Watery Dungeons simultaneously fascinated and unnerved Owen. Due to his nature, they would be the last sort of Dungeon he'd want to explore. Not only would getting his tail doused be the most excruciating pain imaginable—aside from being impaled, he supposed—the terrain also made his Fire Traps useless. Calm Water Lake was no exception.
The lake—a clear, blue expanse surrounded by yellow-green grass—disappeared the moment they passed through the distortion's bubble-like ripple. Blue, rocky walls made from amalgamated sand took its place, rough and perpetually damp to the touch. The ground was covered in a thin layer of water that went just past Owen's tiny ankles.
This was a challenge for Gahi, who was even lower to the ground. He constantly tilted his massive, orange head upward to prevent his lower jaw from dipping underwater.
"Calm Water Lake is kinda boring." Owen had his hands behind his head, staring at the wispy clouds. "Hey, do we have any warps left?"
"I do," Demitri said. "Mispy used her Badge to get our group back, but mine still has a charge left for the day. Once we're done exploring this Dungeon, we'll head back to Kilo."
"Yeah. I hope it goes by soon," Owen said. "I'm sick of walking through water. Nothing's happening." He had been hoping to find a mysterious, pink mist to lead the way. Nothing of the sort was around.
"I mean, it's called Calm Water Lake," Demitri said. "Isn't that kinda what you'd expect? Even its title is boring."
"All of the Pokémon are asleep. They won't even bother with you unless you aggravate them first. Where's the fun in that?"
He shook his head. That was his Battleheart talking. That kind of comment would get weird looks from people... Half-feral, they'd say.
"I know what y'mean," Gahi said. "I don't wanna go ter this place either, 'cause the ferals're all weak."
Demitri nervously punched his fists together. "All this teaching hasn't given me a good fight the whole day."
Mispy sighed deeply. Her leaf bobbed and brushed against Demitri's tusk.
"You guys like to battle a bunch, too, huh?" It was rare for civilian Pokémon to fight the way he liked to.
Some Pokémon went their entire lives not evolving because their auras never became strong enough to trigger it. Most only trained enough to evolve and stopped after that.
That was just another layer of kinship he felt with these three. Fellow Battlehearts!
"I know what that's like," Owen continued. "If I don't get a good fight in for the day, I can't sleep at night. I'm all restless! And I need to fight something! My parents gave me a rock that I can beat up if I ever get like that. But if that isn't enough, I need to meditate and stuff."
"Baah." Gahi shook his head. "Don't even say the word. I hate when Rhys makes us do that."
"It calms the mind, though." Demitri rubbed his tusks, finding a little nick to scrape dirt off. "And we know it makes our attacks more efficient, so it isn't all bad!"
"Tune the aura," Mispy said.
"Ha, it's like we get the same lectures!" Owen said. "I wonder if my parents and Rhys went to the same classes."
"Feh, wouldn't doubt it." Gahi fell into a dip in the watery ground, struggling and gurgling.
Mispy shoved her vine into the gravel and a great platform of foliage pushed Gahi out of the puddle.
"Bah, stupid water... Say, how come we never saw yer parents, anyway? Figure they'd've supported you fer the Ceremony, at least."
"I think they're busy at home," Owen said dismissively, though his tail dimmed. He held up a flame from his finger and flicked it Gahi's way, the little mote drying him while they walked. "My parents have been hesitant about going out lately. I'm not sure why. I hope they aren't afraid of the light or something."
An entire segment of the Dungeon passed in complete silence. It didn't feel awkward to Owen. It was serene. For perhaps the first time all day, his heart was at ease, traveling with these three like old friends. Without realizing it, a dumb, subtle smile grew on Owen's face.
"Y'know, that thing y'mentioned," Gahi suddenly said. "About us seeming familiar? I'm starting ter feel it, too."
"Huh?"
Demitri tapped his claws against his scales. "Yeah, I'm with Gahi."
"Mm." Mispy nodded.
Owen stared. "Yeah... it's weird. But I don't know why, either. You guys?"
They all shook their head.
"I decided that I should just stop dwelling on it. Maybe we'll figure it out later. Oh, right. Are we at...?" He pulled the mission statement from his bag, and then at his surroundings. They said section three.
"This way," Mispy said, suddenly turning. She walked with purpose, but it didn't appear to be in a meaningful direction.
"How come?" Owen ran after her.
"Mispy can see auras, too, just like Rhys," Gahi said. "That's why she thinks ghosts are everywhere. I think her senses are just outta whack."
Mispy puffed her cheeks; a vine threatened to bludgeon Gahi, but she restrained herself and pulled back.
"A Chikorita? How?" Owen asked. "Does she secretly have aura sensors, too?" Owen knew that Gahi was fast for his species, too. Demitri was an Axew, and they were historically strong... but those strikes he dealt to Aerodactyl were something else. Did Rhys recruit them because they were talented?
"I dunno. Maybe it's in her leaf," Demitri said. "It's cool. I don't know how it works. But it's helped us a lot when we chase down clever outlaws. And now, uh, Mispy? What d'you see?"
"Weird," Mispy mumbled.
"She sees a weird aura," Demitri translated. "I guess it's a good lead for—oh. Uh, Mispy? I don't think we need an aura sensor for the rest of this."
To their right was an easily breakable wall. A dim light shined from the inside, going through the tiny cracks that made this part of the wall more obvious.
Owen nodded, readying his claws. "Just give me a second to reset my aura for Metal Cl—"
Demitri slammed his head on the wall; it easily collapsed, falling around him.
"Demitri!" Owen cried
"I'm okay!" Demitri called back, climbing out of the rocks; he had a few scratches—as well as a worrying trail of blood on his head—but he was conscious.
"Don't do that!" Owen shouted.
Mispy was already healing him with waves of light. She didn't look alarmed in the slightest.
"Next time, let me do it! Metal Claw would've done the same thing."
"Feh, he's an idiot." Gahi wobbled ahead of them and over the rubble.
They all looked inside. The cavern beyond the false wall glowed dimly; it reminded Owen of the mushrooms in Hot Spot Cave. And, of course, the orb that Rhys possessed. The Charmander, with his tail, took the lead. The passageway was only a few paces wide—and those were tiny paces, considering the size of their bodies. Every sound echoed endlessly.
Not more than twenty paces in, Gahi remarked, "This place is giving me the creeps. Think Ghosts're wandering around?"
Demitri shuddered. "H-hopefully not." He looked at the walls uneasily. Mispy wrapped a vine around his torso, squeezing him. He loosened in response. "I don't think so, but this weird glow is what I'm kinda worried about. It's the same as the glow in Rhys' place, y'know, that weird orb?"
"Yeah," Owen said. "You mean that thing he brought with him to the ceremony, right?"
"Yeah, that one," Demitri said. "Think it's related?"
"Maybe," Owen said, "but a lot of things glow. There are these mushrooms in my home, um, I can't say where, but at my home, they glow kinda like this. So, it could just be, like, moss, or a tiny fungus or mold that grows on the rocks." Owen wanted to believe it was related, but he didn't want to get his hopes up. The past few days have been filled with confusing disappointments.
Go back... go back!
Turn away... leave!
All four explorers stopped walking. Demitri's knees knocked against one another. Gahi churred a rapid, growling noise. The little buds on Mispy's neck started to glow.
Mispy closed her eyes. "I see... something."
Owen noticed a pulsing light in the bottom corner of his eye. It came from his bag. "Uh, why is my Badge blinking?"
"What?" Demitri checked his; it, too, was blinking. "Oh, that's... that means we just exited a Dungeon."
"What?"
"We aren't in a Dungeon anymore," Demitri said. "This cave ahead of us isn't part of Calm Water Lake's Dungeon. Which means—" He glanced around uneasily. "—if we get hurt here, or worse, we won't be warped out. They might just keep attacking us, or...!"
Owen gulped. "M-maybe we should go back."
"What, and miss a real fight?" Gahi asked, stomping his tiny foot on the ground. "Let's feel it out!"
"I do want a fight," Demitri mumbled, unconsciously sharpening his left tusk with his claws. "But this could be dangerous."
"Mmn." Mispy seemed unsure, but she advanced. The others followed her lead.
Leave, leave!
Or become one of us!
Demitri let out a squeaking noise that defied his Dragon pride. Mispy had to prod him on the back to keep him walking.
"Okay, enough whispering!" Gahi said. "Just show yerself and get it over with!"
Surprisingly, they complied. Ahead of them, right where the glowing cave had a turn to the right, a creature rose from the ground. Houndour. But the colors were odd—instead of the usual orange-red on black, it was ocean-blue on black.
"Heh, Houndour, eh?" Gahi said, wobbling forward. "Y'look weird, but I'll take yeh on!"
Owen's fire grew. "Uh, Gahi, I dunno if—"
Gahi dashed in an orange blur, wiggling his head and jaws; mud formed in the back of his throat, ready to fling. The Houndour opened its mouth and fired a concentrated jet of—water directly at Gahi. The Trapinch chittered in surprise and jumped out of the way, hitting the wall next to him. While successful in avoiding the water, he sustained a small blow to his side from the rocks.
Gahi threw some of his mud at the Houndour; Mispy, whose buds were glowing bright, fired an intense beam at the Houndour next.
"Wait! Mispy!" Demitri said, but it was too late.
The Houndour was completely incinerated; in its place was a small ember that floated in the air. It vaguely resembled Owen's tail flame, only cyan like Rhys' aura energy. It fled into the wall.
"Mispy, that's too much!" Demitri said. "You just obliterated some poor—"
"It's a ghost," Mispy said.
"What?"
Whispers filled the air. It was impossible to tell where it was coming from, or how many were even whispering. Multiple. That's all they knew. And, perhaps, from everywhere.
"Why is there a Water Houndoom here? How does that even work? A gh-ghost that's a Water Houndoom?" Owen squeaked the last part, taking a worried step back. He bumped into Demitri, who was practically a statue. Hauntings weren't actually real, right? Sure, he'd suspected it before, but...
Three blue-themed Pokémon—even if they weren't supposed to be blue—rose from the ground. A Nincada, Morelull, and Venipede, rippling like a lake. They all advanced, Watery techniques ready. Owen, realizing that there was too much risk involved, with perhaps tens or more others like them ready to close in, shouted to the others, "Let's go back!"
This time, they agreed. Demitri grabbed their Badge and held it in the air; thankfully, now that they were outside of the strange effects of a Dungeon, they could use it to warp back to Kilo Village without the Dungeon interfering. Still, it needed a few seconds to gather its charge. The ghosts fired another set of water jets at them—Owen countered with a plume of fire, hoping to soften the blasts. Mispy shot her vines forward and blocked the rest. That bought them just enough time. In a flash of light, they were gone.
<><><>
They wanted to tell Rhys about what they found before reporting back, but they also realized upon returning that it was close to the evening. Clouds painted the orange sky with lumpy, purple blotches.
"Oh, Mew, we almost didn't make it!" Demitri said. "Look! That crowd!"
"Wait, so do we report first, or—"
"No time!" Demitri took heavy steps forward, his speed betraying his mental fatigue. "C'mon, Owen! You go ahead to the front! You're probably gonna get accepted!"
The ceremony was a rush and then a wait. Owen took the long way around when the immediate path required traversing around a Muk, and instead settled for weaving between the legs of an antsy Rapidash mother waiting for her son's results. He scrambled between Pokémon tall and small, apologizing to each one, until he spotted a Decidueye.
"There you are," James said, green-and-brown feathers puffed out. Under his glare, Owen shrank to nearly three-quarters of his height. "I imagine you just became aware of the results. Stand there, please."
Owen stood at the front row, to the far right, with his eyes fixed on the ground. After gathering enough courage, he leaned forward and counted off the Pokémon to his left. There were fifteen others here, but more importantly, they were all candidates that were practically beaming. He really did make it in! After countless applications—Owen couldn't even remember how many times he'd tried—he was here, standing in the front row!
"Ahem," James began, "Goodra Anam is currently occupied with... processing the Hearts' retirement. In his place, I would like to make official the advancement of these sixteen Provisionary Hearts into the fold of Entry-Level Hearts. To commemorate this, they will relinquish their Provisionary Badges, and in return be given their official Thousand Hearts Badge. I shall begin from the leftmost member." James walked away from Owen. His tail lowered at the realization that he was the last to arrive. Talk about a first impression.
Owen took the wait as an opportunity to size up the other fifteen members. Nervous shuffling, eyes filled with more ambition than their bodies could handle. They were all weaker than him but just as full of potential. He could feel it. What was he doing, taking so long to just enter, if he was already breezing past the easiest Dungeons? Owen refused to accept anything but the idea that it was a mistake—an oversight.
The gravity of the ceremony hit him just then. He was going to do it! Become a Heart! One by one, each new Heart got their Badge. Once James got to him...
"Waaaaaiiiiit!"
All eyes turned to the main building. Anam was running out as fast as he could. A trail of purplish, transparent slime littered the ground behind him.
"Am I late?!"
"Yes," James replied. "I have already started the ceremony. There is only one left."
"Who? I'll—I'll do that one!" He sniffled. "I'm sorry, Jam-Jam! I didn't mean to, but I was just so sad! So many good Hearts!"
James sighed, shaking his head, while the audience gave amused smiles. "Very well," Jam-Jam said, holding out the final badge. "I can't be angry at you, Anam. Please, give Owen his Badge."
"Owen? Oh, right, Owen! Of course! I'm so happy Owen could get in this time!"
James' glare was so intense that, for a second, Owen thought Anam's slime bubbled.
Owen's heart skipped a beat, and his flame flashed white for an instant. He was about to be given his Badge by Anam himself.
The others in line noticed, too. They all stared at Owen with mixtures of surprise, confusion, and envy. What's this upstart doing here? That was probably what they were thinking. He was the only first-stager among them. Or maybe they were irritated that lateness was suddenly being rewarded.
Goodra sniffled and wiped his eyes. "Owen—I mean, Charmander Owen, I give you this Badge in commemoration of your advancement into the Thousand Hearts." He handed Owen the lightweight, golden emblem. It was covered in slime; Owen politely took it and, when Anam turned away, wiped it with the cloth of his bag. He then admired the clean, heart-shaped insignia on the front, using his tail to illuminate the shining details.
"And now," James concluded, "we must accept you into the Thousand Hearts more formally. I'm sure you all remember the motto?"
Owen's flame doubled its size. "Yes!" A few of the newcomers gave him an amused smile, but they nodded, too. Suddenly, the atmosphere felt charged.
"Then by my lead." James looked ahead. With him, the Entry Hearts—and even the many behind him—recited the Thousand Hearts' mantra. At first, it was a gentle chant, but the final lines transitioned into a rallying cry.
"A thousand hands
A single heart
Working and beating as one.
Unite the lands
From worlds apart
Until our battles are done.
We serve Kilo and all its parts
Under one name: The Thousand Hearts!"
Stomps, roars, and cheers deafened Owen, but he didn't care—his flame was now three times its normal size and his chest felt just as swollen with pride. He screamed with them, straining his throat, blasting little embers into the air. Losing all sense of self, Owen hopped from foot to foot, pumping his tiny fist in the air.
After some time, the crowd calmed down, and James raised his wing to signal for them all to fall into silence. There was a little, happy gleam in his eye, but that was all he showed. "This concludes the ceremony of advancement. You are all dismissed."
His heart was still racing, but on his way down, even with the immovable grin on his face, the pressing issue of what they found in the lake returned to the forefront of his mind. After backtracking through the evening crowd, he spotted the silhouette of Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi in the twilight.
Demitri had a similar smile. "Okay, I can't deny that yelling that last part is something I never get tired of."
"I know, right?!" Owen said, beaming. "Oh! But—where's Rhys? We should talk to him about what we found first, right? And then we can report it later. Then, I'm gonna go back to my parents' place and tell them about what happened." He glanced at the Waypoint lines and saw a Torkoal enter Calm Water Lake. "Uh—"
"There." Mispy pointed her leaf forward. Rhys was walking toward them from the main building.
"Where have you been?" Rhys asked. His voice sounded suspiciously strained. He cleared his throat to get it to sound normal again, but it was no help. "The entire ceremony was nearly delayed to find Owen."
"We were doing a quick mission," Gahi said. "How 'bout we talk about it over dinner? I'm starved. Owen's coming with!"
Owen's stomach growled loudly at the mention of food. Rhys, with a conflicted frown, conceded.
<><><>
Dinner was a savory rice dish, fried and mixed with vegetables, mushrooms, and a savory sauce. While the food was wonderful, mealtime itself felt tense. Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi seemed antsy from not getting a good fight in—and, after getting one, being forced to flee.
Rhys—his voice recovered—finally broke the silence. "Well, now that you're here, why don't you speak about that mission of yours? Did it not go well?"
"No," Gahi mumbled. "Hated it. Nearly got killed."
"K-killed?"
Demitri nodded, poking at a stray grain of rice. "We were attacked when we were investigating a glow at Calm Water Lake. But that led us outside the Dungeon early, somehow, even though we were still in the middle of it. We got attacked by a weird... water-typed Houndour, or something."
Rhys scanned the four of them as if expecting them to say it was a joke. When none came, he said, "I see."
Silence accompanied the five while they ate.
"That's it?" Gahi asked. "Y'usually have something ter say 'bout us being reckless, or maybe some theory on why it's like that."
"I do? Well. I don't this time. I'll speak to Goodra Anam about it tomorrow."
Owen looked at the others expectantly. He wanted to ask about the orb again, but after that encounter in the lake, he was too jittery to do it alone. He'd stumble over his words. And what was he going to do? Sneak into Rhys' room and steal it? That'd just make him an outlaw! There was no point. He could ask politely when there was less tension. He didn't see that pink cloud this time, anyway.
"Um. Well, if that's all, when I finish dinner, I think I'll just head home," he said. "Thanks, by the way! I-it's really good."
"No," Rhys said. "Just for tonight, I want you to stay here. I will explain to your parents about it later."
The Charmander reflexively nodded, but then the words registered. Owen felt even more trapped than when they were in that glowing cave. "Y-you? But I can't, um, they don't know." Owen looked like he was going to stand up. "They'll freak out if I don't get home by nighttime, and it's almost that already! So, um, I just... I can't just stay here without telling them."
"They will understand."
"Rhys, yer being weird," Gahi said. "What's going on?"
"It's too dangerous to go out," Rhys said flatly. "The path to your home, Owen, is dangerous tonight. It will be safer tomorrow. Not tonight."
"B-but—" Owen couldn't ignore that serious aura Rhys had. Would leaving, now, be that dangerous? Or was it bad for some other reason? He didn't sense any malice from Rhys, but to suddenly make such a request...
"This is final," Rhys said. "I'm sure they will just think you need to do overnight training and orientation."
Owen looked at Demitri, Mispy, and Gahi, but they were equally confused. Rhys wasn't explaining anything. But, in the back of his mind, Owen trusted what he was saying. He didn't know why he trusted Rhys, but his gut feelings hadn't been wrong before. If Rhys said it was dangerous, then it was. "Okay. But can you explain why it's so dangerous?"
Rhys looked at his rice and ate. The others ate, too, in a silence so thick that Owen felt he was eating some of it with each bite.
"We are all going to need to be careful for a time," Rhys said. "There may be Pokémon in search of objects like the one in my room. Anything that gives off that glow may be a target, and I don't want to risk anything right now. Owen, I'm afraid you are also a target."
Owen thought about Hot Spot Cave.
Demitri swallowed his most recent bite quickly. "S-so, Calm Water Lake might have another of those orb things?"
"Possibly. But we can't do anything about it today." Rhys motioned to the black sky outside the cave, a chilling wind knocking a few ripened Oran Berries from the treetops. "We can explore this further tomorrow after I see Goodra Anam. He may be able to help."
Owen sighed, figuring that was the most they were going to get.
"You will stay in Gahi's room," Rhys said. "Demitri and Mispy share a room. We have an extra bed in storage."
"Oh! That's convenient."
"Yeah, I kinda always wondered why we had that," Gahi said. "Ain't like we get guests."
Owen finished his meal; despite the tension, he was satisfied with even the leftover grains of rice and veggies. "Aah, that was good." He rubbed at an imperfection in his scales. "I, er, I guess I'll get familiar with—oh! I don't think I can sleep in your bed, though." Owen tittered. "See, my tail flame kinda burns most beds. I know Charmander fire isn't usually that hot when we're calm, but I get worked up when I sleep, or something, so..."
"There's no need to worry," Rhys said. "They're made from Rawst leaves, so they are flame-resistant."
"Oh." Owen nodded. "That's..."
He fiddled with his claws. At this point, he was sick of inquiring.
Rhys set up the spare bed; Gahi led the way down the hall, past the first pair of rooms, and into the left of the second set.
"Here's m'place," Gahi said.
It didn't look different from the others; a simple, rocky room with two nests in the middle. Well, one wasn't a bed so much as a... sandy pit in the ground. Owen ran his hand across the other nest of Rawst leaves. It was familiar, and that made him uncomfortable.
He forced enthusiasm and happily hopped on his bed. "I hope my tail doesn't bother you at night."
"Nah, I don't think I'll notice." He shook his entire body, vibrating into the sandy pit, and he was gone.
"Oh." He wasn't sure what he had expected. He wondered if Gahi would chomp on anything he dropped inside...
Every so often, Owen heard the muffled clicks of Gahi's massive jaws. He sighed, closing his eyes. Something about that sound relaxed him, but it also kept him up for a while longer than he was used to. Every so often, Gahi's sleep-churring startled him awake.
<><><>
Owen was half asleep, somewhere between dream and reality. Something ethereal reached out.
Owen. Owen? Owen! Hello?!
That's a pretty voice...
Owen! Wake up!
Five more blinks...
Ugh, stupid, flaming scale-bag—wake up! HURRY!
It felt too real and too normal. Too groggy. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, squinting outside their room. Something was glowing. That same, strange glow. But it wasn't like that last time. The old glow was softer and constant. This one was wider; it spilled into Gahi's room. Owen blinked again; the light was getting brighter. Owen hid his tail under the leaves to make sure it wasn't him. Without the flame, it was clear as day—that light was moving. Was it the cloud again?
So, this is my night, huh? Owen thought.
The blur from his eyes faded. He spotted something in the corner of his eye. He immediately turned, his heart skipping a beat. The mist. It was right there, like a trick of the eye—just barely visible. Owen thought it was just a splotch on his pupil. It didn't say anything, but it was very anxiously moving toward the hall, then back to Owen, and then back to the hall again.
Why me? Owen thought. He slowly got out of bed and wrapped some leaves around his flame. Still holding his tail, he stepped outside. The source of the light was a Pokémon floating in the air. A small one—an Espurr. Floating. High in the air.
She didn't notice Owen; she was facing into Rhys' room, moving inside.
Trespasser! He was a Heart now!
"Um—hey!" Against common sense, Owen shouted. "S-stop!"
His legs moved on their own until he was at the entrance to Rhys' home. There, the Espurr drifted toward the orb—she was about to touch it. "Y-you aren't supposed to—!" He saw that Rhys was still asleep. The pink mist followed. It pushed futilely against the Espurr, defending the orb to no effect.
Then, the Espurr and Charmander locked eyes. He couldn't get a read for her expression, but she didn't maintain eye contact for long. He only knew that her eyes shined more than anything else. The atmosphere around him changed—he recognized this feeling. It was an incoming Psychic attack, just like Nevren. He jumped out of the way just in time to evade the twisting energy that chopped the wind behind where he had been. The power behind it was incredible—yet Owen had a sinking feeling she could do a lot more.
The Espurr readied another strike, but a ball of bright, blue energy hit her on the side instead. She yelped and fumbled in the air. Rhys was awake, sitting up in his bed of leaves; he stared directly at the Espurr, who squeaked even louder at the glare. And then, she vanished in thin air—as if she wasn't there to begin with.
"Wh-what... what?" Owen breathed.
Rhys stood up. The silence that followed—with Rhys staring at the pink mist, and then at Owen, and then at the orb—was long enough for Owen to absorb what had just happened. Some Espurr with the same sort of glow as the orb tried to steal it, or something.
"You should get to sleep, Owen."
"Wait, but what—"
"Sleep." Rhys held his right paw in Owen's direction. It glowed an eerie white. Rhys fired, and Owen felt a hot buzz course through him. His vision concentrated into a tunnel and then faded to black. Owen's consciousness quickly followed.
So. You're asleep again.
Hello, pretty voice...
Owen. Listen. This is super, ultra-important. The orb. Touch. ASAP.
But Rhys said...
And sometimes, Rhys is an idiot. We're running out of options and time. Just touch it, okay?
I'm so tired...
S-stay with me, Owen. There are lots of bad 'mon out there trying to get those things, and the more we . . .
The rest was lost.