Episode 15: Settling Doubts And A New Beautiful Journey
"I thought the weather was just an omen, but it looks like it's actually going to rain after all," Leos said with a worrisome gaze at the sky. The whole way back from the Gravel Labyrinth, clouds covered the sky and only got thicker and greyer as time went on.
"At least we're back home. Hyde, you really made this cakewalk. Thank you," Griselle patted the Gyarados on the side, who wiggled in glee. "You as well, Alpha. I couldn't have made it without you. Honestly, thank you."
"I'm just happy we made it through with no losses on our end," The Indeedee replied as he hopped off Hyde to walk. "I went into this wanting to not see any of your loved ones suffer, and we made it back with exactly that."
"Dad, there you are! You ran off on me," whined another Indeedee. Melba was with Gretel, who walked over a moment later.
"I apologize. A very important situation came up. We'll definitely have our city trip tomorrow," Alpha bowed to them. "If you were good, I'll get you an extra ice cream."
Melba squealed and bounced in excitement. "I knew it'd be important, so I was extra good. You gotta make that three ice creams!"
"Yeah, clearly something really important happened if you've got this big 'ol serpent giving ya rides," the Sunflora spat. "Out with it, queenie! What's the big idea, taking Alpha here and leaving me to keep an eye on the kid?"
Leos and Griselle exchanged glances, then the former came forward. "It's a long story. Apologies for the trouble. I'll make sure you're properly compensated for it."
"Huh? Proper even at a time like this, hahaha! You've gotta loosen up, boy," Gretel laughed as she patted him with a leafy hand. "We figured out what happened when your airship boys came round, but we sent 'em packing and almost came running ourselves."
"O-oh… wait, we had no backup?" Griselle whispered.
"You had the strongest backup the world has ever seen in Vanil Village, thank you very much! Don't underestimate me just 'cos I'm a rambling old flower," Gretel bragged. "You're back safe and sound, your house has been tidied and stuff, go take a load off!"
"Oh uh, right. Thank you," Griselle bowed nervously.
"It's not really my nature to leave it, but it's appreciated," Leos bowed as well.
"Stop bowing, for gods sakes," Gretel swayed her head like she rolled her eyes.
"R-right," Leos almost bowed again. He nodded to Griselle, and the two linked paws to return home. Hyde had dropped them off at the bottom of the cliffs, so it was within sight. They didn't get very far though. Griselle detached to approach Alpha again.
"Alpha. I know this is sudden but… would you like to work with me as a retainer?" Griselle requested.
Alpha's eyes widened and he coughed in shock. "Me? Whatever brought this on?"
"When this emergency happened, you kept calm the entire time and advised me on everything we needed to do. Even though I couldn't offer you anything like money, you still put your all into this. You saved my husband's life, Alpha," Griselle explained. "I know we've only really just gotten to know each other and stuff, but I would feel really safe with you helping me out. Plus, your Heal Pulse and stuff really helped out in battle."
"Heal Pulse?" Leos muttered.
"I- well- er, wow. Your Highness, I-I'm honoured," Alpha stammered, and tugged at his fur all over.
"Griselle," the hybrid giggled, half-lidded.
"Griselle, I mean. But would that put me in the limelight? I'm certain there are Pokémon better suited to the role than I am. Surely your advisors can—"
"If you're worried about that, it's actually all the more reason it's better to have you," Leos butted in. "Having someone like you in a high position would be inspiring to the many others like yourself who still live in fear and closet about their identity. Part of our new kingdom is all about evolving our world to be more accepting and inclusive."
"Don't you have supervisors to help you select more suited Pokémon?" Alpha wondered.
"We do, but I wouldn't pay them any mind over Pokémon I've met and experienced myself. If not Griselle's retainer, I would happily make you the kingdom chancellor," Leos explained with a paw on his hip.
"Me? The royal chancellor? You can't be serious!" Alpha gasped.
"Whoa, Dad look at you go!" Melba cheered. "Go for it!"
"But I… I'm," Alpha muttered.
"Oh don't dance around it. He's the king you dunce! He's already figured you out," Gretel slapped him on the back.
"Pardon me but, what're you two hinting at?" Griselle cocked her head. There was a pause.
"It's better coming from your own mouth, and only if you're comfortable," Leos reasoned. Alpha took a deep breath, but slowly shook his head. "That's fine. I'm not going to treat you any differently, mind you."
"Royal chancellor, just for advising and helping you on a single mission. Is that a real offer?" Alpha asked almost aggressively.
"Yeah, I don't have any problems," Griselle shrugged and glanced at Leos, who nodded in agreement. "Like I said, you kept calm the entire time, and you really saved our butts even after everything I said and did. I… I would trust you at my side."
To her dismay, the aggression in Alpha's appearance grew, but he didn't do anything. He frowned and clenched his hands. "I have things to consider."
"No pressure at all. It's a big role, and you have your family and stuff. I'm sorry for imposing it on you so suddenly," Griselle snickered and scratched her face. Thunder rumbled suddenly, and she yelped.
"It looks like the rain's going to start," Leos muttered and held a paw out.
"That's our cue to head back. The rains here can be quite troublesome, but you and your garden should be alright," Gretel suggested. "Don't do anything silly now, you two."
"Y-yes, thank you," Griselle quavered.
As the group disbanded, Leos took note of how fidgety Griselle became, even more when he felt a couple drops of rain on him. Seconds later the rain fell proper, and he stopped to take it in. After their intense battles and general life in the heat of this region, there was something relieving about the chill of the wind and rain.
Griselle seemed to feel otherwise, however. She moaned a little, danced on her feet, and then ran ahead until she was under the cliff in front of the house where the garden was. The wind pulled some of the rain here, but it wasn't as bad as out here. The rain quickly picked up into a storm, so Leos joined her.
"Are you okay?" he asked. She prodded her paws together as she stared at the grey shower, constantly mumbling about something.
"Let's go inside," she suggested impatiently, and marched in. "C'mon, hurry up! We need to keep Lollipop outta the rain!"
Is it to do with the storm? Leos thought, and blankly followed.
Inside was just as Gretel had said. The place had been tidied, though there was an attempt to fix the broken bookshelf and wall by using vines from Vine Whip. It would do for now until they had time to fix it later. Otherwise, everything was off the floor and the books were in order. Heavy wind shook the walls while the rain pattered against the roof, opposed only by Lollipop's light snoring.
"No surprise you're sleeping like a Slakoth after that," Leos commented. He held the Cosmog high, and they didn't react. With a snicker, he set them down in their cot and wrapped them up cone-style. The wind was still coming through the windows here, so he hung a spare blanket over it to try and mitigate it. "If I knew the rains would be this bad, we should've thought about curtains."
Finally, time to rest off that wound. It had been bandaged, and Leos knew it was best not to move too much, despite how that rule annoyed him. His side didn't hurt or anything, but it did irk enough that he wanted to sit down. When he entered the bedroom however, he found Griselle cradled so far beneath the blankets that he couldn't see even a tuft of her fur. Nothing else was touched, implying she went straight there when they came in.
"Griselle? Are you okay?" Leos asked.
"Le-Leos? Is that you?" came her weak voice. Leos' heart sped up. There was a long pause, and he hesitated to do anything. "Sorry… c-can we just? Come into bed? And sleep? Please."
He didn't know what to think. He wasn't even nervous. He lifted the blanket to sit down, but then thunder rumbled in the distance. Griselle squealed, cried out, and snatched him up to her just as suddenly. She held him super close like he was a plush toy. "Gr-Griselle?"
Now he was nervous, but it didn't last long. Griselle was shivering and whimpering, hard. Her eyes were clenched tight and she attempted to smother her face into his chest as if to drown out the world around them. With the covers over them, all he could hear were her fearful whimpers, while her shudders shook him down to his heart.
He didn't know what to say. He slowly wrapped his paws around her to return some affection, which seemed to make her loosen up after a while. In their two years plus of knowing each other, he had never seen this side of her, if it was even a side. "It's the storm, isn't it?"
There was a lengthy moment of sniffles and shuffles before Griselle slowed enough to talk. "Not really. I like the rain."
Leos' eyes widened. He ran through thoughts before he replied. "Really? You and me both. Though with me, it's not because I'm water type. I've always found the more dangerous weather to be more interesting."
"How… could you?" she shuddered. Her eyes were open and she stared at him.
"It's not like I'm a glutton for danger or anything," Leos quickly corrected herself, and motioned to rub his face. "Areas that have stuff like sandstorms or snow are more interesting to explore than a sunny field, you know? That's all. If I could have it without the dangerous stuff, I would."
"Heh. You're a weirdo," she replied. Leos gawked, but he didn't know how to continue. "… It's lightning."
"Lightning?" Leos said.
"I'm scared of lightning. And thunder. I don't like the sound of it," she admitted, speaking softly. "I'm sorry. It's a really pathetic thing to be afraid of at my age, I know."
"Pathetic? Not at all," Leos gasped. He hugged her close again. "In fact, it's perfectly normal for a water Pokémon to afraid of thunder. I was when I was younger, too."
"You were?" she replied. She was the one gawking, now.
Leos blushed and shuffled a bit. "Y-yes. I actually made Mother- I mean Ariala - learn Sunny Day and use it indoors just to drown it out."
"But then Prem's electricity," Griselle mouthed.
"Ack, that's not the same thing," he blushed even harder, and she giggled a bit. She nuzzled herself back into his neck, to his surprise.
"I buried myself in Mama's fur to stop the noise. Even though our house was thin and didn't have a door or windows, she was always warm, and I couldn't feel the wind or cold anymore," Griselle explained. "Kinda like you are, now."
"H-huh?" he gasped lightly. His face was completely red.
"You're warm. Just like Mama's fur," she clarified. Leos motioned a response, but no words came. All he could do was gulp. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll be careful with your bandage."
"It's… it's not that," Leos looked away. "I-I-I don't want to hurt you again."
"Hurt me?" Griselle replied.
"L-like what happened last time… we shared a bed," he added. Another pause, this one longer than previous.
Great. Smooth moves, Leos. She's scared out of her mind because of the storm and you had to go and mention— he began to scold himself. He didn't register that Griselle began to shift him onto his back until he could feel her weight above him, and he shut up so hard he stopped breathing. She continued to cradle and nuzzle him the whole time. "U-u-uh, G-Griselle?"
"Shh. You don't need to think too hard," she whispered. He slowly brought his paws up to her sides after a moment, and the two merely laid there, cuddled close together.
The next morning…
"Good morning! Rise and shine sleepyhead!" Griselle sung out loud as Leos was getting up. The Oshawott rubbed his eyes and stretched as he sat up, but she jumped on him before he could go all the way.
"Guh, Griselle!" he gasped.
"You're six-point-three seconds too slow. And y'know what that means," she sung.
"Gu gu! Pew gu pew, pew!" Lollipop joined in, and happily bounced on her head.
"Ehh, what's with you two anyway?" Leos yawned. Griselle bounced on his stomach to stop him from laying back down. "Ack- okay okay, I get it I'm up I'm up!"
"Time for breakfast, and heck if I'm letting you sleep after yesterday's complaints. Your tummy was singing all night!" Griselle said cheerfully.
Even with her playful antics, Leos couldn't do better than roll out of bed. He certainly felt as hungry as she made out, like he hadn't eaten for a full day or such. Wait, did I get to eat anything yesterday? Yeesh, no wonder I'm so hungry.
"C'mon, let's do porridge this time," Griselle whispered, and slid away from him. Leos watched her blankly as she skipped out of the room. She returned with bags bulging with fruits. "Surprise!"
"Oh, the garden harvest!" Leos gasped.
Before long, the trio had a little breakfast picnic going inside their room. Mountains of berries straight from the garden coupled with a deep pot of oat porridge, with a side of bread just ready to be toasted over the fire. Lollipop had snuck a bag of marshmallows twice their height too, but Griselle paid it no mind. In fact, she brought them closer to imply she was going to melt some.
This is a bit much for only breakfast, Leos wiped his head of nervous sweat. He pretended to look distracted, but he couldn't take his eyes off Griselle as she worked. It's okay, Leos. It's only porridge. Porridge cooked by your wife. That's perfectly normal, right? I'm sure many couples cook breakfast for each other. Wait a second, Griselle knows how to make porridge?
"You still sleepy, soldier? It's unlike you," Griselle teased as she mixed.
Leos shook himself and glanced out the window. After all that rain, Vanil Village was back to its humid sunniness, only with teensy droplets on surfaces that twinkled. "I just noticed your mood is as sunny as the weather."
"Oh wow, that was corny. I'm just happy after last night. It almost doesn't feel like it stormed at all," she giggled.
It's okay Leos. You're bad at this, so just be honest, Leos told himself, and his chest turned heavy. "Sort of, about that. I'm worried I'm being really selfish in this."
"Selfish? What about?" Griselle cocked her head. "Wa-wait, don't tell me you don't like oat porridge?"
"Where did you even get the oats from? Wa-wait no forget it, that's not it!" he shook his head. "I don't really know how to go about this, so I'm just going to come out with it: I think we should set off."
"Set off?" she asked.
Leos' chest was heaving, now. "Yes. Like… stop doing the honeymoon stuff. Go on a trip, or a journey. Explore somewhere, just the three of us."
"Oh you silly soldier. Of all the things to get nervous about!" Griselle snickered. She abandoned the porridge to hold his paws in hers, and gave him a nice, upbeat grin. "I ain't a very good housewife. Likewise, you're an awful househusband, hehe."
"Uh, I was trying," he turned away and sweated.
"Pew pew gugu," Lollipop blew raspberries at him.
"Yeah, not hard enough," Griselle teased. He looked so disappointed. "I'm playing with ya, silly. Neither of us are stay-at-home Pokémon, so why the heck are we staying here? We should've hit the road once the royals left us alone. This is us, you're happy and proud to be us, right?"
"I really didn't want to disappoint you," he turned away.
"The only thing I'm disappointed in is that you didn't answer the question," she replied, half-lidded. He blinked in surprise. "I said, you're happy and proud to be us, right?"
"U-uh of course! If this didn't affect me so much, I never would've brought it up," he assured.
"I realised it when we were on the way back from the mystery dungeon. I don't wanna worry about tidy houses, or what we're having for dinner tomorrow. I wanna worry about you while we fight ferals, or be the first to try a never-before-seen fruit in a new town not marked on a map! I want you to tell me off if I dive into a random hot spring we might find," Griselle rambled.
"I'd join you, actually," Leos scratched his face and blushed.
"Oh you naughty soldier, that's it! That's what we love, so let's do it, right? Let's skip this quiet village and go snuggle under the thunderstorms again!" she cheerfully pumped her paws. "How about it, Lollipop? Wanna go on an adventure?"
"Pew pew gu! Pew pew gu!" Lollipop flailed around happily.
Leos smiled again, then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, making her freeze. "I love you so much, baby."
She had to take a second to regain her peppiness, and kissed him back. "I love you too, Leos. From now on, let's do things our way, no matter who or what anyone says, yeah?"
He nodded, and couldn't help a dopey smile. "Yeah. Thanks so much."
"Here," Griselle's paw in his face got his focus. She held an Oran Berry for him, and he blankly took it to nibble on it.
Oh wow, is this what a freshly grown berry tastes like. I don't know what magic she's worked, but it has so much more flavour than usual, even though it's just an Oran, he thought as he had to fight the urge to stuff the whole thing in his mouth. Griselle happily handed him another one, so he caved in. But then she handed him another, and then another, and another, all before he had the chance to swallow the previous. "Whab wblait, Gri—"
"Nah uh, you've gotta eat, mister!" she chucked as she stuffed him full of berries. Lollipop laughed as Leos' cheeks were stuffed up fuller than a Skwovet. "Don't tell me you're full already? This was just an appetiser!"
He couldn't move, let alone utter a word. It was an eternity of grinding down all those berries enough to swallow. With how he felt, he had no idea how he fit it all in him. With a weak groan, Leos gestured to wave a white flag. "You win."
"I win! Yippee!" Griselle threw her arms up. "Wait a sec. Win at what? Were we playing a game?"
"N-no, but… wait, what was that all about?" Leos sat up.
"To make sure you eat. 'Cos you don't eat enough, soldier," she sung as she handed him another berry.
"You've been all food this morning," he snickered. "Don't get me wrong I like it, but I'm fine."
"Lies, I heard your stomach singing all last night. I hugged you so close I could feel it," she argued, paws on her hips.
"Pretty sure that was you or Lollipop," he rubbed his face.
"Gu pew, gu pew!" Lollipop added with a smug smirk.
"Baby it is, then," Leos was smug, too.
"M-me?" Griselle pointed to herself and blushed. She squeaked as the porridge started to bubble, and she almost dropped the pot as she took it off the fire. "Lollipop, you're meant to be on my side! So what, you're not gonna leave me to eat all this, are you?"
"I'm not a big eater, and I don't mind. I can go take a walk if you want some privacy," Leos suggested.
Griselle's face flattened. In a flash, she was feeding him half the porridge. "Stop trying to show me up, soldier! Soldiers need energy, and energy. Comes. From good food! So eat up and let's hit the road!"
Leos flailed, blushed, and playfully fought back, but deep down he loved it all. Mornings like this had become the norm since they got to Vanil Village, though they would always argue about the house. Now, they were going to live the life he wanted to live: an eventful breakfast with Griselle, a short planning session, and then they would be trekking and exploring the world of Etheria on foot.
"Hey, Griselle, baby?" Leos said as they were clearing up. Griselle raised a paw to imply she heard him. "I'm really glad we chose to do this."
"Stuff you with breakfast?" Griselle replied with a furrowed brow.
"Wha-what? No- I mean yes- I mean- you know, start travelling again. I wish I'd realised it sooner," Leos shook himself and rubbed his face. He couldn't help but play with his paws, too. "What's the plan? We should start now."
Before she could reply, the door knocked and took their attention. "Hello? Leos, Griselle? Please excuse me for being so early," Alpha's voice came from beyond. The couple exchanged glances and promptly let him in. His daughter was with him.
"Gu gu! Pew gu!" Lollipop happily bounced into Alpha's arms the moment he stepped in.
"Alpha, Melba, good morning. Did something happen?" Griselle greeted. She sat down to cradle Lollipop while Leos cleaned the rest of their breakfast.
"Lollipop… Er, truly, I apologize for the early intrusion. I couldn't get your proposition out of my head," Alpha began, knelt before them.
"Ah, did you decide to join us after all?" Griselle perked up.
There was hesitation, but Melba nudged him. "Ahem. I want to join you. It's been a long time since I've been in royal service, and I consider myself not a male of action, but I want to try."
"This is wonderful, Griselle. You've already got Pokémon who trust you so well," Leos remarked.
"Chancellor is a bit much, however. I won't be anything more than a retainer. And pardon me if I am stepping out of line, but I have a serious request," Alpha continued.
"We'll take care of you. The initial battle with making you known will be hard, but I promise you, we won't stand for any discrimination," Leos promised.
"Okay seriously, what're you guys talking about when you get all serious like that? Is there something wrong with Alpha?" Griselle wondered. Leos turned to the Indeedee, who stood up and went straight faced. Griselle cocked her head.
"I am surprised… you didn't notice, Griselle? At all?" Alpha began, and set the curious Lollipop down. Griselle shrugged and smiled. "Compare me to Melba for a moment. And use what you know about Indeedee."
"Huh?" Griselle replied, still confused. As far as she was aware, Alpha was an ordinary Indeedee. Bipedal, a little shapely and round, with horns a bit like pigtail hair, while the white fur on his body was patterned like a butler's suit. Compared to Melba, who was rounder, smaller, and had a fur pattern like a maid. She also had pigtail horns. "Wait a sec, aren't Indeedee horns supposed to be- oh!"
"The real reason I left business in Faernia, well, I was fired. Fired for transitioning. By definition, I 'used' to be a female Indeedee," Alpha explained. "As advanced as Faernia is, it is very… behind on accepting different kinds of Pokémon. Dragon type Pokémon struggling to feel comfortable in fairy society is but the surface of the issues. If I came into the spotlight by serving the royal family, it would certainly lead to a lot of civil unrest."
"Wasn't there a trans Pokémon on Prem's team, too? It's possible to be famous and still be okay, right?" Griselle asked worriedly.
"It's up to us to make a world where it is. Read the publications carefully, Fajah's feats are never mentioned. Let me tell you now, if Fajah ever got caught up in something negative, those writers would be the first to get it out there and say how awful she is," Leos pointed out. He put a paw on his hip. "Like Alpha says, once the common public get word of him helping us, there's going to be a lot of talking. And it won't all be happy conversation."
Griselle looked down for a moment. "That was the real reason our honeymoon was out here in the sticks, wasn't it?"
"Huh?" Alpha replied.
"Because of Etheria's new queen being me, a hybrid. Rune and Ariala wanted us out of the spotlight to avoid the outrage," Griselle explained.
Silence fell. Leos couldn't respond. She was completely right, and he knew better than to patronize her for figuring it out.
"It's okay, I'm not mad about it, really. It's just sorta crap to realise, huh?" Griselle forced a toothy smile. "It is gonna be hard, but I'm sure Pokémon can understand. They will understand. Charle is gone. Me and Leos are in charge. And if more Pokémon like you get to speak out for the rights of all, other Pokémon can step up, too. That's what I want to happen."
"And we'll make it happen, no matter what it takes. You have my word, Alpha: we'll keep you safe. Together, we'll make a world where all Pokémon can live, no matter what kind of Pokémon they are. Whether they're dragons, fairies, hybrids, or anything in between," Leos announced.
"Your words and commitment fill me with confidence, Your Highnesses. As long as you stay true to them, it is an honour to serve you," Alpha stated, and gave them a graceful bow with one arm in front and the other tucked behind. "I have another request, however. What can we do about my Melba, here?"
"Dad, I can take care of myself! Especially if I stay in a quiet lil' place like this," Melba objected. She had been playfully poking Lollipop while they chatted.
"I may be gone for years at a time. I'm not comfortable with leaving you to grow up on your own," Alpha turned to her. "That's not to say you're not mature enough, either. But we're family. And family stick together."
"Aww, Dad," Melba rubbed her face.
"Actually, I was thinkin' about that," Griselle's smiled turned into a genuine, eager grin as she hopped into the centre of the group. "Why don't you both come journey with us? Melba, you can be Lollipop's big sister!"
"Pew gu gu?" Lollipop responded.
"Come journey?" Alpha copied.
"Yeah! You asked for a plan Leos, so here's our plan: Let's build a caravan!" Griselle proposed.
"A caravan?" Leos gasped.
"Yeah! With Hyde as our Mudsdale, the road's gonna be way livelier if we have a team. Whaddya say?" the hybrid threw her arms up in cheer.
"Wait, you two are leaving? On a journey?" Alpha questioned. Leos glanced back and forth, and then settled on Lollipop's peppy cheers. He smirked as eagerly as Griselle.
"The new royals of Etheria are a travelling troupe of hybrids who change the world by adventuring in a caravan pulled by a Gyarados… that's a legendary story I'm eager to write pages of. I'm in!" Leos thrust a paw to the middle of them.
"But what about your honeymoon?" Alpha gasped.
"Oh don't worry about that, we've pretty much sorted that," Griselle assured with a giggle. She put her paw above Leos', and bat her eyes at the two Indeedee.
"I did always wanna see the outside world. Can we Dad, can we?" Melba bounced excitedly.
"This was not the commitment I was expecting to make when I came here this morning, but such would be unavoidable. I'm more interested to see just what kind of world we make. Something tells me that something bigger than I realise is taking shape right here. Very well, I shall do my utmost!" Alpha announced, and put his arm above the others. Melba quickly followed, and then a cheerful Lollipop plopped their whole form above everyone.
"For a new Etheria!" Leos announced, glancing at everyone.
"Pew gu pew pewwy!" Lollipop cheered.
"For a new Etheria!" the group chanted in sync, and rose their arms all at once, throwing a happy Lollipop into the air.
…
…
The old tearoom again. It looked like an empty white room occupied by a single wooden table with small chairs around it, one for each participant. There was the tea set of course, but now a ticking clock had been placed high up on an invisible wall.
"You're comfortable here, now. I'm happy," Dinair began, sat back in one chair. Prem sat opposite, while Laurent playfully swam through the space behind him.
"You're a good host. I'll give you that," Prem nodded.
"Hmpf. Don't tell me you've only been coming here for the tea and cakes. That would set a bad example for your son now, wouldn't it?" Dinair teased with a smirk.
"We're still on that one? You're as persistent as Rosie," the Pikachu turned away.
"If you're going to be as protective of Lau as a Pyroar to his cub, then such comments are true. You're not going to deny this, are you?" Dinair snickered.
"I just don't think it's wise to leave someone so inexperienced of Etheria alone. You seem to think otherwise with your Poipole," Prem replied without looking at them.
Dinair leaned on the table, and their face became straight. "It has been several months, now. Deciding the Poipole were Pokémon is one thing, but our efforts have yielded little to no new knowledge about them."
Prem still didn't face them.
"You've been out in the fields with your son during that time. Have you found anything at all?" Dinair inquired.
"Let's just say you're right. I do treat Lau more like a son," Prem finally replied. With a sigh, he turned to Dinair. "A good father has trust in their son and doesn't probe them for knowledge they don't have."
"If that's how you feel, then you shouldn't judge me for letting my 'son' run free," Dinair sat back. "I just got a little anxious. Time is getting on and the omen grows stronger."
"The omen?" Prem raised an eyebrow. Lau slowed down and floated beside him.
"Two otherworldly Pokémon appear, and one speaks of the Constellar legend, Radiant One and all. Cosmog shows up with the royal family. And then Charle's accursed name turns up again," Dinair explained.
"Charle… but that was months ago, now. Leos and Griselle defeated him, and now they are safe," Prem replied.
"That's precisely why the omen grows stronger. Nothing of note has happened in the months since. If an evil related to all this were brewing, then it would merely be awaiting the perfect time to strike. With our pitiful knowledge, we would be powerless," Dinair warned. "It's good you mentioned those two. What of their relationship? Or their Cosmog?"
Prem took in a breath and turned away again. "I don't know. That's none of my business."
"You know they are safe. I know you're still in contact with them," Dinair said.
"I don't know what they're up to," Prem raised his voice.
"Prem, we need to act. I believe I earned your trust. Anything, absolutely anything you could tell me at all could go for miles in helping this world," Dinair argued.
"We're back to this being an interrogation," Prem snapped. "I know as little as you do. Leos and Griselle went on a honeymoon and then returned to their duties sometime back. When they left, I left, too. It's just been rescue work with Team Shooting Star ever since."
"And me!" Laurent chimed in. "Miss Dinair, you should not be so mean to Daddy. "He is helping as many Pokémon as he can."
Dinair sat back and sighed. They certainly looked remorseful. "I'm just anxious. Cosmog is our deity, yet it was tasked to someone beyond our reach to incubate it. I'm not frustrated about that fact; I'm frustrated by how bewildering that turn of events is."
Prem grunted. "You can't force yourself to be part of it. If this wasn't meant to be, then trying to force it could make things worse."
"Oh Prem," Dinair sighed. "The fate of Etheria and my Pokémon as Constellars, rests on the outcome of this situation. If I can at least oversee things through reports, then I could be at peace."
"You want to use me to keep an eye on Leos," Prem sighed and shook his head. "But me and Leos aren't together, and can't be together anymore. That plan of yours isn't going to happen."
"What? No, how could I- no, never! Prem, I'm disappointed you would accuse of such a gross thing!" Dinair's voice went high-pitched. "I am drawn to you as a former Constellar. You, you are a hero in your own right, do you not realise that?"
"I'm not a hero," Prem turned away again.
"You are my hero, Daddy!" Laurent interjected.
"You were the first to walk away from the previous corrupted Constellar High Priest, and at a very young age, too. Your instincts, your ferventness, your determination to do the right thing against the world's worst odds… all this led you down the path that enabled you to fight alongside the one who would become Constellar Lord," Dinair remarked. They stood up and paced away, then looked over their shoulder at Prem. "But it was not to be. Leos declined leading the Constellars, and you stayed with him. Now you lead one of the most renowned rescue teams in the entire world. Whether by fate, virtue, or feats, you are a hero, Prem."
"Wow, Daddy is that special? Is it the fate why you became my Daddy, too?" Laurent started clapping gleefully. Prem didn't look at them, though.
"When I think about it, perhaps it is fate that the Cosmog were in Leos' presence and not ours. Despite my efforts to do right in our religious beliefs, the Gods would keep their distance from us," Dinair thought aloud. They turned back to Prem and tapped their chin. "Is it these same inner feelings that causes you to distance from me?"
Prem finally made a sound.
"Perhaps I am even going about this the wrong way. I've invited you to tea many times, and yet every time was a business chat over the happenings of Etheria. But I still don't know a thing about you, as an individual," Dinair looked down. The Zorua gulped, and slowly faced the Pikachu. "I assure you: in all that I have done up until now, I care about the fate of Etheria and my Pokémon more than anything else in the world. When I attacked Halcandra that day, it was all in the best interests of everyone involved. I haven't stopped, and won't stop caring about saving this world until it is truly a better place."
Prem attempted to reply, but couldn't form a response. All he could do was make nervous breaths.
"Ooo, Daddy has the shy. Are there insects in your tummy?" Laurent asked with a giggle.
"I'm not- Lau, where's Deana, anyway? I thought you were looking to play," Prem complained.
"I can go and fetch them. But to tell the truth, you're invited too, Mister Laurent," Dinair returned to the table. They reached for the tea set, but held back. "Are you free? We should all get to know each other. Properly this time."