Ondun raised an eyebrow at Dr. Wusiji. The strange human asked him to pick between fire, water, and plants in regards to a first partner monster, with no further context. To Ondun, plants could suggest some kind of healing magicks, or perhaps a monster with an affinity for elemental Earth. Ondun rubbed the scales on his chin and decided to just voice the question. "Fire and water seem pretty obvious; many mages I know use those elements in spells. Plants, though, are odd. Do you refer to some kind of life magic, or elemental earth?"

  Dr. Wusiji didn't react how Ondun expected. Had it been Aenora, she would have just sighed and given a short and to-the-point lesson on the basic elements of magic: positive earth, water, and wind; negative fire, ice, and lightning. Dr. Wusiji, however, was not Aenora.

  "That's right, you're not from around here...let me pull out...the table," said the scientist with a wide grin. He began rummaging in a desk drawer, which led Ondun to assume this was not a piece of furniture.

  What came out was a grid with the same words repeated on the x- and y-axes. There were red dashes and green crosses on certain cells. "This, my boy, is the known chart of type effectivenesses. As you can see, there are a few types of monsters, and thus abilities, that can be used: Fire, Earth, Lightning, Wind, Plant, Water, Ice, Psychic, Dragon, Light, Dark, and Metal. It's possible other types exist, but if so, we haven't discovered them yet."

  He pointed to one of the green crosses. "Certain types are strong to others. For instance, if you use a Fire move on a Plant, Ice, or Metal mon, it will typically be a little bit more effective." He moved his index finger to a red dash. "On the other hand, types can be resisted. Using Fire moves against a Water, Earth, or Light mon will see the move being a bit less effective." He gestured to two cells, the one for Ice vs. Fire and Fire vs. Ice. "It is possible for the relationship to be asymmetrical, as here in Ice and Fire's relationship. Fire can melt ice, but introducing ice to fire can weaken the fire."

  Ondun was by no means a stupid man, but the sheer complexity of an 11x11 type grid—including the possibility of unexplored types—began to overwhelm him. However, a question occurred. "I wonder...how does the polarity of each type apply?"

  The strange scientist's expression went blank. "My pardon?'

  Ondun reached up and shifted to the Shinobi discipline. He then formed the hand signs to create a Wind jutsu. "Where I'm from, the magical arts, whatever their origin, are all tied to anima, an energy that permeates all things. This jutsu I just used is wind-elemental, and wind is known to be a positive-aligned expression of manifested anima."

  It felt very strange to be giving the sorts of explanations Aenora would normally give, but the scientist was nodding along.

  Ondun then formed the seals for a Lightning jutsu. "Lightning is often considered the negative expression of the same general idea as wind. Typically when a wind spell and a lightning spell collide..." he shot the electric jutsu into the static wind field. He had intentionally not channeled much anima into either spell, but the effects were still dramatic: There was a loud crack as the anima collided and detonated, scattering papers and a few light objects through the lab.

  Ondun pointed. "The two tend to destructively interfere in what my colleague Aenora calls 'anima annihilation.' What's more likely is the anima just gets transformed into a neutral expression and scattered, but polarity does matter in spellwork...as you just saw."

  Dr. Wusiji picked himself up, and to Ondun's lessening surprise, put his massive glasses back on with the widest grin. "OH. MY. OLYMPUS. My boy, you're a genius, A GENIUS I SAY!!!" He immediately went and picked up a displaced notepad and began paging through it. "Yes, that oaf from Kahunaloa has mentioned cases of some moves explosively colliding in certain, isolated cases. Hmm, hmm! I can't wait to show that dandy proof of this phenomenon, though I have to say, I don't much care for the idea of 'magic.' That implies a miraculous force. No, no, this 'anima' you speak of, that's an idea, a very, very interesting idea!" The scientist nodded. "I will have to devise some experiments for this...but that's for another time, alas."

  He turned his attention back to Ondun. "I will have to experiment on...erm, with you at some point. Wait, what were we talking about?"

  Ondun had an eyebrow raised all the way to his forehead at this point. "I...um...was supposed to get a first partner monster?"

  Dr. Wusiji clapped his hands together. "Yes! I look forward to making extensive scans of you and that odd power you used to change clothes." Without any further explanation of that ominous statement, the scientist walked towards a different room. Ondun, after a moment of hesitation, followed, though he continued embodying the Shinobi arts, in case things got weird and the man pulled out a syringe or something.

  Dr. Wusiji unlocked the room, which had a massive device in the center that looked vaguely Allemandian, somehow. Slotted into perfectly capsule-shaped slots were three all-red capture capsules. The odd doctor picked up all three and pressed the release button on them, causing three small monsters to materialize in a flash of energy.

  "First, a favorite of most young boys is the Fire Squirrel, Flamarmot. This line 'evolves'—which' is to say, metamorphoses—into a powerful fighter with ceramic claws, though a variant has been sighted with steel claws. For a new adventurer, they can be good partners, though you should probably take care to take precautions against starting unintended wildfires."

  "Flamarmot!" It squeaked, striking a cute pose as it did so. Ondun nodded at the creature. "Good to meet you."

  "Next, a favorite in general: Aquepup. Everyone loves a puppy, and this puppy has a surprise up its sleeve—it's a speed demon that can call upon water. It also metamorphoses as it grows and gains the power to smite foes with a powerful blade of light."

  Ondun knelt. "Hey there," he greeted. "Aquepup!" it barked, proudly. Ondun found he liked the little monster puppy.

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  "Last but not least," Dr. Wusiji gestured to a nymph-like creature that had a thick bed of moss growing on its shell. "This here is a Yezimoss. These insect-like monsters tend to live in forests, eat dirt, and photosynthesize basic sugars for sustenance. These monsters metamorphose differently than these more animal-like species, though: As they endure molting cycles, they grow and change. The final form is known as a Yeziblade, who cleaves enemies with twin ceramic blades."

  Ondun took a step back and gave the small creature a respectful nod. "I've fought a rather huge monster that growled that word, 'Yeziblade.' This is their young form? Huh. Good to know it...and good to meet you."

  "Yezimoss!" it squeaked loudly, pleased at the display of respect.

  Dr. Wusiji stepped back. "So, lad. Here's your first lesson on being a monster coach: Mons respect strength, but to have a Mon safely join your team, you need to secure its loyalty. Sure, you can beat a Mon into submission, and some coaches do just that...but it never ends well. Mons tend to be at least as strong as a human at peak development...well, by the standards of our world at least. This also includes mental faculties. If you want a Mon to join you, their agreement is crucial."

  The man raced up to Ondun. "Never, ever, think of a Mon as a pet. If you're lucky, you'll suffer a quick death." Ondun nodded. "Peace, Dr. Wusiji. Where I'm from, we learn very early on that all monsters deserve only the highest respect. The difference is, most monsters are bloodthirsty beyond reason. These..."

  Ondun gestured to the three young mons he had been shown. The Flammarmot had rolled over and was showing their belly while being very, very cute. The Aquepup was giving the two humans puppy eyes and wagging its tail. The Yezimoss was doing a little dance in a circle.

  "...These are most clearly not like the monsters where I'm from."

  Dr. Wusiji nodded sagely. "Yes, well, these three were bred by human breeders in a controlled environment. Since the day they hatched, they've seen humans, and their parents were all tamed by powerful trainers. These particular breeds are rare here in Kongming Province but are more common elsewhere in the world. However, that is not to say they can't be dangerous."

  Ondun nodded and knelt. "So...I'm Ondun. I've been an adventurer for the last two years. I'd like one of you to come with me. Who wants to come?" All three monsters perked up, walked forward, and sniffed his outstretched kote gauntlet...and promptly yelped or squeaked, then ran to the far end of the room. Ondun turned to Dr. Wusiji. "Excuse me, Doctor...is that normal?"

  The doctor already had a massive syringe out. "It is not... I wonder, dragon-man, why do they fear you so?"

  Now Ondun was backing off. "Hey, hold on. Put down the syringe. I'm sure it's just...well...the blood scent..." He looked down at the coat. "My hands aren't exactly clean, you know. I've been fighting monsters and humans for a while now. Your child monsters here...they probably haven't smelled anything like that before. And...I can't blame them for pulling away."

  Ondun gave the Mons a nod, who were no longer trembling in fear but watching curiously. He stepped away from the doctor, who was debating taking blood samples or entertaining an emotional response, and sat down in a metal chair on the opposite end of the room from the monsters.

  "I wouldn't mind learning to be a monster coach, like Guardian Alice... I merely wonder if someone like me is fit to befriend creatures like them. They are mere children, even if they are monsters. Perhaps a younger trainer would be better for them." Ondun said seriously, deflating a little as he said it. The truth was that Ondun was looking forward to a monster being on his side for once.

  Dr. Wusiji looked between the two sides of the room. "BAH. Such recriminations from someone with so rich a life experience?" He let out a loud, cackling laugh. "This is EXACTLY why one of these mons should join you! This is a chance to confront an unknown. 'Can a man who is a slayer of monsters become a great ally to them?'" He nodded. "The reaction to the blood scent is a new and interesting observation. It's not exactly possible to ethically reproduce it, granted, but this opens up a number of other questions about the nature of human-mon relations. I wonder if Alice, with her archaeological background..." he shrugged. "Not important."

  As Dr. Wusiji had been mulling over his observations, the Aquepup had walked up to Ondun and nudged his leg. "Aque...Aquepup?" it barked quietly, then sat and wagged its tail. Ondun interpreted this as a question: "Are you going to hunt us?" Ondun looked down, some tears in his eyes. "No, little one. I will not hunt you."

  The Aquepup leapt into his lap and gave him some licks. "Aquepup! Aque-aquepup!" One look into the tiny monster's eyes sealed the deal.

  "Dr. Wusiji, I think the Aquepup here will be a fine ally...no, a fine friend."

  The Flamarmot and Yezimoss just looked at each other and made motions kind of like a shrug. Then they ran forward and, at Ondun's foot, cheered for their friend, making sure to give Ondun some nuzzles, just in case he had a notion of changing his mind.

  When the nuzzling and petting and cheering was over, Dr. Wusiji had been feverishly scribbling theories and ideas on his trusty notepad. Ondun returned the group to a more pressing concern.

  "So...Guardian Alice has sponsored me to learn to be a monster coach, on the condition that I help out with local issues. I believe there's paperwork and equipment that needs to be procured." he asked.

  Dr. Wusiji finished writing his final ideas down. "Yes, quite. For right now..." Dr. Wusiji pulled out a rectangular device that looked a bit like an Allemandian Bookdrive, only without the signature glowing lines and with a massive screen that had a UI that looked a bit more user-friendly than anything Ondun had seen in Allemandian ruins.

  "For right now, I've paid for a room for you for the night. I'll write down the directions; the person you're going to have a room with is Mrs. Li. Her son went on a monster coaching journey some time ago, so she rents out the spare room as a bit of side income. She's also a good cook." His tone became serious. "Don't mess with her, or my Mons will end you."

  Ondun just nodded and chose not to inquire about the possible relationship between Dr. Wusiji and Mrs. Li, not that it had been on the table to start with. He also suppressed the obvious surname relation with Captain Li of the city he had previously been in, before Alice happened.

  "Anyways, I'll take a moment and get your sponsorship already started. It'll be a standard sponsorship, the same as what we give 16-year-olds who start on their coaching journeys. As part of my sponsorship, I will have research tasks for you. Given your prior experience, they may be more perilous than usual, but I have faith in your skills. It will also be a good learning experience for Aquepup and any future allies you're able to recruit."

  With sudden speed, Dr. Wusiji grabbed Ondun's arm and sped him to the door so quickly, Ondun suspected the man might be a nascent Time Mage. "Anyways, I have research to conduct, mysteries to probe, and boring government paperwork to submit. Also a cellphone to buy you. So go book your room. BYE!"

  With that, Ondun was somehow outside; the door had closed quietly, but quickly, and there was a piece of paper in his hands that was a well-drawn map from the lab to Mrs. Li's house.

  Ondun shook his head, and his entire encounter with Alice made a lot more sense. After dealing with a man like Dr. Wusiji, he reasoned, a Draconian adventurer who randomly appeared and nearly beat a Yeziblade in a duel was probably only a 5 of 10 on her weirdness meter.

  Trying not to think of what a 10 of 10 on Alice's weirdness meter looked like, Ondun began following the path to Mrs. Li's house and ignoring the stares of children and adults alike who had never seen a Draconian before in their lives.