Peace returned to Charicific Valley, as the group began to compose themselves and relax. Bird-song returned to their ears. Worn out and panting, the trio sat down as exhaustion set in. The exertion of the morning caught up to them.
"That was wild," said Louis, exhausted.
"How can Pokémon trainers do this all the time?" he questioned.
As they were catching their breath, Totodile noticed a large, pink bow lying on the ground beside it. A sense of playfulness flowed through its body and placed the bow on top of its head. Taki and Louis watched as the Pokémon pirouetted on the spot with the newfound accessory. Taki giggled, while Louis chuckled.
The green-haired girl walked over to the trio, with her Charizard following from behind.
"Looks like it's enjoying itself," she said.
The duo spotted the girl and her Charizard approaching.
"Oh, hey," said Louis.
He then pointed to the pink bow on Totodile's head.
"Is that yours?" he asked.
"It was," answered the girl, smiling.
"But I'd hate to take it off of her. Besides, I've got a spare."
Both Taki and Louis glanced at the girl in confusion.
"Her?" they said.
They looked back to Totodile as it was still pirouetting. It stopped and looked at the pair.
"You didn't know that?" the little Pokémon questioned.
Totodile then ran over to the green-haired girl and hugged her leg. The girl smiled as she placed her spare pink bow on her Charizard's head. It nodded in gratitude. Totodile ran back over to the group, who had shocked expressions on their faces.
"You're a girl?!" they exclaimed in unison.
Totodile nodded in reply, blushing a little bit. The green-haired girl walked closer to the trio.
"Anyway, what are you all doing here in the valley?" she asked.
Louis brushed the dust off of his clothes and stood up.
"We've come looking for a crystal shard," he answered.
Louis reached into his pocket and pulled out the purple shard that he and Taki found the night before.
"Something similar to this," continued Louis.
Immediately after he said that, the purple shard started to glow, startling the gang.
"Hey, it's glowing again," pointed out Taki.
The girl's Charizard looked at the beaming shard with curiosity.
"It's like that thing we see glowing at night," it said.
Louis looked at the girl's Charizard.
"Glowing at night?" he questioned.
– "Yes. It's well hidden and it'd be easier to see it when the sun goes down," the Charizard responded.
"Hmm, I see," replied Louis.
The green-haired girl looked at Louis in bewilderment.
"You can understand Charla?" she questioned.
Louis looked to the girl and nodded. She was quite surprised, to say the least.
'Charla?' thought Taki.
The group then decided to set up camp and await dusk. Taki produced a small cooking kit and some basic provisions, while Totodile and Charla frollocked in newfound friendship. Louis and the green-haired girl looked at the two Pokémon from afar and smiled.
"There's a sight I never thought I'd see," said Louis.
"A fire type and a water type hanging out."
Soon after, Taki had finished the meal preparations and she produced five plates of steamed rice. She gave two of them to Louis and the green-haired girl and another two plates to Totodile and Charla.
"Oh, one for Charla too?" replied the girl, in surprise.
"You're amazing!" she exclaimed.
Taki blushed.
They all sat in a circle and ate the plates of rice. After the green-haired girl placed a mouthful of rice into her mouth, she looked over to Louis and Taki.
"Excuse me, but I never got your names," she said with her mouth full.
Louis swallowed a mouthful of rice and looked to the girl.
"I'm Louis," he answered.
"And I'm Taki," added Taki.
"Yours?" he inquired.
"It's Liza," answered the girl.
"My name is Liza."
Soon, night began to fall, the first of the evening's stars twinkling in the dusk. Moments later, a red glow drew Charla's attention.
"There it is!" it said.
Charla pointed skyward, in the direction of the huge monolithic statue towering over the valley. They spotted a glow emanating from the hollow eye socket on the stone carving.
"Up there?!" exclaimed Louis.
"How am I supposed to get that crystal shard from all the way up there?"
One of the other Charizards appeared beside Louis.
"Do you have to ask?" it questioned, beating its wings.
Louis facepalmed.
"Ugh, I'm an idiot," he groaned.
"Get on," said the Charizard.
Soon, the pair were hundreds of feet up in the air. They arrived at the glowing hollow. Louis carefully traversed the gap between the Charizard and the statue, reminding himself not to look down. The group far below merely dots now.
The red glow grew brighter as Louis carefully reached out to the embedded shard. A mysterious tugging at his jacket pocket startled the boy. He then noticed the embedded shard shaking in its place.
"What the?" he muttered.
Suddenly, the shard in his pocket leapt from his shirt as the embedded shard freed itself, shooting from the wall and meeting Louis' crystal midair.
A blinding flash of light encompassed Louis and sent a beam from the eye socket across the land. Startled and blinded, Louis staggered backwards. His final footstep found no purchase. Terror crossed Louis' face as he realised he was now falling, rapidly, toward the distant ground.
The group below stared up in horror.
"LOOUUUIIISSSSS!" screamed Taki.
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