Chapter Two: Hospitality
Hildegard contemplated on whether or not she should revisit the Sanctuary. The lucario's pride felt utterly shattered by the thought of this, crawling back to the haven asking for shelter. She did not want to be out wandering in the wilderness, especially with the Witch as furious with her as she was. She shuddered at the thought of what would happen if the female delphox were to lay a single claw on her—it would simply be over.
She never enjoyed the thought of losing, but the lucario had to admit that she was clearly bested in the last two battles she fought. She started to seethe with anger upon remembering how the sagely delphox manipulated her memories and dreams, picking her brains apart while she could not do a single thing. Who was he to invade her privacy like that? In retrospect though, Hildegard realized that all the events that led up to her confrontation with the Witch revealed her hidden Mega form, which she was never able to achieve even under the strenuous training she and her master put themselves through. While she was confronted with the Witch, she could not fully take in the feelings she sensed in this form. The lucario knew her aura had intensified and felt a wondrous energy pumping in her, but the Mega form had only lasted for minutes. Hildegard wondered if there was a way to keep the form for as long as she wanted.
The lucario's stomach growled, interrupting her train of thought—it was time for another hunt. Hildegard soon enough found herself a wandering poochyena. The canid-like pokémon was a dark type and would serve as an easy meal for the experienced lucario. It wandered about in a blind direction, not having a care in the world. Hildegard stuck to the thickness of the brush and stalked it for a minute. Seeing that her meal was not picking up her scent or movements, Hildegard pounced with grace, bringing her fist back and letting the momentum aid its power. Direct hit! In a single punch, the poochyena fell over, skidding across the ground in a lifeless heap.
Catching wild pokémon and devouring them was not what the lucario ever expected to do in her lifetime, having been raised in the city, but she quickly got used to it. There was the ever-present, lingering feeling of remorse for her victims, having been around trainers' pokémon almost all her life, but pokémon in the wild were certainly different. There was no room for feelings in such a place. The only thing on these creatures' minds was simply the concept of survival, and Hildegard needed to adopt this train of thought quickly or perish hungry and alone. The lucario's skill in battle served to keep her well-fed and her warm aura bountiful and dense.
Hildegard left the messy scene she created, trying to wipe the blood off of her muzzle. The lucario sighed in satisfaction, her belly full. She wondered to herself with every action that she took whether or not her trainer was watching her; she reminisced on whether he was with her from the start. Would he like seeing her like this, living out in the wilderness like an aimless vagabond struggling against the harsh reality of the food chain? Would he like this after all that he went through to shape her into the famed pokémon she was known as in human civilization?
To cast away these thoughts, Hildegard reminded herself that she was going through all this to find a way to revive him. She, however, could not dawdle around the wild, not after discovering the haven. There could be secrets there—ones that could help unveil the true path she needed to see all this time in order to restore her beloved master. She took his life and now she would do everything in her power to give it back. If Hildegard had to take up the likeness of the Witch and deal with forbidden magic, if there were such a thing, then she would gladly indulge in it. Witchfox and Sagefox—they knew each other since they were young and boisterous. Perhaps the old sage would have plentiful information about the Witch and what sort of outrageous wizardry or alchemy she undertook. He might even have information on Hildegard's Mega form and how she could possibly embrace its potential and attune herself with it more intimately.
Hildegard trailed along a familiar path that seemed that have flat stones paved across it in a sporadic manner. The stones were mostly engulfed by the grass and weeds, but the clearing of trees and plants made it evident that this was meant to be a road. The lucario traveled across this path often. It served as a landmark for her to pinpoint branching paths that led to other familiar places across the wild. She certainly did not expect the wilderness to have a homey feeling like this, but it gave the lucario ease in knowing her way around and where to find other creatures lounging about.
As she continued to amble towards the direction of the Sanctuary, Hildegard heard a rustle from her left. She whirled around, her ears perked and her eyes wide in full alert. The sound came again, this time from within the treetops. The lucario gazed up at them but could find nothing peculiar sticking out. Her heart started to race. Had another starving creature decided she was its next dinner? She had already been confronted time and time again by many different pokémon, but she would not be bested.
The rustle sounded once again, but from above. Once Hildegard whirled her vision upwards, she thought she could see a brown blur speeding along the vegetation away from her right. The lucario stood as still as stone, craning her head eastwards and waiting for the nimble creature to pounce. She thought back to the blur, which took an eerily familiar, humanoid shape. A shaded figure emerged from the bushes ahead, staring her down. Hildegard knew what it was right away, or who it was—it was the lopunny mother that she fought a week ago. The lucario ground her teeth, expecting yet another battle. This time it would be different; the lopunny was very powerful for sure, but now that Hildegard had the opportunity to understand her movements and her strategies, she would be ready.
The lopunny, however, did not appear to be in the mood to fight, her form relaxed as she approached the lucario. Hildegard kept her fighting stance, prepared for anything. The rabbit pokémon observed Hildegard with a look of suspicion, but her gaze was also somehow warm and welcoming. The lucario felt like she could relax as well; she dropped her stance but remained tensed up. Was this lopunny a guardian of the Sanctuary? She appeared so steadfast and dedicated to protecting the boundaries. It impressed the lucario that she was able to track her down so quickly as well, unless the rabbit had been following her for a while now.
The rabbit pokémon grimaced suddenly, eying Hildegard's snout. The lucario responded by running her tongue across it cheekily, tasting the blood still caking it. The lopunny proceeded to inspect the rest of Hildegard's body, taking interest in her trainer's jacket and red wristbands.
"Why do you keep coming back here?" the lopunny inquired sternly. Hildegard huffed in annoyance, not appreciating her tone of voice.
"What is it to you? I walk along this path all the time," she replied, crossing her arms.
"You're walking towards the Sanctuary. What do you want from us this time? Do you still want to fight Sagefox? Haven't you learned your lesson?" The barrage of questions pouring out of the lopunny's mouth irritated Hildegard further, but the lucario tried to keep her cool.
"If I have to fight you to get in," Hilde started, growling, "then let's get this over with already."
"We don't have to. After all, you made it in the last couple of times," the lopunny pointed out. "When it comes to you, I'm a lot more wary, though. Are you going to answer my questions?" Hildegard carried a good deal of respect for the lopunny after their battle, but disliked how she approached her. As much as she did not mind having another fight, she swallowed her pride and submitted.
"I need shelter," she said, choking up in embarrassment.
"Do you now?" the rabbit pokémon asked with distrust.
"I gave the Witch her necklace back. I was nearly turned into dust," Hildegard explained, the lopunny's face changing to show a more concerned expression. "She could be hunting me. Not even I can face her in battle." Hilde hated that she showed so much weakness, but figured it would be better to avoid confrontations when she felt so vulnerable. She did not want to make enemies with every faction imaginable.
"Very few can, if any," the lopunny said tenderly. "Perhaps Sage could, but he tries not to commit to violence. He has changed so much," she trailed off, as if stopping herself from giving out too many details. The two stood there awkwardly, the lopunny mother looking off in thought as the lucario continued to stare at her warily.
"Are you going to let me in then?" Hilde asked bluntly.
"No," the rabbit simply replied. "I have to speak to Sage first, then we will meet later."
"When?"
"At sunset, meet me at the lake would you?" The two pokémon agreed on the meeting point, but Hildegard could not help but wonder why in the world they had to do this later on. She supposed by now they might have considered her a threat on the level of Witchfox if not a little lower down the rungs.
Verily, once the sun began to settle down over the horizon, Hildegard appeared at the calm, serene lake that the lopunny pinpointed previously, waiting patiently. Beyond the treetops, the lucario, hypnotized, stared at the beautiful sky, painted a vibrant mixture of orange, pink, and yellow. Hilde felt she could get lost in that entrancing expanse, the firmament plucking all of her sorrows and troubles away like the leaves of a tree detaching in a cold winter.
Hildegard heard a sloshing noise come from her right and she turned to face the lopunny mother who had made good on her promise to meet with her. She casually moved her hand along the cool, still waters, smiling fondly.
"So what is your name?" the rabbit mother asked nonchalantly. The lucario did not respond, perplexed at the manner of her appearance. "I would just like to get to know you a little bit. We should call each other by our names."
The lucario thought for a bit, then followed through. "Hildegard."
"Hildegard," the lopunny repeated. "Sounds like a fittingly strong name." The lucario felt like she was being patronized, but stopped herself from making any rash remarks.
"Well, what's yours?" Hilde asked back.
"My name is Fleur," the rabbit answered. Fleur. For some reason, the name made Hilde's fur stand on end. It flowed very nicely, sounded pretty, and— She banished these thoughts, feeling ashamed for even thinking such things. Hildegard felt her face and ears heat up.
"Well then, Fleur, what did the old guy say?" the lucario inquired, eventually noticing that this got on Fleur's nerves.
"His name is Sagefox," she corrected her earnestly.
"You don't know his real name?"
"That is his real name ever since he changed his life around," Fleur stated firmly. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "And he told me that you have to do something before coming into our haven."
"Of course," Hildegard said sarcastically, standing up as well and crossing her arms. "And what would that be?" Fleur turned her gaze over to the lake besides them, then she made a gesture with a flick of her head. Hildegard picked up the message. "Are you kidding me?"
"You have to bathe. You stink," Fleur said frankly. Hildegard was honestly surprised. She figured she might have to go through some process of initiation. Still, this was quite a thing to request. She had not bathed in so long that she became used to her scent and was unaware of how bad it was. There was also the fact that she greatly disliked bathing now and preferred not to.
"Forget it," Hildegard snapped.
"You'll need to if you want to join us," Fleur cooed.
"I'm not joining you guys!" the lucario barked. "No alliances, no favors, no nothing. I will not bind myself to any community, not anymore." Fleur just shot her an unapproving glare, her black sclera mesmerizing.
"If you want our protection, then you have to bathe."
"I don't need any of your guys' protection. I only want shelter."
"All the buildings of the Sanctuary are ours. If you want shelter, then you will do what you are asked of," Fleur explained with a firmness. "And we won't ask you to do much else except comply with a set of rules while staying with us. It's not as big of a deal as you are making it out to be." Hildegard huffed in frustration, turning her back to the lopunny. "Right now, all he wishes is for you to take a dip in the lake and wash yourself." Fleur's voice was softening, sounding very motherly. "It will take you no time at all, and perhaps you'll come to appreciate being more clean."
"It's the wild," Hildegard retorted. "No one cares."
And, like a mother who had lost her patience, her voice raised once again. "Our haven is not just some extension of the wilderness. We have embraced a more civilized lifestyle and we will not tolerate a pokémon so indifferent to our structure, now get in the lake or lose your chance of staying with us. It's up to you."
With that, Hildegard finally gave in, grumbling to herself and cursing under her breath as she removed her trainer's jacket. Fleur walked over, offering to keep hold of it for the lucario, but she whisked it away from her, snarling. Hildegard squatted and neatly placed the jacket onto a flat rock, folding it as well. She removed her wristbands and placed them on top of the clothing. Hildegard shot Fleur a nasty glare before dipping her toes into the pool, the water sending a shiver up her spine.
Fleur said, "I thought that you would respect the sort of lifestyle we have."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Hilde asked while walking into the lake, the water reaching the thick blue fur that surrounded her upper legs.
"You lived in the city didn't you?"
"How do you know that?"
"Sagefox looked into your memories, remember? He knows a good deal about you now."
"That damn fox doesn't know anything," Hilde bluntly stated, half of her body submerged. The lucario started to splash water onto herself, rubbing across her body with her paws and taking hesitant glances at the filed spikes jutting out of them. The lucario felt the bits of dirt underneath her fur and cringed at the thought of how much there was across her whole coat. She could hear Fleur sighing.
"He told me everything he saw as well," she said. Hildegard turned towards her, feeling anger swelling up inside.
"Is he just going to tell everybody about my life? Does he not respect my privacy?" she growled. Fleur shook her head.
"I can assure you he told no one else. I am his student and his trusted friend," Fleur chuckled. "That is interesting that you mention your privacy. It seemed to me like you abandoned a concept like that already."
"Just shut up," Hilde curtly ordered as she continued to clean herself, her movements becoming quicker and more harsh in conjunction with her temper.
Night was quickly approaching once Hildegard exited the lake, her fur dripping and her countenance miserable. Fleur crossed her arms as she examined the lucario admirably.
"See? Was that so hard?" she asked with a playful tone. Hildegard ignored her as she shook violently, countless beads of water sprinkling off her drenched coat. She then put on her clothes and then reluctantly approached the lopunny mother. "Now you won't drive anyone away. Remember, this is also a matter of respect for your fellow pokémon. Sage will especially be pleased to know that you did this."
"Yeah, because I really wanted to do that—Please him," Hildegard muttered sarcastically, to which Fleur just smiled tenderly.
"Come on, then. I'll escort you to the Sanctuary."
Fleur and Hildegard arrived within the boundaries of the haven just in time for nightfall. The whirring and chirping of insect pokémon filled the brisk night air, the moon sluggishly making its way across the starry firmament as dark blue clouds drifted on by. Up ahead, Hildegard could see a couple orange lights standing out from amongst the darkness like two bright beacons. Upon closer inspection, the lights were coming from flames that sat on top of two torch stands. Beyond the torches, there was a large clearing with two decrepit structures lining the wall of trees surrounding the clearing. The stony pathway was more visible here as if somebody were actually maintaining them. Hildegard could see other broken down structures in this area, such as an eroded pillar and the remains of a stone wall connecting with one of the buildings.
It was awfully quiet in the Sanctuary despite the droning noise, but Hildegard felt an overwhelming sense of security upon crossing the torches, her body shivering in delight. That feeling was snuffed away, however, as a tall slender figure shot out from above, landing in front of the lopunny and lucario. She rose to reveal that she was a mienshao, ornamented in all sorts of lavish trinkets and elegant charms. The weasel pokémon was holding a lantern, which lit her figure and reflected off her golden accessories beautifully. As she gazed at the mienshao, Hildegard was hit with a flood of memories back to when she was a riolu. She remembered the dojo vividly and the tough mienshao that she faced against, him having thrown her around like a ragdoll and having beaten her into submission repeatedly. Hilde projected this mienshao onto the one she was currently looking at and started to detest her.
"What are you doing out at this time?" the mienshao asked Fleur, the weasel's shining eyes glued onto Hildegard in interest.
"Our meeting took a little longer than I anticipated," Fleur answered. She gestured an open hand, waving it towards the lucario. "This is Hildegard. I want to bring her to Sagefox. Do you know where he is?"
The mienshao seemed to give the lopunny mother a slightly condescending look for a quick second, then went over to Hildegard and extended a paw.
"MeiLi. You will be safe here, as long as you don't cause any trouble," the mienshao stated smoothly. Reluctantly, Hildegard grasped her paw and shook it. The way MeiLi was dressed made the lucario think she was somebody of high rank within this odd society. Of course, she did not have a complete idea of how a concept like that would work in a place like this. It appeared to her like a mix of both an open shelter and a little town. If they were to at least try to fortify the place better, Hildegard would not see it simply as an extension of the forestlands.
Fleur again asked, "Is Sagefox around?"
"Sagefox is sleeping," MeiLi answered quickly, wanting to talk to the lopunny as little as possible.
"This early? He normally has a time where he—"
"He is ill," the mienshao curtly interrupted. "He believes he may have devoured something rotten." No one said anything for several seconds, Fleur and Hildegard trying to let this information sink in.
"Why aren't you watching over him?" Fleur questioned in a very concerned tone. "You know he would only trust us two to do that."
"He insisted he should be left alone," MeiLi said with a raised voice, clearly losing her patience. "He thinks it may not be simply food, but perhaps a dream." Hildegard felt cold all of a sudden. A flashback triggered in her mind for a quick second—it was that moment where she regained consciousness to see the delphox swallowing her dreams of her traumatic past, taking the shape of a misty orb. That must have been it. The lucario gazed over at Fleur to see that she too understood.
"I see. He doesn't do that sort of thing often," she muttered cryptically. Hildegard was not sure whether she should feel pity for the old fox. She was still mildly upset at how he bested her, let alone the heinous act that the delphox committed in his youth. Fleur turned to the lucario and nodded to her. "I suppose we will have to speak with him tomorrow." She turned back to MeiLi, who was already leaving the two. "Thank you," Fleur called out to the mienshao, who did not pay her any mind, disappearing beyond the corner of one of the structures.
Hildegard's curiosity got the best of her and she asked quietly, "Who is she exactly?"
"MeiLi and I are Sagefox's disciples, his most trusted students," she replied. Fleur then walked past the lucario and summoned her with a hand gesture. "I know a place where you can sleep. Follow me."
Fleur took Hildegard to another smaller clearing within the Sanctuary forests. This clearing had a medium-sized building that stood out brilliantly against the moonlight. Hildegard could see a swellow perched up at the top of the building, lovingly tending to a large nest. As they approached the building, two small pokémon emerged from the entrance, startling Hildegard.
"Easy," the lopunny mother said to her as she paced forward and then squatted down to greet the two creatures. Once the moonlight hit them, Hildegard saw that they were the two buneary children of Fleur.
The lucario immediately felt a twinge of guilt in her gut, thinking back to her and Fleur's fierce battle a week ago. Hildegard figured that it was the heat of the fight that impaired her judgment at that moment. All she heard in that time as she held up the bunearies were the malicious words of the Witchfox, which felt so assuring that it was like Hildegard herself adopted these beliefs; deep down, the lucario knew that she was better than that. She kept telling herself for so long that she had to do whatever it would take to bring back her master, but causing harm to children in any form was outside of her capabilities. She did not intend to hurt the kids, but did not consider the extent of damage the aura absorption would cause. Simply put, she was incredibly hasty, and viewing the kids would always remind her of what she attempted.
Upon laying eyes on the lucario, the bunearies scuttled behind their mother, clearly remembering her. This had only caused Hildegard to feel more guilty. Fleur gazed back and forth between them and then shook her head with a smile, scooping up the children in her arms. The lopunny approached Hildegard with the bunearies hugging against her breast. Hilde felt annoyed that the mother was closing in on her like this, almost as if trying to send her on a guilt trip.
"This is Hildegard," Fleur said softly to the anxious kids. The lucario reared back and looked away, feeling uncomfortable. "She might have seemed bad before, but perhaps she would like to be friends with us now." The lucario huffed loudly in disagreement, crossing her arms. The bunearies just stared at the aura pokémon, unmoving.
One of them, the female, finally spoke up. "She looks mean." Hildegard gave her an irritated glare, the child recoiling slightly. The lucario then started to walk off around them, entering the building without another word.
"It's okay. We just had a misunderstanding. We talked."
"She's going to sleep with us?" the female asked in surprise, a hint of fear in her voice.
"She will sleep in another room, Mana. No need to worry."
"B-But what if she comes in the middle of the night and eats us while we're sleeping?" Mana asked frantically. Fleur just chuckled and gave the two children a kiss on their heads.
"Mommy will keep all the bad guys away. Remember what I promised you."
Hildegard could not sleep. She stirred and adjusted her position constantly in the makeshift bed she was given. The bed was a tattered old mattress, the age of which was certainly ancient. Even so, it was the most comfortable thing Hildegard rested on. She was surprised when first presented with it, once thinking she would have to sleep on the floor. The lucario would not have minded it either, considering she was used to such a thing being on her own in the wilderness. Despite the comfort of the mattress, it did not make the feverish dreams of the lucario dissipate.
Almost every single night it was the same thing with the same amount of fear festering inside. Hildegard found herself within a black void, a blue mist snaking across the thick air. She knew right away by the familiar, warm feeling of the fog that it was her aura. As intimate as the energy was, it did not put the lucario at ease. Every lucario would know to properly manage their aura, but to Hildegard, it seemed her own took charge of her at times. She felt helpless against it—the sheer density of it made it appear as a huge wave, swallowing up everything in its path. The aura grew thicker, the warmth creeping under her coat uncomfortably. As it did, Hildegard began to hear whispering voices reverberating in her head. It sounded unintelligible at first, but started to merge with the sound of crying and disturbing moans.
Then there were the words—the words that would cause her body to shiver in unease. These words called out to her, begging her to stop and pleading for their lives. The emotions were contagious. Hildegard was connecting with them, her once collected stature devolving into a shambled mess of sorrow, despair, and rage. She could taste fresh, warm blood in her mouth as she fell onto her knees, succumbing to the barrage of emotions filling her. Hildegard thought her head would burst with the cacophony of agony within, images of the fatal accident with her trainer flashing in her mind. The turmoil was too much to bear, and then she would wake up.
Tonight, Hildegard woke up the exact same way she would after every nightmare: Cold and sweating, her breaths quick and dry. The clamminess she felt across her body was horribly uncomfortable, but nothing unfamiliar. She tried to relax her muscles, her breaths easing down. She felt her racing heart pumping vigorously, which eventually slowed as well. The lucario could not understand how she never got used to the same terrors she faced in most nights she slept. Ever since she started having them, the lucario had made the resolution to sleep less, and while this has definitely deteriorated her performance, Hilde still found herself faring well. She hoped deep inside that having the soft mattress to sleep on would make her comfortable enough to avoid having the dreams. She figured now that the nightmares might plague her until her own demise. She sighed raggedly, bringing her legs in close and hugging them to make a fetal position.
Suddenly, a soft rustling noise sounded from outside. Hildegard took heed of the thin window seated to her left on the wall behind her and gazed at the beam of moonlight shining through. She caught sight of a shadow moving through the light with hastiness. Fleur. Hildegard understood the rabbit pokémon had every right to be wary with her staying in the same building as the family.
The lucario got out of bed, knowing it would take hours for her to even get close to reaching deep sleep again. She raced out of her room with impressive quietness, keeping in mind the children most likely asleep in the room next to hers. Hilde speed-walked down the one corridor in the medium-sized building and as she trailed down it, she saw the opening to the kids' room. She meant to leave the building entirely, but the lucario became curious and took a peek into the room. What she saw in the small chamber caused her heart to freeze—Fleur was in bed with her children, who were snuggled up close to her. If Fleur was here, then who in the world was outside skulking around?
Hildegard proceeded to nimbly exit the building. The stark briskness of the night still hung in the air as the shining moon made its presence known directly above the lucario. It was still very much the middle of the night; perhaps Hilde would just stay up for the remainder of it. She looked around the area, listening for anymore rustling, keeping her eyes open wide for any sudden moving figures. After an intense minute, the lucario began to patrol the building, circling it to find anything suspicious. Upon reaching the back of the structure, Hildegard finally noticed the stones slightly jutting out of the walls, making an easy means for any athletic pokémon to climb up to the summit. The lucario grabbed hold of a couple of the stones and then trailed up the wall towards the apex in mere seconds, her eyes darting and locking on to all the stones available to climb with.
When she reached the top, her heart skipped to see a familiar figure sitting on the edge of the roof. It was MeiLi, her back facing the lucario. Hildegard wondered how she so quietly made her way around the area and then realized that most of her clothes were taken off save for the luxurious cape. The pensive mienshao stared off into the distance with hardly any attention paid to the lucario that decided to join her. Hildegard approached carefully, trying to make little noise with her pads against the stone floor, but she had the feeling that MeiLi already knew she was there.
"So why did you decide to come here this time?" the mienshao asked nonchalantly, confirming her awareness. Hildegard just stood there, cursing herself under her breath for her constant failure in a quiet sneak recently. She thought she was skilled in this considering how many wild pokémon she managed to surprise, but the pokémon within the Sanctuary were clearly more adept.
"I have my reasons," Hildegard replied, not trusting the mienshao, at least not at the moment. She was hardly trusting of anybody, and that was the default when it came to meeting new people and pokémon alike.
"I'm sure you do. Everyone has a reason, though some waltz in here unknowing of where they stand. Most of the time they will try to take advantage of the haven's peacefulness," MeiLi explained. She had a snarkiness in her voice that caused Hildegard discomfort.
"What are you doing wandering around here?" the lucario asked with firmness. MeiLi adjusted herself and started to inspect her paws in some sort of chic fashion.
"This is my duty, to patrol the Sanctuary for restless spirits," she answered.
"Spirits? Ghost types?" Hildegard questioned with interest. MeiLi scoffed softly.
"'Ghost-type' might be a little tasteless, but yes, basically," the mienshao said as she stood up. Her menacingly long and slender figure caused Hildegard to tense up. MeiLi turned around to face the lucario, revealing something shocking within her grasp. It was a sphere of dark mist, seemingly being compressed by the weasel pokémon. "But in the end, they are pokémon like you and I." The mienshao closed her paws in around the floating, smoky ball, compressing it even further, then released it into the air in an elegant, quick motion. The ball dissipated into the air like vapor, spreading horizontally. A drawn out, whisper-like sound followed the diffusion until all the mist had disappeared.
"That's very odd," Hildegard spoke up. "Fighting types normally can't touch ghosts." MeiLi looked back at the lucario with a subtle look of admiration.
"You're quite knowledgeable, aren't you?" the mienshao said as she sat back down. Hildegard ambled towards the edge and sat next to her. MeiLi eyed the empty swellow nest nearby that Hildegard somehow completely missed. She fidgeted with one of the large twigs but was careful not to destroy the nest.
"I've learned all sorts of things being with my trainer," Hildegard explained with a hint of sadness. "I've fought every kind of pokémon imaginable, but nothing seems to compare to what I've found in the wilderness."
"Indeed it is very different out here," MeiLi chuckled. "I had a feeling you were domestic." Hildegard felt she should have gotten upset at that word, but knew that it was essentially true. She was once a part of a human family, so it made perfect sense. The two said nothing for a minute until MeiLi broke the silence. "Why you left is none of my business, but you seem like a pokémon with a mission. Sage and Fleur told me about what happened."
"What does that mean?" the lucario asked, slightly annoyed with the possibility that her story was leaked out to everybody in the haven.
"I mean the battle between you and Fleur, as well as your confrontation with Sage. They really were in marvel of your power, and I can feel it myself sitting here." With that, Hildegard was put at ease, relieved that she was not talking about the traumatic incident that clung on to the back of her mind permanently.
"You don't seem to like Fleur very much," the lucario pointed out.
"What makes you say that?"
"It was just the way you talked and looked at her." MeiLi huffed through her nose sharply, confirming her aversion to the lopunny mother.
"We are both students of Sagefox," she paused, breathing in deeply, "but I was his first. I dedicated so much of my energy to following him. I've been his disciple for many years." MeiLi gazed out into the distance with a look of resolution. "Fleur only arrived a few months ago, and I can see that Sagefox favors her quite a bit." Hildegard could feel the tension behind her words as well as her aura, thickening with resentment. "The lopunny has skill and potential, that much is certain, but even now I wonder how much more I must give to Sagefox for him to recognize my efforts." MeiLi's jealously was contagious, and this aura was all too familiar to Hildegard when she was reminded of a certain absol her trainer had caught. The similarities between the mienshao and he were disturbing.
MeiLi stood up, brushing off her body and adjusting her shoulders. "But I should not dawdle here and mull over such things. It is time I continue my patrol." She looked back over at the lucario and nodded. "It was nice talking to you. Rarely do I come across anyone I feel I can have a conversation with." With that, she bounded off the roof, landing on the ground with profound elegance. Hildegard watched her disappear into the forest, reflecting on her own past once again. She has seen what jealousy can do to a pokémon, and even though she would try not to make it any of her business, she could not help but feel a bit concerned over what the relationship between the mienshao and lopunny could entail.