Chapter 23: The Legend of Pauline Phoenix and Vincent Silver.
"Ugh...This house," Justin says, rolling his eyes. "Is so freaking small!"
The inside of Forest's home contains three sofas and a table in the middle of the living room, along with there being a kitchen next to it. Besides the living room is a door that leads to the bedrooms. Two slender, silver swords are lying against the wall next to the front door, not moving a single inch. Everyone except Forest relaxes on the sofas, with Mokuri sitting on the wooden floor and closing his eyes. His grass-like fingers are nudging against each other, remaining quiet within his meditation.
Ada looks at the two swords, scabbards covering them as the handles hang low. "Who's swords are those?" Ada asks.
"That would be ours!" Courtney says, smirking as she points at herself and Sylock.
"Oh? They look fantastic. Who did you get it from?"
"Thanks! And we got it from our master, Forest. As a reward for helping him and Mokuri fight off against so many criminals here a long while back." Courtney puts her hands behind her head. "We have been respected by a lot of people since then."
Sylock glances off to the side, letting his head rest on his hand. ...Fakes. All of those people are, he thinks, squinting his eyes.
Ada smiles. "Sounds like a similar situation Justin, Ramon, and I went through at Majestic City."
The Lopunny pounces forward, inching close to Ada. "WHAT!? You mean THE Majestic City!?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"Well…" Ada tells Courtney the entire Majestic City situation, to which her eyes widen.
"Oh wowie: What a terrible fella that Nickel mayor was. I hope that city gets someone miles better than him."
"Agreed." The girl puts her hand against her chin, glancing down. "Although, it's odd that we don't get celebrated for helping the city. Unlike you, Sylock, Forest, and Mokuri did with Serenity."
Courtney tilts her head, letting her finger rest on her lips. "That is mighty strange, alright."
Justin gazes up at the ceiling, grumbling at it being close to him. "Dawg, how can you live like this?"
Forest walks towards a bookshelf in the corner, scanning through the multitudes of books. "By knowing the ins and outs of this lovely home of mine, of course." He smirks. "I'm not as tall as you all, which also helps."
Justin squints his eyes. "Aight then."
Ada looks at the bookshelf. "You know, Merlin would've loved to read those many books you have there."
"He has, actually," Forest replies.
"Go figure. He doesn't care if it's generic information or not, he finds words to be so interesting."
Justin yawns and lets his foot relax on the edge of the couch. "I envy his ass. Because I can't read through a single word without falling asleep."
Ada giggles. "At least I know I'm not the worst reader ever."
"Shut it, fam." Justin pouts.
Forest takes two books out. "Perhaps you two can become better readers." He looks at them. "Anyone can."
"That's true," Ada says, smiling. She soon sighs before looking down. "I hope he's doing okay out there while with Mrs. Phoenix...Really do miss him."
"Was the separation that bad?" Courtney asks, letting her hands rest on the sofa as she stares at her.
"Yes...I assume he or someone else told you about it, right?"
Forest sits on the left sofa as Courtney nods. "Mhm..." Courtney shakes her head. "I've said it to Delia and the others before, but: I'm sorry for what happened there. I...can't imagine how it feels to escape such a cruel event without your friends and family."
"Mhm..." Ada grips her jeans, voice drenching in haze. "I hope they're all safe and sound. Merlin, X, Serene, Ethan, Mrs. Phoenix, Terran, and my fath-" a force lands onto her shoulder with grace, stopping her sentence midway. She looks beside her at Justin's shaky smile, his lips doing its best to display warmth.
"We'll find them, Ada. No worries," the boy says softly.
Ada gazes at him for a moment, the sheer gleeness expanding throughout his face. She stops gripping her jeans, nodding at him afterwards. "You're right." She smiles back before taking her attention towards Forest, who's resting against the sofa while reading his book. "Sorry about the commotion there. Was...not in the right state of mind, I guess…"
"So that's how you make an Oran Berry pie, huh?" Forest says, holding the book. "Interesting."
Mesmeren's ears perk up, turning towards the elder with eagerness. Oran Berry pie!? That...can't be real, right? She begins to salvate a bit, Ramon blinking at her with uncertainty.
Is she alright? he thinks, shifting himself in place.
Ada raises her brow at the elder. "Uh, sir?"
Forest looks at the girl and chuckles. "My apologies. I got distracted by this cookbook I picked up."
"Cookbook? Thought that one was about my ancestor," Justin says with confusion.
"Nope." Forest puts the cookbook down on the desk beside him, holding up the second one afterwards. "But this one is."
The second book has the vibrant purple coloring, the words 'The Birth of Wizlore,' and a pixie dust symbol sprinkling throughout it. The background has a couple of humans and Pokémon living alongside each other in a forest, the sun casting its light on them. Ramon's eyes widened, the rainbow spawning over the mainlands.
"Whoa…" The Zorua says, captivated by the book's cover.
Justin snaps his fingers, pointing his finger guns at the cover. "Nice."
"I've been reading this book as many times as I can remember. I'll let you know when I get to your ancestor, Justin." Forest flips through the many pages of the book, humming to himself.
Justin leans over to Courtney, his hand hovering over his mouth. "Does he usually get distracted like that earlier?"
The Lopunny shrugs. "Eh, sometimes."
Forest stops a page. "Alright. I made it to the page now. So prep yourselves: We're in for a history lesson."
Everyone except Mokuri gazes at the elder, anticipation rising into the air. Mokuri simply turns his head to a small degree, eyes remaining closed.
"Now then..." Forest clears his throat. "Wizlore has many features that changed the Pokémon world for centuries. Those features being the Magic typing and Intellicates." He flips a page. "But how did those two change society? Who was the first to discover them? That's where two iconic figures enter: Pauline Phoenix and Vincent Silver."
Vincent Silver, huh? Justin thinks.
"These two sail across the blue seas to find a region they've never seen before. Upon many trials and errors, they soon came across a region filled with many Pokémon. These Pokémon weren't ordinary, however, as they were able to communicate and perceive knowledge similar to that of a human: They were known as Intellicates. Most of these Pokémon were even capable of switching between their evolution stages by will: They were known as Transvians."
Transvian...The thing that Yvonne guy was working on, Ramon thinks, looking down before tilting his head. However, this book said 'most,' implying there used to be more Transvian that existed in Wizlore compared to now...Maybe it has something to do with that war Ada mentioned? He shakes his head. I'm not sure.
Another page has been flipped. "One day, the two noticed the native Pokémon of Wizlore struggling to build a town. Once they helped them, Phoenix discovered her Magic typing after saving one from a falling boulder. After helping the Pokémon build the town, Phoenix and Silver called it 'PV Town' before sailing away. This discovery led to an unexpected change in all of the regions they spread the news to. More people began to obtain the Magic typing, and more Pokémon became Intellicates or Transvians."
"Humans with the Magic typing were considered Sorcerous, while those that didn't have the typing were called Faults. Defect was the name given to a Pokémon who lacks human communication. No one knew why this phenomenon happened after the discovery of the Wizlore region, nor why some newborns were given this gift. Regardless, many considered this revolutionary era as the Sorcery Ascension Era. Not only for Wizlore, but also for the entirety of the Pokémon world." Forest clears his throat once again. "However, with all things good lurks the evil within. That was The Dne War."
"The Dne War?" everyone except for Mokuri, Sylock, and Courtney says, with Justin raising his brow in suspicion.
Another page flips. "This deadly war was a result of the many debates involving the concerns of this new life for humanity and Pokémon. It included the morality of Defects and the abuse of Magic type. Many Sorcerous skewed this gift to the point of reviving an evil deity known as Dne."
"Dne was a malevolent God whose power was far beyond that of man and Pokémon. They terrorized the land of Wizlore with an iron grip, and did the same for other regions. Dne took the many lives of those who dared oppose their ruling. This led to the war lasting for 12 years, with Dne's followers slowly beginning to grow in each of them. These followers were people and Pokémon who acknowledged Dne's extraordinary powers and worship it, believing that it will be society's future."
Page flips. "However, Phoenix and Silver led a large rebel group who were willing to risk their lives to save the Pokémon world. This ultimately led to their sacrifice along with the defeat of Dne. No one knew how these two defeated this ruthlessly powerful being, but society knew that their sacrifices were filled with mourns. Both them and the many Transvians that died during the war. At the end, two statues of Phoenix and Silver were built in PV Town, which was renamed Glory Pride City."
"Society felt glory from the war, and pride from the founders of Wizlore. Despite the victory, the grieving remains. Transvians went extinct because of the war, leading to society incorporating many ways people and Pokémon can remain safe. Peace has been restored in Wizlore and many other regions, but there's still room for improvement."
Forest closes the book while smiling. "And that's how your ancestor made a huge impact on the Wizlore region," he says to Justin.
Ramon and Justin blink in surprise. Well that explains how Transvians went extinct...But- Ramon glances down. -Something tells me there's more to this story…
Justin stares at his hands, squinting at them. "...So Pauline and Vincent did all of this..." He grips his fists, staring off to the side. "...And I'm just now learning about it."
Ada puts her hand onto Justin's shoulder. "Same here."
"We're learning about it, too," both Ramon and Mesmeren say.
"I'm surprised by you and your mother's response," Forest joins in. "Considering it's your ancestor, you'd know about the accomplishment she made in her life."
"Yeah. But I...guess living in a small village with little knowledge about the world explains it…" Justin sighs, slipping his hands into his pockets.
"I mean, there were newspapers being sent to our village during that time," Ada adds.
"Yeah, but we don't even read those, remember? Only Merlin does."
"Oh...Right."
Justin gazes at the ceiling, squinting his eyes. "I really hope my mother is at Glory Pride City, along with my friends..."
"Don't we all…" Ada wraps her arms around her legs, looking off to the ground.
After a few moments of silence, patting noises can be heard beside Justin. Sylock taps on Courtney's shoulder, her mouth agape as she snoozes away. Soon, she wakes up and yelps, shaking her head. "Huh!?" She rubs her eyes before acknowledging the audience stare. "Oh...uh…" She scratches the back of her head, looking away. "...Sorry. I, uh, fell asleep halfway because I heard it when Delia was with us…"
Ada rolls her eyes. "That's totally not rude at all," she says. Justin raises his brow at the girl. She looks back at him. "...What?"
"Seeing you being sarcastic for the first time is the scariest thing ever, right now," Justin says before snickering.
"Justin: Are you seriously going to joke around after someone blatantly disrespected the story about your ancestor!?"
The boy shrugs. "I mean, she said she's heard it before so…"
"That doesn't excuse her from falling asleep, though! She should've at least, I don't know, go outside or something if she didn't want to hear the story again!" Ada pouts. "If that were to happen to my ancestor's story, I'd be really upset with the person in question."
Justin lifts his hand up and down. "Oh relax. It's not that big of a deal. Boredom happens so it's all good."
"It's not that big of a deal? IT'S NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL, YOU SAY!?"
Soon the two teens get into a nonstop banter as Mokuri and Forest sigh, Sylock raising his brow at the commotion. The Lopunny laughs in a nervous manner, scratching the back of her head. "I...guessed sleeping on that story was a terrible move of mine, huh?" she says.
"You don't say," the Blaziken signs, glancing at Courtney. Ramon and Mesmeren look at each other, shaking their heads with deadpans.
Soon, Justin finally turns towards Forest. "So about Glory Pride City…"
Forest points at the window, woods being behind a couple of homes. "Beyond Gloomy Woods lies the Windmill Forest to the far right. Passing by there is the Lake of Purity. And then afterwards, you should reach Glory Pride City."
"...Sounds far."
"It is."
Justin groans and rolls his eyes, tapping on the sofa. "Looks like this trip won't end anytime soon."
"Well look on the bright side: We got to know about your ancestor and a bit more about Wizlore," Ada says before snapping her fingers. "And I finally know the name of that war!"
"Yeah…"
Ramon perks up, feeling as though a light bulb spawned above his head. He opens his mouth-
No, a familiar voice says to him in his head. The fox raises his brow.
What? But Nomar, this seems like the perfect time to ask Forest about Doctor Yvonne and the Prospe-
Please, Ramon…
The Zorua looks down and lowers his ears. Okay…
"Hey, is something wrong?" Ada asks the fox, everyone taking their attention towards him.
Ramon looks up at the group, smiling with brute force. "N-Nothing. I was, uh…" I got to think of something quick. "Thinking about carrots."
Ada raises her brow, folding her arms. "You looked depressed, for a moment. Like someone took you away from your family or something."
"I…" U-Um. "Was feeling down because I could not for the life of me understand why Justin says carrots a lot!"
Silence.
"...Pfft haha!" Courtney, Justin, and Forest break the silence, covering their stomachs.
Ada shakes her head and rolls her eyes. "Honestly, I don't understand his usage of the word carrots, either. But it's nothing to get completely down over. He's just a goofball, that's all."
"Haha, carrots!" Justin exclaims, Ada glancing at him afterwards.
"I haven't laughed this much since the time I saw Mokuri belly-flopped into a frozen stream of water at Dendemille Town," Forest says, snickering. The Abomasnow groans and shakes his head, stroking his stomach. Mesmeren begins to giggle at the phenomenon while Sylock stares at the group, lost in comprehension.
Nice save, Ramon, Nomar says to the Zorua in his head, giggling along with the four.
I feel terrible about the lie, though. Ramon sighs.
"At least nothing could go completely downhill on our path towards Glory Pride City," Ada states.
Soon, an explosion spawns outside of Forest's home, causing the group to jump. Justin casts his Sorcery Blades, getting up. "Ah man, fam. You just had to say that cursed phrase, huh?" He rushes out of the door afterwards. Courtney and Sylock look at each other and nod, grabbing their swords from the wall earlier. Everyone follows the boy outside.
A ton of Conjure members are terrorizing the village, many people and Pokémon running away from them in response. Some of the grunts fire their magic at the buildings as they collapse on the ground. Forest frowns at the scenario, gripping his cane.
"What's the meaning of this?" he asks, a villager running past him. A couple of guards charge towards the Conjure members with their handguns, but a stream of water gets in front of them. It pushes them away, the guards flying past the group like no tomorrow. As they land on the ground knocked out, Jester rides on his mystical river.
"It's them…" Ada says, forming her purple claws.
Forest looks at her. "You know them?"
"Yes. They're Team Conjure. Always up to no good, and they're the cost of our home being burned down." Ada glares at the Conjure members. "They're going to pay for what they did."
Mesmeren whimpers at the sight of so many of them, getting behind Ramon. Ramon glances at the group, getting in his posture. Courtney looks at Sylock before smirking and gets in her posture as well. Mokuri and Sylock do the same.
"Might wanna get behind us, Forest. Because it looks like we have a fight coming up." The Lopunny sighs in relief. "And I don't mind that at all."