Well, it's been forever, but I'm still writing!

This chapter takes us back over to the Iceberg Empire, and towards the main plot, but with a bit of a detour. For this chapter…is the world building chapter! At least, a poor version of it, anyway. After…25 chapters already passed. Um…I'm great at this, ok?

I even kept the cast small so that we could all focus better on it. Yay, plot stuff! …It's all cliché, but just bear with it.

Anyway, enough rambling from me, here's the latest! Enjoy it!

...

[Chesnaught]

The wind blew gently and I shook my head, gawking at the grass fields before me. I glanced around, spotting the abundance of trees, a flowing river, and fields of flowers. Twisting back, under the orange skyline, stood the stony Grass Fields Castle.

Home.

Slowly, I start towards it. A little quicker, and then in a flash, I'm suddenly taking the path right back to the courtyard. Delphox and Greninja are already there and turn back to me.

"Finally, he caught up," laughs Delphox.

My mouth opens, but Greninja giggles as well. They turn and begin to walk away, with Greninja turning back. He waves his hand and beckons me after them.

Stepping forward a bit, I suddenly stop. A shiver jolts up and down my body, and I look down. My feet are caught in ice.

"Chesnaught, come on!"

Again, Greninja waves me on, but I'm not able to move. I try to call out to him, but there's an abrupt gust of snow that howls around me. And suddenly, all I can see is a vast blizzard, with no trace of the grassy fields.

Before I can even call out, a casing of ice appears before me. I whirl around to find it extending all around me, rising from past my legs until it finally closes over my head. I pound at the icy prison, but I'm unable to break free.

With a gasp, I jolted up in bed, and panted. Clutching myself, I shivered and shuddered as my eyes met the dark, icy room of the Iceberg Palace. Our room.

Grasping my head as my teeth chatter, I turn to find Greninja rolling away from me, wrapped in dark blue blankets. Puffing into my hands, I shiver a sigh and grip the blankets, tugging back a bit from him.

"G-Greninja, please," I groaned. "I'm c-cold."

"Mm." Was he even awake? I peeked over and glanced at him, as he pulled himself closer together. "Mmm."

"Hey…Greninja!"

"Wuh—?!"

He jumped up and stared ahead, waiting a few seconds. Blinking, he turned to me, and sighed.

"Chesnaught." He breathed easy and his shoulders dropped. "You scared me for a second there."

"Yeah, well you should have seen me a few seconds ago!"

"Huh? What happened?"

"I was having a nice dream, back in Grass Fields, and then suddenly I was encased in a giant block of ice!"

"…Oh." He chuckled. "Um, sorry."

Slowly, he wrapped the blankets around us and pushed me back down to the bed. His hands stayed against me, and he waited a moment, lowering his eyes and smirking.

"C-come on, I'm f-f-freezing!"

"Sorry." He gently leaned closer into me, still smiling. "Can I do anything else to make it better?"

"Quit t-teasing me, and just get o-over here."

"Fine."

Greninja lied on top of me, and the blankets finished draping over us. We pulled them tighter around us, and he snuggled into my chest. My legs wrapped around with his as I kept the blankets tucked in. Warmth began to flow back into me and I sighed in relief.

"Better?"

"Much."

"Good." He kissed my cheek, but kept his face near mine. "So, still thinking about Grass Fields, huh?"

"Well, yeah. That was my home, before this place." I brought my hand to his waist, rubbing his back gently. "I can't exactly get used to a cold, wet world as easily as you can."

"Oh, quit acting like I fit right in here," he mumbled back. "I like warmer water, too, and you're not the only one that left your home behind."

"Right, you and Delphox were there too, I get it." His heartbeat kept a steady rhythm that I focused on, calming my racing pulse. "But, unlike Delphox, who can warm himself up whenever he needs, or you, who can handle colder environments as a given, I'm not exactly holding up so well."

"Sure, not holding up at all," deadpanned Greninja. "Let's see, you've spent the past month teaching soldiers new tactics, recruited a powerful new mage, encouraged a new couple to get together, and currently have your boyfriend flopped on top of you to warm you up." He lowered his eyes. "Sounds like you're struggling with this new environment."

"When you put it like that," I muttered. He laughed and massaged my chest, rubbing around my fur. "I guess we're both doing pretty well."

"Yes, I would think so." He slowly slid his hands across my chest, and brought each to my shoulders. "Now, let's get back to sleep, or we'll be exhausted tomorrow."

"Today, you mean."

"Goodnight, Chesnaught."

"Good morning, isn't it?" A pillow buffeted my face. "Night it is!"

"Worst kind of person," sleepily mumbled Greninja.

He slid down my chest, and his breathing against my body slowly became a steady rhythm. Lightly kissing his head, I kept my arms around him for a little longer, watching the ceiling for a bit. Sinking into the bed, I exhaled once more as my eyes slipped shut.

Under a purple skyline, I shake my head as my eyes open. Around me, there is a white, rocky island. It's small, and I stare at ruined columns around me. There's a temple before me, and I amble my way over to it.

"Has your shield grown sharper?"

Halting, I spin around, but no one is behind me. Turning back into the temple, I spot King Nidoking, solemnly staring at me.

"I…Sire?"

"Has it?"

"It's…I guess so." My shoulders drop, and I frown. "What's this about?"

"Good. I need it to be." He turns into the broken structure, hands behind his back. "I need you to be stronger."

"Sire?"

"You need to be stronger than ever, is that clear?" He spins back to me as I hear waves crash against the shore outside. "He needs you to be."

"…What?"

"Have I not made myself clear?"

"Wait, I…I don't…"

A heavier wave crashes and the whole place disappears into darkness.

Again, my eyes snapped open and I sharply inhaled. Blinking, the icy room is brighter, and I searched around it, finding nothing new.

"Chesnaught, are you ok?"

Blinking hard, I turned to my left as Greninja crawled back onto the bed. The blankets slipped from body as I leaned up, met with the familiar cold air again.

"What happened?" My ninja quickly pulled the covers back up around me, and wrapped his body around mine. "Are you cold again? I'm sorry, I thought that if I went quickly with the blankets, I could get up without—"

"No, no, not that." I dragged a hand over my face, and tried to steady my breathing.

"Chesnaught, your heart is racing."

"King Nidoking." I shook my head and Greninja tilted his head at me. "He, I…I don't know why, but I dreamt about him. Us."

"…Um—"

"We were on an island that I've never seen before," I continued. "He was telling me that I needed to be stronger."

"…Uh—"

"Greninja, I'm being serious."

"Sorry." He chuckled a bit and plopped back on the bed. "Was it meant to relate to the first dream?"

"No, this felt different. It wasn't about what we didn't have, but instead about what was coming." I scratched my head and glanced up at Greninja, who waited patiently. "That's all, really. He was telling me that I needed to be stronger for 'him.'"

"'Him?'" He blinked and tilted his head. "Me?"

"If I had to guess, yeah?"

"Well, I don't mind you keeping me safe." He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek. "But, I'm going to do the same for you too, ok?"

"R-right, yeah." I shook my head. "Something still seems wrong about it. He was really grave, worried over it…"

"Maybe because he's a dominant authority figure in your life?" Greninja pulled back a bit and shrugged. "His presence would remind you of something that you absolutely needed to know?"

"But I already know to protect you." I smiled. "That's my instinct."

"Then maybe it's not about me." Greninja lowered his arms from me. "But I don't know who else he'd refer to."

"Contrary to popular belief, you're not the only male in my life," I teased.

"Well that I know," he grumbled. "I thought we were being serious on this."

"We were, I'm sorry." I sighed and shook my head. "It was too short to really piece anything together, though."

"Then I guess we'll have to figure it out later." Greninja bounced from the bed and stood up, stretching. I watched as he suddenly stopped, and glanced over his shoulder to me. "Where are you looking?"

"The wall," I lied.

"You're still bad, huh?" He turned back around and folded his arms. "Unfortunately for you, it's time to get dressed."

"It is?"

"Yep."

Throwing clothes at my face, I managed to grab some, but the rest flopped against me. Dragging them away, I grinned as Greninja folded his arms, lowering his eyes, but still smiling himself.

Putting the dark blue shirt on, I rubbed my arms at the heavy sleeves. Standing up and dragging up the matching pants, I patted them, as they rubbed against my legs.

"These are…warm," I murmured. "And a little snug."

"They came last night, after I requested warmer clothing for you," explained Greninja. He smirked. "I…might have gotten the size wrong, though."

His eyes scanned up and down my body, and his beam hungrily widened. I rubbed around and smirked back at him, chuckling.

"I thought size mistakes were only on my end," I joked.

"Your bad habits must be spreading," he teased, and winked at me. "At least you fill it out very nicely."

"Is this why you wanted me to get dressed?"

"Of course." His smile remained as his arms lowered. "After all, I wanted you to be much warmer for our stay here."

"Well, it's working."

"The clothes?"

"Them too."

"Oho." We laughed as he stepped closer to me. "Just how bad can you get?"

"Not too much, I hope." My arms wrapped around his waist. "After all, I heard you like nice guys."

"You heard right." His hands slid back up along my chest. "Maybe we can—"

A knocking rapped against our door and we both froze. Sighing, Greninja dropped his head against me, and I chuckled.

"Yes?"

"Are you two done untwisting from one another?" Delphox's sharp tone could have cut the door open all on its own. "Or should I come back in an hour?"

"That second one sounds good," I called out, and Greninja whacked me.

"We'll be out in a little bit, Delphox," he corrected.

"…Do you two consider an hour to be a little bit? Because I'm getting mixed—"

"In a few minutes, honest," rebounded Greninja. "You can go ahead, if you want."

"Not really. I was sent to collect you two."

"Sent?" I slid my arms from Greninja as we came apart, if only by a bit. "Emperor Empoleon needs us?"

"Him too." Greninja and I exchanged confused expressions as Delphox sighed. "Mewtwo and Empoleon, all right? Both of them wanted to speak with both of you."

"Oh, Mewtwo." I kissed Greninja's cheek and walked around to gather my supplies. "We'll be out in just a bit, Delphox!"

"Again, you two didn't clarify what you call a 'little bit,'" he retorted.

Nodding to Greninja, I opened the door and Delphox blinked at me. He glanced down, wrinkled his face, and shook his head.

"Do I even want to know?"

"What?" I glanced down at my clothes and shrugged. "So, I'm showing my figure a little. Nothing wrong with that."

"Greninja, did you get these for him?"

"Guilty."

"Ugh." Delphox smacked his hand against his head and shook it. "You two are perfect for each other, you know that?"

"Thanks!"

Grinning at his scowl, I stepped outside as Greninja followed, closing the door. We turned again to Delphox, who tugged his royal blue robes around.

"Those kind of fit you a little tighter too," I teased.

"Oh, shut up." He blushed and pulled the bottom out further, as it drifted back into him. "…Fine. Maybe it's just how they make clothes here."

"Aw, Delphox, you're not afraid to show yourself off, are you?" Greninja patted his shoulder. "I think you look fine."

"Don't you start! It's not—I'm not!" He folded his arms together and puffed out his red cheeks. "The two of you are just too much!"

"Sorry, Delphox." Greninja dropped his hand away. "I didn't mean to—"

"It's fine, Greninja." Delphox forced his arms together and turned away, starting back down the hall. "Let's get over me being self-conscious and get you two over to the other two."

"Are you in that much of a hurry to be rid of us?" We followed after him, and I clasped Greninja's hand in mine. "We don't get a lot of free time together—"

"Please, don't act like we don't see each other at all." Delphox looked over his shoulder. "Furthermore, don't act like you two wouldn't rather be with just each other."

"Delphox, we're still friends, you know," reminded Greninja. "We like being with you too."

"Y-yeah, I know, b-but…" He inhaled and sighed. "Forget it. Sorry."

He folded his arms and faced forward again, quiet for a bit. I raised an eyebrow to Greninja, who shook his head and grasped my hand tighter.

We walked out of the hall and across a balcony. I watched as Carracosta glanced around and dropped his shoulders. Greninja slowed as I stopped, and looked out to watch the turtle knight leave.

"He couldn't have looked any more suspicious." I turned and nodded to Delphox, who gripped the railing before us.

"Maybe it has to do with that mystery lover of his," Greninja suggested. "The others have brought that up before."

"It's likely that, but still." Delphox shook his head. "I don't get what he's so secretive about. The two of you walk around holding hands and kiss whenever. What is he hiding?"

"That's his business, I guess." I shrugged and turned back to Delphox. "Weren't you in a hurry before?"

"Huh? Oh, yes."

He rushed ahead of us and we followed him once again. I watched as we entered another room, with a few sparse ice sculptures lined up on pedestals down the room. I glanced at them, making out shapes of different exotic beasts, but didn't pay them much mind. Greninja and Delphox, on the other hand, seemed taken by looking them over.

"Where are we going exactly?"

"Hm? Oh, to the library." He glanced back with a smirk on his face. "Don't look so annoyed, Chesnaught."

"Why would I be annoyed?"

"Oh, come off it," he scoffed. "Like you would actually enjoy reading."

"You…you do know that I enjoy research on plants and their significance in culture, right?" I smiled. "How do you think I learned all of that? Just word of mouth?"

"N-no!" He threw his head back forward. "But I doubt that you'd appreciate it as much as myself."

"Well, you bury yourself in books constantly, so I'm not arguing on that," I relented.

"Good."

Walking a little quicker ahead, Delphox shuffled to two doors and pulled them open. He strode inside as Greninja and I followed.

My mouth dropped open at the two floors of bookshelves, lined to the brim with all kinds of books. They came in all kinds of sizes and filled the walls of the room almost entirely. I gawked as Delphox turned and placed a hand on his hip, smirking again.

"This has to be twice the size of what we have back home," I murmured.

"Thrice the size, I'd wager." Delphox laughed. "Emperor Empoleon is big on books, as it turns out."

"I wonder if it's difficult for him to read with flippers," pondered Greninja aloud.

Delphox opened his mouth to respond, but hesitated. He blinked as his hand hung in the air, a finger raised. Slowly letting it drop and closing his mouth, he brought his stick up to his face, gently tapping it against his cheek and thinking.

"Nah, he has those claws on the insides of them, right?" I pointed at my hands and wiggled mine. "They're shorter than mine, but it works the same way, I think."

"Yes, of course, obviously," chimed Delphox. "Who wouldn't know that?"

Greninja folded his arms and lowered his eyes at Delphox while I snickered. The fox mage blushed and turned his head away.

"Fine, I'll admit that it slipped my mind." He pivoted around and made his way back for the double doors. "Anyway, I'm sure they're waiting downstairs, so you two can just go to them."

"Wait, you're not staying?" Greninja tilted his head. "I thought we were all going to—"

"No, I'm off to go find Mienshao," interrupted Delphox. "I was supposed to meet with him by now, I'm sure."

"Ah, so that's it." I smiled. "You've been getting pretty friendly with him, haven't you?"

"Well, yes. He can relate to the struggles of being constantly mistaken for the wrong gender." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Naturally, that's who I would make best friends with."

"Actually, I thought you two had more behind it than that," I pried.

"He's pretty nice as well, and makes a good listener." Delphox tapped at his stick before lowering it. "If that's all, I'll be off to meet him." Pushing the doors open, he stopped. "…Let's make sure to spend time together later, though."

"Really? You want to—?"

"Yes, yes. Now, go."

Charging off out the doors, we watched him disappear back down the halls as the doors obscured our view of him.

Glancing back inside, we peeked over the railing, gazing at the study below. Mewtwo sat in a chair by an icy table, flipping through a book, while Empoleon stood nearby him, shifting his attention between the mystic and some cased ice sculptures.

"Hey, Chesnaught, this way."

Greninja beckoned me over to him, and we went down the quarter turn staircase. Stepping across a red, gold, and blue rug, we made our way over to the pair at the table in the room.

Although the Emperor seemed to notice us first, Mewtwo quickly stood up and glided over to us.

"Chesnaught! Greninja!"

"Mewtwo, hi!" I smiled as he settled down a bit, still excited to see us again. "How are things?"

"Fascinating, actually!" Mewtwo beamed as he drifted around, mesmerized by the bookshelves. "There are so many texts in here to learn from, be it from history, legends, complete fiction, sciences, music even, and I am so amazed by it all!"

"That's right, you didn't have much exposure to this stuff," realized Greninja. "So, everything here is very new to you."

"Yes," murmured Empoleon, with an…exhausted expression on his face. "Every little thing is almost entirely new to him."

"Wait, why are you here too, Sire?" I folded my arms.

"It started with me just showing Mewtwo where the library was," explained Empoleon. "And then I answered some questions, and then some more. And…I have no idea how long we've been here this morning."

Greninja searched around and glanced out a sunny window on the far side of the room. "What time did you start?"

"Ah…it was still dark outside."

"There is actually so much that I am learning from the Emperor," revealed Mewtwo.

"Are you sure he isn't just trying to indoctrinate you?"

"No, I'm not," grumbled Empoleon. "It's impossible to lie to him."

"Well, it is very easy to deal with," reasoned Mewtwo. "Really, did you think your best fib would be about your favorite color?" He gestured around the room. "Your banners are all blue."

"So?! Silver is in a lot of them!" Empoleon huffed. "Besides, that's my second favorite color, so that should have worked." He slouched and sighed. "Who am I kidding? I'm having the exact same problem with him as I did with Alakazam. Psychic Types read minds and see through every single lie."

"Just the easy ones, I am sure," comforted Mewtwo. "…Though, that passage to your private chambers that not even the General is aware of seems most interesting—"

"Hey, hey! Boundaries!"

"Sire, if we're the last ones up, you're probably needed elsewhere by your other soldiers," I suggested. "Maybe you should—"

"Go to them, yes, good idea!" The Emperor slightly laughed, which sounded a little delirious to me. "Mewtwo, I leave you in capable hands, though perhaps not for our nation's specific history, I'm sure that they could help you on…well, other inquiries that you may have. Take care, you three!" As he strode past me for the stairs, I'm pretty sure I heard him mutter, "First a nap is in order…"

We waited as Emperor Empoleon climbed the stairs and disappeared from the library, listening for the doors to click shut.

"He finally left." Mewtwo lightly sighed. "I would have imagined that he would tire out much sooner than this."

"You wanted to get rid of him after all?"

"Not at first, but the Emperor has kept a…suffocating closeness, within just a month alone," determined Mewtwo. "While I appreciate him teaching me about the world and current events, I grow weary of his constant presence, and his lingering suspicions of me."

"Lingering suspicions?" Greninja scratched behind his head. "Like what?"

"He has a theory that I still possess some kind of importance," divulged Mewtwo. "I do not quite understand what he imagines overall, but I would imagine that it has something to do with my muddled history." He glanced down at his hands as his face fell. "Or perhaps he wishes to explore my power more."

"If he were looking to exploit you, wouldn't he have tried it already?" I rubbed beneath my chin. "Not that I'm really sure how he'd use it, or if it would take a long time to figure out the best way, but I feel like it would be more obvious."

"Perhaps, and you do raise a good point," agreed Mewtwo. "Though, the Emperor is certainly more clever than he lets on." He rolled his shoulders and smiled again. "Even still, there is some sincerity behind his desires to help me learn more about my past, so he might care more than I can discern."

"This place is full of difficult to read people," I muttered. Clearing my throat, I did relent to add: "Though, he does have a family, so that might make him sympathetic to your needs."

"That is the same conclusion I had reached."

"What, because he's married and has a kid, that excuses the possibility of ulterior motives?" Mewtwo and I turned to Greninja, his fists balled up between his folded arms. "A father isn't completely cleansed of sins, you two realize, right?"

"Greninja, I thought you were more sympathetic to Empoleon."

"Huh?" He blinked and dropped his arms. "I…I am." He shook his head, blinked at me, and focused on Mewtwo. "I'm sorry, you're probably right."

"So," I started up to change the subject, "what have you been learning, Mewtwo?"

"All kinds of information," he returned with renewed vigor. "I find it truly fascinating how civilizations seemed to form based on legends."

"…Wait, what?"

"Well, I was unable to find any specific origins of the nations, yet," revealed Mewtwo. "But at the moment, since I have caught up on mythologies and beliefs that the continents were formed by such gods, it is not a far jump to conclude that people built and shaped the modern world based around such stories."

"…Um. C-could you, uh, give us a refresher course on these…legends?" Greninja scratched his arm beneath his sleeve, wrinkling it a bit before fixing it again. "I feel like I might have…forgotten learning about them."

"Yeah, I definitely did," I freely admitted.

"Oh, of course!" Mewtwo floated back to the table and waved us over. "Come, come, this will take a bit of time."

"I think I'm understanding why Emperor Empoleon fled," I whispered to Greninja, who whacked my chest as we walked over to the table.

Sitting across from Mewtwo, we watched as he flipped through pages of a maroon book with his right hand, doing the same with a gold and silver book using his left. I watched as a red, green, and blue book with yellow symbols suddenly opened and the pages flapped around with that as well. I shot Greninja an unnerved glance, to which he chuckled, not nearly matching my reaction.

Eventually, the pages slowed as Mewtwo halted the books from turning any further. His eyes scanned through a few lines and he quietly nodded. Bringing his hands back together, he spun the books around, and I glanced at some pictures that the pages flipped to.

"From the beginning, most legends state that the universe started with a singular being," started Mewtwo. "The Alpha being, born—"

"Oh, Arceus." He blinked and looked up at me. "Uh, sorry. That one is the easy one to remember." I nervously chuckled and sank in my seat. "Sorry."

"That is fine, it saves me from detailing such a being having come from the egg before the universe was even formed and reigning judgment over all types." Mewtwo smiled to us, while I rubbed my head and Greninja scratched behind his. "Anyway, after Arceus gave birth to the entire universe, according to legend, he had created the other gods to govern over different realms. The god of time, the god of space, goddesses of will, knowledge, and emotion, those were some of the first that came into existence, alongside the gods of life and destruction."

"The…what?"

"God of Life, Xerneas." He blinked and tilted his head. "Have you not heard that one before?"

"No, I thought Arceus was responsible for everything." I blinked and turned to Greninja, who blankly shrugged back to me.

"Arceus was able to create the world, but it was more like a palette for a painting that still needed to be filled in," explained Mewtwo. "Several gods and goddesses were created under his reign, and he had them further develop the world." He flipped a few pages and pointed at three creatures on a page before us. "Surely you have heard of the clash between the mighty god of the sea and god of the land, as they attempted to first form the world, right?"

"…Uh…I…might have?"

"Hmm. There is more to go over than I expected." Mewtwo rubbed beneath his chin, but shook his head. "Another day, perhaps. I just want to get through a basic run down to how the world of today was established."

"So, what came next?" Greninja shifted back up in his seat. "Arceus created other gods, he had them fill in the world, and then…did Xerneas breathe life into everything?"

"Essentially, yes." Mewtwo smiled again and nodded. "Further legends state that Xerneas was also capable of granting eternal life, and that to counterbalance it, Arceus needed to have Yveltal snuff life from creatures, but then that became a mess, and gave Yveltal a reputation as a god of death, which came with more negative connotations than initially intended, but—" He stopped short and looked as we stared at the books before us, puzzling over a picture of a red winged beast with a blue cervidae, a deer or an "eucladoceroes" according to the book. "Ah." We returned our attention to him. "Sorry, that is getting further from the point again."

"That's ok," soothed Greninja. "We'll…do our best to keep up."

"Thank you." Mewtwo bowed his head. "Let me try to continue this once again." Picking his head back up, he glanced at the books before nodding once more. "After Arceus created the known universe, after Xerneas breathed life into everything and everyone, after the world around us was shaped, the gods seemed pleased with what they had made." Mewtwo dipped his head a bit. "However, they quarreled over their territories, like the feud between land and sea. Even after the dispute was settled, gods and goddesses still wanted to know what to do with their lands."

"So, there was more fighting?"

"Not quite. Arceus had the planet divided," explained Mewtwo. "Different landmasses were separated from one another, and gods could choose the domain that they preferred within each to govern." He flipped through a page in the maroon book and tapped on the picture of gray dragon. Mewtwo then pointed at a blue bird in the multi-colored book. "For example, these are two creatures that favored colder environments, and thus sought out territory in more frigid lands, such as this one."

"Each one would take the location they liked the best and expanded on it," surmised Greninja, studying different pictures with renewed interest.

"Yes, exactly. Now, Arceus and Xerneas had created lesser creatures, which the gods divided among their nations and gave them different gifts to help them live in such places."

"Types," I murmured.

"Correct. It started simply, with those in colder regions gaining Ice, those in heated places taking on Fire. Grasslands were easier to navigate if one understood the earth, thus Grass Types came to be. To explore the oceans across the planet, Water Types came as well. Those without the greens around their earth would be Ground or Rock Types."

"What about something like Fighting or Psychic Types?"

"Those were created in domains that they were needed," continued Mewtwo. "Fighting Types were to help with heavy lifting, but that purpose changed to sport as well as guarding. Psychic Types were to read the stars and lands around them with only thoughts, but they gained new intents and ideas, to further the knowledge of those around them." Mewtwo spread his hands on the pages and smiled. "Soon, all of the Types that we know now came to be, though many claim that there are more out there." He flipped through the pages. "I am not certain where I read it, but there are more discoveries they mention, something about the gods hiding abilities within us still."

"Makes sense," mused Greninja. "After all, we're always discovering new things about ourselves."

"But wait," I piped up. "If the gods had ruled over these lands, then what happened to them?"

"It is not known precisely when they vanished, or why they chose to," revealed Mewtwo. "What is believed, according to some tales, is that the gods were satisfied with the way they made the world, but wanted to do more than they could offer, at least, not without causing chaos." Mewtwo chuckled. "There are a few stories that lead to this decision, such as flooding the planet, drying it out, heavy wind and thunderstorms, earthquakes, ice ages, and other natural disasters, all caused because the gods were trying to maintain the world, but live among it as well."

"Huh." I tapped on the table and stared at the books. "They could have kept those natural disasters with them. Was it like unleashing an evil onto the world and not being able to bottle it back up?"

"Well…ah, actually, yes." Mewtwo pointed at the maroon book. "Supposedly, that is one version of it, anyway. Others considered that the gods grew weary with their playthings, or lazy over the planetary preservation. It became tiresome, given that common mortals grew to outnumber them, and therefore, they were either overwhelmed with watching over such creatures, or they merely chose not to."

"Ha, I can relate to that idea." I yawned. "Getting tired of something makes sense."

"But, shouldn't gods have the energy to keep going, and not need rest in the same sense that us mortals do?"

Quietly, I lowered my eyes and frowned at Greninja. He blinked and then shrugged with a smirk to me. Mewtwo laughed and we turned back to him.

"These are the questions that we come up with, though no one today would know the answers." He sighed and gazed at the books. "Most of these may turn out to be stories that we have passed on, and might not even be true at all."

"Guess we'd learn someday," I determined.

"Perhaps. Or we may never know." Mewtwo rubbed under his chin and studied the pages. He pointed at the gold and silver book. "Then again, some scriptures insist that the gods walk among us still, waiting for the right time to appear once again, if they are ever needed." He shook his head. "Some reports believe that they have seen such creatures walking among us, and others claim to have fragments from different gods with them. Colorful wings, strange stones, powerful orbs, secret slabs, melodic bells, and enchanted flutes, to name a few." He pointed and flipped through the books, showing illustrations of some mentioned items. "These were rumored to have ties to each god of legend, in which—"

"Hey, wait, that's the one we gave King Nidoking!" I glanced over to Greninja, as he poked at a page. "Chesnaught, do you remember it?"

"Um…not exactly. I was kind of poisoned at the time."

"Oh."

"That one?"

"Yes, here." Greninja showed Mewtwo the page and he puzzled over it. "It's this gold and gray jewel here. Did you read much about this yet?"

"Not that one." He scanned the page for a moment. "Strange. It details this object with having otherworldly properties, but fails to mention what for."

"Sorry, that's probably not that big of a deal, then," decided Greninja. "It just seemed like the same stone that we had retrieved for our former king."

"It very well could be," suggested Mewtwo. "Perhaps it is of high value, fit for a king."

"Maybe, but I wonder if Nidoking even knows the importance behind it," pondered Greninja. "It was out in a forest shrine when we got it for him."

"Hmm." Mewtwo gazed at the page for a minute, narrowing his eyes a bit. "Why would it have been away from the king…?" He shook his head. "I will look into it later. Now, where was I?"

"Items that called each god or goddess to the world?" I scratched behind my head. "Uh, did I get that right?"

"More or less, actually." Mewtwo's smile returned. "Regardless, though there have been myths of these gods, these legends, there is no definitive proof of them. So, even if such items exist, we may never actually know if they could summon a god."

"That would be disappointing," I bemoaned. "All sorts of stories catering to them for them to not even exist…"

"It is not proven one way or the other," reminded Mewtwo. "Therefore, those items could still be important." He shook his head. "Anyway, my point was that the gods and goddesses eventually ascended to a higher plane." He flipped to the ends of the books, pointing at several pictures of different countries. "It is told that each one was able to pass on their domains to the mortal creatures that roamed the worlds below them, and that they gave us the world before they left."

"Just like that?"

"Well, they would have little use for it," determined Mewtwo. "Unless the theory that suggests they still walk among us proves true, in which case, they do have use for it, and merely wanted to blend in with the masses." He tapped his cheek and studied the books once again. "Though, I suppose this is where conflicting questions are born, based on what people believe in." He picked up the gold and silver book, flipping through it again. "This one does mention that some artifacts were found, so Greninja may be right about more existing." With a sigh, Mewtwo placed the book back onto the table, puffing out his cheek, unsatisfied. "I would not know where to begin with that yet. It will require further study."

"Did…did it take you this whole time just to learn that much?"

"Oh, no, that was just part of everything I read over." Mewtwo laughed. "There is plenty more for me to dig around through. I was just intrigued on the subject of origins, and thus went as far back as I could. Today, our civilizations hold banners and statues based on these legendary creatures." He pointed at a cased sculpture near the table, and I noticed it was carved like the bird from the picture. "Some follow such stories religiously, some enjoy the themes from it, and some fail to care at all. They all spawned different cultures from it, which spun out to what we have today, all across the world."

"Across the world," repeated Greninja. "So, you mean, other countries have kingdoms like ours?"

"Yes, of course," confirmed Mewtwo. "Although, each one follows the gods of old in a different perspective. Whereas the Iceberg Empire might revere gods of blizzards more than gods of the oceans, another kingdom within colder regions may favor more aquatic based gods."

"It…kind of seems like they're all worshiped here," I noted. "There are whole bunches of creatures that appear on the banners."

"True, yes. Perhaps that was not my best example," admitted Mewtwo. "Though, maybe I need to study more on which gods are the preferred ones of this Empire. I did ask Emperor Empoleon, but he seemed to give conflicting answers." He shrugged. "Chesnaught, I do believe that you are correct on the assumption that multiple gods and goddesses are worshiped here. Though, now I am uncertain of how to explain the differences of other countries."

"We have a friend back home that came from another country," chimed in Greninja. "And our former king is to be married, so we could try asking him when we go back."

"Ah, that sounds ideal!" Mewtwo clasped his hands together. "First hand experience would be preferable to learn from, rather than old texts."

"But Samurott doesn't really talk much about differences from his homeland," I pointed out. "He could have a similar way of living to us."

"Well, I suppose there could only be so many differences," rationalized Mewtwo. "They could very well be comparatively meager in the grand scheme of everything."

"Did you get to that much research on our countries?" Greninja leaned forward. "I was kind of curious about how our four kingdoms in specific came to be, and how they were divided. Was it just because the gods supposedly created our borders?"

"That is the initial part of it," clarified Mewtwo. "These four kingdoms are told to have warred in centuries past." He sighed and his face fell again, as Mewtwo pushed forward another book, one colored purple and orange. "You might not be surprised of the death tolls numbering the hundreds, but they certainly were not lost on me."

"What caused the conflicts?"

"Various reasons in the very beginning. Family disputes, romantic affairs, class shifts, to name several. Typically for control over all territory, which continued for centuries until the current monarchies rose above all others in their respective territories." He sighed. "I believe there are still some that feud for control of their country to this day."

"Deserts were the last, I believe," I recalled.

"Huh?"

"They had an uprising when they tried to dethrone their former leader," I unveiled to Greninja. "I don't know much about it, but that was the latest war between a single country."

"Astounding." Mewtwo shook his head. "I did not realize such a war had occurred in our lifetimes."

"Yeah, it was a number of years ago, and pretty quickly resolved," I reiterated. "We should probably ask Emperor Empoleon for more information on it."

"He might also be able to better explain what we're still at odds over," added Greninja. "Borders are already decided, so that shouldn't be such a big issue between the nations."

"Oh, that much I already know," piped up Mewtwo.

"How?"

"They have been warring for the recent decades over controlling fate itself," continued Mewtwo. "It all comes down to the mystic of legends: the seer, the prophet, or whatever else we may call this legendary, even mythical, being."

"Uh…where are you going with this?"

"The seer is potentially linked to the gods, a creature born with the gift of seeing the future," explicated Mewtwo. "It is written that the one whom the seer sides with will receive great glories throughout his or her life." He shuddered and flipped through the pages, showing an illustration that divided each of the four major countries of our continent by their sigils. "Capable of seeing the future, knowing how to achieve victory in battle, predicting how a nation can be prosperous, and all benefits that an all-seeing, all-knowing mind might offer, this seer is extraordinarily worthwhile to anyone and everyone." He lifted the book with telepathy, gazing at it through his glowing eyes. "Though the seer could be of any Type, many consider such relations and abilities point to a Psychic one. Perhaps this is why I was easily suspected." He lowered the book back to the table, and his shoulders dropped. "I am still…nervous over such an accusation."

"Empoleon and everyone here understand that you're not by now," soothed Greninja.

"That is not the problem," murmured Mewtwo. "It worries me as to how the rumor started to begin with, how and why I am connected in all of this."

He lowered his gaze at the table, unusually somber. Quietly, Mewtwo gazed at his hands, which trembled slightly.

"Hold on," I tried. "We don't have any proof that you're connected anymore, right?"

"That is not true."

Lowering his hands past the table, he pulled up a small, light blue box. It was a music box, based on the careful, yet ornate, design. I studied it, noting the gelid rose that was clearly placed upon it, which stood out past the curved lines and tiny snowflakes. As he opened it, I peered inside, waiting for music to start. Nothing came, as I gazed at a bent spoon, a fuchsia gem, and several orbs.

"These are yours, right?" Greninja leaned over the table a little more, focused on the box's contents.

"Yes." Mewtwo frowned, still unable to pick up his head. "I do not know what these are for, but I have kept them with me for as long as I can remember. I feel tethered to them, in a way that I do not understand."

"But, what does this have to do with—?"

"Mewtwo…"

My eyes widened and I froze. The voice, indiscernible by even gender, came from within the box itself, and echoed softly, faintly, but definitely there. I turned to Greninja, mouth dropped open, and he shared his shock with me. Returning our attention to the music box and Mewtwo, we waited silently in awe.

"You are a part of me," whispered the voice.

"…What does that mean?" Chesnaught asked.

"I…I do not know," Mewtwo shook his head.

"Does it always do that?"

"Periodically, but it is not nearly as clear as it is when I am around."

He drifted away from the seat and made his way across the room, away from the box at the table. Greninja and I glanced at one another, and waited for the box to speak again.

"You…are…of me," came its fainter whisper.

"That's crazy!"

"Very." Mewtwo made his way back to us, and gently closed the box. "I do not understand it, though I do know that some items inside are useful to Psychic Types such as myself."

"This still doesn't make sense, though," I countered. "What does any of this have to do with your connection to the prophet?"

"A mysterious voice, my inability to remember my past, this box knowing who I am, and consistent mistakes to be the seer myself," listed Mewtwo. "And now this."

He pulled out a gelid rose, and placed it within the box. We waited in silence once again, a little longer now.

"Some day," whispered the voice, "I will tell you everything…"

"T-that, uh, h-how'd—"

"My curiosity got the better of me," mumbled Mewtwo. "I asked Alakazam to borrow a rose, and when I was alone, I put it with the box."

"But…if those were only for true love, or impossible love, along those lines," rambled Greninja. "How does this even work?"

"Sadly, I do not understand it myself." He shuddered and stared at the box. "It…makes me afraid."

"I don't blame you. A voice in a box that you've kept for years, and it knows you by name? And now it's giving you promises based on a magic rose?" I shook my head and clutched my chest, heartbeat hammering. "I don't understand how you seem so reserved about this."

"Believe me, I am not." He sighed. "I do not…I feel uncomfortable to share even this much." Slowly, his purple eyes rose to meet ours. "It is…not easy."

"You can share with us whenever you need to," offered Greninja. "We're more than happy to listen."

"Thank you." Mewtwo sighed, and finally smiled again. "That is reassuring of you."

"That's what friends are for!" I grinned. "It's how we help one another." I tapped at my cheek and gazed at the books before us. "You know, in spite of everything, think of how cool it would be, if you're definitely connected to this seer."

"Cool?"

"Yeah, and if all of these stories are actually true!" I smiled at them, and then to a puzzled Mewtwo. "Can you imagine, being related to gods? Having the power, maybe even blood, of legendary creatures that courses through you?" I slammed my hands on the table and jumped up. "That's really exciting stuff! Who knows what you could be capable of?!"

"Oh…I…suppose."

"Chesnaught, tone it down," complained Greninja, and he pushed me back into my seat. "Seriously, this stuff scares Mewtwo, and you bring him right back into it."

"Well, taking his perspective certainly does make it more enchanting," admitted Mewtwo. I winked at him and he chuckled. "It does, at the least, calm me a little more."

"If you insist," relented Greninja. "Regardless, I think it would do us some good to head out of here for a little while."

"Yes, of course." Mewtwo watched as we stood up, and pulled a book back over to himself. "Sorry to have kept you two. Though, I hope we can speak more later."

"Why don't you come with us this time?" I placed my hands on my hips and tilted my head at Mewtwo. "We could all spend time together, you know. Greninja and I are probably going to go find some of the others to talk to."

"That sounds nice, but I am fine here," decided Mewtwo.

"Mewtwo, you do this a lot." I frowned and raised an eyebrow. "You go on about making friends, but then you're afraid to talk with everyone here."

"No, that is incorrect. I speak with others often enough."

"More like whenever necessary," I teased, but he just shrugged. "Empoleon takes up some of your free time, but you're not really making friends with him when he does that. And with us, you're fine, but anyone else, you get evasive."

"I am merely content with the company that I have," insisted Mewtwo. "You two are kind to me, and that makes enough."

"We're flattered," chimed in Greninja, "but you could still stand to open up a little more. Chesnaught and I aren't always available." He scratched behind his head. "What about Delphox and Alakazam? I know that one's loud on top of being prickly, and the other is typically not alone anymore, but you seemed drawn to them given your shared Type."

"Yes, I do find them fascinating," confirmed Mewtwo. "Though, they are fine to observe from a distance."

"They could probably benefit you more if you got to know them," I persisted. "Mewtwo, if you get to know others, that's a good thing."

"Well…perhaps." He hugged himself and stood from the table. "It's just…this is the same Empire that hunted me, that keeps me here."

"They're also the ones that stood up for you."

"Along with standing their ground against their secretive Emperor—"

"My point stands."

"…Very well." Mewtwo dropped his arms and heavily exhaled. "I…could use more friends."

"Great!" I spun around and led the two from the room. "Let's see who and what are nearby!"

Climbing back up the stairs and exiting, we strolled back into the hallway. I pondered retracing our steps back, but decided against it, and continued the path down the hall. It didn't last long and we ended up outside.

I met the cold air with a grimace, as Greninja and Mewtwo brushed past me.

"Isn't the air so refreshing, Chesnaught?" Greninja winked to me and giggled.

"W-why do you take d-delight in this?"

"Oh, come off it." He folded his arms. "You have nice, warm clothes now."

"It's still cold."

"He does raise a valid point."

"Mewtwo, you're wearing even less than he is!"

"The cold does not bother me as quickly."

"Everyone who lives here insists on that," I managed. "And every single one of you is absolutely insane for even thinking that."

"Do you not live here now?"

"D-did you just—?"

Greninja laughed and Mewtwo smiled, containing his own chuckles. I folded my arms together and shuddered, scowling at them.

"N-not funny."

"Lighten up."

"That would make him colder." Greninja laughed again, and this time Mewtwo joined in on his own joke. "My…my apologies, Chesnaught."

"Uh-huh, yeah, l-laugh it up," I grumbled. Still, I couldn't contain my own smile.

As we crossed the walkway, I gazed across the railing, with the Frozen Fields in the distance. Directly below, there were some structured stones built up in piles that lead to the castle.

"What is this called?" Mewtwo pointed at the pent roof above us. "It is beneath the actual roof outside."

"Mokoshi. It's a decorative roof cuff, and goes under the actual roof of a building." He glanced over the railing and nodded. "And that's what you would call a burdock piling, which is essentially a specific way of building a stonewall."

"Fascinating."

Mewtwo wandered across, grasping at pillars and lightly swinging around them. We watched as he wandered around the corner, and we followed to find ourselves at the front of the palace, its southern side.

"It overlooks the waterfalls out front," pointed out Mewtwo.

"The ones beside the stairs, right?" I stared at the rushing waters below. "They actually look beautiful when you're coming up the stairs." From above, though, they were a bit more intimidating, just falling away from us, leading out past the city ports and into the oceans.

"This whole place is more beautiful than I recall." He smiled and made his way forward by the railing. It creaked, and he backed away slightly. "Hm. That could use repairs, perhaps." He shrugged and gazed out to the city, and stared at the world that waited beyond. "Still, it is…beautiful, to finally have a minute. Just to take it in."

"The view?"

"The world."

Glancing back at Greninja, we both exchanged awed expressions before joining Mewtwo at the railing. Past the many buildings of the city, with a few citizens wandering around for their daily activities, we took in the snow trails and mounds that led away from the central territory. I saw trees in the distance, remembering Grass Fields.

"Have you…ever been beyond the Empire?"

"No." A soft wind gusted past us, and my shoulders fell at Mewtwo's response. "I have been hiding away and focused on survival for so long, that I had forgotten to simply take in this much."

"We'll take you out, some day," promised Greninja. "Chesnaught and I will take you with us, when we can go back beyond the borders, go back to the Grass Fields Castle to visit." I turned and watched him smile to Mewtwo. "It's warmer there."

"If it is south, I would imagine so." He paused and chuckled a little. "You meant…I understand."

"Here isn't all bad," insisted Greninja. "But Chesnaught would beg to differ."

"Oh, come on." Frowning, I rolled my eyes as Greninja giggled. "I hate the weather, not the whole place."

"Yeah. I love the water being all around, though." He grinned and tugged at Mewtwo. "Anyway, come on! There are steps over this way. Let's get back inside, and go find someone for you to befriend." He guided Mewtwo forward and winked back at me. "Besides, I think Chesnaught needs to warm up a little bit."

Smiling, I watched them walk forward and over to a stairway along the walkway. Turning back, I gazed out once more, and listened to the crashing of the waterfalls nearby. The wind brushed past me once more, and the railing creaked as I gripped it. Shuddering, I stepped away and hurried after Greninja and Mewtwo.

The stairs led back down to the main gates, and I stepped back inside the Main Hall of the Iceberg Palace. Greninja and Mewtwo were already there, making their way over to a door along the right side.

"Chesnaught, come this way!" Greninja waved me over, and I followed after him.

A dining hall waited for us inside, with a long, wooden table before us. Weavile sat there, and she tossed fruit around, dunking it back into the bowl. She just lobbed an orange in when the door shut and she turned to us.

"Hey." She smiled slightly, though frowned a bit at seeing Mewtwo. "Is everything ok?"

"Yep! Just showing him around some more."

"Ah." She gazed at me for a moment, and then chuckled. "So, I see Greninja dressed you today."

My cheeks flared as Greninja proudly nodded, even through a deeper blush than mine. Weavile laughed a little again, while Mewtwo raised an eyebrow and scratched his cheek.

"Well, you're just in time." She smirked and picked up her dagger from the table. "I think Quagsire's about to come out to stuff his face."

"Oh?"

We watched as Quagsire pushed the opposite door open, carrying in a pot. He placed it down on the table, and placed a bowl before himself.

"Are you sure you don't want anything, Weavile?" He yawned and tapped the bowl. "I brought you out one, just in case."

"Nah, I already ate." She twirled the dragger around her claws, but grabbed it and glanced over to us. "Though, I think it's the first time any of them would be eating today."

Quagsire blinked and turned over to us. His lazy smile broadened.

"Hello."

"Hi Quagsire," Greninja greeted. "How are things?"

"Same as usual." He yawned and glanced around the table. "Oh, no dishes."

Slowly, he stood up and wandered off, back out the door from where he came. Weavile picked at the table, debating on carving it, if I had to guess. She shrugged and leaned over, propping her head up with one hand.

"So." I nudged Mewtwo forward, and he lightly gasped. "Mewtwo was looking to talk with some of the other soldiers. Right, Mewtwo?"

"Really?" Weavile turned her attention to Mewtwo, who visibly gulped.

"…Yes." He inhaled and breathed out slowly. "You seem…very independent. That is good."

"Uh, thanks?" She scratched at her nose, but frowned.

"It is…ah, cool, how you are able to…work well alone, on given assignments." He smiled a little. "And how well you can…break away from the crowd."

"…Yeah, that's actually not something I like."

"Huh?"

"I, uh, kind of hate being alone all the time." She slumped onto the table and sighed.

"Wait, really?" I stepped forward. "But, you're usually trying to be alone, right?"

"That's because I suck miserably at socializing," she revealed. "I don't want to deal with embarrassing myself."

"But…you made being a loner seem so cool."

"Unintentional." She shrugged. "Being alone is good, and I need a lot of alone time, because I really like unwinding." Weavile sighed again. "But…even lonely folks need friends, right?"

"That's a feeling that I can relate to," chimed in Greninja. "Actually, I've made more friends this past year than ever, now that I think about it."

"Your boyfriend must help strike a good cord," joked Weavile.

"Actually, I lost most of the friends that I had made back home, and ended up being friends with new Pokemon in their place."

"Uh…huh." Weavile waited a moment before she buried her head in her arms. "This is that whole embarrassing bit I mentioned."

"It's no big deal," I alleviated. "My new friends like me for who I am now, instead of just being a good knight. So, it's better this way." I scratched my shoulder and clawed down at my arm. "Actually, you do have a point! Greninja and I make stronger friendships when we're together."

"You don't have to try so hard, Chesnaught," Weavile muttered from beneath her arms. "I'm a social pariah, I just know it."

"Everyone gets to that point now and again," I insisted. "That's exactly how I ended up losing half of my friends!" …Wow, I had gotten casual about that.

"His point is that you don't give up trying to make friends, Weavile," surmised Greninja. "Even if we don't fit in with some crowds, we can keep trying. As long as you're trying, that's always a good thing." He smiled and shrugged. "Everyone belongs somewhere, with some folks, at some point. It may be quick, or take a while. But, we all get there, eventually."

"Maybe…"

"Mewtwo wants to get there too," I added. "Don't you, Mewtwo?"

"Well, I…" He sighed. "I am…trying to."

"Yeah, it's hard opening up." Weavile picked her head up, and…she genuinely, softly smiled to Mewtwo. "As you've learned, I'm awful at it. But, it's good to try at all, right?"

"Yes, that does make sense."

"Just take it slow." She smirked and plopped her head back down. "Believe me, I know." She lowered her eyes at us. "And you two, take it easy on him. You may think you're helping, but don't go over the top with pushing him into anything he's not ready for."

"We're not, we're not!"

"Weavile, we're just looking to help him talk a little more," insisted Greninja. "We don't have any intentions of inviting the whole palace to talk with Mewtwo."

"Good." She propped her head back on her right hand and drummed the table with the left. "Well, Mewtwo, I'm shy myself, and Quagsire is pretty easygoing, so you wound up starting with the better options that this place offers."

"Perhaps so." He smiled. "Thank you."

"I try."

The door opened again, and we watched Quagsire lumber in with three more bowls. He set them on the table, and slid them down by us.

"…Oh, wait."

Trudging over, he collected the bowls and brought them back to the pot. He opened it and steam soared out. He faced us once again and smiled.

"Is anyone else hungry?" He prodded the ladle around. "If not, I could eat the whole thing, but I figured you guys might want some."

"Yes, please!" I grinned. "My stomach should be growling as I breathe by now."

"If you do not mind."

"We could all use something to fill up." Greninja smiled. "What'd you make, Quagsire?"

"Sitrus Stew." Quagsire poured the citrine liquid with berry bits into a bowl, and stuck his tongue out as he did so. "It's pretty tasty, and has several flavors if you mix it the right way."

"Quagsire always mixes it well," piped up Weavile. "And usually, he makes two batches to eat for himself."

"Two?"

"I've cut back," murmured Quagsire, patting his stomach.

"He eats a lot in one go, and then he's good for the day," clarified Weavile. "Though, cutting back, you're eating more than once a day, right, Quagsire?"

"Um…yes." He contentedly sighed. "It's nicer some days. More food throughout."

"That…must have been an interesting way of eating," decided Mewtwo.

"It was how I ate," airily reminisced Quagsire.

"Did…you enjoy it?" Mewtwo paused and shook his head. "I think you already made that clear."

"Yep, I enjoyed it." Quagsire still smiled and poured out another bowl of stew. "It was nice, eating all at once."

"Sorry, I did not mean to make you repeat yourself."

"That's fine, I don't mind."

The salamander knight stirred the stew remaining in the pot, sniffing at it as his smile broadened. Peeking at Mewtwo, who appeared either unsure or distressed, I cleared my throat.

"…So, Quagsire, what have you been up to lately?"

"Cooking."

"As in overall, not just today. Besides training. And swimming." I shrugged. "You know, your other recreational activities."

"Sleeping?"

"…Uh…"

"Froslass and I went to the city with him last week," threw out Weavile. "So, he did that."

"What'd you guys do?"

"Ate out."

"Oh."

"And shopped," added Quagsire. "Froslass wanted to take you dress shopping, but you were adamant about not going. You tried to reason that I wouldn't like it."

"W-well, I just…it didn't seem like you would!"

"I wouldn't mind."

"Whatever." Weavile pouted. "The weapons shop was cooler to visit anyway."

"Weapons are helpful." Quagsire poured the next bowl of stew. "How many was that? Three, right?" He checked over the bowls. "Yep, three. Are you sure that you don't want any, Weavile?"

"Again, I'm sure, Quag—hey wait, you better not eat the whole pot." She folded her arms and leaned back on her chair. "They might want seconds."

"Aw, right." He sighed and stirred the stew in the pot again.

"Um…we could just have the one," offered Greninja. My empty stomach wanted to argue with him.

"Hmm." Quagsire shook his head. "No, I can make more later. It's nice to share a meal with friends."

Everyone smiled as he poured out the last bowl. He pushed it to his seat, and then carried the other three bowls over to us.

"Took you long enough," complained Weavile.

"We were having a conversation," excused Quagsire. He yawned. "Besides, slow and steady is good for pouring stew."

"Sure, right."

He plodded back to his seat, plopped down, and immediately gulped down the stew in his bowl. We stared at him as he swallowed and patted his stomach, while Weavile chuckled.

Shrugging, I picked up my bowl and sipped from it, with a few berry bits passing through with the citrine stew. I chewed on them, savored the remaining juices for a moment, and then swallowed.

"It's a good mix of flavors," I complimented.

"Yeah, it's dry and bitter, but sweet and sour too," recognized Greninja.

"Delicious," agreed Mewtwo. "You did wonderful, Quagsire."

"Thank you." Quagsire smiled and nodded. "Sitrus touches nicely over different tastes. I'm glad it came out well."

"It always comes out well, Quagsire." Weavile rolled her eyes, and walked to a cabinet away from the table. "You're one of the best chefs in the palace."

"Yes, I do like eating, so I like cooking too." He yawned. "It's still nice to hear when I do well though."

"You must be talented to keep up with cooking and training, among other activities," decided Mewtwo.

"Talented sounds nice." Quagsire yawned. "Better than being called lazy all these years."

"Have you been around here for a while?" Greninja raised his arm to wipe away the remnants of stew from his tongue, but Weavile tossed him a napkin. "Ah, thanks!"

"Hmm. After Abomasnow, there were a some, but none of them are here anymore." He shrugged. "So, I guess that makes me one of the oldest here."

"Wait, wait, what?" I shook my head. "You…you're one of the first knights under Empoleon's reign?"

"Not the first group." He yawned again, unfazed by my surprise. "Abomasnow is the only one from that set."

"Does that make you part of the second line-up?" Mewtwo sipped some stew after asking.

"There wasn't a second group; just new soldiers they added in after losing some." Quagsire lightly drummed the table. "They had some before me, then I joined, then Poliwrath and Politoed, at least out of the soldiers you know."

"Interesting." Mewtwo nodded, fascinated by the news. Meanwhile, I had to close my mouth and glanced at Greninja, noting that I wasn't the only one awestruck. "Weavile, how long have you been around, comparatively?"

"Oh, uh…not as long." She shrugged. "I came before Machamp and Alakazam, if only just barely. We're the latest recruits still around before you guys came last month."

"Wait, but you've all served years here, right?" Greninja clutched his bowl of stew, twisting it around as he listened.

"Yeah. We're not exactly the newest for soldiers here, but we are compared to everyone else here." She scratched beneath her chin, thinking a moment. "Besides the bears leaving, we had maybe another three other soldiers come and go after us, actually."

Mewtwo nodded while Greninja and I gawked. Weavile tossed her blade back and forth in her hands, undisturbed with the information she shared.

"Um…sorry to hear?"

"It's life." Weavile shrugged. "We told you guys repeatedly that we've lost soldiers up here."

"True, you have," agreed Greninja. "But…we didn't imagine so many."

"At least it wasn't from a war." Quagsire smiled again. "We haven't had to deal with one, in spite of that being on everyone's minds."

"Do you think there ever will be a war?" Mewtwo tapped his hands together. "The Emperor explained that I might have been the cause, if I were truly the prophet of legends. Is that still possible, for the war to erupt over that?"

"I hope not." Quagsire contentedly slumped down in his seat. "It's been a couple of years that we're together. I like the soldiers we have now, and we're all becoming friends."

"Yeah, I agree with that." Weavile smirked. "We even got Emperor Empoleon and General Abomasnow to soften up lately. I never saw them like that."

"Emperor Empoleon was happier when his family was still around," noted Quagsire.

"Has anyone helped him consider bringing them back?"

"Nope."

"Huh." I scratched my arm as we sat in silence for a minute. "Shouldn't we?"

"Maybe."

"Look, I don't know about anyone else here, but I need to stretch my legs." Weavile hopped up from her seat. "Anyone else want to roam? If we find the Emperor, we can ask him about it. Or, better still, we can find what everyone else is up to."

"Well, that was our original plan," reminded Greninja. "We'll join you right after we finish this stew."

"It has been nice spending time with others," realized Mewtwo. "I suppose getting better acquainted with the rest of the army would be worthwhile."

"Sounds good to me!"

"For a little bit, maybe," murmured Quagsire. "I could use a nap soon, though."

"Figures." Weavile rolled her eyes. "You're always napping when you're not training or cooking."

"Or swimming."

"Sure, whatever."

"It's fine," I intervened. "We don't get many days off, so we should try to enjoy anything we can with whoever is available." I sucked down the last of my stew, savoring the mixed flavors as I swallowed the lukewarm liquid. "But first…can I get seconds?"

With an exasperated groan, Weavile slumped back into her seat. Greninja and Mewtwo chuckled at her, and then continued with their stew as well. Quagsire nodded as I grinned and brought the bowl back over to him. And for a little while longer, we socialized as we ate.

It was nice while it lasted, fleeting as it was.

...

So, what did we learn today class? Besides Echo can't write, that's a given.

Whatever, I'm excited to get back to Iceberg, and more excited to get back to SneakpastShipping! They got to have a nice few moments after taking back seat to about every other couple for the past few chapters. Oops. But hey, I did include fun callbacks to the earlier chapters! …Stop judging me. Only Delphox gets to do that…and he does that to everyone.

Anyway, Mewtwo is a shy nerd, yes. Who could have guessed? And just because of that, he gets to tell the story of the "gods!" …Yes, that was all about the legendary Pokemon, and used pretty much all the mythology included in the games they're from. Why? Because it still fit together with the story easily, so I did. Plus, it puts everyone on one planet, rather than isolating each legend to a specific region. And brings ties all the way back down to the main plot's mysterious legend: the prophet of many names. Which, as it seems, gives Mewtwo anxiety about his own life. Yay! …Wait, no, that's not good. Oh.

Also, I wanted to spend some more time exploring characters that get less attention typically, and figured that I could start with a pair that isn't quite social themselves, but could do so for a friend. Birds of a feather, or something. Thus, Weavile and Quagsire were chosen! Because Weavile is chill (pun intended), and Quagsire is the calmest character probably. That, and I didn't want to limit the cast to the lead boyfriends and their Psychic buddies. Hmm, I wonder which one of those was missing? …Yes, I specifically went through this chapter without mentioning other characters. Weavile can stand without her usual friends, and Quagsire has personality. I don't think anyone complained about them ever, but it bothered me, so I explored them more. Oh, and Emperor Empoleon being "not so above it all" was fun; even if he's a bookworm like Mewtwo, he has limits.

Well, we're just getting started with returning to the story! Next time, we'll see the rest of the cast herd, and expand on more personalities! …Because those are still fun, right? Totally. And we're slowly, slowly advancing the plot to its gasp-worthy, cringe-worthy ending. Ahahaha…false advertising at its finest.

Feedback is lovely, super appreciated, and gives me life. So, if you readers can, I'd love to hear your thoughts from this chapter! Comments, criticisms, and questions are welcomed. I could probably use more world building advice, or learn if the lesser characters are likable. Haha…I'm nervous, please.

Thank you again for reading! Great to be back!