The Party

For the first time in his life Barry would not be spending his birthday with his parents, and he'd been trying his best not to let that affect him too much.

He couldn't blame them for not coming all the way to Pastoria. With the threat of Team Galactic now looming all over the region it would be a miracle if they got a single day off. The people of Sinnoh needed them; what was a lousy birthday compared to that?

They called to say they'd swing by as soon as they could to give him his present, but he told them not to worry through a forced smile. They shouldn't strain themselves, he said. There would be plenty of time later to get together and eat cake.

Hopefully.

Forlorn, he looked down at the birthday card they'd sent through Noctowl mail, and folded it into his pocket after what felt like a minute. He walked to the mirror in his room and examined his own face.

No, that wouldn't do, he decided. He'd have to change his expression before going downstairs to have breakfast with Niss and the rest. It was his day, and he was supposed to be happy, if not for himself then at least for the people around him.

So he changed into his freshly washed clothes, combed his hair for the second or third time in his life and practiced a few smiles. Once he found one that suited him he opened the door of his room and walked down the stairs, into the lobby of the Pokemon Center.

He barely set foot there before a familiar pair of arms closed around him, throwing his body into the nearby wall.

Inyssa didn't care one bit that the place was packed full of trainers (and to be honest, when the hell wasn't it?), nor that she felt a few of eyes on her back as soon as she tackle-hugged Barry into the wall.

It was her best friend's birthday god dammit, and she was not going to tame her excitement for the sake of a bunch of strangers. And if anyone had any complaints then she would gladly tell them where they could stuff them, thank you very much.

"It's your birthday!" she declared, tightening her grip around his neck.

"It sure is," Barry replied with a strained tone.

She freed him from her strangling hug and took a step back, still grinning from ear to ear. "I can't believe you're finally a grownup! Now you can do as much illegal stuff as you want!"

"I… don't think that's how that works, Niss."

Correct or not, she grabbed him by the hand and walked him to their table, where Percy and Reiko waited and failed to pretend that they didn't crave the delicious chocolate cake in front of them. Inyssa did notice Barry wasn't as enthusiastic about it as he should've been, but she figured it must be nervousness or something like that. Carefully, she cut four slices and handed it to them, excitement still running like electricity through her.

Reiko was the first to take a bite, or a chomp to be more accurate, as she disappeared two thirds of the slice into her mouth.

"Eighteen, huh?" she said after swallowing it. "If this weren't such an ass-backwards region you'd be getting your first Pokemon today."

Inyssa pursed her lips, trying to ignore the sting of her comment.

"I'm surprised they let you have one before that," added Percy.

"That's because Rowan is the coolest professor there is," Inyssa said, lifting her chin.

"We should call him," Barry hurried to say, catching the glimpse of conflict in Reiko's eyes. "And thank him for letting us start our journey early."

Inyssa let out a Pfft and patted him in the back hard enough to sting. She was having trouble controlling her strength, or any other part of her for that matter. It had been a long time since she'd felt so excited for someone else.

"There's no time for that!" She pointed at him. "This is your day, and I'm gonna make sure that you spend every minute of it having as much fun as possible!"

"It kinda sounds like a threat when you put it that way."

Reiko and Percy exchanged a look at the other side of the table, trying to stifle their smiles. A strange sort of recognition flashed across their eyes.

"That seems like a noble enough endeavor for me to waste my time on," said the latter, feigning a sigh.

"We have a lot of time to kill before the bonfire party," nodded the former. "So let's make good use of it."

A few hours later, and for the first time in his life, Barry thought that he'd gotten enough sugar for one day . It was a wholly unpleasant feeling, one that he'd rather not repeat in the future.

Other than that, it all went rather nicely. Even though the absence of his parents still stung, his Pokemon did their best to cheer him up along with everyone else. Most failed to understand the concept of a birthday, but still relished in celebrating it with him. He even managed to find a small birthday hat to put on Auri's head while she dozed off in his arms.

His presents definitely took the cake, though. Reiko and Percy gifted him a comprehensive Pokemon care set, full to the brim of little tools and doodads that he could use to pamper the members of his team. The set included a grinding wheel for Pedri's fins, a soft hairbrush and a complementary napkin made out of Flaaffy's wool, quality tweezers and a box full of differently flavored Pokeblocks, which would come in handy whenever he needed to train his teammates. If those lazy butts didn't work hard to win then at least they would do it for delicious treats.

Lucas, who met him and Inyssa for a few minutes in a nearby café, went above and beyond his expectations and finally revealed his secret project; a set of four beautiful silver Pokeballs made with the metal from Skarmory's feathers. He would've been content with just how nice they looked, but it turned out they had a practical use besides being pretty. Lucas told him to grab one and throw it as if he were catching a Pokemon, and he did. The ball traveled for about twenty feet before slightly stopping in place, spinning and flying back to his hand, though the surprise made it so he almost got hit by it in the face.

"The lightness and flexibility of the metal allows it to work like a boomerang. That way you don't have to go look for it after you throw it," Lucas said, raising his finger in a scholarly manner. "They're only the beta version of my project, but I hope they can work well, even if they have a few defects."

One of those defects, he explained, was that the premeditated lockdown system hadn't been installed yet. This was the feature that allowed a trainer, should they catch a particularly violent Pokemon, to forcefully activate the lock of the device so it couldn't be opened in any way for a period of six hours. It was a failsafe that was rarely used, so Barry didn't mind and thanked him for such an amazing gift. And, being who he was, he gave two of the Pokeballs to Niss.

Not wanting to be outmatched, she presented her own gift in return. He couldn't help but gasp as he set eyes on it, curling his fingers in excitement. It was an odd looking black belt, a simple piece of cloth that most would've mistaken for trash.

But he knew better, from years and years of watching competitive battles. He knew that the belt had been woven from a Hydreigon's fur, and he knew that it had the strange power of allowing the Pokemon wearing it to deal significantly more damage to their opponent if their attack had type effectiveness.

Touching it felt like grabbing air that had been given form. He stared at it for almost an entire minute, speechless.

"Niss… this is…" he whispered, voice thin. "This is an S rank battle item! How did you…?"

He was once again silenced with a sudden hug, followed by a soft kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry about it," she said, beaming. "You deserve it."

She didn't stop there, and Barry soon learned that Niss' ambition extended past her desire to become the Champion and into anything she put her mind into. She worked as hard as her under-slept body allowed so he could have a pleasant birthday, and he enjoyed it to the fullest to thank her for it.

He had such a great time that he even managed to forget for a day about the voice that had spoken to him during the Gym fight. He had an inkling as to whom that voice belonged to, but he decided to investigate later, considering the occasion and all.

In the end they all decided to head back to their rooms at around eight, giving them enough time to shower, change and have a little nap before the party, something they'd all been looking forward to.

Barry smiled as he lay his head into the soft pillow of his bed. Even if it wasn't what they expected, even if it turned out to be boring or awful, he didn't care. As far as he knew his birthday had already been a success, and he wouldn't let anything ruin that for him.

The last party Inyssa had gone to happened when she was barely fifteen, thrown by a snotty girl in her class who invited her because she had a crush on her, or so the rumors said. Even then, all she did was stand close to a pillar and slowly sip her cup of soda, until the clock reached twelve and she was free to leave.

All in all, she wasn't quite in, as she imagined the kids said these days, but that didn't mean she couldn't have fun. She'd just follow the party rules she'd seen in movies: don't get into trouble, try not to make a fool of yourself by dancing and, if two people started fighting, cheer on the one that looked bigger and stronger.

Those were the thoughts going through her head as they made their way towards the Great Marsh. Barry walked next to her, dressed quite casually with a simple green shirt and grey jeans. She'd decided to go for the stylish look with a loose, thin sweater, tight blue pants and a purple pair of aviator glasses.

"You know those are for like… when it's sunny out, right?" asked Barry.

"Style is style, regardless of the time of day," she replied.

She'd have thought that making a bonfire in the middle of a marsh would be a bit of a counterproductive idea, but as they arrived to the party and noticed the giant, twisting pillar of flame beaconing them, she had to admit that, for once, she'd been wrong. Whoever had planned the party managed to find an elevated piece of ground far away from all the water and Pokemon, around which a multitude of people did… whatever people did in parties. As they wormed their way through she saw that a few were drinking with friends, while others danced to the beat of some douchebag's guitar, his voice like that of a cheese grater being run through a meat grinder.

Since the place was crawling with wild vegetation and the light of the flames didn't reach far, she couldn't exactly tell how spread out the people were or how big the party was. Still, judging by the distant screams and laughs she heard once in a while she figured it must've extended at least a few hundred yards.

It took them a few minutes of walking until they found Reiko and Percy, and they were only able to do so thanks to the former's hair being as bright as the bonfire itself.

"Man, it's been what… minutes?" Reiko smiled, placing both hands on her hips. "Never thought I'd see you without the hat, pipsqueak."

Percy tried to stifle laughter. "She was seriously considering making a bet whether or not you had a bald spot under that thing."

Her comment shouldn't have bothered Inyssa, it had no reason to do so. And still she felt that spark in her stomach, heating up her limbs ever so slightly. With a deep breath she forced the anger down and tried to smile.

"Thanks. You two look… adjective."

"You look great!" Barry added, throwing his hands up in the air.

As they made their way towards a little corner of the party they could call their own, Inyssa chastised herself for the way she was feeling. She really didn't want to be mad at Reiko, she knew it was stupid and both of them had already apologized to the other. But then again her anger had never given a single shit about what she wanted, so why would it start now?

Gloomily, she grabbed a red plastic cup from one of the nearby tables spread all around and imitated Reiko as she mixed soda with an alcoholic beverage whose name she couldn't quite make out. She felt Barry's judging glance on her as she took it to her lips, but decided to ignore him.

It tasted overly sweet, with the unmistakable odor of alcohol she'd grown accustomed to by living with her mother. Not bad, but not great either, she thought as she took a second sip.

She didn't understand what was the big deal with it. Why did her mother like it so much?

"Of course it had to be sweet," Percy scoffed, bringing her back to reality. "I'm guessing the frat boys throwing this party haven't considered wine as an alternative for those of us with an actual palate, have they?"

"Forget wine," said Reiko. "Where's the sour stuff!? I can't just drink this sweet stuff all night, I'm gonna get cavities!"

Inyssa moved the cup with her fingers, sloshing the drink inside, "Yeah… alcohol talk. I totally understand what you guys are talking about."

"You shouldn't even be drinking," Reiko pointed at her, frowning. "But I know a guy who should!"

She extended her arm forward and offered some to Barry. His hair seemed to get pointier as he was approached with it, and he raised both hands to the side, gulping.

"It's… it's okay," he smiled nervously. "I think I'll just go with soda for now."

Some awkwardness aside, the party didn't end up being the oppressive, anxious trap she expected, mostly because the attendants seemed to keep to themselves and their group of friends, thank god.

Looking down at her wrist she saw Hao with what she imagined were party clothes, dancing and winking at her. At least someone was having a good time.

They kept talking over the loud music for a few minutes, occasionally sipping their drinks without thinking about it much, and Inyssa realized she was slowly getting used to the strong flavor of it. They had planned to do a toast for Barry's birthday, but they needed Lucas for that and the boy hadn't arrived yet, for some ungodly reason.

Barry's Pokétch started to beep as soon as she thought that.

"Huh? Oh, it's Lucas!" he said, having difficulty reading the message with one hand occupied. "He says he's here already, but… he's being, held up?" he scrunched up his nose. "What does that mean?"

"Did he say where he is?" inquired Inyssa.

"Yeah, close to the entrance and the bonfire."

They decided to go look for him, hoping he hadn't gotten himself into any kind of trouble, though she couldn't imagine how he could do such a thing. The boy was so stupidly adorable even a starving Ursaring would've had pity on him.

They found him behind one of the thick trees that were blocking the light of the bonfire, which slightly reflected off his thick glasses. The boy looked towards them and formed a wavy, anxious smile. He seemed to be talking to someone who was sitting against the tree.

Someone who, as Inyssa discovered once she reached her, looked like a younger version of Fantina, if the woman fancied dressing up as a shitty witch. Her entire outfit was a dark purple, and her skin was so pale it almost seemed to emit light . She set her gaze on the four of them, and showed a smile of shiny white teeth that made Inyssa shiver. After a few moments she looked at Barry, whose eyes had gone wide a few moments before.

"Ah… Barry," she said, barely above a whisper. "The stars told me we would meet here tonight."

Barry wondered if he secretly had some sort of power to run into the weirdest people he could find, and then he remembered his own theory about the voice he'd heard in the Gym and decided not to follow that particular line of thought any further.

"H-hey Lucas. Hey Sanbica." He waved weakly at both of them. "Nice to see you too."

He felt everyone's eyes on him, made him feel as though ants had started running under his skin. He figured an introduction wouldn't hurt, but he honestly had no idea where to even begin when it came to the woman sitting in front of them.

Reiko was the first to break the ice. "So… I'm guessing you're the Lucas these two have been talking about." She addressed the boy, who nodded nervously and looked down to the floor. "Damn, you're even more of a pipsqueak than Niss! Nice to meet you, pal."

She gave him a pat on the back so strong even Barry could feel it in his bones, and Niss turned towards him with a look of: And you say I'm the tactless one.

You are the tactless one, he replied with his smile.

"And you…" Reiko looked down to the strange woman, narrowing her eyes. "Hold on a second. That outfit… you're a medium, aren't you?"

Sanbica's eyes widened, and the way her sclera contrasted against the darkness made her look like a Hoot-hoot.

"Finally, someone who knows how to show respect around here! I was getting tired of being called a hex maniac by all these thoughtless brats." She shook her head indignantly.

Barry caught a glimpse of Niss rolling her eyes at that comment.

"That's awful," said Reiko. "I know a lot of mediums from Lavender tower and they're super cool and fun to hang out with. If you don't count that one time they were possessed by a Marowak's ghost, that is."

Out of all the unlikeliest friendships he could've imagined, Reiko getting along with someone like Sanbica had to be somewhere in the top of the list. Then again he'd been friends with Niss for most of his life, so who was he to judge.

"…Indeed, I met Barry a few days ago in Veilstone," Barry heard Sanbica say once he realized he was spacing out. "I assured him we would meet again, and here we are!" She raised her arms to the side as if wanting to give the air a hug, her loose sleeves falling down and revealing the multitude of bead bracelets adorning her wrists. "Now, do you wish to continue what we were doing back then, Barry? I'll even give you a discount for your birthday."

He felt something uncomfortable set in the pit of his stomach. He had mentioned that his birthday would be around the day of the party, but he never specified exactly when.

Was Sanbica guessing, or…

"Yeah, I'm totally down for this! I love fortune telling!" Reiko exclaimed, startling him. "Unless some grump here wants us not to have fun…"

She glared at Percy and Niss respectively, both of whom simultaneously crossed their arms and looked to the side.

"Not like I have anything better to do," the latter muttered under her breath.

As per her instructions, they all sat in a circle around Sanbica, who was busy placing a heavy black candle in the middle of it. She lit it with a match and then threw a strange powder into the wick, which turned the flame a pale, sickly blue. It didn't illuminate much, in fact it almost seemed to be absorbing the little light they could get from the bonfire into it.

At his right Lucas shifted in place, shoulders squared up and eyes set on the floor. He couldn't help but agree with his unspoken sentiment; this whole thing was beginning to freak him out a bit.

"Alright then…" said Sanbica once all preparations were complete. "If I'm not mistaken, last time you were quite eager to know your guardian star. Shall we start with that?"

There was a slight, almost unperceivable change in the atmosphere, as if the world outside their circle were fading and the sounds of chattering and laughter became more distant. Sanbica looked at each one of them directly, her expression completely serious.

Barry nodded, crossing his arms in front of him unconsciously.

"We should start counter-clockwise, since the stars are the dominion of dear Palkia," she declared, before setting her gaze on Niss. "Do you mind being the first? I'm sensing you'd want to get this over with as fast as possible."

Niss' nose flared up at her words, a sign of danger that Barry recognized too well. He feared she might say something hurtful, but instead she simply glared daggers at Sanbica and nodded.

"Good."

She spent the next thirty seconds just… staring at Niss, as if she were a mildly entertaining television show. Barry was about to ask if there was something wrong when she spoke again, startling him.

"Your guardian star is… Tauros," she declared, her voice slightly reverberating. "The stampede Pokemon."

Niss' nose crinkled slightly.

"I was expecting something a bit more…"

Sanbica raised her hand to interrupt her. She hadn't blinked in a while, and when she started speaking again that strange atmosphere swallowed their circle once more.

"Tauros are known for their stubborn nature and constant state of rage," she explained, never breaking eye contact. "They are only able to go forward, blind to all but the path they travel. Stopping them is almost impossible, since they care not for what they might have to demolish to reach their destination. They leave nothing but pain and destruction in their wake."

The air grew cold around them. Everyone's eyes turned towards Niss, who sat in place with a look as if she'd been punched in the face. They saw her rage almost in slow motion; first her eyes went wide, then her lips parted with a gasp of anger and finally she pushed herself up to her feet, free hand turned into a fist.

That's what the rest saw, at least. Barry was different; he felt it.

He couldn't stop his eyes from turning golden, and when they did the full brunt of Niss' anger hit him like a wave of heat. It pierced his skin and dug into his bones, traveling until it set on the pit of his stomach where it lit his insides up. It was the most nauseating, toxic feeling he'd ever experienced, enough to momentarily paralyze him.

How… how the hell can she stand this? the rational part of his mind asked.

Niss inhaled deeply, before saying only three words:

"Go fuck yourself."

She turned around and started walking in the opposite direction, stomping the ground beneath her feet and shoulders squared up. It was too late to stop her by the time Barry came back to his senses, eyes returning back to their normal brown.

If Inyssa were stomping the ground any harder she would've probably created a few earthquakes by now.

Stupid… hex maniac… who… the fuck… does she think… she is…

With each word she violently took a sip of her drink, until there was no longer anything inside the cup and she crushed it. She approached one of the hundreds of makeshift garbage bins around the party and threw it in there because she still had manners, thank you very much.

Hao's voice reached her from the device on her wrist.

"Ni Ni, are you okay?" he asked, frowning. "If you need to talk…"

"I'm fine," she replied coarsely. "I want to be alone."

He gave her another worried look before nodding and turning the device off. She silently thanked him, walking towards a nearby tree and laying with her back against it. The texture was rough and somewhat spiky, but that was the least of her concerns at the moment.

Sanbica's words still rang inside her mind, turning the anger sour as it swirled and stagnated inside her body. Part of her knew that she only felt this way because there was some truth in what she'd said, but it still wasn't any of her business. She hadn't done anything to her, aside from maybe looking at her the wrong way.

I do that to everyone I don't know, she rationalized. Does she think she's special or something? Because she's not.

"I need another drink," she whispered to herself, voice coarse.

Her eyelids felt heavy, which was odd since she wasn't feeling sleepy; she never did when she was angry, as a matter of fact. Trying to shake it off, she walked towards one of the nearby tables. Her fingers closed around one of the plastic cups when she heard someone talking to her.

"Yo! Niss, right!?"

She turned around vehemently, the cup creaking as her fingers unconsciously put pressure on it.

Not this shit again.

Some guy was waving at her from a few feet away, a dazed smile on his face. He wore a spiked leather jacket that didn't cover his midriff and there were piercing adorning his nose and ears. He looked like the kind of guy who was part of a gang and had nicknamed his bike Melissa or Daisy or something like that.

"Yeah, that's me," she replied grimly. "What do you want?"

He stood there for a moment, as if he had trouble focusing his eyes. She figured it had something to do with the tall cup full of some kind of dark drink he held in one hand.

"Woah, it really is you…" He let out a giggle. "You're… a lot shorter than I thought."

Inyssa's eye twitched. Either the guy was drunk, really dim, or he simply didn't realize the metric fuckton of anger boiling inside the 110 pound girl in front of him. She figured it was a mix of all three.

"What. Do you want," she repeated, eyes narrowed in frustration.

"Oh right, I'm Zachary!" he introduced himself, seemingly not bothered by her cold glare. "Anyway… I saw your fight the other day, that was so rad! And then I saw you here and I was like… woah, that's the same girl! Crazy, right?"

"Yes, crazy how one person can be in two places at different points in time," she scoffed.

"See! You get it!" He smiled widely, apparently immune to her sarcasm. "So like… wanna hang out?"

That gave her pause. She raised an eyebrow, looking at him as if she expected him to be talking to someone else.

"I'm… sorry?"

"Yeah, me and my friends are just shooting the shit over there." He spun for a few seconds, until finally he pointed at a small mound between two trees. "And I was supposed to come get more drinks, but then I found you! We don't get many trainers over here and I'm sure they'd love to hang out with someone like you."

Perhaps the alcohol had finally started to clog the gears inside her brain a bit, but she genuinely had trouble understanding what she'd just heard. She stood stunned there, eyes going from the guy to the group of people in the distance, drinking and laughing and seeming like they were having a good time.

He… wants me there? She thought, incredulous. Someone wants me to… hang out with them?

At first she laughed, thinking the whole thing some kinda joke. However Zachary just stood there, staring at her as if he didn't understood what was the problem. Either that or he was falling asleep on his feet.

She craned her neck back, towards the place where Barry and the rest still were talking to Sanbica. She couldn't quite go back there after throwing that temper tantrum, could she? And to just stand next to the table, awkwardly drinking until she had an excuse to leave… the possibility felt just a bit too sad now.

After a few moments of consideration she shrugged, and turned towards Zachary.

"Why the hell not," she whispered. "Just let me get another drink first."

Zachary's friends were… interesting, to say the least. There were three of them; the first must've been around Reiko's age. They introduced themselves as Simone with a wink and a wave of the hand holding their cigarette. They dressed in all black, and a heavy looking iron cross hung from their neck. Next to them sat a younger girl with dark skin and a round face of puffy cheeks. She muttered her name shyly, and Inyssa couldn't quite make it out. What she did notice was how much she liked her pixie cut of brightly dyed hair.

The third one was a bit weirder, since it wasn't a person. Between the two sat a human-sized blue Pokemon with an oval shaped body, two stubby arms and the biggest aloof grin she'd ever seen. His eyes were tiny black dots, so far apart from each other that they gave him a constant look of cheery confusion.

Without asking for permission she took the Pokédex from the folds of her outfit, and pointed it at the creature:

Quagsire: The Sluggish Pokemon – Water/Ground Type. It hunts for food by leaving its mouth wide open in water and waiting for its prey to blunder in unaware. Since it rarely moves, it does not get very hungry. One can usually find one by the sound it makes after it absentmindedly bumps its head against a rock or the hull of a ship.

She looked at the Quagsire, then at Zachary and then at the Quagsire again. She should've figured someone like him would hang out with the Pokemon equivalent of a stoner.

"Would you look at that," whispered Simone, spitting a small cloud of smoke. "Is that a real Pokédex? I've never seen one before."

"Oh! I'm… sorry," Inyssa hurriedly put it back in her pocket. "I should've asked before I did that."

Zachary sat next to Simone, waving his hand as if he found her words dumb, either that or he was swatting the smoke out of his face.

"It's okay, you don't gotta worry 'bout it." He smiled, almost spilling his drink on himself. "I'm sure Johnny doesn't mind."

Inyssa raised an eyebrow. "J-Johnny... the Quagsire is named Johnny."

"Jigglejam Johnny, to be precise," Simone corrected. "He is the coolest dude around. Been hanging out with us for years."

"And he gives the best advice!" added Zachary. "Also he can like… make the ground shake and stuff! I don't know how he does it but it's awesome."

She blinked a few times, trying to summarize the situation inside her head. She was hanging out with a group of drunk, punk stoners who idolized a Pokemon who was so dim he probably had no idea what was happening around him at any moment.

If only dad could see me now, she thought, smiling to herself.

Without much enthusiasm she sat at Zachary's side, and both him and Simone cheered and laughed while clashing their plastic cups together, spilling some alcohol on their clothes. At her right the youngest girl took her drink to her lips, clearly trying to avoid Inyssa's eyes.

"So hey, we heard a lot about you," said Simone after they finished giggling. "They say you're pretty good with Pokemon?"

She shrugged. "Well I wouldn't have three badges if I weren't, would I?"

"Yeah! Own it!" Exclaimed Zachary, not quite able of controlling the volume of his voice. "You gotta be proud that you're a badass! You're also the one who beat those Galactic assholes in Veilstone, right? That was amazing!"

Her hand froze before she could take another sip, and she felt the anger sprouting back from the pit of her stomach. In any other moment she would've probably gotten up and left, or maybe yelled at him for making her remember what had happened in Veilstone.

But having already gotten through almost two full cups of that drink… she realized the anger was somewhat muffled, as if it couldn't get through the cloud of haze slowly covering her body.

"That… that was me, yes."

The rational part of her mind asked her what the hell was she doing. Why was she bothering hanging out with these people? Why was she talking about the things that bothered her so much? What the hell was the point of the party and…

In one motion she drank the rest of the cup, drowning the voice as best she could.

It couldn't hurt to go with the flow for once, she thought. Just this time, to not care about anything, who she was or where she was.

She barely heard Zachary speak over the distant cackle of the bonfire.

"We were just talking about that and Gym leaders before I went looking for drinks," he said. "You met a few, right? Have any cool stories?"

Both him and Simone seemed interested in the idea. The remaining girl and the Quagsire weren't looking at her, but she could make out a small glimpse of curiosity in their eyes.

Slowly, she leaned forward and grabbed one of the multitude of bottles in the middle of the circle.

"Yeah…" she said as she poured herself another drink. "I think I have a couple."

A few moments of silence followed Niss' retreat, until Sanbica spoke again:

"Well… I was going to add that Tauros are also bad at taking criticism, though I doubt that point needs to be made anymore," she said, apparently not bothered by being insulted. "Oh well, who's next?"

Barry exchanged looks with Reiko and Percy, who seemed genuinely worried about what had just happened.

"Should we…?" asked the former.

"I… don't think she wants us around right now," replied Barry.

"Um…" Lucas began to raise his hand to speak, until he realized what he was doing and stopped himself. "Shouldn't… shouldn't these fortunes have positive things to say, too? Inyssa is not a bad person, even if she's... uh…"

The rest nodded in unison, giving Sanbica a sour look.

"Oh, they do have a positive side," she replied. "Unfortunately your friend stormed off before I could tell her."

Barry had the suspicion that she'd purposefully delayed saying those positive things because she didn't like Niss, and hoped she would get angry. He didn't say this out loud, though.

"We might as well keep going," Barry shrugged. "We'll give Niss some time to cool off and then we'll go looking for her."

None of them complained. Sanbica readied herself again and, just like she'd done with Niss, stared at Barry for almost an entire minute. He held the weight of her gaze as best he could, even though the fact they barely reflected light at all freaked him out a little bit.

"Your guardian star…" she said, imbuing her voice with that strange force, "…is Ampharos, the light Pokemon. They are said to be some of the most oblivious creatures in existence, constantly distracted by whatever catches their interest and unable to see the plight of others in front of them." Barry winced, a knot forming on his throat. "However, that does not mean they don't care. Once they realize someone needs them they'll do everything in their power to help. They are the embodiments of beacons, and the light of their tails can cut through even the deepest of darkness."

Without waiting for a reaction she turned towards Lucas, making the boy almost jump in place.

"As for you…" she narrowed her eyes, "…Ralts, the empathy Pokemon. Not only are they intelligent, but they're also able to quickly discern when someone close to them is in emotional pain, and their mere presence can help to heal them," she paused, and for a moment Lucas thought there would be no negative part of his fortune. "However, their extreme shyness and inability to properly communicate leads them to stand by and watch as those closest to them suffer."

She looked at Reiko next, whose posture was rigid and, Barry realized, somewhat anxious.

"I believe yours is quite obvious," she said. "Vigoroth, the rampage Pokemon. Their blood runs hotter than any other creature, and they're able to complete any task they set their minds to in half the time it would take others to do so. The downside to this…" She smiled. "…is that they must constantly keep moving, searching for a new purpose. If they ever stop their energy will stagnate inside their body, hurting them from the inside and turning them into bloodthirsty monsters."

Finally, her eyes set on Percy. He sat as straight up as he could and challenged her with his glare, though Barry could see that his hands were slightly shaking.

"How… interesting," she said, eyebrows joining together. "Not many are born under the star of Scizor, the pincer Pokemon. It is said that only the bravest of Scyther accept to evolve, for they know that the moment they do so their friends and family might turn on them. This can lead them to a path of bitterness and self hatred, or…" Her lips formed the hook of a mischievous smile, and her eyes went to Reiko before returning to him. "…They might decide to strive forward, and fully accept who they are. A difficult path, but one that will gift them power and wisdom beyond imagining, should they learn to traverse it."

Silence swallowed their circle for a few moments, until Sanbica finally closed her eyes and lowered her shoulders, letting out a big sigh. Until that moment Barry hadn't noticed just how difficult it'd been for him to breathe.

He exchanged looks with the rest, and he didn't need to summon the golden eyes to know they were all somewhat shaken by what they'd heard. Sanbica seemed to notice this, because she smiled warmly and put one hand over the fire of the candle, turning it back to the orange and yellow it was before.

"I'm guessing that wasn't what you expected to hear."

Gee, you think?

"It was… interesting," said Reiko, through a pained smile.

Sanbica nodded. "I know these things might be difficult to hear, but remember that no Pokemon or human is perfect, and as flawed as your star might be, they will always act as your protectors." Her tone had changed into one of levity, as if she'd taken a huge weight off her chest. "There have even been rumors of heroes who've been able to summon their own guardian star in battle, though even I have trouble believing something like that."

None of them replied, too busy thinking over what they'd just heard. Sanbica kept gathering her supplies and putting them inside a dingy looking bag next to her. After a while she extended her palm forward, and each of them paid for her services.

"Now, go along," she made a gesture with her palm, as if shooing birds. "I have many other clients to attend to, and I'm sure you've got your own plans for tonight, haven't you?"

Barry gulped, his gaze going towards the direction in which Niss had disappeared to only a few minutes before.

"Yeah… we do."

Both Inyssa's tongue and her grasp on the world around her started to loosen the more she drank.

It was a slow and gradual thing, her restraint and inhibitions vanishing with every little sip without her realizing. A light, bubbly feeling replaced the fire in her stomach, making her raise her voice when she didn't intend to and giggle uncontrollably for no reason a few times. And if she were standing up, she would've noticed her sense of balance had deteriorated, and maybe she would've connected the dots there. But sitting down with that strange group of people and for the first time sharing her actual self like she did with the members of her team… deep down she knew she didn't want to.

"…and then, and then he says… we gotta combine our attacks!" she exclaimed, trying to imitate Barry's tone. "And you can imagine my face because… what the fuck did that mean, am I right!? But then all our Pokemon throw their fire and water and leaves and shit, and then…" She shook her head, grinning from ear to ear. "Then he just tells his Kadabra to put all that stuff together, and he does!"

A small, collective gasp was heard, though when she turned her head to see who that was her vision blurred. Apparently Zachary and Simone were staring intently at her, with funny looks of concentration on their faces.

"How did he do that?" asked the former, slurring his words.

"Turns out you just gotta have a psychic Pokemon and it's easy peasy," she said, laughing at her own phrasing. "You just… mash it all together, like a salad. When all the stuff combined it was like… a tornado! But with the mouth pointing forward and made of pretty lights. It sounded like…"

She formed an O with her mouth and exhaled strongly, trying to imitate the sound she remembered from the trial in Hearthome. Unfortunately she barely got through the second swoosh before she burst into laughter, leaning forward and putting one hand over her stomach. She heard the rest laugh as well, even the young girl next to her.

"That guy must be a riot to hang out with," said Zachary.

Niss struggled to smile. "Y-yeah. He's the best friend you could…"

For a moment her mind resurfaced through the thick mist of soporifics, and her smile dropped dead. What was she doing? It was Barry's birthday, her best friend's birthday… why wasn't she with him? Why wasn't she laughing with him and hugging him and…

She would've come back to her senses that moment, were it not for Simone, who distracted her as they started speaking.

"Man…" they sighed dreamily. "Wish I got a Pokemon when I was eighteen. I would've loved to be a trainer and do crazy shit like that."

Inyssa blinked a few times, tilting her head to the side.

"What do you mean? Why couldn't you get one?"

"Didn't have the money or the time," they said. "'Cause that's the way it is on this bitch of an earth."

Zachary nodded and raised his cup to their statement. "Amen, pal."

She stuttered a bit, her voice starting to get slurry. "And y'… uh… you had a job or something?"

"One? Nah, I wasn't so lucky," they laughed, the ash on the tip of their cigarette falling to their leg. "I did some freelance tattooing on the side and I worked in this shitty department store. At least until one of the managers started getting handsy and HR chose to believe him instead of me. I packed my bags and got the fuck out of there."

"Wish I could've been there with you," Zachary scoffed. "If anyone deserved a crowbar to the face it was that guy."

"Saaair," the Quagsire nodded, probably unaware of what anyone was saying.

Simone shot their friends a warm smile before looking down at the ground. "I agree, but that would've only caused more trouble for me. Don't want my old boss poisoning my future work opportunities." Sighing, they raised their head and spat a small circle of smoke. "Gotta take care of my little sis, and I can't do that if I'm unemployed."

The air around them became heavy, or so Inyssa thought, could've just been the alcohol. She looked down at her own drink, thinking of what to say. She hadn't even considered that some people didn't have their parents to pay for their journey and trainer commodities.

A memory came to mind. She was young, no more than fourteen. Shadi had come back halfway through her own journey and was doing her best to take care not only of her but their mother as well, after she had a breakdown on the anniversary of her husband's death. Inyssa remembered the way her sister looked at them; beneath all the smiles and kind words bubbled a bitterness only she could see.

She couldn't blame her. Shadi was one of the most talented trainers in the region and there she was, stuck in her own house, having to take care of someone as worthless as her. Inyssa looked down, fingers grasping the cup just a little too tight, and tried her best not to let her eyes start to water.

"I'm… sorry to hear that," she whispered.

Simone must've noticed her expression. They wiped off the frown off their face and smiled.

"Ah, sorry for being a downer," they said, rubbing the back of their neck. "You don't have to worry 'bout me. I'm working on getting my own tattoo parlor next to the docks. Lots of sailors come in and out, so I won't have to worry about money so much anymore."

"Simone's really good," added Zachary. "Here, look."

Simultaneously, both of them pulled up the sleeves of their shirt, showing her their left and right arm respectively. Under their shoulder there were similar tattoos; Simone's was of a grimly looking Umbreon, his eyes a shining red and wisps of darkness surrounding him. Zachary's was a beautiful Espeon, her fur glowing with strands of light. They both looked up at the moon, which was full on Simone's side and new on Zachary's.

"It's… beautiful," Inyssa whispered, mouth slightly gaping.

"To remind us that there's always some kind of beacon or light to guide us." Simone smiled knowingly. "Even when shit's rough, and if you can get through it things will start looking up, like with my shop. Hell, I might even be able to pay for my little sis to go on her own journey!"

"That way she and Rory could start together," nodded Zachary. "Since they're the same age and shit."

Their eyes went for a moment to the young girl next to Inyssa, and she realized that must've been her name. Taking a closer look she noticed that she was, like Barry, drinking only soda, which would've explained why she wasn't quite as inebriated as any of them.

In any other circumstance she would've left the matter alone and gone back to talk to Simone and Zachary, but she was curious as to why Rory wasn't speaking to her, and why she occasionally shot her a strange, grim look.

"So… you wanna be a trainer?" she asked, trying to sound cheery. "That's cool. You think you have what it takes?"

She intended her comment to be a friendly jab, something for both of them to laugh over. However, judging by the way Rory's eyebrows formed a line over the bridge of her nose, she figured her question wasn't appreciated.

"Well…" she said, pursing her lips, "...not according to you."

Inyssa stared blankly, tilting her head to the side. The circle had grown strangely silent for some reason.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

Rory formed a crooked smile that didn't extend to her eyes. "I guess I didn't leave enough of an impression for you to remember me, with how much of a star trainer you are."

She was taken aback by the way she'd spat those words out, as if they were something stuck in her teeth. Again she simply stared, not knowing what to do or say, not even aware of what the conversation was about anymore. Rory must've realized this; she elaborated a moment after.

"A couple days ago, in that café. You're the one who told me to fuck off."

Inyssa leaned back. She opened her mouth to speak, but there were no words left in her, not with the confusion and sudden realization replacing them. Vague images of a memory resurfaced, blurry and not quite there, but still she was able to remember.

Her face turning red, she noticed that everyone was staring at her. Frowning, raising eyebrows… even Johnny seemed somewhat displeased.

"That… was you?" asked Simone, their tone carrying a clear, underlying anger behind them. "You're the one who said that to Rory?"

Panic and shame rose to her throat like bile, which would've explained why she couldn't muster a single word as she stammered. She felt the scalding eyes of the three of them on her, and shook under their weight. A part of her mind, the one that until then had been silenced by the alcohol, asked her why she cared.

You don't even know these people, the voice whispered to her. Who cares if they get mad at you? You're going to be the Champion, you don't have to feel bad for idiots like th-

"No…"

She drowned the stupid voice as best she could, kicking and scratching and pushing it as deep into her own mind as she was able to, where it wouldn't bother her again. She was sick of being angry and resentful, sick of carrying that horrible poison inside her veins that turned them to flames the moment something bothered her. She wasn't going to let it ruin this like it'd ruined so many other things before.

Swallowing, she gathered her courage and looked up to meet their eyes. Rory was frowning, angry as she should be, while Simone and Zachary waited for her to speak.

So she did.

"I'm… I'm sorry," she said, letting her shoulders drop. "I was really, really angry that day, and people kept making rumors about me and wanting to talk with me and… I shouldn't have said that, and I'm sorry."

She pushed the words out as best she could, even if they were slurred and sometimes unfinished. Next to her Rory perked up her nose to reply, but she spoke again. She wasn't done.

"I don't wanna make it look like I'm making excuses. I know I've been acting like a jerk and you didn't deserve that," she said, blinking rapidly. The voice tried to break itself free, complaining loudly at what she was saying, but she managed to keep it down. "I'm just… sometimes I get really angry, and I stay that way for a long time. It's not like…" she struggled, trying to find the right words. "It's not… normal. The anger shouldn't stay for hours or days, but it does. And I get tired of feeling like that all the time and I say bad things to people…"

She was forced to take a breath, realizing she'd been speaking so fast she'd run out of air. They were still looking at her, but in a different way. Even Rory seemed more surprised than crossed about what she was saying.

"And… I know that doesn't jest…jurf… justify how I act," Inyssa added once she breathed in. "I shouldn't have treated you like that, and I'm sorry."

She pretty much deflated after she finished speaking, as if she were a balloon filled with helium. Her face and cheeks felt hot for some reason, and she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears.

Staring was all she could do while swallowing her fear. Had she said too much? Not enough? She couldn't make head or tails of the expressions in everyone's faces. The panic was almost too much to handle by the time one of them spoke; Zachary leaned forward and patted her shoulder, a tiny smile stretched across his lips.

"Hey man, it happens," he said gloomily. "Shit's rough sometimes."

"At least you know what you did wrong," nodded Simone.

Rory kept her lips pursed for a few moments, before cracking up slightly, pressing one hand over her mouth. The gleam of hostility in her eyes had all but banished.

"To be honest I wasn't that mad about it," she said. "But I thought you were a jerk and I wanted to put you on the spot. I was wrong, so sorry for that."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Inyssa leaned back to her original position, placing her back against one of the trees. She had no idea why she was so happy all of a sudden, but decided not to question it.

"It's okay, I deserved it," she admitted. "Thanks for understanding. I'm… trying to get better, even if it doesn't seem like it."

"We're all trying, pal," said Simone. "And a few bumps in the road ain't gonna do shit to stop us."

They shared a round of smiles for a moment, before Zachary grabbed the bottle once more and poured in a drink for those whose cups were empty. He then carefully pushed himself to his feet (legs wobbling) and raised his own to the middle of the circle.

"Another toast!" he cried out, and next to him Simone rolled their eyes with a smile.

Blushing, Inyssa tried to follow his example, although it seemed her legs were even less responsive than his at the moment. If it weren't for the help of Rory she would've gone face first into the dirt.

"I… I've never made friends this fast before," she whispered, almost to herself.

"It gets easier the more you practice," said Simone. "Alright then, let's include Johnny on this too…"

They were all standing now, even the Quagsire with his vacant, goofy expression. Everyone raised their cups, some with more difficulty than others, and waited as Zachary thought of what to say.

"How about…" he whispered. "A toast to new friends!"

"And alcohol," Simone added.

Rory smiled excitedly. "And the future!"

"Saaair!" Johnny contributed.

Inyssa thought about it for a few seconds, and with a wistful smile she took a step forward to clash her cup with the rest.

"And for chang—!"

As soon as she took a step forward to extend her arm, she felt the ground beneath her shift and wave, as if she were standing on quicksand. She panicked, letting the cup fall to the ground, and threw her arms to the side as balance left her body completely. She took a heavy step back, and the sole of her shoe slipped on a patch of slightly wet grass.

Her shoulder clashing with the ground was the last thing Inyssa remembered of that night.

Silver Notes: Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Since I'm going vacationing soon the schedule will go back to one chapter every two weeks until further notice.