There was heavy traffic both in the air and on land, all converging into the once-silent village center. The more colorful the sky got, the more faces emerged from nearby buildings to overwhelm the area with decorations. New timber was graciously piled into the fire pit while ash from the previous celebration was used as drawing chalk. Many of the vacant pillars and perches were quickly filled up by avian and insect alike-wildlings who had caught wind of the festival, maybe? Or perhaps they caught wind of the incredible scents that were drifting into the jungle. Strange and delicious smells wafted up from huts deeper in the village, smoke billowing from their chimneys and through the trees. Whatever they were cooking for the occasion wasn't afraid to make itself known.
Panne's solitude didn't last too long. Mawile came pushing against the current of the crowd, a map rolled up in her hands. "Hey Panne, we just had a question about the path we were gonna take tomorrow. So about Mt. Bristle, were we just going to cut straight through the mystery dungeon or were going around it? There could be some...minor trouble getting through the locals, but if we go too far around then-"
"Then the Spiritomb'll catch up?" Panne drew a straight line on the map with the tip of her claw. "Don't even think for a second that it won't anyway. The farther inland we go before that bastard reforms, the better off we'll be. The mountain's probably going to stall it out anyway."
"Right, I'll go tell Amph then." Mawile rolled the paper back up, glanced around at the commotion, then sighed. "Still no Vallion?"
The Delphox let her shoulders slump. "I know he's somewhere around here. He just wanted some time to himself. He used to do this before, too. I'm sure he'll turn up when the feast starts."
Mawile shot her a worried look before she scurried off through the steady flow of bodies. Panne turned away from the village and scanned the treeline for Vallion's colors once more, knowing full well that there was no use in trying to find him when he didn't want to be found. The jungle's leaves would gladly swallow a Servine like him up into their infinite greens. She was certain that he was safe here, at least for now. That didn't change what was still hurting his heart. All this excitement and cheer was for somebody else's party, and it wouldn't help what was wrong now.
A gust of warm air crashed past the Delphox's back. She twisted around and was caught in the shadow of something large as it descended past the canopy. A small storm of debris and dust was kicked up with the beat of Hydreigon's six wings. They landed with a startling thud, much to the fright of a few nearby villagers who hadn't seen the dragon approach and were suddenly met with the massive creature. That area cleared out rather promptly, but Panne flooded in.
"Nope! Not happening! You're not getting away with that kind of stuff!" She stomped up to the Hydreigon with a finger already pointed. "What the big idea just leaving without a trace as soon as we get here? Are you trying to be the most suspicious pokemon I've ever seen or what?!"
"I- No, not particularly..." The dragon tilted their heads. "Did something happen while I was gone?"
"Nothing happened, but that's not really the point! You're supposed to be our guide here! The only person who knows how to un-screw what got screwed up! When us mortals work together we actually try to let each other know what we're doing before disappearing for hours at a time! What were you doing that it took you this long to get back?"
After a moment's hesitance, Hydreigon motioned their left mouth forward and opened its jaw. Something glistened from within, though it was difficult to see exactly what. Emera dust? Crushed wonder orbs? Random crystals? "I went to a nearby mystery dungeon to gather some physical components I might need to craft a few tools later. While I was flying back, there was a commotion on the coastline that I went to inspect. A Wailmer hailed me and told me of some terrible news from the nearby depths. Dozens of corpses sinking to the bottom, completely lifeless but without a single scratch."
"What? Are you serious?" Panne's ears pivoted straight back. "Go, then! Tell the others already! They're in that big hut right there, west of the center! We've got to get out of here!"
"It's too late to head out now. You know that." Hydreigon pulled their maw away and grunted. "The abomination isn't going to attack us tonight. Not here, and not after the damage you appear to have caused. It'll take much more for it to fully recuperate. So long as we get some actual adequate rest tonight, it won't be much of a threat for some time."
"Whatever. Just go spread the word or something. I don't have time for this, I gotta look for Val."
"Hmm, what happened with Vallion?"
"Nothing you'd care about, surely." Panne turned heel and stomped off, not caring which direction her paws took her. That's just great, isn't it? Just what they needed! More deaths looming over their heads from the problem they still couldn't probably deal with! That was sure to cheer Vallion right back up! The Delphox ground her teeth together as she glared ahead at the setting sun, squinting at the glorious colors that painted the clear sky. It was inevitable, wasn't it? Everything that was happening was already going to happen. Ever since they decided to leave port in the storm. The Spiritomb was always going to get stronger and attack at night. When it was beaten back, it was always going to prey on the locals for sustenance.
Was Vallion always supposed to get depressed, too? Is it all just fate conspiring against them?
The bay was beautiful at this time of day. The pristine waters gladly reflected the shades of the sky, pressing on into the distance until the blue of the sea met with the blue of space. Panne leaned over a fence post and grimaced at the sight. Destiny was supposed to be on her side, right? She was a legendary hero brought forth from the past to defeat the ancient evil or whatever. Unless that stupid dragon was mucking everything up in some incomprehensible way. There was almost no telling the extent of the damage that pokemon could do if they felt like it. What the hell kind of tools were they even talking about?
Excited voices carried over the rooftops. There was a distant cheering followed by the unmistakable sound of something rather large catching flame-a brief roar and a dozen crackles. The flash from the newborn inferno peered over the village in rivalry with the sun itself. As smoke began to roll up towards the clouds, Sceptile's silly dialect could clearly be heard above the bonfire. Something about honored guests or other, it was difficult to pick apart. The invasive smells of many savory spices sent a much clearer message straight to her stomach, however. Maybe it was a strong enough argument to bring him out, too?
It was certainly enough to bring out the rest of the neighborhood, it seemed. Pokemon of all shapes and sizes shoved their way into the central plaza, with perches stacked utterly from edge to edge. The elder Sceptile stood upon an elevated platform to address the writhing crowd, flanked closely by another perch that held only the menacing silhouette of Dalo the Staraptor. A waddling figure fought its way through the crowd and onto the rostrum-Ampharos, it seemed. He cleared the stairs and gave a quick wave to the applauding masses. Judging from the palmwood bowl in his hands and the slight sway in his posture, there was definitely something alcoholic involved already. Poor Mawile was going to have to deal with that all night.
The ceremony commenced with Ampharos trying to deliver a speech of his own and inevitably falling into a story about the Dashing Wanderer. While he was blabbering on, whole platters of food were being carried out of mysterious kitchens and straight to the center. They were meticulously plated with palm leaves and arranged for maximum presentation, and what a presentation it was. Fruits and vegetables both were immediately plentiful-pickled, boiled, grilled, seared, or raw. There was such a wide array of spices immediately in the air that she could practically feel Pops sweating profusely back home.
For a split second, Panne forgot that she was out in the tribal wilds of the Grass Continent. That harsh reminder came once the white and dark meats started did. Still piping hot from ovens and spits alike, dripping with succulent grease. She couldn't even tell what pokemon most of them used to be, not that it mattered to the ravenous salivation of her tongue. The native taste of her species in Sand Continent was very much carnivorous, after all. Something easily forgotten in the manufactured and nutritious world of modern civilization. Not something she particularly liked being reminded of, too.
The spiral of tables surrounding the fire was completely filled to the brim with these plentiful dishes, perfectly inviting to any palette present. This little village had stolen away with so many cultural recipes that Panne counted dishes from at least two other continents. Reinvented or borrowed, it didn't really matter. The fire snapped like the ravenous jaws of the villagers who eagerly awaited the signal to feast. Sceptile extended his gnarled arm outwards, and the frenzy began.
As the hordes pushed inwards and the outskirts cleared, Panne finally saw him. A Servine on the edge of the commotion, a bandage on his tail and a bewildered expression on his face. She didn't even hesitate plow towards him through the waves of bodies. Boisterous laughter and carefree string instruments filled the air, yet her own breath caught in her throat as she made her approach. What was she even going to say? Their eyes met across way, but she still didn't know.
"Val, I-" the Delphox tried to begin, her voice nearly buried beneath the festivities.
"Don't bother," he immediately said before she could gather up her thoughts. "I just needed some time to myself, that's all. I wasn't far."
"But did you have to worry me half to death?!"
The Servine shrugged. "No matter what I did, you were going to worry to death anyway. Nothing I could've done about it."
"You could've-!" She winced backwards, recoiling at the turmoil that was figuring out what to say next. His expression went rigid like he was about to go through yet another verbal lashing. Her stomach twisted in knots at the sight. "You just- We're... We're leaving tomorrow morning. The Spiritomb's been hard at work being an affront to god out there, but we're here until then." Panne shot a glance back at the feast. unable to keep herself from salivating even now. It was an unavoidable truth that she hasn't had a good meal since Serene Village, and neither had he. "We might as well make the most of the time we have to ourselves, right?"
Although he kept his eyes trained in the distance, his vines went down to his belly. "Yeah. I guess you're right. They brought out some-uh, some weird stuff though."
"I know, I know! Tribals and wildlings and moral dilemmas and whatever! Look, we can just go to the other side of the tables! There's plenty of other things to try!" Panne reached her hand out towards him, hesitating right before grabbing his vine. What felt like a thousand thoughts came rushing through her head all at once. Doubt and yearning combined into a confusing mess of signals, freezing every muscle in her body.
"...You going to just stand there or what?"
A cough broke her silence. "I- Sh-Shut up! I didn't want to be too assertive again! I don't know- Dammit let's just eat before all the plates get demolished!" She finally completed the motion and pulled him along, her heart still racing way faster than it had any right to be.
Thankfully enough, it seemed that the chefs were more than prepared to deal with the first wave of gnashing teeth. Extra helpings of whatever had already been ripped through were steadily brought out by the helpers, who seemed to use the duty to get first dibs. Panne dragged the Servine straight to the herbivorous section to keep him away from an ethical question and to keep her away from temptation. Vallion blinked at the endless variety that was so generously laid out before him. The buzz of satisfaction-and of inebriation-surrounded them.
He shot a nervous glance back towards her. "This is too much. I don't even know where to begin.
"Well it doesn't matter where! You just start." The Delphox pushed him towards one of the many colorful salads that went mostly unscathed in the chaos. "Your taste buds are different now, right? Just go and figure out what you like now! Otherwise nobody can tell you and you'll never know!"
When they finally did get around to trying the cuisine, the tangible anxiousness that had gripped Panne all day seemed to melt away. It was hard to stay upset with a mouthful of buttery carrots that were grilled to perfection and seasoned with expert accuracy. Even Vallion seemed to perk up at the second or third dish, his stony gaze finally softening up for the first time since the Viridian. Everybody just seemed so infectiously carefree as well-almost downright friendly, which was a little surprising considering the company they kept. The joyous beat of the music only amplified the feeling, as did the heat of the fire that wrapped so snugly around her.
It was as if the universe was begging the Delphox to let her guard down. Though she was getting by just fine on the rare sugared fruits and prepared veggies, there was always the lingering promise of meat on the other side of the table. She cursed at the chefs of this random hodunk village for being so skilled at their craft. Come on! What would Vallion think if he saw her eating that stuff? With their relationship apparently as shaky as it was, the last thing she needed was to stir up trouble with however he decides to see it.
She could turn her nose to half the buffet all she wanted, though it would be downright rude to turn down all the gifts that were offered to her. When it came to the wooden bowls of wine being passed around, even she was vulnerable to the spirit of the festival. The liquid appeared almost black in the glare of the fire and emitted a very pungent sickly-sweetness that burned in her nose. She soon discovered that the concoction was based off of Tanga berries, and after the immediate repulsion faded she performed a few extra tests just to make sure her palette was correct. Once she got used to its bite, however, it became exceedingly easy to wash the food down with, and the sheer generosity of the village ensured her bowl be refilled.
Many discoveries were made after Panne underestimated the strength of that wine. Firstly, that she did not have nearly enough mental fortitude as she thought she did while the world was spinning and the bonfire was bright. Second, that the meat tasted just as good as it smelled. Her sharp teeth did exactly as they were intended by nature to do, though everything was so tender that she didn't need to put in much effort. It's not like these pokemon were going to get revived if she refrained, anyway. Vallion probably didn't even see her do it, honestly. It was hard to see anything in a crowd like this.
Panne wasn't the only one that had gotten swept up in the spirit of the party. Jirachi carried Dedenne into the sky to avoid the packed ground level, but ended up having to dodge bickering birds and insects instead. Ampharos had stolen the attention of a great number of pokemon in his heroic stupor while Mawile lingered closely by his side. Volcarona boasted at the top of her lungs to nobody in particular and stuffed her face in the same breath. Altaria danced through the sky with such grace that she had attracted a small flock. Kadabra stood on the sidelines mostly, but the fact that she was here at all was impressive on its own.
"Well aren't you a rebellious little ball of fluff tonight?" a melodic voice rang behind her.
Ah. And then there was him. The Delphox took another gulp of wine and turned her head. "Mismagius, have you ever considered greeting people to their face? Instead of directly behind their head?"
"Nope. Never." The ghost floated around her, sniffing at the bowl in her hands. "I'm just surprised you're in a carnivorous mood is all. You've been living in the city so long that it's hard to even imagine you eating meat. That and I thought you'd be the kind of person that fasts when they get stressed out."
"What? I don't do that at all. Quit assuming stuff." Panne scraped the last of the tender flesh from the bone she held and tossed the rest back onto the plate. "Just because I normally eat a civilized diet doesn't mean I'm not a Braix- I mean, I'm not a Delphox. These pokemon aren't just gonna get up and walk away if nobody eats them now! It's way too late to convince the chefs not to slaughter someone for the festival feast, might as well not waste what they're giving."
Mismagius tilted his head forward. "You sure you're not just moving your own goalposts? Is this something you'll regret when you're sober, I wonder? Or are you drinking to forget about the Spiritomb's recent work?"
She huffed loudly and shooed him away. "Geez, you've been nothing but nosy since I got here! And that's saying something with you! Why would I start taking advice from someone who's already died once?"
"Oho! My goodness, I've heard you be snappy before, but never like that! Perhaps you should drink more often." The ghost chuckled, glancing around the immediate area before leaning in. "While we're doing this, you got any other choice words for anyone else around here? I'd love to hear just how honest you can be right now."
"Whatever. Go haunt someone else, I've already been taken by that goddamn Spiritomb." The Delphox took a mighty swig of her bowl and sauntered off in the opposite direction, narrowly avoiding other pokemon in her path. What were a few pieces of meat even going to mean? Was he going to blame birds for flying, or fish for swimming? Was he gonna tattle on her to Vallion like a school bully? It's not like her answer was going to change!
The music began to change. Instruments cut out one by one, their final chords ringing in the air as the vibrations faded. The current musicians seemed to swap places with many older-looking pokemon, most of which higher evolution stages or just more wrinkled in general. A few experimental strums and some tuned strings later, a new melody rose above the crackle of the fire. The difference in quality between the last performers and these ones was immediately apparent. Not quite as lively, but far crisper and way more deliberate. Many of the villagers began to sway along to the dulcet tones like they'd known it all their lives, a few of which even singing along. With their bellies full and their heads hazy, it seemed as though the whole festival seemed to start to dance.
It wasn't really those on the ground that were impressive, but instead the sky. Swarms of flying or floating pokemon took to the air in a nail-biting display of maneuvers and turns as they danced around one another. Dalo led a sizable chunk of the airborne waltz, but there were a few other popular leaders as well. Altaria had already been delicately weaving through the dusk with a trail of admirers since before the song, and Volcarona's scaly embers trailing through the night attracted a lot of attention on their own. The whole sight was positively dazzling, but Panne knew she could do better. These people haven't seen anything yet.
Panne made her way through the masses, dodging limbs and scanning the sea of movement for a familiar green. Several villagers approached her and offered up themselves as partners to dance with, and just as many were instantly turned down. There was only person she was willing to do this with, and like usual, he was exceedingly difficult to spot from a distance. Even through the deafening curtain of the wine, a handful of anxious thoughts sneaked their way in. What if he was being hounded just the same as she was? Would that be too stressful for him right now? Worse yet, what if he actually accepted one of them? God, what if it was Kadabra?
She thankfully found Vallion alone as he closely examined the masterful play of the musicians rather than getting intimate with anyone. "What, no one to dance with?"
The Servine almost seemed startled to have seen her at all. "I mean- I guess not. I could probably find someone if I really wanted, but it's not like I even remember how to dance anyway. It'd just be embarrassing."
"Oh come on! You're definitely vastly overestimating how difficult dancing is. Just look around you! Does all that really seem so hard?"
He briefly glanced behind her, a bored look on his face. "...Yes?
"It's not!" Panne knelt down beside him and attempted not to fall completely over. "You know what? It'd probably seem pretty hard if you had to dance with a twig like Kadabra or something, but it was totally natural for us! I guarantee that I can teach you how to dance again in like, two minutes tops!"
"Wha- Absolutely not! There's no way in hell I'm agreeing to that!" He twisted away, turning his nose to the sky. "How did you even intend on doing that, anyway? Servine's don't have arms! It doesn't work!"
"Oh yeah it does. It totally does. You have no idea how well it does." Panne flashed him a wide grin, but somewhere in the back of her mind was the truth that she, in fact, had no freaking clue how to dance like they were. They were around the same height when she was still a Braixen, but now she had an extra two feet of height to account for.
Vallion bemusedly looked down at his lithe body, wiggling the vestigial leaves he would have called hands. She could practically see the thought process unfold from behind his eyes. "I don't know. I can't even imagine what it would look like. We're already shaped so differently, and my arms..."
"Who cares about your arms? Never stopped you before!" She grabbed his sides and pulled him forward, relieved to even have the opportunity to get so close. "You can't just give up before you've started! Don't you wanna figure it out? Doesn't it seem like an interesting part of your past? If there's anything we learned over the last few years, it's that if you want to find something out, you just have to go for it!"
"H-hold on! I don't even know- Wait!" When he unfurled his vines to push her arms away, she grabbed them instead and pulled him towards the bustling crowd around the fire.
The music's heartbeat rippled through the air, filling her ears and resonating in her chest. Vallion stared at her like a trapped wildling, but she just stared back with a toothy grin. He looked so handsome in this light. "You're never going to be able to have this moment again," she said. "You might have another like it later, but it's never going to be the way it is now. How much do you think your old self would pay to be able to dance with me for the first time again?"
His struggles stopped all at once. He blinked at her, his mouth slightly ajar and a breath stuck in his throat. "Why? Why do you have to be so persistent?"
"Because I love you. Now shush, the music's picking up. Grab my arms and just try to move with it for now." His vines spiraled slowly around her wrists after a bit of reluctance. It was such a wonderful feeling that the Delphox nearly forgot about the bubbles of fear that rumbled around in her stomach. Of course it couldn't quite be like the first time. Vallion had already loved her then, so there was nothing to worry about. Not like now. A swell in the song warned of the coming chorus, pulling a nervous chuckle out from behind her tongue.
Their first steps were exactly as clumsy as Panne feared they would be. Vallion started to freeze up while she tried to make the most of their lack of coordination. A lot of tugging and pulling just to try to get him to move with the music. It wasn't helping that her lanky new body didn't quite function the same as the old one did. And the stupid dress kept getting in the way. And she was still too tipsy to move her feet with much accuracy. And she had to bend her legs in a specific way just to somewhat match his height.
It was frustrating as all hell, but with enough persistence on her part, the Servine finally started to find his rhythm. Even in the flickering glow of the fire, she could see him blushing as he avoided eye contact as much as possible. A pattern emerged in their movements, however pathetic and off-balance it kinda was. Vallion still couldn't quite figure out how to break free of his rigidness. Panne couldn't resist suddenly dropping down to his level and pressing the ends of their snouts together.
Vallion gasped, leaning his head back as far as it would go. "Knock it off! I'm trying to focus!"
"I know. It's cute. Here, I think I have an idea." Panne rushed in a quick lick on his nose before she straightened her back again. Still hanging on to his vines, she put her arms above her head and started to spin, wrapping him up in the same motion. The Servine was quickly forced to spin in the opposite direction to untie himself. "Yeah, see? That's almost kind of a dance, isn't it? We could probably make something out of that!"
One tiny dance move at a time, they managed to improve enough that they weren't bumping into people every half a minute. The shade of red beneath Val's scales faded away the more comfortably they could move around one another. Though he was biting his lip in concentration most of the time, little bubbles of laughter still made it past his teeth. But it didn't have to stop here, oh no. This wasn't even the beginning of what they used to do. Panne knelt down to his level once more. "Hey, do you trust me?"
His eyebrows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"This was all just a warm up. I haven't actually showed you how we really used to dance. Still wanna find out?" He gave a singular, very cautious nod in response. The fluttering in her stomach intensified, but she put on the bravest face she could muster. "Try not to freak out, okay? I know how to do this."
Panne let the vines fall from her wrists. After taking in as deep a breath as she physically could, she spread her fingers wide and let the heat deep inside her chest start to pulse. Fluttering embers started to rise up from her hands and catch on the wind. The ones she caught mid-air with her powers started to smoulder and grow, blossoming into a small swarm of crimson wisps. The new color wasn't quite as surprising as the fact that controlling them was almost effortless by this point. They barely seemed to weigh on her mind at all. Her confidence renewed, the Delphox extended her wrists for Vallion to grab once more.
After eyeing the flames nervously for some time, Vallion slowly grabbed her hands and tried to get back into the groove. He ended up falling back into his old habits rather quickly, leaving her to do too much leading to control her wisps. "Quit staring, they're not going to hurt you," Panne said. "Just do like you were doing before. Ignore them if you have to."
The Servine winced when the flames came close, only to realize that they didn't give off any heat of their own. They were more like extensions of her hands-little fingertips waving in time with the music. As Panne circled the Servine in a slow dance, they moved in the opposite direction around they like shooting stars. She knelt lower and brought their faces close, the lights flickering brightly as if mimicking the way her heart jumped. Every movement they made was accompanied with a wave of red streaks. They rose and fell, spiraled and twirled, sneaking between their arms and around their heads. It was the most she had ever danced with at once.
Of course, such a technique wasn't going to go unnoticed in a gathering like this. Many of the villagers stopped dancing themselves just so that they could gawk at the dazzling show. Panne brought Vallion as close as she could and let the wisps swirl around him like curious insects. He didn't even try to pull away at the show of intimacy, either. Vallion didn't even seem to notice the crowd at all anymore. The flames had enclosed the two of them into their own little world. They sparkled in his eyes, highlighting the gorgeous molten amber of his irises.
Whether it was from fatigue or something else, one of the wisps flew out of her control for a moment, zipping out of sync and shooting off in a random direction. She quickly pivoted her focus and snatched it back up. Something still didn't feel quite right. The wisps followed her commands just the same as ever, yet the trails they left seemed to favor whichever way they wanted. A sense of foreboding suddenly struck like a boulder being dropped into a pond. The surprise caused the Delphox to falter for a mere second, but that was all the time it took for her flames to whip towards Vallion.
He gasped and recoiled away, tripping over himself in the process and landing on his back. The wisps dissipated harmlessly into the air almost immediately, but the damage had been done. Panne tried to reach out towards him and collapsed just the same. Her legs felt like they'd turned to jelly, and the alcohol in her stomach was ready to crawl its way up her throat at a moment's notice. The distressed apology on the tip of her tongue was cut short by the overwhelming nausea. She read it in his expression. Confusion. Fear. Betrayal. This was her one shot and she had utterly failed in the end.
She didn't even give him the time to calm down. As soon as there was some strength in her legs, the Delphox ran. Past the onlookers, past her friends, through the houses and into the jungle. Gasping and heaving for breath, she lowered her head and crashed through the brush. The music had almost faded entirely behind her before she was forced to double over and vomit into the darkness. The scene replayed behind her eyelids over and over, unrelenting and horrible. She could still so clearly hear the sound of the wisps as they twisted around and blasted towards him. She knew they were practically harmless, why did she feel so scared then? Why did she still feel scared now?
Rustling in distant bushes met her ears. Her friends called out from afar, shouting her name into the night. Panne didn't bother to respond. If she spoke up she'd probably just start puking again. The whole world seemed like it was spinning out of control. The Delphox slipped backwards and let herself fall into a bed of leaves, rolling the saliva around in her mouth just to keep her stomach down. What was this hollow feeling, though? It felt like she had just watched Vallion get hurt. Even though he was calling out from darkness too, visions of his horror were burned into her mind.
A deep, rumbling hum came from above her. Of course it was Hydreigon that found her. "Are you okay, Panne? Aside from being intoxicated? It takes most Delphox an entire coven to use their clairvoyance like that. At least, it does when they start out, that is." The dragon descended through the branches and landed with a crunch. "Your control is impressive, even for someone of your skill. It's just that your body can't really keep up with it yet."
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do!" Panne hissed, scratching at the tree beside her as she pulled herself to a wobbly stand. "And don't talk to me like I don't know what I am! I've been me for over eight years, I think I know a little more about what I'm doing than you do!"
"Fine, fine. I was operating under the assumption that someone who had became a Delphox not twenty four hours ago would be a little more confused about what their abilities. I suppose that was wrong."
She doubled over as her nausea spiked. If that was clairvoyance, what the hell was it supposed to mean? "Well how would you know in the first place? You're a Hydreigon! Or is this just part of how you're a know-it-all that refuses to be wrong about something? Is that it? Do you just wanna rub everything you can in my face?"
Hydreigon gave a grunt of disapproval. "It's actually part of the fact that I'm thousands of years old, but I suppose you could come to that conclusion, too. Honestly, I'm only ever trying to help you. One thing I don't understand is why you're always so hostile. What have I done to deserve all the ire you've thrown at me?"
"Oh come on! How about you look in a mirror once in a while? You're one of the least trustworthy pokemon I have ever met! Who would trust someone with a species like yours who acts so friendly and impartial? Who would trust someone as old as you to not keep secrets from everyone? The Voice of Life! Well you know what Xerneas did? They let me disappear back into Mew as soon as I wasn't useful anymore! I was not told until it was already happening. So what's the twist now? What's in the fine print that we weren't shown?"
"Nothing," the dragon said, having excised all emotion from their tone. "I do keep secrets. They aren't helpful to you now, and they aren't helpful to anyone. There is nothing to gain from knowing them. I have said all that needed to be said regarding our current situation to all the people that needed to hear it. Panne, there's nothing more I have to say to you that you don't already know. My intentions to help Vallion are as good as they come."
The Delphox wiped the spittle from her mouth and snarled. "But what do you care?! Why would you go so far out of your way to help him? I know we asked you, but you could've easily just told us what to do and left!"
"Vallion saved the world and the Tree of Life, as did you. Why wouldn't I help?"
"Because- Because you-!"
Hydreigon's three heads glowered over her. "Because he's only mortal? Because it's not my problem? Even if I was selfish enough to write away the fragile, finite lives of all the pokemon on earth-and I am not-but if I was, Vallion is still a human. Just because his purpose was completed doesn't make him any less impactful to the future. Frankly, protecting humans is one of my top priorities. It's ironic that you'd be this troublesome with me now considering how difficult it was to deal with Mew all those years ago."
"Well I'm not Mew! And Val isn't the same human! But you- you're always the Voice of Life, aren't you? You've always been manipulating history and people, huh? Just like how you've been manipulating Val all this time." Panne growled, her hands starting to shake from the adrenaline. "And you know what? Nobody with a clear conscience would ever like Alexander. He was an absolutely terrible person! His actions tore an entire mystery dungeon apart, which killed I don't even know how many pokemon! All because he stole a kid from their parents, too! Did you happen to know all that about your favorite little human?"
She saw the dragon recoil a bit, sending waves of triumph through her chest. Any reaction at all was a victory. "...Alex? Yes, I do happen to be aware of what he did. Had I been there, maybe I would have been able to convince him to take a different path, but the past is already written now...This is about Vallion, though, isn't it? The two humans that met on that day?"
"I will kill you," Panne said, clear and concise. "You lay a hand on him, or trick him, or betray him at all-I will take you down. You don't scare me."
Hydreigon had the gall to chuckle in her face after that. They backed away, shaking their head as a few quiet laughs fell from their center mouth. "Ah, you really are still so much like her. I suppose I had always figured that this was the case for Alex. He never did tell me who the human he had fought with was, but the signs were always there. Now there's no more need for guessing."
"Are you listening to me? Stay the hell away from him until your job is done!"
"How else am I meant to protect him like you wanted me to? This whole time, you've been assuming that I wanted revenge for what happened with Alexander. This is something we could have cleared up days ago if you would have just spoken up. There are so many things that mortals wait far too long to say." The dragon glanced towards the ground and backed even further away, sinking into the darkness almost seamlessly "I don't blame Vallion for what happened. I'm not merely pretending to help him to get close. You are the one that has to let go. Otherwise, whatever misfortune may happen will happen because of you."
Panne squinted as hard as she could, but they had disappeared completely. There were no wing flaps-not even the sound of the foliage rustling. "Remember your promise! Don't you dare forget!" she shouted to the emptiness. Nothing responded. Not the voices of her worried friends that had all but seemed to disappear, not the crash of the wind through the trees, and not the Hydreigon she so dearly hated. Just the continuous drumbeat rhythm from a festival that no longer radiated any joy at all.