Fire Province: Town of Wildeburn: Age of Mew(waning): Year 656: The Wildeburn Summit, Part 7

Moonbrand Present: Bravero, Conlan, Mandy, Ornia, Rudo

"Match 6" Alvar announced with spread wings. "Mandy the mawile versus Xenon the sceptile, is about to begin! Pokemon ready…"

Mandy gulped as Xenon took a breath.

"Fight!"

"Hm." Xenon silently used a Laser Focus as his eyes scanned Mandy and the surrounding battlefield, almost as if time was slowing down just for him. With it, both Mandy's weak points, and soft spots in the arena's floor became easily visible to him.

"Oh, I hope this works" Mandy muttered under her breath before bringing one hand up to cover her mouth and staring at Xenon as pleadingly as she possibly could as she hoped to Arceus her Attract would work to the same effect as those she saw in Merc Madness. "You don't really wanna fight me, do you mister?" She asked.

"Eh-Oh!" Xenon shook off his initial doubts. She had almost had him.

"Nice try, kid." He responded. "But you're a little too young for that to work on me as effectively as you might want it to."

He fired a Focus Blast from his hands that hit Mandy in the chest as it knocked her backwards, across the arena.

"Ooof…" She groaned as she pulled herself up. "Well, that didn't work as well as I'd hoped, however…" She said as she used a Swords Dance to pick herself back up and move towards her opponent. "I can't back down!"

"That's courageous." Xenon nodded. "A mercenary needs courage, but that isn't enough!" He announced as he fired an Energy Ball from his mouth which Mandy managed to dodge by ducking under it as her head and false mouth began to harden into metal.

"Hrahh!" She yelled as she shot herself towards her opponent with an Iron Head, only to be caught by both hands by Xenon before she could actually do any damage.

"Sorry about this." He apologized before he shot another energy ball directly at point blank range.

Mandy found she could not get up after that blast rocketed her back to the other side of the arena once more.

"Mandy is no longer able to battle, which means the winner is Xenon!" Avlar announced. "He will advance to the next round!"

"Match 7 is up next!" Alvar continued to announce as Mandy rejoined the rest of Moonbrand, feeling rather down.

"Worry not, young mawile." Ornia offered. "With enough training, perhaps your attract can be on the level of a Fable noble's. That said, it would take a lot of training."

"Don't worry about it, Mandy." Rudo gave the mawile actual comfort. "He's a powerful pokemon, and you're still pretty new to all of this. You'll get stronger if you keep at it!"

"Razr the zoroark versus Jaslynn the decidueye!" Alvar remarked as the two pokemon took their places in the arena. "Pokemon ready, fight!"

"Hup!" Razr grinned as he shot an eerie Night Daze from his guitar, which was now in his hands rather than strung across his back.

"As predicted." Jaslynn nodded to herself as she hopped to avoid all the pulses save one which managed to graze her. "You are trying to end this match quickly. However, you misunderstand who will emerge victorious!" She screeched as she charged the zoroark head on with a U-Turn, only to be stopped by a well-timed block with Razr's guitar.

"I don't think you understand this battle, gorgeous." he winked with an Attract, causing Jaslynn to go red and slowly perch down in front of him. "It would be a waste to harm such fierce and determined womon. I'll tell you what though, I'm sure I can convince my teammates to help you out with whatever you need done if you'll do me the honor of allowing me to progress to the next round."

"I...I…" Jaslynn looked around bashfully. "Guess that would be okay…"

"That!" Mandy pointed as she nudged Rudo. "I want my Attract to be as effective as that!"

"It appears that Jaslynn has forfeited the match to Razr!" Alvar exclaimed "which means he moves on to the next round!"

"Finally!" Faden said as he made his way towards one side of the arena while Cochrane made his way to the other side.

"I must represent Queen Tashia to the greatest extent of my abilities." Cochrane nodded to Faden. "While you may have type, and perhaps even rank on your side, I can assure you that I am no pushover."

"Match 8, Faden the feraligatr versus Cochrane the charizard is about to begin!" Alvar announced.

"That's fine by me." Faden smiled. "As long as I finally get some action!"

"Pokemon ready...fight!"

"You may make the first move, opponent!" Cochrane called out.

"If you insist." Faden growled with a grin. "Here I come!" He shouted as he lunged towards Cochrane with a Waterfall attack.

"Hgnh…" Cochrane took the attack head-on, and was only barely able to keep his legs from buckling as he became drenched in water.

"Cochrane, what are you doing?" Satinka called out from the bleachers.

"THIS!" Cochrane yelled as he gripped Faden through the water, and tossed him straight into the ground of the arena, cracking the entire stretch of pavement.

"He knows Counter?" Conlan's eyes widened. He expected a move like Grass Knot or Solar Beam, but this was a rare sight for him.

"Sorry to cut your action short." Cochrane laughed before he was forced to take a knee.

"Damn that Waterfall was some powerful stuff."

"Faden is unable to battle, which means Cochrane is the last of the eight pokemon to move on to the next round!" Alvar smiled. "Now then...after some deliberation with the province rulers, here are the order of the matches!"

Match 1: Gertrude vs Rudo

Match 2: Nezarix vs Xenon

Match 3: Razr vs Cochrane

Match 4: Conlan vs Bravero

"Heck yeah!" Rudo jumped up. "Finally! I get to tear that bitchy gardevoir to pieces!"

"That's an awful lot of enthusiasm for such a vulgar sounding action." Gertrude noted. "But if you insist on not holding anything back against me, then I'll grant you the opportunity to fight me at my full potential."

"Match 1 between Gertrude the gardevoir and Rudo the riolu will now begin!" Alvar announced as both pokemon took their places in the arena. "Pokemon ready...fight!"

"You want to fight me so badly, child, I will allow it!" Gertrude announced as she rose her hand and immediately became shrouded in a pink mist.

"Misty Terrain." Ornia nodded. "It appears Gertrude truly is serious about fighting this partner of yours, Conlan. She hasn't resorted to Hypnosis in this battle. She must believe Rudo to be quite powerful."

"I think she might just be really immature." Conlan rubbed his head.

"Nonsense." Ornia disagreed. "Gertrude is strict, and rude, but she would never be so immature as to use force that she didn't deem necessary."

"Sure…." Conlan didn't quite believe what Ornia was saying, but decided to let it go and focus on the fight.

"Where are you hoping to hide?" Rudo growled as she lunged at Gertrude with a Shadow Claw. "I can see your aura through the mist, you know!"

The Shadow Claw struck Gertrude straight across her face, leaving a long, bright red gash.

"Oh my, I hope that doesn't ruin your beauty." She snapped sarcastically.

"You little-!" Gertrude wiped her bloody gash as she held up a hand and fired a Moonblast at Rudo. "You're going to regret that!"

"Hup!" Rudo flipped back as she avoided the Moonblast. "Am I?" She asked before lunging in again. "Force Palm!"

"Imbecilic girl." Gertrude yawned as she allowed Rudo to make contact, only for her to catch the riolu with one arm. "Were you hoping to paralyze me? I am aware of your dominant strategy. I've seen it before countless times. You are not the first, nor the most effective to use it!"

As she finished belittling Rudo, Gertrude let loose a Dazzling Gleam attack, which Rudo, thankfully for her, was able to close her eyes in time to avoid as she attacked with a blind Shadow Claw that missed its mark as Gertrude let go of her opponent, and fired another Moonblast.

"I can sense it." Rudo boasted as she dodged the attack once more. "Your moves have a similar aura to yourself."

"Perhaps it's time I switch gears then?" Gertrude gave Rudo a devious grin. She spread her arms and with a quick twirl and a thrust, the misty terrain began to dissipate, leaving a sparking Gertrude looking down at Rudo, who found herself rather unable to move.

"So...pretty…" She mumbled.

"Why thank you, little one." Gertrude smiled as she rose her hand again. "Now then…"

She fired yet another Moonblast, this one hitting Rudo in the chest and sending the riolu skidding across the arena.

Rudo looked back up at the sparkling gardevoir, and once again realized she had a tough time moving as she instead focused on how almost regal her opponent looked.

"Oh, that's not good for Rudo." Ornia realized. "She's been hit bad by Gertrude's own Attract attack."

"What?" Conlan rose his brow. "But I know Rudo doesn't-"

"Gertrude's Attract is...a unique case." Comfort the comfey said as he hovered near Conlan.

"She uses it not to inspire feelings of love or lust, but instead to entrance pokemon into legitimate immobility!" Caress the other comfey expanded as he did the same.

"She better snap out of that trance soon then, otherwise one of us is going to be in for a rough time, eh Conlan?" Bravero noted.

"Yeah." Conlan agreed.

"If you cannot move, then perhaps it would be best to end this quickly." Gertrude announced as she began to use Dazzling Gleam once more. One again, however, Rudo managed to avoid the blinding light, however, when she opened her eyes again, she could feel herself lock into place.

"Can't...move...too...entranced!"

"I am the leader of Team Kirei of Fable for a reason, child." Gertrude said as she brought her head down to Rudo's level. "And you are in need of a punishment for your poor behavior towards a superior."

She rose her hand, and fired a Moonblast.

It was clear that Gertrude had won this battle.

"Oh...shit." Conlan realized. "I need to get out on that field, now!"

"She's not dead, you know." Ornia sighed. "She only lost consciousness."

"That's the problem!" Conlan called back as he rushed out.

"You...dare-" Rudo's body began to speak in the demonic voice as it rose up to face Gertrude immediately before being grabbed by Conlan and paraded into the wilderness beyond the arena.

"Well...should one of us follow them?" Gertrude asked.

"No!" Nezarix quickly stood up from his seat, causing heads to turn his way. "Trust me...it's not something any of us want to see."

"Will he be back for his match?" Bravero asked.

"Probably." Nezarix nodded. "Which reminds me that I suppose now is my turn again!"

Fire Province: Blaze Desert(30F Mystery Dungeon) 29F: Age of Mew(waning): Year 656: Crustle's Caravan, Part 7

Moonbrand Present: Bennett, Gina, Magdalene, Verden

The sandy dunes of the desert had slowly begun to be replaced by craggy badlands, host to tough and resilient flora growing out of the cracks in the ground.

Rain was clearly at most a once-a-year occurrence.

The sun was beginning to set in the sky, and the arid air was remarkably cooler thanks to both the change in time and the change in location.

"We're almost to the end of this legends forsaken mystery dungeon." Cassius sighed as Gina and Magdalene rode with him in the rear cart while Bennett and Verden maintained diligent watch over the left and right sides of the caravan respectively. "I'm sorry about what happened to your leg."

"It's fine." Gina responded. "I'm told there's a healer in Geotherm, so Verden and I will stop there after the mission."

"Don't leave me alone with the ghost." Magdalene pleaded as she worked on making sure that all the items in the carts were securely stacked so that those with more value were buried under the more expendable ones.

"There. Even if those thieves do manage to break into the carts, they'd need to know where everything was beforehand if they wanted the stuff that would really sell."

"I appreciate the assistance." Cassius muttered shyly. "This mission must be taking a toll on all four of you."

Gina and Magdalene looked at each other, each one unsure of where this shy praise was coming from.

"Aren't you in some sort of hurry?" Magdalene finally asked. "You were quite impatient when we met you outside the mystery dungeon."

"I suppose I'm more calm now that we're almost through." Cassius smiled.

Gina's eyes narrowed and she attempted to stand up, but her leg kept her down.

"Don't push yourself!" Magdalene walked over to her to make sure she was alright.

"I won't." Gina promised.

Meanwhile, Verden and Bennett were having their own conversation towards the head of the caravan.

"So, we're almost to the end of the desert then?" Bennett asked.

Verden nodded. "Yes, and if my experience as a slaver has taught me anything, it's that a lot of ne'er-do-wells like to set up camps on these end floors. We've almost arrived at Geoid Mesa, where I'm willing to bet our thieves have set up their camp."

"I remember Grutyme saying that there were four thieves back when we first arrived at the oasis." Bennett brought up. "How does each one of us taking on one thief sound?"

"Good in theory." Verden replied "However, we have an injured Gina, a caravan that needs protection, and a magikarp to save if at all possible. I've been trying to reach the other Moonbrand members, but nothing but an emergency warp function shows any signs of working, and that would involve us forfeiting the mission entirely and returning to Lightgrasp. I'd rather not have anyone press that button for obvious reasons."

"The CASH MONEY!" Bennett exclaimed.

"Sure, Bennett." Verden laughed. "Just be on your guard. The thieves allegedly use poison and 'mind-moves', whatever those are. I'm willing to bet they're moves to cause confusion, but you never know.

"Mind-moves…" Bennett mumbled to himself as he began to think back to a few of his earlier fights in the mission.

"What was wrong with me back then?" He quietly wondered.

As the two continued to walk, their heliolisk shadow scurried to various desert trees behind them as he kept an eye on them.

"Hajari." A voice cooed behind him.

The heliolisk spun around. "Was that-?" He wondered for a brief moment, before turning back to shadow his marks, only to come face to face with a yellow Oricorio.

"Ah!" The heliolisk backed up. "Look, sir, I can explain-!"

"If the caravan gets to Geotherm, you know who wins this silly Fire Province civil war?" The oricorio asked, before giving his own answer. "A single side. You were supposed to have manipulated the thieves in the area to neutralize the objective back before they even reached the oasis, when they'd be exhausted and at each other's throats!"

"They're coming up on the thieves' campsite now, sir!" Hajari croaked to curry favor. "Rest assured, the caravan will be stopped and the loose ends will be, kekek, taken care of."

"No. The loose ends you are talking about are to remain alive as witnesses. The battle about to take place at Geotherm is going to be the perfect opportunity. Just when her back is against wall, and Tashia has no one else to turn to, that's when we of the Electric Province will swoop in and save the day, proving to the Queen that remaining with the UGM is a benefit! For this plan to work, you need to follow your orders exactly, do you understand? Or would you rather we send you back into Silverstorm's dungeon, this time on death row?"

"Kyeh!" Hajari hissed. "Of course, but what if the bandits themselves prove to be able to do away with the guards? I've observed them. They don't belong to the same Moonbrand as the days of old. This one is new, and besides the human leader, has no true renown or uniqueness. Other than perhaps a ragtag group of children, veteran failures, and reforming criminals."

"If you really think that the bandits will kill the guards themselves, then you should deal with them." The oricorio responded as he sighed. "In case I wasn't clear, I meant kill the thieves, not the guards. Understood, Hajari?"

"Keh. Understood, sir." The heliolisk nodded seriously, before the oricorio motioned for him to take his leave and catch up to the caravan.

When he was absolutely sure that Hajari was gone, the oricorio let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh man…" He reached into a pouch on his waist and poured the nectar down his throat as he returned to his natural red Baile style forme. "How was that?" He asked. "Too demanding?"

"It was fine." Inkeri smiled as she walked up and stood in front of him, offering the bird another pouch to put on his sash. "You must be tired after the week I've been putting you through."

"I'll say!" He squawked. "First you have me stationed in the Electric Province keeping an eye on any UGM activity, then you move me straight to Emberguard to play babysitter for a visiting noble, then you pull me away from that to watch the new Moonbrand go about their espionage mission! Do you know how degrading it felt to be a clock? I've said it once, Boss, I'll say it again. I might be a good spy, but I still have my limits. Sometimes I feel like you're asking me to be in three places at once! Why not hire some other spies for help?"

"The point of putting the mercenary teams who don't normally specialize in espionage missions is to gauge who has the best aptitude for it." Inkeri replied. "I've been busy too you know. It's not just Moonbrand that I'm the boss of. But it is just Moonbrand that I'm involving you directly with. You're the first in a long time to show so much aptitude for deception and stealth during my training regiment. That's why I'm confident you can handle what I ask of you."

"I guess I would let you know up front if you really were asking too much, huh?" The oricorio smiled as he looked out at Geoid Mesa and Geotherm resting atop it along with Inkeri.

"Boss, a Type 2 heatran is too much for me to be able to handle."

"I know, kid." Inkeri laughed. "You won't be there to fight it. I've got a more important job for you now. Look at the nectar inside the pouch I just gave you."

The oricorio opened the pouch and his eyes widened.

"Boss, what makes you think that I could possibly be able to go there and not immediately be caught?"

"Because the pokemon you're thinking of right now is not the one who you are spying on. In fact, you might say that I'm sending you there to spy for them."

"Well then." The bird's grin came back. "In that case, I'm more than happy to go there. It might be fun to witness what I've heard so much about so recently."

"One last thing, Ozrun." Inkeri said as she grabbed the bird's leg preventing him from flying off.

"I was told that you were being quite the social butterfree at Visha's luncheons. I just want to let you know, that any unforeseen...expenses, you end up with are coming out of your pay. So let's try to stay professional this time and think with the head above your chest."

"Okay, okay…" Ozrun replied as he fluttered his feathers trying his best to fly off. "Now come on, please let me go!"

"Good luck." Inkeri let the bird go as he zoomed off to the east.

30F Geoid Mesa

"Well...here we are…" Verden looked around. "I don't see any thieves just yet though…"

"Well, they have to be somewhere around here don't they? They aren't already inside the city are they?" Bennett seemed confused by what was going on.

"Hm…" Verden took out his toxic orb, and as he held it close to his body, knelt down and leaned his ear in towards the ground.

"It's not that they aren't here…" He said as he stood up, before firing a seed bomb into the middle of the mesa.

"What was that?" A voice asked, and rising footfalls began to sound throughout the area.

"Gina, Magdalene, we're smoking these guys out from hiding!" Bennett called back to the cart.

"Right!" Magdalene left the cart with Gina and Cassius as she reconvened with Bennett and Verden.

"Hey." Gina got Cassius's attention and nodded towards the thin hood of the cart. "Care to give me a boost so I can make a hole in that and provide some ranged support?"

"Huh? Oh! Uhhh...sure." Cassius nodded.

As he scuttled towards Gina, getting mere centimeters away from her, she let out an Ice Shard, pushing Cassius out of his cart.

"Ah-!" He began as he tried to get back on, but before he could, Gina had already managed to limp over to behind where Cassius had been adamantly resting.

"I knew it!" She shouted as she looked over all the allegedly 'stolen' goods from the now missing carts. "I knew this mission paid too well! This is a set up!"

"No, you've got this all wrong! I don't have anything to do with the thieves! I just thought, you know, that if I could replicate a few of the items, I might be able to sell to more pokemon and get a little more money! That's all, I swear!"

Gina wasn't buying it.

"That doesn't explain your eagerness to get this mission done with while we were still at the edge of the desert, and your strange switch of mood that happened at the oasis."

"Uh...Uh….Uhhhh…Gah!" Cassius fired a Smack Down and began to scuttle away into the desert as fast as he could.

Gina looked at where the shot that had just narrowly missed her had landed, and back at the hurrying, but ever so slow moving crustle that had fired it.

Meanwhile, Magdalene, Verden, and Bennett came face to face with four thieves.

A swalot, a mimikyu, a golurk, and a magcargo.

As each thief charged in, Hajari the heliolisk was waiting in a small crevice just below the mesa.

Fire Province: City of Emberguard: Calbridge Hold(Visha's Luncheon Chamber): Age of Mew(waning): Year 656: Espionage in Emberguard, Part 7

Moonbrand Present: Hex, Terune

The first thing that Hex and Terune realized about the luncheon chamber was that it led to many smaller side rooms through various numbered doors.

"Come on, go invite him into one!" a primarina was shaking a carbink as she tried her best to nudge the noble towards prince Cameron. "You're both part rock type so you'll click, like, instantly! Forget about that lowborn back home, and nab yourself a handsome foreign prince!"

"While that 'lowborn' is another reason I most certainly will not invite that pokemon into one of those rooms, I have a much more valid reason to refuse." The carbink turned to the primarina. "Those rooms are hideous."

Meanwhile, nobles of all sorts were socializing with each other over perfectly roasted tauros.

"And what happened then?" Layon laughed as he chatted up a luxray sitting next to him at the large feast table.

"Why exactly, are you, someone only let in on good behavior, sitting up near Visha himself?" A larvesta eyed Hex as she sat in between himself and Visha, and across from Aradia on the other side of the table.

"Lisariph, don't be rude to our guests." Visha scolded before turning to Hex. "I am sorry about my nephew. He is very protective of family members."

"I don't blame him, milord." Hex smiled back as she got ready to ask Visha an important question. "I have a question for you though. I am from Longguo originally and have only arrived in Ignia recently. However, I do remember watching the eruption of Mt. Immolate on the news, and I was curious. This queen is new and has been chosen. Why do you call her false and hate her so passionately?"

"Oh, you must be referring to the speech earlier." Visha nodded. "It's true, Tashia was chosen to lead our nation. In that regard she is not false, however that was not my meaning. It comes down to experience. Tashia is, for better or worse, of common blood, and has had no training on how to rule a kingdom effectively. It's not an easy job, and it is often thankless. I arrived in Flamewater that day prepared to lose the trial to another noble, although I would likely still be angry about it. However, imagine being raised your entire life to rule, rule one of the largest cities in the province effectively, and then to be ignored in favor of a peasant?" Visha's voiced raised slightly. "I'm sorry, it's simply that Tashia would be too trusting of any advisor, and a puppet regime could quite easily take hold. It doesn't help that B largely ignored the outer cities while he was in power, and that so far, Tashia has simply ruled as he would have. The outer cities were easily rallied, and so here we are now. Honestly, I don't want this war to go on for much longer. The real threat to us isn't Tashia or the Obsidian Legion. It's the dying UGM. Most nations have cut the lines that connected to the warp system, but some cities still hold out near the Electric Province. When a powerful organization has its back to the wall, they start to do terrible things."

"You have given this far more thought than I would have assumed, milord." Hex responded, honestly shocked by how, if perhaps misguided, understandable Visha's situation was.

"Now, I have a question for you, Lady Hifroli of Longguo." Visha smiled. "You say you are from Longguo, but haven't been back since the merc madness incident, so you don't know about its current state of affairs, correct?"

"That's correct." Hex nodded.

"In that case, I must ask...what were you doing to cause your separation from your nation during such a tumultuous time?"

"Lord Visha, with all do respect, I would rather not answer. I can never know who may be listening in on this conversation."

"If there are any dangerous spies in this building, I have faith that Aradia here will take care of them." Visha laughed as Aradia blushed meekly. "She might look soft and sweet, but she's one tough cookie. She's stopped my own assassination a multitude of times since I took the Emberguard throne."

"Lord, in the answer you gave me to my last question, I noticed you said that the UGM was a bigger threat than the Obsidian Legion, but I just wanted to clarify...aren't you concerned about them at all?"

"Perhaps you weren't paying attention to the city's outer districts." Visha's tone up until then had been pleasant. Now it was dead serious. "I am fully aware of what the Obsidian Legion is capable of. I would not say that they do not pose significant danger, but I would also not call my feelings on the matter 'concern'. After all, Emberguard is known for political intrigue, and my spies have made use of it while the legion was busy attacking the city. I know a key weakness of their prominent figures, which makes Ignia the silliest idea in terms of a nation to attack."

"Which is?" Hex wondered as Visha shook his head.

"You aren't the only one who can never be too careful in conversations." Visha responded before turning to Aradia.

"By the way, Aradia. I hear you're working on something really important at your manner. I'm getting curious as to what it is, since there's a rumor going around that it will be a great help to Emberguard."

"Oh, it will be!" Aradia perked up and smiled. "It's still not quite finished yet, but I've been busy every day with it, and I'm sure you'll love it once it's ready to be presented to you!"

"Good, good." Visha nodded as he noticed En and Mafalta leaving one of the side rooms. "Ah!" He got up. "En, my good friend, it's been too long!"

Hex took this opportunity to talk to Aradia.

"I really like your ring." Hex noted the ring on Aradia's finger. "It's absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank you." Aradia smiled. "It was passed down to me by my mother back when she was the Marquise of Emberside."

"Do you know where it came from originally?" Hex asked to be met with a silently shaking head.

"I was always told the ring was made by Reshiram back when he still walked the world as a living god. It holds a special place inside my heart, so I try to wear it at all times."

Meanwhile, Terune and Masti were talking to each other at the other end of the table.

"So, do you like books too, Masti?" Terune asked.

"Uhm…" Masty cocked her head with a sheepish smile. "The books that my parents make me read are all really boring books that are meant to educate me. None of the fun ones like heroes going on grand adventures or anything. So I can't say that I really like to read, but I do like stories! Especially stories with a happy ending!"

"M-me too!" Terune wasn't sure how to progress the conversation any further. "S-so, um...what happened at Sunstorm?"

"Hm?" Masti cocked her head again. "I already said everything I know. Bandits were attacking, but then some monster came and chased them all out! Lady Aradia was really upset after that though. She used to stop by Sunstorm all the time, but I heard she's been spending most of her time in her manor here in Emberguard now. I really don't know that much. Ask papa or mama and they'll prolly tell you that they don't know that much either. I bet only Aradia knows for sure."

There was silence.

Masti looked around.

"So, do you like the stars?"

"Huh?" Terune asked.

"The stars! At night when you look up at them, do you like looking at the stars?"

"I guess so." Terune pondered. "Why do you ask?"

"I love looking at the stars! I know all the constellations from Rayquaza's Tail to Latios and Latias! It's kind of like reading a book without any paper and with more imagining!"

"Hey, Masti, what do you think the monster was that chased the bandits off?" Terune wondered.

"Oooh! That sounds like a fun thing to think about!" Masti smiled, excitedly. "Uhm….It must've been big! An' powerful too! So I bet it was a relatively large, fully evolved pokemon, maybe even a legendary."

"Would a heatran fit that description?" Terune asked, to be responded to by a nodding Masti.

"Yeah, but we can think of a more exciting monster, right?"

Back on the other end of the main table, Hex had some more questions for Aradia.

"So, Marquise Emberside-" Hex began.

"You can call me Aradia if I can call you Hifroli." Aradia offered. "I don't like formalities all too much."

"Aradia." Hex nodded. "I was wondering, what's your take on the queen? I understand Visha's feelings on the matter."

"I don't really care about the queen all that much." Aradia shrugged. "I mean, I am not part of the revolution because of any circumstances surrounding the queen at least. I'm part of the revolution only to help Visha. That said, I would certainly prefer we win the war. Being the duchess of Emberguard would be great, but being the queen of Ignia would be incredible!"

"Ah, that's right. These luncheons are for Visha to meet eligible marriage candidates aren't they?" Hex responded, hoping her feigned ignorance at the event's purpose would help Aradia let her guard down.

Aradia nodded. "I'm the last of the female Ignia nobles still vying." Aradia boasted proudly. "Right now, the only one I still need to be wary of is that primarina, Mizuko."

Hex nodded, and pretended that she didn't hear Aradia mumble "Fable whore" under her breath.

"By the way, Aradia." Hex decided to try one last thing to see how it would affect the braixen. "As I was traveling to Emberguard, I caught notice of something strange, and I was wondering if you could shed some light on it. It looked like a savage heatran, and boy was it big and hungry! Why, it might have been big enough to be a type 2 legendary!"

"I see." Aradia nodded. "And when did you get here, Hifrolti?" She asked.

"Not terribly long ago." Hex shook her head. "About a week has passed by now." She lied.

Aradia nodded as she folded her fingers and rested her head on the back of her hands.

She smiled.

"Yes, I am aware of the pokemon you're talking about. It ravaged the town of Sunstorm not all that long ago. You likely saw it fleeing the scene then. It's known around these parts for having a monstrous appetite. Hopefully some mercenary band will deal with it soon. My guards have not been having the best luck with it."

"Aradia, not to change the subject so quickly, but I was wondering...Visha said that his forces were going to march on Geotherm, will you be there with them to give Visha support in person?"

"I'll certainly be mobilized and moving along with Visha." Aradia nodded. "However, I likely will not partake in any battle, and instead I'll remain well outside the city gates. My ring is very precious to me after all, and I wouldn't want it damaged or stolen by anybody. I-" She stopped momentarily and noticed Mizko talking with Visha. "I'm sorry, Hifrolti. It was nice to finally talk to a female noble who wasn't looking for Visha's hand, but I need to go stop a disaster before it happens. Stop by one of these luncheons again some time! I've got loads I want to ask about your experiences! Farewell!"

And with that, Aradia rushed towards Visha to pull him away from her rival.

"Well...she's at least not openly impolite or rude...for most things." Hex mumbled to herself as she stood up. "I guess I'll go get Terune."

As she stood up, she noticed Terune and Masti both walking towards her.

"Yes?"

"Lady Hifrolti?" Masti asked. "What are the numbered rooms for?"

Hex sighed, and pat both Terune and Masti on their heads.

"They're for adults to play grown up games." She said. "You should wait a few years before either of you decide to enter one. Also, Terrence, it's time for us to leave."

"But-!" Masti began to protest.

Hex turned to her. "New Lady Masti, I'm sure you will be able to find other friends to keep you company until you can see Terrence again."

"But I don't want to say goodbye to Terrence! I want him to come back to Cinders as one of my retainers!"

"Eh?!" Terune seemed shocked. "R-really?"

"Masti, Terrence is my retainer to do with as I see fit." Hex explained. "I'll keep in touch with you, alright? This doesn't have to be the last time you see Terrence."

"Fine." Masti sighed before smiling at Terune. "Have fun Terrence! I hope you come back with lots and lots of stories to tell!"

"Me too." Terune nodded with a smile.

Outside

As Hex and Terune left the great castle and made their way into the blistering heat of outdoor Emberguard, they were almost immediately met by Micah.

"How did it go?" He asked.

"Aradia has the tether on her person. She'll be among forces led by Visha on their way to Geotherm soon enough, she's very polite in person to the point her actions don't quite match her character, and I think Terune might become the next Lord of Cinders in half a decade."

Terune quietly nodded in agreement.

"Well, if Geotherm is the destination, I'm glad to hear it." Micah responded. "I've already sent everyone else ahead, Aaron included. However, we have a problem. That heatran is probably already attacking, so we don't have much time. We have to get to Geotherm and stall for as long as we can, otherwise we can kiss all of the province's power goodbye."

AN: Bravero, Nezarix, Xenon, Razr, ya'll can send in your strats for the next fights!

AN2: Bennett, Magdalene, Verden, ya'll can send in your strats for the fight with the thieves! Gina, you can either fight with them, or pursue the fleeing Cassius, but you can't focus on both of them at once.

AN3: OC Sheet

OC Name, Sex, Species:

OC Home Province (Where they are from):

OC Role(Teammate Hopeful, Other Team Member, Minor Villain, Commoner, Etc.):

OC Profession(Are they unemployed like Terune, are they a veteran like Concordia, an assassin like Semora, etc.?):

OC Moveset:

Move 1(From Natural Movepool):

Move 2(From Natural Movepool):

Move 3(From Natural Movepool):

Move 4(From Natural Movepool):

Alt Move 1(Can be TM or Egg Move):

Alt Move 2(Can be TM or Egg Move):

OC Personality:

OC Background:

Anything Else Doobop Should Know:

That's all for now! Thanks for reading ^.^!