Let me tell you a story.

First of all, you might be wondering who I am. I'm but a humble narrator that wants to tell a story that took place twenty-one years ago. My identity is of no relevance whatsoever to this tale, for I'm not the protagonist, or even an important character at all. I'm but a background noise in this wonderful sonata of life, adventure, emotion, love-

Well, okay, okay, maybe I'm exaggerating all this a tiny little bit, but isn't that the job of a good troubadour after all? Livening up stories, making them seem more exciting and breathtaking?

This is a story about eight pokémon. Eight eeveelutions, as many call them. Eight individuals whose paths become inevitably intertwined by the whimsical ties of fate that-

Mmh, I think it'd be better if I just started with the story already, wouldn't you say? How about we begin with something not too demanding, like an introduction?

Let us thus begin our tale.

"Seven."

"Mmh? Seven?"

"Why, yes, seven."

An Umbreon advanced as if dragging his feet, slow, showing a facial expression that could only be interpreted as boredom. He fired quick glances in random directions, as if desperately trying to find anything even remotely interesting to distract himself. His gaze eventually rested on the crystal walls of the tunnel they were traveling through. While they were transparent, the sight behind them was too monotonous to catch his attention.

Sand. Uncountable particles of sand whirling in the wind, forming what one would call a sandstorm. This vision might have enticed him when he was little, but living in the middle of a desert had desensitized him to pretty much anything that had to do with sand.

He looked at the Espeon by his side, which was walking faster only by a bit. While he didn't look as bored as the Umbreon, he wasn't exactly radiating joyousness either. The black canine thought having a little chat could help them kill time.

"Seven, uh? What about it?"

"No other number represents harmony with such an unquestionable degree of perfection," the Espeon stated in a quiet but proud voice.

"Harmony…" the Umbreon repeated absentmindedly. Unlike the Espeon, he didn't show much interest in the topic of conversation. All he wanted was to occupy his mind with something, anything, until they reached their destination. "Oh, sure. I've heard some folks say that number seven brings good luck. Is that what you mean?"

The Espeon had a feeble laugh. "Skoll, surely you don't believe those outdated superstitions, do you? As a concept, luck doesn't exist."

"Whatever you say, Lumis." The Umbreon nodded his head at his partner, not wishing to have an argument with him. "Then what's so special about that number?"

"For starters, seven is a prime number. It's only divisible by one and itself."

"So?"

"You can't form groups when you have seven members."

"And… that's a good thing, somehow?" Skoll wondered. He wasn't paying much attention. "Groups are suddenly the root of all evils in the world, that's a thing now. You should've warned me, put up a sticky note or something."

Lumis snickered. "Mh, it's not that they're bad per se, but they're the cause of all conflicts."

"Hey, I know big groups ain't your thing, but you're kinda blowing this outta proportion, pal."

"Think about it like this: when there's only one individual there's no possible conflict. You cannot argue with yourself and you can assume control of all resources, since no one will complain."

Skoll shrugged, staring at the crystal walls with a mix of disinterest and fatigue. "Last time I checked there was more than one creature living in this world, so that's kind of a moot point."

"Precisely. There are multiple individuals with different needs and desires, so it's impossible to pretend to join them all under one banner. However, many of those creatures will share similar objectives, so they can at least associate among themselves."

"Like the Azure Nightingale?" Skoll said, even if only to shut him up for a short while.

"Indeed, our node is a prime example of what I'm explaining," Lumis said with a wide smile, happy that his friend was either paying attention or at least considerate enough to appear to be. "Since we all have similar goals we can join up together."

"But there are other nodes…"

"And therein lies the problem," Lumis said, his expression turning sour. "Other nodes will have different objectives from ours and since resources are limited… well, that's a recipe for conflict if I've ever seen one."

"Especially in the middle of the desert," Skoll noted. He couldn't be said to be terribly interested in the topic of conversation, but hey, it helped pass time. "By the way, how did we jump from talking about number seven to the nodes?"

"How many nodes are there?"

"Uh, sev-Oh, damn." Skoll looked perplexed, much to Lumis' amusement. "Wait, so that's all it's about? Number seven is special only because it coincides with the number of nodes? Dude, I was half expecting you to summon Arceus here to speak about the awesomeness that is number seven."

"It's the other way around, actually. There are seven nodes because seven is a special number," Lumis explained. Skoll seemed to be showing interest in the matter, which the Espeon didn't mind in the slightest. It was unusual for his ebony friend to show any enthusiasm at all towards his inferences, and the psychic cat had no intention of complaining. "Why don't we start with the basics? The most basic case would be the one with only two bands."

"Like good versus evil?" Skoll asked, receiving a weak nod from the feline. "Ha! But the bad guys always lose!"

"But in real life who are the… 'bad guys', as you inventively call them?" Lumis question made the Umbreon raise an eyebrow. "Remember, everyone is just trying to survive. There are no angels or devils in this world, just different creatures with different ideals, most of which are actually acceptable. Can you really say your way of seeing life is better or worse than anyone else's?"

"But… uh…" Skoll arched his eyebrows, trying to make sense of his words. "What point are you trying to make, pal?"

Lumis was too drowned in his own theories to even hear him. "Three is not much different. Two sides could easily gang up on the third one, and once this third party is eliminated we'd be back to having two warring groups like before." Skoll was starting to tune his words out, but that didn't deter Lumis from going on speaking. "Partitions such as four, six or eight are notably dangerous, since the groups can easily create coalitions and alliances between themselves. Four nodes could be divided into two groups of two, six nodes into either three groups of two or two groups of three, and don't even get me started on an eight nodes arrangement! If two opposing sides can cause harm, the effect only magnifies for additional sides."

Skoll was no longer paying attention to what his friend was saying, treating it as some sort of background noise. "I see, I see."

While it was obvious Skoll was no longer listening to him, Lumis kept on talking all the same. "The solution lies in prime numbers, since they can't be divided. I guess five or eleven would be acceptable but they would be, in my personal opinion, too few or too many nodes respectively. Seven seems like a much more appropriate middle. Of course, this is just my opinion. What is your view on the matter?"

Skoll noticed he was being asked a question due to the inquisitive tone his friend had suddenly adopted. "Ah… Yes, of course."

Lumis sighed, looking down. "I'm boring you, right?"

"Nah…" Skoll wasn't lying, technically. Lumis couldn't bore him if he wasn't listening. "I mean, it's true that sometimes you kinda tend to… you know, go on and on and on about the same thing..."

"My mistake, sorry." Lumis lowered his head, subconsciously slowing down his pace a bit.

"Aw, c'mon pal, it's not that bad," Skoll reassured him. "Really, it's not like you're boring, I just don't know much stuff outside of battling. Kicking, biting and maybe entertaining the ladies, that's all I'm good for."

"No, it's alright. I'm the one that's a researcher, so this is to be expected of me. You're a defender, your strong point is supposed to be fighting."

"At any rate, it seems like we're almost at our destination now," Skoll said in cheery voice, raising his head to get a better view of what was in front of him. Effectively, the crystal tunnel was reaching its end, culminating in some sort of colossal crystal dome of a soft green hue ahead of them.

"Okay, I'm gonna launch my attack!" shouted a Leafeon, staring at a Scizor in front of her with a mix of anticipation and mischievousness in her eyes.

The steel-armored insect chuckled. "Hint: don't tell an enemy you're going to attack for better effect!"

The Leafeon stuck her tongue out at the bug playfully, unable to hide an impish grin. "Duh, I know! But this is just practice!"

"Well, bring it!" defied the Scizor, clasping his metallic claws together and adopting a defensive pose.

Without wasting a second, the Leafeon unleashed a flurry of sharp leaves towards the Scizor. That was a Razor Leaf, he could tell with ease. Perks of being a veteran fighter. While he was fast enough to avoid it, he decided it just wasn't worth it. The combination of both of his types made him impervious to attacks of the grass-type, so why bother?

The leaves clashed against his claws and armor but left not a single scar, slowly falling to the floor right afterwards. This forced an equal parts disappointed and bewildered moan from the Leafeon. "Hey, c'mon, Higure! If I had a steel armor I'd be invincible too!"

The Scizor had a knowing grin. "But you don't, Ivy. That's why we're training."

She turned her head sideways, groaning. "Bah… You know I'm strong enough already! Dad is a worrywart, that's all."

Higure brought one of his claws behind his head, in an attempt to scratch it. "Well, okay, he worries about you two. Nothing wrong with that."

"But he doesn't have to worry that much," she further complained. "I think I'm strong enough to manage in my own and even protect Saf if needed."

A sigh escaped the Scizor's mouth. "You are somewhat strong, I'll give you that. But you shouldn't let that confidence cloud your judgment."

Ivy lay down on the ground beneath her, making the Scizor wonder whether she was tired or just lazy. "I don't even know why we bother. It's not like anything ever happens, and even if it did we'd still have you and your guys to protect us."

"It pays to be well prepared," Higure said in a wise-sounding voice. "As a daughter of our node's leader, you must not forget your responsab-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." She let a yawn escape her maw. So it was lazy after all. "I think we should stop the training for today."

Higure crossed his arms, chuckling. "Tired already?"

"A bit." Ivy rose up on all fours and stretched out all she could, as if she had just woken up. As much as she tried to hide it, the fact that she was quite tired was evident to anyone with eyes. "I think I'm gonna see Saf."

"Safira, uh?" Higure couldn't help but draw a grin. Ah, fraternal love. What a wonderful thing. "She must be in the library at this hour, right?"

"And at any other hour of the waking day," Ivy said while holding back a laugh. Although she was exaggerating, it was truth that her sister spent way too much time for her tastes in that library. She simply couldn't comprehend how she could stay in front of a book for so long without getting bored. "Well, I'm going. Bye, Higure!"

As she left the room, Higure waved a claw at her. "Bye, Ivy. Tell Safira I said hi. Oh, and take care!"

"Will do!"

She suppressed a sigh as best as she could. 'And take care'. His words resonated within her mind. Yeah, because there are so many dangers in the short path to the library. Maybe I'll trip on a Dwebble and dirty my fur, woe me! She smirked at her own mental commentary, but she couldn't help but feel annoyed, if only a little. Her father worried too much, she thought.

Wait, at this point you might be wondering how is it that I seem to know what these characters are thinking. I will simply say that I'm the kind of pokémon who can… inquire into the minds of others. And with this unrelated fact out of the way, let's resume our tale.

As the Leafeon made her way to the library, not showing any hurry, she stared upwards in an attempt to distract herself. She was under an all-encompassing cupola built with some sort of greenish crystal. At the other side of the cupola stood an immense desert that extended as far as her eyes could see. The crystalline material that composed the barrier was translucent enough to let one see the desert behind it, but also thick enough to prevent the raging sandstorm from crashing inside.

She sighed, bored. The same everyday sight. Nothing worth mentioning.

Not after long, she reached a massive building in the interior of the crystal dome. That wasn't necessarily unusual, there were many buildings of different sizes constructed inside the dome, but this one in particular almost doubled every other one in size. A hanging cartel that read 'Beryl Calandra Library' made it easy to identify what kind of building this was. Before firing a last glance at the green crystal walls of the dome above her, she entered inside.

The Leafeon waltzed through the corridors of the library with swift steps, directing casual glances at the many varied pokémon reading books she could see anywhere around her. As usual, the economics section was the most crowded one, but she knew that was a standard in her node. After a short trek, she found the blue-furred Glaceon she called sister.

"Hey, Saf!" Ivy shouted in a somewhat inappropriate tone for a library, which got her a few angry glares.

"S-Sis…" Safira responded in a far quieter, if startled, voice. She put down the book she was reading in the table before her, before turning again to her sister. "Are you back from your training with Mr. Higure?"

Before answering, Ivy checked the title of the book her sister was reading. Physicochemical proprieties and characteristics of Adamantium. How cute and appropriate for a girl her age.

"I was a lil' bit tired, so I decided to end the training early. Then I decided to come and check on you." She took a few steps forward, sitting beside her younger relative. "Oh, what are you reading? What is this about exactly?"

"U-Um…" A weak blush adorned her cheeks as she stared at the book in front of her. "I-It's just… you know, about Adamantium…" She giggled nervously while closing the book. "I guess it's a little bit silly…"

Ivy shot her a bewildered look. "What? No, why?"

"Well, it's, um…" The Glaceon stood silent for a few seconds before shrugging. "I mean, as one of the daughters of the leader of the Beryl Calandra, I guess I should be learning more about… mercantile topics. This kind of information is kinda useless to me, a waste of time…"

"Don't say that!" Ivy said in a reprimanding tone, but keeping her voice low. "You like those weird sciencey thingies, don't you?" She waited for her sister's response, but the Glaceon only nodded. Meh, that will have to do. "Then it's not a waste of time. Plus, if we wanna be good merchants, we should at least know what we're selling, right?"

Ivy nudged her sibling, which she seemed to appreciate. "I-I guess."

After a little chat, they decided to leave the library and come back to the place they called home. They continued talking about a variety of inconsequential everyday topics through the way.

"Look, Master!" a Sylveon shouted, her tone enthusiastic. Or rather, elated. Or perhaps exuberant. She was running at a frantic speed, with a big smile plastered all over her face.

"W-Wait for me…" After her dragged a Galvantula, that moved at a lower speed in spite of having a higher number of legs. Not too surprising though, given he was much older.

"It's a Seedot! Holy Articuno, it's a real Seedot!" She promptly positioned herself in front of the now quivering Seedot in question and proceeded to feel it with her ribbon-like appendages, as if she were scouting an item for defects. "Omigosh, I've never seen a real Seedot before! It looks just like in my books, it's like an acorn with feet! Awww, and it looks very happy to see me too, Master!"

"Actually, I would argue that's a face of fear, Kizuna," the Galvantula said as he approached them, noticing the Seedot sending him glances that seemed to say 'Please help me!'.

"Wha-Why? Don't be scared, little guy! There's nothing to fear from big sis!" the Sylveon said in an attempt to reassure the Seedot. It may have worked if it weren't because she had lowered her head excessively close to the Seedot's, her face been mere inches away. To add insult to injury, her feelers were progressively wrapping around the acorn pokémon. "You're soooo glossy! I've read that this happens to your species when they ingest too much water! Is it true?"

The Seedot only managed to mumble an incomprehensible sound. Its face was so red that anyone would have thought it was a shiny specimen. It looked to the Galvantula with pleading eyes, as if begging him to make her stop. The spider sighed in exasperation.

"Oh, I've also read that you guys polish your bodies with leaves once a day! Have you done that today yet? And if not, can I see how you polish your body, pretty please?"

"Kizuna, enough!" the electric tarantula said in a firm, stern tone. The Seedot took the opportunity to flee at a velocity that far exceeded that of any acorn.

"Whoa, how can it run so fast with only a base speed of 30?" Kizuna gaped at the escaping Seedot before turning her face back to the Galvantula with an angry stare. "And what was that for, anyway? That's not fair, Master Tesla! I was here having some laughs with my new friend and you scared it away!"

"Kizuna, for the love of… That poor Seedot was terrified!"

"Was not!"

"Ugh…" Tesla shook his head side to side in what seemed to be a mixture of disappointment and irritation, although it was hard to tell on a bug. "Kizuna, you really need to learn some basic social rules. You can't get so close to someone you just met!"

Stubborn, the Sylveon shook her head. "I wasn't close."

"Your faces were inches apart."

"Yes, but our faces weren't in contact, so that doesn't count as close!" Her complaint only made the spider heave a deep sigh. "Plus, if I don't get close, which I totally didn't by the way, then I can't properly use my ribbons to feel my new friends!"

"That's the other thing…" Tesla gave her an angry glare. It would normally be difficult to tell due to his arachnoid compound eyes, but Kizuna had seen that expression enough times to identify it without trouble. "You can't just go around wrapping other pokémon with your bows!"

"Y-You're telling me not to use my bows?!" The Sylveon gasped in an exaggerated manner. "B-But they're my eyes and my ears and my everything!"

Tesla sighed once again. "Look, I understand that you're excited that you can finally… come to this place. But you still have to respect some basic rules that make the foundation of society as a whole and…" He stopped as soon as he noticed that the Sylveon he was addressing was happily looking through a crystal wall and not paying him any attention.

"Master, look! So much sand! It's everywhere!"

"Well, as you already know, the Heptagonal Ring is in the middle of a desert…" Tesla slowly approached her, sounding tired and a bit upset. "I'm starting to wonder if coming here so soon was a good idea. Since you were my greatest pupil in ages I thought you would be ready, but your manners are seriously making me rethink this… Perhaps we should return to the Observatory for now, and come back here after you've received more lessons."

"Wha-? Nononononono!" Kizuna shook her head violently, to the point of hurting her own neck a little bit in the process. "We just left, we can't return so soon! I still haven't even met any male eev-!" She caught herself, promptly shutting her mouth.

Alas, it was too late. The Galvantula frowned, and the Sylveon knew she had committed a grave mistake. "Kizuna, Kizuna, Kizuna… Please, please, tell me that the reason you wanted to come here wasn't only to find yourself a mate."

"Well, of course it wasn't the only reason." She stood pensive for a second. "Let me rephrase that. That wasn't the reason at all. Honest to Arce-no, honest to Shaymin. Shaymin's cuter."

She remained silent under the scrutinizing gaze of her master, trying to look as innocent as possible. In spite of all the frilly bows and pink tones on her, it was proving to be notoriously difficult.

"I guess you're at that age. I'll never understand you mammals and your hormones…" Tesla said in a melancholic voice. Being an insect is much easier and simple, he thought. "Well, look, I don't really care what you do with your free time, but don't forget why we're here."

Now it was the Sylveon's time to sigh. "Getting first-hand experience of how the world works, so I can do my job better," she said in a monotonous parrot-like voice.

"Yes, good." For once, Tesla drew a smile. Or at least the arachnid equivalent of one. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll make an excellent chronicler."

Kizuna nodded at him with an obvious smile adorning her face. "No problem, Master! I don't forget my duties easily. I don't forget anything easily."

After their conversation they kept walking on, although in the Sylveon's case, it was more like running. She wondered what kind of new pokémon she would find next, letting her imagination run wild with the possibilities.

"…but it's not that far anyway. It should take us, what, six to seven hours walking? We'll reach it today, at the very least."

"I know. What I don't understand is why I have to go."

A Flareon and a Jolteon were conversing with each other as they strolled through a mostly empty area.

It didn't take the Flareon long to notice the lack of pokémon in the proximities. "Hey, Zephyr?"

"Yes, Agni?"

"I was wondering why this street is so desolated. You usually see more people around these places."

The Jolteon shrugged. "I wouldn't know. This is your node, isn't it?" He suddenly stopped and pointed a paw to his left. "But maybe that has something to do with it."

Agni looked at the direction pointed by his companion, and the sight made him go wide-eyed. There was an assortment of pokémon of all kinds reunited in a semicircle formation, bigger than any group he had ever seen. Wondering the cause of this multitude, the duo approached the concentration and sat down.

At the center of the congregation of people rested a rectangular wooden platform. On top of it, many different pokémon moved around in a dramatic and over-the-top kind of way. The melodramatic fashion in which they spoke, plus the fact that most of them seemed to be wearing some form of costume, made it quite evident that it was some kind of theatrical spectacle.

"Oh, this must be one of those travelling troupes from the Lilac Kiwi," Zephyr explained. "I've heard they're quite good, but I've never seen one of their shows in person."

"Theatre? Nothing to see here, then."

Agni rose up in an attempt to leave, but Zephyr remained static in his seat. "Whoa, where's the haste? We can reach the Beryl Calandra later today, it's not gonna run away or anything."

"But…"

"C'mon, let's watch this. We have time." Zephyr eyed his partner with expectant eyes, not bothering to hide a wide grin. The Flareon just sighed and sat by his side again. "That's my cousin! Maybe this is fun, who knows."

On top of the rectangular scenario stood a jolly Ludicolo. Behind him, a variety of costumed pokémon danced around what seemed to be some kind of rock. Since this Ludicolo wasn't interacting with anyone else and didn't even have a costume, they assumed he was acting as a commentator or narrator of sorts for the performance.

"…our wise ancestors quickly noticed the wonderful proprieties of Adamantium, and started to think of the fantastic things they could do with it!" he said in particularly cheery voice. Just hearing his voice was enough to raise one's spirits.

The Ludicolo stepped aside, granting view to the pokémon that were behind him. A Sandshrew stepped forward and started speaking in an exaggerated rough voice. "When this metal is heated, it becomes invulnerable to the dangers of the desert! No sandstorm or strong winds can possibly breach it! And since it is so malleable, we can easily create any kind of buildings to our liking!"

The Sandshrew was pointing at some prop that looked like a strange mixture between a rock, a metal and a crystal.

"Hey, that looks a lot like Adamantium," Zephyr noted. "This must be a retelling of the story of the founders of the Heptagonal Ring."

Agni nodded with obvious disinterest. "A history lesson. Great."

"It's probably to commemorate the foundation of the Heptagonal Ring, especially considering it'll be its 7777th anniversary in five days. There's gonna be a big party in the Conflux with all the nodes and everything," Zephyr said, but Agni didn't seem to be paying much attention. It's not like he didn't know already.

They noticed that the Sandshrew had some kind of red and yellow arc with spikes on its back, and he wasn't the only one wearing something. In fact, except for the Ludicolo, all the actors were wearing different sorts of accessories.

A Scrafty stepped forward next. He was covering his red mohawk with an also red helmet adorned with a yellow axe on top of it, highly reminiscent of that of a Bisharp. He proceeded to speak. "We shall create a society around a set of fair and just rules that everyone will follow! Thanks to this fantastic metal, Adamantium, we will be able to create a true utopia free of crime and mischief!"

"Hold!" shouted a Furret. This one was wearing a yellow life vest around its neck that extended down to its waist. "What is justice without compassion? That is no utopia, my friend, that is nothing if a tyranny! If we want a true utopia, kindness must be the cornerstone we build upon!"

"It seems we cannot reach an understanding," said a Simipour in a jovial voice, donning a pyramidal green hat. "But that is no problem, my dear comrades, for we can just share this precious Adamantium with each other! Each shall take home a portion of it, and then everyone will just have to follow their own rules! That way no one will have to impose their rules over others!"

"Alas, I am afraid that is not possible," a Gastly interjected. Being a ghost, it lacked any kind of accessory, but it was surrounded by four Beldum in a way similar to the legs of a Metagross. "I have studied the Adamantium, and I regret to say that it is only stable in a highly arid climate such as the one found in this desert. If we were to leave this place with it, it would surely rust, becoming useless! I am afraid our debate must continue."

The Ludicolo stepped in front of the other actors again, reclaiming his role as narrator. "Our ancestors could not decide what to do with this magnificent metal they had found! What a tragedy! They argued and argued and argued… but they soon realized that this conflict wouldn't get them anywhere. If they wanted to make the most of the fascinating Adamantium, they needed to put their differences aside and work together!"

Back at the audience, Agni sighed. "How can people like this?"

Zephyr chuckled softly, low enough not to bother the other spectators. "I know it's too idealistic and cliché, but that's more or less what happened."

"No. They didn't put their differences aside and worked together, they simply realized that they were about to get into an open war, so they sucked up to each other because they were all scared of losing and didn't want to give up on Adamantium."

"Different interpretations of the same event. The final result was the same anyway."

The Ludicolo's voice brought them back to the play. "They decided to use the crystalline Adamantium to create a massive gallery of tunnels in the middle of the dessert. Each of these tunnels would connect two gigantic Adamantium domes of different colors. Each of these domes, which would come to be known as nodes, would house each of the different ideals that our ancestors defended." He made a little dance that seemed out of place in the middle of the show, perhaps in an attempt to liven it up. "Since there were seven ancestors, seven nodes were built, resulting in a heptagonal structure in the middle of the desert. This is what we know today as the Heptagonal Ring. The audience may think this name sounds familiar. Surely, that is because that's where you all are living in!"

Many members in the audience burst out laughing, much to the Flareon's chagrin, as evidenced by the scowl present in his face. "That was supposed to be funny? And when is this gonna end, anyway?"

"It should end soon," Zephyr said in an effort to pacify his cousin, although he really had no idea due to not having previous experience with stage plays of this troupe. "If it is like in the history books now comes the best part, when the ancestors found each of the seven nodes."

Much to his delight, he was right. Seven actors formed a line, stepping forward one at a time.

The first was the Scrafty wearing a Bisharp helmet. "I, Kirmizi the Bisharp, shall found the Garnet Oriole, first node, which shall be red just like its founder! We shall create the laws that will regulate all of the nodes, to ensure that the relationships between the nodes remain fair and just! We shall be the police and judges of the Heptagonal Ring!"

The second was the Furret with the live vest. "I, Turuncu the Floatzel, shall found the Coral Sittella, second node, which shall be orange just like its founder! We shall strive to keep peace on all of the nodes, and our compassion and mercy will assure that no one is treated in a heartless or cruel manner! We shall be the peacekeepers and mediators of the Heptagonal Ring!"

Next one was the Sandshrew with the spiked red and yellow arc on its back. "I, Sari the Typhlosion, shall found the Amber Crane, third node, which shall be yellow just like its founder! We shall strive to offer whichever services are needed, whether it is building, preparing materials or cultivating and collecting the aliments that we will need to survive in this hostile desert! We shall be the architects, metalworkers and farmers of the Heptagonal Ring!"

"That's your node, the Amber Crane, and the place we are at right now," Zephyr commented to the Flareon by his side.

Agni gave him a stare that seemed to say 'duh'.

The fourth actor to step forward was the Simipour donning a pyramid-shaped hat. "I, Yesil the Cacturne, shall found the Beryl Calandra, fourth node, which shall be green just like its founder! We shall make sure that all nodes receive the resources they need and encourage commerce, reinforcing the bonds between the nodes! We shall be the merchants and couriers of the Heptagonal Ring!"

Next in line was the Gastly, still surrounded by four Beldum. "I, Mavi the Metagross, shall found the Azure Nightingale, fifth node, which shall be blue just like its founder! We shall bring illumination and knowledge to the inhabitants of the nodes, bolstering all known sciences! We shall be the scientists, scholars and medics of the Heptagonal Ring!"

Agni struggled to keep a yawn from escaping his mouth. "Fifth node? Then the next one is yours, isn't it?"

"You got it," Zephyr confirmed with a proud grin.

Just like they had guessed, the sixth actor took a step forward. This one was a little Gible wearing long fake fins on its arms as well as a big dorsal spin, as if emulating its final evolution. "I, Lacivert the Garchomp, shall found the Cerulean Warbler, sixth node, which shall be indigo just like its founder! We shall offer our strength to those who need it and protect the weak from the scoundrels that dare disturb the harmony of the nodes! We shall be the defenders and bodyguards of the Heptagonal Ring!"

Finally, the last of the actors moved forward, sporting a kind and warm smile as she did. As soon as she stopped in front of the scenario, the public gave her a big ovation, seeming quite thrilled of seeing her.

The public's reaction didn't gain the Flareon much sympathy. "Those morons… She hasn't even said anything yet," Agni complained to his cousin. "What's the matter? Is that Vaporeon famous or something?"

The Jolteon shrugged, not knowing the motive of the public's enthusiasm either. "I already told you I've never seen one of their shows."

On closer examination, this Vaporeon was wearing a purple witch's hat, a corresponding purple cloak and even a red collar around her neck. She easily had the most complex of all the costumes, so a quick glance was more than enough to determine with certainty what pokémon the costume corresponded to.

"I am the mischievous Mor, the lovable Mismagius trickster! I will found the seventh and last node, the Lilac Kiwi, and it will be of this elegant violet shade of yours truly!" With no prior warning, she jumped and made a swift pirouette mid-air, showing quite some dexterity for a four-legged creature. The public cheered at this. "With the help of your six nodes, my dear friends, I'm sure we will live a life full of justice and peace, where the innocent will be protected and everyone will have access to any resource they might need! But, what would be of life without fun and entertainment?"

The group behind her started executing a series of complex but visually stunning acrobatics. In a flash, the Vaporeon jumped backwards to the center of the group, somehow removing her costume in the process.

"And that's why the Lilac Kiwi is here! We will make sure that no one in any of the seven nodes is ever bored! We will bring you entertainment and delight of the best quality! We shall be the actors, artists and entertainers of the Heptagonal Ring!"

The audience exploded in a collective applause, many of them getting up from their seats. The actors made a polite reverence to the viewers, signaling the end of the play. Everywhere you looked you could see content smiles in the faces of everyone, with the notable exception of a particular Flareon that seemed bored out of his mind. The Jolteon by his side looked much more jubilant in comparison, although not nearly as much as the rest of the public.

The fire eeveelution stood up and stretched out, glad that the play had ended and ready to resume his trip. The electric-type followed after him.

On the way, Zephyr gave his relative an impish smirk. "Hey, the Vaporeon wasn't half bad, uh?"

Agni nodded, but only with reluctance. "I guess she had some theatrical talent."

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Agni couldn't decide whether to shake his head or sigh. He finally settled for both. "Who cares? Yeah, she's kinda cute, but she's one of those Lilac Kiwi deadbeats. You want nothing to do with those slackers."

"Oh, I'll have you know we're not slackers, mister Flareon."

Their attentions were immediately drawn to the fish-tailed pokémon that was now walking by their side, followed by the pokémon that were previously on the scenario, except this time they lacked any costumes. The Ludicolo carried a bag presumably containing the costumes they wore for the play.

Her colleagues preferred to remain silent, but the Vaporeon kept speaking. "We spend a lot of time practicing and perfecting our technique. What you saw back there was only the culmination of hours upon hours of rehearsals. We put a lot of effort into every play."

"I'm sure you do." The Flareon's tone made it sound insincere, and that was likely his intention. "Having to talk, and walk and jump... Sounds difficult."

"Hey now, cut them some slack." Zephyr promptly tried to intervene, trying to ease the tension growing between the two. The other members of the troupe were also starting to glare at his cousin, and he didn't want this to escalate further. "I've never seen one of their shows before and I thought it was kind of cool, miss… uh…"

The Ludicolo quickly interjected. "Amigos, she's the star of our show, Scylla the Genteel Mermaid!" he said in an exorbitant and over-the-top manner.

She gave him a disapproving look. "Not this again…"

But the jolly duck ignored her completely. "Surely you two know her, right, amigos? The Genteel Mermaid is famous in all nodes – no, in all nations of the world!"

Agni and Zephyr shared a brief look of puzzlement that served to confirm that neither knew who the Vaporeon was. The Jolteon scratched his head, staring at her deeply. "Genteel Mermaid, you say…? I might've heard that name in a passing manner, I think, but I couldn't say for sure. How about you, Agni?"

He answered with a shake of his head. "First time I hear that title."

"Wait, are you certain of that, amigos?" Not only the Ludicolo, but the rest of team stared at them wide-eyed.

Unlike the rest of her troupe, Scylla actually looked quite enthusiastic. "You mean it? You guys seriously haven't heard of me?"

Zephyr squinted. "Why… do you look so happy, exactly?"

"Well, not to boast or anything, but I'm pretty popular among the youth, so it's nice to see people in my age branch that don't jump at me asking for autographs for once," she admitted with a merry grin. "Especially guys. I'm most popular with the male public for some reason."

Zephyr nudged Agni. "I wonder why, uh?"

The Flareon had to make use of all his willpower to keep from sighing. "Then you'll like to hear that we have no interest in you whatsoever."

Although he meant that in a derisive way, she just giggled coyly. "Now, now, don't tell me that, or I might be tempted to spend all of my free time with you guys."

Agni was tiring of the chit-chat. Plus, he had a job to do, he couldn't be late. "Look, we'd love to stay and chat but…"

"Then, let's do just that!" Scylla cheerfully proposed. "Our troupe isn't really in any haste."

"…but we have to get to the Beryl Calandra today. It's not that far, but if we wanna get there before night falls, we should start moving soon."

The Ludicolo started dancing. "The Beryl Calandra, muchacho? That's precisely our next destination!"

"Well, if we're going to the same place, we might as well go together!" Zephyr suggested.

The whole troupe, including the Vaporeon, agreed without objection. "The more the merrier!"

Agni was the only one that didn't look all too happy. "Hey, we don't have time to play and fool around! We're supposed to be making a transaction at the Beryl Calandra today!"

"So? We'll definitely reach that node today," Zephyr said trying to persuade his stubborn cousin. "What's wrong with having some company for the duration of the travel? These guys look like a fun bunch."

Agni didn't feel like arguing. He just wanted to resume his journey already, or he would risk actually getting late. He decided to simply nod without saying anything and started walking in direction to the entrance to the crystalline tunnel that would lead them to the Beryl Calandra. The others followed after him, the Jolteon in particular closing his eyes and shaking his head in a 'What am I going to do with you' manner. Although he admired his cousin's formality and earnestness, he thought it went too far sometimes.

Meanwhile, the Vaporeon eyed the duo with what could be called curiosity, and maybe even mild interest. The rest of her troupe was dancing and talking about trivial matters with each other.

It didn't take them long to reach the relatively long tunnel of crystal-like Adamantium walls. At the other end awaited the fourth of the nodes, the green-colored Beryl Calandra.