Wisper To Me

Tonight was a night of cheer despite the chill settling on the shoulders of all within its grasp. Leaves painted colors of sunset shivered in its wake, some too weak in the onslaught and falling back to the earth below. Paws furthered their demise, crunching them to dust silently as their laughter and joy drowned their plight. Most of the aggressors were mere children, clothed in costumes ranging from silly and cute to scary and unsettling. Now was the time of year for fright and delight, even if it marked the end of warm summer days and riverside fun.

"I told you, I'm a scientist!" one of the children huffed, set off to the side from the mass. A wild wig was the most notable part of her outfit, otherwise the ensemble was very lackluster.

"And I told you, Dr. Frankenstein would have been better than that," their companion spoke, sticking out their tongue. Their own costume was much more in line with what would expect from the holiday, stitches crossing the expanse of their body and two screws on either side of the neck.

"At least my costume isn't falling apart!" The first said smugly, watching one of the screws begin to droop off the neck. They slapped a paw to it, glaring as they applied pressure to help it stick back on better.

"Mom said this was the best glue we had at home! At least it doesn't put me to sleep when I look at it!"

Before the argument could continue, a third spoke up from beside them. This Vulpix was dressed in a simple bat outfit, little wings bouncing when they moved, fuzzy body wrapped around their own, and bat ears fastened over their head. "I think Millie's costume is nice.... And Louise's is spooky."

While it was obvious the sisters wanted to keep going, they both sighed and decided to let it go. After all, it was a night of festivities, not fighting. It would be better not to spoil the fun, especially since Dove was there. Thus, they quietly thanked their adoptive brother before continuing on their merry way.

Tonight was trick or treat night in their area, children or any pokemon wanting to celebrate urged to join. Scattered all around were various groups, approaching others with clear stashes of candy in their grips. This section had no built homes like you would expect, instead the pokemon lived out amongst nature. Closest to them was an Ariados family with little Spinarak, the little ones falling out of the tree by a thread to scare unsuspecting pedestrians down below. The Ariados, meanwhile, kept a bucket close at hand hanging from a thread as well, tossing out little treats to the spooked pokemon.

Millie, the blonde Einstein, plopped carefully on the ground and set her bag beside her. Inside was mostly candy, but she kept a few things on hand like bandages, water, and a map. Said map was what she was currently pulling out, resting it on the ground and using her paws to keep it secure from the chilly autumn winds. Louise and Dove made a triangle around it with her, both resting a paw on a corner so she wouldn't have to focus on it as much.

"Thank you. Now, let's see...." Dragging a paw across the paper, she calculated their trajectory and path they'd already taken. According to what they'd decided on, they were only about a quarter of the way through, the night of festivities still young. "Up next would be by the river, where a lot of water bound pokemon are set up."

"Won't the candy get wet then?" Dove asked, his tone sleepy as it often was. A thoughtful look crossed Louise's features, as if debating what he'd said as well.

"Some have water-proof bags, apparently," Millie helpfully provided, waving her paw at their feet to indicate they lift them. "I've heard a few take Halloween so seriously, they spend all year finding sunken treasures to hand out! I don't know if it's true for sure, but it's worth finding out." As she spoke, she rolled the map back up, repositioning things in her bag to safely fit it inside.

"Treasure?! That sounds so cool! Maybe we could buy something with it!" Louise exclaimed, lightly bumping Dove as she looked at him. "Is there anything you've been eyeing?"

Dove seemed to contemplate her question, holding a paw up to his chin. "Hm.... Nothing in particular? But, I wouldn't mind keeping it if it looked pretty..."

Before Louise could retort, likely disappointed he couldn't think of anything, Millie was standing with a jostle of her bag. "I think it would be nice to get some revival seeds! It can rejuvenate any fainted pokemon!"

Louise and Dove stood up as well, preparing to continue the discussion as they walked towards their next target. However, the sisters only got a few feet before noticing their friend was missing, turning around to see where he had gone. The Chimera's eyes were sparkling as he focused on something in the trees, ears perked behind the fake plastic ones adorning his head. When they turned, they noticed a small orb slowly emerge from the treeline, making its way towards the Vulpix.

"A wisp..." Millie whispered, afraid to break the moment. For once, Louise also remained quiet and still, understanding that it was not the time. Meanwhile, the wisp was almost to him, stray dust like sparks floating around it. Purple and blues swirled inside it, truly making it feel otherworldly and magical.

Just to be safe, Monnie had pulled the trio aside before they could leave earlier that day. "Wisps are common this time of year, in the right places," she had spoken, looking down at the younger faces. "They are harmless, and generally approach the pure of heart. If you spot any, do not be afraid or attack them. Instead, be honored you got to see one." All three had been sure to remember what she had said, and thus were excited they got to experience one! Millie and Louise were a little jealous Dove was the chosen one, but of course let him have his moment. Maybe they'd get their own later, too!

At last, the wisp was before Dove, less than a foot away. As patient as ever, he waited for it to approach him instead of risk scaring it. This method seemed to work, the wisp hesitating for a moment before going the final distance, situating itself right in front of his nose. His eyes crossed in his attempt to gaze at it, and for a brief second he saw a red haze cast over it. Seconds later, it touched the tip of his nose. The sisters, prepared for a touching moment, were horrified when the loud cry of a yelp instead rang out.

Before Dove could even fully whip his head away, shielding it in his paws close to the ground, the other Vulpix were beside him. Louise snarled and thrust her paw at the wisp, but the movement only seemed to work against her as it passed through its transparent body. A hiss ebbed out, a trail of smoke coming off her appendage as she pulled it away. However, she refused to back down, instead charging up a small flame attack. She was careful, having caught enough trees on fire to know how to better control it at this point. Just like before, the move did nothing, phasing through it and nearly catching a low hanging branch on fire.

During this, Millie gently spoke to Dove, trying to get him to pull his paws away so she could survey the damage. It took a great deal of insistence, but finally he warily lowered them and showed her his face. To her relief, it wasn't too serious, just severe enough to damage the outer skin with no lasting damage.

"I know it hurts, Dove, but you'll be okay," Millie assured, offering a genuine smile to him.

"Are you sure?" he asked, tone ever slightly more sad than normal. Despite asking that, he seemed to believe her, slowly beginning to stand.

"Positive. I'll help you out with it when we can."

Remembering the situation they were in, both turned back to Louise and the wisp. With her moves ineffective, she settled for growling at it as it slowly approached. Both quickly ran over to her, the shiny not looking, but obviously realizing they were there as her ear twisted in their direction.

"Nothing is working! Stupid thing refuses to get hit by anything!" Louise spat, obviously upset by her powerlessness in the situation.

Before they could discuss the predicament further, they realized it was much worse than they thought. Screams echoed out through the trees, wisp temporarily forgotten as their heads swung around. All around them, the jovial celebrations were extinguished, instead allowing panic to take root. Fires were slowly purring to life, embers licking at confused pokemon. Some seemed ill, struggling to even stay standing, and all around the remaining pokemon were small, red hued wisps.

"What is going on?! Ma said wisps are friendly and harmless!" Millie yipped, stunned at what was happening. Ma wouldn't lie about something like that, so what was going on?

"These ones obviously aren't!" Louise grumbled, glaring at the wisp once again. Except, it was no longer one, multiple more gliding over as if the original even needed their help.

Millie was still focused on the other pokemon for the moment, noticing how even those who tried to flee were chased by quickening wisps. If they tried to do the same, it was likely the same would happen to them... So, with desperate hopes, she tried the only thing she could think of that might work. Summoning her own will-o-wisps, she hurled them at the gathering spirits with prayers it would distract them. Somehow, it seemed to work for the moment, the enemy wisps seeming unsure on how to deal with the newcomers.

"Quick, run! I don't know how long that'll hold them!" Not needing to be told twice, the other two took off with Millie in hot pursuit.

All around them was chaos, candy spread haphazardly amongst the paths, torn up clothes, and pokemon attempting to escape or hide as well. Fires were only continuing to grow, and if not dealt with soon, would because a serious environmental issue.

Behind them, they heard Dove gasp before he suddenly changed course and ran towards a gathered group of wisps. Millie and Louise slid to a stop, about to scream at him before realizing why he'd done so. Huddled against a tree, surrounded by the wisps, was a little Cleffa in a tattered costume. Quietly, they cried, shivering and curling up as they covered their eyes.

Dove burst through the bushes beside them, sparing no thought nor time to the rapidly diminishing space. Teeth snatched at the cloth around the Cleffa's neck, the little pink creature letting out a surprised eep, but not fighting their rescuer. He then leapt back out, scarcely missing a wisp as the tip of one of his tails let out a dim hiss. Meeting back up with the sisters, they ran a short distance before stopping to finally release the little thing. Gently, he made sure their feet were on the ground before letting go.

"I'm sorry if I startled or hurt you!" Dove apologized, crouching down to speak face to face.

"No, no, it's alright, thank you for saving me!" they gushed, relieved tears bursting from their eyes.

"Please get somewhere safe now, before more come," he urged, nudging the Cleffa towards an open area with no foreseeable wisps. With another thank you, they scurried off, disappearing into the foliage nearby.

"Awwww, how brave, Dove," Millie cooed, Louise patting his shoulder roughly in her own proud way. Said Chimera blushed, lowering his head shyly at the praise.

"Anyway..." Millie started, redirecting her attention back to the rapidly increasing danger around them. "This is getting serious. I think everyone is too panicked to stop and think... We gotta do something!" Her companions huffed in agreement, nodding their heads in determination.

"But what exactly is that something?" Louise asked, sitting on the ground with a slam. "We can't hit them! It's as if they're immune to physical attacks!"

"Well, I think the major thing we need to take care of is the fires. If they continue, everything flammable will be gone by morning. We can go from there, but that takes precedence." Dove and Louise stopped to think for a moment, but Millie had already thought out the next step. "I say we continue our current destination. The river pokemon are our best bet at this point. Any arguments?"

Twin heads shook in the negative, and thus it was decided. Since Millie was the navigator, she took the lead with the other two following closely. Luckily, it wasn't too long of a trip, but just passing all the carnage was making it seem much worse.

Nearly to the river, they encountered their first building since the attack started. It was a simple little hut, but it currently had flames crawling its way over the walls and roof, silently stalking its prey. Barely heard over the crackle, voices yelled out from inside, begging obvious from the tone alone.

Turning, Millie saw Louise and Dove's expressions drop, fear for the trapped pokemon evident. "Go help them, I got it!" she urged, continuing to storm ahead. Hesitation seemed prominent again, afraid to leave her alone, but if they left the home....

"Ugh, be careful!" Louise yelled at her, earning an affirmative noise. Millie wasn't the best fighter, but she could be trusted to handle herself for the time being...hopefully. She was near the water at this point, so if anything, she was in a safer predicament than they were.

"Hello? Are you okay?!" Louise yelled from the top of her lungs as they skidded to a stop beside the structure. Voices inside became louder and more insistent, but not any clearer to understand, unfortunately. This left the pair to scramble harder, unknowing of the condition of the pokemon currently locked away.

While the door was automatically the target, it definitely wasn't an easy option. It seemed rubble from the roof had already collapsed, the opening partially caved in with a large plank of wood blocking most of the entryway. Beside her, Dove switched his focus to the windows, but they were in no better condition. Time was running out, but fate seemed keen to give them a challenge today. Then again, didn't Louise like those?

Giving the planks securing the door a cursory glance, Louise began backing up with a tongue poking out from behind fangs. Dove had no moment to even tell her to be careful before she was charging ahead, using all her strength to try and dislodge the material. A loud crash soon followed, feeling her body struggling for only a second before the weight seemed to give. It seemed she gave a bit too much of her all, not only opening it as she had hoped, but sailing through to the room behind. At least she caught herself, doing a forward flip and collapsing onto her butt with a stunned expression. However, now was not the time to dawdle.

"Over here!" Louise called, quickly beginning to feel the heat licking at her fur. The sensation was definitely odd given her typing, but the whole thing seemed crazy at this point... A cough soon followed, the smoke poking at her lungs and throat from within.

Barely hearing her over the rumble of flames, a small group came running over to her from underneath one of the tables. A Watchog, clutching a Chingling in his paws, and a Spritzee following closely behind. Louise ushered them over to the broken in door, struggling to see through the smoke, but Dove was there to help as well. Sitting on his back paws, he used his front ones to help them crawl their way through without tripping.

Once everyone was out, and presumedly safe from danger for the moment, all of them took a minute to suck in deep breaths. Both groups were high on anxiety and smoke inhalation, relieved that at least this situation manged to skip disaster.

"Th-thank you!" The rescued pokemon spoke after they had all regained their bearings. Ever the polite ones it seemed, they all made sure to bow to the Vulpix that had valiantly helped them. Blushing overtook the young ones' faces, pride and embarrassment fighting within their little chests.

"It was no problem!"

"Happy to help."

Loud gushing suddenly emerged, drawing the gazes of the small group. Jets of water were being poured on the house, slowly drowning out the flames that had been so prevalent a scarce few minutes ago. Marshtomp, Gastrodon, and a few other assorted pokemon seemed to be the perpetrators, a familiar fox approaching them from beside the water types.

"Told you I got it!" Millie chirped, welcoming the cuddle circle that soon formed between the siblings. "Apparently, the wisps were avoiding them, so they had no idea what was going on! They didn't even give me a chance to ask before they were leaping out of the water and asking me where to go. Most are scattered around, but those guys wanted to help with the house."

Distantly, a new voice began to ring out. Alternating between a few different words, but ones that had all three of the Vulpix's ear perking in recognition. Urgently, they called their names, the source jumping around as if they were looking for something.

"Ma!"

"Mom!"

In unison, the sisters yelled back, Dove choosing to remain silent. Immediately, the calling stopped, paw pads thumping on ground soon evident despite the chaos.

"Oh, children!" Monnie breathed out, relief practically making the normally tall and proud Ninetales deflate. Her tails were wrapping around them once she arrived, snuggling up as she gave a small kiss on each of their heads. Their disheveled and toasted looks weren't lost on her, bringing out a long sigh. "Pokémon began running into town, screaming about the wisps attacking! I know you're all strong and capable, but a mother still worries..."

However, her concern came back once she took note of the burn on Dove's nose. Gently, but with all the command of a parent, Monnie gestured to him to come closer. Despite wanting to argue, he wasn't blind to her unflinching gaze, inching closer with a submissive sideways glance. The other two backed off slightly, allowing her to carefully examine the blemish. Satisfied it wasn't life threatening, she moved on to the rest of his body until she determined he was more startled and messy than hurt.

"Don't think I'm skipping you two," Monnie huffed, switching to the next closest child. Millie, she learned, was the least affected of the trio, sporting no injuries and little burned fur. Louise, meanwhile, was likely the worst, her paw damaged and body scratched up with tufts missing. The Blonde tried to her best to help them somewhat, passing around water and pouring what was left on the burned spots of her siblings.

"When we get home, I'll make sure you guys are treated," Monnie murmured, ultimately just glad they were alright. With them handled, she stood and looked around their resting spot, evaluating the mayhem that had happened in her absence.

"I thought you said wisps were nice, Ma?" Millie asked, pouting ever so slightly. Monnie turned back around, frowning at the tattered costumes barely hanging onto their forms. They had been so excited to make them...

"Usually, yes... I've never heard of this happening before. This is just as startling to me..." Trailing off, the mother attempted to think on what was happening.

"They were turning red, the wisps," Dove quietly supplied, looking more tired than ever. "Not at first, but right before they attacked."

That seemed to gain both their mother's attention and surprise. "Red? Wisps are never that color, at least that I've heard. And for them to go haywire on top of that? This is serious." Normally, the Vulpix had been very independent as of late, but found themselves settling back into their role of children as Monnie took the reins. "I think this matter is out of my area of expertise." All their ears flattened. "But, I know who might have an idea." The ears perked back up, earning a small chuckle from Monnie. "I just hope they're not too busy..."

-----

"You still don't hit me as the chess type," one little white fox said, moving one of her pieces to another square.

"You know how my parents are! It's one of the only 'acceptable' hobbies I was allowed," an equally tiny blue one spoke, her tone turning mockingly 'proper' as she uttered the word.

Currently, the two were on either side of Tarot's desk, idly passing the time until they were given a mission. A black and white checkered board sat on it between them, currently the object of their focus. Around them, various ghost and psychic pokemon had their own discussions and activities, mostly leaving the duo to themselves. Tarot knew Eva was secretly a prodigy child, but it was still weird given her usual behavior!

"Attention, attention everyone!"

Recognizing Gallade's voice, Tarot backed away from the game to sit back, but not before Eva let out a mischievous giggle and stole one last piece. Stinker. Her face said the sentiment quite well, but instead of upsetting her, Eva merely grinned back and added it to her larger collection of enemy pieces. Satisfied, they both switched their focus to Gallade, as did every other pokemon in the room.

"Some of you may have heard, but there has been an odd development in certain areas as of late. Wisps, which are usually peaceful, have been attacking and terrorizing pokemon when they appear at night." Murmurs immediately broke out, those who hadn't heard shocked to hear such a thing. Wisps were kind spirits, not trouble makers!

"Quiet, quiet please!" Gallade continued, holding up his arms to try and regain order. It worked, only a few needing to be hushed further by their companions. "There have been no reported serious injuries or loss of life, but it has left most pokemon unable to leave their homes at night. Pokemon with water type moves have been working overtime to keep the fires at bay." Clapping his hands, he made a sweeping glance around the room. "As I'm sure you know, this falls under our jurisdiction to handle. Already, we have received numerous jobs requesting we handle them. In light of this, we are pausing all missions with a lower priority, amd each psychic without a resumed job will be given a location reported to have wisps."

Holding up a stack of papers, Gallade indicated that he was already prepared to the group. Approaching them, he slowly passed out sheets one by one, until he reached Eva and Tarot. "Speak to me before you leave," he murmured, pulling away and continuing once Tarot was securely holding the paper.

"Now, some things to keep in mind," Gallade loudly resumed after the last one was handed out, returning to the center of the room. "Touching these wisps has been reported to burn the pokemon, and flammable items to catch fire. If it passes through someone, they will immediately feel very ill. Thus, as little contact as possible is recommended. All of you will be issued cages designed to hold them, as we are currently unsure how to dispatch them, or if purifying is even an option. With all that said, good luck, let me know if you have any questions!"

A few pokemon took off immediately, but most stayed behind to give their job a good look before leaving. Eva and Tarot were part of the latter, Tarot allowing Eva to snuggle up against her so they could look at it together without a funny angle. It made the space tight, the chair only designed for one user, but as pygmies they managed it fine.

"Hmmm, that's nearby at least. Only an hour journey at most," Tarot remarked, cataloging the town. "They have an excellent Halloween festival nearby."

"Ooo, Halloween! How fun. Um, well, except maybe not at the moment...." Eva awkwardly laughed, remembering the situation at hand. "I only get to really dress up during the annual Costume Party my parents do! Most of them are quite boring, though..."

"Ah, Tarot and Evangeline, you're still here!" Gallade called out, glad to see they hadn't ignored his message and taken off.

"It's Eva!!"

Pointedly ignoring her, Gallade gestured to the mission sheet. "With the two of you working together, and you being quite skilled spiritually, I gave you guys one of the highest priority ones. I just hope Her Grace doesn't find out..." Whispering the last part, Eva cocked her head, but no other comments were made. "They have had the most aggressive wisps, and likely even the most in numbers. It's imperative you guys work fast." Looking to Eva, he patted her on the head. "With a water type with you, I'm sure you'll be safer! They seem to hurt fire types somehow with their heat, but they can still be extinguished with water."

"You hear that, Eva? You're my hose," Tarot snickered, earning a playful bop from Eva.

"I'm just happy I can help keep you safe! Even if I am a ho....se."

"Never say that again."

"Anyway!" Gallade interjected, obviously wanting to stop them before they escalated into one of their play arguments. "Everything else should be written on it, per usual. The cage is being delivered to the location, you should receive it soon after you arrive. Be safe!"

Only a mere hour later, they were on the road, Eva and Tarot walking along the path to the town they were indicated. While they didn't travel with too much stuff, most of it was on Eva, the perfect mule due to her boundless energy and impressive strength. Not that she minded, easy and free muscle training!

"We shouldn't spot any wisps for a few hours at least, no one has seen them before dusk," Tarot said, gazing up at the still clear blue sky. Beside her, Eva hummed a little tune, little steps rustling the larger bag on her back.

"It'll feel like a sleepover! We just won't be inside, and we'll be in danger, but it might still be fun!" Eva gushed, her steps gaining a little extra prance.

"You know, I just realized, your parents are gonna kill you," Tarot pointed out, her companion usually home before it gets too late. Not to mention any classes she might miss if they decide to stay in town until the end of the mission...

"Yeah, I know! I'll just tell them it's my holiday vacation I never get." Picking up on the undertone of annoyance at her family, Tarot decided to leave the matter alone. Family drama before work was never a great combo...

As she had predicted, Eva and Tarot arrived to the town with daylight left to spare. All around them was proof of the ongoing carnage, many trees and structures stained black with soot. Water was also very prevalent, puddles dabbled about, but it was understood given its necessity to combat fires. Most of the pokemon seemed stressed and weary, but still out and about given the lack of night.

"We should talk to the locals to get a better understanding of the situation here," Tarot murmured, flicking a glance down to the paper she had pulled out of her own smaller bag. "Apparently, the major report here was from a Pokémon named Monnie. But, it might be difficult to pin them down, so we should probably just talk to whoever around is knowledgeable."

"Fair enough!" Eva chirped, turning towards a nearby Minccino that was actively running a stand. "Excuse me!" she barked, running over and placing her paws on the counter. They turned around as Tarot trotted behind her, aiming a surprised look to the newcomers.

"Oh! I've never seen you here before. What brings you two to our little town?"

"We received a report of wisp attacks, would you happen to have any information on what is going on?" Tarot asked, falling into her professional tendencies.

"Oh! You're here about the wisps, wonderful!" Cinccino spoke, both excited and relieved that help had finally arrived. "If you're looking for an informant, I would recommend Monnie and her family! Most of the townsfolk have been relaying news to them, since Monnie has a lot of respect around here." Tarot felt a sigh building, she said not to focus on the reporter, only for the first pokemon they meet to recommend it! "Her children have been running around and offering assistance to those in need, they could help you!"

"Can we get a description or location, please?" Tarot inquired, not wanting to go on a wild goose chase and waste time.

"Of course! She has two daughters and a son, Millie, Louise, and Dove. Millie and Louise are both shades of yellow Vulpix, both with different colored bows, and Dove is a Chimera! You're unlikely to find anyone else matching those criteria. I think I saw them not too long ago."

"I see, thanks so much!" Eva finished for Tarot, hopping off the counter. "I'll go look for them!" Before Tarot could even finish saying her name, Eva was off, an exasperated Tarot following not so closely behind. She was a psychic, not an athlete!

As always, Eva tackled everything with enthusiasm equal to none. One of these days, Tarot was tempted to have a little cart made so she could just let the spazz take her instead of leaving her in the dust. She would probably enjoy it, too... Tarot was brought from her pondering by a loud thud, looking up to see what on earth happened. Eva, it seemed, hadn't noticed someone turning the corner towards them, the two impacting painfully. Both collapsed to the ground, the other noticeably harder than her friend.

"Owww," they groaned, sluggishly standing with a quick shake of their head.

"I'm sorry!" Eva apologized, using her teeth to grab the bag that had fallen in the collision from the other pokemon. Gently, she dropped it in front of their paws, looking back briefly to confirm her own was intact.

"Told you your running was bound to cause an accident," Tarot sighed, walking up beside them.

"It's alright, I'm sure it was an accident!" they laughed, obviously still favoring their body, but choosing to pretend it didn't. "That was very impressive though, I thought I was hit by a much bigger pokemon at first!"

"We get that a lot," Tarot grumbled, shaking her head at the sheepish looking blue fox. When she turned back, she finally began to catalogue the looks of the pedestrian. Blonde fur, Vulpix, red bow.... "Are you by chance a child of Monnie?"

Mention of the name seemed to quickly gain their attention, obviously familiar with it at least. "Uh, yes? May I ask why?"

"My name is Tarot, and this is my assistant, Eva." Eva eagerly waved once her name was brought up. "We work at a shop called Pandora's Box, we received a request from a Pokémon named Monnie to help with a wisp problem."

Immediately, the other pokemon's eyes lit up, a bright smile joining it. "Oh, you're the psychic Ma hired! I'm so glad you're finally here, it's been crazy! My name is Millie, I can take you to our home."

With her being a local, the walk to her house was much quicker than the previous trek they'd made. Only a few minutes later and they were arriving, a quaint little cottage settled into the side of a hill. As the Minccino had said, the mother was quite a bit more help on the ongoing issue, pokemon from nearby relaying information to both her and her children. Millie, seemingly the only child home at the moment, eagerly played the part of host as they spoke, offering tea and snacks to the pair. The eagerness with which Eva ate seemed to be surprise her, but she merely laughed lightheartedly and brought more.

Near the end of the discussion, another young fox appeared, loudly declaring her entry to who she thought was just her family. When she turned the corner and saw the psychic and her assistant looking at her, she jumped ever so slightly, but nothing else of note. Like her sister, Louise, as she'd introduced herself, was immensely glad they had arrived.

"Well, I think that about answers what we needed to know," Tarot spoke, taking a sip of the still steaming tea she had been given. With a glance out the window, she saw the slow shading of orange and purple in the sky, signaling the approach of dusk. "We should be able to begin tonight, once the wisps arrive."

"But, we don't have a cage yet to catch them!" Eva pointed out, warning a frown from her friend.

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door, Louise jumping off the furniture to answer it before anyone else could. Moments after hearing the door open and new voices, she peeked her head around the corner into the room everyone was gathered in. "They're saying they're here with the cage delivery!"

"Are you sure you're not a psychic, Eva?" Tarot playfully poked, leaving Eva to stare at her paws in wonder as she went to investigate. Soon enough she followed as well, even Millie and Monnie coming along.

Once the deliverers confirmed it was safely given to Eva and Tarot, they were urged to leave the area as quickly as possible. They seemed to have at least been briefed on the situation, already knowing the path home was dangerous. Whether it was for the money or to help others, who knew why they took the risk.

Given it was designed to keep spiritual beings secure, not physical, it definitely looked odd for a cage. Only a few bars spanned the length of it, a spell tag securely stuck to the door of the cage.

"It's more about what you can't see," Tarot supplied towards the confused family of Vulpix. "They can fade through regular material, the tag adds a shield you can't see and locks them in." Not at all very familiar with how these things worked, the answer was readily accepted.

"Where will you two stay during your job here?" Monnie asked before they could leave, realizing that topic had never been brought up.

"Uhhh...." Eva and Tarot side eyed each other, neither sure on the answer. Not too many jobs took them out of range of their homes, and when they did they were given accommodations until they returned. This time, there didn't seem to be many options due to the panic. "We'll find something!"

"If you two have nothing lined up, I insist you stay here!" Monnie pushed, some of her maternal instincts seeming to phase to the surface. "Our home isn't the biggest, but we can comfortably fit you while you're here."

Tarot wanted to argue, these were her clients, but she could sense the strong determination from here. "... If you insist," she sighed out, glad that they didn't seem overbearing at least. "Dusk is just about here, so we should be going now."

"Wait!" Millie called before they could even reach the cage to take with them. "You don't know this area like we do. Let us help you, it'll be faster and safer!"

"Yeah, me too! I'm not gonna just sit around letting you guys do all the work!" Louise interjected herself, refusing to stand by helplessly.

"You really are a very helpful family, aren't you..." Tarot said, struggling not to groan out. Eva shrugged beside her, a smile plastered on her face.

"You know we'd totally do the same thing," Eva quietly giggled, beginning to mess with the rope attached to the cage.

"Don't encourage them."

Millie and Louise seemed confused when Eva took on pulling the cage by herself, Tarot looping the rope securely around her body before tying it off. She was even smaller than them, how could she handle something over twice her size? However, when Eva took off, barely even sweating and running about with ease, they shut up. This would just be another mystery they'd add to the list.

Thankfully, the first night went off uneventfully. Pulling out blank charms, Tarot would meticulously add lines no one could understand, crafting a tag for this specific purpose. Afterwards, she secured them to old fashion butterfly nets, repurposed for wisp catching.

"Are you sure this will work? Seems kinda...flimsy," Louise said, doubtful as she examined the net.

"It's like the cage, more than meets the eye."

Using the sisters' knowledge, they were able to track down the prime spots they occupied. Due to the attacks, nearly all pokemon were locked away in their homes once dusk struck, fearing they would be the next victims. It made their jobs a lot easier, only really having to worry about the locations of the wisps. With four pokemon working, the first night alone they were able to reel in enough to leave a noticeable dent in the population. Their biggest hurdle was the exhaustion, all of them diurnal pokemon forced to work throughout the night. By dawn, there was disappointment there was more to go still, but ultimately excitement for a nice warm bed.

With Millie being the more organizational of the sisters, her room was chosen to house the psychic and assistant during their stay. Until their job was done, she'd room with Louise, not that they cared too much. As littermates, they had grown up together from square one, sharing a bedroom wasn't a big deal. Once the wisp cage was hidden underneath a thick cloth to protect them from getting disturbed by the sun, everyone was out. No one awoke until the evening, which was probably better until the wisps were fully handled.

Tarot and Eva were finally able to meet the third child that next day, the Chimera vulpix named Dove. It seemed he wasn't a biological child, merely adopted, and he preferred to live in the forest. A bit odd to Tarot, but who was she to judge? She lived in a cabin and was friends with a feral noble. Once he learned who they were, he was just as eager to help as the others had been. While she was dreading having another to keep an eye on, at least she'd have another hand to help with catching.

As to be expected, the second night was even more fruitful. They experienced their first fire, but Eva was quick to extinguish it with a jet of water. Normally, it was her dark typing that helped Tarot on the job, who would have thought the water would be useful too? During all this, conversations rang back and forth between the parties, relationships that weren't quite professional in nature forming. Eva and Louise got along famously, both wilder and enjoying a good romp, but Tarot and Millie also found themselves forming a comradery.

Through it all, Tarot found herself questioning time and time again what exactly was going on. As Monnie pointed out, red was an unheard of color for wisps, and so was the aggression they showed. There was no archived history of anything like this having happened before. While she did briefly attempt to study one of them, there was far too many to deal with to focus on accurate examinations. After catching them all, it would likely be safer to bring them back to the shop with her and deal with it as a unit. Despite knowing it was likely they would find a solution, she couldn't help the odd feeling in her chest about the whole thing...

It took nearly a weak, but finally the flow of wisp sightings came to a complete halt, and they weren't able to find any after hours of searching. Cheers rang out once the locals were informed, glad to finally have their nights safe from terror. Preparations for a redo of trick or treat night began, what with the last one being an utter disaster. However, despite the siblings' excitement, they found themselves just as disappointed to wish the pair goodbye.

"Thank you for the help! You should totally come trick or treating with us when it's ready!" Millie gushed, watching Eva and Tarot fix up and situate their bags. Just like how they received it, the cage was promptly collected by the same ones who dropped it off the day before. Eva and Tarot had needed a bit more rest, given how chaotic their nights had been since they started this job.

"If our schedule is open, we'll just have to see," Tarot spoke, despite knowing in her head they likely would. Given Eva's strong desire to experience it for the first time, she knew saying no would just result in her attempting ways to convince her. When Eva wanted something, she was tenacious.

"You better! We'll send a letter with the time, and if you guys aren't there we'll storm your shop!" Louise promised.

"I'll wait for it!" Eva yipped, at last prepared to head home after the long week.

Waves and shouts were thrown, the family watching the pair slowly fade into the distance. Just like the other friends they'd made along the way, they would reunite again, for sure!

-----

"Darn, our fun is spoiled," a voice groused, watching the family wave from the trees. The Ninetales lifted their paw, playing with a red wisp as it traveled across their appendage. When it reached their palm again, they squeezed, opening it to reveal the tail end of an extinguished flame.

"We'll just have to send out more," another voice giggled, yet oddly coming from the same pokemon as before.

"Fair enough," the original answered, looking off into the distance as if they could spot something out of reach. "We'll just have to remain vigilant.... We both know it's that time of year."

"We've worked hard for this, I won't let anyone spoil our dream."

-----

In another place, a small Poochyena eagerly chased a wisp, drifting farther away from his friends. It seemed eager to allude him, bobbing here and there as it drifted through trees. However, his attention was quickly stolen as he realized it had wandered them over to a small clearing in the forest. His eyes sparkled, never knowing this existed, roving all over before settling on a statue.

'Beware' was all it wrote, a stone Ninetales settled on the pedestal. Beside it, a strange twisted path made of trees, the center a dark abyss. An odd feeling of unease began to grow inside him, nearly choking him, before the distant calling of his friends dragged him out. With one last glance at the statue and path, he turned back around, disappearing into the trees.