Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon but I do own the characters and plot of this story.


Chapter 6

The feast

I opened my eyes slowly. I was lying on a bed, my friends and Tark sitting around me. I was in the room inside the walls.

"What happened?" I asked as I stood up and stretched.

"You got hit by an Aura Sphere and fainted. Rien and Feather tried to lift you and your wounded friend here but were unable to. Fortunately, two flying Forenhamians and I were coming to rescue you." replied Tark. "We brought you here and gave you some berry juice to strengthen you."

"And the army?" I questioned the old Noctowl.

"We won." Tark calmly replied with a wide smile.

"Really?!"

"Yes! Your plan worked!" Rien enthusiastically exclaimed. I looked at Tark alarmed. I didn't know how he would act hearing that I put myself in danger on purpose.

"Don't worry. Your friends told me everything, but I have to tell you that what you did was foolish!" his voice was solemn but not strict. "You have to understand you must stay alive! The country was waiting for you for a really long time. The Pokemon can't stand loosing another Representative."

"I couldn't just sit there and do nothing!" I protested. "You wouldn't survive the battle and you know it! I'm a Representative and it's my duty to protect the Pokemon of this country, even if that means putting my life in danger."

"Brave and noble words of a true Representative." approved Tark. "However, you're too young and too important to endanger your life. Now," Tark began heading towards the door, "there is a lot to do. When you feel strong enough, come to the city." Tark left the room.

My friends jumped on my bed. "Can you believe the Forenhamians won?" Delilah excitedly asked me.

"And it was because of us!" added Feather. "All they needed was some distraction."

"Yeah! Though, I don't think it was just that. Seeing Jolty in danger must have given them the strength to fight. They had to beat the soldiers so that we could get away." Rien pointed out.

"Why did Tark say that there are a lot to do?" I asked to change the subject. I felt uncomfortable when others talked about me; even when these others were my friends.

"I think there will be a feast tonight." Replied Delilah. "It's the first day after three centuries that Forenham won for real."

"Now that I think of it, Forenham is the only completely free place in Aesler. We can walk on ground which is not controlled by the tyrant!" noticed Feather.

"Then we must enjoy it! Let's go and celebrate, if of course you have rested enough." Rien told me.

"I'm fine!" I replied happily and jumped off the bed.

~*~

The night had fallen at Forenham. The darkness would have made the destroyed buildings look creepy if the Forenhamians hadn't put string lights everywhere. Because of the string lights most of the stars had faded, leaving only the brighter ones alone at the sky. No Forenhamians were walking at the streets as they had probably all gone to the feast. We went to the square with the well and the temple and we found tables put in a circle and all the citizens sitting -others at chairs and others at the floor according to their height- around them.

"Hey, Representative!" Tark called me. He waved at us from one side of the table and pointed at four empty chairs next to him. We went to sit there. "How do you feel?" he asked the four of us worriedly.

"We're okay! Just a bit exhausted." Replied Feather. A rumble was heard.

"And a bit hungry!" said a blushed Rien. We laughed and Rien blushed even more.

"Don't worry! We have gathered so much food that it will last for three more centuries of besiegement!" smiled Tark. Indeed. Not long after Tark had spoken, the cooks began bringing hundreds of plates, full of food. There where both vegetables and meat as there were all kinds of Pokemon in Forenham.

Tark grabbed his glass with his wing and raised it. "Forenhamians!" he addressed the Pokemon who stopped what they were doing immediately and looked at him. "Today is a big day. We fought against the tyrant's army for three hundred years. Many lives were lost during these battles and we saw our beloved city being destroyed continuously. However, no Forenhamian ever complained and none lost their faith in the Representatives. Finally, it all pays off. A Representative is not only here safe, but she's here after our success in beating the army, thanks to these four kids. To the Representative of Hope and her partners!" he drank from the glass and the Forenhamians repeated his words and drank from their glasses too. "Let the feast begin!" Tark exclaimed and the Forenhamians seemed glad to hear that declaration.

I was amused at how much Forenhamians could eat. Of course, they had starved while they had to fight hard so it wasn't a surprise that they ate such big amounts of food. They ate heartily and were truly enjoying it. I saw happy faces everywhere and when the Forenhamians noticed that I was looking towards them, smiled to me or inclined their heads like they were thanking me. I could understand that these reactions came straight from their hearts.

"Representative." Tark addressed me. I turned my head towards him. "I must tell you some things. You remember that I told you not to do anything foolish again. No! Let me talk!" he raised his wing when he saw me ready to protest.

"Your action to aid the city was really admirable but, such noble acts have lost their worth nowadays."

I raised my brows surprised.

"The ages when the brave and the kind ones were admired have passed, Representative. Now, bravery, kindness, compassion, justice and other similar virtues, are synonymous with foolishness." I opened my mouth to speak but Tark raised his wing once more.

"I don't like what I'm saying but I'm afraid that it's the truth. The Pokemon of Aesler have lost their old selves. If a battle is certainly lost and you keep fighting, don't expect your army to come and aid you. They'll probably retreat and try to save their lives. If you excuse someone who committed a crime, don't expect them to feel grateful and become honest. They'll probably commit a crime once more.

"It's not that they're bad Pokemon. The conditions have made them like that. The tyrant won't reward someone because they did something noble. Instead, it's more probable to reward an assassin who killed someone he didn't like than, let's say, someone who saved a Pokemon from certain death. The Pokemon are poor and tormented. They would do anything for a crumble of bread, even if that's against the law, even if they have to go with the tyrant's side.

"That's why we need you, Jolty. We need a person who will bring justice back. We need someone kind and you're a kind Pokemon. However, you can't rule when you're dead, right? You have to stay alive so that you can help the Pokemon of Aesler become like they used to be..." he paused. "Now," he said, his expression changing completely with the change of subject, "I have to bring the "Wreath of Honor"." Tark left the table, leaving me concerned.

I appreciated his kind words and understood what he said about how the Pokemon had become corrupted. However, I thought that he wasn't completely right. A part of me wanted to do what he said: stay safe and not do other brave things but, another part told me to do what was right and what I had to do as a Representative. How could I do nothing when I knew that I could help? How could I think about my safety, the safety of a single Pokemon, when I could save hundreds of other? That part, which probably was my conscience, seemed to be stronger than the other, coward part. It was instructing me to be brave and put the others before myself when I had to. Both parts seemed to be right but, which one should I follow?

"Hey guys! Do you enjoy the food?" said a voice. We turned around and saw Ben who came and sat at Tark's empty chair.

"It's delicious!" said Delilah.

"Our cooks did their best!" the Magmar smiled. "Oh and, I wanted to personally thank the four of you for what you did."

"Nah! Don't thank us! Thank Jolty. It was her idea, we just helped." replied Feather.

"I couldn't have made it without you." I solemnly told him. "I wouldn't have been able to escape that easily from the soldiers."

"Jolty's right. You must thank Rien and Feather too! Just don't thank me. I was the one who slowed them down." Delilah said sadly.

"Don't say rubbish, Delilah! We're a team! We need every member to survive!" I told her with a smile and she smiled back.

"So, how did you know where the catacombs' entrance was?" Ben asked curiously.

"The kids of the city told us. Now that I think of it, we must thank them too! Oh, and before I forget, that mechanism at the exit of the catacombs is brilliant!" exclaimed Rien.

"Well, as for the mechanism it comes from a country far away from Aesler. When the trade between Aesler and other places was flourishing, we used to trade many things with different countries. These mechanisms are indeed a great thing. When the merchants brought them in Aesler, the Representatives decided that such a thing had to be used for something important.

"So, they created the catacombs and put the mechanisms at their exits. Also, they prohibited the use of these mechanisms to everyone here in Aesler. That may not sound right but, it was a very wise decision. The Pokemon slowly forgot everything about them and only the leaders were aware of their existence. The tyrant, his soldiers and everyone who could betray the existence of the catacombs, cannot use them. That keeps the cities like Forenham safe. If a city was to be destroyed by an enemy army, its citizens would be able to escape without the soldiers noticing them."

"I see." Said Rien. Suddenly, silence fell among the Forenhamians who turned their gazes towards the middle of the circle the tables created. Tark was standing there with a wreath in his beak.

"Today, our city was left with fewer citizens than before. As in every battle, there were some Pokemon who got killed. You have seen countless wreaths like this one during your lives. They're as many as our battles in numbers. They're made to honor those who died for Forenham so we gave them the name "Wreaths of Honor". This wreath shall be put at the temple and stay there until it withers. Let's pause for a moment of silence."

'With all that celebration, I forgot there are also those who didn't make it.' I thought. 'I feel ashamed for not having thought about them. They were so unlucky! If they were alive, they would finally see their city free, without an entire army surrounding it'.

"Now, I will announce their names, though all of us know who are missing from today's feast. After all, our city isn't very big and has a few citizens so we can all notice their absence." Tark began announcing the names of the Pokemon. "We wish that you rest in peace." he said when he finished announcing the names. "Now, let's not let sadness ruin this joyful day. I'm sure that these Pokemon wouldn't want something like that to happen. Our band will play and whoever wants can dance."

Ben stood up to let Tark sit once the Noctowl approached our table. "No, Ben it's not necessary! I'll sit somewhere else." Tark told the Magmar who sat down once more.

The band began playing a happy and quick song and many Forenhamians left their seats and went inside the circle to dance. I didn't recognize the song so I thought that it was a local song.

"Hey, Delilah! You're Lorelai's daughter right? Why don't you dance a bit? Lorelai was a great dancer!" told her Ben.

"Um…" the Shinx said, seeming embarassed.

"Come on!" we encouraged her and a faint smile appeared at her blushed face.

"Okay!" she said and slowly went in the circle seeming a bit out of place at first but she then began dancing. She didn't seem to know the steps of the dance but she was dancing so well that the steps were completely unnecessary.

"She's pretty good!" admired Rien.

"That's something I would never do!" I said.

"Why? You aren't good at dancing?" Feather asked me.

"I don't know if I'm good. I just know that I would be really embarrassed if I had to dance in front of all these Pokemon." I replied smiling.

Soon, the Forenhamians had noticed Delilah's dancing and slowly stopped dancing to watch the Shinx. Delilah seemed to have gotten used to the song's rhythm and was tapping her legs and swirling around with extreme elegance. When the song ended, the Forenhamians began clapping enthusiastically. Delilah was blinking and looking all around her as she seemed to not have noticed that the other dancers had removed from the circle and all eyes were looking at her.

She returned to her seat with a big smile and two slightly pink cheeks as we were clapping and shouting louder than everyone. The band began playing another song and the Pokemon returned at the circle. Nothing could ruin the joy of the Forenhamians that night, neither the fact that they had to once more rebuild their houses nor the fact that some had lost loved ones. An important part of my journey had come to its end. However, the most difficult part was about to come. I had to continue journeying around Aesler. My success in escaping the army twice and helping the city of Forenham made me have confidence in myself, though. Alone or with the help of others, I would do my best for the Pokemon of this country because it seemed like I could really be of some help after all!