I. Don't. Want. To. See. You. Again. Got that? 

I watched as tears—actual tears—welled up in Opal's eyes before she turned and ran away, Ponyta at her heels. I watched her shove her way past the various Team Yell grunts who were hanging around backstage, run out past a very startled and congested Salamence, and disappear down the path that led to the Glimwood Tangle. "Wisteria?" my mom's voice called from the stage; she must've heard the falling equipment when Opal knocked it over. "Wisteria, are you okay?"

I felt sort of bad making Opal leave like that, but I wasn't going to let her walk all over me. I'd done that too many times with too many people to count, and I wasn't about to let it happen again. If she wanted a doormat to walk on, she'd have to get one from the bloody home improvement store. "Wis?" My dad called this time, and the music from the stage stopped entirely. "Wis, answer me if ya hear me."

But when I really thought about it, Opal never walked over anybody; she was too timid and shy to even consider it. In fact, she often told me how much other people walked over her, even the kids she was supposed to be in charge of. So why did I send her away anyway? "Wisteria, seriously, answer us." My mother, sounding a bit nervous, asked again, this time her voice accompanied by footsteps that were rapidly getting closer.

Was it because I was upset at her? I mean, I was, but...why? Was it the fact that she wouldn't tell me about her parents? Or was it because she didn't even trust me—her friend—with a piece of simple information. Unless, of course, it wasn't a simple piece of information. Why hadn't I thought of that? "Wisteria, where are you?!"

God, I was such a jerk to her! I made her cry, for God's sake! What kind of friend does that? A real screw-up of a friend, for starters, but I didn't want to sit around and worry about Opal's feelings. I couldn't; she was alone out there, in the Glimwood Tangle, of all places! Even though I spent most of my class time keeping Iris and Larkspur in check, I hadn't missed the fact that the Tangle was probably one of the most dangerous places in all of Galar unprepared.

I needed to do something; say something, anything to calm her down. Well, maybe more like sign something, but the context was the same. I needed to find her, pronto. Grabbing Shuppet's Pokeball, I dashed out the side of the backstage area just as my parents burst through the opposite side.

******

The Glimwood Tangle was dark. Very dark. The only source of light anywhere was the mysterious mushrooms that glowed in a rainbow of neon colors, the tallest of them towering meters above my head. The entire forest smelled very damp and earthy, and the ground was squishy with peat moss and grass under my creepers. Shuppet cheered as she did somersaults in the air, enjoying the darkness and lack of sunlight. It reminded me somewhat of an overgrown, earthy version of Spikemuth. I actually quite liked it, all things considered.

I hurried past the bioluminescent fungi, frantically squinting through the darkness for a familiar pink jacket or a friendly Ponyta or something. More often than not, a Phantump or Sinistea came floating up and bumped me in the shins or messed with my hair. Not now, I thought, sighing exasperatedly. I need to find Opal.

After what felt like hours but had probably been only thirty-or-so minutes, I gave up trying to shoo away the Ghost-type Pokemon and let them settle around me and socialize with Shuppet as I trekked through the underbrush. I'm lost, aren't I? I wondered after a while, stopping to look at a tree I had definitely passed at least four different times. Great. I'm definitely lost.

I sighed, taking a deep breath and exhaling loudly. This was definitely not good. I was lost in what was essentially the jungle of Galar, with no supplies and no cell service, and I hadn't even brought my phone to call for help even if I wanted to. Well, I'm screwed.

Suddenly, the quiet, almost inaudible sound of crying caught me off guard. I strained to hear over the coos and giggles of the Ghost types around me, but there was no doubt; there was somebody crying. A somebody that sounded a lot like Opal. I charged through the underbrush, following the sound of the sobs.

When I burst through a fairly large bush, I saw Opal huddled on the ground, legs drawn up to her chest with Ponyta lying by her side. The minute she looked up, she screamed and scrambled away from me, Ponyta shooting to her hooves and cowering behind her trainer. I quickly signed, Calm down! It's me!
"Not you, THAT!" she screeched, pointing at something looming behind us.

I whipped my head around and felt my knees go weak. A Morgrem, much taller than average, was sneering down at us, a large group of Impidimp giggling from the shadows behind it. Oh crap, I thought, just as they swarmed us.

"Ponyta, blow them back with Fairy Wind!!!" Opal shouted. Her little Pokemon charged in front of me, planting her hooves as her mane and horn lit up with magic and a tunnel of sparkling wind blew back the Impidimp. Unfortunately, the Morgrem held its ground, using its tentacle-esque hair to plant itself firmly in place.

Shuppet, Shadow Ball, I signaled with a sharp stomp of my foot. Shuppet and I had learned to battle through a series of foot stomps and hand claps that signaled what move to use. She bobbed an equivalent of a nod, charging up a large sphere of umbra before launching it at the Morgrem, blasting it onto its back. Quickly, I raced back to where Opal was, grabbed her by the arm and hauled her to her feet, and dragged her through the woods.

"I-I-I thought---y-you didn't---c-c-care anymore," Opal stuttered, struggling to keep up with my sprint away from the Impidimp. I didn't want to waste time slowing down and signing out why I was sorry, especially when the sounds of the wild Pokemon pursuing us were rapidly growing in volume. "Wisteria, look out—!" Opal shouted, but I was a half-second too late to stop.

I tripped over the large root and ate mud. Literally. I face planted on the mossy ground, tasting salt and copper in my mouth. I hissed in pain as I pushed myself up with my hands, scraped and beginning to bleed from my impact with the ground, my wrist smarting from the angle it landed on. "Come on, Wisteria," Opal hoisted me up. "We need to keep moving—eek!"

The Morgrem landed right in front of us, snarling with a giant grin on his face. When we turned to go back, another Morgrem landed in front of us. Impidimp circled around us, caging us in as they closed the circle tighter. Opal whimpered, tucking herself closer to my body as Ponyta nuzzled against her legs.

Shuppet, use Dark Pulse, I tried to signal, but gasped in pain when I tried to clap my hands together. Shuppet and the other Ghost types tried to ward them off, but with a jab of Morgrem's sharp hair, she went flying back to me and the others scattered. I wanted to sign, I'm sorry, Opal, one last time, just so she knew I forgave her, but even that hurt my hands when I tried it. We both were resigned to our fates.

"RAPIDASH, USE MYSTICAL FIRE!!" A sudden shout from behind us made the both of us jump. The Impidimp and Morgrem screeched in pain as purple flames the size of a house engulfed them, sending them hollering and running into the darkness. "Opal, are you alright?!" the stranger asked, dismounting one of the two Rapidash that were with him.

"Father!" Opal cried, flinging herself into his arms and sobbing. The similarities between the two were uncanny; straight-as-a-board hair (though his was golden blonde versus Opal's platinum color), the sky blue eyes hidden behind eyeglasses, and especially the psychic powers, judging from the bobbing Pokeballs around the giant top hat he wore. "It's alright, it's alright, Opal," he soothed as she shook with fear, crying into his Psychic uniform. So he was a Gym Leader, I thought to myself. Or a Gym Trainer, at the very least. "It's alright. I've got you. You're safe now."

"Wuh what, what are you d-d-doing out here?" Opal hiccuped, wiping her tears away with the cuff of her sleeve. "Shh, just breathe, little Abra," he coaxed, leaning down to kiss the top of her head (he was extremely tall), and pulling her in for a hug. "I was assigned to your dad's Gym today for work; something about taking inspiration for our own Gym from the major league's. Not that I needed it, anyways; I have plenty of ideas for how to run my Gym, thank you Mr. Chairman." Opal giggled at that. 

I thought for a second. Wait. Her dad? But isn't that guy her fathe—oh. OH.
"W-well, that still doesn't explain why you're out here," Opal said, the tears clearing from her voice. "Your dad sort of—hm, how to put this delicately....he completely lost his Calm Mind. He was in hysterics by the time I volunteered to lead a search party to the Tangle."

"Oh, I'm so sorry—" Opal started again, but her father put a hand up to stop her. "It's not your fault, Opal," he said firmly. "But what in the name of Zacian and Zamazenta were you doing in the Glimwood Tangle alone?!"

I figured that was my cue to announce my presence, and I cleared my throat after a first failed attempt. Loudly. Opal's father jumped, before his eyes narrowed at me. "Who are you?" he asked, not-so-subtly pulling Opal behind him. "Speak up."
"Father, she can't," Opal came to my rescue. "This is Wisteria. You know, my friend I told you about? The one who doesn't speak?"

Her father's eyes widened, before he cleared his throat and stepped forward. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Wisteria," he offered one of his gloved hands, and I took it. I immediately regretted it and hissed as my wrist smarted in his grasp. "You're injured," her father stated the obvious, and ushered me along to the Rapidash. I tried to protest, but I still couldn't use signs, so I was forced to approach the giant equine Pokemon.

"It's alright, Wisteria," Opal reassured me, effortlessly pulling herself onto the back of one of the Rapidash. "Candyfloss and Morgana are the sweetest Rapidash I've ever met." Both Pokemon whinnied in agreement, tossing their heads and stamping their hooves. I tried to protest, but could only grunt in discomfort as Opal's father hauled me onto his Rapidash, seating me in front of him as he kicked the sides of his ride and spurred them into a gallop, heading back towards civilization.