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Nate and Peat rushed into the water of the marsh without hesitation. The water went up to Nate’s ankles, soaking into his sneakers and socks. The mud beneath clung to his shoes like it was reluctant to relinquish him. Nate bulled forward. Peat, beside him, cut through the water with far more grace than he usually had on land. He barked and smiled and raced past Nate. “Oh no ya don’t!” the trainer shouted, pulling a burst of speed he hadn’t had a moment before. Wild Pokémon scattered into cover as the two raced by. Nathan was not a perceptive man on his best days, but even he might have noticed how the amount of Pokémon dropped severely the closer they got to the statue, if he hadn’t been so distracted.  “Ha! Caught ya!” Nate was winded when he caught up to Peat. “Not as fast as ya thought, are ya, bud--bud? Peat?” Peat had stopped running. His teeth were bared and he was staring ahead at the statue in the marsh.  It was probably only a few yards in front of them now. It was much more interesting up close; towering over the area and chiseled with the skill of someone that had obviously been a master of their craft. Nate felt the sudden urge to touch the statue. Which wasn’t that weird. His Mom had told him a thousand times throughout his life that he didn’t need to touch everything when he went to the store, but he lived in the physical world. His senses were driven by touch.  He hadn’t ever felt the need to touch a statue though. He could guess how they felt. Smooth. Cold. Wet, in the case of the statue before him.  Still, his Pokémon had stopped for a reason. Peat seemed unwilling to move even a step closer.  “Wait right there, bud,” Nate said, moving toward the statue. “I won’t be long. I just… I just need to look. To get my hands on it. What if it has something to do with that rare Pokémon we heard about?” Peat gave him a look that he interpreted to be uncomfortable, skeptical, but he barked again and took a fighting stance. Nate usually trusted Peat. He trusted the instincts of Pokémon more than he did his own. They were connected to the world in a way that humans could never hope to be; more than one trainer had lost their lives by not listening to the Pokémon around them. But something was calling him forward. A tugging in his thoughts that demanded he investigate. “I’ll be right back.” Nate jogged toward the statue.  

The Mute and The Quiet “One of the reasons I came back up is because I was hungry, and I still don’t know where the best places to eat are. I don’t have… a lot of money, but I do have enough, I think.” Natasha nodded in understanding and gave a soft smile. She put a finger to her temple and closed her eyes, giving an exaggerated but clear symbol for "I'm thinking". Then she opened her eyes and nodded. Melissa would notice her eyes seemed to be sparkling with a sudden childish excitement. Natasha then typed away on her watch, having to restart a few times because of her haste, before showing Melissa a message. "There is a newer place I have wanted to try. Will you go with me?" Natasha then led Melissa over to a taxi and, after some trouble, set the location for them. There was a short trip where Natasha was, as always, silent but she kept giving Melissa an occasional look as though trying to let her know it was okay to speak if she wanted. Eventually they reached their destination. A restaurant called "Eating For Two". As they approached it Natasha pointed out a sign near the door that seemed to establish some "rules" for the place. Customers must come in a least a pair Customers must each order at least one item No refund and no take home boxes Serious eaters only If Melissa looked towards Natasha she would see a determined, and excited, look on her face. She looked over to Melissa and gave a firm nod before stepping inside. The interior was softly lit but seemed rather cozy. All the tables had cushioned chairs in front of them and each of the tables were spaced out with plenty of room between them. They only saw one other duo there but they were at the far end and it was hard to make out what they were eating. Though even a brief glance could tell them that there was a lot of food between them. An employee approached them and smiled widely. "Ah, Natasha yes? I see you got someone to come with you this time, very good. Sit wherever you would like someone will be with you shortly." They then looked at Melissa and she could have sworn they had a doubtful expression before they turned and walked off towards what was presumably the kitchen. Fen and Kelsey One-Two Punch "Thank you for the match." Adonis seemed to be quite literally wobbling as he raised a fist up in the air towards Fen. "No problem....I went easy on you this time after all....next time I'll...I'll..." then he toppled over. A couple other boxers came into the ring and dragged him off towards a bench before approaching the ring again. Clearly wanting to use it next. Kelsey gestured at Fen to follow her out of the ring. "Glad you liked it! Yeah it's pretty fun to knock that guy around isn't it?" She paused. "Well I guess you mean in general, not that. But gotta admit he's a lot more fun to hit than a punching bag." She stretched a bit before looking around. "It's a pretty slow day here. Wasn't any events planned or anything so we sorta have the run of things. If you wanna get back into the ring in a bit, or try something else out, you just let me know okay?" Kelsey seemed to think something over then, "if you wanna leave too that's fine. Just make sure to hit the shower first....Not that I'm saying you smell or anything, you smell just fine! I, uh, assume that is." She gave an awkward laugh.

Figuring out where you are now. Why you’re there. Why time is frozen, perhaps? And while you’re at it, regaining your lost memories, which may very well answer all the earlier questions. It’s a mystery story. Your main job is helping people who have found their way to this world, but it isn’t the goal. It is a means to an end.