PMD: Stargazer Chronicles

Pharaoh- Magic Cauldron

Unlike any other mountain, the one Audino Agatha trekked up didn't have music playing from any birds or bugs. Wind didn't blow against the thick, ridged, brown tree trunks or their hordes of branches overhead. The stiff, frozen air only moved when Agatha moved it. Overhead, melding into the cold blue sky, the mountain's reflection loomed in the sky.

Moving up a steep slope of hard, dry soil, Agatha settled into a pattern of pointing her feet a bit off to the sides as she progressed. Behind her, Luxray Imani and Lucario Annette followed. Although Agatha had her pink and black striped socks on, her footsteps were still louder than any other noise around. The cold air pierced her black leather jacket around the edges, and her earring felt like an icicle hanging from the strand of her ear.

"This sucks," Agatha breathed. "Should we just head back? This place feels and looks empty."

"I'm curious about that reflection," Lucario Annette said. "But, well, there is nothing actually up there. And you said earlier that other pokemon would attack us?"

"Not real ones. They're like, these kind of..."

Agatha struggled to explain it like Alondra did. She was always a clearer speaker.

"Just, I'll tell you later," Agatha said, stopping and turning around. "If those aren't even here, then there's probably nothing of interest. Let's just head back for today and pick a different direction next time."

"That's fine," Luxray Imani said. "I actually have a few things I need to do soon."

"Yeah, me too."

Agatha pulled the earring off and set it on the ground. Energy swirled around it as it grew and shifted the colors underneath it. Agatha hopped down first as soon as grass became visible. She bent her knees on landing and walked forward a few steps to let Imani and Annette get down behind her. The ring shrunk and started to fall as they walked out from under it.

Agatha used Psychic and reached out her arm. The ring flew into her grasp, then she put it back on the strand of her ear. The warm air and chirping birds let the edges of her fur settle back down on her body. The thick, green leaves overhead leaned forward and back under the influence of wind.

"Thanks for the help today," she said, walking in the other direction.

"Sure you're alright?" Imani asked. "You look tired."

"I'm fine. Promised I'd be somewhere."

"Alright, take it easy."

"You too."

________________________________________________________________________________

Agatha had done plenty of walking already. She went to the edge of the sidewalk and called for a carriage. The carriage that responded ended up being barely large enough to hold her. When she checked the app for what size the passengers were, she accidentally ordered one for the size of an average Aipom instead of an Audino.

The carriage driver himself was an Aipom, so Agatha must've gotten confused. She made do by hunching down inside so her head didn't scrape against the roof. She took up the entire carriage floor as she sat and stared at her phone screen.

Agatha had gotten a new text. She didn't know how to react to it quite yet.

"Hello. I was wondering if you would be willing to call me and talk later about some things. I have a few questions I'd like to ask you." – White Star

She received it right before heading out. It nipped at her mind what he wanted to even ask. He didn't know her, and she didn't know him. That dream acted as the only link they had, granted it had to be real if she got actual phone numbers from it. She took in a couple of deep breaths and decided to make the call. She didn't have anything better to do while waiting.