"Our clan was operated by a social system, and overseen by a group of leaders. There was no real hierarchy among the leaders, probably to avoid the issues of an alpha-dominated system," Celes said.

It hadn't taken Sorin long to discover that Celes was far more pleasant to interact with when she wasn't so guarded and clipped, or at least when she could be coaxed into talking about a subject she was familiar with. The two of them had set off towards the north almost immediately after making their agreement, with Sorin leading. If nothing else, Celes seemed relieved to not have the burden of navigation on her shoulders.

"What's wrong with an alpha system?" Sorin wondered. Most of the clans and communities he had observed, including the Eevee clan he had suggested earlier, were alpha-run. Such a system was usually considered significantly more stable, with a primary leader and a secondary hierarchy relating to delegating tasks, subbing in if the alpha was on business or unwell, or acting as counsel. It actually struck him as incredibly foolish to use a system that would lead to conflict among peers.

"I never asked their reason, but if I had to guess, the matter of inheritance and having too much power," Celes replied. "Also favoritism for the alpha's kits."

Sorin would have shrugged his wings if not for the fact he was currently using them. It was surprisingly difficult for him to hold conversations while gliding, if only because of his preference for nonverbal gestures and tics when he didn't have anything to say.

"Okay, go on," he prompted, chancing a glance back towards the Flareon. She was keeping pace with him well enough, yet her gaze constantly scanned the trees and grass as they traveled. Sorin was familiar enough with the area to choose routes that would minimize the odds of encountering any trainers, but even the ones who were traveling through the area would be low-risk. He couldn't speak for Celes' battle prowess, but he was a dragon Pokemon, and confident enough to hold his own against the majority of rookie trainers and their Pokemon. And if he did catch the signs of a human being a higher-level trainer, he would definitely re-route their path rather than risk an encounter.

Celes was quiet for a few moments, most likely gathering her thoughts. It was already clear that she had never taken the time to discuss her clan upbringing, and that she was likewise aware of how many little details she had to explain for someone like Sorin to fully grasp the situation there.

"Kits were raised in what was called a 'youngling community'. The clan was very small by most standards, so all the kits were raised as a group to receive equal education on what the clan viewed as important values. Parental figures did not exist."

"Your clan sounds terrible, honestly," Sorin said, before he could stop himself. "So parents had their kits, then shipped them off to be raised by someone else as a group? Did anyone even know their parents?"

"Parental figures was not a role of value," Celes conceded. "The clan was a community of peers. Parents had no role in naming their kits or caring for them, and I doubt any heritage matters were recorded. However..."

The Flareon paused, as if weighing over her next sentence.

"I'm fairly confident that two of the clan leaders were our parents. I'm almost certain of it."

"Why's that?" Sorin asked, glancing back at the Flareon. Celes' gaze flicked past Sorin, and he refocused again just in time to avoid a collision with a low-hanging branch. Okay, he needed to keep his eyes on the path.

"Blaze and I were labeled as siblings, despite an age gap of a year," Celes answered curtly. "If heritage was not tracked among most of the kits in the community, then the fact someone was tracking it enough to label us as siblings meant they were more invested in being able to identify their offspring, and that they had enough influence in the system to ensure that Blaze was not properly mixed into the community pool. Furthermore, they had to have been monogamous to be certain of the relationship, and clan leaders tended to be very possessive of their mates."

Sorin blinked. "Your clan wasn't monogamous?"

Celes snorted. "Why bother if they're not tracking heritage or caring for offspring? It was a small clan, and I'm sure half the point was to expand the numbers, so why mate for love?"

Sorin frowned to himself. That certainly seemed logical, but it seemed pointless for him to protest the system as she described it, because her tone certainly carried no love for the way the clan had been run. He could already imagine why her brother hated it, and she hadn't even gotten very far into the explanation.

"Okay, you can continue," the Altaria said finally, after taking a few more seconds to digest the information. Just as he had hoped, the Flareon's backstory thus far had been fascinating and engrossing, almost as good as some of his fancied versions of random Pokemon he observed.

"Where exactly are we going?" Celes asked, frowning and gazing around warily.

"I thought I'd hit Goldenrod first, got a couple of possible contacts there," Sorin said brightly. He hadn't been exaggerating when he said that he knew a bunch of Pokemon that could help him out. Even if none of them knew anything about her brother, they could at least keep an eye out and tip him off if they saw or heard anything. The Altaria may not have been a huge social butterfly in his youth, but he knew the advantages of keeping a few friends in touch. Kaito was just one example.

"I don't see why Blaze would go near a human city," Celes said doubtfully.

"If he's been gone so long, have you considered the chance that he got captured by a trainer?" Sorin asked tentatively. "Trainers go in and out of cities, and they usually have their Pokemon registered. It'd definitely be something one of my friends could keep an eye on."

"Oh..." Celes' doubt seemed to falter as she mulled over that statement. Even without looking, it was obvious to Sorin that she had legitimately never considered that angle.

They settled into an awkward silence for a few minutes. Sorin didn't really want to press the issue of discussing her clan if she wasn't up to continuing the topic of her own accord, and he likewise was fully aware that he hadn't yet produced anything of value to her yet to be justified in hounding her for her 'payment' right now.

"Why is my clan of interest to you?" the Flareon wondered abruptly. Sorin responded with a gentle chuckle.

"I'm just fascinated by other people and Pokemon in general. I like to observe others and piece together my own version of how they live based on how they act and things like that. It's a fun little hobby, like sitting in a cafe and watching the people there," Sorin explained airily. "I just figured I can actually learn something real, rather than my imagined versions, and it could be interesting, especially since I have visited another clan before and this way I can compare the systems a little."

The Altaria's answer seemed to satisfy Celes' query, at least for the moment, for she didn't question the matter further. At any rate, she didn't say anything for another minute, although Sorin chalked it up to the fact there were other Pokemon wandering the area, and he noted that some of them were glancing at the fire Eon curiously, even though they didn't say anything or approach.

"Out of random curiosity, how did you evolve?" Sorin wondered, hoping this line of thought would distract Celes from her self-consciousness or whatever was hindering the discussion. Furthermore, he had always wanted to ask evolved members of the Eevee line what drew them to their evolutions, or what circumstances were involved. As the Pokemon species capable of eight different branching evolutions, Eevee often struggled with the decision of which evolution best suited their personality or goals. Some found it easier, some found it harder, and there were a handful that were genuinely displeased with the outcome.

"I touched a Fire Stone," Celes stated bluntly.

"Uh...okay," Sorin said, frowning to himself. That was possibly the most anti-climactic answer he had ever received from that question. "I guess I more meant whether you chose to be a Flareon, or if it was an accident, or-"

"I know what you meant," Celes interrupted. Sorin sighed loudly. He had been hoping that Celes was becoming a little more sociable, but maybe he had just set his hopes too high.

"Sorry for asking," he muttered. He couldn't really look behind him to judge how Celes was reacting to his remarks or audible disappointment, so he expected the conversation to just drift back into a lull with no way to reliably restore it until after reaching Goldenrod.

"Evolution was regulated by the leaders," Celes stated unexpectedly, and Sorin turned his head towards her in mild surprise. The Flareon wasn't looking at him right now, instead gazing at the dirt path she was walking along. "To earn the right to evolve, one was expected to gain favor with one of the leaders. They routinely interacted with the younger members, and those they took a liking to could be selected to be groomed by that leader. Taken under their wing. Mentored."

"Oh? So evolution was a status symbol? Or would everyone get the opportunity, it just could be accelerated by being selected?" Sorin asked, intrigued, but taking care to keep his eyes on his surroundings, rather than the Flareon.

"Hm...both, I think. It was a status symbol, but being mentored gave you advantages. Official evolution procedure required you to pass some sort of test or trial, and upon completion, you would be presented with the evolution stone of choice, or take a trip to become a Leafeon. Our clan had no Glaceon."

Sorin mulled that over for a few seconds. That made some sense, although it still meant that Espeon and Umbreon evolutions simply could not be regulated by the clan leaders, but if the clan didn't emphasize bonding with potential mates, parents, or siblings, then those evolutions would have been much rarer, and the mentor relationship would probably be the trigger for those. In that sense, the clan leaders essentially would have had a monopoly on evolutions.

"Were all the clan leaders evolved?"

"Yes," Celes confirmed curtly. "Evolution was proof of status. It meant you were a peer to the leaders."

Sorin shook his head. That sounded like a repulsive system. Not only did it completely nullify family relationships and bonds, but it sounded like all the unevolved Eevee were almost completely at the mercy of the decisions and whims of a select group that controlled their growth and limited their power scope. He had almost no doubt that the leaders did this to ensure that any protest against the system would be futile without the power to back it up.

"My brother hated the clan," Celes continued softly, practically a whisper. "Hated it with all his heart. We'd talk on certain days...when he was upset over something, and he'd vow to one day do something to change things...it was idle talk. We both knew we were powerless to change anything."

Sorin landed on the grass and turned his full attention to the Flareon. The main reason for stopping was because they'd need to change their route to head towards Goldenrod as opposed to Ecruteak, but the secondary reason was because he wanted to really pay attention to the little details in Celes' eyes and face as she spoke.

"I don't know how he found the Fire Stone, or how he resisted touching it immediately," Celes murmured. The first hint of a smile graced her face, extending all the way to her eyes, and Sorin noted that she was actually very pretty when she smiled. There was a light in her face that was harder to notice otherwise. "He called me over to it, so excited I thought he'd burst. Said it had to be a sign from Arceus herself."

Sorin winced. He could definitely see her brother's thought process there. An Eevee with a fire-based name coming across a Fire Stone of all things would seem eerily prophetic. However, the reason for wincing was centered on the fact that Celes was a Flareon, and had earlier said her brother was still an Eevee. It was dramatic irony at its most painfully obvious.

"Ironic...my reckless brother controlled his impulses better than I did," Celes lamented, and she sighed heavily. However, when she looked up again, her words were sharp and clipped. "There, you know how I evolved. Now drop it."

Sorin flinched, taken aback by the shift, but he hastily nodded, knowing better than to argue the matter further. She didn't need his help, just appreciated it. As such, she had no true obligation to share all her information until he produced something of genuine use to her search. If it was emotionally painful or similar, she had more incentive to just cut out of the bargain entirely than to force herself through those paces.

"That's fine, um...we're going to the left now, that'll lead us towards Goldenrod," Sorin said quickly, nodding towards the left-side branch in the path. Celes nodded, her body and expression relaxing once she knew he wasn't going to hound her for more details, and she immediately continued walking in the indicated direction, forcing Sorin to hastily take to the air again to avoid being left behind.

"Are you sure it's even a good idea to go into a human city?" Celes asked. "Aren't humans a bit...capture-happy or something?"

Sorin chuckled at the Flareon's wording. "Well, this is the Johto region. It has something of a fad where trainers frequently keep one or two of their Pokemon outside their Pokeballs, provided they don't cause any problems, so wild Pokemon actually have a lot more freedom within human-controlled areas. Again, provided they don't cause problems, it becomes a small sanctuary."

Celes cocked her head curiously at the Altaria. "So...they won't try to capture us because we might belong to a trainer?"

"Yes, but also because the competition between trainers after a wild Pokemon that wandered into the city could have ridiculous amounts of collateral damage," Sorin added. "It's obviously more complicated than that, but that's the basic idea."

Celes seemed intrigued by the concept, and Sorin expected that the Flareon had avoided human settlements like the plague. Then again, while he knew she came from a clan, particularly one apart from the Violet City clan, he had no idea what area of the region she might have come from.

For that matter, she probably wouldn't be able to tell him even if he asked. She didn't strike him as the type to be familiar with the names of human cities or landmarks, and it honestly wasn't important enough to pester her over now. With luck, he would be able to piece together a general area for her upbringing when she was willing to discuss her clan further. Little details like the weather conditions and the type of local Pokemon that might have come across her clan would be a major help for his mental picture.

"Are you normally this quiet?" Celes asked. Sorin blinked, shaking himself from his thoughts. "Not that quiet is a bad thing," Celes added quickly. "I'm just wondering if you're always like that or if my tone is turning you off of conversation."

Sorin chuckled again. "I am a little more on the quiet side, I'll admit. I prefer observing people and it's harder to do that if I was constantly chatting. Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

Celes furrowed her brow thoughtfully. "I guess I'm just used to people trying to get or keep my attention. That was a big thing after I evolved. No, I'm not going to elaborate right now."

"Ahh," Sorin murmured. The comment certainly piqued his curiosity, but he would probably get a chance to understand it later. "Well, if you do want to talk about a different subject, feel free to bring it up or ask about it. I don't mind, and it'll make the trip go by a little faster."

"Thank you," Celes replied. She gazed around the area thoughtfully, and her fluffy tail flicked idly, a rare glimpse of an almost cheerful demeanor. She then paused at one point, giving a tree a curious look, but then continued walking as if nothing had happened.

"Hang on, Celes," Sorin said, his beak forming into a frown as he cast a look around the area. Something wasn't right here, and it had only just dawned on him what it was. The Flareon paused and turned back towards him, looking confused.

"What's wrong?" she wondered.

"Does this area seem a bit...empty to you?" Sorin asked, his eyes scanning the trees and bushes on either side of their path. This was a high-traffic route leading between Goldenrod City, essentially the metropolis of Johto, and Ecruteak City, one of the region's most popular tourist sites. It even crossed paths with Violet City and the Ruins of Alph. There was no logical reason for the area to be this deserted. Yet he hadn't heard the sounds of other Pokemon for several minutes, and hadn't seen any moving around, either.

"A little, I guess?" Celes responded with a shrug. "I usually take routes like this when traveling."

"Yeah, but this isn't normally a 'route like this'," Sorin explained. "It's actually the exact opposite - one of the busiest routes in the region. We shouldn't be able to go more than a hundred paces without seeing or hearing another Pokemon, even in the wake of a small rain shower."

"Is it a territory?" the Flareon asked, frowning.

"No, it's a neutral area. No one is supposed to claim the area because it's so high-traffic that it's impossible to secure long-term. Few Pokemon even want a territory like that," Sorin answered.

"Then what was that?" Celes wondered, pointing a paw towards the tree she had paused to inspect. Sorin floated nearer to the fire Eon to get a better look from her angle. As he studied the bark of the tree, he spotted the insignia that had captured Celes' attention.

His blood ran cold.

"Shit," he whispered. Celes gave him a weird look, and he normally would have apologized immediately for his slip of the tongue, but she didn't seem offended, just confused, and he had something infinitely more pressing on his mind.

At a glance, the marking carved into the tree appeared to be a stylized triangle, with three crudely drawn lines intersecting in the corners, but if one looked more carefully, they could see that the horizontal line, mistaken initially as the base of the triangle, was actually cut higher up then the diagonal cuts.

The lines had been visibly made with claws, yet they had burnt edges, as if carved with a jagged wood burning knife. If Sorin tilted his head slightly, it almost looked as though the drawn lines were aflame, and the image came close to resembling an inferno consuming the sigil.

"We can't go this way," Sorin said, immediately backing away from the marking as he spoke. Cold panic was invading his thoughts, overlapping with desperation. Celes seemed utterly nonplussed by his reaction.

"Why not?" the Flareon demanded. "You said no one claims this area as territory, so it-"

"She did it anyway," Sorin breathed, shaking his head. "We can't go through. We need to find a different route but...that could end up being a massive detour."

"I don't want to take a massive detour," Celes growled, losing what little patience she had. "If you're too scared to go through, then why don't you fly over, and I go through?"

"You shouldn't go in there, either!" Sorin insisted desperately.

Celes studied the Altaria in silence for several seconds. "I don't care," she stated coolly. "I will find my brother no matter what. Either I get through unhindered, or I get the chance to ask if this 'she' has seen him. Blaze is a pathetically bad flirt, so he sticks out quite a bit."

Sorin flinched. There was a glint of determination in the Flareon's dark eyes that told him arguing with her would be completely pointless, and she had a small point, however naive it might have been.

"Actually, if he did come by and flirted, that might have gone even worse for him..." Sorin murmured.

"That's not helping. At all," Celes snapped. With that, she turned on her heels and walked purposefully past the marked tree and deeper into the forested pathway. Sorin fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Ho-oh have mercy and reincarnate my soul," he muttered, actually casting his eyes towards the sky, where a small rainbow had formed. Then, taking a deep breath, he followed the Flareon.