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Chapter 22
"There's none left for you!"
Mismagius' words left me confused. What did I think the Panacea was? Wasn't it a legendary medicine that can cure any illness? My imagination had conjured up images of bright, colorful liquids housed inside of a glass bottle or a cast – iron pot. Furthermore, didn't Chimecho say that it had to be ingested? So it had to be something edible, right? So could it possibly be something like a small pill, or even a mysterious berry?
I held my paw over my mouth as I looked down at the hardwood floor. All sorts of theories and ideas were racing through my brain as I continued to guess as to what the Legendary Panacea Elixir could be.
"You have quite a vivid imagination, Fée." A quiet cackle from Mismagius snapped me out of my thoughts. She tapped my forehead with the hem of her cloak and said, "However, I am sorry to say that you are completely and utterly mistaken."
"E – eh?" I felt my eyes open wide out of shock. Did she just read my mind? I haven't even spoken a single word about my ideas yet!
The phantom – like Pokémon covered her face with her cloak and let out another echoing cackle. Then, she moved toward the fireplace, where the small pot was bubbling away in the fire. Steam billowed out of the pot as she lifted the lid. All of a sudden, a wooden ladle and bowl appeared beside Mismagius in a puff of purple smoke. Both cooking utensils hovered around her, controlled by some sort of psychic power.
"Blue," she addressed my friend as she dipped the ladle within the pot and began to stir it. I turned around and saw Blue lying down on one of the poufs, a book upside – down in his paws and a surprised expression on his face.
"Huh?"
As Mismagius took the ladle out of the pot, I saw that it was filled with some sort of silvery – white liquid. She poured the steamy, shiny soup into the bowl and replaced the lid on the pot. The ladle then disappeared in another puff of purple smoke.
I watched with great curiosity as the bowl hovered through the air, carried by a plume of purple. It stopped right in front of Blue. He put down the book he was reading and held the bowl in his paws. As he did so, a wooden spoon appeared inside of the bowl with another puff of smoke.
"What is this?" He asked, eying the broth with a suspicious look on his face. He held the bowl up to his face and gave it a tentative sniff.
"Take a sip, my dear," Mismagius said as she sat back down on her rocking chair, "I assure you, it is nothing to be cautious about."
I saw Blue glance over at Brin, who gave him a quick nod. She pointed at her mouth and smiled at him. Shrugging, Blue smiled back at her and picked up the spoon. He scooped up a bit of the silvery soup and stuck it inside of his mouth. As he swallowed the soup, his eyes flew wide open and his ears perked up. Blue pulled the spoon out of his mouth and stared at it in silence.
All of a sudden, a thought ran through my mind. That soup... could it be? Could it have been the Panacea Elixir? My head turned toward Mismagius, who was sitting in her chair and looking at Blue with an amused expression. Then, I looked at Blue's leg, fully expecting his scars to have vanished. However, my hopes were dampened as I saw that his black leg was still covered in angry red marks.
"This is great!" Blue said in a cheerful voice as my ears drooped down the sides of my face. He swallowed another spoonful of the soup and nodded at Mismagius, "It's so sweet and tasty. I love it!"
"Why, it's but a simple broth, my dear." Mismagius said in a cheerful tone. She held up her cloak and conjured up a curled up, pink – colored berry. "Boiled Mago Berry, grown right here in the forest." The berry vanished in a puff of purple smoke, and the ladle took its place. She made her way over to the pot again as two more bowls appeared behind her, "It's a bit of an old fashioned recipe, but it's one of Brin's favorites."
Brin clapped her hands together and nodded with a smile on her face. She sat down beside Blue and watched him as he proceeded to drain the soup from the bowl. Mismagius finished filling up the two other bowls with soup and brought them over to Brin and I. She placed the bowl on the floor in front of me, while Brin happily held hers with her hands.
"So... this isn't the Panacea?" I said as I leaned down to sniff the soup. It did have a very nice, sweet smell to it. I dipped my head down and took a sip. A delightful sensation of sweetness flooded my mouth, making my fur stand up and my nose twitch. I felt the tiredness inside of my body be forced out as the warm, savory broth slipped down my throat.
"Didn't I tell you that your theory was wrong?" Mismagius gave me a gentle tap on the forehead with her ladle. She smiled at me as I rubbed my head, feeling a blot of the sticky soup on my face. "The Panacea is not a broth, nor is it a salve or a pill. In fact, it is not even something you can hold in your paws, Fée."
"Huh?"
Something that I can't even hold? What does that mean? Is it some sort of gas or vapor? Or is it a song of some kind? As I licked the soup off my paw, I felt a twinge of annoyance inside my head. All this guessing was beginning to give me a bit of a headache. Why doesn't Mismagius just tell me what the Panacea is?
"There's a good reason for that, Fée." Mismagius said as she took her cloak and pressed it against my face, wiping off the soup on my forehead. "When Duskull told you about the Panacea, did he not warn you about keeping it a secret?"
"He did," I replied with a nod, "he said that there were many evil Pokémon out there that might abuse the Panacea for greedy reasons." I gestured toward my explorer's pack, "That's why, when he gave us his letter, he told us to read it when we were alone."
"Yes, that sounds like Duskull. He was always quite a cautious one." Mismagius said as she removed her cloak from my face. She let out a small chuckle and said, "But, that only makes it easier for me to trust you."
Mismagius looked over at where Blue and Brin were sitting. Blue had finished his bowl of soup and was lying on his back with a content look on his face, while Brin was giggling and poking him in the belly. Mismagius shook her head and waved her cloak at them, making Blue's empty bowl and spoon disappear. Surprised, Blue yelped and fell off his pouf. Brin and I both giggled at him as he staggered back upright with a dazed look on his face.
"Fée," I held my paw against my mouth to stifle my giggles as I turned toward Mismagius. My laughter stopped when I saw her wearing a serious expression. She bowed her head down and whispered to me in a voice so quiet, I had to strain my ears to hear it.
"Would you believe me if I said the Panacea was in this room, right now?"
"It is?" My eyes shot wide as I bgean to twist my head around, sweeping the room for any sign of a magical elixir. All I could see though, were endless piles of books and dusty furniture. There wasn't anything that I thought could be the Panacea.
When I turned my head back to Mismagius, I saw that she was looking at something else. I followed her eyes and found myself staring at Brin. I tilted my head to the side. Was Brin holding the Panacea? Or was the one who knew about its location?
"No, you're mistaken once more, Fée." Mismagius whispered to me with a shake of her head. "It's not quite as simple as that, no matter how much I wish it was."
"I... I don't understand what you mean."
Mismagius let out a deep sigh as she turned back toward me. Her expression was solemn; her mouth was twisted into a sad frown. She tipped her large hat down so that it covered her eyes and floated back to her rocking chair.
"Brin," she said in a tired – sounding voice. Brin's head turned toward Mismagius with a curious expression on her face. Mismagius pointed her cloak at the door and said, "we're running low on Mago Berries. Would you be a dear and go pick some for me?" She pointed at Blue and added, "You may bring your new friend along too. Show him your delightful little trees, I'm sure he'll appreciate that."
With a wide smile on her face, Brin sprung up from the ground and nodded her head. She clapped her hands together and looked down at Blue with an eager look.
"Blue, promise me you'll take care of my daughter while you're out there." Mismagius said as Blue pulled himself off the pouf, "I know you're injured, but –"
"It's fine, I'll keep her safe." Blue said in a loud voice, interrupting Mismagius. He thumped his chest with his fist and grinned, "You can count on me!"
"My, you're so enthusiastic..." Mismagius nodded her head and chuckled, "very well then, off you two go. Be sure to be back before nightfall, alright?"
Brin made an excited nod and hurried toward the door, with Blue following closely behind her. She picked up a small basket made out of straw and twigs that was hanging on a rack beside the door. I glanced over at them, then at Mismagius with confusion boiling in my mind.
"H – hold on... what about me?" I said, feeling a little left out. That strange emotion from earlier was bubbling up inside of my heart again as I saw Brin hold Blue by the arm. For some reason, I felt sad when I saw the bright smile on her face when she pulled my partner out the door.
"I would like you to stay here and accompany this old lady," Mismagius whispered as she waved goodbye to Brin and Blue, "there is something important I would like to share with you that I'd rather those two not overhear."
Mismagius hovered over toward the open door and closed it shut. Then, she turned to face me again. That solemn expression from before was back on her face as Mismagius floated over to my side. She let out a deep sigh as she lowered herself onto the pouf that Blue was sitting on prior.
"What is it?" That odd emotion I felt before was ebbing away when I saw Mismagius' despondent look. "Is it something really bad?"
"Bad..." She shook her head and sighed again, "I suppose you can call it that." She lifted her head and stared into my eyes. "Fée, would you mind telling this old lady what you've heard about the Legendary Panacea Elixir?"
That was a strange request, I thought. Wouldn't Mismagius know what the Panacea was already? Regardless, I nodded and began to recount everything I knew about the Panacea.
"All I know about the Legendary Panacea Elixir was that it is a sort of medicine that harbors an incredible power. A Pokémon at my guild told me a rumor that, if anyone eats the Panacea, it would fully cure any illness he or she had." I closed my eyes and thought about something else even farther back, "I also read in one of my books that the Great Dusknoir also obtained the Panacea before, and used it to save a friend of his."
"Duskull also called it the 'most powerful medicine in the world.'" I recalled the skull – faced Pokémon's words and shook my head, "He also added that that was why it is so dangerous."
"He isn't wrong," Mismagius said with a low voice, "it truly is a powerful treasure, the Panacea." Mismagius held up her cloak and picked up Brin's half – finished bowl of soup and stared at it with a pensive expression on her face.
"Danger follows with anything of value... anything of worth," she said as she tipped the bowl over, letting the silvery soup spill onto the wooden floor, "no matter what it is, or what it could be. There will always be trouble stalking alongside it like an evil shadow. It lies in wait for that one moment where it is vulnerable, to abuse, to exploit it... for nothing more than petty greed."
I watched in silence as the last drop of the soup hit the floor with a dull plop. Mismagius let the bowl drop from her grasp, allowing it to splash into the puddle beneath it. The bowl rolled around on its side, trailing a long line of silver behind it before it clattered against a wall.
"My dear Brin... I've always wished for her to have a happy, normal life." Mismagius stared at me with a crooked smile on her face. The light in her eyes was wavering, and she looked as though she was about to cry.
"...what do you mean?" I spoke with a little timidity in my voice. "Brin... Brin only knows where the Panacea is, right?"
"If it were only that simple." Mismagius repeated her words from before. I felt a chilly breeze blow in through the windows, even though the house was situated deep inside of a fallen log. The flame in the fireplace flickered and shrunk in the wind, dimming the light inside of the room.
"Then... what is it?"
"The truth is... my dear Brin..." Mismagius' voice was quiet and wispy. She hid her eyes beneath the brim of her hat. I could tell that she was struggling to get the words out. After a moment of silence, she shook her head and covered her mouth with her cloak. A glistening teardrop slid down the side of her face.
"The Legendary Panacea Elixir... is my daughter."
"H – hey, slow down! I can't move as fast as you can!"
Brin stopped in her tracks and turned around. Trailing behind her, stumbling across the rough terrain and nearly tripping over some roots was her new buddy. He leaned against a tree and panted, his chest was heaving in exhaustion. Brin tilted her head to the side, giving him a curious stare.
The path from her house over to the berry grove wasn't a difficult one. After crossing the vine bridge, all one had to do was head into the forest and follow the direction of the glowing mushrooms. Although the path was littered with stray roots and uneven ground, it wasn't anything too difficult for anyone to traverse.
The Braixen neared her new friend, worried about his condition. She stared up and down his body, her eyes glinting with interest. Even though he was a smaller Pokémon than she was, he looked much tougher, much stronger than her. Brin had never seen a Pokémon like him or his friend in the forest before. For all her life, the only Pokémon that were around her all the time was her mother and Oro. So seeing someone like Blue was a fascinating new experience.
As Brin prodded him with her finger, she recalled what Fée had said back at the forest clearing. Blue was badly injured, and that he needed a lot of rest. Thinking back, when she first met the pair, he looked as though he was exhausted on the grass, wasn't he? Brin bent down and looked up at his tired face. He had the same expression as back then.
"Hm?" Blue noticed Brin's curious gaze and quickly shook his head. He took a few steps away from the Braixen and smiled, "It's alright, I'm fine. I just needed a moment to catch my breath."
Brin's brow furrowed as he straightened himself out and began walking again. No matter which way she looked at him, he did not look 'fine.' In fact, it was the opposite. With every step he took, his eyes would wince and the right side of his body would twitch. Brin sidled up beside the Riolu and tilted her head sideways, staring at him with narrowed eyes.
"I'm fine, don't you worry." Blue said with a wave of his paw, "I'm just a little tired from that fight with your buddy, that's all." He held his paw up to his chin and paused. "Oh, um... I guess I should apologize for that again." Blue clapped his paws together in front of his face and bowed low, "I'm really sorry!"
He meant Oro, the guardian. Brin shook her head and waved both of her hands at him. Like he said earlier, it was all a misunderstanding. Brin was sure that even Oro would forgive him and his friend for that battle. Not to mention, Oro was super tough anyway! He was the strongest guardian of the forest. A few scrapes here and there was nothing to him.
"I should go see that tree again before I leave," Blue remarked as he raised his head, "I want to apologize to him in person for punching him like that. Even if he was a tree, I'm sure it must've hurt him quite a bit." He sighed and shrugged, "I know a lot about being hurt in the arms and legs, so I feel really bad about what I did."
Brin stared at him, a smile was on her face. Despite their first encounter with each other being a little... rough, she was now sure that he was a nice person. In many ways, he reminded her of Oro. From what she saw of their battle, she saw that Blue was almost just as strong as the Trevenant. He was protective too, brave and caring with the way he defended his partner from Oro in the end.
"Is there something on my face?"
She quickly averted her gaze. Brin covered her face with her hands, trying to mask the rising blush on her face. It was that strange and unfamiliar emotion again. Why is that whenever this Pokémon talked or even just looked at her, she would feel like this? She shook her head and tried to think about something else, like the trees, or her leaf collection.
Looking around the path, she noticed a leaf lying on a large root ahead of them. It was shaped a little bit like a star, and it looked very unique. As she picked it up, she looked up into the canopy above, wondering what kind of tree the leaf came from.
Living in a forest for all her life had made Brin very aware of the different types of plants and trees that lived alongside her. Nature was her best friend as well as her home, which is why she enjoyed collecting the leaves of the many different trees that grew in the forest. All of them had different shapes, sizes and patterns on them.
For example, this star – shaped leaf had a pretty, multicolored swirl in the center. Five colors extended out from the center and spread to each point of the leaf, giving it a rainbow – like look to it. It was a leaf from a Starf Berry tree, a rare sight even for Brin. She held the leaf close to her chest, feeling the faint warmth emanating from it. Maybe she'll find its parents, and bring back some of its berries for her mother later.
"Hm? What's that you got there?"
Brin gave Blue a shy smile as she revealed to him the starry leaf in her hands. He let out a low whistle as he examined the impressive little thing.
"Hey, that's really pretty!" he said, smiling at Brin, "I'm sure Fée would be excited to see a leaf like that. I wonder if there's any more of them around here?"
The Riolu made a big show about looking around them with his paw hovering above his eyes. Brin let out a quiet giggle at his antics before shaking her head. No matter how hard he tried to look, it would be difficult for something unfamiliar with the forest to find such a rare tree. She pulled on his arm, trying to convince him to follow her with her eyes.
"Is it that way?" Blue asked, an eager gleam was shining in his red eyes, "Well, you know the forest better than I do. Lead the way!"
Brin giggled again. She felt a little bad that she was about to disappoint him. An idea popped inside of her head though. With a grin, she held up her starry leaf and presented it to her new friend.
"Hm?" Blue looked a little surprised at the sudden gift. He looked up at Brin's beaming face and shook his head, "No, I can't just take that from you." He pushed it back to her and grinned, "It's yours, Brin. You don't have to give it to me."
She scowled and insisted, pressing the leaf harder against his chest. She wanted him to have it, it was a gift from her to him, and she didn't want him to refuse. Brin stared at him, her eyes imploring.
"Really? Well, if you insist..." Blue took a hold of the leaf and held it up into the air. The faint sunlight shining down through the forest treetops made the little star glow with all five colors. Blue gave Brin a multicolored grin as the sunlight shined against his face, "Thanks, Brin. I'll take care of it."
Brin felt her face turn hot again. That warm emotion was filling her up again, and it was making it hard for her to continue looking at the grinning Riolu. She held her cheeks and looked away, aware that her heart was beating very hard for some reason she could not comprehend.
"Hm, I don't want to just stuff this in my pack..." Blue mumbled as he fiddled around with the clasp of his Explorer's Pack. He glanced at the leaf and then at the bulging bag around his side. Shaking his head, he closed his pack and just held it in his right paw. "It'll be safer this way. I don't want it to be crushed."
Having cooled off a bit, Brin turned back around and saw Blue adjust his grasp on the leaf so he wouldn't wrinkle it. He looked back at Brin and nodded.
"Alright, let's get going then." He said, pointing at the small basket hanging off Brin's arm, "We have to pick those berries for Mismagius, remember?"
Brin glanced down at the basket and felt her ears perk up. That's right, they still had a task to complete. She could already imagine her mother making her another pot of her favorite Mago Berry soup when they returned home. Excited, Brin nodded at Blue and ran ahead of him onto the path ahead. The berry grove was but a few paces further!
"Hey, what's the rush?" She heard him shout at her, but she was already too excited to stop for him. Her heart was still pounding from happiness. Was it because he accepted her gift? Or was she just anticipating another bowl of soup? Brin couldn't quite make heads or tails of her emotions right now. But what she did know, was that she felt much happier than she had ever been in years.
It was like a Voltorb had just exploded right next to me. I gaped at Mismagius, my mind unable to comprehend what she just said. Brin was the Panacea? Just what was that supposed to mean? Does that mean she was the only one capable of making it? No... that can't be it. Mismagius already said that the Panacea wasn't something I could hold. Mismagius also said that it wasn't because Brin knew the secret location of it either. So then... maybe...
"Brin... does she have some sort of special ability?" I threw out a wild guess into the air. It was the only thing I could think of after exhausting every other possibility. I stared at Mismagius, waiting for her response.
"...yes, you've finally figured it out." Mismagius said with a small, sad smile. She held up her cloak and, within a purple puff of smoke, conjured up a small, silver locket that was shaped like a heart. She levitated the locket over and dropped it in front of me. When it hit the floor, the locket sprung open, revealing its contents.
"Is this... Brin?"
There was a small engraving on the underside of the cover. It was of a Pokémon that looked a lot like Brin, except it was standing on four legs. In a way, the Pokémon resembled me. I turned my gaze over to the other side of the locket, and noticed another engraving. This time, it was of a much taller Pokémon that stood on two legs, just like Brin. But, the Pokémon radiated a much more mature aura, and looked like it was wearing a robe.
"The engraving on the left is Brin as a child." Mismagius explained, pointing at the four legged Pokémon with her cloak. "But the one on the right... is her mother."
"What? That's you?!" I looked down at the engraving, then back up at Mismagius. "You hardly resemble it at all!"
Mismagius shook her head, her sad smile was still present on her face as she pointed at the second engraving. "Unfortunately, that engraving is of her true parent, not I."
"But... you called Brin your daughter, didn't you?" I asked, feeling confused. I pointed at the engraving of the robed Pokémon, "Where is she then?"
"She's... no longer with us anymore..."
I felt my body turn ice cold. Mismagius' voice was wavering as she tried to remain composed, but I could see her cloak shuddering as she tried to hold back her tears. Marill and Azurill's faces appeared in my mind as I held my paws up to my mouth. My eyes drifted down to the engraving again. Her mother didn't look very old, in fact, she looked as though she was rather young when the picture was made.
"W – what happened to her?" I asked.
Mismagius closed her eyes and wiped the tears off her face with her cloak. Once she had taken a deep breath, Mismagius spoke.
"Delphox was her name," Mismagius' voice was still trembling, "long ago, I lived in a large city alongside Delphox and Duskull." She raised the locket off the ground and held it in front of her, "For Duskull and I, it was a simple affair to make it from one day to the next. However, Delphox was different. She had a child."
The locket glinted in the dim light cast by the fireplace. It illuminated the engraving of a young Brin.
"Brin was her name... and she was a bundle of joy for the three of us. It made living in the dreary city much more happy and colorful." Mismagius closed her eyes and smiled. She pointed her claok at me and said, "It was because of Brin that Duskull spent so much time struggling to learn how to bake."
But her smile only lasted for a few seconds before it melted back into a frown. "But... those happy days ended once Brin grew older. Once she reached a certain age, it became evident to us that there was something special about her."
"The Panacea?" I guessed, "Was that it?"
"It wasn't called the Panacea then," Mismagius stated with a shake of her head, "but it eventually became known as such once more and more Pokémon became aware of her abilities." The locket glimmered again as Mismagius closed it, "You see... one day, when Duskull was still getting the hang of baking pastries, he accidentally burned himself severely on the stove in front of his customers."
"When that happened, Brin became concerned over his pain. She walked up to Duskull right in front of all the customers and touched him with her paw. In a flash of light, Duskull's injury had vanished."
"That's incredible!" I said, my eyes wide, "So she cured him just like that?"
Mismagius shook her head, "No, it wasn't that simple." She pointed at the bowl on the floor, which was now lying face – down in a small puddle of soup. "When excitement over Duskull's miraculous recovery faded, we found Brin lying on the floor, unconscious and exhausted."
"We had picked her up and tried to rouse her, but she was sleeping so soundly that not even the voice of her mother could wake her up. By the time she awoke, the damage had already been done."
"The damage?"
A deep sigh came from Mismagius. "Yes. It was obvious to the customers as to what happened. A miraculous healing had just occurred right in front of them, and the one who made it possible..." Mismagius swept her cloak over her face as she shook her head.
"...rumors spread, and over the course of several days, it became common knowledge that the young Fennekin that lived with her mother and two ghosts possessed a power known as the 'Panacea.'" Mismagius let out a dry chuckle, "Day after day, we would get visitors rushing into our abode, demanding and begging for us to have Brin use her powers on them."
"But it made Brin faint, didn't it?" I replied, "If she became that exhausted just by healing Duskull, how could she handle that many visitors?"
"That's the thing," Mismagius said in a dark voice, "we couldn't let our dear Brin use her powers. After all, she was only a few years old. Who knows if overusing this strange ability could permanently damage her?"
"But even when we told the visitors and beggars of her condition, they did not listen. All they could see in their eyes was the Legendary Panacea, and not a young, fragile child."
"That's awful..." I said, shaking my head out of disgust, "how could they do such a thing?"
"It became worse as time went by," Mismagius continued, "the visitors and beggars never stopped demanding that we hold back such a miraculous cure, and accused us of hoarding the power for ourselves. They demanded that we hand the Panacea over to the public. We couldn't even allow Brin to go outside and play in fear that she would be kidnapped by these cretins."
Mismagius covered up her face with her cloak and sobbed, "Can you imagine keeping such a young child locked away in a lonely room for weeks and months, with only two ghosts and her mother for company?"
"Mismagius..."
"Brin... oh Brin..." Mismagius choked, "her mother was so distraught when she realized that her daughter had to live in such a squalid way for the rest of her life. She wanted to leave the city, but what could they do? Delphox and Brin were celebrities now, there was no way for them to leave the house without being recognized."
"That was when Duskull and I decided to find a way to smuggle them out of the city. We plotted for months, trying to figure out the safest way to escape, and where to head toward." Mismagius pointed her cloak toward the ceiling, "We decided that the best place to head to was a place far, far away from civilization. A place where Brin could walk around outside, under the sun without fear of being recognized."
"You headed to the frontier?"
She nodded and dropped her cloak, "That's right. In the city, there weren't many Pokémon interested in exploration teams or expeditions, so the frontier wasn't a very popular subject amongst the populace. It was the perfect place to escape to. We left the city the night after we decided on it."
"But..." I glanced at the locket. A lump formed in my throat as I realized that something was wrong with her story. "Delphox... what happened to Delphox?"
"Delphox... she couldn't make it," Mismagius covered up her teary face with her cloak and inhaled sharply before continuing. "That night... we ran into a group of Pokémon in our escape route. It was a gang of Scrafty and Bisharp. I don't know how they knew about our plans, but they were lying there in ambush for us."
"It was obvious as to what their goal was." Mismagius spoke with a disgusted tone, "They wanted the Legendary Panacea Elixir. They wanted Brin."
"That's horrible!" I recoiled in horror, "They were waiting there to attack you?!"
"Duskull and I... we couldn't stop them," Mismagius wrapped her trembling form with her cloak, her tears were flowing freely down her face now. "Brin was fast asleep then, Delphox was desperately trying to protect her daughter from the ambushers' onslaught."
Mismagius shuddered as she continued to reminisce about the horrifying event. I felt my own eyes tearing up as I pictured the terror that must've happened that night. Shaking my head, I walked up to the crying Mismagius' side and threw my paws around her. I hugged her tight, trying to console her as well as I could.
"Thank you Fée..." Mismagius spoke in a quiet voice as she hugged me back, "It's... it's hard to think about it... even now..."
"I'm so sorry..." That was all I could say. I didn't know what else I could do other than hold Mismagius tighter.
"Everything was a blur that night..." Mismagius' voice was lower than a whisper now, "...all I could remember was Delphox screaming at Duskull and I to take Brin as far away as we could. She stayed behind, firing off flame after flame in a desperate attempt to stave off our attackers."
"No!" I looked up at Mismagius, my eyes wide with horror, "She sacrificed herself... for Brin...?"
"Brin... Brin woke up at the sound of her mother's voice... at the sound of her mother's scream as those wretched beasts struck her down..." Mismagius let out a rattling gasp as she sobbed into my fur, "D – Delphox... I'm so sorry... please... if only I was a little stronger... I could've saved your life...!"
"Mismagius...!" I held onto her as she wailed loudly.
"E – ever since that night... I h – have never heard Brin s – speak a single word again..." She shook her head, "Not to me... not to Duskull... not to anyone..."
The silver locket that she was holding fell out of the air and clattered onto the wooden floor. The impact made it spring open, revealing the engravings of Brin and her mother. As I held the crying Mismagius, I felt tears of my own flow down my face. Through my teary gaze, I could see engravings inside of the locket flicker with the flames in the fireplace...
After a few minutes of joyous skipping, Brin entered a wide clearing within the forest. The soil beneath her feet was soft and loamy, the perfect kind for planting berries in. She knelt and patted the ground, feeling the springy texture of the dirt. A small twinge of warmth entered her fingers, making Brin smile and stand back up.
Four small trees were arranged in a row ahead of her. They weren't very tall, but they made up for their lack of height in volume. Many thick leaves expanded from the tree's branches, making the four of them look more like bushes.
Happy that she made it to her destination, Brin ran toward her beloved Mago trees. She planted them herself a few years back. Ever since then, she had lovingly cultivated and raised them every day. Watering them, trimming them, and harvesting their delicious berries. To the young Braixen, these four trees were like her own children.
But, something was wrong. As she neared the first tree, she noticed that there were hardly any berries hanging from the branches. Normally when she visited her grove, her trees would be covered from top to bottom with plump, juicy Mago Berries. And yet, as she circled around it, she could not find a single berry for her to pick.
Confusion was building up inside of her heart as she traveled over to the next tree. To her dismay, even this tree was devoid of any ripe berries. She clutched her chest tight with her hand as her confusion turned into worry. Oro and mother wouldn't take her berries, they knew how much she loved her daily chore. So why weren't there any left for her to pick?
As Brin reached the third tree, she became more and more concerned. Her basket clattered onto the ground as she rushed forward and buried her face within the leaves. She held up one of the branches of the tree and examined it with a close eye. Did her trees become sick? Did she forget to water them yesterday? No, that was impossible. She always made sure each and every one of her beloved trees had enough water. So then... why?
She sniffed the air around her grove, trying to catch a hint of any Mago Berries around. All of a sudden, she coughed and felt a nauseating sensation overwhelm her. Brin dropped onto her knees, making pitiful coughing noises as she clutched the dirt. Her white hands were becoming stained with brown as she continued to retch from the strange stench.
"Whoa, ho, ho... what have we here?"
Brin froze. Her insides became stone cold as she turned her head toward the voice. There, hovering just above her fourth tree, was a purple, ball – shaped Pokémon. A terrifying skull – like sigil was painted on his belly, and brown gas was wisping out the holes that covered his body. The gaseous Pokémon lowered himself onto the ground, where it stared into Brin's eyes.
As the ball – like Pokémon made a disgusting smile at her, Brin could see the pink remains of her berries staining the insides of his mouth. A horrifying odor emanated from the Pokémon's gut, making Brin want to throw up. What made it even worse, was that the stench carried the faint hint of Mago Berries with it.
"Were these your berries?" The Pokémon spoke, filling the air with even more rancid gas, "I didn't know that. Whoa, ho, ho!"
Brin sat up and tried to cover her nose, but the stench was so overwhelming that it didn't have any effect. Even through her hands, she could still smell the disgusting odor. Tears began to well up in her eyes as another painful coughing fit forced her back onto the ground.
"If it's any consolation," he said in a jovial voice, evidently unaware or uncaring about the pain he was causing her, "we found them to be absolutely delicious! Right, Zubat? Whoa, ho, ho!"
"That's right Koffing! Keh, heh, heh! They were great!"
Another wave of chills washed over the Braixen's body, making her quiver in fear. She found herself turning her gaze over to the source of the second voice against her will. There, flapping in the air on the side opposite the gas ball was a purple, bat – like Pokémon. Its mouth was open wide, displaying four, gleaming teeth inside.
"Keh, heh! You're quite a pretty one, aren't ya?" Zubat screeched, "It's a welcome sight after seeing nothing but stupid trees all day!"
"Whoa, ho! That's your fault for losing track of them, Zubat!" Koffing chortled, spewing a plume of brown gas out of his mouth, "If you hadn't decided to hide after hearing that spooky voice earlier, then we would've been able to stick close to the brats!"
"Shut it, Koffing!" Zubat spat, "Admit it, you were scared too when you saw that tree come to life!"
"At least the brats took care of it for us! We didn't even need to sneak past it, it was sleeping like a log! Whoa, ho, ho!"
The two purple Pokémon cackled and chortled as Brin shivered in the dirt. Were they talking about Oro? What did they do to her friend? Who were these two?!
"Hey girly, why aren't you saying anything?"
Brin flinched as Zubat landed beside her. His two pairs of fangs were right beside her face, Mago Berry juice was glistening off their shiny surfaces. With a squeak of fear, Brin looked away from Zubat and tried to get away by scrambling under her Mago trees.
"Oh no you don't!" Zubat cackled as he swung his wing at her, sending a razor sharp gale of wind zooming through the air. It sliced through the tree, making the leafy branches fall and block her way. Brin's face collided with a particularly jagged branch, making her recoil in pain.
"We've been scouring this forest for hours, and hours, and hours." Zubat sneered as he flew on top of the fallen branch, "And we're sick of seeing nothing but trees and leaves." He pointed his wing at her, "I saw you hiding behind that tree beast earlier. You live here, don't you?"
Brin felt like crying. Her face was throbbing out of pain from being scratched by the branch earlier. She could feel something warm trickling down her face, making her freeze out of terror.
"I'll take that silence as a yes," Zubat said, "so that means you know where that blasted Panacea thing is, don't you?"
It felt like an arrow of ice had pierced Brin's heart. Terror overcame her as she heard Zubat speak that horrible word. Her mouth opened and closed as she screamed in silence. She reached out in front of her and tried to crawl away. She wanted to run away, away from these two terrifying strangers...!
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?"
All of a sudden, a deep gash appeared in the soil in front of Brin, forcing her to withdraw her grasping hand. Zubat flapped above the Braixen, his wings pointed at the dirt in front of her.
"Look girly, we don't want any trouble." Zubat sneered, "Just give us the location of that Panacea, and we'll leave you alone."
Brin looked up at Zubat. She shook her head and waved her hands in desperation, trying to tell her assailant that she knew nothing.
"What the heck are you doing?" Zubat screeched, making Brin flinch and cower in fear. "Are you even saying words? Are you making fun of me?!"
"Whoa, ho, ho... looks like she is, Zubat." Koffing hovered over to Zubat's side, a grin plastered over his face, "Maybe she's taunting you, since you don't have any eyes. Whoa, ho, ho!"
"Is that so?" Zubat's voice became icy cold. Horrified, Brin shook her head and tried to make a sound, any sound, come out of her mouth in an attempt to pacify the angry Zubat. But, to her dismay, her voice stubbornly refused to come out.
"How would you like it if you were blind, and mute?" Zubat pointed the tip of his wing at Koffing as his mouth curled into a nasty smirk, "Hey Koffing, how about we gunk up her eyes a bit, give her a taste of how it feels to live by hearing alone!"
As Zubat and Koffing laughed at the cowering Braixen, a sudden blue blur rushed into the grove. Then, Zubat's cackling laughter was cut short as he was sent soaring through the air. A loud cracking noise exploded in the grove as Zubat found himself spiraling toward the trunk of one of the Mago Trees. With a nasty splat, Zubat's body was splayed out on the tree. He made a groaning noise as he slid down with a long squeaking noise.
"Whoa, ho?!" Koffing's eyes opened wide as he turned his gaze from his splatted friend to his attacker. He barely managed to turn an inch before a black leg planted itself into his face. Koffing let out a pained cry as he was kicked away like a ball.
"You two again..."
Blue lowered his smarting leg and spun around, facing Zubat and Koffing. He took a step forward and extended a paw to Brin, but kept his gaze trained on the two groaning bullies.
"You alright?"
Relief flooded Brin's heart as she saw the Riolu stand in front of her. With a grateful cry, she took his paw and let him pull her off the ground. When she was back on her feet, she rushed forward and pulled him into a grateful hug.
"H – hey, now isn't the best time, Brin!" Blue shouted, his mouth muffled by the fur on her belly. Brin, realizing what he meant, blushed and quickly let him go. Blue gasped for breath for a second before shaking his head and smiling at her.
"I'm glad you're okay," he said in a gentle voice. He placed his paw on her face and wiped off the red that had stained her pretty fur. Once he was sure that Brin was fine, he steeled his gaze and gestured for her to get behind him. Nodding, Brin obeyed and rushed behind the Riolu.
"K – keeeeeh...!" Zubat spat out several wood chippings out of his mouth as he staggered back into the air. He spun around, furious. "Y – you! I recognize that voice anywhere...!"
"I'm not glad to see you again," Blue spat at him, "what are you doing here?"
"Keh, heh, heh..." Zubat cackled, pointing a wing at him, "The same reason you are, brat. We're here to find and steal that so – called Legendary Panacea!"
"Oh?" Blue raised an eyebrow at Zubat, "I'm assuming you're not planning on using it to heal some ill Pokémon, are you?"
"Keeh! Who cares about the ill? Such a legendary treasure must be worth thousands and thousands of Poké! Our boss will be so glad if we bring him back something so great after that humiliating defeat you handed us a few days ago!"
Blue chuckled and held up his fists, "Well too bad, Zubat." He jerked one of his paws toward himself and said, "I've already eaten the last Panacea. There's none left for you!"
Brin's eyes opened wide as she gaped at the Riolu. What was he talking about? He didn't eat her!
"W – what?!" Zubat spluttered, "Y – you ate it?! You ate the legendary treasure?!"
"Heh... you know what the Panacea is, right?" Blue smirked, "It's a medicine! You're supposed to eat it to get better! Are you stupid?"
"K - keeeeeh! You're lying! You have to be!" Zubat screeched in fury at Blue, "There's no way someone would be stupid enough to eat such a valuable treasure! Koffing, get up!"
Zubat swooped over to his companion and slapped him in the face with his wing, rousing him from his sleep. With a groan, Koffing rose back up into the air. He stared at Zubat with a blank look on his face before receiving another slap by the furious bat.
"Whoa! That hurt, Zubat!" Koffing belched, releasing a cloud of gas, "I'm still smarting from that kick... give me a break!"
"Shut it, gas – for – brains!" Zubat screeched, "We have to beat down that brat and force him to cough up that treasure!"
"Whoa, ho, ho!" Koffing chortled as he spun around to look at Blue, "Leave it to me! Making others hurl is my specialty!"
Blue grimaced as he prepared himself to fight. His right leg was still smarting from that running and kicking he did earlier. He didn't know how much longer it'll last, even with all the willpower he was pumping into it. If only Mismagius had given him the Panacea for real...! Then he could've fought at full strength.
The Riolu shook his head. No, this was no time to be blaming others. Brin was standing behind him, relying on him to protect her. That was all the convincing he needed to fight with whatever strength he had left. He can't fail. No, he won't fail.
"Alright then... let's play." Blue threw on a confident smirk as he pulled a Pecha Berry out of his pack. He opened wide and bit down on the juicy berry. As the juice traveled down his throat, he could feel the pain in his leg vanishing. It wont last forever, but it was enough time for him to send these two packing!
"Keeeeh!" Zubat flew toward Blue with a loud screech. He opened his mouth wide, showing off all four of his sharp fangs as he endeavored to bite the Riolu.
Blue quickly held up his right fist, and stood his ground. "Brin, don't move!" He shouted to the Braixen behind him as he stuck his paw forward, unclenched, and right in the direction of the Zubat's fangs.
"What are you doing, you idiot?!" Zubat could hardly hold back his glee as he noticed his target standing still. His fangs ached to bite something, and that stupid Riolu's paw was a prime choice!
"Gotcha!" In the split second before the fangs pierced his paw, Blue leaned back and raised up his right knee. His attack struck Zubat from below, stunning him and sending him up into the air with a pained screech flowing out of his mouth. Taking aim, Blue waited for Zubat to recover and right himself before throwing his – now a fist – right paw forward.
Bam!
Once more, Zubat was sent spiraling over to the Mago trees by Blue's rock hard punch. This time though, he stopped himself in midair before hitting the trunk. With an angered screech, Zubat held out his wings and swiped them at Blue. From his wings, he sent blades of air hurtling toward Blue and Brin. A high pitched whistling noise rent the air as they zipped across the grove.
"Looks like you've learned some new tricks!" Blue remarked in a carefree voice. He jumped back and grabbed Brin by the waist. Right before the blades struck him, he leapt to the side and avoided it. He watched as the blades traveled further until they embedded themselves into the large trees surrounding them, leaving deep gashes in the trunks.
"Keeeh! Stop jumping around!" Zubat seethed as he flung more blades of air toward the pesky Riolu.
Blue snickered as he effortlessly dodged the next salvo. Now that his leg wasn't hurting quite as bad, he could pull off all sorts of maneuvers. He made a mental note to thank Chimecho the next time he saw her back at the guild. Those Pecha Berries were a lifesaver!
With a smirk on his face, he avoided another set of blades. He put Brin down and gestured for her to hide behind one of the trees. After confirming that she was out of danger, Blue turned around and charged toward the Zubat with his fists drawn back. Zubat hurriedly turned around and fired more air blades at him. But before they struck the rushing Riolu, he leapt into the air.
"Haaah!" Blue bellowed a loud cry as he stuck his fist out, ready to dive bomb the flapping Zubat.
"Whoa, ho!" All of a sudden, Koffing's shout reached Blue's ears. He let out a startled growl as the gas bag appeared from out of nowhere, shoving Zubat out of the way of Blue's fist.
"Fuoooh!" Koffing opened his mouth and sucked in a large amount of air, inflating himself like a disgusting balloon. As Blue's fist struck Koffing's inflated gut, a large amount of brown gas began to billow out of Koffing's many openings. In an instant, the grove became filled with a rancid stench, making the leaves on the Mago trees wither and fall off upon contact.
"Guh!" Blue ricocheted off the springy balloon, bouncing into the air. He clutched his nose and held his breath, trying not to breathe in the disgusting gas. He had experienced firsthand just how potent Koffing's poison was. The last thing he needed was more toxin in his system.
As Blue landed back on the ground, he glared at the grinning balloon through the brown fog. With his paws busy acting as a mask, he couldn't throw any punches. But, that's fine. Blue smirked as he flipped himself back upright. He swung his right leg a few times in the air, swishing the gas around. Even if he couldn't use his arms... he still had his legs, after all.
"Keeh!" Blue's eyes snapped to his left. Holes appeared in the fog as Zubat sent several more air blades after him. He bent low and let the first blade travel over his head. Then, he leapt into the air and somersaulted over the rest. His long leap landed him right next to Koffing.
"Whoa?!" He saw the gas bag's eyes open wide as he spun around on the spot. Extending his right leg, Blue delivered a fierce roundhouse kick right into Koffing's grinning mug. The force behind the strike sent Koffing tumbling through the air for several seconds before skidding into the dirt.
"K – Koffing?! What are you doing?!"
Blue heard Zubat screech in astonishment. Smirking, he chased after the fallen Koffing, preparing to boot him away like a ball. But, at the instant he reached the gas bag, Zubat screeched.
"Koffing, do it now!"
Sensing danger, Blue stopped his dash and looked down at Koffing. A stupid grin was plastered on the putrid ball's face, his eyes rolled in their sockets until they were both directed at Blue. Koffing retracted all of his holes and nubs and closed his mouth. Blue's eyes opened wide as he recognized this sequence of events. He tried to jump away, but something sharp struck the back of his left leg, making him tumble backward in pain.
"Gah!" Blue released his grip on his mouth and cried out in pain. He immediately regretted doing so, as a rush of disgusting gas flowed into his lungs, making him twitch and shudder as the rancid stench ravaged his senses. As he was bent over on the ground, retching, he could feel something warm dribbling out of his new wound.
"Keh, heh, heh! You're not so tough after all, are you?" He heard Zubat cackle from somewhere behind the putrid smokescreen. "Well, it's not over yet! Koffing, give him a taste of what he did to us!"
"Whoaaaa ho ho ho!"
A startling flash of light erupted from Koffing's body. A series of loud popping noises followed afterward. Blue tried to get away, but now that both of his legs were crippled, he couldn't even find the strength to stand up. Growling, he turned his head away from Koffing and covered his face with his arms.
"I'm sorry Fée. I never meant to weigh you down with the problems of an old granny."
I shook my head and put down the soup – stained cloth in my paws. Turning around, I gave a warm smile to the tired – looking Mismagius. She rested in her old chair, filling the room with quiet creaking noises as she rocked it back and forth. The silver locket was hovering in front of her as she stared at it with a sad look expression on her face.
"There's nothing you need to apologize about, Mismagius." I said as I walked up to the foot of her chair. I looked up into her face and shook my head again, "If anything, I'm glad you told me. Otherwise, I would've kept thinking the Panacea was just an amazing treasure instead it being... well, something much different."
I closed my eyes and patted the ribbon on my ear, "I wish I had known how much pain that the Panacea had brought you and Brin." My mouth curled into a frown as I felt a wave of disgust rise up in the pit of my stomach," I should be the one apologizing. Blue and I, we barged into your forest without understanding the whole situation and made a whole mess of things for you, Oro and Brin."
I felt a soft cloth touch the top of my head. I looked up and saw Mismagius shaking her head at me with a small smile on her face.
"You're wrong, Fée," she said as she touched my face with her cloak, "I also made a mistake in believing you and your friend were enemies. Perhaps, if I was a little less impatient, we would've been able to meet under much better circumstances." Mismagius let go of my face and gave me a quiet chuckle, "Still, I am glad that you and your friend paid our forest a visit."
"How so?" I asked as one of my ears perked up in curiosity.
"It was never my desire for Brin to live alone in the forest, surrounded by silent trees and only having Oro and I as company." Mismagius said as she leaned back in her rocking chair, "Delphox, Duskull and I always wanted Brin to be amongst other Pokémon her age. She had very little friends back at the city, having always been isolated and barred from meeting others out of fear that she would be exploited."
She paused to let out a sad sigh. I reached up and patted her on the hem of the cloak in a reassuring manner. Mismagius gave me a small smile and nodded before she continued her story again.
"When we arrived at the frontier, Duskull and I... we had a bit of an argument." Mismagius said as she shook her head. Her voice was filled with regret and sadness. "Long before he had met Delphox and I, he was a resident of the frontier. As such, he had known of a settlement that existed here. Treasure Town."
I nodded as Duskull's words resurfaced inside of my memory. I remembered how he spoke about being present during the founding of Treasure Town, and how he knew of the Founders. As I thought about it, a question popped up inside of my mind...
"Our ages will shock you immensely if I told you, my dear," Mismagius said as she chuckled at me. I felt my face turn red hot as I realized she read my mind again. I covered my cheeks and averted my gaze from Mismagius as she continued to chuckle at my embarrassment.
"S – so then... what happened next?" I said, pushing my curiosity about their ages out of my thoughts.
"At that time..." Mismagius said, "I was still very shaken up by what occurred during our escape. I had decided that, for the sake of her safety, I did not want Delphox's daughter to be exposed to the outside world any more." She held up her cloak and spun the locket around in the air, "When I heard of Duskull's idea to bring her to Treasure Town, I had dismissed it as an absurd, ridiculous idea. To bring her to an unfamiliar, and possibly dangerous place... it disgusted me."
"B – but Treasure Town isn't like that!" I replied, frowning, "It's filled with nice, friendly Pokémon!"
"Every light has a shadow, Fée." Mismagius replied in a solemn voice. "Back then... that was all I could see." She shook her head and stared at the locket, "And as a result... I pushed Duskull away from Brin and I. I pushed away my dearest friend..."
"I... is that why he lives alone in town...?"
Mismagius held her cloak over her face, covering her sad expression, "He lives alone as well... does he? I see..." With a sigh, she dropped her cloak and said, "Shortly after we... bid farewell to Duskull, I discovered this forest." She pointed out the window, at the trees beyond the ravine. "It was the perfect location for a pair of vagrants looking for shelter. It was difficult for the uninitiated to find, and even harder for one to enter."
"Once I made the forest our new home, I proceeded to raise Brin as if she were my own child. I raised her and taught her in place of her real mother." Mismagius revealed a small smile as she gestured toward the house, "For a Pokémon like me, I have no use for walls or a roof. This house was made for Brin, for her protection and comfort."
"You made this yourself?" I said, a little stunned.
Mismagius chuckled and waved her cloak at me. "No, of course not. Can you imagine somebody as frail as I playing carpenter?"
"N... no, I can't..."
She patted my head with her cloak before pointing out at the forest, "It was thanks to a little friend we discovered living within the forest, long before we had arrived. Oro was but a young Phantump at the time, living alone here amongst the trees." Mismagius let out a longing sigh, "Oh, he was such a darling little thing back then, so shy and cute..."
I tried to imagine Oro when he was young. In my mind, I pictured a tiny tree waddling around the forest, tripping over roots and waving its little stubby branches around. I covered my mouth as a wave of giggles overtook me.
"Since then, he accepted us as his new family. He treated me as if I was his mother, and Brin as his sister." Mismagius said warmly, "It came as a bit of a shock to me when he told me that he wanted to build a house for us. Would you believe that, for such a young Pokémon, he was quite a skilled carpenter?"
"I can see it," I said, smiling at the thought of Oro fitting a door in the wall, "this really is a wonderful house he made."
"Yes, I think so too." Mismagius agreed with a nod, "Meeting Oro made living in this forest... a little livelier. It truly made me happy to see Brin have a friend..."
Despite what she said, I saw the smile on Mismagius' face curl into a frown. She looked down and covered her eyes with her hat as she spoke.
"However... even though I knew that we were safe from danger inside of our sanctuary, I always knew deep inside my heart that this wasn't what Delphox would've wanted."
"What would've Delphox wanted?" I asked.
"Delphox always spoke about how she wanted Brin to live a normal, happy life. She wanted her daughter to go out and experience the world, to meet many friends, and eventually... for her start her own family." Mismagius sighed and dropped the silver locket, leaving it on the rocking chair.
"Ever since we began living here, Brin became more and more withdrawn. She feared anything that existed beyond the boundary of the forest. For her, the entire world was our forest."
"But... wouldn't it be dangerous for her to leave?" I said, "I mean, she still harbors that incredible power, doesn't she? It would make sense for her to want to stay away from anyone who would want to exploit her."
"It has been a long time since Brin first displayed her power back at the city," Mismagius said, "from what I've gleaned from you, I assume the idea of an all – curing Panacea has passed on into a simple rumor."
"It.." I paused in the middle of my sentence as a thought came to my mind. Before today, I had only heard of the Panacea through Dusknoir's books. And even then, there were Pokémon like Chimecho who were opposed and skeptical to the very existence of such a thing.
"Furthermore," Mismagius continued, "we live in the frontier. A land filled with dreams and legends. What is one legend of an all – curing medicine against the many, many other fanciful tales that exist out there?" A dry chuckle came from her mouth as she shook her head, "This must be what Duskull believed back then."
"He knew that Brin would be safe there...!" I said in an excited voice, understanding what Mismagius meant, "even back at Treasure Town, there's always wild rumors and gossip flying everywhere. Every day, there's always some kind of amazing new story. Like a treasure being buried in a volcano, or even an entire lake that floats in the air!" I felt a smile come on to my face as I thought deeper about it, "Something like an all – curing Panacea... it could be the topic of the day... but then it would be gone the next!" I giggled and added, "Plus, no one would suspect the 'legendary, all – curing medicine' to be a Pokémon!"
"Hm..." Mismagius murmured as she covered her face with her cloak. She looked away from me as she began to mumble something inaudible to herself. I leaned in close to try and satisfy my curiosity, but there was no need in the end.
"Fée," I felt myself jump back out of surprise. Mismagius was holding her cloak toward me, pointing at the Explorer's Pack around my side. "would you mind showing me Duskull's letter once more?"
"I don't mind," I reached down and pulled the torn paper out of my bag. With an apologetic look on my face, I handed it over to Mismagius. "I'm sorry it's a little ripped up. Blue got a little bit careless with it earlier."
"It's quite alright," Mismagius said as she turned toward the fireplace. As she neared it, a purple aura surrounded the pot of soup. It floated off the fireplace on its own and hung itself on a hook next to the hearth. I watched, a little confused, as Mismagius stood in front of the fire.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
A chuckle came back as her reply. Mismagius held the letter up to her mouth and gave it a light kiss. Then, to my utter surprise, she dropped it into the flames.
"Aaah!" I shouted and ran over as fast as I could to try and catch it, but it was too late. The old parchment was buried deep inside of the raging flames. Blackened holes appeared on the paper, ruining Duskull's fancy script as tongues of flame poked through the surface. A quiet whimper escaped my throat as I watched the letter turn into a tiny ball of soot.
I turned toward Mismagius, who was watching the fireplace with a mystifying expresson on her face. "Why did you do that?" I asked, "That was a letter from your old friend! Why did you burn it?"
Mismagius held her cloak up to her face and made a muffled chuckle as she turned away from the flames. With a shake of her head, she floated over to the other side of the house, where the entrance was located. I shut my eyes as she pulled the door open, letting the cool, forest wind flow inside and blow out the fire.
"Fée," I heard Mismagius call my name through the sound of the wind. I opened my eyes and saw her standing beside the entrance. She held out her cloak toward me, beckoning me to follow her, "I have yet another favor to ask of you. Would you mind humoring this old lady once more?"
Before I could even ask what it was, Mismagius' cloaked body phased through the wall and out of the house. The door was left open, creaking in the wind. I closed the flap on my bag and quickly ran after her. Turning around, I stared at the now – empty fireplace. Even in the darkened room, I could still see the silver locket glinting on top of the rocking chair.
Shaking my head, I turned back toward the door and ran through it. Outside, I spotted Mismagius hovering just a ways in the distance atop the vine bridge.
"Hey!" I shouted after her pale silhouette as I ran toward the bridge, "Mismagius! Where are you going?"
Mismagius turned around as I reached the edge of the ravine. Her expression greeted me as I stood in front of her, looking up. Even though we were standing outside in the cold, I felt as though I was being warmed up just by seeing her warm, motherly smile.
"Fée," she said as she wrapped her cloak around me, shielding me from the wind, "I may be asking for too much, but would you please listen to my request?"
"What is it?" I asked, nodding, "If it's not too big of a favor, I'll do whatever I can to help you out."
"Thank you, Fée. I am truly grateful to have met you and your friend, Blue." Mismagius said, chuckling in the wind, "And I believe that Brin thinks so as well." She made a quiet chuckle, "She was so overjoyed when you expressed interest in that book of hers. It was such a surprise to see her so full of glee like that. I had half expected her to start speaking right then, and there."
"O – oh... I didn't do anything, really," I said, feeling my face grow a little hot, "I just recognized her book, that's all."
Mismagius chuckled into my ear and said, "I appreciate your honesty, Fée." She said as she wrapped her cloak tighter around me, "But it doesn't change the fact that you've made my daughter happier than she had been in years. Both you, and your partner."
Mismagius let go of me, floating toward the bridge. I held my ruff with my paw, feeling the lingering warmth that she left inside of me. I still couldn't shake away that feeling of confusion as I followed after Mismagius across the bridge.
"So what is this favor you asked of me?" I wondered, realizing that she hasn't told me yet, "Is it about the books still?"
Mismagius shook her head, her mouth still curled up in a smile, "No, it is not." She continued to float toward the forest, leaving me feeling confused.
"Then what is it?" I asked again, feeling frustrated.
Mismagius continued to ignore my questions, and instead floated over to the other side of the ravine. She paused and turned to look at the forest, covering her mouth with her cloak.
"Your partner... he's badly injured, isn't he?" Mismagius said, "His leg... it'll never heal on its own. The wound is far too severe for any berry or salve to cure."
Both of my ears shot up as Mismagius suddenly brought up the topic of Blue's injury. I hurried myself next to her and held the hem of her cloak with my paws, all my frustration flew away as soon as I heard that.
"T – that's right! His leg... he got it injured while he was protecting me from a horde of Kabuto a few days ago." I looked up at Mismagius' face and told her, "That's... that's why we came here. We thought we could find the Panacea Elixir and use it to cure his wounds."
"And it shall," Mismagius announced, making my eyes open wide. I let go and took a few steps back, gaping at the smiling Pokémon.
"B – but..." I shook my head several times, feeling bewildered at her sudden reply, "Didn't you say it was dangerous for Brin to use her powers? I'm think... no, I'm sure that Blue would refuse to have her treat him if he knew what it did."
"Even if it meant living with only one leg for the rest of his life?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. What she said... it seemed like a very likely thing that Blue would do. Even though I've only known Blue for a few days, I've became very aware of how his personality is. He would say that he was fine, that he could tough it out and deal with the pain.
I felt my eyes become watery as a realization hit me. When given the choice, Blue would never allow anyone other than himself be harmed. Even if it meant healing him, he would refuse like he always would. I imagined him wearing his dumb, confident grin as he shook his head at Brin. I held my paw up to my face, trying to stem my tears before they flowed out. Why did he have to be such a stubborn idiot?
"...I see," the sound of Mismagius' voice made me look up. Her face was blurry from the tears in my eyes. I saw her cloak move as she touched my face. "Do not fret, Fée. I am sure that Brin would not mind helping out your friend."
I heard her chuckle as she wiped the tears off my face, "All you need to do is convince him. From what I could tell, Blue is a very tenacious and strong – willed young thing. But is no fool. He knows his limits, but he endures it for your sake. It is quite admirable, if not a little reckless."
"T – that sounds like him... it really does," I said, feeling a smile work its way onto my face.
"However," Mismagius' smile became a smirk as she curled her cloak under my chin, craning my head up so we saw eye – to – eye, "If he is truly as stubborn as you say, then it is up to you to break that steel facade he wears. Brin will agree to help him, that is certain. But it is you, his closest friend, who must convince him to accept her help."
"You think so...?" I said, staring at Mismagius with a hopeful look on my face.
"To let you in on a little secret..." Mismagius closed in next to my face and whispered into my ear, "I have seen into his mind. You, Fée, hold a large portion of his heart captive. I'm sure with a little sweetness, you can possibly convince him to do anything."
I tilted my head to the side, confused. I didn't understand what she meant by holding his heart captive. On instinct, my mind went and imagined me holding Blue inside of a jail cell. But, what did Mismagius mean by sweetness? I couldn't figure that part out, no matter how hard I thought about it.
"Oh my, the wonders of youth..." Mismagius let out a loud, gleeful laugh as I puzzled over her words. She held onto her wide hat as she shuddered from her glee. I puffed out my cheeks in frustration. This must be what Blue feels like whenever he doesn't understand something.
"S – so, what was this favor you wanted then?" I said in a rather shrill voice, not bothering to hide my annoyance. "You never told m –"
My words were cut off by a sudden loud noise in the distance. As I turned toward it, a powerful shockwave careened through the forest. The sheer force of the blast threw me off my feet, and onto the ground. I was shocked, and bewildered. What was that? What just happened?
"W – what was that...?" I heard Mismagius speak in a low, fearful voice as I scrambled back onto my feet. Although her body was unfazed by the shockwave, she wore an aghast expression on her face.
That sound... I've heard it somewhere before. My mind was working at full tilt, scrabbling together every shard of memory I had in an effort to try and piece together what that sound was. A blast... a shockwave... an explosion...!
That was it. It was an explosion! A sudden flashback hit me, reminding me of when I first met Blue at the Beach Cave... The Beach Cave...?
"No way... it can't be...!"
That sound that we just heard... it was the exact same sound that Koffing made when he exploded during our fight with him and Zubat! Does that mean something exploded inside of the forest? But... why? And who?
"That sound... it came from Brin's berry grove...!" Mismagius gasped. I turned toward her, my eyes wide and my face pale.
I knew firsthand just how powerful those explosions are. If Brin and Blue were both caught in it... then...!
"No! Mismagius, we have to go there, now!"