I'm trying to write this in a way that gives it strong standalone power. I want it to be readable for those who haven't read Identity too. I will make note of referenced events in Identity within the A/N at the end of said chapters, amongst the questions and other bits of trivia.

This is set in the game universe, but it takes many cues from the anime and deviates a lot. It does borrow from the Adventures manga as well, but I've read only a little bit of the overall series.

There's no actual move limit, but I don't want to go too crazy.

Exact numerical values for aspect like Level, HP, and stats won't be brought up, but related terms like health will. I write battles in a freeform-like style to avoid them being too repetitive and predictable.

Due to the number of characters and Pokémon present, there won't be any nicknames.

Actual song lyrics won't be copied and pasted for musical references.


Barberini Stadium, an artistic and architectural marvel that encompasses three city blocks amidst the congregation of its fellow historical buildings within Angel City. The well maintained battlefields, the opera house-like seating arrangement, the lavishly decorated interior, it's rare for someone to see it without being in awe. The sky piercing skyscrapers of downtown loom large in the distance, the city concocting a fusion of its past and present.

The finals of a local three versus three tournament is taking place within one of the stadium's ten large outdoor battlefields. The moaning wind's muffled by the rumble of the cheering crowd within the multi-floor seating area. The seating area itself is a mostly covered, but it's got large openings in the middle of each section. Opera's a fitting way to describe the volume of the roaring occurring within the battlefield. A Salamence soars through the air, the sunlight illuminating the red on his crescent-like wings. He veers left and right to avoid a blizzard of dark brown stones from a Tyrantrum. A few of the stones manage to strike Salamence's legs, making him grunt. He keeps himself in-flight, his roar making the ground tremble.

On the left is the tri-colored dragon's trainer, Valen Beauchene-Barsotti. His black hair is slightly slicked back, pointy ends rubbing against his forehead. Better known as Valen the Reaper, or Le Moissonneur Noir, the end of his absence in the pro battling circuit has had people atwitter. There's a gleam of pride in his eyes, a testament to how he's been feeling as of late. His black Guzmani suit jacket have the BW Agency and Team Skull logos emblazoned on the upper sleeves and the back respectively.

Standing on the opposite end is Rex Ryuzaki. Valen's gaze moves from Rex's maroon beanie to his dark green jacket. Why didn't Rex use the Hisuian form he's allegedly got? They say it's even an alpha. In any case, Rex thought that he had the upper hand against Golisopod, but Emergency Exit caused Salamence to come out. He still has Golisopod left, while Rex's down to his last of his three. The guy's quite arrogant, but he's packing a formidable tournament record.

"Your chances of winning are going to become extinct!" Rex boasts, his tone gruff. "It's chomping time with Ice Fang!"

Tyrantrum charges in like a battering ram, his teeth covered with a frost white glow. Salamence flies higher, but Tyrantrum uses the tallest rock pillars as jumping pads. It seems like Tyrantrum will be landing a blow...or will it?

Valen fiddles with his hair's thin pointy ends, which lie above his forehead. Gotta wait for the right moment...wait for it...wait for it...time it right…

Now!

"Counter with Iron Tail."

Tyrantrum tries to sink his teeth into Salamence's right leg, but is left stunned when the Salamence evades with a mid-air back flip. Salamence soars higher, his tail glowing silver. He dives down like a space shuttle upon re-entry, performing a second mid-air backflip. His tail slams into Tyrantrum's back, the Rock and Dragon-type bellowing upon impact.

"C'mon, you're an apex predator!" Rex's feet are spread out as he tightens his fist. "Show them what you're made of!"

Tyrantrum lifts up his chin and unleashes a blaring battle roar. Salamence returns the favor with his own mighty roar, the two dragons glaring at each other.

"Slice em and dice em with Dragon Claw!"

Tyrantrum leaps up, his claws glowing dark brown. He jumps up and repeatedly strikes Salamence everywhere that he can. This onslaught forces Salamence dragon to land, his eyes shut and his teeth clenched.

"Let's up the ante with Outrage!"

Tyrantrum's eyes glow blood red, his roar sounding like a blaring horn. He hurls himself towards Salamence, who appears destined to take another series of brutal blows. At the last second, Salamence narrowly avoids being hit by taking flight and veering sideways. Tyrantrum can't stop in time, the theropod dragon slamming into a formation of rock pillars.

"Argh, Salamence's super agile as ever!"

Tyrantrum shakes off what just happened, stomping his feet as he awaits another command. Salamence sends a gale hurling at Tyrantrum, roaring that he's gotta do better than that.

"Cool their jets with Hydro Pump."

"Use Dig!"

Salamence launches a torrential stream of water, but Tyrantrum hastily digs a giant gape and jumps into it. Dig won't do anything to Salamence, but it's a nice evasion tactic. That said, it's not gonna be enough to evade Salamence.

"Fire in the hole."

Salamence spits out another torrential stream of water into the gape, the field exploding into a synchronized formation of geysers. The attack blasts Tyrantrum out of the ground and high into the guy. The theropod dragon crash lands into another set of rock pillars, but he attempts to pick himself up.

Valen holds a red rose in front of his face. "It's time for la grande finale." He clenches the stem in-between his teeth, snapping his fingers. "Use Dragon Pulse."

A white sphere of energy forms within Salamence's mouth. Salamence launches the sphere, which morphs into a dragon-shaped beam. The beam evolves into an enormous white dragon with blue eyes, a lengthy tail, and talon-shaped spikes running parallel on both sides of the head. A mighty gale moans alongside a thunderous boom, the dragon formation crashing into Tyrantrum. The Rock and Dragon-type is sent hurling behind Rex, a rough landing shaking the ground.

"Aw man, I'm the one who went extinct!" Rex bellows while recalling his Tyrantrum. "But Tyrantrum fought like a champ!"

The crowd's apparently filled with Loudred, because that's one heck of an uproar. He waves to then and gives a thumbs up to Rex, who gives one back. He strides toward Salamence, who just launched a Flamethrower into the air. Salamence nudges Valen's chest, an indicator that he desires head pats. Heh, big bad dragon on the outside and a Lillipup on the inside.

"That's my boy."

Salamence gets enough pats to satisfy a dozen Lillipup, while he mind veers onto Ponder Avenue. The origin of Salamence's been difficult to pinpoint for his mom and other Pokélogists. In the absence of hard evidence, it's led to a believable theory about ambition—Bagon and Shelgon are among the most ambitious of unevolved Pokémon. The drive to reach greater heights is what the founder of what predated Angel City had. It's what the squad and him have, and many in this fired up crowd must have dreams of their own.

He's hopeful that witnessing him succeed can inspire them to seek out what they desire. When you're a known figure, you should utilize it for the greater good. Hilda's mom gave that life lesson at an acting course he took at age thirteen.

He tosses the rose towards Rosa and Hilda, neither of whom can sit still on the ornate seats behind him. The bud ends up making contact with Rosa's white and ice blue top, but Hilda grabs it before she can. Rosa's long bangs accidentally brush up against Hilda's face, which makes them giggle and titter respectively.

Rosa shoves her left elbow into Hilda's black waistcoat and white top, but Hilda returns the favor with the force of a silly Eevee. The duo proceed to leap out of their seats, giving Salamence a thumbs up while trotting towards his trainer.

"Good job!" Rosa wraps her arms around his neck. "I'm so happy that my sweetie's made a comeback!"

"Heeey, don't forget me!" Hilda wraps her arms around his midsection. "I'm still his agent and manager!"

"Merci, ma belle reines." Valen winks while recalling Salamence, his voice glazed with a smooth tone. "Le roi et chevalier est content."

"There's more awesomeness to come, so everyone better be on notice!" Rosa and Hilda press their backs together, their eyes glistening like their necklaces. "Another day, another fight, another chance to makes things right!" Rosa and Hilda tip their visor and hat respectively." We will be heroes, we can change the world if we try!" They wink, raising a fist upwards. "Yeah yeah yeah yeah!"

Classic balls of fluff, exuding vivaciousness wherever they are. Now they're proudly displaying their favorite necklaces for the fans to see.

They wear those diamond-lace necklaces everywhere. One's got a emerald with a Serperior engraving, the other's got a ruby with an Emboar engraving. Melanie wears her necklace all the time too. She doesn't have a Samurott, but he didn't want to leave her out.

A flick to the back of his head sends him back into focus, then arms are wrapped around his neck. That matching blue jean jacket and capris is a great indicator—Melanie has more Valerie Versace clothes than anyone else he knows. Her long, wavy black hair goes down to her elbows, her curvy bangs caresses his shoulders.

Silver would've approached him too, but had to leave the stadium for an important matter. He watched the match on his phone, hence the congratulatory text he just sent.

Rosa steps out in front of him. "It's kind of incredible, isn't it?" She stares into the sky and clasps her hands behind her back. "Every trainer takes part in something that's been conducted for thousands of years."

"Well said." Valen paces forward until he's next to Rosa. "We get to stand where trainers like Napoleon, the legendary Kalosian champion, have stood."

"Tee-hee, I'm gonna be among those legendary trainers!"

"Implying that Hilda and you aren't legendary masterpieces already?"

He knew that a double cheek bop was coming. It's not his problem that these two can't handle the truth.

All silliness aside, he's unsure about the path ahead. He's already an established trainer and coordinator, but he's yet to achieve the same result in the art history field.

Eh, he'll take it one step at a time. Fate will reveal the proper path eventually.


The glistening gold of the large trophy has all six of Valen's Pokémon staring in awe. They're so mesmerized that the hustle and bustle of the lobby and food court can't shake them out of it. What can is how proud they are of Valen. He had it rough not that long ago, but look at him now. He's giving out autographs and taking photos with numerous fan. He just threw a into a crowd of his female fans, a trainer with a Luxio catching it.

Salamence calls dibs on the cupcakes, but Golisopod cackles that it's because of him that Salamence got called out when he did. Luxray wants credit too, but his teammates point out that he went down first.

Luxray closes his eyes, hissing that he took down that Kleavor and he went easy on that Armaldo. Rain rain go away, that's what all his haters say! Luxray's got no muking clue why the humans call throwing money into the air "rain," but it sounds cool. Golisopod's in agreement, Luxray can just throw berries into the air.

Salamence's spontaneously shrieking is a clear sign that Rosa's Milotic is giving him a victory kiss. Valen's Gengar snickers that the strongest member of the team is also the dorkiest. The grinning Ghost-type disappears and materializes on his back. One roll later, he stands up and closes his eyes.

Behold his opera singing skills, humans and fellow Pokémon! Once upon an evening dreary, the team saw something that made him cheery! Salamence and Milotic chose to watch The Dragon King, but they also chose to snuggle on a whim! The two felt kissy and were as happy as a Blissey!

If Gengar the opera singer wasn't enough for Salamence, Hilda's Garchomp, Rosa's Hydreigon, and Melanie's Dragonite have encircled him. Hydreigon said that he supports his teammate's romance, while Garchomp says that Salamence's a lucky dragon. Dragonite attempts to push Salamence towards Milotic. Salamence's frantic escape attempt ends when Hydreigon and Garchomp block the two escape routes. Rosa's Aerodactyl and Hilda's Braviary swoop in to provide backup.

The eruption of banter does little to relax the nerves of Hilda's Umbreon—her head's tucked in-between her front legs. She wants to congratulate Valen's Luxray, but he's so handsome! He's so cool and majestic! Why else would her face make her look like she's a Flareon?! Uh oh, here come his trainer! Hide!

Valen plops himself onto one of the fruitwood sofas. Salamence's now acting all cool in front of Milotic, hence her sparkling eyes and squealing. Luxray's trying to act cool too.

"Salamence, don't pass this up." he snickers. "You've got my approval for a date."

Now they're both blushing, mission accomplished. Another mission would be trying to figure out where Silver ran off to, but he'll turn up eventually. The hardest mission of them all is Hilda's Umbreon asking his Luxray out on a date. Luxray considers himself too proud and edgy to be called a kitten, but he's a softie for Umbreon.

"Luxray, you gonna pass up this chance?" he winks. "Come on man, she likes you."

Both Luxray and Umbreon hide behind Rosa's Serperior, much to the green serpentine's amusement. Both close their eyes, attempting a kiss. They jump back at the last second, Luxray darting behind the sofa his trainer's sitting in. Not before his trainer pets him, which makes him purr.

The others aren't around at the moment, he may as well check out the art. He tends to analyze any art near him to varying degrees, even if he's seen it numerous times. One does not simply stop studying art.

The sofas like they came out of a king's palace due to the opulent gold frames. The depictions of Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf on the red upholstery sofas entrance many who lay eyes upon them. Depictions of Mew, Celebi, and Jirachi decorate the white upholstery sofas.

Magnificent buon frescoes by the Calvanian Fresco School of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries cover the walls and the ceiling. The paintings are separated by long, protruding panels that are filled to the brim with ornamentation, much like the interior of Parfum Palace. The subjects of these frescoes include romance, Pokémon battles, vast landscapes, legendaries...and Bidoof. Above Umbreon and Serperior is a piece depicting a dozen Bidoof engaging in a ferocious brawl with a dozen Wurmple.

The sculptures are impressive too, their subject matter being famous trainers and various Pokémon. Both his favorite frescoes and his favorite sculptures depict dragons. They're all great works of art that he could gawk at for hours, but he's loved dragons since he first watched The Dragon King at age four. Nobody needs to know that he frequently ran around in a Salamence costume afterwards. That's why they started to call him cute, which is a completely false notion.

Did they attribute their claim to the right person? Did they do a proper analysis to determine the validity of their hypothesis? Did they get their findings peer reviewed by people who don't think that he's cute? Did they consult historical writings on how classy and cool he is? He thinks not, and yet Rosa and Hilda were pulling his cheeks after they saw the footage. Just remembering that moment is making him do an impromptu Charmeleon impression.

Oh yeah, the singing. Why can't he shake off his dorkiness over why he learned how to sing? Everybody's aware of the reason.

He snaps out of debating himself when his Typhlosion nuzzles her face into his midsection. He pets her, relieved that he didn't became dorky for the umpteenth time. Nobody saw that, right? Besides the terrifying Gardevoir that's taller than him? Oh nooooo, now she's caressing his left cheek. This is equivalent to Rosa bopping him with her feet in terms of scariness.

A nudge from Melanie's right elbow causes him to smirk. Guess his luck had to run out eventually. She's got a giant gift shop bag wrapped around her other arm. Must be filled with Lance and Clair merch, plus numerous posters.

Melanie's smile lights up her face. She rummages through the bag, accidentally confirming what Valen assumed when a Clair poster near falls out.

"I saw this poster of Leonardo da Vinti's sketch of a Poké Ball, so I got a copy for you too."

He peeks into the bag, narrowly avoiding her attempt to nudge him forward. Both copies of the famous drawing of an apricorn-shaped device carefully placed into frames.

"Thanks, I have something for you too." He kisses Melanie's forehead. "That."

"That's more than good enough for me." she chuckles. "I should've said early concept of a Poké Ball." She flicks his left shoulder, teasing, "Bet you forgot when the modern-"

"1850s, developed by Benjamin and Eleanor Aspertia."

"I'm going to make sure you don't get rusty."

Two can play at that game."

"Oh, did you read the draft I sent you?" Melanie interlocks her fingers under her twinkling eyes. "Did I knock it out of the part?! Did I depict Victorian Wyndon like a boss?!"

"Oui," he answers. "You've got a knack for historical fiction."

Melanie squeezes her eyes shut, nearly breaking out in loud elation. "Keep telling me how awesome I am!" She fist bumps with him. "I'll return the favor!"

Trotting that's all too familiar to him is heading their way. The infinite amounts of energy they radiate indicates that they're right behind Melanie and him. It seems that latest trophy for the display case calls for a celebration video. Rosa's using her phone to play a catchy tune, while Hilda's going to record.

Rosa and Hilda press their backs together, their eyes glittering over all the smiles they see. They've done it yet again, and they haven't even begun the recording!

Hilda presses play, announcing, "It's a smile-filled world that we want to live in!" She positions her right hand horizontally and sticks out two fingers near her forehead. "Yeah yeah yeah!"

Rosa's mimics Hilda's gesture. "Everybody wants to be a master, everybody wants to show their skills!" she cheers. "Everybody wants to get their faster, make their way to the top of the hill!"

"Each time you try, you'll get a little bit better!" Hilda and Rosa twirl. "Each step you climb is one more step up the ladder!" They a switch places in the blink of an eye. "There's always something new in the world we live in, but The Unovan Queens still reign supreme!" They wrap an arm each around Valen's neck. "Our favorite boy's back with the same old attitude, and we're still gonna beat them all! To the best that we can be!" They make him bend forward with them, his eyes leveled with the lower half of Rosa's black leggings.

Their bubbly and sassy voices are mellisonant, their eyes gleaming with their unconditional affection for him. When the seed of true love blossoms into a flower, a truly beautiful image enters one's life.

"Are you ready for the contest?" Hilda tilts her head leftwards. "Don't forget that I reserved a spot for you in advance." The tips of her left fingers are in front of her grin. "I planneeeed aheeeeeead!~"

Valen shrugs with an amused smile. Why would he forget about the first contest he's entered in over a year? Testing the waters is a good start in making his decision.

Hilda can be headstrong about her occupation, but she can put her money where her mouth is. Her creative and management precocity became widely known when her musical idea became a smashing success.

"Hilda and I want to visit where it's to be held." Rosa smiles with her eyes closed. "We want you to come." A faint giggle emits as she clasps her hands in front. "Pretty please, sweetie?"

"I'd like to change into my casual clothes first," he says. "Among other tasks I've gotta do." Phew, he didn't blush over ball of fluff's cuteness!

"That's fine, Val-Val." Hilda whips out her cell phone. "I can finally answer those calls and messages." she winks. "Classy boy's return is among the talk of the town, plus Rosa and Melanie are heading towards a higher level of stardom."

"I'll be internationally known for being an awesome trainer and painter." Rosa rests the tip of her left fingers on her forehead, her other hand on her hip. "And I wouldn't say no to a film or theatre gig."

"Eat your heart out, Rosa." Melanie runs her right hand through her black hair. "I'm going to kick your butt more times than you can count." Can't touch this.

Hilda's handing out business cards, but she's not about to remain quiet. "Sillies, I'm the most awesome among us!" Her team want to help her out with the cards.

Valen and his team are having too much fun watching them debate over who's more awesome. Rosa's Pokémon and Melanie's Pokémon seem to be roasting each other. Silver's finally made his anticlimactic return, his Kommo-o and Feraligatr seem to be egging him on. What in the world was the ding dong up to? Why does he have a faint glimmer of nervousness on his face?

Heh, his phone's exploding with messages like it's evolving into an Electrode. Jacques couldn't make it due to the filming of his latest movie, but he was able to watch the finals on his phone. Rui, Skyla, and Jacques have congratulated him and here comes Team Skull.

There's Louis and Loïc, two cousins who usually disagree with each other on half the things they debate on. Most recently, they've been debating on who was more influential between Jorgel van Eyck and Giotto di Buonacorsus. Calem and Serena just popped up too, the latter just has to compliment his sense of style.


Causal or former, Team Skull's Valen has gotta rock the logo. That's why his black jacket's got it on the back, plus why his gunmetal gray shirt has it on the front.

Standing proudly in front of him and the crazy wholesome minds is a low-slung, castle-like building, a sea of trainers flowing in and out of it. The chatter amongst these people, plus the melodies of Starly and Pidgey perched atop trees with lush foliage, occupy the air around them.

Ferguson Competition Hall, eh? Great minds think alike. The rugged look makes it stick out like a sore thumb from its neighbors, but in a good way. It was designed and constructed decades prior to the rest of the district, and the architect wanted it to resemble Galarian Siscianesque architecture. A pair of giant cylindrical columns rest on all four corners of the structure, hexagonal columns decorating the front. Having seen the rear end of the arena before, he knows it's got the same finish. The main entrances and exits are giant gapes with arches on top. Coupled rectangular windows dot the exterior. The larger and smaller windows are in the bottom and top rows respectively.

"Wake up, sweetie!"

"Hehe, he always does this!"

Rosa's dazzling long hair dances as she twirls, her shoes rustling the lush grass to life. Hilda decided to leave her hair as is, much to Valen's relief. They're right about looking awesome, it's like they came straight out of a Raphael painting. But...he's seen them with their hair down countless times, so why does he get dorky upon said sight? Why is said dorkiness more inconsistent than Silver's crush denial? Can he make sense just once?

In typical Rosa and Hilda fashion, they whip out their phones and began taking pictures of themselves. Several photos while facing the camera, several more photo while looking back with a wink.

Oh, he better pick up the pace before the crazy wholesome minds leave him in the dust. Nevermind, they're now pulling him into the arena themselves. He can't escape their mighty grasps. He'll just look at the cream, almost gold-like, finish of the interior walls.

"It's time for the cutest and prettiest queens to kick some butt!" Rosa bends her elbows, tightening her fists. She makes punching motions. "Wham bam pow!"

Hilda spins to check out the crowd. "Hehe, it's so big!"

"That's what she said."

"Oops, Val-Val got me!"

Valen watches them dart off into the crowd, the latter handing out business cards. Heh, Skyla's texting him a bunch of smile emojis. She's now sending pictures of herself at the aerospace museum in Didacus City. Everybody's going to see these pictures, assuming they haven't already.

The interior of the lengthy building is mostly contemporary to when it was constructed. The main exception is due to the development of this neighborhood during the Victorian era, hence the mid to late nineteenth century furniture. Numerous plush armchairs from the turn of the century are scattered throughout the lobby. Made out of mahogany, each one is finished with plush leather, a glided bronze mount, and Luxray-like paws under each leg.

His head feels clear like the sky, contrasting how he felt not that long ago. He'll never forget the loyalty those around him showed when he was at his lowest point. Now, frisson and conation zoom within him like bullet trains.

And no matter what path he goes down, he'll always be Le Moissonneur Noir. He'll continue to be the big bad trainer that beats em down and beats em down without ever letting up.


They've made their way to the battlefield closest to the main stage. Each of the four battlefields have their own section, just like a traditional battle arena.

Valen relaxes on a walnut sofa, observing Rosa and Hilda's tag battle. A few trainers are seated in the bleachers, others choosing to stand. Several of these onlookers are discussing how surreal it is to see Hilda and Rosa, two big social media stars, out and about like this.

Melanie's nowhere to be seen, but he knows what's going on. For now, he's going to enjoy seeing Rosa and Hilda kicking butt with their Serperior and Braviary respectively. Good choices for going up against a Golem and a Toxicroak. More trainers have entered through the arched entrance, but it should be ten times more because it's Rosa and Hilda. He's their number one fanboy and it's a badge of honor.

Yes, they won the battle! That's four in a row for each! Everybody better accept those business cards!

"I'm Rosa and Hilda's-"

He slaps his mouth shut, his face a Tamato berry. There's sassy laughter behind him, now there's hands over his eyes. Lips are being pressed against the back of his head. He's not cute, don't call him cute!

"I didn't know we were playing hide-and-seek."

"You were a pain to find when we played it as kids."

Act cool, just act cool. Her Scizor and male Pyroar are laughing too. Shrug it off, continue to act cool. Pretend that the trotting of wholesome doom isn't getting more apparent.

Rosa surprises him with a kiss on the lips. She wags a finger, her other hand on her hip. "We want the truth."

Her Hydreigon nods, recalling how similar his dragon bro is around Rosa's Milotic. The humans act in weird ways, but his trainer's got a point.

"Valey sweetie, I said we want the truth."

"You can't handle the truth."

Wait, he can gawk at the classical-like sculptures that surround them. Steven Stone's the one who crafted that massive Metagross vs Salamence marble sculpture! Steven's been compared to the likes of Michelangelo Bellincioni and Gianluigi Bernini! Quickly, zone out! Zone out!

Annnnd that plan just flew out the window because they're all up in his face.

"Hmph, y'all are stupid."

"Guzma vibes can't save you, big guy."

Seemingly out of nowhere, Silver plops himself onto the chair left of him. His Feraligatr's snickering over his attempt to hide his phone. He's fumbling with it, but he's trying to put on his tough guy act."

"What's up with you?" Melanie places her hands on her hips, her grin playful. "Lost one too many battles?"

"I kicked enough ass for now," he remarks, groaning over his text messages. "I'm the strongest, why would I lose?."

He's right, he's the strongest at being a dunce. She enjoys seeing him try his hardest to act big and tough.

She'll give him fashion props, his navy blue and red jacket are cool. They go will with the black shirt that's barely visible. His jeans are sweet too. He stills need to wear that purple suit, they all know he's got it stashed somewhere.

"Valen, can you give two free copies of your books to Kris?" Silver crosses his arms, his hair pressed against the headrest. "In exchange for her to stop nagging me?"

"I'll be your wingman, but you're on your own with that one."

"What's the matter?" Melanie chuckles. "You too scared?"

"Be quiet, I'm never scared."

Valen and Melanie should know that Kris is just a friend-screw it. Even he can't hide his grin. Words aren't needed for how much Kris means to him, even if she's a Snorlax-sized pain in his ass. She's been jumping for joy over her apprenticeship...and they can be together in person...forever...as friends! Yep, fake Silver's got the crush here!

Silver breathes a sigh of relief, then he gives Valen several hard pats. "Having friends isn't so bad after all." He exchanges a fist bump with Melanie.

"You don't say?" Valen quips. "I figured that it'd take me a while to return to the pro circuit." He closes his eyes, a lopsided grin forming. "You were one of the major players in proving me wrong."

"Give yourself some credit too—you remember those words?"

"Of course I do." Valen crosses his arms, his gaze aimed towards the ceiling. "'Fate has a plan for the two of you, that's why this encounter happened.'"

"You were right on the money."

If somebody told early teen Silver that he'd have friends like this, he'd have shrugged it off. If they said that Kris and him would become so close that they'd be cuddling when it's just the two of them, he'd have sneered at them. He couldn't have imagined that he'd be surrounded by people like Valen, much less Kris becoming a frequent ray of sunshine in his life.

"Wake up."

Silver prefers not encountering a repeat of the Gladion fiasco from years ago. They're friends, but Silver still hopes that Gladion steps on a LEGOT brick. Stupid edgelord and his stupid everything, such as denying that Oblivion Wing's an overrated band to spreading lies about him crushing on Kris.

"Tee-hee, look at him trying to hide!"

"Big guy said wake up."

Humph, of course this would happen. Now he's yanking his collar like a dork. The red on his face is because he devoured too much hot sauce straight from the bottle.

"Tee-hee, Silver and Kris sitting in-"

"NO!" He rockets out of his seat, his eyes bulging out. "Not that!"

Get a grip, you're big and tough! Stop letting Lyra's recording get to you!

"Err...ah...uh-" He slowly sits back down, trying to ignore what just happened. "W-What's the status of your books?" He asks Valen and Melanie, clenching his teeth. "Are they published yet?" He nervously gulps, picturing Kris next to Rosa. "Uh...how about painting?"

"They're working on it." Valen tries to hide his snickering. "First reviews will be up soon enough."

"I finished that Impressionist era romance novel." Melanie runs a hand through her hair. "I rock."

"I know what you're thinking." Rosa points with her right index finger, her thumb sticking out. "Did I paint six vases, or only fiveeee?"

Valen rubs the top of Rosa's head. "Good ol' ball of fluff."

Her adorable grin didn't make him blush this time. Why's he so inconsistent in being a dork?

A crowd spontaneously erupts with commotion. The name Asgard Phoenix is being passed among the assembly of trainers. Asgard's already spotted Silver, Melanie, and him. He stands out due to his trademark silver suit and the matte black shirt underneath. Not to mention the white tie and the silver pants. Melanie's gone gaga over how these silk clothes were tailored made by Wallace numerous times.

Not even he wears this kind of attire when casually out and about...most of the time. Nevertheless, it's one of the interesting quirks of Asgard's character. He prefers it that way.

"My old rival's here, eh?" Asgard yanks a Poké Ball off of his belt, then holds it out in front of his chest. "You can't hide from destiny, Valen."

Valen raises a brow. "Is that so?' He slowly gets on his feet and folds his arms. "Are you challenging me to a battle?"

"We're long overdue for another match." Asgard rubs the front ends of his silky black hair. "You up for it?"

Valen slams his right fist into his left hand. "I'm the big bad trainer who beats you down and beats you down without ever letting up!" He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a Poké Ball of his own.

Hilda's still interacting with potential clients, but she's hearing everything. Valen, one of her first clients to achieve fame. Asgard, one of the Calvanian division's first clients. Not to mention Rosa and Melanie are clients too. It's a small world out there. She waves at her fans and future clientele, then trots on over.

All awesome battles need a dose of Hilda Odelle White amongst the crowd. And how can she forget that one of her first clients became her romantic interest? Hehe, truth really is stranger than fiction!


The crowd has increased in size, a sea of chatter flowing within the assembly. A few more onlookers enter through the arched entrance, many are still surprised over his return.

Both Asgard and him have fans in the crowd. Fans of Rosa, Hilda, and Melanie are present too, and those three are having a blast signing things and posing for photos. Even Silver the Punisher's got a few fans around him, despite cheering not being his thing. He rarely uses that moniker of his to begin with.

Rosa and Hilda are rallying his diehard fans, while Melanie tries to hide the fact that she was the head of his domestic fan club. She's not doing that great of a job, as evident by the laughter of her Scizor and Pyroar.

He's had many battles and contest performances here, a place that first opened its doors in 1810. Just look the remnants of old wear and tear on this field. Who were the first Pokémon to duke it out here two hundred and ten years ago? Who were the first Pokémon to put on a grand performance here?

"I'll use this Pokémon."

Asgard tosses the ball into the air, a thud echoing as Blastoise lands on his feet. Blastoise bangs his chest as he lets out a battle cry. He quickly realizes who his trainer's opponent is, acknowledging Valen with a nod and vice versa.

Valen's eyes contain an inner glow, and confidence leaks out of his lopsided smirk. "The empress shall bring order to this chaotic world!"

Up in the air the ball goes, out comes a smirking giant. Gardevoir doesn't make a sound as she leaps out with her arms folded. She towers over Blastoise, her eyes emitting an ominous gaze. Everybody gets used to her "sinister" battle vibe eventually—it's not stopping her from giving Valen trainer a loving smile.

Gardevoir and Blastoise greet each other with a wave, the former waving at Asgard too. He acknowledges her with a smile.

"Let's get this battle started." Asgard announces, rubbing his hair with his eyes closed. "Blastoise, use Shell Smash!"

Blastoise's shell glows bright blue. The evanescent energy makes a loud cracking sound as it breaks into smaller particles.

Glowing blue icicles envelop Blastoise's fists. He dashes towards Gardevoir, who lowers herself to prepare for a jump. Blastoise's left hook misses, but his right hook clobbers Gardevoir's left side, the sharp icicles jabbing her. She slightly wails, nearly tripping.

"Use Aura Sphere."

A light green oval of energy forms in front of Gardevoir's mouth. She launches it towards Blastoise's face, his head forcefully turned upwards upon impact.

"Skull Bash!"

"Counter with Reflect."

Gardevoir's eyes glow light blue, a circular barrier materializing in front of her. Blastoise tucks his head in and launches himself towards Gardevoir. He tries his hardest to break through, which pushes Gardevoir backwards. Bang after bang, slam after slam, nothing is getting past the barrier. Even more problematic is that Blastoise's within close range for an attack.

"Magical Leaf."

Gardevoir's eyes glow green, a storm of crescent shaped leaves materializing due to her telekinetic powers. The leaves slice through the air and pelt Blastoise. A second set of leaves is now careening towards him.

"Gyro Ball!"

Blastoise tucks his head and limbs into his shell, his body glowing metallic blue. He rotates as fast as he can, repelling the leaves while veering towards Gardevoir. The attack flings the screeching Psychic and Fairy-type onto the ground so hard that the battlefield cracks.

"Use Flash Cannon!"

Gardevoir picks herself up, just as small metallic blue orbs of energy begin to gather gather within both of Blastoise's cannons. He shoots out two massive beams, which merge together and blast into Gardevoir. She's sending careening into the wall, but she leaps off the wall with her feet.

"Clock them with a storm of Ice Punches!"

Icicles surround Blastoise's fists again, but Gardevoir taunts that Blastoise can't continue this for the duration of the battle. She slides around the field to avoid the punches, her galluptious movements resembling a figure skater.

"Counter with Mega Kick!"

Gardevoir's feet are covered by a opaque white glow. Her gown flows like drapery as she leaps up and wallops Blastoise's fists into his legs.

"Water Pulse!"

Two spheres of water appear in front of Blastoise's cannons. Blastoise aims the spheres at the ground and launches them. They disintegrate into waves that envelop all sides.

"Rapid fire combo with Teleport and Thunderbolt."

Gardevoir kneels, then she leaps above the waves. A purple glow envelops her and she launches a powerful lightning bolt from the top of her head.

Blastoise gets a zap to the lower jaw, purple electricity surrounding his body. Gardevoir vanishes, then re-appears to launch another bolt. Again, Blastoise's body gets enveloped by electricity. Gardevoir repeats the process three more times, which causes Blastoise to topple forward.

"Psychic."

Blastoise staggers onto his feet, while Gardevoir's telekinetic powers causes a ominous sensation within the air.

"Another Flash Cannon!"

"Not this time."

Light blue enshrouds Gardevoir's eyes, her smirk evolving into a witch-like, lopsided grin. She unleashes a tsunami of energy, her flowing gown blown backwards by the groaning storm of wind that has spawned. The beams that Blastoise just fired is obliterated before they merge. The wave makes the Water-type bounce like a ping pong ball, eventually vanishing and leaving him lying on his shell.

Asgard's left speeches for a brief moment. This Gardevoir's Psychic attack is still a terrifying move to be on the receiving end of. Even Blastoise seems surprised as he pulls himself together.

"Gardevoir, we need to veer on the side of caution." Valen folds his arms. "Use Recover."

Gardevoir begins to glow bright purple. The shimmering of the evanescent light obscures her figure. She heavily breathes for a few moments, then she folds her arms. Her smirk emits a stronger cockier vibe that it did before.

Both trainers roll up their right sleeves, revealing Mega Rings. It's time to take this battle to the next level, just like they did in the finals of the Calvanian Conference.

"The torrential power of Mega Evolution will guide us to our destiny!"

Asgard slaps his palm onto his Mega Ring, a mighty aura enveloping his Blastoise. Once it evaporates, Blastoise's appearance has changed. It shows off the massive cannon on his back, which protrudes past his head. Two smaller cannons near his hands accompany it.

"The empress has issued her decree." His tone is low-pitched and his eyes are closed. He quickly and sharply re-opens his eyes, exclaiming, "Cower as she casts her wrath upon this battlefield!" He taps his Mega Ring. "Gardevoir, Mega Evolve!"

Gardevoir cackles like a witch, her body obstructed by a intense glistening aura. Her elegant and flowing gown becomes longer, the spikes on the sides of her head becoming larger and curvier, her arms look like she's donning long gloves, among other changes in her appearance.

"Liquidation!"

A torrential downpour erupts from Mega Blastoise's cannons, the water encircling him on all sides. He briefly leaps as he rockets towards Mega Gardevoir.

"Fend Blastoise off with another Psychic."

The thick air returns alongside the light blue glow in Mega Gardevoir's eyes. Another tsunami of energy's unleashed, sending the Water-type crashing into the wall behind Asgard.

"She managed to stop Blastoise in his tracks?!"

"Use Magical Leaf."

As Blastoise returns to standing in front of his trainer, a flurry of crescent shaped leaves materializes again. Gardevoir hurls them like daggers.

"Blizzard!"

Mega Blastoise launches a cyclone of snowballs from his cannons. The snowballs overpowers the leaves and pelts Mega Gardevoir. She folds her arms and leans forward, her eyes shut.

"Use Hydro Pump!"

"Counter with Moonblast."

Mega Blastoise fires a gigantic torrent of water from the cannon on his back, smaller torrents being fired from the other two cannons.

Mega Gardevoir's eyes glow light pink, a burning moon-like orb forming in-between her hands. She swings her right hand back, then hurls the large glowing orb at her opponents like a pitcher. The ensuing collision causes a thick blanket of steam to envelop the battlefield.

"Another Liquidation!"

Mega Blastoise charges in, his body encircled by the thundering water again. He flings Mega Gardevoir behind her trainer, but a leap with her legs has her back in front of Valen in no time. Both Pokémon pant, commending the other for fighting well.

"You can't hide from destiny." Valen's gesturing at him to bring it on. "Blastoise, end this with Hydro Cannon!"

A gigantic torrent erupts from all three of Mega Blastoise's cannons, the ensuing combination resulting in a circular formation. Mega Gardevoir's eyes widen, her figure obstructed by the storm surge blasting into her. She goes flying behind Valen, moaning when her back slams into the ground.

She clenches her teeth with an almost menacing gaze. There's no way she's going down like this. She's an alpha, she carries that knowledge with pride. She'll follow in Salamence's footsteps. Right here, right now.

The thickness of the tense atmosphere weighs down on both trainers and their Pokémon, but Mega Gardevoir's cackling shatters the tension. She deeply inhales and exhales, mustering up the power to leap back onto her feet.

"Hydro Cannon didn't take her down?!"

"I guess fate and destiny are different from each other," Valen teases, his grin lopsided. "Combine Psychic with Thunderbolt to form Thunder Force."

The ominous sensation is the most intense one yet. Gardevoir eyes glow as she fires off a megatsunami of energy. She follows it up by firing a purple bolt into the center of the wave. The ensuing fusion gives her Psychic attack a lavender blue finish, electricity crackling on the outside and inside.

A gale shrieks as Mega Blastoise's slammed into the wall, multiple bolts converging onto him simultaneously. He's obstructed by the thickness of the electricity. After the fusion disperses, Blastoise topples face-first onto the ground, which cracks upon impact. Both Gardevoir and Blastoise morph back into their normal forms.

"That's my girl."

Gardevoir's angelic cry fills up the air around her. Those words from her trainer are a bigger victory than any battle can hope to be.

Asgard sighs with a smile as he calls back his Blastoise. "Get a good rest." He re-attaches the ball to his his belt, observing Gardevoir caressing Valen's left cheek. He approaches Valen and Gardevoir, exchanging a high five and a handshake with both.

Rosa and Hilda dart up to Valen, the duo embracing him and vice versa. It's nice to receive a pair of hugs after a battle well fought. "Tee-hee, we're gonna party once you win another Calvanian Conference and another Calvanian Grand Performance!"

"You two are jumping the Sharpedo, but it's adorable."

Rosa sticks up her right index and ring fingers. "Wherever Rosa goes, smiles follow!"

Hilda mimics Rosa's gesture with her left hand. "Hilda White's the antidote to dull days!"

Here comes Melanie, who seems a little perplexed. Valen's smile becomes sheepish, noting that Rosa and Hilda are also curious. He didn't use Recover in his full battle against Silver a little while ago ago, nor did he use it in battles prior to that one.

"...Alright, I'll tell you." He deeply inhales and exhales. "That's one reason why I felt weak." He scratches the back of his head. "Some moves kinda slipped my mind because it was so heavy with doubt and cynicism." He raises his right fist with his elbow bent. "But I'm back on track now."

Their smiles are all that he needs to see. Even Silver can't hide his. He's still a little ashamed about it, but he knows better than to keep it to himself. They care about him.

Valen calls back his Gardevoir, but not before she gives him a peck on the top of his head. He waves to his fans, while Rosa and Hilda high fives each and every one of them.

"I think I'll be tagging along with you lot a tad more often," Asgard comments as he waves at his own fans. "Just like we used to do."

"That'd be totally awesome!" Melanie's eyes gleam, her smile evolving into a grin. "Make sure you follow through with it!"

"I can't hide from destiny either."

Valen's down with Asgard tagging along. After all, it was a friendly rivalry that they had. He's assisted them via his connections in the art world a few times, such as getting Rosa a big commission within Galar. In his case, Asgard's asked his father to let him examine paintings by the Old Masters for analytical purposes.

Out of the corner of his right eye, Valen spots another friend. An orange-haired woman's waving at Valen and the others while running towards them. Her blue jacket with a white outline and the pinkish top underneath earns her praise from Melanie.

"It's ya girl, Rui!" She sticks up both pairs of index and ring fingers. "I watched that badass battle like a sneaky Sneasel!"

Valen and Rui fist bump, but the former has something on his mind. "I don't wanna spoil the mood, but you've kinda been absent as of late."

"Sorry about that." She does a hard swallow, her mouth slightly twisting. "I was looking into these rumors about a trainer kicking butt with a Naganadel...you already know why."

"I've heard about this too," Hilda adds, her thumb and right index finger on her chin. "He's got one?"

"Yeah...he snagged it from Cipher." Rui slowly moves her hands behind her back. "How many trainers have a Naganadel?" She taps her right foot on the ground. "I'm a little bit worried that this won't go well."

No, this won't help her. She lifts her chin up, a gleam of determination in her eyes. Look at their encouraging smiles, she needs to get her own back onto her face. That's how she'll greet Wes the next time they meet. She can't wait for him to see how great these people are.


Today was an action-packed day, but now it's time to spend the evening with two of the many books within the personal library. The word many is probably an understatement when there's five bookshelves filled to the brim. Rosa's books are among them, but Hilda's decided to keep her Eevee Ranger comic collection in her gaming and action figure room.

The display case contains ceramics, figurines, and numerous trophies and medals that the trio have won over the years. Can't forgot the photos, lots and lots of happy memories captured in those photos. At the top of the self is a 1/4th scale version of Salamence Atop a Rock by Gianluigi Bernini, a sculptor so adept at bringing marble to life that he turned AZ into a sympathetic figure. This rendition of a Salamence shooting a Flamethrower into the sky was crafted by Valen's cousin, Jacques Beauchene-Bernini.

Numerous paintings prints greet everybody who enter the master bedroom, da Vinti's Mona Gardevoir among them. This famous portrait of da Vinti's Gardevoir depicted her with her arms folded, hence why his own Gardevoir does it.

In lieu of that da Vinti poster Melanie got him, he's chosen to read a monograph on Leonardo da Vinti. It's one of the classics among early to mid-twentieth century art literature. Next to his upper right leg is a treatise on drawing and painting. The writings within it are by the man himself, but the original version was complied in the nineteenth century. This book, plus Leonardo Cennini's handbook from the fifteenth century, have been consulted by Rosa numerous times her own craft. He's also in the mood for the writings of Professor Charles Laventon, the inventor of the Pokédex and the father of modern Pokémon research.

Here comes Gardevoir, checking up on him on behalf of the whole team. She caresses his left check and gives him a peck to the top of his head. Gardevoir's an artist who uses her psychic powers to conjure up images. A show-stopper performance is bound to cause a galluptious atmosphere.

Gardevoir teleports herself out of the room, just as Rosa strolls in. She plops two items on the mahogany desk, then teases him with a coy smile and wink. Rosa jumps onto his lap, staring deep into his eyes. Words? Who needs words here?

The warm and gentle touch of her arms around his neck soothes him. He plays around with her long hair, his other hand on her back. He basks in the endothermic air around them, a tingle on his lips when she kisses him. Time has come to a halt, his body feels like a feather. He truly is lucky, he'll permanently store that knowledge within his heart.

"Dialga must be very happy right about now, am I right?" Gotta love inside jokes.

"Tee-hee, I bet Dialga gushes about us!" Rosa grabs Valen's left arm. "Nooooow, follow the leader." She pulls him towards the desk. "I designed a poster for the BW Agency."

Does he have a choice? Her grip's too powerful due to dangerously high levels of cuteness. The obvious aside, Lisia and her Altaria are standing in between Hilda, Rosa, and their respective dragons. The quaint coastline of Lilycove City resides in the background. Above them is the BW Agency's logo, as well as a blurb about co-hosting and a partnership. Biggest project yet, eh? Let's see what they've got in store for Calvana.

"I also finished my latest painting!" Rosa grabs the canvas that lies on the furthest end of the desk. "I call it Pokémon Cupcake Date!"

The verisimilitude of Rosa's work never fails to amaze him. A grinning Salamence and a smiling Milotic munch on cupcakes together within a large luxurious room. She used yellow ochre for the gleam in both Pokémon's eyes, the colors used for their bodies ranging from ultramarine blue to red ochre. A large dining table draped in cloth peeking in from the furthest distance, a similar cloth underneath the two Pokémon. That, plus, the antique furniture is concealed by dim lighting. However, enough is shown for him to deduce that she's loosely based this interior off of Aenos Palace, a crown jewel left behind by the Ancient Unovans.

She's utilized a dramatic presentation of light and shade, chiaroscuro, to turn the painting into a theatre play. In order to better achieve this, she used an red-orange background. A large chandelier is one of only two visible source, its placement directly above the Pokémon. A candle's the second source, the placement between the Pokémon giving the scene a romantic vibe.

Rosa's chiaroscuro bears a remarkable resemblance to the iconic style of Marcantonio Matteo da Caravaggio, the highly influential master of Ragulian Baroque painting. The rich dark browns used within the darkened aesthetic indicates a pinch of Rembrandt Aendriessen van Remis' painting style.

"Excellent work." He kisses her on the lips. "Odin Phoenix better watch out—this might be mistaken for an Old Masters work."

"Oh stop it." Rosa blushes and looks away, waving a hand in his face. "You're too much."

"I know, ball of fluff." He takes another look at her work. "I know."

Rosa was five when she was first mesmerized by a famous work of a High Renaissance legend, Raphael Sadoletto da Urbina. It was Galatea's Battling, a depiction of history's first known female champion. It entranced her to the point of her pretending to be her using Pokémon plushies of Golurk and Absol. She's thought about using one of her middle names, Rafaela, as a painter pseudonym.

Her calling as a painter began to reveal itself shortly after her sixth birthday. It was at the Metropolitan Gallery of Art in Castelia City where her blue eyes gazed upon Caravaggio's The Supper at Aenos Palace and Rembrandt's Landscape With Deino, Zweilous, and Hydreigon for the first time. Titian's The Duke and His Dragonite set the journey in motion. Later on, Caravaggio's work sparked an interest in theatre.

Art also brought a certain someone into her life, and he's standing right next to her. Tee-hee, if only he'd play Raphael in a movie where she'd play the painter's most adoring fan, Princess Lucreiza de' Veneziano!

"Daydreaming about being the world's hottest trainer and painter?"

"Oh come on!" Rosa's face reddens again. "You don't have to make be blush every single time!" She nearly tears up while clutching her ribs. "Lovable idiot!"

Their laughter fills up the master bedroom and flows into the hallway. His Gardevoir and her Serperior briefly peek into the room, their faces glowing with adoration.

"Kris and I plan to introduce Silver to Boy Turning Into Kadabra." Rosa waves at the two Pokémon. "Let's see how big and tough he is upon seeing that."

"Rembrandt isn't enough to spook him anymore?" He nods to acknowledge the Pokémon.

"We'll find out later—I call that painting the 'jump scare Caravaggio' for a reason."

Valen and Rosa share another laugh, both unknowingly pondering the same thing. Maybe it's time to shift gears to a certain extent, not that they've ever neglected art. Why would they deny their passion? Why would they ignore what glued them together?

Hilda trots into the master bedroom with a silly grin. Even when she's not in her office, she makes sure everything's in odder at the agency.

"Good job on getting another big name client, I'm proud of both of you."

Hilda tilts her head leftwards, the tips of her right fingers above her mouth. Rosa's hands are clasped next to her right cheek, her left foot slightly above the floor. Whenever he's proud of them, it goes into their hearts and remains there.

"Hilda's daydreaming about her already achieved roles of world's hottest talent agent, and manager. A double cheek bop from her isn't enough to stop him. "And trainer." A forehead bop isn't enough either. "Can't handle the truth, ma reine?"

"Neither can you, silly."

"So, when's the next tournament?"

"Hehe, he just wants to look cool in front of us."

Rosa narrows her eyes, pointing her right index finger sideways with her thumb sticking out. Valey does state the obvious about Hilda and her a lot. She's known him for over fifteen years, so it's guessing time. Is he going to act all cute and dorky? Is he going to bombard them with compliments? Get their latest trainer trading cards?

"Heeeey, maybe he's been a bad boy." Hilda grips the color of his gunmetal black shirt, her sultry gaze locking onto him. "Let's see if he can handle me tonight."

Valen faintly yelps, diverting his attention to Hilda's denim shorts and Rosa's black leggings. Except that's bad idea when taking the exit for Dorky Avenue. They look so good in their favorite outfits! Not to mention they're easy in the eyes! They're Renaissance masterpieces that came to life!

"Alas, thy queen knew thou well!" Rosa trots out of the room, blowing a kiss at Valen. "I'll test you after Hilda!"

Why'd she have to go there while giving him that adorable face?! Why is Hilda making the same face? They're also beautiful like a Bernini sculpture! He could go on and on, why must they tease him so?!

He spontaneously calms down, blinking rapidly. He sighs, his arms dangling by his sides. "...I'll never live these moments down." He lowers his head, his right palm plastered onto his face. "I'm such a dork."

"Heeeeey, don't be like that! You're our favorite dork!"

Luxray's shrieking and Umbreon's stammering are good indicator of what's going on within the second floor. Rosa's giggling is now coming from the same direction. Hilda and him can even hear her making kissing noises, which makes them silently crack up.

A warm tingle jolts Valen when Hilda's lips meets his lips, her arms encircling his neck. He places his hands on her upper back and tilts her back. The endothermic atmosphere gives an encore, the sensation of time stopping following in its footsteps. Weightlessness makes it a trio.

Hilda and him lock gazes, words aren't needed between them either. He's glad that he pushed past his fears—both of them are truly his romantic soulmates.

Rosa darts back in and onto the bed. Hilda and her wrap an arm each around his neck, while he wraps his arms around their midsection. They rest their heads on his chest, briefly closing their eyes as he kisses them. They'll turn the pages so they can bask in the relaxing vibe of his hugs snuggles.

The sensation's mutual, the sun shining on his future will never set. Bet the shadows didn't count on his return. It thought it had it all under control, but he's taken back what it stole.

Give it up cuz now he's back.


For returning readers, what are your thoughts on how it's progressed? Who was your favorite character in Identity?

For new readers, what are your first impressions? Out of everyone who debuted in the first chapter, who's your favorite?

For both, what did you think of the battle? Did you like the bits of historical lore? Are you Team Salamence/Milotic or Team Luxray/Umbreon?

Le Moissonneur Noir=The Black Reaper
Merci=thanks
Le roi et chevalier est content=the king and knight is pleased
Ma belle reines=my beautiful queens

Valen and Silver's full battle took place in Chapters 40 and 41 of Identity.