The Mask Maker

Who's There?

Morai woke up and realized she had no sense of what time it was, since she was deep in a cave and all. She had reluctantly brought her phone with her, though, so she could keep track of time that way. She wanted to leave it behind and be completely disconnected from her usual life, but she knew her friends would worry after not hearing from her for months. The last thing she wanted was to spark a world-wide search for herself. 

8:23 am? That's a little late. I'm still so sore...and tired. I'm hungry, too. 

The had chosen a place on the second level of the cave. The layout seemed perfect to her. There was a sizable indentation in the cave wall, which made for a good place to camp. If she needed to escape for any reason, there where multiple ways out. If she continued up the pathway to the third level of the area, she could exit out onto the short Challenge Road and down into the Training Lowlands, at the end of which was the Forest of Focus. There was a small river in the cave that ran out into the open sea, and there was the entrance that she came through. Morai was closer to the "Master Dojo" than she preferred, but she felt confident that she could keep her being there a secret. 

The Forest of Focus was lush and teeming with life, both Pokémon and plant. There were berry trees and mushrooms, and plenty of Bug and Grass-Type Pokémon to eat them. The area was mostly shady, with bits of sunlight peeking through the trees. It seemed that it would serve its name well, as Morai planned to meditate and ponder her questions there. For now, it was time to find something that she and her Pokémon could eat. After collecting as many berries as she and her Pokémon could carry, they set off back to their new temporary home. 

I wonder if Corviknight feels more at home here in Galar...A more pressing question is, how am I going to have enough resources to live off of the land for a few months? I can't just eat fruit. If I'm trying to get stronger, I need more food groups. I'm so used to cooking with electrical appliances and having all I need. I suppose this really is a lesson in simple living. 

"One...t-two...three...f-four...fi—oof! I'm so weak from that..even, not to mention the trip over here. Maybe I should give it a day or two and focus on other things. Sorry, Lucario," Morai said. Lucario nodded and continued its pushups. Morai wanted to train her combat skills along with everything else. Even though she didn't specialize in Fighting-type Pokémon, she still considered it a good skill to have. She frequently attended classes for it, but never mentioned that to anyone.

As time passed, Morai gained most of her strength back. She had been on the Isle of Armor for 3 days now, spending quite a lot of time pondering the questions that troubled her so in the Forest of Focus. She knew she couldn't spend all of her time here trying to find answers to her problems, but her biggest fear was returning to "normal" life with nothing to show that she had changed. She had been searching for these answers since she found herself in this situation, and they had haunted her every day since. 

Bzzz!

The sound of Morai's phone interrupted her thinking. She had gotten a message from who she assumed was Petrel, the contents of which were brief and to the point. 

P: It's done. Send a location and time and I'll have it dropped off. 

M: Axew's Eye in the Galar Wild Area. This evening at 7. 

P: Got it. 

M: Thanks again. 

"That's far enough from here, isn't it Espurr?" she asked. 

"Mew!" it cheerfully replied.

"I'll take that as a yes."