On the outskirts of Sea Faire a little ways into the woods that cover the path between the port town and the rest of the continent a Pokemon is running for his life from the group pursuing him. They had been chasing him for many days now and he felt he couldn't go on much longer with the injuries he had sustained. After making his way into the woods he seemed to shake those trailing him but he continued for a while longer before deciding it was enough. Searching around the injured Pokemon finds shelter in a hollow tree trunk. After finally escaping from his pursuers and making sure his surroundings are safe he passes out to recuperate from his wounds. Not far behind was another pokemon who had been following the scent of the injured ones blood. He had heard the confrontation and chased off the pursuers after the victim ran before tracking him down to act as a guard while he rested.
At the same time the Elder, Bloom, and Phy were patrolling through the forest with the old guild leader, an aged Mudsdale who was looking for his replacement that was supposed to arrive today and take over the position of guild leader. The position of Vice Leader would stay empty until the new leader found someone capable of the position. The Mudsdale went by the name Trample, it was the nickname he had gotten early in his training years at the Association after running over a group of outlaws when he was still a young and reckless recruit. Back then he had just evolved into a Mudsdale from Mudbray and was eager to show off and prove that he was capable.
Not far ahead of the older pokemon young Phy was tracking a scent that held heavy traces of iron which could be none other than blood. Nose to the ground she tracked the scent to a small alcove where the scent mixed with others. She could smell four different pokemon, one was the one who was bleeding and heavily injured, two were the ones to cause the injuries and the final one was an unknown. Trample joined her to take in the scent and recognized the unknown scent as the pokemon they were out here searching for. Granted they had side tracks as the smell of blood had hung heavy in the air and as the two leading factions of the town of Sea Faire they held the responsibility to look into anything that could be a threat or accident.
Phy, while learning the history and development of Sea Faire also spent her free time at the guild to learn about the duties of adventurers and rescue teams to increase her knowledge of things past their borders made up of the woods and the bay waters. In larger towns where there are more big shots she had learned that there was much prejudice against hybrids and delta types like herself. The pureblooded pokemon there, at least one in high positions outside of the guild, found her kind unfavorable and called their blood tainted. She had also learned of the different kinds of towns, about outlaws, and much more. There was so much to learn about the world she lived in that she couldn't help but want to learn as much as she could, good or bad. Currently this was a case of the worse side of her world knowledge, the injured pokemon carried a mixed scent about himself that gave away he was a hybrid, smelling somewhat of two pokemon at once yet not smelling fully like either. The scent told Phy he was a Flareon hybrid with the other side being part Cosmog according to Trample. He went on to say it made a very strange combination but not the strangest he had seen. He continued to inform them that his replacement was an Absol hybrid with the other part being Houndoom and that he was four years older than Phy.
As they continued to follow the scent further into the woods and away from town the evidence of a struggle or fight started to make itself pronounced in their surroundings. Some trees were scorched and smoking, others were completely crushed by an unknown force and flung about, rocks were shattered to pebbles and blood dotted the surroundings. Phy scrunched up her nose while Bloom gasped and covered her eyes. The Elder and Trample just looked at each other and shook their heads sadly in understanding. Whoever the Flareon hybrid fought off had intended to kill him and leave no trace. Bloom had only faced something so heartbreaking one other time and that was when she had been taken in by her Arcanine father back when she was just a Fomantis.
The two scents they picked out as the ones they wanted both headed in the same direction where they seemed to get stronger. Phy continues to follow the scent with her grandfather while Bloom stayed behind while Trample accompanied her to help calm her down. Now that they were so close to their desired marks they approached cautiously as to not cause any misconception of their intent. Phy took the lead with the Elder supporting her as they went until they finally reached a fairly dense area of undergrowth around the base of a hollow tree trunk. Inside rested the injured Flareon hybrid while nearby on a patch of grass the Absol hybrid Trample had been waiting for, rested. At their approach his hackles raised and he bared his teeth at the two in an attempt to protect the sleeping injured pokemon.
"Calm down we mean you no harm young guild master. We came to search for you with Trample after you were delayed and came across the scent of this injured one in our search. We have come to take you both back and to tend to his injuries." The Elder stepped forward and spoke to assuage the worries of the younger pokemon and tilted his head bearing his neck to show he meant no harm. Phy watched this exchange and copied her grandfather's action and showed her neck as a sign of good intent. After looking back and forth between the two the hybrid finally relaxed a bit but still eyed them. His old mentor Trample was well known on this continent and others it wouldnt be hard to know about him and that he presided over the guild of the port town of Sea Faire. What made him fully relax was that not many should know he was to be the next guild master nor that he had come here for that purpose. Dipping his head in apology he introduced himself.
"My name is Cairn. If you are friends of my mentor then I see no reason to bear you ill will." After he had introduced himself the Elder had intended to do the same but he was shocked to see out of the corner of his eye that while he and Cairn assessed each other Phy had made her way to the hollow where the injured pokemon slept and had pushed her nose into his neck for. Phy was quite curious of this gray pokemon that seemed to carry the stars and galaxy in his fur. The tips of his ears and paws were pink, the inside of his ears were a dark blue and his neck fur that fluffed out into a cloud as well as his tail went from pink to purple to blue with shiny specks of light inside. Sometimes it would seem like a drop of blue would fall from the starry fur before fading after long. Feeling a cold sensation on the back of his neck the Flareon tried hard to quickly open his eyes but only succeeded in slowly blinking them open while raising his head revealing his eyes to be yellow and pink with blue semicircles around the bottom of his eyes. Phy was fascinated with his coloration and lowered herself to touch her blue nose with his pink one.
"Hello there, my name is Chlorophynta but you can call me Phy. Don't worry, you're safe now. We will protect you." Gently she rubbed her nose back and forth against his showing she meant what she said. Blinking his eyes to focus more his vision finally cleared and he could make out the strange rockruff before him.
"My name...is Ceris. At least that's what the pokemon who kept me captive told me." Phy perked her ears up at that but continued to speak soothingly to Ceris.
"We will take you back to our home in Sea Faire. You can rest and recover there and you don't have to worry about the ones that hurt you anymore. I won't let them near you. I'll make sure of it." Narrowing her eyes gently she licked Ceris's nose. Looking at him she felt a connection to him just like she did to her mother and grandfather. To her Ceris was already family and she intended to protect him. She had grown quite agitated upon picking up his scent when they started to search for Cairn and became quite invested in tracking him. While she knew he was close in age to her she still had the strong urge grr e to find him and let him know it was okay. What she didn't know that this was a trait bestowed upon the leading family of Sea Faire generations before by the first generation, a psychic type who wanted to make sure tr hat all those who carried the family line on in the future would know by pure instinct in their heart and soul who their family without blood relation was. That's why they felt so strongly when adopting a child into the family and why they were so decisive from the first moment.
It was rare for two children to end up in the same generation but it was not unheard of. From watching Phys reaction the Elder knew that Ceris was to be her brother. Cairn watched Phy with a curiosity at her behavior knowing nothing of the old traditions or knowledge of the port town he was to now reside in. All he knew about Sea Faire is that it was older than the Association itself and that only the leading family knew the full history. While Sea Faire allowed a Guild to be built in its premises the town itself held more power than the Association and the Alliance combined. Ceris just felt an unknown warmth that continued to grow as he looked at Phy that he couldn't explain. His eyes drooped again as he drifted back into a slumber to recuperate his wounds.
Bloom and Trample finally caught up to the two who had gone ahead and had to take a moment to be caught up on what had happened by the Elder. When Bloom took a look towards her daughter and saw her with her head resting on her fore legs just staring gently at Ceris her heart beat rose. Seeing Ceris she felt the same feeling she felt when she first saw Phys egg. This pokemon was her child. Walking over she gently lifted Ceris up from beside Phy and motioned for her to follow. Rising to her paws Phy did just that and followed her mother back to where her grandfather, Trample, and the newly arrived Cairn were waiting to make their way back to town. The group made their journey back with Trample and the Elder taking the lead this time, Bloom carrying Ceris in the middle, and Phy and Cairn bringing up the rear. Cairn was quite curious about this Delta type Rockruff and her interaction with Ceris just moments before.
"Why did you do something like that to a pokemon you just met? He could have lashed out and hurt you for all you knew." He decided to breach the topic he was questioning about Phys actions in approaching Ceris.
"He wouldn't have hurt me." Phy stated matter of factly giving Cairn a curious glance.
"How do you know he wouldn't? He is injured and was defenseless. Pokemon in that situation lash out."
"He just wouldn't his soul wouldn't have let him just as mine refused to abandon him when I first picked up his scent."
"What do you mean by that?" Cairn was now confused more by the things she was saying but wasn't willing to let the topic drop.
"My soul told me that Ceris is meant to be family. You don't hurt or suspect your intended family."
"Family's hurt each other all the time!" Cairn growled in response to her seemingly careless words.
"Blood families do yes. But that's also a case where fates fell and they didn't have a choice in who their family was. This case is different, we are in no way bonded by anything else than our heart and souls desire to be a family. That bond is stronger than blood ties as blood can shed blood easily. You wouldn't do that to Trample though would you? You see him as family even if you don't admit it. That is the difference between what you say and what I mean." Phy turned her head and that and picked up her pace to reach Blooms side to check on Ceris.
Cairn stayed at the rear and digested her words. Chosen family and blood family were different? He felt that what she said made sense but the meaning was lost on him. Neither side of his family had ever liked him with his existence being that of a hybrid. Even if the slavery and outright abuse and thoughtless killing of hybrids and deltas had ended with the war hundreds of years ago prejudice still remained. Pure blood still took out frustration on their existence and looked down on them. Some outlaws even only hunted down hybrids or deltas specifically. This was just the way of the world and yet, looking at Phys family was that really true? There were two pure blood, an Arcanine and a lurantis who loved and cared for a delta and were more than willing to treat two hybrids they just met with respect. Shaking his head Cairn could only think of one thing. Sea Faire was going to be an interesting home from now on.