Even though the young pokémon had hardly even been there long, the Pokémon Settlement proved to be the most amazing thing they had ever witnessed, Xerneas notwithstanding. The buildings were nothing like the ones back in the Fairy Realm. These were large and more refined. Each one of them looked like they took months to erect. From what they saw, most of the buildings were low-rise style, stacked in an orderly fashion along the inner diameter of the settlement's great wall not unlike their own structural layout back home. At the moment, the young Emotion Pokémon sat on a long bench in the reception of what was known as the 'Comfort Inn.' The interior was impressive as well with a hard wood floor and a floral arrangement decorating the shelves situated along the walls and stairs on the far right beside the counter that led to the rest of the Inn. They waited patiently as their guardian, Edge, checked them all in at the counter where a smiling Chansey and a few Machoke stood behind and conversed with him.
"A bedroom to accommodate six, you say?" The Chansey asked with the happiest smile imaginable.
"Yes, please. When will it be ready, if I may ask?" Edge smiled back politely at the friendly Egg Pokémon and placed a small bag of money on the counter top. "My students and I are quite fatigued. Been a long day, you see."
"About twenty minutes to give our staff time to move the furniture around and install the bunk beds." The Chansey turned and addressed the burly fighting types behind her. "Room Forty Four, boys. Three bunk beds, chop-chop."
"Yes ma'am!" The Machoke ran out from their positions behind the counter and up the stairs to get Edge's new room ready.
Looking back at the Gallade, the Chansey gave him a closed eye smile. "Your room will be ready soon. Until then, please feel free and enjoy our Berry Juice Bar." The normal type drew Edge's attention to a door on the left wall that led to the Inn's bar. "We'll call you when your room is ready. I hope you enjoy your stay at the Comfort Inn." The Chansey bowed and Edge bowed back before making his way back to his students.
"Everything done?" Gallant was the first to address their teacher.
"Our room is being prepared." Edge looked at his recovering student. "How are you doing, Stalwart?"
"You ever had a pokémon use Sweet Scent and Heal Pulse on you at the same time? That is the best..." Stalwart's eyes remained closed he and still had a smile on his face.
Intrepid stared at his friend a moment. "Hey, Edge... I've got this, uh, sharp pain in my shoulder-"
"Yeah, nice try, Intrepid." The Blade Pokémon shook his head. "Come on. There's a bar here so let's get a bite to eat in the mean time." Edge started walking towards the door to the bar and his students quickly followed after him.
Opening the door, the group came into by a large bar which was inhabited by various other patrons that evidently looked like they were enjoying their stay. Tables both large and small were occupied by many pokémon enjoying the food and drink offered by the establishment. The Comfort Inn certainly lived up to its name. At the end of the room was the main part of the bar where a pair of Ambipom bartenders expertly used their extra limbs to mix beverages for the patrons that chose to stand at the counter. Looking around, Edge spotted an empty table and motioned for his students to follow.
"Lively place." Valor commented, looking around.
"That's because it's night. The pokémon you see here are usually too busy running things during the day and this is the only time they can give themselves a break to chat like this." The group of psychic types sat on the seats around the unoccupied table and placed their bags on top of it. Edge waved his hand to a nearby Lopunny waitress wearing a red bow tie and she walked over to him with a smile on her face.
"Hey, cutie! Welcome to the Berry Juice Bar! Watcha gonna be having?" The Rabbit Pokémon tilted her head cutely to the side as she waited for the Gallade's order.
"Aprijuice and Lava Cookies all around, please." Edge returned her friendly smile with one of his own.
"Six Aprijuice and six helpings of Lava Cookies it is. B-r-b, boys!" The Lopunny winked at them before heading over to the back room to place their order, swaying her hips as she did.
"...Well. She was certainly friendly." Resolute commented, looking at the door the Lopunny had disappeared through.
"Her energy kind of reminds me of Sylvia." Gallant replied and Valor was all over that statement in an instant.
"You seem to like hanging around lots of girls, Gallant. Something you're not telling us?" Valor smirked at his friend from his seat beside him.
"Yes. When I'm an adult, I plan on marrying as many pokémon as I can, even those not in my egg group. The sole reason I hang around girls is so that I can shape them into my trophy wives." Everyone at the table looked at him in surprise and disbelief. Even Valor. "What? Is that not what you wanted to hear me say? No? Then please can it with the shallow accusations." Gallant gave his friend an irritated look.
"Alright, I'm sorry. Geez, I was kidding." Valor raised his arms in defense.
"If that were true, though? I would call you brave." Edge rested his cheek against his hand. "The stress that comes with handling so many girls at once would probably kill you at a young age. I would rather fight Arceus himself." The Kirlia would have dug deeper into their superior's statement but something else about him caught their attention.
"Um... Aren't you going to get that cleaned up?" Resolute pointed at the red colors staining parts of the underside of Edge's arms.
"Hm?" The Gallade tilted his head to look down at where the Kirlia was pointing. "Oh... This. Gallant?"
"Yeah?"
"Remember when you emptied the contents of your vial into that Vigoroth's mouth?" There was snickering around the table. They remembered that, alright. "Yes, yes. Do you still have that vial?"
"Yes, I do." Gallant opened his bag and presented the small empty bottle to his teacher.
Without moving an inch, the Blade Pokémon floated the vial over to him, removed the cap, lifted the dried blood in tiny flakes off his arms and discarded them into the small glass container. "Better?"
"Everyone else seems to think so." Intrepid smiled and looked around him which caused everyone else to do the same and notice a few pokémon staring at their table with surprised expressions as well as approving smirks from the more rowdy looking patrons.
"Oh don't mind them. A lot of them are probably from a guild."
"Guild? What's that?" Gallant asked, interested.
"Hm? Oh that's right. You haven't heard of them yet, have you?" Edge straightened himself on his seat and faced his eager to learn students. "Guilds are small groups of pokémon that make it their duty to provide all kinds of services to the Pokémon Settlement. You could call them a kind of task force that use their abilities to handle jobs for other pokémon for a fee. For example, say someone lost their cargo in the Brilliant Meadow because for some reason or other and it's too dangerous for them to retrieve it themselves for fear of a wild pokémon attack. That pokémon can take their problem up with the Guild Collaboration Building located in the southern part of the settlement. There, after receiving a payment, the pokémon in charge will assign the job to the most qualified guild for the task, this being one for battle capable teams as well as tracking and retrieval teams. If the job is successful, the Guild Collaboration splits a percentage of the funds with the guild that completed the job."
"And if they fail?" Gallant asked.
"Then the guild involved doesn't get their cut and the client will have to be refunded a consolation fee. It obviously isn't good for business or reputation if that happens which is why guilds always push past their limits to make sure they see any and all jobs through. Since a lot of them get so much work done, you can imagine how experienced their members are. Quite possibly some of the strongest pokémon their respective realms have to offer."
The Kirlia all looked to each other before looking around them a second time but with much more interest. Now that they got a better look, they found that almost all pokémon in the room were fully evolved. Upon closer inspection, there wasn't a table that had different types of pokémon. Each table was occupied by pokémon of a single primary type. To their left was a table where a Serperior, a Sceptile and a Chesnaught sat. The Chestnaught in particular caught them staring but he just coolly smirked at them before continuing to converse with his allies. A few tables up sat a Charmeleon, a Blaziken and a very laid back looking Infernape that looked like they were having a good night if the laughter and the many empty cups were anything to go by.
"Hey, that one's head is on fire, that's new. All these pokémon all belong to guilds?" Gallant asked.
"Most of them, yes. Those grass types? They're called Guild Chartreuse and they've been around for as long as I've been coming to the settlement. Maybe even longer than that. They're known for their long streak of completed jobs and battle prowess."
"A team of grass types, huh? I thought grass types didn't have that much coverage." Valor commented but didn't look back at the table this time.
"The many pokémon that took them on and lost probably thought the same thing. There's a reason they have a large reputation in the Pokémon Settlement's guild circles." Edge took a quick peek at the table of grass types and then back to his students. "That Sceptile is named Saber. According to what I heard, there's few things faster than him and his blades are sharp enough to cut down even the thickest trees in one motion. Close quarters combat against him would be a terrible approach." The Gallade turned his gaze to the smug looking Regal Pokémon. "That Serperior is Serpentine. She has an ability that turns normally debilitating moves into buffs instead and the Chesnaught, Valiant, has body armor so tough that certain moves wouldn't work on him at all." Edge informed them.
The youngsters were surprised. From where they had seated, the grass types looked just like how any standard pokémon would look but according to their teacher, their docile disposition belied a ferocity that should be feared. Valor wanted to open his mouth to continue the conversation with his elder as he was also curious as to who the fire types beyond them were but the Lopunny had finally made her return with their order, plate in each paw.
"Sorry for the wait, boys!" The Lopunny energetically spun on one foot and placed a plate of twelve Lava Cookies followed by another plate of six cups of Aprijuice onto the table. "Enjoy!" The Rabbit Pokémon blew a kiss at them before taking her leave.
The group watched the jolly Lopunny strut her stuff away a second time before turning their attention to the prepared food. "I don't know about you guys but all this talking is making me hungry..." Intrepid stared at the plates laid out before them. "So these are Lava Cookies, huh? Never had one before. Never even heard of them before now, actually but I'll try anything once." The Emotion Pokémon picked up a Lava Cookie with both hands and took a small bite of it.
Gallant picked up his own baked good and inspected it, observing that it was fairly larger than any cookie he had ever seen. Larger than a poképuff even. "How is it, Intrepid? Good?"
"Really good. Like really, really good." The Kirlia started putting away his cookie at an alarmingly fast rate.
"Slow down, Intrepid. You'll choke." Gallant took more reserved bites off his Lava Cookie.
"Can't help it. Too good." Intrepid popped the last piece of his Lava Cookie into his mouth and drowned it with half a cup of Aprijuice.
"What are in these anyway?" Resolute asked, halfway done with his own. They were certainly delicious, that was certain and he could only guess their ingredients or method of preparation.
"They're made using a certain mix of blended berries and heated into a sort of short-cake. Because of the berries used, they always carry rich and healthy properties for any kind of pokémon." Edge used both his hands to hold his cup of Aprijuice and took a few gulps from it.
"So this meal is especially good for Stalwart here." Intrepid referred to his friend that was seated next to him, swallowing the last piece of his second cookie.
"Actually, I think I'm fine now." Stalwart raised his arm and the wraps around his torso came undone with his psychic power. Enough time had passed and his body now looked the same as it did when they were still in the Fairy Realm. It was like this for all pokémon in the amorphous egg group. Their bodies never bled. The most severe injury for him would be losing a limb or something but any other form of damage could be recovered on a cellular level just like fellow amorphous pokémon Reuniclus and Gastrodon, given enough time. Sure, the Ralts line looked cute and in some cases even beautiful but they were far from what most other pokémon thought they were.
"And the painkiller? Did that wear off, yet?" Resolute asked his fellow Kirlia.
"Unfortunately." Whatever it was that Edge gave him, it made him feel great but something that made one feel that good probably shouldn't be taken in bulk, he reasoned.
"Well it's good to have you back, Stalwart. It's a good thing you had your focus sash equipped or who knows what might have happened." Gallant smiled at his friend who smiled back. He was relieved. They all were.
The rest of the meal went on in silence. Edge and Intrepid had already eaten their share and were now cradling their empty cups between their hands as they waited for the rest of the group to finish. Some of the patrons had retired for the night, though a few of them had to be helped out by their companions, funnily enough. A little more time passed and eventually the rest of the team had also finished their meals. About time too as a Machoke entered the bar and after a little looking around, started to make his way towards them.
"Your room is now ready. Room Forty-Four, second floor." The fighting type informed them after stopping in front of their table.
"Thank you. We'll be up shortly."
"Do have a good night, all of you." The Machoke gave them a toothy grin and a thumbs-up before taking his leave back to the main part of the inn.
Edge got up and so did his students. Rummaging through his bag a little, he removed a few valuable shards and placed them on top of the table with a little tip for their waitress. "Come on. It's late. Let's retire to our room for the night."
Edge led the way back to the reception followed closely by the young Emotion Pokémon. Gallant in particular was pretty satisfied with the trip so far. Apart from Stalwart's injury, he couldn't really complain about the happenings of the day. They had learned new things from their training instructor and even had not one but two opportunities to test out how far along they were in their training. He brought up the rear of the group, looking around the bar one last time and meeting the gaze of the Sceptile that was still seated with his allies at their own table. The Forest Pokémon looked back at him but said nothing, instead clasping his claws underneath his chin with a thin twig in his mouth and levelled Gallant with a calculating glare. The Kirlia was intimidated for a moment before the Sceptile's frown suddenly turned into a smirk which caused his horns to tingle a little. Surprised, all Gallant could do was look forward as the group walked back into the reception. Standing at the threshold, Gallant chanced one more look back to find the grass type still had his reptilian eyes on him and so did the rest of the grass pokémon at the table. Not liking being stared down by three fully evolved pokémon, especially after what he had heard about them from his teacher, Gallant quickly retreated into the reception and caught up with the rest of the group.
Comfort Inn - Room Forty-Four
"Woah, what are those!?" Intrepid looked around the room with a wide smile, noticing the three sets of beds with other beds stacked on top of them using wooden supports that lay on the left, right and back walls of the otherwise plain room. A small table in the center of the room where three candles were lit completed the look.
"Bunk beds." Edge said simply, walking in and tossing his bag onto the left bottom bunk before laying down on it himself.
With a flash, Intrepid teleported to the central top bunk. "So cool! Hey check me out, I reign supreme above you all! Now bow down to me, your lord and master- oof!" The Kirlia was suddenly struck in the face by a pillow thrown by Valor.
"Sorry, bro. You've been overthrown."
"Not without a fight, I haven't!" Intrepid made Valor's pillow as well as his own orbit around him before chucking one of them at his 'opponent.'
Valor just lifted one of his hands and the first pillow stopped in mid-air right in front of him. The force of the second pillow, however, was strong enough to knock him to the ground where he lay piled underneath them.
"Ha! Is this all the hero has to offer? Pathetic!" Intrepid boasted from his perch and started spinning in place on his bed. His victory was short-lived as Valor suddenly teleported behind him and wrapped his left arm around Intrepid's torso, restraining his arms and then holding up his right hand against his temple.
"One well placed psychic attack and your brain is toast. What say you, Intrepid?"
"Uh... I use Explosion, taking us both out!"
"You can't use Explosion."
"You don't know that."
"Well then in that case I have the Damp ability."
"I have Mold Breaker."
"I use Gastro Acid."
"I'm a steel type."
"It still works."
"What? No way, really?" Intrepid looked to their elder for confirmation and he nodded affirmative.
"Valor is right. Despite steel being normally immune to poison moves, Gastro Acid is an exception." Edge told his student.
"Well crud, no way..." The Kirlia with the twisted spoon dropped his head in defeat but he suddenly snapped back up and looked to his fellow Kirlia for aid. "Gallant! Lend a hand!"
Gallant just stared at him from the bunk above Edge's and shook his head no, not wanting any part of their silly game. He felt tired enough as it is.
"Looks like I win." Valor smugly stated.
"Yeah, whatever. Get off my bed." Since his friend had a firm grip on him, Intrepid teleported them both to the bottom bunk and left Valor there before retreating back to his spot on the top.
"Don't be such a sore loser, Intrepid. You were out planned. That's just how things end in a battle." Valor summoned his pillow from the floor and rested his head on it, turning to face the top bunk.
"I can't imagine how a battle between two dragons would rage on if that's the case. I mean like two incredibly intelligent and powerful dragons. From what I read, there's very little that can stand up to them. Like that Dialga guy Gallant mentioned." Intrepid played with his twisted spoon as he imagined such a scenario.
"They would probably take a good deal of the terrain with them." Resolute faced their teacher from the bunk underneath Stalwart's. "Hey, Edge. Ever fought a dragon?"
"No." Edge had already made himself comfortable on his bed, lounging on his back with one of his legs raised at the knee and both his arms behind his head.
"Why not?"
"Do I have to? It just never happened. I've never been to the Volcanic Summit and the dragons here are far more civilized and rational than wild dragons."
"I want to fight one after I evolve, I think. Like in a sparring match or something. Not a fight to the death or anything like that. I hear dragons are formidable in battle so I want to challenge one at least once. To test my skill, you know?" Valor said from his bed.
"I wanna see that. If only to see your overconfident body get tossed all over the place." Intrepid lowered his head over the edge of his bunk just to grin provocatively at his friend. Surprisingly, his comment was met with a blank expression.
"How about a challenge then, for after we all evolve? Not that any of us will actively go around looking for a fight but the first one to meet and knock out a dragon wins. What say you to that, hot-shot?" Valor's smug smile finally returned.
"Deal! Gallant?" Intrepid looked at the Kirlia that chose to be quiet the entire conversation.
"I don't plan on doing anything reckless or dangerous like you guys." Gallant closed his eyes as if to end the conversation but then one of his eyes opened and a small smile graced his features. "But if I do knock out a dragon, it would be nice to rub it in your faces."
"Count me in too." Resolute stated.
"And me as well." Stalwart was also excited at the prospect of achieving such a milestone.
Edge felt a positive sensation in his chest protrusion as he felt the excitement his students gave off in large waves. It was enough to make him happy against his will. There was their competetive spirit again. Even though the kind of bet they were making would be considered insane by some, their drive couldn't be denied and he was sure he wouldn't be able to talk them out of it. The most he could do for now was keep them safe and continue to train them in preparation for such events that he realized was one of the main reasons he took them under his wing. Looks like the training would be getting even more serious from this point on. But for now... "Get some sleep, everyone." Edge rolled to his side. "We have errands to run tomorrow." The Gallade used his telekinetic power to lift the candles off the table and shook them until the flames went out.
Deciding to do just that, the Kirlia all got comfortable and snug in their own beds, ready for a good night's sleep.
"Can you guys settle something for me first?" Gallant suddenly spoke up. "What's the best poképuff flavor?"
"Mint." They all answered.
"Thank you and goodnight."
Fairy Realm - Sana's Ceramic Store
"Alright, Angel. Try again but with a little more force." Sana folded her blue arms as she stood in front of the door to her work station. She had moved all her tools and ceramic creations to the sides of the room and on high shelves so that they wouldn't get in the way or accidentally damaged by her daughter's psychic power.
Angel exhaled audibly and looked at the lone ceramic pot that was placed a few meters ahead of her. There were a few scattered shards around it but not much else. She looked back at her mother who smiled and gave her a nod of encouragement. Facing back to the pot, Angel closed her eyes and her horns begun glowing. There was suddenly a strange, low humming noise in the room as the Kirlia collected a surplus of energy and bundled it around the pot without actually harming it. Seconds passed and Angel quickly started to show signs of fatigue. Her arms trembled and she bit her lower lip in concentration. After a little time passed, the humming sound in the room ceased and Angel finally opened her eyes. For a moment, nothing happened but after like a minute, the large psychic build-up Angel placed around the pot became unstable which caused the pot to shatter into smaller pieces from the pressure and join the mess that was around it.
"Hmm... Looks like you still can't manage a full power Future Sight without the aid of Calm Mind first. You're getting there, though." Sana walked over to her daughter and looked at what had become of her ceramic pot.
"Is this really Future Sight, though? I thought it had something to do with using our psychic power to warp reality to our favor and cause unforeseen damage to a target. At least that's what it looks like when I see you do it." Angel looked up at her mother, looking a little winded thanks to how many times she had to perform the attack.
Sana looked down at her daughter with a confused glance before smiling, amused. "Oh heavens, no... It's like I said. A great collection of energy is all that's required. All one has to do is store up energy and focus it on a single target. Observe." The Gardevoir floated another one of her pots in front of them and her eyes glowed for a moment. "Those psychic particles sort of bundle up around a solid target until they become a part of it and move as they do. But once I stop supplying the steady collection of energy, that energy becomes more and more unstable as the seconds roll by until..." There was a loud booming sound and hundreds of cracks appeared all over the pot before it collapsed into a broken heap with a clattering sound. "That energy finally melts down and causes an implosion around the target. It's all very simple. But I guess from the perspective of a pokémon unfamiliar with the move, it does look like we're cheating reality, doesn't it?"
"If only it was that easy." Angel rubbed her arm. She wasn't at the same level as her mother and from the way things looked, she was far from it. "I guess I didn't think that such a move would need so much psychic power and concentration. You make it look too easy."
"Well, practice makes perfect." Sana leaned down to rub the top of Angel's head. "I struggled with this technique when I was your age too. Just give it time, you'll get the hang of it."
Angel smiled before looking back at the clutter of broken pots in front of them. "I just feel bad about us having to use your products as dummies for my training."
"No need to worry, honey. I can make more later on."
"But that means more work for you, mom."
"I said not to worry about it, dear. Let's end your training here for now." Sana took Angel's hand in her own. "Come on, it's late. Time for bed."
The Embrace Pokémon led her child out of her work room, through the main store, past behind the counter and into their bedroom. There she stretched out before sitting daintily on her bed, her daughter sitting on the smaller one opposite hers.
"So tired..." Angel laid back and faced the ceiling, yawning.
"Been a long day, hasn't it? Did anything interesting happen today?" Sana shifted her body weight onto her left arm.
"Not much. I spent most of my day going through my book with Sylvia. We got some food and relaxed in a clearing. Chatting about all sorts of stuff. Mostly debating about some theories we had about the legendaries we never knew about."
"Is that right? What kind of theories?" Sana curiously asked.
"Well for starters, Sylvia seems to think Dialga and Palkia have a sibling rivalry thing going on." Angel dead-panned. She couldn't believe she was even saying it. She also couldn't believe that she, herself, came dangerously close to accepting the Sylveon's crazy theory. Crazy enough that it got her mother laughing into her hand.
"It's good you have such an insightful friend, Angel. Sylvia always did bring a refreshing atmosphere with her wherever she went. You'd probably still be running around looking like a Gloom had you never befriended her." The Gardevoir giggled at her daughter's expense.
Angel wanted to open her mouth to argue but found that she really couldn't because her mother was completely right. Had she not been spending a lot of her time with her friend upbeat, there would have still been a lot of things she would shy away from. Large unfamiliar crowds still made her uncomfortable but she never felt that whenever she was with Sylvia. She was like an emotional crutch that Angel used to get over her social issues, sad as that sounded but she valued Sylvia's friendship all the same. "I guess you're right."
"Well of course I am. I wouldn't be a very good mother if I didn't know anything about my daughter, would I?" Sana offered the young Emotion Pokémon a gentle smile. "Any other news I should be aware of?"
Angel thought for a moment. The entire day was spent with her friend as she recalled. First they got a bite to eat, then they went through a few sections of her book, then they fell asleep there in the clearing. And then...
Sana's chest crest suddenly surged with fear and sorrow which threw her into alarm. She teleported from her bed and sat next to her suddenly trembling daughter who had wrapped her own arms around her and had her eyes shut. "Angel! Angel, what's the matter!?"
Angel's mind was assaulted with the shrieks of her tormentors and a vision of her home as a wasteland as she recalled the dream she had earlier today. The devastation. The screams of her dying allies. Sylvia's own death... The horrible demise of Lord Xerneas and the Fairy Realm. It was all a dream and she was already reassured by Fleur but such images simply did not go away.
The Embrace Pokémon put her hand on top of her child's head which caused her to look up and Sana saw fear in the Kirlia's otherwise beautiful amber eyes. "Angel... Did something happen today?" Their realm was the safest place for any fairy to be so the thought that her daughter experienced some sort of attack made her more than concerned. It also made her a furious.
The Kirlia shook a little from all the stress she was giving herself but looking up at her mother's comforting eyes made her settle down a little. "Sorry... Sorry, it's just... I had a bad dream earlier. A really bad dream. A dream that ended in the deaths of everyone and the destruction of the Life Tree. I don't even know what caused it or why I would have such a dream in the first place..." Angel took a few calming breaths. "I'm sorry... I'm fine now. It just isn't something I want plaguing my mind."
Sana just held her daughter close, relieved that no mortal danger had befallen her. It was strange, though. Since they lived in a paradise provided for them by their Lord, Xerneas, no pokémon in the fairy had ever experienced a nightmare as far as she could recall. Day by day they are all exposed to Xerneas' life giving waves. Not a negative energy to be felt for miles so Angel's sudden emotional plight had her flummoxed. A bad dream suddenly appearing out of the blue like that which clearly did visible damage to her daughter's psych. It sounded a little familiar...
"Mom?"
Sana blinked. It appeared that she had trailed off and it was now Angel's turn to have a concerned gaze. "Oh sorry, Angel. I got a little sidetracked. Are you fine, though? You gave me quite a scare..." The Gardevoir wrapped a comforting arm around the Kirlia.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Everything's fine. It's like Miss Fleur said when I met her in the Life Tree's garden. My dream will become a forgotten memory with time." Those weren't her exact words but they still made her feel better already.
Sana smiled down at her daughter. She was glad she had already been comforted even if that comfort wasn't coming from her. If anything, it was good to see she was opening up to more and more pokémon each day. Or month, whatever.
Giving her daughter one last squeeze of affection, the Gardevoir got up and made her way back to her bed and sat back down on it. She looked at her daughter who was mostly fine but still looked a little shaken. "Angel?"
The Kirlia looked up at her mother. "Yes, mom?"
"Would you like to sleep on my bed tonight?"
"...Okay." Angel got up, walked over to her mother's bed and laid down on it, nestling against her after she made some room. "Goodnight, mom."
"Goodnight, Angel." Sana kissed the top of her daughter's head before closing her eyes, ready to get some sleep, herself.
"Mom?"
"Yes, dear?"
"Sylvia and I got some berries from Miss Fiore and they were really good." Angel wrapped up her story.
Sana smiled and held her daughter closer. "That's good to hear."
Pokémon Settlement - The Next Morning
Edge fastened the strap of his bag around his waist as he watched his students do the same with theirs. It had been a good night, indeed and they were now all rested and energized once again. Looking left to right, he found all his students done packing and looking back at him expectantly. "Everyone ready?" He asked.
"Yes, sir." They all answered.
"Are we going to finally make a requisition for Dawn Stones?" Gallant asked excitedly.
Edge nodded. "That's right. Our destination this morning will be the Stone Emporium. It's a few buildings from this one. We will make our request for Dawn Stones there. If we're lucky, we just might find them in stock but I'm doubtful as Dawn Stones and others of the like are extremely rare."
"Fingers crossed." Valor chimed in.
"I hope by any chance you haven't left anything behind?" The Kirlia all shook their heads. "Alright, let's go."
Edge opened the door and ushered his students out and following after them. Walking down the flight of stairs, the group made their way back to the reception to see that the Chansey from the previous night had already taken her place behind the counter. She certainly took her job seriously. There were few who chose to get up at this hour. Heck, if they were still in the Fairy Realm, they would still be asleep, themselves.
The Chansey looked up at them and gave them a bright smile. "Good morning! I do hope you had a most pleasant night?"
"We did, thank you." Edge replied.
"Good!" The Chansey said with a little hop. "I couldn't forgive myself if you were dissatisfied with our services. Why, the thought itself is unacceptable."
"Everything was fine, I assure you."
"That's good then. Please come back to the Comfort Inn any time." The Chansey bowed.
"Yes, thank you." The Gallade returned the bow and so did the Kirlia.
With the formalities were out of the way, the group exited the Comfort Inn and stepped into the settlement's main streets. Now that it was morning, the young Emotion Pokémon could see just how busy the Pokémon Settlement was. Flying pokémon soared above while other pokémon moved along the streets at different paces, each of them having different goals or meetings while others simply walked side by side and chatted with one another. They had never seen so many pokémon in one place before. They had never seen so many tall buildings either. Many pokémon walked in and out of the various establishments that seemed to go on past their line of vision.
"Look at this place..." Valor looked around him in awe as he walked with his friends. "It's got to be like three times the size of home. Maybe even more than that."
Gallant looked around as well, fascinated with the architecture and the population. The pokémon responsible for building this place more than deserved some kind of grand award. He would clap his hands if it didn't make him look awkward in front of everyone.
"It's quite something, isn't it?" Edge spoke from behind them. "Since pokémon of a different type cannot enter another type's realm without potentially endangering themselves or sparking a conflict, this place was built as a means for pokémon from all over the world to communicate. Lots of services from different realms that would otherwise be unavailable are offered here. Heart Scales from Still Lake, Evolution Stones from the Seismic Highlands, rare berries and flowers from our own realm and the Grass Realm. The Pokémon Settlement has it all."
The young fairies all looked at the commotion around them in wonder but there was something else on Gallant's mind. "Hey, Edge... How come we've never heard of guilds until just yesterday? Has no one back home ever been interested in that sort of thing?"
"You can say that... The Fairy Realm has always lived in the paradise Lord Xerneas provided us with for as long as I can remember, so we've never had to worry about any shortcomings. Ours is a land of peace and the reason we train is to uphold that peace if something was ever to befall our realm, Arceus forbid. I'm sure it's like this for other realms, although I'm not certain. We live a comfortable life so I guess it just never happened. Why? Are you interested?"
Gallant thought on that for a moment. "Yeah... You can say that I am."
"I can take you all to the Guild Collaboration Building and see what it's like later on if you want. That sound okay?" Edge offered.
Gallant smiled and nodded his head happily. "Sure."
The group pressed on along the main street until they stopped in front of an impressive looking building which had a sign that arched above the door that read 'Stone Emporium.' Edge stepped forward and opened the entrance for them, an act which caused a bell on the inside to jingle when struck slightly by the door, alerting the clerk behind the counter at the end of the room.
"Ah! More customers! Welcome to the Stone Emporium!" The Kecleon greeted with an upbeat personality. "Well, if it isn't Edge... Been a while since we last saw each other. Please..." The Color Swap Pokémon beckoned them over.
The small group looked around the room. A few other pokémon including a group of Roselia and a small group of Eevee led by a Jolteon had visited the store as well and were currently inspecting the glass cases which held various evolution stones that rested along the walls. Reaching the counter, the Blade Pokémon greeted the store clerk proper.
"Good morning, Forest. You've been well, I take it?"
"Very well. As you can see, business has been good." The Kecleon named Forest informed. "Now, what can I do for you and your little friends?"
"Dawn Stones. Five of them. They're for my students here." Gallant brought Forest's attention to the young Emotion Pokémon.
"Ah I see. All ready to evolve are we?" The Kirlia all smiled and nodded. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint you but we're all out." The Kecleon said while still maintaining his smile. The same couldn't be said for the fairy types in front of him who scowled in irritation at getting their hopes up only to get shot down. They were just about to start spinning in happiness too... "Now, now, don't be like that, children. Leave it to your friend, Forest here." It was totally too late to call himself their friend. "I'll get you those Dawn Stones in no time... As long as expenses are met?" Forest looked back up to the Gallade.
"That won't be a problem at all." Edge reached into his bag, pulled out a small bulging sack that was tied tied at the top and offered it to the Kecleon. "Herein lies twenty-five nuggets. I assume we can now arrange for those Dawn Stones?"
"My, my. Haven't we been busy? Sorry to say but the price of Dawn Stones went up so you're short of another twenty-five nuggets. I'm afraid I can't accept your money."
The Kirlia looked like they were about to have a panic attack but Edge just placed a hand on his hip and levelled the Kecleon with an impatient look.
"Fine, fine." The Kecleon placed the sack of gold nuggets behind the counter. "You never could take a joke, Edge."
"This is a place of business, is it not?"
"That it is." The Color Swap Pokémon reached behind the counter a second time and placed a blank sheet of paper on the counter top. Reaching to his side, he took a quill that was sitting in a small glass of ink and used it to scribble something onto the plain sheet then placed it into an envelope. Done, Forest placed two fingers in his mouth and whistled. A moment later, a Chatot emerged from one of the back rooms through a flap located above the door designed specifically to his size and landed on the wooden counter next to the normal type. "Please take this to the Postal Center, Songbird. It is to go to the Ground Realm."
"Yes, sir." The Chatot saluted with a wing before taking the envelope in his beak and flying out a window to the Postal Center.
"If things go well, you'll have your brand new Dawn Stones in one to two days. Just be sure to have Jubilee check in. Anything else?"
"That is all, thank you. Come on, guys. We're leaving. Until next time, Forest." Edge bid his farewell.
"Looking forward to your next visit." Forest waved and turned his attention to the Jolteon that was next in line. It was carrying a bag of Thunder Stones and the Eevee around it all looked eager.
"Lucky." Intrepid pouted, exiting the building along with his friends.
"No need to be upset. I already mentioned that Dawn Stones are very rare and that it would be unlikely to find them in stock. It will be a little delayed but you will have them eventually." Edge turned around and faced his students with a smirk. "But on a more important note, congratulations to all of you. Mission accomplished. You handled the trip here better than I thought you would. The way you handled your battles on the way was also quite impressive for stage one pokémon. You've come a long way since you first started training as Ralts. I'm proud of you all." A positive feeling resonated from his now smiling students and it was enough to make him more happy than he already was. "We aren't necessarily in a rush so how about we kill a little time before heading back home? Gallant, you said you wanted to visit the Guild Collaboration Building?"
Gallant grinned in excitement and nodded but then suddenly remembered something important. "Oh, wait! Before that, can we visit the Postal Center first? I need to deliver Angel's letter."
"Very well. That's in the eastern part of the settlement. It's located among the inner ring of buildings."
"How will we get there, though? This place is huge." Stalwart pointed out.
Edge just gave them a cool smirk. "Follow me. There's something I want to show you." Edge turned and lead them on, this time walking between buildings like he was heading towards the epicenter of the large city. The group travelled a small distance until they came up to a large elevated slab where various other pokémon stood like they were waiting for something. Walking up a small flight of stairs, the psychic types stood on the platform along with the other pokémon and the Kirlia beheld a large half-pipe that stretched far and appeared to make a full circle in the area between the inner and outer formations of buildings.
"What is this place? What's with all these pokémon?" Valor asked his teacher.
"This is a station. All these pokémon are waiting." Edge answered.
"For what?" Resolute asked.
At that moment, the ground beneath them started to shake and a rumbling noise was heard in the distance. The noise got louder as whatever that was making it got closer and closer until an Onix emerged from around the corner, moving at a brisk pace within the half-pipe and carrying a platform fastened to its back. A platform that had railing supports and an awning which provided the passenger pokémon underneath it with shade. The Onix gave a mighty roar as it slowed down and pulled up next to the slab where the psychic types and the rest of the large group were waiting. "Northern Pokémon Settlement. Please be careful when getting on and off the platform." The Onix called with his large voice as his passengers offloaded.
"Come on. This big guy is our ticket to the rest of the settlement." Edge, his students and the other pokémon gathered climbed onto the platform after room was made.
"Okay this? This is awesome." Intrepid was giddy with excitement.
"You can say that again." Gallant agreed with his friend.
"Okay this-"
"No, Intrepid."
With all his new passengers on board, the Onix begun to pull from the station along the route, gradually picking up speed until he was speeding down the curving half pipe. The buildings flew by as the rock type hit close to his top speed. This was the best mode of transportation for pokémon that were either too tired or too slow to get around the Pokémon Settlement by themselves and the Onix was more than happy to offer his services. A few minutes later and the ferried crowd finally slowed to a stop at the eastern station where more pokémon were looking to get a ride as well. "We have arrived at the eastern station. Please mind your step."
Stepping off the platform, the pokémon all walked down the steps, to the main streets and branched into smaller groups each going their separate ways.
Edge and his crew in particular got off on the other side of the platform than when they first stepped on, now in the inner district of the settlement and were now on their way to the Postal Center.
"Come on. The Postal Center is this way." Edge led the five fairy types down the road and continued to walk passed the many buildings.
"This place looks even better than the outer ring." Gallant observed, noticing the trees and other fauna that had been planted at the edges of the stone road. Another small feature was that these buildings faced outward instead of inwards like the outer ring.
"The inner district focuses more on business than the outer one which focuses on more on lodging so the place was designed to look welcoming in order to attract more customers." Edge informed them.
"Well they did a really good job. But I'm sure Miss Fleur has this place beat." Valor looked around, impressed.
"I agree. If Miss Fleur used her gardening skills to add more flair, who knows how fantastic this place would look." Resolute chimed in.
"She always knew how to make anything look good with flowers. I mean just look at the garden around the Life Tree." Intrepid played with his twisted spoon a little as we walked alongside his friends. "There isn't a pokémon I know that can decorate better than she can."
"I had no idea you guys loved Fleur's work to such a degree. I'm sure she would be happy to hear that she has such admirers." Edge commented as he walked.
"It's true, though. She's no doubt the best in that department. I would even go as far as to say she can take care of a Lilligant's flower better than a Lilligant itself can. Those were her own words, actually..." Gallant placed a hand under his chin.
Edge laughed a little. It seemed the Florges was a little too confident in her abilities but no one could really blame her. If he could grow plants easier than he could eat food, he'd brag about it too. "Okay this is it." The Blade Pokémon stopped in front of a tall building with a sign above the door that read 'Pokémon Settlement Postal Center.'
"Is everything in this place huge?" Intrepid asked.
"Yes. Come on." Edge opened the door and led the adolescents in.
"Aaaaaand more counters. This place is like ninety percent business or something..." Valor quipped. The building was a large rectangular shaped one with a series of booths at the back that spanned across the entire room from which various pokémon attended several clients.
"Pretty much." Edge walked further into the establishment and turned Gallant's attention to one of the booths where an Azumarill standing on top of a Vaporeon in order to reach the Ambipom attendant were wrapping up. "Go on, Gallant. We'll wait for you here."
"Sure." Gallant nodded and walked up to the booth, standing behind the pair of water types as he waited his turn.
"So you're gonna, like, make sure our letter totally reaches our friend, right?" The Azumarill spoke with a distinct feminine accent.
"No worries, Miss. I'll see that it gets delivered." The ambidextrous normal type accepted the Aqua Rabbit's letter and placed it in a cabinet behind his counter.
"Thanks! Come on, Auqamarine. Let's go get us some poképuffs."
"I'm all over that." The Vaporeon giggled and walked away from the booth with the Azumarill still on her back.
Gallant watched them go with a fixated look on his face. "Why does that look familiar..? Oh well..." The Emotion Pokémon shrugged and made his way up to the booth. "Um, good morning."
"Good morning." The Ambipom smiled down at Gallant. "What can I help you with?"
"I would like to have this delivered, please." The Kirlia removed the rolled up parchment Angel gave him and read the small description written on the outside. "It's going to the Fighting Realm."
"Not a problem at all. The sending fee is five shards."
"Sure." Gallant reached into his bag, pulled out the requested number of shards and paid the Long Tail Pokémon who quickly put them along with his friend's parchment behind the counter.
"Would that be all?"
"Yes, thank you." Gallant smiled appreciatively at the Ambipom.
"You're quite welcome. The Fighting Realm's postal representative will be here shortly so your item will delivered in due time. Have a good day, now."
"You too. Thanks again." Gallant spun once and bowed to the attendant before making his way back to the group.
"Things went well, I assume?" Valor asked his friend.
"Yeah. We're done here."
"Cool. Now we can head over to that place where guilds gather." Intrepid said excitedly.
"Ah yes. The Guild Collaboration." Edge nodded to his students. "Come on. We're heading back to the station."
"Jollies."
Southern Settlement - Guild Collaboration Building
"Woah. Check out all these pokémon. Check out this place." Valor commented, looking around.
His friends walked up next to him and joined him in admiring the establishment. A counter (figures) was at the end of a room behind which sat a red, blue, green and yellow Kecleon. Tables were situated about the lower floor where different kinds of pokémon sat in a way similar to what they saw back at the Comfort Inn. Stairs on either side of the room led up to the second floor of the building where a few more pokémon stood in front of a large notice board that had many documents pinned on it.
"This is the Guild Collaboration Building, everyone. Pokémon from different realms gather here to take offered jobs and share ideas with other guilds. The pokémon you see here are all experienced in certain fields and use their expertise to take care of tasks given to them. See that board up there? Those documents are all job offers given by pokémon in need. If a guild sees a job they know they can handle, they take it up with the guild masters, those Kecleon and after getting the full details, that guild can then execute the job. If they're successful, the client pays the job fee and the guild splits the reward with the guild masters who go on to use that money to fund themselves in order to pay other pokémon of respective types to look for new jobs and support the building. It's a cycle of profit, one can say. Jobs are ranked using a star system counting from one to five. One star means just about any pokémon with any kind of experience can complete the job. Five star jobs are much more difficult and are better left for the far more experienced guilds." Edge explained to his aspiring students.
Gallant looked away from his teacher and up at the notice board with peaked curiosity. "Can we go up and have a look?" He hopefully asked.
"Well, I suppose-"
"Edge? Is that you?"
The addressed fighting type turned his head and faced an approaching Alakazam who spoke with a calm, calculating tone. Curious, the Gallade turned his entire body around and greeted the psychic type that seemed to know him. "Hello. Pardon my being rude but have we met?"
"We have. I suppose your confusion is justified considering the last time we met, I had yet to evolve so allow me to re-introduce myself. I am Xanatos." The Alakazam placed an arm horizontally in front of his chest and gave a polite bow.
"Xanatos..." A bell went off in Edge's head and his eyes widened. "No kidding? Dear Arceus, has it been that long? I don't even recognize you. How have you been?" The Gallade returned the bow.
"Quite well, my friend. And who might these young ones be?" The psychic type looked down at the Kirlia that couldn't help but feel small under the Psi Pokémon's gaze. Even from where they stood, they could feel the power that was hidden behind his polite personality.
"My students. I begun training them a little after our first meeting a few years back. They are the reason we're in the Pokémon Settlement in the first place. We had just come from making an arrangement to acquire Dawn Stones."
"Mm-hmm..." Xanatos rubbed his moustache as he studied the young fairy types in front of him. "Passing down your skills to the younger generation are you? It's good to know you've kept yourself busy. Come, let us sit down. I would very much like to trade stories with an old acquaintance."
"It would be my pleasure." Edge turned to face his students. "Have a look around the place, guys. I'm going to go chat for a bit. Tell me when you're ready to leave."
"Yes, sir." They all answered, watching as Edge walked away with the Alakazam.
"Come on. Let's check this place out while those two reminisce." Gallant restrained himself from flat-out running up the steps and simply walked up the flight of stairs in a more dignified manner.
Upon reaching the second floor, the small group wasted no time in inspecting the large board. Like Edge said, each of them was marked by a drawing of one to five stars, depending on the difficulty of the job. Walking up, Gallant begun read out the available jobs.
"Needed: A helping hand in fossil excavation in Rugged Peaks. Pays thirty shards, two stars. Help: A sudden swarm of Durant infesting the Spirit Peaks. Assistance required in dwindling their numbers, preferably from fire types. Pays two big nuggets, three stars. Help: A rare and valuable stone was lost in Spectral Forest that needs to be returned to the Ghost Realm. See guild masters for details. Pays one nugget, one star. Needed: Five or more heart scales to aid with training in the Fighting Realm. Pays three nuggets, one star. Help: A Hydreigon and Salamence have been wreaking havoc in the Seismic Highlands, making civilian travel and mining near impossible. Pays- hey!" Gallant would have liked to finish reading but that specific sheet was ripped off the notice board by a familiar looking Blaziken accompanied by a Charmeleon and Infernape.
"Sorry, kid but duty calls and this job is right up our alley." The Blaziken and his allies went down the stairs in order to inform the guild masters that they had accepted the job.
"What's an alley?" Intrepid asked.
"No idea." Resolute answered.
"On a more important note, that job said that mining is almost impossible with those dragons terrorizing the Seismic Highlands which, according to Edge, is right outside the Ground Realm. That's where that Forest idiot told that bird to mail the letter. Does that mean our Dawn Stones will be delayed?" Valor asked worriedly which alerted his friends to the potentially dire situation.
"Oh crap, what if it takes too long and we evolve into Gardevoir instead?" Intrepid grabbed and shook his friend.
"That's not so bad."
"Liar! It's bad and you know it! We didn't train on the physical side of the spectrum to evolve into Gardevoir. A physical Gradevoir? Who's ever heard of that!? We've come too far to turn back now, dude! This bad! This is- mph!"
Valor shut his panicking friend up by cramming his twisted spoon into his mouth. "Calm down, Intrepid, you're making a scene. Besides, I'm sure those fire types will have everything sorted out."
"Listen to your friend, kid." The Kirlia all turned around to see a Sceptile walking up to them. Or more specifically, the large notice board as he wasn't even looking at them. "Your plight is what gives us guilds motivation. Worry not, for you will have your precious Dawn Stones." The Sceptile stood in front of the board and skimmed through the list of available jobs.
Gallant gave the Sceptile a good look until he finally remembered who he is and was able to identify him. "Hey... You're Saber."
"Funny... I don't recall ever giving you my name." The Forest Pokémon now stared at the Kirlia with a quizzical expression.
"Uh... No, you didn't... We heard about you from our trainer. Your name came up when he spoke about guilds." Gallant hoped he didn't offend the fully evolved grass type.
"Is that so?" Saber leaned down to their level and inspected them before standing back up. "Ah, yes. You lot are the pokémon from last night who wouldn't stop staring at our table. I didn't mind but my team-mate, Serpentine, thought it was rude." The Kirlia looked at each other embarrassed. "No cause for concern. The Gallade you were with, is he not here with you?"
"Not at the moment, no." Gallant answered for them. He wanted to tell the Sceptile it was rude to pry like this but held his tongue since he and his friends were guilty of the same thing.
The Sceptile cocked his head to the side. It seemed the young pokémon weren't under supervision and if that was true he wondered what their reason for being here was. "Tell me. Are you all planning to start a guild? I see no other reason as to why you would be in this building otherwise."
"Curiosity?" Intrepid ventured.
"We had only heard about guilds last night and we had our teacher bring us here so we could see what it's like. Nothing more than that." Gallant explained.
"Oh. Well that's disappointing." Saber said, surprising them. "It would have been nice to know that more pokémon would be fighting for a greater cause since every bit helps nowadays."
"A greater cause? Like what?" Valor asked.
"Keeping the world free from threats, of course." Saber simply said. "The guilds here don't just fight for a profit. There are much bigger reasons than that. The dragons in the Seismic Highlands. The Durant in the Spirit Peaks. Wild pokémon tend to act on instinct and that instinct usually drives them into attempting to expand their territories. Even if it means attacking a realm, they can and will if they aren't taken care of quickly. A majority of these jobs are caused by wild pokémon attacks, believe is or not. It's not just the wild pokémon either. You heard that the legendary pokémon Tornadus and Thundurus recently assaulted the Tempest Peaks, have you not?"
"No, we haven't heard of any of this. We don't know who those pokémon are either..." The Kirlia never would have guessed that the world was ever in such a state of continuous conflict. Living in the Fairy Realm, they never had to worry about any sort of attack and only fought to keep their own land safe.
"You haven't? At all?" The Forest Pokémon was genuinely surprised. Legendary pokémon attacking the areas right outside their homes was a big tip off. He didn't think he would ever run into pokémon so wilfully oblivious to the happenings of the world. "Well I don't know what kind of closed circle you come from but the world is under far more turmoil than your ignorant lifestyles would have you believe." It didn't sit well with him to think that while many good pokémon risked their lives everyday, others just sat in their homes unaware of their sacrifice. He noticed the Kirlia all had startled expressions and he realized his emotions were getting the better of him. Sighing, he whipped out a small twig from seemingly nowhere and placed it in his mouth. "It seems you and I have absolutely nothing left to talk about. I bid you all a good day." Saber grabbed a five star job off the board without even reading the description and made his way passed the fairy types but stopped to face them before he could walk down the stairs. "Know that those fire types are putting their lives on the line so that you can have your Dawn Stones delivered. I hope they do not go to waste... And if they fall in battle, I hope that it will not be in vain." With those parting words, the Sceptile walked down the flight of stairs.
Now alone, the Kirlia all looked back at each other. None of them knew what to say. What could they say? It wasn't everyday you were told that there were battles that took place right at your doorstep. The Sceptile named Saber obviously hailed from the Grass Realm which also branched off from the Brilliant Meadow just like their own realm. Was it safe to assume that the reason the Brilliant Meadow was usually in a state of calm was his guild's doing? And what he said about those legendaries. For them to freely attack the various lands... Did that mean they were voluntarily malevolent? If so who's to say that there aren't other legendaries they've never heard of with the same mindset? Legendaries that could attack at any time and were too powerful to stop... The thought of waking up to a ruined world just because they knew nothing of what transpires beyond their border chilled them to the core.
"Come on." Gallant said. "Let's head back down. I think I'm ready to leave."
Agreeing, his friends followed him as they made their way back to the first floor, what they were told forever etched in their minds.
Guild Collaboration, First Floor - Around the same time.
"So how are things back in the Psychic Realm?" Edge asked curiously. The two psychic types sat comfortably on opposite sides of the table as they enjoyed each other's company. Both having stories to share since their first meeting in the settlement.
"Very well, thank you." Xanatos answered. "Our queen works hard to support us and maintain our home as the brilliant city it is. We could not be any more at ease."
"Ah yes, Cresselia. Through her endeavors, your kind are able to live in the sky free from the pressures that plague us land folk." Edge said in a joking manner.
The Alakazam laughed gently as he took the comment in stride. "I'm sure Xerneas works just as diligently in using his life giving power to keep his precious fairies safe." He stroked his chin. "It has been a while has it not, Edge? It seems like almost years since our first meeting right here in the Pokémon Settlement."
"By 'first meeting,' you mean my humiliating eighty-six losses in, what did you call it? Chess? Yes, I remember that quite well. You were still a Kadabra at the time, as I recall. Maybe a Metagross would have made for a better opponent." The Blade Pokémon laughed. "So what brings you to the settlement, Xanatos? Business?"
"You can say that, yes. Her Lady, Cresselia, tasked my partner, a Slowking, and I in distributing some of her Lunar Wings to the settlement. She did not even ask us to sell them. Just to give them out to as many pokémon as we could. We had split up, my partner and I. He handled the upper half of the city while I gave out as many as I could to the lower half."
Edge blinked in surprise at the news. "For sure? Just like that?"
"Indeed." The Alakazam nodded slowly. "She did not give a reason behind such an order but we were sent to this city to carry out the task our queen, Cresselia had given us. All she said was that it was of great importance that we give as many pokémon as we can pieces of her magnificent wings."
The Blade Pokémon thought on that for a moment. It was uncommon for a legendary pokémon, one from another realm where they had their own responsibilities no less, to share their gifts with second party pokémon. There was only one reason he could think of that would allow the fabled Cresselia to freely share her Lunar Wings with others but he didn't want to acknowledge it. "You don't think..?"
"Please hold your tongue, my friend. Word spreads fast in the Pokémon Settlement and we do not want to cause unnecessary panic to the masses. What with things the way they are now."
"What do you mean?"
"Have you not heard? Two of the Forces of Nature recently attacked the Tempest Peaks. The residents of Flying and Electric Realms were able to fend them off for a while and are currently working together to restore the damage done to the outskirts of their homes. 'Tis a shame that such powerful but selfish pokémon are allowed to run amok as they do. Landorus certainly has his hands tied."
Edge blinked in surprise and then sighed with his eyes closed. Of course he wouldn't know that. The Fairy Realm was a land that kept to itself because they had the mindset that the Life Tree provided for them and kept them safe from any and all threats but one couldn't really blame them because that was true. Living in a land of peace, the fairy types under Xerneas' jurisdiction never really had to bother with the outside world unless they needed something specific that could not otherwise be found in the realm. Beyond that, they were mostly invisible to everyone else. Now here Edge was, being told that legendary pokémon were running rampant, attacking everything in sight and he had no idea. It made him feel locked out of the loop.
"Is everything alright, Edge?" Xanatos asked with concern at the behavior his friend was showing.
Snapping out of his thoughts, the Blade Pokémon opened his eyes and faced the Alakazam in front of him. "Yes, thank you. Just surprised me with that news is all. So... Are you done with your errands? I don't see any of the Lunar Wings you spoke of with you."
The Psi Pokémon nodded. "Yes. I had given away the last of the wings to some of the guilds here. I was, in fact, just about leave so I could meet up with my psychic peer when I saw you and figured I could go for a quick chat with an old acquaintance while I am here."
Edge smiled. "Well it's been a pleasant experience for me, I thank you. It's always good to sit down with a friend like this. Especially since we rarely get to see each other. I'm not sure when our next meeting would be after we part ways."
"Soon, I hope. If our agendas don't get too much in our way." The two mature pokémon shared a small laugh and Xanatos turned his gaze to the upper level. "It appears your students are done admiring the establishment. I take it you will be now taking your leave?"
"Looks like it." Edge nodded and watched as his students walked down the stairs and towards the table he had occupied with his friend. "You guys done?"
The Kirlia all nodded and he sensed that they were in a more sombre mood than when he last saw them. He didn't question them, though. At least he chose not to do so in a crowded place. Perhaps they'll have a chat later.
"Okay. Let's hit the road then." Edge and Xanatos both got up, ready to leave. "It was good seeing you again, Xanatos."
"The feeling is mutual, Edge." The two shook hands and exchanged smiles. "Until next time my friend." With that, the Alakazam was engulfed in a bright light and he teleported out of the building.
Edge let out a breath as he made his way to the exit of the building, followed closely by his students. The news Xanatos had left him with gave him a lot to think about. Tornadus and Thundurus' attack on the Tempest Peaks and, more importantly, Cresselia's insistence that her Lunar Wings which have the power to grant pleasant dreams as well as protect the holder from nightmares be freely given away as if they were free samples. There was one and only one reason he could come up with that would cause Cresselia to take such action. If he was indeed in the area, it would spell rough nights for all those that were unable to get their hands on some of the Lunar Wings and that was an understatement.
Now outside, Edge turned to face his students who looked like they had a lot on their mind. "Anything you want to say before we leave? We can't hide our emotions from each other so there's no need to pretend like everything is alright."
The young fairies all looked at each other and back to their elder. "Just one question, Edge." Gallant spoke up. "Did you know that the pokémon living near the Tempest Peaks and Seismic Highlands were suffering?"
The Gallade blinked in surprise. They had heard about that too? Also, what was this about suffering in the Seismic Highlands? It appeared his students had gotten their hands on some news, themselves and he figured that's what was putting them in a bad mood. Still, their red eyes stared up at him, waiting for an answer. "No. I only just now heard about that, myself. What of it?"
"Nothing... We were just curious." Only that wasn't it at all. It seemed even their elder hadn't a clue. What happened to 'I'm an adult, I know a lot of stuff?' They were actually kind of angry. Saber's words still ate at their minds. The thought that pokémon were right now risking their lives outside the settlement for them who knew nothing about that until very recently made them feel like they were taking the world for granted. It made them sick to think that while hard-working pokémon were busy with their jobs, they were sitting comfortably at home, living the happy life without a care in the world. If they had not come on this trip and acquired Dawn Stones the easy way through Jubilee, the would have still been oblivious to all they were told. If the guild that took the job to fight the dragons fell in battle, they would not have even known. Instead just glad that they could finally evolve, blissfully ignorant smiles plastered across their damn faces while the pokémon that made it possible went forgotten and unappreciated. It made them feel like crap.
Edge knew that it wasn't simple curiosity as his sensitive chest protrusion could attest to. Something had happened that made them feel this way... But if they were unwilling to talk, he couldn't really force them. "If that's all then let us return to the Fairy Realm."
"...Shouldn't we head back to North Eastern Gate then?" Valor asked.
Edge gave him a confused look. "Well I was going to suggest we teleport back home but if you want to haul yourself through the Brilliant Meadow again, be our guest."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Valor pouted. "You could have phrased it better."
"Where's the fun in that?" Intrepid smirked and it earned him a glare.
"Alright, enough funny stuff. Come on, everyone hold hands." It wasn't necessary but they all did as they were told. Since the Fairy Realm was miles away, a higher exertion of psychic power and concentration was needed. With their bodies all connected, Edge performed the mass teleportation. He would have allowed the Kirlia to do it on their own but it was much faster and safer this way. The area around them was enveloped in a bright glow and after a few seconds, they were gone, leaving no trace of their existence. One thing was for certain though. This trip had changed the psychic types' outlook on the world forever.
END CHAPTER
A/N: I don't know how Ch 10 replaced Ch 5 but it's fixed now. Sorry for any trouble.