Eight months later......

Finally.

The day I have been waiting for since I have returned to this Sinnoh-forsaken land has come.

Graduation.

Of course I wasn't going to Aldera's graduation ceremony. I had long since cut ties with them after the day Bakugo and Izuku suicide-baited me, as that was the last straw. And after the Sludge-villain fiasco, I have long since vacated the Yagi household and broke up my camp before I went to Kibo ni Niji to stay at the castle and islands full time where everyone else was waiting for me (apparently Charm had alerted Mother Cogita that I was transferring there ahead of schedule). They were surprised I showed up sooner than planned, but after explaining things they just accepted it even though they were all quite enraged at the reason why I left the mainland sooner.

So during those ten months, I had caught myself up to date with my gang members, taken missions from the Defense Ministry and Interpol (where Zinnia and I caught each other up and became an inseparable team), and spent time with my Pokemon and my other girlfriends.

While I was delegating positions to my gang members (aka the "knights" of the castle), I gave the honor of being the new Shadow Triad to Maki Harukawa, Mukuro Ikusaba, and Peko Pekoyama. Their expertise as killers and with the occasional bodyguard job gave them right amount of experience needed to be my personal bodyguards.

As for the new Seven Sages, I have chosen Hajime Hinata (Makoto recommended him as his knowledge on law and criminal justice is only matched by the infamous Kirigiri detectives), Korekiyo Shinguji (his knowledge as an anthropologist is quite an asset to the team despite his... oddities), Ishimaru Kiyotaka (despite his tendencies to be a stickler for the rules, he still has his grandfather's leadership skills, and he wanted to make it up to me for getting his grandfather out of trouble with that whole scandal thing, despite my telling him that he doesn't owe me anything), Kokichi Ouma (he may be immature most of the time but he's got the leadership skills to back him up, especially as the head of DICE), Mondo Oowada (despite being the new gang leader of the Crazy Diamonds, he still lets Daiya maintain most of the leadership as he feels he's not quite ready to lead the gang on his own, so with him being a Sage, it will better prepare him for that role when his brother officially retires), Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu (don't let that cherubic face fool you; he's the heir to the Kuzuryu syndicate for a reason and you don't wanna mess with him or his sister who acts as his substitute when he can't attend the meetings due to his obligations to the yakuza clan), and Sonia Nevermind (despite her naivete, she's still the new rising queen of the Novoselic empire and the bride to-be to Lelouch vi Brittania of the reformed Brittanian empire, and her leadership skills are only matched by her fellow peers).

As for who is my personal attendants (like my namesake Natural Harmonia had two "sisters" by the name of Anthea and Concordia), that position was delegated to Kirumi Tojo and Chisa Yukizome, both of them well-versed in ass-kicking and keeping me in line and from making too big mistakes. They aren't the Ultimate Maid and Ultimate Housekeeper for nothing, mind you. Hell, with or without Nen, they can steamroll any Quirkie into the ground with just their two hands alone.

Cogita was given the title of the royal advisor, as I owe her at least that much (and infinitely more) for all that she has taught me, even before my Hunter Exam. Volo was undecided on what he wanted to be as part of the royal court. At one point, before I stopped him from making the bad decision of wiping Hisui out in favor of a new world (long story for another time), he probably would have went for King or Prince, but after that event at Mount Coronet, he seemed to be... unsure. Indecisive. He was scared that whatever high-end title I give him, he would end up abusing it's power, Giratina's partner or not. I felt that was a reasonable concern, so I told him whenever he decided he can tell me and we can hammer out the details. In the meantime, he manages the sales and imports/exports of merchandise and "grey market goods" going on and off the island. Seems like the old habits of being a Gingko Guild merchant is a die-hard type. Even if he was a bit of a slacker on the job back in Hisui and it caused Old Man Ginter to complain a lot. Even so, he's pretty good at managing the sales and profits. Perhaps being the treasurer of the court fits him best after all. At least Ginter is complaining less and Tulli can relax more now as they both still work as the merchants of the islands.

As for me and the girls (namely Zinnia, Clover, Charm, and Coin) we were given the title of "The Five Celestica Kings of Paradise," even though gender-wise we may be queens, but in terms of power and influence, we may as well be kings in our own rights. We are the best team the Ministry of Defense has ever seen, right up there wth the collection of students Karasuma took on during the Koro-sensei debacle, and we are often recommended to Interpol, MI6, the CIA and FBI, among other federal teams all over the globe with our diverse and unique skillsets. Our specialties are espionage and assassinations, among other occupations. We are also one of the best heist teams the world has ever clapped eyes on (even if they do not know our true identities). We pride ourselves on our skills as Triple Star Hunters to carry out our missions from our bosses. And the pay isn't something to sneeze at. Hell, thanks to our copious amounts of treasures we have recovered and/or stolen, we had to make a vault to hold all of our precious metals and the like, and with one of our court's people's advice and recommendation, we have made a lock where it requires a few puzzles that need to solved before even beginning to crack the lock on the safe. Within the vault, we have our treasures from the Abyssal Ruins and famous gems such as the Star of Asia stashed away, amongst all the other priceless treasures. This area is also closely guarded and locked down tighter than Fort Knox, as there have been attempts on having our territory breached just to get to the vault. Thankfully, with my around-the-clock guards in and out of the castle, getting within ten kilometers is next to impossible unless you have mastered Nen to it's fullest. In other words, the only person who has even a shot in hell of breaking in is Netero.

Speaking of securuity I took a page out of the Zoldyck family's book and got my own "Mike" when I went on a mission with Cogita in Britain, long story for another time. The biologically engineered monster "guard dog" Kaibutsu, once named "P4" by the scientists who had mangled his body and turned him into a man-eating beast on par with the Phantomhives' own guard dog (make that hellhound, but you know, details) Pluto. Kaibutsu only answers to a select few, me being one of them. He is tasked with killing (and usually eating to dispose of) the intruders that manage to get past the artillery on the first island where the castle is located and the wall where he lives on the other side where he has an entire forest to himself to roam and hunt. He is prohibited from eating the Pokemon, lest he has to deal with me personally. And after I had subdued him the first time we met back in England, he knows better than to cross me.

Gonta Gokuhara is the head ranger of the Pokemon and also head butler of the castle; peacefully settling disputes between Pokemon and sometimes humans, teaching the newbies the basics of manners (if you are gonna work in my castle, you will have to live by the phrase "Manners maketh man."), being a tutor for certain events like how to waltz and table ettiquette, and is in charge of the upkeep of the estate from disposing of garbage to keeping the place tidy and clean. He sometimes work on the side as a bodyguard for me and/or the munchkins. He doesn't like to get violent, but he will if it means protecting the ones he holds dear.

As for my personal team (aside from Chisa and Kirumi being the equivalent of my namesake's Anthea and Concordia only with awakened Nen abilities; and Gonta is also considered a part of the personal team as he often helps with the more traumatized Pokemon we recover from places that have done more harm than good to them) were the following individuals: Mikan Tsumiki (nurse), Seiko Kimura (court pharmacist), Chihiro Fujisaki (hacker and head of surveillance), Byakuya Togami (head investor), Makoto Naegi (lawyer), Teruteru Hanamura (cook/chef), Rantaro Amami (travel agent; he was qualified to be one of the Sages but he turned the offer down in favor of letting someone "more qualified" take the position), Miu Iruma (support item specialist with my cousin Melissa working under her now that she has joined our cause), Ryoma Hoshi (he's the only one aside from Gonta who can talk down our "guard dog" Kaibutsu when he goes into a rage), and Shuichi Saihara (personal detective and sometimes a frequent partner to his peer Makoto).

My security team heads consisted of Sakura Oogami, Tenko Chabashira, and Nekomaru Nidai, and they are in charge of keeping the knights in line and trained with Nen and hand-to-hand combat. I left the arsenal and weaponry in the Triad's hands as they are the most well-versed in things like operating tanks, shooting certain firearms only the military can have, and the like.

The guest list had the following attending the ceremony and party: King Lelouch of Brittania with his trusted bodyguards the Black Knights and his younger sister Nunally; our own Queen Sonia Nevermind of Novoselic; Earl Ciel Phantomhive and his party; Byakuya Togami to make more connections for both the royal family and for his company; our own Kiyotaka Ishimaru and his grandfather the reinstated prime minister of the nation; Kaede Akamatsu, Leon Kuwata, Sayaka Maizono and her group, and Ibuki Mioda, the lot of them to provide entertainment after my coronation ceremony and my graduation to being an official aura guardian; Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu and his yakuza clan officials; Daiya and Mondo Oowada are to be making an appearance with their biker gang thanks to making an alliance with our group (though I think this was Mondo's way of saying thanks for saving his brother from dying on the night he became the new gang leader and he challenged his older brother to a drag race, which nearly resulted in Daiya dying in a head-on collision with an eighteen-wheeler, had I not used a Trawl and Rollcall Orb on him just before the truck hit him); and so many others I can't think of off the top of my head. Thank Arceus for Pelliper, Chatot, and the other Flying-types because they were the fastest in delivering the Invitations to allow them entry onto the island and bypass Kaibutsu safely.

I sat in my bedchambers, fidgeting nervously in my royal robes as I waited for the newly appointed Seven Sages to come and escort me to the throneroom. I peered out my window as I watched many people mill around outside, either setting up stalls for the festival that will take place when the crowning is done and the party starts, lasting all the way until probably sunrise.

"You're going to be fine, my treasure." I whipped my head around to see Mother Cogita, adorned in her usual Gothic attire, only now it seemed more regal, probably because of the occasion.

I didn't say anything in response, the words just disappearing on the tip of my tongue as my confidence did not pick up. Cogita walked towards me, her steps measured and unhurried, as though she did not want to startle me. Once she was close enough, she pulled me into an embrace, her aura enveloping me like a security blanket, making the tension in my body to melt away as I leaned into her arms on instinct.

"You will make a fine royal." She murmured sweetly into my ears, her aura and Nen alleviating any sense of self-doubt. "You have come a long ways since we have met back in Hisui. You have also been through hell and back many times, and you are also wise beyond your years. And you will not be alone like you were before. We will be with every step of the way, until the day we breathe our last."

I nodded against her, soaking in her words as I knew she speaks the truth. I have survived the Hunter's Exam, I have went head to head with some of the strongest members of the Phantom Troupe, I have slayed many bloodthirsty Chimera Ants, have challenged the head of the Zoldyck family and his son, took down many leaders of crime syndicates in the Pokemon-dominated regions, and I have come out alive from all of those events, even when the world's fate was at stake with some of these events. And these heroic schmucks and villain wipes are barely worth batting an eyelash at as they got nothing on the real demons I have fought and conquered.

"Now come," Cogita spoke, rising up from her spot before offering her hand to me. "It is time we head to the throneroom; your public awaits you."

Taking her gloved hand, we left my bedchambers, my head held high with determination.

I will not fail my people like society has to them.

(Play music here)

Cogita stood at the throne with the crown in her hands as she lifted her hands to silence everyone before I entered with the Sages lifting my cape as they matched my pace as we all walked to the said throne.

I shut my eyes, picturing myself from when I was younger all the way to now, with all of my Pokemon, from Hisui and the regions beyond, and the ones freed from the confines of the Mystery Dungeon game, all standing alongside me, ready to fight for our home and our freedom.

I was now standing in front of the throne, turning silently to face Cogita as she came forward with the crown meant for my transitioning to be the new Queen, or shall I say King, as I refused to let gender define my status and title.

I kneeled before her, before she set the crown on top of my head, where my small ahoge was before it was hidden by said crown.

"Stand." Cogita spoke while the word was simple, her tone carried authority.

Complying, I turned back towards the people in the stands, raising my hand towards them as they bowed before me.

"Welcome," Volo spoke, his voice echoing throughout the throneroom, "Our new Sovereign of the Isles of Niji no Kibo!"

"Hail our Queen and King, Natural Melodia Shirona!"

Everyone took up the chant.

"Hail Melodia!"

"Long live the Hero!"

Many took up the chant, even the ever stoic Byakuya, their yells echoing throughout the chamber.

And with that, the festivities began.

Timeskip

Entering my bedchambers, I went inside my wardrobe where all my outfits were mended and sent from Anthe's clothier on the island. Tsumugi and Junko had my outfit for the festival picked out, and judging from the choices, they went with both my personal tastes and color coordination.

(Outfit for festival)

Timeskip to that night....

The festival was in full swing, games were being played, food was shared and eaten among Pokemon and humans, people were talking and laughing; I smiled wistfully. This was what I wanted: both Pokemon and humans to be in harmony. Like my namesake Natural Harmonia, I want Pokemon to live in a kinder world, where humans perceive them as equals and not as expendable tools. Why couldn't people like Kamado and Beni see that, I don't know. But this is supposed to be a happy time, so no need to dwell on it.

I passed by many of my people, all of them wearing kimonos and yukatas courtesy of Anthe and her proteges Tsumugi Shirogane and Junko Enoshima, all of them being the happiest I have seen them since I have saved them from their awful lifestyles.

I found Zinnia and the Miss Fortune Trio at one of outdoor tables near one of the curry vendors; smiling to myself, I decided to join them.

"Hello, ladies," I greeted, taking a set next to Zinnia, in which I became sandwiched between her and Clover when Clover switched her seat from next to Coin and Charm to sit on my opposite side.

Charm smiled at me from across the table. "Hello, sweet melody of our life~"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you drunk already?"

Coin nodded, answering for her, "She is. And she's not the only one," she pointed to Clover clinging onto my arm like a lifeline.

"Let's just say we all had a few drinks to celebrate your coronation," Zinnia decided to point out lifting her tankard.

"Don't enjoy yourselves too much," I reminded them, "we still got my graduation ceremony to come in a few hours. Cogita wanted to set the ballroom up so I can be properly initiated as an genuine Aura Guardian."

"Right, right, right...." Clover slurred with a pout on her face, making me chuckle and ruffle her hair.

"Speaking of which," Charm said, reaching behind her, and handing me a bottle of my favorite flavor wine cooler. "Congratulations. You have earned this."

I took the bottle from her hands, my face gleeful. "Thank you, Charm. Perhaps we'll get to enjoy this together in my bedchambers when the party is over~"

This caused her and the others to blush at my implication. "You sure you aren't the drunk one?" Zinnia tried to cover up her flustered expression by teasing me back.

"If by drunk, you mean on happiness, then yes." I responded. "For once I feel... free. Like all of my burdens and worries have been lifted. When I look around and see all of these happy faces-" I waved an arm at the people milling around the booths, some of them laughing with friends, holding hands, eating and playing games, "- it reminds me what I've always wanted: for all of my loved ones to be together and to be in harmony with Pokemon. It's one of the sole reasons I wanted to be an Aura Guardian and a Hunter."

"And here I thought you were in it for the treasure hunting," Clover slurred, hugging my arm.

I chuckled, not totally denying the claim. "While I admit it is fun going into temples and ruins to find priceless treasures and finding exotic beasts that live outside Hisui, it doesn't hold a candle to being with you guys and being able to take care of everyone I love. Just like they have with me."

Clover looked up at me, her eyes watery with heartfelt tears. "You sounded like a real dork, you know that?" That's my Clover; a tsundere to the end.

"Yeah, maybe so, but I'm your dork." I responded with a quick peck to her forehead. I felt a tug from behind as Zinnia placed her breasts behind my head while pulling me into a hug from behind.

"And mine." She added cheekily, making me blush now.

"Don't think I'll lose to you, Dragon-girl," Coin said, coming around the table to get in the hug.

"I believe that's my line, dear sister," Charm said with her usual poker face, but you could hear the competitive tone in her voice as she joined in.

We all went to the private beach, where our friends in the gang have gathered with some of the Pokemon and were watching the fireworks.

Timeskip

It was almost midnight when the time for my graduation as an aura guardian was upon us.

I was dressed in a Pine-colored suit kimono outfit and I had a matching brimmed hat to go with it, and finally some matching sandals to finish the look.

I looked very similar to the one known as Aaron from the Rota Kingdom in Kanto back in my previous world. Like the residents of said kingdom, we are holding a ceremony in both his honor and the fact I have mastered the ways of Aura. And since I recovered the famous staff of Sir Aaron, the ownership of the staff goes to me.

I sat in a dressing room, Meema Zoroark leaning against the wall with her eyes closed as Little Brother was trying to knock my hat off if only to gnaw on it like a teething puppy, but I keep moving him away from it as I didn't want the hat to have any holes when I go into the ceremony.

I looked at the staff with Little Brother sitting on my shoulder, our reflection seen on the faceted crystal. Something within me tingled, the feeling getting stronger the longer I held the staff. The same feeling occured back at the auction I was at, only now it feels stronger than before.

I nearly jumped when I heard an unfamiliar voice as if close by speak.

"Why have you betrayed me?"

What the absolute Giratina?

I looked around hurriedly, momentarily thinking someone had entered the room somehow. The only ones in the room were me, Meema, and Little Brother. And I would know if it was Meema talking to me as her voice is way different than the one that I just heard, even when she takes on an illusion to fool others.

Little Brother peered up at me, his gold-colored eyes curious and worried. He nor Meema didn't seem to have heard the voice; if Meema did, she probably would be trying to find the source and neutralize the "threat."

I sighed; maybe I was going nuts. It had been an eventful week and maybe the pressure is finally getting to me. Good thing that I'm having a break from my duties as a special agent starting after the ceremony as Karasuma had given me the okay to take a break.

"Your Highness," I turned to see Volo sticking his head in, giving me a slightly cheeky smile. "Your public awaits you in the grand ballroom."

I snorted at him, a small smile creeping onto my face as I knew he was going to be milking my new title as much as possible even though I do not care for honorifics when it comes to my friends and family (not my biological one mind you).

"Thank you, Aniki," I replied to him, getting to my feet, deciding to put behind my earlier freak-out for the time being. "Lead the way, my good sir," I spoke in a fake Galarian accent as I did a fake curtsy to him, making him laugh a bit louder now.

"Don't let Laventon nor that Phantomhive squirt hear you use that accent." He chuckled. "Pretty sure they would think you are committing a felony if not a few by using it like that. Especially if you were either in Galar or Great Britain."

I laughed with him, following him with Little Brother Zorua on my shoulder and Meema Zoroark right behind me as he lead me out of the hallway to the ballroom.

The ballroom was lavish, as expected with Mother Cogita being the coordinator to set the appropriate them of the event. Mixing both of the Rota Kingdom's culture with Hisui's own, there were people dressed in both elegant gowns and suits and elborate kimonos with matching footwear. The food ranged from the Western cultures to the Eastern, along with our own specialties from our regions, from Kanto to Galar. So there was quite a spread, even a Mew Flower cake from our island cafe. I could see many people, even our guests from outside the island have taken to our exotic curries, a specialty from Galar, and given that the Phantomhive butler have had a hand in prepping the curry as he had prior experience in that area (a story for later as I bore witness to that event among many others during my summer abroad with Lady Cogita) along with Kirumi, Chisa, and some of the other island inhabitants that wanted to help provide fine dining for both human and Pokemon alike. Tsumugi was with Sojiro, playing the role of the barista and serving our island's specialty drinks to the guests. She seemed to be enjoying herself as many guests were awed by her drink mixing skills. She knows how to make a mean Brionne soda, among other things, making her a hit with our youngest gang members who love their sugar rushes.

Speaking of which...

"Big Sis Melodia!"

I turned to see our five newest recruits, all dressed cutely in their kimono outfits for the occasion, followed by their "junior mentors" Sabi, Lian, and Mitsuru.

These five are collectively known as the Warriors of Hope back before I found them atop of a school building, ready to jump as their harsh lives pushed them to desperately want to end their own lives.

Their names were Monaca Towa, Kotoko Utsugi, Jataro Kemuri, Masaru Daimon, and Nagisa Shinegtsu. Monaca was the bastard daughter of a big name conglomerate (almost as influential as my investor's own family name), and was ostracized by her father and her creepy dirtbag stepbrother (more on him later). She took to pretending to be paraplegic as a means to avoid being hurt as Haiji, the aforementioned stepbrother, actually threw her down the stairs in a fit of rage all because she had the tiniest of smiles on her face and he believes that she shouldn't even have a reason to smile. Thankfully nothing got permanently damaged but what's done was done. Nowadays she never uses the wheelchair unless her Nen training wears her out as she and a few other kids do not have the best stamina to keep up with the regime. Kotoko Utsugi was a former rising young star featuring in many commercials; however despite her cute and sunny disposition seen on TV, there was something darker going on behind the scenes. This made me go on a rampage when I did the necessary digging into the kids' backgrounds as hers was arguably one of the worst cases I've seen, and that is coming from me who have seen a lot of fucked up shit. She and her mother were a prostitute duo, where many talent agents seeked out their "services" in return for making Kotoko "sparkle" onstage. One of their frequent clients was none other than Haiji Towa, who as it turns out, has a "particular taste" to Kotoko's age group, especially the "submissive and quiet" ones. As for Kotoko's father, he was basically cheating on his wife, his assistant hygienist (he's a dentist), and to make matters worse, he was more than aware of what his wife and daughter were doing, and was allowing it to happen, even living off of the money the two earn from their "endeavors." With that intel in mind, her parents, Haiji, plus the other clients and all that had a hand in Kotoko's treatment shot to the top of my "To Kill" List, a special journal I got from some Shinigami in Great Britain (don't ask) as a gift for preventing a widescale amount of deaths that allows me to personally kill anyone who's name I write into the book, so it is like having my own Death Note (many of the gang, especially the ones who love anime, have made this joke many times at my expense). Moving on, there was Jataro, another bastard child produced by a woman who loved partying and a man who was sure to be "the next big thing" before being disowned by his own family, which resulted in abandoning Jataro's mother when she was still pregnant. And her own family were not willing to help her as she got pregnant during her high school years, and such ations were worthy of being disowned. Sure it was a dick thing to do to her, especially in her time of need, but it did not excuse what she did after Jataro was born. Honestly it is a miracle the kid is alive (which I found out later is because he unknowingly activated his Nen in order to survive, which explains why he never starved to death when his mother left him alone for weeks at a time without food for him to live on). The woman couldn't even bare to look at him making him wearing a patchwork mask to conceal his "hideous" face. Next is Masaru Daimon, who is affectionately known as "Masa-kun" by the others after Sabi started calling him that and it stuck, much to his chagrin. His father was a rampaging drunk, his mother committed to a mental hospital thanks to her husband's actions. His father always made him go out and buy him alcohol, but the problem is Masaru is much too young to be purchasing booze, which resulted in him trying to steal it, but never succeeding. Which resulted in him being physically abused by his drunkard old man. Finally, last but not least, Nagisa Shingetsu. Honestly, I personally think there is a missing link between him and my associate Nagisa Shiota, as they both have the similar blue hairstyle and eyes, not to mention, shitty parents (many is the number times I had to be held back from wrting his mother's name in the "To Kill" book), only Shiota's was more of the delusional sort as Shingetsu's were more... logical, even though their methods were inhumane. Shingetsu's parents were both scientists, and they viewed their child as nothing more than a guinea pig. The poor kid was forced to study subjects far above his grade and age level, hardly given a break between sessions, and was often living off IV bags. Whenever he hits a breaking point he was "revived" and then had the workload doubled to increase and make up for lost "XP" every time he depleted his "HP." So these responsible parties all have a spot in my "To Kill" list, which I shall commence with carrying out their "executions" after we are done celebrating my coronation/graduation.

They have all taken to living on the island with the gang quite well, even if it was an adjustment for them as it was the first time being treated with genuine kindness and acceptance, even as the youngest recruits of the gang.

"Hello, youngsters," I greeted them smiling at their outfits as they had chosen accordingly to their "color scheme."

Masaru stuck his tongue out at me playfully. "You sound like an old geezer talking like that."

I gave him a raised eyebrow. "That's not a nice thing to say when I'm letting you guys have a lot of cake and soda on top of having no set bedtime tonight." The kids' eyes widened and they began to try and make Masaru stop talking should they lose their one opportunity to have so much sugar on top of staying up late.

"Gomen-nasai, Big Sis!" Masaru hastily apologized.

I laughed. "It's fine. Now go enjoy yourselves."

They didn't need to be told twice as they all took off to the buffet table. Well, they always preferred dining to dancing....

I went to my assigned seat at the throne as Cogita announced to the crowd that this was the time to begin dancing on the ballroom floor.

"Please enjoy yourselves, everyone!" Cogita stated as music began to play.

I watched as couples twirled in time to the music, as Chisa and Kirumi stood on either side of me as I waited for the music to end. I'll admit, I'm glad I'm not on the dancefloor, as I'm not exactly the best at dancing, despite my skills in agility. I find myself tripping over my feet and accidentally treading upon my partner's toes. We found this out during my time abroad in Europe this past summer as we were living with the Phantomhives and they were assigned to put an end to the "Jack the Ripper" case by the Queen, and they wanted me and Cogita in on it as to help them uncover the killer at a suspect's ball. And it was where I learned that corsets are death traps and probably meant to be a torture device for women back in the days it was first invented (I learned to appreciate bras more after that event). Thankfully, I didn't have to get too close to the suspect in question, but it was quite the ordeal for me and Ciel (as the poor boy was forced to dress up like a girl and also forced into a corset, like me), and the suspect was nothing short of a creep despite his good looks.

I shuddered slightly at the memory, making Chisa and Kirumi look at me with concern.

"Are you alright, milady?" Kirumi asked.

"Yeah, it's nothing." I reassured her. "Just remembering some things...."

We left it at that, watching as everyone either talked and mingled or danced with their partners. I spied the kids hiding under the desserts table, sneaking sweets underneath as they hid with some of the younger and mischievous Pokemon, such as Pancham and Shelmet (a couple of our junior troublemakers brought from the Mystery Dungeon games), which drew a small laugh out of me. Espurr even joined in, often levitating desserts from the table to the kids hiding underneath the tablecloth.

Meema Zoroark stood diligently at my side as I pet Little Brother's fur, making him purr like a cat under my touch. It wasn't until he spotted Fennekin, a Pokemon from the Mystery Dungeon game that he befriended and vice versa, that he seemed to want to and run about. I chuckled, setting him down on the floor before nudging him in the direction of the Fire-type, whilst a blush appearing on his face before he took off after the Fennekin, a few of the other starters from Mystery Dungeon tagging along, yipping excitedly as they weaved around couples on the dance floor. I smiled softly as Meema Zoroark chittered after them to be careful.

It was sometime before the music ended, making me snap to attention as I waited for my cue to perform my part of the ceremony.

Cogita called everyone to attention, making me rise silently from my seat as I strolled over to her side in measured steps, holding the staff in both hands.

With a nod from her, I assumed the pose of the Aura Guardian, as I have been taught ever since I began my training with Cogita back in Hisui.

"I believed in you!" the same voice from before spoke again, making me balk in confusion. Okay, I'm more than sure that I was not imagining it. There really is something, or someone, sealed in this staff.

Before I could react, the crystal on top of the staff began to light up, catching everyone's attention.

Cogita had sprung to her feet and began to hurry over.

Everyone gasped, unsure of what to do.

Kirumi and Chisa began to rush towards me. "Young mistress! Is something the matter?!" Kirumi asked in alarm.

"I don't know!" I responded, trying to keep a good grip on the staff as it began to shake violently. "The staff is acting up! Aggh!!!!"

"Drop it, your Highness!" Chisa suggested, looking ready to snap the staff in half if it meant protecting me.

"Quick hand it to-" Cogita's words were cut off as a beam of blueish light came out of the staff, hitting the floor off to one side of me. The blue light began to take shape, forming into-

"A Lucario?!"

AAAAANNNNNDDD SCENE!!!

How's that for a cliffhanger?

And before anyone asks, no, Lucario is not going to die like he did in the movie. I got bigger plans than that for him.