Finally reaching Crescent Moon Lake, Reina couldn't believe how beautiful it was.
Stepping out of the shrouded forest she had just journeyed through, the first thing Reina saw was a ring of trees encircling the body of water, their leaves somehow glowing an ethereal pink. Aside from this illumination being reflected on the lake's edge, the rising crescent moon was visible on the water's surface as well, its serene radiance projecting an aura of calmness.
However, the lake's most striking feature was perhaps the keyhole-shaped inlet which stretched right into the middle of the water, giving the circular lake a crescent shape. Bedazzled by this striking sight, Reina almost forgot why she was here in the first place as she appreciated the grandiose view. As she was lost in the splendor, a slight tug backwards was enough to serve as a painful reminder.
Kumiko. Being sent into a coma yesterday by HTT's machinations, Reina couldn't bear to see her beloved in such a pitiful state, so she had run away from her side. By a twist of fate, they had been reunited in Subton City, but that came at a dreadful cost. Kumiko's coma had come back again, this time with even more severe symptoms. With her beloved now at death's door, Reina was prepared to do anything just to save her.
Fortuitously, she then found out about the Winged One, a Legendary Pokémon which could wake people from even the deepest slumbers. Learning how to request its aid from a friendly shrine maiden, Reina then set out to find it. With Kumiko strapped to her back, Reina ascended the stairs leading to the place where the Winged One resided, aiming to get its help.
Though she had now arrived at Crescent Moon Lake, that was only the first step. Reina still had to summon and battle the Winged One before it would agree to fulfill her wish. Carefully setting Kumiko down on a nearby patch of grass, Reina walked until she reached the inlet's edge. She then took out her Pokédex and shifted it into its trumpet mode, its silvery glow matching the moon it was reflected alongside.
Placing it to her lips, a moment of doubt hit Reina before she began playing. What if the Winged One didn't appear for whatever reason? What if she lost against it? What if the Winged One couldn't heal Kumiko at all? As all those thoughts and more swirled through Reina's mind, one of them pervaded above everything else, and it was her strongest desire.
Save Kumiko. That was the reason she had journeyed all this way to Crescent Moon Lake. That was the reason she would take on a Legendary Pokémon. That was the reason she had to succeed no matter what. She had already abandoned Kumiko once in her darkest hour, and she wasn't about to do that again. To Reina, Kumiko mattered more than anyone else in the world. That was why she would go the extra length here.
Her doubt consolidating itself into solid resolve, Reina's mind was now dead-set on doing what had to be done. There was no turning back now, not after she had come this far. To do otherwise would mean deserting Kumiko, the one outcome that was completely unacceptable. Fully accepting what walking this path would mean for her and Kumiko, Reina breathed in and let the music consume her.
Hitting the first high note right on its head, the immediate fortepiano rang out across the lake, a slight ripple appearing on the water's surface. Letting the note run its course, Reina then made her way down the sequence of notes that followed before ending the phrase one tone higher than she began it on. From the corner of her eye, it almost seemed like the leaves were changing color along with the pitch.
Or perhaps, that was just a trick of the light. Repeating that phrase again, Reina finished it with a different series of three notes, each and every detail of the solo she loved to play clear in her mind. Ascending up an octave next, the solo's variable speed worked in Reina's favour, allowing her to fully pour out her emotions in the gaps left between the notes.
Without needing to breathe, Reina smoothly connected the phrase she was currently playing with the next one, her stamina effortlessly pulling through as she moved from one note to the next. She was nearly there. Now, the only things Reina needed to do was successfully play the highest note twice and stick the landing. And she had complete confidence in doing that.
Breathing in a final time, Reina felt her diaphragm expand as she returned to the first note that she played way back in the beginning. Holding on to that tone for quite a while, Reina then moved up three notes to the highest one before shifting down. Following up by playing the highest note again and dropping down an octave, the last three notes were a breeze after all that, but Reina made sure they were perfect.
"Your solo was splendid beyond measure. Never have I been more honored to be summoned this way." As she finished recuperating from playing her heart out, Reina heard someone speak. Or was that the right word? That seemed like someone was projecting their thoughts directly into her mind. Remembering she had felt that sensation before, Reina looked up to see it.
Hovering above the lake was a Pokémon with a blue Swanna-like body which had a yellow underside. Its pink eyes, a magenta-colored round tuft, and a pointed beak-like snout sat between, crescent-shaped ornaments. Glowing pink ring-like wings sprouted out from the sides and back of its body, ending in paw-like protrusions resting on its chest. There was no doubt about it anymore.
This was the Winged One, the Legendary Pokémon Cresselia.
"You're…" Despite having previously seen video footage of her, Reina was still completely caught off-guard by Cresselia's appearance. Being surrounded by the glowing pink trees only amplified Cresselia's majesty, and even Reina felt an irresistible urge to kneel down and declare her loyalty. However, she quickly remembered what her purpose here was, and quickly addressed the Legendary Pokémon.
"Your Eminence, my lover has fallen into an unwakeable slumber. I humbly request your aid in saving her." Speaking in the most formal way she could imagine, Reina spared no expense in pleading her case to the Legendary Pokémon. Having no idea how Cresselia would act, Reina couldn't afford to make any mistakes. If she slipped up even once, then it could mean the difference between life and death for Kumiko.
"You do not have to address me in such a formal manner, young one." Hearing that voice in her head again, it was then that Reina noticed how elegant it sounded. Each tone she heard was enunciated with the utmost poise, and every syllable radiated with immense power. Though she spoke as if she was a member of ancient nobility, Cresselia seemed to reassure Reina with her words.
"Seeing as you have journeyed all this way to summon my presence, I am obliged to fulfill your request. It has been quite some time since a human has approached me with that reason in mind." Wait, did Cresselia accept her request that easily? As Reina was about to ask the Legendary Pokémon for a clarification, Cresselia spoke again. "However, are you aware of the trial by combat you have to undergo first?"
"Yes. What are the rules for that?" Washing away all hesitation in her mind, Reina immediately moved on to the more pressing matter at hand. Now that Cresselia had accepted her request, it was time for Reina to honor her end of the bargain. There was no time to doubt herself anymore. Anything Reina needed to get, she had to get. Both for her own and Kumiko's sake.
"Fight with everything you have. That is the only way I can tell if you are truly worthy or not." Cresselia plainly answered. While that reply was certainly a vague one, it still contained all the information Reina needed. The seeds of a plan had already formed once she reached Crescent Moon Lake, and now Reina could further elaborate on it. Politely bowing to Cresselia, Reina addressed the Legendary Pokémon once more.
"Thank you very much. It will be my pleasure as well. Please give me a moment to prepare." Taking one last look at Cresselia, Reina didn't see any hint of a reaction on the Legendary Pokémon's face. Deciding that was her cue to depart, Reina left the inlet and went back to Kumiko's side, hoping her beloved was still alright even after such a lengthy climb up.
To Reina's relief, Kumiko didn't look worse than before, but her condition still remained extremely dire. Gazing longingly at her beloved, Reina let out a long sigh before hardening her resolve again. She had come this far for Kumiko, but the toughest challenge still lay ahead of her. Taking Kumiko's Pokéballs out of her bag, Reina stared at them for a few seconds before throwing all of them.
One by one, Kumiko's Pokémon appeared in front of her. This was the first time Reina had seen them since that fateful day at HTT's headquarters. As they looked at her in confusion, Reina sent out her own Pokémon as well. With everyone now assembled, Reina could now begin. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, Reina noted how it was a bit shaky before speaking.
"Everyone, I have bad news. Unfortunately, Kumiko…" For whatever reason, it was saying her beloved's name out loud that made Reina pause in the midst of her sentence. Unable to find her voice, Reina numbly stood on the spot for several moments. It was only when Ai shot her a look of worry before she could continue. "...Kumiko's fallen into a coma."
Hearing their Pokémon murmuring nervously, it was clear to Reina that not telling them this earlier was a bad decision. Nevertheless, she still had to live with the consequences of her actions. "To make matters worse, conventional treatments haven't worked, and her condition has only become more dire over time. That's why I've brought her here to seek help, but there's also something all of you have to help me with."
"The Legendary Pokémon Cresselia has agreed to heal Kumiko, but only if I can prove I'm worthy of gaining her approval through battle. To that end… I'm going to need every single one of you to help me fight and defeat her!" Her declaration ringing loud and clear, Reina suddenly felt tears streaking through her face as she expressed her thoughts loud and clear. "Please… help me save the girl I love!"
Shocked by how the normally calm and collected Reina was bursting at the seams with raw emotion, both her and Kumiko's Pokémon looked on wordlessly upon this jarring sight. Wondering if they were going to help her after the daunting task she laid out for them, Reina almost thought she had given them an impossible mission to complete when she felt a slight chill next to her.
Turning her head to see what happened, Reina then saw Idina by her side, hovering motionlessly above the ground. Surprised to see her first Pokémon somehow appearing beside her without her knowledge, Reina was briefly puzzled about what she was doing here when Idina put a hand on her shoulder. Despite her naturally cold body temperature, Idina's touch never felt so warm to Reina.
This completely unprompted display of kindness caught Reina off-guard, and she nearly recoiled from the sensation before realizing what it meant. Deciding at the last second to remain where she was, Reina continued to indulge in Idina's affection before she felt something poking at her leg. In her moment of bliss, Reina failed to notice that Marcato had made his way here as well.
Beginning to get overwhelmed by the support both her own and Kumiko's Pokémon were showing her, Reina then saw Eurydice coming over. Then Orpheus. Then Demi. Slowly but surely, every single one of their Pokémon surrounded Reina, eager to lend her their strength for the upcoming battle. After all, being her and Kumiko's Pokémon, Reina's hopes and dreams were their hopes and dreams as well.
"I can't thank you all enough for this…" The flow of her tears quickly thickening, Reina couldn't help but be flooded by a deluge of gratitude at what her and Kumiko's Pokémon were willing to go through with her. "Alright, now that we've got a goal in mind, let's decide who's going to do what in the upcoming battle. I've already got the basics of a plan down, but I'd like your suggestions as well. First up…"
"So you are now ready, young one?"
Approaching Cresselia once again, Reina clutched all of her and Kumiko's Pokéballs in both her hands. Once she confirmed what everyone was going to do, Reina was confident she could successfully pull off her plan. That combined with the overwhelming advantage of numbers she had was bound to give her a good shot at victory. She couldn't lose now, not when there was so much on the line.
"Yes, I am. Thank you very much for this battle." While Cresselia were still considered Legendary Pokémon due to their rarity and abilities, that did not mean the one which resided at Crescent Moon Lake was the only one to exist. Reina had watched battles before where certain powerful Trainers had Cresselia on their teams, so she based her strategy for this battle around counters she was being used.
"It is my honor as well." Cresselia responded, her wings glowing slightly. Feeling the wind around the area suddenly begin to pick up, Reina pondered for a split second whether or not that was Cresselia's doing, but that was no longer important. Right now, she had to do everything in her power to help Kumiko, and the most direct way of doing that was battling Cresselia. "Have at thee!"
Taking this as her cue to start, Reina threw out all the Pokéballs she was carrying before pressing on the Key Stone embedded in her Z-Power Ring. Despite there being three different Pokémon who were capable of Mega Evolving right now, Reina focused her attention on Mega Evolving Eurydice, as her increased power was crucial to the plan's opening stages.
"Hail?" Hearing Cresselia's confused 'voice' echo in her mind, Reina let out a small smile as flecks of ice began to drop from the sky, pelting everyone in the vicinity. Thanks to Demi's Ability Snow Warning, Reina already had the advantage before using even a single move, and that was soon compounded by her Aurora Veil shimmering across the battlefield.
"Interesting, though this will not be a bother. Psychic!" Faster than Reina could comprehend, a burst of telekinetic energy swept across the battlefield, knocking everyone down in an instant. Reina was thankful she had Demi set up Aurora Veil right off the bat, or else her chances of saving Kumiko would've dropped dangerously low a few short seconds into the battle.
"Grassy Terrain, now!" The grass underneath Reina's feet shimmering with a bright coat of green, Mitsuke's newest move had done the trick. Quickly teaching him the basics of Grassy Terrain shortly before the battle, Reina was sure the advantages this move provided would pay off later on. However, a flash of triple screens in front of Cresselia proved to be the first rain on Reina's parade.
Reina had expected Cresselia to only know the moves Light Screen and Reflect, which would provide the same protective boosts as Demi's Aurora Veil when combined, and something she could work around. With her also using Safeguard to protect against status conditions, Cresselia's craftiness forced Reina to abort one of her trump cards for victory as she called Marcato back from sneaking towards the Legendary Pokémon.
Now that one of her tactics was rendered completely useless for the time being, Reina chose to move on and try something else. About to have Orpheus use Taunt and prevent Cresselia from using any more status moves, a shimmering pink coat appeared around her body. Immediately recognizing that shine as the status move-reflecting Magic Coat, Reina quickly shelved that idea as well. That would only backfire on her.
Having no other choice left to her now, Reina could only launch an all-out offensive. Putting her trumpet to her lips, Reina played Let It Go, telling Idina, Demi, and Handel to launch three simultaneous Blizzards right at Cresselia once they moved into position. Battering the Legendary Pokémon from three directions at once, this still wasn't enough for Reina.
"Energy Ball!" Shouting out her command this time, Reina watched as Marcato, Mitsuke, Ai, and Eurydice bombarded Cresselia from four more angles, their Grass-type move being boosted by the Grassy Terrain underfoot. As Cresselia was being hit by six powered-up moves from all directions, the rest of Kumiko and Reina's Pokémon attacked her from all directions once they saw an opening, jumping at the chance to help.
Though this offensive bonanza was certainly impressive to watch by any measure, it still had to end eventually. As all seven Pokémon involved slowly tired out from launching so many attacks consecutively, Reina hoped that the damage they did would be enough to ensure a swift knockout by their remaining teammates. Unfortunately, that was not to be.
"Impressive assault. However, it will take more than that before I fall. Double Team!" One Cresselia becoming several in the blink of an eye, this seemed like a daunting game of spot-the-difference at first glance, but Reina already knew how to find the real one. After that, it was just a matter of time before Cresselia fell.
"Sparkle, use Discharge!" Reina ordered. Quickly building up electricity in her body, Sparkle let it loose in a wide arc, dissipating the doubles and leaving only the real Cresselia behind. About to follow up with another barrage of powerful attacks, Reina then noticed that both the hail and Grassy Terrain were starting to fade. That brought her to the second phase of her plan.
"Marcato, Sunny Day, duet!" Launching a fiery orb up above the battlefield from the flowers on his head, Marcato then charged up another Sunny Day before reabsorbing it, activating Second Valve. Now that she had changed the battlefield conditions back in her favour again, Reina was about to end this once and for all when Cresselia used her next move.
"Moonlight!" Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Of all the moves Reina had expected Cresselia to use, this one was the worst possible by a wide margin. As a miniature ball of light resembling the moon appeared above Cresselia, it reflected the rays of light from Marcato's Sunny Day down onto her, causing a white aura to appear around her body. Soon after, any traces of damage on Cresselia's body faded.
While Moonlight by itself wasn't a particularly powerful healing move, the circumstances under which Cresselia used it was the perfect storm for its full potential to be unleashed. Not only was it currently night, but the light from Sunny Day amplified the moon's power, allowing it to heal Cresselia more than usual. By Reina's estimate, Cresselia's health was now fully restored. This was bad. Extremely bad.
"Solar Beam!" However, Reina didn't want to lose the momentum she currently had, so she decided to proceed as planned. Though the conditions of battle had drastically changed as she continued to adjust her tactics on the fly, Reina was still adamant she could beat Cresselia. No. Scratch that. She had to beat Cresselia. For Kumiko's sake.
Three beams of concentrated light were blasted at Cresselia by Mitsuke, Ai, and Marcato, with the latter even managing to get several shots in due to the speed increase of Second Valve. Thanks to Sunny Day, the powerful move's charging time was completely negated. Even in this unexpectedly challenging scenario, Reina found a way to even the odds.
Though she knew the damage her attacks did could be instantly negated with a single healing move from Cresselia, Reina was still adamant her overall strategy would eventually lead to her victory. All she needed was a single opportunity to use a status move, and that presented itself when she saw Cresselia's Magic Coat flicker. It seemed the Legendary Pokémon was keeping it active every chance she got. "Magic-"
"I won't let you. Mitsuke, Taunt!" Seizing the opportunity in front of her, Reina decided to exploit Mitsuke's Ability Prankster to its full potential. As it allowed his status moves to be used quicker, this trait of Mitsuke's was particularly useful in certain scenarios, including this one. Yelling out something at Cresselia as he passed by, Mitsuke quickly floated away before he could be hit by a retaliatory attack.
With Cresselia now being unable to use status moves, the advantage had now shifted firmly into Reina's hands. Aside from preventing Cresselia reapplying Magic Coat, the most important perk Taunt gave Reina was complete denial of healing for the Legendary Pokémon. All Reina needed to do now as she pelted Cresselia with attacks was remember to use it every so often, or else this advantage would disappear.
Telling Ai, Mitsuke, and Marcato to launch another round of Solar Beams, Reina was beginning to feel like this battle was beginning to transform into one of endurance, the type she so dreaded. If this continued on, a point would eventually emerge where Reina couldn't win with offense alone. Combined with Cresselia's moves and defenses, Reina would've basically lost at that moment. That was something she had to prevent.
Thankfully, Mitsuke's earlier Taunt had done its job, and Reina was beginning to see its effects when the triple screens Cresselia set up earlier began to falter. Now that Cresselia's defenses were finally back to normal, Reina finally had a chance of ending this battle relatively quickly, just as she planned. However, Cresselia also seemed to realize this, and began to take measures against it.
Summoning an Icy Wind, Cresselia swept it over Mitsuke and Marcato. Though this super-effective move wasn't powerful enough to knock them out in one shot, it dulled their movements enough for a second chill to decisively render them unconscious. Recalling them once they fainted, Reina knew not being able to set up Sunny Day or a prioritized Taunt was detrimental to her strategy going forward, but she was determined to keep going nonetheless.
Switching gears, Reina prepared to have Demi or Idina set up Hail before the other used Aurora Veil to replace the one fading away. Unfortunately for her, Cresselia anticipated this as well, and sent an extra-large Shadow Ball careening their way. Though Idina was instantly knocked out due to her weak defenses, Demi somehow managed to hang on. Perhaps there was some way to salvage this after all.
"Handel, use Hail!" Right before Cresselia sent a Charge Beam his way, Handel breathed out a frosty vapour from his mouth, which began to pelt down flecks of ice once it coalesced into a cloud. Taking the Electric-type attack head-on, Handel resisted it surprisingly well despite its type advantage, and continued to provide covering Hydro Pumps as Demi cast another Aurora Veil.
"Psychic!" As a concentrated burst of psionic energy hurtled her way, Demi wasn't able to withstand it even after all she did, and fainted in exhaustion once she was hit. Attempting to strike back for his fallen teammate, Handel used the hail to his advantage, and was about to form a Blizzard when another Charge Beam from Cresselia put him out of commission.
With half of her and Kumiko's Pokémon now unconscious, Reina was really running out of options here. An Icy Wind directed towards Ai limited them even further, bringing the amount of fainted Pokémon up to six. Reassessing her current status, Reina then realized that of the four Pokémon remaining on the field, three of them could Mega Evolve: Orpheus, Eurydice, and Sparkle. And she hadn't used any Z-Moves yet.
Could her body resist the strain of Mega Evolving three Pokémon at once? Probably not. Could she win the battle without Mega Evolving them? Possibly, but just barely. Did this mean that her chances of winning and saving Kumiko would increase by a wide margin? Definitely. Making up her mind, Reina pressed her fingers on her Key Stone as the corresponding Mega Stones Orpheus and Sparkle wore glowed as well.
Right away, the first thing Reina felt was her mind being overloaded with two more sets of sensations. Nearly collapsing to her knees from how taxing this felt, it took everything Reina had to keep on standing and look her opponent in the eye. To her surprise, delight, and relief, Orpheus and Sparkle had successfully Mega Evolved, despite her not being their Trainer. Was this because of her bond with Kumiko?
That question only existed for a brief moment in Reina's mind before being washed away by the four perspectives she was seeing this battle from colliding together. Without needing to speak out loud or play her trumpet, acts which were too exhausting for her to perform right now, Reina mentally commanded Orpheus, Eurydice, and Sparkle to use their strongest super-effective attacks.
His lengthened arm-blades glowing pitch-black, Orpheus ran up towards Cresselia in a burst of speed and swung at her with a dual Night Slash. At the same time, a Shadow Ball from Eurydice and a Signal Beam from Sparkle slammed into Cresselia as well. The power of the three attacks combined was powerful enough to push Cresselia back, but not knock her out.
Telling Orpheus to keep up the Taunt on Cresselia and prevent her from healing, that was unfortunately the last thing he did. Right after she recovered from the triple impact, Cresselia immediately launched a Moonblast as payback, which struck Orpheus first before knocking him back with it to where Sparkle was. About to fire another Shadow Ball in retaliation, Eurydice was shocked when Cresselia used the move first.
The three Pokémon being sent flying towards the same place from Cresselia's move, they were barely hanging on at this point after everything they had endured. Feeling all their pain as well, Reina's mind was screaming for her to stop this madness, but she shut it up. Kumiko was more important.
About to give them all more orders, a second Shadow Ball fired by Cresselia decisively knocked Orpheus and Eurydice out, leaving only Sparkle behind to continue the fight. However, even that was short lived, as she could only launch one final Thunder before a Moonblast rendered her unconscious as well. No longer feeling her Pokémon's pain, despair was rapidly building up in Reina's mind. Was this really the end?
However, it was at this moment she noticed something moving behind Cresselia. Using what remained of her strength to shift her eyes in that direction, Reina then saw Trip using his two heads to gnaw away at his opponent. Somehow, he had made it through the entire battle without either Reina or Cresselia noticing. With a tiny portion of the anguish in her heart vanishing, another thing also caught Reina's attention.
Though she still wasn't defeated, Cresselia's condition looked extremely bad. By Reina's extremely rough estimate, it would take two or three strong attacks to knock her out, but she was extremely hesitant about whether or not Trip could pull that off. One Moonblast could easily knock him out due to his Dark and Dragon-typing, but it was then that Reina realized she had the solution to this all along.
Her Z-Crystals. Despite feeling that she was about to give out any second now, Reina nevertheless found the strength in her to open the briefcase she placed by her side before the battle started. Rapidly scanning its contents, Reina's eyes soon rested on the Darknium Z. It was at the same time that Cresselia finally fixated her attention on Trip, having been too busy to deal with more urgent threats before.
With no time to lose, Reina slipped the Darknium Z into her Z-Power Ring as she felt her body move. Unlike previous times, the sensation was more akin to her limbs being flung around due to her strain from Mega Evolving three Pokémon at once. Thankfully, Reina managed to successfully complete the set of movements, and thrust her right hand forwards at Trip before keeling over in exhaustion.
In what she thought were the last moments of her consciousness, Reina saw a black hole appearing in front of Trip's two mouths before it began sucking Cresselia towards it. Right as the tip of Cresselia's wing touched the void, it shrank before exploding, knocking Cresselia backwards at high speed. This time, instead of recovering and continuing to levitate, Cresselia remained motionless on the ground.
Did she do it? Did she manage to win against an honest-to-goodness Legendary Pokémon? Could Kumiko be saved after all? As these thoughts and more swirled around in Reina's mind, she then saw Cresselia get up and begin hovering again. Oh no. This did not look good. Seeing Cresselia use Moonlight again, Reina prepared for the worst, but then something unexpected happened.
Instead of continuing to fight Trip, Cresselia went over to where Reina currently was. Confused by a split second about what this meant, the reality of the situation then hit Reina like a Giga Impact. She won! She had defeated Cresselia! Kumiko could now be healed! Looking up at the Legendary Pokémon, Reina could've swore she saw a look of approval before Cresselia began addressing her.
"That was an impressive showing you gave there, young one." Despite not speaking out loud at all, the pride in Cresselia's 'voice' was apparent to Reina. "Of every battle I have fought against human beings with their Pokémon, the challenge you gave me was the most daunting indeed. Never before have I felt this weary after a battle."
"It is my honor, Your Eminence." Somehow, Reina remembered to address Cresselia in the most formal way she could. Finding the strength in her to stand up once again, Reina could now look Cresselia directly in the eye. "That was also the hardest battle I have had as a Pokémon Trainer, and I am privileged you were my opponent."
"Once again, you do not have to be so formal with me, young one." Cresselia seemed to be chiding Reina with her 'voice'. "Now, back to what you have seeked me out and battled me for. As you have upheld your end of the bargain, I will uphold my end as well. Where is your lover?"
"She is right here. Please wait a few moments while I bring her over." For some reason, Reina saw Cresselia take a second glance at Trip right before she recalled him. What was that all about? She would've liked to dwell more on that matter, but something far more important was waiting for her. Going back to where she left Kumiko, Reina scooped her up before returning to where Cresselia was again.
"Ah, a young woman. I see." Placing down Kumiko's limp body in front of Cresselia, Reina watched as the Legendary Pokémon's body began shimmering with a faint light. From seemingly out of nowhere, a single feather floated down from above. Shaped like a crescent moon, its greenish tint resembled the color of Cresselia's underbelly.
"This is a Lunar Wing, one of my many feathers. Place it on your lover's forehead, and she will be awakened from her slumber. However, do be aware that it will take some time for her to regain consciousness." Taking the Lunar Wing in her hands, Reina followed Cresselia's advice and gently placed it on Kumiko's forehead. Right as she did so, Kumiko began to squirm uncomfortably.
"What!? No! This cannot be! Of everything it could be, you had to be behind all this!" Hearing Cresselia's anguished 'voice' ring in her head, Reina was confused about just what the Legendary Pokémon meant. Unsure if she should interject, Reina calmed down when she saw Kumiko stop moving, along with Cresselia looking less alarmed.
"What was that all about?" Reina asked the Legendary Pokémon. From the way Cresselia reacted to Kumiko's condition, something out of the ordinary had happened. Though she had completely no idea what exactly it could be, Reina hoped whatever answer she got would shed some light on what HTT did to Kumiko to make her like this.
"It was nothing I have not experienced before. Your lover has been successfully healed. She will wake up in a few hours." Wondering what Cresselia was mentioning, Reina was about to press the issue further before the Legendary Pokémon spoke again, this time with a tone of intrigue. "There is one final matter I wish to address. As you have been nothing short of an exemplary Trainer, I have but a simple request for you: Could I accompany you on your journey?"
"Come again?" Wait, what? Just what did Cresselia mean by this? As Reina pondered the exact meaning of Cresselia's words, a daunting possibility dawned in her mind. No. This couldn't be happening. Of everything Reina could've thought would happen, this was the least likely outcome out of all that existed. As Reina's mind struggled to deal with the conclusion she was coming to, Cresselia spoke again.
"What I mean is that I wish to travel with you wherever you go. As your Pokémon." Though Cresselia's tone became slightly awkward, Reina innately knew the intent behind it was true. "I have heard from many others that being with a Trainer is far more enjoyable than living in solitude. While I have resided alone for the entirety of my life, I feel that my lifestyle is due for a change, especially after meeting such outstanding talent like you. Perhaps I should explore the world more…"
"But… what about your duty as the guardian deity of Crescent Moon Lake? You can't be abandoning that just to be my Pokémon! And besides, you're a Legendary Pokémon! I'd be too out of my league taking care of you!" Stricken with confusion upon hearing Cresselia's clarification, Reina's mind was spinning out of control. What was she going to do?
"You can always tell the family which runs the shrine to contact you in case I am needed to heal someone else. As for the other matter, I could tell you treat all your comrades with the utmost care from how they battled alongside you. I would be honored if you were my Trainer." With Cresselia's concise response, the worst of Reina's fears were dispelled, leaving only her confidence. "Will you take up this offer?"
"Yes. Yes I will. I would also be honored to be travelling alongside a Legendary Pokémon." Making up her mind, Reina felt confident this decision was the correct one. Seeing as Cresselia had asked her so politely, Reina just couldn't deny a request made by a Legendary Pokémon.
"Splendid. Then there is a Moon Ball on the grass over there you can use to capture me." Looking over, Reina saw the aforementioned Pokéball beside her and picked it up. She pondered where exactly it came from, but that wasn't important right now. "Before you become my Trainer, I have one more question for you. Young one, what is your name?"
"Reina. Reina Kousaka." Stating her name to Cresselia, Reina felt a strange emotion begin to swell up inside her. She would've called it pride, but there was something about it that felt daunting to her. Nevertheless, Reina decided to walk down this path life gave her as she always had: with bold confidence.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kousaka. Or is Reina fine?" There was no mistaking it. Reina had just heard some doubt in Cresselia's 'voice'. Clearly, this Legendary Pokémon wasn't all elegance and grace, contrary to what Reina thought. "As for what you can call me by once I am with you, I've always liked the name Mikatsuki. It is the name the ancients referred me as, and it means 'Crescent Moon' in the traditional language."
"Reina is fine. It's nice to meet you as well, Mikatsuki." Throwing the Moon Ball at Cresselia- no, Mikatsuki, Reina waited as it shook once. Then twice. And finally, a third time. Once the Moon Ball stopped moving, Reina gingerly picked it up with both her hands. As she looked at the Moon Ball, one truth was apparent above all else.
Reina Kousaka had fought, triumphed against, and captured the Legendary Pokémon Cresselia. All for her beloved.
Bet you weren't expecting a Legendary to be Reina's sixth Pokémon, right?
To be honest, this was in the cards for a long time now, right when the first chapters of this story were being written all the way back in June of 2019. While it's been over a year and a half since then, the entirety of Reina's journey has been leading up to this point. With Cresselia (or should I say Mikatsuki?) by her side, you'd guess that it would be smooth sailing from here on out for Reina, but I'm afraid that's not the case. While this may be her toughest battle thus far, further challenges lay ahead for Reina to face.
Stay tuned for the next chapter on March 3rd!