Chp 11

	"Let's get some lunch first." Mystic said. 

	"I'm fine with that." Phantom agreed. 

	They both headed for the lunch room with Zys still in tow. They got three meals, but when they went to pick them up, Zys stepped forward. Three of his four tentacle arms reached down, wrapped around the handles, and picked them up. 

	"Thanks Zys!" Mystic said cheerily. The trio went out and sat down at a table. It took Zys a few tries to properly sit comfortably on the stool. He set the food down and both Phantom and Mystic reached over and took theirs. Zys looked down at the box with a confused squint. "Here," Mystic said, reaching over and opening it for him. 

	He looked down at the food blankly before looking up and watching them both eat for a moment. Mystic caught this and tried to show him how it was done, holding the apple with her paws and slowly taking a bite. Zys repeated this, an arm morphing into a hand and lifting the apple to his face. He stared at it, before pushing it at his face. When nothing happened, he pulled it away and tried again.

	They both saw this, but Mystic was the first to act. She got up and walked over to him, causing him to look down at her. She looked back up at his featureless face, save for eyes. "Uhh... Can you... make a mouth?" She opened her maw and pointed to show him what she meant. He closed his eyes in concentration before he opened them and shook his head. He let out a sad sounding noise. "It'll be alright. But how do you eat?" She wondered aloud.

	"Maybe he gets food from sunlight. Grass types can do that." Phantom chipped in. 

	"Maybe." She said, going back to her seat to continue eating. They spent a few more minute eating until a pokemon burst into the room. 

	"Phantom! Mystic!" Hunter called as he ran in. He hurried over to them, now in his regular form. "Are you done eating? We've got work to do." He said urgently. 

	A short while later, all four of them were up in Hunter's office. 

	"First off, I apologize for running off like that. I followed the tunnel to another similar place at the base of Mt Frostorm. Here's the plan. You two are gonna go undercover and investigate. I'll give you enough funds to stay there for as long as you need to. Just like the place we busted, the other side had no information either. I already talked to Marie and she got some people to look over what we did find. So, I think the best way to discover more is to have the both of you look around. Mt Frostorm is pretty isolated, so odds are whatever was shipped there is still around. If you need anything, I'll give you a contact orb."

	"Wait a minute. Isn't Mt Frostorm really far away? How fast were you going to have gone there and back by now?" 

	"Very. And I can use my badge to recall here from anywhere. Come to think of it, I'll allow that for your badges as well. And this is a very serious matter. If you want out, now is the time."

	"No. These bastards need to be stopped." Mystic said. Phantom nodded in agreement. 

	"Good to know. And please, keep this between us. Tell no one, not even your fellow guild members." 

	"Why? Do you suspect someone here?" Phantom asked.

	"Not yet. But I do not like risks. The fewer involved, the better. I trust you both already. They would never attack their own members, unless they were trying to get someone on the inside... Never mind. You two have been doing excellent so far. And Zys is trustworthy as he is. As for the job, contact orbs last many uses so let me know if anything happens."

	"Any ideas where to start?" Mystic asked. 

	"No solid ones. I would suggest investigating berries. Maybe a local specialty shop. Of the materials I found out of both bases, many berries were included." 

	"Alright then. Wait, what about Zys? I don't think he should be travelling." She said. 

	"I can watch over him. He is certainly strong enough to protect himself. I'll make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." Hunter reassured her. 

	"Ready to go?" She asked Phantom. 

	"Yea, it'll be like vacation!" He said excitedly. 

	"Please take this seriously." Hunter said. "Actually, on second thought, be casual. Act like you're not in a rescue team. Come on, I'll show you how to work the map room."

	"Oh yea, I've been meaning to ask about that." Phantom said. 

	They all went outside, to the center of the second floor. In the center was a large model of the continent while all around the room, a large map was painted. 

	"Just press your badge against where you want to go. You can use both the model or the floor for greater accuracy." Hunter stepped over to one of the three large mountains. "Here," he pointed at a specific spot, just outside of town. Phantom went first, pressing his badge against the spot for a few seconds, before he disappeared in a flash of yellow light. Mystic repeated the process. 

	She flailed briefly as her paws were momently suspended in midair, before she dropped a few inches onto the cold stone below. She looked around to see herself on a stone path, with snow on both sides. She quickly was torn away from marveling at the sparkling snow when she couldn't see Phantom. "Where are you?!" She yelled. 

	"Over here." He grunted. She turned around to find him coming towards her through the snow and his fur was covered in it. He was visibly shaking as well. 

	"Is it really that cold?" She asked, experimentally touching the snow with a paw. The snow immediately melted, causing her to flinch back. "The snow's cold but the air's not. Weird..." 

	He trudged over to her, while shaking out the snow from his coat. "You're lucky, being a fire type. You don't get hot, or too cold." He grumbled. 

	"But I can't really swim. Let's get you someplace warm." She said. Further down the path were several buildings, most with smoking chimneys. They headed forward and made it shortly after. Once in town, Mystic stopped a passing pokemon. "Excuse me, miss, where could we warm up?"

	"New in town? You should probably go to the inn. It also serves as the town bar, so you can get some food as well as a place to say." She explained, pointing to a large nearby building. 

	"Thanks!" Mystic said, before they went for the building. Inside, they were met with a froslass behind the desk.

	"How can I help you?" She asked in a melodic, almost haunting voice. 

	Behind Mystic, Phantom rushed over to the fireplace and sat down in front of it. There were two other pokemon in the parlor, sitting in chairs. "Could I get a room?"

	"For two?" She asked, pointing at Phantom. Mystic nodded. "Two beds or one?" 

	"Two." She said. She wanted one, but went against it for his sake. If they did get experimental, they could always push them together. 

	"Amber?!" Someone asked from behind her, over towards the parlor. There was a hint of desperation in her voice. 

	Mystic turned to find a white pokemon approaching her. She looked similar, but instead of orange and red fur, her fur was pure white. "Do I know you?" Mystic asked. 

	"Could you lift you right leg?" She asked. 

	"Uhh..."

	"Please!" The white vulpix shouted.

	Mystic did so, and the other vulpix got close to inspect it. 

	"Sis!" She screamed, tears forming in her eyes as she lunged at Mystic, clutching at her. 

	"Who are you?!" Mystic asked, trying to escape her death grip.

	"Don't you recognize me? It's Ashley, your sister. I know it's been a few months, but you couldn't have forgotten me!" 

	Out of the corner of her eye, Mystic saw Phantom approaching. "Maybe..." She said.

	"She lost her memories, Ashley. I found her washed up on the beach in Journey town. Are you absolutely sure you've got the right person?" Phantom explained. 

	"Yes!" Ashley shouted at him. "I remember when my sister got that scar on her foot, and the sound of her voice! This is Amber, no doubt!" She turned her head back to Mystic. "Amber, did you really lose your memory?"

	"It's true. But if we're sisters, why don't we look more alike?" 

	"I'm what some call an alolan vulpix. Sometimes when vulpix grow up in environments like this mountain, we become ice types instead of fire. The fur just comes along with it. So is that your boyfriend?" She asked.

	A blush shot over his face. "Kinda." She said. 

	"Erhmm!" The froslass cleared her throat. "While I love family reunions, this is a business. Either take it to your room, or outside." 

	All three agreed and went to the newly rented room. Once there, the conversation continued. 

	"So what happened between then and now?" Phantom asked.

	"Well, about two months ago, my sister, Amber, disappeared. I thought she was... I don't even know... and then she turns up today. Amber, Mystic? Which would you rather I call you?"

	"Mystic. I've gone by that for a while now."

	"So what brings you back home?"Ashley asked. 

	"We joined a-" Phantom stopped her by coughing loudly. "A farming group. Our mentor wanted us to come here and see how berries grow in the cold." 

	"Oh, that sounds fun." 

	"We should probably get to work." Phantom said, looking out the window.

	"Can I help?" Ashley asked. "I'd love to spend some time with my sis, even if she doesn't remember." 

	"I don't know..." Phantom said. He opened his mouth again to continue, but Mystic intervened. 

	"Sure, why not. Know a good place to find some berries?" 

	"I don't know about berries, but we do have a farm here. Maybe Millie will know something. Follow me, she was on good terms with mom, so I'm sure she'll help." 
	
	Ashley led them back outside and down the street. 

	Along the way, Mystic asked something. "You said mom was... does that mean..." 

	"Yes... Everybody agrees that the grief did it. I thought I was all alone, but now you're back!" She said happily. 

	A short walk later, they arrived. The rear of the farm had several large greenhouses, in which many crops could be seen. Ashley led them up to the front door, and she rang the bell. A short while later, a miltank opened the door. 

	"If it isn't little Ashley, all grown up. And is that Amber?" 

	"Yep, she's back home! So Mrs. Millie, Amber and her friend came to town to learn about berries."

	"Berries eh?" Millie said. "Not my specialty, I'm afraid. Berries grow best in rich, warm, and wet soil, so we don't grow any locally. Everything you'll find here was imported." 

	"Do you know where their imported from?" Phantom asked.

	"Nope. I buy mine from the general store. They're a bit expensive, but my hubby loves 'em." She explained. 

	"Thanks, we'll go check that out." Phantom said. 

	After another short walk, Ashley guided them to the general store. The lights inside were off however, and the door was locked. "That's odd." She said. "The store's open all day. And Jim and his son are always around." She got closer and looked deeper into the window, with no luck. "C'mon, we can check his house." She led them around the back and up a staircase to the second floor. Once there, she rang the bell. 

	After about a minute of no answer, she got a defeated look. "Sorry guys. Looks like he's not home. Does that mean you'll be leaving?" She asked, a sad look crossing her face. 

	"We can stay for a while. We did come all this way after all." Mystic said. 

	"Yea, I don't see why not." Phantom said, trying to cheer up the other vulpix. 

	"Sweet! How about I treat you both to dinner?" 

+++

	"I don't know what to get..." Mystic said, looking over the sizable menu of the local restaurant. 

	"I'd go for the grilled magikarp. It's so good." Ashley said, her eyes drooping in exaggerated elation. "Just try not to break my bank."

	"We can pay for ourselves..." Phantom said. 

	Ashley shook her head. "Nope. Tonight, you're my guests and that means I'm paying for dinner. Now, how about some drinks?" She said, sliding over the menu, flipped to the alcohol section. 

	"No thanks. I'm not a fan of beer." Phantom said. She shifted the menu over to Mystic. 

	"Yea, I'm in the same boat. Maybe some other time." She said.

	"Spoil sports." Ashley said, puffing out her cheeks. "I'll just get some for myself. Today's a day for celebrating!" 

	A short while later, and they all had something to eat. They exchanged idle conversation, filling each other in on recent events. The pair was careful not to reveal anything about being a part of a rescue team. Ashley, mostly due to her bubbly personality, dominated the conversation, and talked the most, much to Phantom's relief. 

	Once they were done eating, Ashley looked over to Phantom. "Could you maybe leave? Not to be rude, but I wanna talk to my sis alone." 

	"I don't know..." 

	"What? You don't trust me? I get it. We just met so you have no reason to, but I would never hurt my sister. Ever." 

	"Phantom, it'll be fine. I'll meet you back in the room." Mystic said. He looked at her, saw the seriousness in her gaze, and departed.

	"So, Amber, sorry, Mystic..." Ashley started. "Hah... I don't even know where to start." Her voice hitched and squeaked. "It's been hard. Really hard. After you left, and mom died... dad spent weeks in shock. I had to go out and get a job. I'm in theatre now, an actor. Do you really not know anything about what happened to you?"

	"No." Mystic said quietly. "Nothing at all. The last thing in my mind is waking up with Phantom. We've been helping each other out since." 

	Ashley lowered her head and put it in her paws. When she raised it again, there was a bit of wetness below her eyes. "It's so good to see you again!" She whined. "After spending the day with you, you're my sister, no doubts. Memory or no, you're still you. We've got to go visit dad tomorrow. He usually gets up early, so he's probably already in bed by now. So, let's talk about some more cheery stuff. What's the deal with Phantom? C'mon, spill the beans." 

	"I don't know for sure about our relationship. Friends with benefits maybe. We're not mates for sure. He's shy but kind."

	"Yea, you're a good match. You always were a hot head. I remember how many times you got into trouble for fighting the neighborhood bully. So have you two..." She brought up both paws, one forming a circle and the other pointing at it. 

	"No, not yet. I want to, but it hasn't happened yet. I don't wanna force him into it either." 

	"That's a good mind set. I threw away my first time with a local boy. Next week he dumped me." She polished off the last of her second drink. "So can I stay with you tonight?"

	"Sure, why not. We'll have a slumber party!" Mystic said happily. 

	"Yay!" She cheered. "First I gotta go home and leave a note, so dad won't worry." She hopped off the stool and headed for the door, a stumble in her step.

	"You gonna be okay?" 

	"Yep. I love the cold." She smiled and left quickly.

	"That's not what I meant..." Mystic mumbled. She got down and headed for their room. Once she knocked on the door, it was opened in a moment. 

	"So, what happened?" Phantom asked urgently.

	"What are you, a schoolgirl? Nothing much happened. Just some girl talk. What's up with you?"

	"I'm not sure. Doesn't it seem like a crazy coincidence? That we come here, and find your long lost sister?"

	"You don't trust her?"

	"Not entirely. Remember when we got sent off to find a nonexistent eevee? What if this is another trap?"

	"She's no double agent. In fact, she's spending the night here."

	"Alright... I trust you on this. But remember why we're here. This is way more important than us. We could save hundreds of lives." 

	"Yea, I know. She just seems so happy to see me again."

	A short while later, there was another knock at the door, and Mystic went over to let Ashley in. She followed her in and joined her on the left most bed, leaving Phantom with his own. "So, tell me about life before. It might even remind me of something." Mystic said.

	"Alright." Ashley settled down, getting comfy on the full fledged bed. It was a step up for them, as they had slept on cushions for a while now. They were still quite low to the floor, allowing them to easily get on and off. This was nothing new for her though. "We grew up together here in town. Both our parents were ninetales, normal ones. According to them, grandma was an alolan like me. Anyways, we grew up pretty normal, until you just vanished about two months ago. No word or warning, just gone."	

	"That's odd. I didn't find her until a month ago. So what happened between the times?" Phantom added. 

	"That is weird." She took a deep breath. "So, tell me why you're really here."

	"What?" Mystic asked. "What makes you ask that? We're here to learn about berries, jut like we said." 

	"I'm not buying it. First of all, that doesn't make sense. We don't grow many berries here. It's mostly farm pokemon. Second, I can still tell when you're lying. You are pretty sneaky, but that only made me adapt." 

	Mystic looked over to Phantom. He grimaced back. "Alright." Phantom yelped and said something to try and stop her, but she continued. "We are a rescue team. And we're here on a job. But it's super secret." 

	"Really?! Cool! That's good enough for me!" She said giddily. "My sister is so awesome!" She cheered. 

	"Sssh." Phantom hissed. "Keep it down." 

	"Sorry. So is there any way I can help?"

	"Not really. It's too dangerous." Mystic said. 

	"Actually..." Phantom said. He reached into the box and took out one of the berries from the hideout. 

	"Where did you get that?" Mystic asked.

	"I grabbed one before we left, just in case. Anyways, Ashley, do you recognize this berry?" He set it down on his bed, and she crossed over to get a closer look. Like the one Hunter had found, it was a smooth green teardrop shape. She flipped it over, before picking it up. 

	"It seems familiar... but I can't remember the name... Avis maybe? Dammit, what the hell is it..." She turned it over a few more times, before shaking her head. "I can't remember. Sorry... But I'm sure I've seen them around here before." 

	"That's fine. It's something to go on. We'll go out and look around more tomorrow." Mystic said.

	"And Ashley, I'm sorry, but you can't come with us anymore. It's too dangerous." Phantom informed her. 

	"Really? If it's that serious, okay. But let me fill you in on the town. So today, you've been to a small part of the town. This town used to be a small one, back in our parents days, but it's a lot bigger now. We saw one of the three farms, the general store, and the inn. The other points of interest are the town hall, which doubles as the school house, and the museum. They have stuff found from the mountain. And near the top, there's another village, but it's a lot smaller. They have a hot spring and spa. They host cave explorations and mountain climbing too." She took a deep breath. "Anything else you need?" 

	"I think that's good. Please Ashley, listen to us. You might get hurt if you try to help us too much." Mystic told her. 

	"I get it. Both me and dad have to work early in the morning so things will just be normal. I did promise him we would visit for dinner tomorrow though." 

	"That sounds nice." Mystic stretched out and yawned. "How about we hit the hay?"