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"I'm from the year 20XX, that's when- wait, Kitakami? It's your first time visiting there, isn't it?" Future Aden answered and began to say, the man looking around the blank white area for a bit as if trying to recall a memory but failing to do so. "...I don't remember this happening then. I remember visit Kitakami and the Crystal Pool, I was so excited at the prospects of the pool, the folklore around it and the possibility of...well, you're me, you know already what we were thinking." The man said as he locked eyes with his past self, their mind becoming one in that moment, they both knew exactly what they were excited about when it came to the Crystal Pool.

"Except, for me, nothing happened...it was just a pool of water with some pretty crystals in it. I was so disappointed, dejected. So many strange things had happened to us up until this point so I was ready to believe in anything, the legends having not failed me before, until the Crystal Pool that was..." He continued, looking down at his feet. "...we wanted to see her again, didn't we?" The man said, looking back at his younger self for reassurance that his memory hadn't failed him. "That's why we wanted to go see the Crystal Pool so bad, isn't it? It started off as another attempt at vacation but the moment we heard the stories about the pool we just had to check it out...say, where is Aile? She went with you, didn't she?" Future Aden asked.

After looking around to see if anyone else was here, and failing to find anyone, Future Aden realized he failed to answer another question and sighed. "I don't think I should tell you about him. You'll meet him in time. For now don't worry about it. You'll be spending a lot of time thinking about him once you do so for now try and enjoy the time you have right now." He said, waving off the question.

The pair would stand there for awhile, either with Aden asking more questions or just in silence, unaware of what else to do and how to get out of here. That was until something began to glow in Future Aden's pocket. "Hm? What's- my Tera Orb is glowing." Future Aden said to himself as he took the orb out and stared at it for awhile, admiring the glow, is face turning from confusion to sudden understanding. "I see..." He said, giving a little nod as he looked from the orb and to Present Aden. "...I guess I'm suppose to give this to you. Here, take it." He said, holding out the Tera Orb for his younger self to take. "It means a lot to me but apparently you're going to need it a lot more than I do."

“…why are you getting upset at me!?” Tristen asked in a huff. As far as what he was concerned, given that he generally ran on a tight budget anyways at the academy. Every last bit of change he had went towards something. And with the money he brought on this trip, he was saving it as a just in case. Maybe later tonight, he’d have something, but even then. Tristen then continued to watch the events transpire, still a bit miffed then suddenly stared deadpan at the Giratina hybrid as he insinuated that everyone was going to contribute to getting money for a Pokémon they knew nothing about. Suddenly, flashbacks of dealing with the Hoopa started to come forth…and it wasn’t exactly good. “Darts, I’m not sure if anyone is going to go along with that so much. Why did you agree to do that for the Gimmighoul?” To say the least, Tristen was absolutely baffled as to what in the world goes through this hybrid’s head.

Clare watched as Rachel walked off with her basket of apples, setting it with the others and retrieving the pay she'd been promised, apparently, before she returned only a few short minutes later. When the girl announced she was ready to go and offered them an apple, Clare accepted it graciously. "Why thank you!" They responded, taking the apple in their one hand before pulling out their pamphlet of Kitakami and looking at the map that had been included of the small area they were meant to be staying. "It looks like the path to the Crystal Pool will take us back through town and past the festival grounds. So we can see where everything will be on the way there!" They announced to the others a bit excitedly. They couldn't remember ever having gone to a festival before so this was going to be a brand new experience for them. Even with some of their memories returning, none of them were of truly fun times like they felt this would be.

Taking their first steps down the path, they would decided if everyone else was keeping a companion out of their ball, that they should as well. Besides, they had a baby that was likely going to need quite a bit of attention for a little while. Grabbing the Pokeball containing their newest companion as they walked, the hybrid released their Spoink. "Grunty! Want to go for a walk with me?" They asked the little Bounce Pokemon.

"Spoi-oink!" Gruntilda replied as she bounced, arms waving about excitedly. She tilted her head slightly upon realizing they had company and then panicked momentarily as her pearl became unbalanced, springing about wildly for a several seconds as she rebalanced it, sighing as she bounced slowly in place afterward.

"Careful, there." Clare told her, stepping over and making sure her pearl was properly balanced as she bounced in place. Once Gruntilda was safely balanced again, Clare gently urged them to continue on and began walking the path once more. It wouldn't take long to pass through town, given how small it was, but on the East side of town, as the group began to cross the bridge over the winding river that cut through the area, Clare took note of something that seemed a bit peculiar: There was another group of Snagems nearby that appeared to be having a picnic. "Oh! I didn't know there were plans for a picnic... I wonder if everyone's invited or if it's a special occasion for someone?" They wondered aloud, pointing it out to the other. "Did either of you hear anything about it?" They'd ask of Rachel and Tsuki, confused and momentarily wondering if they had been left out.

It had been some time of practicing for Leslie and Cera, mostly trying to help Cera figure out how she was going to precisely ice up and drift a Lapras across the grass. Which had certainly resulted in a good number of rollovers when the thing overshot the ice patch and immediately hit a lot more traction. It was hard to say if they had much practice with the collection and defense of the berries for the actual event but it at least seemed like Cera would be able to manage some sort of movement when the time came. And Leslie had managed to solve her own issue that she had discovered when first attempting to pop balloons. Namely, that while her Onix plowing directly into the balloons made it easy to collect the berries, using her hammer to pop them was less certain to succeed. Mostly because it seemed to result a lot of times in Leslie slamming the berry like a fastball and sending it streaking through the field. Which...potentially useful for some things but certainly not for points collection.

Either way, hunger had started to affect the performance and had resulted in a sharp increase in Leslie's line drive hits. So she was back towards the hall to scan the food stalls when she saw the Snagem picnic. Drifting her way over, she would be halfway through sandwich construction when she heard Darts discussing the sign that he was apparently reading. And while she might be content to leave as a passive listen, the word cudgel managed to keep her attention enough to listen and begin digesting the story even before she set about digesting her sandwich. "...is that the Ogre the whole Orge Oustin' thing is inspired by?" She questioned, casually taking a small bite of the sandwich as she began to examine the sign as well.

"Yeah, it is," Aden answered to his future self. He'd look around himself, not really sure how to handle the whole 'seeing and conversing with your future self thing' now that things had calmed down. He had so many other questions in mind too, unsure where to start and how long this might last. The prospect of what might come next, how things went after his recent and to-his-future's distant past... he was alive, right? He didn't just end up falling into the pool and drowning and this was it, right? In a brief panic, he'd look around and feel his arms and stomach, unsure if he could properly confirm that question. Deciding that it'd be a problem he couldn't sort out now, he'd go back to thinking on what else he could hope to ask...

Only to hear his future self had no recollection of this event. Crap. That meant he wouldn't either. But much as he wanted to curse some weird occurrence or some sort of time loop, maybe asking about anything he'd learn eventually was a poor idea. Maybe... maybe he needed a bit of guidance. Or reassurance. Something. "How there's tales that gazing into the water lets you meet those who passed on... of course I- we couldn't ignore the chance that it might be true. We never got a chance to tell her goodbye either," he added, sighing and conceding that he was right about himself. Themselves. ...maybe better not to think too hard about it. "Even just a vague reflection would've been something. Though, I guess something did happen, even if we probably won't remember any of it- crap!"

Immediately, he looked around again to confirm that Aile was indeed not present. "She did, yeah. Probably gave her a scare, too." He was pretty sure he didn't time travel... did he? Could he, for that matter? He knew the state he'd ended up in, his future self probably remembered it too. Either way, he was here and she wasn't and wherever- or whenever- he was now, it was probably safe to say there'd be concerns. "Not like we could've warned her about, er, this, though." He couldn't blame himself for opting to keep himself out of the loop about him, whoever he was. Even without the reason, or recollection being unlikely, some things were best left to be discovered naturally. He'd have to try somehow to remember to be the same way in the event he'd be doing the same as his future self. Nevermind the obvious situation.

Much as he wanted to ask more, learn what he could, nothing else came to mind in a way he could put to words. Aside from one thing. "...do we see her again?" Figuring he wouldn't remember the answer, maybe it didn't hurt to ask. He wasn't sure how to get out of here, but fearing his future self didn't either, he was more afraid to ask.

He wasn't too surprised at the current lack of an answer in response, curious at the glowing orb his future self took out. "That's... one of those orbs we saw some students at the academy have, right?" He couldn't help admiring the glow himself, reminded of the glowing crystals of the pool just moments prior. "I shouldn't ask how you came across it, but- er." Stunned silent instead, Aden's mind wanted to break in that moment. He certainly didn't have a Tera Orb before now, except now he did, but then how would he have it in the future to give to himself in the first place-

"...better question," he'd say after taking a moment to recollect himself and try not thinking about the implications, his hands moving on their own to take it. "Don't you need this too? Not that I'm not thankful, just. You know, the battle?"

While Aden was gone to Aile, so too was Aile gone to Aden - leaving him alone in his Crystal Pool visions. He had however, asked a question. Two, in fact:



Aden's future self would tremble, not like a shiver that runs through your body trying to get itself warm from the cold. But like a television set coming in and out of focus. Hazy and wavy like an unexpected sixth broadcast channel on a set that usually received five. He does not respond, the vision fading into the mists of time as quickly as it had come and blowing away to dust, leaving Aden with his prize of the Tera Orb thumping a steady heartbeat of energy in his hands. Surely he could feel the immense pulse of power coming from the crystal with each and every second he held it.

"Now when you say her..." Another voice, unfamiliar to Aden this time, comes floating over his shoulder with a chummy sort of tone. "I get the sense you aren't referring to just your friends in Snagem." A man, dressed in garments of blue and gold, with a jaunty hat to match, and a white smock on the front comes ambling into Aden's view, a calm and friendly smile on his face as he waves to the young man in front of him. He adjusts the massive backpack on his shoulders as he does so, taking it off to set it on whatever was serving as the floor of this blindingly white void. "Hello there, I can tell just by looking at you that you're quite the character." His smile never wavers as he brushes a little dust off the front of his smock, the golden symbols embroidered into it shining a little in the light. "I'm Volo of the Ginkgo Guild, the go-to choice for any of your mercantile needs here... er... I guess the only choice for mercantile needs at the moment, haha..." A slight sweatdrop accompanies his somewhat lame joke, trailing off as he rubs the back of his head. His tone is earnest and warm however as he continues:

"But, if I heard you correctly you had a couple of questions, and a couple of things you needed. And, as a merchant, I can't help myself when I see a prospective customer. ESPECIALLY when I'm in need of a little help myself." Volo continues, "See, I thought I recognized the girl you came into the cave with, even though WE'VE never technically met. I don't know if you realize this, but some time back some of the group that you call Team Snagem warped through time and space - something you're familiar with - to come back to my time, to the region that was once called Hisui. They were trapped outside of their own reality and time, bound to be stuck there for all eternity until a certain part of your team, if I'm not misremembering he was named Darts, managed to harness the powers of the dark lord Giratina through the use of the Red Chain and hurled the bunch through space and time, bringing them back to your world."

The merchant pauses, tapping one finger on the side of his chin as he paces back and forth, unburdened by the bag on his back for once. "However, while the story worked out as well as it could have for the people on your side of things, I can't very well say the same thing for me." A sad smile replaces the earnest one from before, as Volo adjusts his cap to hide his eyes a little, trying to shade his sadness from Aden. "Because I was so close to the rift while helping your team when the transportation happened, I got sucked here, into this.... whatever you want to call it." He looks up, his sadness gone as he frowns, waving around at their surroundings. "This in-between space." That seemed to satisfy the Ginkgo guildsman's need for a term and he nods, turning back to Aden, a bit of a business-like air about him as he halts his pacing.

"And that, I can promise you, has NOT been fun for me. No customers, no conversation..." Volo shakes his head back and forth, his hair and hat flopping lightly. "But when I saw YOU and the other Snagem show up, I knew I finally had an opportunity. I couldn't talk to her, she didn't have the right sensitivity for it. You, however, do. And with you guys being heroes and all, I thought I would take my best shot." He smiles earnestly again, retrieving his knapsack from the shining white surface they were standing on to throw it over his shoulders. The way he handled his wares was with such care and grace, a true professional at his craft if ever there was one, making sure to not jostle a single thing out of place even with the massive effort it took for him to sling it onto his back.

"Like I said earlier though, I am a merchant. And I know the deal, people don't do things for free." Volo acknowledges, turning back to Aden now that he's got his belongings back in order. "You WANT two things right now - you want to know about a certain someone, and I don't mean your friend back in the cave. And you want to get out of here. Luckily for you..." The merchant's head tilts back a little as he looks slightly coy for the first time, a light gleam in his eyes even as his expression doesn't shift at all, no warmth lost in his smile. "I happen to know exactly what's going on with the person you seek most. Additionally, I also know how to get out of here. I just need one thing in return from you."

The green energy would catch Aile’s eye briefly, though she wouldn’t give it much mind until the fog came in. Once it did, she would back up real quick, looking for a way to get out. “Dammit all…” She blinked a couple of times as the fog came in, suddenly noticing that everything else disappeared. No mountain, no pond, no Aden. Just… white.

While she was turning around to try and see anything really, the voice called out, Aile whipping back around to see who was talking to her. Not a voice she recognized, though. She kept quiet as the woman walked up to her, keeping on guard until her newfound partner in this white void seemed to relax. At least some. Her appearance was curious, not having seen anything like it. Like it was from another region entirely, one she hadn’t heard about. Or paid any attention to in her geography classes a long time ago. The ensemble did make it so her green eyes stood out, though. Similar to her own, she noted, but brighter, where here's were more of a dark green. That… and her staff. Aile’s eyes dropped to her arm, flexing the fingers a couple times before focusing in on her emerald fingernails.

Aile would wait until her ‘sister’, as she apparently was, would finish her questions, waiting a moment more as she tried to figure out her answer. Her first assumption would be that she might have been from a different time, with her calling her clothes immodest. However, again, the aforementioned issue of not paying attention during geography was showing up.Well, might as well go for things. They certainly weren’t in any sort of normal place now. “Let’s start with the best explanation for this place I might be able to come up with. This place… I got here by visiting a place called the Crystal Pool near a small village called Kitakami, I think they said it rested somewhere north of Johto? My region knowledge when they aren’t near my home region is… less than stellar.” Taking a small, slightly nerve riddled breath, she continued. “Speaking of that, I hail from Kalos. Though, it’s not where I stay currently. There’s… a whole other story with that. But in most places I know of currently, it’s just as normal to see woman dressed like me in pants as it is to see them in skirts. Honestly, you’re the first person I’ve ever seen dressed like that.

“And as for your other comments and questions…” She looked down to her arm again, staring at the emerald nails. Why specifically, I’m not so sure. Just saw a faint flash of green light while trying to snap my friend out of his trance, and then this happened. I couldn’t tell you what the Mighty is, and… Well…” Aile would close her eyes and hold out her right hand, focusing on willing her artifact back into the form she originally found it in. “I don’t know what you mean by mark, either, unless you’re talking about the artifact. I wasn’t inducted into any sort of group outside of this band of mercenaries called Team Snagem. But, I found this artifact after exploring an abandoned temple that we came across after reuniting with my Flygon. And I’ve been stumbling my way around using it like a bumbling idiot since. I… know nothing of its history, and just… anything, really. I only realised what it really was when… When I attacked my friend, and it transformed into a punching dagger, after seeing myself in my head using one in my left arm. Which, as you can see, doesn’t currently exist for me.” She sighed and dropped her arm, though she still kept hold of the staff. “I don’t even know where to get started with this thing. Sorry.”