Breaking the Gilded Cage

by CreatureMan88

For a group of young Pokémon living in a constricted land, their lives had always been full of peace and blessings. But when they acquire a book depicting the lore of the Legendary Pokémon, they are soon opened up to the truths of The World. Join them as they experience both the joy and the turmoil of an unbound life.

11. Chapter 11: Start of an Odyssey

A group of seven pokémon stood gathered in front of the exit to the Fairy Realm. Three of them; Gallant, Valor and Intrepid each wore bags over their shoulders in preparation for their departure. Valor also held the straps of a duffel bag in his grip. The contents of which belonged to Redolence. Her incense jars, each in a padded box of their own within the bag so they didn't clang into one another and risk chipping or braking as well as small sachets containing her special compound. In front of the three soon to be traveling psychic types stood Edge, Resolute, Stalwart and Redolence herself, all of whom would be seeing the three hopefuls off.

"I can't thank you boys enough for doing this for me." Redolence smiled. "You have the instructions I gave you last night, yes?"

"All in here." Valor carefully raised and lowered the duffel bag. Besides the jars were also instructions the Aromatisse prepared, detailing what they needed to do when they reach the Pokémon Settlement.

"Splendid!" She clapped her hands together. "Make me proud, my lovelies."

"You can bet on that, Redolence." Gallant gave her an assuring smile.

"I guess we'll be seeing you." Intrepid said, playing with the Twisted Spoon around his neck. "It's funny. Felt like just yesterday when we were being escorted to the Pokémon Settlement for the first time."

"It's a shame we can't come with you." Resolute spoke.

"But there are opportunities for us here as well." Stalwart continued. "We're gonna enroll under Edge and become the Fairy Realm's next training instructors. We'll toughen up future fighters just like Edge did with us. Count on it."

They all shared smiles with each other. Edge took a moment to step closer to the departing Gallade.

"See you soon, boys. Take care of each other and please try not to get into too much trouble while you're there."

"Yes, sir!" They saluted him.

"Good. Now off you go."

The young fighting types smirked at their mentor and used Teleport to leave the Fairy Realm, the supportive smiles on their comrades' faces etched into their memories.

A flash of swirling light removed from their vision the image of the Fairy Realm's entrance and replaced it with a wide open field of healthy plant life. They stood on an open path above a hill overlooking the Pokémon Settlement's north-eastern gate. Gallant placed a hand into his bag and removed the medal of identification necessary to enter the titanic stronghold.

"Let's go, guys." He spoke with thinly veiled excitement.

Intrepid and Valor grinned next to him, the three friends starting down the route towards the massive steel gate.

---

Ice Realm

A lone Weavile stood in a large, spaced-out icy cavern, fresh blood dripping from his sharp claws. Ahead of him was a wide chasm that sloped slightly downwards into parts unknown, too dark to see. The elevation of the chasm's inner surface was safe enough to walk on but a single slip could send one sliding all the way to the bottom. At the Weavile's feet lay the body of a wild and formerly alive Beartic, blood leaking from a wound that had been carved into its soft, vulnerable belly as well as several minor ones slashed all around its body. Some of the crimson fluid expanded out to the edge of the chasm, creating a single, thin red line that trickled down the slope. The Weavile wore an expression of indifference as he looked down at the dead pokémon soon to be offered up as a meal. Licking the blood off the claws on his left hand, the Weavile unceremoniously kicked the Beartic's corpse down the slope where it rolled like a rag-doll into the darkness below.

Done, the ice type turned to leave through an opening behind him that led to a narrow pathway. The pathway was flanked by the ice sculptures of two Mamoswine. Although, upon further inspection, one could tell that the Mamoswine were not simple statues but instead actual pokémon that had been frozen eternally and preserved as decorations. As he walked, he absentmindedly heard a low growl, signifying the Beartic getting used as a form of nutrition for the ruler of the Ice Realm, Kyurem. A blast of cold air blew out from the chasm behind him, down the path he walked and to the rest of the Ice Realm. He must have enjoyed the meal, the Weavile figured. The cold air itself didn't bother him nor any of the ice types living in the mountain. He looked down and noticed the thick trail of blood from when he dragged his prey all the way from the snowy fields outside the Ice Realm to Kyurem's den deeper within. It'll clean itself... Eventually.

Exiting the ice-coated hallway, the Sharp Claw Pokémon made his way into the largest room in the mountain. The floor was cold, flat and mostly featureless if one ignored the blood stains. Stalactites hung from the very high up ceiling, though they were so frozen against it that there was no threat of them falling onto unsuspecting targets. A few stalagmites jutted out from the floor, spread apart enough that they wouldn't reduce the mobility of the larger pokémon living in the mountain. The walls were lined with many entrances that led to other parts of the mountain, making this a hub room of sorts. The Weavile entered an opening straight ahead of him, walking dauntlessly through the frozen pathway. Most of the Ice Realm was still asleep at this hour, the Weavile having awoken extra early in order to get a hunt in before he and a a few partners of his would be heading out to the Pokémon Settlement to make an exchange. With each passing minute, he got closer to the Ice Realm's main exit, eventually being able to make out the large cave opening along with the intense blizzard taking place right outside.

Five pokémon noticed him and watched him appraoch. Two Avalugg with unknown materials wrapped in a heavy canvas and tied to their backs. A pair of Froslass that floated close to each other. And a Glaceon who wore an even colder expression than him and had one of the Pokémon Settlement's identitification medallions worn around her neck. He stopped in front of the ice type Eeveelution and smiled down at her. She didn't return the sentiment but he was still convinced she was happy to see him.

"Good morning, Hailey." He smiled. "Good morning, Yuki and Onna. And good morning to you too, Berg and Avalanche."

"Good morning, Frostbite." The stoic Glaceon greeted.

"Good morning, Frost." The two Froslass spoke as one.

The Avalugg just nodded at him.

"Sorry I took so long. Carrying or should I say dragging a Beartic by myself is no joke. But anything to make Kyurem a happy little dragon, right?"

The Glaceon looked at one of his hands and noticed it still had some blood on it. Moving close and leaning down, she gingerly licked the remainder of the blood off his claws. He smiled.

"You normally don't appreciate the taste of blood." Frostbite commented.

"It tastes good on you." Hailey replied in monotone.

The frozen ghost pokémon smirked in amusement but one of the Avalugg just rolled his eyes at them.

"Are you two quite finished? We have a long trip to make."

Hailey looked back at him in annoyance and Frostbite stepped in front of her. "Sure, let's head out."

The Avalugg sighed in exasperation at their behavior, turned and stepped outside, the others following after him. The blizzard born from Kyurem's Glaciate did a good job of nearly tearing the carried contents off the heavy ice types' backs but the tailor-made canvas held strong. Within the canvas were raw materials and precious stones they would trade in the Pokémon Settlement for food and supplies. The Ice Realm's denizens would make trips like these once every two weeks, rationing their goods in between to ensure they would never run out of stock. That was pretty much the system of the Ice Realm: Buying resources from the Pokémon Settlement and offering up sacrifices to Kyurem to keep their protective layer going. It could have been better but they weren't going to complain. This was their home. It's been like this since the day Kyurem arrived and it would continue to be so for a long time.

---

Pokémon Settlement

"It's even better than last time."

"Check out how fast we're moving."

"The wind feels nice, too."

The visiting Gallade as well as a few other pokémon stood on a platform mounted on top of one of the transportation Onix's back. They watched the tall buildings on either side of them fly by as they were ferried to the business district of the Pokémon Settlement's outer ring, the wind resistance shaking their luggage slightly and offering them a cool and relaxing breeze. The Onix continued to trudge down its wide, open track for a few more minutes, gradually slowing down before coming to a complete stop next to a different platform where other pokémon were waiting.

"This is our stop, come on." Valor told his companions, the three of them stepping down the steps next to the Onix while others stepped up to get their turn.

The psychic types continued further down a different flight of stairs that led to one of the main streets. They turned a corner and walked along the wide road, dodging a few individuals in the loose crowds as they went and engaging in idle chatter to pass the time.

"How much farther are we from this place?" Intrepid inquired.

"According Redolence's notes, not too far." Valor reached into one of the duffel bag's pockets and pulled out a sheet of paper with written instructions. "The Onix transit drop-off point is apparently pretty close to the building. The note says we'll know when we see it."

"Does this building have a name?" Gallant asked.

"Um, yeah." Valor inspected the paper and his eyes furrowed in confusion. "The Business Bureau... of Business?"

"What?"

Valor held up the sheet of paper for his friends to read. Turns out, he wasn't making it up.

"That can't be its name." Gallant deadpanned.

"Uuuhhh..."

The two pokémon turned to Intrepid who was pointing at a building he was standing in front of. Comprised of three floors, clear windows, a decorative crystal globe on its roof and an arch above the large double doors, upon which lay emboldened letters that spelled 'Business Bureau of Business™.'

"I refuse to acknowledge this." Gallant told his friends.

"We're not here to judge."

"Maybe you're not. That's a stupid name."

"I think other pokémon can hear you."

"Good."

"Let's just go inside, alright?" Valor proceeded forward, stepping over the 'Welcome' mat and into the tall structure.

A few meters away from the door were a series of counters, behind which were Kecleon of various colors seeing to the needs of customers that stood in lines to wait their turn. Positioned against the left and right walls were benches taken up by pokémon that had visited the building for some reason or another. Decorative potted plants sat in each corner of the room and, finally, passing over the centre of the floor was a black carpet with gold edge trimming.

"Pretty fancy." Intrepid complimented.

"That's at least one thing about this place."

"Let it go, Gallant." Valor joined the line of the right-most counter behind a Lilligant. The other two Gallade stood behind him.

It didn't take long for the Lilligant to be serviced, happily stepping aside, some form of documentation in her leaves and joining with a Whimsicott on the other side of the room. Valor stepped on ahead and was welcomed by a blue Kecleon behind the counter.

"Good day! Please, how may I be of service?" The Kecleon greeted.

"Yes, um... We wanted to sell some wares here in the settlement but we were informed we needed to get a seller's permit from here before we could-"

"Say no more." The normal type placed a form on the counter in front of Valor. "Just fill this out and we'll proceed from there."

The three dual types skimmed through the contents, Valor using Psychic to manipulate a nearby quill in readiness of filling out what they were given.

"Names... Hmmm... Since this is a one-time thing for us, I guess we'll put our own names. Where we live? Uh huh. When we were born? Mm-hm. Past business experience? Gonna cross that out. Owner of the products being sold? Redolence."

"Wait. Won't it be confusing if we have our names at the top but put Redolence as the one owning the business?" Intrepid said in askance.

"I hope not. I don't want to have to fill this out again." Valor had already jotted down the Aromatisse's name. "Let's see, what next. Name of business? Uh huh. An estimate of our selling period? Just for today, really. Egg group? Why is that important? Well, whatever. Uh-huh. Yadda-yadda. Aaaaand looks like we're done."

"Excellent!" The Kecleon slammed a stamp on the filled-out form, making the three adolescent pokémon flinch from shock. "Since the selling period isn't anything extravagant, your security deposit comes down to a single Nugget."

Intrepid pulled a solid gold piece from his bag and placed it on the counter. Valor picked up their official proof of purchase and placed it in the duffel bag.

"One more thing." Valor spoke up.

"Yes?"

"Do you also have a stand where we can set up? Because we'd like to-"

"You're at the right place!"

Valor sighed in annoyance at getting interrupted agai-

"Since this is your first time here, we can set up a stand for you next to our building, free of charge in hopes that you continue doing business with us. Choker! Please set up a stand for these young gentlemon, here!" He clapped his hands. At his words, a Machoke burst out of the back room, carrying pieces of wood under one arm and a toolbox in the other. A few customers behind them stepped out of the way as the fighting type raced out of the building and got to work.

The three psychic types blinked in surprise at the scene that played out before them.

"Just a little promotion we have for first time clients in order to win their loyalty and attract potential customers." The Kecleon explained. "Next time you're here, you'll have to pay full price if you want to rent out a stand or one of our rooms. Thank you for visiting the Business Bureau of Business. Please, come again."

Gallant's right eye twitched and Intrepid grabbed his arm, dragging him out of the line and through the doors of the building before he could say anything on the matter. They found the Machoke to have already finished setting up their stand, twirling a hammer in one hand like some hot shot.

"You're welcome." He sauntered passed them and whistled a little tune, returning to his workplace.

He certainly had something to be proud of, they had to admit. The stand looked pretty good, the wooden surface clean and smooth, complete with its own awning to offer shade from sunlight or in the event of rain. The psychic types stepped behind the counter, Gallant and Intrepid standing beside Valor who placed he duffel bag on the ground and unzipped it. Slowly, he removed the ten incense jars, each within their designated box, and placed them side by side on display in an orderly fashion.

"Okay. Now we can finally start selling." Gallant smiled confidently.

"Do you have a sales pitch?" Valor asked.

"Hm?"

"Nobody's gonna come to us just because we've set up here. I doubt we look like professionals in the eyes of the masses. We need a way to attract customers."

"Then how's about a demonstration?"

"A demonstration? What do you have in mind?"

Gallant removed one of the jars from its box, held up his hand and a small blue flame formed in his palm. After that, he lifted one of the lids and dropped the flame into the jar. After closing it, the flame ignited the special compound and a visible pink mist began to seep from the small openings in the lid. Valor blinked at him.

"What was that?"

"Will-o-Wisp." Gallant informed.

"When did you learn that?"

"Some time before we evolved."

"When were you planning on telling us you could do that?"

"Does it matter?"

"Actually, yeah it does."

"How so?"

"How so? We're friends that trust each other. We're supposed to keep promises and share everything. That's what I thought, anyway." Valor complained.

"If that's true, why did you promise me we'd only train on the physical side then hit me with Dazzling Gleam, you damn hypocrite?"

"Oh come on... How many times do you want me to apologize?"

"Once would be nice."

"Right. I'm sorry."

"Are you, though?"

"Give me a break here..."

"You're the one that started this, Valor. Your misery is born from your own endeavors, not mine."

"You're the worst, Gallant!"

"I'M the worst!?"

Normally, Intrepid would have enjoyed his friends arguing like this but seeing as they were here because of a promise to Redolence, he eyed them in annoyance. A Blissey approached them, attracted by the scent of the incense and took an interest in what they were selling but after witnessing the two psychic types getting confrontational, she backed away and left. Intrepid slapped his palm against his forehead at this.

"Hey! Shut up, you guys!"

The two fighting types looked at him in shock, Gallant in the middle of shoving Valor who had one of his blades extended and ready to party.

"Your hilarious arguing is gonna ruin this for Redolence. What happens if you two get us thrown out? Have you already forgotten why we're here?"

They let go of each other and rubbed the back of their heads in embarrassment. Intrepid stepped in between the two of them.

"Sorry." They both said.

"Damn right, you're sorry. Step aside, let me try." He cleared his throat. "You there!"

He caught the attention of a passing Pangoro that glared at him.

"You seem like a reasonable fellow." Intrepid grinned. "How about you try out one of our products? You'd be surprised at how something so simple can brighten your day right up."

"Yeah, I'm kind of in a hurry." He gruffly replied and held up his paw in dismissal. "So if you don't mind I... I'll..." His thought process abruptly ended when the sweet smell wafted up into his nostrils. Like he was in a trance, he slowly walked up to the stand. "What are these?"

"Special incense jars, my good 'mon. Whether you're at home taking it easy after a long day or when you want to set the mood if you have someone over..." The young Gallade nudged his elbow at the air suggestively. "These things do the trick for you in any of those situations and helps you and anyone you're with relax. Don't believe me?"

Intrepid used his psychic power to further blow the mist at the dark type. The positive effect it was having on him was a tad bit obvious.

"Oh yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah... How... How much are these?" He asked deliriously.

"One Nugget. They're on a special promotion right now and the price might change in the future. Get it while it's hot. Get it? Because there's a fire burning in there. On that note, do be careful on where you use it and how. It can be put out with a simple shake and be refilled with these special sachets." The psychic type leaned down, reached into the duffel back and presented a small, pink sachet filled with the new compound Redolence made. "These are a Pearl each. Don't limit a great experience to just one time. What do you say?"

"I'll take one jar and a sachet." The Pangoro placed a gold Nugget and Shards that added up to the value of a Pearl on the stand's flat surface.

"Here you go, sir. Enjoy it. Please be sure to spread the name 'Redolence of the Fairy Realm' if you or your friends ever plan on sending out requisition letters for more. That's the pokémon that makes these things. She's real talented and this product is only a fraction of what she can do." Intrepid politley handed him his purchases.

"I will, thank you." The fighting type held the two items up in his large paw and blithely sauntered off, mumbling as he did. "Kuroi will love this..."

Intrepid waved at the leaving Pangoro and gave his friends a triumphant smile. "That's how it's done."

They stared at him, flabbergasted.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Gallant asked.

"My mother owns a shop back home. Learned from her. She's way better at it than I am, though."

"Well good job, Intrepid. You sold one easy." Valor praised.

"Damn straight, I did and I'm about to sell even more." Intrepid's smile widened.

"How?" Gallant tilted his head, curious about his ally's next approach.

Intrepid used his telekinesis to blow the pink mist from the ignited jar at Gallant, the sweet-smelling gas surrounding his body and leaving its scent on him.

"What are you-"

"Start walking." Intrepid instructed.

"What?"

"That way." He pointed down the street on their left. "Walk for ten minutes and come back. Please and thank you."

Gallant stared behind himself and back at Intrepid, wondering if he was kidding. He wasn't, unfortunately. The Gallade sighed and did what he was told, turning around and walking down the street, placing his hands behind his head in quick boredom.

"Why'd you send him away?" Valor looked at his friend as he disappeared into the crowds.

"I want to bait more customers. If the scent is as great as it is, it should get the attention of more pokémon. I'm using Gallant as a scent beacon."

"That's... Um... Creative?"

"Yup." Intrepid pulled out a small sack from his bag.

"Why do you eat those?"

"Told you. I like how they taste. And now that we're fighting types, they're good for my health too." He tossed a Roseli Berry in his mouth.

Valor was going to press the subject when he heard a slight scratching noise. He looked around and discovered it came from the front of the stand. Leaning forward, he noticed a Vaporeon scratching at the surface, too short for him to normally see by virtue of the water type being a quadruped. An Azumarill stood by the water type Eeveelution's side and smiled up at him.

"May I help you?"

"Yah, you totally can! So Seabreeze and I were, like, strolling down the street talking about how awesome water types are, which they are and we smelled this gnarly smell. Are you, like, selling some perfume or whatever?" The Vaporeon inquired with her distinctively feminine accent.

"Perfume?" Intrepid cocked his head.

"We're selling incense jars." Valor replied.

"Those things that help make babies and stuff? I don't remember them smelling anything like this. Fer sure."

"These are a different kind. They're more about inhaling while relaxing and not much else. Ambiance."

"So… They're, like, a drug?"

"I wouldn't call them-"

"Some drugs are good for you, I guess... But these don't have, like, any weird after-effects, do they?"

"They don-"

"Becuz that would be jive."

"I don't know what that word means but no. They don't have "weird' effects. They're for recreational purposes only."

"Although it's understandable if you want to use them as a form of escapism." Intrepid considered.

"Don't encourage escapism in strangers, Intrepid."

"Why not? There's nothing wrong with it if you do it in moderation. The incense jars don't cause trouble for your body like, say, alcohol. If times are tough, just light one up and relax with no harm to anyone. Simple as that. They're going for the price of one Nugget. Will you be buying?"

"Hmmm... They do smell good." The Azumarill, Seabreeze, noted. "I say we get one 'Marine. If we're gonna laze around, we may as well feel good doing it."

The Vaporeon smiled at the mention of her pet name. "Well, if my girl wants one, who am to say no? We'll take one."

"Excellent." Valor floated a box over to them and the Azumarill held it in her small hands.

The Vaporeon reached into a small bag tied around her neck and produced a Nugget. The Blade Pokémon accepted it graciously.

"Thank you, Miss Marine."

"It's Aquamarine." She shot him an annoyed look. It seemed only her friend was allowed to call her that.

"Oh, sorry. Thank you, Miss-"

"Just Aquamarine."

"Thank you, Aquamarine." Valor bowed and tried his best to maintain his smile.

"You're welcome to, like, have been blessed with the presence of the beautiful and talented water duo: Aquamarine and Seabreeze. Burn us into your memories as Scald burns pretenders." She did a pose and winked at them. "Come on Seabreeze, let's go buy a lighter or something. Arceus knows we can't light this by ourselves."

"Surest." The Azumarill followed her friend down the busy street. "Buh-bye now." She blew a kiss at the Gallade as she walked away.

Intrepid watched them go, waiting until they were out of earshot before making a comment. "What even is that accent?"

"A unique one, I'll say."

"Do you think every pokémon in the Water Realm talks like that?"

"No idea, Intrepid. We're not here to judge."

"I'm not judging, I'm just curious if- Hey look, here comes Gallant. That was fast..."

Sure enough, Gallant was walking down the street back to their stand wearing an exasperated look. He was being trailed by an Arcanine, a Ninetales, Miltank, Braviary and a Flygon. The Arcanine and Nintales appeared to be together as they walked in very close proximity to each other and had two Growlithe and Vulpix pups next to them.

"I brought you customers." Gallant flatly stated. "There were more but they got too touchy-feely with me and I had to... Scare them off." He retracted a single blade.

"Awesome, Gallant. You may have created future problems for us but, you know, good work." Inrepid gave him the peace sign.

"Whatever."

"Now then... How may we be of service?" He faced the potential buyers.

Having been exposed to the more potent source of the scent, the gathered pokémon started with the demanding questions.

"What is that fascinating smell?" The Ninetales asked.

"Is it something you're selling? Did you make these, yourself?" The Arcanine continued.

"How much are they?"

"Where are you from?"

"I'm a Flygon."

"Let's see..." Intrepid placed a thoughtful finger under his chin. "It's a special incense jar. Yes, we're selling them. Our friend, Redolence, made them, please spread the name if you can. Jars are going for one Nugget, sachets are going for one Pearl. The Fairy Realm. And good for you, bro." Intrepid nodded at the Flygon.

"So heavenly..." The Ninetales closed her eyes, content with sensation brought on by the incense jar. "Canis and I will take one."

"Throw in two sachets." The Arcanine identified as Canis added.

"I'll take two jars. I have a pal that would enjoy something like this." The Braviary ordered.

"One of each is fine for me." The Miltank said with a gentle voice and smile.

"I'll take two jars and four sachets." The Flygon told them.

Valor was placing their orders as they made them, handing the pokémon their purchased products one after the other until they were all accounted for.

"Thank you for doing business with us." The three psychic types bowed politely.

"Spread the word to your friends." Intrepid waved as they prepared to leave.

"You're welcome and we will. Let's go, Canis." The Ninetales and Arcanine left with their children.

"Thank you for the jars." The Braviary took flight with two boxes in his talons.

"Have a blessed day." The Miltank smiled warmly and left as well.

"Thank you." The Flygon took to the skies.

After all the serviced customers departed, the Gallade sighed, leaning down on the counter with both elbows.

"This actually went well."

"Redolence will be stoked when we return."

"We have two remaining, though."

They looked down at the counter. One still in its box and the one that was lit still burning and producing its mist.

"Make that one." Gallant removed a Nugget from his bag and placed it in the Aromatisse's duffel bag. "We can use this one for ourselves since I already set it up."

"Good call, Gallant." Valor smirked.

"I'll admit, I wanted one for myself the first time I smelled it."

"What do we do with this last one? I don't know how I feel about standing here all day wondering when the next client will show interest. Some of these passersby look like they're resistant to the scent." Intrepid poked at the remaining box while leaning on the counter.

"I can take it off your hands."

Intrepid looked up at the latest voice to join their conversation. It belonged to a strangely familiar Lopunny that wore a red bow around her neck and a small bag across her shoulder. She smiled at them, a hand on her hip, the other brushing one of her large but delicate ears. She looked pretty cute.

"Huh. You're pretty cute." Intrepid told her, unabashedly. His friends stared at him in a weird way for being so forward with a stranger.

"Oh wow." She flipped one of her long ears. "You think?"

"Yeah. Definitely." The adolescent psychic type replied with sincerity.

"Mm-hm. Well, thanks for that. A girl never gets tired of hearing compliments, you know. Make us as happy as you can." She gave a toothy grin. "You boys look pretty cute, yourselves. Smell good too. These are incense jars, right?" The normal type inspected the lit one closely. "They're usually crazy expensive but you're really letting them go for only one Nugget each?"

"You can thank advertising for that. I'm sure the low price won't last."

"I'll definitely take one then. It'll be a great addition to my place when I just want to kick back and lie around."

"Sure." Intrepid picked up the box, ready to hand it over. "Here you- whoops!" He 'accidentally' dropped the box, stopping it with his telekinesis before it hit the ground. "Sorry. One second." He moved from one side to another, crouching as he went to give the illusion he was walking down some stairs.

The Lopunny tilted her head and watched him vanish behind the stand. She waited... And waited. Before she asked what was going on, she felt a tap on her shoulder from behind her. She turned around to discover that the Gallade had warped behind her and was spinning the box on one of his fingers.

"Ta-da!"

She giggled. "Yes, very nice." The normal type gave him a small applaud in jest.

"Thank you. Though, I'll be honest, I don't know how to balance stuff on my finger so I cheated." Intrepid moved away from the box which continued spinning in mid-air through his psychic will.

"Okay, that's cool."

"Right?" He floated the box over to her and she accepted it, offering him a Nugget in return.

"Thanks to you, we've officially sold all our wares and met our quota." Intrepid smirked.

"Oh? Do you work here?"

"No, we're here on behalf of someone else. She's the one that makes these. We're doing her a favor by selling these for her and now we can return with her profits. 'Convenience!' She'll say." The psychic type looked up at the sky and started speaking mostly to himself. "Maybe in the future, she can open a full-time shop here and make a big profit. She deserves it for all her hard work."

The Lopunny smiled at him. "...Huh. You know, it's not often that I run into nice guys like you. Usually, pokémon take one look at me and..." She looked at them and they stared back at her with innocent red eyes. "Um... Nevermind. Thanks again for the jar."

"You're welcome." The psychic type smiled back at her. "Okay guys, pack it up. We're done here."

"What? You hit on me once and you're leaving already?" She sounded disappointed.

"Well... Yeah." They looked at her like it was obvious, Valor even holding up the straps of the duffel bag, once filled with jars, now filled with Nuggets, Pearls and Shards.

"Our job here is done. Trust me, we'd like to stay but there's someone waiting for us." Gallant extinguished the incense jar he lit and placed it back in its box then in has own bag. "Now we can head back home."

"Awwww, come on. It's been such a boring, tiresome, work-filled week, you know? You're not in that much of a hurry, are you? Chat with me a little more. Pleeeaaase?" She made a coy girlish pose. They looked at her curiously.

"You're asking us to like... Hang out? Even though we just met?"

"Yeah, let's hang out. I know a place where we can get refreshments. You must be thirsty from working in this heat. What do you say?"

The Gallade looked at each other and back at her with a shrug of their shoulders. They hadn't been working that long but they supposed they could take a little time for themselves. At least the pokémon accosting them was friendly.

"Sure, why not?" Gallant said.

"Awesome!"

"Let me just inform the Kecleon inside that we're done using his stand." Valor teleported into the building and, after some twenty seconds or so, teleported back. "Okay, let's go."

"Lead the way... Um..?" Intrepid faltered

"Amber." She started walking down the street, going right, the fighting types following her.

"Yes, sorry. Amber. Interesting name."

"So I'm told. I guess my parents thought 'Brown with Lighter Brown Patches' was too common a name for Buneary so they named me after a different color."

"You've got jokes."

"I try." She smiled at them. "What are your names?"

"Gallant."

"My name's Valor."

"And I'm Intrepid. Got it memorized?"

"Mm-hm. Nice names, boys. And all of them are synonyms for 'brave.' You triplets or something?"

"No but we understand why you'd think that. It's an unlikely coincidence."

Intrepid and his friends followed her up the flight of stairs back towards the Onix transit. As luck would have it, one of them was quickly approaching and when it stopped, all four pokémon got on.

"Do you live in the settlement?"

"Yeah, I do." Amber held down one of her ears when the wind made it obscure her vision. "I just got done paying for this really nice place. Had to work multiple shifts at the Comfort Inn to raise the money."

"That's right! I thought I recognized you." Gallant got a good look at her. "You're the Lopunny that served us the first time we were here."

"Hmmm..? Now that you mention it... I do remember serving a Gallade and some Kirlia some days ago."

"The Gallade is our master." Valor informed.

"And three of those Kirlia were us." Intrepid added on.

"You evolved between then and now, huh? Things sure can change when you're not paying attention."

"Tell me about it." Gallant mumbled inaudibly under his breath.

The Onix started slowing to a crawl before coming to a stop at a different platform. Amber got off, beckoning the psychic types to proceed with her.

"This is where we get off."

They walked down a flight of stairs to another main street. One that was less populated than the one in the business district. The buildings were different too. Lower than what they were used to seeing that they could be mistaken for houses. These were small business establishments like the ones back in the Fairy Realm that appealed more to the common folk than the more extravagant ones they had seen before. Libraries, confectionary shops, potteries, repair stores, convenience stores and the like. Small brick structures that arched between the buildings completed the homely feel of the area.

"We're going in here."

The psychic types looked at the building in question. It was slightly larger than the others and had a sign that read 'The Tipsy Turtwig' complete with a logo depicting an imbalanced Turtwig with cross-shaped eyes and holding a liquor bottle.

"Come on." She smiled at them, holding open the door for them to pass through.

Upon entering, the small group took in the sight around them. Pokémon of different shapes and sizes laughing all around, enjoying their time spent there. The room was illuminated by low hanging lanterns. Catchy music came from a piano in the corner being played by a talented Gothitelle. She hummed to the tone of her key strokes and it made her music all the more soothing. Behind the bar stood an Ursaring, wiping down his counter and serving drinks to the pokémon standing or sitting in front of it. It wasn't as good as the Comfort Inn but it had its own charm.

The four pokémon moved around the occupied tables and chairs to find empty seats. As Gallant passed one of the tables, he inadvertently locked eyes with its sole occupant. A Sceptile. One he recognized as Saber. The unlikely circumstance of seeing the Forest Pokémon during his second visit and in a different bar hadn't dawned on him as time slowed down for him while he passed on by, the Sceptile looking into his eyes as he went. He pondered, for a second, if the grass type recognized him. He also noticed the bandages on parts of the Sceptile's body and could only wonder what went down for him to get those injuries. He turned away before Saber did, hoping to not be caught staring for so long that he came off as rude. The three boys and single girl found themselves an empty table and settled down in the available chairs.

"Nice place." Valor commented.

"The reason I chose it." Amber smirked. "It's good we came here during the day. During the night, it could get a little... Noisy."

The friendly pokémon were soon approached by one of the waiters. A Zangoose with a tough expression and toothpick in his mouth.

"What should I get ya?"

"Aprijuice." Intrepid replied.

"Make that three."

"Make that four." Amber repeated.

"You're in a bar famous for its liquor and you all want something light like Aprijuice?" He wrote their order down in spite of what he was saying.

"You don't have any?" Gallant tilted his head.

"Of course, we do."

"Then what's the big deal?"

"Yes, right. And why don't I go to a gold mine and come back with a Hard Rock?" He rolled his eyes and left to get their drinks.

Valor watched him go with a frown. "I take back what I said about this place."

"Looks can be deceiving."

"I'd rather have it been someone like Amber serving us." Intrepid said, turning to the Lopunny. "You were excited and personal and everything."

"You think? I only ever act like that during my shifts. I have to make the patrons feel like they're important so they keep coming back. That Amber is a lie."

"No worries. This one is nice, too."

"Hmph." She smiled playfully at Intrepid.

"Say, what's the Normal Realm like?" He asked, starting small talk while they waited for their beverages.

"It's okay, I guess. My parents live there. My cute little sisters live there. There isn't really much to say about it. Because of the Miltank and Tauros that live at home, we have really great farms that produce both crops and milk. Ever had milk from a Miltank?"

They shook their heads, no.

"Seriously? I wasn't expecting that. You guys don't know what you're missing. Next time I'm there, I'll bring you back some. You absolutely have to try it at least once in your lifetimes."

"We'll take you up on that, thank you." Gallant smiled.

"No prob." She giggled. "That milk is so good, it can make a pokémon disown their mother. Kidding, of course."

"The Normal Realm sounds like a real peaceful place. Especially compared to what I've heard about... Other realms." Gallant spoke, being mindful about what he says in a room full of pokémon. "What made you come here?"

"Hmm..." The Lopunny leaned back in her chair. "I don't know. I think I had a reason but it got lost on me somewhere down the line. Looking back, it just seems more like I needed an excuse. Maybe at the time, I just wanted to feel like I'm a part of something bigger. There isn't much at home in the way of excitement. It can get pretty suffocating to know you're closed out from the rest of the world. You know what I'm saying?" She leaned forward, cheeks in paws. "What about you guys? The Pokémon Settlement is the world's largest gathering of pokémon and populated by individuals from all the realms. You can get anything you want here. Did you really only come here to do one favor for someone and then just leave? Is there really nothing more to it than that?"

The Gallade blinked in alertness, caught off guard by her question. Though, they were unsure on how to reply, she pretty much hit the mark. The first time they were here, it was only to request Dawn Stones for their evolution but their exposure to the world's problems replaced their naïveté with doubt. They arrived as innocents and left with a lot on their mind. At the time, it hadn't occurred to them that the Legendary Pokémon and other pokémon from different realms would turn their wrath on the common populace, what with being raised under Lord Xerneas' care and protection. Finding out it was such a common occurrence that it required periodic checks from assault teams really opened their eyes to a bigger picture. They thought that the world was under the care of all Legendary Pokémon like back home but as it turned out, there existed a few that damaged the world, willingly or not. And for the longest time, that knowledge wasn't apparent to the young psychic types. It was scary and it made them wonder what the rest of the world was like. A feeling that slowly birthed a desperate curiosity. Though they were in the Pokémon Settlement a second time for Redolence, it stemmed from them jumping at the first opportunity to step outside the Fairy Realm and experience, if only for a very limited time, what it was like to be free. Do things of their own accord. Take matters into their own hands. Their trip wasn't just about Redolence. It was about them too.

Just as they were about to answer her, a tray with their drinks was placed on the table.

"Drink up." The Zangoose said and left to attend to another table.

The four pokémon picked up their cups and drank their cool, refreshing beverages in silence, the piano music and chatter all they focused on until they were finished. Noticing this, the Zangoose came back and collected their cups, making sure to wipe their table clean.

"That was fast. Will that be all?" He tossed his cloth over his shoulder.

"One more serving of 'Hard Stones.'" Gallant ordered.

He chuckled and left again. "Comin' right up."

Amber placed one paw under her chin and glanced at the psychic types. "So I told you what my home is like. What about yours?"

"The Fairy Realm is... Peaceful." Gallant replied.

"What, that's it?" She rose an eyebrow.

"You'd think there's more but yeah, that's it." Valor asserted. "Our legendary, Lord Xerneas, provided us with the means to grow and function independently from the rest of the world. We can grow food, train ourselves, there's rarely ever a reason for anyone to venture outside, unless it's for business. We have everything we could ever ask for."

"Oh? Then why are you here?" It was a genuine question but it stung the psychic types like a swarm of Beedrill. "The real reason."

"We... Got curious."

"Curious?"

"Curious, yeah. We wanted to see the world for ourselves instead of just hearing about it. Turns out there's a lot more going on that we weren't and probably still aren't aware of." Gallant briefly looked at where the Sceptile was seated. He was enjoying a drink and hadn't noticed him staring. He looked away before he was caught.

"Felt like that for me too. I guess the one good thing about staying home constantly is that it's kind of nice when your troubles are your own, isn't it?" She sure wasn't letting up.

"What's your Legendary Pokémon like, if I may ask?" Gallant asked, changing the subject.

"Regigigas. He doesn't move much."

"What do you mean?" Intrepid asked, wondering if this 'Regigigas' had a sealed form like Lord Xerneas.

"Just that, he doesn't move. A long time ago, he pulled a large island and joined it to the mainland that later become the Brilliant Meadow." That little revelation shocked the three Blade Pokémon. "As the story goes, he was one of the first created Legendary Pokémon and had a hand in shaping the world. After he created the Normal Realm, he went on to create the golems using minerals from all over the world to serve as our guardians alongside him: Regirock, Regice and Registeel. They stand at the centre of the Normal Realm, none of them moving because they have no reason to... For the time being. Now they serve more as statues than anything. My little sisters like to call them Regi-Giggle because if you view them from above, Rigigigas looks like an eye while the other three make a smile." She rolled her eyes.

A second tray was placed on their table and they picked up their cups.

"That's quite a story."

"Meh. I'm sure there are more interesting stories out there." Amber and the rest drank from her cups, breathing out a sigh of content when they were done.

They continued chatting for over an hour. Talking about their homes, their friends, their interests and the like. They had ordered more drinks to go with their conversations, finding they enjoyed spending time just sitting down and talking amongst themselves.

"I'll admit, this has been nice. Thanks for inviting us." Valor smiled at her in gratitude.

"Thanks for being here. You don't know how boring this place can get when you don't have any company."

"I can't imagine that. By the way... What's that?"

"What?"

"That." Valor pointed at one of the corners of them room.

The pokémon at the shared table looked in the direction Valor was pointing at: Two Toxicroak. Obviously not the Toxicroak themselves but the table they were standing beside. A long table with six legs and an embedded green surface that had six holes placed symmetrically along its corners and sides. The poison types held long, smooth sticks in their hands and were using them to strike a white ball into the others with the objective of trying to get them into one of the holes.

"Oh, that. They're playing pool."

"Pool?"

"Yeah. It's a game where you try to get these heavy little numbered balls into holes or something. I'm not too familiar with it. Why not go see for yourself? You might enjoy it." The Rabbit Pokémon nudged her head in the direction of the pool table.

Figuring 'why not,' Valor stood up and made his way to the poison duo and the game they were engaged in. The others remaining behind to continue their conversation with Amber. He stood by the pool table and the Toxicroak took notice of him.

"What do you want, kid?" One of them leaned down, aimed with his pool cue and struck his mark.

"Don't mind me. I'm just here to watch." The Gallade folded his arms.

"You're kidding." He struck another ball and grabbed his drink that was sitting on the edge of the table, taking a swig of it. "This is a bar. You either drink or play pool or do something. Standing around will only get you kicked out. Not to mention, it's rude and annoying."

"Alright then, I'd like to try it." He stepped closer. "Can you teach me?"

"What?" The poison type flinched back at the bold proposition.

"Yeah. I'm interested in learning this game."

The Toxicroak glared at him with some hostility but Valor didn't flinch. The poison type belched disgustingly at him and grinned. "Why not? Here." He tossed the pool cue at him.

The psychic type willed the wooden stick to stop in mid-air in front of him and captured it in his grasp.

The Toxicroak procured some sort of small token and placed it in a slot in the table. After he did so, all the billiard balls that had been pocketed were ejected into a small compartment and the second Toxicroak began removing them and placing them back on the table within a black plastic triangle.

"Alright here are the rules: See this little line?" The poison type called attention to a barely visible line on the table and placed the white, featureless ball on it. "This is the starting line. At the start of a game or after a foul if the white cue ball has been pocketed, this is the line you start on. You can put it in any position, as long as it's on the line. Now we can break." He lifted the triangle from around the remaining billiard balls. "Use your pool cue to strike the balls... Heheh... You can use force but if any balls fall off the table, that's a foul and you lose your turn. Now hurry it up."

Valor looked at the pool cue in his hands for a moment and leaned over the table, trying to imitate what he saw the two poison types doing. He had three fingers on each hand but no thumbs. It was harder than it looked but he tried to make it work, the stick in between his more dominant fingers. Two holding up the pool cue, and the other two placed on the table and raised so that they supported the end of the stick. Satisfied, he struck the white ball which knocked against the others, sending them scrambling haphazardly around the table with a couple of them falling into the holes.

"Not bad, kid." It sounded pretty condescending for a compliment. "Now see how some balls are in solid colors and others in stripes? This is where you pick your side and from then on, you can only pocket that kind of cue ball. Pocket your opponent's and your turn is over. Fail to pocket and your turn is over. Pocket the white ball and your opponent gets two turns as a penalty."

Valor nodded. Selecting solid colors, he moved to closer to where the white ball had ended up leaned back down, determined to pocket one of them. He struck the white billiard ball, which knocked into a ball labeled with a 2 but it stopped short of entering its designated hole.

"Tough luck, kid." The Toxicroak smirked and grabbed a pool cue from his partner. Taking aim for barely a second, he pocketed a striped ball. Then another. Then another. And then another. Pretty impressive in Valor's eyes. The Toxicroak pocketed another striped ball but the force he put behind his strike sent the white one following behind it and into the hole.

"Damn. Your turn, kid."

Valor watched the white billiard ball get sent to a different compartment than the others and picked it up after it had settled, remembering to place it on the starting line. Taking aim, he struck the white ball and its force knocked one of his targets into a corner pocket. Smirking, he turned his sights on a black '8' ball, lining up his aim thrusting the white ball into it. The black billiard ball rolled with purpose, eventually finding itself in one of the corner pockets.

"Game over, kid." The poison type flatly stated.

"Wh-what? By I got it in."

"Yes, you did but the black one serves as a final target for both contenders and should only be pocketed after all your other targets have been sunk. On top of that, you have to call the pocket it's going in."

"What? You didn't tell me that." Valor complained.

"You didn't ask."

"Oh, com-"

"One Nugget."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Lesson fee is one Nugget. Pay up."

"What!? You didn't tell me you were charging me, either!"

"I am now. Nothing in life comes free of charge, kid. Consider that another lesson. One Nugget. Pay up."

"My ass, one Nugget! Get out of here with that crap!"

"Watch your tone with me, kid." The Toxicroak glared at him.

"Why are you the one getting upset? You just tried to extort money from me. If this was supposed to be a lesson, why didn't you say so before we started? You're so full of crap!" He slammed the pool cue onto the table, now officially pissed off.

"You looking for trouble?" The Toxic Mouth Pokémon croaked, toxins churning audibly in his throat sack. "Because you're about to find it."

"Oh, is that right?" Valor stood his ground, glaring into the eyes of his aggressor. The music had stopped. The patrons had long since taken notice but instead of being agitated, they had smirks on their faces. Some were already placing bets with each other on how the confrontation would end.

Gallant, Intrepid and Amber watched Valor on the verge of getting into a scuffle. Gallant narrowed his eyes, getting up from his chair.

"Intrepid, watch our bags." He told his friend with no room for argument. Intrepid watched him go with a serious frown while Amber wore a worried expression.

The Gallade walked to the corner of the room and stood supportively beside his friend.

"Is there some kind of misunderstanding here?" Secretly, he hoped so. As a fighting type, he was itching to knock some heads.

"No misunderstanding here, Gallant. These guys are just assholes."

The poison type scoffed at him, joined by his own partner. "Who's this? Your boyfriend?"

If there was any question of whether or not Gallant and Valor would start a fight, it was gone now. They were friends that got rowdy with each other at the drop of a hat. Imagine their animosity towards a hostile stranger that clearly had too much to drink. Gallant flipped off the Toxicroak, igniting his fire.

"Oh, it's on now! I was gonna let you go with a warning but now you've gone and done it! I don't care how good you smell, no one disrespects the Poison Darts!" He clenched his fist, making venom ooze from the stinger between his knuckles and took a jab at Gallant. The psychic type moved his head back, the Toxicroak barely missing him and lurched forward, nailing the poison type in the face and giving him a bloody nose.

The Toxicroak staggered and got supported by his partner. Standing back up, he brought his palm against his face to help ease the pain. When he took his hand away, he noticed it had become stained with blood. He glared at the psychic types and with cry to show he means business, he rushed at them, his partner following suit.

Valor wasted no time in pursuing his query, lifting his arms but not extending his blades just yet. The Toxicroak jabbed at the air in front of him, sending an ultra-fast yet weak shockwave that smacked the psychic type in the face, making Valor flinch back from the surprise attack. The psychic type held the wall beside him as he staggered, a reaction taking place in his body, his muscles stimulating themselves and increasing his reaction time and speed in an activation of his Steadfast ability. He glared up at the Toxicroak that sprinted across the floor for him, his poison darts at the ready. Using his heightened perception, Valor parried the poison type's jab with clang of their natural weapons, the poison from the Toxicroak's stingers coating the edges of his blades in their purple muck. The poison type attempted a kick but Valor raised his foot and stomped his opponent's leg back to the ground then swung his arm horizontally and sent some of the fluid coating it flying at his opponent's face, obscuring his vision. His own venomous substance wasn't hazardous to him but the Toxicroak found himself blinded by it, a fact Valor took full advantage of, driving his knee into the Toxic Mouth Pokémon's stomach and slugging him with an uppercut that sent him flying through the air and onto the pool table that started all of this, the billiard balls making for very poor cushions.

Gallant, who wasn't under the benefits of Steadfast like his friend, didn't have it as easy, trading blows and parries with his opponent as the loud clashing of their weapons filled the room. He ducked under a right hook from his opponent but that action put him in a prime position to take a knee to the chin. Gallant staggered back, holding his jaw and quickly dodged a follow-up swing from the poison type, the tip of his opponent's stinger grazing his cheek and leaving a purple line of venom. His vision blurred briefly, the toxins working fast but he fought against it. He dashed forward, swinging his blade diagonally and extending it at the last moment catching the Toxicroak off guard. A thin line was carved across his midsection, the poison type having leaned back in time and avoiding a serious injury. The Gallade extended his other blade and leaped forward, wanting to end it. The Toxicroak wasn't having it, however, coating a fist in dark energy and striking Gallant with a Sucker Punch before he could execute his attack. The psychic grit his teeth and flinched back in pain, the poison type dashing forward and striking him with a Poison Jab to the torso, puncturing a shallow hole in Gallant's stomach and noting with some fascination that there was no blood. The heck kind of pokémon was this?

Gallant sluggishly walked backwards to give himself some breathing space, the room slowly spinning because of the poison in his system. He accidentally bumped into a table behind him and fell on top of it with his back to the surface. The Toxicroak was upon him in an instant, stabbing downwards against the psychic type's face but held at bay with Gallant's psychic power, the poison stinger less than an inch away from his skin. The Toxic Mouth Pokémon jabbed down with his other fist, Gallant craning his head to the side as the stinger missed and jabbed through the surface of the wooden table. Looking to the side, he saw a few of the patrons enjoying the brawl in action. They were fuzzy in his vision but he noticed a few of them holding a bottle in their hands. Using Psychic, Gallant yanked a bottle away from one of them and sent it cruising across the room right into the side of the Toxicroak's head.

The Toxicroak cried out in pain when the bottle shattered against his face, sending shards of glass flying and spilling its contents all over his upper body. He got off of Gallant and he reeled in pain, cradling his head with one hand. The Blade Pokémon got up from the table himself, grabbing another bottle from it as he did and swinging it against the other side of the poison type's face. The impact was accompanied by another loud burst of glass and alcohol and the force of the blow was so much that the Toxicroak spun in place, legs feeling like jelly as he fought to keep his balance. Gallant made sure he wouldn't get it, grabbing his arm, pulling him towards him, lifting him off the ground and, with the help of Psychic to add extra strength, slamming him onto the table he was recently pinned down on. The table was no match for the weight forced onto it at that speed, breaking apart spectacularly, the pokémon that were seated there abandoning it fast as it was reduced to nothing but small wooden pieces.

Gallant looked down at his handiwork, smirking when it looked like the Toxicroak wasn't getting back up. He tiredly lifted his arm and his bag heeded his call, floating from their table and into his hand. Leaning against the wall, he removed a Pecha Berry from one of its compartments, eating the fruit and slowly feeling the effects of the poison being purged from his body. He looked to his side and watched the second Toxicroak try his damnedest to hit Valor but couldn't, deeply regretting using Fake Out to accidentally activate his ability. The Toxicroak threw out jab after jab, kick after kick but Valor kept on dodging and guarding easily. In desperation, he reached back and grabbed one of the pool cues before taking a swing at the Gallade who just raised an arm and extended his blade, the pool cue getting sliced in half the moment it met his arm. Then with his other arm, Valor beckoned an empty chair towards him, catching it and swinging it at the Toxicroak, the poor furniture splintering to pieces against the poison type's body which was sent sprawling to the ground. The poison type tried to get up on his hands and knees but his mind was suddenly invaded by an overpowering force, making him feel like his brain was set ablaze and knocking him unconscious in under five seconds.

"Here's a life lesson for you: Don't be a dick." Valor dusted his hands off above the defeated Toxicroak.

A silence hung over the room for a few seconds before everyone erupted in loud cheers, applause and a few whistles. The two psychic types stood next to each other, shocked, thinking for sure they'd get into trouble but not caring about it at the time and wondering why they would cheer for the pokemon responsible for property damage.

"You must be new here." The Ursaring called from the bar and beckoned them closer.

"Um... I... We're...really sorry about your table and chair." Gallant rubbed the back of his head. "I can pay for the damages or-"

The Ursaring held up his claws. "Dun' worry about it. With the money I just made, I'll have them flimsy things replaced in no time."

"Uuuhhh... What do you mean?"

He chuckled. "See, the thing that makes this bar really popular is the bettin' pool. Fights break out in this bar ALL the time. It's what happens when ya serve booze to dangerous pokémon at all times of the day, erryday, unlike the Comfort Inn. It never used ta be this way and, in fact, there wuz a rule against it, yeah? But brawls kept on gettin' started. Ya can't tell a pokémon not ta fight an' you certainly can't stop them when they get good an' drunk. So, I decided, why not make a profit off this gig? I opened up a betting pool and Ah've been making more smack off fights than from mah booze. Damage costs aren't a thing tah worry about no more." His smirk widened, showing of his sharp looking chompers. "Since yer fresh young'uns, everyone here thought ta bet against ya. But I have an eye for talent, see? An' I knew you were gonna come out on top in the end. You done made me a lot of money today, kids. Good work."

"I... Think I understand why that Zangoose obsessed with us getting booze."

The two Gallade looked at each other and down at the fallen pokémon.

"Dun' worry 'bout those two. I'll have someone splash some water on 'em or something and have 'em escorted out."

"Um... Thanks..."

"No, thank you, mah boys." He winked at them. "Do me a favor an' get stronger will ya?" He returned to serving the customers near the counter.

Gallant turned to Valor. "I don't know about you but I think I'm ready to leave."

"One more thing before we go." Valor used Heal Pulse close up Gallant's stomach wound. "Better?"

"Much better, thanks." He smiled at his friend and they made their way back to their table.

Intrepid greeted them with an impish grin. "Congratulations."

"Yeah, thanks." Valor picked up his bag, the Aromatisse's duffel bag and started for the exit. "Let's go. We can't keep Redolence waiting too long. You coming, Amber?"

She nodded hesitantly, collecting her own bag and following the psychic types outside into the afternoon sun. All after they paid for their drinks, of course.

"Alright, guys. Let's head back." Valor spoke, the three of them preparing to use Teleport. "We'll be seeing you, Amber. Thanks for the company."

"Wait."

So they did. The psychic types stopped and looked at the Lopunny.

"Listen, I... Uh... I'm sorry. I only thought fights broke out in there during nighttime. That's the first time I've seen one start this early. I didn't mean for things to get out of hand like that. I... Just wanted a little company but I ended up getting you hurt... I shouldn't have brought you here. I'm really sorry, guys. Please don't hate me." She squeezed the straps of her bag and was trying not to meet their eyes.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Intrepid reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "None of that mess was your fault. It was fun hanging out with you."

"Really? You mean it?" The Rabbit Pokémon looked at them, hopeful.

"Really really. Don't even sweat it, Amber." Gallant smirked. "We're guys. On top of that, we're fighting types. It's what we do and we love doing it."

"Yeah. Next time we're here, we should hang out again... Preferably at a less obnoxious place."

Amber's frown of regret curled up into a smile of joy. "Thanks! You guys are the best! So... I'll see you next time?"

"Count on it."

"Awesome! I'll see you soon then. Bye-bye, boys!" She did a little spin for them, ran down the street and turned, out of sight.

"Nice gal." Intrepid commented.

"She's good at asking prodding questions too." Gallant replied.

"I thought I was the only one that noticed that." Valor finished. "Okay, ready guys?"

"Yeah."

"Yup."

"Alright."

"Wait."

"Ugh..." Their bodies even started glowing and everything... "What now- oh."

The three young psychic types stared at the pokémon that stopped them: The Sceptile, Saber.

"Hello." Gallant greeted him, hesitantly stepping forward. "May we help you?"

"You three. You're those little ankle biters from last time, aren't you?"

"Gallant."

"Valor."

"Intrepid."

He nodded at them. "My name is Saber."

"Yes, we remember."

"True but I hadn't formally introduced myself at the time." He walked a little closer to them. "How have you been?"

"We've been fine." They answered.

Saber closed his eyes and exhaled audibly. They were being cautious of him and couldn't really blame them because of how he presented himself during their first meeting. "I know that what I said to you last time may have come off as hurtful and insensitive. It wasn't my place to accuse you of something outside your control. I want to apologize. I'm sorry."

The Gallade kept looking at him, unsure of what to say. The grass type continued.

"Can I ask you something?" They remained silent and he took it as incentive to continue. "Why did you come back?"

This again? It was bad enough that Amber kept trying to see through their intentions now this guy has to do it too?

"Does it matter?"

"Of course not. I was just wondering." He blinked a couple times in the short, awkward silence. "I noticed the two of you fighting. You're pretty good."

"...Thank you."

"Tell me... What do you intend to do with that strength?"

"Isn't that a little personal?" The three psychic types were visibly starting to get vexed.

"It is. It's very personal." Saber replied. "Do you remember when I called your home a closed circle? I still stand behind that belief. I mean no disrespect but I think a lot of your potential is being held back by something, I don't know what. It's obvious you trained hard to get where you are now but is that really all it is? Getting stronger and then locking yourself away from the world when you're done? It just seems like a waste of effort."

"I don't think you know what you're talking about." Gallant glared at the grass type.

"Maybe I don't." Saber shrugged. "I was just curious about what drove you to seek that strength, that's all. You're not going to talk to me about it and I understand that. I'm a stranger to you. But I'm a stranger that loves the world, you see. A stranger aching for more aspiring pokémon to rise up and protect it no matter what their primary intentions are. Don't hide your strength because of a minor thing like what others will think of you if you act on your own. If there's nothing ventured, there's nothing gained. If you can fight, then fight. There's never enough strength in the world. Pokémon die or come close to dying everyday and I want to avoid that at any cost. All I want to know is whether or not you'll be able to lend the world a helping hand whenever you can." He looked at them seriously. "Can you?"

Was he... Asking them for help? A silence fell over the four pokémon, the footfalls of passing pedestrians thumping loudly in their ears. They looked him up and down, noticing the small bandages all around his body. Some of his wounds bled through the bandages, dyeing the white fabric into a pale red. They looked up and met his eyes again. He waited for their answer but they didn't give him one. They were hesitating. He sighed.

"Right. I'm sorry to have troubled you." He turned to leave.

"Saber." Valor called out to him. He stopped but didn't turn around.

"Yes?"

Valor paused and after faltering for a few seconds, he asked what was on his and his friends' minds. "Where did you get those injuries?"

"...From Tornadus during one of my missions."

The Gallades' eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise. He survived an encounter with a Legendary Pokémon? They never expected that.

"So... You managed to escape?"

"Escape?" He turned to them with an offended frown. "You think we ran?"

"You... You mean, you..."

"My team and I defeated him, yes." They stared at him in awe but remained silent, still. "We fight for the Pokémon Settlement and all the realms. If it means the safety of others, we don't and we won't back down from anything. Ever. Please, remember that." The Forest Pokémon turned again and left. This time, they didn't stop him.

The Gallade didn't say anything, another encounter with the Sceptile leaving them speechless. One after the other, the Blade Pokémon teleported out of the Pokémon Settlement back to their home. Back to the Fairy Realm. They had a friend in need waiting for them.

---

Fairy Realm - Redolence's Incense Shop

"Oh my!" Redolence cupped her cheeks with her small hands. The Nuggets, Pearls and various colored Shards reflecting the light in the room and making it appear like a rainbow was shooting out of her duffel bag.

The Gallade smiled down at their friend, her happiness having a positive effect on the emotion-sensitive pokémon. They stood in her shop, having dropped in a minute ago, and provided her with the proof of their success. They also went on to tell her that they spread her name around the settlement in order to make her wares more known to the public. Seeing her so happy made them happy as well.

"I don't know what to say! Thank you, boys! Thank you so much!" They crouched down and shared a group hug with the ecstatic fairy when she held out her arms to them. "You sold them all! And so fast too! Convenience!"

"I think Miss Jubilee would have sold them just as quick." Valor got up from the hug. "Reason we got back so fast is because we can teleport."

"If we couldn't, it would have taken us a day to get there and another day to get back." Intrepid placed his hands behind his head. "I now have an even bigger appreciation for Miss Jubilee. To think she does this kind of thing for multiple pokémon at once."

"Did you meet her by any chance?" Redolence asked, putting her duffel bag away in one of the side rooms.

"Unfortunately, no. The Pokémon Settlement is a big place." Gallant replied.

"By the way, my darling." Redolence looked at Gallant after she finished putting away her stuff. "What happened to your face?" She pointed at his scar which hadn't yet healed.

"Oh, it's... It's nothing. Just ran into a little trouble with some hostile pokémon. Nothing to worry about." He rubbed the back of his head and spared her the details.

"Hmm, that's too bad." She perked up. "But I really am grateful for what you've done for me. I can't thank you enough."

"You're welcome, Redolence. Remember, we're here any time you need us. Okay?" Gallant smiled at her.

"I'll remember that. Thank you, my darlings." She waved at them as they left her shop, a heavy feeling of joy and gratitude welling up within her body. "Thank you..."

The three friends closed the door behind them after vacating the Aromatisse's store and were greeted by the flourishing wonderland that was their home.

"What next?" Intrepid asked.

"Let's report back to Edge." Valor grinned. "I bet he'll be proud when we tell him how well we did."

"Sounds like a plan. Let's go!" Gallant spoke and all three of them teleported to the Training Hold.

---

Fairy Realm - Training Hold

The three psychic types hung their heads in shame as they stood in front of their mentor. Edge had a palm to his face and he rested his elbow on his other hand by the time they finished telling him their story. A few pokémon in the room listened in on their conversation instead of training but most minded their own business.

"You two got into a bar fight and vandalized an establishment on your first day alone in the Pokémon Settlement? During day time?"

"Oh come on, Edge. You make it sound like it was our fault. Those guys-" Valor stopped talking when Edge lifted up his hand in a gesture of silence.

"One lap around the Fairy Realm."

"What!? But we just got back! We just came from a fight!" Gallant complained.

"I'll use your words against you and say it's never too late for training. If you had a say in the matter, it wouldn't be punishment."

"You heard him, guys." Intrepid chuckled.

"You too, Intrepid."

"What? But I didn't do anything!"

"Guilty by association. Kick rocks."

"Yes, sir..." Mumbling under their breath, the three pokémon dejectedly left for the door to carry out their punishment.

"Wait."

They craned their heads to look back at him.

Edge folded his arms. "Did you win?"

After a brief moment of hesitation, they nodded.

Edge ginned. "That's my boys. Now off you go."

With renewed smiles from being praised, the three adolescent fighting types left the Training Hold on a positive note. The older Gallade shook his head with a smile when they exited, getting back to work.

"I just can't control them."

---

Brilliant Meadow - Fairy Realm Outskirts - Afternoon

The Gallade jogged through the tall grass growing around the outer perimeter of the Fairy Realm, pacing themselves so as to not run out of energy too quickly. The afternoon sun bathed them in its light but the breeze blowing through the area made sure it wasn't unbearable. A few trees here and there diverted their path every now and then but they maintained their course for the most part.

"When do you think we'll be done?" Intrepid asked as he jogged.

"Don't know. The Fairy Realm is a huge place." Valor reminded.

"This is the first we've been out here, though. I say we enjoy it." Gallant smirked.

"You're awfully happy."

"Not particularly. It's more like I have nothing to complain about."

"Maybe we shouldn't have told Edge about the bar fight." Intrepid recalled. "I'm getting punished because you guys can't keep your fists to yourselves."

"Excuse us?" Gallant turned his head toward his friend while maintaining his speed. "You're just as eager for battles as we are."

"I know how to regulate my fury."

"What a load of crap, Intrepid. If there was a third threat, you'd have totally joined in without caring about the reason. Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're wr-"

"Don't lie to me now. You know I'll be able to tell."

"..."

"That's what I thought." Gallant smirked.

Intrepid used telepathy to feed Gallant's mind with the image of him getting stabbed in the stomach by one of the Toxicroak.

"Yeah, real mature."

"You nearly got your ass kicked." Intrepid laughed.

"Almost doesn't count. Come on, I beat him while poisoned. Give me some credit."

"Hmmmmm... Okay, I'll give you that."

"I took care of mine easy." Valor boasted.

"Careful, Valor. You might not be lucky enough to have your ability activated for you next time we're in a fight."

"No worries. I would have gotten stronger by then that I can learn to fight without it. Just as you did."

"Next time you guys get in a fight in that bar, I'll bet on it. Make ourselves some quick cash. Know what I'm saying?" He flashed a toothy grin.

"I hear ya, Intrepid." Gallant winked at him.

"You guys got into a bar fight, huh? Is that why your face looks so banged up, Gallant?" A fourth pokémon interjected. "Did a 'mon in the back say 'everyone attack' and turn it into a ballroom blitz?"

"Wha- Sylvia!" Gallant blinked in surprise, looking down at the fairy type Eeveelution that ran with them. The tall grass must have obscured her from his vision. "How long have you been there?"

"Since you exited the Fairy Realm." She revealed. "I wasn't really trying to hide but- Ack! Pfeh!" She spat in disgust when some grass entered her mouth. "Blech... Anyway. I wasn't trying to be stealthy but this grass can hide anything. Why are you guys out here?"

"It's punishment for starting the aforementioned bar fight." Gallant told her. "Why are you here?"

"I didn't intend to follow you but I couldn't resist that fantastic smell you got going on." She inhaled and smiled. "What is that?"

"It's a new smell Redolence made. Intrepid covered me with it as a marketing strategy."

"For what?"

"We were selling some of her stuff in the-" They dodged an incoming tree. "In the Pokémon Settlement."

"Ah right. I heard that much from your friends when I visited the Training Hold earlier." She frowned at him. "You left without at least saying bye."

"Sorry. I'll make it up to you later." Gallant promised her.

"Hmph. You better. I've been bored all day, you know." She curved left and avoided a large rock.

"It's only afternoon."

"You know what I mean."

"Where's Angel? Doesn't she always keep you company?"

"She's with her Mom, Miss Sana. Probably training if not helping around her store."

"Ah, right. Wonder what new thing she'll pick up. She's pretty strong already and gets stronger every day."

"Right?" The Sylveon jumped over some hedges. "She doesn't talk much but she's a real hard worker."

"Imagine how strong she'll be when she evolves."

"Oh my gosh, right? I better not fall back, either. This run has been good exercise. How far are we going?"

"Around the entire Fairy Realm."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not."

"Then this is where I turn back. See you later, Gallant."

"See you around, Sylvia."

In the blink of an eye, the Intertwining Pokémon vanished from sight and sped back to the entrance of the Fairy Realm. She wasn't that fast by herself but with the help of Quick Attack, she became a pink and white blur. Intrepid and Valor, who had remained silent throughout Gallant's conversation with the fairy type, finally spoke up.

"I didn't know you guys were so close."

"Yeah. Maybe you're even closer to her than to us."

"It's not a competition, you guys." Gallant rolled his eyes. "I just really enjoy her company. Angel too. They're my close friends just like you."

"Awww. Hear that, Valor? Gallant loves us." Intrepid teased.

The two Gallade just chuckled at their friend's behavior. They continued to jog, the grassy terrain eventually opening up to a view of the ocean as they reached the edge of the Fairy Realm.

"Woah, look at that." Intrepid commented in fascination, taking in the beauty of the scene before them. He slowed down and so did his friends, the three of them admiring the reflective body of water stretching out for miles. "I wonder how many pokémon of the Fairy Realm have seen this."

"Definitely Miss Jubilee since she can fly. Can't speak for anyone else, though." Valor replied. "Maybe Edge too. I imagine he knows about this route since he's making us run it."

"Damn... To think that this has always been here. The world sure is awesome." Gallant walked closer to the cliff edge, smiling softly at the view. "You know... This has been a good day, all things considered."

It had been a great day. Better than what any of them would have expected. It made for quite a learning experience and gave them a lot to think about. They helped out Redolence, her joy filling them with a sense of accomplishment never before felt. They put two hostile pokémon in their place, leaving them with a cathartic satisfaction. They made a new friend today and through her and Saber, they learned a few new things about themselves. Though the latter encounter was less pleasant than the former, it still encouraged them to think about their possible roles in the world. Both Amber and Saber's pressing questions about their life choices inspiring them to consider what their futures held for them. And all this happened in a single morning. They were put under pressure at the time but with their minds at ease like this, the decision came easy and fast. They wanted to be free from the shackles that bound them and experience life to its absolute fullest. After their second taste of the illusive metaphorical fruit, they wanted to see what the rest of the world was like. Their desire to expand their reach was the reason they helped Redolence and the reason they would definitely be leaving the Fairy Realm again. And again. And again... And the best way to achieve their hopes and dreams was through the stronghold of opportunity: The Pokémon Settlement.

"You know..." Gallant removed the familiar medallion from his bag. "We never did give this back to Edge. So..."

His friends smiled at him. A zephyr blew through the air, rustling the grass and making leaves dance in the wind around them.

"What I'm saying is..."

The sound of the shuffling grass blended soothingly with the sound of the waves crashing against the bottom of the cliff hundreds of feet below them and the flock of Wingull that flew overhead.

"Valor... Intrepid..."

His friends' smiles grew wider. They already knew what he was going to say but they wanted to hear him say it. They needed to hear him say it. All three of them needed to be on the same page on this. As this was a shared decision that would change their lives forever.

Gallant smiled in excitement.

"How about... We join the Guild Collaboration. Together."

---

END CHAPTER

A/N: I haven't played Pool in a long time so there might be some errors in there. Sorry.