"Hmm..."
Dian took a step forward. "You guys?"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Professor Juniper and Danshu silently stepped back... their friendship capsized without warning. Ayaka was even more direct: she took a small hair-trimming knife from her bag and sliced... the red thread binding their lives together snapped just like that.
Dian was about to lift his leg when Professor Juniper and Danshu exchanged a glance, turned, and ran without the slightest hesitation. Ayaka followed close behind with Meowstic in her arms, and all three instantly disappeared into another passage out of the room...
"P-Professor... is it really okay for us to do this?"
Ayaka looked nervous, goose bumps covering her skin, while the fur of the Meowstic in her arms stood on end.
"Ayaka! You have to understand that everything requires sacrifices!"
Professor Juniper sprinted at a speed that would shame a Tauros. Beside her ran the expressionless Danshu... whose eye patch seemed a little crooked.
"You two, we can't waste Gym Leader Dian's voluntary sacrifice. We must find Volcarona and bring it out."
Ayaka nodded silently, then learned a lesson about life: this was what the adult world was like.
"Hahahaha, just kidding. Staying there would only make trouble for Dian, the Ghost Master, so we wisely retreated first."
Professor Juniper felt she ought to salvage her image, but neither of her companions responded...
Meanwhile, Dian, left behind in the room, was catching up with his future "mother-in-law."
"Mengmeng!"
Misdreavus happily circled a Mismagius that looked as though she wore a sage's hat.
Dian stared blankly at the... ghost floating before him, who looked pitifully delicate and had a beauty mark beside her eye.
As for why he hadn't run... his "mother-in-law" seemed to be right beside him. Surely he could use that connection to avoid being abducted into