I stare at the eggs in the light of Phendrene's tail, my mind wandering about how female bodies manage to make them from within. Life is so delicate, yet it finds a way.
I'd like to think I fell asleep, but I'm not entirely sure I did. "How are you going to tell them?" Phendrene asks me at daybreak, but I don't answer. She sighs and leaves the cave. Soon, she comes back with a screaming Haxorus.
"Nova!" Rue yells as she runs in here. "You actually laid eggs?"
"He can't lay eggs, of course," Father corrects her as he too walks in. "But I am surprised, too, that you would father children so soon."
Rue's eyes widen as she spots the eggs I am keeping close beside me. "So you did! You did really mate with that Flygon you ran off with!"
I merely smile at her accusation, almost as if conjuring up a pleasant memory. It doesn't matter whom they think I mated with. All that matters is that I keep these eggs safe.
"Wait, I thought these eggs were Vie's?" Phendrene asks from behind them. "He found them-"
"Gestation period of a dragon is around three months," Rue interrupts. "Nova was away. These can't be Vie's."
Father hushes them. "Let's ask him. Who is the mother?"
Huh. I hadn't really thought about this. I'm tempted to answer Aya, but Rue's declaration of factual information to counter Phendrene leaves me worried. What if the Trapinch that hatch have Vie's shell colour? I'm afraid that the story I weave won't be complete enough, and that they might see through my lie.
I take a deep breath. Calm down, Nova. They already think the eggs are yours. Now you just need to take it easy.
Yes, I don't even need to talk. The less I say, the less I am likely to be caught. I turn my gaze back to the eggs, and stare at them lovingly. They are not my children, but still, I feel like they are. I hope they will really believe that I am their father. Having someone like Silex to take care of you is nice, but a real parent feels more… authentic. When Father protected me against Hale yesterday, I felt something. I hope it won't be deprived from these children.
"Hey, Shiny! Answer me!" Rue steps forward and yells, but a quick dash from Father has him catch her tail. "Hey gramps, let go!"
"Stay away from him, then," Father answers in a protective tone. "And don't call me that."
"Even if he won't tell you his mate?" Rue throws back, exasperated.
"It's the other Flygon," Spire's lazy voice comes from outside. "Didn't you just say? He wasn't here if these are Vie's."
"But the eggs might have been from a long time ago!" Rue yells back.
"May I please see the eggs, Nova?" Father asks, ignoring the Haxorus, and I give a short nod. He puts his paw lightly on each with me watching him carefully, before he retreats back to the middle of the cave. "They've been laid recently. The other Flygon must have entrusted them to Nova because she didn't know how to take care of eggs."
"Shouldn't female Flygon know how to take care of eggs by instinct?" Rue says again.
"Quiet, now," Father says. "We don't know what happened between him and his mate, and it's none of our business. The only thing we can do is help Nova during these times of hardship."
I silently thank my father as he turns their discussion into one about our future plans, and though I would normally partake, I find their conclusion irrelevant. I'm keeping the eggs with me, and to somewhere safe, regardless of where everyone else goes. Instead, I close my eyes and relax, trying to let the feel of the eggs calm me down.
They argue. Heatedly. Even Spire joins in, saying what does it matter if we can die that easily. The others shush him and tell him off, saying that I would be feeling much worse.
I don't. Vie has died, and it was my fault. That much is true. Yet, in the wake of the events, I have finally found a purpose in my life. To raise these children up safe and sound. I will learn to hunt if I must. I can no longer afford sympathy to those lives that I don't and will never know if it means the ones I care about will suffer.
"The forest is safe! We've never been disturbed when we were there!" Rue claims.
"But where will the Dratini go?" Father responds. "He needs to have more water than that small stream. The southern beach is far enough, is it not?"
"The climate is too cold for the rest us," Phendrene says. "We could only stand it in the summer. Why don't we go to… Fen? None of us know how to raise eggs. He might give us some information."
"That's too close to the Salamence's territory," Rue says and shakes her head.
"And the Garchomp as well," Father adds. "I'd rather go to the forest."
Phendrene is silent for a moment. "But I insist. It's only the edge of Salamence territory, near the Charizard. We are strong enough to fend them off."
Rue sighs. "You just want to stay near the Charizard, right? I don't blame you for that, but still, that's not the best course of action."
"So what do you two think?" Father turns to the two of us who haven't spoken much. Or at all, in my case.
"What does it matter?" Spire says as he keeps his gaze on the ground. "I'm not sure why I'm still here if you guys don't want to kill the Salamence King anymore."
"You can leave if you want!" Rue shouts angrily. "You didn't even care enough to stay by Vie's body. Don't think just because you lived with us for so many years that you can act heartless and get away with it!"
Spire raises his head at the accusation, and then promptly turns around and flies away. Rue is about to scream something before she is stopped by Father. "He'll be back."
"If he's not going to say anything useful… Nova, what do you think?" Phendrene asks. "You're the one teleporting us, so…"
I look up at them, wondering what I should say. Phendrene's proposal is the only one that considered the eggs. I'm sure part of it was that she wanted to see her father, like Rue suggested, but that doesn't detract from the fact that we'll likely get help on the eggs.
"Are you so surprised that mating would give you eggs that you spontaneously became mute?" Rue, seeing my silence, starts provoking me, and points to the eggs that lie in front of us. "You just went off and mated with someone irresponsible enough to not take care of her own eggs. Was it because you were desperate? Or-"
"That's enough, Rue," Father chides, and to my surprise, Rue actually listens. "Nova, do you really have no opinion at all?"
I raise my hand slightly and point to Phendrene.
"So you want to go to Fen, right?" he asks.
I nod.
"You do know it's dangerous there, right?"
"It's not," I answer quietly, finding this information unable to be conveyed without words. "The Salamence aren't dangerous. The others… the non-dragon group… they're dangerous. But they can't fly. Fen's place is much farther away from the palace than the Shallows are. And they wouldn't reasonably believe that the psychic Flygon would head to the Charizard's place. If anything, they'd target Lyrl next."
They all gaze at me as I finish, and I mentally scold myself for speaking so much. It feels unnatural to stay silent for so long, because I'm usually one that has a lot to say. But if I speak as much I would normally do, I'm bound to say something wrong. Just like I did with Aya, and that drove her away.
Father is the first to speak. "If you're sure, then fine. The stream there is bigger than the forest, so Fly can handle it."
"Okay, that sounds reasonable." I'm surprised to see Rue yield as well, but I don't question it.
"So, Nova, can you teleport us there now?" Phendrene asks.
"Wait, I'll get Spire," Father says, and flies off in the direction Spire had just done.
Rue crosses her arms. "That Spire still has the audacity to act up in a time like this," she huffs.
"Maybe you should be nicer," Phendrene answers. "To Nova as well. He doesn't need you laughing at his mate abandoning him. It's already painful enough."
"Can't I be in a bad mood as well? Those two were my friends, too!" Rue argues back.
Once again, I feel guilty about the lie. Aya's departure really isn't that painful anymore. If Aya wanted to make me leave these friends, then I couldn't have chosen her. After witnessing Vie's death, I'm not even sure if I should have cared so much. Aya will be able to find happiness elsewhere. But Vie…
I tell myself to stop being sad. Even though she is dead, she has left her children behind, and I'm sure if she were watching from somewhere right now, she would want these children to be happy.
It'll be obvious that these Trapinch aren't mine when they hatch, anyway. Phendrene and maybe Rue would be able to remember the lighter shell colour Hale and Vie once bore as our juvenile form, and recognize that these are really Vie's children, since I've basically settled with the story that Aya is the mother. But there's always a chance that Rue and Phendrene will not notice, or that the shell colour won't be too light, and I can give these children a childhood that we never had. Even then, I plan to maintain my lie for as long as possible, if only to avoid Hale from potentially claiming them if he finds out.
There is the sound of Salamence wing beats from outside and I see Blight leading Spire back, with Fly around his neck. As they land, Spire exchanges nasty looks with Rue, but Blight steps between them. "So, Nova, if you would please, teleport us."
I nod and stand up, picking one of the eggs. Seeing my action, Phendrene and then Rue both pick up one each too. "Come close," I say to everyone, and they do. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on the image of the cliff that Fen resides in, and within moments I feel a cool wind blow as we land in dirt.
"Come on," Phendrene leads us up to the entrance, probably eager to see her father. I clutch the egg close and follow her uphill and into the familiar room. Phendrene has walked ahead and knocked on Fen's door already, still holding the egg. The door opens and Phendrene speaks immediately to her father. "Hello, Fen. We are back to disturb you."
"Phendrene, what is-" He stops himself as Rue walks into the cave. "Ah, it is good to see you all again," he says in a forced calm tone, clearly much worse at acting than I am, because his fists are already clenched. "If I may ask, these eggs, perhaps, I hope they aren't yours?"
"No, they're Nova's and someone else's. We wanted advice in taking care of them, so we came to you," Phendrene says truthfully.
"I see," Fen answers in a tone that indicates he's not entirely trusting of Phendrene's current words. "Why don't you two come in so we can talk it over?" he says and glares at me.
"They're my eggs. Not Phendrene's," I shoot back after sensing his hostility, and place the egg gently on the floor. "Phendrene, give me my egg," I demand.
"But I thought you wanted his help…?" Phendrene asks, worried.
Not if he's going to be passive aggressive about it. Besides, I like calling these 'my eggs'. It reaffirms the notion and strengthens my resolve to protect them. "Give me my egg," I repeat.
"Hold on, they're really just his?" Fen asks.
"Of course!" Rue says like it's the most obvious thing ever. "Phendrene would never fall for an idiot like him."
"Hey, Rue, cut it out," Father scolds yet again.
"I see. Sorry for assuming," Fen concedes. "If you wish, you may leave the eggs in my care, Nova. Trust me when I say I know how to take care of them."
I sigh. He sounds more genuine now, and after all, I do need his help. I walk over and grudgingly pass over the egg, and beckon Rue to do so as well. He then tells me how to maintain them, which is to keep them away from predators, don't handle them too roughly, and to make sure they're not too cold, all of which I knew already, and I begin to doubt if I really need his help. But I can tell through mind-reading that he is no longer ill-intentioned and entrust the eggs to him, so that he keeps them in his room.
Because there's someone I need to find here, without the eggs.
I spend the rest of the day practicing my psychic powers next to the river. Phendrene comes and asks me to dance; I tell her to spend time with her father and perhaps learn a few new songs, or go battle with Rue. This isn't because I'm tired of the Charizard, but because she won't come if Phendrene's here. I make sure to keep constantly wary of minds around me, and there certainly are Pokémon appearing all around, but there is one that I know won't be afraid of me.
I only head back when it's time to eat, and always diligently come back to the river to wait. It never gets boring because I can always talk to Fly through telepathy. I ask him about his adventures in the ocean when I had been away, and he tells me that he's seen some strange and different Pokémon, but was scared Father would scold him. Then I ask more about what life was like back with the Dragonite, and he tells me all about the lake he lived in, where he had explored all the nooks and crannies since he was born. But then, a disease somehow spread in the lake, and his mother told Father to bring him far away before he could get infected. His mother didn't come because she had a responsibility to the lake, because she was a guardian or something. I didn't really catch all of it. But what I did get was that his mother thought the disease wasn't natural, but rather someone actively trying to kill Dratini. I wonder if it is the non-dragons' fault, but they seem too far away.
When Fly tries to ask about my experiences, I kindly decline, and soon he learns to not pester me further. As night falls, he tires and sleeps, whereas I continue practicing my telekinesis while thinking about the strange group of misfits. Why did they want to kill me? Is it because I'm somehow a threat to them? Even though I want nothing to do with them? Glancing towards the mountains, I almost expect some enemy to appear. But nothing happens, and I go back to focusing on a particularly large sphere of water. My control has improved greatly, and I feel I may even use water as a weapon, provided I investigate its offensive properties. Maybe I can try it on Rue, haha.
A sudden mind close by brings my guard up as I reflexively turn around and slam the ball of water into them. I realise my mistake quickly as the Growlithe, much larger than before but still a Growlithe, lets out a yelp and falls over.
"I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" I rush over to inspect her closely. Putting a tentative paw onto her wet mane, I feel her shiver.
"Cold," she whispers, prompting me to pick her up.
"I didn't know it was you," I tell her and hold her close, trying to keep her warm. "Should I get you back to Mama?" I ask, feeling responsible.
She shakes her head and looks up at me. "I'm feeling better. And Mama wouldn't like seeing a dragon."
"Oh. Should I put you down now?"
"No. It feels nice." She stretches in my arms and I feel her soft fur scratch my chest. "You're finally back! Where did you go?"
"The other dragons wanted to leave, so I went with them."
"But why?" she asks and looks up at me.
"Flygon are from the desert, so we shouldn't really be living here," I explain.
"So what did you do?"
There was Lyrl, and Aya, and the Salamence King, and Vie, and finally, eggs… "A lot happened," I admit. "Everyone else knows I can… control water and dirt the way I just did. I was trying to keep it a secret. And one of my friends died, and left me her eggs. I'm trying to pretend they are mine so I can protect them." It feels so cathartic to tell her this. Being silent and lying by omission takes a toll on my conscience.
"Oh. That sucks. Some of my friends knew people that died too. You just have to be strong," she says and wriggles, so I let her go. "I'm trying to be strong, too."
That's what Vie wanted to do. But then she pushed me out of the way of that arrow. "The world's so cruel," I mutter out loud.
"But there are nice dragons like you!" she says cheerfully and paws at my feet. "Why don't you make all the other dragons good, too? That way they won't have to fight you."
"They? Who's "they"? Why do they want to fight us?" I tense and ask her more seriously.
"My friends say that some of their parents are banding together to fight the dragons. 'Cause with the dragons around we have to hide all the time. That's why I was scared of you at first." She looks up. "Is something wrong?"
I sigh and sit down. "No, I'm just tired. What species are your friends, exactly?"
She sits down in front of me, wagging her tail. "My best friend is an Electrike! We knew each other since we were pups. But the one that told me about the dragon thing is a Chimchar that moved here recently. He always talks about his father who went off into the mountains. His father had this thing called a bow, that let him shoot these things called arrows, and…"
A Chimchar. They are the child form of Infernape. And, the description of a bow and arrow, it clicks in my mind.
"Sorry," I interrupt her ramblings. "It's a bit late at night. I should head back. You should, too, or your Mama will get worried."
Her ears droop slightly. "Oh. But I was gonna tell you about all my friends!"
"Maybe tomorrow. I have eggs to tend to," I give an excuse. "See you later." I give her a soft pat on the head as I stand up and glide off, not wanting her to sense any abnormality in my expression or behaviour.
The soft warm glow of the room's torches soothes me slightly, but not by much. I hear a soft call from the side, and see Rue holding a book on one of the beds in this main room.
"What is it?" I ask, before she motions for me to be silent. I walk past the corner and see Phendrene sleeping on the bed previously hidden from view.
I sit on the middle empty bed between them and whisper, "Why are you two sleeping outside?"
She puts the book down. "I thought it'd be better if some of us sleep together so we could talk to each other more before we slept. I didn't think you would come back so late that she already fell asleep. Can we go inside to talk?"
Despite my attempts to be mute earlier, I realise I desperately need a distraction before my mind inevitably thinks too much about the Infernape. Talking to the Growlithe initially helped me, so talking to Rue should as well. I give a short nod and lead her in.
"What is it?" I turn around and ask as she closes the door behind her.
"Nothing specific. I mean, we haven't properly talked to each other in a while, because of, you know, everything. Phendrene seems to be a bit more mature nowadays, so I wanted her, too, but… maybe it was just because there are less of us. Sorry, I'm rambling again." She steadies herself and sits down on the bed. "I know it must be tough for you, with the eggs that your mate left behind, but it's not easy for us too, you know? Vie and Hale, both gone just like that. Now you're the only Flygon, Nova. And Salamence are in the majority. Can you believe it?"
Her expectant gaze makes me respond. "What's wrong with Salamence?"
She shakes her head. "Nothing, it's just funny how we started off wanting to kill the Salamence King, and now… I'm not sure what we're trying to do anymore. I guess with your eggs, we will finally settle down once more, huh?"
I just give a nod and sit down beside her, careful not to speak too much.
Rue lets out a sigh and lies down, stretching her arms out on the bed. "I always wondered, Nova. What's it like having a mate? Was it… nice?"
"Huh?" I let out reflexively before realising what she is asking for. "Oh. It was nice, yes. But it hurt too much when she left." This part I don't need to make up.
"I see. Did you love her? Or was it just that one thing led to another and… you know."
"I don't really want to talk about this," I say honestly.
She gives a sideways glance, and for a moment I expect a snide remark, but she simply sighs again. "Sorry. It's just I really have to wonder. Everyone makes such a big deal about finding a mate, and since you're the only one here that found one…"
Her statement makes me wonder. How exactly did Vie find a mate? Was she explicitly searching for someone, or did they happen to like each other? Perhaps she wasn't mates with him, but just happened to mate with him.
"Ah, sorry." Seeing my silence, Rue sits back up and pats me on the shoulder. "I should be more sensitive. So, other than that, is there anything interesting?"
The other information I got from the Growlithe makes me perk up. "The non-dragons from the Salamence's place… Phendrene told you about them, right?" I ask to make sure, since I had only divulged my stay at the Salamence to Phendrene as I stayed in my cave. Rue gives a nod and I continue. "They're dangerous. More than the Salamence and all the other dragons, whose fights are so trivial. These Pokémon… they want to overthrow all the dragons."
"What? Are you sure?" Rue asks as she puts another hand on my shoulder and stares at me in the eye. "We've got to stop them," she says emphatically. "Do the Salamence know?"
"Wait," I stop her. "Are they really wrong, though? We dragons have been in control of all the areas and hoarding all the human technology, and hunting them on sight. If I were them, I wouldn't be happy, either."
"Of course!" She starts speaking emphatically and shifts backwards. "All living things live to serve themselves. We are dragons, are we not? So if they want to kill us, we'll have to stop them."
I open my mouth to speak but she holds a hand out. "Think of it this way, Nova. If all of us suddenly vanished in an instant, what would you do to feed yourself?"
I look away and fidget, unable to immediately find an answer. "I'd probably hunt with my psychic powers," I admit eventually.
"Right. Because if we want to live, we have to do these things. If it were between letting myself starve to death and killing for food, of course I'd kill for food. I cannot exist peacefully with those that are my prey unless I give up on living."
"But maybe we don't have to eat them?" I propose. "Can't we just survive on berries?"
"No," Rue answers firmly. "We're not herbivores." She sighs yet again. "Nova, do you really think all of us are heartless? I'd love to make friends with some Zigzagoon and ask about its life. But even I can suppress the urge to eat it, I can't promise someday I won't accidentally hunt someone in its family or friends."
I think of the Growlithe. It's been a wonder that she hadn't gotten caught with my friends hunting all around. I've never seen any Growlithe-like bodies in the prey they bring back, either. But if one day there were, I know I'd be upset. I'm attached to this Growlithe already, almost viewing it like a younger sibling. If she were to die suddenly, just to sate my appetite for a day…
"I know it can be difficult to process," Rue continues calmly, "but you have to accept it. Even though you're not the one hunting, your existence means we have to kill for you. And of course these Pokémon we kill don't like it when we kill them. Just like how Vie's death hurt all of us. But there's no way out of it, Nova. It's how life works."
I always used to think that I alone had morals out of my friends, but I don't have a right to judge them, do I? I killed someone, too, and it wasn't even for food. Yet, my affection for the Growlithe is real. I'm not pretending to be nice to her for any ulterior motive. But Rue's words make me wonder; can our relationship really last? "Why does the world have to work this way?" I let out.
"Ask Arceus," Rue huffs. "I didn't make any decisions."
"I thought you didn't believe in Arceus?"
"I don't. It's just a way of speech." She gives me another pat on the back. "Again, it's a lot to take in the first time you realise this. Let's go to sleep," she says and walks to the door. "You coming?"
I'm almost tempted to answer no, but the time alone in my prison has made me crave company. And now, with Vie and Hale gone, the rest of us have to stay close. "Okay."
For some reason, I fall asleep soon after I lie onto the bed. It must have been the entire day of practicing psychic abilities, coupled with the familiarity of the two around me. There is a vague dream of Vie making friends with the Growlithe before I wake up to Rue's call.
"Breakfast's ready, Nova. Want some?"
I sit up and see the familiar sight of dragons crowding around a food pile, but the lack of Flygon hurts the nostalgia. "I'll wait for a bit. I just woke up."
The ones other than Rue seem to be satisfied with my amount of talking, considering I've been silent to them the entire day prior. Rue, too, gives me a meaningful look, perhaps thinking that I'm still hesitant about yesterday's conversation. Truth is, since I fell asleep so fast, I didn't really have the time to mull over it.
The two Salamence start having some banter about desert meat being better and the two girls join in. I haven't been one to be picky about what I eat. Disinterested, I get off the bed and knock on Fen's door, remembering I have my supposed children to check on.
"I assume you're here for the eggs," Fen says from his chair, and I give a nod. "I'm not a specialist, but they are fine. One is slightly larger, probably because it's a male." He points to the leftmost one on the side table. "But since they are Trapinch, we should keep them in here where I can monitor them. The season is starting to become colder, and these are expected to hatch mid-winter, so you just need to make sure they aren't left outside unattended. If you're fine with me, I can just keep them here. The torches and our natural heat – Phendrene's and mine – are enough to keep the temperature up."
"That would be great. Thank you," I answer, trying to be polite and impersonal. I am truly thankful, though, because it is one less thing for me to worry about. I turn around to leave.
"Wait," Fen calls. "Can I ask you something?"
"I don't want to talk about the mother," I answer reflexively as I reach for the door.
"It's not about that. It's about my daughter. What do you think of her?"
"Huh?" I turn around. "What do you mean?"
"I know these eggs aren't hers, but still… She kept talking about you yesterday. I was thinking that-"
"We've been through a lot together. Nothing more," I interrupt. "I don't want to talk about this either," I repeat honestly. "You've seen proof that there's nothing between us."
He pauses for a moment. "But I'm worried. If you had eggs this easily, you might-"
"I'm not going to mate with Phendrene," I answer bluntly, fully knowing what he means from some surface-level mind reading. And with that, I leave the room and am greeted with the sight of my friends. Even if there's only four of them left, and one's my father, still… At least they don't ask annoying questions like Fen.
"Come join us!" Phendrene calls, and I sit down next to them with a smile. None of them bring up the topic of the eggs and we agree to try some battling after finishing food. Even Spire is livening up somewhat. Now that there's only a few of us, it is easier to drag him along.
It's the first time I see Father in action clearly. And also the first time I see Rue be defeated by someone other than me (and Aya, but I try not to count that). He skilfully uses both claw and breath whenever appropriate, managing a balance between swiftness and strength. When Rue concedes and asks me to fight Father in her place, both of us are hesitant to make the first move, but a snide remark from Spire is enough to goad me into firing a pulse.
Seeing my action, Father grins and dodges it swiftly as he swoops around. I levitate myself backward and dodge his claw before attempting to stall him with telekinesis, and though he falters he breaks free of my grasp and lunges at me so quickly I will myself to teleport behind him in order to avoid his attack. Seemingly expecting that, he swipes me side with his tail. It sends a wave of pain across my body as I fly off toward the cliff, but I manage to stop myself midair before impact.
Hearing the cheers of the three below us excites me. As he turns around and gets ready to lunge at me again, I dodge it swiftly and swoop up into the air and fire a pulse at his backside. It is a direct hit but Father doesn't seem fazed and instead turns around and fires a return shot, which I barely dodge. I realise that I might have to resort to claws to do any damage. So, using my superior aerial control, I levitate just by him as I slash his underbelly. His skin is tough but I manage to draw some blood. Feeling a pang of regret, I look back to him, but he only smiles with pride before quickly charging up a pulse. My hesitance was enough for it to scratch my tail as I float out of the way, the irritation bothering me.
Just like my first fights with Rue, Father and I learn each other's fighting styles rather quickly, and soon we are unable to hit each other after sustaining minor wounds. Every time I attempt a close-up hit, he always manages to take advantage of his superior physical combat and hit me more severely. But he has no means of closing the gap, since my manoeuvring is better from my psychic powers. And since we are always able to foresee each other's long-range attacks, they always miss, and whoever attempts one loses the battle of perseverance as dodging requires far less energy than firing.
Clearly getting bored, Rue calls to us from below, announcing that it's a tie. Neither my father nor I mind as we exchange a thoughtful gaze with each other, understanding that perhaps we didn't go all out against each other because of our ties. Regardless, the energy expended during the battle still tires me significantly, and when I go back to lie on the bed I simply don't want to get back up. Reflecting back on the battle, I really did levitate around more violently than I am used to, and with all the short distance teleports, my head hurts. The next thing I'm aware of is the chatter over dinner. I'm not even surprised – all the previous times I've overexerted myself mentally, I'd sleep for an absurd amount of time to recover. So as they retire for the nigh and I am awake as ever, I go back out to fly in the night sky, practicing psychic powers if I get bored of that. The Growlithe comes back, and I decide to ask her about pleasanter topics, such as how her brother doing and when she is planning to evolve, and then elaborate about my own predicament with the eggs. I don't need to worry about those non-dragons, at least not before I make sure Vie's children are set for the future. If things turn bad, I'm sure Rue, Father, and I combined are strong enough together to deal with them.
I visit Fen's room often to check on the eggs. Occasionally he still asks me about his daughter, which I always respond negatively to, because there's truly nothing between us and even if there was it would be none of his business. Rue recommends me to read some of his books and I grudgingly take one about the special attacks of dragons. It's quite interesting, and it does teach me about things like a weaker breath that paralyzes, but I have never been that fond of a sedentary activity after learning to fly.
Somehow, the departure of the two Flygon has made our group even closer. Phendrene livens up much more and even answers to Rue's jibes. Spire, though not often in a bright mood, has things to say as well. And the both of them, having the opportunity to do battle with us, improves greatly, Phendrene moreso than Spire, probably because she tries harder, even though all of us go easy on her.
Because battling tires me so much, I try to opt out of them sometimes, and end up talking with the Growlithe or practicing alone. My alone time inevitably leads to me thinking about the conversation with Rue, about how the world doesn't allow us to spare sympathy for those whose differences are too much. I've always thought I was somehow a better person by refusing to hunt, but now I realise it holds no weight. My initial drive to protect the eggs, though still present, is rather purposeless now that they are safe and sound in Fen's room. So my attention turns to something else.
The Salamence King's request.
I could have justified it in that asking Father and Spire was enough. I didn't have any obligation to follow along any further, not when it would put me in danger. If Rue were to comment with her philosophy, then I shouldn't care about him, because it was unlikely that we'd even meet again. But I do. I remember how shocking it was to see the King so forlorn, pleading for me to help him find his child. It was unsettling after he had been painted as an evil villain for my entire life. And despite our differences, he is after all related to me.
So in my free time, when all else is taken care of, I wander the earth, on the off chance that I may find the Salamence Prince.
North of us are the plains we crossed on our path to the forest, a familiar sight that brings back fond memories. With my psychic powers, I sense the myriad of other Pokémon that thrive on this piece of land where no dragon has taken residence. Sometimes there is the occasional dragon that passes by, one Garchomp, one Charizard, and one Dragonite, but I stay out of their sight from higher above and sift through their minds more carefully. All of them were messengers for different groups, like the Charizard that came to Lyrl for Phendrene so many years ago. But none have any information on the Prince.
East of us are the canyons where grass sparsely grows, and where the Charizard reside. It is difficult to stay hidden with so many flyers around, but the ones that do spot me only look at me curiously. There are various locations more populated than others, and it is at these locations I am able to spot the Charmander and Charmeleon amongst the Charizard, their figures reminding me of a young Phendrene. Since there are so many more minds, I only perform cursory reads on them. For some reason, they give me a completely different vibe from our lifestyle back in Lyrl, one that is more attuned with nature with deep pride in their culture. Though I'd love to understand them more, none of them know anything about the Prince.
South of us are a strange biome. Many streams and creeks collide and form rivers, around which plant life naturally flourishes. Just like out north, the lack of dragons nearby allows me to sense many more minds of creatures I do not recognize. And in this direction I meet no dragons at all, perhaps because it is not on the path to a location of interest. As I briefly consider whether migrating here would be better once the eggs have hatched, the chill of the wind dashes that thought away. The waterways grow steadily wider as eventually I see a familiar blue on the horizon. The ocean. While the sea breeze makes me reminisce of my time at the beach, whether with Aya or with my friends, there is still no sign of the Prince.
West of us are the mountains. I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, because deep down I am still afraid of the device that disabled my psychic powers. But I know that I had been a coward for my previous expeditions. If I wanted to find clues about a Salamence Prince, I should have come here first. So taking care and researching with Fen's resources about the geography of Salamence settlements, I set off on a path that avoids the proximity of the palace. It is situated much closer to the Shallows than to where we are now, which makes me feel better for the safety of my friends, but I still keep myself highly on guard, making sure that I am using my physical wings for flight and not my psychic levitation, lest they ambush me. Most of the Salamence attack me on sight, but they are of no threat with my skilled evasive manoeuvres. I shout a question regarding the Prince's whereabouts, and once I sense only confusion, I move on. There are some that are less aggressive and more curious as to what a Flygon is doing here, but I learn to not waste any time having idle conversation and move on once it's clear they have nothing to say about the Prince.
The exploration here cannot be completed as easily as the others, because this is my best hope on finding someone that knows something. As my exploration of this side of the mountains becomes more and more thorough, I begin to put my sight on the further ends of Salamence territory, but I am unable to make a meaningful day-trip. Since I am still unwilling to hunt for myself, I must settle back at Fen's at every day's end. Marking a particularly high peak as a landmark for me to teleport, I rest for days without psychic activity before teleporting for a day to resume my search, if only as a safeguard that my teleport won't malfunction when I am far away from my caretakers.
One night, I return rather late, because of a rather uncooperative Salamence who wouldn't stop chasing me. Seeing some leftovers at the side of the room, I grab it to sate my hunger.
"You're back?" I hear Rue's soft voice from over at the beds. She's a light sleeper, and I must have woken her up.
I nod on response and continue digging into the meat.
"What have you been out all day for?" Rue sits up and asks, concerned. "It's beginning to worry us."
"Just flying." I give the response that I always give.
"You know none of us really buy that," she continues, crossing her arms. "You wouldn't fly until this late."
"Nova?" Phendrene calls as she sits up in a stupor, having been woken up by Rue's words. "You've only just returned?"
"I was just out flying," I repeat again and I bite into the meat.
"No, Nova. You weren't." Rue hops off her bed and walks over, casting a shadow over me from the dim torchlight. "You know how dangerous it is to wander. What if you get kidnapped again, or worse…" She sighs deeply. "Think about your children, please."
I look up at her and realise that I need to give her an answer. "I am. I'm trying to find their mother," I lie calmly as I stare back at her.
Rue averts her gaze at my answer. "Fine. As long as you stay away from those revolutionaries," she says before lying back onto her bed. Phendrene doesn't say anything more and only gives me a concerned look. I just finish off the food and prepare for sleep.
Only upon reflection am I surprised at how easily the lie came to me. Maybe it's not a complete lie. Venturing out and trying to find the Salamence Prince gives me nostalgia of a time gone past, perhaps the happiest times I had in my life. And even though I tell myself that it's all for the Prince, there's some desire deep down to find her again, too. I wouldn't be willing to leave my friends for her, but at least I could make our last memory together less painful. After all the assumptions people made about being mates with her, I actually grow curious…
But my time will run out. When I decided to claim the eggs as mine, I decided I would be responsible for them. Though I can leave the eggs in Fen's care for now, when they hatch I must be a good father instead of disappearing randomly like I do now.
Feeling tense, I glance back and forth at the sleeping faces of Rue and Phendrene. They all seem so peaceful and relaxed after having settled down here. For a brief moment, I want to tell them the truth about everything and relieve myself of this burden – but after the desire passes, I shake my head. I have already done so with the Growlithe. Now, with my power, I realise that simply not hunting is not a reason to feel satisfied with myself. If I want to be a good person, I have to persevere and continue with these duties I vowed to fulfil. To the Salamence King, to Vie, and to myself.