupert. “He knows a spell called 'Envision.' That spell, when used, captures a perfect image of everything within sight, then when the caster puts his finger on a blank piece of paper or such and clicks his fingers, the picture is transferred from his mind to the paper. I've kept this picture for over twenty years in a frame to protect it. The spell in its purity never lies.”

Everyone except Zeke and Brandon were lost for words. Even Quince had a surprised look on his face.

“When was this taken?” asked Zeke.

“Back when he was fourteen years old,” replied Rupert. “The jackal in the picture is actually an ancient god that very few people know of.”

“So a kid who's younger than me was contacted by an ancient god?” asked Alice.

“Yes,” Rupert responded. “And not just that, but the Jackal gave Nerblinngher an important mission to carry out.”

“Which was?” asked Zeke.

“Five things,” began Rupert. “One...to keep his secret identity away from the public eye.”

“Secret identity?” asked Samuel. “Like a superhero?”

“No, more like a hidden messiah. A representative. Like a trusted soldier to a general,” answered Rupert.

“At the age of fourteen?” asked Quince. “That's a pretty young age to be considered a holy entity.”

“He was more than capable of carrying out the mission, despite his age,” countered Rupert. He sat back in his rocking chair.

“Two...to learn more about the world of Pokémon,” Rupert continued.

“Our world?” asked Samuel. “How would an ancient god of an ancient civilization know about a world that nobody in this world knew existed? Especially that long ago.”

“Only the Jackal knew that back in the day,” replied Rupert. “Just before you came to this world, there were only a few from this world that knew about the world of Pokémon. The Jackal, Nerblinngher, myself, and the Family.”

“Family?” asked Zeke. “As in your family?”

“No, not my family,” answered Rupert. “The Family is a nickname for a large group of people who work with the Jackal, both living and undead. The undead who are part of the Family have emotions, personalities, and a conscience.”

“It's nice to hear that the living and the undead can live together in peace,” Austin commented.

“You mentioned that Nerblinngher was supposed to learn about our world, right?” asked Zeke.

“Yes, I said that...why?” asked Rupert.

“Where is he now?” asked Zeke.

“He's in your world, in your house, explaining to your parents why you're not at their house,” began Rupert.

“What?” asked Zeke, caught off guard. “How does he know where I live?”

“That brings us to the third part of his mission,” continued Rupert. “Informing those who would notice Zeke's disappearance.”

“Does the Jackal know me personally?” asked Zeke.

“Yes, in every way,” answered Rupert.

Zeke stared at Rupert in alarm at first, but then he began to calm down.

“Don't worry, he thinks very highly of you,” Rupert reassured. “In fact, he wants to take you and your friends under his wing.”

“What? You serious?”asked Jacob, showing a surprised look that seemed to match everyone else's.

“Wait, jackals don't have wings,” said Zeke.

“Your Asperger Syndrome will help you in your mission to stop the enemy wizard,” Rupert responded. “You just have to learn more figures of speech.”

“How do you know about...ah...I see,” replied Zeke, finally understanding why Rupert knew about Zeke's disorder.

“Wait, Zeke has what?” asked Austin.

“I'll explain later,” answered Zeke. “Continue, Rupert.”

“Zeke, the Jackal's real name is Revesto,” began Rupert. “He provides us with information he feels we need to know, including your disorder.”

“So we can safely assume that Revesto knows all?” asked Zeke.

“Correct,” replied Rupert. “Even the Ditto that turned you into a Riolu at age three.”

“Don't tell me the Ditto was part of his divine plan as well,” said Samuel.

“As frightening as it may sound...yes,” answered Rupert.

The moment he spoke that sentence, there came a pause in the conversation. No one could believe what Rupert had just revealed to Zeke and his friends.

“So that means my friends from school are also involved with Revesto in some way?” asked Zeke.

“That is correct,” replied Rupert. “However, their missions are not as significant as yours. The safety of the world of Pokémon lies in your paws, Zeke. Revesto has hand-picked you to save the world.”

After a moment of silence, Zeke spoke,

“I am honored.”

“Hey, look at that cloud,” said Brandon.

Everyone looked up and were amazed to see a cloud in the shape of Revesto's head and neck. When everyone saw it, the Jackal smiled. The cloud then began to disappear.

Words could not describe how Zeke and his friends felt when they saw Revesto's image in the sky.

There came a long silence. Emotions rushed through everyone's minds, but one remained the most prominent, pride. Just as Zeke was about ready to continue the discussion, a ray of blue light shone on the ground behind everyone. After a few moments, a figure began to appear.

“It's Revesto...” said Alice, amazed. “In the flesh!”

Everyone stared in awe at the six-foot Jackal. He was in many ways similar to the ancient Egyptian kind of jackal. He had dark blue eyes and ears that pointed the same way Zeke's ears did. He was wearing something like a pair of vibrantly blue shorts, only the shorts seemed to extend to the area near his feet, which were similar to those of a real jackal. The shorts seemed to shine in the sunlight. Revesto was also wearing a golden belt, a pair of jeweled bracelets, a strange blue head-cloth that covered both sides and the back of his head, held together at the forehead with a band made of gold. The silver staff he carried had an ankh shape at the top, a twisting pattern from just beneath the ankh to the bottom of the staff, a sapphire in the middle of the ankh with emeralds at the bottom of it, and green, blue, and silver stripes that coiled upwards around the staff. It was a beautiful sight.

Revesto began to walk slowly towards Zeke. Everyone stepped backwards so that the Jackal could have some space. Zeke looked up at Revesto.

“You must be Zeke,” began the Jackal.

He had a soft, relaxed voice. Zeke could not tell whether it was an adult voice or a teenage voice.

“I am,” Zeke replied. “You must be Revesto.”

“How do you do?” asked Revesto.

“I'm doing all right,” answered Zeke. “And you?”

“Couldn't be better,” Revesto spoke, smiling. “Now that I have you and your friends to help me.”

“Defeat the wizard, you mean?” asked Zeke.

“And promise to keep my existence a secret?” asked Revesto.

“Your secret is safe,” answered Zeke.

“Good,” said Revesto. “I know all of you can keep a secret...if you couldn't, then you wouldn't know I exist right now.”

“Pardon me for asking, but what's the purpose of this visit?” asked Zeke.

“I came to give you three things,” began Revesto. “Let me start with this staff.”

He held the staff on its side and presented it to Zeke.

“Are you sure I can have it?” asked Zeke, wanting permission.

“It's a gift for you,” answered Revesto. “For saving Alice.”

“I appreciate the gift,” Zeke responded, taking the staff. The staff was perfect in terms of weight for Zeke. It had Zeke's two favorite colors on the design, green and blue. He felt a pleasantly warm, tingling sensation run through his body when he touched the staff.

“And you're welcome...Alice helped me out too when I was in trouble.”

“I didn't know you had such a strong interest in me, Revesto,” Alice spoke, smiling. “Thanks for the concern. Zeke and I have become very fond of each other in the time we've spent together.”

“I had to worry about you in the mines, all alone,” Revesto responded. “You're a direct descendant of me after all.”

Alice looked up at the Jackal with an honest, serious look on her face and asked,

“Really? Me? A descendant?”

“You are my granddaughter, with an unbelievable number of greats,” replied Revesto.

“Wow...” said Alice, feeling special inside. “What are the chances? I couldn't see myself having royal relatives, let alone divine ones.”

“Feels kinda weird, doesn't it?” asked Revesto.

“Now that you mention it,” Alice responded. “So this means I'm not human anymore?”

“Nope,” answered Revesto. “You never were. Neither was your mother. You're both part canine. Remember when you went to the hospital for an injury and the nurse could not find a blood type that matched yours?”

“Back when I was twelve?” asked Alice. “Yes, I remember that.”

“You still have jackal in your blood,” replied Revesto, smiling. “Same as mine in fact. You also have my desire to learn, especially in the field of magic.”

“So this makes Alice a living legend,” Quince spoke.

“But she will remain a human to the public eye,” Revesto responded.

“Got it,” everyone spoke, simultaneously.

“Moving on...what's the next item?” asked Zeke.

“Your poké-powers,” replied Revesto. “Every Lucario has them. Now, it's time you received yours.”

“Thank you,” Zeke responded, smiling.

“Alice, as my descendant, and Quince, as an honored guest, how would you two like to have poké-powers of your own?”

“That would be nice,” answered Quince with a grin.

“I'd love that!” replied Alice, excited.

“Okay, you three,” began Revesto. “Choose your pokémon.”

“Lucario,” said Zeke.

“Lucario,” Alice spoke.

“Buizel,” said Quince.

“All right,” answered Revesto. “Alice, hold Zeke's paws. Quince, you stand close but not right next to them.”

Zeke, Alice, and Quince did as they were told.

“Ready, you three?” asked Revesto.

“Fire away,” Quince signaled.

Revesto raised his arms. Zeke, Alice, and Quince rose into the air a few feet. Then he folded his arms across his chest, like a mummy in a sarcophagus, and focused. Then, blue, misty energy began to rise from the ground and envelop the three. Soon after, green and blue sparkles began to float around them. When enough sparkles gathered around them, the sparkles began to spin around them. Those who didn't participate in the ritual watched in amazement at what was happening. Zeke, Alice, and Quince absorbed the sparkles into their body, then they began to glow their colors. The glowing continued to grow brighter until a certain point. Then the sparkles exploded outwards, onto the ground. The glowing faded and the mist began to disappear until they were no longer visible.

Zeke, Alice, and Quince, waited for the Jackal to give the word.

“Okay, you now have all the poké-powers of the pokémon you chose,” Revesto concluded. “You just have to learn them.”

Zeke turned to face a training dummy and focused. He then created a ball of blue energy and launched it at the dummy. It exploded, confirming that the ritual was a success.

“That's called an Aura Sphere,” he spoke. “Alice, you try.”

Alice followed the same procedure, made a ball of energy, and hurled it at the exact same dummy. She grinned when it exploded.

“All right, let me try,” said Quince.

Quince breathed in and shot a powerful jet of water out of his mouth. The water hit a different training dummy.

“Hmm...” he muttered. “Very interesting. I might just sell these water bombs I use to douse torches.”

“Thank you so much,” Zeke spoke, feeling happy and complete.

“If anyone asks...you learned them in an adventure...nothing more,” Revesto replied.

“We understand,” said Alice.

“And last but not least, the third gift,” began Revesto. “Enhanced memory.”

He walked around and put his hand on everyone's head, making his hand glow blue each time.

“So you don't forget everything I've told you,” Revesto continued. “Memory is useful on so many levels, so I'm giving you the power to remember or forget whatever you like. Have fun in your dreams.”

He turned to Zeke.

“Remember...the wizard is out there. I can't damage his plans for the world of Pokémon directly,” he said, looking a bit more serious. “That would put my secrecy in danger. If he can redirect my portals, even just a bit, he's no ordinary wizard. I've kept your whereabouts hidden from him, so he can't pull any kind of magic trick on you, apart from the ones already set. When the time comes to face the wizard, don't let him know you're there. He never saw you coming and never will, if you listen to my advice. Well, I'm off now to take care of other matters.”

“Thank you, Revesto...for everything,” Alice spoke.

“You are all a great team,” replied Revesto. “Zeke...thanks again for rescuing Alice.”

“Any time,” Zeke responded.

A beam of light began to shine on Revesto. He began to fade.

“I'll see you in the ninth challenge,” he spoke. “When the guards see you, they'll want your identification. Raise the staff I gave you and they'll understand. When you defeat the wizard, there is something special waiting for you at the end.”

“Got it,” answered Zeke.

“Rupert will tell you what you need to know on this challenge,” continued Revesto, as the glittering from the beam became more intense. “In the meantime, I want to wish all of you, the very best...of luck. Goodbye.”

Revesto vanished into the air, along with the beam of light.

No one spoke for five minutes. They were still somewhat confused after what happened, but both proud and amazed after talking to a god and receiving his blessings. Then Brandon stood up and asked,

“What was the fourth thing Nerblinngher had to do?”

“I'm glad you asked,” answered Rupert. “Nerblinngher's fourth goal was to monitor access to and from this world and the world of Pokémon.”

“Sounds simple,” Zeke commented.

“And his last objective...to help all of you reach the Ruins of Kaladorn,” Rupert finished.

“Where's that?” asked Austin.

“That's where you'll end up when you take the exit portal from the eighth challenge. You'll be right outside the ruins on the picture.”

“That's really interesting,” Alice commented. “So where do we meet Nerblinngher?”

“During the fifth challenge,” answered Rupert. “It's the same guy as the one that Samuel heard was turned into a Ninetales.”

“That guy?” asked Samuel. “But he's over sixty years old! Last week, he looked twenty!”

“He was given immortality,” corrected Rupert. “His body never aged past twenty-three years. Never will.”

“So we have a Ninetales to look out for,” Zeke spoke.

“What's a Ninetales?” asked Alice.

“Basically, a fox with nine tails, cream-colored fur, and red eyes,” answered Zeke.

“If you see him, don't pull any of his tails,” Austin warned.

“Why not?” asked Alice.

“They leave a thousand-year curse on whoever pulls them,” Austin explained.

“Sounds scary,” Alice responded. “Want to practice, Zeke? Try out our new poké-powers?”

“Sure, why not?” said Zeke in agreement.

Zeke and his friends have had their lives changed completely in a span of less than one hour. They all had poké-powers at their disposal, their memories were more accurate and detailed, and they had all been contacted by a jackal god who is in fact one of Alice's ancient ancestors. Piles upon piles of questions built up in Zeke's head; the same happening for everyone else. They would all be answered in time, but now Zeke wanted to test his new abilities and his new holy staff.

Zeke and his friends had a lot to think about that day. What started as a chance meeting in a haunted mine had turned into a mission to save Zeke's world from an invisible threat. So far, the nature of the threat was unknown, but Zeke was beginning to think that there was more to it than just an invasion.

While at the dining room table for lunch the next day, Zeke was discussing his experiences in his dreams with Alice and Quince. Samuel, Jacob, Austin, and Brandon were talking about their own experiences in this mysterious world.

“So I went through this double door and went into a massive room,” Zeke continued. “Then I saw a body on the ground, about ten feet away from me.”

“You didn't go near it, did you?” asked Alice.

“I'm not stupid,” answered Zeke. “As soon as I went through the door, I started to hear these thumping noises, sounded a little bit like someone banging on a door.”

“Did the body do anything?” asked Quince, his head resting on his fist.

“No,” Zeke responded. “It just lied there...doubt it was really dead, though.”

Meanwhile, Jacob was about to briefly tell his experiences from where he ended up in this world.

“Well, I was in the forest, searching for my favorite kind of berries, when I saw this weird blue shape open up in the distance. I decided to take a look inside, thinking it was a portal, and I ended up in another forest. It wasn't long until I ran into those horrible hunters. As soon as they saw me, they scrambled to get their weapons. Then that started the long chase. That was when I ran into you guys. Those hunters have a lot of stamina to run as fast as I did for that long.”

“I don't think we've seen the last of them yet,” Austin warned. “But you're not alone. We were hunted by a big mafia in the city we just came out of. Zeke's a really smart guy. We found enough evidence to prove them guilty of all kinds of stuff.”

“We even sneaked into their base of operations and took both their wealth and their secrecy, right from under their noses,” added Samuel.

“Wait, isn't that stealing?” asked Jacob, puzzled.

“We checked the source of the treasure we took,” answered Austin. “It was buried treasure. As for the evidence, all we had to do was show enough of it to the police and they swarmed the place.”

“Glad all that got sorted out,” Samuel commented. Austin began to giggle.

“What's so funny?” asked Samuel.

“Hn hn hn, I can just imagine a thug sleeping in a dark room, and a guard decides to be mean. He creeps into the room and lights it up. Then when the thug wakes up, the guard shouts, 'you're under arrest!'”

Austin put his paws together in a way that signaled sleep and closed his eyes. Then he opened his eyes wide and looked to the corners of them. He did this with a smile that made him look as if he was going to laugh, while at the same time, trying to exaggerate a frown. He then uttered what sounded like,

“Ooh hoo!” Everyone involved with the conversation laughed at this performance.

“Zeke, you have some interesting dreams,” Quince commented. “Mine aren't nearly as vivid as yours.”

Austin muttered something in Samuel's ear. Then Samuel spoke up,

“Hey Zeke...what was that As-perr-jers or whatever it's called? Rupert said you had it.”

“Well...since we've got some time to spare, I might as well tell you about it,” answered Zeke.

“I've never heard of it,” said Quince. “This'll be interesting. What is it, Zeke?”

“It's a disorder,” Zeke replied.

“Is it serious?” asked Alice.

“Depends on how you look at it,” Zeke responded.

“What does it do?” asked Austin.

“Basically, it causes people to have major problems with socializing, along with some other things,” answered Zeke.

“You've been doing great with socializing,” countered Alice. “I didn't see any problems from you.”

“That's because I learned how to,” Zeke replied. “Sometimes, people with Asperger's Syndrome have to learn things that others would normally pick up. As a Riolu, I used to have some serious problems with figures of speech. I didn't know what some meant.”

“And that caused problems for you?” asked Jacob.

“Here and there, but most of the time it wasn't anything serious,” Zeke responded. “One that I had a really hard time figuring out was the word 'jackpot'. I mean at the time, when I heard someone say that, I was like 'well who's Jack? And why is he in a pot?'”

“I can see how that would confuse you,” Alice spoke.

“I didn't really have any serious problems with that...until I laid eyes on my first poem,” said Zeke, looking up with his eyes and jokingly making a frown.

“Uh oh,” Samuel giggled.

“My first thought when I read the first verse was 'someone's messed up in the head...there are mistakes everywhere,'” Zeke continued. “Black cloud of doom? I could understand if a tornado was coming, but why is there a cloud of doom to begin with? As if we didn't have enough things to doom us, back in the day.”

“Oh boy...life must be...interesting for you, Zeke,” Quince commented, shaking his head and smiling.

“I think the worst day for that was on my 7th birthday,” Zeke began. “Back at my elementary school, there was an annual contest to see who knew the most in school. I was the winner about...eighty percent of the time. It was called the 'Smartypants competition.' The finals took place at another school, so only a few people knew me. However, everyone was talking about me, and being the first pokémon to attend school, it was an interesting experience. We were on the school stage, answering a bunch of literature questions. I was doing very well with the grammar and spelling, when I was handed a poem.”

“I bet that was fun,” Austin remarked, sarcastically.

Zeke began to smile.

“The whole thing was caught on video, and I happen to still have a copy of it at home.”

“Video?” asked Alice. “Is this another gadget from your world?”

“Video is like using the Envision spell sixty times a second. Technology is quite advanced in our world,” Zeke clarified. “Anyway, I was up on stage, in front of about 200, maybe 250 people...when I got this poem. I was asked to point out all the mistakes in it...and you can guess what happened.”

“You corrected the wrong things, didn't you?” asked Quince.

“No, I got all the spelling and grammar and other things, but the audience got quite a few laughs when they saw me correcting the poem's figurative language. I was saying things like 'well first off, you can't embrace darkness. Darkness isn't a physical object, and flowers can't dance because they don't even have a brain to learn how to dance.' Then I got up on stage and started moon-walking, saying 'you don't see daisies or daffodils doing this across the road, do you?”

Meanwhile, Austin's group couldn't stop laughing. Alice was giggling as well.

“I knew some figures of speech back then, but only some,” Zeke continued. “I have a slight problem with them today, but I know just about all the commonly used ones.”

“Moon-walking is a slang term from the human society, referring to a certain kind of dance where you slide your feet across the floor, making it look like you're moving so smoothly, it looks like you're floating or using a conveyor belt,” Rupert explained.

“Alice, please don't try that with your robe on,” Zeke warned, but jokingly at the same time. “For one thing, you'll trip and fall. That kind of dance takes a lot of practice.”

“So is there anything about Asperger's besides what you described already?” asked Alice.

“Well, there's the sensory problems and fixations on things. That's just the tip of the iceberg, but that's all I will talk about for now,” Zeke answered.

“Sensory problems?” asked Jacob. “Doesn't every pokémon have a weakness to something?”

“Not like I do,” countered Zeke. “You should never ever touch me with fire. Being a Lucario, I already have a natural weakness to fire. Add the way my brain handles fire on top of that, and it's the most painful thing in the world. It's like putting salt, vinegar, and acid in an open wound.”

“Eww,” said Austin, cringing. “Okay, we get it. Don't touch Zeke with fire. Can we move on?”

“Okay,” Zeke responded. “As for the fixations, sometimes we get absolutely obsessed with a favorite object, or subject. I have this really intense interest with architecture and interior design. I have this secret bathroom in my house that can be only be reached by pulling a specific book from one of the bookcases in my room. That leads to a very extravagant bathroom that I designed with my own computer, yet another gadget from my world. During my adventures in the past, I always collected rare and valuable objects from haunted houses and abandoned places...things like that. Anything from gemstones, like some of us remember, to relics, to valuables like candlesticks, goblets, and even a crown one time.

Well, when I got home after the adventures, I'd give the items to mom, she would take them to a professional to find out how much they're worth, and she would sell them to collectors and the like. Well, we had enough money, and one day, I decided to design my own secret room. I got on my computer and used it to create blueprints for my bathroom. The whole project took a couple months for the builders to construct, but once it was done, I could call it the envy of my schoolmates. I showed a few of my friends my secret bathroom and they almost fainted because they never expected anything like this. News went around quite quickly in school and then people started to get into architecture for some reason. I didn't let people take pictures of my bathroom because I wanted the bathroom to be a surprise.”

“High risk and high reward, I guess,” Jacob commented.

“I've made a number of small changes to it since,” continued Zeke. “But it still looks the same. Since I love the sound of running water, I had a number of fountains put into the bathroom, big and small, as well as a complex system of running water. My bathroom is so relaxing, I almost fell asleep in the jacuzzi a few times. A jacuzzi is like a bathtub, but different in a number of ways, one being that it's made for more than one person. Of course, you don't take your clothes off in the jacuzzi. I also had a sound and speaker system cleverly installed to give a more relaxing feel. I've actually been thinking of a career in architecture and design and all that, but I'll wait until I'm older.”

“Looks like you have a bright future ahead of you,” Alice complimented. “When this whole ordeal is done and over with...I might join you in the jacuzzi. We can talk about our pasts...and our future. Your secret room sounds like a wonderful place.”

“Maybe someday,” Zeke responded. “All that will depend on if we survive this or not. For now, let's enjoy ourselves. This is our moment of peace in the events to come...might as well make the most of it.”

After that conversation, everyone suddenly felt different about themselves. The mission now meant something more than stopping a wizard bent on invading the world of pokémon. Now, it was like a story. A story about learning from their experiences. Everyone couldn't help but think of the saying that wisdom came with age and began to doubt it. Wisdom to them came with experience. Everyone was in a close-knit group now that would need each other in the future, when more perilous challenges would arrive. They needed each other, not just for the practical skills everyone possessed, but also for a feeling of unity no one could easily grasp.

Zeke and his friends were enjoying the peace and quiet in Rupert's home. They knew that they would have to leave soon to continue their mission, but for now, they wanted a short break from it to reflect on what they've been through so far, and what they would experience in the future. Everyone was in the living room, sitting on what looked to be couches. It was Zeke's turn in the conversation.

"So everyone...how do you feel about this whole thing?" he asked.

"It's been quite an experience, I'll tell you that," Samuel replied. "I never imagined anything like this happening to any of us."

"And to think I was just looking for some berries at first," Jacob added. He looked down. "Now the fate of the world depends on us. It's kinda scary to think about, actually. But it inspires me to do my best. I want those berries after all.

"Zeke...is this our destiny?" asked Brandon.

"Brandon...that's up to you to decide," answered Zeke. "In life, things may happen that you can't change, but there are also changes only you can make. As for destiny...no one can control it...not even Revesto."

"Revesto can predict things...but he can't change them, even as a god," Rupert clarified.

"It's hard to explain, but I think everyone can make some changes. Big or small, everyone can make a difference to the course of history," Zeke began. "There are written rules, unwritten rules, variables, and fate.

The written rules cannot be changed...like the laws of physics. The unwritten rules are open to interpretation, but we follow them anyway. They're basically rules waiting to be written. Variables are the only things we have control over. This whole mission is a good example of a variable. We can choose to win or lose. Both decisions will never be erased from the history book and will affect the outcome of the world for the rest of time.

Fate, however, is its own kind of rule that isn't touched by any other. We, as sentient beings, were given the power to change variables, and that's it. Fate created the universe. How it was created is a mystery that probably will never be solved, but something started the engine. No matter what people say, I think fate wrote the very first first rule in existence.

Brandon...that was probably too much for you to handle, so I'll say it in a nutshell...I think there is no destiny."

"It's funny," Jacob began. "I grew up with a life of battling. I used to see it all the time in other regions. In the region I live in now...there's hardly any fighting. It's probably because the pokémon know how to speak the human language."

"What are you trying to say?" asked Samuel.

"I find it weird that I grew up with a life of watching trainers and pokémon battle each other, but now I've been pulled into a world where I have to avoid fighting to live."

"Here's a bit of irony," Zeke started. "I'm a pokémon who's built to fight. I have all my moves and everything, yet I've been avoiding enemies most of the time."

"You do fight well," Alice noted. "But you've resisted fighting all your life. It's who you are. I don't like fighting either. I like learning about things."

"Besides, there's no point in dying if you can help it...even if it's a valiant death, it's still death...and death, in my opinion, is the biggest waste of all anyone can make," Zeke added.

"If I have to fight someone...it's probably because Brandon here got himself in a world of trouble," Austin spoke. "I don't fight to declare myself a winner, I do it to protect or to survive."

"My friend Daniel secretly hates trainers," Zeke recalled. "His reason has everything to do with this conversation. One night he came up to me and told me that he joined a group of pokémon whose goal was to prevent pokémon from being captured or harmed in any way like that. It's called the Trainer Resistance Association for Pokémon. In short, T.R.A.P."

"Zeke, if I remember correctly, didn't a trainer teach his Charmander how to speak?" asked Alice.

"Some are good, some are bad, and some are in between," answered Zeke. "This is how it works in a nutshell with a trainer. A trainer looks for a certain building and gets his first pokémon. There are ethical disputes all the time over how these pokémon are obtained...not between the trainer and the 'professor,' anyway."

"How do these creatures get captured?" asked Alice.

"Well, from what I can tell...it's almost like hunting..." Zeke replied, with a horrified look. He breathed deeply then continued. "Anyway...the trainer gets his first pokémon and tries to catch more to use in battle with other trainers..."

Zeke paused.

"Who made it legal for kids as young as ten to do stuff like this?" asked Austin.

"I don't know...but the lawyers are gonna have a hard time explaining this one," Zeke responded, shaking his head.

"That's horrible!" Alice protested. "Why is this legal? We don't hunt animals and use them to battle other animals! That's jail-time! If I catch anyone doing this to those poor creatures, I'm gonna-"

"You're forgetting something, Alice," Zeke interjected. "Calm down."

"What am I forgetting?" asked Alice.

"A bunch of things, actually," Zeke began. "First, we have T.R.A.P to protect the pokémon in our region. Any trainer caught trying to battle and capture one in our region will be annihilated. Second, what do they usually use to capture these pokémon? Pokémon. The trainers have no special powers unless one of their parents is a pokémon...and with what's been happening with the Ditto...that might be possible."

"Alice, I'm going to say this as politely as I can," Jacob started. "We, as pokémon, are 'compatible' with lots and lots of different pokémon. Our children gain special abilities because of that. Now, humans didn't just magically appear out of nowhere. Over time, evolution made them unique...not to be confused with a pokémon-like evolution. But they came from somewhere. I think it's entirely possible for one parent to be a human and another to be a pokémon, although that kind of concept isn't really something you openly talk about...in the human society, anyway."

"I see..." Alice spoke. She paused and stared at the floor.

"Alice...are you spacing out or daydreaming?" Jacob asked.

"Oh...excuse me," replied Alice, flinching a bit.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" asked Jacob.

"No, nothing," answered Alice, looking slightly nervous.

She stood up and began to walk upstairs.

"Where are you going?" asked Austin.

"Zeke...can you come with me? I think we need to talk for a bit," she asked.

"Sure...what is it?"

"I...think we'd better talk in private," Alice responded.

Zeke walked upstairs with Alice and headed for a bedroom. They closed the door behind them.

Jacob nodded his head and smiled.

"What's going on?" asked Samuel. "This isn't like her, to just walk off like that."

"Don't you see it?" asked Jacob. "The nervousness, the spacing out...right after that discussion."

"So what?" asked Samuel.

"Alice has a crush on Zeke," said Jacob.

"It's no surprise to me," added Quince, fiddling with his long, black hair. "I started thinking they might have that special kind of friendship when they danced together. There is no way they couldn't have done that so well, not without having an effect on them."

"What's a crush?" asked Brandon.

"Brandon, I don't feel like straining your brain today," answered Austin. "I don't want fifty questions about relationships. It's best if you don't know."

"So what's going on up there?" asked Samuel.

Meanwhile, Zeke and Alice were having some alone time in the nearest bedroom.

"Something wrong, Alice?" asked Zeke.

"Zeke, I don't know what to say in front of them. I can't just blurt it out," replied Alice.

"Blurt what out?" asked Zeke. "They can't hear us, so it's safe to tell me."

"I don't really have the courage to tell you," answered Alice, looking nervous.

"Alice, you're never gonna get it out of your system unless you do. I won't tell the others," Zeke assured.

"Well...I guess Rupert would know anyway," Alice spoke. "Jacob's catching on, too."

"What is it you want to tell me?" asked Zeke.

Alice paused for a few moments. Then at last, she couldn't take the suspense anymore. She reached out and gave Zeke a hug, holding him close to her. Zeke couldn't believe it. It took him a few seconds to realize what was going on, but when he did, he went red in the face. So it was true. Alice had been hiding her feelings for him for so long, but now she couldn't hide them anymore. Zeke understood and gave her a hug in return.

"So this is what you wanted to tell me?" asked Zeke.

"Mmhmm," Alice mumbled. "I was worried that it just wouldn't be right. But now you know."

"I understand," Zeke spoke. "I...kinda had the same feelings for you as well."

Zeke began to blush again, but it quickly faded.

"If you want me to keep this a secret from the others, I will," Zeke offered.

"It doesn't matter anymore," answered Alice. "Jacob knows anyway...he's probably telling the others about it."

Zeke and Alice had just made a huge step forward. They were no longer afraid of embarrassment for showing their feelings too early. Everyone knew about them, but decided not to disturb them. As for the rest of the mission, that would be dealt with in time, but for now, Zeke and Alice needed a little bit of privacy to get used to each other.

Zeke and Alice had just overcome a major barrier between them. Now that they both know how they feel about each other, they were no longer afraid of embarrassment. Even though they still felt slightly nervous of the others' possible opinions, they were no longer afraid of each other. Zeke and Alice were both sitting on the large bed, staring out the window.

"Zeke...what do you think will happen?" asked Alice.

"What do you mean?" asked Zeke.

"I mean about this whole mission.," replied Alice. "Why would someone want to invade and take over your world, Zeke?"

"I don't know," answered Zeke. "It's probably best if we didn't know. Right now, our goal is to stop him...and that's enough for me. I don't know what's ahead of us. I'm not too comfortable with this whole thing, either, so I know how you feel."

"I only hope everything works out okay in the end," said Alice.

"It will, Alice," Zeke assured. "You just have to believe in yourself. We've come this far...there's no going back now."

The door creaked open a bit. Austin discreetly opened the door.

“Are you guys okay?” asked Austin.

“We're fine,” answered Alice. “We said what we had to say.”

“Good,” Austin spoke. “We're leaving pretty soon, so get ready. Rupert has a map for you.”

“A map to where?” asked Zeke.

“Come downstairs and you'll find out,” replied Austin.

Zeke and Alice got off the bed, left the room, and came downstairs.

“So how did everything go?” asked Quince.

“Good,” answered Zeke.

“So where exactly do we have to go now?” asked Samuel.

“An abandoned monastery known simply as 'The Holy Place.'” Rupert responded.


“How long was it abandoned?” asked Zeke, curious.

“A very long time,” replied Rupert. “I'd say about 1500 years, yet it still stands in good condition.”

“Wow, that's old,” Jacob remarked.

“Will there be any risk of the roof collapsing, given the age of the building?” asked Quince.

“No,” answered Rupert. “I've been there a few times myself. Not a stone dropped from the ceiling.”

“Is there anything else we should watch out for?” asked Samuel.

“You'll have to find that out for yourself,” answered Rupert. “All I can say is right now, you're in the Test of Awareness.”

“What sort of awareness?” asked Zeke.

“I think he means being generally aware of your environment and what's going on in it,” Alice spoke.

“You are correct,” Rupert responded.

“I think we'd best be on our way,” said Zeke. “The test isn't going to finish itself.”

“We all had a lot of fun here,” added Alice, smiling. “But now we have to move on.”

“I'm glad you enjoyed your stay here,” Rupert spoke. “Oh, and I almost forgot.”

“Huh?” Zeke uttered.

“You'll need this map to find The Holy Place,” Rupert continued.

He handed the map to Zeke.

“Thank you,” Zeke responded.

“I think I'd better have that,” Quince suggested, walking towards Zeke. “I'll scout ahead and make sure it's all clear before you arrive. I'll leave clues to where The Holy Place is. I'll also signal you if something happens. If you see an arrow fly through the air, there's trouble nearby.”

“All right,” said Zeke, handing the map to Quince. “But if you run into trouble yourself, what will you do?”

“I'm a spy,” answered Quince, straightening the quiver of arrows on his back, smiling. “What do you think I'll do?”

Zeke nodded, already knowing the answer.

“This sounds like fun...although I don't like the idea of walking around on holy ground,” Jacob spoke, concerned.

“There's no need to worry,” Alice reassured. “We're going there with good intentions. Why are you worried about holy ground all of a sudden?”

“I dunno,” replied Jacob. “It's just something that I find weird. Places like that give me the heebie-jeebies. I feel like I 'shouldn't' be there, walking around on sacred ground. I just don't wanna commit a sacrilege is all. See where I'm going?”

“We all feel that way, I bet,” answered Alice. “We're not going to commit a sacrilege just by walking into an old monastery. Just be on your best behavior.”

Austin was listening to the conversation, when Zeke and Quince began to leave through the front door.

“Come on, Brandon, it's time to go,” he said.

“Go where?” asked Brandon.

“To The Holy Place,” answered Austin.

“Why?” asked Brandon.

“If you want to go back home, you'll do as you're told,” ordered Austin.

“What do I have to do?” asked Brandon.

“Follow Zeke, that's what,” replied Austin.

“Why?” asked Brandon.

Austin buried his head in his paws and shook his head.

“You'd better not mess up on the later challenges,” Austin warned. “Now get up, and get moving.”

Everyone proceeded to leave, waving at Rupert. Quince was the first one to leave, while everyone else soon followed. The sky was overcast, but too light to rain. It was rather foggy outside, and for some reason, calming. Zeke was the first to notice something strange about it though. A strange wind seemed to be quietly howling, as if from a great distance, but nothing was moving. Even the birds weren't singing. He kept looking at the sky, a look of concern on his face.

“Something wrong, Zeke?” asked Alice.

“I don't know,” answered Zeke. “I've got this funny feeling...ah.”

“What is it?” asked Samuel.

“The wind...I've heard it somewhere before...” Zeke replied.

“Where?” asked Samuel.

Zeke thought for a moment, trying to remember. The gift of enhanced memory from Revesto helped him.

“Eight years ago, I was walking down this very road, looking for someplace. It was important to one of my previous adventures,” Zeke began. “I heard this exact same wind. I couldn't quite figure it out until I played connect the dots with several strange events. Just before all those things happened, this wind would blow, but nothing would move. That's exactly what's happening now.”

“What does that have to do with now?” asked Samuel.

“I think it might be trying to tell us something,” Zeke suggested. “I don't know what though. Be prepared for anything.”

“Quince said he'd leave clues for us on our way to the monastery,” Austin recalled. “But I don't see anything that resembles a clue...”

Suddenly, an arrow flew high over everyone, landing into a tree.

“Uh oh, something's up,” Jacob spoke.

“There's a couple of people over there,” Brandon noted, pointing down the road.

“It's those hunters again, everyone take cover behind that rock,” said Alice.

The hunters were about seventy feet away from Zeke.

“I'll handle these two. Give me some ranged support if they try to run,” Zeke spoke.

“Aha! There you are at last!” shouted one of the hunters. “Don't you move!”

“Go ahead...shoot,” Zeke answered back, calmly.

The hunter with the bow shot an arrow at Zeke. At the same time, the other hunter had a javelin and launched it. The arrow came nowhere near Zeke, while the javelin would have hit his leg if Zeke hadn't stepped to the left.

“Nice try...” Zeke spoke, an unmoved look on his face.

Zeke quickly thought of something he had witnessed in his past. He remembered how a pokémon can combine one of their moves with a magic spell to create something entirely new. He decided to try this with his own secret power that he had learned how to use many years ago. His command of an indigo-colored flame and an Aura Sphere put together was his first choice. He focused and produced an Aura Sphere which was hidden inside his ankh staff, then he made the staff glow blue. He launched his spell; an indigo, comet-shaped fireball that zoomed towards the hunters. The flames seemed to sparkle as the spell flew through the air. It hit the ground right in between the two hunters with a loud bang, a cluster of small blue flames burning on the path.

One of the hunters was unconscious, while the other had enough strength left in him to run away. Alice launched a sky blue spell of concentrated force. The projectile found its target, and the other hunter fell on the ground, unable to move. The others who were hiding behind the rock applauded Alice for her amazing accuracy.

“Nice shot,” Zeke spoke to Alice, smiling.

“We sure taught those fools a thing or two,” Alice responded. “Nice spell, by the way. I've never seen one like that before.”

“We were all surprised,” added Austin. “How did you do that?”

“I'll tell you later,” Zeke replied. “Right now, we have a monastery to visit.”

Zeke and his friends had just survived another encounter with the hunters. No one knew exactly why they were so persistent, but at this point, it didn't matter to them. They had won, and now it was time to look for The Holy Place. But they would find the old monastery to be more mysterious than they thought.

Zeke and his friends were on their way to the monastery. Along the way, they met two persistent hunters who ended up losing to Zeke's strange Aura Sphere in combat. The weather had not changed at all, still remaining quite foggy and quiet. All that could be heard was that strange wind, howling quietly. Despite the strange circumstances surrounding the wind, Zeke found it rather soothing. He felt relaxed after listening to it for a while. Alice knew deep down that something wasn't right. The others were still trying to get used to the situation.

“I don't think we'll be seeing these two again for a while,” said Zeke.

“I see something big over there,” Brandon noted, looking at an object above the trees. “It's pointy.”

“That must be the monastery,” Alice spoke.

“Let's go then...though I wonder if this the real Test of Awareness,” Austin responded.

Everyone walked down the road, heading towards the tip of the building, when they saw the road branch off to the side. It wasn't very noticeable until everyone came close to it. All that remained of the road that once led to somewhere was a few patches where the grass had not grown yet.

“Looks like this road hasn't been used in a while,” Samuel commented.

“I'm surprised there's still any road left after all the time that's gone by,” Jacob remarked.

“Well, let's go in,” Zeke suggested.

It was about a thirty-foot long walk down the narrow remains of the road until everyone came to a space that was completely covered with vegetation, except for the pointy object at top that Brandon noticed earlier.

“This place is in dire need of a trim,” said Austin, shocked at the level of vegetation present.

Surprisingly, the space that they were in was only covered with grass. It was only the edge of the areas that were overgrown. But there was something even more interesting on the wall to the left of the building. A blue glyph was glowing. A circle with a diamond and a dot inside caught everyone's attention.

“A glyph...what could it mean?” asked Alice.

“Hmm...I may have seen these before,” answered Zeke, thinking. “I believe you touch them with your hand and a message appears.”

Zeke walked over to the glyph and touched it with his paw. Sure enough, the glyph turned into a cryptic message. It read,

The door is locked and will only open when you are past the door. How does one get inside?

Everyone was surprised at what this message said. It then turned back into a glyph.

“Now who wrote this?” asked Samuel. “Is he trying to discourage us?”

Zeke thought for a moment. He pushed the glyph again, revealing the message.

“Hmm...I think we should read this more carefully,” he suggested.

“What do you mean?” asked Jacob.

“First off, let's try and find the door,” said Zeke.

It's whereabouts was fairly obvious, behind a patch of vines and ivy. It was an old-fashioned wooden door with an elegant, yet reinforced look. Zeke put his paw on the handle and found that it wouldn't move.

“Yep, it's locked,” Zeke noted.

“So now what do we do?” asked Alice.

“Read the message carefully,” Zeke began. “The door is locked and there is no way to open it from the outside. That doesn't mean we can't still get past it.”

“I don't get it,” Austin spoke, puzzled.

“We're outside right now, in a huge space,” Zeke continued. “And we're about to be stopped by an old door? I don't think so.”

“What's your solution?” asked Alice.

“I think this is the real Test of Awareness,” Zeke continued on. “Alice, there was something we received a long time ago that might be able to help us.”

“Oh, I know! The Unlock scroll,” Alice responded, smiling.

“No,” answered Zeke, shaking his head. “There's something you need to be aware of.”

“And what's that?” asked Alice.

“Going back to the message, it said that it will only open when we're past the door,” Zeke explained. “This message is magical. If you think about it, the person was skilled enough to leave a magic note. I think he would have taken the Unlock spell into account when writing that message. Chances are, it won't work. Best not to waste magic by taking chances. We don't have many charges left on that scroll.”

“Have you got any other ideas?” asked Jacob, confused.

“I do,” answered Zeke. “The Grapple Box.”

“The Grapple...ah, I see,” said Alice. “We'll climb over the wall.”

“If you can unlock the door from the inside, then the rest of us can come through,” Zeke explained.

Alice took the Grapple Box out of her bag and aimed the hook at the top of the wall, which was covered with vines and ivy. She pressed the button on the side of the box and rose in the air.

“Whoa-hoa!” she shouted, surprised at the pulling speed.

She reached the top of the wall and the first thing she noticed was a watch tower with an open window. She walked around it and found a door. She opened it, going into a small room with a chair, a book, and a lever. She pulled the lever and the door opened. Everyone else walked through.

“Zeke, that was very clever,” said a familiar voice. “I'm impressed.”

Quince walked out from the bushes behind the door.

“There you are, Quince. I was wondering where you were,” Zeke spoke. “Why didn't you leave any hints for us?”

“I didn't need to,” answered Quince. “The weather-vane at the top was all you needed to see.”

“Point taken,” Zeke responded. “So now that we're inside, let's take a look around.”

When everyone entered the monastery grounds, everyone felt something strange. Everyone stopped talking. They tried to speak, but they couldn't. They were completely silent. Also, their minds felt like they were under some kind of spell. They felt calm and relaxed, but passionless. They couldn't quite think about the possible spell or what had happened to their minds. Also, the mysterious wind seemed to be a bit louder in the monastery, but still had that calming effect on everyone, not just Zeke.

Zeke pulled out the Telepathy scroll in his bag, touched the center, and touched both sides of his head with his paws. He then tried to speak to Alice, but still couldn't. Nothing would come out. Zeke shrugged and began to walk around the monastery grounds. There was a small building in the center of the area, surrounded by a gate and four small passages, leading underground. The passages were shut with large slabs of white stone. The gate had four slots on the wall that surrounded it; four slots for what everyone guessed were large keys. Zeke eventually came across another glyph on the stairs leading to the small building, the glyph almost shaped like a treble clef. He pressed it with the base of his staff and another message appeared,

You need only one thing to open this door. The right answer.

Zeke began to look around for a question to answer. He found a small square outline on one of the stone steps. He pressed it and a rectangular section of another step rose. Underneath was a space, containing a note. The note read,

You cannot see me, yet I change the world every day. People come and go, they live and they die, and I am always there on the records of both events. From old days to the new, I will always be around. I can move mountains, and grant wisdom. I have seen peace and war, countries fall, and leaders enter and leave their positions of power. I am the subject of many figures of speech. Nobody is able to master me. I make something happen and then I move on to something else.

What am I?

Zeke knew the answer, but he just realized something. How would he be able to answer if he couldn't speak?

Zeke and his friends were now in the monastery, but the Test of Awareness proved to be unlike any challenge anyone had faced so far. Some deep thought was required to solve this enormous puzzle. Zeke was already having a problem. He knew the answer to the question, but with his mind under a strange effect, he couldn't give the answer. What would they do now?

Zeke and his friends were trying to enter the monastery, but were having significant problems doing so, one being that they couldn't speak. It was time to think harder than ever to solve this puzzle. Being unable to speak, how would everyone cope with the riddle they were trying to solve? Zeke already knew the answer, but he would have to find another way to speak.

Zeke stood there and thought for a moment. He then realized that the answer didn't have to be spoken. It could be communicated in another way. He turned to Quince and held the note in one paw. He then pretended to write on it. Quince knew that Zeke was asking for a pen. By chance, he had one in his pocket. He took it out and handed it to Zeke. Zeke then wrote “time” on the note, below the paragraph. The ink was then magically absorbed into the paper. Zeke handed the pen back to Quince

The front of the building began to open downwards, revealing a strange device that looked like a sundial. Zeke then walked in and found that the sundial was pointing directly at him. There was another glyph on the wall. Zeke pressed the glyph with his paw and a message appeared. It read:

“Everything has its place. You will have a place to start once the sundial is pointed left. Be careful not to wake the dead in the White Graves.”

Zeke turned the sundial left, causing the stone slab on the left to open. Everyone then proceeded towards the grave. There were steps leading underground. At the end of the staircase was a small room with a casket to the left, a block of blue stone on an altar at the back, and a statue with its arms positioned so that it looked like the block would fit on the right. Everyone took a moment to study the room. The statue's eyes were glowing white. Hanging from a nail in the wall, next to the casket, suspended by strings, was a small hooded figurine, holding a sword. It was wearing a blue robe, and its face could not be seen.

Zeke was beginning to understand. If he placed the wrong stone in the statue, the dead would rise. The color of the stone was blue and the statues eyes were glowing white. Zeke thought that he would have to find the statue with blue eyes, so Zeke took the blue stone. Everyone went back upstairs and back into the room with the sundial. Zeke turned it northwest, opening the second White Grave, while the first one closed.

Zeke led everyone down the second White Grave, into a room much like the first. The statue's eyes in this room glowed blue. On the wall was another figurine, only this time, it was a warped spirit that looked as if it were made of white rags. Its “face” was visible, but it only seemed to be visible because of the way the folds in the rags looked. Under normal circumstances, it would have made Austin, Jacob, Samuel, and Brandon feel uneasy. Being under this strange atmosphere however, everyone lost their emotions, including fear.

Zeke placed the blue stone in the statue. Everyone heard a click. Suddenly, the stone split in two, neatly, revealing a key of the same color as the stone and the statue. Alice took the stone from the altar, which was white. She handed it to Zeke and took the key from him. Everyone went back upstairs and headed towards the gate. Alice inserted the blue key into the slot on the far left, which had a blue box around it. The key was a perfect fit. Zeke then walked back to the sundial and turned it back to west, opening the first White Grave and closing the second. Everyone then went down the staircase and into the room. Zeke then placed the white stone in the statue's hands. The white stone opened and revealed a white key. Alice took the key and headed upstairs. Everyone walked towards the gate. Alice inserted the second key into the slot with a white box around it. Again, it was a perfect fit.

Zeke backtracked to the sundial and turned it northeast, opening the third White Grave and closing the second. In this room, the statue's eyes were brown and there was a red stone on the altar. The figurine on the wall was a skeleton in a suit of chain mail, holding a staff. It looked to be a magic user. Zeke took the red stone from the altar and went back upstairs. Back in the sundial room, he turned it east, opening the last White Grave and closing the third.

Everyone walked downstairs into the final room. The statue's eyes were glowing red. There was a brown stone on the altar. The figurine was a man with long, wavy black hair. Half of his face was covered with a happy mask. He was holding a skull on a stick. Zeke inserted the red stone into the statue, gaining a red key in return. Alice took the key, while Zeke took the brown stone off the altar.

Everyone made their way towards the gate. Alice inserted the key into the slot with a red box around it, fitting nicely. Zeke went back to the sundial and turned it northeast, opening the third White Grave and closing the last. Zeke then placed the brown stone into the statue and gained a brown key. Everyone went back up the stairs and towards the gate, finally ready to move on. Alice inserted the key into the last slot with a brown box around it.

A lot of clicking noises could be heard for a few seconds, then the gate opened. At last, they were at the monastery. Zeke walked up the stone steps and came to another glyph on the door. He pressed it, showing a message that read:

“You've shown that you can follow directions. But how does one cope when there are no directions to follow?”

Zeke opened the door and entered the monastery. The rest followed him inside. It was a massive building. A red carpet ran down the hallway. Barrels and crates were scattered around the left and right walls. At the end of the hallway, there was a T-intersection. A statue of an angel could be seen hovering over the tapestry at the end of the hallway. On the left and right walls, there were doors leading to different rooms. The place was in incredibly good condition for a building as ancient as this.

As soon as Zeke closed the door, everyone felt strange. They felt as if something was being restored inside them. They could feel emotions again. Everyone felt shock, awe, confusion, and for some, fear.

“What the heck just happened to us back there?” asked Jacob. “Did you guys feel that?”

“That was weird,” answered Samuel, showing concern. “I felt like my mind was clouded. Half-here and half-gone. It was uncomfortable.”

“Let's try not to spend too much time out there, okay?” asked Austin, looking down and to the left, showing uneasiness. “I don't like the thought of something messing with my mind.”

“I guess it's a reminder that we're not invincible,” said Zeke, shrugging.

“Or it could be a curse,” added Alice. “I've been under something like this before.”

“Well at least it hasn't actually hurt anyone yet,” Quince spoke. “But I'd rather not have it again.”

“Moving on,” began Zeke. “The message told us that we have to figure things out on our own. But my question is...what exactly are we looking for?”

“Well if we find any more glyphs, then we're probably on the right track,” answered Quince.

“Just look at the size of this place,” said Zeke, looking at the ceiling. “It's huge. I don't think we'll get very far if we explore as one group. I think we'd best split up.”

“No way I'm leaving Brandon on his own,” Austin responded. “He'll get himself killed.”

Brandon turned around after staring at the ceiling.

“Huh?”

“Fine,” Zeke replied. “You go with Brandon, Samuel, you go with Jacob, Alice and I will go together, and Quince, you prefer being alone, don't you?”

“I do,” answered Quince.

“All right then, everyone,” Zeke began. “I'm trusting all of you to be able to handle things on your own. If you find a glyph, read the message, and heed the advice it gives you. If you don't know what the message is telling you, move on to something else. If all else fails, come back here and wait for someone else. When we've done all we can, we'll all come back here and tell each other about what we found. Got it?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good,” continued Zeke. “Alice and I will go through the far left corner. Jacob and Samuel, look through the doors on the right. Austin and Brandon, you take the left set of doors. Quince, you explore the far right corner.”

Everyone agreed and walked off to do their part of the exploration. Zeke and Alice began to walk down the hallway, seeing Quince run stealthily down the long hallway. Alice shook her head in amusement.

“You sure you should be leaving everyone on their own, Zeke?” asked Alice.

“They can handle themselves,” answered Zeke. “As for Brandon, he's got Austin. I kinda feel sorry for Austin though; he has to watch over an absent-minded Riolu all the time.”

Zeke and his friends had just split into four groups. Now it was time to explore the monastery and figure out what they needed to do. Each group would have their own experiences, dangers, and riddles. Could they solve the mystery behind the notes? Could they meet the author? What was their purpose here? All these questions would be answered in the monastery.

Zeke and his friends have split into groups, each to explore a different part of the monastery. Zeke, Alice, and Quince would explore the hallway and beyond, while the others would investigate the set of doors on each side. This plan would change somewhat, sooner than anyone thought. Right now, Zeke, Alice, and Quince were slowly making their way to the room behind the massive angel statue.

"What are we looking for exactly, Zeke?" asked Alice.

Zeke thought about this for a moment.

"We're in an old monastery that's supposedly abandoned. There's a massive angel statue above us. And just the architecture brings back memories of my childhood."

"Are you religious by any chance?" asked Quince.

"I believe in myself," answered Zeke.

"Interesting answer," replied Quince, starting to sense that there was more to Zeke's mind than he thought.

"You're sort of independent when it comes to religion, aren't you?" asked Alice.

"You could say that," Zeke responded.

Quince was curious to know about Zeke's childhood.

"Zeke, did you sort of live two different lives when you were younger?" he asked. "You said this place reminds you of your childhood. How?"

"First off, I still do...sort of," answered Zeke. "When I'm at home with my family and friends, it's a pretty lighthearted life. Some people back in my hometown complain about sibling rivalry, but I'll tell you now, family is precious when you've been separated from them so many times, days at a time. Sometimes I think about them when I'm on this world."

Alice began to show a look of concern.

"Speaking of family, I wonder where my sister is," she spoke.

"Sister?" asked Zeke.

"I had an older sister when I was still a little kid," began Alice. "We used to live together with my parents. Then one day, she just...disappeared."

"Do you have an idea what happened to her?" asked Quince.

"The only thing she left behind was a departure note, saying she'll be gone for a very long time," continued Alice. "She never said why, but she did say she was on a mission only I would understand."

"She wasn't referring to our mission, was she?" asked Zeke.

"I never thought about that...if she is...I think we might see her soon," replied Alice.

"What's her name?" asked Quince.

"Samantha," answered Alice. "Samantha Erralyn. That's also my last name."

"Alice Erralyn?" asked Zeke. "My full name is Zeke Derrett. I have a brother myself. His name is David."

"I always find it funny that despite the fact we both come from different worlds, our names sound so similar," said Alice.

"Come to think of it, it's funny how alike we are in so many different ways, For starters, we both speak the same language, with no barriers it seems," added Zeke.

"Something like this can't be mere coincidence," Quince suggested. "We've all seen enough to prove it. Maybe we'll see more of it."

At this point, they were about to enter the next room. Inside was what looked to be a prayer room. A rather large number of chairs were set up so they surrounded an enormous statue of an angel, holding a chalice. The statue was looking down into the cup, eyes closed.

Zeke saw something on the altar before the angel, in front of the podium.

"Another glyph," he spoke, walking towards it. It was shaped like a cross. As Zeke touched it, a message appeared. It read.

"There are few things in life more precious than friends and family. Danger is what makes the bond so strong."

"I'm beginning to think these glyphs weren't written ages ago," Zeke spoke, suddenly getting the feeling that someone was watching them.

"As far as I can tell, anything is possible," replied Alice. "Especially in a place like this."

"Hey...look at the glyph," said Quince, watching the glyph as it began to glow brighter.

A few seconds later, a familiar portal began to open an expand. Out stepped a Floatzel and a teenage boy with blond hair that covered his eyes. Zeke opened his mouth in surprise.

"Daniel?" "David?" he spoke. "Why are you two here?"

"We heard you were doing something pretty serious, so we wanted to try and help you out if we can," answered the Floatzel.

"You know these two?" asked Quince.

"Quince, Alice, say hi to Daniel, and my brother, David," replied Zeke.

"At least you're not alone," said David, glad that Zeke had friends at least.

David looked to be around Zeke's age. He had a low-pitched voice, but he didn't sound too emotional most of the time, so it suited him. Daniel's voice was that of a young man, but it was mellow and relaxed.

"There were others with us, but we split in different directions. We weren't expecting you two to show up," Zeke explained. "By the way, where's Simon?"

"He couldn't come," answered Daniel. "He's comatose."

"Is he all right?" asked Zeke, worried.

"He's stable if that's what you mean," answered Daniel.

"It was a head injury," David explained. "He's been like this for at least fifteen hours."

"I hope nothing else happens to him. At least he's stable for now," said Zeke.

"So what's going on this time?" asked Daniel.

"You remember that old building we could never get into?" asked Zeke.

"Which one?" asked Daniel.

"The one behind all the trees, before our evolutions. The one that was the focus of all those strange events in the Benegada Triangle, including the strange silence with the even stranger wind," Zeke explained.

"Oh yeah..." said Daniel, remembering when he was there as a Buizel. "What about it?"

"We're in it," answered Zeke.

"I'll try to explain what's going on the best I can," said Alice.

Whatever was happening to bring so many different people together in one place had to be important, especially under this building and under these circumstances. Daniel and David had no idea what was going on, but Zeke, Alice, and Quince explained to them what was happening, as far as the nutshell goes. Meanwhile, the Duo of Chus and the Comical Couple had no idea what was happening with Zeke and the others, as they were heading in a direction of their own to explore.

Zeke and his increasing number of friends were all starting to think that this mission was unlike anything they have ever experienced, and it would test them on what they learned over the years. Just the sheer size and complexity of this mystery would scare and discourage many others who are eager for adventure. Only a select few who have a greater understanding of the world as well as themselves can face a challenge of this scope.

"Let me get this straight," began David. As he was talking, everyone noticed that his teeth looked a lot like Zeke's, which to everyone but Zeke was very odd.

"Zeke went into this portal out of curiosity, he ended up inside a mine, he met Alice, together they helped the living and the dead join forces against the 'savage' undead, and then they entered a portal that took them to another place, freed a ghost girl from a castle, went into another portal, infiltrated a mafia's headquarters, spied on them, collected evidence of crime, got the police to arrest the lot, then you guys had a party, then back into another portal, eventually taking them to a wizard, who is now telling us that we have to solve this 'challenge' to prepare for another challenge where we meet a Ninetales called Nerblingher, so we can work our way through five more challenges, to stop another wizard from invading our world…sounds fun," he spoke, with a hint of sarcasm at the end.

"There were others with us, but we split up into groups, given how big this place is," Alice mentioned.

"…I'm beginning to wonder if I should have done that," Zeke replied, wondering just how capable the other two groups were of taking care of themselves.

"Why?" asked Quince.

"It's one thing for a group of Pokemon when they're on familiar ground, but this is almost alien to them," Zeke explained. "Let's try and get as a group again, and we'll explore as one group. Otherwise, they might falter because of something they misread or a mistake they made not knowing where they are or what they're doing. I don't know if they have the kind of self-reliance we have."

"Good point," Quince responded. "I just hope they haven't found the noose with their heads yet."

Zeke looked Quince, curious as to what he meant.

"In other words, I hope their way of thinking won't be the death of them," Quince explained, beginning to walk back towards the main hall.

Meanwhile, Samuel and Jacob were busy exploring the Right Wing. The way the architecture was, it seemed that the monastery had the shape of a trident. Right now, the two were searching through a hallway full of bedrooms.

"I hope this isn't the Infirmary," Jacob spoke. "I'd hate to catch something in a place like this."

"If they built a cluster of rooms for sick people, why wouldn't they have a clean environment?" asked Samuel.

"Still, you can never be too careful," answered Jacob, using his tail to push down on a door handle, revealing the next room.

Suddenly, the two heard a telepathic voice. It was Zeke's.

"Hey everyone, I'd like you to come back to the main hall. I want you to meet someone."

"Let's go," said Samuel.

After a couple of minutes, everyone was back together in the main hall. Nothing had happened.

"I'm glad you're all okay," Zeke began.

"Who are they?" asked Brandon referring to the two newcomers.

"This is Daniel, a friend of mine, and David, who's my brother," Zeke answered.

"Howdy," David greeted.

"Hi," said Daniel.

"David, Daniel, this is Alice, Quince, Samuel, Jacob, Austin, and Brandon," Zeke continued.

"So, how did you two get here?" asked Austin.

"A glyph that turned into a portal where the podium is," Zeke responded.

"We heard what was going on and thought we could try to help out. It sounds serious," Daniel added.

"So, what exactly are we doing now?" asked David, looking around the place.

Suddenly, everyone heard a strange whisper that seemed to saturate the entire room. A female voice spoke:

"Heeeeess…"

"So we're not alone," said Zeke, half-expecting it.

"What was that?" Austin asked.

"Sounded like a whisper," Brandon answered.

"Well no kidding…" Austin replied, sarcastically.

"We should find the source of that whisper," Daniel suggested. "That might be the source of the challenge we're in.

"Nice place," David remarked, smiling. "Where do we start?"

"Why don't we start with the West Wing?" Alice suggested.

"Let's go then," said Zeke.

Everyone walked towards the place where Austin and Brandon were originally. Inside led to a corridor with many doors on both sides.

"Probably the Dormitory," Jacob spoke.

Zeke had a content look on his face. He was very interested in learning culture and history, especially first hand. Everyone tried not to raise a ruckus, not knowing if anything could hear them.

"Glyph," said Brandon, pointing to another glyph around the corner, this time shaped like an hourglass with an N and an arrow pointing north.

Zeke touched the glyph and a message appeared, reading:

"There is only one way to the middle of the Hourglass."

Everyone stopped and thought about this for a moment.

"I don't see an hourglass," said David.

"There's only one way for sand to get through an hourglass though," Zeke replied.

"Sounds like you know the answer," David responded.

"I'm not completely sure, but from the way it sounds, I think we'll need to revisit the room with the podium," Zeke suggested.

Zeke and his friends were not alone after all. That strange whisper gave everyone a clue of who was writing the glyphs, also giving them the feeling of being watched. Zeke wondered just what the Test of Awareness was really all about, perhaps a wake-up call. For now though, everyone wanted to find the middle of the "hourglass" and the source of the whisper.