A Dragon's Tail
Intermission II: Snow's Tail - Betrayal
Intermission II-3: The Calm Before the Storm
"… So… That's what happened." Said Baromyteus.
It had been 3 days since the Pendragon returned from their mission in Theocracy of Venturnome. It took them a few days of rest, for that several of them were kidnapped and kept in custody of Archsage Astra before. Now that all of them had fully recovered from their ordeal, they were now gathering in the Meeting Room of the Pendracomonium, discussing their next move, especially after the intel they obtained from the group's butler.
"Yes." Snow said after he explained his encountered with a certain Tyrantrum in the Cherry Blossom Park, while also deliberately avoided mentioning what happened before such encounter. "If what he said is the truth, then he is waiting for us at the Colorless Garden right now."
"Colorless Garden… What is that?" Asked Rachael.
"Colorless Garden is an underground garden located beneath the Cherry Blossom Park of Theocracy of Venturnome." Anastasia answered. "Its existence was kept secret from the public, for that it's the place where the Goddess Yggdrasil resides in."
"So… It's Yggdrasil's domain…" Freya said. "But… Why Colorless Garden? And wouldn't it be a problem for fighting in Yggdrasil's domain?"
"On the contrary, Colorless Garden is a very fitting place for a final battle against that traitor." Baromyteus spoke up again. "After all, the Hero/ine of Legend of the Fallen Crisis era heavily associated with Yggdrasil, for that they received her blessing alongside Arceus' blessing. They even used the Colorless Garden as their base of operation during the final length of their adventure during the Fallen Crisis."
"Speaking from the experience?" Xavier asked.
"You already know the answer to that, Xavier." Baromyteus answered dismissively.
"… Is this a trap?" Claura spoke up. "Him deciding the place of our showdown sounds like a trap he would set for us."
"… As much as I hate that traitor, he isn't the type who would use cowardice actions like that." Baromyteus spoke up again. "Of course, he definitely changed during the past 33 years, but even if he does, he cannot do much at the Colorless Garden, Yggdrasil's domain. After all, Yggdrasil is there, and so does him."
"Him?" Diego said. "Who else is there beside Yggdrasil?"
"… Of all people, it was you who asked that question, Diego…" Baromyteus mumbled to himself before answering the question. "You will know once we get there. But before that happened, we need to decide on what we are going to do next first."
"I think it's already clear what we must do next." The one who spoke up next was a Garchomp, the lost prince of Dustorm Empire, Zetarus. "Only one of our targets is still alive, and we know his whereabout now. We can end this once and for all—WOAH!"
The Garchomp's words were cut off when something jumped up to him and licked his face. The one who did so was none other than the Synthetic Pokemon, Sirius. The Silvally was acting like a dog whose owner had just arrived home after leaving the house for some times.
"Hey, hey, stop! Bad mutt! Bad mutt!" Zetarus said as he tried to stop Sirius from licking him. After a few minutes, he was able to stop the Silvally.
"…" The Silvally obediently stopped licking Zetarus. They simply sat down and gazed at the Garchomp with a happy expression on their face.
"Geez… What's wrong with you, mutt?" Zetarus said after Sirius stopped licking him. "If you want a treat, go ask Rachael and Richard instead."
"I think Sirius' just glad to see you, Zetarus." Rachael said. "After all, we Pendragon had separated into pairs during our time in Theocracy of Venturnome, and most of us were kidnapped too."
"It was just for a week, and this isn't the only time that we have separated. We did that in Shadowlost Territory too. Besides, why did the mutt only act like that toward only me and no one else?" Zetarus said. "They acted like I have died and come back to life or something."
"…" For an instant, Sirius' expression changed from a happy face to a grim and serious face, right at when they heard Zetarus' last sentence. The expression, however, went away a second later, and no one was able to see it.
"And with your mask gone, you look way less intimidating than before." Richard spoke up as he approached Sirius and petted him on his head, which caused the Latios to notice something. "Hm? Sirius, what is this thing you are wearing on your head? It looks like… a diadem."
"…" Sirius didn't answer the Latios' question. All they did was turning their face away. However, not only that failed to sate the Latios' curiosity, it also drew in the interest from everyone else, especially from the one who also had the same object in the possession.
"… Did you say a diadem?" Korben spoke up as he looked at the object the Silvally was wearing, while also avoided looking at the Silvally directly in their face.
"Yes, just like you, Korben." Anastasia replied as she, too, had her attention on the diadem worn by the Silvally.
"… My diadem… It's a Dragon Relic, a symbol of my pact with my Dragon Legend, Giratina." Korben said as he involuntarily reached his paw to the diadem he was wearing on his head.
"D… Does that mean that… Sirius had formed a pact with a Legendary Pokemon during his time in Theocracy of Venturnome?" Freya said.
"…" Once again, Sirius didn't answer.
"Are you sure that they really formed a pact with a Legendary Pokemon?" Claura spoke up. "I mean, Sirius cannot talk, can they? I know that Legendary Pokemon are capable of using telepathy and stuffs, but still…"
"… I think the real question isn't whether Sirius had formed a pact or not. The real question is, which Legendary Pokemon had Sirius formed a pact with." Xavier spoke up. "After all, the fact that Sirius managed to break free from the mask they were wearing might be because of the pact. And moreover, if you analyze the pattern, it is very likely that that diadem is indeed a Dragon Relic."
"What do you mean by that?" Asked Diego.
"Think about it. Dragon Relics seemed to come in pair." Xavier spoke up. "Mine and Claura's are brooches. Rachael's and Richard's are pendants. Zetarus' and Diego's are rings. Anastasia's and Baromyteus' are bracelets."
"… And Korben's Dragon Relic is a diadem, same as the diadem worn by Sirius right now." Baromyteus spoke up. "So, it's safe to assume that Sirius' diadem is also a Dragon Relic, and it, together with Korben's diadem, made a pair, is it not?"
"…" Sirius looked at Baromyteus, then looked at Xavier.
"And from what I noticed, the Legendary Pokemon that granted the same kind of Dragon Relic are usually those who are related to each other, one way or another." Xavier continued speaking. "Rachael got a Mega Latias, and Richard got a Mega Latios. I got a Zekrom, and Claura got a Reshiram. Baromyteus got a Palkia, and Anastasia got a Dialga. See the pattern?"
"But this one doesn't apply to me and Zetarus." Diego spoke up. "Zetarus got a Zygarde, and I got a Kyurem. I don't see how those two are related to each other in any way."
"… That reminds me. Rachael, Zetarus, Diego, remember when Diego first woke up after he was turned into a Mega Charizard X, back in Fireview Kingdom 3 years ago?" Richard spoke up. "Back then, when Diego's brand new pactbound Legendary Pokemon, Frostic the Kyurem, introduced himself to us, Zygarde immediately showed up from Zetarus' Dragon Relic and proceeded to angrily berated Frostic before any of us could say anything."
"Oh, right. He really did that back then." Zetarus said as he raised his paw to his face, speaking to his Ring of Balance. "What was it back then, old man? Did you and Frostic know each other before or something?"
"…"
"… He ignored me." Zetarus sighed and lowered his paw.
"… Are you going to say anything, Frostic?" Diego raised his paw and spoke to his Ring of Ruins.
"…"
"… Frostic refused to answer me too." Diego said and lowered his paw.
"The fact that neither of them is willing to talk about it means that they have known each other before, and there is some hidden connection between them." Richard said. "And thus proved Xavier's point about the connection between the Legendary Pokemon and their Dragon Relic."
"… And by following his logic, the Legendary Pokemon that Sirius had formed a pact with… They must be someone with some sort of a connection to Korben's pactbound Legendary Pokemon… Giratina." Baromyteus said.
"A Legendary Pokemon with a connection to Giratina, hm…" Claura pondered. "It's not Dialga and Palkia since both already formed a pact with Anastasia and Baromyteus…."
"… If it's not Dialga and Palkia…" Xavier spoke up. "Then the only connection between Giratina and other Legendary Pokemon, or Mythical Pokemon in this case, is back then, during War of the God I. After the Dragon God was sealed away, Giratina rebelled against Arceus, which caused him to be sent to the Distortion World as a punishment."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Ahahaha… It's not… It's not what I am thinking, right?" Rachael said as she slowly glanced at Sirius.
"…" Sirius turned their face away upon hearing the words of his fellow team members.
"It cannot be, Rachael. It's too absurd to even think about that…" Richard said. "After all, why would the omnipotent one, the most powerful Pokemon of this entire world, formed a pact with someone who belonged to a group aimed to kill those who received the blessing from the very same omnipotent one?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"… Remind me something, pactbound one." Snow spoke up. "The Legendary Pokemon who formed a pact with you… They can see and hear the same thing their pactbound partner does, right?"
"… Yes." Xavier replied.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"… Perhaps it would be wise for us to change the subject of our conversation, is it not?" Diego spoke up.
"I agreed." Zetarus said. "Let's… Go back to the topic we had before Sirius jumped onto me."
"You mean about our next goal of killing the final Hero of Legend of the Fallen Crisis era, the one who received the blessing from both Arceus and Yggdrasil?" Asked Xavier.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"… One week from now on, we will depart for the Colorless Garden, to finish what we start." Baromyteus spoke up. "Does anyone have any objection?"
"…"
"Then, you all are dismissed." Baromyteus aid. "Use these 7 days to rest and prepare for the inevitable. Remember, this is probably the Pendragon's final mission. Failure is not an option, of course."
"Mmm." All of the Pendragon nodded to Baromyteus, indicating that their meeting had come to the end.
After the meeting, the Pendragon quickly separated and headed their own way. They had one week for the preparation before they departed for the Colorless Garden, which was perhaps the final destination of their adventure…
"… Onii-chan." As everyone left, Rachael was still staying behind in the Meeting Room, alongside her older brother.
"What is it, Rachael?" Richard replied to his younger sister.
"… What do you think is going to happen to the Pendragon after… After we finish everything at the Colorless Garden?" Asked the Latias.
"… With the Pendragon reaching the goal, there won't be many reasons for it to continue existing anymore." Richard pondered for a bit before he answered. "Each of us has different goal, and it's impossible to achieve it if we stick together. So, we are likely to disband afterward."
"I see." Rachael nodded. "So, this means this will be the Pendragon's final mission."
"Yes. If nothing goes wrong, this will be our final mission." Richard nodded. "… Which means, we should add the 'thinking what we are going to do afterward' to our to-do list for this week."
"I agree." Rachael said. "We are going to stick together even afterward, right, Onii-chan?"
"Absolutely." Richard answered. "I vowed to protect you and never let ourselves be separated again, Rachael, and I do not plan to break my promise any time soon."
"I see. I want to stick with you too, Onii-chan." Rachael nodded. "Now, what we are going to do after the Pendragon was disbanded?"
"… We don't have to think about it right now, Rachael." Richard said. "We still have an entire week to think, and even if we don't know what to do, we have all the time in the world to think about it even after the Pendragon was disbanded."
"… You are right." Rachael said. "We should take it slowly."
"… And now that we got the entire week for resting and preparing…" Richard changed the topic of conversation. "Rachael, is there anything you want to do during this one week? We haven't had free time for ourselves for quite a while, so we might as well take the advantage of this chance."
"… Then, if it's possible…" Rachael looked at her elder brother. "Could we… Could we go and visit mom's grave?"
"Mom?" Richard looked at his younger brother. "Oh, you mean the farm owner who took care of you during your stay in Principality of Leafburg, right? If I remember correctly, her name is Lady Lydia the Leavanny."
"Yes. She had been taking care of me ever since I… I arrived in the Pokemon World, and she even went so far to the point of dying to protect me from the mad swordman Joshua." Rachael explained. "Jasper, Zenpai, and I buried her right in her old home before we departed from Leafburg, and I haven't gone back ever since. It's been three years, and I think I should pay a visit to her."
"… I think we can do that." Richard said.
"Really?!" Rachael looked at her elder brother.
"We can easily travel there and back here with the warp portal. It should take us less than a day for a grave visiting." Richard said. "Besides… Despite that she is but another stranger to me, she's a very important person to you, isn't it? She took care of you when I couldn't. The least I could do is paying a respect to her."
"Thank you, Onii-chan!" Rachael said.
"We can depart whenever we are ready." Richard said.
"Okay!" Rachael said cheerfully.
-Two Days Later…
"We will be back in a few days."
"See you soon!"
Rachael and Richard bided their farewell before they entered the Portal Room in order to go to Principality of Leafburg for a grave visiting. They decided to tell Freya, Snow, and Sirius that they were leaving, just in case.
"And… They are gone…" Freya mumbled as Rachael and Richard departed. "Hopefully they will be okay."
"… They are going to be alright." Snow spoke with a soft but firm voice. "Principality of Leafburg was Rachael's hometown. I don't think we need to worry about them."
"… You are right." Freya said.
"… What are you going to do today, Freya?" Asked the Draconic Lapras.
"I… I will join Korben in the training room." Freya answered. "Claura, Xavier, and Baromyteus are going to be there too."
"I see." Snow nodded. "Then, I shall join you too."
"Hm?!" Freya seemed to be surprised by the Draconic Lapras' remark.
"… Is that a no?" Snow asked upon seeing Freya's reaction to his words.
"A… Ah, no, of course not! You are welcomed to join us, Snow." Freya quickly answered. "I am simply surprise that you decide to join us, Snow. After all, you are never one for a combat."
"Indeed. I am just a butler, after all." Snow answered. "However, there are times when even a butler has to fight…. Such as when their master is in peril."
"I… I see." Freya said. "Then, let's go, Snow."
"Thank you for having me, Freya." Snow said.
After the two finished their conversation, they headed downstair to the training room, leaving one last Pokemon in the Pendracomonium's main hall.
"…" Sirius was sitting by the door of the Portal Room. Like Snow and Freya, they were informed of Rachael and Richard's departure. And now that the siblings, as well as Freya and Snow, were gone, the Silvally started pondering about what they should do, when…
"…?" Sensing the presence of someone, Sirius turned their head to the stairs leading up to the entrance of Pendracomonium and saw someone there, heading upstairs.
"…" Realizing that that person was supposed to be in the training room right now instead, the Silvally decided to follow them, without letting them notice that they were followed.
-Meanwhile…
The Latios and Latias siblings stood in a small forest clearing, which was where they ended up after entering the portal. One look of it told them that they had arrived at their destination, the forest of Principality of Leafburg.
"This place isn't too far from Forezon Village." Rachael explained. "And Paradise Farm, where I
used to live in, is located at the outskirt of the village."
"Which means we can stay away from the village downtown." Richard said.
"Why?" Rachael looked at her elder brother. "I want to look around the village. I wanna see how it's doing after 3 years that I left. Maybe I'll run into Honey and Cheryl, my school friends, too. I wonder how's they doing ever since I left."
"… I think we should avoid people instead, as a safe precaution." Richard said. "Though I currently don't sense any danger nearby, we cannot be too sure of it."
"Aww, boo." Rachael pouted at her elder brother.
"Rachael, you know that we cannot take any risk about it, not after what happened in Theocracy of Venturnome." Richard said. "We are the only family left of each other. We cannot afford to lose each other after all this time."
"…"
"…"
"… It's gonna be fine, Onii-chan." Rachael said. "Forezon Village is a very safe place! Though I don't know how much it had changed after 3 years, I don't think we are going to run into any danger—"
"Rachael? Is that really you?"
A familiar voice called out the name of the Latias, turning the attention of both her and her elder brother to the source of the voice, which was where they saw two Pokemon standing on the other side of the forest clearing, two Pokemon who were native to Principality of Leafburg and had a connection to Forezon Village… As well as to Rachael herself.
"Jasper?! Zenpai?!" Rachael called the name of a familiar Sceptile and Scyther. "W… Why are you two here?!"
"We should be the one to ask you that question, Rachael." Jasper spoke with a soft but firm voice. "We have been separated for 3 entire years, and then we reunited a few days ago at the Starlight Theatre, only for you to leave without us getting to say much to each other!"
"…"
"…"
Unlike Rachael and Jasper, Richard and Zenpai remained silent. Both of them didn't say anything. They only look at each other with a cautious look on their face, as if they were aware of each other's presence.
"… We are here to visit mother's grave." Rachael decided to tell the truth to Jasper and Zenpai.
"… I see…" Zenpai spoke up for the first time. "That means we are here because of the same purpose."
"You do?!" Rachael looked at the Sceptile and the Scyther.
"Yeah. After meeting you at the Starlight Theatre, Zenpai and I got an urge to visit our mother's grave too. That's why we decided to come here." Jasper answered. "We just passed through this clearing when we found you two here."
"I see. We have just arrived too." Rachael said. "Oh, right! Since we all share the same purpose, how about we go together?!"
"Go together? Sure, why not?" Jasper answered. "We didn't get to talk much at the Starlight Theatre. We can use this chance to catch up with each other, about what happened when we were separated in the underground tunnel of Republic of Civilight."
"… I don't mind doing that." Zenpai nodded. "… But I am surprised that your blood brother didn't oppose to such idea, since he doesn't seem to like us that much."
"For your information, 'don't like' doesn't mean 'hate'." Richard spoke up for the first time. "You two coming with us will help with our protection during our time here, especially since you two already knew about us. That was enough for me to tolerate your presence here."
"Wow. Still haven't changed much after 3 years…" Jasper commented.
"Alright, let's go together!" Rachael said.
-Meanwhile…
'Back again, in the Valley of No Return.' I stood at the entrance of Valley of No Return from Hidden Village of Dragon side. This was where I ended up after following Baromyteus out of the Pendracomonium. The fact that Baromyteus ended up in Valley of No Return wasn't strange. After all, some members of the Pendragon, like Zetarus, Diego, Claura, Xavier, and Baromyteus himself, usually comes here to hunt wild Pokemon for resources. However, according to Korben, Baromyteus was supposed to be in the Training Room today, and yet he was here, outside Pendracomonium. I doubt he was doing anything bad behind us, but I couldn't shake off the weird feeling I had about him. That was why I decided to follow him here without him noticing me.
"…"
Bahamut was standing in a small plain. I remembered this place. This was where Baromyteus went to retrieve Damos and Dimitri's corpse after the Dragon Massacre. Was he here to pay a respect to them? Or because of other reason? Nevertheless, I found a hiding place nearby so he wouldn't notice me, and that I could still hear and see what he was up to.
"… I am here, Bahamut."
'!'
My question was immediately answered with the words spoken by the Shiny Haxorus. And not a second later did a blue veil of light appeared in front of Baromyteus. After the light disappeared, all that was left was another being, standing in front of the Shiny Haxorus. It was the familiar being, a mysterious dragon in the shining golden armor.
"… I have heard of the Pendragon's deed in Theocracy of Venturnome, Baromyteus." Bahamut spoke. "Though it wasn't by your hand, another Hero/ine of Legend was slain. Well done, Pendragon."
"…" Baromyteus said nothing in response to Bahamut's words.
"Of course. You didn't come here just to be congratulated, did you?" Bahamut continued speaking. "Now, let's get to the business. Why did you call me here today, Baromyteus?"
"… We have located the traitor." Baromyteus spoke up. "He is in the Colorless Garden, waiting for us to arrive. Apparently, he wants to die fighting a strong opponent, and that he had challenged us via Snow."
"… I see." Bahamut said. "He is the final Slave of Legend of the Fallen Crisis era left. If you defeat him, it means that we have successfully eradicated the scourge of Irtha, at least until the new generation of the Slaves of Legend were corrupted by their power again."
"If 'you' defeat him?" Baromyteus repeated the words he heard. "I guess that means you won't join us this time too, just like how you refused to join us during our mission in Shadowlost Territory and Theocracy of Venturnome."
"It's just a traitor this time. For someone of his strength, he isn't worthy of fighting me. Besides, if I saw him, I wouldn't be able to restraint myself from rending him into pieces, after everything he had done." Bahamut replied. "Besides, me being there would complicate things. After all, that traitor won't be the only one in the Colorless Garden. Yggdrasil is also there, along with him."
"… I can understand Yggdrasil, but why him too?" Baromyteus asked.
"That is something I cannot tell you." Bahamut said. "How about this? While I won't directly involve myself in the Pendragon's quest, I will be around there, near the Colorless Garden, just in case something went wrong."
"…" Baromyteus said nothing in response to the dragon in front of him.
"I will take your silence as a yes." Bahamut spoke up after Baromyteus didn't say anything in response to him. "Now then… Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me today, Baromyteus?"
"Yes, about Korben." Baromyteus spoke up.
"Ah, Baldr's grandson." Bahamut said. "You had been acting antagonistic toward him during the Pendragon's journey in Shadowlost Territory. You even went so far to the point of twisting the truth that you were the one who killed his best friend. And now, you have stopped doing that to him completely, after he found out that you only pretended to do so toward him."
"That I did, yes." Baromyteus said. "However, never forget that you were the one who told me to do it in the first place. You asked me to 'break him', if I remember correctly."
"Indeed." Bahamut said. "That Kommo-o has a vast amount of hidden potential that far exceeded the average standard, that not even himself hasn't realized yet. In order to bring out his potential, we need to apply pressure to him, just like how a diamond is created. As the one who formed the Hidden Village of Dragon, I saw everyone there as my own children, and as he was the last survivor of the Hidden Village of Dragon, I only wish the best for him, to push him to the breaking point, so that he could emerge out as a diamond that shines the brightest."
"Using such an extreme method for the poor Kommo-o…" Baromyteus looked straight at the dragon in front of him. "… Are you this… pushing toward your own son?"
"My own son?" Bahamut paused for a few seconds before he resumed speaking. "… If he is here, then I would tell him that he has grown into a fine—No… An excellent warrior, and that I am very proud of him."
"… So, you admit that you have a son…" Baromyteus mumbled.
"… Aren't you wishing the best for him too? That Kommo-o teammate of yours." Bahamut spoke up again. "After all… Why else would you agree to go with my own method of 'breaking' him?"
"… One reason is because I want to teach him how cruel this world can be. After all, a naïve boy like him who never experienced the real world wouldn't be able to survive for long, and he did a much better job surviving the ordeal than I thought." Baromyteus said. "… However, after everything that happened in Shadowlost Territory, I see no reason to push him any further, after everything he went through. The poor kid never gets to catch any break."
"You are right." Bahamut said. "Not only he is the sole survivor of the Dragon Massacre among his clan, his own father died in front of him, and he was forced to form a pact with Nemesis. All of us were more than enough to break the mind of not only the feeble, but also the average people. Only those with the toughest mind will be able to endure all of that."
"… Wanting to help him grow isn't the only reason why I decided to go along with your plan, Bahamut." Baromyteus continued speaking. "After all, the request came from you, and you, of all people, are one person whom I can never refuse, are you not?"
"…" This time, Bahamut chose to remain silent.
"… I know what it looks like… The face hidden behind that golden helmet of yours." Baromyteus continued speaking. "Your fighting style, back when you made Korben fight you… I have seen that fighting style before, and in my entire life, only one person has a fighting style like that… Someone I know all too well…"
"…" Bahamut continued to remain silent.
"One day, not only that I will unmask you, but I will also surpass you." Baromyteus grabbed one of his blades and pointed it at Bahamut. "Mark my word, Bahamut."
"… Ferocious and ruthless, aren't you?" Bahamut finally spoke up, remaining unflinching by Baromyteus' demeanor. "Very well… I accept your challenge. If you think you can achieve your goal, to 'unmask' and 'surpass' me, then you are more than welcomed to try."
"I will, of course, after I am done dealing with that traitor." Baromyteus sheathed his blades and turned back. "That's it for now. I have nothing else to say to you. Begone."
"We will meet again, Baromyteus." Bahamut said. "And hopefully, one day I will get to meet you without having to wear this 'mask'."
"… Tsk." That was Baromyteus' final word spoken to Bahamut before he started walking toward Valley of No Return exit, the path that led back to the ruined Hidden Village of Dragon.
"…" I stayed still in my hidden place as Baromyteus walked pass me. It seemed like he didn't notice me, which was good. I stayed hidden for a few more minutes, to make sure that Baromyteus was truly gone. That meant I could now go back to Pendracomonium and continued with my daily activities—
"… I know that you are there, Aleph."
"!" Before I could leave do anything, I heard a voice speaking, and it was directed toward me. As I turned to the source of the voice, I realized that it came from Bahamut, who hadn't left yet, and he was having his attention at me. However, the voice spoken to me… It wasn't his voice. Instead, it was a powerful, proud and regal voice that I hadn't heard before… A voice that belonged to someone of very high status, like a king or an emperor… No… Even higher than that.
"So… You decided to stop being despondent and step into the game." Bahamut continued speaking, still using the unfamiliar voice. "What is your aim this time? To spy on my pawns? To find a way to seduce them onto your side, just like what you did with Ryouma? Or are you looking to eliminate them?"
"…"
"I will warn you just this one time. Stay out of my path, Aleph." Bahamut continued speaking. "We might be walking on the same path right now, but as soon as you cross the line, I won't hesitate to show no mercy. If you want to start another War of the God, then by all means, go ahead. Otherwise, stay out of my way. This is my first and my final warning to you, Aleph."
After finished speaking, a blue veil of light appeared and enveloped Bahamut's body, and a second later, the light disappeared, along with the mysterious dragon in the golden armor suit.
'… What was that?' I stepped out of my hiding place, looking at where Bahamut was a second ago. 'The voice he used to speak to me… That wasn't his voice. That was someone else's voice. It's like another person had taken over his body in order to speak to him…'
I stayed still for a few more minutes, before I decided to head back to the Pendracomonium.
'Wait… That reminded me…' I pondered as I walked back to the Pendracomonium, remembering what Arceus told me back then, on tops of Tower of the God. 'Amongst the Legendaries who had formed a pact with mortals, the one that remained unknown to me are the two Records Keepers, the Old God of Light, and the Dragon God themselves… The voice spoken to me earlier clearly didn't belong to the Old God of Light, and considering the circumstances, the two Records Keepers must be Holmer and Ilia, the pactbound Legendaries of Richard and Rachael respectively. Which means that…'
I stopped and looked back at Valley of No Return behind me.
'… Bahamut, we are now the counterpart of each other, being the Champion of two gods.' I looked at Valley of No Return behind me. 'I pray that we never become enemies, for that it would be disastrous if the Champion of two gods clashed with each other.'
-Meanwhile…
Four Pokemon, a Latias, a Latios, a Sceptile, and a Scyther, walked along the main street of the Forezon Village. For three out of four of them, this was the place they once spent their time with, and the beginning of their journey.
"We stopped at Leafburg City for a night, before we came here." Jasper mentioned. "Back then, it took 5 days of walking or 3 days of cart riding to travel between Leafburg City and Forezon Village. Now the transportation system is much better, allowing us to travel between two places in just a single day."
"I see." Rachael listened to the Sceptile. "Speaking of Leafburg City, how are Julia and Jasmine? I hope that they are doing well."
"Well, their orphanage closed down a year ago, and the remaining kids were moved to a larger orphanage." Jasper answered. "And thus, Aunt Julia got to retire, while Jasmine, having evolved into a beautiful Serperior, had opened a potion shop, and her shop is doing well."
"Ah, right. Jasmine was always good at alchemy." Rachael said. "After all, she was the one who taught me the basic of it."
"… From what I have heard from Rachael before, those two Serperior, Julia Floratree and Jasmine Floratree, weren't they? They are your blood-related aunt and your cousin, aren't they?" Richard spoke up.
"… What about them?" Jasper spoke to the Latios with a more serious voice than the one he used to speak to the Latias. "If you are going ask about their surname and mine, I took upon their surname after I moved out of the orphanage, and I didn't know that 'Floratree' is supposed to be my real surname until I found out that I am the son of Joshua, who is Julia's elder brother."
"Which means that you didn't know that Julia and Jasmine are related to you until your battle with Joshua." Richard continued speaking. "… But how about Julia and Jasmine? Do they know that you are their nephew and cousin before?"
"… I confronted Aunt Julia about it, and she revealed that she knew that I am her blood nephew all along. She was also aware of Joshua's bloodlust. That's why she tried to hide my heritage, so protect me from Joshua." Jasper answered. "As for Jasmine, she is completely unaware of it, for that Julia never told her about it."
"… Do you hate them for… this?" This time, it was the Latias who asked the question.
"Hate? Not one bit." Jasper shook his head. "Aunt Julia was just trying to protect me, and she still took care of me as if I am her own son. Well… The only thing that I could 'hate' her for that is that Jasmine was my childhood crush."
"That's incest." Richard commented. "Incest is generally looked down upon, as not only it is considered immoral in most societies and is illegal in most states, but it is also harmful genetically, as it gives an increase chance of recessive gene disorders, causing the child born from such action to be—"
"…"
"…"
"Knock it off! I was just a kid back then!" Jasper stopped Richard's ranting. "Now I see her as nothing but my own cousin! I don't hit on her anymore!"
"You should stop hitting on any 'girl' you encounter, Jasper." Zenpai spoke up for the first time. "Remember two days ago, when we first arrived at Leafburg City? You tried to hit on a girl, only for her to turn out to be—"
"O… Oh, hey! Look!" Jasper quickly cut off the Scyther's words by pointing at an area bustling with many stalls selling various goods, where many people were gathering at. "I… It seems that there's a festival being held in Forezon Village today! Lucky us!"
"… Didn't we choose to come here for mother's grave visit today so we could attend the festival in the first place?" Zenpai looked at the Sceptile.
"Rachael, how about we take a detour at the festival ground?" Jasper ignored the Scyther and spoke to the Latias.
"Sure! Let's go, Onii-chan." Rachael happily accepted as she turned her attention to the Latios beside her.
"…" Richard didn't say anything in respond to the Latias' words.
"Onii-chan?! ONII-CHAN?!" Rachael called out her blood brother.
"… Oh, hm?!" It seemed like the Latias was successful in snapping the Latios out of his daze. "Oh, I am sorry, Rachael. I was just thinking about something nonsense. What did you say again?"
"…"
"Well, there's a festival being held over there. Let's go!" Rachael said.
"… Sure. This will be a nice change of pace, and a chance for me to clear my mind too." Richard thought for a moment before he accepted.
"Yay! Let's go, everyone!" Rachael turned toward the festival ground and entered the festival area, with the Sceptile, the Latios, and eventually the Scyther following behind.
Four Pokemon walked along the bustling street, enjoying the festival. According to Jasper, Forezon Village mainly held four festivals throughout the year, with the current one being the Spring Festival, where they celebrated the end of winter and the start of crop cultivating. And thus, the food sold in the festival were mostly Spring food or Winter food. Rachael got Sakura Mochi and Hanami Dango from the stalls to sate her sweet tooth, while Jasper got himself a custard-filled Taiyaki. Zenpai chose to go with a more down-to-earth option with a cup of bamboo rice, while Richard went for the freshly-picked strawberries shared with Rachael instead.
"Don't eat too much sweet, or you will get fat, Rachael." Commented Richard.
The quartet also got to taste the regional drink, which was fermented drink made from Lum Berries, too. Jasper and Zenpai were old enough to consume alcoholic beverage, so they got themselves Umeshu. Rachael and Richard, on the other hand, got themselves Ume Plum Syrup instead.
"Tasty!" Rachael commented. "The sweetness and sourness are mixed together nicely!"
Though not as festive as the Summer Festival, the Spring Festival also had several Game Stalls for them to test their skill. The quartet stopped by at a Gun-shooting stall for a round. Nevertheless, the two younger one were barely able to shoot anything, while the two elder one were much more skilled, with the eldest one among them landing a hit on 9 out of 10 hits.
"… Next time, I won't miss any mark." Zenpai mumbled.
Because this was a Spring Festival and not the Summer Festival, the Bon Dance wasn't presented here. Instead, there was a Spring Dance performed by experienced dancers for everyone to watch, including the quartet. After they were done watching, the quartet left the dance ground, which led them to the mask-selling stall, in which Rachael and Jasper got themselves Ninetales-shaped mask, while Richard and Zenpai chose not to get anything.
"Though not as bustling as the Spring Festival at Leafburg City, I would say that a small and cozy festival at a small and cozy village has its own charm, isn't it?" Jasper said as he, along with Rachael, Richard, and Zenpai, walked along the festival street. He was wearing his mask on the side of his head, while Rachael was wearing her mask over her face instead.
"Indeed." Zenpai commented. "This place allowed me to test my skill while also having fun at the same time. Now, how about another round of game at the gun-shooting stall? I won't be satisfied until I hit all the marks."
"Then maybe you will never be satisfied." Richard spoke up. "I heard that some game stalls at the festival rigged their game so that the players would never win, and thus allowing them to earn a huge profit from—"
"No! It's not like that!" Rachael said. "Everyone here in Forezon Village is very nice! I am sure that no one is doing something like that!"
"… Do you know everyone in the village, Rachael?" Asked the Latios.
"Well, not really, but everyone in the village that I have known is nice!" Rachael replied. "There are Jasper and Zenpai, and mother too! Oh, and all the friends I made at the school too, like Honey and Cheryl!"
"Honey? Cheryl? Ah, the Combee and Cherubi friends of yours." Jasper said. "I haven't met them ever since our final school day. How about you, Rachael?"
"Well, I haven't met them ever since too." Rachael said. "Another reason I came back here is because I want to meet them and see what they have been doing during these past three years, but I don't see them anywhere. I wonder what they are doing right now…"
"… Maybe you will meet them or hear about them soon, Rachael…" Zenpai spoke up softly.
"I hope so." Rachael said.
"….Well… Anyway, if you want another round of game, then be my guest, Zenpai." Jasper tried to change the topic of the conversation, looking around the Festival Ground. "For me, I want to try something else instead, like… That!"
His finger points over to a tent, colored in a mystical fashion of starry colors with a table having a similarly colored cloth resting over the surface. At the back, inside a tent, a Pokémon dressed in layers of cloths akin to a formation of a hooded robe. Though the large brown and cream ears sticking out by the sides are a dead giveaway that they are a Lopunny.
"Oh~ Would you look at that~ I never thought that I would find such a beautiful flower in bloom today." Said the Sceptile as he approached the tent, toward the Lopunny. "Hey, there, cutie. What is a beautiful bouquet of Cherry Blossom doing here today?"
"Not again..." Mumbled the Scyther as he, along with the Lustermist siblings, followed the Sceptile to the tent.
The Lopunny looked up at Jasper. "Ah, visitors." The voice is a serene flow of tones, a stylish grace from their mouth. They looked at Zenpai, Rachael and Richard and nod, taking in that they are customers too. "This is a tent, that which speaks of the possible futures... the futures that may perhaps be set in stone, though unknown to many."
"Oh, god. Not another 'The stars tell everything' person…" Richard groaned. "Just one is already more than enough."
"Shut your mouth, would you?" Jasper scolded the Latios before turning his attention back to the Lopunny. "It's true that the futures may not be set in stone, but I think that it's a fate that led me to meet you today, gorgeous."
The Lopunny studied Jasper, his features, appearance. Their silence was rather unnerving with their observations. Their head tilts lightly, directed to the sheathed weapon carried by him and they nod.
"Fate... fate is a curious thing, indeed. For those who have been... placed upon duties from higher callings." They simply replied, unmoved by the hitting on them.
Their hands moved gracefully, sliding to collect a set of cards. Based on the back, they are tarot cards... used for predictions of the future for someone. "You... and the ninja... the Heroes of Legend. And these dragons... another group of another calling..."
"!"
"H... How did you..." Rachael spoke up with a surprised voice after hearing the words of the Lopunny. Out of four of them, she was the only one who clearly expressed the action of surprise, while the other three managed to hide it well.
"... Oh my~ You are the real deal, aren't you?" Jasper continued speaking, unflinching by the Lopunny's words. "Beauty, grace, mystery, and insight... You have it all."
"I simply... do the work in my life." The fortuneteller replies. After their deck is shuffled, they set it by the side of the table and brushed a hand over the space. In a blink, the cards on top of the deck slid off one by one, flowing lightly above the table as they spread above the space.
"Now then... would you like to have your fortune told?" They inquired.
"Yes, please." Jasper replied. "This will be worth it, I can tell~"
"Pick a card, young swordsman." Their hand spreads forward, ushering Jasper to select a floating card. He looked at the table with an eager smile as he observed the cards. Any one of them, hm?
"... Isn't this kind of fortune telling required him to pick three cards, one for the past, one for the present, and one for the future?" Richard spoke up.
The fortuneteller turned to Richard with a light smile. "My methods have a way of the insights towards time." Richard snorts lightly, not a clear answer, as to be expected...
"Now that it got out of the way..." Jasper reached his paw toward the cards, and picked one of them without any hesitation, before handing it back to the fortune teller.
They looked at the card for a few seconds before they looked up at Jasper. "So, the Magician... is the card that has been selected."
"Magician?" Jasper repeated the word he just heard. "But I am a samurai, not a mage. Well, I can use magic imbued in my katana, but I wouldn't considered myself a magician."
"You idiot..." Richard spoke up. "The Magician card is the Number 1 in the Tarot Cards, and its meaning doesn't really involve magic."
"Your friend is correct." The fortuneteller speaks. "The Magician... it represents that you have an incentive to improve yourself through one's own talents. A strong sense of willpower, if you will. If it is in a reversed state, it would have represented illusions, trickery... Your time, you feel the need to improve yourself though experience struggles due to not understanding your inner self..."
"And you have to go to sleep, wake up, and have meals tomorrow." Richard spoke up again. "If it's something as generic as that, then anyone could predict it too."
"..." Unlike the Latios, Jasper said nothing after hearing the Lopunny's words. All he did was staring at the card he picked, as if he was lost in his own thought.
"...Hmm... And yes..." They looked back at the Magician card and spoke to Jasper. "Your hardships in seeking... affection. It will be a turbulent road with many forms of obstacles that stand in your way... One question ultimately needs to be answered... and your path... it will be clear."
"One question... And my path, huh..." Jasper finally spoke up. "Well, my path is clear, for that it is the path that led me here, to meet you, after all."
There was some silence and Zenpai sighs lightly.
"Young swordsman..." the fortuneteller begins. "The road continues to be turbulent."
"Maybe it is, but that's how most roads work, is it not?" Jasper said. "But for now, how about we go on a clear and unobstructed path together? It would honor me if a cute, gorgeous, and beautiful girl like you would enjoy the festival alongside me."
A groan came from Richard.
"You would like to court with another as you are?"
"Another one? You mean that you are a Leafburg native?" Jasper replied. "I mean, beautiful woman can be found everywhere on Symmetria. Your nationality doesn't matter, of course."
Rachael looked between Jasper and the fortuneteller, blinking in confusion. Zenpai finally spoke up.
"Jasper." Zenpai spoke with a firm voice. "This Lopunny fortune teller is male."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... Malevolent?" Jasper finally spoke up after a few seconds had passed. "He is just a fortune teller, and his fortune is accurate. He is clearly not Malevolent—"
"He is male, Jasper. Male." Zenpai reaffirmed his words. "He has the same sex as you, Jasper. Did you hear me?"
"No, nope, nope. Not hearing that!" Jasper said as he promptly turned his face away.
"Yes, I am male." Much to his horror, it was the fortuneteller that informed Jasper of this. "Your road has shown your obstacles. There are many which your yearning of love may lead you astray and in a madness unknown to many..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... Thank you for telling me my fortune." Jasper spoke as he placed the money on the table. "I'll... I'll be on my way now."
"... Um, Zenpai..." Rachael whispered to the Scyther. "What happened to Jasper? He's not like himself now."
"... This isn't the first time that Jasper accidently hit on a male instead of a female." Zenpai whispered back to Rachael. "It happened quite a lot before. The last time was just two days ago, when we first arrived at Leafburg City."
"Oh... I see." Rachael mumbled.
The fortuneteller turned calmly to the rest of the group. "Now... would you like to have your fortunes told?"
"... I am not interested in it." Zenpai replied.
"Same here." Richard said.
"Me!" Rachael spoke up. "I want to—"
"Rachael, the sun is setting now." Richard spoke up. "We should head to the Paradise Farm before the nighttime."
"Awww, but I still want to have my fortune read!" Rachael said.
"We are here for a grave visiting, not for fortune reading." Richard said. "We already kept your mother waiting. Don't let her wait any further."
"Fine..." Rachael said before turning her attention to the Lopunny fortune teller. "Well, thanks for telling the fortune to my brother! We'll be on our way now. Thanks!"
Before the fortuneteller could speak with a nod, a breeze lightly blew across the area, sending the cards around the table. The fortuneteller weaved his hands rapidly, directing many of the cards to be undeterred by the wind and settle down onto the surface of the table. His head lowered down...
"...How grim."
He studied the only two tarot cards that were facing upwards and not on their surface. Death... and Tower.
Zenpai, Rachael, Richard and Jasper looked at the tarot cards. "...How grim... Death and Tower in synchronicity..." the fortuneteller murmurs, looking back at the group.
"... We need to leave." Richard spoke up.
"...A terrible event... will unfold. To bring about the end of lives, a disaster that will shake the lives... between you all." The fortuneteller continues to speak, rather... surprised. "The life that will crumble down at the invitation of the end..."
The words, the tone came out in a chilling shock. It was for certain in a way that the fortuneteller himself did not see such an event occurring... and this prediction... what is it? The past? The present? Or the future?
"... We really need to leave. Now." Richard said as he grabbed Rachael's paw and dragged her away from the tent.
"Onii-chan, what's wrong?" Rachael's asked as she was dragged away by the Latios, with Jasper and Zenpai following them, leaving the Lopunny fortune teller at his tent alone.
"..." He looked as they left and at the open cards after they are gone from his sight.
"...The cards... they read that... a deathly fate awaits... two of them."
-Meanwhile…
Claura was in her own room back in the Pendracomonium. She had been here after the training session in the training room was done. She's now sitting at the desk, seemingly doing something there.
"Knock Knock!" The sound of door knocking was heard by the Kingdra. Before she could say anything, the door was opened, and the one who entered was none other than her own cousin.
"Before you complain that I enter without your permission, remember that I never care about manner and stuffs." Xavier said nonchalantly. "I only knocked for you Claura, and maybe for Syros too."
"Heh. That's why nobles from other houses don't have any high regard for you." Claura turned her attention to her cousin. "Then again, you never care about your title and heritage anyway."
"The only reason why I am a noble is because I was born into the House Stormwing, just like how you were born into the House Pulsawhirl, Claura." Xavier said. "Title and lineage don't matter much in Kingdom of the Dragonking, a place where strength is everything."
"It has improved a lot, from what I have heard from our grandparents." Claura said. "For example, strength isn't the only thing used to determine who's going to be the next Dragonking, after all."
"I wish the House would do that too." Xavier said. "If they did so, then a monster like me would be immediately expelled from House Stormwing, and I would be free to live however I want."
"Don't say that." Claura looked at her cousin. "Both House Stormwing and House Pulsawhirl fell into ruins following War of the God II and the Apocalypse. It's only thanks to our grandparents that both Houses were revived."
"I wonder what our grandparents were thinking when they revived House Stormwing and House Pulsawhirl…" Xavier pondered. "Did they do it because of our lineages, or is there any other reason…"
"Well, lineage might be one reason." Claura said. "After all, House Scorchraze and House Gloomdrastic were also revived too, by our grandparent's friends."
"Ah, right. House Scorchraze is where Syros belonged, isn't he?" Xavier said. "Speaking of Syros… I wonder what he is doing right now."
"Knowing him, he's still training to join the rank of royal knight, just like how we once did together." Claura answered.
"And he's angry. Very, very angry right now." Xavier said.
"That's why I am doing this for when we went back to Kingdom of the Dragonking." Claura said as she showed the Dragonite what she was doing before he entered her room.
"… A diary?" Xavier said as he looked at a notebook with something written on it. "I didn't know that you are a type to keep one, Claura."
"That's what I have been doing ever since we left Kingdom of the Dragonking." Claura said. "I want to record everything we have encountered during our journey. It also helped when we went back to Kingdom of the Dragonking and reported everything to the Dragonqueen, as well as telling Syros about our journey."
. "I see." Xavier said. "Well, I won't bother you now. Have fun with your diary keeping, Claura."
After finished speaking, Xavier left Claura's room, leaving the Kingdra alone.
"… Let's continue writing." Claura mumbled to herself as she had her attention back to her diary.
-The Next Day…
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Four Pokemon were standing in front of a grave stone next to a small house in the Paradise Farm, paying respect to the deceased owner of the farm. After leaving the festival ground yesterday, the quartet arrived at Paradise Farm and spent a night together there. Despite that it was abandoned for three years ago, the house was still in a good enough condition for the four to sleep in. According to Jasper and Zenpai, both of them sometimes came back here to perform a maintenance for the house at the same time they paid their respect to their mother, which was why the house wasn't in ruin.
After the four of them were done with grave visiting, they spent the next few hours performing the maintenance on the house in the Paradise Farm, for that it was an important place for three out of four of them. With the combined effort of them, it was just around the noon when they were done.
"Whew! Thanks for the hard work, everyone!" Rachael placed several dishes of food cooked by her on the table, where Jasper, Zenpai, and Richard were sitting.
"It's been a while since the last time I get to eat food cooked by you, Rachael." Jasper commented as he started eating. "Ah… I miss this taste."
"Not me, since I get to eat it often." Richard said as he, along with Zenpai and Rachael, started eating.
"Well, duh. That's because you get to spend time with Rachael during these past three years." Jasper retorted to Richard's words.
"Yes, I did." Richard continued eating. "I am the only one of Rachael's brothers who stayed by her side during the turbulent time, after all."
"So, you now consider Zenpai and I Rachael's brothers too." Jasper looked at the Latios. "Back then, in Republic of Civilight, you coldly stated that you are Rachael's only brother. It seems like staying with Rachael has softened you."
"Didn't that happen to all of us?" Richard said.
"Sure did." Jasper said.
"…" Zenpai said nothing throughout the entire meal. He merely ate his food quietly.
After the meal, the Latias, Latios, Sceptile, and the Scyther sat together in the living room.
"So… What are you going to do next, Jasper, Zenpai?" Rachael asked.
"We need to go back to Theocracy of Venturnome." Jasper replied. "The rest of Hero/ine of Legend were still there, after all."
"So… You are saying that Pontifex Astra gathered 17 Hero/ine of Legend together, 6 of which were the rulers of 5 out of 7 nations on the continent of Symmetria, and yet your group hasn't done anything after our encounter at the Starlight Theatre?"
"Yeah. We all wonder what he was thinking, that Mewtwo…" Jasper said. "And what about you two, Rachael and Richard? Are you going back to… Wherever the Pendragon used as their base, aren't you?"
"Yes." That was all Richard answered.
"So, you aren't going to reveal what you and the Pendragon were up to, huh." Jasper looked at the Latios.
"No." Richard answered bluntly.
"… Something must have happened during these past three years that caused you two to be like… this." Zenpai spoke up after staying silent for a long while and looked at Rachael and Richard. "Forming a pact with Legendary Pokemon… Joining with the Pendragon… Do you realize that you are walking on the razor's edge right now?"
"…" Rachael and Richard said nothing as they looked at the Scyther.
"I don't know what happened, but whatever it was, I am sorry that I wasn't there to protect you, Rachael." Zenpai said with a soft but firm voice. "And Richard… Thank you for staying by Rachael's side. You have been doing what Jasper and I couldn't."
"Zenpai…" Rachael said.
"…" Richard said nothing in response to the Scyther's words.
"Despite that we aren't blood-related, Rachael, you are my younger sister." Zenpai looked at the Latias. "You are an important little sibling to me, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I hope that you know what you are doing, as well as the consequence of your actions."
"… Yes, Zenpai." Rachael gave off a short yet firm answered to the Scyther.
"… I expect you to hold up to your words, Rachael." Zenpai said before turning his attention to the Latios. "… I don't think I need to say this, but… Please take care of Rachael in our place."
"… You are right. There's no need to say that." Richard replied. "Rachael is my younger sister, and I will always be there for her."
"Again, I hope that you remember and abide by those words." Zenpai said before he stood up. "Come, Jasper. It's time to head back."
"Okay." Jasper stood up and looked at Rachael and Richard. "Good bye, Rachael, Richard. Stay safe, and take care of yourself."
"Bye, Jasper. Bye, Zenpai." Rachael said good bye to her brothers.
"… Farewell." Richard merely gave a short farewell to the Sceptile and the Scyther.
After saying farewell, Jasper and Zenpai headed toward the exit of the house. As they were about to leave, however, Richard spoke up.
"You know… The journey back to Theocracy of Venturnome is a long and tiring one." Richard spoke without looking at anyone. "Why don't you stop by at Leafburg City? Maybe you two can find something useful to do there, like searching for the records of the special military operation of the Principality of Leafburg that happened about three years ago. Someone like you two won't have any trouble accessing the confidential information like that. Who know… Maybe it could be useful."
"!" Zenpai and Jasper looked at the Latios after hearing his words. Seeing that the Latios refused to say anything else, the Scyther and the Sceptile merely nodded and left the house, leaving the Latios and Latias inside the house.
"Onii-chan…" Rachael looked at her blood brother. "What you just said…"
"… We should go back too, Rachael." Richard said. "Let's go back to the Pendracomonium."
"… Okay." Rachael nodded, and then the Latios and Latias left the house together, leaving the house empty, just like before…
-A Few Moments Later…
"We're back!"
The portal was closed as Rachael and Richard stepped out of it, arriving back at the Pendracomonium through the portal. The siblings then left the portal room and found themselves on Floor B2 of the main hall.
"I don't see anyone around here." Rachael said as she was looking around. "I guess everyone was either resting or preparing for our upcoming mission."
"I think so too." Richard nodded to his younger sister. "We still have 4 more days left. We, too, should use this time to prepare."
"I see." Rachael looked at her elder brother. "Now, what should we do next—AH!"
Feeling the presence of someone behind them, the Lustermist siblings quickly turned back to face with the one who was standing behind them, which turned out to be someone they were familiar with, for that it was the Druddigon Gargoyle who guarded the Pendracomonium.
"WELCOME BACK, MASTERS!" Ryugan bowed down to Rachael and Richard.
"O… Oh, it's you, Ryugan…" Rachael breathed out a sigh of relief. "Don't scare us like that!"
"NOW THAT THE TWO OF YOU HAVE COME BACK, I HAVE A MESSAGE FOR YOU FROM MASTER DIEGO." Ryugan continued speaking.
"From Diego?" Richard repeated the words he just heard. "What are they?"
"HE ASKED THAT YOU DROP OFF YOUR WEAPONS AT HIS WORKSHOP." Ryugan said. "HE WILL PERFORM THE WEAPON UPGRADING FOR YOU AND FOR EVERYONE IN THE PENDRAGON."
"Ah, I see. So, Diego will upgrade Cathy even more!" Rachael said as she looked at the Espurr Doll she always carried with her. "You will get even stronger now, Cathy!"
"Yip! Ho! Ho!" Cathy spoke with a cute and cheerful voice.
"And for me, that means I will be able to harness the potential of the chronicle even further." Richard said as he looked at the Chronicle that he was carrying with him. "About time."
"AND NOW THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED MY MESSAGE, I WILL TAKE MY LEAVE." Ryugan bowed down to the Latios and Latias before it retreated back to Floor B1 of the Pendracomonium.
"Let's go and drop off Cathy and your chronicle at the workshop, Onii-chan!" Rachael said.
"Right behind you." Richard said.
The next four days went by, and they were uneventful. The members of the Pendragon spent their time either training, relaxing, or preparing for the upcoming battle. Though there was nothing noteworthy happening, all of them were aware that the quiet and peaceful moment that they were having was a calm before the storm, the apparent 'final storm' that they will be facing. Thus, they had to prepare for the worst…
"… Finally done."
Diego placed the forging hammer down and wiped his sweat. During these past four days, Diego might be the busiest person among the Pendragon, for that he mostly spent his time upgrading everyone's weapon. It wasn't easy, for that the Pendragon's weapons had already been upgraded to the above average level, but the Mega Charizard X was able to finish the job.
"Just in time." Diego placed the weapons he just finished upgrading onto the shelf. "… I guess I'll give the weapons back to everyone tomorrow, before we departed."
The Mega Charizard X continued tidied up his workshop. Once he was done, he looked at the clock and saw that it was already 9pm. "Nighttime already? I guess I should call it a day early—"
"… Diego."
The sound of the door opening and someone entering the workshop drew the attention of the Mega Charizard X. As he turned his attention to the source of the voice, it turned out that the one who had just entered the workshop was none other than his closest friend.
"Zetarus?" Diego called out the name of the Garchomp who had just entered the workshop. "I am just done with today's work. I'll give everyone's weapon back tomorrow, or do you need them right now?"
"… No. I don't need it right now." Zetarus replied with a calm voice as his gaze was fixated at the Mega Charizard X. "… Are you busy right now? Do you have any plan afterward?"
"Busy? No. I just finish my work, after all." Diego replied. "I plan to go to bed early tonight, for that tomorrow is an important day for us. But damn… All these forging made my body sweaty. I guess I should take a bath first before I call it a day."
"… I see." Zetarus said. "… If you are free, after you are done with the bath, can you go and meet me in front of the Dragon Shrine?"
"Hm?" The Mega Charizard X looked at the Garchomp. "For what?"
"… I just need to speak to you about something." Zetarus replied.
"Why that place, exactly?" Diego asked. "Can't you just do it here?"
"… I just need to talk to you about something." Zetarus replied. "And I don't want to do it in such a dim and gloomy place like the Pendracomonium."
"… Fine." Diego said. "I'll go and meet you there after I am done with the bath, or we could go together—"
"No. I am good." Zetarus replied as he turned back. "I'll wait for you there. Take your time, Diego."
"Wait—" Diego was about to call the Garchomp, but he was too late as the Garchomp already left the workshop.
"Zetarus…" Diego looked at the workshop door that had just closed.
-Meanwhile…
"And… Done!" Rachael said as she placed the berry basket down. Rachael spent the entire day harvesting all of the berries in the garden for tomorrow's mission.
"Good work, Rachael." Richard entered the cultivating room and greeted his younger sister, looking at the empty plots of land that used to have berry trees grown on it. "… Did you harvest everything you grew, Rachael?"
"That's right!" Rachael replied as she put away the berry basket. "The mission tomorrow is the Pendragon's final mission, is it not? We have to put everything we have for it, which is why I decided to harvest everything here."
"… Aren't you going to leave some for later, in case something went wrong?" Asked the Latios.
"Well, even if something happened, I can always grow more berry trees using the berries harvested today." Rachael replied. "Besides, I trust and believe in the Pendragon. I believe that we can complete tomorrow's mission, and that it will truly be our final mission."
"Final mission, huh…" Richard said. "Rachael, have you thought of what you are going to do after the Pendragon's final mission is completed? The Pendragon is likely to be disbanded afterward, and then we will go on separate ways."
"… It will be sad to say good bye to everyone, but we have to move on, haven't we, Onii-chan?" Rachael thought for a moment before she answered. "I think that… Maybe we should return to Paradise Farm. I could take up mother's berry farm and continued her business. After all, not only I am good at growing berries, but I like doing it too. And maybe I can expand the farm and start the potion making business too, since I am good at alchemy, and you can help me with that too, Onii-chan."
"… Aren't you afraid that… That if you return, something bad will happen to you, just like when the Mysterious Tsujigiri went on a rampage three years ago?" Richard asked with a calm voice. "You nearly died back then, and this time you might not be so lucky."
"Nah, I don't think that something like that will happen again." Rachael replied. "The only reason why it happened is because Joshua, the former Hero of Grass type, was corrupted. Now that Jasper is the current Hero of Grass type, I believe in him that neither he nor Zenpai will succumb to the corruption."
"… Even so… Even if we want to go back to our normal life, we couldn't anymore." Richard said as he reached his paw to the Luster Pendant he was wearing. "After all, we have formed a pact with Legendary Pokemon. You have seen how the Hero/ine of Legend react to seeing us having form a pact with Legendary Pokemon. Some of them might be more accepting, but there are those who didn't, and we cannot say for certain that everyone would be accepting of our existence."
"… Even so, we cannot run away forever." Rachael looked at her elder brother. "I… I want to believe in people, that they will be accepting us, so that we would finally find a place we belong to. Don't you feel the same, Onii-chan?"
"… I want to, Rachael. I really want to," Richard replied as he looked away. "… I am just scared. Really, really scared of what would happen if something happened. I… I don't want to lose you again, Rachael."
"… Onii-chan." Rachael looked at her elder brother, seemingly noticing something in her brother's eyes. "… What is there to be afraid of?"
"… After coming back from Leafburg, I have been thinking…" Richard slowly answered. "And… I have realized something… Something terrible…"
"… What have you realized?" Rachael asked.
"Think about it, Rachael…" Richard slowly continued speaking. "We both were Pokemon from the start, but somehow, we were sent to the human world and spent most of our lives so far as human, until we somehow returned to Pokemon world three years ago... And a lot had happened ever since…"
"Right…" Rachael nodded. "I lived in the Paradise Farm at first, but then I had to leave after the Mysterious Tsujigiri incident… Then we reunited in Gamma City, where you have been living, but we have to leave Gamma City shortly after we arrived… Then we arrived at Hidden Village of Dragon, where we experienced and survived the Dragon Massacre, which led to us forming the Pendragon, and now we are about to depart for the Pendragon's final mission tomorrow."
"… Exactly." Richard looked at his younger sister. "And Rachael… You still remember the promise I made to you, right?"
"Of course." Rachael replied. "Together, we will find a place where we can live together in peace, a place where we belong…"
"… But think about what happened so far, Rachael. Every place we called home… Every place where we thought we belong to… None of them was where we truly belong to, for that we were always forced to leave it behind." Richard spoke with a calm but firm voice. "Paradise Farm… Gamma City… Hidden Village of Dragon… And now the Pendracomonium… We once thought that they were the place where we belong, but they weren't. We have to leave Paradise Farm and Gamma City. Hidden Village of Dragon was destroyed, and we might have to leave the Pendracomonium soon if the Pendragon was disbanded."
"… You are right." Rachael said. "Every time we thought we have found a place where we truly belong to… It ended up not being the one for us…"
"… And maybe…" Richard spoke up again. This time, his voice was shaking a bit. "… Maybe there won't be any place where we truly belong to."
"… What do you mean by that, Onii-chan?" Rachael looked at her elder brother.
"… Do you remember about the pact, Rachael?" Richard spoke up again, resting his paw on his Luster Pendant. "The mortal who formed a pact with Legendary Pokemon will receive enormous power, at the cost of losing something in their life…"
"Onii-chan?!" Rachael spoke up with a shaking voice. "A… Are you saying that…"
"Yes. I have come to realize it… The price of both of us forming a pact with Legendary Pokemon…" Richard closed his eyes. "Our price… is that we will never have any place to call home. That is the price of our pact, to never have any place we truly belong to."
-Meanwhile…
Diego stepped out of the Dragon Shrine and was greeted with the night breeze as he found himself in the southern end of the ruined Hidden Village of Dragon. He gazed upward and was greeted with the darkness of the rock formation that served as the 'ceiling' of the entire Valley of No Return, with only a large opening in the center of the ceiling. Looking through the opening, the Mega Charizard X could see the starry night sky above.
"…" After looking at the night sky, Diego panned his gaze around, searching for the one who called him here. However, he didn't find anyone around him, until…
"… So, you have come, Diego."
A calm voice called out to the Mega Charizard X. He turned his attention to the source of the voice and saw a Garchomp sitting on the edge of the rooftop of the Dragon Shrine lazily. The Garchomp's gaze wasn't at him. Instead, it was at the ruined Hidden Village of Dragon ahead of him.
"… Zetarus." Diego spread his wings and took a leap upward, landing on the rooftop of the Dragon Shrine. Then he sat next to the Garchomp, right on the edge of the rooftop.
"… Thank you for joining me here today, Diego." Zetarus spoke up without looking at the Mega Charizard X beside him. He was having an unreadable expression on his face. "I always found Pendracomonium too dim and gloomy for my taste. I very much prefer being outside instead."
"… Let me guess." Diego spoke up, also had his gaze ahead, at the ruined Hidden Village of Dragon. "… Pendracomonium reminds you of your time in the prison, doesn't it?"
"… That's what happened when you spent 21 years of your life inside that place." Zetarus replied. "I still have nightmare about that place until today, the nightmare of being tortured every day."
"…" The Mega Charizard X stayed silent, waiting for the Garchomp to continue.
"… It got worse after I reached the adolescence age." Zetarus continued speaking with an emotionless voice. "There's a hierarchy system among the prisoners there. Those of the highest tier are basically the 'king' of the prison who hold the power among the prisoners, and even over some guards too, while those of the lowest tier are treated like the absolute scum of the scum, like slaves of the slaves. You can probably guess which tier I found myself into."
"…" Diego closed his eyes, not answering the Garchomp.
"However, all of that paled in comparison to the prison guards." Zetarus closed his eyes. "There was one guard there, a Nidoking. To him, I am his favorite sex toy. He always took me from my cell or my work to his private quarter, where he would rape me. I remembered that I would cry and scream in pain, and he would take pleasure in it, as well as abuse me even more so I would scream and cry more. He even raped me right before my execution, just because he wanted to torment me one last time."
"Zetarus…" Diego looked at the Garchomp next to him.
"Zetarus… The name of mine… You might not believe it, but it was actually that fucking Nidoking who gave me that name." Zetarus looked at his claw. "He branded that name onto my soul as a way to torment me, that the one who always abused me end up being the one who got to name me. It served as a way to remind me that I always belonged to him, being his toy and nothing more. The more I refused to acknowledge that name, the more he took pleasure from it, as well as the more he 'branded' that name onto me."
"… Then why do you still keep using that name?" Diego asked. "If 'Zetarus' is the name you got from a fucking bastard who made your life a living hell, then why do you still keep it as your name instead of changing your name to something else?"
"… Changing my name won't change my past." Zetarus answered slowly. "I can erase the name he gave me, but I can never erase my past and everything he had done to me. That's why I chose to keep 'Zetarus' as my name, to remind me of my past, to remind myself not to end up in the hellish situation like that again."
"Zetarus…" Diego mumbled.
"The reason he chose the name 'Zetarus' for me is because it sounds like Terrus' name." Zetarus continued speaking. "He told me that 'Zetarus' is similar to 'Terrus', but they are different names, just like how I am completely different from Terrus. I am not like him and will never become like him, like a perfect prince of Dustorm Empire."
"… That…" Diego pondered. "That sounds as if he knew your real identity as the prince of Dustorm Empire too."
"… Heh. Back then, I didn't realize it. But now that I think about it again, it's obvious that he knew who I am." Zetarus let out a small laugh. "He told me that it was him who 'arrested' me and put me into the prison. He also said that he used to be a royal guard in the Desert Palace, but he was demoted and punished by Emperor Garland after he was discovered fucking around with other royal guards, before being sent to the remote post of Desert Prison, and that's why he vented out his rage and frustration on me, who is of the same species as Emperor Garland."
"… If you ask me…" Diego spoke up. "Him being punished and demoted by Garland is the source of his vengeance toward your father. He must have taken part in the conspiracy to remove you from Dustorm's royal family by kidnapping you and Duster's put you in the Desert Prison, where he kept tormenting and abusing you."
"I think the same too." Zetarus said. "Unfortunately, we will never hear the truth about it from him now. After all, he most likely died in the Desert Prison after I escaped and used Zygarde's power to crumble the entire Desert Prison down."
"I don't think that's unfortunate at all." Diego commented. "After all, a scum like him deserves to die, and nothing more."
"I wonder about that." Zetarus mumbled. "After all, being alive might be harsher and more cruel punishment than dying, at least according to some people."
"… Well, whatever it may be, that fucker is already dead, and you are still alive." Diego said as he looked at the Garchomp beside him. "… And I am glad that you are still alive, Zetarus."
"… Same here." Zetarus spoke up as he slowly stood up. "Diego… You have been with me from the start of my journey, and you have always been there for me. We survived hell together, and you even took your time to listen to me talking about my past too. Diego, you are kind. Really, really kind."
"Zetarus?" Diego turned his face to the Garchomp beside him and found that Zetarus, standing next to him, was looking at him. The dim moonlight from above revealed a firm but tender look on the Garchomp's face, neither a cruel and merciless look, nor an abused and insecure look. Looking at the Garchomp, however, made the Mega Charizard X's heart beating faster. Wait, why would his heart beating like this?
"Diego, you are the most important person in my life, someone that I don't want to lose." Zetarus reached his paw forward, helping the Mega Charizard X stand up. "Both of us only started out as two outlaws with aligned goal, but we still stick together, through the hell and back. I am not sure if I would come this far without you, Diego, or if I would survive this far at all. Diego, you are the person who means the most to me, and I don't know if I could live without you."
"What's… What's with all this sappy talk, Zetarus?" Diego said after he stood up. However, Zetarus still didn't let go of his paw. Right now, he could feel his heart beating really fast… Wait, was it his heart or Zetarus' heart? Or both?
"Diego." Zetarus stared deep into Diego's eyes, as if he was looking into the Mega Charizard X's soul. With his paw still held onto Diego's paw, Zetarus spoke up with a firm but tender voice. "… I love you."
Underneath the starry night sky, in the desolated Valley of No Return… On tops of the Dragon Shrine stood two Pokemon, a Garchomp and a Mega Charizard X. Both of two were facing with each other, with their paws connected to each other. As both of them were locked in this moment, only a few seconds had passed, but to both of them, this felt like an eternity.
"…"
"…"
The Garchomp's words softly echoed throughout the rest of Valley of No Return. His words were soft and tender, yet also firm and serious. There was no one else around here, so his words eventually disappeared into the night. To the Mega Charizard X, however, the Garchomp's words had forever etched into his mind.
"… What…" That was the first thing the Mega Charizard X could say after several minutes of silent, after he heard the Garchomp's words. "What… did you just say?"
"Diego, I love you." Zetarus repeated the words he said, with as much firmness as when he said it before.
"… Zetarus… I am not in a mood for a joke." Hearing the Garchomp's words loud and clear, the Mega Charizard X continued speaking.
"I am not joking." Zetarus reaffirmed his words. "Diego, I love you. I really do."
"… Wait, you do really… love me?" It took the Mega Charizard X a while to fully register the Garchomp's words. "… Why? Why me, of all people? Of all the people you could fall in love with, why me?"
"… If I have to answer that…" Zetarus slowly answered. "Diego, I started having a crush on you ever since our journey together in the desert of Dustorm Empire, and the more time had passed, the more I have fallen in love with you, Diego."
"… Since way back then?" Diego stared at the Garchomp.
"Yes." Zetarus replied. "You have heard the story of my life before I met you. I grew up in a hell. For my entire life, no one had ever shown any kindness to me. But you, Diego… You are the first ever person who show kindness to me. The kindness you showed to me is like the first drop of rain in the vast desert."
"… Zetarus…" Diego mumbled softly.
"… The reason I told you everything about my past was because I want you to know everything about me, about who I am and my past, before you made your decision." Zetarus said. "I don't want to hide my past from you, hiding the fact that I am a 'used product'."
"Zetarus… Stop." Diego spoke up.
"I am not a 'fresh product', for that I was heavily used and abused throughout my entire life in the hellhole." Zetarus continued speaking. "I cannot even call myself a 'second-handed product', for that I am more of an almost broken product that was thrown out."
"Zetarus. Stop." Diego spoke up again, with stronger voice.
"… I decide to confess my feeling to you tonight, before our big battle, because I don't know what is going to await us tomorrow." Zetarus continued speaking. "I understand if you aren't going to accept my feeling. After all, not only that I am a 'used product', but I am also a male, just like you... No, not like you, for that I am a fag, a broken fag. I don't know if you are going accept a confession from someone who's male too or not. If you are being weirded and disgusted by a faggot like me, then please, just say it directly to my fact. I can take it—"
"ZETARUS, STOP!"
The Mega Charizard X's shout, along with a punch to the Garchomp's face, was enough to stop the Garchomp from speaking.
"… Diego?" The Garchomp softly rubbed where he was punched by the Mega Charizard X.
"Faggot?! Broken Fag?! Used product?! Thrown-out trash?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Diego angrily shouted at the Garchomp. "Just because you were abused and tortured by those fuckers before doesn't mean that you are worthless trash! And I will say it right now that you are neither worthless nor a trash, Zetarus!"
"… That still doesn't change the fact that I am a used faggot." Zetarus mumbled.
"Oh?! So, you are going be like this, huh, fag?!" Diego grabbed Zetarus by his collar and pulled him closer, so that the Garchomp now looked at him directly at his face. "It's true that you are a faggot, and your past cannot be changed or erased, but so what?! Fuck it! Fuck it all!"
"Diego…" Zetarus mumbled as he looked at the Mega Charizard X. Though both his voice and his face clearly showed his angry emotion, the Garchomp could see something else deep in the Mega Charizard X's eyes…
It was kindness.
"Listen up, faggot. I will say it right here, and right now!" Diego continued speaking. "The fact that you were raped and tortured in the past doesn't change how I see you. I am not going to hate or being disgusted by you just because you were 'used' before. All of that doesn't matter to me! What matters to me is how you are in the present, not in the past! Drill everything I said into your brain, fag!"
"Y… Yes, I will." Zetarus softly answered.
"Hmph! Fucking idiot…" Diego let out the Garchomp. "And stop acting like a wimp fag. Zetarus that I knew isn't a weakling like this! He is a strong, confident, and shameless asshole! Wipe that attitude out of your body. You heard me, fag?!"
"… Thank you, Diego." Zetarus answered as he adjusted his demeanor back to normal. "Geez… Not gonna lie, Diego, but that was harsh. It kinda ruined all the mood like a ruined—."
"Knock it off, Zetarus. From all the time I have known you, that is a proper way to deal with someone like you." Diego replied before he turned his face away. "And… Um… I am sorry that I went a little too harsh this time, and I am sorry for calling you 'faggot' so many times like that. You know, I don't have anything against you being gay, or against gay people in general, of course. I am cool with it. And I know that the term 'faggot' is considered a rude insult. So, I am sorry for using such offensive word on you."
"Come on, Diego. You should have known that I don't mind being called a fag." Zetarus replied. "In fact, I kinda like being called faggot, because it is the truth, and it showed everyone that not even such insult is enough to hurt me even a bit."
"Heh… Such a shameless bastard." Diego lightly punched Zetarus in his shoulder. "Don't say such a thing like that, or I might call you like that from now on."
"Please do~" Zetarus replied with a cheeky voice. "That can be a pet name you gave to me in our relationship."
"Fuck off, fag." Diego replied half-seriously half-jokingly. "Besides, aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself? I still haven't given my answer to your confession yet."
"Then, what will your answer be, Diego?" Zetarus asked as he looked at the Mega Charizard X.
"… I am going to be honest with you, Zetarus." Diego took a deep breath before he slowly answered. "… I cannot give the answer to you right now."
"What?!" Zetarus said with a disappointed voice. "You are going to leave me hanging after all the edging you did to me?!"
"I am serious, Zetarus." Diego continued speaking. "Everything happened really fast tonight. I cannot process it all, and I… I have a lot on my mind… I need to think first. I cannot give the answer to you tonight, not right now."
"Boo…" Zetarus mumbled disappointingly. "You are mean, Diego."
"Then, how about this?" Diego continued speaking. "I will give the answer to you after our battle tomorrow."
"Really?!" Zetarus looked at the Mega Charizard X expectantly.
"Don't get your hope up. I only said that I will give you the answer, not accepting your confession." Diego said. "Besides, if you are going to hear my answer, then we both need to survive the battle tomorrow first."
"I see." Zetarus nodded. "Then, let's make sure that we both survive tomorrow's battle together. We can look after tomorrow. You look after me, and I look after you."
"Isn't that what we have been doing so far?" Diego said as he reached his paw forward. "Sure. Let's survive the battle tomorrow together, Zetarus."
"Sure do, Diego. We will survive the battle tomorrow. Together." Zetarus said as he reached his paw to the Mega Charizard X and did a handshake with him, sealing the promise between the Garchomp and the Mega Charizard X under the starry night sky, above the Dragon Shrine in the Valley of No Return.
-Meanwhile…
"So, tomorrow will be the day… The judgement day for the last of Arceus' pawn."
"… You do realize that a new generation of Slaves of Legend has already gathered? And this time, they managed to gather 17 out of 18 Slaves of Legend, the most that had gathered ever since War of the God II."
"Don't be a smartass to me, Bahamut. Don't forget that you are my Champion, my slave. You are no difference than the so-call Slave of Legend you hated so much."
"… Are you saying that you and Arceus are the same as each other?"
"… Don't make me curse you with The Neverending Grief too, Bahamut."
"The Neverending Grief? You mean the supposedly curse you put on every Slaves of Legend, that their lives will be met with nothing but the so-call 'neverending grief'?"
"Indeed. I did put one on the Arceus' pawns of the Fallen Crisis era, and look how they ended up right now."
"… Do you really put a curse on them? Because from what I have seen, the reason why those Slave of Legend ended up like that is because of the mankind's sin, as well as because of the evil in their heart."
"You do really believe that Arceus' pawns, the 'Hero/ine of Legend', are truly evil, huh. Do you realize that it also extended to the demonic Shiny Haxorus and his Goodra sister too? Aren't they your—"
"Are you talking about Baromyteus and Anastasia? Both are no longer the Slave of Legend. Every drop of their blood in their veins had been cleansed of the Power of Legend. They are not Slave of Legend, and I don't consider them as one."
"Heh… I doubt the fact that they no longer possessed Arceus' Power of Legend is the only reason you don't call them 'Slave of Legend'."
"… We have digressed far enough. What we should consider right now is tomorrow, the day the Pendragon will depart to kill that final Slave of Legend."
"I must say… That Arceus' pawn they are going to face tomorrow… He has a lot of potential. Such a waste of potential that he became Arceus' pawn and had to be killed off just like that. Perhaps I could do something after the Pendragon finished him off."
"… Only if the Pendragon managed to finish him off, yes."
"You spoke as if you don't think that the Pendragon will be able to kill that pawn of Arceus."
"… It's nothing like that. I am sure that that Slave of Legend is no match against the Pendragon, but I have a feeling that defeating him won't be the end of it."
"Oh?"
"Their battle will take place in the Colorless Garden. You do know who are also there, and I am certain that that Slave of Legend won't be the only enemy that the Pendragon has to face tomorrow, and if I am being honest, I am having a bad feeling about it. A really, really bad feeling… That something that the Pendragon—No… That no one is prepared for will happen tomorrow."
"Interesting…"
"… And what about you, Dragon God? What do you think will happen tomorrow? Do you think the Pendragon is ready for their mission tomorrow?"
To Be Continued…
Dragon of Vale: This chapter is fun and relaxing to write, for that I get to write the Pendragon's slice of life in this chapter. And with this chapter done, we are half-way through Intermission II. Only 2 more chapters and Intermission II will be done.
A huge thanks to my writer friends RKType-0 for helping me with the fortune-telling scene, and the Lopunny fortune teller is the character of his creation. He is currently writing a story, also on , called Pokemon: Wings of Beginnings. It's a story about WINGS, an organization of Pokemon who were granted power by Dynacrystal, as they fought against dangerous enemies to protect the people and the world. It's a very good and underrated story! If you have time, then I recommend that you go and check it out!
Q&A Session:
Intermission II-3 - Question: When is your birthday?
Answer:
-Korben: Hmm… The date format used in my village is different from the one used on Symmetria, so… Let's see… Hmm… Following Symmetria's date format, my birthday would be July 21st.
-Claura: Despite that time flew at different rate in Kingdom of the Dragonking comparing to Symmetria, our date format is actually the same, and I was born on February 12th.
-Xavier: ZZZ… March 3rd… ZZZ…
-Anastasia: My birthday is September 24th. It was the early autumn that I was born, though I prefer spring or winter instead.
-Baromyteus: May 15th. Though I almost don't remember my birthday. After all, to me, my birthday is no different than any other day.
-Diego: August 6th, and you know that Dinus is my twin brother, right? Which means his birthday is the same as mine… Heh. It's kinda funny that Dinus and I were hatched on the exact same day, despite that we were raised by a different parent.
-Zetarus: I cannot forget that day... December 27th…. How could I forget the day… The day that I woke up and found myself in that hellhole… The day that changed my life forever…
-Rachael: Birthday? Hmm… To be honest, I don't really know when is my birthday. But that's okay! After all, I am always happy to receive presents from other people whether it's my birthday or not!
-Richard: I am the same as Rachael. Neither of us knows our true birthday. After all, we both grew up as orphans in Human World, and we didn't know that we are actually Pokemon until we were sent back to Pokemon World.
-Freya: My birthday was on April 18th. I can't really say that my birthday is a happy one, for that it was also the day my mother died protecting me from my father, so I mourn for her on my birthday every year.
-Snow: Hmm… Somehow, I can still remember my birthday. It was January 9th, a day during the period of winter.
-Sirius: Bork! (Dragon of Vale: Sirius still didn't remember their birthday as Aleph yet. As for their birthday as 'Sirius'… Though Sirius was technically created on November 18th, they didn't really wake up and gain consciousness until November 30th, in which is the day Sirius considered their birthday.)
Question From RKType-0
To: Snow Tundrafrost
The past is the past... But however... the present and future is ever changing. The time for answers to your questions will be answered... eventually.
Will you... walk forward without looking back any longer?
Snow: Such a curious question I received… To say that I am looking back is a bit ironic, for that the memory of my past is long gone. So, whenever I look back, all I see is the emptiness. As long as my memory doesn't return, I can safe look forward to the future without looking back into the past. But should I recover my memory some day, my past shall return, and depending on what I remember, I may or may not be able to not looking back. Either that I can continue looking forward, or that I have to look back to face my past, and to deal with any regret I might have, so that I can move on truly unshackled.