Chapter 3: A Manakete's Lullaby

Ash waited in a center with other people and Pokémon. He had a few more than Pikachu. With him was a green snake with tiny arms and legs with a leaf for a tail, a sky blue sea otter with a white head and a seashell over its abdomen, an orange pig that looked like he wore a black muscular leotard, a gray game bird with brown spots to the underbelly, and a green/yellow mantis-like creature with a leaf as a hood and hooks for hands. His group, which added the manakete who vowed to protect the trainer, split up to attend errands. Iris took Nowi to go clothes shopping while Cilan registered for at a convention being held tomorrow. Each Pokémon took bites of pellets in separate bowls. As they settled in, the girls entered. "Ash?!" called Iris. Ash and the Pokémon turned to the girls, including Nowi's new wardrobe. She wore a yellow button-down t-shirt and matching skirt which was a little longer than what she originally wore.

"What do you think?" she asked. "I can't believe there are clothes which I don't need to drape over my head and my ears."

"Yeah, they look great on you," Ash complimented as he and the Pokémon came to see Nowi. She saw the extra company with Ash and Pikachu, getting a little nervous. The sea otter leaped to Nowi who caught the critter with hearts in its eyes. Ash needed to get the sea otter under control. "Oshawott, knock it off!" The otter whined about its behavior. It hopped down, upset with being torn from enjoying Nowi's company. Nowi now scoped the other Pokémon.

"So who are these guys?" Ash came to Nowi's side to help identify the Pokémon, starting with the pig.

"That's Pignite and next to him is Snivy." Pignite punched the air and the snake, Snivy, closed its eyes. Now the identity of the game bird. "That's Unfezant and the last is Leavanny." The mantis-like Pokémon and Unfezant nodded in greeting the manakete.

"And they're all yours?"

"Yep!" Nowi knelt to meet the rest of the Pokémon.

"Nice to meet you all!" The Pokémon welcomed Nowi as a friend to have around. Cilan returned from his destination with some news.

"I'm back," he announced. Thinking he had been evaluated, Iris got anxious to know the result.

"Hey, did you pass?" she asked. Cilan chuckled at the eager tanned girl.

"The evaluation's tomorrow. I registered for it and guess who else showed up?" Pained faces colored Iris and Ash's mugs.

"Miss I-believe-I'm-better-than-Cilan Connoisseuse! You'd think with her ranking that she'd know her place by now?" More nervous laughter from Cilan confirmed Iris' suspicion.

"Well, she's as determined as ever to say she's higher than me." Not familiar with the long-winded name, Nowi turned to Ash in hopes of understanding.

"Does Cilan have a rival?" she wondered.

"We all do," Ash replied. "Cilan's rival is Burgundy. She and Cilan are Connoisseurs at different ranks: Cilan's A-ranked and Burgundy's C-ranked." Nowi seemed humored at the group's issues.

"And I thought the rivalry between Chrom and Vaike was hot. Now, it's commonplace?" Ash blinked to the names the green-haired girl.

"Uh, who?"

"Friends of mine. They're also rivals to each other." Cleared on some information, Cilan had an idea.

"Why don't I make dinner?" he offered. "Besides, those participating in the convention have to fast until their appointment." Ash and Nowi seemed confused with Cilan's recommendation.

"Fast?" repeated Ash.

"I've heard of going fast but..." Nowi fumbled to finish. A sigh came from Iris who would be more than willing to clarify Cilan's explanation.

"It means he can't eat until after he's evaluated," she explained. "Seriously, what little kids!" Nowi growled at Iris from her retort.

'If only you knew how old I really am, Iris…' However, Ash placed a hand on her shoulder to ease her down.

"Don't let it go to your head, Nowi," he consoled. Nowi glanced to Ash, concerned about Iris' mocking to Ash as well. "Anyway, if you're not eating, it means more food for the rest of us."

"I agree. After that stew Ash fed me, I'm ready for more of your cooking." Cilan laughed more, now honored instead of feared.

"I'd be more than willing to do so, you two," he praised as he stepped to the kitchen. He made the food and whatever Ash and Nowi touched about half an hour later, it vanished. Iris and Cilan watched in awe and fear as plate and bowl after plate and bowl lost whatever was in or on them. To the two munchers, this became a contest.

"You're not eating me under the table, Ash!" Her challenger grinned, not slowing down in the slightest.

"I've yet to lose an eating contest to anyone!" he snickered. Iris could only hope to have something to nibble on, though the stacks of dishes chipped away at that wish.

"Seems we have two bottomless stomachs on display," Cilan scoffed. As the two continued their eating, a violet-haired girl in a suit similar to Cilan's except the vest was red.

"I wonder what C-Rank gourmet Cilan whipped up tonight?" she spoke from behind Cilan, spooking him.

"B-Burgundy!?" Ash and the girls turned to the new girl that came in.

"Who is she?" asked Nowi.

"That's Burgundy," Ash answered. Burgundy faced Cilan with a grin.

"Nervous about the evaluation, tomorrow?" she teased. Cilan straightened his face to fire a retort.

"Not at all," he denied. "But don't you think you're the one in trouble? You're still C-Rank and if you fail your evaluation, you could lose your Connoisseur's Badge and be disqualified as a Connoisseuse." The consequences didn't bother Burgundy, laughing off the warning.

"Alors! Those members of the committee know better than put me at C-Rank when I deserve S-Rank… and you should, too!" The discussion wore on Iris, and she couldn't keep silent about it.

"Typical of Burgundy," she sighed. "Behaving like a kid..." Burgundy heard the tanned girl's complaint, her attention averted.

"You stay out of this discussion! This is between me and Cilan!" That's when she began having thoughts of Iris traveling around with the boys, all while Nowi's been left in the dark. "Now that I think about it, why do you travel with Ash a whole lot?" Iris stepped back from Burgundy's approach. This even interested Nowi, hoping to know the history.

"What brought this up? Beside, my reasons are my own!"

"Ah bon… You just want others around to call kids so that you don't feel so bad!" Iris growled at Burgundy who scoffed.

"Excuse me?!" Nowi watched the argument between the three as Pikachu joined the green-haired manakete.

"I want to see you squirm while away from that boy. To do so, I'll have you two with me." Cilan wasn't sure about Burgundy's idea, let alone leaving Ash by himself.

"Don't you think you need to mind your own self?" he pointed out. "Without proper rest, you run risk of alertness to your performance." Not accepting the warning, Burgundy waived Cilan off as Nowi approached from the side with Pikachu on her shoulder. She tapped Cilan on his back.

"Don't worry," she whispered. Cilan didn't turn his head but listened. "I'll watch Ash tonight." Feeling satisfied, Cilan felt confident to proceed in the act.

"Well, if that's how you want to play this out, I'll go with you to your room tonight." Iris jumped at Cilan's agreement.

"Cilan, you can't be serious!" she freaked. To Burgundy, Iris revealed she had feelings for Ash.

"So you do care for the trainer with incompatible Pokémon like his Pikachu," she taunted. Pikachu growled to Burgundy's distaste. Iris snarled heavily to the violet-haired's rebuttal.

"I do not!" Realizing her own volume, Iris settled down. "If you think I can't stand a day without that little kid, I can prove you wrong!"

"Then it's settled!" Nowi turned back to Ash, a wink to assure her company. "So Ash, you think you can handle one night alone?"

"Of course I can," he sneered. "After all, I have my 'incompatible' Pikachu with me… unless you want him to join you as well." Now Burgundy backtracked. She didn't like Pikachu, less any of Ash's Pokémon.

"Non, non, non! You can keep your smelly rat!" With that reply, she stormed off and allowed the rest to calm down.

"Like I said, she's a kid," Iris groaned. Axew agreed as it finally came out from Burgundy's rant.

"I'm surprised she didn't see me," Nowi noted. Iris turned around to Nowi to reassure her the purpose.

"Don't worry about her. Burgundy's attention is mainly on Cilan. You're okay." After supper, Ash cleaned the dishes before he dressed down to a teal t-shirt and shorts before he and Nowi entered a room with two bunk beds and drawer. Nowi came over to one of the beds and laid down on it. The spring-based mattress felt new to the manakete.

"What's up with these beds?"

"What, never been on a mattress before?" joked Ash. "Well, it's patted with different layers of cotton and helps support a person's back with spring coils within." Nowi tested the bed, lying on it. Instantly, she felt the difference.

"Huh? It's always straw or rocky nests or straw beds where I'm from. This is… rather comfortable." Ash blinked, Nowi's mentioning of nests catching his query.

"You slept in nests?" Rather than recalling her words, Nowi briefed her reasoning.

"When I was little, my mother had me in nests before I was kidnapped by evil soldiers then rescued by a former member and helped fight for someone I trusted." The explanation didn't clear a lot with Ash, but a mental picture started to form of seeing a baby Nowi snuggled in a nest, looking comfortable wrapped up. He dimmed the lights before lifting the blankets.

"I, uh… see. Well, goodnight!" Ash tucked himself in bed and near his feet, Pikachu curled up. Both fell instantly to sleep. Nowi saw the trainer, remembering that he helped her in her "time of need." The lights may have turned off above the three, but Nowi wasn't going to sleep… at least in the bed she laid on a moment ago. Instead, she got up and crawled in Ash's. Her boots were off as she lifted the blankets and crawled in. Ash suddenly woke to the smooth, sweat-covered skin of Nowi's legs.

"Sorry. Is it alright if I sing a lullaby to you?" The request had Pikachu look up just to accept a song from their new friend. "Okay, Pikachu." With a deep breath, Nowi began to sing. The language she used to sing wasn't familiar, one not even a Pokémon would know. Despite struggling to know the origin of Nowi's tongue, the tone felt soothing as if both the trainer and Pokémon were babies who closed their eyes to the cozening rhythm. Her song ended and both Ash and Pikachu were lights out. A smile formed from Ash's face, a dream of comfort taken place. The smile made Nowi smile before she reached over and kissed the unsuspecting boy on those smiling lips. Then she fell asleep herself, her fingers combing through his hair. "Good night… Ash." The rest of the night was uneventful in the Pokémon Center.

...But back in Ylisse Castle the next morning was of panic. A young blue-haired man in a sleeveless black shirt and armored leggings came out to the foyer seeing people looking frantically around. Wearing a single shoulder plate attached to a white cape, he viewed many of the people searching for something.

"Not something I wanted to wake up to," he mulled as a silver-haired young woman wearing a matching gown joined his side. She wore two white feathers in her long and flowing hair.

"Chrom, darling," she greeted. "What seems to be the matter?"

"That's what I like to know, Sumia." A brunette man in heavy armor and a redhead man in fatigues came forward to meet Chrom and Sumia.

"Good morning, milord, milady," the brunette welcomed. Chrom bowed to meeting the two.

"Fredrick, what's going on that everyone's panicking?" Instead of answering himself, he turned to the redhead.

"Gregor?" The called gulped to guessing Chrom's reaction.

"It's Nowi!" he reported with a Russian accent. "She gone missing!" Chrom and Sumia's eyes lit up, as did Marth's. "Gregor failed in watching Nowi!" Marth came forward to clarify the situation, though it would bring more panic.

"Milord, I was the last to see her morning of yester," she confessed. "She left for the village and I haven't seen her since." Sumia and the men turned to the mysterious young woman. It didn't feel right for Chrom.

"You were able to stop an assassination plot on Emmeryn in here, yet you didn't see Nowi leaving us?" he called the woman out.

"Circumstances changed from the foiled assassination plot… so the future's been altered in some senses." Sumia studied her words, thinking she meant the truth.

"I believe you, Hero-King," she forgave. Marth sighed in relief.

'Thank you, mother.' Chrom had to take control of the situation.

"Very well," he retained the floor. "Marth, you've done plenty from saving Lissa when the Risen first appeared to Gangrel's fall. Something like this won't change my opinion." Weight continued to lift from Marth's shoulders, forgiveness aplenty to her.

'Father…' That's when Chrom plotted a method to find Nowi.

"If I know my history, taguels have acute sense of smell. I'll have Panne use her nose to find our manakete." Gregor felt urged to help find Nowi as well.

"Nowi is Gregor's responsibility!" he spoke up. "Gregor shoud join in searching." Chrom nodded, remembering the promise. One more wanted to team up and find Nowi on her guilt.

"Fa- Milord, let me join, too," she voiced, nearly blowing her secret. "As I stated, I was the last to see her." Catching the slip, Sumia pondered upon her identity.

"Marth, did you say 'father?'" she questioned. Marth shook her head in denial.

"I was going to say the wrong word, not to offend either of you." Chrom nodded to her claim.

"Okay, but please be vigilant," he addressed. She and Gregor nodded to the promise before leaving. Who knows what the two will find on their way to rescue Nowi.

TO BE CONTINUED...