Several miles from Mount Ài, a small village rested underneath its shadow. As a vacation spot, cobblestone streets lead to spas, salons, and the hospitals some of the Wayfarers needed. A local hotel agreed to sponsor for free within minutes of them calling. Apparently, the advertising was worth its weight in gold.

As everyone rested, night fell. Flareon Light had already been half asleep, so the transition came easy. In his own hotel room, he stared out the window at a ragged wall covered with moss. The silvery reflection of moonlight couldn't lessen his stress.

In the middle of the night, Light started to feel a lot more comfortable. His body grew warmer, as if he had more than a dingy white cover. His flaming worries faded away in his dreams in exchange for a table with fruits and sweet foods.

Morning air slapped and tickled Light's nose. He didn't bother opening his eyes, even though his body woke up. He lifted his head, stretched, and yawned as his back cracked.

"Cutiepie…"

Light's eyes shot open. A green paw laid on top of his. A familiar, thick white arm with white fur angled over his head. Another arm reached under his torso. The pillow Light's head rested on was covered with white fur, and looked suspiciously like an ear. A strong, rumbling sensation weighed on the back of his neck. Sky Shaymin Ariel curled around him.

"H-how…" Light squealed.

"You sleepwalk when you're stressed. To me. Like clockwork. I would have woken you up, but it's a special day. Remember?"

"Uh… Uhm…"

"Happy sweet sixteenth."

Light forgot, both the day and that he had mentioned it to Ariel one time. The days had blended together in his head. His birthday fell on a different day than he originally thought it was after he had asked over text messages.

"You know," Ariel whispered in his ear, "that's marrying age in Lao Shen. You wanna' get engaged?"

"Uh… It's eighteen in my country... Countries."

"You ran in here like a cute, lost kitten last night. What were you dreaming about?"

"Not sure I remember… But I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

Light tried to wriggle away in a slow setting panic. He still felt tired from yesterday. The weight from just one of Ariel's arms pinned him down on his side. She didn't even seem to notice him squirming to get up.

"I didn't sleep much after you came in. I already woke up by myself. I did… About three-hundred sit-ups and four-hundred push-ups for each arm before you came in."

Light had a feeling those numbers were accurate. He couldn't move her limp arm from on top of him, although part of him wondered if he could give it his full effort.

"Oh, and I flew about… Give or take, ten miles," said Ariel. "Just short on that today."

"You don't have to try and impress me," Light mumbled. "Can, I, uh… stand up?"

Ariel lifted her arm. Light pushed himself up into the cool morning air streaming through a crack in a small window. Only a little light managed to poke through. The brown carpet had an invisible coating of dirt. Dust sat on the edge of the windowsill.

In the doorway, Sky Shaymin Mei stared at Light with wide eyes. Light glanced back and forth at the factors of the situation he fell into. Ariel pushed up to sit right behind him. Both his and Ariel's fur were a mess. Her sister, filled to bursting with political power and literal superpowers, stared right at them while they were on top of the hotel bed. Her hotel bed.

He was dead.

"Oh…" Mei breathed. Her face relaxed somewhat. "Did you sleep walk in here?"

"Bingo," Ariel chimed.

Ariel rested her paws on Light's shoulders and her chin on his forehead. A small burst of heat made his fur flare up.

"Uh-uhm… How is everyone?" Light squeaked.

"Their memories are foggy," said Mei. "They still don't remember anything when I ask them about a green dragon."

Light realized where that stress came from. He had a sinking feeling that something happened while they were gone. Agatha and the group she came with vanished without a trace, the only sign they were ever there being a short text message from her. He didn't even know how they got there in the first place. For everyone but them to forget what happened left him shaking. Hannah disappeared, too.

Ariel took notice and hugged him from behind. Her steadiness spread to him.

"But," added Mei, "they're still bustling about even though they're tired since it's their hero's birthday."

"Is Nadia okay?" Ariel asked.

"Yes, she's fine. She'll be walking again before we leave for the coastline."

"We?"

Mei tilted her head from side to side as she stepped into the room. Her green eyes scanned up and down the peeling, cream walls. "Yes, well, I guess I need to learn a thing or two about… uhm, good people. Besides, Lao Shen's political situation has been at a standstill ever since I took over. No one has an incentive to attack, and we definitely won't. I can handle everything from a distance."

Light stared at the floor. He left it between them.

"It's weird," said Ariel. "You were Rayquaza's Scion all along too, weren't you?"

"Yeah. But at the time, I guess it didn't have enough power to support us both. A piece of it had been separated from it, held in that green orb somehow. As far as I know, we're the first co-Scions, ever."

"I feel like something bad happened," Light said, interrupting Ariel's next breath. "People don't just forget things like this."

"It's possible we caused it," Mei said slowly. "Somehow."

"What do you mean?"

"We can manipulate the flow of chi in the body, including in the brain. That's why we could make people emulate feelings, including love. Maybe we caused amnesia without realizing it."

"Well, I hope an accident is the answer."

Ariel grabbed Light's paw and smooched his cheek. Light struggled in vain to hold his breath and stop purring in front of Mei. He exhaled a puff of steam.

"Anyways…" Mei turned away, "I'm going to head out to breakfast."

"Don't worry," Ariel boasted. "I'm just making out with my boyfriend."

Mei swiveled around with a dry frown. "You can't even kiss him or he'll blow your face off."

Ariel spun Light around. His heart rate exploded. His body forced him to take deep breaths. His eyes anchored open as her face inched closer.

Their foreheads touched. Light's shaking started to settle.

"Been taking notes on being gentle," she said quietly. "And listening. Because the people that mean a lot to me," her paw stroked down the side of his head, "deserve more effort, and sometimes they need it, too."

Light's chin lifted. Ariel's eyes started to close.

"Okay. I'm good."

Light and Ariel turned as Mei stormed out of the room. His face had warmed, but didn't catch fire. Ariel's paw stayed under the side of his face.

"Someday," said Ariel, "I'll understand how she feels. She's complicated, and really hard to talk to. But I can do it." She looked down at Light.

"You can," Light agreed. "So, uhm… We should probably close the door before anyone sees us…"

"It's fine."

Light breathed in to protest and held it. Slowking Chad walked past their room. He stopped walking and glanced in their direction.

"Happy birthday, Light," Chad said as he waved.

Flareon Light waved back. Sky Shaymin Ariel used the paw near his face to wave to him, too. Chad continued down the hallway.

"But how?" Light wondered.

"You should take it as a compliment," she said. "It means they know you're nice. C'mon, let's go get breakfast."

Ariel licked her paws and smoothed out her fur in the blink of an eye. She left the green bush of fur on her head as is. Light handled his own that was ticking up as she floated to the door.

He followed her down thin, bleak hallways lined up with lifeless paintings on the walls. Light stayed next to her and gazed up at her emerald eyes. He focused so hard, he bumped against the wall.

Ariel stopped walking and smirked at him. "You can stare at me up close later, Light. There's some things you gotta' see."

"I wasn't staring…" he protested. "I was just thinking."

"You're still not comfortable enough to admit staring? We should really close the distance on what we're thinking." Ariel turned back ahead and walked forward again with him. "I was thinking about Nadia and Robin. I haven't actually talked to them since they found out I never told them who I really was. Couldn't sleep since I feel anxious to know if they're still my friends."

"Oh…"

"How about you? What were you thinking about just now?"

"Uhm… You, uh, have pretty eyes."

Ariel pushed against his side. "Tell me more when we're all alone."

The hallway ended. It brought them to an open lobby with dark, wooden tables and plain cushions. White streamers hung down from beams on the ceiling. The floorboards seemed old, but shined under sunlight streaming in from windows on three out of four sides. The side they entered from also had a small, empty front desk.

Food covered the entire top of each and every table. They held up dozens of stacks of pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, and cookies from chocolate chip to raisin. Everyone sitting at them were Guild members.

"Happy birthday!"

The call widened Flareon Light's eyes. Ariel pecked his cheek and pushed for him to keep walking. His face melted into a nervous smile. Roserade Storm and Drizzile Kenta waved at him sitting across from each other at a table, and Zangoose Fernand and Dewgong Nathan from another. An empty table sat in the center with a singular, larger cushion hinting that it was for him and Sky Shaymin Ariel.

Light sat down next to her. He sat at eye level with the table and saw it as a maze of every breakfast food that tasted even a little sweet. As he observed, he noticed most of the food was Valorian.

"And this is just breakfast," Ariel said. "The smallest one of the day. It'll just gradually get even better."

"Airy," said Light. "You're my hero."

Ariel hugged Light from the side. His smile grew.

"So," she said, "which one-"

A slam reverberated in the air. Light stood up halfway and looked in the direction it came from.

A Blaziken's face rose into Light's view. The wooden doors behind him fell flat on the floor. The room quieted into silence.

"Hey, Light," Blaziken's voice rasped. "Still a runt?"

Blaziken reared his head back and breathed in deep. Flareon Light reached under the table's edge and flipped it up. Glass and plates shattered as a ball of fire slapped against the wood.

Ariel reached up and grabbed the table leg. She heaved the plume of fire over her shoulder, high over Light's head, and chucked it. It soared out the doorway and crumpled to pieces on the street outside.

A mob of footsteps vibrated through the floorboards and cushion to Light's feet. A firm pressure pushed out from inside his head. Ariel grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back into her arms.

"Markus! Chad!" Ariel called. "Everyone else, barricade!"

"Now wait just a second!"

Manaphy Jewel zoomed over to small embers on the floorboard and stepped on them. She put out all of the fires before they spread.

Outside, a gust of wind below all of the flames and wooden chunks off Blaziken's body. He brushed his shoulders with his claws and raised his arm up to shade his eyes. Meowstic Markus and Slowking Chad took the place of the doors.

"Now, I'm actually being a nice guy here," Blaziken said. "I actually came here to give you a chance, Light. To enjoy your party and come back with me. You know I can't well lose my golden goose. Didja' think something changed when you flew off on that oversized cannon?"

"Light?" Ariel asked quietly. "What's going on?"

"He's a psychopath," he answered. "Don't listen. He's playing games."

"A psychopath?" Blaziken repeated. "I'm acting how you should've expected me to. You know how long it took to get here all the way from Valor? Ever since you've been gone, some of us went hungry. Just because you struck it rich and don't leech off us anymore don't mean that we're done with you yet."

Ariel pecked Light's cheek. "Don't worry. I'll go kill him really quick, okay?"

"Wait," Light said.

The Blaziken, Lucca, never really fought straight on. Ariel would have never encountered it before. He was an acrobat. Ariel didn't have the flexibility to keep up with him up close. He could already imagine ten or fifteen cheap shots Lucca would land on her for certain. He couldn't have her using her Scion abilities in public to counter. The other Wayfarers might notice, or something bad could happen. He wasn't willing to have her take more hits when she shouldn't even be fighting.

Light turned to the inside of the room to look for an answer. Slowking Chad and Meowstic Markus both hid on the sides of the doorway. Neither of them moved fast enough to deal with Lucca's tricks. Nobody else he looked at quite countered him except for one.

Arcanine Zhen stared at the doorway from the wall. His eyes met Light's. He might take hits, but he'd take them well thanks to Flash Fire. Lucca would lose blow for blow, and that would be the only way for him to fight Zhen. His long range firepower could be blocked by a wooden table. It wasn't dangerous.

"Zhen, you take center," Light said. "Jewel, Mei, stay behind. Roxanne, fly up and see if there are more of them. Robin, Kenta, Storm, Markus, advance with Zhen on the right. Fernand, Nathan, Alisha, Chad, on the left. Airy, that cookie still looks good."

Flareon Light pointed to a cracked, white plate on the ground with a single, unharmed chocolate chip cookie on it. Sky Shaymin Ariel dragged it closer with Psychic. Light reached out, grabbed it, and took a bite. The chocolate chips melted in his mouth. He smiled.

"What do I do?" asked Ariel.

"Stay with me," said Light. "You and I will provide help if they need it from the back. There are probably more of them, so everyone keep that in mind. Drive them away from the town into the forest if you can. On your mark, Zhen."

Arcanine Zhen smiled. He grew taller as he walked towards the doorway. Light didn't quite understand the smug expression on his face.

"I've been wanting to show you a few Wilderbeast tactics," Zhen said. "Observe…"

Blaziken Lucca's eyes popped open wider. As Zhen took up the entire doorway, Lucca turned and sprinted. Zhen growled.

"Get. Back. Here!"

Zhen barked as he chased him. Everyone stayed still and watched. Light needed to snap himself out of it.

"Okay!" Light called. "Go back him up."

Talonflame Roxanne flew up and outside. Mienfoo Robin, Drizzile Kenta, Roserade Storm, and Meowstic Markus filed out the doorway on the right. Zangoose Fernand, Dewgong Nathan, Emolga Alisha, and Slowking Chad filed out the left side.

"I don't get it," said Ariel. "What did they think would happen? That they could just take you back? You're surrounded by bounty hunters day and night."

"Probably try ransom," Light mumbled. "Maybe try manipulating me or something. I dunno'. They're desperate."

"I'm not one to judge, but… If they could travel across the entire ocean to look just for you, couldn't they have escaped poverty somehow?"

"It became about pride long before I ever knew them. They could've been following me for a while."

"Are you afraid?" she asked.

"No. But I do want to make sure this is over today."

"I'll have him black and blue by lunch."

"Hey."

Light turned around. Sky Shaymin Mei stood near the back wall with Manaphy Jewel as her shadow.

"Don't take risks with my sister," Mei warned. "She's my other half."

"Don't worry. I, uh, know how these guys operate. Zhen will chase him into a trap. Lucca will spring a really basic one, and then the rest of the Wayfarers will finish it. Let's go, Airy."

"Right."


Some part of Meowstic Markus knew that Blaziken was leading them towards a trap. Blaziken changed course straight for the forest instead of following the street to the buildings nearby. The only reason he didn't say anything was the logic behind it. Ambushing bounty hunters seemed stupid.

Blaziken bobbed and weaved in between trees. Unfortunately, having to follow behind him, the formation Light assigned to them fell apart into a mob. Markus noticed he paired them up based on experience and power so they were roughly even, but it didn't look like it would matter anymore. Blaziken slowed to a walk when he reached a clearing.

For some reason, Arcanine Zhen slowed down, too. His barking and growls vanished. Blaziken walked forward a few more steps and stopped. Markus didn't get a good look until the last of the trees and foliage were out of his way.

Even without fear, Markus knew to stop and take everything in. A Rhyperior, Raticate, Timburr, Meowth, Lurantis, Marshstomp, Houndoom, and more were all laid out on the grass. Chunks of dirt and grass dotted the soil. Broken trees lying on the ground waved with their plumes of green leaves.

"What the hell?" Blaziken demanded. "Guys? Hey!?"

A thunderous boom from overhead shook the grass. Following after, a lightning strike. Arcanine Zhen backed away from a plume of dirt that drowned any sign of the Blaziken. Everyone retreated behind tree trunks and hid in bushes, Markus included, except for Zhen. He stood stalwart as the dirt fell down. He peered through the dust cloud as it fell on his fur.

A Heliolisk stood over the Blaziken as he laid out on the dirt. Markus swallowed as he peeked around the tree he hid behind. Fleshy, red burns covered most of Heliolisk's forehead and scattered across his body in patches. Black cylinders were strapped to both of his wrists. Markus recognized them as Grapplers. They were primarily Valorian, so he had to be connected to this group.

Zhen leapt forward. Heliolisk flipped back with one hand on the ground and kicked him across the face. He roundhoused Zhen in his exposed gut. Sparks flew off of his foot. Zhen slammed into a tree and hit the ground.

Markus turned on his brain. Zhen took hits well, but even he wouldn't stand up after that. Only Chad and himself could have an actual chance at fighting him. One of them would need to go first so they could have a little more information to work with.

Roserade Storm and Mienfoo Robin darted out. They must've known the odds were bad, so Markus didn't bother trying to shout for them to stop.

Robin jabbed with her left. Heliolisk blocked and jabbed her in the forehead. She staggered back and held her head in her hands. Storm jumped over her to land a flying kick. Heliolisk shot the Grappler at his leg. He controlled his momentum and chucked Storm over his shoulder to the grass behind him.

From a bush, Slowking Chad's crown poked out. Markus made eye contact with him and nodded.

Markus matched his pace with Chad to attack Heliolisk at the same time from both sides. He had plenty of time to see them coming, but it wasn't a sneak attack. They had to beat out his speed together.

Heliolisk stared at the ground as he fired a Grappler at Markus. Markus dodged and grabbed the wire. Heliolisk yanked with one arm, and it sent Markus flying through the air. Somehow, Chad had been caught by his other Grappler.

Heliolisk bent his head down. Markus crashed into Chad head first. Something else hit and sent them tumbling on the dirt. The light sting of electricity stopped one of Markus' breaths as he struggled to carry his weight on his legs.

"Jonathan!"

Light's call stopped the battle. He wrestled the rest of his gray tail from the bush behind him and stepped past the shadows of leaves into sunlight.

"You really recognize me?" Heliolisk asked. Desperation appeared on his face.

"Yah," Light answered as he stepped forward. "You know, it really wasn't that long ago."

Heliolisk Jonathan dipped his head down. His walk forward transformed into a run with his arms outstretched.

He hugged Light around his gray mane. Light stayed silent and hugged back.

"Sorry it took a minute, kid," he stifled tears.

"I'm just glad you're alright," Light said. "Well, better than alright."

Light's gaze turned Jonathan's attention to the fainted pokemon behind him. He set Light down on the ground.

"I tailed them," he explained. "But I didn't want to take them out till you were closeby. Wouldn't have been able to drag them all myself. Sorry about your guys, just defending myself."

"It's alright."

As the Wayfarers inched out into the clearing, Light couldn't help but glance over his scars. They looked violent enough to make a person scream, and all of them were burn marks. The red flash when Reshiram first appeared traveled through Light's mind again. Jonathan had run closer to try and save him. There's no doubt that the scars were from that night.

Everyone stayed a safe distance away. Light glanced around at their faces, but they wouldn't get closer.

"Light?"

Sky Shaymin Ariel walked closer with a tight grip on the grass. "You know this guy?"

Light thought of what he could say to make their doubts disappear.

"His scars are from when Reshiram first appeared," Light announced. "From when he tried to rescue me. He's my friend."

Jonathan angled his eyes up and pointed his right arm out to his side. He shot the Grappler off towards the edge of the forest. It hooked onto a Houndoom's leg as he tried to crawl away. A flash of electricity traveled down the wire and arced around the Houndoom's body. He cried out, then stopped moving. The black cylinder zipped back to Jonathan's arm.

"A little more ruthless than I remember," Light remarked quietly, "but, I still trust him."

Ariel jogged the last few steps closer to Light and grabbed him from behind. She pulled him back and glared at Jonathan.

"Oh yah," Jonathan remarked. "You always wanted a buff girlfriend.

Light's face heated up. "Ignore that. He's just teasing."

"Do you mean tasing?" Meowstic Markus asked. He projected his voice to keep a safe distance away.

Jonathan pointed in Markus' direction and smirked. "That too."

Light placed a paw on Ariel's. She turned back, letting Light meet her grimace. "It's okay. Calm down. Let's focus on getting these guys sent to jail, yah?"


Mei dealt with calling and working with the local authorities. She worked fast. After they came in, the Wayfarers walked back to the building while Mei took over.

Thirty-five minutes later, the last of the situation ended with Sky Shaymin Mei talking to an Archeops about where one of her tables went. Ariel's face soured from the wasted food and time. In Light's opinion, it could've been much worse.

Archeops set out another table with silverware. With a small percentage of food from every other table, they made a perfect copy of how the table was before with one exception: Heliolisk Jonathan sat across from Flareon Light and Sky Shaymin Ariel with his elbows on the table. Ariel glared back at his smile. From what Light observed so far, everyone seemed uneasy. Jonathan seemed to be a lot stronger than Light remembered him as.

Ariel brought an arm around Light's shoulder.

"Thanks for letting me eat with you," Jonathan said. "But you all look stressed out to crap. I don't mind stepping out for a while."

"But I want you here," Light grumbled.

"I know. But even on your birthday, other people have to come first. That goes double for the people you love." Jonathan pushed on the table as he stood up. "I'll be around at the spas and stores. Sleeping in the trees has been pretty sucky. I'll come check on you at dinner."

"Okay."

Light watched Jonathan walk out of the doorway. The broken doors had been moved to the side out of the way. He kept staring until he walked out of sight.

"Are you just scared because he could be stronger than you?" Light asked quietly.

"I really wish you'd cool it with that brutal honesty," Ariel hissed. "Listen, if he can beat Chad and Markus at the same time, he's dangerous. I'm not the only one in here who's freaked out by your 'friend', okay? He's got a history."

Ariel reached over Light and dragged a bowl closer. It held a pile of green, mint ice cream with chocolate chips.

"I'm finna' have a freaking dump truck in my belly at the end of all this…"

"You're already fat," Mei called out.

"What can I even do to help anyone feel better?"

"You don't have to do anything. But you don't have to go shooting for my heart everytime I'm a little selfish or scared."

"Sorry. It's just… Well, you've both protected me a lot."

"Hey."

Light turned after hearing the call from another table. Emolga Alisha and Talonflame Roxanne sat across from each other near the wall.

"Is it true about his scars?" Alisha asked loud enough for the whole room to hear. "Just who is this guy? I mean, I won't judge you for anything, considering what you did. We just, like, want to know stuff."

"Me too."

Light turned. Mienfoo Robin sat with Dewgong Nathan and Zangoose Fernand in a triangle around another table near the parallel wall.

"He took it easy on me," Robin said. "Really easy. He did that against all of us. I'm fine giving him a chance, but we want to know what you know about him."

"Tell us a story and stuff," added Nathan. "Actually, come to think of it, we don't really know what our next move is, right?"

Resounding agreement snaked across the room. Light stared as it passed between faces.

"Well, we're resting here for a few days, then heading to Abuja," Light explained. "We'll need to use the ship again."

"And then where?" Nathan asked. "Do we have any leads?"

"We do have a place to go, actually."

Light's attention turned to Slowking Chad. This was news to him.

"The president of the World Peace Organization wants to meet Light and Ariel."

Murmurs broke out. Light didn't know why.

"U-uh, what's up?" Light asked.

"It's a big deal," Chad explained. "The WPO operates with a lot of secrecy. Members of them are across every continent, but aren't identified to pressure governments into maintaining peace. If they don't, the consequences could be a five-minute walk away, or, on the other side of the entire planet. In other words, not even the Chingyangs would know who the president really is."

"And I won't," Mei added. "If they only said Ariel, then they mean that only Ariel is allowed to know. Not me. If Ariel told me and anyone found out, there would be repercussions equivalent to a city burning down. I hate dealing with them sometimes…"

"So, what does it mean that they want to meet me and Ariel?" Light wondered.

Chad answered, "It means they trust you and Ariel to have some role in world order. That's a step above what governments control. Even though their direct influence faded with Guilds, they're still the highest ordered power in the world."

"But I just turned sixteen."

"For all we know, the WPO president could be twelve. They want to meet just an hour's walk out from a small port in complete and total secrecy. So nobody here talk about it online or too loudly. Unless Glass Reshiram shows up and starts burning down something, it's our highest priority."

"When's the meeting?" Ariel asked.

"No confirmed time yet. They said 'whenever works for us', as long as we let them know a day in advance."

"Well, this is good to know," Mei said as she stalked closer towards the tables, "but we're off track. Is this Jonathan guy going to cut my throat at night or not?"

"No, of course not," Light said. "He could've walked away easily by now, but he chose to come back and try to help."

"I'm tired of thinking right now. Can we take a break?"

Light looked at Zangoose Fernand and his droopy eyes. He usually didn't speak his mind, or at all.

"This Jonathan guy seems fine. I just wanna' eat, and like, rest. My bones hurt. I didn't even know it was possible for my bones to hurt."

"Yah," said Light. "This can wait for tomorrow. Right?"

Light looked around for approval. Everyone seemed impartial. Most of them had taken bites.

"Right."


Light stopped shy of stuffing himself; he'd save that for dinner if he did. It may have been because of everything on his mind, but he ate slow enough for him and Ariel to be the last ones in the lobby. She fell asleep with her head on top of his. When he finished, she shifted and woke up.

"I want to visit Nadia," Ariel grumbled. "You okay if I go for an hour?"

"Yah," he said. "Of course. I'm glad to hear you're going."

"Are you just going to chill at the spa?"

"Yah."

"Kay'. Have fun."

Ariel smooched his cheek. Light snuggled against her face as her weight lifted off.

Out of pure instinct, Light grabbed at her paw. She stuttered floating away and rested back on the cushion with a smirk sprawled on her face.

"Yeeeeah?" she asked.

Light didn't know why he pulled her back down. He had to make something up.

"Uhm… Stay safe," he said.

Ariel squinted. "Can't bear to watch me go?"

"No. Uh, it's just-"

Ariel dove into Light with a hug. With his paws on her back, Light closed his eyes and breathed out.

"Can I come too?" he asked.

"Yeah. She'll be happy to see you."

"Thanks."

Light watched as Ariel floated to the doorway. He stood up and fell on his chin. He scrambled and hoped Ariel didn't notice. She did and snickered at him. Once he caught up, she swirled in the air and landed next to him.

The midday sun warmed the cobblestone enough for Ariel to choose hovering over it instead of leaning on him. Without her weight, he felt a little cold.

"So," Ariel said, "what's your favorite thing about me?"

"Uhm, I dunno," he said. "What kind of thing?"

"My buff arms, my buff legs? Maybe it's how my punches are like charging boars…"

"Those kind of seem related."

Ariel giggled and faced him as she floated forward. "Weeeeeeell?"

Light smiled. "You make me feel safe."

Ariel frowned. She tilted her nose up and returned next to him. "You could at least call me hot…"

Light had been starting to piece together why Ariel wanted compliments a lot. In Lao Shen, at least, beauty standards didn't match her at all, even though she was beautiful. She wanted to hear it, a lot. In truth, he didn't know if he should. He didn't know the psychological effects of giving her something like that after what her upbringing did.

Still, it'd make her feel good.

"When you look at me with those big, mischief eyes and do that devious smirk where you have an eyebrow up."

"Really!?"

Ariel raced in front of him with sparkling eyes.

"Yah," Light answered as his confidence and voice weakened. "It's, uh… Intimidating."

"Oooooh." She made the face. "What do you mean by that?"

Light searched for something else to look at. His eyes fell on a familiar, small building with white walls.

"Isn't that the hospital?" he asked.

"I guess I'll let you dodge the question for nooooow."

Ariel focused as they walked in through the sliding glass doors. Cold air hit Light's face.

When they first arrived, Light worried about the size of the hospital. They only had ten rooms. Most of them were used to treat exhaustion. To Light's knowledge, Nadia's broken leg was the last injury.

Past the lobby, they followed a Beautifly through a maze of hallways to a gray, dull room. Most of the color came from a TV screen overlooking a plain, white mattress. Galarain Ponyta Nadia laid on her side under an open window letting the cool breeze waft air in and out over her mattress. Her cotton candy tail swayed back and forth.

Beautifly left the room. Sky Shaymin Ariel walked towards her while Flareon Light waited nervously at the door. Nadia's eyes opened slow and steady.

"Hey Nadia," Ariel greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel gooooooooood…" she sang.

"Oh. You're high on painkillers."

"Noooo-o-o-o-o-o."

Nadia sniffed loudly.

"What's that sweet smell? Is Light there?"

"Hi… Hi," Light spoke up louder walking closer. "How are you, Nadia?"

"I feel goooooood…."

"O-kay…"

"Oh yeah. Happy birthday."

"Thanks."

Light relaxed and sat beside Ariel. He glanced at her face as she stared down at Nadia. Her eyebrows were tense.

"Hey, Nadia?" Ariel asked. She opened her mouth with a few false starts, before she sighed and blurted out, "Do you and Robin forgive me?"

Nadia's face focused and darkened. "Yeah, of course. You shouldn't have to… tell us everything if you don't… want."

"But you both earned more trust from me than what I gave you."

"Don't be so draaaamatic. It makes you have this ugly face... Besides, life's dramatic enough without any help from us…"

Nadia's voice faded into a whisper, then a cacophony of snores. Ariel's face relaxed into a smile.

Ariel stood up. As Light turned around with her, Meowstic Markus surprised him at the door. He stepped in quietly.

"Hey," Markus whispered. "She asleep?"

"Yeah," said Ariel. "What's up?"

"Well, I wanted to apologize to her. The whole cliff thing was my call."

"Ah, right. You could bring her a slice of cake and talk to her later."

"Yah, I could. But for now, I think I'll just sit in here for a few."

"Alright."

Ariel sidestepped Markus and walked for the door. Light shared a smile with him on his way past.

As Light closed the door at a slow, nervous speed, he saw Markus sit down with crossed-legs next to Nadia. Guilt forced his eyes down as he slumped over. His tails laid flat on the floor, and his paws pushed down on his legs. From what Light knew, not a single person blamed him but himself. They'd have to wait for it to go away in time.

Ariel smiled at him as Light turned around.

"How do you feel?" Light whispered.

"Good," she said. "Ready for the spa. My body's been feeling pretty wonky ever since last night."

"Wonky?" Light walked on her side as she led them out.

"Yeah. Like my bones are creaking and tired. But that basically means the same as everyone else's."

"Yah. I've felt tired ever since…"

Light recalled the glass encasing his body. The deeper he thought about it, the more he realized he didn't remember that much. He woke up in a carriage, albeit only halfway awake. He didn't even know what Ariel did to calm Rayquaza down.

Ariel pushed her side against his. He forgot to ask again.


As a vacation town, the largest building they went to was the spa. In Flareon Light's eyes, it could've been a quarter of a mile lengthwise and just as wide. The outside cream walls and brown, glittered sidewalk seemed to go on forever until Sky Shaymin Ariel pointed out an entrance.

Cool air cascaded out of glass sliding doors. The gargling of running water emanated from plastic behind walls of ferns and small plants. The clean, white tiles on the floor and plants scattered around the edges of the lobby and eggshell pots lent a formal, calm feeling to the atmosphere.

"Oh, hurry and show them!"

A Swirlix, Cherrim, and Psyduck surrounded them. Psyduck put her arm on Ariel's back and guided her. Cherrim and Swirlix pushed against Light's forearms to follow.

"We spent all day preparing for your arrivals," Psyduck explained, smiling widely. "We are just thrilled to have you for our luxury course. You two are even more stunning in person."

"Oh, thank you so much for this," Ariel said in a higher voice.

"Oh, we're the ones thanking you. Come."

Psyduck led them down a hallway behind the lobby. The lights and colors dimmed. The brown carpet and gentle, cylindrical lights on the walls tricked his body into thinking it was sunset. The doors into rooms were spaced far apart from each other, leading him to guess the rooms were large.

His suspicions were proven right when Psyduck pulled open a door at the end of the hall. The room opened up and blasted him with fresh, cool air that cleared his head. Large windows took up an entire wall to the side, and bushes reached up near the top of the window. Sunlight sprinkled through and hit the top of two shining, steel low-lying tables with wires snaking around their legs leading to a plug in the wall.

Against the window, a long, empty water pit outlined with smooth stones rested. Light looked forward to resting in some steaming water.

"What kind of treatment would you two like today?" Psyduck asked. "We have everything that's to be found in Lao Shen. We also offer other therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic…"

"Do you have any recommendations?" Ariel asked. "Light's been stressed. He didn't sleep well last night."

Psyduck, Cherrim, and Swirlix locked on to Light as if they were doctors and heard he was dying. He flinched back.

"It's, uh, not that big of a deal," Light mumbled.

"Oh, we do consider it a big deal," said Psyduck. "You need to sleep as much as you need to breathe. And with the job you've taken on, it might be the difference between life and death. Please, come this way. I'll examine you."

"Uh… okay."

The group cleared a lot of extra room on the path to the two tables sitting inches apart. If Light had to guess, there were usually a lot more tables out.

Light hopped onto his table and Ariel her's. He lied on his side staring towards her face. Cherrim and Swirlix walked back to the door while Psyduck went to Light's tableside.

"Lay flat on your back for a second, sweetie," Psyduck said.

"O-okay."

Light did as she asked. She put her hand on his stomach and pushed down. Her face froze as she focused for half a minute. She blinked and pulled back her hand slowly.

"Your internal organs are agitated," she said. "It looks like your body strained itself. If you don't stay for a few hours and let us help you, there could be damage."

Light swallowed. "Damage?" he questioned.

Light dug to figure out when he "strained" himself. Nothing had felt abnormal going up the mountain, then he remembered: the glass curling under his body. Looking back, it almost felt like it came from his own body somehow.

"Yes," Psyduck confirmed. "It appears as if something's been affecting your chi pathways. The imbalance can cause inflammation and dysfunctions. It will have to be calmed down."

Ariel's face fell. The realization sowed a frown to her face and her eyes wide open. Light's lip synched and said "calm down". She took in a deep, shaky breath. Light wiggled his head down and smiled at her.

"You'll be okay," Psyduck said firmly. "You'll just have to stay here for a few hours. You'll feel all better for a nice birthday dinner."

"Thanks," Light said. "So, what will you be doing?"

"First, we'll start with some light acupressure. After that, we're looking at about an hour and a half of shiatsu massage."

"Isn't that the really painful one where people throw up?"

"After that, acupuncture to redirect the flow."

Light lied back on his side and lifted his head. Psyduck stretched her arms and touched her feet. He figured this was about to be incredibly painful., but his situation was even worse.

Ariel lied right next to him, no doubt with guilt riddling her stomach. The more pain she saw on his face, the worse it would get. He had to try and stay strong.

A Ledian opened the door and floated into the room. As she flew to Ariel's side, Psyduck finished stretching.

"Okay," Psyduck sighed. "Lay on your front for me."

Light did as she asked. He shivered as she touched his back.

"And to answer your question, this might be painful at the start," she warned. "But it should progressively feel better. Are you ready?"

"Yah," he said. "Ready."

"Okay, so we'll start off with just a little pressure to warm up."

Lava erupted and flowed through Light's body. He pounded the table with his paw and turned his face away from Ariel.

Over the next few minutes, the pain calmed down exponentially. Confidence restored, Light turned his face back towards Ariel.

Laying on her front, Ariel's eyes hung half-open and her ears dropped off the sides of the table. With two black stones, Ledian rolled them around one of her back legs and left one in the crevice of her knee. Light forgot the name of the massage, but the stones were heated.

Light watched Ariel fall asleep. He drifted off into an empty daydream. A tug on his shoulder pulled him out of it.

"Lie on your back," Psyduck's voice whispered.

Light pushed with his arms and quietly shifted to his back. Ariel had already switched. Ledian used longer black stones on her shoulders. She snored heavily.

A mass of ultra thin needles floated over Light's body. With Psychic, Psyduck lowered them over his face, arms, and feet. One stuck in his forehead just above his eyes, and two more under his nose. Relief welled up through his back. With the tune of Ariel's snores, it was the perfect time to catch up on sleep.

Some time later, Light woke to the feeling of needles being plucked from his skin. Once they were all gone, he stretched out his limbs and sighed.

"A lot of the agitation went down," Psyduck said quietly. "Feel free to step in the water pit. Let me know if any tension returns."

"Okay," Light said. "Thanks."

Flareon Light stood up as Psyduck walked away. As the door clicked, he gripped air in his paws and flexed his arms. His entire body felt stronger. A wall of thin, wispy steam faded as it climbed upwards over the water pit. He hopped down from his table and walked over.

Sky Shaymin Ariel reclined back on the stones bordering the pit and the floor. Her eyes cracked open as Light tested the temperature by dipping his toe in. Once he knew how warm the water was, he slowly lowered himself down across from her.

"Light," Ariel croaked, frowning. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you," he said readily. "Don't build up stress again. And let those shoulders go."

Ariel's shoulders fell. She sighed as she turned her face up and closed her eyes. Light copied her.

"I feel like I keep betraying you," Ariel said.

"You're not," Light told her. "I wanted to ask, though, what exactly happened up there?"

"What do you mean?"

Light glanced around and made sure they were alone. Satisfied, he answered, "At one point, we were fighting Rayquaza, and the next you were a Scion. And now, everyone's memories of what happened are… weird."

If Light had to guess the series of events, something huge happened. Rayquaza didn't seem like it would just change its mind on its own. It would only make sense if someone defeated it.

"To be honest, I don't remember what…" Ariel's eyes creaked open. "Did I have a fight with Mei?" she asked herself. "I think I… No, right?"

"Don't worry about it," Light said. "What else are you doing today?"

"Anything you want," Ariel closed her eyes again. She huffed and smiled. "Actually, I wouldn't blame you if that meant giving you a lot more space. How much did it hurt?"

"It didn't hurt. And I was hoping that you'd, uh, stay with me today."

Ariel's right eye opened. "Oh?" she smiled.

"You're so cocky," he said.

"Tell me what else you love about me?"

Ariel's face transformed into a red, sly smile. She drifted over in Light's direction. He wrapped his tail around himself as she sat next to him.

"It's so convenient when you wrap yourself up like a present. That why I can just take my time unwrapping and-"

Ariel interrupted herself by kissing his cheek rapidly. Light's body heated up as she smothered his face against her lips. Steam flowing up from the water intensified.

"Uh, Airy," Light mumbled.

Ariel didn't hear him. She leaned on his shoulder and left her lips on his cheek.

"Airy!?"

"Yeah?" she asked, muffled.

"The water's starting to boil."

"Mmm, your voice is sweet."

Ariel's eyes shot open. She yelped and shot up out of the water. Light grit his teeth and stared up as she shook the water off her body.

"Sorry…"


Afternoon swung by when Flareon Light and Sky Shaymin Ariel left the building. She leaned on his side as they walked down the street. Light's legs bent as he pushed back hard to match her weight. She noticed after a minute or two and eased up.

A lot of movement surrounded the entrance of the hotel. By the time he and Ariel got closer, all the activity went inside. He craned his neck towards the doorway.

Somehow, two impressive new wooden doors greeted them. Light shared a glance and a small smile with Ariel as she took the lead and pushed them both open.

Silvery balloons clouded over the ceiling. Small, copper candle stalks on every table lit up cast shadows on new plates and new food. This time, burgers, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings, pizza, cheese curds, and every food Light knew to be slathered in grease and fried attended the oncoming party. Quiet applause filled the air when he stepped inside with Ariel.

Light froze in place and stared. Leaning against the wall in the corner of the room, Heliolisk Jonathan smiled and nodded at him with his arms folded. He accidentally flinched at Jonathan's new scars, but he didn't seem to pay any mind.

"Not really much of a surprise," said Ariel, swinging back to face him. "But happy birthday."

A smile settled down on Light's face. "Thanks, everyone."

"Light."

Arcanine Zhen stood up, already facing towards him and the door.

"We were all waiting," he said. "Could you explain to us what any of this food is?"

"Seconded."

Sky Shaymin Mei stood up from her table with Mienfoo Robin and Drizzile Kenta.

"What is the weird, long pinkish thing?" she continued.

Light walked forward and scanned his and Ariel's table in the center for anything that could fit.

"Uh, you mean hot dogs?" he asked.

Mei and Zhen's faces dropped. Light glanced between them.

"You eat dogs in Valor?" Mei asked. "Shit…"

"They're not dogs!" Light explained. "They're pig meat."

"Pigs!?"

Mei and Zhen threw their paws over their mouths along with the rest of the room, with the exception of Slowking Chad, Heliolisk Jonathan, and Meowstic Markus. Ariel looked down at him with disgust hidden behind a wavy smile.

"What's the, uh, black meat on the sandwiches from?" Roserade Storm inquired.

"It's cow meat," said Light. "They're called burgers."

"Is there anything here that's uhm… More…. Normal?" Ariel asked.

"Uh, there's fried chicken it looks like."

"Fried?"

"What are these? Is this cheese inside of them? What?" Alisha asked.

Light smiled and sat down on a large cushion. Ariel stared down at his face next to them.

"Just try a few things," Light said. "I haven't eaten anything familiar in a real long time. Thank you so much."

Light's voice fell apart at the end. Tears wormed out of his eyes. Ariel wiped his cheek and pulled him into a hug. He rubbed his face against her fur and pulled back with a dry face.

"Let's eat," he said quietly.

In a short moment, quiet chatter picked back up again. Ariel eyeballed the table suspiciously while Light gawked at how well cooked it all was. He couldn't imagine it being done by someone without experience.

"By the way," said Light, "who cooked all this?

"Markus and your friend," Ariel answered. "They helped out the hotel staff."

"Where are the hotel staff now?"

"Not sure," she turned to him. "I'm guessing you'd like me to bring them along to show your gratitude, yeah?"

"Yah."

"Okay," she stood up. "Be right back."

Sky Shaymin Ariel floated up and away. Flareon Light picked out onion rings and two cheeseburgers with pepperjack cheese.

Sky Shaymin Mei swiftly replaced her sister. She tried to look at Light, but the food captured her eyes.

"You're actually going to bite into that thing?" Mei asked.

Light chomped down on the burger. The heat and crunch soothed him to the core. Mei watched as he chewed and swallowed. He looked her in the eye.

"Scared?" he asked casually.

Mei's eyes fell flat. She floated over the table and grabbed one for herself. She took a huge bite that wiped out a fourth of it. As she chewed, her eyes widened. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Oh sweet lord," Mei babbled. "This is…"

Ariel floated back down on Light's other side. He tried looking for the hotel staff to thank them personally, but they had spread out into conversations. At least they were all smiling.

"I hear those make you fat," said Ariel. "Or, well, fat-ter for you."

"Don't give a damn," Mei choked. She held a paw over her mouth as she chewed. "Valorian food is… from heaven."

"Feels like everyone forgot this."

Light looked up to the side of their table. Heliolisk Jonathan held a long, luscious white cake in his arms with a small pan underneath. Ariel cleared a spot on the table for him to set it. On top, "Happy Birthday Light!" was written in blue frosting.

"This is actually a butter cake," Jonathan explained. "So, it weighs a lot. The others have sweets, and most don't even have a sweet tooth, so yours can have it all."

"U-uh," Ariel mumbled. "Can, uh…"

"Yah, of course," Light said. He snuggled up against her side. "My hero can have all the sugar she wants."

"That is the hottest thing anyone's ever said to me."

Jonathan pulled a short knife off the table. In a rapid flurry, he cut the cake into even squares. Mei and Ariel both gawked with wide eyes and their ears sticking straight up. After finishing and spinning the knife in his hand out of habit, Jonathan lifted a piece of cake and set it on Light's plate. He grabbed another plate and set it in front of Ariel. He yawned as he set the knife back down on the table.

"So, Light," Jonathan said at the end of his yawn. "Folks here left it up to you about arrangements: whether I join or not and stuff like that."

"Well, of course I want to," Light hesitated. "But, people I care about have to agree."

Light looked up at Ariel. She smiled and nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "He helped us, and he's your friend. That's enough for me. From text messages, a lot of other people agree, too."

"Alright," Light smiled back. "As for tonight, Jonathan, you can take my room."

"You sure?" he asked. "Where will you sleep?"

"Don't worry about it. Probably not sleeping much, anyways. Just going to watch movies and stuff."

Ariel stifled a giggle. Mei stopped chewing for a second, then continued.

"Chad will show you," Light finished.

"Alright," he agreed. "Thank you, Light."

"It's really good to see you, Jonathan."

Jonathan smirked and walked away from the table. Ariel turned her face towards Mei. Light rolled his eyes up, but couldn't see their faces.

"Hey Mei," said Ariel, "do you mind leaving me to enjoy my cakes?"

"Why did you say 'cakes' plural?" she questioned.

"Do you miiiiiiind?"

Mei huffed and floated up and away. Before she flew off, she grabbed another burger in her other paw. Ariel pulled her plate closer to the edge next to Light's. She bent her face down next to his.

"So," she whispered, "you want to stay up all night and watch movies, huh?"

Light stared into her eyes. Mischief flowed out of them. He purred as she wrapped his arms around him.

"So, why'd you say 'cakes' plural?" he asked quietly.


After everyone in the room stuffed themselves, they retreated to their rooms. Flareon Light and Sky Shaymin Ariel joined the second wave of people retreating to the hallways and rooms.

Ariel set up a fort of blankets and pillows. With Light nestled inside, TV light glowed on them. Ariel purred and cuddled up to him. The show was boring, but nice background noise to have. If Light hadn't stuffed himself with butter cake, he might've had another slice in front of him. Ariel had five plates all filled to bursting laid out in front of her. She was still going strong.

Light's eyes dried and closed. Despite the plan, he fell asleep.


A dark sky greeted him in his dreams. Light stood up and looked around. His feet were on uneven ground, a rocky slope reaching towards the starry sky. He recognized the exhaustion and pain weighing down on his body.

Behind him, the Wayfarers were strewn about after Rayquaza's attack. They had only just started recovery when Light, Sky Shaymin Ariel, and Land Shaymin Mei returned from the other side of the strange portal. Agatha's group, along with Hannah, were nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly, eyes clicked behind Light's head. Ariel and Mei felt something too and turned around.

Over the hill, two red gems centered in pale blue tails shaped like maple leaves bounced up and down. Brown leather blew in chilly mountain winds. Eventually, its head rose into view.

Ariel and Mei fainted. Light spared a glance behind him. All of the Wayfarers fell to the ground.

"Guys?" Light yelled. "Hey!?"

"Only you. You're the only one who can look me in the eye. You're young, though. It may take a while."

Light collapsed to the ground. A force pushing down on his back pinned him down.

"This can't be," Light groaned. "You can't be standing in front of me now. You were alive when…"

"Yes, All the way back when. I understand it might be difficult for you, but the next time we meet…"

A hand grabbed Light's gray mane and yanked him up in the air. Yellow eyes pierced his brain.

"Try to look me in the eye when I'm talking to you."


Light woke up in a sweat. He immediately turned to check on Ariel.

Her eyes were closed. Her loud snores vibrated through his chest. Just when he was sure she slept through it, her eyes popped open, her snore cut in half. Her ears flapped up and down as she turned to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked sleepily.

"I, uh…. Just had a dream," he waved off. "I think."

"What kind of dream?"

"Well, do you remember when we were coming down from the mountain?"

"Yeah?"

"And then there was this strange person wearing leather. Everyone collapsed looking at-"

Ariel squealed. Her paws flew to her head. She rubbed the sides of it and grit her teeth.

"Airy!?" Light squeaked. "What's wrong!?"

"Dammit, that burns!" she cried.

Seconds later, Ariel let her paws fall. She sighed in relief and took gasping breaths. Light shivered.

"Airy," Light said. "Something happened up there."

Ariel groaned and looked at him. "Up where?" she asked.

A cold feeling sunk into Light's chest looking into her eyes. Every time he mentioned specifics, she felt pain. He couldn't keep doing that to her.

"On the second floor," he lied. "It just woke me up. Go back to sleep."

"Okay…"

Ariel gripped Light's paw. He squeezed back. He had to figure it out himself.