I was just about to step out of the cathedral, having donated some of my spare cash, when something the salesman back at Feebas Pro Shops had said to me came back to mind.

  “Ah, excuse me.”

  Marie looked up from where she was putting away the donation box. “Hm?”

  “I was planning on climbing Mount Coronet, and somebody said something about the ‘Pilgrims’ Path.’ Would you know anything about that?”

  “Oh!” Marie blinked. “Well, yes, I suppose I do. Um, but you’re sure about climbing the mountain at this time of year?”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “Well, it should be fine.” She hedged. “I suppose it’s not too terrible, but there is the chance for, you know, snow and ice.”

  “I thought that with how tall the mountain was, that would be an issue any time of year?”

  Marie shrugged. “Yes, but it might be more of a problem on the lower parts of the path. But if you’re serious-”

  “I am.”

  “Then I suppose I can share what I know. The Pilgrim’s Path is the original way up the mountain that the first people of Sinnoh, called Hisui at the time, took to climb the mountain and build their temple to Arceus.”

  She gestured at the massive stained glass window depicting Mount Coronet, and sure enough as I looked closer, there was a thin golden line that snaked its way up the mountainside.

  “It’s actually quite wide - the path had to be big enough for two Ponyta to help haul a cart up the mountainside. However, it’s also quite old, and the stones have worn away, which is why more modern safety measures have been installed.

  “Actually it’s quite annoying, some of my peers have complained that the safety measures ruin the sanctity of the mountain, and that the risk is a part of the pilgrim’s journey. Obviously the ancients didn’t think that way, or else they wouldn’t have bothered putting in stone railings! It’s only because they’ve been eroded that the path has become as dangerous as it is, so why should we hold to a standard that the ancients didn’t even-”

  She cut herself off, blushing as she realized she was going on a tirade.

  “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s fine.” I said with a small smile.

  “Anyways, the Pilgrims’ Path is quite safe now, thank you very much.”

  “I’ve heard that it doesn’t go all the way to the Spear Pillar, is that true?”

  She eyed me with an expression I couldn’t quite make out. “Yes.” She said slowly.

  “It is true. The Pokémon League installed a landing below the summit itself, and blocked off the uppermost part of the path. It’s a heritage site, they claim, and the high winds of the summit make it even more dangerous.”

  I shuffled uncomfortably. “Is… there a way up there regardless?”

  “I really shouldn’t say.”

  Marie hummed, looking me over. “But for some reason… I feel the urge to help you. Come with me.”

  She took me into a back office, full of wooden furniture and books. She murmured to herself as she looked over the shelves, before pulling out a thin, ancient book.

  Flipping through the thick pages, she eventually found what she was looking for, and placed it on the desk.

  Then she pulled out a much more recent, laminated map of Mount Coronet, and placed it next to the book.

  “Here’s a map of the modern Pilgrims’ Path.” She said, tapping the newer map. “And here’s the original path.”

  I looked closer. The two paths matched each other almost perfectly, except close to the very top, where the newer map stopped and had a flat area for viewing.

  “It looks mostly the same, but-” I stopped, and squinted. “There’s an intersection.”

  My finger hovered just over the page on the old book. “Right here, I think I can vaguely make out another path.”

  “Exactly!” Marie cheered, clapping her hands together. “Good eye! The original Pilgrims’ Path actually diverged into two parts - the main path for the Ponyta and the carts, and a smaller path for individual travellers. The main path was what was converted into the viewing area, but the other one was mostly ignored.”

  I frowned. “That seems like an unusual oversight for the League.”

  She shrugged at the implied question. “Honestly, by the time the League came to Sinnoh, the path itself was mostly forgotten. Time and weather had made it risky to use, and everybody just preferred the larger one. So they just put up some barriers and called it a day.”

  “Barriers that can be squeezed by.” I inferred, and she nodded.

  “Correct. Now legally, I have to tell you not to take this path and just be happy with the viewing area.”

  Marie winked, and I smiled.

  “Understood.”

  Her sly look faded. “I do have to warn you if you intend to go all the way up to the Spear Pillar. The Pilgrims’ Path is called that for a reason - it was a way for the faithful to prove their devotion to Arceus.”

  “I thought you said it wasn’t dangerous.”

  “The path itself isn’t. But there are… tests.”

  “Tests?”

  “Ways for you to prove your faith. Not dangerous!” She hurriedly said. “But they can be… difficult.”

  “Have you done it before?”

  “Legally?” She winked again. “No. But I have proved my own devotion, let’s say.”

  “Can you tell me what to expect?”

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Marie shook her head. “No, I can’t. It’s a personal test, after all.”

  “You’re making it sound like the mountain decides what to do.”

  “The mountain, or Arceus?” She shrugged. “Who can really say. Regardless of what form the tests take, there will be three of them.”

  “Three?” I thought for a long second, then looked at the depictions of the Legendary Pokemon. “Because of Palkia, Dialga, and Arceus? Or is it the Lake Trio?”

  She shrugged again. “We don’t know. Any records that might have explained were lost to us. Besides that, I’m afraid I can’t tell you more.”

  “A personal journey.”

  “Yes.”

  I stared at the map for another long second, then nodded slowly as I committed it to memory.

  “Thank you Marie, I appreciate it.”

  She nodded solemnly. “Just don’t get hurt, okay?”

  “I’ll do my very best.”

  “Good. Arceus be with you, and good luck.”

  /^\

  The sun had all but set by the time I finally left the cathedral, my mind whirling as I walked back to the hotel.

  Out of reflex I released Venus, and the little Umbreon yawned and stretched before walking alongside me, her red eyes bright as she took in the darkening city.

  There was a brief moment of darkness as the sun finally crossed below the ridge of Mount Coronet, and then all of the street lamps flickered to life. They were, I noted with amusement, all shaped to look like a Lampert.

  Then I blinked as one of the street lamps seemed to double, and I wiped my eyes, making sure there was nothing in them. When I looked again, sure enough, there were two lamps. Then one of them lifted off, and an actual Lampert spun in amusement, before floating off into the darkness.

  Venus watched it go with narrowed eyes, but I just smiled.

  Right. Hearthome City is home to Fantina’s Gym. Obviously there would be a lot of Ghost-types around here.

  I reached down and rubbed the top of Venus’ head, pulling her attention away from the disappeared Lampert. She gave me a discontented yowl, but we continued on our way.

  We were just passing a line of restaurants, their warm orange light spilling out onto the street, when a shout caught my attention.

  “-ina? Alina Knighton is that you?”

  I blinked several times, looking around in confusion until a figure stood up, waved, then vaulted the decorational iron railing separating the outdoor eating area of one restaurant from the street.

  They rushed up, and I took a step back before I saw who it actually was.

  “What, don’t tell me you don’t recognize me? It hasn’t been that long, surely!”

  My mouth opened and closed several times like a Magikarp, before my voice finally returned.

  “Of course I remember you! Ohmygod! Rei! How are you doing??”

  She laughed, and on an impulse, I reached out and grabbed her into a hug.

  “I haven’t seen you in months! Not since, what, Oreburgh City?”

  “Eterna!”

  “That’s right!”

  My face darkened as I remembered the landslide caused by Archie and his rampage, but I shook it off.

  “How are you?” I got a second look at her outfit, and blushed. “Oh god, I’m not interrupting a date, am I?”

  She was wearing a gorgeous dark blue dress that matched her eyes, along with a set of elegant, yet subtle pumps. I was frankly impressed that she had managed to jump over even a small railing in them, but she always had been much more athletic than I was.

  “In a manner of speaking.” A slightly accented voice said, and I looked around my old friend’s arm to see-

  “Alejandro?”

  The Paldean archaeologist, wearing a casual suit, smiled and waved.

  “It’s good to see you again Alina. It’s been too long.”

  I looked between the two of them, and at the red blush slowly creeping along Rei’s face, and burst out in delighted laughter.

  /^\

  “It’s not really that funny.” Rei continued to grumble as we all sat down at the table.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make fun of you.” I said. “But seriously, I don’t want to interrupt.”

  The couple shared a look, and Alejandro turned back with a smile. “Don’t worry about it. You’re the reason we’re together in the first place, the least we can do is catch up over a meal.”

  “How did this,” I waved at them. “Happen anyways?”

  He shrugged, looking at Rei. “Do you want to?”

  “Nah, go ahead.”

  “Well, after I helped referee that match, Rei and I exchanged numbers. We’d chatted a bit, but nothing much really happened up until the storms.”

  “I reached out to him in the aftermath, making sure he was okay. Turned out he was still in Oreburgh, and we met up to help with the recovery. After that…”

  Rei shrugged, the blush still on her face. “Well, things developed from there.”

  I smiled, feeling a warmth settle into my chest.

  “Well, good for you two.”

  They smiled at each other, lost in their own world for a second. Then Rei coughed, and looked over at me.

  “Well, what have you been up to? Still travelling with, what was his name, Ned?”

  “Ted.”

  “Ahh right. By the way, what was the deal with you two? Were you?” She waggled her eyebrows, and I sighed.

  “No, just friends. And we parted ways a little while back. He’s continuing with the Gym circuit, while I decided to take a break from it.”

  Rei and Alejandro both nodded. “It’s a lot, isn’t it?” He said.

  I laughed. “Yeah, it really is. I was having fun, but honestly…”

  Turning, I looked up at the peak of Mount Coronet, still dimly visible despite the dark sky.

  “I think I’m enjoying taking it slowly even more.”

  “Good.” Rei smiled, and it was full of warmth. “And is that Venus? I barely recognized her!”

  The Umbreon looked up from where she was curled underneath my chair, and purred happily at the attention.

  “Yeah! She evolved…” I ran back the time, trying to remember when exactly she had evolved. “A month ago? Maybe less? Time really blurred together there for a while, I’ve lost track.”

  “Still, an Umbreon. That’s kinda rare.”

  “I thought for sure she was going to be a Sylveon.” Alejandro mused.

  “Really? I was thinking of a Vaporeon, considering how much fish you were eating back then!”

  Rei’s face got serious for a second. “Which, by the way, you’re not still living out of a tent, are you?”

  I laughed. “No, no, you don’t have to worry about that. I came into some money, and I get to sleep in a bed when we’re not on the road now.”

  “Oh, good.” She leaned back, a little more relaxed.

  “By the way, what about Yoshio? Has he evolved yet?”

  “Hm? Oh, yeah! Guess which one?”

  Humming, I went through the options. Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, or…

  “Hitmontop!”

  “Good job! How’d you guess?”

  I shrugged. “You talked about balance and being well rounded, so a Pokémon that had even Attack and Defense scores seemed about right.”

  Rei frowned, and Alejandro leaned in. “Attack and Defense scores?” He asked, and it was my turn to blush.

  “Aah, just something I heard about from a friend of mine. It’s from a game.”

  “Oh, I see. I think I’ve heard about it. Digital Creatures or something like that, right?”

  “Yeah, something like that.”

  Somebody coughed from behind us, and I started, before turning around.

  A waiter was standing there, with a strained little smile.

  “Hello and bonjour.” He said with a slight French, or Kalosian, accent. “I was not aware that we were serving three people tonight.”

  “Ah,” I said awkwardly, and scratched the back of my head. “Yeah, sorry about that, it was kinda a last minute affair.”

  He sighed. “Very well. I’ll bring another menu.”

  I looked back at my old companions, and smiled.

  The stars were bright above us, and I was with friends.

  What more can I ask for?