Episode 9: Enter the Constellars! The Royal Wedding Takes Place!

Today was nervousness incarnate. When Leos proposed to Griselle, he never thought he'd be kept away from her for the next several hours. He was getting dressed up by Father and the dragon type servants again, and this time their efforts had been driven up to a million.

All he had to do was sit in front of a mirror and occasionally stick his arms out so that they could put him in shirts, bows or ties. The usual process was barely tolerable, but this time, the panic in all the Pokémon's faces and voices was a fraction of what he felt inside.

I'm going to mess this up, Leos kept telling himself. He couldn't even force a smile in that mirror. He didn't look as ill as he felt, but maybe that was soap and gel covering it up. Do I even look good? Or does it look tacky? What's the point in looking this good just for today if I'm going to look so much worse every other day? Maybe I should try and argue and go as myself… No! Don't do that Leos, you've got one shot. Today's the ONLY day I can do this…

"Alright, cut!" Rune ordered, brushing the dragon type servants aside. "This isn't working. I followed Ariala's recs, but they just don't fit an Oshawott your shape."

"Huh?" Leos replied. Does that mean I look bad? Or did I really get that fat? Am I destined to screw today up?

"We'll have to go with Erinian traditional style. That feels a bit wrong since you're prince of both kingdoms and all, but we've got to work with what we've got," Rune rambled as he rummaged through a stone cupboard.

Leos watched him with a groan and a frown. Please don't be worse than everything…

The Dewott produced a pure white shirt that looked so thin it was almost transparent. Leos was wary until he was made to take his scalchop off to put it on, where it was so thin and convenient that it was almost like he wasn't wearing any clothes at all. Even with the buttons done up, his natural bubble collar wasn't squeezed and his scalchop could rest on his belly as usual.

"Phew. Nailed it in the end," Rune sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Does it… really look alright?" Leos asked, examining himself. "I don't need to straighten it or anything? Does it look bad with my shape and stuff? It's so tight it could rip!"

"Whoa easy there kid, that's because it's built for small dragon Pokémon. But trust me, it looks dapper on you. You don't think I'd lie to you about this stuff, do you?" Rune asked with a snicker.

"You've lied about a lot of things. But dang it, I don't know much about this stuff. I mean it, do I actually look okay? This has to go perfectly!" Leos cried.

"I promise you. You look amazing," Rune stated. Leos wasn't expecting the matter-of-factly response. "We went over today's procedure rather thoroughly, but just in case, would you like to again?"

Leos hesitated. Father was taking this seriously for once. He shook his head, even though his chest still churned with nerves.

"Just stick with what I told you, okay? And I promise you, it's way less stuffy than it sounds. You'll be having fun by the end," Rune assured.

"Doesn't mean I can take any of it lightly. If I mess this up, nobody will ever forget it," Leos sighed, and hung his head. I feel like I'm going to be sick, and we haven't even started.

"Says who?" Rune threw his arms up. Leos raised an eyebrow. "This isn't a war or a battle against a deity. You're not going to die or wind up in hospital if you mess up."

"But doesn't everyone say that marriage is the most important day of a Pokémon's life?" Leos asked.

"Eh, only if they're not the ones getting married. Plus, everyone knows you're young. It won't be the end of the world if you make a few mistakes or something. In fact, that's normal," Rune explained. "We've got an hour and a bit, so rest up. I need to throw together a fancy look of my own. I'll be back to escort you, alright?"

Leos badly wanted him to stay. He couldn't figure out why in the moment, so he didn't say anything as the Dewott and other dragon types left. He had a bedroom to himself, once again without any snacks to nibble on to quell his nerves. There was a little hole with drinking water though, so it was at least better than last night.

I couldn't eat if I wanted to, he grumbled as he bent over by the water. Very suddenly, he was so thirsty he could've dove into the water quench it. but he held back with all his restraint. He couldn't afford to get this shirt wet, and who knows what water could do to his pampered appearance?

Father's not here to help me. I have to remember that. He could never be. This is all for his sake as a ruler of Eris. But he's all I have to rely on right now, so like it or not, I have to give it my all and get things perfectly as I can, he realised. His thoughts raced. Maybe I should've gone over the procedure again. Or maybe I should pick my own clothes? Or maybe I should try and find Mother. But she's even more of a fashion disaster than Father…

Similar thoughts clouded his mind the entire time. He caved in and took a few gulps of water every now and then, but found a cup to do so safely. A few of Eris' guards came by and he asked them for snacks after making idle chatter too, but he couldn't take a nibble of anything.

Before he knew it, Father returned in a sleek, shiny black shirt that put his own thin threads to shame. There was no time to argue about it, though. He was escorted through a decorated road through town to a temple and altar he hadn't seen before. The whole way there was surrounded by the most condensed crowds of Pokémon he had ever seen in his life.

As he walked up a few steps and down the central isle of the church-like temple interior, it felt like the entirety of Etheria had come to watch. He walked slower than ever, determined not to trip up the steps or make eye contact with someone he didn't know. It all led to so much anxiety that he had to swallow a few times.

He was directed to the very back of the temple, where an arch covered in violet flowers stood tall above two officiants, a Drampa and a Togekiss. This area was outside and at an altitude, so there was a light wind against him as he stood. No one said anything as he arrived, but both figures smiled at him.

Father nudged him after a moment, making him glance up. He was being told to smile too, but trying brought him to scratch the back of his head, where he immediately retracted his paw to avoid messing up his fur. If he opened his mouth now, incomprehensible noise would come out, worse than whatever was going on in his mind.

He opted to hold his breath, shut his eyes, and try to focus. There was light chatter. No, there was lots of chatter. Far too much chatter. From the possibly thousands of Pokémon around, he could hear many of their conversations even though they were mumbling. Too many conversations. Then there was the music. Happy organ, some light harp, and a choir? They weren't loud, but they were muddled with everything else. Then there were a lot of soldiers, butlers and maids still running around the back rooms, following orders and shouting commands, stomping about and—

Leos started shaking. He let out a moan as dizziness took over his form and he almost fell over. The only coherent thought right now was that he wanted to get out of here at all costs. It was too loud, and he could hear everything. He scrunched up and crouched as he shivered and braced, doing his absolute best to not scream right now. Before he gave in, a soft grip held his ears, muffling all the noise.

"Huh?" he gasped and opened his eyes. Father had crouched to his height and covered his ears. Leos meant to question it, but the Dewott put a digit to his lip, ensuring he stayed quiet. They stayed like this for a full five minutes, during which the noise reduced to muffled ambience. Rune gestured for Leos to put his paws over his own ears, and he unsurely obeyed. Then there were mouth movements.

"Are you okay?" Leos was sure he was asked. He was surprised. How was his Father helping him like this? A brawny oaf who got on his nerves all the time was the last Pokémon he expected to help with whatever this anxiety was. He warily removed his paws, and his focus had returned to normal. He was still scared, but not about to explode.

"Take it easy. Deep breaths, and relax as much as you can," Rune advised. Leos obeyed, facing the officiants. Neither of them seemed bothered by his display. "I'm sorry, that was my fault. I knew there'd be a lot of Pokémon around, but I didn't think to get ear protection."

"Ear protection?" Leos cocked his head.

"Yes. Your mother has the same issue, and I know you have Clefairy ears, so… yeah. If you need earmuffs or something—"

"Don't be stupid, I can't wear earmuffs at a wedding altar!" Leos gasped.

"If you need them, you need them. Ariala will be wearing hers," Rune replied, surprising him. "Do you want them?"

Leos hesitated this time. "No. I'm fine now."

"Heh. Stubborn as always. If I see you start to freak out again, I'm getting them," Rune snickered, facing forward. "But boy does that bring back memories. That was… gods, how many years ago now? Nearly thirty, wow. When I first met Ariala, and she was doing the same thing."

"Is now really the best time to reminisce?" Leos groaned.

"Never better. My Father brought her to Castle Eris, and I was a naughty kid who liked to sneak into his room a lot. When I found her, she looked like she was going to rip her ears off," Rune recalled, and snickered again. "Did the same thing to her that I just did to you."

He actually knows how to deal with that overwhelming feeling? Leos gasped in his mind.

"This isn't some corny love story, though. I didn't captivate her at first sight or anything like that. In fact, I got her into even more trouble. I was a stupid kid who thought he could play hero by doing things he didn't understand at all. Thought I'd never get to talk to a woman again," Rune continued, pacing about. "Then you know the rest, I think. We got put into an arranged marriage, and lucky us, it worked out. I'd actually forgotten her when we got to meet up, but she reminded me who she was by doing the same thing again. Covered my ears."

So it's some kind of memento between them. He said it wasn't corny, but that actually is kind of corny, in a sweet way, Leos slowly looked up. Today was clear and sunny, but cool. I wonder if me and Griselle have anything like that? We met in a fight, so I guess it's that armour she used to wear…

"Alright, look alive. It's just as we practiced," Rune said, and patted his back.

Huh? But we didn't practice anythi—

Leos turned around, and then everything around him faded away. Griselle was there on the other end of the aisle, escorted by her mother. The moment he locked eyes with her, her cheeks grew red and she smiled. He could feel his cheeks heat up, too.

He was just thinking of her in battle armour, nor did she tend to wear clothing besides her usual jacket, so he had no idea what she would look like. She was actually in similar clothing to himself – a snow white dress with short sleeves and ruffles on the ends. She also had a simple fascinator with a long, flowy thread behind it to keep her head fur in place, which just like his fur, had been smoothed out to be prettier than ever.

She looked like she was going to burst out laughing when she arrived beside him, but he couldn't stop gawking. Father had left his side too, but he barely noticed. His body just moved on its own, and linked paws with her. Even though the procedures started and the officiants began their speeches, everything in the background had zoned out besides her. For the first time, he truly felt like he understood the definition of beauty, and it was Griselle.

"It's a wonder what grownups can do," Griselle said softly.

"H-huh?" he replied.

"You look so cool. I didn't know how cool a shirt would look on you, but it really fits," she remarked. Her eyes sparkled brightly.

"R-really? It really looks good? They were complaining I put on weight o-or something," he gasped, looking at himself. He flinched. "I-I mean, y-you- I- er, ah…"

"You're… shy?" she said. He made faces as he still couldn't think straight, but that looked like it began to worry her, so he just blurted out whatever he could muster.

"Just, you're so beautiful, too," he said. Gods darn it Leos, is that really the best you can do? Gods damn it I'm so cheesy, so corny, I'm gonna—

"Thank you," she whispered, and he silenced. On closer inspection, she looked like she in just as much turmoil trying to look proper, so that was relaxing.

"Of our friends, comrades, family and acquaintances gathered here today, does anyone have any objections to the unity of one Leos Aska and Griselle Oswell in holy matrimony?" Togekiss continued her speech.

The duo hadn't realised that the ceremony had gone so far already. They turned to the audience they had, which was rows and rows of Pokémon. Gathered near the front was everyone they knew in some form or another. Rune, Ariala, Vincent, Nier, Prem and Laurent… and beyond them, old allies from their battles in the war, some of which they hadn't seen since. Not only was it beautifully nostalgic to see them all in one place again, but all of them were dressed properly in black or white accessories. None of them said a word, replying to the officiant's question with cool smiles.

"Then we move on to the final section of today's proceedings. Do you, Leos Aska, take Griselle to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Drampa continued.

"Yes. I do," Leos said without turning away from her.

"And do you, Griselle Oswell, take Leos Aska as your lawfully wedded husband?" Togekiss continued.

"I do!" Griselle did the same. The officiants stepped closer and then began to mumble.

"What is your good paw?" Drampa asked.

"Huh?" Leos replied.

"Your good paw. The arm you are most comfortable with," he clarified.

"Oh uh, right?" Leos raised an eyebrow. "My right paw."

"I'm the same," Griselle answered blankly.

"Then please connect your right paws, and raise them high," Togekiss instructed.

Leos and Griselle obeyed, interlocking their digits with one another, although Leos took note that Griselle was a little shaky. He put his other paw at her side to calm her, which seemed to help. They raised their connected paws in perfect sync, and aura began to glow around their wrists.

"By the honour vested in me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. Let the light of the Etheria protect your happiness, and serve as your bond forevermore," Drampa and Togekiss announced in perfect sync. Particles of light appeared above them, and then sunk into Leos and Griselle's arms, creating gold bracelets. The duo pulled away in surprise, and the bracelets faded away.

"Do not be alarmed. Those are Marriage Bracelets. They serve as proof of a successful marriage," Drampa informed.

"Oh. So we're…?" Griselle replied.

Drampa nodded. "You may kiss the bridegroom."

Just like that, the world around Leos faded again. They linked their paws without prompt again, so he didn't think twice beyond ensuring she was ready, but she moved before him. Their lips connected, and before he knew, it was over. It was done. He wrapped his paws around her and she did the same, not wanting the kiss to end.

A few whistles and applause from their audience caught his attention, but he wasn't embarrassed. He pulled away the same time she did, and never diverted from her eyes at all. She looked happier than he had ever seen her before. She didn't blush as much, her eyes shone, and her smile was heavenly.

"I'm so glad," she said in relief. "I love you, Leos."

"I love you too, Griselle," he replied.

"Are you two ready? There is one more part to this ceremony," Togekiss informed, approaching them again.

"H-huh?" Griselle replied.

"As the future king and queen of Etheria, you are to be crowned. Hang in there, we will be done before you know," Togekiss explained.

Oh, right. All that planning, and I still almost forgot something, Leos smiled, facing the front. He kept a hold of Griselle's paw, but she didn't say anything.

"That's my call," Rune said as he and Ariala came to the front. The Clefable really was wearing earmuffs.

"I…" Griselle said. She was shuddering again.

"Griselle?" Leos faced her.

"I… can't… take it anymore," she whimpered. Just as Rune and Ariala returned from the back of the altar, colour washed from her face and she sank to the ground, almost pulling Leos with her.

"Griselle? Griselle oh my gods, what's—" he gasped. She fell to her knees, then groaned and fell on her back, arms wrapped herself. She shuddered, but confusingly, began to laugh out loud. "Uh... er, Griselle? Are you okay?"

Those laughs turned back into groans, followed by heavy breaths and a strained frown. Her stomach growled, making him blush and lean away. "You're… hungry?"

"Hungry doesn't even begin to cover it," she whimpered. He thought it a jest, but she wouldn't stop looking strained. "I got so happy… I guess it finally caught up to me, heh…"

"Wa-wait a minute. Griselle, when was the last time you ate?" Leos shuddered. She finally smiled again, and coughed a snicker.

"I… didn't eat," she answered.

"Huh?" Leos flinched.

"When I found out about the marriage thing… I got too nervous to eat," she answered. Just like that, Leos' heart sunk.

"Nothing at all?" he whispered. "But that was… how many days ago? Oh my gods, Griselle!"

"I'm sorry. This is so embarrassing, isn't it?" she replied. "I tried so hard to make this perfect for you, but in the end, I couldn't."

"To hell with that! Griselle, you're literally famished!" he cried and pulled her to her feet. She was surprised, but well and truly so weak she couldn't stand. "This way, as quick as you can!"

"Ah, but Leos—" she gasped.

"I'm such an idiot for not noticing. I'm so sorry," he said. Some of the crowd watched them in confusion, so he growled at them. "Out of the way! Can't you see this is an emergency?"

"An emergency?" Griselle squeaked.

"Starvation is an emergency," Leos stated.

"Oh but… urf, this is so embarrassing," she sighed as she was sat down at a table in the main hall.

"Er… good thing about this is you get first pick of whatever you want," he remarked, admiring the selection of dishes available. Bowls of delicacies, pyramids of berries, and more were laid about the table, and everything was arranged in a neat, arty fashion. The almighty cake had its own table, and towered to twice their height.

"I… would but… what about my dress?" she asked. "What if I get it dirty?"

"What good's a pretty dress if there's a skeleton wearing it? You're the one that's beautiful Griselle, not the clothes. Mess it up all you want!" he exclaimed.

"I… don't want to mess it up, though." She hung her head.

"Griselle," he said.

"I know I know, just," she gasped, reaching for a plate and a bowl of berries. She wound up not even putting the berries on the plate, starting with a bite, then stuffing an entire berry into her mouth. She quickly descended to stuffing her face with them, and promptly choked.

"E-easy," he shuddered. She recovered before he could pat her back though, and continued eating faster than she could swallow. She really looks like she hasn't seen food before. Thank goodness she isn't a picky eater.

She stopped after a few moments and stared, getting his attention. "You're not gonna sit there and watch me eat, are ya?"

"Oh, er," he replied, turning to the table. He hadn't eaten today himself, so now that he was looking, all this choice made him lick his lips.

"And the rest of you are only gonna make this awkward if you stand around watchin' us. They said it'd be a party, so let's get this party started!" Griselle announced, twisting around to address everyone else. It didn't take a second for the crowd to disband into activity, and through it all, Leos spotted Rune give him a wave and a cheeky smile. Griselle pulled his attention back to the table, though. "You as well, soldier. Eat."

"H-huh?" he replied.

"I could just demolish everything here, but I'd feel bad if you didn't get dibs on anythin' yourself. C'mon, it's a party for you too, soldier!" she cheered, and pulled over another plate and a bowl. He stared blankly. "Don't make me feed you."

"Wha-huh? Wait a minute, don't do that, where'd that come from? You're the one who's starving!" he cried. She gave him a half-lidded smirk. "Ahem, I'm just deciding what, that's all."

"When in doubt, start with berries!" she squeaked, grabbing an oran and stuffing it in his mouth. He was surprised at both the action but also the explosive taste. This was the freshest oran berry he had ever eaten, to a point it was tastier than it was effective at healing.

"See? It's super good, right? Here!" she giggled, grabbing another one.

She stuffed that one in his mouth before he finished the first one, and then another, and another, all until his cheeks were stuffed full. He saw her grab more though, and flailed his arms to push her away in protest. She kept going, and he fell backwards off his chair.

"If you don't say anythin', I'm just gonna keep pilin' 'em on," she snickered, grabbing berries for his plate. He made a muffled scream, and she burst out laughing.

"Okay okay, I get it I get it!" Leos cried after swallowing. "Are you feeling better already?"
"Kinda? I'm just happy," she cheered, this time grabbing a few trays of salads and nuts. There were bread wraps too, so she curled a few slices around her favourites and ate them whole.

A little while later, the celebrations got underway. Music started and Pokémon split into groups to dance, chat, and dine. Leos' close acquaintances stayed within the temple, while the public were allowed to celebrate outside across the entire town. Confetti, balloons, and sky lanterns were thrown about, while warm fires set a tone. Kids happily played with poppers and other party toys.

The dream come true of it all was that there was no consistency within the species – dragons flirted with fairies while ferocious Pokémon chilled with smaller, cuter species, and no one batted an eye as if it was your everyday wedding festival. Rune watched the festivities from a distance, leaned against a pillar. From here, it truly looked as if Leos' ideal world where Pokémon weren't separated by species could truly happen. He was jolted by a light tap on the shoulder, as he didn't notice Ariala show up beside him.

"Your 'trying to look cool' pose, huh?" the Clefable began, removing her earmuffs.

"Hmpf. Do I really look cool? I wasn't trying. I can try if you want me to," Rune snickered, shutting his eyes and folding his arms.

She rolled her eyes and stood beside him, tempted to lean as well if not for her dress. "How did you know?"

"Hmm?" Rune looked up, and she gestured towards their son. Leos and Griselle were sharing a bowl of noodles, and wound up slurping on the same string. Just before their lips connected, the noodle split, and they broke away laughing.

"How did you know this was going to work?" Ariala asked. "Everything about it would break any normal Pokémon. Instead, I don't think I've ever seen them this happy. And it's so genuine, too."

"Well, Leos isn't a normal Pokémon. And I don't mean that to make a hybrid joke," Rune replied.

"Oh Rune, I'm being serious," she pouted.

"And so am I," he assured, stepping away to address her. "You knew it'd work too, that's why you went through with it."

"You would've tried it even if I objected. I went through with it because I expected it to backfire at any given moment. That's why I revealed Cosmog to him as well," she explained.

"It's just all part of our family's dumb quirks. Just look at you and me. Incompatible on every level, and yet so inseparable I can do this without retaliation," he teased. He started poking her belly.

"Don't- stop it—" she hissed, catching his arm as she twitched and squirmed. "I'm bigger than you. Don't go there. Be serious."

"I am being serious. Expecting our family to have a normal relationship is like asking Zangoose to get with Seviper. We're the textbook students, despite everything," Rune said, interlocking their digits. "But now, all we can do is watch over him. The entire world's in their paws. All we can do is clean up if they mess up."

"You're really going to put it that way. We're not out of the picture yet," she replied, bringing their arms down. He came closer and embraced her.

"Exactly. Until the unified kingdom is built, we're still King and Queen of Eris and Faernia. Just a dumb otter and a pixie," he said.

"You changing the subject doesn't answer my question, you know," she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"It doesn't?" he said in surprise. There was a pause.

"Have you been drinking? It's still the day," she asked.

"A teensy bit. The brewers outdid themselves for the occasion, so it'd have been a waste to not have any," he smirked.

"I'm surprised they even served you," she rolled her eyes. "Fine, if you're going to be like that. At least tell me you have a backup plan for the coronation."

"You're too serious, baby," he replied.

"Duty first, fun later, you fragile furry. And what have I told you about calling me 'baby'?" she groaned.

Rune sighed and stepped away, but she linked their paws again. They watched Leos and Griselle for a little while again. "Of course I have a backup. We still have to present the Cosmog and see if it'll wake up. So we'll do it tomorrow."

"I wonder how quickly it will react. If it doesn't wake up straight away, we'll have to leave it with them," she mumbled. Leos and Griselle looked like they were done eating, but chose to sit and relax together at the table. "I know it's private, but I worry if they'll become a target."

"What did I just say about messing up?" Rune replied. Ariala gave it a round of thought.

"If you dare follow them on their honeymoon and get found out, he'll probably try to kill you. And we both know that's not an understatement," Ariala warned.

"Then we'll just have to trust 'em. That's what got us this far," Rune shrugged.

"I don't like this uncertainty," Ariala sighed. They watched Leos and Griselle for a few more moments, and then Rune snickered about something. He pulled Ariala away so suddenly she yelped and nearly tripped. "Rune? What do you—"

"Shh," he replied, and they stopped in the middle of the temple. "You want certainty? I'll give you certainty, that you're gonna lose."

"Lose? What do you think you're—" she cut herself off as he began to guide her feet. It surely looked as awkward as if felt, having a far shorter Pokémon try to guide her in step dancing, but he was doing it anyway. "Well who do you think you are? Do you even know how to dance?"

"I don't need to," he smirked cockily as she immediately turned the tables. Even if he tensed to put effort into it, he couldn't so much as pull her arm.

"I was born and raised to be more proper a lady than you can imagine. You couldn't teach me a thing about dance," she stated with her own cocky smile.

"I implore you not to underestimate warriors. Our footwork and adaptability is always weeks ahead," he retorted.

Chanting and clapping started as the music picked up a bit. They weren't the only ones that had taken the centre to dance. Laurent had managed to drag Prem into the mix of happy couples, while onlookers around cheered them on.

"Is that your Dad? I didn't know Rune could dance," Griselle remarked.

"I'm as surprised as you are. Unless Mother's using Psychic to control him," Leos replied.

"Should we join them?" Griselle suggested.

"Right after you've eaten that much? I can try, but will you be okay?" he replied. They both turned to the table. What was once lined with trays and bowls of goodies was over half finished, most of it practically licked clean.

"Yeah you're right. You could still do with a couple more mega doughnuts, soldier!" she stated, grabbing them.

"Me? If I eat anymore, I'm going to explode," he gasped. "You've gone back to your original shape too, now that I look at it. You're not still hungry, are you?"

"Always room for doughnuts!" she gave a muffled reply. Just watching her chomp down made him lick his lips, so he took the other one and ate away.

"Yeah, you're right," he gave his own muffled reply.

Despite not wanting to dance, Ariala was starting to enjoy herself, if even just for the chance to see Rune fumble over his own feet. "Feel like giving up yet?"

"Just- getting started," he growled. He began to poke and tickle her.

"Ah- Rune- no, stop it! That's cheating," she squeaked and squirmed. She caught his paws and brought them close again, where they locked eyes. There was an instant of surprise, and then they settled into warm smiles. "Never change, you goofy little furball."

"You too, my big baby," he replied.

"Ugh. I'd prefer anything other than baby," she turned away. He kissed her anyway, and she giggled. "Don't get naughty, now."

"You'll have to stop me," he teased, dancing the digits of his paw up her body.

Just then, her ears twitched hard. An unusual noise she wasn't expecting to hear was clear as day in the distance. "Rune, wait. Stay close."

"Oh? Do I win?" he asked.

"Shh, seriously!" she hissed. "Propellors? Rowers? That's… airships?"

"Airships? Did you order anything?" he instantly grew concerned. "Motion."

They went back to step dancing, but their concentration remained outside. "No, I didn't. There was no need for that kind of security," Ariala whispered.

They waited another moment, and then she picked up a noise that rung alarm bells. In a flash, she detached from Rune. "Everybody get out of the centre, now!"

Her outburst drew all eyes to her, but they were confused. She gasped, but put her palms together to gather energy into both hands and thrust them. Out came the biggest Protect barrier she could manage. "Move!"

Rune was next to realise, but he was far too late to do anything other than hug up to her to try and pull her away. A moment later, a huge, rainbow coloured beam crashed into her Protect barrier with absurd force. The barrier shattered, but it weakened the attack into a blast that merely threw all the Pokémon to the floor.

"What the?" Leos gasped and stood up. Two more blasts went off and the entire temple shook. The amount of dust that fell from the ceiling threw him into a panic.

"Everybody outside! Go, get the public free first!" Ariala commanded.

"Yes Sir!" dragon soldiers saluted her and got to work.

Everything fell into a madness. Pokémon screamed and ran every which way while the servants and soldiers attempted to carry out their orders. All the time, more blasts went off, soon followed by a heavy crumble from high up. Dhelmise attached to chains blasted through the walls and ceiling and latched to the building, being pulled with so much strength that the ceiling cracked and crumbled right before their eyes.

"Griselle, are you alright?" Leos gasped. The duo were crouched below the table, but the shaking and crumbling brought them to the floor again. With all the Pokémon running around, they didn't dare move.

"Me? Are you okay?" she cried. A nasty noise brought their sights to the ceiling, and then they glanced at each other.

He meant to say something, but the ceiling coming down on them cut him off. She pulled him so roughly it felt like she could've torn his arm off, but most of his attention was on his surroundings. She brought him close and dove away to avoid a chunk of concrete that smashed into the food table, and then scrambled to her feet to carry him away as pillars crumbled and toppled in their path.

"Watch out!" he cried as a couple of pillars fell directly in front of them. Griselle wasn't fast enough to avoid them, and skidded to a stop. The booming sound of rock smashing to the floor and earth splitting took over his senses as a tidal wave of dust completely covered them, and everything went dark.

Outside, the town had already been cleared. Giant sailing ships with propellors and oars shaped like Braviary wings floated around the temple, two of which were latched to the temple via chains with Dhelmise. An army of robed Pokémon climbed down ropes from the airships, searching the streets restlessly.

On the centre airship, a trio of Pokémon stood at the front. A Mimikyu with a dirty rag that had been patched many times, opposite Kristen, Leos' former retainer. The Clefairy's face was white, and she couldn't stop playing with her nails.

Between them was a Zorua that stood tall and straight on its hind legs. They were clothed in a dark purple shirt with a dark red heart on it, and wore a fabric sash around their waist adorned with zodiac signs. A short skirt with a long, flowy behind completed this refined Zorua's appearance. They watched the chaos unfold with an empty expression, and as the temple collapsed to ruin, slowly smirked.