Hey everyone! Well, I've finally picked the five OC trios to be included in the story. Let me tell you…it was difficult to do. I feel kind of bad for leaving most of them off because a lot of them were very unique. However, while they might not be introduced as members of Gappei Village, there might be a chance I could include them at a later date, either as travelers entering the village for the first time or having some of the villagers meet them. I don't know, but I just wanted to say that I liked a lot of these characters. With that said, the winners are:

Krika1119: York, Washington, Sheila
Mysteryals: Spaz, Crawford, Codex
MasterNPH: Shane, Rebecca, Chris
Mr. Maverick77: Hawkins, Asadi, Wantanabe
scarcrow151: Dez, Emily, Charlie

The sun dipped down into the horizon, soon to disappear so that the beauty of the night can take over. For the time being, the orange sky radiated above, showering the inhabitants below in its beautiful glow. Another day has passed and soon another will rise again in the morning. The night will claim the sleep of many Pokémon preparing to enter the land of slumber. Many will stay awake to attend their nightly jobs. Others are just nocturnal Pokémon who stay awake during the day, taking in the quiet hours all to their own.

With the forest occupied by the Fusions, however, was a night to get crazy and go wild.

With the sun beginning to set, the multicolored strings of lights were finally turned on. Once the darkness has fully claimed all natural light, the eccentric glow of the party lights, coupled with the lanterns hung up for extra light, will turn the abyss of darkness surrounding Gappei Village into one of the wildest parties of all time.

Many Fusions began to exit their homes, having rested after a day of hard work to finally get their reward for another long year. The villagers tended to their usual duties or went on with their day as normal, either to have some personal fun or to prep themselves for the party.

This ran true in Quinn's hut, where he and his hut-mates were resting for the day. The entirety of the hut was one whole room with space converted into personal sections of the home. There were two floors, with the second level being a platform looping around the walls. This is where their rooms were and they each took up a third of the second floor.

Quinn's space consisted of a bed with green sheets and a plaid blue blanket, a nightstand with a lamp, a bookshelf filled with numerous books he loved to read, a red carpet in front of his bed, a desk with numerous items one would find at a desk, a laptop on top of the desk, and a trunk at the foot of his bed.

Ren's space was a whimsical wonderland, in his own words. He had posters on the wall, giving motivational advice on how to lead a better life or something like that. His bed had four long posts that hung a white curtain around his bed, which had sky blue sheets and a blue blanket. Resting on the nightstand beside him were photos of himself with his various friends, one group picture of the entire village, and a photo of him when he was nine being held in the arms of his parents, a male Greninja and a female Swanna.

Artemis' space reflected her personality nicely. Her bed was just a large futon couch with blankets and pillows scattered around. She had her own personal TV resting on a shelf along with a stereo with a pair of headphones resting on top, which she uses to either listen to music or to listen to the TV quietly so she didn't wake her pals. Some weights sat in the corner and a refrigerator sat near her bed, for when she wanted a quick bite or a late-night snack.

The downstairs level mostly served as a living room while a section was saved for a small kitchen, which had the basic items one would find in a kitchen. There was a walled off section in the back that served as the bathroom, complete with a sink, toilet, and shower. The rest of the floor was spaced out with a carpet in the wide open space near their door and a section that served as the entertainment area. Two red armchairs, one tan couch that could sit about six people, sitting in front of an cabinet that held their TV and gaming consoles.

This was basic living for a lot of the Fusions. With agreement among their hut-mates, they designed the hut whatever way they wanted. Everything was generously provided by Julian Roteman, who a lot of the Fusions come to like since he provided a lot for this village. Sure, some of the Fusions still felt weary of him due to mistrust against Pokémon, but it was to be expected. He never held it against them.

With time to kill, the hut-mates were passing time until festivities could get underway. Quinn took the time to read a sci-fi novel of his, a favorite genre of his. Ren and Artemis decided to play some video games downstairs. However, playing video games with Artemis ensured two things: cheating and mocking.

They were playing a racing game and Ren was taking the lead, close to making it to the finish line. "I'm almost there! Just got to keep ahead and victory will be in my grasp!"

Artemis leaned back against the couch, forelegs behind her head while she used her ribbons to hold the controller. "My, my, you've gain quite the lead. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to your first place standing."

Ren only looked at her half of the screen for a moment, but he saw the current item she had. His eyes widened in panic before he shook his controller roughly. "Go faster! GO FASTER!"

With an evil grin, Artemis pressed her items button and launched a blue missile out of her vehicle. The item locked onto Ren's car and dive bombed on top of him, catching him in an explosion that sent his car high in the air.

"NNNOOO!" Ren screamed as Artemis passed by him before he could recover, stealing first place and victory away from her roommate. He collapsed onto his knees, crying. "I was SO close!"

Artemis threw her head back in laughter. "Yes, yes! Your tears are delicious!" Her laughter turned into cackles as Ren curled up on the floor, whimpering.

Quinn rolled his eyes. "Honestly, must you two be so dramatic?"

His girlfriend grinned deviously. "Aww, pipe down, buzz kill! You're just mad that I creamed you in the last race we had."

"You kept spamming those stupid homing missiles of yours! While I was no less than three feet from the finish line!" he argued back furiously. This only sent Artemis further into her fits of laughter, leading her to fall onto her back and kick at the air. Quinn groaned. "Arceus, you're annoying."

She smirked. "I'm not annoying, Spooks. I'm crazy!" She laughed again. Quinn sighed, then smiled to himself as he stared at her.

"You're too adorable to stay mad at."

She rolled off her back and onto her rear. She scoffed mockingly. "Well, duh!"

There was a knock on their front door, which immediately pulled Ren out of his defeated position and sprung him up with a delighted smile. "Ooh! Company!" He raced over to the door and opened it. "Hello!"

Standing before him was a Heliolisk-Haxorus Fusion. He looked fairly normal for a Helioisk, but he also had yellow armor plating on his chest, tail, and arms. In addition, he had small axe-tusks located on his cheeks.

The Fusion gave a small wave. "Hey guys, how you doing?"

Quinn crooked his head a bit so he could see the door. "Oh, hey York. Eh, we're just killing time."

"Well, I came by to tell you that everyone's already heading out. You sure hurry before they start without you." He raced off to meet up with his hut-mates.

Ren jumped in the air in excitement. "Oh boy! Another year, another party! Woohoo!" He dashed out of the hut.

"Ren, don't leave without us!" Quinn shouted, but the frog knight was already out the door. He sighed. "Come on, Artemis, let's go."

She shut off the game console and TV before walking over to him. She wrapped her ribbon around his hand before snuggling her way under his arm. "Lead the way, Spooks."

He grinned in amusement, then they exited the hut with Artemis shutting the door behind her. They made their way to the center of the village and could already hear the gathering of the village taking place. Lights were shining brightly out in the darkness, illuminating it beautifully.

They could hear music being played along the stomping of feet, liking from some high-energy dancing taking place. Cheers and laughter made the nightmare Fusion smile, happy that the village they've collectively molded over the years was shaping up into such a friendly community for them.

They made it to the center of the village and saw the wide spread of Fusions around them. For the party itself, there was a wide selection of games to be played, tables laid out for with a buffet waiting to be eaten, and the dance floor for anyone who just wanted to cut loose.

Artemis rubbed her paws together excitedly. "Ooh boy, I'm looking forward to this!"

Quinn chuckled. "Just don't do anything that'll make anyone upset."

"Oh sweetie, we both know I can't stop that from happening." She kissed his cheek. "Ciao." She strutted over to the skeeball game, while also likely forming the best way to get a high score in the cheapest way possible.

Quinn sighed, then made his way through the crowd. Ren was probably with some of the Fusions, likely creeping them out with his positive nature. It was to be expected whenever they got new villagers. More often than not, the first time you enter the village, the frog knight will be the first face to greet you. It can be overwhelming at times, considering his habit to help to an unnecessary degree. If he recalled, York once asked Ren to help clean his hut.

What did he do instead? He performed a deep cleaning everywhere. He even got the wooden floors so clean that they acted like a mirror, which was honestly rather disorienting for York and his hut-mates. Though, even with this in mind, Ren was always the first to help a friend in need, no matter how much they try to push him away.

Speaking of York and his hut-mates, Quinn saw them hanging out at one of the picnic tables set up. Washington, the Frogadier-Banette Fusion, was basically a Frogadier wearing a gray cloak that he wears with a hood. The cloak itself resembled that of a Banette, too. Also, instead of frubbles, he had a spooky purple around his neck that acted as a scarf.

Then there was Sheila, the Lopunny-Zoroark Fusion. A Lopunny with the coloration of a Zoroark, basically black fur and red fluff. She had red claws, large green beads in each ear, and a small fox tail.

Quinn walked over to them as they chatted. York said, "All I'm saying is that you should pick up your stuff more often, Wash."

Wash rolled his eyes. "One whole year living with you and only NOW is this a problem?"

"Need I remind you of the number of times I've tripped out of my room just to head to the bathroom?!"

"If it's such a big deal, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because you were either gone or not listening to me!"

Sheila got between the two. "Alright, no more fighting. Wash, seriously, it would be nice if you picked up after yourself. As hut-mates, we must respect each other's space. Our rooms are our own domain, as is yours. The living room and everywhere else in the hut, however, is a shared space."

Wash scratched behind his head. "…fine. Maybe I could ask Ren to help out."

"Please don't," York mumbled. "I don't want to look at my groggy face through my floor in the morning."

Quinn stepped into view and waved. "Hey guys."

The group smiled. "Oh, hello Quinn," Sheila greeted. "Please, come sit with us."

"Thanks." He slid onto the seat. "How are you guys?"

"Oh, we're doing great. Just…trying to settle personal matter at the moment," York muttered.

"I see. So, how was planning for the festival going?"

Wash sighed. "It was exhausting, that's for sure. I helped carry all those carnival games that were delivered to us. Chris and Dez helped me out, yet it still took a while."

York leaned back. "I helped set up the lights and made sure the children stayed out of everyone's way while they were goofing around."

Sheila smiled. "I helped with the cooking. I wasn't sure if we would get it all done, but I'm glad we did. Cooking for an entire village can be pretty tiring." She laughed a bit before frowning. "Oh…Quinn, that reminds me. When I was helping out Artemis, she let something slip about you feeling down earlier."

Quinn face-palmed. Honestly Artemis, is my gloominess suddenly public news?! He sighed. "Okay, before you say anything, I just want to focus on the party. No mention of my parents or anything like that. I just want to move pass everything from earlier and go on with my day."

"Well…okay, but you can always talk to me if you need anything."

"I'm fine, Sheila, don't worry." His stomach growled at him. He chuckled. "Well…I could go for some food, though."

Wash smiled. "We better hurry before Charlie decides to go nuts on the buffet." They nodded and raced off to the buffet table.

Over with Ren, he was keeping to his word from earlier and dancing like there was no tomorrow. He took center of the stage and went all out in his moves. He spun on his back, then held himself up on one hand before flipping and performing a perfect split. He spun out of the splits and spun on his head.

"Go Ren! Go Ren! Go Ren!" the crowd cheered.

He stopped himself, launched himself in the air with a twirl, then landed on his feet before posing dramatically. The crowd around him cheered and clapped before continuing with dancing themselves.

Ren walked off the stage, slightly out of breath. "Phew, that was quite the workout." He went over to a buffet table and got some salad and berries.

"You were amazing out there, Ren!" a bubbly voice said behind him. He turned to greet a Braixen-Lucario Fusion. She had the coloration of a Lucario (tan fur around the face and shoulders, blue fur for her body, ears, and tail, and black fur for the fluff in her ears and the tip of her tail) and wrist and chest spikes. She had her usual stick laying in her tail, which lights up with a blue aura flame when activated.

Ren grinned. "Gee, thanks Rebecca! I was just doing what felt natural! Though, I've got to say, I wasn't sure if I could do the splits!" He laughed. "That one was by complete accident!"

She chuckled. "Only you would pull off a crazy move like that without knowing." She held her hands behind her back and kicked at the ground. "So, you going to continue dancing later?"

"Of course! I just need to get my energy back up and it's party time once more!"

She smiled. "Well, uh…I'm sure they'll be doing some slow dances later. It'd be…you know, kind of nice if someone were to ask to dance with me, don't you think?"

Ren tapped his chin in thought, then grinned. "Oh, I get what you're saying!"

She smiled brightly. "Really?!"

"Uh huh!" He pointed over the crowd. "I see Ulysses over there! I'm sure he wouldn't mind dancing with you!"

Rebecca faltered a bit at his dense reply. "I-I-I-I, uh…actually, what I meant was…" She sighed, then gave him a light smile. "Um…thanks."

"No problem! See you later! Enjoy the party!" He walked off.

Rebecca sighed, rubbing her arm. "Maybe I should have been a bit more blunt…"

She felt a comforting pat on her shoulder. "Oh, don't let it bug you too much."

She turned and faced her hut-mate, Shane. He was a Gengar-Phione Fusion. He was a rather small Gengar, probably the size of a Raticate. He was deep sea blue, had red eyes, a red gem on his stomach, and a ribbon like protrusion from the top of his head, ending in a clawed hand. Instead of legs, he gets around on a single spike he hops on.

Rebecca chuckled. "Oh, it's no big deal. Sure, Ren's cute and sweet, but it's not like I'm desperate to dance with him or anything." She sighed. "Still, you'd think he would have realized I was asking to dance with him."

"He's got a good heart, but he can be a little oblivious."

"A little doesn't cut it," a new voice joined in. They turned to a Hitmonchan-Scizor Fusion, Chris. He was a Hitmonchan with the exoskeleton of a Scizor, making his body a shiny red. His eyes were dark yellow and his fists were claw-like in appearance. He grabbed a plastic cup and walked over to a drink dispenser. "He's scatterbrained beyond understanding."

Rebecca chuckled. "Yeah, but he's still lovable."

Chris smiled coolly. "In a way, yes." He poured himself a drink.

Shane bounced back. "Well, I am going to check out some of the games we got. Any recommendations, Chris?"

He swirled his drink around. "I think Wash and I carried in a shooting station. You know, those ones where you have to fill a clown head with water?"

Shane considered it for a moment. "Hmm…sounds interesting. Thank you." He was about to bounce off, but he stopped before looking back, giving the two an unnervingly blank stare. "By the way, don't let Spaz drink that punch." He blinked, shook his head, then bounced off.

Rebecca stared oddly as he left. "What do you suppose he meant by that?" Shane had the unique ability to predict bad fortunes through the most obscured details, a combination of the mythos around Phione bringing good luck and the ghostly creepiness of a Gengar. While sometimes it came off as odd advice, it wasn't to be taken lightly.

Chris took a light sip of the punch out of curiosity, then his eyes widened, nearly spitting the drink. He got himself to swallow it. "Ugh! Crap, that's a lot of sugar!"

"What? Let me see." She took the cup and took a sip as well. Her fur stood up at the sudden rush of sweetness that hit her body as she forcibly swallowed it. "Ugh…now I see what Shane meant."

"But who mixed all this sugar in? I didn't see anyone add anything." That's when his mind immediately clicked. "Wasn't Artemis helping out with the cooking?"

They blinked twice before making a mad dash around the crowd. "SPAZ! DON'T DRINK THE PUNCH!"

While the two of them ran off to find the particular Fusion, Juniper was having a good ol' time hanging out with some of her friends. Asadi, the Raichu-Sneasel, was a Raichu with dark brown fur, a light red underbelly and stripes, red eyes, and snow white paw tips. She had a Sneasel feather behind her left ear and three more at the base of her tail.

Then there was Dez, the Manectric-Aggron Fusion. He was a Manectric with the skull and jaw of an Aggron covering his head like a helmet. He had plating going to his front legs, with his back still containing the electricity fur that now flared white.

Juniper had ten cans of soda lined up in front of her, which she casually drank. "Hehe, now this is what I call fun. No work to do, just good ol' food and drinks to pass me by." She chugged down a can of soda.

Dez smirked. "Don't you usually fall asleep at your post when you're doing watchtower duty?"

She grinned. "How many break ins have we had every time I've been on duty?"

"Well, none, but…"

"So I'm doing a great job!"

Asadi chuckled. "I'm with you there, sister." She tapped her soda can against hers. "I didn't mind setting up the lighting system for this, but I always look forward to a little free time."

Juniper chuckled. "Your entire day is basically free time."

She laughed back. "Oh, I would be in heaven if that were the case." They laughed, clanged their cans again, and took a big drink.

Dez chuckled. "Speaking of which, how did you convince Hawkins to attend? I'd assume he would rather be staying away from social events like this."

She rolled her eyes with a small grin. "I just gave him a little warning that I might be too distracted having fun, like a normal person, to be watching over Wantanabe." She chuckled. "Sure, he acts like he doesn't care, but I know he cares about the little squirt." She pointed her can at him. "How did you convince Emily to join in?"

Dez waved his paw. "Oh guys, she isn't that bad. Sure, she can be rather cold-"

"Pun intended?" Juniper muttered with a joking smile.

The hound rolled his eyes. "-but, she isn't as antisocial as Hawkins. Plus, Charlie was insisted on her coming. He didn't want her missing out on all the fun. She may hate the world outside of our small little world here, but that doesn't mean she has to act like a stranger to everyone. We're all family."

Asadi smiled. "Cheers to that." She looked to the side and beamed. "Ooh, I think they brought a bounce house, too."

Juniper grabbed two unopened sodas and stuck them in her sleeves, then grabbed two more, popped the tops off, and guzzled half the contents of each. Once she licked her lips clean, she said, "You read my mind! Let's bounce!" she quipped, skipping over to bouncy castle.

Dez chuckled. "Man, is there ever a moment when she isn't smiling?" he asked Asadi as they followed her.

"I think the world would implode if she lost her natural optimism," she supposed, leading the two to laugh.

Away from the dancing and partying, a group of kids were running around cheerfully, playing games with the numerous sports balls they had lying around. Three kids in particular were playfully passing a soccer ball around with glee.

The first was Charlie, the Munchlax-Lilligant Fusion. He was a Munchlax with a big orange flower on his head and leaves on his back similar to the ones found on a Lilligant's.

The second was Wantanabe, the Eevee-Salamance Fusion. He had a light cream-colored body and red neck scruff. His eyes were purple and had a slightly longer tail than what normal Eevee's had. Around his body was a dark gray shell vest around his chest, shoulders, and upper back.

Finally, there was Harper, the Eevee-Ditto Fusion. She looked like a regular Eevee, except her fur was mostly purple and her neck scruff was blob like. It regularly shifted in shape based on her movements.

Charlie bounced the soccer ball on his head, laughing. While Wantanabe and Harper were significantly younger than him, the Fusion was very child-like and enjoyed playing with the younger children. He bopped the ball in the air and hit it with his head at Harper. "Catch Harper!"

She stuck her tongue out as energy flowed through her tail, transforming it into a furry hand, catching the ball. She jumped up and down with glee. "I caught it! I caught it!"

"No, you're not supposed to use your hands on a soccer ball," Charlie reminded.

Harper giggled. "Silly Charlie! I have no hands! I'm using my tail!" As Charlie tried to wrap his mind around the logic, which was pretty sound, Harper wound her tail back and tossed the ball at Wantanabe.

He smiled brightly and leaped in their air, catching the ball with all four of his paws. He bounced across the ground and came to a rolling stop. "Woo! Do it again!" He laughed when Harper jumped on him and bopped the ball out of his paws. "Hey!" he shouted while laughing, before the two chased after the ball. Charlie laughed as well and followed after them.

Watching from the sidelines was the Roserade-Meowstic Fusion, Hawkins. He was a Roserade with the Meowstic ears, which had the eye organs underneath, and twin tails. Rather than skin, he had fur that was light to sky blue with forest green colorations for the undertones. He had normal Meowstic arms and hands with petals growing along the surface in traditional blue and red coloration.

He sighed, pinched between his eyes. "Why must I subject myself to such trivial activities? I have much more pressing matters to attend to."

"You can take one day off from training." He felt the icy presence of the Mawile-Froslass Fusion, Emily. She had icy blue eyes and the hood of a Froslass which had her large jaw appendage underneath. She had the coloration of a Froslass and has the flares of a Froslass situated on her arms. She leaned against a house and sighed cold air. "This is a time of celebration and peace for our tribe."

Hawkins scoffed. "Peace isn't how I would describe it. Besides, this 'celebration' lacks the formality my classic tastes desire. How can anyone have fun rolling around in the dirt like this?" he asked, gesturing to the roughhousing children and Charlie.

Emily closed her eyes. "This isn't about just you. This is our way of introducing the newcomers and giving them something to look forward to. A time of the year to remind us of our true selves and to acknowledge our existence."

"Yet you speak as if this is a peaceful event." He shook his head. "Outside the walls of this village lies hatred and malice. Surely you know that better than anyone."

She glared at the Fusion as the air around her grew colder. "What happens outside these walls is none of my concern. The Pokémon do not concern me either. In fact, I wouldn't mind sending every last one of them into a wintery hell for the anguish they've brought upon us."

They stumbled forward a bit as they felt someone wrap their arms around their necks in a friendly, rough manner. "Now why y'all talking like that?" Their surprise third was a Sandshrew-Glaceon Fusion, named Dakota. She was a Sandshrew that had light blue fur with a blue diamond mark on her back and a white underbelly. She had the teal tuque on its head with the teal dangle hanging on each side. "No need to be a bunch of sourpusses. Especially you, buster," she directed at Hawkins, poking his nose.

Hawkins shrugged her off. "Honestly Dakota, I have no reason to be here other than to watch over Wantanabe."

She grinned. "He seems perfectly fine to me. Why not enjoy some of the games we have lying around?"

"Oh please, what joy would I have out of shooting a motley face freak with a squirt gun or rolling a ball up a ramp?"

"Give it a shot and you might be surprised."

He scoffed, turning away from her. "As I said, I much rather train than suffer any more of this outrageous, uncivilized madness."

Dakota rolled her eyes. "Just stay around long enough for the Fusion Council to give their yearly speech before you go storming off."

He folded his arms behind his back. "…very well. After that, I'm heading back to my hut." He walked away from them, far enough to keep his distance, but still in sight of Wantanabe.

Emily glanced at Dakota. "Was it necessary to butt in like that?"

"Oh, don't go complaining to me," she warned, lower her eyelids. "What was that I heard about you wanting to send ALL Pokémon to a wintery hell?"

She looked away. "Not like they don't deserve it…"

Dakota crossed her arms. "I can think of a lot of Pokémon who need a good slap of reality, but to say you want to punish all Pokémon is just plain stupid. Need I remind you that a lot of Fusions here come from good families who are Pokémon? Ren's family? Sheila's family? Even Hawkins' folks cared about him. You have no right to make such a threat on all lives, especially after the number of times you've almost killed an intruder."

Emily closed her eyes, then proceeded to leave. "I've yet to see how trying to do the same to us makes their case any easier…"

Dakota scratched the side of her head and sighed. Much like Ren, she was one of the first Fusions to enter the village. She was thirteen when she first arrived and has grown to try and help any Fusions she could, mostly as a teacher. She did well at helping the younger generation of Fusions, but Emily's case shows that the older, more experienced villagers are more hardened on their past.

A ball rolled up to her feet, shifting her attention to Charlie as he ran up and grabbed the ball. "Oh, hi Ms. Dakota." He looked around. "I thought Emily was here too."

Dakota smiled. "Oh, she just went to do something. I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Harper and Wantanabe ran over to them, jumping up and down. "Ms. Dakota!" Harper excitedly exclaimed. "You want to play soccer with us?! Please!"

"Yeah, yeah! Please, Ms. Dakota!" Wantanabe begged, wagging his long tail.

Dakota smiled down at their innocent faces, then patted their heads. "Maybe after the ceremony speech is over. Which reminds me, it should be starting soon. Go get some dinner and I'll join you three."

They smiled. "Okay!" They ran off, laughing.

Dakota chuckled and followed after them. She looked back once more, seeing that Emily was also heading over to the buffet table to. Guess she was still keeping an eye on the kids before deciding to join in. Dakota smiled to herself. "Well…at least you remain true to the people who care about you here…" Arms folded behind her back, she left to get some food.

Over at the gaming area, Artemis was in a heated skee-ball battle with the Corphish-Crabrawler Fusion, Crawford. He was a purple Corphish with the right arm of a Crabrawler. Despite only having pincers, he was doing surprisingly well at throwing the balls up the ramp and into the holes.

Standing behind them and watching were Crawford's hut-mates. The first was Spaz, the Pikachu-Celebi Fusion. He's a Pikachu whose fur color was the same shade of green as a Celebi's. He had two antennas protruding from his forehead and tiny fairy wings on his back that only allowed him to hover for several seconds. He held a cup of the unknowingly 'spiked' punch.

Next to him was Codex, the Rotom-Porygon-Z Fusion. He was basically an entire Rotom connected to the body of a Porygon-Z by his ghostly electricity. The usual red and blue body was now purple and white respectively. He was observantly analyzing the skee-ball battle between Artemis and Crawford, taking note of their shots and techniques with keen detail.

Crawford grinned. "A very fine battle, lassy, but I'll have ye know that I shall take the most points from this battle!" He raised his last ball.

Artemis scoffed. "In your dreams!" She held up her last ball in her ribbon.

They winded back, then rolled the balls down the ramp. They flew up and landed into the 50,000 pocket at the same time. With the game over, the machine lit up the final scores, with Artemis sitting at 500,000 and Crawford scoring 410,000.

The cheeky Eevee-Fusion snickered. "Perfect high score."

Crawford waved his pincer at her. "I know ye were cheating, lass! Some of those shots weren't even actual throws! Ye just dunked them in when me back was turned!"

Artemis smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Codex tilted his head, rather confused. "I beg your pardon, Ms. Artemis, but I recall Crawford's claim to be quite true, as I have been analyzing every moment of the match. Are you perhaps suffering from any form of short term memory loss?"

Spaz shook his head. "Codex, she-didn't-mean-it-literally. She's-just-messing-with-Crawford." Spaz was constantly in a state of fast movement, as his time abilities seemed to have accelerated his every action, even speech. He normally spoke like this if he was excited or high in energy. Which is why he doesn't drink caffeinated beverages or eat too much sugar.

Back before he became a member of the village, he lived around in the city messing with Pokémon. One day, he accidentally drank a beverage called Red Tauros, unaware of the caffeine inside, and the results were less than pleasing for Julian Roteman when he saw the video feed. It was only one second, yet the Fusion somehow managed to cause damage down an entire street. Once Spaz was brought into the village, Julian made it clear that Spaz must limit his sugar intake to avoid another mishap like that again.

In the case with Codex…well, he was a living computer, basically. He took everything literally, so telling him a joke might result in him deciphering the joke in its entirety or completely missing the point in general. The techno ghost blinked at his hut-mate for moment, then smiled. "Oh, I see. She is making a taunt in order to boast her victory in the form of an exaggerated lie, correct?"

Artemis chuckled. "Never change, Codex. You are a hoot."

"I do not possess any traits that would allow me to hoot naturally, Ms. Artemis. I am quite clearly not an owl Pokémon." This only made her laugh harder.

Spaz chuckled, then swirled his drink around. "Well, I'm-parched. Wonder-how-good-this-punch-is."

Artemis rubbed her paws together deviously. "Yes Spaz…do it. Drink the punch…"

Spaz blinked. "Ooookay…" He pressed the edge of the cup to his lips and…

"NO!" Rebecca suddenly appeared in front of him through the use of Extreme Speed and slapped the cup out of his hand. "None of that!"

"What-the-heck?!" Spaz jumped back in shock.

Chris ran over, panting slightly. "Oh thank goodness, he didn't drink it." He glared at Artemis. "Artemis, do you want him tearing the party apart? It took us all day to get this set up! We don't want him tearing down our homes too!"

The devious Fusion pouted. "But it would have been funny…"

Spaz blinked in confusion. "I'm-sorry…what-happened?"

Rebecca patted his shoulder. "Artemis spiked the punch with a lot of sugar, hoping you would drink it."

"Really?" He blinked twice, then laughed along with Artemis. "Wow! Almost-got-me-there, Artemis! I-would-have-gone-nuts-if-I-drank-that!"

"Aww, thanks, Spaz!" Artemis exclaimed, patting his head with her ribbon.

"Please don't encourage her," Chris deadpanned.

A skipping of air sounded over their heads, ending with Tamara dropping down in front of the group. Spaz's face immediately lit up red before facing away from the ninja cat. Unaware of this, Tamara says, "Hey guys, start heading over to the center of the village. The festival speech will begin shortly."

"Thank you for the update, Ms. Tamara," Codex thanked.

Tamara narrowed her eyes on Spaz. "Hey Spaz, you heard me, right?"

He flinched, then tapped his finger together. They appeared as blur from his speed. "Y-Y-Yeah, of-course-I-did!"

She smiled. "Good. See you all in a few!" She crouched down, then leaped into the air before vanishing out of sight.

Once she was gone, Spaz dropped his head, hiding his shame. Codex floated over him and scanned his body. "Spaz, there seems to be increased blood flow in your face, specifically around the cheeks. And your heart is beating abnormally fast…more so than usual."

Crawford laughed aloud. "Oh Cody, the boy's just shy around the lass!" He slapped Spaz across the back, knocking him over in shock.

"I do not see how timidity is the culprit. He is likely suffering from a fever."

Spaz picked himself up, then spoke normally. "Crawford, she's amazing and…stunning, yes, but I'm also downright terrified of her…" He tapped his foot rapidly. "She has been trying to race me ever since I came here! I can't say yes! If I beat her, she'll never stop bugging me! But if I let her win, she'll hate me!"

"Ah, come now, she isn't that hotheaded."

Spaz deadpanned. "She chased me around the village when Harper said I was faster than her. It took me half an hour to get her off my back."

Crawford laughed. "Well, at least she thinks you're worthy of being called her rival!"

Spaz's head faltered. "Lucky me…"

Artemis pushed the trio in the direction of the center of the village. "Alright, enough chitchat. I'm hungry!"

The villagers gathered in the center of the village, taking their seats after serving themselves at the buffet table. The many varieties of Fusions talked lively with each other as they waited for the speech to begin.

Quinn sat down with a plate of rice and berries with a separate plate of fries. He took a bite out of his berries when he felt someone press up against his side. He swallowed his berry and chuckled. "Having fun, Artemis?"

She snickered. "Oh, you know it." In front of her was a plate of meat. Burgers, hotdogs, bacon, etc. She, of course, got herself some berries as well. She snagged a fry off his plate and nibbled on it. "What about you?"

He shrugged. "I was just chatting with York and his friends."

She nudged his side with a smirk. "You could join me for a game of skee-ball. Or maybe I can whoop your butt in a dance off?"

He rolled his eyes with a grin. "Perhaps you could try beating me in something more academic?"

"Aww, but I don't like studying~!" she whined, waving her forelegs cutely. "I would wather beat people up~!" she added with a babyish, cutesy tone.

Quinn poked her cheek. "Not today, missy."

She slapped his claw away, chuckling. "Fine, whatever."

Ren slid into the table with a bright grin. "Hey guys!"

Quinn smiled. "Hey Ren." He narrowed his eyes lightly. "You look worn out."

Ren wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Yeah, I was dancing my heart out tonight." He raised his fist at the sky. "It was to show my compassion to this glorious village and my commitment to it!"

"By running yourself ragged?" Artemis questioned, raising a brow.

He waved her comment off. "I may be exaggerating a bit, but I was having fun either way."

The surrounding noise seemed to quiet down as six individuals came made their appearance. One of them was Liam, walking with his staff in hand. He waved to everyone with a friendly, welcoming smile. Many of the Fusions waved back excitedly.

The other five were part of the Fusion Council, who helped Liam run the village. The first of them was Peregrine, the Farfetch'd-Empoleon Fusion. He was a Farfetch'd with black feathers, a blue underside, and a trident shaped crest. He carried a finely sharpened leek under his right wing. Peregrine was the second in command of the village if Liam had to take a business trip.

Next was Gracelyn, the Bewear-Regigigas Fusion. As a Bewear, while the color of her head, back, and tail were still pink, her body was white with six gemstones on the front. She had yellow rings around her shoulders and wrists. She had black stripes running down her arms and a thick bush of moss on her back. She was the head doctor of the tribe and took care of the sick and injured.

Next was Abraham, the Smeargle-Ninetales Fusion. He was a Smeargle with gray fur and a dull blue paw print on his back. His most notable feature was the nine long fox tails he had, which were double his height with the tips of the tails colored dull blue. He helped make sure the younger Fusions got a proper education, so he was head of teaching.

Then there were the two heads of security, Lewis and Cade. Lewis was a Lucario-Samurott Fusion with a Samurott head shell that was as hard as steel and white whiskers growing out of both sides of his snout. He had shell plating on his chest with his chest spike sticking through, and on his forearms and upper arms. He had plating attach to his thighs that acted as sheathes for his twin scalchop blades. Finally, his tail looked normal, aside from being more fish-like.

Finally, there was Cade, the Pangoro-Spiritomb Fusion. He's a Pangoro with a gray swirl in his left eye. His arms were gray and stone like, with a single carved line on each twisting downward until reaching his wrists. He and Lewis served as the main protectors of the village, defending it from serious harm. Thankfully, it has never reached a point where they had to go all out in a fight. Mostly, they just dealt with aggressive Pokémon that didn't have any bite to match their bark.

All six of them served as the founders of the village, with Liam serving as the one who brought them all together. They were seen as symbols of change for the Fusions, as protectors of their kind. This was not only a symbol for the Fusions, it was also truth. They were the most powerful members of the village, with Liam ranking above all of them. If there was a point where they needed to protect their members, they will gladly put their lives on the line to protect them.

They took their seats at a large table that allowed them to face the crowd of Fusions. Abraham leaned back in his seat with a relaxed expression. Lewis and Cade took seats next to each other, the former looking stern and the latter looking rather bright and optimistic. Liam sat next to cade, with his other side being taken up by Peregrine, who looked a bit grumpy. Gracelyn took her seat at the other end of the table and smiled kindly at the many faces in front of her.

The crowd took a moment to quiet down. Once it did, Liam was the first to begin. "Good day, residents of Gappei Village! I take it everyone is enjoying the festival?" A collective chorus of cheers rang through the air. Liam laughed. "Splendid, truly splendid. Nothing makes us happier than seeing you all in high spirits."

Peregrine rolled his eyes. "Speak for yourself. Too high in energy and they become a nuisance."

Gracelyn glanced down at him. "Peregrine, honestly, there's no need to act so rude to everyone."

He scratched his back with his leek. "Hey, everyone needs to know that I'm willing to bring the hammer down should any of them step out of line. That's always been my policy when running a village."

Lewis rolled his eyes. "How we haven't gotten revolts because of you is a mystery…"

Abraham chuckled, then continued with the speech. "Anyway, I feel we should give a big round of applause to the newest members of our ever-growing family. Give a hand to them, folks!" He clapped, leading most of the crowd to clap along with him while some of the Fusions looked down with bashful, embarrassed smiles or upbeat, proud smiles.

Cade spoke next. "I feel we should give a hand to Mr. Roteman for providing for the festival once again. He has been a big contributor to our village, after all." This earned another round of applause, though it was a bit softer due to some of the Fusion's distaste for the Pokémon, even if one of them was generously allowing them to live here.

Gracelyn clasped her hands together. "Oh yes, simply wonderful. Reaching the twelfth year of our village's creation certainly is an amazing thing to celebrate. I hope we have another bright new year ahead of us with new members to join in on the fun."

Liam chuckled. "Wishful thinking, Gracelyn." He sighed. "Though, it is hard to say all Fusions can be welcomed into our village." He closed his eyes. "As you all are aware, rogue Fusions exist outside these walls. Rather than hide from the hostility, they bring it back in full force." He shook his head. "A truly terrible thing to witness. Some of you have been on that side of the chaos, bringing misery and anguish to those around you out of spite. Out of loneliness. Out of desperation."

Lewis sighed. "Some of you go out of your way to change their violent behavior so they can live in our haven. Sadly, most of you know that kind of hoping leads to disappointment. We try to teach you all the value of morals, knowing that too much of one side can lead to disaster for another. Utter chaos those Rogues bring. It's an appalling sight."

Peregrine twirled his leek. "That's why some of us have to be tough on you all. We do this to keep a proper balance in the order. If we tip too far into one side of the scale, this home we created will be lost to us forever." He narrowed his eyes. "It's why we make a big deal about trust around here. These are not just people you live alongside. They are your neighbors. Your family. We watch out for each other and pull one another back from those deadly feelings should anyone go down the wrong path." He closed his eyes. "It isn't a friendly path many can return from once their journey goes into motion."

Cade folded his hands together. "Many of you wish for there to be a bright tomorrow of peace between Pokémon and Fusion. Some of you don't see a chance for peace. Some of you have a poor outlook on Pokémon, though that doesn't mean we're any better."

Abraham shook his head. "Some of you have done terrible things before coming to this village. Those actions were either intentional or done out of desperation or anger. This village is a sanctuary of second chances. We need to be a strong example to the Pokémon that we are capable of change."

They looked to the crowd and saw Artemis raising her ribbon. "Yes Artemis?" Gracelyn called out.

She lowered her ribbon and asked, "You say that the Pokémon don't deserve this anguish just like we don't. But what about the ones who've tried to harm us, whether it be through physical or mental abuse?" She shrugged. "I'm just saying, giving them a taste of their own medicine wouldn't hurt."

Lewis sighed. "There are many people in this world who have done horrible things and deserve punishment for their actions, but what you're suggesting is revenge. As we said, this village is for second chances. Do any of you really believe what you did to get here was the right thing to do? Lie, cheat, and steal?" Artemis looked away awkwardly.

"Violently harm an entire town?" Cade brought up, which made Wash look down at his feet.

"Murder your own parent and/or others out of anger and fear?" Peregrine asked, which made Emily looked away with a sharp glare while Tamara bowed her head shamefully.

Liam shook his head. "We wish not to remind any of you of the prejudice and discrimination most of you were forced to endure. Some of you are the lucky ones, born into a family of caring Pokémon who only seek the best out of you. Yet you have a lot to learn from the ones who had to survive, whether it be on the streets or in your own homes."

Gracelyn nodded. "Many of you had to suffer for our history stained in blood and distrust. While it may have left scars too deep to go away, it does give you a perspective on how the Rogues must feel. You're the Fusions that stepped away from that dark path before it was too late."

Liam placed a hand over his heart. "I, too, have been through a lot when I was a boy. I was only lucky to be founded by a trusted Pokémon, one I use to call my friend." He narrowed his eyes. "Even if we have drifted apart, it gave me time to reflect on a future where I can keep a new generation of Fusions safe." He looked out to the crowd. "Do you know why we provide you all with an education? Give you assigned jobs around the village? It's because we believe in change. When the time comes where we are allowed to integrate into Pokémon society, you will all be ready to lead your own lives."

Abraham nodded. "Exactly. Real jobs, freedom to go wherever you please…"

"Starting families…" Cade added. "Raising your own child to pass down these exact lessons. We want this generation to exceed where our history has failed. While you may not know it yet, you all could be the key to breaking this barrier of hatred between us."

Liam grabbed a glass of water in front of him and raised it. "Until then, let us enjoy our time here for as long as we can. Eventually, we will break the mold our two societies has created. We will bring peace back to our name."

Quinn stared intently at the six councilmen, then raised his hand. "Chief Liam, sir?" Liam gestured him to speak. "I…" He lowered his hand a bit, feeling hesitance in even asking. "I, uh…" He gulped, then asked, "…what if that never happens? What if we're doomed to be seen as…monsters in their eyes?" This question wasn't far too different to what he asked earlier, but he wanted hear it again for...reassurance.

Liam stared back at the Charmeleon-Darkrai, pondering his question. Then he smiled wholeheartedly. "Well, quite the claim you're making, my boy. However…I don't believe in 'what ifs'. They are questions spawned from doubt." He swirled his glass around. "Doubt is something we all have in the back of our minds, whether it be a minor inconvenience or a possible catastrophe."

He chuckled lightly. "To me…taking a risk and failing at least means you have the heart to try again until success is achieved."

Quinn looked away for a moment. Taking a risk to incite change? He wasn't one for risk, but…doing nothing didn't seem like the best option either. He sighed, then smiled at the godly ape. "Thank you, sir."

He nodded. "You're quite welcome." He raised his glass once more, gesturing the Fusions before him to join in. "To another year of good fortune and change."

"Here, here!" they cheered, before taking a sip of their drinks.

As the festival continued to go on throughout the night, their secluded forest received nightly visitors walking along the dirt path to the village. Julian Roteman walked along the path with his hands behind his back. Following him closely was his secretary by his side and two bodyguards, a Nidoking and a Carnivine, wearing black suits and sunglasses while wielding guns in the event things got out of hand. Julian tried to plead that he didn't need protection, but they were persistent in keeping the man safe.

"Seriously, gents, I'll be fine. This is just a simple business matter I need to discuss with Chief Liam."

The Nidoking shook his head. "Absolutely not, sir. It is our job to protect at every possible hour of your day."

Carnivine nodded. "Besides, we can't trust those Fusions will behave as cooperatively as you believe."

Julian sighed, then looked to Brea. "You just HAD to tell them I'd be heading out, didn't you?"

Brea pushed her glasses up. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't keep tabs on you, sir. In all fairness, they are correct. Some of those Fusions don't like you, even if you are the one who gave them their new home. As I recall, a select few have tried to kill very passionate protesters."

"I trust they'll keep their calm around me. I don't blame them for their hatred, but I know they wouldn't blindly attack me out of bias." He closed his eyes. "However, after today, I'm not sure if that fact will remain true."

"You're playing a wild card with this plan of yours, sir. Liam will not be pleased with what you have to offer."

"I know my way around people, Brea. I wouldn't be a good businessman if I didn't know how to pull a few strings and get people to cooperate." Julian clenched his teeth. "Whether Liam is willing to agree with me or not, I'm not allowing him a decisive choice."

Brea narrowed her eyes at him, then looked ahead as the front gates came into view. "Are you sure you're not reconsidering hiring the Fusion Hunters?"

"What I have planned will not only benefit me, but it might have some positive outcomes for them, too." He smiled. "Again, I can pull a few strings and turn this into a good thing for the Fusions. This gives them a chance to prove their worth."

Brea sighed. "I really hope you know what you're doing…"

They stopped in front of the door. The music playing loudly within the walls of the gated off village. The sounds of cheering and excitement, child-like happiness and freedom from the hate, almost made Julian feel guilty for what he was about to do. However, he was a symbol of progress for the two opposing worlds. His own feelings didn't matter anymore. The Rogues are a danger to his kind. This single action could determine the future for the Fusions, so long as they cooperate in the end.

Julian raised his upper right fist, with his lower arms still folded behind his back. He took a few reassuring breaths, trying to calm his nerves. There was no turning back one his knuckles connected with this wall.

"I hope so too…"

He swung his fist and connected with the gate, resonating a loud knock across the village.