A Dragon's Tail
Tail 7: Korben's Tail - Inequity
Tail 7-4: The Crow's Anxiety
"Even the victory you seek will be too far beyond your grasp…"
"… Oh, we're back here…"
Fenrir Jr.'s voice drew the attention of the Kommo-o from his train of thought to his surroundings, and he soon found that he was now standing at the gate of Shadowlost City. It happened a few hours after the encounter in the Skeleton Wood, and the Kommo-o and the Zoroark decided to go back to the Shadowlost City together, because if they encountered the Shadow Pokemon, they would have a much higher chance to win, as their fighting style greatly covered each other's weak point.
"I see…" Korben mumbled as he noticed the gate of the Shadowlost City right in front of him.
"… You seem to be lost in your own thought…" Fenrir Jr. spoke up as he observed the Kommo-o beside him.
"I am just thinking about… something…" Korben said.
"That answer of yours only piqued my curiosity even further…" Fenrir Jr. said. "But I won't incline to learn anything more about this, because, as much as it is a virtue, curiosity is also a sin too... It could enlighten a living creature… Or lead them to their demise…"
"What do you mean—" Korben was about to ask the Zoroark to clarify his words when something else drew the attention of both of them from the conversation.
"RIIIIINNGGGG! RANNNNNGGGG!"
"Hm?" Fenrir Jr. turned his attention toward the source of the voice he had just heard, which was none other than a big clock tower that was located at the center of Shadowlost City. The clock tower was built from some kind of black marble, giving it a mysterious but charming looking, and the sound of bell coming from the clock tower was as ominous as the environment of the land of darkness.
"What was that?" Korben asked as the sound of the bell stopped.
"It was the sound played by the bell inside the clock tower. The bell rung twice a day in order to indicate the current time." Fenrir Jr. said. "It seems like it was now 18 o'clock… And the next time that the bell will ring is twelve hours from now on…"
"I can see that…" Korben understood the purpose of the bell and the clock tower. Because Shadowlost Territory is always constantly shrouded in twilight and darkness, there was no way to tell the time by looking at the sky, so the clock tower played an important role in telling the time to the townsfolk, as well as to the travelers.
"Anyway, I think it's time for me to return to my home…" Fenrir Jr. said as he turned his attention to Korben. "And… I think it's time for us to part way…"
"It seems so… And… Fenrir Jr." Korben said. He decided not to call Fenrir Jr. using his title as the 'prince' of Shadowlost Territory as he somewhat remembered that the Zoroark of the Illunight family didn't like to be called by their title. "… Thank you for everything today, including saving my hide."
"The pleasure is mine too, especially after finding that you are… a decent companion…" Fenrir Jr. said. "Also… Be careful out there… The land of darkness is a dangerous place, but don't let it stop you from basking in its dark beauty…"
"Okay… I will remember that…" Korben said.
"Then… Farewell for today, Korben. If you stay alive, then we may encounter each other again…" Fenrir Jr. said before he suddenly disappeared from Korben's sight. While it may seem like he had vanished into the air, Korben knew that the Zoroark had just jumped away to somewhere else, just like when he suddenly appeared to help the Kommo-o in the Skeleton Wood earlier.
"… I guess I will find something to eat before I call it a day…" Korben said as he started to feel hungry, as he hadn't eaten anything since the morning because he forgot to have lunch due to many things that happened today. The Kommo-o then walked into the capital city of darkness.
As he walked along the street of the capital of darkness, Korben could sense many sights of the Pokemon in the city gazing at him, most which were the eyes full with skeptical. While it made the Kommo-o uncomfortable, it was understandable why he received such a sight like that, considering the reaction he got from his meeting with Fenrir Jr. earlier.
"…" Korben tried to ignore the feeling of being gazed all the time, which was actually not hard for him to do as he had been getting this feeling since he first arrived at the land of darkness…
"Welcome!"
Koren's attention was shifted as he realized that he had just opened the door to a local bistro, and he was greeted by a waitress, who was a Mandibuzz.
"Um… Hi…" Korben had just realized that, while it was his intention to find a place to eat, this was the first time for him to visit a place like this, as there was no restaurant or shop like this in his village. The Kommo-o then looked around the bistro, and he wasn't sure what to do next until…
"Hm? Korben! Over here!"
"?" Korben turned his attention to the familiar voice and saw Snow, Freya, Rachael and Richard sitting at one of the tables, and Rachael was calling the Kommo-o to sit with them.
"Hello, everyone." Korben said as he approached the table and sat down between Snow and Freya. "How was your day in this city?"
"It's great!" Rachael said. "Onii-chan and I took a little tour around the city. At first, everyone in the town seems skeptical about us, but they turn out to be very friendly!"
"It's understandable. After all, we both are Psychic type, a type that's native to the Theocracy of Venturnome, and most Pokemon of Theocracy of Venturnome considered the Pokemon of Shadowlost Territory as a 'sin' or 'demon spawn'. That makes the townsfolk skeptical about us because they aren't sure about our opinion about them." Richard explained before turning his attention to Korben. "Remember when we were having a meeting a few days ago, and I told you that I will tell you something about this land? This is it, Korben."
"I see." Korben nodded as this made him understand the action of Fenrir Jr. a bit more. The Kommo-o then turned his attention to Snow and Freya. "What about both of you? How was your day in this city?"
"I... just wandered around the city until I was tired and decided to stop." Freya answered. "That's when I met Snow, who suggested that we should stop by the local bistro, and then Rachael and Richard came a few minutes before you came, Korben."
"As a butler, I am experiencing the local cuisine of this land." Snow explained. "And I found that the cuisines that were crafted in this land are exotic, yet wonderful."
"Anyway…" Rachael spoke up. "Onii-chan is about to tell us the history of the Shadowlost Territory. Korben, will you join us?"
"Of course." Korben nodded in agreement. After all, he should try to learn a bit more about the land he was currently in.
"… I am quite certain that you won't understand some parts of this story due to your lack of knowledge regarding the continent of Symmetria, Korben." Richard mumbled. "Anyway, let's start with the Fallen Crisis… After that, seven nations were found on the continent of Symmetria. Five of them, Theocracy of Venturnome, Principality of Leafburg, Fireview Kingdom, Republic of Civilight and Dustorm Empire, still exist until today. Two of them, however, ceased to exist during the first decades of its founding. They are the Confederacy of Riverbrine and the Queendom of Snowlost, with the Misveil Mountain Range as a natural border between two. Both nations were engaged in the War of the Snowlost Peninsula 25 years ago, with the Queendom of Snowlost as the victor, and both nations were merged together to become today's Queendom of Riverbrine."
"What does the story of War of the Snowlost Peninsula have to do with the Shadowlost Territory?" Rachael asked.
"Much." Richard answered. "Before War over the Snowlost Peninsula, the area of Shadowlost Territory was part of the old Queendom of Snowlost. However, due to the different between its geography, culture and climate, Shadowlost Territory at that time was more like the Special Administrative Region of Queendom of Snowlost. There was little to no presence of influence of Queendom of Snowlost in the Shadowlost Territory, but the land of darkness was still technically part of the Queendom of Snowlost."
"Now that you mention it…" Freya spoke up. "I have always wondered why Shadowlost Territory, being located to the north to the Queendom of Riverbrine, is warmer than the snowy nation. Shouldn't it be colder considered that it's located to the north, as well as being the land where the sun never rise?"
"That's because its terrain." Richard said. "There is a subterranean lava stream under the area of Shadowlost Territory, just like the one in our team base. This lava stream stretches from the Fireview Kingdom across the sea to the Shadowlost Territory. Also, there are several undersea volcanos under the sea between Fireview Kingdom and Shadowlost Territory, and they release ash and toxic gas to the sea, making this sea very acidic, which affects the nearby land and drastically changes a major island located on it into what we known as Venom Island today. For the Shadowlost Territory, because of the lack of the volcanos, the land is spared from the noxious nightmare, and the heat generated from the lava stream underground is enough to prevent the land of darkness to be turned into the Queendom of Riverbrine 2.0. However, due to the factors mentioned earlier by Freya, the land of darkness still doesn't have a scorching climate like the Fireview Kingdom, but its climate and atmosphere, coupled with the fact that this land is shrouded in the eternal twilight and darkness, still make the land of darkness an ideal haven for the Dark type and Ghost type Pokemon."
"O… Okay…" Everyone responded as they were trying to grasp the words spoken by the Latios.
"Either way, let's continue." Richard continued speaking. "After the forming of Queendom of Riverbrine, the residents of the land of darkness desire their land to be independent from the land of snow and water as Shadowlost Territory was never truly the part of the Queendom of Snowlost in the reality. However, they feared that declaring their independence would cause another war and bloodshed with the Queendom of Riverbrine, especially since the Queendom of Riverbrine had just won the War of the Snowlost Peninsula. All of this made this situation a dilemma for the people of the land of darkness."
"If that's so, then how did the people of Shadowlost Territory gain their liberation?" Rachael asked.
"… All of this was thanks to the current chancellor of Shadowlost Territory, Chancellor Fenrir Illunight Sr. the Zoroark." Richard answered. "She received the news of this dilemma from the Pokemon of Shadowlost Territory. This whole thing summoned her to the land of darkness, and—"
"Summon?" Korben spoke up. "Didn't the chancellor live in the land of darkness in the first place?"
"Don't ask me that question. Where the chancellor lived beforehand is her private affair, and I won't use the chronicle to dig into other people's privacy." Richard said. "Either way, the chancellor coming to the land of darkness was like a blessing upon the land of darkness, and she was able to declare their independence without any war or bloodshed, and with the approval of the Queendom of Riverbrine too."
"How?" Rachael asked.
"… You remember that the chancellor is the Heroine of Darkness, one of fourteen Hero/ine of Legend that saved Symmetria from the Fallen Crisis 33 years ago, right?" Richard said. "And… The ruler of the Queendom of Riverbrine by that time was the war heroine of the War of the Snowlost Penisula, as well as… one of fourteen Hero/ine of Legend that saved Symmetria from the Fallen Crisis, just like the chancellor."
"You mean Queen Nyxier?" Rachael asked.
While Rachael's question was an easy question without much context, it gave a different reaction to everyone. Korben was confused as he didn't know much about Symmetria, Richard had a poker face as he silently nodded. Freya seemed a bit uncomfortable with the mention of the name of the late queen of Riverbrine. Snow, on the other hand…
"Queen… Nyxier... ?" Snow mumbled slowly, as if this name awoke something in his blank memory. "… What kind of Pokemon… is she?"
"… She's an Aurorus." Richard answered with an unusually plain voice.
"… And where is she… right now?" Snow asked. "Is she… still the queen of Riverbrine…?"
"… Let's continue the story." Richard decided to change the subject, as he somewhat learned about Snow's heritage from Baromyteus and Anastasia earlier. "Being an old friend with the queen of Riverbrine, the chancellor was able to have a meeting with the queen, and she requested the queen to give the independence to the land of darkness with various reasons, such as the drastically difference of cultures and terrain, the land of darkness was never part of Queendom of Snowlost in the first place, and the Queendom of Snowlost had just annexed the land of old Confederacy of Riverbrine into itself, so the newly-formed Queendom of Riverbrine might not have enough power for its whole land, and thus giving the land of darkness an independence would be a better choice. Surprisingly, the queen of Riverbrine didn't protest the chancellor's request, and more importantly, the queen of Riverbrine also revealed that she had always planned to give the land of darkness their independence. The only thing that prevented her from doing so was because she was worried if the land of darkness would be strong enough to prosper on their own without the support of the Queendom."
"Wow… That's just like what… Empress Sharon used to say… When she was still alive…" Freya commented.
"… Either way, the queen of Riverbrine decided to allow the land of darkness to gain their independence, and thus, Shadowlost Territory was born one year after the War of the Snowlost Peninsula, or 24 years ago." Richard said. "With her effort, the chancellor was voted to be the ruler of the newly-formed Shadowlost Territory. However, the chancellor refused and asked the old leader of the land of darkness to be Shadowlost's lord instead. She, however, still accepted her people's request and became the chancellor of Shadowlost Territory."
"So, that's all about the founding of Shadowlost Territory, huh?" Korben said despite that he still didn't understand some parts of it. "I am surprised that you know a lot about this, especially the part when the chancellor met the queen or whatsoever."
"Don't underestimate the wisdom of the holder of the chronicle, Korben." Richard said. "At first, the native Pokemon of Shadowlost Territory only consisted of the Dark type and Ghost type Pokemon. However, two years after its founding, the Shadowlost Territory had welcomed the refugees of War of Jasmine, all which were the Poison type Pokemon from the Principality of Leafburg. The chancellor then gave the Venom Island as the new home to the refugees as that island has the perfect condition for the Poison type Pokemon to live, and that's why Poison type Pokemon are now a common sight in this land, along with Dark type and Ghost type Pokemon."
"Wait a minute…" Rachael said. "First is War of the Snowlost Peninsula, and next is War of Jasmine… So, the next one is—"
"… Right. The Bloodmoon War." Richard spoke again, this time, with a grim voice. "Being a newly-found nation, Shadowlost Territory was the first target of Fireview Kingdom, which was under the influenced of the Republic of Civilight by that time, and… Being located near the west coast of the land of darkness, Venom Island was the first target of Fireview Kingdom, as well as the first battlesite."
"…" Everyone carefully listened to the Latios. However, for some reason, Korben started to feel anxious as the story reached this part.
"… But in the end, Bloodmoon War was finally able to come to the end." Noticing Korben's action, Richard decided to skip the story of Bloodmoon War as it involved the story of the Venom Island Massacre, which would impact the Kommo-o's currently unstable mind. "… And Shadowlost Territory still exists until today. The land of darkness right now has a strong diplomatic relationship with Queendom of Riverbrine and Principality of Leafburg due to them being allies in the Bloodmoon War, as well as the Shadowlost Territory used to be the part of Queendom of Riverbrine and is the new home to many Pokemon from Principality of Leafburg. I also heard that Shadowlost Territory also has a surprisingly good relationship with Dustorm Empire, and the land of darkness has a strained relationship with Fireview Kingdom and Republic of Civilight. For Theocracy of Venturnome… You know the answer. And this concludes today's lesson about the history of the land of darkness."
"Thank you for telling us, Onii-chan!" Rachael said. "You makes this whole history stuff much entertaining to listen than school did."
After Rachael finished speaking, a waiter appeared and served a cup of drink to Korben.
"Wait, I haven't—" Korben was about to say that he haven't ordered anything yet, but his words were interrupted by the Draconic Lapras.
"It's okay, Korben." Snow spoke up. "It's mandatory for the restaurant in this nation to serve their local beverage to any customer that entered the shop, just like when the cake shop or coffee shop that served water to any customer that entered the shop."
"I didn't know that…" Korben said. This was when he noticed that Rachael, Richard, Freya and Snow also had the similar cup in front of them too. "But isn't it a bit too late to serve this? I have already entered this bistro for quite a while…"
"It's because it's impolite for the waiter to interrupt the customers talking, especially if it's a story. But either way, you should try drinking this." Snow explained as he looked at the cup of drink that was served to the Kommo-o. Korben then took a look and found that the drink in his cup… was completely black.
"W… What is this drink?" Korben asked.
"It's called 'Black Rose Tea'." Snow explained. "It was made from its namesake, the Black Rose, which is, as you know, the native flower of this land."
"But isn't that Black Rose thing poisonous?" Korben asked as he looked at the tea in his cup skeptically.
"They have already extracted the poison from the ingredients during the process of making it, so it's safe to drink it."
"I… see…" Korben said as he turned his attention to the drink again before he slowly reached his paw to the cup and sipped the black liquid in the cup.
"… How was it, Korben?" Freya asked.
"… This is really good!" Korben said before he took another sip of the black liquid in the cup. "I can't really describe the taste of this tea… Overall, it's very bitter, but… It also has some… unique sweetness too. I like this!"
"Really?" Rachael said as she looked at the cup of Black Rose Tea in front of her. "It's too bitter for me…"
"Me too…" Freya nodded in agreement with the Latias.
"…" Richard didn't comment anything. All he did was looking at a cup of Black Rose Tea in front of him.
"Ah, I see that this tea also gains your favor too…" Snow commented. "The bitterness in this tea came from the mineral that was absorbed from the ground by the flower, which was the cause of the flower's color and its poison. The hidden sweetness came from the flower's specie of being a rose."
"Can you brew this tea, Snow?" Korben asked.
"Of course." Snow answered. "I have already mastered the art of brewing the Black Rose Tea, including the method of removing the poison from the Black Rose, so I will be able to brew it back at the Pendracomonium as long as we have the ingredients."
"Leave it to me!" Rachael spoke up. "I have already gotten the seeds of the plants native to this land, and I think that I will be able to simulate the condition of Shadowlost Territory in our base's greenhouse in order to grow them!"
"That's great!" Korben said. "Alright, I think it's time for us to order the food."
After finished speaking, Korben called the same waiter that served him the Black Rose Tea, and then he opened the menu and ordered the recommend dish. Freya and Snow then ordered their meal too. And then…
"… Onii-chan!"
"Wha…" Richard snapped from his thought as he heard his younger sister's voice calling him.
"Onii-chan, what will you order?" Rachael asked after she finished ordering her meal.
"Okay…" Richard quickly opened the menu and then ordered his food. The waiter then took the order from the five Pokemon and walked away.
"… Onii-chan, what do you have in your mind?" Rachael asked after the waiter walked away.
"… I just notice something strange earlier… About the Black Rose." Richard answered as he turned his attention to the Kommo-o.
"What's wrong, Richard?" Korben asked.
"… Do you remember when Zetarus and Diego picked the Black Rose from the bush and was poisoned by it?" Richard asked.
"Yes." Freya answered. "It was Baromyteus that told us about the poison in the Black Rose, and he later told us that he used to live here, so he knew a lot about this flower—"
"—And that's also the reason why he was immune to the poison of the Black Rose when he picked it earlier." Richard said. "Do you see what I am trying to say?"
"!" Korben suddenly realized something after hearing Richard's words, causing him to look at his paws.
"… Earlier, some of us did touch the Black Rose, two of them, Diego and Zetarus, were poisoned." Richard said. "One of them, Baromyteus, was immune to the poison because he grew up here. However, there was one more Pokemon that touched the Black Rose, yet he wasn't poisoned…" Richard said as he fixed his attention on Korben.
"W… What?" Rachael said as she looked at her brother, and then she looked at Korben.
"… Yeah, I did touch the Black Rose after Zetarus threw it at Freya." Korben said. "But… Why didn't I…"
"The only reason I could think of is, like Baromyteus, you have the immunity to the Black Rose's poison too." Richard said.
"But I have never been here. In fact, I haven't even left Valley of No Return before I came here." Korben said.
"… Baromyteus did say that the Pokemon that live in this land will develop the immunity to the Black Rose's poison, as well as their descendant." Richard said. "Korben, could it be that your father or mother..."
"… I knew almost nothing about my parents." Korben said. "The only thing I know about my parents is that my mother left Valley of No Return 20 years before I was born, and her dying self came back with the egg that contained me... And a piece of paper with the word 'Korben' written on it."
"… I could think of three possibilities after hearing this." Richard said. "One, your mother stayed for quite some time in the Shadowlost Territory after she left Valley of No Return, and thus she developed the immunity of the Black Rose's poison, which was passed on to you. Two, your father is a Pokemon that came from the Shadowlost Territory. Or… Three, both one and two."
"My father…" Korben mumbled to himself.
"Also…" Richard continued speaking. "You did say that your mother had a paper with your name written on it. Let me ask you, does the handwriting on that paper belong to your mother?"
"No." Korben said. "My… grandpa said that the handwriting on that paper isn't my mother's. I have looked at that my mother's handwriting and the paper with my name so many times that I could remember both handwritings even now, and both handwritings are completely different, so there's no mistake about it."
"Which means that there's a high possibility that the handwriting on that paper belongs to your father." Richard said. "And if that's true, your father could also be the one who gave you the name 'Korben'."
"What are you trying to say, Onii-chan?" Rachael asked.
"… The name 'Korben' is a form of the name 'Corben', which refers to a type of avian Pokemon with black feathers covering their body, like Murkrow and Honchkrow, both which are native to the Shadowlost Territory as they are the Dark type Pokemon." Richard explained. "If you ask me, naming a Pokemon in the Kommo-o family after the name of is… unusual."
"…" Korben carefully listened to the Latios, though his words reminded him of what Fenrir Jr. mentioned after the Kommo-o introduced himself.
Which meant that…
"… My father… is the Pokemon from this land of darkness?" Korben said.
"I didn't say that." Richard said. "Still, the probability of that being true is very likely… However, what we discussed is something from over a decade ago, so I doubt it would be easy to prove its validity."
"But you have the know-it-all Chronicle in your possession, haven't you, Onii-chan?" Rachael asked.
"And are you suggesting me using it to dig into the personal affair of other Pokemon? I don't think so." Richard replied.
"…" While Richard and Rachael were talking with each other, Korben lowered his head. He had a troubled expression on his face, indicating that he had something in his mind, and that thing greatly disturbed him…
"… Sorry for waiting, everyone…"
Everyone's attention was drawn upon the waiter that approached their table, carrying a tray with several plates of food in his paw.
"… Let's put aside the… serious discussing for now." Snow spoke up after saying nothing for some time. "For now, let's enjoy the delicacy of the Shadowlost Territory to our hearts' content!"
-An Hour Later…
Five Pokemon exited the bistro after they finished their meal, with a disturbing expression on the face on most of them. This could be explained by their action during their meal. After the meal was served to everyone, the only one who could remain their usual expression was Snow, who proceeded to consume his food with the blank expression on his face. The other four, however, couldn't hide their expression of disgust and trouble after seeing their food. Two of them, Rachael and Richard, even refused to touch their food. Freya and Korben, on the other hand, reluctantly ate their food (But their expression became much better after tasting their food, and they even managed to finish their dish without vomiting out.).
After finishing their dinner, Rachael and Richard, who didn't eat their dinner, decided to go to the center square of the city in order to find a place for them to have their dinner (Which was the food prepared by Snow and Freya before this journey). Snow also decided to visit the teahouse in order to get a relaxing tea to help him fall asleep better. And so, Korben and Freya decided to go back to the inn that they would call it a day. (Xavier had already checked in for everyone when he arrived at the inn earlier today.)
"… Korben." Freya spoke up as both of them entered the inn, turning the attention of the Kommo-o to him.
"… I know what you want to say, Freya." Korben spoke up with a soft voice. "… But… I will be fine. You don't have to worry about me."
"… You are not fine." Freya spoke to the Kommo-o with a gentle yet determined voice. "You have been acting stressful since when we came here, and what Richard said—"
"Please don't blame Richard, Freya. He was just trying to help." Korben said.
"I don't blame him, Korben." Freya said. "What I want to say is that, at least, I want you to tell me what is troubling you right now."
"… Fine." Korben said. "… Since when we came here, I felt… strange…"
"Strange? In what way?" Freya asked.
"… This whole land of darkness gave me the… familiar vibe. It felt like I have been here before, despite that I have never been here." Korben tried to explain. "And when Richard mentioned the whole thing about my connection to the Shadowlost Territory…"
"…" Freya carefully listened to the Kommo-o.
"… And you know that I knew almost nothing about my father, right?" Korben continued speaking. "… Back when I was… still in my village, I planned that I will leave my village to find my father, at least some information about him, when I was old enough. But then… it happened, and here I am, leaving my village prematurely, and I found a clue that might lead to my father… I am just not sure how to feel about this… I mean… Back at my village, all I think was just 'I want to meet my father! I am going to find him when I am older!'… But now, even if I find him, he would be like another stranger to me. Also, when I think about it, he wasn't with my mother as she was dying and giving birth to me…"
"… Korben…" Freya mumbled as she placed her paw on the Kommo-o's shoulder. "Do you… still want to meet your father?"
"… I don't know." Korben answered.
"If you don't know, then it's fine." Freya said. "Take your time and think about it carefully so you won't regret your choice in the future, and if you still don't know, then don't think about it. You will be fine eventually."
"… Thank you, Freya." Korben said with a faint smile on his face. "Thank you for being with me when I am down."
"I am glad to be a help to you, Korben." Freya said. "Now then, shall we call it a day?"
"Sure." Korben said as he walked to the reception counter to check for his room. Apparently, he would share his room with Xavier, which he didn't mind doing so, and Freya will share her room with Snow. The Kommo-o then received the keys to his room and Freya's room from the receptionist, and…
"Oh, there you are, my brother!"
Freya's voice turned the attention of the Kommo-o to the Flygon, who was having her attention on the Pokemon that was about to leave the inn, who was none other than the Flygon's elder brother.
"…" Zetarus didn't say anything as he turned his attention to the Flygon as she approached him.
"Where have you been today, my brother?" Freya asked. "I haven't seen you since a few hours ago."
"… Around here." The Garchomp gave the Flygon a short answer.
"And where are you going?" Freya continued asking. "It's already nighttime."
" I will be out there…" Zetarus answered. "And I will be back later…"
"Okay…" Freya nodded to her brother. "Please take care, my brother."
"Hm." Zetarus mumbled as he exited the inn after his younger sister finished speaking.
"… Here, Freya." Korben said as he handed over the key to the Flygon.
"Thanks." Freya said as she received the key from the Kommo-o. "Then, see you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow too." Korben said as the Flygon flew upstairs to her room, leaving the Kommo-o in the lobby of the inn.
"… I should be going too." Korben said as he approached the stairs and walked upstairs. According to the receptionist, his room (Also Xavier's room) should be on floor 2 (Along with the room of Diego and Zetarus and the room of Anastasia and Baromyteus) while Freya and Snow's room should be on floor 3, along with Rachael and Richard's room.
"… That must be it." As he looked at the map of floor 2 of the inn, he found that his room was located at the other end of the corridor (While Zetarus and Diego's room and Baromyteus and Anastasia's room were located between his room and the stairs.) The Kommo-o then walked along the corridor to approach his room…
But just as when he reached the corridor in front of his room…
"… I see that you are back at last."
"!" Korben's body froze as he heard the voice of someone from behind him. It didn't take him to look back to recognize whose voice it was…
It was the voice of the demonic Shiny Haxorus…
"…" Korben neither said anything nor turned back to face the Shiny Haxorus.
"And it seems like you are still in one piece. Good." Baromyteus continued speaking as he saw that Korben won't look at him. "But I know that you are strong enough to survive the wilderness of Shadowlost Territory, despite that your mind are still not stable."
"…" Korben remained silent to the Shiny Haxorus.
"… Anyway…" Baromyteus spoke up again, this time, with a serious voice. "I saw you coming back to this city with… a Zoroark earlier. If I have to guess, that Zoroark is the son of the chancellor, right?"
"…" Korben didn't reply the Shiny Haxorus.
"… As I guess…" Baromyteus said. "Korben, you'd better stay away from that Zoroark as much as possible. That guy is more dangerous than you thought. While he may be the son of the chancellor, his father is none other than the filthy Lucario who was responsible for the whole Dragon Mass—"
"At least Fenrir Jr. had nothing to do with the Dragon Massacre, or that's what I believe." Korben suddenly spoke up without turning back to face the Shiny Haxorus. "And even if he was, he still wasn't the Pokemon who killed Dimitri, unlike you, Baromyteus."
"… Fair enough." Baromyteus replied. "Then, I won't say anything else… Except that you should be careful. If anything happens to you, I will be the one who reunites you with that damn Dimitri, and you should know enough about me not to take my words for granted."
Shortly after Baromyteus' words ended, the Kommo-o could heard the sound of the door open and close, indicating that the Shiny Haxorus had already returned to his room.
"…" Korben said nothing as he approached the door of his room and inserted the key into the keyhole below the doorknob of the room, unlocking the door. Korben then entered his room and found that his roommate was, as he expected, already here.
"Hm?" Xavier rose his head from the lunchbox that he was holding and turned his attention to the Kommo-o who had just entered the room. Right now, the Dragonite was sitting on his bed, with the half-eaten lunchbox in his paw.
"Good evening, Xavier." Korben greeted as he closed the door of the room.
"You too, Korben." Xavier said as he returned his attention to the lunchbox and continued eating his food. As the Kommo-o approached the Dragonite, he could see that this lunchbox was among the supplies prepared by Snow and Freya for this journey. Judged by the side of the lunchbox, Korben could see that the amount of food consumed by the Dragonite was twice the amount of food that the Kommo-o usually eat per one meal, which wasn't surprising as he knew that, as much as being lazy, Xavier also had a voracious appetite too, despite that the Dragonite had never shown it outside his meals.
"… This should do it." Xavier mumbled as he put away the lunchbox, which was now empty, down on the nightstand beside his bed. The Dragonite also had a relieve look on his face, which meant that…
"… You were starving, right, Xavier?" Korben asked as the Dragonite grabbed a bottle of water and drank the liquid inside the container.
"Absolutely." Xavier answered. "I woke up a few hours ago with my stomach rumbling, only to remember that I left my food with Claura, and I would be really starved if Zetarus didn't bring my portion to me earlier."
"Zetarus?" Korben said. "I ran into him earlier as he was about to leave the inn… So, he also came here too?"
"Right." Xavier said as he put away the bottle of water. "That Garchomp visited me a moment earlier, and he also brought me my food too. He said that he ran into Claura outside the city and she asked him to deliver my food to me. I guess I should be thankful to that Garchomp for willing to be Claura's errand boy, as well as to Claura for not being a total amnesiac nanny."
"Speaking of Claura, where is she right now?" Korben asked.
"According to Zetarus, Claura had already departed for the Venom Island, so she won't be here tonight." Xavier answered. "That's the reason why I get to share this room with you, Korben, though I don't mind this as long as you don't disturb my sleep… Yawn…"
"You seem sleepy, Xavier." Korben said.
"Yeah… I am always sleepy, except when I smelled bloodshed." Xavier answered with a plain and emotionless voice. "… Anyway, if you don't have anything else, can we go to sleep soon?"
"Sure." Korben said. "Just give me a sec. I need to grab my change of cloth and—Oops!"
As the Kommo-o grabbed a towel provided by the inn from his bed, he noticed something falling from the folded towel and fell onto the floor. Korben then realized that it was a small piece of black paper.
"What is this?" Korben said as he picked up a piece of black paper from the floor and flipped it, revealing that there was the letters being written on it. As soon as he saw the words that were written on it, the expression on the face of the Kommo-o suddenly changed into the expression of fear, dread, anxious and troubled…
"… What's wrong, Korben?" Xavier asked as he noticed the sudden change of the expression on the face of the Kommo-o.
"…Xavier." Korben turned his attention from the paper to the Dragonite. "… When did you come to this room?"
"It was as soon as our group split after the meeting with the chancellor." Xavier answered. "I came here and booked the rooms for our groups, as well as assigning which room would each of us will stay, and then I came to this room and fell asleep until I woke up with starved belly."
"… And before I came, did anyone come here?" Korben continued asking.
"As I said before, Zetarus came here a bit before you came, and he was the only one who came while I was awake." Xavier answered. "But I can't say if there was anyone who came here while I was sleeping… Well… I think I remembered that I heard Baromyteus' voice while I was still sleeping, but maybe I was dreaming..."
"… I see… Thank you, Xavier." Korben said as he turned his attention toward the bathroom as he approached and entered it, with a change of cloth, a towel, and a piece of paper he picked earlier in his paw.
"…" Despite that he came here to change his cloth, the Kommo-o still remained motionless after he entered the bathroom. All he did was standing with his back on the door of the bathroom, and his eyes fixed on the object that he was holding in his right paw, which was none other than the black paper he picked up from the floor earlier…
With the lantern hanging on the bathroom's ceiling, the light shining from the lantern reflected on the words on the black paper that were written by the blood red ink with a complicated handwriting. The blood red words on the black paper could be read as…
"iF YoU sTiLl VaLUe yOUr LifE, TUrN bACK aNd LeaVe ThE sHAdoWLosT TErRiTorY, oR eLSe YoU wILl bE pLunGEd iNtO tHe eNDleSs oBlIViOn."
-The Next Day…
"Finally! I can see it!"
On the ship that sailed upon the sea, a male Alolan Marowak pointed at something in the distance ahead the ship. It was an island surrounded by sea with the dark purple water caused by not only the endless twilight over the sky, but also the atmosphere of the island itself.
"Largo, stop acting like a child." Natasha mentioned as she was standing beside her younger sister on the ship. "You are already 19, and soon you will inherit a greater burden to your life."
"Yeah… I would be 21 by now if it wasn't for those confusing things Fenrir Jr. told us." Largo said. "But Natasha, this journey is your turn, not mine. Mine is tomorrow, and yours is today."
"I know…" Natasha said as she gazed at the Venom Island, which gradually moved closer as the ship approached its destination. "… I am always prepared for this day… Since when I was born from my mother, Empress Sharon…"
"Natasha…" Largo looked at his sister. He could see a bit of sadness in the eyes of the Dragalge, which reminded him a bit of his departed foster mother…
"Yawn… Already awake? I never thought that you two would be morning Pokemon, especially you, Largo…"
"Ugh…" Natasha and Largo groaned in unison as they turned back to face another Pokemon approaching them, who was a male Garchomp, as well as their 'brother'.
"… Good morning, Zetarus." Natasha greeted as the Garchomp approached them.
"Yeah, yeah…" Zetarus mumbled as he looked at the horizon beyond the ship, and he quickly spotted the island not too far from the ship. "So, that must be the infamous Venom Island, eh?"
"Not as infamous as you, Zetarus." Largo mumbled.
"Hm? Did you say something?" Zetarus said as he turned his attention from the Venom Island to his younger brother.
"Nope, nothing at all." Largo pretended to act innocently as he turned his attention to the distant Venom Island instead.
"Hey… Don't act like such a bad boy…" Zetarus spoke with the crafty voice. "Your 'beloved' elder brother decided to spend his precious time with you, so you'd better learn to 'cherish' this moment."
"Yeah, yeah… 'Beloved'…" Largo mumbled and rolled his eyes.
Before either Zetarus or Largo could say anything else, Natasha stepped in and spoke up. "So, since we are about to reach our destination, and both of you aren't Poison type, you two need to wear this."
Natasha then picked up two gasmasks from her bag and handed over one to Largo and another one to Zetarus. They were the standard gasmasks that would protect the Pokemon from inhaling the toxic air of Venom Island and got poisoned, making it essential for anyone who visited this toxic island.
"Fine… I guess I have to wear it…" Largo said as he took the gasmask from his elder sister and wore it around his skull head. "After all, I HAVE to listen to my elder sibling."
After finished speaking, Largo glanced at Zetarus a bit, hoping to receive a snarky remark from his half brother. However…
"…" The Garchomp didn't say anything or pay his attention to anyone. All he did was stare at the gasmask he received from his elder sister in his paw, with a hard-to-read expression on his face. However, both Natasha and Largo had seen this expression before, as Zetarus had shown it… recently…
"Zetarus?" Natasha said as she noticed that there was something wrong with her brother.
"… You can have it back." Zetarus spoke with a plain voice as he handed over the gasmask back to the Dragalge.
"What's wrong, Zetarus?" Largo spoke up as he also noticed something wrong with his half-brother. "You aren't Poison type, so you should wear it."
"… I'll be fine, I think…" Zetarus answered, but he didn't look at any of his siblings. Instead, he looked at the horizon in the distance, as if he was losing in his thought.
"You won't, Zetarus." Natasha said. "If you don't wear it, you will be poisoned all the time you are on the Venom Island."
"… I can live with that." Zetarus answered, much to the surprise of his siblings.
"… You have something with a gasmask?" Natasha asked as she started to realize what's wrong with her brother.
"…" Zetarus didn't answer his sister's question. However, not denying her guess was enough for the Dragalge to know the answer of her question.
"And if I have to guess…" Natasha continued speaking. "It has something to do with your time in the Desert Prison—"
"It seems like we have finally reached the destination." Zetarus interrupted Natasha's words as he noticed the ship started docking at the port of Venom Island. "You have an important thing to do here, Natasha. You should get moving soon."
After finished speaking, Zetarus started walking toward the exit of the ship, leaving the Dragalge and the Alolan Marowak on the deck of the ship.
"Zetarus…" Natasha and Largo mumbled.
-Meanwhile…
Back in the Shadowlost City, Korben walked along the street of the capital of darkness, passing many native Pokemon who had a skeptical look on their face as the Kommo-o walked pass them, but he didn't mind it. He had just woke up and had his breakfast, and he was now taking a stroll around the city as he hadn't have a good look at it yesterday due to him spending most of his day outside the city, and he had nothing else to do. For his friends, Rachael and Richard had already departed for the Cape of No Return, Xavier decided to spend this day as usual (Sleeping in the inn), Claura had gone to Venom Island yesterday and hadn't returned yet, Diego said that he had something to do and had already left early this morning, Snow decided to visit another restaurant to try more food offered by the land of darkness, and Freya would spend her time in the city as well as she said that she hadn't seen her brother, Zetarus, since yesterday evening and was wondering where he was. For Anastasia and Baromyteus, the Goodra mentioned that she would spend her time visiting the boutique in the city while her brother had already left to wreck havoc on the wild Pokemon (Or Shadow Pokemon), which doubled as his daily training.
"…" The Kommo-o opened the map of Shadowlost Territory he got from Richard this morning and tried to decide what he would do next. Being in a new place that he hadn't visited before, the Kommo-o was anxious to visit this place, which was the reason while he decided not to join Rachael and Richard to Darkveil Chasm and Cape of No Return or follow Claura to Venom Island, which left him not many places to go. He had (sort of) already spent his time in the Shadowlost Wasteland, and being in this wasteland would risk him to run into two Pokemon that he didn't want to meet right now. The next option was the Shadowlost Ridge at the border of Shadowlost-Riverbrine, however, there wouldn't be much for him to see there, and being located near the land of snow and water made the climate there much colder than the rest of the land of darkness. And so, that left him with not many options…
"… How about the Newmoon Temple?"
"Gah!" Korben was startled and jumped quite a bit as he heard a sudden voice coming from right behind him. The Kommo-o quickly turned back and saw a male Zoroark standing right behind him, which was none other than the Zoroark that saved his life yesterday.
"F… Fenrir Jr.?" Korben said the name of the Zoroark with a shaking voice.
"… Don't you think that you… overact a bit?" Fenrir Jr. asked as he noticed an extreme response of the Kommo-o to being sneaked behind him.
"T… That's not important right now!" The Kommo-o yelled at the Zoroark. "And what do you think you are doing, sneaking behind people like that?"
"… I was just happening to be around here… When I noticed you…" Fenrir Jr. answered with a calm voice. "And you know, curiosity is one of the greatest driving forces within the body of the living being."
"Whatever…" Korben said before he remembered something. "Wait a minute… Did you say 'Newmoon Temple'?"
"Ah… Yes…" Fenrir Jr. answered. "I saw you looking at the map and mumbled something like 'Not Cape of No Return' or 'Not Shadowlost Ridge'. And… Considering that you are new to this land of darkness, I just guess that you want to find a place to go sightseeing, and as the son of the chancellor, I am just trying to be a nice host…"
"… Then, please tell me more about this place you mention." Korben asked. He remembered that the chancellor mentioned the name of this place yesterday, as a place where the showdown between the chancellor and the Pendragon would take place two days from now.
"… It's an important landmark in the Shadowlost Territory, locating west to the capital at the western edge of Shadowlost Wasteland, near the entrance of the Darkveil Chasm." Fenrir Jr. explained. "Despite its name, it's… not really homed to any typical religion… It's more like… the ancient architect. Still, some Pokemon are working there as the 'priest' or 'priestess' of the temple."
"I see…" Korben said. For some reason, he started to become more interested in this place.
"Then… Will you go to the Newmoon Temple?" Fenrir Jr. asked. "If yes, then you can accompany me to this temple."
"Wait a minute…" Korben said. "You are going to the Newmoon Temple?"
"Yes." Fenrir Jr. answered. "My mother, the chancellor, asked me to do some errand for her, and that requires me to depart for the Newmoon Temple. I was on my way to my destination when I noticed you... Usually, I would have a company with me on such a trifle matter like this, but they are… doing their business right now, so…"
"So, you want my company?" Korben said. "It seems a bit strange for you to ask an acquaintance like me to accompany you, especially since you don't look like a very trusting Pokemon."
"Oh, you are a sharp one…" Fenrir Jr. said. "After what happened yesterday, I just found that you… aren't a bad companion… And you have already proved yourself in a combat against those Shadow Pokemon too…"
"Whatever…" Korben mumbled. "Fine, I don't have anything else to do anyway, and it would be nice to visit an important landmark of this land."
"Glad to see that I am able to convince you…" Fenrir Jr. said. "Now then, shall we go?"
-A Few Minutes Later…
Korben and Fenrir Jr. left Shadowlost City and entered the Shadowlost Wasteland. They were heading to the west toward Darkveil Chasm, but their destination wasn't the haunted chasm, it's the sacred Newmoon Temple.
During their journey, the Kommo-o and the Zoroark had to fight many Shadow Pokemon that appeared on their way. However, both Pokemon were strong enough to defeat any opponents that stood in their way, so their journey went along smoothly.
"… That's the last of them." Fenrir Jr. said as he put away his weapon after he finished defeating another wave of Shadow Pokemon without breaking sweat. The same thing can be said for the Kommo-o.
"You are pretty strong." Korben said.
"You too…" Fenrir Jr. replied.
A moment of silence occurred as the Kommo-o and the Zoroark resumed their journey, and Korben felt like he wanted to know more about his companion, so he decided to start a conversation.
"So… Fenrir Jr…" Korben spoke up, turning the attention of Fenrir Jr. to him. "You said earlier that you found me a not bad company to you?"
"Hm… I think I remember saying something like that…" Fenrir Jr. answered.
"Then… Can I ask you something?" Korben said.
"You already did." Fenrir Jr. "But go on…"
"… Why aren't you a trusting Pokemon?" Korben asked, causing the Zoroark to stop walking. "I can understand that it would be hard for you to trust a Pokemon like me, but for you, I can see that it's not easy for anyone to gain your trust."
"… Hm… I wonder why…" Fenrir Jr. slowly replied. "Maybe it's because trusting people too much is only for a foolish and naïve person…"
"Why would that be?" Korben asked. "Aren't you a bit too pessimistic? Living a life without being able to trust anyone… That sounds like a really sad life to me…"
"Oh, what do we have here…?" Fenrir Jr. spoke as he turned his attention to the Kommo-o. "… Tell me, did you grow up in a village far from any civilization? And did you form your own patrolling squad to keep your village safe?"
"WHA—?!" Korben was dumbfound after hearing the Zoroark's words, and he didn't know what to reply, as what the Zoroark said perfectly matched his life!
"Hm?" Noticing Korben's reaction, Fenrir Jr. looked at him with a bit of surprise looking on his face. "Don't tell me that…"
"… Yeah." Korben slowly replied. He wasn't sure what else he should say if the Zoroark asked more about his home, as it didn't exist anymore…
"… What a coincidence…" Fenrir Jr. commented. "… My younger brother is like that too."
"Younger brother?" Korben said. "You have a sibling?"
"Yeah… But we don't live together." Fenrir Jr. replied. "While I live with my mother in the Shadowlost Territory, my brother lives with my father in Solar Village in the Theocracy of Venturnome."
"Why don't you and your brother live together?" Korben asked.
"… It's because of the duties that bind our parents…" Fenrir Jr. answered. "Three decades ago, my whole family lived together in Theocracy of Venturnome, with my father working as the dojo master of our village… Bnd then… Shadowlost Territory was found, and my mother was requested to be its chancellor. That caused my father and my mother to live separately. My brother, being a Fighting type Pokemon, lives with my father, while I, being a Dark type Pokemon, lives with my mother."
"I see…" Korben nodded in understanding. "So… Your younger brother… What kind Pokemon is he?"
"… If it's his specie, he's a Lucario." Fenrir Jr. answered. "But for his character, I would say that… He is a lot like you, Korben."
"Like me?" Korben said. "So… That's why you was able to guess my origin?"
"That was initially a joke from me, and I didn't think that you and my brother would have a lot in common than I think…" Fenrir Jr. said. "My younger brother… Ridley is the opposite of me… Unlike me, he is a very trusting and friendly Pokemon… And he's very naïve… Which serves as his weakness… as well as weakness…"
"How could a naïvete be a strength?" Korben asked.
"… You will know the answer someday…" Fenrir Jr. said before he changed the topic of the conversation. "My turn, Korben. There are a few questions that I want to ask you."
"Sure. After all, everyone is equal to each other, so after I asked you questions, it's your turn to ask me." Korben said. "Alright, what do you want to ask me about?"
"… Why are you so obsess with equality?" Fenrir Jr. asked. "Since when we met each other, I heard you sprouting about equality many times, including a few seconds ago… And I am in the dark about why you have a… fixation with something like this… Can you enlighten me?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Korben answered. "Equality is like… the basic nature of everything. We were born into the world with nothing with us, and when we die, we will not be able to take anything with us. That's the law of equality, and if we could maintain it throughout the entire existence of the life, it would mean that we wouldn't break this law, and thus no chaos would ever occur in the world…"
"Oh… Then… Tell me…" Fenrir Jr. continued speaking. "… Everyone in this world is born to the different specie… Some are born as a Caterpie, while some are born as a Pidgey, which preyed on the Caterpie… Can you really say that nature really promotes equality?"
"As I said before, that's why we need to maintain equality within our life." Korben replied. "A strong Pokemon or a Pokemon with higher power would need to use their power to help the world more than the weak Pokemon or a Pokemon with less power, and the stronger one needs to help the weaker one too. For the example, I was born as the son of my village's mayor. With my higher status, I would need to put more effort to the work more than everyone. That's what I believe."
"… I think I have many problems with that…" Fenrir Jr. commented. "First… You use the wrong word. What you said is 'Justice', not 'Equality'. Second, you are more naïve than I thought, and third, what you said… is just a theory. It couldn't be used in this real world we're living in."
"And why's that?" Korben asked.
"… Are you really sure that the living creatures would be able to follow that 'law of equality' you mentioned?" Fenrir Jr. asked. "We Pokemon are living creatures with free will. We can do whatever we want, including not follow your law of equality, and I can see that the majority of us wouldn't choose to follow it. With this, how can you really say that everyone in this world is equal to each other?"
"That's…" The Kommo-o was dumbfound after hearing the Zoroark's words. "Everyone in this world still wants peace, right? That's why many people aimed to make the world a peaceful and better place. Isn't this the truth of this world?"
"… You are naïve… Very, very naïve…" Fenrir Jr. commented. "… There is more than one truth in many things. Even some of the most obvious truths still have its hidden side. I have seen many cases of people who don't understand this, and that causes them a massive grief… Or even death…"
"More than… One truth?" Korben repeated the words he had just heard. "If there's more than one truth, then which truth is the 'real' truth?!"
"It depends on your judgement to decide which truth you would see as the 'real' one." Fenrir Jr. explained. "For example… If you ask me about the truth of equality… I would say that… Equality doesn't truly exist in this world… It only exists as a sweet and delicious illusion… Which many people wish to bring it to reality… Only to find that they would never achieve what they want… It's against the nature of us, living creatures… Because the story of living creature's existence is unfathomable…"
To Be Continued…
Dragon of Vale: The Pendragon's first day in Shadowlost Territory has already ended, and their second day begins… There are two more days… Before their showdown…
Korben has encountered a lot of trouble and anxiety in this chapter, and for someone with an unstable mind like him, this is too much for him… And now, he has to deal with a question regarding what he has always believed throughout his entire life too…
Q&A Session:
Tail 7-4 – Question: Since we talked about Korben's name origin in this chapter, then how about you all telling the origin of your name?
Answer:
-Korben: As mentioned in this chapter, the name 'Korben' is a variant of the name 'Corben', with the letter K replaced the letter C, maybe because it would suit me more as a Kommo-o. And the name 'Corben' means 'crow', which I think is a Pokemon like Murkrow and Honchkrow… As for where I got this name from…
-Claura: My name is a junction of the names 'Clair' and 'Laura'. 'Laura' is just a random feminine name that the one who named me picked. For the name 'Clair'… I don't know why it has to be 'Clair'. Does someone name 'Clair' have something to do with me or with a Kingdra?
-Xavier: Yawn… Xavier means 'New House', and don't expect me to elaborate anymore about my name. It's such a pain… Zzz…
-Anastasia: It was… My mother who gave me this name, and I really like it too because it's a beautiful name. The name 'Anastaia' means 'resurrection'… At first, I don't think about the meaning of my name much… But after the Fallen Crisis… I start to understand my name and myself a bit better… But… Resurrection… What if I just… Oh, never mind! Please forget what I just said!
-Baromyteus: Similar to Anastasia, I was named by my father, and all he did was taking his name and put several random letters just to make it longer and turn it into a new name, not that I would complain it either. Anyway, I doubt my name has any real meaning on its own, but it acts as a connection between me and my father… As well as my lineage…
-Diego: My name is a variant of the name 'James', which means 'supplanter' or 'one who follows'… I guess that kinda fits the bill… After all, the reason why I got myself into this mess is because I followed Diego, Richard and Rachael. And for the supplanter part… It's kinda fits my part of the sudden revelation back when I was in Fireview Kingdom that I was going to be the king of Fireview Kingdom and Hero of Fire type, supplanting Apollo's and Dinus' place… Glad that I decided against it, or else I would be the Pendragon's enemy by now…
-Zetarus: … Well… If you ask me, I don't have any slightest idea about where my name come from. It just popped in my head, ya know? But… I heard that my name came from the desert deity of violence and disorder, as well as the word 'Terra', which, according to Richard, means earth, I guess…
-Rachael: My name means 'ewe', which is a cute li'l female sheep! I love my name very much because it suits me for not only my cuteness but also my zodiac too!
-Richard: First, my name and Rachael's name were created to be the counterpart of each other, and that's why our names are very similar to each other (Thought we both are sibling…). That's also the reason why Rachael's name has the extra letter of 'a' instead of not having one like its more common form, Rachel. Anyway, my name has the meaning of 'brave and powerful leader'… I mean, if knowledge is power, then I won't argue that I would be among the most powerful creature, but I am not really brave, let alone being a leader, and I don't have any heritage of being a noble, king or any sort of political leader. So, why was I given a name like this?
-Freya: M… My name? I… It came from the name of a goddess of l… love and beauty from the d… distant land… And I feel very honored to be named after such a great being…
-Snow: As you can see, my name of 'Snow' reflects my status as an Ice type Pokemon. Quite simple, isn't it?
-Sirius: … (Dragon of Vale: Sirius said that it was Rachael and Richard who named him after the brightest star in the constellation of Canis Major, which is in the shape of a big dog, and Sirius kinda looks like a dog, according to Rachael.)
Question from Ridin Valon: From: Heart Burkwood
To: Anatasia Wyrmscale: ...Is your brother coping with everything that has happened...? One of my friends, too... she experienced a tragedy... She is right now struggling to let go of her hurt... Is there any other way I can help my friend?
-Anastasia: You are such a kind soul, Heart. My brother is doing much better than he appears to be. His body is strong, but his mind has become much stronger during these years. However, he still copes with the fact that he's a demon reincarnation, as well as his unrequited love… And… I'm afraid that I wouldn't be much of a help to you, but at least, I could give you two advices. First, you should look into the sources of your friend's trouble, and then solves the trouble according to its source. At first glance, it may seem that the trouble and its source are too big to be solved easily. But when you look at it closely, you will see that the trouble and problem may come from more than one source, and not all of them are unsalvagable. Try helping your friends by solving it through the trouble's source that you could manage, and soon the situation will turn better. And for the second advice… Let the time help you… From my point of view, time is one of the most powerful forces, it could cause a massive destruction… As well as a miracle… Time is also what I used to help my brother, and it works. This is all I can offer to you, and I hope that your friend would get better soon, Heart.
Question from Parousia45: To Zetarus: Do you like Diego? What about him attracts you the most?
-Zetarus: Of course, I like Diego. And for why? Hm… For starter, Diego is one of the most handsome Pokemon I have ever met, and he is as handsome as he is sexy. I mean, just look at him and his body! I am not the most artistic art, but if you ask me for the definition of beauty and handsomeness, I would point them to look at Diego, especially when he—Wait… NO! Don't do it! Diego is mine, and mine alone! If you dare to steal him from me, I will come after you and hunt you to the end of the hell! Ahem… Let's continue… About his personality… I would say that his personality is… charming… He may be blunt and hothead, but he is also determined and prudent in a certain situation too, and the moment when he blushes… That makes me want to… Well, that's none of your concern… And for his combat skill… Just imagine him standing in the middle of the battlefield, with a spear in his paw and enemies surrounding him, and then he proceeds to impale everyone that stands in his way, with the blood of his enemies splashing all over his surroundings… Ah… Thinking of this makes me wish that Diego would 'impale' me with his 'spear' one day… Or maybe he would prefer to be impaled by my 'twin spears'? I am fine with both anyway. Oh, and did I mention the best thing about him? That's his tail! It's so crunchy and juicy! Ah… Whenever I see his tail, I can help but want to bury my fangs into that orange flesh!
-Diego: … *Slow creep away while trying not to be seen*
-Zetarus: Where do you think you are going, Diego? *Chomp Diego's tail*
-Diego: ARGGGRGRGRR!